Izuku didn't end up seeing Shoto later that day. Shoto's daddy wouldn't let them. He had apparently kicked Tenko and Daddy out as soon as he realized they were there, and brought Touya and Shoto home as soon as he could.

And the man wouldn't let Shōto go to their house afterwards, claiming he needed to heal.

Izuku and Hitoshi had to make do with the reports they were getting from Touya on how Shoto was, but even those were vague. Their daddy was apparently being really strict or something and not letting Shoto see anyone much.

Izuku hated it. He missed hanging out with Shoto, and was worried for his friend. Tenko had said that he looked ok when they saw him at the hospital, but Izuku couldn't shake the longing to see his friend himself and be sure he was really alright.

But they just had to wait, and waiting was taking forever. Hitoshi agreed wholeheartedly. They missed their friend.

Then, finally, Tenko got a call from Touya. The doctors had said that Shoto was as healed as he could be, and removed the bandages around the same time his daddy would be out on a trip.

One day, Izuku was excitedly scribbling on the couch in his notebook about Eraserhead, his second favorite hero since Hitoshi introduced him to the underground, when Daddy approached.

The little green eyes looked up curiously as the large man lowered down onto the couch beside him. "Hey Bunny, whatcha doing?"

Izuku looked back down at his notebook then picked it up and showed it his daddy. "I'm redoing my analysis on Eraserhead."

Hisashi chuckled. "Again? Haven't you done that guy a few time already?"

"Well, yeah," Izuku moved to out his legs under him and face Hisashi completely. "But someone who was recently saved by him came up with a new theory about his quirk on the forum I follow. They noticed that he always wears these yellow goggles during his fights, so they think whatever his quirk is centers around the eyes somewhere. It's got me thinking and I think I have a new idea on how his quirk might work!"

Izuku picked up the notebook again and pointed to his drawing of Eraserhead. He'd gotten significantly better at drawing in the last few years, and you could now identify the yellow goggles, grey scarf, long black hair, and black jumpsuit.

"I'm still set on the sort of eraser type quirk, it's the only way to explain the way villains quirks become unusually during fights with him. But I think I was wrong in my guess that the activation was something to do with how his hair floats. I think that being how he is obviously protecting and hiding his eyes, despite him fighting at night so he wouldn't need goggles for sunlight or a disguise, it's probably because it activates through his eyes, and something about seeing his eyes makes it obvious.

I also think it's not actually mental like I thought, because I realized quirks have nothing to do with your Brian or mentality, their entirely physical parts of your body. So it's probably an emitter type that somehow blocks quirk usage through eye contact. And the only thing I can think of to explain how his quirk randomly shuts off sometimes is maybe that he blinks or looks away, if I might about the eye contact thing. It really is perfect for underground fighting and he uses it so well in his style of fighting, and don't even get me started on the capture weapon and quirkless fighting!"

Hisashi laughs. "I won't. But you really like this hero, don't you?"

"Uh huh! He's my second favorite, right next to All Might!"

Hisashi smiles. "Glad to hear it. Now, I originally came over here to ask you something about tomorrow."

Izuku blinked up at him then set his notebook down. "What is it?"

Hisashi smiles. "I was thinking, what of you think of me taking you, Hitoshi, and Shoto out for ice cream tomorrow?" I know you haven't seen Shoto since he got hurt, and I was thinking that he's probably never had ice cream before since Touya hadn't before we introduced him to it. We could go to the park too."

Izuku's face lit up with awe and excitement and he jumped to his feet on the couch, grinning. "Oh, yes, yes, yes! I can't wait to see Shoto again! And I love ice cream, and the park! So does Hitoshi! And I bet Shoto will too! This'll be so fun!"

Hisashi laughed as Izuku jumped up and down on the couch excitedly. "I thought you'd be excited. That's all I wanted to ask."

Izuku grinned as wide as ever. This was going to be so much fun!

—-

"Shoto!"

Shoto looked up towards a house a little ways ahead of them on the street he was walking down with Touya. Izuku was running full speed towards then, green curls flapping in the wind, and grinning like this was the best day of his life.

Shoto blinked as Touya let go of his hand and Izuku skidded to a halt right in front of him, eyes wide in excitement. "Hi! How are you? We're gonna have so much fun today, you're gonna love ice cream! Come on, let's go in! Hitoshi's already here!"

