A/N: I'd like to wish a quick, happy belated birthday to one of my reviewers, ! Thank you all for your support! :)
We take the stairs back down to the lobby floor.
Sensei leads the way and I follow just behind him. Unlike when we arrived, the stairwell is even more crowded with at least a dozen people pressed into the tight space, their heads bobbing up and down as they cram closely together. Sensei grins at the mass, his steps taking on an excited bounce. I cringe, suddenly nauseous. Too many people. We're so close elbows push into my arms and bags bump into my sides, we have to squeeze over to let someone carrying something massive by, and several soaking wet children make giant puddles on the second landing.
It almost seems inevitable something would go wrong.
"Hey! Watch out!"
Sensei and I turn in tandem when a man on the floor above shouts. His luggage handle breaks and a large, gray suitcase comes tumbling down the stairs.
"Rin!" Sensei shouts.
His voice echoes in the small space, ringing in my ears. I barely have time to think as the box barrels down the stairs towards me. My fingers move automatically to my arms, nails pressing into my skin—You're not licensed! There's no time, silver crashing towards my face. A hand slams into my back. Yamada-sensei shoves past. My breath catches and all I can do is groan as the railing digs into my gut. I gasp, eyes wide as Sensei catches the luggage. It's nearly the same size as him. He grunts from the weight, feet sliding in the puddle, but he doesn't fall. Instead, he drops it instantly on the puddle, for once ignoring his fans.
Then he turns to me, the crowd muttering around him.
"Did you see that?"
"Dude he was so fast!"
"Yo, Rin-chan, you okay?"
"Ugh, yeah," I cough peeling myself off the banister, disoriented from the sudden chaos. I rub my stomach gingerly and grimace, looking up. He was so fast. "You're… uh… you're really strong."
Sensei blinks, his worried face twisting into annoyance.
"Really strong…" he repeats, eye twitching. "I'm a Pro, kid. I oughta make you do laps for that. Really strong... bah!"
I pout when he pulls me forward, I trip, and he holds me upright against his chest before pushing me in front of himself and down the stairs.
"You can walk in the front."
.
.
.
"Jeez, when you said it was going to be a quick chat, I was expecting it to be, I dunno quick..."
I blush and Sensei raises an eyebrow.
"Yeah yeah," he says, face still annoyed from earlier. He nods towards her three, colorful glasses. Midnight leers across the table, shimmying her shirt back up from where it had exposed most of her chest. "You look real troubled."
"Well not anymore," she says, and I smile when she wiggles her eyebrows. "Several very kind gentlemen were sweet enough to send me a drink."
Sensei rolls his eyes and I frown.
"Is that alcohol?" I ask curiously. Both of them turn to me, and I flush beneath their combined gaze. "It's… It's just colorful!"
"It's delicious too," Midnight says, grinning. She picks up a rather ornate glass, swirling the blue liquid inside before taking a sip. "Unfortunately, baby girl, you're on prohibition. Daddy's orders."
I blush and sit down beside her when she pats the booth seat.
"You shouldn't call him that," I tell her, decisively not looking her way.
"Cause you don't want me to or because you don't think he'd like it?"
"Both," I tell her, a strange feeling swirling in my stomach. "My father's in jail."
"Is he?" Midnight asks, smiling politely. "What was he like? Do you look more like him or your mother?"
I give her a strange look.
Nobody's ever asked that.
She's so weird.
Across from us, Yamada-sensei makes a strange face. I wonder if he's thinking the same thing.
"Like him," I tell her, wrinkling my nose. She grins and scoots so close her side is pressed tightly to my own. My face warms even more, especially when her arm wraps around my shoulders and she drags me into her side boob. I glower and try to push her away. Why is she so weird? "Why are you asking me strange questions?"
"Because I want to know the answer, duh!" she says, laughing. "And Shouta doesn't care what you call him. You could use Papa if Dad or Daddy's weird. He'd be a cute Papa, or maybe Papi? Ooh, baby girl, I had a Spanish lover once, Papi chulo no juega-"
"Nemuri, stop pressuring her," Sensei says flicking a balled-up napkin across the table. It moves at incredible speeds and she catches it effortlessly. "And nobody cares about your lovers."
"You were in love?" I ask curious in spite of myself. "Are you married?"
She leans forward so her lips press against the shell of my ear and Sensei glowers.
"My lovers aren't the people I fell in love with, baby girl, they're the ones I made love to. My sex partners."
I shiver when her hot breath makes the hairs on my necks stand up. My face burns hotter than I've ever felt, and I stare at her in horror. She smiles wickedly and I shove her viciously to her own side of the booth. This time, she moves, cackling madly.
"Nemuri, really?"
"Ugh!" I squeak.
I cover my face with my arms, beyond embarrassed.
What is wrong with her!? Why would she tell me that?
It's even worse when I look up and even Yamada-sensei is trying not to smile.
"Sensei!" I grumble, hiding back beneath my arms.
