A/N: Welcome to the latest chapter of Family Runs Deep!
I can't believe this story has gained over 100 followers. To all those followers, thank you so much!
Anyway, we are coming down the final stretch in the canon storyline, but as you can see, this story is a long way from that, so yeah, many more chapters to come . . . Including this one. Enjoy!
Chapter 25: After the Raid Pt. 1
"You will definitely need a long hospital stay to recuperate from these injuries Thirteen," Recovery Girl finally admitted after taking a moment to look over the hero's battered back as she lay face down on one of the stretchers the medical robots brought along. "Probably a couple of weeks at best, possibly more."
"Eh, I figured as much," The Space Hero tiredly conceded, completely resigned to her fate. "After all, it's not every day you get your own quirk turned against you . . . Not the best feeling in the world, trust me."
"We'll take your word for it Thirteen," Aizawa admitted, Shizuna and All Might quickly nodded their agreement.
They all had taken a peek at her back, and though they hadn't actually said anything about it, they all could agree that it was a rather gruesome sight to witness.
Chunks of skin were torn away from her back, leaving it a cratered mess that the Moon would be proud of. Most people would be rather shocked or despondent if they experienced what Thirteen went through, but she's been practically cheeky since it happened.
"Having your quirk turned against you is never a fun experience, but you're taking it much better than I expected." Shizuna stated, smirking slightly as Recovery Girl simply shook her head.
"Well, I'm alive, aren't I? It could have been a lot worse, yes . . . but it wasn't, and I'm grateful for that," The Space Hero admitted, grimacing as she moved her shoulder slightly. "I just wished it didn't sting as much."
"Well, it would have stung even less if you hadn't badgered Madam Blade here to assist you in your latest escapade. . ."
"Recovery Girl, I know you dislike it when injured heroes push themselves too much when they no longer need to, but I felt we had a last possible shot to stop them once and for all, and I was willing to take it," The Space Hero countered, not trying to be disrespectful as she looked directly at the old woman. "And if the opportunity arose again, I would have taken it wholeheartedly, even if it was a little reckless . . . Sorry, not sorry."
"Figures . . ." The old woman mumbled as she noticed a certain blonde smirking slightly. "Got something to say Toshinori?"
"Only that Thirteen's sense of determination is quite admirable," He admitted, grimacing when the elderly nurse sent him a sharp look. "What?! It was only a compliment!"
"One I'll gladly take, by the way!"
"You, stay quiet?" Recovery Girl admonished, glancing at the woman before pointing her cane straight at the skeletal man's face. "And you, don't encourage reckless behavior!"
"No, but-"
"No buts!"
"Damn, it's been quite a while since I've seen Recovery Girl so pissed," Shizuna hissed, leaning down to whisper in Aizawa's ear as the Symbol of Peace bowed his head in defeat.
"Well, she always thought that All Might's heroics inspired a sense of recklessness among the younger generations, especially since many of them see him as their inspiration for becoming heroes in the first place," He mumbled, ignoring how her hot breath against the shell of his ear was sending quite the enjoyable shiver down his spine. ". . . When she has the chance to put him in his place, she takes it, with an iron fist."
"Well, that's very . . . accountable of her, I guess," Shizuna reluctantly said as they watched the old woman speak to Thirteen and the medical bots that held her stretcher.
"I guess you can say that, but I'm not gonna call her out on it," He admitted, completely serious. "Will you?"
"Eh, I can risk it, but only because I can heal on my own, even if it is slow going," Shizuna conceded as they watched the robots take Thirteen away, and hopefully, to an awaiting ambulance. "You? You have no such luxury."
"Exactly, and that's why I have no plans on calling her out anytime soon."
"Who do you plan to call out Aizawa?"
"No one!" The man quickly said as the medic glanced his way. "Well, no one for now that is."
"I see . . ." Recovery Girl didn't seem to believe him, but she pushed her suspicions aside, turning her attention to All Might instead.
"Nice save. . ."
"Eh, lI try my best."
"Yagi, you've certainly had a busy day," The woman said as she peered down at his bloody shirt. "Care to talk about it?"
"What's there to talk about?" All Might tiredly asked, cutting her off before she could say anything else. "We fended off the villains, yes, but I still feel bad for being the reason they attacked in the first place."
