Eraser Week 2025

The initial meeting took place in the lounge of the 1A Alliance.  Because Aizawa didn’t have many he could ask for help, but he did have his class.  He framed it in his mind as a bonding activity.  A teamwork exercise.  That didn’t mean the rest of the class had a clue what Aizawa was planning. 

“Alright, class,” Aizawa gathered everyone, getting them to settle down, “This is quite possibly the most important mission I will ever put any of you on.  And you’re all going to play your parts and carry them out to the best of your ability.  Do we understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Wonderful,” Aizawa let out a heavy sigh of defeat.  The last thing he wanted to do was have to ask 1A for help.  But a necessary evil nonetheless, “Eri’s birthday’s coming up.  She’s never had a good birthday a day in her life.  That’s going to change.  We’re going to give her the best birthday she’s ever had.  Given that the bar is in hell, that should be a simple task.  But we’re not going for simple.  Sato, I want you making her cake.”

“Got it!” Sato agreed, more than happy to put his baking skills to good use.

“Bakugo,” Aizawa assigned, “I want you on snack detail.  You’re making a full menu.  Keep in mind, this is still for a six year old’s birthday party.  Make enough for all of us and a kindergarten class of twelve.  I need to talk to her teacher about that.  Because this is going to happen during school hours at Eri’s school.  We’re not going to be in session that day, but there’s no one in this entire class that can cook like you do.  So, nothing overly spicy.”

“Fine,” Bakugo wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he had a soft spot in his heart for Eri just like everyone else did.  And he knew everything she liked.  He had it covered.

“Yaoyorozu,” Aizawa went on, “I need you on decorating detail.  Something high class, but put some whimsy in it.  This isn’t high tea at your grandparents’ house.  This is still Eri’s birthday.  Take Hagakure, Uraraka, and Asui with you.”

“We’ll do our best!” Momo swore.

“Jiro,” Aizawa decided, “This goes without saying, but you’re spinning tunes.”

“Awesome!” Jiro wasn’t going to say no to that.

“Midoriya,” Aizawa continued, “You and Todoroki are going to go find Eri a birthday present.  Or two…Or however many you can get her without Endeavor getting overdraft notifications.”

“We can do that,” Todoroki smiled a bit.

“Yeah,” Midoriya knew he was going to have to be Todoroki’s impulse control, “We’ll find something nice.”

“Thank you,” Aizawa gave him a grateful nod, “Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, you’re serving the event.”

“Got it!” Kirishima approved.

“Mineta,” Aizawa shot him a quick glare.

“Stay five hundred feet away from the event at all times,” Mineta assumed.

“Very good,” Aizawa knew what Mineta had said about Eri.  Mineta wasn’t invited, “Koda, can you put together an ethical petting zoo?”

“Mmhm,” Koda agreed.

“And not make them have some kind of uprising?” Aizawa stipulated, “I don’t need Eri getting bitten by a goat.”

“Yes, sir,” Koda promised.

“Fantastic,” Aizawa went back over his list, “Aoyama, I’m assuming you’re helping the girls?”

“Of course,” Aoyama scoffed.

“Tokoyami,” Aizawa went on, “You’re making Eri’s candy apples.”

“Absolutely,” Tokoyami agreed.

“And…” Aizawa sat down, “Ojiro, Shoji, help where you can.  Remember, this is for Eri.  We would all die for her.”

“Got it,” Ojiro gave Aizawa a nod.

“Shoji,” Momo asked, pulling a string of fairy lights out of her chest, “Can you help us string lights?”

“Yeah, I got it,” Shoji went over to help the girls.

“And Iida,” Aizawa ordered, “You’re going to be the one to oversee everything.  Got it?”

“It’d be my honor, Mr. Aizawa,” Iida assured him, “Things will go off without a hitch.”

“Good,” Aizawa let them go, “I want this done by tomorrow!”

“Wait a sec, Mr. Aizawa…” All but one had a job.  All but one had something to do, “What am I supposed to do?”

“Mina…” Aizawa wasn’t overly thrilled about what he was about to say, but it would be a necessary evil.  He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that when he opened them, this would just be a dream and everything would be fine.  However, that wasn’t the case, “Come with me.”

“Ok…?” Mina wasn’t sure what to think, but she wasn’t going to argue.  It was Mr. Aizawa after all.  She knew she could trust him, “What’s this all about?”

