Infectious

ch. 55

Chapter Fifty Five;;- An Old Friend

You played with your fork absentmindedly, stabbing it into the wedding cake. The metal of the fork scraped on the porcelain and squeaked uncomfortably, making you cringe. Seeing your mother had brought up some old feelings that you weren't quite sure how to deal with, but with Aizawa by your side, it was easy to get rid of the unease that boiled in your belly.

Aizawa glanced over at the shrill sound, swallowing the bite of cake he had in his mouth. (Elmer and Molly had chosen a lovely one by a great baker, the vanilla flavor subtly accented by just a hint of almond extract. It was moist, fluffy, and the frosting wasn't too sweet but still creamy. Not to mention the decoration was beautiful and simplistic, an accurate representation of the couple.) The reception was beginning to wind down. The people who had other things to do were wishing their well-wishes and goodbyes to the newlyweds. Everyone else was chatting with the other guests and eating the cake.

"Your mother left," He murmured, running the side of the fork along the plate, scraping up some frosting.

Almost surprised from his sudden conversation, you looked up and nodded. "Ah, yeah. I'm not sure what kind of business she's up to these days, but I'm sure she's busy with something. Doesn't even pause for her son's wedding."

"And you're really..," Aizawa paused, "alright?"

You ran your tongue over your teeth, looking downwards and thinking. "Uh. Yeah. She was a big ass deal in my adolescence but... not anymore." Looking back up, you met Aizawa's eyes and smiled gently. "It's been years since I last saw her. Her words hurt, sure, but I'm better now. I'm better. I have better things in my life. There's my job at Yuuei, and my work as a hero—doing what I want to be doing is the best thing I can be doing. Plus there's our class, and Yamada and Kayama and the other friends I've made since, and there's... you."

Not a single word came to Aizawa's mind. The intimacy was unexpected to him, an openness that you didn't often show. He knew emotions weren't your strong suit when it really came down to it, but.. there was something he really liked about it. Especially in your native language, you were able to spin words more to your liking. He was hesitant to admit it, but he quite liked the way your voice sounded.

"What the hell? Is that [name]?" A voice that Aizawa didn't recognize spoke, obviously male and from behind them.

You turned in unison with Aizawa, noticing a man standing there with his hands palm upwards and a grin overtaking his angular features. His brown eyes scrunched up with laugh lines and his similarly colored hair was combed neatly back from his face. Aizawa turned to look at you, eyebrows scrunching as your own face lit up with a smile of your own.

"Wha- My god it's little Benny!" You jumped up from your seat and abandoned your plate at the table, throwing your arms around "little Benny's" neck. You cupped his face with your hands and patted his cheeks softly. Pulling away, you turned to wave Aizawa over.

With confusion still clearly written over his face, Aizawa stood and wandered over as you launched into a conversation with the stranger, gushing about how much he had grown and how long it had been.

The stranger gestured to Aizawa when there was a pause. "A friend of yours [nickname]?"

"Right, right. This is, uh, Shouta Aizawa, my co-worker and friend. Aizawa, this is Benjamin Waters, one of Elmer's friends from when he was young." You finished the introduction and laughed, "God, it's been so long. You're so big now. Why aren't you a child anymore?"

Benjamin chuckled. "Shouta, yeah? Nice to meet you. Or wait, you're Japanese so it's Aizawa." He nodded and smiled before turning back to you. "I saw you from behind and could hardly believe it was you! Gosh, you would have never dressed like this before. You look beautiful, you're aging well."