Chapter Two

Eri knows that there is something wrong with her family.

It is a Saturday morning, so she knows that her caretakers and Hitoshi-san have no school today. This means that the four of them get to have breakfast together, instead of it being just Eri and Zawa-san or Zashi-san. Since the Hero students have their own dorms, Hitoshi-san usually lives with the other Heroes and eats his meals there during the week.

She loves spending time with Hitoshi-san. He is always so sweet and patient with Eri, and he never complains whenever she talks too much. Zawa-san and Zashi-san would also chip in occasionally, filling the kitchen with loud, cheerful laughter that she wishes can go on forever.

So yes – Eri adores weekend mornings, but everything is weird today.

The first thing she notices is the quiet. The only sounds are the clinking of their hashi against their bowls, and the usually animated conversations are brief and quiet. Zawa-san and Zashi-san keep staring at Hitoshi-san with worry on their faces, although Zawa-san also looks a bit angry.

But Zawa-san is always frowny before he drinks his coffee, so it might not be Hitoshi-san's fault.

Speaking of which; the older boy is also acting weird. Normally, he would smile at Eri and ask her a lot of questions. But he is quiet this morning, and his responses to Eri are only one or two words long. He seems to also have something on his chair that makes it difficult for him to sit still.

(Eri is certain that it has something to do with the muffled thuds she had heard the previous evening, but Zawa-san has already told her not to say anything, so she wouldn't.)

However, what stands out the most is his face. His eyes are reddish, and the new lines around them make him appear so much older. The older boy's lips are also turned downwards, and Eri couldn't stop herself from asking her guardians after Hitoshi-san has excused himself from the table.

She doesn't understand what Zashi-san means when he says that Hitoshi-san is just being 'soo-llen', and still doesn't when Zawa-san gives his explanation.

"Hitoshi is probably still unhappy about being punished yesterday, Eri-chan. That's why he was so grumpy this morning."

Eri disagrees. To her, the older boy just looks sad.

And Eri knows that it is because of her. She was the one who insisted on leaving the house, even though Hitoshi-san had already told her no. Which was why they had gotten attacked by that scary mantis-thing, and then caught by Zashi-san.

If she had dared to own up, Hitoshi-san wouldn't have gotten into trouble.

But Zashi-san had looked so angry, and she was too afraid to say anything. She knows that her guardian would never hurt her, but Eri had experienced enough bad things with other men for her mouth to close automatically.

Then, Hitoshi-san stepped in and told Zashi-san that it was his mistake, and that he was the one who had wanted to go out. And now he's hurt and upset, so it is up to Eri to'pologise and make him feel better.

She waits until their parents are doing the dishes before tip-toeing off to Hitoshi-san's room, knocking on the closed door with a tiny fist.

"Um… Hitoshi-san, it's Eri," she calls out shyly. "Are you busy?"

She can hear approaching footsteps, before the door clicks open. "Hello, Eri-chan. Come on in!"

Eri does, taking in the older boy's space. It is similar to Eri's, with a bed at one corner of the room, and a desk and cupboards taking up the rest of the room. But Hitoshi-san's bedsheets are less colourful (plain purple to Eri's My Little Pony-themed ones), and he has many interesting things scattered throughout.

These include a framed photo of the both of them, Zawa-san and Zashi-san during her first Matsuri, and one with Hitoshi-san and the Hero students. There is another with just Hitoshi-san and Zawa-san, and Eri notices for the first time that there is a weird squiggly line and messy characters at the bottom right corner.

She vaguely remembers Zawa-san and Zashi-san drawing similar squiggles back at the 'law-ears' office, when they first took guardianship of Eri. Maybe this picture was also used for something important, but she can't read well enough to tell.

(Eri reminds herself to ask Hitoshi-san soon – especially about the cute kitty sketch beside Zawa-san's writing.)

The other items include some stationary, electronics and the cute but very old cat plushie that Hitoshi-san loves. But these are not new sights to Eri – far from it. She has been in Hitoshi-san's room many times, finding herself in here more often than even Zashi-san and Zawa-san's room. This is where the older boy had taught her how to play games and look up cat videos on his phone, and told her exciting stories about his training and the other Heroes.