“You’re not getting your job until tomorrow,” Aizawa explained, “Because as much as it’s going to pain me to say this, I’m going to need your help getting ready for it.  Why I’m asking you is beyond my logic and reasoning, but I know deep down that if anyone’s going to be able to help, it’ll be you.  So, that’s where your job lies.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Mina wondered, her heart starting to race, “Are you saying…When you say you want me to help you get ready…Mr. Aizawa, are you asking me for a makeover?”

“No one used that word,” Aizawa stood his ground before Mina could get out of hand.

“No one had to use that word,” Mina grinned, “Are you serious?  Is that my job?”

“Essentially,” Aizawa knew he’d be kicking himself.  He knew it’d be a bigger pain to have Present Mic doing this for him, but he had to keep telling himself.  It was for Eri.  It was all for Eri.  She deserved nothing but the best, but at what cost? “But that’s not until tomorrow, so…”

“No, no, no,” Mina shook her head, “If we’re going to do this right, we’re starting today.  I don’t have much for time.”

“Why?” Aizawa looked at her strangely, “You might need maybe an hour.”

“Oh, Mr. Aizawa,” Mina clutched her chest, “Respectfully, you’re wrong.  You couldn’t be more wrong.  You wanted me to do this.  I’m going to do it right.  You picked the right girl for the job.”

“Feel lucky,” Aizawa groaned, already kicking himself, “I was going to ask Present Mic, but the man’s a disaster on legs and I don’t need that.”

“So,” Mina beamed, “You ask an even bigger disaster to take care of it?  I’m failing to see your logic here.”

“Because logic and reason went bye-bye long ago,” Aizawa sighed out, “Alright.  If we have to start today, then let’s start now.  How do you want to do this?”

“Easy,” Mina went straight to her room and grabbed her bag, “We need to go shopping.  Is this costume encouraged or required?”

“Encouraged…”

“So, required,” Mina decided, “Got it.  Let’s go!”

Aizawa knew it was going to be a lot.  But he didn’t realize just how badly he was digging himself into a hole.  He had Mina.  And he knew she was going to get out of hand quickly.  This was a wildfire there was no containing.  The world would burn around her and she would dance in the flames.  And Aizawa had no one else to blame but himself.  A light mistake was made, but it was for Eri.  Everything he did was for Eri. 

“Alright, class,” Aizawa followed Mina out the door, “I’m going out for a while.  Don’t burn the place down.  Be careful.  Anyone else need to go shopping?  Sato, Bakugo?  That’s mostly a you question.”

“I’m good,” Sato chimed in.

“I might need to make a market run,” Bakugo checked the pantry, “Whoever went grocery shopping last needs to be punched.”

“I went grocery shopping last,” Aizawa shot him a glare, “Lay a hand on me, Bakugo.  I dare you.”

“No, thank you.” Bakugo knew better than to pick a fight with Aizawa.  The man was a master in a few different types of martial arts and could cancel out Bakugo’s quirk.  He wasn’t getting tangled up with that.

“Good call,” Aizawa praised, “Are you coming with us or not?”

“I guess,” Bakugo grabbed his jacket and headed out the door, “Wait, what’s Pinky doing here?”

“Love you, too, Bakugo,” Mina threw her arms around Bakugo’s shoulders.

“She’s got her own assignment,” Aizawa kept it cryptic.  It was no one else’s business what Mina had to do, “And she needs to go shopping, too.  So, don’t worry about what she’s doing.  We’re taking you to the supermarket.  I’m dropping you off.  Get what you need.  I’ll be back in an hour.”

“Fine by me,” Bakugo wasn’t going to think much of it.  If it wasn’t his business, then it wasn’t his business.  That didn’t mean he was suddenly going to pry in Mina’s assignment. 

And so, the three of them headed off.  Aizawa did exactly as he said he would.  Bakugo got dropped off at the supermarket while he and Mina went straight to the mall.  Not that Aizawa was overly thrilled about it, but whatever made this come together.  When Aizawa put his car in park, Mina’s face scrunched up.

“What?” Aizawa groaned.

“This wasn’t the mall I was thinking,” Mina admitted, “I mean, it might work for what we need, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

“What other mall is there?” Aizawa rolled his eyes, “You said we needed to go to the mall.  This is, in fact, the mall.”

“Mr. Aizawa,” Mina asked sweetly, “Can I drive your car?”

