章 2076: 6
Chapter 6: Hanging Out
Chapter Text
Thirteen had been teaching at UA for several years and figured they knew their coworkers pretty well. At least they thought they did until Nemuri actually adopted a kid. That had surprised them. What didn't surprise them was how much time Nemuri spent in the teacher's lounge trying to figure out how to raise the kid. The R-rated hero was currently laid out on the couch looking at her phone, probably looking at an article related to raising a child.
Thirteen didn't like taking their helmet off. The more they did it, the more people would recognize them outside of hero work, but they didn't mind the idea of Nemuri seeing their face, and if all the staring that happened when they took their helmet off was anything to go by, Thirteen was pretty sure Nemuri didn't mind getting to see their face either.
"So, how's it going now that you're a mom?"
Nemuri yelped as her phone slipped and landed on her face. Thirteen was fairly confident that the red was a combo of the phone smack and a blush. "I-I uh..." Nemuri sat up and huffed, "I don't know. It's going ok I think."
Thirteen put their helmet on the table and sat across from Nemuri in an armchair "is everything ok?"
Nemuri scratched her cheek. "I got home past midnight last night. I was surprised to find dinner waiting, but before I could eat, I heard Midoriya was up. I guess he had a nightmare or something. I could hear him crying and trying to hold himself together. I uh... I wasn't sure what to do."
Thirteen smiled "it must have hurt to just stand there and listen."
Nemuri nodded. "It hurt, but... I don't know. I panicked, I guess. It's kinda stupid to think I can comfort civilians all day, but I freeze up when the kid I'm supposed to raise needs help."
"Sounds like you're scared of messing up. I see it a lot during rescue training and new heroes who do rescues. You freeze up because you're scared that if you step in, you'll make it worse." Thirteen said as they gave their best reassuring smile. "Remember your training for crisis management and just apply it to the next time but try to make it more personal."
Nemuri sighed dramatically "you're too good at this."
Thirteen laughed. "I would hope so. Rescue ops are my specialty."
Nemuri smiled and said with a dramatic flourish, "well, thank you for saving me, hero; however, can I repay you?"
"Would you mind getting tea with me this weekend then? As payment for my helping you."
The question caught Nemuri off guard, and she blinked "huh?"
Thirteen cleared her throat, looking a little flushed. "I said you can repay me by getting tea with me this weekend."
Nemuri's mind went from being frozen to screaming as it clicked. Thirteen just asked her on a date? 'Is it a date? They didn't say date, but it's our day off, and they want to have tea. Should I ask? No, they said it's paying them back. Come on, Nemuri, you aren't a school girl stop reading so much into it.'
"Should I take your silence as a no or...?"
Nemuri waved her hands "no! I mean. Uh, I-I'll do it. I'd like to have tea with you."
Thirteen giggled, and Nemuri felt her heart flutter. "I'll text you the details later."
Nemuri nodded slowly as Thirteen put their helmet back on and headed out. Nemuri waited a few beats before squealing loudly and pumping her fist. She jumped up and felt like she was overcharged with energy as she did a little dance in place until the door suddenly slid open as Shota and Sekijiro walked in. Both men looked at her questioningly as Nemuri slowly straightened out her posture and cleared her throat before quickly walking past them without a word.
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"H-hey uh Midoriya, you wanna hang out tomorrow?"
Izuku choked on his lunch and chugged some water as he tried to process what was asked. "Huh? What?"
Toru poked at her own lunch. "I don't have anything to do, and you're kinda the only person who talks to me in school, so I-I figured we can hang out outside of school."
Izuku swallowed "u-um yeah... I-I d-don't have anything t-to do tomorrow, s-so yeah s-sure."
He couldn't see her smile, but her body language perked up, so Izuku was fairly certain she was happy about the decision. 'When was the last time I hung out with someone my age...?'
"Oh, I'll need your number so I can text you when and where to meet up."
