By the time we stumbled through the front door, Aizawa looked like he'd gone through ten rounds with a Nomu. His hair was even more of a mess than usual, his capture weapon hung limply around his shoulders, and his entire aura just screamed done.

As for me, I was equally drained. The residual tingling from the black lightning had faded, leaving my body sore and my brain running a thousand miles a minute. I padded inside, my paws leaving faint impressions on the wooden floor, and flopped onto the rug in the living room.

Aizawa followed close behind and, with a heavy groan, collapsed face-first onto the floor next to me.

For a few moments, we just laid there in silence. The world felt still, and I found myself lulled by the quiet, the adrenaline of the fight finally wearing off.

Then it happened.

A sound I didn't expect—one that made my ears perk up and my eyes snap open.

It started as a low chuckle, muffled by the floor, but it quickly escalated into something much louder.

Aizawa was laughing.

Not a polite chuckle or a tired sigh of amusement, but a full-blown, unrestrained belly laugh. It echoed through the small living room, bouncing off the walls and filling the space with an energy that was entirely alien to the normally stoic man.

I blinked, my tail twitching in confusion.

"Is... is he okay?" I thought, tilting my head as I stared at him.

He rolled onto his back, clutching his stomach as the laughter continued, his face flushed from the effort. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, and every time it seemed like he was about to stop, he'd glance at me and start all over again.

What in the world is so funny?

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I meowed sharply, crawling closer to him, my green eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"What's so funny?" I demanded—or tried to. It came out as an indignant mew!

That only made him laugh harder.

I huffed, plopping my fluffy butt onto the floor and glaring at him. If he wasn't going to share the joke, I wasn't going to entertain him.

Eventually, his laughter began to taper off, replaced by soft chuckles as he wiped his eyes. He took a deep breath, still lying on the floor, and glanced at me with a lopsided grin.

"You," he said, his voice hoarse from laughing.

I tilted my head. Me? What did I do?

"I've spent my whole life wanting a cat," he continued, his tone lighter than I'd ever heard it. "Just a small, quiet, low-maintenance little feline to keep me company. Something simple. Something normal."

My ears twitched, and I stared at him, waiting for the punchline.

"And what do I get?" He sat up slightly, his grin widening. "A stray with a goddamn quirk."

Oh.

Oh.

I stared at him, my whiskers twitching in indignation. Excuse me?!

"You're ridiculous," he said, shaking his head as another small laugh escaped him. "The universe couldn't just let me have a regular cat, could it? No, I get the drama queen who leaps into danger and shoots lightning out of its tail."

My tail lashed behind me, the tip flicking sharply. First of all, that was a heroic rescue, not drama! And second, I didn't ask for this either!

But Aizawa didn't seem to care about my silent protests. He leaned back on his elbows, his dark eyes softening as he looked at me.

"Still," he muttered, his voice quieter now. "You've got guts, I'll give you that."

I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in his tone.

"You saved my life back there," he said, his expression serious. "I don't know what your deal is, but... thanks."

For a moment, I forgot about my indignation. My tail stopped lashing, and I found myself looking away, suddenly bashful under his gaze.

It's nothing, I wanted to say. You're my teacher. Of course I'd save you.

But all I managed was a soft, awkward mew.

Aizawa chuckled again, though this time it was quieter, almost fond. "Yeah, yeah. You're welcome, too."

He reached out hesitantly, his hand hovering over my head for a moment before finally resting there. His fingers were calloused but gentle as he scratched behind my ears.

I froze, unsure of how to react.

But then my body betrayed me.

The purr started low, a reluctant vibration in my chest, but it quickly grew louder, filling the room.

Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "Well, at least you're honest about that."

I huffed, turning my head away even as I leaned into his hand. This doesn't mean I forgive you for calling me ridiculous.

For a while, we stayed like that—just a man and his cat, both exhausted but strangely content.

And as much as I hated to admit it, in that moment, I didn't mind being his ridiculous, quirk-wielding stray.