The Proximation of Hello and Goodbye

10

Katsuki grumbles and stands to his feet, gathering some of the dishes that Inko rounded up earlier. He hates this. He hates that they just got all of this valuable intel on a target through a conversation with Izuku who happened to be close to in high school. He can't stop himself from wondering how hurt Izuku would be if he found out the truth of how his friend turned out. He could vomit at the thought of him finding out why they were really curious about him. "Dammit," he mutters, setting the dishes on the counter. "This is so stupid."

He starts clearing plates and bowls into the trash can, failing to hear Inko come into the room over the sound of the dishes clattering against one another as he sets them in the sink. Inko takes a plate from the pile and starts clearing them alongside Katsuki. "Katsu, is everything alright? You seem to be worked up more than anyone else, including Izuku," Inko asks.

Her eyes are soft. He can see the motherly concern in her face, it makes him miss his own mother. He shakes his head, "It's nothing. It's stupid."

"Well, if it's bothering you, it's not stupid. What's going on?" she insists.

Katsuki turns toward the sink, starting to wash a few of the dishes. Inko stands beside him with a dry towel, prepared to dry. I hate that my friends are talking to your son about something he has no business being involved in. I'm scared that things will get messy and he'll end up hurt. I don't want to see Izuku get hurt because of all this. I've done a good job at keeping him as far away from all of this as possible, only for my friends to come in and mess it all up. And I'm mad that we actually got something out of it. He sighs, handing a dish off to Inko. "I'm just worried about Izuku is all," he summarizes.

"Izuku is a strong young man. He'll be okay. What are you worried about in particular?"

"It's complicated," he answers.

"Complicated," Inko mimics with a sigh. She sets a plate down, taking the next dish from his hand. "I've got something else I want to ask you about, but I don't want to assume or overstep."

Katsuki shrugs, "I'll be fine. What do you want to know?"

Inko remains silent, somewhat hesitant to ask her question. "Well, I wanted to know about you and your fiancee, Rin."

"What about us?"

"I was just curious what you thought of her, I guess," she answers sheepishly.

Katsuki huffs. The worst part of this whole cover story is when people ask about the supposed relationship between him and his friend. "Rin is wonderful. I'm glad to call her mine," he lies.

As if this couldn't get any worse.

Inko sets the bowl down on top of the small stack of plates and takes the rag from Katsuki's hand. Katsuki looks down at her hand placing the rag back into the sink and turning off the water. "Katsu, I don't mean to draw the wrong conclusions, but that isn't the tone of someone who's happily in love," she sighs, looking away.

Katsuki stares down at her in awe. "W-why do you say that?"

"It's nothing. I shouldn't have said anything."

Katsuki shakes his head. "No, it's fine. I wouldn't say you're wrong, but I am wondering why you'd be concerned about it."

"You know, I've spent years watching Izuku and waiting for a certain light to come to life in his eyes. I've had yet to see it until last night. I've known for years that Izuku loves Masashi, but there's just a look about people who feel loved in return. I don't think he realizes it, but he doesn't have that look. Neither do you. I just don't want to see you in the same position as my boy," she explains. "And I know I should be having this conversation with him as well, but it's so much harder to do when I think about how it might hurt him."

"I think..." He stops himself and recollects his thoughts. "It'll turn out okay, I think. Rin and I have an agreement . In any case, I think you should say something to him. I don't know how much you know about their relationship, but even if your talk hurts him for a little while, he'll be better off because of it."

"Do you really think so?" she inquires.

He nods. "I do." Inko's eyebrows furrow together as if she's focusing on how to bring this up to her own son. He has to admit, he didn't expect her to be so direct. She seems more the type to mind her own business, but he can see now that she's just a woman who cares deeply for others. That's where Izuku gets it from . And, despite how deeply she cares for her son, she's more scared to violate his boundaries than the boundaries of strangers. She's respectful of her son's feelings, almost to a fault. "Izuku will be just fine as long as he has you around," he encourages.

She looks more resolute now. "Thank you, Katsu. I think he'll be fine too, but it'll take more than just me. I think that he needs me, sure, but I think he also needs Ena, Akasuki, and you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. That light, I saw it for the first time last night when you came over to say hello. I saw it again today when it was just the three of us. I saw it in you too. I think you need each other. So, do me a favor?"

"Of course."

"Keep looking out for him. With me, or for me. Just, keep being good to him," she asserts.

Katsuki feels his heart pounding in his chest. He feels as if he's won Inko's approval somehow. It fills him with pride to think that Izuku's mother thinks so well of him. I won't let you down. I won't let him down. He rolls his shoulders back and turns back to the sink, "Thank you. I think I needed this," he replies. "I'll make sure to keep an eye on him."

"Thank you ," she resounds just in time for Izuku to walk into the kitchen.

"Hey, are you two okay?" he asks.

Katsuki hands the last bowl off to Inko, "Yeah. We're great. Everything okay in there?"

"Yeah, Enmei and Sana are getting ready to leave. Ena and Suki left a minute ago. If you want to head out and take Rin home, I can finish the clean-up."

Inko waves her hand, "We're about done. Katsu and I make a pretty good team."

"A great team," he emphasizes. They finish with the clean-up and walk back into the dining room to find Kyoka and Izuku chatting idly over tea. He wishes this were normal. Maybe one day it will be. But for now, he'll keep taking what he can get.