Chapter Text
Aizawa entered UA with a sense of dread settling heavily on his shoulders. Parent-teacher conference day was, without question, one of the most taxing events on the academic calendar. The thought of a seemingly endless procession of parents, each one certain their child was entirely unique and gifted, was enough to wear down even the most patient teacher.
He steeled himself for the difficult and often awkward conversations that awaited him, knowing he would have to navigate each meeting with care. To make matters worse, Aizawa would be spending long hours seated beside a colleague whose company he did not particularly enjoy, a fact that threatened to turn a long day into an excruciating one. The anticipation alone gave him a headache before the meetings had even started.
Amidst all this, Aizawa caught himself longing for the familiar comfort of his bright yellow sleeping bag, a gag gift from his husband that had become an indispensable companion during long days at UA. If it were at all acceptable to use his quirk and simply sleep through the entire ordeal, he would have gladly taken that option, securing his place as the first in line for rest.
Before the meetings with the parents from class 1-A, Aizawa attended a staff gathering with all the teachers and Principal Nedzu. The main purpose was to review which parents would be present for the conferences. As the meeting progressed, the conversation among the staff gradually shifted from official matters to casual chatter and speculation. Teachers exchanged light-hearted bets on the potential outcomes of the various parent meetings, their voices blending into a background hum.
In the midst of this, Aizawa quietly savoured his first cup of coffee for the day, appreciating the sharp bitterness and mentally dubbing it ‘the drink of the gods.’ Lost in his thoughts, Aizawa paid little attention to the unfolding gossip around him, unaware that the routine proceedings of the conference day were about to be disrupted in ways he could not yet imagine.
Suddenly, Aizawa’s attention was captured when he overheard his husband, Hizashi, mention that “green bean’s dad will be at the meeting.” This immediately piqued Aizawa’s interest. Although Midoriya had often referenced his father and Aizawa’s own adopted son had seen old photos of him, no one at UA had ever actually met the man in person. Aizawa remarked, “Huh, really? Problem child hasn’t mentioned his dad being back in the picture. I wonder what he’s like.”
Glancing around, he noticed many of the other faculty members nodding in agreement. What caught Aizawa off guard, however, was the look of disappointment and faint anger on Yagi’s face. Midnight teased, “What’s got you looking like someone took away your ratings?”
Yagi replied, “Oh, nothing. I’m just wondering why he’s showing up now. He can’t be a great father if this is the first anyone’s heard of him, especially after everything that’s happened with young Midoriya this year.” Yagi seemed unaware of the disapproving look Principal Nedzu was giving him.
Aizawa, still processing the surprising news, replied, "Just because you haven't met him before doesn't mean he's a bad father. He might have been away for work. I know Midoriya told Shinsou and Todoroki that he speaks to his father most weekends—perhaps he just hasn't been able to see him for a while."
All Might responded indignantly, “And how would two first-year students possibly know that when young Midoriya hasn’t even told me this information? For all you know, these students could be lying to you.”
Aizawa’s irritation was palpable. He retorted, “So you’re suggesting my son, and his boyfriends are lying to me? Do you really think I wouldn’t be able to tell if they weren’t being truthful?”
Aizawa recognised that anger would not serve anyone, particularly with Yagi continuing to display such hostility regarding his three favourite students. While Aizawa admitted to himself that he might be a little biased, he found it perfectly acceptable considering the close bond he shared with his son and Izuku’s partners. As he exited the meeting, Aizawa overheard Hizashi stand up for their family, pointedly saying, “You have no idea the circumstances that led to green bean’s father not being visibly in the picture. Midoriya doesn’t tell you everything because he doesn’t fully trust you—or any authority figure, really. Aizawa has been working on building that trust. Maybe you should try doing the same.”
Aizawa felt a wave of pride listening to his husband defend their son and his boyfriends’ family. The affection he felt for Hizashi deepened, and he resolved to show his appreciation later. Despite the uncomfortable tension with Yagi, Aizawa reminded himself that earning Midoriya’s trust would take time, but it was a process he was determined to see through.
