Chapter Text
Hitoshi let out all the air in his lungs once he was alone in his bedroom, he stayed glued tight to the back of the door, breathing. Hitoshi shoved his hand into his pocket reaching for the other piece of his friend, holding it tight in his right hand and swiping at his tears with the left. The water droplets pressed against the cold window of the apartment, the sunlight was no longer there, instead a grey gloomy overcast.
Shinsou shuffled across the room, tripping once over his backpack before flopping on the bed, staring intently at the ceilings, thoughts swimming in his head about his friend, he can still feel the cold hand, the way it had the tint of blue when he last held it. He let out a choked sob letting his arm cover his eyes. Shinsou let his other hand grip the blanket balling a portion of it in his hand.
A knock and within two seconds another, it was Aizawa, he had learned to differentiate between others behaviors, how they walked, knocked, and basic mannerisms. He waited for the man to leave, but he didn’t hear the soft padding of footsteps, “Can I come in kid?” It was quiet and firm, almost desperate.
Hitoshi stared at the white ceilings, taking in the pattern, that didn’t really exist, and shifted his eyes to the flag on his grey wall, really it was the only thing bringing color to his room, he didn’t mind that though, to him the room was cozy and sustainable, he didn’t need anything else. Hizashi almost forced him to personalize it since he would be staying awhile. He started to count the threads, softly kicking his foot on the bed frame before hoisting himself up and staring at the dark wooden panels, counting the cracks and then counting his steps as he got closer to the door, he rested a hand on the knob and with the other carefully unlocked it, not quite opening it yet. He heard the rain more clearly now and twisted to knob slowly, expecting to see his mentor already gone, but the tired homeless looking man was standing there, his depression softening when Hitoshi showed his puffy and splotchy face.
He watched as Hitoshi opened the door, not speaking and motioning for him to come in. Shouta gave a miniscule smile before entering, moving to sit on the bed and look around the kids room, it wasn’t messy per say, but it was lived in, there was a shirt on the floor and schoolwork littered the top of the desk, but what caught his eye wasn’t the flag nor the shirt, not even the cat figurine on the window cill, instead the soft shine of the necklace peeking from Shinsou’s pocket.
He made eye contact with the teen, seeing some unshed tears in the watery eyes, “What’s that?” He asked leaning on the wall letting his feet barely come off the bed. Shinsou stiffly sat next to him, no eye contact, instead he gently took the piece of jewelry from his pocket and held it towards Aizawa, who took it carefully.
“It was my friend’s.” That was it, the only information he gave to the man as he pulled in tighter on himself.
Shouta knew immediately who’s it was, it was one of the hardest cases he worked on, and the first time he laid eyes on Hitoshi when he came to UA he knew who it was, that the teenager standing before him was the same little boy from back then who was shaking with fear, screaming and crying when pulled away from his friend, how the child latched onto Shouta’s jumpsuit sobbing, to afraid to let go.
Perhaps the worst part was the reaction the kid gave seeing his dead friend, the imagery had been burned into his head since the day, along with many other cases. Working with kids was always hard from him and those were the ones that stayed with him, he remembered going home that night, downing a bottle of liquor and crying, petting his cat when HIzashi walked in after going to the radio station, coming over to sit with him.
He looked over to Shinsou who was staring at the wall no, he was more like looking through it. Hitoshi sense he was being watched and turned his head in acknowledgement catching a glimpse of Shouta’s eye, and both knew what the other knew, that they remembered that night.
Aizawa went slowly in pulling an arm around the boy giving him plenty of time to back away and out of it. Hitoshi stiffened for awhile and Shouta thought he might jerk away, but was surprised when the kid leaned into it, Hitoshi’s head rested on Shouta’s shoulder, and a sob ripped from his chest.
“That’s alright go ahead and let it out.” Shouta prompted and perhaps that was what broke him into more pieces, a few more sobs and sniffles, before he was full on crying. HE still felt guilty as if he was the one who got his friend killed, no he was the one who got him killed, had he not taken the fucking alleyway maybe he’d be here.
HIs eyes stung from crying, it burned to cry. He felt the tears move gently over the raised scar on his, from where a muzzle used to sit. The way AIzawas hand ran gently up and down his arm was soothing, but couldn’t push out the intrusive thinking.
“It wasn’t your fault, that day.” Shinsou stopped for a second shaking his head lightly before letting his head fall back on the shoulder.
“It wasn’t kid, listen to me, it was not your fault, you were a child.” Shouta only sighed when he didn't receive a response.
HItoshi didn’t know when his cries softened and he fell into a sleep. Shouta had realized once Shinsou was asleep that it was getting late and waited awhile before shifting himself over still holding up the teen and guiding the kid to lay down softly, taking a blanket at the end of the bed and covering him up, pulling the chain on the lamp so that the room was bathed in a soft yellow glow, the rain provided a gentle background noise and he left the door slightly open letting the hall light mix in with the lamp.
Shouta saw the cat stretching at the end of the hall, padding over, he bent down and scratched behind her ears, listening to gentle purring of the old cat. He stood up once more and made his way to the living room where HIzashi was reading a book in the corner section of the sofa. Shouta turned off the kitchen light and turned the Tv up a little before crawling under HIzashi’s arms and hugging him, resting his head on his husbands chest and twirling a strand of blond hair between his fingers. HIzashi shifted so he was holding the book with one hand looking down as Shouta running a hand through his hair.
Hizashi made his voice quiet as to not wake up HItoshi if he were to be sleeping, “Hey baby, what’s up?” Shouta forgets sometimes that Hizashi can’t hide his concern in his voice.
