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kittybitty-3214 · 28 days

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Stray Ghost

Summary: Shouta has a thing for taking in strays

Word count: 9203

Chapter 1: Lost Kitten

Shouta had a thing for taking in strays. Everyday along his patrol route he had stops where he would feed the strays. He was so consistent that a small gathering of cats had started to assemble waiting for food. He learned to recognize them and would take them to the shelter when they got sick or needed to be neutered. As much as he loved cats, he didn’t want any more strays born on the street.

Today should’ve been no different; fill the bowls of cat food, check the cats over, and then be on his way. As he approached the bowls hidden in the alley (he’s had problems with people stealing them or knocking them over when they’re in the open) he heard soft sounds of laughter and someone talking.

The voice sounded young, a little high for a boy’s and a little low for a girl’s. Shouta was curious. Not many people were kind to strays, either worried they had fleas or ambivalent to them entirely.

There, surrounded by a swarm of cats was a teenage boy. He had dark messy hair that covered half his face and dirty worn clothes. His jacket, which looks to have been originally red, was now a dirty mud color and was frayed. The cats rubbed against his legs and knocked into each other to be petted by his hands, he cooed at them in response. Somehow the teen sensed Shouta, and looked over. He saw the bag of food he was holding, and smiled with slightly sharp teeth. His face was just as dirty as the rest of him, giving him a manic look. The boy was clearly homeless or perhaps a runaway. Whatever he was, he was obviously alone.

“Are you the one who feeds the cats?” he stood up, annoyed meowing underneath him at his prideful display.

“I am,” Shouta walks over to the bowls and crouches down, the cats rubbing against him and yowling as if they were starving to death. He had to be careful of where he put his feet otherwise he would crush one of them, “Most people look down at this kind of thing, but I think it’s important.”

“Yeah, people suck sometimes.” the teen laughed in agreement and put his hands in his jacket pocket. He had a smile on his face as he watched the cats quickly gorge on the food when it was all poured.

“I have a few more stops to make if you want to come?” The city, while filled with heroes, still wasn’t safe for a kid. This way he could at least watch him and maybe learn more about him to help.

“Sure, I got nothing to do.” He gave a lopsided grin and started walking out of the alley. Shouta petted a few of the cat’s heads and followed after him.

“What’s your name kid?” The kid seemed easy going, a result of being naive or being used to the danger. No kid that young should be like that. He looked barely older than 15.

“Danny.” He answered easily. The name sounded foreign, it could be he was mixed or from another country. Danny looked back at him, “Yours?”

“Aizawa.” It would be weird to give him his hero name, even if he was on patrol. The boy hummed in response. “What brought you here, Danny?”

“My legs,” He deflected sarcastically. Shouta supposed he walked into that one. It was probably a touchy subject, and they did just meet. “Are you doing just this today?” He pointed to the bag.

“This, and a few other errands.” The errands being hero work, but he could put that on hold for the boy. “The next stop is over here by the way.” Shouta pointed towards an upcoming alley.

“On it!” Danny ran ahead, having to slow down when he almost missed the opening.

Shouta quirked his eyebrow but kept the same pace. By the time he entered the alley, Danny was nestled with the cats like last time. One, whose name was Digiorno (named by Hizashi), cuddled up in his lap. He was an older fatter cat that Shouta had met when he was still a kitten. He tried to take him home, but he kept running away. He was a bit shy and Hizashi’s personality was just too big for him. It had even taken Shouta a few months to be able to pet the bastard. Danny though, his presence calmed him in a way Shouta’s couldn’t.

“That one’s name is Digiorno,” Shouta crouched down beside them and filled the bowls like in the last alley. The cats all scrambled to the food except him. Instead, he just nestled deeper into Danny’s lap, curling onto his back.

“He’s gonna die soon,” Danny petted under his chin as he purred, “Maybe tonight.” The boy’s smile was softer this time, a little sad. Shouta’s heart sank. It’s true that he was getting older and slower, but he had recently been checked out by the vet and they said he was healthy.

“I can take him home with me to monitor him. He’ll be alright.” Shouta reached down to stroke his belly softly, the spot he always liked.

“I think that's a good idea,” his voice dropped down to a whisper, “no one wants to die alone…” Shouta briefly stopped petting him and looked at the boy. There was a far off look in his eye as he gazed down at the cat. Perhaps he had lost someone close to him? Shouta only hummed.

When it was time to go, Digiorno still clung onto Danny, his head resting between his neck and shoulder. Shouta took off his scarf and made a makeshift sling for him, wrapping some around Danny’s waist also, so all the weight wouldn’t be on his neck. Digiorno seemed happy inside it and sank between the strips. Shouta felt naked without it, but he was glad the cat was comfortable.

They kept walking in and out of the alleys, a few cats coming up to lick Digiorno and rub on Danny. Most of the cats seemed more interested in him than the food. Molly, an almost feral girl, even came up to them. She would usually swat and hiss at the other cats but this time she paid them no mind. She walked up onto Danny’s lap and licked Digiorno on his face, grooming his cheeks. Digiorno licked back, leaving them both with wetted fur. Danny raised his hand to her, and she smelled it before licking him and rubbing the corner of her mouth on the tips of his fingers. Danny looked at her, and if Shouta was a little bit more unstable than he was, he would swear there was some sort of understanding between the two.

