Chapter Text
When Nedzu shared his plan for dorms, Shouta had mixed feelings. On the one hand, it meant extra work and moving (though he and Hizashi planned to keep their apartment). On the other hand, it meant extra time with his son. He and All Might set the next day to meet with the parents – they would be video conferencing with those further away and visiting those who were local. Nedzu had personalized each invitation when they were mailed to students and their families (“It reminds them that we care for each student as individuals.” He had chirped at them.). The cost of the dorms was an unanticipated one for families, and Shouta was relieved when he saw his list that the cost was different per student based on family income. The Uraraka family was relieved at the news of the dorms, explaining that they had been growing uncomfortable with their daughter living alone off campus. The suggested dorm cost for them was a portion of the price that they had paid for the apartment.
Before long, it was time to visit the families. After taking a coffee break, the erasure hero found himself being chauffeured around with All Might, meeting with the remaining students’ families to mixed receptions. First top was to visit the Jirou family; Shouta didn’t expect much resistance from the girl’s parents, who had seemed very laidback. Yet upon arrival, her father made it clear that he wasn’t thrilled with the idea. Shouta resisted the urge to rub at his non-existent scruff as he worked to appease the musicians, using the talking points Nedzu had given him. It was only the student’s appearance that kept him from having to do a full-on bow, revealing her father’s disgruntled attitude to be a farce.
The car ride with Yagi was surprisingly not awkward; Shouta found that he enjoyed the company of the man beneath the bravado. All Might was loud and obnoxious, whereas Yagi was soft spoken but wry. It compelled Shouta to make conversation. “I was prepared to face more criticism. I’ll buy you a drink.” The offer was an olive branch, shared with an awkward rub of the neck.
The man chuckled, far from his boisterous laugh as the symbol of peace. “Oh, stop. That’s not like you.” Shouta internally frowned. “I can’t drink, anyway, and the next family… probably won’t be that easy.” The driver pulled up in front of the Bakugo household.
“I think it’ll be easier than you expect.” Shouta muttered before opening the car door, bracing himself for the conversation that would follow. Masaru welcomed them into the living room, where his wife and son sat on the couch. All Might gave the spiel this time and Mitsuki whacked the kid’s head with a smile of approval.
“Oh, sure! I’m counting on you.” Those words were directed to Shouta, who noticed her eyes soften a little at him.
“Don’t hit me, old lady! I’ll kill you!”
“Shut up!” She shoved at his shoulder. “We have guests! You can at least pretend to be a decent human being.” The two arguing had All Might’s eyes bouncing back and forth between the blonds.
Masaru spoke up. “You two. Stop it. As you said, Mitsuki, we have guests.” He turned to the teachers. “I apologize for them. Shouta, you know how they are.” He smiled at the teacher who was avoiding his colleague’s shocked face.
“Um, is it really all right?” The blonds were bickering still, hands on each other’s faces and arms. Shouta knew Mitsuki and Masaru well enough to know that they were loud and obnoxious and roughhoused but weren’t actually going to injure one another.
“Oh, the dorms!” Mitsuki turned back. “We’d actually be grateful. Katsuki’s reckless and he’s really good at everything he does, blessed with a strong quirk, too. This made so many others fawn over him constantly, and it really went to his head.” She smirked at the man. “If I know anything, it’s that you can help humble him, Aizawa-san.”
“When we saw the press conference, we were really happy with what you said, Shouta. He was always being praised for shallow things. But what you said, we were reminded that you all were watching him carefully. That you saw past his hotheadedness to who he is.” Masaru added on.
“I was worried for a while, and I wasn’t sure how it would turn out; but we watched the news with Inko and saw as you all worked to bring him back safe and sound. I trust you all with him.”
Katsuki huffed. His father spoke up once more. “I know you’ll face a lot of criticism, from the community and I’m sure some parents.” He gave the man a pained smile that spoke volumes. “Please train him well and make him a good hero.”
