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"Let's get some sleep, Rody."
"Yeah, good idea, Deku."
A few minutes had passed since then.
Izuku sucked a breath in through his teeth, pinpricks of pain spreading through his chest as he pulled his shirt over his head. Pino had fluttered over to Rody's shoulder, her eyes brimming with worry.
"You okay?" Rody asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Izuku replied. Rody frowned, examining him carefully. The last thing Izuku wanted was for Rody to worry about him, considering everything they had been through that day. So, he toughed it out, pulling his overalls up with hardly a wince. See? I'm fine.
Still, it didn't stop him from staring.
"Hey, uh, Deku."
"What is it, Rody?"
Rody rubbed the back of his neck, averting his gaze. "If you want, I can fix that hole for you." He motioned towards his chest. Izuku blinked, bringing a hand up to thumb at the torn fabric. "It's the least I can do. Since you took that arrow, I mean."
"Well, sure, if you're offering, but... how are you gonna fix it?"
"Easy." Rody walked over to the backpack and knelt down. Pino joined him, hopping over to the neighboring rock. "I picked up a few extra things when I bought us these clothes, I just need to..." He rummaged through it, the sound of miscellaneous clutter mixing with the crackling of the fire. Piece by piece, he took out what he was looking for: a needle, dark-colored thread, and a pair of scissors.
"Oh, that's useful! But... sorry, I'm curious: what made you think to pick these up?"
"Needed new ones back home. That shop was selling these for pretty cheap, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to get them then and there." He motioned for Izuku to sit down. "I'm gonna need to cut a small patch from the interior lining. Think you can take that off again?"
"Oh, sure." Izuku sat on his knees and shrugged his overalls off. Rody moved to sit across from him, crossing his legs as he took the fabric in hand. He brushed over the material with a thumb, working it until he was able to pinch the lining between his fingers, cutting out a palm-sized rectangle. "How did you learn to sew?" he asked, figuring that a little small talk wouldn't hurt.
Rody hummed. "Honestly? I just went to the library and looked up tutorials. Nothin' special."
"What made you want to learn?" Izuku leaned forward, watching Rody work with rapt interest, eyes following along as he threaded the needle in swift, practiced movements.
"Had to. We don't really have any spare clothes so when my brother tore a huge hole in his shirt, the only thing we could do was patch it up." Rody scooted closer, taking the loose fabric of the overalls in hand and draping it over his knee. He placed the patch over the hole, lining it carefully along the edge. "Think you could hold this, Pino?"
"Piri pree!" The small bird fluttered over, pinning the patch beneath her feet. Izuku smiled, observing her with quiet fascination. What an intelligent bird! They must have a really strong bond, he thought, recalling her previous attempts at defending Rody. I wonder what the story is between them?
He opened his mouth to ask but ultimately thought better of it. Later. I should let him concentrate.
"How about you, hero?"
"Hm?" Nevermind, I guess.
"You know how to sew?"
"I don't, no. My mom does, though."
"Yeah?" There was a note of interest in Rody's voice. Pino craned her neck to look at him, showing equal interest. Later, Izuku reminded himself.
"Yeah." He twiddled his thumbs, smiling fondly. "... She was actually the one who made my hero costume."
"No kidding."
"Well, she made the first version of it, anyways. The base of it is still her design, though." Warmth blossomed in his chest at the memory. At seeing his mom hold up that costume with a proud smile on her face. At hearing her apology. At having her support.
"... Think she knows that you're wanted for mass murder?"
Izuku choked, his face paling white. "I HOPE NOT?!" he shouted, his sudden volume causing Rody to flinch. "Oh no, I didn't even think about that! What would she even think?! I should— no, I forgot, my phone's dead! Can payphones make international calls? Is that a thing? Please tell me that's a thing."
"Hey man, relax! I was joking."
"But what if she's seen the news?!"
"Look," Rody sighed, "if it makes you feel any better, I seriously doubt that the story's gone international. The only way your mom would find out is if she keeps up with Otheon's news outlets."
"Yeah... yeah, okay." He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "I think you're right. Sorry."
"'sall good." Quiet. Then, a snicker.
"... What?"
"Nothing. I just think it's funny that you'd jeopardize this super important thing that we're doing just to tell your mom that no, you definitely did not kill 12 people in a different country."
"Wh— hey! I-I'd be careful!" he sputtered out.
"Oh, you'd be careful? I'm sorry, who was it that told me that it was probably okay for me to make my phone call because they didn't really have anything about me on the news? Because I seem to recall it being a certain green-haired hero."
Izuku pressed his lips together, his cheeks flushing a vibrant red hue. Rody looked up at him, arching a brow. Then, Izuku snorted, his cheeks puffing out as he fought to suppress the building laugher in his stomach. The other boy started snickering again, his mouth a wavering line as he struggled with his own fit. They cracked at the same time, breaking into loud fits of laughter that echoed around the cave.
"You're right," Izuku eventually breathed out, "I did say that, huh?" He blinked tears out of his eyes, wiping away the ones that stuck.
"You did! Geez, you heroes have such a double standard when it comes to what us civilians can do," Rody teased, elbowing him in the side.
"Noo that's not it! You'd do the same if you were in my position!"
"Yeah, I would."
The conversation had fizzled out into a comfortable silence. The fire had grown dim, their cast shadows bleeding into the darkness on the cavern walls. Goosebumps prickled at Izuku's arms, the faint whisper of a breeze drafting inside.
"There!" Rody beamed. "Good as—well, it's fixed."
Izuku took the mended fabric in hand, examining it. "Wow, thank you, Rody! It looks great."
The other boy shrugged. Pino seemed pleased with his remark. "It's just a patchwork fix."
"Still." He pulled the straps back over his arms, adjusting them accordingly. "You ready to get some sleep?"
"You bet. I'm beat," Rody yawned, stretching his arms over his head. He glanced around. "... Think they'd expect us at that barn?"
Izuku offered a sympathetic glance. "Better to not take any chances. We should probably put out the fire, too."
"What?"
"It's for our—"
"Safety, I know I know," he huffed, moving to stomp out the remainder of the flame. Pino flew into his ponytail as he stood up. "It's not gonna be easy getting comfy tonight."
"We'll find something better tomorrow."
"Sure, I'll take your word for it."
Still, Rody was right: getting comfortable hadn't been easy. There wasn't enough space for either of them to lay down—not without moving closer to the entrance. As that wasn't an option, the only thing they could do was huddle towards the back of the cave.
Izuku pulled his knees closer to his chest, shivering.
"Hey... Rody?"
"Yeah?"
"I miss the barn."
Rody laughed, soft with an emotion he couldn't quite discern. Izuku felt something squeeze in his chest.
"G'night, Deku."
"Goodnight."