It only took them 30 more minutes to finish feeding the cats. Shouta wrapped up the empty bag and stuffed it in his pocket to use next time. Danny leaned against the wall, gently petting Digiorno with a soft smile on his lips. People passed him, but never looked at him. It was like he wasn’t even there.

“You hungry? It’s a little after lunchtime and I haven't eaten yet.” Danny looked up at Shouta and nodded. He was glad the boy agreed. If he played his cards right, he could get the boy into a shelter or somewhere safe tonight.

They walked to one of Shouta’s favorite ramen places, a small family restaurant that he, Hizashi, Nemuri and Oboro used to go to as teens. The restaurant has since been passed down and slightly remodeled, but the food was still just as good. They sat down and ordered.

“I’m gonna go wash up in the bathroom real quick, alright?” Danny pointed his thumb behind him. Shouta just nodded.

Danny returned after a few minutes, his face and hands washed. Shouta’s guess of him being 15 looked right on the money now that he was able to fully see his youthful features. Freckles were splattered on his face, traveling down to his neck and under his hoodie. His blue eyes were bright, like the sun reflecting off snow. Despite their cold color, there was a warmth to them that Shouta felt he himself had lost long ago. One thing they did share were the eye bags that resided under them. Danny’s weren’t as set in as Shouta’s, but they still carried a chronic tiredness that made him want to yawn.

Danny sat down in front of him and started looking around at the shop’s walls. There was a lot of art that the owners had let people do, for a price. It was one of the attractions since everyone wanted their own little corner. Shouta himself had a doodle or two somewhere on these walls.

“Are your parents around?” Shouta had avoided asking before, not wanting to scare the kid off.

“Nope.” Danny started picking the table, moving the cloth back and forth. He didn’t meet Shouta’s eyes, “They’re uhh…gone. Or I’m gone? It doesn’t matter, I haven’t seen them in a while.” There was a story there, but Shouta wouldn’t push. He knew a wound when he saw one.

“Any other family? An aunt or uncle perhaps?” He tried instead.

“Nope,” He laid his head on the table using his arms as a pillow, covering Digiorno from view, “none of those.”

“Are you staying with anyone?” Shouta already knew the answer to that question.

“Only if you count the cats as ‘someone,’” He sat up meeting Shouta’s gaze, “I’ve just been around.”

“Have you thought about going to a shelter at all? There’s one for youths a few streets away, I could take you if you want?” Danny held up his hand to stop him.

“That’s fine,” he propped his head on his hand, “I don’t know how well me and those places mix. It’s safer on my own.” He most certainly was not, but Shouta wasn’t going to argue with him.

As if on cue their food was ready, and Danny’s eyes lit up when it was set down in front of him. He was drooling and swayed his body back and forth excitedly, like a dog shaking its tail.

“Man, I haven’t eaten in a few days.” And with that he shoved a bite into his face with the chopsticks. Shouta was about to take a bite himself but was horrified, noodles falling back into the bowl. He stared at the boy with his mouth open. Danny didn’t notice and just happily continued eating. Shouta eyed him again, but decided it was better to feed the boy more.

In between bites, Danny would feed a noodle to Digiorno, dangling it over him like a string. He would play with it until his nail snagged it down into his mouth. Feeding pets at the table, or simply having pets at the table was considered rude, but Shouta doubted anyone actually cared, and both the boy and cat were happy.

Danny finished his noodles and raised the bowl to his lips to slurp it down, a few drops running down his chin and onto the cat, who licked it away happily. That boy could eat. Shouta was still only halfway through his own bowl.

“You can order another one if you’d like?” Danny obviously needed it.

“Really?” He scratched the back of his neck, “I don’t want to waste your money…”

“Of course, feel free to order some other stuff as well. They make really good takoyaki.”

“Thanks! I really mean it,” He held his hands up in a praying manner, “I’ll try to pay you back.”

“No worries, I was going to order more anyway,” Shouta wasn’t, but he didn’t want to make the kid feel bad. Hizashi did like their takoyaki, so Shouta would bring some home.

Danny's second bowl came out and he started eating it, slower this time, no longer as desperate for food. The takoyaki was set between them and Shouta ate a few after he finished his own bowl.

“You know,” Danny laughed, stirring the ramen with a chopstick, “when I was a kid, I used to make my ramen with spicy mustard and hotdogs.” He took another bite.

Shouta’s nose curled, imagining the flavor and texture. He took a drink of water to wash it out. Danny kept talking.

“It was the easiest thing I could make, I just boiled it all together. I was a kid, so I thought it was pretty good. I still think it’s pretty good.” Danny had a somber look on his face, lost in a memory, “My parents always worked so we didn’t get a lot of home cooked meals, and if we did it attacked us or was just fudge.” That’s an alarming thought. What type of food would attack someone? Was it still alive? A better question is why would his parents put him into a situation like that? Shouta was almost glad that the kid wasn’t with them anymore. Almost. Because now the kid’s all alone.

They finished eating shortly after that, Shouta ordering more takoyaki and some pork buns to take home. He didn’t have anything else for the day, already deciding to forgo hero work to look after the kid. They walked further downtown past all the shops and tourist traps. Every time Danny slowed down to look into the window, Shouta would go inside. The boy didn’t seem to notice this and just followed Shouta in. He smiled and followed behind him.

