Work Text:
"Hey where's Shinso?" Izuku asked the usual question when their classmate Shinso Hitoshi hadn't turned up for class one day. It wasn't an unusual question, the kid had anxiety and with exams coming up, everyone expected him to be back at the dorms getting extra studying time or training in the shared gym on the first floor. It wasn't uncommon for him to miss a lesson or two to calm himself down before joining his classmates again. But someone still asked the question and all eyes fell on Denki Kaminari, Shinso's boyfriend, for an answer. Shinso always messaged Kaminari about his whereabouts without fail which Denki would relay to his friends.
"Yeah Denks, where's Shinso?" Kirishima asked, sitting on his desk, turning to face Denki who was on his left. Kaminari looked up from his phone and shrugged. He tapped his phone on his leg gently, awaiting a message.
"I don't know- He hasn't messaged me today.." He said, chewing on his lower lip. He tried to rationalize the lack of information. Maybe Shinso was ill and resting, maybe he slept over his alarm or maybe he was just running late. Or maybe he was in trouble and needed help. Kaminari decided to message him again just in case. He could always ask Aizawa when he turned up about the whereabouts of his son. If anyone knew, it would surely be him.
ChargeBolt [5:38am]: Good morning you absolute ray of sunshine /s
ChargeBolt [6:02am]: Can you bring your purple cat hoodie to school? I've ran out of your hoodies and I miss youuuuuuuu
ChargeBolt [6:05am]: Don't tell me you're still sleeping?
ChargeBolt [6:09am]: Fineeee, ignore meeeee. I'll be in class all aloneeee. All by myselffffffff. >:(
ChargeBolt [8:36am]: Hey are you okay? Noticed you're not here yet and everyone is worried about you. If you need me or anything just message me and I'll reply as soon as I can, Aizawa will understand so don't worry about me getting caught. I love you x
Kaminari hit send just as the classroom door swung open. All heads turned to the door, hoping it was Shinso but when everyone saw Aizawa walking into class, they visibly deflated which of course their teacher picked up on. Walking over to his desk he dropped the stack of papers on an empty space before looking back up at the class who returned to their original seats.
"I know it's early, but no need to look so depressed to see me." Aizawa grumbled, raising an eyebrow at the class.
"It's not that sir, we were just a little worried about Shinso. He hasn't turned up to class and no one has heard from him." Iida spoke up, explaining the situation to Aizawa who just shrugged. His nonchalant attitude eased everyone's worries slightly, but Kaminari was still overthinking everything in the corner of the room. Kirishima shot him a worried glance, knowing he wouldn't ease up until he saw or heard from Shinso himself.
"He's running a bit late. I sent him on a few early morning errands. No need to worry about him." Aizawa scanned the entire room quickly, his eyes landing on Kaminari who was still glancing over at his phone, waiting for a reply. He sighed quietly, before pulling his eyes away to look at the papers he put on the desk. "I marked your essays, they weren't all completely awful. I'll hand them out and I want you to compare to see where you need to improve and what to work on."
When the papers were redistributed, everyone was quick to slide chairs and tables together to make it easier to compare marks and answers. Aizawa resided in the corner of the room, taking a nap in his yellow sleeping bag after ordering the class to keep it down and only wake him up if there was an emergency (and by that he meant if Bakugou was about to kill someone which was usually the reason he was awoken). The classroom was quick to erupt in conversation and laughs.
Kaminari glanced at his phone again, a bad feeling washing over him. He felt like there was something wrong with Shinso, but couldn't tell what. But the overwhelming feeling of dread was enough to make him stand up and walk to the front of the class, about to look for his boyfriend himself. A hand on his wrist stopped him just before he reached the door. Kirishima looked down on his friend, noticing something was wrong with him almost as soon as he stood up without a word.
"I'm going to look for him. If Aizawa notices I'm missing, tell him. I need to know Shinso is okay and sitting here is making me more worried." Kaminari gently pulled his hand away from the grasp holding him in place before opening the class door. Kirishima sighed and let Kaminari leave the class, waiting a few seconds before sticking his head out of the door and calling after him.
