Hisashi sighed as he stared at the screen of his computer. A bunch of frantic emails had been sent his way by an old friend. Each one came with a wall of text, sent minutes within each other. He had to admire the speed in which one person can type all that in the matter of a few minutes, arguably seconds.
Still that admiration did him no good as he stared at the subject line.
'Storage Unit Break-In'
He rubbed his eyes and groaned.
"Five minutes. All I ask is for five minutes for nothing to go wrong. But no, someone has to go and make trouble for no good reason."
A new email popped up and he rolled his eyes before clicking on it.
Attached was a video of the incident. A crappy one, but it's something at least. He skimmed through it for a bit, until he saw the spot he was looking for. Figures slinking around, hard to see. They looked more like weird shadows with how they stuck to the darkness as best they could.
A moment later and the door to the unit was pulled up, the next the camera went out..
The temperature of the room skyrocketed for a moment before coming back down to something reasonable. Hisashi leaned back and took a deep breath.
"Okay, this is something that needs to be dealt with now. I can't put it off for too long. Good for nothing piece of-" he stopped himself. He couldn't let his temper flare out too much. It wouldn't do anyone any good.
He glared at the computer screen, then to the door of his office.
There was one factor that made it that much more complicated.
Izuku had seemed to be settling in well over the last few weeks. Going out more for walks, hanging out with that Eli kid, all while following the rules that were laid out for him.
Izuku was pretty self sufficient, he could cook for himself, and cleaned up whatever mess he made. He was still wary enough of his new home to not be willing to open the door whenever someone comes up.
He didn't like the idea of leaving Izuku on his own, but it's not like he can just ask a neighbor to look after him. He's not that close with anyone, on this side of the world at least. On the same side, it's not like he's a child. He can take care of himself. Even if it's just for a few days.
"...Okay. Okay let me lay this out for him and see how he does. It shouldn't be too much of a reaction…right?"
Hisashi got up and left his office, opening the door to hear the TV was on.
"Hey, Firebug, I need to talk to you real-"
He stopped when he saw Izuku on the couch, holding his cat high above himself as she meowed loudly at him.
"...What are you doing?"
"There is only a certain amount of chaos I can take, and the amount of chaos one kitten can cause, tends to compound on itself."
Izuku had Eri in air jail.
"I…see…"
"If you promise you'll stop trying to eat my sweater strings I'll put you down. And shoelaces are also on the list of things you can't eat."
Eri renewed her struggle.
"Alright. In air jail you stay."
Hisashi sighed and shook his head as Eri cried out loudly.
You know what…He'll probably be fine.
-.-
There was no way Izuku was going to be fine.
"There's a work emergency I've gotta take care of, and unfortunately it has to be in person. So I need to head out of town for a bit. I can't exactly take you with me kiddo so…"
"So it'll just be me and Eri here. Right?"
"Right!"
Izuku frowned to himself as he walked through the empty house.
The man had seemed all too eager to get out of the house and go on this work trip. If it was even that at all.
"He's probably used to having the house on his own, and now that he's got a kid to deal with it makes that house less welcoming, huh?" Izuku held up Eri to look at her. Not that she could answer.
"And after a while of me being here he just so happens to have a work trip. Great. Good for him. Grand idea really, leave your kid who has no real foothold here all alone white he's off doing whatever."
Eri simply looked up at him.
Izuku sighed as he sat down on the couch.
"I mean…it has its perks I guess. It's kinda nice to have the house to myself. I don't see him much during the day anyway, so it's not too big of a change."
Eri's only response was to swat at his sweater strings. She couldn't bite on them, so she resorted to just messing with them.
Fair enough.
Izuku sighed and laid back.
His father laid out a new set of rules to abide by while he was home alone.
"Okay, so while you're home alone, I've got a few other rules you need to abide by. Sound fair Firebug?"
"I guess."
"Good. It's just some general rules, common sense stuff. Don't leave the stove or oven unattended, don't go throwing any insane parties, and don't answer the door if you don't know who it is. I don't have too many friends here kiddo, so there's no real reason anybody should be knocking on my door. If someone does come by, someone you don't know, just head to the basement and stay there, okay?"
"I…yeah. Why would anyone-"
"It's a just in case scenario. But if that does happen, when you get to the basement give me a call. Alright?"
"Right…"
"Okay, there was something else. Come on, come on…oh! Same rule as going out, if you're going to be out and about you need to be home before sunset. Not after or during, before. And don't go anywhere near the woods Firebug, I mean it. I'm not gonna be here to bail you out."
