Author's Note: Ok this is last time i'm updating this week but I just got really excited. Also thanks for all of the favorites and follows, really didn't expect that. comment if you have any ideas I do read them all.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the My Hero Academia universe, manga, characters, tv show, movies, etc. This is just for fun.
Chapter 2:
Aylee slowly started to regain consciousness by an annoying occurrence. She squinted one eye open to find the culprit turned out to be a pesky sunbeam that had landed on her face. The woman huffed out a breath in annoyance before she threw her forearm up to cover her unprotected eyes. But, it didn't do much in helping her go back to sleep. With her mind more awake now, Aylee suddenly became aware of a warm presence laid next to her in the bed.
She peeled open her tired eyelids, fully this time, and looked down lazily next to her. Wrapped up in her arms was an unexpected but not entirely unwelcome sight, little Shoto. He looked so at peace when asleep underneath the fleece blanket that she always used instead of a comforter. While she may not know how he normally acts at his real age, in his current physical state, Aylee noticed his abnormal shy and somewhat fearful behavior. Her brow furrowed in deep concern at the road her thoughts had turned to. She tried to shake off the negativity and reminded herself that trauma and shock could also be the major contributors to his withdrawn behavior. "Hopefully, I am worrying over nothing," the brunette thought briefly while shutting that door closed for now.
Sudden movement next to her caught her full attention as mismatched blue and grey eyes slowly blinked themselves open. Aylee gave Shoto the brightest smile she could at seven in the morning and he sleepily returned it.
"Are you ready to go back to UA today? I'm sure your classmates and teachers have missed you!" She wouldn't admit it but, the enthusiasm in her voice was a bit forced. Aylee hadn't realized how much she had missed taking care of children and the rewards that come along with every single one of the child's development. Their journey through life was a privilege to watch and to be a part of.
While the red and white-haired boy didn't give a verbal response, he did snuggle himself further into her warm side. Aylee let out a tiny chuckle at the cute action and reached her hand towards his head to ruffle his hair with a fond smile. After a couple of seconds, she abruptly stopped her gentle actions and felt a burst of energy rush through her body.
"Alright! Time to get up!"
She picked him up from the bed and raised his small body towards the high ceiling. The 3-year-old immediately burst into peals of laughter and his fists stretched up towards the ceiling, most likely trying to touch it. Aylee began to laugh along with him after getting his spirits and energy up. Settling Shoto back on her hip, she walked him back into her living room and to the toy corner. Gently, she placed him on the floor and handed him a toy to preoccupy himself. Toy in hand, he tilted his head back and stared at her face intently without emotion.
"I have to make a call real quick before we can get dressed. Are you going to be ok?" She stated this question as calmly and reassuring as she could to the toddler.
The boy didn't acknowledge her question and turned his attention back to the toys surrounding him. Aylee patiently waited for a reaction from him that would let her know that he was fine. Shoto picked up the small toy polar bear and proceeded to do what every toddler does with new toys. He shoved it in his mouth. Thankfully, it was too big to be considered a choking hazard. It seemed to pass his test and gain his approval because Shoto removed the bear from his mouth and started to play with it a little.
She straightened from her crouch and walked across the room to where her phone was finished charging. Based on the time, the woman noted that it was a tad too early for one of the officer's check-in. She glanced at the busy toddler and decided to make a call, directly to the source. Shoto's life was vital and he needed to get help right now, not in a couple of hours. With her decision finally made, she dialled the correct numbers and waited on bated breath while it rang.
"Hello. This is the automated call system designed to route your calls to the right department. If you would like to schedule a campus tour of UA, press 1. If you are a member of the press looking for a comment or interview with one of our pro hero staff members, press 2. If you are a parent of a student and have questions regarding the safety of your child, press 3. If-"
Her thumb quickly pressed the number.
"We are rerouting your call, please wait while we put you on a short hold."
Elevator music leaked from the phone's speaker and into her ear. Aylee let out an impatient sigh and sat back down on her couch. This could take a while and she might as well get more comfortable.
