"How irresponsible, Aizawa-sensei!"
"The news reports say it's going to be a rainy week. Why didn't you bring an umbrella?"
"What if Eri-chan gets sick?"
"Todoroki, get over here!"
"Come on, Eri-chan. Let's get you dry."
Aizawa watched his former homeroom class fuss over the soaked little girl he had in tow as they made their way inside class 2-A's dormitory, needing temporary reprieve from the downpour. He sighed, scratching the back of his head in exasperation. He had been too busy grading papers all week that he hadn't bothered to check the weather reports.
Shinso hurried to his room, forgetting about the half eaten dinner on his plate all together. He grabbed the folded blanket off his mattress, before pulling the drawer of his bedside table open to take out the hair dryer. He rushed down the stairs, offering the items towards his mentor and his ward.
"What's that?"
Shinso watched the tape guy… Sero, if he wasn't mistaken, eye the blower in his hands curiously. "A hair dryer." He answered matter-of-factly.
"Huh?" Sero took the odd titanium device in his hand, peeking through the open hole on the top. "Where's the propeller?"
Shinso blinked. Were they supposed to have one?
"Dude! That's that really expensive brand!" Kaminari pointed at the device, humming to himself as he tried to remember the name.
"It's a Byson."
Kaminari shifted his index finger towards Bakugo, nodding at him in agreement. "Right! Byson!"
"You have a Byson for a hair dryer?!"
"I thought they only made fans and air purifiers?"
"They have cleaning materials too! Mainly vacuums."
"But aren't they ridiculously expensive?"
Shinso felt several pairs of eyes on him, not quite understanding what all the commotion was about. He ignored their stares, unfolding the blanket in his hands to wrap it around Eri who was now partially dry thanks to Todoroki.
"Woah! Is that Durberry?"
"You've gotta be kidding me!"
"Is it real?"
"It's real! It's got a legit tag and everything!"
"You have a Durberry… blanket?"
Shinso eyed the rest of his classmates, clearly confused. Why were they making such a big deal out of everything?
"Shinso…" Kaminari glanced at him with wide-eyes. "Are you… a rich kid?"
Shinso felt something brush against the nape of his neck, swerving around quickly to grab the wrist of whoever it was who had the audacity to try and sneak up on him.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!"
He eyed the floating garments in front of him, letting go of the invisible twisted arm he held in his grasp. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I was just checking the tag of your lounge clothes." Hagakure answered truthfully, rubbing her sore shoulder as she grumbled to herself.
"Why?" Shinso looked at her the same way civilians would whenever they caught sight of floating apparel. He watched one of the sleeves of the empty shirt shift, angling itself towards his face. Was she pointing at him?
"Who wears Shanel to bed?!"
A collective gasp resounded throughout the common room.
"Are you kidding me?!"
"Damn, so you're really a trust fund kid?"
"How did we not know all this time?"
Shinso took a step back when he saw Aoyama inching towards him, eying the back of his top where the tag was. He sent the flamboyant boy a look of warning. He seriously did not want to deal with yet another vain blonde.
Momo glanced at everyone in silence, not quite sure why they looked so… shocked. Was that something out of the norm? She tilted her head to one side in contemplation. There was so much about the world she had yet to learn about.
"Ah!" Kaminari pointed a finger at Shinso. "I heard some weird sounds coming from your room that one time!"
Everyone eyed Shinso apprehensively.
WEIRD SOUNDS?
Shinso glared at talkative blonde, annoyed by his accusatory tone. "What are you talking about?"
"It sounded like grinding!"
Everybody froze at the implications of Kaminari's words.
GRINDING?!
Shinso was eying him like a madman now. What on earth was he–
"Followed by the smell of coffee!" Kaminari folded his arms across his chest.
Everyone glared at electricity user, irritated by his misleading words.
Jiro aimed one of the couch pillows onto his head. "Choose your words better, idiot!"
Kaminari whirled around to send her an offended look, running a hand through his messed up hair. "What the hell?! All I'm trying to say is that he has a coffee maker in his room!" He pointed blindly at the purple-haired boy.
