Finishing up on a particularly uneventful shift at work, Shouta began to walk back home. It wasn't that he didn't have a car, he just preferred walking. There was something special about the city when it was so dark and silent, with only the faint and flickering streetlamp to illuminate the roads. He would even go out of his way to choose the least populated routes home, just to avoid running into other people. They gave Shouta a chance to be alone with his thoughts, without a certain loudmouth interrupting them at every given moment.

Just as he felt himself start to relax and unwind, a small dark blur rammed heavily into his legs, causing him to stagger slightly. It happened so fast that he didn't even get the chance to dodge, and the hooded figure fell to the floor from the impact. Shouta blinked in surprise, quickly shifting into a fighting stance. He was in the dangerous part of town, and after dealing with numerous villain attacks in the area, he knew being jumped wasn't out of the equation. There wasn't really any true off-duty time as a hero.

However, the figure never got up from the ground. Instead, it looked like it was shaking, and Shouta could hear soft whimpers. It was starting to look less and less like a villain attack like he had thought, although he wasn't sure if this alternative was any better.

With no small amount of trepidation, Shouta carefully crouched down next to the figure, almost afraid of what he might find. As he reached a tentative hand out, the figure finally sat up, revealing a dirty face under the hood — one of a young boy no older than six. Shouta stared, momentarily stunned into inaction.

Bright green eyes stared back, glowing dimly in the dark. They were filled with utter fear and distrust. Shouta's heart clenched painfully. Even under the bad lighting conditions, he could see the dark bruises and blood all over him. He knew he should be used to this kind of thing by now— he was a hero, after all. And that meant he had seen pretty much all the worst parts society had to offer. Yet when it came to kids, the cases never seemed to get any easier to deal with.

"Hey kid," he began uncertainly, worried that he was going to scare the kid. "It's okay now. I'm a hero, Eraserhead, and I'm here to help. What's your name?"

The kid only shook harder, the terror in his eyes growing steadily. Shouta inwardly winced — this was going south already.

"Don't be scared. I'm not going to hurt you." Shouta tried to relax his stance to appear less threatening. He had been told on multiple occasions that his neutral expression was scary and intimidating.

"I'm … I-Izuku Midoriya," he said finally. His voice was so soft and quiet Shouta had to strain his ears to make it out.

"Okay, Izuku. What are you doing out this late? Were you with an adult?" Whoever the adult was, Shouta was going to have a sternly worded conversation with. Or take a trip to the local police station, for that matter.

"I… No… I'm by myself."

Shouta frowned. There was clearly something wrong, but he didn't think this was the right time to figure out what. "I see. Well, I think it'll be best if we went to the hospital first. You look badly hurt," he said. "Is that alright with you?"

"No!" he burst out, raising his voice for the first time. The fright that receded during their conversation all returned with a vengeance, and he looked like he was going to run off at the slightest hint of provocation. "I … I can't."

"Why not? They'll be able to help you," he said, trying to keep his voice steady and even.

"H-he's coming," he whispered. "He's gonna find me. Please, help me."

"I will," Shouta promised in his most convincing voice. "But you have to tell me who's after you. Did someone kidnap you?" Shouta was more concerned with getting the boy to the hospital, but he didn't think the boy would be cooperative if he tried to do it by force.

"My… my…" Izuku trailed off, seemingly unable to get the words out. Suddenly, something at Izuku's ankle caught Shouta's eye. He couldn't be too sure, but it looked like a quirk suppression cuff. It made the already horrific picture seem even more sinister.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," Shouta said, tearing his eyes off the cuff. He could deal with that later. "But we really have to get you to the hospital now, okay? I promise whoever you're scared of won't be able to find you there. I'll make sure of it."

"No," Izuku wailed, this time even louder than the last.

For the first time tonight, Shouta wished Hizashi was here with him. He was much better with kids than Shouta could ever hope to be and probably wouldn't have any trouble with talking the kid into doing anything. Just as Shouta was about to give up and call for an ambulance or a nearby hero agency, he saw a figure of a man emerge from the dark alley. It was accompanied by loud footsteps. Frowning, Shouta got to his feet. Could this be the person Izuku was talking about?

When the man stepped out into the dim streetlight, Izuku immediately froze.

