𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐘 𝐂𝐀𝐓 | 𝐬. 𝐚𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐰𝐚

( VIII )

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AS IF ON CUE, a soft knock hit your door during lunch break.

You called out, "Come in."

You already knew he was coming from his ramblings last night, but you still feigned the slightest surprise when he let himself in.

"Aizawa. What can I do for you?" you spoke professionally purposely to be stubborn and ignored how your brain lit up at his familiar scent invading your senses.

"I wanted to apologize for the way I spoke to you the other night.. and explain myself. Only if you want to hear it, of course."

Your eyes avoided his dark ones like matching sides of magnets. His maturity made you feel like you got thrown into an ice-filled bath. Overwhelmingly refreshing in the way he showed decency and respect.

You weren't used to it.

"Sure," you motioned toward the cushioned seat in front of your desk. It looked small when he sat in it, being designed for high schoolers when Aizawa was a larger man, taller than average as well. He usually spread his legs when he sat but the chair didn't give him much room to do so, you noticed, almost feeling bad for how cramped he looked. You got up and closed the door.

As soon as you sat down you went to nervously knead your nails into your scratching post, the angle at which Aizawa couldn't see.

"First, I'm sorry for talking to you like that. You were right, I lost my composure and was overstepping my boundaries." You nodded your head in agreement.
"I knew you were already hurt and still you were pushing yourself past the limit. You didn't have the situation under control on your own, that's undeniable. I saw how eager you were to run back to the scene in spite of how high-risk the situation was. It's suicide to get too far into that mindset."

Your ears heated up at how easily he seemed to analyze you.

Precisely, you couldn't deny that mentality he was referring to. You knew it all too well. It was your greatest strength as a hero, but likely your greatest point of weakness as a mortal.

"I've lost too many people who've had the same look in your eyes. They think they're being brave when really they're being irrational. They go too far once and it's all over. Nothing I-" he corrected with a dry cough, "Nothing anybody could do to save them at that point."

"I'm sorry," was all you could think to say. His reaction to your reckless behavior made sense. Anybody would be the same way if they went through all the things he did. Saw all the things he had seen.

Condolences he didn't really care for so he continued. "I regret that my intended message came across so harshly that night, I just don't want to see the same thing happen to you," he finished and waited for your reception to his words.