He liked looking at the hero merch and would inspect the figures they had of them. He held up one in particular and showed it to Shouta. It was Hound Dog doing an attack pose at an unseen villain.

“This one kinda looks like a friend of mine, Wulf, but he’s less green.” Danny started speaking a different language through the figure and then responded back in Japanese, switching between serious and silly facial expressions. He laughed and set it back down and then went to wander off somewhere else. Shouta grabbed the figure and took it to the counter, hiding it from Danny. There was some paint at the counter that they sold for custom figures. The only green they had left was a bright neon, that Shouta was sure wasn’t the same color as this ‘Wulf’. He added that and some black and white paint (so they could mix it to the right hue later) to the sale. Danny found him after his purchase and didn’t question the new bag, if he even noticed it.

They went like that for a while, stopping in and out of shops with Danny picking out a few things he liked now and then. He got really excited when they passed a shop dedicated to space and the hero, Thirteen. He was bouncing back and forth like a runner preparing for a jog. Digiorno stood up in his sling and wacked him in the face, annoyed at his antics.

“Sorry buddy.” Danny rubbed the spot, but there was no mark there. He gave Digiorno an affectionate scratch as an apology.

“Do you like space?” a soft smile spread to Shouta’s face. The boy blushed and looked away, embarrassed.

“Yeah…” he rubbed the back of his neck, “I uhh- when I was younger I wanted to be an astronaut,” The same smile appeared on his face, the same one at the ramen shop when he talked about his parents, “I would study all night about space, physics, the effect of zero gravity on the body,” his head bobbed back and forth listing things, “I don’t think I can now, even if it weren’t for my… quirk, my grades sucked.”

“What is your quirk?” During their whole day together, neither of them brought up the subjects of quirks or heroes.

“Uhh,” Danny thought for a moment, deciding whether to tell Shouta or not. It could be that he had a more ‘villainous’ quirk and was scared of getting made fun of or rejected. Shouta himself had similar experiences. He had the power to remove other’s quirks, and while it isn’t very powerful in of itself, it scared people that he could render them powerless. In elementary school, the kids would throw sand in his eyes so he couldn’t see them. Then in middle school, they just flat out ignored him. Things got better in high school when he joined class 1-A and met his little group. He was thankful to them.

“To be determined?” Danny said after a pause, shrugging. His voice went higher, clearly failing to lie probably. It could be the kid was quirkless or had decided to not tell Shouta. That was his choice and Shouta knew how sensitive the topic was, but a part of him still hurt.

They walked through the store, Danny was too occupied with space facts to notice Shouta put stuff in their basket.

“Most people think the moon is a planet, but it’s actually not. It's earth's only natural satellite, which basically means it’s orbiting the earth independently of the sun, which makes it not a planet, apparently.”

Shouta just nodded along, pleased that the boy was talking so much. Everything fascinated him, and he walked around the store with wonder in his eyes. Almost every knick-knack caught his interest; hoodies, caps, posters, and a lava lamp. It was starting to get difficult to hide all this stuff from him. Shouta placed the basket on the ground and gave an eye to one of the employees. At first, she looked confused but then Shouta made a head motion to Danny and a look of understanding lit up her face. Danny turned back wondering what was happening.

“Someone just left their cart behind without paying.” Shouta nodded at the employee again who smiled knowingly.

“Oh, that’s rude.” He shrugged and kept walking around. They had explored the whole store and were back at the door. Danny opened it, but looked back inside, clearly sad to leave, like a kid who didn’t get anything from an ice cream shop. He walked out after a second, holding it open for Shouta. He looked at him expectantly, but instead Shouta shook his head.

“You wait out here for a second.” He tried to make his face blank to not reveal anything. Danny looked at him with confusion and squinted eyes, but didn’t protest, and let the door close. Shouta went to the cashier, and she had already started scanning things.

“I was worried you were going to leave, and I would have to put this all back,” she joked.

“Sorry to have worried you,” Shouta responded, ignoring the opening for small talk. She hummed and put the items in the bag. Shouta stopped her at the last thing, a hoodie with white cartoon stars decorating the outside while the inside was lined with a more realistic star scape. “I can hold that one.” She handed it to him after removing the tag. He paid her and left.

He expected to see Danny leaning against the side of the building, petting Digiorno while he waited. Instead, he only saw Digiorno standing on his scarf, hackles raised and growling deeply. Shouta panicked, not being able to find Danny quickly enough. He panicked even more when he did. A little way across the street was a giant man with a shark head being thrown into the ground. All around people were screaming and running to get away. Danny was not one of those faces. Inexplicably, he was the one who threw the shark man.

Shouta felt his face go slack and his jaw hang open. Of course, he was the type to run headfirst into danger and of course he was good at it. This didn’t help his panic any, and in fact made it worse. Danny was not one of his students, he had no idea what his limits were. Still- Shouta felt a curl of pride coil in his chest. He shook it off. Digiorno still sat on his scarves, which Shouta would need since he wasn’t sure his quirk would work on the villain. He set the bag down and placed the hoodie on top of it so it wouldn’t get dirty, then lifted Digiorno off and dropped him down again. The cat protested and smacked Shouta, but he was in a hurry so hardly noticed.

Shouta sprinted to the chaos unfolding, watching in slow motion as the villain ripped a street sign out of the ground and used it as a bat against Danny. Fortunately, the boy was small and agile enough to jump over or duck every time it swung at him. What the hell was this kid's quirk?

