Epilogue

One Year Later

Aizawa was awoken by a kiss on the forehead, and a hand running through his hair. "Hey," quietly cooed his lover. "You ready to get up, baby?"

The ex-hero grunted and rolled over, too tired to comprehend the gentle words. "Sleeping," he mumbled. Today was his day off work, after all, so-

That hand didn't stop running through his hair, and his lover simply laughed. "Okay, get some sleep. I'll get you when breakfast's ready, 'kay?"

He grunted, but the other man didn't leave right away. The hand continued to brush through his black hair, and he found himself sleepily smiling as it lulled him back to unconsciousness.

Soon, however, he was woken again.

"Breakfast's ready." Soft lips pressed against his unscarred cheek, and even though he would've loved to stay in bed, he remembered the busy day that lay in store.

Aizawa grabbed the man's wrist and pulled him down so he could clumsily press their faces together, despite the other's glasses. His lover was taken by surprise, but an affectionate laugh soon filled the air, and as always it was the nicest sound he'd ever heard.

Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and today was… "'Appy annivers'ry," he mumbled sleepily.

His lover pecked him on the lips. "Happy anniversary too, babe."

"Your show run late?" Aizawa asked, his voice a tad clearer.

"Yeah," he answered softly and kissed him again. "Didn't get home 'til 1am. Did I wake you?"

"No." He ran his right hand through silken blond hair, even though the haptic senses were minimal: the hint of softness was still pleasant. "It's gonna be crowded."

His lover pulled away, a playful pout on his lips.

Hizashi Yamada was still an eyesore, but in all the best ways. His thick glasses perfectly framed his beautiful emerald eyes, his hair was wrangled into a cute, messy bun, and although his clothing choices still gave him migraines, he adored the fact Hizashi could wear whatever he wanted and still look amazing. The moustache did admittedly make him look like a gay dad, but Shouta could never grow his facial hair beyond rough black stubble, so he had to give his lover credit for that alone.

"I know it's gonna be busy, but it's our anniversary, and this is literally the only day we were all able to get off together. Eri's on school break, Hitoshi isn't working until tonight, Kaminari got the day off, Nemuri got the day off, Mei got the day off, and the café gave you the day off. I had to reschedule my therapy for next week, and you just know she's going to blame you if I'm more talkative than usual."

Aizawa yawned, but pulled himself to his feet as he went to get dressed, only to find some clothes already set out for him. The blond could be so over attentive sometimes, but Shouta had no reason to complain – he loved that about him. "I bet she already knows what a terrible boyfriend I am," he said, his face deadpan as he pulled on the loose black shirt. It was something nice, but comfortable, and he had zero complaints with Hizashi's selection.

"Don't you know all I ever do is complain about you~?" He wrapped his arms around Aizawa's waist and pressed against his back as he gently purred. "Letting me sleep without hearing-aids, making me smile way too much, making me great coffee every- Oh wait, you haven't made me my coffee yet! One strike~!" Hizashi's hands moved up and massaged his shoulders, and that feeling alone was heaven.

Aizawa leaned into the sensation, pausing half-way through putting on his pants. "Guess I've been neglectful," he said dryly. "If I were you, I'd've broken up with me already."

"I should," joked the blond as he massaged him more, "but I guess I'm just way too old to bother finding another handsome barista who can make a good cappuccino, who shares my love of cats and good sex." He kissed him on the neck, teasingly, but they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Breakfast is getting cold," called Hitoshi from the other side, knowing better than to EVER open their bedroom door.

"Two seconds," Hizashi called back and kissed Aizawa's neck one more time before pulling away completely. Shouta finished hiking up his pants.

The blond leaned close to quickly tidy up his black hair, "Medication?"

Aizawa sighed, "Forgot last night…"

Hizashi rolled his eyes and grabbed the bottle from the bedside table. "Come on, baby, you need to wean yourself off slowly or else you'll go into withdrawal." He offered him the tablet, and Aizawa exhaled, but swallowed it without further complaint, earning himself a quick kiss. "My handsome man~ Once the doctor says it's okay, I'm taking you to all the best coffee shops in Japan. I know a bunch that you'll love!"

