#a little later than id intended sorry abt that lol

[burntpastel]

for the best

(on AO3)

Summary: Aizawa is distracted by thoughts of Midoriya during work, and decides he needs to make his fantasies a reality so he can focus again.

Or, Midoriya interns with Aizawa.

Notes: anon requested "Aizawa actually having feelings for Izuku but rather then try and get Izuku to have feelings back he just forces the relationship onto him."

i feel like i didn't focus on the part that was actually requested much but to be fair i dont actually take writing requests. this prompt was just. relevant to my interests. hope it's satisfactory!!

tw general creepiness. obsession, yandere-ish behavior, forced relationships, age difference

He thought it was simple pride at first, the way his eyes linger on Midoriya during class and his heart swells at the sight of him. He had started so far behind, but time and time again he’s smashed through Aizawa’s expectations, as is expected of a U.A. student. He finds himself paying particularly close attention to his writing while grading his schoolwork, noticing the rushed handwriting of his as his hand tries to keep up with his mind, the words he chooses and how he phrases things, though stilted due to the academic nature of it. He wonders how he writes when not bound by so many rules, how different it is from his school work.

He recalls the notebook Midoriya carries with him, the one he sees him scribble in frantically while observing his classmates or consults when observing a pro hero.

Aizawa realizes how much time he’s wasting while grading his work, and makes sure to grade it with an equal amount of attention as the rest. He’ll set it aside and observe it later. Except… why would he? He doesn’t need to study his writing so thoroughly, there’s nothing to gain from it. He puts it under the rest of the papers he’s graded.

He still picks it out later to continue staring at it. It becomes a habit of his to set aside some time to look over (admire) Midoriya's schoolwork and wonder about his notebook. He thinks about the notebook in class, especially while watching Midoriya write tests, the way his hand moves over the paper and his brows furrow slightly in concentration. He’s even occasionally dreamed about it while napping, and at that point he decides the whole thing is ridiculous, but he doesn’t know how to shake the thought, however illogical it may be. Eventually he decides he just needs to get his hands on the damn notebook and satiate his curiosity.

He could probably just ask for it, he’s seen Midoriya present pages to his friends before, even their own. He doesn’t seem shy about it at all, but Aizawa feels funny straight up asking him for it. What if he asks why? What could he say? That he’s obsessed with the kid’s handwriting, his mind? Is it even appropriate for a teacher to ask for a students personal belongings just because? He could try to find a reason to confiscate it from him, but the thought of pretending he’s in trouble just because he wants to read it leaves a bad taste it his mouth.

Luckily, he doesn’t have to do anything. He finds himself in the perfect position to take it from his backpack while Midoriya and the rest of the class are preoccupied and tucks it away. He manages to get through the rest of class patiently. Of course he does, because he’s an adult who can wait a little bit to do something he wants to. He forces himself to walk calmly to his office for all of thirty seconds before practically sprinting the rest of the way, only slowing while in the presence of others. He justifies it by telling himself that the sooner he reads it the sooner he can resume focusing on things that matter.

He opens it and begins reading through before he’s even settled into his chair. It’s a massive relief, he finds himself immediately absorbed into it. Midoriya’s writing here is even more frantic than his schoolwork. Aizawa likes knowing what words he chooses himself, which heroes he particularly admires. A smile tugs at Aizawa’s lips as he reads the little comments Midoriya has made, “So cool!!!” “Really impressive!” “Is that even possible?!” As always, Aizawa’s impressed by Midoriya’s analytical nature. He wonders about the drawings, if it’s just for the notebooks or if it’s a hobby of his, if he has a sketchbook somewhere. He’s definitely practiced a bit. He has noticed some tiny doodles on his schoolwork before.

He ignores the way his heart skips a beat when he finds his own page. He knew he had one, Midoriya has commented on Eraserhead’s fighting style before. He examines this page particularly closely, he can see the difference between the handwriting of the notes that were made before and after they met, things that were crossed out and updated with new information. He saves a picture of the page to his phone. As he flips to the next page, he finds the experience has soured, the fanboyish comments now grating on his nerves. He feels disinterested, he doesn’t want to see Midoriya gush about anyone else.

