Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

If you had told Midoriya Izuku that his life would be turned upside down because of a surprise thunderstorm…well he would have been a nervous wreck. Why would you tell him that?! He has anxiety about that kind of stuff! And sure, he has anxiety about everything (that is why it’s called Generalized Anxiety Disorder) but those kinds of ominous warnings would eat at him until he had a nervous breakdown.

Now, if you had told him that he, a skeptic of all things ‘paranormal’, would start believing in magic because of a random thunderstorm, well that would have made him laugh. He would probably even write it down in his journal later. Someone told me a very funny joke today!

Unfortunately, life-changing events don’t give you advanced notice or warnings on when they are going to occur, so Izuku wasn’t aware of how much his entire worldview would change the moment that sky turned a dark grey. He barely had time to think oh great before the faucet in the sky opened. In seconds, he was drenched and quickly started searching for a place to wait out the storm. He cursed his stupid impulse of taking a different route as he ducked into the first store with an open sign lit up in their window.

You see, Izuku had decided to be adventurous today on his way home. He had always taken the most direct way back to his apartment, usually in a rush to do one thing or another. Being a full-time student and part-time barista while trying to juggle a social life was hard okay? He didn’t have time to waste on silly things like leisurely walks. But it had been a slow day at the shop and his manager had decided to let him go early. Was it because he had told her about his upcoming chemistry exam that he knew he was going to bomb? Yes. Did her kindness make studying any more appealing? No, no it did not.

So he was going to procrastinate a bit! Sue him. Exploring your surroundings is a perfectly good use of your time. Well, until you have to wait out a thunderstorm in a random shop that is at least a 20-minute walk to his apartment. But we’re getting off-topic, now aren’t we? We have a life-changing event to get to.

“Oh, you’re not supposed to be here.” A calm voice called out from behind him, making Izuku freeze. He had been so caught up staring at the torrential downpour happening outside, he didn’t even look to see what store he entered. But apparently, it was one where he wasn’t welcomed.

Turning quickly, he started mentally preparing his 3-page apology and plea to stay here until the storm ended when he finally caught sight of the other person in the room. Any ability he had to speak fizzled out then and there.

The boy was the prettiest person Izuku had ever seen. And he meant that wholeheartedly. From the delicate features of his face to those piercing eyes (were they different colors???) hidden slightly behind large wire-framed glasses to his silky two-toned hair, everything about him screamed ‘ethereal’. 

The boy tilted his head slightly, the comically large witch hat on his head somehow not falling with that motion. “Hm, or maybe you’re too early. Definitely a disturbance of some sort, but Fuyumi’s always been better at deciphering the strings. It doesn’t matter anymore I guess. Welcome to Winter Haven, where the lost will be found. How may I help you?”

“Um….” Izuku wasn’t sure how to respond to anything the boy had just said but chose to focus on attempting to answer his question. Finally, he took a look around the store he had entered, only to become more confused.

It wasn’t a particularly huge store, though the back section was hidden behind a large veil depicting a woman walking alone in a snow-covered forest, but a lot was happening. Shelves of various books lined the walls, with no sense of rhyme or reason, while a large selection of stones and crystals was near the back section. He could see various candles of size and color on display next to a frankly obscene amount of incense, and there was a large set of drawers behind the counter where the pretty boy stood that looked like it was labeled with various herbs. But perhaps the strangest thing about it all was the random statues and symbolic items. If he didn’t know any better, he would almost think this was some sort of phony witch store.

“I-uh, I just needed a place to wait out the storm. I-I didn’t mean to intrude. If I’m not allowed to be in here-“

“Oh, you’re allowed to be here. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t.” The boy slid off the glasses from his face and let them hang from the delicate gold chain around his neck. It was only then that Izuku realized there was a large scar of some sort on the left side of his face, covering his entire eye and upper cheek and then trailing down the side of his neck. “The clouds occasionally like to interfere with The Design, so it’s not surprising. Feel free to look around while you wait. I can answer about 60% of the questions you’ll have.”

Izuku furrowed his eyebrows. He couldn’t tell if the guy was speaking in a code of some sort, but he had a feeling that he wasn’t supposed to understand what he was talking about. But…. “Only 60%?”

“I’m still in training.”

Oh well, that makes sense...I guess. Izuku glanced back outside to see the same tropical storm level of rain falling down and decided that he might as well look around. Even if it was all dumb hocus pocus stuff, he could at least find something to get Ochako for her birthday. Walking slowly into the surprisingly warm room, he was very aware of the amount of water he was trekking into the building. However, the boy at the counter hadn’t said anything yet, despite staring at him as he moved, so it was probably fine. Most likely. Hopefully.

Most of the items in the room were normal, with occasional weird signs or notes nearby that he didn’t quite understand. Not to be used during a waxing moon, unless you would like to invite unintended guests into your space. Then feel free! Yeah, there was definitely a theme of this place. But it wasn’t like the other ‘witch’ stores Ochako had dragged him to before. It was relatively bright and welcoming, with well-organized items in understandable sections. 

“So what kind of store is this?” Izuku asked as he finally arrived at the counter. Through the glass, he could see various pieces of intricately designed jewelry. The boy looked up from the giant book resting on the counter, even though his glasses still hung from the chain. Maybe they weren’t for reading then….

“I believe Google has us listed as a metaphysical store, but we like to consider ourselves a supplier for those who Walk the Ancient Path.” He answered. Izuku glanced down at the name tag pinned to the bulky black sweater the boy wore as he tried to figure out what that meant. Sho .

“Oh...so like an alternative lifestyle store? For natural remedies and stuff like that.” Izuku reasoned. 

Sho smiled in a way that felt like Izuku had walked into an inside joke. “In a manner of speaking. You’re not interested in The Path, I assume? You don’t seem to be impressed by any of our wares.”

Izuku winced at his words. They weren’t accusatory in any way but instead stated as a fact. That still didn’t make him feel better about bothering Sho when he knew he wasn’t going to buy anything. “N-no, it’s not really my kind of thing. Sorry.”

“Not all are meant to walk The Path. If I may-” Sho moved towards the various drawers in the large cabinet behind him and began to shuffle around. For a moment, it looked like there was a flash of light, but Izuku must be imagining things. Soon enough, Sho turned back around and presented a delicate-looking bracelet. “I think this is meant for you.”

Izuku leaned closer and suddenly gasped. He recognized this bracelet! It looked exactly like the one Ochako and him and seen in a thrift store in downtown Tokyo that she had fallen in love with. The rose gold chain was cleaner than the one they had seen, but the circular pattern was unmistakable, as was the intricate star cluster charm that hung off the biggest bubble. She hadn’t been able to get the bracelet while they were there because of how expensive it was, and when Izuku had tried to go back to buy it later, it was already gone.

It was the perfect birthday gift for her.

“How did you-”

“All lost things are found here, sooner or later. It’s yours if you want it.” Sho offered, pushing the bracelet towards him. This was too good to pass up, no matter what the price was. Izuku didn’t know if he would ever get the chance to buy this bracelet again.