As much as she likes her guardians, Eri has long ago decided that she enjoys spending time with Hitoshi-san the most. Maybe it's because he is closer to Eri's age and that he also had bad experiences with adults, but she feels that the older boy is the one who can best understand Eri.

"Is something the matter, Eri-chan? You've been quiet for the past couple of minutes." Hitoshi-san asks concernedly, peering at her from his chair. He looks even more tired close up, and Eri's determination to make things better strengthens.

"Nuh-uh, I'm okay. I… um… I just want to a-po-lo-gise for yesterday!" she says, face scrunching around the difficult word. Eri hopes she said it correctly, but Hitoshi-san's smile is encouraging. "I s-shouldn't have wanted to go out. Then we wouldn't have gotten into trouble, and Z-Zashi-san wouldn't have been so angry."

"It's not your fault, Eri-chan. I was the one who agreed to take you out, so that's on me as the person responsible for the both of us, and neither of us are to be blamed for the villain attack." Hitoshi-san insists gently. "I'm just relieved that you didn't get injured. And you don't have to worry about Mic-sensei – the matter is already fixed, okay?"

Hitoshi-san is being completely sincere, Eri knows. People usually avoid Eri's eyes when they lie, and the older boy does not look away once. His voice is also stable, and she finds herself becoming more assured.

"O-Okay," she says reluctantly, "but still, thank you!"

"You're welcome," Hitoshi-san says, the lines around his eyes disappearing as he smiles. Eri wishes he would do that more. "And thanks for checking in on me, Eri-chan. That is very kind of you."

The room falls into comfortable silence. Hitoshi-san leaves her to her thoughts and returns to his work, and her attention is inadvertently drawn to his focused gaze, and the flicking of his pen.

Being around Hitoshi-san has never failed to relax Eri, but today, she finds herself shifting nervously.

There is something that she has been dying to ask Hitoshi-san, but she never had the courage. It isn't anything bad or hurtful, but Eri still feels shy about it.

But after yesterday's incident and their talk, she decides that she no longer wants to hold it in.

Hitoshi-san seems to have sensed her struggle, the boy turning his cool swirly chair around to look at her.

"Is there something else, kiddo? You seem stressed."

"Hi-Hitoshi-san…? I… uh… I-I actually haveanotherquestion!" She blurts out. Hitoshi-san's furrowed brows elicits an eep, and Eri cannot help but cover her face in embarrassment.

But Mirio-san has said before that even the best Heroes are afraid sometimes, but they push through their fears because they believe that what they are doing is important. And to her, Hitoshi-san is super-duper important.

She removes her hands, forcing herself to meet the other boy's eyes.

"What is it, Eri-chan? You know you can ask me anything, yeah?" The kindness in Hitoshi-san's tone is the last bit of encouragement she needs to make herself speak.

"Can I… Can I call you Nii-san?"

Silence. She bites her lip as the older boy flounders.

"… W-Why would you want that?"

Hitoshi-san stammers, his face beet-red. Discouragement begins to settle in, but Eri forces herself to continue.

"D-Deku-san had e-explained to me about families, and he said that big brothers and sisters are people who care about you and protect you, but aren't old enough to be your mommy or daddy. Hitoshi-san has always taken care of me, and you also protected me yesterday, so I thought…"

She stops when she realises that his pretty violet eyes are now glassy. Anger at herself (why does she always hurt the people around her?) starts to build.

"Are you crying? I'm sorry, I-I won't call you that if it makes you sad," Eri babbles, clumsily reaching for the tears on Hitoshi-san's face. "I want Hitoshi-san to be happy."

"No! It's not like that at all! I-I'm just so happy and honoured," Hitoshi-san chokes out, his large – but gentle, always so gentle – hands lifting Eri up. "I love you like a little sister, Eri-chan. I have, ever since the day we met. I'll be proud to have you call me your big brother."

Her upset fades, as hope begins to bloom. "R-Really? You aren't a-angry?"

"Of course not. I'm so, so happy, Eri-chan."

She thinks for a while, before accepting it. Mirio-san had also cried during the Heroes' Festival, and he had told Eri that it was because he was too happy.

