Hello! Here is my second attempt at fanfiction for this awesome fandom. For reasons I honestly can't explain, I am absolutely in love with the EraserJoke ship, so I had to write something about it. This takes place just after the provisional license exam. I hope you all enjoy it!

I do not own My Hero Academia.

"Eraser!"

Shouta fought the urge to roll his eyes as the bubbly woman entered the gym. He genuinely didn't understand how she could be so happy this early on a Sunday morning…or at any time for that matter. He checked his phone.

"Good to see you're on time, Joke."

"Of course! How could you possibly expect me to be late to our date?"

The erasure hero did roll his eyes at that. He watched Emi as she approached him and set down her duffle bag. He raised his eyebrows when he saw that she wasn't in her usual flashy hero costume.

Instead, she donned a pair of black sweatpants and a simple gray t-shirt. Her signature bandanna was absent and her hair was tied up in a ponytail. Except for the seafoam green hair, he might not have recognized her if he'd randomly seen her on the street.

It'd been so long since he'd seen her out of her hero costume. Hell, until the provisional license exam, it'd been so long since he'd seen her at all.

"You ready?" he found himself saying as he tied his hair back.

She grinned and put her hands on her hips.

"Whenever you are."

While he'd initially kicked himself for agreeing when she texted him and proposed they get together to train for a day, he now realized it had been a brilliant idea. The two heroes ran a few laps around the gym to warm up, Emi having absolutely no difficulty keeping up with her training partner. They stopped to stretch on the mats. Shouta couldn't help but watch as Emi lied on the ground and pulled a knee up to her chest.

The corners of her lips were twitched up into a small smile. That was completely normal and he was certain hell would freeze over before that ever changed; however, he could only see focus and determination in her bright eyes. She switched and stretched the opposite leg.

It was a rare not to hear her cracking jokes, but it only reminded him that she could actually be serious when the time called for it, despite the image her hero persona might portray.

"See something you like, Eraser?"

Shouta blinked tiredly before letting out a huff, accepting he'd brought that one on himself. He hauled himself off the ground.

"Are you ready to spar or not?"

Her smile growing slightly wider at the perturbed tone, Emi jumped up and joined her training partner in the middle of the mats.

It didn't take long to reaffirm his thoughts that this had been a good idea. He was so focused on training his own students that he hadn't had a good training session of his own in quite some time. He and some of the staff would spar on occasion, but they hardly had the time for it given recent events.

He shot an arm up to block a punch aimed at his head only to stumble back a second later, narrowly missing a kick to the chest. Emi jumped to avoid his leg sweep and put a bit more distance between them. She wiped the sweat from her brow and grinned at her opponent.

It took Shouta a second to realize the corners of his own lips were slightly quirked upwards. A chuckle nearly escaped him when he saw Emi's eyes widen, his own soon mirroring hers as he felt a giddiness surging through his veins. Before he could activate erasure, he felt the effects of her outburst quirk receding. His brow furrowed.

She's not using her quirk on me?

That momentary distraction was all Emi needed. Shouta barely avoided a punch to the stomach before he went in for an attack on his own. He feigned a jab to her right side before swinging his left leg around to hit her back as she tried to avoid his fist. He was fast…but so was Emi. She twisted and grabbed his leg before it made contact with her, dropping to the ground and rolling over. Shouta was thrown to the floor and went tumbling across the mats.

Before he even had a chance to push himself off the ground, he felt a weight settle on his back and a hand on the back of his head. He braced his hands on either side of him and tensed when he felt pressure on his forearm. He inhaled sharply and clenched his eyes shut, expecting the pressure to increase until it snapped the bone.

My students.

He tried to get up, but the weight on him didn't move and kept him pinned firmly to the ground.

I have to protect my students.

Looking up through the loose hair that managed to fall out of his tie, his blood ran cold.

A seemingly harmless hand reaching out toward his students. Tsuyu's eyes widening as she watched the palm coming closer and closer.

"No!" he gasped through clenched teeth.

He opened his eyes and activated erasure instantly. The weight on top of him shifted. He forced his eyes open as long as he could, but he was ultimately forced to blink.

"Eraser?"

I can't let anything happen to my students.

"Eraser?"

The pale hand grasped Tsuyu's face, the skin hardening and crumbling at the touch.

"Shouta!"

He blinked, realizing he was staring at the plain walls of Yuuei's gym. He wasn't lying on the ground anymore. Instead, he was on his knees with something keeping him up. He took a deep breath, the strong arms wrapped around him bringing him further back into reality. He looked to the side, instantly noticing the seafoam green ponytail.

