Chapter Text
The first thing Hitoshi recognizes as he wakes up is the sounds of the house waking up and his own alarm. Considering this foster home has seven people in it, it’s relatively quiet as they move around their rooms and the house is getting ready. He opens his eyes and sits up, looking around his small room as he stretches and turns off his phone alarm. He tries to ignore the bruising he feels on his upper arms, sure that if he looked he would see handprints there. Last night he accidentally asked a question and he’s paying for it. There are positives though and one thing that he likes about this home – he has got his own room. It’s small, with just enough space for a bed, a small dresser, and a little nightstand.
He’s pretty sure it’s a former walk-in closet of some sort, but he’s been in foster care since he was three; he doesn’t need a lot of space. He has a few outfits, his school supplies, a small box with his important documents, a small bin with his hygiene items, and a few posters taped to the walls.
His life in foster care has never been pleasant as far as he can remember. His mother was apparently in foster care herself growing up and relied on his dad’s family to support her or, so he’s been told. By the time they had their fatal car accident, he had already developed his quirk. His father’s family outright refused to take a ‘future villain’ and the rest was history.
But this is a good house that he’s been at for six months; most nights he’s allowed to eat supper, he has his own room, and he’s not muzzled. Not to mention, he can still go to UA. He can manage anything else that happens.
He checks his phone and isn’t really surprised to see that he doesn’t have any important notifications. There are some messages in the class group chat, but nothing directly affecting him. He grabs his bin of hygiene items and makes his way to one of the two bathrooms in the house, specifically the one across from his room upstairs.
There was another one at the end of the hallway, beside his foster parents’ room and across from their biological son’s room. For the most part, the one across from his room is for the fosters in the house. Downstairs was the kitchen, living room/dining room mix, laundry room and entry way.
It’s the same morning routine as many school morning; brush his hair and teeth, go to his room and get dressed, then go to the room next door to his to help his younger foster siblings. The three younger kids share a room and Hitoshi always makes sure to help them out. As he walks in, he looks at the scene in front of him.
The room has a bunk bed against the wall and a second bed with toddler bed rails on the other wall with a dresser in the middle. At the end of the bunk bed is a toy bin while at the end of the toddler bed is a door leading to a small closet. Above the toy bin is a window that shows the front of the house. There are three small backpacks to one side of the dresser and a small hamper on the other. There were three bins on top of the dresser, one for each child.
The oldest in the room is Akari. She’s nine years-old and her fiery red hair is already up in a ponytail. Her uniform is on and she’s looking at her brother in exasperation. Her brother Kazuki, six-year-old is also dressed but he’s sitting on his bottom bunkbed giggling at her. His quirk is Bloom and it makes flowers come out of his green hair. He’s making flowers go all over his bed while Akari uses her quirk, Plant Transport, to move the flowers out the window. Neither of them even notices as Hitoshi comes into the room.
Soari is looking up at them from the middle of the room, sitting on the floor. Her preschool uniform was half a mess since she had tried to put the skirt over her head but it only went over one arm. Her socks are on but her shirt is off to the side as she’s watching her foster siblings. As he opens the door, she looks over at him.
“Toshi!” she squealed happily, clapping her hands, and smiling. Akari and Kazuki pause and look over at him too. Saori laughs and points to herself. “I’m a big girl, see!” She points to the spot where her shirt, uniform jacket, and hat are. “I doed it all by myself!” She looked down at her body then back up at Hitoshi. “Well... I did a lot! Uniforms are tricky…”
Hitoshi chucked and went over to her, kneeling on the floor to help her. “I see that,” he says softly and looks at Akari and Kazuki. Akari looks smugly at her brother. “I told you Toshi was coming soon!” She huffed and started to use her quirk to gather the flowers on the floor.
Kazuki sheepishly gets off his bed, gathering a couple of flowers Akari missed and helping her push them out the window. As Hitoshi finished getting Saori dressed, he went over to check their backpacks were ready and that their clothing was put away.