Shinso furrowed his brows, not understanding the point of the conversation. "And?" He was starting to feel his skin prick at the sheer amount of attention on him. He clicked his tongue. Why was everybody looking at him?
"Just out of curiosity…"
Shinso turned his irate gaze towards the frog– Tsuyu, raising a brow as he waited for her to finish the rest of her statement.
"What brand is your coffee maker?"
Shinso tried his best to remember. What was it again? He never really bothered to take note of names or models. He just bought the first one he saw online that was compact enough and had good reviews.
"I'm not sure." He folded his arms on his chest. "It sounds like espresso, or something…"
"You mean, Mespresso?" Tsuyu clarified.
"Yeah." Shinso eyed her resolutely. It did sound like that.
"Are you serious?!"
"Isn't that the one that uses pods or capsules or something?"
"A single Mespresso pod is like twice the price of café coffees."
"What?!"
"Wow, Shinso. You live in a totally different world!"
Shinso was beyond confused by this time, shifting his glance towards Eraserhead to look for some sort of guidance.
Aizawa sighed, rubbing the back of his head exasperatedly as he glanced at his former students with tired eyes. "His mom is the CEO of Zony."
Another collective gasp erupted from class 2-A.
"For real?!"
"I can't believe I'm classmates with a legitimate heir!"
"How did we not know this?"
"Cause he never hangs out in the common area."
"Dude, you're set for life! I'm so jealous!"
Shinso scratched the back of his head, not exactly sure how to deal with everyone's reactions. This was similar to the behavior of his former general studies classmates when they found out who his mother was. He sighed. He didn't get it. No one from his middle school seemed to care. All of them had parents who owned other companies too.
Shinso felt a soft tug against his joggers, glancing down to see Eri smiling at him. Only her head peeked out from the blanket he wrapped around her.
"Toshi-nii! This is so warm!" She shrugged several times, glancing down at the tartan-check patterned cloth that engulfed her entire body. "It smells like you too!"
He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward under the beaming little girl's gaze. "Is it bad?"
"Nuh-uh." Eri shook her head. "It smells nice!"
Shinso nodded his head awkwardly, shifting his eyes elsewhere, still not quite used to the open way she always seemed to address him.
"S-She… She called you Toshi… Nii…"
Shinso glanced at Midoriya's stunned form, pointing a shaking finger towards the little girl who still had her hand wrapped around the cloth of his joggers, just beside his knee.
"I've known her much longer, but she never calls me by my name. She doesn't refer to me as 'onii-chan' either. She always uses my hero moniker. I mean, that makes sense since I did introduce myself as Deku. No, wait. I also told her my real one. And she could have added onii-san after my hero name."
Shinso eyed the green-haired boy oddly, hearing him mumble nearly incoherent words to himself as he walked away dejectedly.
A loud sneeze directed everyone's attention towards the sloppy looking adult by the entrance, looking like he was about to keel over at any minute.
"Aizawa-sensei, are you alright?"
"Ah! Don't get me sick sensei! I can't miss lessons!"
"Todoroki! Sensei needs more fire!"
Eri made her way back to Eraserhead, staring at him worriedly with wide eyes. "Are you okay, Shota-san?"
Everyone within earshot froze at the offhanded way the little girl addressed their former homeroom teacher.
SHOTA-SAN?!
"I'm fine." Aizawa sniffed as he eyed the windows of the dormitory, checking if the rain had finally died down. It wasn't as punishing as it was earlier, but the downpour was still steady.
"Sensei, let's get you a change of clothes." Shinso tilted his head towards the stairs. "I have a couple that would probably fit you. The latest set mom sent were all too big for me." He sighed.
His mother was almost always stressed because of her job and would use online shopping as a way to ease her tension. He would get random packages that ranged from exercise equipment, games, skincare sets, snacks, clothes, accessories, toys, gadgets – you name it, he's had it.
"Ah!" Ashido jumped out of her seat, racing towards the stairs. "Now's our chance!"
"Let's see how Shinso's room looks like!" Kaminari was right behind her.
