Published: 28/04/2019
Normal
"Talking / Talking (flashback)"
'Thoughts / Thoughts (flashback)'
- Flashback –
English
(**Author's Note)
A/N: Hello again to all my readers, I hope everyone likes the chapters so far. For about 5 or more chapters, I will have them based on Ren's childhood, with some time skips between chapters. This way I can develop the canon characters and provide some backstory on certain things (like how canon Aizawa expelled 154 students, and how him and Hizashi started teaching at UA).
Unfortunately, to some despair, the final decision for Article 13 came out in March, and it isn't good. Please stay strong though and keep fighting, for this battle may've been lost, but the war isn't over.
If there are any questions or ideas for this story you have, comment, or send me a PM.
I do not own Harry Potter or My Hero Academia, I just own the story idea.
"People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy."
— Anton Chekhov
Chapter Seven
Shouta was stuck.
Embarrassing as it was, the young underground hero had absolutely no idea what to get his fiancé for Christmas.
Let's see how this all started.
- Flashback -
A month after that Halloween party, the Aizawa-Yamada household was enjoying a quiet evening in. The past few days had been interesting; with Shouta's birthday, ongoing investigations, and work to name the few.
Currently, Hizashi was teaching Ren basic words and some sign language, while Shouta was busy finishing some reports. It was a tranquil day that both men enjoyed, due to their work schedules kept them busy lately.
Just as Shouta took a drink of coffee, IT happened.
"Let's have a Christmas this year!" Hizashi suddenly exclaimed, causing Shouta to spew his coffee out in surprise.
Sputtering for a moment, the dark insomniac looked at the blond in confusion.
"Pardon?" he asked, not knowing how this thought occurred.
"We should have a family Christmas together," Hizashi repeated, "You know; presents, a Christmas tree, the whole shebang!"
"What brought this on?" he asked the DJ, after cleaning up the mess.
"Well I thought Ren would enjoy seeing the festivities," he explained.
"Besides, this would mark Ren being with us for a whole year! Don't you think having a Christmas would make it extra special?" Hizashi asked.
Hizashi did have a point there. It has been over a year since he had found Ren lying in that snow pile that cold November night.
"Oh alright," Shouta told him, "I guess we can do something for the holidays."
"Sweet!" Hizashi exclaimed in delight, before cursing at the fact Shouta's coffee spray from earlier had spilled on his pants.
- End of Flashback -
With the holidays only weeks away, Hizashi was called in to work, leaving Shouta to take Ren out for the day.
Shouta figured this would be a rational time to find something for Ren and Hizashi. It would have to be something they'd like, something that shows that he cares deeply for his partner and their daughter.
During their father-daughter excursion, Shouta had picked up several items he knew Ren would love, and a few miscellaneous presents for Nemuri and close friends. Which left one more person left.
Hizashi.
Now, Hizashi was not a hard person to shop for, the loud blond had his metaphoric heart on his sleeve. But the store he wanted to get Hizashi's gift was the problem.
It was a jewellery store; specifically, one that sold engagement rings.
Unknown to most, except for family and close friends, Shouta and Hizashi weren't officially engaged. Sure, Hizashi asked Shouta to marry him and vice versa, but as Hizashi put it, they never put a 'ring on it'.
(It didn't help that when they first started their careers, it was too busy for either of them to get the ring, never mind have a date night.)
But times have changed. Blessed with a child, and close-knit family created something special for Shouta. For this special occasion, Shouta decided to remedy this previous problem by officially asking Hizashi to marry him, with the ring this time. Except, Shouta was hesitant about entering the jewellery store.
The last time he entered a high-end retail store, he almost got swallowed up by the crowd. He hated large crowds and irrational chaos, so it was surprising to see the shop almost empty when he and Ren entered the place.
"Welcome sir," an orange-haired girl said as he walked to the front desk, "How can I help you today?" she asked.
Shouta swallowed his pride.
"I'm looking for an engagement ring for my partner," he told her.
"And you're looking for some assistance?" the clerk asked with sympathy, likely gone through this same thing before, "Can you tell me about them?"
At this, Shouta stared at her.
"Why?" he asked.
"It would give me a clearer idea of what you would like for a ring. Every person is different, and it makes each ring unique," she explained.
"My partner is loud and annoying, but they are empathetic and loving," he started, "He loves music and works during the day, while I work at nighttime. We adopted a year ago, and he's been a good role model for Ren," he told her, indicating the toddler he held.
The girl smiled.
"Bright, a music-lover, and a loving father, looks like you found a good match sir," she told him, "I think I have some rings that fit those categories. Would you like me to get them?" she asked.
Shouta nodded and the girl, Hana on her nametag, went to one of the glass display cases. Unlocking the case, she procured a tray with an assortment of rings.
"These are several of the rings that we have," Hana said, "Each one is different than the next, and can be customized or engraved for the wearer."
Looking though the selection, Shouta didn't find any that caught his attention. He was about to move on until something caught his eye.
Ren was looking at another ring in a different display case.