As the oldest, Hitoshi took on responsibilities to help them out. The expectation of them quietly getting ready and keeping their room tidy would not happen without him and he didn’t want to see them hurt.
As the flowers were finally gone and the window was closed, Akari went over to the backpacks and grabbed hers and her brother’s. As she passed Kazuki his, she looked at Hitoshi expectantly and says “I made sure Kazu-chan and Saori-tan brushed their teeth when I did. Kazu-chan and I have our hair done, our beds made, and everything’s tidy!”
Hitoshi nodded as he went to Saori’s bin and grabbed some items to put her hair up, Saori pouted at the honorific, giving Akari the toddler version of a dirty look while Akari clearly ignored it. His heart was hurting at how much older Akari was forced to act. Getting herself and two little kids ready in the morning was surely not an easy task, she did it without complaint. Because of this, Hitoshi was able to handle everything else for the day, but he still felt bad.
As he pulled Saori’s hair into a braid, he looked over at Akari and Kazuki waiting by the door for him, with Akari holding Saori’s bag now too. He nodded to them, “Your bento’s are in the fridge, they’re the normal colours. Make sure to put Saori’s in her bag.” They nodded and quietly went downstairs.
Hitoshi finished Saori’s braid, put her uniform hat on and they walked out together. They stop by Hitoshi’s room so he can pick up his bag and he slips his phone into his pocket as they head downstairs. Soari is happy to quietly hold Hitoshi’s hand as Hitoshi takes in some deep breaths.
Routines might not change, but one thing he’s learned is that foster parents do. One can never predict their moods. As they go downstairs, Akari and Kazuki are sitting by the door and waiting for him. In the mornings, he takes them to school early and drops Saori off at preschool. This is so they get a chance to eat as breakfast is apparently not a right in this foster home. His fosters will at least pick the younger kids up after school. He looks over at the Akiyama’s in the kitchen as they get their shoes on.
Daiki was a large man, who’s gruff exterior matched his demeanor perfectly. He worked as a prison guard and was not quiet about his expectations that Hitoshi will be behind bars in the next few years. He is strict and quiet, but scary. His quirk, Strength, only helped that. A simple arm grab could become painful if he turned it on. He was sitting and eating miso at the table.
His wife, Katsumi, fluttered around the kitchen, cleaning up the dishes that she used. She was a short woman with auburn hair and brown eyes that looked deceivingly nice and had a kind demeanor that Hitoshi knew was a lie. She could be just as harsh and scary as her husband. She worked odd hours at a perfume shop, a job that matched her quirk, Perfume, perfectly. She could mimic any scent and was able to use this to help customers find their perfect perfume.
The two of them were ignoring their foster children in favour of their biological son, Yuri. The twelve-year-old sat in his gakuran, the male version of his mother. He had a stronger version of his mother’s quirk, and he eyed his foster siblings as he ate his breakfast. Yuri never quite knew what to think of them. He was nice to the little kids but did not trust Hitoshi, going along with his parents’ treatment of him.
Hitoshi made sure they had everything and left with the kids in tow. He held Saori’s hand as he watched Akari and Kazuki carefully walk in front of him, listening to them chatter. It was a quick walk to the elementary school and the siblings’ early arrival meant that they were in time for a free breakfast.
Around the corner was Saori’s nursery building, and he took her inside to check her in quickly. The staff nodded at him, used to him dropping her off. He led her to her classroom and kneeled down and gave her a hug. As he stood up, his pants dropped down his hips, making his soul mark visible.
His soul mark, like everyone else’s, was small, distinct, and in a random spot. For him, it was his left hip. His was a black cat sitting in a mug, with a music note decorating the mug. Saori looked at it and pointed, giggling. “Meow!” she said, poking it. She did that every time she sees it.
Hitoshi rolled his eyes and pulled up his pants. Clearly, he needs to tighten his belt. He opened her classroom door and said goodbye to her, leaving to go to the train station. As he walks out, he subtly tightens his belt by one loop.
