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Chapter Text

The raid on the Shie Hassaikai base had ended quite bittersweet, actually.

The good part was that they had saved the young girl – Eri – from her captors, and the yakuza had more or less all been arrested.

The bad part, on the other hand ...

Shota had gotten stabbed in the back and needed stitches, and another Pro Hero known as Rock Lock had gotten stabbed in the gut, but he managed to survive as well.

Tamaki Amajiki, the powerful third year UA student known as Suneater, the Pro Hero Fat Gum, and Eijiro Kirishima - Red Riot, one of Shota's own students from Class 1-A, were badly injured, but recovering.

Mirio Togata, the amazing third year UA student known as Lemillion, lost his quirk, most likely for good.

Izuku Midoriya -Deku - had almost accidentally died by the hands of the girl they had saved.

And All Might's former sidekick, the Pro Hero known as Sir Nighteye, had a giant hole in his torso. The doctors didn't expect him to make it through the night.

And so, Shota was standing in front of Eri's room, only half listening to the head nurse as she was telling him about his own injuries and about other developments.

»... So, after the exam, if the wound on your back seems to be healing well, you'll be released from the hospital. But, Mr. Nezu himself has requested that you don't leave the building.«

Shota lifted his left hand and pressed down on his aching right shoulder, hoping it might ease the pain a bit. He then looked at the nurse.

»Because of the girl, right? Because she can't control her quirk and I'm the only one who can stop her?« he asked, even though he already knew the answers would be affirmative.

The nurse nodded.

»You still shouldn't be moving around, though,« she insisted, but didn't try to stop him, knowing it would have been useless.

»I'm going to go see my students now,« Shota said and started walking down the hall, the nurse trailing closely behind him.

He stopped to see how Kirishima was doing. He visited Suneater and Fat Gum. He saw Rock Lock's partner running into his room with their baby in her hands.

Then he ran into Midoriya, just as the boy was leaving his own physical exam.

»Aizawa sensei!« the teenager exclaimed, once he saw his teacher. »Are you alright now?«

»I got ten stitches,« Shota said blankly, then ushered the student into the hall.

Shota explained how Kirishima, Amajiki, Fat Gum, and Rock Lock were doing, and told Midoriya about keeping Eri in quarantine, while leading the boy towards the room, where their presence was currently needed most – Sir Nighteye's room.

Midoriya was happy to see All Might in the room, but after seeing Recovery Girl, after seeing the saddened expressions on the faces of Nighteye's sidekicks, after hearing Recovery Girl's and another doctor's remarks about the Pro Hero's health, it finally dawned on Midoriya what exactly was going on in that room.

Sir Nighteye was dying. And there was nothing they could do about it.

Shota respectfully stood back and watched as All Might, Midoriya, and Togata (who had stormed in teary-eyed mere seconds ago) held their last ever conversation with the Pro Hero.

The trio at his bed was crying. Nighteye's sidekicks were crying. Shota, Recovery Girl, and the present medical personnel were looking down at the ground, regretting not having been able to do more.

If only that guy – Kurono? – hadn't caught me by surprise, Shota thought, maybe I could have helped in the main battle, and things could have ended very differently.

Nighteye reached out with his hand to rest it on Togata's temple and activated his future seeing quirk.

»Mirio,« he breathed. »It'll be alright. You are becoming ... and outstanding hero.« His hand moved away. »This is ... the only future ... that we shouldn't change.«

The Hero managed a weak smile.

»So please ... keep smiling.«

For a moment, the room was silent except for Nighteye's laboured breathing and Togata's pained cry.

»Society needs smiles, laughs, and energy to bring about a brighter future,« Sir Nighteye said slowly, his eyes closing.

The Hero's heart rate was slowing down considerably now, and everyone could hear one last cry from Lemillion as Nighteye's heart gave out.

The next day, Eri still hadn't woken up.

Shota sent Midoriya back to UA, then walked back to Eri's room. He stopped in front of the door and sighed. He fished his phone out of one of his many pockets and dialed Hizashi's number.

»Shota, hey. How are things down there?«

»Hey. The girl still hasn't woken up yet, so I'll probably have to stay here for a while longer.«

»Yeah, about the girl ...«

Shota lifted a brow. »What is it?«

»Nezu called a meeting with UA staff and some other people who were also involved in the raid. It turns out that she doesn't have any family left except for her grandfather, who's been in a coma for a couple of years now, and we're not sure if she even knows him.«

There was a pause and Shota thought about what Hizashi was trying to say.