"Joke?"

His arms hung limp at his sides. It wasn't until he tried to bring them up to get out of Emi's hold that he noticed they were trembling. Emi's arms tightened around him for a second before she pulled away. Her usual smile was absent and nothing but concern gleamed in her eyes. She brought a hand up to cup his cheek.

"Are you with me now?"

Shouta took a few more shaky breaths before hesitantly nodding, still feeling as if his heart would beat out of his chest. He watched as she stood up before him and extended her hands out to him.

"Do you think you can stand?"

He accepted the hands stretched out to him, having to rely more on Emi to get up than he was willing to admit. She gently grasped his arm and brought him along as she picked up her duffle bag. Next thing he knew, she was escorting him out of the gym. Much to his own surprise, he didn't protest.

"Are the dorms very far from here?"

Shouta shook his head and led the short walk back to Heights Alliance. The common room was quiet as most of his students probably weren't even awake yet. He could hear shuffling behind a couple of the closed doors as the two made their way to his apartment. Unlocking the door, he let them both inside. Once the door was shut, Emi set down her bag and walked through the small living area to the kitchen. Before he could even ask what she was doing, she'd already found the kettle and was filling it with water. It didn't take her long to find a couple tea bags from the cabinet.

He sighed, knowing she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Strangely enough, he didn't seem to mind. He took the tie out of his hair and pulled at his sweat-drenched shirt as it clung to his chest.

"If you want to change, the bathroom is the last door on the left," he muttered as he walked through the living room and down the short hallway.

He barely heard her hum of acknowledgement as he entered his bedroom. He took his shirt off and dropped it on top of his pile of laundry in the hamper. Rummaging through a drawer for another shirt, he caught a glance of his reflection in the mirror above his dresser.

His face was ghostly pale, making the dark circles under his eyes even more prominent.

He instantly understood why Emi decided it was best to bring him back here instead of waiting to continue their training. He gripped the edge of the dresser and closed his eyes.

It wasn't real. They're all okay.

He grabbed a long-sleeved black shirt and quickly put it on. Upon entering the living area, he could see Emi filling up two mugs with tea. She'd already changed into a bright yellow t-shirt and had taken her hair down from her ponytail. She turned and nodded toward the couch, one of the few objects in the living room aside from a coffee table.

"Sit."

Her voice was soft, as it had been since their sparring match. He sat down and leaned back against the couch. The sudden—and nowadays too frequent—urge to sleep crashed over him until he heard Emi's footsteps approaching him. She handed him a mug before sitting down. She kicked off her shoes and turned to lean back against the arm rest, bringing her knees to her chest.

The two were silent. Shouta took a sip of his tea before glancing at Emi out of the corner of his eye. He'd expected her to be staring at him, but her eyes were focused down at the mug in her hands. He could tell she was wanting to say something.

"Why aren't you asking me to talk about it?"

The erasure hero didn't even realize he'd asked the question aloud until Emi looked up to meet his gaze.

"Do you want to?"

His brow furrowed at the response he got. She seemed to sense his confusion.

"We've known each other for nearly a decade now," she continued. "I know that I can't make you talk about it if you don't want to. If you do, I'm more than happy to listen."

The two returned to the silence that previously engulfed the room. Shouta could feel her eyes wander to him on occasion as they finished their tea. He was slightly annoyed in the fact that he could practically feel the concern radiating from her, but he knew she couldn't help it. He could practically hear a voice nagging him at the back of his mind.

Maybe she has a right to be.

Once he was done with his tea, Shouta placed his mug on the coffee table and leaned back against the armrest to face Emi. He watched her eyes widen in understanding.

"Did you remember something from the USJ or your training camp?" she asked.

He simply nodded, figuring she had a right to know. He was the one who ended their training session early, after all. The corners of her lips quirked into a frown. A pit formed in his stomach at the sight.

"You were fine when we started sparring," she muttered. "What do you think…."

Shouta had known Emi long enough to know she was really asking.

What did I do to you?

"It's not your fault, if that's what you're thinking," he deadpanned. "When you jumped on my back and pinned me down…I guess it reminded me of what the Noumu did when the League of Villains attacked the USJ. After that, it's like I was there." He ran a hand through his hair. "All I could see was Shigaraki reaching for my students. I couldn't do anything to protect them."

His eyes widened when he realized what he'd said, not actually intending to say all of that out loud. He dropped his gaze down to his lap and the hand in his hair tightened a bit.