"Hey, Izuku. I see you found yourself a new friend," the man said. His voice was cool and calm, but Shouta's guard was on high alert. "If you were lonely, you could've just told me instead of running off."

"Who are you?" Shouta asked, instinctively moving to block the man from Izuku.

"I'm the boy's dad. I'm sorry if he has been bothering you. You know how kids his age are, take your eyes off them for one second and bam, they're gone," he said, chuckling lightly. "But I'll take him off your hands now. Thanks for keeping an eye on him."

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you take him even if you're his dad. He's clearly in need of medical care," Shouta said, trying to keep his cool. "And I'm also going to need you to come down to the station with me. I'm sure I don't need to tell you why."

"Absolutely not. Who the hell do you think you are? This is my son, and I can do whatever I want to him. Come here Izuku." The previous levity in the man's voice had all but vanished now, replaced by a look of fury.

Izuku didn't move, only staring up at Shouta with a desperate expression. He had gotten off the ground now, positioning himself behind Shouta and away from his so-called father.

"Izuku!" The man's voice had risen even more now, and Shouta had to try his best to quell his swiftly growing rage. It didn't take a genius to figure out who was the one responsible for Izuku's injuries.

"Please," Izuku whispered, and that was all it took.

Not even giving the villain a chance to use his quirk, Shouta activated his own and sent his capture gear flying, all the while making sure Izuku was tucked safely behind him. To his surprise, the man was able to hold his own against Shouta for a bit. Most villains were completely useless without their quirks, but this one knew martial arts. Shouta was still better though, and his form and movements started to get sloppy and predictable. It was only a matter of time. He just wished he was able to get Izuku out of here earlier, instead of being dragged into another fight.

"Fine, you win this round!" he yelled just as Shouta thought the fight was going to end. "Izuku, I'll be back for you." Before Shouta could launch another attack, he turned and merged with the shadows behind him. Shouta's legs itched to give chase, but he had something else more important on hand.

Softening his expression, he turned to find Izuku flattened tightly against the wall, his eyes glassy and terrified. Quickly calling the nearby hero agency and the hospital, Shouta hurried over to Izuku's side. He probably should've done it before this mess got so out of hand.

"Hey, kid? It's over now, he can't hurt you anymore," Shouta said, placing a gentle hand on his back. "Are you okay?"

Izuku only sobbed in response, and no matter what else Shouta tried, he wouldn't stop. The cries were somehow draining for Shouta to hear, and he would rather take on ten villains at once than hear anymore.

By the time the ambulance arrived, Izuku's sobs had tapered off into soft whimpers. He looked so utterly exhausted that Shouta wouldn't be surprised if he passed out on the spot. He was starting to feel the same way himself. This wasn't what he had in mind for how his night was going to go at all.

"Look Izuku, the paramedics are here now. They're going to take you to the hospital," he said. "You have to be good for the people there, alright? They'll help you get better."

"No, d-don't go. Please." Izuku's voice was pitiful, tugging at Shouta's heartstrings painfully.

So Shouta stayed. He stayed the entire ride to the hospital on the cramped ambulance, murmuring words of reassurance whenever Izuku got anxious. He stayed until Izuku passed out from sheer exhaustion and the doctor had politely told him to get out.

With a last glance at the still form of the boy, Shouta turned and left, his heart feeling a lot heavier than before. Sure, he had done his best for the kid and prevented his dad from taking him again, but was it enough? Was there more he could've done? Shaking his head, he tried to force himself to forget about it all. He couldn't let himself get emotionally attached to every single victim he came across.

Unexpectedly, he got a call from the hospital he had dropped Izuku off the very next day. According to them, he had sequestered himself into a spare room and activated his quirk and creating a force field of sorts, making it impossible for anyone to get close. They asked Shouta to go and erase his quirk in order to continue treating him. Shouta originally had plans, but immediately canceled in favor of this.

"In there," the nurse told him.

Unsure of what to expect, Shouta opened the door and stepped in.

It took him a moment to spot the boy. He looked much better than he did yesterday, and bandages were wrapped all around him. Now that Shouta was seeing him in a well-lit environment, Izuku looked even smaller than he remembered.

His eyes were glowing eerily, telling Shouta that his quirk was still active, however, he wasn't feeling any resistance as he slowly walked towards him. There was no force field to speak of.

