She was sitting in the common room with Gina and Danny.
"Our interviews got scrapped because that's going to be a project for a later date. We all said we have everything for their profiles though, right?", Danny addressed the girls
Marie looks over the paper portfolio that she had for Shinso. She also had a flash drive that comprised the same details.
She had tabs that sectioned out Personality, Abilities, Quirk, Stats, Media, and Trivia.
"Did Aizawa Sensei ever dictate who our audience was? Is the presentation for the class of the 'media'." Danny continued with his air quotes as his Left hands started to fumble through the notebook that he had. The notebook had pages folded, tabs and sticky notes sticking out throughout the pages.
"He didn't specifically say. But it's always safe to assume that it's for a wide audience?" She looked over the school picture of Shinso that was paperclips to the manilla folder, "Shinso's hero work and style closely resembles Eraserhead."
"How are you supposed to sponsor him if you can't talk about him?" Gina asks but doesn't look up as she is filing her nails.
"I'm going to bounce off of what people already know."
"I feel like we got the easy ones." Danny spoke.
"Are you implying that I'm easy?" Gina gasped.
She may have gasped but she still had a smile on her face knowing the truth to her statement.
Marie started to pack up her things, "Did you ever get Todoroki's phone number?"
"Yes!" The girl squealed.
"You headed out?" Danny takes notice in Marie packing.
"Hello, Danny. Don't ruin my moment with worry over Marie." Gina turns to Marie, "Did you have something to do with it?"
A knowing look across her face, "I may have put in a good word for you last week with Midoriya."
"So you're the reason I get to see sun glistening off of his neck on our morning runs?" Gina nudged her.
The contact brought a pain to her arm that she had almost forgotten about.
Luckily no one notices the twitch on Marie's face.
"I care. Even if you are always teasing me."
"You make it too easy. Or at least you did. These past few days you've been a bore.", Gina leans back into the cushions.
"I will check in with you guys later. Monday is our presentation. Even if it does seem like we'll all be doing it a bit differently."
The walk to the Hero Course dorms was uneventful and the common area seemed to have less people then the first few times that she came.
The management and business course buildings seemed like they had a lot more interactions. But then again they were always trying to make connections. You never knew who would come in handy later in the work field.
Inside the Aizawa residence Hitoshi playing his hand-held console while sitting on the couch when he heard the small tapping on the door.
He had anticipated that the classmate was coming over and that's why he didn't start any games that he couldn't stop or be paused.
When he answered the door the feline student stood there in what he was sure was the same outfit she had worn the week prior. Okay she didn't have her crossbar this time.
"Hey, Aizawa and Eri are still out but will be back shortly." He held the door open as she walked in and after she entered he continued on forward without bothering to see if she was following.
"Do you remember where everything is?" He made sure to inquire before sitting down.
This time when he sat he chose the seat over the couch. The seat had an open view of the entrance, kitchen and the hallway while the longer couch faced away.
"I remember." He watched her take off her shoes and walk straight down the hall toward his sister's room.
Hitoshi opted to leave his console on the coffee table and to instead stroll on his phone. Positioning himself so that he'd be able to look over the phone and easily glance up if he needed too.
He had found that his eyes were finding Marie more after the rescue mission earlier that week. Izuku had told him that she ran with a group of them in the mornings.
Hitoshi rejected the I voted that followed. He wasn't that interested. Those extra hours weren't worth giving up. He'd rather run in the evening.
His eyes lifted when the girl walked out of the hall with a basket of clothing. Their eyes made contact just for a moment before she made way to the kitchen.
"Umm, Shinso. There is laundry in the wash. Would you like me to switch it or rewash it?" Her head popped out of the kitchen.
Got up from his spot and went to investigate. Opening the washer he concluded that it was his own forgotten laundry.
"I'll rewash it. I must have forgotten about it." He spoke as he started to put some smell goods in the machine so that his clothing didn't smell like mildew.
Turning toward her he takes the laundry basket and moves it to the side for her, "Guess that means you'll be here a bit longer than necessary." He couldn't help but think of how nice that would make for an excuse.
"It's okay. I didn't bring my school bag though. I've already finished everything in regards to your portfolio presentation."
He nodded and they fell into silence. It was becoming painfully clear that it was much easier to talk to the girl with others around, "Do you play video games?"
"Not really."
Hitoshi clicked his tongue, "We have a racing game. Even Eri can play it. I'll set it up."
He continues into the central area and begins to set up the system to the television. They hardly ever used any of the entertainment system in this room. He had his own station in his room and Eri didn't have an interest.
His adoptive father never used it often unless Yamada was over and his dad was attempting to entertain.
"Oh. I've played this game before. They play it in the common room often." She stated behind him as the games screen turned on.
"Yeah. Most people have. Figured it would be a good one for you." He brought the two small controllers to the couch and sat down next to her. The proximity between the two of them was debatable. It was no closer or further away then he would be from her when they were in class.
They started to select characters and combo their vehicles. A task she seemed to take pretty seriously. He was used to Eri just picking the cutest options regardless of functionality.
He lazily leaned back into the couch cushions while Marie seemed to be the opposite, sitting on the edge with her elbows on her knees and the controller close.
From his angle her could see her smaller body drowning in her hoodie. Her tail twitched beside her at every turn in the game. When she was falling behind her spine would straighten as if her actual body movements would make a difference in the outcome.
Hitoshi was still in first place even though he knew he was hardly focusing. His eyes bouncing from the screen to the girl next to him.
The other day he had told Izuku he was interested. Watching her now he thought she was cute with her little quirks and interactions.
"It was Eri-chan who told you about my music preferences." She started as she turned the corner in the game and was now in third place.
