Aizawa paused at the door.
His normally chatty students seemed to be conversing in hushed tones, huddled around Hagakure's desk. Bakugo and Midoriya were leaning over the same piece of paper, reading it carefully.
What the heck?
Aizawa recognized the object of consternation as the assignment he had given the day before.
Heroes had to very carefully control the information that was released about them to the public in order to protect themselves and their families, if they had them. Aizawa had decided to give them that lesson by assigning them each a hero, and giving them one weekend to discover anything they could about their secret identities. Hopefully, they'd find nothing. That's what any sane hero would tell the press.
He smiled privately at the thought of Satou's stricken face when the boy had realized he had gotten Aizawa himself.
If he had more than three sentences, Aizawa would give him full marks.
If he remembered correctly, Hagakure had been assigned… All Might?
Which should have been easy. The man couldn't deflect or lie to save his life, and had done hundreds of interviews. So once again,
What the heck?
Iida's waving arms smacked Ojiro in the face, and Ojiro turned away rapidly, finally noticing Aizawa at the door.
"Oh, uh, Good Morning Sensei!" the blond stuttered.
Iida stopped apologizing to turn towards the door, stricken. The rest of the class followed suit, and chorused a greeting as one.
Oh no. Aizawa was not dealing with this class' antics today.
"What." he asked flatly.
Every student refused to look him in the eye.
"Iida?" he prompted. Unlike his brother (thank God) the younger speedster couldn't help but be forthcoming and truthful. He could handle a Tenya. If Aizawa had to teach a Tensei, he would quit.
"Well," Iida started nervously, then forged ahead. "We were reviewing our assignments, and there was a great deal of interest in Hakagure's."
Aizawa raised an eyebrow. The class rep broke like a hundred year-old dam.
"We want to plan a birthday party for All Might."
The other eyebrow joined the first.
"We feel as though, considering the grand scope of things that All Might-sensei has done for us, as well as the community at large, and considering the coincidence of his birthday being this Friday, that it would be remiss in our roles as individuals in the UA community-"
"Stop." Aizawa interrupted him. "Do what you want in your free time. However, this is class. Get to your seats."
The students scrambled to their seats. They each attempted to present the image of upstanding, paying attention students. Ashido, Midoriya, Uraraka, and Kirishima were doing a notably piss poor job of it.
Aizawa thought of the three-thirty in the morning drug takedown he had orchestrated last night and made a decision.
"This is a free period. Don't waste it." He pulled out his sleeping bag. "And keep it down."
Two hours. That's how long Aizawa had before Midnight and Present Mic bounded up to his desk in the teacher's lounge.
"SHOUTA!" Mic cried out. He winced at the noise. "I didn't know you had it in you!"
"What?"
Midnight sidled up to him, leaning over the chair suggestively.
"Heard your class is planning a surprise party for All Might!"
"I am not affiliated with that."
Midnight turned to Mic.
"Told you he wasn't participating. It's a party, Hizashi, it's like you don't know your best friend." she teased.
Mic pouted. Aizawa glared daggers at them.
"What my students do when I am not in charge of them is not my business. But I would appreciate it if you would allow the party to continue to be a surprise. Midoriya is a crier, and I do not care to deal with him when he is disappointed."
Midnight cooed.
"You do care!"
He did not.
He did not care to assist his students either.
So, after school, he did nothing when Satou, Yaoyorozu, and Ashido left campus, and came back with armfuls of baking supplies.
He did nothing when, the next day, Kirishima, Midoriya, Uraraka and Iida left campus, and came back with bags and bags containing streamers, banners, and other decorations.
When Kaminari and Jirou consulted Ojiro and Hagakure about music choices, he did nothing.
When Aoyama spent a whole lunch period convincing Koda to do God knows what, he walked on by.
When Shoji and Tokoyami brought in a cardboard box full of ancient movies, he didn't blink.
The theme was not his fault. The fact that Mic was behind him to help consult about All Might's favorite things was also, not his fault.
The only thing Aizawa would admit to participation in was the betting pool.
Cementoss stuck his head into the teachers room, checking for a large, loud presence. When he ensured that the resident celebrity was gone, he stepped in the room, calling out to Midnight.
"Neymuri! 2,000 yen that young Midoriya spills the beans."
Midnight took the money, stuffing it into an envelope.
"That's six people and nearly 30,000 yen on Midoriya." she totaled it up.
"16,000 on Iida, 18,000 on Mic," she continued.
"Ouch." Mic mumbled.
"And 10,000 on it being a group effort."
The teachers mumbled appreciatively.
"Oh, and 50,000 on it actually being a surprise."
The room stopped, excluding Present Mic's surprised shriek.
"WHAT?!"
"Who's the fifty thousand?" Power Loader called.
"Fifty thousand what?" Yagi asked innocently.
Aizawa jumped. The former number one was standing, deflated, at the entrance to the staff lounge.
Excuses were yelled, reasons were given and within seconds only Aizawa and All Might remained in the room.
When the man tried to question him, Aizawa simply shrugged and dropped off to sleep.
The rest of the week, there were several close calls. Kaminari shouted about it eagerly, only to be drowned out by Bakugo, who set off several explosions to drown him out.
Aizawa overheard Yagi questioning Midoriya about the incident, and he cursed the child's inability to lie.
Fortunately, all he did was stammer, which was common enough that Yagi didn't seem to think anything of it.
