Aizawa Shouta X Y/n - Tumblr Posts

SUMMARY → when a bright and loud girl comes into the 1-A classroom many old repressed memories already arise. even though aizawa praises himself for being a clear and logical thinker, he knows it can’t be him even with how quirks have evolve. yet all that logical reasoning gets thrown out when she shows her clouds at the quirk appreciation test. in the same moment aizawa promises himself he will not let history repeat itself.

PAIRING → aizawa shouta x student!reader

GENRE → platonic!relationship, hurt/comfort

WARNING → none

WORD COUNT → 1.5 k

MASTERLIST → an assortment of other fics

A/N → i read this hc about a kid in 1-A with the same quirk as shirakumo and wanted to write a scenario for it, but for the life of me i can’t find the headcanon anymore. if you can, PLEASE tell me who wrote it so i can give them the proper credit they deserve!

WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED U.A. you thought it would be fun. Hard work but fun; studying how to be a hero. Learning and working under others that have already gone pro. Not to mention walking down the halls where most of your greatest inspirations and the current number one hero had walked and harnessed their quirks so many years before you.

Something you had not expected was the constant reprimanding; “Stupid Aizawa-sensei, stupid gross tables.” you grumble annoyed, as you continue to clean the desks in the 1-A classroom, while everyone else is happily enjoying their lunches. Trying to wipe away Kaminari his smug face as he got off scot-free, making you subconsciously scrub the table harder. 

What had happened wasn’t even big enough to warrant such punishment. You had put your shoes on your desk and instead of just telling you not to do it or to put your feet down, Aizawa-sensei gave you a blank stare and said; ‘if you can’t respect the desk, you should clean them.’ completely ignoring Kaminari, Tokoyami and Bakugou who had their feet on the table and where now silently putting them down.

To add to that it was not the only punishment you have gotten in the last few months, and most likely will not be the last. It started the first week of school. Laughing at Kaminari short-circling in class? Make a presentation about the benefits of laughing. 

Got below an 80 in English, a subject you could not seem comprehend as well as the others, but did not do too bad at. Get singed up for cram classes. You don’t even know how he knew, not to mention how you are in the top five and definitely did not need cram classes.

Which let you to now; the final bell ringing, Aizawa-sensei dismisses the class and let’s you all go on your marry way to the dorms. Slowly packing your stuff in Kaminari, Bakugou, Sero, Ashido and Kirishima stay at the door.

“We don’t have all day, dumbass.”

Making a small smile tuck up your lips that he still took the moment to wait for you even when he pretends like it’s such a burden, “Go a head, I still have to ask a question.”

“We can wait.”

“It’s okay.” you reassure, and with that last wave and a little hesitation they left the room. Leaving you with your teacher, “Aizawa-sensei.” you say uncharastically softly. Trying to gain your teachers attention that is fully focused on his desk work, “I’m busy.”

Ignoring his dismissive words, you take a deep breath, word vomiting your question out, “Do you hate me?”

Your question seem to make the man freeze in his state. Before he slowly looks up from his work, “No.” he says simply. Nodding slowly you let the answer sink in, yet it only makes more questions come up, “Then why do you always reprimand me?”

“I give punishment where I see fit.”

Making your stomach twist into a more confused and annoyed state then it already was, “Yesterday I got punishment for having my feet on the table while I wasn’t the only one.” you point out. Shaking your head at the lack of integrity, “Kaminari, Bakugou, and Tokoyami had theirs on the table. They always do, and the one time I do it I get cleaning duty.”

“I don’t care what they did, I gave you a punishment.”

Without even realising it a cloud came up above your head, “But you always do. It’s like your breathing down my neck, waiting for me to fail!”

The cloud above your head darkening from it’s usual pale white state to a dark grey, “I wasn’t even at Cameno, and I got lunch duty for not telling you what they had planned while the rest of the class got free off. You’re singling me out and you can’t even be honest about it.” you snap, your voice louder then you ment it to be, but in the heat of the moment you could not make yourself apologise for it.

“You have a lot of potential, (l/n), but if you don’t get the proper guidance you might never be able to show the world that.”

The sincerity in his voice and the unusual soft expression on his face that you had never seen before on your teachers face made you want to believe him, but then again he lied like it was breathing air. And each time you and your entire class fell for it again.

The dark cloud had faded into oblivion as you let out a deep breath, “Well, I asked Hatsume to help me figure out what type of support items might work for me. We found someone who had a quirk like mine and they used a staff for fighting. So, now we are developing one.”

“How do you develop a staff?

