Chapter Text
The night started off as any other. He'd set out from his apartment on a routine patrol, ready for anything that might be lurking in the shadows, be it villain or otherwise. And yet, by fate's design or his own hubris, nothing went according to plan.
In the first scuffle of the evening, Aizawa's target was a purse-cutting thief with a knife finger quirk. He apprehended them easily enough, using his capture weapon and a quick flick of the wrist. It had even been a lucky break; that villain had a small bounty on his head. He might even get a small bonus on his next safety commission paycheck.
Amazing what a little money did to his mood, he almost had a bounce in his step as he took down three more idiots.
Everything seemed to be going his way, or at least he thought so, until he stopped on a rooftop to adjust his belt. It felt rather light on one side and was throwing off his balance. Aizawa checked through his pockets and found the holes. The knife bastard had cut clean holes in the bottoms. Tch. All of his scent-blocking supplies and suppressants were gone.
Yeah, he could restock them at his house, had plenty from the commission and was decent with a needle... that was all well and good...
But this wasn't just any other night.
Tonight, he was over an hour away from his shitty apartment complex, having ignored Hizashi's advice to stay close to home this week.
If he stopped to think logically about it, yes, his friend was right, he should have stayed close to home, his heat was on the horizon and he should have been prepared-because wouldn't that loudmouth know it, his body chose then and there to fire it up. Aizawa could feel the air thicken around him with his unblocked, unsuppressed scent, and admonished his lack of foresight. Should have just taken a shot before leaving the apartment. You knew it was coming on soon.
He patted down the other pockets in his belt and wiggled two fingers into cut ones, hoping beyond hope that there might be something hidden on his person.
No such luck. He looked back in the direction he come from, and for about three seconds thought about trying to get back to the crime scene, but the wind was brisk that night, the pill packets and patches were lightweight, and there was little chance the villain had cut him in the same place he'd been captured; his supplies were long gone.
He cursed.
He glanced around the neighborhood, hoping to catch a lucky break and find a local convenience store. They usually carried over-the-counter basic (and deliciously bubblegum-flavored) suppressants for emergencies. Unfortunately, a quick scan of the surrounding buildings revealed nothing but broken out glass, pitch black alleys, and the intermittent buzz of failing street lamps.
The situation just grew worse, after all, a heat didn't just suddenly come on and go away, and there was no mental concentration that could keep the physical cycle at bay. He sighed once more and mentally analyzed the situation, scrolling through what little options he had in the matter.
Fuck it, I should just go home, call Hizashi out to cover.
Except that was an equally stupid idea, as they were pack mates and and if he'd started, well there was a 96 percent chance Hizashi had too. Aizawa did actually turn around and start heading home, determined he'd figure something out. Maybe even subject himself to magic grape fast-acting suppressant #3 he had in his cupboard still half-full that expired 2 years ago. He wasn't going to be one of those idiots that insisted they could 'work through it'. But before he could run even one block, the sound of screaming from a back alley halted him in his tracks. He told himself it was stupid and foolish to go looking for villains in his condition, in the poorly-lit environment of back-alley street lamps, but that couldn't stop him.
The scream had been a child's, and his feet started moving before he had time to think. Pure instinct.
He moved toward the noise, flinging himself from rooftop to rooftop until he could better localize the sound, and the scent.
There.
In the far back of a dingy alley, barely lit by a single flickering bulb, a group of gangly assholes surrounded a small boy, crying and screaming for help. His scent just poured out into the surrounding area. An omega in distress. The poor boy was going through what was more than likely his first heat, too early and unexpected, probably triggered by the stress of the situation. It was lucky none of the thugs cornering him were alphas. He shuddered at the thought, and was eternally grateful his first had been at home, with extremely supportive parents.
It was no time to be thinking of the past, though, the victim waited for him at the bottom of the alley, a crying mess as tears flooded down his face. Aizawa's heart clenched at the sight. I have to save him. It was really only a matter of time before an Alpha in the neighborhood smelled them. They weren't that small of a percent of the population, one might even live nearby, and he wasn't going to take his chances on it being a good one.
There are seven... no... eight. Three in front, three to the left and two on the right. None of the roof, good. Seem to be unarmed, but unknown quirk-wise. It would be best to take them by surprise before they know I'm here. They shouldn't be able to smell me, especially over the kid.
The wind took that opportunity to prove his point, skittering leaves along the rooftop around his feet and he caught his own scent. Won't have much time now, myself. I need to move, and quickly.
Using his chance for a surprise attack, Aizawa lowered his capture weapon behind the group of three, slowly circling their feet as they goaded the scared omega boy.