Toru giggled, seeing Izuku's face do an imitation of the tomatoes in his lunch as he shakily pulled his phone out 'he's so nervous. Is it just cause of how he was treated in Aldera, or is it cause I'm a girl? Maybe both, actually. He looks like the type of guy to be shy around girls.'
Toru snatched up the phone and quickly put her info in and got his "I'll text ya later today."
Izuku nodded robotically as he took his phone back and started eating slowly. Toru swayed side to side. It had been a few days since Izuku started school here, and he hadn't stopped hanging out with her. Her bullies were a bit hesitant to mess with her while he was around. Despite his meek appearance, his initial statement on his first day seemed to keep them at bay, but sadly she couldn't hang around him all the time.
It was during those times the tormentors stepped in and reminded her how they felt about her. It hurts being told you're a thief and a liar almost every day. That just made it that much better everyday Iuzku hung around her though she felt the looming dread that one day he would distance himself from her. She hoped hanging out outside of school will help reinforce their friendship so he wouldn't drift before the year was over. She could worry about summer break when it came around.
Izuku sighed internally as they ate in silence. He was worried that Toru would avoid him after finding out about his quirk, but she hadn't. No one else had approached him since his first day either. He found some comfort and a lot of concern in that. Toru had proved over the past couple of days to be an interesting and kind person. He got along well with her, and even when she teased him about starting or poked fun at him, it didn't hurt like in Aldera. He hated how others avoided her because of a few lies. If they gave her a chance, they'd see what a good friend she is.
As the bell rang to end lunch, Toru walked alongside Izuku back to class with a pep in her step, and Izuku stood a bit straighter as they both thought about getting to spend time with an actual friend.
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Izuku yawned as he came home. "I'm home."
Silence greeted him as he took his shoes off and dropped his pack in his room before heading back to the kitchen; as he did, his phone buzzed with a message, and he saw Toru had put her last name in as well as a string of seemingly random emojis as her contact name. Izuku sighed and was glad that it was fairly normal. In the short time he had known Toru, the word energetic came to mind. Despite what she had gone through, she was still in high spirits, as far as he could tell. Izuku unlocked his phone and checked the message.
Hagakure: Heya Midoriya hope I put the numbers in right.
Izuku gulped as he realized this was the first time he had texted a kid his age. Her being a girl made him more nervous, and he hated that and after taking a deep breath and shoving his thoughts away as he responded.
Midoriya: Yes, you did.
Hagakure: oh yay! Alright, you remember the convenience store? The best one around."
Midoriya: yes, I remember.
Hagakure: good, meet me there at ten.
Izuku sent his confirmation and continued to text as he grabbed a snack. Gradually as they talked about nothing in particular, he relaxed. He noticed a lot more time passed than he thought as Nemuri came home. "I'm home."
"Welcome home," Izuku said as he shot off a text.
Nemuri smiled "talking with Azuki?"
Izuku blushed "uh n-no."
He regretted his stutter and his face's betrayal as Nemuri got that smug look in her eye that meant she would tease him. "Oh, could it be that Hagakure girl you've mentioned? Finally, got her number, huh? I expected it to take longer. Color me impressed."
Izuku's face flushed harder "w-what? No, it's just s-she wanted to hang out tomorrow-"
Nemuri grinned, and Izuku cursed internally "wow, looks like both of us are gonna be busy tomorrow."
Izuku blinked "huh?"
"I'm heading out to have tea with a friend from work tomorrow. I promise not to embarrass you if I run into you."
Izuku straight up said, "I'll try to do the same."
Nemuri chuckled "glad to hear it. Can you get started on dinner? I've got to rest a bit before patrols tonight."
Izuku nodded as he got up "sure thing."
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Izuku was nervous, and he could tell she was as well. "Why are you nervous?"
Nemuri smoothed out her shirt. "I... don't want to mess this up. It's just tea, but it's a start. Why are you nervous? Ya'know other than normal teenage boy nerves."
Izuku blushed. "I- this is the first time since I was four that I'm going to hang out with a friend."
"And they're a girl," Nemuri whispered, making Izuku swat her away.
