"What kind of sissy-shit garbage is this?"
The weight in my hand levitated, sounding shocked when it fell onto the cement.
The feeling was abundantly mutual.
Deja vu of the first time I met them, the expressions each held- from Mineta's butt-puckering to Uraraka's wide eyes- repeated itself now, enhanced with the additional presences of Tsu, Yaoyorozu, and newcomers Ojiro and Kendo, who had joined earlier this week and already drastically improved everyone's hand-to-hand confidence through patient tutorials. Pride nearly turned my face golden with the rapport growing not only between myself and the students, but with the mutual friendships sprouting between the hero classes. Talk of two other 1-B students joining had already been brought up several times; I was excited to see such budding camaraderie between students who were only vaguely aware of one another before.
These powerful, enthused students turned to me now like a mob of fearful meerkats.
In return, I continued to gape at the angry face of Katsuki Bakugo, who currently stood in the workout room's doorway like a pissy, overzealous gym teacher. A clover-headed boy wore an apologetic smile behind him.
"Well? You wanna be as weak as these losers? Is that the goal?"
Oh.
He was directing all this at me.
"What are you even doing here, Bakugo?" My voice was impressively level, considering how perturbed I was to see yet another student after school hours. The walking time bomb stomped over without answering. For a moment I thought he was going to attack me but instead he began slinging around weights, muttering angrily under his breath as he doubled every bar in sight.
"Sorry, this is my doing. I mentioned Operation Submersion to Kacchan and he- Well, he wants to help,"
Midoriya still hovered near the entrance, as if afraid of my reaction to such a bold move. Or maybe he feared Bakugo, having even subtly mentioned he was willing to help someone without personal gain involved.
Midoriya should fear both of us, I decided.
"Midoriya, I don't really appreciate-"
"Training with these morons isn't going to get you anywhere. You don't even have any weights on the damn bar. Do you think muscle's just gonna to form because you're 'trying your best'?"
Ah, the condescending tone of my favorite high school brat. I itched for my yard stick.
Still, Bakugo was here to help, for all intents and purposes. He hadn't stopped moving since his grouchy arrival. I squinted until he couldn't take the heat any longer, turning to scowl in my direction. On an instinct that touched my heart, Yaoyorozu inched a few steps closer to me.
If I ever have a daughter, please let her turn out as great as Momo.
"You got a problem?" Bakugo spat.
"Why help me?"
There was a heaviness to the question and he knew it. Why help when you've made it a distinct point not to in the past? This wasn't a move of the Bakugo on display at the Sports Festival, or the inflamed one of past classes- this was something new, foreign by comparison.
He mulled over a response, hidden under pinched eyebrows and bared teeth. The gaping classmates watching his every move probably didn't help.
At last he huffed a breath, attention returned to the weights.
"If this is the person you want to be, you should at least do it right."
It was cleverly veiled beneath the pompousness and anger, keeping his private message exactly that. The hint of pink in his ears was hidden so well by his angry facade I doubt anyone else even noticed it.
The fact something I'd said had resonated with a student turned my heart sappy. I hid the mush with a smug half-grin.
"I'm not trying to be the next All Might or anything. I just want to keep my students safe to the best of my abilities,"
I was rewarded with a staggering amount of weight thrown haphazardly into my lap, nearly knocking the wind out of my unprepared lungs. Pissy Bakugo had returned in full force.
"Aw, Ms. Tsutomi! I never knew you cared so much!" Mineta faked a swoon. It looked even more ridiculous due to his glaringly bright workout outfit. He had to still shop in the children's department.
"Seriously, you're training with bubble-boy and the frog, what were you even trying to accomplish," Bakugo muttered to himself. "Three reps of ten. Complain and I'll double it."
"Bakugo, I don't think-"
"Did I ask you, round face? Are you here to train or what?"
The whole room seemed to startle with the realization that, yes, they were here to all work out and train, and yet hadn't so much as lifted a hand since Katsuki Bakugo had exploded into the room- pun entirely intended. There was a sudden bustle as each student dispersed into their own grueling weight regime.
Starting next week Operation Submersion would follow a routine schedule, as decided by the team yesterday; Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays would consist of weight and defense training within the school's weightroom, while Tuesdays and Thursdays would remain dedicated to cardiovascular training on the trail. Iida produced a compelling argument to switch the days around, presenting numerous facts why the training of skeletal muscles far outweigh the advantages of other training criteria, but had been heavily outvoted.
Hands steadied the bar when my arms gave a tremble. Bakugo shouted what I think he thought was encouraging, egging me to finish the rep unless I wanted to be the next Deku.
I wondered if little K.E.M. would now be a constant within O.S.
"Quit smiling, idiot. It's your funeral when you drop the bar on your neck!"
"Please don't forget I'm your teacher, Bakugo. It's still within my power to assign you extra homework."
The blonde grunted. I grinned before promptly dropping the bar and nearly decapitating myself.
"Totally hopeless," He muttered.
With school back in full swing, the past two mornings had been spent dodging attacks and learning standard defense moves, leaving me sweaty and half-starved before the sun had barely even risen. Shota had both an endless supply of protein bars and lengthy explanations on carbohydrates and the importance of a balanced diet.
Apparently fast-food biscuits and doughnuts were no longer options.