“Oh hi, Aizawa!” Danny waved at him with a wide excited smile on his face. He looked more alive in that moment than he had all day, his eyes glowing with a weird intensity that almost made them look like they were literally glowing. That was just the distraction that the villain needed to hit Danny, his small body bending on the pole as he was flung backwards onto the ground, a small crater broken beneath him.

Terror seized in his chest, déjà vu of the first League attack and his students. Shouta activated his quirk in vain at the villain. He already knew nothing would happen since he was a mutant type. He closed the distance and swung his scarf around his arm right when he was about to punch Danny on the ground. Danny sat up, not an injury in sight. Shouta breathed a sigh of relief- which then was forced out of him when the boy jumped up to punch the villain in the face.

The villain’s arms went up in reflex to feel his nose, clumsily stepping backwards, dragging Shouta with him. He had to untie it to not get flung into the air or crushed.

“Get back!” He shouted at Danny who ran up to help fight. Why did kids want to get themselves killed in front of Shouta?

“Oh, come on! I had it handled!” He shouted, he was still smiling ear to ear. He had an excited, almost frenzied look in his eyes.

“You most certainly did not!” Danny was so much like his students, but worse. At least they listen to him sometimes. Shouta sighed, “Just aim for the feet and make sure to watch what I’m doing.”

“Aye-aye!” Danny saluted and vaulted to the villain, who just recovered from getting his nose broken. Danny started attacking his feet, rapid punches that made a hard sound when they hit. The villain looked to be in pain, and kept trying to bend down and swat Danny, but the boy was too quick for him. Shouta tied one of his arms with the tape before another blow, then tied it to his opposite leg. Danny looked at him and smiled.

“Pay attention,” Shouta scolded, wanting to avoid last time. He dramatically pouted but turned to the villain once more. It was almost a comical sight, the villain was bouncing back and forth with the use of only one leg and arm. It didn’t take much effort for Danny to kick out his final leg beneath him, causing him to topple over. Danny beamed, his face dirty once more from being thrown into the ground. Must’ve been a habit for him.

Shouta walked over and restrained the villain with the last of his tape. He was still trying to get up, but he looked like a fish on land, which Shouta supposed he was.

“Haha, talk about a fish out of water!” Danny joked. Shouta smiled at him, glad he was safe. That only lasted a second before reality caught up with him.

“What the hell were you thinking?!” He activated his quirk, falling into the angry teacher persona. “You could’ve been really hurt!”

“I told you, I had it handled.” He put his hands up in surrender, but still had an easy-going smile on his mouth, unaware of the risks.

“That doesn’t matter! You’re still a kid, you aren’t supposed to be doing stuff like this.” Shouta rubbed the bridge of his nose, his hair falling down.

“But I have been! And I’m good at it! Trust me, I’m able to take care of myself.” He crossed his arms and pouted once more.

“Your quirk may be powerful, but it’s clear you lack training. You almost got both you and I hurt back there. You have to be more aware of your surroundings.”

“I wouldn’t have let it hurt you, I was on the way.” For the first time he sounded serious. He didn’t care about his safety but clearly put others above his own. Problem child…

Shouta relaxed slightly. He looked like such a kid. “Just do better next time.” Shouta’s face fell, realizing what he said. Shit…

“Next time!” Danny’s face lit up, pout gone. That sealed the deal in Shouta’s mind.

“Under supervision” he stressed, pointing a finger at him. Danny still smiled as he turned to go back to Digiorno.

Shouta got out his flip phone and texted Hisashi to get the spare room ready. He responded quickly, asking if Nemuri or Tensei was going to stay over. Shouta responded with a ‘Nope’ and shut his phone. He knows that wasn’t the best option, but it would be funny and he still needed to get him back.

He caught up with Danny just before he was about to pick up the cat.

“Take off your hoodie first,” Shouta instructed. Danny looked at Digiorno then back at Shouta.

“Why?” His face had the classic expression of teens when you tell them to do something.

“You’ll see.” Shouta replied in way of an explanation. Danny shrugged and started unzipping his hoodie.

As he did so, Shouta picked up Digiorno and the new hoodie, careful to leave the bags behind him and out of sight. When Danny was done, he could see the almost clean white T-shirt that was hidden underneath. Danny rubbed his arms, trying to hide some of the scars on his body. It was too late, Shouta had seen them.

Each one was clearly from something different, some being burns and the others from jabs or slices. There was one in particular that caught Shouta’s eye. It was a Lichtenberg scar that traveled up his left arm. It would be impossible to hide due to the size, but it was the one Danny tried to shield the most. Lichtenberg scars typically only lasted 24 hours, so whatever happened to him it was recent. Pain and regret gnawed at Shouta's insides. He was supposed to be a hero, but he couldn’t save this boy from clear torture. How could someone get away with doing this to a child?! All the heroes failed him.

“I’m so sorry,” Shouta couldn’t help but speak out. Danny gave him a twisted look, clearly uncomfortable at the attention.

“What are you apologizing for?” He let out a little laugh, “You didn’t do anything.”

And that was the problem. Shouta didn’t do anything to help him. He knew it was irrational but a voice in his head said that if he just tried harder, he could’ve saved him.

