Chapter Text
It felt rather anticlimactic to have classes as usual after that dramatic homeroom, but Cementoss-sensei walked in for their literature class, and they knew they would have to wait until their first break to settle their thoughts.
Izuku sent a worried look to his dad instead of moving to his seat. He wasn’t sure he remembered the content. Softly, Aizawa told him that the teachers had no expectations of him, aware he had already almost completed his first year, and that relearning all the academic work could wait until after they had averted what was to come.
He knew his dad wasn’t one for being affectionate in front of others, so he felt especially warm with fuzzies as his dad leaned down and gently hugged him, almost hiding his now smaller frame. Just as he was about to leave Izuku was struck with a panicked thought.
Alarmed, he whispered “Dad, Aoyama has his phone!” Aizawa blinked. He was going to wait until the break to speak to Aoyama, but he had indeed forgotten that phones were a working thing again. He nodded and mouthed “I’ll take care of it.” The panic in Izuku’s chest abated slightly. He gave his dad a weak smile before apologising to Cementoss-sensei for the hold-up and took his seat.
As he reached the door, Eraserhead looked back. “Aoyama, could you follow me please?” Shota hated the raw fear that his student was trying to desperately hide. He’d do his best to help fix it. To stop the gossip mongers, he added, “It’s unrelated to what you were all just told, and it would be in your best interests not to pry.” A warning look was directed at the rest of the class who nodded, some more agreeably than others.
~~~~~~
Shota had alerted Nezu to the fact that he would be having a meeting that Nezu should join at some point, before inviting Aoyama to take a seat on the couch, Aizawa mirroring him on the couch opposite. Aoyama had seemed to have gone past the trembling phase as he sat, incredibly tense, his face shadowed.
Erasherhead didn’t spend too long appraising his student, knowing that every second would have been torture for the kid.
“Aoyama. I will continue to watch over you.” Shota said simply.
The kid looked up, confusion colouring his pale face.
“Sensei… you brought me here… surely you know what…” Aoyama trailed off, too scared to self-incriminate.
Aizawa nodded his head slightly. “Midoriya and I are aware of your connection to All for One.”
Aoyama looked up to reveal tears falling from the terrified boy’s face. “Then you know what I’ve done. And what he’ll do now that I’ve been caught.”
It wasn’t as soft as the looks he found himself giving his son, but Eraserhead gave his student a gentle expression, and placed a hand on his knee. Aoyama tensed for a moment, peering confusedly at his normally strict sensei. Tears continued to fall.
“Sensei… why?” Aizawa tipped his head to indicate he wanted an elaboration. “Why… are you being so nice to me? Why am I not locked up in Tartarus right now? I don’t understand…”
His intense eyes made contact with the student’s.
“Nothing could convince me that you would ever deserve to be put in a place like Tartarus.”
“Bu-” He cut Aoyama off with a raised hand.
“You are a victim here Aoyama. You will not be punished for your parent’s choices, and you certainly will not be punished for the unintended consequences.” Aizawa’s serious look turned less serious again. “UA is one of the safest places to be, and I know for sure that you will make a great hero one day, Aoyama.”
Aoyama’s chest heaved as great sobs overtook him. Nezu appeared from behind the couch causing the boy to startle slightly.
“It is as Aizawa says, Aoyama-kun. You will not be harmed so long as you remain in our care. In fact, I believe it to be the best course of action that you continue studying and even reporting back as normal.”
With a severely distressed look Aoyama stuttered “Principal Nezu, surely you don’t want me to actively betray the school.”
Nezu tilted his head and put his paws delicately on his lap as he settled next to Shota on the couch. “On the contrary, Aoyama-kun, through this we can be 100% sure you remain safe. To act the same as before is to keep the future on the same track so that we can play events that are currently a certainty to our favour, to avoid the worst.”
Aoyama held his fingertips to his tears as he looked to the principal. “So you’re…”
“You will remain a student here at UA Aoyama. As for what happens after… no one has to know what your family did if you wish it so.”
The boy gaped at the principal’s words. He turned to Aizawa as the man leaned forward and spoke. “It is exactly as I said Aoyama. I will continue to watch over you.” A hand returned to the boy’s knee. “Trust us to keep you safe. Let us take care of it, kid.”
Tears of relief erupted from the boy’s initially slowing flow. He sniffled, and bowed as deep as he could while sitting.
“Senseis… I can’t possibly thank you enough.”
Finally, a small smile appeared under Aizawa’s capture weapon. Nezu also seemed pleased at the boy’s resolve.
“Let’s get you back to class.”
~~~~~~
Izuku had been pleased to find he only had a few hiccups in his memories once he focused properly on the content. He had survived two classes so far with little issue, aside from him getting nervous at the end of the second due to the impending break that would allow his classmates to ask questions. He would have been very happy to answer, but he’d cried a lot of tears already and wasn’t sure if he could handle more big conversations for another few hours.
