Chapter Text
Aizawa unzipped himself from his sleeping bag cocoon, watching as his students slowly filed out into the hallway, chatting among themselves.
He would have to be a decidedly ignorant teacher to not read the shift in mood for most of his students, however. Mina's smile was too tight at times, Denki's nervous habit of chewing on the end of charging cables had returned, and the atmosphere of his classroom had been... off, for the past few school days.
He turned to see Bakugou Katsuki standing from his desk, pointedly lagging behind his classmates.
Aizawa knew he was about to figure out the reason why this shift has happened.
"Sit up here." He directed the young blonde, pulling a chair closer to his desk, before getting up to shut the classroom door to give the two privacy.
Aizawa intentionally took his time with this action, giving Bakugou time to settle himself. Internally, he mused over the reasons Bakugou would directly call on him for help. It would shock nobody to know the fiery student had trouble swallowing his pride, which extended to asking for help or advice. Aizawa would indulge in feeling proud for this step forward in Bakugou's life, if it was not for the oppressive air hanging around Bakugou.
The usually hotheaded and aggressive boy had only been more confrontational as last week slowly crept by, unusually lost in thought during class. This left Aizawa feeling uneasy to the upcoming conversation he was about to engage him.
As he walked back over to his desk, where Bakugou had sat himself besides, he mulled over the possible problems he could be facing. Bullying, perhaps? Although this seemed impossible, that 1-B student had no qualms provoking Bakugou. Familial problems? Another likely suspect.
Aizawa finally turned his full attention to his student in need, wiping away his previous suspicions, clearing his bias. No matter the cause, he will help his student.
The two sat in silence for half a second more, Aizawa opening his mouth to prompt Bakugou, before being cut off by the ash blonde blurting out; "I fucked up, sensei."
Aizawa blinked. "Language." He half-heartedly scolded, no malice present in his voice. "Now, from the beginning." He started, Bakugou's red eyes meeting his.
Bakugou shifted, frowning slightly. "Do you remember Shinsou Hitoshi, from the General Studies class?" He asked. Aizawa nodded, hand scratching his scruffy five o' clock shadow.
"Yes, the one with the brainwash quirk?" Bakugou confirmed with a nod. Aizawa left out how he was going to soon approach Shinsou to offer additional training to have his dream of being in 1-A turned into reality, wanting to see how Bakugou views the other student first.
Bakugou sighed, hand coming up to his forehead. "I fucked up so badly, sensei."
Aizawa decided to not comment on his language this time.
Bakugou slowly explained the dare his friends gave him, and how he went along with it, bumping into Shinsou. "I didn't even want anything to do with their stupid dare." Bakugou huffed.
"But you still went through with it." Aizawa sighed. "That was a stupid decision, Bakugou."
Bakugou blinked. "Yeah, but they still dared me too-"
"I am not excusing their actions. Your friends should have never had the idea to prank someone like that. And you should have never gone through with it, even if pressured." Aizawa stared down at Bakugou. "I thought my students knew better than this."
Bakugou turned from the other, face pinched in frustration. He knew. He knew this whole situation should have never happened. He and his friends were complete assholes, and for no reason.
Aizawa waved his hand. "This is your guilt to bear, alongside your friends. I don't blame Shinsou if he never trusts this group again." He continues.
Bakugou's eyebrow twitches, his clenching fists digging into his thighs. "I know... I know he doesn't trust me. But still, that doesn't hide the fact that..."
Aizawa raises an eyebrow at this, asking; "What?"
"Shinsou needs help, sensei."
Shinsou was so young then. The memories of approaching the casket, memorials of a woman with long violet hair blurred as time continued on. One memory he could remember crystal clear, tiny hands clutching onto a bouquet, staring up at his fathers eyes. He looked down at his own child so differently, the heavy stare weighing on Shinsou, even if he was too young to understand what exactly the look meant.
He had to be around five, maybe six, when his quirk manifested. The incident occurred when he turned to his teacher to ask a simple question, only for her to freeze and her eyes to glaze over upon answering. His classmates gathered around, confused and anxious as his teacher stayed eerily quiet. "Shinsou! What did you do?" A young girl demanded, her bat wings flapping in anger.
"I-I don't know!" He squeaked out. "Do we need to get help?" The young girl huffed.
"Well, obviously.." Her voice trailed off, gaze set on nothing.
"Ichika!" Another classmate yelled in alarm. "Shinsou, stop it!"
"What did I do?" Shinsou asked desperately as tears pricked his eyes. The boy stopped in the same way the other two had. His classmates were panicking now, shaking the teacher and his classmates.
"It's Shinsou's quirk!" Another girl wailed. "H-He's killing us!" Another round of shrieking started as Shinsou's breath quickened.
"No, I'm, I'm not doing anything!" There was a heavy lump in Shinsou's throat as he watched his peers all hurry away from him, sobbing in fear. He broke into a fit of hysterics, terrified of what he's done to his classmates and teacher, panicking on the classroom floor as the other students fled. It took another five minutes for more teachers to arrive, and another teacher ended up in the same lifeless state before they could get Shinsou to calm down.
