EraserMic Fluff

PT 15

         Shōta placed his backpack on a desk as far away from the other students as possible. He sat down and rested his head on the desk, his dark hair pooling around him. Today was his first day in the Hero Course. Before now, he was in the General Department because his score wasn't very high. He was currently thinking of a way to use his Quirk more effectively—perhaps if he had some kind of tool to trap others?
A golden haired kid sat in the seat next to him and turned to face him.
"Hey! Are you new here? My name's Yamada Hizashi! What's yours?" He called.
"...loud..." Shōta whispered.
"Hmm? Come on, you gotta know at least one person in here before class starts, and I want to be that person!"
Shōta lifted his head and looked at Hizashi. His dark curls lined his pale face. His dark, tired eyes looked back at Hizashi's green eyes. Hizashi blushed. Wow, he's really cute, Hizashi thought.
Shōta looked Hizashi up and down. He felt familiar...Oh yes. They went to the same preschool. Hizashi was pretty unforgettable; loud and optimistic, with the annoying habit of trying to make friends with everyone.
"...Aizawa Shōta," Shōta murmured. Hizashi grinned.
"Well, welcome to the Hero Course! Hopefully we can be friends!" Hizashi yelled, reaching out a hand. Shōta stared at it. He looked up at Hizashi's grinning face. I can't disappoint someone making that expression, Shōta thought. He gingerly shook Hizashi's hand, then went back to sleep.
The two of them survived class, and when the bell rang, Shōta picked up his backpack and headed for the door.
"Aizawa-kun, wait up!" Hizashi cheered after him. He caught up with Shōta. "I want to introduce you to some of my friends. There's Nemuri-chan, and Yagi-kun, and Tensei-kun. I think you'll like them a lot." Shōta looked at him. He was about to speak up when Hizashi dragged him with him. Shōta met Hizashi's friends, but he barely spoke.
When the final bell rang, Shōta was quick to head home.
Shōta chuckled. When he thought about it, Hizashi injected himself into Shōta's life, eventually wearing him out until he called Hizashi a friend.
Shōta had no idea why Hizashi wanted to be friends. They were from two different worlds. Hizashi was optimistic, bouncy, energetic, loud, and lived with loving adoptive parents. Shōta was a realist, serious, exhausted, quiet, and lived with...well, people very different from Hizashi's parents.
Hizashi was what made life enjoyable, though. He brought sunshine and friendship into Shōta's life, two things he was denied. Shōta's smile faded at the thought of his home-life.
"Hey, can I come to your place, Shōta-kun? We always go to my house!" Hizashi asked, smiling at his friend as they walked away from school. Shōta went stiff.
"No," Shōta replied steadily, his voice unusually powerful. Hizashi glanced at him.
"Why not?" He asked, struggling to understand the sudden change in Shōta. Shōta was silent. "Why not?" He repeated, grabbing Shōta's shoulder. Shōta jumped slightly. The two stopped in their tracks. "...Shōta-kun? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Shōta muttered, breaking away from Hizashi's grip. He power-walked ahead, leaving a confused Hizashi behind.
The next day, Shōta found Hizashi sitting alone. He seemed anxious. Shōta sat down next to him silently, spooking the distant Hizashi. Hizashi opened his mouth to say something, then stopped himself. He looked down at his lunch. Shōta eyed him, then sighed. He turned away.
        "...do you really want to come to my apartment?" Shōta mumbled. Hizashi looked up at him.
         "Yes! I-I mean, if you want me to..." Hizashi replied.
         "Why?"
         "Well," Hizashi thought for a second, then grinned widely, "We're friends, after all!" Shōta blushed and looked away.
         "...okay."
          "Wait, I can come over?"
         "Friday night," Shōta answered, head still turned away. He smiled slightly. A friend, huh?
      On Friday, Hizashi followed Shōta to his apartment. It was small and slightly run down. It sat in a bad part of town, a part Hizashi was frequently told to avoid. When Shōta opened the door, the full difference in their lives finally struck Hizashi.
        In Hizashi's home, a large and bright house in a nice neighbourhood, flowers bloomed in the front yard. His parents always smiled at him when he came home, and told him they loved him. His house was warm and bright and clean, and filled with family photos.
