Chapter Text
Late on Wednesday evening, gradually turning into the early hours of the night, Aizawa sat on the couch by a coffee table piled with papers in his small dorm room at the school. The room was cozy but modest: a shelf filled with books and textbooks, a desk with a computer, a mini-fridge in one corner, and a neatly made bed in the other. The lamp on the table dimly lit the room, creating an atmosphere of solitude and focus. Aizawa looked tired: his dark hair was slightly disheveled, and the dark circles under his eyes spoke of many sleepless nights.
His gaze was fixed on the documents he had been trying to organize for several hours. Among these papers were the very documents that could help him adopt Eri, the girl he and his colleagues had once saved. However, the process was much more complicated than he had expected.
Aizawa had lost an eye and a leg in the recent war, and now the guardianship commission doubted his ability to care for a child. He wore an eye patch, and his leg at the junction with the prosthesis sometimes ached, especially on cold nights. In addition, he continued to work as a teacher at U.A., which added even more stress and burden. He was tired of fighting their bias, but he was not going to give up. At that moment, there was a knock at the door, and it quietly opened. Present Mic, his longtime friend and colleague, entered the room.
"Hey, Shota, how are you?" Mic said, closing the door behind him. Hizashi Yamada was the complete opposite of Aizawa: bright blonde hair, sunglasses, and a perpetually cheerful smile on his face. He was always energetic and loud, but now his voice sounded softer than usual.
Aizawa looked up and gave a weary smile. His eyes, one of which was covered by the eye patch, reflected deep fatigue.
"Hi, Hizashi. Trying to sort out these papers. The commission is nitpicking me again."
Yamada sat down next to Aizawa, his bright clothing contrasting with the room’s muted palette, and looked intently at his friend.
"You know they just don't understand how strong you are. You saved Eri, you take care of your students. That means more than any physical limitations."
Aizawa nodded, but his eyes showed fatigue. He looked a little older than his years due to recent events and losses.
"I know, but you can't explain that to them. They only see what I've lost, not what I can give."
Yamada reached out and placed his hand on Aizawa's shoulder, squeezing it slightly to convey his support.
"You're not alone in this. We're all here and ready to help. And Eri... she already considers you her family. The commission will realize that sooner or later."
Aizawa took a deep breath and relaxed a little, feeling the warmth and support of his friend. He appreciated Hizashi’s gesture, who always knew how to find the right words to encourage him.
"Thanks, Zashi. Your support means a lot to me."
Mic began examining the papers spread out on the coffee table. His brows furrowed as he saw the number of documents and noticed how Aizawa's hands trembled from fatigue.
"How long have you been working on this? You look exhausted."
Aizawa sighed, leaning back on the couch. He felt the tension ease a bit, but the fatigue did not let go.
"Too long. I keep going through the same papers over and over. But the commission keeps finding new reasons to reject my application."
Yamada frowned even more, seeing the weariness on his friend’s face. He knew how much adopting Eri meant to Aizawa.
"Those idiots... You've done more than enough to prove you can take care of her."
Aizawa nodded in agreement, feeling familiar frustration build up inside him.
"I know. But they keep bringing up my injuries, saying they make me an unfit parent. It's infuriating."
It was indeed unfair. Initially, the commission itself had suggested Aizawa take custody of Eri because of his unique ability to help her control her quirk. At that time, he was the perfect guardian: experienced, strong, capable of understanding and supporting the girl in managing her powerful but unpredictable ability. Aizawa hadn’t hesitated for a second in accepting the offer.
However, now that his body had weakened after the war, having lost an eye and a leg, the commission began to view him differently. Their looks turned cold and distrustful. It seemed they no longer saw the same hero they once did. Eri had now better control over her quirk, and the commission thought it would be wiser to send her to an ordinary family.
Aizawa felt bitterness and resentment. Despite all his efforts and sacrifices, they now doubted his ability to care for the girl. He remembered how she shyly smiled at him after every lesson, how her eyes shone with gratitude and trust. He was more than just a teacher to her; he had become her family, just as she had become his. And now these bureaucrats wanted to take that away from them. Each piece of paper on his desk was a reminder of what he had already done and how much more lay ahead.
Silence filled the room. Aizawa, leaning back against the couch, stared at the ceiling. His face, usually stern and focused, now showed a mix of exhaustion and disappointment.
Yamada, seeing this, took a deep breath and suddenly, as if out of nowhere, said:
"Hey, how about we get married?"
Aizawa slowly turned his head to Yamada, raised an eyebrow, and snorted, not too surprised. He knew Yamada was always full of unexpected ideas. However, he didn’t immediately find the words to respond. The room was filled with tense silence, broken only by the sound of their breathing.