Work Text:
“Oh god,” Aizawa-sensei says and the man looks exhausted. “I thought I was free of you.”
Izuku doesn’t take it personally, just beams up at the much taller man. It’s a fair point - Izuku had graduated from Class 3-A only two years before and is making a nice little spot for himself on the heroics charts but -
He wants more, and Izuku has never been one to settle.
Which is why he’s studying teaching part-time and now working as an Teaching Assistant on top of his heroics work.
...Coffee is a divine food for Izuku at this point, and his bed is his closest friend.
“What did I do in a past life,” Aizawa-sensei mutters tiredly, “to deserve this?”
Izuku continues to smile up at the tired man. Nedzu had warned him that Aizawa-sensei would be overly dramatic about being assigned Izuku as a TA. But with All Might’s injuries forcing him into full retirement from teaching as well, Aizawa-sensei is being promoted to being the first year Foundational Heroics teacher on top of whatever homeroom he had, and his Hero Law & Ethics classes. Frankly, the man could do with the help. Hence Izuku reporting to the man at 9AM in the morning the day before Orientation.
“Aww, Sho,” Yamada-sensei interjects from behind the perpetually exhausted hero, “it must’ve been something really good! I’m jealous,” he whines and Izuku blushes furiously.
“Yamada-sensei!” he protests and the man cuts him off, wagging his finger as he slings an arm around Aizawa-sensei’s shoulders.
“Nope, it’s Yamada-san now!” the Voice Hero corrects faux-sternly. He cracks a second later with a toothy grin and Izuku nods shyly. It’ll be strange to suddenly address his teachers differently. He flicks his eyes back to Aizawa-sensei who sighs. “That means this one is Aizawa-san!” Yamada adds and Izuku nods frantically.
“Am I... Midoriya-san then?” Izuku asks hopefully and Yamada is nodding.
Aizawa-sensei on the other hand raises an eyebrow. “No. You’re still Problem Child until you prove otherwise.”
Izuku pouts even as Yamada starts cackling. So rude. How’s he gonna get any respect from the students if Aizawa-sensei is so mean to him?
“Use that big brain of yours and figure it out,” Aizawa-sensei drawls out. “Now get out so I can nap.”
Izuku gets.
See, the thing is, Izuku never dreamed of becoming a teacher. Of being a hero, yes. But teaching?
Up until UA, teachers had only been uncaring figures in his life, ambivalent at best and downright sadistic at worst. Like his third year middle school homeroom teacher. Suzuki-sensei had it out for Izuku because -
Because he was different.
And until UA, Izuku didn’t know that teachers weren’t meant to be like that. That teachers should care and watch over their students, not turn a blind eye to violent assaults and casual suicide-baiting.
Not to be dramatic, but meeting Aizawa-sensei changed Izuku’s life. Here was a man that was rough around the edges, with a ‘take no shit’ attitude who was still... kind, almost. Damn, the man nearly died for Izuku’s class in their first week. He lost an eye and a leg for them during the war, irregardless that Eri rewound Aizawa-sensei’s body when she finally got control.
Aizawa-sensei was the first teacher to ever look at Bakugou and say ‘No’.
Izuku didn’t know ‘safe’ was something he could feel in a classroom until Aizawa-sensei.
Izuku thinks that one of the most important things he learned at UA was that teachers weren’t supposed to be cruel.
So Izuku will be a teacher to ensure that no student of his will ever be treated like he was for being quirkless. Izuku will be a teacher like Aizawa-sensei, safe and sturdy, someone that his students can trust.
But first, he has to get his teaching degree. Unlike certain other heroes All Might, Izuku will make sure he knows how to run a class before taking one on. He’s one year into his degree already, with three left of the Bachelors (it’d be two but Izuku is dropping to part time because of his job), and maybe another two for a Masters as well. He’ll see how he feels after he finishes the first degree.
But, with one year of higher education under his belt, Izuku is also eligible to be a Teacher’s Assistant, which will also contribute to his course credit! It’s a win-win in terms of experience and learning. Naturally, Izuku had sent an cold application to UA on the off chance Principal Nedzu was looking to hire. And, miracle of miracles, Izuku got a nearly instantaneous offer of a position!
Not to mention having a day job means Izuku has far less media appearances to look forward to. He never has gotten the hang of public speaking - ironic, considering his chosen second career, but talking to a class is different.
So now Izuku has to juggle a full working week, a part-time degree, and his hero work.
