Chapter Text
Eraserhead sighed as he pushed through the crowd of pedestrians.
Despite the unusually high amount of people, it looked to be a typical night in every sense.
In an hour he'd finally be able to head home and enjoy ambushing his husband as he walked through the door after his show ended.
They would sleep in like they did every Saturday morning.
Hizashi would wake up before Shouta and put on the coffee, the scent of which would wake him so he could feed the cats and go on a quick run while his husband made breakfast.
Shouta would return just as Hizashi finished preparing whatever delicious meal he decided on this week.
The hero sighed, just another hour.
He was suddenly pulled from his thoughts by a familiar sequence of notes,
"Breaking news." The reporter announced, oddly neutral.
Shouta looked up at a billboard-sized screen attached to an old brick building.
The text scrolling across the bottom of the broadcast made his heart drop.
'Pro Hero: Present Mic : Villain in Disguise : Popular Hero and Radio Host, Present Mic Missing after Authorities Uncover Startling Evidence of Villainous Activities'
Something in Shouta's chest twisted, nearly knocking him to the ground.
Hizashi wouldn't... Hizashi wouldn't! He would never do anything like that! He reminded himself harshly.
He'd just talk to his husband when he came home.
He was coming home, right?
Of course, he was!
He had didn't have any reason not to.
All at once, the hero realized how empty the street had become.
He certainly wasn't complaining, fewer innocents to protect meant less danger
He sighed, taking a few steps forward before registering how weak he felt.
Eraserhead would never be able to finish his shift like this, his body was suddenly trembling and it refused to stop.
An alleyway suddenly jumped out at him, not ten feet away.
Down that alleyway was a fire escape.
How convenient.
He would sit down and tune into Present Mic's show for a few minutes, that would calm his nerves.
He sat down delicately on the steps, pulling out and unlocking his phone in a matter of moments.
Now his hands refused to cooperate, shaking intensely as he tried desperately to find the app.
Just the sight of the icon allowed him a bit more control over his body, Mic's silhouette holding up a peace sign.
He would never admit it but he loved the silly image, he discreetly nudged Hizashi towards the design when he was building the application.
With a fond sigh, he tapped the icon and the black and yellow app engulfed his screen.
He'd suggested that Hizashi create a dark-mode alternative to the default white and black color scheme.
Strange.
Typically, if one were to open the application while Mic was on the air, a popup would ask if they'd like to tune in.
Oh well.
He'd tell Hizashi later, bugs happen and his husband was by no means an expert programmer.
Shouta tapped the broadcast button at the bottom of the screen, represented by a classic radio microphone.
Hizashi was not above using stereotypical imagery.
'Checking Status... Hold Tight!'
He chuckled, another thing he'd never admit, he loved the little messages sprinkled throughout the app.
His heart dropped again as the loading message made way for the part of the app he was looking for.
'Broadcast : Offline' accompanied by a frowning Present Mic icon.
'Last On the Air: Fourteen Minutes Ago.'
What? Mic's show had another two hours in its runtime!
His mind traveled back to what he'd heard mere minutes ago.
His chest began to ache and he grabbed at his capture weapon, pulling at it as he quietly started to crumble.
Why? How could he?
--
Shouta bolted upright, shaking slightly and panting.
He was at home, in bed, Hizashi sound-asleep beside him.
The shaken man slowly lowered himself back onto his pillow.
It's okay... He's okay... I'm okay...
Shouta sighed, closing his eyes.
He didn't get back to sleep that night.