Mitsuki roughly ruffled her kid’s hair. “No matter how hopeless he may seem.” The family bowed to them and All Might whispered over about buying him a drink. Before leaving, Mitsuki stepped aside to speak with Yagi and thank him for all he’s done.
Masaru stepped to the side with Shouta, glancing to ensure that his son remained inside the house. “As was said earlier, we watched the news with Inko. I can’t speak for her now, but I did urge her to keep Izuku at U.A. I will admit that it is in large part to the bond that he has with Katsuki, no matter how strained it is. But I also want you to get this chance to help raise him. You are a good man.”
Shouta looked to the side and rubbed the back of his neck. “I appreciate that, Masaru. That you and your wife still trust me.”
“There isn’t a person that we’d trust more with him, at this point.” The brunet smiled softly at him. “Don’t hesitate to call if you need to talk about it.”
“Are you ready, Aizawa? Midoriya’s house is nearby.” Yagi joined them and Masaru gave him a look that clearly said ‘good luck.’
Katsuki rushed out of the house, much to his mother’s dismay and shouts. “All Might!” The teachers froze, and his father ushered his mother inside. “What is Deku to you?”
All Might’s face gave nothing away, but Eraserhead noticed the slight shiver than ran through him at the question. “He’s my student. Just like you. A future hero with bright prospects.” A quiet moment was then disrupted by Mitsuki hollering at him to leave the teachers be and come inside.
“I see. If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. Thanks.” The dejected boy slunk inside and Aizawa looked at the former symbol of peace.
They pulled up outside a familiar apartment complex. “Perhaps we should split up and finish off the houses faster. I can speak to the Midoriya family and perhaps you can head to the Todoroki one?”
Temptation struck at Aizawa, here was an excuse to not face Inko handed to him on a silver platter. His husband’s words kept it at bay, reminding him that he needed to help convince her. It wasn’t just the school she was judging. “I’ll let you talk but I think that we should approach it together.”
Both Midoriya’s seemed mildly shellshocked at having All Might enter their home. It was Shouta’s first time actually inside, and his curiosity was chomping at the bit to take a look around. They walked past Izuku’s room, which to both teachers’ amusement was more of a shrine to All Might. Amongst the sea of blond, though, Shouta saw some posters – store-bought and handmade – of other heroes, himself included.
They sat at the table, where the two offered them tea and sweets, and Yagi started speaking. Inko’s soft and submissive demeanor changed as she sat ramrod straight in her chair and stared All Might in the eyes and said, “I’m against it.” Shouta took a deep breath. Yagi said he could handle it.
Izuku’s shock at this statement was tangible. “You said it was okay yesterday!” The boy anxiously looked from his mother to each teacher and back again, panic in his eyes.
“I thought about it! But I don’t like it!” Tears beaded in her eyes. “Izuku’s quirk never appeared but he still admired you for so long.” She was ignoring Shouta, speaking only to the blond. “But since his quirk miraculously appeared… since he started at U.A., Izuku, my only child, keeps getting more and more beat up. Did you know about his arms?” She didn’t even spare a glance at the somber man, slouching in his seat in guilt. “How badly they’re injured? Recovery Girl said herself that without his combat training, if he’d only relied on his quirk, they could be out of commission! I watched your fight on TV the other day, with the Bakugos. As a citizen, I am very thankful. But as a parent, I was scared. My boy looks up to you. If his path leads to a future filled with blood like that, then I…” The tears began to flow and Shouta was impressed it took this long. “I feel like maybe staying quirkless and happily watching heroes work,” Izuku was watching his mother with concern, yet his flinch at the term quirkless did not go unnoticed. “I think that would have made him happier.”
“Mom!!” Izuku stood.
“Izuku, I told you that I would support you, but that I wouldn’t stop worrying, right?” The woman’s tiny body shook. “You want to go to U.A., right? But… I’m sorry, Izuku.” Tears clawed their way up to Shouta’s eyes and he saw that he wasn’t the only one when he looked at his boy. “I will speak frankly.” Shouta resisted a scoff because yes, this hasn’t been that so far for her. “As Izuku’s mother, I don’t have the nerves of steel I’d need to entrust my son to U.A. as it is now. It doesn’t matter how wonderful of a hero you are. When villains attacked, you couldn’t continue classes. You couldn’t stop the students from being injured. I don’t want my son to attend a school like that any longer.” All Might stood, but Izuku’s tearful cry froze him.
