Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You looked out of the window. The slow pitter-patter of the rain soothed you. Good.
Today had been a slow day at the clinic. A concerned owner had brought in his dog, but it had ended up just being a light case of dermatitis. Another had frantically brought in her gecko, and you had to carefully explain that it’s tail would in fact grow back. Nothing too troubling had happened, and you hoped it would stay that way.
It was almost the end of the day, and soon you would be able to head home and finally sleep. Just as you got excited at the prospect, your receptionist popped her head into the examination room to inform you of an appointment, one that had been made last minute.

‘Thanks Himari. Let them in,’ You smiled.

You quickly brushed off the various excretions on your scrubs, wanting to look minorly professional for any client. Himari had told you that this was the first time they were coming to this clinic, so you had no background information. You hoped it would be a calm pet, but more importantly a calm owner. The man who slowly walked into your examination room made you relax slightly. He looked slightly rough, clearly missing some sleep, but good-looking nonetheless. You doubted he would make you lose your temper, not that that was easy nowadays. He was holding a cat carrier, and his face was completely neutral, mirroring yours.

‘Hello sir. It’s nice to meet you, I’m Dr y/n,’ You said.

‘Mm. My cat, Nimbus, is acting strange.’

Okay. Not very polite, but an attentive owner. You smiled slightly, and signalled him to put the carrier on the table. Peering through the grate, you saw a normal-looking cat, if slightly unnerved at being watched by a stranger. You gently opened it up and coaxed it out. Seeing her (definitely a her) fully, you couldn’t immediately see anything wrong. She was all black, matching her owner superbly, and looked up at you with adorable green eyes.

‘What a cutie. What seems to be the problem?’ You asked, beginning the full body examination.

‘She’s been eating more than usual. She never begs usually, but of late she has been pestering me for whatever I’m having for dinner,’ He began, a slight note of worry in his voice. ‘And more concerningly… She’s been… Affectionate.’

You blinked. Not a common complaint to get.

‘She’s very self reliant. She likes my company but she’s usually content to simply sit next to me. But these past couple days, she has been purring and trying to sleep on my chest.’ He continued.

You chuckled internally. This guy seemed like the kind of person to be bothered by attention. You hummed slightly as you examined the cat, slowly working your way through your mental checklist. You had an idea, but didn’t want to tell him before you were sure.

‘I’ll get to the bottom of it sir.’

A few minutes passed, and you got to the final step. Gently palpating her stomach you slowly smiled.

‘Well sir, good news. Nimbus is pregnant! I can feel a few fetuses in her womb. However she’s very early on, so I can’t be completely sure as to how many, nor can I perform an ultrasound. She’s most likely about two weeks along. Cat gestation lasts 9 weeks, so you have some time to prepare.’

He shifted slightly, but gave no sign of emotion. ‘I see. Will she be okay?’ He asked simply.

You reassured him that yes, she seemed healthy, and you saw no reason why she wouldn’t be able to deliver in full safety. While you finished up with Nimbus you peered at him again. He was wearing his long black hair in a simple ponytail, and he wore all grey. Moving up, his eyes were bloodshot and full of concern, even if his face revealed nothing. You could almost see his mind overthinking.

‘I should have gotten her fixed. I just got so busy. When she got out a couple weeks ago I didn’t think anything would happen,’ He sighed.

Your heart tugged slightly. He truly cared.

‘Sir, it’s okay. I can tell you’re a very attentive owner. Most people don’t notice these signs this early, in fact it’s extremely rare. You clearly deeply care for her, and she loves you too. Normally I’d ask you to come back in a month, but why don’t you come back next week and we can do an ultrasound and hear some heartbeats?’

He finally looked up from Nimbus to you. ‘Thank you.’

While not much, that was clearly a lot for him. You appreciated the sincerity, as well as the eye contact. Even if it made your cheeks flush slightly pink. You led him outside, and he gave his information to Himari. Your ears perked slightly as you caught a name.

Aizawa.

Chapter Text

Waking up, you felt a familiar weight resting beside you. You rolled over and saw Beans, your beloved mutt. You had never been sure of his breed as you had adopted him from the shelter, but you did know he was hungry. Groaning, you dragged out of bed as he bounded behind you.

‘Yes, yes. Here you go.’ You gave him his breakfast, which he inhaled. You really needed to get him a slow feeder.

You made coffee, your mind wandering. You remembered adopting Beans, after a particularly frightening encounter with a robber when you were at university. He would never fend off a true villain, but he did the job, and you felt less scared. Which was what was important.

You sighed, looking at yourself in the mirror and seeing how shit you looked. You had had a day off yesterday, so you were free to do whatever. The only problem was, you didn’t actually have anything to do, so you ended up cuddled in bed with Beans all day, other than a short walk for his sake. You barely had friends, only a few old connections from your school days that you texted every few months. You didn’t do any hobbies, you were too tired from work all of the time. As for a love life… Well. Nothing in that department. For a long time. Which was fine.

You found yourself reminiscing about the mystery client from last week. Aizawa. You wondered what he did for a living. He seemed like the kind of person with a cushy work from home job to avoid social interaction, but the glimpse you caught of his arms led you to believe otherwise, unless he somehow spent hours in the gym every day. He was coming back today. You had double checked that he was actually coming. No shows happened far too often, and you really wanted him to come in.

As you started getting ready, you found yourself putting slightly more effort into your appearance than you would for the clinic. You weren’t sure why.

You waited patiently in the lobby. You had arrived 30 minutes early, and he was the first appointment of the day. None of the other staff had even come in yet. Why were you here? Your thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock. You didn’t jump, keeping your cool, and simply glanced out of the window. Why was he here?

