The silence between them stretched as they walked side by side, sneakers scuffing against the pavement. The sun had dipped low now, the city bathed in amber and shadow, the smell of distant street food mixing with the ocean breeze. Izuku kept stealing glances at his unexpected dinner guest, unsure how to start a conversation without sounding weird.
Accelerator, for his part, looked like he belonged nowhere near a peaceful household. His white hair caught the last rays of sunlight, and his eyes—cold, sharp, calculating—never seemed to settle on any one thing for long. He didn't say much. He didn't have to. The air around him practically dared people to talk.
Izuku fidgeted with the strap of his backpack. "U-uh, it's not a big place," he offered, trying to fill the silence. "But the food's good! Mom always says food tastes better when you share it, haha…" Accelerator didn't respond at first. Then: "Do you always talk this much?" Izuku shrank a little. "S-sorry." By the time they reached the apartment building, Izuku was sweating more from nerves than from the walk. He took a deep breath and opened the door, praying his mom wouldn't freak out.
"Mom! I'm home!" he called out. From the kitchen came a cheerful voice. "Welcome home, sweetie! Dinner's almost—" She stopped mid-sentence as she stepped into view, spotting the stranger behind her son. Her eyes widened at Accelerator—his strange clothes, his permanent scowl—and immediately shifted into mother mode.
"Oh! Hello there," she said, bowing slightly. "I didn't know Izuku was bringing a friend!" Accelerator blinked at her, unsure how to respond to… well, a normal person. Izuku laughed nervously. "I, uh… invited him last minute. Mom, this is… Accelerator. Accelerator, this is my mom." Inko Midoriya tilted her head. "Accelerator? That's… unique." Accelerator gave a stiff nod.
"Well, come in, come in!" she said, already bustling toward the kitchen. "Dinner's ready. I hope you like katsudon!" Accelerator hesitated at the door, then followed Izuku inside. He wasn't sure if he'd just walked into a trap, a sitcom, or something way worse: a normal life.
The small table creaked under the weight of the katsudon bowls. Izuku sat stiffly, sneaking glances between his mom and Accelerator. The smell of soy sauce and pork hung in the air. "My mom didn't expect anyone over," Izuku said. "But she made katsudon, so, um… yeah." Inko handed a bowl over. "Here you go, Accelerator-kun. I hope it's okay—I didn't expect company, so it's just our usual." "It's fine," Accelerator said.
He didn't wait. He picked up the chopsticks and started eating like it was no big deal. No thanks. No compliments. Just quiet chewing. "So… uh… how do you like it?" Izuku asked. Accelerator finished a bite, swallowed. "Better than convenience store crap. That's all I'll say." Inko raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything about the language. She took a sip of tea. "Do you live nearby, Accelerator-kun?" "Not really. I just… ended up around here." "He, um… saved me the other day," Izuku said. "From the sludge villain." Inko looked up, eyes widening. "Oh—that was you? I heard about what happened… thank you. Really. I don't even want to think about what could've—"
"Don't thank me," Accelerator interrupted, taking another bite. "I just didn't want to watch some kid get killed while everyone else stood around." The table went quiet for a second. "He's kind of… blunt," Izuku said. "I can see that," Inko replied with a polite little chuckle. She tried again. "Do you have family in the city, Accelerator-kun?" "No." "I think he's staying on his own right now," Izuku said. "Like, figuring things out." Accelerator looked at him, just briefly. Didn't say anything. Izuku quickly looked back down at his food. "Well," Inko said, "if you ever need a hot meal, you're welcome here. I mean it. No one should have to figure things out on an empty stomach." Accelerator kept eating. Slower now. "…Tch. I'll keep that in mind." The rest of the dinner was mostly silent. Not awkward. Just quiet.
Accelerator finished first and set his chopsticks across the bowl. "Thanks for the food." "You're welcome," Inko said. "Glad you liked it." "Yeah… thanks for coming," Izuku added. Accelerator stood up, stretched. "I'll head out." "It's getting late—are you sure you'll be okay getting back?" Inko asked. "I'm not the one people should be worried about on the streets." He said it so casually that Inko just blinked. Izuku bit back a laugh. Accelerator stepped to the door. "Later, broccoli boy." "W-wait—uh, are you gonna be at the beach again tomorrow?" Accelerator paused. "...Fine." And then he was gone. Izuku stood there for a second, then dropped back into his seat. "Well. He's… something," Inko said. "Yeah. But… I think he's a good guy." Inko smiled faintly and took another sip of her tea. "If you say so dear"