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Shota Aizawa, also known as the Pro Hero Eraserhead, was already so done with the week.
He and his number one Problem Child had been on a patrol with the rest of their class and the other UA teachers. A few members of his class split up with different teachers, leaving him alone with one Izuku Midoriya. That’s when Shota noticed a villain running away from the car he’d just broken into.
Shota took chase while the Problem Child remained behind him, following but not intervening in any way. Shota figured that the kid must have finally learned his lesson after Kimino, but now he wasn’t so sure.
The villain had spun around suddenly and fired some kind of beam at Shota, who wasn’t fast enough to deactivate the quirk before the bright light blocked his vision of the criminal. Just before the beam hit him, the troublesome teen of his class pulled him out of the way by a grip on a loop of his capture weapon. Shota was fast enough to roll properly and pull them both down, but the beam seemed to be a wide range attack, which meant they couldn’t dodge it.
One moment orange light was filling his vision, and the next Shota was waking up on the cold cement ground.
“Ugh…” He groaned before attempting to lift himself up. His entire body felt like he’d been run over. Shota was about to scan the area for the villain, but stopped when he noticed a pair of paws directly below him. They were black with darker black spots covering them. “Huh?” He mused, taking a closer look at the paws. He then realized that they were attached to him. A second later he was looking over the rest of his body. A cat. Some type of big cat. He was turned into a cat.
“Damn it!” He shouted, standing on all fours and scanning the area.
He then spotted a smaller cat laying on the ground a few feet away from him.
Shota didn’t take long to realize that the kitten was his Problem Child, the green fur being a dead giveaway. Shota slowly walked over to the kitten then nudged him lightly with his paw.
“Midoriya. Get up, kid.” He ordered in his teacher voice, which got a muffled groan from the green furred creature below him. “Get up. Now.” He ordered again, which got the kitten to sit up finally.
The reckless teenager had a much more subdued reaction than Shota had expected. The kid checked himself and Shota over before he began mumbling about how this could have happened, the effects of the quirk, when it would wear off, and a bunch of other things Shota couldn’t make out. Shota sighed, then his ears snapped to the side.
He spun around and instinctively growled as he put himself between his student and the threat.
There, about six meters away, stood Present Mic with a few of his other students.
“Eraser?” He asked, hands held up in mock surrender. Shota felt his body relax as he nodded. Present Mic smiled at him and took a hesitant step forward. When Shota didn’t growl again he took a few more. He stopped when he was just a few feet away from the cat duo.
“Is that the Little Listener?” He asked, pointing to the student curled behind Shota’s hind leg. Shota lowered himself so he was covering the cub with his body as he nodded again.
“Ok…” Present Mic slowly put his hand up so he could speak into the com he and all of the other heroes and students were wearing. “I’m taking Eraserhead and Midoriya back to UA. They need to see Recovery Girl. No one follows us. This is a delicate situation that I will explain later. Midnight, come pick up the kiddos I was watching.” He nodded to himself before motioning for Shota to follow him.
Shota glanced back at the kitten behind him before he felt a strong animalistic urge. He gave in and grabbed the kitten by the scruff of his neck, carrying him all the way to UA.
—
“It seems that Aizawa and Midoriya were hit with some kind of animal transformation quirk. Aizawa was turned into a panther of some kind and Midoriya was turned into a leopard. I’m assuming a snow leopard but his colorings make it hard to tell. They’re both perfectly healthy, but I’m unsure of how long the effects will last.” “I see… Is there anything else I should know about?” “Well, they’re going to have strong animal instincts now. I’m assuming that Aizawa has taken some kind of parental role for Midoriya, so he’s going to be extremely defensive over him. I recommend you respect their boundaries. Any questions for me?” “Are their quirks any different in this form?” “Are they able to use their quirks?” “Yes. When I first found them Shota took a defensive stance and used his quirk. I don’t think he noticed it though.” “I see. Well, we’re going to have to wait for them to wake up to test it.”
Shota decided that it was time to make himself known by growling slightly.
Both heroes whipped around and took a few steps away from him. “I’m already up.” He said. Recovery Girl tutted before pointing to him. “I don’t speak cat.” Shota took it for what it was, her letting him know that he was currently growling to speak as well.
“No, you don’t. But I do!” Nezu announced as he entered the room.
At the sight of a new person, Shota growled and curled himself further around the kitten who was still sleeping on his chest.
“There’s no need for that, Aizawa-kun. I will not move from this spot. You can relax.”
Shota then smelt something. Emotions? He realized that Recovery Girl and Present Mic were both extremely nervous. He sighed and nodded. He didn’t want to scare his husband more than he probably already has. He also didn’t feel like getting hit by the smaller woman.
“Fine.” He hissed. Nezu smiled at him before continuing. “It’s a bit hard for me to understand, but I believe you said fine, correct?” Shota nodded. “Alright. Care to explain what happened out there?” Shota rolled his eyes and checked on his cub. His cub? Since when was Midoriya his?
“I noticed some guy stealing something from a car he broke into. I followed him but I let my guard down and he used his quirk. It was a wide range attack so I couldn’t cancel it before it blocked the villain from view. The Problem Kitten tried to pull me out of the way, but the attack was spreading too fast. I woke up a cat and found the kitten beside me. I woke him up just before Hizashi found us.” “How interesting.” Nezu hummed.
“Do you remember any distinguishing features of the criminal?” “He was around my height and had short light orange hair. I didn’t see anything else.” “Alright then. I’m assuming that Midoriya will be staying with you for the duration of this quirk.” Shota growled protectively. “I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll let the detective know about your statement so you can go home and rest. I’d bet that you and the cub are both tired after a transformation like this.”
“Tell Hizashi I’m sorry for growling at him.” Shota huffed back. Nezu nodded before doing just that. “Aww…” Hizashi cooed. “Can I pet you, Shota?” He asked. Shota shrugged as best he could with his cat body and Hizashi held back a squeal.
He very slowly got closer to the pair and knelt down beside the bed where they were laying. He carefully reached his hand out and let Shota sniff it. After a moment, Shota let out a deep purr and butted Hizashi’s hand with his head. Hizashi smiled widely as he pet Shota happily.
“Aizawa, I need to give Midoriya some medicine to help him. Can I get closer?” Shota unintentionally growled at the small woman, he stopped when Hizashi scratched behind his ear. “I can do it.” Hizashi offered and Shota nodded. He didn’t really want anyone anywhere near his kitten, but Hizashi is at the top of the list of people he would allow. At least for a few seconds in order to give the kitten his medicine.
Hizashi took the syringe with the medicine from Recovery Girl and slowly approached the green ball of fluff still curled into Shota’s chest. Hizashi gently moved Midoriya’s head to the side and fed him the medicine, the sleeping cat completely unaware of the interaction.
When Hizashi was done, he pulled back and allowed Shota to look over the kitten. Once Shota deemed Midoriya safe, he started to lick his head to clean some of the dirt off.