As he sits on the train, his mind wanders and thinks about his soulmate. He hasn’t met them yet but he’s pretty sure it’s going to be a romantic soulmate. It’s something people always say you just know – whether it’s platonic or romantic. No one really knows how that instinct works but there are plenty of cases of people in odd societal situations trying to force a soulmate to be one way when it’s not.
The development of soulmates happened shortly before quirks. No one is sure how it works, but there are many theories about it. The fact that it can be platonic or romantic, the fact that there can be more than two people in a soul mark group. Triads are uncommon but not rare because of this.
Hitoshi knows a lot of people dream about meeting their soulmate, but he doesn't have that luxury. Not because his soulmate died, which he doesn’t want to even imagine, but because he knows his luck and his life. His brainwashing quirk has screwed him over since the start and he knows without even being told that he will probably be one of the few people who will get a broken bond.
It’s not impossible and it’s rare, but if needed you can break a soulmate bond and the soulmark will blacken like it would if a soulmate died. He knows that there are many people who would meet him and immediately book a session with a bond breaker. He doesn’t want to hope or risk it. Maybe he will find someone who loves him regardless or is willing to look past his quirk, but he has never gotten anywhere looking forward hopefully.
He looks realistically at what he can do at home. He looked realistically on getting into UA and the different ways to get into the hero program. He looked realistically at the Sports Festival and when Aizawa – the Eraserhead! – started to train him. Things might be looking good but until he has proof, he can’t afford to hope.
As he walks off the train station stop by UA and heads to class, he doesn’t think of soulmates anymore but of classwork. He needs to put his soulmark out of his mind and focus.
Shouta rolled his shoulders as he walked to the teacher’s lounge. He wants to grab a jelly pouch from his desk and drop papers off before meeting with Shinsou. With it being the last month of Term 1, his problem class is in full panic mode over their studies.
Between the USJ incident and the Nomu attacks happening, he can see why they weren’t exactly focused on their classwork but at the same time that is all part of hero work. Hopefully they can learn early how to prioritize work because that leads to better problem-solving. Which leads to more survival.
As he enters the teacher’s lounge, he’s unfortunately greeted with people. They are his coworkers, but they are still people. As he makes his way over to his desk, Hizashi’s sitting at his own desk talking about something with Nemuri. She is laughing and nodding along as she glances at Shouta before looking back at the voice hero. Shouta nonchalantly drops his papers on his desk and opens a drawer to grab a jelly pouch. Just as he does, a hand grabs his and he gives an annoyed look to the owner of the hand, his husband.
Hizashi pouts, looking disapprovingly at him. “Shouta~” he whines as Shouta pulls his hand away. “You need to stop with the jelly packs! You need real food!” Nemuri and a few coworkers watch as Shouta blankly looks at Hizashi while opening the jelly pack and quickly draining it. Hizashi makes an indignant noise at him, “Really, Sho?”
As he finishes the jelly pouch, he puts the empty pouch in a garbage bin under his desk. Nemuri laughs at the exchange. “He’s been this way since you’ve met Hizashi,” She playfully looks at Shouta before turning back to Hizashi who’s still playfully pouting. “You know, if it wasn’t for the fact I’ve personally seen your marks, I would half expect a jelly pack to be his!” She laughs at her comment. Shouta pays no mind as he grabs another few packs for his utility belt. Never know when those will come in handy.
Hizashi just chuckles with her and nods, smirking at Shouta “Honestly? I would too!” Shouta rolls his eyes at this. It’s a long-standing argument between the two that Shouta would live on the jelly packs if he could. “They have all the nutrients needed and they’re quick,” he says as he finishes up. “It’s only logical that they are included in my nutrition plan.”
“Is coffee and takeout really a plan?” Hizashi smirks at him. “If I never cooked, I’m pretty sure you would starve.”
