Author's Note:
Is this chapter filler? Kinda. If you're reading this on AO3 (and you've read the tags) you'll know that I haven't read the manga and that I'll be doing my own spin on Midnight's backstory. That all comes into play here.
Apparently Midnight was in a different year in school then Eraserhead and Mic in canon, but I've been imaging them in school together for ages and you can pry that out of my cold dead hands!
Thank you for reading!
"Get your face off the glass Hizashi. You're in a hospital, it's unsanitary."
The admonishment only seemed to spur the blonde boy on further though. "But I can't see anything! Besides babies all look the same, how are we supposed to know which one's yours?"
A lanky dark haired teen spoke up next to him, before yanking his friend away by the collar. "Maybe you'd be able to see if you'd remembered to bring your glasses."
The blonde deflated at once while Kayama Nemuri burst into laughter between them.
The future Erasure Hero raised an eyebrow."What's so funny?" He asked gruffly.
Nemuri continued to laugh, drawing a few odd looks from the doctors and nurses that passed by the trio. They stuck out some, with one of them in a hospital gown and the other two instreet clothes. "What did happen to your glasses Hizashi?"
Now blushing, the blonde answered sheepishly as Aizawa looked on stone-faced but still somewhat amused. "They got broken…"
"What's that supposed to mean? Glasses don't just break on their own."
Looking thoroughly embarrassed the usually hyper young man only let out an incomprehensible mumble.
"We can't hear you!" Nemuri sing-songed, before adding. "Wow! That's something I never thought I'd have to say."
"It was an accident—!" He began before the girl cut in excitedly.
"This dumbass!" She interjected, once again laughing. "Was so freaked out on the way over here that he literally ran head-first into the front desk!
Yamada Hizashi was now completely mortified while Shota fixed him with an incredulous gaze. "How in the world did you manage that?"
Though Hizashi chose to remain silent, the blue-eyed girl at his side was more than happy to pick up the slack. "So first off the whole way here this guy's hyperventilating so hard you'd think he's the one giving birth. He keeps telling me to 'STAY CALM!' And "BREATHE!' While I'm just here worried that I'm gonna have to figure out how to drag his ass off a busy street 'cause he's totally gonna faint any minute now."
Having finally found his trademark voice, Hizashi was quick to try and defend himself. "It was a stressful situation! Your water broke out of nowhere! I wasn't prepared!" Before he could continue Shouta slapped a hand over his mouth.
"Stop whining so loud, you'll wake the babies. What happened next?"
Smiling gleefully Nemuri continued. "So we finally get through the front door right? There I am in the throes of active labor, waiting for him to please check me in so I can get to a room."
Hizashi looked more and more like a kicked puppy as the story went on. Aizawa had to admit it was funny.
Nemuri threw her arm around her embarrassed friend's shoulder with a smile. "I ask Hizashi-chan here if he can please handle the paperwork while I sit. He looks at me, blinks, and runs full tilt toward reception and then—." She made a motion with her fist. "Wham! Out like a light!"
The put-upon boy picked at the Hello Kitty band-aids criss-crossed on his forehead as he remembered the injury. "It really hurt by the way." He grumbled.
Not a second later he was set upon by his two friends, with Kayama shooting him a furious look while Aizawa bonked him on the head.
He hardly had time to wince before the new mother started in on him. "You think that hurt!? I pushed something the size of a small watermelon out of my vagina!—you've got no right to talk about hurt!"
This was followed by a deadpan, "you really need to learn to watch that mouth of yours before it gets you into real trouble." From the dark haired boy.
Hospital patrons wore scandalized looks as they listened in on the conversation, the more senior ones mumbling about 'inappropriate language' and 'kids these days.'
Cheeks once again bright red, the self-proclaimed Voice Hero in training sputtered helplessly. Not having the slightest clue what to say— or rather what not to say—he settled for hanging his head with a meek, "never mind."
The girl scrutinized him a bit before deciding he'd had enough.
"Apology accepted!" She declared brightly before adding a kiss to her friend's bruised forehead.
"Your concern for me was actually kinda adorable if I'm honest. And all things considered the hilarity of the whole situation was actually a great distraction from the searing pain in my—"
"So which one's yours?" Questioned Aizawa.
"I told you they all look the same!"
Nemuri practically beamed with pride as she went to point at one crib in particular in the first row. "She's right there. The cutest baby in the place of course."
Hizashi squinted to try and read the sticker with the baby's name on the front, once more pressed against the glass just a little too closely. "Kik— no Kia—Ka—"
"It's says Kiyo." Supplied Aizawa.
"I know what it says! So how long does the little nugget gotta stay in there?" He asked, eyes trained on the squirming baby.
"Well they're actually gonna be moving her into my room later today. The nurse said that if everything checks out we can be out of here the day after tomorrow!" Nemuri finished with a smile.
Hizashi nodded along. "My mom says she'd be happy to give you a ride home when you're discharged. She's also got some of my old baby stuff if you want it."
Nemuri shook her head. "Shiro's cousin Haru said he'd pick us up. But it's a definite yes on the baby stuff. Be sure to thank your mom for me."
Shōta crossed his arms, clearly displeased. "That guy doesn't even have a license. Should you really be letting him drive with a newborn?"
