There's a new cat cafe on the outskirts of Kamino Ward. Hizashi and Nemuri have been pestering Shota to hang out with them away from the school, so he brings it up in the group chat. He figures it will be better than them eventually dragging him out to a bar or club or something. Since Shota never suggests anything, the two latch onto the idea immediately. They plan to visit the next time they all have an afternoon off which happens to be a Sunday three weeks out. As the time passes, Shota finds himself impatiently anticipating the trip. He wouldn't say he's excited, but Hizashi probably would.
The day before they're suppressed to go, Present Mic and Midnight both get called in to a large scale limelight raid and have to cancel. Shota considers not going for all of two minutes before deciding that trying to relax with a book around a bunch of new cats is still a much better option than staying around his apartment where he definitely wouldn't just spend the whole day pacing in worry. So, dressed in his hero uniform, just in case, with his hair pulled into a loose bun and goggles tucked safely into the folds of his capture scarf, Shota gets on a train toward Kamino. The train ride is pleasant enough with the fall colors of the leaves as they pass the more rural areas.
The cafe is a small stand alone building that looks like it may have once been a traditional tea house. It's been remodeled to include some of the more modern safety features including double insulated glass and a sliding door with hanging beads (likely to discourage the cats from leaving). The door is flanked with beautiful antique oil lamps and the sign is a simple black and white thing that depicts an elegant rendition of a Bakeneko in front of a full moon.
The beads tinkle together when Shota enters. A girl peeks her head through a door behind the counter that has more hanging beads before fully emerging with a brightly called greeting. Shota nods to her, doing a quick scan of the interior before walking up to the counter. It looks exceptionally small at first glance with an eclectic mix of strangely shaped bookshelves with cat beds and toys mixed into the books. There are a couple cat trees and a series of interesting cat walk shelving on the bare wall to the left. Seating in this front area consists of a traditional low table with floor pillows, a more standard round cafe table with three chairs, one of which is occupied, and a very comfy looking couch. There are at least five cats that are easily spotted. Shota thinks he sees an opening near the back behind one of the bookshelves that could lead to further seating. He scans the menu before ordering an anmitsu, the coffee special, which appears to be a Mochaccino of some kind, and three hours of time. Once he's paid, she assures him that he's welcome to find a spot anywhere and she will bring his order to him.
As Shota steps away from the counter, he studies the space once more. There is indeed a gap between two bookshelves in the back corner that leads to further seating, but the couch really does look comfortable and he'd rather be in view of the door anyway. Shota hesitates for another moment as he studies the other occupant of the cafe. The round table that he's seated at is directly next to the couch.
The man appears to be in his early twenties with a wild mess of soft looking dark green curls that hang low over his eyes as he leans over a notebook. He's wearing what would be considered a stylish oversized hooded sweatshirt with its boxy cut that is a solid pastel pink with fancy black script that only has the English word 'trainer'. There is a fluffy grey cat draped over his shoulders that he absently scratches under the chin before glancing up at Shota. Shota tears his gaze away, glancing down to the tortoiseshell kitten that is curled up on a bright red sneaker before scanning over the room once more. With a soft huff, he moves past the man to settle onto the couch, leaning forward to wiggle his fingers at a black cat with three legs that immediately approaches him.
"...fights... quirkless against mutant types... metal alloy... glow red... UA..." The mumbling coming from the green haired man isn't quite loud enough for Shota to hear all of it but he is very quickly realizing the things he's catching are about him. Disturbingly accurate things about him. Startled, Shota stiffens. He shifts his gaze back onto the man who is now facing mostly away from him. He's slouched comfortably into the chair, completely relaxed. Shota can't tell his physique under the baggy sweatshirt, but his eyes catch on what looks like a knife handle peaking above the sock on his right foot. The man doesn't appear to have a bag with him, but could very possibly have additional weapons hidden under his clothes. Instinctively, his hand moves to his capture scarf as he catches another comment about how his hair floats with his quirk. As he completes his third mental plan of attack, he finds himself standing in front of the man's table.
"Excuse me." Shota's voice is sharp and dangerous, the tone he usually only uses with villains. The man doesn't flinch but he does make a sort of "eep" sound as he snaps his mouth closed and head up.
"Y-yes?" The man responds with a bashful smile and a flash of a grimace at the stutter. Shota narrows his eyes.
