Shouta swiftly knocked on his neighbor's door. This was the third neighbor he was currently bothering while Hizashi was working on the other side of the street. It took a moment and Shouta nearly went to knock again when the door opened. "Oh, Aizawa." His neighbor, a man who's name he never bothered to learn.
He and Shouta stood at the same height and even had the same hair color. Though the man's eyes were completely white in color. His seeing eye dog, a little black and tan corgi sat down at the man's feet; the leash held loosely in the man's hand.
"I'm sorry to bother you… how'd you know it was me?" His curiosity just couldn't be quelled.
"Your scent! On top of being blind, my quirk is the ability to smell things almost the same as a dog." The man happily responded.
"Oh." Shouta hummed a little thoughtful before giving his head a shake. 'Focus.' "I'm sorry to bother you, but I need to search through your trash cans out by the street." He told his neighbor in a straight faced voice.
"Oh? Is this for heroics or something like that?" The man inquired with a headtilt.
"Mmm… more so it has to do with my children. I believe one is hiding something from me. I understand this is a strange request and I wouldn't ask if it weren't important."
"Ah, children. Those two boys are coming up what? Fifteen- sixteen now?"
"Yeah. They are."
"Say no more. Soon they're gonna start sneaking out. I know my little ones did!" The man laughed. "Not like it was hard, right?"
"Not my boys. They know better than to do something as dumb as sneaking out." Shouta grunted a little defensively.
The man gave Shouta a little sly but knowing smile. "You say that, Aizawa. But clearly one if not both are keeping secrets now, aren't they? Hence why you need to look through my trash?"
Shouta would never think this again…but he was glad his neighbor was blind so the neighbor couldn't see the blush rising against his face.
"Ah. Well, perhaps I'm being too bold here. Regardless, go ahead. I don't know what you plan to find-" The man looked like he was ready to turn away and shut the door but he stopped. "Oh, that reminds me. Is everything okay at your home? I smelt smoke earlier this morning."
Shouta stopped. "Smoke?" He asked and looked back at the neighbor.
"Yeah. Smelt like something was burning real bad."
"Burning… interesting. Everything is fine, thank you for your concern."
The man gave him a small smile, a wave, and said one final thing. "I hope you find what you're looking for." He then shut the door.
Jogging up to the trashcan off to the side of the road, Shouta opened the metal lid and peered inside. He grabbed gloves that he had brought for this occasion and snapped them on with ease. Then he opened the first bag.
The only thing he really found was just old and spoiled food. Food that had rotten and made Shouta scrunch his nose up in disgust. There was nothing of note and it made Shouta sigh as he retied the bag. 'This is the third spot I hit and nothing. Hitoshi…where did you throw those clothes out? And what aren't you telling me? Why is it such a big secret?'
He put the lid back on the trash can and shook his head. He then he started off for the next neighbor.
"Nothing?"
Shouta gave a small jump as he looked over at his blind neighbor. The man now looked like he was going out for a stroll. Dressed in simple clothes with his little dog in a tiny harness. He had sunglasses on his face and he smiled in Shouta's direction. "Uh. No, but thanks regardless."
"Man, whatever your kid is hiding he really doesn't want you to see. I remember when my young one did something similar." He gave a friendly little laugh at the memory. "They apparently got their hands on some weed, of course, I never found out until they confessed earlier this year. Now that they're an adult and whatnot. They said they felt so silly, they went up the street and tried to smoke behind the gas station. Probably best in all reality. With my sniffer and all."
"...The gas station…" Aizawa whispered. 'Hitoshi and Izuku both frequent the gas station up the road. Until I grounded Izuku that was… It wouldn't be out of the way on their way to the hospital…'
Aizawa looked at his neighbor before sighing. "If my kid were to throw something away. Something he desperately doesn't want me or anybody else to see, but was on a bit of a time crunch. Is it possible that he might have stopped by the gas station to throw said item out?"