“Yes! Yes, I want it. How much?” He glanced back up at the boy and froze. Those piercing eyes (yes, they were different colors, and wow how beautiful they were) stared at him with an intensity that made Izuku want to squirm away. Sho once again tilted his head, the witch hat once again defying gravity as it stayed on his head.

“Tell me your name and you can have it.” Sho decided after a moment. Izuku blinked at him. There’s no way that could-the bracelet at the thrift store was 12,000 Yen! 

“Seriously?”

The other boy shrugged nonchalantly and returned to the book in front of him. “Names are very valuable. That’s the price of the bracelet though.” He said cryptically, flipping the page as he spoke. 

The weight of those words sank in and for a moment, Izuku felt a sudden urge to protect his name. But that wasn’t logical! A name was just words, something that he freely gave out all the time. What was different this time? He felt like he was ripping the shop off if he didn’t pay at least something though. It felt very counterproductive to the whole ‘support local businesses’ ideal that he liked to follow when he could.

Shuffling through his wallet, Izuku pulled out 4000 Yen and pushed it across the glass counter. “I can’t just take the bracelet for free. At least let me pay this much.” Izuku insisted.

Sho stared at the money for a moment before sighing. He moved towards the frankly ancient register and rang up the purchase with extreme efficiency. “If you insist on paying in currency, then the price is 4000 Yen and the promise to return to the store in the near future. Promises are less valuable, so it will be of equal exchange.”

“Oh! Yeah, sure I promise to come back. I can’t believe you guys actually had this bracelet! I thought we would never find it again.” Izuku rapidly agreed as Sho carefully placed the bracelet into a shiny drawstring bag. Izuku took the bag and felt relieved that he had randomly found this store. It was a miracle. He looked back towards the windows and grinned as he saw the rain subside, with the sun starting to peak through. Hopefully, he could get home before the next wave came down.

“The strings prefer fascinating people, so I’m not surprised we had it.” Sho once again looked at him with an intense gaze, as if trying to solve a puzzle. “Have a magical day and come again soon.”

Izuku couldn’t help but chuckle as he nodded and said his goodbyes. He stepped out of the door and finally took a look at the storefront. In a beautiful cursive font, the silver words ‘Winter Haven’ stood out against the black background of the sign. A simple crescent moon rested against the W and N, going along with the overall theme of the store. However, what caught his eye more than anything was the small tagline under the store’s name.

Where the lost will be found! Are you ready to be spellbound?

He chuckled at the cheesy line and began his trek back to the apartment, feeling giddy about his purchase. What a strange shop and an even stranger cashier. A very attractive, but very strange cashier. Either way, Izuku felt a weird urge to visit the store as soon as possible, even if he had just left. He was curious about what other cryptic things Sho would say. It wasn’t very often that he met someone so...fascinating.

He couldn’t wait until his next visit to Winter Haven.

Chapter Text

Izuku wasn’t religious in any sense of the word. Maybe it was because of his love for science and math that he never really got into the whole organized religion thing. His parents hadn’t ever taken him to a church when he was younger, and the trips to the temples were always more for tradition's sake than for the religious connotations. And after all, it was a little ridiculous to think that there was a magical almighty being that created everyone and everything around him and controlled everything that ever happened. He liked to think that he was perfectly capable of making all of his own decisions thank you very much. He almost laughed at the idea of an omnipresent being watching him go through life, making him perform the song and dance that was living in a society. Who had that much time on their hands after all?

…

ANYWAY, Logic was something he loved and appreciated. Something he could cling to when life wasn’t making sense. There was a logical explanation for everything and that explanation was rooted in sensible things like math and science. So no, he did not believe in any sort of religion at all.

That did not stop him from sending a silent prayer to anyone who could potentially be listening as he turned down the now very familiar street that he could finally visit Winter Haven. It was so confusing! He had been trying on and off to stop by and see Sho for the past month, with no luck. Half the time, he couldn’t even find the shop even though he knew that the shop was down the street. It was as if the store would just vanish from existence at random times, solely to inconvenience Izuku. BUT THAT DIDN’T MAKE SENSE!

The times that he did manage to find the store, it was always closed. Or the door was locked at the very least. There were no hours posted anywhere on the outside of the store, and since he hadn’t asked the last time he was there, it was all just guesswork at this point. And man, was he bad at guessing.

A wave of relief went through him when he saw the familiar black and silver sign displayed proudly on the building. Well, at least he could find it today. And the lights were on! That had to mean that they were open, right? Izuku held his breath as he reached for the door handle. The moment of truth.

The door swung open with ease as he walked through, a giddiness building in him. Yes! He had finally done it! He had successfully made it back to the store, which shouldn’t have been as hard as it was. He almost wanted to ask Sho if it was always this hard for people to find the shop, but he was slightly afraid of what the answer would be. Even in the short amount of time that they had talked, it was clear to Izuku that the pretty cashier was someone who purposely spoke in a way that never really answered Izuku’s questions. Sometimes, curiosity was better left unanswered when it came to asking unusual people about unexplainable events.

Wait. Focus. He was here to keep his promise to Sho. Who was nowhere to be found in the store. In fact, he didn’t see anyone at all. Well, anyone human at least. The only living creature besides him was a cat. And Izuku wasn’t an expert on cats, but he knew that there was something strange about the cat.

Its fur was a gorgeous white and red, which he didn’t think was a normal fur color for felines. And he was almost positive that it wasn’t normal for the colors to be split directly down the middle of said cat. The cat was definitely a cat though if its general cat-like demeanor was anything to go by. (What else could it possibly be other than a cat? Come on Izuku, think logically.)

The animal lounged across the glass countertop, with a frankly adorable cat-sized witch hat sitting on its head. Izuku assumed that it was probably clipped into the cat’s fur since it was firmly in place, despite the cat laying on its side. He walked over to the counter slowly, not wanting to scare the tiny creature.

Heterochromatic eyes opened with a general sense of laziness as he got closer. Oh, the cat has the same eyes as Sho. What are the chances? The cat rose to its feet and stretched, its bell collar jingling as it sat proudly on the counter, watching Izuku approach with an unsettling sense of intelligence. How intelligent were cats? He had never had pets before, but Hitoshi often said that his dad’s cats were more intelligent than half of their friends, so maybe this was just a very intelligent cat.

Or maybe he was an easily impressed human. 

“Hey there little guy. Where are your owners?” He asked, sticking his hand out for the feline to smell. The cat stared at his offered hand for a moment before nudging its head against it. Izuku took that as a sign of acceptance. “I’m here to see Sho. Do you know where he is?” 

He tried to be as gentle as possible since once again, he wasn’t a cat expert. The cat, on the other hand, was a human expert and not at all shy to tell him where he could pet or scratch. Izuku chuckled at the slight purr he could feel and hear coming from the creature.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be asking a cat that. It’s not like you can respond.” Izuku mused. “Do you know how hard it was to find this place again, kitty? A whole month with no luck. It was like it poofed out of existence!”

