I'm With You
Chapter Fifteen
"What do you mean I have to wear a dress!?" Kazu stresses as she gapes at Present Mic.
"It's a formal event, yo! None of the heroes will be in costume. All guests have to dress to match the theme." He smiles while gesturing to his clothes.
"I don't even know why I'm going to this…" she huffs.
Kazu knew why she was going. When she woke up the morning after Aizawa's date she was told about this Hero Banquet. Now she was stuck trying to find a dress for both her and Eri but the idea of her being in a room full of all the top pros that she's most likely had a run in with gave her anxiety.
Eri was a guest of honor, so she knew she would have to tag along, willing or not. The idea of fancy dresses and bowties was never Kazu's scene but she would dress in an ugly swan dress if it meant making Eri happy.
She was now standing at a store in the mall that Present Mic had dragged her to in order to help her find an outfit. She hadn't worn a dress since middle school and she had no idea where to even start.
"I would say we should get a black dress but that's too boring." He says while tapping his chin.
"But I like black. It helps me blind in."
"But that's the point! We want you to stand out to catch Shota's eyes!" He smirks, raising a knowing eyebrow.
Kazu's mouth drops open in disbelief. "W-what do you mean?"
Mic shrugs his shoulders, "I've known Eraser since our school days and I can tell when he's flustered over someone."
Kazu narrows her eyebrows, "Maybe it's just Kori." She says spitefully.
Mic lifts an eyebrow, "Is that jealousy I smell?" He jokes.
The glare Kazu gives him made him switch gears and he quickly back pedaled. "Listen, in the last eight years that Sho and Kori have been together, I've never seen him get as flustered as he is with you." He says honestly.
"How do you know that?"
He shrugs again while letting out a small sigh. "I'm not sure. But the last several times your name is brought up, he blushes like a school boy and gets all antsy."
Kazu gaped at his words, "How often do you talk about me?"
Mic grows silent for a moment before quickly turning back to the clothing rack they were in front of. "Well anyway, I was thinking more of a bolder color for you to wear." He says while shifting through a few items.
Kazu was about to question him further before she decided to let it go, turning her attention to the dresses on display.
"I don't want to look like a clown walking in." She says shyly, her eyes bouncing between two extremely bright dresses.
"Honey, have you seen some of the heroes that walk around here? I honestly think a little color won't hurt anything." He laughs genuinely.
While Mic continued to walk through the countless isles, Kazu began to browse through the dresses. Her mind wandered back to what Mic said about Aizawa getting flustered when she's brought up in conversation.
As she pulled out a beautiful gown, she felt a sudden burst of motivation to dress up for him. She pulled it off the rack and held it up to show Mic. He gives her a thumbs up while smiling big.
"Yeah! Let's go try it on!" He sang, earning a smile from Kazu.
As the fabric fell down her body, Kazu was suddenly hit with a new emotion. This was probably the most expensive thing she has ever put on her body. A year ago she almost died from hypothermia because she couldn't afford a coat but now she was in an extravagant dress and about to go to the most prestigious event in Japan.
She hadn't seen herself yet, but she knew she wouldn't do this dress justice. She almost wanted to take it off and demand Mic take her to a department store and find the cheapest clearance dress she could. But if this was the life she wanted, then she needed to stop holding herself back.
Hesitantly, she stepped out of the changing room, seeing Mic sitting in a chair in front of some mirrors checking himself out. When he saw her, his head snapped in her direction. His mouth dropped open in shock as his eyes grew wide.
Kazu takes in his expression and quickly turns around, "That's it! I'm taking it off." She blurted before starting back to the room.
Mic stood up and stretched his hand out to stop her. "Wait! Come here! Come look in the mirror." He urges.
Taking a deep breath, Kazu takes a step towards the large mirror in front of them, closing her eyes tightly.
"Open your eyes silly! Look how beautiful you are."
Slowly, Kazu opens her emerald eyes, taking in her appearance. It was a modest dress that was a deep red. The bodice was lace, while the skirt was a soft milk silk.
