Bruised And Broken

Cats in Hospitals

When Shoto woke up, the full force of what had happened fully hit him. It brought a lump to his throat and a clench to his bandaged hands. He distantly registered it must be at least late morning, with the sun blazing through the large windows.

The rain last night had washed through the city, giving it a refreshing smell. But the three occupants in the room were nothing short of exhausted. Shoto's red eyes drooped heavily, Aizawa's torso was sprawled across the end of the bed as he snored softly, and Hizashi's head was tipped back as he slept in the most uncomfortable position Shoto had ever seen. He would definitely have a neck ache for the next couple of days.

Despite his lethargy, Shoto's mind was running at 100 miles per hour. Strangely, it had been easier the first time Touya left. Shoto was young, naive, and forever convincing himself his brother would return. The disappointment had been spread of a period of 4 years, and Shoto has silently accepted Touya was gone. This time however, he had let that immature hope fill him again, thought that he might have his brother back, and the pain of him leaving hit the younger full force.

The throbbing pain of his injuries was nothing compared to the throb in his heart.

~

Hizashi woke slowly, his emerald eyes blinking at the ceiling for a few minutes before he registered a dull ache in the back of his neck. With a groan, he stretched out his neck and arms, shaking the sleep out of himself. He noted Aizawa's sleeping form, half on the chair, half sprawled across Shoto's bed...

Shoto!

In an instant, previously bleary eyes flew open and scanned wildly for the boy. It was a relief when he immediately caught on the form sitting cross-legged on the bed.

Shoto looked worse for wear, but he was alive, breathing and here.

"You ok, bud?" Hizashi asked tentatively.

"Hm? Yeah." Shoto responded, barely raising his eyes from the book he was absorbed in. Hizashi hummed contentedly.

"What ya reading?" Hizashi asked.

"The Song of Achilles." Shoto responded.

"Oh, I didn't know you liked Roman Mythology."

"Greek. And Momo brought it over, I thought I'd give it a try." Shoto corrected quietly.

"That's a nice idea." Hizashi said, standing up fully and stretching his back muscles. His blond hair, mussed from a few hours earlier, fell down his jumper in tangles and knots. With a sigh, he mentally noted to get Aizawa to comb it later; Aizawa may be awful at taking care of his own personal appearance, but he wasn't half bad at dealing with others' hair.

Shoto's own hair was lacking its defined, neat parting; the cream and crimson strands were intertwined down the middle, and Hizashi couldn't deny it reminded him of strawberries and whipped cream on a summers day.

On closer inspection, the older could see Shoto's eyes were lightly ringed by a red, making him wince in sympathy.

"Well..." Hizashi began, running out of conversation to make. He plucked up a likely looking book from Shoto's little shrine of presents at the foot of his bed, and plopped back down into his seat. "I'm just gonna read this."

Shoto nodded absently.

~

With a groan, the last sleeping occupant of the room awoke. Aizawa's mop of raven hair hung around his weary eyes as they scanned over his husband and son. Hizashi was seemingly buried in a book, whilst Shoto had drifted off, his own book lying discarded on his lap.

"Hizashi." Aizawa whispered. The blonde snapped his gaze up, flashing his spouse a wide grin.

"He doesn't seem overly distraught." Hizashi whispered back, gesturing to the by.o Aizawa's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He knew Shoto liked to downplay his more intense emotions, and he also knew Hizashi's perceptive skills weren't quite on-point.

"I somehow doubt that."

"He really needs Yuki." Hizashi remarked sadly, before his eyes lit up.

"Hizashi, no-"

Hizashi was out the door before Aizawa could voice his objections.

~

Yuki padded across the apartment to her food bowl. Only sparse vestiges of her evening dinner remained, and she mewed in frustration.

Suddenly the door burst open, causing the cat to jump out of her skin and skitter behind the sofa.

"Yuki!" Owner Number 3's loud, energetic voice called out. With a sigh, Yuki slipped out from behind the furniture and into his arms.

~

"Good kitty." Hizashi said, rushing back out to the car.

~

Shoto woke to a familiar appendage pawing at his thigh. He opened his eyes to regard Yuki, who returning his gaze with warm large eyes.

"Yuki." He grinned. The pang from Touya's disappearance was not forgotten, but rather muted as the cat bounded into his arms. Her soft fur and deep purrs spread warmth throughout his body, and he smiled up at his guardians.

Aizawa smiled back, before shooting a glare at his spouse, who had just let an ear-splitting grin cross his face. The underground pro knew that cat was helping Shoto, but he could not believe how irresponsible Hizashi was to break hospital regulations like that.

"Hizashi, I think we need to talk." A dark look crossed his face.

"Shoto help!" Hizashi squeaked as Aizawa continued staring down the blonde. Real, genuine laughter filled the room, filling the older males' hearts with a bubbling delight. Shoto smothered his chuckles as quickly as they'd started, but it was progress. Progress that the adults had stored away in their minds for the forseeable future.

"You cannot just bring a cat into a hospital, that's-" Aizawa continued. Shoto relaxed against his cushions, hand buried in Yuki's feathery fur as he let the couple's gentle arguing fade out. This was nice he thought. Worry still clawed at his mind, pain still lurked in his limbs, sorrow clutched his heart, but he thought he might be okay.