“It’s not like that, Mom! It was my own fault that I got hurt! The teachers,” he paused to look at the two guiltily, “they all told me over and over, I was the one who didn’t listen.”
“If this is how it turned out, then don’t you think that’s the school’s responsibility?” Although her eyes were piercing Yagi, her words felt directed at the other hero. Yagi sat down and encouraged Izuku to do the same. “I may be acting as a monster parent, but I am okay with that. I don’t want to steal Izuku’s dream away from him. If he really wants to be a hero, there are other schools.”
Izuku ran from the room and he stood to follow before being cut down by a glare. He hissed across the table. “Don’t you think this is a little much?” She scowled without speaking, even as Yagi looked distraught.
The boy burst back in, holding a small piece of paper, declaring that as long as he could be a hero, it would be okay. He held up the letter and handed it to his mother to read aloud. Aizawa remembered suggesting the boy write and was extremely glad he did. “A boy who hated quirks, hated heroes, he said thank you! In that moment, I was a hero. I was so happy. It doesn’t have to be U.A. Anywhere because I will become a hero.”
Yagi inflated at the passionate claim. “You are already so much more than someone following in my footsteps. In that case, as your teacher, I must support you. You and the path you walk.” The man knelt down to bow deeply. “I apologize for doing this out of order. I believe that Izuku is the right person to succeed me. I believe he is the person who should be the Symbol of Peace.” Shouta didn’t know who was the most shocked in the room, and Inko was clearly flustered as she urged him to get off the floor. It did not take long for him to deflate, but he remained down. “This is an apology, as the one who was formerly the Symbol of Peace. I was weak to his admiration and negligent in my teachings.” So, he does have some self-awareness. “I humbly apologize. And this is my entreaty as a U.A. teacher – it’s true my path was filled with blood, but that is why I want to stand by him and walk with him to prevent his path from being the same. I don’t blame you for having misgivings, but the U.A. heroes also know that they, that we, cannot continue like this. Is there any way you can look, not at the current school, but as the future U.A.? Will you allow me to pour my all into Izuku? I will protect him and raise him up, even if I have to give my life to do so!”
Inko collapsed to the floor, and Shouta stood in concern. Izuku was there to aid her. “I don’t like this, after all. I mean, you are Izuku’s reason for living.” She did spare Shouta an apologetic glance. “It’s not that I hate U.A. I only want Izuku to be happy. So, don’t give up your life. Please live properly to protect him and raise him. If you can promise me that, then I will allow him to move into the dorms.”
“I promise to do so as if he were my own son.” Shouta stood and walked to the door, unable to control his face any longer. Why does he get to be a surrogate father, when I wasn’t permitted to fulfill my role as his proper one?
“Aizawa-sensei?” Of course, his problem child would notice. “You haven’t said anything.”
“All Might said he wished to handle this. It looks like he was able to persuade your mother, after all.” He refused to meet Inko’s eyes, only allowing his to wander to his son. “I’m glad that you are staying.” His voice was softer, and the boy rushed to give him a hug.
“I won’t let you down, sensei.” He patted the boy’s hair as he stepped back from the hug. “I’ll do my best to improve so I don’t cause any more problems.”
“You aren’t a problem, Problem Child. You certainly seem to attract them, but you aren’t one.”
“Does this mean you’ll be living in the dorms?” Watery eyes shone up at him with his boy’s blinding smile.
“Yes. They’re having teachers live on campus to supervise students.”
“How will that work?” Inko spoke to him for the first time.