“No… Stop…” Midoriya mumbled, sleepily. “You need to be cleaned.” Shota replied before tilting his head so he could clean the kitten’s back. “I’m tired…” He whined, attempting to bat Shota’s head away with his small paws.
Midoriya was around the size of a full grown house cat, but compared to Shota he was very small.
After Shota finished cleaning Izuku’s back he moved to clean his own paws. Walking all the way to UA got his paws covered in dirt and other grime.
“Uh…” Shota looked down into the wide pair of green eyes that were staring up at him. “So… It wasn’t a dream…” He whispered. Shota snorted before gently ruffling the kid’s head with his now clean paw. “No, it wasn’t.” He replied. Midoriya then started to ramble about the possibilities and other workings of the quirk they were hit with.
“I bet you’re hearing actual words instead of the absolutely adorable meows coming from the Little Listener.” Hizashi commented, catching the attention of the kitten. “S-sorry.” He mumbled. “Nothing to apologize for, Problem Kitten.” Shota replied, turning to Hizashi and laying his head on the blond man’s lap.
“Is it… safe?” The kid questioned. Shota glanced at him for a moment. He remembered reading about snow leopards once. They’re shy creatures that are naturally elusive. “He’s safe. I promise.”
After hearing that, the kid jumped up and rushed over to Hizashi. He dove into the tall man's chest and started purring up a storm.
—
“I did some research on leopards and panthers. They are the same species, but snow leopards are slightly different. Aizawa-kun will likely not want Midoriya out of his sights for a long while. I’m certain that Midoriya will only be comfortable with people that Aizawa has deemed safe beforehand. They will also need to sleep a lot, and walk around a lot when they’re awake. They’ll have access to some raw meat from Lunch Rush as well, so no need to worry about feeding them.” Nezu explained, handing a small pile of papers over to Hizashi.
“Sounds good. Thank you.” “No problem. I’m always interested in learning new things, and large cats have many interesting things to know. I learned that snow leopards aren’t aggressive at all and are very playful. You’re going to have your hands full with that cub.” “I already do.” Hizashi replied with a laugh, already holding a sleeping Midoriya in his arms.
Hizashi and Shota left Recovery Girl’s office with Midoriya still asleep in Hizashi’s arms. Both cats had been fed not long after Nezu left for the second time, and it was more delicious than Shota was expecting.
Hizashi and Shota were both happy that it was long past curfew for the students, that meant they wouldn’t run into anyone on their way into Shota’s apartment in the 1A dorm building.
“I’m guessing I’m staying over tonight?” Hizashi said with a playful wink. Shota rolled his eyes and grumbled something back that Hizashi was unable to decipher.
Hiding the fact that they’re married from the students has been difficult for both of them, but they’re grateful that they both have private spaces for them to spend time together when they get some time to do so outside of their jobs.
When Hizashi opened the door to the apartment, Shota immediately went to his bedroom where he had a body sized mirror. He hadn’t been able to see what he looked like before this.
Shota was kind of surprised when he finally caught sight of his reflection.
He was in fact a large leopard type, except there were a few small differences. He had a ring of slightly longer gray fur around his neck, longer black fur trailing down his neck and back, and a slightly fluffier tail. His spots were hardly noticeable, but they were there. His eyes were black, as normal, but he also noticed the faint patterns of spots under his right eye.
Honestly, it would surprise him if someone didn’t recognize him, even without his quirk activating like it had apparently done for Hizashi.
“Shota? The Little Listener is waking up.” Hizashi called, much more quietly than he normally would.
Shota left his bedroom and made his way over to the cub. He arrived just in time for the big green eyes to open. “Hey, Problem Kitten.” Shota said. The kid looked confused for a moment, looking around before his eyes once again landed on Shota. “Wh-why am I h-here?” He asked. Shota was a little disappointed to see that the stuttering from the first few weeks was back. “I’m watching over you until the quirk wears off.” Shota answered. He watched as the kitten’s stress ridden body seemed to relax. “Oh…” He suddenly looked a lot more excited, jumping out of Hizashi’s arms and running around the living room.
“Don’t hurt yourself.” Shota ordered when he noticed the kitten nearly headbutt his coffee table.
Shota stretched his body out as he watched his Problem Child run circles around his home.
“I think you two should be heading to bed. It’s late, and I’m sure that you want to be well rested when we have to tell the rest of your class about the situation. Jiro and Kaminari already saw you, but I don’t think they really registered it over the chaos of looking for the villain.” Shota nodded at his husband before rolling himself off of the couch.
He then strolled over to where the green furred menace was playing with a spare cat toy Hizashi had grabbed out of his closet. Shota liked to care for stray cats for a while after finding them, so he had plenty of toys for the cub.
“Let’s go, Problem Kitten.” Said cub’s eyes were wide with joy as he continued to play.
“Midoriya.” Shota called, once again being ignored.
“Izuku.” That got a reaction. The kitten’s head shot up and he stared at Shota, clearly surprised. “Let’s go. We need to return to class even if we can’t do much.” He explained, and his student nodded.
—
Shota wasn’t originally going to carry Izuku to the classroom, but he felt anxious whenever he noticed the green fur ball stumble or run to catch up to him and Hizashi. Midoriya had his little feet curled up to make carrying him easier as he rambled on and on about all the smells he could pick up now that he was a cat.
Hizashi told Shota to wait outside of the classroom as he opened the door and strolled in. “As you all probably know by now, Eraser and Midoriya were both attacked by a villain. They’re both perfectly healthy, but the quirk left them with some… lasting effects. We need all of you to stay calm and remain in your seats. We don’t want to spook them, ya dig?”
A few students responded in the affirmative and Hizashi opened the door again.
Shota took pleasure in the looks of terror thrown his way when he strolled into the room with Izuku hiding behind his leg.
“Woah!” Ashido and Kaminari both shouted. “Is that Aizawa Sensei?!” The class went deathly quiet when Shota flashed his quirk at them and growled. “He’s going to kill us!” Mineta wailed, which made the class burst into noise and shouts.
Shota rolled his eyes as he noticed Uraraka looking concerned. “Um… Where’s Deku?” She asked.
The class went quiet again as a small pair of green eyes peeked out from behind Shota’s leg.
“Aww!” The girls chorused. Ashido and Hagakure both stood up, which made Shota growl again. The fur around his neck and back stood on end as he lowered himself to cover Midoriya and snarl at both girls.
“Woah! Eraser, calm down. He’s safe. No one will touch him.” Shota huffed again but relaxed his stance.
“What was that?!” Hagakure yelled, sounding scared. “The quirk these two were hit with gave them the instincts a cat would have. Eraserhead, here, has taken a parental role for the Little Listener. None of you are to go anywhere near either of them unless they approach you first. Eraser needs to deem you safe before Midoriya will trust you as well, he’s got the brain of a kitten right now. Eraser is still mostly himself, but instincts like this are powerful enough to override the human brain. He might and will attack any one of you if he feels he or the Little Listener are in danger.” Hizashi explained.
