The walk to the Cat Cafe was not extremely far to the house. That may have had something to do with Aizawa picking it...
Some people walking on the same pavement as them stared, possibly because Todoroki was Endeavor's son (not for long), or the fact that the trio looked so odd together.
One with blonde hair and green eyes.
One with black hair and dark eyes.
One with dual-coloured hair and heterochromic eyes.
The teenager reckoned he was the oddest looking out of their weird bunch. Hizashi looked surprisingly subtle today, no hint of the flashy hero that screeched English lessons and sent villains flying with sound waves.
Aizawa... well he didn't look much different. It was a well-known fact throughout 1-A that he did not bother with appearances.
It was rather cold outside, and Todoroki was just wearing a thin black jumper. However, he could regulate his own temperature. Even at the slightest increase in temperature, he noticed Hizashi moving closer.
"You're like a personal heater." The blonde laughed quietly.
"You could've brought a scarf." Aizawa pointed out. "The cats are gonna love your warm side, Shoto."
"Maybe..." Todoroki agreed. Streets cats, even terrified ones, always tended to come and rub against his left leg.
"We're here!" Hizashi announced, gesturing to a building with a swoop of his arm. It was rather out-of-the-way, the type you would look over easily. A dusty sign read 'Cat Cafe' in faded letters.
The large windows showed a small room, with traditional low tables and cushions to sit on. The floor was made of tatami mats, instantly giving it a Japanese feel.
As they walked through the entrance way, some cats perked up at the sight of Aizawa. He was a regular customer, after all.
"Aizawa, Yamada! Welcome back!" An old lady with greying hair greeted them from behind the counter. "Who do we have hear?" She asked softly, peering over her purple-framed glasses at Todoroki.
"This is Shoto, he's staying with us." Aizawa explained, pushing Todoroki forward a bit. The teenager bowed politely.
"Good morning." He greeted.
"Good morning too you too, dearie." The old lady responded with a sweet smile. "You can call me Hana."
"Okay, Mrs.Hana." Todoroki agreed. He was a bit confused when the three adults started laughing.
"There's no need to be so formal, dearie." Hana explained.
"Oh, sorry."
"We really need to work on your apologising habit." Aizawa sighed. "Anyway, we'd like a table for three."
Hana nodded dutifully, leading them through to a table. The cafe was completely customer-free, which would be expected seeing as the break had not started yet. Aizawa was very grateful for an extended holiday, no matter the circumstances that caused it.
Once they were seated on the cushions, the cats started to come over. Some wandered over the Aizawa, him being the most familiar face, whereas a young cat rubbed itself against Todoroki's left leg.
"What would you like to order?" Hana asked gently, soft smile still present on her wrinkled features.
"Black coffee, please." Aizawa said.
"Hm... a scone with jam and cream!" Hizashi ordered.
"Can I please have a strawberry milkshake?" Todoroki asked politely.
"Of course, dearie!" With that, Hana bustled off, leaving the trio with the cats. The cat next to the teen had a deep blue collar, with a silver tag reading 'Yuki' and it had soft blue eyes. It was a female Siamese, and the white part of it's fur was the exact shade of the right half of Todoroki's hair.
The cats with Aizawa were either tabby or a dark grey, or oil-black, but none captivated Todoroki as much as Yuki.
A large Maine Coon sat in Hizashi's lap, purring loudly as the blonde stroked it. Todoroki's phone buzzed quietly and, with an encouraging nod from his guardians, he answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hello Shoto."
"Whose this?"
"Doesn't matter. I just want to say, I'm glad you got away from that bastard. Love you, Sho." The unknown caller hung up, leaving Todoroki shaken.
"Shoto, you okay? Who was that?" Hizashi asked, worry creasing his face.
"I don't know..." Todoroki answered. Confusion was heavily present in his tone.
"Let's not worry about it, bud. Enjoy the cats!"
~
In a faraway hideout, Dabi slammed his cracked phone down with a sigh.
"You okay?" Spinner asked.
"Yeah." Dabi replied, even though he was anything but that.
~
Hana shuffled back over to the table, with a flower-patterned tray. On top was the things the trio had ordered. As she set them on the low table, she smiled at Todoroki.
"That's Yuki you've found." She commented, gesturing to the Siamese. "She was actually my daughter's emotional support animal, but when she moved away, my daughter left Yuki to me."
"How effective are emotional support animals?" Aizawa asked, suddenly seeming much more alert. He began considering if it might help Todoroki.
"Very much so. My daughter has PTSD, and Yuki helped her a lot. She doesn't need her anymore though; she has a husband." Hana replied, standing back up with a now empty tray.
"I see." Aizawa had a twinkle in his dark eye, and Hizashi predicted there was going to be a cat in their house by the end of the week.
"Y'know, Yuki is actually for sale." Hana smiled again. "She's seemed to have taken a liking to Shoto."
Sure enough, Yuki was curled in Todoroki's lap, purring like an engine. The teenager himself looked incredibly at peace, and the adults revelled at the small smile on his face.
"Do you know what she's specifically trained to help with?" Aizawa asked.
"PTSD, depression, dissociation." Hana listed.
"How much does she cost?" Hizashi questioned immediately.
"...I'll give her to you for free." Hana announced. "Shoto's Endeavor's son, right?"
"Not for long." Aizawa muttered, earning laughter from Hizashi.
"If what the news said is true, the poor boy certainly needs her." Hana continued.
"Thank you so much!" Hizashi screeched, jumping up to hug her. "How can we ever thank you?"
"Just seeing young Shoto happy will do!" She responded. Her wrinkled features were lit with such kindness, she almost seemed to be a guardian angel.
"Shoto." Aizawa nudged the boy. Todoroki turned to the adults, and it became apparent he had not been listening to their conversation. "Would you like to take Yuki home?" Aizawa asked.
"Wha-... if that's possible." The teen's eyes were comically wide as he directed his gaze to Hana.
"Of course, dearie. Now, drink up. I suspect you'll be doing some shopping today." Hana smiled again, before shuffling away.
"Thank you." Todoroki spluttered out. Aizawa and Hizashi sent each other a happy look. Yuki, if possible, seemed to snuggle into the teen's lap more.
The two adults sat back down, and their food was finished in a comforting silence.
"We don't actually have to go shopping. I have some cat stuff left over from Soot." Aizawa said. Soot had been his previous cat, who had passed away just a couple of weeks before Todoroki arrived. Aizawa had been so caught up in caring for the teen, he had not thought of getting another cat until now.
"Thank you for letting me keep her." Todoroki nodded in gratitude.
"Of course, bud." Hizashi said.
~
"Dabi, who were you calling?" Shigiraki demanded. "Y'know, the more we call the more chance there is of the phone getting tracked."
"I know I know, Chapped lips."
"Well who was it?!"
"Just someone very important to me."