This was just supposed to be seven chapters and then my brain went 'but we can do better' and crafted more outlines pfffft—anyway, my next week is going to be hellishly busy leading up to Fourth of July but hopefully I can unwind with some writing like this work! Bit of a slower chapter but more fluff in the next one!

Enjoy!

Chapter 7: Take Care of Yourself

There was a light knock on the apartment door. Aizawa was stirred a little from his sleep. Slightly harder knocking came, and he sat up with a tired groan. He pawed at the beside dresser, sloppily putting his blindfold on and tying it off. He foregoes trying to find the tank top this time. He was just too tired and too freshly woken up to care to look for it. Besides, it didn't matter if any of the kids saw now, anyway. He'd forgotten the tank top when he'd come upon The No Sleep Club already anyway.

The knocking came again and Aizawa trudged to the door, carefully lifting himself out of the bed so as not to wake up Yamada. The knocking wasn't urgent, so likely there wasn't an emergency. He reached the door and opened it, stifling a yawn.

"Yes?" he asks.

"A-Aizawa sensei…" Midoriya mumbles. Aizawa paused a moment.

"When I suggested you can start knocking on the door, I didn't think it'd be almost immediately," he admitted. Midoriya started to fumble over his words, growing more and more frantic. "I'm not retracting my offer, Midoriya. Are you alright?"

"I… um… well, I didn't have a nightmare," Midoriya says softly.

Aizawa waited patiently for him to continue, leaning on the door frame. Midoriya looked around the hall briefly before he started to distract himself with the apartment. This was a lot harder to say than he thought it would be, which was ridiculous, because he had come up here for a reason. A few reasons, really, but the main one was that no one else in the dorms likely had the answer he was looking for. If nothing else, Aizawa had years on them all, so the chances of his own life experience having the answer was enough to get Midoriya wriggling out of Bakugou's sleepy bear-hold and up to the apartment. The apartment that he was currently swaying on his feet in front of as he stumbled over his words.

Now that he was looking around the apartment, from what he could see from the doorway anyway, to distract himself, he was picking up on a few things he'd missed on his last visit with his classmates. He was too high strung with nerves that time to really pay attention to anything not directly in front of him. Aizawa still had the 3D puzzles on the coffee table. Midoriya could see a few more colorful shirts peeking out of the dresser drawer behind Aizawa—alongside some plain shirts that were more likely Aizawa's usual attire. It took him only a moment to realize why the colorful pieces of clothing were even present once his eyes lingered on the bed. There was still a perceptible lump of a body, and a crop of blonde hair, taking up the sheets. Midoriya froze on the spot, voice caught in his throat.

Dear Kami, Aoyama was right.

"…Midoriya, are you okay?" Aizawa asks again.

"Y-yes!"

"Then… why are you awake at…?"

"..T-three A.M., sir…" Midoriya says sheepishly. He cleared his throat, avoiding looking at Aizawa. "I-I was wondering if you had any ideas on, um, dealing with phantom pains."

"Phantom pains?" Aizawa asks.

"Um, I mean scar pain," Midoriya admits, rubbing at his arm.

The pain had been bad enough to wake him up, which was probably a bad sign, or else he would have just let Bakugou's body heat lull him back to sleep. But, he wasn't about to try and get a hold of Recovery Girl for something like this. He doubted her Quirk could "heal" whatever was causing it if it hadn't done so already. He had certainly been to see her enough times and her Quirk wasn't the kind that allowed her to pick and choose what injuries to heal. It was all encompassing so regardless of why he'd been to see her, her Quirk would have already addressed it if it could. So, he was here.

"My arm, um, hurts sometimes still. Even though Recovery Girl's given me the all-clear."

Ah, Aizawa thought. He's figured it out, then.

"I'll thank you on Recovery Girl's behalf that you didn't immediately go to wake her. Use compression sleeves and massages," Aizawa says tiredly. It really was the kid's rotten luck that his dominant arm was the one that'd been targeted the most, wasn't it? "Are you still wearing your compression sleeve?"

"Sometimes, sir."

"Start to use it when it flares up like this, and start massaging the arm," Aizawa says, stretching. "Mmm…. Talk to Chiyo about Graston bars for the joint areas tomorrow. Get some physical therapy exercises from her, too."

Aizawa fought back another yawn.

"Is that what you do?" Midoriya asks. Aizawa nodded, surprising him a little, given he had been certain that any spare time that he had was used to sleep. Frankly, though, he also figured that the elbow injury from Shigaraki probably flared up rather badly sometimes, too. "Wait, but what about hard to reach scars, like on the back? How do you reach those?"

Midoriya didn't have back scars, as far as he was aware. Though, he wouldn't doubt that the kid was thinking far ahead for any future injuries he'd get. It sounded like him to do that.

Aizawa jerked his head back towards Yamada. Midoriya made a rather funny choking noise. It didn't matter if the kid had seen Yamada before then or not—in Aizawa's opinion—since it was easier to just point out one of the many reasons he didn't get scar pain nearly as often as he should. And if these kids didn't have suspicions about him and Zashi yet, he was honestly going to be disappointed.

"M-Mic-sensei?"

"And Ishi, Kan, Maji, Nem... Snipe… mmm that's mostly it," Aizawa drawls. He didn't doubt a few names had popped into Midoriya's head for future help with those matters. "Now…"

"Y-yes, sir?"

"You and I both need to be up in a few hours. I suggest you try massaging your arm and getting more rest," Aizawa says. He reaches out, his hand resting on Midoriya's head off center, and ruffles the kid's hair. Midoriya's face flushed, and he nodded, slipping out from under Aizawa's hand and bowing.

"Thank you, sensei!"

He heard Midoriya rush back down the stairs and shut the door quietly. He could at least get a few hours of sleep before he had to get up with Yamada for class. He was at least grateful that he was able to fall asleep relatively quickly. He sighed when Yamada's shifting woke him. He sat up, ruffling his hair out. He'd gotten used to getting ready blind by now, so by the time Yamada was ready to stroll out of the door he was already picking up his cane and sifting through the blindfolds on the coffee table.

"Zashi?"

"Hmm~?" Yamada hummed, turning to him from the door. Aizawa held up the blindfold he'd settled on, questioningly. Yamada snorted. "Flowers."

