now playing: 2.0 - you're a good dad.
01:43 ━━━━●───── 03:50
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tw !: trauma, mentions of a lost loved one.
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Kazumi slowly blinked, trying to focus her eyes as she lifted her head. She was taken aback to see that she was seated in a small waiting room in a police station, Bakugou by her side as he stoically stared at the wall in front of them.
She didn't even realise she'd passed out after their interrogations. Things had been so quiet between her and Bakugou after they'd recalled the events that had occurred over the past forty-eight or so hours.
The two shared a blanket one of the officers had given to them, most of the blanket being over Kazumi's shoulder after she had taken most of it in her sleep.
She quietly eyed Bakugou, in deep thought. He was never the type to be openly afraid of anything, but for some odd reason, she could tell he felt the slightest bit uneasy after recalling what had happened with the League.
"Katsuki, are you okay?"
Bakugou nearly jumped, not realising she was awake.
He watched as she adjusted the blanket so it was over his shoulders too, raising her hand to his face as she wiped some dirt off his cheek.
"I'm fine, stop asking me that." Bakugou retorted, looking away.
In all honesty, he felt reassured every time she asked. Sure, it was annoying, but it was as if she could read him easily despite being a very private person when it came to his emotions.
Kazumi, sensing how uncomfortable he was, shuffled closer to his side on the small couch, snuggling her head in the nook of his neck before exhaling gently.
He inhaled her natural scent, oddly finding comfort in her closeness. Meanwhile, she basked in the sound of his breathing, the steady rhythm calming her down.
However, their small moment of silence was interrupted by the front doors of the police building slamming open. Kazumi glanced over to the door after hearing Bakugou's breath hitch, feeling herself grow stiff as she saw Aizawa and Mitsuki rushing into the building.
When Aizawa's dull eyes met hers, he rushed over.
"Sh...Shota—"
Her eyes widened as Aizawa knelt down, tightly hugging her to his chest as he began to quietly cry. Bakugou stared in awe as his homeroom teacher fell apart, the man's body trembling as he grasped the teenager tightly.
"He...Hey! Shota?!" Kazumi exclaimed, her eyes darting around the room to see police officers and other civilians present watching the pro-hero hug her. "People are staring–"
"God, you fucking scared me to death."
Her eyebrows furrowed at his uneven breathing and heard as his bones trembled. She felt her tears escape her eyes, the girl crying unforgivably loud at five in the morning in the quaint police station.
Aizawa seemed to sigh in relief hearing her finally cry, raising a hand and smoothing her dishevelled hair to her head.
Mitsuki came over, hugging her son from behind and kissing the top of his head, the two Bakugous watching Aizawa and Kazumi. Bakugou didn't even try to pull away, basking in the rare silence between him and his mother.
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Mitsuki and Aizawa stood side by side in front of Aizawa's car in silence, their eyes glued on their children who seemed to be talking about something before their parents brought them to their respective homes.
"I'm sorry."
Mitsuki tore her eyes away from the two kids.
"Why're you sorry, Eraserhead?"
Aizawa looked up at the early morning sky, tugging on his ponytail before letting it out.
"For putting those kids in danger..." Aizawa mumbled, trying not to cringe at his own foolishness. "I heard from Kazumi that she was close with your family before her mother passed. So I can't imagine how you feel."
Mitsuki scoffed, "of course you know how I feel. Kazumi is your daughter, no? Katsuki is your student. I'm happy they're safe. If anything, I can't imagine how you feel."
Aizawa pursed his lips, looking shamefully down at his feet.
"I know it's your responsibility to look out for them, but it's your responsibility to give them a chance." Mitsuki continued, "you gave Kazumi the chance to save my son and she did, even if it took your help to do so. That's what a real teacher does."
"But as her guardian, I have to protect her." Aizawa retorted calmly, his eyes watering. "The fact of the matter is that I let her throw herself into danger and failed to protect Bakugou from getting kidnapped. That doesn't seem like a chance to me."
Mitsuki sighed. Aizawa was one of the best teachers she'd ever met. She could tell he cared dearly for his students from the way he was beating himself up about it.
"From one mother to another father, the cruel truth is that there's a time where you have to stop protecting them." He was her guardian, not her father. Aizawa thought to himself. "If you keep giving them unwarranted protection, they'll never learn to help themselves, or they'll defy you until they push themselves too far. They're standing here today because they protected themselves, they protected each other. So trust them. You're a good dad, Shota."
Aizawa's eyes shot open in surprise.
Before Aizawa could argue back, Kazumi made her way to his car with a weak smile on her face. Bakugou waited at his mother's car, barely awake as he stared at the rising sun.
"Sho, let's go?" Kazumi called softly, standing by his side.
Aizawa looked up from his shoes, his eyes darting around her face that was kissed with the light of the rising run. Despite the mixture of dry blood, sweat and dirt that lingered on her scratched face, her pretty, heart-shaped smile still widened on her small features.
He took her in by the shoulders, pulling her into his side into a reassuring hug before opening his car door.
Mitsuki and Bakugou watched them drive off in their car, Mitsuki ruffling his matching spiky locks as she let him into her car in silence.
Meanwhile, Aizawa kept glancing to his side where Kazumi was dozing off in the passenger seat. She was snuggled into his suit blazer he'd given her that was laid across her chest, her chin on top of the fabric as she watched the road ahead.
"Dad?"
Aizawa hummed in response, deciding not to correct her from how quiet and frail her voice sounded.
"Thank you, for protecting Katsuki and I." Kazumi said softly.
He didn't feel deserving of her gratitude. He wasn't the one that saved them.
"Kaz, I didn't do anything." Aizawa piped up, Kazumi turning her head to him in curiosity. "All I did was decipher your message. I can't forgive myself for letting you track down Bakugou instead of sending you to safety with Kota. I should've made that call, I'm sorry for putting you in danger."
Kazumi shook her head, smiling up at him.
"I'm sorry that I jumped into danger. You told me an order and I defied it." She apologised gently, "it's completely my fault that I got kidnapped, not yours. Believe it or not, Katsuki is someone I care for a lot. No matter what you said to me at that moment, nothing was going to stop me from jumping into that portal with him. Don't be sorry, because of you, we're safe now."
Aizawa stopped at a traffic light, clutching the wheel tightly at her words.
"Besides, you're the one that taught me morse, you got me that book." Kazumi explained, "I sent that message to you because the only one who would've understood my message. You're the only person I fully rely on to save me if I can't do it myself."
Aizawa felt her words tug on his heartstrings, avoiding her eyes as he focused on the road.
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