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She had volunteered to help at UA after the first attack on the school. She was surprised when her assistance was graciously accepted by president Nezu. Originally, she was told she would be assisting wherever in the hero course she was needed and at first, that was true. Upon her arrival at the school, she was working with different classes depending on the day. However, after a while, she was assigned to assist Shota Aizawa with class 1-A in the hopes that it would allow for more individualized attention for the students. Aizawa was relieved to have the additional help, especially from a levelheaded hero like her.
The two had met before on occasion, but they weren’t more than passing acquaintances. She wasn't a media darling, but she didn't seem to avoid the cameras as much as he did. But her down to earth demeanor and serious work ethic impressed him. The few times they had been at the same events, they shared a quiet understanding of each other. A few words had been exchanged over the years, but they were not in the same places often enough for any friendship to form before her new role as his co-teacher.
Not surprising to anyone, except the hero herself, the students took an immediate liking to her. Her calm but happy and approachable demeanor was a good balance with Aizawa. Their personalities and teaching styles were different, but not opposing. As a new teacher with no formal training, she stepped back and watched at the beginning before finding a place to fit within his teaching style. The two became fast friends and the other teachers were surprised by how easily she and Aizawa got along. She grew to love and care for all of the students quickly. While teaching such a rambunctious group could be exhausting, she also found it extremely rewarding. Something she could tell Aizawa felt as well, even if he would never say it aloud.
All the while, her feelings for Aizawa began to blossom. She was a rather confident person and she was trained enough to stay calm even when things made her flustered. But, still she had a difficult time when it came to making a decision about her feelings toward her coworker.
◈
During the student’s final exams, she found the courage within herself to tell Aizawa how she felt. With an eager nod and her worries pushed to the back of her mind, she told herself she would do it after the exams were finished.
Once the last pair finished their practical exam, she approached Aizawa with her usual calm smile.
“Most of them did pretty well,” She commented with a wide smile, “I’m impressed!”
“You’re just happy to see them succeed,” His response was a playful jab. She made a subtle movement to place a hand over her heart and appear hurt.
“I’m just happy with how far they’ve come,” She responded with a cheerful smile that reached her bright eyes.
“They still have a long way to go,” He sighed, shaking his head slightly. She could see the exhaustion written across his attractive features.
“I know they do, but they have the drive to do it. I know they do,” Her words were quiet but full of emotion and he glanced at her face to see determination sparkling in her eyes.
“They’ve really grown on you, huh?” A small smirk adorned his lips as she glanced over at him.
“I guess they have,” She responded with a grin.
The conversation lulled into silence and they stood comfortably beside each other. She let it sit like that for a few minutes. It gave her time to prepare and find the right words. She didn’t allow herself to show her thoughts on her face as she mustered up the courage to at least find an excuse to talk to him alone. She was hoping the conversation would, at the very least, move to an area without students. She really didn’t need the students overhearing a private conversation, especially when it involved her romantic feelings. At their age, it would be something she was never allowed to forget about. Not that any of these students were really that heartless and rude. It was still a situation she would rather avoid.
“Um, Aizawa,” She started after the silence stretched on for several minutes.
“Hmm?” His only response was a questioning sound and the raising of an eyebrow.
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Her voice sounded steady and calm to her own ears for which she inwardly sighed in relief.
“Oh?” He turned to her with a look of mild curiosity, “What is it?”
“It’s more of a personal question if you don’t mind,” She bit her lip in as subtle a manner as she could, waiting for a response. The subtle force on her lip was like a trap to keep down any of the anxieties that could come bubbling to the surface and make her lose her nerve.
He opened his mouth to speak but was cut short by the sound of angry screaming coming from behind them. She felt herself jump with surprise whereas his face turned from mild shock to a dark look of annoyance.
“Hold that thought,” He sighed.
“Better see what happened,” She nodded and followed him to where the commotion originated.
Better luck next time, she thought with a defeated sigh.
◈
She hadn't gone to the training camp with the students and Aizawa. Instead, she had taken some time to check in with the hero agency she left in order to help at the school. Her departure from the agency had been relatively unplanned and she wanted to make sure they were getting by without issues. But after the incident at the camp, she felt horrible and blamed herself, at least partially, for how bad it became. If she had only been there to help. If she had only been there for her students. It was a bad situation for the school and a traumatizing experience for the students involved. She told herself over and over that it could have been worse. But it could have gone better too if she had been there. Her heart ached at the thought of something terrible happening to the students, her students. Her heart was in agony at the thought of Aizawa getting severely injured or worse. It was an unbearable thought to consider her fellow teacher and the man she had fallen for being injured or far worse. As unlikely as it was, if he had died she never would have the chance to tell him her true feelings. Feels which had crystallized in that moment of panic from a muddy tangle of thoughts into a clear understanding.
◈
“I should have been at the training camp,” She sent the text message without thinking. Her own guilt about not being in the right place had been eating away at her internally. It was later at night and she should have been preparing for bed, but finally, her guilt had caught up to her.
Don’t worry about it , Aizawa responded a few minutes later.
“But if I had been there maybe things wouldn’t have gotten so bad,” She bit her lip as her guilt gnawed at her even more. Her already dull mood just continued to get worse. She couldn’t keep herself from beating herself up over and over.
Don’t beat yourself up over this, His response was direct and to the point but her own emotions had already taken over and the guilt had set in deeper than a simple text could shake.
“I should have been there for the students anyway,” She responded back, tears now stinging her eyes. She closed her eyes and willed the tears to cease. But, they snapped back open when her phone began to vibrate indicating a call. She looked down to see the name across the screen: Shota Aizawa.
“Hello?” She answered hesitantly while trying her hardest to hold back the tears threatening to spill. She didn’t need the embarrassment of crying on the phone with him.
“Hey,” His tired voice came clearly through the phone, “Are you alright?”
“I-uh,” She began, but she was at a loss and couldn’t find the words.
“Take a deep breath,” He coached after pulling her attention back with her name. She did as he instructed and closed her eyes for a moment.
“I’m calm,” She said after a moment, “Or, well, calmer .”
“Good,” He sighed again, “None of this is your fault. We didn’t anticipate something like this would happen.”
“I know that,” She ran a hand over her face with a sigh, “I just can’t help but think about how I should have been there and how I might have been able to stop them.”
“Don’t dwell in the past,” His voice held a stern edge, “We can’t do anything to change what happened.”
“I know,” Her voice was deflated and she didn’t even try to hide how defeated she felt.
“Instead, we need to look at what’s ahead of us,” His voice was softer now. It still sounded tired, but she could hear the hint of softness that was unusual for him.
“Of course,” She gave a solemn nod even though he couldn’t see her, “Just like we have to do after a disaster strikes.”
“Exactly,” His voice was calm and quiet in opposition to her own that was fluctuating with emotion.
“Pick up the pieces and do our best to prevent it from happening again,” She stated quietly while looking down at her free hand.
“We will protect them from another attack,” Aizawa stated in an even tone, “And we will train them to fight for themselves if we can’t keep them safe.”
“Yes, our students are strong and we will train them to be the best,” She closed her fist and smiled to herself, “I know they’ll be the best.”
“You can see it too, huh?” She could hear the smallest of smirks in his voice, “Their determination.”
“It’s hard to miss it,” She laughed lightly, “It’s especially obvious in Midoriya. He inspires so many of them to be better.”
“He puts his all into it,” He responded. She knew it was both a compliment and complaint rolled into one. She had heard a similar thing said about herself when she was his age. An unending determination and the willingness to push past your own limits was impressive but dangerous. It led to constantly wearing yourself out.