But the dress wasn't what caught the omegas eye. It's been a while since she really looked at herself and her normally pasty skin was a deep rich color. Her flat and frizzled hair was now back to its natural volume and curl. She blamed all that fancy shampoo Aizawa put in her bathroom. Her cheeks had filled out and she overall looked much healthier.
She had to admit Mic was right. She did look beautiful.
"Wow…" she breathes out loud. "I don't even recognize myself."
Mic pats her on the shoulder comfortingly. "I don't know where you've been but you've always been this beautiful." He smiles warmly. "The dress only highlights your natural beauty."
Kazu nods and reaches down to pull out the tag. She felt her heart drop into her stomach at the price displayed.
"Um yeah…as pretty as it is, this isn't going to work." She grimaces.
Mic grabs the tag and looks back at her. "It's only $750…"
"Only!? I told Shota I wouldn't go over $100!" She stresses.
Mic gives her a small smile. "Don't worry babe! I'll buy it for you!" He states proudly.
Kazu shakes her head vigorously, "No way! This is too much money and there's no way I can repay you."
Mic lets out a small chuckle, "I would be doing my best friend a disservice if I didn't buy you this dress."
Kazu battled with herself internally before deciding to accept the offer. Maybe she could keep the tag on and return it after the banquet.
Aizawa laid lazily across the couch as Eri watched cartoons. The front door opens, waking the alpha who looks up in time to see a flash blur by before a loud slam could be heard.
Eri and Aizawa look at each other in question, both confused about what just happened.
Aizawa sighed deeply before standing and looking down at Eri. "Well, let's go figure out what that was about." He huffs.
"I think it might just be PMS." Eri shrugs.
Aizawa chokes on his spit as he gasped at the little girl. "What? How do you even know what that is?" He questions.
Eri taps her chin, "I don't know. Mina said that about Kaminari the other day when he was moody."
Aizawa pinches the bridge or his nose, "I think we need to cut back on your sleepovers with my class." He replies before walking towards Kazu's door.
Knocking, he opens it to see Kazu shoving a large box under her bed. She quickly turns her attention to him, throwing herself over the bed to hide the evidence of her shopping trip.
"What's the point in knocking if you are just going to walk in?" She miffs, annoyance heavy in her tone.
Aizawa studied her, noticing her disheveled appearance and heavy breathing. "What are you doing?"
Kazu sits up, quickly snatching the remaining bag she didn't hide from her bed. "Oh! I found Eri a dress!" She pulls out the red satin dress and raises it up to show them.
Eri squeals from beside him and runs to grab the dress. "Oh my gosh! It's so pretty!" She beamed happily, turning around to show Aizawa. "Look Mr. Zawa, isn't it beautiful?"
Aizawa kneels down beside her, admiring the dress before spotting the price tag of $99. He looked up to Kazu in question. "You used all the money on Eri's dress? What about you?"
Kazu's eyes widened as she smiled sheepishly. "Uh well Mic actually bought me my dress since it was over budget."
Aizawa narrows his eyes suspiciously. "If you needed more money, you could have just texted me."
She waves him off dismissively. "Don't worry, I didn't want to bother you."
He rises back up from beside Eri, taking a step closer to Kazu. "So, how much did he spend on you?"
Kazu mocked offense, "That's not something you ask!"
Aizawa rolls his eyes, "Just tell me."
She scoffs, crossing her arms over her chest. "If you must know, after shoes and some jewelry, it was about $900."
Aizawa blinks blankly at her before turning on his heels and muttering under his breath, "That little…"
As he storms through the apartment, Kazu chases after him, "Wait!"
Meanwhile, Aizawa was grumbling to himself. "That sneaky alpha, buying my omega a dress."
Kazu screeches to a haunt upon hearing the quiet words. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she stared at the back of his head.
Aizawa's hand hovered over the door handle as he realized what he had just said. He should have turned back to address it but instead he threw open the door and almost slammed into a body.
"Shota!" A loud obnoxious voice rang through the air. "I was about to go dress shopping. Would you like to go with me?" Kori questions in hope.
"No." He grunts as he pushes past her and hurries down the hall.
Kori watches after him confused as she turns to see Kazu still frozen in place. A smirk spans across her lips as she steps inside.
"Oh, did you have a fight?"
