Chapter Text
There were a few reasons why Tamaki chose to do his work-study with Aizawa Sensai.
It was close. So close that he could sleep in his own dorm room every night or go home to his parents, so the time to commute is less compared to other places. On the first day of the study, Aizawa wanted Tamaki to meet him at his own dorm so he only had to walk over to the next building. Tamaki found it odd that his former homeroom teacher asked to meet there but he wouldn't complain.
Another reason why Tamaki chose to do his work-study with him is that Aizawa Sensai was familiar. Tamaki didn't want to go through the awkward introduction phase and have to watch how he carried himself around a new person. He wouldn't have to do this with Aizawa.
And lastly, he respected Aizawa. He was a good yet strict teacher. Tamaki liked how he didn't fool around and was honest with his feedback, even if it did hurt sometimes.
All in all, he was happy with his choice to be mentored by Aizawa for the week. He had mentally prepared for drowning himself in hard work, he wanted to keep his Little thoughts at bay since they had been nagging him for weeks. He hadn't found time to drop and honestly, he didn't want to fall behind with school or hero work.
He creased over the scent patch on his neck, a nervous tick to ensure it was plastered against his skin, then knocked on Aizawa's door. It felt strange to be in the teacher dorms. It was practically empty with how the teachers were out for their own hero work at this time of day.
"Amajiki, right on time as expected." Aizawa nodded as he opened the door, stepping aside for his student to come in.
Tamaki mumbled a quiet thank you as he stepped in, he didn't bother taking his shoes off since he assumed they would be leaving to start training but the apron Aizawa was wearing pegged a different answer.
"Come in and get comfortable. Have you had breakfast?" Aizawa turned a corner and Tamaki blinked after him as he toed his shoes off in the genkan.
"Uh, yeah." It was a lie, but a harmless white lie wouldn't hurt.
Tamaki awkwardly shuffled into Aizawa's dorm. The subtle scent of Caregiver throughout wasn't overpowering like he thought it would be.
Teachers were lucky as they had an entire apartment to themselves, unlike the students. Tamaki had never even seen inside before so finding out that Aizawa's apartment was like a regular lived-in home was...humbling.
Tamaki found himself walking into the living room, looking around to take in his bearings.
"Do you like salmon?" Aizawa's voice came from the kitchen. Tamaki could hear a pot boiling on the stove.
"I'm not hungry," Tamaki mumbled his second lie as he sat awkwardly on one side of the couch and tucked his school bag between his feet.
"That wasn't my question."
It was scary how menacing Aizawa made an apron and a wooden spoon look as he crossed his arms in the threshold of the kitchen and living room.
Tamaki wiggled in his seat. "I like salmon." He wished his voice didn't make him sound so meek.
"Good."
Tamaki's leg bounced as Aizawa stole back to the kitchen. He expected to be briefed on this week's schedule of his work-study, not waiting for a breakfast he dearly needed. Maybe Aizawa was saving this week's plans for after. Tamaki was ready for work.
"Come. Sit."
Startled from his thoughts, he saw Aizawa had set the dining table with two sets of breakfast and was taking his seat.
Tamaki scurried over and sat across from his teacher, mirroring how Aizawa had put his hands together and then thanked him for the meal.
Aizawa had already poured him a bowl of miso soup and the fish was fried exactly how Tamaki liked it over a bed of rice.
Tamaki quietly started to eat, keeping his eyes down on his food. It felt like holes were burning into him from Aizawa's watch. He glanced up once by mistake only to awkwardly lock eyes for a quick moment before he cast them down again and coughed. Aizawa slid the cup of tea closer to Tamaki so he would drink.
"I can help," Tamaki hurried to collect the dishes as they finished eating.
"I have something else you can do." Aizawa took Tamaki's dishes and stacked them neatly. "In the bathroom, you'll find a new toothbrush in a package on the counter and some fresh cloths. Go wash up then come back out here. We can discuss how this week will go."
Tamaki perked up a little. Finally a plan. "Yes Sensai!"
However, the toothbrush in the bathroom confused him. He started at the tiny thing. A small battery-operated electric toothbrush meant for kids with purple butterflies on it was on top of the face towels on the counter. Exactly like Aizawa said.
"Um, Sensai?" Tamaki padded out of the bathroom holding the box in hand and turned it over like it would magically turn into something else.
"Need help with anything?" Aizawa came out of the kitchen, undying the apron from himself. He grinned at Tamaki's unsure expression. "Yes, that's yours. I heard you like butterflies. Meet me out here when you're done."
Tamaki opened his mouth but he didn't know what to say in his confusion, then went back to the bathroom.
The toothbrush felt so tiny in his mouth. He could only brush one tooth at a time and he was fucking working for it too.
He was ashamed to say he couldn't remember the last time he brushed his teeth. Depression really fucked with his hygiene unfortunately but he made it work...he thought. Or he hoped.
He finished washing his face with a grimace, trying to push away the shame of not taking care of himself before now.
Aizawa was sitting in the armchair, sipping on his coffee with a manila folder in his lap when Tamaki came out of the bathroom. He looked like he was going over notes for a new mission.
Tamaki took a seat across from him on the couch with the coffee table between them. Time to get to training. Tamaki was eager to learn how to do stealth operations more effectively. His quirk may not have been great for stealth but he wanted to train his body to be more flexible and quiet, just like Aizawa.
"Two minutes?" Aizawa asked.
"Um, pardon me?"
"Did you brush your teeth for two minutes?" Aizawa looked up from the papers in his lap.
Tamaki pressed his lips together as he looked into the room at nothing in particular. "I guess so."
