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Hizashi has noticed several things about Izuku over the few days he’s been staying with them. Many of them are concerning, some of them are cute. The cute things are super cute, like the way Izuku leans into every touch, the way he wrinkles his nose when Massacre twines around his ankles and attempts murder.
But the things that are concerning, are concerning . There are so many little tells, like the fact that before he leans into every touch, Izuku flinches until he sees it’s Hizashi or Shouta, the way he drops off to sleep in an instant and then startles awake moments later, eyes flashing with fear.
But the thing that concerns Hizashi the most is the way Izuku drifts away sometimes, untethered and absent. He doesn’t think the kid ever goes anywhere good either, he doesn’t think this is an escape.
It’s more likely that Izuku gets trapped in his mind, wanders lost through memories. Like what Shouta had whispered to Hizashi earlier that night after they’d put the kid to bed, that Izuku had been drifting and when Shouta finally coaxed him back, he said he was on the roof.
That damn roof.
If Hizashi never goes on a rooftop again, it’ll be too soon. He was leery of them before, of the cold memories of clouds that always wrapped around him whenever his job took him up there, but now… Now Hizashi nearly lost this child to a rooftop, and he never wants to see one again.
Maybe it’s irrational, maybe it’s stupid because it’s not like the rooftop itself is the cause. But it’s a reminder, a visceral memory that Hizashi was nearly too late.
“School will be tough tomorrow,” Hizashi whispers, and Shouta hums his agreement into the hollow of Hizashi’s throat. He’s plastered across his front, his solid form weighing down Hizashi so he doesn’t follow the kid’s example and drift.
“The old lady is coming in early to see him,” Shouta reminds Hizashi. “If he’s as exhausted as he seems, that’ll knock him out for at least the rest of the morning. You’re free most of the afternoon, and when you’re not, I am. We’ll work it out.”
“You’re so logical,” Hizashi says, makes sure he lets his contentment drip into his tone. “You’re very good at rationalising.”
Shouta snorts, the puff of air soft against Hizashi’s skin. “I just took what my therapist told me very seriously,” he says dryly. Soft lips press against Hizashi’s neck then, and he sighs happily. “You should sleep, love. Everything will be alright.”
“Hizashi, open the fucking door!” A familiar voice hollers and Hizashi blanches over his morning coffee.
He looks frantically at Shouta who’s scowling, a brief flash of genuine anger actually crossing his face before he schools it back to neutrality. Just in time, too, as Izuku slinks into the kitchen, casting a nervous glance at the door.
“Zashi!”
“Um,” Izuku whispers, “who’s that?”
“Midnight,” Shouta sighs. “I don’t know why she’s here-“
“C’mon, Zashi, lemme in! I want to apologise by driving you lovebirds to work!”
Which is code for driving them home via the local bar. Normally, it’s an apology Hizashi would accept.
Normally, he isn’t furious at her, merely annoyed or even pissed. This time, however, rage seethes through his stomach at the thought of her carelessness.
If Izuku had been any more with it that night, Shouta and Hizashi may have woken to a corpse.
“I’ll tell her to-“
The click of the door startles Shouta into silence, and Hizashi swears under his breath. She used the fucking spare key? Oh, Hizashi may just have to commit violence in front of his new foster son.
“Morning, Sho, Zashi!” Nemuri chirps, and Izuku practically dives behind Hizashi as she rounds the corner from the entryway to the kitchen. Wisely, she freezes at the threshold, eyeing with Shouta with concern. Justified concern, as Hizashi’s husband is eerily silent in his anger, coolly sipping from his coffee and flipping through another page of marking without so much as an acknowledgement of her presence.
And then, she makes eye contact with Hizashi. “What’s up with you two?”
Behind him, Hizashi can feel Izuku tremble.
“Nemuri,” Hizashi says, and it’s a struggle to keep his voice even. “That key was for emergencies.”
“Yeah and this was,” Nemuri says, rolling her eyes. She’s still cautious though, because she isn’t a hero for nothing, even as mad as Hizashi is at her right now.
Hizashi frowns. “No, it really wasn’t.”
