Chapter Text
As preparations for the upcoming court case progressed, Shouta and Hizashi grew more nervous. They had yet to talk to Shouto about their desire to adopt him, even though they’d both already put in their notice at their respective hero agencies. It just hadn’t felt like the right time, and they weren’t sure how to bring it up. The last thing they wanted was to cause more stress for the teen, especially considering how between the UA legal team and the counselor they’d encouraged him to start seeing, the kid was constantly reliving his trauma.
They’d already known about the nightmares and panic attacks- none of the 1A kids were subtle or could keep secrets to save their lives, but it was different when he was in their home, waking up screaming in the middle of the night, his quirk either setting fire to his blankets or freezing him solid, neither of which were cohesive for helping him calm down. They were sleeping less than usual, taking shifts to make sure one of them was always awake in case of a nightmare, and it had taken a toll on all three. Not that either of the pro heroes was complaining, of course; they wanted to be there for Shouto in any way he needed them, but it left little room for them to have that conversation with him. Yet, as many excuses as the two teachers had, they knew they were the only ones to blame for how Shouto actually found out, because the entire situation would’ve been avoided had they just told him.
Fridays used to be Shouto’s least favorite days. Fridays meant an entire weekend spent with his father, trapped in his childhood home. Two days where his father could train him harder than usual without his teachers noticing all of the burns and bruises. However, since moving in with his two (teachers? Guardians? He hadn’t decided on a term yet), he’d found himself looking forward to weekends. They meant time spent relaxing, reading books, studying, spending time with friends, and generally doing whatever he liked. It was much different, and he was still getting adjusted to the change. As much as he appreciated how much his teachers were doing for him, he couldn’t help but feel like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Faced with the opportunity he had spent years waiting for, the chance to finally get out from under his father’s influence, he was stuck in a state of general unease.
He still hadn’t talked to Aizawa and Yamada about what was going to happen to him after the trial, he didn’t want to cause them even more trouble. He had been enjoying his time spent in their home, learning their routines, interests, and how to interact with them. Yamada was incredibly passionate about his work, always willing to tell stories. He was also incredibly good with people and had explained a lot of things to Shouto that he had previously missed when conversing with his classmates. Shouto found himself using a lot of Yamada’s advice and he was starting to see a distinct difference in the number of his classmates that approached him. It was difficult adjusting to having people coming up to him and talking to him, and social situations were still incredibly overwhelming, but he was slowly learning to communicate his boundaries.
Aizawa was a lot quieter in general, preferring to spend time helping him with things or even simply working on separate things while sitting nearby. Shouto had also noticed that he was an attentive listener, even if he didn’t appear to be paying attention. And he was incredibly perceptive, always seeming to know what Shouto was feeling before he could identify it for himself. It felt easier to talk to Aizawa somehow, even if neither of them really talked much, they seemed to communicate the easiest. Whenever he was feeling overwhelmed or frustrated, Aizawa was there with something hot to drink and a comforting presence.
There were so many things he was becoming used to, he didn’t want to break the tentative routine they’d begun to develop. As much as he wanted to continue staying with them, he didn’t know what their plans were. It was easier to continue living in the delicate bubble of comfort, rather than find out the truth, that they were planning on moving him somewhere else, dumping him as soon as they possibly could, because he was too much work to deal with.
The sharp ringing of the bell signaling the end of his Hero History class broke Shouto out of his thoughts, and he looked down to realize that he hadn’t managed to write a single sentence in his notes during the entire period. He’d been having these lingering thoughts since Aizawa and Yamada had initially offered to help him, but the more time passed, the more his anxieties seemed to be taking over his attention. He carefully packed his things, making a mental note to ask Midoriya for his notes, before leaving the classroom. It was his last period for the day, so he headed towards the teacher’s lounge, hoping to find Yamada in there. He’d learned both of his guardian’s schedules, so he knew Yamada’s last period was a free period, meaning he usually let his students out early.
He was almost to the door, his hand raised to knock, when the sound of voices carried out into the hallway, making him pause.
“-I just didn’t expect them to actually resign from their agencies!” He recognized Thirteen’s voice.
“I don’t know, they seem pretty serious about it. I know they talked about it before, but I didn’t expect them to try so soon.”
The second voice was Nemuri’s. He was hesitant to interrupt their conversation, but according to Yamada, eavesdropping was worse than interrupting. He was about to attempt knocking for a second time, but Nemuri’s next words caught him completely off-guard.
“I mean, out of all of us, Shouta and Hizashi the first ones to have a kid?”