"How do you know so much about me?" Shota demands. He keeps his posture to one of relaxed annoyance, arms loosely crossed over his chest and spine straight. In reality, he's looming over the other man, ready to pounce. The man's eyes go wide and Shota's catch on their deep green color.
"Ah. I'm Sorry! It's not usually quiet enough for people to hear me, but the sound system isn't up and running yet and none of the cats are playing right now and... that's not what you asked me." The man moves one hand to tap nervously at his mug. Shota raises an eyebrow at him.
"Right! Sorry! Umm. Well. I've been watching you since you won the sports festival and there's this underground hero forum where people post when they've been helped by a hero they don't recognize. You've always really inspired me but it took a lot of work to piece together all the bits and piece about you and find the videos before your agency took them down. You must have a really good tech department, by the way, I had to program an AI to track facial recognition on newly uploaded videos to catch any. Don't worry, if any of them stay up for more than an hour, I take them down myself." As the man continues speaking, Shota can't keep himself from tensing in discomfort. Is this guy some kind of psychotic fan? He never thought he'd have to deal with one of those. He doesn't seem dangerous, though. The man's posture is still very relaxed, even with the nervous rambling.
"Just who are you?" Shota mumbles, mostly to himself. The other man must have heard him though, as his mouth snaps shut once more, eyes going wide again.
"Oh my All Might, I'm so sorry. Midoriya Izuku. Any Pronouns. Analyst and Underground Hero Aporia. Nice to meet you, Eraserhead, sir." The man - Midoriya, extends his right hand as the left goes up to scratch at the grey cat's ear. Shota feels his muscles relax with the introduction and sighs.
"Aizawa Shota. He/Him. I've heard of your work." Shota clasps the offered hand and watches Midoriya's freckled cheeks color with a slight blush. Shota runs the name through his head. Aporia. He had looked up the word when he had first heard of the hero a couple years back. An irresolvable internal contradiction in a text or argument. In Greek mythology, she was the goddess of difficulty and powerlessness. He wonders what it means for Midoriya.
"Good things, I hope?" Midoriya does grimace this time as his hand moves back to lift his mug, only to find it empty. Shota grunts in affirmation with a nod.
"Can I buy you another coffee?" Shota is surprised to find himself asking. Midoriya looks surprised for a second as well, but then beams at him.
"Only if you'll join me, Aizawa-san." The sunshine smile dims to a smirk as the girl from the counter comes out with Shota's order on a small tray, only to falter when she realizes he is still standing. Shota allows a tiny smirk of his own and places a hand on one of the chairs as he steps out of the way and nods the girl to the table
"Thank you. I'd like to order my friend here another drink, please." Shota turns to Midoriya and mummers, "What would you like?"
"Ah, I'll just have an iced coffee with pumpkin cream, cinnamon topping, and three shots of espresso, please." Midoriya rattles off like he has ordered this drink on multiple occasions. Shota picks up his special mochaccino and downs half of it in one gulp. He hums at the tart cherry taste that swirls with the bitter chocolate and coffee.
"Make that two of those, please." Shota amends, pulling out his wallet. He hands over what is likely enough for three drinks and takes the seat on Midoriya's right.
"Thank you. You didn't really need to do that.." Midoriya is tapping a pencil anxiously against the cover of the basic composition book that is now sitting closed in front of him. There is a matcha cheesecake off to the side that only has one bite out of it.
"Nonsense. I offered. You seem to know a lot about me, it seems only logical that I should learn more about you." Shota insists as the black cat he had been petting on the couch hops up into his lap.
"Sure. I guess. What do you want to know?" Midoriya looks hesitant, but still agrees. Shota thinks for a moment. He doesn't typically like talking to random people and rarely guides a conversation with Hizashi or Nemuri, so he's suddenly feeling somewhat lost.
"Whatever you're willing to tell me." Shota finds it's an honest answer. He knows so very little of this man, even as a hero. He's mainly heard of their analysis work providing pivotal information for a couple of successful raids. They've never worked together. Shota glances up to see the blush is back and their delicate lips are parted ever so slightly as they stare at him. After a long moment of staring, Shota feels his own cheeks begin to heat, so he ducks his face into his scarf.
"What?" Shota huffs. He takes another sip of the cherry mochaccino. Midoriya blinks and then smiles brightly once again.
"How 'bout we play 20 questions? With options to pass if necessary, but you can't just pass on all the questions. You get an answer for every answer you give. - Thank you." Midoriya's voice sounds cheery and excited before he cut off slightly to brightly thank the girl for bringing them the iced coffee drinks. Before she can walk away again, Shota catches her eye.
