Archive of Our Own ^beta

Shouta wasn’t sure what to expect from today.

Turning around in his seat he took a moment to look over the sleeping child in his car seat and Shouta took a moment to appreciate the silence. Of course, he loved Hitoshi but the child was notorious for being fussy on long car rides. Thankfully halfway through the hour-long drive Hitoshi wore himself out and fell asleep, cat plushie tucked under his arms.  Happy with how content Hitoshi looked Shouta turned back around to face forward, sighing lightly as he closed his eyes and leaned back against his seat and listening to the soft music playing from one of Hizashi’s many kid-friendly playlists. This one being the first playlist Hizashi threw together quite quickly after they received the news of their new parenthood.

Before he could nod off Shouta was roused by a hand gently wrapping around his.

“Don’t worry about it,” Hizashi’s voice was soft and soothing. “She’ll be happy to see you and Hitoshi.”

Shouta hummed in response. “I haven’t seen her in three years.”

“Which is why she’ll be even happier to see you two.” Shouta opened his eyes to look over at Hizashi who gave him one of his sweet smiles before turning his attention back to the road.

“I know that, ‘Zashi, she told me over the phone.” He paused to collect his thoughts. “You know how it is between us.”

Hizashi nodded as he rubbed his thumb against the side of Shouta’s hand. They didn’t talk about it often but Hizashi knew the relationship between Shouta and his mother was strained at best. The two still cared for one another and Shouta at least texted her once a year to let her know he was still alive and would give her updates on his professional life. The only personal updates his mother received were major events such as his engagement or Hitoshi’s adoption. She would call on birthdays and congratulate him and Hizashi on their careers and Shouta would do the same for her birthday though his messages were brief. Aside from that his childhood still weighed heavy on their relationship.

Shouta never verbally called Aizawa Noriko a bad mother by any means but Shouta did confide in Hizashi towards the end of their high school career about why his mother was so brief with him. Like most all children with a newly developed quirk Shouta was not particularly talented at controlling it and a quirk like his would lend itself to messy situations if he was looking at the wrong person at the wrong time. Shortly after he developed his quirk Shouta’s father passed away unexpectedly, leaving a physical and emotional gap in a happy family. With the stress of a recently deceased husband and a child developing her husband’s quirk Noriko simply didn’t know what to do. Without her husband to teach Shouta how to control his quirk she let his teachers do what they could in quirk counseling and thankfully for Shouta’s case he did gain control within a few years.

In the meantime, Noriko resorted to eye patches and keeping minimal contact with her son, particularly while she was working at home. More than once he had accidentally caused her to drop items when he disabled her telekinesis while she was cooking or working, causing several arguments and punishments over spilt ingredients and files out of pure frustration. The worst incident was the first but it set a poor precedent. Even after Shouta had control over his quirk he kept his interactions with his mother brief, not wanting to spark another argument. The shouted insults weighed heavily on his mind as a child. As he grew older he understood her grief and frustration but the memories of shouting matches never quite faded nor had she ever earned his complete forgiveness.

Hizashi gave Shouta’s hand a quick squeeze. “I know. You two are getting better though. When she visited to help with Hitoshi’s stuff she even gave you a hug!”

Shouta couldn’t argue against that and let his silence be a sign of agreement. “I’m mostly worried about Hitoshi. I don’t want a repeat of my childhood.”

“Shouta, you know that if she says a single thing about his quirk being dangerous we’re gone but really, don’t even worry about that.” Hizashi made sure Shouta saw the smile he flashed in his direction. “I think she’s learned her lesson anyway.”

“… We’ll see.”

Hizashi gave Shouta one more reassuring thought in English. “Everything will be A-Okay.”

---

As Hizashi pulled into the parking lot of the old apartment complex Shouta found himself repeating his mother’s recent phone call in his head. She had called a couple weeks ago to tell Shouta she wanted to see Hitoshi and try again. Shouta couldn’t deny that Noriko felt more guilt for her treatment of Shouta as she grew older and even by high school Noriko was much more loving towards her son. The similarities in his and his son’s quirks made Shouta apprehensive about the visit but if Noriko was sincere about her desire to try again he decided a visit to grandmother’s house was appropriate.

“Ready to rock and roll?” Hizashi beamed at Shouta as he shut off the car and unbuckled his seatbelt.

“Only if you don’t say that again,” Shouta snorted as he exited the vehicle. Hizashi laughed as he opened the back door of the car to wake Hitoshi who by some miracle had slept through the rest of the car trip.

“Wakey-wakey my little ball of sunshine,” Hizashi cooed as he unbuckled Hitoshi and gave him a gentle shake on the shoulder. “Time to go see grandma!”

“Papa…” Hitoshi slowly cracked his eyes open before yawning and sleepily rubbing his eyes. “Do we have to?” His voice was small and still sleepy.

“I thought you wanted to meet Grandma Aizawa!” Hizashi covered his mouth in mock exasperation before giving a dramatic sigh and leaning against the car.

Hitoshi tried to keep a straight face before giggling and crawling out of his car seat. “Just a little.”

“That’s what I thought,” Shouta interjected as he snatched Hitoshi into his arms. Hitoshi laughed as Shouta adjusted him in his arms to sit on his hip and Hizashi handed Hitoshi his favorite cat plushie. Hitoshi happily squeezed the toy against his chest while he wrapped his free small arm around Shouta’s neck as he looked over the unfamiliar apartment building. It was modest, the age of the beige dwelling evident. Hitoshi went silent as he remembered he would be meeting a new person and Shouta silently hoped his son would react well to it this time. Hitoshi wasn’t well known for being a sociable kid.

