Little Miss Aizawa | Dadzawa [BOOK 2]

Chapter 5 - An Ancient Unease

"Good afternoon." 

Hanta looked up from his phone, shoulders relaxing when he met the gentle gaze of his boyfriend. 

"Hey." He adjusted his bag strap and reached to interlock his fingers with Iida's, leading them both down the hall towards the main entrance.

Kaminari still wasn't talking to him. In fact, it seemed he had made it his mission to avoid Hanta for the entire day, leaving him to awkwardly eat with Neito and a couple of his friends. The brothers were on thin ice with one another after that morning. Neito and Midoriya had seen right through him, and as much as he hated to admit it, it was comforting knowing there were still people around him who cared.

"How was your day?" Iida asked, holding the door open for him. 

Hanta sighed. "Fine. Not great, but fine."

Iida frowned at him in concern. "What happened?"

"Kami is ignoring me." And I'm lying to everyone I love, including you.

"Why? Did you two fight?"

"Nah, it's just... a misunderstanding. I'll clear it up later." 

Hanta looked up. He could feel the watchful burning of someone's piercing eyes on the side of his head. Amongst the crowd making for the school gates, Hanta's eyes met Neito's. The blond was staring at him, carefully assessing his every move. Midoriya was chatting animatedly beside him, jotting something down in that notebook of his, completely oblivious to the intense stare-off across the yard. 

"Hanta?"

He pulled his gaze away, eyes wide as he looked towards Iida.

"Are you alright?"

Hanta only hesitated for a moment before he nodded. "Of course. Come on, we'd better go, Pa is expecting me home for dinner."

"How is he?" Iida asked as they caught the tail end of the mob. "Yamada sensei, I mean."

Hanta shrugged. "He's alright. Tired from work, but holding up okay." 

Iida nodded in understanding. "He's picked up more hours on his radio station, has he not?"

Hanta smiled wearily. "Yeah, at the weekends when he's off duty." Hanta had loved Mic's radio station ever since he was a kid, even before he wound up living with them. It felt like a fever dream when he had met the man himself for the first time. He went from the arms of his birth family into the embrace of a living legend. "I think working here is getting him down a bit, but we need the money. Supporting four people on one person's wage can be a stretch, even for a Pro."

Iida hummed, tucking his free hand into the pocket of his coat. "Yes, I suppose it must be." He paused for a moment, then tugged on Hanta's hand. "Well, if any of you need support at any point, my family would be more than happy to help out."

The hair on the back of Hanta's neck bristled, something heavy settling in the pit of his stomach. "I'm sure we'll manage, but thanks." He said, shorter than intended if Iida's subtle eyebrow raise was anything to go by. 

They stopped when they exited the gate. From this point, their homes were in opposite directions; Iida living in the high-end flats of the city while Hanta in the suburbs. 

Hanta extracted his hand from Iida's and folded them behind his back. "I guess I'll call you later?"

Iida frowned at him but nodded all the same. "Have a good evening, Hanta."

Hanta tried to smile, he really did, but the twisting feeling in his gut resonated through his bones. Something wasn't right. He tried to pinpoint it, narrow it down at the very least, but the unsettled atmosphere stirred something deep inside him, like a primal instinct being awakened after centuries of slumber.