Chapter 16 – Aizawa's Residence
Due to not having the proper facilities on campus or staff with enough free time to watch over me for me to stay there, it was decided that I would be staying under the close supervision of my co-teacher. In other words, I was coming home with Aizawa so he could continue to keep an eye on me. He and I were at least in agreement that neither one of us wanted this. He didn't want me in his personal space, and I didn't want to be around him any longer than I had to.
But Principal Nezu had thought it was a splendid idea, and Aizawa reluctantly saw the logic behind the decision.
I couldn't be shuttled back and forth from the prison each day to the front gate of the U.A. High School - thank god. Reporters would eventually get wind of it and come sniffing around for a scoop which would not look good for U.A or for me if they found out a criminal was teaching future young heroes. No, this was better for everyone involved if I was looked after by a staff member who had plenty of experience in capturing criminals and liked to stay out of the press.
"What a load of bullshit." I thought angrily as I looked around the sparse living room I found myself in. Aizawa had tied me up on the only couch, telling me not to move 'or else', as he went off to some other room in the house. As if I could move even if I wanted to. The man was a wizard with knots and bonds.
With Aizawa gone, I took the time to study the hero's living room. It was unremarkable, lacking personal touches or personality. There were no photos, no décor, and certainly no personal effects. There was minimal furniture in the space, only enough to be comfortable for one single person for an extended period of time. It was strangely reminiscent of my own apartment.
"I guess he's alone too."
Footsteps coming down the stairs alerted me to Aizawa's return. He had changed out of his hero costume and tied his hair up into a relaxed messy bun. The dark clothing he wore was a tighter fit this time around and I could see the hidden muscles that lay underneath. All and all he was rather sexy to look at.
I bristled, internally punishing myself for thinking such a thing about a man so horrible. I was grateful that Aizawa had taken no notice of me and proceeded into the kitchen, for I was sure there was a tinge of pink on my cheeks that I didn't want him to see and ask about. The sounds coming from the kitchen told me that Aizawa was preparing something and my stomach growled in hunger. I didn't know if the man could cook, but I held out hope for my stomach's sake.
The sound of a doorbell rang in the air, and Aizawa moved to answer it. From my position on the couch I couldn't turn and see who it was. Whoever it was, they weren't there for long and soon Aizawa returned to the living room, a scowl on his face.
"What is this?" He held out a pizza box in front of me, its lid was opened and on top of the cheese spelled out in sliced pepperoni was the letter 'E'.
"Ivan!" I could have cried tears of joy for that beautiful stalker and his thoughtfulness, but I held those in. Ivan had asked that I keep his identity a secret at least for now until he was ready. I could at least respect the man's wishes considering everything he's done for me.
"It looks like a pizza. A very delicious pizza." I replied dumbly, licking my lips as the inciting smell wafted under my nose. God, I was so hungry.
His eyelid gave a visible twitch in irritation. "How did the pizza get here?"
I played innocent. "You didn't order it?"
"Why would I order a pizza with the letter E on it? This was clearly meant for you."
"I dunno. You could have a secret admirer out there, Eraserhead. E could stand for Eraserhead."
My quick thinking surprised me. Even Aizawa could see some sense to my logic, and it gave me a small amount of pleasure to know how annoyed he was becoming and I was the cause.
"That is unlikely." He said distantly, taking the pizza away into the kitchen.
"Hey, come back here with my special pizza!" I cried out, trying to twist against my bonds on the couch. I ended up falling onto my side and couldn't get back up.
"Your pizza?" Aizawa accused me from the kitchen. "I thought this pizza was from my secret admirer, like you said?" There was a smirk in his voice.
He walked back into the living room, a plate in hand with the pizza. There was no second plate. Aizawa looked down at me and my fallen position on the couch, lifting an eyebrow at my vulnerable state.
I glared up at him, hoping that I wouldn't have to ask him for help before he offered it. I was determined to remain strong in his presence. But Eraserhead ignored me and sat down at the end of the couch by my feet. I watched with a starved hunger as he took slow, small bites of the pizza, drawing out strings of cheese with each bite he took. It was all a show to torture me into giving him an answer to his question.
"Now you're just being cruel." I grumbled under my breath, trying to wriggle away from him. Any distance I could get between us I would gladly take.
"Tell me how the pizza got here." Aizawa spoke in between bites, watching me trying to inch away unsuccessfully.
"The delivery boy." I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. In my desperation to put some space between us, I was getting awfully close to the edge of the couch.
