Work Text:
“You look stressed darling,” Midnight said as she waltzed up to where All Might was hunched over his desk, Present Mic lounging on the other side, his feet propped on the desk.
“Oh, he’s in quite the predicament alright,” Hizashi teased.
Nemuri rolled her eyes. “What’s up? I’m sure I could help.”
Yagi glanced up at his colleague and figured he might as well tell her, Hizashi would probably tell her anyway. “I drew Aizawa in the Secret Santa and I have no clue what to get him.”
Nemuri laughed. “Are you serious?” She asked as she plucked a bow off the teddy bear sitting on Yagi’s desk and placed it on his head. “There, that works perfect.”
Yagi blushed and hastily jerked the bow off his head. “What? No… I.”
“See what I mean?” Hizashi asked Midnight, giving her a frustrated look.
Midnight perched on the side of the desk, patting Yagi’s head. “Oh sweetie. Look, the man is impossible to buy for and I only know two, wait, three things that he actually likes. You, cats, and juice pouches. But if it’s from you I don’t think he’ll care what it is.”
“He doesn’t like me,” Yagi murmured.
Nemuri shared another look of frustration with Hizashi. “And how do you know that? Did you ask him?” She queried.
A quiet no was his answer. Nemuri rolled her eyes. “Okay, you and I are going shopping this weekend and I will help you pick out a gift.” Yagi perked up at this but Nemuri wasn’t done. “If you promise to consider telling Aizawa how you feel.” At that Yagi let his head hit the desk with an audible thud.
Hizashi finally pulled his legs off the desk as he stood up. “I’d take her up on that offer man. Both of us are tired of watching the two of you dance around each other.”
Yagi just groaned in response. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell the raven about his burgeoning feelings. It was constantly on his mind, especially considering they worked in close proximity with each other almost daily. Everytime Aizawa accidentally brushed against him while they were giving the students instructions his nerves lit on fire, a searing warmth spreading through him from the point of contact. It was immensely distracting and making him feel more like his students instead of a retired pro hero.
And evidently he hadn’t exactly been subtle since Nemuri and Hizashi had seen how he felt. That’s exactly what worried Yagi so much. If they had figured out his feelings for the raven, Aizawa himself must also know. He’s so observant, he has to know. So why hasn’t he said anything.
———
“Honestly, that man is so hard to shop for,” Midnight lamented as they entered the fifth department store of the day, bee lining for the men’s department. Yagi didn’t know there were so many different designs on ties. On the one hand he now knew that paisley referred to a teardrop shaped pattern, but on the other he was no closer to finding Aizawa a present for the Secret Santa. Although Midnight had offered to help, she was proving useless in the actual finding process, but she had an opinion on anything he picked up to consider. Overall he figured she was actually helping, if only by process of elimination.
“For the last time, you are not getting him a tie. That is what children get their fathers, not what you get your crush!” Nemuri explained as she saw Yagi’s gaze go to the accessories department.
“I know that. And would you please stop saying the word crush? It’s embarrassing.” He said as they browsed the aisle displays, looking at dozens of differently packaged shirts that claimed they were the perfect Christmas gift. As if Aizawa would wear a button up unless forced, Yagi laughed to himself.
“Well, I would like to call him your boyfriend, but seems you’re too much of a coward to confess,” Midnight pointed out.
Yagi quickly grabbed the handkerchief from his pocket and coughed violently into it. “You say that like it’s easy. It’s not like I’ve dated at any point in the last... twenty years?”
Midnight considered his words. “I guess being at the top is pretty lonely huh? But it doesn’t have to stay that way.”
Yagi went back to looking at the gift boxes. When he looked back on his life he could see how people would see it like Midnight, lonely, but he had made lasting friendships along the way. But they were just that, friendships, what he wanted with Aizawa was foreign to him. He wanted long nights lounging on the couch watching movies and eating junk food. He wanted to cook dinner together and laugh together when they accidentally put salt in the oatmeal instead of sugar. He wanted intimate companionship instead of a casual friendship.
And maybe a confession with a secret Santa gift was cliche, but Yagi was willing to try it, if only to see Aizawa smile. He looked up from the cookie cutter gifts and his eyes drifted to the store across the hallway. It was gaudy with its pastel pink logo and merchandise and chibi mascots, but he was drawn to it.
“Let’s go look in there,” he said, pointing at the store and moving in that direction before Midnight could respond.
As they browsed the various pastel colored bags, shirts, and plushies Midnight commented, “Going for a gag gift?”