On that day, as his father took him to see the specialized quirk doctor, and his quirk was named "brainwash," did Shinsou realize he was cursed.
He remembers being around ten, standing outside of a shop window, staring in at the TV broadcast in wonder. News flashes and reports on an underground hero who saved the city from a hellish act of terrorism was playing on every screen available, the reporters praising the unknown hero and displaying blurry photos of the man in question, alongside the villain's mugshots.
Shinsou felt a hard tug on his arm, turning to find his father glaring down at him. "Don't wander off." His dad demands. Shinsou frowns at this.
"Your quirk can find me anyways." He huffs, whining lowly in pain as his dad roughly pulls him by his arm.
"Don't be a god damn brat." His father growls as they continued home.
Shinsou was thirteen when he first used his quirk on his dad intentionally. They were in another screaming match, Shinsou can't even remember what it was about now. "THAT'S THE LAST FUCKING TIME YOU'LL DISRESPECT ME, HITOSHI!" Shinsou covered his ears, glaring at his dad.
"WHY DOES IT MATTER?!" He retaliated.
"BECAUSE I AM-" His dad went slack, the finger he had pointed at Shinsou falling slowly back to his side. As Shinsou glared at his father, breathing heavily, the reality of what he had just done dawned on him.
"Oh, oh shit-" He whispered, relinquishing control of his dad's mind quickly, running closer to him. His father stared down at him disbelievingly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't even-" He was cut off as he felt his father slam his fist into the side of his upper forehead. Shinsou yelled in alarm, hitting the floor hard. He shakily attempted to get back up, only to retch as a heavy boot connected with his stomach. He collapsed back onto the floor as his father continued to beat down on him, only stopping once Shinsou coughs blood onto his boots. His dad grimaced, kicking his son away from him.
"Never. Use your. Fucking quirk on me. Again." His dad is heaving with every breath, eyes wild with fury. Shinsou nodded, his one hand cradling his stomach, his other over one of his blackened eyes.
Shinsou watches him grab a beer from the fridge and then sit on the couch.
The next day, his father came home with a muzzle. The day after that, Shinsou returned home from school to find his room's door was missing from the door frame.
Shinsou had just turned 14. He shakily slid the papers to apply to UA to his father. His dad glances down at it, before barking out a laugh. "Hero school?" He says mockingly, taking another swig of alcohol. Shinsou nods.
'please.' He signs desperately. 'i will do anything.'
His father appeared lost in thought for another minute. "alright." He finally says. "But if, and this is a big if, you get in, it's gonna be fucking expensive." He gestured their small apartment. "You're gonna start helpin' me with this shit. Start providing."
Shinsou nodded. "Grocery day" started the next day.
His dad glanced at his acceptance papers, scoffing. "General Studies? Who'd you use your fucking quirk on to do that?" Shinsou said nothing, clipping on his muzzle.
Presently, Shinsou was staring out the car window, watching his dad in the reflection.
"You're a real dumbass." His dad states matter-of-factly. "You know I would've found you eventually."
Shinsou grimaces. He knew, but he expected his dad to be passed out for the remaining night and early day, and had planned to sneak back in early morning. He just needed to get away, even if just for a night.
He toyed with the idea of running away, but with his dad's quirk, that was impossible. His quirk was coordinate. If he knew the exact full name and image of a person, he could envision their current location and coordinates.
He tugged at his violet hair. Escape was impossible.
"Stop." His father growled. "Fuckin' annoying."
'Where?' He signed once he got his father attention, who just scoffed.
"Don't worry about it." Shinsou swallowed nervously.
Bakugou watched Aizawa study the photos Bakugou provided with his phone, his face not betraying any emotions he may be feeling, and leaving Bakugou more and more uneasy with each passing second.
"These were all taken without consent, I presume?" He asked. Bakugou nodded numbly.
"Is that a problem?"
Aizawa sighed. "For now, yes. Until Shinsou confirms who exactly bruised him in such ways, it is useless as evidence. I'm going to warn you now that it could even incriminate you." He hands Bakugou back his phone. "But if we can get Shinsou to seek help, then there is potential it could help."
Bakugou nodded again.
"I understand you want to help, Bakugou. But this is a sensitive situation. If we act recklessly..." He paused there, giving a meaningful stare to Bakugou, who tensed. "His father, who you believe is the perpetrator, may become unpredictable or violent. And without Shinsou's support, I don't know how we could corner them yet."
"Is.. there anything we can do, Aizawa sensei?" Bakugou asked worriedly. Aizawa nodded.
"Of course, I'll be bringing this up with our teachers board. I'll request a home check on Shinsou. We aren't going to allow this to continue, no matter the source." Aizawa said firmly.
