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They wanted him to take Eri home. Shouta had anticipated this, it made sense. He’d spent more time with her in the hospital than anyone else, he was the safest option for her quirk, and she seemed the most comfortable around him compared to any other male adults. She still had a guard up around most people who weren’t Midoriya or Togata, but she didn’t actively hide from him the way she hid from her doctors or the social workers who tried to talk to her.
Hizashi was excited, eagerly signing the papers before Shouta had even finished asking him what his thoughts were. But Hizashi did his best to keep that excitement to a not-overwhelming level, knowing his enthusiasm was a bit much for Eri. She slowly warmed up to him during his hospital visits alongside Shouta, but it was a gradual process. Hizashi had gotten their spare room ready for her with all sorts of books and toys. He couldn’t express his excitement in the usual ways, so he’d put all his energy into setting up her bedroom instead.
Shouta felt… nervous. Eri, a shy, sweet child, came with a duffle bag of trauma and trust issues. Handling his traumatized class of teenagers was one thing—he had been doing it for years—but this was different. Eri was so young and so fragile, and he didn’t want to fuck this up. He didn’t understand why she had taken to him so quickly, considering there were way less intimidating adults she had met since being rescued. He even struggled to communicate with her effectively, unsure if his language was suitable for her age or if she grasped his words. Her intelligent eyes and responses held no questions yet at least.
“Ready to leave the hospital today?” Shouta asked, watching her hands play with the stuffed rabbit Hizashi had given her. It was a soft thing, with long, floppy ears she liked to fidget with, and a bow around its neck. Eri was finally out of the hospital gown she’d been wearing for weeks, dressed in a red dress with black leggings. She swung her feet back and forth where they hung off the bed.
She nodded, pensively staring at the rabbit in her lap, “To your house?”
“Yes, you can see your new room.”
“With Hizashi-san?”
“He’ll be there too, is that okay?”
Eri nodded, “I don’t like the hospital.”
“Neither do I, but we’ll be out of here as soon as your doctor is done with the paperwork,” Shouta assured, “He’ll be back any minute.” They sat in silence for a moment, but it felt comfortable. Unlike the tense quietude she fell into during therapy sessions or when doctors came for check-ups.
Her new shoes rested on the floor beside the bed, small brown boots adorned with laces. Shouta wasn’t actually sure who had purchased this outfit for her; several people invested in her recovery enjoyed gifting her things. She seemed hesitant to accept these gifts, tearing up each time. Her socked feet swayed back and forth over the edge of the bed.
Shouta hoped she didn’t hate living with them. What if he did something that scared her, or she decided that she didn’t like them and she wanted to leave? Where else would she go? Would she be safe with someone who lacked a quirk capable of nullifying hers? Would she be happy? Shouta wanted her to be happy with them, he wanted her to heal and recover and have a normal childhood, to make up for everything bad she’d experienced. The doctor offered an apologetic smile, holding out a folder of papers and a clipboard, which he passed to Shouta.
“You’ll just have to sign this, and you’re all set to take Eri home,” He explained. “Her prescriptions were called into the pharmacy you requested and should be ready for pickup. Here are the other documents you requested.”
Shouta accepted the folder and clipboard from the doctor, quickly signing off where he needed to. The folder was full of medical information, which he’d requested to share with Recovery Girl, who would be a closer contact for him if Eri had any medical problems. She had a few prescription strength vitamins she was still taking as well, which he’d pick up on their way home. Eri had stopped swinging her feet and was looking between Shouta and the doctor anxiously. Shouta passed the clipboard back.
The doctor smiled kindly at Eri, “You’re all set Eri-chan! I wish you the best!”
“Thank you…” she whispered, eyes darting down. The doctor bowed, then left the room, leaving the door open.
“Do you need help with your shoes?” Shouta asked.
She shook her head and hopped off the bed, slipping her feet into the boots and crouching to do the laces. Shouta stood and shot a text to Hizashi that they were finally heading out. He received an enthusiastic reply.
Eri straightened up, clutching her rabbit, and followed Shouta out into the hallway. He had to slow his pace to make sure she could keep up with him, and he jolted when he felt her little hand grab onto his. He glanced down, she was walking close to him, eyes sweeping over the people and various things in the halls of the hospital. She didn’t seem distressed, just a little overwhelmed.
He didn’t want to take her on public transport, so Hizashi let him take the car to retrieve her. He helped Eri into the back seat and let her buckle herself. It took a few tries, but she looked extremely pleased when she got it. He wanted to ask if she’d actually been in a car before but didn’t want to bring up anything uncomfortable—it sounded like Eri’d been locked up in that compound since she was a baby, so it was unlikely. She looked content in the back seat, looking out the window, her feet sticking straight off the edge of the cushion where she wiggled them back and forth
It took a little under half an hour for him to pick up her prescriptions and then to pull up at the side entrance of UA that led directly to the dorms. The teacher’s “dorms” were just small houses clustered together like a neighborhood, behind the student dorms.