"Hey Denki. Text or call one of us when you find him." Kirishima called after him before returning to his seat, shrugging off any questioning glances and looks from the other classmates. He didn't know what to tell them, they already knew Kaminari was an overthinker, especially when it came to his boyfriend and his safety. They were honestly more surprised he didn't go looking for him sooner.
Kaminari ran down the halls, looking in each classroom as he went, not exactly knowing where to look but anywhere was better than nowhere. It didn't take him long to find himself outside of UA, after looking in each classroom and storage closets. He searched around the dorms as well, but the living room, kitchen, gym and Kaminari's room were all empty and there was no other place he could be. Shinso didn't have his own dorm room, opting to stay at home with his dads, Aizawa and Present Mic, for convenience and help with any homework he had. Kaminari leant against the low wall, just outside the two buildings, thinking of all the places Shinso might be. He didn't know where Aizawa lived so he couldn't check there and it wasn't as if UA was surrounded by libraries, cat cafes and parks, all places you would typically find Shinso.
The feeling of his phone buzzing in his hand made Kaminari jump away from the wall as if he was shocked by something. He was so deep in thought he lost his grip on reality, instead zoning out and overthinking. He caught his breath, the shock scaring the shit out of him, before looking down at his phone which was still buzzing. He prayed it was Shinso calling him to explain where he had been for the past couple of hours, but the same feeling of unexplained dread washed over him as he looked at the contact name calling.
[Incoming Call: Shinso <3]
Kaminari hit the accept button as soon as his brain registered the name, bringing the phone up to his ear. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped when he heard the sound of muffled sobbing and coughing. It took him a lot of effort to not cry, the sound of Shinso in pain always made him tear up, feeling he was the last person who deserved the pain he was feeling.
"Shinso-? Are you okay? Where are you?" Kaminari asked, trying and failing to keep the panic from his voice. His feet kept him rooted to the floor, unmoving and grabbed by panic. "Shinso. Answer me. Please."
"Denki.. I'm outside the mall, please hurry up. Fuck.." Shinso's voice was barely audible through the phone. But Kaminari heard enough to force his feet to move from the place he was standing. Another quiet sob was heard from the other side of the line, followed by a few sniffs and labored breaths.
"Stay on the phone with me. Don't hang up. I'm on my way, just hang on for a few more minutes." Kaminari ran out of the gates and down the road, ignoring the guards' concerned shouts after him. They shouted vague threats about calling one of his teachers which Kaminari couldn't give a shit about, calling the teachers was exactly what he needed, the more attention he could get, the quicker he'd be able to find Shinso. The mall was fifteen minutes away from the school in a car, an extra ten minutes on foot but Kaminari was determined to get there in less than ten minutes. Shinso didn't give him much details about his exact whereabouts but he would focus on that later. He focused on Shinso's breathing, audible through the call, although quiet. Kaminari skidded to a stop in front of a road filled with cars, he cursed quietly, knowing waiting to cross the road safely would be wasting his time, but being hit by a car was a risk he wasn't willing to take. Not now.
"Shinso, are you still with me?" Denki asked, hands gripping on the phone tighter. If he had to wait, he might as well use the time wisely and get more information from his boyfriend. The response was delayed but he heard a small groan in response. It wasn't a verbal answer he wanted but it was good enough for now. "Okay, I'm about five minutes away. I need you to tell me exactly where you are."
"'m in an alley.. can't move. Everything hurts Denks.. everything." Shinso whispered. This broke Denkis heart more. He could hear the pain in his voice which was soon followed by quickened breaths of what seemed to be a panic attack.
"I know.. I know. You're doing great, just.. hold on." As soon as the road was clear, the teen ran as fast as he could, not stopping until he saw the mall growing closer. There were multiple alleyways around the mall, the majority of which led to dead ends and were visible from the main path. If Shinso was in one of them, Kaminari would be able to find him quicker. The breathing on the other side of the phone had died down, causing Kaminari to panic more. If he couldn't hear breathing, he wouldn't be able to find Shinso by asking him questions, which means he'd be wasting time. The sound of something, possibly Shinso's phone falling onto the floor made Kaminari jump slightly, looking around quickly.
