A Time For Us - part 1
Shouta Aizawa/fem!past-love hero OC (not self-insert)
Plot: Trying to cheer up her teacher, Eri manages to resurrect his long-lost love who died seven years prior while protecting him from a villain.
Tags: Hurt/comfort, angst, age difference (both adult), crying, fluff, referenced character death, not canon, romance, alternate universe, if I've missed any let me know! ♡
Warnings: Angst, crying, referenced character death, may tug at your heartstrings, sorry lol. Again, if I've missed anything let me know, I'm still relatively new to fic writing and tags etc.
This is a non-canon, stand-alone fic but the idea came to me and I had to write it. I hope you enjoy! ♡
Part 2 | Part 3
Part 1
The last remnants of winter chill hung in the air as the season began to change; the leaves left over from autumn beginning to show underneath the melting snow.
Eri played quietly with her new doll in the passenger seat of Aizawa's car as they drove through the streets of Musutafu city.
"Is it ok if we make a stop somewhere for a moment before we get back to UA?" He asked, his eyes on the road.
"Where are we going?" She replied, hugging her doll.
"Just have to see an old friend. It won't take long, don't worry."
They drove for ten more minutes before stopping at a cemetary. It wasn't like a regular cemetery full of the usual gravestones and incense, it was smaller and she realised all of the surnames were the same.
"Wait here, ok? I'll just be a minute."
She nodded, curious as to what was going on.
Aizawa closed the door after him and Eri watched as he walked up to a specific grave that sat under a tree, overlooking the city. She unbuckled her seatbelt and crawled into the driver's seat to see better.
There it was again, that tight feeling in his chest that happened every time he came here, that tight, heavy feeling. His footsteps were muffled by the damp grass, the water coating the toes of his shoes; they stopped as he reached the grave and he took a breath, the first one since he left the car.
Pulling a yellow rose from his scarf, he placed it in the small vase in the base of the headstone, replacing the dead one from last year that was now only a stem.
"I'm sorry I'm a late." He said, lighting some insence and placing it beside the rose. "Things have been tough this year. We've all been pushed to our limits, my students most of all. I'm doing my best but..." he sighed. "I know, I can almost hear you telling me to be kinder to myself...I'll try...for you."
The tightness in his chest began to choke him and he swallowed back his tears.
"Mr. Aizawa?" Came Eri's sweet voice, breaking the heaviness that hung over him in this place.
"E-Eri, I told you to wait in the car."
"I wanted to meet your friend."
She had the sweetest expression on her face. Her kindness never ceased to make him smile. His expression softened, not that he was angry, he just didn't want her to see him like this.
He smiled softly and held out his hand. "Come here."
She smiled and took his hand, walking up next to him.
"Eri, this is Saiyu. She was a very good friend of mine. We were classmates at UA a long time ago. Saiyu, this is Eri, my newest student."
"It's nice to meet you, Miss Saiyu!" Eri beamed, and the tightness returned to his chest, but it wasn't heavy this time.
He smiled.
"Let's go," He said, not knowing how long he could hold the tears back.
"Don't you want to spend more time with your friend?"
He was struggling now. "Midoriya and the others are waiting for us, remember?"
"Deku!" She beamed and ran back to the car giggling.
He was glad she was still so young and easily distracted. He couldn't be here any longer, he'd reached his limit.
...
When they arrived at UA, Midoriya, Mirio, and the others were eagerly waiting for Eri's visit. Her visits always cheered them up, and Eri desperately needed that positive connection. He was glad she had them, after everything she had been through, she was finally experiencing love for very first time. The students needed her too, she brought a light back to UA that had started to dim after the most recent events. She brought them hope.
"Deku! Mirio!" She giggled as she ran up to them. "Hiiiii!"
"Hey there Eri!" Deku smiled.
He supervised her as she played with the class, proud at how far she'd come since she was found.
Suddenly, All Might burst through the door with all the enthusiasm of his past selves, before immediately coughing up blood.
"HellO! I am here!" He boomed triumphantly.
"Uncle All Might!" Said Eri, her eyes lighting up.
All Might chuckled "Hey there little one!". He picked her up and she laughed, giving him a ping of warmth that he greatly needed that morning.
"I was just showing Deku and the others my new doll!"
"Wow!" He smiled warmly.
"Do you need me?" Said Aizawa, knowing All Might should be at the police station right now.
"Yeah. Just for a moment. Tsukauchi has some more intel for us."
"Don't worry about Eri Mr. Aizawa. She'll be ok with us for a few minutes." Yaoyurozu chimed in.
Aizawa and All Might stepped out of the room and the girls immediately swept Eri up and started braiding her hair. Eri loved it when they did her hair, her eyes went all sparkly and she felt so happy. But then she remembered earlier that morning.
Aizawa was trying to hide it, but she could tell he was upset. She couldn't understand why he was trying so hard not to cry, it's normal to be sad when someone isn't there anymore.
"Who's Saiyu?" She asked.
The others caught the change in her tone and suddenly looked worried.
"Saiyu? I don't recognise that name. Is she a student here?" Ochaco tried to think but she had no idea.
"No," Eri replied, "She's Mr. Aizawa's friend. She's at the cemetary."
That immediately changed the vibe of the room from happy to suddenly a little bleak. The others were taken off guard, they didn't know who Saiyu was or why Aizawa had been at the cemetary to see her.
