Trigger Warning:
- racism
The underground shopping mall was a vibrant escape from the chilly late February air.
Izuku and Kamiko strolled through the brightly lit passageways, where polished floors gleaned beneath the warm glow of fluorescent and LED lights.
Despite Valentine's Day long since passed, the atmosphere buzzed with life.
Laughter echoed, conversations resounded, the fragrances of thousands of perfumes and colognes churned, mingling with the sounds of distant romantic music.
Izuku adjusted the collar of his thick, bottle-green jacket, feeling snug in its embrace. Despite the heaters being on, the place was still freezing. Perhaps due to its underground nature. Not even the cinnamon brown jeans helped to keep out the cold. As he slightly trembled in his outfit, he silently thanked his mother for the advice that morning: wear fur-lined boots. As long as his feet were warm, he could handle the temperature.
Besides, he was excited to share this experience with Kamiko. Since both their schedules had been keeping them busy for the past few weeks, only now did they find some time to spend time together. It was Kamiko's idea to go to the mall, and who was he to deny the date?
Which was why he kept sneaking glances at his girlfriend. She looked great. Thanks to her innately high body temperature, she was dressed in a lot less layers than him. The oversized cream-and-caramel wool sweater suited her perfectly. And the marigold orange leggings complemented the sweater. He especially loved the headband adorned with a marigold.
"Wow, look at that!" Izuku exclaimed, his eye catching onto something past the arcade booths and clothing stores. He pointed to a neon sign that mentioned the place being a karaoke center. His enthusiasm was so palpable that even Kamiko felt it. "We have to check that out!"
"Seems promising," she replied, eyes sparkling with excitement. Her tail flicked rhythmically behind her, mirroring her emotions.
But as they approached the center, Izuku noticed a small group of teenagers trying to check in at the reception desk. They openly eyed Kamiko with disapproving looks, muttering amongst themselves. He did not have to imagine too hard what they were saying. It was not difficult either to imagine punching them, either.
"Hey, don't let them bother you," he muttered, trying to keep his tone calm. Though it was more for his own benefit than hers. Like a mantra, he kept chanting to himself: Think of your Future Symbol of Peace position.
Kamiko squeezed his hand gently, her touch soothing. "It's okay, Izuku. I'm used to it." Her voice was soft, but he caught a glimpse of her tail drooping slightly, betraying her dismay.
That was exactly the problem. Kamiko should not have had to be used to the racism. Time and time again, she was scorned for something out of her control. All she wanted was to have a pleasant date with her boyfriend, but nearly every time they went out, society would find a way to somehow put a damper on their joy. So far, Izuku had been managing these situations covertly after turning away. Lose the battle, but win the war strategy. Complaints to higher-ups, legal warnings, a bit of vandalism. Yet he had done all of these things outside of Kamiko's presence.
These were only temporary solutions. Enough to scare one, two, maybe a handful of people. However, the bigotry was engrained into society. Just how many legal measures would he have to take to get the public to behave? Even now, Izuku decided he would back down for Kamiko's sake. Besides, the teenagers had not outrightly done something offensive for which he could take action against them. But he was going to find a way to resolve this matter for good. Soon, he promised himself.
Turning away from the karaoke center, arm in arm with Kamiko, Izuku suggested they go somewhere else.
Taking a break from exploring, Izuku and Kamiko had settled on a bench in a small square designated as a meeting place. He took a sip from his boba tea and lazily swirled the tapioca balls at the bottom of the plastic cup with the straw, the sweet, mango flavor leaving a refreshing aftertaste. He had offered to buy Kamiko one, or even have some of his, but she had simply smiled and declined.
A part of him wondered whether she was more affected by the previous encounter than she had let on, until he followed her gaze.
A shop selling cute animal-shaped melon pan.
Taking a long gulp, he glanced between the shop and Kamiko. With a determined nod, he tossed his now empty drink into a nearby recycling bin and made his way over to the shop, the enticing aroma of freshly baked treats pulling him in.
As he approached the shop, Izuku felt warmth spreading in his chest. His gut nagged at him, telling him that this place was likely friendly to all its customers. But after what happened earlier, he decided to go alone.
A young woman stood behind the counter and greeted him with a warm smile. "Welcome! What can I get for you today?" she asked.