"Right. I know those rules."
"Good. It's not too much, some pretty reasonable stuff. But, these rules aren't too harsh. I think you'll be fine kiddo."
Izuku sighed as he eyed the front door.
They were by all means, reasonable rules. Nothing too demanding or strange, it really was just common sense.
The man had also stocked the fridge full of groceries, and left some money behind just in case. So at least Izuku wouldn't starve.
He couldn't.
If he started skipping meals again he swears his mom would know and he'd get a scolding for it.
Izuku sighed as he checked his phone for any messages. There were no notifications other than a few pop ups regarding the language app he was using. Of course Eli wouldn't send anything, he was still in class. Though he did send Izuku a random post or two to look at during lunch.
He had nothing but time to kill, and he couldn't call his mom, she was likely still at work.
While Izuku began to scroll through some posts his phone buzzed and he looked down at the new notification. He nearly felt his heart stop when he read the message.
Hey. Shitnerd.
Izuku stared at the message, reading it over and over again. He was about to close it when another one was sent.
I know you're reading this Deku. Don't fucking ignore me!
Izuku deleted the message and tossed his phone aside. In just an instant, any attempt to make it a good day suddenly felt hollow. Whatever energy he had was gone now.
His phone buzzed again, then again, and again. He could already sense the wall of curses being sent his way.
Eri suddenly lost interest in his sweater strings and made her way over to his phone, which she began to lightly push around. When his phone began to near the edge of the couch he sighed.
"Hey, Eri."
She looked up as she gave one last push and his phone went clattering to the ground.
"How does a walk sound?"
-I-
Douxie was by all means off the clock, which means that Archie should be too.
After spending many nights at a time not only looking for the stray Kirin, but also dealing with other unsightly beasties that came roaming about, and working a job during the day, Douxie and his magic were spent.
The wizard deserved some time to rest. While there were still things to take care of, he couldn't do it running on empty.
While Douxie was resting, he decided to head out on his own for the day. Walk about the town. It was in broad daylight sure, but it was also a school and working day. So there wouldn't be too many people walking around the town to report a random cat.
Not that many did in the first place.
Arcadia was a free for all when it came to roaming cats.
Archie looked around as he slipped out of the store. As expected there weren't many people, a quiet day. Just how he liked it.
Just how he needed it.
His ear flicked as he chose a direction and began to walk.
There was something that had been bothering him as of late. On their searches through the town, he often found faint traces of magic. Though, it was strange. It was magic clearly, but it had a different feel to it.
It wasn't anything like Douxie's magic, solid casting and confidence, yet quick to fade to not leave too much of a trace. Using just enough of his magic to get the job done.
This new trace, it was…anxious, unsure. Afraid. Strangely enough it had no real path to follow most times. It seemed to collect in one spot, like an intense pressure building up but never releasing.
If Douxie had picked up on it, he hadn't made it known to Archie. Though there was the possibility he hadn't yet.
There was a lot going on, and Archie didn't like it. More creatures showing up, a Kirin which should be an ocean away, and this new magic trace.
There's a shift coming, something is going to change soon. For better or worse, Archie wasn't sure.
Archie looked around as he found himself in the park. It was there he had found one of the initial traces of that strange magic. It was near a bush, away from the open of the benches and paths. If there were a trail, it always tapered off somewhere. Hard to properly track.
It certainly fit the anxious energy that was emitted. Wanting to be hidden away, unperceived. At least the source seemed to be a non-hostile entity, so there was that to thank. Something as equally anxious as a frightened Kirin running around.
…Perhaps not as thankful.
This new entity may not be as docile as the Kirin if pushed too far.
Archie shook his head and began walking again, carefully crossing the street before heading down a sidewalk. Where he was going exactly, he wasn't sure. But it was somewhere.
He stopped and backed up when a door to a shop flew open and a girl darted out. She turned and was about to start running when she almost ran right into Archie.
"Oh! Sorry kitty! See ya Zoe!" A young woman with blonde hair stepped aside and raced past Archie. She had a bag in one arm and a phone to her ear. She continued talking once she was past him and on her way.
He was about to continue walking when the door opened again and someone came strolling out leisurely.
"Well, well, well, hey you. It's been a while."
Archie looked back and saw none other than Zoe standing behind him. She smiled as she leaned down and patted his head.