The crowd seemed to grow thicker as he ran aimlessly, his eyes fixed on the alleyways he passed. The ones with dead-ends and visible from where he was running turned up empty, only leaving about five more alleys of endless turns and twists left. They were spread out over about five miles so searching each one individually would waste precious time. But waiting for people to turn up would be wasting the time he could be spending looking for Shinso.
"Calm yourself idiot.." Kaminari whispered to himself, stopping in front of an alley with a turn just in view, he could check each one in less than half an hour if he calmed down and hurried up. "Shinso. Are you still awake?"
There was no response. He knew he had to hurry up, so with little hesitation, he ran down the alleyway coming to a stop as soon as he saw a figure curled up tightly and hidden by a dumpster. The figure had their side lying against the wall, sitting in their own blood, clothing ripped and hair covering the majority of their face. Kaminari crouched next to Shinso, putting a hand on his shoulder. Shinso lay unmoving, blood running from his nose and side of his head from an injury covered by his hair. Moving his hair, Kaminari could see a black eye forming on his left eye and a red handprint on his cheek. There was the same red mark around his throat which would for sure bruise. Shinso's shirt was ripped open, revealing the binder he had been wearing which was mostly untouched but it was soaked in blood and a small rip on one of the straps. The skin that was visible on his stomach and arms were covered in blood, cuts and bruises. A few of the cuts, clearly done by a sharp object, had cut so deeply that Kaminari could see the bone.
Kaminari felt sick and angry. His boyfriend had suffered whilst he sat in class. The feeling of dread started to make sense. The feeling of wanting to rip whoever did this up was soon overtaken by the need to look after Shinso who was still out cold. It was a miracle he was still breathing albeit slowly and weakly. There was nothing around to help him stop the excessive bleeding coming from countless wounds. Kaminari took off his own jacket, pressing it against Shinso's stomach, praying he wasn't too late. His phone clattered to the floor, reminding him that he could call someone. He picked up the phone, one hand still pressing against Shinso and the other hand clicking on the contacts on his phone. Aizawa was the first to pop up and the teen wasted no time calling him.
Fuck his nap time.
Aizawa was less than pleased to hear that Kaminari had left his class without permission while he slept, but figured he'd give the kid a light scolding when he decided to return instead of giving him a proper punishment. He was about to lecture Kirishima about letting the kid go and not waking him up when his phone started to ring, drawing everyone's attention. It wasn't rare that he'd get a call in class, but each time it peaked everyone's attention, all curious about their teacher's life as a Pro-Hero. And they didn't hate to admit they found it hilarious each time Present Mic rang him about some spider in their living room. Seeing it was Kaminari calling, he picked up, putting the phone on speaker so it was easier for him.
"Where are you? Class ended half an hour ago and-"
"Sir, it's Shinso. He's hurt and I can't stop the bleeding. I don't know what happened... Please hurry up, his breathing is fucked.." Kaminari's voice yelled, thick with tears. Everyone's mood turned from curious to concerned. They all thought Shinso would turn up in a few hours like he usually did and now it was clear Kaminari's worry was justified. They all shared concerned glances between each other as Aizawa tried to hide his concern.
"I need you to slow down for me, kid. Where are you?" Aizawa asked, chucking the spare phone in his desk to Iida who caught it and flipped it open, awaiting further instructions. Kaminari choked out a sob before answering, trying to remain calm.
"I'm.. the third alleyway down on the left in front of the mall.. I'll send you my location now. I don't think.. I don't think he's breathing." Everyone's head snapped to the front, some of the students close to tears as they realized how bad the situation was.
"Send me your location. I'll be there soon. It'll be okay kid." Aizawa was trying to convince himself more than Kaminari at this point. Finding out any of his students hurt him, never mind his own son. He turned his attention to Iida who was still holding onto the phone. "Call every teacher in my contact, tell them what's going on and to meet me at the mall in ten minutes. And all of you go back to your dorms. Classes are dismissed for the day, you'll get an update later today."
Without waiting for an answer, Aizawa ran out of the classroom, letting the kids handle themselves. At this point they were used to their teacher rushing out because some problem child had injured themselves and needed help. He tried not to let anger consume him as he jumped from roof to roof, getting to the mall in less than ten minutes. The call was still going with Kaminari, but both sides were mostly silent, the occasional sob or whisper to Shinso coming from Kaminari.