»Principal Nezu offered that UA could take her in.«

»UA? How would that work?« Shota asked.

»Apparently, she would reside on UA grounds. The teachers and Mirio Togata would take care of her. Also, there's something I was gonna call you about.«

»What is it?«

»Well, you're already staying in the hospital, keeping an eye on the girl, since you're more or less the only person capable of stopping her quirk, right? Um, that was allegedly part of the reason why Nezu offered UA to adopt her. He wanted to appoint you as her guardian.«

What?

»They want me as her guardian?«

It was true that he and Hizashi had already adopted Hitoshi, but the kid was already a teenager, and fully capable of taking care of himself. Not to mention he didn't live with them most of the time since moving into the dorm.

But this was a six year old girl they were talking about. How was he supposed to be a good guardian to a six year old girl?

Hizashi sighed on the other side of the line.

»Yeah. It just means you'd be with her most of the time,« the Voice Hero explained, guessing at what was bothering Shota. »There will be other teachers, including me, who will be taking care of her. Mirio Togata is currently on hold with the Hero Course because of his ... because he lost his quirk. He'll be helping out as well. You'll just be there to make sure nothing too bad happens to her.«

But ... Eri was raised by the Shie Hassaikai. Shota doubted she would be evil – that wasn't the part nagging at him. What was bothering him was the fact that, since the Villains had been mostly using her to make the quirk erasing bullets, her upbringing couldn't have been very nice.

Who was he to try to raise the child, who would obviously need a professional to help her?

»Shota, hey,« Hizashi said, hearing his husband's breathing slightly quicken. »It's going to be okay. She needs you, because she can't control her quirk. And besides, you'll both have many, many people supporting you.«

Hizashi was right. He wouldn't be alone. He just had to make sure she wouldn't harm herself or others with her quirk.

But, still ... A child this young? Was he really ready for the responsibility?

No, stop. Eri needs help. I can help. That's what matters.

Shota tried to shove down his insecurities to at least give Hizashi an answer.

»I'll do it.«

I'll help her. It's what Heroes do.

Chapter Text

Shota was sitting in a chair in front of Eri's hospital room. He could see her through the big window. She was still sleeping, but at least she was more peaceful, now that her fever had finally gone down.

»Hey, there, stranger,« came a chirpy voice from down the hall.

Shota smirked. »Hizashi, hey.«

The blonde sat down in the chair next to Shota, and soon Shota's lap was full of papers that needed his attention.

»Apparently, you have to sign all of these,« Hizashi explained.

Shota sighed.

»You mentioned paperwork. I didn't think there'd be so much of it.«

»Me neither,« chuckled Hizashi. »I think we both forgot how long a process this is, because it was spread over a longer period of time with Hitoshi.«

Shota nodded while already skimming over and signing some of the first papers. Hizashi made himself as comfortable as he could in the plastic chair.

»She still hasn't woken up yet?«

Shota shook his head. »The doctors said it would happen one of these days, though.«

Hizashi nodded. He leaned forward a bit.

»She looks adorable. Does she have a plushie yet? I wanna buy her a plushie.«

Shota looked up from the papers to look at his husband with a raised eyebrow.

»What?« Hizashi retorted. »Every kid needs a plushie.«

Shota laughed, and the blonde soon joined him. They ended up talking a bit longer. Shota mentioned Todoroki and Bakugo's extra training for the Preliminary Hero Licencing Exam, and Hizashi offered to go with All Might instead of him, so Shota wouldn't have to worry about it. Soon afterwards, Shota finally finished signing the papers. Hizashi took the offered papers from Shota, then gave his husband a peck on the forehead. They said their goodbyes, and Hizashi left to return back to UA.

Shota was left alone in the hall, sitting quietly in front of Eri's room.

And then a nurse stepped out and approached him.

»Mr. Aizawa, I believe she'll be waking up soon.«

Shota nodded, and the nurse walked away, down the hall.

I guess it's now or never, the Hero thought. He took a deep breath and stood up. He took the few steps towards the door, then slowly opened it.

Eri was lying in bed, and she looked just a bit restless. She was definitely just about to wake up.