Hizashi let out a small whistle as he spoke softly and looked up at the apartments. “Haven’t seen this place in a while…”

Shouta looked up at his childhood home with Hitoshi as the cool autumn air nipped at their noses. Memories he didn’t have a reason to dwell on after he left flooded his mind all at once. Shouta still remembered the few times Hizashi had made his way all the way out here to visit in the summer and all the days he had spent as a young child wandering the streets. He hadn’t been here since he moved out after graduation to his own apartment to work in his first agency. He wondered if the family of cats in the alley beside the apartments still lived there. He wondered if the young couple next door ever moved out. He wondered if the inside of his own apartment had changed at all.

Shouta was taken out of his thoughts as Hizashi placed a hand on Shouta’s shoulder, a small but loving smile on his lips. “Don’t worry. We’re going to have a good time.”

Shouta nodded slightly before looking down at his son who by now looked positively apprehensive. The father gave his son a kiss on the forehead before hoisting him higher on his hip. “Well, let’s go. There’s no reason to stand out here all day.”

Hizashi laughed and commented on Shouta’s bluntness as they climbed the stairs up to the third floor, stopping in front of apartment 327. The gold metal numbers stared back at Shouta as he held up a fist to knock on the door, almost daring him to walk back into a childhood he had thought little of for almost a decade now. With a sigh Shouta finally knocked.

The small family waited patiently and silently as they waited for a response. After what felt like minutes to Shouta he finally heard the click and clack of locks being undone and the door slowly opened. Shouta almost held his breath as he looked down at the small figure standing in the doorway.

“Shouta, Hizashi,” her voice was level and calm. “It’s so good to see you two again.”

“Noriko!” Hizashi greeted with a wide smile. “It’s been too long! How are you?”

Noriko smiled at Hizashi’s familiar ever-present enthusiasm and gestured for the two to come inside, shutting the door behind them. Shouta looked down at his mother as he stood inside his old living room. She looked practically identical to when he last saw her, straight black hair pulled back into a messy bun and her face bore wrinkles reflecting years of stress and worry. Her clothes were simple and modest, just like her son’s taste. A cream sweater hung loosely on her thin frame and her long black shirt fluttered lightly in the autumn wind. He mustered up a small smile for his mother. “It’s nice to see you too.”

Noriko returned the smile with a softness he hadn’t seen in years. “And would this be Hitoshi?” Noriko cooed at the child who in response buried his face into the black jacket Shouta had borrowed from Hizashi to look ‘nice’.

“Sorry, he can be shy.” Shouta rubbed his son’s back to comfort him in this unfamiliar situation.

“Don’t apologize, Shouta. You were the same way.” There was that familiar sharpness. Hizashi chuckled at the tone he remembered from high school as he cooed reassuring words to Hitoshi.

Hitoshi finally peeked out from his father’s shoulder to look at the stranger but kept his grip on his dad’s red sweater firm. The child gave the woman an apprehensive look though he softened as he noticed familiar features. Noriko gave Hitoshi a small smile, a familiar smile that Hitoshi had grown to love and found comfort in. It was a smile his grandmother shared with his dad.

Hitoshi reached out for his grandma and after a few moments of consideration Shouta carefully handed the child to Noriko who took him into her arms in a tight hug.

“I’m so happy to see you again, Hitoshi,” Noriko spoke softly as Hitoshi buried his face into her shoulder.  “Already four years old… Before you two know it, he’ll be graduating high school then off into the big world on his own.”

Hizashi laughed as he wrapped an arm around Shouta’s shoulders. “Don’t scare me like that, Noriko. It still feels like we just got the notice for the adoption approval.”

Shouta nodded as he looked around the living room, taking note of the minimal changes in the small apartment. His graduation photos still hung on the wall along with several other photos of him from various stages of life. Though a photo of him and Hizashi in their school uniforms bent over several open textbooks and notebooks as they prepared for finals during their freshman year was a favorite of his. Hizashi followed Shouta’s eye to the photo and pulled Shouta in closer for a moment before letting him go.

“Ah, look at me almost forgetting the tea… I suppose I’m starting to show my age,” Noriko chuckled as she set Hitoshi down beside the couch. “You two settle in, I’ll just be a moment.”

Shouta watched as Noriko disappeared into the kitchen before he let out a quiet sigh. “So far so good.” He ruffled his son’s hair, earning him a giggle. “What do you think, Hitoshi?”

Hitoshi rested his chin on the stuffed cat’s head in thought. “She looks like you.”

“That does make sense,” Shouta replied with a smile before he noticed a photo album lying on the coffee table. Either his mother was feeling sentimental lately or she wanted to reminisce on the past with her son for the first time. Something that Shouta did not particularly want to do while Hitoshi was here. He could learn about his father’s childhood when he’s older.

Just as Shouta weighed the consequences of hiding the photo album his mother reentered the living room, a tray with a teapot and cups in hand. She set the tray down as she beckoned the family to sit. Hizashi and Shouta took a seat on the couch across from the couch Noriko and Hitoshi had settled into. Hitoshi was handed the first cup of tea out of fondness from his grandma.

“So, what have you two been up to lately? I’ve heard barely anything from Shouta lately.” She raised an eyebrow at her son as she poured the others tea.

