There wasn't much in life that could take Hizashi by surprise. At least, that's what he likes to believe could take him by surprise. However, he supposes that's also how he thought of himself being untouchable by anxieties, nervousness or embarrassment. It was a wish that he could be untouchable by those emotions, but God knows he has more than enough memories to speak of all those emotions. Enough memories to give him that familiar second hand embarrassment when he was lying in bed late at night trying to sleep.
He had more than enough instances to keep him going for a damn lifetime. And yet he found that as a twenty-six year old man that he was living through more embarrassments than he cared to think about. God knows embarrassment was unavoidable when he had two six-year-old sons who liked to babble the first things that popped into their heads. Something he was trying to help them work out rather than continuing on that way. He was the same way as a child, and it got him in more than enough trouble.
He was trying to break the habit with both boys, but it seemed to be harder than not with his sons hardly thinking twice. He wanted nothing more than for them to be open and have good communication skills, but he couldn't help turning red when the boys were babbling at strangers. When he was a child, he knew that his mothers had dealt with more than enough embarrassment when he'd been doing the same. Hell, they had him and they had a four year old following after her older brother to do the same.
He knew that when taking on children that embarrassment was going to be unavoidable. He knew it when Hitoshi first began wetting the bed and the boy was so embarrassed he was reduced to tears. When he would have accidents when they were potty training. Embarrassment, he found, was an unavoidable thing in life. Same with surprises. In the time that it took him to mature, he found that not only did embarrassment come freely but so did that anxiety. So did that nervousness. They were unavoidable.
He liked to believe that he could keep his head on his shoulders when it came to the nervousness that threatened to choke him up. The anxieties he hid behind the proud, bold, and loud persona of his that often had others picking fun at him when he was a teenager. Back when he'd tried being so outlandish that his flaws couldn't be pointed out by the public. And from that day he decided to act in such a manner, he found himself living by it. However, there was nothing in his life that could spare him the surprise that came nowadays.
That came with having two six-year-old's who babbled the first things out of their head to anyone willing to listen. Whether it was about some blunder he had in the kitchen or a made up story about a lizard monster living under their beds. About catching glimpses of him after his showers when he was walking about in a robe. When the boys commented on his routine, leaving him red faced with that all too familiar embarrassment. It always left him frantic as he tried to wave off what they said but it was down right impossible.
He didn't make a habit of showering then walking around naked with his robe on but some days he had things to do that made getting dressed the last thing on his mind. He was hardly in danger of flashing his children when he was in his robe, but it was embarrassing when teachers questioned him about it. It was awful. However, that was the least likely thing to take him by surprise. He had come to expect that his children would babble the first things in their heads. That when the time came all he could do was try to curb it.
He didn't know if it was simply because they were still growing out of toddler years into proper children of six-year-old, but he was doing his best to discourage it. To get them to stop talking about the private matters at home when it came to him being in a robe. When it came to the private things they did, he made sure to emphasis were private, that they should not be sharing with their peers and teachers. Doing his best to establish that open communication was perfectly fine. In fact, he encouraged it.
But it was not fine to be telling his teachers what he did at home. How he took his baths. How he sometimes had no choice but to throw on his bathrobe before dressing just to take care of something for the boys after a shower. How he was shirtless from time to time when these things happened. There were no stopping children who wanted to babble about what they wanted to their friends and family. There was nothing much that he could do to stop it other than to gently chastise them each time.
To rebuke them once they returned home so they could learn the difference between right and wrong. What was appropriate to say in public and what was not. He liked to believe he was getting through to his children. He liked to believe that they were listening to him when they looked up at him with their wide purple and green eyes. Asking him in those innocent voices if he was angry with them. If they were bad boys for saying what they said. And it truly did tug at his heart to hear his children ask if they were bad.
He had to do his best to find a balance in telling them what was and wasn't acceptable to say in public without them feeling bad. Without them feeling that they couldn't talk to anyone outside of the house but rather he just wanted the personal information to stop being spread. God knows he'd been mortified when one of their teachers tried asking him about the rope or shirtless situation, he'd gone red. He'd been so ashamed he couldn't meet her gaze the few times he went to the school for parent-teacher night.
It had been utterly mortifying but with each scolding he was sure that the boys were getting the message loud and clear. They were understanding at least enough to know it embarrassed him. Like the night he'd ordered them pizza and Izuku asked him to come over then followed it afterwards asking if he was embarrassed. He knew they were getting it, but it was a painfully slow process with his boys. When Izuku broke his arm, he had been nothing short of distraught. He'd been a damn near sobbing mess himself that night.
When he ran into the hospital with Izuku in his arms who was wailing again after glancing at his arm for the first time. Shrieking in his arms when he dared to twitch his fingers as he ran up to the nurses station. He'd been frantic, giving their information as they were brought to the emergency room rather quickly. But God, the waiting room was torture. Sitting there with other sickly, injured individuals around while Izuku whimpered into his chest. Hitoshi whimpered into his side as he tried patting his brother's knee comfortingly.
Both doing their best to comfort him during the two hours they'd waited for a doctor to become available. They didn't get a room but rather they took Izuku right up to x-rays to get a look at the break. Surgery being thrown around as the solution for fixing his arm much to his dismay. It was the boy's first surgery, and he was downright distraught at the sight of his son being wheeled away. Crying for him as he stretched his good arm out towards him with all the dramatics of a wailing child needing their father.
He'd done his best to soothe Hitoshi after Izuku had gone up for surgery. He'd paced the waiting room with Hitoshi whimpering into his shoulder as he sobbed on and off for his brother. It was awful. He'd not been shocked in the least bit that Izuku would need surgery. He'd seen broken arms; he'd had one himself but never had the bone push the skin like that. He knew surgery was needed yet he still felt the small bit of surprise at how long it had taken. He'd been dead on his feet when the nurses finally came to him.
The doctor with them proclaiming they fixed the break and that Izuku was in a room. That he was out of surgery. By that point it was far past dinner and their bed time and Hitoshi had cried himself out finally until he was dozing on his shoulder. He'd been all too happy to rush to Izuku's room where the boy was under sedation with his arm cast up in a sling. He'd felt horrible. Gut punched with that guilt over the situation. He didn't want to leave Izuku on his own again. Much to his delight, he and Hitoshi had been given a bed to sleep in.
And he'd been wracked with guilt. He'd felt awful but when he woke up the next morning? When he saw Izuku sitting up eating something from the cafeteria, he'd been nothing short of smothering. Nothing short of fussing over his son to the point he was sure he was driving the kind nurses up the damn wall. He wanted to know everything. He wanted to hear everything. And the doctors had told him what they knew about the break. His son had suffered a compound break which caused that bump beneath his skin.
In worse cases the bone would break the skin and poke out. They'd gone in, aligned the bone with a plate and a few screws then that he'd be in a cast for six months. That, at least, was the longest outlook so far. It all depended on how his arm along with the bone healed in six months. But he'd been at least somewhat soothed after hearing their calming voices explain it. Hitoshi had been crying with relief that Izuku wasn't mad at him and was alright. He felt ready to cry himself when he looked at the groggy boy.
They'd spent the day in the hospital with trips to the cafeteria until they got Izuku's discharge papers together. When the anesthesia had properly worn off of him. The boys both seemed more than ready to go home. And it had been mortifying to hear the boys babbling to the nurses when they came in about their home life. About him. And he'd been more than eager to usher them out when they were finally discharged with pain pills in hand for Izuku. An as needed prescription that he would give out as need be.
He'd wanted to text Aimi, Hana, Haru or his mothers about what had happened. To tell Shouta. But he'd left his phone at home when he'd run for the boys and stuffed them in the car, he hadn't been thinking of contacting anyone. When they returned home, he'd been wracked with guilt to find the cat bowls empty of food and water which he got onto doing while the boys whined for dinner. He'd thrown left overs in the oven when he went to his bedroom where the laundry had been knocked off the bed by the cats no doubt.
But his phone right there on the floor. To think all of this would happen the weekend before his teaching job. It had him flustered when he'd made several calls to his friends and family to let them know why he hadn't been home when they came by. Why he hadn't been answering his phone. All he wanted was to get his mind on work with the boys taken care of for the remainder of the weekend. He'd felt ready to lose his mind when Izuku tried attempting to get on the swing set with his arm in the cast.
He'd all but shrieked he couldn't do it and Izuku had been saddened. He felt awful hovering over the green-haired boy but what else was he supposed to do? What else could he do but be smothering over his son who went through a surgery and had a cast? He had to keep an eye on Izuku when even the boy couldn't do that properly. He needed to make sure the both of them were safe. And he knew it would be hard with his work at the school, but he knew he could do it. He just had to keep a closer eye on them.