"Is this a bad time?" asks a new voice. "I can come back if you're not ready to order."
"No, No, we're good!" Midnight laughs. I take several calming breaths before picking my head up. The woman that must be the waitress smiles tiredly back at me.
"Excellent, what can I get you to drink?"
The woman takes our orders (I copy Yamada-sensei) and she leaves. When she does, I glance around the room, trying desperately to think of anything besides my godmother's ridiculousness. The room is a large, western-style restaurant with several booths, a bar, and mermaid shaped décor. I catch sight of families, couples, and a few individuals being seated. For some reason, though, my eyes keep moving back to the one family only about two booths down.
A mother and father smiling at each other with a toddler strapped into a high wooden chair and two boys on their other side. The boys can't be more than four or five, but they laugh and blow raspberries at each other and then again at the toddler.
"Something caught your interest?" Midnight asks quietly.
I jump and Yamada-sense raises an eyebrow as he looks up from his phone.
"Ah… it's nothing!" I mumble, glancing down.
They trade looks over my head but say nothing.
After a long pause, as Midnight and Yamada-sensei get caught up in a conversation about music, I can't help but look back. I wonder if this is what a fly feels like when he catches sight of a lamp. This undeniable urge to stare. Like if I can just look long enough—if I can just focus for a little bit longer, I can understand. Understand what, I don't know. I can't even explain why I'm looking, or for what.
The father grins at the toddler, the mother makes a little noise of delight.
I'm being rude.
Yamada-sensei clears his throat, trying to tell me to stop politely. They're going to notice and think I'm creepy. I'm being creepy.
Do you have no people skills?
No. I'm emotionally immature, I think sourly.
I don't turn away. I watch instead, not blinking when the mother reaches forward and wipes the toddler's chin, her face an expression I've never seen before.
Almost fond, but somehow more.
Did Mama ever look like that?
I know the answer.
The thought blisters. My eyes water again.
Why didn't she?
Is something wrong with me?
"Rin-chan?" Yamada-sensei says quietly. Midnight's back, her arm returning over my shoulder, my body caught against her side boob. I want to push her away, but I don't. Its warm. And my throat tightens. I scrub my face, annoyed. "What's wrong?"
I don't know.
Nothing. I'm at the beach with two of my teachers.
I'm having fun.
I should be having fun.
Why am I always so bad at this?
Is that why they didn't want me?
There's a strange hollowness in my chest as I consider the couple's smile.
"Nothing," I answer, slowly, voice oddly hoarse. I don't want to cry again. I cried in the room. I'm tired of crying. I don't want to, especially not here in public. But my face hurts. And I don't have the words to explain it.
Green eyes stare back at me anxiously and I try to swallow down the lump in my throat.
I miss Aizawa-Sensei.
It's a strange thought, especially since I haven't even been gone for more than a few hours. But I'm more surprised at the depth of it. I want a hug. I want to hug him and bury my face in the soft warmth of his shirt, to feel the hard planes of his chest and the safety of his arms. I want him to run his fingers through my hair and smell his detergent and feel the scruffy prickle of his beard.
I wish he were here.
The tears leak over.
Reluctantly, I tug on Midnight's dress.
"Yes?" she says, and behind the simple glasses, blue eyes meet mine knowingly.
"Can I have a hug?"
Her smile is just as bright and warm as the mother sitting several booths over. For some reason, that hurts too.
Why didn't Mama smile like that?
Did they not love me?
"Absolutely!"
She turns in her seat and wraps me completely in her arms. My forehead presses against her neck, her chest warm and soft against my own. She smells like vanilla and it's so different then hugging Yamada or Aizawa-sensei. She rubs her hands across my back, and I close my eyes, wishing—pretending it was Mama holding me instead.
Red nails digging into my wrist.
In the bag. You have one minute, or she'll kill you.
"Uh… Did I miss something?"
"Shhh… I'll tell you later."
.
.
.
Eventually, lunch arrives and I peel myself away from Midnight. She seems almost reluctant to let go, which is strange. She's strange. Even Yamada-sensei, who loves hugging and cuddling, can only stay still for so long. And of course, Aizawa-sensei only gives hugs reluctantly. She giggles at my expression as if reading my thoughts, and Yamada-sensei launches into a story about a time he and Aizawa-sensei fought a villain with a Siren-like quirk.
Lunch is delicious and listening to Sensei tell stories is entertaining.
Especially once he gets into a rhythm. His hands start gesturing like he does in class, his voice takes on a cadence, and he even makes different voices for the different characters. His Eraserhead-voice is hilarious and completely wrong, though I could imagine him saying all those things. His villain is even more silly and over the top.
Even Midnight giggles when the villain starts monologuing the plan.
"That didn't happen!" I argue.
"Haha! Alright, you caught me!" he laughs, hands moving wildly. "So what he really did was…"
By the end of the story, my cheeks hurt from smiling, a bright glow fills the room, and white fireflies dance across my open skin.