"And what should I do?" Bakugou pressed further. Aizawa's lips drew into a tight line, silently studying his student. The angry blonde barked out a small, disbelieving laugh. "I'm not just going to stand there and-"
"Katsuki." Bakugou froze at this. "I understand you want to help Shinsou. However, this is a delicate situation. I do appreciate you bringing this to me, but.." He stood up from his desk. "There is nothing you can do right now. Beyond that," Aizawa briskly walked towards the door, turning only to give Bakugou one last stern stare that dissolved into a sympathetic one.
"I think you have done enough meddling in Shinsou's life for now." With that, Aizawa leaves, his final words being, "I'll see you in class tomorrow."
Bakugou slams his hand down on his teachers desk, gritting his teeth as he glares at the floor.
Fuck.
They stopped on the outskirt of the city, in a small neighborhood that was just at the border of their city. "Get out." His dad commanded.
Shinsou's eyes grew wide. 'What?!' He signed frantically.
"Since you want to get away so bad, get the fuck out and find your own fucking way home. I'm done doing shit for you. You're gonna get a taste of reality here. You can't survive without me." His dad turned to him, grinning.
"I remember that fucking stunt you pulled at the sports festival. Knew from the start you'd be too fucking pussy too fight back. You're trying to become a hero? Join the hero course?" His dad laughed harshly. "Aiming for the fucking stars, aren'tcha? With your quirk you're lucky enough to be in UA, don't be pushing your god damn luck, or someone in that hellhole might realize they released a fucking monster into their school and rightfully kick you out." Shinsou flinched away from the harsh comments.
"Your quirk can and will only cause harm. It's for your own benefit I stop you from using it, now you got these wild dreams of society actually accepting you? Once you trudge your way back home, you'll be hit with a fucking reality smack that nobody would ever trust you, much less with hero work, and that I am the only reason you're lucky enough to even still have a place to call home. Now get the fuck OUT!"
Shinsou scrambled to exit the car door, visibly shaking as he exited. "Oh, and one more thing.." His dad said as he rolled down the window. "Don't wander too far. My fucking quirk will make sure of that. If you do, expect the police to be after you, for being the disobedient little shit who brainwashed his own dad to drive him out here and then ran away. I'm sure UA would love to see a criminal record on you for quirk misconduct." Shinsou froze at his dad's threat, who simply rolled up his window and sped away, leaving Shinsou alone.
His knees hit the ground and he started sobbing.
Aizawa leaps from his perch on a building, the thoughts of earlier today clouding his brain as he continues his night patrol. The conversation he had with Bakugou left him with a range of emotions, all of these he could not focus on tonight.
The first thing he did after leaving was email his concerns to Principal Nezu, calling for a meeting soon to discuss their plan of attack.
The second thing he did was leave for patrol, leading him here. He used his capture tape to safely glide down to the ground, trying to clear his thoughts. It was dangerous to be distracted while on the job, he knew too well. He had to focus on being a hero right now.
Aizawa perked up as the quiet sound of crying reached his ears, quietly following that noise to an alley wall nearby. It was time to be a hero.
Expecting the worse case scenario, Aizawa was half relieved to only see a figure hunched over, trench coat pulled over their head.
"Are you in need of assistance?" Aizawa asked slowly, wary in case this person was a threat.
His eyes widen as the figure slowly looked up to meet his eyes.
"A-Ah... sensei..?" Came a quiet voice.
Aizawa nodded carefully. "Shinsou Hitoshi, correct? You go to UA high school?"
The young boy nodded, biting his lower lip anxiously. He had his arms crossed over his body, shaking.
"Come with me. I will not hurt you." Aizawa offered gently. "Do you need a place to stay?"
Shinsou hiccuped, confirming with another nod.
Suddenly, all the emotions Aizawa had been repressing came flooding back. Anger at whoever did this to the young boy, sympathy for Shinsou, fear, confusion... Aizawa pushed it all away once again and focused back on being a hero.
God knows the kid needed one.
"He's not letting me do anything!" Bakugou growled into his phone. "I don't know what to do!!" explosions popped off his hand as he paced his room.
"Bakugou, calm down!" Kirishima's voice came through his receiver.
"How am I supposed to calm down?!" Bakugou yelled. "We don't even know where he is!" He flopped back onto his bed, sighing loudly. As he pinched the bridge of his nose, he quietly continued; "He wasn't even a bad date. He was fucking easy to talk too, and shit? I.. I just don't know." He huffed. "Why's he gotta be so god damn confusing?!"
".... Uhm, to tell you the truth, Bakugou?" Kirishima says slowly. "It sounds like you like him."
Bakugou's eyes grow wide and he scoffs.
"And this isn't just like, a guilt thing, like how I feel, or how Mina or Kaminari feel, at least I don't think!" Kirishima quickly added.
"I probably just have more guilt. I was the asshole acting it out. Aizawa reminded me that much." Bakugou amended.
"But you didn't need to ask him out a second time. I have never seen you worry for care for a 'extra-'" Kirishima put emphasis on the word 'extra,' "Like this before! I don't think that was you trying to continue the prank, I think that you like spending time with him, I think you.." Bakugou shot up in his bed, realization hitting him.