My ability to sense and immobilize had already improved by Friday. I justly rewarded myself this morning with a ten-minute makeout session on his couch, barely escaping his hands when I'd finally fled out the door to get ready for the school day.
I was beginning to understand why he was tired all the time.
Ojiro finished the hour off with a terrifying demonstration made fun by using Mineta as his victim. Everyone clapped animatedly, pairing off to try the move themselves. So long as I had a female partner, I supposed this was acceptable; we were on school grounds, within a monitored room. Make a note to check again with Principal Nezu later.
Aside from Mineta crying over unfair pair-ups, the room took on a comfortable quiet. I took a moment to stretch out my groaning muscles as Yaoyorozu muttered the step-by-step strategy, giving a nod of finality once she felt satisfied with her memorization. Did she have eidetic memory? To compose the wonders of her quirk, she had to know the composition down to the molecule, right? I marveled all over again at the brilliance of my students.
They really are the heroes of tomorrow.
"Hey, do you think anyone would be interested in volunteer hours for class? You'd get to wear your costumes and utilize your new hero names," Which, I realized, might prove a problem if Bakugo really was sticking with King Explosion Murder.
Somehow I didn't think that'd go over well with Manami's elementary school kids.
Yaoyorozu blinked in surprise, narrowly avoiding my hook and tumbling me into Ojiro's taught arm bar. "Volunteer hours?"
"Yeah," I gasped, slamming my hand on the floor in submission. "My friend owns a bookstore and has a reading program for local kids, mostly from poor neighborhoods. Seeing you guys- the heroes of the future- could really make a difference to some of them."
"Fans? Young aspiring fans?" Mineta perked at the idea. Several students had also taken note, calling it quits on training to listen in. I sat up, stretched out my numbed arms in the process.
"We haven't hashed out the details and I'll need to ask Principal Nezu first, obviously, but the idea is for you to recognize how impressionable children are and how your actions- even now, as students yourself- shape society and the upcoming generations. Give them hope, show them that no matter their quirk or where they come from they, too, can become the next great hero. Just like you all will."
Somebody had replaced my fierce, destructive students with watery dopplegangers. Even Bakugo looked a little less angry. My heart hiccuped, feeling abashed by their expressions.
"Er, so...Would that be something any of you and your class would be interested in?"
"Absolutely! I love little kids!" Uraraka cheered, the first to break from the stupor. Yaoyorozu and Midoriya were quick to follow with strong nods.
"Yes."
"Assure all my future female fans I'll never settle on just one? Where do I sign?"
"The prospect of encouraging younger kids to pursue their hero dreams is a little nerve racking, but I would like to give it a shot." Tsu added after a pink tongue returned from smacking Mineta upside the head.
"Great! I'll email Principal Nezu and set up a conference first thing Monday," Warmth pooled in my chest. I couldn't wait to tell Manami. "Er, Bakugo? If you decide to participate, maybe you should stick with your actual name…"
"What the hell is wrong with my hero name?" He raged. At least it fits his personality, I admitted only to myself. "Deku can go by Deku, but I can't use mine?"
"We'll see what the Principal thinks," I sighed. If I didn't know any better, Bakugo seemed to pout. "Please return all the weights back to their correct spots. Good luck with your work studies! And have a good weekend."
Team Submersion tidied and returned, creating a circle. Bakugo watched indignantly before Uraraka noticed him. "Bakugo, come on."
"Come on for what?"
We all lifted our right hands, piling upon one another in the middle. Bakugo took a step backwards, a hissing cat eyeing a filled bathtub. Yaoyorozu smirked.
"It's the finale huddle to end the session. On three we say 'Plus Ultra'. Now come on, I have tutoring lessons to attend at five."
Holy shit, she had more work to do after this? I looked at the young woman in awe. She didn't even look tired. Meanwhile I was in bed by ten these days, barely able to trudge to the bed before collapsing.
"I am not huddling with you pansies. This isn't preschool."
"Bakugo." Teacher voice silenced the room and eight pairs of eyes turned quickly to me, backs straightening. I produced my fiercest glower. "Get in the huddle. Now."
Muttering under his breath, looking insurmountably pissed, King Explosion Murder joined the group, slapping his hand onto the pile.
"One, two, three, plus ultra!"
Bakugo took a vow of silence during the cheer. I felt like I'd won the battle nonetheless, beaming from ear to ear like a proud parent.
She'd clonked out almost as soon as she'd entered his apartment.
Slumped on the couch, one curved leg dangling off the edge, silvery drool escaping from one corner of that pink mouth. She didn't even make so much as a noise when he lifted and carefully re-situated her in the bedroom, exhausted limbs warm and limp in her slumber.
Chiyo Tsutomi had fared a great deal better this week than he'd expected; the biggest hurdle so far was her utmost reluctance in eliminating junk food from her abysmal diet. Based on the lunches she scarfed down at school, he'd made the mistake of assuming her other meals were similar in composition.
Turns out, the only vegetables she ate daily were the three puny carrot sticks in said lunches.
He'd never seen someone so enraged over being told no until Chiyo asked whether bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits were considered a healthy breakfast.
There had been something distinctly different about Chiyo, changing over the past few weeks even before she'd come to him for training. Her body didn't look quite as soft as when she'd first blown into UA nearly a semester ago, now. Over the last few weeks he'd noticed her arms narrowing, carving space around the faint muscles near her shirtsleeves. Even her face had begun to lose the remnant baby fat around the corners, revealing surprisingly strong bones that hollowed her cheeks when she gave him that chipped-tooth grin.
