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“I’m here! Sorry I’m late!” Emi called out as she ran towards Aizawa and Eri.
Today was going to be the day that both Emi and Aizawa told Eri about their relationship and in order to do that, they wanted the kid to have a little fun before the broke the news to her. They didn’t think she would have much a reaction to their relationship or probably would be happy, but they didn’t know how she actually would react. They were worried that at the same time, she would not react to it so well to the news.
“Joke, really? I said 10 AM,” Aizawa sighed. “It’s 10:14.”
“Relax, Eraser,” Emi told him, her eyes squinting as she glared at him. “It’s only by a few minutes. You act like I was an hour late.”
“You’re lucky you weren’t,” Aizawa grumbled.
“Psh, whatever,” she grumbled back, then put a smile on her face as she looked down at Eri, who looked back at her with her head tilted. “Hey, kiddo! Long time no see!”
“Ms. Joke?” Eri said, unsure. “Is that really you?”
“Sure is!” Emi laughed. “It’s just a wig to kinda lay low, that’s all!”
Emi wore a black, short haired wig and a black baseball cap in order to hide her identity, since she was out with Aizawa, and she did not want anyone to recognize her. Since her and Aizawa’s relationship was still a secret, they had to take precaution because lately, many tabloids have been stalking pro-heroes to find out about their personal life, and Emi and Aizawa could not let that happen.
“Is that why you have a hat on, too, Mr. Aizawa?” Eri asked as she looked up at Aizawa.
“Yeah, it is,” he told her. “We need to keep a low profile here, okay? There’s a lot of people in this area and we don’t want to get noticed.”
“Oh! Like Deku does sometimes!” Eri said, understanding the situation more.
“Yes, like Midoriya,” he responded to Eri. Aizawa was able to get away with just a hat, since his hair was not as bright as Emi’s and, many people might not recognize him without his scarf. “So, Eri, when we go into the Aquarium, you should call us by different names in case.”
“Okay! What names?” she nodded once in agreement to the plan.
“Let’s see,” Emi began to think for a moment before something finally coming up with something in mind. “Just aunt and uncle should be fine, right, Eraser?”
“Yeah, that could work,” Aizawa nodded in agreement.
“Okay! Auntie and uncle!” Eri said, then giggled.
“And I guess we can use nicknames for our own names. What do you think?” Emi asked Aizawa.
“Yeah, sounds good,” Aizawa told her, nodding again.
“Great! Now that we are on board, how about we get ready to see a bunch of cool sea creatures!” Emi said, riling Eri up.
“Yeah! Let’s go!” Eri said, throwing her arms in the air.
The three made their way to the aquarium and Eri looked at the place in amaze. She was never able to go to one yet, since all that happened in the past year and the busyness of Aizawa and the students of class A being occupied with their school and hero work, but finally, she got the chance to. She couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the huge tanks full of many sea animals swimming in the clear blue waters.
“Woah!” Eri said, her eyes sparkling as she looked around the area.
Emi could help but awe and giggle at the girl’s reaction while Aizawa softly smiled at it. Though today was supposed to be the day they told Eri about their relationship, they hoped that this trip would make it a hundred times easier for them to share the news.
“Pretty cool, huh, kiddo?” Emi asked Eri.
“It’s super cool!” Eri jumped up and looked at Emi.
“Glad you like it! I had to beg this one over here,” Emi said, pointing at Aizawa, “to allow us to come! But of course, he couldn’t say no to me.”
“Shut up. That’s not true,” Aizawa grumbled, causing Emi to cover her mouth and laugh at his reaction.
“Mr. Aiz- I mean uncle! Thank you for saying yes!” Eri looked at Aizawa now.
“You’re welcome, Eri,” Aizawa softly smile, ruffling her hair as she smiled back at him. “Which exhibit do you want to see first?”
“Anyone is okay! I just hope we get to see everything!” Eri told him.
“Well, kiddo, I happened to be a great planner and I’m sure we can get through the whole thing on time!” Emi told Eri.
“Since when are you a good planner?” Aizawa scoffed, causing Emi to pout.
“Don’t worry about it,” she scoffed back, crossing her arms. “I happened to know this aquarium like the back of my hand! Whenever my students did well, we would come for a fun trip to let loose!”
Aizawa sighed and rolled his eyes. “You shouldn’t be taking your students on unnecessary trips, Em.”
“Well, sometimes I actually want my students to like me,” she said, sticking her tongue out at him.
“Whatever,” he sighed, then looked back down at Eri. “Do you want to follow her plan, Eri?”
“Yeah! I think Ms. Jo- I mean auntie’s plan will work!” Eri said.
“Fine, we will go with her plan,” Aizawa sighed again. “Lead the way, Em.”
