All Tangled Up

Chapter 1

Aiko had been working as a pro hero for five years before she got the offer from UA. She wasn't that surprised by it seeing as her quirk was so powerful, but her hand-to-hand combat skills were what really caught Principal Nezu's eye. It would be a valuable resource for the students to have because many of them still relied too heavily on their quirks to get by and they didn't appreciate the importance of a good defense. She asked for a day or two to consider her options- after all, she liked her current apartment. It was in a good location and offered plenty of windows for her cat Oberon to look out of. Aiko had no idea what a teacher's apartment on the UA campus would look like. Her contract with her hero agency was coming to an end this month and she wasn't planning on renewing it because of the new hero they had signed on. He was rude and misogynistic, but her being the only woman in that agency meant that she was alone in dealing with this problem. She was looking at other agencies when she got the email from Nezu. He agreed to let her see the apartment that she would be moving into if she accepted and that's where she was heading now. After selecting a professional yet simple outfit consisting of a black pencil skirt, a light blue button-up, stockings, and short black heels, she headed out the door to meet Principal Nezu at the school. UA was only a seven-minute train ride from her apartment so Aiko got there quickly. Nezu was standing in front of the big metal gates holding a visitor's pass for her. 

"Hello Aiko- or do you prefer to be called by your hero name? I can switch to Atoma (*pronounced Ah-toe-ma*) if that is what you wish." He gave her a warm smile while handing her the pass, which she put around her neck. 

"It is really up to you. I don't mind either name and will respond to both Aiko and Atoma. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me today Principal Nezu. The only reason I am hesitant to say yes is because of the housing situation. After today's tour, I will be able to give you my answer." The pair passes through the gates and begins walking towards the main buildings of the school. There are students, other staff members, and prospective student tour groups also walking the grounds so the walkways are busy. Aiko and Nezu move over to allow a big group to pass. 

"I understand and don't want to rush you into making a decision. If you do choose to come work with us, I don't want you to have any doubts or regrets. This school quickly became my home and while I want every student and staff member to feel the same, I also know that teaching isn't for everyone." Aiko was about to correct him and say that she quite enjoyed teaching- in fact, she had just finished working with a student intern at her hero agency a few months ago- but they arrived at the teacher's apartment building before she could say anything. 

"We will be going up to the top floor. There are only four floors but there isn't an elevator. The top floor has higher ceilings and bigger windows though so it could make the stairs worth it to you. Though, with a quirk like yours, I don't think moving your things would be an issue." Nezu and Aiko began walking up the front steps to the lobby, which included mailboxes for each apartment and a small seating area. Aiko's quirk is atom manipulation, hence the name Atoma. She can rearrange atoms to create new objects, change objects into other things, disintegrate objects, basically anything that had to do with atoms and matter in general. That quirk on its own is extremely powerful and gave her the upper hand in every fight, making her a very effective pro hero. However, there were aspects of her quirk that she promised herself that she would never tell anyone about. Aiko's quirk was very attached to her emotions, a drawback that not many pro heroes had to deal with. She had to constantly be aware of the atoms around her and try to avoid situations that made her feel strong emotions unless she wanted to start changing and warping everything around her. Damaging property wasn't the issue- she could easily fix it- it was living beings that she was worried about. Another thing that could happen when she wasn't in complete control was something she liked to call "brain dumping". If someone touched her when she wasn't in complete control of the atoms around her, they could briefly see what she was thinking as if they were watching it on a screen. Aiko had learned about this aspect of her quirk by making a man on the street think of warm bread and by making her mother see her middle school crush. Because of her quirk, Aiko craved to be in control at all times. One plus about her quirk though was being able to manipulate the atoms surrounding a person to reveal how that person was feeling, kind of like how spiritual people can see auras. This was how she knew Nezu was nervous. 

"Yes, moving has never really been an issue for me. I just make everything in my house something small and pack them into a bag. The only things I really have to carry are my cat and his carrier." She smiled at Principal Nezu as they climbed the stairs together, the stairwell plenty big enough for them to walk side by side. 

"How delightful! That would be a wonderful resource for the school as well if you were to work here, you know. Recovery Girl is always having to cart medical supplies everywhere as the students find new and exciting ways to injure themselves." Aiko hadn't even begun to think about the pro heroes that she would be working with if she accepted. Her only thoughts had been on Oberon and his windows. Fucking cat. If she worked here, she would finally be able to meet All Might. Aiko's cheeks reddened at the thought. 

"My quirk really does come in handy. I am thankful for it." The pair had arrived at the fourth floor and Nezu sighed, slightly out of breath from the exercise. He opened the door that would bring them into the hallway for the apartments on the right side of the building. He pulled out a key for the third door on the left, marked as apartment number 31. He inserted the key, turned it, and pushed the door open so Aiko could see. The apartment was spacious and Nezu really wasn't lying about the high ceilings. The first part of the room had a small kitchen that included a refrigerator, a deep sink, an oven with a stovetop, and a kitchen island. Aiko could already see herself cooking there. Past the kitchen was the area where the designers clearly imagined the bedroom being, even though there wasn't a wall separating the kitchen, living, or bedroom quarters. She could already see how she would decorate this place. A small couch and maybe a chair in the living room, a fancy painted room partition to give the bedroom some privacy even though she would be the only one living here. She even had plans for the high ceilings and large windows: shelves for Oberon to climb up the right wall and suction hammocks on the windows for him to sunbathe on. She hated that Oberon had made her fall so in love with him because she was thinking of his living situation more than her own. Fucking cat. The left wall comprised of the kitchen, a small walk-in closet, and the bathroom. The apartment was essentially a rectangle that equaled less square footage than her current place but the ceilings and windows made it feel very large. Aiko kept her comments to herself until she saw the bathroom, which included a nice-sized sink, a toilet, and a tub that had a rainfall showerhead and a handheld nozzle. This bathroom was way nicer than her current apartment's bathroom and seeing this made up her mind. She could give up the extra space and separate bedroom for the nice bathroom and kitchen. 

"Principal Nezu, I appreciate you allowing me to see this apartment. I accept your offer." Nezu was standing in front of the door with his hands clasped politely in front of him while Aiko inspected the room. He smiled brightly upon her answer, giving a sigh of relief, and informed her that they would go to his office to fill out the necessary paperwork after he turned off all the lights in the apartment. Aiko stepped into the hallway to wait for him, just in time to run into a figure that was passing apartment 31. She was knocked back by the force and was about to apologize when she met the eyes of Shota Aizawa, also known as Eraserhead. His quirk allowed him to erase the quirk of anyone he looked at, as long as his eyes were on them. Aiko had only seen him from afar during public emergencies and she had never actually met him. She smiled at him, about to introduce herself when he interrupted.

"Move." He glared down at her with tired eyes. This took Aiko by surprise. There was plenty of room in the hallway for two people to pass each other, hell there was enough room for five people to walk side by side. She wasn't preventing him from walking at all. He wanted her to back down, to move aside like some meek little mouse. Fuck that. She glared up at him, not so angry as to lose control but angry enough to regain it in this interaction. 

"No, you move. There is plenty of room for you and your ego to pass." Aizawa looked down at her, a small look of surprise crossing his face before he quickly replaced it with a smirk. Aiko wanted to smack that smug little smile right off his face but their stare down was interrupted by Principal Nezu coming back out of the apartment. She turned to see Nezu lock the door but when she looked back to the place where Eraserhead was standing, he was gone.  

"Alright, now that that is done, let's head to my office shall we?" The principal turned to Aiko and smiled, completely unaware of what had just happened in the hallway.