"Not helping! I just... I don't want to mess up and lose the first friend I've made since, well, everything."
Nemuri smiled sadly and patted his head "you won't mess up, and even if you do, friends forgive each other. Hagakure sounds like a good kid, so I'm sure you'll be fine. Just be yourself and have fun today, alright, kid."
Izuku smiled. "Thanks, Kayama. S-sometimes I forget you can g-give good advice."
She pulled him into a headlock and ruffled his hair aggressively "who taught you to be sassy?"
Izuku laughed. "Yasuda d-did direct your complaints to her!"
Nemuri huffed as she let him go. "I will when we go back to see her."
She smiled as he adjusted his hair. Not that it mattered since the mass of fluffy hair seemed untamable. "Have a good day, kid. I'll see you around for dinner, alright?"
Izuku nodded "y-yeah, you too." The two headed out and went their separate ways.
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Toru was excited for today. Izuku didn't seem like he did much outside the house, so she'd have to make sure to show him all the cool stuff out there. She checked her phone and saw it was ten now. She may have shown up a little too early and had been standing outside the store for fifteen minutes.
"O-oh, Hagakure, you're already here. I'm not late, right?"
Toru turned to see Izuku. He was wearing those red shoes he always has on a pair of jeans and a green hoodie. Toru was dressed similarly in a pair of black and pink sneakers, skinny jeans, and a rose-colored jacket over a black t-shirt. "Nope. Also, your hoodie says family found. What's that about?"
Izuku blushed and scratched his head "ah, it was a gift. I-I was an orphan and uh got adopted recently. T-this was a gift from the young k-kids."
Toru grinned. "I like it. It suits you."
Izuku's face reddened more "t-thanks y-y-your outfit l-looks good as well."
Toru giggled "that's good, but do you think this shade of pink matches my eyes? Cause I'm not sure."
She nearly doubled over in laughter at Izuku's hesitant face. Eventually, Izuku chuckled and started laughing as well. She waved him along with her silver bracelets shining, "come on, I'll show you the best place to kill a few hours."
Izuku nodded and followed her as they walked down the street. He felt a little bad about not helping plan today, but he still didn't know a lot about the area yet, so he could do nothing but hope Toru knew what she was doing.
It only took a few minutes before Toru stopped and spun around, gesturing grandly to the building behind her "first up today is the best arcade around. They got the best pieces, games, and prizes. I hope you're ready for me to kick your butt at everything here."
Izuku chuckled "you're pretty confident. I-I guess you c-come here a lot."
Toru gave a full-body nod "yep. My older brother showed me this place and beat me thoroughly, so I keep coming here so I can beat him one day."
"I-I hope I'll be a g-good enough training partner."
As they entered, Toru asked, "have you never gone to an arcade?"
Izuku was assaulted by lights and sound as he tried to form a response. Dozens upon dozens of arcade games were strewn about blaring noise and flashing colors to draw people in. Izuku's brain skipped a beat "uuh. N-no, I haven't. I um... usually avoid these places."
Toru slumped a bit before bouncing back to her usual energy "well then, I hope today helps you realize what you've been missing. This is gonna be so much fun!"
Izuku gave his best smile and followed her deeper in. there was a bit of a learning curve with each game they played, but Izuku was a smart kid and a quick learner. Toru was also surprisingly good at explaining things despite how her personality would usually say otherwise. Izuku admitted Toru was better than him, but he managed to secure a few victories as they moved from game to game, and before they knew it, a couple hours had gone by.
Izuku had lost track of Toru for a second and looked around as the bubbling start of panic surfaced in his stomach, but it quickly vanished as he saw the floating clothes by a crane machine. "W-what are you l-looking at?"
Toru poked the glass "that green rabbit looks so cute. It would look great in my room..."
"A-are you gonna try t-to get it?" he asked as her shoulders slumped.
"I want to, but... I'm kinda really bad at these."
Izuku smiled a bit. "I-I can try. I've n-never done this, though."