"Of course, they slipped one of those in," Aizawa mumbled; but Yamada could hear the fondness in his voice. "This one?"

"Dark grey and triangles," Yamada says.

Yeah, that'll work.

Aizawa slipped it on, grabbed his cane, and followed Yamada out to the hall.

"Good morning, sensei," a voice greeted immediately. Ah, so it was Shoji's turn, apparently, to greet him that morning. At the sight of the blindfold, Shoji smiled. "You're wearing them."

Of course, he'd wear them, Aizawa thought. They had put effort into these blindfolds. It wasn't until they had hit the common room and dining area that Aizawa took the chance to snag Yamada's arm and pull him towards the door immediately.

"Aizawa-sensei?"

"Be in class on time today," Aizawa orders, pulling Yamada until they were out the door. Yamada didn't try to pull away from his hold, but he gave him a confused stare.

"You alright?" he asks.

"I have to speak with Inui, remember?"

Based on Yamada's silence, he had not remembered, despite having written the note to remind Aizawa. Aizawa sighed, pinching his brow.

"I have to do it before class to set up the sessions," he says. "We can get something to eat from Lunch Rush."

Yamada deflated a little. "Ah… I saw Bakugou on the stove again…"

Small sacrifices.

He wasn't exactly ever looking forward to going to Inui's office on any professional capacity—he knew the importance of Inui's job all too well, it just never made it any easier to discuss topics like these—but he also didn't have much of a choice. Personally. He could just leave it be, but he'd already committed. This derailed his "All vs. One" demonstration plans, but it was important.

Even stepping into Inui's office, despite the visit not being about him, he was partially regretting his decision. He could have just left notes on their desks or slipped them under their dorm doors. No, he wanted to talk to Inui in person and he was cursing at his past self for thinking of doing so. There was a good chance that Inui was going to try and turn this into an impromptu session about how he's coping without his sight.

But he was here for his kids, he reminded himself. And regardless of how he went about telling any of his kids, some of them weren't going to take the suggestion well. Bakugou and Todoroki both sprang to mind. Despite Todoroki assuring Midoriya that Inui's sessions helped, Aizawa was aware that the boy wasn't exactly used to attending them. He'd seen the way Todoroki hesitated after class when he had a lunch session scheduled before pushing himself to attend.

Bakugou, on the other hand, had been resolutely against seeing Inui at first. He'd scoffed and cursed in his refusals after the USJ and the summer camp and even after the Kamino Ward incident. Aizawa thanked the gods that his friends had eventually worn him down enough that the blonde at least attended a few sessions when his nightmares got bad enough—pushing him to attend more than he was ready to would only backfire in Aizawa's face and he knew it, so he had to settle for now—as it was better than nothing. He was slowly working the blonde to attend more frequently, however, just to keep whatever trauma was triggered at bay. These were the types of things one should try and nip in the bud before they got out of hand, after all.

Inui looked up at them, stopping to pause a moment at the sight of both men coming into his office, and tilted his head as he regarded them.

"Something the matter?" he asks concernedly. Aizawa wondered if he suspected they were there for marriage counseling, but he wasn't about to even entertain the idea of joking about that.

"Probably not, but…" Aizawa shrugged. Inui knew immediately what he was there for and chuckled.

"I find I'm agreeing with Nemuri about your parentage rights," Inui teases. Aizawa gave a 'tsk' at him. He prodded around with his cane until he found the nearest chair across from Inui's desk and fell into it.

"I'm going to get you some breakfast. Want anything, Ryo?" Yamada asks.

"Just some egg rice," Inui calls after him. Yamada snapped his fingers and waltzed out the door. Inui turned back to Aizawa after he'd left. "Not here to discuss the nightmare from the other night, then? Or this past weekend? Or even, perhaps…"

Dear Kami, he should have made Yamada stay.

"…the mugger?" Inui tentatively prodded. Aizawa felt his eyebrow twitch.

Inui—mostly—knew how to approach such things when it came to Aizawa. Carefully and with plenty of room for Aizawa to deny the offer without feeling cornered or attacked. He would admit that he had neglected to actually see Inui at all since the alleyway incident had occurred. That was entirely on him. He just hadn't felt up to it, and he knew it was temporary, so really, all he'd have to discuss with the man in a professional context was the awkward adjustment period and the growing agitation as the days kept going and his eyes kept betraying him. A plan for another day.

"No, it's about the kids," Aizawa says. He hears Inui lean back in his chair, probably nodding. "I'll need some appointment cards. How free is your schedule this week?"

Inui started to root around in his drawers. "Are they not handling the past weekend well?" he asks, sounding rather confused.

"No, not that. Apparently, they have this "No Sleep Club"," Aizawa starts. "You'll need 8 cards."

"That's a rather large club…"

"Not all of them are in it, far as I know. I'm an 'honorary member'," Aizawa says, making air quotes, and Inui snorted.

"For your insomniac tendencies?" he asks.

"Shut it. I just happened to find them down in the dining room the other night. Yamada was on my usual patrol route."

"Ah… alright, who am I seeing this week?" Inui asks.

"Todoroki, Midoriya, and Tokoyami for nightmares. Treat it like a follow up, I don't exactly know what they dreamed about, but I'm guessing they haven't been to see you recently."

"Mhm."

"I wasn't about to pry," Aizawa explained. Inui gave another, approving, grunt of acknowledgement. "Bakugou, Shoji, and Uraraka as well for the summer camp. Mostly to check if they're having nightmares or if they're still coping well, especially those two boys."

"Fair enough," Inui mumbles, writing down the times he knew worked best for the students. He'd done enough sessions with Aizawa's class to have their preferred schedules almost memorized. "You know I can't say anything specific unless it's necessary, though."

"I know. Asui as well. Just to check."

"Mhm… that's only seven," Inui says.

"Have you spoken to Toshinori recently?" Aizawa asks after a beat. Inui clicked his tongue at the man, amused but lightly disapproving. "What?"

"So, I need nine cards," Inui says, making a show of smacking the ninth card onto his desk. "You're coming for a follow up as well."

Aizawa grimaced.

Inui caught the face and tapped his pen on the desk. "You're overdue for one," Inui says frankly. "I see Toshinori often enough I'm not that concerned about how he's doing. This card is mostly to remind him of his appointment this week. You, however, avoid professional time with me until I force you to sit down for a session."