Not because he’s jealous, of course. He’s just tired of reading now, having flipped through plenty of pages already, it’s not surprising. He closes the notebook with an odd mixture of pride and frustration. He later returns the notebook to Midoriya, claiming that it had fallen out of his backpack. He feels… odd, interacting with him now. He wants to strike up a conversation, but there’s nothing to say.

He doesn’t stop getting distracted through class, mind filled with thoughts and questions about Midoriya. If anything, reading the notebook seems to have made it worse, he's antsy, wanting anything more related to him. Needing it. He wants to reach out and touch him, more than the rest of his students. He wants to ruffle his hair and pat his back and shoulders, wants to wrap his arms around him and hold him against his chest, rubbing his back as Midoriya breathes against his neck and his hands wander over his sides-- Fuck. He stops that daydream right there.

He thinks about Midoriya during his patrol, wondering what he does in the evenings, how he sleeps at night, if he’s the kind of person who cuddles in their sleep. Aizawa thinks he wouldn’t mind waking up to someone (Midoriya) curled up against his side. The thought leads him to imagine Midoriya in his bed, in his house... He wonders if Midoriya likes cats. As he struggles with villains, he thinks about how this will be Midoriya’s job one day. He dodges an attack and wonders if Midoriya would have been able to do the same, if he would have been so lucky. He trusts himself to properly prepare his students for this, but he can’t help but have paranoid thoughts, especially with internships coming up. Will the heroes his students go with be able to protect them? Will they disregard their lives, fall into habit and forget about them? Overestimate them, or underestimate their enemies?

He trusts that he can prepare them and wants to make sure they’re safe, it wouldn’t hurt to do some extra training with each of them, one on one, starting with Midoriya. It’s fine, he just wants to keep him safe, and it’s Midoriya’s choice as he adds his name to his offers. Surely Midoriya will pick him, it’s only logical to accept extra training from your teacher. He’ll make the right choice. He knows he will, but it wouldn’t hurt to strike some of the bigger names from the list. He is a child after all, he may get sidetracked by a flashy name and disregard more logical choices.

As he predicted, Midoriya chooses to do his internship with him. Aizawa sees the rest of his class off, and after saying goodbye to his friends Midoriya returns to his side with that bright look on his face.

“Ready?” Aizawa asks.

“Yes sir!” Midoriya chirps, and begins following him to the parking lot. “I was surprised when I saw your name on my list of offers.”

Aizawa hums. “You’re always getting into trouble, so I figured you could use the extra training.”

Midoriya ducks his head and laughs halfheartedly.

“Oh.” Aizawa stops and faces him. “You aren’t allergic to cats, are you?”

Midoriya’s face lights up and he shakes his head.

“No. Do you have cats, sensei?” he asks. Aizawa nods.

“A couple.”

Midoriya practically bounces in his seat during the drive to his house. Aizawa was already looking forward to getting to spend the time with him and share a space for a week, but Midoriya radiating glee is making Aizawa almost jittery with excitement.

“Oh! It’s not as empty as I was expecting…” Midoriya comments as he enters his home and looks around. His eyes are quickly drawn to the jingling black mass that rushes to greet them. Midoriya gasps and bends down to pet the cat, dropping his bags. Aizawa plops onto the couch as Midoriya familiarizes himself with all three of his cats, occasionally calling over his shoulder to ask about their names. Aizawa smiles to himself, enjoying the feeling of having Midoriya so close and spending time in his house. He imagines what it would be like if it was like this everyday, coming home from school along with Midoriya to their shared home. He quickly realizes how wrong that is and pretends to himself that he was just imagining the upcoming week.

Eventually, Midoriya stands, snapping him out of his thoughts, and asks, “So, what are we doing first?”

Right, the internship. He really wanted to sit here in and enjoy his company today, but he can’t think of a good excuse. It’s not even noon, so he can’t suggest getting something to eat, and he doubts Midoriya feels like napping until his patrol starts.

“Well, my patrol doesn’t start until tonight…” He rubs the back of his neck. “If you’re ready, we can train until lunch.”