The elderly man kept his smile on his face. "Now, I don't know your boys too much, Aizawa. I know you just a little more than I know them. You're a prohero and so it's natural for you to be a tad stricter than most. I mean… you're digging through trash to catch your kid in a lie. But being strict must come with the territory of being a hero, yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Then, yeah, If I knew my strict hero father would try and call my bluff. I'd throw items far away from this area. I'd start with the gas station. Follow his trail from there if you can."
"Thanks- er…"
"Shirakawa."
Aizawa bowed, more out of reflex than anything. "Thank you, Shirakawa. We should… I don't know… see each other more often if possible."
"Clean your litter boxes out more often and I'll consider it."
One quick drive to the gas station with Hizashi later, they were soon right in front of the dumpster in question.
"And if it's not here?" Hizashi inquired as he and Shouta expertly jumped the fence blocking off the dumpster from the public. It was shameful how easy it was to just hop over. They didn't even try. No lock, not even barbed wire. "Then what?"
Shouta hummed as he approached the large dumpster. "Then…I'll give up for the time being. Figure something else out and let Hitoshi think he's won." Shouta walked up to the dumpster and pulled out another pair of latex gloves. He handed the pair to Hizashi and grabbed his own pair.
Both put their respective gloves on and Shouta leapt up on to the top of the dumpster. Steadying himself up top the second lid. The lid in question dipped slightly but didn't give out. Hizashi took another approach he grabbed the first lid of the dumpster and stood on the protruding side. Together they both grabbed the first lid and opened it up.
They expected a dumpster full of bags and rotten food. But what they got was an empty dumpster. "...What's today?" Shouta whispered as he stared rather dismayed at the barren inside of the gas station dumpster.
"Saturday…"
"And, best guess is that this dumpster gets cleaned out every saturday afternoon…well played, Hitoshi. Well…played. Okay…" Aizawa shut the dumpster lid and jumped down. "That's fine."
"It is?" Hizashi inquired as he jumped down from the dumpster all the same.
"Yes, because I have other ways of catching my sons in a lie. It might not be today, it might not be tomorrow, but I will figure out what Hitoshi hiding from me. Him and Izuku both…"
Toshinori hummed softly as he patted Izuku's hand. "How are you feeling?" He asked the boy. Izuku's damp eyelashes lifted only a little to look at Toshinori.
"Mkay…" He panted. "Tired… in pain. Hot."
"Yes, well, the good news is that your fever is starting to break. I will say this was faster than the last fever you had my boy." Toshinori was gentle as he grabbed Izuku's bandaged hands. A twinge of anger flooded his mind as he had seen what the hands looked like without the bandages thanks to the doctor. Izuku's flesh had been completely twisted from what it used to be.
"I'm going to be honest here, All Might, he may lose all feeling in his palms because of this. We're doing what we can, but there's a good chance the nerve endings have been shot." That was what the doctor had told him earlier when he approached the man as All Might.
He had hoped Recovery Girl could have helped heal him but unfortunately due to the fever…
The door opened and Tsukauchi quietly stepped in, two coffees in his hands. "Hey…" he greeted.
Toshinori smiled as Tsukauchi placed a coffee down next to him. "He's awake." Toshinori told his friend and Tsukauchi gave yet another smile.
"Hello there, Tora. My name is Naomasa Tsukauchi. I'm a friend of Toshinori's."
"Hello." Izuku answered weakly as he gave the man a small smile of his own. His eyes looked ready to drop any second. This fever, though breaking was still affecting him and his stamina.
"I just want to ask you a few questions, is that okay?" Tsukauchi asked as he took out a notebook.
Izuku gave a half-hearted shrug. "Sure." He mumbled weakly as he shut his eyes. "Ask away."
"Okay, now I just need to ask a few routine questions. Your name is Izuku Tora, correct?"
"No. Tora is a fake last name."
"Truth. Good."
Izuku cracked an eye open as he stared at Tsukauchi. "Your guardian is Aizawa Shouta and your brother is Aizawa Hitoshi?"
"Yeah. Sir, what's your quirk?" Izuku inquired; his interest piqued if only a little.
