His Favourite
Aizawa braced himself every morning, and he hated himself for it. His life was a paradox. He lived in constant fear of seeing Hizashi and in constant fear of never seeing him again.
Still, an entire month had passed since Nemuri told him he was loose, and Aizawa had heard nothing. He was going crazy. Should he try to find Hizashi? Maybe Nemuri had been wrong.
Maybe Hizashi was over him. Maybe Hizashi never wanted to see him again.
Maybe that's why he'd never sent a letter.
No…
Maybe.
With time, Aizawa stopped bracing himself. He almost (almost) forgot Hizashi was free, and just continued on with his life as it had been before.
Christmas was approaching again. In fact, it was the day before Christmas eve, a Saturday, and the place was packed. Eri sat in the usual booth, completing her homework for school, while he was hard at work. Even though she was now eleven, Shouta didn't like leaving her home alone, and she enjoyed sitting in the coffeeshop while he worked – she really liked the chocolate chip muffins.
He was so busy making coffee, he didn't hear the bell jingle, to alert them of another customer. "Ah, Aizawa," one of his employees – the woman with the Fire Quirk – said as she tapped him on the shoulder, "I think you should take this one…"
Shouta frowned in confusion, but turned and froze.
There was the sound of smashing – he'd dropped the empty cup he'd been holding.
Blond hair wrangled into a messy bun, glasses framed so thickly they could've inspired crime scenes, and a familiar yellow jumper with a black cat on the front.
On his left cheek was an old scar that curved slightly downwards.
Hizashi was staring at him with those great green eyes, his thick glasses serving to frame rather than obscure, but even upon eye contact, he didn't look away.
It was Hizashi Yamada, and he looked good.
His heart swelled, but the sight was paired with a sharp ache, just above his navel. Aizawa's right hand mechanically pressed against the spot, and the blond's eyes followed the movement.
Hizashi paled, and stepped back towards the door.
Aizawa's heart lurched as one fear finally won out over the other. He flew forward to the register before the blond could run, his boot crushing the broken china without concern as he quickly said, "Can I help you?" His voice sounded too forced, too strained, too loud. Customers were already staring at him for breaking the coffee cup, but Aizawa's attention was focused solely on the man he hadn't seen in far too long.
Hizashi hesitated, but he didn't turn away. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed deeply and took several steps forward.
The man was scared. They were both scared and there was something incredibly relieving about that fact.
"…Hey," Hizashi said unevenly as he pulled his wallet out and offered the barista a familiar card, his hand shaking from either nerves or restraint or a combination of both. "Do I still … get a free drink for my tenth visit?" After five years, the loyalty card was somewhat faded, but it must've been stored well as it was still perfectly legible.
Oh damn, it was his voice in person. It was his amazing, incredible, natural voice, and he had to stop himself from reeling at the mere sound of it.
Shouta took the card, ensuring he made no sudden movements – it was like he was acting around a scared cat. Nine stamps, and one empty space. His eyes glanced to Eri's booth, but she was so focused on her homework she hadn't noticed the disturbance.
Aizawa didn't even know what to say. "This promotion expired years ago," he said automatically, although his voice sounded so rough compared to Hizashi's.
The blond deflated at those words. "Oh," he breathed out, looking so unexpectedly defeated, "I just…"
Oh fuck, this wasn't about a free drink. This was Hizashi's stupid, cryptic, overthought way of asking him if-
"But I'll make an exception," Aizawa forced out before Hizashi considered running, "for being such a loyal customer." Redness crept across the blond's cheeks and his emerald eyes stared into his, and he smiled. Aizawa felt his own cheeks grow warm. He hadn't seen that smile in too damn long. He quickly said, "One free medium drink. What would you like?"
Hizashi leaned against the counter, like some sort of celebrity, so close yet so far. "Whatever you recommend, barista, dine-…" He paused and swallowed. "Take away."
He nodded sluggishly and pulled out an order form, pen held in his left hand. "What's the name?"
His grin widened. "Hizashi, baby."
Aizawa nodded again and wrote something down on both the form and loyalty card, before he turned to make the order, although he continuously glanced back at Hizashi, afraid he'd suddenly disappear. Another worker swept up the broken cup without complaint while the blond moved to the pickup area and watched him work, that goofy grin never leaving his face. Aizawa's heart was pounding and he made the drink without even thinking about it.
Why had he been so scared? This was Hizashi Yamada.
Just seeing him made his chest thrum with happiness, and that smile… Oh that smile…
"You been here long?" Hizashi asked, his words sounding unnatural. They were of a simpler time. "You, not the store."
Aizawa swallowed. "I had to stop working for a few years," he admitted, "but I'm back now and that's what matters."