“Yes, I’m afraid that does happen occasionally when Mercury goes into Retrograde. You shouldn’t have that problem again for a few months though. At least until the next eclipse.” A woman’s voice called from just beyond the curtain in the back. The cat immediately tensed at her voice and jumped towards Izuku, much to his surprise.

Izuku watched with wide eyes as the cat curled itself around his neck and shoulders, hiding its face in his unruly hair. That was definitely not cat-like behavior. Even a cat novice like Izuku knew that. The curtain moved and a woman stepped out, tutting her tongue in disapproval.

The woman looked like she had stepped out of a fairy tale, with her long white hair and pale complexion. She was gorgeous in an ethereal sort of way that suddenly made Izuku feel even plainer than usual. Her outfit was a simple thin white sweater paired with a flowy black skirt that matched the comically oversized witch hat on her head. Maybe that’s the store uniform? Why is it so big though?

She made her way over to him with a gentle smile. “I see you found my little troublemaker. Stop being silly dear and come here. You know better than to hide behind a customer.”

A loud, protesting meow came from Izuku’s shoulder.

“I don’t care if he’s your customer, you still can’t hide. Come now, out. You have work to do. Just because you can sleep on the counter doesn’t mean you should.” She scolded, though her tone was light and humorous. A softer meow answered her words before the strange cat jumped off of Izuku’s shoulders and into her waiting arms. The woman cradled the cat close to her and gently scratched its head. It was the sweetest and strangest interaction between a human and an animal Izuku had ever witnessed. Wait, did she say something about Mercury in Retrograde?

“Um….” Izuku started, not sure what he actually wanted to ask. He had heard Ochako use that phrase before, usually after something went bad or if she was going through a rough time. She never really explained what it meant though. The woman looked back up at him, her gray eyes filled with kindness as she continued to hold the cat like a baby.

“I’m sorry for that. He thinks that just because I spoil him, he can get away with murder. Usually, his antics are only towards his siblings, but I suppose he took a liking to you.” She apologized, much to the vocal displeasure of the animal in her arms. She paid him no mind and continued to scratch under his chin. 

Thankfully, Izuku’s brain started back up at that point. “O-oh it’s no problem! He’s a really sweet cat. What’s his name?”

“His name, hm? His name is…Shochan. Yes, that will do just fine, wouldn’t you agree?” Her answer was tinged with amusement as the cat in question all but pouted at her. Izuku wasn't really sure what was going on between the cat and the woman, but it almost felt like they were having their own conversation in a way. It was also a little strange for her to say it as if she had just chosen the cat’s name at that very moment.

He chose to ignore that. Maybe that’s just how cat owners are. He would have to ask Shinsou the next time he saw the lilac boy. Right now, he was on a different mission.

“Oh, is he named that because he’s Sho’s cat? How cute!” Izuku exclaimed. The woman’s expression mirrored Sho’s from a month ago, the same knowingly playful smile that made Izuku feel like he had stumbled into an inside joke.

“In a manner of speaking. Welcome to Winter Haven, where the lost will be found. How can we help you today?” She asked kindly.

And it is with the question that Izuku realized just how little he planned for this moment. What was he supposed to say to this woman? ‘Oh, I’m here to see one of your coworkers because I promised I would in exchange for a bracelet?’ That sounded creepy, not to mention unbelievable.

His savior came in the form of Shochan who let out a series of loud meows that drew a chuckle out of the woman. She walked behind the counter and set the beautiful animal down carefully, allowing him to sit up in a tall and graceful manner. 

“I see. Shochan told me that your visit is part of your payment for your last purchase here, correct?” The woman asked, pausing just enough for Izuku to nod. “Promises are rather valuable when kept. Well, I’m sure there is something we can help you with regardless. Let me guess: college student?”

“Uh yeah! Yeah, I am. I’m a Biotechnology and Computer Engineering double major.” He answered bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck. Izuku decided that he wasn’t going to question how she just claimed that the cat told her about his last visit. Obviously, it had to be a joke since cats can’t actually talk and Shochan wasn’t even there when he came in last time. 

She hummed in acknowledgment and glanced over at Shochan with a look that Izuku couldn’t quite place. The cat in question tilted his head at Izuku’s answer and meowed softly.

“A man of science. I see why my son said you weren’t one to walk the Ancient Path. What brought you into our shop the first time?” The woman turned around to face the same large cabinet from before and began to shuffle through several drawers.

“I accidentally stumbled in here to take shelter from a surprise rainstorm. I would have never walked into a shop like this on my own.” Izuku answered honestly. His eyes widened as he realized how that sounded and began rapidly waving his hands. “N-not that there is anything wrong with your store! It’s really nice a-and Sho was very helpful last time. I-I just mean that-“

“It’s fine dear.” She interrupted him softly, carefully digging through one of the larger drawers. “I can tell by your aura that you’re not one of our usual customers. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I think we have just the thing for you. Ah, here we go.”

A familiar flash of light came from the drawer and Izuku blinked. That was weird. He could have sworn the same thing happened with Sho but that didn’t make sense. Maybe there were mini lights in the drawers that turned on occasionally. He chose to ignore the tiny voice of reason in his head that said that didn’t make sense. What else could it be? Magic? Ha! They were just committing to the bit, that’s all.

The woman pulled out a small metal tin and gently placed it down on the counter. Shochan moved to sniff it and let out a tiny sneeze that made Izuku want to coo.

“Don’t sniff that. It’s not for you.” She scolded the cat as she pushed him back. Her words were met with a loud whine that Izuku didn’t know cats could make. She ignored the cat’s plight and turned her attention back to Izuku. “This is a tea blend that will help you do well on your exams. I know finals are coming up soon and you must be taking difficult courses with those majors. Drink it right before the exam and good fortune will follow.”

Izuku frowned at the tin can and picked it up to examine it closer. The tin was a beautiful silver color with a dark blue paper wrapping around it that had the store’s logo on it. He read the looping cursive carefully, raising his eyebrow at the words.

Prosperi-Tea

A delicately crafted blend of herbs that will help you find prosperity and good fortune with every sip.

Warning: Improper or malicious use of the product may result in the changing of fortunes, karmic retribution, otherworldly intervention, and/or developing a new allergic reaction to tree nuts/mandarins. Your intentions can affect the potency of the tea’s effects so please manifest responsibly.

Winter Haven and its workers are not responsible for any unforeseen consequences of your own actions. May the Strings of Fate be weaved in your favor!

Intended for: Sho’s new customer-the pretty one with green eyes

Blood rushed to his face at the last line and an inhuman noise left his throat before he could stop it. The woman (he should really ask for her name) seemed to ignore it but the strange cat did not. Instead, it moved closer to Izuku and tilted its head as if to read the tin itself. A moment later, the cat let out an un-catlike shriek and stomped its way over to the woman. Its tail swished violently and Izuku wasn’t sure what to make of its sudden change in mood. It’s not like the cat could understand what the tin said. Cats can’t read.