But the guilt screamed that he'd let it happen again no matter how unintentional it was. What if Izuku said something Hitoshi? What if Hitoshi broke his arm too? Or what if he broke his leg? Or worse a concussion for either one of them? He'd been jittery but he'd kept his eyes on the boys for the remainder of the weekend. He couldn't take his eyes off of them. It had been late Saturday night when Shouta called that he'd let himself break down into tears. Sobbing into the phone with that guilt festering. Eating him alive.
He'd cried until his eyes felt swollen all while Shouta had done his best to reassure him like the doctors did. Like the nurses did when he explained. It wasn't his fault. He was doing laundry. The boys were self-sufficient but still needed him but that didn't make it his fault for taking his eyes off of them. That he was a good father for getting them there so fast. It didn't help. None of it helped. He'd hiccupped, wailed, sobbed until his chest hurt all while Shouta was trying his best to calm him down over the line.
He'd woken that Sunday morning with swollen eyes that itched and Shouta snoring over the speaker with the phone pressed against his cheek. His hearing aids hanging halfway out from his rubbing over the pillow. And he thanked Shouta. He'd gone so far as to promise to make him more vanilla milk or to bring food over to him as a thank you for staying on the line with him For staying rather than hanging up the second he fell asleep. He wanted to do something nice for the man who had denied needing anything from him.
However, he was determined. Determined to return the favor to his friend whether he liked it or not. And somehow, someway, he saw his way through that Sunday without another break down. Without needing to shriek at his son who was spending most of his time napping on the couch when he needed his medicine to help with the pain. Somehow, he made it through that hellish weekend of his to claw his way forward to today. Oh, Izuku had been talking non-stop about getting kids to sign his cast on Monday morning.
Thankfully, he managed to get Nemuri to see the boys off while he rushed off so he wouldn't be late on his first day of work at the high school. Sitting in his car, Hizashi took a slow deep breath as he tightened his grasp on the steering wheel briefly. He could do this. It had been a long, painful weekend but how much more painful could teaching be? Sure, Shouta had bitched about it in the past but surely it'd be fine today? It wouldn't be too hard on him would it? No harder than a weekend filled with tears, could it?
He took another slow, deep breath as his lashes fluttered on his cheeks with his eyes itching slightly from the contacts he wore today. He'd decided not to wear his glasses at work but rather to go without. God forbid something happened at the school that had his glasses breaking or something of the sort. It was better to pop in his contacts in and call it a day. It'd been difficult given how his eyes still felt itchy and puffy from his crying stints but he'd managed to get them in. It was a bitch but he knew it'd be better in the long haul.
Shaking off his thoughts the best he could, he turned to open his car door then shifted slightly to reach over to the passenger side seat. Sliding the strap of his laptop bag onto his shoulder, grabbing at his bento box in its lunch box bag, his thermos of tea, and slid out of his car once everything was in hand. He felt nervous. Like this was he was a teenager again facing his first day at high school all over again. He shuffled out into the parking lot of the high school with students gathered outside the doors chattering to one another.
Lingering before the first bell could ring, no doubt. He shut his car door then tapped his pockets for his wallet and phone. Digging his hand in then to tug his keys out of his pocket to lock the doors with a honk before shoving the keys back into his pocket with his phone. He made his way between his car and the truck he was parked next too to begin making his way across the parking lot. The cool air of November bit at his cheeks, nose, and finger tips as he marched towards the school with a huff that had a weak plume leaving his lips.
How could it get so cold so fast? They were only two weeks into November yet the temperatures seemed to be dropping like crazy. Each day dropping lower, lower, lower with frost clinging to the grass. To leaves that scraped over the frigid ground as they fell in heaps from the trees. He shuddered as he tugged his coat closer to him with his hand lifting to work the strap of the bag over his shoulder. Thumping rhythmically against his thighs as he approached the school, he found eyes on him as he made his way forward.
Teenagers watching him march forward curiously as he held his lunch close to his side with his thermos in the crook of his elbow. He couldn't help but feel like the new student at school; as if he had transferred in late in the year. It had him feeling odd as he approached the familiar front doors of the school even if the building itself was a grand affair. This wasn't the school he attended but it was similar to the one he, Nemuri, and Oboro had met at. He adjusted the strap of his laptop bag once more before pushing open the front doors.
A blast of warmth hitting him caused his hair to rustle around his face. He made his way into the small hallway between the doors to the second set of doors that he pushed open as he entered the front of hall of the school. Gaggles of students were about chattering as they flew down the hallway in groups. The din of the walls amplifying them into an ambiguous sound. A background sound that instantly had him reminiscing on his days when he was a student. It was painfully familiar as he made his way forward.
It had him humming softly to himself when he let out a sigh as he began to walk down the front hall to what he assumed to be the massive door that had to be where the principle worked. There was a note on the door that had him hesitating on his feet when he wavered before turning to find the staff room instead. The least he could do was set his stuff down, wasn't it? He was sure they'd point him in the right direction for the desk he was to sit at, wouldn't they? Or would it be made painfully clear for him?
He had not a clue as he walked forward with his items in hand towards the sign labeling the room ahead as the staff room. He adjusted the strap over his shoulder as he let out a slow sigh. His eyes still felt swollen from his sobbing on Saturday night. Itchy. He had to at least be thankful that he didn't show it. That his eyes weren't red and puffy as they had been on Sunday afternoon when his mothers had come over to fuss over him. When Mitsuki had come to pick the boys up to which he had to explain Izuku's broken arm.
He swore he'd never had so many mothers fussing over him the way he did then with the blonde woman promising to bring some soup by for him after commenting on his puffy eyes. His nose that was red and agitated from blowing it. He'd been bashful over the idea but Mitsuki, along with his mothers, refused to hear otherwise. As if the women hadn't spent hours fussing and crooning over Izuku who seemed to lap up the attention from his grandmothers. Going so far as to ask them to sign his cast which they had.
The boy didn't seem to mind his broken arm as much. In fact, the boy was absolutely delighted to have his grandmothers' attention on him for the first time. He'd been so shy around them last year when he first took him in but a year later and the boy was lapping their attention up. Enjoying it. He could only imagine how his son was reveling in the attention from his peers at school. Letting out a sigh as he came to a stop before the staff door, he tensed his shoulders before reaching out with his free hand to tug the door open.
Where he found a few teachers within already. An empty desk marked 'Yamada' which he shut the door behind him then walked into the room towards with his eyes locked onto it. Peeking up at his coworkers as he made his way to the empty desk, he placed his lunch, thermos, and then his laptop bag down onto it slowly. He recognized the pale gray haired man immediately from across the room. He'd gotten surgery to held his underbite that he'd had in school that had caused his bottom canine teeth to poke out slightly for years.
Sekijiro Kan. They went to school together, that much he remembered, as the man had been a brute at the sports he played. He'd dare say he'd been in awe of Sekijiro but the then teenager hardly gave him time of day when he was hanging out with Oboro. It had been a rumor that Sekijiro had a thing for Oboro but there was never anything to confirm it. And he had to admit, he'd been a brat. A jerk. When Sekijiro had rebuffed him he had indeed accused the awkward teen of liking Oboro more than him.
Something that occurred after he managed t hang out with Sekijiro once before being ghosted. It was after that that their social circles never touched again. He'd been left watching out the windows as Sekijiro played his sports with his other friends with their thicker proportions and necks. He'd genuinely liked the pale-gray haired man at one point. Had wanted to get to know him but he'd been rebuffed one too many times for his ego back then. With Sekijiro was another man with black dread locks, and deeply tanned skin.
A cowboy hat settled on top of his head. Dark eyes watching him curiously when he jerked his gaze down. There was what appeared to be a woman with them too. She had short, navy blue colored hair with blonde colored at the top simulating what he can only guess to be a spiral. She had large, hazel colored irises with golden rings around the pupils from what he could see. He had not a clue but he had two people gawking at him with wide eyed curiosity while Sekijiro seemed to stare with contempt. With disdain.
He kept his head down as he settled his things on the table when he took a quiet deep breath. Alright! Alright, alright, it was fine! He could introduce himself to a few people now couldn't he? He straightened up then with a smile on his lips when he shifted around the chair hesitantly before approaching the group of three and he approached the man with those dark dreadlocks. He hesitated before holding his hand out towards the man who stared at him with such curiosity. An unabashed curiosity to them.
Like he was an alien that had blown in that he was trying to figure out. Licking his lips, he then cleared his throat when he forced his smile a little higher as he fought the urge to touch his hair. To fuss with his shirt that hung over the pair of leather pants he wore today. "Hello, I'm the, uh, substitute! Yamada Hizashi! I'll be here from now to Christmas vacation so I hope that we can get along? I'd love nothing more too!"