Kazu snaps out of her daze as she looks up at Kori's blue eyes. "Uh, w-what?" She stuttered.
"Are you deaf? I asked if you had a fight." She miffs tightly.
Kazu quickly filled with annoyance at her rude remark.
This bitch.
Before she could respond, Eri popped up behind Kazu, holding her new dress tightly in her arms. "He's just mad that Uncle Mic bought Ms. Kazu a gift."
The smirk flew off Kori's face and hit Kazu. "Well, when he's done, tell him I'll be waiting in the courtyard. I want us to match for the banquet since we are going together."
Kazu forces a smile to her lips, nodding her head. "Sure." She says shortly.
Kori looks around the room in disgust. "Might want to get back to your maid duties," she remarks.
Kazu doesn't falter as she walks towards her. "Alright, I'll start by taking out the trash," she retorts before slightly pushing Kori out the front door.
Kori's face morphed into anger but before she could respond, Kazu slammed the door shut.
She pressed her hands against the door frame and listened to the heels clicking down the hall.
Behind her, Eri held her mouth at the burn. "That was a good one," she comments and Kazu turns around to give her a scowl.
But looking at the little girl, Kazu could only burst out laughing. "Come on, sweet girl, let's try that dress on!"
A loud banging could be heard as Present Mic was jamming out in his kitchen. Pulling his headphones down around his neck, he looked down at the time, nodding to himself before dancing over to the door.
"Shota! Right on time my man!" He laughs, reaching out to wrap an arm around his shoulder, pulling the other alpha inside.
"What do you mean by that?" Aizawa asks tightly.
"I knew you'd be visiting me after that little nanny of yours came back with a beautiful dress!" He explains excitedly.
Aizawa scowls, pushing Mic away from him. "So then you know how inappropriate it is to drop money on her like that."
"You only gave her $100 bro! I can't even buy a pair of new shoes with that." He snickers as he watches Aizawa's face twist up in displeasure.
"If she needed more money, she could have asked me." He snaps.
Mic hums in acknowledgment, "Well don't worry about it. She deserves to feel like a princess for one day."
Aizawa crosses his arms across his chest aggressively. "Why do you care? You barely know her." He shot back.
Present Mic's mouth drops open in offense, "I talk to her everyday man. She hangs out with me while you are in class."
"Oh really now? Are you telling me you have an unprofessional relationship with my employee?" Aizawa accuses.
Mic grows serious as he looks at his friend. "Why do you keep calling her that? She's more than just a random employee. We both know that she's part of our family now." He replies sharply.
AIzawa turned a burning eye towards him. "Family? This is a job, we are here to work. Eri is not my daughter, she is a prospective student that needs my help. Kazu is not my omega, she is my employee," he remarks harshly.
The air grew thick with tension as Aizawa let those two words slip from his mouth once again.
He quickly palmed his face. What the hell is wrong with him?
Meanwhile, Present Mic stood there stunned. "Omega?" He repeats, his mind racking though all the encounters he had with the young girl. "I knew it," he whispered under his breath. "I knew she wasn't just some normal beta!"
Aizawa flashed another glare his way. "Yes, she's an omega. But that doesn't change anything–"
"Yes it does!" He cuts him off. "Are you kidding me? No wonder you've been acting like an asshole."
"Excuse me?" Aizawa snaps. He's been called an asshole before, but it seemed to feel differently now.
Present Mic shook his head. "Your alpha is going into a rut. If you're not careful, you're going to snap and someone will get hurt."
The dark haired man scoffed. "As if I would stoop that low. In my 31 years of life, I've never given into my alpha instincts."
"Yeah, but in those 31 years you've never been close to an omega," Mic points out. "Dude, just admit it. Kazu is hot, you're getting possessive, and you're taking it out on me."
Aizawa felt his fist clench. "Don't talk about her like that," he miffed under his breath, nearly shaking as he realized how right he was.
Perhaps his alpha was starting to surface. Ever since it was discovered Kazu was an omega, it's been getting harder and harder to keep his self control. Every fiber in his being was screaming to claim her. The idea of another alpha buying her things brought him to bang on his best friend's door and scold him for having an inappropriate relationship with her. But at the end of the day, Kazu was a person, and she was allowed to have relationships with anyone she wanted.
