🖤💙𝕊𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕠𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕞𝕪 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕕💙🖤

Payphone

POV AIZAWA

"Dad, what the hell?!" Hitoshi blurts at me as I enter the kitchen. I don't remember a time when he had this much energy in the morning. I don't respond and instead shuffle toward the coffee machine in my black cat slippers.

Hitoshi glares at me. After a few silent moments, I get annoyed and glare back. "Too early for a temper tantrum," I grumble, hoping he gets the hint to leave me alone.

Hitoshi scoffs. "Maybe if you didn't stay up screwing the leader of the league—"

"Shhhhh, shush, shush, shut up, shut up, shut up." I wave my hand in his face dismissively, trying to hide the blush creeping onto my face. "You weren't supposed to know about that."

"Well, after you decided to get hammered and give me a speech about being a man, and how just because I paint my nails doesn't make me any less of one, I kinda had trouble falling asleep. My bad."

I pinch the bridge of my nose, once again hiding my embarrassment with annoyance. "It's been a rough few months, Hitoshi," is all I can manage to say.

Hitoshi sighs, taking the fresh pot of coffee I just made and pouring himself a mug. "All Might picked Eri up a few minutes ago. He told me to wake you up, I told him you're in the shower. You'll need one after sharing a bed with that crusty motherf—"

"Remember that heart-to-heart conversation we had after I visited the LOV for the first time? Remember how you listened to me when I said villains aren't bad people at heart, just products of their negative environment of abuse and neglect?"

Hitoshi purses his lips, sipping on his steaming coffee, cooled by just a bit of milk. Usually I'd have the same, but today I add caramel cream and sugar because I have a feeling Tomura has a sweet tooth. Hitoshi just gives me a sideways glance, which is easy to ignore.

Despite the fact that he's my (adopted) son, recently the kid has been acting more as a roommate. He and I split cooking, cleaning, and Eri-duty evenly, which never would've happened if Hizashi was still around. He was a firm believer in the "kids should be kids" idea. I am, too, but after I lost Hizashi... The grief has been eating me alive. I need a little help around here.

Still, I try my best to stop Hitoshi from taking too much responsibility. He's a kid. I'm a grown ass man.

"I'm going out with Kaminari and a few others after I drink this," Hitoshi tells me. "I'll be back before dinner."

I raise an eyebrow. "Is it a date?"

Hitoshi blushes. "He's brining his friends, so I guess not."

I hum, mixing in some more sugar to the coffee. "Be safe. Don't get arrested. I'll be here at home."

"Is he staying here? With you?" Hitoshi asks, stopping me from heading back down the hallway.

I sigh, not because I'm annoyed (okay, well, maybe a little) but because I'm really, truly exhausted. I don't know how to explain it to the boy without it being too vague, too specific, or too sugarcoated. "He's in a bit of trouble right now," I answer. "A... vulnerable place."

"So are you," Hitoshi replies, eyebrows furrowed.

"I guess we both need the company."

Hitoshi shakes his head. "I don't know. I don't think it's worth the risk. I'm not saying you should turn him in but... You can't save everyone, dad."

I just nod, not really having the energy to dive into a moral crisis. Instead, I just take the extra sweet coffee (and a pop tart) down to the man laying peacefully in my bed.