“We send in a sample of my hair with the design. That was it should be more durable and be able for me to manipulate into my clouds when necessary for the element of surprise. In the meanwhile I have a wooden one,” you tell him, making him hum as he turns back to his work.

Twiddling your fingers you turn your face away, “which you would have know if you were also in All Might’s face.” you mumble, quickly looking back to your teacher if he heard what you said, but by the way his face didn’t change he didn’t hear it.

“Your cleaning duty is over.”

As soon as you arrive at the dorms you got bombarded with questions from your friends; before Iida demanded you ( and the others who hadn’t either ) to go upstairs, change into your home clothes, and help prepare dinner.

It was something you all would do every Friday, while on any other day it was devided into groups to make it for everyone else. Instead of everyone making it separately. 

Soon dinner passed and it bleed into the evening as the sun went under, the blankets got pulled out as everyone went under them. Getting settled and ready for the weekly movie night; “We should watch Banana Fish, I heard it was super sad and that rocks.” Present Mic purposes.

“No, no, Dumb and Dumber, that is what the kids like…” All Might trails off, his suggestion dying on his tongue as he sees our unimpressed faces, “Right, Midoriya-shonen?” he asks the boy, trying to find anyone to agree with him… kinda a bad move to ask his super fan.

“Maybe, I don’t know- some kids like it… But, it is kind of old. We- we could watch your film.” he panics, vastly waving his arms around as his entire face blooms red.

Smiling at the sweet interactions. Ashido groans loudly, rolling her head onto your shoulder, “Just pick a movie.” she wines, “Dark Knight has always been a favourite of mine.” Tokoyami offers.

At the end Midnight offered a rom-com and it might have been the headache of listen to more suggestion and not knowing a better pick, but it got put on and it was moderiably enjoyable yet your attention was pulled outside.

Glancing outside your eyes quickly find a frame sitting alone in the dark. You quickly identify the frame as your moody teacher. Standing up for your position under the blankets you move away, “Where are you going?” Ashido mumbles.

“Just taking a breath of fresh air.”

Making a plate, you make your way out into the garden. Placing it infront of him, before taking a seat next to him. It stays quite for a moment as he takes a bite of the food you had plated. Letting the silence continue; “Why are you sitting out alone, sensei?” you ask softly, breaking the silence as he takes a sip of his drink, most likely a cup of coffee.

Glancing up at the cloudy night sky, you aren’t quite sure what you are suppose to see… Everything is just gray and very bleak, no star to be seen, “Like cloud watching?”

“It reminds me of a time I couldn’t help someone that needed me.”

“Well... my M.O. is whenever you screw up, you should just keep smiling like usual.” you tell him, making a small smile tuck up his lips as he takes another sip of his drink.

“Thank you, ( y/n ).”

MASTERLIST | KO-FI | TAGLIST → @tsukkisbae

Mha Aizawa x female wife reader

Reader has a quirk that is literally her just being a cat magnet. Reader finds out she’s pregnant and decide to tell Aizawa in the cutest way possible with cats.

Fluff plz

Could you add me to your HXH , mha , aot and BSD tag list plz

The Cat’s Out of the Bag

Warnings: none!

Word count: 3,104

A/N: this has got to be my favorite request I’ve gotten so far! I kind of went a little above and beyond the request but I think it turned out rly cute :)

Blog Directory

Posted: October 23rd 2021, 1:30 PM EST

Since you’re quirk had first developed when you were a child, it had been drawing things closer to you; cats, specifically. It had started as the stray you passed daily on your way to school following you home, everyday being shooed away by your parents and everyday returning. Eventually one cat turned to two, and two to two dozen. It got to the point where they would be littered outside your house simply waiting for you to step outside, some even working their way inside and happily curling up next to you.

After some time of this continuing and the number of cats growing, your parents had taken you to a quirk doctor who confirmed that it was in fact your quirk attracting all of them. Despite the slight frustration it caused you all had no other choice but to accept it and learn to live with it.

The cats, especially the ones that consistently appeared, became your best friends. Because they refused to separate from you, you spent most of your time with them and thus went through your everyday life with a feline friend by your side. They were a constant company and ensured that you were never alone, even as you went to sleep at night as they took the available spots on your bed and lulled you to sleep with gentle purring.

By then nearly everybody who knew you knew of your quirk. It was well known that wherever you went at least one cat would follow and if there was a random sighting of a cat - or more frequently multiple - in a place they didn’t belong, you were somewhere nearby. Despite how the cats provided you endless company, they isolated you as well. The other kids at school found them as a sort of annoyance and began avoiding you, even your best friends eventually fading away as your quirk persisted. You were alone, ostracized from everyone else; that is, until you met him.