“Each homeroom has its own building. The bottom floor is a communal floor with a large kitchen and living space. There are smaller study spaces on the other floors and a small kitchen on the top. Students have private bathrooms including a shower, with a proper bathhouse on the bottom floor, as well. Homeroom teachers are given an apartment on the bottom floor with a separate entrance; we will have an office that bridges the main floor with the private apartment. There will also be a teacher dorm for non-homeroom teachers to live and one non-homeroom teacher will be on duty at night so if a homeroom teacher has something going on there is always a teacher available.”
“How will that work for you and your husband?”
“I’ll have a larger apartment than other homeroom teachers to accommodate that and he’ll have a much smaller one in the teacher’s building.” He smiled at the kid.
“Izuku, why don’t you show All Might the posters you’ve been working on?” Inko’s suggestion was clearly more than that and the two males didn’t hesitate to move to his room. “Shouta, you know I’m not comfortable with this.”
“You’ve made that abundantly clear.”
“I still have full custody. Even if you’re the one that can act as guardian on U.A.’s behalf, that doesn’t make you the one raising him.”
“So, Yagi can have a role in raising Izuku, but I can’t? You had no problem when he said that he would take care of Izuku as a son. But you are against me telling him that I am his father?”
“The situation is different, and you know it. Don’t push things, Shouta.”
“What happened to you, Inko?” He was exhausted. “You’ve never explained this to me. Are you really just that stubborn?”
“I know I’m being selfish with this. But Izuku? He is all I have.”
“That doesn’t mean that the reverse should also be true. I just don’t know when you’ll realize that.” Aizawa walked to the door, calling for his colleague to follow. They still had one more house to visit. Frankly, it was one that he believed they both dreaded.
Their student met them outside the gates of the sprawling estate. “Thank you for coming, All Might. Aizawa-sensei. My father has already signed the forms and he isn’t home right now, so I can just hand them to you.”
Aizawa frowned. “I’m sorry but we do need to speak with an adult relative. Your sister is marked as your emergency contact, is she home?”
The boy looked troubled but agreed, leading them down a stony walkway through lush grass. Aizawa resisted the grimace that marked the extreme difference between this student’s lifestyle and some of the others. Even All Might didn’t seem comfortable with the opulence displayed around the house. The inside, however, was the biggest antithesis to the last home they visited. Where Midoriya’s home was filled with pictures and signs of comfort, the walls here were barren.
They stopped just inside the kitchen, where a young woman was washing some dishes. Shouto tapped on her shoulder and muttered something to her, causing her to turn and wipe her hands on the apron she wore. “Hello, you must be Shouto’s teachers. I’m sorry our father isn’t home at the moment, but he did sign the paperwork. Is everything okay?” Creases formed around her face.
“We just needed to meet with a guardian to review everything and ensure that it is okay.” Aizawa spoke calmly to the frazzled girl.
“Oh, yes. I know that Endeavor plans on having Shouto come home on weekends to train with him, but he agreed to allow him stay on campus during the week.” The siblings looked downtrodden at the mention of the weekend trainings. It didn’t escape Shouta’s notice that she referred to their father by his hero name.
“Fuyumi…” Shouto hesitantly touched her arm. “Are you sure?”
“I’ll be at work most of the day, Shouto. You don’t need to worry.” The two whispered to one another before she flashed a smile at them. “Is there anything else?”
“I suppose that is all. Please remind your father that there is a policy concerning permission for a student to leave on weekends, if he plans to have your brother return home.” He turned to his student. “I will see you in a few days on campus.” The siblings bowed before the youngest escorted them off the premises.
After they returned to the car, Shouta turned to his companion. “I don’t think I’m up for drinks tonight. How about you join Hizashi and I for dinner, tomorrow?” This mess is not Yagi’s fault.
“I appreciate the offer, but my diet is very limited…”
Shouta scoffed. “Hizashi would appreciate a challenge, I’m sure. Just let him know what you can eat and come over around 6pm.”
“I appreciate that, Aizawa-san.” Yagi gave him a smile.
After arriving home, Shouta approached his husband and nuzzled against his hair, pulled back into a bun. “That was torture. Also, I invited Yagi to dinner tomorrow.”