"Truth. Oh, it's nothing flashy like yours. I'm just a human lie detector." He smiled warmly at Izuku as he leaned back into his seat a little. Toshinori feared that may cause Izuku to clam up and not want to speak to Tsukauchi any more. That he, like Hitoshi, would shut them out. Yet, surprisingly Izuku only nodded.
"Awesome…" He smiled as a breathy laugh left his mouth. "Ask away."
"Alright now, I was told that you got burnt with hot oil, is that correct?"
There was a moment of silence before Izuku nodded.
"Verbal responses, please."
"Yeah."
"..." Tsukauchi's brow furrowed as he looked at Toshinori. "... That was… neither a truth nor a lie…" Tsukauchi explained softly. Even he looked confused. Tsukauchi then gave a weak cough as he straightened himself up and decided to try again. "Let's try it a different way, maybe I worded it wrong. Izuku, did you get burnt by hot oil?"
"Yes."
Tsukauchi tapped his pen on his notebook a couple of times as he contemplated his next move. "...Izuku…do you remember how you got burnt?"
"..." Silence. Izuku stared at the blanket. Toshinori leaned in a little. Izuku then nodded. "Y-Yeah, by hot oil."
"Lie. Sorry, Toshinori. I don't think I'm going to be much help here."
Izuku teared up a little. "I'm sorry…I was curious about how your quirk would react if I didn't know myself."
"...I had a feeling…" Toshinori sighed as he looked at Tsukauchi. "It seems next we'll have to find a way to question Young Hitoshi, though I don't think Aizawa will allow it. You saw how he acted earlier."
Izuku's heartrate monitor took a bit of a spike and it made Toshinori look at him. "You aren't in any trouble, Young Izuku. You need to understand that. It's just…"
"But…why do you need to question Hichan? He wouldn't do anything to hurt me…" Izuku whispered as he curled up on to his side.
"Well, it's just that he's the only one that knows what actually happened." Toshinori told Izuku. Then he reached over and gently ran his fingers through Izuku's hair.
"Izuku? Did Hitoshi tell you to say you were burnt with oil?" Tsukauchi inquired.
"No. He told me that's what happened. I have no reason not to believe him." Izuku mumbled as he leaned into Toshinori's touch.
"True." Tsukauchi gave a soft sigh as he placed his hand on Toshinori's shoulder. The two of them shared a look. "I'm going to go ahead and go and look into the other thing you asked me to do. I don't think I can get to Hitoshi right now."
"Very well." Toshinori gave his friend a nod.
Tsukauchi gave Izuku one last small smile. "I hope you get better, Izuku."
"Thank you, Detective."
Then it was just Toshinori and Izuku. There was comfortable silence between the two of them as Toshinori continued to run his fingers through Izuku's hair. Izuku shut his eyes as he felt himself grow tired and threatened to fall back asleep.
"Young Tora?" Toshinori's voice broke Izuku from his sleepy daze. Izuku rubbed at his eye with his bandaged hand and looked up at his mentor.
"Yes, All Might?"
"I've been thinking. Internships are coming up and I think it's pretty safe to say that you might not get a lot of opportunities given what…happened…" Toshinori grimace a little and decided to skirt around the issue. "Well, I reached out to an old acquaintance of mine…" Toshinori started to shake. This made Izuku looked at him, his brow furrowed at Toshinori's sudden move shift.
Toshinori's shaking increased only tenfold as the seconds ticked by. "His-his name is Gran Torino- he used to teach homeroom when I was attending UA." Toshinori swallowed down a lump of blood as he trembled in front of Izuku.
Izuku sat up; being mindful of his burns as he did so. He then tilted his head and let Toshinori continue his trembling explanation. "He knows about On-one for All, you see, and he wished for-for you to internship with him."
Izuku blinked. "He must be bad if he has you trembling… strict?"
"Let's just say that his teaching methods are harsh."
Izuku couldn't help but give a weak laugh. "This might be the fever talking… but did you forget who my father is? The man that made me run until I literally collapsed from exhaustion. I'm sure whatever Gran Torino will throw at me, I'll be able to handle it."
A sigh of relief left Toshinori's mouth. "So, that's a yes then?"