Arriving at his classroom, Aizawa checked that everything was in order for the upcoming parent meetings, all the while thinking about finally meeting Midoriya’s father. He hoped it might provide some answers about why Izuku’s quirk had been so untrained when he first arrived at UA. With this in mind, Aizawa allowed himself a moment of optimism, considering that the day might turn out better than expected after all.
As the day progressed, Aizawa steadily worked through the remainder of his parent-teacher conferences. Some meetings were particularly concerning, notably the one with Bakugou’s parents. While his father appeared approachable, Aizawa was struck by the brashness displayed by Bakugou’s mother and the parents’ complete obliviousness to the real nature of the relationship between Bakugou and Midoriya. When asked, they simply replied, “Oh, they’re best friends—have been since diapers. Has something happened?”
Aizawa refrained from voicing his true thoughts, namely that Bakugou seemed intent on antagonising Midoriya at every opportunity, often with alarming intensity. Instead, he diplomatically explained, “They seem to have a very strained relationship, and it appears to worsen whenever Midoriya achieves any kind of progress. I recommend scheduling an appointment for Katsuki with Hound Dog, as these responses to Midoriya could negatively impact both of them and their future careers.”
Bakugou’s parents agreed, assuring Aizawa that they would speak with their son to learn more about the situation and gave permission for him to arrange an appointment with Hound Dog during the following week.
Aizawa had growing concerns about Uraraka Ochako and her persistent fixation on Midoriya, which had reached a point where Midoriya himself approached Aizawa to request that measures be taken to keep Uraraka at a distance. Her actions were making him increasingly uncomfortable. When Aizawa discussed these issues with Uraraka’s parents, their response was troubling: “Well, he’s a nice boy—he should just grow up and give our precious Ochako a chance instead of trying to get away from her. He needs a nice girl in his life to keep him under control and start a family with.” This reaction helped explain why Uraraka had difficulty respecting Midoriya’s boundaries, and it became clear to Aizawa that this situation required careful attention to prevent it from escalating further.
Aizawa found the conference with Tenya Iida and his family to be particularly challenging, given several remarks and behaviours Tenya had exhibited toward some of his classmates. The discussion was further complicated by the presence of Tenya’s older brother, Tensei, who was also an old school friend of Aizawa’s.
Determined to address the concerns thoughtfully, Aizawa privately approached Tensei to discuss Tenya’s recent actions. He explained, “We seem to be having some issues with Tenya not accepting one of his friends’ relationships and being quite rude and forceful with his beliefs. I completely understand that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, however, that does not give anyone the right to try and force someone—who was supposed to be their friend—to leave a relationship they are very happy in. Just because it’s a gay triad and your brother doesn’t agree with it, he’s been trying to push this same friend into a relationship with a girl who has repeatedly made him feel uncomfortable. When he doesn’t get his way, he says some quite homophobic things.”
As Aizawa spoke, he could see the shock and disgust on Tensei’s face upon hearing about his brother’s recent behaviour. Tensei replied sincerely, “I had no idea he felt like this. I would have stopped it immediately if I had known. I’m so sorry, I’ll have a discussion with him as soon as we get home.”
Relieved that the conversation had gone well, Aizawa prepared to move on, noting that only two more students remained for the day, finally feeling that an end to this exhausting series of meetings was in sight.
With the day drawing to a close, Aizawa prepared for one of his briefest meetings: the conference with Mineta Minoru and his parents. Having received authorisation to inform them that Mineta would no longer be part of the UA hero course due to persistent racist, homophobic, sexist, and inappropriate behaviour, Aizawa felt a sense of relief at the prospect of no longer needing to supervise the student’s conduct. As anticipated, the meeting was fraught with tears and threats regarding Aizawa’s employment, yet he remained untroubled, knowing that Principal Nedzu fully supported the decision.
Now, with only twenty-five minutes remaining before his final, and much anticipated, meeting with the Midoriya family, Aizawa allowed himself a moment to collect his thoughts and prepare for the important conversation ahead.