Maybe Heroes cry when they are extremely happy? Eri is a little sad that she hasn't seen Zashi-san and Zawa-san cry, but her caretakers always insist that Eri is their 'little sunshine', so maybe it is different for adults?

Eri says as such to Hitoshi-sa – Nii-san, who laughs wetly.

"I'm sure Sensei and Mic-sensei have shed tears over you, Eri-chan, just that they were private about it. Especially Sensei. But people don't just cry from normal occasions, kiddo. These tears only come out when they experience a special kind of happiness." He explains slowly, allowing Eri to catch every word.

"Special… happiness? Like, when you eat a c-candy apple?"

"Exactly! It's like eating a candy apple, but one that is much bigger and sweeter than the ones sold in Matsuris. No doubt it's the best candy apple in the world." Nii-san affirms, wiping away a tear. "Just like you are the best little sister in the entire universe, Eri-chan. You really make me so happy."

Eri snuggles closer, content. She likes the thought of being Nii-san's special candy apple.

She leaves 'Toshi-nii's room around half an hour later, after her older brother kindly explained that he needs to finish up his homework. Eri doesn't mind – Heroes need to learn a lot so that they can save more people, and she is sure that Nii-san is going to be one of the bestest Heroes, alongside Mirio-san and Deku-san and Zashi-san and Zawa-san.

Plus, there is something else she needs to do. Eri has only just realised that 'Toshi-nii had avoided her second question, and did not actually share how he was feeling. Probably because he doesn't want to make her feel bad.

But Eri isn't sad about it – she knows that this is a grown-up problem, and there is someone else who is willing and able to help.

"Zawa-san?"

"What is it, kid?" Her guardian immediately pauses his grading in order to focus on Eri.

Eri likes Zawa-san's voice. It is soothing and warm, much like the hand resting on her head, and she doesn't get why Deku-san and Mirio-san say that he's scary.

Maybe it's because they behave badly in school? Her guardian complains a lot to Zashi-san about a 'Ka-mi-nah-ree', and he always frowns while doing so. Perhaps Deku-san had also made Zawa-san angry, which is why Zawa-san had to scold him in his Scary Voice.

But Hitoshi-nii is not bad – he's just as good, if not gooder than even Chako-san and Momo-san. And Eri needs to let Zawa-san know so that he can help 'Toshi-nii understand that.

"I-It's about y-yesterday at the store. And… Nii-san."

Zawa-san goes still, and Eri remembers that she just called Nii-san Nii-san. But Zashi-san has always said that it is important to be honest, and 'Toshi-nii is her older brother.

Her guardian doesn't correct her, which means that Eri is right. "What about Hitoshi, Eri-chan? Did he talk to you?"

She climbs into Zawa-san's lap, and begins to whisper into her listening guardian's ear. Eri knows for sure that Zawa-san would do his best to help – after all, he loves 'Toshi-nii just as much as she does.

Hitoshi's day is going better than expected.

It didn't start off this way – he had tossed and turned throughout the night, although he still managed to get a few hours of undisrupted sleep. But with the morning came the end of his temporary reprieve.

The memory of the previous evening weighed heavily upon his mind, but he forced himself to wash up, not wanting to deal with his parents' fussing. Not when he was still working through his emotional upheaval.

Breakfast was incredibly awkward, and Hitoshi could feel the concerned glances both parents kept shooting him. Mic-sensei in particular looked especially guilty, but he was too tired (and miserable) to humour the older man's attempts at conversation.

And his ass still stung, damn it. Who could blame him for being gloomy?

Even Eri's adorable babbling failed to lift his spirits, although he appreciated her trying. Things barely improved after breakfast, and Hitoshi told himself that if he was going to be upset, he should also at least get some work done.

Which was why he was bending over Kayama-sensei's homework on a Saturday morning, making sure to rest his ass on his softest pillow in order to minimise his discomfort. He was barely into his second paragraph before the knocks came.

Hitoshi knew at once it wasn't Sensei or Mic-sensei – the knocks were too soft and too hesitant, not to mention the tiny footsteps. It could only be one other person, and he wasted no time in letting Eri in.

What followed was the most precious conversation he ever had the chance of experiencing. The warmth stays well after she has left, when Hitoshi apologetically pointed out his need to complete his assignment.