"Oh, I wanna see too!" Kirishima and Sero echoed as they bounded towards the stairs as well.
"Anyone who goes in my room without my permission will face the consequences."
All four of them froze in place, turning around wordlessly to head back to where they once were, not bothering to offer Shinso a glance. They got the message loud and clear.
"Let's go, sensei." Shinso called out as he made his way up to his room.
"A-Aizawa… sensei?!"
"What?!"
"So cool!"
"No way?!"
"It's like a different person!"
"Sensei, you look so handsome!"
The rest of class 2-A stared at their former homeroom teacher with wide-eyes and open mouths. He was wearing a maroon turtleneck cable knit sweater, camel slacks, and dark brown leather shoes. He had his slightly damp hair in a ponytail, making it look sleek and stylish.
"Look Eri-chan! Doesn't Aizawa-sensei look different?" Uraraka called out as she bent down to observe the little girl's reaction.
Eri turned away from the flashlight she was playing with to glance back at her guardian. "Nuh-uh." She shook her head. "Shota-san looks like that when he's not working." She shrugged offhandedly as she slipped off the couch and bounced towards him. "Shota-san! Look! Look!" She showed off the animal shadow she learned to make in the past few minutes. She giggled at the silhouette of her fingers against the light, tilting her hand to the sides to make it move.
"Oh, it's a dog." Aizawa called out, placing a hand over the little girl's head. "Good job, Eri."
Class 2-A looked on in stunned silence, watching the underground hero with slack jaws, utterly speechless. They didn't know what shocked them more – the idea that Aizawa-sensei actually had a fashion sense, or the fact that he was capable of such a gentle expression.
Who was this alternate universe version of Eraserhead standing right in front of them?
"The rain finally stopped." Aizawa noted as he glanced out the windows. "Let's go, Eri. It's almost past your bedtime."
Shinso followed them to the door, handing over the sturdy paper bag that held his mentor's damp clothes. "Here. Just in case." He offered the umbrella in his hand as well.
Aizawa took both items in one hand, dropping his free one over the purple-haired boy's head casually. "Thanks."
Shinso looked away, feeling awkward under the intense scrutiny of his classmates. He swallowed down the familiar feeling of warmth he got whenever his mentor offered him that gesture. "It's nothing." He mumbled in reply.
Aizawa was about to announce his leave, when he noticed his former homeroom students eying him strangely. "What?"
"How come only Eri and Shinso get head pats?"
"Yeah, sensei! You never do that to any of us!"
"Shinso, no fair!"
"Teachers shouldn't show any bias towards students, right?"
"Favoritism! Fa-vo-ri-ti-sm!"
Aoyama raised a hand in the air, facing the dissent of his classmates head on. "All those in favor of Aizawa-sensei patting us on the head, say 'I'!"
The immediate response was a consensus. The rest of the students started rushing by the door, tilting their heads towards their favorite UA professor shamelessly.
"Alright! Fall in line! Let's do this in an orderly manner!" Iida began waving his hands at everyone, guiding them where to go to make things more efficient.
Aizawa's seen a lot of crazy behavior from students throughout his years as a teacher, but this one definitely took the cake. He had no idea why in the world any of them would want a head pat from him. He sighed. It didn't make any sense. He expected only the boisterous, extroverted ones to fall in line, but to see even Tokoyami, Shoji and Todoroki waiting their turn… He didn't know what to think.
Aizawa rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward as he offered them one head pat after another. The last one in line was the ever responsible class president, who always prioritized his peers before himself.
Iida nodded his thanks towards his former home room teacher, before sweeping his gaze throughout the room to eye the rest of his classmates. "We offer gratitude on the count of three! 1-2-3!"
"THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AIZAWA-SENSEI!"
"Uh, sure…" Aizawa's continued to rub a hand against his nape, feeling awkward at the sight of his students bowing at him for something so trivial. It was just a pat on the head after all.
"I said I don't want it!"
"Oh come on, man! Everyone got one!"
"Let go you fucking losers!"
"Don't be shy, Kacchan!"
