#erasermicsecretsanta

BONUS:

EXTRA:

After Aizawa’s injuries sustained during the USJ attack heal, and he returns to class, Tsuyu is looking for a way to way to repay him for saving her life. She knows him well enough to figure he would probably turn down a physical gift, so instead she offers to stay after school and help him clean up the classroom after the day’s over. 

TSUYU: I promise I won’t be too invasive. Please let me help, ribbit!

Aizawa thinks about this offer. He usually keeps his classroom pretty neat, like his apartment, but his stamina is not in very good shape after the USJ - he’s found himself taking even more naps than usual. Logically, he figures he could use a helping hand to do things like wipe down the blackboards, run to the printer and make copies, take out the trash, sweep the floors, etc.

AIZAWA: Well, it’s up to you. I won’t say no.

This is his way of saying, “Thank you for offering, I would appreciate your help very much.”

Tsuyu, ever so emotionally wise, seems to understand, and starts scrubbing down the blackboard.

AIZAWA: Take it easy, Asui. I appreciate the help, but don’t overwork yourself for my sake, okay?

Thanks to her long frog tongue, she’s able to clean even the highest corners of the board without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately, though, she kicks up a little too much chalk dust, which doesn’t mix too well with tongues, and she starts coughing. Aizawa, who has been grading some tests, calmly offers her a glass of water.

AIZAWA: You know, Recovery Girl said you had no clear weaknesses, but I think we just found one.

TSUYU: [blushing] Recovery Girl said that about me?

AIZAWA: Maybe in situations like this, you should consider relying more on the adhesiveness in your hands and feet instead of just your tongue.

TSUYU: [still glowing from praise, and appreciative of the criticism] That’s a good idea. Thank you, Aizawa-sensei.

She resumes cleaning the board, this time sticking herself up sideways on the wall to clean the high corners instead of reaching with her tongue.

Aizawa considers writing a proposal to Nedzu and asking him to replace the blackboard with a dry-erase board.

----

Several weeks later, after the final exams are over, Momo decides she wants to ask Aizawa some questions. She’s been thinking a lot about how she tends to cave under pressure and has trouble thinking on her feet (constantly haunted by her disappointing loss against Tokoyami in the sports festival). Aizawa and Todoroki did a great job of helping boost her confidence during the exams, but as a young hero who still has a lot to learn, she doesn’t want to remain stagnant in her growth. She strives to constantly improve, and figures her teacher would be a good person to ask for advice.

She waits until she’s the last one in the classroom to ask him, a bit self-conscious.

Aizawa starts to respond, saying that she’s worrying too much about something she’s already good at, but is interrupted.

TSUYU: Aizawa-sensei, I finished those copies for you -- oh! Hello, Momo-chan.

MOMO: Oh! You’re running errands for Aizawa-sensei?

Tsuyu nods, and Momo looks back to her teacher, full of enthusiasm.

MOMO: I… I could make those copies for you, sensei! You shouldn’t have to go all the way to the print room for that!

Aizawa appreciates how much she wants to be of use to others, but doesn’t want her to stretch herself thin. However… he would appreciate the convenience of having Yaoyorozu make copies so Asui could finish the rest of the chores faster and he could go home and sleep sooner… so he offers the same “do what you want” response to her. Tsuyu beams at Momo, grateful for the help and company.

Since there’s no more copies to be made for the day, he makes use of the time while Tsuyu cleans the board and chats with Yaoyorozu about her concerns.

AIZAWA: You’re overthinking things as usual. Just working on sparring to hone your reflexes in combat will be fine. Trust me when I say you’re already among the top in the class, so remember that when you start doubting yourself.

MOMO: Yes, but--

AIZAWA: I know, I know, you want something to work on anyway. I’d tell you to let yourself relax before the boot camp, but I’m sure your restless mind will be studying even if I tell you not to.

Momo knows this is true, and turns red from meek embarrassment. She does love to study.

AIZAWA: [takes out a sticky note and scribbles a few things on it, then hands it to her] Here. It might be handy to research warfare strategies from other eras and cultures, so you can have some more weapons in your arsenal. Figuratively and literally. I know U.A. has a great collection of books on archery in the library, so why don’t you start there?

