Although I think it would be a better solution to talk these differences out rather than kill oneself, it is clear Romeo and Juliet is still a relevant story. One can learn a lot from the Capulets and Montagues, though maybe more in the form of a warning about the blindness feverish love causes.

Eri flipped her pencil around in her fingers and briefly looked over her essay. Her last final in Literature was complete. She crossed out a few repetitive phrases and fixed a misspelling before setting the pencil down for good. A wave of relief washed over here. It was over. No more finals, no more tests, no more school for two whole weeks. And then when she got back in January, she'd be learning new subjects. And, yes, there would be finals come April, but that was so far away, Eri didn't particularly care. Right now, in this moment, she was done.

She tossed her pencil into her backpack and zipped it shut before standing with her bag over her shoulder and her packet in the other hand. Quietly, so as to not disturb the rest of the working students, she made her way to the front where her waiting teacher had a stack of finished papers. With a small bow and a little wave, Eri exited the classroom and let out a long sigh of relief.

The semester was over. Her birthday was tomorrow and Winter Break was just beginning. Everything was going great.

Except, she didn't feel that way.

Ever since witnessing the fight her dad had been in and especially since the conversation she'd overheard between him and Mirio, Eri had this sinking feeling in her stomach that she couldn't shake. As much as she did want more than anything to help Mirio get his Quirk back, she was scared of this power that lurked inside her. It was a power she didn't understand and had even grown to resent at times. While every other kid got to enjoy their Quirk, she hid hers away.

And now, it seemed, she would need to learn to use and control it.

That was something she should have anticipated, given that she was considering training for UA's hero program. Of course, she would need to learn how to use her Quirk in order to get in. But the how's had seemed so abstract when she was just thinking about her high school career, yet now they were very, very real.

Her dad didn't know she'd overheard that conversation with Mirio and he hadn't brought anything up regarding him or his Quirk. Eri chalked that up to the end of the semester. UA's last day was the same as her's and her father had been on the other side of the exams. Rather than study and prepare, he had created and would soon grade them. It was a busy time, but Eri couldn't help but spend every day wondering if he would finally talk to her about it.

Eri walked through the entrance of the school and started down the sidewalk towards home. Yuki had another final, so Eri headed home alone. It had warmed up slightly and Eri had forgotten her gloves in her rush to get out the door that morning, so she shoved her hands in her pockets.

It was around noon and she passed a few business people in crisp drab suits bustling out of favorite lunch spots along the main drag. A few students from various schools milled around with bright smiles on their faces. Eri assumed they were also done with finals for the year.

Before long, she turned down the street leading to UA's main campus. She flashed her ID to be let inside and made her way to the dorms.

Campus was already pretty empty. Some classes had finished their finals the day before and other students were done early that morning. The students she did see walking around were carrying bags and suitcases, often accompanied by their parents who had come to pick them up.

"Eri!"

She gasped at the sound of her name. She knew that voice as well as she knew her own. Whirling around, she faced a mop of green hair and bright excited eyes.

"Deku!" Eri screeched, throwing her backpack on the ground in favor of running into her friend's outstretched arms. Deku grabbed her with ease and lifted her feet off the ground so he could spin her around a few times.

When she felt herself firmly back on the ground, Eri pulled away, though she continued to bounce excitedly on the tips of her feet. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "It's Winter Break and I know you're super busy!"

"I came to talk to a few students who we're recruiting for the agency I'm with," Izuku explained, bending down to pick up the girl's bag. He slung it over his own shoulder and they started to walk towards Eri's dorm. "And I know your birthday's tomorrow so I wanted to stop by and see you! I wasn't sure if you were home and I don't have a ton of time, but I figured I'd head towards the 1-A dorm and see. I can't believe you're going to be twelve!"

"Mirio said the same thing," Eri replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Mirio?" Izuku asked. "Did I miss him?"

"Yeah, he stopped by a few days ago." That was all the explanation Eri gave. She didn't want to go into more detail with the memory of the conversation she'd heard still burning in her mind.

"Oh darn. We really need to learn to coordinate." Izuku laughed heartily and Eri's smile returned.