"I think you like him, dude."Kirishima said quietly.
"Fuck!!"
Shinsou woke up to warm blankets and soft sunlight on his face.
He doesn't recognize the room he's in, again. Shinsou groans as he slowly lets himself remember the previous day, a hand coming up to rub at his temple.
"Ah, you're awake."
Shinsou watched cautiously as a teacher from UA slowly moved to approach the bed, stopping a few inches away and crouching so the two were at eye level with each other.
"Good morning. Do you know who I am?"
Shinsou squinted slightly, before nodding. "Aizawa-sensei, you teach hero courses at UA..." Shinsou says, before trailing off.
"Correct. Do you remember anything from last night?" Aizawa continued, voice steady and patient.
Shinsou's face flushed red. He did remember. He remembered sobbing and whimpering in front of a hero course teacher, someone he was meant to impress. He could practically hear his dad hiss "Pathetic" at him-
"I remember.." Shinsou mumbles.
"That's good." Aizawa gaze remained on Shinsou as he sat up on the bed, one hand still holding his forehead.
"I personally called us both in as absent today, so you won't have to worry about UA, Shinsou Hitoshi." Shinsou tensed at his name.
"You know who I am?"
Aizawa blinked. "Of course. You made a good first impression during the sports festival." Shinsou's face heated up further at the compliment.
"I still lost..." He murmured. Aizawa simply shrugged.
"You perceived it as a loss. What I saw was very different." On that note, Aizawa stood up, stretching. "I'm going to get us some food, feel free to look around." He said before leaving.
Shinsou waited for the door to close once again, before sighing.
He glanced around the room, finding nothing of interest. There was a large window with it's curtains drawn, sunlight peeking through the fabric, a simple rug on the floor, and a small desk and chair. His eyes finally traced the walls over to the last corner of the room, finding...
A large cat tower with two kittens resting on it. One pure white cat, lazily stretching out at the bottom, and one yellow cat, snuggled up on a higher platform.
Shinsou barely even noticed that he had crossed the room until he was crouching down near the white cat, hand shakily moving to brush against her fur. The kitten startled awake, meowing loudly in displeasure, before curling back against Shinsou's hand. Shinsou allowed himself a small smile.
He didn't notice Aizawa returning until Aizawa cleared his throat lightly.
Shinsou jumped, turning to face his teacher. He held two bowls in his hand, one being offered to Shinsou. "We can eat while we talk, alright?"
The two settled on the floor, as there was nothing resembling a table for them to gather around.
Shinsou picked through his meal, chopsticks inspecting the ingredients in the bowl. It was a soup with tofu and, Shinsou guessed, spinach inside.
"It's miso." Aizawa provided helpfully. "I forgot to ask if you have any allergies." Shinsou shook his head.
"No, this is fine." He answered, bringing the bowl to his lips and sipping. He frowned, moving the bowl away from his face and picking up a piece of tofu, shoving it in his mouth and chewing.
"... Aizawa-sensei, this is instant miso soup, isn't it?" Aizawa blanched as he was caught.
"Is it not good?"
Shinsou huffed out a laugh. "No, I just recognize it." He continued to eat his meal, Aizawa finishing before he did.
"I want you to know we've been looking for you, Shinsou." Aizawa began, crossing his legs and placing his hands in his lap. Shinsou's eyes narrowed, placing his now empty bowl on the floor next to him.
"Why?"
"It's come to UA's attention that you may be facing some home issues. We wanted to make sure you were okay."
Aizawa stared at Shinsou, speaking slowly. "And after last night, I have even more evidence to this claim."
Shinsou flinched at the mention of last night, one hand coming up to tug at his purple locks. "..." He remained silent for a few more minutes.
"Who thinks I'm facing 'home issues'?" Shinsou gritted out. Aizawa shook his head.
"I can't say-"
"If it's Bakugou, disregard everything he's said." Shinsou stated plainly, even as he scowled, and tugged harder at his hair. "Or anyone from his circle of friends."
Aizawa frowned. "Why?" He questioned.
Shinsou turned away from the scrutinizing glare of his teacher. "..."
Aizawa sighed. "Then I'll be blunt. Yes, Bakugou approached me with his concerns, and great regret over how he treated you." Shinsou's eyes widened even as Aizawa continued. "He was extremely worried over your well-being, demanding I take his suspicions seriously. He understands he has done nothing to earn back your trust, and that he cannot expect you to even forgive him, but he is concerned for you nonetheless."
Shinsou let his sensei's words wash over him, trying to digest the information given to him. Aizawa continued; "Bakugou is many things. But he has excellent hero senses. He recognized you were in potential danger, and I know he will not rest until he is sure you are safe." Aizawa cleared his throat. "What he did to you was wrong, and you do not need to forgive him. But-" Aizawa stopped suddenly as he saw Shinsou double over, hands clutching at his arms as he tried to make himself as small as possible.