"Not always."

"Most days," Inui retorts. Aizawa clicked his tongue at him. He missed Inui's smirk at the sound. Inui watched him look away, not that it would do much for him, indignant. He stacked the cards neatly, then. "I can't force you to join me for a session."

"Later," Aizawa promised.

"If it'd make you feel better, I can do follow ups with them all. I'm doing the rounds with Kan's class later," Inui says with a shrug. Aizawa pursed his lips.

That might be a hard ball to swing to the class. It had been hard enough to get Todoroki and Bakugou to see Inui after their mandatory evaluations. Midoriya hadn't thought he'd deserved it, or possibly needed it, which had been a whole problem in and of itself. Most of the other students were of the same thought process in regards to seeing Inui, as well. That they were doing fine and didn't need to talk. A problematic issue that Aizawa was very much guilty of himself (and one Inui was still trying to pound out of him). At least a few were open to the idea, at least, so he wasn't constantly fighting the entire class, but still.

"I'll talk with them about it," he hums.

Aizawa sat at the front of the class at his desk, tapping his cane lightly against the floor. Thirteen was standing to the side, swaying slightly on their feet, watching the students pour in. The few who saw the cards on their desks slipped them into their bags or pockets without a word. Most with hardly a second glance at the card. Thirteen made a mental note of that. They didn't have students in a homeroom themselves; but they were decently observant. Students from Class A and Class B alike had been to Inui semi-regularly. It shouldn't have been that shocking to see them react so casually to one of Inui's appointment cards. Likely, they'd learned that when one appeared on their desk, Aizawa had noticed a follow up was in order.

How and when he had noticed was always anyone's guess.

It was in the very least mildly concerning to see such a blasé reaction, though. But also comforting. There was a level of trust there that the students didn't question. For that, Thirteen was grateful. Aizawa may have a hard time with this class thanks to the villain attacks, but at least they trusted him. He'd certainly had trouble with past classes concerning that.

Thirteen tapped the desk once all the students had sat and Aizawa pushed away from the desk to stand. The class was silent while they waited for him to speak. It was a stark contrast to the usual banter he'd hear before the beginning bell. But, he wasn't in his sleeping bag and clearly he had something to say, given he'd left cards on several desks. He didn't do that for everyone. He had methods depending on the student. Leaving them all out on the desks sent a message. He was silently grateful that they knew not to say anything about it. This was probably going to be a difficult conversation as it was.

"Alright, first thing. Everyone is doing a mandatory follow up with Hound Dog," he says. There were murmurs of disagreement and disapproval around the room. Thirteen inwardly sighed at it. Aizawa seemed used to the reaction, though, as he just kept going. "You kids need to get into the habit of seeing someone about your past experiences now before you become Pros or you're going to regret it later."

There was silence and then Thirteen cheekily cleared their throat. "Yes, Kaminari?"

Kaminari flushed a little, glancing at Aizawa briefly before he spoke. "Do all Pros have to go to counseling?" he asks hesitantly.

Ah, yes, finally one of them just asked it. He'd been waiting for that question every time he left an appointment card for a student to find. He was surprised it had taken so long. Regardless, Aizawa fought back a grimace. He wasn't exactly eager to start that conversation, either. Thirteen to the rescue, however, as they spoke up first. He'd have to make it up to them later.

"I go!" they admitted.

Most eyes trained on them. They noted that a few were still trained on Aizawa. The man hadn't addressed this with them, yet, then. It wasn't that surprising. He had a hard time opening up with any of his partners, let alone his students; but he hadn't had a shared experience with past classes, either.

"It's common for Pros to have counseling sessions," Thirteen continued. "You have to keep a healthy mind to be at your best in the field!"

"…Aizawa-sensei?"

Aizawa fought back a groan. "Yes, Yaoyorozu?"

"Do…. Do you see Hound Dog?" Yaoyorozu asks tentatively. There was an underlying sense of desperation in her voice, laced with uncertainty. It broke his heart a little to hear it.

"Yes, Yaoyorozu, I see him, too," Aizawa says. He leaned back against the board, hands shoved in his pockets. "I've been a Pro over a decade. It wasn't avoidable…. He wouldn't let me," he adds silently.

Thirteen snorted beside him, barely able to hide it. Bakugou snorted alongside them, not even bothering to hide that he'd heard the remark.

"The point is," Aizawa continued, "I didn't talk to anyone when I was training to be a Pro, and I should have. I'm not letting any of you make that same mistake."

"You needed to?" Uraraka asks quietly. A few classmates murmured shared confusion at the notion as well. He could hear them moving around in their seats. Thirteen shot him a cautious glance.

"Do you want to discuss that?" they whisper. Truthfully, no, he really didn't, but he didn't have to discuss that particular incident, did he?

"Uraraka, while being targeted by villains isn't the typical first year, or even final year, experience for Pros in training it isn't unheard of. Especially during internships. The Gigantism Quirk user that Yamada gushed about—" Thirteen turned to him in confusion for a brief second, "—happened when I was still a student here at UA. We're not discussing that entire fiasco, but the fact of the matter is, I should have seen the counselor while I was attending and didn't."

"You've all been to Hound Dog at least twice now," Thirteen says. It had been required after both the USJ and summer camp incidents. "So, you know he isn't going to pry if it's clear you don't want to speak about anything, but all the Hero Course students are overdue for follow ups. It's not just your class, Class B is also being seen. All you have to do is discuss an appointment time with Hound Dog. He's staying after classes all week so that you can see him to make the appointment. He's also in his office during lunch."

A few bodies shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Aizawa picked up on a handful of the students discussing going in pairs or small groups to get all of their times slotted in one go. That was at least good. He wasn't surprised to be missing a few voices, primarily the ones with cards.

"If I find out you haven't made an appointment by the end of the week, you're running laps around Ground Beta until you've improved your stamina," he says. Thirteen sighed heavily beside him. "Improve your stamina" was Aizawa-speak for "until you tap out".

"Aizawa, that is dangerously close to legally being called corporal punishment," they say.

"Fine. Just twenty laps."

"That is not much better," Thirteen sighs.