The woman merely giggled at the pissed-off animal and moved to the side slightly. “I don’t make the labels. If you have a problem with it, then you know what you need to do. Go on.”

Izuku continued to watch in confusion as the cat visibility looked between the woman and the floor several times before letting out a singular catlike chirp and jumping to the ground. He shot off past the back curtain quicker than Izuku thought possible. What a strange cat. 

“I apologize. He can be a bit of a brat, but he is very sweet most of the time.” She said softly as if the cat was going to hear her talk about him. “Are you interested in the tea? It has a lovely taste and pairs better with honey than sugar.”

Her words brought Izuku back to the task at hand. Right. The mumbo jumbo tea. “I mean, I’m sure it tastes fine and all but-“

“-but tea can’t bring you good luck?” She finished with a smile. The same knowing smile from before. Izuku flushed slightly at his predictableness but nodded. She hummed to herself for a moment in contemplation. “I suppose that I can’t reason with a man of science like you. Maybe the tea would change your life. Maybe it wouldn’t do anything at all. But the tea won’t hurt you.”

Izuku raised an eyebrow at her. “It has a warning label on it.” 

“But isn’t the tea just tea?” She asked him and Izuku felt like he had just made a fatal error in this mental game of chess. “Seems strange to say something doesn’t work but also be afraid of the imaginary consequences, doesn’t it?”

Huh. That-that was a good point. He looked back at the tin, pursing his lips as he thought for a moment. I mean, the worst-case scenario is I don’t like the tea and just give it to someone else. The best-case scenario is that it becomes my favorite tea. It’s not like drinking it will actually affect my life.

“How much does the tea cost?” Izuku asked finally. If it was a reasonable price, he would just chalk this up to supporting a small business and move on. At least he would get a nice tin in the end.

“1650 yen if you insist on paying in currency.” Izuku barely held in a shriek at the sudden voice to his left. Jumping back, he whipped around only to see Sho standing right next to him with the same blank expression as before.

“Geez, you scared the daylight out of me! How long have you been standing there?” He asked as he tried to lower his heart rate. How did he even do that?

The other boy tilted his head slightly, the giant witch hat staying perfectly in place. “Not long. You came back.”

A bashful smile slowly made its way on Izuku’s face. Just like before,  Sho looked devastatingly pretty in the oversized patchwork sweater and black jeans. He didn’t have the glasses like last time, which probably meant they were only for reading. Maybe.

“Well yeah, I promised I would. Even if it took me a month to find it when you guys were open.” Izuku responded. Sho nodded once and moved past Izuku to join the woman on the other side of the counter. “You have a beautiful cat. I didn’t know cats could have fur like that.”

The other boy stumbled at his words, barely catching himself on the counter with a whispered curse. The woman chuckled but helped Sho stand up. That was weird. Maybe there’s an uneven floorboard. Sho mumbled out thanks and tilted his head so that his face was hidden behind his bangs.

“So have you made a decision about the tea?” The woman asked once more, drawing Izuku’s attention away from the pretty boy.

“Oh! Um yeah, I’ll buy it. I like trying new tea blends and it’s not too expensive.” As he dug through his wallet for the proper change, Izuku remembered a question he wanted to ask. Several questions actually. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I ever caught your name. You’re not wearing a name tag like Sho.”

“That’s because she’s not supposed to be working the counter. She shouldn’t need a name tag.” Sho answered automatically, taking Izuku’s money once he managed to fish out the 50 yen coin he had been searching for. 

She shrugged, her smile never disappearing. “My children work the front so that I can focus on the more delicate matters behind the scenes but occasionally I like to interact with my customers. Most of our regulars know me as Rei.” 

Her words finally connected the dots in his mind and his eyes widened as he looked between the two people in front of him. Now that she had said it, the family resemblance was painfully obvious. Sho looked exactly like his mother, save for his red hair and one blue eye. The otherworldly beauty should have been the thing that tipped him off, but Izuku could sometimes be a little oblivious to things. Just sometimes though.

Sho quickly packaged the tin in a beautifully designed paper bag and slid it across the counter. “Here you go. Make sure to read the warning label. Is there anything else we can help you with while you’re here….” The other boy looked at him expectantly, prompting Izuku to scramble for the bag.

“Oh! Oh no, I think that’s it. A-and since I know your names now, I guess I should tell you mine.” He laughed nervously at his own word vomit. The two beautiful shop workers exchanged a glance with each other before Rei gave him a gentle pat on his hand.

“Don’t feel pressured, dear. Names are very powerful and shouldn’t be given as freely as they are nowadays. In my younger days, people were rightfully cautious about it, but I suppose the passing time has brought a sense of blissfully ignorant ease back into the world.” She said offhandedly as if her words were supposed to make sense to Izuku. Which was starting to become a theme in this store, Izuku was finding.

He blinked once before letting out a much more relaxed laugh. “It’s fine! My name is Midoriya, Midoriya Iz-”

“What a lovely family name that is.” Rei cut him off before he could continue, her smile becoming a little tense. “Well then Midoriya-kun, please have a magical day and come again soon. You’re welcome to stop by our shop at any time.”

And well, Izuku knew a dismissal when he heard one, even if it was a sweet dismissal. Bowing out of nervous habit, he made his way to the door stopping as he opened it to wave at the mother and son. Sho tilted his head once more before waving back.

“Good luck with your exams, Midoriya. Those majors sound like a lot of work.” He called out. Izuku grinned at his kind words and yelled back a quick thanks as he exited the strange shop.

It wasn’t until he was halfway home that Sho’s words finally set off something in Izuku’s brain. Sho wasn’t in the room when I told Rei and that strange cat about my majors. How in the world did he know about them? 

Izuku pondered it the rest of the way to his apartment, his fingers drumming on the metal tin as he thought. The logical explanation was that Sho was just eavesdropping on their conversation before he appeared, but there was something about that explanation that just didn’t sit right with Izuku. He couldn’t figure out why though.

Maybe Shochan the cat told him about it. Izuku thought jokingly to himself as he opened the door to his apartment. He couldn’t help but chuckle at his own ridiculous thoughts. Yeah right. Cats can’t talk. Not even strange cats like that one.

Chapter Text

Buying the tea was a mistake.

Now, not a mistake in the way Izuku assumed it would have been based on the label. True to Rei’s word, the tea was absolutely delightful to drink and had become the blend he was drawn to when he needed a quick pick me up or had a stressful day ahead of him. And sure, when he drank the tea on those days, something unexpectedly amazing happened afterward, but that wasn’t because of the tea. It was just a really, really good month for Izuku and sometimes, it’s better to just take things in stride and not worry about something as silly as coincidences.

No, the reason the tea was a mistake was that Ochako insisted it was magic. Which was obviously ridiculous, but she swore up and down that there was no other way to explain it.

“Magic doesn’t exist.” He stated simply as he kept a careful eye on the frying fish in front of him. From his counter, Ochako let out a groan.

“It’s real and you found a real witch store! And then didn’t tell me about it! How rude, you know I love this kind of stuff.” She pouted, picking up the partially empty tin. “This literally tells you to manifest properly and talks about the Strings of Fate. Where did you even this place? And who’s Sho?”