Just not other alphas.
"Oh my god," Aizawa lets out a breath before nearly collapsing onto Mic's couch. "Is this what alpha aggression is?"
Mic scratched his chin. "You mean the aggression an alpha feels when he's ready to claim their mate? I think so, yes," He says nonchalantly, sitting beside him.
"So much is happening at once," The sleepy teacher groans, scratching his eyes. "First Kori, and now this stupid banquet…"
"Hey man, you need to take a deep breath," Mic suggested, patting his thigh. "What's up with Kor anyway?"
"She came back after being on some top secret mission. Now she thinks things can go back to the way we were but…"
Mic watched his friend battle internally with himself. He couldn't help but let a small smile grace his features. Ever since their friend Oboro Shirakumo had disappeared, they had grown closer. Kori had been part of their friend group, and for a while there, he thought Aizawa found true happiness.
But Kori wasn't good for Aizawa. She always demanded his attention, and never respected his profession. They used to be partners at the stealth agency, but when he decided to become a teacher, Kori had thrown a huge fit. Hizashi knew for a long time the pair was going to end, and when Kori left without a word, he hated seeing his best friend so torn up over the whole thing.
However, when Kazu stumbled into his life, Mic had noticed a change in the grumpy homeroom teacher. It started off with frustrated sighs whenever someone asked him about the new nanny. Mic had observed on multiple times, Aizawa looking around the training area to see if Kazu was watching. He would ask to go home early during meetings, when he normally was the last one to leave. Mic had been stunned when Aizawa would ask him to take over his class, so he could spend the day with the girls.
Even on their anniversary, Aizawa had put his school work before Kori, and it would piss the alpha female off to no end. Yet here was this grade-A teacher, allowing himself time with his girls to make them happy.
Now anytime Midnight or him brought Kazu's name up, the blush would heat Aizawa's face and he would quickly look away.
It was apparent that Aizawa had moved on from Kori, but the circumstances were making it hard for him to see that.
"But you love someone else?" He finished his statement, and the Alpha looked up at him in bewilderment.
"Love?" He nearly whispered.
Mic shook his head. "I've never met someone so brilliant yet dumb at the same time," he snickers before pushing up off the couch.
Aizawa narrowed his dark eyes. "You're the one to talk. What are your intentions anyway? Dropping $900 on someone doesn't scream 'friend."
Hizashi shrugged his shoulders. "I did do it for a friend, and you'll see what I mean in a few days."
Aizawa rolled his eyes before standing to his feet. "I'll wire you the money. She's my responsibility, and I won't have her owing anyone."
"Just you?" He giggled and Aizawa bumped his shoulder in warning.
"As of right now, Kazu is my employee. And her being an omega stays between us. Her wishes, not mine," He grunts before stalking out of the condo.
Mic shook his head. "He's dumb and in love."
The swing creaked as Kazu continued to push Eri. The little girl hummed a song as she swung through the air. Meanwhile, the young omega was deep in thought.
Why did Aizawa say those words? She asked herself.
My omega.
Two words that held such deep meaning. Did he mean it as her being his employee…or…
Present Mic's words fluttered through her mind. It would be stupid to not admit that both of them have been acting differently since that night. Hell, he made her cum through their clothes. You don't just do that with anyone. Not to mention the kiss they shared before they had been rudely interrupted.
Kori said that she and Aizawa were going to the banquet together, did she mean as a couple? Aizawa hadn't mentioned anything about it, but it was clear that Kori was going to be around for a while. The thought made the anger resurface in Kazu's veins. It wasn't that she was straight up jealous over the alpha female, but she was rude and a bitch and she didn't like the idea of such a woman being around Eri.
She hadn't had a chance to talk to Aizawa about it, and she knew that if she didn't fast, she may end up losing him.
Eri suddenly jumped from the swing, causing Kazu to snap out of her thoughts and let out a small shriek. "Eri!" She shouts as the girl lands on her feet, her head snapped in the direction of a group of students.