“Hell no,” Aizawa put his foot down, “You’re not driving my car.  I’ve had this car since I was your age and it’s held together with a shoelace and a piece of gum already.  The last thing I want is you driving.”

“I’m perfectly capable, thank you!” Mina scoffed, “But fine.  I get it.  Back out.  There’s a better place for us to go.”

Aizawa wasn’t going to argue.  Even though he wanted nothing more than to call off the whole thing.  To relieve Mina of her duties and send her off to help the girls decorate instead.  But it was for Eri.  It was all for Eri.  So, he pulled out of his parking spot and let Mina navigate him to some underground structure he had never seen before.  It had him scratching his head and with that feeling he was going to get stabbed, but he trusted Mina’s judgment. 

“Where the hell did you bring me?” Aizawa wondered.

“The real mall,” Mina smiled, “This mall has a million little specialty shops for just about any style you can think of.  I’m sure we can find something much better here.”

“If you say so,” Aizawa knew it deep in the pit of his soul.  He should’ve asked Mic.  But no.  He asked Mina instead.  Like an idiot. 

“Alright!” Mina hopped out of the car and took in a deep inhale, “Mmm…Smells like commerce.”

“Really?” Aizawa cacked a bit, “Because it smells like someone dumped a dozen perfume bottles onto the floor.”

“You get used to it,” Mina promised, “Come on.  This way.”

Aizawa could feel it in the pit of his soul.  This was not a place for him.  This was definitely not a place for him.  Mina wasn’t lying when she said every single style coexisted under this one roof.  The halls were lined with neon and each alleyway he went down made his skin crawl just a little more.  He wasn’t thrilled about the looks he got from some of its patrons, but he also was with a teenage girl that was definitely not his own daughter.  So, it might have been more protective than anything else.

“Mina,” Aizawa leaned down to her, “Where the hell did you take me?”

“This way,” Mina took Aizawa’s arm and dragged him into one of the several stores that looked more like a Mic thing than an Aizawa thing. 

“Mina!” the lady behind the counter chimed, hugging her tight, “It’s been ages since I’ve seen you in here, baby!  Welcome home!”

“Hi, Ashi,” Mina melted into her arms, “I need a huuuuge favor.”

“Anything, sweetie,” she insisted, “What do you need?”

“I need something that seems casually regal,” Mina requested, “Like…It needs to give princely.”

“Princely?” Ashi looked at her strangely, “What’s this for?”

“Him,” Mina pointed behind her, “We’re throwing his daughter a surprise birthday party and the theme is storybook-esque tea party.”

“Ok,” Ashi started to relax, “Good.  I thought you were going to need me to call someone for your protection.”

“I’m alright,” Mina promised, “Besides, he’s a pro hero and my teacher, so…We’re good.  Don’t worry.”

“Alright,” Ashi smiled sweetly, “It’s nice to meet you.  I’m Ashi.  This is my shop.”

“This is Mr. Aizawa,” Mina introduced him, dragging him into the store a little more, “He’s a little apprehensive, so be gentle.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Aizawa came back into his unfortunate reality, “When did we decide on something princely?”

“Think about it, Mr. Aizawa,” Mina started thumbing through the racks, “Every little girl’s first idea of what a prince should be should always be her dad.  Granted, it doesn’t work like that for everyone, but for the most part, that’s what it is with you and Eri, is it not?”

Aizawa never saw himself as a prince.  Not when he was younger.  Not now.  Not ever.  At least not until Mina said something about it, “I mean…”

“When you went in on the Shie Hassaikai raid,” Mina pointed out, “Did you not save her?  Were you not that knight in shining armor Eri needed?  That’s prince behavior.  That’s where we’re going with this.”

“Wait,” Aizawa settled her, “Can we go more with the knight angle than the prince angle?  That’s a little more comfortable.”

“I guess so,” Mina allowed, “Actually, I see you more as a rogue than a knight.”

“Do you guys have a secret D&D game in the dorms that I don’t know about?” Aizawa wondered, “Because it’s starting to sound like you’re working something out here.”

“Rogues are assassins,” Mina explained, “They hide in the shadows and protect their target no matter the cost.  Let’s work that angle!  And no, we don’t have a secret D&D campaign we’re running in the dorms.  We’re all out in the open about it.  And it’s good times.  Tokoyami’s our DM.  It’s a lot of fun!  It’s Friday night, if you want to join us.  You can make a character and become our new favorite NPC.  But that’s going to be a hard spot to top after Enrique, the ghost horse breeder that sent Todoroki’s horse Sylvia to the great beyond.”