Blessedly, Thirteen was able to continue with the lessons shortly after. Perhaps the kids were feeling too awkward to press the matter more. Maybe they just knew Aizawa would battle them verbally until they conceded, blind or not, and whether it lasted past class or not. He would argue he'd physically fight them if they were actual Pros. But, they weren't just yet, so verbal battles and the threat of extra laps was about all he could've done. He doubted Kan had this much issue with it—really, his class mostly just had to deal with the summer camp incident and whatever happens on their internships, far as he was aware.

Regardless, he was utterly exhausted. Aizawa settled in his chair, propping his feet onto the corner of his desk. He leans back in the chair, almost balancing on the back legs. He could hear Nemuri at her desk, shuffling papers absently.

"Nem."

"Hm~?"

"Are there any students present?" Aizawa asks tiredly. Thirteen glanced up from their seat, taking a look themselves.

"Why?" Nemuri asks pitifully, slumping at her desk. "Are you going to throw more pens at me shuriken style?"

Aizawa smirked, hiding it in his Capture Weapon. He reached his hand out behind him towards her. With how he was sitting horizontal to the desk she couldn't make out his face past the Capture Weapon and his hair. He moved his hand a bit to beckon her. Nemuri stood, making her way over, lacing their fingers together once she got close enough. He pulled her closer until he had his arm wrapped around her waist and his head resting comfortably against her.

"How's your wrist?" he asks, his voice thrumming against her side.

Nemuri gave a wobbly smile, tracing her fingers through his hair, eliciting a hum in return. "Chiyo fixed me right up," she says with a giggle. "Don't make a habit of asking me every day, now."

"No fair," Kan grumbles. Nemuri shot him a satisfied smirk and a wink. Aizawa snorted, snapping the fingers of his free hand that wasn't currently holding Nemuri hostage.

"C'mere," he says.

Kan abandoned his desk immediately. He leaned on Aizawa's desk instead, the other man taking his hand in his own and giving it a squeeze. Nemuri was grinning ear to ear up at him, still combing through Aizawa's hair. Rare moments such as this, with Aizawa being so openly soft while on school grounds, because it's work and he typically didn't allow himself to show affection during work hours, were cherished by all the partners in the poly. The man valued his privacy. They all did, but Aizawa valued it on a level that wasn't comparable half the time. If she could, Nemuri would wear both her wedding rings openly and every day of her life.

In the solitude of the Teacher's Lounge, however, sometimes he'd let himself slip and show some affection. It wasn't quite like with Snipe in the hospital hallway, where he'd been under the impression they had some privacy from the students and weren't at work. He was easier to lull into this affectionate mood when off school grounds and off patrol. One learned to relish in the moments of affection they could all share together. With schedules like theirs, it was difficult to get days off for date nights. Vlad still remembered Hound Dog disdainfully murmuring something along the lines of "we're consolidating time for our partners like a business schedule…".

It hadn't been a wrong assessment. The large calendar board they kept stowed in the storage closet, away from prying eyes of students who would come in occasionally for one of them, was color coded and they had to coordinate date nights in far more detail than he was sure any typical couple had to. Hell, he was almost certain regular polys didn't have to go that far.

He was illogically jealous that Yamada and Nemuri got to live with the man off campus. With cats, no less. He was also illogically saddened that he wasn't living with any of his partners in the Poly. If they all shared an apartment complex or house like the students were able to share dorms it would be a different story. Sure, he was at the Class B dorms half the week on average, but he still had his own apartment waiting for him on nights that another teacher took up the apartment at the top of the dorm towers. He wondered, not for the first time, if they ever could find an apartment or house large enough to accommodate them all. Or perhaps if they could convince Nedzu to build them one, under the guise that it was simply a staff lodging initiative or something.

A second squeeze to his hand brought his attention back to Aizawa. He had to get back to his desk at some point and finish his grading before classes began. He knelt down, giving Aizawa a quick peck on the temple. He did the same to Nemuri, the woman giggling when he did, and then the same to Thirteen on his way past them.

Thirteen hopped out of their desk and over to Aizawa next, grasping his hand. It was incredibly domestic. And peaceful. Eventually, the door did open, and Aizawa's arm slipped from its place around Nemuri's waist. The woman in question had also immediately started to pretend she was trying to put Aizawa's hair up rather than just massage the man's scalp until he fell asleep. The door slid shut and she glanced over.

"Oh, it's just Hizashi and Snipe," she announces for Aizawa. His arm immediately snaked around her waist again. Nemuri barked out a laugh, returning to massaging his scalp.

"Oh~! Someone looks relaxed," Yamada sings. Aizawa grunted at him, waving him off with the hand that was still grasping Thirteen's own, without letting it go, which led to him waving Thirteen's arm around. The other Pro had dragged their chair over to take a seat by the man and was left giggling at the display.

"Are we being domestic?" Snipe teased.

"Do you want in on it?" Nemuri asks eagerly, shooting him some eyebrow wiggles. He returned the gesture, getting another laugh from Thirteen and a sigh from Yamada.

"You're both tag teaming me, now, it's so unfair," he faux whined, dragging his hands down his face. He started for his own desk. "But; I get him every night right now, so take it while you can, you guys~!"

"She lives with you both!" Snipe said, pointing accusingly at Nemuri.

"Hey, I haven't got to see him, like, at all, either," she quips back. "We can't all be sneaking out of his apartment in the mornings. Imagine the gossip."

"You would thrive," Snipe mutters.

"Those kids are vigilant," Yamada sighs. Snipe rubbed his back for a moment before abandoning him to sit on Aizawa's desk. He moved silently but regardless of that fact, Aizawa was quick to shut him down.

"Get off my desk," he says. Snipe almost choked, looking down at him.

"How did—c'mon! There's nowhere else to sit!"

"There's a lap," Nemuri says. Aizawa swatted her side. "Am I wrong?!"

"Not at work," Aizawa grumbles. Snipe settled for just resting his hands on Aizawa's legs, draping them over his own lap, and giving his calves a small squeeze. The position was questionably comfortable, in Nemuri's opinion, but Aizawa didn't make to move or kick Snipe off his desk. So, it must have at least been manageable.

"Where's Ken?" Aizawa asks, readjusting in his chair so he could enjoy the lavishing he was receiving more. Nemuri had moved to just slowly brushing his hair out of his face and letting it fall back to repeat the action as many times as she wanted.