The freckled boy grabbed Shoto's wrist and took off down the sidewalk again, forcing Shoto to follow. He glanced back at Touya, who was chuckling and following slowly.

Shoto wasn't surprised, not really. He'd grown used to Izuku's overwhelming energy in the year or so they'd known each other.

He guessed what had really caught him off guard was the lack of reaction to his scar. He knew it was still pretty gross looking, and bright red, and not hidden despite how much he tried to with cover it with his hair. Just strangers passing by on the street looked at him weird now, everyone noticed and no one liked looking at it. And it was obvious on all their faces, even his family's, no matter how hard they tried to hide it.

But Izuku hadn't even glanced at it. He'd shown no sign of disgust, or pity, or anything. He'd just treated him like he'd always treated him.

Shoto was grateful he was suddenly thirst into a house filled with of distractions, because otherwise he might've started crying.

Hitoshi was on the couch, scooted up next to Tenko as the older boy showed him how to play some games,e on his console. The TV was playing some movie.

Hitoshi's mom looked to still be here, the black haired and dark eyed woman chatting loudly with Inko. She was so different from her son, Shoto thought as she laughed harshly and grinned. He couldn't shake the bad feeling he had about her though. Everything about her felt fake, like when his father was in front of the press and things.

Hisashi was yelling to Inko offhandedly about something to do with where his keys were at the same time. It was a lot happening for the small living room, and a lot of noise.

Instinctively, almost, Shoto's hands came to his ears and he closed his eyes. It didn't silence anything, but the noise became muffled and less pressing. It allowed him to relax a little more.

A moment later of him ignoring muffled voices near him had someone tapping his shoulder. He opened his eyes and turned to see Hitoshi now up and next to him, looking at him with his normal flat gaze, head tilted curiously. Then he raised his hands and, to Shoto's surprise, started to sign.

'Are you ok?'

Shoto blinked, then nodded, not moving his hands from his ears to sign back.

Hitoshi turned and said something to Izuku, who was looking back and forth at them both curiously. Izuku nodded with a grin and raced towards the hallway, gesturing for them to follow.

Hitoshi turned to Shoto and repeated the gesture before walking off to follow. Shoto didn't move his hands, but did hurry to catch up with them both.

Once they reached the room Izuku shared with Tenko, Izuku closed the door behind them, and Shoto finally uncovered his ears to blissful quiet, the noise from outside now barely audible through the door.

"What was that?" Izuku asked curiously, jumping up on his bed.

Shoto opened his mouth to try and forgive out how to explain when Hitoshi spoke up first, plopping on the carpet. "Just too much noise."

"No, not that," Izuku shook his head, and looked fully at Hitoshi, raising his hands and gesturing with them. "The thing you did with your hands, what was it?"

"Oh, that was sign language."

Izuku eyes went wide and awed as he perked up. "Really? You both know sign language? I thought it was just something for people who couldn't hear. Death people."

Shoto bit back a chuckle, Hitoshi did none of the sort. "It's deaf people, Izu. With an F."

"Oh," Izuku turned slightly pink and rubbed the back of his neck.

Hitoshi shook his head with a smile. "The language is for people who can't hear. But it's also for people who can't speak."

Izuku cocked his head curiously. "But you can both speak."

Shoto and Hitoshi glanced at each other knowingly. How were they supposed to explain partial mutism stemming from trauma to their innocent friend?

"It's also just fun to learn and use," Shoto spoke up for the first time since he arrived, keeping his voice and expression carefully blank like usual. "It's handy when it's loud and you can't hear each other, or your across the room and things."

Izuku perked up again. "Oh, yeah, that's makes sense." He grinned at them, that same, bright, sunshine grin that had Shoto both squinting and tempted to smile back. "Could you both teach me?"

The two introverts traded another glance, then Hitoshi just shrugged. "Sure. But not right now, obviously."

"Oh, right!" Izuku jumped down from the bed. "I'll go see if dad's ready to go." Then he ran out of the room, leaving Hitoshi and Shoto alone together.

Neither of them spoke, but there was a sort of silent understanding in the room.

Shoto had had a feeling for a while that Hitoshi had had a hard time in life, just like him. He wasn't sure of why or how, he'd never asked. But something about this felt like further proof that he was right. He was pretty sure Hitoshi felt similarly.