The memory of Eri's – his baby sister's – shy request is enough to chase away his cacophony of angst, and he cannot help the upturn of his lips as he recalls her beaming smile. While he has acknowledged his brotherly affections for Eri long ago, it is exhilarating to have his sentiments returned.

In less than a year, he has gone from being an unwanted orphan to a Hero-in-training with a loving family. Honestly, Hitoshi thinks he is very fortunate; he shouldn't let one small setback distract himself from the other amazing things that are going on in his life.

And it wasn't like Mic-sensei had faulted him on purpose – in fact, Hitoshi is sure that it is also due to his acting skills that his parent had bought his story so readily. Which is why he decides that he just needs to get over himself, and move on from yesterday's happenings.

Hitoshi finishes up his concluding paragraph before closing his notebook, satisfied with his work and thought process. He should get himself cleaned up, he thinks, wrinkling his nose as he remembers that he hasn't had a shower since yesterday morning.

Hitoshi takes his time to give himself a thorough scrub-down, the hot water washing away more of his tension. It takes mere minutes to redress himself in loose clothing, wrinkling his nose as his sweatpants scrape against his backside.

The last thing he expects when he steps out of the shower is Sensei sitting at the foot of his bed. The man is typing away on his phone, although he quickly pockets it upon Hitoshi's re-emergence.

"Sensei…?"

"Oh, you're done. Take a seat, I would like to talk to you."

The older man pats the space beside him, which Hitoshi notes has the same plush pillow resting on it. He lowers himself on it gingerly, unable to help his pained wince. Mic-sensei had indeed spared zero efforts.

Sensei's face remains impassive, but he detects a tinge of sympathy. "Hizashi was very hard on you, huh?" The older man comments.

"Um, yeah… But I deserved it. I shouldn't have made such an irresponsible choice, Sensei." Hitoshi says, fiddling with the ends of his shirt.

"Is that so?"

There is a strange note to the man's tone, one that Hitoshi is unable to discern. "Um, yes…? It was my fault, I broke Mic-sensei's rules."

"I see. Funny how you mentioned that, kid. Because I've received information from a… little birdie… that what you had told Hizashi yesterday was not actually the full story."

Sensei's voice is carefully neutral, but Hitoshi still freezes like he has been hit by Todoroki's ice side.

Eri.

God, why did she come clean? Now she's going to get into trouble, and Hitoshi might be in even more shit –

"Calm down, Hitoshi. Deep breaths, come on now," the man instructs firmly, hand wrapping around Hitoshi's shoulder as he takes in huge gulps of air, "I'm not upset, and neither is Hizashi. Yes, I've already spoken to him over the phone," Sensei says, answering his silent question. "He will be home soon, but I would like to first clarify some things with you. For one, you need to be aware that you are not expected to take responsibility for anyone's actions but yours."

"W-What do you mean?" Hitoshi stutters.

"You are Eri's older sibling, and Hizashi and I trust you to make the decisions for her when we aren't around. But that doesn't mean that we need or want you to be liable for her actions. Which reminds me, why was Eri's activation of her quirk not brought up to us, Hitoshi?"

That's right – after everything that has happened, the issue with Eri's horn has ended up falling to the back of his mind.

"I-I completely forgot about that; I didn't mean to leave that out. When Mic-sensei was scolding us, all I wanted to do is to take away her fear… it was hard seeing her so scared." Hitoshi admits quietly, huddling closer. "It can be terrifying, when you are not sure about what to expect."

I was in that exact same position, he doesn't say. But Sensei seems to understand, judging from the comforting squeeze to his nape.

"I get that, kid. And trust me when I say that you wouldn't have been faulted for that; you were simply making the best choice you could have at the time." The older man says softly, before his tone grows slightly firmer. "That being said, you should have contacted me or Hizashi. You could've given us a call to let us know that you were going out, and we could have met you two outside."

"I… didn't think of that either," Hitoshi murmurs, "I'm sorry."

"Hey, I've already said that it's fine, kid. Just remember to do so in the future."

"O-Okay."

"Good," Sensei praises, running a hand down his spine. There is a pause as the older man contemplates his next words. "Next question. I'm assuming that this has something to do with how upset you were this morning?"