Emi grinned widely, putting her hand on her hips as she took charge of their trip now. “Alrighty then! First stop, the jelly fish exhibit, then coral reef, and after we can see the sharks!”
“Okay! Let’s go! Let’s go!” Eri said as she grabbed Emi’s hand and started to shake it in excitement.
“Okay, kiddo,” Emi laughed. “I hear ya! Saddle up! It’s going to be an adventure! Let’s go!”
Emi took Eri’s hand and began to walk towards the first exhibit, leaving Aizawa to follow behind them. He watched the duo as they stood hand in hand throughout all the exhibits of the aquarium, and thought that just maybe, telling Eri would not be bad at all, since Eri looked like she was having the time of her life with Emi. He smiled softly as he saw how well they got along, even though he knew they did already, but this time, it made it seem like they’ve been close to each other for years instead of just the few months that Eri and Emi had gotten to know each other.
Hopefully, breaking the news would go as well as their adventure.
Time flew and next thing they knew, it was the end of their trip. They were able to see all the exhibits, thanks to Emi’s time efficient plan, and now, it was about dinner time. Since it was almost dinner time by the time they finished their tip, Emi offered to make them a nice homecooked meal, which Eri was excited for. She never had Emi’s cooking and was enthusiastic to try it out.
Shortly after the end of their trip, the trio made it to Emi’s apartment, exhausted from all the walking but excited to have Emi’s cooking. They settled into her apartment, Eri excited to see it for the first time, and Emi was ready to cook with Eri being her sou-chef.
“Alright, kiddo! First things first, let’s wash our hands!” Emi said as she put on her cooking apron.
“Can I use the bathroom first? I don’t wanna miss out on anything!” Eri told Emi, fidgeting slightly.
“Of course, kiddo! Just the first door to the left!” Emi responded to Eri, pointing at the direction of the bathroom.
“Okay! I’ll be back!” Eri nodded, then ran to the bathroom.
Once the couple heard the bathroom door close, Emi heard Aizawa sigh, causing her to turn to him. “What’s up, Shouta?” she asked him.
“Nothing,” he said as he walked towards her, his hands in his pockets at first until he reached her, in which he took them out after. “Just tired.” Aizawa got closer to her and put his head on her shoulder, slightly nuzzling his face into her neck.
Emi, on the other hand, smile softly as she embraced him, since she had been yearning for his touch all day, but because Eri was around and did not know about their relationship, it was hard to be patient. “I know, lazyhead,” she giggled. “But sure enough, my cooking will give you all the energy you need.”
“Not sure food is going to make me less tired,” Aizawa said, lifting his head up and meeting her eye to eye.
“But it will make you nice and full,” she giggled. “I happened to be a great cook.”
“You better be,” he scoffed.
“Hey!” she pouted at her boyfriend.
Aizawa smirked at her, successful in his teasing, and took his hand out to grab the waistband of her jeans, pulling her closer to him. He let out a light laugh before he brought his other hand to her cheek, brushing his thumb over it softly, before he leaned in for a kiss that he knew she also been desiring since they met with each other in the morning. He made sure to make the kiss quick, and pulled away from her, seeing that her face was rosy from her blush, which put another smirk on his face.
“I-I waited all day for one of those,” she stuttered slightly.
“I know,” he let out a quick laugh, smirking after.
“W-When should we let Eri know about us?” she asked him.
“After dinner. We’ll sit her down and tell her.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Emi nodded.
Once they both heard the bathroom door open, the couple quickly pulled away from each other, and Emi brushed her apron with both her hands, clearing her throat as she saw Eri enter the room again.
“Okay, ready!” Eri said as she jumped on her last step into the kitchen.
“Great, kiddo! I actually have to wash my hands first, too, then we can get started! Today’s menu is curry! It’s quick and tasty, since I know you guys must be starving!” Emi laughed lightly. “Are you ready, my sou chef?”
“Yeah!” Eri cheered in excitement.
“Okay! Let’s get cooking!”
It was after dinner and the dishes were clean thanks to Aizawa. Now, it was time to break the news to Eri about their relationship.
Emi started to sweat a bit, since she did not know what Eri would think of her now that she was dating Aizawa. She thought the day they spent together would have made up Eri’s mind to being excepting but at the same time, Eri was just a kid, and she probably would not like change.
“Hey, Eri?” Aizawa called out from the kitchen as he wiped his wet hands down after washing the dishes.
“Hm?” Eri hummed as she faced his direction.
Emi and Eri sat in the living room while Aizawa was in the kitchen. Aizawa put down the kitchen towel that he wiped his hands with and walked over to Eri and Emi, sitting down next to Eri while Emi sat on the opposite side of her. Aizawa looked at Emi first, in which she nodded, signaling to him that now was the time to tell Eri. Aizawa swallowed, nodding back at Emi, then looked down at Eri, who looked up at him with her bright, big ruby eyes.