Sensei finishes his food with a smug grin. Midnight tries poking the tiny manifestations, completely delighted when they disappear altogether, and butterfly wings form against my back. I'm suddenly glad I wore a tank top.
They split the bill and by the time the tired waitress returns, she looks completely exhausted. She smiles despite it and clears away the dishes.
"What now?" I ask curiously.
"Well…" Sensei says, drawing out the word and checking his phone. I'm unsurprised when I catch a glimpse of his color-coded schedule. "I have to head to the venue to set up by six, so we have about four hours-"
"What's this?" Midnight interrupts, all but climbing over the table. "You haven't blocked up our entire time! I'm so proud of you!"
"Shut yer mouth," Sensei growls, ears going red. His hand landing on her forehead to push her away. She snorts and resists and I can't help but giggle at their faces. After a moment, he wins grinning haughtily. I feel her leg move under the table and he screws up his face in pain. "God da-"
He cuts off immediately when I stare at him wide-eyed.
He scowls and glares at Midnight. She looks far too delighted for the situation.
"I think we should go to the beach," she says leering.
"You just want to lay out half-naked," he grumbles.
"And if I do?" she says, raising an eyebrow. "You and Rin can go swim until you prune and then you'll still have time to doll up."
Sensei considers it, rubbing his chin.
"I… I don't know how to swim," I admit somewhat nervous to wreck their plans. They both blink, as if they'd forgotten I was even there.
"Well never mind," Midnight says brightly. She grabs and pulls at my cheek and I push her hand away pouting. "We can't have you drowning in the ocean, so swimming lessons in the pool!"
"Alright!" Sensei agrees, pumping his arm. "Are you ready?"
I smile and shake my head at his antics before scooting out to stand. The moment I get up, I nearly scream when something cold and wet splashes against my shoulder, pouring down my front. A clatter of sound and my hands move automatically, catching three glasses in quick succession before the fall to the floor.
"Oh my! Oh my! Oh, I'm so sorry!"
I shiver as the exhausted waitress scrambles back.
"I'm so sorry, are you okay? Oh no, you're covered. Oh hold on, I'll get you- I'll grab a-"
I open my mouth to say something, but the waitress trembles and turns around, grabbing a pile of napkins off a nearby table to thrust at my chest. The noise in the room quiets to whispers and I can feel the stares. The waitress sniffles and spazzes, still trying to mop ice and something sticky off my shirt and skin. Hands shaking and breaths coming in gasps, it takes me far too long to realize I'm covered in what smells like diet coke.
I frown and set down the cups on our booth. I catch a glance of Midnight is covering her mouth, but don't think about it. Instead, I turn back to catch the woman's wrists. Her breath hitches, her gasps coming even faster. I recognize the sound instantly.
It's a panic attack.
I have no idea what to do.
"Oh… Uh, hey…"
She shudders and hyperventilates. I try to think, feeling too many eyes.
"Y-Y-You should breathe," I say, releasing a wrist and pushing her towards the ground. I make her squat before joining her on the soda-covered carpet. I put a sticky hand on her head and tilt it forward like Aizawa-sensei would. She moves automatically, eyes wide as she gasps for breaths.
Now breathe.
"Y-Y-You need to b-b-breathe. In… In through your nose and… and out through your mouth. C-Count to ten… uh… please?"
The waitress doesn't follow directions well.
She just keeps puffing, red-faced, and crying.
"Please breathe," I tell her quietly. "Please? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset! I'm really sorry, I'll be more careful next time. B-B-But you gotta count to ten slow or you'll… you'll…"
I have no idea what happens if you don't stop a panic attack.
Sensei never let them last this long.
She just shakes harder.
I look helplessly to Yamada-sensei and Midnight.
They're both hiding smiles.
When I scowl at them, Midnight finally comes to help, relieving me of the hysterical woman. I retreat to Sensei's side, wide-eyed and uncomfortable.
"Smooth," he teases.
I glare, pouting.
"At this rate, we're going to run out of hot water. Should I be concerned?"
I cover my face in embarrassment.
.
.
.
We return to the room and I shower again, feeling sticky and gross and completely humiliated from the end of lunch. How are you going to be a hero when you can't even help one person? I try to push away the thought, shoving it down into the abyss I shove everything. Instead, I turn off the water and change into my bathing suit and the cover Sensei bought me. It's kind of like a very thin dress, except its rainbow-colored and covered in brightly printed taco cats. It's absolutely absurd. I smile when I put it on wondering if my guardian picked it to annoy the two fashion-obsessed teachers or because of the cats.
When I exit the bathroom, I'm fairly sure it's for the first.
"No," Yamada-sensei says flatly, looking up and narrowing his eyes. "Just no."
"What is that?" Midnight asks, standing from the bed, eyes wide. She crosses the room and takes the dress in hand. "No, better yet, who the hell-"
"You already know who bought that," Sensei interrupts scowling. "Ugh! Take it off! Why would you let him get that?"
