Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“So Asui, who do you have over?”

Aizawa felt nerves crept into his belly. This wasn’t the ideal way he wanted to be introduced to any of her friends.

“Kero?”

“Come on Froppy don’t play dumb?”

“What do you mean?”

Aizawa knew Tsuyu was playing along. He slipped on his jeans and immediately began to move around the bedroom. He hadn’t realized he went into planning mode until he was inspecting her bedroom window for an escape route. Aizawa pulled away from the window shaking his head. This was ridiculous, they were grown adults there was no reason to panic. They hadn’t discussed this scenario but Aizawa had decided it was time to fully be a part of her life. Even if that meant dealing with this annoyance, Aizawa stood by the door and waited.

He heard Mineta growl in annoyance at Tsuyu’s noncommittal answers. “Ok, I know you got some strange taste in music but this band is just terrible.”

Aizawa twitched at the comment, that little shit said that on purpose.

“Give that back Mineta.”

“Look at that,” Mineta’s voice dropped suddenly. “Fumikage never left marks on you.”

Tsuyu gasped at the comment. Aizawa just rubbed his hand over his stubble, of course, Mineta would notice the mark he left on her neck.

Mineta chuckled. “Come on Asui. I saw his jacket and shoes by the door. Sato found two bowls of curry in the sink and there are two cans of beer on your coffee table. And I saw you snatch up your top from the couch but completely missed his shirt. Just tell us, he’s here.”

“I….He….” Tsuyu began but stopped.

No one spoke for a moment. Aizawa wondered if he should just open the door and reveal himself. He didn’t care but was Tsuyu ready for this step. The last thing he wanted to do was put her in an awkward position.

“Mineta,” Koda’s soft voice broke through the silence. “Drop it, it's clear Tsu was busy and we should just go.”

Aizawa was sure Koda was blushing furiously when he realized what they had just interrupted.
“Sorry Tsu-chan,” Sato said. “We didn’t mean to bother you and your date.”

“Kero,” Tsuyu's voice seemed less tense. “You didn’t know I had company.”

The air seemed less heavy. It seemed like they understood Tsuyu’s need for privacy and were willing to go without much of a fuss. However, Mineta was oddly quiet.

“No.” The statement was quiet but seemed to scream out. Mineta wasn’t going to back down.

“What?”

Aizawa scratched his head. Mineta was a nuisance; he wasn’t going to just step away from this situation gracefully like the others. Mineta desperately wanted to uncover this mystery. Aizawa knew what had to be done but he wanted to see what Tsuyu would do. He continued to wait just a little longer.

“Mineta, please.” Kado pleaded with the small man.

“What do you want?” Tsuyu said, Aizawa could hear the annoyance in her voice.

Aizawa began to picture the scene in his head. Mineta standing in front of the bedroom door probably ready to fling it open as Tsuyu stood in front of Mineta probably clinging onto his shirt.
And there wasn’t a doubt in Aizawa’s mind that Tsuyu’s eyes were glaring right into Mineta’s.

“I can’t believe you two will be willing to just leave here and not size up the guy that Asui has been hiding all this time. Especially after the damage control, we had to pull over you know who. I’m not leaving until I know this dude is not going to do the same shit.”

Aizawa tilted his head slightly at the tidbit of information. Aizawa couldn’t imagine Tsuyu went to them during her break-up with Tokoyami. When had they all gotten so close?

“Well maybe we should meet under different circumstances,” Kado pleaded.

“Best time to size up a person is how they handle pressure, especially when they get caught in an indecent position,” Mineta commented to his friends.

“You hardly caught us.” Tsuyu corrected.

Aizawa smirked. It was true no one saw them, but they were definitely in a sinful position when the trio came knocking.

“Hmm yeah,” Mineta paused for a moment. “I didn’t see you in the act, but your face is showing all the signs of a blissful orgasm. And your irritated tone tells me you were chasing another before we showed up. I’m glad you found someone that can please you properly, I just don’t understand why you’re keeping him a mystery. He can’t be that bad, you already dated a bird.”

