Chapter Text
Izuku is nervous and excited and his body is practically vibrating from how consuming the emotions are. He feels like he’s just won the best prize in the universe. His smile hasn’t left his face since Katsuki and him packed up the little belongings he had strewn around the blond’s bedroom and then was whisked away into a car by Aizawa.
He was moving into Aizawa’s apartment. Soon, he was going to walk into this new place that would hopefully feel like home and he was so, so excited.
Aizawa told him about how he and his friends had put together a room for him, transforming the guest room into Izuku’s room. So yeah, he couldn’t sit still and he knew he was mumbling like mad but he simply couldn’t stop. He had so many things running through his mind. It was impossible not to think about it all.
What did his room look like? Is it fully set up? Is he gonna be allowed to decorate it? Add personal touches? What about the fact Izuku had barely any belongings?! His room is gonna be down to the bare essentials! That’s embarrassing! What kind of furniture did Aizawa get him? What’s his bed gonna look like?! So many questions!
Turns out, Aizawa doesn’t live far from Katsuki’s house. The drive is maybe 10 minutes. The prospect of still being so close to Katsuki makes him very pleased. He was worried about how far apart they’d be. They’ve always been practically neighbours, just a walk away from one another. Now it’s just a bit of a long bike ride away if he wants to see Katsuki, he can handle that.
They pulled up into a nice area, much nicer than Izuku’s previous apartment experience. There’s underground parking, even! Izuku couldn’t help the way his jaw dropped when he watched Aizawa scan a plain looking card and the gate for the garage opened for them. Aizawa said it was the key for the ‘residential parking garage’ and explained how there was a separate, outdoor parking lot for guests and such. Izuku’s little murmur of fancy… did not go unnoticed if the tiny smile that Aizawa cracked was anything to go by.
Aizawa drove his way around the echoey, grey chamber until they parked in a spot that had a giant 405 painted on it in white block letters. Reserved parking? Izuku was getting a little dizzy with how different this apartment building was to his last already. And he hadn’t even seen the apartment yet.
Izuku slowly gets out of the car, undoing his seatbelt in almost slow motion before he moves to pull his duffel bag out from behind the passenger seat. Once standing outside the car he just looks around. It’s just a concrete, underground floor full of cars but Izuku is still somehow fascinated by it, even more so when he sees the elevator to go up into the building.
He gets guided forward, too starstruck by any and every thing around him to move without prompting. They step into the elevator and Aizawa pushes the button for the fourth floor.
They’re out in record time, Aizawa walking just a bit ahead of Izuku as he leads him to the correct door. Right when they stop in front of a dark wooden door there’s a pause. Aizawa fishes around his pocket and pulls out a single, loose key.
And then he passes it to Izuku. Gesturing for him to open the door. It makes Izuku suck in a breath so harshly he almost chokes on the air.
With unsteady hands, Izuku unlocks the front door.
Immediately there’s an incessant meowing sounding from somewhere inside the apartment. The sound of tiny footsteps bounding toward the entrance accompany it.
Then as the kitty turns the corner and spots Izuku, they both freeze in place. A silent standoff as they judge each other’s character.
Izuku looks her over. She’s very round and a lovely shade of light brown with speckles of dark brown scattered on her torso, some of them are dark enough to be considered black. It looks like she also has brown eyes. Izuku thinks she’s pretty and he really wants to pet her but he can tell she’s not too sure of him yet, so he’ll restrain himself.
“That’s Coffee Bean, she’s a spoiled brat.” Aizawa tells him as they step inside.
She tentatively walks closer to Izuku, completely ignoring Aizawa—who looks plenty offended by the action. She sits in front of him and just looks at him. He blinks back at her. This is an oddly familiar situation.
Who knew not knowing how to talk to people and having anxiety would help him possibly, maybe, hopefully befriend a cat?
Izuku squats down slowly, raising his hand out in front of him. An offering. A plea of please, please, please let me pet you. He waits before she gets up again and slinks up to him, bumping her forehead against his hand. Izuku lightly scratches around her ears and down her neck. It makes her start purring and Izuku wants to melt. He loves her.
Aizawa, who’s watching this whole encounter, makes a noise of surprise. Izuku looks up at him and tilts his head, not stopping his ministrations with the pretty kitty.
“She… usually hates everyone but me. And she really doesn’t like being touched by strangers, so I’m just surprised. I thought it would take a while to get her to warm up to you.” He explains. Izuku’s mouth drops open a little and he looks back at the cat. Eyes all big and shiny and indescribably happy.
“I’m glad she likes me! She’s really pretty,” Izuku coos at the cat, she lets out a little mrrp at the tone which makes both humans in the entryway wrap further around her little paws.
She is, rightfully, the princess of the apartment.
Izuku stands up and turns back to Aizawa, waiting for further instruction or permission. He doesn’t know where things are and he’s still nervous about all this. Excited still, too! But undoubtedly nervous.
Aizawa seems to realise this a moment later, slightly jolting as he walks further into the apartment. Izuku follows after, Coffee Bean hot on his heels.
He gets led through the apartment, the entryway is more of a hallway that leads straight into an open living room and intersects to the left with a hallway leading to the full bathroom. The living room has a long black plush couch with a matching chair positioned beside it. A glass top coffee table stands a foot or so away from the couch, papers scattered around it and a plant placed in the middle that Izuku can’t tell is real or not. He also notes the glass sliding doors that open up to a balcony with curtains hanging off of them, blocking off most of the incoming light.