A bunch of students in the class seemed to deflate, but they all nodded. Shota relaxed even more and huffed. “I can make a few guesses of who’s going to get bitten by the end of the day.” He muttered, which made Koda yelp.
Shota’s head shot up as he eyed the teen. “Koda. Can you understand me?” He asked, and the large teen nodded while shaking. “Good. At least someone will be able to understand me when I’m speaking.”
Shota was about to walk to his podium, but paused when he felt a tug on his tail. He gazed down at the Problem Kitten, who had snagged his tail in his tiny jaw. “Brat.” Shota rolled his eyes again as he dragged the kitten behind him.
“Look.” Shota put his front legs on the podium and lifted himself up so he could stare at his class. “I’m going to be looking over your body cam footage when I’m back to normal. If anyone else got into trouble they’re getting detention for a month.” Shota said, looking at Koda when he was done.
“Uh…” Koda looked nervous, but this would be a good lesson for the boy in the long run. “Um… Ai-Aizawa Sensei said that he’ll be looking over our f-footage when he’s back to normal and that if we got into any trouble we’d have detention.”
Shota gave the teen an approving nod as he continued. “Don’t think that the dorm rules don’t apply now that I’m a cat, either. I’ll still be doing my nightly runs and the Problem Kitten will be visiting friends later. You’re all dismissed from this class today.”
Shota looked back at Koda, who was writing what he’d said on a piece of paper. The teen then handed the paper to Present Mic, who relayed his message to the rest of the class.
Shota leaned down and grabbed Izuku by his scruff again, which got a few gasps from his other students. “Should he be doing that?” Sero asked while pointing at the feline duo. Shota glared at him before walking out of the room with his cub.
—
Shota and Midoriya had relaxed in the apartment together for about three hours, and now the cub was feeling playful. He was gnawing at the back of Shota’s neck as the larger cat napped. “Come on…” He whined. “I want to play.”
Shota rolled over and eyed the smaller cat. “Do you want to go downstairs?” “Yes!” The cub cheered, his green fur bouncing up and down as he jumped.
“Just let me get their scents before you go near anyone. And don’t let people pick you up.” Shota said, not exactly sure why he was feeling so protective. He knew his class wasn’t dangerous, but he had to be sure. Midoriya nodded happily as he nudged Shota to pick him up.
The duo made their way downstairs, only for Shota to scare the living hell out of half of the class, who had been watching a horror movie in the common room.
They all screamed upon seeing him, which made the rest of the class emerge from the kitchen.
Shota bared his teeth but refrained from growling.
Bakugou, Kirishima, Ashido, Kaminari, Sero, Jiro, Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, and Shoji had all been watching the movie, and the rest of the class were eating dinner.
Shota gently sat the cub on the floor before turning to Koda. “Too many people. Go back to eating while we stay here with those hell spawn.” He said, and Koda delivered the message quickly.
Uraraka and Iida both looked a little sad at Midoriya, but the kitten didn’t seem to notice.
He was eying Tokoyami with his big green eyes narrowing. “Come on.” Shota lightly pushed the cub forward and led him over so they were standing in front of the TV.
“Who do you want me to check?” He asked. Green eyes scanned the room before landing on Yaoyorozu. “Ok…” Shota slowly approached the teen, making sure not to scare her. Luckily, Yaoyorozu was sitting on the love seat, so getting her scent would be easy.
Shota noted that Kirishima had paused the movie, but he didn’t stop in his new mission.
Shota started by sniffing the area around the class vice president, before lifting his head onto the arm of the chair so he could sniff her face. Once thoroughly checked, Shota nodded at Midoriya, who was messing with a bit of the loose carpet.
The kitten immediately rushed forward and dove into Yaoyorozu’s lap while purring up a storm. “Uh…” She held her hands up, clearly confused, but Shota only huffed and shook his head while laying down in front of her feet. Knowing that his cub was safe let Shota relax a little.
“Here.” Yaoyorozu said quietly, making a cat toy for Midoriya to play with. The cub loved it and chewed on the rubber covering while remaining parched on the taller girl’s lap.
“That’s so cute.” Ashido whispered to Sero, who was recording. Shota huffed and turned to them, then he got an idea. He might as well use this time to get comfortable with the class.
Shota groaned as he stood up again, startling everyone but Yaoyorozu.
Tokoyami was first. Shota slowly approached the bird headed teen and waited for him to relax before starting. He did so after mumbling, “Revelry in the dark.” and standing up to make the process easier. Shota actually found Tokoyami’s scent easier to find, and he ended up laying his head on said teen’s lap after he sat back down. “Wow. This is cool.” Dark Shadow commented while petting Shota’s fur. Shota involuntarily let out a deep purr. The sound made everyone in the room giggle and coo.
Iida and Uraraka entered the room a few minutes later, looking excited to see Midoriya curled on Yaoyorozu’s lap.
“I searched it up, apparently Aizawa Sensei needs to get our scents before he can trust us. And Mido needs Aizawa Sensei to tell him we’re safe before he’ll go near us.” Kaminari explained from his spot on the floor.
Kirishima was next to Shota and Tokoyami, who was pitched on the arm of the couch. Bakugou was next to Kirishima, Jiro was next to him, Kaminari was sitting at her feet on the ground, and Ashido was on the ground in front of Kirishima. Shoji was standing behind Tokoyami, looking like he wanted to try petting Shota too.
After another few minutes, Koda and Aoyama entered the room.
“Yo! Koda! Can you talk to Aizawa Sensei?” Kirishima asked. Koda nodded while Shota pulled himself off of Tokoyami’s lap. “I can understand everyone. Not everyone can understand me.” He huffed, stretching out his back. “He said that he understands everyone, b-but not everyone can understand him.” “Woah! That’s so manly!”
Shota finished stretching and started moving closer to Shoji. The tall teen looked a bit nervous and took a step back. “Tell him I’m just getting his scent.” Shota ordered, keeping his eyes on Shoji. “Hold still. D-don’t move. He’s getting your scent.” Koda explained. Shoji seemed to relax as Shota began circling him slowly.
Once he finished he glanced back at Midoriya, who was standing on the arm of the couch, looking ready to pounce. “It’s safe, Problem Kitten.” “Yes!”
Midoriya leaped off of the couch and barreled into Shoji’s leg. The six armed teen hesitated before looking at his teacher. “It’s fine.” Shota nodded at Shoji, which prompted him to slowly crouch down and pick up the furry green kitten.
Midoriya melted into Shoji’s hands and let out a loud purr. Shoji looked surprised by it, but after a few seconds he pulled Izuku in and carried him like one would a newborn child. Izuku’s purrs were bright and happy as he wriggled around in Shoji’s hold. “You alright, Problem Kitten?” Shota asked. Midoriya replied, “It’s so warm!” and went back to purring. Shota let out a snort as he walked over to Shoji’s feet and plopped himself down to nap.