Izuku shrugged and flipped his fish. “I got stuck in a thunderstorm and ran into it to take shelter. It’s where I got your birthday present actually. When I bought it, part of the payment was me promising to come back, which was a little weird but it was too good of a deal to pass up. So I went back and the shop owner convinced me to get the tea. It’s just tea Ochako.” He explained with little fanfare, blatantly ignoring her second question. The less he said about Sho, the better.

“The bracelet’s from the magic shop!?” She exclaimed, lifting her wrist in the air to examine said jewelry piece closer. “What secrets do you hold? Is it like enchanted or something?”

“No. It’s just a bracelet and the store is just an alternative health place.” Izuku said firmly before plating the fish for him and her. The rice was ready in the rice cooker, so all that was left was to eat their rather simple lunch. “I think they’re just committing to a bit for the aesthetic of it.”

Ochako raised an eyebrow at that. “They’re committing to the bit of pretending to be real witches?”

And well, when you put it that way, it did sound a little silly. Not as silly as believing in magic of all things. Izuku would never understand how an Aerospace Engineering major would be so set on believing in that. Especially someone as practical as Ochako.

“...Yes.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“I’m not the one who believes in witches and warlocks.”

The brunette girl frowned once more but accepted her plate from him gracefully. If Kacchan was here to see them eat this without a plate of vegetables or another side, he would go ballistic. Thankfully, he had a late afternoon class today so they could be slightly lazy today in their meals.

“Can you take me to the store?”

Izuku gave her a look of confusion but nodded. “Do you need help carrying your groceries again?”

“Not that store.” Ochako rolled her eyes and tapped on the tin still sitting in front of them. “The witch store. I want to see it for myself so that I can prove to you that it’s the real deal. And also so I can buy some of this tea because there’s no way I would have passed my English Literature class final without drinking it.”

“You’re going to harass the shop workers, aren’t you?”

“I’m not going to harass them. I’m going to support a small business that may or may not be magic!”

Izuku sighed and tapped his chopsticks to his lips. It would be rather easy to take her to the store, as long as it didn’t disappear again, but something about showing Winter Haven to his friends made his heart tighten. Was it bad to want to keep a shop your own little sanctuary where the rest of your life doesn’t touch it? Probably. It was a small, family-owned business and he should be talking it up to everyone he knew to help boost business. 

Maybe it was also the thought of his friends meeting Sho and realizing there was an ulterior motive for returning to Winter Haven and would tease him endlessly. Either way, the thought of taking Ochako there wasn’t a pleasant one.

“If you can convince Kacchan to come with us, I’ll take you there.” He stated finally, which drew out a groan from the girl. If there was someone just as skeptical as Izuku, it was Bakugou Katsuki. The difference was while Izuku would listen to Ochako attempt to explain astrology to him, Kacchan did not have the same patience for “stupid, scamming bullshit”. 

“You promise if I can get Katsuki to come with us, you’ll take me?” Ochako asked. Izuku nodded and held out his hand.

“Pinky promise.” With a new sense of gleeful determination, she hooked pinkies with him before returning back to her food. Usually, Izuku would never challenge Ochako to something like this. She was as competitive as Kacchan and could do almost anything that she put her mind to if she was motivated enough. 

But this was Kacchan they were talking about. There was no way he would willingly spend his free time going to a store like Winter Haven. Izuku was certain of it.

— — — — — — — — — — 

Kacchan was a dirty, petty traitor and Izuku wanted to strangle that smug smirk off of his stupid face as they walked down the familiar street towards Winter Haven.

“I hate you so much right now.”

“Ditto, nerd. This is payback for bringing that stupid tea to the apartment in the first place.” Kacchan responded without missing a beat. “Besides, once Cheeks said how unwilling you were to take her to this store, I knew you were hiding something from us and I want to know what it is.”

“I’m not hiding- ”

“Bullshit.”

It was at that point that Ochako decided to intervene. “Oh my goodness, that sign is so cute! Winter Haven, huh? I’ve never heard of it. It looks pretty popular though.” She interjected as they got close enough to see the unusual amount of people inside the store. Izuku furrowed his eyebrows at that. 

“Hm. Usually, I’m the only one in the store. I wonder if they are having a sale today….”

“Well let’s see if they have that tea! Come on!” Ochako exclaimed, linking arms with them and dragging both boys through the doors. Inside the shop, there was a general feeling of excitement buzzing in the air as various customers browsed around the shop. 

A quick glance told him that Sho was nowhere to be found. Instead of him, there was a woman working the counter who looked a little overwhelmed. She waved at them absentmindedly, only to make a double-take almost immediately. From across the room, Izuku could see her eyes widen, and then she was suddenly making her way toward them. Oh no.

“You’re Sho’s customer!” She exclaimed once she was closer, clasping her hands together. Izuku nodded half-heartedly at that as he tried to take her in. It was obvious that she must be Sho’s sister since they looked very similar. Her white hair had small streaks of the same bright red that he had and she had the same blue-colored eyes. She even dressed in the same style as Sho and Rei had in his past visits. An oversized black sweater that looked as soft as a cloud and a pair of light-washed jeans that were obviously worth more than Izuku’s weekly paycheck. The store must make good money for all of them to dress so immaculately and look so perfect. “It’s so nice to meet you! He’s right, you are pretty. I thought he was exaggerating about the stardust thing, but that is definitely the Phoenix constellation right there on your left cheek. Oh! And there’s Andromeda on your temple!”

Izuku gulped as he felt two pairs of eyes stare into his soul at her words. He didn’t dare glance at Ochako right now. He already knew the mischievous look on her face. So instead, he kept his entire focus on the woman in front of him, his eyes particularly drawn to a familiar pair of glasses hanging from a gold chain around her neck. Which was a little strange since she had glasses on already.

His mind wandered back to that fateful first meeting and the strange greeting he was given. Didn’t Sho mention a name? What was it? F-fu? Fuyumi! That’s it.

“Oh, you must be his sister! I think he said your name was F-“ Izuku tried to respond, only for the woman to frantically cover his mouth with her hand before he could finish his sentence. The three of them stared at her with wide eyes.

“Please call me Yumi! That’s what customers call me and Sho should have never said my name while on the floor but he’s still young and not-well it doesn’t matter. Yumi is just fine.” She insisted. Izuku was a little confused by her nervous demeanor but it had become clear in his past visits that the topic of names was a sensitive subject with this family.

Slowly, he nodded in acknowledgment and she removed her hand. With a relieved sigh, Yumi glanced around the busy shop with the same overwhelmed look as before. “I assume you’re here to see him but unfortunately he’s on a small mission for me to track down our other brother who was supposed to work the front today since Nats knows we’re always busy this time of year.”

“A-actually, I came in to see if you had more-” A loud crash came from beyond the curtain at the back of the store, making everyone turn to stare. It was followed quickly by the sound of cats hissing at each other and then a blur of white fur shot out, pursued by a second blur of red and white. “-tea?”

