A Wanderer

Chapter Twelve

Deku and Ochaco walked down a dirt road with bags slung over their shoulders as the sun radiated down on them. They had left when the sun rose, but hours had passed since then. Deku placed a hand on his injured side and gritted his teeth as the wound continued to pulsate with pain. He fell behind Uraraka for a few moments as he tried to regain his barrings, but he quickly caught up to the girl. He jogged next to Ochaco and grinned,"How are you letting a crippled man keep up with you ?"

The girl rolled her brown eyes and remarked,"Cause if I got to far ahead you'd be lookin' at my ass."

"Don't flatter yourself; I am a man of standards."

"You slept in my barn, so how high could your standards possibly be ?"

.....

The pair walked down the same long road, but stopped as they spotted an odd sight. On the side of the road rested an old wooden building. Deku and Ochaco slowly approached the sight and batted curious eyes at is as they spotted a man standing inside of it. Deku rushed to the rectangular box shaped building and looked at the older man behind the counter."Well I'll be damned."

Uraraka followed behind the messy-haired man and furrowed her brow in uncertainty as she studied the man Deku spoke to. The stranger's tanned old face was wrinkled, yet despite all of the wear he displayed a wide smile. His hair was predominantly white, but there were a few streaks of a yellowish-blond hidden within his palm tree like hairstyle. The man's eyes were sunken and his thin frame made the woman worry for his health.

The man behind the counter looked at Deku and his smile faded, and was replaced with shock. The man took a step back and placed a hand on his head. He then muttered under his breath,"No, no, no, that's not possible. Y-You died years ago."

Deku scratched the side of his head and chuckled,"It's me."

The elderly man looked up and his crystal blue eyes were filled to the brim with tears."Midoryia !"

"The one and only."

"Y-You look just like you did all those years ago."

Deku shrugged his shoulders,"Good genes I guess."

Ochaco pulled Deku backwards by the end backside of his cloak and whispered into his ear,"How do ya know this guy ?"

"Me and Toshi go way back."

Ochaco nodded her head and tossed Deku onto the ground. The man landed on his butt and mumbled under his breath,"Jerk.", as Ochaco extended a hand towards Toshi.

"Hi Mr. Toshi, I'm Uraraka."

"Y-You look just like her."

"Sorry ?"

"You look just like Deku's-"

Deku jumped to his feet on queue and butted into the conversation."It amazing that you guys get along like two peas in a pod, but I think we are moving a little fast."He then asked his old friend,"What's up with all of this ?" He then pointed to the small shop the old man was running.

"Oh, this ! It's what I've done for the past twenty plus years."

Ochaco squeaked,"You've been doing this for twenty years !"

"More like twenty-eight."

"Wow, that's impressive."

"Really ?"

"I don't think I could do that and although Deku would swear he could do it for fifty years he'd really just scare away all of the customers."

Deku glared at Ochaco and quipped," And if you ran it you'd have them thinking they walked into a freak show."