“I’m going to pretend like I understood any of that,” Aizawa backed off, “Just…Grab what you need and let’s go.”

“Hey,” Mina wondered, “Should we grab something for Eri while we’re here?  Because the rogue’s going to need his princess to protect.”

“Yes,” Aizawa nodded, “And you get free reign with that, too.  Go ahead.  Whatever you think she’d want.  You know Eri well enough to let that work out.  In fact, Mina, you’re more than welcome to reallocate this energy you have toward me into her.  In fact, I insist upon it.”

“Yeah, no,” Mina put her foot down, “You’re not getting away from me that easily.  You gave me this job in the first place, Mr. Aizawa.  I can’t tell you no.”

“I brought this on myself,” Aizawa sighed out, “I brought this on myself and I’m kicking myself for it.”

“So,” Mina grabbed a black cloak and some chain mail.  Because trends are strange.  And this mall had everything, “You do have a decent pair of black boots, right?”

“Semi decent, yeah,” Aizawa nodded.

“Wonderful,” Mina kept on shopping and dropped everything she needed on the counter, “That should do it, Ashi.”

“Always a pleasure doing business with you, Mina,” Ashi bagged everything up and took Aizawa’s credit card with a smile on her face, “Good luck with your party.”

“Thank you,” Mina chimed, gladly taking the bags and walking out the door.

“Hold on, Mina,” Aizawa stopped her, “I thought you said you were getting something for Eri, too.”

“I am getting something for Eri,” Mina assured him, “That’s just down the way, though.  I love this place.  It’s one of my favorites.”

Aizawa didn’t know much about the Gyaru culture.  However, Mina did.  Mina knew everything there was to know about Gyaru fashion and every little subculture that came off of it.  Although, just going by the looks of things, Aizawa didn’t need his little girl getting sucked into it.  Aizawa grabbed Mina by her shoulder.

“Mina,” Aizawa warned her, “She’s only six.  Some of this might be a little old for her.”

“Trust me,” Mina swore, “I know what I’m doing.”

Aizawa wasn’t going in.  He refused.  He trusted Mina’s judgment enough to where he could sit on the bench for a while.  He didn’t want to have to keep going through store after store with her.  Aizawa was exhausted.  He needed something to keep him going.  Because he still had to get them back to UA.  And he needed to get Bakugo from the supermarket.  So, a stop at the vending machine, it is.  Aizawa was hard pressed to find a can of coffee that didn’t have some kind of magical girl on it, but he didn’t care.  As long as it had a high caffeine content, that’s all that mattered.  Before Mina came out, Aizawa crushed his coffee and rejoined her at his bench.

“There,” Mina chimed, showing off a soft, sparkly purple dress that she knew deep down in her heart Eri would love, “It’s cute, right?  I think it’s cute.  Very princessy.”

“Whatever works for you, Mina,” Aizawa sighed out, “Come on.  Let’s get going.  I’m wrecked already.”

“And we haven’t even started yet,” Mina pointed out, “But I can go easy on you.  We can wait until tomorrow to do everything else.”

“Good,” Aizawa wasn’t putting up with anything else today.  He needed a nap.  Or just a good night’s sleep.  That would be much better. 

After picking Bakugo up from the supermarket, Aizawa brought his students back to the UA campus and went straight to his room.  The 1A lounge was definitely starting to take shape, but Aizawa could wait until tomorrow before he got the full effect.  He needed to get some sleep.  And a lot of it.  Mina took more out of him than he thought she would.  He knew it.  Mistakes were made.  But it was all for Eri.  And that’s what mattered.

The next day, the time had come.  Eri’s class was already starting to file into the dorm.  And thankfully, Sero and Kaminari were in charge of the puppet show that would keep them all entertained while Mina secretly took Eri by the hand and brought her into her room.  Eri wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but she still had her spirits.

“Mina,” Eri asked, “What are we doing in here?  Everyone else gets to watch the puppet show.  Why can’t I?”

“Because, sweetie,” Mina smiled, “You’re going to be the princess today.  How’s that sound?”

“Really?” Eri perked up, “What do you mean?”

“Here,” Mina went into her closet and pulled out the dress she grabbed the day before just for Eri, “Happy birthday, Eri.  Let’s get you dressed, ok?”

