It had been a couple of weeks since Izuku had shown Shouta and Hizashi his quirks. The kid hasn't used them since because he focused more on his physical therapy. Progress was going very well, the kid was able to walk short distances without getting tired.
His grip was getting stronger. Izuku could write or colour longer than he used to, but there was still a long way to go. His hands would shake, and his arms would get sore or hurt easily. If he needed significant arm and hand mobility for his quirks, he would have to get a lot stronger.
The second night went a lot smoother than the first. The kid hadn't come to their room or woke up panicking from nightmares. They got him a nightlight, and he seemed to be a lot more comfortable sleeping alone. Well, alone with Bastard.
Along with the nightlight, his hero posters, figures, and blanket also came in. Hizashi and Izuku hung up the posters, and Izuku chose to place the Present Mic figurine on his bedside table. Hizashi tried to hide it, but Shouta caught him wiping away happy tears when the kid wasn't looking.
The other All Might figurines were placed on his desk and bookshelves.
Oh, yeah, and that "Eraserhead merch" that Hizashi promised him? It was a blanket with him on it, striking a fighting pose. Izuku was ecstatic. Shouta less so, but seeing the kid so happy made him happy, so he didn't comment.
There was only one night when Izuku woke up screaming, thinking he was back at the lab. The scream had triggered Shouta's instincts, and he had to keep himself from running to the kid's room to wake up Hizashi first. He takes out his hearing aids every night, so he didn't hear it.
It took them almost all night to get the kid to calm down and go to sleep. There hadn't been any episodes like that since then, but Shouta couldn't lie and say he slept soundly after that night.
Now, they were running into an issue. Izuku's wardrobe. It was basically Shouta's whole closet, and while the kid looked absolutely adorable in his baggy clothes, it wasn't practical. He needed clothes that would fit him and not swallow him.
For shoes, Hizashi chose a pair of green slides for the kid to be comfortable walking around the house. It wasn't the best option for the outside, but it was all he had for now.
Hizashi, of course, suggested a shopping day. Shouta thought that was a terrible idea.
Not only was Izuku not used to crowds of people, but he couldn't walk for that long. Shouta asked why they couldn't just do online shopping, and Hizashi argued that Izuku should be able to physically feel the texture and fabric and know the exact size of the clothes he wanted.
They concluded that they would ask the kid what he wanted to do. Izuku seemed hesitant, but ultimately decided he wanted to go shopping. Underneath the hesitancy, Shouta could see the kid's excitement to go out. Of course, he couldn't say no to that, so he would just have to keep an eye on the kid's well-being.
If Izuku did start getting exhausted or his legs ached, Shouta would take out the wheelchair they had kept from the hospital. They left it folded in the back of their car. They didn't have to bring it inside yet, but there was a lot more walking involved at a shopping mall.
For the outing, Shouta gave the kid something to wear that didn't completely drown him. It was the same black sweater he gave the kid initially, along with black sweatpants that had to be rolled up a couple of times so they didn't go past his feet. Still baggy, but not terribly so.
Izuku put on his shoes and waited patiently for the heroes to finish getting ready. Well, for Hizashi to finish. Shouta had just thrown on an all-black outfit and his capture weapon around his neck. He was fine, but Hizashi loved to take his time dressing up, no matter the occasion.
Ten minutes later, Hizashi waltzed through the hallway towards them.
"Are you guys ready?!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, luckily without his quirk activating.
"We were ready twenty minutes ago," Shouta grumbled, but stood, helping Izuku up as well.
Hizashi waved him off. "It takes time to look this good," he huffed and crouched in front of Izuku with a smile.
"Listener! I hope you're excited! Just remember to tell Shou and me if you need a break, alright? We'll shop at your pace!" Hizashi reminded him, and the kid nodded in confirmation.
Hizashi sprang back up with energy Shouta wished he could muster. "Let's go!" Hizashi quickly slipped his shoes on and, after making sure the cats weren't around to dart out of the house, he opened the door and ushered them outside.
Shouta had a hand on Izuku's back to help him forward until they got to the car. After Izuku was in and buckled, Shouta walked around to the passenger's side and got in.
Hizashi started the car and they were off.
Izuku still watched the outside whirl by in fascination. The window stayed up this time, though, because it was getting cooler around this time of year. The leaves were turning all shades of reds and browns.
