[[Warning: Quick content warning for Aizawa's PTSD (it's not THAT heavy but still) and Bakugo's typical bad language.]]

Midnight was raving about a 'friend' who ran yoga classes with a lean towards mediation and Quirk control. Her studio was located in central Musutafu, but she was more than happy to bring her services to U.A..

"Not now..." Aizawa grumbled, swatting Midnight away from his desk. He studied his homeroom's seating chart as if it was game of shogi.

Aoyama would want to remain in the No. 1 spot, where he claimed to have the best view and everyone had the best view of him.

Hagakure had to stay at the front for Aizawa to see her if she raised her arm. (Not that his eyesight was an issue.)

Jiro seemed content sitting behind Shoji, the latter's height notwithstanding.

Partners in crime, Ashido and Kaminari were constantly conspiring through whispers and trying to copy off each other. Aizawa was reluctant to move them though, because they got along so well with their neighbours. Tsuyu was a positive influence over Ashido. Jiro kept Kaminari in check.

Sero was a stable addition to the central row, keeping his classmates both upbeat and grounded at the same time.

Iida would not appreciate being uprooted from his desk. (He wouldn't appreciate any rearrangements without consulting Aizawa first.) He was in prime position to shout to the rest of the class, and he was near Uraraka.

Tokoyami and Koda were quietly content sitting together.

Then there was Mineta. (The purple pest was on thin ice after that stunt he'd pulled at the baths.) Far too often, Mineta's eyes would stray from the board to ogle at Yaoyorozu. Even Todoroki's cold stares weren't enough to stave off Mineta.

As of yet, Yaoyorozu hadn't complained to Aizawa, but if this continued... Mineta wouldn't just move seats. He would be removed from the room. Permanently.

For now, maybe Sato could swap seats with Yaoyorozu? But that would mean isolating Sato in the corner, where he could get lonely. Todoroki wasn't exactly the chatty type. Neither was Koda, but Sato seemed to enjoy his company.

The last thing Aizawa wanted was to separate the kids from their friends…

He was keen, though, to put as much distance as possible between certain rivals.

"What's the big deal?" Midnight demanded, yanking the chart out from under Aizawa's nose. She was way too close to his face. Aizawa gave her a withering look and she leaned back.

"Did you hear about Bakugo and Midoriyas'… battle?" Aizawa huffed.

"Sweetie, the whole school heard about it. Those boys were going at it like two carnal cats—"

"Can you not?" (Pixie Bob's 'grooming' of his male students had been weird enough…)

Midnight pursed her lips. "What was all the ruckus about?"

"All Might's retirement, apparently." That was what triggered the fight, but this enmity had been festering between Midoriya and Bakugo for years. If left unresolved… it would only be a matter of time before they fought again.

"You should have called me," Midnight said, hitching up her sleeves. "I would've knocked them right out!"

"They don't need to be knocked out," Aizawa retorted. "What they need is to exist in the same room without one burning the other to a crisp."

"Okay... I get it. They're your kids— your problem." She returned the seating chart to him. "But you really should consider letting Yasu give them a class. Just one. Her techniques will help reduce the tension amongst the students… and you."

"I'm fine, thanks."

She shrugged and sauntered towards the door. "Well, I'm glad you're fine with it... because Yasu is on her way right now."

"What?" Aizawa glanced at the clock. "They don't have time fo—"

"I was meant to have 1-A sixth period, but I cancelled our class. They'll be learning the art of yoga instead." Stopping in the doorway, she shot him a sly smirk over her shoulder. "And before you ask— yes, I approved all this with the principle. I'll leave 1-A in Yasu's capable hands. You're welcome to join them if you like! Yasu won't mind— she's flexible."

Aizawa's hair stood up on its ends. "Midnight," he hissed, sounding like a feral cat himself at that moment.

"I'm free for the rest of the day now! Byeee!"

First impressions are rarely a reflection of one's true self.

Aizawa couldn't remember who had said that— probably some Pro Hero or another— but he couldn't completely agree with them.

Villains threatening the lives of children didn't deserve a second chance. Children themselves, however, still had the potential to grow.

(Just look at Midoriya…)

Aizawa was sat in his sleeping bag on the grass, where he could keep a close watch over his class.

So far, everything seemed to be running smoothly. Yasu Yumiko had corralled the kids out onto the P.E. Grounds and handed each of them a blue yoga mat.

There had been a few squabbles over who got to go where (Mineta and Kaminari had wanted a better view of their 'fit' instructor) but Yasu had spread them all out. Conveniently, Midoriya and Bakugo had ended up on opposite sides of the exercise field.

