WHOO! This one took longer than I thought it would
Between commissions, trying to just draw in general, and prioritizing writing, these past weeks have been pretty…. Stacked. Flu vaccines have started at my job as well so we're also ramping up there.
Chapter 10: Midnight Sleepover
Aizawa turned over. It was slightly harder than usual given he was still stuck in a bear hug and had to fight going back to sleep with all the accumulated heat making the bed the perfect temperature. He patted Kan's arm when he couldn't easily lift it, rousing the man from his drowsy sleep enough to slip out and to the bathroom. Once he came back, he only had to pass by the bed for Kan to reach out and drag him back down.
"Kan, what time is it?" Aizawa asks.
"Five more minutes," Kan mumbles. Aizawa swatted the arm around his middle.
"So, time to get up. Get up."
"You don't even have to really work…" Kan groaned, releasing Aizawa from his hold. Aizawa could hear the multitude of pops when he stretched and grimaced.
"How about I meet you downstairs, hm?" Aizawa says.
He held his hand out. Kan took it gingerly in his own and Aizawa ran his hand up his arm until he could ruffle his hair. Kan hummed, squeezing his hand once before he finally trudged off to change and get ready. Aizawa toed around the edge of the bed until he found the duffel bag and changed himself much quicker. He pulled out a blindfold he'd packed preemptively. He wasn't sure what pattern he'd picked up from the ones the class had made; so, he'd defaulted to one of the originals from the bedside table.
Finding his way back downstairs was rather easy given the identical layout of the building. If he'd had his cane, he would have used his Capture Weapon again, but he'd left it downstairs. That was probably for the best, however, just so he didn't give Kan a heart palpitation first thing in the morning. He exited to the common room and paused at the stairs. He couldn't hear very many students around him just yet, so it must have actually been a little early. He could have slept in.
"Good morning, sensei," Kodai greets.
"Hello, Kodai," Aizawa greets. He resolved to sit at the table until Kan could get him coffee. He wanted to brew up his own personal blends; but he wasn't going to go to the Class A dorms and blindly rifle through the cabinets in the apartment until he found them.
"Do you need anything, sensei? I could get something?" Tsunotori asks. Aizawa had to admit, Kan's extra tutoring was improving her Japanese rather quickly. He shook his head.
"I'm waiting for Kan to be ready," Aizawa explains. He could hear idle chatter around the room and turned in Tsunotori's general direction, ending up settling his gaze over her own. She glanced at Kodai, unnerved. The other only shrugged. "Actually, where is my cane?"
"Oh! It's right here, sensei! We kept it by the counter, so we didn't risk losing it," Rin shouts, bringing the cane over to him. Aizawa took it, twirling it in his hand before settling it over his shoulder.
"Thanks."
Aizawa was almost ready to simply sit back and ignore the world until he got caffeine in him. Almost. A familiar shiver went up his spine and he shot his free hand out, dropping his cane to grasp the arm reaching for him with both hands and flip the person over his shoulder. He had milliseconds for his brain to catch up mid-flip to realize two things.
A) This was probably a student since no one was panicking, and;
B) He was about to flip someone into the dining table.
And just to add fuel to the flames, C) Kan was going to be pissed.
It was far too late, however, for him to stop the flip. All these years of training, building up instinctual reactions, and he'd yet to find a way to actually stop a flip halfway without causing unneeded injury. His best bet was to finish it out and apologize later. He'd have to really apologize, later. The body hit the table and it came crashing down with them.
"Holy shit!"
"H-Honenuki?!" Tsunotori shouted, rushing up to him. The boy in question groaned, holding up a shaky thumbs up.
"Dude! Sensei, that was badass!" Tetsutetsu screamed. "Honenuki, you didn't even get close."
"Shove it…" Honenuki mumbles.
"See? That's why I didn't agree, Juzo," Tokage says. She looked up from the tea she was stirring, pausing in her motions briefly. "…Are you alright?"
"I'm in pain… but yeah…" Juzo mumbled. Storming steps raced down the stairs until Kan came into the room, looking around rapidly until he spotted the scene at the table.
"What happened?" he demanded.
"Monoma dared Honenuki to touch the blindfold to see if he could, sir," Kodai says coolly. Monoma gaped at her.
"Where's the loyalty?!" he asks. "And I didn't see any of you stopping it!"
"What did I say last night?" Kan asks, his tone dangerous. Kendo came rushing down the opposite stairs.
"What happened?! I heard a crash!"
"Monoma," Kan pressed. Aizawa drowned out the impending lecture. It was going to be a loud one. A long, loud one. He knelt down to where Honenuki's head would be, speaking low so as not to draw Kan's attention.
"Do you need Recovery Girl?" he asks.
"…maybe, sensei. I'm sorry."
"Just don't do it again," Aizawa sighs. "Tsunotori? Can you take him?"
"Yes, of course!" Tsunotori rushed over, helping Honenuki up so he could walk. "Are you dizzy?"
"No."
"I'd leave before Kan explodes," Aizawa suggested.
Neither student needed told twice, both of them slipping their shoes on at the door and making a quiet exit. Doubtless, Honenuki was going to be answering to Kan once Chiyo was done with him. Aizawa, for one, didn't want to be around for when he was done lecturing Monoma into an early grave. He could get coffee at the teacher's lounge. He resolved to grab his cane and slip out himself whilst students slunk up the stairs to hide out until they had to leave for class. All except Kendo, who he heard grumbling under her breath as she made her way to Kan and Monoma. He wasn't touching that situation with a ten-foot pole; and so resolutely slipped out the front door himself.
He'd have to remember to ask about Honenuki later.
It wasn't that he disliked having to grab some supplies for class before class began. Sero was a very easy-going person and was happy to help his two representatives prepare class every day; and grabbing new chalk for the board wasn't hard. It was a quick trip to the teacher's lounge and asking for the chalk from the supply cabinet. He just liked hanging out with his friends before class so he always kind of disliked when his turn on the supply run rotation hit. Nevertheless, anything he could do to lessen any and all stressors on Aizawa right now (especially right now) he would do.
He just wished he could always be around when a stressor hit the man.
He'd been walking past Recovery Girl's office on the way back to the classroom. The door had been shut when he'd passed it before, but it'd taken a few minutes for Thirteen to get him the chalk when he'd popped into the teacher's lounge, and now it was slightly ajar. He hadn't been sure if she had been inside when he'd passed the first time, but he could certainly hear her now.
"—being dumb teens is no excuse!"
Someone had messed up, obviously, and he wasn't planning on getting involved at all. If they were in Recovery Girl's office and she was lecturing them, then they were fine. He wanted to see if he could help—he always did—but he was on a time crunch and a mission. It didn't help at all that he recognized the students' voices; and paused involuntarily in the hallway to listen. Those were Class B voices.
"We're sorry…"
"Sorry, Recovery Girl…"
"You better be," Chiyo chastised them. Sero could hear the thwack of her cane on the side of the bed. "I'll be talking to Aizawa-sensei as well, but you should be happy he didn't break your back! The man has trouble controlling his strength sometimes."
"..Y-yes, ma'am," Honenuki mumbled. Sero peeked his head into the doorway, waving nonchalantly at Chiyo. The old woman shot him an unamused stare.
"Need bandages?" she prods him. Sero shook his head, holding up the chalk.
"I was just on a little errand. Yo, Honenuki! What happened to you?" Sero asks, looking him up and down. He was fine, of course, but his entire back was covered in what looked like food and… plate bits?... stuck into the food pieces. Tsunotori was picking pieces of plate from his hair. At least it didn't look like he'd been bleeding. Were those wood chips?
"Um… did you fight a table?" Sero asks tentatively. "I mean, Bakugou's thrown me into one before, but—"
"I didn't fight a table!" Honenuki says quickly. "I just—I was being a dumbass."