Crossing her arms in return the young girl was quick to retort. "Oh don't give me that! Like I'd actually put my days old daughter in danger—you and I both know that you're just saying that 'cause you don't like him."
He shrugged. "I don't like anyone."
Hizashi began to playfully nudge his friend's shoulder. "Come on Eraserhead, there's no need to lie. We know you're secretly a big softy!"
The blonde made a grand gesture toward himself. "I for one, happen to like Haru!"
"Of course you like him, he's the only one who'll put up with you during karaoke."
"TEAM HARUZASHI FOR THE WIN!"
The trio were promptly shushed by an irate nurse. They stood there in respectful silence for a minute before the tired looking boy spoke up again.
"So…" he began slowly. "Have you figured out what you're gonna do? With school I mean."
Nemuri didn't answer right away, instead choosing to admire the new life she'd made on the other side of the glass.
The topic of school had been a bit of a sensitive subject among the group, but between Aizawa and herself especially. The two had come together on their first day of U.A's General Studies course. Both having fallen victim to the school entrance exams faux villains and the unfortunate pairing of their quirks, they'd naturally come together. The more sociable girl more or less dragging him into friendship.
With the same goal of transferring into the hero course, they'd each pushed each other day after day to become stronger for when their big chance came to pass. They'd met Yamada Hizashi along the way. Nemuri was quick to bring the especially friendly boy into the fold, the stoic Shouta less so. But eventually even he was won over by the guy's endless attempts at friendship. So the two friends became a trio. The Three Musketeers as Hizashi liked to say.
Hizashi was more than supportive of his friend's mission to join the Hero Course. Which was more than they could say for anyone else in the class. On the contrary, when word of their ambition started to spread around the school Shouta and Nemuri had been met by nothing but contempt from the would-be heroes.
Harsh whispers and glares in the hallway, 'friendly advice' to not bother trying because "it would be a shame if they embarrassed themselves'. 'Reminders' that a school like U.A didn't make mistakes. If they didn't have what it took to make it in the first place then obviously there was a reason.
Then of course there were the rumors.
U.A had a strict policy against harassment, so there was nothing that could be proven or traced back to anyone. But that did nothing to erase the damage done.
On some level it made sense. If either of them managed to transfer into the Hero Course that meant someone would more than likely be kicked out. No one liked the idea that a couple of nobodies could crush their dreams and steal their place after they'd work so hard to get there. They were a threat. It made sense that they'd close ranks in a bid for self-preservation.
But still, one expected better of future heroes.
Poor Hizashi had become a bit of an outcast when he'd outright refused to stop hanging out with them, not that he cared in the slightest.
Rather than let their schoolmates words get to them, the friends had chosen to instead let it motivate them. And when they'd managed to blow away the audience at the 1st Year Sports Festival, having been offered immediate transfer into the Hero Course at the beginning of 2nd term, it looked as though their hard work was finally paying off.
It came to a head when Nemuri had fallen pregnant however.
The whole thing had caused a bit of a scandal. Apparently a student pregnancy hadn't occurred once in the school's history. A few people had expected her to drop out to save U.A's reputation, some demanded it.
The school's rumor mill went crazy again, this time pulling Hizashi into it with whispers about how, Kayama, being the absolute tramp that she was, had no idea who the father was. How clearly it had to be either Aizawa or Yamada Hizashi, but none of them knew for sure which.
And of course there was the overarching belief that there was just no way she could be a hero now.
Nemuri was determined to prove everybody wrong all over again.
"There's not really much to figure out, I'm going." She answered firmly. "The school counselor said he'd help me work things out. I've got a few weeks before school starts up again in April, I'll figure out a system." Setting her shoulders she finished with, "it'll work."
She was saying that last part more to herself than to Shouta, but he didn't need to know that.
The two boys shared a look between themselves and for a second Nemuri was worried that her friends were about to disparage her, telling her that it'd be easier if she put her dream on the back burner.
She needn't have worried though because just them Hizashi's face split into a wide grin and Shouta's lip twitched into a half smile.
"Right on girl!"
"Good."
The girl smiled in return, throwing her arms around both the boys shoulders with a squeeze. "I mean it's not like I can leave you two in class without me now can I? We're a team!"
"Team Midnight-Mic-Eraser!"
"That sounds terrible." Came Aizawa's subdued voice.
"We'll work on it!" Nemuri said happily, before glancing at the wall clock. "We should probably get to my room before my nurse sees I'm gone."
Leaning down slightly she made sure to give her daughter a proper goodbye. "Bye-bye Kiyo-chan! See you soon!"
"Bye-bye little nugget!" Hizashi added with a wave.
As they walked down the pristine hospital hallway to her room, Nemuri considered something. "Do you think I'd get in trouble if I just walk out of here with Kiyo? I can't stand hospitals."
Little did she know that not too far away a certain someone was thinking much the same thing.
Author's Note:
Thanks for the favorites and follows. Special thanks to and phelipebr and Heitor for reviewing.
phelipebr, thank you for being so quick to review. Hope you enjoy the story as it develops. Thanks for being the first to review.
Heitor, thank you for taking the time to review. I really enjoy hearing about what crosses people's minds as they read my stories so I really appreciated your review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and continue to enjoy the story as it develops.