"Yeah. It's like you said, I don't think many heroes are going to want to have me as an intern. I've accepted that fact." Izuku snuggled back down into his bed.
"Good! Great even!..." Toshinori's voice died down as the two of them sat in silence again. Like before, Izuku felt his eyes droop and his mind turn fuzzy with much needed sleep.
"Hey, Toshinori?" Izuku just wanted to say one thing before he slept again for the night.
"Yes, my boy?"
Izuku yawned big and and nuzzled up close to his pillow. "I don't know why you're targeting Hichan, but he'd never do anything to harm me… You know that, right?" He softly asked as he looked at his mentor. "Hichan does all he can to protect me, even if it can come off as smothering at times."
Toshinori gave Izuku a measured look before reaching over and patting the top of Izuku's bandaged hand. "Get some sleep, fight that fever off. Okay?"
"Mmm." Izuku didn't need anymore prompting. He passed out not too long after that.
Izuku was released from the hospital the next morning. His bandages off and with a fresh new kiss on his cheek from Recovery Girl, he was more than ready to go home. Despite Recovery Girl's quirk, Izuku may still lose feeling in his palms from time to time due to his nerve endings being fried.
Yet…
As Shouta and Izuku sat in the car in tense silence. Izuku looked at his hands. The skin of his palms and up his fingers were smooth but yet the flesh also twisted, red, and unsightly to look at. It made his stomach do flips of disgust the longer he looked.
He no longer had finger prints on either of his hands. He was told that, with hope, those would grow back. Still, he opened and closed his hands slowly and deliberately.
Shouta watched Izuku out of the corner of his eye before focusing back on the road. "How are you feeling? Does it hurt? Can you feel anything?"
"I can still feel." Izuku whispered to his dad as he looked up at Shouta. "It doesn't hurt, I can feel everything just fine."
"Good…" Aizawa nodded.
"...Why didn't Hichan come? Is he okay?" Izuku inquired after a second. He looked away from his father and looked out the window.
"...Izuku, We need to have a talk about you and your brother."
"Hm?"
"I'm putting my foot down on certain things between you and your brother. I understand that you two are close and are affectionate towards one another, but it's getting to the point that it may be causing Hitoshi to regress in his ways. So, from now on I want you both to sleep in your own rooms. If I catch you two sleeping in one anothers bed then there will be punishment."
"Oh… Well…if It's to help Hichan, of course. I understand!" Izuku smiled at his dad.
"... You took that better than I thought you would, not gonna lie. But we aren't done. No more hand holding in class, I don't mind if you hold hands at home, just no more in class or on school grounds for that matter."
"Okay. Anything else?"
"...No."
Back to tense silence.
Izuku hummed as he thought about what his father said. 'No more sleeping in one anothers bed… It's been so long. I mean, I think the longest we went without coming to one another for comfort was a month if that… but if Hichan is really regressing that badly. Then I understand what I need to do.'
He looked back at his hands. "Dad?"
"...Hm?"
"...Can I wear gloves in class? I just, don't want to explain what happened to everyone. I Know they won't take it well."
"..." Shouta didn't answer as he swiftly looked down at Izuku's twisted palms before looking right back on the road. "I'll think about it." He grunted. "You know they'll ask you why you're wearing gloves, right?"
"I know. I could feign sickness and wear a mask as well."
"You know you won't be able to keep that up forever?"
"I know. But it's a start." He whispered weakly as he twisted his fingers together.
"Like I said: I'll think about it."
"Thank you."
The rest of the car ride was completely silent after that. Izuku buried his hands under his thighs so he wouldn't look at the smooth yet twisted flesh any longer. Finally, they got home. Izuku got out of the car as did Shouta. They looked at one another and Izuku looked down before shuffling inside.
Once inside, Izuku walked up to Sora. "Hey there, Troublemaker." He cooed as he held the cat like a baby. He scratched at the back of Sora's ears and looked at his dad as Shouta walked in as well. "You didn't mean it, I know." He continued to coo as he started to walk away.