I giggle and Midnight starts trying to pull the thing over my head.
"Hey-"
"I'm going to murder him," Midnight growls, taking hold of one of my arms to physically change me. I feel like a disobedient toddler the way she manhandles my flailing limbs. I just can't help it. I laugh harder when I catch sight of the disgusted look on her face. "There is nothing cute about these damn taco cats!"
I choke on laughter, and she all but rips the thing over my head. She balls it up and tosses it to Sensei.
"Trash that."
"B-B-But Sensei-"
"Nemuri!" Sensei growls, catching the dress and tossing it to the trash without hesitation. "Shit! It's like one extreme to the other! Could you not get her something less revealing? No wonder he sent that!"
"Excuse you?" she snaps.
"That is not appropriate."
Midnight's face hardens, and for once, all signs of teasing and amusement disappear. She rounds on Yamada-sensei with a glare. He gives her a long look, expression turning serious as well.
I stop laughing as a silent battle wages over my head.
"Rin, dear, I need to speak to your godfather for a moment. Can you step out on the balcony?"
Suddenly uncomfortable in the tense atmosphere, I nod, well aware that's not a request.
"Y-Yes ma'am."
I walk out onto the balcony and slide the door shut behind me.
"Play some music," she commands, and that's the last I can hear before Yamada-sensei's phone begins blasting loud, popping radio tunes. With the glass sliding door between us, it'd be pretty obvious if I tried to listen in. So instead I move to the railing and look out at the view.
I don't want to watch them fight.
It's breathtaking.
It's even bigger than I remember. The ocean stretches out as far as the eye can see, the sand a silver-gray that darkens under the waves. I can hear the roar of it, can taste the salt in the breeze.
It makes me feel small.
I breathe and stare, lost in the moment.
So I don't notice when the music shuts off, or when the sliding door is pushed back open. I do, however, notice when Yamada-sensei settles beside me, his arm pressing against my own. I glance over, surprised to find him shirtless in a pair of colorful shorts leaning on the rail.
I've never seen him shirtless.
He's paler under his clothes, with clearly defined muscles, fine blonde chest hair, and very dark nipples. I blink and stare at them for a moment, somewhat caught off guard. He clears his throat and I blush, looking at his face.
He raises an eyebrow behind his favorite pair of sunglasses—the same ones he wears to school.
"Sorry," I mumble looking away. "I didn't mean to make you two fight."
Sensei's arm moves like he wants to hug me but stops. He hands me a shirt instead, it's white and long and looks like one of his. I stare, not understanding.
"Put it on," he says.
I do so. The shirt slides down my body and hangs like a shapeless dress.
"Is that better?"
"Yes," he says, and he sighs almost in relief as he pulls me into a hug. "Rin-chan, nobody fought. We only do that with villains, yeah? So don't look so down. Nemuri and I had an argument, that's all."
I sigh and press my head against his chest. The patch of blonde hair there is weird. It's neither soft nor prickly, and I almost want to touch it, but I don't think now would be a good time because they just argued and the guilt feels like led around my neck.
Causing trouble again.
This is why nobody wants you.
"About me," I say quietly.
"No," he corrects, letting go and bending forward so we're eye level. His sunglasses drop down his nose, and he squints over them with too bright green eyes. "About self-esteem and societal definitions of modesty, thank you very much!"
You gotta be careful with some people because they'll lie and say you look great to keep from hurting your feelings.
"Then why'd you send me out here?" I ask, not believing a word of it.
"Because we're not going to make you listen to us argue, not for real," he says wrinkling his nose. I frown, eyebrows furrowing. He huffs and starts gesturing with his hands. "Maybe you're not familiar because the adults in your life haven't always been that great, but if someone's really upset, it's usually best practice to talk to them one-on-one. Like how Nemuri left when you and I talked about you wandering off. It's the same here. We can't send you off anywhere alone, so you had to wait out here. Normally, we'd wait for you to go to sleep or something, but this was an issue that needed to be resolved right away. You dig?"
I frown but nod.
"Is that why I'm wearing this?" I pull at his shirt, and he sighs.
"You remember during the internship when we spoke about how you're too young to wear makeup?" I nod and he smiles, patting my cheek. "Good! This is kind of like that. You can wear it, obviously, there's no age-limit on makeup, but that doesn't mean you should. Some things just aren't necessary. Showing all of that skin is one of them."
"Yes, sir."
"C'mon, lets put on some sunscreen. Otherwise, we'll be looking like some lobsters, you dig?"
.
.
.
The pool is crowded and full of people.
Learning to swim in a crowded pool isn't really easy. It also doesn't help that Sensei gets hyper around large groups of people and I just want to crawl back out and hide in the room. He doesn't let me, holding tightly to my hands as he pulls me from the shallows.