Once the wall of the hallway breaks off in the living room the kitchen is just around the corner. The cat’s food bowl and water fountain (something that amazes Izuku) are placed near the end of the counters and a table pressed up against the wall with four chairs around the available edges. The kitchen is rather big, which only means there’s space for people to walk around each other freely and not be pressed into sharp edges to let someone pass. There’s a pantry too! It has a neat little sliding door that opens up to a wall of snacks and other goods. The bottom has a large bin on the ground with a precariously placed label that says ‘Cat Food’. It makes Izuku smile a little as Coffee Bean paws at it as soon as it’s in sight.
There’s a short break as Aizawa grumbles and fills the kitty’s bowl. He calls her an entitled dumbass and claims I’m busy right now, couldn’t you have waited which makes Izuku giggle, earning him a half-grin from Aizawa.
Aizawa points out the next little half bathroom. Almost right outside of the door Aizawa claimed as his own room, the door was cracked and Izuku can get a glimpse of the light grey bedspread and a dresser topped with various trinkets and miscellaneous things.
Finally though, just a hop away from Aizawa’s door is the last room in the house and Izuku knows which room that is. That’s his room. He has to clench his hands into fists to try to relieve the anticipation that's threading tension throughout his body.
The door is pushed open by Aizawa, Izuku a step back as he vibrates in place once again. They walk inside and the light gets flicked on. Izuku openly gapes at the room.
There’s a closet in the corner with accordion doors and a dresser set up beside it. There’s a tray with various bottles on it in the corner of the dresser as well as an array of hero figurines. He recognises a few of them as ones he had in his old room, before he had to abandon them in the name of safety. There’s some higher quality ones, too, ones that Izuku would see through shop windows and look at longingly.
In the far corner of the room there’s a twin bed set up with the fluffiest pillows he’s ever seen and a comforter that looks so warm he wants to fall face first into it. The base colour of the design is a deep, forest green. Almost black. It reminds him of his hair, kind of. There’s tiny swirls of different shades of grey and a brighter green running along it. One of the pillow cases is the bright green colour with a white border and the other is the deep green with white vertical stripes. He likes the mismatch-y matchiness to it all.
Beside the bed is a light wood nightstand with a lamp and digital clock set up on it. The clock is Present Mic themed, it makes him grin through the tears swiftly gathering in the corners of his eyes. Perhaps he’s overwhelmed by all this. He hasn’t had a bedroom that looks like a lived in room in years and this is so much so fast.
Finally, his eyes catch on the mostly empty desk in the remaining corner of the room; it has drawers down one side and the corner has a small raised pedestal that looks like it would hold a monitor. He’s definitely going to use that space for more figurines though, maybe a pencil cup too. It’s the same light wood as the nightstand, dresser, and bed frame. The chair pushed into it is a simple grey swivel chair. There’s an empty bookshelf just to the left of it.
He doesn’t even notice the tears streaming down his cheeks. Fat tears pouring out of his eyes like a broken faucet that drip down and magnify his freckles as they go. He lets out a hitching breath and he spins in place so he collapses into Aizawa’s chest.
The man gently pats his back in return. Though it seems he’s taken his tears in the wrong way.
“If you don’t like it, we can exchange some stuff.” Aizawa whispers to him. Izuku immediately shakes his head, effectively smearing his tears into Aizawa’s shirt. Oops.
“No! No, no, no. I like it a lot! Promise. I just,” Izuku sucks in another stuttered breath, “I haven’t had a room that feels like my own in so long.”
“Oh, kid.” Is all that's said before strong arms wrap around him. “I’m glad you like it. I left a lot of open space so you can decorate as you please.”
Izuku nods into his chest, just holding on for a moment before he can gain his composure again.
When he finally pulls away he walks around the room, running his hand along the edges of his dresser, peeking into the currently empty closet. He walks over to the bed and pushes his hands into it hard, just to watch it spring back into place. He turns towards the desk and spins the chair. When he finally looks back at Aizawa his eyes and smile are so bright it almost compels the man to squint his eyes.
Coffee Bean trails into the room. Looping around his legs for a moment before standing on her hind legs and pawing at him as high as she can reach. Gently, and carefully, Izuku leans down to pick her up. She nuzzles into his neck as soon as she’s high enough. She pulls away only to bump her head against his chin.
He smiles and nuzzles his nose back into her. When he looks away from the cat, he sees Aizawa standing completely shocked once again.
Bean looks over at the man as well only to let out a high pitched meow and then back to Izuku.
Aizawa murmurs something about favouritism. Izuku only laughs as he snuggles the cat and walks back over to him.
After the tour and Izuku puts away what little he has, they meander out into the living room. Coffee Bean won’t leave his side and Aizawa looks both pleased and upset by it.
Shouta loves that Coffee Bean likes Izuku but at what cost? Now she won’t even look at him. Is this how Hizashi and Nemuri feel when they come over?
Soon comes the discussion of what Izuku wants for dinner, he only shrugs in response which prompts the age old question of, “What’s your favourite food then, kid?”
Izuku’s eyes flicker to the side, “Katsudon.”
He can hear the smile in Aizawa’s voice as he says back, “You got good taste.” And then promptly shuffles around the kitchen to pull out what he needs to make it. Preparing a pan and plugging in the rice cooker as he expertly sets up his workspace.
Izuku sits at the table and watches as he prepares the meal (the help he offered was turned down, much to his chagrin). They talk about their days and Izuku plays with Bean happily.
He likes it here. A lot.