Shouta distantly wondered about the upcoming winter. While it didn't get crazy cold, he was still worried about how Izuku's body would react to it. He would have to keep an eye on it once the time came.
The mall was busy, but that was normal. If it were overcrowded, he probably would've told Hizashi to turn right back around.
Hizashi found a parking spot relatively close to the mall entrance. Hizashi turned the car off and went around to help Izuku out.
"You ready?" he asked, and Izuku nodded eagerly. Hizashi held the kid's hand and led him forward. Shouta followed beside Izuku, eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.
"So, Listener, any idea on what you want to look for?" Hizashi asked curiously, looking down at him when they made it inside.
"Um… I dunno. I like what A-Aizawa gives me," Izuku muttered, burying his face into the collar of his sweatshirt as if to accentuate the point.
Since it was getting colder, it was a good idea to get warmer clothes.
"We can find something like that for ya! C'mon." Hizashi steered them a different way. Shouta marvelled at the fact that Hizashi knew the layout of the mall by memory.
They ended up in a kids' clothing store that had an abundance of clothes for the fall and upcoming winter season. Sweaters, sweatpants, jackets, long socks, hats, mittens, etc. This was perfect.
"You look for anything that interests you, 'kay? You can try it on, or, if you don't want to, we can eyeball it. Worst comes to worst, we come back to return it some other day," Hizashi explained as Izuku looked around in wonder.
Izuku faced them tentatively. "A-Anything?"
Both the heroes nodded. "Anything, kid. If you like it, grab it," Shouta reassured him. Izuku still looked uncertain, but he nodded anyway and went to start looking.
Hizashi had let go of his hand to let him wander. They both stayed a fair distance away so they could keep an eye on him but also give him his space to browse.
Izuku checked out the section of sweatshirts that had printed graphics on them. In true Shouta fashion, Izuku reached for the sweatshirt with cats on it first.
"You're rubbing off on him," Hizashi whispered to him, tone teasing. Shouta scoffed and hid a smile in his capture weapon.
"You say that like it's a bad thing. Kid's clearly got taste."
Izuku grabbed a couple more that had different designs on them, then sauntered off to another section. Looking at pants now, Izuku picked out solid colours. One black and one green.
Shouta thought he was being very minimal, but he wanted to let the kid pick out everything first before pushing him to get more.
One thing was for sure, though: he would need a winter coat.
Izuku came up to them nervously with the small pile he had accumulated. "I-Is this… good?"
Hizashi grabbed the pile and placed a hand on the kid's head. "Of course, Listener! But you totally need more than this!"
Izuku looked like he couldn't believe it. "More?"
"More!" Hizashi parroted and motioned for Izuku to follow him. He did, Shouta close behind.
"Here. Pick out a few t-shirts as well. It is getting cold, but for just loungin' around the house, it couldn't hurt!"
Izuku seemed skeptical but started looking through them anyway. Again, he only chose a couple of black shirts. Hizashi, when the kid wasn't looking, added to the pile. He chose a variety of shirts in different colours and styles.
When Izuku eventually noticed, he became flustered. "Th-This is too much! Really… I-I'm fine with what I have…" Izuku said, clenching his sweater in between his fists.
Shouta crouched in front of him and laid a hand over Izuku's. "Kid, I promise it's not enough. We are essentially starting from scratch to give you a full closet's worth of clothes that will last you. Have you seen Hizashi's wardrobe? I mean, c'mon, if anything, he's the one that needs less clothes," he joked, earning a small smile from Izuku and an outraged squawk from Hizashi.
"If it's really okay…" Izuku trailed off, still unsure.
"We promise, it is. If you truly ever went overboard, which I highly doubt will happen, Hizashi and I will let you know. Okay?"
"Okay! Th-Then… Can I get these?" Izuku asked while pointing to a pair of cat-printed socks that looked suspiciously a lot like Sushi.
Shouta huffed a laugh and grabbed them. "Of course."
While they had that conversation, Hizashi had grabbed a basket and filled it with more clothes. How he even did that much in that amount of time, Shouta will never know.
"Alright, Listener! Let's go through these together, yeah?"
Izuku only rejected one shirt out of the whole pile, and it was because the texture on the inside felt scratchy. Other than that, they were pretty much halfway there to a decent amount of clothing.
