Need You (ShinDeku)

Ch. 79 - Conquer

A/N: does anybody else sometimes get bored with where they're at in writing their storyline so they write a random scene for the future that's much more fun to write? Well I do, so part of the next chapter is a scene I wrote probably more than 6 months ago.
Have fun reading!

Midoriya POV

     Before we leave our room Hitoshi brews one more cup of coffee into the tumbler he brought out earlier, and while it pours he turns to me. He looks a little more awake than before, but somehow a bit withdrawn.

     "Can I get that for you?" He points to the tie I've neglected to tie hanging around my neck.

     "Oh, uh, yes please?" I had maybe sort of done that of purpose, you know, left it untied so that he would help me, but I didn't realize it would actually work.

     I probably should have watched how he tied it, so that I could maybe do it properly myself for once, but I couldn't help but look at his face so close to me as he stepped closer, focused intently on my tie.

     I felt as he pulled it tighter to rest comfortably around my neck, and straightened it out meticulously. Still, I was watching his face, his unusually troubled lilac eyes.

     They rose up to meet mine, hands finished with their work. Still he did not step away, did not make any move but to search my own face. I thought of what might have almost been a kiss last night, and couldn't help but glance down at his lips. When I looked back up to his eyes he was looking down towards my own lips. He didn't linger long though, and soon our eyes were locked again. He gave me a small half smile, something that looked distinctly like a bad attempt to cover up a look of resignation. It was like an I'm giving up, but that's okay. Don't worry about me.

     Unfortunately for him, it had the exact opposite effect on me. I was very worried as he turned and stepped away to retrieve his coffee. "Ready to go?" He asked, slinging his bag over one shoulder and stepping into his shoes. "The others will be waiting on us."

     "Oh, uhm, yeah." I rushed to grab my stuff. "Thanks. For my tie." What had that look been? Why had he switched so quickly from covering up a laugh this morning to looking like that?

     "No problem. Let's go?" He was covering it up. The look was almost gone now, his voice never changing from its usual tone. He was hiding it, guarding it, whatever it was. I would watch him more closely today.

     We met with our friends downstairs and headed to homeroom. I walked myself this time, with the walking stick Hizashi gave me. Nobody else seemed to notice Hitoshi's slight change in behavior. Maybe I was the only one who had been around him enough to notice.

     I thought hard about why he would act differently. Maybe he was embarrassed about how he helped me stretch last night? It did feel a little intimate, even for friends. But that's because we didn't have a lot of space, and he did what a personal trainer would have done anyways. Right?

     But he seemed a bit hesitant even then. The extra caution and questions came to mind. The apologies, the extra is it okay's, the deliberately slow movements. Was it all connected? I chewed my lip.

     When we reached the main building I put my worries to the back of my head. It was no use getting too worked up about it, and it would do no good if Hitoshi got concerned over my own odd behavior. I will just keep an eye out for him.

     When we got to our floor we ran into Shota in the hallway. I perked up, remembering something else I wanted to do this morning. "Oh! Sh—uuhhh, Aizawa sensei!"

     "Hey, kid." He looked at me questioningly.

     "Can I, uhm, can I ask you a question? Privately?" I wasn't planning to speak to him in private and I'm not sure exactly what made me change my mind, but it was too late to take it back now. Maybe this conversation would be best to have in private.