willynilly | IC Contact

I would have forced you if necessary. [Up to and including knocking her out and placing her on that transport.]

...It wasn't only for your sake. I hadn't been lying when I told you that the survivors would need you more than myself. And it's my responsibility, as your teacher, to ensure your safety. Even if I suspected I would be revived like this, the risk wasn't acceptable for you. [he sighs in frustration, clenching his hands around the blankets.]

I'm not saying this out of a sense of heroism, or to imply that I was willing to sacrifice myself for your sake. I could've easily gone on that shuttle with you; I stayed behind because it's my duty. Not yours. Not yet.

[She listens quietly, resistant at first, but not saying anything. There's plenty she could argue with that. No matter what Aizawa says, in her mind her duties are different here versus their world. This isn't school, this isn't home. She has certain responsibilities now, whether they like it or not- to the people they meet, to the crew, to him and all those she cares about.

But... she's tired. She knows he's mostly right, and that he knows better, and that he's older and wiser than she'll ever be. She's just so tired of this misery.

Her voice is very quiet as she responds, her head bowed again.]

Can we not fight? I don't want to fight. I'm sorry. I'll take it back if you want me to.

['can we not fight' isn't something a student really says to their teacher, and that's more telling than anything else. not just that she isn't taking his words at face value anymore, but that the degree of familiarity in fighting as opposed to lecturing isn't what he'd anticipated.

...maybe he should've. maybe with all that face-cradling and first-name-calling he'd done, he'd crossed some kind of line from which it would be difficult to return. he'd made the first step and right now, it feels like it was a mistake.]

...don't take it back. Not if you meant it. [but fine. they don't have to 'fight.']

[That's probably as close to a "yes" as she can expect, so she nods quietly, fingers twisting together in her lap. Okay. Okay, re-focus. He's back, he's alive, so now...]

[...Now, she lifts her head, expression shifting to one of cheery enthusiasm, clapping her hands once and leaning in.]

Okay! Nevermind all of that. You look sick, do you have a fever? Do you need a drink, or something to eat? I can bring whatever you need!

You've already brought me water. [honestly he kind of just wants to sleep, but he wants to make sure uraraka is properly reassured before he lies back down.] ...I should eat something, though. Rice porridge, if you don't mind. [giving her a task might help. he can compose himself while she's gone.]

[honestly she's even more relieved to have a job. some responsibility will do her wonders, and helping him will help her- well, maybe not atone, if he's going to fuss about her feeling guilty. but it would sure make her feel better about everything.]

Rice porridge, I can do that! Just rest and have a drink until I bring it back, okay? And this water here is for your fever- you should put it on your forehead, it'll help you cool down.

[You know what she's just gonna go ahead and soak it for him. PREPARE TO BE NURSED]

[wh y] I can do that. [takes that cloth to wring it out, hands shaking with strain]

...Uh-huh, I'm sure you can. Lie down please?

[she'll be taking that back now, stop being so proud.]

[WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO DO THIS]

I don't need you to-

Yes, yes, I know, [is her only response as she rests the cloth against his forehead, using their close proximity to touch the pad of her thumb against his skin, activating her Quirk. Once he's weightless she tips him so his back is against the bed. Come on, legs down!

At least, that's the intent. He could always counter it with his own Quirk, but she's kinda hoping he's too tired for that.]

[mmmmmmmmrrrg. he could counter it, but that would be crossing a line. and besides that, he's damn tired and his eyes already hurt enough.]

...is this going to make you feel better? [he asks again, grumbling.]

Yes, sir.

[there's even a bit of pep added to her tone the more she responds. once he's lying back down she re-soaks the cloth and lays it fresh on his forehead, because wow, sensei, you're heating that shit up real quick.]

Okay, don't move- just try to rest while I get the cooking done. If you feel overheated, change the cloth and have a drink of water. I'll be right back!

[she's off before he can even think about protesting. sucks to be Aizawa, he just got himself a full-time nurse. gonna steal a sleeping bag for his door and everything.]

[.......shit. he really, really fucked up.

she's not supposed to be worrying about him, or looking after him or anything like that. even if it's just something he's allowing so she'll feel better, more useful, that's still not...

aizawa sighs, pulling the warming cloth off his forehead and dipping it in the bowl again to wring it out. back when he'd first arrived he'd told uraraka that despite the circumstances, nothing between them had changed, but that simply isn't true. it was a naive assumption to make, because back then he couldn't have comprehended being here so long, and getting so attached. not just to ochako, but to others in the fleet as well.

this isn't the same environment as a school. of course their relationship would reflect those differences.

when uraraka returns, she'll find him a little more compliant, though a lot less talkative as a result.]

[ochako fusses and frets her way through cooking the meal, burning it at least once trying to make it perfect. she's sure he won't care, but she does, and she's determined to make up for what happened even if he doesn't blame her. eventually she returns to the room carting a steaming bowl with her, tentatively poking her head in.]

Sensei, still awake? Sorry it took so long.

[he'd been dozing, actually, though he wakes with a sharp inhale as she pokes her head back in, glancing over at her blearily before rubbing his eyes and taking the definitely-warm towel off of his forehead.]

Don't worry about it. I'm going to be sleeping quite a bit for a while.

You do look pretty tired.

[no sense in beating around the bush about it, he looks like garbage. but better this than no longer here at all.

she offers out the bowl of food, plopping herself down in his desk chair.]

Well, don't worry about anything while you sleep! We'll make sure everything's okay.

[excuse you child, he always looks tired, and whose fault do u think that is

that's right, it's his]

And who's 'we?' [takes that bowl to start eating. slowly. he's not hungry but he's not gonna get out of this bed without some food in him.]

[look she wasn't gonna say anything

else]

Everybody else on the ship, of course. Besides you and, um. Mr. Max.

[she wilts a little at that; she hasn't seen him back yet, and she can't really celebrate everyone's return until everyone is actually safe and sound.]

...him too, hm? [aizawa feels like a jerk, but he's not exactly surprised. max comes off as the type of the person who wouldn't be anywhere else but the thick of things.] So everyone else is all right, then.

...N-no, sensei... a lot of people died.

[Her voice is thick, swallowing around a lump in her throat. Superheroes have been so effective at stopping crime her entire life that she's never seen a list of dead that long. It's been really horrifying, and it shows on her face.]

I saw. I meant just with our crew. [look, there's literally no way to sugarcoat this, and he wouldn't want to anyway. it's one thing to read about deaths and statistics in textbooks or on the news, and another thing entirely to see it with your very eyes.]

Mm.

[She merely nods her head, awkward and uncomfortable. Have they all come back now? Are they safe, can they go back to normal? Is there any going back after all of this?]

...Sensei... I don't want to believe that this is a real show anymore. I can't do it. I can't think about a whole universe of people... who would be this cruel.

Mmm. I think you're right. [at least, he agrees that it can't be your average reality show, but there's just not enough information to go on yet.]

[she swallows hard, taking a long, deep breath. and then, meekly:]

I want to go home.

[it's not like she's saying anything groundbreaking. he knows it, she knows it. she can fool herself into thinking this place is fun and exciting and so very interesting sometimes but she feels it in some way or another every single day: staring down at her phone, dialing familiar phone numbers she knows won't connect, decorating mochi and thinking of her parents, working on a new technique and thinking how much more fun it would be if Deku and Iida were around to help her develop it, trying strange alien foods and wishing Tsuyu was there to share it with her. Aizawa's not clueless, he knows how she feels.

it's just... she hasn't said it out loud for at least a year. sometimes she needs to hear the words out of her own mouth, because holding it in hurts too much.]

IC Contact | Drift Fleet

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