Cats and Coffee

Chapter 6: Midoriya Inko

Ahh?! Another chapter?! Yes!! In fact, my Discord Server held a vote and it was almost unanimous that Midoriya Inko was... A GOOD MOTHER?! Yep! You heard that right! Mamadoriya is a good mamadoriya here, and may or may not end up paired with Midnight as an apology to my Swan Dive readers. XD

We'll see where this story goes. But for now, know that she's a good mamma and NOT going to die in this story (because apparently I've given you readers trauma with that topic. Sorry. :)

Once again, this chapter is dedicated to Phoenix! You rock, keep being awesome!!

A reminder that fanart can be sent to either my Discord page or aizawa@email.com

~~~

Izuku smiled softly as he walked home from school. It'd been about a week since he'd brought Coffee into his life and he'd never felt happier. The cat was intelligent, diligent, and really pushy, but he was perhaps the only friend Izuku had had since he was four.

He was frighteningly observant—always waiting at the apartment with the first aid kit ready when Izuku got home, and he'd sit there and glare at him until he'd treated every injury he had. The one time Izuku had tried to half-ass it, the cat had nearly added scratches to his list of injuries to treat.

Izuku had also never heard of a cat that drank so much coffee, but he supposed the feline was truly living up to his nickname. It was nice to have someone to greet him when he came home, and amazing to have someone to talk to other than his mother. Coffee was an amazing listener.

He pushed open the door, smiling when he saw the familiar black cat sitting there with the first aid kit. "Tadaima, Coffee."

The cat meowed back. He was looking much better than before. He wasn't limping as badly, and was able to jump from high platforms without stumbling. Though Izuku swore he still saw the cat wince every now and again, and he still favored one leg, so the boy made sure to be extra gentle when he had to help him down from the table (which wasn't as often as before, thankfully. Coffee was very independent and proud and hated being picked up).

Izuku treated his daily injuries under Coffee's unerringly diligent gaze as he chattered about a hero fight he saw earlier that day. "And then Runner showed up! Which was really cool because he's an Underground hero! It's super rare to see them out and about during the day." Izuku beamed as he looked at the cat. "I really like Underground Heroes. I wanna be a hero one day, you know?"

The cat gave a nod and what sounded like an encouraging meow.

"But... nobody thinks I can do it." His smile fell and the cat hesitantly approached him. "I... Everyone says I should stop dreaming. That I should just give it up. Because you've gotta have a strong Quirk to be a Hero." He felt tears welling up in his eyes. "But... I..."

Something warm and soft crawled into his lap and nudged at his hand, and he blinked down in surprise. Coffee had never willingly sat on his lap, nor asked for pets. Izuku usually got glared at whenever he absently tried to stroke his silky fur.

Hesitantly, he let his hand run down the feline's back. The cat stiffened for a moment before relaxing into the touch and letting out a loud, rhythmic purr. Izuku felt himself relaxing at the soothing vibrations. His fur was very soft. It was like petting a cloud, only warm.

"There's this one hero." Izuku's voice was softer now, but steadier. He no longer felt like he was on the verge of a breakdown. "His name is Eraserhead." The cat startled at the name, but didn't leave his seat. "I guess you've heard of him?" A small smile flitted across his face. "He's Underground. Hates the limelight, usually works in the dead of night. I've only ever found a handful of grainy videos of him, but it's enough. I'm sure you could tell from my room that I'm a really big All Might fan." He felt his cheeks redden when Coffee shot him a flat look. "B-but that's only because All Might's so amazing! He can save everyone. I wanna be like that some day. He's... a goal to reach towards."