It didn't take him long to locate Kaminari and Shinso in the alley. Kaminari had Shinso in his lap, trying his best to stop the bleeding with the jacket he was wearing and Shinso's ripped clothing. The sound of footsteps caught Kaminari's attention as his hair sparked with light electricity, it died down as soon as the teen saw Aizawa crouching next to him. Aizawa took Shinso from Kaminari, letting the kid rest his arms from holding Shinso up for god knows how long.
"I tried.. I tried to help him but.. I got him to breathe again but it's faint." Kaminari started to ramble, his eyes filling with tears again. He looked down at his blood-soaked arms, hands balling into tight fists. Aizawa sighed and stood up, of course the kid would beat himself up for not doing the impossible, an issue a lot of the kids in his Class seemed to struggle with.
"Kid. Look at me. You did everything you could. In fact you went above what was expected. You did good. Now come on, we'll talk about this in a bit." Aizawa started to walk out of the alley, holding Shinso close. Kaminari ran after him soon after, still feeling guilty about the time he thought he wasted where he could've been helping Shinso.
When they got back to the main street about ten Pro-Heroes were already there, two of them blocking off the alley they emerged from. Emergency services were already there and rushed to Aizawa's side, taking Shinso off him. Kaminari felt slightly better knowing Shinso was in better hands, his mind felt blurred, all emotions crashing on top of him, burying him under the overwhelming feeling of feelings. He barely registered the feeling of being pulled to an ambulance and being sat down to be cleaned from the blood soaking him. He could faintly hear someone talking to him, his eyes were fixed on Shinso on a gurney. It was only until someone stood in front of him, blocking his line of sight did he snap out of it. He looked up to see a police officer giving him a questioning look.
"Kid, can you hear me?" Kaminari nodded, looking down at his now clean arms. The officer crouched down so he was level with Kaminari. "Is it okay if I ask you some questions about what happened or do you need some more time?"
"I can't talk right now.. I'm sorry but I can't" Kaminari whispered, not moving his eyes from his arms. From the edge of his vision he could see the officer get up and walk away to do whatever else he needed to do. He was grateful the officer listened to him with no arguments, seeing Shinso was bad enough, he didn't want to repeat what he saw again.
On the other side of the cornered off section, Aizawa was standing off to the side, watching the paramedics work on Shinso, quietly praying that he was in good hands and was going to be okay. He didn't know how long he could handle keeping his guards and walls up to stop him from breaking down in front of everyone. His husband however was understandably less composed. He pulled Aizawa into a tight hug, scared to ask the question he most desperately wanted to know. Aizawa held Yamada tightly, resting his chin on his shoulder, never taking his eyes off Shinso for less than a second.
"I came as soon as your students called me, is he okay? Did they catch who did it?" He asked as Aizawa remained silent for a few moments.
"They don't know who did it.. Kaminari is a little shaken up so he's not talking to anyone at the moment and Shinso is still out.. He should be okay though." Aizawa explained, letting go of Yamada when a paramedic ran up to them, gloved hands soaked in crimson. Yamada turned his head to look at them, hopeful for a positive answer.
"He's stable for now. We'll be sending him to the nearest hospital. Unfortunately only one of you can travel with him but you both are welcome to stay with him for the duration of visiting hours and the first night if you wish. And could one of you give someone information about the kid we found your son with? He's not talking to anyone at the moment." The paramedic explained glancing over at Kaminari who was now leaning against Hawks who had his arms around him. Aizawa nodded and looked at Yamada.
"Hizashi, you go with Shinso, I'll stay with Kaminari. He knows me more than you and might feel more comfortable if I'm there. I'll text you when I'm on my way." Aizawa took a deep breath as his husband nodded and walked away with the paramedic after one final squeeze of his hand. Watching them go, the Hero walked over to Kaminari and Hawks, feeling a little guilty about leaving the kid alone for so long. He was, however, grateful for Hawks who took it upon himself to comfort him.
Aizawa caught the end of the conversation Kaminari and Hawks were having, unable to suppress a small smile when he heard Kaminari laugh quietly. He curled tighter into Hawks' wings that wrapped around him like a blanket, as he mumbled something Aizawa could hear. Hawks nodded slightly before looking up at Aizawa who joined them. He flashed his usual smile, but didn't move his wing from Kaminari.