Plus ultra?
Izuku muses over all of this as he sets up in the tiny office Principal Nedzu had arranged for him. It’s cramped, but Izuku is hardly going to complain, especially as most TA’s usually have to fight for even a desk. It’s the day before Orientation, which basically just means it’s a day for teachers to get themselves organised in the morning and then attend a bunch of meetings in the afternoon. All of it will be a new experience for Izuku, and he’s looking forward to it!
He just hopes that none of his old teachers will embarrass him too much.
But with Yamada-sensei and Snipe-sensei involved, Izuku has no doubt that his hopes will be crushed. Ah well.
Ah. Izuku really has to get used to not calling his colleagues ‘sensei’. That will be an... adjustment, that’s for sure.
“I think I have made a mistake,” Izuku tells his desk eight hours later. “I am very dumb, so it’s not impossible.”
“Aww, you’re doing fine,” Yamada calls as he walks past the open door to Izuku’s office. “It’ll be better tomorrow!”
“There’ll be students tomorrow,” Izuku protests but Yamada just cackles and carries on his way.
How the hell does he still have so much energy?
And then Izuku hears a hollered “Problem Child!” and groans, slamming his head into his desk.
Yeah, he definitely made a mistake.
“Do you think,” Izuku is asking Ochako only a week later, “that if I become an underground hero, I can stop stressing so much about how I look?”
“Um,” Ochako says absently, and Izuku can hear the clinking of her cup as she makes herself tea. “Why?”
“I understand Aizawa-sensei so much more now,” Izuku says. “I am so tired all the time, and yet I continually have to drag myself to work. If I go underground though, maybe I can get away with washing my hair like, every three days instead of every second day. That would save me ten minutes every second day that I can use to sleep instead.”
Ochako snickers. “I don’t think your hair is the problem here, Izu.”
“It’s not?” Izuku asks plaintively and stares blankly at the stack of essays Aizawa-sensei shoved at him earlier with his trademark sadistic grin. “Damn.”
“Just reduce your hero hours,” Ochako suggests, and then adds, “Tsu says hi!”
“Tell Tsu I say ‘hello, and do you have any spare time to come kill me so I don’t have to mark these?’ please,” Izuku returns and then pulls out the first paper.
Ena Ageta. “Oh boy,” Izuku comments. “Ena may be a gift from god but his handwriting is straight from hell.”
Ochako snorts loudly. “Stop being so dramatic,” she tells Izuku without a shred of patience. “I’m sure it’s not that bad.”
Izuku scowls at the illegible handwriting. “Do you remember Denki’s handwriting?”
“Yeah?”
“It’s like that, but if it ate steroids and then crashed into Mount Fuji right before being crushed by a derailed bullet train.”
“... Ah,” Ochako says. “Well, good luck! Oh, and Tsu says she has no time for murder, Shouto’s already booked her for some light arson of Endeavor’s fifth mansion.”
“Damn,” Izuku mutters. “What about next Tuesday?”
“She’s free,” Ochako says gleefully. “Oh, crap, my soup! Talk to you soon, Izu!”
The line clicks and Izuku sighs.
Goddammit.
“If I can’t read it, I don’t mark it,” Aizawa-sensei says flatly, and that is why Izuku can’t bring himself to switch from ‘sensei’ to ‘san’ just yet.
“...Right,” says Izuku. “Did I just set a bad precedent for myself?”
The man shrugs. “Only if you care what your students think of you.”
“That explains so much,” Izuku mutters. “Where’s Hizashi?” He really needs to ask the man how the hell he balances three jobs and his own personal life too. At this point, Izuku is just about ready to take Tokoyami up on his offer to summon demons together (never mind that his former classmate had only offered once three years ago - desperate times and all that).
“Oh, on a given name basis with my husband now?” Aizawa-sensei asks. “Careful he doesn’t eat you up, little hero.”
“That’s terrifying,” Izuku tells the man. “Also, while Hizashi is very nice and very attractive, I am very aromantic and even more asexual.”
Aizawa-sensei snorts, and finally takes the stack of papers Izuku has been trying to palm off onto him for the last five minutes. “You know I didn’t actually mean for you to mark these, right?”
Izuku freezes. “What?”
Aizawa-sensei has the audacity to look amused. “I just meant for you to take them to my office. But I appreciate it, so thanks.”