Yumi was no longer paying attention to him and lunged for the white blur, somehow managing to avoid knocking over any of the tables of merchandise scattered around the store. Tucking into a roll once, she gracefully rose to her feet with her prize meowing at her in an aggravated tone. Yumi was not moved by the cat’s response and held him in the air with both hands so that they could see each other face to face.

“Gotcha ya!” She announced proudly. “Thanks Sho, I’ve been looking for him everywhere.”

Her words caused Izuku to look down and acknowledge the same red and white cat from last time, with that same tiny witch hat balanced on his head. Shochan preened at the praise before he caught sight of Izuku and bounded his way. He barely had any time to react before he suddenly had an armful of cat. Izuku attempted to try and rearrange Shochan into a better position, only for the cat to take matters into his own paws and quickly climbed up until he was resting lazily on Izuku’s shoulders.

If his friends weren’t staring at him before, they sure were now. Luckily, Izuku was amazing at ignoring his problems and focusing on other things. Like the new cat in the room that was currently being scolded by Yumi. The first thing that crossed his mind was wow that’s a really big cat. Its coat was pure white and fluffy as hell, but even without all of his fur, the cat was undeniably huge. Is this what Shinsou was talking about when he said there’s a breed of giant cats? What was it? Maine coon? Why is the cat that big???

“Where have you been? You know with the festival drawing closer, we need more help in the shop and you promised me that you would help during the weekend shifts!” Yumi scolded said cat, which was both confusing and slightly hilarious. The cat in question let out a long, argumentative meow that had the woman shaking her head. “That’s not a valid excuse and you know it.”

The rest of the customers in the shop ignored the strange encounter happening in the middle of the shop as if it was a normal occurrence for the shop employees to openly scold their cats for not reporting to duty. Which, maybe it was. Izuku still wasn’t really sure about the semantics of shop cat ownership. 

“Is she arguing with the cat?“ Ochako whispered to the other two, her eyes now glued to the scene in front of them.

“Why the fuck did this candy cane-looking cat jump into your arms and why does it have a witch hat on?”

“Yes she is and this is Shochan. As for the hat, I think that’s just the store’s uniform. Shochan was wearing one last time too.” Izuku answered, making both of them turn to stare at him.

“Wait, Sho is the cat?”

“No, Sho is a guy that works here. Shochan is the cat.”

“Who the fuck names their cat after themselves? Egotistical bastard.” Kacchan scoffed, which earned him a hiss and batting claw from the animal in question. Kacchan, ever the mature and level headed person he was, decided to hiss back. To assert his dominance, Izuku guessed. Either way, Shochan was not amused.

“Well, Shochan looks a lot like Sho. I think it’s an inside joke but I’m not sure. It’s-well it’s hard to get answers from the shop workers occasionally.” Kacchan opened his mouth to say something that Izuku was sure would be offensive but was quickly cut off by a loud meow directed their way.

Izuku turned to look at the giant white cat, only for it to be staring right back at him with piercing grey eyes. The cat meowed once more, its head tilting slightly as it examined the three college students. Yumi looked away from the cat in her hands, her gaze flitting between the cat and Izuku.

“Him? Oh yes, that’s Sho’s customer. He just got here and he’s just as pretty as Sho was describing, right?” She said randomly, as if answering a question that the cat asked her. Which was ridiculous. People couldn’t speak Cat. Only cats could speak Cat. The white cat nodded once, making Izuku question the idea that cats could understand Japanese, and in an amazing gymnastic feat, wiggled his way out of Yumi’s grasp and onto the ground. The cat took a few steps towards the trio, clearly intrigued by the new arrivals.

Shochan did not seem to like the new development based on the hiss that he made at the other cat, causing everyone to turn and look at him in surprise. The other cat stopped walking and sat down in the middle of the floor before letting out a series of loud, half singing-half squawking meows at the top of his lungs. Which might have been ignorable if Shochan hadn’t joined in with his own set of rather angry meows directed solely at the other cat. That finally drew the attention of the other patrons, much to Yumi’s distress.

“Stop it, both of you! This is a place of business and you need to act like it. Now, go find your hat and Sho, please get off the customer and get back to work.” Yumi hissed. The white cat seemed put out by her words, but turned around and pranced his way back behind the curtain. Shochan was more reluctant to follow directions. Yumi’s order was met with a chirp.

Yumi narrowed her eyes at the bi-colored creature. “I’m going to tell Mother if you don’t get down in 3-“

Shochan let out a series of pitiful, argumentative meows in response to the counting.

“-2-“

Shochan huffed but jumped off of Izuku and into Yumi’s waiting arms, his hat still perfectly in place. She looked triumphant in the turn of events and finally looked back up at Izuku and his friends.

“Sorry about that. He’s spoiled. Give me one second to grab my brothers from the back and one of us can help you find whatever you’re looking for, okay?” Yumi said with an apologetic smile on her face. “Feel free to look around and see if anything catches your eye! The strings are very active during this time of year so it’s a good time to trust your instincts and take chances that you normally wouldn’t.”

And if Izuku wasn’t already getting used to the general strangeness that was Winter Haven’s employees, he might have tried to ask her what she meant by that. He was learning though and so he just watched as Yumi and Shochan walked behind the curtain, leaving the 3 friends alone to process what just happened. Izuku managed to count to 5 before Uraraka turned towards him and began to shake his arm dramatically.

“Okay, you gotta spill the beans on this Sho guy now because what was all of that?!” She exclaimed in a controlled whisper thankfully. Kacchan, on the other hand, scoffed and turned to examine the nearby displays in faux displeasure.

“Weird ass cats. I’ve never seen cats act like that before. And what is with the chick and her name?” He stated gruffly. 

Izuku sighed and moved to also look half-heartedly at the other things currently on display. It seemed that their selection had changed slightly to include more charms or trinkets than before, but none of them really caught his attention. “Sho is a worker at the shop. He’s really helpful…well as helpful as they can get. Like I said, the workers here are…cryptic about things. They also have this weird hang-up about names. All I know is that they think names are very valuable. They’re a little quirky I guess.”

“And Sho just thinks you’re very pretty and your freckles look like stardust for the sake of customer service?” Ochako teased, her hands drifting towards the candle selection they had displayed. Izuku’s face flushed a dark pink color as he was forced to remember the words that Yumi had said multiple times.

“I don’t-well I’m sure she didn’t mean it like-he’s never directly said anything to me okay! He, uh might just be saying that to be nice?” 

Kacchan scoffed at that and held one of the small circular charms up to the air as if to examine it under the light. “Yeah right, nerd. Sounds like he has a crush on your dumb face. What even is this thing for?”

“That is a fertility charm. A fairly potent one too. I would suggest putting that down unless you would like to see how potent it can be.” An all too familiar voice said in a flat tone directly from behind them. Izuku and Uraraka both jumped in surprise, spinning around with matching faces of surprise and horror as they came face to face with the worker in question.