“Mother…” Shouta gave her a firm look, trying to give her a quick warning to keep the arguments to minimum around Hitoshi before Hizashi could interject.

“Well! I just took a teaching position at UA!” He beamed at Noriko as he clapped his hands together. “I just started assisting the English teacher last month and filling in as a substitute but this spring I’ll be teaching my own classes.”

“That’s wonderful, Hizashi,” Noriko gave him a familiar warm smile as she handed him a cup of steaming tea. “You always did have a knack for English. Without you I don’t know what Shouta would have done.”

Shouta huffed and replied in heavily accented English. “My English is fine.”

Noriko was caught off guard when she heard the four-year-old pipe up in English beside her. “Dad, you didn’t know how to give directions to American tourists last month.”

“… If he’s talking about the tourists then in my defense they were using too much slang.”

“My, my, seems Hitoshi is keeping you on your toes, Shouta. Welcome to parenthood. But I’m glad to see you’re teaching him young.” Noriko sipped on her tea. “Well, anything new for you?”

Shouta took a sip of his tea as an excuse to figure out an answer that wouldn’t upset her. “Hizashi made me interview as well. I was also offered a position.”

“… And you didn’t take it?” Maybe he should’ve taken two sips.

“Mother, it’s a life-changing decision. I already have hero work and a child to look after.” He took his second sip while he could. “I didn’t say no, I just told them I’d have to consider it.”

“What’s there to consider?”

“I would be working with teenagers. I wasn’t even good at that when I was a teenager.”

“Don’t worry, Noriko, we talked it over a lot. He might take a trial run at it but for now I think he wants to focus on Hitoshi,” Hizashi jumped into the conversation and pushed his glasses up his nose as he gave Noriko a convincing smile.

Shouta made a mental note to thank Hizashi for saving him from a lecture.

Noriko tapped the side of her cup in thought before she accepted the answer. “Well, just don’t write it off. I didn’t get where I am by shutting off opportunities.”

Shouta had to resist rolling his eyes. Her opportunities were travelling for business and leaving Shouta behind on his own as early as late elementary school. Her work allowed him to afford renting a small apartment closer to UA after he had been transferred to the heroics department but his workaholic mother as usual was still focused on resumes.

Shouta let the conversation continue between Hizashi and his mother until Hitoshi let out a soft interjection, pointing at the photo album. “Grandma, what’s that?”

“Ah, that’s a family photo album, dear. I thought I’d look through it before you got here,” she explained in a tone Shouta didn’t recognize. “Would you like to see what’s inside?”

Hitoshi nodded, prompting Noriko to telepathically open the book to the first page. At the sight of her quirk in action Hitoshi bounced up and down in excitement. His dad explained what her quirk was before they left but seeing it used in front of him was much more exciting.

Hitoshi instantly pointed to the first picture of two adults and a newborn baby posed for their first family picture. “Who’s that?”

“That’s your father after he was born, his father, and I,” Noriko explained as she pointed out each person. “Your father had so much hair when he was born. I don’t think he’s brushed it once since he was born either.”

Hizashi snickered and placed a hand on Shouta’s shoulder, receiving an elbow to the ribs in return. He knew quite well that Shouta wasn’t much of a fan for looking at old pictures but he saw no harm in trying to enjoy this family time.

“Grandpa Osamu passed away a few years after this was taken. We all miss him dearly and I know he would have loved you.” Hitoshi pondered over his grandma’s words, still processing the idea of death as he aged though he was satisfied with the conclusion that he wasn’t going to meet his grandpa. Hitoshi watched as his grandma flipped another page, this one filled with picture of Shouta as a baby and toddler.

“Dad, your hair looks funny!” Hitoshi giggled as he pointed to a picture of three-year-old Shouta with a fresh bowl cut.

“Thanks, maybe I’ll cut it that way again.” At that thought Hitoshi gave his dad a frightened look and shook his head. He liked his dad’s hair as it was.

Finished with looking at this page Hitoshi flipped to the next one. The next few pages featured pictures of the young family and Shouta slowly growing out of toddlerhood. Hitoshi was absolutely fascinated by seeing his dad so young and Noriko was happy to tell him stories about Shouta as a young child while Hizashi cooed compliments about how sweet Shouta looked as a baby. Shouta himself kept quiet and instead silently looked over the photos, focusing on the one’s of his late father. Shouta had few memories of his father but looking over proof of happy family moments was always comforting. The next page however made Shouta’s slight smile drop.

Hitoshi seemed to be caught off guard by the picture facing him. He recognized the child by now as his father but instead of a curious toddler the picture featured a child only a bit older than Hitoshi staring into the camera. The child didn’t look angry but Hitoshi could tell how uncomfortable and upset the child must have been when the picture was taken. The bowl cut was still there and his father now wore a preschool uniform though one accessory caught Hitoshi’s his eye.

“Dad, what’s that?” Hitoshi quietly asked as he pointed at the white patch over his father’s left eye. As Hitoshi continued to look over the picture he noticed how bloodshot the right eye was.

“An eye patch.” The response was quick and short.

“… For what?”

“For my quirk.”

“… But you need to see to use it.”

“Exactly. Your father didn’t always know how to control it,” Noriko interjected, an almost sour expression on her face. “In fact, he tended to activate it at the worst times. Always when I was in the middle of paperwork too.”