With a book in hand you sat with your back against a tree, your hand every so often leaving the pages to stroke the head of one of the dozen or so cats around you. Many of them bathed in the late summer sun with faces of contentment, an occasional breeze rustling their fur as well as your hair. It’s relatively silent as you lose yourself in the imaginary world of your book - or it was silent until the gentle sound of footsteps caught your attention. You look up to find a cat rounding the corner of a nearby building and walking towards you, shortly followed by a boy. Upon further inspection as he neared closer you were able to make our his appearance. Long black hair obscured his face and despite his taller frame he hunched over, you assumed to look at the cat he tailed behind. He appeared about your age and is adorned in a uniform; not one from your school but one you oddly recognized.

Eventually he worked his way up the hill you sat atop, his eyes widening upon seeing the crowd of cats the other had led him towards. You can’t help the small laugh that passes your lips, the boy finally seeming to realize you’re there as his eyes meet yours.

“Sorry about all the cats.” You say, watching as he takes in the sheer number of them.

“I was just trying to get the one I was following…” He says, “Why are they all right here?”

He kneels in front of the cat he had followed, a tortoiseshell kitten with a half missing ear, and scoops it into his arms with a small smile. You smile as well as an older gray cat nudges your hand, forcing you to put down your book to pet it.

“They just like me.” You reply, “You could say I’m a cat magnet.”

He hums as he moves to sit on the grass a few feet away from you, the kitten in his arms now playing with the loose strands of black hair that fell past his shoulders.

“Do you like cats?” You ask, though the answer already seemed obvious.

“Yes. It looks like you do, too.”

You breathe a small laugh, the boy giving one as well.

“I’m Y/n, and you?”

“Aizawa. Shouta.”

“Nice to meet you, Aizawa.”

After a few minutes you expected him to walk away, to return to where ever he had come from and that would be the first and last time you met, but as more time passed he stayed. You looked at him curiously and noticed he had taken out a laptop from his school bag and begun silently working. After staring for a few moments you returned to your book, both of you silently sitting in each other’s presence.

It became a daily occurrence for Aizawa to show up after following a cat to you, the two of you sitting under the same tree and either working or simply sitting together with the plethora of cats around you. Overtime the distance between you closed, going from Aizawa sitting a few feet away to a foot to a few inches until you eventually sat shoulder to shoulder. The closer he sat the closer the two of you became, small, short conversations turning to long and animated ones filled with laughter and light banter. Despite how your quirk had once isolated you, it had led you to, or more specifically led to you, the person who became your best friend.

“You know, your uniform looks really familiar.” You start, looking at Aizawa out of the corner of your eye before returning your gaze to the sky.

The two of you lay beside each other under the tree, peering through the bare branches at the pure blue sky above. Despite the cold chill of midwinter and the snow that blanketed the ground you lay on you both remained outside and so did the cats that cuddled close to your sides for warmth; much like you did with each other.

“I think all of Japan would know it.” Aizawa replies, moving his arm under his head as the tortoiseshell kitten curls up on his stomach.

“Oh really?” You laugh sarcastically, “What school do you go to then that’s so famous?”

“U.A.”

You pause for a moment before propping yourself up on your elbows, looking down at him with a look of disbelief.

“Are you joking?” You ask to which he shakes his head.

“I just started my second year.” He says nonchalantly, “You seriously didn’t know until now?”

“How would I know if you didn’t tell me? But seriously, you? In U.A.?”

“Is it that hard to believe?”

“I’m not saying it like that.” You say while gently shoving his arm. “It’s just surprising that you’re training to be a hero; it’s cool. What’s your quirk?”

He explains his quirk and how it works all while you stare at him in amazement, Aizawa occasionally making eye contact though quickly looking back away.

“That’s so cool!” You exclaim when he’s done, “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

He shrugs. “It’s never been brought up. I like your quirk better, anyway.”

“Trust me, you wouldn’t want my quirk.” You sigh while lying back down, “Everyone else thinks it’s annoying.”

“I don’t.” He replies, “I like it, all the cats.”

“You only hang out with me for the cats, huh?” You joke to which he rolls his eyes.

“I like the cats, but I like your quirk because it’s what brought me to you.” He says, voice quieter this time though tone softer and more serious.

“Aizawa…”

“Sorry.”

You blink in surprise for a moment before turning your head to face him.

“Don’t be.” You say quietly. Aizawa turns to face you as well, your faces a mere inches apart from each other’s. A rosy color tinted both of your cheeks that you hoped you could play off as the cold weather, your eyes meeting and refusing to look away despite the part of you that urged you to for the sake of your own embarrassment.