Aizawa blinked at the sight of Kirishima and Kaminari dragging an incensed Bakugo towards him. He noticed Uraraka slowly sneak up behind them, tapping the explosive blonde on the back, making him float in the air.
"You little– I'll fucking kill you, round face!"
Kaminari and Kirishima grinned at the back of the gravity quirk user as she walked away, whistling to herself nonchalantly.
Aizawa stared down at the grumbling teen nudged between the only two people in class who always tried their best to include him in everything. He sighed. There was no point in forcing the hothead to do this though.
"Just do it."
Aizawa eyed the spiky-haired boy who looked clearly displeased, but stood unmoving in front of him, still waiting for his head pat. He blinked. Well, he certainly didn't expect that. He dropped his hand over his hair, feeling the younger boy immediately move away after the contact, grumbling under his breath.
Realizing he's had enough of his students' ridiculous antics, Aizawa finally announced his leave, holding Eri's hand in his free one as they left the dorms. He sighed again.
Why was his former homeroom class so weird?
Shinso glanced down at the little girl holding onto the pocket of his slacks, rubbing the back of his neck as he walked her through the grounds. He received a call from Aizawa-sensei after class and had been instructed to bring Eri to the principal's office. The underground hero seemed to have gotten an urgent summon from the Hero Association.
"And then Shota-san fell asleep!" Eri giggled as she skipped happily to match the purple-haired boy's pace.
Shinso could never understand why Eri felt so relaxed in his presence. He was never the type kids gravitated to for no reason. He couldn't remember doing anything in particular that could have gained her favor either.
"Why are you so…?" He paused, unsure if he should continue.
"Hm?" Eri looked up at him with big bright red eyes.
"Why are you so at ease with me?" He stopped in his tracks, sending her a guarded look; the hand against his nape stayed still.
Eri stood in silence as she tilted her head to one side, eying him keenly. She began to hum to herself as she searched for an answer; her hand still grasping the outline of Shinso's pocket. "You're like Shota-san." She eventually replied.
"Huh?"
"That!" She pointed at the hand resting on his neck. "Shota-san does that a lot." She grinned. "That!" She aligned her finger towards his purple irises. "You always look sleepy... Just like Shota-san!" She giggled. "That!" She jumped, raising both hands up to try and aim for his head, but they barely reached his chest. "Shota-san's hair gets poofy like that sometimes!"
Shinso blinked at the beaming little girl in front of him in stunned silence. She was comfortable with him… because he reminded her of Aizawa-sensei? He stared at the open expression on her face, not quite knowing how to respond.
"Oh… What's this I see? Are the siblings out to play?"
Shinso turned his head around to glare at the obnoxious blonde from class 2-B. "Get lost."
"Oh don't be like that, Shinso!" Monoma leaned an elbow against the taller man's shoulder, throwing an offhanded salute at the pouting little girl. "Yo, Eri-chan!"
Shinso eyed the annoyed look on Eri's face, surprised that she was capable of making that kind of expression. He watched her stick her tongue out at the blonde, who only laughed out loud in response.
"You see that, Shinso?! Did you see that?!" He combed the bangs off his face, slapping a hand against his chest as he puffed it out in pride. "I taught her that!"
Shinso shrugged off the arm resting over his shoulder, putting a hand on Eri's back to guide her away from the crazy boy. He clicked his tongue when he saw him follow right behind them.
"Listen Eri-chan. I'm going to teach you a new trick. If you master this, you can make anyone shut up!"
Shinso's eyes widened when he realized just what finger Monoma was trying to lift. He gripped it in one hand, making the annoying copycat yelp in pain. "Cut it out or I'll break your hand." He warned, nudging the little girl behind him with his free hand as he blocked her view. He could feel her hold onto the edge of his blazer as he tapped her shoulder once in reassurance.
Monoma pulled his sore finger out of the taller man's hold, pressing his other hand against it to soothe the ache. "That hurt! I'm just trying to teach her how to stand up for herself!"
