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Hitoshi was fidgeting.
It had started small, messing with the hem of his shirt. Shouta had barely noticed it. It escalated into biting at his nails, rubbing the back of his neck, and shaking his leg nervously. He had brought out his sketchbook as his unwind time activity, but had only made it so far as to open a blank page. A glance from Hizashi confirmed he had noticed it too and was just as concerned.
But what really tipped Shouta off that something was wrong was Hitoshi checking his phone every five minutes, like clockwork.
Being a teenage boy, it was common for Hitoshi to have his phone with him at all times, and with his integration into the hero course came a slew of new friends. The weekend home visits didn't keep his class from keeping connected, with texts, phone calls, and video chats being a common occurrence. Even so, it wasn't like Hitoshi to obsess over his phone like this.
He picked it up again, the screen casting a glow over his face. This time, his usual schooled uninterested expression faltered, showing a hint of worry. Shouta couldn't take it anymore.
"Hitoshi."
The teen startled, looking up from his phone before darkening the screen and quickly setting it back down.
"Sorry, Dad. I know, limit the phone during unwind time..."
Shouta sighed, setting down the book he had been holding for an hour but hadn't read a word of.
"What's wrong?"
Hitoshi scratched his pencil on the page of the sketchbook, but his expression told Shouta he was processing an answer, so he didn't press.
"You know how I told you a few months ago that I'm bi?" Hitoshi kept at the scribbles, not looking up from the page. Hizashi abandoned his crossword and moved to sit closer to his adopted son.
"Yeah, we remember, bud."
Even under the mop of indigo hair, Shouta spied a flush of red beginning to reach the tips of Hitoshi's ears.
"Well... I have a boyfriend..."
Hitoshi barely managed to get the words out before Hizashi clapped a hand on his shoulder, a bit too enthusiastically to Shouta's amusement.
"Congrats, little man! You didn't need to be so nervous about that, you know we'd support you no matter what!"
Shouta stifled a laugh as Hitoshi gave a dramatic roll of his eyes.
"Thanks, Pops, but..." Hitoshi finally set the sketchbook down, picking his phone back up and clutching it like a lifeline. "It's not that. I mean, yeah, I needed to tell you that, and I was nervous about it, but I knew you would be supportive, so it wasn't that big of a deal...
My boyfriend... he and his mom don't have a great relationship. She blames him for his dad leaving them when he was little, and she's never been supportive of him. He says she's barely around when he goes home for the weekend visits, and when she is, she usually ends up yelling at him, or she..." Cutting himself off quickly, he looked up at Shouta and Hizashi, a look of panic growing on his too-pale face.
"I told him I wouldn't say anything, because he promised he was safe, but I just- he's not-" Hitoshi was beginning to gasp for air, clenching his phone to his chest.
Shouta was up and next to his son in a flash. He knew an incoming anxiety attack when he saw one. Hizashi wasted no time making his way to the kitchen, and Shouta could hear the sink start indicating that his husband was preparing a cold rag. Shouta knelt in front of Hitoshi, bringing his hands to the boy's knees and applying gentle pressure to help ground him.
"Hey, bud, can you look at me?"
Hitoshi's lack of response was worrisome, and Shouta was glad when Hizashi returned, rag and a mug of tea in hand. Shouta relieved his husband of the mug so he could concentrate on placing the rag gently on the back of their son's neck. They had accidentally come across this trick in the early years after Hitoshi's adoption when his anxiety attacks were at their most frequent. During a particularly rough night, Hizashi had called Shouta in a panic while he was out on a late-night patrol. Shouta had raced home, the winter air biting at his hands as he moved swiftly across the rooftops. He had rushed in to see a shaking and completely disassociated Hitoshi. The only thing he could think to do in the moment was to embrace the boy, and one of his freezing hands had ended up grasping Hitoshi's neck. The shock of the cold touch had finally shaken the boy from his episode, and later he had admitted how helpful it had been in pulling him back to reality.
Sure enough, with the rag placed, Shouta could see the focus slowly beginning to return to Hitoshi's eyes, and after a few minutes, he finally made tear-filled eye contact. Shouta could feel his heart actively breaking, but pushed the feeling aside, concentrating on guiding Hitoshi through a series of grounding exercises until he was satisfied the episode had passed.