She saw Izuku even less than she saw Mirio even though he actually lived closer. But, unlike Mirio, he was a hero in training. After graduating, he started working for Bubble Girl at the Nighteye Agency. He was her sidekick, though he quickly gained notoriety for his heroics and was quite famous in his own right. If you bought into what the media said, Deku would become the number one hero before long and was on track to be the world's new Symbol of Peace. Of course, he was only twenty-one, and even the most optimistic commentators speculated it would be years before that happened.

"So, how's school going?" Izuku asked, adjusting the backpack on his shoulder.

"Done!" Eri cheered. "I just finished my last final. One more semester and I'll be in middle school!" Izuku nodded and Eri hesitated before adding, "I saw you the other day. On TV fighting that villain." With all that was on her mind, she figured she'd just jump right into the one thing she'd wanted to speak with Izuku about, but hadn't yet had the chance.

"Oh, you did?" Izuku asked, though he clearly didn't know which fight Eri was referring to.

"Yeah." She nodded. "The one where Dad got hurt."

Izuku sucked in a breath, the memory of that battle coming back to him. "Your dad really helped us out," he told her. "I don't know if we could have taken that guy without him."

"I'd never seen him fight like that before," Eri said, staring straight ahead of her. "I mean, I know hero work can be dangerous, but I never really saw it before."

"Your dad's a great hero," Izuku told her seriously. "And he's strong and one of the best fighters I know. I mean, he taught me after all."

"Mirio said the same thing," Eri sighed, the response now becoming too tired for her. "I know he's strong and a good fighter, but it's scary. I don't want him, or you or Mirio, to get hurt."

Izuku placed a gentle hand on her shoulder as they continued to walk along the concrete path through campus. "I know," he said. "But it comes with the job. Thankfully, we're all trained. Your dad, me, even Mirio, we're all trained for stuff like this."

Eri just nodded, pursing her lips and falling silent. After a few minutes of walking in silence, she said, "Can I tell you something and you won't tell my dad?"

Izuku hesitated. Even as an adult, Aizawa was scary and he didn't want to make a promise to Eri he would end up breaking. However, when he looked down and saw her intense red eyes staring back at him pleadingly, he couldn't say no.

"Sure, kiddo," he whispered.

"Dad wants me to use my Quirk," she said. "To get Mirio's Quirk back. And I don't know what to do. I heard him talking about it, but he doesn't know I know. I'm just scared because I haven't used my Quirk in years and if I do something wrong or if I'm not strong enough, I could make him disappear. I want to learn how to use my Quirk, but I know how dangerous it is."

Izuku had hoped in the back of his mind that this would be about a crush or a bad grade. He knew Eri was far too serious to find either of those to be secrets too great to keep from her dad, but he'd really wanted it to be simple. This was about as far from simple as it could get.

Eri's Quirk was a… difficult topic for him. He respected the hell out of his former teacher, but as someone who'd grown up without a Quirk, he wasn't sure if he agreed with training her never to use it. Still, he understood Aizawa's reasoning. He had to teach her not to use it in order to control such a power.

"I'm sorry," Eri said once she realized she'd silenced her friend.

"No, it's okay," Izuku quickly replied, shaking his head. "It's just… wow that's a lot, huh? It can't be a great position to be in, but you know your dad would never make you do something you don't want to, right? I mean, with something like this, he'll want you on board one-hundred percent. So, what do you want to do?"

Eri just shrugged. "I know know. I'm scared I'll mess up, but I really want to learn to use my Quirk. I mean, it's a part of me, right? So why should I have to hide it away? I can learn to control it."

"Then tell him that," Izuku smiled. "Your dad loves you more than anything and wants the best for you. He's also an amazing teacher. If anyone can help you learn to control your Quirk, it's him."

The pair stepped onto the front porch of the 1-A dorm. Izuku couldn't help but stare at the place, memories of his years at UA filling his mind's eye. He handed Eri her backpack and stepped back down the stairs.

