Colors in the Dark

[60] Visitor

A/N: Late lol. Alright, after that conflicted spiral Ayami was in the midst of, starting us off this chapter will be... a concerned Dadzawa? Oh boy, this will be something else, I can already tell...

Aizawa noticed one of his problem children- his protegee, actually- was acting a bit out of it, lost in her head more than usual, spacing out even during classes and training. He couldn't exactly blame her given that finding out her parents had been two prominent Pros must have thrown a wrench into her worldview, but even after a few days, she hadn't quite bounced back.

His concern grew further when the rest of the class reported that, after a particularly nasty sparring session against Bakugou to further develop their newest Moves, she had been completely possessed by one of the spirits- something he thought she had stopped from happening completely- yet instead of lashing out, it had reacted calmly and with civility. Given what Recovery Girl had asked him not long ago about potentially introducing Ayami to the idea of attending therapy sessions combined with her strange, distant behavior since returning from the office since then, he had a sneaking suspicion she was still deeply contemplating the issues.

It only made the infuriating sense of responsibility and care he felt grow further, something he was irritated by when he realized he cared about anyone ever. As a close few people who knew him well had noted, to his chagrin, he had a tendency to metaphorically adopt anyone with a sad backstory, which was now literal given he was now the legal guardian of thirteen stray cats and one (1) young girl. And caring for Eri had that soft, fatherly instinct in him growing at an alarming rate never before seen, which was beginning to influence how he viewed his other problem children, again most of all his two proteges.

The Joint Training tournament that was to occur, pitting the first year Classes A and B against each other, was rapidly approaching, the beginning of the next week actually, and he had been pushing both of them harder than ever. Shinsou's performance- after a surprise reveal where he'd be able to show off his improved skills since most of the others last ran into him during the Sports Festival- would dictate if he would be able to join the Hero Course starting the next school year, something Aizawa had yet to completely tell him. All he knew was his work would eventually give him a shot at the Hero Course, but so soon... yeah, he'd been procrastinating on that one. Not to mention Ayami and her honorary sister who'd be coming to UA temporarily would be joining them, and he'd have to alter his training plans to incorporate the Banshee-quirked girl in a way that would be beneficial for all of them.

Still, his thoughts drifted back to his red-haired student. She'd looked so happy seeing her family again at the festival, seeing Eri smile, and yet there was still a darkness within her she'd yet to let go of. Demons from her past she hadn't overcome, that she definitely needed to if she wanted to go Pro. Yet, even surrounded by her classmates and teachers, she still didn't quite have anyone sturdy to rely on, to keep her stable and help her deal with her most difficult dilemmas.

Seriously, he cared for and respected his problem children, but the friendship-turned-something that was blooming between her and his other protege was almost painful to watch given how the two were both secretly shy softies. And that nervousness was preventing them from sharing a number of meaningful conversations they would have to if they wanted to have a healthy relationship, friendship or otherwise. He didn't even realize how invested he was in their emotional wellbeing and how they interacted with others until Hizashi pointed out he was basically acting as a father for the both of him.

And, well, that stirred up a multitude of feelings he'd be denying until his inevitable early, stress-induced death. (Because God damn, Class 1-A had given him more near-heart attacks this year than all of his previous classes combined.)