Midoriya takes a determined stance and nods. Aizawa pushes himself off the couch and Midoriya tenses, lowering his stance. Aizawa blinks at him.

“...Not here,” he says, then motions towards the bathroom. “Go put on your gym uniform and meet me outside.”

He steps out the backdoor while Midoriya digs through his bag. He reaches for his goggles and puts them on, and when Midoriya steps out into the yard he tugs on his capture weapon, activating it.

“Huh? Out here?” Midoriya glances at the nearby houses.

“Yeah,” Aizawa responds. “I know some heroes don’t care about this, but learning to fight while minimizing property damage is important.”

He lowers his stance.

“Ready?”

Midoriya follows suit, determination glinting in his eyes.

“Yeah!”

 Aizawa lets the remainder of his capture weapon unwrap from around his neck to wind around Midoriya’s legs, demolishing any hopes he had of getting in a final blow as he crashes to the ground, the entirety of his cloth tying him up nicely. Aizawa removes his goggles and approaches Midoriya’s writhing form on the ground to help release him. He doesn’t have to use his bindings this way, if he’d left some of it around his shoulders he could have made it drop from Midoriya’s body with no effort, but this way he gets to touch him. He sinks his fingers under the fabric encasing Midoriya, his knuckles pressing firmly against the boy before he tugs and unwraps it. Aizawa wishes Midoriya was wearing fewer clothes, the only place he gets to feel his skin is his arms. He tried to bind them particularly tightly each time he caught him, just so he could justify touching him there so long, subtly dragging his fingers across his skin while pretending to search for the edge of the next loosest wrapping. Maybe he can convince him to spar in his t-shirt and shorts next time. Aizawa grabs the cloth wrapped around his chest and pulls his hand back along with the bindings quickly, finally freeing Midoriya’s arms. He runs his fingers up Midoriya’s thigh as he reaches under the fabric there, and much to Aizawa’s disappointment Midoriya starts unwrapping his other leg by himself. He'll remember to untie his arms last next time. He offers Midoriya his hand and helps him to his feet.

“Alright, we’ve been at this awhile, should be about lunchtime now. You feeling hungry yet?” he asks. His fingers feel like they're tingling, he tries to keep his hands from twitching as he recalls how Midoriya's skin felt underneath them. Midoriya nods and hums affirmatively.

“I don’t have much here, so we should probably head out and grab something to eat before getting some groceries for the week.”

“Okay, but can I take a shower first?” Midoriya tugs his damp shirt away from his skin. “I don’t want to go eat like this.”

“Sure.”

As they walk inside Aizawa points to one door near the living room.

“There’s a bathroom over there, but as you probably noticed it doesn’t have a shower.” He gestures to his bedroom. “The only shower is in the one in my room.”

“Oh, okay.” Midoriya looks around, apparently only just noticing the lack of other rooms. “Am I sleeping on the couch then?”

Aizawa pauses. That’s what he’d imagined, but…

“No, the couch would be bad for your back. You need to be in good shape if we’re going to be patrolling,” he says. “You can sleep on my bed.”

Midoriya looks surprised and asks, “What about you?”

“It’s big enough for both of us.”

Midoriya practically jumps out of his skin, discomfort spreading across his features. It honestly stings a bit.

“Wh-what? You want to share it?”

Aizawa lets his irritation show.

“Yeah. What’s the matter?”

Midoriya blinks at him, then looks at the ground, searching for an explanation and finding none. He deflates.

“Ah-- nothing. Sorry, I was just surprised.”

Aizawa waves his hand at him, motioning him away.

“Go take your shower,” he says and settles at his desk to do paperwork in the meantime. As Midoriya disappears behind the bathroom door, Aizawa tries to keep his mind from wandering and imagining what he’s doing back there. He tries not to linger on the thought of Midoriya peeling damp clothes from his body and stepping under the refreshing water, or the thought of joining him. Instead, he just tries to enjoy the ambiance of the running shower, the sound of sharing his home with someone else.

After his shower they head to a nearby restaurant Aizawa frequently orders from but rarely visits.