Hitoshi is about to refute Sensei's statement – he has already decided to put things behind him, no point dredging things up, right? – but his parent's stern face is all he needs to come clean. God forbid Sensei disciplines him further for 'lies of omission'.

"I was just being stupid, Sensei. Can we not talk about it?" He sighs.

"Let me be the judge of that," Sensei says wryly. "Spill it out, brat."

"It's… I honestly do not regret taking the blame for Eri. I really don't! But a part of me is… upset… that Mic-sensei just accepted my explanation without asking more questions. I mean, it was my fault for lying, but he was so willing to take my word for it… It's as if he truly believes that I'm that irresponsible. Like… a bad kid."

Saying it aloud makes it sound even more childish, but Hitoshi cannot deny that it is liberating to get things off his chest.

"Hitoshi, listen to me. Nothing you just said is 'stupid'. Hizashi was still keyed up from the entire incident, and that was probably the reason why he took your words at face value. Don't get me wrong, this doesn't justify his actions, but my point is that it is alright to be upset over it. And on that note, you are nowhere near bad, kid. That is the last word I would use to describe you. Look at me."

He obeys, his breath catching in his throat as he catches the softness in his Sensei's eyes.

"From now on, we promise to be more thorough when it comes to discerning the truth. But in return, I'll need you to do your best to trust us. Not just with your own well-being, kid, but also with Eri's. Trust that we would only do what we believe is best, and that we would never, ever hurt the both of you."

"I-I promise, Sensei."

"Good boy," Sensei praises, pulling him into a one-armed hug. "I'll say this again and I'll keep saying it until it gets into your thick head – you're a great kid, Hitoshi. I am proud to have a mature and thoughtful son like you."

"Y-Yeah." The lump in Hitoshi's throat expands further, and he cuts himself off in fear of impending tears. His father doesn't seem to mind the quiet, and he spends the next few minutes revelling in the man's hold. The discussion has once again reminded him of the older man's love, and he snuggles closer, content as the last of his suppressed doubts are finally put to rest.

The peaceful silence is broken by the sound of Eri's cheerful greeting drifting into the room. "Seems like the noisy menace is back." Sensei comments balefully.

Hitoshi snickers, just as the door slams open.

"Hey, darling listeners," Mic-sensei calls out, smiling indulgently as he catches sight of the duo. "Aww, you guys look comfortable. Mind if I join in?"

The question is clearly directed at Hitoshi, and he is about to open his mouth before Eri comes dashing in. "'Toshi-nii, 'Toshi-nii! Look at what Zashi-san bought!" She squeals excitedly.

Oh.

His eyes mist over when he catches sight of what his other parent is holding.

"Surprise?" Mic-sensei says sheepishly, holding the bags of apples and melting candy up. "Since your shopping trip was cut short yesterday, I thought it would be nice if I picked up the stuff you and Eri wanted. And maybe we can make good use of them this afternoon, as a family…?"

"Yes," he croaks out, ignoring Sensei's amused snort, "I would love that."

"That's great, baby," Mic-sensei says, as Sensei gets up to follow a bouncing Eri into the kitchen. Hitoshi stays seated as the man approaches, and he allows himself to be pulled into a tight hug. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry about yesterday, 'Toshi-chan."

There is no missing the man's sincerity, and Hitoshi hurries to reassure him. "It's okay, Mic-sensei. It's really not your fault, you didn't know," he says, melting into the embrace. A few moments pass where Hitoshi simply allows himself to bask in his parent's warmth, groaning in pleasure at the fingers scratching at his scalp.

"We'll have to talk more about this later, just you and me," the man promises, tightening his hold before reluctantly letting go. "but for now, shall we go and ensure that Shouta and Eri do not burn down the kitchen? I really do not want Nezu-san to come down on us for destroying U.A. property."

Hitoshi takes the proffered hand, allowing himself to be pulled up to his feet.

"Yeah, that sounds perfect." He smiles, as they walk hand-in-hand to re-join the rest of their family.

And it certainly is.

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope that the conclusion is satisfactory! Reviews are beloved.

I have other fics on my AO3 (drabbles and ficlets) under the same name so please feel free to also check that out!

Wishing you a wonderful day!

With love,

Xenny