"Do ... you have an idea in mind?"

"I actually do," Shoji assured with a warm smile.

"What is it?" Mineta asked.

"What if you came over to my place?" Shoji suggested.

Mineta immediately felt his face heat up. He silently prayed that Shoji wouldn't notice. "A-Are you sure? I don't want to intrude-"

"Of course I'm sure," Shoji cut in. "I want to help however I can. Think about it. After an attack like that, he might still be after you. You coming to UA might be obvious. But if you went to a classmate, you'd be safer."

Mineta let this logic sink in. He DID have a point.

"My mom won't mind at all, either. She's a very understanding woman," Shoji added.

"Yeah, but ... wouldn't you still have to let her know?" Mineta asked.

"I would. Let me text her real quick," Shoji said, pulling out his phone.

Mineta nodded in understanding and watched his crush tap away on his phone.

I can't believe he just offered to let me stay at his place! I'm nervous, but at the same time, I'm excited! I can't believe I'm about to meet his family! And we're not even together yet!

No. Don't think too far ahead like that. I still don't know how he feels about me.

"She says she wants to talk to you, so she's going to call," Shoji said, snapping Mineta out of his thoughts.

"Okay. I'm fine with that," Mineta agreed.

Before long, Shoji got his mom on the phone. He also put her on speaker so that they can both talk.

"Hey, Mom."

"Hello, Mezo! Is your friend there?" A friendly sounding voice said on the other end.

"Yeah, he's here," Shoji confirmed. He nodded to Mineta, encouraging him to say something.

Okay ... no big deal! Just ... talking to my crush's mom for the first time! Mineta told himself. "Hey, Mrs. Shoji!" Nailed it!

"Mezo told me you'd gotten hurt and you need a place to stay."

"Y-Yeah. That's right," Mineta said with a sad sigh.

"Well, I'm not gonna ask for details. Why don't you come over? So we can talk face to face?"

Once again, Mineta's face turned red, but he tried his best to hide it. "Yeah! I'd like that!" AJDHDBSODJSBCOQKX

"All right, then! I'll see you two soon!"

"Bye, Mom."

"Bye, Mrs. Shoji."

With that, Shoji hung up.

"I'll go see if you have the ok to leave," Shoji said.

"All right. I'll wait here," Mineta replied.

Shoji nodded and walked out the door of his room.

Aizawa and Recovery Girl were waiting outside.

"How's he doing?" Aizawa asked.

"Better," Shoji replied. "Um ... I was thinking ... if it's alright with you ... would it be okay if Mineta came home with me?"

Aizawa slowly blinked in surprise. Then he smiled a little. "Providing him shelter, huh?"

"Well, I offered and he accepted. My mom's okay with it, too."

Aizawa took a moment to think about this. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay," Aizawa said after considering a little more. "But if there is any trouble, alert me immediately."

"I will, sir. That said, is it okay for him to leave?" Shoji asked.

Recovery Girl spoke up at this. "Oh, yes. Just makes sure he gets plenty of rest. I may not fully know what happened, but I can tell he's been through a lot."

Within minutes, the two boys were walking towards the Shoji household.

Mineta shivered in the breeze that blew past him and wrapped the poncho tighter around himself. Shoji had insisted he wore it the journey back. Mineta looked up at the taller boy, who had his arms folded, clearly trying to keep himself warm. "Are ... you sure you don't want the poncho?"

"Positive. I don't want to risk you freezing a second time," Shoji said, sounding both concerned and stern.

"But what about you? You're clearly cold. It's the least I could do. Y'know, since you found me and helped me," Mineta explained. He could feel his face heating up. Thankfully, the cold had already made his cheeks pink, so it wasn't obvious.

"It's fine, really. We're almost home, anyway," Shoji insisted.

"Well ... if you're sure," Mineta said, adjusting the poncho so that it covered the bottom half of his face, shielding it from the cold. He quietly inhaled, taking in the poncho's scent. Mmm ... it smells nice. It smells just like him! This action alone made him more flustered, but his cheeks were hidden, so he knew it'd be fine.

