Chapter Text
The bell to the café rang as Izuku opened the door.
A plump woman with brunette hair tied into a tight bun greeted him by the entrance.
“Miss Tamako! It’s been too long!” She said, rushing over to him.
Izuku looked up at her and smiled warmly — remembering to keep up his Aika Tamako persona.
“Hi, Mrs May.” He replied, politely.
The woman was wearing a light orange dress that reached her knee and a perfectly clean, white apron over the top.
She ushered him over to a quiet booth near the back, away from all the noise and pulled out a notebook and pen from her pocket.
“I imagine you’re having the usual, Miss Tamako?”
Izuku thought for a moment.
“Actually-,” he paused, his eyes glazing over the menu, “I think I’ll have an iced latte, today.”
“Sounds good!” Mrs May replied cheerfully, lowering her head to write it in her notebook, “I’ll have that to you in just a bit.” She then spun round and left to counter.
Izuku sighed and reached into his All Might themed tote bag, pulling out his laptop. He impatiently tapped his finger against the wooden table and traced his finger over the laptop’s hero stickers as he waited for it to log in. The strong scent of coffee beans filled his nose, causing him to scrunch his nose up, cringing.
He brought out his phone from his pocket and opened the camera, cleaning up his deep black eyeliner with his purple coloured nails.
The laptop finally loaded after what felt like forever and he placed his phone face down to immediately hover the cursor over HeroTube , double tapping the pad to open the app.
Izuku reached back into his tote bag and pulled out a pen and his most recent hero analysis book, opening it to the newest page.
“Oh my god ! Aika, you would never believe who I ran into the other day!”
Maybe the hero analysis would have to wait.
Izuku looked up and came face to face with his best friend. The one and only Himiko Toga .
Himiko budged up next to him getting into his personal space, despite it being a four-person booth. Izuku shuffled closer to the wall as he watched Himiko swing her legs back and forth.
She started chatting non-stop about her day and letting Izuku in on all the current gossip on the League of Villains. He wasn’t a part of the League of Villains, but he didn’t exactly despise it per say.
Izuku has actually met a few of the members and they were — surprisingly — nice. Dabi was cool, although he did try and get Izuku to have a beer one time, and Shigaraki had a fascinating personality. Twice (or Jin as he preferred to be called) would always act goofy, making Izuku laugh, and Mr. Compress could do loads of cool magic tricks, amazing Izuku.
Izuku looked back down at his notebook as he started analysising a young hero that just recently had her debut. Himiko didn’t seem to notice the lack of attention as she continued to chat to him eagerly.
“Oh! And I also made friendship bracelets for us!” She said, pulling two charm bracelets out of her cardigan pocket. They were both identical and and spelt out: A + H. He decided not to tell her that the letters made it seem they were a couple.
“Look! They’re both red like blood and I added our initials see!” Himiko shoved it into Izuku’s face with a big grin, “H for Himiko and A for Aika! Well, I know that’s not your real name, but I realised I don’t even know your real name!” She started ranting, only to be cut off by Izuku.
“I’m sorry, Himiko. I just don’t want to say my name in case any villain overhears and tells the League.” He told her, sympathetically.
Izuku took one of the charm bracelets and rolled it onto his left wrist, smiling at the thought of someone putting in this much effort for him — he didn’t get this kind of kindness as Izuku Midoriya.
His good mood was snapped as fast as it came as he heard a loud yell behind him.
“DEKU?”
“Oh no.” He mumbled to himself as he started to panic. Izuku could recognised that angry voice anywhere.
Himiko looked around bewildered at the commotion behind her and then at Izuku.
“Is he talking to you?” She asked, noticing his sudden change in attitude.
He nodded discreetly, trying to ignore the boy standing at the entrance and Izuku just tried to keep his face down.
Izuku glanced at Himiko,
“Is he looking?” He asked, already knowing the answer.
She looked back — not as discreetly — and replied with a short,
“Yep.”
“OI, DEKU! DON’T IGNORE ME!” Bakugou — Izuku’s childhood friend and current bully — yelled at him.
Izuku felt his breath hitch.
“He can’t see me, Himiko! Not when I’m acting as Aika!”
Himiko scrunched her face up.
“Who is that? Is he your friend? He doesn’t seem that happy to see you — quite the opposite actually. He’s calling you Deku, isn’t that an insult?”