Aizawa grunted. It would be nice to drink coffee that wasn't decaf again.

Another knock on the door. "Last warning," called the underground hero from the living room.

"Yeah, yeah," Hizashi called, "we're coming, and not in a sexy way."

The blond had never been scared of Hitoshi's Quirk, not that Aizawa had feared he would be. Hizashi fit perfectly into his little family, and today at the museum, Shouta was planning to make his place official.

They finally left the bedroom to find Hitoshi and Eri already at the table, digging in without them, not that it was such an unusual sight with their weird schedules. Eri was nearing the end of Elementary School in March and would begin Junior High come April, while Hitoshi was already planning to move out with Kaminari once they found an apartment.

Even though they'd had several years without Hizashi, after only one it was impossible to imagine their family without him. He always went with Hitoshi and Kaminari while they searched for their own place and he was a good mediator between the lovebirds (Aizawa had tried, but his suggestion that 'As long as it has a bed, it's fine' always went unappreciated).

Eri had taken a shine to him right away.

"Dad!" she called excitedly at the sight of Aizawa, and she got up to show off her outfit. "Is it nice?" Hizashi had bought her the dress for her recent 12th birthday, and the man was certainly better at picking out clothes for her than Shouta was, especially considering everything Shouta bought her was cat-themed.

Aizawa nodded, "It's a good fit." In other words, it looked comfortable, but she beamed at the compliment. He ruffled her styled hair, much to Hizashi's chagrin, and moved to make the morning coffees.

From a high shelf in the living room, two toy cats watched them: one ginger and one black. The decorated walls had twice as many framed photographs now, most featuring the four of them together, although there were a few of them both or just Hizashi. It felt nice having those sorts of pictures on the walls: you never really knew how amazing a photograph was until you didn't have one.

The blond neatened Eri's hair and gently pinched her nose, inciting a short laugh out of her as she sat back down and resumed devouring the large breakfast. "Mei and Nemuri are heading in together from Hero HQ," Hizashi said as he took his own place at the table, "and you said Kaminari will be here soon?"

Shinsou nodded, "I told him to arrive at seven."

Hizashi checked his watch. "It's nine."

"Exactly, so he should be arriving in about ten minutes."

"M'kay, but please tell me you're planning to shave first."

Hitoshi rolled his eyes as he grumbled, "I will, Mum. One hobo is enough for this household."

Aizawa finished brewing their coffee and brought the cups over to the table before he sat down. Hizashi rubbed their ankles together, in a silent thanks, as he sipped his cappuccino, and the ex-hero watched his lover's lips curl into a comforting smile.

Shouta ate his own breakfast, not minding at all that it was now a little tepid. Even though Aizawa had learnt how to cook (mostly for the benefit of his children), Hizashi was still the culinary expert between them, and Eri had been so amazed by the cat-themed birthday cake he'd made her that she'd cried tears of joy. On his free days, Hizashi was always baking something nice for his family.

Boots and Puddles moved around their feet, vying for both attention and any scraps, and Aizawa snuck them each a piece of grilled fish while Hizashi was distracted by a knock at the door. Kaminari had finally arrived. Once they'd all finished, they were out.

The train ride to the museum was uneventful, if packed. The two kept Eri close between them, protectively, but out of the blue she asked, "Papa, have you ever been to the museum before?"

Aizawa offered his boyfriend an amused grin, and Hizashi was clearly caught off-guard by the question. "Of course, hun. In fact, Dad and I went on our second date."

She beamed. "Did you steal anything? Were you a burglar?"

Aizawa snorted and Hizashi gasped in shock. "Me? A burglar? No sweetie, you should never steal from museums! Everything in a museum needs a lot of work to keep it pretty, and if it's on display there it means it's there to educate! Stealing that sort of thing and hording it would be completely against my- Sho, support me here!"

The ex-hero messed up Eri's hair, only giving the blond another heart attack. "I'll keep him in line."

Hizashi pursed his lips as he leaned down and fixed up her hair, but there was a playful smile hiding just behind his pout.

They arrived at the station to find Mei and Nemuri already waiting for them. "Not bad," said the R-Rated Hero, "you arrived on time for once."