"I've got you," he says, grinning cheekily at me when the water rises to my neck and I can only walk on my tiptoes.
"It's… It's just… so many people," I mumble as someone splashes water at someone behind me, causing it to spray my head.
"Why does that bother you?" he asks. He can still stand easily, but he doesn't pull us any deeper. Instead, he smiles and waits, letting me bounce on my toes.
"I… I don't know. What… What if I hurt someone?" I tighten my grip on his arms when my feet slip out from under me and my head submerges. I splutter and cough when he breaks my hold and grabs my elbows instead, dragging me back up.
"Rin-chan! You're not supposed to breathe underwater," Sensei says, laughing as my grip on him tightens. He pulls me closer and I reattach myself to his shoulders, clinging tightly and kicking my feet beneath me as the ground completely disappears. "And you aren't going to hurt anyone. Trust yourself a little."
I breathe heavily.
"Rin-chan, you're going to give yourself a panic attack. Calm down. I'm not going to let you drown, I promise."
I swallow nervously and Sensei moves, chuckling.
"Good job," he says in English, smirking when I stay latched against his shoulders. "See, you're doing great. I've got you. And would you look at that? You've stayed in control too, no shadows, no fires, no problems! You can stand now; it shouldn't be too deep."
I reluctantly remove myself and press my feet to the bottom of the pool. Sensei continues mumbling praises and I swallow, wiping at my face. I've left red marks on his shoulders, but he just continues to smile, moving slowly about the crowded pool.
"Practice swimming to me. It's pretty easy. You can touch the ground, but don't try to. Instead, focus on controlling your breathing. Cup your hands like this, good work. And kick your feet like you were just doing. Excellent! Ready?"
I'm not, but Sensei is already moving, his hands releasing me as he motions me to come. I do so, focusing entirely on him.
I hadn't thought about it at the time, but swimming is hard work. My legs burn, my arms ache, and I swallow a lot of water, but I follow Sensei around the pool until he finally stops and I'm panting.
"Hmm, we're gonna need to work on that stamina again," Sensei says with a frown. "What have you been doing during those training sessions?"
"Destroying trees," I grumble.
Sensei hears me and snorts.
"Not sure it'll matter how many trees you can wreck if you're winded after only twenty minutes. Let's try that again and then we can take a break."
.
.
.
We stay out at the pool for nearly three hours. Like usual, when around people, Sensei gets drawn into several conversations. Unlike normal, I don't stutter and shy away quite as readily. Maybe it's Sensei's loud, overwhelming charm. Maybe it's the fact that in the last few months I've been expected to talk and socialize.
For whatever reason, it's not… bad.
It's almost fun.
An elderly woman finds out it's my first time at the beach and spends a long time telling me about all the fun things to do and some stories of what she and her sisters used to get up to when they were younger. Then one of Sensei's fans recognizes his voice and they ask for a picture, which he happily obliges and I take for them. Some large man notices and wants to talk hero politics for a while, which was fascinating, but Sensei kept trying to disengage from (apparently there's a lot of questions about whether heroes should be paid!).
Later, a ten-year-old girl, noticing me floating aimlessly by, draws me into a weird wrestling game against her teenage older brother. The teen's friend, after watching me dodge every attack (they're so much slower than Shinsou), drags over his girlfriend demanding his on match. So I somehow end up in some sort of stacked grappling competition with a complete stranger sitting on my shoulders as we battle for dominance.
It's completely ridiculous.
It doesn't stop me from glowing brightly and nearly dislodging my partner when cat ears suddenly appear on my head. He finds them completely fascinating and we lose several matches when he keeps making weird noises when they flicker. I'm just thankful it's not wings. If the ears distracted him, what if I'd grown bird wings or worse yet, the hands. That'd be a disaster!
So, I'm somewhat startled at my own disappointment when Sensei's alarm goes off.
"Rin, time's up!"
"Ah… I've gotta go," I tell the guy on my shoulders with a hesitant smile. He looks down and grins before nodding and gesturing me to release him. He falls backward and I giggle when he tries to flip and can't, ending with his legs just fluttering in midair. He comes back up, spluttering, face red with a hand in his hair.
"Haha! That was so much fun!"
"Y-Yeah," I admit, smiling.
He follows me to the edge of the pool and before I get out, he taps my arm.
"Hey, are you coming to the pool party tomorrow night?" he asks, grinning. "I'm Touya, by the way."
"Rin. And… I… I don't know."
His shoulders slump, obviously disappointed, and I bite my lip. Turning, I reach for the side of the pool and lift myself up effortlessly. I hang for a moment, letting some of the water drain off me before sitting on the edge and turning back. I'm surprised to see his eyes wide and almost trance-like on my stomach. I look down, to see if something's wrong, but the only thing different is that instead of floating around me, Sensei's white shirt clings to my stomach, exposing all of my abs.
I also leave my stomach open because I have abs, which you do too, and I want to show them.