This was the very place Aizawa had declared Izuku Midoriya was doomed to fail.

Currently, Midoriya was doing sit-ups on his mat. He had gained a lot of muscle (and scars) since the Quirk Apprehension Test.

"Impractical."

Next to Midoriya, Uraraka was starfished across her own mat. She groaned to Midoriya and he offered to hold her feet down. He counted as she started doing sit-ups.

"Useless."

By the time Uraraka had achieved ten sit-ups, the rest of the class were cheering for her with Midoriya.

"Liability."

Midoriya had passed that first test, despite the flaws with his Quirk. He had stepped up while Aizawa was out for the count at USJ.

Midoriya had continuously proved him wrong. The kid wasn't a liability— he was a goddam wild card.

If Midoriya had admitted defeat back then, Aizawa would have let him walk away. No point in pushing someone if their heart wasn't in the right place.

But if Midoriya had made a third lousy ball throw…? Aizawa still would have expelled him, before re-enrolling him the very next day. (He and Shinso could have been classmates…)

Aizawa looked up as Yasu blew a whistle to grab the class's attention.

Yasu asked if any of them had done yoga before (Ashido, Shoji and Ojiro raised their hands) and if there were any injures (Midoriya and Bakugo should have raised their hands).

She informed them that her class was suited for all abilities and they could take it at their own pace.

Her voice was resonant but soothing, rather like All Might's. The similarities didn't stop there; she had blonde hair (dyed with dark roots seeping through), a strong posture, and a bright smile. She was even wearing the colours of the American flag— a white tank top, blue shorts and red flat shoes.

Presumably, she was an All Might fan.

This should have set off alarm bells in Aizawa's head.

But then, Shinso Hitoshi came along.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" Aizawa said as Shinso joined him on the grass.

Shinso glanced from him, to Class 1-A, and back to Aizawa. He raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you?"

"Free period." (Aizawa knew for a fact that Shinso did not have a free period.) "I should tell Ectoplasm you're skiving."

"Go ahead." Shinso shrugged. "Won't I be switching classes soon, anyway?" He sounded indifferent, but Aizawa could detect the anticipation in his tone.

"Nothing's set in stone yet," Aizawa murmured. "And if this is how you view your studies, then maybe the hero course isn't for you."

"Maybe you're right…" Shinso stared at the class again. Everyone was now sitting cross-legged while Yasu rambled about deep breathing and letting go and finding their inner calm. Shinso snorted, "I'd hate to miss out on yoga—"

"DAMMIT, DEKU! I CAN HEAR YOUR BREATHING ALL THE WAY OVER HERE!"

So much for meditation.

Shinso frowned and took a step towards the class. Aizawa stood up and pushed Shinso aside, muttering for him to get back to Maths.

"S-sorry, Kacchan!" Midoriya cried.

"YOU BETTER BE!"

To Aizawa's surprise— or maybe it wasn't that surprising, really— Tokoyami let out a dry remark. "Yes, Midoriya is the noisy one here."

Tokoyami had just made himself a target. Being at the centre of the class, he was much closer to Bakugo than Midoriya.

Eyes blazing, Bakugo rounded on him and bellowed, "WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME, CHICKENSHIT?"

Aizawa was on the exercise field.

Yasu finally intervened. (Had she just been listening up until this point?) She called, "I won't tolerate that kind of language in my class—!"

"HOW ABOUT I LAUNCH ANOTHER STUN GRENADE AT YOU?" Bakugo barked.

"Try it," Dark Shadow taunted, extending from Tokoyami's stomach.

He and Bakugo faced each other, ignoring their friends' attempts to come between them.

Iida was using his arms as a barrier. "This is no way to behave in front of a guest teacher!"

Both Kirishima and Kaminari were trying to calm Bakugo down:

"C'mon… This isn't how real men fight!"

"Don't make me paralyse you!"

"Just in time…" Ojiro puffed as Aizawa passed through the class. He had his capturing weapon ready.

"That's enough!" Yasu decided to take matters into her own hands… quite literally.

Her arms whipped over the kids' heads, faster than Sero could fire a piece of tape across homeroom. Yasu had some sort of flexibility Quirk— fitting for a yoga instructor.

If it was anything like Tiger's Pliabody ("Transformation Quirk!" Mic would remind him) then Aizawa could erase it.

Yasu's hands landed on Bakugo's shoulders. Her fingers splayed down his back like spiderwebs.

"Sit down," she ordered, shoving him into the ground.

"Get your hands off my student," Aizawa snarled. Iida, Kaminari and Kirishima edged away from him. Even Dark Shadow retreated back into Tokoyami's body.