He was stared at rather intensely before the man lifted his hand up and it was clapped down onto his. A firm squeeze that he returned without a second thought when the man then smirked at him with their hands being pumped once, twice, before he got another squeeze that he returned. "You can call me Snipe. Is what everyone else 'round here calls me anyhow! Pleased to meet ya, Yamada. Keep your head up and stay strong. Kids push boundaries but you'll find this class is a pretty respectful bunch."
"Thirteen! That's what everyone else here calls me!" He glanced over at the navy haired woman perked up with a chirp when he tugged his hand from Snipe's with a slender hand then slipping into his to squeeze. Pumped once, twice, the woman beamed up at him delightedly as he squeezed at her hand in response. A rather strong squeeze from the small woman but he found himself in awe when she then let go. "But Snipe is right! They're a respectful bunch so don't worry your head about it too much!"
"Right." He nodded when he then let his gaze flick to Sekijiro uncertainly. Did he introduce himself to the pale gray-haired man? Or did he just ignore the man as he ignored him? He was hesitating far too long for this when the staff room doors were grinding open, which he glanced over. A thin, nearly sickly thin, man stood in the doorway in a yellow stripes suit. Broad shouldered, blue eyes flicked about the room before they settled on him with a sparkle forming in rather sunken eyes.
"Yamada, I presume?" Woah. He blinked at that rather deep voice when he nodded to which the man grinned at him, and he couldn't deny it was a bit disturbing. With how sickly thin the man was, he could see the facial muscles moving in his face when he grinned so widely. It was like watching a skeleton grin at him. However, there was something to the man that had him curious. His ego perhaps? An aura of it? "Why don't you come with me to Nezu's office for a quick debriefing?"
"Sure!" He glanced up at Sekijiro who had scoffed quietly before turning away from the trio to walk forward along the desks cluttered with small items that made them unique to the respective teachers. His shoes tapped lightly on the floor as he made his way back to his desk which he turned around before rushing towards the man who held his hand out towards him. What a big hand that was. He blinked before lifting his hand to slide it into that big one that swallowed his up slightly. "Yamada Hizashi. You are?"
"Toshinori Yagi! Pleased to meet you, Yamada! I'm sure this is very last minute for you, but we appreciate you coming to substitute so quickly!" The hand in his squeezed before sliding away as he followed the man over the threshold into the now emptying hallway. The door slid shut with a gentle thud as they began to make their way down the hallway. How tall was this skeletal man? He towered effortlessly over him. "Nezu was especially happy to hear back from you with the quickness you displayed!"
"Oh, I'm glad! I have more than enough time to work throughout the week, so I figured why not? And besides, it's not like I need to worry about making up a syllabus and assignments that are already planned out by the real teacher, you know?" He gave a chuckle that was echoed by the taller blonde as their shoes tapped on the floor as they headed towards the large door he'd noticed on his way in with the note. Gone now, he then glanced up at Toshinori. "Is there a reason for this meeting?"
"Oh, well, Nezu merely wishes to greet you and welcome you aboard! And he has a teacher in there that will teach you the ropes for the day and show you around the school! Think of it like you're a new student who will be having a partner tote you around the school if that makes sense! Just to show you around and whatnot." He nodded at the other blonde who came to a stop before the door, rapping his knuckles sharply against it, there was a muffle reply when Toshinori gave him a smile he returned.
And then he pushed open the door as he followed after him with his heart skipping when he found himself entering a rather large, ornately decorated room. He understood this could be considered a semi-private school from what he understood but damn. He let his gaze flick around the room when his gaze fell on the small man smiling pleasantly at him from his large desk. Dark hair speckled with gray streaks the small man sipped at his tea before speaking. "Welcome! I see you found your way to the staff room?"
"Yes! I introduced myself to quite a few already to get to know my coworkers. I already knew Kan, but I appreciate you giving me the chance!" He shuffled forward with his footsteps loud on the floor when he let his gaze flick over the room when the couch off to the side had a man snapping towards him. He snapped his own head to catch the movement when his mouth fell open slightly on a wheezing exhale. For he recognized that man sitting there with dark eyes widening at him.
The way full lips parted slightly before pinching together in a tight line. The way his jaw was tightening then wiggling slightly as if grinding his teeth. How black lashes fluttered as dark eyes tore away from him to scowl at the principle sipping idly at his tea. The black curls that spilled down his shoulders. Shouta? He didn't dare breathe the man's name who looked so furiously at the small man who smiled pleasantly. "That's good! Aizawa, here, will be your escort for the day, Yamada! He'll show you the ropes of the school and your classroom!"
"Ah, thank you." He hated how small his voice sounded, which had dark eyes flicking back to him to which he looked away. His fingers twisting together nervously when he couldn't help but feel he was stepping into Shouta's territory. On his toes. He wanted nothing more than to shrivel away as his thumb nail dug into the cuticle of his index finger before he licked his lips. "Bu-But I'd be fine with Yagi showing me the ropes instead if that's more convenient! I don't want to burden anyone that way, you know?"
"Oh, I get it! But no, Aizawa will be your partner for the day! He will show you everything you need to know, and he will do it with a smile." Oh? Was there a weird tension between the principle and Shouta? He had not a clue as he shriveled in on himself with Toshinori's side pressing to his shoulder when he cringed into the blonde without thinking. Oh, now that had dark eyes flaming at him with nostrils flaring. Lips pinched tightly together with that jaw wiggling again. He'd never seen Shouta so livid.
"You'll be in good hands with Aizawa, Yamada, I promise!" A hand clapped onto his shoulder; big hand that had him in awe yet again when he laughed nervously with his gaze flicking up to find a kindness in those blue eyes. He couldn't explain the dynamic between Nezu and Shouta. It was like a love-hate relationship where Nezu got off on inconveniencing Shouta anyway he could. "However, should you need me, I will be happy to show you around the school, Yamada! Don't be scared of Aizawa! He's all bark no bite!"
"Aha, I-I bet!" He hated his small voice. How nervous he sounded. Twisting his fingers together, his thumbnail picking at his cuticle, he swallowed before licking his lips when he took a step backwards away from Toshinori. From the desk when the light airy sound of a bell went off that had Shouta standing. It had him jumping; like he had been placed in a pen with a panther. "I suppose that's my cue to leave! I, um, have my room number saved so no need for a tour! I can do it at lunch I suppose!"
"Perfect! Then Aizawa can meet you for lunch!" The small man then clapped his hands as if he were delighted by it while Shouta merely clenched his jaw. God, how tightly can one man clench their jaw like that for that long? He took another step back while the principle smiled with such pleasant sweetness it had him wavering. He then spun on his feet then with a nod before rushing for the door with eyes watching him. He raced for that door, tugging it open then slipping into the hallway that he ran down.
He couldn't help but feel like he was fucked.
"Dad? Dad? Daddy, are you okay? You haven't moved at all since you came home! Right, Zu?"
"Yeah! Are you okay, Dad?"
The low groan tore out of him into the mattress he laid across when his doors rattled lightly with the soft thuds of feet over the carpet ringing out. He turned his head slightly to find a pair of wide green and purple eyes peering at him over the edge of his bed. He rolled onto his side with both boys climbing up onto the bed; Hitoshi heaving his brother up with his good arm when he sighed out. "I'm fine. I'm very, very tired. How about we wing it tonight, huh? Wanna have a left overs night tonight?"
"What do we got for left overs?" Hitoshi questioned when the boy crawled behind him to drape over his side with his arms folding on his side. His little chin resting on his arms while Izuku shuffled forward carefully to cuddle up to his chest with his broken arm held carefully in its sling as he sighed out. What did they have? He had not a clue. He had his lunch that he'd barely picked today that he could eat. He could just cook something reasonably quick if they didn't have left overs. "Dad?"
"I don't know what we have, kid. But I can wing it with cooking tonight, now, can't I?" He slid his hand over green curls with Izuku peering up at him with those wide green eyes of his. He slid his hand over his hair to gently rub his thumb against that freckled cheek before reaching back to ruffle indigo locks with gentle scratches. "How about something warm? You guys want some soup tonight with crackers? Or tomato soup with grilled cheese? What are we in the mood for?"
"Hmmm, can we have ramen tonight?" Hitoshi question when he pushed on him causing him to roll slightly while small hands twisted into his shirt as he sighed out. He knew he needed to get his shit together. But after this day of the heated glances and tight lipped responses from Shouta and the strange ice out from Kan, he couldn't take much more. He just wanted to sleep but he had grading to get done. "It's okay if we don't, Dad! We can do somethin' else!"