He allowed her to pick him up so he could perch on her shoulder. Something he's done with Douxie many times.
"It's been a minute since I've seen you or Douxie. Keeping busy are we?"
Archie glanced around before leaning slightly forward.
"You have no idea." He muttered. "It's only now that Douxie is finally getting some rest."
"Yeah, you two are usually together all the time. I was wondering why you're out and about all by yourself. Shouldn't you be off the clock too?"
"Hmm, perhaps. Unfortunately there are a lot of moving parts at the moment. I wanted to see if I could find anything we're looking for. At least get a head start on some of the current issues."
Zoe looked around as she crossed the street. "Such as?"
Archie hummed and did his own scan of the area again. Nobody around to pay attention to them, even more so when Zoe ducks into an alley.
"We found something some time ago. What's concerning is that we haven't been able to find any trace of it since."
"And what exactly did you find?"
Archie looked around again, just to be sure.
"A Kirin."
Zoe stared at him blankly for a moment as she mentally went over the list of creatures she knew.
"Doesn't sound like its from here."
"It's not, it originates from a different country. The poor thing is a long way from home, and injured. It's docile, but we'd rather not take any chances of someone harming it."
"No, no I understand. Though how did it get here of all places?" Zoe paused, shifting for a moment. "Hmm…"
"Unfortunately, I had a similar thought as well. The possibility of something or someone trading 'exotic' creatures." He sounded disgusted.
"Well, if that's the case then you and Douxie are going to need a little more than yourselves looking for this thing. Especially if other types of creatures are getting involved. I can see if a friend or two can put some ears to the ground, and see if they can find anything. I'm not a fan of 'Aurthurian duties', but I suppose Douxie will have to owe me one. Especially with something so serious."
"Thank you." Archie sighed. "It's always one thing after another, but if we can begin getting some of these issues settled, I believe we'll be fine."
"And what other issues could there possibly be?" Zoe reached up to scratch his head.
The familiar leaned into her touch before shaking his head, prompting her to stop. He hopped off her shoulder and onto a nearby dumpster. "I've begun picking up traces of something else in the area recently, it's rather anxious and tries to keep to itself. I can't quite tell what it is, but if Douxie has picked up on it as well, then he hasn't told me. Or isn't concerned about it."
"And if he hasn't?"
"Then I'll gladly tell him." Archie sighed and shook his head. "There's an awful lot going on."
"There's always something going on. Especially with Douxie involved." She reached over and pat his head again. "But considering it's him, it'll get resolved one way or another."
"I certainly hope so Zoe, I certainly hope so."
After a moment Zoe's phone went off, and she stopped her petting to reach for it. She glanced at the screen and rolled her eyes.
"Sorry Archie, I've gotta go." She turned away and pocketed her phone. "Hope you guys find everything alright, and be careful!"
Archie waved goodbye to her and watched her turn the corner.
He sat alone on the dumpster for a while, watching people pass by. Busy with their own lives, wholly unaware of the kind of world they lived in. There was something peaceful about it, how people could live in such a mundane way, looking in from the outside.
It gave him a moment to breathe and rest, but not for too long.
I ought to get back before Douxie wakes up.
With a sigh he stretched and hopped off of the dumpster and began to walk out of the alley. Just before he exited, he felt it.
Intense heat, building and building. Fear and uncertainty rising with each passing second. It was enough to make Archie stop in his tracks and look around. Then a wave of that anxious energy washed over him as someone passed by, drawing his attention immediately. For the moment it was minor, but could still be sensed.
Archie stepped out of the alley and looked ahead to see a young man in a sweater speed walking down the sidewalk. Shoulders hunched and head ducked as he stared at a buzzing phone. Though something else that caught his attention was the sight of a white kitten peeking out of his hood.
He tilted his head and looked around, before following the stranger.
His interest, and concern, were piqued.
-I-
Izuku frowned at his phone as he sped walked through the town. It had never stopped buzzing. Or well, it had for a while, and then it had begun buzzing again. He supposed Bakugo was sending him some texts before getting ready for school.
The fact it was about half past six in the morning in Japan made him realize that the boy had probably woke up, and texted him. And after getting ready, chose violence via text again.
His eyes skimmed over the messages, it was mostly a lot of swearing at him. Asking where he went, what happened.
Demanding an answer since, much to Izuku's dismay, the messages were labeled as read.
He wasn't sure what to say, what could he say? He had half a mind to block his number, but couldn't bring himself to do it. He was still…he was still Izuku's friend. He couldn't just… He couldn't do it.