She was still easily-riled, clumsy, and prone to full-body flushes at the strangest teases, but there was a newfound grace to her. Confidence, maybe.
By this time tomorrow she'll have an answer to her mother's possible quirk.
By this time tomorrow he'll have been introduced formally to said mother who, if not completely thrown by the Manami situation, would certainly rake him across the coals before giving her blessing to date her only beloved child.
Between facing Nomu and Hannei Tsutomi, Shota Aizawa wondered if Chiyo would admire his new bone-crushed scars along with the old ones.
"Yo!" Yamada cheerily greeted, holding up a six-pack of beer in one hand and a bottle of something Aizawa hoped was just wine in the other. Kayama and All Might waved behind him on the doorstep.
Two observations brought Aizawa great relief: Kayama was- for once in her life- wearing regular, civilian clothing, and All Might's arms were filled with three appropriately-sized animal carriers. They were off to a good start.
"Hey. You can put the drinks in the fridge, if you want. The carriers you can leave by the door."
Kayama bounced in, putting on a show of taking in her surroundings. "Plain, but nice! I'm excited to see how Chi-chan will spruce this place up!"
"She doesn't live here, Kayama-"
"Where is my little kitten?" The midnight vixen stopped her flouncing, gave an owlish blink. "The actual cat, I mean. Not Chiyo."
Maybe he'd let Chiyo just sleep the entire duration of the trio's visit. Maybe he'd say they'd both come down with the plague, that the cats really weren't ready for adoption-
One room had awakened from the ruckus. Kayama became a great, swooning idiot instantly, falling on all fours as several floof balls pranced into the room, tails twitching in curiosity. Yamada returned from the kitchen, took one glance at the floor, and was instantly right beside Kayama, giggle-crying at the kitten gnawing on his swirled hair.
"Is Chiyo here?" The only other sane adult asked. Aizawa nodded. All Might took a seat just as a yellow kitten wandered over, climbing up his leg like Everest.
"She's napping in the other room."
Scarecrow hair nodded in misguided understanding. "She's been pushing herself too hard lately. Watching the Sports Festival really seemed to take a lot out of her."
The kitten reached the mountain peak, looking rather pleased with herself. Bony hands were hesitant in scratching behind her ears. Aizawa fought off the anger quietly simmering in his stomach with a low sigh.
"She isn't helpless, All Might."
All Might's gaunt face shot up quickly, surveying the premises for the very woman they were discussing. Aizawa couldn't be bothered to even look sorry.
"Still haven't told her, huh."
"It's complicated."
"Sure it is."
The earnest look in his blue eyes was wasted on Aizawa, who watched Yamada fiddle with the television. Quiet beats from his connected phone began to play out of the speakers.
"The night before the USJ attack I had intended to tell her,"
That got his attention. A small seed of guilt caused him to meet Toshinori's gaze.
"But then after, at the hospital- She told me, Toshinori, how the world still needed All Might. That she still needed All Might. I couldn't-" He trailed off. The seed sprouted a barkless sapling, hideous in color and bearing no fruit.
Aizawa let out a long sigh, slouching lower. "It's not my secret to tell, but I can't keep covering for you. Besides," He brushed back the hair from his face, readjusted the kitten in Toshinori's lap so she wouldn't fall off the man's bony legs. "You know how Tsutomi is. She's going to be angrier that you've been carrying all these burdens yourself way more than the fact that you've been lying to her."
"I like to look at it as 'selective honesty'."
A red-eyed glare turned the number one hero sheepish. Before Toshinori could defend himself further a new presence quieted the room. Even the kittens seemed to pause in their mischief to peer over in short-lived interest.
Her hair was messy, cowlicked where her head had lain, and there was a pillow crease across her left cheek. She bumbled in from the hallway, rubbing carefully at one eye with a yawn. "Shota? When are-"
Chiyo's light eyes went wide, freezing at the sight of the already-filled room. His stomach lurched- not altogether unpleasantly- when she looked at him, color rising in her features.
"Oh. Um, hi...Everyone." She swiped quickly at her mouth, self-conscious. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"Chi-chan!" Kayama cooed, treating the grown woman no differently than she had the kitten. Chiyo had no time to react before her pink face was swallowed by Kayama's breasts. "Sho-ta! So cute! My beautiful, delicate, flowering apprentice! Alas, I suppose you are now ready to learn the wicked ways of the birds and the bees-"
"Kayama, you're going to suffocate her," Toshinori admonished, quickly rising to his feet. Before he could approach, however, the delicate apprentice had maneuvered one leg behind her attacker's, throwing her with a quick shoulder and guiding her landing on the carpet.
Odd. He didn't recall teaching her that move.
"I see you've met the kittens, and-hey! You've adhered to the ones I thought best suited your personalities!" Kayama sat on her knees, continuing to cuddle Chiyo's head to hers. At least she wasn't trying to absorb her anymore. Chiyo seemed surprisingly unbothered by the zealot's actions. "Would anyone like a drink before we begin the lesson?"
"I brought alcohol; it's cooling in the fridge," Yamada informed by way of answer. Chiyo replaced her head with a kitten to pacify Kayama before rising to her feet.
