Chapter 8: Evening Hangouts

When his dad told him, he was going out on Saturday with a friend, Hitoshi had a feeling this was different then when he goes to hang out with Uncle Zashi and Aunt Nemmy.

"Who's the friend?" Hitoshi asked. "Someone from school?"

"No, her name's Emi Fukukado," Aizawa informed him.

"So, it's your girlfriend?" Hitoshi asked.

"No," Aizawa told him. "She's just a friend."

"So, you want me to watch Eri again?" Hitoshi guessed.

"If you don't mind that is," Aizawa responded.

"No, we'll be fine," Hitoshi said.

"Good, I'll be back at about 8:30," Aizawa informed him. "There's some ramen in the fridge from dinner if you get hungry. Don't be afraid to call if something comes up." He grabbed his keys off the counter before heading up to Eri's room to tell her goodbye. Hitoshi sighed; he had a feeling this would not be the last time his dad would be leaving to with that woman. And to honest, Hitoshi wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.

Emi arrived at the cat café five minutes before seven. She set down her green and purple stripped bag onto a table near the door before ordering a pumpkin spice latte. She sat down and checked her phone to see if Aizawa had sent her a message as she sipped her drink. Aizawa arrived a few minutes later and ordered a black coffee before sitting down across from Emi.

"Hey," Emi greeted.

"Hey," Aizawa repeated.

"How's your week been?" Emi asked.

"Good, yours?" Aizawa asked.

"It's been good just usual stuff," Emi answered. Silence proceeded for a good couple of minutes. "So…you come here a lot?"

"Yeah," Aizawa replied. "I used to come here to grade. And my apartment doesn't allow pets, so this makes up for it."

"So. you're a cat person?" Emi guessed. Aizawa nodded.

"You?" Aizawa asked.

"Oh, well, I…" Emi started.

"A black coffee for Aizawa," a woman at the counter announced. Aizawa got out of his chair and took his cup from the woman. He walked back and sat down in his seat.

"What did you get?" Emi asked.

"Black coffee," Aizawa answered.

"Really?" Emi questioned. "But it's so bitter." Aizawa shrugged his shoulders.

"What did you get?" Aizawa responded.

"A pumpkin spice latte," Emi answered.

"Oh, so you're one of those people," Aizawa said.

"What do you mean?" Emi asked.

"You're one of the people that's on the 'pumpkin spice everything' train," Aizawa explained.

"No! Well, maybe a little," Emi said. "Okay so what if I am?" Aizawa shrugged his shoulders.

"I didn't say there was anything wrong with it," Aizawa responded. "I was just making a statement. You never answered my question."

"About cats and dogs?" Emi guessed. "Well I like both, but I lean more towards dogs." Aizawa took a sip of his black coffee before setting it back on the table.

"Well excuse me," Aizawa responded as he got out of his chair and made his way towards the door.

"Wait you're leaving?" Emi questioned.

"No," Aizawa responded. "What gave you that impression?" Emi noticed that his face looked serious.

"Aizawa, this is not funny," Emi said. "Are you seriously going to leave just because I said I like dogs more than cats?" Aizawa's eyebrows raised slightly.

"I never said that," Aizawa replied. "I just said excuse me."

"But that means you're leaving and given context you were implying that was the reason," Emi said as she stood up. A spark of mischief light in Aizawa's eyes.

"I did?" Aizawa questioned. "How so?"

"Uh. But you… you said," Emi started before huffing. "Forget it." She then noticed that Aizawa was holding and petting a calico cat. "Were you even listening?!"

"To which part?" Aizawa asked which infuriated Emi even more. She looked very red in the face but whether from embarrassment, anger, or both was unclear.

"You, inFURiating, obnoxious, CATistrafic excuse of a human being!" Emi exclaimed. Then the dam broke. Aizawa smiled before chuckling which quickly turned into laughter. Emi was confused. What just happened?

"CATistrafic excuse of a human being," Aizawa repeated. "OH. Now that's just…" He laughed before eventually calming down. "Relax Fukukado. I said excuse me as in I need to go to the restroom. Not as in I'm leaving."

"OH," Emi realized. She then laughed at her silliness. "Sorry about that. I thought for a minute you were teasing me."

"I was when I finally realized what you meant," Aizawa responded. "So, I figured teasing you a bit more wouldn't hurt."

'And she's kind of cute when flustered,' Aizawa thought. 'Wait, what?'

"THAT'S your idea of teasing?" Emi questioned as Aizawa continued to pet the cat.

