Nonchalant

Chapter 33

The silence in the car was unnerving, and Izuku had seen things. 

For one, Eraser Head would glance at him through the rearview mirror every five seconds, as if he was going to pry open the car door and bolt whenever they came across a red light. Izuku stared blankly at the car seat in front of him, turning his head occasionally to watch the cars zoom past him. The sun was going down; the adults had spent a long time discussing the finer details of their new 'arrangement'. 

Tomorrow, they would fetch his belongings from his hiding place. Next, they would have to go buy 'essential items', whatever those were.

Then, after that...

He grimaced slightly at the thought of his new life, living off a man who was now burdened with the task of caring for a problematic teenager. He already had two jobs: Eraser Head didn't need more stress and more expenses to cover. 

"What's wrong?"

Izuku raised his head to see Eraser Head studying him, his back turned to face him. They were at a red light again, the bright glow illuminating the side of the hero's face. 

He shrugged slightly in response, lowering his head to stare at his hands. They were small and thin, with small scars here and there. 

Eraser Head hummed thoughtfully before turning back to face the road and responding. "You don't have to worry about a thing, kid. You won't have to fend for yourself anymore, you don't have to work a part time job anymore, and," he paused momentarily to glance back at Izuku before continuing."You sure as hell won't be tending to your wounds by yourself."

Izuku lifted his gaze again to see the light change to green, and cars began to move once more. 

Still, he said nothing, but his heart felt a bit lighter. Eraser Head glanced back at him again. Seemingly satisfied, he refocused on the road and Izuku stared at the bright orange sun that was setting before his eyes.

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They made it to the apartment building. Midoriya stepped out hesitantly, eyes sharply darting towards the walls, presumably to analyze every possible escape route he could find. Aizawa saw him tracing the emergency stairs with his gaze, then flick to the ledges of the apartment balconies and windows.

Note to self: buy more locks. 

Aizawa locked his car door and waved the kid over, walking into the elevator and pushing a button. 3rd floor. Not too high, thankfully.

Again, Midoriya's eyes immeadiately flicked to the emergency exits, with their glowing green-and-white signs. 

Once the apartment door was open, Midoriya trailed after him, slow and quiet. It wasn't too small nor was it too big; there was ample space for two people and cat. 

Speaking of...

'Mrow.'

Hime emerged from behind the kitchen counter, where she was presumably sleeping in the empty cupboard. Aizawa bent down to pet her, and she begrudgingly let him scratch her chin. 

When he turned back to the kid, his eyes were wide. Midoriya stared at his cat in silence, curious and somewhat fascinated. Hime turned her shiny eyes towards him, flicking her tail as she approached him , inquisitive. He stiffens, and looks ready to bolt.

Hime sniffed him once, then twice. With one final smell, she rubbed against his legs and jumps into his arms. Startled, Midoriya quickly adjusted his arms so she could lay comfortably in his arms, and she promptly falls asleep. The kid, unsure of what to do next, sat cross-legged on the floor, arms still cradling the cat.

Aizawa hid a smile. 

Midoriya's eyes were bright.

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"This is your room. We can buy some decorations to personalize it, if you'd like," Eraser Head started. "You can't lock your room or bathroom door, nor can you close it for a prolonged period of time. And please," he paused, staring directly at Izuku in an almost pained way. "No weapons, knives, or anything sharp."

Izuku nodded slowly, the hero's cat still in his arms. He gently placed her on the rug and picked up the pair of pajamas that was provided. It was big, but it covered his body so he liked it. 

A while later, Eraser Head called him outside for dinner: rice with egg and miso soup. It was a simple dish, and could be easily assembled in half an hour  He'd tossed in some pickled vegetables and tofu, too.

Izuku wasn't hungry. In fact, he felt sick. 

The nausea was overwhelmingly strong, and the smell of the miso didn't help. Eraser Head had portioned out a small serving, but even then he still couldn't bring himself to eat it. He felt numb, unable to even pick up his chopsticks.

Eraser Head glanced at him, knowing but worried nonetheless. "Do you think you can drink the soup? Or do you want a jelly pouch?"

Izuku shook his head and carefully picked up the bowl of soup, bringing his lips to the rim. He tried not to gag as the liquid hit his mouth. It wasn't that he didn't like it: he just really didn't think he could stomach anything at that moment.

Miraculously, he did it. He drained the whole bowl and even ate the tofu inside. Eraser Head nodded appreciatively, before collecting the dishes and putting them away. Izuku, unsure of what he was supposed to do now, sat quietly at the dinner table, playing with the sleeves of his borrowed pajamas and fiddling with his fingers. 

"Midoriya."

Eraser Head was back at his seat, hands clasped together. 

"I know this is an incredibly sudden development. I'm still getting used to it, too," he began. "But just remember that you can talk to me about anything. I won't judge you or criticise you. I hope this place will be comfortable for you."

Izuku could feel a lump starting to form in his throat. "Thank you, Eraser Head." he murmured softly, not meeting the hero's gaze.

"Call me Aizawa. That's much shorter than Eraser Head, wouldn't you agree?" the hero said, the hint of a smirk on his face.

Izuku lifted his head. 

"Thank you, Aizawa."

hello people

I swear I'm not dead

Trying my best here but this was written in a day I'm so sorry if it's bad or inconsistent

Thank you and I love yall sm