"This student," Chiyo begins, stressing the word—and clearly thinking of another descriptor entirely—and hit his shin with her cane, "Thought he could pull one over on your sensei. Best you learned now, I suppose."
"Huh?" Sero stepped into the infirmary, crossing his arms. "How'd you try that? We can't get him at all in training."
"To be fair…" Tsunotori began, tossing the bits she'd collected into the bin beside the bed with some nervous energy in her swiping hands, "…he did it on a dare. I'm sure Tetsutetsu has already messaged Kirishima."
"Maybe not," Honenuki mumbled. He turned to Sero, looking thoroughly defeated. "I'm not going back to the dorms alive, though."
"What? You look fine," Sero says, stepping up to him and looking him over. Honenuki snorted, waving his hand.
"No, I meant Kan-sensei is going to lecture me to death like he did Monoma," Honenuki says. He sighed heavily, bowing his head. "I shouldn't have taken that bet…"
"What was it?" Sero asks.
"Um… well, Monoma bet that I couldn't touch Aizawa-sensei's blindfold—"
Sero snorted, loud and obnoxious, and slapped his knee. "HAHAHAHA! So you did get flung into a table! I knew it! Oh, I'm sorry, man, it's just… you should have had Tetsu message Kiri first. Woulda saved you a trip to RC, here."
"Save me a lot of trouble and make that a habit before your classes start to mess with one another, would you?" Chiyo clipped from her desk. Sero gave her a shaky wave, stepping slowly towards the door. Honenuki turned sharply to him.
"Tell him I'm sorry," he said. "I can't remember if I did or not."
"You did," Tsunotori assured him. She pat his head. "After… the table…"
Sero nodded, quickly backtracking out of the room and back to the classroom. He felt a little bad for Honenuki—poor kid had no previous basis of Aizawa's freakish sixth sense when it came to his personal bubble; he hadn't stood a chance—but this certainly didn't help his feelings towards Monoma one iota. He was definitely slapping some tape over his mouth next time he saw him. He burst into the classroom moments later, catching sight of Aizawa at the desk and Yamada at the board looking dejectedly at the very small piece of chalk that was left, gaining the attention of the room as the door slammed open.
"Aizawa-sensei is never leaving the dorms again!" Sero demanded, pointing at the man in question. Aizawa turned to him curiously. Yamada stared at Sero a moment before catching sight of the chalk. He leaned over and snatched the box up.
"Why's that, Little Listener?" he asks, happily shaking a piece of new chalk out.
"I was passing Recovery Girl's office and heard what happened this morning," Sero says, shutting the door behind him. He stopped at Aizawa's desk, hands on his hips.
"What happened?" Yaoyorozu asks.
"Was it the Copier Bi—um, Monoma?" Ashido asks. Yamada shot her a tired look over his shoulder, as did Iida. Aizawa hummed, resting his chin on his hands.
"So, he's fine, then?" he asks.
"Wh—yes, he's fine, and he says sorry. Again. But you're not staying in any other dorms until you can see again!" Sero demanded. "Not if they can't keep their hands to themselves!"
"Change how you say that," Aizawa says flatly, before there could be any uproar. "Besides, he's going to get plenty of punishment for it."
"His back certainly did," Sero grumbled.
"What happened?" Yamada asked.
"…Honenuki was doing a dare and I flipped him," Aizawa admitted after a quick beat. Yamada gaped at him. He banged his head on the board with a groan. "He shouldn't have tried to sneak up on me."
"Didn't Kan warn them?" Yamada asks tiredly.
"Yes."
Yamada grumbled, lightly bashing his forehead on the chalkboard. He sighed and rubbed his hands down his face as the class at large was having their own row with the news.
Aizawa tried to tune out the shouting amongst the students—it was mostly about how he wasn't going to spend the night anywhere else for the remainder of this… issue—and just focus on thinking of anything else. He already expected to hear something from Kan about the incident. Sure, the students had ignored Kan's (probably) clear warning about his reflexes before the night had really started, but he was in a dorm. No way was there any villain in the dorm without Kan noticing and yet he'd still judo flipped a student. He had to have better control of his reflexes than that. In fact, he knew he did, he just hadn't been bothering to temper that instinctive reaction. Shinsou was going to have a field day teasing him about this. There was no way someone in this class wouldn't be passing this story along to the kid.
Aizawa settled on just accepting that inevitability now rather than give himself the false hope that it wouldn't spread. He was certain he'd be hearing from Chiyo as well.
"Well, we can agree on this at least," Yamada started, quieting most of the class's noise. "He's not staying there again!"
Aizawa flinched at the slight emphasis Yamada's Quirk had on his voice. It wasn't bad—it hardly shook the windows—it was just barely above the average shout. But he was really missing being able to just use his own Quirk on Yamada's.
"It could have slipped! Or been pulled up! Or fallen loose or fallen off! And then what?! BAM! YOU'RE DEALING WITH A MIGRAINE! AND LOADS OF EYE PAIN!"
"Zashi, the only migraine I'm about to have is from you shouting."
"Ah…. Sorry…"
"If you're going to use your Quirk, I'm not staying here," Aizawa declared, reaching down and grabbing his sleeping bag. He pushed the chair from the desk and made it close to the door before he heard Yamada slide in front. Yamada spread his arms out, blocking his pathway.
"Wait, you're not leaving!" Yamada said. Hagakure and Ashido each flanked him.
"You're staying here, sensei!"
"What if one of the Class B kids try to take your blindfold again?!"
"That's not what they were doing," Aizawa says flatly.
"Ok, but still, sensei, do you have to leave?" Ashido asks.
"Do you really want to test me right now?" Aizawa asks, looking pointedly at where Yamada's voice had originated from. Yamada started to sweat a little. He gave a nervous laugh, scratching his cheek. "Sit back down."
Ashido and Hagakure shared a glance, both girls slowly inching away from the two men. Bakugou snickered, patting Ashido on the arm on her way past.
"Nice try," he whispered. She stuck her tongue out at him. Asui tilted her head, locking eyes with Ashido and slowly sticking her own tongue out. Ashido shook her head slowly.
Aizawa stood straight, staring in Yamada's direction unwaveringly. Aside from the blindfold it looked wholly like a standoff. Amongst the awkward tension, Midoriya cleared his throat. Aizawa didn't take his perceived gaze off Yamada, but he did grunt for Midoriya to speak.
"Aizawa-sensei, what about a compromise?" Midoriya asks.
"Mm."
"U-um, well…. What if we got you at lunch? You can sleep in the teacher's lounge until then," Midoriya says. "And then we take you back to the dorms," he tacked on quickly.
Aizawa felt his eyebrow twitch. He'd rather just tear the blindfold off out of spite to send himself to Chiyo and get that over with as well—two birds, one stone kind of deal. But, if he did that the kids wouldn't let him go anywhere without an escort. And they would find a way to give him an escort, even if it's with Dark Shadow. Or perhaps they'd enter into some sort of deal with a staff member to tail him. Not that Bakugou would need much help in that department, apparently. He pinched his brow and sighed. It was just easier to accept that compromise as is if he wanted to get to taking a nap as fast as possible. He hadn't gotten enough coffee yet for this. The compromise was something he could easily debate with; but he didn't have the energy to bother. He was going back to the dorms immediately after classes, either way, anyway.
"Fine. Hizashi, move or I make you move," Aizawa threatened. Yamada couldn't hit the wall fast enough, slinging the door open for Aizawa.
"I'LL SEE YOU AT LUNCH!"
"Take a nap when you're first able and I won't drag you into one by force," Aizawa says, stepping out into the hall. Yamada watched him go, his eyes flicking down at the floating uniform that tried to follow. He hooked his arm around Hagakure's, pulling her back in.
"Nuh-uh! Students remain in class, Little Listener!"