Surprisingly, he was treated like it had been any normal day, the only difference being more classmates than usual sat around Izuku’s normal spot. If anything, it was more fun than normal, having the whole class in proximity at break. Even the current, more explodey Kacchan was dragged along. The proximity and happy banter reminded him of dorm life. When Izuku’s smile got a little teary at the thought of all the good memories once lost, his friends only quieted for a moment to give him caring smiles before continuing to rib the next classmate.
Of course, he knew it wouldn’t stay that way, but he was grateful for how thoughtful they were being.
Now, he was preparing for class with Mic-sensei. Izuku frowned lightly. This would be a little harder than seeing his other teachers, because Mic was the last one to go, and the one Izuku spent the most time with aside from his dad.
Izuku was too sad to acknowledge the concerned looks his friends shared when they thought he wasn't looking. Mic and his dad were best friends. They were best friends with Kurokumo (as a confused Izuku had taken to calling Kurogiri, with Shirakumo in control. Aizawa was not impressed. Mic was thoroughly entertained). With a group of three best friends, Izuku thought he might’ve been a little left out.
It was the complete opposite.
Aizawa at that point had not reached ultimate Dad status, but he was enough of a parental figure to be constantly teased by his friends, thoroughly embarrassing the man, before turning to jokingly (he thinks) fawn over Izuku. He was included in all their conversations, and each man made sure that the other two had little dignity left as they shared stories of their most embarrassing moments, constantly trying to outdo the other in front of Izuku.
He deliberately didn’t think of the harder moments when Shirakumo’s control faltered, his consciousness on a timer.
Point is, he was close with Mic-sensei. Of course, he was much closer with all his friends from the future and had lost them, but at least he wasn’t starting at zero again like he was with his teacher.
His downcast thoughts were interrupted as Mic-sensei burst into the room, high energy as ever, ready to start the lesson, before making eye contact with Izuku and absolutely lighting up.
Or maybe it wasn’t zero?
Confuzzled, Izulu watched as the man poked his head out of the door, and called across the hall, grin evident in his voice. Midnight-sensei sped into the room as a chaotic unit with Mic-sensei before scanning the room, and similarly lighting up at his face.
Now Izuku was extremely confused. He had never gotten particularly close to Midnight-sensei, but she seemed just as excited to see him as Mic was. Before he got a word out, the two rushed towards him comically.
“Lil listener!”
“Hi sweetie!”
Izuku backed up nervously. “Hi?”
The two lit up even brighter than before. The class had to block their eyes.
“Listener, new information has come to light…” he began, faux solemnly. “A reintroduction is in order!” Izuku blinked. Mic-sensei and Midnight-sensei beamed at each other before loudly proclaiming “You can call me Uncle Hizashi!”
Midnight jumped in. “And I’m your Auntie Nemuri!”
Izuku let out a flustered “Eep!”, and put his hands to his quickly reddening cheeks, completely flustered at the realisation that they knew about his dad.
They fawned over how cute Izuku was, causing him to steam up as he continued turning impossibly red.
“If your dad gives you any trouble you let us know, ‘kay?” Midnight winked at him.
“Yeah! If he’s too boring we’ll set him right back on track, ya dig?”
Thoroughly cooked, Izuku nodded dazedly.
Midnight’s eyes gleamed “Ooh we could take you out to do fun stuff he would never let you do!”
Mic nodded sagely. “You’re the perfect vessel for pranks now. He can’t get angry at you like he can with us.”
Finally, they stepped back. Izuku was saved.
“Oh well, look at the time, I’ve got to get back to my class now. She sauntered to the door, and turned to the class. “Be good for Present Mic now, kiddos!” It closed resoundingly behind her.
The class would have to get used to being speechless it seemed. Jiro, however, gave him a cheeky look.
“Oh they know your dad now do they, Midoriya?”
He tilted his head at her confusedly, before steam escaped his ears again and he deflated on the desk. Of course Jiro heard him whisper earlier.
She sniggered, while the class looked between the two with blank smiles of confusion. Mic stood in a power pose at the front of the room, with a look that matched the energy of the class because he could.
…
“What a mad banquet of darkness.”
Izuku wanted to become one with the table.
~~~~~~
Omake:
“Nezu… how do you know what Aoyama’s family did?”
Nezu turned curiously to Shota. “Whatever do you mean Aizawa-kun?”
Aizawa gave him a flat look. “You told Aoyama no one has to know what his family did. I haven’t told you anything about his family’s involvement beyond the fact that they did something.”
Nezu turned his beady eyes forward and sipped his tea.
“I have always liked puzzles. The pieces just seem to be falling in my paws today.”
Aizawa couldn’t hide all of his bewilderment, before turning away in resignation. Under his breath he muttered “Why do I even try?” before dismissing himself from the room, head shaking in resignation.
Nezu smiled. Ah, Aizawa had clearly been without him for too long. No matter, he’d quickly relearn to never question Nezu again.
Maniacal laughter filled the office.