The Hero quietly walked to her bedside and took a hold of the chair next to the bed. He moved it back, so the girl would have more room for herself. He sat down, and leaned his head back onto the wardrobe behind him, looking up at the ceiling.

Her breathing changed.

Shota faced forward, and looked at the girl. She was awake, and looking at him with tears in her eyes.

»Hello,« he said softly, putting on a kind smile. »My name is Shota. I'll be keeping you company, if that's okay.«

The girl's face didn't change much. She was still frightened.

Shota lifted his hands up to shoulder height, palms forward, to show her he meant no harm. »I'm not going to hurt you. I promise.«

Her shaking got slightly less obvious.

Shota slowly put his hands back in his lap. »Are you thirsty?«

The girl was still looking at him with fear in her eyes, unmoving, except for the minute tremble. Then she looked down. With a slow movement of her head, she nodded.

There was a glass of water on the cupboard near the bed, but it was out of her reach.

»May I come closer?« Shota asked as non-threateningly as he could.

Her head whipped towards him again. He had startled her with the question.

»I would just like to give you the glass of water that's right over there,« he said softly, pointing with his head, so she could take a look for herself.

She slowly turned to glance at the cupboard and the glass of water residing on top of it.

»May I come closer to give you the glass of water?« Shota tried again.

The girl looked at him again. She was still for a couple of seconds. She slowly nodded.

Relief washed over Shota. At least he was doing something right.

He lifted his hands the same way as before, so she could see what he was doing at all times. He slowly stood up and made his was towards the cupboard next to her bed. He took a hold of the glass, and brought it closer to her, crouching, offering for her to take it with a soft smile on his face.

She hesitated, before tentatively reaching for the glass. She was still wary of his movements and any hidden intentions, but when she finally took the glass from his hands, Shota felt happy that she trusted him enough to reach out.

She drank a bit from the glass, and Shota backed away, sitting down in the moved back chair again. When she was done, she looked at him with a frightened expression on her face, but he smiled reassuringly again, and pointed towards the cupboard again. She realized what Shota had meant by that, and put the glass down on the cupboard, close enough so she could reach it, should she feel thirsty again.

She blinked. Then blinked again. Her eyes started closing, but she opened them up again. They closed of their own volition, and her mouth opened wide as she yawned. She then looked down at her lap, and rubbed at her eyes.

»Are you tired?« asked Shota.

She looked towards him, then at the ground at his feet. She nodded.

»You can go back to sleep, if you want,« he said.

She looked at him, uncertainty clear in her eyes.

»Would you like me to leave so you can sleep in peace?«

She looked at the ground again. She slowly shook her head, like she wasn't quite sure herself.

»Would you like me to stay here and watch over you?«

The girl looked at her lap, and slowly nodded.

Shota couldn't believe it. The simple act of giving her water when she was thirsty made her trust him enough to want him in the room while she slept.

»Then I'll stay here.«

The girl nodded again. She slowly wiggled lower on the bed, then tugged at the blanket. Her muscles were still weak from the overuse of her quirk and the following fever, so she was having some trouble covering her shoulders.

Shota slowly got up, and she immediately looked at him.

»Can I help you with that?« he asked softly.

She paused as she thought about his offer. She nodded.

He crossed the distance to her bed and slowly pulled the blanked up to her chin.

»Is this better?«

She nodded. »Th- Thank you ...«

»Shota,« he told her again patiently. »My name is Shota.«

»Thank you, Sh-Shota,« she said quietly.

»And what's your name?« Shota asked, already knowing the answer, but giving the girl at least the slightest semblance of control.

»Eri,« she said.

Shota smiled. »Nice to meet you, Eri.«

She looked at him and slowly nodded.

He took a step back, and she made herself comfortable under the blanket. He looked around and found the light switch next to the door, and he started towards the other side of the room, but Eri immediately sat up, fear in her eyes.

»I'm just going to turn off the lights, okay?« he asked. »It'll help you sleep better.«

She nodded, albeit somewhat reluctantly, then lied back down. Shota noticed the top of the blanket had slipped down to her waist again, so he returned to her side to help her. He carefully tucked her in, her eyes looking at his face the whole time. He noticed it immediately, but didn't address it until after she was comfortable again.

»Is there anything else I can do for you?« he asked softly, crouching slightly, to be at her eye level.