“Ms. Joke and I have something to tell you, Eri…” he told her.
“What is it?” she asked, blinking up at him.
“Well…” he started to say, before clearing his throat. “You know about when people… like each other right? Like what the class A girls had told you about before from the shows that you watch with them…”
“Oh! Yeah! We’re watching a new show about people liking each other!” Eri nodded with a smile on her face.
“Oh… good…” he said. “Do you know what happens when two people like each other?”
Eri nodded again. “Yeah! They start… what’s the word again?” Eri said, scratching her head until the word came to mind. “Oh! Dating! That’s it! I think!”
“Yeah, they start… dating,” Aizawa now nodded. He looked up at Emi, who realized Aizawa was sort of struggling to get to the point, so she decided now it was her time to intervene.
“What Mr. Aizawa is trying to say is…” Emi began to say, watching Eri turn her head to face her now. “T-That when two people like each other, they start to date and well… Mr. Aizawa and I… like… each other.”
“Huh?” Eri said, taking a quick glance at both of them.
“And,” Aizawa butted in, not wanting to let Emi break the news alone. “Ms. Joke and I are… together… as in… dating.”
Emi’s eyes widened as she looked back and forth to each pro hero again, but several times this time around. She did not say a word and instead, her head fell, looking down at her lap as her hands grasped her pink dress. Aizawa and Emi looked at each other again, before looking at the child’s reaction, Emi placing her hand on Eri’s should and Aizawa leaning down towards her, to see if she was okay.
“Eri, are you… Eri!” Aizawa began to say before he and Emi were pushed away by Eri, who suddenly got up from the couch and ran away. Eri ran towards the bathroom, closing the door behind her as quick as possible, locking it before Aizawa and Emi could reach her. “Eri!” Aizawa said, knocking on the door to the bathroom. “Eri, what’s wrong?”
“Kiddo, I know this is a big change but please, let us know what’s wrong,” Emi said after. “Please talk to us!”
The couple heard sobs come from the other side of the door, their hearts breaking as they heard her.
“Eri, please,” Aizawa pleaded with her, his voice turning soft. “Talk to us.”
They heard Eri sniffle on the other side of the door, then heard her take in a deep breath before finally speaking to them. “I-I don’t want Mr. Aizawa and Ms. Joke to break up if they don’t like each other anymore,” she sobbed. “T-Then I can’t see Ms. Joke anymore.”
Emi and Aizawa gasped softly as they heard Eri speak and both looked at each other, their eyes saddened by her words. Aizawa sighed before he looked back at the door again, “Eri, what makes you think that would happen?”
“B-Because Mina-chan and Toru-chan s-said that sometimes people don’t like each other anymore, they break up,” Eri said after a few short moments. “I-I don’t want you to not like Ms. Joke anymore and I don’t want Ms. Joke to not like Mr. Aizawa anymore.”
“Eri,” Emi now said softly. “I really like Mr. Aizawa and even if Mr. Aizawa and I don’t work out, I will still see you. You’re like my other favorite person in the whole world besides Mr. Aizawa.”
Eri took a few more moments of silence before she spoke again. “R-Really?”
“Yes, really,” Emi said, then softly smiled. “Eri, you think I would stop seeing you because of Mr. Aizawa? You should know by now that I never listen to Mr. Aizawa anyways! He can’t keep me from you.”
Aizawa deadpanned while Emi spoke but knew what she said would help the situation. “Like Ms. Joke said,” Aizawa sighed then. “I can’t keep you from her and her away from you. Besides, I…,” Aizawa now looked at Emi, who looked back at him. “I really like Ms. Joke, too. I… I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”
Emi’s mouth opened slightly as she gasped under her breath, then softly smiled at him as she looked at him. She reached out for his hand, in which he grasped hers as he saw, and held her hand in his own. “Mr. Aizawa has a soft spot for me. He’s probably gonna marry me anyways, so no need to worry about it, Eri.”
“Shut up,” he groaned, causing Emi to laugh.
Eri, who sat on the floor of the bathroom with her knees to her chest and her arms wrapped around it, heard Emi’s laugh, followed by a soft laugh from Aizawa. She then rubbed her eyes, wiping the remaining tears away, sniffling a bit while she was at it.
“Are you going to come out now, kiddo?” Eri heard Emi ask. “I would like you to come out, so I can smoother you with a big hug.”