“Oh my god,” Izuku says, and he stares up at the ceiling. “You know what, never mind where Hizashi is; I’ll spare him the sight of me stabbing his husband.”
“Please,” Aizawa-sensei says, not even looking up from the papers he’s rapidly flipping through. “It’ll get me out of suffering through homeroom this morning.”
“In that case,” Izuku says decisively, “suffer.”
“Taiyo Ishizaki,” Izuku calls tiredly. “If you even look at Tamiko again, I will personally make sure that you’re eating through a straw for the next week. Oh, and you’re expelled.”
“Is he allowed to do that?” Yori asks Mikki nervously, clearly not intending for Izuku to overhear. “I thought Midoriya-sensei is only a TA?”
“Consider that my immediate superior is Aizawa-sensei,” Izuku says helpfully, and the students blanch. “He told me I could expel whoever I want, so long as I can justify it to him.” He smiles sharply. “I’d say sexual harassment is a very good justification for expulsion.” It had certainly been why Mineta was expelled in Izuku’s second year, when Midnight finally managed to push a new series of school policies through despite protests from he school board.
“It is,” Aizawa-sensei says as he materialises behind Izuku, who doesn’t jump, while the twelve students that have survived this far into the year (it’s literally only the second week) pale dramatically and yelp in fear. “The lesson today is situational awareness and urban evasion,” Aizawa-sensei adds. “Think Hide and Seek. You students will be hiding from the Problem Child and trying to elude him. If he finds you, you’re out. Consider this your preliminary round; I’ll be hunting you next.”
“Huh,” Izuku says once the students have scattered for their ten minute head-start and Ishizaki has slunk away with his literal tail between his legs. “I wish you’d taught us heroics.”
“...”
“Really,” Izuku insists, and he tilts his face back to enjoy the sun while it lasts. “All Might was a great hero, and he still is an inspiration, but a good teacher? Not really.”
“If you’re waiting for me to disagree, I’m not going to,” Aizawa-sensei mutters eventually, sticking his hands in his pockets. “I would have done many things differently.”
Izuku hums thoughtfully. “I can see that.” He hesitates for a moment, and then sighs. He knows he’s piqued Aizawa-sensei’s interest with it, simply because Izuku is usually so reluctant to let his exhaustion show. “Say you had a student that was an unprecedented late bloomer; how would you handle that?”
“How late?”
“Fifteen.”
“...Would that student also frequently break their bones with their new quirk?”
“That sounds like a distinct possibility.”
“Quirk counselling immediately, and intensive training everyday with Hizashi,” Aizawa-sensei says eventually. “He has a self-destructive quirk and would be best-suited for helping someone with a similar issue.” He pauses then, and Izuku can feel the weight of those dark eyes lingering on him even as he keeps his own eyes firmly closed. “I would also suggest therapy, if the child had truly grown up believing they were quirkless. There’s a lot of discrimination these days, and I have no doubt it would leave its mark.”
“Hmm,” Izuku says. “Interesting.” The timer goes off, and he opens his eyes.
He doesn’t look back as he slips into Ground Beta, quirks at the ready.
“Problem Child!” A voice yells, but it’s unfamiliar and also, Izuku is looking at Aizawa-sensei and the man definitely didn’t say that.
“Oh no,” Aizawa-sensei does say, and Izuku can see him looking desperately for exits from the teacher’s lounge. “I was never here.”
“Okay,” Izuku says. “So, about that plan for homeroom tomorrow—”
“Do whatever,” Aizawa-sensei says and then tries to bolt.
Tries being the operative word. A strand of red silk shoots past Izuku and wraps around Aizawa-sensei’s wrist, and he stops in place instantly. Izuku would intervene but -
He takes one look at the two women approaching, both in their early sixties, and makes the wise decision to not get involved. The one on the left has a dark shock of hair very similar to Aizawa-sensei’s, and a sharp jawline to match, while the one with red silk at her command has eyes glowing red as she uses her quirk.
Izuku can put two and two together with the best of them.
“So,” Izuku says to Aizawa-sensei, because something has suddenly occurred to him. “These are your parents?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Don’t be rude, Shouta!” the taller woman snaps, the one that looks very much like Aizawa-sensei. “I’m Aiya Aizawa, and this is my wife, Madoka. You must be Izuku Midoriya; it’s wonderful to meet you!”
Madoka, now that she’s within easy reach of Aizawa-sensei, releases her red silk and drags the man down into an exuberant hug. “Ah, Shosho, it’s good to see you!”
