Chapter 10: Hizashi "Present Mic" Yamada

Yamada tried not to be too sore about Aizawa sabotaging his potential hook-up. At least he and Aizawa were having an interesting conversation about some of the wild underground hero stuff he did when he was in Naruhata years ago. Yamada always liked that half an hour window before Aizawa got completely plastered. He became quite talkative and it was easier to pull things out of him. Like just now discovering he had gone undercover with a detective named Monika "Kaniko" Kaniyashiki years before and after their assignment they had lived together for about a month. Too bad Kayama had missed the story. She was currently annoying the bartender by insisting he let her make her own drink because it was a special one he didn't know how to make. Yamada was worried they would get kicked out from her pestering.

"Kayama, leave the poor man alone!" Yamada yelled.

She looked up at him and bellowed back, "What?!"

After telling an account of a raid involving the pro hero Fat Gum, Aizawa had finished his sixth beer. Or maybe it was his seventh. Yamada had decided to stick to having only two. Aizawa now leaned against Yamada's shoulder and brought his mouth up to Yamada's ear, "Kaniko, do you remember that raid we screwed up royally? At that shoe factory? I didn't know it was possible for Tsukauchi to become that angry, huh Kaniko?" Aizawa moved his head away from Yamada's ear but stayed leaning against his shoulder. He placed his hand on Yamada's thigh.

"And so it begins," Yamada said with a grin. He finished his beer and called for Kayama. It was probably best to get Aizawa back home. Aizawa in his drunken state had mistaken Yamada for different people in the past, usually other co-workers or students, but never an ex-girlfriend. Things could get dicey with that kind of mix-up.

They left the bar. "Nope! Wrong way, Shota!" Yamada grabbed him by the collar of his black shirt and pulled him in the direction he and Kayama were walking in. It looked like it had rained while they were indoors and the streets were wet, the asphalt dark, and a thin veil of steam rose from the warm, dampened ground. He put his arm around Aizawa's shoulders to keep him walking the right direction. Kayama walked by Yamada and was already starting to giggle and stumbled on the lip of a storm drain. "You too, Kayama? Can't either of you hold your liquor?" Yamada laughed.

"Kaniko. I need to tell you something," Aizawa said in a steady, clear voice that belied the fact he was completely drunk.

"Okay buddy, lay it on me," Yamada said with a grin. Aizawa seldom got sloppy drunk, but when he did it was always hilarious and made for a great story to tell the following Monday. It was the main reason Yamada had decided to only have two beers when he saw his best friend kicking them back one after another. That and one of them needed to get the three of them home. Suddenly Aizawa brought both his hands up to Yamada's face, pulled him downwards, and pressed his open mouth against his. Aizawa's tongue forcibly made its way into Yamada's surprised mouth. Aizawa's hands now shifted to the back of his head giving him more leverage and his tongue kept searching Yamada's mouth greedily. Yamada reached behind his head and grabbed both of Aizawa's wrists and brought them down in between them both. He pulled his face away from Aizawa's.

"Wait, did he jus' stick his tongue down your throat? Why do I miss the good stuff? Hey Shota, do it again, I missed it…." Kayama rambled.

It took Yamada a few seconds to compose himself from the shock of the stolen, or forcibly gifted, kiss. The two drinks were finally getting to him he thought, his body felt very warm, even the balmy evening air seemed to feel cool against his bare arms and face. His head was fuzzy. He felt Aizawa's hot breath on his face.

"Kaniko, what's wrong?" Aizawa said clear as a bell. Yamada looked into his bloodshot eyes and saw an expression he had never seen on Aizawa's face before. It was open and questioning, eyes abnormally lively and expressive for Aizawa. He reached a deliberate hand up and touched Yamada's face gently with the tips of his long, pale fingers. Yamada grabbed Aizawa's hand and pushed it down away from his face. He felt a hot blush spread across his cheeks and down his neck.

"Ha! Did ya jus' blush Mic!? I can finger on one count the numberr of times thas happened…" She lifted her hand up spreading her glossy red-nailed fingers out in front of her. He pulled Aizawa up by his upper arm and tried to position Aizawa's arm over his shoulders again so he could support his weight and help him walk. Yamada looked over at Kayama and shook his head grinning.

"Can count on one finger, huh Kayama? I told ya you shouldn't have mixed those damn drinks. You better slip off those heels, I'm not carrying ya both home." She was starting to stumble a bit as she walked beside him.