‘Oh. Sir, hello. You’re very early.’

He shifted slightly. ‘Sorry. I have to go into work early today, and was wondering if you could take a look at her now. It’s okay if not.’

You put on your best customer service smile. ‘Of course! Come in.’

You guided him into the ultrasound room, and picked up Nimbus into your arms. Normally done by the vet techs, you carefully shaved her belly and began the ultrasound. You found yourself talking to her, as you usually did when you were alone.

‘You’re very pretty! You have such soft fur. You could be a cat model. Future superstar here!’ You were chattering away as you searched, before a soft cough reminded you that you were, in fact, not alone. Aizawa was so quiet that you had completely forgotten he was there.

‘Sorry sir.’ You muttered.

‘It’s fine.’ He shrugged. He truly did not care about anything. ‘You can call me Aizawa by the way, sorry I forgot to tell you my name last time.’

You were about to respond when you heard it. Bum-bum-bum-bum. Heartbeats!

‘Do you hear that! Those faster heartbeats are the kittens. This is great! This means they are strong and healthy.’ You smiled.

You swore you saw Aizawa smile too. ‘May I take a recording?’

‘Of course! Eager to share with a co-kitty-parent?’ You asked.

‘No, just for myself.’

Why did that make you so happy? You ignored the thought. You waited for him to take a recording before putting the equipment away and handing Nimbus back to him, informing him to come back in a couple of weeks to do an x-ray and determine how many kittens. You began cleaning the room, but he was still sitting there, stroking Nimbus. Slightly awkwardly, you decided to strike up a conversation.

‘What do you do for work that needs you to be there so early sir?’

He seemed distraught to be spoken to. ‘Um. I’m a teacher.’

‘My gosh! Your poor students. It’s not even 6am yet. What do you teach sir?’ You asked as you scrubbed the examination table clean.

Aizawa grumbled something about a highschool and went quiet. He wasn’t one for small talk, you assumed. Rude. He was more than welcome to leave then.

‘Sir, everything is all done. I don’t want to keep you from your important teaching.’ You smiled, ever polite.

‘Alright. I was just hoping to wait until it got a bit lighter outside.’ He muttered.

You looked at him, puzzled. Was he scared of the dark or something?

‘There’s a villain in this area. Heroes haven’t caught him yet.’ He stated, seemingly understanding your thoughts.

You sighed. Of course there was. With U.A high school so close, there were constant villain attacks. Of course this guy would want to stay safe.

‘I see sir. You’re more than welcome to sit in my office. I have some administrative work to do, and I’m afraid I can’t have you walking around the unstaffed clinic.’ You led him into your overly decorated office, suddenly slightly embarrassed.

He looked around the room, observing the walls. You had put up posters of all of your favourite pro-heroes, as well as various relaxing pictures, usually animal-related. The goal was to remain calm. As always. He stopped at a picture of Midnight, your personal favourite. He had an odd look in his eye. Maybe she was his type? You sat down at your office and began to type as he found his way to the sofa, Nimbus still in his arms.

You two stayed in a surprisingly comfortable silence for a while. Suddenly it was interrupted by a loud bang. Despite yourself, you flinched. A momentary pang of fear.

You felt it instantly. A slight tremor. The tiniest crack appeared in the wall. You immediately started breathing calmly, in and out. You focused, and slowed your heartbeat. It was okay, nothing had gotten out of control. Remembering once again that you weren’t alone, you glanced at Aizawa. He was looking straight at you, there was no doubt about it, but you couldn’t understand what he was thinking. His eyes gave nothing away. Had he noticed?

‘Let me go have a look at what that was, sir.’ You excused yourself and walked rapidly to the lobby.

‘Oh- sorry doctor! I didn’t even realise you were here so early! I knocked over the box of treats. I’ll clean them up now!’ Himari said, smiling.

Phew. It was nothing. Aizawa’s mention of a villain had scared you. You span on your heels to head back to your office, but he was right in front of you. Disturbingly close, you felt your ears go red.

‘Ah! Hello sir. It was nothing in the end. Are you off now?’

‘Mhm. Be careful, the villain is known to break into workplaces to rob them. You shouldn’t be here alone when it’s dark.’ He said quietly. ‘And please drop the formalities, there’s no need. I’ll be back.’

And then he was gone. You pondered his words. If the villain wasn’t a risk to passersby, why had he been too scared to go outside? Or… Had he stayed to make sure you were okay?

You scoffed. What could a teacher do to protect you?

Chapter Text

The next week passed agonisingly slowly. You found yourself thinking of Aizawa more and more. It wasn’t even on purpose. Just… where your mind went, without asking. You wondered what kind of teacher he was, what his students thought of him, whether he enjoyed his job. You thought about his eyebags. His hunched shoulders. He probably worked too much.

These constant thoughts continued as you bundled up warm and headed out the door. It was slightly late for a walk, but you preferred it, less people around meant less possible conflicts. You called Beans over, who ran at full speed out the door, ever ready for a walk.

You strolled leisurely to your local park, smiling as you watched Beans sniff everything on his path, as if he didn’t walk the same path almost everyday. As you expected, the roads were empty. You occasionally passed another dog-walker, and greeted them with pleasantries. Suddenly, Beans tensed up. You looked over, and saw that he had begun growling and barking at a mystery figure. You tried to call him back over, but he was fixed in place. Resigned to having to bring him back yourself, you puffed out your chest, and walked over.

As you approached the alarmed figure, you froze. The way he moves. The tone of voice as he reassured beans. The exhaustion in his shoulders—same as when he brings in Nimbus.