“Are you safe now?” That was a stupid question. Of course he was safe, because Shouta wouldn’t let anything happen to him again.

“I am.” The boy said with resolve, “They won’t hurt me ever again.” The kid was a fighter, he’d be alright.

He was about to reach for Digiorno when he noticed the hoodie draped over Shouta’s arm.

“What's that?” He pointed at the hoodie. Shouta moved Digiorno to one side of his body, the fat cat nestling between his neck like he did Danny.

“This,” Shouta unfolded it and presented it to Danny, “is just something I’d thought you’d need.”

Danny's mouth turned into the shape of an ‘O’ and his entire demeanor changed from a moment before. He shook his hands excitedly and reached for the hoodie, he looked back up at Shouta as if asking for permission. Shouta nodded and the boy took it and started examining it closer, feeling the soft fabric and staring at the stars.

“Oh cool, it’s reversible!” He flipped it inside-out so that the galaxy was on the outside and put it on. The blues and whites of the stars brought out the shine in the boy’s eyes, making him seem almost a part of the cosmos. Shouta smiled, a warm feeling blooming inside of him. Oh yeah, Shouta was going to keep him.

A cop came up to them, recognizing Shouta as a hero.

“Afternoon, Eraser Head, sir” he greeted. Danny watched silently, but there was a sharp look in his eye. “I assume that villain over there is your work?”

“It is,” Shouta nodded. Danny moved to stand behind him a little. The cop didn’t mind him and just went back to his job.

“I see. Would I be able to get a report from you or ask you a few questions?”

“I’m afraid I am off right now, but I can fax the report to your supervisor, detective Tsukauchi, later today.” Shouta didn’t have time for this right now, and he knew throwing out Tsukauchi’s name would get him to leave him alone.

“Of course, sir, I mean Eraser head.” The cop gave a short bow, and walked off to his co-workers, who were loading the villain into a car.

Shouta sighed, relaxing. It wasn’t that he found those types of interactions stressful, but they were certainly annoying.

“What was that about?” Danny moved out from behind him, confusion on his face. It was clear that Danny wasn’t too familiar with the local heroes, and even if he were, it was doubtful he knew who Shouta was.

“Ah, I’m a hero, so the man was just asking me a few questions. No need to worry yourself.” Danny’s face went through a series of emotions. First surprise, then awe, then confusion and finally concern. He went paler than usual.

“You’re not gonna tell them about me, are you?” His voice sounded small, unsure. His eyes darted to Shouta to the street, deciding to run or not.

“Not him specifically, but his supervisor.” Shouta watched him closely, “We’re acquaintances and he’s good at keeping information restricted, if that’s what you’re worried about?” Shouta quirked his eyebrow at the boy and nodded, relieved. Shouta would not question him about it, choosing to let the boy tell him in his own time.

Danny reached for Digiorno, and Shouta gave the cat to him like he was a baby. Shouta grabbed some more tape from one of his many pockets, and wrapped the scarf around him like last time, and the two were off again.

There were only a few shops left, but nothing had piqued the boy’s interest, so Shouta didn’t get anything. By this point, they were about to enter the food district.

Shouta checked his phone again and finally read Hisashi's messages;

3:08pm Did you take in another stray again? I hope it’s not feral like last time.

3:08pm I had to get SHOTS honey, SHOTS! Not to mention the fleas…

3:09pm Whatever you are planning just know I want no part in it!

3:13pm I did clean the room like you asked

3:14pm Ok I didn’t. It was already clean I just fluffed the pillows

3:18pm Sho?

3:20pm Shouta?

3:22pm Honey?

3:22pm Baby?

3:22pm Darling?

3:23pm Honey buns?

3:23pm Light of my life?

3:25pm Fine.

3:28pm I don’t even care!

3:31pm What time are you getting home?

Shouta decided to respond with a simple: I’m going shopping. Do you want anything?

Hisashi responded quickly; You~😙💛

God, he was so cheesy. Shouta smiled at the phone. How about takoyaki?

That is acceptable. Could you get the ingredients for Unadon? I’m feeling lazy and want to do something else tonight 😉👌🍆💦

Shouta looked up at Danny to see if he noticed his facial expressions change. He was still focusing on the cat, bouncing on his heels like he was a baby that needed soothed. He looked up at Shouta, sensing his eyes, then looked at him confused seeing the change. Shouta ignored him and texted back Hisashi.

Not tonight. You’ll see why

😢

Shouta shut his phone and wiped his face, trying to get it blank. Danny came up to him, his face a mixture of confusion and glee. Shouta groaned and walked ahead. Danny of course ran up to him and knocked into his shoulder playfully. Shouta just patted his head and ruffled his hair, not even realizing what he was doing. Neither of them commented on it and just continued walking.

Danny naturally followed behind him. Neither of them was talking but they had grown used to each other, their steps in sync. It was strange. Shouta had always kept himself at a distance from others, even Hizashi at first. People had to pester him to open up and be around them, like a feral cat not used to people. He didn’t mind it and was even thankful for their intrusion. But with Danny, it felt natural. The kid overall had a weird energy, both electric and calming. Shouta thinks the boy felt a similar way since he hasn’t run off yet, even though he was clearly able to.

He wanted to ask him so many questions; what was his quirk? Why did he react like that to the cop? And maybe most pressing of all, what happened to him? There had to be a reason this boy was out alone in the world. Shouta couldn’t imagine it was because of anything he did, but he knew people were cruel.

