Trust Camp (Shota)

The team building exercise this month for U.A's staff was a two night stay at a "Trust Retreat". A good portion of the staff was sent, with a few staying behind to look after things. There were male and female dormitory-style cabins, and everything was rustic yet well maintained. No one really spoke of the reason why they were there until the first night.

"Okay. We're here, we set up this fire and everything."

"What do we do next?" Kan blinked at the forest looming over their backs. "I just hope the answer's not 'get bitten to death by bugs'".

"BUGS?!" Hizashi yelped and tied himself into a rather intricate knot in his fear. "Where? Where?!" He waved a can of spray he was carrying around, his eyes huge.

"I think we're supposed to just talk and stuff."

"Isn't the point of a trust camp to test our trust for each other and strengthen it?"

"This is stupid," Hizashi whined. "Can't we just go inside, where it's kinda safer .... and forget about this part?"

A sardonic voice drifted up from the general vicinity of the yellow sleeping bag on the ground nearby. "You can certainly trust that if I have to do this stupid thing, we all do."

"What about it, then. Elly?" Nemuri raised her eyebrows. "What are we supposed to do?"

Elly winced. "I know as the counselor you probably think I'm into this sort of therapy, but I'm not, really. I don't care for public sharing."

"Excuse me, Cheshire," Yagi sounded confused yet was polite as always. "Do you mean this wasn't your idea?"

"No. I - I don't like these retreats." Her ears were flattened back and her wide, purple eyes darted around nervously. "Nothing good has ever happened to me by sharing intimate thoughts."

Hizashi tilted his head to the side, staring intently at her with a frown on his face. "Not even your family?"

"Especially my family!" She flinched when he jumped at her fervent answer. "Sorry, Zashi. But it's true. Those that were supposed to love me back either never did or showed it very strangely. With mental abuse, among other things."

"Ooh. Ouch."

"Yeah, so I can guess your main fear, pretty much huh?"

"I'm terrified of falling in love," she said simply.

Nemuri laughed softly. "Little chance of that at U.A, though, right? I mean..." She briefly appraised the group huddled around the bonfire and chuckled. "The men here are either taken or, you know." She gestured to Aizawa, or rather, the lump of cloth nearby that was lightly snoring. "That."

Elly's cheeks burned bright red and she was very glad it was too dark to tell.

"Hey! There's other guys here, you know." Hizashi shook his head. "Damn, that's cold. Even for you."

"Hmm? Oh, of course. Toshinori. Sorry."

Hizashi spluttered. "Now you're just bein' insulting."

She covered her mouth with a snarky titter as several others shook their heads at their antics.

"She wasn't before?" The cat lady nodded at the homeroom teacher.

"She's right about me, at least," Aizawa grunted bleakly. "I'm no catch. Nor am I interested in that foolishness." Blushing aside, Elly pulled such a face that everyone noticed except him. "It's a waste of energy as well as productivity."

"Love is not a waste of anything," Yagi asserted, looking distraught.

"I disagree."

Nemuri prodded the fire with a stick, watching as a twig crackled and burst aflame. "You sure about that, Aizawa? I mean, sure, no one's ever seen you date ir anything. But you have to care, right? Doesn't everyone want to find that special someone?"

"I have zero interest," he said firmly.

"Excuse me." Elly suddenly pointed behind them. "I need to run back to the cabins for something." She got up without waiting for a response and left, her movements quick and jerky.

"Oh, dear," Nemuri sighed as the counselor hastily excused herself.

"Probably has to pee. It must suck to be a woman and not just be able to go behind a tree."

"Ugh, Yamada..."

"I doubt that is her intent," Yagi said quietly. His sunken eyes slowly focused on Aizawa, who was yawning and staring morosely at the flames.

"What," he grunted flatly.

Several more people joined Yagi in staring at the bleary-eyed man.

"What?!"

They eventually went back to discussing other topics. After awhile, the ladies decided it was late and they parted to go to their gender-separate cabins. Upon entering, Elly was visible curled up fully dressed on her bed. She jumped at the sound of the door and flipped about.

"You okay, kiddo? You never came back." Chiyo gave her a sympathetic look.

"Oh, I'm fine!" Her smile seemed genuine, though slightly off. "Just a headache. I was so tired I laid down early."

