Gold, Raven, & Lavender: An Erasermic Family Fanfic

Chapter 9: Little Listener

The pitter-patter of the rain against the windows mingled with the soft music coming from the radio. Shouta looked up from his book and frowned as he watched the drops run into rivulets against the window. January showers could be particularly miserable in Japan, cold enough to make even the toughest hero shiver and sniffle. He briefly wondered if Hizashi was still patrolling or he'd already headed off to the station to get ready for his show. Since Nemuri's unexpected visit on Christmas Day, they two heroes had formulated a plan to gradually get back into the swing of hero work. They'd agreed to shorter, spaced out patrols, taking them in shifts so at least one person could stay home with the baby.

Tonight was Hizashi's first night back in the field since August and Shouta was eager to support his husband. So he'd dragged an old radio out of their bedroom and set it up on the coffee table, tuning it into Mic's station so he wouldn't miss a moment. A noise by the kitchen doorway made him look down in time to find Hitoshi crawling at a breakneck speed towards a bowl of cat food on the floor.

In the weeks following Hitoshi's newfound mobility, he had become a crawling terror, determined to explore every area of the house. Several times a day the two heroes found themselves pulling Hitoshi away from his newest escapade in an effort to spare his young life. Unfortunately their efforts were often met with tears and tantrums, with Hitoshi both frustrated by his loss and teething on top of it.
Shouta had torn through the house like a baby-proofing tornado, barring, blocking, and locking off any area or appliance that posed a mild threat. And despite the inconvenience, it was pretty amusing to watch Hizashi be outsmarted by childproof locks or trip over the occasional baby gate. Shouta had also taken to wearing his capture weapon almost 24/7, utilizing it as a baby-wrangling lasso.

With a sigh, Shouta deployed his scarf and snagged Hitoshi around the ankles. He began gently dragging him away from the bowl and towards the couch.

"You won't eat a single thing I cook for you." He berated quietly, "But cat food..."

A chirping meow sounded from the top of the bookcase. Aizawa looked up and into Mizuki's single golden eye as she watched from her perch. The grey feline had seemed wary of the baby ever since her arrival. She'd warmed up to Hizashi and Shouta almost instantly and was constantly rubbing up against the men's legs and mewling for pets and attention. But with Hitoshi the most she'd done so far was sniff at him before running for cover.

"Don't worry old girl. Your food's safe for now. You won't be starving anytime soon." Shouta said as he reeled the baby in like a mackerel. He patted his lap in an attempt to entice Mizuki into coming down. But she ignored him, continuing to watch from her perch while her tail flicked back and forth. Shouta shrugged and bent down to pick up Hitoshi, untangling him from the scarf and bringing him up onto the couch. Hitoshi gurgled and clapped his hands as Shouta turned the baby around to face him, supporting him under his arms while he "stood" on Shouta's thighs.

"How many times have we told you to stay away from kitty's food?" He asked, a stern expression on his face. Hitoshi just gave an annoyed whine and stuck one hand in his mouth, chewing on it and glaring back at Shouta.

"I'm serious, kid. You can't eat cat food. It's bad for you. Understand?"

Still gumming on his fist, Hitoshi squealed and stomped his feet, which Shouta took as a sign of confirmation. He flipped Hitoshi around to sit him on his knee, using his scarf to pluck Cat Stevens from the playpen and a blue teething ring off the floor. Shouta expertly maneuvered the fabric to simultaneously dangle the plush in front of Shinsou and deposit the ring in his outstretched hand, turning it over in his palm. Ideally the ring would be cold, chilled in the fridge, and soothing for teething gums. But it was now covered in drool and lukewarm at best.