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Hitoshi slowly creaked the door to the basement open as he exited the downstairs that had been long transformed into a large room -- one that was usually was a loving reminder of how far his adoptive parents had gone to make him feel welcome and happy, but at midnight it was an oppressive reminder of how far away sleep was. Although he didn’t have school the next day, Hitoshi had every intention on training tomorrow morning and had gone to bed early. Or, he’d tried to. Lying in bed in the pitch darkness for hours before getting on the phone Shōta and Hizashi had bought for him before going back to darkness, then back to his phone. It remained that way until his clock struck midnight and he rolled out of the large, plush bed and crossed through the small area that made up his own private living room to the stairs.
The light over the kitchen was still on and he made soft deliberate steps to peer over and see if either of his parents were still awake. Sitting at the kitchen table was only Hizashi, though it seemed from the way he kept glancing at the clock that Shōta wasn't even home. As he passed by the front door, Hitoshi noted that Shōta’s capture weapon and hero boots were missing from their usual spots. Hizashi did not notice his presence as music blared through bulky headphones over his head and what appeared to be a schedule of some sort reflected in his glasses.
Hitoshi startled the voice hero when he seemingly appeared from the darkness in his pajamas but a smile lit up his face nonetheless. Hizashi pulled off his headphones as a woman rapping in English began with a low, smooth beat. “Hey!” Hizashi cheered as his smile broadened when his adopted son took a seat. “It’s a little late, isn’t it?” He turned his music down and swapped to a different song, but allowed it to continue playing around his neck. “I can’t sleep.” Hitoshi said honestly while staring at the reflection of what now seemed to be a training schedule in Hizashi’s glasses. As he was trying to make out the name on it, Hizashi spoke again with a soft sincerity.
“I understand those nights. It’s how I feel when Shōta’s out late. He left only a few hours ago but I want to be here when he gets home.” Hitoshi drew wet circles onto the table with condensation from Hizashi’s near empty glass of water. “I feel like this all the time, though,” Hitoshi admitted with a soft, shy voice. Hizashi frowned deeply and kept his bright green eyes on his son. “Always?” Hitoshi nodded and Hizashi hummed. “Maybe it’s time for a doctor’s visit, then! We can get you medicine to help you sleep. Does that sound okay?” Hitoshi brought himself to look at Hizashi and nodded. “Yeah. That might be good.”
Hizashi slipped out of his chair and removed his headphones to dig in the fridge, then to rummage around in the cabinets. He returned after a few moments after the cabinets and drawer popped shut, Hitoshi looked up at the noises to see his adopted father bringing him a plate of chocolate cake. He took it with a small amount of reluctance while staring down at the fork gleaming under the dim yellow light above. Hizashi returned to his seat and busied himself with tying his long hair into a loose bun with a tie off his wrist. Hitoshi watched the sleeve of his shirt slip down and distantly remembers that it’s one he'd often see Shōta in.
"You’re up anyway honey, you might as well eat. Plus, what better than some comfort food right now?" Hitoshi looked back down to the cake and took hold of his fork to bring a piece to his mouth. It tasted as he had expected from its appearance, delicious and still tasting fresh despite being in the fridge. “Nemuri made it! Tensei made some good progress in physical therapy and we celebrated. I brought it home for you but time got a little away from me. I’m making a schedule for Jirou!”
Hitoshi’s heart bloomed with a warmth that spread through his chest, just as it always did when one of his dads did something sweet for him. Hizashi was ever thoughtful and judging from the large piece, he’d estimated correctly on how much Hitoshi would be enjoying Kayama’s baking. He took another bite and finished chewing before he spoke again. “Thank you. How’s her schedule going?” Hizashi’s eyes lit up brighter than his computer screen as he pulled his headphones back onto his neck while another song started up. His hands gesturing as he spoke of his mentee’s progress with a proud voice and growing volume, though Hizashi quieted before he grew too loud. Hitoshi smiled fondly at how easy it was to make the voice hero happy.
“Ah, but, you know,” Hizashi waved a hand and settled them back to his keyboard. “She’s smart, it’ll be easy for her. Maybe next time you see her you can give her advice on sticking to it?” Hitoshi nodded and set his fork down. “Yeah. I could.” He turned his attention to stare off at the clock as it neared one o'clock. “Do you always wait for him to come back?” Hizashi’s face pulled a little tensely but he smiled regardless. “Ah, no, I can’t sometimes but whenever I can I try to stay up. I’m always scared Shō is gonna come home all beat up. I know he’s an amazing hero, but..”
Hitoshi nodded seriously. “‘Worrying is apart of the job.’ He always tells me that.” Hizashi quirked an eyebrow with a lopsided smile. “Yeah? When does he say that?” Hitoshi laughed quietly and relaxed into the backrest of the chair. “When you’re on patrol and he’s waiting up for you.” Hizashi seems to redden just slightly as he becomes flustered, his hand waving and wedding ring catching the light in a way that makes Hitoshi feel warm again. “Sometimes it's hard not to worry about other heroes. It's even harder when you're married to one.” Hizashi thinks for a moment before saving the schedule and whatever else was open on his laptop.
The music cuts off when he stands and takes Hitoshi’s now empty plate to rest in the sink, then returned to hold his hand out to Hitoshi. He took it without question and let himself be led over to the cozy couch where Hizashi flipped on the TV when they sat. He then dragged the blanket off the back of the couch to toss over the two of them. Hitoshi had never known himself to be physically affectionate nor accepting of it prior to meeting and growing to know his adopted parents, but Hizashi’s affection was welcomed with how they had grown comfortably together. The channel was changed to show reruns of house flipping shows and they remained quiet beyond the occasional snarky comment or two.
Hitoshi laughed along with Hizashi when a commercial for Present Mic Approved shampoo came on, loud and perfectly timed to their easy banter. Normally he would not feel so open to laughing or making jokes like this, or even the arm that found its way around his shoulders, but his new parents had such a way of making him comfortable. Hizashi’s warmth mingled with the heavy blanket while a man with a light-based quirk made a comment about living somewhere too bright brought on a sarcastic comment from the voice hero that felt a bit distant as Hitoshi’s already heavy eyelids finally drooped and his head found its way to Hizashi’s shoulder.
“... gotta pee so bad, thank you,” Hitoshi felt himself be lifted with the soft blanket, then heard the cushions being adjusted. He was laid back down on the couch with his head on one of the pillows. Opening his eyes a crack he could see Shōta, uninjured and tired while he kissed Hizashi. “Leave him here, Starlight, I don’t --” Shōta cut Hizashi off with another quiet kiss. They moved with such an easy affection that Hitoshi could not help the small smile it brought on even while sleep began dragging him back in. Shōta looked down to adjust the blanket when Hizashi stepped away to go settle in bed.
"Hey, ‘Toshi,” Shōta’s voice was rough with the effort to speak softly. “Go back to bed.” Hitoshi nodded and as Shōta began to move away, he brought his hand to tug at Shōta’s jumpsuit to draw his attention. The erasure hero paused patiently. “Welcome home.” Hitoshi said as his eyes fell shut. Shōta’s laugh was an exhausted huff but loving all the same. "Thanks."