“Zashi-“
“Put the key on the table.”
Nemuri jolts in surprise, hurt flashing across her face. “The hell!? You ghost me for days and now you want your key back?”
“Put. The key. On the table.”
Nemuri’s expression shifts to a familiar cold one, one that Hizashi normally only ever sees her give to villains. He’s really pissed her off it seems, but the feeling is mutual; he can still feel Izuku shaking behind him.
“Whatev-” Nemuri pauses as she slaps the key down on the table, nearly knocking over Shouta’s coffee. Hizashi’s husband continues to ignore her, sedately marks another paper. “Who’s that?”
“Shouta,” Hizashi says carefully, grateful for his years of vocal training that allow him to keep his voice steady and even, so he doesn’t scare the kid more, “show her out please.”
“Hey, Izuku, you’re safe. You’re safe here,” Hizashi murmurs in a soothing mantra, guiding Izuku back into the room that’s become his.
The teen is still shaking, pressing his palms against his eyes to try and hide his tears. “I don’t know why I’m scared. she’s a hero,” Izuku all but whimpers and Hizashi’s heart breaks.
“She came in unannounced and unexpectedly, loudly too. It’s understandable that you’re scared.” Especially considering everything the kid has been through the last few days… He would’ve been emotionally prepared to meet people at UA, but not here. Not in a place that’s meant to be safe.
Izuku looks conflicted, but lets Hizashi pull his hands away from his face, and he has to bite back a hiss when he sees how cruelly the kid was treating himself, the red marks pressed around his eyes. “Still-“ he tries to protest, but Hizashi shakes his head.
“No, she came into a space that was meant to be safe. It’s not your fault. Are you still alright to come with us? If not, I’m more than willing to take another day off."
“I…”
“Don’t say you are just because you think it’s what I want to hear. I only want the truth. My class will survive without me, and Nedzu will be delighted. he’s been nagging at me to take time off for years.”
“I don’t know,” Izuku says after a moment and he looks like he’s going to cry again.
Hizashi looks at Izuku, really looks, and lets out a soft breath. “Alright,” he concedes. “Come on, let’s go see what Shouta’s made for breakfast.”
And maybe he’s a little surprised when Izuku snags Hizashi’s hand, clings on tightly as he goes to leave, but he rolls with it, as he ever does. If Izuku needs a little more comfort, he’s more than happy to give it to him.
“I want to see the doctor,” Izuku says once he’s picked through the scrambled eggs Shouta made him. Most of the toast goes uneaten, but the eggs themselves seem to go down alright. Izuku seems embarrassed to not be able to eat, but Hizashi and Shouta get it. Food can be.. hard, sometimes, especially when your brain is telling you you don’t deserve it.
It’s why Shouta made the kid a smoothie the for dinner the night before, packed it full of good things and enough sugar to make it palatable for an exhausted teenager.
“We can do that,” Hizashi agrees, but then he tilts his head thoughtfully. “How about we just do that, then? I’ll take the day off, and we can just relax the rest of the day.”
Izuku snaps his head up, looks mildly horrified but Shouta is already nodding his agreement. “Good idea,” he says evenly, and even now he’s still marking as he talks. Hizashi is only a little envious of his husband’s ability to multitask. “Nedzu will be delighted you’re taking leave.”
“Pot, meet kettle, Honey,” Hizashi snarks, and Shouta looks up just long enough to give him a wolfish grin.
Izuku though, still looks terrified, staring at Hizashi with wide eyes. “Izuku, sweetheart. I promise it’s okay,” he soothes, but Izuku is starting at tremble again, when Hizashi has only just gotten him calm.
“It is,” Shouta chimes in, flips a page, eyes fixed down and away from the teen; it might seem rude to many, but Hizashi can tell Izuku appreciates not having that extra set of eyes on him. “Nedzu considers this sort of thing hero work, it’s not an issue.”
“But-" Izuku looks so confused. “It’s.. just me.”
“It is just you,” Hizashi says gently, hates that he has to explain this, something that this child should already know.
“Izuku, you’re worthy of saving. And saving people is what heroes do, isn’t it?”