"Yeah! We'll eat whatever, Dad, okay? So don't worry!" A small hand touched his cheek then with green eyes focusing on his. And God, it made him want to cry having his son stroke his cheek gently. Patting it lightly. His son, who broke his arm, comforting him after an oddly tense day at work. It had him clutching the boy to his chest with a hum when Izuku grunted quietly from the tight hug when he rolled onto his back tugging Hitoshi into his arms when Izuku whined. "Dad! Too tight!"
"Mmm!" He nuzzled his face into wild indigo locks and green curls respectfully before sitting upright with his legs kicking out as he curled them up with both boys in his lap. Hugging them tight, tight, tight to his chest as they squirmed with whines of protest while he remained careful about Izuku's arm. He then pulled back with a sigh as he smiled down at the curious little faces of his sons. "How about you two go play in the backyard while I poke around the kitchen, hmm?"
"Okay! But will you be okay, Dad?" And then two small hands of Hitoshi's cupped his face with wide purple eyes flickering over his face with his tiny brows knitting together. Worried for him. It was the wrong way; children shouldn't worry about their parents this way. And he had said from the start he would never let Hitoshi worry over him like that. He merely leaned in to kiss the boy's forehead to which he squeaked with Hitoshi's hands dropping from his face to rub his forehead. "Ew, Dad! No kisses! I'm too old for kisses!"
"If you don't go outside then you're both getting covered in kisses!" This had both boys squealing with smiles beginning to curl over lips when he kissed Izuku's freckled cheek causing him to squeal as they scrambled out of his arms towards the edge of the bed. Giggling, they slid off the edges before running across his room to the open doors where they flew down the hallway. No doubt to retreat to their "kingdom" as they'd come to call their playset outside. It had him smiling when he pushed himself off the bed with a sigh.
He needed to get out of his head. He needed to focus on making dinner. On taking care of his boys rather than laying face down on a bed wondering if Shouta, for some reason, hated him. He hadn't thought that that was the high school in which his friend taught but he'd kept his distance. He'd done his best to keep from stepping on Shouta's toes. On keeping his head down while he taught his class the lesson plans that the previous teacher had left behind. He did his best to find his way around without needing Shouta at work.
And, to be quite fair, he did better than he thought. He had found the bathrooms, water fountains, cafeteria, and the staff room along with his room without the black-haired man. He'd done his best to keep away from Shouta who had seemed irritated each time he showed him around. Was it because he didn't tell him the name of the school? Was it because he had spent the weekend sobbing to him? What had caused the flip? He had not a clue but he was drowning in those worries when the black-haired man would pass by his classroom.
Always with a clenched jaw and fire in those dark eyes that spoke of casualties. His nostrils flared as his hair fluttered over his shoulders with his barking voice ringing down the hallways when a student was out of class far too long. When his students took to running out of the classroom for gym and he'd shout for them to slow down. He'd barely touched his lunch despite being starving due to his nerves. He'd taken to the staff room to get his lunch then eating on the floor of his classroom to keep out of view.
He'd hardly touched it before packing it back up and returning it to his desk in the staff room. He'd been nauseous so he'd bought a Coke in the cafeteria to sip on. Something to soothe his roiling stomach that only worsened when Shouta would come stalking past his class room doors. Like he had been thrown into waters with sharks circling him. He wished he understood where Shouta's thunderous attitude had come from. He hardly spoke five words to the man during his "tour" of the school as he followed the man around.
He'd been content to know where the water fountains were, where the bathroom was, the staff room and his class room. He didn't want a full tour but he'd let Shouta drag him around the school. He didn't understand where this side of the man came from but he'd all but run for his car with the coworkers jeering at Shouta. Accusing him of scaring off the new substitute as he ran down the hallway for the front doors. He was a confident man but for some reason there was something about Shouta's attitude that turned his stomach.
That left him feeling sick. It was as if Shouta was angry at him for being there. As if he were disgusted he was there. It had tears pricking at his eyes at the cold attitude when he threw himself into the car after rushing from the staff room right as Yagi had walked in. He's ashamed to admit but he ignored it when Shouta called out for him but he hadn't waited. He knew it was cowardly. He knew it was a childish thing but he'd merely pulled out then driven off to get home where he'd laid in bed for God knows how long.
Until his boys came home. He'd have to have them sit to do their homework and he needed to get a head start on grading. He sighed out as he clapped his hands to hsi cheeks before pushing himself up where he walked forward in the same direction his sons had run off in to rush down the hallway with brisk strides. His leather pants clinging tightly in that comforting manner to his legs as his feet thudded over the floor. He would have time to talk to Taishiro this weekend about the situation if Shouta remained the same way at work.
He entered the kitchen where he rushed to the sink to glance out the window to find the boys on their playset. Shouting and laughing together as Izuku was ever mindful of his arm. It was still fresh but he was learning what he could and couldn't was, indeed, covered in signatures from his friends and a few teachers at school. Adequate space for quite a few more on the cast before it was changed out at the six month part if need be. He hummed as he then turned on his feet to open the cabinet doors.
Searching blindly for the ramen noodle packets he swore he kept up there. He let out a huff when he felt the packages then tugged down four of the instant noodles that he dropped onto the counter with a thud. He then dropped down on his heels to bend down under the counters for the pots and pans he kept there. Ramen with ham sounded damn good and a simple enough meal for the three of them. Something he could easily knock out in thirty minutes possible with all the extra's he assed to make it homemade.
Or as close to homemade as he could get it with prepackaged ramen he bought from the store. He grabbed the large pot then straightened up as he placed the pot in the sink. He then rushed over to the stove to turn the burner on to get it warmed pre-emptively when he then shuffled back to the sink where he left the pot. He was sure he had more than enough beef or chicken stock to make the broth. He opened his fridge to find the beef stock sitting on the door which he scooped up. He then opened a cabinet to grab his measuring cup.
Quickly, he opened the other cabinets to grab the ginger, sesame oi, and then to the fridge to grab the scallions and onions in there along with the carrots. The left over shiitake mushrooms from his lunch that he'd bought the other day that he knew were still good. He placed his armful of items down on the counter when he grabbed the beef stock which he uncapped. Pouring it up to the four cup mark before pouring it into the pot. Repeating the process for the water which was quick as he dumped it into the pot.
He scooped the pot up carefully then shuffled over to put it on the glowing burning with a hiss as the wet bottom touched the burner. He then hummed as he shuffled over to the small window radio he kept that he flicked to life then down low. A quiet sound to fill the quiet of the kitchen while he waited for his stock and water to boil. An easy dinner and he could either eat his lunch later tonight while he worked if he got hungry. Or he could toss it when he prepared new lunches tonight for the three of them.
Standing in his kitchen, however, he can't help but feel silly. Foolish. Here he was, upset after a hard day emotionally but could he be blamed? After all, he was dealing with the aftermath of his son suffering a compound fracture to his arm, his first surgery and cast. Could anyone blame him for being sensitive emotionally at the moment? No, he didn't think so. But he felt shameful when he thought of how Shouta had called out to him and he'd ignored the man. He'd chosen to run away rather than face Shouta.
Face the situation that he knew needed to be faced. He felt like a coward. Even now, he couldn't bring himself to text the black-haired man for an explanation as to why he reacted like that. To demand to know why he'd seemed so irritable all damn day long. But he knew that not everyone was a Monday person. He knew that Shouta had his right to be upset. But he did too. Shouta could be angry that he never mentioned working there all he wanted and he could be upset over that anger. Both sides were rational.
Both sides understandable if he had to be honest with himself. Shouta had asked what district he was working for aka what school but he hadn't answered because Izuku had broken his arm. However, he had time to tell him but it'd slip his mind. He could understand both sides perfectly but he wouldn't stand for Shouta treating him like shit at work if that was the case. Leaning against the counter briefly, he pushed off to shuffle over to the fridge to tug it open where he reached in to twist an orange juice bottle from the pack with a sigh.
And he shuffled back over to the window where his sons were sliding down the slide with Hitoshi standing near the bottom to stop Izuku from flying off the end. It was sweet. Unbearably sweet. He hummed softly to himself as he unscrewed the cap of his juice to take a sip at it as he listened to the light clicks of the stove top beside him. He took a long sip at his juice when his phone pinged into his back pocket to which he placed the cap of his juice down when he dug into his pocket to free his phone.
He lifted it up, half fearful he'd find a text from Shouta, but instead found one from Nemuri. Asking how his first day at the school was. He sighed as he leaned forward against the counter with his eyes darting between his phone and the window as he texted Nemuri back. Explaining in depth what had happened, how Shouta acted, and how he felt about it. Sending off the paragraph, he then turned the screen off as he placed it down on the counter again with a sigh. He really didn't understand Shouta at all, did he?