"Did you use that new geo-locator and co-ordinate tracker system you were tinkering with the other day?" Mei asked Hizashi with a wide grin as she pulled out a charging cable.

The blond scratched his head as he sheepishly said, "Na, just used the transport app. I still need to log the train system and underground routes into the-"

"Zashi," Aizawa warned, sensing a spiel, "we can have this conversation while we're moving."

"I couldn't agree more!" Mei said as she shoved the charging cable into Kaminari's mouth. "Thanks in advance, my phone is super low!"

Kaminari blinked in surprise, and Shinsou made a face. "Can you not put things in my boyfriend's mouth without his permission?"

Mei grinned even wider and that smile was almost identical to Hizashi's. "I'm sure he's used to it by now!" She turned to Eri and offered her a thumbs up, "Come on, let's go see some dinosaurs!"

Eri cheered and the two rushed ahead with Kaminari (and Shinsou, by default) dragging behind them. Nemuri laughed loudly, "Oh doesn't the passion of today's youth just get you excited?" There was steam wafting from her nostrils, and both remaining men rolled their eyes, but shared a look. She turned back to them and smiled more softly, "You look good."

Hizashi put an arm around Aizawa, and the ex-hero knew what was coming, judging by the wicked grin on his face. "I know, I've been making sure he's getting regular 'sun'," he said as he pointed suggestively at himself.

Nemuri's face flushed darker. "Oh? You're giving him plenty of vitamin-D."

"I hate you both," murmured Shouta as he picked up Hizashi with his good arm and slung him over his shoulder. "Museum's this way."

"Well," said the blond, "I was about to complain, but I'm not arguing with the view from back here~" Aizawa felt his butt get lightly pinched, but he just responded by pinching him back, in a very non-sexy way, as they neared the museum. "Rude…"

Shouta put him down once they reunited with their gaggle of young adults (and one teen) and headed through the gardens. As they walked, the ex-hero couldn't help but look around and remember a night over six years ago, when he and a villain had dressed up and broken inside.

While he couldn't bring himself to be proud of doing it, he certainly didn't regret it. Aizawa had suggested they 'break out' the same outfits they'd worn – his biker gear and Hizashi's dress – but the blond had been against it. They weren't the same people from back then, and he didn't want to recreate old memories: he wanted to make new ones.

So, they'd all gone together. A world that'd once just been Shouta Aizawa had expanded to a family of seven, and although his family had come later in life, he loved them all dearly - especially his soon-to-be fiancé.

He lovingly watched Hizashi as he geeked out over the first dinosaur skeletons with Mei and Eri, and he couldn't stop himself from smiling at the sight.

"So, did you decide which section?"

Aizawa turned to Shinsou. Of course he wasn't the only accomplice. Everyone except Hizashi knew he was going to propose, which was why he'd made sure they all got the day off. While the ex-hero would've typically been more private, it would've felt wrong to pop the question without their family around, and he imagined Hizashi would feel the same way. "Ancient Egypt."

Right, he'd been deciding where to propose and he'd been struggling between doing it in the Egyptian section or the Butterfly House, but had decided on the former. If they actually encountered a butterfly, Hizashi would definitely freak out, so the Egyptian section was a safe bet.

But first, they had to look at bones, spheres and rocks.

They reached a glass display of skulls that detailed human evolution. Hizashi and Aizawa both pointed at the same Neanderthal skull and simultaneously said, "It's you." They held composure for a good few moments, but soon surrendered to their toothy grins.

"I guess that proves my time machine will be a success," Hizashi said softly and took his hand.

Aizawa briefly pressed their temples together, "Quite an honour … to end up in a museum."

"Yeah, to have kids pointing at you…" They turned around and looked at Eri, Mei, Shinsou and Kaminari across the room. The twelve-year-old noticed their attention and eagerly waved that they were heading to the next section without them. Hizashi laughed. "Sounds like the dream."

"A dream come true," Aizawa conceded. Hizashi laughed again, and fixed up the ex-hero's 'H' necklace.

"You really have gotten sappy."

"I blame you."

