When the Stars Align

Chapter 13

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"So, how were your first two days of school?"

It hadn't even been two minutes since stepping into Aizawas household and already did the questions begin.

Removing your shoes and placing them on the rack next to the front door, you shrugged your bag off and placed it on the sofa as you walked to the kitchen where your guardians voice was emanating from. "They were fine."

A peek into the room showed Aizawa had dressed down, wearing some old, black long-sleeved shirt and sweat pants, his hair tied up into a neat bun, seemingly more tranquil than when in school. He's quiet, the only sounds his footsteps and the running water from the sink as he finishes washing the left over dishes from this morning. Sitting down at the dining table, where two takeout boxes and paperwork lay, you wait for your guardian to seat himself before starting on dinner.

Wiping his hands on a dry rag, Aizawa finally makes his way to the table, placing two glasses of water down before beckoning towards the food. Opening the box revealed a delicious row of still steaming Yakitori, a bed of rice, and a small sauce container on the side. You gave a 'Thank you' as you dug in, hunger catching up to you after the long events of the day.

Other than the small clattering of chopsticks or glass cups, silence overtook the room, both of you too enthralled by the food to stop and converse. You didn't mind and you doubt Aizawa did either, both of you content with letting the quiet between you continue.

While you wouldn't say it out loud, you really did enjoy these moments with your guardian. They had felt forced at first, like a small way to appease you so you wouldn't blow a fuse about anything, but now they felt like an actual routine, one you usually looked forward too. Some days, the quiet would stay, letting you both enjoy your food in the others muted presence. Other times, Aizawa talked your ear off, annoyed and overwhelmed by the day that he just spewed word after word of complaints, talks mainly about the overpopulation of idiots that he had to take down or the copious amounts of paperwork he could never seem to get rid of.

It felt like you both had begun to form a bond built outside of just basic tolerance for one another, one that was instead built on mutual respect and understanding of where you each stood.

Aizawa had finished his meal long before you did, settling back into his chair with a long sigh as he rubbed at his eyes. You watched as he brought out his eye drops, keeping each eye open as the medication settled, his red-rimmed eyes clearing slightly.

Clearing his throat, your teacher sat up straighter, elbows coming to rest atop the table as his gaze cut through you scrutinizingly, reiterating his earlier question in a new manner. "So, how are you taking to school life so far?"

Then again, sometimes you wondered if that mutual understanding you felt really existed, or if it had all just been in your head.

It was a bit of an awkward question, for you, at least. While you knew check-ins would be due, by both the school and the Commission, it felt a bit too soon to be giving any concrete answers. You were still adjusting, still watching and mimicking from afar, hoping to come off as normal as you could. You felt that you had succeeded in some aspects and failed in others, though you couldn't really tell if your efforts mattered, not when the class was proving itself to be just as dysfunctional at times.

All in all, it felt a lot like admitting to some type of defeat, so you hesitated.

After eating the last skewer, you set the piece of wood aside and reached for the glass of water, bringing it to your lips to take small sips. Aizawa waited patiently, picking at the bottom of his nails as he did so, looking away from you. It made you breathe a little easier, attention diverted away ever so slightly, his eyes no longer burning a hole in you.