Aizawa felt his smirk widen at the comment. He felt a small swell of pride at Mineta’s assessment of Tsuyu’s state. Aizawa knew Tsuyu was giving him time to tell the kids and he was grateful for that; however, he couldn’t handle this anymore. Tsuyu shouldn’t have to deal with this idiot grilling her and besides the only way to deal with a dick is just to be a bigger dick.

Aizawa didn’t even care that he was shirtless, his jeans unbuttoned and slung low on his hips, he just opened the door.

The scene was just as he envisioned it. Mineta had his back to the bedroom door, Tsuyu standing in front of the small man gripping his shirt, and Koda and Sato behind Tsuyu trying to calm the situation.

Sato’s eyes widened as Aizawa leaned against the doorframe crossing his arms over his bare chest. Koda blushed furiously and covered his face with his hands before ducking behind Sato. Tsuyu quickly retracted her tongue that was about to lash out at Mineta.

Mineta tilted his head from side to side as he realized the people in front of him were stunned into silence. “He’s behind me, isn’t he?”

Sato nodded and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “We might want to leave Mineta, like now.”

“So you’re the mystery…” Mineta spun around and froze the moment he realized Aizawa was standing before him. “Aizawa! Where’s your shirt! Why are your pants like that! Asui no way, don’t tell me!”

Mineta jumped up and rushed behind Tsuyu, completely horrified by the sight before him. Aizawa smirked and chuckled. Tsuyu rolled her eyes and tossed Aizawa his t-shirt. He caught it and slipped it over his head without a second thought.

“Mineta, didn’t you say something about sizing me up? Wanting to know the man that pleased her properly? You wanted to see how I handle myself under pressure?” Aizawa beckoned him closer. “Well, I’m here.”

The young man’s eyes rolled back and he fainted.

“Mineta.” Koda squeaked as they surrounded the man in concern.

Tsuyu, Sato, and Koda all stared at Mineta waiting for him to get up but the young man remained still as a stone.

“Shota,” Tsuyu said as she turned to Aizawa. “I think you broke him.”

The couple looked at each other and began to laugh. Sato and Koda soon joined them in their laughter.

Sato cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “Well Sensei, it's good to see you haven’t lost your touch.”

Aizawa raised his eyebrow as he smirked. “Mineta was always easy to scare.”

“So,” Koda peeked out from behind Sato. “You’re Tsu’s mystery man? Or is this some crazy prank?”

Aizawa’s eyes softened as he looked at Tsuyu. She bit her finger and her dark eyes gave him a questioning glance. He understood the look; she was asking for his permission to tell them the truth. Aizawa felt his heart flutter at the gesture. He nodded his head and held out his hand. Her eyes widened and a small smile graced her lips. Tsuyu hopped over to his side as she took hold of his hand.

“No prank Koji, Shota is,” Tsuyu paused and glanced at Aizawa hopefully.

Aizawa sighed. Of course, they hadn’t clearly labeled themselves. They had gone on dates, they had slept together, and they just established they wanted to spend more time together, they didn’t talk about a label. It was clear to Aizawa what they were, and he was certain Tsuyu knew as well, but her hesitancy was adorable. He couldn’t wait to reintroduce her to Eri and Shinsou.

“Her boyfriend.” Aizawa finished her sentence.

Koda blushed furiously and Sato gave a firm nod of acknowledgment.

Tsuyu smiled brightly. “Right! And I’m his girlfriend.”

“Now,” Sato clapped his hands together. “That’s established. Let’s toss Grape Juice on the couch, get some snacks, and get reacquainted with Sensei, er, Aizawa.”

Koda stopped Sato from walking into the kitchen and turned to the couple. “Only if you agree; if not we can drag Mineta out of here. We did interrupt your date after all.”

