"That awkward moment when you know the truth and they still continue to lie" ~ Unknown
The past few weeks being a hero has been rough. Nonstop work with no much time to recover. A green-eyed hero is tired, he has tried to manage to get more sleep after the conversation he and Katsuki had had about him not resting, the causes and how important it is that he does but work lately hasn't allowed. He's seen the blonde out on patrol and noticed Katsuki himself looks tired, he had wondered if that was because of the job or the nightmares he knows haunt the explosive hero viciously on some nights. There hasn't been much time to talk to him other than eyes that always catch each other's and a nod or a wave.
He closes green eyes just for a moment as he slides down the wall to rest before he heads out on his shift. A fair face scrunches in thought another reason he's tired is Ethan, Ethan who has insisted on spending endless time together even when Izuku says he's too tired, or the nights that Dash showed up to sleep at Izuku's when the greenett was already fast asleep to be woken by the ringing of his bell. No matter how much he's explained lately that he needs his rest it doesn't seem to mean much and there's always an excuse to why Ethan is pushing the issue and the greenett has been too worn out to fight about it.
Suddenly there's a nudge on his foot and a voice he's known since he was a teenager.
" Problem Child? Have you taken to sleeping in the hallways now? That's more my style then yours."
Green eyes snap open and look up to be met by the dark tired raven colored eyes of the pro hero he now works under.
" Mr Aizawa! Hello Sir, I was just trying to get a few minutes of rest before I headed back out."
Aizawa nods.
" Good idea, things have been quiet restless out there lately but you should have some time to rest at home unless something is keeping you awake?"
He sees something in green eyes he's known for years, something troubling them, something twisting.
A thought hits the greenett who stands up abruptly making Aizawa lift a brow in question.
" Mr Aizawa! Before I forget there's something I wanted to ask you."
The pro hero slides his hands in the pockets of his black jump suit as he leans back on the hallway wall.
" I'm listening."
He can see the greenett having a slightly hard time getting out whatever it is he wants to ask.
"Go on Problem Child, it's only me here, say what you need."
Izuku meets eyes that have always lead him in the right direction while cared for him over the years.
" Well, it's just that I've noticed that on the pair up roaster lately that I'm never with anyone but Dash and though I think he's a good hero and everything I was just wondering why I haven't gotten to group with anyone else at all? I .. I miss working with my friends and learning from other hero's. I was just wondering if there's a reason or if I've done something wrong that you feel the need to only pair me with Dash.", he ask sheepish, the look on his face half embarrassed half almost hurt that the schedule has been as it is.
Aizawa lifts both brows pushing himself off the wall suddenly, the look in his dark eyes one of confusion and concern at this inquiry.
" What? Izuku, I made that pairing upon your request."
Green eyes go wide.
" What??? I .. I never made that request! I have no reason to. What makes you even say that??"
Aizawa is looking down at his phone scrolling through his messages at a fevered pace. He finds what he's looking for and turns his phone around to show the greenett in front of him wanting an answer.
Problem Child
Hello Mr Aizawa. I was wondering if I could make a request that from now on you only pair me with Ethan for patrols. Now that Katsuki is back it's hard to be around him and I'm uncomfortable with the thought of having to work with him or be paired with others who might end wanting me to work along side him as well. I know Dash won't let anything happen so to ease my anxiety I hope that you will except my request. Thank you Sir.
Izuku's heart is pounding in his chest his eyes blown wide as his mind screams to figure out what the hell this is that he's looking at with his own eyes.
" I ..I never wrote this! I never requested such a thing! I .. I have no idea what this even is!", he says with his voice on the rise even though there's a shake in the tone.
" That is your number correct?"
Izuku looks at the contact info and it is in fact his number but he knows he didn't write the text.
" It is. But.. but I'm telling you Sir I didn't write this! First I would never request something like that. Second I'm not uncomfortable around Kacchan and third I never call him Katsuki, it feels weird just saying it. You know that, you know I've never called him anything but Kacchan!"
Aizawa does in fact know that. In fact it's something he thought extremely odd when he got the message. Things had been so busy that he hadn't gotten a chance to speak to Izuku himself but he had run into Dash and questioned him about it.
" I did think it was rather unusual. I saw Ethan not long after I had received it and asked about the message. He told me that you had been having trouble with Katsuki being back and that you and he had decided that it would be best if you only worked together for awhile. He assured me it was you who had come up with the decision."
Izuku feels sick, his heart dropping into his stomach. He feels hot, he's angry and confused. His mind is racing as he tries desperately to put this together but the dark look in raven eyes tells him Aizawa has now already put the pieces together. He doesn't want to believe what he already knows is the truth. He's shaking to his core, his vision slightly blury with the waves of nausea hitting him.
" So, am I to understand you had nothing to do with the decision or the text or conversation at all that had been fed to me?"
Izuku shakes his head no as tears form in green eyes.
" N-no Sir. I .. I don't even feel that way. I'm..I'm happy Kacchan is back."