Aizawa immediately approached Shinsou, whispering; "Breathe, with me now Hitoshi." as Shinsou's uneven gasps filled the empty room. The pro-heros' hands laid gently on Shinsou's shoulders, lifting him back to a sitting position. He slowly and rhythmically counted his breathes, until Shinsou began to follow his pattern, calming the raging storm within him. He blinked back tears as he watched his sensei.
"Wait here, for just a moment." Aizawa said softly. Shinsou nodded, swallowing dry spit. Aizawa left his field of vision for only a minute, before returning and placing something soft and warm in Shinsou's lap.
Shinsou immediately reached his shaking hand out to pet the white kitten, the kitten purring quietly.
"That's Mochi." Aizawa mumbled. "Her brother is Lucky." Shinsou nodded, falling deeper in relaxation as he brushed his hand over the small animal.
"I love cats." He mumbled.
Aizawa smiled. "I thought so."
Shinsou explained everything he could to Aizawa. His father, his mother, his home, grocery day, last night, the muzzle. Like a waterfall, it tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop. Years and years of continuous mental and physical assault with no one to confide in, made the opportunity of being able to confess safely too tempting to leave anything out. Shinsou found a flicker of pride in himself when he didn't panic or wail, just occasional tears or choked whimpers.
Aizawa remained silent the entire time, a comforting hand rubbing his back, offering support to the emotionally drained boy. Once it was over, Shinsou collapsed at Aizawa's side, curling into the only form of protection he's ever known.
"Shh.. you're safe here." Aizawa whispered. Shinsou laughed, hand scratching the back of Mochi's ears.
"No, I'm not." His eyes squeezed shut, as his body trembled. "M-My dad's quirk.." Shinsou interrupted himself with a hoarse laugh that dissolved into a sob. "His quirk is coordinate. He'll find me eventually. He always does." Shinsou mumbled even as his eyes closed.
Aizawa let the young male fall asleep on his shoulder, pulling his phone out to make a quick call.
"Are you sure..?" Mitsuki sighed, tapping her fingernail on the kitchen counter. "I mean, no, he isn't busy, me and my husband were about to leave on a trip anyways, but.." Mitsuki bit her lip.
"I understand that this is a tall order I'm asking of you." Katsuki's teachers voice drifted out from her phone receiver. "We don't expect him to be anything more than support for Shinsou Hitoshi."
"He isn't exactly the most soft character. You know this." Mitsuki continued.
"Yes, but he does care for Shinsou." Mitsuki nodded to herself at this. "If he was treated as something fragile, I'm sure Shinsou would feel patronized. I think Bakugou can understand him."
"Promise me his safety." Mitsuki demanded. "I fully trust in my sons' abilities, and I know he wants to save Shinsou, but.. I cannot allow him to go if he is walking into a battlefield."
Aizawa stayed silent for a minute longer than Mitsuki was comfortable with. "I will do everything in my power to ensure your sons safety. I have no intentions putting him in contact with Shinsou's abuser."
Mitsuki rubbed at her temple. "How long should he pack for?"
Bakugou wouldn't admit to anyone he was nervous as Mitsuki dropped him off at what, supposedly, Aizawa's house. His mom had said goodbye and reminded him to stay safe a million times.
"Good evening, Bakugou." Aizawa greeted. Bakugou bowed slightly, picking up his suitcase.
"Does he know I'm coming over?"
"I... warned him." Aizawa hesitated before continuing. "He is not opposed to you."
'But that doesn't mean he likes you.' Bakugou could read between the lines here as he was lead inside. Shinsou was waiting inside, arms full with two fluffy kittens.
Bakugou froze upon seeing the violette, any greeting he had dying in his throat. He was there, and he was alive, and for a moment Bakugou let himself bask in that relief, scanning the other carefully for new injuries.
Shinsou Hitoshi bowed politely at the other. "I'll show him his room." Aizawa announced. Bakugou followed his teacher, feeling Shinsou's eyes on them the entire time.
'He's alive.' Played like a mantra in his mind. 'He's alive.' Bakugou allowed himself a small smile. 'He's alive.'
The two young students did not speak to each other until well after Aizawa had left for his patrol. Bakugou nearly jumped when the guest room's door slowly creeked open. Shinsou peaked inside, holding up a DVD. "Do you want to watch a movie?" His voice was a pale imitation of Shinsou's usual monotone. Bakugou nodded.
The two were sat side by side on a large, push couch, a blanket draped over Shinsou's lap were Lucky had fallen asleep. The TV blared on mindlessly with some half-baked action monster movie, but neither party had their full attention towards the movie, even if they wouldn't admit it.
Slowly, Shinsou rested his head on Bakugou's shoulder.
The two sat in silence, time painstakingly ticking away as Bakugou tried to find the right words Shinsou needed now.
Just as he found the nerve to open his mouth, Shinsou's scratchy, quiet voice broke through the cold air;
"Do you love me?"
Lucky got up from his spot on Shinsou's lap, stretched, and jumped away. Bakugou stared down at the other boy, gaze hardening.