“... Who even let you on campus?” Aizawa-sensei mutters, but Izuku can see just how tightly he’s returning his mother’s embrace.
“Nedzu of course! He always makes time to see us,” Aiya chides, and then winks at Izuku when Aizawa-sensei rolls his eyes. “Now, where’s that wonderful husband of yours?”
“He left already for his radio show,” Aizawa-sensei says bluntly, and then accepts a calmer hug from Aiya. “I’ll let him know we have dinner plans now.”
“Good boy,” Aiya says approvingly and then Izuku is twitching backwards as Madoka pulls him into a hug as well.
“Um,” Izuku says.
“Mama,” Aizawa-sensei sighs. “Please let Midoriya-kun go. He’s skittish and not used to you.”
Izuku, who’s carefully hugging Madoka back, sends his teacher a grateful look and tries to erase from his memory the man saying ‘Mama’ because that is something completely incompatible with his mental image of his teacher.
“But he’s so cute!” Madoka exclaims, even as she releases Izuku, who immediately scampers behind Aizawa-sensei to avoid any more unexpected hugs. “You didn’t mention he was adorable when you talked about him.”
Izuku peeks back at Madoka from around his teacher. “Aizawa-sensei talks about me?”
“All the time,” Aiya confirms gleefully, ignoring Aizawa-sensei’s hissed ‘Don’t!’ Madoka nods enthusiastically in agreement. “He’s very proud of his Problem Child, who’s ranked 35th on the charts already but hasn’t got a big head about it!”
“Not to mention the way he takes on underground missions whenever he can and is studying to become a teacher too!” Madoka chimes in, and Izuku is starting to see where Aizawa-sensei got his sadistic side from. “He even says you’re competent!”
Huh. That’s really high praise from Aizawa-sensei.
“Wait,” Izuku says nervously to Aizawa-sensei’s suddenly very tense back. “They call you Problem Child.”
“...”
“You call me Problem Child.”
“That’s a flawed syllogism.”
“I don’t know what that is,” Izuku says, and his eyes are sharp as he stares up at the man. He ignores Aizawa-sensei’s parents watching them talk with unbridled amusement evident on their faces.
“...Your logic is flawed.”
“You seem very defensive,” Izuku observes. “I was just pointing out that your parents call you Problem Child, and you call me Problem Child.”
“...What about it?”
“It’s just interesting,” Izuku says innocently. “Oh, would you look at the time! Mama’s expecting me for dinner! It was lovely meeting you both, Mrs' Aizawas!“
Then, cheeks absolutely flaming, Izuku bolts for the door.
“Now that’s a good boy, having dinner with his mother without her having to hunt him down,” he hears Aiya saying as he flees.
“You’re 20, right?” Aizawa-sensei asks out of the blue and Izuku blinks up at the man in confusion.
“Uh, yes...” he says cautiously, and then tilts his head curiously. This is the first time Aizawa-sensei has ever personally tracked Izuku down in his tiny office, instead of texting, sending Hizashi, or using his preferred method of yelling “Problem Child” until Izuku appears like Blood Mary.
“No patrol tonight?”
Izuku shakes his head sheepishly. “Ochako threatened to not stab me if I went out tonight.”
“Good,” Aizawa-sensei says and then pauses with a frown. “She threatened to not stab you?”
“Well,” Izuku drawls, leaning back in his seat and ignoring the stack of textbooks he just sent sprawling, “she knows if she just threatened to stab me, I’d take her up on it. So this way, I get to hold onto the tantalising hope that she’ll one day put me out of my misery.”
“Yeah,” Aizawa-sensei says dryly, “that attitude is exactly why you’re coming out drinking with Hizashi and I.”
“Cool,” Izuku says and then chokes. “Wait, what?!”
“You know,” Izuku says absently as he sips his fruity cocktail, “I didn’t expect us to have the same taste in drinks.”
Aizawa-sensei scowls at him from across the table, which might be more intimidating if he wasn’t half in Hizashi’s lap. “It makes no sense to drink something that doesn’t taste good,” the man snaps, and Izuku nods.
“Very wise,” he comments and slurps his cocktail obnoxiously while Hizashi snickers. “Very logical.”
“Why did I invite you?” Aizawa-sensei mutters to himself as he downs the entirety of his drink. He looks up at his husband. “Why did I invite him?”
