Izuku winces. Too late, he realizes Cloud must tire of hearing this.

"I—I mean, not that your hair doesn't look nice! It's just that, uh, I've always wondered..." He trails off.

Animals have an uncanny ability to detect fear or uncertainty in Izuku. If they intend to take advantage of his lack of assertiveness, say, to gain extra treats or just to pick on him, he's an easy target. The smaller chocobo is known and friendly; the larger one... that remains to be seen.