The only thing Shouta picked out for the kid in that store was a puffy black jacket that had a fluffy inside. The kid approved immediately, and it was added to the pile.
They went to a couple of more stores after that one. Izuku picked out a bunch of graphic tees, some of which had Shouta questioning his earlier statement that the kid had good taste. But whatever, these weren't his clothes.
The issue they ran into was the shoes. Izuku was born quirkless, so he had an extra toe joint. This unfortunately meant that he had a limited option for closed-toed footwear.
The most common brand that some stores carried was the obnoxiously bright red sneakers. Other than that, there wasn't much choice. Shouta didn't want to settle for making the kid wear shoes that would make him uncomfortable, so he had an idea.
"I could probably ask Power Loader for some shoe designs. He could make it an assignment for his class, or something."
Before Hizashi could respond, Izuku lit up. "P-Power Loader?! He's so cool! His costume designs a-are the best!"
Shouta was impressed. Not many people knew Power Loader or his costume designs.
"Yeah! You'll have the coolest shoes ever, Izu!" Hizashi exclaimed, smiling brightly.
Izuku blushed at the nickname but was still vibrating in excitement. Shouta knew exactly where to take the kid next.
He shared a glance with Hizashi. Even though no words were spoken, he was sure his husband understood what Shouta was thinking.
They brought the kid to a hero merch store. Izuku looked like he was about to explode or pass out from exhilaration. Maybe both. Izuku tugged Hizashi inside, and Shouta had to laugh.
If bringing Izuku here would've taken him out of his shell a bit more, Shouta would suffer a thousand more shopping trips.
Izuku was truly in heaven right now. This store was huge! It had something of almost every hero Izuku recognized in here. From keychains to clothing, this store had a lot to offer. Izuku could spend hours here alone.
Yamada was still holding Izuku's hand when he dragged him in. He felt kind of bad, but with Izuku's lack of strength, he figured Yamada let himself be dragged in.
Aizawa was following them, and Yamada suddenly stopped and turned to him. "Shou, do you mind shopping with the kid for a sec? I need to go… to the bathroom!"
Clearly, Aizawa didn't buy it, and neither did Izuku. Before either of them could question him, though, Yamada was already sprinting off.
Izuku looked at Aizawa, bewildered. He just sighed.
"Don't look at me, kid. Hizashi does as he pleases," Aizawa deadpanned. Izuku giggled and latched onto Aizawa's hand instead.
"Can we l-look around?" Izuku asked, suddenly nervous. Aizawa didn't seem to enjoy crowds too much, and it was a bit more packed in here than in other stores. But Aizawa just nodded.
"Wherever you like, kid. Go crazy."
Well, Izuku didn't have to be told twice.
Izuku led Aizawa around the store, gazing in wonder at different merchandise items. He knew that the heroes insisted he choose things for himself, but hero merch was more expensive than regular clothes and items. He didn't want to overstep.
At the sight of a "Put Your Hands Up Radio" shirt, though, Izuku couldn't resist. He grabbed it. Aizawa seemed amused.
"You'll give 'Zashi a heart attack. In a good way." Izuku wasn't sure how someone could have a heart attack in a "good way", but he didn't question it.
When they got to the aisle full of hero figurines and action figures, Izuku knew he'd be here a while. He browsed the different heroes, Aizawa occasionally pointing them out and asking if Izuku knew them.
The answer was pretty much always a yes.
After a bit of looking, Yamada still wasn't back, so they hung around the store. When Izuku was looking at different pins and keychains, Aizawa's phone started buzzing.
Aizawa's brows furrowed, and when he looked at the caller ID, he sighed. "Just one sec, Izuku. Don't go anywhere." After Izuku confirmed he'd stay put, Aizawa took just a few steps away. Far enough to keep his conversation private, but close enough to keep an eye on him.
Izuku continued browsing. He had one Kamui Woods keychain, and he saw a really cool All Might pin he wanted to look at, but it was unfortunately just out of reach. Even on his tippy-toes.
A hand came up from behind him and grabbed the pin he was aiming for. Izuku jerked back, startled, and the action caused a sharp pain in his left leg. Holding back a flinch, he looked up to see a woman with dark red hair and square-framed glasses.
"Here, sweetie! Is this what you were looking for?" she asked him, and Izuku hesitantly nodded. The woman handed him the pin, and Izuku's fingers shook as he grabbed it.
