🐇Henlo🐇

Shouta is seriously regretting befriending this vigilante, he swears. He already has enough stress from his students. He doesn't need another kid with zero self-preservation instincts. And yet, here he is.

He made a promise not to turn Deku in, and he doesn't plan on breaking it. Since then, the boy has slowly warmed up to him until he was attached like a leech to Shouta. And he really wouldn't mind that, but once you get past Deku's shy, guarded exterior, he starts acting less like a flighty deer and more like a cat. Specifically an orange one.

Shouta doesn't think that, within the past month or two, that he's gone a single meeting with the kid without an (attempted) jumpscare, a jolting poke to the side, or at the very least an annoyingly sassy comment. And Shouta swears that the last time he picked Deku up and carried him away from a fight, he tried to bite him. So, yeah, he thinks the 'orange cat' label is very fitting.

Shouta sits near the edge of a rooftop, peering down at the street below him. It's dark with the streetlights unable to reach him, but the clear sky allows the full moon to shine over him and cast a dim light over everything. He's more tired than usual since he didn't have the time to grab another cup of coffee before his patrol started. So, his mind is slightly fuzzy as he thinks about his vigilante cat friend.

So, lost in thought, it took him a split second too late to notice the presence behind him. He stiffens, but before he can even think to do anything, there are fingers digging into his ribs as a young, familiar voice sounds out behind him. "Boo!"

He doesn't yelp. However, the strangled sound that leaves him isn't much more dignified. He whips around, his scarf shooting out and wrapping around the offender. His eyes meet green ones, and he quickly recognizes Deku's freckled face, which is currently wearing a surprised expression.

Shouta sighs and puts his hand over his beating heart. "Holy crap, kid. Don't do that."

Deku's surprise quickly morphs into delight as he grins, giggling. "I actually did it! Finally!" He pumps his fists up and down, completely unconcerned about the fact that he's hanging in the air with Shouta's scarf around his ribcage.

"Yeah, yeah, you did good. You caught me off guard," Shouta sighs, quickly realizing it's hopeless to stop him.

"I knew I was getting better at stealth... so, can you let me down now?"

Shouta raises his eyebrow at the kid's audacity before slowly reeling him in with the capture weapon. "Oh, you think you can just get away with that?"

"Uhh, yeah?" Deku smiles nervously, kicking his legs softly and clearly fighting the urge to try to break free.

"I should've taught you better. I'll have to work on that. But no, there are consequences to your actions. Let's see how you like it." He pulls Deku in, making him sit next to him. Then, he wraps an arm around the boy and digs his fingers into his ribs.

"Ehehehe, wait, nohoho!" Deku squeaks, quickly dissolving into laughter. He fights back, squirming for a good two seconds before giving up and curling in on himself. This makes Shouta raise an eyebrow.

"You're giving up that easily? I thought the powerful vigilante Deku had some fight in him." There's a hint of teasing in his voice, and he's sure Deku hears it because his giggling increases, his shoes scraping against concrete as he kicks his legs back and forth. From what Shouta figured out, the boy doesn't have many friends other than his mom, if any. He always seems to appreciate physical touch, and though Shouta isn't very used to giving it, he does try his best to give Deku somewhere he feels comfortable.

And, judging by the bright laughter that lights up the rooftop better than the moon does, he's pretty sure he's doing a decent job of that. Shouta sighs, his lips twitching upwards involuntarily. "Keep it down a little. I'm still on patrol."

"Ihihi cahahan't, hahahaha! You're tihiHI-" He cuts himself off with a loud laugh as Shouta's fingers stray toward his upper ribs, then covers his mouth with his hands, trying to muffle himself. "NOhoho, I'm SOHOhorryy!"

"Oh, really? You're not gonna try to scare me again, then?" Shouta can't help but find himself with a soft smile on his face at the young vigilante's attempts to muffle himself.

Deku shakes his head. "Nooo, no, I won't, I, wohohon't!"

Shouta tisks. "I dunno if I believe that..."

"WHAhahat?! Why- ahahaha! Why nooot?" Deku whines through his laughter, gripping onto one of Shouta's wrists with a hand that isn't covering his mouth.

"Have you met yourself?" Shouta deadpans, which pulls another bout of giggling from the boy. The giggling is, however, interrupted by a squeaky yelp, followed quickly by frantic laughter as Shouta's hands slip under his arms.

Deku abandons his goal of muffling his laughter, hugging himself as he squirms in Shouta's arms. "NONONO, nohohohoo, ErAHASER!"

"Yes, Deku?" Shouta smirks, enjoying seeing his kid so openly happy more than he'd like to admit.

"AhahAHAHA, stOHOHOP!"

Shouta stops as asked, allowing Deku to slump against him, giggling softly as he catches his breath.

"Ehehehe, you're so meeean."

"You should know by now that I don't tolerate that kind of behavior. Take this as a lesson."

Deku scoffs lightheartedly. "Yeah, sure... but it was pretty cool, right? How I snuck up on you?"

Aizawa lets out an amused huff and ruffles Deku's hair. "I'll admit you're getting better. Even if I was lost in thought at the time."

Deku snickers and reaches up to fix his hair, propping himself up a bit better against Shouta. "What were you thinking about?"

Shouta glances over at Deku for a moment before he smiles softly and shrugs. "Cats."

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