They'd been friends for four months yet this was a new side to his friend that he hadn't seen before. Yes, there were moments when Shouta was grumpy. When he snapped. When he was short. But today the man had been like a thunder cloud of an authoritarian. His words coming down like law. His voice a thing of intimidation that had him panicking when he heard it occasionally as he wrangled his students into his room. And if he was honest with himself? It was the teeniest, tiniest bit hot to him.
It had heat gathering in the back of his neck at the thought, but it was the truth. If that thunderous personality hadn't been turned onto him, he was sure he'd be in a much different scenario when he got home. Some part of him, no matter how small, found it hot. But he couldn't let his sensitivity get to him for the rest of his time working there. He wouldn't let himself be intimidated to hiding behind Yagi when they met in the halls. The man was much older than him but there was a friendliness to Yagi that was refreshing.
He hadn't checked in as he ran out of the staff room the moment Yagi entered it, but he swore the man had tried talking to him when he left. Just as Shouta had. He sighed out to himself as he glanced at his sons taking turns going down the slide together with Hitoshi being first then helping to catch Izuku. Taking his gaze off of them felt nauseatingly nerve inducing but he did so to turn to the stove. Looking over the pot, when he glanced at the water that had some light bubbling going on much to his delight.
He clicked his tongue before turning to the counter where he pulled the cutting board from its place beside the coffee pot. Placing the scallions down, he tugged a knife from the block with a quiet hum as he glanced up again to find Izuku using his free arm to push his brother on the swing at a careful distance. He then began chopping the scallions up when his phone buzzed again with another message from Nemuri. Chopping the scallions up, he placed the box of mushrooms on the cutting board before scooping his phone up.
As expected, he had a wall of text from the woman that he unlocked his phone screen to read. There were rationalities in her texts as to why he acted that way but that she was going to chew him out. That it was understandable but unfair to treat him so coldly when they were friends. He tried talking the woman down quickly as he sent off the text but knowing Nemuri he knew it was too late. He then sent a follow up text letting her know he'd be unavailable as he was cooking dinner for himself and the boys.
He sighed out quietly to himself as he began to chop up the mushrooms on his cutting board rather quickly with a quite hum. All while the giggles and laughter of his sons floated to him through the window that went hand-in-hand with his soft music. He made quick work of his mushrooms when he then gathered his garlic and sesame oil up to pour into the water. It was bubbling slowly on the stove that was much faster than before. He reached under the cabinets for his shaver for the garlic and the ginger which he made quick work of.
Shaving the garlic, he tapped it into the water then poured in the sesame oil before humming as he stirred it up. Then he rushed for his cabinet with the soy sauce within it to add a splash of it to the liquid before he then turned his attention to the packets beside him. And he tore them open while being careful to tug the seasoning packets out first. Then he poured the noodles into the water that was boiling at a medium speed he deemed good enough for the noodles. Shaking the crumbs into the pot with a cheerful hum to himself.
He turned back to the cutting board as he stepped before the sink to wash his carrot off. He opened a drawer to dig around for his peeler which he used to make quick work of the carrot. His phone pinged again but he would get to it shortly. He had to work on getting the grater down so he could shred the carrot properly. He could forget about boiled eggs if it would take too long. Unless he got on it right now. He bit at his lip in concentration as he rinsed the peeled carrot off before placing it on the cutting board.
Cursing under his breath, he ducked down to grab a small pot from beneath the counter and lifted it up with his hands reaching for the faucet. Turning the water on, he placed it in the sink when his phone pinged a second time which he cursed quietly as he worked on getting the pot filled. Turning to rush over to the stove, he turned a second burner on before rushing back to the sink to turn the water off before lifting the pot up. Placing it on the new burner, he rushed for the fridge to tug it open for the pack of eggs.
Fuck, he needed to go shopping. Needed to get more ingredients tomorrow when he had time after school to run by the store. He reached in for the final four eggs he had in the pack, and he sat down on the counter by the stove. He quickly grabbed his large, metal pair of cooking chopsticks to swirl the noodles when there was a shriek that had him dropping his chopsticks. Had him rushing to the sink to find Hitoshi wounded on his back off the swing but he was laughing at his brother who squealed with laughter.
It had a shuddering breath flying out of him with his hand raising to press to his pounding heart. They were fine. They were having fun outside. They were right there. They were okay. He turned back to the stove when his phone pinged for a third time. He swirled the noodles again before lowering the heat to let it cook slower. Not so fast. He then scooped up his juice which he gulped down quickly before tossing it and the cap into the trash. He felt jittery. Like he was finally awake after being given something to focus on.
To focus on feeding and taking care of his boys. It's not like when he himself had been a high school student and could come home to brood over a crush being mean to him. He couldn't afford to act like that again. He salted the water of the smaller pot when he then let out a slow breath. Clearly cooking something simple and complex was what he was making tonight. He leaned up carefully to open the cabinet above the stove for the shredder the best he could while trying to avoid the edge of the stove.
Tugging it down, he yelped when his stomach grazed the hot stove causing him to jerk away clumsily. Sighing out, he turned to the counter with thudding steps as he began to shred the carrot up when his phone, once again, pinged. It had him growling under his breath when he turned his gaze to it. What had Nemuri done? Or was she simply bragging about ripping Shouta a new one? Or would it be about something else? Was she looking to gossip with him or something of the like about what had happened?
Regardless, she'd have to wait. He was busy getting dinner done. And then he'd have to get his grading down on the work sheets and homework that was passed back today. Shredding the carrot up, he let his gaze flick up to Izuku laying his stomach on the swing to swing himself awkwardly while Hitoshi pumped his legs. Flying through the air as Izuku laughed when he pushed off the ground to swing wildly. He wanted to shriek. To shout that he needed to be careful given his broken arm but he didn't want to suffocate his son.
To smother him. To be far too overbearing when the boy was having fun with his brother. He finished grating the carrot then tapped the grater off on the cutting board to put it in the sink. He opened the cabinet for a bowl that he then filled with cold water in the sink before putting the shreds of carrots into. He then walked back to the stove to pick his metal chopsticks up to swirl through the ramen with the scent wafting up to him lazily. It had his stomach snarling with an intensity that had him sucking in a sharp breath.
Dammit, he really needed to eat more regardless on if he was upset or not. It'd do no good if he ended up fainting because of his hunger or something of the sort. He turned his attention to the boiling pot to which he put his chopsticks down and shifted to grab the box of eggs. Opening the container, he dropped the eggs carefully into the boiling water when he fussed with the heat slightly. He then walked back to the counter where he reached into the cabinet for a few more bowls for him to put the mushrooms into.
Then he picked the cutting board up with his scallions cut up on them. Shuffling over to the gurgling noodles, he dumped them in then placed the cutting board down as he swirled the chopsticks through the noodles. Doing his best to mix the scallions into them so they could cook properly. Then he'd fry the mushrooms as soon as he put the noodles on the back burner to simmer. He sighed when his phone pinged a fourth time to which he felt half tempted to turn his phone off. To mute it for the time being.
It was breaking his concentration when he huffed to himself as he stirred the noodles. He reached under the counter where his pots and pans were to grab a pan then the covers for the small and large pot. Standing up right, he shuffled over to place the cover over the small pot. He then placed the pan and cover down when he picked up his small egg timer. Rolling it quickly with the minutes to his best guesstimate on when he put the eggs in then put it down. He liked his hard boiled eggs a bit runny in the center.
He knew that Izuku did too. Taking a deep breath, he let out a slow breath on a sigh as he then ran his hands through his hair before turning to make his way across the kitchen to the fridge. Snapping himself out another orange juice when glanced over the noodles simmering in the water and broth mix as they sucked up the water. Soon enough he'd have to take it off the heat but already the scallions looked a bit softer. He liked his with a bite much like his sons so surely they wouldn't mind it tonight?
After all, he absolutely intended for tonight to be a left over night given how many left overs they had. He supposed it would make for some decent lunches for the three of them tomorrow. Leaning against the counter, he unscrewed the cap of his juice which he lifted up to sip at as Izuku and Hitoshi laughed outside with delight. Shouting their game of make believe that warmed his heart. He tucked his hair behind his right ear then his left with another slow sigh. He'd have to get his contacts out soon and get his glasses on.
It was like an itch when he used to take his binder off at the end of a long day. Or a bra that he'd been forced to wear for a few months before he got his binders. He wanted them out. He reached up to rub the corner of his eye when his phone pinged for a fifth time much to his annoyance. If he didn't answer after all this time then didn't she get the hint? He knew he could just pick his phone up and answer her but he was cooking. He needed to get dinner on the table at a reasonable time for them all, didn't he?