By Friday morning, the staff room was buzzing, with every teacher stealing glances at the whiteboard dictating the numbers.
Aizawa walked into the dorm after school that day to be greeted with absolute chaos.
The room was draped in violently clashing shades of red, white, and blue.
Shoji was standing on a chair, using Sero's tape to stick a line of pendants across the room.
On each little flag, Asui's handwriting was clear, spelling out HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALL MIGHT!
Todoroki finished setting up a table in the corner, and Ashido draped a tablecloth with a startling resemblance to the american flag over it. Satou swooped in the room, holding a large, multi-tiered platter, covered in cupcakes, dusted with star shaped sprinkles. He placed it gently on the table, then stepped back, admiring his own handiwork.
POP!
Aizawa jumped as a loud noise ricocheted through the room. He looked towards the hallway, where an ashen faced Kirishima stared at the remains of what had been a trio of balloons.
Yaoyorozu frowned. As she created another three balloons, Asui shooed Kirishima away. Kaminari attempted to take his place, but every balloon decided his quirk was a magnet, and flew all over his body. He fell, popping at least five more balloons.
Aizawa dimly regretted not putting money on Kaminari.
"Oh NO!" Ashido screeched.
The room froze, turning towards the pink girl.
She looked like someone had taken her hopes and dreams out back and shot them.
"We don't have any helium for the balloons." she whimpered.
The room fell silent. There was a clatter from the kitchen, and Uraraka stepped in, dusting flour off of her hands.
She looked at Ashido, then the balloons littering the floor.
"My time has come." she announced.
Iida and Asui apparently understood faster than Aizawa did, because they attempted to argue with her.
"No, Uraraka!"
"There's no way your quirk will last that long, kero."
Her face set.
"It will." Uraraka said determinedly. "For the good of All Might."
The room began to applaud. In the far corner, Kirishima began to cry.
"So manly!" he cried out.
Aizawa left. Honestly, he couldn't handle any more of this.
Which is why he did his best to argue when, several hours later, Midnight and Mic dragged him back.
Aizawa was not ready for this. He forwent his jelly packet in favor of a water bottle filled with something that definitely wasn't water.
Midnight said it was vodka. Mic knew him well enough to know it was vinegar.
They headed down to the dorm. When they were a few hundred yards away, they noticed Midoriya and Yagi, chatting at the door.
Mic and Midnight picked up the pace, and Yagi entered.
All was silent for one, two,
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALL MIGHT!"
Yagi was still crying when Aizawa slipped in behind him.
The whole school, it seemed, had crammed itself into the common room.
Aoyama had apparently been convincing Koda to convince an actual bald eagle to come in the room. And Aizawa privately put Aoyama on his watch list, because Koda actually did it.
Kaminari was in the corner, dramatically playing the American national anthem on a series of half filled water glasses. Or, he was, until his finger slipped, and he shocked himself into idiocy.
The other corner now held a TV, which was playing some awful english movie, from back before there were quirks, about, well a very wrong idea of quirks.
Party hats were eschewed in favor of cowboy hats. Aizawa took a deep swell of his drink.
The celebration lasted into the night. He only had one heart attack.
The students had realized that they couldn't really set off fireworks at the end of singing happy birthday. So instead, Kirishima had the bright idea to coat Bakugo's hands in powder that changed the color of fires, and the boy set off his quirk with reckless abandon.
Still. Wasn't his business. So as Iida panicked, he sat in the corner and suffered quietly.
Long after all the students went to bed, the teachers stayed awake, drinking and talking. Admittedly, Aizawa had never seen Yagi's true form smile. Made some of this utter nightmare worth it.
"So tell me honestly," Ectoplasm leaned towards Yagi. "Were you surprised?"
The man nodded.
"I had no idea. I knew something was up with young Midoriya, but I thought it was about him."
Figures.
Midnight took out a bulging envelope.
"124,000 yen, to the person who actually thought this was going to be a secret."
The teachers held their breath.
Midnight tossed the envelope.
Aizawa caught it easily.
Mic looked betrayed.
"Shouta! What the heck?"
What the heck indeed.
Monday:
The students had, in fact, spent the entire period planning the party. They were so absorbed in their work that they didn't hear booming steps down the hallway.
"Stop talking." Aizawa barked.
Startled, class 1A did, rapidly, just as All Might opened the door to the classroom.
Tuesday:
Neymuri tossed the envelope back and forth.
"I can't believe there's over a hundred thousand yen on this. I mean, I get it's-"
Aizawa interrupted her.
"If you continue to wave money around, certain students will assume your costume has more than one use, Midnight."
Her mouth dropped, and All Might gave her and the envelope in her hand an odd glance as he passed in the hall.
Wednesday:
For the first time in his life, Aizawa intentionally started a conversation with the symbol of peace. He had to, otherwise he would notice his protege and three other students carrying overflowing bags of American themed decor.
Thursday:
Mic whined, staring at the betting pool.
"Shouta! It needs to be Midoriya, that could pay my rent at the studio this month!"
"This is beneath a pro hero."
"But Shouta! This is about ALL-"
"Of the things I could be doing instead, Mic."
All Might only paused for a moment at the door of the staff room, before collecting his bag and papers and heading back out.
Aizawa did it for the money. Or he did it because he didn't want to deal with a crying Midoriya. He did not do it because he cared about his students.
And he absolutely did not do it because of any positive feelings toward Yagi Toshinori.
The assignment that started it all?
An accident. He swears.