When the Strong are Weak [Bakugo x Reader]

35

Between catching up with Asher and Yui and seeing your mother, you were away longer than you'd anticipated you would be. It was nearing supper time by the time you got back to the dorms. The temperature had dropped some while you were at the cemetery making you glad to have Bakugo's hoodie. He must have known it was going to cool off. You smiled as you breathed in the caramel scented fabric again.

Stopping by the teacher's dorm you informed Aizawa of your return.

"You were gone for a while," he noted. "Everything okay?"

"I ran into a kid I used to babysit," you nodded. "He was asking me a lot of questions about my time here and everything."

"And?" He encouraged, crossing his arms and leaning against the banister surrounding the porch.

"It was nice," you smiled, a genuine smile your teacher hadn't seen in a while. "They moved to the other side of the city about a year ago for his mom's job so this was the first time I'd seen him or his mom since then. I should write him or something. Keep in touch, you know? He didn't want to leave when his mom told him they needed to catch the train."

"He looks up to you."

Does he? Could he really? I guess it would make sense with how excited he was to tell his friends about me. "He asked about my scars."

Eyes widening ever so slightly you weren't sure you were seeing things properly Aizawa pushed off of the banister and dropped into a squat in front of you. So this is what Asher felt like when I did this. "What did you tell him?"

"The truth? Asher is too smart for his own good sometimes but if he doesn't understand something he'll ask questions until he does. He was upset at first because I'd gotten hurt. But I reminded him of a time he'd helped a friend and how proud he was of himself when he'd done it. He understood then why I was so laid back about my own injuries." Thinking back to the look on his face when he remembered that you were attending U.A. you felt tears sting your eyes and puffed out a laugh. "He was so excited to hear about my time here. Over the moon. Before he and his mom left for their train home he told me he couldn't wait to go to back to school so he could tell all of his friends about me." You felt tears slip down your cheeks and looked at your hands in your lap. "Can you believe that? I suppose it's like you said, he looks up to me, and honestly, I don't know why."

"The why isn't important. What's important is making sure you be someone worthy of looking up to. In Asher's eyes, you already are that person. If for no one else, prove to him that you are deserving of that admiration."

"Feels like I've got a ways to go," you choked on a sob. "I don't know that I'll ever feel deserving of his praise."

"How old is this boy?"

"He'll be nine in November."

"When did you say you started babysitting him?"

"I didn't, but it was a little over six years ago now. Why? Do you think that has something to do with him looking up to me?"

"It could be, you have been a big part of his life after all. Add onto it that you helped rescue Bakugo and you're a hero in his eyes. A hero that he knows personally and who he probably considers a friend. But enough about that," Aizawa straightened. "Did you visit your mother?"

"I did," you confirmed, drying your eyes. "Very one sided conversation but I told her about a lot. Everything since I saw her right after Hosu. It was nice. I had forgotten how rejuvenating it was to talk to her about everything. I can say whatever I want and it's not judged or anything. And it lets me get whatever I want or need to off my chest without question."