Affinity

Chapter 31 - Reconnecting

Sakura Komatsu didn't know how long she stood staring blankly at the hospital vending machine, mind totally blank. She'd forgotten within moments what she'd stood up to find, choosing instead to let her mind wander into nothingness.

Right, coffee.

"You know, generally these machines work best if you put money in and press the buttons," a deadpan voice intoned, all too close to her.

She jumped, shocked out of her stupor as a strong hand moved into her peripherals, resting comfortingly on her shoulder. The haggard face of Shota Aizawa looked at her with an intense gaze that belied his concern for her well-being.

"Sorry for jumping like that, Shota, I just spaced out a little," Sakura breathed out shakily, before reaching into her purse to fish out a bill, only to see Shota had already slipped a crisp bill into the machine and punched the button for coffee. "Thanks, you really didn't have to."

Aizawa merely shrugged after handing her the drink, "Second time within her first year at UA that she's in hospital, I feel responsible as her teacher that this trend is forming, Sakura."

Sakura felt a tingle at hearing the rich baritone of his voice say her first name. Despite knowing him for years, his voice had never lost that effect on her. Be it 16, 21, or even now, Eraserhead had always left her feeling lightheaded and giddy.

"My, my, how informal of you, Eraser Head," Sakura teased as she took a swig of the coffee, before breathing out a delighted sigh as the much needed caffeine hit her system. She turned her gaze to him, taking in his appearance. His ever present eyebags looked darker than usual, the fluorescent hospital lights illuminating his permanent exhaustion. His hair was pulled back from his face, and he wore a suit. It hugged his shoulders and trim waist, though Sakura didn't miss the uncomfortable way he held himself in the hall. She knew him well enough to know that he did not care for the formal attire demanded of him in situations like this, knew he preferred the loose fitting jumpsuit he wore for work.

He's never been one for pomp and attention, she thought to herself, thinking back to their time in UA.

"While I get where you're coming from feeling that responsibility, your quirk doesn't allow you to be in 21 different places at the same time. Last time I checked, that was Ectoplasm's quirk. Either way, this is the path she's chosen and I told her I would support her in it..."

She hesitated, nervously tucking some hair behind her ear before she continued. She knew he would be honest with her if she asked the question that had been on her mind since the... incident, because he'd never once lied to her in the past.

"Shota, should I be concerned about the pattern that's forming?" she asked, struggling to make eye contact.

Aizawa sighed in defeat as the question left her lips, though she didn't miss the way the corner of his mouth quirked slightly upwards. Again, that little tilt of his lips sent a flutter through her stomach and veins, just as it had when she was a teenager.

"There's no sense in lying to you, I suppose, seeing as how your Polygraph quirk would let you know right away. On top of that, it'd be useless trying to erase your quirk, you could still tell when I'm lying," he groused, a hint of humor tinting his exhausted voice.

"You've never lied to me, Shota." Sakura pointed out.

"Never wanted to," Aizawa riposted, and they both smiled at that.

Sakura's quirk, Polygraph, allowed her to detect someone's lies, on the condition that she established a baseline with them by finding out simple, true facts. She had never had the heart to tell Shota that her quirk didn't work on him. What she had once dismissed as being a school girl crush on her upperclassman and brother's friend, she'd come to realize was not to be so easily shaken. After all, the telltale flutter of her heart when her quirk detected a lie was somewhat compromised by her heart's rogue fluctuations when she was in the presence of the man.