-Who's this?
She bit her lip. Had he not saved her number. Looking at the start of the conversation longingly she replies with her name.
She watches as the three dots come and go as he thought of how to reply to her. Maybe she shouldn't have texted him. He had more important things going on then to be messaging her.
-It's been a week since messaging in the forum. Are you safe?
He was worried about her? It made her heart race. He cared about her safety.
-I am safe. My school put up a new internet security system and I can't use the forum anymore. We exchanged numbers. You could have texted me if you were worried.
-I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. You had mentioned you were uncomfortable talking outside of the forum.
She thought of that. When they discussed their ages she got uncomfortable. But she also enjoyed talking to him. They could still be friends with an age gap.
After the new security system went up and she couldn't access the forum anymore she thought it would just be the end. But she missed talking to him. So today she finally had the guts to message him.
-I was. But I missed talking to you.
She admitted it.
-I missed talking to you too, Lovebug.
And now her ears were read and she knew that she had made the right decision in messaging him.
Aizawa Sensei had them doing team rescue missions for the past week. Jeremy didn't mind it. Every day they were in new groups and today it was Itsuki, Mako and himself.
He had already heard Itsuki make jokes about how he and Mako were on a first name basis. Comments along the lines of, 'Don't knock her up.' and 'Make sure you don't have Jeremy Jr's'.
Jeremy was also on a first name basis with Ami too but she wasn't on their team today.
"I think that's the last of them." Mako announced as she carried the mannequin bridal style.
"Take them to the first aid tent. There has to be another one somewhere." Jeremy spoke.
"How do you know?" Itsuki huffed. He was tired, not being the most physically inclined. But Jeremy had noticed that his classmate had gotten better with his quirk since the school year had started.
"Because the alarm didn't go off yet like the other groups. That means all of the obvious rescues were saved but not all of them." Jeremy started to look around them.
Itsuki released his vines from his palms, "Maybe we need to remove some of the debris."
"Good idea. How.about you use your vines to lift and I'll use my wind to help cushion and check under." Mako entered, "Mako, check if there are any animals. Our focus had been on people but that might now be all."
"Got it." She said and headed up the builded crumbling stairs.
Jeremy and Itsuki continued the work together to lift and check under the larger debris with no success in finding anything. Jeremy could see that Itsuki was hitting his limit with his quirk. The vines became more brittle and Itsuki tried to compensate by conjuring and layering smaller one. But that appeared to only weaken his classmate more.
"Itsuki. Let's back out." Jeremy said before Itsuki could lift the next cement wall.
"No. I got this." Itsuki's vines wrapped at the cement and he grunted to lift the wall.
Jeremy noticed that in trying to get better leverage on the wall the guys waist down was half under the lifted surface.
An alarm went off in the mock area and almost instantly the vines snapped and as quickly as Jeremy could he stepped forward and used a gust of wind to push Itsuki out of the way.
He cursed. He had never felt something so painful in his life. His vision was starting to become spotty.
He was checking in and out of his surroundings but was pretty sure he heard people saying his name.
Jeremy thought back to when his mom got burned during the attack. She was able to fight and keep going. He was fighting so hard to stay awake and coherent but he couldn't.
The last thing he saw before the blackness consumed him was Itsuki's worried face screaming at him.
The next time he opens his eyes he's in the clinic and the first thing he looks at it his right foot.
He lets out a heavy sigh of relief, "Thank God I still have it. That would have sucked."
Jeremy hears a muffled laugh next to his cot.
"Yeah. Might be too early to be joining the Gimp Heroes Society."
He turns his head to his teacher sitting in a chair next to him. His first thought was to apologize to the man. But that's not what came out of his mouth.
"My mom donates to them and I'm pretty sure that's not their name."
Aizawa's lips pulled at the sides, "I'll have to thank her for the contributions."
The student laughed and looks a bit far away, "When you do. Tell her she's doing great."
Aizawa was silent thinking of the boys words. Apparently his mother had looked up to him during their years at UA and he liked to tease her about it.
"I'll be sure to do so. Speaking of. We have informed her about the accident and she said she wants you to call her when you can."
He noted the boys relief at hearing his mother wasn't coming.
"Is Itsuki okay?"
Aizawa nods in response, "Your team also passed due to you telling Ms. Masashi to start looking for animals."
As if on que the a few of the students walk into the clinic with Recovery Girl.
"Hello Young Man, Congratulations by the way. You were the first big injury the school year. Took a little over a month and I'd say that's a record."
"You dumbass, You could have lost your foot." Itsuki stomps toward the cot, "How are you supposed to be any good as my rival if you're limping around."
"Itsuki!" Masashi hisses at the student who turns to their teacher.
"Uh. Sorry Aizawa Sensei."
