Chapter 124

"Ever ridden one of these bad boys?" asked Luna, presumably talking about her bright red sports bike, but it was difficult to be sure as she was bent over slightly, staring back at him with narrowed eyes.

Shaking his head, Izuku replied, "No, but I've thought about getting one once I get my license."

Blinking in surprise, Luna rose to her full height and asked, "You don't have a license? I got my learner's permit when I was fourteen and my road license when I was sixteen."

"I never really needed one," replied Izuku. "Japan's public transit system is the best in the world, and if I need to, I can get around faster on foot than in a vehicle."

"Oh? Is your superpower speed-related?" asked Luna, perking up quite a bit as she added, "I'm pretty fast myself, you know? My tail helps me keep my balance, even if I lean reeeeeeally far forward."

As if to prove her point, Luna leaned over nearly ninety degrees, hands on her waist as she swayed her tail and hips from side to side.

"I can see that..." remarked Izuku, his eyes lowering to Luna's toned butt. She may have had the head of an anthropomorphic wolf, but the structure of her body was unmistakably human.

"Whatcha lookin' at~?" asked Luna, rising to her full height and turning to face Izuku with a lowered snout, upturned eyes, and a playful smile. She knew exactly where Izuku had been looking, but she was curious to hear what he had to say for himself.

Adopting a relaxed smile, Izuku smoothly replied, "I was thinking we need to get you out of those pants and into a dress."

Narrowing her eyes in amusement, Luna's smile broadened as she said, "My place isn't too far from here, but I don't have nothin' fancy like a proper dress. The poshest outfit I have is the one I wear for work, but that's uncomfortable like you wouldn't believe."

Stretching the fabric of her t-shirt, Luna added, "I prefer clothes that are comfortable and easy to move in. Even these pants. They might look like leather, but they're made from a faux, super-stretchy material."

"Then, after we finish breakfast, we'll go shopping," said Izuku. "I don't mind if you want to wear casual clothes, but we might be snubbed if we try to enter a fancy restaurant."

Though excited by the prospect of shopping, Luna crossed her arms, rolled her eyes, and said, "Story of my life, right there. Outside Piccola Italia and the Zoo, pelosa like me aren't wanted in fancy neighborhoods and restaurants."

Ignoring the metaphorical minefield that Luna had laid out for him, Izuku asked, "The Zoo?" in a confused tone. He had heard of Piccola Italia(Little Italy), but he had never heard of any places called the Zoo. Excluding the actual Zoo, of course.

"Eh, it's slang for the part of town where heteromorphs live," explained Luna, adding, "Be careful if you ever go through there. After being treated like animals for so long, some of the residents have given up trying to act human. They give the rest of us pelos a bad rap."

"I take it they're not fond of, what would you call us, naked apes?" asked Izuku.

"Ma dai!?" exclaimed Luna, clutching her stomach and exhaling an open-mouthed laugh before saying, "You're funny, cumpà. And no, we don't call you naked apes. We call our allies cumpà, meaning friend, and those who don't, gabba, meaning idiot. There are some less polite words, but I don't use them. At least not for you."

Punctuating her statement with a playful wink, Luna briefly turned around, grabbing her spare helmet and tossing it to Izuku as she asked, "Want to try steering, or are you okay riding pillion? You're a lot bigger than me, so it might be a little awkward."

Though he caught the helmet with ease, Izuku adopted a wry smile as he asked, "Wouldn't it be better to take a taxi? Especially if we're planning to go shopping."

"I'm a wolf, cumpà. Unless you dial up a premium service, ain't no taxis stopping to pick me up," said Luna.

"Then let's rent a car," suggested Izuku. "I'm sure a hotel like the Waldorf Astoria has rental services."

"Oh, totally," replied Luna, pointing to an area of the underground parking lot where several luxury and sports cars were located. "But they're really expensive, like $4000 a day. There's also a $5-10,000 security deposit, so it would be a lot cheaper to rent someplace else."

Though he was tempted to flex his wealth, Izuku responded with a curt, "Give me a moment," before turning away, pulling out his cell phone, and texting Nezu. He was pretty sure their VVIP service package included a chauffeur and even a security detail, so he wanted to see if he could use it before blowing fifteen grand on a rental.

Assuming that Izuku was about to try and show off, Luna sat back against her bike and pulled up her left leg, resting her cheek against her knee and observing him with a smile. She was tempted to tell him he didn't need to try so hard to impress her, but she didn't want to offend or upset him. Rich people tended to enjoy spending money, so if that's what Izuku wanted to do, she didn't mind indulging him. She just wanted to have fun with a cute, pleasant-smelling foreigner.

Turning back to Luna, Izuku asked, "Are you okay with having someone chauffeur us around, or would you prefer to drive?"

"That's up to you," replied Luna, narrowing her eyes slightly as she added, "It could be fun to ride in the back of a limo and sip on some champagne."

"We'll consider that for this evening," said Izuku, sending his response to Nezu as he added, "It's a bit early to be drinking."

"That's probably for the best," mused Luna, adopting a playful smile as she revealed, "Don't tell anyone, but I'm a bit of a lightweight. I also tend to get clingy, so you've been warned."

"I'll keep that in mind," replied Izuku, returning a smile as he placed his cell phone into his breast pocket. Less than a minute later, a man dressed as a hotel employee showed up, carrying with him a bunch of keys as he practically ran over.

"Oh, hey, Thomas," said Luna, raising her hand and performing a casual wave.

Though he briefly cast an incredulous look toward Luna, Thomas's main focus was Izuku, forcing a smile as nervously as he presented the keys and said, "Your keys, sir."

