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The children were all covered in mud. They were scraped, bruised, battered. They had that hollow look in their eyes that Aizawa had come to dread. The look had come far too soon, and it was deep seated. There would be no escape for these students.
The one he perhaps cared about the most was sitting on one of the beds in Recovery Girl's infirmary. He wanted to rush over to the boy, pick him up and hold him to his chest. He wanted to push those filthy curls out of his face and croon to him that everything was going to be okay. He wanted to take him to his apartment, get him in the bath and then a bottle and bed.
There was no way he could get away with such behaviors right now, though. He had to attend to all of his students. If he was shown like that with Midoriya, especially in front of all his other injured classmates, questions would be asked. Questions that Aizawa wasn't comfortable answering just yet.
Tamping down his urge, he went from one to the other, much the same way as Recovery Girl was. He examined scraps, helped wrap a few twists wrists and ankles. He patted a few heads, helped wipe the muck from a few faces. Finally, most of them had left the room. There was only Denki and Izuku left. Denki had on his idiot grin, having overused his quirk.
“Where's Night-Night?” he manged, speaking softly.
“She's coming,” Aizawa whispered in his ear. “Just be calm and don't talk, okay?”
Finally, he was able to walk towards Izuku. He had noticed those eyes fixed to him, big and swimming in tears. He had been hoping that the baby would keep it together, not scream or sob or demand him. But now that they were alone, he was able to walk towards his baby, who was trying to lift both arms. One was in a sling, tight against his chest.
“No, no, don't do that, sweetheart.” he shook his head.
“Wanna hold,” he whimpered.
“I will hold you, I just want you to leave your arm still.” he picked him up and sat him on his lap, his uninjured side pressed to Aizawa. He was a fair bit more banged up than the rest of the. He rocked them side to side.
“Denki!” Midnight came sliding in, looking frantic. The other boy zeroed in on her and lifted his own arms. She rushed to him, picking him up, heedless of the mud he was coated it.
“It's all right, you're okay, Night-Night's here.”
“You got him?” Aizawa asked quietly. She nodded.
“You got yours? Do you need me to get Mic?”
“Nah,” he lifted Izuku up, following Midnight down to the tunnels. They nodded a good bye, each taking their kid to their apartment. He wondered what Midnight was going to do with that electric little boy. But he had his hands full and his own problems to worry about.
“There you are!” Hizashi was at the door almost before they stepped towards it. He had heard what had happened. Aizawa wondered how hard it had been for him not to rush to the infirmary and snatch Izuku up then. Probably harder than for himself, he thought, since Aizawa actually got to look at the kid.
“Gentle, 'Zashi. His arm.” he said softly as his husband took the baby from him. He looked at the forlorn child, battered as he was, and sighed.
“You need a bath, huh?” he hummed to the baby. “Papa will get everything all set up for you. There's jammies for you in the dryer, and I bet if we ask really nice, Daddy will make you a bottle.”
“You'd have to ask very nicely.” Shouta teased gently. Hizashi was bundling the baby off to the bathroom, and he trailed along. The filthy clothes were stripped, and he trucked them to the bathroom, making sure the pajamas would be warm once the kid was finally clean. He was first stood in the shower, naked and whimpering, while Hizashi washed all the mud off.
“How did you get mud inside your ear, bunny?” he sighed. He kept working the water through his curls, trying to get all the sticky grossness off him. When the water was finally running clear, he carefully moved the baby to stand on a mat, gingerly holding his arm, while he filled the tub with hot water. He added a generous capful of bubbles and swished his hand around to make big bubbles.
“Okay, bun-bun. Let's get in and have a nice soak, hmm?” they weren't acknowledging the fact that Izuku didn't seem really verbal right now. His eyes were still bit and teary, and he looked like he could burst at any second.
Hizashi knelt next to the tub, pouring in the products to best care for the baby's curls. He massaged his scalp and rinsed him with a pitcher of fresh water. He put in the conditioner and grabbed the shower comb, slowly running it through his curls.
“Let me wash him.” Shouta finally set. “Will you get the towel and his pajamas?” Hizashi nodded and stood up. The dark haired man knelt down and got a cloth nice and soapy to run gently over Izuku's body, taking stock of all the bumps and bruises, all the little cuts and scrapes. Recovery Girl didn't heal all the small wounds, stating that she had to reserve her energy, and they needed to understand how to shake those things off.
“You did so well today, Bunny.” he said softly. “I'm so proud of you.”
The boy whimpered, the tears finally spilling from his eyes. It had been a hard battle, and no one walked away without a little bit of an injury. He knew that was what Izuku hated, knew that this little bunny would have put his whole body on the line, let himself be destroyed it it meant that no one else would be bruised.
He sobbed quietly, chest hitching as he did so. Shouta just rinsed his hair clean, soft and easy to manage now. He helped Izuku out, took the warm towel that Hizashi offered. He dried him off, careful as he could with his injured arm. Then he was set naked on the toilet while Hizashi put on creams and ointments on his cuts.