Feeling eyes on his back, Izuku turned around to look at his father. "Hm? Is everything okay?" Izuku innocently asked even though his father's face was blank.
Shouta looked ready to open his mouth, but he paused and and let out a sigh running his hand down his face. "It's just… can you retell me what happened, please?"
Izuku turned and shifted Sora so the cat was resting against his chest. "Well…" Izuku frowned and he scratched behind Sora's ear a little more weakly. 'I don't want to worry him. It's clear he's already worried as is.' Izuku smiled a rueful little smile as he spoke next. "I was cooking prawns for Hichan and I. While the oil was heating up, Sora here jumped on the pan handle and the oil splashed on me."
Shouta gave another sigh. "Okay… thank you."
Izuku smiled back and turned towards his room, he paused and looked at Hitoshi's bedroom. Reaching for the door knob he turned it. It stuck telling him it was locked and that Hitoshi wanted to be alone. 'Okay.' Izuku thought and he turned towards his own bedroom. From there, he walked inside and lightly kicked the door shut with the back of his heel.
"It's just you and me, Sora." Izuku smiled at the cat. Sora shut their eyes lazily. "You're getting up there in the years, buddy. Same with Tora. Look, you're going gray around the muzzle you old geezer-"
"-Do you always-"
A startled shriek left Izuku's mouth as, in his reaction, he tossed Sora on to his bed. Izuku raised his fist ready to strike at the intruder in his bedroom but he paused once he saw- "Todoroki…" Izuku slowly lowered his fist. Todoroki had been hiding in Izuku's closet. He now had his head poked out of the closet. "Oh my god you startled me. Man, why are you in my closet?"
"I didn't want to risk being spotted." Todoroki responded blandly and he stepped out of the closet.
'Where's his black eye- wait, he's never had a black eye.' Izuku quickly got his thoughts on right and he looked at Todoroki. "What's up? Your old man giving you hell for the festival still?"
Todoroki looked torn for a moment as he swiftly made big steps towards Izuku. "Can you keep a secret?" His voice shook as he grabbed on to Izuku's hand. This made Izuku heat up a little.
"Of course, tell me anything. It stays between us."
A deep breath of relief left Todoroki's lips. "I don't know how it happened, none of us do, but… Izuku, my father's quirk. It's gone."
Punishment justified.
"It just happened in the dead of night. It was so strange. No matter what he does…it's gone completely. He's…" Todoroki pauses as an almost wild laugh leaves his mouth. "Izuku…he's quirkless. Completely and utterly quirkless… I should feel bad for him, but I don't." Todoroki clamped his hand tighter against Izuku's own hand. He's holding on so tight that he's shaking. "It's great. He's absolutely miserable… am I… am I awful for thinking this?"
Izuku gave his own little smile. "No. You're absolutely right. It's absolutely what he deserves."
Another laugh leaves Todoroki's mouth as he leans his head against Izuku's shoulder. "Good… that being said… he's been a nightmare to live with since it happened last night. It's like walking on eggshells, he been exploding on all of us for the smallest of things. I just… I just needed to get away."
"Absolutely understandable. Like I said, you can come to me any time you feel unsafe." Izuku pulled Todoroki back to look into his eyes. Todoroki smiled, a genuine little smile that made Izuku's heart flutter. Todoroki then looked down at Izuku's burnt hands and his eyes went wide.
"Wha-"
The sound of footsteps coming down the hall made both boys tense. Izuku didn't hesitate to push Todoroki into the closet. By the time he shut the door his father had poked his head into his room.
Shouta's eyebrow was raised as he looked around Izuku's room. "Who were you just talking to?"
"Sora." The lie came easily as the cat in question jumped from Izuku's bed and walked up to Shouta, rubbing needily against his leg.
"I heard another voice, Izuku. I know Hitoshi is in his room."
Izuku gave a laugh. "I'm just working on my impressions dad- watch this!" Again another lie that was coming just a little too easily to Izuku. He made his best All Might face and put his fists on his hips in a triumphant position. "I am here!"
His father's face was completely void of emotion as he just stared at Izuku. There was a second of silence before Shouta simply shut the door.