Trading Hitoshi the rag for the tea, Shouta moved to sit next to Hitoshi on the couch, Hizashi already settled in on the other side, arms around the boy's shoulders.
"Take your time, bud, we're ready to listen if you want to keep talking."
Fresh tears rolled down Hitoshi's face, but he took a deep breath, lowering the mug to his lap.
"I think something happened, and I'm really worried about him. He texted me earlier and told me his mom was home this time, and that she wasn't in a good mood. When that happens, I like to check in on him a lot, just to make sure he's doing ok. He always texts back. Even if it takes a little bit, he always texts back."
Hitoshi's breathing was beginning to pick up again, so Shouta grabbed the mug and set it aside, grabbing the boy's hands and applying gentle pressure.
"The last thing he texted me... was that he found his room basically ransacked, and some of his old notebooks were shredded. He was worried his mom had read them and found out he was gay. He had journaled about it. I tried checking in with him after that... but I haven't heard from him in almost three hours."
Shouta glanced over at his husband, and the look he received in return confirmed they were sharing the same thought. They had completed enough training, both as heroes and foster parents, to know this was a situation that needed to be addressed and fast.
"Hitoshi, love, do you think your boyfriend could be in danger of physical or mental harm right now?" Hizashi's tone was gentle but firm enough to indicate to the teen that this conversation had entered a new category. Shouta could tell Hitoshi was still struggling, the earlier mention of a promise of secrecy weighing on him.
"I know you want to keep your promise not to say anything, bud. But if you think there's a possibility that he really needs help, that's more important than keeping that kind of promise. I know you don't always feel like it, but you're still kids, and there are situations that kids shouldn't have to handle on their own."
Hitoshi was nodding a bit absently, but finally looked up at Shouta, a hint of resolve in his eyes.
"He needs help. Please."
Shouta nodded, standing.
"Then we'll help. We'll start with a wellness check and go from there. Does that sound ok?"
Hitoshi hummed in confirmation, giving his phone another glance. Hizashi gave his shoulder a squeeze before rising from his seat, too.
"Where are we heading? Need the deets before we can get going, who's the mystery beau?"
Another pink flush appeared across Hitoshi's face.
"Oh, right... Well..." Shouta almost groaned when he noticed the apologetic look Hitoshi was now giving him.
"It's Izuku Midoriya."
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It had taken quite a bit of effort, but Shouta and Hizashi had finally convinced Hitoshi to wait in the car while they performed their wellness check on Midoriya. Shouta would have much preferred that Hitoshi remain fully at home, not knowing what they were about to walk in on, but the compromise of the car was as far as they could manage with their son as emotionally worked up as he was.
Shouta had sent both Nedzu and Tsukauchi a quick text reporting the wellness check and reason behind it, both responding with confirmations and requests for an update later on. He sincerely hoped he wouldn't need the help of either, but wanted to be sure of the option if he did. As soon as they reached Midoriya's apartment, he knew he had made the right choice.
The door was already wide open, but the lights inside were turned off. Both men immediately went on high alert, hero instincts kicking in.
"Excuse me, is anyone home?" Hizashi called from the entryway, knocking at the doorframe. Shouta took a few cautious and silent steps into the apartment, scanning the dark room beyond the entry carefully. As he gained a better vantage, he registered that the room was in complete disarray, furniture scattered, items thrown about, and broken.
Turning back to his husband, he silently mouthed "Tsukauchi". Hizashi gave a nod before making his way out to call the officer for backup. Shouta continued to scan the area, pulling the end of his capture scarf free and at the ready as he continued to walk further into the apartment. It was so silent that the sound of a phone vibrating in a nearby room nearly made him jump out of his skin. After allowing his heart a moment to start beating normally again, Shouta carefully made his way toward the room where the sound had originated.
The door was slightly ajar, enough to allow Shouta to hear jagged breaths coming from within as he came closer. Another buzz of the phone, and Shouta could see the room illuminate with the glow of a phone screen. Taking advantage of the extra light, he gently pushed in the door, noticing the remnants of a nameplate, now reading "Izu-".
All stealth went out the window as soon as Shouta saw the inside of Midoriya's bedroom. Paper, pieces of figures, and torn clothing littered every surface. Scraps of posters remained on the walls, and the sparse furniture showed various states of upheaval, drawers pulled out, the bed pulled away from the wall.