"What are the cats' names?" Shota asks in his typical flat tone. She blinks at him for a moment and glances at Midoriya before slowly turning in place to point out each cat with a name. The one on Midoriya's shoulders is Mizuki, the kitten at his feet is Azuki, and the one in Shota's lap is Dopamine, or Dope for short. Honestly, Shota wants to take him home. With this in mind, and apparently feeling rather impulsive today, he blurts out another question as the girl turns to leave.
"Are the cats adoptable?" Shota is startling himself with his own questions today so this one comes out almost demanding. The girl looks at him strangely for a moment then simply nods and moves back through the door behind the counter. Shota hides his frown in his capture scarf.
"I hope she didn't think I was being rude. I wasn't meaning to." Shota says softly into the last of his warm drink. Midoriya chuckles and it makes Shota's heart do a little flip in his chest.
"She was probably just confused. You could have asked me both of those questions. I own this place, after all." Midoriya grins, but this time it looks somewhat mischievous. Shota blinks at him.
"How many jobs do you have?" Shota lets a little bit of disbelief bleed into his voice. Midoriya giggles this time and Shota's chest feels warm.
"Ah. Umm, just the three for now, though I am working on my teaching certificate and quirk counseling license. Is this us starting 20 questions?" Midoriya's smirk is back. Shota snorts lightly and watches Midoriya's eyes brighten further.
"Sure. Your turn for a question then." Shota agrees.
"Hmm. Tell me all your favorites? Food, color, season, weather, that kind of thing." Midoriya suggests happily.
"Does that really count as one question, Midoriya?" Shota raises an eyebrow.
"Izuku. I mean.. Please call me Izuku. If you want." Mido- Izuku interjects. Shota blinks slowly, feeling the heat in his cheeks.
"Shota, then. But you didn't answer my question, Izuku." Shota decides. Impulsive, again.
"Yes, it counts as one question. Come on then, Shota. Favorites." Izuku smirks, rolling his eyes, and oh, Shota could listen to this man say his name all day.
"Fine. Udon, yellow, cloudy days in early spring, and cats." Shota holds up Dope for emphasis on the last one. The cat uses its new height to twist and climb into his capture scarf.
"What are your favorites?" Shota counters. Izuku hums for a moment.
"Katsudon, Red, Winter, and that hour after a really good rain where everything is kind of yellow and wet and quiet and the air smells like clean dirt." Izuku muses, then continues with, "Do you always wear your hero costume?"
"More or less. I like to be prepared and always have at least a weapon or two, just like you do." Shota smirks and he can't hide it in his scarf this time as Dope is curled just under his chin. "How many weapons do you have on you right now?"
"Three knives and a tranq dart on my person." Izuku answers with a flush and Shota can't help looking a little impressed. "Why don't you keep your hair up when you're fighting? It's such an easy tell." Shota would be almost insulted if there wasn't clear curiosity and concern mixed into the words.
"Believe it or not, the homeless look is intentional. It helps me blend in on the streets that I patrol. Besides that, I rarely run into situations where I'm in a fight long enough and still enough for anyone to notice when it stops floating during the fight. It's generally not something the people involved in the fight pay attention to. And anyway, there are very few hair styles that can last through parkour and more than two or three quirk uses." As Shota explains, Izuku reopens his notebook and starts writing. "What do you write in there?"
"Oh! Sorry. I'll stop if it makes you uncomfortable.." Izuku sounds like he's going to start a rambling apology and that was not Shota's intention, so he holds up a hand to stop him.
"It's fine. No need to apologize. You can take notes if you want to. At least that's what I'm guessing you were doing? I was just curious." Shota placates, finally moving to start eating his anmitsu.
"Oh. Okay. Well, I've always analyzed heroes since I was a little kid. Mostly just because I
thought they were cool, but then as a way to develop the skill to use in becoming a hero myself. Now, most of my work analyses are done on villains or scenarios. I only get the occasional commission for improvement suggestions on other heroes, so I mostly just take notes on other heroes as a hobby. It gives me a solid basis for any commissions and lets me keep track of which heroes I'd rather not work with, but mostly it's just fun. I like to come up with the most outlandish ideas for what a quirk could do and how that potential aspect could be improved on with different support gear. Like, for you, is erasure a line of sight quirk or an awareness quirk?" Izuku starts softly but at Shota's continued apparent interest he gets more enthusiastic through the explanation.