Izuku let out a laugh dropping his impression completely and immediately. "You don't- you don't like it!?" He continued to wheeze, doubling over. The door to his closet slowly opened and Izuku, still giggly, walked up to Todoroki.
"C-C'mon. There's a park we can hang out nearby." He whispered softly while going up to his window. "I'll explain everything that's been going on since yesterday." He opened the window and turned towards Todoroki.
"Won't that upset your father if he finds you gone?"
"Please. I know my dad. He's going to go and take a catnap then worry about school work. As long as we get back before five pm, he's never even going to know I'm gone." Izuku took a step out of the window.
"Shouldn't you at least ask?"
"Nah, what the old man doesn't know won't hurt him. C'mon." Izuku brought his hand out for Todoroki to take. Todoroki looked at the burns on Izuku's open palms. Again his expression turned to one of worry before he gently took Izuku's hand into his own. Izuku helped Todoroki out of the window.
This was something Izuku never thought he'd be doing. It was wrong. If he got caught his father was going to be pissed but at the same time it felt so…thrilling.
Hitoshi let out a worried whine as he grabbed on to Izuku. His brother bleeding heavily from the nose. They both were trying to stop the bleeding. "Please!" Hitoshi cried to the white haired man, to All for one. "It's hurting him! Let him give my quirk back!"
The child rushed up to All for one. "You can't just let him suffer-" A harsh slap to the face was more than enough to shut Hitoshi up. The slap alone made the boy grab on to his cheek before he started to cry.
"You still don't get it?" All for one snarled at Hitoshi as he walked up to Izuku. "I see brains didn't exactly run in your family, did it?" All for one huffed a little as he leaned down so he and Hitoshi were eye to eye. Hitoshi hated looking into those red eyes. They were always so…menacing and malevolent. "I am going to explain this to you one more time, young one. Izuku's body is adapting to the quirk at hand. We're starting small, with a simple brainwashing quirk. The longer he holds on to your quirk, the more his body adapts."
Hitoshi swiped at his tears running down his face while he hiccuped.
All for one gave an eyeroll. "You didn't hear a thing I said, did you? Kiku." The doctor stepped out of the shadows the moment All for one snapped his fingers.
"Yes, sir."
"Take Hitoshi back to his room. He's distracting Izuku and I." With a harsh shove forward Hitoshi was practically thrown into Kiku's legs.
"Yes, sir. Come along." Kiku lowered a hand and Hitoshi looked back before slowly taking Kiku's hand.
"Boy." All for one's voice made Hitoshi turn to look at him. All for one had Izuku in his arms. Holding him like he was nothing."You're lucky that my son likes you. I just want you to remember that. I would have made you into a Nomu if not for Izuku."
"...Yes, sir." Hitoshi lowered his head as he and Kiku walked.
A shadow crossed over Hitoshi's face as he walked. 'Just you wait, you old fart. One day, when I'm older, I'm going to hit you and I won't hold back. But for now… time to put the plan in action. Zuchan…don't you dare screw up.'
The two of them made their way down the hallway, it was when they almost made it to Hitoshi's room did a familiar feeling hit Hitoshi. He felt himself smile as he looked at Kiku. He then tugged on the man's arm.
"What?" Kiku rather impatiently inquired as he looked down at Hitoshi.
"Could you please get me an ice pack for my face?" He pointed to the spot where All for one had struck him.
"Please, it was a barely a tap-" Kiku's face went slack as he stopped walking.
"Give me your keycard." Hitoshi demanded as he opened his palm up. Kiku did as instructed and handed over his keycard like it was nothing. Hitoshi then swallowed hard. "Good. Now, here's what you're going to do. I want… I want your stun gun!"
Kiku handed that over just the same. Hitoshi's hands shook as the stun gun felt heavy in his tiny hands. 'Today's the day. I won't get to hit him, but… stunning him will work all the same.'
Today was the day that Hitoshi's plan would actually work. The day that took months of being patient. Months of smiling along and biding time. Months of playing dumb to appease All for one and quell any suspicion.