"Oh. Good." Nemuri flopped down onto a cot and was soon fast asleep.

Elly, however, did not get much rest that night or the entire time they stayed. It wasn't much better at home, either. Her smile was always locked firmly in place but her eyes began to look bleary and tired.

It was around this point Aizawa approached her in the confines of her office. He knocked, then when he saw she was alone stepped inside and laid his slumped back to the door.

"Hey."

Her head jerked upright from where she had been dozing and she shook it to clear the fog of sleep. "Eraser... what? What do you need?"

He regarded her more closely. "You haven't been getting enough sleep."

"Yes. I know. It will eventually work itself out." She shrugged. "Insomnia can't last forever."

"Hnf."

"Uhh. Was there something I can do for you, or..?" She flicked her ears anxiously towards him as he approached her desk. He slowly walked over and sat on the edge, staring very intently at her with his bloodshot eyes. She looked away.

"That." He pointed.

"What?"

"You've been acting odd since that stupid retreat we all did. Won't meet my gaze and I hardly see you outside of this office. Why?"

Elly drew in a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "I apologize for not treating you with more respect." She bowed her head. "I've had a lot of difficult case files, and..."

"No."

She jumped, her eyes wide in shock at the sound of his dry voice so close. He was bent forward, mere inches away. "Erk."

"That's not it. Whatever it is, I don't care for it. I have become ..." He paused, grimaced and went on in a strangled tone, "accustomed to your presence during the day. This is unacceptable."

"'Accustomed'?" She blinked. "Waaaait. That's Eraserhead for 'I miss you'. What's going on?"

"I have a language?" He sounded mildly amused.

"Please," she snorted. "You're so laconic a language is hardly what I would call it. There wouldn't be enough words."

"Ches."

"All right. Damn it! What do you want from me?"

"The truth. No matter how hard it might be."

She sighed and fell back, escaping, for a moment, his penetrating stare. "Fine. I tried it the other way - if you'd have let things be, it wouldn't have gotten awkward. Remember that." Once more she rolled her shoulders back, also lifting her chin. She still couldn't look him in the eyes, but settled for a spot near his shoulder, a trick she sometimes taught bashful students. "I was hurt by the things you said at the camp."

"About?"

"Oh, hell. Love, okay?"

He nodded. "I thought it might be that."

"Yes. Well, even though we have differentiating opinions, we can still ... oh!"

He had placed a hand on hers on the desk. She stared down at it stupidly as he curled it around her fingers and squeezed gently. His hand was larger than hers and felt very warm.

"I have developed a certain way of speaking that shuts down certain conversation loops, such as anything remotely involving my personal life."

She finally met his eyes and was astonished to see him looking so soft. His smile was small but natural, not the creepy grin she was used to.

"It's often easier than dealing with colleagues that like to gossip."

"No... you said it's a waste. And you have zero interest."

"In the discussion. I didn't care for talking about it. And I still think it's foolish, but I'm afraid I'm stuck with the facts in this case."

She swallowed hard. "Facts?"

"Your absence pains me; I found it's as bad knowing you might be hurting as well. I want you to get better sleep, but not just because it's affecting your productivity, it's to see you smiling more." He paused. "All of these things are what I desire because I have feelings for you more than is normal for a fellow teacher and pro hero."

"Damn it, Shota, I'm very tired and you're talking in circles to avoid getting to the freaking point..."

He shrugged. "I'm in love with you."

Her mouth fell open in complete and total shock.

Instead of mocking her about her vapid expression, he took her parted lips as an opportunity for a kiss. His free hand caressed her cheek, turning her towards him. It was brief, a gentle mouthing of her own that lasted mere seconds. The scruff on his upper lip and chin scratched a little, the contrast strangely adding to the pleasure when combined with the soft kiss.

"Hmm? Shota?" He was saying something. She shook herself back to reality and struggled to focus.

He was grinning. "Eight o'clock. I'm free tonight and will come pick you up."

"Did you just - are we going to..?"

"Start dating?" He sounded mildly surprised. "I assumed that's what we had to do in order for our relationship to progress."

She lost consciousness briefly again and Aizawa held her up, chuckling wickedly. Why had he waited? This whole experience was going to be most enjoyable.