He pocketed his phone and tried to ignore the incessant buzzing.
Eri meowed at him and he reached a hand up to pet her.
"I know, I know. It'll stop right now, he can't text me forever." He muttered. "He'll get busy, and then he'll stop. Even at the end of the day he'll probably be too focused on his own stuff…hopefully."
He only got a meow in return, and he sighed.
The walk didn't do much to settle his nerves, if anything it made him feel worse. More people were out and about, which meant he was in a crowd. He was surrounded by people he didn't know. An outsider hiding in plain sight.
He shook his head and sped up his walking. He wanted to get away and he knew the perfect spot. Besides, he found it to be a decent meeting spot for when he and Eli could meet up.
He looked around, then crossed the street. He knew how to get to the canals on his own by now. As he walked he couldn't help but think of what Jim had told him, to be wary of canals. To be wary of…creeps.
He shook his head. He'd be close enough to actual civilization, and so far the canals were the best place to find some kind of quiet.
He felt some relief as he walked further away from the busy streets and to the canal. He smiled to himself as he reached the canals and made his way down to the bottom. He settled down and allowed Eri to get down.
She walked around, but didn't travel too far. Instead pacing back and forth around the area, but always coming back to Izuku.
He smiled as he watched her, his phone had long since stopped buzzing. He didn't even pull out his phone, he didn't want to look at the messages. He wasn't even sure what to say to him.
"How long do you think my dad's gonna be gone?" Izuku asked Eri. The cat didn't respond, instead honing in on his shoelace and swatting at it.
"He didn't even say how long he'd be gone for. For all I know he'll be gone for a month." Izuku began to fiddle with his hands. "Glad for the heads up, really am. Ugh, what am I even supposed to do? Not like I do anything anyway."
Eri paused her swatting to look at Izuku. She let out a meow and hopped onto his leg. She didn't get far before he picked her up.
"Maybe we can go visit the museum, or that planetarium that Eli mentioned. I don't know if I can take you in, but I can always try sneaking you in."
She wiggled out of his hold and scaled his arm until she was settled on his shoulder again.
"I think I can manage it. Oh, there's that other bookshop we can check out. Maybe we'll find something there. We could always try hanging out with Eli on some other days."
All he got was another meow, and he sighed.
"What else can we really do?" He turned his head to look at her, and the only response she gave was putting a paw on his face.
"An insightful answer, thank you."
Eri was about to make more noise, when they heard another cat behind them. A deeper meow made them stop, and Izuku looked over his shoulder to see a black cat making its way down the canal.
It walked around him and sat down nearby, staring at Izuku.
"Oh, uh…hi kitty."
There he went, talking to cats again. Though when he looked over the cat, it seemed familiar for some reason. He didn't get long to think about it before Eri began meowing frantically and scrambled to get off his shoulder.
"W-Woah, hey. Eri, easy!" He picked her up and got to his feet, and the black cat hadn't moved at all. Instead it stared at them. "Eri, it's okay, really. Look, he's not hurting anyone."
Eri still continued her distress, small claws digging into his sweater.
After a moment Eri stopped her struggles but still kept a hard eye on the new cat.
"See? Nothing's wrong." Izuku knelt down again and held her with one hand. He stretched the other hand out towards the cat. The black cat watched him and leaned forward to sniff his hand, but did nothing else.
Eri was still unsettled, and Izuku stood up again. "Okay, okay. We can leave, no need to panic, okay?"
He adjusted his hold on her and sighed. "We can head home now, maybe get something to eat." He then looked down at the still calm black cat. "See ya kitty."
As Izuku walked off the black cat followed after. Izuku looked over his shoulder and noticed, but said nothing. A weird cat overall.
By the time he got home the black cat had still been following him, but trailed further behind. Eri hadn't settled down until they were inside, safe and sound from the outside world. Once the door was shut, the black cat turned around and headed home.
-I-
Archie slipped inside the shop quietly, moving around with practiced ease. His ears perked up as he heard someone shuffling around. He walked around until he spotted Douxie. Clearly he hadn't been awake for long, drooping eyes and slow movements. He shuffled over to a chair and sat down, sipping at a steaming mug in hand.
Archie hummed as he hopped onto another chair, and Douxie glanced over at him.
"Hey Arch, where have you been?"
"I went around the town for a bit, figured it wouldn't hurt to take another look at things."