‘Si- Sorry. Aizawa?’ You asked.

He looked up, and you saw his eyes widen ever so slightly as he too realised who you were.

‘Y/n. Hello. How… How are you?’

You smiled. This was a change. He was asking about you. As you were telling him that you were just fine, you noticed his outfit. He wore simple black all over, but you were drawn to his… Scarf? It was long, thin and did not look particularly soft. He also had some strange yellow goggles strung around his neck. You began piecing it all together. The odd attire, the fact that he was out at this time.

‘You’re a pro-hero.’ You said bluntly.

He looked at you sheepishly and sighed. ‘Tried to keep that part quiet.’

‘I’m quite a fan of heroes. Why don’t I know you?’ You didn’t mean it in a rude way, but it came out quite insulting.

‘I’m more… underground. I don’t go around showing off.’

You stayed quiet. You were caught off guard—not because you were starstruck, but because you began to realise he’d been holding back information too.
It levels the playing field a little.

‘Are you a teacher at U.A then?’ You asked. He nodded and you shuddered. The image you had built of him began crumbling down.

Observing your reaction, he quietly changed the subject. ‘Is this your dog? He won’t stop growling at me.’

‘Sorry about that. Beans, come here. He can probably smell Nimbus on you.’ You smiled, greatly appreciating the distraction.

The conversation lulled, neither of you willing to share more, nor ask another question. Unsure where to go from here, you decided to walk away. Easier that way.

‘Well I should be off. It was nice to see y-’

‘Did you apply to U.A?’ He asked.

You blinked. The interruption surprised you—not because of what he said, but because of how he said it. Quiet, but sure. Like he’d been thinking about it for a while.

‘What makes you say that?’

He shrugged.

You hesitated, caught between defensiveness and honesty. ‘Yeah.’

‘Did you not get in? You don’t seem to like the school, nor that I teach there.’

You huffed a quiet breath, a little amused. No judgment in his voice. Just curiosity. ‘No, I got in. I just didn’t stay.’

That caught his attention. He turned slightly, like he was reading your face in the low streetlight. ‘What happened?’

You exhaled through your nose, and chose your words carefully. ‘Realized it wasn’t for me. The whole system felt like it was built for people who were willing to flatten everything in their path. I wasn’t.’

‘Or couldn’t?’ he asked. Not unkindly.

‘Both.’ You glanced away, watching Beans sniff a lamppost like it held all the answers.

He nodded once, slowly. Something unreadable flickered across his face, and for a second, you wondered if he was thinking about himself. ‘A lot of kids shouldn’t be pushed as hard as they are,’ he murmured. ‘Some of them break. Some just… leave.’

You looked over at him. ‘Did you think I broke?’

‘I think you knew what you needed. That’s not the same thing.’ His words were kind. Not soft exactly but… Genuine.

The silence that followed didn’t feel heavy this time. It felt mutual. Comfortable.

‘Well I really should be off. I have work in the morning.’

You didn’t ask him to walk you home. He didn’t ask if he could. Neither of you seemed to mind though. After seeing you slightly on edge as you looked around, he simply walked a few paces behind you, and you felt slightly safer than usual. You asked a few questions about Nimbus, and he answered them, his voice laced with affection for his cat. In return, he questioned Beans’ unique look, and you told him about his adoption. You could tell he didn’t care much for dogs, but you appreciated the effort.

‘Well, this is me. Thank you.’ You turned around. A slight lie, your house was the next street over, but you didn’t want this almost stranger knowing where you lived just yet, even if he was a hero.

He nodded, and assured you he would be at the clinic soon for his appointment. Then he disappeared into the dark, like he was never there at all.

Chapter Text

The dream dissolved the moment you opened your eyes, just a blur of warmth and tension, a voice you almost recognized. You blinked up at the ceiling, the faint morning light cutting between your blinds, and tried to chase the edges of it. But it slipped through your fingers like steam. Gone.

You sighed and sat up. Beans, ever your shadow, perked his head up at the sound and stretched with a long groan before hopping down from the bed. You followed suit with less enthusiasm.

The clinic was quiet today, nothing urgent. You’d seen a puppy in the morning, and almost lost your temper when the owner had refused to vaccinate it due to his personal beliefs. But you found yourself picturing the fold of a grey scarf, the rough rasp of a low voice, and you felt calmer. You’d simply smiled and told the man that if he did not vaccinate his puppy, he would no longer be welcome at the clinic. He’d given in eventually.
Other than that, it was calm and uneventful. But your mind was still too loud.

Finishing up some case reports, you glanced up at the name “Nimbus” scrawled onto the appointment list, three days from now. You stared at it for longer than you meant to.

‘Okay, what’s with you?” Mei, the nurse, asked playfully. She spun in her chair, sipping her tea with an eyebrow raised.

You blinked. ‘What?’

‘You’re doing that thing. That ‘staring into space while thinking deep and mysterious thoughts’ thing. Who is he?’

You snorted. ‘Nobody.’

Mei just smiled like she didn’t believe you for a second. The bell above the clinic door suddenly chimed, and you got up from your notes with your practiced smile, only for it to falter.

Bright yellow shades. Spiky blonde hair. That unmistakable energy.
No way.

‘Good afternoon!” boomed the man—actually boomed, like his voice didn’t understand what indoor volume meant. “Got an appointment for my little guy. He’s kinda dramatic, but I promise he’s not dangerous.’

‘Present mic?!’ You gasped.

‘That’s me! Why? You a fan?’ He grinned, his pearly whites almost momentarily blinding you.