“He reminds me of someone,” Her smile was obvious in her voice as she remembered her own hero training for a moment.
“I think I can guess,” He replied with a light laugh.
“Oh really?” She taunted playfully.
“He reminds you of yourself, doesn’t he?” His voice was teasing, just as hers had been.
“Am I really so obvious?” She laughed, her worries basically forgotten, at least for the time being.
“No, not that obvious,” He gave a soft laugh, “I’ve just noticed it in how you work with him.”
“Oh,” A small laugh left her lips.
Has Aizawa been watching me that closely? She thought, Are my feelings already obvious to him too?
“Your advice seems to come from personal experience,” His tone was light and brought her back to reality.
“Huh,” An embarrassed laugh escaped her lips, “I didn’t realize that was so obvious.”
“It’s still good advice for him,” He encouraged, “It’s an interesting thought though.”
“Huh?” She responded without thinking.
“You’re very level headed now, other than your obvious misplaced guilt over the training camp incident,” He explained in an even tone.
“Oh, you can’t imagine me being reckless?” Her voice took on a teasing tone once again.
“No, not easily,” He admitted.
“You might see it someday,” She brushed off with a laugh.
“Hmm… Maybe,” He responded with a similarly playful tone to her own.
They sat in silence for a moment after that. There was a comfortable air between the two so there was no awkwardness lingering as the silence stretched between them. She found herself wishing she could see his expression. She had only been imagining how he looked from his tone of voice. He broke the silence after a moment and brought her out of her own thoughts.
“Let’s meet for dinner in a few days,” He urged in a tone that sounded disinterested, but she knew it was just his normal tone, “I'm assuming you're interested in how my teaching plan has changed.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” She perked up with some enthusiasm in her voice, “It would be good to know how their coursework will be changing.”
“And I think it would be a good idea for you to relax a little,” He sighed.
She had to quickly cover her mouth before she let out a squeak of surprise at his words and she felt her face flush. She was immediately glad that he couldn't see her.
“I don't know what you're talking about,” She tried to hide her shaky voice with a laugh.
“I can tell you've been stressed over something,” He didn't beat around the bush, “I'm not surprised with everything happening, but if you hold on to too much it's not healthy.”
“That’s true, but I’m not more stressed than I can handle,” She reasoned.
“You were being eaten away by guilt just a half-hour ago,” He stated.
“Ah, yeah. You’re right,” She gave in with a defeated sigh, “But, I’m alright. I can deal with everything else. You snapped me out of it.”
“Just make sure to give yourself time to relax,” He sighed, “And if there’s something on your mind, I’ll help in any way I can.”
“That’s really nice,” She smiled, “ Thank you, Shota.”
“I-,” He faltered for a second before returning to his usual tired voice, “I need you at your best to help with these brats.”
She laughed and agreed with him.
“Whatever it is that is weighing you down outside of the attacks on the school, I want you to tell me in person,” He sounded more like he was reprimanding a student than talking to a colleague, but she wasn’t too surprised since she was a bit younger than him and had no experience teaching. She gave him a tentative reply and they ended the call after discussing more details about the upcoming dinner. With a sigh, she thought about telling him her feelings. It wasn’t a good time with everything going on, but there would never be a good time. As he said, she should get it off her chest so it wasn’t preventing her from doing her best.
◈
She worked up the courage to admit her feelings when they met for dinner. The thought that he would most likely reject her hung heavily in her mind but she tried her best no to dwell on it. Mentally she cursed her own thoughts for their ability to cut down her courage like no villain ever could. She had originally meant to tell him after the students finished their final exams, but something had happened. The next time she tried, something cut their conversation off. It seemed as if every time she tried to ask him to speak privately something would come up. With this new chance to let her feelings out, she was hoping that there would be no interruption.
However, the press conference for the school had to be scheduled on the exact day of their dinner plans. At this point, she wasn’t even surprised. She was disappointed, to say the least, but not surprised.
I won’t be able to make that dinner because of the press conference, he had messaged her as soon as the date of the conference was settled.
“Don’t worry. The press conference is much more important,” She responded.
Not looking forward to it. He messaged back after a minute.
"Media's not really your strong suit," She replied.
No, it's not. He didn’t even try to hide his dislike of the media from her.
A moment passed before she received a second message.
Would you be able to attend? In case the media gets out of hand.
“Of course I can," She replied quickly. She knew the media would probably be rather tough on the school with what had happened and UA’s recent history of villain attacks.
Thank you. Even just in a text message, she could tell he was sighing in relief.
That was followed by a text with the details of the conference and they were able to plan about getting there on time.
◈
Before the press conference began, there was some time for the school staff to prepare. The two sat next to each other until they would have to go out and face the public. When she saw him she immediately noticed the difference in his outfit and it struck her that he cleaned up well. He wore a nice suit and had his hair half pulled back in a way that framed his face extremely well. She had to mentally scold herself to push back her feelings and keep her composure. She was usually good at compartmentalizing and focusing in the moment due to her career as a hero. But she wasn’t used to doing it for an audience of one. Something about the way his hair framed his face made her heart skip a beat. However, a reminder of the situation at hand helped focus her mind and not let her personal feelings distract her too much.
“Thank you for coming on short notice,” His voice was more tired than usual.
“It's no problem,” She gave him a reserved smile, “I wouldn't want to leave you alone to the mercy of the media.”
A low chuckle escaped his lips that turned up in the smallest of smiles. It was only there for a second before he was back to his usual expression.
“I do appreciate your presence for this,” He held her gaze for a moment to show his sincerity, “You handle the media well.”
“Oh? Is that a compliment I hear?” She smirked, trying her best to lighten the serious air between them.
“I am capable of giving compliments,” He responded in his usual gruff voice with a pointed look.
"I'm shocked," She continued to smirk, "It’s just so rare to hear a compliment from you.”
“It’s not that strange,” He sighed, “You’re acting like I’ve grown a second head or something.”
“You're always so grumpy,” She gave him a small teasing smile, “But, maybe you’re not as mean as you look.”
“What are you going on about?” He watched her with a look of annoyance before shaking his head lightly.
“Maybe, just maybe, you’re a big softy under all that attitude,” She said her last words on the matter as it wasn’t making the mood any lighter, “Ah, whatever. I won’t try to ruin your image.”
He let out the smallest huff of laughter and looked away from her.
“I should let you focus on the press conference instead of being distracting,” She sighed and turned her gaze elsewhere.
“I just want to get this over with,” He sighed.
“It’ll be done soon,” She gave him a reassuring smile, “And I have your back if anything goes wrong.”
She took her place behind the others for the press conference. She was not expected to speak but stayed in sight and close enough to jump in if she was needed. Her body was tense and she couldn’t relax as she listened intently. She would be ready in an instant to defend her fellow teachers or to take the lead if Aizawa needed her to. She was mentally prepared to break down any line of questioning with as much grace and poise as she could muster if it came to it.
The press conference passed without any big scene, even though she was ready to jump in quickly at one point. She was happy to see how well Aizawa handled the question meant to make him slip up. But, she had been working with him for a while now and knew she shouldn’t have expected anything less. She had already been able to see how much he understood the students in his class. It was also obvious to her how much he cared about them, even though he would probably never outright say so. A small smile tugged at her lips as they left the room full of press. One success.
They had to wait for the plan the police had set in motion once they had done their work with the press. The press conference was the first part, but it was followed by the attack on the two separate hideouts of the villains. She just hoped that everything would go as planned and they would be able to get Bakugo back. She didn’t know if she could bear to see that seat empty in the classroom if the mission failed.