Shinso ignored him as he turned around, bending down on one knee to look at Eri at eye-level. "Do you mind if I carry you? So we can run away from the bad man?" He watched her nod at him, reaching her arms out to wrap around his neck as he hoisted her up against his chest. He tapped her back a few times, hoping the gesture would comfort her.
"Who's the bad man?!"
Shinso sighed in exasperation, realizing Monoma was still trying to follow them. He jogged faster, wishing the loudmouth would trip over a rock and slam his face against the pavement.
"I'm just teaching her stuff so people won't mess with her!"
Shinso watched Eri stick her tongue out towards the copycat one more time, swallowing down the urge to laugh. Witnessing the usually demure little girl getting pissed was amusing. "Just quit it." He called out to the other boy running alongside him.
"Make me!"
Shinso stopped abruptly, sending the shorter man a silent look of warning.
Monoma pressed his lips together, realizing his slip. He raised both palms up in surrender. "I take it back."
Shinso snorted as he began to walk away.
"Stop being so stuck-up." Monoma rolled his eyes as he tucked one hand inside the pocket of his trousers. "She's too quiet!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Eri, who simply stuck her tongue out at him once again. He grinned, proud of her sassy response. "Kids her age are supposed to be spoiled, energetic, and downright awful! That way they get to let it all out of their system and mature once they reach their teens." He shrugged, waving a hand in the air offhandedly as he made his point. "You should just let kids be kids."
"So is that why you're still an annoying brat?" Shinso smirked, throwing him a sarcastic look. "Didn't get it out of your system?"
"Wha–! I'm not a brat you stupi–"
CHOP!
Shinso and Eri nodded their thanks at the class 2-B president, watching her bow at them in apology as she dragged Monoma's unconscious body through the ground.
"If he annoys you too much, let me know. Okay?" Shinso glanced at the little girl in his arms who beamed at him as she nodded in response. "Do you want to go down now?"
"Nuh-uh!" She shook her head, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly as she nuzzled against him.
Shinso sighed. It was… odd having someone be so openly affectionate towards him. He wasn't used to being touched so casually after all. So he just never knew how to respond.
What was it that Aizawa-sensei did whenever Eri would get this way around him?
Slowly, hesitantly, Shinso allowed himself to lean the side of his chin onto the tiny head that rested against the curve of his neck. He felt her tighten her hold around him, nudging her cheek closer against his warmth. He smiled a little to himself.
This was nice.
Shinso glared at his phone, still unable to sleep. Eraserhead still hadn't responded to the message he sent earlier this evening. It was half past midnight by now and it still hadn't been read. He huffed. Was he still out doing whatever it was that the Hero Association called him out for?
Aizawa-sensei always replied promptly. So the fact that his message hadn't even been read was… strange. He knew the underground hero checked his phone regularly, and always had it by his side while he worked at night. He narrowed his eyes.
Something wasn't right.
He pressed the call button, trying his best to ignore the fact that he would probably be bothering his mentor's sleep.
The number you have dialed is out of service.
Shinso glanced at the phone in disbelief. Why? Was he sent to a far off location? Did his battery run out? Did he lose it during the mission? Did it accidentally break during a fight?
Shinso grit his teeth, unable to fight the urge to check if Aizawa-sensei had made it back to the teachers' dorms safely. He opened his window, hopping down the front lawn quietly, as he ran through the secluded grounds of the school.
He absolutely needed to know.
Aizawa released the grip he had on his cloth binds, eying the purple-haired boy lying face-first on his bedroom floor incredulously. When he sensed someone lurking by his window, he didn't hesitate to aim his weapon through it, dragging the intruder inside his room with a strength he usually reserved for villains.
Shinso groaned as he pushed his free hand against the floor, sitting up to try and untangle himself from the binds. He was glad his body reacted fast enough to nudge a hand against his neck, preventing him from being choked to death.
"What the– Why the hell are you sneaking around at this hour?!"
Shinso bowed his head at the reprimand, glancing up momentarily to see the incensed expression on the older man's face. "You weren't replying." He mumbled under his breath. "I just wanted to check if you got back."