‘Kinda! I mean yes, sir. You’re my first hero client! Sort of.’ You cleared your throat, trying to return to a semblance of professionalism while he beamed. ‘Anyway. Who do we have here, sir?’

You brought the small carrier onto the table, and had a look. Inside was a ball of fluff. Well, it was a chinchilla, but it had puffed out so much that it was barely recognisable.
‘His name’s Thunder,’ Present Mic said proudly. ‘Lives up to it too. Little guy’s got lungs. He’s completely deaf though, from birth. That’s why we’re so compatible!’

You smiled at the irate animal, who was looking at you with pure hatred. ‘What’s got you worried?’

He grinned. ‘Oh, he’s fine. Probably. Might have inhaled some glitter from my studio set. Better safe than sorry, right?’

You agreed, and began checking his breathing. Your mind was racing.
Present Mic is here. That means… they know each other. Of course they do. They’re both teachers at U.A. together. Should I ask? Is that weird? It’s definitely weird.

But still, curiosity curled in your chest like a restless cat.

“Do you-” you started. Then changed direction. ‘I’ve always admired Midnight. She’s... She just seems completely unbothered by what people expect from her. I remember meeting her once, a long time ago, and she was so confident.’ You had briefly been at U.A at the same time as her, and you had followed her career ever since she graduated. You knew that her and Present Mic were friends, having seen them on TV together often.

Hizashi laughed loudly, and the room almost shook. ‘She’d like hearing that. She’s still the same! Chaotic and confident as ever.’

You smiled, focusing on Thunder’s heartbeat. ‘It’s cool. Midnight just seems like she’s always been… her. Even in a world like this.’

Hizashi chuckled, a little softer this time. ‘Yeah. She’s good at that. Loud and proud from day one.”

There was a flicker of something else in his tone, but it passed as quickly as it came. You weren’t sure if you imagined it. You glanced up, but he was already grinning again, drumming his fingers lightly on the exam table.

As you continued on with the examination, Thunder decided to sneeze directly into your face, and proceed to scream as though he was being killed. You were sure it was on purpose. Present Mic laughed way too hard, and the air felt light again.

‘You’re definitely his owner,’ You smiled.

‘Loud, needy, and impossible to ignore? Of course!’ He continued chuckling.

‘So… What made you want to be a vet?’ He said, leaning back against the wall while you wrangled Thunder back under the towel.

‘I just really love animals!’ You said. Like Aizawa, Present Mic was perceptive and he clearly knew you were omitting information. However, unlike Aizawa he did not have a filter.

‘Bet there’s more to it than that! Come on, don’t hold out on me! We’re friends now aren’t we? Come ooooooon!’ He pushed.

You sighed. Never meet your heroes. While you were sure he had good intentions, why could he not simply mind his own business? He didn’t even know you. You ignored his question. He didn’t mean harm, you were sure of it, but today, politeness was just out of reach.

‘Thunder seems just fine. Just keep an eye on him for a few days, and come back if his appetite decreases or you notice him coughing. Present Mic. Sir.’ You said, your tone only slightly sour.

‘Alright then! Hey, sorry if I offended you somehow. I struggle with boundaries! Let me make it up to you. Here’s my number, call me sometime and I can introduce you to Midnight, properly. Oh, and please, call me Hizashi!’ He scribbled down a string of numbers on a crumpled receipt he had pulled out of his pocket.

You stared at it, mouth agape. You profusely thanked him, and couldn’t stop smiling. You suddenly felt guilty for being short with him, how could he know that you were sensitive to questions about your past?

Before you could think too much, he added cheerfully, ‘Clinic’s got a nice rep. Friend of mine was right to recommend you.’

Your hands paused. ‘Friend?’

‘Mmhmm.’ He grinned wide, unhelpfully. ‘Call me soon!’ He shouted, and headed out of the clinic.

You thought about what he said during your evening walk with Beans. Aizawa had mentioned you. Why did that make your heart do that stupid little skip? You passed the spot where you had run into him last week. It was empty now, and you felt a pang of disappointment.
You sighed.

‘Good. Can’t get distracted now, can I Beans?’

But you knew it was too late.

Chapter Text

You were tired. This never-ending day has been non-stop: a grumpy old cat with constipation, a last-minute emergency stitch-up on a ferret, and a delivery guy who dropped the frozen vaccines. You were covered in a smear of something she hoped was iodine, and there was a bit of dog hair stuck to her sleeve.

Mei poked her head into your office, holding up a kitten with a ridiculous bandage job.
‘Dr y/n, why did you do this like it’s a fashion statement?”

You groaned, ‘I forgot how small their ankles are, okay?’

You slumped into your chair, and started banging your forehead on the desk. Maybe being a pro-hero would have been easier than whatever this was. Quickly banishing the thought, you looked up at the posters on your walls. The picture of Fat Gum looked down at you, the underrated hero smiling ear to ear. You focused and calmed down, remembering his interviews in which he was ever-positive. Your heart-rate steadied, but you still felt slightly unnerved. Were you forgetting something?

You froze. Looked at the clock. Shit.

‘Dr? Mr. Aizawa is here!’ Himari chirped.

You rushed to the exam room, and took a look at your reflection in the shiny metal table. You looked terrible. Well, nothing you could do now. You began hurriedly setting up the room, when the door cracked open.

Aizawa stood there, Nimbus in his arms this time. You noticed his hand was bandaged, and some blood had still seeped through. Even more interestingly, his sleeves were rolled up and you could see his arms in their full glory. You became more and more aware of your own appearane.

‘Should I come back?’ He asked, clearly taking in the scene.