Izuku, feeling adventurous, replied with a question of his own. "Does the taste change for different animals?" He had noticed the selection of pastries: from farm animals to desert, jungle, and snow animals. The ones ready for selling were placed in thi cardboard boxes with a plastic wrap cover, while in the kitchens behind the counter, he could see animal-shaped pan molds.
"Yes, their base flavors vary," she explained. "Like take the pets here. They have custard fillings. And the pandas over there … they're sweet bean. We have a menu detailing each flavor. Would you like to try some?"
Studying the menu and the designs of the sweets, he made his decision. "May I have one box of the chicks and another of the puppies, please?"
"Of course!"
Kamiko had watched Izuku place an order, and the cashier prepare the desserts. She was struck by how comfortable he had seemed, his eagerness to make this date a success contagious. It was obvious from the start. How he kept sneaking glances at her when he thought he was being subtle. The fifteen minutes she spent staring at her wardrobe paid off because that was exactly the reaction she wanted to elicit from him.
So when he returned, one bag in each hand, Kamiko quickly schooled the cheeky grin on her face to a sunny one. "Let's find a place to sit and enjoy them," she suggested.
"Oh, I think I saw one on the way here," she remembered.
They wandered to another square in the mall, surrounded by potted plants. Izuku found an empty table, and they settled in, the bustling energy of the mall slowly fading into a distant ambiance around them.
Kamiko carefully opened the first package, revealing the array of cute chicklings. "Aw! They look almost too cute to eat!" she said, admiring the delicate designs.
"Just one bite," Izuku encouraged, already reaching for one of the pastries with his fingers. This time, he was not even trying to be subtle about finding out her reaction.
Now even Kamiko was intrigued. She picked up a treat, tail swishing from anticipation. "Okay, okay!" she responded playfully, taking a small bite from the tail. Her eyes widened to the size of peaches immediately. "Mmm! This is amazing! Is this vanilla?" Surely enough, viscous white cream began oozing from the bitten area.
Izuku laughed, apparently satisfied. "I knew you'd love it! You mentioned that chocolate was a toxin for you, so I bought the ones that did not have chocolate in them." And he ate his in one bite.
As they opened the second box, too, and savored all the desserts, Kamiko started smiling to herself. Letting out a small huff, she murmured, "I'm so glad we came here together." Izuku stopped mid-meal to ask her what she meant. "I mean, going to the mall was my idea, but really, it's been you who has been salvaging this date. I should have also been putting effort into this. Can you forgive me?"
He did not reply immediately. Instead, Izuku reached for her free hand and squeezed it. "You have nothing to apologize for. The problem isn't your attitude; it was theirs. That being said, we shouldn't give them the satisfaction of knowing that they got to us. We're to enjoy our date. Spend some time together. And now way are we going to let some racist idiots ruin it, right?"
His confidence was infectious. Even Kamiko slowly found herself reciprocating his eagerness to make the best out of this. She loved how easy it was to talk to him, how they could share their thoughts without any reservations. Entwining her fingers with his, she answered, "Yes. We're going to focus on us and have fun. Thank you."
Izuku felt a wave of relief wash over him. Despite the surrounding crowd passing narrow-eyed glances at them and gossiping in voices above whisper level, he did not want anything else to disrupt the date. So in between smiling, conversing, and listening to his girlfriend, he returned some glares of his own to the onlookers. A silent warning that these people were already tiptoeing on the balance beam between courtesy and disrespect, and one slip over it … he was ready to ignore his oath to protect the public.
Just when he was about to rise from his seat to confront one such man, his phone buzzed. Looking at the caller ID, it was from Aizawa-san. "You're one lucky idiot," Izuku muttered under his breath, giving one last scowl to the guy.
"Did you say something?" Kamiko asked.
He shook his head. "Phone call. Just a minute." Although he would have liked to attend his calls in front of her, to assure her that he trusted her confidentiality, there were some things that had to be discussed in private. Like stuff with his mentor. This phone call could have been about any number of things. Hero Public Safety Commission, U.A., his own mental health. This time, Izuku rose from his seat and headed in the opposite direction from the tables.
"Hello, Aizawa-san. Has something come up?"
On the other end of the call, he heard a child coughing and a man thinking out loud while searching for medicine. Aizawa-san shouted something back before responding, "Actually, yes. Can you look after Eri for a bit? Hizashi and I have been called for an urgent meeting with the hero board members. He's already left, and I can't leave her alone."
Curious, Izuku inquired further. "Did something happen?"