He hadn’t really napped yet due to his nerves, but he knew that Shoji would protect his cub for him while he slept.
—
School the next day was interesting.
Shota and Midoriya had retreated to the apartment once curfew hit, and they slept soundly on Shota’s couch. Hizashi ended up bringing them a few steaks for breakfast, which were very tasty for not being cooked. Shota then grabbed Izuku and carried the kitten all the way to the 1A classroom.
Since it was still early, there weren't a lot of students in the hallways, and those that were there minded their own business when they spotted the large black cat carrying a smaller green fur ball.
Shota was pretty surprised by how big he really was in comparison to other people. Hizashi was pretty tall and most of his students had been sitting down when he saw them, so he didn’t realize just how big he was until he was taller than most of the third years if he were to be on two legs. He assumed he was around seven feet long, minus the tail.
Shota was happy to see Iida at the 1A door, and managed to get him to open the door for him and his cub.
Midoriya was still pretty energized, so he spent most of his time running around the classroom wherever the desks were empty. Shota took the time to drag his yellow sleeping bag out from under his desk and curl himself onto it. It was somehow much more comfortable than before.
After a few more students arrived, Shota called for Midoriya to come back to him. The green furred kitten obeyed immediately and rushed over to the leopard with a bright smile. “I caught a moth!” He announced. “Good job. You should sleep now. I’m sure you’re tired after all that running around.” The fluffy cub nodded and curled himself into Shota’s neck fur. Shota felt his body relax as the kid’s soft purrs radiated through him. He could also hear a few students snickering and what sounded suspiciously like a camera flash, but he didn’t dare move.
Two class periods later, Midoriya was bored.
It was currently Art History class with Midnight Sensei, so the kitten knew that his temporary guardian was at least somewhat comfortable. Shota had gotten Nemuri’s scent the moment she walked in, then had her put him and the kitten to sleep for a while.
Midoriya wriggled out from under Shota’s paw and let out a loud meow. “Sensei…” He whined, loudly, waking the leopard up. “I want to play.” He informed the other feline, tail swishing from side to side in uncontained excitement. “With who?” “Um…”
Midoriya turned his head and looked at the class, who were all subtly and not so subtly staring at him. The kitten’s eyes scanned the room until his eyes landed on a specific blond. “Fine.” Shota huffed, rolling to his feet and groaning as he stretched out. Doing so gave the entire class a good view of his claws.
“You better not make me regret this.” Shota made his way over to Kaminari’s desk and stared into his eyes. “Tell him to sit still.” Shota growled out, not particularly thrilled that this was the student his cub chose. “Stay still.” Koda called, interrupting Midnight’s lecture.
Now everyone in the room was staring as Shota circled Kaminari’s desk.
After about a minute he stopped and lifted his nose into Kaminari’s cheek. He then did something that shocked the entire class, he licked him. Kaminari did his best not to move, but he did smile widely at the gesture.
Shota pulled away and nodded at the kitten. Midoriya bolted out from behind the desk and slammed into Kaminari’s leg. He then used his tiny claws to climb up the blond’s leg like a small tree. “Ach.” Kaminari hissed, still remaining as still as possible. Shota chuckled deeply and rolled his eyes.
“If the Problem Kitten gets hurt Kaminari has a month of detention.” Koda relayed the message as Kaminari finally raised his hands and gently pet Midoriya’s fur. Said kitten started purring as he pressed his head into Kaminari’s hand.
The next period was History, which they had a test in. The green cub had fallen asleep on Kaminari’s lap, and the happy blond was petting him the entire time he took the test.
Surprisingly, Kaminari did well on his test. Not as good as other people, but better than normal. His test was returned to him with a solid eighty seven percent.
Kaminari was so excited that he hugged Midoriya tightly, not tightly enough to hurt though. The fluffy cub melted into the embrace and licked Kaminari’s cheek happily in return.
Shota had ended up falling asleep under his desk, which surprised everyone considering how protective he is over the kitten.
Lunch arrived and Midoriya returned to Shota’s side, now much more bubbly and excited. They ate their fish lunch together while talking about their week. Midoriya ended up asking Shota to call him Izuku, as the cub admitted to feeling weird being called by his family name. That raised a red flag to Shota, but it seemed like the cub wouldn’t have said anything if it wasn’t for his new instincts telling him to be comfortable around Shota.
Mid- Izuku was also behaving a lot more freely than normal. His stuttering was almost nonexistent, he was speaking more openly, even sassing Shota when the large cat said something he didn’t like, and most surprisingly he’s very touchy. Izuku seems extremely touch starved, so much so that whenever Shota was sitting still Izuku would rub against him or play with him. It was odd, but Shota didn’t mind. He never initiated physical contact with people, but he never minded being used as someone’s personal pillow. Hizashi already did it enough that Shota was no longer surprised when he woke up to arms wrapped around him.
Izuku was a lot like Hizashi. If Shota fell asleep as a cat, he’d wake up with a kitten asleep beside him or biting his tail or ears. It was kind of comforting.
He always knew where his cub was after taking a nap.
—
Shota was pretty pissed off that All Might had interrupted his nap, but he was furious that the man had scared his cub.
Both cats were sleeping soundly as Present Mic rambled about the upcoming English test when the door slammed open and someone shouted “I am here! Like a normal person!”
It was All Might, in his now permanent skinny form.
Izuku and Shota both jumped, the kitten leaping back and hiding behind Shota as he whimpered. Shota saw that, then turned to the threat and bared his teeth as he stood up.
All Might looked surprised by the action. “Young Aizawa, that’s no way to treat your fellow staff-” Shota snarled as he dug his claws into the floor to steady himself.
“All Might! You must stay away-” “There’s no need for that, Young Iida!” All Might laughed, taking a step closer to the pair. Shota was about to lunge at the pro, but Hizashi stood between them. “All Might.” He hissed, voice unnaturally cold. “Don’t come any closer.” He demanded and All Might gave him a confused look. “Um… Why should I not…”
All Might trailed off as he caught sight of Izuku peeking out from behind Shota. “Young Midoriya?!” He shouted, which made Shota growl. “All Might, get out. Now.” Hizashi said, yanking the pro out into the hallway by his arm.
Shota turned his attention away from the closed door and back to Izuku, who was curled around his leg and shaking. “Hey…” Shota pulled his leg away from the cub, but quickly lowered his head closer to the other’s face. “Look at me.” Izuku brought his paws up and covered his head. “Problem Kitten. Look at me.” Shota’s stern voice made its way through Izuku’s frightened thoughts, and the cub was slowly opening his eyes. “You’re safe. I’ll protect you.” Shota said. Izuku’s eyes welled with tears as he curled his entire body into Shota’s neck.
The larger cat sighed before leaning down and licking the top of his cub’s head. Comfort. They’re safe because Hizashi is here. Shota can focus on comfort.
“It’s pretty strange seeing our teacher groom a classmate.” Someone mumbled, but Shota didn’t care. It’s not like it’s weird. He’s a cat, and so is his student. This is the only way his instincts are telling him to comfort the green cub, so he’ll do it. He’ll embarrass himself if it means helping his cub calm down.
