Chapter 15
November eighth.
That is the date that is marked on his calendar, not marked by him but by someone who had entered his home before. He has a good number of people who had ever stepped foot here, but only a handful who would dare to pull such a stunt.
Almost like clockwork, his phone starts blowing up, the sound of notification alerting him, just after 10 minutes after his alarm goes off. He doesn't need to check it to know it's Hizashi who is texting him, overloading his phone with birthday wishes. Not too long after that, the notification is doubled as Nemuri and Taishiro join in.
It has been like this for the past six years.
He releases a quiet sigh, watching his phone blow up on the nightstand. He's aware of how aloof he is, rarely showing appreciation for them, even being mean to them sometimes (in his defense, they were being idiots some those times).
Even though he dislikes celebrating his birthday, he is still thankful that they took the time to send him those texts, even agreed to the set time he told them to (he was joking that time but they took it seriously).
They… They are his friends.
He can't deny that fact.
When he exits his bedroom, someone is already there, sitting on the sofa, with a steaming mug of tea in front of him on the low table, and another steaming mug of coffee next to it, waiting for him. He's not surprised, as he is always here every year.
"Good morning, Shouta."
"Nedzu."
"Happy birthday, Son."
"…Thank you."
Da… Nedzu gives him a warm smile, a smile that he knows is exclusively for him, something that he has only started to accept quite recently.
Though, one might say he accepted it a little too late.
He is thankful Nedzu is very understanding.
"Come, our drinks are ready," Nedzu urges, gesturing towards the two cups on the table that are slowly cooling away as time goes. Without any further words, he pads over before gently lowering himself into the sofa, sitting right next to Nedzu.
They both reach for the mugs, mugs two of a kind but indistinguishable from one another, mugs that are only taken out from the cupboard only for today, chipped, cracked and discolored from age yet still holding strong.
Mugs that are only meant for them both and no one else. A gift from him as a thank you for… adopting him.
They both take a sip out of their respective drinks in sync. It is warm to his tongue, right at the perfect temperature, like how Nedzu would usually make it, like how wants it.
He finds himself leaning into Nedzu. No words are exchanged. The atmosphere is serene. Everything is peaceful right now.
This… This is the tradition they share since before he was adopted. Even before he got this apartment, even when he was in another prefecture, even during the time where he was homeless, he and Nedzu would share a moment together on his birthday.
Nedzu would take the day off and vehemently refuse any meetings that would fall on the date. Even when his schedule is packed, even when there is a continuous onslaught of work befallen on him, Nedzu has never missed a year.
Because Nedzu is…
Nedzu is his… fa…
"No need to push yourself."
"…Don't want to make you wait longer."
"For you? Forever, my Son."
He leans further into Nedzu, almost engulfing him due to their significant height difference. Yet Nedzu shows no sign of discomfort or making any attempt to move away.
They continue to take small sips out of their beverages, leaning against each other, comforted by the quiet stillness of his home.
.
It is when their drinks are finally finished when there is a knock on the front door. He sighs as he sets down his mug before getting up from the comfort of the sofa and Nedzu, joints cracking on the way up. As he heads over to the door, he starts wondering if it is his friends surprising him. They don't come over every year and their surprise visits don't have a set schedule; they show up randomly (It is a surprise, after all).
When he opens the door, much to his surprise, it is no one he had expected.
Usagiyama, under her usual disguise, gives him a warm smile, one that even creases the corners of her eyes.
"Hey, Aizawa. Happy birthday."
He can't help but snort.
"Thank you. You could just text me," he states as he opens the door wider, silently gesturing to her to enter.
"I know, but I want it to be a little special," she replies, nodding him thanks as she walks past him. "I was plannin' to take you out somewhere but I have a feelin' you'd rather stay at home to celebrate it."
"You are correct," he answers as he closes the door. She turns around and grins widely, looking mighty proud of herself for some reason. When she turns back around, facing the couch, she suddenly stops dead in her tracks.
"Ah, Miruko! It's so nice to meet you here!" Nedzu greets, whose appearance is finally realized by Usagiyama. He can see that the mere voice from Nedzu already makes her tenses up.
"Principal Nedzu," she greets back a little stiffly. It seems even the brash Hero like her is intimidated by the Principal of UA, who still has the empty cup of tea in his paws. "What brings you here?" she asks formally, which sounds a little off putting, he has to be honest.
It doesn't sound like her.
"It's also what brought you here, Miruko!" Nedzu replies chirpily. It takes Usagiyama a little while before she turns around and gives him a look of surprise. He releases a sigh.
"He takes the day off to do this," he answers. Nedzu quickly tuts while shaking his head in disapproval.
"Now, now. You cannot just refer to the celebration of my son's birthday as "to do this". Shame on you."
Usagiyama now gives him a speechless look.
He looks away, embarrassed.
He is still too timid to say that Nedzu had adopted him.
"Well…" He can clearly hear she is still processing that info. "I wanted to bring a cake but Mic tipped me that you're not really into the sweet stuff."
"A great misfortune," Nedzu quips.
"Shut it."
That seems to make Usagiyama let out a light chuckle as she looks at him and Nedzu back and forth, looking a little disbelieving. Then, out of sudden, Nedzu puts down the cup on the saucer on the table with a little too much force, making a pointy clink.