"B-but I want to make sure he gets there safely!"
"He's fine, trust me," Yamada says, pulling her back in despite her protests.
Aizawa trudged to the teacher's lounge. He had the energy to walk the whole school if he really wanted to do that, since the halls were likely going to be empty for the foreseeable hour or so, but he also felt the call of his spare sleeping bag. It was waiting for him under his desk; and he could almost hear the siren song of warmth and weight wrapped around him. Soon, he was drowning in a cup of coffee and passing out for the next few hours. Wrapping himself up in the sleeping bag wasn't nearly as comforting as pulling one of his partners close to him, but it did the job well enough while at work.
Far as he knew, no one was present in the room since classes had started already. At best, he'd be found by Chiyo or Nedzu during class hours, and if not then he'd be able to sleep until someone came to drag him to get food. It'd be Lunch Rush if it wasn't Yamada or Ishiyama. He was just thankful that he managed to pass out quickly in the quiet lounge.
He didn't wake as quietly; his shoulder being shaken until he gave some kind of reaction. Aizawa turned sourly in his sleeping bag, looking all over like a very unimpressed and very annoyed yellow caterpillar, pulling the bag's opening up to his blindfold.
"Hey… hey, wake up, Shou. C'mon, kitten~," Nemuri cooed. Aizawa grunted at her, shimmying further into the sleeping bag. Nemuri immediately fell to her knees beside him, lightly smacking his shoulder. "Hey, no! Don't hide that adorable blush, I want to see it!" she says, rolling him a little in the sleeping bag.
"No."
"But—but—!" Nemuri stopped short, making some rather childish whines.
"Don't ruin my nap," Aizawa snapped. He was curious what time it was, actually. He hadn't left a note or anything to indicate he wanted to sleep through to lunch, so it was entirely possible that it was between classes right then. Unless, of course, Yamada had passed on the message for him.
Snipe snickered, shaking his head. Kan watched the pair in confusion. No matter how many times he saw them interact with one another, he would never, ever, understand their relationship or their dynamic. He turned his head slightly at a very soft knock on the door. Soft enough it sounded timid, and he almost hadn't caught it despite being the closest.
"Fuck off," Aizawa spat.
The door slowly slid open, but Kan couldn't make out anyone in the hall, nor a shadow. He raised his brow, nudging Snipe in the arm. The other man turned, tilting his hat up to try and see better.
"Kitten!" Nemuri yelled in a pitiful whine.
The door suddenly slammed open, the floating uniform that had been slowly coming into view flying a few steps into the room. "Kitten?! Where? Where?!" Hagakure was shouting, her entire body turning in tight jerks in circles as she floundered about.
Aizawa slowly turned his head up to Nemuri. If he could see her face—how pale she'd gotten and looking as if she'd just swore in front of a very strict pastor—he probably would have been kinder.
"I will kill you," he said lowly.
Nemuri floundered, growing more flustered, and hiding what of her face was visibly red that wasn't already being handled by her mask. Based on the choking sounds she was making she was probably trying to apologize. But he also couldn't tell if she was trying to keep from pouncing on him or if she was trying to hide laughter. Aizawa sighed heavily, sitting up in his sleeping bag and unzipping it if only to be able to smack her on the arm harshly. If nothing else, it snapped her back to reality for long enough she could collect herself.
"Ah, ow…" she muttered. Aizawa could hear Ectoplasm snickering in his seat. Just how many staff members were there? Maybe it was lunch, after all.
Tokoyami peered around the door. "Hagakure, focus."
"Do you need help with anything, Young Hagakure?" Toshinori asks. Hagakure turned to him (he thinks). She giggled, waving him off.
"Oh! No, no, I'm fine! I just wanted to grab Aizawa-sensei for lunch!" Hagakure says cheerily. She turned towards Aizawa, who was already kicking off his sleeping bag. "Aizawa-sensei! We already have the tables set up!"
"Set up?"
"We have to push tables together to get everyone at one place," Tokoyami explains. Toshinori nodded slowly.
"I see…"
Aizawa quickly ruffled Nemuri's hair on his way by. She watched him go, waiting until the door was shut to flop over onto the sleeping bag with a groan. Snipe started to laugh at his desk, slapping it. Nemuri shot up, throwing her whip at him.
"Oh, shut up!"
"That's why he keeps work and personal life separate, Nem," Snipe says, catching the whip and throwing it back. Toshinori tapped his pen at his own desk, turning to Nemuri.
"Perhaps refrain from the pet names?" Toshinori says gently. Nemuri groaned, pulling herself up to lean on Aizawa's desk instead.
"He's going to kick my ass…" she mumbled. "I'll never be able to call him 'kitten' again…"
"Surely he won't go that far," Toshinori began. He caught Snipe shaking his head and immediately deflated, gaping. "Surely he wouldn't."
"Mmmmm… I don't know, he has to try and figure out a way to explain away why Nemuri was shouting 'kitten' with no kitten in the room," Ectoplasm murmurs. Nemuri groaned louder than she probably ever had before, banging her head on the desk.
"I'm so fucked…" she bemoaned. "I'm going to die…. You'll be planning my funeral by sunrise…"
"Kayama, I think that's a bit excessive," Toshinori says.
"Oh, I know. He won't actually kick my ass," Nemuri assured him. "He'll probably just lecture me, but it'll feel like getting my ass kicked. …And I definitely lost pet name privileges for like a month."
"Probably more," Snipe teases.
Toshinori stared at her confusedly for a moment before he eventually came up and patted her shoulder.
The cafeteria was loud. It was always loud—the cavernous height of the ceilings aiding the echoes of the room and every conversation in it—but Aizawa could hear a rather distinctive voice over all of it. He wasn't entirely sure at first what Bakugou was screaming, but he could make out enough to know what the boy was right pissed. Explosions (small ones, because Bakugou was impulsive but he was at least smart about his survival) were setting off randomly.
Aizawa sighed heavily, reaching out and tapping his hand on Tokoyami's arm until he could feel the boy's eyes turn on him.
"Where is he?" Aizawa asks. He started to unravel his Capture Weapon from his neck. Tokoyami looked him over for a moment before he gestured towards Bakugou.
"Slightly to our right, being held back by Ashido and Kirishima," Tokoyami says.
Ah, such a good kid.
Aizawa shot out the scarf. Kirishima caught the motion out of the corner of his eye and shoved Ashido aside. The Capture Weapon caught Bakugou around his torso, pinning his arms to his sides, just as he was about to wrench them forward and blast Monoma in the face. He hit the floor, the Capture Weapon wrapping around him several times over. Kendo and Monoma both reared back from the Capture Weapon's sudden appearance, almost tripping over themselves. Kendo yelped, turning to see Aizawa sauntering forward, coiling his Capture Weapon around his arm, with a sigh.
"Bakugou," he began, sounding tired. "We've been over this."
"The little shit deserved it this time!" Bakugou growled. Aizawa cut him off with a raise of his hand and a pinch of his brow. Midoriya peered around Kirishima, tiptoeing up to Bakugou, who shot him a scowl. Aizawa sighed, rubbing at his forehead.
"Problem Child, don't even think about it," Aizawa snapped. Midoriya flinched harshly, slinking away from the primary warp of scarf that held Bakugou in place. Kendo blinked dumbly at the sight. She lightly shook Monoma's shoulder, shooting him a questioning look.
"Don't look at me, you think I have an answer?" Monoma asks.
Aizawa turned his attention back to Bakugou. "Bakugou, if you want to handle something like that, challenge him to a spar. Don't destroy the cafeteria," he says. He yanks on the Capture Weapon to pull Bakugou back to his feet. He let it unravel and pulled it back, looping it around his arm and then settling it on his shoulders. "Don't make me give you detention over this."
Monoma huffed and Aizawa snapped his fingers to point at him next. "And don't you make me get Kan."