Her hands were balled into anxious fists as she awaited the outcome of the plan. She fidgeted from her seat every so often but otherwise tried to maintain a calm appearance. She wasn’t sure she was doing a good job. Aizawa outwardly looked much calmer when everything began. In the beginning, he barely looked bothered but she imagined he was tired from the press conference. As the intensity of the situation rose, none of those in the room spoke. Their silence seemed necessary for some odd reason. Her anxiety peaked and none of the four in the room could stay seated as they watched All Might, their colleague and the world’s number one hero, fight a seemingly impossible battle with an impossibly strong villain.
When the battle was finally over, she let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Part of her was so exhausted from the stress of waiting to see what happened. But, another part of her was angry at herself for again not being on the front lines to help. A battle raged within her internally even as she tried her best to push it back. It wasn’t the time for this and she needed to push it back at least until she got back to her residence.
What kind of hero am I when I keep sitting out of the fights where I’m needed most? Her mind swirled with doubts and she excused herself from the room. She didn’t want to be around the others while she dealt with her own thoughts. She couldn’t risk breaking down in front of Principal Nezu. She hoped that a few minutes to herself would allow her to quiet her mind and focus. She just needed to tamp down her thoughts until she was back home and alone. Her eyes fell closed as she leaned back against the wall with a heavy sigh. A deep breath in was followed by a deep breath out, over and over until the buzzing in her mind quieted to a low thrum.
“You’re not a bad hero for being here instead of out there,” The tired voice of Aizawa made her eyes snap open.
“How did you know?” She asked in shock.
“You felt guilty about the training camp, it’s not surprising you would have a similar feeling about this,” He sighed and walked closer to her.
“Are you sure you can’t read minds?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh, I’m sure,” He gave her the smallest hint of a smile.
He leaned back against the wall beside her.
“It's better that you're here. Having both of the teachers for 1-A here probably helped trick the villains,” He explained in a tone more exhausted than usual, “If you hadn't been here, they may have suspected something."
“Hmm… You’re right,” She sighed, “As always.”
◈
After countless meetings and a good amount of discussion with Principal Nezu and the other teachers, a plan was finally formed and underway to restore trust in UA. Of course, she offered her help in any way she could. Her days were spent with whatever tasked they needed her to help with as the school prepared. With everything happening, she had been exhausted and had not had the time nor energy to reach out to Aizawa to reschedule the dinner that had been postponed due to the press conference. Both were busy with preparations to bring the students back to campus as in the safest manner possible.
Both Aizawa and All Might were tasked with going to the homes of the students in order to convince their parents to allow them back at UA. It was their job as teachers working with class 1-A to convince the parents that they could still protect the students. Dorms had been constructed as a way to keep the students under the protection of the school. She accompanied them in order to help if necessary. She figured as one of their teachers, she needed to be present as well. She had to show she was committed to keeping them safe and helping them grow to their full potential. It surprised her when she didn’t have to defend her idea to either of the two.
When they first met up together, she had to take a deep breath to keep herself from becoming a flustered mess. Aizawa was wearing a nice button-up shirt and tie and, even worse for her, he had tied his hair half up in the same way as the press conference. It even looked like he had shaved somewhat. Without the looming stress of facing the media, he looked much calmer and, if she dared to think it, very handsome. She tried her hardest to remind herself that it was not the time to be distracted by a crush. But still, she found it difficult to concentrate and she had to mentally reprimand herself for stealing glances.
The first few homes were interesting, to say the least, but she was happy to see each of the students healthy and content once again. There wasn’t much for her to say in those situations, so she just stood politely in the background in case she was needed. After that, All Might separated from the two in order to speak with Midorya and his mother. She was a little surprised he wanted to go alone, but then she thought about the special attention he paid to Midoriya’s training and didn’t object. That left her alone with Aizawa to visit the rest of the families. She felt her hands grow slightly clammy as she realized she would be alone with Aizawa when she was a flustered mess.
“Maybe we should split up as well. We could finish this faster,” She suggested.
“I think it would be a better idea if we stick together. We do teach together after all,” He pointed out in his usual tired voice while making direct eye contact with her. She did her best to look calm with his eyes focused on her.
“You do have a point,” She said and tried to hide the shaky sigh that left her lips, breaking their eye contact to keep herself from flushing like a fool.
"Anyway, you seem unusually nervous. I wouldn't want to leave you on your own with a task that makes you uncomfortable," There was a hint of playfulness in his tone and she looked back toward him quickly to see the smallest smirk across his lips.
“Yeah. That makes sense,” She mumbled, looking back down at her hands in embarrassment. She knew she must look like an idiot and completely at odds with her usual self. But, she didn’t know what to do.
“This is more my task than yours anyway,” He sighed and she glanced up to see him looking out the window of the taxi.
“What do you mean by that?” Her confusion pushed her nervousness to the back of her mind and she perked up as she normally would.
“Parents haven’t lost any faith in you. It’s myself and All Might who need to gain back their trust,” He sighed and averted his gaze just past her and out the window. He pulled his hand up to tuck a strand of his hair back.
“Well, if nothing else I’m good moral support,” She sighed and leaned back in her seat, “Maybe showing my trust in my fellow teachers will help.”
The two lapsed into a relatively comfortable silence after that. Her gaze was focused on the window, but her mind was elsewhere. She was trying her best to keep her composure and focus on what they were supposed to be doing. Her mind was not cooperating at all, much to her annoyance. She stole a glance at Aizawa next to her and briefly allowed herself to admire his attractive profile as he gazed out the window. She brought her gaze back to look out the window on her side. Her fingers twitched as she tried to tamp down the thought of running her fingers through his hair.
“There was something you wanted to talk to me about,” Aizawa broke the silence after a moment, and her body tensed in surprise, “We keep getting interrupted. But, we can discuss it now, if you'd like.”
Shit!
“Oh no. It can wait for another time,” She tried her best to calm herself and not sound like a flustered fool. With a deep breath through her nose she calmed down slightly, “We should focus on the task at hand.”
Why was she such a flustered mess? What was with this cleaned up look that was causing her to lose her composure? The hair, she thought with a glance, something about the way he had his hair back.
“You seem quick to drop the topic,” He mused with a slight smirk, “Now I’m curious.”
“It’s just not really the most important thing at the moment,” She shrugged, “So, it can wait for now.”
“It’s bothering you enough to distract you,” He gave her a pointed look, “I’ve seen you staring off into space when you think no one is looking.”
“I’m sorry,” She couldn’t muster up any other words and hung her head in shame.
“Tell me what it is that has you so distracted,” He pressed her a bit more and she could feel his gaze focused on her.
“I’m sorry, but if you blindside me and demand the information, it’s just going to be harder for me to tell you,” She shut her eyes and took a deep breath before speaking, steeling her nerves.
“Oh,” He sounded taken aback for a second and she dared look up to see his gaze was no longer intensely focused on her. He proceeded to close his eyes and let out a deep sigh, “I know I can’t force you to tell me, but I know how much you seem to dwell on things.”
“Thank you, Shota,” She looked at him with wide eyes, cutting him off from what he was struggling to say, “Thank you for caring enough to push. I really do appreciate it. But, please just let me tell you in my own time. I am trying.” His eyes widened in shock at her swift change from shy to serious.
“Okay, I understand,” He breathed out a sigh and gave her a soft smile that made bite her lip to keep her emotions in check.
The rest of the trip to speak to parents went by without incident and the three returned with a feeling of accomplishment. The 1-A students would return to campus shortly. She was excited to be working with the students she had grown so fond of. Especially knowing that they were all back. No seat would be empty.