Why the hell did I say that to her?

"From what I hear, you did."

Emi's voice caused him to look back up at her. She could tell he was about to reject that statement, so she quickly changed the subject.

"How are you doing?" she asked next.

Shouta raised an eyebrow at the seemingly simple question, but the look in Emi's eyes indicated she wasn't expecting a simple answer. He sighed.

"We're doing pretty well, given the circumstances. All of the students have gone to counseling due to the USJ and training camp incidents. Some have required more sessions than others, but they seem to be handling things well for kids their age. They're adjusting to the dorms quite nicely and we haven't had any incidents since moving them in here."

Emi grinned, a soft chuckle escaping her. The pit that had previously formed in Shouta's stomach disappeared once he saw her smiling again.

"That's not what I asked," she said as she shook her head. "I'm genuinely glad to hear your students are coping well, but I asked how you were doing."

"I'm fine."

"Bullshit."

Shouta ran a hand down his face, knowing that what transpired during their sparring match signified that he was anything but fine.

"I know you probably don't want to talk about it." The sound of Emi's voice caused him to shift his gaze back to her. "You don't have to. I will, and you can feel free to correct me if I'm wrong."

Emi paused, waiting for any indication that Shouta wasn't comfortable with this arrangement. After no signs of protest, she began.

"After I heard about the attack at the USJ, I called you immediately. Hizashi answered your phone. All he told me was that you had two broken arms and were undergoing surgery at the time. He promised he would update me once there was any change in your condition." She had to stop and take a deep breath before speaking again. "I couldn't do anything but stare at my phone and wait to hear from him. He finally called a few hours later to let me know you were stable, but no one would know the true extent of the damage until you woke up."

Shouta nearly flinched, remembering when he woke up and couldn't see. While his temporary blindness was due to the plethora of bandages covering the entirety of his face, he'd never forget the panic overwhelming him at the thought of never being able to see again.

"He called me again that night after you had woken up. I was so relieved to hear that you were still able to see and continue hero work after you fully recovered because I know it would have torn you apart if you couldn't. He'd also talked to Thirteen and the police. He managed to get a hold of your students' statements about the attack."

Shouta pulled his knees up to his chest. Emi graced him with a grim smile.

"I take it you never looked at them?"

The erasure hero shook his head. Emi sighed before continuing.

"Every statement said you didn't even hesitate to throw yourself into the fight. You were greatly outnumbered, but that didn't matter to you. You knew you might not make it out, but you were going to hold the villains off so Thirteen could get your students to safety. Not all of the students saw you fight, but those who did say you held your own until…." She trailed off for a moment when she saw Shouta visibly tense, his arms tightening around his legs and jaw clenching. "According to the reports, only three of your students were present during your altercation with Shigaraki and the Noumu. They saw Shigaraki disintegrate your elbow, but you kept fighting. They could hear the crack of your bones when your arms were broken. I can't imagine the pain you must have been in, but you still saved those three—"

"I only bought them time."

Emi's eyebrows rose when Shouta interrupted her, surprised that he had spoken at all. He met her gaze once again, and her stomach dropped at the devastation present in his dark eyes.

"Shigaraki was reaching out for one of my students. I didn't have much strength left, but I managed to erase his quirk before he touched her. That's when the Noumu bashed my head into the ground. I only bought them a few more seconds before Shigaraki tried to attack again."

The smile hero almost audibly gasped. Her shoulders sagged, as if a massive weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She was finally starting to understand.

"You don't believe you saved them…."

"I know I didn't," he said, irritation sneaking into his tone. "Hizashi and Nemuri…hell, everyone says I saved them. If All Might hadn't arrived when he did, some of my students would be dead."

"Maybe they would be."

Shouta's eyes widened at the blunt statement, his posture straightening as if he'd been physically taken aback.

"Realistically, that could have happened," she said, "but that's what can always happen in our line of work, Shouta. The attack on the USJ wasn't meant for two pro heroes to take on alone. From what Hizashi shared with me from the reports, you made all of the right decisions. You may think you only bought your students time, but that's exactly what saved them that day. In the end, All Might did show up and none of your students were seriously hurt." She tilted her head to the side. "Have you talked about his with anyone else?"

Shouta hesitantly shook his head. Emi hated the idea of him keeping his thoughts bottled up for all this time, but she wasn't surprised.

