🖤💙𝕊𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕠𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕞𝕪 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕕💙🖤

Under Wraps

POV AIZAWA

Nezu approves my time off after I return to school to sort things out. His reasoning was that if I had been healed fully, "the incident wouldn't have occured. It's best if we keep it under wraps, though. We wouldn't want to worry the other students or their families, and we certainly don't want the authorities involved–"

"I understand, sir," I say, nodding. My head is killing me. Too much to think about, too much to micromanage. "I'll be back next week."

"Bright and early!" Nezu cheers. "And hopefully those bandages will be off. Human injuries are such an eyesore, haha!"

I drop by my class' dorms before I head home, just to check on everyone. The sun sets earlier in this time of year; the sunny hours after school were spent tangling with villains and filling out paperwork. Uraraka was able to return to the dorms after she was checked up by Recovery Girl and gave a witness report to an officer or two. She, too, was sworn to secrecy.

"Hey, Mr. Aizawa," Yaoyorozu greets as I cautiously step through the door. It's quieter than normal. Yaoyorozu brings her index finger to her lips, gently shushing me before I can even ask what's going on. "Movie night. I made Chamomile tea and Sato made salted caramel chocolate tarts. Knocked the loud ones right out."

I peek over to the living room, where the couches are pushed all the way to the walls and a mountain of blankets and pillows and students lay in front of the TV, which is playing some soft Disney movie. The only faces missing from the pile are Sero, Todoroki, and Yaoyorozu, of course.

"Sero and Shoto are upstairs," Yaoyorozu adds. "I've got everything handled."

I raise my eyebrows, duly impressed. "Good work," I tell her.

"You look tired, sensei," Yaoyorozu comments, frowning at me. "You should go back home and get some sleep. With all the blood you've lost–"

"I'm fine," I mumble quickly. "Thank you. Make sure everyone behaves for the substitute while I'm gone, alright?"

"Yes sir," Yaoyorozu says with a swift nod. "Good night, Mr. Aizawa."

"Night."

I drive slowly; the headache behind my eyebrows is chewing on me like a parasite. Once again, my morals are acting more as a noose than a compass. Being a hero means saving lives– being a teacher means raising the youth– yet there's still ones that I'm missing. I can't save everyone if I have to play by these conforming rules. If I could just make the world see that they're not villains, that they just need someone to treat them right...

"Toshi," I gasp, closing the front door behind me. He's sitting at the kitchen table, an ashtray to his left and his tablet to his right, a sketch of something on it; there's a joint resting lazily between his thumb and forefinger. I drop my bag down by the door and take a seat next to him. "You're up late," I comment with a sigh.

"You're back late," Hitoshi chuckles bitterly. "Work?"

"Not really," I answer. "Insomnia?"

"Not really," he says, almost mockingly. "Y'know, Dad, if you keep trying to save everyone that you see struggling, you're going to end up killing yourself."

I don't even bother to argue with him. I can see Hawks' letter poking out of the trashcan to my right. Instead, I grab the joint from him and take a hit. "You're right," I whisper as I exhale. The smoke doesn't burn my lungs like it used to back in high school, and instead, it brings a tingly comfort.

Hitoshi scoffs. "You know that and you're still doing all this? For what? Do you know what would happen to me if you... if you died?" He rubs his bloodshot eyes angrily, grinding his jaw. "I'd get kicked out of UA, you asshole! Back to foster care, and Mic would have to explain to Eri why her big brother is gone! A-and I... I wouldn't have a dad again... I'd be alone again..."

I wrap my arm around his shoulders, letting my shirt soak up his tears. "I'm not going to die, you little brat," I say, laughing softly. He sits up, grumbling at me as he wipes his face. He claims it's the weed making him emotional, but I know better than that. I ruffle his hair, putting the joint out. "It's about time you understand how fucked up this society is, kiddo. This big game of heroes and villains is... it's bullshit."

"What the hell are you talking about, old man?" Hitoshi chuckles.

"I met Himiko Toga for the first time tonight," I blurt. "Formally, I mean. She has a puppy love crush on Uraraka, and kidnapped her, trying to get her to hang out. Nezu is forcing us to keep the interaction underwraps because it's bad for publicity, so don't tell anyone, but not once did that little blonde girl attack me or any of the students, despite having a million chances to do so." I sigh, rubbing my face with my palm. "Uraraka verbally attacked her, though. Not for the kidnapping, but for admitting her feelings. She called Himiko a 'disgusting gay psychopath' and left with Mic as soon as I got there. I... comforted Himiko. I didn't tell her anything, just let her cry."

Hitoshi looks at me, all color drained from his face.

"She never had anyone comfort her before, Toshi," I whisper. "A villain quirk, y'know?"

"And... Shigaraki's the same?" Hitoshi squeaks. He clears his throat, bringing his voice back to normal. "I mean, he's not..."

"A monster?" I laugh. "God, no. He's just a little lost. And I was thinking, if I could just convince people that they're really not all that bad..."

Hitoshi shook his head, rolling his eyes as a smile creeped onto his face. "No more heroes and villains," he says. "No more killing each other for no reason."

"Exactly."

"So you're not going to report their location," Hitoshi clarifies. "And I'm guessing I'm going to have to keep this 'under wraps'?"

"Bingo." I take the half-smoked joint and the ashtray with me as I walk away, making Hitoshi grumble about me being selfish. Before I disappear into my room, I glance in Hizashi's room, seeing both him and Eri asleep like monsters, sprawled out, mouths open, legs practically kicking the blankets to the floor. I can't stop the smile that crawls onto my face. Hizashi is my best friend, nothing more, nothing less. Eri is my daughter. Hitoshi is my son.

Before being a teacher or a hero, I'm a father. I will protect my family, my loved ones, before anything else. That includes these morons living under this roof, and all twenty of my chaotic students. My pro hero friends, Hawks and Midnight and Fat Gum. And... Himiko Toga, too, I guess. And Compress, Kurogiri, and Twice. The villains who have no one to protect them.

Especially Tomura, though I'm not sure why.