Moving towards the case, Shouta focused on the spot Ren was looking at when he saw it.
"I'll take that ring," he told Hana.
"Excellent choice sir," Hana congratulated, "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
Thinking a moment, a thought struck him. Searching his phone, he showed the clerk an image.
"I would like that engraved on the inside of the band. I will pick it up once it's finished," Shouta said, after giving Hana the ring size as well.
"Okay sir, the ring should be done within three days and we'll call to let you know when it's done," Hana replied.
"Thank you," he told her before the father-daughter duo left the store, Shouta happy with his purchase.
- A few days later -
Hizashi was meandering around with Ren, finishing some last-minute shopping. It was his day off and Shouta had some errands to do, to Hizashi's relief. With Shouta gone, he was able to look around for a special gift for him.
But no matter what, nothing satisfied Hizashi. Every shop he visited had nothing that screamed (pun intended) Shouta's name at him. The only places that came close were Shouta's favourite supply store for his underground tools, and the local cat café.
Until he stopped in front of a jewellery store.
Going inside, he was greeted with the sight of the orange-haired clerk.
"Welcome sir, how can I help you today?" Hana (he saw her name tag) said.
"I'm just browsing for a gift for my partner," he told her as he adjusted his hold on Ren.
Hana's eyes caught the movement and her eyes widened, recognizing the child from a few days before. Judging by his appearance and actions, she guessed that this man was the other's partner.
"Well if you're interested, we have a unique tray of rings on display behind you," she pointed out to the pro hero, "I'll be in the back if you need me," Hana said before disappearing into the back room.
Alone, Hizashi and Ren decided to browse the shop. They had fun checking out some of the items and making funny faces in some of the display mirrors.
It wasn't until Hizashi noticed Ren's interest in something did he see it.
There in the display case, was an item that screamed Shouta's name. The same display case that the clerk had pointed out earlier.
"Did you find something sir?" the clerk said from behind him, shocking the man.
"Yeah I think I did," Hizashi did once his heartrate go down, "How much is that one?" he asked, pointing at the ring.
"That ring and the chain included comes to ¥83,055.50 (**AN: $1000 CAD)," she told him, "And with the holidays next week, we also offer a variety of options such as engraving for a quarter of our normal price. Would you like one of those options sir?" she asked.
Thinking for a moment, Hizashi, with one hand, pulled out his phone. Opening one of his bookmarks, he showed the clerk something.
"Can I have that engraved on the inside?" he asked.
Hana smiled, it looked like both of her customers had the same thought about the engraving.
"Certainly sir, it should be ready in an hour. Once it's done, we'll give you a call," Hana told Hizashi.
"Awesome!" Hizashi cheered, Ren repeating the gesture in his arms, "Thank you Hana!" he said as he left the store in a happier mood.
Meanwhile, the clerk found herself giggling in glee as she entered the backroom, wishing she would be there when both men received their gifts. 'Oh, the chaos would be hilarious!' she though before starting to work on the request.
- A few days later -
It was a cold, snowy morning on Christmas Day, and all was quiet in the Aizawa-Yamada household.
Ren was fast asleep next to Shouta in his and Hizashi's bedroom, having a hard time going to sleep last night with the excitement for today. Hizashi had gotten up earlier to cook breakfast, leaving the other two to sleep in peace.
"Good Morning Shou-kun! Ren-chan!" Hizashi chirped as he entered the room, with an apron over his bird onesie.
Awakened by the noise, Shouta cursed and got up. Akashi meowed in protest before leaving the bedroom, he had been sleeping next to his mistress until the loud person woke him up.
The commotion also had woken Ren up, causing her to grumble and yawn cutely. Hizashi wished he had his camera on him at that moment.
"You look ridiculous," Shouta said to him once he opened his eyes.
"Hey! I'll have you know this is the latest style in home wear!" Hizashi defended, "Besides Ren likes it, don't you Ren?" he cooed to the child, who only giggled.
"Papa good!" she told them, melting their hearts.
That's when Ren remembered something.
"Papa, Dada, Christmas?" she asked them.
"Not until you eat Ren," Shouta told her, "We don't want your papa's food to go to waste."
Getting up, Shouta placed Ren on her feet and took her hand. Since July, Ren's cognitive and mobility had increased, getting her into some shenanigans (to Shouta's exasperation and Hizashi's horror-humour).
The father-daughter duo followed the human-sized bird into the kitchen.
During the time they were still asleep, Hizashi had cooked fried eggs, steamed rice, fruit, and toast, with coffee for the adults and milk for Ren.
The trio sat down and began eating, but Ren noticed her Papa and Dada were acting…odd. Papa was being twitchy, like the funny blond boy she saw a while ago. Dada look very focused on something like the times he brought home all those papers to do. He was even playing with his food! which wasn't her Dada; something was wrong. Ren hoped that they would get better soon.
Once done, the two men each took Ren's hands and walked to the living room. Hizashi and Nemuri had set up a small tree and during the night, the adults leaving the gifts under to find.