“No, he is not my friend !” He whisper-yelled at her, “he hates me and bullies me at school! And oh god, I’m a dead girl walking. And oh god I just made a musical joke!” He groaned into his hands, understanding why Bakugou hates him.
Himiko glanced back and made a high pitch squeak that could only mean: oh no.
“So, not to freak you out anymore than you already are, but he’s kinda walking over here. Forget walking, he’s stomping . Damn, Aika, what did you do ?”
Izuku looked through the gaps between his fingers, eyes wide and mouth agape.
“He’s doing wha-!”
SLAM!
Izuku never got to finish that sentence, as two hands slammed down, shaking the whole booth.
“DEKU! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU IGNORING ME?” Bakugou shouted, furiously.
Himiko no longer looked intimidated, now she looked interested.
“Hi!” She said, directing her body to face Bakugou, “I’m Toga! What’s your name?”
Bakugou looked taken aback. He hadn’t even noticed Himiko yet, too focused on Izuku to be aware of his surroundings. So he was certainly surprised when she spoke.
“What the hell?” He replied, already aggravated at the strange girl.
Himiko just smiled (a bit too widely) in response, creeping Bakugou out. And was that blood on her teeth?
Bakugou brushed off this weird interaction and moved his eyes back to Izuku. But he paused.
“Hah? Are you wearing makeup?” He asked, rudely and especially loud , causing other customers to glare at him, annoyed.
Izuku racked his brain, trying to think of an excuse,
“Uh-, well, you see, uh, Kaachan-!”
“I’m sorry, sir. But if you keep shouting at my customers, here, I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.”
Mrs May appeared beside Bakugou like a true hero. In one hand, she held a large mug full of iced latte, and her other hand was resting on her hip. She didn’t look impressed as she stared down Bakugou to get him to leave.
Bakugou who, despite how he acted, wanted to be the ‘number one hero’ as he always put it, and to be a hero, he still needed to behave. So, he reluctantly grumbled under his breath and spun around to leave through the door, banging it shut.
Izuku felt a blush rise on his face as he realised that everyone’s eyes were on them and — probably — judging them.
“Well, he was a rude chap, wasn’t he.” Mrs May said, casually as she turned to the two kids, “Here’s your iced latte by the way, Miss Tamako.” She handed the mug to him. “Be careful, it’s hot.” Mrs May added, blowing on it slightly.
Izuku sighed with relief, although he still knew he was going to pay for that when he arrived at school, tomorrow.
“Thank you so much, Mrs May.” He said, expressing his gratitude. He bowed his head a moderate amount, elbowing Himiko to do the same, which she did.
She waved her hand, modestly.
“Ah, that was nothin’. Just another, egoistic teen who thinks they can do what they want.”
Izuku giggled inwardly as he had never heard anyone talk bad about Bakugou before.
“Well, I’d better be off to serve my customers.” Mrs May stated, taking a look around, “hopefully they’re not being shouted at as well.” She added quietly, waving them a goodbye.
Himiko twiddled her thumbs as she tried to hold in the words on the tip of her tongue, but Izuku noticed and told her,
“Whatever you wanna say right now, you can.”
He was probably gonna regret that.
Himiko looked relieved.
“I don’t think he likes me.”
Izuku stopped,
“What?”
Himiko is surely talking about a League member or something.
“That shouty boy, just now. I don’t think he likes me.” She repeated sadly.
Izuku put his face in his hands. She seriously did not just say that.
“Himiko, look at me,” he said, turning to her. She looked up and Izuku continued, “He came in here. Yelled at us because he hates me then stormed out — courtesy of Mrs May. Of course he doesn’t like you.”
Way to soften the blow, Izuku.
Himiko looked like she had tears in her eyes,
“So he doesn’t! That’s not cute!”
Izuku closed his laptop and hero analysis notebook and proceeded to place his things in his tote bag.
“You’re just lucky you don’t have to deal with him at school.” He huffed, “Wait, do you even go to school?”
She grinned, seemingly forgetting that she was sad and replying,
“Nope!” Cheerfully.
Izuku blinked,
“Ok, then.”
Himiko and Izuku continued to chat about their lives, trying to move past the incident that happened just five minutes ago.
Izuku was never going to hear the end of this, tomorrow.