“Ok!” Eri wasn’t going to tell her no.  She was too into it.  Mina sat her down and made her the princess she wanted to be.  She braided her hair back, covered her in glitter, and made all the pixie dust come together.  Because there was no such thing as too much for Eri.  Little did Eri know, Mina had already worked her magic that morning.  Granted, she was used to a five o’clock alarm, but that didn’t mean she was used to a five o’clock project.

Knock, knock.

“Who’s that, Mina?” Eri wondered.

“Why don’t you go see?” Mina knew exactly who was on the other side.

Eri ran to the door and on the other side was a man cloaked in black, ready to kill anyone who dared looked at her cross eyed, “You ready to go to your party, Eri?”

“Mmhm,” Eri reached up for Aizawa and got comfortable on his shoulders before hugging him tightly, “Thank you, Daddy…”

“I’m sorry if I woke you, Mr. Aizawa,” Midoriya’s voice was hoarse, strained, “It’s just…”

Aizawa knew.  He knew all too well, “Come on.  Get in here.”

“Thank you,” Midoriya staggered into Aizawa’s room, carefully steadying himself.

“Let me guess,” Aizawa assumed, “Nightmares again?”

“Mmhm…”

“And,” Aizawa sat down in his recliner, “Did they end up making you sick again?”

“I just finished throwing up in my bathroom,” Midoriya reported, finding a spot on Aizawa’s couch to sit down before his knees gave out.

“I know, kid,” Aizawa sighed out, “Trust me.  I know.  I just got hit with nightmares, too.  You take your meds today?”

“Mmhm,” Midoriya nodded, “But I don’t know if they’re really helping anymore.”

“Sounds like a conversation you need to have with your doctor again,” Aizawa told him, “There’s no shame in having to up the dosage.  I wrestled with that for years, too.”

“You’re probably right…”

Knock, knock.

“I know I’m right,” Aizawa pushed himself up from the chair and started heading back to the door.  Who now?  To no surprise, Aizawa had yet another student at his door, “Hello, Bakugo.  What brings you to my door?”

“I…” Bakugo was too proud.  He didn’t want to admit it, but he was just as messed up as everyone else.  Maybe even a little more.  Resurrection typically did that to people.  Especially when they’re all still just kids.

“Come on,” Aizawa insisted, “You, too.”

“Me, too?” Bakugo looked at him strangely like he spoke in tongues, but then, he saw Midoriya on the couch, “What are you doing here?”

“Hi, Kacchan.” Midoriya wasn’t nearly as excited to see Bakugo as what he could be, but they were all tired.  They were all exhausted.  They weren’t about to get into it.

“Nightmares?” Bakugo assumed.

“Yeah.”

“Sit down,” Aizawa ordered, “Make yourselves comfortable.  If you want, you can crash in here for the night.”

“Thanks,” Bakugo made himself comfortable on the other end of Aizawa’s couch, “Mr. Aizawa…”

“Yeah?” Aizawa sat back down, “What is it?”

“Does it ever get easier?” Bakugo asked, his voice oddly quiet.

“God, I wish I could tell you yes,” Aizawa let out a heavy sigh, “Coming from someone who’s been dealing with PTSD since he was a little older than you two, all I can say is this.  Sometimes, yes.  It does get easier.  Sometimes, it’s just more manageable.  That’s why we stick to taking our meds every day.  And when we do have the bad days, we do our best to reach out to anyone we can.  That’s why you two have each other.  That’s why you both came to me.  Because clearly, this is not a high point.  You both just went through absolute hell.  Bakugo, you died.  We lost you until we got you back.  Midoriya, I’m sure that left you with the worst survivor’s guilt.  But we still had to keep fighting.  Trust me.  I wouldn’t wish mourning your friends on an active battlefield on anyone.  Especially not on you two.  You might have been pains in my ass since the day you stepped foot in my classroom, but that doesn’t mean I’m heartless.”

Knock, knock.

“And I’m regretting my popularity this evening,” Aizawa pushed himself back up, “Just…Go ahead.  Try to get back to sleep.”

“Alright,” Bakugo laid his head on the arm of the couch, kicking his legs down to Midoriya.  And Midoriya shut his eyes, wrapping an arm around Bakugo’s leg, “I’m not your teddy bear, Izuku…”

“I know,” Midoriya’s grip never wavered. 

And yet again, Aizawa answered the door, “You ok, Uraraka?”

Uraraka just shook her head with tears in her eyes. 

