The waiter returned, placing a single plate between them — a delicate chocolate soufflé with a drizzle of raspberry sauce. A single spoon rested on each side.

Izuku glanced at it, then at Inko. "Looks like they expect us to share."

She gave a small, amused huff. "It's just dessert, Izuku."

"True," he said, leaning slightly forward, "but sharing makes it taste better."

The first few bites were polite — each taking turns, talking between spoonfuls. But then Izuku's spoon hovered just long enough for her to notice.

"What?" she asked.

"Open your mouth," he said casually.

Her eyes widened slightly. "You're not—"

"Come on," he teased, holding the bite of warm, chocolatey goodness in front of her.

After a moment's hesitation, she leaned forward and took it, lips brushing the spoon. Her eyes closed briefly as the dessert melted on her tongue. "Alright… maybe you're right. It does taste better."

When she opened her eyes again, he was watching her in a way that made her shift slightly in her seat. Not uncomfortable… but aware.

They finished the dessert slowly, neither rushing. When the bill came, Izuku covered it without a second thought, brushing off her attempt to contribute with a simple, "My treat."

The elevator ride down was quiet — not because they'd run out of things to say, but because the air between them had shifted. She stood close, just enough that the warmth of her arm brushed against his every so often.

Once they reached the car, he opened her door for her. She slid in, smoothing her dress as she buckled up. The drive home was calm, the soft hum of the engine filling the silence. The city lights blurred past the windows, casting flickers of gold and white across her face.

Izuku glanced at her from the driver's seat. "You know," he said slowly, "I could get used to nights like this."

Her lips curled into a faint smile. "Me too."

There was a comfortable pause before she added, "You really have changed, Izuku. I don't just mean tonight. You carry yourself differently now… more confident. It suits you."

"And you," he said, glancing at her again, "don't look like someone who should be single."

That earned him a quiet laugh. "Careful… people might think you're flirting with your own mother."

"Tonight," he reminded her, "we're not playing those roles."

Her pulse quickened at that. She didn't reply — not because she didn't have an answer, but because she wasn't sure she trusted her voice.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, both lost in thought.

When they pulled into the driveway, Izuku cut the engine but neither of them moved right away. The faint moonlight spilled into the car, and for a moment, it felt like the night could stretch on forever.

Finally, Inko smiled softly and reached for the handle. "Thanks for tonight, Izuku."

He smirked. "Anytime."

They stepped out together, the air cool and quiet around them as they made their way to the door.

"Also…" Inko glanced at him with a small smirk as they walked toward the front door, "I just realized something. You drove us back. I don't remember ever teaching you how to drive."

Izuku gave her an innocent look, hand resting on the door handle. "Umm… let's go watch a movie inside," he said smoothly, sidestepping the question as he pushed the door open.

She arched an eyebrow, clearly not buying it, but decided not to press — at least, not yet. "Uh-huh. That's not suspicious at all," she teased, stepping past him into the dimly lit living room.

He kicked off his shoes and followed her in. "I'm just saying, if you're going to interrogate me, I'd rather it be with popcorn."

She laughed softly, the sound warm and easy. "Fine, fine. Popcorn it is. But one day you're telling me how you learned."

Izuku headed to the kitchen, grabbing a bag of popcorn and tossing it into the microwave while she slipped out of her heels and set them neatly by the couch.

The faint hum of the machine filled the silence, and he glanced over to see her pulling up her dress, her earrings catching the light as she took them off.

By the time he came back with the bowl, she was curled comfortably on the couch, legs crossed, the slit in her dress parting just enough to show that toned thigh again. He sat beside her, setting the bowl between them.

"What are we watching?" she asked, reaching for the remote.

"No idea," he said, leaning back. "But I'm picking. That way you can't blame me if it's bad."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh, I'll blame you anyway."

The movie started.

"Wow, movie night two nights in a row," she said, settling into the couch. "We should make this some kind of family tradition."

"Yeah, sounds great," he replied casually, shifting to get comfortable.

She gave him a sideways look. "So, since we're back home…" Her tone was light, but there was curiosity behind it. "Are you ready to tell me how your school day was?"

"I guess so," he replied, shrugging.

Inko smiled softly, tapping her lap in invitation. Without hesitation, Izuku stretched out and rested his head on her thighs, the warmth of her skin through the fabric of her dress catching his attention. She absentmindedly combed her fingers through his hair before picking up a piece of popcorn and holding it out to him.

He opened his mouth, letting her feed him. "Today was pretty uneventful," he said between bites. "I did spend some time with this girl in class, though."

Her hand paused mid-reach for another piece. "How many girls do you plan on hanging out with?" she asked, half teasing, half serious.

"Well… I don't know, really," he said with a small smirk.

She exhaled through her nose, shaking her head, but there was still the faintest upward curve to her lips. "You're going to be trouble when you're older. More trouble than you already are."

They continued to talk, the movie fading into the background until neither of them even remembered it was on. Which, in this case, was perfect — since the film turned out to be Morbius.

TO BE CONTINUED