All Tangled Up

Chapter 7

Contains mature content.

Aiko was released from the hospital after another two nights of horrible sleep plagued by nightmares. Recovery Girl healed her again after Aiko was able to eat a few sizable meals and gain enough energy to reverse her head injury. She still felt a little shaky but she didn't tell the nurse, fearing that she would make her stay another night. It was now late in the afternoon and the sun was already beginning to set. An entire week without teaching, Aiko thought sadly. It was now Monday again and the students only got to meet her once. She was determined to make it up to them in some way; show them that she was committed to being a good teacher. Nezu informed her that he didn't tell the students what happened- he made up a martial arts conference that she was supposedly attending. He also told her to take as much time as she needed to heal, only returning to the classroom when she felt ready. Aiko debated going back the next day, too much time had already passed and she doubted that the students would believe Nezu's lie. Especially Midoriya; he was always thinking. He might have already connected the dots, after all, Aiko stopped coming to class the day after a pro hero from a major agency got arrested. Aiko sighed, tired from the exercise of walking up the stairs to get to her apartment. Recovery Girl's gift was incredible, but it took a toll and Aiko was just ready to be home. She missed her bed and she missed Oberon. Recovery Girl was kind enough to feed him while Aiko was out and she appreciated it. Aiko opened her door, calling to him and expecting him to run up and greet her like he always did, but he was nowhere to be found. She continued to call him as she walked through the space but it seemed like he was out of the house. Fucking cat. He must be on the roof. Normally, Aiko wouldn't go searching for him. He was a smart cat who knew not to roam too far. However, Aiko had just gotten back from the hospital and she wanted to be comforted by her furry companion. Closing the door behind her with a sigh, Aiko set out to find her cat and tell him how annoyed she was that he wasn't home to welcome her. Pushing open the roof access door with a huff, Aiko scanned the space, her eyes falling on a hunched figure sitting on one of the benches. She was immediately on guard, not knowing who it was, and stopped walking as the figure turned. Aiko was shocked to find that it was Eraserhead with Oberon laying in his lap. That fucking cat. He was a traitor, letting the pro hero that angered her so much pet him. Aizawa looked back down at the cat when he saw Atoma; he still felt so guilty and her earlier rejection stung him more than he wanted to admit. He knew he shouldn't be following her so much, but he told himself that he couldn't stand the idea of Aiko giving other people, especially other men, more attention than she gave him. That was part of it- Aizawa knew he had a jealous and possessive nature- but he also knew that he wanted to make sure she was safe. Aizawa had followed her the night she met Midnight and All Might in the cafeteria, the day she took the tour of the campus with Recovery Girl, and the night she went on patrol. He didn't regret following her that night, though, because he didn't want to imagine what Vlad King and his men would have done to Aiko if he hadn't been there. Aizawa rubbed his stomach, feeling the bruises that Vlad left when he punched him. He didn't mind taking the hits for her. Aiko sighed again, debating on what to do. She felt bad for telling him to leave that day and not letting him explain himself. Her temper can get the best of her sometimes but she would rather send him away and feel bad about it later than risk losing control. Aiko decided to put an end to this whole charade that they were going through and walked over to sit on the bench next to Aizawa. He didn't move or raise his eyes, unsure of what she was doing. 

"Thank you for saving me that night. Even though I don't agree with the way you got there, I don't want to think about what would have happened if you hadn't shown up." Aiko shifted uncomfortably on the bench, not liking the idea of appearing vulnerable. She also hated that the person who saved her had to be Eraserhead and she worried about how his coming to her rescue would impact his obsession with "claiming" her. She pet Oberon, who was looking at her expectantly from the man's lap. Aizawa finally looked up at her, completely forgetting to shield his facial expressions.