Chapter 12: coming out

For the first time in her life, Akane begun to question something she had never been given the chance to question.

Do I like…guys?

Every man in her life, since the death of her family and before Aizawa found her, was a man who hurt her. Hurt her in numerous, explicit, unending ways. She had been through things most grown women would never have to experience and, yet, learned so little about what she wanted. She wasn't a sexually experienced, liberated young woman. She was a sexually abused, traumatized girl. She had never been given the luxury of a preference.

That being said, she never imagined having the option would be this stressful. Passing Bakugou in the halls, catching his eye in class, sweating with him in training, was even stranger than before. He didn't scoff, or sneer, or roll his eyes at her. Or anyone, really. The whole class could tell something was off.

Todoroki got Akane's attention before class started, having picked up on the tension. He leaned against her desk.

"That conversation you were going to have with Bakugou. Did something…happen?"

Akane stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"As far as I can tell, it was either something very good, or very bad."

Akane just folded her arms on top of the desk, avoiding eye contact. "Class is about to start."

Message received, Todoroki thought to himself, and returned to his own desk. It didn't help much, considering Midoriya overheard from his own desk, and turned to face Akane.

"Hey, Akane. Sorry, but, is that true? Something happened between you and Kacchan?"

Akane flashed him a glare. Midoriya gulped. He readjusted in his chair.

"Sorry, just forget I asked!"

Once Mr Aizawa entered to start the class, Akane couldn't seem to stay focused. Every now and again she'd notice her gaze had drifted from the black board, and it confused and frustrated her to see where she ended up looking: Bakugou, of course, but then other classmates as well. Midoriya, Iida, Todoroki, Uraraka — sure, they were her friends. Then, her attention seemed to land on classmates she didn't really know much about, but who had always captured some interest in the back of her mind. Namely… Yaoyorozu…and Jirou.

Whenever she saw Bakugou, her stomach felt strange and her heart fluttered. Her face warmed. Her palms got sweaty beneath her gloves. That was normal, right? He had just kissed her.

So then why did she get the same feelings looking at those girls?

"Akane."

Akane jumped. Without her realizing it, the bell had gone, and all of her classmates were off to next period. It was Mr Aizawa who had spoken, standing at her desk, staring down at her with concern.

Quickly, she stood, gathering her things. Todoroki and Midoriya were waiting for her at the door.

"Sorry," she said.

"You're distracted," Aizawa told her, as if she didn't know. "Something on your mind?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

Aizawa didn't stop her as she hurried off to meet Midoriya and Todoroki, knowing she'd feel bad if she made them late for next period. Instead, he sighed, watching them all go. If nothing else, he at least knew he could trust her friends to keep an eye on her. Todoroki even cast him a glance over his shoulder; a gesture of good faith. Aizawa nodded.

"I'm surprised he called you up on it," Midoriya admitted to his friends as they walked. "Kind of figured you were his favourite."

"Shut up," Akane murmured half-heartedly. "I'm not his favourite." Is it that surprising that a daughter gets a bit of special treatment?

Todoroki and Midoriya shared a look. Slightly braver than his counterpart, Todoroki said, "Definitely his favourite."

Midoriya's eyes bulged. "Does Mr Aizawa know something's happening with you and Kacchan? I can't imagine he'd be very happy about that, considering how protective he is of you, and how.…uh…noisy… Kacchan is."

"I said shut up," Akane growled.

"I-I'm sorry, it's just, I've known Kacchan forever, and I've never seen him act like this, so I can't help but wonder what — oof!"

Just as they approached the next class, something shouldered past them, making Midoriya stumble forward. To his horror, he looked up to see Bakugou, scowling at him over his shoulder.

"Pretty sure she said to drop it, Deku."

Bakugou disappeared into the next classroom before the issue could be pressed further. Behind him, Akane, Todoroki and Midoriya expressed very different reactions — Akane? Pissed. Todoroki? Amused. And Midoriya? Scared shitless. He swallowed.

"Sorry Akane."

She sighed, pushing ahead of him. "You apologize too much."

This next class, literature with Present Mic, didn't fare much better for Akane's focus. She scowled at the board, forcing herself to pay attention, but even without looking away, she was thinking about those weird feelings in her heart and stomach. Bakugou. The kiss. The…others. Maybe it was just her hormones running wild. That one kissed had somehow reminded the rest of her body she was, in fact, a teenage girl, with new feelings and certain…desires. For all she knew, she was attracted to anything that moved at this point.