“I like you.” You whisper, catching yourself by surprise as the words pass your lips. Aizawas eyes widen in seemingly shock before he smiles, a small puff of air emitting from him made visible by the cold.

“I-“ He starts, though is cut off by the kitten letting out a loud mewl and plopping itself down in the space between you. Both of your laughter breaks through the silent air as some of the previous tension is lifted, the fluttering of your heart the only notion of what had taken place before.

-

After Aizawas hero debut, despite how quiet it had been in order to keep himself more hidden from villains knowledge and his despise of the press, you had made it your job to congratulate him. He had worked as a sidekick at a smaller agency for a few years before this debut which, in your opinion at least, made it only that much more exciting.

A smile tugs at your lips as you hear the door to your shared apartment open and close shortly followed by heavy footsteps that made their way towards you. As Aizawa rounded the corner into the kitchen you stepped out from behind the wall you hid behind and pulled the string to the confetti popper in your hand, laughing slightly at the slight shock on his face.

“Congrats!” You exclaim as confetti fell to litter both of your hair.

Aizawa looked to you before looking around the room, a banner reading “Congratulations Eraserhead!” Strung across the middle of the ceiling the first he sees before the small cake on the counter and floor now coated in colorful confetti. The cat you had taken in as your own, the tortoiseshell with the half missing ear, adorned a small white scarf and makeshift yellow eye covers like the ones Aizawa used and it meowed at him as if to say it’s own congratulations. Aizawa smiles while taking off his own scarf and eye covers before setting them on the counter.

“Thank you.” He says with a small, genuine smile.

You return it with a wide, adoration filled grin. “Of course! You deserve it, I know you’ll make a great hero, Shouta.”

He doesn’t reply, only steps closer and pulls you into a hug and rests his chin atop your head. You happily accept it and wrap your arms around his torso, giving him a small squeeze as you let your eyes slip shut. To you, this was the most comforting place you could be; wrapped up in each other’s arms and letting the rest of the world slip away until it was just you and him left. This is where you belong. This is all you needed.

After a few minutes Aizawa pulls away slightly to face you, his expression softer than usual as it settles on your face. You keep your smile but draw your brow together, one of your hands coming up to rest against his face.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” You ask with a slight tilt of your head.

“Because.” Is all he answers.

“Well come on, we have to eat the cake before it dries up.” You say, pulling away and walking towards the counter. You’re stopped, however, by Aizawa reaching out to hold your hand, preventing you from walking away. You turn back around and look between your hands and him, giving him a confused look as his grip persists.

“Shouta? What’s-“

“Do you want to get married?” He asks, cutting you short and effectively making you fall silent. Your mind runs blank as you try to process what he said, part of you not believing it as your mouth opens and closes trying to find something to say.

“Are you- did you mean- I…” You stutter, trying and failing to somehow reply to the sudden question. Your eyes met his, kind and waiting laced with nervousness and anticipation as he waits for your answer. His thumb brushes over the top of your hand where they still joined in the space between you, drawing your attention there before your eyes trail up his arm and back to his face. In that moment it all seemed to click and you smiled, fully turning so you now stood in front of him.

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes.”

He flashes you one of his rare toothy smiles before pulling you back in by the hand, a laugh escaping you before it’s cut short by him placing his lips on yours. You melt into the kiss and smile slightly as the stubble on his face scratches yours, Aizawas hand gently cupping the side of your face as yours rests on his shoulder.

“I don’t have a ring.” He says as he pulls away, “That was a spur of the moment thing.”

You laugh softly, “It’s okay, it’s perfect the way it is.”

-

A nervous breath escapes you as you twist the golden band on your finger, your cat happily tucked against your body as you carried it through the halls of U.A. Highschool. As you made it to the hallway holding classroom 1-A you set down the feline in front of you, crouching so you were now about level. You let out a small sigh as you stroke its head, a small smile crossing your face as it purrs.

“Remember, all you have to do is walk up to him, okay?” You say quietly, making sure you couldn’t be heard through any of the open doors. You rolled up a piece of paper and tied it together with a small ribbon before looping it through the cats collar, tying it in a small bow before double checking it’s secure.

“Are you excited, too?” You ask, breathing a laugh as the cat meows. “I hope he is.”

After taking a moment to collect yourself you stand up again, looking down at the tortoiseshell cat and gently nudging it with the side of your leg. It seems to get the hint and happily strolls down the hall with you following behind up until you make it to the classroom door. You stay out of sight though the cat continues, letting out a meow as it spots Aizawa at his desk.