Aizawa appreciated Koda’s offer. The intrusion had killed the moment so he didn’t have an immediate need to continue and he was sure Tsuyu was in the same position. Aizawa had planned on staying the night so it wouldn’t hurt to entertain them for a bit, besides he wanted to have a little chat with Mineta.

“I don’t mind,” Aizawa turned to Tsuyu. “Do you?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Cake time!” Sato shouted as he clapped his hands again.

“Let me go change,” Tsuyu said as she tugged at her sweatshirt.

Aizawa nodded. He went into the kitchen and watched Sato and Koda set up the snacks and tea. The group gathered around the table and exchanged stories for roughly an hour. During that time Aizawa learned that Sato, Koda, and Mineta rented a house together in a quiet residential area near the city. Tokoyami had lived with them until he relocated to France. While Tsuyu dated Tokoyami she would spend most of her shore leave at the house. Her visits allowed them to get reacquainted years after their graduation. Aizawa enjoyed hearing about domestic adventures the young men had in their house and their current hero jobs.

Koda was telling Tsuyu about how he avoided a huge bug infestation in the yard when Aizawa heard the door to the terrace slide open. Aizawa stood up and gave Tsuyu’s shoulder a gentle squeeze before heading back into the living room.

He walked toward the terrace and saw small puffs of white smoke. Aizawa saw Mineta leaning against the railing. His head tilted back and eyes closed, bringing a purple vape pen to his lips. Aizawa slid the terrace door open and stepped outside.

“Guess Hitoshi isn’t the only one that developed a bad habit.” Aizawa kept his voice even and calm.

Mineta opened one eye and puffed out a large cloud of smoke. “So you are here.”

“Yes,” Aizawa leaned against the wall of the building and crossed his arms.

“Didn’t think you would be one to mark your territory.”

“Why are you so concerned about that?” Aizawa couldn’t believe Mineta was so focused on one little mark.

The small man straightened up and waved his vape pen toward Aizawa. He raised an eyebrow and Mineta just shrugged. Aizawa took the pen and pulled a drag from the chamber. He slowly exhaled allowing white smoke to embrace him. Aizawa nodded at the soft hints of vanilla that filled his senses, the formula was smooth and mellow.

Mineta gave him a silly grin as he drummed his fingers on the railing. “As I said, Fumikage never left a mark on her, and to be honest I sometimes wonder if they ever did stuff with how quiet his bedroom was whenever she would visit.”

“I knew you were pervy but spying on your roommates' sex lives is just a little too weird.”

Aizawa took another pull from the pen before handing it back to Mineta.

“Spying would be gross, I’m just observant. And it isn’t all about sex.” Mineta put away the vape pen in its case. “Sex was the least of their problems, even if it was mindblowing there was no remedy for his stupidity.”

Aizawa pouted at the information. Tsuyu never spoke about her relationship with Tokoyami but knowing he left her to go to France without any regret hadn’t sat well with Aizawa. Tsuyu had proven she was a caring person that put others before herself. She had taken the time to learn about his life and help him when he was distressed. Hearing Tsuyu had dated someone that didn’t appreciate her upset him.

“Fumikage is a good dude and a great hero. He just sucked as a boyfriend. His focus on the relationship was almost nonexistent. He would forget about her visits and miss important dates. Hell, I don’t think he ever bought her flowers. Froppy put up with his nonsense for far too long.”

Aizawa nodded. Many young heroes had a hard time establishing boundaries between their work and their private life. Those who focused on getting high ranks were never able to keep a steady relationship to last long. And those heroes that make firm boundaries found themselves on the lower tiers of the charts, which many were willing to sacrifice for a happy life. Aizawa had found himself with blurred boundaries for years until he officially adopted Eri. He knew if he was going to be her guardian, he couldn’t continue putting work first, his family had to be a priority.

“A lot of aspiring heroes do that, it doesn't make Tokoyami a bad person.”

