Chapter Text
Hitoshi Shinsou has always been a hero, a fact that goes far beyond theory. Despite his “villainous” looks and an “evil” quirk (that he now kept secret out of annoyance and convenience more than fear) he has always been a hero, always looked up to heroes. Always wanted to be a hero.
“Mom, mom look!” Hitoshi wagged his arm excitedly at the television screen, a hero with bright red hair shielded a young woman from falling debri.
Hisako nodded at the screen featuring the fight a villain with a minor teleportation quirk wreaking havoc, by teleporting small chunks of buildings not only was he holding back the hero’s by rapidly flinging the debri at them, but he was also successfully creating a hazardous area for civilian.
“Yes he’s a very chivalrous hero, isn’t he” Hisako stated, smiling fondly at her son. His quirk would be manifesting soon and she was excited for him.
Hitoshi nodded at “That girl looks like you mom!” Hitoshi’s mother gave a lopsided smile, feeling her sons joy and excitement, but not quite understanding what was so exciting about a woman looking like her.
“Yes? I suppose she does, we do have quite similar hair” Her son’s beam brightened and she felt her heart swell with a love all of her own.
Hitoshi grasped her hand tightly and turned his dazzling grin back to the t.v. “Yeah mom! And when I get my quirk I’ll always fight the bad guys! And I’ll protect you just like he is!” Hitoshi turns back to his mom, “I promise I’ll be your hero!”
There was nothing that could stop the tears that fell from Hisako Shinsou’s eyes as she cradled her son close “What did I do to deserve such and amazing son?”
Hitoshi giggled and held his mother close, shrugging his shoulders and reveling in her touch.
So of course Hitoshi knew what made a hero a hero, hero’s never did bad things. And if they did, they always knew to right their wrongs. His mom and dad taught him this when his quirk first appeared.
Hitoshi hid in his closet sniffling as he rubbed his eyes, barely hearing the approach of his father, only realizing he’d been found at his gentle knock.
“Hitoshi, it’s Dad. I can hear you sniffling in there so don’t try to hide yourself” Kazuya Shinsou leaned gently beside the door snickering softly as he heard the sniffling abruptly stop, as the soft rustling of his son wiping his tears continued. “Hey Toshi, you know we’re not mad at you right? It’s not your fault. You’re just now learning how to use your quirk, you’re gonna make mistakes sometimes.” He didn’t even know what Hitoshi had done, he’d just gotten home.
When Kazuya first learned that his wife was expecting not once did they think their son would have a brainwashing quirk. As the first generation of quirked people in either of their families (though he still thinks his father has a minor underwater breathing quirk, not that it matters cause the man hates swimming) they even anticipated their child may very well be quirkless. A dark reality that had both of them fearful for their child's future as quirks became more and more required to be respected.
He didn’t know what to say to his kid, he didn’t know what to do to help him. He leaned his head back and thought back to his own childhood. Hitoshi deserved a better dad than his, if he’d been in Hitoshi's position, his dad would have just left him to his misery.
“Ya know, when I was a kid quirklessness was just becoming uncommon?” He waited as the soft rustling drew closer, knowing his son was leaning against the door to listen. He slid down the wall and leaned his head back. “Despite that your grandparents thought with total certainty that I would be quirkless, after all they were.”
“I thought-” a small voice cut off quickly, as though momentarily remembering he was supposed to be hidden. Hitoshi had his hands folded over his mouth, watching his father shift behind the slats.
Kazuya smiled encouragingly at the door, despite knowing Hitoshi couldn’t see it. “Go on, it’s alright”.
“I thought you said grandpa has a quirk” he frowned and felt a small ache in his chest at hearing his boy say the question as a statement. He suppressed his sigh and responded in stride.
“Well, despite my insistence that no normal person can hold their breath for 15 minutes underwater with no training, your grandfather refuses to accept that.” Hitoshi stifled a laugh- he was supposed to be hiding. His heart clenched and his tears started again when he thought of what he’d done to his poor mother.
Kazuya waited for a beat, the soft rustling gone, his son not giving him a response. “When my quirk developed he stopped talking to me,” his voice was soft, the trauma still lingered, even with the imitation of a good relationship that the two currently had. “He said I was a monster for invading his mind, for trying to implant thoughts into his head” Kazuya stood up slowly and placed his hand on the door handle “But I was just a kid, I had no control yet and I was still learning”, gently he turned the knob and opened the door, kneeling down in front of Hitoshi and placing his hand gently on his hair.
“Just like you.” Hitoshi looked up at his dad with tears still running down his cheeks and pouted.