"About the meeting, I'll let you know later, if I'm allowed to. The geezers won't let us be despite our retirement. Otherwise, Eri got the flu a few days ago. Most likely from a classmate at school. But she's still in recovery. One of us would have stayed, but …"
Aizawa-san did not have to finish the sentence. Taking a deep breath, Izuku carefully considered his next words. "I would love to take care of Eri. In fact, it's been a while since we last caught up. But the issue is, I'm with my girlfriend on a date right now. One that required quite some planning beforehand. So, I'm going to have to ask her whether she's okay with cutting the date short."
"Your girlfriend's name is … Kamiko, correct?"
"Yes."
"She's welcome to come to our home, if she would like."
That was a viable option. Izuku told him he would let him know soon, and muted the phone call. Returning back to the table, Kamiko looked up at him with curiosity in her eyes. But she did not voice her questions. And she did not have to. Izuku explained the entire situation to her, and after doing so, suggested, "Would you like to meet Eri?"
She began nodding so vigorously, the melon pan remaining in the boxes almost got crushed. "Absolutely! I've heard so much about her from you. When should we leave?"
Izuku quickly unmuted the call and informed Aizawa-san of their decision. A few more words were exchanged before the conversation ended. "We have a few minutes. Aizawa-san and his roommate, who was also one of my teachers, shifted into a new apartment last month, so I need to check the address online and the directions. Book a mutant-friendly cab, too. You can have the rest of the treats. Sorry to spring this up on you so suddenly."
At least, that was what he had said. But when Kamiko offered him a puppy sweet, he opened his mouth promptly. Between feeding herself and hand feeding him, Izuku researched all the necessary details. Kamiko had brought up a good point that this was their first time they would see Eri's new home, and since Kamiko had not formally met Eri or her foster parent, it was not right to come empty-handed. So before leaving the shopping complex, they bought some toys, goodies, and a housewarming gift.
Earlier, Kamiko had been enthusiastic with the prospect of meeting the little girl Izuku talked about often. During nights where they lazily watched a movie or go for walks in scenic parks, Kamiko sometimes asked about his hero ventures. She had never pressed too hard, realizing that some details were confidential and some were too raw. But he frequently mentioned a little girl with a tiny horn coming from the side of her head. How he and his upperclassman ran into her by chance, noticed she was being abused by a terrible man, and the subsequent rescue operation.
Every time Kamiko listened to stories about her, her heart simultaneously brimmed with adoration and broke with tears. No child deserved to be treated like that. She felt sorry for Eri, yet was happy for her that she was living with such kind people around her.
Now, though, she felt the doubt begin to creep in. Would Eri like her? Was she imposing on the family, even though they extended the invitation toward her? Would Izuku's mentor approve of her? These feelings were not unfamiliar. Only a few months ago, she had felt the same way before meeting Izuku's mother. That encounter had turned out all right.
Kamiko eased her breathing, reminding herself not to overthink too much. Just because Pro-Hero Eraserhead always appeared half-dead on TV screen did not mean that he was mean in real life. Appearances deceive.
Izuku knocked on the door with one free hand. The other was holding a bag of more melon pan boxes. Kamiko's were full of the housewarming gift. The beads of sweat that had started condensing on the nape of her neck dripped down her back. A mix of clacking and shuffling echoed from the other side of the door, steadily coming closer. A moment of silence - perhaps too look past the peephole. Then the unlocking of the locks and the shaking of the doorknob.
The man who opened the door looked nothing like he did on television.
Scraggly, shoulder-length black hair that seemed to have been last groomed a century ago. Scruff on the lower part of his face, probably fourteen days old. Pirate eye patch over where the right eye should be; exhaustion brimming in the left. Hints of olive oil and chili powder wafted from him. He must have just finished cooking something in the kitchen. The guy looked like he should physically be in his mid-thirties but was living in his forties. The wrinkled, pale blue T-shirt with a smiling daisy in the center that read 'You're absolute daisy-licious' in English, and the daisy-themed pajamas only accentuated the impression.
Daisies and Eraserhead … not a combination Kamiko would have imagined in a thousand years.
Then again, nobody had imagined that Eraserhead would move around in a wheelchair.
"You made it," he said stoicly to Izuku. Next, he looked at her and the items in their hands. "While bearing gifts and guests."
