Chapter 6

Author's Note: I think this goes without saying, but I haven't been putting it at the start of chapters, so I think I should at least say it once. I don't own BNHA. Any who, this is the chapter that really starts to build the romance part of this fic, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I do.

(y/n) = Your name

(l/n) = last name

(H/c) = hair color

(e/c) = eye color.

Aizawa Shouta had been released from the hospital three days ago. All the time since then had been devoted to actively trying to not think about (l/n) (y/n). It wasn't like he thought about her because he wanted to, the woman was an absolute nightmare to deal with. It was just that, he had a newfound respect for her after hearing her tell her life story in a quiet hospital room from the other side of a curtain. It's not like he meant to eavesdrop, but he was basically stuck in bed, mummified thanks to his injuries. He had no other choice but to listen.

If you'd given Shota a thousand guesses, he'd have never concluded that the confident, sharp tongued woman was a quirkless runaway. He supposes, out of all people, he should know better than to trust appearances. After he got home from the hospital, all he could think about was how strong she was for making it as far as she did. How loving she was towards Midoriya. How her (h/c) hair seemed so soft, and how fiery her (e/c) eyes were when she verbally sparred with him.

Fuck. He respected her so much. That was it. He spent the rest of his paid time off thinking about ways to perhaps apologize to her, for being as short with her as he had been. He'd completely dismissed her when they first met, and that probably set her off more than it would most. She must have been snubbed like that by everyone she'd ever met.

It was as he pondered this, that he heard a knock at his door. Reluctantly, he answered it to see his bashful little neighbor on the other side. In one hand, she cradled a big furry monster, and in the other, she carried a pack of his favorite brand of juice pouches. "Izuku gave me a few tips on how to apologize to you. May I come in?" Ah. That's right. She had asked Midoriya if he knew anything Shouta had an interest in, he haddn't really pondered why she'd wanted to know until now. Silently, he stepped out of the doorway, and let her walk in before he shut the door behind her. She placed down the two things she was carrying, and only then did he realize that the fuzzy thing she'd brought into his apartment was actually a very big, very fluffy cat. Immediately, he squatted down next to it only for it to stand up on its haunches and hiss at him.

He'd never been so upset about anything in his life. (y/n) crouched next to him, and immediately, the cat moved to be in between Shouta and his neighbor, as the beast hissed again. "Ah. Sorry. I guess this wasn't such a good idea. Mochi was a rescue. Both him, and his previous owner used to be regularly beaten by the man of the household. It's left Mochi mistrustful of men, and pretty darn protective." The woman stroked the cat to try and soothe him. "Sorry, I hadn't even thought about how Mochi would react to seeing you, Izuku just told me you liked cats, and I thought, 'Hey! I have one of those!'" Shouta stood up and backed away from the cat and its owner, which got the animal to stop hissing, but the furball was still significantly puffed up. "It's alright. He's a good boy." Shouta said. "Ah. Speaking of, why are you apologizing, exactly?" (y/n) stood back up as well and avoided his gaze. "W-well, it's just that, I've been treating you poorly simply because I assumed I knew what kind of person you were. I realized recently that my assumption was wrong." Same here, (y/n). "You risked your life to protect those kids-to protect my nephew-and…I'm grateful." Shouta shook his head. "Don't be. I was just doing my job. As their teacher, and as a pro hero. It's my duty to keep them safe." (y/n) just nodded and met his gaze. That fire was back in her eyes, but this time, it wasn't because she was angry. "That's just it! Your attitude about the whole thing makes your actions that much more admirable. You got hurt. Really hurt" she continued, motioning to the scar that was now sitting below his eye, and at the rest of his bandaged body. "because you were protecting someone important to me. That may not be a big deal to you, but it is to me. I think the world of you, Aizawa Shouta, and I'd like it if we could start over, and maybe try and be friends."

Out of all the ways he thought this meeting would shake out, this one had to be the least likely. "…Alright, (l/n). Friends." She beamed at him and held out her hand. He grasped it, expecting a hand shake. Instead, she pulled him into a tight hug.

Several things happened at once. Shouta let out a loud, pain-filled groan, (y/n) audibly gasped and immediately started apologizing incoherently, and a big, angry, furball named Mochi let out the most enraged and threatening howl Shouta had ever heard in his life. (y/n) took several setps away from him, and held her hands out at her sides, like she was being held at gunpoint "Oh my God, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Shouta grunted and wheezed out an "It's fine, (l/n)." She shook her head.

"No, it isn't. I was really stupid, and I hurt you. Are you alright? No wounds opened back up, right?" Shouta confirmed that he was in fact, still fine, and that she didn't need to keep asking. "No here. Let me make it up to you. I bet you can't really cook while you're all bandaged up, right? Why don't you come over to my place, and I'll make you some dinner or something…?" He thought about it. The night when he'd complained about her music, the smell of her cooking had been so enticing, he'd almost forgotten why he'd banged on her door in the first place. If he was being honest, he really wanted to know if her food tasted as good as it smelled.

"Alright. Just so long as you don't subject me to your awful music." (y/n) gave him the most genuine, disarming smile he'd seen in a long time. "What would you have me play instead, Present Mic's screamo cover?" He chuckled. She was funny when she wasn't trying to be outright malicious.