Toru bounced up as her energy came back, and she quickly explained how it worked. Izuku paid, and Toru saw his face shift to a more serious and less timid look as he concentrated. She shivered a bit, feeling like it would be intimidating to have him actually direct that look at a person. Then she giggled internally, seeing how serious his face got because of a stuffed animal. It took a couple tries to get a feel for it, but by the third attempt, the rabbit was freed from their glass prison and swept up in Toru's arms.
The invisible girl clutched her rabbit as they left. "You so should have gotten one for yourself."
Izuku waved his hand "no, I-I've never been b-big on stuffed animals. I-i'm also pretty used to my room being k-kinda empty."
Toru's shoulders slumped "that sounds like a boring room. What do you do to distract yourself if there's nothing in your room."
"Do homework." Toru groaned at that one. "Hm, look at my phone. Or organize my notebooks."
"Hm, so schoolwork or playing on your phone? That's all you got going on in your room?" Toru asked as she took the lead to who knows where.
Izuku blushed "w-well, the notebooks a-aren't for school."
Toru cocked her head to the side, not that it would convey her confusion any better than if she didn't "what are they for then?"
"I-I uh write down stuff about heroes. When I see a hero in action live or see it on the news, I um write down the stuff about their quirks and how they handle situations. I theorize about the use of their quirks and possible improvements and stuff. T-Then study it and see what I can learn from them."
Toru was quiet, and Izuku feared the worst. People had called his notebooks creepy and then called him a stalker or a villain. He was starting to worry that Toru would do the same, but the girl spoke before his fear could choke him. "That sounds super useful. You gotta show me sometime. I wanna see it, alright?"
Izuku blushed and nodded. "I-I'll bring my most r-recent one to school."
Toru pumped her fist "can't wait. Oh, hey, since you're such a big hero nerd, do you know any heroes with a quirk like mine? I've looked before, but I'm pretty sure they'd all be underground."
Izuku nodded. "I have heard of a couple, but they're from different countries. I don't really remember their names i-it was quite a while ago w-when I heard about them."
Toru bounced a bit as she walked "that just means I'll be leading the way for people like me. I'll show them that I can be a hero even with a quirk as simple as mine."
"Simple quirks are really good n-not to say there are quirks t-that aren't good they're all good i-in my book. I-I just mean once you g-get a handle on a simple quirk y-you can actually get really creative with how you t-take advantage of its strengths and weaknesses."
Toru nodded "you're really smart when it comes to quirks, and stuff, aren't you?"
Izuku rubbed the back of his head as he blushed. "I-I don't know, I guess. Y-Yasuda got me into analyzing quirks a-and heroes when I was young."
"Yasuda? Who's that?"
"O-oh um Yasuda Azuki, she works at the orphanage I grew up in. she was like a big sister to me, and she's a huge hero nerd."
Toru giggled before suddenly gasping, making Izuku jump. "Oh, do you wanna get some bubble tea? This place has some good choices."
Izuku nodded and followed her into the shop. It was a small and homey place with a few plush booths and small tables. It was quiet, with only a few customers sitting and enjoying their drinks. The two ordered and paid separately and sat to wait for their drinks as they did. Toru asked, "So what's your guardian like?"
Izuku thought for a moment and decided it was probably best not to blurt out that his guardian was a hero while in public. "She's really kind and protective of me. She also teases me a lot and questions my fashion sense."
Toru titled her head, "it doesn't seem bad to me."
Izuku chuckled "you just haven't seen most of my shirts. They all say something strange."
"Really? Let me guess, you have a shirt that says shirt on it or something?" Toru stared at Izuku as he blushed and scratched his cheek before laughing "wait, really?"
Izuku nodded "it's my favorite shirt."
"A-are you wearing it now under your hoodie?"
Izuku shook his head "no." he lifted his hoodie to reveal a black shirt with bold white letters that said 'Hot Soup' "I'm wearing one of my soup shirts."
"One of?"
"I uh, the other one says cold soup," Izuku mumbled, causing the invisible girl to laugh again.
