Work Text:
Hitoshi isn't quite sure what's happening anymore. One moment he was with his shitty foster family, in pain and scared, and in the next moment Aizawa was there, in his full get-up, swooping in like the hero he so clearly is and just like that, Hitoshi's life is changed.
And he can't keep up.
Things are still rapidly changing—he's been in the hospital, then a police station, and now he's in Aizawa's and apparently Yamada's home.
Where he's supposed to stay, if the many conversations that happened around him are anything to go by.
None of this makes any sense, not really, because things like this don't happen to Hitoshi. Ever.
He's in hell, always, and it's not supposed to change, it's not supposed to get better and yet—
"You're safe now," Yamada tells him as he shows him to what he calls his room.
As if Hitoshi ever really deserves his own room.
Hitoshi doesn't even know what to say to Yamada, doesn't know how to express his disbelief at what he's being told, but Yamada doesn't seem to be waiting for an answer from him at all. He just shows him the room and then tells him to get settled as if unpacking the single, measly bag Hitoshi brought would take any time.
As if Hitoshi even really has things to unpack.
He has one change of clothes, his school uniform, a phone charger and a toothbrush and that's it.
It's hardly anything to worry about and Hitoshi would really rather keep it all close together because there's just no way he's going to stay here. There’s just no way Aizawa and Yamada would want that, despite their words right now and Hitoshi knows that a transfer of families can sometimes be rushed.
That's how he lost his second change of clothes two years ago but now he knows better.
He always keeps this stuff together now.
Hitoshi pushes his bag underneath his bed, unpacked and ready to leave at a moment's notice, and then he gingerly sits down on the bed, waiting to be told what to do.
He sits like this for close to two hours before a knock on his door startles him into movement again.
"Kiddo? Can I come in?" Yamada asks and then there's nothing from the other side of the door and it takes Hitoshi entirely too long to realise that it was a serious question and that Yamada isn't going to enter without his consent.
"Yeah?" Hitoshi shakily says because he's so out of his depths here and he thinks he fucked up when Yamada steps in and a frown settles on his face.
"Did you just—sit there?" he asks and Hitoshi's stomach sinks because of course.
Of course there was something he was supposed to do, some kind of test they gave him and he clearly failed that one already.
His heart starts to beat heavily in his chest and his hands get clammy.
This is always the worst part—figuring out the rules in a new home, figuring out what he's supposed to do, what he's allowed to do, what his new fosters want from him.
Hitoshi has always been exceptionally bad at it.
"Sorry," Hitoshi chokes out and ducks his head, as if that would help, as if that would erase his mistake.
"You're fine, kiddo," Yamada says, maybe tries for reassuringly, but Hitoshi just tenses even further. "You're allowed to move here, and this is your room, so you can do whatever you want. Did you unpack?"
It's a direct question, and one Yamada clearly expects an honest answer to so Hitoshi shakes his head.
Yamada hums at his response and for a moment Hitoshi fears he's going to unleash his quirk on him, but when nothing happens, Hitoshi dares to look at him.
"That's fine, we'll get to that," Yamada simply says and then nods towards the kitchen. "Dinner is ready, if you want some."
It appears to be an offer, but it can't be. Hitoshi either gets told to eat or he's being left out and there's no way this is actually up to him, so he continues to sit, and he continues to wait for further instruction, which brings out a frown on Yamada's face.
"Come eat with us," he then says and while it's still surprising that they want him to come out and join them during dinner, it's an order Hitoshi understands, so he follows Yamada out into the kitchen, where Aizawa is currently setting the table.
"Sit," he shortly says and nods towards a seat that actually has a plate in front of it, which is a surprise, because it looks as if they really want him to join them for dinner.
Hitoshi carefully sits down where he's supposed to and then he waits, because he doesn't know what to do.
The last time he was allowed at the dinner table was so long ago he barely remembers it and he has no idea what’s expected of him now, but thankfully Yamada simply takes his plate, loads it up with food and then hands it back to Hitoshi.
"Enjoy," he tells him with a small smile and Hitoshi nods, because the intent is clear.
He's not allowed to dislike the food here, no matter what.
Seeing as how this is the first home-cooked meal in ages, it's not going to be hard, because just the sentiment—no matter if there's an order behind it or not—is enough to bring tears to his eyes that he tries his best to blink away.
"Did you pack everything away yet?" Aizawa asks him between bites and Hitoshi ducks his head between his shoulders before he gives a tentative nod.
He did hide his bag away under his bed and surely that counts, right?
"Mh. You didn't bring very much with you, so we're going shopping tomorrow," Aizawa then decides and Hitoshi freezes.
This is not good. Hitoshi doesn't have any money to spend on whatever the hell Aizawa wants him to buy and if they should spend money on him then he's not sure he can pay it back.
Before he can figure out how to bring this up, how to let them know that there's no need for them to go shopping, Aizawa goes on.
"And we need more things for your room, too, it's just a guest bedroom. You need to personalise it. We can tackle that tomorrow as well."
He sounds pleased with his plan, and he doesn't wait for Hitoshi's agreement, which is just as well because Hitoshi's breath starts to come in short.
They can't do this. Hitoshi doesn't have the money to pay and they are not allowed to spend money on him but there's no way for him to tell them that without sounding rude or ungrateful and—
"Shou," Yamada warningly says and Hitoshi's gaze snaps up to him, because he sounds angry, he sounds pissed and that usually leads to pain for Hitoshi.
And Hitoshi has learned that no matter how awful it is, it's always better to see it coming, so he keeps his eyes on Yamada, who doesn't even spare him a glance.
"What? He just brought one measly bag. We have to take him shopping."
