oh wonder ☀ private

[arcy]

Just as Izuku is starting to get fed up with the lion's non-answers, the apparent stranger's expression registers. Izuku's maw, which is open as he prepares to ask again, more firmly this time, shuts with a snap. Why'd he look so -- relieved? It couldn't be anything about help, considering that he literally hasn't answered any of Izuku's questions. And then the lion speaks and -- well, nobody ever really called him 'Midoriya' except Todoroki. Definitely not a stranger, and the scarf is familiar and good god another one.
"M -- Mister Aizawa?" Izuku repeats, a little shaken. The tabby's eyes widen a little. Well, at least Aizawa hadn't dragged it out, unlike he and Todoroki had. He's literally not kidding -- Todoroki had been the most obvious thing he'd ever seen. Red and white? Heterochromia? Voice? And it'd still taken them like, half an hour because they were both knee-deep in denial.
This wasn't the case. Izuku just -- isn't prepared for another reunion and oh god. Both Todoroki and Izuku had ended up dying before they woke up here, so Aizawa died. What the hell -- Aizawa was a Pro Hero. He'd be a lot harder to kill than Izuku was, at least, so how? why?
"I -- I'm not sure about you, but I know that Todoroki and I died a while back," Izuku is grinning shakily as he violently attempts to suppress the urge to cry. It's not working well, and his brain is on a persistent mantra of 'crying makes you weak' or something. That certainly wasn't a healthy habit to have learned, though it was ingrained pretty deep, considering the many circumstanes that brought him to that conclusion. "I -- I presume the s-same happened to you. Wh-When? What happened before that?" Izuku hiccups, and sniffles. When did it happen? Was it after Izuku died? What fight was it in? The same one, or a different one? Izuku knows that the timeline is rather warped, so he doesn't have even a smidgen of an idea -- Todoroki had died after Izuku, after all, and had still been reincarnated half a year before Izuku had even awoken.
Still, the feline proceeds to plop into a sitting position, and then beginsto very aggressively rub at his eyes with a paw. He's said it once, he'll say it again, cats aren't supposed to have tear ducts why is this happening to him.
Another minute, and Izuku just -- gives up. He's just -- however unfortunate the thing that happened to his teacher probably was, he's just so relieved he's not alone anymore. Sure, he'd had Todoroki, but that was just one person. One person he's not sure he'd see again because Izuku took a wrong turn. Still, Izuku takes a deep, shaky breath as he pulls himself back to his paws. He absolutely does not look anymore composed than he had before. Look, Izuku had always been quick to tears, but now he had about a million bottled up emotions and now that was a reason to cry.
Izuku takes one shaky step forwards, and then another, one paw after another until he may as well have been standing over Aizawa, at least if Izuku had been larger. As it was, Izuku wasn't a whole lot bigger than Aizawa's very paw. Even still, the little maine coon sniffles and lowers his head, and gently butts his head against the lion's shoulder, still shaking and sniffling. Honestly -- there's still a lot of blood. No, really, Izuku can feel some of it sticking to his paws and the scent is rather overpowering. As comforting as physical contact may be or whatever, Izuku really hated this.

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