Marshmallow |BnHA|

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Izuku's gut throbbed as he got the scent of lavender. Green, dull, eyes flashed in his mind, but he pushed it down and tried to remember times when his Mama's eyes had been full of life.

It was easier said then done.

Curiosity got on top of him as he poked his head around the corner, watching as Hitoshi came skipping in, holding a bundle of Lavender. 

The boy must have noticed Izuku's staring, and tilted his head. Izuku ducked back into his room, moving to sit on his window sill. He could see the world pass from there, and it was nice to see what was going on whilst being safe within the walls of his current home. 

Izuku wondered how much longer that would last. 

His green eyes moved to two women getting out the car. One had straight purple hair - the same shade as Hitoshi's - whilst the other had a muted version. They shared blue eyes, pale skin and tall figures.

The boy wondered whether they were Hitoshi's Mama and sister. He didn't know a lot, just like him the purple haired boy was reluctant to talk about his past, but he knew that Hitoshi's Mama was nice, she just couldn't afford a child. 

Stroking Paws - who'd jumped up to sit on his lap - Izuku sunk his chin into the hoodie. "Kisan t-told me he w-was mak-making his M-Mama bre-breakfast today. His Pa-Papa's helping him."

The cat mewed, as if understanding him, and Izuku scratched behind her ears. "W-Where's your M-Mama Paws?" No response, and Izuku let out a sad chuckle, distantly hearing the door open and a mumble of voices.

His Unkie and Uncle had worked hard this morning, preparing for their guests. Izuku had made sure to stay out the way. His Unkie had looked sad since the previous night, and Izuku was almost positive it was his fault.

Huffing, he rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn. 

He supposed it was better than last Mother's day - he wasn't sat in his old living room with messy hair and only sweets for food whilst his Mama threw up whatever pills she had ingested. He had tried to help, but his Mama had looked scary.

Sunken eyes and a cracked lipped frown.

Shaking the thought from his head, he looked as the door opened, his Unkie spotting him instantly. "Come on out, lunch is done. But leave Paws here, we don't need her stealing Mrs Shinsou's food."  

Nodding, Izuku slid off the window sill and onto his bed, resting the cat on the sill before clambering to the fall. The urge to jump was big, but he didn't want to annoy Shouta. 

The man picked him up once Izuku reached him, the boy nuzzling his head in Shouta's shoulder as he yawned again, trying not to think of the lavender scent in the kitchen. 

The chatter died down a little as Izuku was put into a chair, Shouta sliding in besides him. "Lettuce, this is Mrs Shinsou and Ebony. This is Izuku, my nephew." 

Sat opposite him, sandwiching the boy he'd been sharing a wall with, was in fact the two he had suspected to be Hitoshi's family. Mrs Shinsou waved to him with a smile.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you." Dropping his gaze shyly, Izuku raised one hand in a weak wave. "Ni-Nice to me-meet you too."

Izuku was raised to be polite, and so he would be.

The Lettuce's eyes remained on the lavender in the centre of the table - in a vase he was slightly surprised hadn't already been pushed by the cats - as small talk was exchanged, Hizashi putting a plate in front of everyone before settling at the head of the table. 

His eyebrows furrowed as he watched the lavender, the smell itching his nose and making chest swell.

A hand on his curls snapped him out of it, and he realised he was being watched. Green met onyx, and Izuku blinked his awareness back.

"Lettuce, you were asked a question." He realised Mrs Shinsou was looking at him expectantly, and stammered quickly, face becoming red.

"S-Sorry! I w-was th-thinking." The women laughed lightly, shaking her hand and head. "It;s okay deary, I was wondering how school was going?"

Bullies. Bruises. Tormenting. Names. 

Kisan.

"S-School is gre-great!" 

Nodding, Mrs Shinsou nudged her boy. "This one tells me you've got a best friend. Hitoshi wants to be his friend too, but the boys as shy as a bird."

Smiling - this one more genuine - Izuku tried to push away the thought that Hitoshi would not only make his Unkie and Uncle more happy, but possibly his best-friend. "Kisan! H-He's the be-best, after Kac-Kacchan of course, a-and I thi-think he wats t-to be your fri-friend too!"

Lunch went past quickly and Izuku only had a few nibbles of his sandwich, eyes back on the lavender.b

Even to the very end, Mama had smelt like Lavender. Fake Mama hasn't though - the creature they buried and stalked him in his dreams had smelt like chemicals. 

Mrs Shinsou, Ebony and Hitoshi had left for the day, and Izuku was scooped up by his Uncle. "Now Jelly Bean, do you want to watch a movie?" Izuku nodded, smiling as he poked the movie he wanted to watch. 

His eyes had lingered on a certain All Might movie, but that was his and Mama's special movie. That was the movie they watched every tine Izuku got sad, and even though he knew every word the Hero said, he always felt the same excitement bubble in his chest. 

Paws - somehow managing to escape his room - plopped onto his lap when he curled around his Unkie's legs, the other three cats coming from their hiding places to use the Heroes as personal pillows.

But Izuku could only half-focus on the movie, the Lavender still fresh in his nose and on his mind.