Oh god, how long had he been standing there? Did he hear them saying that he had a crush on me? I hope not. I don’t want to make him uncomfortable and that was such an inappropriate thing for them to say! 

Kacchan cursed softly at the sudden appearance and fumbled with the charm as he glared at the red and white boy.

“Fucking hell, wear a bell or something! Where did you even come from?” He hissed at Sho, whose blank expression turned into one of vague distaste.

“The back.” Blue and grey eyes drifted towards the charm still in Kacchan’s hand. “Are you interested in the charm? I wouldn’t typically recommend it for someone inexperienced with the Ancient Path but if you would like to be blessed with extreme fertility who am I to stop you from fulfilling your desires.”

Izuku watched with vague amusement as his childhood friend blushed at the implication of Sho’s words and all but slammed down the charm back into its original display spot. “No, I’m not interested in a damn fertility charm! You trying to start something with me, Candy Cane?!”

“No thank you. You’re not really my type. Congratulations on your natural fertility though.” Sho answered without missing a beat. Izuku tried not to laugh at Kacchan’s squawk of indignation, only to freeze when that intense gaze was directed at him. “Hello, Midoriya. You came back.”

Any trace of irritation or distaste fell from Sho’s face and Izuku couldn’t help but smile softly at the other boy. “Um yeah, I did. Is that okay?”

Sho blinked once slowly and opened his mouth to respond, only to be cut off by a large arm dropping around his shoulders, the equally large person attached to it pulling in the lithe boy for a side hug.

“Of course it is! He hasn’t shut up about you since the last time you were here.” The other boy answered for Sho, earning him an elbow in the gut by the mismatched boy. Izuku’s face once again flushed at his words and began to stutter in an attempt to respond. The taller boy only laughed, his pure white hair just barely visible under the giant brim of the black witch hat on his head. “It’s nice to meet you, Midoriya. I’m Nats, Sho’s older brother. Can we help you find anything?”

“Shut up and go help Nee-san at the register like you were supposed to be doing instead of visiting your girlfriend.” Sho hissed at his brother, quickly sliding out of the other’s grasp as his cheeks turned the lightest shades of pink.

Nats only continued to grin at his brother’s angry expression. “You can make fun of me now but karma is gonna make you regret that when you’re in my shoes. I’ll leave you to help your favorite customer.”

Seemingly happy with getting the final tease in, the taller boy began to walk over to the register where Yumi was ringing another customer up. Sho glared at his retreating form and out of the corner of Izuku’s eye, he saw the pretty boy move his hand in a rather peculiar way. Almost as if he was swiping something across the room…. Izuku wanted to question what that was, only to be distracted by a yelp from the other side of the room and the crash of someone falling on the floor. Everyone turned to look at the source of the noise to see Nats laying on the ground with what looked like one of the floor rugs tangled in between his feet.

Oh, he must have slipped on it. But I could have sworn that rug was closer to the curtain than the counter….

“Behave, both of you!” Yumi scolded loudly, not looking up from the item she was wrapping up. Nats let out a sound of indignation but didn’t argue as he slowly got up from the floor.

Sho turned back to the trio of confused college students still trying to catch up with the events that were unfolding in front of them. Clearing his throat, his face morphed from the small smirk he wore at his brother’s misfortune to the usual blank expression. “Sorry about him. Nii-san is very clumsy sometimes. Were you looking for anything specific?”

“Y-yes actually!” Izuku answered quickly before either one of his friends could chime in and embarrass him. He did that on his own just fine and definitely didn’t need any help seeing how often he messed up in front of the pretty boy already. “Do you have any more of that tea I bought last time? I really enjoyed it and someone keeps on using it whenever she stops by my place so I’m starting to run low….”

“That’s me. I’m someone.” Ochako chimed in with a smile. “I also wanted to buy some so I can stop stealing Deku-kun’s. You guys have so many cool things though! I really like these candles but are there any you would recommend?”

Sho tilted his head to the side in contemplation at their question, his eyes sweeping over the candle display in question. “Unfortunately, we’re out of Prosperi-Tea. My mother is the one that makes those special blends and she is away on business to collect our more rare herbs and wares. We should have some more at the end of the month, maybe sooner if the clouds don’t interfere with the Design again. As for candles…are you wanting a specific outcome or do you simply want to rearrange the Strings a bit?”

“That second option sounds a little dangerous.” Ochako joked. The shop worker shrugged and moved closer to the pair much to Izuku’s dismay. He tensed out of habit as Sho moved directly into his space to reach just behind him and pick up a yellow and green swirled candle of the shelf.

“Maybe. The Strings are always a little mischievous this time of year. This candle is our general good fortune candle. Light it only when you are already in a good mood as it relies a lot on your thoughts to work. If you are wanting something for clearing your mind or do internal searching,  our yellow and purple swirl is for that.” He explained as he handed her the candle before stepping backwards. 

Wow he smells so good. That’s a really creepy thing to be focused on but he was just so close and–

“Ooo, this would be useful! Would you have anything to attract love? Or jumpstart a relationship?” Ochako asked, her smile inching towards her scheming face. “Asking for a friend.”

Kacchan scoffed at her obviousness at the same time that Izuku whipped around the glare at his close friend. This felt like a betrayal in so many ways, namely in the fact that logically, candles couldn’t do anything to help bring love into your life. That was just as preposterous as the tea! Candles were just wax and string, with fragrance packed in to make people feel good about them. They couldn’t actually change your life like that.

Sho visibly tensed at her words, his eyes flitting towards Izuku for less than a second. “Due to our shop’s policies, we limit those kinds of wares to specialty orders since our products are often more…concentrated than most people are used to. Additionally, I wouldn’t recommend that kind of item unless the person was ready to accept the consequences of weaving around the Strings like that.”

“Are love candles bad or something? Other stores I’ve visited have always had some sort of item for love-related problems for sale so I just assumed this place would too.” Ochako asked, curiosity and concern filling her voice. Sho seemed torn on how to answer her question for a moment before letting out a small sigh.

“Assigning morality to the chaos that is life is a very simple way of looking at things and something that those of us who walk the Ancient Path tend to avoid. The higher powers that be do not care for humanity’s rather constrained view of ethics. Our family just considers those sorts of wares as an item best left out of the hands of novices to our ways. Lest they stumble into something they are not fully prepared for.” He stated as if he was telling them the weather forecast and not a rather profound philosophical take. A philosophical take that Izuku wasn’t entirely sure he understood.

The brunette tilted her head with confused uncertainty. “So, you don’t sell them for liability reasons?”

“I…yes I suppose. In a manner of speaking.”

That answer seemed to appease the bubbly girl and she quickly plucked the green and yellow candle out of his hand with a smile. “That’s understandable. Come on Katsuki, lets go check out while Deku-kun finds out more about coming back for the tea.” She did not wait for the blond’s answer and simply grabbed his wrist to pull him across the store.

“Why the hell do I have to help you check out?”

“Because you’re buying this for me. Obviously.”