"Thanks for having us!" Izuku replied, unaffected by the tiredness in his former teacher's voice. "This is my girlfriend, Kamiko. Kamiko, this is my mentor, Aizawa-san. He's retired from U.A. as a teacher and from the Hero Public Safety Commission, so feel free to call him by that name. We brought presents to celebrate your new home purchase!"
Kamiko bowed. "Pleasure to meet you, Sir! Izuku's told me a lot about you, and I've admired your work."
When she rose, she found Aizawa-san studying her. "He's told me plenty about you, too. You've been a good influence on him. Please, come in, both of you."
Kamiko had to bend over to cross the threshold, but once she did, she caught a glimpse of a fluffy grey tabby kitten darting past the corridor. It returned to the doorway, peeking slowly past the edge. Her heart melted. She knelt, and extended a finger toward the cutie. Slowly, the cat saundered toward her. Cocking its head to the side, its hazel eyes stared up at her with curiosity. Finally, it sniffed her finger. Once. Twice. A few more times until it was satisfied. When Kamiko opened her palm to pet the kitten, it leaned into her touch, softly purring in content. "What's its name?" she asked.
"Petunia," Aizawa-san responded.
"Aw, what a cute name! She must be an absolute delight."
"Actually, it's a he."
For a few moments, Kamiko's gaze alternated between the cat and Aizawa-san. "Really?"
He nodded, and then called out another name. "Tiger! Over here!" Seconds later, a completely brown kittie toddled over to its owner. This one was much more expressive than its brother because it mewled at Aizawa-san until he picked it up. "This one is a girl."
Studying the two cats, she figured that the female should have been named Petunia and the male should have been named Tiger. Especially because the male was tabby - it naturally had stripes. "Did you name them?"
"No. Eri did. She has been into flowers and cats, lately."
That explained the names. And the outfit. If Eri wanted to switch gender-specific names, that was perfectly cool. Why could not a male be Petunia and a female be Tiger? Maybe they were named based on their personalities. It was rather adorable.
Speaking of adorable …
Kamiko had almost forgotten. As she and Izuku passed their gifts to Aizawa-san, she inquired about Eri's whereabouts. Rising, she said, "Where is Eri? I've been looking forward to meeting her."
The man's expression softened just a fraction, a rare glimpse of warmth breaking through his otherwise apathetic demeanor. "She's in her room, likely finishing her homework. I'll call her down." He turned, his voice commanding but endearing. "Eri! Come here! Look who's arrived." The call echoed throughout the apartment, it must have reverberated to the floors above and below. Yet Kamiko's heart raced with anticipation. She could barely contain her eagerness, her imagination already running over how their first encounter would be like.
The soft patter of small feet approached, and Eri appeared in the doorway. Her big, curious red eyes widened as they landed on Kamiko. She hesitated for a moment, her tiny horn catching the light, making her look even more adorable.
"Eri, this is Kamiko," Aizawa-san introduced, motioning toward her. "She's Izuku's girlfriend."
"Hello, Eri!" Kamiko greeted enthusiastically, crouching again to be at eye level. "I've heard so much about you. Izuku told me you're super brave!"
Eri's cheeks flushed a light pink, a mix of shyness and pride. "Thank you," she murmured softly, stepping closer. "I like your tail. It's fluffy."
Kamiko beamed. Their meeting was off to a great start. "Thanks! I'm glad you think so. Would you like to pet it?"
Eri nodded, a bit more energetically this time, eyes glittering with excitement. Kamiko wiggled her tail playfully, inviting the little girl to touch it. It worked. Eri reached out, her small hand brushing against the soft fur. "Wow … it's so soft!" Eri exclaimed, her voice filled with wonder. "Do you have any other cool powers?"
"Hmm, I suppose I have a few," Kamiko replied, her grin widening. "I can run really fast. Smell even the faintest of smells, spot the tiniest of details. Lately, I've been learning some martial arts, too."
Eri giggled, her laughter ringing like wind chimes in the air. "That's amazing! Can you run faster than Tiger?"
"Probably."
"I want to be fast like you one day!"
Izuku watched the girls' interaction with a smile, feeling a sense of pride in both Kamiko and Eri. He was never going to admit to them, but he was nervous that Eri might not have liked Kamiko. Who knows what kind of talk she was hearing from her classmates at school? Peers were influential, and a part of him was afraid that she might have adopted the anti-mutant attitude that her classmates carried. But to listen to her ask questions about Kamiko's appearance simply out of curiosity … his worries dissipated instantly.