Shouto froze, his mind reeling. Of course they were nice to him- he was their student, but if they were planning to have a child… they wouldn’t want a traumatized teenager getting in the way. He found himself walking back to the dorms before his brain caught up to the fact that his feet were moving.
If only he’d waited, he would’ve heard the rest of the conversation.
“You know it’s not official yet!” Thirteen chastised, but Nemuri waved them off.
“It’s practically the same thing! He’s all they can talk about. Poor Shouto, they’re gonna drown him in love and support at this rate.”
“I think it’s sweet. We both know that of all people, Shouto deserves it. Plus, I think they need him as much as he needs them.”
“I know. I’m happy for them. Plus it means I have a new nephew to spoil!”
“Sho?” Shouta looked up at the sound of his husband’s voice to find him standing in the doorway of Shouta’s classroom, fiddling with his fingers nervously.
“What’s wrong?” Shouta asked, Hizashi’s nervous smile not comforting him in the slightest.
“Have you seen Shouto, by any chance?” Hizashi stepped into the room, but didn’t move any closer.
“He left when class ended, but he seemed distracted during class today. He looked like he was headed your way, so I didn’t stop him. Why?” Shouta finished packing his materials, tucking them under his arm and giving the classroom a final cursory glance before exiting the classroom, Hizashi following him into the hallway.
“I don’t know, one of my students wanted to talk to me so I got out late, and by the time I got to the teacher’s lounge, he wasn’t there. Nemuri said she didn’t see him either. I’m not really worried, I just.” Hizashi drifted off.
“He usually waits for you,” Shouta finished, and Hizashi nodded. “Well, he must’ve headed to the dorms, so let’s check there first.”
They found Shouto in his dorm, sitting on the floor next to his bed, his notes in a pile near the doorway. They entered carefully, making sure Shouto saw them. They settled on the floor in front of the teen but slightly to his right, wanting to be close without crowding him. They also made sure that he had an uninhibited pathway to the door, so he wouldn’t feel like they were cornering him. The adults settled in, content to wait until Shouto felt comfortable enough to talk about whatever was bothering him. Almost 20 minutes passed before Shouto spoke, right as Shouta and Hizashi were beginning to wonder if he was going to talk at all.
“I’m sorry,” the words were soft, but there was something unsettling about the way he said them that had both teachers immediately on edge. “You don’t have to waste any more time with me, I can stay in the dorms. Thank you for everything.” Hizashi blinked, glancing at Shouta, trying to understand what was happening.
“If it’s something you truly want, we wouldn’t prevent you from making the choice to reside in the dorms permanently. However, we’re unsure what has caused this change of heart. Have we done something wrong?”
Shouta’s tone was gentle, and Shouto seemed to respond to it. The careful shake of his head caused both adults to let out the breath they’d been unconsciously holding. Shouta waited another moment before probing further.
“Do you no longer wish to live with us?”
Another careful head shake, this time accompanied by a soft “no”.
“Then I’m afraid I don’t understand.” Another longer pause settled around them.
“I overheard Nemuri and Thirteen talking in the teacher’s lounge,” Shouto mumbled. “They said you were having a kid.” Hizashi and Shouta quickly put the pieces together and realized what conclusions Shouto must’ve drawn from their conversation.
“Shouto,” Hizashi’s tone was soft, but there was a small smile to his lips. “Sho and I have something we’ve been meaning to ask you.” He paused long enough to make sure he had Shouto’s attention, but not long enough that he started to make more assumptions. “We’ve considered the possibility of adopting a child before, but with how dangerous our jobs were, we didn’t want to possibly endanger any child we brought under our care. However, you’re a special case. We’ve really enjoyed getting to know you, and we’d like the opportunity to continue to do so, that is, if you’ll allow us.”
“What Hizashi’s trying to say,” Shouta said, carefully reaching to take Shouto’s hand, giving him ample opportunity to pull away if he wanted to. “Is that we’d like to be the ones to take full custody of you, should that be something you also want.”
Of all the responses they thought to expect from the typically stoic teen when they asked to adopt him, crying was not one of them.
“Are you sure?” Shouto’s voice was choked, and tears were starting to drip down his cheeks as he looked up to meet their eyes.
“Positive.” As much as Shouta and Hizashi’s hearts were breaking for the teen, their conviction was unwavering. And when Shouto tentatively leaned forward, initiating contact and allowing himself to be held. They had a lot of things to discuss, but the overwhelming sense of relief Shouto was feeling was enough to wash away his other worries for the time being.