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Hizashi was used to people bringing stray animals to him so that he could nurse them back to health, if necessary, and then give them a nice new home. His quirk allowed him to calm the animals just with his voice, so he could examine them freely without having to give them a sedative. And that made his job much more easier.
He loved his work at the shelter very much and since the former owner had gone into well-deserved retirement and handed over the management to him, he could do as he pleased.
What was new for him, however, was that the same man brought cats to him almost weekly. The animals were never in a really bad shape, even if they were strays, and Hizashi was happy to find new homes for them. But gradually he began to suspect that the man was deliberately picking up these cats and bringing them to him. Even if it was not clear to him why. Was it excessive love for animals? Did the man feel responsible for the cats for some reason?
The man looked like a stray himself, with his long black hair peeking out from under an old wool cap, his dark clothes and the scarf that covered the lower part of his face. He never spoke a word either. He came in, handed the cat to the blond and waited for him to examine the animal, then left without another word.
Hizashi felt queasy every time this man stood in front of him, even if he didn't feel directly threatened by him. He seemed more like a homeless, somewhat oddball guy, but one who posed no serious danger.
CLING!
The little bell at the front door snapped Hizashi out of his thoughts. He turned to the door, smiling, to greet the new guest warmly, but froze in mid-motion. Again the black-haired man. And again with a cat on his arm. Hizashi sighed, but resolved to strike up a conversation with the stranger this time. He walked up to him and said in the friendliest tone he could, "Oh, you're bringing me another stray? Do you have a basement somewhere where you store them or something?" The stranger showed no emotion. Either he had not understood the joke or was simply not receptive to it. Or maybe the joke was simply not good. Hizashi wasn't much of a joker and so he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Um, feel free to bring the cat here and I can do an initial examination."
The stranger approached the table, which was especially for such initial examinations in the entrance area, with slow steps and put the cat almost tenderly on the blanket, which layed on the table. He did not let go of the animal in the process, and when Hizahsi put on his gloves and activated his quirk to calm the animal, the man winced.
"You can let go of the cat now, I'll just examine it for a minute. It seems to be in basically good condition," the blond said without looking directly at the stranger. The man let go of the animal and took two steps back. As Hizashi started talking to the animal, he could see from the corner of his eye how the man flinched again and then pulled his cap deeper into his face. "Had he acted like this before?" wondered Hizashi, continuing to investigate. He couldn't remember.
"Well, show me if you're a girl or a boy," he chortled in an exaggeratedly cheerful tone, and the cat willingly let him touch it.
"Ahh, so you are a young lady. Very nice. Obviously not sterilized and...." He pulled out the pet chip reader and held it up to the cat's ear. PIEP "And not chipped either, by the looks of it."
The blond examined the ears, the teeth, the fur, but could find nothing else.
"The cat is basically fine," he now turned back to the stranger. He was still using his quirk. "She's a bit malnourished, but I'll get that fixed and then we'll find a nice new home for the pretty lady." He laughed, but kept his eyes on the man, who just looked at him calmly.
Normally, Hizashi would take the cat to the back now, but he knew that if he came back, the man would be gone. So he deviated from protocol this time. He walked straight up to the man, who noticeably backed away, and asked him if he wouldn't like to take the cat. He couldn't think of anything better to say in a hurry. The man shook his head, looking very uncertain, as if he couldn't handle being addressed directly. But Hizashi had enough and now asked him directly, "Why do you regularly bring me animals? Don't get me wrong, I like taking care of them, but it's quite noticeable that you're here so often. The animals are mostly healthy, too, which means you wouldn't necessarily have to take them to the shelter, and they probably aren't as easy to catch as injured or weakened animals. So, I ask again, where do all these cats come from and why do you keep bringing them to me?" As he talked, he had been getting louder and louder. The black-haired man seemed completely overwhelmed by this, but not scared at all, and took another step back. He nervously rubbed his hands together and his eyes didn't know where to look.
Now the blond felt pity. He didn't want to took the man by surprise. "Sorry," he said carefully. "I didn't mean to raise my voice, but it just seems weird to me." He sighed. "You know what, it doesn't matter. You're welcome to keep bringing me cats. I'll take care of all of them. Forget what I just said." He smiled at the man, nodded goodbye, and then turned to take the new resident to the back. He heard the man direct his steps toward the exit, but then stop. Hiazshi looked over his shoulder and called out, "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
The stranger stood in the doorway with his back to him, shaking slightly. Then he turned and pulled his cap off his head. Revealed were two black cat ears, twitching nervously. "A cat-quirk," Hiazshi realized in surprise. "Then it's clear why you can capture cats so easily." He laughed when the man looked at him sheepishly and finally said softly, "Your quirk...."
"Yeah? What about it?"
"It..... it has an effect on me, too." The man clearly blushed and Hizashi's eyes widened.
"What, really?"
"Yes." Now the black-haired man scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Whenever I've had a rough day, I come here because your voice calms me down so much." The red on the man's face darkened and he looked away. After the initial surprise, Hizashi had quickly regained his composure and had to grin. "In that case," he began, turning fully to face the man. "Then you are very welcome to just drop by. You don't need to bring a cat for that as an alibi. We can just talk." The stranger looked at him in surprise, and it was the first time Hiazshi had caught a glimpse of his face. It was striking, with fair skin and marked from fighting or hard work, the blond guessed. But he was by no means unattractive.
"Are you serious?"
"Of course," Hizashi confirmed, nodding exaggeratedly. "My name is Hizashi Yamada, by the way."
"............... Shouta Aizawa," the black-haired man said, still reticent.
"So, Aizawa, what do you say, next time you just come over here and we'll go out for a drink or something?"
Aizawa hesitated, but then nodded and pulled the scarf higher on his face. Hiazshi could still see the red tinge to his cheeks.
"All right. Until next time then, Aizawa. Now, let me take our newest resident to her night quarters." He waved a cheerful goodbye to Aizawa and turned toward the back door.
As he disappeared through the door, Aizawa turned to leave as well, smiling as he stepped into the cool evening air.