"Yes."
Bakugou stared at the other, studying his every detail. Shinsou blinked slowly. His eye bags were as pronounced as ever, his hair was an untameable mess of violet, his eyebrows were raised slightly, and his pink tongue darted out to wet his lips nervously.
"You're an idiot." Shinsou sighed, despite curling further into Bakugou's side. "Maybe my quirks gotten so advanced I don't even realize when I have control over others now."
Bakugou threw his arms over the skinny teens, throwing them both back on the couch, Bakugou landing on his back, Shinsou landed on top of him with a "Oomf-" of surprise.
"No it didn't." Bakugou gritted out. "You didn't tell me to do that, did you? I'm in control of myself, and I've decided that I love you, Hitoshi." Shinsou chuckled bitterly.
"You decided you love me after two fake dates?" Shinsou's eyebrows were furrowed, even as his smile widened. "You're absolute shit at life decisions, Kat-su-ki." He pronounced Bakugou's name with an air of mockery.
"One fake date." He corrected. "I'm sorry."
Shinsou was taken aback by the sudden sincerity in Bakugou's voice. His voice lacked any aggression, continuing his sentences with composure as if he was simply stating facts, yet still with a hint of empathy, displaying authenticity.
"I- No, we, my friends, they never should have suggested that dare. I should have never carried it out. They shouldn't have confronted us like they did." Bakugou's eyes narrowed. "I regret the circumstances of the date, but I don't regret the date itself. I wanted to go on a second date. I wanted to know more about you."
"..." Shinsou stared down at the other, in disbelief.
"You..." Bakugou turned to the side, no longer able to meet Shinsou's eyes. "You don't need to say 'I love you' back or any cliche shit. You can hate me, hell I understand why you'd hate me, if I was you I'd beat the shit out of me-"
It was endearing to watch Bakugou ramble, face flushed as his composure slipped.
"... I'm just worried about you, but if you want someone else to stay, fuck, I can call Aizawa tonight, just-"
"Prove it."
His voice was barely a whisper. Bakugou turned as if he was shocked, eyes widened. "What?!-"
Shinsou huffed. "Prove to me you love me."
Bakugou stared dumbstruck for half of a second, before his hands clasped around Shinsou's head and he pulled the other down to smash their lips together, both of the teens eyes closing as the world around them faded until it just left the two of them.
Bakugou ended up flipping them at some point, kissing under Shinsou's jawline. Shinsou froze, pressing on Bakugou shoulder. "No neck." He whispered, memories of being choked fresh in his mind. Bakugou simply nodded, returning to ravishing Hitoshi's mouth.
"Can we start over?" Bakugou asked in between desperate kisses. "I want to start over with you. I want to be better for you." His eyes slowly opened to find violet eyes already staring down at him, sleepy smile spread across his face.
"I think we already have." Shinsou replied, placing a soft kiss to the corner of Bakugou's mouth.
Bakugou groaned. "I love you, Hitoshi." He mumbled, arms wrapping around the other.
Shinsou giggled. "Moving fast there, Katsuki." He could practically see the admiration hidden within Katsuki's ruby eyes, and at that moment, Shinsou felt safe and loved, for the first time in a long time.
The two fell asleep entangled on the couch, the ignored movie had ended and began to loop the menu music, the only sound in the quiet house.
Aizawa returned home in a particularly bad mood. When he and the police force had raided the Shinsou household, his father was nowhere to be found. Although plenty of incriminating evidence was gained, Aizawa found himself worried over the lack of a car near the complex. His father was on the road, but for what? Was he aware of their attempts to get him into custody?
Aizawa grabbed himself water as he deposited his goggles on his kitchen counter, passing by his TV, which was on. He peered over the back of the couch, seeing Shinsou and Bakugou sleeping peacefully, their limbs in a knotted mess.
Aizawa shook his head even as he smiled, clicking off the TV, before returning to his bedroom.
The next few days went by steadily.
Aizawa left early to search for Shinsou's parents, UA granting him time off to help with the investigation. By Shinsou's request, Midoriya would appear after school to hand off notes and homework. Bakugou barely tolerated his visits.
"You picked him to piss me off." He accused.
Shinsou laughed. "I picked him because he is reliable and nonthreatening. Not like it's difficult to piss you off." He flicked Bakugou's shoulder as he looked over the notes Midoriya left him. Shinsou smiled as a small "Feel Better!" card fell out of the pile, 1-A taking it upon themselves to send daily cards with affirmations. Bakugou pretended to ignore them, but Shinsou caught him seething at something Kirishima wrote him.
Later, Shinsou picked the crumpled note up from the trash. In messy letters wrote; 'I KNEW U COULD DO IT BRO!!!!! U AND SHINSOU-SAN TOGETHER IS A GOOD MATCH WE ARE ALL HAPPY FOR U CAN'T WAIT FOR U TO GET BACK!!!!! IT TAKES A TRUE MAN TO BE HONEST WITH HIS FEELINGS!!'
