Feline Friend

Bright rays of light flashed through the window reflecting off the blonde hair of a sleeping girl and making her head radiate in the morning sun. She stirred as her deep sleep got thinner and then dissipated with her eyes opening groggily.

"What's that noise?" She mumbled as the sound of running water turned suddenly shut off. She lifted herself up slowly and looked toward a door directly across from the bed where the sound originated from. She hadn't noticed it before but it was most likely Izuku's bathroom. She looked back over to the table where her ramen had been last night but instead it was replaced by a tray full of different kinds of fruits and rice. Her eyes lightened up and she dug in.

While she was eating the bathroom door swung open to reveal a half-clothed Izuku.

"G-good morning Himiko, sorry I… um… forgot my shirt," he explained slightly blushing as he walked to his drawer and pulled out his uniform top.

"Damn he's ripped!" Toga thought with a blush and crazy grin.

"Morning Izuku!" she sang out.

"Did you make this food? 'Cause it is really good!"

"N-no, my mom did, however, she doesn't know I gave it to you, but she is a good cook. I just said that I wanted to save it for lunch today," he replied, almost beginning to ramble on again.

"So she doesn't know I'm here then right? So that means I have to—"

"Stay very quiet," he finished for her. "So just try to get some rest and stay quiet, you can be louder when I get home. And please don't do anything bad or crazy, because I'm sacrificing a lot to have you here and I think we'd both prefer you not to end up in jail tonight."

With that, he walked towards the door to leave. Himiko thought about that, "He really is sacrificing a lot for me, the question is why?"

Before he left Izuku looked back, "Oh and I'll try to buy you some clothes tonight if I have enough time, exams are coming up so my homework load is getting a lot bigger. Anyway besides that, I put some extra food on my desk that you can have for lunch or to just snack on. Plus you should take the painkillers and other pills the doctor prescribed for you next to that." He checked his watch. "Oh, I gotta hurry my train leaves in 5 minutes!" With that, he waved goodbye and slammed the door behind him.

Himiko waved back and then settled back into bed. "Well, this is going to be a boring day," Many hours later the door creaked open to reveal an Izuku glued to his textbooks.

Toga's eyes shot open, "Izuku!" She looked over to see the boy and immediately a frown appeared on her face as he simply waved at her and kept reading.

"Aww, are you gonna be boring too? Today was agony for me. Nothing to do, I can't even get up to stretch. But I stayed quiet as you asked."

"Oh I'm sorry Himiko I totally forgot how boring that is, I've been lying in a hospital bed enough that I should know. But I just got a lot of stuff to do for tonight." He looked over at her this time lowering the textbook.

"But at least help me get up," she pleaded. "I gotta... you know," she looked towards the bathroom.

Izuku went red in the face. "Oh I'm so sorry Himiko, right away," he quickly apologized. Moving the covers off herself she looked at Midoriya who gestured to her hands. He gently picked her up, bridal style and lifted her off the bed. Her one uninjured arm instinctively went around his neck and stayed there until he stood her up on the ground. They walked together with their arms around each other's necks to steady the blonde as they made the short trip to the bathroom. Once they reached Izuku opened up the door and she hobbled in.

"I think you can manage from here," he rubbed his head looking away as he blushed hard.

"Yeah, I think I can handle myself, but I'll call if anything gets out of hand," she replied, winking at the end.

He closed the door and his eyes shot open as his heart raced faster than the train he almost missed that very morning.

"What is that supposed to mean!" he screamed internally. Not wanting to act weird and stay by the door he walked off to grab her pills that she would need to take soon.

"Izuku!" he heard a muffled scream. Running faster than his own heartbeat the green haired boy burst through the bathroom door.

"Himiko are you ok–!" He looked to and fro and saw her leaning into the bathtub.

"Look at this!" she screamed in delight. He walked over cautiously and peered into the bathtub.There was a piece of soap and… a cat.

Izuku began to laugh in relief as he went to pick up the ginger feline. "How did you get here little guy?" As he lifted the sleeping cat who was lying in the tub, catching sunlight from the window, it immediately began to squirm in his hands. Izuku let out a shocked yelp and it sprung out of his hands, across his shoulders and right into Toga's arms. It was a red tabby cat that looked like it needed a bath. The air hit his nose making him almost gag. "Smells like he needs a bath too," he thought. He then noticed the window was open and remembered it was connected to the fire escape.