“Hm? How did you get here?” Aizawa asks, swiveling his chair around as the familiar cat approaches him.

As soon as it’s close enough he picks it up and sets it in his lap, smiling slightly as it nudges his hand for a pet.

“Did you come to visit me at work?” He asks, “Why would you leave Y/n… what’s this?”

He reaches out to the small scroll on the cats collar, his brow drawing together as he pulls the end of the ribbon and releases it from the collar. Though confused he proceeds with untying the ribbon and unrolling the paper it held.

“This new baby doesn’t have fur…?” He reads aloud, “Did Y/n find a hairless cat?”

You laugh silently to yourself as you wait for him to unravel the rest of your message, anticipation making you antsy as you peak around the door.

The note was now fully visible as Aizawa holds the top and bottom apart, his expression still displaying confusion as he scans over the black and white picture.

“An ultrasound…?” He says, pausing as he realizes what he said. His eyes widen in surprise as he reevaluates the picture that held the undeniable shape of a baby. “An ultrasound.”

You step into the doorway and smile as Aizawas eyes meet yours, glancing between you and the ultrasound in his hands.

“Surprise.” You say, trying to hide your nervousness behind a smile.

You walk closer until you’re standing a foot away from his chair, fingers still twirling your wedding ring as you wait for him to say something.

“This is yours?” He asks and you nod. “You’re pregnant?” Another nod. “This is our baby?”

“Mhm.” You hum, still trying to figure out how he felt as his tone, as well as his expression, had been next to emotionless.

After a few seconds of staring at the ultrasound he sets it on his desk before lifting the cat in his lap and gently placing it on the floor, wordlessly rising to his feet. He blinked a few seconds before pulling you into an abrupt hug, his grip tighter than usual as he buries his face in your shoulder. You lace your fingers through his hair while your other arm goes around his back, slightly reluctantly as you try to decipher his reaction.

“Are you mad?” You ask nervously, feeling as if a weight is lifted off your shoulders when you feel him shake his head.

“It’s just…” He starts, his sentence trailing off as he seems at a loss for words. “A baby. Our baby.”

You laugh slightly, your fingers combing through his hair as you feel a wave of joy wash over you.

“Yes, it is.” You reply, “So I take it you’re happy about this?”

“Of course I am.” He says as he pulls back just enough to be able to face you. “I love you.”

He leans in for a short-lived kiss that’s broken apart by both of your wide smiles, the two of you opting for letting your foreheads rest against each other’s instead. One of Aizawas hands leaves it’s spot where it rested on the small of your back and trailed towards the front of your body before cautiously resting on your lower stomach.

Aizawa looks up temporarily to look over your shoulder, breathing a laugh through his nose at what he sees.

“Looks like they’re excited, too.” He comments, directing your attention to the cats that trot into the room before looping around your feet.

A laugh escapes your lips as you turn to look down at them, your head resting on Aizawas chest as well as your hand as his hand lays on your shoulder. A warm feeling blossoms in your chest and settles in your stomach where your baby was growing, a strong sense of family surrounding you and enveloping the room in comfort. This, you believed, was the perfect moment which you owed all to your quirk and the cat you silently thanked as it pawed at Aizawas arm from its spot on the desk.

“You know, between all the cats, the students, and now this, I’m starting to think I have too many kids.” Aizawa says.

You laugh, “I think there’s room for one more. And maybe one more cat.”

My masterlist

dry wells

summary: being dependable is hard when you have no one to fall back on. you learn that the hard way. aizawa is there to remind you that all you have to do is ask. 

word count: 3.0 k

pairing(s): aizawa shouta x reader

genre | includes: stress, comfort, sfw, gender neutral reader, poc friendly reader, one (1) swear word, brief self-deprecation

author’s note: this is my first work on here and it is purely self indulgent. i hope anyone who feels the same way gets some form of comfort and reassurance from this ! please let me know what you think ! also please ignore me mentioning in the heights in absolutely everything i do. i can’t help it lol

Shouta values functional relationships. Quality over quantity, as cliché as it is, is the bread and butter of his social interactions. His brunch meetups and nights on the town are few and far between, but, contrary to common belief, he enjoys them very much. He doesn’t spend extra time around people he dislikes, so if he’s doing anything, he does it with company he enjoys. It’s as simple as that. The amount of people that belong in his circle are small, and the number has been waning gradually over the years. Without question, his closest companions are Hizashi and Nemuri. As fed up as he acts with them, he leaves every moment with them feeling lighter.

