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Izuku grumbles under his breath, more asleep than not, pulling Eri a little closer, some part of his brain registering that it's chilly and he doesn't like letting her get cold. (It reminds her of bad things, just like how hot hands and dark corners and sharp words do for him. And Izuku never wants to let her suffer, not even in the tiniest ways.)
Breathing deeply, slipping further into sleep once again, Izuku hunches further into himself. Around Eri. Something heavy and warm drapes over him, over them, but he barely registers that anymore, drifting away breath by breath.
He's safe, he knows.
A time later, there is something pressing on his legs and it's enough to wake him up, shifting to try and see what the warm weight is, hardly processing that there are barely-there words to listen to as well.
"-don't wake them up, you horrible brat, why would-" Aizawa is hissing, blatantly annoyed, but Izuku can tell that it isn't directed at him, so he doesn't really mind it. In fact, he will probably find this funny, later.
For right now though, Izuku is a little busy blinking at his hero, only vaguely visible in the dim light of the television, mostly just a mass of dark hair, leaning over to try and budge Cap-Cap from their newfound place against Izuku's legs. Oh, so that's what woke him up.
"Sorry, kid, didn't mean to wake you." The words are low and soft, like the seep of heat from a mug of hot chocolate, and they soothe at Izuku's half-asleep confusion.
"Mm, 's'ight."
"If you say so. Alright if I leave Cap? Brat doesn't want to move."
"Mmhm." There's a long moment, those dark eyes staying settled on Izuku, giving him the opportunity to change his mind, to say more or shift, but Izuku is comfortable-warm-safe, utterly content. He's okay.
Aizawa settles back, then, one hand settling on Izuku's knee, a passive, oh-so sweet affection.
"Wha's time?" His own murmur is low and rumbling, and it matches Aizawa's tone when the man responds,
"It's just after six. I was going to wake you up at seven for dinner."
"Mm, than's."
Izuku shifts slightly, nuzzling down into Eri's hair, soft and strawberry-sweet as it is, forcing himself not to sigh heavily in case the movement of it wakes her up. He's glad when she just snuffles in her sleep, clearly still unbothered.
(Eri is so very, very sweet, and he adores her quite possibly more than anything or anyone else in the world. She is the most precious little person imaginable, all ever-brighter smiles and reaching out to hold one of her heroes' hands.
Everytime he helps her with the colour choices or perspective on her drawings, or lets her help him with chopping up vegetables, or just generally gets to spend time with her, Izuku is reminded of how much he loves her. Of how, both because and in spite of her trauma, she is so very kind, wanting everyone around her to be okay and happy, even when they're focused on making sure that those exact same things are true for her.)
Aizawa gently squeezes Izuku's knee, a tacit acknowledgement that they're all here, and Cap-Cap is purring fiercely too. It's soothing, to say the least. It eases some of the lingering exhaustions and anxieties that had him going for a nap in the first place.
"Doze, Problem Child. You're okay, we all are." Those words are far too perfect, somehow, the exact thing that Izuku needed to hear, and he shouldn't be surprised, because Aizawa is always good at that, but either way it's enough to have Izuku relaxing that tiniest bit more.
And so he slips back into a half-sleep, surrounded by people he loves.
The movement of the little person in his arms is what wakes him up again, rising from his doze to something mostly awake, squinting down at the head of pale hair as Eri shifts in his arms. There are words, distantly registering in his mind, but the voice so very familiar and safe that he struggles to comprehend it at all, really, having to work far too hard for how sleepy he is to be able to focus on it,
"-will be ready soon, so I just need you to wake up for me, alright? Once you're both up you can wash your hands and we can all eat."
Izuku moves his arms away from where they're wrapped around Eri, taking in properly, now, how Aizawa is crouching in front of them both, expression set in a soft not-scowl, one hand raised to brush Eri's long hair out of his face, even as she starts to sit up, leaning into Izuku's legs that are halfway pulled up, folding herself over his knees, surely pouting even if he can't see it right now.
"Come on Eri-berry, it's your favourite. And your Deku-nii helped make it."
"I did," Izuku mutters, just about awake enough to go along with the man's argument. And, well, it is actually true.
"Mmkay," she murmurs, patting Izuku's leg as she gets up, a sweet thing, particularly with how she waits, blinking down at Izuku, rubbing at one of her eyes, clearly still sleepy.
"Thank you for waiting for me, Berry." He barely manages to not stagger on his half-numb legs as he gets up as well, and there's a hand raised at his side, ready to catch him. Izuku just smiles his gratitude to his hero, even though he ends up not needing it.
He reaches his own hands out then, squeezing Aizawa's briefly but taking Eri's when she offers it in return, letting her lead the way to the bathroom.
They wash their hands, just about able to hear Aizawa moving around, getting out crockery judging by the sounds, humming the song that Mic-sensei taught Eri for washing her hands. (Making hygeine and cleaning fun has been important with Eri, between the germaphobic environment she has lived in but also how little she has been taught about looking after herself, in many aspects of her life.)
Izuku and Eri start chatting as they wander back into the kitchen, talking about how Cap-Cap and Dinosaur had been chasing each other the night before, because it was really cute how they ended up cuddling once they had tired themselves out but they nearly tripped me up, Deku-nii! Izuku can only laugh, not unkindly, his heart utterly warm, and just nudges her to keep on walking towards the kitchen, where his hero is waiting for them, eyebrows raised slightly but eyes warm.
(In this moment, Izuku knows beyond a doubt that he has a home here, a family. His little sister and his hero, two people that he adores and that he is genuinely sure love him too, keeping him grounded and warm and safe, never letting his anxieties or past or pains overtake him, instead helping him stay steady. Content.
It's in evenings like this that he appreciates it most of all.)