Shouta pays him no mind; Hizashi knows that isn’t true, there’s no point in arguing. The two have been together since their first year at UA, shortly after Aizawa’s transfer into the hero program. During their Sports festival fight, the long sleeved undershirt Shouta always wore with his gym uniform rolled up and revealed his soulmark on his left forearm.
Shortly after Shouta won the festival and was reveling in the fact that he did it, he was approached by Hizashi. He was shown the blond’s matching mark just about his left knee. They didn’t start off dating, but by the end of Term 1, the two had started and the rest was history.
He doesn’t think of fallen buildings, painfully clear skies, and Nemuri’s mark blackening.
They had gotten married a few years out of UA, as their hero careers were finally getting traction. Hizashi’s radio temping was turning into a full job at that point, and they knew how private their lives had to be with Shouta’s underground work. Marriage might not be before every romantic soulmate pair, but for them it was one way they could celebrate their bond. Rings on necklaces and Shouta being referred to as “the husband” on the radio was it. It was enough for them.
Shouta made his leave to not be late for Shinsou and thought about what he wanted the boy to do. He can tell Shinsou needs help with learning to use his quirk more confidently; he could tell that before he even had him use it in training. The way he avoided asking questions made that clear, but he knew he needed to approach quirk training cautiously. Shouta knew from experience that it was probably a learned behaviour. It took him months to look Hizashi and Oboro in the eyes.
Another thing was Shinsou’s weight. Shouta assumed there was an issue with his diet plan, but every inquiry was brushed off. Shinsou is following his workout plan and is making strides in his sparring, but it will be for naught if he loses too much weight. That mixed in with a few other reactions Shinsou has along with the fact that he’s in foster care makes alarm bells ring in Shouta’s head.
Honestly, Shouta’s thinking a home visit would be in order. Maybe talking to Shinsou’s homeroom teacher? He doesn’t interact with the general education teachers too often but maybe there’s something they’re seeing too.
When he gets to the training grounds, Shinsou’s already there warming up in his gym uniform. They’re outside today, taking advantage of the warm weather of early June. He has him do the obstacle course a few times as he watches how he completes the course. He can’t help but notice he’s wearing his gym jacket despite the heat and sweat he’s producing.
As Shouta calls him over, he eyes Shinsou’s red face and how his water has already been refilled. “If you’re too warm with the jacket, your t-shirt should be fine.” Shouta casually comments. “It’s warm enough.”
There’s a look of apprehension and nervousness that passes over Hitoshi’s face before quickly disappearing. He shakes his head as he says, “I’m good, Sensei.” Shouta isn’t sure he believes him but doesn’t press. They move onto sparring, and he’s proven right as Shinsou is more red-faced than he should be.
Not wanting to push him, Shouta tries to think of something that could show Shinsou that he should remove the jacket if it’s bothering him. He doesn’t usually do this, but before their next round, Shouta pushes his sleeves to his elbows. His hope is that seeing him modify his appearance helps Shinsou feel more comfortable changing his.
Shinsou doesn’t remove the jacket but as they start to spar, he glances down at Shouta’s forearm and stumbles forward. Shouta watches concerned as the teenager hits the ground hard and gasps for air. He almost seems spooked as Shouta rushes forward.
Clumsiness, red-faced, excessive sweating, altered behaviour. All signs of heatstroke and Shouta will be damned if he lets a student suffer because they’re stubborn.
Approaching Shinsou, he helps him sit up. “Deep, slow breaths.” Shinsou still looks spooked, but takes his water as Shouta passes it to him. “You’re going to take a few sips then we’re going to see Recovery Girl. It’s not up for discussion.”
It concerns him more that Shinsou just seems to absentmindedly nod. He helps him up and grabs his backpack before leading him to the infirmary. The entire time, he pretends to not notice Shinsou staring at his mark. It might be considered rude but Shouta’s more concerned with his health at the moment.
Plus, his mark is kind of cute. He will admit that. A black cat sitting in a mug decorated with a music note. Cute and a perfect representation of Shouta and Hizashi.