Just don't give up, I'm workin' it out
Please don't give in, I won't let you down
It messed me up, need a second to breathe
Just keep coming around - Whataya Want From Me by Pink

Mara stomped out into the hallway and a nurse replaced her in Shota's room. 'May he rot forever!' Mara growled in her head. She scowled and started checking doors until she found Kyoka, Kapu and a slip of a woman with a notepad examining a young woman with bandages and a sling.

Kapu was checking her over with sure fingers as Kyoka spoke to her. He looked up and smiled at the girl, "I can heal you if you like. Please say hello to my associate."

Kahui looked at Mara over his shoulder as Kyoka translated, "Get things sorted?"

"After we're through here." Mara smiled for the benefit of the young woman who greeted her in chipper Japanese.

"Kyoka?" The girl must have finally gotten on his good side if he bothered to remember her name. "Ask her if she thinks I'm pretty. This should only take a second. Mara's swimming in angry hormones either way."

"Thanks," the sarcasm dripped from her mouth as Kyoka tried to stifle her giggles.

Kyoka spoke up, "She says she thinks you're gorgeous, and it would be so awesome to be healed by you."

"This girl," Kahui lay hands on both arms, making the girl wince with the pressure he applied, "has great taste." He lifted his hands and gave her an imperious smile, "Don't fall in love, sweetheart."

"I'm not translating that."

Mara caught his eye with a smile, and they both laughed. It really was pure Kahui. Additionally, it was the respite she needed after talking to Shota. The man was simply a trial. If he decided to play tourist in her head tonight, he was getting dispelled. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

The slim woman spoke in a voice that was just as slight as her form, "Any notes?"

Kahui put a long-fingered hand on the door knob, "No. She's fine. I need to quit for a rest."

The assistant nodded and minced away from the room to stand awkwardly in the hallway. Kyoka followed and Mara slipped out just before Kahui could exit as well.

"What's with the sour face?" Kahui closed the door behind them with a click.

Mara gave Kyoka a small shrug, "Well, it's about your teacher. So stay or not."

"Not!" Kyoka tugged on the assistant's coat, "Lunchrush's Cafeteria is on the ground floor. You can't miss it, but if you do, ask anyone. I'll stay down there for a while."

Mara smiled, "Thank you, Kyoka. We'll find you in a bit." She waited for the girls to disappear, "You'd think that they'd find a hot gay boy for you."

"Ogling kids doesn't do anything for me. But you seem to like sensei." Kahui's lips were curled in sadistic pleasure.

"I would." Mara knew nothing but the truth would satisfy him. She slowly started walking toward the stairs the girls had taken, "At first we were having a boring conversation. It was okay for an interrogation." Mara managed a small laugh, "He thought I had a sex dream about him. Talk about self-confidence."

"You didn't?"

"No. I was having a nightmare, actually. He appeared and just talked to me while we waited for Dad to die. I think that was the first time I didn't wake in tears. Not that I could tell him thank you now."

Kahui paused, picking needlessly at perfectly manicured nails. "Did he antagonize you?"

"Yes? Maybe not?" Mara shook her head, "What if it was all just a misunderstanding? You know I rebuild my walls as soon as I have to drop them, and they stay built, so that I don't use even my empathic nature on people without their knowledge."

"You may want to drop your shields for him if you want to clear the air. He seemed confused, and I've known guys like that before. Loss of personal control makes them frustrated." Kahui dropped a hand on her shoulder, "Mara, I promised he wouldn't hate you, and I still stand by it. You being you isn't against the law, darling."

"Almost everyone else has to do it without the quirk factor, I'm simply choosing to be that way. I didn't come here for a love connection, Kahui. I have to go back to Seattle in less than a week unless you need me. The Hero Commission didn't even want me here. Not when I was fourteen, not now."

Kahui sighed, "I just want you to get laid, dear. I still feel bad about Jimmy."

"You're such a dick, Kahui." Mara balled up a fist and punched the taller man in the short ribs, making him gasp and then wheeze in laughter.

She smiled though, Jimmy had been a crush that she'd had the very day she'd met Kahui at a quirk medical application conference. She'd gone because she wanted to retire someday and become a healthcare professional like her father. He'd come to find rich patients looking to pour money on him in return for fixing botched plastic surgery. And a guy to fool around with. He'd found both, and she'd found the first person to have ever told her that she was just what they needed.

After lunch time, Mara, Kahui and Kyoka were free to explore and wait for any other emergencies. Together they decided that a clinic for basic medical care and triage was in the school's best interest. Especially since it was quickly becoming a small, crowded city. The common room of just their building was proof of that.