Except for when they’re working. He’d never get used to their faculty room antics no matter how hard he tried. And they weren’t the only problem. There's just something about the fluorescent lighting in the school building that drains every ounce of energy from him. Factor all that in with less than 4 hours of sleep and problem children at every corner? Coffee never stood a chance. (That doesn’t mean he’ll stop trying.)

Yes, it was exhausting, but Shouta likes to think he’s got it all under control. At least he knows what to expect. By now, it’s routine; Nemuri gossips about student drama (“Kobayashi Mariko from one of the second year support classes cheated on their girlfriend with a business department third year”), Hizashi reacts at a volume louder than necessary (“You’re kidding. The poor girl must be crushed”), everyone hears and begins to chime in (“I thought they already broke up, I saw her with Kato Misaki from general studies at the mall last weekend” “Well, that doesn’t mean anything. People go to the mall with their friends all the time” “But they kissed” “Tell me you’re joking”), Shouta sighs a deep, aching sigh in preparation for the headache that's about to kick in, and less than a minute later, right on schedule, a low chuckle comes from beside him as you set down a cup of coffee and greet him with a cheeky, “good morning, sunshine”.

Living the life of a hero, constantly stepping out into the world unsure if he’d return, Shouta has come to be appreciative of the slight pleasures in his life. One of those pleasures is you. He couldn’t always afford the luxury of routine, yet there you always were. You were just enough joy to last the day. Gentle when the time calls for it; brutally honest when need be. Comfortable in your skin, you expressed yourself in the way you knew others would understand while being unapologetically yourself. When Shouta started working at UA, he’d shadowed you for a semester, learning your tips and tricks for nurturing the new generation of heroes. Despite graduating the year after him, you’d established an aura of authority and dependability that not even he could ignore. Long after he’d done the same, you still offered your services and assistance in whatever way you could. How you managed to take on other people’s workloads he’d never know, he just knew he was grateful for you. 

You were a different kind of teasing than Nemuri, a tamer happy than Hizashi. You were reliable in every sense and unwavering in your identity. Students flocked to you for advice as you undulated naturally between teacher and older sibling. You could easily take command of a room and just as quickly get everyone laughing. You stomped out defiance and made tiktok references in the same breath. Your presence brought relief; if you were here, everything would be figured out. Everyone just knew no matter what it is, (y/n)’s got it under control. 

So when you shuffled into the faculty room half an hour late, eyes puffy and bloodshot, your usual confidence nowhere in sight, Shouta did a double take. The other teachers were preoccupied with this week’s “tea” (he’d heard Ashido use the term alongside other colloquial phrases he was far too removed to understand) and had yet to notice you. Judging by how you’d flinched at a louder than necessary gasp, it was a good thing. 

What was normally a purposeful strut to the coffee station was now an aimless lumber. You changed course several times as if you’d forgotten the configuration of the room. Your arms were unsure as they unfolded and reached for the pot. From where he sat, Shouta could see your hands shake while pouring your coffee. They hovered over the countertop awkwardly as usual routine became foreign to your distracted mind. You clumsily spilled sugar and whimpered as creamer splashed over the rim of the cup. Your arm knocked over the nearly empty container of stirrers as you reached for napkins and it seemed to be the final straw. Blinking rapidly at the ceiling and taking shaky breaths did nothing to stop the silent tears from burning trails down your cheeks. You sniffled once, twice, and rubbed frantically at your eyes. Shouta wasn’t one for comfort, but leaving you to break down in a high school teacher’s lounge over a cup of coffee at 7:30 am didn’t sit quite right with him. As he stood to confront you (confront sounded violent and all too certain for what he was about to do. What exactly he was about to do, he had no clue), you let out a choked sob and escaped to the door, leaving the coffee and stirrers in disarray on the countertop. 

“What’s wrong with (y/n)?” someone asked, as you pushed past Vlad and made a mad dash to somewhere beyond the lounge’s field of vision. Shouta was too preoccupied with packing his files and following you to check who said it. 

Sometimes Shouta forgets that you’re also a stealth hero, but moments like this remind him (he says “moments like this” like this happens often. He wouldn’t be chasing after you if this wasn’t out of the ordinary- if he wasn’t concerned). You were fast and, by God, were you hard to find. It didn’t help that classes started in less than half an hour and the early-bird students had started wandering campus. At least this proved you were more than capable as a hero; even in your distress, you could blend into a crowd with ease. 