Soon, they approached Shoji's house. The taller of the two pushed the door open and led the shorter inside.

A woman who was slightly shorter than Shoji with a silver pixie cut. Unlike her son, she only had two arms.

"Welcome home, kiddo!" Mrs. Shoji said, pulling her son into a hug.

"Hi, Mom," Shoji said, returning the hug.

"H-Hey, Mrs. Shoji!" Mineta said, nervously.

"So you're Mezo's friend! I don't think we formally introduced ourselves. I'm Omoiyari Shoji," Mrs. Shoji said, extending a hand.

Mineta took it and gave it a small shake. "Minoru Mineta!"

"It's nice to meet you! You boys came just in time. Lunch is almost ready. I made soup since it's frigid out there," Mrs. Shoji said, walking towards the kitchen. The two boys followed her.

When Mineta walked in, the scent of the food immediately filled his nose. It smelt ... amazing! Never once did he recall smelling something so good back at his house.

The two sat down as Mrs. Shoji set their bowls down in front of them. The she set down a bowl for herself and sat down. Shoji and his mom closed their eyes and folded their hands in a prayer position.

Mineta wasn't entirely sure what to do in that moment, so he decided to follow their lead.

I am grateful for the Shoji's for providing me with shelter when I need it most. I am also that I was even saved in the first place. I'm glad to have food right here in front of me that looks and smells absolutely amazing. I hope that things can work out between me and Shoji. Amen.

"Itadakimasu!" the three said in unison. With that, they started eating.

Sure enough, the soup tasted as good as it smelled. Mineta closed his eyes and gave a little hum, savoring the flavor. It was warm and tasted like ... comfort.

"Like it?" Shoji asked.

Mineta nodded eagerly and went for another bite.

"Mom made it whenever I had a rough day. It helps, doesn't it?" Shoji asked.

Mineta nodded again. "It really does. It makes me feel safe and loved."

"Love is a little ingredient of mine," Mrs. Shoji explained.

The three continued to eat for a bit when Mrs. Shoji spoke up again. "So, Minoru. You didn't bring anything?"

Mineta nearly choked on his soup but quickly recovered. "I-I couldn't ... I was forced to leave everything at home."

Mrs. Shoji could see the fear in Mineta's eyes and body language. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to ... but what DID happen? Mezo said you got hurt, but he didn't say how."

Mineta hesitated a moment. Then he looked at Shoji as if asking if it was safe.

Shoji got the message and nodded.

"Well ... my dad is abusive and homophobic. He found out I'm gay and ... I guess he just decided I'd be better off dead," Mineta explained.

"Oh," Mrs. Shoji said. "Well, don't worry. You're safe here. I'm an LGBTQ supporter. Officially became one when Mezo came out to me." She gave her son a smile at that last part.

"Wait, came out?" Mineta repeated. He knew Shoji would date a guy, but he didn't know his sexuality specifically.

"Yep! I'm biromantic demisexual," Shoji said, proudly.

"That's pretty cool!" Mineta said. Then he cleared his throat. "That said, I should probably head back to my house to gather some stuff I need."

"Woah, Mineta, are you sure?" Shoji asked.

Mineta nodded. "Yes. It's where my schoolwork, phone, and a change of clothes is."

"But what about-" Shoji started, but Mineta cut him off.

"I'll go when he's asleep. That way he'll never know I'm there."

"I'll come with you," Shoji offered. "In case you need help."

"You don't have to-"

"I insist."

Mineta was at a loss for words. He appreciated the help, but he didn't want to risk Shoji getting hurt.

"Mezo, are you sure?" his mom asked, clearly concerned.

"I'll be fine, Mom. I'm training to be a hero. Helping others no matter what the consequences may be is part of it," Shoji explained.

Mrs. Shoji knew she couldn't argue with that. He was right. "... okay. I'll allow it. But promise me you'll be careful. Both of you. I don't want either of you getting hurt."

"We'll be careful!" Mineta promised. "We'll be in and out!"

Hopefully...

And that's that. Hopefully the next chapter will be out within the week or so.