“THE HELL I AM! I’M NOT WASTING MY MONEY ON–”

Izuku stared at his friend’s quickly retreating bodies as the two bickered back and forth with the same resigned feeling he usually got whenever they went somewhere in public together. This is why Iida doesn’t come shopping with us anymore. Well that and the Soap Debacle. 

“Your friends are very loud. And excitable.” Sho said, drawing the green-eyed boy’s attention back to the shop worker. Now that it was just the two of them standing alone, Izuku actually took a good look at the boy in front of him. As usual, the giant witch hat on his head was hard to miss, but today he wore a soft cream colored sweater and light washed jeans that made Sho look effortlessly cool. In fact, now that he though it about it, all of the siblings working in the shop had a very similar outfit on. 

Well, they all look amazing in it so maybe it’s like a store dress policy? Either way, he could be a model with how pretty he is. 

“Ah, yeah they are. Sorry about that. Uraraka has been really wanting to stop by ever since I told her about this place and Kacchan…Kacchan is Kacchan. He does things just to annoy me.” Izuku apologized softly with a bashful smile. “I’ve never seen the shop so busy before. Not that I’ve really come here enough to know for sure! It-it’s just the past two times I’ve been here, no one else was here and so it’s just strange to see it so full. Are-are you guys running a sale or something?”

Sho glanced around the room for a second with a disgruntled expression before returning his piercing gaze back to Izuku. “It’s just the time of year. Our usual customers are very particular about their shopping habits so we cater to their whims whenever possible. It should slow down again once the equinox passes. I hope my sister wasn’t too overbearing when you got here. She tends to get excited when meeting people that I’ve told her about. My family in general are rather…invested in my socializing habits. Especially now that I’m working the front of the store now and not just helping Mother in the back with inventory.”

“Oh no, she was perfectly fine!” Izuku quickly assured Sho. He glanced back up to the register to see that his friends had made it to the front and seemed to be in a rather intense conversation with Yumi and Nats about something on the counter. “I, uh, think she probably got the wrong idea about how you described me though.”

“Why do you say that?”

“W-well, she kept saying that you c-called me pretty and that I had, uh, constellations in my freckles? Which I’m sure was just a way to tease me like older siblings do! Or, at least I think they do because I wouldn’t know myself since I’m an only child but-”

“I did call you pretty.”

Izuku’s eyes widened in shock at the rather nonchalant way Sho spoke that statement to life, as if it was a simple fact of the universe. A vibrant blush exploded across his cheeks and nose as he tried to comprehend the fact that one of the prettiest person’s he had ever laid eyes on had just complimented him. 

“W-what?”

Sho turned to face him once more and leaned in carefully as if to get a better look at Izuku’s flushed face. Slowly, the split-colored boy lifted his left hand and ran the tips of his fingers across Izuku’s right cheek, tracing the splatters of freckles up his temple before pulling away. The coolness of his touch immediately burned like a brand across Izuku’s skin and he instantly knew that he would be replaying this moment in his mind for the rest of his life. “I called you pretty. Because you are. And you do have constellations in your freckles. They really pop out when you’re blushing like you are now. So she didn’t get the wrong idea.”

“O-oh!” Izuku managed to squeak out as Sho leaned back and glanced around once more. I should say thank you. That’s what normal people do when they’re complimented right? Fuck, my face is so hot right now and I feel like I’m not breathing like I should be. Am I going to pass out? No, that would be super embarrassing to do right after a pretty boy compliments you. Does this mean that he likes me? N-no, don’t think that, or we’re going down a different spiral of a mental breakdown!

In the brief 5 seconds that Izuku let himself fall into this death spiral that was his anxiety, it seemed that his friends had finally wrapped up their purchases and had walked back to where the two other boys were. Ochako glanced between the obviously flustered green-haired boy and the seemingly unaware shop worker with only a little concern in her eyes.

“Uh, is everything okay?” She asked hesitantly. Thankfully, the sound of her voice snapped Izuku out of the inevitable anxiety attack that he was probably dragging himself into and he jumped to attention.

“Yes! Yes everything is fine and nothing is going on at all! L-let’s get home before it gets too late, okay?” He said, grabbing onto his two friend’s wrists and starting to drag them towards the door. Running away was not the answer but also his poor heart couldn’t take Izuku trying to flirt with a pretty boy while his friends were present. 

Ochako seemed surprised at this but didn’t put up a fight. Turning back towards Sho as Izuku tried to flee, she gave him a large grin. “Well, it was so nice to meet you Sho! Can you set aside an extra tea for me when you get more in stock? Deku-kun can pick it up for me the next time he comes in!” 

Sho blinked in confusion at their rapid departure but nodded. “Of course. Two Prosperi-Teas will be set aside so Midoriya can stop by any time at the end of this month. He’s always welcomed into our store. Have a magical day and come again soon?”

Izuku let out a rather ungodly noise at that and shouted back an incomprehensible phrase that was both an affirmation and a farewell before all but storming out of the front doors with his friends in tow. 

“Why are we running out of the shop? What happened while we were checking out?” Ochako asked as Izuku continued to drag his friends down the street and towards his apartment. Kacchan screeched curse words at the death grip that Izuku had on his wrist, but they didn’t come to a stop until they reached the next street corner.

Once Izuku felt that there was enough space between them and the shop, he released their arms and quickly crouched down so that he could bury his face into his knees.

“What the hell, Deku? We were barely gone for 5 minutes and Candy Cane got you acting like this? Did he say something? Do I need to go back there and knock some sense into that dick for you?” Kacchan said. Izuku appreciated the hidden concern by his childhood friend, but also, he didn’t want to break up a fight today. Especially a fight between Kacchan and his crush. It was embarrassing enough the first time it happened.

“N-no! I, uh, I just need a moment. Sho didn’t do anything wrong. He-he actually called m-me pretty. And I panicked.” Izuku shouted from behind his arms.

A beat of silence followed before Kacchan let out a loud groan. “You fucking bisexual disaster. Man up and ask him out then! I’m not handling this today. Make sure he gets home, Round Face. Can’t believe I skipped studying for this shit.”

Izuku waited for Kacchan’s telltale stomping to fade away before he unraveled himself from his protection bubble of limbs. He then immediately regretted doing so when he saw Ochako’s mischievous smile. 

“~So he thinks you’re pretty?~” She all but sang. Izuku groaned. “Oh don’t worry about it so much! We have a whole 3 weeks to figure out how you can ask him out the next time you go in. Ooo, we should go shopping with Mina so that you have a cute outfit when you do so! Maybe something cat themed? They really like cats. But I guess Shinsou would know more about that wouldn’t he?”

Letting out another groan, Izuku covered his face again and dutifully ignored the stares that strangers gave him as he contemplated his life existence. He was already dreading the next 3 weeks of teasing that was surely waiting for him once everyone in their friend group knew about this shopping experience.

But…he thinks you’re pretty. That has to count for something, right?  

…Well maybe 3 weeks wouldn’t be so bad if he actually got a date at the end of it right? Especially if it was a date with someone as enchanting as Sho.