"He's remaking Ground Beta for Class B later today," Kan calls from his desk. "Sorry. You can see him later, though, he'll be done just as classes start."

"Hmm."

Aizawa eventually untangled himself from the others while he waited for the bells to ring. Once it had, and he lamented further about how much homework he was going to have to grade once this was all done, the staff all started to filter out of the room. He was feigning sleep, having curled up in his spare sleeping bag that he kept folded under his desk. Thirteen had tried to help him unfurl it, but he'd put a stop to that immediately. He wasn't incapable of unfurling his sleeping bag. He did it with his eyes closed constantly.

As it stood, he'd forgotten to get himself any lunch. Laying there in his sleeping bag, partially aware that his partners were slowly filtering out to attend to their own classes, he was trying to gauge the likelihood they'd just leave him there to nap. Alas, he could only dream.

"Shou, I'm headed to Class A," Thirteen says softly. He gave a half-committed grunt. "Do you just want to wait here until class is over?"

"Nap."

Thirteen snickered, patting his head. "Alright, then. I'll come back afterward to switch with Kan for the practical class."

Aizawa just grunted again. He heard Thirteen leave, and tilted his head, just to be sure. He couldn't hear anyone else in the room, not even with the occasional ruffle of a sheet of paper, confirming that he was alone. He slid out of the sleeping bag and pawed for his cane. He remembered the specific turns for the cafeteria, but the actual room was not something he was familiar with.

God bless Yaoyorozu.

He navigated with the cane easily, lightly tapping his pathway until he'd reached the cafeteria. His only real sign that he had, given the halls were empty of students and staff alike, was the smell of food once he neared the door. The 'thunk' of the cane on metal as opposed to a wall signaled he'd found the double doors and he pushed through them.

Navigating the actual cafeteria without any students to drag him the proper way (and move any offending obstacles out of the way in a failed attempt of being subtle) was far harder. He stayed mostly against the wall, feeling along it until he hit the corner. There, he turned on his heel and walked a little away from the wall, knowing he'd hit the counter at his hip if he didn't. Aizawa would never say he was embarrassed to use the cane—because he wasn't and frankly it never left his hands when he was out and about—but he didn't want to invite the stares. It was starting to get under his skin.

His hip barely bumps against the counter. He had been moving slowly, so luckily it wasn't that hard, and it also helped him orient himself.

"Ah, Aizawa! I missed you at lunch."

"Hello, LuRu." Aizawa says tiredly. Lunch Rush gave an approving hum at the nickname. Nemuri had coined it early on in her time at UA, and it had stuck with every member of the staff. "I was resting."

"Napping."

"No," Aizawa says. "I was actually just laying around."

"Oh?"

"There isn't much else to do between classes," Aizawa mumbles.

"Oh! Hm. Well, since you're here," Lunch Rush says cheerily, pushing a plate across the counter towards Aizawa. How the man already had a plate made up, as if he were somehow psychic on others' needs for food, Aizawa would never know. He wasn't about to question it, though, because this was Lunch Rush's food. If there was anyone else in the entirety of UA who could compete with the food Lunch Rush made it was Bakugou.

Aizawa smirked, almost snorted, and took the plate. "Did you hear me coming or something?" he asks.

"No, but you missed lunch, and no one came to get your lunch," Lunch Rush explained. He shot a thumbs up, pointlessly, as Aizawa hummed. "Besides, if you didn't come, I got to feed myself. And if you did show up—which you have, hello—I got to feed you. And there is nothing better than feeding those you care about, is there?"

Aizawa was silent. He really couldn't quantify to Lunch Rush how pure that had sounded. He was sure the light flush to his cheeks was enough of an indicator, though, given Lunch Rush gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"Can you find a table alright?" he asks.

Aizawa was going to nod, but, his cane wasn't likely to hit the table leg at the center of the table before he hit the table edge. He shook his head, taking the plate in his hand and waiting for Lunch Rush to come around to his side. Lunch Rush hooked their arms and guided him towards a table. After he was sat down, Lunch Rush was bidding him goodbye to start prepping all the dinner meals he'd no doubt have to craft.

The quiet of the cafeteria was certainly strange, only because he was used to it being loud and full of life, so once he had finished eating, he simply sat there to enjoy the silence. He had the feeling he wasn't about to get much time to himself in the coming week. Or weeks; depending on how much longer this lasted. He let his head lull back, cane resting in his lap. Some footsteps sounded from behind and he waves his hand lazily.

"There you are," Thirteen says, pulling a chair up next to him, humming lightly. "You ate."

"Lunch Rush was going to make sure of it."

"Good!" Thirteen leaned against his arm. They breathed contently, letting their body relax into Aizawa's side. Aizawa tapped his temple to Thirteen's helmet. Thirteen preened, scooting their seat right up against Aizawa's.

"Are you going to stay here until the end of the day?" they ask.

"Might as well," Aizawa says calmly. He hears another set of footsteps come up from his other side. It wasn't a student, given that Thirteen stayed right where they were. Lunch Rush set a bowl or plate down in front of Thirteen.

"Well, aren't you both adorable," Lunch rush says. Thirteen giggles, thanking him for the plate. More than likely it was some sort of dessert given Aizawa knew for a fact Thirteen had eaten lunch already.

"Mochi?" Thirteen offered.

"I'm fine."

"Hm… suit yourself! More for me!" Thirteen says happily. Aizawa smirked into his Capture Weapon, burying his face a little. Thirteen reached up and pulled the edge down a little. "You know, I agree with Kayama, you hide your face too much."

Aizawa chuckled, readjusting the Capture Weapon. "Says the one in a space suit."

"This is my uniform," Thirteen says dramatically. Yamada was definitely starting to rub off on them. Two years ago and he doubted he'd have ever heard such dramatizations.

They sat there for the last hours of the day. With Thirteen uncapping their helmet to actually eat the mochi. Aizawa may have been a little disappointed that he couldn't see Thirteen outside their costume. Sure, their body was mostly as black as the black holes their Quirk summoned, but he would be lying if he ever said Thirteen didn't have the cutest eyes of the entire staff. A real shame, given how their costume just completely hid them away. He recalled, idly, when he'd actually told Thirteen that the first time, when they'd actually taken off their helmet around him and thus they'd lost their composure for a solid minute. A feat, according to Nemuri.