That didn’t make any sense to Hitoshi. His dad never used his quirk to do bad things, he was a hero who used his to save people and make others happy. The worst thing Hitoshi could think of that his dad used it for was when Papa started losing control of his quirk but even then Shouta was protecting people’s hearing. Hitoshi looked up at his father in confusion and his eyes widened at the dark expression on his father’s face.

“Yes, mother, I’m sure you didn’t have any issues controlling Telekinesis as a child,” he raised a thin eyebrow and crossed his arms. “I learned to control my quirk just like the others in my class.”

“I was just trying to help.” Noriko snapped at her son and Shouta felt as though he was a six-year-old having another argument over his quirk.

Hitoshi awkwardly fiddled with the hem of his cat-patterned jacket, almost regretting asking the question before being pulled out of his thoughts as Shouta reached over to turn the page.

“Don’t worry, Hitoshi,” Shouta said softly, “I didn’t wear them for long and they didn’t hurt anyway.” Shouta felt it would be best to leave out the fact that the extra strain on one eye at a time made his dry eye worse which did in fact hurt. Shouta looked back up at his mother with the same dark expression and she returned one of similar frustration, a silent argument brewing between them.

Hitoshi nodded at this, feeling a bit better knowing his dad wasn’t in pain and glad that his dad didn’t need them anymore. Needing a distraction Hitoshi reached over for his ignored tea and took a sip, immediately scrunching his face up at the bitterness. Hizashi laughed as Hitoshi set his cup down with a grimace.

“Not your favorite?” Hizashi asked as he snapped a quick picture on his phone. Hizashi wasn’t one to miss out on a cute picture. Hitoshi shook his head quickly in response.

“Nuh-uh…,” Hitoshi pulled his cat plushie back into his lap. “Papa, can I have something else to drink?”

“Of course,” Hizashi replied but the moment his words left his lips his eyes glossed over and his face switched from being amused to nearly blank, only a hint of surprise remaining on his face.

“Thanks, Papa. I want some water,” Hitoshi beamed as he watched his papa slowly stand up and begin taking slow steps towards the kitchen.

The sudden movement from Hizashi caught Shouta and Noriko’s attention, causing them to finally look away from each other and up at Hizashi. From her spot on the couches Noriko caught her first look at someone under Hitoshi’s quirk and reacted with a sharp gasp. The shock from seeing Hizashi’s blank face and empty eyes was evident on her expression.

“Hitoshi, what did you do?!” She stood quickly and nearly took a step back from the small child.

Shouta ended the situation quickly as he activated Erasure, his eyes glowing red and his hair standing on end. Hizashi quickly shook his head once he gained full control of his body and to readjust from the still odd sensation of being brainwashed. The moment Hizashi moved on his own Shouta closed his eyes, letting his long hair fall back down onto his shoulders. He only gave his eyes a moment to rest before he aimed a glare straight at his mother.

“It was an accident, mother. Hizashi and I know how to handle this,” Shouta snapped but kept his tone soft enough to not frighten Hitoshi. “That’s his quirk.”

The revelation only seemed to startle Noriko more while she watched closely as Hizashi swooped Hitoshi up into a big hug. Post-brainwashing hugs had become their new way of saying they understand that he didn’t mean it.

“Shouta, why didn’t you tell me about this before you came over?”

Shouta stood from his spot on the couch to face his mother. “This is exactly why I was worried about coming over.”

“Excuse me? What’s that supposed to mean?” Noriko looked at her son incredulously.

“My son doesn’t need a warning label just because he’s learning his quirk just like every other child,” Shouta curtly responded in his low voice, keeping it as level as it often was though the typical laziness in his voice was absent. “Or perhaps your solution would be a muzzle. Should I go grab one for you?”

Hitoshi’s eyes widened at the though and it was mere moments before tears began to fill his purple eyes. As he spoke his voice cracked and shook. “Why do I need a muzzle?”

“No, no, no, you don’t sweetie, you don’t need anything like that,” Noriko immediately responded in the same soft tone from before as she reached out for Hitoshi.

“Then why did I need an eye patch.” Shouta hardly held his frustration back as he punched a hole through his mother’s logic. He knew it was irrational to do in front of his son but it was just as irrational to let his son think his grandmother was an infallible person either.

Noriko turned to look at her son with exasperation. Normally she had all the answers for why she did what she did over twenty years whether she agreed with her own choices or not. This time she was left speechless.

The tension and silence stood solid in the living room with the only sounds coming from Hitoshi’s quiet sniffles as he looked from his dad to his grandma and back to his dad on a loop. Hizashi could see the frustration glowing in Noriko’s eyes and knew once she had picked out a retort to Shouta’s question that the situation would not improve. Looking over at Shouta he could tell that his husband was ready to leave if Noriko started another argument over his quirk.

Hizashi figured he might as well get Hitoshi out of this situation while he had the chance.

“Well, I’m gonna go look at more pictures with Hitoshi. You two have fun.” Hizashi swept the photo album into the arm not occupied by Hitoshi and swiftly escaped down the hallway towards Shouta’s old room. Although it had been years since Hizashi had been in Shouta’s childhood room he still knew exactly where it was – second door on the right. Hizashi opened the door without thinking and was surprised to find the room almost exactly as it was ten years ago.

The room was still quite bare, the only pieces of furniture being a bed, desk, and bookcase and there were minimal decorations on the walls. The desk that was once covered in textbooks and notes only had a couple stacks of old notebooks Shouta never bothered to get rid of. The bed was still as messy as Shouta always left his beds and the nest of blankets and pillows sat ready for their owner to return. The bookcase had mostly been emptied after Shouta moved out, just a few old books and workbooks were left behind.  The blinds were drawn shut as they often were in any dwelling of Shouta’s.

