MHA One-Shots

Watery Warmth - Tsuyu Asui

Summary: Aizawa encounters Tsuyu in a convenience store a few weeks after the USJ attack. He helps her out. The clouds pour their hearts out.
AU: Normal
Notes: Wholesome interactions

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When late patrols at night ended, Aizawa was always left with the comfort of the night's breeze rushing through his hair, the burn in his limbs from the roof, the sting in his hands from his capture weapon, and it always left a smile on his face.

And it was like any other patrol. Little to no crime in the area. And so there he stood crouched quietly on a rooftop watching the cars drift by in the silent night. The sweet flavor of his jelly packet provided a sense of coolness to his tongue, and the wind hugging him tightly. 

Aizawa stood up carefully, not happy to hear the satisfactory pops that came from his joints. He was only thirty. Either way, he threw his capture weapon to a nearby poll, making sure it was secure before traveling down to the ground. 

A small grunt escaped him as he hopped on the hard concrete. Patrol had ended but, there was a nearby store where he could grab the cats some food. Maybe a treat for himself too.

So he brushed himself off, quickly dropping by a trash can to throw his jelly packet away, and walked to the store that was only a few blocks away. As he entered, the warmth of the heater greeted him, and the strong smell of food made his stomach grumble.

Hiding his chin in his capture weapon, Aizawa walked deeper into the store, making a beeline to where the pet section was. Scanning carefully, he found what he was looking for. He bent down the heaven's worth of cat food.

A sign caught his eyes. Buy two get one free. Deal done. He didn't hesitate to grab another two of the heavy cat food bags and hold them carefully in his arms. He grunted again as he stood up, legs sore. 

He wandered over to the food section, where the flavourful scent led his stomach to. Aizawa glanced at the options of food. Savoury, sweet, salty, and anything he could imagine. A little overwhelmed by the amount of options, he decided to get a packet of tuna-mayo onigiri and a small packet of chicken-broth noodles.

He was going to enjoy a proper dinner tonight. 

And so after the satisfaction had settled securely in him, he made his way to the cashier, yet something caught his ears before he could go any further, and what he saw made his blood boil.

There at the cashier stand stood Asui, one of his students. Asui was a kind and polite girl, always doing her work on time and she respected everyone. Aizawa had the same deep respect for her.

Asui was being held by her wish by the cashier as he yelled at her. She had her head turned away from the man which Aizawa could only guess was fear. He felt a pang in his heart he hadn't felt before.

Making his way hastily to the cashier stand, he dropped his items to the side and loomed behind Asui, a glare on his face that could only describe threat and danger.

The cashier's eyes traveled Aizawa and a harsh flinch escaped him. He let go of Asui and backed up, letting out a nervous smile, and pretending as if nothing had happened. Aizawa came and stood next to Asui, still glaring at the cashier.

"Ah- U-um He-" the man couldn't continue as Aizawa grabbed his arm with his capture weapon. Tighter and tighter, but not enough to hurt him.

"I suggest you get another employee here or you're going to not even have a job here, sir," Aizawa's voice spoke, stern and dangerous. Asui glanced at Aizawa, curling herself to appear smaller than her fragile hand. Her eyes were glued to the floor.

The employee nodded as fast as he could, as if his neck was going to snap, and ran to the back, in a hurry of searching for another employee to take over his shift. 

Aizawa let out a sigh and turned towards his student, finding her in the same position she had been in. He made a move of carefully crouching in front of the girl. A soft expression had replaced his face that no one would ever see.

Asui felt her teacher's presence get closer, so she slowly lifted her head and met her eyes against his; her wide and teary, innocent eyes to his onyx and soothing, tired ones. Asui let out a small sniffle as she rubbed her wrist more. 

Light thunderstruck in the background. A flinch made its way down Asui's spine.

Aizawa, unfazed by the sound, let his eyes travel down to the girl's wrist, and silently, he held his palm out. Asui got the hint and rested her wrist in her teacher's palm. Aizawa's hands were warm rough, while Asui's were slightly cold yet soft—the hands of a child.

Aizawa examined the wrist carefully, assessing any major damage. Thankfully, there was none. Some warmth and wrapping and Asui would be ok. He let go of the wrist and glanced back at Asui, to find her staring into space. Perhaps lost in thought.

Before he got the chance to speak, another employee walked and stood in front of the cashier. The woman looked calm and not hostile. Aizawa stood up and grabbed the stuff that he had dumped on the floor and put it on the counter.

He glanced at Asui's basket of items too, and as the girl was still drifting in a boat aimless in the water, he grabbed it and began paying for it too. The cashier didn't question anything. After the quick purchase, he grabbed the two bags and looked back at Asui.

"Asui, come on," Aizawa said, which snapped the girl back to shore as a short look of confusion displayed on her face. She didn't say anything and silently followed Aizawa outside, and when they both took their first step into the fresh air, the little pattering of rain met their skin like Ice.

Aizawa grunted slightly and moved to stand under some shade. He still had some money. He could call a taxi or-

Right... Asui first. He moved and began walking towards a nearby bench under some tree and shade. Asui still followed him. He sat down and so did his student. She glanced at Aizawa.

"Mr. Aizawa I didn't mean to trouble you," her voice came out soft, which came with a soft tremble which Aizawa could tell wasn't from the cold. Aizawa didn't look back at the girl and started at the cloudy night as it cried the tears that seeped beneath the earth.

"Whatever it is Asui you can't let it be forever. Right now as a hero- As a person, I am here to help you with anything," he told the girl, glancing back to find the girl also lost in the mesmerization of droplets. 

Aizawa turned back and joined her in the beautiful sight. The cold hit his hair in such a soothing way that made him forget all the worries of this world.

What he didn't expect was Asui to speak next, "Mr. Aizawa... do you regret saving me at the USJ attack?"

Lighting cracked again. Neither flinched this time.

Aizawa was taken aback by the question dating back a couple of weeks. He still remembers the tight and uncomfortable wrappings of the bandages on his arms that left him almost immobile to using his arms a couple.

"You're the one I'm proud to save, kid," Aizawa muttered and that's what was needed to break Asui's damn as tears began rolling down her cheek. Aizawa pulled her student into a rare hug.

He let his student cry, cry the pain out, and cry the burden who knows how long she'd been carrying.

He glanced at his watch. Three thirty-two. 

Asui leaned closer to the man, soaking in the warmth that radiated off him. It protected her from the icy wind of the rain and brushed off the distress in her heart. Aizawa rested his arm across her shoulders, rubbing them slightly.

He would provide all the comfort he could to his student.

Cause darn well he was proud to save her.