Briefly, her gaze fell on Mineta, and she was met by an instant wave of disgust.

Okay, so not anything.

Little did she know, Aizawa had texted Present Mic to keep an eye on Akane. To someone who'd never met her, she probably seemed normal, but Present Mic had heard plenty about poor little Akane. He'd been around her long enough, as well. Aizawa was right — something was bothering her. But he figured it would only become an issue if she ever seemed distressed or got up to leave, so he let it be.

For lunch, Akane made plans to hang out with Todoroki. She was hoping the more time she spent with him during the off periods, the easier it'd be to slowly start hanging out with more students at a time. While she waited for him to pick up his lunch, standing at the bottom of the stairs to the roof, she was approached by someone else.

Bakugou stood before her, hands deep in his pockets. "Hey."

She stood to attention. "Hey."

"Can we talk?"

Akane looked past him, waiting to see if Todoroki was about to show up. He was nowhere to be seen.

"Waiting for icy-hot, huh?"

Akane stopped. No point in denying it. "Yeah."

He started to walk away. "Guess I'll leave you to it, then."

"Wait."

Bakugou turned. He arched an eyebrow.

With a hard jaw, Akane pulled out her phone. She shot a quick text to Todoroki — sorry, rain check on lunch.

The response was very fast. Bakugou?

Ignoring him, she put her phone away and looked up at Bakugou. "Okay."

Bakugou blinked, but nodded. He followed her up the stairs. Seeing he had no food on him, she frowned.

"Should't you eat?"

"Why?" He joked. "You never do."

She looked away, making Bakugou realize that might have been a sensitive subject. He cursed inwardly. What with her being all tough and stoic and badass all the time, except for the rare intensive breakdowns, it was easy to forget she was a lot more sensitive than she let on. One wrong word, wrong gesture, wrong touch, and she might just close up.

But he couldn't help it — his impulsivity kicked in, and he found himself asking, "You wanna tell me what that's about? The not eating?"

They reached the roof and found a shady spot, but neither of them sat down, leaning against the ledge. When she still hadn't responded, he added, "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't —"

"I eat," she said at last. "Just not with people." She looked out at the sky; the cityscape. "If someone sees me eat, they might take it away, and I might not be able to eat again for a long time."

Bakugou frowned. Unsure of what to say to that, he was thankful when she continued.

"That's the logic in my head, anyway. I know it doesn't make sense."

And then Bakugou understood. That wasn't just the logic in Akane's head — it was the logic that had been programmed into her head, through years of torturous experience. That kind of lesson couldn't have been easy to forget. His fists clenched just thinking about it.

"It makes sense," he said. "Makes me mad as hell, but it makes sense."

"I'll get over it," she said, and smirked. "And then, hopefully, the both of us won't have to be so mad anymore." With those words, she cracked open a Redbull, and took several thirsty gulps. Bakugou couldn't help but watch her, utterly amazed, wondering wildly how she was able to admit to vulnerability and rise above it so seamlessly. She truly was….incredible.

With that thought in mind, his impulsivity went off once again, and Bakugou blurted, "Dammit, I'm really into you, okay?"

Akane ground her teeth together, hoping it would keep her from blushing.

"You're so…strong, and it pisses me off half the time, but the other half you're a total badass and all I wanna do is kiss you on your dumb mouth." He paused. "Again."

It was Akane's turn to be speechless, unsure of what to say, but also unsure of whether she wanted him to continue.

Bakugou didn't bother to hide his own blush anymore. He scratched the back of his neck and shuffled his feet before grudgingly continuing, "But I'm not gonna force you to be into me. Or…whatever."

This was the part that confused Akane most thus far. She frowned. "What?"

He looked up, finally meeting her eye. His voice was gravelly with an unfamiliar vulnerability when he told her, "I saw the way you were looking at Yaoyorozu."

Akane froze. Her lips parted for a moment before she forced them closed, promptly looking away. She prayed he wouldn't say anything further, or God forbid ask what she wanted, because she had no idea what to say. For someone who had never been able to make decisions for herself, let alone decisions of such an intimate nature, this was all getting to be too much.

Bakugou shuffled his feet. "Just so you know…we're gonna be friends, whether you like it or not. That isn't even a question." That characteristic hardness had returned to his voice, but then he continued more softly, "So don't worry about it. You just….do what makes you happy. You got that?"

Akane shook her head; slowly, sadly. "I don't know what makes me happy."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Bakugou." Her voice, suddenly small and wavering ever-so-slightly, whacked the harshness right out of him in an instant. "Please."