Shouta helped Eri jump out of the car, and she looked around, hugging her little stuffed animal.
“Hizashi will be inside like I told you. And the cats. Are you ready to meet them?”
“Sock and Mewsic, right?”
“That’s right.”
“I’m ready.”
He took her hand again and they walked up to the house. Shouta opened the door, stepping into the genkan with Eri right behind him, glancing around nervously. Shouta kicked his shoes off to the side, announcing they were home. Eri watched him, then crouched down to untie her shoes and shuffle them neatly to the side. They looked comical next to Shouta’s giant, dirty boots and Hizashi’s collection of footwear. Shouta walked through the living room, and Eri trailed behind him.
“Hey you two,” Hizashi stepped out of the kitchen to greet them. He squatted all the way down so he was at eye level with Eri, who shied away slightly, ducking behind Shouta’s leg. His heart thudded at the display of trust. “I just made lunch if you’re hungry? If not, you can have it later.”
Eri didn’t say anything for a moment, so Shouta prompted, “I’m pretty hungry right now. You must be too, right Eri?”
She hesitated, then nodded with a small, “Yes, please.”
Hizashi stood back up and caught Shouta’s eye, giving him a reassuring smile. Shouta tried to let the tension in his shoulders go. Everything was fine, it was going okay. Eri was fine. He didn’t want the girl to pick up on any of his nervous energy, it was sure to freak her out. Hizashi was remarkably calm for the amount of excited shouting and frantic energy he’d had only the day before, and Shouta wondered if he was also internally anxious or not.
They ate lunch, Eri taking small bites of her food and chewing while she took in the surroundings. She had to kneel on her chair to eat comfortably, and Shouta figured there must be a type of booster seat for dining room chairs they could get her. In the meantime, he gave her a pillow that helped lift her a little bit. He thought they’d thought of everything, but he was wrong. Maybe he should get a stool for the sink too? Eri was so small that she probably couldn’t reach on her own.
The rest of the afternoon and well into the evening they made small steps to show Eri around the house, and introduce her to the cats—apparently, she’d never seen a cat before and was too nervous to try and pet them, but she thought they were adorable—and tell her a few of their rules. Things like not playing with the stove or leaving the house without them, but also telling her she was allowed to have any of the food in the kitchen whenever she was hungry, and she was allowed to ask them to leave her alone if she wanted. Eri was quiet for most of it, but she asked an occasional question and said ‘thank you’ often, even as Hizashi told her there was no need.
Eri looked enamored with her new bedroom, which they had decked out with a large bed that had soft pink curtains around it she could close, a bookshelf half-full of books, a basket filled with stuffed animals, a child-size easel with a huge selection of markers, and a beanbag chair. There was a closet at the back of the room with the clothing people had bought for her and a handful of Hizashi and Shouta’s additions. She spent some time walking around the room and looking at everything, almost looking like she wanted to cry, and asking if they were sure she could have all those things. They assured her that they wanted her to have everything and that she could pick out other decorations in the future if she wished.
Hizashi showed her the closet, pointing out the pajamas and dresses, letting her know she could wear anything she wanted, and if anything didn’t fit or she didn’t like it, to just let them know.
“This is all for me?” She asked again, hugging her stuffed rabbit.
Shouta nodded.
“But why?”
“We want you to be comfortable here,” Shouta said, his voice catching. He felt Hizashi’s hand brush comfortingly against his back. “To be happy.”
Her lower lip wobbled a little, but she sniffled hard and rubbed at her face until it went away. He wanted to tell her it was okay to cry, but he got the sense she was overwhelmed already, and he didn’t want to make it worse.
“If you want to spend some time alone to look around your room, you can,” Hizashi offered, his voice light.
Shouta felt a swell of love toward his husband, realizing she needed an out for privacy. Shouta wanted to kick himself for not thinking about it first. She hadn’t had a moment of privacy in so long, some space might be just what she needed to cry or nap or process her new living situation. Eri nodded, and they both stepped out of the room. Shouta grabbed the door handle but paused.
“Do you want the door open or closed?” He asked. “You can lock it from the inside. If you leave it open, the cats may come to visit you.”
They’d had a long discussion about giving her the ability to lock the door or not, but in the end, decided they would let her. In the event of an emergency, they had a key stashed away, and the lock might give her a sense of security.
“O-open, please,” Eri said.
Shouta nodded, leaving the door halfway open.