◈
She had been relaxed in her residence on the UA campus as usual going through her nightly routine when she was interrupted by a text message from Aizawa.
Bakugo and Midoriya were caught fighting in the training field.
“Are you serious?” She texted back almost immediately, her eyes rereading the previous text over and over. She wasn’t surprised Bakugo had initiated something, but she was confused as to Midoriya’s involvement.
Very. I plan on reprimanding them before they go to the infirmary, He responded quickly. She could tell he was angry with the two.
“Can I come with you? They are my students now too,” She quickly sent back, chewing lightly on her lip with worry.
Of course. She sighed in relief at that response.
I’m outside, waiting for you. A second message made her jump and scramble to look presentable. She pulled on a pair of jeans, as she didn’t want to reprimand students in pajama pants, and slipped into a pair of shoes. She did a once over of her living room and patted down her pockets just to be sure she wasn’t forgetting anything before darting out the door.
In her haste, she almost ran straight into Aizawa. She backed up and apologized with a sheepish look on her face before she actually took in his appearance. He was wearing a black shirt with a slight v-neck and black pants, nothing too unusual. However, his hair. He had pulled his hair back into a ponytail. She tried to fight to keep a blush from creeping across her cheeks. It looked really good on him. Other than the distraction of his hair, she could see the exhaustion on his face.
“Shouldn’t we be going to the training ground to stop them?” She asked as they began walking.
“All Might asked if he could do that himself,” Aizawa huffed and she voiced her understanding as she kept pace with him. She could tell he was rather angry.
They exchanged a few words on their way to intercept the two students and All Might. But, she was too distracted by her mind racing to hold a more coherent conversation and Aizawa seemed to be too angry to do so either. She had so many questions regarding the two fighting while simultaneously trying to tamp down the feelings welling up worse than usual due to something as insignificant as a different hairstyle.
She let Aizawa take the lead when it came to reprimanding the two. Settling for standing back and looking disapprovingly at the boys. But, having an idea of how livid Aizawa seemed to be, she was ready to speak up if he was being too harsh. He was brutal with his punishment, but she trusted his judgment. Once he was finished and left the room, she took a moment to look over the injuries the two had sustained for herself. She gave them a light scolding in her own way before leaving the two with a heavy sigh.
To her surprise, Aizawa was waiting for her outside.
“I figured we could walk back together,” He told her with a shrug, obviously reading the confusion on her face.
“Yeah, that makes sense,” She nodded in agreement, falling in step next to him as they began to walk back to their residences on campus.
“I’m surprised you didn’t step in and say I was going too far,” He looked at her with a slight spark of interest in his tired eyes.
“I know we can't baby them. There need to be consequences for their actions,” She mused back with a half-smirk, “If I thought you were being too harsh I would have spoken up.”
“You really are growing into a teacher,” He gave her a small smirk.
“Oh? Is that a compliment I hear?” She teased in a sing-song voice with a Cheshire smirk.
“Don’t start with that again,” He groaned. She raised her hand in front of her mouth to muffle her laughter. He moved closer to her, so they were walking shoulder to shoulder. She looked up at his face to see a smile curve his lips upward before he shoved her shoulder with his own. She stumbled to the side before she burst out in a fit of laughter. She looked back over to him and could see his shoulders shaking as he attempted to hide his own laughter.
The two regained their composure after a few minutes and a light silence washed over them. The air had lost its edge and both looked less tense than they had moments before. The silence stretched between them for a while in a comfortable wave. She stole a glance at him and studied his face before finally breaking the quiet air once again.
“You look exhausted,” She commented as she gazed at his face, noting the dark circles under his eyes that were worse than usual, “Were you still up working on reports?”
“There's a lot of work to be done,” He sighed.
“If it has to do with the students, you know I can help,” She looked up at him, her hope to take some of his burden showing in the serious expression on her face.
“Says the person who’s already stressed,” He shook his head.
“It's not…” She struggled to find the words and her face grew hot under his gaze, “Ugh!”
“No need to get defensive,” He said in a smug tone, and without looking she could hear the smirk in his voice.
“Just…” She took a deep breath, “If it’s work regarding the students, I can help, alright?” She huffed while looking away from him. She couldn’t face him because she could feel the heat of the blush across her cheeks. She couldn’t risk him seeing it, even when it was dark out. The school was too well-lit to hide her pink-tinged cheeks anyway.
“What kind of mysterious secret is distracting you, I wonder?” He seemingly ignored what she had to say in order to focus on what he found more interesting.
Typical.
“How did this go from how exhausted you look to my personal matters?” She let out an exasperated sigh and glanced over at him with a look of annoyance.
“Because you can't defend yourself,” He smirked, “You just get flustered.”
“I don’t get flustered!” She quickly responded. Her brain was going haywire and her face was heating up from that damn smirk with his hair pulled back.
He just smirked in response and kept walking. They continued in silence until her residence on campus came into view.
“Well, this is me,” She motioned to the building and then glanced over at his toward him.
She was surprised when he followed her closer than necessary to her residence, but wondered if he still had something to say. She stopped a few feet before her door and gave him a questioning look. She realized with her back to the wall of the building that he was standing rather close to her. It took a large amount of effort for her to try to calm her heart hammering in her chest.
“I've noticed something interesting,” He mused, leaning towards her slightly, his hands resting casually in his pockets.
“Hmm?” She hummed in a question, trying not to instinctively lean away.
“You specifically seem to get flustered when my hair is back,” He smirked as he leaned in closer to her. Her cheeks bloomed a light shade of pink. She moved back only to feel her back touch the outside wall of the residence. She was trapped.
“I remember you agreeing not to pry," She breathed, trying her best not to make eye contact for fear she would lose any resolve she had left.
“I was getting impatient,” He still had that smug smirk on his face.
He leaned in to speak in a low voice beside her ear, “You've gotten so flustered.”
A shiver ran down her spine at his low whisper. She tried to find something, anything to say, but her mind was coming up blank. He was far too close to her for her to think clearly.
“Just drop it already,” Finally, finally some words were able to leave her mouth. Her face was burning and she knew he could see it. She was a mess and she just wanted to run into her residence and hide. Or just kiss that stupid smirk off his perfect lips, she thought and another wave of heat lit up her face.
“I'll let it go,” He pulled back from her, that feral smirk still gracing his lips, “For now. But, you better hurry up before my curiosity gets the better of me.”
With that, he stepped back from her and she was no longer trapped. He said goodnight and they parted ways. She entered her residence and immediately sunk to the floor while her mind played the scene over and over again.
◈
Days later, she was back to her normal self and her confidence had been regained.
“How about this: a sparring match. No quirks. You win, I give in and tell you what you want to know. I win, I don't have to tell you anything,” She proposed.
“No quirks?” He asked, with a brow raised.
“Your quirk isn't destructive, so you don't have to worry. But, I'd rather not risk being yelled at for damages,” She sighed and looked off to the side with a slight pout.
“Understandable,” He nodded.
“Plus, you would just erase my quirk anyway. This makes it much more interesting,” She gave him a shrug.
“You’re right. It would definitely be a more interesting fight without you using your quirk at all,” He crossed his arms, looking as if he was seriously considering her offer.
“It's a good exercise either way,” She shrugged.
“You just miss fighting and you're itching for a challenge,” He smirked.
“Maybe so,” She gave him a dark grin, “What's your answer?”
"You'll need permission from Principal Nezu," He gave her a look, almost as if he were challenging her.
"I'm well aware," She smirked, "But I know I can convince him.”
