Lightning Serenade

Chapter 40: Placement Change

Hitoshi thought he was more mature and level-headed now. Maybe he was, but the terrible feelings that surrounded him when he was forced to wear that damn muzzle again showed him that he hadn't changed as much as he hoped he would.

Did it help that it was the muzzle that Momo had made for him specifically? The one that Bakugou had returned in mint condition after the school demonstration with a grunted 'thanks' before stomping away? Yeah, it helped. The panic was no longer clawing at him, darkening the outer edges of his vision, but the humiliation was still there in full force.

It was different wearing it of his own will when demonstrating and protesting. It was another thing entirely for it to be forced upon him unwillingly with no say on his end. Context and choice made all the difference.

Putting his forehead against the cool glass of the car's window, Hitoshi closed his eyes and took some deep breaths, trying to regulate his own inner emotional turmoil and get himself readjusted to his new reality. For all he knew, he was going to be expected to wear this thing almost constantly when he was placed with his pre-adoptive family.

Still, his heart fluttered at the thought that someone wanted to adopt him. Not only that, but also the Hamabis were wanting to adopt him as well. He tried to not allow himself to get his hopes up, but it was hard.

He had learned from a young age to expect the worst and treasure every little circumstance that wasn't as bad as it could have been. After being with people as kind and considerate as the Hamabis, his old mantras and self-trainings had gone out the window. He stupidly believed he might not need his old mantras anymore after feeling more and more secure in his placement with the Hamabis as the months went on without them requesting his removal.

Don't speak unless spoken to, and don't ask questions. Don't look anyone in the eye. Don't bring any unnecessary attention to yourself. Fuck, there were more. What were they?

Then the Hamabis fought for him to be able to attend UA, even when his foster care caseworker was against it. They went to bat for him, and they won.

As far as Hitoshi knew, up until that point, his foster care caseworker's words were as good as law. For the Hamabis to not only go against him, but win, was unimaginable to Hitoshi and he hardly believed it when they broke the news to him that he would be allowed to attend. He had already been resigned to the fact that all of his hard work to actually get accepted into UA was going to go down the drain. He had learned long ago that life wasn't fair, and no one cared when you pointed out things that could help make it fairer.

Don't speak unless spoken to, and don't ask questions. Don't look anyone in the eye. Don't bring any unnecessary attention to yourself. Stay out of sight and out of mind: You shouldn't be seen or heard.

To Hitoshi, the Hamabis were heroes in their own right, just by what they had done to show him that he was truly and genuinely cared for. He had been especially surprised because the Hamabis had never shown an interest in heroics until Hitoshi had voiced his desire to apply to UA. Suddenly, heroic literature was scattered around the house and the news stations that played in the background were changed to the hero-heavy reporting networks. What used to be discussions about grades and friends and his school day over dinner turned into discussions and debates about current hero policies and politics and the old and newly discovered dangers of becoming a hero, including both physical and emotional dangers. The Hamabis went from asking about Hitoshi's homework to asking about his training regimen. They went from kid-friendly movie night to hero documentary movie night.

Hitoshi had never felt so welcomed and wanted. Hitoshi had never had someone so interested in him as a person, and not in the way of how they could mold him into the person they wanted him to be instead of helping him grow into the person he himself strived to become.