Chapter Text
“Aizawa-kun, are you in there?”
A pause. No answer, although Nezu’s sensitive hearing could pick up the slightest hitch in breathing. He opened the steel-plated doors to Gym Beta’s storage room, his whiskers twitching; picking up that yes, there was someone inside.
He stood on tip-toes, turning on the lights with an ease that spoke of years of experience before turning to see what looked like a yellow cocoon lying amongst the exercise balls.
A sleeping bag, his quirk supplied, likely polyester, nylon and some type of water-repellent material.
Not that Nezu actually needed the information – the man was already used to the odd habits of his student. He slowly approached the plush material, lips quirking up as it shifted slightly. Aizawa was one of a kind, and Nezu had long since accepted that he really was fond of this young man.
“Aizawa-kun, I know you’re inside. Can you come out of your sleeping bag for a moment?”
Nezu patiently waited as the material stilled, before there was a shaky, resigned sigh. Aizawa slowly emerged from his self-imposed prison, his hair a mess and uniform rumpled. He also sat back on the balls of his feet; careful to keep pressure off of his hindquarters.
No surprise there. The new wooden paddles that the U.A. faculty procured were specially designed to cause maximum sting, but with minimal risk of damage. And Aizawa had received ten strokes just that afternoon.
What really caught his attention were his student’s bloodshot eyes, and the tear stains on his face and damp sleeves.
“How long have you been crying in here?” Aizawa recoiled at his question, but Nezu didn’t back down. There was no shame in tears, after all. Humans are weird, the young moreso.
Aizawa looked away, abashed, “An hour,” he mumbled, voice scratchy. He cleared his throat before continuing, “Ecto-sensei dismissed us from the Recovery Room around three p.m., so I just… went on and left without Iida and Yamada.”
“I see,” Nezu said evenly. He moved closer, putting a soft paw on his student’s knee. “Aizawa-kun, do you understand why I had gotten Ectoplasm-sensei to dole out such a severe punishment?”
The room was silent save for the boy’s shaky breaths. “B-Because you were angry... that I gave you attitude, and caused trouble with ‘Zashi and Tensei.” Aizawa said, looking increasingly upset.
“It’s not just that, young man,” Nezu said, patting the boy’s limb in comfort, “What really made me upset was the fact that you lied to me.”
Nezu continued speaking, “You took advantage of the trust and the fondness that I have for you, and made use of the fact that I hold your words in high regard, just so that you could help Yamada-kun and Iida-kun pull a thoughtless and potentially harmful prank. Do you know how liars are regarded amongst Hero Agencies, young man? Really badly. Nobody wants to hire or work with them, and I would not let that happen to any of you.” Aizawa sniffled, before nodding. However, Nezu wasn’t done.
“Look at me, Aizawa-kun.”
Nezu made sure to keep his eyes locked and voice stern as he resumed in addressing the boy, because this was something his student needed to hear. “I do not want to be unable to trust you, young man. I value your inputs and your company, but I would find it difficult if I have to second-guess everything that you say. So please, think carefully before being deceitful in the future. Are we understood?”
“Y-Yes, Nezu-sensei, I understand –”
Aizawa’s voice broke at the end, sobs coming to the forefront. He immediately stemmed his cries with one hand, the other covering his eyes. Nezu immediately grabbed ahold of both offending limbs, clucking his tongue in disapproval.
“None of that,” He chided, eyes softening as they met teary coal, “Suppressing your feelings will only make you feel worse. Allow yourself to cry it all out, and then move on and do better in the future.”
“Plus,” He added gently, patting the boy’s shoulder, “You already have my forgiveness, Aizawa-kun. We are good, and everything will be alright, young man.”
With those words, Aizawa’s face crumpled; the student finally dissolving into unconstrainted, fretful sobbing. And there was nothing else Nezu would rather do at the moment, other than to hold his boy tight and help him let go.