His blunt words caused Shouta and Shizuna to share a look, as both recognized the somber bitterness in his tone, though it was strange to hear it from someone like him.
After all, the Symbol of Peace was the pinnacle of positivity to the hero world, so hearing him say something negative was a little jarring. It was actually quite a weird thing for them to experience, but neither found themselves wanting to see how far this negativity could go, so they both subconsciously decided to say something . . .
. . . Luckily for them, Nedzu beat them to it.
"Now, now, no need to get all self-loathing on us Yagi. You shouldn't blame yourself so harshly for what happened here today."
"Even though I was a contributing factor in all this?"
"You may have been the reason the villains came here, but you and your fellow co-workers are a big reason why they didn't succeed," He countered, grinning slightly as the group watched Tokoyami and Koda get escorted to the exit by Hound Dog. "Instead of reflecting on the bad, keep in mind the positives. For example, none of the students appear to have been injured, and that's always good, isn't it?"
"When you're a hero teacher, uninjured students will always be a good thing . . . It's less work for me, in any case," Recovery Girl stated matter-of-factly as she looked over the gashes on the blonde's side. "Hmm, the claw marks didn't go in as deep as I thought they would, so you're very lucky on that front . . . A kiss should hold you up until we get you back to my office."
"Some bandages will help as well. . ."
"That too. . ."
After making quick work of All Might's wounds and placing a kiss on his cheek, she turned her attention to the only other teachers heavily involved with the earlier melee, smirking slightly as her gaze switched between the two. "So, who's next?"
"Uh, ladies first?" Aizawa suggested as he pointed at the Katana Wielder with his good arm. "She does have more wounds than me."
"And yet, I look more healed than you do . . ." Shizuna bluntly stated, the Erasure Hero grimacing due to the valid point she made, especially since he could see the evidence for himself.
Under the drying blood, he could see that the claw marks on her body had stitched themselves together as time went on, and they had been quite deep when he first laid eyes on them. They still looked a little raw, it wouldn't be a stretch to guess that they would be completely gone in a matter of hours, maybe less.
"I always knew you had a healing factor as part of your quirk . . . I just never remembered it acting so quickly," He mumbled as smoke started to pour from her skin. ". . . Wasn't it slower in the past?"
"Eh, a lot can change in a decade," She cryptically mumbled as she was enveloped in a cloud of smoke, only to reappear seconds later back in her regular form, sans less clothing.
Looking up, she found Aizawa suddenly pink in the face, and as soon as the two locked eyes, he quickly averted his, which she knew was strange, even for him.
After all, Aizawa wasn't known for being the emotive type. "Really Aizawa?! Why are you looking away. . ? It's not like I'm standing buck naked here!"
The buck-naked remark only made his blush grow a shade deeper, but she didn't really notice as her curious glare became a suspicious one.
Recovery Girl, Nedzu, and All Might did notice, and at least one of them couldn't wait to tease Aizawa about it later.
"I know . . . I-I was just b-being cautious," Aizawa slowly admitted, hoping that she would accept his excuse, though even he didn't sound too convincing to his own ears.
He did just stutter after all, and he never stutters.
After taking a deep breath to calm himself, the underground hero slowly opened his eyes to find that Shizuna's kimono top, pants, and boots never survived her transformation, but she wasn't buck naked, as she so bluntly put it.
In fact, she stood dressed in a sleeveless turtleneck crop top, a pair of matching shorts, and pitch-black thigh high socks that bared enough to be enticing without it being too risqué.
It wasn't the most scandalous thing in the world that Aizawa saw on a woman - Midnight made sure of that - but he couldn't help but be appreciative of such a sight all the same. If he was being honest, what remained of Shizuna's outfit was more practical compared to what some of the other heroines usually wore on a daily basis, and there were official laws out there dictating how much skin heroes could show in the books - again, Midnight made sure of that.
However, he couldn't think long on that, not when those thoughts were dwarfed by the large part of his consciousness that thought she looked absolutely stunning in all black. . . like a gothic ninja.
A cute, yet intimidating gothic ninja, with a sizable bosom and sickening abs that any supermodel would be proud of.
"Hmm, now I really understand what Midnight was implying earlier."
"What was that?!" Aizawa asked, his embarrassment suddenly gone as he glared at a now-bashful looking All Might.