"Hey kid, how are you holding up?" Aizawa asked, noticing a small nod from the teen. He didn't look up at his teacher, mentally exhausted from crying and worrying about Shinso but tried his best to stay present in reality. The Hero sighed, knowing he won't get a verbal answer for a while. "I'm going to the hospital later, if you're feeling up to it I can take you to see Shinso. I'll take you back to the dorms so you can rest."
Kaminari once again didn't give a verbal answer, but instead removed himself from Hawks' wing and followed Aizawa back to his car before being taken back to the dorms. He remained silent for the entire ride back and before he could be bombarded with questions from his classmates, he slipped into his room and curled under the blankets. He immediately fell asleep, completely drained and wanting to escape reality.
Shinso first noticed the pain when he started to gain consciousness again. His entire body ached and stung but the pain in his stomach was the worst. It made him grip the blankets under him tightly, trying to curl up in pain but his body wouldn't move. The feeling of panic came second. He didn't know where he was because there was no way he was still in the alleyway. Harsh brick was replaced by soft fabric and there was no longer the sound of large crowds talking somewhere in the distance, instead a sharp, rhythmic beeping and hushed whisper. The beeping started to become louder and quicker, starting to overwhelm his mind.
A feeling of hands on his shoulder made him snap open his eyes, moving back from the grip as quick as his body let him. He soon hit the end of the bed, his back exploding in excruciating pain. His eyes darted around the room, soon landing on Aizawa who was holding his shoulders to stop him from falling off the bed and injuring himself further.
"Dad..?" Shinso asked, focusing on the hand holding him, using it to tie himself to reality and confirm he was not dreaming or in a void somewhere between life and death. Aizawa smiled gently, sitting on the bed, facing him.
"Hey kiddo. How are you feeling?" His dad brushed hair from his face gently, avoiding a particular area of his head which, now paying attention to it, had a sharp pain, as if he was being stabbed with small sewing needles over and over. Not exactly painful, just itchy and annoying to think about. Shinso had to think about the question a few times before answering. How was he? He just woke up in a new place and was no longer on the phone with Kaminari, shivering in an alleyway.
"I'm okay, I think. It really depends on what you consider okay.. I'm alive but I'm in pain." Shinso admitted, leaning on his dads' shoulder, closing his eyes again. "Where's Denki?"
"He's back at the dorms, he'll come by later, but first we need to know what happened to you. You can talk to an officer, me or another Hero. Whichever would make you feel better." Aizawa hugged Shinso, trying to be as careful as he could, but the kid was covered in injuries so it was practically impossible to hold him while avoiding all injuries. The suggestion of talking to someone about what happened made Shinso snap his head up and start to panic again. Memories of what happened came back all at once, memories he knew he would try to suppress for months, not wanting to deal with the emotional damage it caused. He knew his injuries would heal eventually, but packing the memories of the attack on top of everything he was dealing with was the last thing he wanted.
"Do I have to? I mean.. you probably won't catch them.." Shinso whispered, moving away from Aizawa to sit back against the pillows again. He had a feeling he would lose the argument as Aizawa had a determined look behind his eyes, about five minutes away from killing anyone and everyone who hurt Shinso again. And given the chance to see those who did this to Shinso, he wouldn't hesitate to kill them on sight.
"Shinso. I know it's hard, but we can try to prevent this from happening again. There have been a few attacks around the city recently, it might be different people but if it's not we can build a good case against them. If you really don't want to, you don't have to but it would be helpful if you did." Aizawa presented the two choices to Shinso. The pros of telling someone that could make a change about the attack definitely outweigh the cons of keeping silent. Experience with repressed memories told Shinso it would be beneficial to his already bad mental mental health to open up, but of course just spilling everything would be hard. At least he could talk to Aizawa and not a random stranger he couldn't bring himself to trust, police or not.
"I'll only talk if I can talk to you." Shinso stated after finally making his decision. Aizawa simply nodded and bought out a small tape recorder from one of his pockets in his coat. He set it on the bed between the two and nodded to Shinso to start talking. And he did, he didn't know how much he could stay without breaking down in tears but he did his best, convincing himself that it will all be over soon.