As he retreated with his husband, the image of the little girl standing alone in the middle of her new room was seared into his brain. Was it too much? Would she feel so overwhelmed she wanted nothing to do with the space? They’d tried to leave enough empty shelves and spots around the room that she could fill it with things she picked out, but they’d also added enough to give it life. They didn’t know how long Eri would be with them, likely a long time, and there was a fund going which meant they didn’t have to worry about any of her costs. They could just make sure she was happy and comfortable.
“Doin’ okay?” Hizashi whispered once they were back in the living room.
Shouta nodded, “You?”
“I’m happy,” Hizashi smiled.
Shouta thought he might be too.
They didn’t see Eri again for most of the afternoon and into the evening, and Shouta had to fight the urge to go check on her constantly. He didn’t want her to feel oppressed. He could hear her moving around every once in a while, so she was probably fine... It was okay she needed space, he kept telling himself. It didn’t mean she didn’t like them.
Hizashi ordered take-out for dinner and bought a variety of things for Eri to try. The smell of warm and inviting food seemed to lure the girl from her room, because as they were setting up plates to eat on the floor around the coffee table in the living room, Eri peeked around the doorway, sniffing the air. Her little rabbit was tucked under her arm, but it was joined with a black cat plush now too. She had changed out of her dress and was wearing pink sweatpants and a long t-shirt that looked soft.
“Hungry?” Hizashi asked when he spotted her. He pointed to the plate not in front of himself or Shouta, “You can sit here.”
She stepped around the threshold, “Not at the table?”
“Sometimes we like to eat in here!” Hizashi smiled at her. “It’s comfier.”
She glanced at Shouta, and he gestured for her to come over. She did, hesitantly padding across the carpet, then sitting down on her knees. She placed her stuffed animals next to her like they were waiting for dinner too.
“Have you had Thai food before?” Shouta asked. He opened up a few of the cartons, showing her the contents. She shook her head. “If you don’t like it, that’s okay. You can try whatever you want.”
They both helped her scoop a few different things to try onto her plate, and they were soon all eating, the TV playing quietly in the background. Eri seemed to like everything she tried and was completely focused on eating her food. In the hospital, she didn’t like many of the things that were given to her but would eat when asked to. Here, she confidently asked for seconds of anything she liked. Shouta didn’t want her to get sick, so he gave her more, but in smaller portions. He was just proud of her for asking, and trying so many things.
After eating Eri looked tired, swaying slightly where she sat, eyes drooping.
“Tired, honey?” Hizashi asked, leaning on his fist and trying not to giggle. Eri nodded. Shouta checked the time, it was close to 8:00 PM already, which he was pretty sure was a reasonable time for a little kid to sleep. Shouta and Hizashi were used to eating late due to their schedules, but maybe they should have dinner earlier tomorrow so she could have a bath after.
“Do you want to go to bed now?” Shouta asked. She nodded again.
He stood up and held a hand out to walk her to her room, but she lifted both of her arms up instead in the way Shouta had seen kids do when they wanted their parents to lift them up. She wanted to be picked up? By him? He glanced at Hizashi, who just nodded toward the girl with a wide smile. Was it okay for him to pick her up? What if he hurt her or dropped her? She was so small.
Not wanting her to think his hesitation was rejection, he swallowed and stooped down, trying to remember the last time he’d picked up a little kid outside the context of rescue. He picked her up from under her arms and brought her to his chest, where her arms seemed to instinctively wrap around his neck, her legs around his waist. Her cheek rested on his shoulder, and her body became a little heavier as she trusted him to hold on, giving into her exhaustion. He held her under her legs and across her back, terrified of suddenly dropping her.
He looked back at Hizashi in panic and mouthed, what now?
“Go tuck her in!” He whispered back.
Shouta swallowed. Of course. Right, duh. Tuck the kid into bed.
Hizashi picked up her stuffed animals and held them up, so Shouta took them in the hand he held against her back. He carried her toward her new bedroom, her legs swinging gently against his sides. He dropped the stuffed toys onto the bed, then flicked on the soft orange lamp next to her bed. It was sort of a kids' night light that cast shadows of stars around the room in its glow. Balancing Eri on his arm, he shuffled back her fluffy sheets.
As carefully as if he were handling glass, he supported her head and maneuvered her to lay down on the mattress. She sighed softly in sleep, shifting to her side. Shouta felt a smile tug at his lips. She looked so comfortable and cute. He pulled the blankets up over her shoulders, then grabbed both stuffed animals, putting the cat on the pillow behind her head, and lifting her arm to tuck the rabbit against her chest in the way he’d seen her sleep with it before. She immediately clutched at it, hugging it close even in sleep.