"Hey, omega-chan... you should come home with us instead. We could have some fun. Our boss would love you, you're so cute."
He cringed at the implication of the man's words and right when the flickering light went well and truly out, he pulled his weapon taught, knocking the three center villains off their feet and throwing them against the alley's brick wall. He smiled as they fell into a dumpster and didn't come crawling back out. Good, stay in there like the trash you are. That left him five more, but with how dark the alley was, none of them could see him from his rooftop perch.
"Let's get out of here." One tugged his colleague's sleeve and gestured to the boy, "Boss won't be happy if he's bailing us out of jail instead of playing with a pretty--"
Before they could take another step, he jumped down from his vantage point, smashing the two who'd been speaking into the concrete, face first. The light came back on, if only long enough for the remaining parties to see each other.
"Don't even think about touching him," Aizawa growled. If his heat hadn't fully hit before, it had now. Fucking hormone triggers.
It seemed the remaining thugs had lost their will to fight, and wasn't that just a shame? These idiot lackeys had had the audacity to corner an omega like he was a piece of meat, a child even; he wasn't just angry. He was furious.
Aizawa's capture weapon floated in the air around him, his hair trailing along with it. Using it with hardy a thought, he picked off the remaining villains one by one, dragging them toward him before knocking them unconscious with a chop to the neck or swift kick to the skull. One tried to run, and another tried to escape using his quirk, each to no avail.
Once he was satisfied the encounter was well and truly finished, he blinked, allowing the ribbon-like loops of his weapon to curl back around his neck and his hair to fall. The alley light flickered back on, strong and buzzing while he used a few zip ties from his belt to restrain the thugs that were still conscious. He called the local patrol line and asked for a villain pickup.
He hung up once they'd sent a team out and turned to approach the kid. He'd squirmed into the smallest corner at the back edge of the dumpster. The kid was small, couldn't have been more than six. Curly blackish green hair with a smattering of freckles on his cheeks. Teary green eyes that were huge and so filled with fear, it was almost contagious.
"Mind if I set next to you?" He asked, already starting to crouch down. The kid nodded, and Aizawa let him smush up against his side and cry. What if he'd been one of your students? Sure they were older than this kid, but they were just as defenseless in the real world. What if they'd succeeded, as they surely had before? Where would they have taken him--would his family have ever seen him again?
The kids tears and snot soaked into Aizawa's uniform, the black fabric growing cold and sticking to his skin as the sobs slowly subsided. They had almost come to a stop by the time the police arrived on scene. His charge refused to let him up, so he gave his short report from the ground. One of the officers, a kind lady, tried to coax the child from his arms, but the kid wasn't budging. She was even nice enough to offer him a dose of her emergency suppressants in the squad vehicle.
"They're for Alphas, but there's no difference, right?"
He blinked at her for a moment, "Um, there is actually. But I'll be fine. I'll just take him home and be on my way."
She shrugged and shut their door after the last villain piled in. "See you next time, then, Eraser. Get home safe."
They sat for a few more minutes, until the boy let him up.
"Alright, kid. We should get you home. I'm here, I'm here... don't worry..."
Aizawa glanced about the alley, now silent but for the continued rustling of leaves on the wind, we really do have to leave soon or...
Footsteps approached them from the further darkness of the alley, and he gripped the child's hand tighter. He took a breath in and regretted it almost immediately as the roof of his mouth started to water. Trust an Alpha to sniff us out. Of fucking course. What excellent timing for them to 'save the day'.
He pulled the kid to stand a little further behind him, a rumbling growl thrumming in the back of his throat. As the Alpha grew closer, he could see that it was a giant of a man, but more than a hulking beast, he approached them warily, with a sheepish, polite smile on his face and his hands in the air. With his height, Aizawa expected more muscle, and almost definitely more arrogance, but again, he was surprised; the Alpha was quite lean, wearing just a white t-shirt and olive cargo pants. He only came close enough to be under the full light of the alley light before he stopped. In one large hand, Aizawa noticed he held a small clear bag of pills. They were purple Omega suppressants. He looked back to the man's face and found exactly what he wasn't expecting, a pair of tiny white tabs poked out just below his nose; a standard issue scent-blocker.
Huh-- a prepared Alpha, actually taking the respectful and recommended precautions. I guess there's a first time for everything.