Aizawa's hand shot out and seized the bonds by my feet to stop my struggling before I could fall off the couch. My eyes grew wide as he leaned his body over mine, a hand reaching over close to my face. I flinched, closing my eyes as my mind cast back to Purveyor and that night fifteen years ago. The experience had left me with mental trauma that had not faded with time, making me petrified whenever someone's hand got to close my face. I couldn't see it behind closed eyelids, but Aizawa had paused, a frown on his lips as he saw me turn away in fear.
The hand moved past my face to my shoulder, yanking me back up into a seated position on the couch. Being up righted suddenly caused my eyes to fly open. Aizawa's deft fingers were working on the knots that held me, and soon they were gone, a pile of bindings falling down around my waist. I was free! I looked at him curiously as I rubbed the blood back into my arms. He collected the bindings and disappeared back into the kitchen, returning with a plate of pizza and handing it to me.
"Eat." He just said, before taking his position back on the couch.
"Eh?" I was incredulous. One moment he was torturing me, and the next he was being nice. It was making my head spin just trying to make sense of it.
"Just eat." He huffed, turning on the television in front of us to fill the silence.
"You're being nice." I commented in a whisper, looking down at the plate in my lap.
"I'm a hero. Not a monster." Was all he said as he turned back to the TV.
A moment passed between us, only filled by the news anchor's voice from the TV as they reported on the day's events.
"Thank you." I uttered, bringing the pizza to my mouth and taking a bite.
I was too engrossed by what was on the TV to see the sideway glance he gave me and the small smile that vanished just as quickly as it came.
After an hour or two of watching TV silently together I could feel myself starting to drift off. My eyelids were beginning to feel heavy and I couldn't stop a yawn from betraying me. With a click of the remote the TV fizzed out. The sudden lack of noise gave me a momentary jolt of energy as I looked around sleepily to see what had happened. Aizawa pushed off the couch in a slouch, digging his hands in his pockets as he walked away.
"Come on, I'll show you to your room." He murmured.
I had half expected to be on the couch that night, so the promise of a bed and room of my own, however temporary, was very a tempting offer to pass up. Stifling another yawn, I followed after him up the stairs to the small landing. There were only three doors. He pushed open one of them to reveal a spare bedroom. It had a futon and a dresser and that was it. Just the bare essentials for a visitor.
"This will be your room." He walked away and opened the door between what was my room and the only remaining door on that level. "This is the bathroom. I assume you'll want to shower."
I gave an eager nod at the prospect of feeling warm water over my skin and to be able to wash off the filth of the day. I glanced at the last of the three doors on the floor.
"Is that your room?"
"Yes, and it'll be locked. Don't even think of stepping in there." He gave a low growl in warning before heading back down the stairs.
"Ok, then..." I trailed off.
I could at least respect that request. A person's sleeping quarters was a sacred place as far as I considered it to be. I had similar feelings to my own apartment as it was my safe place. "Until it was rudely taken from me." My mood turned sour at that thought. Nothing a hot shower wouldn't fix - or I surely hoped it would.
I entered the bathroom and locked the door. Though I had a hunch that locked doors meant nothing to this man. So in an effort to prevent him from barging in here to investigate why I was taking so long, I kept my shower time short - unfortunately. I had wanted to spend longer under the hot water so I could relax but just a little. When I got out and dried off with one of the spare towels I had found under the sink, I realized I had made a grave error. Normally at this point I would have proceeded to my bedroom without a second thought - towel or not. But this wasn't my place. I was in Eraserhead's, and I had no other clothes to put on. A mixed feeling of embarrassment and utter stupidity washed over me when I came to the conclusion of what I had to do. I mean I could have gone to bed naked, but that didn't sit right with me being in a stranger's house - and a man's nonetheless.
I wrapped the towel around my body tightly like a shield, and stuck my head out the door, making sure to hide my body as best I could behind the door.
"Um, Aizawa?" I called out as loudly as I dared.
"What?" Was his curt reply from downstairs. When I didn't answer right away, he walked to the stairs, taking a few steps up before his eyes landed on my head poking out of the bathroom awkwardly. He frowned at how embarrassed I looked, but said nothing else.
"Do you...have any clothes I could borrow?"
Oh god, I could feel the embarrassment flooding to my face as I said those words. It shamed my pride to no end that I had to ask for help from the man who had tormented me.
His eyes widened a fraction and he suddenly looked away from my face as if I had burned him. "Tch. I'm not equipped for this kind of thing." He grimaced, rubbing the back of his head in an annoyed fashion. Finally he dropped his hand, and let out a defeated sigh. "I'll find something for you." He moved up the stairs and to the door that I knew was his bedroom before disappearing inside. He closed the door behind him with a click and I retreated back inside the bathroom to wait. I fumbled and rearranged the towel around me as if it could offer some relief to my distress.
There was a single knock on the bathroom door, and Aizawa's voice called out from the other side. "I've put some things in your room for you."