She hesitated.

»Could I ...« she started. »Could I see Lemillion and ... and ... that other Hero? I don't really know his name ...«

Shota sighed, but kept a smile on his face.

»I'll ask, okay? And if the doctors say yes, then you can see them tomorrow, probably in the afternoon. Is that alright?«

She nodded, but Shota could see her movements slowing down again because of her tiredness. She yawned, then looked up at him. Her eyes were starting to close on their own again.

»Goodnight, Shota,« she mumbled, sleep already heavily weighing down on her.

He smiled. »Goodnight, Eri.«

He waited until he was sure she was asleep, then walked to the light switch to turn off the lights in the room. He managed to make his way back to his chair thanks to the not too brightly lit phone screen, and sat down.

He hadn't realized it earlier, but he was tired as well.

He glanced one last time at the now peacefully sleeping girl, then let his own eyes close as well.

Chapter Text

In the morning, a nurse came to check on Eri while she was sleeping, and Shota relayed the girl's question to the medical professional. The nurse told him she would ask Eri's primary doctor.

Eri was still sleeping when Shota already got an affirmative answer. He texted Hizashi, and the Voice Hero agreed to bring Midoriya and Togata over to the hospital, after they would all be done with classes.

Just as Shota put his phone away, the girl stirred. She slowly opened her eyes, and started worriedly looking around the room. When she found Shota, she slightly calmed down.

»Good morning,« Shota said with a smile.

The girl looked at his feet, then back up at his eyes. »Good morning.«

»Do you remember what you asked me yesterday, before you fell asleep?« Shota asked.

She nodded.

»Your doctor has already said yes, and I've made arrangements that a friend of mine would bring them here,« Shota told her.

Her eyes grew wider. »Th-Thank you.«

Shota's phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out, and read Hizashi's last message. He chuckled.

»Would it be okay, if this friend of mine came to visit you as well?«

Eri stayed quiet for a bit.

»Is he ... Is he nice?« she asked.

Shota nodded. »And he's also a Hero.«

Eri looked down at her lap. »It would be okay, yes.«

»You know you can say no, if you want, right?« Shota asked.

It was important to him that the girl knew she actually had a choice in these matters.

She nodded. »I'd like to meet all of the nice people.«

After that, they spent some time in comfortable silence. Then a nurse came in to check how she was doing. When the nurse confirmed that Eri was fine enough to be able to eat on her own, he asked her, if she was hungry.

Eri looked at Shota, and Shota smiled encouragingly. She looked back at the nurse and nodded.

The nurse soon left, and then came back with a simple meal; rice and some meat with vegetables.

»Will you take care of her if she needs help?« the nurse asked Shota after setting the plate on a bed-table, so Eri could start eating.

Shota nodded at him, then the nurse left, leaving them alone again.

Eri ate in silence, and the nurse came back some time later to take out the plate. Shota escorted the man to the door and asked him to bring him something from the vending machine, slipping the man some money. The nurse looked at him sternly, like he disapproved of Shota's eating habits, but he sighed and took the money nonetheless.

Shota then sat back in his chair, and Eri shifted uncomfortably in her bed.

»You ...« she started after a brief, almost tense silence. »You can't leave this room because of me. Because I can't control my quirk.« She looked down at her lap. »I'm sorry.«

Shota realized she must have remembered him from the raid. He smiled at her.

»Don't be. I like keeping you company.«

The door opened, and the nurse returned. He walked to the Hero and smugly gave him the chosen food – an apple – and the change. Shota thanked him, and the nurse left, muttering something about Heroes always forgetting to take care of themselves.

Eri looked at the red fruit in wonder.

»Is that ... Is that an apple?«

Shota looked at her, trying to mask his surprise.

»Yes, it is,« he answered. »Have you never tried an apple before?«

Eri looked down at her lap and shook her head.

»Would you like to?« Shota asked.

Yes, he was hungry from not having eaten much during the past twenty-four hours, but he also couldn't not offer her the fruit if she's never eaten it before.

Eri nodded.

Shota moved his chair closer to her bed, to where it was before. He reached towards his utility belt and pulled out a knife. Eri visibly flinched, and moved slightly away from him.

