Thread by @ryneisa_fan

#bnha au in which aizawa's quirk doesn't need to be activated and is on 24/7 so he has to use a blindfold to stop his quirk

(angstier au in thread?)

this is inspired by me reading fics where mic had to wear a muzzle when he was younger bc of his quirk, and i thought, what if that but aizawa? it didn't make sense to have him wear a blindfold if he could turn his quirk on and off, so his quirk is permanently activated

so because it's much angstier to chain them because of something they can't control, aizawa gets a 24/7 quirk yay!

if he had to live in a foster home then he probably wouldn't have been allowed to take it off either, so he had to spend most of his days in the blindfold, and because of that when he has to use his eyes when he gets into the hero course he's rly sensitive to light

idk if that's how it works? but shh we fear no god here

anyways, erasermic bonding over this trauma, fluff happens, also am i projecting gojo onto aizawa a little? maybe! you can't stop me and i'm not stopping myself

now for the ANGSTIER angst c:<

(tw from now on: violence against a minor, bullying, eye wounds)

au of this au where people are a lot meaner, and instead of having the blindfold on him, aizawa gets bullied, and on an unfortunate occasion, someone actually ends up blinding him. the bullies are scared of consequences, so they don't call for help and leave him in an alley.

this ends up making aizawa permanently blind, and guess what? aizawa's quirk doesn't work anymore! permanently! which means he's essentially blind AND quirkless, and life is going to get so much harder for him haha

and then y'know more bullying, more pain, more angst, all that good stuff yes? but i still want him to get into ua so he still gets into ua, into gen ed

and then blah blah, transfer and all that, it actually causes more of an uproar in the sports festival, because a quirkless kid is taking them by storm woa?? and bc of this he does get support items, but i think he wouldn't want to use much bc ""cheating""

i forgot to mention earlier, but he probably had his quirk status changed from erasure to quirkless? idk, just a thought

(!! spoilers? i think? spoilers for a character i guess, be warned, from here on out!!))

anyways, fast forward to when he meets shirakumo and yamada, bc they keep bothering him and he's like ugh fine whatever. baby gets adopted by the extroverts and all is fine and well

food for thought in this au, i actually don't know the details or reason shirakumo was taken? only that he was taken, so in this au, i want him to live. therefore, i'm going to say that whatever villain attack he died in didn't happen

because where aizawa had a quirk and afo wanted to take it (which is a speculation lol) but in this au everyone knows he's qiurkless so nothing happens, shirakumo lives and all that good shit

so they're in their third year when either yamada or shirakumo asks aizawa about the blindfold, and at first they think he's not going to answer

but then he laughs and says, 'alright,' and they're both listening as he takes a breath.

'when i was younger, i had a quirk.'

they want to say something, but aizawa stops them with a hand.

'it was called erasure. could erase the quirk of anyone i was looking at. it was permanent too, which meant that no one wanted me to look at them in fear i'd erase their quirk. i had to wear a blindfold for them.'

he can hear their sharp gasps, but he knows that he won't continue if they stop him, so he barrels on.

'one day, it got really bad. the people who threw sand in my eyes decided it wasn't enough and i think one of them hurt my eyes? it was something sharp, i don't remember.'

'i think it was an accident. but that didn't matter, because when they saw the blood, they panicked and ran. i couldn't run, i couldn't see. they didn't tell anyone either, because they were scared to get in trouble. i think it was a while before someone found me.'

'but by then it was too late, because apparently i bled out too much and lost my vision. i couldn't see anything, even after they tried to heal my eyes. so. i tried using my quirk after that, but because i couldn't see, i couldn't use it.'

a deep breath. 'the bullying didn't get worse, but it changed. now people were making fun of me because i was quirkless instead of having a villain's quirk. anyways. now i just wear the blindfold because someone told me my scars were ugly.'

both yamada and shirakumo and literally. in a puddle of their tears. they are literally so emotional and hurting on behalf of their friend and aizawa is just like //shrug// it's whatever and theyre like QAQ NO IT'S NOTTTTTT

anyways cuddles and comfort happen and all that happy shit, aizawa becomes a quirkless hero yay!

(gonna do a continuation with quirkless!dk too so i can fulfill my dadzawa needs)

in this au, he obviously can't be eraserhead because he doesn't erase shit, but i was thinking of 'null' as a hero name? i've seen fics where that's villain aizawa's hero name, but here it's like -

'null' as in there is nothing in him (aka his quirk), but it's also a nice throwback to when he DID have his quirk. i thought that that was fancy wordplay HAHA

anyways, fast forward, he's still an underground hero, all that fun stuff, and then canon divergence happens when after midoriya's left on the rooftop, expect he didn't get down from earlier in the day and thus never really ran into kacchan after.

