Chapter Text
Nemuri quickly jogged up to Aizawa and Oboro, of course she didn't want to ruin their moment but this was far more important then just some heartwarming apologies.
"Shirakumo! Aizawa! Wait!" She yelled.
The two men paused and turned back to their colleague.
"I just heard from nezu... You need to get to Tarturus, NOW." Nemuri grabbed Aizawa's shoulder tight.
Somehow Aizawa found himself sitting tense next to Oboro, who was driving the car. Aizawa didn't speak a word, he could barely process what he had heard in the past 20 minutes. It still echoed through his head.
"Can't you drive faster?" Aizawa said through clenched teeth, his eyes darted to Oboro without moving his head. Oboro's grip on the steering wheel tightened.
"I'm trying. There's a speed limit you know." Sweat had formed on Oboro's forehead as the nervousness grew inside both of them. Silence proceeded to hang eerily in the air throughout the rest of the journey. Now Oboro and Aizawa walked stiffly through the cold metal corridors. The guards marched besides them only to increase the tense feeling that Aizawa just couldn't shake. He was trembling badly and he couldn't hide it. Oboro noticed and he put his arm around Aizawa patting his back to try and calm him. It didn't work but Aizawa was grateful to have Oboro here. Aizawa's eyes flicked to his surroundings, they had passed multiple cells, each looking as cold and dark as the next. The entire prison seemed to be on edge all the time. And in a way they should be. They are currently holding some of the most dangerous villains on the Earth in these cells. Though that obviously wasn't what made Aizawa nervous. Then, their journey came to a stop. Oboro gulped, swallowing the lump in his throat. Aizawa flinched at the sudden loud groans and creaks of the mechanical steel door opening.
Aizawa saw Oboro greeting inspector Naomasa as they waited for instructions in the control room.
"Hey Eraserhead," Naomasa smiled and waved though Aizawa clearly wasn't interested, so he merely grunted as a response. Naomasa didn't mind he had spoken with Aizawa many times and in general got similar responses. Oboro felt slightly embarrassed his friend was being so rude so, he nudged the tired hero's elbow. Aizawa stomped on Oboro's foot.
As Naomasa explained what the two hero's job was, he noticed their sudden quietness when he talked about their friend.
They must care about him just as dearly as their files had said... oh how traumatised they both must've been...
Naomasa had read both heroes files and had felt some guilt when he saw the relationship between Eraserhead and... him... The inspector looked to the interrogation window solemnly. This was going to be hard for those two...
"Right. You understand what you have to do?" Naomasa asked.
"Yes." Oboro weakly smiled, he felt like throwing up, surely none of this was true?
They shuffled over to the massive cell door, two guards walking behind them. Oboro's mouth opened, gaping slightly at the person in front of him, behind the thick glass. They sat down not quite knowing what to say.
"...Hey Yamada..." at first Oboro was trying to smile but he choked up immediately.
The man on the other side of the glass, looked up at them, his hair was extremely long, too long for the normal person. It draped down his face and back like a mop, all straggly and unkept. He seemed to be irritated because of the sound blocking muzzle, that covered his mouth. Probably to stop him from using his quirk. He sat in a restraining chair with a straight jacket. His eyes seemed hypnotic, quite literally as they were just a massive spiral in a pool of green. Though what shocked Aizawa the most was the scars upon his neck. They were massive and it seemed these scars had smaller scars that seemed slightly fresh. Oboro was slightly grossed out by the black goo that seeped out of the blonde creature ears and eyes.
Aizawa felt tears welling up in his eyes. He knew this man so well but at the same time he didn't...He was a stranger... he shut his eyes quick, blinking out the tears.
"Hizashi, please, can't you hear me?" He croaked, his palm pressed against the glass.
"Mm..." The man shuddered... or laughed?
Aizawa felt like screaming but, Oboro did it for him.
"HIZASHI PLEASE! WE CAN STILL BE HEROES TOGETHER!" He yelled out, gripping at the glass.
No reaction. None.
Aizawa stood up and smashed his fist into the glass. Oboro jumped while the nomu looked up at him, staring directly into Aizawas eyes. He seemed to have such a blank face, no emotion whatsoever but, he had taken a sudden intreset in Aizawa.
"Hizashi. It's me, Shota... " Aizawa said, "Don't you remember me?" He whispered.
The nomu tilted his head in silence.
"Oh Hizashi what have they done to you..." Oboro's tears streamed down his face, his eyes were red and puffy.
"Please... please... please don't be gone.." Oboro sucked in his breath.
His chest was heaving with grief and he wanted to cry so much but he had to try and hold his composure.