[6:00am]
Shinso usually hated it when his dad sent him on early morning errands, sending him all around the city, buying essentials for his classroom and home, posting letters he was sure was filled with bullshit and doing whatever else his dad was too busy to do. Key word was usually. Each time Shinso was woken up at five in the morning to be sent on hours of errands, he cursed his dad out before reluctantly leaving the house. But this time Shinso was already awake, stressing about upcoming exams and internships, on the brink of an anxiety attack when he was the one to wake his dad. Knowing Shinso wouldn't be in the right state of mind to go to class, Aizawa gave him a small list of things he needed to get done before sending him out.
So now Shinso walked to the mall, relishing in the silence and calmness of the area, everyone at work or school making the area almost empty. He had a few more things to do, but had decided to take a little detour around the area before continuing his list of errands. He walked down an alley, humming quietly to himself, his headphones on his head and playing loud music. Shinso was wrapped up in his music, he didn't notice the two people blocking his exit until he almost walked into them.
He barely had a chance to speak up when he was grabbed by the back of his shirt and dragged to the floor, his back landing against a mix of brick, glass and stones. All of which dug deep into his back, barely protected by his jacket and shirt. Shinso let out a shocked gasp, reaching out to grab the arm that held the back of his shirt. His hand found nothing to grab onto, making him stay on the floor as the two who were blocking the other side of the alleyway joined another who stood over Shinso. The hairs of the back of his neck stood up, sensing another presence behind him. He had to back himself up to a wall so he could see all of his opponents and so that none could sneak up behind him.
"Don't try to fight. We all know you want to play little hero but that's not going to work with us. Just tell us what we want to know and we'll let you go alive." A man stood from the shadows, wearing a black suit and masquerade mask which covered his eyes. He crouched in front of Shinso, holding something in one of his hands, the light caught it, creating a flash of silver which didn't take Shinso long to realize was the blade of a knife.
Well at least it's not the League of Villains.
"I'm not going to tell you shit." Shinso spat, pressing his back up against a wall, securing his belief that no one could sneak up behind him. Or so he thought. His eyes never left the so-called leader of the group, trying to show that he wasn't scared of them, or of anyone. But his fingers curled around his phone in his pocket, quietly disconnecting it from his headphones which fell off during his fall. If he kept his phone safe, he would be able to get out of the mess he found himself in. All he had to do was stay alive until they left. Shouldn't be too hard, right?
"Shinso Hitoshi, right? That's the name you go by now. As soon as you started UA High School you changed your name in an attempt to leave your past behind. To hide the fact that you're not really a boy and what? Trap someone in your web of lies?" Shinso's head snapped to the side, looking at the figure surrounded in darkness off to the side. His guard was definitely up now if it wasn't before. If they knew that much about him then what else did they know? And how much would they tell others?
"How did you-" The teen asked, his hands pulling his jacket over his chest a little more. Before he could finish his question, a sharp slap hit his cheek. The echo of the slap bounced off the walls of the alleyway, ringing in Shinso's ear. His cheek stung, it hadn't been the first time he had been slapped, but it was definitely the most painful. It was almost a punch, any harder his cheekbone might've cracked but for now, it left a red mark which would eventually turn into a bruise.
"This is how this is going to work. You don't talk unless we tell you to and you're going to tell us what we want to know about UA and keep quiet. If you refuse, we'll tell your little boyfriend the truth about you. I'm sure he'd be so happy to find out that he has a girlfriend and not a boyfriend. Try to use your quirk and we'll be forced to use ours." The leader spoke up again, grabbing Shinso's chin, forcing his face up to look at him. Shinso pulled his face away, he wasn't going to give up information about UA even if it would kill him. He wasn't prepared to put his friends in more danger than they already were.
"I've said it once, and I'll say it again, I won't tell you shit." He tried to activate his quirk, hoping it would go unnoticed if he brainwashed one of the figures in the darkness to attack the others. If that caused a stir then he'd be able to get away relatively unscathed. But his hope was cut short when a sharp, unforgiving pain shot through his stomach, pinning him to the wall he was leaning against.