"Ok, thank you." I muttered numbly in reply.
I could hear him give an irritated sigh before his footsteps led him away and back down the stairs. I waited a moment before opening the door a crack to check to see if the coast was clear. Aizawa was gone. Slipping past the bathroom door with my dirty clothes in hand, I leapt into the spare room, closing the door behind me with a little more force than was necessary. Looking around, my eyes landed on the folded clothes that had been laid out on the cot. A black t-shirt and sweatpants greeted me there - very similar to what the hero was already wearing downstairs. I guess his taste in clothing didn't sway far. Begrudgingly I dawned the articles of clothes. Unsurprisingly, they were rather a size too large on my frame, but otherwise soft and comfortable. They would do for at least tonight, but it still felt weird to wear someone else's clothes - especially when they still smelled like that person. I would have to inquire later if I could get back some of my personal possessions just so I could wear my own clothes instead of being forced to wear Eraserhead's.
The doorbell rang for a second time that night, catching my attention and making me wonder who would be bothering Aizawa so late. After seeing the man's house, I could determine with some accuracy that he didn't have an active social life. I stepped out from my bedroom and peered down the stairs to the front door to see who had come.
"Thanks for coming over. Sorry to bother you with this." Aizawa murmured, letting the visitor inside. I recognized the newcomer as the one who had greeted me that morning at the gates of U.A. High - Present Mic.
"Yo, not a problem! Happy to babysit the poltergeist!" Present Mic waved Aizawa's concern off. He noticed me then standing at the top of the stairs watching them. "What up, Ghosty?" Present Mic shot me a grin, waving enthusiastically. When he saw what I was wearing, he turned back to Aizawa with a devilish smile.
"Yo, you dog! I didn't think you had it in you!" He wrapped his arm around Aizawa's neck pulling him down to twist his knuckles into Aizawa's head.
Eraserhead expertly maneuvered out of Mic's grasp with a growl. "Don't jump to conclusions." He gruffed.
"Sure, sure." Mic winked at his friend.
I looked down at the clothes I was wearing and instantly felt my face go red at the insinuation Present Mic had made.
"Like hell that would ever happen." I told myself. But my attention turned back to Aizawa. He was wearing his hero costume again and he was preparing to leave. "When did he have time to change back?" My brow furrowed in confusion. I never heard him come back up the stairs or even his bedroom door opening. I guess he could be stealthy when he wanted to be. I would have to add that to the list of things to remember too.
On his way out the door, Aizawa passed Present Mic the remote to my collar. "Use it if you have to." Aizawa spoke, slipping the goggles over his eyes.
"I don't think I'll need to. She doesn't look like she's going to run." Mic said, giving me a look while stuffing the remote into his pocket.
"Hmm." Aizawa turned to fix me a stare.
Whatever thoughts he had crossing his mind I couldn't make them out from behind his goggles. A moment later he gave a heavy sigh, and spun back around and out onto the doorstep. I took a few steps down the stairs when I noticed him leaving.
"Where are you going?"
But Aizawa didn't answer as he leapt up into the air and disappeared out of sight.
"He'll be back later." Present Mic explained, closing the front door. "Got called in to do some late night hero work. Which makes me your host for this evening." He gave a dramatic flourish at the end, sending a brilliant smile in my direction.
I merely nodded my head. The man had way too much energy for me to handle at this time of night. Present Mic left me on the stairs and passed through into the living room. I had only reached the bottom of the landing when I heard him cry out from the kitchen, "Oh, yeah! Pizza!"
I stood in the entrance of the living room, watching as Present Mic helped himself to the pizza that Aizawa had left on the counter before plopping himself comfortably on the couch. He turned on the TV, digging hungrily into the pizza slice in his hand. The man had no problem making himself at home like he had been here plenty of times before.
"So Ghosty," He spoke up above the noise of the TV, licking the finished pizza slice from his fingers. "How was your first day?"
"It was...exhausting." I replied, landing on the word. Being around so many people that day had significantly drained my energy. I was a solitary creature who preferred my own company and a limited few. But even as I thought this, my mind drifted back to the students of Class 1-A and their quick move to accept me within their ranks. "But it was also good." I tacked on the end.
Present Mic patted the couch next to him, offering me to sit down. I really wanted to sleep, but I complied. It was the first time that day that someone really wanted to talk to me - someone a little closer to my age who shared some of the experiences that I've gone through. The kids were great and all, but I was a lot older than them and there will always be that divide between us.
"Glad to hear it, listener." Mic said as I took a seat on the couch. "You did well accepting Nezu's offer. Means that you're on the right music station now."
"I just don't know how I'll be of any help to those students." I voiced my concern as I leaned back into the couch, "I'm not a teacher. Just look at me."