“Just let me stay here for a bit okay?” Right now Shouta just wanted to be cuddled up with his husband, maybe sleep a little.
“Alright love, stay as long as you need.” Hizashi set the book on the back of the couch, throwing a fuzzy grey blanket over the two so that it rested just above Shouta’s shoulder blades, He let his hands trace patterns through the tired mans shirt, humming softly and watching as one of the cats made itself comfy in the gap between the two men and back of the couch and the other resting on top of Hizashi’s book.
Shouta was dozing to the the vibrations of HIzashi’s chest as he hummed, the sound always got him to sleep during a bad night, and the soft blanket was like heaven, the tracing on his back calmed down the aching of the scars that rain always came with and he was soon asleep.
Shouta certainly didn’t remember HIzashi waking him up to go to bed and assumed he was to dead to the world to even wake up and Hizashi dragged him here, said man was snoring lightly beside him both tangled together, Shouta’s bones ached and he knew the pounding rain was why, he didn’t even know why he was up and was about to go back to sleep when he heard the retching from the bathroom.
He quickly untangled himself and walked on the cold wood stopping before the open bathroom door, hearing the quiet, miserable cries of Hitoshi, he saw the old black cat lurking in the door frame. Shouta made no mention of the cat and instead stepped in the cat also joining him and gently closed the door calling out the boy’s name. He got no response and instead saw the kid lean forward and dry-heave.
Jesus.
He watched as Hitoshi came to stop resting his head on the side of the bath, sweat beading on his bead and his hair stuck to his face. Shouta dimmed to lights of the bathroom a little, easier on the eyes and dug under the counter from some medicine and wetting a washcloth, he sat down on the cold floor and tapped HItoshi’s shoulder lightly, seeing heavy eyelids open and look at him tiredly,
Shouta reached his hand out to rest on the teens head, blazing hot, a fever for sure. He dabbed off the sweat with a cold cloth and moved so that instead of HItoshi’s head resting on the hard bath it was on his slightly more comfy shoulder/collarbone. The boy seemed out of it.
“You have a fever, probably stress-induced, does anything else hurt?” Shouta asked, trying to shake him lightly.
Hitoshi mumbled, “Face aches, headache.”
“A headache or a migraine Hitoshi? Your scar probably aches because the rain, happens to many people.”
Hitoshi grumbled that he could never lie to the man, ‘Migraine.” It was getting worse as time went on too, but he left that out in favor of just resting his head as nausea washed over him. He let out a noise as the nausea got more intense.
Shouta noticed how the boys hand flattened on the floor and how his body jerked forward, throwing up stomach acid into the toilet. He ran a hand up his kid’s back before quickly getting up rushing to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and some crackers, quickly making his way back in time to see Hitoshi stop shaking from the puking.
When Hitoshi’s head hit his collarbone he gently puled the head away, “Here take a sip of water and try a cracker.” He offered the glass to hitoshi who shook his head, “I know you feel like you’ll be sick again, but your throwing nothing but stomach acid up.”
Hitoshi lifted up his shakings hands weakly taking the glass to his lips taking slow small sips before setting it on the counter, and taking the cracker, which he nibbled on before reaching over to put it in the trash, he felt too sick for that right now. He let his head rest back, he was tired, and everything hurt. Tears brimmed at his eyes, the frustration of being sick dug through him.
“I need you to try and eat some, if you take the medicine on an empty stomach it’s just going to be worse.” Shouta informed him by handing another cracker.
Hitoshi pushed it away, he didn’t need medicine, it was one more thing he couldn’t pay the man back for, having gone through this with the two adults before he knew what was coming, “Hitoshi I'm serious, it’s my job to take care of you so if it’s money your worries about cut it out.” It may have sounded harsh, but that was just Aizawa.
Hitoshi forced down a few crackers nodding miserably as his head lulled and Shouta read up to grab the medicines from the counter. He listened to two caps turn.
`Here's one for the fever.’ he felt a pill pressed to his lips and Hitoshi opened his mouth grimacing at the taste before swallowing it and then Shouta handed him a shot of liquid medicine, that was fucking gross. “That should help with the nausea and migraine, come on let's try and get you to sleep.
He flicked on HItoshi’s light, his arm supporting the boy as he stumbled into bed, Shouta pulled the blanket over Hitoshi and tracked back to the bathroom, putting the medicines under the sink and wringing out a wash cloth. He turned off the light and shut the door making his way back to Shinsou who was curled up on his side tucked into a fetal position holding his cat close who was very clearly awake and purring.
Shouta leaned over the boy carefully placing the warm cloth over his forehead and pushing back some purple hair, he turned out the lamp and left the door open lingering in the doorway for a moment before going back to bed, The clock on their nightstand read 5:00 and just as he was going to crawl into the warm bed he noticed the small bit of vomit on his shirt and twisted his face up, peeling it off carefully and going to throw it in the wash, He put in some towels with it, might as well get that done and returned to the cold bedroom.
Their room seemed to be too cold,it led to more snuggles though and despite his cold outward personality he was actually a huge softie who liked to be hugged. Not having a shirt on made it much colder and he climbed quickly under the heavy covers latching onto Hizashi like sloth. HE was almost crushed though as his husband turned around facing him, looking at him.
“What was that?” He asked obviously having just woken up not too long ago.
Shouta sighed and moved closer missing the warmth, “Shinsou’s sick, i'm gonna say stress-induced, but i’m not positive, he’s asleep now though.”
“Poor kiddo can’t catch a break huh.” he sighed, wrapping his arms impossibly tight around Shouta who didn’t seem to mind one bit.
Hizashi chuckled quietly, “going to have to turn the heat on at this point, fucking hell it’s chilly.