Monoma snapped his mouth shut. Kendo cleared her throat, quickly bowing as she addressed Aizawa.
"Hello, Aizawa-sensei," Kendo says quietly. She grabbed Monoma by the shoulders harshly. "We'll be going now! Have a good lunch, sir!"
"Wh—I'm not leaving after that beast threatened me like that!" Monoma shouted. "Pompous and full of himself, just because he's in the famous Class 1-A—"
"Look in a damn mirror, Copier Bitch!" Bakugou shouted.
"K-kacchan, please, don't—"
"Figures he'd be so uncouth, with a sensei like that as a teacher, it's a wonder you've come this far at all," Monoma spat. Kendo stared at him, mouth gaping, for a moment.
Midoriya stared at him for a moment, face completely blank. It was just a little unnerving to see. Bakugou turned to him, face equally calm. Aizawa resigned himself to the fact he couldn't Capture Weapon everyone, but he could certainly catch Midoriya and Bakugou if necessary to reduce damages as much as possible. Midoriya turned to Bakugou, stone-faced.
"Let loose, Kacchan," he says, patting the boy's shoulder. Aizawa shot his hand out, smacking Bakugou hard across the back of the head before he could even start. He already had, by the quick back peddling he heard from Monoma and Kendo's position. No doubt he'd given them quite the demonic smile. Midoriya jumped back, avoiding the hit with hardly a graze.
"OW! The fuck?!"
"If you think for a second that I won't drop kick you to the ground, you are sorely mistaken," Aizawa threatened. He turned sharply to Monoma next, scowling under the blindfold. "And if you want to continue to poke the bear, I'm not stopping you, but I will let Kan know about it. Blow off your steam with a spar. Go to Ground Beta if you want to destroy something while you're at it."
"Why the fuck would I bother sparring with the Walking Copy Machine?" Bakugou spat.
"Contrary to what is apparently a common belief, it's actually beneficial to fight similar Quirks to your own, and you literally cannot get any better with that than Monoma," Aizawa says plainly. Kendo chanced a glance at Monoma, who looked like he was reevaluating everything he'd ever said about Aizawa.
"I know how my Quirk works just fine—"
"Oh, so you have had substantial experience facing off against a similar Quirk as your own in order to understand how best someone might find a weakness in your approach?" Aizawa cuts in.
Bakugou clamped his mouth shut. Monoma seemed to have finally rebooted and was catching up with the conversation. The extended silence dragged on to the point Aizawa wasn't entirely sure if half of them were even there. Bakugou turned to Monoma.
"Wanna fight?"
"Yes."
"NOT RIGHT NOW!" Aizawa shouted, reaching out and knocking their heads together. He was, in no small part, grateful that the shouting he heard was in the correct pair of voices. "Spar after school is over. You're not skipping class or lunch over this!"
"…Aizawa-sensei, are you feeling alright?" Kendo asks.
"I'm existentially exhausted."
"Oh, that's a vibe," Midoriya whispered.
"No, that's definitely a mood," Hagakure pipes up.
"What's the difference?" Kirishima mutters.
"Oh! I got this!" Ashido says, slapping her hands together. "HEY, DENKI!"
Aizawa turned to Tokoyami. "I don't care if you have to throw me, but get me to that table."
Tokoyami squawked in surprise. "What?!"
"That won't be necessary!" Kendo says quickly, slapping a hand over Monoma's mouth once it looked like he was about to comment, and started dragging him backward towards their tables. "It's all duly noted, sir! Don't mind him, please!"
Bakugou growled after them, glaring daggers as they left. Kirishima looped his arm around Bakugou's shoulder, dragging him off as well. "It's okay, Bakubro, you can spar after school."
"Fuck off."
"Aizawa-sensei," Shiozaki says quietly from somewhere beside him.
Aizawa grunted in greeting. He hadn't even realized she'd somehow materialized within the group. She was, by all accounts, damn lucky he was aware of himself enough not to have flipped her like he had her classmate. He really had to remember to tell Kan about that so he could focus on stealth training her. He just couldn't let that potential go to waste.
"I simply wished to tell you that I hope you heal quickly, sensei," Shiozaki says.
"Aw, that's so sweet, thank you!" Hagakure says. She patted Shiozaki's shoulder, politely ignoring the girl's confused side eye. Shishida came up beside her, also bowing.
"I apologize for Monoma's behavior, sensei, particularly for this morning."
"Thank you, Shiozaki, Shishida," Aizawa says. He turned back to Tokoyami. "Alright, where are the tables?"
Hagakure looped her arm around his elbow to guide him to the lunch table. As he passed Shiozaki he ruffled her hair a little with his free hand. Shiozaki balked after him, sharply turning to Shishida once she was certain that she hadn't imagined the interaction. He could only shrug dumbly. Ashido snickered as she passed them.
"Ya get used to it," she says cheerily. She rushed to catch up to the trio, dragging Midoriya behind her. She threw him into a seat. "I'll get your lunch today, Mido!"
"Wh—wait, you don't have to!" Midoriya called after her.
"Too late, I'm going!"
Midoriya lifted his hand meekly after her. Uraraka snorted, patting his back with a sigh. "You knew you couldn't win."
"I had to try," Midoriya mumbled, deflating a little. Bakugou snorted from across the table.
Ashido snuck her way into the line, a few spaces behind Satou. It was slow moving, so she took her time trying to figure out what Midoriya would like. She'd seen him have katsudon four times in the last week, so that was out. Bakugou and Sero alike would rip into her for feeding his katsudon addiction if she did that. A veggie stir-fry, however, would probably get her praise from Sero, at least. She grabbed two of the bowls and skipped further down the line.
Lunch Rush perked up when he saw her approaching his section of the line for the day. Technically speaking, he was supervising the other workers for the day, but he couldn't help himself when special meal requests came up. He would, inevitably, find himself at the front lines some time or other no matter what his position for the day was. Ashido gave him a little wave when she reached him. He held a finger up, stopping her for a moment, as he started to throw something together.
"I sent a dessert back with your classmate already. But give this to your sensei for me?" Lunch Rush asks. Ashido was already nodding ecstatically before he'd even finished the question. He set the little bowl of fried rice onto one of the trays. "I appreciate it, Ms. Ashido."
"No problem!" Ashido says cheerily. She lifted both trays, opting to get the drinks in a secondary trip. "Thanks, Lunch Rush!"
"No, thank you, Ms. Ashido. I worry about your sensei's diet often. All he seems to eat are those jelly packets…" Lunch Rush sighs.
Ashido giggled, bowing before she turned to leave. Frankly, since Bakugou had been cooking the most as of late, she'd seen Aizawa eat a larger variety of food since he'd been blinded than she had since their very first day of school. When she'd reached the lunch table and deposited the trays, she slid the bowl of fried rice over to Aizawa, who had been sandwiched between Shoji and Hagakure. He tilted his head in her direction once it came to a stop in front of him.
"Lunch Rush wanted you to have it!" she says. She spotted the small plate holding a tiny piece of cake that was also sat in front of him. "…I should have gotten dessert, hmmm." She peered over her shoulder. She did still need the drinks…
"Go back for it, Mina," Kirishima says. "It'll be there. Lunch Rush always makes enough."
"He really just gave you a bowl for Aizawa-sensei?" Shoji asks.
"Sounds like him," Aizawa says, pulling the bowl closer.
Ashido smiled wide, leaning on the table. Maybe she could convince Aizawa to join them at lunch more after he'd recovered. It would be nice to have him handy if Bakugou got a little wild, but more importantly, she was growing to enjoy the bits of conversation he'd steadily been handing out over the days. She was far from the only one, she was sure. She'd have to ask someone on staff if there was something they could bribe him with that wasn't just more jelly packets.
Maybe a really nice pillow.