"Toshi? Is that good with you?"
The man in question waved an embarrassed hand. "Water, if that's okay?"
The fact that Chiyo was privy to Toshinori's preferences, knew to ask such a question, irked him. Which was stupid; he'd just argued Chiyo was an adult, and adults had friends- platonic relationships with people of the opposite sex. It was very un-adult of him to be resentful of her thoughtful behavior towards someone else.
Knowing this didn't stop jealousy from nibbling at him any less, though.
"Do you have glasses?" Her voice cut through the internal struggle, gaze pointed. Aizawa rose from the couch to show her the minimal options in the kitchen.
They'd barely crossed the threshold before Chiyo pulled on his shirt, bending him to her. His breath always caught when she kissed him like this, abruptly and feverishly, like she couldn't wait a second longer. He'd only just caught her waist before she was already pulling away.
"Sorry! I can't believe I fell asleep like that," She criticized in a whisper, looking flustered. Everything always took a few seconds longer to process when she was so close, fluttery body beating a familiar heartbeat into him, soft scent lulling his senses. "Have they been here long? I hope I didn't embarrass you- I can say I was in the spare bedroom if you want-"
"Chiyo," He really just wanted to kiss her again, pull her onto the counter for easier access to the mouth worrying itself over nothing. It took a Herculean amount of effort not to simply forget the others just one room away and focus on her and the hesitant way she was watching him. "It's fine. They haven't been here very long. And I think Kayama would actually try and kidnap you if she thought you weren't sleeping in my room, even for a nap."
Her face dusted rose. Helpless, he kissed her again.
"Would it be sexist to pour Kayama wine and give Yamada a beer?"
He reluctantly let go of her. Chiyo bustled over to the fridge, mumbling to herself. "If you had grape juice I could just fool them into thinking I like wine…"
"You don't like wine?"
"It's just bitter grape juice."
He raised an eyebrow. "You drank it at the restaurant."
She quickly ducked behind the refrigerator door.
"It...seemed like the adult thing to do."
Chiyo looked up nervously upon the long sigh he produced.
A Herculean effort, indeed.
"Okay! We haven't named them- we're leaving that up to you," Chiyo passed around drinks before settling on the floor. She waved a hand like the teacher she was, shoulders straightening and face open. Aizawa sat next to her while the others formed a parallel line, each holding on to their respective kitten. Yamada looked between the two of them with unhidden delight. Aizawa shot him a glare, hopeful Chiyo hadn't noticed. She handed him Endo.
"This is Endo- we'll be keeping her. Aizawa is going to be my assistant and run through some important tasks in order to be a good parent," Chiyo explained with a friendly smile. Now Kayama joined in on the gooey-eyed staring, clutching a hand to the heart hidden somewhere under all that mammary. Aizawa fought the urge to kick the both of them out.
"Kittens are C.A.T.s: they need Care, Attention, and Tough love. They depend on their adoptive parents for food and clean water everyday, and an easily-accessible litter box that you must clean."
"Why are you both looking at me?" Yamada asked, affronted.
"Nice acronym!" Toshinori gave Chiyo a thumb's up and she very annoyingly pinked, just slightly.
"Secondly, kittens need attention! While they sleep just as much as adult cats, they have very active periods throughout; be sure to stimulate them with playtime. This serves as a perfect opportunity to start the bonding process." Chiyo wriggled her fingers. Endo toddled over in answer, falling over herself to catch Chiyo's quick fingers.
"Lastly, kittens need "tough love". It's important to set boundaries. If you're a no-cats-on-the-furniture type of person, it's best to teach them as soon as possible. What would be an appropriate way to teach them?"
Kayama's hand shot up. "Time out."
"Wrong." Aizawa answered flatly.
A long twig rose. "Conditioning?"
"Correct!" Chiyo praised with a little clap. "Through a plethora of conditioning types, you can foster the behavior you're looking for. Never, ever strike your pet; instead, reward him or her when they do something correctly, and reinforce positive behaviors. If you were going to punish your pet for doing something inappropriate, what might be a more ethical way?"
The room stared on blankly. Chiyo waited a beat longer. "What do cats dislike?"
"Affection." Kayama answered seriously.
"Dogs." Yamada said with confidence.
"I really think we can handle six cats; it wouldn't be that bad," Aizawa muttered to the woman beside him. She was doing another deep-breathing exercise to stay calm- he could tell by the way her shoulders moved.
"Toshinori?"
"Cats dislike...water?" He tried tentatively. Chiyo beamed as if he'd just lassoed her the moon. Aizawa's nose twitched.
"Yes. While I disapprove of physical punishments, a little squirt bottle might serve you well in these first months of training. Please use them sparingly."
Kayama raised her hand. Great reluctance painted Chiyo's features.
"Yes?"
"Let's say Zarugai chews up one of my whips-"
"You want to name your cat what?" Aizawa choked out. The seductress played innocent, giving her kitten's back a little scratch.
"Zarugai. See the darker stripes on his backside? The name makes perfect sense-"
"First of all, it's a girl. Second of all, learn to put your shit away. It's not the cat's fault if you're a slob."
A gentle hand patted his thigh, tying his annoyance back down in safe harbors.