Mara and Kahui met with Nedzu about setting up part of the medical wing into a clinic for the evacuees and students to use. After that, they found a handful of mixed medical personnel and got them working on setting a few rooms up for the clinic and deciding who was in charge. They even met the resident healer, Recovery Girl, who had just been brought in from the front.

It was late afternoon by the time she detached herself from Kahui and Kyoka. She went back to Alliance Heights. The common room was by no means empty. Families of all the students assigned to this dorm were here, along with neighbors and a double handful of private school kids whose parents were not even in Japan at the time. She had been embarrassed when she'd found out that she had her own room when so many were starting to triple up.

There were two giant televisions in the common room, one in an alcove that looked like the kids usually played video games there, and another in the main area surrounded by long couches. Those couches were filled with people, the television on a local newscast. Mara watched in curiosity for a few moments. She hated watching the news, and seeing the devastation of the villain rampage just reminded her why.

She went to check out the other, and found it surrounded by a group of people of all ages, joking and talking over a movie. Elsa belting out 'Let it Go' brought a big smile to her face. Smaller kids were singing the lyrics and Mara thought about her little sister. She'd loved Frozen. She probably still did, she was only fifteen after all.

Mara turned when another group pushed through one of the big double doors in what she thought of as the back of the common room. A couple of them were part of the group of kids she'd met earlier. Even more were a band of teenagers from the fancy prep school. Not seeing anyone she'd feel comfortable talking to, she made ready to drop into a spot between a boy with an extremely pretty double set of eyes and a girl he was obviously trying to hit on with a set of bouncy antennae and long pointed ears.

"Hey!" A tall boy with soft lavender hair and matching eyes jogged toward her hand-in-hand with a little girl with long white hair and a tiny horn of all things. She looked like a tiny off-center unicorn. "Sorry! I am not as good at English. Um? Sensei said your name is Mara?"

"I'm Mara." She stuck out a hand and the boy looked at it for a second before touching it as if it had been covered in goo. She shook her head, "Sensei?"

"Mister Aizawa. He sent me a note that I should come find you here. That you'd bring me and Eri-chan up to see him."

"There's nothing wrong with him. He's all healed up, you can go see him any time you like." She shook her head, "My permission isn't needed." She knelt, "Except I didn't meet this adorable little unicorn yet!" She extended a hand again and the girl grabbed her fingers amid a stream of half excited, half scared Japanese.

"This is Eri-chan. She says she likes your hair. Do you want me to tell her you think she's a unicorn?"

Mara chuckled, "Please do; I think she'll like it."

He spoke to the girl who managed to look shy while giggling. Mara looked up at him, "And you are?"

"Hitoshi. Um, Shinso Hitoshi."

"Do you prefer Hitoshi, then?"

He looked back at me, startlement in his eyes and a blush broken over his nose, "You can call me Shinso. If you want."

"All right, Shinso if you want." Mara smiled at the boy's shocked eyes before he grabbed his neck and turned his face away in embarrassment. "Sorry, Shinso. Your teacher is fine, though. You shouldn't have too much trouble finding him."

"The note?" He started to explain before he volunteered a slip of paper with a few slim lines of text Mara could not read. "Sorry. It says he wanted us to meet and for me to bring Eri-chan to see him. Mr. Aizawa would like to talk to you again."

"What about if I do not want to speak to him?"

Shinso obviously had no answer, but Eri tugged his hand and spoke again. Shinso looked at her and his pale eyes came back to Mara's. "Eri says she wants you to meet her friend. Please do this. For her. She's special to many of us here."

"She's very adorable," Mara harrumphed. "Fine. Fine, it won't kill me."

The three of them walked to the medical wing. Eri now holding Mara's hand and Shinso leading the way in that quiet way that told Mara that he was not used to being the center of attention. He didn't like it, but… She thought about what Kahui had said about dropping her shields. She knew how to manipulate her own quirk. She could only feel who she wanted to. How had Dad put up with feeling everyone's emotions?

She picked apart her psychic wall; this was always the hardest part. Suddenly Shinso's emotions were there like threads she could recognize and pull as needed. Some were expected. Mara felt at first that Shinso thought she was pretty. He also had great respect for Shota. Most implausibly, he hated the late afternoon sunlight that was bouncing off the windows.

"What do you do, Shinso?"

"Do? Like, my quirk?" A backwash of pride twisted with thorns of shame flowed from him. "I can brainwash. Well, that's what they call it. If I can get your attention, I can make you do stuff."

