G H O S T [Shota Aizawa x OC]

T H I R T E E N

"I guess that means the Phantomess will really disappear."

"Sumire, everything will be -" Shota began, only to be quickly silenced by the said girl.

"You know how once your quirk develops, it basically feels like an extension of your body; like another limb that's just there?" The man nodded. "It's not like that for me anymore. It feels like this tiny flickering match deep inside of me that I have to "tap into" to use it. It's still mine, but it's something I don't have access to at all times."

"We'll train, and we'll work until that flame fills you again." He tried to encourage.

"I don't think it works like that, Shota."

His expression was stern and serious as he stared into her sad and defeated charcoal irises. "We'll find a way."

"I appreciate your concern and willingness to help, but I don't think it's possible."

"Of course it's possible!"

"Shota..." She watched as he scratched the side of his face in intense thought. He stood and began to pace across her living room.

"We just have to find how to safely tap into that power and -"

"Shota, stop!" More tears fell down her cheeks. He seemed so worried about the loss of full ability to use her quirk and trying to find a way to fix it that he didn't realize that she was struggling to accept it in the first place. She didn't need false hopes, she needed compassion and understanding.

He froze when he saw her trying to wipe her tears that wouldn't stop coming. She rested her elbows on her knees, completely defeated by her circumstances.

"Ah, sorry." He mumbled, then rambled to himself under his breath, too quietly for her to make out his words. "I'm no good at this sort of thing." He sat down beside her, just as disappointed in himself as she was in the diminished strength of her quirk.

After a few silent moments she was able to calm her emotions. She was slightly embarrassed that she let herself fall apart in front of the rather stoic man, but she hadn't managed to scare him off yet, so she assumed that he at least wasn't too annoyed with her.

It only a took few minutes of quiet space and comforting sips of beer for Shota to succumb to his favorite past-time. His head slumped on the girl's shoulder, and his tired eyes were closed as he breathed gently. He seemed much more comfortable being so close to her when he was asleep.

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Shota woke up to the smell of vegetables cooking, and as soon as he reached consciousness, he realized he was listening to the sound of food sizzling in a pan. He was leaning on the arm of a couch where he had been napping for a couple hours, though he immediately recognized it to be Sumire's apartment and not his own.

And she was there, cooking a fresh meal and methodically moving through the kitchen, sauteing vegetables and pork in different pans, stirring rice in a rice-cooker pot, and dicing chives to season all in a rhythmic fashion. It was hard to believe that this was the same woman that was falling apart just hours ago.

"I should go eat, too." Shota stood and muttered to himself.

"Huh?" She looked behind her to see the man scratching his head and heading for the door. "Oh, I'm making some for you, too."

"Why?" He paused and leaned back, shoving his hands in his pockets.

She chuckled and turned back to the food she was cooking. "Because it's rude not to cook for every person in the room."