"Fine! Wait just a minute though… don't leave me," Kayama leaned against the brick facing of a closed shop and very slowly and with much difficulty unzipped and removed her high heeled boots. Yamada sighed as he stood awkwardly trying to hold Aizawa up. Aizawa layed his head against Yamada's shoulder and said something unintelligible, but he was able to make out 'Kaniko' and 'I'm sorry.' Aizawa now placed his hand on Yamada's collarbone and ran it aggressively down the left side of his chest and stopped at his abdomen. Yamada couldn't help but laugh due to the tickling sensation it gave him but also the hilarity of it, of the whole situation really. "Sorry man, got nothing for you to grab." Yamada repositioned him again on his shoulder and was so glad Aizawa's apartment was right around the corner. This gave a new definition to the phrase manhandling for Yamada, mainly that he didn't want to be on the receiving end of it.

The ride up the elevator became too much for the trio. Kayama had lost her footing and bumped into Yamada, sending he and Aizawa tumbling to the floor. Yamada couldn't help but let out several self-indulgent laughs. "Shhhhh, you're gonna wake up everyone!" Kayama chided loudly and then she started to giggle. Through some miracle, Yamada was able to peal the now sleeping Aizawa off the floor and continue down the hall of the 33rd floor. When they got to the door, Yamada groaned. "Great. This is gonna send all kinds of mixed messages…." With Aizawa propped against him, Yamada now reached into Aizawa's right, front pant pocket. He was wearing thin athletic pants that had surprising deep pockets. "Yes! First try!" Yamada triumphantly brandished the key to Aizawa's apartment. It looked like a thorough frisking wouldn't have mattered anyhow. Aizawa was now starting to snore lightly.

Yamada felt like he was babysitting. He had deposited the sleeping Aizawa on his bed and then coaxed Kayama onto the couch with a gray blanket and pillow. He had found her looking for liquor in Aizawa's kitchen and quickly shooed her away. She was now asleep. He took off her glasses and placed them on the kitchen counter and tucked the blanket underneath her feet and at her shoulders. He then went to check on Aizawa. He was still laying on the bed and had not moved. Yamada unzipped and pulled off Aizawa's black leather boots. He then climbed upon the bed, looped his arm under Aizawa's right arm pit, and pulled him back to the head of the bed, propping his upper body on top of two large down pillows. He wrangled the white comforter from underneath him and covered him up. He now sat next to his friend and exhaled a deep breath. Yamada was trying to figure out if he should walk the 5 blocks on to his own apartment or crash at Aizawa's. Aizawa was still drunk and if he somehow managed to escape the apartment in his very vulnerable state….

"Oboro."

Yamada turned his head and looked at his friend. Aizawa's sleepy eyes were half open and he stared right back at him. He reached a shaking hand out towards Yamada.

"Oboro. I miss you so much. It's unbearable…." Aizawa whispered. He took Aizawa's hand in his. It was cool and clammy, but now it no longer trembled in his grasp. He didn't know what to say to him. They never talked about Oboro. All these years and hearing his name still stung, still made him hold his breath. Yamada often wondered if the choices Aizawa had made in his life and how he chose to live it were because of the death of their close friend. He and Aizawa had grown more and more distant during their pro-hero days. Aizawa had decided to go mostly underground and every year that passed at that time, he seemed to slip further away. It was almost like Yamada had lost both Oboro and Aizawa. Then he and Kayama had somehow managed to strong arm Aizawa into becoming a teacher at UA. It had been a brilliant fit, Aizawa seemed to be a natural, although he was strict and had a no-nonsense approach with his students. The last few years with both of them teaching together, their friendship had become stronger, and it had felt like it had when they were students themselves at UA. But lately Yamada had noticed Aizawa becoming distant again. Getting too involved with projects at the school and spending a lot more time working than most the staff. He never told Nezu, "no" and Yamada began to get those same vibes he had felt when Aizawa was deep underground. Well, he would make it his business to be in Aizawa's business now. He wouldn't let him slip away again.

"Hey, man. Try to get some sleep, okay?" Yamada squeezed his hand and then let go. Aizawa nodded. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. Yamada turned off the lights, grabbed a pillow from the closet, and laid on the other side of the bed, his head at the foot of the bed, so he could see Aizawa's face in the moonlight. His face looked pained but his breathing was even signaling he was asleep. Yamada stayed awake for some time watching him, his mind drifting to the time they were young men, fearless and carefree, until sleep finally took him.