The shame nearly swamped her senses before he brought it back under control. He was holding it like a fist thrown by a strong man. "Stuff?"

"Simple things. Things that people can do without instruction. Walk away. Attack a different person. Stuff."

"Stuff. I get it." Mara ruffled her little shadow's hair, "And this little one?"

"Her quirk is infinite rewind. She'll be powerful if she can learn how to use it." He opened the door for us, "What about you?"

"I can take your emotions and change them." She smiled at his look, "You're not the only one who wanted to be a hero with a villain's quirk."

Mara could feel the curiosity and raw gratitude touch her like balm for the soul. "You did it. I got into the hero's course, but I wasn't sure. I.." His eyes welled, and he slapped a hand across them.

"We can talk about it later, Shinso. It'll be nice to talk to someone who understands, you know?"

He nodded, and Mara could feel his admiration like a warm breeze. Now if she could get through another interview with Shota, she'd be happy.

She took the lead, Eri bobbing beside her like a pint-sized ghost. Shinso was peering in the doors that were cracked, adolescent curiosity that she could feel. She rebuilt her shields, deciding at the last moment that Shinso's emotions were already enough to deal with. She'd continue with Shota like she'd started. Without the hostility this time. She hoped.

His door was closed, and Mara hesitated before opening it. She took a steeled breath and swung open the portal. Shota looked up, half-glasses resting on his nose as he set aside what looked to be a sudoku book. He lifted the glasses, folding them before setting them and the book aside.

"Thank you for coming back."

Eri disentangled herself with a cry before flinging herself on Shota like a magnet seeking it's twin. He spoke quietly with her, lifting her to sit in his lap. The girl beamed up at him, and Mara watched the little domestic scene with a smile.

"Is she your daughter? Shinso said that you were her friend, but..?"

Shota gave the little girl a one-armed hug and offered her the sudoku book and his pencil before turning his gaze back on them. "She isn't. I guess you'd say she's my ward. Since I can turn off her quirk if it goes out of control." He ruffled her hair, "Eri was abused by a villain to make drugs. She's not had a chance to develop her quirk naturally. But she's got lots of support and love here."

"Sensei?" Shinso moved the seat Mara'd occupied this morning closer to Shota's bed. "I'm glad you were healed. Can I get you anything?"

"Thanks, kid. If you're offering, could you run down to Lunch's and get us dinner?" He leaned around Eri and handed Shinso a mimeographed paper covered in kanji. "Here's a menu."

"Want help?" Mara piped up, "I'm getting hungry myself. And I'd better see what I'm ordering. When it comes to food, I'm sort-of picky."

"If you wouldn't mind staying, Mara? I want to talk to you."

Mara shrugged, "I suppose. Is there tempura on the menu, Shinso? I like almost anything deep-fried."

He nodded and stood, addressing Eri then Shota in Japanese. When he was done he smiled at her, "There is a tempura plate, but I'll get a bunch of it. Tea for everyone?"

Mara nodded, but Shota spoke, "Bring a chocolate milk for Eri-chan, please. Thanks again."

He waited for Shinso to leave and sat with Eri happily scribbling in his sudoku book. He took a short breath, "I am going to apologize for how I treated you this morning. I should have been grateful, but instead, I took out some misguided anger on you."

Mara dropped into the chair Shinso had vacated, "Okay."

"Okay? What, you don't forgive me? You have nothing to say?"

Mara shrugged, "You said you were going to apologize. That sounded like quite the laundry list of things you should apologize for. Do you feel better?"

"I sincerely apologize, Mara. I am very grateful that you helped save my leg and eye." He stopped and studied her briefly, "I never said I hated you. That's a word I don't use."

"I was upset. Justifiably, it turns out. So I got mad at you, too." She watched Eri, trying to distract herself from Shota's unwavering gaze. Her eyes couldn't resist the pull and she retrained her attention on him. "I won't apologize for that, though. If that's all, a bunch of the moms are getting together and cooking an army's worth of beef-tomato stew."

"The least you can do is share a meal with us." This time he glanced away, "Besides, I've been thinking about your quirk."

"Most do after they get the whammy."

"Whammy?"

"It's an American term I guess. It means I put a spell or curse on you." She smiled and waved her hands in front of her face, "I didn't! But you know. Almost everyone has the same reaction as you, no matter what I do to them."

He grinned, a small curl of lips, "That's not exactly what I was thinking about. A couple of my students came to visit me today. Each one mentioned meeting you. Do you use your quirk like that?"