◈
It had taken her a few days to convince the principal and plan everything, but it worked out in her favor just as she had said. A few days after the initial discussion, the two walked to the training ground together after their lessons finished for the day. Both were dressed in their hero costumes. She walked with confidence after being able to easily convince Principal Nezu to allow the two access to one of the training grounds for a sparring match. The teachers needed to keep themselves in shape just as much as the students needed to train. Or that was her argument on the matter.
Agility was his strong suit. His mobility was impressive and he could dodge easily. He also had his scarf or binding cloth and she was sure he would attempt to restrain her with it. He was strong too, but his technique relied more on surprise and range than close combat, something she was trained in. Fighting him without her quirk would be a challenge indeed. She wasn't used to being the heavy-hitter in a fight. But, with her close-range combat training and no use of her quirk, that was the role she had thrown herself into.
She didn't want to cause any real damage, which is why she said no quirks in the first place. Plus, her emotions could cause her quirk to go a little out of control. It was safer not to use it at all. Although, it would be quite strange not to use it in a fight. But, she knew her own feelings would put her at a disadvantage no matter what because she would probably hesitate instead of going for a high damage blow, like a punch to the face. She just hoped he didn't think she was going easy on him as that wasn't her intention at all.
I just need to land blows while avoiding being restrained in his binding cloth, she thought as she stretched.
“Are you ready?” He asked after both had some time to warm up and stretch.
“I am,” She gave him a smirk, “Are you?”
“Of course,” He returned it with a smirk of his own.
Both seemed to be watching the other for a moment, daring the other to make the first move. His binding cloth was ready to be used and she eyed it carefully. But, it was her who took the first move. Launching herself straight at him, with a fist ready for a punch. He easily dodged the first, though his eyes widened in surprise as she came toward him. The second punch, a surprise uppercut, he wasn’t quick enough to completely avoid. Her knuckles only grazed his chin as he jumped back away from her. Quickly, he launched himself away from her and upwards, using the binding cloth to get up atop a building.
“Going for an aggressive style, huh?” He mused from his perch.
“Just figured I might get an easy surprise shot in,” She shrugged, standing in a ready stance with her fists up guarding her face and ready to throw a punch.
She was waiting to see if he was going to try something before she went in for an attack again. Where he had decided to perch was not an ideal fighting spot for her and she was sure he was aware of that fact. The roofs weren’t uniform and she didn’t want to risk a bad landing if she didn’t have to. However, he seemed to be watching for her next move as well. After a moment, she gave up waiting and charged toward him. She used the buildings around her to propel herself further up. He used his binding cloth to try to restrain her as she moved up towards him, but she expected as much and did her best to dodge. Narrowly avoiding a strand of the cloth as she kept her focus. Once close to the roofs of the buildings, she used a burst of strength to launch herself up above them and looked down at Aizawa. She was able to dodge the binding cloth as he attempted to grab her with it. Angling her body as gravity began to pull her back down, she made an attempt to get close to Aizawa with the hope of landing a strong punch with the aid of her momentum. However, he saw through her move and wrapped a hand around her wrist.
“Shit,” She breathed out quietly, eyes wide. She needed to do something, quickly.
He was smirking, which meant he had some plan in mind.
She made an attempt to pull her hand away from him, but his grip was strong. She needed to do something before he did. It took her a second, but she had an idea. She pulled herself closer to him instead of trying to escape his grasp. Before he could react to her movement, she brought a knee up hard to his chest. He let go of her wrist and jumped back halfway across the roof, sputtering and coughing from the impact of her knee. She took the opportunity to land on the roof where he had previously been perched. It was obvious he had pulled away from the full impact of her knee, but she had still landed a solid blow and she had to admit she was a little proud.
Once his coughing had subsided, he was on the offensive. She assumed he was either tired of playing defense and waiting on her moves or he was embarrassed at such a cheap hit landing. He wasn’t going easy on her, not that she had expected such, but she was actually having to make some tough calls and snap decisions. After a difficult close-range tussle where both landed blows, they split apart and caught their breath on opposite sides of the same rooftop. She took it as a second to relax and catch her breath.
“Nice view up here,” She smiled at him before glancing around at the impressive training ground below. She was giving him an opening, but it was purposeful. She wanted him to make the next move. If he didn't make a move, it just gave her a minute to think.
“You're right, I do have a pretty nice view,” His voice was smug and she turned to look at him only to realize he wasn't looking at the training ground below them, but rather at her backside.
“You're looking at my ass!” She yelled in indignation, heat rushing to her face. She had never expected him of all people to check her out so obviously and in such a situation. Could it mean something? Or was he just being a pervert?
“You get flustered so easily,” He smirked. Oh, he was planning something. “And you blush so much.” He attacked using the binding cloth and caught her by the wrist.
“Fuck, ” She tried desperately to break away from its hold.
“It's actually adorable,” His tone was teasing and his smirk looked borderline wicked. Her face flushed red and her brain went completely haywire for a moment. He tugged on the strand of the cloth tied around her wrist. She, not paying enough attention, stumbled forward, and then tipped backward. She let out a yelp of panic as she fell backward off the roof and went tumbling quickly toward the ground below. Aizawa's binding cloth was still holding her wrist but allowing the slack as she fell. He probably didn't want to pull it tight and risk slamming her head into the side of the building.
“Shit! ” Aizawa huffed as he jumped towards the side of the building before pulling the cloth tight again, suspending her in the air. Both stared at each other with wide eyes for a moment as her heart hammered in her chest.
“Still got a nice view, asshole?” She yelled up at him once her heart calmed down a touch.
“You're the one who fell,” He replied back with a slight smirk.
“Yeah whatever,” She scoffed, “Didn't take you for an ass guy.”
He shook his head with a laugh before she felt herself lowering to the ground. He was taking pity on her poor shoulder and she wasn't going to complain. The cloth was removed from her wrist and she took a moment to roll her shoulder and pop it back into place.
“Thanks for the soft landing,” She called up to him with a smile.
“I wasn’t going to risk you getting a concussion,” He sighed in his usual tired voice.
“Are you going easy on me?” She teased in a sing-song voice as she crossed her arms over her chest and popped one hip out to the side.
“No, but I need you without a head injury so you can help with the students,” He let out an exasperated sigh.
“Of course,” She smirked up at him, “What would you ever do without me?”
“Be far less tired,” She could hear the hint of a smile in his voice.
“Dealing with those adorable gremlins all by yourself?” She scoffed as she made her way back up toward the roof of the building with ease, “You would be completely exhausted.”
“A fair point,” He shrugged in defeat and watched her perch across from him on the opposite roof.
“Back to it then,” She stretched her arms behind her back, feeling them crack, before getting into a ready stance. He was back in a fighting stance as well. Quickly, she launched herself toward him, fists up and ready. He blocked her easily. It was too obvious and she knew it. But, she took a smug satisfaction from flipping her body over him and propelling herself away with the aid of a strong kick to his back. He had to take a moment to recover which gave her just enough time to distance herself from him and get ready for an attack.
The sparring match continued with each struggling to take any obvious lead as they were quite equally matched. He would land a good blow on her, only for her to respond in kind. It had become more of an endurance test than had initially been anticipated. She wasn’t fighting at her full strength because she wasn’t allowing herself to use her quirk, both for fear of the property damage and of hurting him. Even without it, the two were struggling to overpower each other. Subconsciously she wondered if both were going easy on each other even without realizing it. She went in for another attack that he deftly dodged and quickly retaliated, but she was able to dodge out of the way. Her mind focused back on the fight at hand with no time for errant thoughts.