Bakugo's shoulders began to smoke. With a yelp, Yasu peeled her hands away and her arms retracted.

"Try and touch me again,"Bakugo challenged. "I DARE YOU!" He aimed a crackling fist in Yasu's direction.

"You should have stayed with those villains," Yasu yelled. "That's where you be—"

The capturing weapon enveloped her mouth and limbs.

Erasure activated, Aizawa spun Bakugo around by the shoulder.

"Don't rise to…" The rebuke died on Aizawa's lips. He felt the heat from the boy's hands. The fire was dwindling, but it was a blue furnace against Aizawa's face. He could barely breathe from the stench of burned flesh.

"LET GO OF ME!"

…Bakugo?

Aizawa blinked and released a breath. The boy's spiky hair faded from black to blonde; dead blue eyes brightened to red.

Bakugo's orange flames roared back to life, like someone had switched a flick on a stove.

"GET OFF ME, OLD MAN! YOU'RE BURNING!"

So he was. His hand...

Far too late, Aizawa moved his left arm away from Bakugo. His grip slackened on the capturing weapon.

Not that it mattered— Yasu was forgotten entirely in the ensuing alarm. No… calling it 'alarm' did his students a disservice.

"Bakugo!" Kirishima shouted. Bakugo promptly quenched the fire covering his arms.

"We need water," Iida ordered, just as Yaoyorozu ran over with a bottle of water. (Whether she had brought it with her or created it herself, Aizawa would work out later.)

Yaoyorozu poured the water over Aizawa's hand. Aizawa hissed through his teeth. His palm was red and swollen, but at least he knew the pain was real.

Kaminari winced and wondered, "Todoroki, could you… cool it off?"

"The last thing he needs is frost bite," Todoroki said.

Aizawa exhaled loudly. "I'm fine—"

"Where's Recovery Girl?"

"She—"

Aizawa's eyes widened as he realised who he had just answered. He froze. His mind became engulfed with fog. The panic and the pain from the fire faded.

"Go to Recovery Girl," Shinso instructed in a low voice. "Let her heal you."

Aizawa's vision had gone fuzzy— static on a TV— but his feet knew the way to the nurse's office.

There were muffled protests behind him. Only Shinso's voice was clear.

"Midoriya, Tokoyami, make sure he gets there."

I could... Aizawa struggled to think. I could break through his control, if I really tried. Midoriya managed it...

But there was some... comfort in letting Shinso take control.

Much like how it had numbed the pain of his burn, Aizawa's fears had slipped away. Why had he been so afraid? He was at U.A.— far away from the League of Villains— and he was going to see Recovery Girl. Maybe Hizashi would meet him there afterwards.

Shinso would keep his students in line. They were more than capable of protecting themselves.

Everyone was safe. He could rest...

Someone kissed his hand, followed by his forehead.

"Shinso," Aizawa spluttered. His senses came into sharp focus for a second before the tiredness set in.

He was sitting on a stool opposite a glaring Recovery Girl.

"Midoriya Izuku already told me everything," she said sternly.

Aizawa sighed and looked at the office door. Midoriya had been peeping through the window, but he ducked his head like a rabbit diving into its burrow.

Recovery Girl chided, "Why didn't you come to see me sooner?"

"It was just a burn," Aizawa bit out. He scowled at his hand; the scorched skin had been reduced to a faint pink scar. (What was one more to add to the collection?)

"Nearly a second degree burn, but that's not what I mean." Recovery Girl touched his hand. "A little birdie told me about how you froze when you were erasing Bakugo's explosive Quirk. Why is that, Aizawa Shota?"

"I was dealing with a rabid 'yoga teacher' at the same time." (He was going to hunt Midnight down after this. And Shinso...)

"Well, then, you'll be pleased to hear that she's been escorted off school premises," Recovery Girl reported.

"In that case, I should get back to my class. Thanks for your help." Aizawa headed for the door, only to discover it was locked. He pressed his head against the window in frustration.

Out in the waiting area, Midoriya and Tokoyami were watching him like a pair of strays.

Was it worth asking Midoriya to break down the door...?

Maybe not, if he wanted to make it out of here alive.

Aizawa turned back to Recovery Girl.

She was still at her desk, writing in a notebook. Without looking up at him, she inquired, "Have you been saving your Quirk for emergencies, like I suggested?"

"Define 'emergency'."

She clicked her tongue. "I'll take that as a no... Have you been sleeping properly? Are you getting your full eight hours?"

"I've been sleeping a bit better," Aizawa replied sincerely. Hizashi had made sure of that at home. At school, Toshinori had convinced him to take naps in the staffroom.

Aizawa had thought he'd been getting better, until...