Once Toru had gotten herself under control, she asked, "so what's your guardian's name? Oh, and what does she do for a job?"
"U-um Nemuri Kayama, and she's an art history professor at a university." Izuku stammered out as Toru hummed.
"Art history?" she said, and Izuku could imagine she was probably scrunching her nose up at the idea.
"Despite her very... playful personality, she is very serious about art history and its importance in the world. I questioned her on it at one point and ended up sitting through an hour-long lecture about it. She said it would have been longer, but she didn't have her laptop or a projector to show the various powerpoints she had made."
Izuku sighed as Toru dissolved into giggles again. Izuku cleared his throat after a moment and hesitated before asking, "w-what about y-your family?"
Toru grinned "well, it's me, my mom, dad, and an older brother. My mom is a lawyer, and dad works computers and stuff. My older brother is in his last year of high school, so he'll be heading off to college or something, I guess."
Their orders came up before Izuku could work up the courage to ask follow-up questions, and they left the establishment. Toru was drinking something that smelled like the embodiment of the word fruity and chewed on the jellies she got instead of the typical tapioca. Izuku sipped his rose milk tea, and the two walked in relative silence that was broken usually by Toru pointing at shops and commenting on them. "Oh, there's a nice park around here. I figured a quiet guy like yourself would enjoy that kinda thing."
Izuku blushed but nodded 'Y-yeah that sounds-"
"Izuku?" a voice from behind caught his attention, and he stopped.
Panic briefly filled his chest as he saw a head of ash blonde hair, but it subsided quickly, and a nostalgic sorta feeling replaced it. "Aunt Mitsuki?"
The older woman smiled as she approached, "it is you. Come here."
Toru took his drink as he got swept up in a hug that crushed him. After a moment, the matriarch of the Bakugo family pulled back "before anything else, I wanted to apologize for everything." her eyes flicked to Toru. "You didn't have to be as forgiving as you were, but I'm thankful, and so is Masaru."
Izuku nodded "y-yeah i-it's ok, Auntie."
Mitsuki smiled as she stepped back "you're looking better as well. That's good." Izuku gulped as she got a grin he usually saw on Nemuri or Yasuda before they teased him. "Now, are you gonna introduce your favorite aunt to your 'friend' or not?"
Izuku blushed as he took his drink back. "H-Hagakure, this is Mitsuki Bakugo; she's basically like an aunt to me. My mom was good friends with her before... she passed. Auntie, this is Toru Hagakue, a friend of mine."
Mitsuki's smile faded a bit as she remembered her best friend. "It's nice to meet you, Hagakure. I hope Izuku's behaving himself."
Toru giggled "oh yeah. He's a great friend. A bit quiet, but I can more than makeup for the difference."
Mitsuki laughed "good. He's always been a shy boy. Now I better get going; I don't want to be late." she paused before stepping away "also, I heard about your adoption Izuku. I'm really happy for you."
Izuku smiled. "Thanks, Auntie. Have a good day."
With that, Mitsuki took her leave, and the two teens started for the park again. By the time they got there, Hagakure had finished her drink and disposed of the cup. As they walked, she played with the green stuffed rabbit's ears "so that was your mom's best friend?"
"Yeah. She's a nice lady if a bit intense at times... and crude with her language."
"So... this may be rude to ask, but... why didn't she adopt you?"
Izuku smiled sadly. "I would have liked that back then, but to put it simply, they couldn't afford to. The Bakugo house is Auntie, her husband, and their son. All three of them have quirks that let them secret somewhat volatile chemicals, so they spend a lot on special clothing, furniture, and neutralizing agents to keep their house from going up in a fireball. They're not in danger of losing everything, but they also don't make enough to add one more growing boy to the mix."
Toru nodded "quirks can make things expensive sometimes. It sucks you couldn't live with them."
Izuku shrugged and fought against the knot in his throat "i-it's for the best. Their son and I d-don't get along."
Toru nodded "that would complicate things... though having an adoptive mom that hot might make up for it."
