"How is it fair that I now get my ass kicked by both of you in training? It's not fair that Mic still trains with us, too, now. Like, okay, maybe at first that was fine because of the whole quirk thing, but isn't he already licensed? This is bullshit and you know it, Sensei! Training is supposed to be easier the stronger I get, isn't it?"

"Hey, hey, language," Hizashi chided, kneeling over Hitoshi and inspecting the teen to make sure he was actually alright and not too badly hurt. It would be just like him to claim he was fine even with a broken bone. Hizashi knew that much and he had only been training with Shouta and Hitoshi for a couple of months.

Shouta, instead of being worried and fretting, only yawned and looked bored. Honestly, Eraserhead may have been an amazing hero, but Shouta was so lazy, mumbling a bored, "If you have enough breath to complain, then you have enough left to go another round."

Hitoshi groaned the exact same way Shouta did when he didn't want to leave the bed in the morning, and it took a moment for Hizashi to stop himself from letting out a laugh. Instead he focused on pulling Hitoshi up to at least be sitting, the teen giving him a quick, tired smile before pulling himself up the rest of the way.

"Do we really have to go another round?" Hitoshi whined, tired and bored and entire body tensed and ready to move at the slightest threat. Hizashi was more proud than he could say, so instead he settled for stepping back and watching the gleam of pride in Shouta's eyes as he charged and Hitoshi neatly dodged to the side. "Aw, come on, it's rude not to answer a question, Sensei."

"You used to be a lot more respectful, you know," Shouta shot back along with a nasty kick, Hitoshi blocking it with crossed arms before the two were going all out. Honestly, neither of them knew what it meant to take it easy.

Leaning against the wall of the empty gym on U.A. grounds, Hizashi sat down on the ground and watched the two spar as he let his thoughts drift once again to all that had happened since he had walked into U.A. four months ago without a voice and with little to no hope. It had certainly been a busy few months, Hizashi would say that.

Not only had he taken all his exams and been approved for a hero license, a teaching license, and a license to build support gear, but he had also regained the use of his quirk; even if it was weaker than it used to be. That part hadn't been easy, but it had been easier with Shouta staying by his side throughout every moment of the frustrating process.

Shouta… He had stayed with Hizashi even when it looked like Hizashi might not regain the use of his quirk or all of his words. He had stayed and he had essentially kidnapped Hizashi and dragged him and Snowball to his much nicer apartment, and then Hitoshi had squirmed his way into his heart and honestly it was just…

Hizashi couldn't believe this was his life. He was a hero. He was a pro hero and he had his own radio show, even, and he was a teacher and he had this amazing man who loved him, this great kid who was a delightful little shit, and these students who all seemed to care about him so much and it was just overwhelming.

"Hey." Jumping at the sudden voice, Hizashi blinked to see Shouta was kneeling in front of him and holding out a half-empty bottle of water, expression edging towards concern. "You alright?"

"Oh- Yeah! Of course! Just lost in my thoughts." Hizashi took the water with a kiss to Shouta's cheek, grinning as the pink flush from his sparring match grew just a touch darker. "You two finally done beating the crap out of each other?"

"He was taking it easy on me," Hitoshi complained loudly, Hizashi hiding behind the water bottle as he watched Shouta roll his eyes and stand back up.

"That's because last week you had a fever and the last thing I need is another problem child who doesn't understand how to take care of himself."

Shaking his head as the two argued, Hizashi stood up and breathed out a soft sigh as he let his thoughts settle. His new life was overwhelming, sure, but he knew he wouldn't change it for anything in the world.

"Alright, alright, stop arguing, you two. We have dinner reservations to get to, after all!" Hizashi clapped his hands together, pausing when he saw Hitoshi's confused expression. "Shouta, you told him, didn't you?"

"Of course," Shouta nodded, looking to Hitoshi. "Hey, kid, we're all having dinner together, tonight." Hitoshi, at least, found it funny. "Don't worry. It's at the cat cafe." And Hizashi found it funny how crazy these two were about cats. "At least, it will be if you can promise that there won't be any more incidents."