The light from the phone was coming from the floor near the bed, shining a spotlight on some of the papers nearby, giving Shouta a clear view of the blood smeared on the white pages, showing a trail leading to the other side of the bed. Upon hearing another jagged breath, Shouta leapt across the room and felt his stomach drop as he found Izuku Midoriya crumpled on the floor in the fetal position, bleeding significantly from the head, pale, and unconscious.
"Midoriya? Midoriya!"
Hizashi must have made his way back to the apartment after his call, because soon after Shouta cried out to the unresponsive boy, his husband rushed through the bedroom door and switched on the lights.
"Zashi.. medical..." His lungs felt like they were constricting. In the light, Midoriya's dangerous state was laid bare before him. Finding a nearby scrap of clothing, he gently lifted the boy onto his lap to begin applying pressure to his still bleeding head wound. As he did so, he noticed one of Midoriya's hands had been resting underneath a section of his shirt near his side. Carefully lifting the shirt, Shouta fought down rising bile as he saw the large bruise flowering across Midoriya's ribs. As he continued scanning for injuries, the phone on the floor buzzed again, catching Shouta's attention. Notifications from texts and calls were displayed on the screen, Hitoshi among the names of other students. It was both a surprise and a relief that none of his other students had shown up to check why the boy wasn't responding.
The sound of sirens approaching brought his attention back to the broken boy in his arms. Midoriya - Izuku - still struggling to breathe, skin clammy, limbs lifeless.
"Come on Izuku, keep up the fight, hero."
The sound of footsteps and the beep of a radio signaled the arrival of paramedics, so Shouta called out to alert them of their location. In just a few minutes, Izuku was secured to a gurney, and Shouta was following the paramedics down toward the ambulance.
As he reached the street, his attention quickly shifted to the cries of his son. Hizashi was holding him tight from behind, and it was clear Hitoshi had tried to run towards Izuku. He wasn't actively fighting Hizashi's grip but was leaning forward, as if affected by some gravitational pull toward his injured boyfriend.
"Please, I need to- I need to see. Is he alive? Please tell me he's alive!"
Shouta reached his family and quickly pulled his son into his arms.
"He's alive, Hitoshi." Muffled sobs sounded from where Hitoshi had his face buried in Shouta's scarf, and Hizashi had to catch them both from falling to the ground too hard as Hitoshi went limp.
"Izuku's a fighter, you know that just as well as I do, yeah?"
The sobs continued, but Hitoshi responded with a nod into Shouta's chest. Hizashi reached toward Shouta's face, gently wiping away tears he hadn't realized had escaped.
"Hospital?" he asked softly.
Shouta nodded, giving his son one last squeeze before Hizashi helped to lift him from the ground.
"Our work's not done yet. Izuku still needs us."
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It had been almost depressingly easy to sever Inko's parental rights and transfer temporary guardianship to Shouta and Hizashi. Both men had strongly debated, arguing for the adoption process to begin immediately, ultimately opting to wait for the boy to recover before making any decisions. Shouta just wanted Izuku safe.
Izuku remained unconscious for a couple of days, the doctors reporting a severe concussion, lacerations and bruising to the head, two broken ribs, lacerations to the hands and knees, and other minor cuts and bruises in the list of injuries sustained. Hitoshi insisted on spending every waking hour stationed in a chair next to Izuku's bed. Shouta often found him carefully holding one of Izuku's bandaged hands and talking to the sleeping boy.
When Izuku finally woke up, Shouta was worried his very spirit had been torn apart. His account of the trauma he had endured at the hands of his own mother only worsened that worry. She had indeed found and read Izuku's past journals detailing his journey to discovering his attraction to boys. Izuku had arrived home for the weekend to a furious Inko, a wrecked room, and the inevitable explosion of tension leading to his mother throwing various objects at him, before grabbing and unexpectedly throwing him causing him to land on a table, breaking his ribs. Inko had stormed out of the apartment, leaving her injured and bleeding son alone. Izuku had crawled through the apartment, gasping for air, through broken glass and furniture, to get to his room, where he had left his phone. In an effort to hide himself should his mother return, he had crawled behind the bed, but the effort had cost him the last of his energy, and he had lost consciousness before contacting anyone for help.