"You move a lot?"
"No… I have a nice apartment, so there's no reason to move…"
"And am I the handsomest customer you've ever had?"
Aizawa turned away as his shoulders trembled. Oh god, it had been so hard these past few years – harder than he'd even realised. "You have beautiful eyes." His voice was just above a whisper, but even if Hizashi couldn't hear him, he knew his sentiment. The barista turned back around with his completed order and carefully set it on the pickup station. He looked directly into those beautiful eyes as he carefully said, "Hiwasha Baby? Is there a Hiwasha Baby here?"
Hizashi laughed. It was a sweet laugh, like a shy teenager, and it made Aizawa feel complete. Five years and Hizashi was laughing in front of him again, close enough to touch, with nothing but a bar between them. "You're really a genuine barista…"
No, there was still more than just a bar between them.
"You look good," Shouta said, his voice quiet, as if his words broke some illusion.
Hizashi only smiled wider. "You look good too. I… Here, Aizawa. I wrote you a letter, but… I couldn't ever bring myself to send it." He held out an envelope.
Aizawa: Hizashi had called him Aizawa, and that spoke volumes. "Shouta," he corrected and, although the blond looked surprised, he nodded.
"Shouta." Hizashi said his name, and just the sound of it made his head feel lighter.
"Did you get my own letters?"
"Yeah, they were very … concise. Don't you think four cats is a little too many though? Soon you'll be a crazy cat dad."
Aizawa paused and scratched the back of his head. Okay, maybe he should've told Hizashi about Hitoshi and Eri, but… There would be time. The barista took the tattered envelope. "I'll read it when I'm off shift. Here…" He held out the finished loyalty card and when Hizashi looked at it his breath audibly hitched. Instead of a stamp, a string of numbers filled the final square. "I hope you're not really allergic to phone numbers of cute baristas…"
Hizashi was speechless, and when he spoke again his voice was small. "Good thing you're more handsome than cute. More handsome, and witty, and funnier than you look." He automatically sipped the coffee and froze.
Aizawa scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Sorry it's nothing special - I don't think I have the mental capacity to make anything more extravagant right now…"
Yes, he'd resorted to the most common drink on the menu: a plain and simple cappuccino.
He was taken aback when tears rolled down Hizashi's cheeks. "…It's my favourite."
Aizawa stared at him. A cappuccino was…? After all this time, he'd finally…
He felt conflicted, but seeing those tears sweep down Hizashi's cheeks, and hearing that a boring cappuccino was his favourite drink destroyed what little restraint he had left. "Tonight."
Hizashi looked surprised. "Huh?"
Shouta spun around, grabbed three small cups and quickly scribbled on each. He put the first one down and Hizashi covered his mouth in shock.
Busy tonight?
He was frozen in place, his eyes darting back and forth between Aizawa and the cup, until he frantically shook his head.
Shouta put forward the second cup: Date?
More tears ran down Hizashi's face and his heart lurched at the sight, but he couldn't comfort him as the blond choked out his line. "With you?"
Yes.
Hizashi didn't even hesitate to grab the third cup and shove it back into Aizawa's hand, his warm fingers wrapping tightly around his. They were touching. After five years, they were touching. "Yes, a date. Please. I have so much I want to tell you, that I want to know. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes."
They were interrupted by applauding. Aizawa came to his senses and glanced around – everyone in the coffee shop had witnessed his date proposal, and they were clapping. Of course they were, they didn't know the entire sick and twisted backstory behind-
He heard extra enthusiastic cheering from his right, and when he turned, he saw his daughter with the biggest grin on her face as she eagerly watched, but wisely kept her distance. Despite it all, Hizashi's hands were still holding his and they were so warm that Aizawa didn't mind one bit.
"Tonight," Aizawa told him in a quiet voice. "I'll meet you outside the shop at 7pm tonight, okay?"
Hizashi nodded like a bobblehead. Aizawa wanted to lean over the bar and kiss him, but he knew he couldn't. Five years was a long time, especially after the nightmare that had been their last time, and he needed to be sure Hizashi really had changed.
"I'll see you tonight, Sho." His hands finally left his and it took everything he had not to take them again as Hizashi backed away with his favourite drink and a goofy grin.
Their love was still a wildfire, yet somehow it felt … different this time.
He watched, feeling lightheaded, as Hizashi left the store with his coffee, and Aizawa realised he was trembling. "I'm going on break," he told his co-workers, and they happily allowed it as the busy shift finally settled.
He picked up the tattered envelope and went to the booth where Eri sat amongst a pile of homework. She was grinning like a madwoman, "That's the DJ, right?" She looked starstruck.
The DJ. Not 'The Villain': the DJ.