Shinsou actually laughed at this. "You told Kirishima we are dating?" He called over to Bakugou.
"NO I FUCKING DIDN'T THAT IDIOT-" Shinsou laughed harder as Bakugou came stomping in, ranting about; "That idiot shitty-hair knucklehead who thinks he KNOWS my emotions-!!"
Aizawa came back late into the night, always frustrated. No matter where they searched, Shinsou's father seemed to evade detection.
He watched the two teen boys grow closer every day, and his resolve to find Shinsou's father hardened.
As a few days turned into a week, Shinsou began to visibly become nervous. He tugged at his hair, bit at his lip, and couldn't seem to sit still anymore. He always had curtains and blinds closed tightly, triple checking locks, searching the house for openings. Bakugou could only reassure him best he could during his anxious pacing.
Shinsou finally pulled Bakugou into the guest room, slamming the door shut and locking it. "What's wrong, Hitoshi?" Bakugou asked, worry seeping into his tone. Shinsou tugged at his violet hair until Bakugou reached up gently and pulled hair hand away. "Don't do that, don't do that..." Bakugou's voice was a hushed whisper, leading Shinsou down to his knees.
"It's..." Shinsou swallowed. "He should..." Bakugou waited, fingers twitching anxiously.
"My dad... my dad he...." His hand shot up to tug at his hair again, only to be caught in Bakugou's hand. Shinsou let out a choked sob. "He's gonna find me soon, it never takes this long which only means he's coming-"
"Hey," Bakugou gently cupped the others face with his free hand, thumb massaging circles into his cheek. "No he won't. Aizawa has half the police force tracking him down and every pro hero he knows on the lookout."
"His quirk.." Shinsou's breath quickened. Bakugou stopped at this, trying to not let the shock of new information show on his face. "Coordinate... as long as he knows the first and last name of anyone, fucking anyone, he knows where they are..." Shinsou glared at the ground, his body shaking. "I can't escape him."
Bakugou scoffed. "He has a lame fucking quirk." Shinsou blinked in disbelief at this. "You think he'll be able to just waltz in here and, what whisk you away again? Like hell." Bakugou growled. "I'm here. And you're here. You're not under his control anymore. Your muzzle is gone. And Aizawa would risk his own life before anything happened to a student of UA. Also, knowing Deku, he'd probably just have to show up just in time to make a big fuckin' deal about how much of a hero he is." Bakugou's eyes narrowed. "You're not fighting alone, Hitoshi. You're not alone."
Shinsou nodded slowly, a tear falling from his eyes. He leaned into Bakugou's calloused hand. 'I'm not alone.' replayed in his mind. 'I'm not alone.'
Three days from then, Shinsou shot awake at the sound of glass shattering. Bakugou awoke from the same sound, allowing Shinsou to grip onto his hand.
Bakugou blindly reached for the phone on the bed stand. He pressed in Aizawa's numbers. Shinsou was still staring wide eyed at the bedroom door, shivering. Aizawa picked up with a worried "Hello?" before Bakugou whispered between clenched teeth;
"Home, now." Then hanging up.
There were agonizing more minutes of silence. Bakugou refused to leave the silently panicking Shinsou's side.
Then the doorknob slowly turned, the the door creeked open. Shinsou's hand flew up to muffle himself, biting onto his fist.
His dad, his fucking father stumbled in, radiating anger and frustration. "Finally fucking found you." He huffed out as he glared at his son. Bakugou let out a shout of rage, explosion popping from his hand in warning.
"Back off!"
His dad sneered. "What, got yourself a fucking boytoy bodyguard now?" He turned to Shinsou. "We're leaving, now."
Shinsou just stared. His dad tried to take a step closer, only for Bakugou to let off another warning shot.
"Seriously?" His dad growled. "You're so much fucking trouble. Since day god damn one!" His dad vented, eyebrows furrowed. "Since your fucking mom died trying to get you to daycare. You fucking survived and she didn't." His dad scoffed. "Life isn't fair like that, which is why we're. Leaving. Now."
He moved as if to lunge at Shinsou, causing Bakugou to jump up in front of him. However, this was merely a trap, as his dad moved to twist Bakugou's one wrist painfully, and the other to punch the side of his temple, before throwing the blonde to the ground.
"Katsuki!" Shinsou cried even as his arm was grabbed and twisted by his father.
"These fellas at Shie Hassaikai's gonna pay big bucks for your quirk, or something, I don't fucking know, but it'll get me outta debt and you out of a lot of trouble if you come with!" His father growled. "Your villainous quirk might finally be useful after all."
"Let go of me!" Shinsou screamed, pulling back on his dad. At this, his dad's lips drew closed in a tight line as he continued to pull Shinsou away from Bakugou's body, who was now just slowly starting to pick himself back up.
The sight of his boyfriend struggling gave Shinsou a moment of clarity that he needed, and he thrust his knee up towards his dad's groin. His dad's grip only tightened as his hunched over, howling. "You fuckin'-!"