“Get whatever you want,” he tells Midoriya. He offers to pay for his own meal but Aizawa refuses and pays for both himself. As they eat, Aizawa can’t help but ask Midoriya about himself, and Midoriya doesn’t seem to mind answering despite how personal some of his questions become. Midoriya asks him plenty of his own questions, and Aizawa opens up despite himself. They go to the grocery store after their meal and Aizawa lets Midoriya guide him around as he picks things off the shelves. Aizawa likes getting to know what he likes to eat, and though Midoriya starts off only going for small, quick things, Aizawa manages to convince him to shop for proper meals. He’s never been fond of cooking for himself, but the thought of cooking and sitting down to eat with Midoriya everyday… well, he certainly doesn’t mind it, if the way his heart flutters a bit is any indication. He feels warm and happy just thinking about it. He can bear cooking for a week, it’ll be a learning experience for both of them, it’ll be fun.

They spend a couple hours and hundred yen more than they expected at the store, but Aizawa still thinks it’ll be worth it. After hauling the groceries into the car, into the house, and into their respective places, Midoriya plops onto the couch with a sigh, conveying his fatigue.

“My patrol doesn’t start until this evening.” Aizawa gestures to the bedroom. “You should probably nap until then or you’ll be pretty miserable.”

“A-and you?” Midoriya asks, sitting up a little. Aizawa would like to nap as well, especially with Midoriya, but…

“I’ve got work to do. You have the bed to yourself,” he says. Midoriya relaxes at that and agrees.

Aizawa does paperwork while Midoriya naps on the bed behind him. Once he hears his breathing soften he occasionally turns to observe his sleeping form, but otherwise he’s finally able to focus on his work, there’s no need to wonder about him and what he’s doing when he’s right behind him. This was a good idea. The little guilty voice that’s been nagging him finally quiets down.

 He can’t make himself relax while they’re on patrol. He knows he should try to hang back just a little and let Midoriya do some work, especially since they’re dealing with such small time villains tonight, but he can’t stop himself from jumping ahead and finishing fights as quickly as possible. He can’t know what they’re jumping into, Midoriya’s life could be ended before he even knows it. It’s honestly kind of a nightmare. Eventually, whether he means to or not, Midoriya takes matters into his own hands, he jumps into a scuffle without so much as warning him and practically gives Aizawa a heart attack. It’s already over by the time he manages to catch up with Midoriya’s Quirk enhance leaps, and he realizes he shouldn’t underestimate him. He’s able to relax just a bit afterwards.

He keeps his scolding to a minimum.

 Midoriya sits on his bathroom counter as Aizawa patches him up. No major injuries, but there are plenty of cuts and bruises littered around his body. Midoriya’s exhausted, the nap he took not lasting him quite long enough. He leans into Aizawa’s palm that’s cupping his cheek while he attends to a cut on the other side. Aizawa breathes out a laugh, Midoriya had insisted he could do this by himself, but here he is, eyes slipping shut, shoulders slumped, ready to nod off in his hand just a few minutes later. Midoriya’s eyes blink open at the sound, looking up at him curiously, but he lets them fall shut again without asking. He winces as Aizawa presses the disinfectant to his cut and sucks in a breath. Aizawa strokes his thumb against his cheek soothingly as he reaches into the open kit beside him to grab a bandage. His hand slips from Midoriya’s face and he shifts to support his own weight as Aizawa presses the bandage to his cheek and smooths it over gently.

“Okay, all done,” he says, brushing away the hair falling into Midoriya’s face. Midoriya’s half lidded eyes move to Aizawa’s hands in sleepy consideration. The skin of his knuckles had split from the force of his punches and Midoriya had offered to wrap them up since Aizawa refused to let him tend to his own injuries.

“We have a whole week to practice bandaging,” Aizawa assures and nods towards the bed. “Go lay down.”

Midoriya slides himself off the counter.

