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“Meet me at Fulgen Cafe at 6:00 tomorrow” A note in Izuku’s locker had said. Izuku didn’t know what to do. There was no name signed, but surely a villain couldn’t have slipped this in his locker. There’s no way one could’ve sneaked on campus!
Theres also no chance its a date. Nobody would even think about dating him, much less go through with it. It had to be a joke.
But what if it wasn’t? If he didn’t go then that would make them upset. But if he did and it was a joke he’d look dumb.
He sighs, oh well. He’s been there before so he could just grab something for himself. Their food was amazing after all.
Izuku had a bunch of built up anxiety and stress from this it wasn’t funny. His fingertips were raw and his nails were definitely going to need to grow back for a while after this because of how much nervous chewing he did.
He bites his lip nervously and glances at the clock. 5:02.
It takes 30 minutes by foot to get there. He should probably get ready, huh?
Oh god what would he wear?
Its fine, its fine, don’t panic, you’re okay. Just look through your closet.
He gets up, discarding his phone in his bed, and opens his closet.
Nothing formal incase its a prank, but nothing too sloppy incase it isnt.
“Aha!” He mumbles to no one in particular, picking a shirt out.
Hitoshi sits in the corner booth, stroking a fluffy white and yellowish gray cat while twisting his earbud’s cord around his finger.
The cafe bell rings and his eyes cant help but wander to the door, the cat doing the same with a small mrrw.
Izuku Midoriya walks in, wearing the same earbuds as Hitoshi and immediately attracting a small black cat. He has an All Might jacket tied around his waist, wrinkling the t-shirt that says Dress Shirt and his black arm sleeve. In contrast to the plain white shirt, he has a muted blue pair of knee shorts on along with his signature red shoes.
Hitoshi snickers at the atrocity.
He had decided before he even arrived at the small cafe that he’d play a little prank on the greenette. He may have invited him, but Midoriya didn’t need to know. Plus it saved awkwardness.
Hitoshi stops his video subtly, keeping the younger in his peripherals and scratching the feline’s ears.
Prrrrrrrrrr....
You see, they’re in their second year of UA. Hitoshi was moved into Midoriya’s class after his own makeshift entrance exam and gotten closer with all of them, more specifically Midoriya and Kaminari.
There was just something different about Midoriya and he couldn’t place it. He seemed relatable in an unrelatable way. Does that make sense?
Hitoshi pays attention to body language more than he probably should. He decided to learn it so he could tell when someone truley cared about him or not and it kinda became second nature to pick out signs.
He knows Midoriya’s hiding things. Its obvious. It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that much out.
He doesn’t typically pry but… he’s curious. Secrets are interesting, can you blame him?
“Oh! Shinsou!” Midoriya waves at him, trying not to trip over the tiny kitten as he jogs to a couple feet away from the brainwasher. Hitoshi blinks lazily up at him, pretending to pause his video. He pulls his earbuds out and raises an eyebrow.
“Hey.” He waves with minimal effort, hand flopping at the end. “Why are you here?”
“Oh! Um, well, I was told to come here, and, well…”
“By who?” He pushes, despite knowing.
“I…” he falters, “I dunno.” He admits shamefully, scratching his neck.
“So you’re willingly going somewhere under the will of an anonymous person who could be literally anyone?” He smirks and the green haired teen’s face burns bright red.
“Well- uh- i-“
Hitoshi chuckles, rolling his eyes to the side and nodding his head to the empty seat across him. “Sit down.” He half asks, half tells.
Midoriya tries to un-fluster himself before complying.
“Do you want anything?” He asks, turning part of his attention to his phone.
“I mean, i guess.”
“Here.” He slurs, sliding a menu across the table. Midoriya takes the menu and they sit in quiet for a fee minutes.
“Do you think they’ll show up?” Hitoshi asks out of nowhere. Midoriya takes a second before shrugging.
“I dont think so.” He mutters breathily, closing the menu and setting it down.
“How so?”
“...” He sits for a second. “Intuition?” He offers.
“Why intuition?” Hitoshi continues to press, sliding his phone down his hand and turning it off.
Midoriya blinks. “Huh?”
“Intuition is based off your brain picking up patterns in behavior and firing neurochemicals. So i’ll ask you again,” his phone hits the table with a thunk and scaring the cat laying with him awake , “why intuition?”
They stare into each other's eyes for a solid amount of time before Midoriya’s thumb pushes his lip and he starts mumbling.
The brainwasher rolls his eyes. “Nevermind them.”
Midoriya blinks, stoping his ramble and looking back up. “I- i’m so sorry- i didn’t realize” He apologizes, waving his hand around. The black cat takes that as an invitation and starts swating his hand playfully.