His eyes shifted and saw the smile on her face while she bit her bottom lip, eyes completely focused on the screen.
Hitoshi's eyes lingered on her lips, completely not paying attention to the screen.
"Yes!" Her body straightens and she looks back at him.
He couldn't help but feel her contagious smile infect him. The screen in front of her showing that she was in 2nd place while he was in 3rd.
Marie cocked her head as she looked at Shinso's relaxed body and now smiling face.
"You have a nice smile." Which only made it transform into a bashful one.
She finds that she can't help but want to touch him. Not in a weird way but just because. So subconsciously she pushes at his knee.
"It was Eri right?" She repeated.
Shinso sits up and suddenly it feels like they're closer than they were before. Because of their height differences he was looking down at her. A smirk on his face.
"Yeah. I guess it's a good thing I was paying attention when she was rambling. Didn't think I'd need the information though."
Marie looked away from him and to the screen, "Yeah. I also didn't think that it would be used against me." She points her controller to the screen, "Ready to get your butt beat again?"
Hitoshi decided to stay in the same position as her. Watching her from afar was becoming a distraction.
"You only got so far because you distracted me." He didn't emphasize that it was her lips and left her to assume that it was her question.
He does to bump her in the arm much like how she playfully pushed at his knee. When he does he notices the wince that she hides. She hid it well with a laugh but he could still tell.
He'd let it go for now.
They finished the races when the laundry went off and they both stood up.
"I'll get it."
She was about to intervene, "Unless you're wanting to check out my briefs." He teased the girl.
It was adorable watching her shrink back down to the couch embarrassed.
"I'll put Eri's in the wash. Set up the next race.", he walked out.
Marie set up the game and when Shinso returned they continued to play with minimal commentary. It felt nice to be alone with Shinso without having to think about how her cat was going to react. It was really her first time alone with him since she got it under control.
It was nice to sit next to him and not have to worry about her tail. She also didn't have the pubescent haze that made her zone in on different attributes.
No, this time she noticed all of it on her own.
But more than that she noticed how he would do small random acts of kindness for her. Swapping the laundry and starting Eri's and when he was finished he went ahead and continued with Eri's. Eliminating the reason she was there to begin with.
He helped her modify her vehicle for a better race. Though she was sure she was doing well on her own.
At some point he had gotten a call from Aizawa Sensei saying that he was going to be late. That he was taking Eri out for a treat. To which Shinso smirked, shook his head and made a comment about her being spoiled. He didn't seem to say it in a bad way.
Marie noted that it almost sounded enduring. A faraway thought. A house with princes and they cared for their princess.
The buzzer went off signaling the final load of laundry being finished.
Shinso's hand settled on her knee, literally grabbing her attention, "You're hurt." Her eyes met him.
She should have known that he'd figure it out. It was even in her profile of him that he was observant.
"It's just a bruise. I'm pretty sure it's from the capture cloth." She waved it off.
He was still and she could see that he was filled with concern, "Let me see." His eyes looked toward her upper bicep. He knew exactly where it was, "I've had my fair share. We have patches that can help."
His voice was reassuring and she didn't question him further. Awkwardly she was going to try and lift the hoodies sleeve up that high and instead just took the whole hoodie off. She felt a chill over her shoulders from the navy tank top. She also started to feel mildly exposed having not been around Shinso in anything other than her uniform of her hoodie and shorts.
Hitoshi knew that it was from the carbon based scarf the moment he saw the bruise. He felt his gut twist thinking about how he had been the one to cause it. Most of the time the students would go to Recovery Girl and he didn't often see the lingering effects.
A two inch width of the strap left an impression and it was overlapped with another clear mark from when she was wrapped. The colors changing from purple to green indicating that it was healing.
"Do you have any on your other arm?" He asked but was already maneuvering her body so that he could see the other. There were faint yellow speckles but nothing like her right arm.
"No. I think I naturally leaned into my right side and it caused the bruise to be far worse."
His fingertips were gentle as he touched her bicep. "I'll get you the pain patches that we have."
He hears her soft spoken confirmation, her light breath breeze over him. They were so close and he kept his face even as he got up to get the patches.
Her heart was definitely racing and when the door to the apartment opened she felt like she had been caught doing something wrong. Aizawa's eyebrows were lifted as he looked at her and Shinso. They were close together on the couch as he applied the patch.
She felt her face burning and turned away from the door. But the next closest thing was Shinso's concentrated face.
"Next time go to Recovery Girl." She listened to Shinso's words.
Eri ran into the area, "You guys raced without me?"
"Yeah. Don't get too unsettled. Marie's pretty good and you still would have lost." Hitosho finishes the patch and turns to the young girl.
His classmate puts her hoodie back on and makes her way to the doorway entrance. He angles himself on the couch so that he watches the interaction. He doesn't hear the conversation but knows that his foster father is chastising her for the injury.
Hitoshi watches as her tail curls in on herself like she feels ashamed, making him have the urge to pet her head and praise her to see if it would help. But he stays on the couch and just watches.
When she leaves the apartment the adult steps in front of Hitoshi, looming over the back of the couch. His lips slowly start to upturn and Hitoshi turns away as to not catch anymore of the reaction.
Before a conversation is started he gets up and announces that he's going to his room.
Laying on his bed he looks up at the ceiling and takes out his phone to message Izuku.
-It's just a crush.
That's all he sends and it doesn't take only for him to get a reply back.
-Okay.
With a smiley face emoji.
He knew his friend probably squealed and had a huge smile plastered on his face. The idea of Hitoshi having a crush. Then he felt his own face start to turn red and a smile start to spread across his own face.
He wasn't sure he was going to sleep well that night.