Mineta rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Yeah, but you tell that to a girl who is crying her eyes on your couch because the moron got confused about signing an apartment lease.”

Aizawa blinded hard. “He did what?”

“That’s what the plant is about,” Mineta shrugged toward the tall plant beside him. “Asui bought the plant the day they were supposed to sign a lease on an apartment. Fumikage said he would do it, but I feel he didn’t realize what she was suggesting moving in together until he came face to face with the realtor.”

“How do you confuse that? How do you just bail on someone and in front of the realtor? What moron does that?” Aizawa was in awe at Mineta’s revelation.

“Froppy never gave us the actual specifics but he bailed and then he thought they were cool. He was confused as fuck when he saw her post pics with some dudes while she was stationed near Thailand.”

“Tsu wouldn’t...”

Mineta raised his eyebrows suggestively and snickered. “You’re right, she didn’t. She just posted some pictures of her, the Mariner crew, and some locals dancing and having shots. Although the dancing was enough for Fumikage to realize he fucked up and when he tried to clarify things before his move to France, Froppy told him no dice.”

“She mentioned he wanted to continue things after his move,” Aizawa rubbed his stubble thoughtfully. “Did Tokoyami honestly think they were okay after he bailed on the apartment?”

“Fumikage is a great hero but dense as a brick with relationships. I’m just happy Asui found someone that treats her nice, although,” Mineta held his forehead dramatically. “Why did it have to be you? I knew her boyfriend was older but I had expected a refined gentleman, not you.”

“A backhanded compliment, how original.” Aizawa shook his head.

Mineta chuckled. “If she is happy with you, then I have no choice but to be happy for her.”

Aizawa felt a sense of relief as the young man expressed his feelings. “So you don’t think our age difference is an issue?”

Mineta waved dismissively as he headed back into the apartment. “Listen, after the initial shock, it's not a big deal. We’re all heroes, we’re all adults, our lives have us living in a moment so why stress the details. UA showed us how short life is and how important it is to fight for a chance. Finding happiness with a good partner is the same thing.”

Mineta went into the apartment and shouted at Sato for some snacks. The young men began to bicker about fainting and losing the right to eat but Aizawa didn’t pay any attention to that, he just replayed Mineta’s last words. Fighting for a chance, was an important lesson he wanted his students to hold onto. Their existence in this world was temporal, so why be unhappy.

“Shota,” Tsuyu said as she peeked through the door.

“Sorry, I was talking to Mineta.”

“I hope Mineta wasn’t too annoying,” Tsuyu placed a hand on his crossed arms. “He tends to be protective in his way.”

Aizawa gave her a soft smile before enveloping her into a hug. “I noticed he was very insistent that I make sure you stay happy and not fumble like others.”

Tsuyu snuggled into his chest and released a small croak. “Why do I feel like he told you more than he should have.”

Aizawa hummed and placed a small kiss on her temple. “Doesn’t matter, he’s okay with me dating you.”

“Sato and Kijo seem fairly content with our relationship as well.”

He rested his chin on the top of her head and sighed. “Why don’t you come back to my place tomorrow and we can make dinner for the kids.”

Tsuyu pulled back, her eyes wide. “Really? You want me there?”

Aizawa placed a soft kiss on her lips. “I wouldn’t want to do this any other way.”

She smiled and nuzzled against his chest. “I would like that. Maybe you can pick me up from the agency sometime this week to see the team.”

Aizawa hummed with a smile, he liked the idea that they were just casually injecting each other into their daily lives. The sound of the men bickering in the kitchen caught their attention and Tsuyu pulled away from his arms.

“Let me get these guys out of here and we can continue our evening alone.”

Aizawa narrowed his eyes suggestively, “Yeah, we still have a lot of catching up to do.”

Aizawa snickered at Shinsou’s response. He knew the young man would be annoyed but it would be easier for them to both meet Tsuyu this way.