“Thank you,” he mumbles. Aizawa watches him walk to the bed and climb under the covers carefully, mindful of his injuries, before tending to his own bloody knuckles. He mentally chides himself as he cleans and wraps them, he knows how to throw a punch without breaking the skin, but he was so focused on ending fights quickly that he used way more force than he needed to. He definitely isn’t setting a great example for Midoriya, he already has issues with impulsiveness and self control. Aizawa sighs. He’ll do better tomorrow.

He flicks the lights off and climbs into bed on the side opposite to Midoriya and stares at the back of his head while waiting for his breathing to soften, then inches a bit closer. He listens for any signs of stirring, and moves even closer, and closer, until he’s just a few inches behind the boy. His heart pounds in his chest. He doesn’t touch him yet, he moves his head forward until Midoriya’s curls tickle his nose and breathes in, filling his lungs with his scent, trying to commit it to memory. Without thinking he reaches out and brushes his fingers against Midoriya’s arm. He has no plan or explanation if he wakes up, but thankfully he doesn’t need one as Midoriya doesn’t react. He does it again, using a little more pressure, and when Midoriya still doesn’t wake he wraps his arm around him and presses his body up against his, burying his face into his mess of hair. He feels a deep satisfaction spread through him along with Midoriya’s body heat and falls asleep in bliss.

Midoriya literally leaps out of bed, and his arms, when he wakes up at noon, apologizing over and over again as though Aizawa wasn’t the one who crossed his side. Aizawa rolls onto his back and stretches.

“It’s fine kid, I don’t mind.”

He can’t remember the last time he slept so well. He wants to roll over and go back to sleep, but the cats come jingling into the room crying for food and he figures they might as well get the morning routine started. Aizawa throws the blanket off himself and sits up to face Midoriya, who’s staring at the ground with his hands clenched and face beet red. Aizawa rolls his eyes.

“What do you want for breakfast?”

Midoriya slowly relaxes while Aizawa cooks, busying himself by playing with the cats, and is mostly back to normal by the time he calls him to get his plate, he doesn’t seem to mind sitting on the couch and watching TV with him while they eat. Midoriya's presence next to him, being able to glance over and see him enjoying his food, food that he made for him, lightly chatting over the show their watching, it’s as warm and peaceful as Aizawa had imagined.

The following week goes by far too fast, but he feels incredible the whole time. He honestly thinks it’s the happiest he’s ever been, spending time with Midoriya and getting to know each other. The kid ends up having an easier time getting to know him than Hizashi or Nemuri ever have as well. Midoriya seems to feel good too, Aizawa will never forget the shock on his face when he actually genuinely laughed in front of him for the first time. He didn’t know he had it in him, but Aizawa quickly grows even fonder of Midoriya. However, it does come with the downside of making it really, really hard to keep his hands to himself, and Aizawa's starting to run out of reasons to.

Midoriya falls to the ground, tangled in Aizawa’s capture weapon once more. He maneuvers himself into a sitting position as Aizawa approaches to unwrap him, his face red from both exertion and embarrassment, contrasting the pale cloth wrapped around his head and over his mouth. As Aizawa pulls it away from his lips Midoriya huffs out an embarrassed laugh, looking away shyly. Looking at him in the dim evening light, Aizawa can’t help himself and leans forward to crash their lips together. Midoriya leans back, trying to break the kiss unsuccessfully, but the rational part of Aizawa complies with his wish and pulls away just slightly. Midoriya is staring at him wide eyed, and his desire wins over again, moving his hand to the back of Midoriya’s neck and pulling him into another kiss. He squeaks in protest, the sound tickling Aizawa’s lips as he saviors the heat and softness pressed against them. Midoriya tries to jerk away but Aizawa keeps him still, and when he tries to turn his head he moves both hands to his jaw to keep him in place until he’s satisfied.

He sighs as he pulls away, breathing over Midoriya’s face as he holds it in his palms. Midoriya looks horrified, and guilt and panic surge through him as he realizes what he’s done. Aizawa releases his face and grabs the capture weapon as he stands up, making it unravel all at once and return to his shoulders. He turns to walk back into the house.

“Go put on your costume, our patrol is about to start.”