"I resent that you thought you had to ask me that. Your students are delightful; and yes, I met most of them this morning. I'm not surprised they haven't forgotten me already." Mara grinned again, and flipped her multitudinous braids over her shoulder. "Stew is sounding better by the moment, Shota."

"I can't seem to say what I want to say to you." He leaned forward, "Mara, I'm an ass, like Kapu said. Forgive me for that. I'd like to ask you a personal question."

"I suppose I can forgive you for being an ass." Her grin widened, "Ask your question."

"Your quirk, it changes emotional states. How long does it last?"

"Unless I'm maintaining a hold, a minute, usually less."

"Do you think you can resist Shinso's quirk? He can mute independent thought. He needs someone he can practice with."

Mara glanced at the door Shinso had left from, "He's a good kid. He needs help. I'm glad he has someone like you. I wish I'd had the same when I was his age." She nodded, "Of course. I was planning on talking to him anyway. We sort-of already connected."

Shota leaned back on his pillow in the raised bed. He looked satisfied and Mara couldn't help but think of him taking care of this child with the wild, unruly quirk and a teen with a quirk no one would understand unless they made an effort to get to know the wielder. Shota was a good man. Maybe, just maybe, he was the hero she thought he was when she saw him all those years ago.

Shota turned again, his voice softer now, "Will you be back tomorrow? To see me walk?"

"No." Mara shook her head, "I'm supposed to ask for a student or two to go on patrol, looking for hold-outs or trouble spots close by." She looked at his soulful eyes, "Unless you want me to?"

"It's fine. Did you pick some kids?"

"Not yet. Any recommendations?"

Shota sighed, "Well, you probably need someone with firepower to watch your back. Most of my kids have that. Todoroki? He's got command over fire and ice; he's good, listens well. Kaminari, possibly. He can stop most people in their tracks with his electricity. He's not the sharpest tool, but he's great with a strong leader. Honestly, all my students are powerful, decent in a fight, and biddable - more or less. Some need reining in from time to time. Bakugo needs reining in all the time."

"You're right about me needing an offensive partner. I'll ask around when I get back to the dorm." Mara pulled out her phone, still uncomfortable sitting with even a weathered idol in the room. He was far too pretty with all that wavy hair and dark, brooding eyes. The touch of vulnerability wasn't helping either, damn it.

When the door rattled, and Shinso came back with stacked trays of food, Mara had been playing with her phone while Shota had been trying to explain how Sudoku was done to Eri. She seemed to enjoy it, but Mara had always hated math games. Dress up games, on the other hand, are fun.

Mara dug into her tempura with a will. She'd been on her feet nearly all day, and the clinic had taken most of the time she'd had for lunch. She popped in a chunk of fried burdock root and chewed contentedly, watching everyone else eat their meals with evident enjoyment.

Shota lifted a stick of kabayaki and offered it to Mara, "You should really try something a little different."

It was said like he didn't care, but his eyes said differently. Mara reached for it, accidentally brushing his fingers. "What was it again?"

"Grilled eel." Shota lifted a brow, picking up another stick of the sticky meal. "You can't find this in Kansas, am I right?"

Mara tipped her head, "How did you know I'm from Kansas?"

"Your friend made sure I'd have some time to think about my behavior. So I made some phone calls. Amongst other things, I learned you were from there."

"Other things." Well, he'd been a model of pleasantness, so she could put that aside for now. Her brows raised, "I live in Seattle now. I bet I could find it there. There's a little Tokyo area downtown."

He ate his eel and watched her try to take a bite of hers. Mara made up her mind and took a large chunk. She chewed thoughtfully then swallowed, "Eel just stick with tempura from now on!"

Mara was sure that she'd never make him laugh; that those half-smiles and sly grins were the extent of his happy emotional range. She was wrong. Shota laughed. At first it was small, puffs of air as he chuckled, then he laughed: shoulders shaking, his eyes crinkled in happy arches. All for one lame pun.

AN/ Although I personally thought Frozen wasn't Disney's best work, it's number FIVE on the all time highest-grossing films in Japan list. I just about died when I saw Jurassic Park was only number twenty. Shinso is 5'9; he's just a couple of inches shorter than Shota and taller than most of the kids in 1-A. That's why Mara thinks he's tall. He's a couple inches taller than her 5'5. If you're a shortie like me, you know everyone taller than you is 'that tall guy'.

To Mosevic, tall in amazingness, thank you for your patient help.