He chased your trail until you hit a quiet stairwell and collapsed into a heap of sorrow under the railing. Now that you were within reach, Shouta realized he honestly didn’t know what to do. Operating at night and dwelling in the shadows for the majority of his career, Shouta had broken up trafficking rings, rescued victims of abuse, and toppled organized crime circuits, but comforting his colleague was way above his pay grade. But there was very little about this profession that involved staying in one’s comfort zone. It was as he’d overheard All Might tell Problem Child #1 (they weren’t slick; neither of them could whisper very well, let alone keep secrets), a hero’s body moves before they think. So here he was, body in a forgotten stairwell, mind still in the teacher’s lounge 3 floors and a 5 minute cardio workout away.

He didn’t know how many times he had to say it, but you’d been nothing but dependable. He’d never once had to worry about you. If he thought back far enough, your few encounters with him as UA students served memories of the same. You came just after Hizashi and Nemuri on the list of people he could tolerate, but higher than them at the same time. He wasn’t sure why. 

You always called a cab for him after faculty bar crawls, regardless of whether or not he was sober. You were the first face he saw after the USJ incident at the beginning of the year. You’d often come to his apartment (now his room in the dorms) to keep him company while you both graded papers. Late into an evening of exasperated comments and mood-lightening jokes, you, without fail, would snatch away his stacks of papers and force him to sleep. By the time he woke up, they were graded and organized by student and subject. 

He… liked having you around. Not just because you did things to help him, it was more than that, Shouta just had no idea what else it was. Maybe it was that way that before he entered the cabs you called for him, you always demanded he text you to let you know he was home. It may be hidden in how you would grab his arm when he waved off your worry, and you’d look into the depths of his soul with searching eyes. “I’m serious, Shouta. Promise me,” and he would, because he could never lie to you. 

Maybe the answer lies within the time you told everyone to get rest as you stayed to listen to the nurses explain how to change his bandages when the Nomu left him bedbound. How, like clockwork, you’d knock on his front door, push him onto his couch, and ignore his protests to change the bandages he had been neglecting for school assignments and patrol. Had it been Hizashi, he wouldn’t have made it past the door. Don’t get him wrong, Hizashi is still Shouta’s closest friend, but neither of them would have lasted the period of time it took to properly unwrap, discard, disinfect, apply, and rewrap. It was probably because he knew you’d make it easier that Shouta let you stay. That was definitely it. And it was because he was comfortable around you that he gave you the second spare key to his room. That’s also why he let you detangle his hair while he slept and you finished grading papers under his kotatsu. You made him comfortable and he was grateful, that’s all. Had he ever done anything to pay you back? He was too young for his memory to fail him, so the answer was probably no.

That changed today.

Your shoulders shook more violently as time passed and it made Shouta realize how long he’d been lost in thoughts about you and that he was yet to actually help you. Trance now broken, he took a seat next to your trembling form and inhaled deeply before speaking. 

“Is it okay if I touch you?” stupid stupid stupid stupid why was that the first thing to come out of your mouth what the fuck they’re gonna say no and never speak to you agai-

You looked up abruptly, startling Shouta the slightest bit. You looked… awful. He wasn’t going to sugar coat it. Dried tears left tracks down your cheeks and fresh, hot ones made new trails right through them. Your eyes were hesitant- glossy and unfocused, lips etched in a wobbly frown. Your nose was running and your brows were pinched. Maybe this was more than Shouta signed up for. Before he could back away or call Nemuri or Hizashi for help, you scooted closer to him and wrapped your arms around his torso. When your wet face buried into his shoulder, Shouta sighed once again. When he asked if he could touch you he really only expected to put a consoling hand on your shoulder. Nevertheless, he wrapped his arms around your frame as you shook.

You both sat like that for a short while. No words were exchanged. Just you clinging to the fabric of his clothes and him holding you in place. You counted the dull thudding of your heartbeat. Somewhere in the back of your mind you acknowledged that it was beating in time with Shouta’s. At the calming realization that you weren’t alone, your hiccups slowed and reduced to occasional sniffles. That was good. You began to pull away, wiping at your face. That was not good. Shouta’s mind came to a record scratching halt. Why exactly was it not good? Sure he enjoyed having you in his arms but- no. He was going to stop there. This was much too dangerous a thought path to be going down. He was only here to comfort you. Let’s get back to that. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Shouta looked down at you, still somewhat curled into yourself. Curled into him.

You then sighed and straightened, “I don’t know what there is to talk about. I don’t know what’s wrong. It’s all just too much, I can’t catch a break,” your voice wobbled again for a moment and Shouta was afraid you’d cry again. You swallowed thickly before continuing.

