In His Element(s) || avatar / bnha

All Aboard the Train (of Thought)

It was the occurrence of Ashes jumping off of his lap rather than any auditory cues that let Hizashi know that Shouta was home. Ms. Tubby, being the dignified cat she was, didn't deign to go scampering off to the entryway like the kitten. Instead, her ears simply flicked to attention from where she lay curled up at the end of the bed. Hizashi pulled his headphones off and paused his playlist.

Murmured voices echoed out softly in the kitchen. Both Shouta and the kid must have come back to the apartment tonight. Shouta said something in a low voice, muffled by the door in between them. Aang's lighter tones responded for a moment, before they petered off and soft footsteps told him that the teen had walked further away. Probably heading to the futon Hizashi had pulled out of the closet for him on his first night here. It was still situated out by the couch, and had become Marmalade's third favorite napping spot.

Different footsteps that he easily identified as Shouta's padded up to the door of the bedroom and opened it, the owner of said footsteps still clad in his hero gear. He looked half-dead on his feet, but really, when didn't he. Ashes trailed behind him, demanding attention.

"No dorm watching for you tonight?" he asked, briefly shifting his attention away from the transcription he was writing up for his next show. Shouta hummed a gruff note in the back of his throat that was probably supposed to be a noise of affirmation.

"Kan's turn. The apartment was closer."

The tangle of black and white that was his husband flopped face down on the bed without bothering to even take off his scarf. Hizashi chuckled softly at the action and reached over to knead his fingers along his scalp, noting the grime coating the dark hair.

"You smell like smoke," he informed Shouta, who hadn't moved and only made a tired grumbly sound at the touch. "And you have ash in your hair. Go take a shower."

Shouta grumbled something that was muffled into the sheets but complied, pushing himself up once more to head in the vague direction of their bathroom. After a minute or so, the sound of the shower could be heard.

It wasn't too long until he was back, clean and wrestling his damp hair back into something more manageable than simply hanging into his face. He'd changed into sweats and a dark shirt and immediately crashed himself onto the bed again, much to the displeasure of the two cats who had just settled back in.

"Long patrol?" Hizashi asked, glancing up from his laptop once more. Shouta sighed and pushed himself up so he could sit next to him at the headboard as opposed to sprawling out all over the covers like a dead starfish.

"You could say that." His husband's voice was scratchier than usual. Given how much he'd smelled like smoke when he'd come in, it made sense that he must have inhaled some as well. "We ran into Boil in Hosu."

Hizashi looked up sharply, attention caught.

"Iwayama? Are you both alright?"

Shouta gently bumped shoulders with him to stave off his concern.

"No injuries," he said quietly. "Aang didn't even get a scratch."

"That's not what I asked, Shou."

Shouta sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Hizashi caught his gaze when he lifted his head again, serious and intent.

"It was a bit rough," he admitted, which in Shouta-speak meant it was absolutely terrible. "Boil brought up Tsutsumi."

"Oh, Shou ." Hizashi reached over and intertwined his fingers with his husband's. Shouta just closed his eyes, looking exhausted. Hizashi squeezed his hand, trying to convey some comfort that couldn't be said out loud.