Despite what happened, he hears Midoriya come inside and get ready a few minutes after Aizawa plants himself at his desk to drown himself in paperwork. He finds himself licking his lips over and over, and though worry pangs through his chest at what he’s already done, he regrets not daring to run his tongue over Midoriya’s lips directly.

Midoriya’s reactions are slow during patrol and Aizawa chides him for letting personal matters affect his work. He’s stiff and quiet during their lunch break and almost refused to eat just to avoid talking to him. Aizawa doesn’t know what to say, he knows he made the kid uncomfortable, and he certainly wouldn’t like being tied down and forced to kiss someone either, but all he can think about is how much he wants to do it again. He wants this all the time, Midoriya in his bed at night and in the morning, to eat with him, to hear him playing with his cats in the background while he works or naps, to have his lips against his any time he wants. He wants Midoriya so bad, and he can’t bring himself to apologize or say anything that might suggest he regrets it, so he says nothing.

When they get home Midoriya quietly ducks into the bathroom to change and patch himself up. Or maybe just hide, he stays in there much longer than Aizawa thinks he needs. He knocks on the door.

“Midoriya? Do you need help?”

“N-no.”

“Are you having trouble reaching that spot on your back?”

“...”

“Let me help.”

“...”

“Midoriya, you can’t leave it untreated.”

“...”

He starts to worry that he's going to hide in there all night, but just before it gets to the point of panic he hears the door unlock. Midoriya cracks it open.

“S-sorry... I was getting dressed,” he says, but the way he’s avoiding his gaze and practically hiding behind the door tells Aizawa otherwise. He pushes past Midoriya and has him turn his back. Lifting up the back of Midoriya’s shirt he finds a nasty scrape. It’s bloody, but not as bad as he had expected from the hit he took. He can tell how tense Midoriya is, he flinches and winces in the mirror as he cleans it but he never makes a sound, not even a hiss of pain escapes him. Aizawa finishes bandaging it and lowers his shirt, prompting Midoriya to quickly turn back around.

“Thank you,” he mutters, staring at the floor with fidgeting hands. He flinches a little as Aizawa reaches out to ruffle his hair.

“It’s what I’m here for.” Aizawa tries to smile in a reassuring way, but Midoriya doesn’t look up to see it.

“You tired yet?” Aizawa asks as they exit the bathroom and reenter the living room.

“Yeah…” Midoriya responds from behind him. “Can I sleep in here tonight?”

Aizawa turns to face him. “Why?”

“Just because…” he trails off, and squirms when he realizes Aizawa is waiting for a real explanation. He rubs his arms anxiously, shoulders up to his ears. He almost whispers, “...I’m not comfortable…?”

“You were fine with it before,” Aizawa states.

“Well--”

“Nothing’s changed,” he says. Midoriya eyes him curiously, clearly disagreeing.

“I always felt this way about you.”

Midoriya’s eyes drop back to the floor, and he flinches as Aizawa moves towards him to put a hand on his shoulder, nudging him towards the bedroom.

“Come on, this isn’t worth getting worked up over, it’s just one more night,” Aizawa reasons.

Midoriya silently follows him to the bed and climbs in, intending to lay close to the edge only to be pulled into Aizawa’s arms, where he lays stiffly and will for the rest of the night. Aizawa nuzzles him, burying his face into his hair as Midoriya turns his head away pointedly.

“...Isn’t this… kind of weird?” Midoriya asks quietly.

“What?”

“I mean… you’re a lot older than me, and you’re my teacher…”

“I don’t see why that makes it weird,” Aizawa responds. Midoriya doesn’t, so he continues, ���None of that means I can’t care about you or want you in my life.”

“So… you like me, sensei?” he asks, turning his head even further away from him, a blush spreading across his cheeks.

“Of course I do.”

“I mean… like, like-like me?” he clarifies. Aizawa snorts at the childish phrase, though a tiny voice in the back of his mind reminds him that it’s childish because he is a child.

“Yes, I like-like you very much.”

It’s silly, but his heart speeds up just a little as he confesses, he feels warmth spreading through his chest as he finally makes his feelings known. Midoriya is quiet for a bit, and Aizawa almost thinks that might be the end of their conversation.