"Oh Arch, you didn't have to do that. I thought you would have at least gotten some rest too."
The familiar settled down and watched Douxie take another sip of his drink. "I assure you I'm doing rather fine. Not to mention, it was rather fortuitous that I went out today."
"Yeah? How so?" The wizard looked his way.
"Well for one I ran into Zoe."
"Oh?" He smiled. "How is she doing? I can only imagine she's upset at me, mildly, but I did have to skip out on our last hangout."
"She's doing well, though surprisingly she didn't mention that." Archie shrugged. "Though, I did mention some of our current situation to her, and she offered to help."
Douxie nodded, the smile remaining on his face. "Sounds like her, also sounds like I owe her one"
"You owe her several actually."
"Sounds about right." Douxie took another sip of his mug and sighed. "Anything else that made the day fortuitous?"
Archie hummed and looked up. "Yes, actually. I believe I have solved a problem of ours."
"Which one?"
"The Kirin one."
Douxie stopped, and sat up straight. "Wait, you found the Kirin? That's great! Where is it? It's not hurt is it?"
"No, thankfully. The Kirin is safe, however therein lies our new issue."
Douxie let out a long sigh. "It just doesn't stop does it? Okay, fill me in Arch."
The familiar sat up and began pacing around the room. "As of recent I've begun to notice new traces in the area of Arcadia, more so around the town than anywhere else."
"Oh I'm not gonna like this am I?"
Archie continued, unbothered. "It's strange, as the trace is clearly magic, but far unlike anything I've sensed. It's more anxious and afraid, the places I've traced it too tend to have a small buildup of magic in one spot before it trails off and fades away. I for the life of me couldn't understand what was causing it, what it was. And then I was able to track it down."
Douxie stared at him, waiting for the answer. Dreading it really.
"It looks like we have a new wizard on our hands, Douxie. A young, untrained wizard that has unknowingly adopted a Kirin. And doesn't have a solid grasp on his magic, not in the slightest."
Douxie said nothing at first, he wasn't sure what to say at first. Until it culminated into a simple phrase.
"Oh. Oh no…"
-I-
Hisashi's eye twitched as he sat down in front of a fiery wreckage that used to be a car. He didn't mind the smell of burning rubber, melting metal, and something else unseemly. It didn't matter, it'd all be ashes soon enough.
The car and everything in it deserved to be set on fire the moment he opened the trunk and saw his property wasn't there. Which meant it was elsewhere.
Which meant he wasted his time.
He sighed and pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it with the burning flames, it was a filthy habit, he knew that, but a situation like this called for it.
He let out a puff of smoke and leaned back.
"Sorry Firebug, looks like I'm gonna be out a little longer than I thought."
-I-
"So, is your dad still on a business trip?"
"Yes."
"Do you know how long he'll be gone?"
"No, I do not."
Izuku was starting to wonder if Hisashi being gone for a little over a week now could be considered proper neglect.
He hadn't heard from him other than one text asking how he was doing, and if he was okay. Izuku said he was, and heard nothing back from him since. Which, great, wonderful.
Good to know the man was up to date on things.
He hadn't told his mom, either because of good will on his part towards his father, or simply not wanting to make his mom worried over him. When she asked where he was, he just said Hisashi was busy. Usually getting a quiet hum in response.
Looked like him being busy was a bit of a trend. Even before Izuku.
"Are you okay being on your own for so long? N-Not to imply you wouldn't be but, I mean it can't be nice being alone all the time."
Izuku snapped out of his thoughts. "I'm fine. Really." He said, and held up his kitten, who was half asleep. "I have Eri."
"Well, cats do make pretty good companionship." Eli picked up a small stone and tossed it further into the canal. Izuku placed Eri in his lap and let her rest. She ended up crawling into one of his pockets.
They had been hanging out a lot as of late, more so with Eli's suggestion. Often texting him and asking if he wanted to meet up after school. It also served to help Izuku practice his English more.
Every now and again, Eli was late, but always happy to see Izuku. Usually coming with something new to talk about, or ready to expand on a previous conversation. So far Eli's interest lied more in trying to prove there was something else in Arcadia. Monsters that were always just out of sight, watching and waiting.
For what? Eli had no clue, but he was certain there was something.
Izuku had read certain rambling on a certain blog he followed. Though it was more based on urban legends and the insistence of spirits existing.
Every now and again he'd turn the conversation back on Izuku, and ask about any strange happenings where he's from. If certain urban legends were true, if he had seen any for himself.