A few soft knocks on the door caught Shota’s attention, but he didn’t move from where he was laying on the ground. He was prepared to move, but he wouldn’t unless he needed to. His cub was only now starting to calm down from where he’s curled into his neck.
“Aizawa-kun.” Nezu’s voice called out as he opened the door. Shota glanced at the empty hallway before looking back at Nezu. “He scared my kid.” Shota huffed.
Nezu let out a loud cackle while Koda choked. A few students tried asking Koda what he’d said, and Shota was grateful that the teen refused to tell them.
“I see. That’s fair. How about you take Midoriya to Gym Gamma. We have a surprise for both of you and the students.”
Shota reluctantly stood up and grabbed his cub before leaving the room. He made his way over to the gym while Izuku rambled about what the surprise could possibly be.
Nothing could have prepared them for what they saw after Cementos opened the door for them.
The cement floor was covered in a thick layer of dirt, which held up what looked like a jungle. There were so many trees and other vegetation.
Shota let Izuku down and the cub immediately took off to climb one of the trees. They were large and thick, so Shota was easily able to scale the branches. “Izuku!” He called out. A moment later, his cub jumped out from behind him with a happy laugh. Shota swiftly turned around and batted the kid away before he could get close, which initiated a challenge for the cub.
Shota spent the next fifteen minutes running through the trees as a small green monster chased after him.
“Yes. Nezu had this temporary exhibit installed for this next exercise.” All Might announced after the rest of the 1A students arrived. “Today you’re going to be hunted for sport.” Midnight laughed loudly at the stunned faces of the students. “Indeed. I want to see exactly how prepared you students are for threats that aren’t human. Natural disasters and wildlife are difficult to predict, so you must be prepared to deal with such things.” Nezu chirped.
Shota finally emerged from the thicket with Izuku tailing right behind him.
“Aizawa-kun and Midoriya-kun will be chasing you students in the jungle. You are allowed to flee or hide, but you’re not allowed to fight back. This is a test to see how you can safely handle wild animals, after all.” “Yes. Midnight and I will also be on standby in case things get a bit too hectic.” Cementos added.
Shota sighed loudly before strolling over to said coworker.
Cementos jumped when Shota bumped his hand with his head, but that didn’t deter the large cat. He simply continued getting the hero's scent as everyone continued explaining the exercise. It was pretty simple.
The students needed to safely get themselves out of a jungle setting while being hunted and unable to fight back against said hunters.
Shota and Izuku were now naturally more capable in this type of setting, and the students wouldn’t be allowed to damage the area. It was as if they were dropped into a natural wildlife reserve filled with rabid animals. If Shota or Izuku manage to pin or bite a student, they’re out. Shota was also able to cancel quirks and Izuku was fast.
The kitten had only activated his quirk a few times to be able to jump higher, but he still had it. Now that the kid wasn’t hurting himself whenever he used his quirk, they were formidable opponents.
They both also blended into the surroundings. Especially now that Nezu shut most of the windows to make it appear as night time. The only things that stood out would be Shota’s gray fur, his glowing eyes, or Izuku’s green lightning. Stealth based attacks, Shota’s specialty.
Izuku happily let Cementos pet him after Shota told him it was safe. Cementos was surprisingly good at petting, so Izuku let the pro pick him up. Shota got a bit anxious by that, so he curled around Cementos’ legs.
“Any questions?” All Might asked, finally. Uraraka raised her hand. “Um… Should Deku really be participating? It could be dangerous for him.”
For the first time since being turned into a cat, Shota heard Izuku growl.
His head shot up as the kitten jumped out of Cementos’ arms and took a fighting stance against the entire class.
A second later, green lightning started sparking off of his cub’s body. It made him seem much bigger and intimidating than he really is or than how he looked before.
“Problem Kitten. Save it for the exercise.” Shota demanded while grabbing Izuku by the scruff. The kitten fell limp in his hold but continued to glare at the class as he was carried into the jungle.
“Let’s show them exactly what big cats can do.” Shota grinned as Izuku smiled at him with that same determination as the day of the quirk apprehension test.
—
Uraraka was pretty excited about going first. She’d be able to show off how non destructive her quirk is. They said no fighting back, but her quirk didn’t do damage when she used it.
The bell sounded and Uraraka rushed into the trees.
After around five steps something bright green shot out from above her and sent her tumbling to the ground. The fluffy green kitten was now on top of her face and lightly biting her nose while she was laying on her back.
“Uraraka’s out!” Midnight announced.
Izuku hopped off of her and dashed back into the jungle without a second glance. The brunette slowly lifted herself up and gaped at where her friend had disappeared.
Sero was next, and it ended the exact same as he first test. He’d gotten a few swings into the trees before Izuku had launched into his face, sending him careening into the jungle floor.
Kaminari was confident that he was safe from being tackled with his quirk, so he let himself relax slightly as he ran through the trees. Big mistake. As soon as he’d spotted the pair of red eyes in the bushes a kitten was already biting his hand.
Jiro slowly inched her way through the thicket, listening for any and all signs of movement. She heard what sounded like a branch snapping, but when she turned to look she was tackled from behind by Shota.
Shoji had added a few ears to his body, but he wasn’t prepared for a kitten to fall silently from the sky and land on one of his arms.
Kirishima was the first one to pass. It was difficult once his sensei had canceled his quirk, but he managed to dodge Izuku long enough to escape the area. Shota was actually pretty impressed by Kirishima’s new move. He’d hardened his hands and scaled one of the trees so Shota didn’t notice him at first.
Yaoyorozu also passed. She made catnip.
Izuku was hit by the catnip grenade first and was instantly out. His pupils were so wide that almost no green could be spotted. Shota was hit next, and it was just before he’d managed to grab her.
After Yaoyorozu passed, the students were given a snack break. It was mostly because Shota and Izuku were way too out of it to continue. Midnight ended up activating the sprinkler system to wash away the smell of the catnip, but that gave Nezu an idea.
Iida was going next. In the rain. Shota ended up catching the teen by the arm after he slipped on some mud.
Sato went after, and the rain made it harder for him to get his sugar intake. Izuku ended up slamming into Sato’s back hard enough to knock him into Shota, who bit the teen’s arm.
Todoroki followed after him. He ended up trying to skate his way through the area, but Shota stopped him before he could. As Todoroki tried to right himself, Izuku launched out from his left side and latched onto his leg.
Hagakure was very close to passing, but Shota managed to catch her scent just before she made it to the exit. Shota let Izuku bite her though. Revenge for the first day.
Ashido ended up using her new move, Acid Man, to evade both cats. The acid was way too thick for them to bite through, and Ashido had enough covering her that it didn’t matter when her quirk was canceled. She happily skated through the trees with a proud smile.
Tsu went next. She ended up hiding in the mud for a while until making her escape. She passed with flying colors.