Shouta will let the boy reveal it on his own time, he knows how much it hurts when people press an issue you’re not ready to talk about.

They walked into the store, it was one of those mega stores from the U.S. It was seen as more of a novelty than a reliable store, but they had some stuff here that Shouta needed.

“Can I give you a list and we'll meet back here in 30 minutes?” Shouta needed Danny to be distracted so he could go get him some stuff. Danny cocked his eyebrow but nodded. Shouta ripped off a page from the note he kept in his pocket and wrote some of what they needed. Most of the ingredients he made sure were close to each other and easy to find, so as not to overwhelm Danny. He handed the list to Danny and they went their separate ways.

Shouta went to the clothes section. Danny hadn’t been wearing dirt long enough for it to be fasionable. There he picked up 3 pairs of jeans, 3 black and white t-shirts, PJs, and new shoes, since his were falling apart from all that walking. Shouta wasn’t sure what size Danny was, but he guessed, aiming close to bigger than smaller. He also got him a belt in case the pants were indeed too big. It wasn’t the best wardrobe, but it was a good start.

Shouta checked the clock on the wall, and he still had 10 minutes left. Good. He could use that to buy these and get the rest of the food. He was able to successfully pull it off with a minute to spare. He had gotten a larger bag to condense all of the boy’s gifts without it being too heavy.

He went back to the designated spot and waited for Danny. A few minutes went by and the boy had yet to arrive. Panic started seizing Shouta’s chest. Had he gotten into another fight? Did he run away or get lost? He was put at ease when the boy came around the corner- without the cat.

Shouta studied him, looking for any sign of distress. Instead, he was beaming and waved to Shouta like he had with the villain, naive to how the situation looked from the outside. He had a spring to his step as he finally reached Shouta.

“I wanna show you something!” Danny swayed his body excitedly, playing with the tassels on his hoodie. Now that there was no cat, Danny wore the capture tape as a normal scarf. If Shouta ignored a few factors, Danny looked a lot like him when he was in school. They even had the same haircut. He tried to ignore the sudden attack of his beating heart. He could only imagine Hizashi’s reaction.

“Where’s Digiorno?” Shouta didn’t hesitate in asking. Danny didn’t seem worried, so it wasn’t likely anyone had taken him from him. Shouta doubted they could though. He had seen how strong the boy was. It could’ve been that Danny didn’t even realize the cat was missing. In that case it would be better to start looking for him sooner before he got too far.

“That’s what I wanted to show you!” His smile grew brighter as he turned around, revealing a cat carrier backpack. It looked like a rocket ship, Digiorno’s face in the window like he was blasting off.

“Cute.” Shouta commented.

“It was on sale,” Danny beamed again, this time his voice taking a prouder tone, “I had some left-over money and I just couldn’t pass it up!”

That confused Shouta slightly. He was under the impression that the boy had nothing to his name. Although, that might have been a bit presumptuous of him. There are plenty of ways to get money on the street. His mind soured thinking of the implications of that, a grimace almost slipping onto his face. It was better to ask the boy and give him all the support he needed.

“How’d you get the money?” Shouta tried not to let anything slip into his voice, watching the boy with one eye for any reaction.

“Just some odd jobs here and there,” Danny shrugged. He had an odd look on his face as he watched Shouta, “there’s an old guy that pays me to move boxes for him to his coffee shop. He’s nice and even gives me food after.” He started chewing on one of his tassels at the mention of food.

Shouta reached into his giant bag of bags for the takoyaki. It was lukewarm by now and on the cusp of needing to be thrown out, but it was editable enough. He handed it over to Danny, who opened it without hesitation and started munching down. Him and Hizashi were similar in that aspect.

“I got what we need so we can go now.” Shouta began walking out of the store, knowing that Danny would follow along. It felt like they’d been doing this for a while or had at least known each other for a longer than they had. It felt nice in a weird way. It didn’t feel like it did when he was with Hizashi or even with his students.

“Where are we going now?” Danny asked, mouth half full of food. It had only been a few hours, but he seemed more relaxed than when Shouta had first met him. It was clear that the kid was putting on a front before, but through the day had slowly let it fall.

“Back home.” Shouta hummed, not really paying attention. Danny slowed down behind him then stopped. Shouta turned back and saw a blank face with far off eyes. He was about to ask what was wrong when it was suddenly washed away by a smile like before, but his eyes still had that same look.

“Huh,” He laughed, “‘home,’” he said it like the word tasted weird in his mouth, “haven’t heard that word in a while.” His hands looked awkward, not knowing what to do. Finally, they wrapped around his body like a hug, or something to keep him contained from exploding.

The boy never let himself have a sad look on his face, and if he did, he wiped it off quickly. Shouta wondered if that was to make others feel better or himself. He already knew the answer. You don’t smile for other people if you’re used to being alone. The boy had clearly been through a lot and kept it bottled up inside. It was too dangerous on the streets to show that kind of vulnerability. Shouta had to show him that it was okay somehow. There was a bench behind them and Shouta sat down. Danny followed but did not sit. His eyes were curious about what he was going to do.