“Don't cry.” Hizashi brushed away a few tears. “It's okay. We gotta get you a new song to sing, little listener.”
“He's tired,” Shouta said gently. Hizashi was helping him into clean clothes then, pulling on the warm pajamas. They were so careful with his injured arm.
“Papa,”
“Yes, bun-bun?” he asked softly.
“Hurts,” he pointed to his arm. Hizashi just cooed at him, then put the sling back on him. He leaned over and ever so carefully brushed his lips to his shoulder.
“I'll kiss it better.” Izuku looked at him like that actually helped. He looked happier than he had when Recovery Girl was working to help him. Hizashi picked him back up, already patting his bottom in that way that he liked.
“Daddy, will you please make a bottle?”
“Yes,” Shouta turned to the kitchen, prepping the bottle with the meal supplement and the liquid pain medicine, and some sleep medicine. He really didn't like giving all of this to Izuku at once, but the boy was wiped and he needed some good sleep.
He popped it in the warmer and set about cleaning up the kitchen. He shook the bottle as he returned to the bedroom he and Hizashi shared. The baby was already tucked into the crook of his arm, and Hizashi murmured his thanks as he took the bottle and held it for Izuku.
“I'm going to shower and change.”
“'Course,” the blond could have cared less about his husband. Shouta shook his head, heading towards the bathroom. He supposed this was what happened when you had kids. He took a shower as quickly as he could, changed into his own pajamas.
By the time he got back to the bedroom, hair still damp, but pulled back into a bun, the lights were off. The lullaby playlist was going, and Hizashi was humming along, rocking slightly on the bed. The bottle was nearly empty, but Izuku was struggling to keep his eyes open.
“Someone wants Daddy.” Hizashi gave a small laugh.
“Well, you'll have to wait until I'm done with my baby.” he joked, slipping into bed. Izuku was transferred to him, snuggled into his side, injured arm held nice and still. The bottle was gone, and Shouta put in his pacifier. He stroked his hair, fingers tracing down his face, drawing constellations with his freckles.
“Is everyone else okay?” Hizashi finally asked, seeming to remember that they thought all the kids, regardless of the fact that their baby was with them injured.
“More or less, physically. Bunny got the brunt of it.” he rolled his eyes. “Doing exactly what you think he was doing, before you even ask.” they all knew of Izuku's self destructive tendencies when it came to rescuing us.
“Silly boy,” Hizashi sighed. “Don't you know how precious you are to us? It would just break us if something bad happened to you.”
The blond kept humming with the lullabies as the baby sucked his pacifier. His eyes were locked on Shouta though. He seemed like he didn't want to close his eyes. Strange, Shouta thought. What was going on there?
“We'll be here all night, Bunny. We'll be right here when you wake up. Are you upset because I couldn't hold you in the infirmary? I wanted to very much, but think, 'Zuzu. I couldn't do that in front of all the other kids.” he was speaking softly, and those eyes were finally starting to close. He wasn't sure what Izuku did and did not understand, not with his exhaust and the pain meds and sleep meds settling in. It didn't matter, though, speaking these things made him feel better.
“I'm sorry, baby, I wanted to. I really did.”
The baby was asleep now. Shouta kept his arms around him, letting his own eyes close, even though he wasn't really asleep. He kept replaying that fight, the mud flying, the screams of some of his students as they felt the pain. The outrage on the faces of others.
He tried to drown all of that out. Everyone had come through alive. The baby had lived, even if he was a little bit hurt. He was a warm weight in Shouta's arms right now, asleep, snuggled up to him as though there were no safer place in the world.
He wasn't sure when he fell asleep. He only stirred because he felt the bed moving. He tightened his grip on Izuku and cracked one eye open. Hizashi was sliding out of bed. He gave him a wink and pressed a finger to his lips.
Bless the man, he thought. He could faintly hear sounds of breakfast being made. The baby fussed a little. He sighed, wondering if he should try and soothe him back to sleep or just carry him out to the living room. It would be nice to sleep just a little bit longer, keep this calm around them. After all, getting up meant he'd have to leave to check on the other children, and they really should see how Denki and Midnight were.
“Daddy,” he murmured.
“Yeah, I know bud, your arm hurts.” best to get up then. “Lets get you some medicine and teeth brushed, huh?” he scooped up the baby, carrying him to the kitchen, letting him rest on his lap while Hizashi serves breakfast.
It isn't a long cuddle, though, being that Hizashi takes him away and pops a few pills in his mouth, with a sip of juice and then begins spoon feeding him breakfast. Ah well, Shouta thinks with a tired smile, it was nice while it lasted. Besides, he already got his chance to soothe himself, getting a good snuggle in. It was Hizashi's turn now. He reached for the coffee that had been left on the table, ready to get a drink before he went to see the other kids.