»I'm sorry,« he said, putting the knife in his lap and lifting his hand to show he meant no harm. »I should've told you I'd be taking out a knife.«

The girl relaxed slightly, but remained wary of the blade. The utensil before hadn't scared her this much, but the knife she was eating with also looked vastly different compared to the professional small hunting knife Shota always kept on him.

»I'm just going to cut the apple so it'll be easier to eat,« he explained further, to make his intentions known to her.

»Oh,« said Eri, slowly inching closer to Shota to make herself comfortable where she had been sitting only moments earlier.

Shota slowly reached for the knife in his lap and cursed himself in his mind for being so careless. He then proceeded to cut the apple in half, in quarters, in eighths. He pulled out a tissue from another pocket and cleaned the knife before putting it back where it had been.

He offered a piece to Eri and she eagerly took it. She stared at the fruit, marveling at how it was a different colour on the outside than on the inside, fascinated by how it was slightly wet yet solid, taking in the sweet scent that wafted from the piece.

She took a small, almost cautious bite, and her eyes widened.

»It's so sweet!« she exclaimed, still chewing, and Shota couldn't help but smile.

He watched, content, as she nibbled on the fruit.

»Would you like another piece?« he asked, offering the next piece.

Her hand twitched like she wanted to reach out again, but she stopped and shook her head instead.

»You need to eat, too,« she said, looking at her lap.

Shota's smile fell. This girl, who had spent most of her short life with the worst members of an almost villainous organization, was thinking about his health and well-being, after only knowing him for a couple of hours. She truly was kind.

»If you're sure,« he said, pulling his hand back.

She nodded, and he slowly took a bite. He ate the piece and continued to the next one. He kept eating, and when he came to the last two pieces, he bit into the the first one. He reached out to gently take Eri's hand, then put the last piece in her palm.

Her eyes widened slightly, and she looked like she was just about to protest, when Shota smiled at her again. She brought the piece to her mouth, and eagerly bit into it. They ate their last pieces together in comfortable silence.

Afternoon slowly came around, and Shota got a text from Hizashi saying that they were on their way. He relayed the information to Eri, and even though she still hadn't smiled once, she looked almost excited.

It took quite some time before there was a knock on the door. Eri sat up straight and looked over at Shota. He smiled at her and pointed towards the door with his head to encourage a response.

»C-come in,« she said quietly.

Only then, the door slowly opened, and a head with a big bright smile, orange tinted glasses, and blonde hair that defied gravity poked into the room.

»Hello,« Hizashi said gently.

Shota chuckled, but when he looked at Eri, he could see she wasn't quite as relaxed as him.

»Eri, this is the friend I was telling you about.«

That seemed to at least slightly help, as her shoulders now looked less tense.

»May I come in?« Hizashi asked from the doorway, fully aware that even though Eri had already given the permission, she had thought that Midoriya and Togata were in front of the door earlier, not him.

Eri paused, then slowly nodded.

Hizashi stepped into the room and carefully closed the door behind him.

»I came to see how you two were doing before letting the kids come in,« Hizashi explained.

He approached the bed, but stopped a short distance away to let the girl have her space.

»Hello,« he said again. »My name's Hizashi.«

»H-hello, Hi- ... Hi- ...«

»Hizashi,« the blonde repeated, a patient smile on his face.

»Hello, Hizashi,« Eri finally managed.

The Voice Hero waited if she would continue on her own.

»Are you going to tell him your name?« Shota gently encouraged.

Eri looked at him. She blinked, like she had completely forgotten about introducing herself.

Shota knew it must have been hard for her, being treated like an experiment rather than as a human being for the past who knows how many years. Seeing Eri forget she also had a name to share, it just ... It hurt. He couldn't even imagine how much it must have hurt her before they had rescued her.

Eri looked back at Hizashi, then down at her lap.

»My ... My name is Eri.«

»Eri ...« Hizashi repeated. »That's a very nice name. Do you like it, too?«

The girl looked at the Hero, surprise evident in her eyes. She hadn't been asked often whether she liked something or not.

She hesitantly nodded towards her lap again.

»My parents gave it to me. Before they ... Before they disappeared.«

The two Heroes exchanged a worried look. They knew what had happened to her parents, but they didn't know what Overhaul had told Eri after taking her in. Had he told her the truth – that she had accidentally rewound her parents out of existence with her quirk? Had he told her they had abandoned her? Had he told her anything at all?