Nemuri was bouncing on her heels by the time Aizawa had finally reappeared at the teacher's lounge at the end of the day. He'd spent the last half of the classes overlooking Yamada's substitution rather than laze around the teacher's lounge, so she hadn't been able to see him beforehand. Despite looking like a blazed out homeless man half the time, and seemingly always tired, the man really couldn't sit still without stimulation for very long.
He made a brief pause at Kan's desk, relaying something to him (which had Kan sighing heavily for some reason) before he finally made his way to her. He paused at the front of her desk, a little off kilter from the center, and turned to her. She gave a little giggle, still hopping on the balls of her feet, and hurriedly gathered the last of the files on her desk.
"Are you ready? Are you ready? Areyouready?!" she asks, jumping around the desk. Snipe snorted from his spot, bending down over his own desk. Kan was shaking his head, but he had a fond smile on his face. It was hard not to get a little wrapped up in Nemuri's energy, after all.
"You clearly are," Aizawa says with a smirk. Nemuri hooked her arm in his own.
"Of course, I am! Hizashi!" Nemuri pointed to him, almost losing the folders from her hand, determination in her eyes. Yamada faltered in the doorway at her call.
"Y-Yeah?"
"I'm taking our…. Is there anyone in the hall?" Nemuri whispers. Yamada bent out the door for a quick check and shut it behind him with a shake of his head. "I'm taking our hubby and I'm hogging him all night long!"
"Brag about it," Snipe grumbled.
"Oh, I will," Nemuri purred. Aizawa gave a short chuff of a laugh. He started dragging her along, leaving her to wave teasingly at Snipe and Kan on her way out, and squeezed Hizashi's shoulder on his way past. He paused at the door.
"Take a nap before your radio shift this time," he orders.
"Make a kitty cuddle pile, they've been so Daddy-starved since you both haven't been home," Nemuri says.
"Don't call it that," Yamada sighs.
"Make me stop, Zashi, and I will~" Nemuri sings, swinging the door open and dragging Aizawa out into the hall. "Can I drop all my stuff off in the apartment?"
"Where do you think I put it?"
"I don't know, the coffee table?"
"…Nem, I can't just leave all my paperwork out where anyone can see it," Aizawa sighs. "Even if I'm just grading papers."
"Oh, you're no fun," Nemuri teased.
"Mm. I feel the need to explain that if you value this relationship, you will make nothing overt," Aizawa says. He held his hand up for her to shake. Nemuri stared at it a moment before she knocked her head against his shoulder with a sigh.
"You really are no fun," Nemuri says, taking his hand.
"No, I have self-preservation skills."
"Oh, they can't be that bad," Nemuri drawls. She pushed open the school doors with her hip, steadily dragging Aizawa with her. She spotted the throng of students ahead of them and smiled. "They're so dedicated. Is that you, or just how they are?"
"Probably stems from The USJ Mess," Aizawa says lazily.
Nemuri grumbled something he didn't quite catch, resting her head on his shoulder with a forlorn sigh. She was spoiling every last one of them once she found a good excuse to do so. She couldn't do that in class—favoritism was against school policy—so she was stuck trying to find ways to sneak the affection in outside of school. Which of course meant she'd gotten absolutely nowhere because she was never on Class 1-A's dorm duty with Aizawa practically hogging it all with Yamada, god, they were such dads.
Until now.
Midnight had managed to get them caught up with the class by the time they'd hit the dorms. She squeezed Aizawa's arm once they'd entered at the back of the pack. She finally released him, letting him wander to the couch, and kicking the door shut behind her.
"Any house rules I should know, little ones?" she asks. Yaoyorozu set her bag down, coming up to Nemuri and guiding her towards the stairs that would eventually lead to the apartment on the girls' side.
"None that are vital for a single night's stay, sensei," Yaoyorozu says. She paused on the stairs when Nemuri didn't immediately follow. "Sensei?"
"Hey, Shou," Nemuri calls over her shoulder. Aizawa turned to her, raising a brow suspiciously already. "That means no house rule on sharing a bed, righ—ow!"
Nemuri rubbed at her forehead. The end of the Capture Weapon retreated back to Aizawa's grasp. He turned to her with a tired scowl—a feat considering half his face was covered but by god she could tell based on his brows alone—and coiled it back around his neck.
"Does that answer your question?"
"You are so mean," Nemuri groaned. She turned back to Yaoyorozu, trudging up the stairs. "Lead the way, girl friend."
The night was going relatively smoothly after that. She'd had to dig through the drawers to find casual clothes she could probably double as pajamas for one night and give them a quick wash before wearing them. As they had done a quick cycle in the small portable washer-dryer Thirteen had brought in for every teacher's apartment Nemuri had resigned to actually dusting the apartment. It was, unfortunately, sparsely used. While Aizawa had made it a point to clean it once a week just in case she had to use it, since the day he'd been blinded he hadn't gotten to it, so the dust layers had built up somewhat.
She was also really the only one who would have used it with any sense of regularity. Thirteen was permitted use to either side, depending on what gender they felt like, and they weren't first in line for emergency substitution for dorm duties—if there was a villain attack, they were on call automatically for rescue and clean up.
It was as the half hour that it took for her makeshift pajamas to dry came to pass that Nemuri gave up on cleaning. She'd taken care of the bed—which was the biggest priority in her opinion—and the kitchen and she was tapping out. She'd never been much of a generic cleaner type of person. A quick weekly dust and broom and she was set for a while. So long as dishes got done and clutter didn't pile up, she really wasn't that concerned with the rooms around her. Except if the room hadn't been touched for weeks and the dust was forming a defined layer on the furniture.
She cared enough to step in before it got that bad ever since her second year out of school when Yamada and Aizawa had exaggeratedly (Yamada) and in horrified bafflement (Aizawa) cleaned her place the first time they'd come over and she'd been too busy to bother for weeks. That, thankfully, didn't happen with the three of them at the apartment. Having cats almost mandated a certain level of cleanliness unless one wanted to A) be choked by stray cat hair, B) step on toys and dislodged claw sheddings at any point, or C) deal with an antsy cat because the home was in too much disarray. Frankly, she was happy to sleep somewhere where she wasn't the only source of love and entertainment for several felines for just one night. She was happy to get a break from being immediately accosted and forced to de-hair her uniform every night.
She tore her pajamas out of the washer-dryer and changed fast. After throwing her Hero Costume in for its own cycle she made her way down the stairs, file folders in hand. She came out into the living room to find half the class studying (with Aizawa occasionally answering a question no one else knew the answer to) and the other half either doing chores or relaxing. Bakugou was in the kitchen, already setting up pots and pans for dinner. It reminded her of watching Yamada work, just because of the speed and noise, but also of watching Lunch Rush if she focused on the skill. She set up shop at the counter, taking up two seats worth of room to spread her file folders out as much as was necessary to get into them.
It wasn't long before someone joined her at the table. Midoriya slipped into the seat across from her, setting out his notebook in front of him with an innocent smile. Nemuri smiled back, seeing the little glint in his eye. Aizawa had warned her about Midoriya after just a week of classes. Not that he'd had to. She was sure this was going to be a treat.
"Hello, Midoriya," she greeted.
"Kayama-sensei," he greeted back. Nemuri smiled wider, settling down further in her seat. She set her hands under her chin.
"What can I do for you, hm?" she asks. She poked at the notebook. "Got some… questions?"
Midoriya took a moment to blink, and then had whipped out a pen faster than Nemuri would have expected given he didn't seem to use his Quirk at all to do so. "I have so many."
"Fire away, firework!"