And then Thirteen had just had to counter with their own comment on his eyes and the entire staff room had fallen into a snowball effect of complimenting the "prettiest" eyes on staff. And a subsequent debate on just who had those eyes. Aizawa would forever stand on the hill that Thirteen had them, no matter how much Nemuri pouted at him over it. Even when Toshinori had come onto staff, and Yamada loudly proclaiming that the "prettiest eyes" had been reassigned (the look of utter confusion on All Might's face was priceless), Aizawa had asserted that Thirteen still held the title.

"I still think yours are the best," Thirteen had whispered to him that very same day. "Like rubies."

Just shoot an arrow through his heart, why didn't they? So really, this was just another layer of unfairness for his entire month. Aizawa propped his heels up on the table, listening to Thirteen as they went on and on and on about the newest developments in space travel—and the still unlikely possibility of actual black holes being wormholes "because I would know and I don't know why they won't listen to the one with the Black Hole Quirk"—and he was left wondering why they hadn't gone into some aspect of astronomy research.

"Alright, time to go," Thirteen eventually announced. "Yamada will have my head if I kidnap you."

"He's definitely rubbing off on you," Aizawa comments. Thirteen tilted their head at him with a confused hum. He pushed off from the table to stand. "Never would have heard such a statement before."

Thirteen chuckled, hooking their arms. They waved at Lunch Rush on their way past. "Well, you can thank him for me, then. I think your class will want you at the dorms for dinner, though."

"Have you had Bakugou's cooking?" Aizawa asks, knowing full well the answer. At Thirteen's predictable 'no', he nodded. "Bribe it out of him one day."

"I'm a little worried about the cost of such a bribe," Thirteen quipped with the same deadpan efficiency he expected from Chiyo.

"I'll sneak leftovers," Aizawa resolves. Thirteen stops them suddenly, patting his arms. He was about to ask just what they were doing when he heard the answer immediately.

"Aizawa-sensei! Are you ready to return to the dorms, sir?" Yaoyorozu asks.

Ah, his students. Classes had just ended and they were looking for him already. Thirteen just patted his arms again. "Yes, I'd say he is!"

"You dragged me into a lion's den," Aizawa whispers.

"They're doting lions, you'll be fine," Thirteen assured him. She waved the students off, leaving Aizawa to them with a snicker. The traitor.

"Told you he was this way," he heard Bakugou mutter to someone.

Was… was he keeping tabs on him? More importantly, how the hell did he even know what direction Aizawa had gone.

Aizawa wasn't sure if he should feel flattered, unnerved, or insulted. He settled on a mixture of flattered and impressed, but a little insulted. He could lose Bakugou easily if he wanted to. He could probably do that for a solid few hours just by disappearing onto the rooftop but he could save that little exercise for after he had his sight back and his students weren't likely to have a heart attack if he suddenly went MIA. No doubt Bakugou had already formed some sort of system to know the rough location of any of his classmates—the group chat was probably a rather large factor in that—and that had certainly come in handy over the weekend, he'd heard. He felt a very profound sense of guilt that he had a solid idea of why Bakugou had developed this habit but he had no idea how to quell the boy's anxieties so that he could grow out of it. He probably should have brought this little quirk up with Inui.

His attention was redirected when one body came up to his other side.

"Hello, sensei!" Midoriya greets him.

"Midoriya. I'm surprised you're not tracking down Hitoshi again," Aizawa says. He missed Midoriya's face burning bright red.

"H-he told you about that?" he squeaks.

"With some flourish, actually," Aizawa admits.

Truth be told, when Hitoshi had told him how Midoriya had jumped wall to wall to track him down in the hallway several weeks ago just to ask he come to a study group, he'd been so close to laughing it was dangerous. What he wouldn't have given to see that in real time instead of on the security footage later. He'd had to bribe Nedzu with one of Cementoss's personalized tea blends to make a copy and it had been worth it. He probably had to meet back up with Nedzu sooner or later now that he thought of it. Not exactly how he wanted to spend his free block, but he also knew the principal was likely to call him into a meeting if he didn't take the initiative quickly enough. Maybe he could bribe him with some time curled up in his Capture Weapon.

Pushing that thought away to deal with later, Aizawa started off, trusting that if he was about to run into anyone, they'd be smart and move out of the way. Midoriya trailed behind him, muttering up a storm. Something about being a rabbit. Something else that was probably an apology. And finally, apologies when Bakugou started to yell at him. Uraraka had started to comfort him at some point, alongside Iida. A few of his classmates were snickering. And as he started to hone his ears into the surrounding conversations, he realized it was the entire class that had decided to meet him in the hallway.

Oh, this was going to be a problem.

He'd have to deal with it later, though. For now, he had a more pressing question on his mind. "Ashido."

"Hm? Yes, sensei?"

"Did you go to see Recovery Girl today?" he asks, already suspecting what he was about to hear. Ashido was quiet a moment before giving a nervous laugh.

"W-well, we don't have heroics for another day or so, so I didn't think it was worth bothering her with," Ashido admitted.

"Oh, is that so?" Aizawa asks, keeping his voice as deadpan as before. At the awkward silence he sighed, grabbing in Ashido's general direction. He latched onto an arm. Ashido jolted at his touch, seriously wondering if this was the same feeling Yaoyorozu felt about the pens and how Hagakure must have felt when he'd laid his eyes right on her before. "Right. Off we go, then."

"W-wait! Sensei, I really don't need to!" Ashido shouted, only giving minimal effort to fight him off. He could hear Bakugou and Kaminari both laughing behind them as he swung his cane out to find the hall's corner and turned sharply down it. If his mental map was correct, they were just a few turns away.

"Really, it doesn't hurt anymore!" Ashido tried assuring him.

"If it were a simple scrape and bruise, then I'd be inclined to agree," Aizawa says. He snaps the cane against the wall and turns his head sharply back towards the group. "Midoriya, don't make a comment."

"Wh—?!"

"HA!" Bakugou laughed. "He has you pegged."

"I-I didn't say anything!"