Hizashi looked back towards the girl and put on a bright smile. He saw she had a hand over her horn.

»Can I see that?« Hizashi asked.

Eri lifted her gaze, and realized the blonde was talking about her horn. She looked to the side to check that Shota was still there, then hesitantly revealed the part of her she didn't like. The part of her body she had no control over. The part of her body that got people hurt.

Hizashi tilted his head. »That's a very cute horn.«

She looked away.

»It's what hurts people,« she said simply, defeatedly.

Hizashi sighed, his smile slightly faltering. He walked to her bed, then sat down in the chair next to Shota.

»Would you like to guess what my quirk is?« the blonde asked.

Eri looked him over, but she couldn't figure it out. She stayed silent.

»My quirk is my voice,« Hizashi told her, looking down at his outstretched feet. »Most people's quirks manifest when they're around four years old, but I was born with mine.« He paused. »When I first cried, I ... burst the eardrums of my parents and the doctors who were present.«

Eri's eyes widened.

»I'll admit ... It was hard at first. Very hard, even. It took a lot of time and many, many trips to the ER, but I somehow managed to get a hold of my quirk.« He smiled and looked at the girl. »You will, too.«

Eri looked away from the pair.

»Believe me, Eri. You'll get the hang of your quirk, and when you do, you'll be just like a unicorn – crowned with a magical horn and bringing joy to everyone around you.«

»A- a unicorn?«

Shota sighed fondly. »They're like horses with a horn on their head, and they're supposed to have magical powers. They're made up, though.«

»Honestly,« laughed Hizashi, »in this day and age, I wouldn't be surprised if I came across one.«

Hizashi's phone buzzed in his pocket.

»Oh, right. I should probably go get those two before they start worrying too much.«

Eri's eyebrows shot up, and she eagerly nodded.

Chapter Text

Midoriya and Togata couldn't be happier to finally be able to visit Eri.

»We're sorry we couldn't come see you earlier,« Midoriya apologized.

Togata lifted a fruit basket they brought with them and smiled. »It's an assortment of fruits! If you like them, then eat on up!«

Eri looked at the basked with wide eyes.

»Do you have a favourite fruit?« Togata asked, then continued with his thousand-watt smile. »Can I guess? It's peaches, isn't it?«

Eri took the basket from the older teenager and looked at all the fruit inside.

»It's apples,« she said.

»Just like I thought!« laughed Togata.

Shota walked over from where he was standing at the door. Eri looked at him, then back at the basket. She took out the apple that was sitting right on top, and handed it to him. Shota softly smiled and nodded.

He cut the fruit, just like before, except this time, Eri didn't move away when he took out his small hunting knife. Togata suggested he could make them look like bunnies, and Shota complied, cutting into the skin of each piece to make it point slightly up like rabbit ears. The two students and Eri helped him put the pieces nicely on a plate, and then Shota backed away to give them their space.

Eri sat on the bed with her legs under her, her hands gripping the hospital gown at her knees.

»This whole time, even when I had my fever, I-I was thinking that, even while I was being s-saved ... I didn't know your name,« she said, looking at Midoriya

Midoriya's eyes went wide from shock.

»I only knew Lemillion,« Eri continued, »and I wanted to know.«

»It's Izuku Midoriya, and my Hero name is Deku!« Midoriya exclaimed, before rambling on. »Um ... Deku is shorter, so it'll probably be easier to remember. Deku it is! My name is Deku!«

»Hero name?« Eri asked, confused.

»It's kind of like a nickname,« Midoriya smiled.

»Deku,« Eri repeated.

She looked down, and when she looked back up, her eyes seemed almost wet.

 »Lemillion, Deku, and ... that man with the glasses ...« she started. »Everyone ... got really hurt, all because of me ...«

Shota could see Midoriya and Togata tense up. No one had told Eri about Sir Nighteye's death. No one wanted to, anyway. They didn't want to make her feel even worse.

»I'm sorry you all ... had to experience such painful things all because of me,« she said, her voice trembling. »It's- it's because of me that Lemillion, that you lost your powers ...«

A few tears ran down her cheeks.

»Eri,« Togata said, standing up. »Nobody thinks you caused them painful things.« He put a hand on her head to comfort her. »Everyone's thinking something more like, 'it's great that Eri is safe!'«

She looked up, unshed tears still in her eyes, but Togata kept on smiling.