The man turned around in his computer chair and pulled the other into his lap to straddle him. “I’m sorry it was such a rough day. Anything happen?”
“Something is definitely going on with him and Izuku. I got into an argument with Inko. Only after Yagi had to beg her to allow Izuku to return to U.A. The Todoroki house was so… lifeless.” His husband hummed to show he was paying attention, removing the tie Shouta wore and loosening his hair. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Maybe? I don’t know.” Foreheads pressed together, Shouta looked into the stunning eyes of his husband. “Maybe later.”
“Whatever you want, babe.”
Shouta and Hizashi said goodbye to their old apartment when they finished removing the last of the boxes. They would be subletting it to a fairly new sidekick at a nearby agency. Their new apartment(s) would be plenty comfortable, and they were honestly saving money by doing so. While their teaching careers would now take up more of their time, they would be living rent free. Hizashi had spent his time making sure that things in their three-bedroom apartment were adapted to their needs – he worked closely with Powerloader to soundproof the master bedroom and put some sound dampeners in the other rooms.
Shouta napped on their couch while Hizashi put the finishing touches on everything. When Hizashi teasingly commented that he help instead of nap, Shouta had simply raised an eyebrow and responded, “I suggested minimalism. You’re the one who wants all the extra stuff.” It was a long running joke between the two, and they both knew if Hizashi really wanted the help, Shouta would be there with him to organize it all.
Time came to welcome the students, and Aizawa stood in the shadow of the looming building. “For now, I’m just glad that we were able to bring Class 1-A back together again.” It was a bit shocking that all students had gotten permission. The students murmured about that amongst themselves and Shouta flushed some at his frog-quirked student’s comment about the press conference. “I was surprised, too. Well, I’m sure everyone has different circumstances.” That was a light way of putting it, having seen so many students’ home lives. “Now, I’ll explain briefly about the dorms, but first – for now, we will focus on getting the provisional licenses we were planning to have you get during the training camp.” Chatter scattered through the group once again. “This is important, so listen up. Kirishima, Yaoyorozu, Todoroki, Midoriya, Iida. These five went to go save Bakugo that night.” Several of them gulped, Tsuyu letting out a worried croak. “Your reactions tell me that you all were at least aware of it. I’m going to set aside a number of issues to say this: If it weren’t for All Might’s retirement, I would’ve expelled everyone except Bakugo, Jiro, and Hagakure. Of course, the five that went, but also those who knew yet didn’t stop them betrayed our trust.” He glanced around the group, looking at the guilt plastered on faces. “I would be grateful if you could follow the proper procedures and act properly in order to regain that trust. For the five that went, I will be emailing you what you will be doing as punishment. That’s all.” He turned to go inside.
The class was slow to follow, but he noticed that Bakugo, in his own way, tried to cheer them back up. As he explained the dorm layout, making sure to specify that they were divided by gender, he found his mind wandering. The students were impressed by the building and its features. He wondered how his son would react to everything and to his punishment. He tuned in to hear his worst student muttering in a perverted manner and reprimanded him with fury. He needed Nedzu to expel that weasel. He told them that room assignments were permanent – it was something that he and Hizashi had spent a lot of time planning out.
Shouta was able to finally relax while the students settled in. He rested on the couch, listening to his husband sing as he puttered around the apartment. He laid on his stomach for an undetermined amount of time, interrupted by his husband sitting on his back. “Shooooooooooooo! Why’re you being so lazy!”
“Get off. ‘m tired.” He rolled over, forcing his husband off with a laugh. After a bit of playfighting, which ended with them both panting and chuckling on the floor of their new home, they finally laid back, fingers interwined.
“Are you happy, Sho?” His husband rolled onto his side, propped up on one arm.
Aizawa opened his eyes and smiled. “The situation isn’t the best, but I am.”
“Me, too.” The blond’s smile reached his crinkling eyes. “You letting them be, tonight?”
“Yeah. I’ll keep an eye on things more tomorrow.”