“Its fine, I don’t mind.”
He’s met with a confused stare.
“What?”
“Its nothing!” He dismisses quickly, lowering his hand enough for the cat to wrap his paws around, “Its just, I’ve never been told that before?”
Hitoshi raises his eyebrows. “Never?”
“No, never…”
“Why?”
Midoriya looks taken aback at all the questions and prodding but answers nonetheless. “I mean? No one really liked me, so they were already pretty annoyed with me.
“Hm.” The purple haired teen hums semi doubtfully.
Conveniently, a waitress strolls up to their seat, followed by a fluffy gray kitten and a white cat with black splotches. “Hello, would you guys like to order?”
“Oh! Uhm,” Midoriya startles, embarrassed. “I guess Matcha tea?
The waitresses nods, jotting that down. “And you?”
“Black coffee.”
“Alrighty then,” she scribbles, “A matcha and a black coffee?—“ they nod “—Alright, well give us a couple minutes and we’ll be right with you.”
“Thank you.” Hitoshi deadpans and the waitress nods before heading off.
“So, uhm…”
“Hm?”
“Why are you here?”
“What, am i not allowed to be here?”
“N-no! Im just curious!”
“Relax, i’m teasing you.” Hitoshi says, reaching down to pick the gray feline up. The cat squeals but doesn’t move. “I came here ‘cause i wanted to. My parents are working right now, so i have free range to do what i want. Simple as that.”
“Ah…”
“What, expecting— ow, don’t bite me you little shit!” Hitoshi scolds the cat, shaking his bitten hand around. The cat stares at him, then swats at his hand. “Stop it.” He says semi playfully, swatting back.
Midoriya laughs. The sound is open, free. Blush dusts Hitosi’s cheeks lightlly.
“I’ve never heard you laugh.”
“Huh? What do you mean?” The younger asks, a smile the only trace of the previous laughter.
“Well, exatly what i said. You’ve never laughed around me before.”
“Oh. I, um, well I could’ve sworn i had.”
“If so i don’t remember.”
“Huh.”
“So, uhm, who’s you’re favorite hero?”
“Meh. Probably Ryuku. Wash is cool too.”
“Do you like any underground heroes like Aizawa?”
“Not really, i have limited internet and they’re harf enough to find in their own. I do know Kage (Ka-geh) though.”
“Oh i love Kage! The way he knows exactly whats going to happen because his quirk is amazing!”
Hitoshi nods, “yeah. His quirk is basically enhanced senses right?”
“Right!” Midoriya nodded, eyes shinning like a puppy with cheese or a kid with candy.
“You sure like heroes.”
“Well, yeah,” his voice considerably softened, “it's always been my dream. I've been writing about them since i could write.”
“In your notebooks, right? Do you have anything on me?”
The freckled one looks surprised but not upset.
“I mean, you have some on everyone else and you have seen it in action multiple times.” He explains, gesturing with his hands. “Its fine if you don’t, just wondering.”
It was barely a whisper.
“you mean it?”
“O’course. Why wouldn’t I?”
And so, Midoriya began to rant. And rant. And rant. Like a child.
Which was fair, considering they were children. It was comforting, having someone willingly talk to Hitoshi. Cats came and go, their order eventually came, and he was still rambling. He moved off the topic of Hitoshi to Kage and to a bunch of other heroes.
Hitoshi would chime in here or there and ask a question, maybe use his quirk and then let him go, and almost an hour passed.
“ ...and then Mount Lady’s debut skyrocketed-“
Riiiiing, riiiing, riiii-
“Sorry, its my dad.” Hitoshi looked at him apologetically, covering the speaker. Midoriya nods.
“Where are you?” Aizawa asks him in monotone.
“Fulgen cafe. Y’know, the cat cafe down the street?”
“Get home by dark.” Aizawa drawls, before making some kind of noise- probably to their cat.
“Aw, are you worried?” Hitoshi purrs, teasing the elder. Aizawa hangs up on him.
Hitoshi laughs. “He hung up on me!” He chokes out to Midoriya’s not-so-well-hidden bewilderment. “Ahh… anywho, i’ve gotta head home.”
Midoriya stares for a second before nodding. “Alright then, maybe we could do this again? If you want to of course!”
“Like a date?” The purple one jokes and Midoriya turns bright red.
“Shinsou!” He whines.
“Call me Hitoshi.” He smirks, “And sure. I was the one who asked you here after all. Oh and, dont worry, i’m paying.” He waves, walking off and pulling out his wallet leaving Midoriya in shock.
“I- Shin- Hito- huh?!”