Two minutes had passed by painfully slow, and the woman was starting to hate whoever decided to compose elevator music. Finally, the annoying music was abruptly cut off and a real person began to speak although they sounded rushed and overworked. The poor woman probably had to deal with angry parents calling to yell at the school over Shoto being classified as missing, and questioning if their kid would be targeted next.
"Hello thank you for waiting so patiently, many parents have been calling all morning in regards to our missing student. Anyways. How can I help you today?"
Aylee struggled to think of how to explain this complicated situation without adding more panic or concern. "I am not a parent. But, I do have information regarding Shoto Todoroki."
A loud crash was heard on the other end of the line. A brief pause of silence followed it before the woman's voice spoke with a crack, "Please wait one moment."
"Sure." Aylee bit her lip before she realized what she was doing and released it from the grip of her teeth. Nasty tick that she needed to stop, but never seemed able to. Another high pitched voice interrupted her nervous thoughts and brought her back into reality again.
"Hello, this is Principal Nezu. May I ask who is speaking?"
"I am Tanaka Aylee. But, please call me Aylee."
"Ok, Aylee. Could you tell me what information you have in regards to our young Todoroki? I'm sure you could tell, but everyone is very worried."
"I think it's better If I explain it in person."
"If you insist. Can you come in within the hour to meet with one of our staff?" He sounded irritated at her answer but resigned to comply with her wishes.
"Not a problem."
"Ok, we look forward to seeing you soon."
She hung up and turned towards the subject of the phone call. Of course, he was already looking at her with a blank expression on his cute chubby face. Aylee underestimated how aware he was of his environment for a toddler and he also seemed to be able to gauge people's moods as well.
Aylee got off the couch and headed over to the play corner. "Alright Peppermint, it's time to get dressed for the day." Shoto obediently held up his tiny arms in the air and she easily picked him up into her arms. The pair passed by a window in the hallway and they just noticed the heavy rain pouring down outside. Shoto held up his tight palm and touched the cool glass with wonder in his eyes.
"I guess we'll be needing umbrellas and hats today."
About 45 minutes later, both of them walked through the doors of UA. They were pretty much soaked despite wearing raincoats, boots, and hats. But, it was almost worth it to see Shoto's cute outfit as he held out his hand to catch raindrops on the way there.
"Hold my hand so I don't lose you in the halls, peppermint." Shoto's little arm reached up and grabbed onto her much bigger hand with his own.
They walked towards the busy receptionist and rang the bell. The woman sharply turned to greet them with a wide and certainly strained fake smile. "How can I help you?"
"Yes, I called earlier this morning about having some information on your missing student."
The receptionist's eyes widened and she quickly nodded her head before she practically snatched up the phone receiver. While she talked to someone on the phone, Shoto lightly tugged on Aylee's hand. Aylee moved her eyes downwards to the boy. He looked very nervous and scared. She squeezed his hand reassuringly and gave him an encouraging smile.
The receptionist spun back towards them. "Eraserhead will meet you in the common area now. Please follow me this way."
They quickly made their way through the maze-like building to a room filled with couches and a small kitchen. It appeared to be a lounge or common area of sorts.
Eraserhead sat on the nearest couch and was lazily drinking what she assumed was coffee. The man didn't look any better than he did on the news last night. He looked up when they walked into the room but didn't move to greet them. The man didn't look even remotely interested.
"I'll leave you to it." The receptionist quickly exited the room leaving Aylee and Shoto alone. Well not entirely alone.
The pair sat down on another couch facing the pro hero and Aylee made sure Shoto was comfortable enough. She turned to face the man.
Before Aylee could even open her mouth, Eraserhead cut in. "What is this information you claim to have?" He took another bored sip of his drink while drilling holes into her with his stern gaze.
"I think it's better if I just show you instead."
Gently, Aylee reached over to Shoto's head and removed his beanie cap.
Red and white hair was now on full display.
Eraserhead spat out the liquid he was drinking onto the carpet when he saw the toddler's unique hair color.
"Of course."