"He must have come up from the alley," Toga said holding the cat and petting it, despite its less than pleasant smell.

"Yeah that's what I thought too—wait how did you know there is an alley next to the building? Does the League know where I live, if that's the case then we—"

"No no, I just noticed it from looking out the window earlier," she quickly said, cutting him off. "We should probably give this guy a bath don't you think?" She then noticed the uncertain expression on his face. "You aren't really thinking about putting him back into the alley are you!"

"I don't think my mom would like a pet, plus with you already here, I can't keep another secret from her in her own house,"

"Izuku—"

"Besides there are tons of stray cats on the streets—"

"So you would choose to not save one person, just because you can't save all of them?" Izuku looked down at his feet realizing she was also referring to herself. He knew he couldn't save every person, especially every villain, but he still helped her when he had the opportunity.

"Izuku, please…" He looked up to see her pleading eyes and was entranced. Toga knew she had won as soon as Izuku finally broke their gaze and walked out of the bathroom. "Guess I'll have to buy cat food tomorrow then," he said, finally looking back and smiling at the blonde girl still holding the cat. She returned the smile showing her sharp canines as she turned toward the sink to wash the feline.

Izuku began blushing hard, "Was her smile always so cute?" As he tried to yank his head out of the clouds Himiko was thinking something much different.

'That was close, the League does know where he lives, but if he found out that I knew this he might turn me in.' She looked toward the cat she began pouring water over which began to squirm in her hands. "Thanks for the cover," she said softly toward the cat.

"What was that?" Izuku suddenly asked from behind her as he walked in.

"N-nothing, just saying how difficult he is being," at that moment the orange cat splashed water all over Toga's borrowed hoodie. Trying to bathe a squirming animal with just one working arm was proving quite difficult. Izuku's arms shot out before the cat could dash away and he placed it back in the sink as Himiko took a step back.

"Take your medication, I set it out for you on the dresser along with some food. I'll take care of this little guy for you,"

As she sat down on the bed, she managed to swallow the large pills, feeling how tired her body had become even from that short movement. Izuku had told her it would take about three weeks, but even after that would she really be able to fight the same? What would happen to her after those three weeks? Would Izuku then decide to turn her in? She glanced back at him who was taking out a towel to finish with the feline.

"Ok little guy I just need to—oh, I guess you're not a guy at all." Toga giggled. She felt comfortable around him, too comfortable she thought to the point of suspicion. Yet she wanted to trust him with all her being. Izuku walked out carrying the cat wrapped in a towel which poked its head out and meowed toward Toga. After he got close enough it jumped onto her head and down next to her onto the bed.

"Guess she likes me, huh?" She said gently petting it as it rubbed against her right side. Izuku blushed slightly as he realized he was staring at her. Her feline eyes paired well with their new friend.

"Well it looks like you got someone to keep you company while I'm gone during school." She frowned at him. "Well not tomorrow however! It's the weekend already so I can buy you clothing, because I didn't have enough time today and I also have to get cat food now—"

"Wait, it's already the weekend? I must have slept through a whole day because I attacked you on Wednesday—"

Izuku began to look nervous as he played with a strand of his hair. "Well about that—"

"Spit it out please!" She demanded, the cat jumping into her lap.

"I'm sorry! But you've actually been asleep nearly a week," Himiko looked down bewildered. She had been there already more than a week and was still feeling this week. Her recovery might take even longer than she thought. What bothered her more was what he could've done when she was helpless but yet, he didn't. Never had she encountered someone like him in her messed up life and she was suddenly glad she did.

"Look on the bright side though, at least I was prepared," he said pointing to a recently used IV stand near his closet. "I used to get injured a lot," he quickly explained.

She opened her mouth to say something but then just gave it up with a sigh. 'Maybe I really didn't want to meet this guy.' However she felt herself smile at all of it.

"What's wrong?" Izuku asked, extremely confused by her cute smile.

"Oh nothing Izu-kun, I'm just tired that's all," she said lying down with the cat still in her arms as she closed her eyes trying to take everything in.

Unknown to the two, at the same time a hooded figure sat by from outside of the building staring up at the lit window in the Midoriya residence. The mysterious man let out a hoarse laugh as he left the park bench, ever so often reaching up his hands to scratch the dry skin on his neck.