He gulped at his juice when he then turned his attention to the noodles when he shifted slightly. God, he wished he had another adult here to take over. Just while he ran to the bathroom and back. Ignoring that quiet insistence of a bathroom break for a moment, he instead stirred the noodles with the chopsticks. Then he took them off the heat then grabbed the cover to put over the noodles that gurgled lightly. He then turned the burner down before shifting with his teeth worrying over his lip before biting down.
He could wait to go to the bathroom just to make sure that the boys were inside and eating. It wouldn't take long. He didn't want to leave them alone again. God forbid Hitoshi got hurt this time round and they'd be back in the hospital. He didn't want to think of what Izuku's case worker was going to say about his broken arm. He groaned at the thought of that meeting at the end of the month. He then brought the pan onto the hot burner when he rushed over to the fridge to grab the stick of butter within it.
He brought it out then over to the counter where his knife sat to cut a section off then tossing it onto the pan which hissed and spit at him as he began to swirl the butter around on the pan when his phone pinged again to which he growled a curse under his breath. Goddammit, why was it when he was busy that everyone and their mothers wanted his attention? He knew he welcomed this. That he started this. But God if he didn't answer at the first one shouldn't it be customary to know that he was busy?
He gritted his teeth slightly as he dumped the mushrooms on the sizzling pan as he began to stir them around. Jumping when the sound of his sons shouting out with delight had him looking through the window with a tense set to his shoulders only to find them going up and down the slide again. Izuku stood at the top cheering Hitoshi on as he kicked his socks off to climb up the slide. At least it wasn't the public part and he didn't have to worry about some kind of infection. It wasn't better but at least it wasn't a public place.
He stirred the mushrooms on the pan as they sizzled when he glanced at his egg timer curiously. Giving the pan a lift and flip of the mushrooms, he grinned to himself when they all landed back on the pan with a sizzle. It wouldn't take long at all to fry the mushrooms at this rate. Humming to himself with the soft music on the radio, he blinked when the back door was thrown open. Izuku and Hitoshi running through like indigo and green hurricanes as they panted before running for the hallway then up the stairs with deafening thuds.
Rolling his shoulders in a shrug, he turned his attention to the mushrooms that were sizzling up at him with light pops of the butter. He shook the pan lightly over the burner when he turned the heat down lower as the water beside him boiled viciously with the eggs within. He prodded the mushrooms with his chopsticks before trading them out for a spatula. It was much easier to push and flip them around that way. He listened to the boys shouting upstairs when they came thudding down the stairs and tearing down the hallway.
Running past him with armfuls of toys before rushing back outside. He flipped the mushroom again as they hissed in the butter when his phone began to ring. Vibrating over the counter, he found Nemuri's name glowing up at him when he sighed out. Did he answer? He couldn't exactly leave the mushrooms alone but he was being rude. He knew he was but he warned her that he was cooking tonight and he'd be a bit busy. Stirring the mushrooms around in the pan, he gave the pan a light shake before flipping them over.
Almost done. Almost, almost, almost. He pushed down to find them softer than before. Then he'd have to worry about putting this all together and getting ham somewhere in the mix of this. He put his spatula down then shuffled over to tug the cabinet open to grab at a bowl to place the mushrooms in. Placing it down on the counter with a clatter, he pushed at the mushrooms when his phone went silent. And then his doorbell was ringing. And he couldn't deny he was over this. Over his attention being called for.
He was frustrated by all the texts he hadn't answered while he was cooking. He quickly scraped the mushrooms into the bowl with a huff when he threw the pan into the sink with a clatter that had the boys looking to the window but he didn't care. He stomped his way across the kitchen to the hallway with his hair fluttering over his shoulders as he marched down the hallway. This woman was going to get an earful about being such a pest. He loves her, he does, but fuck to show up to the house because he didn't answer?
He warned her he'd be busy cooking when he sent off that paragraph right at the end. There was no way she didn't read it. So why was she blowing his phone up? Why was she at his front door? He just wanted one afternoon to focus on something other than his shitty day. It's not like he could open a bottle in his closet and drink everything away. He just needed to focus on one thing at a time. His jaw clenched briefly as he marched right up to the door that he flipped the lock for before throwing the door open.
"For fucks sake, Nem, I love you but I told you I was cooking! What in the world-!" And his words cut off in his throat on a croak at the sight of Shouta standing on his doorstep. Dark eyes widening at him in surprise as Eri squealed at the sight of him with chubby hands reaching for him. God, the baby was growing every time he saw her. Heat rushed to his face in a scalding blush when full lips parted slightly as he squeezed the door in his hand. His own lips moving silently before he could speak. "Shouta. Hi."
"Zashi, hi. I, um- If this is a bad time then I can go." It was odd to hear Shouta sound so hesitant as he balanced Eri on his hip who reached for him insistently. Whining shrill at him with her chubby hands reaching out for him with tiny fingers curling into fists again and again. A 'gimme gimme' motion he recognized anywhere as the white-haired baby whimpered. Squirming on her father's hip with red eyes locked onto him insistently. "Did you not, ah, get my text? I, um, was in the neighborhood and decided to pop by."
"No, I didn't. I didn't get anyone's text because I was busy cooking." He hated the wheeze to his voice when he leaned against the door with the baby on Shouta's hip whimpering pleadingly at him with her tiny hands opening and closing. Begging. He felt his heart aching at the sight when his egg timer went off behind him shrilly to which he jumped. Shouta blinked when he shooed a curious Twix away from the door as he spun on his feet. "Come in! I gotta check on the eggs! Don't let the cats out!"
He then trotted down the hallway towards the kitchen when he listened to the quiet chiding of Shouta as he stepped in with the door swinging shut with a click. And then footsteps were walking towards him as he pulled up the top of the eggs with a plume of steam hitting his face. It was odd not to have his vision fogged as it would have with his glasses as he reached out for a scoop to push the eggs around when Shouta entered the kitchen. Clearing his throat. "I wanted to talk to you about my behavior today."
"You mean how you acted like I was intruding on your special place? How you were an asshole to me despite knowing I had a very long, very emotionally wracked weekend?" Bitter. Venomous. It was hard to pin his tone down as he pulled the eggs off of the burner to the back one with the cover back on to give them a few more minutes to cook when he looked up at Shouta. "You wanna talk about how you were a dickhead? Because we can. I don't get what the hell that was today with you, Shouta, but I didn't like it one bit."
And he watched broad shoulders slump slightly with full lips parting slightly before pinching together slightly when Eri screamed with her tiny fists hitting at her father's shoulder. Reaching for him with a wail that had him reaching out to pluck her off of Shouta's hip. She curled into his arms as he held her to his chest with a sigh, leaving the baby. As if she could finally relax. "I get that you're upset with me, I do. And I have no defense, but Mondays aren't my thing. And Nezu isn't the best, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you."
"No, you shouldn't have! I don't care what you have going on with Nezu or if Mondays aren't your thing! You were an asshole to me, Sho, and I'm not going to deal with that!" He took a breath as Eri cooed into his neck with a toddler babble leaving her as her hand patted his neck. He hated how hot his face was, but he shifted slightly with the baby in his arms. "I should have told you about the school. I just- I wasn't thinking and I didn't think it fucking mattered where I was subbing at and-"
A hand reached out then with shoes thudding over the floor when fingers traced lightly along his jaw to tip his face towards the black-haired man. An action unplanned that had fingers jerking away as Shouta's face went red as his own with dark eyes dropping down with hands stuffing themselves into his pockets. "It's not your fault. It's not. It's not my business to know where you're subbing, and it doesn't matter. I just- I wasn't expecting to see you today, that is all. Nezu sprung it on me last minute and I didn't think it'd be you."
"So, anyone else would be okay then? I don't get it! I don't get why you were acting like that when you're my friend, Sho!" Letting out a sigh when Eri let out another coo into his throat, he stared at the red faced man as his shoulders slumped further. As if welcoming the chastising when he sighed out as he leaned back against the counter. "I just- Don't be a dick to me, okay? Don't be a fucking asshole when you know I've had a shit weekend, okay? Just be my friend. That's all I ask. Be my friend, Shouta."
"I am your friend, but I guess I didn't act like a very good one today, did I?" He tightened his arms around the babbling toddler in his arms as he bounced her lightly to which she giggled with her tiny hand patting at his neck. Comforting him. He leaned against the counters when Shouta stepped forward with a sigh as dark eyes raised up to meet his. "I'm sorry. I apologize for being a dickhead to you today when you didn't deserve it. Not one bit. Can I make it up to you?"