"I fully respect that decision." Hizashi led him to the next room, and found Mei already lecturing the rest of the group about the differences between the hydrosphere, the lithosphere, the asthenosphere and the atmosphere. Aizawa yawned and the blond pulled him to a soft sofa in the less-crowded part of the room. "We can let them enjoy this one at their leisure, baby," Hizashi said as he offered him his shoulder.

Aizawa leaned against him contently, and the ex-villain's hand ran through his thick, black hair. "You know me so well," he murmured. Hizashi kissed him on the forehead and the tired man rested his eyes while the others learned about the planets without them.

Twenty minutes later, and they were finally in the next room, looking at rocks. Eri grabbed their hands and pulled them to a small display of different gems and precious stones, and she pointed at an emerald. "Isn't it pretty?" she said eagerly. "Just like your eyes, Papa!"

Hizashi hummed, tucking a bit of her fringe behind her ear. "Really? I guess I do have pretty eyes." He winked at Aizawa, and then pointed at an onyx. "Here's Dad's."

She giggled and pointed at a ruby, "And mine!"

"Which is your favourite?"

"Diamonds!"

Hizashi snickered, "You have expensive tastes. Come on, they have a room over here with rocks that glow under ultraviolet light." They made their way past the blackout curtain into the dark room, lit only by the purple ultraviolet glow. It was crowded, so Hizashi and Aizawa ended up pressed against the wall so there'd be enough room for Eri. Hizashi affectionately nuzzled his neck. "Brings back a lot of memories," he said, only loud enough for Shouta to hear.

The ex-hero held him tight and closed his eyes. "I prefer this."

Hizashi said nothing, but nodded his approval.

"Here you are," said the voice of Shinsou as his head popped in from beyond the curtain. "We going to the Ancient Egyptian section?"

"Yeah!" Hizashi cheered as he pulled Aizawa and Eri from the small, crowded room. "Let's go find out about ancient cats!"

Eri joined in the cheer and soon their patchwork family was entering the next exhibit. Just as planned, the others backed off a little to give Hizashi and Aizawa some space, although he noticed Mei and Shinsou pulling out their phones in preparation – they'd insisted they get it on video.

Shouta and Hizashi stared at the empty sarcophagus together, their hands joined, and just like last time the blond looked distant as he eyed the wonderous coffin. However, it was Aizawa who said those words from that night. "Doesn't it make you feel small?"

Hizashi looked at him, as if startled, but his face fell into a sad smile. "This sarcophagus is thousands of years old. It's … impossible to comprehend that length of time, or the things its seen. It makes everything feel kinda meaningless, in the grand scheme of things. It … makes five years feel like nothing…"

"They weren't nothing," Aizawa said reassuringly. "They were trying, for the both of us, but they were … necessary."

For a moment he thought the blond would disagree, but instead he pulled something from his jacket and placed it in Aizawa's hand. "They were, because now we have a lifetime together… right?"

The ex-hero stared at the small box, taken by complete surprise. He looked to the rest of his family, and the sly grins on all their faces told him they had known all along.

Aizawa turned back to Hizashi and grinned. "Aren't you supposed to get down on one knee?"

The blond snickered, his smile wholesome and beautiful as he turned to completely face him. "Do you want me to?"

"Depends," Aizawa said as he pulled a small box from his own back pocket and squeezed it into Hizashi's hand, catching him by complete surprise as well. "Want me to go on one knee too?"

The coolest man alive looked up at him, his gorgeous emerald eyes wide with awe, and then he was laughing. Damn, that was still the most amazing sound he'd ever heard. "We're hopeless," Hizashi said between laughs, knocking their foreheads together. "Complete and utter disasters. Did you know?"

"No," he said, a bit of laughter making its way into his voice as well, "but I'm guessing everyone else did." Hizashi pulled him into an eager kiss as they held each other tightly. Their lips eventually parted, but Aizawa didn't let them pull away completely as he pressed their faces firmly together: forehead to forehead, nose to nose, cheek to cheek, scar to scar. "Guessing that's a yes?"

"God, you're such a hopeless moron sometimes." Hizashi kissed him again.

"You'll just have to tell your therapist what a terrible fiancé I am."

"Oh, she's going to hear everything."

Aizawa's hands reached up and gently cupped his face, even though he still had the engagement box between his fingers. "We're going to be okay, Zashi."