“Because you’re a sap,” Hizashi says cheerfully, clearly immune to Aizawa-sensei’s glares due to frequent exposure. The three shots he’s downed already probably help too. “And you’re worried he’s working too hard.”
... Did they really expect Izuku to not burst into tears at their evident care and worry? His emotional regulation may have improved over the years, but it couldn’t have held up to that sober, let alone slightly tipsy.
At least Izuku gets a clumsy hug from Hizashi out of his humiliation.
“Oh my god,” Izuku says to the unfamiliar ceiling. “Please tell me I didn’t sleep with my teachers.”
“Don’t worry,” Hizashi chirps and he helps Izuku sit up before shoving a coffee in his hands. “You just cried a lot and told us everything about your quirk instead.”
“Oh no,” Izuku says blankly, as Hizashi continues to smile brightly at him. “When you say everything-“
“I’ve already had to talk Shouta out of murder this morning,” Hizashi says cheerfully and he pats Izuku lightly on the shoulder.
Izuku blanches. “Oh no,” he repeats, and almost wishes he did sleep with Hizashi and Aizawa-sensei. “I didn’t even get that drunk, did I?”
“Nope,” Hizashi confirms and then he tugs Izuku up off the couch. “You were just very overwhelmed by everything and something had to snap.”
“Cool,” Izuku says. “Say, if Aizawa-sensei is looking to murder someone—”
“Nope,” Hizashi says again, and manhandles Izuku into a seat at the kitchen table. He obediently slurps at his coffee. “You’re not getting out of this that easily.”
Izuku blinks tiredly up at the blonde man and then averts his eyes when he sees the genuine worry on Hizashi’s face. “Izuku,” he says gently - and when did that happen? - “Please let us help you.”
A hand lands on Izuku’s shoulder, and he lifts his head to see Aizawa-sensei looking at him with a very serious expression. “You don’t need to do this alone,” he says bluntly. “All you have to do is ask for help, Problem Child.”
Izuku trembles quietly, and has to put his coffee down so he doesn’t spill it.
“I need help,” he admits, and can’t meet either of the men’s eyes. But that doesn’t matter, as Hizashi gently takes Izuku’s trembling hands in his own, and Aizawa-sensei bends down and cups Izuku’s cheek.
“There we go,” he says impossibly gentle, and he thumbs away the tears that have escaped Izuku’s control. “Was that so hard?”
Izuku thinks it’s rather valid to burst into proper tears at that. Aizawa-sensei just sighs and pulls him into a firm hug like he had so many times when Izuku was still his student.
It’s embarrassing, almost, to be a fully-grow adult bawling into the arms of his former teacher but... Yeah, Izuku doesn’t really care about that right now. He hadn’t realised until now how much he missed his teacher’s hugs, the quiet late nights shared in the dorms when Izuku’s thoughts circled and tracked him through the night.
It takes an embarrassingly long time before Izuku manages to calm himself, long enough that his coffee is now cold. Not that that stops him from chugging it as Aizawa-sensei watches approvingly and Hizashi rolls his eyes in faux disgust.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” Izuku whispers to his empty mug, and he clenches his hands around it tightly. “I should have.”
“You were a child, Izuku,” Hizashi says gently. “A traumatised, scared child who’d never been given cause to trust an adult before. It’s not your fault.”
“What he said,” Aizawa-sensei says flatly. “Given everything, you did as well as you could.”
Izuku flushes brightly. “Right,” he mutters. “Still...”
“Don’t make me hug you again,” Aizawa-sensei sighs. “Because if you—”
“Is that an offer?” Izuku asks hopefully.
“No.”
“Too late,” Izuku informs him and all but leaps out of his chair to tackle the man while Hizashi laughs brightly.
“Seriously,” Aizawa-sensei says. “It’s not that hard. Two syllables.”
“Nope,” Izuku says, shaking his head frantically. “Can’t do it.”
“C’mon. Just repeat after me: Shouta. It’s easy.”
To be fair, Izuku does open his mouth and try to form the words but his throat locks up. “Sensei,” Izuku says plaintively instead.
“Shouuu-taaa,” Aizawa-sensei says slowly and condescendingly like the bastard he is.
Izuku scowls up at him. And then, he remembers another name he used to have difficulty pronouncing. He smiles.
“Sho...”
Aizawa-sensei nods encouragingly.
“Shou-chan!”
“No.”
“Shou-chan!
“Absolutely not, brat.”
“Too late, Shou-chan!”