"Oh Aizawa, you don't have to worry. It's nothing to be ashamed about," Nedzu cut in, looking slightly amused as he came to the Symbol of Peace's rescue. "In fact, I actually think it's quite cute."
"What's cute?!" Aizawa further asked, trying to piece things together as he looked down at the finely-dressed talking animal. "What are you trying to say Nedzu?"
"You shouldn't fight against it, young man. Just let things flow naturally," Recovery Girl advised before aiming a kiss at Shizuna's cheek, only for it to land on the woman's hand when she moved it there just in time. "I must admit, I was a little curious when I heard Nemuri talking earlier, but now that I've seen it for myself, it's surprisingly obvious."
"Whatever Midnight said, it's not true!" Aizawa growled, but the others weren't convinced, not in the slightest.
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," Recovery Girl admonished, looking exasperated as she shook her head.
Nedzu looked like he completely agreed with the woman's words, though his eyes were definitely more mischievous in comparison. All Might looked the most sympathetic to Aizawa's unknown plight, but he wasn't willing to say anything either, mainly because he thought it was best for the Erasure Hero to figure things out for himself.
And Shizuna? She wasn't much help either. In fact, she was probably more in the dark than Aizawa was, but if she had her way, they wouldn't be for long, hopefully. . .
"Guys, we've had a long afternoon. Just tell us what Midnight said already so we can go!" The blonde declared as Recovery Girl hit Shouta with a smooch to the cheek while he wasn't looking.
"Wait a damn second! You don't know either!?" He asked as he glanced her way.
"I'm in the dark as much as you are. . ." She admitted, and then she slapped her palm to her forehead, her eyes widening in realization. ". . . Which means that whatever she's been saying to everyone else revolves around the both of us."
"Well, you're not wrong there Madam Blade," Nedzu admitted, his words making Aizawa's eyes widen slightly. "I'm sure those logical minds of yours will be able to figure out the rest in no time. For now, you'll have to figure things out for yourselves."
"They'll have to save it for later," Recovery Girl declared as she quickly finished bandaging Shouta's elbow before moving on to the cut on his face. "For now, just because I gave you both a dose of my quirk, doesn't mean that your treatment is complete. You both will have to report to my office before you leave for the day, especially you Aizawa."
"I hear you loud and clear Recovery Girl," he said, grimacing at how obvious her stern tone was. "Anything else?"
"Just that we'll be having a staff meeting later to discuss what happened here today," Nedzu added. "And, of course, the three of you will have to make your statements to the police as part of their investigation."
"They don't want them now?" Shizuna asked as a couple of officers led a train of handcuffed villains to the exit.
"You'll give them after you've dismissed your class. Detective Tsukauchi is heading up the police investigation, so he understands that you have your students to take care of first. He'll be sure to find the three of you before the day is up . . ." The principal explained as he turned toward the entryway.
"For now, Class 1-A is your primary focus. Aizawa, you and Onizaki will escort the students back to the main building. Once they're dismissed, seek out Recovery Girl . . . Yagi, you'll ride back with Recovery Girl and myself."
"Sounds like a plan to me . . . C'mon Shouta," Shizuna prodded as she gestured to the exit, waiting for him to move.
Though he wanted to know what Midnight was up to, Aizawa knew that his students should be the ones where his attention should be. Conceding to the rodent's point, he shot one last glance at the others first before moving to follow the blonde in black, knowing that he'll want to revisit the topic another time.
Once they were out of earshot, Nedzu couldn't help but let the chuckle that was building in his gut finally come to the surface as he watched the departing pair, knowing that they would be quite the pair to watch as the year goes forward.
"So, do you honestly think they'll figure it out on their own?" All Might couldn't help but ask as a second set of medical bots arrived with a stretcher in tow.
"They're both capable of it, and I can certainly see Onizaki figuring it out by herself relatively soon," Nedzu admitted as he brought a paw to his chin. "But Aizawa may take a bit longer. . . He's not one for delving into his feelings after all."
"He's not going to figure it out on his own. Not with friends like Mic and Midnight on his side," Recovery Girl grumbled as All Might sat down on the stretcher. "They're going to point it out to him before he'll come to the conclusion on his own. I can guarantee you that much."
"Care to make a wager then?" Nedzu asked, always eager for a bet, mostly because he saw it as a mild entertainment for himself.
"I'm usually not one for making bets . . . But in this instance, I might be willing to consider it. What about you All Might?"