They understood each other, and it felt nice.

Izuku understood to a level, they both knew. Being quirkless, Shoto had a feeling he hadn't had the greatest time at school, and Hitoshi probably knew more about that, going to the same school as him.

But he still wasn't as far in as Shota and Hitoshi were, at least he never seemed like it. He still seemed so blissfully innocent and happy, unaware of the pain the world could cause. Neither of them wanted to ruin that by telling him the truth about their homes or pasts.

Maybe one day, but right now, Izuku was just their sunshine who was always there to light up the darkness and make things better, make them feel happy and not judge them. And they were perfectly fine with that.

Izuku came bursting back through the door with with as much energy as ever, grinning from ear to ear. "He's ready, come on! Let's go, let's go!"

Both boys scrambled up to follow their hopping friend down the hall (Izuku greatly reminded Shoto of a bunny right now), and into the now much more calm main room. It appears Hitoshi's mom had left and the TV had been turned off. Tenko and Touya were at the kitchen table, seeming to be pulling papers and books out of their backpacks for homework. Hisashi was pulling his shoes on by the door, and Inko was humming while doing the dishes.

It felt much more homely now. Shoto quite liked coming here and appreciating this environment, it was so different than the tense, awkward air at home. This felt so much more natural, like he could relax. It reminded him how much he loved this family again, dare he say more then his own, even if he loved his siblings and his mother, wherever she was.

"You ready to go boys?" Hisashi called and Izuku ran over. Hitoshi and Shoto followed.

A minute later, the three of them were piling into the backseat, Izuku in the middle, and Hitoshi and Shoto on either side, while Hisashi huffed into the drivers seat.

"Alright, all bucked up back there?"

Shoto nodded at him through the rear view mirror, Hitoshi shot a thumbs up, and Izuku just grunted as he struggled to get the seatbelt into the buckle. Shoto scooted aside to give more room then took the buckle to help, snapping him in.

Izuku smiled at him gratefully. "All ready, dad!"

Then they were on their way.

"So, you guys ever had ice cream before?" Hisashi asked, interrupting the light banter that Shoto and Hitoshi had, much to Izuku's amusement.

Hitoshi put a a ginger to his chin in thought for a moment. "It's been a while, but I did when I was little."

Hisashi nodded. "What flavors did you like?"

"I always got cotton candy."

"Oh! Cotton candy is delicious! The flavor and the real thing," Izuku chimed in.

"What about you, Shoto?" Asked Hisashi.

Shoto shook his head. "No, I'm not quite sure what ice cream is."

Izuku gasped, seemingly horrified at the prospect. "Ice cream is only the best desert ever! It's sweet and cold, and creamy, you'll love it! It comes in all sorts of different flavors, and toppings too!"

Izuku started on a ramble about ice cream, and Shoto still wasn't exactly sure what it was by the end, but if Izuku liked it so much it was probably good.

Eventually they arrived at a small shop on the corner of a street. The outside was small and cutely decorated with plants and pastel colors, a window in the center that looked to be made to open and order from, and a sign above reading "The Cream Of Ice". Other wise it looked pretty old and run down, and not like a place anyone would stop by, despite how friendly it was attempting to look.

Hitoshi scoffed at the name, but Izuku just grinned and skipped forward.

Hisashi glanced down at him when he didn't move from in front of the car even after Hitoshi and Izuku walked forward.

"I know it doesn't look like much," the man smiled, "but they have some of the best ice cream out there in our opinion. We've been coming here a long time, and the owner is an older lady who's trying her best and loves what she's doing. She deserves a lot more, but is making do with what she has. She's lost a lot, and is having a hard time, doesn't have anyone left, but she's still here trying to make kids happy with ice cream."

Shoto looks up at the window where Izuku seemed to be introducing Hitoshi to the older woman who had peeked her head out. She smiled warmly, her eyes crinkling with age. She stepped outside through the door on the right, showing her to be a small woman with almost completely white hair tied up in a bun. She looked kind, and loving.

He frowned. "How did you find all that out?"

Hisashi smiled down at him then started forward. "Because I listen. Everyone has a story if you're willing to hear it out."

