Coffee on a roof

Chapter 2: Time to Wake Up

It's warm.

That's the first thought that came to Izuku's muddled mind. Then he remembered bits and pieces. The sad smile Sora had on their face. Tomura picking him up and answering his question about it being time to go. He remembered the sight of green leaves against a dim sky early in the morning. He remembered feeling someone else's arm replace Tomura's and a heartbeat settling next to his ear that was oddly comforting along with a rough but soft voice.

When Izuku opened his eyes, he saw a man sitting in what looked like a comfy chair looking at papers. They had dark hair tied up, stubble on their face, dark circles, and a familiar scar under their right eye.

Aizawa-sensei.

I'm at UA.

That's when Izuku realized that the league had quite literally handed him over to Aizawa-sensei. He kept staring at his teacher.

He had originally thought a while ago that leaving the bar would hurt, but this...it didn't. He knew the league cared, but like the past holders had said, it was time to go. Izuku very well knew that he needed therapy, and as much as the league understood and cared they just weren't qualified for it. He felt a little relieved actually that this wouldn't burden them, a few of them could use therapy themselves. Then there was the thing Izuku has been sort of avoiding thinking about.

His desire to be a hero.

Not a hero like All Might, but just a hero. That was the dream he had since he was little. The dream that had been stomped on, tossed around, burned, cut up, and left for him to gently pick up off the ground. A dream that hurt just a little inside but also made him happy. That was what he wanted so being back at UA wasn't bad.

Maybe it made him a little sad, a little scared, but he remembered Aizawa's message. It had said that there were people at UA who cared and were waiting. Who would help him.

He hoped that was true.

Feeling that hope and fear, Izuku had clenched his hands and found that there was something already in them. Suddenly he remembered that he had grabbed onto what was probably someone's shirt...Aizawa-sensei's shirt.

He remembered Dabi telling him he doesn't let go of things in his sleep.

With that, Izuku realized that he made the underground hero, Eraserhead, his teacher slip out of his shirt because he didn't let go.

Why do I do this? I can picture Dabi laughing at me now.

Although that image was quickly interrupted by a furry face.

More specifically a cat.

It had peeked its head up from the floor, placing its paws on the edge of the couch while it stared at him. Izuku took in the different colored patches of fur and the yellow eyes that looked at him intently.

He simply stared back. The calico cat didn't seem to mind.

Instead, it kept staring and after a few moments, Izuku watched as it lifted one of its paws and almost hesitantly placed it on his face. He could feel the slight roughness of the paw pad and soft fur on his cheek.

He huffed in amusement at the action which only made the cat seem more interested in him as it brought its face closer to his. Izuku could feel whiskers brushing against his skin.

"See, I knew Bastard would like you," a voice said.

Izuku looked away from the cat that had yet to remove itself from his personal bubble and at the man who spoke.

Aizawa-sensei smiled at him from his spot in the chair. "Hey kid."

When he saw that, Izuku heard a sort of softness that he only heard a few times from the man. He remembered it from when he had been in the infirmary after his 'sparring match', that softness had made the pain a little more bearable. But at this moment, he also saw anxiousness in his teacher's eyes. An anxiousness that Izuku often saw in his own eyes whenever he looked in the mirror.