I pull the shirt up, wringing some of the water from the shirt, and Touya's mouth slackens. When I clear my throat, he shakes his head and he meets my eyes. He blushes and smiles and suddenly, I feel far too warm.
"You... You should try," he says excitedly. "My family's staying here for the festival and it'd be cool to see you again. Anyways, see you later Rin-chan!"
"Ah… b-b-b-bye!"
I blush at such a casual address from a complete stranger and hurriedly get up and walk away towards my teachers. Sensei hands me my towel with a Cheshire grin.
"Here you are, Rin-chan."
I wrinkle my nose at him, scowling as Midnight giggles. My face burns.
"Stop that," I whine.
"You're looking a little flustered, baby girl," Midnight smirks. I pout, crossing my arms and wrapping myself in a towel. "He seemed nice."
"I am not."
Sensei leans forward and rests a hand on my shoulder. I just know he's about to say something annoying. I glower and it only seems to make him more amused.
"Not going to wave bye to Touya-kun?" Sensei asks. I feel a sudden overwhelming urge to kick him. "That's no way to treat a fan!"
I glare and pout and probably end up looking idiotic, so I cover my face and squeal. This just makes them laugh all the harder, so I ignore them both and head back to the room. They follow, laughing and teasing the entire way back.
.
.
.
Once back in the room, Midnight and I shower first before Sensei hogs the entire bathroom for his allotted hour to get ready. He looks so weird with wet hair. It's darker than normal and hangs flat against his back. I watch, sprawled out on the end of the bed as he assembles a huge assortment of different products and starts shaping his blonde hair up into its gravity-defying style.
"Why does Sensei have dark nipples?" I ask Midnight curiously. "Did he burn them?"
Midnight, currently searching through one of her many bags, chokes on a laugh.
"No, I think he's just born that way," she says.
"Oh."
Sensei pops his head out the bathroom and gives me a sour look. I stare curiously back, wondering if he heard my question.
"Oi, don't fall asleep there. Get in the bed."
I wrinkle my nose at him.
"I'm not falling asleep," I whine.
"Then it's nap time, so get in the bed."
"You made that up," I tell him flatly. "I'm not a little kid. And... And Aizawa-sensei doesn't make me take naps."
"Shouta keeps a baby monitor in your room," he counters smirking before ducking back into the bathroom. I resolve, that when I get home, I'm gonna complain about that too. "Don't argue with me. Go lay down."
I cross my arms and stand, determinedly not getting under the covers, I walk over to the bathroom instead as he puts the top on one of his containers and frowns. He scowls when he sees me in the mirror.
"I know my sweet, little listener is following directions," he says. I glower at him, and he turns. "Because if not, that conversation about consequences might have to come up again."
"I'm going," I grumble. "But you're gonna be gone when I wake up."
Sensei's annoyed face melts a little.
"You asking for a hug, Rin-chan?" He raises an eyebrow.
"Yes," I huff, looking down.
He snorts and the next thing I know he's wrapped me in his arms and pulled me close. A moment later he lets go, patting my still wet hair I'd braided back earlier.
Yo, baby girl! So, giving out kisses, now are you?
You're just jealous she doesn't give them to you!
I tug his shirt and he sighs.
"Rin-chan, I've gotta get dressed, girl!"
Midnight appears in the doorway and grins when I hook my finger at him.
"One last thing, I promise," I say as innocently as I can. He gives me a look and huffs, leaning forward. I smile, and when he gets close enough, kiss his cheek loudly. The moment I do, he flushes scarlet. His eyes widen, his mouth drops, and when I try to rush away he catches me in his arms. They're like steel the way they wrap around my stomach and dragging me back.
"You tricked me!" he growls playfully.
I squeal when he starts wiggling his fingers against my side.
"S-S-Sensei!"
"I know what you're up to, little girl, you're not getting out of that nap," he says before finally stopping all the tickling. I drop all of my weight, going limp, and he holds me up with one arm, not quite what I was expecting. He laughs. "Now go get in the bed."
I try to pout, but I can't stop smiling.
He rolls his eyes, and it's my turn to blush when he leans down and kisses my cheek.
"Get."
Midnight catches me as I stumble out, and I'm not surprised to see the bed cleared off and the covers pulled back. She gives me a wink and steers me all the way there. I groan and crawl in it. The sheets cool and soft, the pillow so pliable my head and ears sink down to the mattress.
"F-F-Fine," I tell her, and I can't help but yawn. She smirks.
"He'll be back in the morning," Midnight promises, adjusting the sheets. "Just a short nap, okay? When you wake up, we'll have dinner, call Shouta, and maybe even practice with that glowing quirk of yours. What do you think?"
I close my eyes, crossing my arms defiantly. Sensei does something with his phone and some sleepy melody fills the room. I want to complain, but the bed really is comfortable, and my eyes are so tired from the sun and water.
I fall asleep to their muted conversation.
.
.
.