Predictably, he once again attempted to grab her with his binding cloth, and this time she made a weak attempt to avoid it and allowed herself to be caught around the arm. She had expected him to restrain her and pull her in for a close-range attack, but she was wrong. Instead, he used the scarf tied tightly around her wrist to throw her away from him. This left her scrambling to find a good way to land without hurting herself. Instinctively, her body wanted to activate her quirk, but she shoved back the feeling of her quirk. He was changing things up to confuse her. She was impressed.
“What a cheap shot, though,” She mumbled to herself as she landed on the fire escape of a building before jumping all the way down to the ground below. He would be sitting on a rooftop watching for her approach through the air. She figured she might be able to get a good surprise shot in from behind if she stayed low and snuck around behind him. But, she was risking him becoming curious. It would have to be quick before he realized she had a plan of her own.
As quickly as she could, she made her way back around where she had been thrown from. It made her trip longer, but she avoided going too close to where he would be able to see her. She needed to keep the element of surprise. Finally back where she needed to be, she hoped that Aizawa hadn’t moved far. Launching herself from the sides of the building to get to the top as quietly as possible, she found herself just one rooftop away from Aizawa with his back to her.
For a moment, she just looked at him. He was facing away, crouched down. She couldn’t make out his face, but she assumed his expression was serious as he watched intently for any sign of her. He was so attractive, even when she couldn’t see his face. She smiled to herself before readying for her surprise attack.
A powerful jump propelled her into the air toward him. Her hands at the ready, she went in for a punch. However, he had somehow figured out she was there and caught her wrist in the last moments before she hit him. His eyes were determined as he held her by the wrist, but she smirked in return. Perfect.
Easily, she maneuvered her legs bringing one knee harshly into his stomach while leaning closer to him. He let out a groan as her knee made contact, staggering backward a few steps. To her disappointment, though impressive, he didn’t fall backward and quickly regained his balance. It only took him a second to have her other wrist restrained in his grasp.
“Shit,” She exhaled, her eyes growing wide. At her uttered swear, a smirk spread across his lips. She was on the ground a moment later.
He had her pinned and she cursed under her breath again for allowing him to twist her into such a compromising position. Her chest pushed into the rooftop below her and her head turned to the side. Her arms were tied with his binding cloth and pressed into her back while he leaned over her body. He was too close. She could feel his body heat against her back. A flush was creeping across her cheeks. She needed to get out of his hold or it would all be over.
“I meant what I said earlier,” He told her in a serious tone, “I think you're adorable when you're flustered.”
“What?” She couldn't help the small squeak of surprise from leaving her lips and she instinctively tried to raise her head to look at his expression.
“It's over. You're not getting away from me,” His voice was smug and held just an edge of a feral hunger she’d never heard from him before which caused an involuntary shiver to run down her spine, “Now, you have to tell me your secret. What has you so distracted?”
He leaned over her so he could whisper the question directly in her ear. She bit down on her lip to hold back an indecent noise at such a teasing gesture. This was just cruel.
She could feel her body trying to activate her quirk out of desperation and she had to concentrate to keep it from doing so. She couldn't use it and forfeit their sparring match. A fight or flight response could easily make her go too far anyway and she didn’t want to hurt him. She was quick to bring herself into as calm of a state as she could manage in her current position.
“You're underestimating me,” She tutted in a dark tone, trying to quickly find a way out of his grasp before he called her bluff.
“Someone's feeling confident,” He pushed her arms down with one hand sending a slight surge of pain through her wrists, “What happened to that adorable flustered face from just a moment ago?”
“I'm not ready to give up this easily,” She gritted her teeth and pushed back quickly and with as much force as she could muster, making him lose his balance over her slightly, just enough. She was able to get her feet firmly on the ground and jump away from him. In the shock, he accidentally let the binds of his cloth around her wrists loosen, but he was quick to tighten it again before both hands were free. She had only been able to remove one hand, but that was enough.
She wrapped the bind around her hand a few times and pulled the slack with the other until it was tight. He watched her, his stance ready, as he tried to anticipate what she was going to do. She was looking at him with a dark smile while she planted her feet. It was a reckless move, but it might just work.
She gave the bind a strong tug with all her strength, pulling Aizawa toward herself even with his attempt to resist. With the momentum forcing him toward her, she pushed her feet hard off the ground toward him. She hadn't taken the time to notice, too caught up in her own plan, Aizawa had stopped trying to resist the momentum pulling him forward. When they came close to each other, she used all her strength to kick him twice. The first kick brought his body off the ground the second was angled to throw him at 45 degrees away from her.
She anticipated being pulled up with him, but she was able to break the grasp of his binding cloth easily after her work was done. She had figured the shock would cause him to loosen the bind around her wrist and she was correct. But, she made a miscalculation. He was going much too far and doing so much too quickly. If something didn't slow his momentum, he would be badly injured. She waited with panic to see if he would react and try anything to stop himself. To her surprise, he attempted to grab hold of something only to miss it with his binding cloth.
It was probably a play to get her to react, but she didn't care. Tears stung the corners of her eyes as she quickly reached out a hand, finally allowing her body to use her quirk. Slowing his momentum and giving him some protection against the impact. Her heart wouldn’t let her watch and do nothing. If he came to serious harm, the guilt would eat her alive. But, she had lost by using her quirk.
Once he was safe, she allowed the manifestations of her quirk to disappear. With a heavy head, she found her way down from the rooftops to where he stood. He was scraped up a bit from before, but not badly injured. The tight feeling in her chest relaxed at seeing him safe. She knew she probably looked much the same as he did: scratched up and exhausted.
He looked at her with a wicked grin, “You used your quirk which means you forfeit.”
“How cheap,” She sighed, “You forced my hand and you know it.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” He responded with a knowing grin.
“Oh, yeah right,” She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
“We were exhausted and at a stalemate,” He sighed, “Without our quirks we’re basically equally matched, not surprising at all to me.”
“And this whole time I thought you were going easy on me,” She feigned surprise.
He let out a low chuckle and turned to walk away.
“Come on, we have papers to grade,” He sighed, looking back over his shoulder and motioning her to follow with his hand, “Then you can tell me your little secret over dinner.”
Anxiety rose in her throat. She had forgotten the terms of this fight in the heat of the battle. Now, she was going to have to confess her feelings to her coworker. She could feel dread pool in her stomach at the thought of rejection when the two had to work closely together every day. She hesitated for a moment as she tamped down her emotions and watched him continue to walk. But after pushing her dread and apprehension to the side, she jogged to catch up with him. He basically always wore his hero costume while at UA, so he didn’t have to change but he waited for her to do so. She liked to wear clothing that was both more comfortable and more professional than that of her hero costume which was only meant for fighting and rescue with the aid of her quirk.
Once she was changed, the two return to classroom 1-A in order to at least get a start on grading the papers of their students. She sat down with a sigh, the earlier she got the grading done, the more free time she had to relax she always told herself. She wasn’t sure it was true. However, on that day in particular she was telling herself that grading meant she didn’t have to tell Aizawa her feelings and that thought was enough to fill her with determination to work.
Aizawa sat down beside her only a moment after she took her seat. He let out a sigh as he did so, although his sigh seemed more of exhaustion than anything else. For a moment he just glowered down at the stack of papers. Then, he sat up a little straighter and pulled his hair back into a ponytail. She had been watching him with curiosity, but she quickly looked away when she felt the pink blush bloom across her cheeks.
Her eyes seemed to bore holes into the papers in front of her as she dared not to look up at him. She heard him let out a soft chuckle and she looked up in curiosity.
“What is it about this that makes you so flustered?” He wondered out loud, leaning closer to her.