»It's no use apologizing to people for something that wasn't your fault. Let's take it easy. Everyone fought because they wanted to see your smiling face!«

Togata pulled his hand away, and Eri was left sitting on the bed. She looked ahead of herself, holding back her tears. She started twisting her mouth so it would turn up. She tried pulling her cheeks up with her hands. She was shaking with the force behind the motions, but she gave up.

Everyone was looking at her, and no one knew what exactly had just happened.

»I'm sorry,« Eri said, defeatedly, tears welling up again. »How do you smile again?«

Everyone tensed at the question, and an uncomfortable silence laid upon the room.

Suddenly, Midoriya looked up, a determined expression on his face. He stood up and walked over to his homeroom teacher.

»Aizawa sensei, can't Eri go out for even one single day?«

»It's not impossible,« Shota said slowly. »However, I'll need to be there with her, and we'll have to make doubly sure she's safe.«

»Then ...« the student started. »Can Eri come, too?«

Shota paused. »I see,« he said, figuring out what Midoriya was asking.

»To the Culture Festival, can Eri come too?«

Togata smiled as he finally caught up to the conversation.

»Culture Festival?« Eri asked.

»Eri! That's a great idea!« Togata exclaimed, turning towards her, barely holding back his excitement. »There's this thing called a Culture Festival. It's a festival put on by our school. The students set up events and foods for other students to enjoy. And apples! They'll probably even have candy apples!«

»Candy apples?« asked Eri, her eyes opening wide.

»It's an apple that's sweetened to the point of becoming candy!« Togata enthusiastically explained.

»Sweetend ...« Eri started, unable to finish because of her mouth salivating.

Shota certainly agreed for Eri's sake, but he knew they had to follow the proper procedure.

»Let's talk it over with the principal,« he said.

He took out his phone and turned to leave the room. In the corner of his vision, he could see Eri turning towards him, but Midoriya distracted her.

»Well then, Eri ... What do you think?«

Shota decided to listen in from the other side of the now closed door, to see what Eri had to say.

She was quiet at first, but then she slowly started speaking.

»I-I've ... been thinking – ever since I was being saved – about the people who saved me ...« she started, her voice tinged with fear, but held up by determination. »Lemillion and everyone else, I want to get to know them more!«

Shota smiled.

He could hear the kids chatting again, and he took it as his queue to call the principal. While waiting for Nezu to pick up, he realized Hizashi wasn't in the hall in front of the room, like Shota thought he would be.

Maybe he went for a walk?

»Hello?« came a chirpy voice, interrupting Shota's thoughts.

»Good afternoon, principal Nezu,« Shota started.

He explained to the principal what had happened so far between Eri and the two students, then told the principal about the idea of taking Eri to UA's Culture Festival. Nezu was quite happy to hear about the idea, but he stressed the importance of security and Shota's attendance. Shota promised he would accompany Eri on the trip, and gave the principal a list of students she was most likely to come into contact with. After finally getting Nezu's approval, the two said their goodbyes, and Shota stood in the hallway, content.

Shota was just about to put his phone away, when he remembered that he still hadn't talked to Hitoshi in the two days since the raid. He opened his contacts, but then a familiar voice distracted him.

»Aizawa,« Hizashi called, formally, since they were in public.

Shota turned towards his huband and spotted a shopping bag in his hand.

»I kinda just remembered I have to grade some tests before tomorrow, and I forgot to take them with me, so ... You think the kids have had enough fun?« Hizashi asked,  stopping next to Shota.

»What do you have in there?« asked the Erasure Hero, curious.

»Um, nothing much,« Hizashi said, hiding the bag behind himself.

Shota slightly frowned. It wasn't like Hizashi to not show off every single thing he buys.

»I'll, uh, go check on the kids,« Hizashi said, walking around his husband.

Shota got only one more glance at the bag before Hizashi disappeared into the room. He was sure he had seen the logo before, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what the shop sold.

The two students were ushered out by Hizashi, but Shota stopped the blonde before he could leave as well.

»Could you watch her for a moment?« Shota asked his husband. »I'd like to make another call.«

Hizashi nodded. Shota left the room to make the call, while Hizashi walked over to Eri's bed, smiling and keeping the bag hidden behind his back.

»I have a present for you, Eri,« he said, and she looked down to where his hands disappeared behind his hips.