Eri took in a deep breath before she finally got up from the floor. She brushed her dress off and wiped her eyes once more, before reaching her hand for the door handle, unlocking it and slowly opening it to see Aizawa and Emi on their knees in front of the door. The couple smiled softly at her as she stood in the doorway, in which they saw Eri’s mouth tremble a little as if she was going to cry again.
“I-I don’t want you to go anywhere, Ms. Joke,” Eri stuttered, trying to not cry.
“I won’t go anywhere, kiddo,” Emi said before putting her arms out, so that Eri can embrace her. “Big hug?”
Eri nodded and fell into Emi’s arms, Emi squeezing the girl tightly. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, kiddo,” Emi told her, rubbing her back as they embraced each other. Eri sniffled, then pulled away from Emi, who softly smiled at the girl when she was able to see her face. “I know you were just concerned because I know how much you care about us,” Emi wiped away the leftover tears that fell down Eri’s rosy cheeks. “But just know that I really like Mr. Aizawa and I really like you, so I think things would work out, okay?”
Eri sniffled again, then nodded. “Okay.”
Aizawa watched the interaction between the two and couldn’t help but look at Emi as she made Eri feel better. He felt bad for always pegging Emi wrong until they started their relationship but was glad that he was able to have a chance with her. She knew how to brighten someone’s world, and at that moment, he knew Emi brightened his now.
“Mr. Aizawa?” Aizawa heard Eri say, causing him to look down at her while she was still in Emi’s arms.
“Yes, Eri?” he asked, bringing his hand to her head, softly patting her head.
“Please don’t break up with Ms. Joke. I really like Ms. Joke and I want you and Ms. Joke to be together forever,” Eri told him, pouting as she spoke.
Aizawa closed his eyes and sighed, then opened them to look at Eri again. “I’ll try, Eri,” he told her, then softly smiled at her. “I really like Ms. Joke, too, but her jokes can get kinda annoying.”
“Hey!” Emi pouted. “My jokes are funny! You just have no sense of humor!”
“Tch,” Aizawa scoffed. “Only funny to you.”
“You’re such a meanie, Shouta,” Emi continued to pout.
Aizawa let out a soft laugh as he brough his hand up to Emi’s cheek, pinching it. Emi groaned a little as he did, then stuck her tongue out at him, causing Eri to giggle as she saw the couple interact with each other as if they were children themselves. When the couple heard her giggle, they noticed that Eri was already feeling better, which was what they wanted after her reaction. They were glad Eri was understanding at the end.
Aizawa let go of his cheek, then brought his hand to Eri’s head, patting it gently as he soft smiled at Eri. “Things will work out Eri. Both of us will be here for you, even if our relationship doesn’t work, okay? So, don’t worry too much.”
“I-I won’t, Mr. Aizawa,” Eri nodded. “But will you try to stay with Ms. Joke forever?”
Aizawa saw that Eri’s eyes now turned into puppy dog eyes, which meant she really was begging him to stay with Emi. “Yes, I’ll try but, it’s a two-way street. Ms. Joke must try too, you know.”
“I’ve been trying for years already! I’m way ahead of you, Eraser!” Emi pouted, then laughed, grinning widely at him after.
Aizawa scoffed, then laughed let out a faint laugh himself. “Got me there, Joke.”
Emi and Eri giggled, Aizawa joining with another faint laugh. Aizawa then got up and put both his hands out for Emi and Eri to grab, so that they could get off the floor themselves. Eri grabbed Aizawa’s hand first, Aizawa pulling her up from the ground, then Emi followed, Aizawa doing the same again.
“So, Eri, are you okay with us dating?” Emi asked the young girl, placing her hand on her shoulder.
“MH!” Eri hummed as she looked up at Emi. “I’m super okay with it!”
“Great! But, now that you know, we have to let you in on something!” Emi told the girl.
“What is it?” Eri asked.
“You are the only person in the whole wide world that knows that we are dating now,” Emi told her.
“And,” Aizawa butted in, “you cannot tell anyone that we are dating.”
“Wait! Why not!?” Eri said, looking up at Aizawa now.
“Well, kiddo, Mr. Aizawa and I want to keep it a secret for now,” Emi told her. “Well, more like Mr. Aizawa does.”
Aizawa scoffed and rolled his eyes, then looked back down to Eri before speaking again. “It’s a little… tough and annoying the more people that know about us pro heroes dating so, I think it’s better to keep it a secret now.”
“Oh! I get it!” Eri nodded. “Your secret is safe with me!”
Aizawa let out a sign of relief. “Good,” he told the kid. “Let’s keep it between us three. Okay?”
“Okay!” Eri nodded, giggling after. “It’s our secret!”
“That’s right, kiddo!” Emi butted in, giggling as well. “Our little secret!”
Now one person knew about the couple, allowing the couple to breath just a little. But, that wouldn’t last long…