Serendipity

petrichor

Shouto's getting quicker. He's still behind Iida, and the pink girl and really, most of the class. There are a few kids behind him, slowing down more and more until he's done a lap around them.

He's as quick as Kaminari, and so the boy talks to him while they run the two miles for today's class. He keeps losing his breath and footing. The sun beats down on them overhead.

"Four more laps to go, Kaminari! Get going!"

Aizawa doesn't say anything about Shouto's place, he keeps telling Shouto that he doesn't have to be as good as the rest of the class, at first. That he's still recovering from malnutrition and to tell him if he feels exhausted, ever.

"Jeez," Kaminari wheezes, slowing down slightly. "Sensei's really serious about finishing the two-mile run early."

Shouto looks out at Aizawa, he's talking to another student.

"So, Todoroki," he breathes out, trying to catch his breath and failing. "I didn't know you lived with Sensei. Shinsou said you're in his old room."

Shouto nods, taking his calculated breaths and short strides. Kaminari continues, not leaving space for awkwardness or silence. "Are you like his nephew or something?"

Shouto shakes his head, making the round turn around the edge of the track. His shoes crunch against the dusty gravel, laces tapping the ground.

Aizawa calls out, "Midoriya, you're excused to the support classroom!" And a green-haired kid runs across the field.

"Are you adopted?" Shouto hardly knows what that is, he shakes his head. "Woah! Don't tell me you're his real kid!"

Shouto shakes his head, no, and Kaminari sighs. "Didn't think so, you two don't look that much alike. Except for your eye bags."

He goes on to tell Shouto about a joke 'Mina' told him, about calling eyebags and dark circles designer bags to confuse people. He doesn't understand the joke, he doesn't know who Mina is.

"Shouto!"

Kaminari and Shouto both look over to Aizawa, Kaminari curses in disbelief. "What's Hawks doing here? Damn, of course, I'm all sweaty when I get the chance to meet the number two hero!"

Aizawa waves his hand, gesturing for Shouto to cut across the grass in the middle of the track and meet him. Shouto leaves Kaminari behind, running as fast as he can.

Hawks waves to him, flashing a smirky smile. "Hey, Shouto! Long time, no see, huh?"

Hawks disappeared from the hospital all those days (months?) ago. He left Shouto alone.

"You're looking mighty healthy, compared to when I picked you up," he comments, Aizawa sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Get to the point, Hawks. Shouto still has his schooling to do."

"Oh come on, Eraser," Hawks teases, winking. "This is way more important than running the mile." He points his thumb behind him to the main school building. "We should go somewhere private for this."

Aizawa shares a look with him, nodding. "I take it this is important, then?"

Aizawa starts to lead them to the main building, Hawks brushes his concern off. "It's not a big deal, I just need to know a few things from Shouto." He side glances Shouto, "If that's okay."

"If it helps with investigations pertaining to him, I'm fine with it. But don't depend too much on Shouto's memory, he gets mixed up, sometimes."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Hawks says, he makes a move to sling his arm around Shouto, Shouto sidesteps him and Aizawa narrows his eyes at the number two hero.