As usual, Izuku would deny seeing any of the fabled spirits that were commonly mentioned. Bathroom ghosts, Kappas, trains that took you to places that shouldn't exist. He did ask about superstitions though, since Izuku once mentioned his mom had been superstitious.
There was only so much Izuku could share, his mom had her superstitions, but they weren't as extreme as Eli may have been hoping.
"My mom doesn't like the sound of whistling at night."
"Huh?"
"Yeah, whistling inside or outside, apparently it uh, invites unwanted guests."
Eli looked interested. "Unwanted guests? Like monsters and stuff?"
"Er…perhaps?" Izuku shrugged. "As a child she would only say it would bring bad things. And I listened."
"You never asked?"
"She always seemed…scared." Izuku shrugged. "My mother stayed away from shrines and er, gates. As well as rural areas. I think I mentioned that…"
"Gates?"
"The gates, the…" Izuku trailed off, trying to emphasize the shapes they usually had. "T-Torii. The Torii gates."
"Oh. Wait, I think I've seen those online. I've always thought they looked kind of cool. Do they have any special meaning or…"
"Uh, sort of? They mark sacred spaces."
"Huh, that's pretty cool." Eli looked up. "I wonder if we have an equivalent to that in America. I'm not too sure if churches count or not."
Izuku shrugged, he couldn't help him there.
"Actually, speaking of urban legends, the whistling one you just mentioned, apparently that's a common one across a bunch of cultures. It kinda makes you think about what people have seen in the past. If they've come across some strange phenomenon too!" Eli typed in something on his phone and showed it to Izuku, showing off a list.
"Perhaps?"
"It really makes you think you know?"
Izuku nodded and leaned back, looking up at the sky. "It really does…"
It was a nice day out, he hoped there'd be rain sooner or later. Eli sat with him in a comfortable silence, it was surprisingly easy. Just hanging out, the pair of them. No teasing or harsh words, just simple interests and going over what they knew.
After a while Eli sighed.
"Uh, hey, Izuku?"
"Hm?"
"I don't want you to take it the wrong way, but I might not be able to hang out with you for a while."
Izuku stopped and gave him a surprised look. "Why?"
"Uh well, you see the school is gonna be hosting tryouts for a school play, and I wanna try out for it. If I get a part, I'm probably gonna be staying late after school for a bit, and practice on some weekends. Which means it'll be a little harder to hang out as often." Eli rushed through the last half of his words.
Izuku watched him for a moment, processing the words. Needing a moment to understand the rushed sentences.
"Oh! A school play?"
"Y-Yeah. Romeo and Juliet. I'm gonna be trying for Romeo, there's not a lot of people trying out so I think I might have a shot."
Eli watched Izuku, almost afraid of his reaction, before seeing him smile.
"That sounds nice! I hope you get the part!"
"Me too." Eli rubbed the back of his head. He was glad at the positive response. "I can let you know when I don't have rehearsal, and we can hang out then."
"That sounds good." Izuku said. "Thank you for letting me know."
"Yeah, no problem. But still, it's if I get the part. So we shouldn't-" Eli was cut off when his phone began ringing. "Sorry."
"It's okay."
Eli got up and answered his phone, walking away and talking quietly.
Izuku looked down at the kitten in his pocket, still fast asleep. He was glad. She had been starting to get a little restless at night. Running around his bed until she finally settled down to rest. She sometimes stared out the window until he made sure the curtains were fully closed. Even then she'd paw at the edges.
Which often led to him having to get something like tape to pin the edges of the curtain to the wall. Which admittedly, gave him some peace of mind as well. It felt like nothing could peer in from outside. The world was well and truly closed off to him.
Plus that was the only way Eri would leave the curtains alone.
Even though she was napping now, he hoped she'd be willing to settle down easier later that night. Especially considering he had adopted that curtain thing into his nightly routine now.
He looked up when he heard Eli say goodbye and walk over to him.
"Sorry, I've gotta go. My mom wanted me home a while ago."
"It's okay." Izuku carefully stood up. "I should head home too."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. It was fun. Thank you!"
"Yeah, same here. See ya later Izuku!" Eli waved a hand before running to the top of the canal and getting on his bike.
Izuku waved him off and headed to the top of the canal himself and began to walk home. He had had enough outside time.
He paused for a moment and looked at the road, he could always pick up some food before he headed home. Sure there were still plenty of groceries, but it didn't hurt to eat out every once in a while.