“Moving can tucker them out, for sure.”
“And with the sensors we should be notified if they try anything too crazy.”
After a long day of working on their ultimate moves, Shouta was ready to burrow into his blankets and not emerge again. Despite the fact that dinner with Yagi the previous night had gone well, watching him show up with a ‘Teaching for Dummies’ book and interact with the kids had been a bit emotionally exhausting. Better than what he had done before, especially telling Izuku to find his own path, but still draining to deal with. Izuku’s martial arts training had proved invaluable; according to Recovery Girl, his arms were starting to sustain lasting damage and if he hadn’t been familiar with non-quirked combat, his future could be in jeorpardy; Izuku needed to change things while he still could.
Shouta grabbed a notepad from Hizashi’s nightstand (he always kept one nearby to help order his thoughts) and started to brainstorm about things Izuku could do to come up with a new method. Jotting down ideas, it occurred to him that he had never seen Izuku do an analysis on his quirk. He underlined that as a starting point, as well as support items. The boy did decently with makeshift weapons when they trained on the rooftop all that time ago. He stood and stretched, resolved to give the boy his ideas that evening before dinner.
Soon enough, he slipped up the stairs to knock on the teen’s door. Izuku answered with a large smile, which made Aizawa stop looking at the faces that surrounded him from the walls. “Did you need something, Aizawa-sensei?”
“Actually, I was doing a little brainstorming earlier about your ultimate move. What have you been thinking of?”
“Oh, um, I’m not really sure yet. I did think that I could start with costume upgrades to prevent further damage? Especially since I’m still working on getting proper control over the quirk. I did meet with Powerloader about possibilities… and the Hatsume girl… she’s frightening.” He shivered a bit on that last statement.
“What did you have in mind?”
“Oh! I was thinking maybe some braces for stabilization and perhaps seeing if there is a shock absorption material that could serve as protection for landings.” He frowned a little. “I was thinking of something that is possibly cut resistant? Since my quirk is focused on close-range fighting, perhaps it would do well to create something that can move with me and serve as more protection as well.”
“That sounds like a good starting point.”
“Oh! What were you thinking of, sensei?” The boy looked up from his muttering.
Shouta handed over the list. “Have you done a detailed analysis of yourself before?” The boy blushed and shook his head. “I think you should start there. Like the ones you’ve done for everyone else, using your current costume. Pretend it isn’t you and see what you would identify as strengths and weaknesses. Also perhaps decide on adding a support weapon that is easy for you to carry and utilize when needed.”
The boy nodded. “I… I can try that.”
“That’s something that you should focus on, then. Tomorrow you can sit out of the physical part until you have done a thorough analysis.” He stood and gripped the boy’s shoulder. “Don’t forget about your essay, either, Problem Child.”
“Oh! I’m nearly finished!” He turned bright red. “There are some ideas that I’ve had for years about what initiatives I would want to sponsor or support as a pro.”
“I look forward to reading it.” He paused. “You know that I’m not mad at you, kid?” He waited for an acknowledgement. “What you did… you had me scared. You put not only your future in jeopardy, but you and your friends’ lives. I’m proud that you managed to get Bakugo safely, that you used your brain rather than your quirk. But watching that on the television was terrifying.” He pulled the kid into a hug.
“I’m sorry, Eraserhead.”
“You have one of the most heroic spirits of anyone I’ve met. But you remind me of someone I lost, someone who didn’t make it to graduation because of that same spirit.” He released the boy. “I need you to do better, Problem Child.” He sighed. “I’d better go supervise the kitchen while they finish up making dinner.”
“Thank you, sensei. I’ll try not to disappoint you anymore!” Aizawa paused outside the door with a small smile.
After dinner, the class gathered in the living space to do various activities while listening to the radio. He noticed that the group of five students were working on their essays, Iida looking over Izuku’s for any editing required. Some students were playing handheld video games and shoving at each other. A couple were playing with Kouda’s rabbit, playing a sort of reverse fetch with the rabbit throwing a toy and the kids grabbing it to return it. It wasn’t loud, but rather a comfortable rumble of background noise. He sat on the couch working on some paperwork that would need to be completed before their provisional licensing test.
