Izuku pushed the door open: the cold glass burned against his bare hands. It was cold, too cold for october, so much that the tip of his nose was a warm red and his glasses got foggy.
He turned his collar up.
The change in temperature almost shocked him as warmth made itself at home on Izuku's almost shivering body. There was a faint smell of burnt wood.
"Good morning, is anybody here?" Izuku asked as he cleaned the soles of his combat boots on the rug at the entrance.
The clock ticked eleven am. A minute or so went by before a head appeared from the kitchen: Shoto's brother, he recognized, still he did not know his name.
"Oh, welcome. We are closed... you can come later if you want to eat," the man answered.
"I just want to reserve a table for lunch, one pm if it is possible," Izuku said, moving his hands in a strange gesture he was so used to making when he found himself embarrassed.
The man looked surprised; he cleaned his hands over his apron and hurriedly took out a small agenda.
"Of course, how many of you are?"
"Just two, me and my boy-"
"Sorry, Natsuo. I'm late."
The monotone voice made Izuku turn fast, maybe too fast. It was him, Shoto. And Shoto was cold: the wind got in through the open door and Izuku closed his jacket again.
Natsuo, now Izuku knew his name, nodded his head towards him as Shoto hung his vest near the door, the dark grey turtleneck wrinkled even more as he tried to smooth those pleats.
"Just two?" Natsuo asked again, unsure of what he heard.
Izuku nodded as his eyes followed the man walking behind Natsuo.
"Hey..." Izuku whispered as he raised his hand a little.
Shoto looked at him with a strange gaze. How stupid Izuku felt, he would never remember a client. That's what he was.
"Oh, it's you. How are your studies going?" Shoto said as he crossed his hands over his chest.
"You know him?" Natsuo asked as he looked at his brother.
Shoto nodded, even if knowing was not the right answer.
"Okay, I will leave him to you. I have to approve the menù with our chef," he said, leaving.
"So, you will have lunch here?" Shoto asked, unable to come up with something to say. What do you say to a customer? Shoto would never know.
Izuku nodded, looking at his hands, then to Shoto's eyes. Cold, his eyes were cold.
"I guess I will see you, then?" Shoto said as he unfolded his hands and smoothed the fabric of his jeans.
"I guess so." Izuku smiled. "You... you look nice." He pointed to the turtleneck Shoto was wearing.
Shoto blushed as his eyes averted Izuku's.
"Well, thank you... I guess."
"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I don't know what I was thinking. I..."
"Don't worry, I'm just not used to... this," he vaguely gestured around him as he placed his hand over Izuku's right shoulder.
However, the mere gesture was atypical so much that Shoto looked down and retreated his hand. He stared down at his hand and wondered what those green eyes could make him do; there was something mystical behind the luminous green color, forcing himself in such emotional riots.
He was forced into the unknown. He was afraid of what could come from him.
"Well, I have to go. I will see you later?" Shoto suggested, no longer able to endure his gaze.
Izuku did not know how much power he held within his eyes: looking at Shoto, admiring his features, what could his eyes not reach?
He nodded, of course he did. Words seemed inexplicably demanding to form at that time, yet no words would have been capable of conveying the affection of the little smile curving Izuku's mouth.
This was utterly wrong, deep inside Izuku knew.
"A table for two," Izuku pointed out.
The look in Shoto's eyes confirmed Izuku's fear: he knew.
"Your girlfriend?"
Shoto played safe, the truth pending above him like a tell-tale heart ready to confess his crimes.
"My... it's complicated." No it is not. However, most of the things were difficult for him: a deficient human being, as Izuku saw himself.
"No need to explain, I shouldn't have asked," Shoto said as his hand reached behind his neck and stood there, resting between the roots of his hair. A safe place for his trembling fingers.
A soulmate who wasn't meant to be, a stranger in which eyes Shoto saw his world.
Izuku looked down, back to his feet, to the ground: a safe haven to dock his wrecked thoughts. Never should have said.
"I'll leave then." Shoto didn't smile, his eyes were cold and so his hand as he touched Izuku's right hand.
Shivers, the desperate realizations that there was something wrong between them.
Izuku nodded and left.
The cold from outside took his place as the door closed behind him.
Nothing happened.
A nervous hello, a hurried look.
NOTES
Hello, welcome back to my story.
Slightly shorter chapter as I started Bachelor's degree: I don't know how to feel about this story, it is taking everything I have to write it
I'm in love, in the sweetest and most melancholy possible way.
I will see you next time,
have a safe day.
Wonder_monx
YOU ARE READING
East of Eden
Fiksi Penggemar"And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good." - John Steinbeck In the tranquility of daily life, something happens: they met. A restaurant owner and a clinical psychology grad student. Now that Todoroki does not have to be perfect an...