"How do you plan on doing that?" He hated the sharpness to his tone when the black-haired man's eyes skimmed over the ingredients in the bowls and then turned back to him with a slight purse to his lips. And then he took a breath before pushing off the counter to step forward with Shouta's back stiffening slightly. Adjusting his hold on the babbling toddler when he met those dark eyes evenly with an odd burst of boldness as he tipped his chin up. "How are you going to make it up to me, Shouta?"
He felt strangely emboldened. Not at all like he thought he'd be when he confronted him. Shouta's tongue darted out as he licked his lips before they parted with dark eyes locked onto his. Where was this boldness coming from? He had not a clue, but he stared at the black-haired man without a flinch. Refusing to break the eye contact they held with one another. The way Shouta leaned in ever so slightly. The curls that his fingers itched to tuck behind his ears spilling over his shoulders. "I don't know."
"Then I guess you should figure that out for yourself, shouldn't you? At least you apologized properly, right?" Black lashes fluttered in a blink when he tightened his arms around the quiet baby in them. Rocking her slightly as she yawned against his neck with a squirm as if to settle down. He couldn't deny that tension twisting into him. The thrum under his skin when he found himself swaying slightly on his feet before stepping back yet it merely had Shouta stepping forward. "How about you think on it?"
"What would you want from me? What would be adequate enough to make it up to you?" The black-haired man's voice lowered to a murmur that had his skin breaking out in goosebumps as Eri yawned against his neck again as he leaned back against the counter. His hands felt shaky when black lashes fluttered as dark eyes met his again. Hands then slid from pockets to rest on the counter on either side of his waist. Close, close, close. He was so close yet so far. "What can I do to properly apologize for being a dickhead?"
"Shouta-" His voice was a wheeze, a choked gasp when he shifted when the black-haired man merely tilted his head at him. Dark eyes locked onto his with such intensity this time. An intensity that had his stomach fluttering viciously as his heart throbbed over its beats. What was he doing? Why was it different? Was it because now he fully, freely, admitted he had a crush? A small crush on him? It had his face burning when he leaned back. "Stop it. You're doing it again, it's not funny."
"Who said it was a joke? Please, I really do want to make it up to you, Hizashi." Ah, why did he say his name like that? Why did it have his stomach fluttering like that? He let out a trembling breath as his arms tightened around Eri. Eri. He felt his face burning anew when he leaned back with Shouta keeping his distance despite those hands, his arms, caging him in. Full lips parted then with dark eyes then dropping when the black-haired man let out a slow breath. "It's not- I'm sorry."
"That's on you to figure out, Shouta. I can't force you to come up with something now." He breathed out when Shouta tilted his head at him as arms just barley brushed his waist. It made it so incredibly hard to focus when he was finding himself breathless. Flushed. That he was so close, so close, so close yet so far away. He was lovely. There was no denying that he found this man attractive. That he found him hot. And right now? Right now, he could admit he looked damn sexy to him. "Don't be a jerk."
"I'm not trying to be." Shouta murmured when arms shifted to give him more space, but those dark eyes were locked onto his again and he couldn't breathe. Such a rich, dark color. A color he could drown in for hours with a bottomless hue that left his heart skipping against his chest. Was this indeed because he finally admitted to himself that he had a crush? Was his just made more intense because of it? Because of that tiny admission? "I really am sorry, Zashi. I shouldn't of taken it out on you."
"I forgive you." A mumble of his own when he tipped his face down with his cheeks burning as his chin pressed to the top of Eri's head when he squeezed the yawning girl to his chest. He peeked up at the black-haired man when he took a trembling breath that was echoed by Shouta. It was like Halloween night all over again. Only this time he was aware of the little things. Of the tension. Of the desire that clawed at his bones when he found himself swallowing. "Yo-You can back up now, you know."
Black lashes fluttered then with eyes widening slightly at him when Shouta was pushing off the counter to give him space once more in response to his rasping tone. He didn't know what he wanted. Again, just like Halloween night. He didn't know what he wanted but he knew that those full lips had his full attention. He was drowning. He was desperate. He knew he wanted that much but he couldn't say it. Not yet. Not even to himself. "Ah, am-am I making you uncomfortable? I didn't- That's not my intention!"
"No! No, God, I'm not uncomfortable! Not exactly! I just- I don't know! This is-! I can't think when you do shit like that!" He got out on a rasping tone when Eri whimpered into his throat, and he let out a shuddering breath when he swallowed again. Turning his attention to the eggs resting on the stove, the ramen, he let out a breath when Shouta's face pinched into concern. "I don't have much but would you like to have dinner? I have some left overs if you wanted to, um, stay? Visit a bit?"
"I'd love too but you don't seem like you really want me around right now." And then much to his surprise, the back of Shouta's fingers brushed down his cheek to which he jumped at the light touch. Shouta jerked his hand away then down to the squirming child's cheek instead. His Adam's Apple bobbing in a swallow when dark eyes darted away from him to the floor. Again, again, again. Uncertain. Shy. "Do you really want me to stay, Zashi? I promise I-I won't do anything to make you uncomfortable."
"You're going to be the death of me, Shouta Aizawa, you know that?" He breathed out which had dark eyes widening at him again when he shifted slightly with his own gaze flickering away from the black-haired. Unable to maintain that eye contact for a moment while he composed himself as his face burned. God, there was something absolutely riddled in the tension that left him breathless. Left him utterly red faced in a way he hadn't experienced in years. "I really want you to stay, Shouta. Please, stay for dinner?"
Black lashes fluttered in a fast blink with wide dark eyes being the first thing he noted when he glanced up from beneath his lashes at the black-haired man. He looked stunned. As if he hadn't been expecting him to invite him and double down on his offer for himself and his daughter to stay for dinner. The black-haired man's gaze flickered over his face curiously with full lips parting slightly with a shuddering exhale. "Okay. Okay, I'll stay for dinner. Are you sure there's enough for five people though?"
"We'll make do. And if the kids get hungry again, Lord knows I have more than enough left overs for them to pick from in the fridge to fill them up afterwards." He shuffled slightly with his arms cradling the toddler in his arms when he licked his lips before dragging his teeth over his bottom lip when he let out a sigh through his nose. "And as for that conversation about Halloween? We'll be having that soon. I just, um, need to get my head together about it again. Everything with Izuku-"
"What about everything with me?" He jumped with Shouta visibly becoming startled as their heads whipped to the small green-haired boy standing in the doorway of the dining room with dirt clinging to his feet when he then gasped. Bouncing on his toes with a sparkle to those green eyes that had him absolutely enraptured when Izuku rushed up to Shouta to tug on the hem of his coat. "Mister Aizawa! You're here! Me and To have lots of rocks to show you! Oh! Do you wanna sign my cast? Dad, can he sign it? Please?"
Green eyes widened up at them when he noted the rosy appearance to Shouta's cheeks when he grinned down at his son as Eri began to snore delicately against his neck. As if the baby were the one tired out from the odd tension that had been running under his skin like a current. Making the air thick. Making him choke on his damn words. "I'm sure Mister Aizawa would be honored to sign your cast, buddy! Why don't you go get a marker from your room and come back down for dinner?"
"Okay! To, is dinner time!" Izuku shouted over his shoulder before taking off like a green rocket across the kitchen to the hallway where he raced down it with feet slapping against the tiles of the floor. He was thudding up the stairs as he ran up there when he bit his tongue against the urge to shout after him not to run on the stairs. It didn't matter when Hitoshi came trotting in with an action figure in his hand with purple eyes widening when they locked onto Shouta.
"Dad, when did Mister Aizawa get here? Me and Zu have rocks to show'im!" Hitoshi dropped his action figure in favor of spinning on his feet to run for the back door again where they kept their rock bucket outside rather than in their room. He sighed out with a playful roll of his eyes that had Shouta chuckling softly when he reached out. He flinched but those fingers drifted over Eri's cheek instead when Hitoshi came grunting as he carried their rock bucket inside with Shouta raising his brows.
"Toshi, you can show Mister Aizawa all your rocks that you've found after dinner. Now why don't you go upstairs and wash up with your brother? Help him?" Hitoshi groaned as he dropped the bucket with a thud, but he nodded before taking off much like his brother had. Only he was an indigo blur across the kitchen to the hallway with his feet slapping over the tiles. "God, you'd think I'm asking him to cut his arm off with how he reacts to helping his brother. The next few months until Izu gets a hang of it is going to be hell."
"I certainly pity you, Zashi." That odd tension, romantic or sexual, seemed to drain from the moment much to his relief as he turned to the stove with Shouta beating him too as he plucked the pot up. "Here, let me handle this, yeah? You've got Eri sleeping for the first time all afternoon. She refused to go down for her usual afternoon nap when I came home, and I know it's not the teething keeping her up anymore. I fear she's going in a regression, but I haven't had the vanilla milk in a while."