Aizawa nodded absentmindedly as he carefully opened the envelope – it was so tattered. Clearly it'd been sealed, opened, and resealed frequently. "Remember what I said. Be careful around him, for now. I'm meeting up with him tonight, so I'll judge whether he's safe or not."
She nodded, but didn't stop grinning. "What should I call him?"
"Hm?"
"If you're Dad, should I call him Ma, or would he prefer Papa?"
He rolled his eyes, "Finish your homework." She giggled and he pulled out Hizashi's letter. It had taken the blond five years to write it, but the page was relatively blank, with only five words written in neat English:
'You are my Sunshine too.'
-x-
Hizashi was first this time, and he'd worn something colourful to commemorate the event. It had taken him a long time to work up enough courage to enter the coffeeshop, and when Aizawa had seen him he'd almost lost his spine. He'd been so scared that the man would yell, would blame him for everything he'd done, but now he felt stupid for thinking that.
Five years had passed, but even though they were no longer Eraserhead and the Trojan Mic, they were still Shouta and Hizashi.
The ex-hero appeared just before 7pm, and the blond was startled when he saw him – the man had shaved, and wore an ironed dress-shirt.
"You," slowly said Hizashi, trying to carefully word what he wanted to say, "don't look like a hobo."
"Thanks?" The man scratched the back of his head. Damn, he'd even brushed his hair. "I had a bit of help…"
Aizawa looked healthy. There was a warmness to his features that he couldn't remember from before, a constant softness in his eyes that he'd once only ever seen on rare occasions.
The scar beneath his right eye was still prominent, as it would forever be, but Hizashi had been surprised by the countless scars on his right hand. He'd known the injury had been bad, but hadn't imagined it would look that bad. What other wounds were just beneath that crisp piece of clothing, scars given to him by-
No. He was Hizashi. The fact Shouta had been willing to meet up with him after all this time only cemented that: Aizawa would've never been willing to face the Trojan Mic again.
While he was overthinking, Aizawa took his hand. He was surprised by the sudden warmth, but didn't instinctively retreat. His heart thumped noisily against his ribcage, and he was worried his date would hear it.
"Was there someplace you wanted to go?" asked the ex-hero, his voice still mellifluous. It was a little different to his Quirk stored voice, but that was no surprise. Maybe he'd be able to convince him to let him re-copy his voice, once-
Hizashi was taking way too long to answer.
He quickly nodded and took his whole left arm instead, but was careful with the limb – he didn't know how much it'd been healed. "Yeah… This way." They walked silently through the street and stopped outside a very familiar building: The Capsule Hotel.
Aizawa grinned at him. "I guess we're both pretty hopeless."
"You liked the ramen, remember? It used to be your favourite."
"I remember. How long you been here?"
Hizashi laughed, a little awkwardly. "A month. I … wasn't really sure if you wanted to see me or not, so…"
"I'm … glad you did. We have a lot to discuss."
They headed inside, past the busy doorman, and were soon at the 6th floor, staring at the old vending machine together. The place was still completely empty. Hizashi ordered them the same ramen as last time, although when he went to get them coffee from the other vending machine, Aizawa stopped him.
"I'll have water." Hizashi was surprised, but didn't question it as he ordered them both a bottle of water. Aizawa chose a different table to last time, and Hizashi joined him with their food. As he sat down, Aizawa said, "So, a cappuccino was your favourite all along."
"Have you seen my taste in men?" Hizashi asked with a playful grin. "I clearly have simple tastes." Aizawa gave him a look and he laughed, but then his face softened. "You're the one who assumed I'd like something fancy when I asked for your recommendation, barista. I never visited the same place twice because, back then, I didn't think I deserved to drink my favourite coffee. People never imagined a guy as colourful as me would want anything less than the most colourful drink on the menu, so… You're the first to ever make me a simple cappuccino."
He shrugged. "I had more chances than most."
"It was silly," Hizashi said as he sipped his water. "I didn't deserve to put myself through that unnecessary daily tedium. What difference did it make in the end? I just ended up wasting years of my life that could've been spent enjoying my favourite coffee." He looked out the window, his face nostalgic. "Life was already hard enough: I didn't need to make it any harder."
"I'm glad I discovered your favourite, in the end."
He turned back to him. "Nemuri told you about me."
The ex-hero nodded. "She told me about your progress every day, that you were doing everything you could. I talked with Mei about you as well, and Nezu. I knew you better than most, but they rarely took my advice, and when they did, only after a long process of careful consideration. I … wanted to see you, but they were … worried. I was worried too."
"It's okay. Your letters… helped, as concise as they were." Hizashi leaned forward. "So, tell me about this army of cats."