Before he was aware of doing it, Bakugou nodded. That fear and uncertainty in her voice, on her face, made him remember once again that she had not lived the same life he had. She'd never been given the chance to figure out what makes her happy. Maybe she'd never really been happy at all.

Seeing her shrink away, Bakugou reached out. He held her by the wrist — not the hand, which, even gloved, he know would make her more nervous. His face was earnest, waiting for her to look him in the eye.

He said, "Just tell me what you need."

Akane took a deep breath, forcing herself not to look away. Forcing herself to see how much he cared — see the look on his face when their bodies were touching, when he was this close. She knew that the more she looked, the more she'd see that it was real. Maybe that was the scariest part — the part she understood the least. It was a whole new world of people who really cared about her and wanted her for more than her deadly quirk. She was still getting used to it.

Akane snapped out of her thoughts to find she had inched closer to him. Bakugou stared down at her from his slight height advantage, eyes wide and warm. Tentatively, he reached up with his free hand and held the side of her face, using this thumb to trace the edge of her scar.

Akane closed her eyes for a brief moment. Her breath shuddered — excited, terrified. The scar burned where he touched it. Her eyes flew open.

Breathless, Akane stepped away. Bakugou got the message and stepped back immediately, giving her space. He held his hands up, signalling non-dominance. Safety. He needed her to know she was safe with him.

He stayed in that position, stuck and unsure, as Akane fought to catch her breath. She held her hands against her chest, balled them into fists, and prayed to God it would stop the shaking.

"I'm—" she ground out, "—sorry."

"Don't you dare —" Bakugou cut himself off. He set his jaw. Calm down. She needs you calm. With all the restraint he could muster, he took a deep breath. "It's alright. You don't need to be sorry." And then, after a pause, "Can I do anything?"

She shook her head.

"If you want, I can get Mr Aizawa." He clenched his fists. "Or Todoroki."

"Don't."

He considered. "Is it cool if I hang around, then?"

She cast him a disbelieving look.

"I don't want you to be alone," he explained, quietly. "Especially considering this is the third time you've gotten all stressed out 'cause of something I did."

Akane rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

And so he waited with her until the end of lunch, when he was more or less certain she'd calmed down, more relaxed and breathing better. She gave him a tiny smile. "Thanks. For staying."

He nodded. "Sure."

Akane took another minute to make sure she wasn't going to freak out again, and then said, "I meant it the other day. I said I liked you… and I meant it." She frowned, clearly struggling to get out the rest without falling apart again. "Liking someone has never been an option before. Give me a little time to get my head around it." She looked up at him, resolve hard on her features. "And I'll let you know."

Bakugou blinked. After seeing the way she looked at their female classmate, he'd really convinced himself he didn't stand a chance. That, sadly, he'd been barking up the wrong tree, and the one girl he happened to fall for also happened to be a lesbian. Just being told there was still a chance was enough to keep him going. He couldn't help but grin.

"Take the time you need. I'm not going anywhere."

xxx

As per usual, Akane was home before Aizawa. He knew where she was the second he walked through the door, hearing the rhythmic slap of fists against the punching bag from the other room. He smiled to himself. At least she was acting like her normal self (as self-destructive as that normal self might be).

He put his bag down and walked into the training room, leaning against the door frame to watch her work, punching away like crazy. It was very unlike her not to be aware of her surroundings and see him there in the corner of her eye, but she was completely oblivious to her adoptive father's presence.

That was, until he said, "Maybe it's time you give the poor bag a break."

With a jump, Akane stopped. She looked to Aizawa, sweating and breathing hard, and blinked twice.

"When did you get here?" She asked.

Idly, Aizawa checked his watch. "Five minutes and…forty-three seconds ago."

"Oh." She frowned. "Right."

Aizawa approached her, doing the habitual inspection of her hands. He waited for her to take her gloves off and, reluctantly, show him the damage. It wasn't great. Could've been worse, but wasn't great. He nodded to himself.

"Alright. Training's over, kid. Let's sort you out."

"But Todoroki's busy today — this is all I have."

"Then I guess we're cutting today's training short." He gestured to the kitchen. "Come on."

Suppressing a frustrated groan, Akane followed him out. She took her normal spot at the kitchen table and waited for Aizawa to bring out the first aid kid. She put her hands out, knowing the sooner she complied, the sooner it would be over.

Aizawa sat across her, getting the alcohol wipes ready. He examined his face as he worked, checking for signs of pain. Considering she hardly ever showed any, he was surprised to see her flinch, and pulled back.