"Hey, there's a card for you in your mailbox," he told her. "I need to go see All Might before it gets too late. I gotta get back soon for evening patrol." Eri frowned, but she knew how busy Izuku was. At least she'd gotten to talk to him and he'd really helped settle her mind.

"Alright." She stepped forward and gave him a hug, which he quickly returned.

"I'm sorry I have to go so soon. But hey, you have my number, right? If you need someone, I'm always here for you, got it? You need anything, give me a call." That made Eri smile again and she nodded.

"Thanks, Deku."

Izuku reached out and ruffled her hair gently. "Be good. And happy birthday!" With that, he turned around and headed for the main campus. Eri stood and watched him go before she grabbed her bag and walked inside.

There was indeed a card for her in the mailbox, wrapped up in a big purple envelope. When she keyed into the apartment, she found herself home alone. In fact, she was pretty sure she was the only one in the entire dorm. If she remembered her father's schedule correctly, class 1-A was probably completing their final Quirk Aptitude Test of the semester.

Eri walked into her bedroom and set her backpack down next to her desk. With the card still in her hand, she flung herself onto the bed, landing on her back with her head on her many pillows. Her name was printed neatly on the back of the envelope. He'd obviously taken care to write each character of her name out in the best writing he could manage. Carefully, she slipped her thumb under the seal and opened the envelope, trying not to tear the paper.

Inside was a beautiful card with purple butterflies that matched the color of the envelope. Eri's eyes flickered over the cliche birthday greeting on the front and opened the card to read the rest. Inside the fold, a plastic card slipped out and Eri grabbed it off of her chest. It was a gift card to a clothing store in the mall she remembered telling Izuku she liked. She smiled widely at both the gesture and the amount of money he had put on the card.

Happy Birthday and congrats on finishing finals! I hope this is enough to get a nice outfit!

-Deku

Eri sat up and set the card on her nightstand. Picking her purse off the ground, she slipped the gift card into her wallet and grabbed her cellphone.

Thanks so much for the gift card! She typed out to Izuku. That's my favorite store in the world and I can't wait to go shopping!

She pressed send and set her phone on her nightstand. Leaning back against the pillows, she stared at her ceiling, the conversation with her superhero friend playing in her mind. He was right, of course. Her dad wouldn't make her do anything she didn't want to do, but she also wasn't sure how he'd react to her eagerness to tap into her Quirk's power.

That's what it was, after all. Eagerness. She realized, listening to the bubbling excitement in the pit of her stomach, that she really wanted to learn how to use this power. Yes, it was foreign and dangerous, but it was also enticing. No one she knew had a Quirk quite like it. She wanted to learn how to handle the power that rested inside her.

She was so lost in thought, the buzzing of her phone next to her made her jump. She grabbed it off the nightstand and saw with surprise that it was Izuku, already able to text her back.

Sorry it was just a gift card. It's hard to get out to the mall now. Happy Birthday again, and remember you can talk to me about anything at any time!

Eri smiled to herself as she read the short text. She could only imagine what Izuku meant about it being hard to get out. It was likely partly his job and partly the media attention that had been thrust upon him. Even on nightly TV, she would often see something running about Deku the hero. She would always drop what she was doing and watch intently while her dad would simply roll his eyes at the spectacle the media made of him. Still, Eri knew he watched those news reports as seriously as she did. He had a soft spot for his problem child former student.

Eri was about to respond to Izuku when she heard the front door open and close. She figured she would reply later, knowing he was probably still on campus and more focused on meeting with All Might or the students he was trying to recruit.

"Dad!" Eri called, hopping off the bed. She stopped in the doorway of her room and peered over at the front door where Aizawa was dropping his satchel. "I finished all my finals," she grinned. "I'm done with school for the year!"

"Congratulations," Aizawa replied with a smile. "I'm finished as well. Just need to grade."

"Are you going to fail anyone?" Eri asked, walking over to meet him. He couldn't help but let out a laugh as she stopped next to him.

"A few."

He stepped into the apartment and walked to his bedroom. He came back with a hair tie and started pulling back his hair into a bun as he said, "Have you had lunch yet?"

Eri nodded. "They gave me lunch at school before my last test," she told him. "Are you hungry?"