Tokoyami was up with Dark Shadow, who was a bit more powerful than normal.
“Izuku. How bright can you make your lightning?” Izuku smiled brightly at Shota’s question. Izuku ended up acting as a makeshift nightlight by using one hundred percent of his quirk to distract the bird duo. Shota took the opening and bit Tokoyami’s leg before Dark Shadow had time to retaliate.
Ojiro passed after being chased through the trees by both cats. He managed to knock a branch out from under Izuku before the kitten could snag his tail, which earned him the win.
Bakugou was next. That exercise almost ended very badly. Izuku had managed to sneak up on the angry blond, which gave him the opportunity to bite his leg. Bakugou ended up spinning around with a few explosions prepared for the kitten, and Shota tackled him to the ground with his quirk activated.
Shota had Bakugou’s forearm in his jaw as he pinned the rest of his body down, claws on full display and lightly digging into skin. Shota nearly bit down hard enough to break bones, but Bakugou’s frightened face was enough to snap him out of his protective instincts. He jumped off of his student and rushed over to his cub instead.
Izuku was very shaken up by the ordeal, but Shota managed to calm him down.
Aoyama was pretty difficult to grab, but Izuku managed to bite him after the teen was stopped by their sensei.
Mineta was swiftly handled by Shota, who could fit the teens entire midsection in his mouth.
Finally, it was Koda’s turn. Izuku was about to launch out of the trees when he heard a voice. “P-please stay where you are.” Izuku’s body froze. Shota wasn’t sure how surprised he is that Koda’s quirk works on him and Izuku, but it’s very annoying. He managed to get a few feet from the teen before he panicked and shouted, “Stop!” Shota couldn’t move after that.
Koda passed quickly then returned to undo his little spell.
Shota let the teen pet him as an acceptance of his apology before returning to stand by his cub.
There were a lot of things his students needed to work on, but a few of them did extremely well.
Kirishima, Yaoyorozu, Ashido, Tsu, and Koda all got nearly perfect scores.
A few students passed but didn’t win, like Jiro, Shoji, Hagakure, and Tokoyami.
Everyone else needed a lot of work. Most of the students who didn’t pass had become way too accustomed to fighting in a city setting. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but they need to be capable enough to hold their own anywhere, even in places that work against them. Iida being the best example.
“Most of you did well. Some of you will be having a few lessons with me about outdoor fighting after I’m back to normal.” Nezu translated for Shota as the class regrouped. A few students asked why it mattered that they know how to fight in a jungle, but Nezu explained that it was to build upon their strengths and lessen their weaknesses. “Just because I don’t work well in fires should I not help evacuate a burning building?” Shota asked and Nezu translated for him again. Many students shook their heads, now understanding what he meant.
“Also.” Shota turned to Yaoyorozu and scowled. “Never do that again.” She nodded vigorously after Koda whispered the message to her.
—
The next day, Sero and Kaminari looked extremely excited. Shota had a feeling that whatever was about to happen wouldn’t end well, but he didn’t have time to complain.
Before he knew it, catnip was thrown into his face.
Shota felt all of his humanity melt away as he sank to the ground and rolled around while purring. Sero cooed at him while Kaminari used the catnip he had on Izuku.
Both big cats were loving the sensations and didn’t register what they were doing.
When Shota came back to himself, he was surrounded by Kaminari, Sero, and Mineta, who were all petting him and laughing.
Shota launched upward and snarled at them, shaking the remaining catnip off of his head. He spotted Izuku purring happily on Uraraka’s desk as she, Ashido, and Hagakure all petted him. All of his other students were sitting at their desks or talking quietly at a friend's desk, far away from them.
Shota let out a loud roar. He stormed forward and grabbed Izuku off of the desk, while the rest of his students scrambled away from them.
Shota glared at each and every one of the students involved before walking over to Kirishima’s desk. He gently placed Izuku onto the red head’s lap and laid himself down under the desk.
He doesn’t even care if he has Kirishima’s scent or not. His human brain knows that Kirishima is safe, and that’s enough for his still confused senses.
Shota ended up falling asleep after he overheard Midnight enter the room. He woke up a few hours later to his husband's voice. He lazily searched for his cub, finding Izuku still with Kirishima. The kitten had draped himself around Kirishima’s neck like a scarf while the class studied for their English test the next day.
“Did I miss anything?” Shota asked, stretching out his legs. “Sero and Kaminari had to clean up all the catnip, and everyone who messed with us got detention from Midnight Sensei.” Izuku answered while he swatted at a strand of Kirishima’s hair. “Good.” Shota got out from under Kirishima’s desk and laid his head on the red head’s lap. Kirishima hesitantly began petting him, which felt really nice.
“Nice to see you awake, Eraser. Are you and the Little Listener hungry?” Hizashi asked. Shota remained silent, subtilty leaning into the hand that was petting him. “Nope!” Izuku answered, which sounded like a high-pitched squeak to everyone else. Hizashi looked at Koda, who shook his head. “Let me know when you two are feeling hungry. Nezu had a few new species of fish shipped in for you two.” Shota growled out a response but was already starting to doze off again.
Shota was woken up by Kirishima gently shaking him and Izuku biting his ear.
“Um, Aizawa Sensei? It’s time for lunch. I need to get up.” Shota yawned and lifted himself off of his student before grabbing his cub.
Shota was on his way to the teachers lounge when he heard something in the lunchroom. There was an explosion. Then crying. He heard someone crying. He knew that voice.
Shota’s parental instincts kicked in as he darted away from Hizashi and burst into the cafeteria with Izuku by his side.
It didn’t take long for Shota to spot who was crying. Yaoyorozu was trying to comfort Jiro, who was muffling her sobs. Shota rushed forward after double checking Izuku was with him.
The entire cafeteria burst into screams and panic, but Shota continued on his path to his student.
Once close enough, Shota noticed that Jiro was curled in on herself and covering her legs. Shota looked around and spotted Koda not too far away. “What happened?!” He roared, making everyone besides some of 1A jump. “Mineta s-snuck b-behind me again. I-I told h-him to stop but h-he-” Jiro’s words broke off as she continued to cry. Shota didn’t even register his quirk activating as he scanned the crowd for Mineta.
Izuku had pushed himself into Jiro’s arms and was licking her face in an attempt to comfort her, so Shota wasn’t worried about him.
Someone hurt a member of his pack. His kid. Someone hurt his kid!
Shota spotted Mineta sprinting towards the door, and snarled. He rushed forward and slammed his large paw into Mineta’s back to pin him down.
“Holy-!” “Save him!” “What’s happening?!” “Is that Aizawa?!” Students from other courses and grades all shouted, but Shota didn’t hear him. His ears were focused on the sound of Jiro crying.
Shota bared his teeth and slowly lowered his head closer to Mineta’s ear. “I know you don’t understand me, but touch them again and I’ll fucking kill you.” Mineta was crying now too, but Shota couldn’t care less. He always knew the class wasn’t telling him something about Mineta, but he didn’t think it was this bad.