"My battery died." Aizawa ran a hand through his face in exasperation. "I haven't charged it yet. I was busy." He watched the sulking teen wordlessly push himself off the floor, finally free of the binds. He sighed. "Kid, I'm the last person you should be worrying about."
"I wasn't worried."
Aizawa raised a challenging brow at the rushed answer. "Then what are you doing loitering outside this building at…" He paused to glance at the clock hanging against his wall. "One in the morning?"
"Like I said, I just wanted to check if you were back."
Aizawa fought the urge to roll his eyes at the temperamental boy still grumbling in front of him. That basically meant the same thing. And why the hell was he pissed? If anyone had the right to be, it was him. He was face to face with a student who brazenly broke curfew after all.
"I'm fine, kid. Stop worrying."
"I said I wasn't worried, didn't I?"
Aizawa ignored his reply, letting out a long tired sigh as he scratched a finger against his stubble. He made his way towards his protégé, dropping a hand onto his head, patting it heavily for every stressed word he uttered.
"I plan on living a long, boring life, and die a senile, old man, tucked inside my yellow sleeping bag."
Shinso sputtered at the hilarious image that flashed through his mind. He could totally see the underground hero still dragging around that monstrosity of a sleeping bag with him until he died. He laughed out loud, clutching his stomach with both hands as he shook his head in disbelief. Eraserhead had the weirdest sense of humor! He wiped the corners of his eyes, looking up at his mentor as his amusement died down.
"You promise?"
Aizawa pulled his hand off the younger boy's head to rub it against the back of his neck. "You know I don't make promises, kid." He saw the younger boy nod his acceptance, but he didn't miss the way his shoulders sagged in defeat. "But I'll at least make sure I get to see you become a full-fledged hero." He crossed his arms on his chest resolutely. "I won't kick the bucket until then."
Shinso eyed the grin on his mentor's face, feeling an overflowing warmth burst in his chest. The image of Eraserhead standing alongside him as he graduated from UA's hero course flashed through his mind.
Would he grin at him like that too? Would he give him another pat on the head? Would he still call him 'kid'?
Would he be proud of him?
"Now get out." Aizawa jutted his chin towards the direction of the open window. "And don't break curfew again. I'll give you a week's worth of detention if you do."
Shinso nodded wordlessly as he hopped up the window sill, giving the underground hero one last glance. "Take care of yourself, sensei."
Aizawa let out a long, slow breath. "Toshi, stop worrying about me and go to bed."
"I said I'm not worried!" Shinso insisted before he leaped out onto the yard, not allowing his mentor to get another word in.
Aizawa chuckled as he watched the back of his favorite student disappear in the distance. He ran a hand through his face, shaking his head in disbelief. That kid reminded him so much of his younger self it was borderline creepy.
They had the same dead look in their eyes, wild untamable hair, a quiet unapproachable countenance… and to make matters worse, they even had similar mannerisms. It took him quite a while to finally accept the fact that they were unmistakably identical in so many ways. He blinked. Perhaps that was why people easily believed that they were related? He sighed in resignation.
The idea of being a father never really appealed to him. It was too much work. It was hard enough trying to balance being a professor and taking on pro hero jobs. He could barely even spare six hours in a day for sleep. But after taking Toshi and Eri under his wing… He sighed again.
Perhaps it wasn't so bad being a dad.
End of chapter 3/5!
Basically this entire chapter is just going against the consensus among most fanfiction works when it comes to Shinso's family life lol! To be perfectly honest, I was surprised that majority portray him as a foster kid. Because personally, my image of him was that of a rich/upper middle class kid (because of his middle school uniform and the way he carries himself in general...he has a kind of commanding regal air lol :p). But again, that's just me!
I felt like exaggerating his socioeconomic status here because it was hilarious! Messing up the names of Dyson, Burberry, Nespresso, Channel and Sony had me laughing out loud . This is really what's so fun about fanfiction! We all get to spin the lives of characters in whichever way we want ^^
If this chapter made you LOL too, I hope it inspires you to write about Shinso in a more lighthearted way! Because we seriously need more happy Shinso fics haha!
Thank you for reading! Reviews are very much appreciated :)