       Shōta's home was falling apart. Weeds grew in the poor excuse of a front yard. No parents were to be seen. The walls were drab and bare of photos. Clutter filled every corner. It felt cramped and cold.
      They took off their shoes and headed inside. Shōta led him to his room. It was freezing cold, and barely big enough for the two of them. It was the cleanest part of the apartment, Hizashi could tell. It was clean in that it was void of possessions. A bedroll rested on the floor, and there was a box in the corner presumably holding his clothing. There was nothing unnecessary, nothing fun, nothing of luxury. Hizashi was shocked.
       Hizashi and Shōta chatted about unrelated things, sitting down on the floor.
      "So, where are your parents?" Hizashi asked in a moment of silence.
      "...out," Shōta replied quietly.
      "What do they do for a living?" Hizashi said, trying to learn more without pushing.
     "Mother's a waitress," Shōta answered.
      "And your dad?" Shōta was silent. He muttered something under his breath that Hizashi barely caught:
     "...drinks every bar dry..."
      Hizashi backed off immediately, sensing Shōta's discomfort when it came to his parents.
      "So...what's your favourite animal?" Hizashi asked, after struggling to find something nice to talk about. Shōta looked up at him, and his eyes were bright for the first time.
      "...I like cats," Shōta replied, with what could have been enthusiasm. He's the cutest thing oh my god, Hizashi thought. Finally, something they could talk about.
      "I do, too! Cats are really cute!" Hizashi said cheerfully. Shōta smiled softly, making Hizashi blush.
      "...yeah," he whispered, his voice warm. Hizashi blushed even harder. He let out a nervous laugh.
      "There's a lot of stray cats near my house. Sometimes I feed them, even though Dad says that'll just make them follow me around," Hizashi said. Shōta entertained the thought of a parade of cats following Hizashi to school, and smiled a little wider. He put his hand to his mouth and looked away, trying not to laugh.
Hizashi fiddled with his jacket, grinning and blushing heavily as he watched Shōta choke back a giggle. He's so cute, he mused. They chatted a bit more, then Shōta walked Hizashi home.
      The next day Hizashi headed to Shōta's house so they could go to the park. He stopped in front of the house when he heard the yelling, however.
      "-you pathetic brat, how dare you? After we spend all our money to get you in Yuuei, you dare talk back to us?!" Hizashi stumbled back in his confusion. If someone responded to the woman's rant, he couldn't hear it. The woman spoke up again.
       "A simple sorry isn't enough, Shōta! You go do your job right now, and stay away from that rich kid!" There was a pause, presumably filled with Shōta's response, and then a man's voice called out.
       "And don't you think of him as a friend. Why would he be your friend? You're garbage, and you'll never amount to anything. He's not your friend. You don't deserve friends." Hizashi backed up further, tears welling up. How could someone talk to another person like that?
       There was a pause, then the door opened and a sullen Shōta slowly walked out, head down. Hizashi ran behind a wall before Shōta could notice him. When Shōta passed by, Hizashi followed quietly behind, waiting until they were far away from Shōta's house to speak up.
      "Shōta—" Hizashi started. Shōta turned to face him. His face was void of emotion, eyes sunken and tired. He looked exhausted. Hizashi started to cry, then hugged Shōta tightly. Shōta's eyes widened in surprise. He stood limp in Hizashi's arms. Suddenly, emotion overtook him. Tears streamed down his cheeks and he gripped Hizashi back.
      "Hizashi-kun," Shōta whispered. It was the first time he called Hizashi by his given name. Shōta's grip tightened, "...I..."
       "It's okay, Shōta-kun," Hizashi whispered, tears still welling up in his eyes. They held each other a little longer, then separated slowly.
       "...I..." was all Shōta could manage. Hizashi grabbed his shoulders and looked him in the eye.
      "Shōta-kun, you are my friend. I want you to know that you are amazing and talented and smart and cool. You are going to be an amazing Hero, and I will be so proud to have been your friend. We'll be Heroes together, and it's going to be awesome. You're amazing," Hizashi said, his voice serious. Shōta's eyes widened.
      "...Hizashi-kun, I...you're my friend, too!" Shōta replied, tears falling again. He hugged Hizashi again, hiding his face in Hizashi's chest. Hizashi wrapped his arms around Shōta. They stayed that way for quite some time.