Serendipity

divulgence

"I think he's the most insane out of all the kids in that class of yours, dad."

Aizawa shrugs, not looking up from his laptop. "His pain tolerance is too high for a fifteen-year-old."

Hitoshi scoffs, "Yeah, no kidding." He stirs the powdered seasoning into his bowl. "Rin said he can't stop thinking about it."

"Me neither," Aizawa acknowledges, hardly, though. Hitoshi sighs and sits at the counter, stirring his ramen unnecessarily. Aizawa's been on his laptop a lot more since he got Todoroki. He's been more stressed, too.

Nobody really knows what happened to Todoroki. At school, they just call him weird. Until a few days ago, on Monday's joint training, when he kicked Shoda's ass and then Rin's too. Now they call him weird with fear in their voices.

He's been on the news a lot, but it seems like the adults don't know anything, either. And it's not in the 'don't know' type of ignorance. Someone's working hard to keep this a secret and Hitoshi thinks Aizawa is at least one of those someones.

"What's he doing up there?"

Aizawa sips his coffee, "Homework."

"How come you have him doing so much all the time? Doesn't he get breaks?"

Aizawa shuts his laptop with a sigh. "Hitoshi, I know these questions derive from pure curiosity and an ignorance of what's going on, but stop annoying me."

"Fine, that's my last question," he bargains, slurping his noodles loudly. "Spill it."

Aizawa stands and takes a glass from his cabinet, filling it with water from the dispenser on the fridge. "Todoroki has a lot of trouble remembering things if he can't assign dates and time stamps to them. That's why we have the schedule. There aren't many breaks in the schedule because Todoroki isn't used to getting breaks," there are too many implications behind that comment, "and we can't just change everything about his life in one day. He needs familiarity and not having breaks is the most harmless thing he finds familiar." He takes a sip of water, breathing deeply. "There, happy? No more questions."

Hitoshi rolls his eyes, "Yea, sure. So when do you change that schedule and treat him like he's normal?"

Aizawa whips his head around to him, nearly spitting water from his mouth. He coughs, swallowing the water down so he won't choke. Hitoshi hides his laugh for the sake of getting his answer.

"He... he is normal! This is just as... this is as normal as he can take being, right now," Aizawa sputters, wiping his lips with his sleeve. "Don't you have homework to be doing? Hizashi is assigning an English quiz next week," he smirks. "Hope you know your adjectives."

"'Cruel', that's it," Hitoshi stands over the sink, not looking at Aizawa as he washes his dish in the sink. "I've been searching for a word to describe you and I finally found it."

"Go do homework," Aizawa sighs, shaking his head. "Keep an ear out for Todoroki, while I check the mail."

Hitoshi's eyes widen a fraction, "Oh... sure."

Aizawa pockets his keys, glaring, "No funny ideas. Just listen for if he screams or something. I'll be quick."

"Yea, just leave it to me, dad," Hitoshi salutes him, Aizawa shakes his head and laughs. He shuts the door.

Hitoshi stands there for a minute too long, just staring at the place he'd been. Once he snaps out of his daze, he stuffs his hands in his pockets and makes his way to the couch. Aizawa is right, he's got homework to do. Not much, since he hangs out with Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki when she's tutoring him. Just some math and hero course stuff. He decides he'll do math later, when his phone is charged more and Aizawa is home to help him.