"I just want to help. I promise I'm not here to hurt you, or anything like that." His tone was calm and even, almost like he'd been trained... Aizawa narrowed his eyes, moderately suspicious. Retired Hero? Kudos to him though, I don't think I've met an Alpha that was actually what I considered to be 'polite'. He nodded slightly and backed off his growling. The Alpha lowered his hands and handed the bag off, then quickly took several steps back.
"They're um... they're suppressants, if you... wish to have them. I know some can't take them, health reasons, personal choices, etc. but I thought it'd be better to ask and have you not want them than to--to have you go out there by yourself... possibly get hurt, eh.. n-not that you can't take care of yourself! I --um-sorry if I'm making assumptions... I'm gunna go now. Get home safe, hero-san!" the man laughed lightly and rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture, quickly backing away into the shadows.
Aizawa shook his head, what a mess this whole night has been, but that Alpha... I wonder who he was? Surprisingly... nice... for an Alpha, anyway, he thought with a touch of bitterness as he swallowed two of the purple pills. The boy was too young to take them, so he'd just have to protect him from any stray Alphas. He tucked the remaining pills in an un-cut pocket of his belt, and was surprised that he felt a measure of relief that the Alpha man had been there. It left a bad taste in his mouth. Fuck the knotheads.
He normally could take care of himself just fine, but being alone in the middle of the night in a shady part of town was bad enough on a normal night; let alone while he was up shit creek without a paddle in sight. It struck him on an oddly deep level that this random Alpha man of all people, had actually helped him. It almost made him want to laugh at the irony of it all. Unless of course he had ulterior motives... but then... he probably wouldn't have just left without another word, right? Or maybe the suppressants were laced. Shit. Should have thought of that...
His thoughts were too unfocused about this Alpha, much too complicated for the immediate situation, so he filed them away for later. What good would it do to worry about that small possibility? Trigger you into a stress heat despite suppressants, for one. Calm the fuck down, Shouta, you don't have to suspect every good deed to have a motive, even if you've been given zero reason to accept for the opposite.
He took a deep breath and tried to focus. Now that his impending heat had been temporarily suppressed, for probably about 4 hours or so--he could worry about getting this kid home. Honestly should have just let the cops take him, I'm far away enough from home as it is. It would probably take that entire time window to get the job done.
The sector he'd taken that night was rife with crime, and that meant good money, but as an omega hero on the edge of a barely-suppressed heat, with a charge clinging to him that was going through their first? It just wasn't a good idea to stick around; the odds were not in their favor. They had to get moving.
Aizawa looked up to see if the Alpha was still there, to maybe thank him and be off, but a gust of wind flurried through the alley, blowing his hair in his face and effectively blinding him.
When he could see again, the Alpha was clearly gone, and any scent he'd left behind as well. The hero couldn't blame him for not wanting to stick around, and tried to coax the child into movement.
"Can we get going? I could use a nap and I have to take you home first."
A quick nod.
"What's your name kid?" Probably should have asked earlier. Oh well.
"I-I-Izuku."
"Okay, Izuku, I'm going to take you home. Do you remember where you live at all?"
They started walking.
"I don't re-re-remember how to get there. My mom says my address is Apartment 62..."
He rattled off the rest of the address as if he'd been meant to repeat it over and over until he got it. Aizawa thanked whatever adult had the foresight to do so.
"I think I can get you there, Izuku. Are there any cool things nearby your apartment building? A school? A park?"
It would keep him calm if they kept talking while they walked, and it passed the time quickly enough.
"Y-yeah. There is a new park down the street. It has really big swings and they just got a new slide! It looks like All Might's huge grin and has giant yellow things that stick way up from his head!"
That sounds like an apartment complex across town, Aizawa thought to himself.
"Are you a fan of All Might, Izuku?"
"Yeah! I'm his number one fan. I have a figurine and a costume and everything! I've watched his debut a thousand times! Mom even made me a bookmark on her computer so I can watch it all the time!"
"Wow, sounds like she's a great mom."
"She is."
"Well Izuku, it sounds like you're a ways from home. Mind if I ask how you got here?"
"I was running away from Kacchan. We were playing villains and heroes, and I was the villain again. He chased me really far and I got lost." He sniffed and rubbed his nose on his sleeve.
"Mmm.. and who is 'kacchan'?"
"He's a boy at my school. I think he's my friend, but he's really mean to me and always makes me play the villain. He say's I'm weak for being an omega and quirkless, so I should always get beat by the cool heroes."
"That doesn't sound very friendly to me." He responded quietly.
They walked and talked about a variety of subjects, Izuku slowly taking over the conversation, much to Aizawa's favor, as he wasn't really the chatty type. Eventually they ran out of things to say and were silent for a while.