He was cut off by the sound of explosives going off. Bakugou, using his quirk to propel himself forward in the air, tackled Shinsou's father. The moment led to Shinsou being released, being roughly thrown to the ground by the force. Bakugou landed over his father, back flat on the ground. One foot was crushed against the sensitive part of the inner elbow, the other was balancing on the floor between his fathers left arm and his body. His right hand was pressed tightly against Shinsou's father's throat, the left flush against his face, palm heating up dangerously. "Try to move, I fucking dare you." Bakugou hissed.
The father's eyes narrowed. After a second of waiting, he did try to swing his left hand at Bakugou. Prepared now, Bakugou caught the fist and let off an explosion onto his flesh. The man shrieked, hand falling as Bakugou grabbed the side of his face and let off another explosion, albeit smaller. He screamed louder as uneven burns spread across his hand and his nose and cheeks.
"Watch for Aizawa, Hitoshi." Bakugou called, never taking his eyes off the bastard of a father for a moment.
There was no response.
"Hitoshi?" Bakugou called out once more, worry dying his tone. A deep, ugly laugh filled the room. Bakugou glared down at Shinsou's father, who was laughing in between his gasps of pain.
"He probably ran off. It's all he's good for." His grin was sickening. Bakugou felt hot rage bubble inside him.
"I'm going to-" Bakugou swore as he raised his hand higher, shaking with intensity as he imagined more ways this one man could suffer.
A capture tape caught his arm. "No you're not." Came a deeper, familiar voice.
Shinsou's father sighed in relief. "A p-pro-hero! Sir, you have to help me, my son, he used his quirk to make this kid torture me-" A capture tape settles around the fathers mouth.
"Shut it." Aizawa commanded, eyes red. "Save your lies, you waste of human space." Aizawa continued, much to the man's surprise. Capture tape restrained him further, allowing Bakugou to release Shinsou's father.
Bakugou was shaking with the effort he expended on the man, still feeling nothing other than burning hatred towards him.
"Go check on Hitoshi." Aizawa commanded gently, even as a squad of policemen entered to apprehend Shinsou's father.
"Hitoshi-!" This snapped Bakugou back into action as he scoured the scene for him. He finally found the other teen, laying unconscious on the floor. He seemed to just be blinking back into reality as Bakugou picked him up to carry.
"Katsu..ki?" Shinsou asked. Bakugou looked down, nodding, even with tears in his eyes. Shinsou smiled.
"I need you to stay awake for me, okay?" Bakugou said as they were approached with a stretcher. Shinsou nodded.
For Katsuki, he'd do anything.
It was a slow and tedious recovery. Both had minor injuries, thankfully, having scrapes and minor concussions. Shinsou went to therapy. Bakugou went to therapy. Aizawa signed adoption papers for Shinsou. Bakugou was right by his side when he testified in court, and when his father was sentenced to life in prison.
Bakugou stayed there, a grounding force Shinsou needed. And Shinsou stayed Bakugou's place of sanctuary, or tranquil, where his usual aggression did not exist.
(Epilogue:
"WE'RE SO SORRY!" Shinsou flinched away from the shout, finding Kaminari, Jirou, Sero, Mina... everyone from the original.. fake dating scheme, bowing deeply in front of him, all offering some present for repentance.
"We were so cruel!" Mina cried out. "I'm sorry!"
"I didn't think of the consequences. It's our fault!" Kaminari added.
"Please forgive us for interfering so harshly." Jirou seemed the most composed, even though she was shaking.
".... Ah..." Shinsou looked over the group, feeling overwhelmed. "I see..."
Bakugou was standing behind him, arms crossed as he watched the scenario play out.
"I will not accept this apology..." Shinsou stated slowly. The group visibly drooped down in sadness, although none argued against him.
"Unless...." Shinsou had to stifle a laugh at how fast the group perked up. "Unless you guys get me into the Hero Course." He finished.
"Ehh?!" Kirishima stuttered. "Isn't that out of our control?!"
Shinsou shrugged. "Make it happen, then we can talk." He finished, before turning and leaving the room.
The group remained eerily silent in disbelief. Until Bakugou barked out a laugh.
"How are we.." Sero was scratching his head.
"It's impossible, right?" Jirou smashed her earjack's together anxiously.
"Dunno." Bakugou grinned.
The next day, Aizawa introduced a new student into 1-A.
Mina gasped in shock as she pointed at Shinsou, who just finished introducing himself. "YOU!!"
Shinsou smiled in return. "Yes?"
"Does that mean you forgive us?!" Kaminari whined, tapping his fingers on the desk nervously.
"Let's have a fresh start. I can't be on bad terms with any of my new classmates, now, can I?"
Bakugou took note of Shinsou's face. His eyes were bright, his bags were lighter than ever before, and his smile spread across his face so genuinely. His boyfriend was positively glowing now.
Bakugou huffed happily, watching as Shinsou took a seat next to him.
If you were to ask anyone else, they'd say Bakugou was glowing as well.)