MHA: A King's Legacy (BNHA x AOT)

The morning light filtered through the windows, casting a soft glow across the dorm. Aiden stirred first, his eyes fluttering open to the faint hum of city life outside.

He blinked groggily, adjusting to the light, before realizing that something—or rather, someone—was nestled against him.

Turning his head slightly, he found Honey Lemon still fast asleep, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder, her arm lightly draped across his chest. For a moment, he froze, unsure of what to do.

What... when did this happen? Aiden thought, his mind racing. He remembered coming back late, finding her asleep on the couch, and grabbing a blanket. But this? This was definitely not planned.

He hesitated, glancing down at her peaceful face. Her golden hair spilled over her shoulders, and her lips were slightly parted as she breathed softly. She looked serene, almost angelic, and for a fleeting second, Aiden felt a pang of guilt for even considering moving and disturbing her.

Just as he was deciding how to extract himself from the situation, Honey began to stir. She mumbled something incoherent, her lashes fluttering as she slowly woke up.

When her eyes opened and met his, there was a brief moment of sleepy confusion. Then, as realization dawned on her, her cheeks turned a deep shade of pink.

"Oh... um..." Honey's voice was barely above a whisper as she quickly sat up, clutching the blanket around her. "Good morning!" she added, a little too enthusiastically, her nervous laugh betraying her embarrassment.

"Morning," Aiden replied, sitting up as well and rubbing the back of his neck. His own cheeks were slightly flushed, but he tried to play it cool. "Uh, sleep well?"

Honey nodded quickly, avoiding his gaze. "Yeah, really well! I mean, the couch was a little lumpy, but—" She paused, realizing that she hadn't slept on the couch for most of the night. "Oh... I, uh, guess I ended up here..."

Aiden chuckled nervously. "Yeah, looks like it. I didn't mean to, uh, invade your space or anything."

"No, no! It's totally fine!" Honey waved her hands frantically, her words tumbling over each other. "I mean, it's not like you did anything wrong or—oh, gosh, this sounds worse than I mean—" She stopped, burying her face in her hands. "I'm just going to stop talking now."

The two sat in silence for a moment, the tension thick but not unpleasant. Aiden finally broke it with a sheepish grin. "Well, I think we can agree... that was unexpected."

Honey let out a nervous laugh, peeking at him from between her fingers. "Yeah, unexpected is one way to put it."

Aiden stood up, stretching to ease the stiffness in his shoulders. "How about I make it up to you with breakfast? My treat."

Honey brightened at the offer, grateful for the change in topic. "That sounds great! But, uh... maybe we just keep this little... situation to ourselves?"

Aiden smirked. "What situation? I have no idea what you're talking about."

Honey gave him a grateful smile, her shoulders relaxing. "Thanks, Aiden."

As they both got ready for the day, the awkwardness slowly gave way to their usual camaraderie. Aiden couldn't help but chuckle as he heard Honey humming to herself while brushing her hair, and Honey felt a little lighter knowing he wasn't making a big deal out of the whole thing.

By the time they headed out to grab breakfast, the incident had almost faded into the background—though neither of them could quite ignore the lingering warmth they felt whenever their eyes met.

-

-

Aiden stood in the small dorm bathroom, his hands braced against the cool countertop as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed faintly, casting a stark glow that illuminated his slightly tired eyes.

He'd splashed cold water on his face moments ago, hoping it would shake off the fog in his mind, but it hadn't helped.

He let out a deep sigh, running a hand through his dreadlocks, which were starting to unravel slightly from his usual meticulous style.

On any other day, he would have focused on getting himself ready—dressing sharp, organizing his thoughts for class, and preparing for whatever the day might throw at him.

But this morning was different. This morning, his mind refused to cooperate.

Aiden's thoughts were a tangled mess, circling around Honey Lemon and the events of the previous night. At first, he had chalked up their growing closeness to their personalities meshing well.

Honey was warm, intelligent, and had a knack for making people feel comfortable.

Her infectious positivity drew him in, and he had assumed that what he felt was nothing more than a deep, platonic bond with a newfound friend.

But last night...

The memory of her soft breathing as she leaned against him, her golden hair brushing his arm, and the way she looked at him with those vibrant, expressive eyes—he couldn't deny the warmth it stirred in him.

And when she woke up, the awkwardness between them had only made him more aware of her.

"Dammit," he muttered under his breath, turning on the faucet again and splashing more water on his face.

This wasn't just about Honey. This was about Toru.

Aiden closed his eyes and leaned over the sink, the cold porcelain pressing against his palms. Toru's face filled his mind—her playful grin, the way her eyes sparkled when she teased him, the soft warmth of her voice when they spoke late at night.

She had been his anchor, his constant, ever since they started dating.

And yet, even as he thought about her, he couldn't ignore the guilt creeping into his chest.

He thought back to his past life—the pain of being dumped by his girlfriend back then. He'd been blindsided, left questioning everything about himself and what he had done wrong. That heartbreak had left a scar, one he never wanted to reopen. Toru had been a balm to that wound, showing him that love could be easy and joyful. But now...

Now I'm doing the one thing I swore I'd never do, he thought bitterly. I'm doubting myself. Doubting us.

Aiden straightened and gripped the edge of the countertop tightly. The logical part of him wanted to dismiss this as nothing more than fleeting feelings. After all, he was human—well, mostly—and it was natural to feel connected to someone he spent so much time with.

Honey was an incredible person, and he admired her deeply. But admiration wasn't supposed to feel like this.

He thought about how suppressing these emotions might affect him. He'd seen it happen to others—how ignoring feelings could turn into resentment, awkwardness, or worse. Honey didn't deserve that, and neither did Toru.

But what was the alternative? Admitting his feelings and risking everything? Telling Toru he might be developing feelings for someone else? It felt like a betrayal just to consider it.

I'm stuck, he thought, his jaw tightening. If I suppress this, I hurt myself and Honey. If I act on it, I hurt Toru. Either way, someone gets hurt.

He thought again about his ex from his previous life. The pain of losing her had been compounded by the shame of feeling like he wasn't enough.

That experience had shaped him, making him cautious about relationships and fiercely protective of the ones he valued.

Toru had filled a void in his life, reminding him of what it felt like to be loved and cherished. But now, with Honey...

Aiden shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He couldn't help but wonder if his feelings for Honey were a reflection of something deeper—something unresolved from his past.

Or maybe they were simply a result of proximity, of spending so much time together and finding comfort in her presence.

He turned off the faucet and grabbed a towel, wiping his face as he stared at his reflection once more. The man looking back at him seemed just as conflicted as he felt.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" he whispered to himself.

He knew he couldn't ignore this forever. Sooner or later, he'd have to make a choice—one that would impact not just him, but the people he cared about most.

For now, he decided, he would focus on the day ahead. Maybe some distance would help clear his mind, or maybe it would only make things harder.

Either way, he couldn't let this dilemma consume him.

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