"I'm not sure I've ever made the distinction. I've always assumed it was line of sight since it turns off when I blink. We could test it?" Shota offers though he's not entirely sure how. Izuku hums for a moment, eyes flicking towards the back areas of the cafe.
"We can't here. Maybe some other time. It's your question." Izuku's mood has dampened and Shota doesn't know why. He tries to think of something to lighten the mood.
"May I have your phone number?" Shota's really starting to wonder what happened to his brain to mouth filter today. "So, I could let you know if I get a chance to test it, though you might have to tell me more about the best ways to test the distinction." Shota reasons feeling mildly flustered. Dope begins a soft purring snore that Shota can feel vibrate through his collarbone.
"So, it's obviously connected to your eyesight, but if it is awareness based you should be able to use it through windows and mirrors or even potentially through paper walls if you can see shadows or with heat vision. If that's the case, you'd be able to use your quirk in pitch black darkness or through smoke and fog as long as your goggles have heat vision. That might be the most useful way to test it as there can be some distinctions, even in purely awareness based quirks." The enthusiastic explanation and possibilities are almost distracting enough to keep away the disappointment Shota feels at the apparent unwillingness to give him his number. He's still mildly aware that his face falls back into a carefully blank expression as he responds.
"I'm sure I can find a way to test that, then. The potential implications for improvement in my hero work would certainly be worth the effort." Shota averts his eyes as he feels Izuku's gaze shift away from his notebook to study him. Instead, he takes a sip of the iced coffee drink and glances out the window. It's delicious and somehow soothes him back into a more relaxed state as he watches a few leaves float toward the ground, caught in a breeze.
"This is good." He comments mildly with a small sigh. A new cat wanders out from the back section of the cafe. It is a large brown Maine coon. Shota lowers a hand to coax it over.
"His name is Kawhe. He's the only one not up for adoption." Izuku offers as the cat, Kawhe, stops to rub his face on Shota's hand.
"Why's that?" Shota wonders aloud, glancing up to find Izuku staring at him with an emotion he can't identify in his eyes.
"He's mine. I mean they all are, really, but he is a quirked animal. I had to get a special permit to bring him into Japan. I can't legally let anyone else take him, and I wouldn't want to." Izuku pauses, watching Kawhe jump into Shota's lap with a soft expression. "Anyway. It's your turn for a question."
"I asked one already." Shota grumbles petulantly under his breath, dragging a hand through bunny soft fur.
"You did?" Shota looks up at the confused question from Izuku. He didn't think he had said that
loud enough to be heard. He watches as the confusion turns to a look of flustered realization.
"Oh no. I'm so sorry. I'd love to have your number. I mean, for you to have my number, or to... for me to give it to you, I mean..." Izuku rushes out, moving to pull out his phone and hold it out to Shota. Shota feels the knot in his chest release. Mizuki digs her claws into Izuku's shoulder with his flustered movement, but he doesn't seem to notice. Shota glances at the phone screen, lit up to a Lock Screen image of a cat walking through a lavender field with a mushroom spirit thing on its back, then back up at Izuku.
"I think you'll need to unlock it." Shota deadpans and watches the blush that is already coloring Izuku's cheeks darken a few shades.
"Right! Right. Silly me." Izuku blusters, flipping the phone around and swiping at the screen before holding it out to Shota once more. This time the screen shows a new text conversation awaiting the recipient.
"So, what is Kawhe's quirk?" Shota asks while he's inputting his number.
"I thought it was my turn for a question?" Izuku teases. Shota shoots him a flat look, handing back the phone.
"He's got a mild emotion manipulation quirk. His purring can quite literally calm people from panic attacks." Izuku smiles, but it looks somewhat sad. Shota feels his own phone buzz as Izuku slips his back into a pocket. Izuku hesitates before continuing. "I got him assigned to me as an emotional support animal while I was at school in New Zealand, hence the Maori name." Shota preens slightly at having been offered information on what is clearly a sensitive topic. He can connect the dots to mean Izuku has struggled with panic attacks in the past, maybe still does.
"You went to school in New Zealand?" Shota prompts. Izuku huffs and rolls his eyes.
"You're not giving me a chance to ask you questions, you know." Izuku sighs and pauses to take a bite of his cheesecake. He chews slowly as he seems to consider something. He nods to himself before he starts speaking again.