“Koda!” The tall teen stiffened immediately. “Tell him he’s expelled! Now!” Koda whispered the message to Shoji, who announced it to everyone in the room.
“Watch Izuku! If he gets hurt you’re expelled too!”
Shota then grabbed Mineta by the leg and dragged him out of the cafeteria as he thrashed and wailed. Shota ended up throwing the purple haired teen into Nezu’s office before running back to the cafeteria.
He burst through the doors again to find Izuku still cuddling Jiro, only now she looked much more at ease. Shota relaxed slightly as he made his way over to the Bakusquad table where Jiro was sitting. She was surrounded by the other members of her crew, so Shota found himself resting his head on Kirishima’s lap again.
Kirishima was on the end with Kaminari beside him, Jiro on his left, Yaoyorozu on her left, Bakugou in front of Kirishima, Sero on Bakugou’s right, and Mina on the end.
Everyone, including Kaminari, thanked Shota for getting rid of Mineta after what he did. Apparently, it wasn’t the first time he tried but it was the first time he managed to do it. Shota growled again, but continued resting as Kirishima pet him.
Shota then remembered the burn marks Mineta had on his arm when he managed to pin him down. Shota lifted his head from Kirishima and turned to Bakugou, who lifted his head up so they were making eye contact. Shota took a step forward and motioned to Bakugou’s arms with his paw. Bakugou scoffed and looked away.
“Yeah, I burned the shitty pervert. Going to give me fucking detention now or what?” He snapped, although still much quieter than he was in the beginning of the year.
Shota slowly shook his head before motioning to Jiro. Bakugou scoffed again, but his muscles seemed less tense than before. “I saw the fucking pervert getting close. I wasn’t fast enough to stop him, but I got the asshole to back the fuck up.” Shota then remembered how Bakugou was standing in front of Jiro when he first entered the cafeteria.
“Kacchan doesn’t like womanizers.” Izuku said from his spot around Jiro’s neck.
Shota nodded to him before rubbing his head against Bakugou’s arm.
He needed to trust his students more, especially those who protect the others. Bakugou seemed surprised by the action, but started petting him after Kirishima signaled him to do so. Bakugou’s hands were warm, so Shota leaned into him.
—
Eventually, Shota had his front paws resting on Bakugou’s lap as the teen held his head up with the hand scratching under his chin.
“Looks like 1A has more issues than I thought!” Someone shouted. Shota’s eyes snapped open, and he watched as Monoma, from 1B, flinched slightly.
“Piss off, you shitty extra.” Bakugou snarked back. He seemed much more calm after petting Shota the entire lunch period.
“What, do you 1A royalty need some guard cat to protect you from each other? That’s pathetic.” Shota could feel Bakugou’s muscles tensing under his paws, so he knew what was about to happen.
Suddenly, Izuku was standing on the table in front of Bakugou. “Kacchan! I want to play!” He announced, bouncing on his feet.
“Ha! Do you, entitled snobs, really think that you can ignore the no pets rule?!” Izuku’s eyes lost their excitement as he eyed Monoma up and down. Shota saw how anxious his kid looked, so he started to growl at Monoma. The blond looked stunned at the display, but he put his mask of confidence back on. “Aw. Did you guys really not train your cat?” He mocked, which was really odd. Shota didn’t know that the rivalry between classes was so bad. Shota bared his teeth and chuckled as Monoma flinched back again.
“I’m surprised you’re willing to talk so much shit in front of a teacher.” Jiro commented, which had Shota holding back a laugh. Monoma looked confused. “Who…?” His eyes widened as he finally realized exactly who the large cat was.
Luckily for him, the bell rang.
Shota smiled at Monoma again before grabbing Izuku and leaving the cafeteria.
They ended up skipping the next class period so they could eat lunch, but it didn’t matter all that much.
Shota was pleased to find that Mineta was expelled quickly, and now he had an open spot in his class. “Problem Kitten, got any ideas for a new classmate?” Izuku looked thrilled, and immediately led Shota to the General Education classroom.
Walking into the room earned them quite a few screams. “Aizawa? Why are you here?” Snipe asked. Shota shrugged as best he could as Izuku stepped into the classroom. The same students who had screamed before letting out a bunch of awes and coos.
“Go pick one. Just don’t go too far.” Izuku nodded at Shota and led him over to his favorite Gen Ed student’s desk.
Shinso looked extremely frightened. “Um…” Izuku smiled up at Shinso and flicked his tail. “Midoriya?” He questioned. Izuku beamed up at him while Shota sat down. “Eraserhead?” He questioned, and Izuku nodded happily. “Why are you here?”
Shota rolled his eyes before grabbing Shinso’s sleeve and pulling him out of his chair.
“You taking Shinso out?” Snipe asked, looking amused despite his mask hiding his face. “Let’s go!” Izuku shouted, darting back and forth between Shinso and the door.
One of the girls up front reached out to touch him, but a growl from Shota stopped her.
Shota was pretty happy by the end of the day.
He had expelled the kid he’d been watching for the past few months, got his personal student into the hero course, comforted his students, and made a plan for the next joint training session with class 1B.
Shota was sprawled out on the common room floor as Kirishima and Kaminari both rubbed his stomach. Izuku was sleeping on Koda’s lap not too far away. Yaoyorozu even made a laser pointer so the students that Shota still hadn’t gotten the scents of were able to play with Izuku. Shota ended up snagging Izuku from the others after a while and he took the kitten out of the dorm building.
“Sensei?” Izuku asked, completely unbothered by the fact that he was being carried around. “We’re patrolling. I’m not leaving you with them.” Shota sighed and Izuku nodded.
The two ended up patrolling the entirety of the UA campus by the time they returned to the dorms.
—
“Dad!” Shota heard the scream before his eyes caught up with what he was seeing. A few students from another grade had snagged Izuku and were running away with him.
Shota snarled, faintly hearing the screams of his students as he ran after his cub.
Shota canceled the student’s quirks and slammed two of them into the ground before they could react to him.
The girl carrying his cub spun around and aimed her hand at him, but when nothing came out she looked panicked. Shota lunged for her but was stopped. Kirishima was pulling him back.
“Let go of me!” He roared, slashing at his student in an attempt to get him to let go.
Izuku was whimpering at the way the girl was holding him by his leg, and that sound made Shota’s remaining human senses fizzle out under the weight of his animal instincts. He was no longer speaking Japanese as he thrashed and attacked everything nearby.
Kirishima, Dark Shadow, Sato, and Shoji were all pinning him down. Kaminari, Ashido, and Bakugou rushed the girl holding Izuku and knocked her out.
Izuku was also no longer speaking Japanese, it was all cries of pain and fear.
Shota continued to fight back, but his students were stronger than him now that he wasn’t mentally sane enough to use his quirk.
Finally, Shoji reached one of his arms out and grabbed Izuku, gently pulling him closer to Shota as the cub panicked.
