Thunder Snow

"It's just weather," Aizawa announced wearily, glaring at the cluster of students packed tightly by the windows on the far side of the classroom. "Get back to your seats before I -"

He didn't have to finish the threat; the teenagers were seated before he finished. The scruffy man nodded and shuffled to the blackboard to outline the lesson plan for the day.

To be fair to the kids, the weather outside was fascinating. It was dark and dreary, yet millions of cheerfully flickering snowflakes filled the air. Everything seemed ordinary for a winter day, except for the fact that there were rumbles and cracks of intermittent thunder. It didn't do this often.

After a few hours the school grounds were covered in a soft blanket of snow. A couple more and the fluffy white stuff was beginning to worry Aizawa. Not for him, but for his rather heavily pregnant wife.

Elly's posture was starting to resemble his on a good day; the weight she was carrying was immense and caused her to move at a snail's pace. She was also incredibly awkward and much more prone to stumbling, which was his main concern in the slippery conditions. He hurried over to the lounge when work was over, hoping to get there before she did and minimize the amount of any accidents.

"Geez, where's the fire?" Present Mic stood still, amazed at the speed his normally leisurely paced friend rushed by.

"Ches?" Aizawa asked in a quick grunt. Mic pointed at the room he was headed for, nodding. He reached the lounge and went quickly inside.

"I don't believe you got this big," Midnight was chuckling at the size of the counselor. "Don't they say that means it's a boy or something?"

Elly groaned. She was thankfully stationary, sitting at the table in the middle of the room. There was a bottle of water close by her hand she was poking at from time to time. "I don't care what it is, as long as it gets out. You can not believe how hungry I am all the time."

He paused, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I can," he said drily.

"Shota!" She would have gotten up but it took several tries and she gave up after two, ears flattening with annoyance. She held her hands out instead, stretched imploringly out for a hug.

He walked over and bent to embrace her in the chair, sighing a little at her familiar smell. "You're not going out there by yourself," he commanded firmly, getting right to the problem he'd been worrying about all day.

Midnight started to laugh, hanging on to the lockers where she had been pulling out her purse and keys. "Didn't you text her that like, five times already?!"

Elly held up her phone with a wry grin. "Seven. The threats got better, though. The last one reads almost like a bribe: 'Stay put until I can escort you home. I'll buy you meat buns later.'"

He snorted and pulled back to get their things, yanking the lockers open and handing them to her. "I promised, and I will deliver. The sooner I get you home, the sooner I can go out and pick them up."

"You don't have to get food, dear," she told him. "It's terrible out there." She sighed and began the laborious task of getting to her feet.

Aizawa half supported, half carried her the short distance to their apartment. Once he was sure she was safe and secure he kissed her and left despite her arguments that he shouldn't go. He wouldn't listen, of course, and told her not to worry.

Elly shook her head and waddled into the bathroom to shower and slip on a soft, oversized shirt and pants. This all took significantly more time than before her pregnancy, so it was about an hour later when she was clean and had gotten a thick, fluffy blanket out to snuggle down with and watch television. She would have been more worried but she knew he was a careful man.

Sure enough, in a couple of minutes the doorknob rattled and Aizawa stumbled in.

"I'm back," he announced tiredly. He did his best to shake off the snow that had accumulated on his head and shoulders before stepping inside.

"Oh, my poor baby. I wish you'd have stayed here. I didn't need those, really. Look, you're soaked!"

He tossed the takeout container on the kitchen counter and sneezed. "Nonsense. You're eating for two, and I promised. If you want to help, though, get my belt please? The clasp froze and I'm having enough trouble with the scarves."

Between the two of them they wrangled him out of his outfit and he immediately headed to the bathroom to take a hot shower and change.

When he came back to the living room he was dressed more comfortably in a simple black v-neck shirt and sweatpants. His favorite pair of fuzzy, cat-faced slippers were on his feet and his damp hair was tied back in a ponytail. He found Elly sitting on the couch under a fuzzy blanket, the meat buns warmed back up and a pot of tea and two cups on the table in front of her.

"C'mon over. It's cold out and we have warm food and a big blanket..."

He grinned and slouched next to her, yawning hugely and slipping an arm about her shoulders. "Nice," he commented softly.

"Yep." She hiccupped, then frowned at her stomach. "Cut it out, food's coming!"

Aizawa watched her as she grabbed a bun and bit ravenously into it. He reached under the blanket with his free hand and laid a hand on her belly.

Elly glanced over, startled. He didn't usually initiate contact with the baby yet, seeming to be almost afraid. But his hand was steady as he gently rubbed. "You take it easy on your mom," he chided in a voice she recognized as his teacher tone. "It's hasn't been easy carrying you around all this time."

Aizawa flinched and she chuckled, her heart overflowing with love as the baby kicked his palm. "Looks like someone heard you, daddy."

His expression was priceless.