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Where was he?
The space was empty and plain. Nothing remarkable about it at all. And yet, he felt at home. His eye was back. His leg was back. He reached up to feel his face and there was no scar. In fact, none of the chronic pain he’d acquired in the war, or from the USJ was there anymore. He could move without some scar or old injury giving him hell.
And move he did. He stretched his arms out above his head and reached as high as he could with no pain involved. No emergencies. His favorite song started playing and he danced just for the hell of it. He wasn’t tired, not at all. He felt like he had the energy to take on the world, but he didn’t have to. The song ended, leaving him with a soft smile on his face. He paused to catch his breath for a minute, which wasn’t difficult, then got up and kept walking.
He looked around some more. He saw through almost a frost-like sheen, all of his students. They were smiling, healthy. Bakugo seemed calm. None of the girls were being harassed. Todoroki was grinning. Midoriya’s scars were gone. Shoji wasn’t wearing a mask. Shinso was among them. He was wearing his capture weapon, chatting with Kaminari with a soft smile. His eye bags were gone. Mirio entered the scene, grinning while Eri rode on his shoulders. She was smiling too.
All of a sudden, the barrier was gone. Shota was there too.
“Dad!” Eri shouted, leaping from Mirio’s shoulders. Mirio looked panicked for a moment before Shota caught the girl, spinning her around with a laugh. When’s the last time he laughed? Probably recently. What was there to be upset about?
“Hey there, Eri. Having fun?” Shota asked, setting her down.
“Lemillion was just showing me a cool new thing!” What could it be? Hugging?
Wait, no. What a silly thought. Why would hugging be new?
“He was showing me this game called Uno!”
“Yeah? And how’s it going?”
“I beat him five times!” Mirio gave a sheepish smile, one that suggested he had not been letting her win. Shota shook his head affectionately, giving the girl a soft pat on the head.
“Mr. Aizawa?” Shota’s attention is pulled to Izuku, who gives a sheepish grin.
“What is it, Midoriya?”
“I just wanted to let you know that I just had my first mission as a pro-hero! It went really well. I couldn’t have done it without your teaching,” Izuku gushes appreciatively, pulling Shota into a soft hug. Shota places his hand protectively on Izuku’s head, ruffling his hair.
“You’ve come so far, Midoriya. I’m proud of you,” Shota softly affirms.
Just then, his attention is pulled by a glorious specimen of a man approaching him, long yellow hair pulled up in the silly style he’s always secretly loved.
“Shota, love! I’ve got a surprise for you!” Hizashi shouts, the volume only enhancing Shota’s excitement.
Just then, a dead man steps out from behind a wall.
Wait, what? He must’ve eaten something funny, or not gotten enough sleep or something. Oboro’s not dead. Shota shakes the thought from his head.
“Hey, Oboro,” he greets. “Glad you could make it.”
“I’m glad I could make it too, pal!” Oboro grins, signature goggles hanging around his neck.
Shota glances over at his students. “Y’know, all this might be a little too much socializing for me. Cuddle puddle?” The words sound foreign in his mouth, but why? Seriously, something was off with him today. Hopefully a nap in the arms of his boyfriend and best friend would do something to fix that.
“Sounds great!” Oboro affirms, and Hizashi consents with an eager nod.
The blonde pulls Shota onto his chest, leaning back against the wall and falling just a little too fast. Oboro joins the pile, hugging Shota from the front so he is effectively sandwiched between them. His favorite position. There’s some adjusting in the pile to be comfortable, eventually ending up with them laying down, Hizashi spooning Shota from behind and Shota’s face buried in Oboro’s chest.
He smelled like morning in a thunderstorm, when Shota was still in bed in the arms of his lover because there was nothing more important to do. Needless to say, Shota found himself asleep within minutes.
-
The bright light of the hospital was empty and plain. Nothing remarkable about it at all. It was the same one Shota had stared at for almost two weeks now. So long, it almost made him feel at home.
“Hey, Hizashi?” Shota asks, looking over at his best friend sitting in the chair next to him.
“Hm?”
“Do you ever have a happy dream that hurts worse than a nightmare?”