Once close enough, the students let Shota go. The large cat jumped up and rushed to his cub. Shota licked Izuku’s head and let out a few comforting parental calls. Izuku responded to the calls immediately as he snuggled his head into Shota’s neck.
The protective instincts weren’t going away, so Shota wasn’t aware when he’d turned to his students and snarled at them. They all backed away as Shota stood up again and shielded his cub with his body.
He had to get them out. Get his cub to safety.
Koda wasn’t able to decipher the snarls and growls Shota was using to communicate, it was wild. He was used to talking to animals that were around people somewhat, but Shota was no longer behaving like a human or a domesticated animal. He was a wild beast.
“Stay back!” Koda called out to Kirishima and Iida. Both froze immediately and took a few steps back. “That’s not Aizawa Sensei right now!” He shouted again. All of the other students finally understood what he was talking about. Present Mic had mentioned that there was a chance that their instincts could go out of control when something happened that made either of the cats feel unsafe.
“Those of you who have already earned Aizawa Sensei’s trust should remain here while the rest of us go. This big of a crowd may stress both of them out more.” Iida announced. The others all nodded and followed the directions.
Yaoyorozu, Kaminari, Kirishima, Shoji, Bakugou, Jiro, Tokoyami, and Koda all remained where they were while the others left as quickly as possible to go get Present Mic and Nezu or drag the assailants away.
Shota snarled again as his eyes narrowed further. Izuku whimpered loudly as he crawled over to press his tiny body into Shota’s leg.
“What do we do?” Kirishima asked while standing in front of the others in case their sensei attacked. “I don’t know. I think we should leave. We’re stressing him out.” Koda answered. The others nodded and started to slowly back away from the feline duo.
Shota growled a few more times until they were finally out of his attack zone. Shota’s wild brain desperately searched for a safe place.
He needed his territory.
He needed his home.
Shota whirled around and grabbed Izuku’s scruff before bolting away from the students watching him.
The cat darted across school grounds easily and eventually made it to the dorm building.
His animal instincts were still screaming, so Shota ran past the building and into the nearby woods.
He ran deep into the woods, only stopping when he made it to the base of an enormous tree. Shota easily scaled the tree and found himself and Izuku a comfortable spot to lay together without risk of falling.
It took Shota over two hours to calm Izuku down from his panic, and it took even longer for the two of them to regain their human minds again.
“I’m sorry.” Izuku whispered after the sun had finally set. “Why?” Shota hummed back, looking up at the stars. “F-for calling you D-Dad.” Izuku explained from where he was curled into Shota’s chest. The larger cat hummed again while leaning his head down to look at his cub. His cub. This one was his.
“I don’t mind.” “Really?!” Izuku’s head snapped up as he looked at Shota with his big kitten eyes. “No. You can call me whatever you want, Problem Kitten. I don’t mind.”
Izuku smiled before his ears fell flat. “B-but what about when we’re human again?” Shota scoffed while rolling his eyes. “I told you I don’t mind, kid. Human or not, you can call me whatever you want.” Izuku grinned brightly as he curled into Shota’s chest again. “Thanks, Dad.”
—
Shota felt odd.
He groaned while stretching his legs out and tightening his hold around his kid.
Shota paused when he felt that his fingers were curled into someone’s hair. Fingers.
Shota’s eyes flew open as he scanned himself and Izuku, who were human again.
Well, mostly human.
Shota noted the cat ears and tails they both had along with the claws. Shota hummed tiredly as he buried his nose into the kid’s hair. His senses were heightened too if the strong scent of fruity shampoo was anything to go off of.
“Dad?” Izuku mumbled while shifting in his sleep. “Go back to sleep, kit.” Shota whispered. Izuku nodded while pressing his face further into Shota’s chest.
The two ended up falling asleep again, waking up three hours later at the same time.
Izuku immediately started rambling about the quirk they were hit with and the implication of them still having the features of cats as they both made their way back to the dorm.
Izuku actually missed being carried, so halfway there Shota pulled the teen up onto his back. Izuku giggled while hugging Shota tightly, tail curving around the man as well. Shota smiled lightly, hiding it behind his capture weapon.
The class screamed when Shota and Izuku appeared in the doorway, but it was all relief and shock.
Shota still flinched back and ended up growling, which now revealed that he also kept the fangs. Izuku hissed as well, his large green eyes narrowed into slits for a second.
“Woah…” “Sensei? Midoriya?” Yaoyorozu asked while stepping in front of everyone else with Kirishima in case they needed to shield the others.
“Yes.” Shota sighed. “I apologize for yesterday. I hope none of you were harmed.” “No, Sensei. We’re all perfectly fine.” Kirishima grinned while waving his arms. “Thank you for holding me back, before.” Shota said while giving the red headed teen a nod.
Izuku smiled as well, showing off his fangs. “Dude…” Sero said as he stepped closer. “Are you two going to be stuck like that?” “Where did you two go after yesterday?” Kaminari and Sato asked. “We went to the forest to calm down. I’m not sure how long this will last…” Shota paused while he looked down at his tail. “Where is Present Mic?” “He should be up in your apartment, Sensei. He said he would stay there in case you two came back.” Shota nodded and started walking.
Out of the corner of his eye, Shota spotted someone reaching out for his tail. Shota growled again while spinning around. Ashido flinched away and held her hands up in surrender. “Looks like the instincts are still there.” Ojiro said.
Shota just sighed while returning to his mission of going to see his husband.
Hizashi jumped on Shota the second the man had put Izuku down on the couch. “I missed you so much!” Hizashi cooed as he hugged Shota tightly while kissing his face all over. Shota hummed back while hugging the blond just as tightly.
“These are new.” Hizashi hummed while reaching up to pet between Shota’s ears. The dark haired man let out a content sigh as he leaned into the touch. “How are you feeling?” “Fine.” “What about you, Little Listener?” Hizashi asked while turning to look at Izuku. “Good!” The kid chirped with a happy grin.
The trio had breakfast together before they left to see Recovery Girl.
She revealed that the cat features were likely permanent, but the instincts would settle down over time. Shota thanked her while leading Izuku and Hizashi back to the apartment.
“Come on, Problem Kitten.” Shota prompted after he laid on the couch. Izuku grinned as he flopped on top of his teacher. Shota huffed but didn’t complain. He simply brought his hands up to run through Izuku’s soft curls. The teen melted into the touch and started to purr. In response, Shota also started to purr.
Hizashi cooed as he walked over and took a seat in front of the couch.
They still had a lot to do. Figuring out the quirk they were hit with entirely, finding the guy that did it, adapting to this new way of life, figuring out Izuku’s living situation, adapting their fighting styles to incorporate their new features, finding out how to adopt Izuku, and asking Hizashi to sign the papers without him deafening the entire dorm building. However, the feline duo relaxed, basking in the warmth of the open window and melting into each other’s embrace while Hizashi hummed softly.
Everything could be figured out later.
For now, they would rest and comfort each other while dozing off in the place they both felt most at home.