My Hero Academia: Aspirations

Chapter 50

Aspirations
Chapter 50

"I think it's sweet," Mina said excitedly as she sat on the armchair of one of the couches.

"It seems strange that he bought her clothes. Rabbit."

"I'm with Tsu on this one guys," Ochako admitted. "Clothes don't seem like a very personal gift..."

"Oh contraire!" Aoyama piped in from his spot in the girl group; he was one of the only guys any of them had met that fit into this conversation. "Clothes are the perfect intimate gift! He could have given her an outfit for an upcoming date! Or perhaps something he saw her admiring as they walked around during their last one! Plus it implies that he knows her well enough to buy the right size."

Ochako's surprised expression colored as she considered what Aoyama was saying. It felt weird to talk about you and Professor Aizawa; almost like they were talking behind your guys' back. But after Higakure had overheard you and President Mic talking about a present of clothes and then how you'd gotten more in a box later that day, it had been hard to resist trying to figure out what that meant. Plus the idea that you were involved with their teacher made it seem like an exciting bit of gossip.

"Especially since he had it put in a box so no one else could see," Higakure's tone sent scandalous whispers through the group.

Ochako was too innocent to pick up the suggestion. Her confusion continued as Mina leaned forward and squealed.

"Oh my gosh, guys, no way!"

"No way what?!" The innocent brunette grappled for more clues.

"What if they were panties?! And that's why they were in a box like that!"

And now Ochako was sure she'd never get the blush off her face. Even the normally cool and rational Tsu had her face tinged in embarrassment. Aoyama was hiding his face behind one of his hands.

As though summoned by the idea, Mineta slid into the picture. "Did I hear that right? You girls are talking about underwear?!"

"No!" Ochako tried to deny it but her face was more colorful than the Santa jackets they'd worn not too long ago.

And that's how something so innocent could get warped and spread like wildfire.

________________________________________

"Seriously?!" You demanded from Aizawa as you stood in front of him.

Aizawa looked at the item in your hands, the one you'd been determined to shove in his face. After hearing from President Mic over what you'd told him, and the confrontation you'd had with him in this very spot, Aizawa had changed it up a bit. Instead of getting you more clothes for the next few months, he got you something else useful. In this case it was a pregnancy pillow that had nothing but good reviews.

"Sleep is important."

"Stop buying me pregnancy things. I'm not pregnant," you seethed as you shoved the pillow back at him.

Now he was at a loss. He felt like one of his students stumbling through the dark as he breathed out: "What?"

"You were right okay?" You practically hissed out at him through clenched teeth. "Hearing that there were a couple quirk stealing villains out there...everything seemed to be adding up to a need to help with a backup plan, to pass on my quirk on to someone who could be a better person than me. And like, the idea of doing that without knowing who the father was seemed okay. Until I was told who it was, started to get to know them, and then was told they lied to me about that...it—it was wrong. All wrong. And he was the one to bring me to the island to begin with—-I just...couldn't—"

It was amazing how many emotions started to spill out of your mouth when you'd finally opened it. The sentiment you didn't want to explain, but found yourself unable to stop from expressing, came out jumbled and half formed. You wanted to shove them all back inside but at the same time it felt nice to let some of the poison leak out.

Aizawa pulling you in for a hug didn't help. Part of you wanted to punch him in the face. The other part of you wanted to bury yourself in his stupidly comfortable clothes so you didn't have to look him in the eyes again.

This was the same man who had treated you like a child. It was also the same guy that had tried to keep the truth of the world from you. The one that had put you in a safe area where the chance of you being alone if one of the serious villains came knocking was slim to none. The same man who had tried to dissuade you from having a kid for the Commission. The organization that, as it turned out, wasn't above trying to cover up uncomfortable truths with pretty (shitty) lies.

You hated that he was right.

You hated that he treated you like a kid who couldn't handle the truth.

But damn it, you couldn't bring yourself to push him away as he held you together.

"I hate that you were right..." you mumbled into his shirt.

Aizawa made a sound of acknowledgment. Such a sound only made you want to strangle him some more. But the surprise sob that you choked back made it so that you didn't want to move back far enough to do that.

"Stop buying me stupid pregnancy gifts," you muttered at an attempt to sound properly angry.

"Okay."

"Okay," you echoed his short sentiment.

As you built back up the very permeable wall that you used to keep your emotions on the inside, you stayed clinging to Aizawa. At some point he'd taken a couple steps back. It had been just enough to close his door to give you privacy from any onlookers that happened to stumble onto the same floor. Though he didn't think they'd make a big deal out of it, he had a feeling you would be happier to not have people see you in such a crumbling state. Besides he preferred not to be standing in his open doorway.

As you let your hands fall from clenching his shirt, Aizawa could feel the awkward tension. He cleared his throat and said the first thing that came to mind.

"I'll get you some water."

You shook your head and mumbled some small grateful platitude before taking a few steps back so that you could turn around. Aizawa clenched his hands to stop from reaching out and pulling you right back into him.

He called out as you opened the door, "You should talk to Recovery Girl."

"I will. Not right now. But I will."

You doubted it would be soon. While you were angry at Aizawa for trying to shelter you from everything and for not trusting you, the situation with your great aunt was far more complicated. You weren't ready for that particular emotional rollercoaster. As you started out the door, you bent down to pick up the small pregnancy pillow that had been dropped earlier. It really was just an over glorified body pillow.