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Aizawa was pretty out of it. If they hadn’t been practicing together since the sports festival, Shinsou wouldn’t have caught the sights, but he did. After another lighter-dodge-than-normal, the younger stopped attacking and crossed his arms over his chest.
”What, tired already?” Aizawa asked with a bit of taunt in his voice, but Shinsou didn’t take it personally. Instead, he stepped a bit closer, examining his teacher with scrunched eyes.
”Sensei… are you okay?” He asked warily and Aizawa raised one of his eyebrows.
”Why wouldn’t I be?” He asked back and Shinsou ran his finger through his hair.
”Well… your dodges are weaker than usual and it’s like your mind is totally elsewhere,” Shinsou explained with gesturing.
Aizawa examined his body up and down which gave the younger chills. After a few tantalizing minutes the older took a deep breath and spoke up.
”Today my class had a special training. It brought back some bad memories,” he said and Shinsou knew that that was all he could get out of him.
However, the longer their gazes were connected, the worse he felt himself. He knew he had already seen that look and when the memory kicked in, he felt his heart squeeze in his chest. He stepped even closer and one of his hands was wrapped around one of Aizawa’s wrists. His limb moved without him thinking, but in that moment it was something that he would worry about later.
”It’s not your fault, you know,” Shinsou said and Aizawa’s eyes widened.
”What the hell-” he started, but his protégé interrupted.
”You have the look of innocent people, who are blaming themselves because of something in your eyes,” Shinsou explained, not letting the other continue. ”My mom had the same look when she apologized to my dad for giving birth to a child with such a villainous quirk.”
Shinsou said that as if it wasn’t a big deal, but Aizawa felt his stomach churn. He had a guess that the kid hadn’t had the best upbringing, but that… and from his own mother no less…
”…sei? Are you okay?” The questions brought Aizawa back to reality and he turned his attention back to his student. Seeing the angry look in his eyes, Shinsou gulped, then let his wrist go and stepped a few steps back. ”Sorry for being disrespectful.” He apologized, avoiding eye contact.
”No, kid, you haven’t done anything wrong,” Aizawa reassured him, patting the top of his head. ”Actually, your words made me feel a bit better.” At that, Shinsou beamed up at him and Shouta felt himself blushing a bit from that much adoration in one single gaze. ”Let’s quit the day,” he suggested, wrapping one of his arms around the younger’s shoulder. ”There is a new cat café I have wanted to visit for a long time.”