Rabbits love Broccoli (IzukuxMiruko)

20: Cuddling Courage

"Hm-hm-hmm-hmmmm oh! Midoriya hello."

"Hey Mrs. Takahashi." The student greeted from Miruko's kitchen table just as the elderly neighbor had descended from the stairs. Laid out in front of him was a small packet of a class assignment with an open textbook, his backpack laying beside his feet under the table. "Is she doing any better?"

"She's doing a LOT better than she was the first day I could tell you that. It's just about cleared up at this point." Mrs. Takahashi paced her way to the sink where she placed an empty plate with a bowl into the sink, warm water running as she cleaned off all utensils. "This is the fifth day in a row now that you've come to visit Usagiyama while she's sick you don't feel burdened about it?"

"What? No way, I like coming to visit her, whenever you leave sometimes she'll come down here and see what I'm working on. Finals are coming up next week so while you do your stuff it gives me time to work on my assignments, plus, it isn't hard to take care of her. All I'm doing really is getting her the stuff she needs me to get. No I like being here, gives me a place to hang out and be with her as I study."

"Well, she certainly doesn't seem to complain about it at all, not to me at least. But knowing how vocal she is with everything that happens if she did have something to say about you she most definitely would have."

"Really? Oh, that's good. I was a little bit worried that my presence here bothers her but if she hasn't said anything, that's a relief."

The woman quirked an eyebrow with a slight look over her left shoulder and returning to her dishes. "Sooooo, Midoriya, tell me. Are you here to look after Usagiyama as her student? Or is there something more?"

"Uh, well she's my friend first and foremost." Midoriya answered. "At least, she's MY friend I dunno if she sees me in the same light or merely as her student but to me she's a friend. I like talking to her she's honest and straightforward with whatever it is that she has to say, I don't have to worry about her sugar coating anything to make it seem like it's a lot less than what it really is."

"Oh really? And, what do you two talk like to talk about?"

"Mm just some casual stuff really, sometimes we talk about my school and finals, sometimes we talk about what interests us and what doesn't. It depends really but whatever we talk about doesn't matter to me honestly, it's interesting and fun to see what she has to say about different topics."

"That's nice, it always does make me happy seeing Usagiyama be more social than she normally is. She's so caught up in her idea of working alone as a hero that she doesn't realize it makes her be alone as a person too. Reason being because of her history but that's for another day, seeing her socialize with somebody other than myself does make me feel very elated to know about. Though, don't get too lost in the time you spend with her hm-hm, I'd hate to hear that your girlfriend became upset about you coming to see another woman and all."

"Oh I don't have a girlfriend."

*squeak*

"Is that so?" The neighbor asked, stopping the running water with a smug grin on her face completely hidden to the student. "No girlfriend? Not even a sweetheart that you'd be interested in?"

"Love is...weird to me." The student replied, his pencil acting as a seesaw between two fingers from both hands. "I've never really been focused on finding somebody to be my girlfriend since I've always been focused on being the hero that I've always wanted to be. I mean, it's not like I don't want to find somebody you know? Sounds nice to be able to settle down one day with somebody I love and have kids and retire and all that stuff. But as of right now mmmmm, I dunno. I heard love can hurt almost as much it feels good."