"I had a... friend, with an explosion quirk, when I was little. He used it a lot, and the explosions were loud. I started having hearing loss around eleven. In the last year of middle school, he... got angry. He set off an explosion on my shoulder. It burned me enough to leave a scar and was loud enough that I went almost completely deaf in my left ear." Izuku pauses again, looking into Shota's eyes as if searching for something. Shota waits patiently, petting along Kawhe's back. He's not sure what Izuku is looking for, but a moment later he breaks eye contact and takes a deep breath.
"The school didn't do anything about it and the doctors here wouldn't help, so mom decided enough was enough. New Zealand is one of the closer places with fully inclusive anti- discrimination laws due to their higher population of quirkless people. She found a quirkless woman through a group online and sent me to live with her. I stayed with her in Mangonui for five years, got advanced quirk-proof hearing aids and medical treatment, went to a small hero school, and then came back here to start my hero career and follow my dreams of being able to help kids like me." Izuku smiles softly as he continues to stare down at the table where his hands are busy twirling his pencil. Shota takes a moment to process this information.
"So that's why you could hear me." Shota says softly, taking another sip of his drink. Izuku lets out a startled laugh.
"That's what you focus on? Not the fact that I'm quirkless or scarred, but that I have advanced
hearing aids?" Izuku looks at him a little incredulously. Shota shrugs.
"Why would those things be important? Every hero has scars and a quirk is just a tool. My friend has those quirk-proof hearing aids, too. It's crazy how much those things can pick up. That guy with an explosion quirk, though. He doesn't sound like much of a friend." Shota responds, picking through what's left of his anmitsu for a piece of persimmon. Izuku laughs again, though this time its a softer, more genuine laugh. He puts down the pencil in favor of scratching at Mizuki's chin again.
"You're probably right. He was a friend, at some point. At least until he started buying into the quirkless are useless ideology." Izuku admits. Shota watches him consideringly for a moment.
"Is that why you chose Aporia? God of the powerless?" Shota wonders aloud. Izuku hums.
"Kind of. She wasn't really a god in Greek mythology. She was the personified spirit of want, difficulty, and powerlessness. A companion of poverty and strife. A counterpart of helplessness. In one of the stories, Aporia is nothing but an apple that stays small and unobtrusive unless you choose to fight it. With every strike of Heracles's club, the apple gets bigger until it completely blocks his way. In another, he was the excuse used against compulsion to keep people from giving money to the corrupt. I know what it's like to feel helpless. I am familiar with poverty and strife. I want to be the kind of hero that protects people from the corrupt. I am the kind of hero that wont fight you unless you decide to hurt the innocent in some way. Besides, a powerless hero feels like a contradiction of itself, so I fit the modern definition of the word, too. For those that don't know I'm quirkless, the idea that it refers to a logical disjunction can provide some confusion. For those that don't know the meaning, Aporia is just a pretty name. It tends to lend to people underestimating me." Shota doesn't notice the soft smile on his own face, but he does take note of the deep blush on Izuku's cheeks and the way that his eyes seem to linger on his lips. Shota leans forward and opens his mouth to say something, though he's not entirely sure what. Before he can speak a word, he finds a finger against his lips.
"It's definitely my turn to ask a question." Izuku declares, pulling his hand back. Shota grins. He knows it's one of those grins that Nemuri calls creepy and tends to scare his students, but Izuku only smiles in return.
"What's the story behind Eraserhead? Why'd you choose to be a hero? Why Underground?" Izuku asks, leaning forward to scoop Azuki off the floor so that he can adjust his legs. Mizuki looks slightly disgruntled as the action makes her dig her nails in again to not be dislodged. Shota hums, scratching behind Kawhe's ear and watching Izuku settle the kitten onto his knee. He keeps his eyes down when he starts speaking.
"I grew up being called a villain. My quirk is a mutation. My mother had line of sight telekinesis and my father had a mild quirk enhancement that worked through five point contact. My parents were the first ones to call me a villain before they dropped me off at a group home. I decided to be a hero mostly out of spite. I fought my way into the UA hero course through the sports festival. I became a ward of UA at the same time as my transfer." Shota glances up at Izuku, unsure how much he really wants to share. The look in Izuku's eyes is one of interest and understanding. There is no pity or judgement. Shota runs through everything the other man has shared with him and finds himself opening his mouth to continue.
