The Scandal Turned True

Chapter 15: Official First Date

 With your fingers entwined, you walked side by side each other through the festival while continuing to keep an eye out for the others. It was nice with it being just the two of you for a change, enjoying one another's company and getting to actually know one another on an emotional level rather than just the physical one. He put a partial of his hair up when it got warmer into the afternoon, letting out a breath.

 "His clothes always slipped off when his quirk was active." He continued his story, "The looks on their faces was worth it though." He chuckled softly.

 You giggle, "I can't believe the whole class faded him and they barely put a dent in him. Especially Bakugou with his temper."

 "Yeah, he was amazing and they really did try." He said, looking around as you both entered a new area with food vendors.

 You raised a brow at him, "Was? Did something happen?" You asked him. He comes to a stop, looking over to you. He grips your hand gently and leads you over to a bench just away from the crowd. He sat down, bringing you down beside him and rests the parasol against the bench.

 "Remember when I told you how we found Eri?" He asked you.

 You tilt your head at him, your tail flicking behind you, "Yeah, it was at Overhaul's hideout, right?"

 He nods, "Mirio was with us during that operation." His eyes darkened slightly, "Sometime during their fight against Overhaul, he was shot with a nullify quirk bullet." His linked his hands in his lap, leaning forward slightly as he clenched his hands a bit.

 You rested a hand over his, "Is there any way he can somewhere get his quirk back?" You asked him.

 He releases his hands and grabs yours, squeezing it gently, "It may be possible, but... Eri is still so young and hasn't had any special training to control her quirk yet. I don't want to force her into doing something she isn't prepared for. I believe Mirio knows that as well, which is why he's being patient about it, if not having moved on by now." You could see it in his eyes, the overall worry one parent has over their child. Even though Eri wasn't truly his, he was definitely taking the role to heart.

 You slip your fingers between his, "If Mirio is patient, then we can take the time that's necessary to properly train her to control it when she's a bit older." Your eyes soften, "I'm sure if given the chance now, she'd be too frightened to even give it a try knowing what she is capable of." You smile lightly at him, "But things are different know. She'll have proper guidance this time."

 He raises a brow at you, leaning closer, "We?" He asked with a slight twitch of his lips. You blush brightly after realizing what you said, letting go of his hand and getting to your feet.

 "I'm going to get us something to drink. I'll be right back." You tell him before walking away to get in one of the lines, mentally screaming at yourself.

 You idiot! That was your chance to tell him and you just ran away!

 You frown, your ears laying flat, "If I don't say something soon, he might just move on like Mina said... but if he loves me, he won't... right?" You groan, running your fingers through your hair, loosening up the ribbon slightly. When you purchased your drinks, you headed back over to the bench still debating on how to tell him how you felt when you noticed an unfamiliar woman talking to him. You stopped in your tracks, unsure of who she was, but she seemed all too familiar with Aizawa. She had a bandana that held her hair back from her face, a black tank top and cargo pants. She could possibly be another hero he knew, but the way she spoke to him twisted an ugly emotion in your chest.

 "It's been so long, Shota!" The woman expressed happily, speaking his given name without hesitation. You gripped your drinks when she spoke up, "I'm surprised you even came out here. This isn't your thing. Are you here with Eri?"