“But that’s different, you can only project your thoughts”, Hitoshi’s chest hurt as his sobs instantly started up again, shaking his small body. “Grandpa was wrong about you! You’re the best! But I am a monster! I’m a villain!” Kazuya pulled his son close as he began to cry.
“No you are not Hitoshi, you are not a monster. You’re my son, and I love you and so does your mother” Kazuya felt Hitoshi’s grip on him tighten and the boy shook his head at the statement.
Kazuya lifted Hitoshi into his arms and stepped out into the family room slowly as his son clung to him. Stepping out of the hallway his wife, wringing her hands with a frantic look, instantly whipped around. Letting out a relieved sob she rushed to her son and lifted him from her husband’s arms, crying as she held him close.
Hitoshi sobbed harder in his mother’s arms as he wrapped his arms tightly around her neck. “I’m sorry!” he cried, choking on his tears. “I’m sorry mama I’m so sorry! Please don’t hate me, I don’t wanna be a villain! Please don’t hate me!” he wailed wordlessly as Hisako held him tighter, making her heart clench.
“Oh no baby! You aren’t a villain, you could never be a villain” she kissed his forehead and brushed the tears still running down his cheeks. “You’re my precious boy, my little hero. I was just-” a sob hiccupped through her, thoughts of the harm Hitoshi could’ve caused to himself filling her mind.
“I was just so scared, I’m not mad you used your quirk baby, I’m so proud of you”. Hitoshi scrubbed at his eye’s with the back of his hands, Hisako leaned him back so she could look at him better, with his sobs calming down slightly.
“How.. how could you be proud of me?” He frowned, still hiccuping slightly “I did a bad thing… I used my quirk on you without a license. I’m a villain”. Hisako chuckled, her own tears drying as she gently rocked side to side with her son.
“Oh honey… yes you did a bad thing but it wasn’t using your quirk. I didn’t even realize you used it until you were gone”. Her son frowned up at her, his big eyes still filled with tears and now confusion.
“What- what was the bad thing I did?” she smiled and kissed his nose cupping his cheek.
“Running with a knife darling”, she watched in slight amusement as his eyes widened, slowly walking them to the couch she ran her hand through his hair in the way she had since he was a baby. “I wasn’t mad when you used your quirk, I was mad that when you stopped using it you started running with the knife”.
Kazuya cleared his throat from the other side of the room, bewilderment clearly on his face. Having arrived home to a missing son and a distraught sobbing wife the poor man had very little knowledge of what had happened. “Um not to interrupt… but what was the knife doing?”
Hisako smiled sadly at her son, “Do you want to explain? Or should I?” Hitoshi’s only response was knocking his side into hers, taking this as a go ahead, Hisako explained.
While prepping dinner Hitoshi had asked for some apple slices, telling him to wait so she could cut it up from him. He told her to give him the knife and he would cut them up himself. When she said no he’d asked why and that’s when his quirk activated. He demanded she give him the knife and without control over herself she did. She was shocked when she first snapped out of it, thinking that perhaps she had just been tired and had just subconsciously acted as if it were Kazuya in the kitchen, after all they looked so much alike and she was used to cooking with him. Seeing Hitoshi begin to run to the table with the knife she yelled at him not to do that. He turned around and told her she gave him the knife why shouldn’t he. She went to tell him that running with knives was never okay and his quirk activated again when she started to speak.
“That’s when I realized I’m a bad person”. Hitoshi mumbled as he sniffled, rubbing his nose. “I took away Mamma’s voice because I didn’t like what she was saying. That’s what bad people do”.
Kazuya knelt down in front of him and rustled his hair “No Toshi, you aren’t a bad person for accidentally using your quirk. Everyone has to learn to use their quirk without a license. That’s how it works. You learn to use and control it so you don't accidentally use it!” Hitoshi looked up at his dad.
“So ‘m not a monster?” his father shook his head and he felt his mom murmur a soft ‘never’ into his hair. Exhausted from his accidental quirk usage and the events that followed, the tension left his body and he felt himself falling asleep as he snuggled deeper into his mother’s arms.
The two older Shinsou’s exchanged knowing looks as they gazed down at their son, Hisako gently standing to carry him to bed.
The two had an important conversation to be had before they had to wake their little Hitoshi for dinner, one they felt he needn’t hear.
Hisako felt the guilt tug at her and her husband's hearts at the thought of the possibility they could hurt their own son. Humming softly she thought of all the smiles and laughs they still had yet to experience as she carried her son to bed before walking out to talk with his father.