"Cats don't really chew on things so much as try to sharpen their claws. Clothing doesn't act as good scratching posts- your furniture is at a higher risk of casualty. Provide some cardboard, a cat tree, even a small carpeted rug, and you should be fine."
"Thank you, Chiyo." Kayama said pointedly, snuggling the unfortunate kitten to her chest. "It's no wonder the first years prefer your methods of teaching-"
"Are there any other cat-related questions?" Chiyo cut in quickly, noting the sudden loss of gravity affecting only one person in the room. "Okay, good! We've divided up a bag of kitten food to send home with each of you, and some mini litter boxes. When your kittens start to grow, you'll have to transition to a larger one. You have both our numbers- one of us will be in contact at least once a day to check in."
"Such a good mom already!"
Kayama ignored the daggers thrown her way with acrobat-like ease. Chiyo blinked, still smiling naively.
"Oh, I already have a cat, actually. His name is Nasu-"
"Chi-chan, I'm not talking about mothering cats, I mean for when you two-"
"Hey Yamada, remember when Midnight accidentally switched out your decaffeinated tea with a black one right before our third year talent show?" Aizawa interrupted smoothly.
The only sound in the room was a kitten's quiet purring, halfway asleep in Toshinori's lap.
The ultimate betrayal etched horror into Nemuri Kayama's face.
Yamada blinked- the calm before the storm.
"She...what?"
"Oh, you didn't know?"Aizawa looked on with half-lidded eyes. "My bad."
"Eraser, you bastard," Kayama hissed.
"I lost…Because of you?" Cockatiel hair was tightening, swirling in like a viper readying a strike, voice skipping three octaves. "I could've walked away with everything-"
"When should I take him to the vet?" Toshinori seemed unbothered by the violence about to erupt beside him, even as Kayama began to scramble away from the hysterical blonde. Chiyo looked torn.
At last she scooted closer, keeping a careful watch on Yamada, who was attempting to pick up the couch.
"As soon as possible. There is a string of kitten vaccinations they need. In a few month's he'll be old enough to be spayed, which I highly recommend. Otherwise he'll- Kayama, no, you can't use your kitten as a shield-"
"It was an accident, Mic! I honest to god gave you the wrong drink and I'm sorry, but you are seriously overreacting!"
Blue eyes blinked, bulbous tummy exposed as Kayama held her kitten out to try and pacify the man breathing fire in her direction. He'd given up on the couch and was brandishing the tv remote around like a sword.
"I could've been great-"
"You are great!"
"I could've been a professional-"
"You're a professional hero, Mic! Isn't that better than some one-hit wonder pop star?"
"I DON'T KNOW, NEMURI. I'LL NEVER GET TO KNOW NOW THAT YOU'VE RUINED MY CHANCES."
Chiyo maneuvered towards Yamada. Her fingers were moments away from grabbing his arm- to knock him comatose with submersion, no doubt- when Toshinori caught her shoulder in caution. Aizawa watched annoyance tick her placid face before her features rearranged back into a polite smile.
Good- All Might's condescending actions were beginning to piss her off, too. If he didn't start taking note of Chiyo's changing current soon, she'd wash him away at high tide- with a lot of yelling and arm slapping, no doubt.
The remote flew from Yamada's hand just as Chiyo broke free from Toshinori's grip, thwacking her directly in the face.
Bizarrely, Kayama screamed, as if she had been hit herself.
"Chi-chan!"
"Tsutomi! Shit! Oh shit, sorry," Yamada really did look apologetic, forgetting his anger as a dark head tilted, hands quick to hide her wound. They crowded her bent figure. "Are you okay?"
"Mhm!" Her chipper voice muffled through laced fingers. Chiyo rose and Kayama shrieked again, sending the kittens skittering underneath the couch. "I'm fine, really!"
"You sure? Because that is a lot of blood," Yamada bluntly pointed out. Panic struck Chiyo's face; red dribbled between her fingers, waterfalling from her nose when she fully pulled her hands away.
"Should we- Do you need to go to the ER?" Toshinori asked hesitantly. Aizawa could practically hear her heart increase in tempo as he glided out of the kitchen and pushed aside the trio hovering around her. He gave her a towel to wipe the blood from her hands and gently pinched her nose closed with another.
"She'll be fine, it's just a nosebleed."
Chiyo shoulders sagged and she looked at him with great relief. He shook his head, caught between annoyance and the way she was suddenly holding on to his shirt, like he might disappear and leave her with these nutcases. "Will you stop acting like jackasses now?"
Yamada snapped back to his previous engagement. An accusatory finger jabbed in Kayama's direction. "Yet again, causing more trouble than you're worth!"
"Me? Me? You attacked Chi-chan! My poor, defenseless lovechild; thank the heavens she has Aizawa and I to care for her-"
"Does submersion help at all with injuries?" Aizawa asked quietly. She'd reached up to touch her tender nose, fingers warm against his. "Can you clot it, or stop the flow?"
Her eyes closed and a deep breath relaxed her features. Through their shared contact submersion caught, slowed, his breathing as well. He inched closer, relishing the calm fluidity.
"I think...When there's a tear in a vein, your body self-clots the wound; problem is, your blood moves faster than the time it sometimes takes to fix it. If I focus on slowing the flow, I think I can stop blood loss."
"That's incredible."