"That guy deserved it for kicking Mocha and you know it," Hitoshi argued back at once, Hizashi shaking his head as he gathered their bags and made sure they had everything together. "Besides, it was just some water."

Yes, 'just some water.' Hitoshi seemed to forget the part where he had brainwashed that nasty man into dumping the pitcher of water on his own head, though. Then again, Hizashi wasn't much better. He had been contemplating blowing out the man's eardrums.

"You have to admit it was pretty funny," Hizashi added on, watching Hitoshi perk up at having someone on his side. Shouta's expression, though, made it clear what he thought of their humor. "It was!"

"I can and will punish both of you," Shouta glowered, Hitoshi halfway through laughing before Shouta's gaze was on him. "If you use your quirk like that in public again, I will use our training sessions for the next month to focus solely on meditation and study time." Ah. Hitoshi wasn't laughing anymore. "As for you."

"First of all, I wasn't the cause of that incident! I only encouraged him after it happened," Hizashi pointed out quickly, handing Hitoshi his bag and then ruffling his hair. "Second of all, what would you even make my punishment?" Because Shouta was so soft and Hizashi honestly couldn't see Shouta following through on any sort of real punishment.

Shouta paused before a slow smirk grew on his face, Hizashi feeling a shiver crawl up his spine at the quiet words of, "Do you want one that badly?"

"Right, that's my cue to get out of here, then," Hitoshi spoke up loudly, Hizashi almost jumping as the teen shook his head and headed for the door. "I'll meet you two by the gates."

"Don't get distracted by idiots this time," Shouta called after him, Hizashi smothering a laugh as he saw Hitoshi's ears turn red before the teen was quickening his pace and leaving the gym as fast as possible.

"There's no need to be so mean to him, Shou-chan," Hizashi chided, wrapping his arms around Shouta's shoulders as soon as the man was close and drawing him into a soft, now familiar kiss. Hizashi was never sure if he enjoyed the closeness of their kisses the most or the fact that Shouta always, always pulled him closer.

Hizashi was thoroughly distracted by the time Shouta pulled back to kiss at his cheek, lips quirked up into a smile against his skin, "Maybe not, but it is fun. Are you really okay?" Hizashi wasn't sure why he wouldn't be okay until he realized Shouta was probably referring to when he had gotten lost in his thoughts.

"I'm okay, Shouta," Hizashi whispered quietly, the words for Shouta and Shouta alone as he hugged the man close, burying a smile against him as he felt the hug returned just as tightly. "Thanks to you."

Over the last four months when everything was happening all at once, Hizashi had often found himself thinking on what might have happened if it hadn't been Eraserhead to find him on the night of his villainous debut.

"You know what I think, Shouta?" Hizashi asked quietly, feeling more than hearing Shouta's soft hum against him. "I think we always would have wound up like this. One way or another, I think it all would have led here."

Maybe there was a world out there where Shouta had been the villain and Hizashi had been the hero to get him to see that the world wasn't so bad.

Or perhaps the both of them met as villains and had decided that something needed to change and slowly, so slowly, but so surely, saw that they could bring that change together.

It was possible there was even a world where they were both heroes and they had been friends from the start and had grown to be so much closer.

No matter what, though, Hizashi knew that it all led back to this. No matter the universe, he had a feeling that it always led back to Yamada Hizashi and Aizawa Shouta.

"Yeah… I think you're right." Shouta, as always, knew exactly what Hizashi was thinking. When he pulled back, he had on one of his small, genuine smiles, pressing another kiss to Hizashi's cheek. "And what's that smile about?"

"Mm, nothing." It was all so busy and overwhelming and hectic, but Hizashi couldn't help but to laugh as he hung onto Shouta tightly. "I just have a good feeling about the future, is all."

Shouta laughed, low and rough and sweet, and pulled back to drag Hizashi along with a soft, "Come on, hero."

Hero… It had a nice ring to it.