This time, his screams definitely echoed through the alley, before being cut off with a hand grabbing at his throat. His eyes dropped to the floor, staring at the feet of his attacker, as he tried to remain calm. The more he panicked, the quicker he'd run out of breath and the tightening hand on his throat was already restricting his breathing. Pressing his fingernails into the wrist of his attacker, Shinso was able to get him off for a few seconds. But it was enough to catch his breath before the attack continued.
Shinso couldn't tell where he was hit first, his entire body was in pain and now curled up, he could barely comprehend the kicks and hits his body was taking. He was starting to get scared. Was he going to die there? Would they attack when he passed out or would they go as far as they could? Would he ever escape? And if he did, would he get back to UA in time to get help? He never told Kaminari how much he loved him and he never apologized to Hizashi for yelling at him the night before. He was going to miss Kaminari's 16th birthday and he was going to miss the date nights they planned. He was never going to hug him or annoy him or make sure he was looking after himself. He was never going to prove his biological parents right and become a Pro-Hero and he was never going to make his real dads proud.
The feeling of his head connecting with the floor for the fifth time snapped him back to reality, a little too harshly. Shinso didn't know when he started to cry, but hot tears fell down his cheeks as he refused to look up at the man standing over him. He had a feeling this was the end but instead of hitting him again, he simply walked off, leaving Shinso alone again in the alleyway. In all honesty, Shinso would've preferred it if he was killed. Laying down in broken glass was painful but he couldn't move. His mind was going a hundred miles an hour, all reaching the same conclusion.
He was fucked.
One thought in particular stopped them all. Kaminari. He didn't think about his dads or other friends who might be worried for him but instead he thought about Denki. The kid who dropped everything to help him and stuck with him during his bad days. And there was a possibility that he was never going to see him again. Either he was going to die where he lay or the villains would actually leak information about him being trans and Kaminari would be disgusted and leave him. He would be alone again either way.
Denki. He wasn't losing his boyfriend.
Shinso pushed himself up off the floor, his arms threatening to give out at any moment. Now sitting up, he rested against the wall whilst reaching for his phone he pushed under the dumpster during the commotion of being hit. He prayed it was still there and unscathed. Luckily, it was in one piece apart from a small crack on the side of the screen, but it wasn't enough to damage his phone. It took Shinso a lot of effort to not pass out, clicking Denki's name as soon as he saw it.
The phone picked up after the first ring and he was quick to bombard him with questions, all of which jumbled together in his mind not processing into a single coherent string of words. "Denki.. I'm outside the mall, please hurry up..."
Shinso felt numb. Telling his dad what happened was hard for him. He wanted to say he fought to the best of his ability, using their hours of training together whereas in reality, he gave up almost immediately. He felt as if he let himself be beaten up, he let them threaten him and use his fear of his secrets being revealed to the world. It wasn't until Aizawa pulled him into a tight hug did he cry.
"Don't beat yourself up kid. You held your ground. You didn't give out any information even though you knew it meant that you would get hurt. You put the lives of your friends and family before yours. That's the bravest thing I've seen anyone do. Yes, you were a little stupid for not calling the police instead calling Kaminari, delaying their arrival but I'm happy that you're still alive." Aizawa hugged him tightly, resting his chin on the teen's head. Shinso hugged back and nodded slightly, not exactly paying attention to his words. He knew he was saying something positive and that was enough. "I'll call Kaminari and you two can talk it out while I send the report to the police."
Shinso nodded, letting go of his dad. "Thanks.. Do you think Kaminari will accept me? I'm scared he'll hate me and he's the only friend I have and if he turns against me I'm sure the rest of Class 1-A will and I don't want to move out of the Hero course and go back to the support course.. I don't want them to think any different of me-"
"Kid. You've been through enough, stop your overthinking. Don't worry about Kaminari not accepting him, there's trans kids in Class 1-A already so they won't care. And they know I will not hesitate to expel them if they hurt you in any way. I've done it once and I'll do it again. Now rest until the loud blond gets here." Aizawa stood up, grabbing the tape recorder and his phone.
"Thank you dad.. and I love you." Shinso leant back on the bed, hugging the scarf his dad left behind, a particular comfort of his. Aizawa stopped in his tracks and looked back at his son with a smile.
"I love you too kiddo. Now. Rest."