Warmth.
Following the tall man, you wondered where he was going. He said he would make something easy to eat, but started to head toward the 1A dorms rather than the teacher's building. The door wasn't even open yet and you could hear the lighthearted chatter from the students inside.
A small squeak of one of the girls bubbled out.
"All Might! Sensei!" Suddenly you were surrounded by children. Toshinori laughed, making sure their excitement didn't knock you over.
"They were worried about you." Lips curving into a slight smile, you realized this was his way of showing his concern. He held back some of the more rambunctious kids with an All Might signature grin. "No hugs today."
"Aww, but we're so happy to see you awake." Ashido pouted at his lanky form. She was visibly disappointed, never one to be subtle about expressing her feelings. You envied her openness.
"She's a hero, dumbass. She wouldn't die from a shitty villain." You winced at the choice of words.
"Thanks for the confidence."
Toshinori left to the kitchen, and some of the students followed, ready to help. Apparently this was a thing he did often, knowing exactly where to get the needed supplies and the kids falling into their tasks seamlessly. Chopping vegetables and meat, one person seasoning the food and handing it off. It was comforting to watch them. You looked on for a while before remembering the exam.
"Did you guys do well at Takoba?" The question led to a loud burst of responses.
"The Shiketsu kids were so strong!"
"Did you see my new Acid Wall special move!?" A flashy movement and pose.
"Ahh, not here Mina!"
"One guy took out over a hundred examinees. That's insane right?"
"Forget that, tell her about the pervert girl!" Only snippets of the conversation could be understood over their excitement.
You were happy to sit and listen to them, cheering at their teamwork in the face of becoming everyone's target.
"Hair-for-brains turned into a meat potato." Kirishima laughed nervously at Bakugou's words, brushing off how terrifying that sounded out loud.
"Hey, man, you were one too." Each student had their own story to tell, but you never got to hear about the rest of the exam. Plates were soon being passed around and anyone who wasn't cooking began to set the table.
Yaoyorozu gently pushed you to a seat, telling you to rest while everyone took care of things. They laughed and argued about who would sit next to All Might, about how big the portions should be, and about who was strongest out of all of them. With a light touch to your shoulder, Toshinori smiled down at you and the children.
"Are you feeling better now?"
You didn't have the words to describe how nice it was to sit and enjoy being around everyone.
"Yes. Better." Turning back to the kids – who were still trying to brag about their new skills – you laughed happily at the little family they made. It made you forget, even for a little while, the mixed up feelings inside you.
You thought of how good they were as you ate, and still when you walked home.
xXx
Shouta was a hardworking man. In the past two days, you learned a lot about how he spent his time. Just as the day started he would go to teach. When night fell he would work as a hero until the early morning hours before stumbling home. It was no wonder he constantly fell asleep at even the smallest breaks. Remembering all the help he gave you in the past, you felt guilty that he sacrificed the few hours he had to rest.
Which is why you were perplexed on how he had the time for this.
"Don't fall asleep." He had to be teasing you at this point. It was easy to imagine that smug grin he usually reserved for pulling a fast one over his students. Of course, you couldn't be sure since he was talking to you over the wooden barrier that separated the two baths.
"I don't think you're allowed to lecture me about sleeping."
In another difference between the student and teacher living complexes, the baths were connected. Maybe it was faster to build it that way, since teenage hormones wouldn't be a problem. They obviously forgot about fully grown adult hormones.
It was impossible to relax knowing that the man you liked was a few feet away – and nude. The first thing after eating with the kids you had insisted on a bath to wash away the smell of blood and sweat that clung to you since waking up in the infirmiry. Nurse Aizawa insisted right back on you being chaperoned in case the heat caused you to pass out. Since Kayama was busy and you refused to wait another hour sitting in filth, he took it upon himself to join you.
"You haven't drowned yet, then?" Even if it took a year off your life, you wouldn't let that happen. The thought of him having to rescue you in the bath was possibly the most embarrassing thing you could think of.
"No. I'm dead now. It's too late." Your sarcasm was met with a huff. To be honest, you preferred this to the silent treatment from before. But it was still annoying. The questions eventually trailed off when he was content you weren't about to keel over and die.
The sweet quiet was short lived, however. Shifting, you propped your leg up to keep the wound from getting wet, and to give you something to focus on. It was suddenly easy to pick up on the sound of lapping water now, and even easier for a sinful mind to wander...
"Isawyourclasstoday!" The words came out rushed as you tried not to think of a lounging Aizawa on the other side of the room. You coughed to calm yourself. "They're as lively as ever."
"They didn't say anything stupid, did they?" There was an edge in his voice that wasn't there before, emphasizing the word stupid like he was expecting bad news. Maybe you were imagining it.
"Only that you've been proposed to." The short splash let you know he reacted to your light teasing, and the groan that accompanied it made it clear he wasn't actually angry. You sighed in relief, not wanting to have your primary caretaker go back to impassive stares and silence.
"Wait."
You were under the impression your friends were taking turns babysitting you. But aside from the afternoons when you were brought to the infirmary, he was the only one making sure you ate and took your pills.
Sure, the other two were busy, but surely Toshinori would have tried to help as well? Suddenly Mic's explanation for why you were roomed up in the first place didn't make sense. You could have been placed in an adjacent room instead. "Why is he the one taking care of me?"
What was it Mic said to you before? "The both of you blame yourselves too much." Both. He blamed himself – was that the reason he took you in?
"Aizawa, why are doing all this?" You kept your voice as low as possible, not exactly brave enough to be any louder. "You aren't obligated to take care of me." For a while you thought maybe he didn't hear you, but his answer eventually came.
"I felt like it."
"Because you think it's your fault." The barrier between the baths was suddenly bothersome. You wanted to look at him, talk face to face. Maybe even shake him a little. Okay, maybe a lot. "You're an idiot if you think it is. I could be anywhere and get attacked by a villain. And I would get involved regardless!" Surely he remembered the day you met one another. "How many heroes force themselves to live alone? Look at Toshinori. Look at you!" The words were tumbling out in a brilliant panic.
Without thinking you placed your hands at the tall wooden slats that stood between you and him.
"I'm tired of everyone thinking that it's dangerous to get close to people." It wasn't until you stopped that you realized you were shouting. You fell into silence and held your breath, waiting for his answer.
A low rumble of laughter echoed out, getting louder the more your words sunk in.
"I haven't been called an idiot so seriously in over 20 years." Real, genuine laughter. Nothing like the cackle he usually fired off during a logical ruse moment. Your breath caught at the sound. As it died back down, a more somber tone took its place. "If only it was that simple. But, you aren't wrong." He sighed. "Well, I still won't be kicking you out so I might not be so bright after all."
So he wouldn't back down on helping you then...
"I'm happy to call you an idiot whenever you need it." You were sort of happy about that. Sinking back down into the water, you felt better. The heat was nice when you were fully submerged, but it was probably time to get out or Aizawa might start to get annoyed.
Ah.
Your leg.
"I GOT IT SOAKED!"
Hm. Well, this chapter feels a bit sillier than usual to me. But then again, why not? The goal is to keep Aizawa in character until the end, so as long as that happens I'm happy. Haha!
As always, opinions are more than welcome :]