"Oh, you can certainly count me out on that front," The blonde skeleton admitted, watching as the two in question walked up the stairs. "Something tells me that neither Aizawa, nor Onizaki would appreciate being made the focus of a bet, and I'm not willing to poke that hornet's nest. My health has not been the best for a long while. I'm not trying to make it worse!"
"Hm, fair enough."
F ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ D
"Everyone I talked to said that they're okay, though Bakugou seems a little more . . . abrasive than normal." Yaoyorozu admitted as she and Yukino regrouped at the front of their class. "What about you Yukino?"
"Aside from Midoriya hurting his fingers, everyone's good. Not as traumatized as I thought," The twin was blunter in her assessment as she looked back at the building they just came out of. ". . . And that's all we could ever ask for."
The heiress nodded, agreeing with her friend's sentiment as a couple of cops led out a group of villains to an awaiting police van. After everyone had been safely evacuated from USJ, they were quickly checked on by paramedics before being ushered to some benches just off to the side of the complex's entrance, not daring to move as they waited for any word from their teachers.
Wanting to be proactive, Yaoyorozu and Yukino decided to go around and make sure everyone was accounted for, regrouping once they made sure that everyone was well.
And they made sure they checked in with everyone, even the ones that weren't so talkative in the first place.
"Hey you two!" Daisuke called out to them as he and Shouto approached. "Done making the rounds now?"
"Pretty much," Yukino grumbled as she shot a look over at Bakugou, who was only standing a few feet away, scowling at the villains being led to the slammer. "Everyone's okay; a bit shaken up, but okay."
"That's good to hear!"
"Who was that?!" Kaminari cried out as everyone looked around to find where the voice was coming from.
"Over here!"
"Found him!" Daisuke called out as he pointed out the man: a sharply dressed individual in a black suit with a tan trench coat over it, approaching with a disarming look in his eyes, and a notepad in hand.
"Are you the head of the investigation sir?" Iida promptly asked as some of his classmates focused on the police badge pinned to his belt.
"That would be me," He admitted as he came to a stop. "I'm Detective Tsukauchi. It's nice to meet you all, though I wish it was under better circumstances."
"Tch, it's not like we're dead or anything. . ." Bakugou groused, ignoring how some of his classmates cringed at how flippant his words were.
"Um, Detective Tsukauchi, do you happen to know if our teachers are going to be alright?" Tsuyu asked as she looked up at the older man, who also looked a little startled by the explosive teen's words.
"Hmm, why don't you ask some of them yourselves?" He asked after taking a quick glance behind him. "Look behind me."
As the class did just that, the relief on their faces was palpable as Aizawa and Onizaki strode up. Aside from the visible bandages on the former's face and arm, the latter now wearing a lot less clothes - a fact that many of the boys were cognizant of, though they were all smart enough to not voice it - and the dried blood on both, they appeared okay.
Tired, but okay. "Huh, considering the details I've heard so far, you two look better than I expected."
"Well, that's quite the assumption, Detective. I'm glad it was wrong," Aizawa mumbled, addressing the man by his title rather than his last name.
Having worked with him in the past, Tsukauchi didn't mind the remark one bit. He knew Aizawa long enough to know the difference between when the man was being sarcastic, and when he was being serious. "It definitely wasn't a walk in the park. I'll tell you that much."
"I'll have to take your word for it then," The detective conceded as he turned to Shizuna, and Shouta couldn't help but notice the slight widening of the man's eyes as he finally looked at the woman. "Madam Blade, it's nice to finally meet you. . . Some of your colleagues have mentioned you in past conversations."
"All good things I hope," she said as the two shook hands, slightly glancing at Aizawa. A part of her figured that he was one of the ones doing the talking, but that didn't sound like him, especially when compared to some of their nosier friends.
"Of course, though I must admit it's mainly been Mic and Midnight that have been doing the talking. . . Eraserhead here? Not so much."
"Hmm, I wonder why . . ." She mumbled, her tone part teasing, part curious as her assumptions were confirmed.
She then turned to the students and their expectant faces, glad to see that they were all accounted for. "I heard that none of you were seriously injured. That true?"
"Aside from Midoriya's fingers, everyone's okay," Yukino reported as she looked around the group, her words making said teen look sheepish as a result. ". . . Well, physically at least."