"Does your quirk work best on men because it's an attraction thing? Would it work just as well against lesbians, or bisexuals, or pansexuals? Does it work on asexuals? Is it based on a person's sex, and if so, how does it affect someone who is transgender? Is it a pheromone? Does it affect someone's testosterone or estrogen? Can you control how potent it is—"
Nemuri blinked at him as he rattled off question after question. She was keeping up… relatively alright. She could at least answer most of what he was asking with simply explaining her Quirk to him outright. Which, she may have to do, given he wasn't slowing down at all.
"Does it have a limited range, or does it just continuously expand like a gas and grow gradually weaker? Does it have a half-life? If you bottled it up, could it still be effective if used later? Have you ever tried to turn it into a perfume spray? Is fabric all someone needs to negate it, or does that just stave it off—"
Nemuri glanced up to see Bakugou storming over. She leaned back in her seat when he reached the table. He smacked Midoriya over the head with a ladle. "ONE AT A TIME, NERD!"
"Ah…" Midoriya rubbed at his head, turning to Bakugou sheepishly. "Sorry, Kacchan…"
"Learn to breathe, for fuck's sake," Bakugou grumbled. he stormed back to the kitchen, shooting a warning glare their way before returning to dinner. Midoriya turned back to Nemuri, clearing his throat.
"Sorry, sensei. I'll go slower," he says.
"Get that pen ready, Midoriya," Nemuri orders. Midoriya was quick to set pen to paper, writing in a short hand once Nemuri started to speak, to ensure he didn't miss anything. "My Quirk works best on men because it's a pheromone. It affects testosterone better, that's all. Biological men tend to have more in their bodies naturally. Despite my entire aesthetic, it's not based on sexuality. Though, that'd certainly make it easier!"
"Easier?"
"I could knock out so many lesbians, Midoriya."
"K-Kayama-sensei!"
"You asked, squirt!" Nemuri teased, resting her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand. She lazily kicked her leg under the table. "As for potency, not really. It's gotten stronger since I attended UA, but it's not like I can make it any less potent or not. It grows weaker the further away it is because it dissipates like any gas does. But, no, it doesn't hold that potency if it's bottled. I, uh… tried to use it as type of grenade during my time at UA…"
"And nearly lost an entire class face off because it didn't work," Aizawa cut in. Nemuri turned to him.
"Shush, you! I ended up winning my bout!"
"Because you knocked him out with a right hook."
"Shut it!" Nemuri turned back to Midoriya, sighing. "I admit, though, I haven't tried to make it into a perfume… that could be fun… might even help with that mask issue."
"Great, you're getting ideas again," Aizawa called over. Nemuri smirked, flicking her eyes over to him.
"Well, it'd be fun to see how long someone lasts in bed if I'm wearing it instead of using it," Nemuri says. Iida spat out his tea, Bakugou had stopped stirring his stew to stare at her, and Ashido was absolutely cackling.
"SENSEI!" Iida shouted.
"I should have warned you all," Aizawa admits.
"You most definitely should have warned them," Nemuri snickers. She turns back to Midoriya, who was nodding vigorously, his hand flying across the page. Nemuri leaned forward, smirking. "Wanna know something else?"
"Always!"
"Hehehe! It smells sweet. But, it's a different scent for everyone. The only consistency is that whatever smell it is, it's a "sweet" one. I've gotten strawberry, lilac, one girl said cupcakes, one robber told me it smelled like rain, Aizawa says it smells like vanilla. I've gotten honey, too. Lunch Rush says it smells like fresh caramel, but Thirteen said it smelled more like roses."
"Fascinating…" Midoriya paused, looking up to Bakugou. "Kacchan, do you remember what Kayama-sensei's quirk smelled like?"
Bakugou snapped his neck towards him, holding the ladle up like a bat, ready to bludgeon. "You makin' fun of me, Deku?"
"No! it's a serious question!"
Bakugou stared him down for a solid half a minute before finally he turned away to focus on dinner again. "…Cinnamon."
Midoriya hastily wrote the fact down. He looked into the common room next. "Sero! What did Kayama-sensei's Quirk smell like?"
"What?"
"Problem Child, I told you not to interview the teachers staying here," Aizawa sighed. "If you're going to ignore me, at least don't drag your classmates into it."
"S-sorry, sensei…"
"Uh…. Like pond-lilies?" Sero offered.
"Pond-lilies?" Hagakure asks.
"I used to visit my grandparents a lot and they had a pond in the back."
"Interesting…" Midoriya mumbled, jotting it down. "It's really different for everyone, covering food to flowers to weather… Maybe there's a memory base to it…"
Nemuri chuckled, reaching across the table to ruffle Midoriya's hair. The kid stiffened, looking up at her confused. "Let me know if you have anything more, hm?" she says.
"Oh, yes, of course! Thank you, sensei!"
Nemuri returned to her paperwork, getting through it rather easily, before she turned her attention towards Aizawa. He was, at the moment, being fawned over by Hagakure and Asui while the class decided what movie to watch after dinner. They were trying to drape him in a weighted blanket, fluff the pillow they'd set behind his head, and had a mug of hot tea at the table ready for him. He sat there, just taking it all without any comment.
So, they had been doing this a lot, then.
She set her cheek in her hand, sighing. Aizawa wasn't one who openly showed how much he cared for someone most of the time. He had moments, and Nemuri certainly lived for those moments, and she was aching to go over and rake her fingers through his hair again. But, that'd have to wait, until they were alone again. She sighed, running her hand through her own hair instead. She missed fawning over him herself—granted she hadn't gone this extreme since the USJ.
Nemuri slipped out of the chair to make some rounds around the room. Aizawa could hear her walking around the common room until she had finally reached Yaoyorozu's tutoring session. She took a seat between Ashido and Kaminari, helping them and others here and there with the homework. Aizawa smirked, listening to her as she started to quiz Ashido and Kaminari on the very homework she'd assigned them.
"Uhhhh, 1648?" Kaminari guessed.
"Correct! Ashido, how many paintings did Van Gogh actually sell in his lifetime?"
"Uhh…."
"On record."
"…eleven?"
Nemuri sighed, setting the sheet down. "Kami."
"One."
"And he nails it!"
"He only sold one?!"
Nemuri spent the better half of the time waiting for dinner doing this. She'd quiz around the table, rewarding correct answers with cheers and promises of candy in class the following morning. Eventually, Bakugou was shouting from the kitchen for dinner.
Nemuri slid up to the couch smoothly, resting her hip on the armrest. "Room for one more on this couch?" she asks.
"Of course, sensei!" Yaoyorozu says. "Katsuki will get your bowls, as well."
Nemuri blinked at her. She nodded, opting to ignore the first-name usage for now. It appeared Yaoyorozu wasn't aware she'd even let it slip, as she was right back to setting out the drinks around the room without any issues. Nemuri slipped off the armrest. She lifted the weighted blanket, snuggling up hip to hip with Aizawa and settling in with a hum. Aizawa snorted beside her.
"You're stealing my heat?"
"And this blanket's black magic," Nemuri says.
"No fair," Uraraka mumbles. Asui pulled a heavy blanket from one of the blanket baskets, draping over the two of them. "Ah, you angel."
"I'm stealing your warmth, too," Asui says plainly, settling beside her. Nemuri laughed, raising a thumbs up to the two.
"Atta' girl!" she cheers. She turns to Aizawa, daring to rest arm to arm on him as well. "Ah, you never fail to get me hot, Shou—ow!"
Aizawa drew back his elbow, his expression still as placid as ever. Nemuri rubbed her sore side, shooting him a pouting look. She gave it up just as fast. It was useless at the moment anyway.
"That hurt, you ass," she says, poking his side.
"Don't say anything that makes me do that, then, and watch the language."
Ashido stared at the two, tapping her chin, smiling wide. She turned to Kirishima, dropping her voice to a whisper as Aizawa and Nemuri continued to bicker. "Do you think he's dating more than one person on staff?" she asks.
