Work Text:
“I’m home!”
Shinsou kicked his shoes off by the door with the numerous other pairs and wandered towards the kitchen. Though it had been a few years since graduation and he was just getting ahead in his Hero career, he still found himself sneaking into his parents’ kitchen for a snack every afternoon. Only this time it wasn’t his mother and father’s kitchen cupboards. It was his mentor’s home which was shared by way too many people, in Shinsou’s opinion.
But all of these people were his family. He could only complain so much.
“Hitoshi? Is that you?”
Well, sneaking wasn’t necessary if Aizawa was in the kitchen already. He pushed his bag behind him and peeked around the entrance. His mentor stood at the counter, hair tied up in a rough ponytail, cutting up a sandwich. Shinsou sniffed. Remnants of grilled cheese filled the air.
He wanted grilled cheese.
He passed behind little Reiaki, who was perched on a stool at the kitchen island with a sippy cup in hand, and ruffled her hair. She giggled and grabbed at him. “‘Itossi!”
“ Hitoshi ,” he corrected, getting eye level with her. “You almost got it. Hi-to-shi. ”
Reiaki gave him a stern look over her sippy and repeated the sounds back to him. “I-to-ssshi!”
He chuckled, ruffling her hair again. “Close enough.”
“She knows your name, you know,” Aizawa said as Shinsou hopped onto the counter next to him. “She just does that to get attention. She’s like her dad that way. Always doing something to get attention.”
Shinsou shrugged his shoulders and nabbed an apple from a nearby fruit basket. “Still cute.” He took a bite. Not grilled cheese, but it would do. “You making any more of that?” He watched Aizawa fan the plate with his hand before setting it in front of Reiaki.
Aizawa pointed at her and then the food. “Hot,” he said, “wait before you eat it.”
Reiaki nodded. “Hot. I don’t eat.”
Aizawa smiled. “That’s right.”
“Yes, you don’t eat. I do.” Shinsou hopped off the counter and reached for the sandwich. Reiaki pushed his hand away.
“Nooooo! It’s mine!”
“But it’s hot. You can’t eat it.”
“Get your own!”
Shinsou broke the ruse with Aizawa’s bark of laughter.
“Okay, okay. I won’t take it,” he said. He then quickly ripped off a corner. “Just this piece.”
“Hitoshiiiiiiii!!!”
“Oh, so you do know my name!”
Reiaki pouted, glaring up at him with the angriest glare a four-year-old could manage. Shinsou, being the good not-big brother he was, feigned upset. “I’m sorry, Reiaki-chan. I was just so hungry. How about I give you part of my dessert tonight?”
“I’m not cooking tonight,” Aizawa said under his breath, “so it better not be expensive.”
“Oh, we eating out?”
“I don’t know, are we?” Aizawa finished cleaning up the mess at the stove. “You’ve been off at work for the past few days and forgot to tell us when you’d be back.”
Shinsou sank into himself. “Work’s been busy. They needed me out there.” It’s not that he wanted to stay at work for days on end. He’d been called in for a special assignment, and it was beginning to cut into his life and sanity. But, what was he to do?
He relaxed when Aizawa patted him on the shoulder. “I understand,” he said, “the first few years are rough. By the way, there’s something for you on the fridge.”
Curious, Shinsou moved to the fridge. Different artwork and test grades covered the refrigerator door, practically obscuring it from sight. He expected a sticky note from Midoriya or a note from Denki- who had also been neglected due to his packed work schedule and had probably been over a few times asking where he was- but he found no such thing. He flipped through Eri’s test scores- he swore that kid was a genius- once more before stumbling upon a paper with a crude stick figure drawing at the bottom in crayon and a story at the top. The japanese was messy and obviously written by Satoki.
My Big Brother Hitoshi
He blinked. He was sure Aizawa and Mic had explained to him that he was not actually his brother, but he was six. Satoki probably forgot.
My big brother Hitoshi is the coolest big brother. He isn’t home much lately because he works as a Pro-Hero! He has a neat scarf thing like Daddy has. It can move on its own when he wants it to!
When he is home, he plays videogames with me and even lets me win. He doesn’t know I know this, so don’t tell him. He tells me stories about his quirk and about how he used to not like it. He says it’s a lot like mine, and that I should be proud of my quirk.
He’s the best big brother ever!
The drawing underneath had two stick figures. A smaller yellow one holding hands with a taller blue one. Shinsou reread the page a few times, holding back tears.
“What’s this?” he asked Aizawa.
Aizawa picked a dozing Reiaki up in one arm and the empty plate in another. After sliding it into the sink as gently as he could, he turned to Shinsou.
“They had an assignment in his class to write about their favorite family member. He’s missed you these past few days.”
And with that, he left to take his daughter up to her room.
Shinsou looked at the paper once more.
He really loved his family.