"That's understandable. Your first encounter with villains always tends to leave a mark on you. Physical, emotional, mental . . . It's how you react to it afterward that truly shows what kind of person you are moving forward, and since none of you seem to be too ill-affected by what happened so far, I'd say so far, so good. . ."
"For now. . ." Aizawa added, always being the realist.
"Must you say that Aizawa?" Shizuna asked, shaking her head as she noticed that a couple of the students' faces deflated at his words.
"Technically, no," He conceded, admitting that probably wasn't the best thing to say as he too saw how his words affected the group. "But am I wrong though?"
"No, but we'll discuss this another time," Shizuna declared, shooting him a knowing glare, which Aizawa returned in kind, though his was slightly softer.
"Oh, really now? You just admitted that I wasn't wrong, so what's there to discuss?"
"That you have to work on your sense of tact?"
"My sense of tact is just fine, thank you very much."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Anyone else get married couple vibes here?" Uraraka quietly asked as she looked around the group, getting nods from those closest to her as they continued to watch the exchange unfold.
"There's something brewing between those two," Ashido agreed, cheekily grinning from ear-to-ear, already imagining how a relationship between their two senseis would unfold. "I can't wait to see how this develops."
"Gosh damn, Mic and Midnight were right! Aizawa is smitten with her," Tsukauchi thought as the two continued to bicker, though their exchange was more playful than hostile. Watching Aizawa's face in particular, he could tell that the man was enjoying this more than he was letting on. "Um, are you guys done?"
"Pretty much," Shizuna admitted as the two finally stopped talking, only now realizing that they still had an audience in front of them. Shouta quickly tucked his face into his scarf, hiding his blushing expression as the blonde put her full attention on the detective. ". . . Um, I'm guessing you'll want to take the students' statements now?"
"Uh, I believe some of your students have already talked to some of my guys, but we will be doing more thorough interviews back at the school. I'll send some of my guys over to talk to them once I can spare them, which shouldn't be long now," Tsukauchi admitted as he looked over at the students. "We'll make the process as quick as we can, but you cannot leave campus till after your statement has been taken."
"Do you all understand that?" Aizawa asked through his scarf, watching as the class nodded accordingly. "Alright then. . . Madam Blade, please lead them to the bus. I have to talk to Detective Tsukauchi for a quick second."
"And what exactly do you want to talk to me about?" The detective asked, a knowing smile slowly crossing his face as he faced the now-glowering Aizawa. "Is it about the attack or . . ."
"Mic and Midnight have been talking to you about Onizaki and myself, haven't they?" He whispered harshly, getting straight to the point as Shizuna quickly got the class moving.
"They've been keeping me updated in recent weeks, yes," Tsukauchi blatantly admitted, looking amused at the irritation that crossed his friend's face. "Look, those two only spilled the beans about your crush about a week after she came back to the motherland, and well . . . Out of all the people you could have a crush on, the honor goes to Ice Mist's youngest sister? I'm impressed!"
"You say that like I'm incapable of it!" Aizawa mumbled, sounding almost insulted by the insinuation.
"Sorry if it sounded like that," Tsukauchi conceded, grinning from ear-to-ear. "But still though?! I didn't think you had it in ya! And you've been crushing on her since high school!? From your first day no less?"
"You don't have to remind me. I get enough of that from Mic already." Aizawa grumbled, wanting to move on to something else. "Anyway, what's the status of the Nomu that All Might punched into orbit?"
"I have a team nearing the spot where it crashed landed right as we speak. It hasn't shown any signs of moving, so hopefully it's too injured to do anything," Tsukauchi admitted as he looked down at his notepad. "Once I'm done here, I'll talk to you, Madam Blade, and All Might personally about what transpired."
"And Thirteen?"
"I'll stop by the hospital before I head back to the station. If she's awake, I'll talk to her then, but if not, I'll try again tomorrow," He explained as he walked back toward the building. "See you later!"
"Looking forward to it!" Aizawa called back. He watched him go for a moment before heading for the bus, but familiar sounding footsteps prompted him to turn back around, only to grimace when he saw Mic was running to him. "What do you want now Hizashi?"
"I just wanted to check in on you, Shizuna, and the students, and I figured I'd catch a ride back with you guys while I'm at it," He admitted as the two approached the bus. "I'm sure you all have a lot on your minds."