"Hey Izuku," Shouta began. "Do you remember me?" It didn't matter what the boy's quirk was, he supposed. Maybe the doctors had been mistaken.

Izuku only looked confused. "It … it doesn't work on you," he muttered.

"What, your quirk?"

He nodded, the glow of his eyes vanishing and turning to its normal, albeit still bright green shade. "It doesn't happen often," he said, staring at Shouta with what looked like wonder and contemplation. Shouta wasn't sure why Izuku's quirk had malfunctioned when he never even activated his own, but he was just glad that he didn't seem so afraid anymore.

"We can talk about why later, okay? First, can you tell me why you ran away from them?"

"I was … scared. There were too many people and … and they … they were big."

"You don't have to be scared anymore. No one here is going to hurt you, I promise. And if they even think about trying, they'll have me to answer to, alright?"

Still looking dubious, Izuku nodded.

"Good. Now, how are you feeling?"

"Better now. Oh, and um… thank you, for helping me yesterday." He smiled tentatively at Shouta. "No one's ever done that before."

Shouta swallowed hard, desperately trying to quell the warmth spreading in his chest. "Of course, kiddo. It's my job."

"Still, you saved me." At the look of pure admiration in Izuku's eyes, Shouta knew his attempts at steeling his heart were in vain. Instead, he tried to shift the topic. He couldn't take more of this.

"Why don't you come with me back to see the doctor now? This room isn't very comfortable, is it? I'm sure you'll feel better once your back on a bed."

Izuku didn't say anything.

"I'll come with you," Shouta added.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Izuku nodded.

—-

And so that was how Shouta spent his precious day off, sitting next to Izuku's bed as the doctor redressed his bandages.

After a lot of reassurances and calming words, the kid finally managed to fall into a fretful sleep, his little hand still tightly grasping Shouta's own. When he tried to shift his arm away, Izuku's grip only tightened as a small frown appeared on his sleeping face. Shouta's heart squeezed unfamiliarly at the sight, and he resigned himself to being the kid's teddy bear for a while longer. He could already feel it start to go numb.

It wasn't like he had anything better to do, anyway.

"Aw, I don't believe this." Shouta raised his head tiredly, surprised to find the smiling face of Hizashi staring back at him at the doorway. "This is why you canceled our plans, huh?"

"He needed my help. I was just here to finish the job," Shouta said stiffly.

"Uh-huh," Hizashi said, clearly not believing him.

Shouta sighed. "Shut up, Hizashi," he grumbled.

"Oh, before I forget," Hizashi said, digging through his pockets and pulling out his phone. "Say cheese!"

"Hiza-" It was already too late. Hizashi's phone flashed, and he laughed, grinning at the no doubt embarrassing photo he had taken.

"This is so cute," he said, putting his phone away. "I'm going to make this my wallpaper for a while."

"That's right, laugh it off. You're going to regret this once I get myself free," Shouta threatened.

"What's stopping you?" Hizashi taunted. "I doubt the kid's grip is strong enough to keep you in place. Just admit it Shouta. You're a big softy"

"I'm not," he growled. Izuku suddenly stirred at Shouta's raised voice, filling him with guilt in an instant. "I'm not," he repeated, in a much softer tone this time. It didn't quite have the same effect he intended.

"Riiiight," Hizashi said, finally walking in the room and throwing himself at the empty seat next to Shouta, his smile faltering a tiny bit as he took a closer look at Izuku. "The job doesn't get easier, does it?"

"No, it really doesn't," Shouta agreed. "But mark my words, I'll catch his dad sooner or later. It'll make me feel a bit better, I think."

"And I'll be right behind you when you do," Hizashi said. "They've already started a case file on him, it's only a matter of time."

They lapsed into silence for a while, with Shouta finally taking the time to think about the situation. Was Hizashi right? Had he gotten emotionally attached to the kid? He wasn't sure, but the idea of him getting hurt again while Shouta wasn't around filled him with unfathomable dread. He felt like he needed to protect the kid from the rest of the world.

"I guess this isn't a bad way to spend our day off," Hizashi said suddenly, interrupting Shouta's train of thought. "But I'd still like to visit that newly opened amusement park. Maybe we can take little Izuku here with us, yeah?

Shouta merely grunted, scowling at the pleased and knowing look on Hizashi's face.

"It's a date then," Hizashi exclaimed.

9