"How about I just buy a gallon, or a pitcher and I'll make you a big thing of it so all you have to do is store it in your fridge and heat it up in the microwave, yeah?" This put a sparkle to dark eyes when Shouta grinned at him before nodding rather enthusiastically at him. He shuffled from the sink as Eri continued her delicate snoring into his neck as he watched Shouta drain the eggs slightly before placing the pot on the sink. Turning it on to wash his hands when he sighed. "What a gentleman, washing your hands."
"Can't touch eggs when you don't know where my hands have been!" He chuckled with Shouta then as the man began to suds his hands up with a pump of the soap into his palm. He watched those hands rubbing together vigorously under the water as they sudded up rather quickly with the black-haired man scratching at his palms. And then he was clearing his throat with dark eyes peeking up at him before dropping down. "So. You've been thinking about it then? Halloween night?"
Ah. It had his cheeks burning lightly with a weak blush when he adjusted his hold on the sleeping baby in his arms. He shifted his weight from foot to foot then kept up the idle rock to hide his fidget when Eri wriggled slightly in his arms before sighing out gently to resume her delicate snoring. "I have. And I was ready, completely ready to talk to you about it but I'm all scatter brained. And I want to be able to talk to you clear-headed about all of it. About everything. So, would you mind if I took a little more time to figure it out again?"
"Not at all. It's better to be sure of what you're talking about. It's better to be clear-headed rather than feeling rushed or pushed to give an answer about something." Shouta rinsed his hands off then turned the water off before grabbing at the towel dangling off of the handle of the stove. And a soft, crooked smile curled over full lips as those dark eyes touched his again. "I have more than enough time, Zashi. I can wait however long you need to figure yourself out before we talk about it, yeah?"
It had his cheeks burning hotter at that crooked smile when he found his lips tipping into a smile of his own when he opened his mouth to speak. His words halting in his throat when thudding footsteps came running down the stairs to which he stepped forward closer to Shouta to watch his sons running down the hallway. Dirty feet, hands, and faces now clean as Izuku held a thick black marker in his hand that he held up like a flag as he ran into the kitchen. "Here, here! Sign my cast, Mister Aizawa, please?"
"Alright, alright, I suppose I can sign your cast right now, Izuku. Show me where?" The green-haired boy grinned as Shouta squatted down as he took the marker from the six-year-old who tugged his cast arm carefully from his sling then held his arm out. Pointing to the open spot next to his own signature that he'd left. Shouta uncapped the marker then carefully scribbled a small message he couldn't make out on the cast before capping the marker again after signing it. "There you go, kid."
"Thank you!" Izuku chirruped before Hitoshi reached out to help get the boy's arm back into the sling. Once it was back on comfortably, the green-haired six-year-old grinned up at the man with pink cheeked delight. And then his son turned to him with the snoring baby in his arms. "Dad, can we show Mister Aizawa our rocks now? Or do we really gotta eat dinner first?"
"You really gotta eat dinner first. I'm sure Mister Aizawa is just as hungry as you two are!" He turned to gesture to the ramen on the stove top when he kept an arm curled securely beneath Eri before shuffling to the stove. "I made some yummy ramen for us and Mister Aizawa is going to stay over for dinner which means that you can show him your rocks all night long if need be! Pretty soon rock hunting is gonna be hard when it starts snowing outside. So why don't you go take your seats and I'll bring dinner to you?"
"Okay!" Both boys chirruped in unison which had Eri twitching in his arms as she nuzzled her face into his neck with her tiny hands tightening on his shirt. He happily held the baby close to his chest as he shuffled over to the counter around Shouta who began to roll the eggs delicately over the sink before peeling at their shells as he reached into the cabinet for Izuku and Hitoshi's brightly colored bowls. A third spare pink bowl for Eri, and two bowls for him and Shouta.
"You really know how to get those boys to listen to you, don't you? Most parents struggle with that." Shouta commented when he raised his brows at the man before turning to the stove to carefully tug the pot over the burners to the front one again before tugging the top off. A plume of steam with that delicious, mouthwatering scent of the ramen coming with it. It had his mouth watering when he grabbed his tongs to begin dealing out noodles. "I mean that as a compliment, you know."
"Oh, was it? I couldn't tell if it was another dickish comment!" Shouta snorted when he grinned over his shoulder before focusing on getting Hitoshi and Izuku's bowls put together when he cursed. Fuck! Ham! He finished dolling out the noodles then used a ladle to get that broth up and into their bowls. He slid it to Shouta who raised his brows at him. "Don't look at me like that! Get the carrots on the damn bowl and the mushrooms while I get the ham out of the fridge! Hop too, Aizawa!"
"Sir, yes, sir!" The man replied in that dry, catty tone of his as the black-haired man grabbed the bowls of the carrots and the mushrooms. Draining the cold water the carrots sat in, he began to place the carrots and mushrooms on top of the ramen neatly. He tugged the door to the fridge open where he reached down to the deli drawer. Grabbing the sliced ham within, he straightened up with Eri whining sleepily against his neck when he shut the drawer and fridge. "You can put her in the pack and play if you want, Zashi."
"Nah, I got her! I like holding her, anyways! She's getting too big for her own good! The first time I saw her she was just a baby and now she's a little person!" He patted her lightly as he shuffled up next to the black-haired man who grinned at him when he then placed the pack of ham on the cutting board. Working it open one handed, he tugged two pieces out and he reached for his knife. Cutting the meat into fourths one handed was tricky but dammit he did it. "Thank you for helping, by the way!"
"You all but ordered me too." Shouta replied in that same catty tone when a hip bumped against his to which he widened his eyes at Shouta who turned red before shuffling over to begin peeling the eggs apart again. Ducking his face away. And he couldn't deny his own face was hotter than he'd like but he found himself grinning. He gently laid the four pieces of ham out on the boys bowls carefully when Shouta handed him a peeled egg. Holding it still on the cutting board while he cut it in half.
And it was perfect. The inside at that perfectly runny, half solid consistency that he and the boys enjoyed. He placed one half in each of their bowls before reaching into the drawer between them for their practice chopsticks. Sliding them on top of the bowls before handing one to Shouta then the other. The black-haired man was quick to rush off to hand the boys their food who cheered when he licked his lips when Shouta returned to peel the eggs. "Tell me, do you like carrots? Mushrooms?"
"I don't care too much for mushrooms, but I can eat them." Shouta then peeked at him, his cheeks rosy, when the man smiled sheepishly at him. God, how can one man go from being the hottest thing he'd ever seen to the cutest thing ever? It had his heart skipping in his chest as his stomach fluttered. He turned to keep the pout off of his lips as he began to scoop noodles into his and Shouta's bowls. Using the ladle to get the broth up. "Thank you, by the way. For letting me and Eri stay for dinner, I mean."
Smiling to himself when Eri squirmed again, he happily poured a generous helping in his and Shouta's bowls as he had with the boys. Turning to slid the bowls one at a time over the counter, he scooped up some carrots to put on his ramen then a few mushrooms. He put carrots on Shouta's then slid his hand into the ham bag again to grab two slices that he slapped onto the cutting board. Cutting them into fourths when he spoke. "I appreciate you coming by. To apologize for, you know, being an asshole."
"I'll have to stop by more often than any time I'm an asshole then. If I know I'll be treated to homemade ramen, then I'll happily be more of an asshole to you! Hey! No hitting in front of the baby!" He whacked at Shouta's upper arm again before putting ham on their bowls of ramen with Shouta handing him two eggs. He held them still while he cut them in half one at a time before placing both halves on his bowl then Shouta's. "There's one more egg left. I assume it's for the boys?"
"Mhmm, if they want another egg then I cut it for them to share." He then adjusted Eri who grumbled when he grabbed his bowl then gestured for Shouta to follow him into the dining room where the boys were talking animatedly to one another. He put his bowl down with both boys beaming up at him. Shouta then shuffled in after him, placing his bowl down, and tugging his chair out for him to which he raised his brows. "Wow, what a gentleman you can be. Sure, would like to see more of that."
"So, you say." Shouta then grinned before taking the seat next to him. And he had to admit that he truly did appreciate Shouta's apology. It didn't mean he was completely off the hook but as he took his first bite of his ramen as he carefully angled Eri out of the way on his lap, he felt warm. Was that the warmth of a crush? Or of joy? He had not a clue, but it felt nice having that apology. In having the man be playful with him. And he swore he was going to have that talk with Shouta soon. Very soon.
No matter how hard it might be.