No, he hadn't, but Aizawa wasn't dumb enough to believe that Hitoshi hadn't made some comment some time to Midoriya about how he himself would put off going to Recovery Girl for injuries about on Ashido's level. Aizawa wasn't dumb enough to avoid Recovery Girl for serious injury, unless she deemed there to be a lack of proper stamina to be healed yet. Especially since he had to teach a Heroics course. In his opinion, Ashido had no such excuses and his lesson plan had a surprise heroics course thrown in this week, so really he'd just feel like it was his fault that she was unprepared for that.

She had enough times where she was questioning herself amongst her classmates. Really, she wasn't that far below the top half of the class, and he'd even argue that she was within the top ten if she could think smarter with her Qurik—so he wasn't quite sure where that particular hang up came from. Maybe he should make a passing remark to Inui. Add another concern to the list.

He ignored Ashido's continued excuses. He pointedly ignored an attempted bribe, as well. Unless said bribe was three months' worth of free jelly packets, he wasn't about to listen to it, either. He paused at the Infirmary door. He tapped it with his cane in a silent question. Ashido sighed, pushing it open and greeting Recovery Girl. Ah, so he had chosen the right door. Nevermind if she took that motion as a "do it yourself", he still had his answer.

"Ashido. I was wondering if I'd be seeing you," Chiyo says coyly. She tapped a bed with her cane. "Right here."

"Thank you…" Ashido says sheepishly, pulling herself up onto the bed. Chiyo turned to Aizawa and then back to her with a raised brow.

"Don't tell me you're starting to take after our Resident Problem Child," Chiyo says. Ashido squawks indignantly at the same time Midoriya whines from the hallway. Chiyo shot her gaze to the door, eyeing up Aizawa with an accusatory glare. "Just how many students did you bring me?"

"Technically, just her," Aizawa says, gesturing roughly towards Ashido. He jerked his thumb down the hall. "They just followed."

Chiyo 'tsk'ed at him. She gave Ashido the required kiss on her cheek and the girl sighed as the gash at her back closed completely within moments. Once Chiyo had released her, she twisted in her seat, eager already to get the wrappings off.

Ashido hopped off the bed, stretching without impediment. "Thanks, Recovery Girl!"

"You can remove the bandages here if you just draw the curtain," Chiyo says, gesturing to the curtain around the bed. Ashido looked up at it.

"Oh! Hm…"

She could probably see about Uraraka or Aoyama helping her with that. Technically, she supposed she could also ask Midoriya. One thought of how he'd probably faint at the request squashed that option rather quickly, though. He was enough of a mess around Hitoshi, never mind the rest of them (as cute as that was), and Bakugou might actually break up with her if she broke the green bean. Bakugou and the squad would probably also agree to help, though she doubted Aizawa or Chiyo would actually let any boys help, either way. She turned towards the door.

"Uraraka?"

Uraraka hopped into view, smiling brightly. "Yo!"

"A little help?" Ashido asks. Uraraka nodded and rushed over, drawing the curtain closed in a flourish.

Chiyo turned towards Aizawa, tapping the foot of her cane. Iida was slowly moving closer and closer behind him. Flanked by a few others—most prominently Ojiro and Tokoyami. She shook her head at them with a smirk.

"I see you have your bodyguards," she quips. Iida immediately stiffened. Ojiro couldn't fight the smile, however. Hagakure skipped into Chiyo's eyesight, waving.

"Ready for duty!" she says cheerfully.

Aizawa sighed heavily, bowing his head. Blessedly, Ashido and Uraraka were out of the infirmary rather quickly, with Ashido tossing her bandages in the bin before she skipped out. She skipped up to Bakugou and Kirishima, a markedly more prominent dance in her step.

"I'm good as new, my boys!"

"And we're going again," Aizawa grumbled, already walking down the hallway.

Ashido was actually the first through the dorm doors, kicking them open with a flourish and darting inside. She, and a few others, were unusually excited to get back to the dorms. Aizawa could feel the palpable excitement the entire walk back. Once he took up a seat on the couch, he was joined by several of the kids, all of whom were laying out their homework from the day.

"Do you have the notes from English?" Kaminari asks the room at large.

"I'll trade for your math notes," Jirou says.

"Aren't you getting tutored in like an hour?"

"You underestimate how much I need to study."

Aizawa let the conversations float around him, distantly hearing phones chiming off around him as well. A few times it caused a lull in a conversation or two. It didn't take a genius to know something was happening in the group chat. Someone came up to his side from behind the couch.

"Aizawa-sensei?" Asui prompts.

"Hm."

"We want to show you something," Asui says. There was a pause where Aizawa really tried to fight down the comeback that had immediately popped into his head. He had tried, but he wasn't going to get this opportunity a second time.

"Asui, I'm not sure you've noticed, but that's going to be a little difficult," Aizawa says plainly. There was some laughter around him that was cut off rather quickly, but he still caught a few students snorting and/or choking on their own giggles. Asui smiled down at him. He could hear it in her response.

"I'm told I'm oblivious, sensei, but that's an entirely different level," she says cheekily. Aizawa smirked, slowly getting up from the sofa.

"What is it?" he asks.

He held his hand out, already knowing someone was going to grasp it, and consequently wasn't surprised when Asui used his hand to guide him to the kitchen. She stopped him somewhere in front of the fridge, standing him between the island and the cabinets.

"Don't tell me one of you destroyed a cabinet," he says.

Kaminari, unseen and unheard from the other side of the kitchen thanks to the sounds of students gathering around Aizawa, waved frantically at the cabinets and Aizawa alike. He was silently shouting at the few students who had opted to stay at the back with him. "How does he know where he is?! How does he know?"

"How did he almost brain Midnight-sensei with a pen?" Bakugou snaps back just as quietly. Kaminari deflated onto the counter. Asui was tapping the Sensei Cabinet.

"Of course not," she says. "We made you a cabinet."

There was an inkling memory of a throwaway question Yaoyorozu had asked him so long ago. Aizawa stood there a second, a little dumbstruck. Either they had taken his lack of a designated cabinet that seriously, or they really wanted to just do something nice for him. Either way, he felt warmth blooming in his chest and he smiled. Hagakure was bouncing on her heels, shaking Midoriya on his feet, as she quietly gestured to the rare sight. Ashido was beside her, not containing her joy better at any degree, letting out a high-pitched squeal.