I wake to a dark, nearly silent room with Midnight lounging on her side of the bed with a book in hand. I sit up stretching and yawn. She rolls over in the bed and smiles.
"Hey sweet girl, you hungry?"
I sniffle, still trying to think properly, and blink when my stomach rumbles.
"I ordered some food while you were asleep," she tells me with a laugh. "Why don't you warm it up and we can call Shouta. It's nearly seven and I know he's anxious to hear from you."
"Sensei?" I ask, pulling myself out of the bed. I scrub at my eyes tiredly. "Why would he be anxious?"
The dark-haired woman raises an eyebrow.
"Are you asking that seriously?" she questions. "Food's on the little desk over there. Microwave is on top of the mini-fridge."
I find the food easily and stick it in the microwave. Setting the timer for two minutes, I click start and wait for it to begin. I turn back to Midnight then, and frown as she watches me, blue eyes the same color as the sky.
"Why…" I cut off with another yawn. "Excuse me. I mean… yes?"
The microwave makes a noise, some sort of loud clanging sound, and stops completely. I frown and turn back, opening and closing the door. It doesn't come back on. I pull out my half-warmed food and sigh. Sitting on the nearby stool, I start to eat.
"He's not exactly comfortable with you being so far away from him."
I swallow a mouthful of noodles, my tired mind taking in the words.
"It's quieter though. He likes the quiet."
I take another bite and survey the room. The sky outside is dark now, and without the city lights, the ocean looks dark and endless. Like an abyss that never ends.
"He likes you too," Midnight says. I blink and glance her way. She's watching me closely, like she's looking for something—though what, I don't know. I shrug and go back to my food. He likes quiet more.
She doesn't say anything as I finish the food and I toss away the trash.
"Why don't you go ahead and call?" she suggests.
I breathe deeply, stretch, and nod. My phone's in the side of my bag, I grab it and flip it open, searching through far too many contacts to find Sensei's number. When did I get so many? The line rings once and then twice and for a moment, I'm reminded of Yui-san during the Sports Festival. What if he doesn't answer? What if he doesn't want me back?
Before I can really consider the thought though, the line connects, and Sensei's familiar baritone speaks.
"Hello?"
I jump a little at his voice, breath hitching.
"Oh… uh… Hi Sensei," I mumble, scuffing my shoe on the carpet. Midnight giggles and when I shoot her a look, she grins and stands, and crosses the room. She slides open the balcony door and closes it behind herself with a slight thud. She settles into a chair and immediately pulls out her phone.
There's a pause on the other end of the phone and I sigh.
"Are you okay?" he asks after a moment.
"Ah, yes, sir. I… I just woke up."
"Hizashi made you take a nap?"
"Yes, sir," I answer softly.
"Have you eaten dinner?"
"Yes, sir. Midnight ordered noodles. The microwave broke though, so they were cold."
There's a slight chuckle on the other end, and I smile a little.
"Tell me about your day."
I pull at my fingers and lay back onto the bed, tired despite my nap. It's a strange lethargic feeling, I push it away and struggle to find the words.
"I… I don't know where to start."
"How was the car ride?"
I close my eyes, pretending my head is on his lap and not the cold pillow. Imaginary fingers running through my hair, the warmth and safety of his touch against my head. Miska purring on my chest.
"I fell asleep part of the way," I tell him. "Midnight and Yamada-sensei argue a lot, but it's weird because they never yell. I think Midnight—I mean Aunt Nemuri likes teasing Yamada-sensei. She'd say things and he'd get annoyed and they'd… I don't know the word for it."
"Bicker," he supplies. I nod, before realizing he can't see it.
"Yeah. He got upset about something, but I didn't understand. Midnight got mad at him today too though, but they don't talk about it when I'm around. Mid… Sorry, Aunt Nemuri made me wait outside on the balcony. Yamada-sensei said they wouldn't fight in front of me, but he said they weren't really fighting either. Apparently fights are only for villains and this was just an argument... He… He also promised not to hit me."
Sensei's quiet for a long moment and I wonder if I should elaborate or go on. I shuffle around on the bed instead, lay so my head is at the other end and resting my face against my hand.
"Did you think Hizashi would hit you?" Sensei asks.
I chew my lip, nervous.
"I… I shouldn't have said that."
"But you did," Sensei says simply. "Answer the question."
I consider lying. I think Aizawa-sensei can smell my lies, even over the phone. He certainly knew them well enough before the internship.
"Rin, what happened that made you think Hizashi would ever hurt you?"
"I left his sight," I admit. "I broke the rules."
"And you expected him to hit you for that?"
"Yui-san did," I tell him quietly. It's the first time I've managed to say her name. My stomach squirms at the thought. "Daddy got mad at Ryu one time when he was rude to Mama. He punched him in the chest. And then… then he spanked me once. He used the extension cord, it hurt… a lot. It left welts."