‘No no! Just give me two seconds.’ You assured, trying to tie up your hair with one gloved hand while kicking a mop bucket behind the table. He doesn’t look judgmental. Just quietly amused.

‘Rough day?’

‘Not as rough as yours clearly,’ you said, nodding to his hand, trying to regain composure.

He didn’t say anything, but you saw his mouth curl slightly. In return, you beamed as you plucked Nimbus out of his arms.

‘Hello beautiful girl! Wow, you’re far along!’ You cood, and held her like a baby in your arms.

‘You’re good at this.’ His voice interrupted your important conversation.

‘Thanks, I try not to drop my patients.’ You smiled.

‘You know what I mean. Nimbus likes you. She usually hates the vet.’ He says, voice less gruff.

‘Well, I like Nimbus too. But please try to bring her in a carrier next time! Beans is in my office, but if he got into the waiting area then he’d go crazy!’

He nodded, clearly feeling guilty again.

‘Alright, she looks good! Let’s go get her X-rayed. Follow me Aizawa.’ You led him into the hallway.

You noticed a funny look on his face when you said his name, but you stayed silent. In the diagnostic room, you and Mei took the X ray, always whispering encouragement to Nimbus. Aizawa stood in the corner, and you felt his gaze on the back of your head, blaring and hot. Mei left the room as the pictures began processing, but she shot you a knowing look on the way out. Rolling your eyes, you beckoned Aizawa over to the computer.

You both leant in, and your shoulders brushed together. This sent a shot of electricity down your entire body, powerful and new. You jerked away slightly in reflex. Composing yourself, you began looking at the image, now fully composited, on the screen.

‘Look! You can see the spines of all the kittens. One, two, three, four, five! Five beautiful kittens will be arriving soon.’ You squinted. ‘Very soon. She’s only a few days off!’

A choked sound comes out from beside you. You turn to look, and see Aizawa’s face full of emotion. Slightly taken aback, you were about to ask if he was okay when he spoke.

‘How do they already look so cute? All I can see are their bones.’

You laughed, full heartedly, and it was his turn to be surprised.

‘I know right! Who knew vertebrae could be so adorable. This is how I feel every time!’ You grinned, and all your earlier doubt about your career faded away. This reminded you why you did this.

‘I’m jealous.’ He noted.

‘I’m sure you feel the same when your students succeed and make you proud!’ You said, walking back over to Nimbus, still sat obediently on the table.

Aizawa clearly got lost in thought at that, not responding, but his smile gave away his answer. He joined you, and you both just looked at his cat. She looked back, going back and forth between the two of you. You cleared your throat.

‘Hizashi brought his chinchilla over.’ You said bluntly, wanting to see his reaction.

You saw his eye twitch. ‘I see. Sorry about that.’

‘No, no! He was really nice. He even offered to introduce me to Midnight. I was supposed to call him about that actually but I just got so busy. Thanks for recommending this clinic, we could always use the business!’ You poked Nimbus’ nose, and she blinked in response.

‘Hm? Oh yeah. Sure.’ He grumbled.

He had an angry scowl in his face, and you hoped you hadn’t just gotten Hizashi in trouble. You weren’t sure what you said exactly, but Aizawa didn’t seem happy about it.

‘She should be alright to labour at home. But if she has any trouble please don’t hesitate to come on by. In fact, let me give you my personal number, just in case it’s out of hours!’ You handed him your card, and he stared at it.

As you led him to the door, you felt a pang of sadness. This would most likely be the last time you saw him. He had no reason to come back, and even if he did then it wouldn’t be for a good reason. You bent over to Nimbus.

‘Goodbye beautiful girl. You’ll be a great mom!’ You grinned. You glanced up at Aizawa. ‘I’d love to know how the kittens are, if it’s not too much trouble.’

‘Sure. I’m nearby anyway.’

After he left, Mei walked past, clocking your expression.

‘So... he’s not your type at all, right?’

‘You're fired,’ you muttered, eyes still on the door.

Chapter Text

The next morning, you walked over to the clinic. You almost tripped just in front of the door. You looked down and saw the culprit. A cardboard box. Suspicious, you picked it up and headed inside.

Beans barked, clearly equally curious. Dropping it on your desk, you put on a mask, just incase it was some kind of biohazard. You could never be too careful. The true contents weren’t nearly as nefarious as you had initially suspected.
It was bags of cat treats. Many, many bags of cat treats. Carefully placed on top was a note.

“Nimbus doesn’t like this flavour. Thought you could use them.”

You went red, and your heart decided to go into overdrive. You were still giddy when you handed the box to the nurses, and when you sat back down in your office. You wanted to thank Aizawa, but you did not want to give Mei the satisfaction by asking her for his contact information. Suddenly remembering the receipt in your drawer, you rushed to grab your phone and began punching in the numbers.

The phone rang for a while, but eventually you heard a loud: ‘Hello hello hello!’ You winced and moved the phone away from your ear.

‘Um, hi! It’s y/n.’ When no answer came, you clarified. ‘The vet.’

‘I know who you are! I’m just surprised you’re calling. I’d thought you’d forgotten for sure.’ He went on, loud as ever.

Ah yes, sorry about that. Work has been hectic lately.’

‘I understand! So, you want to meet Midnight then?’

‘No. Wait, yes! Yes I absolutely do! But that’s not what I’m calling about. Aizawa left the clinic a little gift, and I’d love to thank him. Do you mind passing on the message?’ You said, suddenly shy at the mention of Aizawa.

‘I see… Interesting.’ You could almost hear the smirk in his voice. ‘Well… Aizawa’s not speaking to me at the moment, especially not about you.’