"Well, that's putting it mildly," The Erasure Hero mumbled as the two sat down in the empty first row, sitting across the aisle from Shizuna, who was busy talking to her niece and Yaoyorozu. ". . . So, you and Midnight have been talking about me and Onizaki with Tsukauchi too, hm?"
The look that suddenly appeared on Mic's face was borderline smug, easily giving away the man's guilt as the bus started driving back to campus. "Uh, how much did he tell you?"
"Enough to know that he believes that I have a crush on Onizaki. . ."
"And your little back-and-forth between you and Shizuna in front of the students wasn't confirmation enough?" Aizawa glared at him for that one, but the blonde was unfettered. "Oh yes, I was watching!"
The underground hero didn't dare to retort, remaining silent as the bus continued on its short journey back to campus. When they finally pulled up in front of the main building, the three teachers had the students gather on the sidewalk once they disembarked, and while some looked curious, and others were a little anxious, they were all ready to hear what the trio had to say.
"Usually, any teacher in my position would try to tell you reassuring messages to calm any fears you may have after what you all just experienced, but as you can all likely tell already, I'm not one of those teachers," Aizawa announced, finally breaking the silence as the Shizuna and Hizashi shared a knowing look. "What happened today was your first taste of what real life villains can be like as hero trainees, up close and personal. . . This kind of experience shouldn't have happened till the internships, but sometimes what's expected doesn't happen the way you want it to."
"Um, sensei, what happens now?" Sero asked.
"Right now, the police will be taking the lead on the official investigation, but us teachers will be doing our own investigating to see what we can dig up on our end," Mic answered, butting in before either of his co-workers had a chance to. "Did you guys get a chance to speak to the officers yet?"
"Some did, but the more thorough interviews will be happening here once Tsukauchi spares the men for it," Aizawa responded, speaking for his students. "They're not allowed to leave campus until they do."
"Um, will this be the only time we'll be talking to the police?" Kirishima asked, looking slightly unsure.
"Not really; some of you may have to do a follow up, but that's likely for those that had a . . . closer interaction with those that we consider the ringleaders of the invasion," Shizuna admitted after taking a moment to think it over. "Remember, any and all details are welcome, so please, don't leave anything out."
"Your families will be made aware of what happened today," She added. "However, as this is an ongoing investigation, they won't be allowed to know all the details; just enough to be aware of the current situation."
"What about All Might?" Kaminari was quick to ask, cutting in before Midoriya could ask himself.
"And Thirteen?" Uraraka asked. "Are they going to be okay?"
"They'll be fine. Thirteen was taken to a nearby hospital and All Might will be arriving with Recovery Girl fairly soon to head for her office," Aizawa answered, trying to not sound as exhausted as he actually felt.
Since the old woman's quirk used her patients' life energy as part of the process, it had a tendency to exhaust people, and since he existed in a somewhat permanent tired state all the time, he was more affected than most.
"Um, is your elbow going to be okay Aizawa-sensei?" Ashido asked as her gaze now focused on his bandaged joint. Shouta looked too, trying not to grimace at how sore his wound still felt.
At least it wasn't hurting like it did before.
"Thanks to Recovery Girl, I'll be fine, but I'll have to see her later for more treatment," He admitted, shaking his head as he snuck a glance at Shizuna's arm and leg. The claw marks were still there under the dried blood, but they were now raised welts rather than open wounds.
He would take it, any day of the week. "Anyway, thanks to the attack, tomorrow's classes will likely be canceled, but we will discuss things further when they resume on Monday. . . For now, go change and wait for the officers in our homeroom. I'll see you all in a little bit."
Yukino and Momo soon got to work, ushering their classmates into the building. The three teachers watched them go, and once they were all out of sight, they started to move to the entrance themselves. Mic looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't know where to start.
Fortunately for him, Aizawa gave him the opening he needed.
"What's wrong with you Mic?" He asked, having long noticed his friend's glances. "You look ready to burst."
"Well, first things first, are you two really okay?" He asked, his concern undeniable. "Truly?"
"Besides my elbow and the cut underneath my eye, I'm just peachy," Aizawa sarcastically admitted, pulling out just enough reassurance to make sure he didn't sound too biting. "What about you, Onizaki?"
