It was a testing day for Class 1-A. Aizawa always had to pay close attention to his class during tests. Cheating was the obvious reason, but stress and possible breakdowns were another. He scanned the room, pretending like he was asleep so he could keep an eye on his students easier. They knew better than to cheat while he was in the room, at least, they knew better than to cheat obviously, but they still tried to do it stealthily, so he had to stay awake and alert. He had always been good at reading people. He could tell whether a criminal was lying after just fifteen minutes in an interrogation room. Half of the time, Naomasa joked that Aizawa was the one with the lie-detecting quirk. Knowing how people were feeling was his specialty. Children, however... Children were a different story. There was a reason he preferred to work with high schoolers rather than elementary-aged kids. Children were illogical, acting on instincts and changing moods on a whim. He wouldn't go as far as to say he hated kids, but he wouldn't choose to spend time with a child over a teenager or adult. Then, when Eri came into his life, he had to restructure his entire mindset. Eri was not only a child, obviously, but a traumatized one at that. Her mannerisms were uncharted territory for Aizawa, and while he was still figuring things out with her, he had a much better grasp than before. So, when he thought he started recognizing the same childish behaviors that Eri exhibited in some of his own students, he was confused, to say the least. An hour or so of research later and Aizawa knew what age regression was, and that several of his students were possible regressors. Aizawa was committed to making his classroom as safe of a space as he could. He didn't coddle his students, not by a long shot, but he was well aware of how traumatic being a hero could be. This year especially, with the League of Villains being so active. So, with his newfound knowledge of age regression under his belt, he started incorporating specific things into his arsenal. He had a container of items, which included stress and fidget toys, small snacks, tissues, feminine products, and now, some children's toys, pacifiers, and bottles. Mic called it the Cry Box, but Aizawa always defended it as being necessary, and, as it turns out, it was. Tuning back into the class, Iida caught Aizawa's attention. The boy was bouncing his knee faster than someone with a speed quirk, tapping his pencil against his cheek. Despite his restless behavior, the boy was staring off into space, an unfocused expression on his face. Suddenly, he shook his head, seeming to zone back to the test. Aizawa watched him do this a few more times over the course of the next five minutes. Sighing, Aizawa made a mental note to check on the boy after class. Checking his watch, he saw that there were only a few seconds left before the test was over anyway, so he sat up straight, giving his students a chance to realize that the test would end soon and to write down their final few answers. That's time. Put your pencils down and pass your tests to the front of the row," Aizawa called. Groans and murmurs broke out among the class, as per usual. Aizawa frowned when he saw Iida visibly flinch at his voice, then put his pencil down and sheepishly pass his paper forward. Collecting the papers from each row, Aizawa let the kids talk as he flipped through the tests, checking for no names and the like. His frown only deepened when he reached Iida's. The boy's typically impeccable handwriting was scratchy and loose, and half of his paper wasn't even filled out. There were also some small doodles dotting the margins. Iida!" He called, cringing a little as the boy flinched again at his name. "See me after class."Yes, Aizawa-sensei!" He said, standing up and bowing, seeming as energetic as normal. He may fool his classmates, but he couldn't fool Aizawa. He was going to get to the bottom of his student's behavior. The students talked for a while, comparing answers and complaining about how they probably failed. Aizawa went back to his seat, contemplating the best way to address this. Then the bell rang, dismissing the kids. They all packed up at various speeds, and then it was just Iida and Aizawa left. Iida approached Aizawa's desk a little slower than usual, seeming to focus on his feet as he walked. "You wanted to see me, Sensei?"Are you alright, Iida?" Aizawa asked, jumping straight to the point. Yes, I'm... I'm alright," He said, pausing for a second, seemingly having to think about his answer. Uh-huh," Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "A student who came second in the midterms suddenly not answering half of the questions on a far simpler test seems alright to you?"Iida looked down at his shoes, biting his cheek. "I'm sorry, Sensei, it won't happen again." His voice shook, and it was the closest Aizawa had ever seen him to crying. He stood up, stepping around his desk to place his hand on Iida's shoulder, dropping into a crouch to meet the kid's eyes. Tenya, look at me." He waited until Iida made eye contact until he continued. "I'm not mad at you. I'm not upset. I don't care about the test, you can retake it when you're in a better state of mind. I'm worried about you. You don't have to tell me what's wrong, but I'm here to help you, and you seem like you need it."Iida looked at him for a minute, before tears welled up in his eyes and he shook his head, gripping the bottom of his shirt. Hey, it's okay. You're okay," Aizawa soothed gently guiding Iida so that they were both sitting down in front of his desk. He let the boy clutch onto the front of his shirt until he was calmed down. Okay bud, how old are you right now?" Iida looked up with wide eyes, shocked that Aizawa would ask a question like that. Aizawa smiled at him, ruffling his hair. Yeah, I know what age regression is. You're safe here, kiddo."Yeah, I know what age regression is. You're safe here, kiddo."Aizawa practically melted as the biggest smile he'd ever seen graced Iida's face. He smiled back, shifting Iida off his lap. He was met with a small whine from Iida at the loss of contact, but if Aizawa guessed correctly, Iida was slipping pretty young, maybe in the one to two range, so he needed to get out some supplies. Grabbing a few things from the box underneath his desk, Aizawa returned to the fussy little. "I know, I know, I'm sorry I left. But guess what I have?" Iida tilted his head in confusion. He seemed to be nonverbal as a little, which Aizawa knew how to handle. Eri didn't talk much, and some days she didn't talk at all. Pulling out the first item from behind his back, Aizawa watched Iida's face light up. It was a plain baby blue pacifier, one of a few that Aizawa had ordered for his class. Iida was instantly bouncing where he sat, making grabby hands towards the item. Aizawa chuckled at how eager he was and leaned over to pop the item into his mouth. While Iida was suckling on the comfort item, Aizawa pulled out two toys, a plush crinkle cube, and a rattle. He shook the rattle gently to get Iida's attention, and had the pleasure of watching the kid fall in love Crawling over, Iida reached for the cube, before hesitating, pouting slightly. It was only after Aizawa gave him a nod of encouragement that he smiled, grabbing the item out of the older man's hand. He gasped a little in surprise as the cube crinkled. He let out a small giggle, squishing the cube more and giggling harder the more it made noise. Aizawa watched the young boy play for a while before standing up, smiling at Iida's confused expression as he did so. I'm just going to grab some homework, I'll be right back kiddo." He seemed placated at that, at least for long enough for Aizawa to grab the papers and sit back down. See, I didn't go anywhere, I'm right back," Aizawa said. Iida smiled, before crawling over to the rattle, grinning as it made a soft noise. The rest of Aizawa's day was spent grading papers while Iida kept himself busy. When the boy got bored he would crawl over and tug on Aizawa's sleeve or whine softly, and Aizawa would grab a new toy for him or play games with him for a while. Eventually, Iida crawled up to Aizawa and sat next to him, falling asleep on his shoulder. Goodnight, kiddo. Sweet dreams."