"You are wearing a teacher's clothes...buuutttt we'll get back to that later." He quickly changed directions, as I shot him a dark glare. "Sometimes being a teacher just means being there for your students. I'm sure you'll do fine. You have lots of experience with kids, though, am I right? From your Ghosting days? Heard you rescued a bunch of them over the years."
"Rescuing young kids and being around teenagers all day are two very different things." I murmured heatedly, a finger tapping hard against the leather of the couch.
"Ah, you'll get used to it!" Present Mic's hand whipped out, slapping me on the shoulder. "Plus, these kids are the best of the best. I'm sure they'll surprise you."
The memory of their plus ultra attitude to their quirk assessment test that day sent a small smile to my lips. They certainly had promise.
"Perhaps." I absentmindedly whispered.
"There you go!" Mic's hand landed again on my shoulder, giving a comforting squeeze. "Now off to bed! Can't have you falling asleep in class tomorrow. Eraserhead would string me up by my feet!"
The image of Present Mic swinging back and forth like piñata while an angry Aizawa stood by watching made me snicker. Though something also told me that Aizawa would rein equal justice upon my head if I fell asleep at any time tomorrow. It was a terrifying thought. I had experienced his capture weapon first hand, and didn't want a repeat of it.
"Alright. Good-night." I nodded my head.
I got off the couch and wearily walked out of the room. I froze halfway up the stairs as a thought ran through my mind. My clothes. I couldn't wear them all dirty to the school tomorrow, and I certainly wasn't going to be wearing Aizawa's loaned garments either. It would definitely set the wrong tone and set rumors ablaze. The wrong kind of rumors.
"Um, Present Mic," I hopped back down the stairs, entering the living room.
"Just call me Mic," He waved off the pleasantries.
"Mic." I nodded. "Do you know if Aizawa has a washing machine? I want to wash my clothes for tomorrow. Can't go wearing this." I stuck out the t-shirt with my thumbs as evidence.
Mic peered over his sunglasses at me, deep in thought. "I dunno. Might be good for him." He murmured more to himself than to me.
But before I could ask him to elaborate on that, Mic pushed off the couch and shuffled past me. "I think he has a laundry room somewhere down here."
"Great! I'll go get my clothes."
I rushed back up the stairs to gather my things. When I came back down I found Mic in one of the back rooms. As I approached him I noticed that he was searching around the shelves in the room for something.
"Ah, there you are." Present Mic spoke up, noticing my return. "I can't seem to find where he keeps the thing. You know - the thing that makes things clean."
"Detergent?" I offered the word that he seemed to have forgotten.
"That's it! Can't seem to find it." Mic said, continuing to upturn Aizawa's organized laundry room.
My eyes looked around the room and fell on the box clearly labeled 'detergent' just above the washer. My hands full, I nodded to the shelf where the box lay.
"It's up there." I said before bending down to open the door to the washer.
"Right you are! Good eyes!" He reached up and handed it over to me. "Sometimes I can't see what's right in front of me, ya dig me?" He said, though his tone made me wonder if he was implying something else entirely.
I didn't know what to make of the hero, whether he was just naturally like this or if he was throwing me signals. I played it safe and I gave an awkward laugh instead of a reply. Throwing my bundle of clothes inside, I added the detergent, and turned the dial to the appropriate setting before hitting the start button. The machine came to life and the sound of water running through it told me that it had started up successfully. Now all I had to do was wait until I could change it over to the dryer. Wet clothes would do me no good in the morning. I gave an exhausted groan at the realization that I would not be getting to sleep any time soon.
"I'll change it over when it's ready." Mic spoke up from the doorway. "Go catch some zzz's."
I didn't like the idea of a different person handling the more personal parts of my wardrobe, but sleep was making a strong argument. I would have to depend on Present Mic if I didn't want to be dead tomorrow.
"If you're sure." I bit my lip apprehensively.
"Go before you pass out." Mic gently shoved me out of the room and towards the stairs.
"Thanks again." I gave a weary smile to Mic as I trudged up the flight of stairs, adding a bit more softly, "Good-night, Mic."
"Night!" Present Mic called back.
I entered my room and closed the door with a click. Never before had a futon looked so inviting. I wasted no time collapsing upon it and curling up under the soft sheets. Sleep took me all too quickly that night.
So what are your thoughts on Present Mic? Is he trying to flirt with our girl Eve or just being overly nice? :P
I had fun time writing out this chapter as I wanted to show a brief preview of Aizawa's more tender side, and of course Eve's amusing awkwardness. Aizawa can be nice when he wants to be, it's just buried deep deep down. Gotta break through those outer defensive layers before these two can make any headway.
Until next time!