He scratched the back of his head. "I only have two cats – Boots and Puddles. I've taken good care of them." Aizawa pulled out a (new) phone and showed him some photos. Boots looked mostly the same – albeit fatter than she'd been before – while the other cat was completely black and missing a front leg. They looked pampered and happy, and (judging by the number of photos) they were treasured. "We found Puddles and adopted her."
We? So, he and Nemuri? "What happened to the other two? Hitoshi and Eri, right?"
Aizawa looked a little embarrassed. "They're my kids…" Hizashi stared at him in complete disbelief. "Adopted, of course."
"…You… adopted kids? You mean like, English 'kids', as in baby goats here, right? Not living, breathing human kids, right?"
Aizawa flicked the phone screen a few photos over and showed him an image of a young man with purple hair and a girl he'd seen at the café earlier. "This is Hitoshi and this is Eri. He's twenty, while Eri has just turned eleven. They … helped me through some tough times. Them, Nemuri, and antidepressants."
Hizashi was completely dumbfounded. "I'm … actually … impressed." He laughed, incredulously. "Wow … Two kids…"
"What helped you?"
"Mei," he listed, "therapy, and having a purpose." He couldn't stop himself from grinning stupidly.
So, at the end of the day, love had still saved them both. It hadn't been romantic love, that had roared hungrily like an unquenchable wildfire; it had been a softer love. His friendship with Mei, and Aizawa's familial love for his two adopted children.
A memory surfaced unexpectedly. "Your son- … Ah, Hitoshi, called the radio station, right?"
Aizawa grinned. "He did. They … got me a cat-themed dressing gown with matching slippers and put your name on it."
His face grew hot. "You told them about me?"
"Hitoshi knows practically everything, although Eri only knows the better parts. Nemuri gave us access to your show so we could listen to it at home, although I was under a strict don't-contact-Hizashi-at-all rule. Hitoshi really wasn't supposed to call, but… I gave him the second song suggestion."
It had been Shouta… He was about to ask whether the song choice had held any deeper meaning, but he stopped himself. Did it even matter now? His love was sitting across from him and they were talking. Instead he asked, "You let an eleven-year-old listen to my villain radio show?"
"No, I let her listen to it when she was ten, and it's your ex-villain radio show. Besides, as much as you swear outside the recording booth, I knew you'd keep the language and themes PG. She might be the only one alive who thinks you're funny."
Hizashi smiled warmly. "I was wrong about you: I bet you're a great dad."
"I try." He pulled out a piece of paper – the letter. "I read it."
His stomach clenched. "What did you think?"
"Very concise," he said with a wry smile. "I still can't listen to that song. Wish I'd chosen one that was less popular, but beggars can't be choosers. There was a lot I wanted to tell you, in every letter I wrote, but… I'm not good with that sort of thing."
He shivered and glanced down. "Sho … I'm sorry. Five years ago, we were both in a bad place, and I took advantage of that. I was obsessive, and sadistic, and … You know how bad I was."
"I was bad too," Aizawa said softly, rubbing his neck. "I should've arrested you as soon as I knew you were a villain. I should've tried to get you – us – professional help, instead of thinking I could save you if I just … punched you hard enough."
"I wanted you to win…"
"I know."
"You're not a hero anymore…"
He rotated his left arm and robotically flexed his right hand, his expression thoughtful. "I'm not a pro-hero anymore, but just 'cause I don't go out and beat up bad guys doesn't make me any less of a hero. I'm not a one-trick pony. There're other ways to save people."
"Like with Hitoshi and Eri?"
He nodded. "Hitoshi was old by adoption standards, but he had nowhere else to go, and everyone else was scared of Eri's Quirk. I've done all I can to give them a loving home, and to do that I've had to get my life in order. I learned how to cook, how to take care of an apartment, what to do if one of them gets sick, and remembered to take my medication. I had to attend PTA meetings without slipping into a coma, and as someone who has technically been in a coma before, I'd rather the coma, but I did it for them."
"Still, I'm so sorry, Sho," he said as he bowed his head, shoulders trembling as he figured out exactly what he wanted to say. "I'm so sorry for the way I beha-"
"Zashi," he interrupted sharply, "stop. We're both to blame for what happened, so let's skip the 'Sorry's. All I want is to know you've changed; that you're no longer a danger to my kids or me."
Hizashi smiled sadly. "What about all that talk of burning bridges?"
"It's bullshit," he said firmly, surprising the blond with the sudden curse. Aizawa reached out and took his hands in his. "You don't need me anymore, and I don't need you either." It was like his talk with Nemuri – Shouta had thought about this just as much as he had. "We can exist apart… but… I want you. I want you in my life. I want you in my kids' lives. I'm a good dad, Zashi, but Eri could really do with another role model, one who gets her things even if they don't have cats on…"
Hizashi's face felt hot. "Like… If I was your boyfriend again?"