Tsuyu continued to inspect the vegetables until she finally decided on some broccoli rabe. She smiled at him briefly and continued to pick up some other ingredients. Watching her pick out items to make dinner for his family filled his heart. She was being careful with her selections because Tsuyu wanted to make sure this meal was perfect for them.

She held up some green onions and he sniffed. The strong onion scent and the earthy smell were pleasant. “Hitoshi isn’t amused about picking up Eri, but it will give us more time to set up.”

“Oh good. And I think I’m done here.” Tsuyu held out the shopping basket to show him all the items she gathered.

Aizawa nodded and grabbed the basket from her hands and headed to the cashier. As the clerk rang up the items, Aizawa saw Tsuyu reach for her purse and he grabbed her hand. He shook his head and pulled out his credit card and paid for everything. Tsuyu shook her head and giggled softly.

Once the groceries were packed into the bags, they left the market hand in hand. Aizawa watched Tsuyu look around his neighborhood with curious eyes. It was amusing, his neighborhood was more family-oriented than her busy, trendy high-rise. He felt Tsuyu’s grasp tighten nervously as he opened the door to the apartment. Aizawa rubbed small circles on the outside of her hand reassuringly.

“Don’t worry. They are going to love you,” Aizawa said as he tugged her closer. “Let’s get inside so you can meet Yoko.”

At the mention of the gray tabby, Tsuyu relaxed her grip. She allowed him to lead her into the apartment. The couple entered into the modest apartment and Tsuyu looked around the simply furnished house. Aizawa wasn’t one for meaningless decorations but there were a series of photos around the apartment displaying the achievements of their little found family; birthdays, graduations, and various festivals. Yoko was asleep on the couch and didn’t want to be bothered with his sudden appearance. Tsuyu moved over to the tabby and squealed softly at the cat. She didn’t want to bother the cat so just cooed from afar.

“She’s too much like me, always napping.” Aizawa chuckled.

Tsuyu set her purse down on the coffee table. “Let’s start cooking. Do you have an apron I can borrow?”

Aizawa looked over Tsuyu’s striped blue shirt dress. He remembered the matching white bra and lace panties she had slipped on before putting on the dress. It was a pity that the kids were arriving soon because the idea of having Tsuyu in his bed wearing nothing but underwear was very tempting.

“Shota,” Tsuyu said, giving him a knowing glance. “Can we please get this meal started?”

Aizawa smirked. “Not the meal I had in mind.”

“Apron please?”

“Fine, fine, Eri keeps one in the kitchen. I’ll get it for you.” Aizawa went into the kitchen and grabbed a folded apron from the drawer.

Tsuyu unfolded the apron. She looked over the light blue apron decorated with a cat and hearts along the top. Tsuyu raised an eyebrow and a teasing smile graced her lips.

The corner of his mouth raised into a tiny smirk. “What can I say Eri likes cute things.”

“I’m sure, she does.”

Tsuyu slipped on the apron over her dress. Aizawa began to pull out the groceries from the bag, placing them on the table. This time Aizawa guided her around the kitchen to the items she needed, however, he waited for her instructions on how to help prep the meal. They moved in sync getting everything together. Tsuyu noticed the music player by the table and clicked it on. The room immediately filled with sweet, romantic pop music.

She raised an eyebrow in his direction. “Never pictured you listening to Taylor Swift.”

“I live with a teenager,” Aizawa rolled his eyes.

Tsuyu giggled and continued to work on preparing the squid they had bought while humming along to the music playing. Aizawa found himself humming along. Eri tended to play the same songs every time they cooked to know all the lyrics.

It felt right standing in the kitchen with Tsuyu cooking and humming to music that his daughter left queued up. He hadn’t felt this way a long time ago, the feeling of knowing that you are with the right person, in the right place, and you just want it to stay that way.