"That's surprising, coming from you," Yamada gives back, "considering your flat had nothing in it before I forced you to fill it. Now drop it, this is something we can talk about another time."
It doesn't sound like a suggestion, it sounds very much like an order to Hitoshi, but Aizawa apparently doesn't notice, because he goes right on.
"Yeah, and now I'm putting what I learned from you to good use. Shopping trip tomorrow."
It sounds final, in a way that makes Hitoshi break out into cold sweat and he's clutching his hands in his lap.
They can't go shopping; it's going to be a disaster and Hitoshi doesn't want to upset them this early into his stay with them, though he doesn't see a way to avoid this now.
"I think it's best if you go for a walk now," Yamada says, almost coldly and Hitoshi is already half out of his seat before he can consciously think about it, which is why he startles badly when Yamada puts a careful hand to his arm.
"Not you, kiddo. Shou. Get going."
Aizawa gets up without another word, grumbling something under his breath Hitoshi can't hear over all the rushing in his ears but he very well hears Yamada's reply.
"And don't let the door hit you on the way out!" he calls after Aizawa, who is gone before Hitoshi can process what just happened.
When he realises that he disrupted their dinner, that he brought dissent to them, he starts to hyperventilate.
"Shhh, it's alright, kiddo, just breathe with me, okay?" Yamada's voice reaches him and then one of his hands is placed against a chest that almost comically expands with each breath Yamada takes.
It's almost disturbing and it's definitely enough to get Hitoshi to snap out of his panic, though it still takes him a while to be fully conscious of his surroundings again.
"I'm sorry," is the first thing out of his mouth when he has enough breath for it and again, Yamada hums, though his quirk still doesn't make an appearance.
"There is nothing you have to apologise for, you didn't do anything wrong. This is all on Shou."
Hitoshi wants to protest, wants to argue, because there’s no way this is Aizawa's fault, it has to be Hitoshi's, it just has to be, but before he can find the courage to say it and possibly bring some punishment on himself, Yamada speaks again.
"Shou is an action kind of guy. He sees that something needs doing and he gets on it right away. Usually that's a good thing, because it means things around here get done but sometimes—well, most of the times—he forgets to consider how everyone else is feeling."
Yamada looks at Hitoshi as if he expects him to say something to that, but Hitoshi has no clue what he wants from him, so he keeps his gaze trained on the table.
"He saw that you didn't bring very many things with you which has to be rectified. I agree, because you do need more things, more clothes especially, but he failed to consider how you feel and that this must all be very overwhelming for you."
Hitoshi flinches because it sounds like a failing on his part but Yamada stays gentle and kind and he doesn't reach out to hit Hitoshi at all.
"Because it is, isn't it? Overwhelming? You seemed close to panic when he mentioned buying new things."
It's more than obvious that Yamada expects an answer from him, so Hitoshi nods. Yamada stays quiet, though, so that must have not been enough and so Hitoshi forces himself to speak.
"I don't have money. And you're not supposed to spend any on me," he mutters and then flinches when Yamada lets out a sigh.
"Actually, we are supposed to spend money on you, because you're our ward now, and we're responsible for you. That means getting you everything you need. A wardrobe full of clothes, entertainment for you, new furniture for your room. Anything you need and want, really, and it's on us to buy that."
"Sorry," Hitoshi says on reflex, almost choking on that one word because he cannot imagine the bill that would come out of all of that.
He just knows that he can never make enough money to pay them back.
"Kiddo, that's not something you have to say sorry for. We want to do that, and it's not something you have to pay back."
At that, Hitoshi's head flies up because surely that cannot be true, and Yamada gives him a kind smile.
"Yeah, thought that would be something you worry about. We're not keeping tabs and you're not paying us back a single cent, just so you know. Shou just assumed you know that, which is why he was so insistent but taking a walk will give him time to think things over."
"Does that happen often?" Hitoshi dares to ask, because they haven't given him a rule about asking questions in their home yet and Hitoshi knows that he's never going to figure out what the rules are if he just waits for them to tell him.
Sometimes his foster parents want him to fuck up at least once and maybe this is the same here.
"Fairly, yes. He's all action and taking a walk around the block helps him to think things over and hopefully consider how the other person might feel. It works, which is why he barely argues when I tell him to get lost for a moment."
"So you're not mad?" Hitoshi wants to know because that seems wrong in ways he can't quite put into words but Yamada immediately shakes his head.
"Not mad. And he isn't, either, and I promise he also won't be when he comes back. Which should be any minute now, really," Yamada says, clearly to reassure Hitoshi in a way that won't make him jump when the door opens which happens in just that moment.
Aizawa strides in as if nothing ever happened and he sits right back down at the dinner table before he looks at Yamada.
"You were right," he easily says, making Yamada grin, and Hitoshi shrinks in on himself when he turns towards him. "I'm sorry. Everything happened very fast and things must be confusing for you and I kept pushing. Getting you new things isn't a top priority and we have time for it later."
That's all he says and clearly the topic is done for him with that, which only confuses Hitoshi more.
"See, told you it would help. We'll talk about it more and figure out when's a good time to go shopping," Yamada happily says and then gets back to his own food, clearly expecting Aizawa and Hitoshi to do the same.
Aizawa digs in almost immediately, but Hitoshi is slower to get back to eating, because still, everything is confusing.
But at least for this one moment, there isn't any dread hanging over Hitoshi because Aizawa and Yamada explained things to him and didn't even threaten him. They seem like good foster parents—which, confusing still—but maybe this could work out for Hitoshi.
He's cautiously hopeful, and the easy chatter between Aizawa and Yamada and the delicious food certainly help.