“This used to be your dad’s room, Hitoshi,” Hizashi spoke softly as he bounced the softly sniffling child on his hip. “I used to visit him here in the summer when we were in high school.”

Hitoshi curiously examined the plain room, intrigued by the idea of seeing something from his dad’s past. Papa told Hitoshi stories upon stories of his own childhood and family but Dad was always much more reserved.

“There’s not much stuff…” Hitoshi murmured as he eyed the nest of blankets on the bed. Hizashi chuckled as he made his way to the bed, sitting down carefully enough not to disturb the arrangement of pillows and blankets.

“That’s because he took his things with him when he moved out,” Hizashi explained as he set Hitoshi down beside him on the bed. “But I guess your dad never really held onto a lot of stuff…”

Hitoshi watched as his papa opened the photo album and set it down on his lap, quickly flipping to a page past the photo that had sparked the confrontation Hizashi could only hope was at least happening peacefully in the living room. Hizashi didn’t hear anything from the living room which he took as a good sign. Better to have them sit in their frustration than have Noriko shouting at her son while Hitoshi was in the apartment, Hizashi thought.

“Papa…”

“Yes, honey?”

“Why did grandma Aizawa make Dad wear an eyepatch? He doesn’t do bad things… That’s why he’s a hero.”

Hizashi tapped his finger against the edge of the album for a moment as he thought out his answer. “Well, grandma Aizawa didn’t always make the best choices. Adults don’t always do the right thing and that doesn’t just mean villains. Dad got his quirk from grandpa but grandpa died before he could teach him how to use it.” Hizashi put an arm around his son’s shoulders and watched as Hitoshi nodded. “She was sad after grandpa died and didn’t know how to teach him how to control his quirk. She was a little scared since she had to raise your father and work, she was always very busy.”

“… But did the eye patches help?”

Hizashi smiled lightly at the question. “Dad says they didn’t. He could still use his quirk with one eye.”

“So why did grandma use them?”

“It was the only thing she could think of.”

Hitoshi dwelled on the answer, trying to make sense of what he was being told. It still didn’t quite make sense why grandma would do something unhelpful but he did understand being sad and scared. His still small worldview couldn’t frame the struggle of balancing a child and work on top of experiencing grief. Memories of seeing mother’s struggle with crying babies in the grocery store and seeing his dads hunched over the kitchen table filling out police reports after long patrol shifts came to his mind. The mothers and his parents both looked so busy and so tired. He couldn’t imagine how someone would look trying to do both.

“So, she tried.”

Hitoshi giggled as his father ruffled his hair. “That’s right, kiddo. She tried. But that doesn’t make her bad decisions okay, right? It just means we understand why she made her choices. Dad doesn’t completely forgive her either and that’s okay. You don’t have to forgive people that hurt you. Okay?”

Hitoshi nodded.

---

Shouta watched out of the corner of his eye as Hizashi left with their son, no doubt heading for his old bedroom if it hadn’t been remodeled by now. It was the correct decision on Hizashi’s part. Hitoshi was on the verge of tears and Hizashi was an expert by now on calming him down. If only he hadn’t been given a reason to cry in the first place.

“How dare you make my grandchild cry, Shouta,” Noriko’s sharp words cut through the silence.

“I’m 27. I don’t need to be scolded like a 4-year-old.” Shouta finally looked away from his mother to rest his aching eyes. “I could have been more tactful but I could say he same for what you did to him.”

Noriko watched incredulously as Shouta calmly retrieved a bottle of eyedrops from his pocket. “You’re still my son.”

Shouta hummed as he applied his eyedrops, blinking as the liquid soothed his eyes. Having a kid with a newly developed quirk was putting quite the strain on his eyes.

“And Hitoshi is my son but I don’t scold him without reason and I don’t make him feel dangerous,” Shouta responded quickly as he opened his eyes to lock eyes with his mother again.

“Don’t lie to me. We both know a quirk like that can be dangerous.”

“Yes, can be.”

“Wha-“

“I’ve worked for years to control my quirk and Hizashi worked even harder than I did to control his,” Shouta explained. “With the two of us and counselors when he starts school he’ll be able to control it quickly and probably better than his classmates. Besides, he’s four. The evilest thing he can do is make Hizashi or I give him extra dessert. Which he only did on purpose once but he felt so bad about it that he cried for twenty minutes.”

Noriko stayed silent as she mulled over his son’s words. Shouta watched as she telepathically picked up knitting project that sat in a basket beneath the coffee table and began to silently continue to project, hands still in her lap. Always a workaholic, she needed something to keep her hands – or her quirk – busy. Always with a need to be right, she carefully pieced together her argument before speaking.

“Well, that may be so,” Noriko’s words trailed off as she paused for a moment, “but I assume he’s starting preschool and that means being around other children. They won’t understand like adults do.”

“I know you’re not always the most confident in my abilities but Hizashi and I have discussed preschool,” Shouta raised a thin eyebrow at his mother. “He’ll be starting next spring at a school certified to care for children of pro heroes. He’ll be in good hands.”

“I never said I wasn’t confident in you,” she snapped. “You know very well why I put those eye patches on you. You didn’t know what you were doing.”

“This isn’t about me, this is about Hitoshi.”

“Then why did you bring up the eye patches again?”

“I didn’t. I was talking about preschool.”