Kazu's heart thumped loudly as she tried to calm herself. "Please…don't do that again," Kazu breathes, leaning against the swing poll.
Eri turns a sheepish smile to her. "Sorry Ms. Kazu, I saw some of my friends," she points in the direction of the group of class 2-A students.
Kazu looked up and recognized a few of them. "Should we go say hello?"
Eri nodded eagerly before taking off towards the group. The omega smiled as she followed behind.
"Deku!" The little girl cheers before nearly flinging herself at the green-haired boy.
Izuku Midoriya caught the girl easily, swinging her around. "Eri!"
Kazu waved causally at the students, her eyes landing on a dark pink-haired girl. "Hey Mei," she greets and the other omega girl turns to beam at her.
"Hey Ms. Kazu! Are you excited for the hero banquet?" The omega asks her and Kazu's smile faltered.
"I have no idea to be honest, I didn't even know this was a thing," Kazu admitted.
"Most people don't. To keep the heroes safe," Another girl, Kazu recognized as Uraraka, spoke out.
"Only pro's are allowed to go, unless you are a special guest," Deku comments, smiling down at Eri.
Kazu lit up. "Speaking of that, why is Eri the guest of honor this year?" She asked and the student's smiles fell.
Deku picked Eri up, pointing towards the playground. "Hey Eri, do you want to play with me?" He asks and the little girl nodded.
The two took off, leaving Kazu with Mei and Uraraka. "Has Mr. Aizawa told you why Eri is in his custody?"
Kazu shrugged her shoulders. "Something about her quirk?"
Mei's eyes grew wide as she gave Uraraka a worried glance. "Oh well, maybe we shouldn't be the ones."
Kazu sighed in frustration. "Or just tell me? I'm tired of getting run-around."
Uraraka waved her hands. "It's not that, it's just…well Mr. Aizawa doesn't like us talking about it."
Mei leaned closer to Kazu. "I will tell you this, Eri is being honored for her bravery and courage. Not to mention, she's the reason Deku was able to defeat a really bad villain."
Kazu's eyes widened in shock before turning to the little girl who was sliding down a swirl slide. Deku chased her around, both laughing gleefully. Those two kids were in a fight with a villain?
Kazu felt shivers run down her spine as she of all the times she would make herself scarce during a villain attack. There was no way she would get caught in such a scuffle, nor could she imagine Eri in a full on battle with one.
As she continued to watch the silver-haired girl bounce around without a care in the world. Kazu was reminded how precious life was, and how grateful she felt given a second chance in this world.
The next few days blew by before Kazu could even blink. She hadn't had the chance to ask Aizawa about Eri's past since he was hardly ever home, and whenever she texted him he would claim to be busy. Kazu hadn't seen the sharky ex-girlfriend either, and it worried Kazu to no end.
The day of the banquet arrived, and Kazu's nerves were shot. The red dress Present Mic had gotten her was currently hanging on her closet door, smiling at her as if teasing her for what was going to come.
Was she really ready to walk into a room of pros, and be forced to watch Kori and Shota mingle with each other all night? To be fair, she was only going because of Eri, but still, she knew she would not have a good time.
Eri was just getting out of the bath when Kazu began to help her get ready. Eri's eyes grew wide when they landed on Kazu's dress. "It's beautiful!" She gushes, running her hand down the fabric.
"See, we match," Kazu giggles, holding up Eri's dress.
"We do!" She claps before quickly grabbing her dress and running into the bathroom to change.
Kazu watched and shook her head, turning to touch the expensive dress once more.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Aizawa let out a deep breath he had been holding. The last few days he had buried himself in school work, preparing for exams and field trips that he knew didn't need to be done right now. Everywhere he turned, Kori would appear, insisting they wear matching outfits for tonight. Kazu was also blowing up his phone, and he felt bad for giving her excuses.
He just didn't want to deal with any of it, and he was counting the minutes down till the event would be over, and Kori would leave out of their lives.
He chose a safe option, a black suit with black tie. It was what he wore the last three years, and will probably continue to wear. He hadn't seen the dress Present Mic had bought Kazu, and he was worried it was going to be skin tight and revealing. He hoped to god it wasn't, or else he wouldn't allow her to go. He could hide under the act of not wanting some trashy woman following Eri around, but Aizawa knew better.