"Do you like it?!" she asks. At Aizawa's nodding she fist pumped the air with a loud shout.

"You all didn't have to," Aizawa starts to say.

"Don't be ridiculous, sensei, of course we did," Yaoyorozu says. There was a chorus of agreement around the room.

"We wanted to, sensei!"

"Do you really like it?"

"We had the spare room."

"We wanted to do something for you, sensei!"

Aizawa moved to sit down on the floor, the tapping of Asui's finger on the cabinet having clued him in that it was on the bottom row, resting his cane across his lap. He wasn't going to cry. Not in front of them, anyway, he'd probably do that later when he went to bed. Asui squatted down next to him, opening the cabinet.

"We tried to fill it with things we thought you'd like," she elaborates.

He almost felt bad that Yamada hadn't come back yet to witness this. The man would be a blubbering mess already, gushing about how cute this was. He could smell the waft of coffee grinds of several kinds, and that piqued his interest. He'd have to have a cup of the brew with dinner.

"And it's not just fuckin' jelly packets," Bakugou quips from the back. "Eat something else, damn it!"

"They're practical," Aizawa says, ignoring the comment.

"THAT ISN'T FOOD!" Bakugou shouts. Aizawa chuckled lightly at the outburst. He was starting to remind him of Cementoss and Lunch Rush.

"Bakubro, he eats real food," Kirishima laughs.

"Jelly packets are not a favorite food," Bakugou snaps. "You better have one by the end of the week!"

"That so?" Aizawa asks idly, tilting his head a little towards the blonde.

"Oi, if I have to go to Hound Dog by the end of the week, you have to pick a favorite food," Bakugou says.

Yeah, he really didn't, but he could humor the kid if it meant he went to Hound Dog without argument. "Sure, sure."

"We filled it with some fruit packets, a few coffee blends, and some dry ingredients," Midoriya was quick to explain, pulling the room back to the cabinet.

"We tried to make sure you had a wide variety of options, sensei!" Iida says. "As well as some food we enjoy that we think you would like."

"I put in some mochi!" Uraraka says.

"I added a box of squid ink pasta," Shoji says. "…and if you don't want that I will happily eat it."

"Shoji!" Iida shouts.

"I would also take the soba noodles back if you do not like them," Todoroki remarks.

"Shouto!"

Aizawa didn't doubt it for a second, honestly. If it weren't for students like Yaoyorozu, Iida, Sero and Bakugou balancing out the meals Shoji would be inhaling that pasta as much as Todoroki would be inhaling soba. Really, it was a good thing some of the class had a good idea of what a balanced meal looked like, or half the kitchen would be junk food.

"…I appreciate it," Aizawa says. Asui preened, shutting the cabinets, and settling down next to him.

"We'll make sure whatever you like is added to the grocery list, kero," she assures him. Aizawa huffed, smirking.

"Ask Yamada and Nemuri—"

"Neither of those clowns knew a damn thing!" Bakugou shouted. Iida sighed heavily from his side of the room. Aizawa raised a brow at the accusation.

"W-we tried asking already…" Satou said sheepishly. "They, uh… didn't really know."

"Walnuts and lemon," Aizawa says easily, standing. "Or anything fruit-based."

Bakugou gaped at him. He slammed his hands on the counter. "Are you fucking serious?! How the fuck did they not know that?!"

"I'm also not a hardcore sweets fan, but I'll eat it if it's there," he continues, resting the cane on his shoulder as he makes for the couch again.

He ignored Bakugou's shouting as he resumed his seat. It was just before dinner before Yamada reappeared in the dorms, bursting through the door with a shout of 'Hello' amplified by his Quirk. Bakugou, at the stove, immediately turned on him.

"YOU'RE A FUCKING IDIOT!" he screamed. Yamada stood in the doorway, blinking at him numbly.

"Huh?"

"WALNUTS AND LEMONS!" Bakugou shouted. Kirishima started to slide to the floor, holding his gut he was laughing so hard. "FUCKING WALNUTS AND LEMONS!"

"I am… so confused," Yamada admitted. He turned to find Aizawa was at the couch, messing with a new 3D puzzle Yaoyorozu had crafted for him. "Shou?"

Aizawa simply shrugged. "My favorite foods."

"You actually have some?!" Yamada asks. Aizawa heard someone smack their palm to their face.

"IT'S NOT THAT HARD!"

"Hey, in my defense, he never asks for anything specific," Yamada says. He points to Aizawa accusingly. "You won't even pick something off a restaurant menu!"

Yaoyorozu sighed, sounding almost disappointed. "…Aizawa-sensei…"

Aizawa shrugged again, just to annoy Yamada a little. "I'll eat anything."

"This is why I can't make you any special dinners," Yamada grumbles, coming up behind Aizawa and pulling on his cheek. Aizawa smacked his hand away. "But! Now I know I can make lemon cake for your birthday!"

"You are not throwing a party," Aizawa clips immediately. Yamada shot him a look that got a few chuckles from Ashido and her study group. But, he hadn't said no to the cake, at least.

"I'd like to see you try and stop me or Nem from throwing you a party. Ever," Yamada says confidently. Aizawa hummed.

It was true they had a great track record with successfully throwing him a party every year no matter how busy any of them were. Or how much he insisted they didn't have to go to the trouble. He recalled one year when Nemuri had still set up a party even though he'd been on patrol that very night and surprised him when he'd gotten home. Needless to say; he was appreciative, but Nemuri and the rest of his partners had learned rather quickly that jumping out in the dark and shouting was a swift one-way ticket to being drop kicked.

"I could just leave—" Aizawa starts.

"Wait, no," Yamada laughed. "Can I if I don't make it a surprise party?"

"Mmm… maybe."

"I'll take it!" Yamada declared. He spun on his heel, waltzing towards the kitchen. "Bakugou, I feel like I should apologize."

"Fucking right you are."

Aizawa shook his head, completing the puzzle and holding it in his palm, testing the weight. He wasn't sure what it actually looked like, but the exterior was smooth, so he knew it was completed. Yamada was back at the couch within moments, leaning over the edge to look at the puzzle in Aizawa's hand.

"That's a cute cat," he says. Aizawa smirked. Of course, it was a cat. He set it on the coffee table, feeling out the puzzle to set it so that it was facing him.