You winced. ‘Sorry. I mentioned that you came because of his recommendation, I didn’t realise he would get angry.’

‘Don’t worry about it. He didn’t exactly recommend the clinic to be fair. However, I see why he came back! You truly are great at your job.’

‘Oh, thank you. I’m alright, just a lot of experience.’

He scoffed. ‘You think Aizawa takes Nimbus to everyone? Please, he’s gone back to you. Twice! That’s basically a marriage proposal. He cares about that cat too much.’

You blushed, not sure how to respond.

‘Anyways. I can give you his number if you want, and you can thank him yourself. Or you can pop by the school later today, I’m sure he’d be glad to see you.’

You squeaked. ‘Um! I’m quite busy, but sure, I’d love to have his number. As long as he wouldn’t mind.’

‘Oh he wouldn’t y/n. Trust m-’ He began, before he made a muffled noise. ‘Let me go Shouta!’ You could just make out his words before the call ended.

You looked at your phone, confused, when it suddenly pinged.

Unknown: Sorry if he was annoying you. - A

Y/n: Aizawa?

Unknown: Yeah

You saved his number, before drafting a thank you text over and over again.

Y/n: It’s okay!! I was just asking him to thank you. For the cat treats! I’ve already used them to wrangle some spicy babies, and they work great. I really appreciate it.

You placed your phone screen down on the desk. A few minutes passed and you started getting anxious. Had you invaded his privacy by calling Hizashi? You scoffed at yourself. You had more important things to worry about. You stood up and began walking out of the room when you heard a ping. You almost dove to your phone and flipped it back over.

Grandpaw to be: Don’t mention it. Have a good day.

You realised you were smiling at your phone.

Chapter Text

That evening you were laying in bed, and found that your phone had appeared in your hand, Aizawa’s text in front of your eyes again. Before you could chicken out, you started typing.

Y/n: How’s Nimbus doing? Still overly affectionate?

To your surprise, an answer came almost immediately.

Grandpaw to be: She’s taken over my sofa. She won’t let me go to the bathroom alone. This can’t be normal.

Y/n: You’re literally the only person in the world that would see this as a problem!

You snorted, and rolled over to sleep. The next morning, even though you had plenty to do around the house before your shift, you kept thinking about Nimbus. Only Nimbus.

Y/n: Is she nesting yet?

Grandpaw to be: I think so. She dragged her favourite blanket underneath my bedside table.

You made a cup of coffee and settled into the sofa.

Y/n: That’s good. She trusts you!

Grandpaw to be: Beans doesn’t though. I swear he’s going to bite me if he sees me again.

Y/n: Nah, he’s all bark. He’s a sweetie really, just needs to be won over, especially if you smell like cats.

The conversation flowed easily. There were gaps in his responses, but that was no surprise considering it was a weekday. He probably had classes to attend to. You decided to restrain yourself, finally putting your phone in your pocket and heading off to work. You had been the person to text first all day, and you still had some semblance of self-respect left. You were running out of questions to ask about Nimbus anyways. When you returned to your phone in your office, you had a new text.

Grandpaw to be: Has Beans had his walk yet?

You smiled. He definitely did not care about your dog that he had only met once. You began to consider the possibility that he too, had alternative motives. So, your texts began to be less veiled excuses.

Y/n: What would Nimbus’ favourite genre of music be?

Grandpaw to be: Jazz. Chaotic, unpredictable, demands attention. Definitely jazz.

You were laughing this time. You didn’t expect Aizawa to be capable of humour. He kept surprising you. You changed into your uniform, balancing your phone in your hand like a lovestruck teenager, waiting for more texts. Beans barked at you from his bed, and you swore he figured out who you were talking to.

During your lunch break Mei was peering at you, an evil glimmer in her eye. You had mentioned updates on Nimbus, and she had put two and two together after seeing you smile at your phone all day.

‘So… you seeing someone or just texting the best client we’ve ever had? I swear you’ve never texted anyone as long as I’ve known you. What on earth could you be talking about?”

‘It’s about his cat,’ you muttered.

‘Mmmhmm,’ Mei hummed. ‘Is it also about his voice or his face or the fact that he could probably bench-press a city block?’

You threw a pen at her. You missed.

Soon it was the evening again, and you were sitting at your kitchen table, having a pathetic excuse for a meal. Your phone buzzed again.

Grandpaw to be: Are all vets this invested in their patients, or are you the pinnacle of the profession?

You went red, embarrassed. Had he figured it out as easily as your co-workers?

Y/n: I don’t know, I just miss her? I only met her a few times, but yeah. Is that weird?

The answer didn’t come back as quickly as you would have hoped. But it came.

Grandpaw to be: Not weird. She likes you. I swear she was looking for you today.

Your heart squeezed. Before you could respond, he continued.

Grandpaw to be: She’s curled up with her head on my chest tonight. Thought you’d want to know.

Y/n: Lucky. Give her an ear scritch for me.

You woke up to a loud ringing, instead of the usual alarm clock of Beans licking your face. You grunted and leant over to see who was calling. You realised it was 4 in the morning, and of course it was him.

‘H-hello?’ You groaned, still half asleep.

‘I’m at the clinic. I… I think something’s wrong.’ His voice was wavering, a stark contrast to his usual confidence.

You were out the door before he could explain further.

Chapter Text

You found him pacing in front of the door, clearly worried out of his mind. You ran over, and opened the clinic. Beans was on a leash, but it didn’t stop him snarling at Aizawa.

‘Tell me what happened.’ You said, taking the carrier from him.