“I’m just not used to it,” She stammered quickly in her defense, “Now let’s work on grading these. I’m tired.” He didn’t protest, only letting out another small chuckle before the two go to work and lapsed into silence. They worked side by side for a long time, only stopping to stretch or compare thoughts on particular answers. She had insisted that the two split the work more evenly when she noticed how exhausted he seemed all the time, but he was resistant at first. The compromise they made was that they would work side by side on the work in order to equally share the burden. He had explained that he wanted to be there so she could ask him questions as she was new to teaching. It was a fair compromise in her eyes and she secretly loved the chance to spend more time with him. Even when it was just doing work.
They finally stopped when her stomach grumbled loudly. She clamped a hand over her abdomen in embarrassment. Unsurprisingly, he couldn’t help but make a snarky comment about it. It took very little time to wrap up what they were each working on and put away the papers. They had gotten a lot of work done and she felt a swell of pride as she stood and stretched her arms over her head.
“Now it’s time for dinner,” She gave a small cheer.
“And it’s time to finally hear your little secret,” He stretched similarly to her before turning to her with a smirk.
She let out a grumble at his words. It worried her how interested he was, but she was attempting to be as nonchalant about the whole thing as she could be. It was only a matter of time before she would be a flustered mess again. It was only a matter of time before he knew how she felt about him. She had to swallow down her anxiety again.
“So, are we cooking at my place again?” She asked as she finished packing up the last things.
“If you don’t mind,” He shrugged.
Since they began grading together, they had also taken to having dinner together afterward. The first time she had offered because she wasn’t convinced he was eating right. But, he proved to be a good cook. It became a tradition and she enjoyed it more than she would let on. It was nice for the two to cook together and relax without the pressure of being a teacher. It gave her a look into a more relaxed part of Aizawa she hadn’t seen before.
They walked to her residence on campus and he waited patiently as she unlocked the door and let him inside. They had a routine when it came to cooking together. Even with the looming dread of her confession to come, she was easily able to slip into their routine without a problem. Not unlike the classroom, the two worked well together. Although she didn’t feel the need to wait on his ques while they were cooking. The two easily moved past each other and never once annoyed the other, something so abnormal for her with a companion in the kitchen that it never failed to bring a smile to her face. Her worries were forgotten easily as they got into a rhythm of cooking and she was content in no time.
It wasn’t long before the two were sitting down to eat a delicious looking meal. A smile was wide across her face looking down at the food the two had made. Her mind had completely forgotten the dread from before and what she would eventually have to confess. The two dug in without hesitation, starved after exerting so much energy on their sparring match. She hadn’t even realized how hungry she had been until she went for a second helping. Usually, there would be leftovers when they cooked, but after the intensity of their sparring match, they didn’t leave anything.
Content and full, the two worked together in order to clean the dishes they used. As much as she wanted to just sit down and relax for a moment, she also abhorred dirty dishes sitting in the sink and she knew she wouldn’t want to get back up to wash them later. The two had already found a routine that worked for them. It only took a few minutes in comfortable silence before the dishes were cleaned. Finally, they could relax.
She plopped down on her couch and patted the plush cushion beside her to beckon him over. It was a Friday, so the two didn’t have to worry about teaching in the morning. Not that it had stopped them from just sitting around and relaxing together in the past. Sometimes they both just needed a break. He sat down on the couch with her, a respectful distance away, and turned toward her.
“It’s time,” He smirked as her name fell from his lips, “Tell me.”
They stared at each other across the couch for a moment before she mustered the courage to speak.
“I-,” She tried to speak but stopped to swallow the lump forming in her throat.
“What? Are you worried about my reaction?” He asked with curiosity.
“Well, of course, I am!” She blurted out. To her own ears, it was almost too loudly and said too quickly.
“Come on, I’m not so cruel,” He let a sigh escape his lips, “Whatever it is, I’ll be respectful.”
“You say that now,” Her voice was shaking slightly.
He looked at her with eyes widened, he hadn’t expected those words nor how her voice shook. However, he didn’t say a word.
“I-” She began again, only to stop once again, “It’s my feelings.”
Finally, she was able to say something.
“Hmm?” He looked at her in confusion, not understanding her vague words.
“It’s my feelings that have had me so distracted,” She tried to keep her voice level but it shook no matter what she did, “My feelings for you. ”
“Your-” His eyes were wide with shock as if he couldn’t believe his ears.
“I tried to push them back because it’s unprofessional, but I think I’ve fallen for you,” She finally breathed out just above a whisper, “I didn’t want to say anything because it would make things awkward.”
She had almost begun to ramble and he stared at her with wide, shocked eyes for a moment. Her face was becoming more distressed and her voice was shaking more with each word.
He called out her name in a calm voice, most of his composure already regained.
“Wait,” His voice stayed calm, “Stop for a moment. Just calm down, alright?”
She looked up at him with wide eyes, tears stinging the corners and threatening to spill over. He brought himself closer to her and lightly knocked his shoulder into her own, a dumb move they did to each other in jest. Her lips quivered into a shaky smile at the action paired with the calm lazy smile on his lips.
“It makes sense now,” He mused after a pause, “Why I could make you so flustered.” His hand reached out toward her for a moment before he closed it and pulled it away as if second-guessing himself.
“How are you so calm?” Her voice wavered again and she took a deep breath before speaking again, “You saw this coming didn’t you? And now you’re trying to find the easiest way to let me down.”
“No,” His response was quick and visceral, followed by a breath and a calmer voice, “That’s not it. I guess I’m kind of oblivious. But, I haven’t thought of relationships or flirting in a while.” He rubbed the side of his neck lightly in a sheepish gesture.
“What?” She looked at him with wide eyes.
“It was cute to see you flustered, so I kept pushing to get a reaction,” He leveled her with an honest gaze, “I thought seeing your reactions would be enough. Your feelings never crossed my mind because I was sure you would never return mine.”
“Shota,” Her eyes widened in shock at his words as her heart thumped loudly in her chest, “You aren’t rejecting me? What are you saying?”
“I guess we're both oblivious, aren't we?” His lips curled into a slight smirk, “I'm saying I have feelings for you too, idiot.”
She just looked at him for a long moment unable to process his words. It was as if she had been frozen in place. The stress of confessing and her own worries had built up in her mind so much that she didn’t even process what he had said to her. Her mind had been so caught up with the thoughts of inevitable rejection that she had never considered the possibility of him feeling the same. It was the possibility she had never prepared for and in the moment her mind was rejecting it.
“You’re still not getting it, are you?” Any sign of his vulnerability and hesitation was gone. He reached out a hand, slowly but not hesitantly, and brought it to rest lightly on her cheek. She went stiff for a moment before leaning into the touch. He stroked her cheek lightly with his thumb as he watched her expression. The gentle motion and his warm hand on her cheek made her relax more into his gentle touch.
“Let me show you then,” His voice was a low whisper that sent a shiver down her spine.
His calm gaze watched her expression as he leaned in toward her. She made no attempt to move away from him. Instinctually, her eyes fluttered closed as his face moved closer to her own. His lips were gently and soft on hers and her body stiffened in shock at first before she relaxed into the kiss. Her muddled mind finally quieting down as she kissed back. After a moment, he pulled away but kept his face close to hers.
“Do you understand now?” His voice was low and she couldn’t help the shiver that ran down her spine.
“You feel the same way about me. I-” She looked at him with wide eyes, “Am I dreaming?” Her face flushed as the words left her mouth and she felt stupid immediately for thinking out loud. His low chuckle lifted her out of her internal shame and her eyes refocused on him.
“I can assure you that you’re not dreaming,” He smirked at her and she could see there was a warmth in his eyes, “But maybe it would be better if I showed you.”
