Flea

Chapter Five

A sleek suit of armour was trying to coax the most mangy cat Maeve had ever seen from underneath a park bench. 

While the feline was a tabby, it was hard to tell through all the dirt and various bare patches of skin. Ugly orange eyes bulged as it hissed and the poor thing's ribs were clearly defined against its coat. In short, she was in love. Maeve had always been drawn to broken things, ever since she could remember. Piecing them back together gave her purpose, it was probably why she'd clung onto Aizawa so much when they first met. She could tell he was hurting. 

The pro's intimidating look was undermined by the fact they were shuffling around on all fours beckoning to the feral animal with a banana. A few children had gathered to watch, intrigued.  

"Need help?" She asked, after snapping a few photos of the scene for later enjoyment. Maeve would personally have the image seared into her mind for the rest of her life, but blackmail was always an option she should keep open. Not that he'd be ashamed by the image, he was so unrelentingly wholesome.   

Ingenium's beautifully crafted helmet whipped around and banged into the underbelly of the bench. A digitally altered voice sprang from speakers in a monotone as the pro got to his feet. 

"Ow. It's good to see you M-" 

The robotic statement was cut off as Maeve flung her arms around his neck, laughing. Tensei was knocked off balance, and had to use the engines in his elbows to steady them from falling in a heap on the ground. He pulled off his helmet and dropped it on the grass to wrap his armoured arms around Maeve and twirl her around a few times with a massive grin. Setting her down, he chuckled, 

"I'd tell you how much you've grown, but you haven't really." 

"Nice of you to rub it in that my bones lost the will to grow when I was 12," she complained, needing to crane her neck to look at his face. Maeve settled down to sit cross legged on the grass and he joined her with a lopsided grin, adding, 

"Your maturity levels too." She shot him another affronted look, and he held up his palms, eyes crinkling cheerfully. 

"To be fair, you were an unsettlingly mature 12-year-old. It made me look bad, so I'm glad I've had a chance to catch up a bit." 

Tensei's expression became reflective.

"I've missed you, Flea. The agency in Hosu is going really well, but Fridays aren't the same without dropping groaning you at dance class, or listening to you groan over the horrific state of the coffee in the hospital canteen. Or you groaning and falling unconscious on the couch at the end of the day with a tub of ice cream and I need to check if you're still breathing. I just miss your groans, okay."

He'd begun absently ensuring her scarf was tight enough, and tucking in stray tendrils of hair behind her ears. Maeve hadn't had someone fuss over her since, well, he'd left. She'd forgotten how nice it was to be mothered, and the turbo hero was somehow able to do it in a way that wasn't insufferable.  

"I've missed you too. Just a little. But you know what I really, really miss? Your long hair," Maeve continued, with an arched eyebrow. His eyes widened in horror. 

"Don't you dare. I had it specially cut before I came home in order to set a good example for Tenya, I spent good money. Stay away from me or I'll blast you with my elbows-" 

It was too late. Her gloves had already receded and she booped him in the nose, causing his perfectly cropped hair to sprout into a chaotic navy mess. The turbo hero's anguished expression buried under new bangs was enough to make her roll on the ground with laughter. Where Maeve's fingertips landed, the grass sprang to life, jiggling around to share in her glee.