He should have given more credit to Eri. To Aizawa-san's upbringing. There was no way he would let Eri discriminate against anyone.
"You will be," Izuku chimed in, "You're already so strong, Eri. Just keep believing in yourself!"
Eri fisted both hands and harrumphed emphatically. She was just too cute! Then, "Izuku, did you bring candy apples with you?"
He ruffled her hair. "No, I didn't bring candy apples. But I brought something better."
The four of them moved to the living room. The cats followed them inside. He had noticed Kamiko visibly straighten due to the expansive size of the room. Aizawa-san explained the babysitting duties to Izuku and Kamiko. "Look, Izuku, I know you're susceptible to Eri's hungry puppy face. She'll ask for one more treat and end up finishing the entire box. Don't give in. I cannot emphasize that enough." Otherwise, he provided a timetable for medications and a to-do list of homework assignments. When both Izuku and Kamiko promised him to be diligent in their care, he left to his room to get changed.
Aizawa-san got dressed into a tuxedo and groomed his hair back into a low ponytail. Seemed like he shaved as well. Izuku caught a whiff of Dior Sauvage. "Would you like for me to book a taxi? Or I can escort you myself, if you like?" Izuku offered.
His mentor shook his head, dismissing the offer. "The board members have already arranged a vehicle with a driver." Then he turned to Eri, who held out a floral patterned tie. Letting out a small chuckle, he took the tie and began knotting it around the short collar. "Listen to me, Eri. Promise me you will listen to both of them. They know what they're talking about and what's good for you. And please don't beg for more sweets."
"No more than three," Eri mumbled, a bit unhappily.
"Exactly," he said, before leaning down to give Eri a goodbye forehead kiss. "I'll be late, so go to bed on time."
As the evening progressed, laughter and light-hearted conversation filled the space. As soon as the door shut being Aizawa-san, Eri had demanded to eat dessert. True to her word, she only ate three melon pan, although it was clear as day in her pout that she wanted more. Kamiko diverted her sadness by inquiring about school. And immediately, her mood improved. She talked about which classmates she liked, which ones she did not, which teachers were nice, which ones were not. Lunch, recess, Sports Day, school festivals, tests. Petunia and Tiger had leaped into her lap, clambering for attention. That shifted the conversation toward the cats.
Izuku was diligent about giving her medicine on time, while Kamiko helped the girl with her homework. It was a mathematics assignment: both girls' least favorite subject, but something that had to be completed before school next week. It got to a point where tears brimmed in Eri's eyes at the frustration of not being able to solve subtraction with regrouping.
"Eri, we'll work on this together," Izuku had sworn. "If you can finish this, we can play a game of OH! Sushi. How do you like that?"
"Okay!"
Eventually, the assignment was completed. So was the game. Eri, feeling tired after having won for the fourth time in a row, began to yawn. "Alright, Eri, it's time for bed," Izuku reminded her. "We can continue this another time."
"Can Kamiko stay?" Eri asked, her voice sleepy but hopeful.
Izuku paused, looking at Kamiko for a moment. "That's up to her. It's her choice."
Kamiko began pulling back Eri's hair into a braid. "I'd absolutely love to stay."
Eri's face lit up. At a speed only possible for an eight-year old girl, she dashed into her room to change into her pajamas and bring her blanket. Just as quickly, she returned to the living room and climbed into Kamiko's lap. Seconds later, she was out. Petunia and Tiger curled beside her and dozed quickly, too.
"Can we watch something together?" Kamiko whispered, after pulling the blanket over Eri's tiny figure. "Just until Aizawa-san returns?"
Izuku joined her on the sofa. "How about an action movie?"
In the same hushed tone, she answered, "I don't think that's a very quiet movie."
"But it will keep us awake," he grinned.
"Point noted."
Izuku decided to test the waters. "And maybe about an hour into the movie, we can carry Eri to bed. Then come back and increase the volume."
Kamiko cocked an eyebrow. "Can you afford being so comfortable at someone else's home?"
He stretched and wrapped an arm around her waist. "I think I'm allowed to do whatever I have to stay awake. Aizawa-san was very clear that we should be alert should Eri need anything."
"You naughty scoundrel," Kamiko teased. "Fine. Just don't put on a horror movie."
"Why, do they scare you? No problem. You can grab me if you get the chills."
Kamiko nudged him in the ribs.
But he caught the smirk pulling at the corner of her lips.