"If you think that's bad, ask Nemuri about April Fool's Day a few years ago," Aizawa told her.

"Are you always so mean to your friends?" Emi asked.

"NO, though it's not like they're saints themselves," Aizawa responded.

"So, you're all mean to each other?" Emi said.

"That's one way to put it," Aizawa replied. Aizawa put the cat down. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I still need to use the restroom."

"OH, sorry about that!" Emi said. "I'll be at the table."

"Toshi?" Eri asked as she came down to the living room where Hitoshi was sitting on the coach. Hitoshi closed his notebook and smiled.

"Hey Eri," Hitoshi said. "What is it?"

"Umm, do you, would you mind playing with me?" Eri asked. Hitoshi placed it on the coach.

"I'd love to play with you," Hitoshi responded before getting up to follow his now smiling sister to her room. "So, what do you want to play?" Eri paused to think.

"Princess!" Eri exclaimed. "Wait we need Daddy to play that game." Eri's smile started to fade.

"Wait. What if…" Hitoshi started. He took Eri's rabbit, Deku, from her bed. "Deku is the princess; I'm the evil dragon, and you're the knight in shinning armor. Sound good?" Eri smiled and nodded.

"Can I put Deku in place?" Eri asked. Hitoshi gave her, Deku and Eri quickly built a tower out of jumbo legos. Hitoshi went to his room to grab the plastic armor and sword. When he came back, Eri had finished building the tower and had placed Deku on top. Hitoshi smiled.

The dragon had kidnapped Princess Deku and now it was to the daring, chivalrous…"

"What does chivalrous mean?" Eri asked.

"It means, um, it means courteous, kind, good, things like that," Hitoshi explained.

"Oh. Okay," Eri responded.

It was up the daring, chivalrous knight Eri to save the Princess from the horrible, monstrous dragon, Kai Chisaki. Eri approached the tower where Princess Deku was being detained. She ran up to it when suddenly Kai Chisaki the dragon appeared. He was blocking Eri's way to the tower. Eri pulled out her sword and ran towards the beast. The dragon blew his fire at the knight, but she blocked using her shield. Eri ran in between the dragon's legs and made her way to the tower. But the dragon was not letting her succeed so easily. He grabbed her and laughed. Eri struggled, but to no avail.

"Give up knight," the dragon said.

"NO!" Eri yelled. She stabbed the dragon in the hand causing it to release her. Eri then ran up, jumped, and stabbed the dragon in the heart. The dragon wince before wallowing in pain and collapsing to the ground dead. Eri ran up the tower and raced to meet the princess.

"Princess, you are safe," Eri assured Deku.

"OH, thank you knight Eri," Princess Deku responded in a high squeaky voice.

"Toshi!" Eri exclaimed through giggles.

"What?" Hitoshi responded.

"Your voice sounds funny," Eri said.

"Funny?" Hitoshi repeated teasingly. "Funny?" He grabbed his sister and started tickling her. "What's so funny?"

"Toshi! …. stop!….it!" Eri exclaimed through laughing. He kept laughing and Hitoshi kept tickling. Then the door opened, and Hitoshi stopped when he saw Aizawa standing in the doorway. Aizawa walked over to them and bent down. He smiled before grabbing Hitoshi and tickling him.

"What…the!" Hitoshi exclaimed before he burst out laughing. "Eri…"

"I'll save you!" Eri exclaimed. She jumped onto Hitoshi's back which helped Hitoshi bring Aizawa to the ground.

"Team take down!" Hitoshi exclaimed. Aizawa smiled.

"Alright, you got me," Aizawa responded. "Now, would you getting off me. You're both right on my stomach."

"OH, sorry," Toshi said before he got up. Aizawa sat up and noticed Eri was still in his lap. She hugged him and Aizawa returned it.

"You alright sweetie?" Aizawa asked.

"I'm just glad you're back," Eri admitted. "Could you please read me a bedtime story?"

"Of course," Aizawa responded. "But first how about you go get ready bed okay?" Eri nodded and let Aizawa go. She ran off towards the bathroom to brush her teeth leaving Hitoshi and Aizawa alone.

"How was it?" Hitoshi asked.

"It was good," Aizawa answered. "She is quite the character. Anyways." He pulled out a brown bag from outside the room and handed it to Hitoshi. "I got you your favorite." Hitoshi opened the bag and smiled.

"Thank you," Hitoshi responded.

"So, I was thinking tomorrow we could all head to the park," Aizawa said. "You up for it?"

"Sounds good to me," Hitoshi replied.