This time he smiled fully and reached down to gently brush her snow-colored hair off her face, tucking it behind her ear. He left her room quietly, leaving the nightlight on and the door halfway open. His heart felt strangely wild in his chest, pounding like he’d just run a marathon. Eri was comfortable enough with him to fall asleep in his arms. He had to take a steadying breath before returning to the living room, where Hizashi looked ready to explode from holding in his excitement.
Later, long after Hizashi had retired to bed, Shouta sat in the darkness of the living room staring at his computer screen with a cup of tea. This was his usual routine, stay up doing work until he literally couldn’t force his eyes to keep open. Otherwise, he wasted time laying wide awake in bed, overthinking while fighting the insomnia. Usually, he’d turn on the TV or radio too, because literally nothing short of a nuclear explosion could wake Hizashi from sleep, but he didn’t want to wake Eri up. He was happy to work in silence if she could sleep the whole night.
Turned out, he didn’t need to worry, because as the clock ticked closer to one AM, a creak in the doorway had his head jerking up. Eri stood in the darkness, rumpled from sleep and clutching her stuffed cat, silent tears tracking down her face. Her lower lip wobbled and her eyes shone in the low light.
“What happened? Are you okay?” He felt frozen, running through anything that could’ve gone wrong. Was she hurt? Confused about where she was? Maybe she decided she hated him and Hizashi and wanted to go back to the hospital and he’d never see her again.
She sniffled, rubbing a fist against her cheek, and whispered, “I h-had a nightmare…”
Oh. “Oh,” He said, eloquently. He knew his students had nightmares sometimes, and they often sought each other out after experiencing one. Hizashi and himself had nightmares, but he was unsure how different it was from a little kid’s. “Do you—do you want to sit with me?”
Eri nodded and surprised him by darting across the room until she was sitting on the sofa next to him, tucking her feet under herself and pressing into his side. He raised his arm so she could duck under it, and then wrapped it around her in a side-hug. She was shivering a little, but it was pretty warm inside, so likely just a side-effect from her nightmare.
“What was your nightmare about?” Shouta asked. He carefully rested his hand near her hair, smoothing it in a comforting way. She leaned into him more and shook her head. “Okay, we don’t have to talk about it.”
He hesitantly continued some of his work—one-handed so he could keep his left arm wrapped around Eri. Part of him was a little disbelieving that she felt comfortable and safe enough to come to him for a nightmare. Proud that she did so instead of trying to tough it out alone. He tapped away at his keyboard for a bit, wondering if she would be able to fall back asleep or not.
Shouta himself could never fall back asleep after a nasty nightmare, but Hizashi was able to after either crying it out or getting up for a few minutes. Eri must still be so tired, and there were too many things for her to have nightmares about. He heard it was a semi-common occurrence at the hospital, and that it was something she spoke to her therapist about, so it was probably okay for her not to tell him all the details if she didn’t want to. Nightmares weren’t always easy to communicate, especially if you didn’t understand why you had them, which Eri didn’t seem to.
“Do you have bad dreams?” Her tiny voice asked him.
He glanced down at her, and her big red eyes were staring up at him.
“Of course,” Shouta answered honestly.
“Why?”
Shouta awkwardly shrugged a shoulder. “Sometimes… scary things happen when I’m working, and then they show up in my dreams.”
Eri twisted her fingers around the cat plush’s tail, “And—and is it hard to sleep?”
“For me? Yes,” Shouta answered. “Hizashi gets nightmares too, but he doesn’t have a hard time sleeping. I guess it’s different for everyone.”
“Is that why you’re awake? You had a nightmare?”
“I hadn’t gone to bed yet.”
Eri glanced toward the moonlit window, “But it’s late.”
Shouta huffed a quiet laugh, “It is. Maybe we should both go to bed.”
He shut his laptop and placed it on the coffee table. He stood and heard his back crack, then turned to Eri, looking so small on the sofa alone. She had her stuffed animal in her lap, rubbing the fur between her fingers.
“What if I have another nightmare?” She asked, eyes glassy.
“You can come wake me up,” Shouta told her. “And we can stay up together if you want.”
“What if you have a nightmare?”
Shouta’s heart stuttered, and he imagined the way Hizashi would dramatically clutch at his chest upon hearing the same thing, “I’ll be okay.”
Eri frowned, her brow furrowing, “You should wake me up too if you get scared.”
Shouta smiled and crouched down in front of the sofa, “I’ll do that, then. Ready to try and sleep?”
Eri grimaced, eyes darting away, but then she took a deep breath and nodded. “Will you carry me again?”
Shouta nodded, ignoring the thud of his heart that screamed she trusts you! and reached out to pick her up. She easily wrapped around him like a koala again, resting her head on his shoulder, and squeezing her arms around his neck tighter than before, like a hug. He swallowed and hugged her back, careful not to squeeze too tight.