The shocked pro hero wiped his mouth on one of his sleeves while still staring at the little boy in front of him. Examining every detail he could see.
"I found him in an alley all alone and the police let him stay with me for the night." Aylee smoothed down Shoto's frizzy hair while she explained. "When I saw the news later on with Shoto's picture, I put the pieces together and tried to call. Unfortunately, my phone died and well, here we are."
Shoto closed his mismatched eyes at the feeling of her fingers running through his hair. He leaned into her touch and didn't pay much attention to what the two adults were talking about. Until he heard something that made him momentarily freeze in place.
"Thank you for your assistance. We can take him from here."
"It was really no problem at all." Her fingers stopped combing through his two-toned locks and Shoto inwardly pouted at the loss of contact.
"You can discuss your reward with Principal Nezu."
"Oh, I don't want the reward. I just want Shoto to be safe and where he belongs."
Aylee turned to the toddler sitting next to her and gave him a sad smile. "Ok Shoto, this is where we say goodbye. Your teacher is going to take good care of you and help turn you back to normal. It was wonderful meeting you."
Tears quickly pooled in his blue and grey eyes. A loud wail pierced the quiet room and the tears now flowed in heavy streams down the boys' cheeks.
Aizawa was honestly shocked by Todoroki showing any emotions other than anger or boredom. His eyes followed the toddler as he grabbed onto the woman's figure, desperately wanting her to stay.
Shoto began to shout no continuously while Aylee tried to calmly reassure him that it was for the best. The boy didn't listen and held on to her like a lifeline. With a pained look on her face, the brunette firmly removed his arms from her and sat him back down on the couch. Aylee quickly walked towards the doors before she succumbed to the toddler's demands.
"DON'T LEAVE!"
A bunch of students came in to see the commotion and watched the unknown woman try to speed walk past them to the exit.
A wall of thick ice beat her to it. The doors were now frozen shut.
Shocked but proud that he can use his quirk this early, she turned back towards the temperamental child.
"Sweetie, I have to go. I can't help you get back to normal like these people can."
Shoto continued to cry loudly, not understanding why she was leaving him. The room's temperature dropped even further and goosebumps formed on her skin. Aylee could see her breath now. Everyone in the room seemed to sense the shift in the sobbing child. Snow formed in the air and it began to rapidly spiral, covering every surface with its freezing substance. Shoto's power started to get out of his control and Eraserhead finally moved to erase his quirk. But, the toddler's eyes were scrunched shut while he continued to cry, unknowingly allowing his emotions to control his quirk.
Seeing the problem, Aylee rushed back over to console Shoto. Quickly, she tried to diffuse the situation, she picked up the boy and set him in her lap. Automatically, she began to softly sing to him the same lullaby from yesterday again. The ice storm around them lessened slightly and Shoto's reddened eyes blinked open. He didn't look at anyone in the room other than Aylee. Aylee saw that his emotions were still heightened and started to use her quirk on him.
A blue songbird appeared in between them, it flapped its wings eagerly. The chirpy bird went along with her lullaby. The bird began to flutter above Shoto's head. The boy's mouth cracked into a watery smile and his hand tried in vain to catch the bird. It moved out of the toddler's reach at the last second at every attempt.
With him now completely calm in her arms, the hail storm immediately ceased. The entire 1-A class could now clearly see a mini version of their classmate as he chased after nothing. In their perspective at least.
Kirishima broke the tense silence permeating the room, "Uh Sensei, I think Shoto's lost it." The rest of his classmates nodded in agreement with the spiky redhead but stopped when they heard a light laugh.
The woman stood up from the floor and said, "No, that's just my quirk, illusions, Your classmate is quite sane."
"So what's he seeing then?" spoke up a small green-haired boy who looked at Shoto with eyes filled with concern and nervousness.
Her eyes flashed from hazel to a glowing emerald and allowed them to see the bird Shoto was chasing after. The little boy expertly dodged the stray patches of ice and ran directly towards Aylee with the bluebird flying next to him now. Shoto flung himself into her legs and she reached down to pick him up into her arms. The red and white-haired boy snuggled himself into her and rested his head on her shoulder with a smile on his face.