The day he and Izuku would finally be free of this lab and hopefully…the day they would see All for one for the last time. The day Hitoshi Shinsou would be one of the first people to ever dare raise a weapon to All for one, even though All for one's back was turned to him. It still counted.
The man collapsed like a sack of flour as volts of electricity went through his entire body catching him by surprise, thus making him unable to defend himself. When he fell, he dropped Izuku.
Izuku fell to the ground with a yelp.
Then came the next part of Hitoshi's grand escape plan.
RUN.
Holding Izuku up. Hitoshi ran. He knew if he got caught there was no coming back.
Even though Hitoshi was only five he already grasped the concept that there was a fate worse than death. He knew that if he was caught by All for one for this stunt, it didn't matter how much Izuku loved him. That the fate worse than death was going to happen.
RUN.
The exit was just right there. A door that Hitoshi has been watching for months. A door he knew was an exit of sorts. Hitoshi never ran faster. His lungs and legs felt like they were going to give out as he was practically dragging Izuku along. His fever not helping things. Hitoshi hated Izuku's quirk. He hated the All for one part of him and he hated that taking a quirk gives him a fever.
They weren't going to stop him! He was going to be free! He was going to see the birds, the sun, and feel the grass again. He was going to do that all of it! He wasn't going to get caught. He couldn't!
Hitoshi slapped Kiku's keycard against the card reader. It turned green and the door unlocked.
And for the first time in over a year. Hitoshi Shinsou saw the blinding sunlight.
Hitoshi woke with a gasp. His music roaring loudly in his ears making him jump. 'Shit…did I doze off?' He thought as he removed his earbuds from his ears.
His ears rang softly once the loud music was removed. Rubbing at his eyes, Hitoshi grunted as he sat up from his bed. He sat on the edge of his bed. His eyes falling on to to the floor below as his mind tried to process the dream he had. Well, there wasn't much to process, was there? That was the day he was finally able to escape with Izuku…
The day Eraserhead saved them from a fate that Hitoshi didn't want to think about.
'How messed up is it that a five year old was able to embrace the concept of a fate worse than death?...' Hitoshi looked at his hands. He looked up at his dusty ceiling and gave a low sigh. Then he got up and unlocked his bedroom door.
There, his father was just shutting Izuku's own door. Hitoshi could hear Izuku's laughter. It was… nice to hear as Izuku wheezed on the otherside of the door.
Hitoshi and Shouta locked eyes. Shouta then turned and started to walk away.
'If he didn't save you…where would you be? Where would Zuchan be?'
Hitoshi took a step behind his father before he reached out.
Before he knew it he was hugging his father from behind. Shouta tensed a little at this, never one for physically affection. Yet, he relaxed after a second.
"I love you…" Hitoshi whispered while he clutched on to his father's shirt for dear life. "I mean it. I know you're upset with me and you have every right to be…but I really want you to know that I love you as much as I love Zuchan…" Hitoshi's voice was muffled as tears spilled from his eyes. "You did so much for us that you didn't need to. I think about that day so much, I think about if you didn't happen to be patrolling that alleyway. If you hadn't have caught Kiku-"
Shouta was gentle when he placed his hands up on top of Hitoshi's own hands to quell his shaking. "I just don't understand why you're lying to me… all I want to know is the truth, Hitoshi." Shouta whispered weakly.
"..." Hitoshi rubbed his head against Shouta's back. "I…don't know if I can tell you everything."
A sigh as Shouta patted Hitoshi's hands. "Well… let's start small, then. You don't have to tell me everything, but I want something, Hitoshi."
"..." Hitoshi gave a weak mumble against Shouta's back.
Shouta tensed at Hitoshi's words. "W-What did you just say?"
Having to pry himself off his father's back, Hitoshi pulled back and rested his forehead on Shouta's back instead. Maybe it was the fact that Hitoshi's walls were starting to crumble, or maybe it was because he was just so tired, but he spoke one of the biggest secrets he's been keeping. "Zuchan's biological father is the villain that kidnapped us when we were kids."