"I never wanted the spotlight. Never had friends before UA and am still far too much of an introvert to deal with the media. So underground heroics just made more sense to me. I developed my fighting style and capture weapon to work better in smaller ambush style fights with that goal in mind. In second year, I almost gave up. I was forced to realize just how serious heroics is as a
profession when one of my best friends died in a villain fight that I was a part of. Spite isn't really a good enough reason to constantly put your life at risk." Shota shrugs slightly, pausing at Izuku's parted lips.
"I heard about that. Loud Cloud, right? He saved that group of kids before the building collapsed while you were fighting the villain? I didn't know you guys were close. I'm sorry." Izuku mutters. Shota nods, eyes losing focus as he watches his own hand run through Kawhe's fur.
"Shirakumo Oboro. He was always so bright. Hizashi, too. They pulled me into their group when I joined their class in the hero course. They were always laughing and getting into some kind of trouble, the both of them. Oboro was always looking out for others. He loved kids. He was the one that told me I should teach. I miss him, but it's been eight years." Shota sighs, coming fully back to the present.
"His death hit me pretty hard. Hizashi and Nemuri tried to help but they were struggling, too. Nedzu had to step in and basically threaten my place in the hero course. I had to think long and hard about what it meant to me, beyond the spite. I figured out that really, I just wanted to help people. That it would be worth the risk if I could just keep people alive. Nedzu became a mentor of sorts and, after I made a name for myself in the underground, he took me on as a teacher. I try my best to make sure the kids I teach understand what they're getting into and are prepared to protect themselves. I don't want to see any more young heroes die." Shota admits softly. When he glances up, Izuku is smiling at him. It's a soft sort of smile, but there are stars in his eyes.
"I've heard you're a wonderful teacher, even if some of the kids are scared of you." Izuku's smile turns into more of a smirk. "And the name? Where'd Eraserhead come from?"
"I've never been good with naming things. Hizashi came up with it." Shota huffs, shrugging.
"Hizashi... That's Present Mic, right?" Izuku flips through his notebook as he asks. Shota hums in agreement. Izuku's smile falters for a second.
"Are you and them... close?" Izuku asks hesitantly. Shota is still kind of distracted from sharing so much about himself and misses the way Izuku blushes high on his cheekbones as his eyes shine with a strange kind of fear.
"Mm. They're my best friend. Like I said, they latched on when I was transferred into Heroics and haven't let go. We share an apartment, though I swear Nemuri is there just as often as Hizashi is. They have three jobs, too. You two would probably get along." Shota rambles out, slumping back in his chair. He runs a hand over Dope, who has just woken up with the movement.
"Ah. I'd love to meet them. I have so many theories about Voice." Izuku offers, though it sounds more awkward than the typical enthusiasm he's exhibited around quirk discussions so far. Shota looks over to study him and is met with an awkward smile as Izuku glances away. It's a reaction that makes Shota furrow his brows.
"They like quirk analysis, too, so I think they'd be happy to meet you and discuss anything you can think up about their quirk, but it's not like you have to meet them." Shota hedges. Izuku looks back up seeming somewhat startled.
"Oh! No. I mean, I really would love to meet them. Especially if they have an interest in quirk analysis, which I kind of guessed from a few of the things they've said on their radio show. Um, but, just... never mind." Izuku assures brightly before trailing off.
"What?" Shota narrows his eyes.
"Nothing. Just... It's nothing. Your turn for a question." Izuku smiles again, and it's still a little strained, but far less awkward. Shota lets it go and hums in thought.
"What was your favorite part about New Zealand?" Shota feels his shoulders slump in relief as Izuku's expression brightens.
"Oh, the scenery, definitely. Don't get me wrong, we have some beautiful places here in Japan, but there is so much there that is still so wild. It makes for a lot of breathtaking views." Izuku goes on to describe some of his favorite places with expressive hand gestures and bright smiles. Shota finds himself watching with a small smile of his own, much softer than his usual countenance.
It's late in the afternoon when Izuku leaves with excuses of needing to nap before patrol. Shota finds himself agreeing when Izuku mentions a hope of seeing each other again. Soon enough, Shota is on the train headed home. He's halfway back to Musutafu when his phone buzzes. He unlocks it to find a text message from Hizashi saying the mission was a success and that they're headed back to the apartment. When Shota clears the notification without responding, the older notification from an unknown number appears.
Unknown: This is Izuku. I'm really happy we met, Shota. Would you let me take you on a date sometime?