“You know,” he started, unsure what he was going to say, “I didn’t have a place until recently.” Danny looked up at him, but Shouta looked away. It was uncomfortable to talk about, even if he wanted to help the boy. “It wasn’t as bad as what you’re facing, but it still left something heavy in me.” Shouta rubbed his chest, reflexively, “My parents weren’t ever around, always working or whatever they did at night. Sometimes, they would leave food in the fridge or money on the table, but it was never enough. I hated being in that empty house so I would wander the streets. Got into a few fights too, nothing compared to that villain, just some people who tried to jump me.” He looked down at his hands. It sounded so silly as an adult, but as a kid it deeply affected him.

“I-” Danny’s voice broke. He moved to sit next to Shouta, a comfortable distance apart. He coughed, “My parents were very similar, except they never left the house. My sister was the one who raised me, but she was only 2 years older so there wasn’t much she was able to do. I hated how much she babied me cause she was just a baby herself. She’s still like that,” he laughed but it was hollow, “They would try every once in a while. For my birthdays they would get me big gifts like a Lego set or working model rockets,” he that same look, a bittersweet sadness lost in a memory, “They stopped after I was around 13. It was like I didn’t even exist.” His eyebrows furrowed and he had a lost look in his eye, as if trying to understand them. His parents already sounded awful, but Shouta got the nasty feeling it was going to get worse. It was weird, Shouta wasn’t the best with emotions, his or others, but for some reason he wanted to reach out and comfort Danny.

“I did a lot of stupid shit to get their attention. But they would just yell and then go back to forgetting about me. On the rare occasions they were out, I would bring my friends to their little lab. They had a project they were working on that they called ‘their baby’ cause I guess we were just roommates at that point.” Danny tried to laugh but it came out more like a scoff, “I hated that thing. It had stolen all my parent’s time and then had the gall to not even work. They rather hang out with trash than us. Me and my friends were hanging out when one of us got the bright idea to try to fix it. None of us were thinking, but it sounded like a good plan. If I could somehow fix that thing, my parents wouldn’t waste all their time on it. If I broke it, well maybe they would just give up.” Danny had a look of frustration on his face with a touch of glee, as if reliving that moment. The excitement at the prospect of getting his parents back along with the cockiness of a teenager.

His face slowly fell, rubbing the palm of his hand with the Lichtenberg scar. “That didn’t happen.” His face darkened and a bitter expression twisted his youthful features, “Next thing I knew I was in the hospital. Only my sister and friends were there. You see,” he turned to Shouta, a sarcastic and frenzied smile on his lips, “somehow, I managed to fix the damn thing, so my parents were off, fussing over their favorite baby.” he sneered, then set his elbow on his knee, holding his face in his hand. He stared out at the street, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

Shouta hated Danny’s parents. What type of people would abandon their hurt child for some hunk of metal? The same hunk of metal that put him in the hospital. Danny’s whole story just brought up the question of what type of people they were. Not only have they neglected and put their own children at risk, but also the children of others. They could’ve very easily installed a lock or even an alarm to keep them out. Hell, the thing shouldn’t have even been in the house if it was so dangerous. They sounded more like villains than loving parents. One thing Shouta was sure of was that Danny was never going to see them again.

When Danny spoke again it was quieter, smaller, “It wasn’t until later that I learned what the thing took from me…” And that broke Shouta. He wrapped his arms around Danny, pressing the boy’s face into his chest. Danny went rigid at first, but relaxed into it, wrapping his own arms around Shouta’s back. Danny was so small despite his earlier strength. It felt like he was holding a kitten rather than a teenager.

“Why weren’t we enough for them?” his voice had completely broken, and it was clear that he was trying to hold back sobs, “We needed them and they turned away!” he pulled Shouta tighter, his fists gripping his jumpsuit. “We tried so hard to be enough for them! We behaved, we studied, we did everything to get their attention but it was never enough!” He started sobbing at this point, “My sister, she tried so hard! She was the top of the whole school, but they could barely spare her a glance! I watched as she destroyed herself studying. If she’s not good enough for them, how could I ever be?” He continued sobbing into Shouta’s chest, his tears making his shirt wet. Inside, Shouta was crying with the boy, he could even feel his eyes start to burn. He held him tighter, bringing one hand up to stroke his hair and he laid his chin on top of his head, as if to shield him from the world.

“You are enough.” He soothed, “You always have been enough.” God, how do you explain that to a child? How do you explain that it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them? With care, that’s how.

“Your parents couldn’t see that. They don’t deserve you, if they did, they would’ve been there. Every good parent would’ve been there. You and your sister were so strong when you never should have had to, to begin with.” Danny sobbed again, hiccupping. It had probably been a while since he was able to cry, when he felt safe enough to cry.

Shouta remembered the days of being a teenager, of holding it all in and crumbling down when he was alone, until he taught himself not to cry. He had told himself that was strength and he was strong for it, but he had never been so weak. Hizashi had truly saved his life. Without him or Nemuri and Oboro, Shouta was sure he wouldn’t be here now. He would’ve exploded with everything else inside him. Shouta wants to be that for Danny. To show him that he’s safe and won’t ever be unloved or abused like that again.

Danny kept crying into Shouta’s chest and Shouta let him, staying and holding him until he was able to get it all out.

