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Shouta found Eri sitting on the concrete steps just outside of the dormitories. The moon shone faintly overhead, blanketing her small figure in a soft white glow. This was the first time she had left the building without seeking his permission.
"You'll catch a cold if you stay out for too long," he said, voice quiet so as not to startle her. Each breath came out in a burst of fog due to the chill in the air.
Eri tilted her head up, the delicate light of twinkling stars reflected in her eyes. "It's almost here," she said, voice equally quiet.
Shouta followed her gaze to the horizon dusted with shades of purple. His eyes widened in realization. Given her past, Eri had probably never watched the sunrise in person before. Pictures and videos could never quite recreate the beauty of the night sky welcoming a new, brilliant presence.
Seeing the sun effortlessly cut through the darkness also gave people hope. The thought that, perhaps, this day would be better than days in the past.
So, rather than forcing Eri to go inside, Shouta slowly sat down next to her. His back protested against the hard surface of concrete, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.
Night turned to dawn as the stars faded to make room for a smattering of purples, oranges, and pinks that widened and streaked throughout the sky. As the clouds parted to announce the arrival of morning, Shouta was starkly reminded of his long lost friend. Perhaps Shirakumo was up there right now, watching them, positioning the clouds so that they could have the perfect view of the sun peeking through.
The soft white of the moon was dwarfed by the sun's bright yellow, painting the dormitories, Eri, and himself golden in its tender embrace. He noticed that, while Eri was not exactly smiling, her expression exuded an awe that matched her young age. Witnessing it lifted an almost imperceptible weight off of Shouta's chest. He had been worried about whether Eri could still experience such emotions, considering how fast she had been forced to mature. It had never felt so good to be proven wrong.
The sun continued to climb up an invisible ladder, soaring high above the buildings of U.A. Light shined off the glass windows as if they were giant specks of glitter instead.
He had seen it many times before.
It still took his breath away.
They sat through it all in a gentle kind of silence, watching as part of the sky became a pale blue. Eventually, Eri glanced at Shouta before standing up. Her head dipped as she looked down at her shoes meekly.
"Thank you for letting me see it," she all but whispered. Shouta had to strain his ears to make the words out. "And I'm sorry for sneaking out, Aizawa-san."
He turned to face her. Slowly, ever so slowly, Shouta reached out a hand. He made sure to give her more than enough time to back away if she wanted to, and when she didn't, he gently placed it on top of her head. Her eyes widened.
"I'd appreciate it if you let me know where you want to go beforehand, Eri. That way I can make sure you stay safe."
She nodded, biting her lip, still not looking up.
Shouta sighed. "But I suppose l can let it slide just this once."
Eri peeked at him through her eyelashes and searched his face, as if to confirm he wasn't lying. After a moment, she raised her head, and Shouta let his hand fall back to his side.
"Thank you." Again, it was quiet, but the gratitude layered within her voice was immense.
Shouta decided that now was a good time for him to stand, as well. "Alright. Are you ready to go back inside now?"
Eri hesitated, evidently not used to being given a choice, before she nodded.
They entered the teacher's dormitories to the smell of Hizashi's cooking. His husband had always been an early riser, Shouta thought, as Hizashi placed three plates down on the common table. He didn’t press for information, instead looking between Shouta and Eri with a small, knowing smile.
They all sat down to eat in comfortable silence. None of the other teachers had woken up yet, or perhaps they had and were choosing not to interfere. Whatever the case, as Shouta looked at the people around him, he thought that their future truly seemed bright.