Keep Hope Alive

Chapter 8- Overstimulation

The morning is about a thousand times worse than they could've imagined. Izuku crawled into their bed as per usual at around 6 am only to find that there was no Eraserhead there to sing the ABCs or Present Mic there to throw a warm comforting arm over him and he's been screaming bloody murder ever since.

It's now 7 am, both parents have a massive headache and they're not even close to getting out of the house.

"You would think he has your genes with the way he's screaming," Shouta mumbles as he shoves another bottle into Izuku's bag along with some diapers.

"Oh, haha. Very funny." Hizashi deadpanned, as he tried to get Izuku dressed. He's screaming and kicking his legs and Hizashi can't get him to stop long enough to slip some pants over his legs.

"God, Shouta. I don't know what to do. I tried singing the ABCs, raspberries, and nothing." He groans as he throws the pants back on the bed.

"Uh... Fuck. There should be a pacifier around here somewhere."

"The social worker said it's only for emergencies."

"And this isn't an emergency?" Shouta groans as he digs through the drawers. It's a half hour drive to the school, class starts at 8 am and it's already 7:25.

It's an emergency.

He finds the unopened pacifier in one of the drawers, washes it quickly and hands it to his husband who immediately pops it into Izuku's mouth.

And then they can hear themselves think again.

"Oh my god."

"Quick, before he rejects it."

They rush to finish getting dressed, packing Izuku's bag, and get him out of the house, a warm bottle of milk in one hand and car keys in another and they accept that this will be their new normal.

Izuku is strapped in, and they're about to pull out of the driveway when Hizashi yells for Shouta to "stop!" and he's rushing out of the barely stopped car.

And what could be so important is beyond Shouta, until he sees his husband jump back in the car with Izuku's plush bear in his hands.

"Lucky I remembered, huh?" Hizashi proudly states as he swings the little bear around. Shouta rolls his eyes, but is extremely grateful or else they'd be in for another massive tantrum.

"You have no idea."

And if Aizawa rolled into class twenty minutes late with spit up on his shirt, no one commented on it.

—

While Shouta teaches, Hizashi sits in the empty faculty lounge with his toddler asleep in his lap, the distant hum of the refrigerator serves as his only company. Until Nemuri walks in.

"Morning Hizashi." She nods at him absentmindedly on her dazed walk to the coffee machine, and then after a few seconds, a loud gasp fills the room.

"Hold on! Who is that?" She points to little Izuku with stars in her eyes and Hizashi feels pride well up in his chest.

"My son."

She squeals, and Hizashi thinks if Shouta was here, she'd be getting shushed. But Hizashi is a little more lenient. Just slightly.

"Awww, he is a cutie! I'm so happy for you and Shouta." She comes closer to peer down at Izuku sleeping form, and twirls a bit of his green curls. "Fucks sake, I could just eat him up!"

And for no reason at all, Hizashi brings Izuku a little closer to him, his arms wrapping tighter around his boy. He has no reason to feel so... protective. It's just Nemuri, but here he is anyway.