Not Related (Shinson & Dadzawa)

A Silent Pledge

Shinso knew how much of an asshole he could be, but he always took pride over the fact that he was generally respectful towards people with authority. He was good at tempering his comebacks, schooling his expression, and giving just a bit of sass that it couldn't technically be labeled as delinquency.

But as the night went on, he was so close to telling the two female pro heroes sitting right across from him to just shut the fuck up. They've been laughing straight for the past ten minutes, and they weren't showing any signs of stopping.

It was the first time he's met Miss Joke in person, only ever hearing about her through Mic-sensei and Aizawa-sensei's conversations. He didn't know why his mentor always seemed irritated whenever her name would be mentioned, but after just a few minutes of interacting with her, he understood.

"I... I seriously can't believe it! He's like a clone!"

"Didn't I tell you, Emi? Hey Shinso, do that neck rubbing thing again!"

"The eyes! The stoic aura! The weary old man vibes! This is insane!"

"You haven't even seen the kid in his hero costume! He's a mini version I tell you!"

Shinso looked away, feeling a wave of embarrassment course through his veins like poison. He wasn't trying to look like Eraserhead. It was just because of the cloth binds! The fact that half of his face was covered as well didn't really match up because he wasn't wearing goggles.

Okay, maybe the all black attire, in a way, kind of, sort of, made them look more similar. But he was gunning for a career as an underground hero, so a flashy costume wouldn't do him any good. Black was the practical choice.

It certainly wasn't because he used his mentor's look as a guide. And it definitely wasn't because he wanted people to instinctively connect them in some kind of way.

Shinso shifted his gaze towards Aizawa-sensei, seeing the older man's eye twitch, no doubt nearing the end of his patience. When Present Mic called him down to join them, he had every intention of declining. But against a guy that someone like Eraserhead couldn't even shake off, he didn't stand a chance.

The sound of a shutter going off snapped him out of his thoughts, blinking at the two women huddled around a phone, already in tears from laughing too much. Did they just take a picture of him and Aizawa-sensei?

"My god I have to show this to everyone in the agency! They're gonna go nuts!" Emi immediately created a backup copy just in case Eraserhead decided to break her phone. It definitely wouldn't be the first time. It wasn't her fault the underground hero always ended up looking absolutely hilarious in her shots! "Bet your old colleagues would love see this too, Aizawa!"

"Send me that! Our class is having a reunion after Christmas." Nemuri paused in between giggles. "I'm dying to see everyone's reactions!"

Shinso turned his gaze back towards his mentor, seeing what looked like a vein threatening to pop right against his temple. He swallowed. Never before had he seen the older man get so livid in such a sort amount of time. He glanced at the clock. It was barely fifteen minutes since their arrival.

"Hey, Shinso! Wanna hear stories about Eraser back when he was in UA?" Nemuri wagged her eyebrows, leaning in towards the wide-eyed teenager sitting right across her. She grinned at the poorly veiled interest on his face, no doubt curious about his mentor's past.

"Sempai." Came Aizawa's warning tone. His arms were crossed against his chest; the beginning signs of erasure noticeable with the slight shifting of the ends of his hair.

"Oh! How about stories about him back when he still worked at the agency across from mine?" Emi chimed in, bumping shoulders with Nemuri as she leaned in towards Shinso as well.