Shoto blinked after him for a minute, then watched as the older woman stepped back inside, still seeming to be talking about something with Izuku and Hitoshi about something as she worked in the back. Finally he stepped forward to the window as well.

A few minutes later, the kind looking woman was handing him an ice cream cone, which looked like a cup made of cookie and some sort of cream swirled on top. The cream with a bright white with pieces of chocolate scattered about.

"In my opinion, when you're trying something as complex as ice cream for the first time, you should start simple, just to get a feel for what it is, really." The woman smiled warmly at him. "Then you can come back and try whatever you like another time!"

He blinked up at her, then down at the cone before giving her a small smile. "Thank you."

Her eyes softened. "Of course, dear. Enjoy your ice cream everyone, and come visit again soon, you guys! I always love seeing little Izuku. And you too Hisashi."

The man smiled and nodded at her, holding his regular plastic cup and spoon filled with apparently chocolate ice cream and brownie bits. "You too, Mrs. Kaminawa."

"Try it, Shoto!" Izuku urged, his mouth already covered with his rainbow, half eaten ice cream cone.

Shoto looked down at his, eyebrows furrowing. "How?"

He looked up in time to see Hitoshi take a broth right off the top of his ice cream, teeth and all.

Looking back down at his, Shoto just shrugged it off and did the same, then immediately regretted it as pain flared through his teeth and mouth from the cold.

He pulled away so fast he almost dropped the cone, then put his left hand over his mouth in hopes of warming it up. His teeth hurt so bad.

"Shoto! That's not how you eat it!" Izuku said, sounding worried. "Are you ok? I've done that before, it hurts. Why did you-"

Apparently that was when Izuku caught sight of Hitoshi as he took another bite, minding his own business and watching like it was a TV show.

"Hito!" Izuku gasped. "How can you eat it like that!? Doesn't it hurt!?"

Hitoshi shrugged.

Izuku grimaced, then turned back to Shoto. "You just like it, like this." Izuku stuck his tongue out and ran it up over the ice cream.

Shoto, his teeth not hurting so bad anymore, made an oh shape with his mouth and proceeded to copy Izuku.

Now that he wasn't in pain, he could actually taste the creamy cold flavor, and suddenly Izuku's ramble didn't seem so out of place. His eyes blew wide and he quickly took a few more licks. Why was he deprived of this his whole life?

Izuku chuckled, as he was certain his face was probably now covered in the stuff, but he didn't care. This stuff was amazing and he wanted to eat it forever. It compared to Cold Soba, and nothing had ever matched up to Cold Soba.

"Slow down, you're making a huge mess," Hitoshi scolded, but he had a smirk on his face. Shoto paid it no mind.

Then, suddenly, he froze as a shiver wracked his body and his head pounded out of nowhere. He let out a small whimper and pressed his hand to his forehead, hoping it would help the pressing headache.

Izuku grimaced in sympathy. "Ah, I think you got a brain freeze. I got one of those once. It happens when you eat ice cream too fast."

Hitoshi snickered and Shoto shot him a halfhearted glare.

"It'll get better in a second," said Hisashi with a small smile. "You guys wanna go ahead and bring your ice creams to the park? It's just down the street so we can walk."

With some cheering from Izuku, the four of them started down the street towards the playground. Izuku and Hitoshi led the way, licking their ice creams and chatting about a hero called Eraserhead that Shoto had heard of from them. Hisashi and Shoto followed in silence for a bit, before Hisashi spoke up to him.

"You like the ice cream?"

Shoto looked up at him and nodded vigorously, earning a chuckle from the man.

"I can tell," he said as he gestured around his mouth with his finger, grinning,

Shoto blinked then tried to lick his lips, Hisashi laughing again. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a napkin that looked like it was probably from the ice cream shop.

"Here," he handed it to Shoto.

Shoto took it and nodded at him. "Thank you." Then he started to wipe his mouth off.

They fell into silence again for a few minutes, just walking and licking their ice creams as Izuku and Hitoshi continued chatting. Shoto wasn't really paying attention to what they were saying.

"So how have things at home been?" Hisashi asked kindly.

Shoto blinked down at his ice cream, silently debating on what to say. He knew Tenko and Hisashi knew more than they were letting on. It became pretty obvious at the doctor when Touya told him what happened to his mom and they were sitting by looking sad. It made sense that Touya told Tenko, he supposed.