Hitoshi held Izuku's hand the entire time he recounted his experience. Once Tsukauchi was satisfied he had enough information, he excused himself, signaling to Shouta that he would be in touch. The room was quiet for a few minutes before Hitoshi broke the silence.
"Izu... I don't know if this is the right thing to say right now, but..." He dragged his chair closer to the bed and turned to look at Izuku directly.
"I'm really fucking happy you're alive."
Hizashi let out a surprised choke, and Shouta couldn't help but snort a laugh. Izuku's eyes widened in shock, snapping over to Shouta for a split second. Hitoshi didn't seem to notice, because he kept talking.
"And I want you to know that it's ok if you're not ok right now. I'll be here through whatever comes next, whatever you need, I'll do what I can to help. Including being a shoulder to cry on, or keeping you company in complete silence, or talking to fill the space... I don't expect you to just bounce back after all of this, you can take all the time you need. And..." He glanced back a bit nervously towards Shouta and Hizashi as if he was just now remembering they were still in the room. "My dads have a lot of experience with mental health stuff, and I know they want to help too."
Izuku silently absorbed Hitoshi's words. Shouta hated how weary the usually bright and energetic boy looked. Tears began to well up in Izuku's eyes, but he offered them all a nod, closing his eyes and leaning his head back, clearly exhausted.
"You need rest, Izuku. Do you want some space, or want us to stay?"
Opening his eyes a fraction, Shouta was surprised when Izuku gave him a small smile before looking over at Hitoshi.
"Stay."
Hitoshi grinned before folding over to rest his head gently on Izuku's legs.
"Cool, I'll take a nap, too."
Before closing his eyes, Izuku lifted his free hand and tangled his fingers in Hitoshi's hair. Hizashi left with a promise to return with the best coffee he could find, and Shouta settled himself in a chair, watching as both boys slowly fell asleep. Finally, after days of pain, fear, and fighting, Shouta let out a sigh of relief. There was still a difficult journey ahead of them, to be sure, but for now, he could allow himself to enjoy the scene in front of him.
-----------
"Izuku, it's katsudon night. Are you staying?"
In the months after that terrible night, it had become common for Izuku to spend some of his home visit time at their home. After spending a few weeks living in their spare room recovering, it was decided that Toshinori would take on permanent guardianship of his apprentice. The former number one hero had been almost beyond consoling when he learned what had happened, beating himself up for missing the signs and not intervening earlier. Shouta and Hizashi had talked him down and inspired him to begin classes on trauma response and adoption practices.
Izuku looked up from the handheld game he was playing. He and Hitoshi were sprawled out on the couch, the freckled boy leaning up against his boyfriend's chest. Shouta hadn't ever bothered to try to separate the pair, it seemed like outside school hours, they were practically melded together. Their relationship had only grown stronger, and Shouta might not ever admit it out loud, but he was proud of both of them for learning to work through their trauma together.
"I'd love to, thanks! I'll text All Might right now!"
The bruises had faded, the cuts were gone, broken ribs healed, and a pink scar at Izuku's crown was all that remained of his physical wounds. Toshinori had followed all of Shouta and Hizashi's advice on getting Izuku set up with a trauma-informed counselor, and over time, the emotional healing was also becoming visible.
"Hitoshi, set the table for four, then. 5 minutes till food is ready."
Planting a kiss on the top of his boyfriend's head first, Hitoshi popped up from underneath him, sending Izuku tumbling to the floor with a yelp. Hitoshi chuckled, hands in his pockets, walking to the kitchen, and ignoring Izuku's curses toward him. He made eye contact with Shouta, and his expression turned quizzical, which is when Shouta realized he was smiling.
"Dad? You good?"
Shouta almost avoided the question with his usual passive excuse, but paused. He could see Izuku back on the couch, grinning as he tapped on his phone, here in their living room, safe and sound. Hitoshi was the happiest and healthiest Shouta had ever seen him, Izuku was on the road to thriving again, and he barely dared admit it, but life was good.
Shouta's grin turned mischevious and he turned to drape an arm around his son's shoulders.
"Yeah, it's just... I'm really fucking happy you're alive."
Hitoshi groaned, hiding his face in his hands, letting Shouta lead him into the kitchen. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"
"Nope."