He slowly pulled his hands forward and pulled the present from the bag – it was a unicorn plushie. Eri's eyes widened.

»Is that ... Is that a unicorn?« she asked, noticing the animal had a single horn on its forehead.

»It is,« Hizashi said with a proud grin. »And it's yours now, if you want it.«

The girl's eyes widened a bit more. She slowly nodded and reached out with her hands. Hizashi handed her the plushie and her face softened when she touched the ticklish fur.

She hugged it close to her chest.

»Thank you,« she said.

»You're welcome,« Hizashi answered, still slightly crouching to stay at her eye level.

When Shota was out of Eri's room, he immediately dialed Hitoshi's number before anything else could stop him again.

»Shota?« Hitoshi said, picking up.

»Hey, Hitoshi. I've been meaning to call you, but things just kept popping up and – «

»Are you okay?« the teenager interrupted. »Because Hizashi told me you had to go to the hospital after the mission, and it's been two days since you were last home, and you're still in the hospital, and now even Hizashi's coming to visit you with two students, and – «

»Hey, Hitoshi, calm down,« Shota said. »I'm sorry, I really should've called you earlier.« He sighed. »I'm fine. I got stabbed in the back, a little below the shoulder, but it wasn't that bad, so I got stitches and I'm already feeling better. I was actually already discharged yesterday.«

»Then ... Then why are you still at the hospital?« Hitoshi asked, only slightly calmer than before.

»I'm guessing you've seen the news about a raid on a yakuza family?«

»That was you guys?!«

Shota chuckled.

»Yeah, that was the mission. But a big part of the mission was also saving a girl, who had been held captive by the leaders of the organization.«

»A ... a girl?« Hitoshi asked, confused.

Apparently the media had forgotten to mention that part. It actually made Shota happy that they weren't exposing the poor girl.

»Yes. She's very young and she can't control her quirk yet. That's why I'm still with her at the hospital. The two students, who Hizashi brought with him, played a vital role in saving her, and she wanted to see them.«

»O-Oh,« was all the teenager managed to get out. »So you're ... You're really okay?«

»My shoulder still hurts a bit, but otherwise, yeah.«

Hitoshi sighed. »Good. Glad to hear it.«

»UA's adopting her, so when she's cleared from the hospital, we'll both be coming to the school grounds.«

»But I can still come over for the weekend?« Hitoshi asked, hope barely masked.

Shota chuckled. »Of course.«

Hitoshi let go of the breath he was holding while waiting for the response.

»See you around, then,« he said.

»Yes. Goodbye.«

»Bye.«

Hitoshi hung up, and Shota took a deep breath before turning towards Eri's room. He slowly opened the door, but the pair inside was too busy fawning over something in Eri's hands to notice. The Erasure Hero stopped in the doorway, taking in the scene before him: Hizashi was grinning at Eri, hands on his knees to support the slight crouch, while Eri was holding a unicorn plushie in her hands, and it looked like she never wanted to let go of it.

Maybe, just maybe, and definitely with help from Hizashi and other people, he could take care of this girl.

Shota's lips pulled into a slight smile on their own.

»What do you have there?« he asked, finally walking into the room.

Hizashi pointed towards Shota with his head, so Eri would tell him herself.

»A ... A unicorn!« she exclaimed, extending her hands so Shota could see the plushie better.

»And what's its name?« Shota asked, once he sat down in his chair.

»Its ... Its name?«

»Yeah, it's your toy, you can give it a name, if you'd like,« Hizashi explained.

Eri looked down at the plushie, which she was once again holding in a tight hug.

»I don't ... I don't know what to name him ...«

»Well ... What do you like?« Shota asked, remembering a similar conversation from his high school years.

Eri looked at her guardian. »... Apples?«

»Mr. Apples.« Hizashi hummed. »He doesn't really look like a Mr. Apples to me ... Do you like anything else?«

Eri looked down again, then out the window. The Sun was high in the sky, and it illuminated the city with its bright light. Some of the light fell into Eri's room. It was warm where the sunshine touched her skin. She liked it.

»Sunshine,« she said.

»Mr. Sunshine,« Hizashi mumbled, and his face lit up. »It sounds perfect!«

Eri nodded and hugged the unicorn to her chest again.

»Mr. Sunshine.«