"T-Thanks," he whispered, and the woman gave him a bright smile. It wasn't the same as Yamada's, though. Hers felt weird.
"No problem! You a big fan of All Might?" she asked, hands on her knees as she leaned down to talk to him in that condescending way adults usually did to kids.
It reminded him way too much of the Doctor.
Izuku didn't like this interaction anymore. He looked over his shoulder to see Aizawa still on the phone, back slightly turned to him. Of course, the one time the hero wasn't overly aware of his surroundings.
Izuku looked back at the woman who was still expecting an answer. Not sure how to politely leave, he nodded.
"Um… Y-Yes," he muttered, hands twitching and leg aching.
"What kid doesn't these days! I swear, my son just raves on and on about All Might. He always talks about his fights…"
The woman rambled on, but Izuku wasn't listening. He felt like he was watching this conversation from outside of his body.
Then, suddenly, the woman touched his hair. Izuku was slammed back into awareness, his entire body locked up.
"What a cutie you are! Do you want to meet my son? I feel like you two would have so much in common! Where're your parents? We could set up a playdate!"
She wasn't letting go of his hair. It was similar to how Yamada and Aizawa played with it, but the sensation was all wrong. He couldn't move, he couldn't tell her to take her hand off of him.
Then, a voice behind him, deadly calm, "Get your hand off my kid." Aizawa was finally done with that phone call. And furious. Luckily, it was not directed at him.
The hand was finally gone, and Izuku slumped in relief. So much in fact, that he almost fell over. Aizawa immediately picked him up, and Izuku hid his face in the man's shoulder.
This person either had no self-awareness or no self-preservation, because she talked as if nothing was wrong.
"Oh! You must be his dad! I was just talking to him about how much my son also loves All Might and that they'd probably be great friends-"
"Not interested."
And that was that.
Ignoring the woman's offended scoff, Aizawa turned on his heel and promptly made his way to the register. He paid for the shirt and the keychain and asked Izuku if he still wanted to pin.
While he loved All Might, he shook his head. It had a stained experience attached to it now.
Aizawa didn't question it and placed the pin on the counter for the employee to put back. He thanked them, then walked out of the store.
Yamada was still gone, so Aizawa sat on a bench outside the store and rubbed Izuku's back in comfort. Izuku's hands were tightly holding onto Aizawa's shirt, trembling slightly.
"Are you alright, Izuku?" Aizawa asked him quietly, and Izuku didn't know how to answer that. While he was glad to be out of the situation, he couldn't get the feeling of her touch off of him.
When he didn't answer right away, Aizawa spoke again. "I'm sorry for not paying attention, kid. That never should've happened." Izuku could hear the frustration aimed at himself.
"N-Not your fault. I didn't… stop her," Izuku murmured, playing the conversation over and over in his mind.
Aizawa's throat made a sound, and in a gruff voice, he said, "No, she never should've touched you in the first place. That's not on you."
Izuku turned his head so he was looking up at Aizawa. "Then it's not your fault, either," Izuku said, trying to be firm in his words, but it probably didn't come out that way.
Regardless, it did the trick, as Aizawa seemed more relaxed. His features softened, and he sighed. "Ah, fine. You make a good argument," Aizawa said with a small smile.
Izuku mirrored it and sat up in his hold. He felt a little better now, even if the conversation was lingering back in his head.
Before they could say anything else, Yamada appeared. "Sorry that took so long! Here!" he said, pushing a shopping bag into Aizawa's arms.
Izuku curiously peeked inside. They looked like pyjamas. He grabbed one, taking it out of the bag. They were very soft and had different kinds of cats printed all over them. Looking through the bag, it looked like there were three sets of them.
"'Zashi… you didn't," Aizawa said, his voice sounding infinitely tired.
"I did!" was all Yamada responded with, and Izuku giggled. Izuku put the pyjamas back in the bag.
"W-We can all… match!" Izuku smiled, his bad mood from earlier melting away.
"Yeah, Shou! C'mon, you secretly love it," Yamada placed his hands on his hips, an eyebrow raised in what Izuku thought was a smug expression.
Aizawa didn't confirm or deny, just grunted and placed the bag with the rest. Yamada smirked and saw the shopping bag from the hero merch store.