(side note, inko isn't present here, because who doesn't love more angst? let's say she died a bit after midoriya was diagnosed quirkless)

aizawa's on his patrol, when he comes across the boy - who doesn't even make an attempt to be subtle when aizawa rolls onto his rooftop - and he's tensing himself up for a fight if the stranger tries to attack him, when -

'n-null?'

he doesn't expect to hear his hero name from what sounds like a young boy, and even if he relaxes just incrementally, he still has his guard up for what could be an ambush.

'yes,' he answers shortly, because it's not like he can pretend he's not, especially if this kid knows him, out of all the underground heroes in particular. 'how'd you know my name, kid?'

he doesn't hear the kid stepping towards or away from him, and it takes a few seconds for him to answer, quiet, 'there's two videos of you on the internet. there's forums where the people you saved talk about you.'

and - oh. that's not what he was expecting.

'okay,' he says softly, like he's trying not to spook a cat, 'that's okay, kid. can i ask why you're up here? can i help get you down?'

(tw: allegations to and mentions of suicide, suicide baiting)

there's another pause, and the kid finally sighs and there's brittle laughter in his voice when he says, 'i should save you the trouble and take the easy way down.'

the easy way down, the kid says, and shouta doesn't think he means the stairs.

'kid,' he tries again, 'it's my job to help you. if you have anything to get off your chest, i can listen.'

another pause, and shouta's just wondering if the boy will respond when he hears, 'i think it'll be okay if you help me get down. when - um. when i got up here the door was locked, so i, um, i couldn't get down.'

'alright,' shouta says slowly, 'i'll help. how'd you get here?'

there's the sound of shuffling. obviously the kid doesn't want to answer. the next thing he says, though, surprises him.

'null-san,' he says, 'can i ask you something?'

'sure. do you want to get down first though?'

'no,' the kid says, and he thinks he shakes his head, 'um. i- i wanted to ask, um,'

'hey, it's okay,' shouta says, attempting to be calming, 'it's okay. do you mind if i move towards you?' and when the kid stutters out a no he moves, making sure he doesnt soften his footfalls.

'give me your hand?'

the kid does what's asked of him, laying his hand on shouta's outstretched palm, and shouta almost startles as he feels it - small, too small - but he catches himself in time.

'hey, kid, it's okay,' he says, trying to soften his voice as much as possible. 'take your time, okay, i'll be here. take a breath, kid.'

he hears a sharp intake of breath, and he deliberately breathes slow and deep so that the kid can follow along with him.

'okay,' the kid says after a time, 'okay, i think i'm okay now.'

'alright, do you want to ask now?'

a deep breath.

'do... do you think i can be a hero?'

shouta doesn't reply, for a moment. unfortunately, that moment is enough for the boy to start panicking.

it's instinct that makes him tighten his grip on the kid's hand, and he thinks that maybe if he weren't holding it then the kid would've been wildly flailing about the place.

'it-it's just! um, i'm-i'm quirkless and my entire life, people have told me that-that i can't be a hero! my best friend told me to take a swan dive off the roof to get a quirk, and-and all-all might said that. that i couldn't be a hero without a quirk,-

- and honestly i was. starting to beleive them and im sorry but i couldn't-i was going to-um, do that, before you came, honestly, because i'm doing the world a favor, right?' he trails off into nervous laughter, and shouta wants to fight something, to stave off his anger.

shouta sighs, and sits down. he pulls on the kid's hand to get him to sit next to him, and when the scrambling sounds are done, shouta asks him, 'do you know what my quirk is?'

'um,' the boy sounds bewildered by the change in topic, 'no? your quirk isn't. broadcasted, in all the fights i've seen, you don't seem to. use any sort of quirk. it's--it's the reason i look up to you actually! you fight quirkless so maybe it's not impossible for me too?'

'mhm,' shouta agrees, 'would you like to guess what it is?'

'guess? uh. well. if i had to guess, something to do with your eyes? you keep them covered so. maybe it's a permanently activated quirk? you can't turn it off? if it was, do you think glasses would work?