He stands up, "It's never wise to underestimate an opponent." He feels the shift in the room and avoids eye contact with Recovery Girl as he leaves the students in the clinic.
The school week had come to an end but it never felt like it really ended for him. He was going to be heading to the teachers dorms to grade papers and figure out new team building exercises for his students that didn't involve them hurting themselves.
He couldn't help but groan to himself at the thought of Itsuki and Thorn bonding simply due to an accident. Of course that happened. He hadn't been on much talking terms with Rock Lock or Manual till after the war. Them being there when he severed his own leg was bound to make an impact on them.
When he entered his apartment his phone started to ring. He answered without looking at the screen.
"Mr. Aizawa!" The excited voice of Eri rang through, bringing a grin to his face. He scanned the kitchen as he passed it and glanced at her drawing that's stayed on the same spot for almost 3 years now.
"Yes, Eri?" He responded as he lounged on the couch without undressing.
"I have been going to a new place all week and I have been so excited to tell you about it. I made friends and Ms.Thorn has been showing me a bit of training. She's as flexible as you. She's a hero." Aizawa closes his eyes and silently listens to all the praises the 10 year old gives her new caretaker.
He had made the call a week ago recommending Ms. Thorns services to Eri's adoptive parents and she had been there almost every evening during the week.
"Yuki-chan said that Ms. Thorn has a son and he is in your class. Is that true?"
The image of Jeremey Thorn and his mother pop into his head and he responds with a simple yes.
"That's so awesome. Yuki-san was saying that she's worried but I reassured her that if he is at UA then he is in great hands. You've helped teach all the best heroes."
Aizawa soaks in the praise and then continues to listen as the girl starts to go on about Ms. Thorn, Yuki-chan, Matt-kun, and Baby Gabe. Listening to her speak like a normal girl. Which was still a complete contrast to the girl who he'd have to help through nightmares just a few years past.
It was the weekend again and Takashita had just left with Matt leaving only herself and Yuki. Yuki didn't normally stay the night or was there on Saturdays. Kokyu didn't mind though because Jeremy wasn't going to be home and she didn't want to admit to being alone.
The week was full of adjustments with the addition of another full time child. The first since Jeremy had been gone and it felt a bit strange with not introducing the new child to him.
She was currently in the kitchen making breakfast for when Yuki decided to wake. She was always one to sleep in and she seemed to do it more since they started training a bit more.
She hears the scream and doesn't think twice as she moves the food away from the burner and runs up the stairs. Kokyu can feel the heat coming from the room and see the smoke slipping through the cracks.
"Yuki! Step away from the door." She waits a moment and starts to swirl the air around her and her fight foot and she kicks the door down.
Fire erupts out of the door and starts to lick the walls. Kokyu anticipated the flames would blow her way and was about to evade them with her wind around her body. She didn't expect for the fireworks to start exploding out of the room. She dodges them and can hear the smoke alarm going off and the fire alarm going.
The fire was growing and feeding on the walls and spreading. Stronger than the water coming from the sprinklers.
Kokyu runs into the room and sees Yuki's hands out of control and her fireworks are erupting everywhere. The young girl's eyes were squeezed shut and she was screaming while sitting on the bed that was now also up in flames. The whole room was.
"Yuki!" Kokyu feels the lick of the fire across her clothing and skin but ignores it as she tries her best to make a wind tunnel to make her way to Yuki.
She picks up the girl and first notices that the fire and heat didn't damage the girl and second was that Yuki was asleep. Running through the flames she makes it through the room and back to the flaming hallway.
Sirens can be heard from outside and it brings a bit of relief to her racing heart. She only needed to make it to the front door. It was becoming hard to breathe and Yuki wasn't in the same dream state anymore. The lack of area must have had her past out. Also a relief because the fireworks had stopped erupting making it easier to see without the colorful sparkles.
Her wind continued to make a tunnel for her but it was getting increasingly harder due to the air quality dropping. Like someone trying to swim through sludge.
Down the stairs she is greeted by heroes there to rescue. They are helped out of the building and as she walks on the grass she is aware of the damage on her feet as they touch the cool wet grass.
Looking over her shoulder she sees as her home, her business, and what she's built up go into flames. The blue sky above the neighborhood had the billowing smoke that tainted it.
The street was getting swarmed with neighbors and onlookers. She feels hands go to take Yuki from her arms to which she pulls Yuki closer.
"I'm sorry but we need to take you both to the hospital." The paramedic looks her over, "You have injuries that need medical attention. Do you have anyone that we need to call for you?"
Kokyu stops zoning out and looks at the medic. "I need to call UA."
The medic nods their head and leads her to get into the ambulance. Through the back doors she can see the water based heroes working on her home. But it was already too late.
It was gone.
"Ma'am." She turned to the person and looks at Yuki on the stretcher, "We have Principal Nezu on the phone."