"I want my mom." Izuku mumbled, dragging his feet and pulling his hand out of Aizawa's. He crossed his arms and pouted.
"We'll be there soon, okay? I'm sure you're tired. I can carry you if you like?"
The kid nodded, and Aizawa crouched down for him to hop up on his back. Izuku's arms gripped too tight about his neck, squeezing his capture weapon and collar uncomfortably sharp against his skin, but at least he wasn't going to fall off. His legs dangled loosely about his waist.
Based on the heat Aizawa could feel through his thin uniform, Izuku had come down with a fever.
"You're awesome, hero-san." The boy whispered, already half-asleep as he leaned his head on Aizawa's shoulder.
"Not so bad yourself, Izuku." he responded, to no one but himself.
--
Eventually they came up to the child's neighborhood, and the feeling of someone watching them from the shadows pricked at the edge of his senses. At every turn he checked over one shoulder then the other to be sure that no one was there. Every time, there was nothing. Now that Izuku had passed out, the scent that lingered in their wake would have died down some, even if his fever hadn't. His back was damp from the kid's extra body heat and the thought of a scalding hot shower once he got home sounded glorious.
They passed the park, and just as Izuku had said, a brand new All Might slide had been installed, completely manufactured from blazing red and blue plastics, and giant yellow blobs. He supposed you could get All Might from it, with the coloring and a child's imagination. It was a nice enough neighborhood, and he was glad the child would at least be somewhere safe during the remainder of his heat.
Across the road was a medium-sized apartment complex with two buildings, each boasting four floors. The right started at 10 and the left at 50. Quite logically, he walked to the left building, as stopped at the second apartment on the second floor, marked 62. A small nameplate to the right was stamped with the characters for 'Midoriya'. Must be their family name. A cat snoozed by the next door, yawning as he approached and cracking one golden eye open at him.
Aizawa knocked on the door, and before he could even lower his hand, the door came swinging open and the most adorable little woman answered the door, her eyes red with tears. She immediately saw her son and ran to take him.
"I-I-Izukuuuu! Thank you so much for bringing him home, oh I've been so worried!"
"Not a problem, ma'am." Aizawa crouched down and let Izuku slide from his back.
"I should tell you, though, I found him across town, looking to be going through a distress heat. Judging by his age, I'd say it was likely his first, and a bit early for it. Will you two be okay?"
She nodded vigorously and held Izuku tight to her chest, "Thank you so much, Hero-san. How can I repay you? What's your code? I can--"
"There's no need. Just stay safe, okay?"
She nodded, and fresh tears bubbled up and spilled out. He gave them a curt nod and a little smile, waving as he used his capture weapon to latch onto a light pole and steal away into the night.
Aizawa landed across the street, on the top bar of the swing frame in the park. He couldn't shake that prickly feeling. Something was out there.
"The kid's home safe. You can come out now."
Nothing happened for several long, quiet moments, almost making Aizawa doubt that he had heard anything at all. A whisper of a breeze tickled the air through the park. The sweat on his back dried and turned cold. Leaves swirled and rustled on the barren cement. Goosebumps prickled on his arms and legs; Night patrols would be getting cold soon.
I'll have to start wearing thicker clothes.
He stood there and waited.
Another minute went by and the Alpha from earlier stepped out from underneath the All Might slide.
"Alpha-san." Aizawa found himself disappointed. Another pompous, blowhard Alpha that just couldn't help following a poor, helpless Omega hero home. Should have known he was just waiting until I was alone.
"Sorry for following you, Hero. I just couldn't shake the need to be sure the both of you were safe." The Alpha smiled as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Just doing his 'civic duty' and whatever.
"I got him home safe. Thanks to your suppressants, I should be fine. There was and is no need to worry."
He pulled his capture weapon up a little farther over his face, hoping it would dampen what he could pick up of the Alpha's scent. Sweet and maybe a little bit spicy...
"Yes. Yes that's true. I'm sorry. Um... well... I'm not trying to be overbearing, but would you.. consider allowing me to walk you home anyway?"
Aizawa blinked at him for a good five seconds. The man was just so awkward. If he didn't hate Alphas so much, he might have even smiled at someone offering such a thing. He glanced at his phone and saw that his little trip to Izuku's had taken up the majority of his time, and the shift was just about over. It seemed too easy, the man standing across from him in this children's playground, in the middle of the night, offering to escort him home? It was quite nice. Perhaps too nice. There was really no way he didn't have something else on his mind.
You know... what if that... you know admittedly tiny tiny, miniscule even, chance is right? What if his intentions are true?