'like, specially engineered glasses? sunglass? i'm not sure how'd that help in nighttime, though. wait, i'm getting off track. um. right, something eye related, maybe brainwashing quirk? no... usually that requires activation. ummm,'

shouta doesn't say anything, just listens in what must be slight awe because either this kid is way too smart or his usual enemies are way too dumb. maybe both?

the kid is still mumbling, and his voice raises enough for shouta to hear him again - 'null! your-your hero name is null, so? does that mean nullify? nullify the effects of someone else's quirk on you? nullify someone's quirk entirely? i think those might be the closest?'

shouta feels himself stunned into silence. years of teaching, years of being a pro hero, and this kid successfully figured him out in a few minutes? holy shit, he has to get this kid to nedzu and hope they take over the world.

'null-san?' the voice breaks through his thoughts of world domination, and shouta shakes his head and turns his head towards the kid. 'was i wrong?'

'no,' shouta says, 'definitely not.' he lets out a laugh, and he feels the kid startle next to him.

'you're really smart, kid,' shouta says, still smiling. he doesn't know how his smile looks anymore, he's been told it's creepy, but he can't stop the maniacal thoughts from his chest, 'you're right. my quirk was called erasure.'

'i could erase any quirk with it. and you're right too, about it being permanently activated. which is why i wear this,' shouta reaches up to tap his blindfold.

there's a considering hum next to him, and then the kid says, hesitant, 'you said... you said "was". as in, in the past. did...did anything happen? to your quirk?'

shouta huffs out a laugh. trust this kid to pick up on something as small as that.

'yeah,' he says, because there's no point in lying, not when the kid needs him not to. 'yeah, something happened.'

with that, he reaches up to the back of his head, undoing his blindfold. he hears a sharp gasp when it flutters into his lap.

'n-null-san,' the kid says, and he sounds like he's close to crying. shouta's never seen it, but people have described it to him, he's felt it under his fingers - a jagged scar across both his eyes, over the bridge of his nose, eyes white and unseeing.

'mhm,' shouta agrees, 'what was that you said? permanently activated quirk. i need to see people for it to work. so.' he shrugs.

a pause.

'you-' the kid says, 'you - you've been fighting? no, youve been a quirkless hero? this whole time?'

'essentially, yeah.'

'the whole time,' the kid whispers, 'you - you were,' he doesn't think the kid will be able to continue, so he raises his hand and touches his shoulder.

'yeah,' he admits easily, 'does that answer your question?'

he does not expect the crying child that throws himself into his arms, but he's quick to react, wrapping his arms around him and patting his hair when the kid shakes in his hold.

they stay like that, until shouta's earpiece tells him that it is two in the morning, and it is then that shouta asks, 'hey kid, do you have anywhere to go?'

the kid tenses a bit in his arms, and then shakes his head wordlessly.

shouta doesn't press. 'alright then, do you want to come home with me?'

the kid moves, looking up at him, and asks, 'can i really? i don't want to be a bother.'

'you're not,' shouta says firmly, 'but if you want to stay for a while, it's okay. i'm sure my husband won't mind.'

'your...husband?'

'mhm. he's loud. he's deaf too, which makes us a great pair.'

the kid giggles.

'okay, then. if you're sure, null-san.' he sounds unsure, but shouta figures that's the best he's going to get.

'alright, then, hold on. right - you can stop calling me that. i'm aizawa shouta, nice to meet you.'

another giggle. 'nice to meet you too, aizawa-san! i'm - you can call me izuku.'

'alright. ready to go home?'

'wait, you're not finishing your patrol?'

'you're more important right now. besides, there's only an hour left. i can take it off if needed.'

'okay. um. okay.'

'okay?'

'yes. okay.' the exchange makes the kid laugh a little, so shouta will take what he can get.

'climb on my back and hold tight. this is the fastest way to get home.'

the kid does so, and shouta starts running again.

(omake: in the morning -

'sho, why's there a child on our couch.'

'he's our child now.'

'...sho.'

'yes.'

'first cats, and now a child?'

'don't lecture me, i saw you tuck him in.'

'you - you can't even see!'

'i felt you tuck him in.'

'ugh! fine!'

'i can hear you smiling.'

'shut up!'

'if you don't adopt him it's going to be nedzu.'

'wait - wait sho what does that mean. why nedzu. SHOUTA-')

more omake: dk assumed it was villains that got his eyes but when shouta tells him it was bc of bullies dk's like 'god give me patience bc if he gives me strength im going to murder them' and shouta sighs but yamada and shirakumo overhear him and theyre like

nono murder is valid, we'll help you

(and i forgot about shirakumo earlier so assume theyre all living together. erasercloudmic rights)