"Doesn't a third of the class think that?" Kirishima whispers back. Ashido quickly whipped out her phone to double check. She was nodding within seconds.
"Yep, yep, yep. I'm putting more money into Mic-sensei and Midnight-sensei than anyone else—they are clearly dating," she says. Kaminari leaned over, resting against her arm.
"Isn't that just Midnight-sensei, though?" he asks.
"Shush, you, this is destiny we're witnessing here."
"She's poking his cheek."
"That is flirting."
"That's being an annoying shit," Bakugou says, shoving a bowl of the strew in Ashido's hands. She cradled it, relishing the warmth. She glanced up to see Nemuri take her first bite. As expected, her eyes lit up and she shot up straight on the couch.
"BAKUGOU, HOLY SHIT!"
Aizawa let his head fall back against the back of the couch. "Why do I bother trying."
The class flipped on the movie, enjoying their dinner while it played. Iida had, smartly, suggested a comedy rather than a thriller or a horror, simply so no one was caught by a jump scare and made a mess. The unknown consequence of this choice was Nemuri laughing so hard she had to bury her face into Aizawa's shoulder, pulling the blanket up to wipe at her tears, and leaving the class in a collective confusion when Aizawa did nothing to stop it at all. Ashido wasn't shocked to see the monetary amount under Nemuri's slot go up in the betting document throughout the night.
Eventually, the movie was finishing up and everyone was entering a food coma. Bakugou had started to gather bowls, with Tokoyami assisting with Dark Shadow. He froze when he reached Aizawa and Nemuri. Aizawa had, unsurprisingly—or seemingly—fallen asleep. And Nemuri was snoozing on his shoulder right alongside him. Tokoyami stared as well. He turned uncertainly towards the girls of the class, gesturing towards the two. Hagakure started to squeal. Jirou slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound. Ashido shoved Kaminari off her shoulder to snap as many photos as she pleased.
"Ashido—"
"You know I'll send them to you, Ocha, I've got you girl, I've got you!" Ashido whisper-yelled, already sending the photos off to the girls' chat.
"Do we move them?" Midoriya asks. Bakugou scoffed, taking their empty bowls and disappearing into the kitchen.
"Not my fucking problem."
"Ce serait dommage de les déplacer, mon amour," Aoyama says. He slowly pushed the coffee table closer, hoping to make the strain on Aizawa's legs lessened to the point it wouldn't wake him eventually.
"We should," Yaoyorozu says. She turned back to them, tilting her head and just barely managing not to openly coo at the pair. "But do we have to?"
"Don't make this weird," Tokoyami says, sending Dark Shadow to set the bowls in the kitchen.
"Sensei will be mad if he wakes up and finds out we left them here…" Midoriya reasoned with a sigh. The class at large exchanged uncertain looks. "…Who's waking them?"
"Not me!" Ashido whisper-yelled immediately, alongside Kaminari and Jirou.
Kirishima wasn't far behind them, placing his finger on the tip of his nose. The rest of the class hurriedly followed suit, until finally they all turned to Tokoyami and Bakugou in the kitchen. Tokoyami's hand shot up to his beak. Dark Shadow did the same. Both turned to Bakugou, who was staring at the class with a look of betrayal and anger in his eyes, even if his face was just the usual scowl. He set the bowls down silently. Tokoyami vacated the kitchen for his own safety.
"I'll kill you all in your sleep."
"Okay, but after you wake them," Todoroki says, pointing to the two. Bakugou growled at him, storming over to the common room.
"Wait, at least give them mercy when you do it; they're innocent!" Ojiro says hurriedly.
Not fast enough, though, as Bakugou clapped his hands behind the couch, setting off a mild explosion. Aizawa merely flinched awake. Nemuri shot up with a shout and roundhouse kicked Bakugou right in the ribs. He hit the floor with a string of swears. Nemuri balanced herself on the couch cushions, balking down at him for several long moments as the class gaped silently. She turned to Aizawa frantically when he sighed.
"I didn't know it was him!" she shouted.
"How many of my fucking teachers are going to assault me, huh?!" Bakugou screamed. Kirishima tackled him before he could try blowing up Nemuri in retaliation.
"Why the hell did you think that was an acceptable way to wake us up?!" Nemuri shouted back. "You're lucky I didn't get you in the head!"
"You'd be dragging him to Chiyo and explaining that yourself if you had," Aizawa drawls. "Bakugou, are you injured?"
"I'm not some damn doll, of course I'm not!"
"Great. I'm going to bed," Aizawa says, throwing off the blanket.
"Oh, great idea, I'll fluff the pillows—"
"Go to your own apartment," Aizawa snapped. Nemuri deflated instantly, letting herself fall over the back of the couch. She scrambled up, pouting heavily at Aizawa's back.
"BUT YOURS IS RIGHT THERE!"
"And yours is on the opposite side, as I believe you already know."
"Well… um… I don't want to sleep alone?" she tries. Aizawa paused at the stairs, turning back to her.
"Suffer."
Ashido snorted loudly, turning away. Aizawa disappeared up the stairs, leaving Nemuri to collapse behind the couch with a groan. "Damn…" she muttered.
"Sorry?" Ashido called loudly, rushing over the couch at her. Nemuri pulled herself up, slinking off to the girl's side. Ashido waited until she couldn't hear her footsteps anymore before hopping up and pointing towards the boy's side. "So, Dad's definitely tapping both her and Mic-sensei, right?"
"Ashido!" Iida screeched. Bakugou punched her in the arm harshly. Ashido bit back a shout, shooting him a glare. "That is an inappropriate topic to discuss!"
"But they definitely are," Jirou pipes up.
"I'm already changing my bet," Shoji admits, scrolling through his phone.
"We are not discussing this!" Iida stresses.
"Iida is right," Kaminari says. He pulled his phone out, tapping away. "This is a topic for the chat."
"No!"
Nemuri kicked open the apartment door, stepping inside. She looked around the empty room sullenly. She'd fallen asleep, yes. It wasn't even that late, yet—though she did work a lot of weird hours so what did she know—and she felt a weird sense of emptiness.
She hadn't slept totally alone in a good number of years. First, it was always sleeping when she got back from her night shifts with Aizawa or Yamada soon in tow. As a result, she never had the worry of drifting off before hearing their voices in the apartment. She knew she wouldn't have to worry about any intruders regardless. Who broke into a hero's flat unless they were overconfident, stupid, or already planning it meticulously? Regardless, her Quirk would fill a room with what was effectively sleeping gas in a matter of moments. Then, they'd gotten their first cat. Then more cats. And it was difficult to feel alone when you slept with at least one cat curled on the bed with you. Even with Yamada pulling more shift hours than the man had ever been used to—he really would never tease Aizawa about his ridiculous hours again, she suspected—and Aizawa effectively commandeered by Class A she had found some company in the cats.
And now she was just here. Alone. Nemuri clicked her tongue, turning on her heel.
"Nope."
She sauntered down the stairs, hearing the voices of the class drift up the staircase. She tried to walk across the common room briskly, hopefully unnoticed. But, nothing was that easy with this class. She hadn't made it halfway before she saw heads turning and heard voices calling after her with questions. Ashido was watching her intently. Unnervingly observant that one, sometimes.
"Kayama-sensei, are you alright?" Yaoyorozu asks.
"Dandy as the sun!" Nemuri sing-songs on her way past. She skirts past Bakugou the fastest. "Still really sorry about that, by the way."
"Fuck off."
"Fair enough!" Nemuri shouted, racing up the boys' stairs.
Uraraka watched the staircase a moment before turning to the others. "Is she… trying to sneak into Aizawa's room?"
"Her funeral," Sero says, saluting the stairs.
