It had been three months since Nezu died. Arils refused to have a large funeral. She didn't want the commission to use Nezu's death as a publicity stunt. She instead hosted something small for the students and staff at U.A. A few other pros and vigilantes had come but other than that, no one was allowed in. After that, things changed. You and Via had reconnected, and you slowly began to feel like your old self again. Having Via and Arlis at your side again made you feel whole. The three of you had taken over the task force of finding Maltheal.

Arlis didn't want to discuss Nezu's death after he was buried. She had been conditioned her entire life to ignore feelings of pain, both emotional and physical. She moved out of Keigo's apartment, not wanting to burden anyone with her grief. You begged her to stay at U.A., but she refused. At the end of each month, she'd disappear for a week, not telling anyone where she was.

You knew the unbearable amount of pain she had to be in, but she refused to take help or comfort from anyone. You knew better than to push her on the subject of pain. You had once caught a glimpse of the pain her body was in all the time, and it crushed your entire soul. You wondered how someone in so much chronic pain could smile and laugh all the time as she did.

The kids were resuming classes and training hard, Eri was blissfully unaware of her biological father trying to kidnap her, and Shoto didn't seem too phased by his father's death. If anything, he had seemed slightly happy by it. His mother had been released out of the hospital and was living with his sister. Touya, on the other hand, needed to stay in the facility. The commission had found out about Via and him burning down the warehouse and was given a choice between staying there for a while longer or going to prison. He, of course, chose to stay at the facility. It seemed like, for the most, part your family was slowly coming back to normal.

The only thing missing was your fiancé. Aizawa had taken on tons of responsibility since Nezu died, and the stress was getting to him. He was exhausted and nearing his limit. You hadn't pushed for him to take a break until now. You knew him like the back of your hand. You didn't want to repeat what happened after Hitoshi's parents had died, so you decided to be proactive about the situation. You knocked on the door to his office in the dorms.

"Come in," he sighed.

You walked in and shut the door behind you. "Shota...come take a break for dinner," you say softly.

"I just need to finish this," he grumbles.

You walk over and gently cup his face. "My love. It can wait till tomorrow," you whisper. He looks at you and nods. He stands up and holds your hand as you walk out of the office with him. You get. To your apartment and lead him to the bathroom.

"What's this?" He asks, seeing the tub full of hot, steaming water, the scent of rose and lavender fill your head.

"You always take care of me...let me take care of you," you smile a little. His eyes widen, and he hugs you tightly, nuzzling into your neck.

"Thank you. I'm sorry I haven't been here," he whispers.

You smile and hold him. "I know. But I understand your responsibilities. I know the school appreciates you stepping up like this. And I do as well...but you need to remember you are one man, and you need to take a minute."

You both strip down, and you take his hair out of the low bun it was in. You get into the tub and pull him to you, holding him close, his back against your chest as you play with his hair. He closes his eyes, and a soft smile creeps across his face. You kiss his forehead and smile.

"I feel like I haven't spent time with you or the kids in forever," he sighs.

"Yeah, well, that happens when a crazy man is trying to kill our children," you sigh. You start to wash his chest, satisfied sighs leaving his lips. He holds your hand, interlocking your fingers with his. He kisses the back of your hand and looks at your ring.

"We haven't talked about the wedding," he says softly.

"We don't have to right now. Shota, just relax...please. Just be with me. You don't need to do anything. Just be with me right now. Everything else can come later. Just rest," you whisper.

He nods and closes his eyes again, relaxing against you as you wash him. You close your eyes and hold him tightly. You stay like that for a while, just breathing together. It seems so silly, but it feels so nice just to have him back in your arms. You feel like you haven't had any intimacy with Aizawa for months, and you weren't about to rush the little time you had together.

"I love you," you whisper. He snores a little, and you giggle, looking down at him, sleeping like a baby. You kiss his cheek and smile. "Shota, let's get out so you can sleep," you whisper.

He grumbles, and his eyes flutter open. He gets out of the bath, and you help him dry off and get into a pair of boxers. You lead him to bed, and he climbs in, falling asleep the second his head hits the pillow. You smile and sigh a little. You slip on some shorts and a t-shirt and walk out to the kitchen, putting the food away. You walk back into the bedroom and crawl into bed. The second the light goes off, Aizawa grabs you, yanking you to him and nuzzling into your chest. You giggle a little and play with his hair as he sleeps.

"Thank you...I love you too," he whispers. You smile and close your eyes, letting sleep claim you.