Izuku couldn't help but feel as if he did this all before.
Not every moment! Just, little pockets of times where he looks at something a certain way and then is able to see in his head what he was going to see next. Almost like predicting the future -though he is pretty sure that is exactly what deja vu is- That isn't too day he's not grateful towards All Might! Of course he's grateful! So happy he could just die! -Although he would really rather not but-
Everything just feels so...
"Young Midoriya!" Like now. He is almost sure, if he reaches far enough and thinks hard and long enough, that All Might is going to say something about- "...diet?"
"I was gonna- huh?"
They stare at each other for a few seconds before All Might let's out a big guffaw. His laugh reverberates through the cluttered beach and Midoriya can only sweat drop at the uncertain and uncomfortable feeling he was currently getting. That wasn't apart of... apart of what? This?
"How'd you know I was going to bring up your diet Young Midoriya!? Could it be..." He leans in and Midoriya leans a bit backwards. He doesn't know why he is so uncomfortable and nervous.
"...that you were researching!?" Midoriya let's out a breathe he didn't know he was holding.
Odd.
"HAHAHA! I knew you were a smart kid Young Midoriya! So let's hear it! What were you thinking? We could even put our ideas together!"
There's a dietary plan right on the edge of his mind even though he knows he did no research on the topic. It's right there but...
"Hahaha, sorry All Might. I didn't do any research though. It was just a lucky guess." Midoriya scratches at the back of his head.
All Might does not seem put out by this. He almost seems like he expected it.
Odd.
All Might begins talking about the dietary plan he had made for Midoriya as if they had never had any interuptions to begin with. That feeling of uncertainty and discomfort go away.
He soon questions what he was even nervous about to begin with.
And the reason why.
-
Aizawa could not put heads or tails around this kids.
He chases him for weeks, finds him on a bench, sits next to him slowly -though it looked like the kid didn't even notice him, poor thing was probably exhausted- so as to not startle him, just to find out it was all for naught. The kid looked ready to go with him, almost like he was waiting.
He will not admit how cute the little kicks of frustration were. He refuses.
Kid said his name after getting held -how old was this child? He was light. Someone left a baby out here and Aizawa was going to rip them a new one when he found out who it was- Anyway.
Ael is an odd name, definitely not Japanese.
The baby -no Aizawa, child not baby- clung to him the whole way and did not stir once. Aizawa puts a hand on the kids head and pats back his ink black curls. He could see his face properly now and the poor child had eye bags the size of Aizawa's thumb.
Aizawa finally reached the police department and sighed in relief. He could get this kid back to- to somewhere that isn't on the streets.
The doors opened and parted to let him in. The few officers in there at the current late? -a glance at the clock says it is 1:00 AM- hour don't give him another glance. Though, some do look longer than others. Probably cause of the child.
"Any idea where Tsukauchi-san is?" The desk lady looks up and squint a but when she sees the child in his arms.
Why is everyone doing that?
"...yes. Should be in his office." She whispers back. They seem to agree to not want to wake the child up.
Aizawa walks past everyone in the front lobby and eventually makes his way down ten or so corridors. It takes him a second to remember where exactly Tsukauchi's office is in this maze but he finds it.
Knock. Knock.
"Come in." A faint but tired voice was barely able to be heard from the other side. Aizawa only heard it cause he was looking for it.
Opening the door was proven hard, with a sleeping child in your arms. He took to using both arms as it jostled the kid around less and Aizawa's sleepless nights were coming to bite him in the neck.
"Aizawa-san. How are you-" The detectives eyes go slightly wide before narrowing again. He looks back to Aizawa.
"Since when did you have a kid-"
"Stop talking."
"Pft- haha." It was a short chuckle. It was all Tsukauchi seemed to be able to do at the moment, being as tired as he was.
"You two do look alike though. Could've fooled me if I didn't know you." Tsukauchi put his pen down and sat up straighter to stretch in his seat.
Aizawa using the reflective surface of the dark window behind the other man was able to see that they did look kind of similar. Their eyebags -seriously, how does a kid this young have those?- and their curly black hair were where the similarities ended though. Sigh.
At least now he knew why everyone was starting at him earlier.
"Who is this kid? I assume we're finding his home?" Tsukauchi looked up to confirm but he didn't need to. Why else would Aizawa show up here with a random child.
"Mmm..." both men froze when the kid started to stir.
Tsukauchi looked at Aizawa in silent pleading to get the kid to go back to sleep. He seemed desperate to not want to deal with a crying child this late- or early, whatever- but Aizawa knew that this kid wouldn't cry like others.
"Ael." His muttered and pushed up on the child's bangs rubbing his thumb along his hairline.
"Mmm..." He opened his eyes a smudge but seeing Aizawa closed then and buried his face deeper into his scarf.
"Haha." Aizawa felt sorry for him. He knew what a good sleep looked like so he felt bad waking him up from one, but he needed to know. Tsukauchi just say and observed. "Sorry kid, I need you to wake up. We need to find your home. Your parents." He hoped the mention of parents didn't scare the child. Whether he had abusive parents and that's why he possibly ran away, or he got lost, he didn't want the kid to cry.
"... can't." Ael muttered.
Aizawa scrunched his eyesbrows in his confusion. "Can't? Can't what?"
"Can't g' home." The kid face was still scrunched up inside of Aizawa's scarf so he had to sit and pry the kid out.
"Hmm... stop.."
"Ael." Aizawa had to use his teacher voice and felt bad the second the kid froze. "Hm?" His little voice squeaked.
"Why can't you go home?" Aizawa looked to Tsukauchi. He stepped forward and placed his hand on Ael's back.
"Hi Ael. My name is Tsukauchi. You can just call me detective if you'd like though. Is there a reason you don't want to go home-"
"Tsu Tsu." Both men froze though Aizawa had a bit of a smirk.
"Haaa. Yes, Tsu Tsu. You may also call me that too if you wish. Now, is there a reason you dont-"
Tsukauchi pauses when Ael looks away to look at Aizawa and gently slaps a hand on his face. Aizawa sees the question in his eyes and answers.
"I am Eraserhead."
"No."
"No? That is his hero name Ael."
"No."
"... or you can call me Aizawa."
"Zawa."
...Tsukauchi had to ignore how cute it was and move on.
"Ael -patience Tsukauchi, patience- why don't you want to-"
"Mother says I need to wait."
"Mother?"
"Mhmm."
Aizawa felt pissed. What mother, no, what parent tells their child they can't come back home and needed to wait?
However, Ael continued.
His eyes shifted to look at a magazine sitting on the coffee table and he pointed at it.
"That's mines and mama's home. But we can't go back yet." Aizawa looks down to where th child is pointing and suddenly feels very very cold.
And suddenly, some things starts making a little bit more sense.
Like how a child can survive on their own for weeks.
Not improbable if they were trained to do so.
Aizawa locks eyes with Tsukauchi's own. The detective doesn't seem to believe the child but Aizawa knew -oh he knew, and he did not know how or even why- It felt right, for some reason, even though it really shouldn't have. -Aizawa was not on to believe in God or other Celestial Beings, but he couldn't help but get the feeling that he was being watched.- The child still clung to his clothes, almost in desperation. Aizawa couldn't help but feel like this kid wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. He wouldn't allow it.
Now, whether or not he is from the HPSC.
Only one way to really find out, he supposed.
Of course, the way that wouldn't have the kid snatched from their very hands.
The night seems endless, and Aizawa can only sigh and close his eyes as he rocks slightly back and forth to prompt the kid to go back to sleep.
A long night indeed. He wants coffee.