He kind of missed the ritual he had with his mom. Getting takeout just once a week. More so on one of those hard days where they didn't want to cook or forgot to pull something out to thaw.
He hummed to himself and shrugged. This could be his one night take out. It was nice to keep some little tradition to himself.
Izuku smiled to himself as he reached into his pocket and pet the sleeping kitten. He would go to that one place he went to, for a quick sandwich and a fruit cup for Eri. A nice easy dinner and then he could go home and do…nothing.
I should find a show to watch or something. Talk about getting a hobby…
He sighed and looked around before crossing the street. There was still plenty of daylight left before he had to head home. He looked at the sky again, at least he hoped there was enough.
It was fine. He would just get his food, then make the run back home. Nothing too serious.
This was him, trying. Trying to be more active outside. Even if it meant cutting it close, he'd probably be fine.
As he walked further into the town, towards that one shop he liked, he couldn't help but feel apprehension beginning to wrap it cold claws around his lungs. He began seeing more people, even though it was a weekday there were still plenty of people out.
He still kept walking, fighting the urge to pull the hood of his sweater over his head.
He was fine. He was doing something normal. Picking up dinner for himself and his cat. Perfectly normal, there was no reason to be worried. No reason for anyone to be watching him.
So why did he feel eyes on him?
Still, as he entered the shop he couldn't help but do a quick glance over his shoulder. He couldn't see anybody, and nobody on the street was looking his way. Nobody he could see anyway.
You're fine. You can't keep doing this to yourself.
He walked in, and kept his gaze forward as he stood in line. He knew what he wanted, he had ordered from there before. It would just be the same song and dance, he could do that. Still though, it felt like forever as the line slowly inched forward, and he began to hear whispers.
"Oh my gosh, is that him?"
"No way, he's the transfer student?"
"Huh, he looks a bit cuter in person."
"I dunno, he looks kinda weird."
Izuku felt his face begin to turn warm when he heard the whispers. Coming from a table not too far away.
"That's Mr. Midoriya's kid? I thought the guy was just married to a job or something."
"You guys think he's as weird as his dad?"
"Maybe."
"Why don't you go and ask?"
Okay, maybe this was a mistake.
He wasn't able to turn back though, not when it was his turn to order. He stumbled through the order, just a sandwich and a fruit cup. He could drink something from home.
He tried to hide himself as best he could, even in a shop with no real corners to tuck himself away in. He refused to look around, to accidentally make any eye contact with anyone. To look back at any of the eyes on him.
He swore the whispers got louder, and that uncomfortable heat appeared in his chest. Crawling its way up and burning his throat.
He tried to swallow down the nervousness and kept his hands in his pockets. He was fine, there was nothing wrong, he was okay. He was fine.
He took a deep breath and looked down. Trying to make the uncomfortable sensation in his chest disappear. He focused on the tile at his feet, trying to tune out the world around him. In his peripheral he spotted someone from a table getting up and heading in his direction. Looking over their shoulder and laughing.
He pulled out his phone, the only new notification being from Eli, sending some link. Other than that, nothing.
That person was getting closer and closer, until-
"Quite a wait now isn't it?" A voice with an british accent cut through his thoughts
Someone appeared and slotted themselves at his side, acting as a wall from the approaching stranger.
Izuku paused, unsure if the person speaking was talking to him or someone else.
"I mean, I get it though. They're in a bit of a dinner rush."
After a moment Izuku looked up to see the person beside him looking his way. His hair was black with blue streaks through it. Dark bags beneath hazel eyes.
Izuku looked around then pointed at himself.
"Me? Are you talking to…"
"Why yes I am." The stranger nodded. "Sorry if I'm interrupting something, you looked a tad uneasy over here. Standing on your own."
"O-Oh, uh, I'm okay. Thank you." Izuku muttered, putting his head back down. The silence between them was awkward. Izuku fiddled with his phone and shot a glance to the side every now and again.
Looking at him, Izuku realized he looked somewhat familiar. Had he seen him around the town?
"Are you, er, here for dinner?"
"Yup. Didn't feel like cooking tonight. Just wanted something quick and easy."
Izuku nodded. He could understand that. Afterall, that was the reason he was there in the first place.
As awkward as it was, Izuku couldn't help but notice the uncomfortable burning sensation was disappearing. He sighed and turned his gaze forward again, listening out for his order number. It was a little easier to focus on that now that he didn't have to contend with burning anxiety.