Jirou turned up the radio as Present Mic’s voice filled the air, instigating a question-and-answer session about tattoo experiences. Kaminari was the one who spoke up when there was a transition to some songs. “Did anyone else have a weird time having Present Mic as a teacher after listening to him on the radio pretty much your entire life?”
Several students nodded. Jirou spoke next. “My family would always listen in the evenings after dinner. It was just something we would do while we all worked on our own things.”
Present Mic’s voice interrupted. “That was such a great song. A soul song. This next song goes out to my favorite listener. This is ‘I Swear’ by John Michael Montgomery. I know lately things have been crazy, but I swear you’ll always be my favorite listener.” The sweet song played out. From his position on the couch, Shouta pulled his face into his capture weapon to avoid anyone seeing the blush that spread across his face. Apparently not quickly enough, because his son smirked at him from across the room. He rapidly texted his husband. You sap. I love you.
“Anyone else wonder about these song dedications that Mic always does?” That was Mina. “Like, I have always heard him send out these love song dedications to a favorite listener, but I have not seen anything else that says anything about his relationship?”
“I’m pretty sure he’s referenced a husband at some point.” Jirou’s brows furrowed.
“We should ask him next time we see him!” Mina wiggled excitedly.
“I don’t think we should. If he hasn’t said anything, then he probably doesn’t want to make it public knowledge.” Shouta was once again grateful for the Iida family. Maybe I should send them a fruit basket. They are good people. Tenya knows about us, so he’s just being kind.
Mina pouted. “But don’t you worry about having a relationship as a pro? This could be insightful information!”
“I know it’s perfectly possible. I have met several heroes through my brother that have successful relationships.” The stoic boy asserted. Jirou voiced agreement and the conversation shut down for the next ten or so minutes while music filled the space.
“Next up is a very special song for a very special person. This song is for all of us out there who have lost someone far too soon. Charlie Puth and See You Again. Tell your family and friends that you love them and hold them close, listeners.” The class was quiet as the song played out, waiting for it to finish and a new one to start before speaking.
“Sensei, do you know who that is about?” Jirou looked to him. “There are only a handful of songs that he dedicates to this person gone too soon.”
“I do. He was an amazing friend.” He was quiet, eyes slightly unfocused as a jovial face swam in front of his mind.
“What happened?” Mina spoke.
“He died saving people. Before graduation.” He was curt with his response. “I don’t want to talk about it.” The others nodded in acceptance.
Kirishima turned to his best friend. “Man, I mean, I know this is a dangerous profession and all… but I didn’t think about how dangerous before.”
The blond huffed. “Being a hero always is going to be dangerous. That’s why we need to be stronger than all the extras.”
Time wore on, and Aizawa finished his paperwork. Yet, he remained where he was to watch his students interact. These kids have been through so much. Yet here they are, laughing and working and playing. They’re traumatized, but not broken. Finally, as the clock hit 9pm, his husband’s voice rang out, “It’s time for our final dedication of the evening. For a very special listener, Phil Collin’s You’ll Be In My Heart. I hope you’re listening.”
Jirou grinned. “For the longest time, this song was the signal for my bedtime.”
Izuku smiled. “Mine, too. My mom and I would listen as a way to relax before bed and when we heard this song, it was always the sign for brushing my teeth and all as soon as it ended.”
“It’s kind of like it shifted with us, you know? The time it would play.” Jirou smiled wistfully and the other returned it.
“It did!” The boy yawned and blushed. “I think I’m conditioned to be tired when it plays.” Aizawa hid his heartbroken smile at the boy’s response. I know only Hizashi and I know that he’s the very special listener… but knowing that he did listen to it, that he unknowingly received our message? I wish I… don’t go there, Shouta. You have this now. Kids mumbled good night wishes to each other and him as they meandered off to their rooms, an unspoken agreement that this was a good time to leave the common space.