My Hero Academia: Next Gen

Christmas Special: Aizawa Annual Traditions

Aizawa had never been a particularly festive person, but when he adopted Eri and he saw the joy light up in her eyes when she saw the strings of colourful lights draped on the Christmas trees at the department stores, he found a new appreciation for the holidays.

The two of them developed a routine each year of buying the biggest Christmas tree they could find and decorating it to the nines. He would let her choose a new ornate ornament each year to add to their collection, and this year was no different.

Eri wiggled in excitement in the passenger's seat of their car, her lips curved into a wide smile. They were on their way to the store to buy their Christmas tree, and she could not be more ecstatic. 

Her father, while he may not have shown it on his face, Aizawa's heart was warm seeing his daughter so happy. Christmas was her favourite time of year, and he was happy that he could have some part in creating that joy.

When they arrived at the department store, Eri was beaming at the sight of all the tall pine trees lined up together in an outdoor cage. There were tens of them, and other customers were drifting in and out, often with the trees with them.

"Tree or ornament first?" Aizawa asked, his hands in his pockets. The wind blew drifts of snow over their feet and he shivered. He never did like the cold.

"Um, we did the tree first last year, so let's get the ornament first this year!" Eri exclaimed, pointing into the store. "We need a dark blue one this time."

"Don't we already have a dark blue ornament?"

"No, we have an indigo one. They're different."

"How?"

"Indigo is blue but a bit closer to purple. Dark blue is still blue." 

"I see." (He didn't.)

She smiled brightly and grabbed his sleeve lightly, pulling him toward the store entrance. "I want to get the whole rainbow one day, and everything in between."

He chuckled lightly. "Alright, alright." 

The two of them roamed the store for twenty minutes, looking down the same four aisles of Christmas decorations in their hunt for the perfect one ornament. The problem was, most of the ornaments came in sets, or they weren't the right colour. 

Just as Eri was losing hope, she came upon a row of single, large ornaments. Quickly scanning the shelf, she found a large, dark blue ornament with little handpainted reindeer running around it. She turned, grinning to Aizawa as she held up her prize. "This one!"

They paid for the ornament, along with some unplanned Christmas cookies, and headed out to look at the trees lined up outside. 

The selection process was a lengthy and purposefully over dramatic one, where any flaw in the tree would mean instant rejection. Too short? Rejected. Not enough branches? Rejected. Too many branches? Rejected. She treated the tree picking like she was on the Bachelorette, comparing the pros and cons of each tree in order to find The One.

Aizawa entertained Eri's antics as she circled each tree, happy to just let her do her thing. If it made her happy, he was more than alright with standing in the cold for twenty minutes.

The tree they chose barely fit in their car, but Eri smiled the whole drive back home. It may have been a struggle to take it out, and bring it inside, and turn the corners of the interior... and navigate all together, but it was the perfect tree. 

They spent the next half hour decorating the tree, lugging the large bin of decorations out of the closet. Soon, lights adorned the tree, and silvery tinsel circled all the way around it. Eri put on the red ornament from her first Christmas, then the orange, yellow, green, indigo, and finally the brand new dark blue.

She placed it on the empty branch and took a step back to look at their handiwork. The tree glowed brightly, the colourful lights shining and bouncing off of the ornaments. The smell of pine filled her senses and she couldn't help but feel so at peace. It was beautiful.

Eri turned to Aizawa, who was looking at the tree with his normal amount of excitement (read: very little). "Thank you, Dad," she said, hugging him tightly. "For everything."

He chuckled lightly but hugged her back nonetheless. "I tell you every year you don't need to thank me. We're family now. This is what family does."

She laughed. "You tell me every year, but I still say it because I mean it."

He smiled softly. "I know."

"So! Is it time to wrap the presents?" Eri exclaimed, pulling back. 

"Yes, yes. It's time."

"Good! You do it down here, I'll do it in my room. I call dibs on the pretty shimmery red wrapping paper!"

She ran off to find the aforementioned paper, leaving her father to shake his head in amusement behind her. He thought about the holidays he would have before he adopted Eri. Usually alone, usually dark without festivities. 

Aizawa admitted that while he had been satisfied before the incident with the Shie Hassaikai, having Eri in his life made everything brighter, and suddenly his Christmases were full of light.

He wasn't just satisfied anymore. He was happy.

A/N Omg I am so sorry for the late update things have been CRAZY on my end. Hopefully, this will satisfy you until chapter 52. Love you all!

P.S. New dedications will be in Chapter 52 not this one