Every now and again Izuku could feel the stranger eyeing him, making Izuku's shoulders tense up. He didn't know what he wanted…well maybe he did. He just wanted to see the ogle at the new stranger from elsewhere.
Seriously, how is me being here any sort of big news? I get it from students from the school, but others? Unless it just has something to do with dad?
Izuku frowned.
No, that's probably why.
"You look a bit troubled there, a penny for your thoughts?" The stranger flipped a coin in his direction, making Izuku flustered as he tried to catch it.
Why does this guy care so much?
Izuku managed to grab the coin from the air before it could clatter to the ground. "I'm fine. Just want to get home. That's it." Izuku said. He looked down at the coin he was given. It certainly wasn't a penny. It was actually a silver coin, unmarked and lacking detail.
"Honestly, me too. The sacrifices one makes for convenience eh?"
Izuku didn't answer. He wasn't sure what to say, what he could say. It was…hard to get a read on him. What he wanted, why he was talking to Izuku in the first place.
All of a sudden he wanted to be sick again, the faint feeling beginning to burn at his chest once more. He also couldn't help the way his hand clenched around the silver coin, he just wanted this to be over with.
Apparently there was a god. Before the stranger could open his mouth again, Izuku heard his order number called out. He breathed a shaky sigh of relief and almost went running to the counter. He barely took a few steps before turning around and handing the coin back to the stranger.
"T-This is yours."
He didn't wait to hear any objection before going up front and grabbing his food. He didn't look at anyone around him as he hurried out the door, and began to make the run home. The sun was already starting to go down, which made him run faster.
All the way home he couldn't help but feel eyes on him. Nowhere, yet everywhere. Staring into him and picking him apart piece by piece.
The sensation made him pick up the speed if that were possible. Darting through the streets, and sticking close to the lit paths. Running as if something was chasing him, like it was close by, nipping at his heels and spurring him on.
With each step it felt like it got closer and closer, that it was right on top of him.
The feeling only disappeared once he crossed the threshold of the house. From the sidewalk to the lawn, running up to the porch and panting as he fumbled to get the keys in the door.
Eri protested in his pocket, complaining about being woken up. He'd apologize in a bit, once he caught his breath and felt safe again.
He huffed in relief as he opened the door and practically threw himself inside. As he closed the door he stared at the outside world for a moment. He swore there was still something watching him, but it felt far away now.
Izuku shut the door quickly and locked it, taking a moment before leaning against the door and sinking to his knees. Once on the ground Eri hopped out of his pocket and began meowing at him and pawing at his leg, then his bag.
He gave her a shaky smile.
"It's okay Eri, don't worry about me. I'll feed you in a bit. I just…I just need a minute."
The kitten stared at him, then sat down in front of him and curled up. Still watching him.
He was grateful for the company.
-.-
"So? How did that go? I can only imagine so well, considering the speed he ran out of that shop."
Archie walked in step with Douxie through the shop and settled down with him somewhere. The curtains were drawn and the shop was long since closed. It was just them. Even then there was a small spell that disguise the shop should the curtains shift a certain way.
Douxie sighed and shook his head, sitting down and placing the food bag on a desk nearby.
"The kid's a nervous wreck, I could feel that just from standing next to him. I don't know how I didn't pick up on any traces of him earlier. His magic is pretty intense. Even so, I think I'd be able to recognize him from a distance now. His trace is rather distinct."
"Did you at least get a name?"
"Nope." Douxie began pulling out their dinner. "He's not the talkative type. However, I did manage to use this."
Archie raised an eyebrow until he saw Douxie pull out a coin from his pocket.
"Kid was nice enough to give it back to me at least, and I figured I…could…" Douxie stopped when he saw the coin, and Archie found himself staring in surprise as well.
The once silver coin was now charred and black. Almost guaranteed to turn to ash if it wasn't handled carefully enough. Green flames flickered off of it every now and again, giving it an eerie glow.
Something meant to mark and get a feel for fellow wizards, something Zoe had been happy to teach him about, damn near turned to ash. The only consolation was that it was a magic item that was fairly easy to make.
"Oh fuzzbuckets."
"Well then, it looks like he's going to be a handful. Doesn't it?"
Douxie put a little pressure on the coin as he sighed, and watched it turn to dust.
"Yeah, it looks like it."
-I-
A really big thank you to Bola and KeeperofHounds for helping me out with this! It means a lot and I can't thank you enough!
Discord: /b637aVFS8R