"Nah, just making sure you've eaten." He walked to the living room and sat down on the couch. Eri followed and sat on the armrest next to him.

"Did you see Deku?" she asked. "He walked me home and gave me a card for my birthday."

"Make sure you thank him," Aizawa reminded her. "And yes, I know he's on campus. He talked to a few of my students about the agency he works for. They're a bit young for an internship like that, but a few of them will probably work there come next year."

"He's always so busy," Eri pouted, resting her chin in her hand. "I wish he could come by more often."

Aizawa shook his head immediately at the thought. "Trouble sticks to that kid like it's his second skin. It's for the best he only comes every now and then. Besides, the years after getting a hero license aren't the easiest. Graduating is the easy part. Now he has to prove himself and he works long hours to do so."

"I know," she sighed. Silence fell between them and Aizawa reached over to turn on the television. A mindless mid-day drama popped up on the screen. He flipped to a news station which was airing some hero-villain fight, then to a sports channel before he seemed to decide the drama was the top contender.

"Hey, Dad?" Eri started, turning her attention from the television to her father. He looked back at her lazily. She took a deep breath and continued, "I saw you fight. That fight. The one where you got hurt."

The only way Eri knew that Aizawa had any reaction to her words was the way in which his expression seemed to freeze on his face. Otherwise, he was as stoic as ever, the expression on his face never changing.

"I saw it in the cafeteria when we got home from the hospital," Eri continued after a moment's hesitation. "Some kids were watching it."

"I see," he said. "I'm sorry you had to watch that."

"No, it's okay. I just had no idea that's what you did," Eri replied.

"That is not what I do for a living," Aizawa quickly corrected. "I teach. In that instance, I happened to be in the area and could not help but assist with the capture of the villain."

"Dad," Eri started, "How did you learn to control your Quirk?"

Aizawa studied her face for a long moment before replying. "My Quirk isn't something that necessarily needs to be controlled. It takes a lot of focus to activate it and I can only hold it for so long. It's also not particularly dangerous, so if I ever were to use it accidentally, it likely wouldn't do too much harm."

"Unlike mine." Her dad took a breath but refused to shake his head to confirm or deny her feelings. "My Quirk is dangerous," Eri continued. "That's why you taught me not to use it."

"I taught you not to use it because you were an injured six-year-old with no control over anything, never mind a Quirk that strong." Aizawa's tone was defensive now, and he'd begun to narrow his eyes. Eri knew she was beginning to hit a few nerves.

"What about now?" she asked. "Is it too strong for me now?"

"What are you getting at, Eri?" Aizawa asked irritably, folding his arms across his chest.

She stared back at him for a moment before replying with as much confidence as she could muster, "I want to learn how to use my Quirk. I want to train and become strong enough to use it."

"Are you looking to get into the hero program here?" her dad questioned. Eri shook her head.

"No. Well, I don't know. Maybe. But I won't be able to make the decision to apply for UA if I don't start learning how to use my Quick." Eri stood from her perch on the couch and faced her dad fully. "And I want to at least be able to have that choice. I don't know if I want to be a hero, but I want to be myself and this Quirk is part of me."

There was a long pause. Both stared at the other intently, neither willing to look away. Eri had never found her dad to be scary, but she could certainly see why his students found him intimidating. His blank stare carried a lot of weight and for a brief moment, she even regretted bringing this up at all.

Finally, Aizawa unfolded his arms and tucked a loose strand of black hair behind his ear. "Okay."

Eri blinked. "Okay?" she repeated. "So…?"

"I will train you."

Her lips curved upwards and she grinned at her father. "Really? You'll seriously teach me?"

"Yes, but," he held up a finger. "I am going to train you the same as I would train any other student. It will not be easy. And if you can't handle it, we will have to stop"

"That's okay," Eri quickly answered, not caring for a moment if this would be difficult. She already knew that going in.

"I figure if you're old enough to ask for something like this, you're old enough to receive it," Aizawa explained. He stood from the couch and handed Eri the remote. "If we're going to do this, I need to start grading now. We'll start tomorrow."