‘She started having contractions, I think, around when you texted me. I know you said it would take a while, so I waited. But then she… Stopped? I looked online, and it said it wasn’t normal. Is she going to be okay?’ Aizawa rambled. The brief time you’d known him, you knew he wasn’t one to rattle on like this.

You opened up the box and had a look at Nimbus. You considered his words, and sighed in relief.

‘I think it’s secondary uterine inertia. She’s exhausted, and isn’t producing the hormone necessary for contractions anymore. It’s a simple fix, I’ll just give her some more of it as an injection.’ You told him, eyes still on the cat.

He stayed silent as you prepared the medicine, and delivered it. You waited a horrible few minutes, but sure enough, you began to see the contractions. You turned to tell at Aizawa, but he had already noticed. He suddenly closed the gap and wrapped you in his arms.

You stayed still at first, almost scared you would spook him like a feral cat, but then you hugged him back.

‘Thank you. So much.’ He said into your shoulder.

You two stayed like that for a moment, before he pulled away and cleared his throat.

‘It’s okay. I know emotions run high when a pet is in danger. But don’t worry, she’s okay. She should have an easy time now, for sure.’ You said, smiling.

‘Can we stay here? Just until she gives birth? I just want to make sure you’re here just in case.’ He asked, stroking Nimbus tenderly.

You melted. ‘Of course. Let me adjust her carrier to make it cozy for her. We can put it in my office. I have a sofa in there if you want to sleep a bit.’

He nodded and followed you. You gestured to the sofa, and after he confirmed that Nimbus was okay, he collapsed. You almost said something to comfort him, but he was already fast asleep. You chuckled, and went to put Beans in the break room, so he wouldn’t interfere with the labour.

You sat down at your desk, and decided to do some work since you were here. Your eyes glanced over your computer, and you saw Aizawa’s chest rise up and down steadily. The warmth in your chest grew. You were glad you had managed to remain calm, despite how worried you were. Aizawa had almost seen you slip before, and you didn’t want to make this experience any harder than it had been.

You didn’t end up doing much work, constantly looking over at the beautiful man on your couch. It was too distracting, and before you knew it, it was time to open the clinic, and for the staff to arrive.

‘He’s WHAT?’ Mei exclaimed.

You shushed her. ‘It’s nothing weird! Nimbus just had some complications, and he felt safer staying here.’

‘I’m sure he did.’ She smirked. ‘You know, this isn’t exactly our policy.’

‘I know. But he looked like he needed it.’ You explained, not fully believing it yourself. You wondered who really needed who.

You tried to go about your day without thinking of the gorgeous man asleep in your office, but you were failing miserably. To be honest, it was the only thing keeping you going. The day had begun to spin out of control, and you were beginning to struggle. You hadn’t really slept, hadn’t eaten anything beyond half a granola bar you found in your coat pocket, and your head had been full of him since last night. Since before that, really.

You took appointments, answered questions, smiled when you were supposed to. But it was all through a fog. Words passed through you like smoke. You caught yourself staring off more than once, standing too long in the hallway between patients, unsure where you were meant to be.
The clinic was unusually busy — a dog with a respiratory infection, a cat with a blockage, a walk-in emergency with a bleeding paw. Mei kept throwing you concerned looks, and every now and then she opened her mouth like she was going to say something… but didn’t. You held it together, but your hands still shook when you wrote up reports. You snapped at a client when they asked too many questions. You nearly cried over a broken printer. It wasn’t good. And it was getting worse.

You glanced at the office door. He was still sleeping in there. Nimbus curled up safe. As if nothing had almost gone wrong. As if you weren’t still holding it together by your fingertips. You went back into the front room, but the pressure behind your eyes kept growing.

The door swung open hard, smacking into the wall behind it. A tall man stomped in, dragging a dog, underfed and jumpy, behind him on a taut leash. You straightened your back, fixing your expression as he stormed to the desk.

‘You open or what?’

‘Yes,’ you said calmly. ‘Do you have an appointment?’

‘No. Emergency. My dog’s limping. Probably broke something, but you people always take your time like it’s not serious.’

You opened the intake form on the screen and gestured for him to hand over the lead. ‘Let me take a look and we’ll-’

He jerked the leash back as you reached forward. ‘I didn’t say you could touch her.’

You blinked. ‘I’m just going to assess her leg.’

‘Yeah, and run up the charges while you’re at it, right?’ He sneered. ‘You look like one of those types. Too soft for this job. Bet you got in because someone felt sorry for you.’

You stood frozen for a second. That old heat in your chest rose, slow, steady, unavoidable.

‘Sir,’ you said, voice tight. ‘I need you to lower your voice.’

‘Or what? You gonna cry?’ He laughed, loud and sharp. The dog flinched, ears pinned back. ‘Pathetic. I want someone else. Someone who actually knows what they’re doing.’

The clipboard in your hand cracked. You hadn’t even noticed you were squeezing it.
Your vision narrowed slightly, the edges hazy. Your heartbeat pounded in your ears. You could feel it, now—your quirk crawling just beneath your skin, begging to escape. Not loud yet. Not loud enough to wreck anything. But it wanted to.
You inhaled slowly, willing it down.

‘Back off,’ you said, quieter than before. ‘Please.’

He took a step closer.
‘I said, get me someone else.’

The air shifted. The ceiling lights flickered once, then again. The floor beneath your feet trembled, a soft, hairline vibration through concrete.

‘The hell is this?’

You shook your head, took a step back. ‘Don’t come any closer.’

A shelf behind the counter rattled. One of the jars tipped and rolled off the edge, shattering on the ground. The dog whimpered and tried to pull away. The man barely noticed.