The alpha aggression he had been experiencing the last few days would explode if she were to walk out in something that would attract other alphas to her. The last thing he needed was to scare her. Not to mention, Kazu had made it clear that she didn't want to mate with an alpha, so why would he even fill that cup up with hope?
A knock on the door alerted Aizawa that drama had arrived. He held back a groan, pushing off the couch to let her in. When the door opened, Kori stood there with a seductive grin. An all black leather dress that cleary matched his suit.
"Since you were too busy to shop with me, I figured I would just go with what you wore last year," She smirks, her eyes racking down his body. "Gotta say, you still look as yummy as ever."
"Kori, you look…great," he replied flatly, taking in her appearance. He wouldn't lie and say she was ugly. Her dark hair was pulled to the side, her makeup was dark and bold, and to any outsider they would say she was drop dead gorgeous.
But to Aizawa, everytime he looked at her, all he could think about was the lonely nights over a bottle as he worried and questioned what he had done wrong. Not to mention, a certain someone would flash across his mind like a broken record.
"Thanks handsome, I got the limo outside so I'm ready when you are," she tells him, her hand reaching out to stroke his arm.
"I thought I told you no limo," he scowls, yanking his arm around and shoving his hands into his pockets.
Kori shrugs. "I want to ride in style, besides we're the best hero couple going, we might as well flaunt it."
Aizawa smirks. "We're not a couple, and you know I don't like flaunting anything. Besides, Kazu and Eri aren't ready yet."
Upon hearing the names of the other girls in Aizawa's life, Kazu frowned deeply. Oh right, she forgot about the baggage he carried.
"Urgh, fine, but I won't be late," She sighs deeply before pushing past him and sitting on their couch.
Aizawa was almost tempted to walk to the banquet, but decided against it and closed the door.
The awkward silence between the pair was enough to make Aizawa want to close his eyes and take a snap. At least then he could escape the drama he was sure was going to unfold.
Thankfully, the clicking of Kazu's door could be heard and Aizawa was quickly standing on his feet. Kori remained slack against the couch, trying to hold back the grimace at seeing Aizawa's reaction.
Eri was the first person to run out of the room, twirling in her dress as her face was as bright as it was the very first time Aizawa saw her smile. The red silky dress was poofy and adorable on the little girl and Aizawa couldn't help but smile at how cute she looked.
"Wow, you look beautiful," Aizawa comments as he kneels down beside her. His chest swelled with emotion as he remembered the first day the small girl had come to live with him. She had been so shy, so timid, that he could barely get her to say a few words. Now here she was, acting like a normal little girl who hadn't seen so much pain as she did.
It almost brought tears to Aizawas eyes and he remembered why he was going tonight. It was for this little silver haired angel.
"Thank you Mr. Zawa," she smiled shyly before she turned to see her nanny and best friend step out of the room.
Aizawa eye's look up, locking with a pair of emerald orbs.
Kazu stepped into the room, the skirt of her dress fanning out as she walked. She knew better than to wear heels, and Mic found a pair of platform shoes that were fancy enough for the dress, but sturdy enough so she wouldn't fall on her face. Her messy hair was pulled up into an up-do, trying to tame the wild curls so she could look more presentable. On her neck and ears were some ruby jewelry, and her make up was done the best she could. A glamorous hot mess, Kazu called herself.
However, all the doubts and insecurities that riddle her mind were soon forgotten as she looked up and saw Shota Aizawa standing there.
The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. They took in each other's appearances and both were blown away by how the other looked. Aizawa had his hair pulled back and he was clean shaven, and the suit that hugged his body made Kazu nearly want to faint.
Meanwhile, Aizawa felt every muscle in his body tighten. The dress was modest and appropriate, yet he still felt the alpha within him growl in possessiveness. She was fucking beautiful, and he didn't want to share that with anyone.
"Sorry it took so long, I had trouble with the zipper," Kazu admitted, trying to break the silence between them.
"Did you get it?" Aizawa found himself asking, his eyes never leaving her face.