When he turned to look at Aizawa he felt worse than before. Aizawa had his head hung low, and was silently letting tears flow down his cheeks, and fall into his capture scarf.
" 'Zashi... look." He mumbled and he pulled out what seemed to be a necklace. Oboro stepped back, he didn't know Aizawa had kept it.
The small gold ring sparkled as it twisted and turned on the string. The nomu froze. He at first looked as if he had a heart attack that was untill he screamed. Aizawa jumped and Oboro threw a hand infront of Aizawa on instinct, to protect him. The nomu wailed so loud, even the sound proof muzzle couldn't suppress the sound, so you could hear him scream.
Aizawa heard a static sound in his ear,"Aizawa do whatever you just did again! It might get through to him." Naomasas voice came through.
Aizawa's hand shook, holding up the ring for the nomu to see. He screeched at the sight of it, then it started to cough. It was hacking out loud throaty coughing that seemed to change from monster sounding to more human coughing. Aizawa wanted to pull his hand away, he was hurting him and he didn't like hurting the nomu. Even though it may just be a creature, and the information Aizawa was told could be false... it had a strange resemblance to him... Then suddenly the Nomu's strange eyes seemed to shift. The massive white swirls started to shrink, including the green irises that filled its entire eyes. They shifted down to a normal humans eyes. Revealing a much more human looking Yamada.
"Shota? SHIRAKUMO?!" He yelled out only for it to be muffled by the muzzle.
Aizawa and Oboro instantly threw themselves at the glass, banging they're fists on the glass, trying to get Hizashi attention. And then, they did, Hizashi made eye contact with them, tears pricking his eyes and then flooding down his face when he realised he couldn't move. He couldn't run to them. Hizashi felt himself slipping away, being dragged back into a coma. He thrashed about, trying everything to get out of the restraints but it was too late. Aizawa and Oboro were furiously banging on the glass yelling at Hizashi trying to keep him from turning back, but it happened to fast. Hizashi threw his head back and seemed to shake violently before falling unconscious. He was gone, again... Aizawa collapsed onto the chair behind him, sobbing as quietly as he could. The ring, squished in his fist. Oboro leaned his head against the glass in defeat, he banged his fist against the transparent wall angrily. They're one chance to get him back, they failed.
It seemed even weeks later, Aizawa and Oboro couldn't shake their trip to Tarturus. The teachers had tried to comfort them and give them space, Nezu even offered a break from teaching but they wouldn't have it.
"I'm fine." Aizawa would repeat again and again, everytime someone asked if he was okay.
Frankly it was quite anoyying after a while and he got agitated quickly by it. Soon he started to lose his temper more, he would go out on long patrols in the night and early morning only to return with a ton of bruises and scratches from fighting villains. If he wasn't out on patrol he was working. Always working. Class 1A even noticed the lack of sleep Aizawa was having. It was more than usual. He would sway in class, losing his balance as he tried to keep his eyes open and sleeping much more in the day, hidden away in the yellow sleeping bag.
Meanwhile, Oboro seemed to hold up slightly better. He would hide his distress with a smile, which would lack real happiness. Most of the kids noticed this because they'd see how quickly he got angry or anoyyed at people. He'd snap back at someone's retort and then apologize quickly once he'd realised what he'd said.
One day, late after school hours were over. Aizawa found himself scribbling away at some of class 1A's essays. At this point he couldn't bother to give Kaminari and Ashido the opinions they needed. He felt like dropping dead, asleep. Not dead, dead. At least not yet... He glanced at the clock, 6pm. Not so late. He could go for another hour. Wearily he picked up another paper and started scanning through for any mistakes. Then he thought he smelt something. Or at least saw something. He glanced up. A purple pink mist was seeping into the class room.
Nemuri? What on Earth was she doing?
Aizawa barely managed to think this full thought before his head hit the table, and he started to lightly snore. The gas had pretty much infected every point of the room but now it started to clear out. A figure sneaked into the room and picked Aizawa up, carefully slinging him over one shoulder.
Aizawa started to wake up on a couch outside his classroom. He blinked mutplie times before fully waking up and jumping upright. He pulled at his capture scarf, on full alert. That was until he saw Snipe appear out of nowhere and grab his arm. Aizawa, who was still tired from, probably Nemuri's quirk and just not sleeping in general, didn't have the strength to pull away and instead whined.
"Snipe, let go of me." He grumbled as he stumbled to stay upright at the pace Snipe was dragging him at.
"No." Came the short reply.
"Why are you here? Where are you taking me?" Aizawa continued to pester him.