“There’s too much going on and no time to address any of it. Things keep getting piled onto my plate, but I can’t sacrifice the rest of what has to be done. Crime is skyrocketing, we’re switching curriculums, I just got assigned to the Shie Hassaikai case, and my family is in town. On top of that, Hound Dog doesn’t have enough space in his schedule to accommodate the influx of students seeking help, so I’m the temporary counselor. I’m applying for grad school right now and once I start there’s no end in sight,” as you made yourself vulnerable in front of someone for the first time, your voice increased in pitch.

“Everyone is suffering and I feel like I’m the only one who can fix everything, but I can’t. And it frustrates me so much because I always fix everything, so there has to be something wrong with me if I can’t do it now. I’m tired, but I can’t be. I’m drowning but I have to make sure everyone else gets to shore first. I’m scared of letting everyone down.” There. It was all out. Your dirty laundry was out in the open. The words that hung heavy in the air brought clarity as they washed over Shouta like the eye drops you once had to force him to use. He watched in understanding as you sagged against the steps behind you.

Of course you felt like you couldn’t catch a break. You were doing everything for everyone all the time. Everyone could depend on you but who could you depend on? Shouta cursed himself internally for not picking up the signs earlier. He prides himself on his perceptiveness, but he couldn’t see that one of his closest companions was working themselves to the bone. He was doing a terrible job. But there would be time to berate himself later, you were his priority right now.

“There’s only so much one person can give. A well has no use when it’s run dry. It doesn’t make sense for you to do everything in the name of pleasing others. You’re entitled to being selfish. You can say no. Nobody will fault you for it. You are a good person regardless of whether or not you help whenever the opportunity arises. You’ve done more than enough to last several lifetimes. Everyone cannot rely on you all the time. You cannot shoulder everyone’s burdens. Don’t forget that you can ask for help too,” that was more than Shouta had said at once in at least a week. How special were you?

“Does that mean I’m allowed to rely on you?” you peeked at him from the corner of your eyes, trying to conceal… something. Was it hope? Relief? Admiration? Whatever it was, it made Shouta nervous. He looked away.

“Of course. We’re... coworkers. And you’ve always been helpful, it would be remiss of me not to return the favor,” his words left a soft smile on your face. He hadn’t done much, just told you what you needed to hear. You’d need time to internalize it, but you were already feeling more grounded. And this coworkers thing...

“Just coworkers? You don’t sound so sure,” you teased as the tell-tale glow of red eyes and floating hair from Shouta’s quirk accompanied a light dusting of red on the apples of his cheeks. 

He stood quickly, brushing the dirt from the stairs off of his pants, “Class starts in 10 minutes, you should get cleaned up.”

You chuckled (that was good) and stood beside him. Without a second thought, you grabbed his arm and began to walk in the direction of the faculty room. You didn’t teach during the first period of the day, but he still needed his folders.

“I will. I just wanted to escort my coworker to his classroom first,” you reply cheekily. The pep returned to your step and your heart felt lighter. The only evidence that you had been anything other than happy was the redness of your eyes and the wet splotches in Shouta’s shirt. It felt good to have someone to rely on so you let yourself indulge in the feeling a little longer. You leaned into him as you conversed about everything from lesson plans to the menu Lunch Rush posted for the day.

“That musical you like, In The Heights, they made it into a movie right?” Shouta blurted before he could stop himself. Stupid stupid stupid stupid-

“Yes, they did. Why?” you knew why. You could hardly conceal your smile.

“Would you like to see it this weekend? With me, I mean. We could get coffee after. You deserve the break. Or we could just grade papers because-”

“Because we’re just coworkers right?” you cut him off with a sly smirk as you came to a stop in front of the teacher’s lounge’s doors, “I’d love to. We’ll talk details later, yeah? Class starts in 2 minutes.”

“Okay,”

“Okay,” there was that hesitation in your eyes again. Before Shouta got the chance to analyze what it could have meant, you leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek and turned on your heels. You were going to talk to Nezu about taking a break.

He couldn’t keep the small smile off his face if he tried.

— —

“-And I heard from Rokuda from 3-C who heard from Kobayashi from 3-E who was walking with Takane from 2-D that (y/n) kissed Aizawa in the hallways yesterday.”

“I heard it was a little more than that, I’m talking janitor’s closet” “No” “Don’t shoot the messenger. That’s what I heard from Tsukino from 2-B” “Oh my God”

As you slid the door open, Shouta in tow, you cocked a brow at the quick hushes and suspicious eye-contact from everyone in the room.

“Did I miss something?”

© mamasbakeria 2021. do not repost, translate (without permission), or modify