Hello everyone. Sorry for the delay! I hope you enjoy this new chapter. DISCLAIMER: I do not own the original story and/or characters from My Hero Academia.

CHAPTER 8: CHEMICAL REACTIONS

It wouldn't even be an arranged marriage, we're practically meant to be! Can't you see it little Momo?

Momo blinked several times until she recognized that the obsessive manly voice she knew so well was only in her head. That the long hand choking her didn't belong to the man that made her wake up shivering in a cold sweat in the middle of the night. That the eyes gazing at her weren't those pale grey ones from the man she hated the most. No, the eyes she was facing right now were the mysterious black ones she couldn't stop thinking about lately.

"Mr. Aizawa...what the…", was all she was able to emit.

"From now on until the year is over you are strictly forbidden to create any sort of firearms, missy," the tone in his voice was as cold as the now heavy rain falling over them. "You underestimate your quirk because you don't really know the first thing about it" his grasp was getting tighter by the second.

Momo's heart took on an almost arrhythmic rampage. She understood now that her arms were impaired by Eraserhead's scarf. She tried in vain to reach the grey ropes binding her elbows together, but her wrists couldn't bend that way. Her umbrella was now on the other side of the road.

"You relly too much on weapons with limited ammo. Where is all that studying going to get you if you don't use it, huh?" his eyes had become fierce and menacing. Not even the tight grip around her throat was hurting as much as his words. Momo's brain was trying to focus on how to save herself, but the riot burning inside her made her feel as if her body was about to ignite.

"Shut up." it was hard to stay as polite as always when she was being manhandled this way.

"Is that your solution?"

"please."

Turmoil and pain made her body rattle in a furious attempt to escape his grasp, but it was useless.

"What a luke-warm, diplomatic petition. But I'm afraid it's not enough," he replied, frowning with disappointment. Mr. Aizawa took out the pocket knife he had used to cut the bandages for her wrist the night before. He held the knife close to her rib. "What is little Momo going to do without her guns"

...Little Momo…

Hearing her own name being belittled again like months ago, but know coming from someone she felt utter respect for was all it took for her anger to show.

I hate this, I can't take this anymore, I feel so stupid. How dare he? I can't stay quiet anymore. I need to run away or else I'm gonna explode.

Explode.

Mr. Aizawa noticed something awaken in Momo's eyes. It was hard to tell what it was because of the storm surrounding them.

But Eraser Head had no more time to think about it, for something exploded very close to both sides of his feet. He jumped back at the sight of fire and smoke. What was happening? Was that Yaoyorozu? Where was she now? He had released her when the explosions began, one after another.

A hand firmly pulled his hair, making him fall on his back. Smoke was still around, the rain made everything more confusing. A knee immobilized his right hand, and the full weight of his attacker pinned his body to the ground. The foot of the attacker pinned his left hand as well. Finally, the cold blade of his well-known knife slightly lifted his jaw.

The rain made his heavy breathing rise like misty puffs of air, accompanied by the female panting of the person over him. A swift breeze took away the remaining smoke from the explosions. Momo Yaoyorozu's angry and victorious glance struck him to the point of silently admitting defeat.

"Never...call me that...again," Momo's entire body was shivering in fury. The adrenaline running through her body kept her every muscle tightened. She could only feel herself rise and lower because of Mr. Aizawa's breathing. They both stayed in this position for a few seconds, palpitations, and foggy breathing trying to return to a normal state.

Momo's eyes fluttered as her anger cooled down, realizing she was still immobilizing her professor. She was coming to her senses and about to start apologizing when a full smile appeared on Mr. Aizawa. A weak and guttural laugh escaped his lips. Momo lifted herself and sat beside him as he slowly sat down.

"Very well," he looked into her eyes with something Momo felt was pride. Her cheeks blushed and her eyes looked away. Mr. Aizawa's eyes sometimes felt too honest, his gaze had the sort of intensity that made people feel as if they could see right through them. "Barbie it is then."

He stood up and offered her a hand. There was a devilish, playful smile on his lips that always seemed to appear when he called her Barbie. Momo took his hand and stood up rolling her eyes. She took the umbrella and handed it to him.

"We are soaking wet," Momo pointed out as she got closer to him to get under the umbrella. He got closer as well so it would cover both. He walked peacefully, with a tired half-smile on his face and a hand in his pocket. "I don't really see a point for using the umbrella anymore."

"I know there isn't," was all he said as they silently walked together back to the dorms.

"Thank you for the coffee," Momo said when they arrived to the entrance of the building. "And thank you for...well, you know, everything." she felt her wet cheeks ignite. He stood there, one hand holding the now closed umbrella and the other one still in his pocket.

He stood there, watching the lady before him. All this time he had seen her as this insecure girl who didn't know how to use her quirk. But the woman that had defeated him in combat today with a fire in her dark eyes was new. Different. He took a step towards the girl with the damp hair and pale skin.

"Aren't you forgetting to give me something?" Mr. Aizawa took another step towards her. Momo shivered at the closeness of him. His piercing eyes pinned on her face, framed by the wet black mane were almost hypnotizing. What was he implying?

"What?" she weakly whispered. She dared to look at his lips.

"My knife."

She blinked a couple of times before coming back to reality.

"What?" Momo asked again in an almost indignant tone. A virile chuckle was all the answer she got. "Oh! Right! Here," she handed him the knife. "Sorry, I thought you were the one that was going to give me something." She said before opening the door.