Before she could react, his lips found hers again. After the initial shock of the unexpected attention, she relaxed into the kiss. She kissed him back, hesitantly at first but growing more at ease when he didn’t pull away. Finally having some confidence in the situation, her arms reaching up to tangle into his long hair and pull him closer to her. He smirked against her lips and brought the hand that had been resting on her cheek to the back of her neck, deepening the kiss. His other hand found her waist.
After a moment, he pulled away for air and looked down at her face with a look of adoration she had never seen on his face before. She drank in his expression, trying to burn it forever into her memory. It was something she never wanted to forget. Her eyes gleamed as she looked up into the most loving expression she had ever seen on his usually stoic face.
“Are you finally starting to understand?” He asked, his voice quiet and huskier than usual. His eyes closely watched her expression for even the smallest change. She could only imagine the flushed mess she looked like at that moment, but he didn’t seem to mind.
“I think I am,” Her words were quieter than she had expected. Her fingers idly played with strands of his long black hair that was surprisingly soft to the touch.
“Good,” He smirked again as his lips came down to claim hers again. She didn’t hesitate and kissed him back without reservation. The hand resting on her waist began to explore her body, curving down her side and down her thigh before traveling back up. It made its way upward to cup the underside of her clothed breast and give it a slight squeeze. The unexpected contact shocked her and she gasped into his mouth. He smirked against her lips and used the gasp to push his tongue past her lips. Her tongue found his and wrestled with his for dominance until both needed to pull away for air before one claimed victory.
“Shota,” A low mumble of his name left her lips and he answered her with another searing kiss. Both his hands traveled down her body and, to her surprise, ghosted over her behind before resting just under it. He gripped the back of her thighs tightly, just under her backside, and pulled her into his lap in one swift motion. She gasped out, separating their lips.
“Shota,” She repeated his name again, but this time it was laced with shock at the action. Her hands had moved from his hair to rest gently against his chest.
“What?” He smirked down at her where she was now sitting on his lap, straddling his waist, “This position is much more comfortable.”
“At least give me some warning,” She huffed and she was sure there was a dark red flush across her cheeks reaching all the way to her ears. She put her hands more firmly on his chest as she moved her hips slightly to adjust her position on his lap. In her movement, she brushed herself against him and could feel how hard he was. The contact made a moan slip from his lips and his hands found her hips to keep her from moving away. He captured her lips in a heated kiss and bucked his hips up into her. It was her turn to let out a sinful moan as much as she tried to hold it back. She broke the kiss to breathe and he let out a groan in dissatisfaction at the loss of her. Instead, his lips began to trail a series of kisses and bites down her neck. He paid close attention to her neck, nipping and sucking at her smooth skin. Another moan of pleasure found its way past her lips and she put a hand to her mouth in embarrassment.
“No, don't try to hide those beautiful noises from me, sweetheart,” He scolded in a low tone, pulling her hand away from her face and whispered in a low voice, “I want to hear every sound you make.”
His words in the low whisper sent heat straight to her core and she had to turn her flushed face away from him to keep her mind from completely losing the ability to think. He took the opportunity to shower her neck in kisses once more. He trailed up from her collarbone to her jaw, switching between light kisses and bites, and continuing up until he made it to the soft skin right in front of her ear. All the while, his hands were making sure to become acquainted with the curves of her body. She tried her best to keep herself from making any noise out of sheer embarrassment, but she was failing.
“Are you so flustered you can’t look me in the eye now?” His sinful whisper made her body react on instinct and grind her hips into him. She could feel his lips smirk against her skin before his hand came up to gently coax her face to look at him again. She only got to observe his dark hungry expression for a moment before his lips were on hers again. One of her hands wrapped around his neck to tangle in his hair while the other stayed on his chest with fingers splayed. He smirked in the kiss and bucked his hips up into hers once again and receiving a needy moan from her as a reward. He drank in the wanton sound greedily and used the opportunity to sneak his tongue past her lips once again. His hand that had turned her face moved to the back of her neck. The other found the hem of her shirt, toying with it for a moment, and then snuck its way slowly up her bare back, enjoying her smooth warm skin under his fingers. Her hips moved of their own accord at the skin to skin contact and he pulled away from her lips to let a breathless moan fall from his mouth. He tried to capture her lips for another kiss a moment later, but she avoided his mouth.
“We should stop,” She whined out, not wanting to stop but not trusting herself to control herself if they kept to their current actions.
“Why should we?” He asked, his hungry eyes becoming more serious as he watched her.
“I just…” She took a breath and tried to keep her voice from shaking, “I want to be sure this is something that will last before I get too carried away.”
“I assure you this is more than some fleeting attraction,” He punctuated the sentence was a soft kiss to her cheek, “But I’m not going to push you too far or too fast.”
She gazed up at his face and saw that same look from earlier, the pure love and adoration in his eyes. She couldn’t help the smile that spread easily across her lips. She had pulled back the hand she had tangled in his soft black hair earlier when she refused his kiss, and she brought it up to rest gently on his cheek. Her thumb stroked his cheek in languid strokes as she peered up at his face. After a moment of pure adoration, she leaned in to leave a light kiss on his lips and whispered “Thank you” against his lips lightly. He stole a short sweet kiss from her lips in return. They sat there with their foreheads resting gently on the other for a moment, just enjoying the other’s tender gaze and the occasional quick peck on the lips. Although, he tried for a bit more with a smirk every once in a while and she obliged a deeper kiss after pretending to object.
A sudden knocking at the door shocked both of them. It was followed by the sound of Midnight calling out in a sing-song voice.
“I, uh, think I need to get that,” She gave him a sheepish look.
“Do you have to?” He sighed in his usual annoyed voice.
She opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by Midnight.
“I know you’re there!” The other teacher called out paired with a few extra knocks just for good measure. Aizawa sighed and his arms loosened their grip on her body.
“I want to kill her right now,” He growled in a low tone.
She rose up from her spot on Aizawa’s lap and attempted to smooth down her hair and clothes, unsure of how disheveled she looked, before going to open the door. She attempted to keep the door mostly closed behind her and speak with Midnight in the hall, but the other woman all but pushed right past her. Midnight was already comfortable in the space from having ‘girl’s nights’ together. When the x-rated hero entered and spotted Aizawa glaring from the couch, she paused.
“Oh, was I interrupting something?” She smirked as she looked from Aizawa to his co-teacher.
“Yes, you are,” Aizawa’s tone was dark and obviously annoyed.
“Well,” She extended out the word with a devilish smirk on her lips, “I guess I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone.” She turned and walked back to the door but turned around to say, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Oh, wait !” She was then out of the door with a laugh.
The flustered teacher closed the door before sinking against it with a sigh. The two lapsed into silence for a long moment.
“Let’s go on a date next Friday,” He suggested and her head snapped up to look at him.
“Um, alright,” Her voice wavered more than she liked and she mentally kicked herself for it.
“That is if you want us to be something,” He looked away, his voice wavering slightly and losing some of its usual calm confidence.
“I do,” She responded quickly and then sputtered out a longer response, “I do want us to be something .”
“Okay,” She hadn’t noticed him get up, but at some point, he had risen and walked toward her, “Would you like to be my girlfriend?” Her name fell from his lips.
“I would like that very much, Shota,” She smiled up at him.
“I’m very happy to hear that,” His lips pulled into something between a smile and a smirk before he leaned in to kiss her lips lightly. When he pulled away, one of her hands gripped his shirt and pulled him back for a deeper kiss.
“Friday then,” She breathed out when she finally pulled away.
“Friday,” He echoed, leaving her alone in her residence after one last deep kiss that had her craving more.