"Wow!" Ren said in amazement.
Once they sat down, they started opening presents.
Hizashi and Shouta helped Ren open her gifts. There was a set of alphabet bricks from Power Loader, a finger paint kit from Nemuri, some sensory and learning books from Nedzu, and a plush toy from Recovery Girl. Though Shouta raised an eyebrow at the owl plushy that was from Hizashi.
It was when Hizashi gave her the owl plushy, that Shouta spoke up.
"Ren," he said, getting her attention, "This is for you," he told her as he took out a small bag and revealed the contents.
It was an ankh, carved from black stone with a single blue stone in the center. A series of symbols were etched into the surface and all held together by a strong leather cord.
"This was found in your blanket when I first found you," he told her, "Naomasa gave this to me a few months ago, I felt this was a rational time to do so."
"It's beautiful Shouta," Hizashi said as he helped the man put it on Ren.
Now it came time for the adults to exchange presents.
From Nemuri, Hizashi received a new set of CDs from his favourite band, drawings from Ren, and from Shouta, a pair of the HAGE headphones he's been eyeing for months.
"Sho-kun, you didn't have to," he told his partner as he tried them on.
Shouta shrugged.
"It seemed logical to get them," he said, but was inwardly glad of how received his gift was.
Finally came Shouta's turn. From Ren (courtesy of Hizashi), he received vouchers from his favourite cat café, a cat-themed thermos from Nemuri, and from Hizashi…
A giant yellow monstrosity.
"Hizashi…what is that?" he asked the loudmouth.
"It's a sleeping bag," Hizashi answered, "With your work habits, I thought this sleeping bag might help you get some sleep on the job and stay comfortable. But if you don't want it, I can always return it…" before he was silenced by a kiss from Shouta.
"It's perfect," Shouta replied after breaking for air.
"Dada kiss Papa!" Ren exclaimed in glee.
Looking at it, Shouta could tell it was made with good insulating material. A look at the tag showed that it was also made of bullet, weather, and fire-resistant cloth. A rational gift for the underground hero.
Opening the sleeping bag, Shouta climbed in with Ren and zipped it up. It was very comfortable, and he could hardly feel the floor beneath him.
"It fits," he declared.
Hizashi smiled at that, he had a feeling that Shouta would like it.
The rest of the day went on similar to this, with the trio trying their gifts and eating some Christmas baked goods. It was when they were sitting on the couch and watching a movie, did Shouta decide to give Hizashi his last gift tonight.
"Zashi?" he said, getting his attention.
"What is it Shou?" Hizashi asked.
Digging around in his pockets, Shouta found his prize. If he was going to do this, it would be on his own terms—blunt and direct.
"For the last five years, we've put up with each other's antics, and we're still together surprisingly," he deadpanned, getting a chuckle out of Hizashi.
"Last time we forgot this when you asked, so now I have two words for you," he continued, pulling out a small black box from his pocket.
"Marry me?" he asked, revealing the contents of the black box.
Inside laid a simple, silver band, engraved with gold waves that resembled the sun's rays. In laid within the engraving was a simple black onyx, slightly hanging over the ring's edge.
When Shouta first saw the ring that Ren picked out, he knew it was the one. The sun was the best way to describe Hizashi; bright, bold, and warm. It was perfect for his now official fiancé.
"Yes, yes, a million times YES!" Hizashi shrieked in happiness, covering his partner in kisses and tears of joy as Shouta slide the ring on his finger.
Reaching down, Hizashi procured a similar ring box from it's hiding place under the couch.
"Shouta Aizawa, will you marry me?" he asked as he opened the ring box, revealing a silver band with a crescent moon surrounded by stars.
"Fucking yes," Shouta answered with a true smile, watching in suppressed joy as Hizashi placed the ring on his finger.
Ren watched as her Dada and Papa cried and hugged in joy, after showing the rings she chose to each other. Something told the young child that new adventures were waiting around the corner.
As the newly engaged couple celebrated their official engagement, both smiled at the etching they both noticed inside the rings, and how it represents them and their occupations.
"We sleep under the same moon; we walk under the same sun."
Author's Note: We finally see Shouta and Hizashi get engaged! If many of you readers are confused, while Shouta and Hizashi call each other fiancé, neither of them had a chance to, in Beyoncé's words "Put a ring on it", so this is that moment.
For pictures of the rings and Ren's necklace, I put the image links below (Including an image of what Akashi looks like, sans the red eyes), just take out the spaces between letters and input https before the link. If it doesn't work, the links are also on the profile.
(Ankh) s: / / i . pinimg originals /f5/8e/19/f58e 19f27ee57cf12 ced911d666a7262.j p g
(Rings) : / / s 3 . weddbook t4/2/5/2/2523394/sun-and-moon-eclipse-engagement-ring-and-wedding-band-set-in-18k-14k-gold-with-black-diamond. j p g
(Akashi) : / / w w w . the happy cat site wp-content/uploads/2017/12/grey. j p g
