Passing Euphoria (Aizawa Shouta x Reader) (Commissioned Series)

Ch.14

You and Aizawa glanced at one another and you chuckled quietly. It seemed Eri had picked both of you and neither of you minded. So with that, Eri happily walked between you and Aizawa as you went to the ticket window.

You paid for your own while Aizawa bought his and Eri's. You however insisted that you be the one to buy Eri a snack or toy to make it fair between you. Aizawa didn't argue back, only shrugging but clearly fine with your proposal. With that, the three of you entered the aquarium and started to follow the path.

The good thing about aquariums in Japan- they had every exhibit along a single path. Thus keeping not only people moving easily, but also making sure visitors didn't miss any animal. With that, you three started off. The first exhibit was one that was made to look like a forest. Descriptions of how snow would melt and run off mountains into rivers and then eventually make it to the ocean one way or another.

You would read each and every information sign Eri asked about. She looked to absorb it all with a gleam in her eyes. Though, when she spied the first animal, it was clear that the signs were nothing compared to the animals.

"They are so cute!!" Eri eagerly told you as the pair of you were crouched by a viewing window.

Aizawa stood behind the pair of you, also interested in the little sea otters that were playing around in an exhibit that truly took the animals' concerns into mind. As the room, the otters were in no doubt had been researched to look as much like a natural sea otter environment as possible.

From that point on... Eri zoomed from one creature to another. She always spent several minutes watching the animals before grabbing both your and Aizawa's hands and then carrying on to the next one. You smiled, seeing as she had taken a real fancy to sea turtles, especially the baby ones that recently hatched.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself just as much as Eri." Aizawa's voice pulled you away from gazing at the turtles yourself.

You chuckled and embarrassingly rubbed at your hair. "I always have had a soft spot for animals. I always begged for a pet growing up... but my parents always refused. I suppose that coming to places like here and the zoo holds a special place in my heart. Even now as an adult."

"I'm really only fond of the feline variety," Aizawa told you with a light smirk.

"I don't think we'll be seeing a cat of any kind here sadly, Aizawa." You joked right back. "Though... those sea otters were really fluffy."

"Sea cats!!"

You and Aizawa looked down, seeing that Eri had been looking and listening to you both as you walked towards a huge glass wall. It seemed that to Eri, sea otters were essentially the felines of the ocean in her little head.

"Sea otters do love to cuddle as much as regular cats." You muttered, seeing as Eri might indeed be onto something.

Aizawa smirked again, seeing that you really did understand kids so well. Maybe that was why you were such a successful counselor because a part of you still had that child-like wonder and hope in your eyes and words.

Your little group of three carried on and came to one of those huge tubes you'd walkthrough to be able to see the sea critters at any and every angle. Eri looked nervous to walk on glass, but with a little encouragement from you and Aizawa, she was in the walkway shaped like a tube and gasping at every and all creatures that swam by her.

"It's stuck to the glass!" Eri pointed to a stingray that was resting on the glass.

"It must have gotten tired of swimming." You told her and saw Eri give you a confused look.

"How can a fish get tired of swimming?" She asked you.

"Do you eventually get tired after walking or running?" Aizawa asked her and Eri seemed to understand then.

Her attention was unable to stay on one topic, however, with so many sea animals all around her. Soon Eri was dragging you both eagerly to a clownfish and saying she knew what this fish was because Tsuyu and her had watched Finding Nemo a few weeks back.

"It's almost like she has upwards to fifty big brothers and sisters, huh?" You chuckled, seeing as Eri was loved by both Classes 1-A and 1-B as well as a select few hero course third years.

"She's certainly taking up the role of cute little sister as well," Aizawa told you, motioning to Eri's hair. "Hadou refused to let us leave this morning until she finished braiding Eri's hair."

"It sounds like Eri really is getting the family she has always deserved, huh?" You smile gently. "I'm really glad... she's wonderful and deserves so much happiness."

Aizawa could only nod and offer a sweet smile of his own in a silent reply. You were right though, as he too was so glad to see Eri flourishing among the students and staff at UA.

As the pair of you continued to talk and walk with one of Eri's hands in each of yours, neither of you picked up on what had caught Eri's eyes several times. She didn't ask about it, as she didn't know if it was okay too. But it stayed in her head for the rest of the trip to the aquarium and was still on her mind when she woke up the next morning.

Lucky for Eri, Deku was going to spend the afternoon with her. Deku was the smartest and bravest person she knew! She knew right away she could entrust him with her question and he'd be able to answer her question. She waited eagerly all that morning and then hugged Midoriya close when he did show up for his afternoon time with her to allow Mirio to get his condition checked out.

Midoriya and Eri decided that making candied apples was what they wanted to do. As they got started, Eri turned to her hero and Midoriya blinked when he saw Eri looking at him with a confused expression.

"Is everything okay, Eri-chan?" Midoriya asked her and Eri exhaled gently.

"Deku? Are parents supposed to hold your hand?" She asked him suddenly.

Midoriya was taken aback. He didn't know where this came from, but Eri seemed to really be desiring an answer. He smiled gently at her and rubbed her locks.

"Yeah. Usually, a mom or a dad would hold your hand." He told her. "Why are you asking, Eri-chan?"

Eri's eyes grew big and a smile that was filled with wonder and understanding covered her face. It seemed she was more than pleased with his answer.

"All the other kids at the aquarium had either a mom or dad holding their hands! Does that make Aizawa and (Last Name) my mom and dad?" She looked at Midoriya with those bright and sweet eyes of hers.

However, now realizing what Eri had been talking about and that he really shouldn't be looking or giving Eri ideas about the personal lives of his teacher and counselor... Midoriya did the only thing he knew how to do when he realized a situation was getting out of hand quickly.

He panicked and became frantic.

"E-Eri-chan!" Midoriya called out at her and looked very worried. "H-how about we go and see Uraraka-san? I-I think she and the other girls in my class were making cookies today!!"

Eri's attention was instantly off her observations and now on the idea of cookies. Midoriya was glad their own treats were setting in the fridge and that he dodged a real bullet. So with a nervous smile, he ushered Eri to his own dorm and listened to her eagerly tell him all about her favorite kinds of cookies.

~~~~~

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