They continued to cook and hum along to the music. At one point Aizawa found Tsuyu’s swaying hips too tempting to ignore. He moved behind her, placing his hands on her hips, and started to move along with her. Tsuyu spun around and turned to face him. Aizawa grabbed one of her hands and placed the other on her waist while resting her head against his chest.

Aizawa was caught up feeling Tsuyu curl against him as they danced to the soft beat of the music, he didn’t hear the door. They were facing away from the kitchen doorway when a whistle interrupted the song.

“Look the old man can dance after all,” Shinsou said, causing Eri to giggle.

Aizawa felt Tsuyu tense at the sound of their voices. He held her tighter for a moment before pulling away. He turned around to see Shinsou and Eri standing in the doorway. Eri’s eyes were glittering with excitement while Shinsou appeared to be bored.

“Sensei?” Eri said, wiggling back and forth excitedly.

“You caught us red-handed, we were trying to get dinner done before you showed up. Sorry about that,” Aizawa said, ignoring the giggling woman behind him.

Eri and Shinsou pouted at his comment. Aizawa smirked at their faces, knowing that he was just prolonging the inevitable.

Tsuyu croaked softly and pushed Aizawa aside, revealing herself to Eri and Shinsou. “The squid is going to burn, Shota.”

“The fuck…” Shinsou’s jaw dropped at the sight of his former classmate.

“Tsu.” Eri squeaked as she rushed up to the woman. The two hugged, Eri clung onto Tsuyu’s hand and pointed at Aizawa excitedly. “So you’re the mystery woman?”

“I didn’t know I had a title, kero.”
Eri squealed. The teen pushed Aizawa away from the stove and immediately began to help Tsuyu with dinner. Eri followed the instructions given to her. It was sweet watching Tsuyu interact with Eri, it reminded him of Eri’s childhood at UA when Class A took the young girl under their wing. Tsuyu, having experience with her younger siblings, handed Eri with ease.

“Hitoshi you okay?” Aizawa had noticed the young man had remained unmoved from his spot by the doorway.

Shinsou looked at Tsuyu and then back at Aizawa. It was clear Shinsou was trying to figure out what to say. Aizawa nodded his head to the living room and Shinsou headed toward the other room in agreement.

“That is Tsu, right?” Shinsou crossed his arms as he stood in front of Aizawa.

Aizawa nodded. “The one and only.”

Shinsou narrowed his eyes; Aizawa could tell he was analyzing the situation. Then Shinsou cupped his chin with a sigh, “How?”

Aizawa snickered. Of course, the younger man would want to know how he hooked up with a younger woman like Tsuyu. “Tsu approached me when I attended Ryuukyuu’s going away party. Tsu joined me at the bar for drinks and we talked for a bit. I didn’t think much about it, but before I left she gave me her number on her business card.”

Shinsou nodded as he listened and motioned for Aizawa to continue, clearly aware that there were more details to the story.

Aizawa rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Do you need to know everything?”

“Yes, I do.”

Aizawa sighed and threw himself on the couch. “Tsu wore this sexy dress and she’s a pretty woman. So I might have…”

“No, I’m sure you did.” Shinsou amended as he sat next to Aizawa.

“Fine,” Aizawa huffed. “I was checking her out but Tsu started flirting first. I was surprised but I figured I would play along. I didn’t realize how easy it was to talk to her and I had a great time. When I was ready to leave and she gave me her number and told me not to be afraid to use it.”

“So you called her for a date.”

Aizawa shook his head. “Kageyama and Hizashi helped me. Kageyama suggested inviting Tsu to speak at UA, which I did. When Tsu was at UA, Hizashi and Kageyama cornered us into a lunch date. Then the rest just fell into place.”

Shinsou pursed his lips as he took in the information Aizawa provided. “So Pops knows about the whole thing. Kageyama too?”

“Yes, as well as others from UA.”

“So why didn’t you tell us?” Shinsou turned toward Aizawa with crossed arms.