Noriko huffed indignantly as she held back a few strong words for her son. Her knitting needles clacked together as her knitting became almost frantic with frustration. It was a small reminder of why Shouta couldn’t stand trying to reason with his mother. His logic was fueled by reason, hers by emotion.

“Fine,” Noriko said curtly. “Preschool. What I was going to say is maybe you should consider all options to keep him safe at preschool. Perhaps you should consider quirk blockers.”

Shouta stood straight up from the couch, his glare never leaving his mother. “Are you kidding, mother? Quirk blockers?” Shouta scoffed as he turned away and reached for Hizashi’s bag. “I knew this would happen. How dare I make Hitoshi cry? How dare you suggest such an inhumane way for him to learn his quirk.”

“Shouta, you will not speak to me like that,” Noriko tossed her knitting down as she stood up. Her voice was low enough to keep Hizashi and Hitoshi from hearing her but it was noticeably louder than before.

“I will speak however is necessary if you still act like this.”

“Just hear me out, Shouta.” Noriko continued speaking before Shouta could cut her off. “Imagine how scared the kids will be if he used it on one of them. Or a teacher. And don’t say I’m being irrational and nothing bad will happen because I’m fully aware of what can happen when a child can’t control their quirk. I know you haven’t forgotten about what happened when you were his age. The scars are still there.” She gestured to her legs hidden by her skirt.

“Mother, it’s been 23 years. I was four. Do you think I meant to make you drop that pot?” Shouta was almost genuinely questioning his mother. The cooking incident wasn’t brought up excessively but it was almost always out of malice if his mother mentioned it.

“I’m not an idiot. I’m just being precautious with Hitoshi’s future.”

Shouta scoffed and threw Hizashi’s bag over his shoulder. “Ridiculous. You wanted to try again yet here you are suggesting quirk blockers for my son. We’re leav-“

Shouta was cut off by the sudden crying echoing from the hallway that no doubt belonged to Hitoshi. Within moments after the crying started Hizashi turned the corner into the living room with Hitoshi in his arms and crying into his shoulder.

“Babe, have you seen his cat? I think he dropped it earlier,” Hizashi asked as soon as he spotted his husband.

Shouta sighed with relief at the sight of his husband and approached him to pat Hitoshi’s back. “Yeah, it should be in here somewhere.”

“It’s right here,” Noriko spoke as she began to reach for the stuffed cat that had been dropped onto the floor when Hitoshi was brought into Shouta’s room.

Shouta snatched the toy up quickly and playfully snuggled the stuffed toy into Hitoshi’s side to get his attention. “Here, Hitoshi, we found it. Everything’s okay now.”

Hitoshi peeked out from his father’s shoulder enough to see the plushie. With a soft smile on his face Hitoshi took the plushie from his father and held it close as Shouta wiped tears from his cheeks. “Thank you, Dad.”

“Of course, sweetie,” Shouta said softly as he pressed a kiss to the top of his head. Shouta looked up at Hizashi and quickly signed one word to him. Talk. Hizashi nodded. “Mother, Hizashi and I need to speak in private for a moment. Watch Hitoshi for a moment and be nice.”

Noriko suppressed a scowl at the insinuation that she would be anything but nice around her grandson. But she didn’t suppress a smile as Hizashi set Hitoshi down. “Alright, you two lovebirds go do what you need to do.”

Shouta nearly rolled his eyes and Hizashi didn’t look all too impressed either. His mother was trying to lighten the mood and no one was truly in the mood. Even Hitoshi looked a bit suspicious at the sudden teasing after the intense confrontation he had sat through barely five minutes ago. Hitoshi looked up at his parents not entirely sure about if he wanted to be left alone with his grandma right now. Hizashi pinched his son’s cheeks, earning him a giggle.

“Don’t worry, Hitoshi,” Hizashi said with a shining smile, “we’ll just take a couple minutes, I promise. Okay?”

Hitoshi checked his feet for a moment before nodding. “Okay, Papa. Just a couple minutes?”

“Just a couple minutes.”

“I’ll remember that.”

Hizashi laughed and ruffled his son’s hair. “So strict. It’s almost like your dad raised you.”

Shouta gave his son one more pat on the head before he took Hizashi’s hand in his and beckoned for Hizashi to follow him into the hallway. Hizashi quickly followed behind Shouta until nearly slamming into his husband after he suddenly stopped.

“Shouta, what’s up?” Hizashi questioned as he looked over his husband’s shoulder. Shouta had stopped just outside the doorway to his old room.

“… She didn’t change anything,” Shouta answered quietly as he took a few steps into his old room. “I figured it would have been another study or storage by now.”

Hizashi hummed in understanding as he followed Shouta into the practically empty room and wrapped an arm around Shouta’s waist. “Can’t believe it’s been almost ten years since we last hung out in here.”

“Geez, we made careers for ourselves and became parents in nine years…” Shouta mused as eyed the bed. “Now I can justify my naps.”

“You’d take them away.” Hizashi chuckled and pressed a kiss to his husband’s cheek. “So, what did you want to talk about.”

Shouta sighed as he was reminded of the painful subject at hand. “We should leave.”

“What did she say?”

“She suggested quirk blockers.”

“… Are you serious?”

Shouta turned to face his husband. “I’m not one to joke about something like that.”

Hizashi ran an exasperated hand through his long hair. So much for a peaceful family gathering. “… Maybe we could stay a little longer? Only if Hitoshi is okay with it.”