“Come here,” Aizawa pulled her into his arms, hugging her tight, “You want to come stay with us?”

Uraraka nodded.  But then, she realized just what Aizawa had said, “Us?”

“Bakugo and Midoriya are in here, too,” Aizawa told her, “Boys, one of you is taking the floor.”

“I got it,” Midoriya slowly but surely made his way to the floor, “Hi, Uraraka.”

“Hi, Deku,” Uraraka started moving to the couch, but opted against it, “I can sleep on the floor.  That’s fine.”

“Then, I’ll take the couch to myself,” Bakugo stretched out, “God knows you two are good on the floor together.”

“That’s fine, too,” Midoriya allowed.

“Decide that amongst yourselves,” Aizawa went back to the recliner, “Because you’re not the only ones who need some sleep.”

Knock, knock.

“Son of a bitch…” Aizawa got back up again to find Kaminari, Sero, and Kirishima on the other side, “Hello, boys.  You have nightmares, too?”

“Yes, sir,” they all nodded.

“You want to come sleep in here?”

“Yes, please.”

Mic looked down at his phone at a picture of Aizawa holding up one of the cats like it was the beginning of the Lion King.  He debated for a moment or two whether he should pick it up or let it ring.  Against his better judgment, he answered, “You better have a good explanation for why you’ve been ghosting me, Shota Aizawa, or so fucking help me-!”

“Come outside, Hizashi,” Aizawa insisted, “I’m waiting in the parking lot outside your building.”

Click.

Mic looked at his phone, relatively upset.  Well, that was fucking rude…But Mic went outside anyway and looked for Aizawa’s car.  Sure enough, there he was.  In the parking lot as promised.  He slid into the passenger seat, “So…”

“So…” Aizawa bit the inside of his cheek, holding back a smile as he backed out of the parking lot, “How are you, Hizashi?”

“You know, I was alright this morning,” Mic scoffed, “Kind of thought I’d be getting a certain someone on my doorstep then, but I thought to myself, no.  He’s probably sleeping in.  He works long hours.  He’s finally got a day off.  He’s going to catch up on his sleep.  Which is fine.  That’s understandable.  Which is why I texted a little later than I usually would.  Because you know I wouldn’t mind catching an extra hour or two either.  But when I check my phone…Several times today…I don’t hear a word back from him.  Which makes a bitch wonder.  Where could he have gone?  Why couldn’t he be bothered to answer a single goddamn text today, Shota?!”

“Relax,” Aizawa settled him, “Trust me.  I know what I’m doing.”

“You fucking better!” Mic snapped, “Do you even know what today is, Shota?”

“Of course, I do,” Aizawa nodded, “It’s been…What…Eight years today?  You and me?”

“And you can’t even text me back?” Mic growled, “You have a mind like a steel fucking trap when it comes to dates and yet, you seem to forget our anniversary’s today?  Why are you so cool about this?”

“Because,” Aizawa put the car in park, “You think I was just going to let this slide?  You think I was going  to do something so stupid and ignore our anniversary?  Hizashi, it’s a clear night.  I have champagne in the back seat.  Just…Come here.”

“This better be good,” Mic pouted a bit, getting out of the car, “Because I’m not drinking the cheap shit.”

“It’s not bad,” Aizawa promised, taking Mic’s hand, “Look up.”

“For what?” Mic looked up at the breathtaking sparkles in the sky.  And all of a sudden, in that moment, everything else felt so small, “Shota…”

“Because you’re the only other person I’d want to share this with,” Aizawa put the radio on and climbed onto the hood of his car with the champagne bottle in his hand, “Come here.”

“This is incredible…” Mic gasped, lost in the cosmic beauty in the sky.

“Apology accepted,” Aizawa let them go, “Now, we’re taking off from port tonight.  Did you get your chores situated?”

“Yes, sir,” Izuku nodded, “The ship is spotless.”

“Very good,” Aizawa praised, “Now, Katsuki, go see if Taishiro needs any help in the kitchen.”

“Yes, Captain,” Katsuki gave him a nod and ran for the galley.

“Izuku,” Aizawa got down to his level, “You really have to quit letting Katsuki beat on you like this.”

“But,” Izuku pointed out, his nose still bleeding and a bruise forming under his left eye, “If Kacchan hits me, he doesn’t hit anyone else.”

