Shouta’s been gone for over an hour by the time Hizashi gets up.
The note he left behind tells Hizashi that Nedzu’s hit some sort of break in Izuku’s case. They’re calling Tsukauchi in for an early morning meeting.
So much for a quiet weekend with the family.
Hizashi hopes they found something good.
He hopes whoever runs that organization goes down in flames and he hopes they don’t see it coming.
Hizashi takes a deep breath and puts it out of his mind. It probably isn’t healthy to start his day wishing destruction on his enemies. It’s just Hizashi and Izuku today and he’s going to make it a good day.
He wanders to the kitchen and putters around, fixing something easy with Aiko steadily complaining at his feet. A quick glance at the clock shows that it’s pretty late for Izuku, he’s usually up by now.
Hizashi doesn’t frown though he does glance down at his feline companion.
She meows, loud and demanding.
“Hmm, I agree. It is a little odd he isn’t up yet.” He muses.
She meows again, apparently she can tell her complaining isn’t working.
“Oh, you poor thing. Truly tragic that we don’t feed you every hour.” He shakes his head sympathetically.
He waits a few minutes, glancing up at the clock before eating his own breakfast and putting Izuku’s portion away. It won’t hurt him to sleep in a bit.
The quiet doesn’t bother him, for all he usually enjoys the ambient noise of other people. Hizashi takes the opportunity to read some of a book Nemuri gave him and stubbornly ignores the stack of essays that need grading. He’ll deal with them later.
He’s internally proud of how long he lasts. To Nemuri’s credit, she knows his taste well and the small but growing bubbles of worry don’t distract him too badly.
Finally, he gives up and sets the book down. It wouldn’t hurt to check on him.
Hizashi knocks lightly on the door and listens for any response from inside. He gets a small sound and chooses to take it as permission.
Izuku blinks over at him from the bed. He looks… tired, awake and probably has been for a while but miserable. Tuna has taken up a place by his stomach and is purring away at his side.
Hizashi walks forward and places a hand on his cheek.
“Feeling alright, Izu?” He isn’t warm with fever or sweaty with sickness that Hizashi can tell.
Izuku sighs in response and it’s like a weight that shouldn’t be there is hanging on him.
It isn’t going to be a good day.
“I’m tired.” He mumbles.
“Okay, do you think you want to go back to sleep?” Hizashi asks.
“Not-, not that kind of tired.” Izuku just shakes his head and mutters.
“Okay.” He passes his thumb gently over Izuku’s cheek. “Do you want to get up?”
“I don’t know.” Hizashi doesn’t sigh, he doesn’t want Izuku to take it the wrong way.
“Why don’t you get up and we’ll see about some breakfast.” He suggests. “Then if you want you can come back and snuggle with Tuna.”
Izuku nods and starts to get up. Hizashi leaves him to it and heads back to the kitchen.
He sets Izuku’s breakfast on the table and smiles when he comes out. He hasn’t changed and his hair’s still a mess but it’s progress.
Hizashi flips through his book of recipes to avoid focusing on his kid too much. It barely helps, Izuku barely eats. He pushes the food around and tries, he obviously does but with little progress.
Eventually, Hizashi just smiles and puts what’s left back in the fridge.
“You want to hang out on the couch or something, kiddo?”
Izuku shrugs and goes to the couch. Tuna wins a small smile when she settles on his chest. The cats can all see that something’s wrong just as Hizashi can.
Aiko takes over Izuku’s feet. Hizashi imagines Sake would join too if he were around and not lazing in one of his hiding spots.
He finishes cleaning up and tracks down Izuku's green blanket to drape over his legs. Finally, once he's satisfied he nudges the pile of child and cats over enough that he can join them. Izuku leans into him without thinking.
“Bad day?” Hizashi asks, he gets a vague grumble and starts running his fingers through his curls. Some of the tension in Izu’s frame gives way and he settles in, snatching his book from the side table.
It may not be a good day but it is a quiet one.
Hizashi will take it.
-
His foot’s asleep.
His side and one leg are sore from all the weight leaning on them.
There is a cat crawling on his neck, claws poking through his shirt.
“Sake.” He hisses. “Knock that off.”
Sake knocks nothing off and in fact, settles in.
Hizashi can only sigh.
Izuku leans over so Hizashi can shuffle Sake onto the floor. He cradles Tuna to his chest for a moment so she doesn't shift too much.
“What do you say to some cookies, Izu?”
He shrugs in response but follows when Hizashi stands and starts for the kitchen.
Izuku makes no move to help, staring blankly as Hizashi goes through the motions of mixing the wet and dry ingredients. Hizashi coaxes him into adding the chocolate chips but outside of that he’s a little too gone to be much help.
They don’t talk much.
Hizashi hums one of the songs from the previous week’s schedule as he puts the cookies in the oven.
“I ran away today.” Izuku says, it’s quiet and loud all at once.
“Yeah?” Hizashi does his best not to react.
He hums and stares off to the side before refocusing.
“Yeah, it was today, or tonight I guess.” Ah, that would explain it.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Hizashi isn’t surprised when Izuku shakes his head. “Think you’ll be okay till Tuesday?” They can reschedule his therapy appointment if they need to but Izuku just shakes his head again.
“I don’t know why I feel like this.” He grumbles. “I’m-, I’m okay now.”
Hizashi hums and can’t help walking around the counter to give him a hug.
“I’m-, I j-just-.” He crumples.
“I think,” Hizashi starts. “I think it isn’t as simple as being okay now.”
He squeezes a little tighter and remembers the skinny, terrified child of only a few months ago. He doesn’t say anything more for a bit. Izuku knows better than most that healing isn’t linear, he doesn’t need Hizashi to tell him that. He doesn’t need to be told it’ll get better, that this is the worst day he’s had in a long time.
“I'm so proud of you.” He whispers.
Izuku murmurs a halfhearted disagreement, that he doesn't see why.
Hizashi only hums and leans down to rest his chin on Izuku's head for a moment, this isn't the time for disagreeing.
"I love you so much, kiddo."
Izuku’s breathing hitches for a moment and the little arms around him tighten almost desperately.
It isn’t the first time Hizashi’s told him, it isn’t the first time Izuku’s whispered it back.
It doesn’t fix anything, not at all.
They stay like that until the oven timer beeps anyway.