Aizawa turned his head to see Vlad King strutting over to him and Snipe, Oboro slung over his shoulder, asleep.
"How'd Nemi know he'd wake up?" He nodded to Aizawa.
"Dunno but she was right. And she was right about this marshmallow." Snipe nudged Oboro's dangling arm.
They then proceeded to turn around the corner, Aizawa realised where they were heading. He had known it had felt familiar. He walked here every day, during lunch time.
"If your dragging me to some "talk about my feelings thing" Nezu's holding in the staff lounge, don't bother. Nothing is wrong with me." Aizawa said gruffly, he assumed this out of previous incidents, like after the USJ attack.
He never did talk though. About his feelings. There was no point. It didn't matter. He was fine. He was always fine. Except he wasn't.
"Yeah sure, you're fine." Vlad King snorted.
"Besides, that's not why we're bringing you to the staff lounge." Snipe added, just incase Aizawa got the wrong idea.
"Well then, why are we going to the staff lounge?" The restless man drawled.
"You'll see." Snipe replied.
Aizawa rolled his eyes angrily and gritted his teeth. Vlad King pursed his lip, trying to stop one of his arrogant smirks. He found it funny that Aizawa was so bothered about not knowing what was happening.
Finally, they reached the doors to the staff lounge. Aizawa stood upright, throwing Snipes hand of his arm. He glared at the gun hero to add to his anoyyance. Immediately he grabbed the door handle but Snipe pulled him back. He forcibly watched Vlad King toss Oboro onto his feet.
"Come on, wake up." He shook Oboro violently until Oboro practically yelled at him to stop.
"Aizawa, what's going on?" He mumbled, still half asleep.
"You ask me like I know." Aizawa scoffed.
Aizawa jumped when he felt his eyes being covered by his own capture scarf.
"What the fu- SNIPE. Take my capture scarf off my eyes. I can't see you bastard."
"That's the point idiot." Vlad King laughed.
Aizawa felt himself being pushed forwards. He guessed Oboro also had something covering his eyes but for some reason he didn't have the urge to take it off. He was curious. Curious as to what they were going to show him.
"Alright boys~ take off the blindfolds my darlings need to see." Nemuri cooed.
Aizawa pulled his scarf off his face immediately and froze to the spot. Oboro gasped, and ran forwards. There, standing a mere few feet in front of them, was Hizashi Yamada, as human as humans can be. And alive. Very alive. Aizawas mouth hung open, he didn't seem to be breathing air. He didn't move, as if not wanting to ruin this perfect memory because he didn't want it to be a dream.
"Naomasa figured that if we could bring him back with something that reminded him of the past, he thought he'd try to fully bring him back with one of the biggest memories of his past, how he died..." Nemuri explained.
"And he was right, the nomu part of him seemed to die out, there were some chemicals involved aswell just to make sure he doesn't go crazy but... he's here. They also had to use an ageing quirk to make him the same age as you guys." She finished speaking and giggled as she stared at Oboro who had attached himself to Yamada, sobbing and crying. Yamda merely grinned. Oboro took about 2 minutes to fully feel like he could understand Hizashi was here.
Then Snipe coughed, turning everyone attention to where his finger was pointing. Aizawa.
He stood there, quite breathless. Not making a sound. Just staring.
"Hey, you should probably breathe now Eraser!" Vlad King chuckled nervously.
Everyone seemed to be awaiting Aizawa's reaction. And then they all gasped a bit when Aizawa started to cry. Or at least his eyes glazed over and tears squirted out of his eyes. He coughed, trying to cover it up. Quickly he gained control of his emotions. He sniffed slightly but turned back to Hizashi.
Slowly, he walked forwards. He only stopped when his nose was almost touching Hizashi's.
"Are you really here?" Aizawa whispered, his voice cracking.
"I'm here Sho... I'm here..." Yamada pressed his head against Aizawa's, trying to calm the poor man.
Aizawa found it hard not to cry, he didn't want to be so embarrassing infront of his colleagues.
"Aizawa its perfectly okay to cry, you know?" Nemuri laughed slightly. A few of the staff chuckled too, at least they did until Aizawa couldn't hold it in anymore, tears streamed down his face as he let himself be coddled by Yamada. He shivered when Yamada pulled him into a hug. He held Aizawa hand close to his chest, it was something the two used to do whenever they hugged before... It had been too long since he'd been hugged like this. He heard Nemuri whispering about it as he stayed very still, enjoying the warmth and soft touch of Hizashi...
"Poor Shota... it's like he's been touch-starved... couldn't bring himself to have another relationship after Hizashi. I'm glad that he's back." She murmured to Cementoss.