With a quick glance up at the white haired man, who still seemed relax and focused on his ice cream, Shoto let out a breath. "I don't know. Not great, but could be worse."

Hisashi nodded and hummed, still seemingly relaxed, but at the same time making it known Shoto had his full attention. Somehow, it was both relaxing and assuring, an invitation to continue but also lacking pressure. It was strange, but it had Shoto wanting to keep going.

"Fuyumi seemed to decide she was going to take over for mom, so she's been super busy and stuff getting used to doing everything mom used to do like cleaning and cooking. We've been trying to help, but she's the only one mom taught how to do a lot of that stuff. Natsuo's been purposefully keeping himself busy and distracted, even more then he did before. He's staying at school and away from home as much as he can. Touya, he's trying to be the oldest, be the strong one and pretend like nothings wrong. But he was probably closest to mom. And dad- dad's just dad. Won't let anyone visit her, claiming it's too dangerous. Got a lot more strict and protective with me, but somehow also more demanding and working me harder. I don't know. A lots happening, I guess."

Hisashi hummed again, but this time looked over at him. Shoto looked back. There was so much in the man's eyes, so many emotions, and towards who or what Shoto wasn't sure, but the main thing he felt directed at him was reassurance. Kindness. Determination maybe. Shoto wasn't sure what to make of any of it, but it felt trustworthy.

He'd never had someone look at him like that before. There was no pity, ho hatred, no doubt, none of the emotions he was used to seeing around him. This was just- he wasn't sure. But it felt good.

It felt like his mother, but warmer. More certain. Less fearful.

He blinked. Touya was right. Either daddy wasn't normal or Hisashi wasn't. Cause they were so different.

—-

When they got to the park, Izuku immediately took off, dragging Hitoshi with him. Hisashi smiled then turned to the nearest trash can to throw away the trash from their ice creams.

When he turned back to look for a bench to sit down at, he realized Shoto was still on the grass, staring blankly at the playground and watching Hitoshi and Izuku talking to some other kids who were playing.

It suddenly became obvious exactly how many other kids and adults were scattered about the park, chatting and playing and oblivious of everyone else around them.

Except for Shoto, apparently. Hisashi bit his lip. The few other times he'd taken them to the park, it had been a smaller one closer to their house that hardly ever had other kids. Being homeschooled Shoto had probably never been around so many other kids that he didn't know.

Eyes following Shoto's gaze to where Izuku and Hitoshi seemed to be looking around for him among the other bunches of kids running around, he approached the little boy.

"Scary, huh?" He asked, once he was close enough. Shoto seemed to startle slightly, looking up at him, but then just nodded, expression still blank.

Hisashi hated that expression. No kid should feel like they have to be so closed off. But he showed no such feelings on his own face.

"You know, you don't have to go in there." Shoto looked up at him, and some confusion leaked through his mask. Hisashi smiled down at him. "I doubt I'm as fun as those two, but you could always chill out on the bench with me if it's too overwhelming."

Shoto blinked at him. "I can?"

Hisashi nodded and crouched down to be on his level. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to. Whether that means sitting here with me or playing with your friends. I wont force you to do anything."

Shoto looked down at his feet for a minute, seeming to think about it. Then he looked back up at the bush playground, twisting his fingers together. Finally he looked back at Hisashi, and he could see bits of determination and nervousness in those dual colored eyes.

"I wanna try. I wanna play with them."

Hisashi grins at him. "Alright, have fun. And just come over here if you need a break or to stop. I'll be right in that bench over there."

Shoto nodded, then, after one final deep breath, started through the other kids towards Hitoshi and Izuku.

It was only about ten minutes later that, as Hisashi was leaned back on the bench with his eyes closed, that the bench creaked with the weight of another person.

He peeked one eye open to see Shoto on the other side of the bench, avoiding eye contact and keeping his gaze on the ground.

Hisashi smiled and reached over to ruffle the half red and half white head of hair, again slightly startling the boy into looking up at him with wide eyes.

Hisashi just gave him a soft smile and closed his eyes again.

And if a it was only a few minutes later that Shoto ended up quietly asleep on Hisashi's shoulder, but startling awake as soon as Izuku called his name and trying to hide his embarrassment at the action, then no one needed to know but them.

Hisashi was going to silently grin about it for days though.