“No, maybe.” Yagi wasn’t quite sure what he was going for, but when he saw a pajama set complete with sleep makes all decorated by cutely drawn kittens, he knew it was the perfect gift. Nemuri looked at him questioningly as he quickly purchased the gift, but said nothing so he assumed she approved. If she didn’t, the whole store would have heard her protests.
———
With the tightly wrapped package safety cradled under his arm Yagi checked his appearance one last time before leaving his apartment. After finding the perfect gift for Aizawa, Nemuri had insisted on going shopping for new clothes for Yagi. He thought he heard her mutter something about “If I ever have to see that gaudy yellow suit again,” but he wasn’t sure.
At her insistence, he was wearing clothing that fit his lithe frame like a glove. He had blushed fiercely when he had stepped out of the dressing room so she could approve the outfit. It had been years since he had tried to show off his body outside of his All Might form and he was uncomfortable to say the least. But Nemuri has said his ass looked perfect in the black jeans she had selected and that the turquoise button up shirt matched his eyes.
Resisting the urge to change into something far more baggy, Yagi exited his apartment and headed to UA for the faculty Christmas party.
The blonde entered the building and stashed Aizawa‘s gift on his desk, not wanting to give it to the capture hero in such a public setting, before joining the party.
The UA gym had been transformed into a true winter wonderland with fake snow piled on every flat surface and silver garland and paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. If Yagi was being honest it felt more like a high school dance than a faculty party and he had a hunch that the decorations would be used for just that in a few more weeks.
He spotted Aizawa in the corner, being talked at by Present Mic, but resisted the urge to go straight to the black haired man. Instead he threw a smile their way and headed to grab a drink and mingle.
He greeted Snipe and Ectoplasm, exchanging pleasantries before he was pulled into a heated debate between Thirteen and Nezu concerning the proper amount of sugar to be placed in tea. Nemuri must have seen the troubled look on his face because she gracefully swooped in from where she had been discussing something with Vlad King.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I simply must steal All Might away,” She has explained, dragging him by the arm until they were out of earshot of everyone else.
“So, have you talked to him yet?”
Yagi sighed. “No, not yet. I was trying to get up the nerve.”
Midnight rolled her eyes. “There’s no time like the present. Go save him from Hizashi’s ramblings.”
“But what if…” Yagi started to protest, but Nemuri cut him off with a swift “go!” and a shove.
Yagi walked over to where the aforementioned teachers were talking.
“All Might, you made it!” Hizashi greeted, slapping him on the shoulder.
“Uh, yeah,” he replied awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.
“Great, well I’m gonna go get some more punch. Cementoss really outdid himself this year,” Present Mic announced.
“I hate parties,” Aizawa said grumpily as soon as his friend had left.
“They make me uncomfortable as well to be honest.”
Aizawa grunted and they fell into an awkward silence. It’s now or never Yagi, just suck it up and ask.
“Would you mind meeting me outside in the gardens in a few?” Yagi asked quietly. Aizawa gave him a strange look, but nodded his assent all the same.
Yagi sighed in relief and hurried to gather his Secret Santa present before heading to the gardens. As he opened the door he was met by large, fluffy snowflakes falling from the dark night sky. He wished he had grabbed his jacket, but couldn’t think of a more romantic setting to confess his feelings.
He found Aizawa near set of benches flanked by shrubs.
“Sorry for bringing you out into the cold, I promise this won’t take long,” Yagi apologized.
Aizawa gave him an amused look, “At least I thought to bring a jacket.”
Yagi laughed. “Yeah.”
Yagi held out the present for the raven to grab. “Merry Christmas, I uh, drew your name in the Secret Santa. I hope you like it.”
Yagi watched as Aizawa tore the sparkling wrapping paper to reveal his gift. Aizawa’s eyes light up as he saw the pajama set.
“I thought of you the second I saw. I think about you a lot actually,” Yagi confessed. Aizawa’s eyes shot up to meet Yagi’s.
“I just… admire you a lot and would like to get to know you better on a date. So will you… date me?”
Aizawa smirked. “I thought you’d never ask. And I love the gift, thank you.”
Yagi let out a shaky breath. “Good… I… good.”
Aizawa pulled out a small wrapped gift from his jumpsuit pocket and moved closer to place it in Yagi’s hand.
“Merry Christmas Toshinori,” Aizawa said, placing a gentle kiss on the blondes cheek.
Yagi unwrapped the gift to reveal a tiny Eraserhead keychain. “So I’m always with you,” Aizawa explained.
Yagi grinned, his heart beating faster than it did during any fight. A pleasant warmth spread through his body as they walked hand in hand back into the building.