Nemuri rolled her eyes, ignoring the commentary as she made her way up the stairs. She probably could have waited until more of the class had gone to bed. Only half of them had been present, so surely the rest would have been following suit soon. She paused outside Tokoyami's door. She slowly opened it, peeking inside. To her relief, he'd remembered to set up the nightlight, leaving him sleeping soundly in bed. She silently shut the door with a satisfied smile. Good.
She stopped again once she'd reached Aizawa's door. She tried the handle, hopping happily on her heels when it was unlocked, and slipped inside. She shut the door silently behind her. There wasn't a single light on in the entire apartment, leaving the whole place swathed in blackness. Nemuri shuffled her way to the bed, reaching the foot of it with her shin lightly tapping against it.
"Nem."
Nemuri jumped, turning on her heel. Aizawa was lounging on the loveseat, toying with a 3D puzzle.
"Oh, hello~!"
"You're supposed to be in your apartment," Aizawa says. He set the completed puzzle on the coffee table. Nemuri hummed, rocking on her heels.
"I know…" she lightly kicked the end of the bed. "I can't sleep alone. Anymore. You and Zashi ruined that for me."
"Sounds like a personal problem."
"Your personal problem, because I'm staying here even if I have to sleep on the loveseat," Nemuri declared. Aizawa snorted, pushing off the loveseat. He bumped her shoulder lightly on his way to the bed.
"Not like it'd make much difference when anyone else was staying over," he says. Nemuri snickered, climbing into the bed with him.
"Oh, so no one else slept in the spare rooms, either, huh?"
"At least it wasn't unusual for them to be leaving the same dorm side going to breakfast."
"Ah. Well, it's not that bad," Nemuri says. Aizawa soaked in the silence while she settled under the covers.
"The common room wasn't empty, was it—"
"Listen, I tried to get past them all without being seen, but they're too observant!" Nemuri whined, slapping the blankets. Aizawa chuckled, lightly flicking the side of her head.
"No, there's just no way to get between either dorm side without getting caught," he says. Nemuri groaned in her hands. She dragged her hands down her face, flicking her gaze over to Aizawa. She turned onto her side.
"Hey, can we—"
"No."
"We've done it with a blindfold before!"
"I will quite literally throw you into the table. I've done it to someone once already this week," Aizawa says. Nemuri laughed, slapping Aizawa on the arm.
"…Can we cuddle?" she mumbles. Aizawa smirked, raising his arm, and gesturing her closer. Nemuri squealed, tackling him against the side and burying her face into his chest with a content sigh. "Thanks, hun."
"Mhm. Just don't steal my clothes because you're too lazy to go get your own," Aizawa says with a yawn. Nemuri smirked into his side.
"Fine, I won't brag," she concedes. She pulled him closer, drifting off to sleep in moments.
She woke up still clutching Aizawa. She pinched her eye shut at the bright light flooding into the apartment. The alarm hadn't blared at them, yet, so the sun must have been just rising. She groaned, peeking through her lashes up at Aizawa. She leaned up, kissing his cheek, and slipping out of his grip and the covers.
She tiptoed her way down the stairs, trying to avoid the creakier planks of wood. The last thing she needed to do was wake up a student at the ass-crack of dawn. She sauntered across the common room, already trying to think of what she could make for breakfast.
"Hey."
Nemuri snapped her head around, eyes connecting with Bakugou, who was taking a pointedly long sip of coffee from his mug.
"…Hi."
"Walk of shame?" he asks flatly. Knowingly. Nemuri felt her eye twitch.
"I fucking wish," she says, stalking up the stairs. Bakugou nodded slowly. He turned to the table, locking eyes with a gaping Ashido.
"I'M ADDING IT TO THE CHAT!" Ashido declares.
"Happy you roomed with me now?" Bakugou asks, taking another long sip.
"Oh, shut up, you're still insane for getting up this early every day," Ashido claps back.
Nemuri changed as quickly as possible, folding her pajamas over her arm to wash later, and started to root through the drawers for the spare duffel bag. She had to work fast if she was going to beat Aizawa to the kitchen and handle the bomb she'd just dropped. She was digging her own grave and she'd been awake for half an hour. She kicked the door open and raced down the stairs, throwing the duffel bag to the front door.
It smacked the door with a loud 'thunk', drawing the attention of what few students had also made it down the stairs. Midoriya, Iida, Todoroki, and Yaoyorozu had joined Bakugou and Ashido. Nemuri could smell the coffee filling the room so it was only a matter of time before Aizawa came downstairs. She couldn't exactly call herself out a second time that morning in front of even more witnesses—she was certain he'd hear of her comment from Bakugou eventually, after all—so instead, she shifted her attention. She slapped her hands on the counter, her eyes afire with determination.
"What does that bastard man eat for breakfast?" she asks. Bakugou stared at her, legitimately lost for a moment, before setting his mug down.
"Whatever the fuck I make."
Nemuri groaned, smacking her forehead onto the counter. "…Bastard man…" she grumbles.
"Um… sensei?" Midoriya asks. Nemuri looked up at him. "Do you… want to make Aizawa-sensei breakfast? In your costume?"
Granted, she hadn't thought that part through, but she had a spare at the teachers' lounge in case she'd ever run into trouble in her commute—they all did—so if she destroyed this one with flour and eggs it wasn't that much of a loss. Not in her mind, anyway. She pursed her lips, looking over to where Bakugou had rice cooking already. Most of the kids had bowls with them. Iida had returned his attention back to his breakfast as soon as he was certain Nemuri hadn't somehow brained herself on the countertop.
"I was open to the idea," she admitted.
"You cook?" Ashido asks.
"You don't?" Nemuri asks.
"Well… um…. n-no. Bakugou cooks…" Ashido admitted sheepishly, scratching her head with a smile. Nemuri snorted, brushing her hair out with her fingers.
"WELL," she began. "When it's either rice in a bowl with jelly packet sides or fried chicken and burgers every night you learn fast."
"Why are those the options, Sensei, if I may ask?" Yaoyorozu asks tentatively.
"Shou, Zashi, and I were roommates right out of UA!" Nemuri declared proudly. "And I wasn't dying form malnutrition or clogged arteries. And neither were they."
"The jelly packets are a balanced nutrition diet," Aizawa says from the stairs. He held up a blindfold. "What pattern is this?"
"Floral," Nemuri says, smirking. Aizawa paused. He sighed, slipping it on, much to Ashido's joy.
"Those packets are shit," Bakugou mutters. Ashido snorted into her eggs, slapping the table.
"Ass!"
"Good morning, Shou!" Nemuri sing-songs, dragging Aizawa's attention away from the group of students. "So, I had a request."
"What did you do?" Aizawa asks immediately.
"Wh—why do you assume I did anything?!" Nemuri whines. Ashido had to push her eggs away, kneeling over the table a little. Midoriya patted her back. Aizawa shrugged. Nemuri sighed heavily, dragging her hand down her face. She took a breath, looking at Aizawa with a devious smile. "I'm taking another shift in these rounds. I want a girls night."
Ashido shot up from the table. "HELL YES!"
"Sit the fuck down, Raccoon Eyes!"
"Momo, say yes! Say yes, say yes, say yes!" Ashido begged, ignoring Bakugou tugging on her top to try and drag her down to the table again. Yaoyorozu blinked at Ashido, a little unsure.
"I-It's technically up to Aizawa-sensei, Ashido…"
"Sensei! Please!" Ashido cried.
Aizawa sighed softly, wanting to roll his eyes at Nemuri and Ashido alike. He couldn't help but just wave his hand as his 'yes'. Ashido cheered instantly. Bakugou was swearing up a storm to pull her back down to the table and shut up. Iida looked defeated. Nemuri skipped over to Aizawa, feeling light on her heels.
"Thanks, kitten," she whispers. Aizawa smacked her arm, doing nothing to staunch her giggling.
TRANSLATION:
Ce serait dommage de les déplacer, mon amour = It would be a shame to move them, love