Aizawa clenches his jaw, anger ok the rise that he's been deceived.
" And that's the problem."
Izuku meets his eye as he wipes his own.
" What Sir?"
Aizawa sighs trying to calm the anger in his chest.
" For Dash that's a problem. You understand that it's him who sent me the text, who acted as if he was acting as the perfect protective boyfriend on your behalf because he sees Bakugo as a threat. He doesn't want you working with him or anyone close to Bakugo so he goes to such lengths to keep you close to him even though it's a tricky game he's decided to play because often times these kinds of things have a way of turning the tables in the direction you don't want them to go. In other words he's pushing you to Katsuki not away from him and on top of that he's now he's drug me into it and that's not a wise decision, something he's now going to be taught the hard way."
Izuku almost shivers. He knows Aizawa, knows him well and knows he should never be toyed with none of this is good and he's still having a hard time processing it.
The dark eyed hero breaks his thoughts.
" I'm asking this just so I'm perfectly clear. Then you do not have a problem being paired with others as well as Katsuki?"
Green eyes meet still angered raven ones.
" No Sir, I have no problem at all, in fact I prefer it that way. Can I ask why you even went a long with it? I just mean I've known you a long time and you've always pushed us to do what you thought was best, I'm just surprised you went along with the request even if you did think it was from me."
Raven eyes almost hold a look of softness, there's just a trace of a smile that he holds.
" Normally I wouldn't. If had had been anyone else I wouldn't have, but when the request comes from my first Problem Child, it's hard to turn down. Tho I'm angry I fell for the lie. My gut knew better, knew you and Katsuki weren't enemies."
Izuku shakes his head the look of upsetness on his features.
" No, no we aren't, honestly we've been talking things out a little here and there, just going over things and feelings that need to be expressed that never were. It's slow but.. but we're doing it and ...and I'm not sorry about that."
Aizawa smiles hands back in his pockets at the defiant tone in his problem child.
" No, I don't suppose you are sorry or even that you should be. There's a lot there that has to be resolved, where that ends up leading time will tell."
Izuku is getting ready to respond when there's the sound of footsteps that stop at the end end of the hall.
Izuku and Aizawa both turn their heads in that direction to see Ethan. There's a look on his face, he's pale and looks fearful at the sight of the two together.
Aizawa sees it, sees the fear in his eyes, eyes that resemble a deer in headlights, like someone who's been caught in the act.
First thing the raven eyed male thinks is.. good. Good, there should be fear in those eyes and if there isn't yet there will be.
Izuku has narrowed green eyes his stomach knotted with anger as he watches Ethan slowly walk to the two.
" Oh..Izuku, it's..it's time for our shift are you ready?"
Before the greenett can respond the dark haired male puts a heavy hand on the shoulder of his problem child.
" Actually, Midoriya will not be going out on patrol tonight. He needs the night to recuperate from his long shifts and it appears that something has been keeping him up at night when he's off. Perhaps it's a rat in the wall. Those bastards always cause trouble until they're dealt with properly."
There's a deep coldness in the tone, a tone so harsh it drips like ice water down your spine.
Ethan holds a look somewhere between fear and anger and Aizawa is far from done.
" Ah, Problem Child, I do have one errand that I need you to do for me before you head home tho."
Izuku looks up at him with a gentle smile.
" Yes Sir, what is it?"
Aizawa smiles, slowly purposely, one that almost makes you fidget where you stands. But Izuku is not the one who's uneasy. Something bad is coming and Dash knows it.
" I have some documents that need to be delivered to Katsuki tonight. He's off since he was busy moving into his new place and I was supposed to give them to him yesterday but it slipped my mind. I happen to know that his new building isn't far from yours so if you could drop these by for him tonight I would greatly appreciate it. I need him to sign these reports of some innocents he had run into on patrol with some villains, just his statement really so we can hurry and get it processed to be sure those villains stay locked up."
Izuku smiles brightly.
" Oh sure that's not a problem."
Ethan's blood runs cold.
" What?? I mean.. is that really necessary? If Izuku is supposed to be resting shouldn't someone else do it? I mean I could do it myself after patrol or I could stop on my lunch break.", he snaps sounding more angry then he wanted to let slip past him.
Aizawa's eyes go stone cold as he take a step to the babbling hero who's sweating bullets.
" No, no that won't do at all. It has to be now and it has to be Izuku since it's on his way. Why? You don't happen to think that Bakugo makes Midoriya uncomfortable do you?"
Ethan swallows hard with nerves seeing cold dark eyes that know.
" Well.. I mean it's just..."
Aizawa cuts him off.
" Besides, I have a feeling that if you showed up at Katsuki's door there might not be a city block left after the explosion it would likely cause, Midoriya showing up well....", he pauses on purpose with a smile that sends chills
" Now that's always been another story."
A/N
We don't mess with Eraser Head
That house of lies is starting to show cracks Ethan.
Our tale continues