'Of course, here we go again.'
"Why don't you take a seat, Miruko?" Nedzu asks politely, gesturing towards the other sofa that is on the opposite side of the coffee table. He can see Usagiyama gulps subtly before she complies, taking off her hat in the process and revealing her ears. She gives Nedzu a wobbly smile, showing her nervousness. "Now then, Shouta, would you kindly bring me a cup of tea?" Nedzu asks kindly with that polite smile of his. He rolls his eyes at that request.
That translates to 'Let me interrogate this person sitting across from me alone'. It's something he did a handful of times.
Nedzu is a little too protective of him, really.
"Don't be too harsh on her, Nedzu," he warns him before he walks over and picks up the cups from the table. From the corner of his eye, he can spy Usagiyama visibly panicking, realizing the situation she is about to be put in. He feigns ignorance as he straightens up and makes his way to the kitchen, leaving Nedzu and Usagiyama alone in the living room, even though it is not even that far.
He intentionally tunes out the conversation that is happening that is only separated by a wall between them. He takes his sweet time making tea while at the same time brewing a new cup of coffee. He'll make it the way Nedzu likes it, though he failed all the times before.
Still, he'll probably get it this time.
.
When he returns, the mood is a little livelier than he expected, because Usagiyama looks like she's about to burst her belly open along with her eyes popping out in disbelief, while Nedzu is in his "Narrator Mode" judging by that fake pair of glasses he always carry around while having a finger pointing to the ceiling, which means he had been telling stories to Usagiyama after the interrogation.
"He has yet to call me dad, you know."
"He fuckin' hasn't?!"
"Nedzu."
"See?"
"Aizawa, how could you?!"
"Usagiyama."
Usagiyama finally bursts out laughing so hard that she curls into a wheezing ball, choking on her own breath while at it. He releases a sigh as he places two cups of tea on the table, in front of Nedzu and Usagiyama, before setting down his own coffee cup.
"It must be quite a story you told her," he says dryly to Nedzu, glaring down at him. Nedzu merely gives him a smile as he takes off the glasses and pockets it… somewhere.
"It is never not interesting when it comes to you, Shouta," Nedzu replies. "For instance, how about that particular time where you-"
"Stop." He raises a hand, halting Nedzu from continuing any further. "No more stories. Enough about me," he says before he sits down on the armchair that is directly perpendicular to both Nedzu and Usagiyama, both are at equal distance to him.
"But Son, today is your birthday. It should be about you," Nedzu replies cheekily. He lets out a groan just as Usagiyama seems to finally get a breather, calming down from her laughing fit.
"Fuck, I need a drink after that," he hears Usagiyama mutters as she is slowly recovering.
"Perfect timing! A cup of tea has been especially prepared for you," Nedzu says as he gestures towards the cups between them. Usagiyama looks up, realizing the new items on the table, one of them is for her. She takes a few more breaths before she looks like she finally calms down.
"Tea?"
"Hm."
She carefully picks the cup off the saucer, staring down at the steaming content curiously just as Nedzu picks up his. He watches as she takes an experimental sip after blowing at it to cool it a little bit.
Immediately, her eyes widened in shock.
"Holy shit this is the best tea I ever had," she says immediately after gulping, sounding completely astonished and taken aback.
"You should try his," he replies, nodding towards Nedzu who is now taking a sip of the tea he made. "It's what I'm trying to do but I just can't seem to do it."
"You are getting there, Son," Nedzu says, looking satisfied with what he has tasted.
He's not satisfied, though.
"Now I see why you bought tea," Usagiyama says to him. He hums before he picks his own cup and takes a small sip himself. "For someone who doesn't drink tea you sure made a killer blend."
"I hope he wasn't being insufferable," he says to her after swallowing the hot beverage, while giving Nedzu a stink eye. The mouse-rat thing pretends he doesn't hear the conversation right now, happily sipping away on his tea.
"All's good," Usagiyama replies, giving him a reassuring smile. "Though, talkin' to him did give me some insight about you."
"Is that so?" He gives her a raised eyebrow, curious. Here he thought Nedzu had been only telling her of his… misadventures, to put it politely.
"Yep!" She says with a wide grin. "It means I don't have to worry!"
"What does that mean?"
She doesn't answer, merely cackling before she puts the cup to her lips once more. There is a hint of blush on her cheeks too. He looks over to Nedzu, searching for a little clarification.
Nedzu only smiles at him innocently. It only makes him frown.
"Well, it's a shame that one has to be patient when it comes to him," Nedzu suddenly starts before he starts obnoxiously sipping his tea. Usagiyama hums in affirmation. He knows Nedzu is talking about him.
"Well, it's a fortune for one that he is not dense," Usagiyama suddenly adds before she starts obnoxiously sipping his tea. Nedzu hums in affirmation. He definitely knows Usagiyama is talking about him.
He glares at both of them. They merely smile at him.
And that… makes him freeze on the spot.
Both of them have warm smiles on their faces, yet distinctive from each other. Both show different kinds of emotions for him, yet share the same feeling of…
…affection.
Unsolicited Dadzu moment again? Yes please