"'Again'? When did we break up?" Hizashi snorted, and when Aizawa spoke again his voice was more serious. "We'll take things slow. I'll take you on dates, and we can watch movies together, and I'll make you as many cappuccinos as you want. I think I'm a decent catch now…"
"Come on," he said with a goofy grin, "I was the one who stabbed you: let me take you on some dates too."
"If you'd still want me in your life, of course…"
Hizashi moved their seats together. "Sho… I love you. I've thought about you every single day for five years, about the good times and the bad. I know you've undoubtably changed since then, as I know I have, but … I want to know you again. All I want is a chance to find out if you're still you, if we can still-"
Aizawa kissed him.
It was cautious, and shy, and felt exactly like a first kiss, which – in a way – it was. It lasted only a few moments, before they forced themselves to pull away. Their eyes met, their faces so familiar yet so foreign.
They were still so close. Hizashi could feel the man's warm breath against his lips, and just like that they were kissing again. Too much teeth, and too much tongue, too much saliva and hair pulling and utter desperation, yet it felt so right and necessary and loving.
They pulled their lips apart and pressed their foreheads together as they tightly embraced. "I missed you," Aizawa whispered against him.
Hizashi nodded, emotions swirling inside him. "I'm better, Sho. We're better. I want our third option. I want it so fucking badly. We can go on more dates, and I don't care if they're all disasters, as long as I get to spend every one with you. I'll make bad jokes – the worst jokes you can possibly imagine - and you'll pretend they're not funny, but your lip will twitch and I'll know what you really think. We'll watch bad CGI movies on the couch with Boots and Puddles and Hitoshi and Eri – even if they don't want to, 'cause that's what families do - and we'll both get to come home to the coolest people alive. You can make me a cappuccino every morning, or any other coffee you've been dying to make, and every night we'll sleep in the same bed like a normal couple, and I'll sleep without my hearing-aids because I trust you and I trust me. We can't pretend the past never happened, we shouldn't, but I want to keep doing better. I want a life with you, Sho, and I wish I'd taken that chance five years ago, but I was an utter idiot and-"
Aizawa silenced him with another kiss. He pressed their faces firmly together – forehead to forehead, cheek to cheek, nose to nose, scar to scar. "I'll take care of you, Hizashi Yamada, and you'll take care of me."
Hizashi sniffled, "Third option?"
"No, Hizashi, because now you also get to help me rein in two problem children."
"I thought Hitoshi was twenty."
"He'll forever be my problem child." Aizawa pulled back and kissed him on the forehead. "This is our thirteenth option, and I don't regret not having the other twelve."
Hizashi kissed him again and damn he never wanted to stop kissing him. He loved everything about it, even if he missed the scratchiness of his stubble. Their hands were roving, feeling, touching, caressing, trying to memorise every dip and arch after so long apart. His mind and body were going crazy. He wanted so much more. Hizashi pulled away, panting, "Sho… Can we not take our time, just for tonight?" The blond pressed his body close to his and huskily whispered in his ear, voice perhaps a little too desperate, "I want you~"
He felt the ex-hero shiver against him, and his arms held him tighter, closer, ever so nicer. "Don't think we'll get the chance once we head home…"
Hizashi pulled away with a wicked grin, "I have a solution." He dragged him out the room and Aizawa followed him closely, but paused when they stopped outside an empty capsule. "This is my 'room'."
Aizawa stared at it dully. "You'll have to keep quiet."
"I can manage." He unlocked it, pulled him inside, shut the door and drew the curtain. As soon as that was done, Aizawa pulled him close and pressed him into the mattress as he resumed kissing him with everything he had.
The blond gave as good as he got, wrapping his arms and legs around him while rubbing their hips together. It had been a trying five years, apparently for the both of them, and it didn't take much touching and kissing to spark a reaction where it mattered.
Hizashi's glasses were carefully removed and Aizawa pressed their faces together, taking a moment just to hold him close. "I didn't even…" he said quietly, pausing as if he were trying to word everything properly. "I meant what I said, Hizashi. I've never loved anyone like I love you. I didn't try. I didn't know your time was being lessened, but… I haven't been with anyone else."
Hizashi laughed and kissed him more chastely, "I didn't really have much option, but you were the only one I thought of." He swallowed thickly and batted his eyes up at him as he carefully rocked their hips together. "I could only ever imagine you touching me," he purred out, "kissing me, fucking me until I wanted to scream. I never thought… I didn't let myself hope you ever would again, but…"
"Show me."
Hizashi shivered. "Huh?"
