Mute

28 | Long Day

I sighed as I reached my house, hardly even noticing the flowers on the table when I leaned against the door.

"Akito! Uncle Yamada! I'm home!" I called tiredly, yawning. I'd ended up doing a triple shift today when two of my coworkers had failed to show up.

"Emiko! You were gone for a long time!" Akito exclaimed as he ran into the room. I dropped my jacket on a chair.

"Yeah? Sorry, people didn't show up."

"And you had to work for them?"

I nodded. "Sorta, doesn't matter. What do you want for dinner tonight?"

"I dunno, what do you want Todoroki?" He ran over to the living room to ask and I looked up abruptly.

"Shouto is here?"

"Yeah! He brought you flowers and stuff!"

I made my way to the living room, smiling and leaning against the doorway. Shouto smiled slightly at me. "Hey."

I relaxed, smiling brightly. "You're staying for dinner?"

"If it won't trouble you."

I waved him off, hiding a yawn with my free hand. I turned and walked into the kitchen. "Does pancakes sound good to everyone?"

Shouto frowned as he followed me. "Are you sure you should be cooking like this?"

Akito hopped up on a counter and began juggling some apples.

"We cook tired all the time in the morning!"

I nodded. "Yep, sorry, I just wasn't prepared to work three shifts."

Shouto placed his hands over mine on the counter, stealing them. "Akito, I have a job for you."

"For me? Yay! What is it?"

"Your job is to go out and find a four leafed clover. It'll wake Emiko up."

"Okay!" He took off running and I rolled my eyes playfully.

"Why are you working?" He nuzzled my neck. "Present Mic makes enough that you shouldn't have to."

I liked that I didn't have to write to communicate with Shouto anymore, but sometimes I really wish I hadn't spoken, then U could just rest. "He isn't going to support me forever Shouto, and I want to teach Akito that too."

"So you work three shifts? What time did you get up?"

"Atround 5. Its only 6 right now Shouto, it's not that bad."

"I didn't even know you had a job." He mumbled.

I smiled and gently pushed him away so I could gather all the supplies I would need for pancakes. I worked in silence, despite being able to talk to Shouto now, I still wasn't loud or talkative by nature.

He sighed and leaned against the counter by where I was stacking the supplies. We were silent for quite a while, I'd prepared the pancake mix and was adding spices to the uncooked eggs before he eventually spoke.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

I exhaled softly, gazing steadily at my work. "I didn't think about it. It's just work."

"Where you worked three shifts in a row."

"It's not that unusual Shouto." I finally looked up at him. "It's just something people do."

"Not everyone has a job while they're in school."

I turned my attention back to the eggs I was mixing, turning and dropping some butter into the pan. "No, but I like having a job."

"Why? What does it do for you?"

I laughed. "Do? Shouto, its a job. It's not a utensil. Besides, I like earning my own money. Seriously, it's not a big deal alright? Today I worked longer than normal, but it's not an everyday thing, okay?" I turned my attention away from the pancakes to smile at him, knowing they wouldn't burn 3 seconds after touching the pan.

".....Alright."

I flashed a bright smile and turned my attention back to the pancakes at hand.