"I couldn't," he explained. "Nezu recommended that I see a counselor or talk to Hizashi or Nemuri, but I couldn't. I might be their homeroom teacher, but those kids are their students too. If I tried to tell them what I was really thinking, they would have denied that there could have been any other outcome. I don't think they could bring themselves to consider the fact I almost failed our students."

Emi couldn't help but let her fondness seep into her gaze as she stared at the man before her, finally understanding what was truly bothering him.

"You don't think you're fit to be their teacher, do you?"

Shouta didn't say anything, but the way his posture slouched again so his chin was resting on his knees gave Emi her answer. She scooted closer to him.

"I'm not surprised you think that, but your students obviously think otherwise. You didn't see the way they looked at you when you guys got off the bus at the provisional licensing exam, but I did. Within seconds of spotting you and your class, I could tell your kids have a lot respect for you. I could see each student holding on to every word you said. They need a strong hero to guide them through their training and they recognize that they have one."

"They don't have—"

Shouta was interrupted when Emi leaned forward and gripped his chin, ensuring that he was looking her in the eye. In them, he could see that same fiery determination he'd seen that morning. The same fire that always raged in those bright eyes whenever she did something she was passionate about.

"They do. I know I may not have been at the USJ or the training camp. I know I can't understand what you went through during those incidents, but I know you. You probably don't think so right now, but you're the strong hero your students need, Shouta. They believe it. Every teacher here believes it. I believe it. I…I really hope you'll be able to soon."

Emi's slowly released her grip on his chin. He may have been her favorite person to tease, but she'd never once lied to him. She wouldn't tell him anything that wasn't the truth, and she could see that he understood that. He visibly started to relax. The devastation that previously clouded his blood-shot eyes started to fade.

She could tell he didn't want to discuss this any further, but he didn't regret that they had this conversation at all.

Neither of them said anything when Shouta grabbed their mugs and poured them some more tea. Much to her surprise, Shouta broke the silence when he returned to the couch.

"Was the USJ incident why you stopped yourself from using your quirk on me earlier?" he asked as he handed her the mug.

She smiled, not surprised in the slightest that he'd picked up on that.

"Hizashi kept me updated as you recovered. I considered texting you, but I figured you would probably just tell me you were fine and leave it at that. I was happy to hear that you could still use erasure, but he did tell me that it caused more strain on your eyes when you activated it and you had to blink more often. I used outburst without even thinking about it, and I am sorry for that. I didn't want to make you strain yourself more than you already do."

Her eyebrows rose when she heard a quiet snort from the man right across from her. Even though he didn't smile, she could see he was amused.

"There's no need to apologize for being considerate. Besides, you obviously didn't need it."

Emi laughed softly, almost forgetting that she'd beaten him in the first place. The two finished their tea in silence. Shouta set down his mug and rubbed his eyes.

"I should probably head out so you can get some sleep."

She was reluctant to leave, but she knew Shouta got nowhere near enough sleep between his patrols and teaching job, especially having to teach a class like his. A firm, but gentle hand gripped her arm as she stood up and made to leave. Her eyes widened when Shouta got up and led her out of the living area and toward his room. He guided her to the bed and handed her an extra blanket.

"Stay. It's the least I can do since you came all the way to Yuuei. You probably had to leave early to get here and could use some rest. I'll make us something to eat later."

Emi didn't protest, not exactly able to deny the fact she was a bit tired. She sat down when Shouta climbed into bed and couldn't stop a smirk from forming.

"I thought you were supposed to go on a few dates with a girl before asking her to stay the night, Eraser."

The erasure hero rolled his eyes, but she could have sworn she saw a ghost of a smile on his face as he curled up on his side with his back to her. She settled down under the blanket and closed her eyes. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she felt the bed shift as Shouta turned over and moved closer, his lips right next to her ear.

"Thank you, Emi."

It was so quiet she almost thought she'd dreamt it, but the warmth at her back from Shouta's close proximity indicated otherwise. It didn't take long at all for both of them to fall asleep.

And if Emi woke up a couple hours later with Shouta's arms wrapped protectively around her, absolutely nothing in the world could stop her from smiling and drifting off again.

And there it is! I hope you all found this to be an enjoyable read. I wish there was more about what effects the USJ attack and training camp incident had on Aizawa, so I just had to write some myself.

As always, constructive criticism is much appreciated. I have plans for a few multi-chapter fics for this fandom, so I am definitely looking to improve. I plan to start posting those when I've made more progress with my FMA fics. Hopefully, that will be sooner rather than later.

Until next time,

alightintheshadows