"What?!" now it was his turn to get all flustered.

"My umbrella?" a malicious smile crossed her face. He felt the heat rushing to his neck.

"Right." he handed her the umbrella as they both walked in.

Why am I acting so stupid? I am the professor here. The adult. Well, she is an adult too now. Not that it's important.

"Shotoro!" the sweet voice he knew so well that came from the living room took him out of his ponderings. "Momo-chan!"

Momo looked over to where the couch and TV were to see a small girl with silvery hair and a huge smile run to Mr. Aizawa.

Momo witnessed Mr. Aizawa's whole mood transform. His eyes were now filled with joy and tenderness. He kneeled down and opened his arms to catch the running little infant.

"Here's the little rascal that was missing." his voice sounded muffled under the silver hair.

"I missed you so much! I brought seashells and more stones!" Eri answered. Mr. Aizawa lifted her up, a tired yet full smile appeared on his face.

Momo couldn't help but stare, it was such a wholesome picture. Eri noticed her staring.

"Momo-Chan! I brought a stone that looks like you!" the little girl told her. Eraser Head noticed by Momo's puzzled face that only he understood what Eri was talking about.

"She's into collecting rocks and painting faces on them now," he explained as Eri climbed him until she was sitting on his shoulders.

"That sounds lovely! I'd be honored to be in your rock collection, sweetie." Momo answered. She remembered when Eri had just moved into the dorms, and how much everyone had grown fond of her. Momo used to play tea party with her, and she even let her try all sorts of expensive teas back then. "We could play tea party with your rocks someday."

Eri's eyes widened at the idea.

"Yes we should do that!" the kid shouted, almost leaving Mr. Aizawa deaf. "Shotoro should join us too!" she said looking down at Eraser Head, who's neck and cheeks were starting to blush.

"Eri, I got a surprise for you," he said trying to avoid Momo's entertained look. The little girl gasped with excitement. "There's going to be a festival downtown this Friday"

"A festival? Like U.A.'s festival?" Eri asked excitedly. Momo realized what Mr. Aizawa was talking about.

"No, sweetie. This is the Kitsune Festival." Momo answered her. "It's also known as the Fox Festival. People honor this folkloric animal with food, games, traditional dances, and other tributes. I hear is beautiful."

"Have you ever been to the Kitsune Festival, Momo-Chan?" Eri's small hands grabbed Mr. Aizawa's temples to keep the balance.

Momo remembered pleading her mom to go, but she always refused. Her mother used to say those kinds of events were for poor people. The memory of her classist mother made her look away from Eri's glance.

"Uhm, no. I-uhm, I always missed the dates when it was in town," she replied.

"Can Momo-Chan come with us, please?" Eri's excitement was at the top again.

"Oh! I didn't mean-"

"She probably doesn't-"

Both adults looked at each other after they tried to get out of what the little girl had just proposed.

"Shotaro, please! Can she come? I'm always the one who is new to everything! Momo-Chan hasn't gone either, can she come with us please pretty please?" the pleading of the girl made Momo's heart warm.

Momo's cheeks started to blush. Had she made it sound as if she was trying to invite herself to their plans? How embarrassing and inappropriate. Her mother would be disappointed in her. The best thing to do now was to excuse herself and walk away,

"I should probably take a shower if I don't want to get a cold." Momo broke the silence. "I'm so happy that you're back, Eri!" she started to walk backwards, waving at the kid. "Thank you for today's session, Mr. Aizawa." and saying this, she turned and walked upstairs. Leaving a confused pair of dark eyes fixated on the stairs.

After about half an hour there was movement again in the living room. Some had come back from their training sessions. Others had come downstairs to grab a bite before going to bed. Momo took a bath and stayed downstairs with Midoriya and Uraraka in the couches. They were talking about Midoriya's training today with All Might.

"I can't believe we are already in our last year here, can you Deku?" Uraraka asked him while clenching the pillow she had on her lap.

"No, I can't either." the green-eyed, freckled young man answered. "I feel that I still have so much to learn about being a hero, about protecting people," he muttered to himself.

"Izuku," Momo's voice took the mumbling boy out of his thoughts. "Do you ever think...I mean...do you believe you're using your quirk to the fullest?"

Both Midoriya and Uraraka stared at her, reflecting on her question. Momo almost never shared this kind of self-questioning thoughts with anyone but maybe Jiro, but Mr. Aizawa's words kept coming back to her.

You underestimate your quirk because you don't really know the first thing about it.

A pair of green eyes fluttered innocently before answering. "I always think that Momo." his answer surprised both Uraraka and Yaoyorozu. "But every time I think that I end up surprised at all the things I can do with my quirk to protect others." a genuine, contagious laugh coming from Midoriya eased the tension of Momo's shoulders.

"Yeah Momo," added Uraraka. "I think the worst thing one can think is that they've reached their limits."

"I guess that is not very plus ultra of me," Momo said. The three of them laughed the last bits of concerns away, and Momo offered them some tea. Maybe to them, it was just tea, but for her, it was a way of thanking them. Maybe not being at her very best all the time wasn't such a bad thing.

She went back to her room with that thought in mind. She was preparing to go to sleep when someone knocked on her door.

Thank you for giving this story an opportunity. I always feel like quitting but knowing someone out there is reading it keeps me going. I appreciate your reviews so much! See you next time. -LB.