Shouta almost looked offended by the idea. “Why? To give her more opportunities to suggest something else to ruin his childhood.”

“No, you know that’s not why,” Hizashi sighed. “I know that you’ve settled your relationship with your mother and I understand that but Hitoshi doesn’t know her yet. I’m not saying let him think she didn’t do anything wrong. But I do think we should let him form his own opinions.”

Shouta stared up at Hizashi with tired black eyes staring back into striking green ones that always brought him comfort. He knew that Hizashi’s argument was logical and rationally he did agree with him. Shouta had never been one to tell another person what to think, he knew people were gullible but genuinely manipulating a person’s opinions was typically unnecessary if not immoral. Though when it came to his son it almost felt justified. He simply wanted to protect his son from someone that he knew could cause emotional harm. Shouta could already tell that Hitoshi would be affected by the day’s events for many years.

But at the end of the day he had to admit that his husband had a point.

“Fine. But only if Hitoshi is okay with it.”

“You got it, babe. Thanks.”

Shouta pressed a quick, soft kiss to Hizashi’s lips. “Well, let’s go see what Hitoshi wants.”

“Good idea,” Hizashi intertwined his fingers with Shouta’s once again while his husband gave the room another once over. Shouta led the way out into the living room once he was ready, spotting Hitoshi looking through the photo album. This time the pictures were mostly of Shouta and the occasional family member in late grade school and early middle school. Noriko stood by silently as she used her quirk to knit once again.

“Hey, kiddo,” Shouta said to get his son’s attention. Hitoshi looked up from the album and smiled at his dad.

“Dad, why don’t we have these pictures at home?” Hitoshi questioned with a tilt of the head. “I like them.”

“… I guess I never thought to bring any when I moved,” Shouta answered. “Anyway, do you want to stay with grandma for a little longer?”

Hitoshi glanced back at his grandma before looking down at his feet in thought. “I don’t know.”

Shouta watched with near amusement as Noriko stiffened up behind Hitoshi, her knitting stumbling for a moment as her grandson’s words struck her.

“We don’t have to stay if you don’t want to,” Hizashi said reassuringly. “We’ll do whatever feels most comfortable to you.”

Hitoshi kept his gaze on his feet with his chin rested on top of his stuffed cat. He had always been given this type of control before, his parents never forced him into a situation where he felt uncomfortable or he wanted to leave. It was like his dad said, you’re young but your thoughts matter too. The clicking of knitting needles was the only noise breaking the silence of Hitoshi’s concentration and it suddenly felt so much louder than before. It felt like he would never make a decision at this rate.

Hitoshi peered up at his grandma from the couch, her eyes were still stubbornly averted from the situation and the kindness she had shown him when they arrived was replaced by sourness.

After a few more moments of deciding he made his decision, “We can go home.”

Noriko audibly sighed as she telepathically set her knitting down on the coffee table as she watched her son and son in law gather their things and slip their shoes back on to head home. Before Hitoshi could reach the door to grab his shoes she spoke.

“Hitoshi, I’m sorry for making you feel unsafe,” Noriko spoke slowly as if the apologetic words felt unfamiliar to her tongue. Hitoshi paused as he reached for his shoes, turning his attention back to his grandma. “You don’t need anything for your quirk. In fact, I think your fathers would agree that it would be very useful for a hero.”

Hitoshi’s face grew red in embarrassment as he buried his face into his plushie once again. Shouta and Hizashi shared an unsure look with each other but neither said anything to stop Noriko. The raven-haired man thought back on his phone call with his mother and her desire to try again with Hitoshi. So long as she was civil he would allow her another chance before they left.

“You really think so?” Hitoshi asked as he looked up at his grandma with wide purple eyes.

“Of course,” Noriko responded as she reached for the photo album on the table.

Hitoshi looked up at his dads with a shy but bright smile and received a hand ruffling through his hair as Hizashi told him his grandma was correct.

“And before you go…” Noriko held the photo album out to Shouta. “You should take this with you. I know you don’t have any pictures and it sounds like Hitoshi likes looking through them.”

Shouta raised an eyebrow at his mother as he hesitantly accepted the album. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like having this around?”

Noriko brushed the thought off with a dismissive wave of the hand. “I have plenty of photos. If you don’t want them I’m sure Hizashi or Hitoshi would love to have them.”

Shouta sighed and took the album, tucking it under his arm. He couldn’t deny that the rest of his family would value the photos. “Thank you. Well, we should be heading out. It’s a long drive home.”

Noriko nodded solemnly before Hizashi stepped over for a goodbye hug. “It was good to see you again, Noriko. Thank you for hosting us.”

“Of course, Hizashi,” she replied as she pulled him in for a hug, brushing a few strands of his blond hair back over his shoulder once she pulled away. “Good luck with your teaching. I’m sure the students will love you especially in that wild hero get-up of yours.”

“Thanks, I’m sure they’ll appreciate it,” Hizashi chuckled as he adjusted his bag on his shoulder. Hizashi bent over slightly to pat his son on the shoulder. “Say goodbye and thank you to grandma Aizawa.”

Hitoshi nodded and watched his grandma knelt down to his height. “It was lovely seeing you again, Hitoshi. Make sure you do well when you start school and respect your parents. I hope to see you again sometime soon.”