Shaking his head, Izuku thumbed toward Luna, saying, "Let the lady choose. I don't have a license."

"Right..." replied Thomas, shifting his attention to Luna as he asked, "Which car would you like to drive...ma'am?"

"Do I really get to choose?" asked Luna, moving next to Izuku and staring up at him with excitement in her luminous golden eyes.

"Go ahead," replied Izuku. "My package includes free vehicle rentals, so you have your pick of the litter. No pun intended."

Turning her eyes up, Luna muttered, "Ma dai..." before snatching one of the sets of keys from Thomas and darting over to a car that looked more like a spaceship than a road-faring vehicle. In fact, Izuku was positive he had seen a similar model with rotary wings.

Alleviating Thomas's paling complexion, Izuku gave the man a firm pat on the shoulder as he said, "Thanks for the quick service. I'll be sure to send you a gratuity payment later."

Regaining a practiced smile, Thomas replied, "T-Thank you, Sir. If you need anything else during your stay, please don't hesitate to ask for me by name."

"I'll consider it," said Izuku, retracting his hand from Thomas's shoulder and following after Luna. She looked like a kid that had just received a go-cart for their birthday, but instead of a box car, the vehicle she was about to drive easily cost more than half a million dollars.

"Hurry up and get in~!" exclaimed Luna, waiting in the driver's seat with an unfettered smile and wide, excited eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," replied Izuku, ducking his head to avoid hitting it on the slanted scissor door. This was ultimately unnecessary, as the car was made to accommodate much larger individuals, but he had smacked his head on a similar door in his past life.

"It looks even more like a spaceship inside..." remarked Izuku, settling into the remarkably comfortable passenger's seat, seemingly made from some kind of memory foam material. As for why he had commented on the interior, it was because the dash panel was entirely digital, framed by Tron-like lights.

"If that's you're reaction, you're gonna love this," said Luna, inserting the key into the ignition and turning it. As she did, the dashboard came to life as the previously clear windows tinted, making the car's interior dark and atmospheric. At the same time, the seat Izuku was seated in seemed to conform even further to his body as it simultaneously moved back a little, giving him more legroom.

Pointing to the display on his side, Luna said, "Check it out—full biometric data. The computer system can sense if you're sick, intoxicated, or injured and automatically take over, driving you home or to the hospital. With this puppy, we don't even need a chauffeur."

"I take it that you like cars?" asked Izuku.

"Duh," replied Luna. "I don't know how it is over in Japan, but here in New York, every man, woman, and child has dreamed of owning a car like this. It's a status symbol, especially for those who feel they have something to prove."

"Well, it's ours for the next couple of days," replied Izuku. "Feel free to put some miles on it."

"Oh, definitely," replied Luna, adopting a smile that showed off her sharp teeth as she mused, "Did you see the look on Thomas's face? He's going to be sick to his stomach when he reads the odometer. The hotel gets to charge more if the car doesn't have a lot of miles on it."

"Don't do anything that might jeopardize your job or career," said Izuku. "There is an old adage that says 'you only live once,' but it's best not to compromise yourself just to have some fun..."

Raising her brows, Luna turned to Izuku and remarked, "That's a pretty responsible thing to say. Just how old are you?"

"Sixteen," replied Izuku, the corners of his smile curling upward when Luna's eyes widened in surprise. It was impossible for him to tell her age based on her appearance, but he suspected she was around 23-25 since she had previously informed him she was close to getting her Masters in Finance and Economics.

Recovering from her stupor, Luna adopted a wry smile and scratched her cheek as she admitted, "Wow, I was way off...I thought you were at least twenty...."

"I get that," replied Izuku. "People have always told me I was mature for my age. If you don't mind my asking, how old are you?"

"I turn twenty-three in March," replied Luna, a conflicted look developing across her face as she faced forward and lowered her gaze, seemingly in deep thought. Seven years wasn't an insurmountable age gap compared to some celebrities, but she suddenly felt like she was taking advantage of a horny teen with more money than sense...

Catching Luna a little off guard, Izuku said, "We don't need to have sex. To be honest, one of the reasons I didn't meet up with you yesterday is because I thought I had given you the wrong idea. If you just want to see a movie and hang out, I'm more than down."

Passing the buck back to Izuku, it was Luna's turn to surprise him by stating, "But I kind of want to?" in a questioning tone, scratching the back of her head and smiling awkwardly as she added, "Your scent got me really riled up yesterday, so I think we have good compatibility. What's your sign, by the way? Mine's Pisces."

"Uh...Cancer?" replied Izuku, not entirely sure as he had never looked it up.

"See?" said Luna. "Cancer and Pisces have amazing compatibility. Let's just pretend I didn't ask for your age, and if anyone else does, tell them you're twenty. You certainly look it."

Though he got the impression Luna was forcing herself, Izuku responded with a relaxed shrug and replied, "Sounds good. Just don't be afraid to change your mind. I didn't choose the name Paragon because I believe I'm perfect and without flaws. It's because I want to become someone who can inspire others."

Noting the sincerity in Izuku's expression and tone, Luna regained her usual smile, asserting, "You treat others well, even if they're different than you. I'm sure you'll make a great Hero someday. For now, however, you're playing the part of my compagno...my 'companion.'"

Raising his brows, Izuku remarked, "I'm pretty sure compagno means something else..."

Narrowing her eyes and adopting a surprisingly alluring smile, Luna teased, "Well, it's not wrong..." as she positioned her hand over the manual transmission and caressed the knob, all without breaking eye contact...

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(A/N: If Luna weren't covered in fur, she would have been sweating...)