“I…” Midoriya starts. “...I’m sorry, I don’t think I--”

Aizawa hushes him.

“But--”

“Shhh... Go to sleep, Midoriya. You’ll feel better tomorrow.”

Midoriya stays quiet after that.

 They eat breakfast at the table this time, since Midoriya didn’t seem interested in following him to the couch today.

“Did you sleep well last night?” Aizawa asks as he brings his mug of coffee to his lips.

“Not really,” Midoriya responds bluntly, pushing food around on his plate.

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Aizawa says. “I’ve been sleeping really well since you’ve been staying.”

Midoriya doesn’t respond. They eat in silence. Aizawa washes his own dishes when he’s done and hangs around the table until Midoriya finishes eating, sighing as he sets down his silverware.

“Sensei, I--”

“You know, it’s been a long time since I’ve been this happy,” he starts as he grabs Midoriya's dishes and turns to wash them in the sink, busying his hands. “Having you here… waking up next to you, eating with you, providing for you, planning and spending our days together… it’s really nice.”

He sets the dishes in the rack to dry and turns back to face Midoriya, who’s staring at him.

“I’m glad you wanted to do your internship with me,” he says and smiles softly, letting all the warmth he feels in his chest show on his face. Midoriya stops gaping at him and instead stares down at the table, guilt and discomfort tugging at his features.

“Anyway, sorry, I interrupted you. What were you saying?” Aizawa asks innocently. Midoriya ducks his head a bit, fists clenching where they rest on the table.

“I-- Nothing. I was just gonna say thank you for breakfast,” he mumbles. Aizawa walks to his side and slips his palm under his jaw, tilting his head up as he bends down to kiss his cheek.

“Of course,” he says and presses his forehead to Midoriya’s, enjoying the closeness momentarily, before pulling away. “Alright, you better start getting ready for school.”

Midoriya nods and slides out of his chair to do so, a faint blush visible on his cheeks even as he sulks.

 “Thank you for having me,” Midoriya says as he unbuckles his seat belt, Aizawa having driven him around to the student entrance.

“Come visit anytime,” Aizawa says, though he knows he never will unless Aizawa drags him there.

He gets through the day just fine, teaching as normal, not getting distracted by the sight of Midoriya, able to focus as he grades in his office. It’s when he gets home that his need for Midoriya hits him. It’s so, so empty and dark without Midoriya there to brighten it up, even his cats don’t help. He stares at his bed, and despite the fatigue weighing on his body he can’t imagine lying in it without him. He tries to distract himself from the ache in his chest by drowning himself in paperwork until his patrol.

He’s always preferred working alone, and he doesn’t miss the anxiety that came with patrolling with Midoriya, but now even that’s a lonely reminder to him. He finds himself constantly looking over his shoulder expecting to see Midoriya’s adorable face there, and then remembering that he’s not here.

He knows he can’t let things go back to normal. He can’t let Midoriya go.

After his patrol ends he enters the dormitories and makes his way up to Midoriya’s room. U.A. had trusted him with the keys to all the kids’ rooms, and he unlocks and enters his room silently. He quietly shuts and relocks the door behind him. Midoriya looks much more peaceful here than he did sleeping in Aizawa’s bed. That doesn’t stop him from lifting the covers and squeezing onto the too small bed behind him. Midoriya shouts as he’s woken, understandably startled by his intruder.

“Shh, it’s just me,” Aizawa assures.

“S-sensei--”

“Go back to sleep, Midoriya. It’s alright.”

 He’s finally, finally able to focus again, thoughts of Midoriya no longer flooding his mind during school or grading or patrol knowing that eventually, in those few hours after his patrol ends and before school begins, he’ll be able to hold Midoriya in his arms. He starts making more time for himself, too, to make time for Midoriya. Though most of that time is spent napping on his bed while he does homework, he does sometimes convince him to go out on little dates with him, or sometimes just pulls him into bed to cuddle while Midoriya trembles.

Even if it makes Midoriya uncomfortable, Aizawa's work is important and being able to focus on it is important. This is for the best.