"Eri couldn't so can you try?" She asks before turning around. Her bare back was enough to make AIzawa swallow, his hands nearly shaking as he looked at the zipper.
"It's just caught on some fabric," he explains before his fingers snagged the line and he zipped her up. His hand remained on her back for a second, wanting more than anything to rip the expensive dress off and ravish her right in the hallway.
But the clearing of a throat was a reminder that they were not alone. Kazu and Aizawa snapped their eyes up to a rather irritated alpha female. Kori stood there with crossed arms as she stared at the pair. "What a pretty dress Kato, I didn't take you for someone who enjoyed luxury glamor brands," she remarks.
Kazu bit her lip as she turned to give her a full look. "I don't, but how could I turn down such a generous gift?"
Kori turned to give Aizawa a bewildered expression. "You bought her a Utsukushii dress? When you wouldn't even buy me a Dior!?" She nearly seethed, losing her cool.
Aizawa cleared his throat before shaking his head. "It's none of your business, now please, can we get this over with?" He requested before nearly darting out of the room.
Kori threw a glare towards Kazu before grabbing her bag and following after him. Kazu and Eri exchanged a look before smirking and leaving after them.
The ride to the banquet was a quiet and awkward one. Kori sat pouting next to Aizawa who buried himself in his phone. Kazu sat anxiously in the limo, the first time she's ever been in one. The expensive leather seats and satin lining made her not want to touch anything in fear her touch alone would ruin it.
Eri excitedly peered out the window, watching the building drive by. Kazu wished she could live in Eri's innocent mind, that way she could escape the tension that was building. Glancing up to Aizawa, Kazu admired him once more. He was becoming more handsome and appealing than the very first time she'd met him, and she could appreciate the structure of his face and the color of his lips.
As if feeling her gaze, Aizawa looked up from his phone, locking eyes with hers. Kazu quickly looked away, trying to find something to occupy her line of vision.
Meanwhile, Kori was sulking in her spot, looking between the alpha and omega with burning eyes. She knew the power that an omega had on an alpha, and she knew if she didn't act fast, her beloved Shota would slip through her fingers.
Hooking her arm through his, Kori leaned against him affectionately. "I'm so happy we're going together again! Every year we have a blast, and the after parties are so much fun," Kori exclaims, her hand running down his arm.
Kazu bit her lip at the action, her arms wrapping around herself as she tried to ignore the building of jealousy.
Aizawa nudges Kori away, his eyes glancing up to Kazu to see how uncomfortable she was. "I just want to get it over with. Every year, they make it more excruciating than the next. Last year they had a 10 minute slideshow over Best Jeanest's denim line."
Kazu burst out laughing, her attention turning back to him. "Are you serious!?" She giggled, and the sound brought a small smile to Aizawa's face.
"It was pure torture," the alpha remarks as he leaned back against the seat.
"I'd say, the poor man puts out the same stuff every year," Kori cut in, remaining as a reminder that the couple was not alone.
Kazu's laughter stops as she coughs and turns to Eri quickly. "Are you excited for your award?" She asks, changing the subject.
Eri turned her red eyes to her nanny. "I'm a little nervous. Mr. Zawa says I have to go in front of a lot of people," she says shyly.
Kazu reached out to place a comforting hand around her. "Yeah, but everyone will be celebrating you!"
"Just don't trip on the stage, I did that one year and was mortified for the rest of the evening," Kori remarks and Kazu couldn't help but throw a glare her way.
Eri's eyes widened as she looked at Kazu. "What if I trip?"
Kazu wanted to slam dunk a punch right into the alpha female's face, but she kept her cool. "Then I'll spill my drink and collapse over a table to distract everyone," Kazu tells her with a smile.
Aizawa narrowed his eyes on her. "You'll do no such thing because Eri will not be tripping on the stage. I'll walk with you," he told the small girl and Eri nodded her head.
Kori once again felt like the odd man out, and silently fumed as the make-shift family interacted.
There was no way she was going to get her claws in with Kazu being so close. She knew if she was going to make a move, it'll be during the night when Kazu is forced to be away from Aizawa. A smirk played on the girl's lips as she remembered the phone calls she had made to insure the omega will not foil her plans.