"Nemuri shut up, I'm fine. Stop acting like I'm a baby." Aizawa said. Everyone laughed, it was like a big family reunion.
Some of the staff pulled out beers and food and played music. They were celebrating Yamada's return. Yamada was enjoying himself but found that Aizawa couldn't be more than a few feet away from him. He was trying hard not to seem desperate though. Eventually Aizawa was leaning against the wall in a small corner. Hoping Hizashi would come back for him.
Idiot, just because he's back now, doesn't mean he'll leave you. I know your attached but, come on. Be a bit less... exaggerative about it.
He thought to himself, he did seem selfish, to want to constantly be around Hizashi but, he didn't realzie everyone understood, it was hard for him, 7 years alone. In depression. It seems fair for him to be anxious if Hizashi had just shown up, of course he wouldn't want to leave him. So Aizawa waited, keeping his distance from Hizashi, trying to seem normal.
"Hey Sho," Hizashi smiled, "How are you feeling?"
Aizawa sort of lost himself then, in the colourful lights and music, gazing at Hizashi. His blonde hair fell down his shoulders perfectly, shining and glossy. His glasses were slightly wonky, just the way Aizawa preferred them, because you could then see Hizashi's gorgeous eyes. They twinkled like stars but were a Bush, lime green colour. And his smile, probably the best thing about his looks, Aizawa would say. It was perfect, he resembled every level of happiness he was on whenever he smiled, and it was a good smile; sexy, smart, stupid, lovable.
"Sho? Sho?" Hizashi looked worried, "Sho-" He was cut off by the quick interlocking of Aizawas lips on his. Instantly Hizashi put his hands around Aizawa's waist, and tipped into the kiss. Once Aizawa pulled away he buried his face into the crook between Yamadas neck and shoulder. Yamada felt his face heating up slightly.
"Well- that was surprising!" He laughed sheepishly, his face red.
He let Aizawa rest himself for a minute than he pulled him upright and hovered over his face, twitching. Then quickly he leaned in and kissed Aizawa. Aizawa felt so... Happy in this moment. It was just him and Hizashi. Together. Again.
"Ooo~" Nemuri cooed, "Aizawa, my, my, desperate were you?" She giggled anoyyingly.
Aizawa flushed furiously, he quickly pulled away from Yamada.
"Awww we never said stop being cute." Oboro grinned, leaning his face on his palm.
"Haha! EraserHead I thought I'd never see the day, YOU became soft." Vlad King cackled.
"Vlad King keep quiet." Aizawa paused, then added "You cannot be one to talk, I've seen you around those mangy dogs you love so much."
Vlad King frowned, "They are not mangy you just don't like them."
"Yes, because they attack cats, and I prefer cats." He replied.
The staff found themselves laughing until way into the evening, Aizawa and Vlad King eventually had to be brought apart but that was pretty easy, as Aizawa was still making sure he had Hizashi within eyesight.
Yamada smiled at the moon from the window. Aizawa gazed at the stars instead.
"Sho... I'm glad-" Hizashi began
"Don't, Your wasting words with knowledge I already know..." Aizawa murmured.
"... Well then... How about... I love you?" Yamada proposed as he pulled Aizawa into his arms, leaning ever so close to the underground hero's face.
Aizawa, who was caught off guard by this sudden move, stumbled slightly, his eyes wide with shock. Yamda didn't budge though, he merely smirked at Aizawa's flusteredness.
"I already knew that aswell dumbass." Aizawa rolled his eyes after he'd pulled himself back together.
"At least we're together again..." Hizashi whispered before leaning in for a kiss which Aizawa defiantly declined by throwing his hand in front of Yamadas face. This made Yamada splutter and almost fell over while Aizawa snorted at his husbands stupidity.
"How dare you, I'm your Husband! I am allowed to kiss you whenever I want!" Yamada pretended to be upset and whingey.
He pulled Aizawa close and then rapid fire started to kiss the other hero's cheek and neck. Aizawa held in his laughter as he tried to pull away, turning pink at the embarrassment of this kissing attack. The two of them burst into laughter as they held one another close. The rest of the staff merely watched the glowing smiles on their two colleagues faces, pretty shocked at how EraserHead was reduced to a happy mess in a mere set of seconds around Hizashi...
Aizawa felt like crying, it really wasn't a dream... Hizashi was here, holding him tight, whispering kind words to him. It was like it used to be... He wasn't living a lie anymore... he glanced upwards to Yamada.
"I love you so much and I'll never let you go again." He promised