The blond nodded and pressed his hands over Aizawa's. "We're going to be more than okay, Sho, because I'm gonna be with you, through sickness and in health, through the good and the bad, through everything. We're going to be more than okay, Sho, because we're gonna be together."

Aizawa kissed him, and then they were surrounded by their loved ones.

"I helped Dad pick out the ring!" claimed Eri as they finally pulled away.

Hizashi couldn't stop grinning as he opened it, and laughed. It was a gold ring, with a small diamond surrounded by two onyx crystals. Aizawa took it from the box and used his scarred right hand to clumsily slip it on his lover's finger. It was a perfect fit. The blond sniffled and rubbed at his face before the tears even fell. "I promised myself I wouldn't cry, but it's so beautiful…" He pulled Eri and Aizawa into a tight hug, and he was trembling.

"I was debating getting you one with a cat on," the ex-hero said dryly, "but Eri thought you'd like something more traditional."

"Well, I had Hitoshi, Mei and Eri help pick out yours, just to make sure it wouldn't give you any migraines." Hizashi winked. Aizawa opened his small box and inside was a simple gold ring with a flat emerald at its centre – the colour was the same as Hizashi's eyes.

He smiled warmly as the blond put it on him. "Now we just gotta plan the wedding," Aizawa said as he marvelled it.

Hizashi leaned up and kissed him, "Forget it. Let's elope, first chance after Christmas."

The barista grinned, "Sounds logical." He leaned over and ruffled Shinsou's hair and patted Mei on the shoulder. "Thanks, I can't imagine what atrocity he was trying to put on my finger… Tell me it isn't a tracker."

Mei grinned wider, "Do you want it to be a tracker?"

"Not the sort of ring I would've helped pick out," said Nemuri with an unhelpful snicker. "But I'm glad the barista finally got his eyesore."

Yeah, that was what they were. Not a secretive underground pro-hero, or an extravagant villain with a vendetta. They were a tired barista and the coolest man alive: Shouta Aizawa and Hizashi Yamada, and that was all they needed to be…

Well, they were a family too. A small family that had taken years to build, that had come together through heartache and loss, but had come together nevertheless, and become happy.

Aizawa didn't doubt, for even a moment, that they deserved this happiness. They'd been dragged through hell and back, but finally everything would be okay.

"Hey," Hizashi said softly as he kissed him on the forehead, "thank you."

"For what?"

"For being the first one to ever see the good in me." He pressed his face against his neck and wrapped his arms around him tightly. Even though the room was crowded, in that moment they were alone. "And I'm so thankful we were saved, that we found others who loved us, despite everything. I'm proud of us, Sho."

"We're here now, Zashi," Shouta told his fiancé, his face lit with an affectionate smile. "Not despite everything, but because of everything. Now we have our option thirteen."

To live, Aizawa had once needed the three basics: food, shelter, coffee. However, to actually live, he needed a lot more: family, friends, love. Copious amounts of love, in fact, whether it was platonic, or familial, or romantic, but he knew he'd never be without.

What he had now, with Hizashi Yamada, was total, pure, unconditional love.

As a kid, Aizawa had never imagined this would be his life at thirty-six, but here he was and he seldom complained.

"I love you," Hizashi whispered. "Although…"

He paused, and Aizawa lovingly caressed his scarred left cheek with his scarred right hand. "Although…?"

Hizashi kissed him for what felt like hours, but in reality was only a moment. When he pulled away, he was laughing and everything was perfect. "Although people will be mortified when they find out we're marrying after only one year. I bet they'll think we're rushing things~"

Shouta hummed thoughtfully and pressed their foreheads together, basking in Hizashi's all-encompassing warmth. "And risk having someone else steal you away? I don't think they'll blame us."

"For rushing things?"

"For the way we've behaved."

The End

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the ride! It was a bit bumpy but everything worked out in the end! I'm planning to do a few more EraserMic stories in the near future, depending on work. I'm also technically an Indie author on Amazon with a book available titled 'The Hero of Hammersey' if you're interested in my writing! In any case, I hope you had fun with the feels! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews!

Best Regards,

Woolfy