"Akane? You okay?"

Akane nodded, too quickly. "Just do it, please."

With a moment's reluctance, he got back to it, watching her closely. Most people wouldn't have caught it, but he could tell something was up — something more than being tired. He frowned, thinking carefully about how to approach the situation. Knowing her, she could've been withholding something serious, afraid of upsetting him. He needed to get to the bottom of it.

"Present Mic seemed worried about you," he told her. "Said you seemed off in class."

Akane arched an eyebrow. "That's probably because you told him to keep an eye on me."

Aizawa stopped, and gave in with a scoff. "Not getting anything by you, am I?"

"Guess not." She looked down. "But I'm sorry for making you worry."

"One of these days," he responded, "you're gonna stop apologising for that."

She pursed her lips. Clearly, his attempts at brevity had been unsuccessful. He held back a sigh and started to disinfect the other hand.

"He wasn't wrong though, was he? I saw it, too."

Akane said nothing, still staring down — not at her hands, so as to spare them both from adventures in puke, but at the table. Her eyes were intense. What was she so scared of? The longer he talked to her, the more Aizawa worried.

Carefully, he prompted, "Is there any chance that something happened…with Bakugou?"

Before she could help it, Akane flinched. She stiffened right up. Bingo.

Okay. Now to assess the scope of the damage. Aizawa continued, "If he's said something, or threatened you in any way, I need you to tell me. This is important, Akane."

Frowning, she looked up. "Threatened me?"

"I know he's my student and, despite all the crap, he's normally an alright kid, but I'm your dad now, which means I'll always take your side. Whatever's going on, I've got your back. Whatever he's holding over you, or pressuring you into, I will always —"

"Aizawa. Is it possible to like boys…and girls?"

Aizawa froze. Completely flabbergasted, slack-jawed and speechless. Eyes almost comically wide, he blinked. Blinked again. Blinked a third time. He wet his lips as if to speak, but nothing happened.

Meanwhile, Akane shrunk into the chair, disturbed by his reaction. "Sorry," she said. "I'm sorry. Forget I asked."

"What? No." Aizawa shook his head, finally regaining himself. "No. Uh, right. That's, uh…" Really not what I expected. He cleared his throat. "An interesting question."

Akane shrunk deeper into her chair, suddenly very eager to just run away from the conversation. "I really shouldn't have asked."

Her discomfort painfully apparent, Aizawa straightened to attention. He needed to think of something good to say and fast. He needed to salvage the situation. If only he were prepared for this; real, normal teenage stuff; as much as he was prepared for all the other stuff, maybe he wouldn't be so stumped. With Akane, the issues thus far had been villains, trauma, training. Not….sex and love and growing up. Right at this moment, he'd probably take the former, but he wasn't going to leave his new daughter stranded, either.

So Aizawa relaxed, trying to show Akane she could relax, too. He leaned forward, offering a smile. "I'm gonna be honest — you caught me off guard, there. But there's a very simple answer to your question."

At that, Akane perked up, looking at him with a tilted head. She was confused by his warmth, but comforted.

Aizawa smiled. "The answer is yes. It is possible. Not only possible, but normal, for a lot of people."

Her eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

Registering this new information with a mix of relief and excitement, Akane seemed to really calm down. Aizawa nudged her, a knowing look on his face.

"So, feel like telling me about the lucky kid you've got your eye on?"

Akane blushed. It was still a very new look on her and one Aizawa was not used to. But, seeing it, his smile wouldn't fade, feeling the relief of something he didn't even realize he was worried about: Akane being a normal kid. It went to show just how far she'd come. He put his hand on her shoulder, practically glowing with pride.

"Well, it's your business. But you should know…" he squeezed her shoulder. "I'm proud of you."

Akane frowned. "For what?"

"For working so hard. For getting where you are." He beamed. "I'm so proud."

Akane went back to blushing, hiding her face as best she could. "Shut up," she muttered, fondly.

"Just so you know," he added, "whenever you're ready to date, guy or girl, you've got my support. Understood?"

After a moment, she nodded.

He considered, and went on, "Can't promise I won't scare 'em off, though. Not just anyone is gonna be good enough for my kid."

At that, Akane finally laughed. "Whatever you say."

And so, Aizawa's first 'normal' paternal responsibility had been bestowed. He saw to Akane's hands, sent her off to do her homework, and got dinner sorted. What was next, he wondered, on this wonderful journey that was everyday parenthood?