Hitoshi stood still as he processed his grandma’s words. Her voice was soft and welcoming, nothing like the sharp tone or panic she had when she snapped at him earlier. The wrinkles around her dark eyes and thin lips creased as she gave him a soft smile. After a moment of hesitation Hitoshi tugged on his papa’s long jacket to grab his attention. The child handed his stuffed cat to his papa before he took a few steps towards his grandma, fiddling with the hem of his jacket as he walked. Once he had mustered up the courage he wrapped his small arms around his grandma’s neck in a quick hug before letting go and hurrying back to hide behind his papa’s legs.

Noriko chuckled lightly as she stood back up. “Well, it was lovely to see the three of you. Have a safe trip home.”

“Thanks, Noriko, I’ll make sure Shouta keeps you updated on everything,” Hizashi flashed her another smile before looking down at Hitoshi. “Okay, hold my hand.”

Shouta gave one more nod to his mother as he waited for his husband and son to exit the apartment, Hitoshi giving his grandma a final wave before he stepped outside.

“Shouta,” Noriko spoke quickly, “could we talk for just a moment. I won’t keep you long.”

Shouta turned to give a confused look to his mother before turning back to Hizashi who only replied with a shrug. Neither knew what to expect from Noriko at this point. He carefully weighed his options before letting out a small sigh. “Fine. You two go on ahead, I’ll be there in a second.”

Hizashi nodded and called out one more goodbye before he led Hitoshi down to the car below them. Shouta shut the door behind them and turned around, rubbing his eyes for a moment before looking up at his mother with tired eyes.

“Well?”

Noriko stopped herself from scolding him for the curt response. “I wanted to tell you that I think you’re doing a great job raising Hitoshi. He’s well-mannered and you obviously care about him quite a bit. The fact that you took him in in the first place is very respectable.” She paused to collect her thoughts. “I admire how much look out for him.”

Shouta found himself speechless for a moment. He hadn’t been sure what to expect when he stayed behind but he certainly wasn’t expecting any compliments. “Well, thank you but I’m not doing this alone. Hizashi has been an amazing help.”

“Yes, yes, I know that, Shouta,” Noriko huffed. “I’m not saying this to take away his credit.”

“Then what are you saying it for?”

“You’re better with kids than you think you are, Shouta,” Noriko spoke with the softest voice she had used with her son since he was a small child. “I know teenagers are a little different but you’re adaptable, you could figure it out. You’re strict enough to keep them in line but you’re more caring than you give yourself credit for.”

Shouta stood in silence as he listened to his mother, running a hand through his hair in near exasperation. The worst part was he knew logically that she was correct.

“I’m not telling you to take the position but we both know you wouldn’t have interviewed for it if you had no interest or thought you couldn’t do the job,” Noriko spoke up once it was clear her son wouldn’t. “I just think you’re underestimating your abilities. At least reconsider it.”

Her son stayed silent for a few more moments before sighing. “Fine. I’ll think about it a bit more.”

Noriko nodded. “Good choice. Now, you should go catch up with your family. I said I would only keep you for a moment.”

“Right,” Shouta sighed as he readjusted the photo album still under his arm. He paused for a moment before giving her a quick one-armed hug. “It was nice seeing you. I’ll be off.”

“Good to see you again too,” Noriko nodded as she opened the door for her son. “Goodbye, Shouta. Take care.”

Shouta hummed in agreement as he gave her a small wave and walked through the door, listening to the door click softly before the locks being redone echoed through the door. With a tired sigh he made his way down the staircase and rejoined his family by the car.

“Hey, babe!” Hizashi greeted cheerfully once he spotted his husband at the foot of the staircase. “Already got Hitoshi buckled up and ready to go.”

Shouta nodded as he approached his husband. “We should head out before he starts to fuss then.”

Hizashi nodded and opened the driver side door while reciting another English idiom. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

---

“So, what did your mom want to talk to you about?”

The sudden voice pulled Shouta out of his thoughts where he had been repeating his mother’s words in his mind. Shouta took his time thinking of how to answer his husband as he kept his eyes glued on the road ahead of them.

“She told me I was a good parent,” Shouta finally replied. “That I’m better with kids than I think.”

“Really? Well, that was nice of her. She’s right too, you are good with kids.” Hizashi reached over to skip a few songs on the current playlist. “I was worried she was going to tell you she wasn’t happy with how everything went. But I guess she looked pretty ambivalent when we left.” He hummed in thought. “Maybe a little happier than that actually. Was that all she had to say?”

Shouta tapped his fingers idly on the photo album in his lap. “She said I should reconsider taking the position at U.A. because of that.”

“Will you?”

“… Yeah.”

Hizashi smiled and reached over with his left hand to squeeze his husband’s shoulder. “I’m glad. I think they’d be lucky to have you there.”

The couple sat in silence listening to soft music, the hum of car’s engine, and the small voice of their child playing with the stuffed cat until the small voice spoke up.

“Dad?”

“Yes, Hitoshi?”

“Can I look at some pictures?”

Shouta saw Hizashi smiling out of the corner of his eyes. “Of course.”

Shouta carefully handed the thick album to his excited son before settling back into his seat. He watched in the rear-view mirror as Hitoshi happily flipped through the pictures, his son giggling when he saw particularly embarrassing pictures of his dad. Shouta smiled to himself lightly as he took Hizashi’s free hand in his.

“So, was the day A-Okay?” Hizashi asked his family.

Shouta hummed in thought before answering, his tongue fumbling over the English. “Sure. A-Okay.”

Hitoshi responded a bit more cheerfully, photo album still in his lap. “It was A-Okay, Papa!”