Aizawa saw the briefest hint of disappointment in his eyes. It seemed to bother the younger man that so many knew about Tsuyu but he didn’t.

“To be completely honest,” Aizawa said as he looked toward the kitchen to see Tsuyu and Eri bounce around to the beat of the music. “I was scared. I was sure our age difference would be a problem and she would grow tired of me.”

Shinsou pushed his shoulder affectionately. “Not to mention you look like a bum half the time.”

“Watch it,” Aizawa narrowed his eyes at the statement. “But I didn’t want to tell you guys about her until I knew it was serious.”

“So it's serious?”

Aizawa nodded firmly. “She’s kind and understanding. Tsu has kept our relationship quiet just to make sure I was able to tell you first. I haven’t had someone put my needs first for a while. Then Tsu was stuck with doubles for the past week and it was torture. I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed her time and how much I want her around. So that’s why we’re here tonight.”

Shinsou rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Aizawa felt nervous as the young man thought over what was said. After a moment Shinsou took a deep breath before turning to him with a serious face.

“I understand, however,” Shinsou paused. “I’m not calling her mom.”

Shinsou laughed loudly as he fell onto the couch, holding his stomach. Aizawa didn’t find the joke that funny but let out a sigh of relief. It was clear that his found family had accepted Tsuyu into their home.

Aizawa smirked as Shinsou sat up trying to catch his breath. “You’ll only need to call her mom when she starts calling me daddy.”

“That’s gross, old man,” Shinsou said as he shoved Aizawa’s shoulder and Aizawa pushed back in response.

“Kero,” Tsuyu walked in as she was untying the apron. “Everything ok with you two?”

The two men stopped their antics and looked at Tsuyu. She had tossed the apron over a shoulder and was strategically fluffing up her hair after pulling it out of a ponytail. Tsuyu looked mature for her age in her polished shirt dress, simple jewelry, and natural makeup. Aizawa ate up every moment of watching her, especially since he knew what she was wearing underneath. Shinsou was hyper-aware that Aizawa was eyeing up the younger woman with eyes that were far from innocent.

“Stop it old man, that’s gross.” Shinsou shoved Aizawa.

Tsuyu blinked at the statement. Aizawa felt the tips of his ear burn in embarrassment.

“Well, dinner is ready,” Tsuyu said, slightly confused by the men.

“Good, I’m starving,” Shinsou said, jumping up from the couch. He held a hand out to Aizawa.

Aizawa looked at the offering and took hold of his hand. Once on his feet, Shinsou took the moment to pull Aizawa into a brief hug. “Just remember, Tsu is a good friend of good ol’ Number One. If you make her cry, he won’t care that you were our former teacher.”

Aizawa raised an eye in surprise. “Is that a threat?”

“No, just a fair warning since you’re family,” Shinsou said with a grin.

“Oh, well then, I guess I’ll only make her cry for other reasons.” Aizawa shoved Shinsou toward the kitchen.

“Ugh!” Shinsou exclaimed as he went into the kitchen.

Aizawa stood by the doorway of the kitchen and watched Shinsou ruffle Eri’s hair as he accepted a bowl of rice she handed to him. Tsuyu turned to the table, her hands full with plates full of the vegetables and squid. Shinsou immediately reached out to help grab a plate to place in the center of the table. Once the plates were placed Tsuyu grabbed the jug of barley tea, and began to pour the cool liquid into the cups. Aizawa watched as they chatted about the food.

He never thought that months before when Tsuyu boldly flirted with him at the bar he would feel this way. All the insecurities, all the doubt, and all the concern just seemed to evaporate from him since last night. He wanted her, he wanted her to stay. She wanted him, but more importantly, she accepted all of him. Aizawa knew the care and consideration Tsuyu had placed into the meal tonight was a sample of things to come. They would have time to see where things would lead, but at this moment Aizawa was content having her in his life and willing to take this journey with her.