Chiyo's skin glowed. He pulled away, revealing a dammed nose with only a few leftover smudges noting the bleed ever happened. Shota felt his own features growing soft, looking at her shyly smiling face.
Their friends' quarreling had ceased.
Instead, the room was looking at the couple through a valentine filter, transfixed by their closeness.
Because his hand still held hers, Aizawa felt her reaction more than witnessed the telltales of her growing nerves, pouring into his own chest. Chiyo gave them her attention but didn't pull away. Aizawa's heart gave a little surprised kick. Her mouth curved, noticing.
"Are there any more questions?"
"Yeah. Will you name your first kid after me?" Yamada asked with a smirk.
A bottle hurtled in his direction, aim precise against the back of his knees.
"Oh dear, you've fallen down," Chiyo noted without moving a muscle. "Do you need some help?"
Kayama's skin paled like the ghost she fearfully glanced around for. The hovering beer bottle became inanimate, falling to earth and smacking Yamada once again. He toppled back onto the floor with a wail.
"Oh no, your poor head," Chiyo cried not very believably, hurrying over to pat the lump growing above his glasses. Toshinori watched with clear suspicion. Aizawa was at least glad to see Kayama had found her pet and was protectively hiding the kitten in the folds of her shirt rather than using it as a shield again.
"Eraser, what the hell's wrong with your apartment?" Endo poked out from under the couch and Kayama let out a frightened hiss. "I just need the cat food and litter box, right?"
"Oh, no! You're leaving?"
By this point Aizawa was blown away no one realized the total act Chiyo was laying on, tone two octaves too high and ridiculously concerned. Every time she patted Yamada on the back he lost his balance and crash-landed into the floorboards, like some Saturday morning cartoon skit.
The x-turned-g-rated heroine had caught Yamada's kitten, too. She proved herself a gentle handler as she maneuvered both into their respective carriers and grabbed the back of Yamada's jacket, dragging him towards the door.
"Yes, terribly sorry, you see, we- I have to restore my past transgression! I'll stop by the store and get Mic the right tea- it really can't wait- Good-bye, Toshinori Yagi! Farewell, lovebirds!" With no free hands Midnight smacked her lips towards the ceiling, catching the kiss with a gush of breath and sending it towards the three remaining adults, slamming the door behind her.
Aizawa retrieved the bottle, noting its lack of contents. "There's no water in here."
"Yes there is," Chiyo replied from the couch she'd sighed herself upon. "Just a few drops, but enough to move the bottle."
"You know Kayama's never going to come back here, right?"
Chiyo smirked. "You're welcome."
"It was really you?"
Aizawa had nearly forgotten his third house guest, standing like a lonely palm tree near the wall. Chiyo patted the cushion next to her and Toshinori answered, moving to the middle of the couch.
Which, annoyingly, meant the emaciated walking stick would be the only one sitting next to her.
"I guess I should come clean about a few things," Chiyo began, drawing her legs onto the couch and fully facing her friend. "One- I've been training with my quirk, feeling out its capabilities and expanding its uses, with the intent to become both a better wielder and more capable of protecting my- our- students, as well as myself. Two-" She flicked two fingers up for emphasis. "-I believe a large portion of my quirk deterrence was due to my mother's influence, be it from a mental quirk or simply her parenting."
Mental quirk, Aizawa thought without a doubt. He'd considered pulling the ottoman over, sitting between the two of them, before realizing how truly pathetic he was being. Chiyo's eyes flicked to him. Her eyebrows furrowed a centimeter, somehow picking up on his sullenness as he slunk onto the other side of the couch.
"You think your mother was controlling you through a quirk?" Toshinori's voice was grave. Chiyo's bottom lip disappeared in response, hesitant to answer.
"Probably. Maybe. We know she lied about Manami; I have tangible proof. Which leads me to Thing Number Three-" She added a finger, in case they'd somehow lost count. "Tomorrow morning I will confront her in a public place, calmly, about Manami. Shota will be with me,"
He noted how she didn't add why he would be there, specifically, though there was a distinct blush hiding underneath the dark hair near her neck. Using his first name also felt strangely intimate. Toshinori even took notice, posture shifting just slightly after she'd spoken.
"I think it's important to emphasize I love her and that I'm not angry, not really. I just want to know the truth."
"I think this is a terrible idea."
Chiyo's cheeks filled with dynamite, collapsed with her friend's igniting words. Aizawa watched on without comment.
The blonde scarecrow had better be careful- his intent gaze and deep voice were reflective of his beefier persona, and while Midnight's "protege" had moments of naivety, she wasn't nearly as big a fool as All Might took her for.
"Chiyo, this is dangerous. If there's even a chance your mother has a mental quirk- which she cannot legally utilize against unwilling victims- the authorities should be involved."
"I'm not calling the police on my mom, Toshinori." Chiyo answered immediately, offended by the idea. "I'm not even sure she has a quirk- that's why I'm finding out tomorrow-"
"By asking her outright. She's not even in Japan's civilian database, Chiyo, which should already be investigated-"
"What?" She sounded calm; far calmer than the storm darkening her features and weighing her mouth down like rain-heavy clouds. Straw hair jumped from the sudden lightning.
"I...Was with Aizawa, when he keyed in Hannei Tsutomi's name and received no information-"
"What do you intend to do with that information, Toshinori?"
He looked as if she'd struck him.
"What are you implying, Chiyo?"