"I'm alright. Nothing major that will warrant a hospital visit," She conceded, sounding tired. "It's just that, now that we have the time to breathe and process things, looking back, I can't help but think about all the things that could have gone differently."
"Differently?" Mic asked. "Like wh-?"
"HEY! Don't indulge that kind of thinking!" Aizawa suddenly snapped, startling both blondes, but for very different reasons as he turned to Shizuna. "Thinking about different possibilities may seem like a nice lesson in analyzing your mistakes, but it only leads to a never-ending rabbit hole in your head. . . The more you think, the more you sink into your own thoughts, barely able to snap back into the real world."
"Spoken like someone that's been there before," Mic pointed out, smirking despite the topic, mostly because he knew that Aizawa had been there before.
After all, it took a while before the Erasure Hero even resembled some part of himself after Shirakumo's passing.
"Yes, I admit it. I've been there," Aizawa conceded, he too, looking back on that dark time. "Shizuna, you saw how I was after Shirakumo's death. You saw how I acted."
"You were so lost in your own head that it was amazing that you were somewhat coherent those first few days after that night, like a functioning zombie. . .
"A functioning zombie? Yeah, that definitely describes it," Mic admitted as Aizawa shot him a look. "You don't handle grief well, Shouta. It's as simple as that."
"Grief has never been an easy feeling to handle for anyone Mic," She answered, coming to Aizawa's defense. "We all handle it differently, but yes . . . I understand what you're trying to say, Shouta. Getting stuck in your own head? That's not a very fun experience."
"Glad to know that I've made you reconsider," Shouta sighed, smirking slightly in relief.
"Ah, look at you Shouta! Coming to her aid like a true hero!" Mic teased, grinning even further when Aizawa glared at him again. "I said what I said!"
"Must you butt in?" His friend growled, his eyes narrowing.
"I wouldn't be me if I didn't butt in every once in a while," Mic cheekily admitted. "Trust me! It could be worse!"
"And how could it get even worse?" Shizuna asked.
"I could just blatantly tell you that Aizawa has had a crush on you since we were students, and that it's still apparent now, and that practically everyone that knows you two well can see it!"
The sudden silence as his words set in was deafening.
"Oh. . ." He mumbled, now realizing what he just said. "I just said that out loud, didn't I?"
He knew the answer to his own question halfway into speaking it.
When he turned to Shizuna, he was met with stunned silence, her eyes wide as saucers as a blush quickly arose in her cheeks. He was afraid to look Shouta's way, but he soon bit the bullet, sheepishly grimacing when he saw the mix of embarrassment and fury on his old friend's face. "Eh, he, he, heh. . . Sorry?"
"Sorry is not gonna cut it this time around Hizashi!" Aizawa hissed, his voice surprisingly strong for someone who just had one of his major secrets revealed to \ said person the said secret was revolved around.
"I didn't mean to say it! It just slipped out!"
"IT JUST SLIPPED OUT!" Aizawa didn't yell, but his tone was enough to show that the man wasn't just angry, he was livid.
"It seems . . ." Shizuna started to say, only to stop when her voice sounded faint to her own ears. Taking a deep breath, she started again. "It seems that you two have quite a bit to talk about, so I'll just get out of your way now."
"No Shizuna wa-" Shouta started to say, only to stop when the woman's hand suddenly covered his mouth.
"I'll be in the dojo if you need to talk to me," she told him, her eyes holding promise. "I am more than willing to hear you out there, away from prying eyes."
It wasn't until she emphasized the last couple of words that Shouta really understood what she was trying to say, his eyes widening as it dawned on him. He slowly nodded as she dropped her hand from his face, a reassuring smirk crossing her's as she nodded in return, turning to leave without giving Mic an ounce of acknowledgement as she headed inside, something that her fellow blonde didn't fail to notice of course.
"She just completely ignored my whole existence just now," Mic quietly said to himself, though it was still loud enough that Shouta could hear him. "I've never felt so forgotten."
"Trust me Mic. Shizuna giving you the cold shoulder is the least of your worries," Aizawa growled as he turned his eyes on him. "Once I'm through with you, you're going to wish she flattened you with her aura instead."
"To be honest, I don't think her aura is a better alter-OW! YOU JUST PUNCHED ME!" The Voice Hero screeched as he gripped his aching shoulder, wincing at his friend. "YOU'RE ACTUALLY SERIOUS?!"