“That’s not any excuse,” Aizawa picked his chin up, getting a better look at his cabin boy’s face.  Those big, sweet green eyes, the cute little dusting of freckles across his cheeks…Just adorable.  Too sweet for a life of piracy, but here he was, “That eye looks pretty rough…Here.”

Aizawa pulled the tie on his own eye patch, unveiling the cybernetic eye underneath that was always adjusted to the dark.  He tied it over Izuku’s swelling eye, catching him by surprise, “Sir, I don’t understand.”

“It’s alright,” Aizawa assured him, “That way, no one asks too many questions and no one thinks I’m the one beating you.  Alright?”

“Thank you,” Izuku gave him a grateful nod.

“You’re welcome,” Aizawa gave him a little nudge, “Go on.  Go find someone else to bother.  Go see if Toshinori has anything for you to do.”

“Where are you going to go?” Izuku wondered.

“It’s our last day in the Genesis Terminal,” Aizawa adjusted his long, black coat, fiddling with the silver buttons out of nervous habit, “I’m going to grab some shore leave and see where it takes me.  Tell Taishiro I’m not going to need dinner tonight and tell Toshinori not to wait up for me.”

“Yes, sir!” Izuku was too young to understand fully what shore leave meant.  Aizawa was going out in need of a bar and a brothel.  However, if he played his cards right at the bar, he wouldn’t need the brothel.  Not that an actual relationship was much of an interest to him.  He was still a man with needs. 

So, Aizawa went out.  He needed shore leave just as much as the rest of his crew.  The Genesis Terminal was always a good stop.  The Genesis Terminal was always a necessary stop.  It was where they always stopped to refuel the ship, to restock for the next voyage.  It wasn’t just for the plentiful shops and the bustling commerce that went on at the Genesis Terminal.  It was for the skid row lineup of bars, cathouses, night clubs, shady motels that charged by the hour.  And there was one club in particular Aizawa liked to frequent.

He popped his head into Pyhur Station, a night club known throughout the Genesis Terminal as one of the best.  The booze was always flowing, the music was always loud and bassy, and best of all, no one would ever think to find Aizawa there.  It was a sacred space that he held close to his heart.  And all he wanted was a drink.  And maybe to keep an eye on the cute DJ android up in the booth.  Aizawa didn’t know what it was about the android, but there was a special place in his heart for him. 

“Hi there, Captain,” the bartender joined him.  A cyborg Aizawa knew and loved, “What can I get for you?  Usual poison?”

“Yes, please,” Aizawa held his face in his hands, “Thanks, Oboro.”

“My pleasure,” he gave Aizawa a smile and a glass of old fashioned rum, “Here.  A fitting drink for a pirate.”

“You’re not wrong,” Aizawa threw it back like a champ.

“You know,” Oboro leaned over the bar, “Rumor has it, someone’s bounty went up.”

“Really?” Aizawa brushed him off, “I never really paid much attention to the bounty.”

“Not even if it’s over thirty billion credits?” Oboro gave him a nudge, “Come on, Aizawa.  That’s got to be impressive.  Even just a little?”

“It’s all the same to me,” Aizawa went on, “The higher the number, the more I need to watch my back.  I don’t understand why that was always seen as such a status symbol amongst pirates.  You take out one pain in the ass mob boss thinking he’s hot shit and all of a sudden, your bounty goes up.”

“And?” Oboro asked, “What happened?”

“We got the girl out,” Aizawa let out a heavy sigh, “That’s all that mattered.  Get me another drink, would you?”

“Sure,” Oboro poured Aizawa another one, “I’m going to need a credit transfer, Aizawa…”

“Fine,” Aizawa took out his watch and made the transfer, “Happy now?”

“Quite,” Oboro slid the glass across the bar, “You know, I have to ask.”

“Do you really?” Aizawa groaned, “Because if history is any indicator, you really don’t.”

“Why do you come in here?” Oboro asked, “I mean, you don’t dance.  You just come and sit at the bar until you black out and I have to carry you back to your ship.  And your first mate gets mad at me.  I don’t know if you’ve dealt with Toshinori when he’s mad, but it’s not pretty.”

“I have dealt with Toshinori when he’s mad,” Aizawa pointed out, “I’ve come back to the ship drunk as hell and he thought he’d talk sense into me.  But at the end of the day, I’m still his captain and he learns to shut the fuck up real quick.”

“That’s comforting,” Oboro poured himself a drink, “But anyway, this really doesn’t seem like your kind of place.  So, what makes you come here?”