‘You trying to pull some quirk on me?’ he snapped. ‘You think you can scare me?’

Your heart was beating too fast. Too loud. You couldn’t breathe properly. The pressure in your spine burned and your hands ached like they’d been bruised from the inside out.
The floor groaned.
And then—

Everything went still.
The lights steadied. The shaking stopped. The noise inside you vanished in an instant.
Like someone had flipped a switch.
You staggered forward slightly, thrown off balance. The weight was gone. The ache gone. The pressure—snuffed out. Silence bloomed so suddenly it felt violent.
You looked up, disoriented.
Aizawa was standing in the doorway, not saying a word.
Your breath caught.
You hadn’t even known he was there. You didn’t know what he'd done. Only that your body felt empty. Hollow. Quiet in a way it hadn’t been in years. You could breathe again, and he was the reason why.

Chapter Text

You’d cleaned up the broken glass.

The tremor hadn’t left a mark on the foundation, but it had settled in your bones. Your hands still tingled. You sat in your office, door shut, a cold cup of tea untouched beside you. You’d meant to finish the intake report, or maybe draft a notice about quake-related safety policies, but the screen in front of you stayed blank.

A soft knock broke the silence. You didn’t answer. But the door creaked open anyway.

Aizawa stepped in like he had before—quiet, careful. You didn’t turn around. You didn’t want to see whatever was on his face.

'I didn’t mean to wake you,' you murmured, staring at the wall.

'You didn’t.'

His voice was rough with sleep. Or something else.

You nodded once and waited, hoping he would leave. Hoping he wouldn’t. He didn’t sit. Just hovered, like he didn’t want to stay but wasn’t ready to go.

Finally, you cleared your throat. 'You didn’t have to do that.'

Silence.

'I did,' he said.

That was all.

You didn’t ask if he’d seen the quake start before it got bad. You didn’t ask how much he knew. You didn’t want to know.
Instead, you finally glanced over your shoulder. 'It’s not usually like that.'

Aizawa’s expression was unreadable. His hair was still slightly mussed from sleep. He looked like he hadn’t decided whether he was worried or not.

'I wasn’t trying to escalate anything,' you added. 'It just… got loud.'

He gave a small nod. Not dismissive. Not skeptical. Just... acknowledging.

The worst part was, he wasn’t surprised. Like he’d expected something. Maybe not this—but something. You hated that.
You looked down at your hands.

'I hate that people think I’m dangerous,' you said softly, almost without meaning to.

A long pause. Then, a beat slower:
'I don’t.'

It hit harder than it should have. But you didn’t show it. You just stared at the frayed edge of your sleeve and tried to breathe normally.

Aizawa shifted slightly, leaning against the doorframe now, arms crossed, eyes somewhere near—but not quite on—you.

He didn’t ask questions. Didn’t prod. It was almost worse than if he had. Because he was giving you space to say more. And you didn’t know if you could.

'I had it under control,' you said eventually. Your voice was thin.

Aizawa didn’t answer right away. Then, finally, 'I know.'

You looked at him then. He wasn’t watching you. Just watching the floor, elbows on his knees, hands loose. You swallowed, throat dry. The words lined up behind your teeth, ready to fall out if you let them.

But you didn’t.
You looked at him like you might say it anyway.

Then— A low, insistent mewl cut through the air. Followed by another.
You both turned sharply toward the corner of the room, where Nimbus lay curled in her blanket nest, body tense, breathing shallow.

'She’s—' you were on your feet before the sentence finished. 'It’s happening.' You ran over, hands already checking her vitals, heart thudding for an entirely different reason now.
'I need towels—heat pad—just give me a sec,' you said, snapping back into motion.

It was easier than feelings. Easier than talking. You knew how to help here.
'This is fast,' Aizawa said, quieter now.

'She was ready. I think the stress earlier kicked things into gear.' You glanced at him. 'She’ll be okay. She’s strong.'

He didn’t move away from her. Just kept stroking behind her ears, soft and sure, like he’d done it a thousand times before.
You moved to get the kitten-warming station set up. Your fingers were steadier than they had been all day. Your heart was still going too fast, but this—this you could do.
One kitten. Then another. Then three more. The room filled with tiny sounds—mewling, the rustle of towels, the wet squeak of new life. Aizawa never left her side. And you never looked at him without smiling.
When the last kitten arrived and you’d finished checking their vitals, you sank back onto your heels, exhausted but buzzing.

'They’re perfect,' you said. 'Every single one. Nimbus did very well.'

Aizawa nodded, his hand resting on the edge of her blanket nest. His eyes were tired but soft. 'She trusts you.'

You didn’t answer.
You were still holding the tiniest kitten. You didn’t want to put it down.

Aizawa’s voice came again—quieter this time. Almost like he hadn’t meant to say it out loud.
'You’re different when you’re with them.'

You glanced over. He wasn’t looking at you now. Just at the kittens.

You swallowed hard. 'Yeah. You too.'

That made him pause. Just for a second. Then he shifted slightly, brushing a towel closer to Nimbus, like he hadn’t heard you. Like he had.

You focused on the kitten in your hands. Warm and squirming. So new it hadn’t even opened its eyes.

The quiet between you wasn’t comfortable. But it wasn’t sharp anymore either.

The kitten let out a small cry, and Aizawa reached over—fingers brushing yours as he steadied its tiny head.

You froze. So did he. Then he pulled his hand back.

'I’ll stay a while longer,' he said. Like it wasn’t a question.

You nodded once, not trusting your voice.

And that was it.

Not closure. Not confession.

Just... stillness. Waiting for whatever came next.