He kissed him, but it was too brief to be in any way satisfying. "Lube?" Hizashi nodded and pulled a small half-empty bottle from a bag in the corner of the pod. Aizawa grinned when he noticed it. "Looks like you use it a lot." He nibbled at his neck and Hizashi purred at the contact.
"I do," he said huskily, "pretending it's you~"
"Show me," he said again, and Hizashi finally understood what he'd meant. He grinned and nodded as the chaos of clothe removal began. Aizawa paused once Hizashi's shirt was off, however, as his eyes traced over his arm where the caltrops had left several scars across his skin. He tenderly trailed his left hand over each mark, his eyes glazed and suddenly unfocused.
Hizashi shivered beneath the touch and interrupted it by tugging at Aizawa's dress shirt. It was time to confront what he had done. The ex-hero came back to reality just enough to let him begin to unbutton it, but there was a hesitation, a fear, in the act. Hizashi stopped immediately. "Sho… If you're uncomfortable, we shouldn't d-"
He was silenced by a tender kiss. "I want this, Zashi. I promise I do, it's just… We both have a lot to work on, but we can do it together."
Hizashi ran his hands through Aizawa's hair, his heart hammering away against his ribcage. "We'll work through it," promised the blond. "We'll … have time, right? To work through everything between us?" The ex-hero smiled slightly and nodded, and Hizashi returned the smile. "We'll go slower."
"We can set milestones, to make sure we're not rushing."
Hizashi chuckled and said, "Logical." He leaned up and kissed the ex-hero on the tip of his nose. "We won't go all the way tonight, but… we can do other things instead, and just… start milestones tomorrow."
The ex-hero grinned. "Fine, but I still want to watch you prepare yourself."
"That can definitely be arranged." He kissed him again and they finally pushed off Aizawa's shirt, revealing his additional scars from the nightmare that had been their fight.
They made Hizashi tremble. A star-shaped burn on his right elbow, a sharp line above his collarbone, a precise rise just beside his spine, and the worst one…
A jagged scar above his navel that stretched over his abs. Hizashi looked at it for far too long, only interrupted when Aizawa cupped his face and made him lock eyes. His thumb shakily ghosted over the muzzle scar on Hizashi's left cheek.
"It's okay," whispered Aizawa as he rocked their hips together, forcing Hizashi to stifle a moan. "We'll get through it."
His eyes caught onto something else, a flash of silver, and he realised what it was with utter amazement. "That necklace…" Aizawa was wearing a small silver chain, with a round pendant at its end: H. "You still have it?"
"I don't take it off usually," he admitted. "It… means a lot to me."
The ex-villain pulled him into a more fervent kiss, putting all his emotions into it as ravenous hands slipped down and tugged away pants and underwear. Aizawa's right hand stroked his hair, the act comforting and tender. Something was placed in Hizashi's hand and he realised numbly that it was his bottle of lube. Without any more prompting, he spread a decent amount across three fingers and moved them to his own entrance, pushing two in with little resistance – he'd been doing this a lot since he'd been out.
He closed his eyes automatically, to imagine those fingers belonged to Aizawa, but he was instantly reminded of his current dream-come-true when lips sucked at his neck. He moaned in the back of his throat, and felt the bottle of lube get taken from his left hand. "Sho~" Hizashi cooed quietly as he buried his fingers as deep as possible, growing used to the sensation.
Warmth pressed against his length, and it took him far too long to realise Aizawa had pressed their shafts together while wrapping his good hand around them both. He didn't pump Hizashi's dick, just used his hand to lightly squeeze them together as he rocked his own hips back and forth. Their chests brushed against each other and the ex-hero was still kissing and sucking at his neck, earning a breathy moan from Hizashi.
Right, he had to be quiet. Thankfully, he had the perfect Quirk for being near silent.
"Sho~" he moaned as he lowered the volume on his voice.
The raven-haired man paused briefly, before he leaned down and captured his lips in a wet kiss that made Hizashi purr. He searched for his own prostate with his fingers, teasing the area first to heighten the pleasure of Aizawa's dick rubbing against his.
The nicest part, however, was the scent: warm coffee and cheap shampoo and Shouta Aizawa's sweat. He'd forgotten the heady smell, had only remembered the reek of blood and fire and wetness, but for the first time since he'd left the prison, he truly felt free.
Shouta smelled like home.
"Zashi~" moaned the man against him, his right hand combing through his hair. He trembled at the voice and inserted his third finger, purring as the man moved faster against him. Fuck, it was so much better than his imagination. He loved this man so much, so much, and he never wanted to hurt him again. He didn't care what milestones the man wanted to set: he would adhere to them without question. Hizashi was lucky, so lucky, to have this chance.