It was starting to get dark, the summer sun in the sky going to bed early under a blanket of clouds. It will be a cold night, it might even rain. The rest of the people on the street were thinking similarly and had all moved to go back into their warm homes. An overwhelming peaceful feeling settled into Shouta's chest, one he hadn’t felt for a while. He thinks Danny was the reason for it. The boy had stopped crying, and now leaned against him, using his shoulder as a pillow. Like before, neither of them commented on it. It had felt so natural that to call it out would be like disturbing a forest.

Danny had glazed over eyes. They were red and puffy from crying too much. They also had a look of tiredness, the eyes of someone too stubborn to let sleep in. Crying takes a lot out of someone, no matter their age. Teenagers get so egotistical when they’re really just tall children (adults too).

Shouta checked his phone again. It had been almost an hour since he said he would be back soon and Hizashi was freaking out. Maybe he should tell him of his little surprise, a child is not something to spring on someone. Still- Shouta thought back to their last anniversary. They had gone out of the district to the biggest karaoke bar in Japan. Shouta didn’t remember much of it, drinking to turn out Hizashi’s drunken love ballads, but somehow, Hizashi had traded the motorcycle that Shouta had just given him for a hot pink moped with cheetah print seats. They had to drive back home on that thing.

Don’t worry, I’m not dead. Be home soon.

Not soon enough!!! 😠

Too bad.

When Hizashi didn’t immediately respond Shouta texted:

Also, the takoyaki is gone.

Traitor! 😦😡

It was warm anyway.

I still would’ve eaten it 😾

I know. I just saved your life.

Is the other food still good?

Of course. I’ll be home soon so they don’t get bad. I love you.

I love you too 😙💛

But make sure you’re actually home soon cause I am hungry

👍

Danny was still leaning against Shouta and the same feeling of regret filled him as if he was about to move a cat. It would’ve been a sweet sight if the boy didn’t look like a corpse. That did help motivate him somewhat. Shouta gently patted Danny’s shoulder, not too hard or sudden to startle the boy, just enough to wake him.

Danny suddenly took a deep breath in as if he were just resuscitated and looked around for a threat. Digiorno growled from being shaken but was unable to attack either of them since he was in the carrier. That seemed to calm Danny, and he completely settled when he saw Shouta.

“Ugh, how long was I out for?” He rubbed his eyes, a yawn escaping from his mouth.

“A few minutes.” Shouta responded. So the boy was asleep. Creepy, but a useful skill. “The bus leaves in a few minutes if we want to get home soon,” Shouta stood up and stretched. His back and butt aching from the hard bench.

“Right, home.” he said the word sadly, but not as much as last time. An embarrassed look spread across his face, “Hey, uh, sorry for like, crying and stuff,” he looked away from Shouta and scratched his neck again. He had been doing that a lot today, it was probably a nervous tic.

“Don’t feel bad about it. I’m happy I was able to help, at least in some small way. Just try to remember you don’t have to take the world on by yourself, alright?” It was clear that Danny needed a lot of support, definitely counseling too. He wants the boy to feel safe talking about his feelings.

“Yeah, whatever.” Danny started to kick the gravel nearby, pretending not to listen.

“Come on,” Shouta patted him on the head again, “we have to hurry if we want to catch the bus.”

And they started walking again. Danny walked slightly behind him, his head going back and forth at every sound or looking out for danger. The kid might have been opening up to Shouta, but it was clear he was still used to being on the streets. It was good survival instincts, he wished his students were this diligent, but it made him sad that this was what Danny was used to.

Truly, it was only a few minutes away, and Danny relaxed again in the bus. He leaned against Shouta and dozed off, similarly to how he did before, holding the carrier on his lap.

Digiorno had crawled out of the flap and onto Shouta’s lap. Everyone was using him as a bed today. He purred as Shouta stroked him back and forth. Was he really going to die? He had seemed fine all day, if a bit slow. Shouta thought back to the villain fight. Digiorno didn’t run away or even move despite how scared he was. Was it a problem with his joints? Did it hurt to move? While the cat laid in his lap, Shouta looked him over. There was some loose skin where his pouch used to be, and his fur had gotten lighter. His fur also had a rougher, almost coarse texture. How come Shouta didn’t notice this before?

Cats were very close to his heart and had even saved his life. After Oboro died, he took in Sushi. He didn’t care about himself and let his needs go. One day, Sushi got sick. He rushed her to the vet clinic already crying at the prospect of losing his friend all over again. Fortunately, she was just dehydrated, but his lack of care had nearly killed her. Shouta had neglected his own needs in his grief and had almost killed her because of it. He had to learn to take care of another living thing, and in doing so, he learned he had to care for himself too.

This care extended to the stray cats, and he met Digiorno not long after. He tried to find the strays good homes, but Digiorno always ended up on the street again. Maybe he was similar to Danny in that way, thrown away not because of anything he did, but because of the cruel world around him. Looking back, Shouta quietly beat himself. If he had tried harder, would Digiorno be dying right now? There were so many cats to look after, but only if he had been slightly more diligent, this wouldn’t have happened. No, he couldn’t think like that. It was just an offhand comment from Danny. The kid was odd in a few places, but Shouta was pretty sure knowing when someone was going to die was not in his wheelhouse. The kid was too full of life to be anywhere close to death.

Still, those thoughts ate at him the whole bus ride. He should call Ms. Shuzenji to check Digiorno over, maybe even Danny. He sent a quick text to her, shaking his foot until she responded. She said she would be able to stop by in a few hours, which was better than nothing.

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