Need You (ShinDeku)

Ch. 105 - Insulation

A/N: what kind of front door mat do you think the two husbands would have outside their home?
Have fun reading!

Midoriya POV

We arrive in another parking garage faster than I was prepared for, this time under a large apartment building. We take a small elevator up to floor 11, about 3/4 of the way up, and walk all the way to the door at the end of the hall. It's labeled 11F, and I stare down at the worn old welcome mat that reads 'bonjour' in big loopy swirls. Tacky would have been the word to come to mind if I wasn't too busy being filled with... anticipation? Unease? I'm not really sure. Maybe it's just regular nerves. It's a bit harder to identify after a long period of time where crushing fear was the dominating nervous feeling, rather than whatever this mild discomfort is.

Shota steps forward to unlock the door without ceremony and Hizashi ushers me in with hopeful eyes. Immediately past the entrance is a small living room and kitchen separated by a peninsula table with two barstools. Shota turns the lights on.

I can only describe it as cozy, even with the slightly haphazard mix of cool and warm tones. A low, cushy dark grey loveseat with two mismatched pillows and a throw in varying shades of blue faces a TV, which is framed by bookcases. An oversized navy colored armchair sits to the side under a window, and next to it is a cat tree and a small basket of cat toys. The coffee table has a storage cubby under it filled with old magazines and vinyls. My gaze floats back to the shelves by the TV and I notice one houses a record player with a speaker hooked up to it.

A few awards were displayed on a small side table next to the love seat, and the intricate Persian-style rug combined with the various art pieces that lined the walls gave the room more color. It felt nearly but not quite cluttered, and surprisingly full of life and character despite not being visited for months. You could tell that two people built a life here over the years, and that it was a home, not just an apartment. I couldn't decide whether I felt more welcomed or like an intruder in such an obviously cared for space.

"Welcome home," Hizashi said, and I missed the wobble in his voice. "I- ahem, I hope it's comfortable enough for you. Shall I show you your room and give you a tour?"

I take some time to find my voice. "If you don't mind, thank you."

I follow my teachers' leads, removing my shoes in the genkan and stepping up into the living room. Shota hands my bag to Hizashi and I go to tell them it's fine, I can take it, but the words die in my throat. Instead I continue my tentative search around with my eyes.

From here I can see the kitchen has lots of stainless steel and dark wood, and there's not much out but they have a rice cooker, a toaster, a kettle, and a coffee machine tucked away on their counter. There's a framed photograph by the windowsill in the kitchen, and the fridge is covered in more photographs and flyers held up by mis-matched magnets. Somehow I thought it would be more traditional, but this place fits them.

"So, uh, it's not as big as your old home, but I think it's big enough. For the three of us, I mean. This is the kitchen and living area. Feel free to use any of it whenever. We have a few streaming services and we can set you up with an account on them so you can watch your stuff on the TV." I think he was feeling nervous, maybe as much as myself.

"Thank you, a-and your home is lovely. Even so, I'm just grateful you and your husband took me in." I revert to trying to be polite, unsure what else to do. I'm starting to feel emotional.

His face crumples a little. "If anything, this isn't enough. I wish we could do more for you."

"You've done more than I could ask for already." I can only hope he knows how much this all means to me. Perhaps, how much the two of them mean to me.

I'm not sure he noticed, but despite its very slightly smaller size than my mom's home, it's a significantly nicer place. The appliances were new, the floors were even, (they didn't even squeak!) and the building was a bit nicer. It didn't seem like the type of place that would have hairline cracks on the walls, cheap interior doors, or bad insulation, and given that it was a corner apartment, it had so much natural light. I wasn't an expert on interior designs or homes, but this place was nice. It wasn't like it was particularly small, either. It seemed like the perfect size for three people.

"I'll show you your room."

He led me to the short hall, and gestured to the door on the left. "This is yours. The doors across from you-" he opened both of them, "are for the bathroom and toilet room. Feel free to leave whatever soaps and things you need in them." I nodded, politely peeking in. Again, everything was new, high tech and modern. The wet room even had a combo washer-dryer. They said it wasn't much, but I would nearly call this a luxury home.

"This door on the end," he continued, just as Shota walked out of said door, "is our room. You're welcome in any time you want. Nowhere in the apartment is off limits."

The black haired man slid past us in the hall, heading back to the entrance with a smaller set of keys in hand. "Going to the mail room to pick up some stuff," He threw over his shoulder, and he was out the door.

Hizashi threw a tight smile back at me. "Let's get you settled in your room."

When I didn't move, he reached past me to open the door to the room that was now mine, then gestured for me to go in first.

I took a step forwards and my words got caught in my throat as I took in the space.

"It's- well, it's not big but it's all yours. I promise we'll do some decorating soon, we wanted to let you pick things out yourself."

My eyes scanned the area, about half the size of the dorms. There was one window across from the door, with a set of blackout curtains pulled open. The walls were eggshell white, except for one along the left side of the room. What originally looked like scuff marks on a black wall upon closer inspection was actually remains of chalk that had been hastily scrubbed off. The whole wall was a chalkboard. The opposite wall had a door that no doubt led to a closet. It was otherwise entirely empty.

I stepped into it, walking stick tapping dully on the floor and emotions welling up in my chest.

"Shota is probably bringing up your bed right now- this space used to be an office, and we only had time to have it cleared out before you arrived. Don't worry, you'll have a place to sleep tonight. Oh and about the wall, we didn't have time to paint it over. We'll try to get it done in the next week or so."

"Wait- can I keep it?"

"Uh, yeah. If you like it. We still have the chalk, I'll give it to you later." He seemed surprised. "It's... not too bad, I hope?"

Was it strange to say this unfamiliar, barren place already felt like home?

"It's perfect, thank you Hizashi."

"You're not just saying that, right? If you really didn't like it we could figure something else out, if it's not enough space-"

"No, it's great. I promise."

He gave me a long look, but I was too busy imagining this as my space. My very own, private room, in a home that was now mine. It might take a while, but I think I could really do this. I think I can be happy in a place like this, living with those two. At least, that's what I'm going to choose to believe for now.

"Really?"

"Really." I confirmed, setting down my stationary bag in a corner. Hizashi gently set my backpack next to it.

He seemed to let out a controlled exhale. "Well then, I'm glad. Welcome home, Izuku."

1423 words.