He hooked his fingers against his prostate, the pleasure mounting, although he tried to contain it for as long as possible. However, that was easier said than done when Shouta moved his lips down and bit one of his nipples. "Fuck~" moaned Hizashi, voice still impossibly quiet as he bucked his hips into Aizawa's hand for extra stimulation.
-o-
His scent was different. He no longer wore any expensive cologne or hair gel. He still smelled of books, at least, and that was somehow enough. This was Hizashi Yamada and his heart swelled.
He still made the best expressions as Aizawa thrust against him. It would've been so easy to pull Hizashi's hand away and enter him, to take him hard, to sate the need to physically claim him and bury himself deep inside his lover after all this time, but Aizawa didn't think he was mentally ready for that just yet. Doing this was already too much, but not doing anything would've been worse.
He captured Hizashi's reddened lips in a fierce kiss and pumped his hips hard. They groaned into each other's mouths, and the shudders that wracked the ex-villain's body told him he was close to finishing. A few more thrusts, and his observation was deemed correct. The blond's free arm clung to him desperately as he came across their chests, shuddering and bucking his hips uncontrollably against Aizawa's length and his good hand.
He methodically squeezed to add additional pleasure to Hizashi's climax but, although he was close, he hadn't reached his own. While the blond was dazed, Shouta released him and rediscovered the bottle of lube, pouring a generous amount between Hizashi's supple thighs.
The blond moaned breathlessly beneath him, clearly surprised by the unexpected sensation, and Aizawa pressed Hizashi's lubricated thighs together. He rubbed his length against the warm vice, before he slowly slid between them. He'd never tried intercrural sex before, but Hizashi made no complaints as he rocked in and out of the tight press. If anything, Hizashi was quite happy to buck his legs back against Aizawa's thrusts, the pleasure subtle enough to not be jarring after the recent climax.
Aizawa'd already been close, so it only took a few more ragged thrusts between his firm thighs to bring him over the threshold. His own cum streaked across Hizashi's chest, creating a sight that was adulterous and sinful and everything he could ever want in that single moment.
Aizawa released his thighs and wrapped his arms around him, as tight as possible, as he pulled him into a passionate kiss, pressing and pushing their chests together, as if the one kiss was meant to make up for the five years lost between them.
They fit so perfectly in each other's arms, even after all this time, and he'd forgotten how nice it felt for their bodies to be pressed together. Neither was completely sated, but there was a silent agreement between them that it would be more than enough, and Aizawa cleaned them down with tissues from the bag. The air was clammy in the pod, and smelled of their sweat, but as they cuddled against each other they didn't mind.
"Milestones," Hizashi said, his voice still quiet, and Aizawa nodded. "So, this is our first date. We went a little over our heads, like two dumb teenagers, but that's okay."
"In three days, we can do a second date: nice restaurant, and a movie."
"Movie first, so then we can talk about it while we have dinner." The blond nuzzled against him. "Then after three more days, we can go on our third date: an amusement park. We'll go through the haunted house and I'll pretend I'm scared so I can cling to you, and when we're at the top of the Ferris Wheel I'll tell you how much I like you."
"At what point would I tell you about my kids?"
"As we're leaving the amusement park, of course. You'll stop me, and act like it's some big secret, and you'll be worried that I'll break up with you upon finding out, but instead I'll kiss you and ask if I can meet them on our fourth date."
He nodded. "Fourth date: family date to the aquarium."
"Fifth date: family day to the beach. We can stay at a place for a few days too and, upon realising how nice it is to cohabitate, you'll ask if I want to move in with you."
"Zashi…"
The blond took Aizawa's right hand in his and tenderly kissed the scars, just as he'd once imagined he would. "Maybe one day, we'd even…" He didn't say it, but his lips brushed against his ring finger, and Aizawa caved.
"Meet them tonight," he said, and Hizashi looked at him in surprise. "And while all those dates sound nice, and we'll do them all, I don't want to wait for you to move in – it is your apartment, after all."
The blond smiled and Aizawa felt lightheaded. "One week then. I'll move in with you in one week's time, and every day until then I'll come over for dinner so the kids can get to know me. Logical?"
"Logical." Aizawa placed a kiss on his forehead. "I love you, and I'm proud of you, Zashi."
The blond was the one who pressed their faces together this time, the act simple yet meaningful. "I love you too, Sho. Words can't describe how happy you make me, but I promise to spend every day proving it to you."
-x-
Aizawa opened the door for him, and Hizashi came face to face with what had once been his own apartment.
Just like Hizashi and Shouta, it had changed considerably over the past five years.
