The Proximation of Hello and Goodbye

7

Hello, hello!! I hope you all are enjoying some of the fluff and soft stuff while it's lasting. That said, this chapter has a song and some art that goes along with it. You should probably save it for somewhere in the middle or after, but this chapter was heavily inspired by the song Dandelions by Ruth B.

The art was commissioned from @aigail137 on Twitter. Check them out, please!!

Happy reading, happy listening, happy viewing!

-Len.

*****

Moping into work isn't anything Katsuki has ever seen himself doing. He's got his dream job doing something he's wanted to do since he was a child. Since starting hero work, he's faced every day with child-like anticipation. This side jig, however, is something else entirely. If it weren't for Ena, Akasuki, and Izuku, he would be strictly adhering to hero work. He doubts this would be any easier if he were doing that anyway. The only reason he got a nap over the course of the past three days is that he told Jiro he couldn't call in anymore and he needed some rest before his shift today. A nap wasn't nearly enough, especially due to the fitful nature of his time asleep.

He walks around the counter and clocks in, immediately greeted by Ena. Her arms are crossed and her eyes are filled with a cold fury, the kind that would be almost unnoticeable to someone who hasn't spent years reading people. She plucks his time card from his hand and clocks him out again, "If you don't want to be any later than what you're already going to be, you'll be a good boy and come get your time card from me in the break room, yeah?" She asks, a fake smile plastered on her face. She pockets the time card and walks to the back. Katsuki grumbles and follows behind to the break room. Upon reaching the door, he sees a sign that reads 'Private meeting, stay the fuck out. What the hell is this about? He opens the door and finds Ena sitting on the arm of the couch, her feet planted firmly on the cushions. " Sit. "

He rolls his eyes, "I'm not a dog."

She leans forward, her elbows resting on her knees. "You could be a fucking god and I wouldn't give a damn. I'm the one in control here, and I told you to sit your ass down," she retorts. "You don't have all day, Katsu. Five minutes is a write-up, I can only assume what twenty minutes or an hour might mean. There's no telling how long it'll be before I finish my piece, so if you like your job, sit so we can get this over with." Katsuki sits as he's been told, and meets Ena's icy glare once more. This isn't the playful banter and bickering they shell out to each other. This is something else.

"Tell me, Katsu, what do you think makes a liar better than a manipulator?" She starts.

"Nothing."

She nods, "Right, then what the hell makes you think I'd want either one of those for Izuku?"

His eyebrows furrow as he frowns, "I've never thought that."

"Interesting, so what the hell were you thinking?"

"I don't understand."

"Must not have a brain, then. I thought better of you than that. It's not hard for anyone to tell you like Izuku. I picked up on it the day you brought that ramen back here for him. Remember that? Remember when I told you I thought you'd be good for Izuku? I meant it because I could see that you were someone who would treat him the way he deserves to be treated. You were a shining example of what I wanted for my friend. You were considerate, kind, and honest , even if you weren't necessarily trying to be. I even called you a bad liar. I like bad liars because if someone's a bad liar it means they don't like lying in the first place. But, as it stands, it looks like I was wrong on all accounts. Tell me, with the number of times we've talked about you being good for Izu when were you planning on telling me that you have a fiancée?" She asks.