"What'd ya get, Little Listener?" Yamada questioned, sitting on the bench next to them. Izuku faltered slightly, his mind immediately going to his earlier interaction.
Yamada noticed, though. His lips downturned in a frown when he noticed the abrupt, tense atmosphere. "What happened?"
Before Izuku could say anything, though, Aizawa waved a hand dismissively, saying, "Later." Izuku was grateful for it because he didn't think he could handle explaining it.
Yamada looked upset, but he didn't push it. Izuku instead took out the "Put Your Hands Up Radio" shirt, and it was like Yamada's demeanour never changed.
He was glowing with that smile he radiated. "Awww, Listener!" He placed a hand over his chest, tears welling up in his eyes.
Although Yamada had given him a Present Mic keychain the first day they met, he always had this reaction whenever Izuku picked something out resembling the hero.
Izuku smiled and showed him the Kamui Woods keychain he also got. Yamada and he chatted a bit about Kamui Woods, his mood slowly becoming better.
Aizawa stayed a steady presence as he continued to hold him in his lap. When there was a lull in conversation, Aizawa spoke up.
"Do you want to eat here? Or at home?"
They both waited for his response. Izuku laid his head on Aizawa's chest, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over him.
"H-Home," Izuku whispered. The heroes didn't waste any time; Yamada held all the bags while Aizawa held Izuku, taking him to the car.
It was nighttime, just after Shouta and Hizashi put the kid down to sleep. It was easy, since the day tired him out. Hizashi and he were now sitting on the couch, TV on but volume low, Sushi sleeping on Hizashi's lap.
"What happened earlier?" Hizashi asked him, voice quiet.
Shouta sighed, feeling his anger spike as he thought about it. "Tsukauchi called me. I stepped away, kid still in my sight, but I looked away for just a few moments. This lady…" Shouta paused, regaining composure before he accidentally started to raise his voice.
"She was standing too close to the kid, talking about something, but she was touching him. Her hand was in his hair, and all I could see was how Izuku was shaking. He was favouring his right side, so I knew his leg was bothering him, too. I told her to get her hands off him, and she did, but she continued speaking like nothing was wrong. Something about her kid and All Might. I had to leave before I made a scene."
Hizashi looked gradually more upset and angry as the story developed. His fists were clenched, brows furrowed.
"God, what is wrong with people?!" he whispered-shouted. "Poor Izu."
Shouta ran a hand through his hair, still feeling guilty about not being aware of the situation instantly. Hizashi bumped their shoulders together and pulled his hand away from where Shouta was unknowingly gripping his hair.
"Don't do that. It's not your fault, Shou-"
Shouta interrupted him. "What if it's not just a stranger talking to him, touching his hair, next time? What if he was taken? I wouldn't have noticed until it was too late."
Hizashi tsked and placed his hands on either side of his face, forcing Shouta to look at him.
"You of all people should know how dangerous it is to think about the what-ifs. He's fine, he's safe. He's with us, in his room, fast asleep. Okay? Don't go down that path," Hizashi said, firm but not unkind.
Shouta just sighed, tension bleeding from his shoulders as he leaned into Hizashi's touch. He nodded, but otherwise didn't say anything.
Knowing that was probably the best he'd get from him, Hizashi changed the subject. "What did Tsukauchi call about?" His hands left Shouta's face and instead wrapped around his shoulders.
Shouta scowled as he thought about the call he had with Tsukauchi. "They found and arrested Hisashi Midoriya. He was apparently outside last night, rampaging about his 'son', according to witnesses. Now, though, he won't speak a word to any of the officers or Tsukauchi."
Hizashi tensed at the mention of Izuku's father. They sat in silence for a moment, then Hizashi spoke, "Are you going to talk to him?"
"Mm. I was thinking about it. Tsukauchi said he might recognize me and finally open up. What do you think?"
Hizashi shrugged. "I think it might work. But you have to make sure you don't accidentally say anything about Izuku's whereabouts, in case he somehow gets it back to All for One."
Shouta nodded. "I know. I won't say anything about him. I'll go tomorrow morning, is that fine? You can tell the kid I'm on hero business. Which is technically true, but you know."
"Yup! The Little Listener and I will hang out," he said, thrilled, and probably already coming up with ideas for the two of them to do.
Shouta smiled and leaned into his husband's side, not exactly excited for tomorrow, but cherishing the current moment despite it.