Momo takes the note, thanking him profusely, looking down at the rest of the things he’s written down…

Tsuyu looks over and comments on Aizawa’s choice of stationery, saying it’s very cute. Aizawa lets out a small “hmph” and returns to his grading.

----

This continues for a while. Momo is a great help with making copies of tests and study material. She also offers to replace other supplies, like chalk and cleaning wipes. If he were a teacher at any other school, he’d probably be begging her for any material he’d think he’d ever need, since teachers’ budgets were always notoriously low… but U.A. seemed to have an endless supply of money to throw at their problems. Replacing chalk was nothing compared to replacing the giant fake cities their students destroyed every week.

Nonetheless, he is helpless to stop her generosity.

Tsuyu seems to appreciate it, too. She hasn’t stopped coming to help clean since she first decided to help. The only days she’s missed are the days she’s away at her hero internship with Ryukyu, and Aizawa doesn’t mind picking up the slack. She’s doing this as thankless volunteer work, after all. The least he can do is his own job.

Momo comes more often than she’s needed too. Sometimes she bows out to run study groups with her fellow students (God knows some of them really need it), but most of the time she’s there with Tsuyu.

The two girls were already friends, but running this little operation has brought them even closer together. Usually Aizawa is content to let them chat while he focuses on his paperwork. They bring up a broad range of topics, from inter-class relationships to philosophical dilemmas, to what each of them could do to improve as heroes. Sometimes he pipes up with a comment or two, though, which usually makes the girls stop and think, changing the course of the conversation.

Sometimes Mic drops by to say hello.

MIC: Geez, Eraser, when are you gonna let your cleaning crew off for the night? It’s the weekend!

AIZAWA: I’m not keeping them. They can leave when they want.

The two girls chime in, making sure Mic knows they’re not being enslaved by their homeroom teacher, and they’re helping out of their own will. Tsuyu says she has fun helping him out, and then turns directly to Mic.

TSUYU: Plus, it’ll help Aizawa-sensei get home faster.

MIC: [laughs and winks] Aren’t you a smart one, Asui!

Aizawa grumbles, flustered. Momo doesn’t get it.

----

At home, Mic teases Aizawa about his “work children.” Aizawa doesn’t want to admit how much he enjoys their company, and doesn’t want to play favorites, but Tsuyu and Momo have wormed their way into his grumpy heart, and he cares for them as if they were his own daughters. Mic loves it, but plays along with Aizawa’s aloof act.

MIC: Well, hey, at least you’re doing less grading at home now! Now you get to spend more time with me! Maybe I should get some work kids of my own, huh?

MIC: ...Also, I think Asui’s got us figured out.

AIZAWA: Hah. No kidding.

----

On a day where Bakugou is exceptionally troublesome in class, Aizawa asks him to stay after and speak with him.

KAMINARI: Ooooh, someone’s in troubleeeee!

KIRISIHIMA: Haha, oh man, hope you don’t get chewed out too bad!

Bakugou’s not in the mood to bicker today.

So Bakugou stays after the rest of his classmates leave, and is surprised to see the girls still there.

BAKUGOU: What’s up with Frog Face and Ponytail? They in trouble too?

AIZAWA: No. None of you are in trouble. Yet. I just want to give you a warning about your attitude problem.

BAKUGOU: Psh. What attitude problem?

This display of pride is wholly unconvincing.

AIZAWA: Listen, Bakugou. I know you’re serious about becoming a hero, which is why I’m concerned that you haven’t taken steps to fix this yet. It’s impeding your progress in the class, and your grades are slipping. I want you to deal with it.

Bakugou grumbles for a bit, then opts to change the subject.

BAKUGOU: So if these two aren’t here to get scolded like I am, then why ARE they here?

AIZAWA: They’re just here to help me clean the classroom… for extra credit.

(A logical ruse!)

Bakugou smells something fishy. Neither of these two need extra credit at all - especially not Momo, who already has top marks. He knows this because hers is always the score to beat. But nonetheless…

BAKUGOU: ...So you’d give me extra credit if I stayed too, then?

(It worked.)

And thus the cleaning crew adds a third member!

BAKUGOU: Hand me the damn broom, Ponytail.

---