It was a silly little want wiggling about the back of his mind, but for once, and for reasons he'd probably regret if he ever came to his senses, Aizawa decided to take a chance. Just this once. He grinned down from the top of the swingset.
"I suppose I wouldn't mind company walking in the same direction."
Almost entirely because I'm morbidly curious of your ulterior motives.... and I just don't care to fight anyone off if the suppressants stop working properly.
"Excellent!"
It wasn't the time of day for a slow, leisurely walk, so they took to the rooftops. Aizawa was surprised when the other man could keep up with the way he flew across town, jumping, tumbling and leaping from one building to the next. The high speed travel didn't allow for much conversation, but Aizawa preferred it that way, and truly appreciated the way the cold air bit into his skin as he sailed through the midnight skies, at the very mercy of his capture weapon.
Before any time had passed at all, they were a scant few blocks from his apartment. Aizawa stopped and waited the few seconds it took the mystery Alpha man to catch up.
"Wow, you're really fast! What's your hero name?" he asked.
"I don't generally share it, but it's Eraserhead."
"Oh! You're Eraserhead! I've heard great things about you!" The blond man flashed him a huge smile, and he felt a twinge, like he recalled something familiar, but couldn't quite place it.
"Mm.. Sure. I'd prefer if you didn't. I live just a block or two away, so I'll be able to make it from here, okay?"
"Understood. You have a great night, Eraserhead."
"Mh." Aizawa turned back to him, about to ask for the other man's name, but another odd gust of wind, and he was gone. In the sky above he was sure he could pick out a blue suit with silver stripes... oh surely not. There's no fucking way.
He blinked twice just to be sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, but then the figure in the sky was gone, leaving only the stars in the inky black.
Of course it isn't him. No. It couldn't possibly be.
--
Some time later, Aizawa had all but forgotten about his mysterious, yet gentlemanly Alpha. Occasionally he would wonder about them, but it was difficult to cling to any hope good ones existed when you were surrounded by knotheads on the daily. One good apple could not save the rotting barrel.
On a random Sunday, his one true day off, Aizawa found himself being pinged about a large scale villain attack in his area on the hero network. He was one of the few within the radius of relevance, and thus had to respond to the call. He didn't anticipate being the first on scene, but that didn't last long.
In an all-too-familiar gust of wind, he was joined by the number one hero, All Might himself. With each punch the hero gave a villain, a burst of that powerful, unnatural wind whipped around the scene. Where have I felt this pressure before? The question left him distracted just long enough for one of the villains to almost land an attack on him. They swung an arm morphed into a sharp metal point, and he barely dodged it before it could plunge straight into his shoulder, much too close to the heart. He tried to erase the quirk, but it was a mutant-type, and his attempt failed. He jumped back out of range as the villain brought his arm back around for a second lunge.
Aizawa looped his capture weapon around the man's arm, hoping to hold it still while he figured out another course of action, but it turned out to be unnecessary. A shadow loomed over them, and from above, like the giant, flashy hero he was, All Might threw the largest of the villains straight down into the dirt, taking out Aizawa's target and throwing him back in the resulting pressure wave. He collided with a pile of rubble, knocking the air from his lungs and making him see stars.
Fucking All Might and his flashy bullshit--
The number one hero quickly took the few remaining villains out, and returned to help him up. A gentle smile, his huge hands.... the wind...
The pieces clicked together in his mind and suddenly Aizawa wished he could be underneath said concrete rubble and disappear forever.
There is absolutely no way he's not the same dude from that night. But... he looked so different! Not near as flashy, or as big. How do I even bring it up? 'Oh hey, thanks for helping me that one time, so I didn't start jumping random strangers in search of a knot for the night.' I'd sound like an absolute idiot if he wasn't him, or even worse if he didn't remember it happening at all!
"Eraserhead! It's been a while! Glad to see you're doing well!" The giant man held out a hand and flashed him a huge smile. Aizawa's stomach fell. The same smile. He acted as if they had met before, that this was just another day in the life of the number one hero--and Aizawa had to remind himself that it was in fact because they had.
Gentleman Alpha was All Might.
Because of course he was.
A deep flush crept Aizawa's cheeks at the thought, and he tentatively took the massive hand in front of him. All Might picked him up from the rubble with ease, damn near pulling off his arm in the process, and thanked him for his help in taking out the villains. (Even if he didn't actually do shit.) He quickly left to report to the police what had happened, and was on his way to the next encounter, leaving a stunned Aizawa in his wind-blown wake.
I didn't even get to properly thank him.