"Hmm, we can work on that." Aizawa took another sip from his coffee.
Why was he so concerned with Tamaki's habits?
"Uh, so, the work-study?" Tamaki wanted the focus to shift off of his personal hygiene, he was here for experience after all.
"Yes, your work-study." Aizawa set his cup down on a coaster and then flipped to the first page in the folder. "You'll be spending the whole week here with me. I have the guest bedroom set up for you to stay."
This was news to Tamaki. He would have to go back to his dorm room to get a few things then...
"Uh, but my room is just in the other building." Tamaki interrupted but his silent question needed an answer- why would he need to stay here?
Aizawa paused for a moment. "I can't have one student in the dorms by themselves, you're safer here with me. Please don't interrupt me again. I'll let you know when you can ask me questions."
Tamaki nodded, keeping his mouth shut.
"As I said you will be staying here. It seems you packed light so we can swing by your room later. We have a big week filled with training so I expect honesty and determination."
Aizawa waited for a confirmation nod from Tamaki before continuing.
"It has come to my attention that you have not been taking care of yourself recently. That you haven't dropped into your head space in," Aizawa turned the page of his notes, "a number of weeks. I'm giving you an entire week's worth of opportunities to correct this."
Tamaki's blood drained to his feet. How did Aizawa know this? Sure, it's been a while since he dropped but he had good reason not to!
"Aizawa Sen-" "I'm not finished."
Tamaki shifted on the couch.
"I am not happy with your lack of self-care for your physical and mental health. Your results from training have been declining and not dropping into your headspace is a poor habit for a Little. This week I'm going to be taking care of that."
Aizawa closed the folder in his lap and took up his mug again. "Questions?"
Uh, many.
Tamaki opened his mouth but stuttered over a few words.
"Take your time," Aizawa's voice was smooth and calm like any Caregiver would be.
He didn't think their presentations would come into any sort of consideration during this work study. Tamaki didn't want to be treated as less than just for being a Little Hero Student. There were laws against that discrimination!
"Am I- are we still going to be doing hero training?"
"This will be your training for the week. A hero cannot save others if they need to be saved themselves."
"But, Sensai, I can't fall behind! I can't just-"
Aizawa interrupted his racing thoughts. "I will not let you fall behind in the class. Your training has recently been mediocre at best but after this week I have every confidence that you will earn those lost grades."
Fucking ouch. Tamaki shrank into the couch. "Mediocre? L-like bad?"
Aizawa shook his head. "Not bad, just needs working on."
Tamaki knew he needed to catch up but he convinced himself he needed to work harder- not take a break to fall into his headspace. He brought his knees up and wrapped his arms around his legs, needing the comfort of his own touch.
"I need to work harder to keep up with the class. I can't lose my spot in the Big Three!" Silent sobs shook his body. "I have to train! I can't sit around all day and pretend to play house, I need to work!"
Aizawa had expected a tantrum from Tamaki. He knew the Little was pent up but he needed some rules and discipline.
"This is work, Amajiki. You are going to be working on your health and from what I've seen. You clearly need it."
Aizawa was a no-nonsense teacher, Tamaki knew that, but this sounded like foolery from the start. Tamaki frowned with a sniff and took up his backpack to throw over his shoulder.
"I'm not doing this. I'm going to find another work study." He turned and marched to the door, wiping the angry, frustrated, stinging tears from his eyes.
Aizawa let out a small chuckle. He would let the outburst slide this time but he wouldn't be so generous if it happened again. "Humour me and stay. If you can handle one day here and prove to me that you don't need my help, then I will let you go to find a new work-study."
"No!" Tamaki reached the genkan to shove his shoes on. Aizawa had finally gotten up to follow. "I don't need to prove to you that I'm fine."
Aizawa held back a smile. Oh, Tamaki really needed some guidance if he was talking like this. "I am currently the hero in charge of your work-study so yes, you do have to prove to me that you can handle the work I give you."
Tamaki ground his teeth together as he looked Aizawa in the eye. Fuck Aizawa. Tamaki didn't need to be babied for an entire week. He needed hero training and it looked like he wasn't going to be getting that here.
"I'm leaving." Tamaki turned and yanked on the door knob but it didn't move.
"It's locked." Aizawa's cool tone pissed Tamaki off even more.
Tamaki wrenched the door open once he unfastened the lock and stomped into the hallway. He would deny to the end of the Earth that part of him felt unsatisfied with how Aizawa wasn't chasing after him, begging him to come back, but Tamaki had more important things to worry about now.
He would have to talk to Nezu about getting a new work-study and then he would most likely not get to training until tomorrow. Maybe he could make up for the lost time by working on the weekend.
A yelp surprised Tamaki as he was captured in Aizawa's scarf. Aizawa wasn't wearing it earlier, how could he have gotten it so fast? Tamaki stopped in his tracks as he tried to free himself.
"Get this off me!"
Aizawa came up behind Tamaki and put a hand on his shoulder. "You are with me for your work-study this week. This is non-negotiable. You chose to be with me so you will see the consequences of your actions."
Tamaki attempted to kick Aizawa but in the process, he lost his balance and tumbled to the floor with a soft thud.
It was a feat to swallow back the sob that bubbled up in his chest and the tears that sprang to his eyes. "I'm not doing that!" He choked out.
Aizawa gave him a sad smile as he helped the kid to his feet. Tamaki was still squirming around to get free of the stupid scarf but he wasn't getting anywhere with it.
"Come. We have the whole week together." Aizawa towed Tamaki back into the apartment.
Tamaki was no longer happy with his choice of mentor.