"Mr. Aizawa was really sad. He didn't cry, but I could tell. I don't want Mr. Aizawa to be sad."
"Wait." Said Deku. "She must be talking about Saiyu Yamada, the illusion hero.
Her hero name was Mirage. She was one of the most powerful illusion heroes of our time. She could make an entire city see anything she wanted them to.
I heard she worked closely with Mr. Aizawa when they graduated UA. She wasn't a hero for very long though, she was killed fighting a villain in Jaku city only 2 years after their graduation from UA. That was seven years ago now."
"That's awful." Said Mina.
Kirishima looked saddened. "Yeah...to become a hero only to be killed so soon afterwards. If they were friends, it makes sense that Mr. Aizawa would visit her grave."
"He must have cared about her a lot."
"Let's change the subject." Said Ochaco, "I don't think Mr. Aizawa would appreciate us gossiping like this."
"You're right." Came Aizawa's voice from the doorway. "I don't."
The students froze and panicked.
"Mr. Aizawa! We're so sorry! We didn't mean to pry!"
"I'm sorry Mr. Aizawa. I didn't mean to tell." Sniffed Eri, her horn starting to spark as her eyes watered. "I just didn't want you to be sad."
"It's alright." He replied, placing a hand in her head, knowing she didn't mean anything by it, and knowing he didn't need to use his quirk on her this time. But he couldn't deny he wished she hadn't told his class about...her.
"Uhh anyway!" Said Mirio nervously. "How about we go make snow men before all the snow is gone?"
Eri immediately perked up and she smiled, a drop of snot still hanging from her nose. "Yeah."
"Is that ok Mr. Aizawa?" Asked Deku.
He nodded. "Just make sure she wears her coat."
"I will!" Eri had already ran out the door as she said that and the others ran hurriedly after her, grabbing their coats on the way out.
When they were gone, the room became quiet, almost too quiet, even for him.
"Yesterday was the anniversary, wasn't it?" Said All Might.
"Yeah..."
"I had no idea, we've all been so busy lately. I should visit her myself."
"I'm...still waiting for it to get easier..."
All Might placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as Aizawa stared sorrowfully at the floor. "I know. Me too."
A tear fell from his eye, and he immediately wiped it away. He didn't notice Eri hiding behind the door, having come back for her coat.
...
The students were having a great time making small snowmen with whatever remnants of snow they could find, Kirishima instigating a snowball fight and setting Bakugou off on an unnecessarily competitive battle.
It wasn't long though until Deku realised he couldn't see Eri anywhere.
"Hey, Yaoyurozu?" He asked. "Where's Eri?"
She panicked a little, realising she also couldn't see her. "I don't know. She said she was just running back to get her coat. She's been gone a little long though..."
"I'll go and check on her." Said Deku, hurrying off back to the dorm.
When he got there, he found Aizawa and All Might, but Eri was nowhere to be seen.
"Have either of you seen Eri?" Deku asked, starting to panic a little bit himself now.
"Huh? No. I thought she was with you."
"She said she was running back for her coat but she's been gone a while and we can't find her."
A different type of tightness hit Aizawa's chest this time.
"Damn!" He said. "Get the others and spread out. If she's upset she could activate her quirk."
Deku nodded and sped off.
They looked for her for 30 minutes before they realised she was no longer on campus.
"Where would she have run off to!?" Said Ochaco.
"Damn it!" Said Aizawa. Then it hit him. "Wait. The cemetary! All Might!"
All might was already in his car, waiting for Aizawa. "I've got it. Get in!"
"Do you need us?" Said Kirishima.
"No, it's too dangerous! Stay here, I can deactivate her quirk once I get her in eyeshot!"
They sped off campus as fast as the car could carry them and the others were left standing there wanting to do something but not being sure what. Aizawa was right, being near Eri when her quirk activates was dangerous. But it was Eri they were talking about, they cared about her.
The panic swelling in Aizawa's chest was sharp and his heart was beating so hard he could hear it.
"If she tries to do what I think she is...I..." Aizawa thought. Was it even possible? ....should he let her...?
The car sped through the streets at rocket speed until they finally pulled up at the cemetary. The car had barely stopped before he leaped out.
"Eri!!!" He yelled. "Eri, don't!!"
The sparkly yellow glow filled the cemetary and blinded him, making him unable to see her and therefore, making him unable to use his quirk. He grunted in pain from the brightness before it suddenly went away as quickly as it appeared.
He kept running, reaching her just in time to see someone burst out of the ground and he froze....it was her....she was alive.
Saiyu broke free from the earth and gasped her first breath of air in seven years before collapsing, but not before Aizawa could catch her.
She still had some of her injuries from the battle years ago, but not the worst one, one the one that killed her. She was weak, and barely concious.
"Sh-shouta?" She said weakly. "Did I do it? D-did I...get here...in time?"
At that, she passed out. Aizawa sat there for just a moment, frozen, for the first time in years.
He looked worriedly over at Eri who was passed out, but ok. He was in complete disbelief, holding Saiyu in his arms when he thought he never would again. Listening to her breathing, seeing her chest rise and fall with her breaths. He couldn't believe it.
"Sh-shouta." Said All Might, as equally in shock as Aizawa was. "Is she...?"
"We need to get them to recovery girl. Now! She-" he paused, never thinking he would ever say these words. "-she's alive."
...
Part 2