The walls were cluttered with framed photos and childish drawings that must've had a special place in Aizawa's heart. The largest photo was from a ceremony, and it wasn't difficult to guess it was from Hitoshi's UA graduation, judging by the apparel and posing. Most photos were of Shouta's daughter, or of the son with a bunch of friends, but there were several of Shouta as well, and many of all three together.
Judging by the state of the kitchen, they weren't the cleanest trio, but it could've definitely looked a lot worse.
What really caught him off-guard, however, were the festive decorations. Hizashi had rarely had company, so he'd never bothered to buy anything for Christmas celebrations, but seeing how nice everything looked, he added that to his list of regrets. They'd bought a large, fake tree and covered it from top to bottom in baubles, and flashing lights, and ornaments, while every single present underneath it was coated in some cat-themed variant of wrapping paper. At its height was a star, although they'd glued a photo of Boots and Puddles to its surface to make it sentimental. Fairy lights lined the walls, along with tinsel and five Christmas stockings: Hitoshi, Eri, Boots, Puddles, Dad.
"I'm home," called Aizawa.
The girl with white hair came rushing over to greet them, wearing pyjamas and a pair of cat ears. "Welcome home!" she called as they entered. Aizawa had sent them a text beforehand informing them of his guest, so she wasn't surprised by the sight of Hizashi entering just behind him.
"You're not supposed to bring them home to meet your parents on a first date, young man," called a wry voice Hizashi had once heard over the phone. On the couch was Hitoshi, also wearing a pair of cat ears. "Meow, by the way."
Hizashi's mouth stretched into a grin. "What a wonderful cat-family you have," he said, restraining his laughter. "Thought you said you had two kids, but all I see are cats."
Aizawa rolled his eyes and closed the door behind them. "This is Eri and Hitoshi."
"I'm Hizashi Yamada," the blond introduced, "although apparently your father has already told you everything about me."
There was a tell-tale jingle and ecstatic meowing as Boots rushed over to greet them, with Puddles limping just behind her. Hizashi knelt down to eagerly greet his (fat) cat, although at this stage Shouta had been her owner far longer than he had ever been. Even so, she seemed to remember him, judging by the way she cuddled close and purred like a car engine. Hizashi held both felines tenderly, failing to notice the looks of instant approval from Eri and Hitoshi.
"Hizashi used to own the place," said Aizawa. "In a week he's moving in, but he'll be over for dinner every night until then."
"I'd promise to rescue you from your father's cooking," said Hizashi cheerily, "but I'm a little out of practise myself."
"I'll give you the tour!" said the girl, bubbling with enthusiasm. "But first, can I have your autograph?" She held up a marker and her hand. "I love your show!"
"Hey, didn't you hear what I just said?" grumbled Aizawa. "He's going to be moving in."
Hizashi laughed and waved at Shouta as he took the offered marker. "Don't worry, Dear Listener, I'll be more than happy to give you my autograph!" He signed the back of her hand and her crimson eyes dazzled with joy.
"I should get you to sign my Artificial Vocal Cords," said Hitoshi as he pulled himself from the couch. "Apparently, you helped with the design."
The ex-villain remembered back to a bundle of blueprints and a joyous brainstorm session with Mei. "Oh, that was for you? What'd you think?"
"Don't know how you did it all, but it's great. Love the attachable microphones." He offered his hand to Hizashi and he firmly shook it. "Hitoshi Shinsou, but you can call me Hitoshi. I know we're just meeting, but the old man never stops talking about you."
"I'd say I hope it was all good stuff, but I won't kid myself."
Shinsou rolled his shoulders in a shrug, and a hand grabbed him by the arm as Eri dragged Hizashi off to give him the grand tour. The place had certainly changed a lot – the two guest bedrooms now belonged to the 'kids', while they'd turned the gutted lab into a training area and a study. His recording booth looked mostly untouched, however, with the only difference being two familiar toy cats that sat on the swivel chair.
Once they were alone, Eri stopped and gave him the brightest smile he'd ever seen. "Are you and Dad gonna get married?"
He blinked down at her, surprised by the question, but it didn't take him long to decide on an answer as he mirrored her smile with his own. "Maybe one day. If he ever asked, I wouldn't even hesitate, but we haven't seen each other in a long time, so…"
There was a gap between he and Shouta, just as there always had been. However, it wasn't a chasm that needed crossing: it was a small space that they could fill in with time, and trust, and love. There was not a single doubt in his mind it would soon be gone. They would fill it together.
"Should I call you Ma or Papa?"
He paused, but leaned down so he was level with her height. His smile was soft and tender. Option Thirteen: spend the rest of his life with Shouta Aizawa, unconditionally loving him and supporting their two children. Yes, that sounded perfect. That sounded like the happy ending they all deserved.
"Call me Papa."