"Neither one of us will ever touch you in such a manner," Sensei says, and there's a dark edge to his voice. "I would not have sent you with them if I had any doubts. Do you still feel that way?"
"No sir," I answer. I swallow. "Am... Am I grounded?"
"Yes," he responds immediately. "You will be writing essays when you return home. If it happens again, I'm coming to get you. This is your only warning. Now continue your story. If you want, you can tell me about why you left, or you can continue after you checked in."
I roll onto my back and pull at my fingers.
"I… I saw a man fall in the sand," I say. I don't know why I want to tell him this—he's already said I could move on—but I don't want him to be disappointed. I… I want him to understand. "Yamada-sensei said I could look at the ocean, and it's so big, but then I saw him slip over and over in the sand and nobody helped him. Sensei, it was awful. Everybody saw it, but nobody did anything and- and-"
"Rin," he says, his voice smooth and neutral. "Breathe."
"Yes, sir."
I suck in a deep breath and let it out quietly.
"How should you have resolved this situation?"
"Yamada-sensei said I should have told him."
"Hizashi is correct. Do you understand why what you did was wrong?"
"Because I broke the rules?"
"Do you understand why the rule is there?" he asks more specifically. I stare up at the ceiling and run my fingers over the bedspread.
"Because… Because you said so?"
"Because there has been a rise in Villain attacks since Stain's message was televised. Shigaraki, the villain you fought at the USJ with the hands, has been leading and consolidating power under the title of 'League of Villains.' We believe Asp is a part of that group, especially since the Nomu were involved in the scheme related to your abduction. While the location you're at hasn't had much villain activity, with the festival ongoing, the probability of something happening has increased. Villains don't account for all of the criminal activity in Japan."
"Oh."
Sensei snorts and I smile shyly, wondering if he'd give me one of those looks.
"Yamada-sensei saved me from a suitcase," I tell him suddenly. I try to imagine how he would react to that. Maybe a slow blink? A curious glance in my direction?
"Oh?"
"Someone's luggage broke and he caught it. I… I didn't know he could move that fast. I think I hurt his feelings though cause I was surprised at how strong he was. He taught me how to swim today though. We went to the pool. It was really crowded too. He met a fan and took a picture with them. Do you ever take pictures with your fans?"
"I don't have fans," he says.
"Why not?"
"A discussion for another time."
It's just such a… him thing to say. My chest aches at it.
"Sensei… I… I miss you."
The tears leak over, and I clutch the phone, biting my lip.
"Are you crying?" he asks. His voice is quiet, the same tone he uses when he's worried.
"No," I lie hurriedly wiping away my tears. "I'm fine."
"Hmm…" he answers, and I can hear the disbelief in his voice. "I miss you too."
.
.
.
"All done?" Midnight asks as she returns to the room, her phone back in her pocket. I nod and she smiles. She politely doesn't comment on my red eyes. "It's close to nine and you look exhausted. Why don't you go ahead and get ready for bed?"
"Yes, ma'am."
It takes twenty minutes to change clothes, brush my teeth, and fix back my hair. When I exit the bathroom, Midnight rummages through her bags. I climb back into the bed, slipping between the sheets, and I click on my flashlight to wait. After several minutes, she finds what she's looking for and returns with what looks like a book.
She beams, her face twisting like the mother from earlier.
Why does she look at me like that?
"M… Aunt Nemuri?"
She hums and crawls into the space beside me, only above the covers.
"Do you… do you want children?"
She smiles a little sadly.
"I would have loved to have them, but I can't," she says softly, her arm squirming under my neck to pull me against her. She's so much softer than Aizawa or Yamada-sensei. Her chest so much squishier. "My quirk affects more than just my skin, it affects my blood and hormones as well. I wouldn't be able to get pregnant even if I tried."
I frown at her.
"Did you try?"
She gives me a small, sad look that makes my eyes burn. She sets the book beside her and leans over, sweeping my hair from my face with a gentle hand.
"For a while."
"I'm sorry," I whisper, and she pats my cheek.
"Don't be," she says, and I'm surprised at the warmth in her tone. "It's no more your fault than mine. In life, Rin, we don't always have all the options we want. You have to learn to make do with what you get, but you already know that lesson don't you? You learn to love where and when you can. I may never be able to make a child, but I have one in my arms right now that seems to need it all the same."
I flush and look up at her.
She smiles kindly back.
"Now," she says, reaching behind her to pick up the book. "I think I'm going to read you a bedtime story."
"Kaito… Kaito used to do that," I tell her quietly.
"Your brother?"
I nod and the woman rubs a small circle on my arm.
"Did you enjoy them?"
I nod again and she lets out a little laugh.
"Good," she says sweetly. "Because tonight I'm going to read you the story of the ugly duckling."
She opens the book, the sweet smell of newness wafting from the pages. They shine, the light of the lamp reflecting off the glossy pages. I stare at the images as she reads, listening to her voice and the soft cadence.
It's… nice.