"When did I say I wasn't?" Aizawa drawled as he cracked his knuckles. "And don't act like you didn't see this coming! You may be blonde, but you're certainly not dumb. . . You know what you've done!"
"Okay, so I spoke too much, again, but I didn't mean for it to slip out. I wasn't trying to be inconsiderate!" Mic groaned in his defense. "It's just that . . . You are a very rational person, Shouta. That can't be denied, and yes, you can get emotional, but outside of cats, your friends, and the students that prove to be worth the effort, and maybe some members of your family you actually bother to keep in contact with, and maybe . . ."
"Your point Hizashi?!" Aizawa scowled, wondering where he was supposedly going with this.
"My point is that while you're mostly a rational guy capable of showing some emotion from time to time, when it comes to possible romantic relationships, you are as inept as a tree stump, and I'm talking about a dead tree stump. Not a live one, a dead one." He finally admitted, earning him the affronted look that appeared on his friend's face.
"Yes, I know you wanted to refrain from any . . . romantic entanglements when we started our lives as heroes, but we are a long way from that time now, old friend. It's been over ten years, and in that span, you've barely shown a lick of romantic interest in anyone, man or woman, in that span. Your longest relationship was probably what, like three dates tops?"
"It was technically seven, but it was on and off over two years," Aizawa mumbled, not looking back on those memories too fondly. "I'm not completely inept."
"But then Shizuna comes back, and now look at you! You care for her more than you let on," He argued, pointing at him with uncompromising determination. "It's obvious that your crush on her never left, and I think it's grown to something more since she came back. Do you deny it?"
Shouta remained silent, taking a moment to fully internalize what was just said. He wanted to refute his words, but as he listened, he realized that he couldn't dispute what was said. He really didn't show much preference for anyone during much of his career, and was starting to think that the loner life was indeed his future.
Then Shizuna comes back into town, and that idea gets blown straight out of the water.
At first, he was surprised to see her walk into the staff room that day, but he was glad that the woman was back in town, and as time went on, he found himself not just admiring the traits she possessed when they were younger, he had also started to pay more attention to the little quirks she showed from time to time.
The way her eyes would narrow slightly when she heard something that just wasn't right - her BS-o-meter, as he so eloquently put it - how she would always put whatever writing utensil to her left cheek whenever she was looking through paperwork, the way her red eyes would light up whenever she was pleased by something . . . Coupled with the fact that she was beautiful, genuine, sarcastic, willing to engage him in verbal combat . . .
At this point, Shouta wasn't just crushing or smitten with Shizuna. He really cared for her, and judging from how they left things minutes prior, maybe she cared for him just the same.
"Yeah, maybe you're right. Maybe I do care for Shizuna more than I let on," Aizawa quietly conceded, his words making Hizashi grin almost immediately. "Still doesn't give you the right to blab my business to her though!"
"No, no it does not, but at least it gave you an opening to finally make your move," Hizashi nervously emphasized as Aizawa slowly approached him. "Shouta, heh, what are you doing?"
"I did say that Shizuna giving you the cold shoulder would be the least of your worries, didn't I?" He asked as he started to loosen up his scarf.
"The earlier punch wasn't enough?!"
"That was the warning shot!" He admitted in return, his eyes slowly going red. "So, are we going to do this the easy way, or the hard way? It's your choice."
"Ah damn it . . ."
A/N: Alright, time for my few things!
- We really don't get enough Thirteen in canon, so I wanted to give her a bit more focus at the top of this chapter. I like the idea of making her determined and a little bit feisty, and having her bounce off Recovery Girl was a fun idea to work on.
- Yes, there are a lot of people that could see the sparks flying between Shizuna and Aizawa, from their fellow co-workers to their own students. The longer this story goes, the more comfortable they get with interacting with each other, and the more people notice.
- Aizawa in canon and in my story is not really the emotive type. He won't immediately blab out his feelings to the world, so I needed a way in, so to speak . . . Enter: Present Mic. It's not hard to imagine him saying something he should not have said, so I thought it would be good to bring that concept here in a big way. Of course, Aizawa won't let him get away with it, but yes, Mic did give Aizawa the opening he needed, but will he take it?
- Who am I kidding? Of course, he's taking it . . . In the next chapter, where we'll also see how the students are holding up
For now, this is SandsnakeQueen signing out!