Aizawa studied the pair attentively as Todoroki tapped her face to show the woman the small bird that was sitting contently in his hand.
The pro-hero teacher's eyes traced the gentle way she paid attention to the now calm boy and her nurturing presence. The previous explosive display from the child and how she handled it lead Aizawa to the obvious solution. He was sure that he couldn't handle the now young Todoroki's fiery and unpredictable temper without help.
"Ok, my little peppermint, it's time for me to really go now."
Before another power-filled tantrum could ensue again, Aizawa quickly spoke up. "Actually, I was hoping you would stay on as his primary caregiver until we can sort things out. That is if you're interested in the position."
The teacher held his breath and just hoped that she would say yes. He already had to deal with enough children without them being actual children.
Aylee looked at the pleading look on the toddler's face. She could never resist puppy dog eyes, it's always been a weakness of hers. Decision made, she gave a serious nod to Eraserhead.
"I accept."
Aizawa let out a deep breath in relief. He didn't really have a backup plan in place if she declined his offer.
"We'll provide you with a dorm on campus and anything else you need to care for young Todoroki."
Shoto brightly smiled at his new caretaker and she returned it in full force. She was secretly glad she was able to spend more time with Shoto. "Ok, I'll have to move back my current appointments until further notice and grab some things from my apartment."
Aizawa nodded his head in agreement, "Don't worry about your things, we'll send volunteers to go get whatever you require."
The woman quickly jotted down a small list of toiletries, her laptop, some clothes, phone charger, etc. and handed it to the not so patiently waiting teacher.
His dry eyes looked down at the small list and Aizawa suddenly loudly barked, "Bakugou, Kirishima, and Ida."
The three boys looked confusedly at each other before they stepped from the group of students towards their teacher. The rest of the class watched in anticipation and nervous excitement at the events playing before them.
Aizawa expectantly held the list out towards the trio. "Grab these things from Ms. Tanaka's apartment and deliver them to her dorm room."
The ash-blond with red exploded with a furious shout, "WHAT! WHY!"
Aizawa's eyes shifted to a glowing red and his hair floated ominously into the air, "Because I asked you to. Any other questions?"
Bakugou frowned but didn't argue anymore. He knew a lost cause when he saw one.
Ida turned to the unfamiliar woman and slowly approached so as to not startle her. "Ida-Tenya at your service."
Aylee gave him a small smile, she juggled Shoto a bit before managing to hand him a key to her apartment. She huffed in frustration when trying to write down her address but Shoto didn't want to be put down and gripped her tightly. Instead, Aylee listed off her address for the teen in glasses to input into his phone's GPS.
Ida nodded and gave her a quick but respectful bow before heading back to the other two waiting for him.
"Thank you, boys." She called out to them before they left to get her things. The angry blond scoffed with his red eyes rolling but the tall redhead blushed and waved goodbye. What interesting classmates Shoto has.
Feeling eyes on her, Aylee turned to the girls of the class and saw most of them glancing from her to the toddler held snug in her arms. She recognized what their eager eyes meant and gently put Shoto on the carpeted floor in front of her. He looked back up at her curiously and obviously confused as to why she put him down. But, before he could do anything, the toddler heard multiple high pitch squeals.
The girls of 1-A took this chance. Mina grabbed Shoto and began to take multiple selfies with him. Momo took him in her arms looking him over while mumbling theories under her breath. Uraraka touched him and he began to float before she deactivated her quirk. Shoto fell into Jiro's arms and she tried to make him laugh by relentlessly tickling him. It didn't work and brought a scowl onto his pouting face.
The slightly stressed-out boy heard laughter and turned his head to see Aylee laughing while covering her smile. He tried to stay mad at her but didn't verbally voice his complaints.
He already got what he wanted for now.
Review Replies:
RoselynFey - I know baby Todoroki is so cute! thank you for reading and reviewing!
M - Thanks I worked really hard on making the first chapter interesting but kinda believable.
~ Mad About Love