The sound of a hand slapping a mouth echoed as Izuku stared, shocked at the floating clothes. Toru slowly lowered her hand. "I wasn't supposed to say that out loud."
Izuku couldn't help but chuckle a bit even as Toru punched his arm and told him to shut up. The two continued their walk through the park, with Toru groaning about developing her brother's bad habit of blurting things out. "It's ok, Hagakure. I have a habit of mumbling what I'm thinking. It's pretty embarrassing sometimes."
Toru perked up a bit "well, I can't wait to see that happen."
Izuku blushed and groaned as his friend laughed. They spent some time in the park simply walking around and talking aimlessly about whatever crossed their minds. Topics like heroes, funny videos or memes they'd seen, stuff on the news, and random memories that came back to them. Izuku smiled inwardly as he thought of how... relaxed he was. He didn't usually feel this relaxed except around Yasuda, and to some extent, Kayama though... he had to admit he was still fretting about the possibility that she would somehow change her mind about him, and he'd be back with Yasuda in the orphanage or worse because of where he was now they'd put him in a different one. One that could be worse than what he was lucky enough to grow up in.
"Midoriya... hey Midoriya!"
Izuku flinched and looked at Toru. "H-huh? What happen?"
Toru tilted her head "you were mumbling. Which while cute was concerning because... it didn't sound like anything pleasant."
Izuku couldn't even be bothered to worry about his blushing face as the dread set in that he mumbled about his insecurities while his friend was nearby. "O-oh um, it's nothing... I'm just. I'm still adjusting. I had pretty much given up on ever getting adopted, so I'm still a little shocked it happened."
"I think I get what you mean. It must have been pretty surprising that this Kayama lady decided to take you in."
Izuku nodded "yeah... I knew she cared about me, but... well, there's caring about someone, then there's taking the time and effort to find a new place so you can take care of them kinda caring. She's a wonderful person, but I think... I hope it's just that she's nervous too. I don't think either of us really thought this would happen to us."
Toru giggled. "I think as long as you're honest with someone, it'll work out."
Izuku nodded and watched as Toru pulled her phone out and groaned. "My mom wants me to pick some stuff up before she gets home. I gotta go so I can make sure to get back before her. You gonna be able to get home?"
Izuku nodded "yeah. I'm gonna stay here a bit longer, though. I-I uh had fun today.
Toru bounced in place "yeah, this was great. We gotta make sure to do it again or something different. I'll see you at school, Midoriya."
"Y-yeah. I'll see you at school, Hagakure."
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Later that night, Nemuri sighed as she came home. Her totally not a date with Thirteen had gone almost perfectly right up until a villain attack happened, and she had to help, which led to her spending the rest of the day talking to the media, and civilians, then having to go do paperwork at the police station. , she was glad that Thirteen had texted her later, saying they had fun and should do it again without the villain attack. Nemuri found it hard to not grin the whole way home. Now she just needed to make sure Izuku's day went well, and it would all be good.
She entered the apartment and smelled dinner cooking. Nemuri frowned a bit, realizing she hadn't been the one to cook in a few days. "I'm home!"
"Welcome back. Dinner's almost ready." Izuku called back as she entered the kitchen/living room area.
"How was your day, Midoriya?" Nemuri asked as she placed her bag on the dining table.
Izuku smiled, and Nemuri's heart clenched at how genuine it was. "I had a great day."
Nemuri smiled and sat at the table "well then, tell me about it, and I'll tell you about the villain I fought today."
She watched his eyes light up before he dove into his story. Nemuri smiled and teased him at points making the boy blush. When Mitsuki was mentioned, Nemuri huffed but seeing that Izuku still thought fondly of his pseudo aunt, she didn't voice her opinion on the Bakugo family. Once he was done, he practically vibrated with excitement as Nemuri started talking about her day.
Meanwhile, in a room full of various shades of pink and complimenting colors, a single green rabbit stuck out like a sore thumb at the head of the bed as an invisible girl talked to her brother about how much fun she had with her friend.
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