She was an ocean of calm movements, sliding back like the tide, away from Toshinori.
"Who have you told about my mother?"
That day in the park, when she'd crash-landed into him, pulled away by her mother's loving arms, Shota had been struck by her watchful, distrusting eyes, like a fawn on the brink of a meadow. Skittish. Fearful.
Now, appearing between those trees, he noticed a sureness she hadn't possessed then, the cloaking darkness veiling a figure much more than a deer.
She was a wendigo, eyeing the hunter treading upon her land.
"I mentioned it to my friend down at the station, Tsukauchi. I trust him with my life and thought he might be able to help."
The Toshinori Chiyo was accustomed to, apologetic and easily embarrassed, was nowhere to be found; instead there was only a sternness she'd never witnessed before. "I did nothing intentionally to upset you, Chiyo; I just want to keep you safe."
A step too close.
Her hands were shaking. The air itself felt heavier with her slow, deep breaths.
"Stop."
All Might went to speak again. A hand raised, silencing him.
Three more breaths.
Two.
One.
"Has it ever occurred to you that I maybe don't need your protection? That I'm not some stupid, helpless damsel, waiting to be saved?"
Something sang in Aizawa's chest. He stuck a pin through its cheering body, tacked it onto a board for later.
"Chiyo, I didn't-"
"Please stop saying my name." She'd risen from the couch, fingers twitching with electric energy she didn't know what to do with. "Toshi, I don't think you realize how patronizing you sound sometimes. I know I'm not that strong, and that I've got a long way to go, but I don't need you looking down your nose at me all the time-"
"That's not my intention. That's never my intention."
It was almost painful, watching them. But it wasn't his place; let them hash this out themselves. Great discomfort played across his spine like a macabre xylophone. Chiyo was upset and rightly so. Don't interfere.
"Your intention and your behavior are not always synonymous, Toshi. My mother is none of your concern."
"If she's illegally using her quirk then it very well is my concern," He answered, not backing down. Chiyo whirled in his direction.
"I'm sorry, are you a special investigator? Is this your undercover mission? If the answer's no, then you need to back off."
Toshinori had risen, towering over the viperous woman glaring up at him.
"You don't know what you're getting yourself into. It's my duty to protect those around me."
A hand reached for her shoulder.
Chiyo froze it in place without even breaking eye contact.
"I know my mother. I know who I am, and what I'm capable of. You are the only one I'm currently not understanding. I-" Chiyo's face went blank. She blinked in surprise, answered submersion's insistence on having her attention. Chiyo's gaze slowly trailed from Toshinori's gaunt face, down his jaw and into his chest, expression curling in confusion. "What-"
A squall of wind cut her question short, knocking her concentration from his gnarled flesh as she fell back. Aizawa caught her by the shoulders, reaction too quick for Chiyo to have even seen. Her head knocked harmlessly against his chest. The very breath was knocked out of her lungs and coughed, flailing like a surfaced fish. White hot anger ripped through Aizawa's demeanor, violent and demanding. Blue medallion's stared back in horror.
She had been moments away from exposing him, catching the similarities between the body of All Might and his. In a flash of fearful stupidity he had recreated a mild version of Izuku Midoriya's attack, flinging her off balance with the sudden gust of concentrated air.
Regardless of its benign power, Toshinori Yagi- All Might- had attacked her.
"Chiyo, my God. I'm so sorry-"
"I think you should go." It wasn't a request. It was the most civil comment Aizawa could currently manage.
Chiyo pushed out of his arms defiantly, face still pinched but with a new undertone of concern.
"What the hell was that?"
Her friend was returning, eyes wide and body subtly shaking by an unseen earthquake that seemed to only affect him. He looked like she'd so often felt and was painfully reminded of a past she could never escape. A breath fell from her lips, slowed her anger to a simmering boil.
"Toshinori, you're the closest thing I've had to a best friend in fifteen years. I can't do this; I can't be mad and fight with you. But I can't allow you to try and direct my life for me."
It was clear he was hiding something.
She knew, better than anyone, what that felt like.
"I'm going to introduce Shota to my mother tomorrow. We're going to have lunch at her favorite overpriced cafe, and I'm going to bring up Manami Seto. I'll undercover the truth and move forward from there. When it's all over, when we can sit and talk and maybe get that awful coffee you like, then you can explain what just happened, and what you're hiding." His mouth opened and she held up a hand once more, quieting whatever he was going to say. "For now I just need you to trust me. Okay?"
"I still don't think what you're doing is wise," Toshinori finally replied, words slow. Chiyo's face gave away no reaction, waiting for him to continue. "But I trust you. Please, please be careful."
Chiyo Tsutomi still stood like a constricted predator, eyes hardened stones.
"If you ever attack your kitten, so much as breathe too harshly in his direction, I'll kill you myself."
The scarecrow shook in her wind, rightfully frightened. "I understand."
Aizawa loosed a breath he hadn't known he was holding.
The wendigo slipped back into the meadow, pacified.
His groan startled them both, seemingly having forgotten whose home they were in.
"You are both beyond exhausting."
Toshinori and Chiyo wore matching cherry expressions and everything took on a flavor of normalcy, both profusely expressing their utmost apologies and admonishing their lack of courtesy as they tidied about, collecting cat toys and kittens alike in their frantic cleaning. Aizawa grew tired just watching them.