"The training camp," Aizawa mumbled.

Recovery Girl hummed. "I wonder..."

"I wonder if you can save them in the end?"

A patchwork face flashed through Aizawa's mind. He closed his eyes until the memory had melted away.

When he opened his eyes, Recovery Girl was at his side. She was holding a key and a white paper bag.

"I'm signing you off work for three days—"

"That's not an option. Hero Work-Studies are starting soon." ...If they were allowed to start at all. Personally, Aizawa would rather skip the whole programme.

"Alright," Recovery Girl acquiesced. "Will you ask some of the third-year students to help cover your class?"

"I already have three in mind." They would set a good example for Aizawa's troublemakers.

Recovery Girl nodded. "While they're covering for you, you will take more breaks and use your Quirk sparingly." She thrust the paper bag into his right hand. "I've prescribed you an ointment for the burn and some new eye drops. You'll also find the phone number for a therapist. They're an old friend of mine—"

Aizawa cut her off, "I've had enough 'friend' recommendations for one day."

Recovery Girl kept frowning at him. Then she sighed. "Just talk to someone, will you? You have Hizashi, Toshinori... even your students would understand..."

Aizawa nodded. She unlocked the door and held it open for him. He trudged out and his two students shot to their feet.

"M-Mr Aizawa!" Midoriya's mouth was running a mile a minute. "Are you okay? How's your hand— and your head? Sorry, we didn't want to rely on Recovery Girl, but Shinso said..." Midoriya halted when Aizawa held up his left hand, showing him how the burn had healed.

"It's fine," Aizawa dismissed. "This was... necessary."

"Mmhmm," Recovery Girl agreed from the doorway. Aizawa shut the door on her with his capturing weapon.

He started walking down the corridor. Midoriya and Tokoyami fell into step alongside him.

Midoriya stammered, "I'm... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have set Kacchan off—"

"Stop apologising," Aizawa sighed wearily. (Why did recovery take so much energy?) "None of this is your fault."

"Perhaps part of the blame lies with me," Tokoyami admitted.

"Yeah," Aizawa said, "but you're not the one who lost control."

It wasn't meant to be a compliment, but Tokoyami still looked away, smiling a little.

Aizawa thought some of his students would have left for the day. He wouldn't blame them— their yoga class was a disaster and their homeroom teacher had been brainwashed.

In fact, all of Class 1-A (plus Shinso) were still waiting on the exercise field. They had cleared the yoga mats away and they were all clustered together.

As he got closer, Aizawa realised Shinso and Bakugo were at the centre of it.

Oh, great... What had Shinso gotten himself into?

It was far too quiet for a fight to be taking place.

"What's happening?" Aizawa demanded.

"Oh, Mr Aizawa!"

"He's back!"

"Monsieur, vous allez bien?"

"Did you talk to Recovery Girl, ribbit?"

"Give him space, everyone!"

"I bet you have a manly scar now!"

"You're not still a zombie, are you…?"

Aizawa wasn't, but it appeared Bakugo was. His eyes were blank, his mouth was hanging open and he was utterly silent.

"Kacchan..." Midoriya whispered, unnerved.

"You can let him go now," Aizawa told Shinso.

Shinso glanced from Aizawa to Bakugo. He commanded, "Apologise to Mr Aizawa."

"Sorry, Mr Aizawa," Bakugo said mechanically.

Shinso shuffled off with his hands in his pockets. The class parted for him as if he was carrying poison.

"—You...!" Bakugo gasped. He blinked and shook his head. "Where is he…!"

"Uh, who?" Kaminari asked innocently.

"Aizawa!" Bakugo snapped. He went quiet when he met Aizawa's gaze. Bakugo bowed his head. "I didn't mean to burn you…" he grumbled. "You should've stayed out of my way."

It was as close to an apology as they were going to get from Bakugo, and it wasn't forced.

Aizawa rubbed his eyes and informed him, "You've earned yourself an extra day of cleaning the dorm."

Bakugo shuddered like a feline being forced to take a bath. "Fine," he spat.

Iida offered, "If you're concerned about the germs, I'd be more than happy to help—"

"No, no, you won't," Aizawa interrupted. With that, he turned his back on them and returned to the tranquility of his classroom.

He seriously needed to reevaluate that seating plan.

Bakugo and Midoriya couldn't simply talk about their differences. (At least, not yet...) Talking was about as easy for Bakugo as it was for Aizawa.

What they needed was for someone to act as a buffer between Bakugo and Midoriya. Someone who could stand up to former while stimulating the latter.

Aizawa smiled as he added a new name to the seating chart.

It was only a matter of time.