It felt odd, considering the extreme events of only moments ago, to stand in the doorway with Chiyo by his side, happily waving like the perfect hostess as their final guest journeyed into the night with his new family addition.
Like a normal couple, saying good-bye to their normal friends after a normal get-together.
If by normal friends one meant a sadist, a cockatiel, and the world's strongest hero.
And by get-together one meant a faked apparition's attack and the world's strongest hero freaking out about his identity being uncovered and attacking an unarmed woman.
Marginal differences, Aizawa decided.
"That was the most tiresome night of my entire life," Chiyo deadpanned, slamming the door after Toshinori disappeared from sight. Her entire appearance changed into one of annoyed exhaustion. "And I'm including college and my night shifts at the video store."
"This was your idea," Aizawa pointed out helpfully. Her dead eyes quirked his mouth without consent. "You worked at a video store?"
"Up until this school year," She pulled him towards the couch, threw him haphazardly down and cuddled into his side. If she felt his heart quicken she didn't comment.
"Was there a uniform?"
Burning pain graced his chest as she bit him. "Chiyo, damn it."
"Why are men such morons," She muttered back, wrapping her arms around his torso and hiding from the light. He smoothed her hair back and gained a pleasured sigh.
Sitting on the couch together with nothing but their shared breathing, he really did feel normal; this could be his normal. With her, at the end of the day, sharing in weariness from high-strung teenagers and villainous threats, ranting about early morning meetings and taking turns grading Kirishima's illegible handwriting. Training and running, pretending he didn't notice her checking him out every five seconds like a lustful schoolgirl, watching her nose wrinkle with a grin when he finally called her out.
Being with her, kissing her whenever, wherever, stealing the quiet breath from her lips. Relishing the feel of her soft legs and shoulders and stomach, the way she kissed his neck like she knew exactly where he was weakest.
The realization was slow, like the descent of the sun on the final, perfect day of summer.
But it struck with all the strength of the night's stars, pricking constellations throughout his body.
"Shota?"
Two curious eyes were watching him, chin propped over his thudding heart. His normal calm was failing, allowing the warmth usually held at bay near his throat into his jaw, crawling between the bones of his face. Utilizing a tactic Chiyo so often succumbed to, Shota closed his eyes, let his head fall against the couch in hopes the blood would drain back to its rightful place.
"You fell down the rabbit hole, huh?"
"Mhm."
Fingers were gentle on his arm, tracing senseless words only she understood. He felt her shift, resting the side of her face back against his chest with a sigh.
"I should go."
No.
"Mom's usually early to things, so I think we should leave by ten-thirty. I don't mind picking you up, but she'll definitely cast mom-judgment if I drive us."
"Stay."
Chiyo sat up in surprise. He couldn't open his eyes; her gaze would blind him.
"What?"
"Stay here tonight."
It was unintentional, but the sudden racing filtered into his veins, displaying her heart better than any look ever could. He chanced it anyway, trying not to fragment into a thousand runaway balloons geared towards the sky.
She wasn't blushing like he expected.
In fact, her features didn't display an ounce of nervousness.
Instead they were drinking him in, lost in thoughts he could only hope to know.
"I don't have any clothes here," Chiyo finally answered, voice soft. "And I need tomorrow to go perfectly."
He nodded. It made perfect sense.
And yet embarrassment chewed on his stomach lining like a tapeworm, roiling in on itself.
Chiyo proved defter than the feeling, sliding a leg across his waist and demanding his full attention, openly defying his body's natural reaction at being denied. Hands caught the sides of his jaw but she didn't kiss him, instead continuing to look at him with a seriousness that quieted everything.
"Tomorrow we're going to meet my mom. I'm going to call you my boyfriend. Out loud- not just giddily in my brain like I have for the past few weeks," A smile tugged at his lips and she melted, just slightly. "I'll filter through whatever she has to say, and then we'll gorge ourselves on a decidedly unhealthy meal. I'll be a nervous wreck and you'll hold my hand under the table, to let me know you're there. We'll spend countless hours dissecting the conversations and comments she makes about the way you dress. And then we'll come back, and I'll stay here."
"The way I dress?" Shota repeated, already fatigued by the oncoming inquisition. But she smiled, and that little chip appeared, and suddenly he couldn't remember or think of anything but the soft way she was burying into his neck, tickling his skin with her laugh.
"Don't be surprised when she asks when your last physical check-up was. Or what happened with your last girlfriend and if it ended on good terms. If she asks if we're having sex, just compliment her hair and she'll get distracted."
"...She's not really going to ask that though, right?"
The look Chiyo gave him, mouth a twitching line and dancing light in her eyes, was not the answer he was hoping for.
Yes, he decided.
The Nomu would definitely be preferable.
Author's Note: Zarugai roughly translates to cockle. Kayama is referencing cockles and their ribbed-shell pattern, similar to the stripes of her unsuspecting kitten. I chuckled to myself while writing this.
I would've liked to have been a fly on the wall when Midoriya brought up Operation Submersion to Bakugo. Was Midoriya really seeking his help, or did Bakugo overhear and demand to be told the details? And how long will it be before Kirishima noses his way into the group, too? (It's only a matter of time. You know it. I know it. We all know it.)
Thank you for all the follows, favorites, and reviews!
