Hizashi is an active person who loves socializing and music and teaching, noise doesn't bother him but sometimes he just likes to quietly putter around in the kitchen before anyone else is up and make breakfast. He doesn't turn on any music, just basks in the peace and quiet of his home.
The rest of his family will be up soon and he'll be back to the action and excitement of life but he enjoys a moment to himself. He has big plans for today after all! He needs to take Izu shopping and since it's the weekend and his stamina is slowly improving it's the perfect opportunity!
He's almost finished with the pancakes when he hears stirring from the hallway. A quick glance reveals a bleary eyed Izuku stumbling into the hall bathroom. Perfect timing!
By the time Izuku makes it to the table Hizashi has breakfast all ready and has subtly placed the syrup and whipped cream next to his plate. He looks adorably overwhelmed by it all. Hizashi was right to go all out. He hates the reasons Izu still treats food as a blessing and not a basic requirement but he can't say it doesn't make him smile to see his wide eyes and poorly hidden excitement at trying something new.
They've been trying new recipes left and right to get a feel for Izu's favorites. Hizashi and Shouta aren't slouches but they might genuinely become great cooks if Izuku keeps blessing them with precious smiles over every meal.
Hizashi and Shouta have plans to try to make katsudon after their shopping trip. Hizashi just hopes it works out and Izu likes it.
"Alrighty Izu! Ready to go shopping?"
"Y-you really d-don't have to b-buy me anything Yamada-san, I'm f-fine."
"Nonsense, you need stuff that you like and fit."
Izuku still looks a little scared but they planned for that.
"I've got a list and everything! Shouta can't even accuse me of going overboard cause he helped make it!" He whispers the last part like a secret and is pleased to see the little one relax, if only marginally.
-
The nerves are back by the time they reach the mall. Poor kid looks overwhelmed by the prospect of picking a store, much less picking items in said store.
Hizashi really doesn't want this to be any more stressful than it needs to be so he gently guides him over to a reasonably sized clothing store and gives him the list they'd made of what clothes to get and how many.
"Don't worry about prices, just make sure they're comfortable and you like them." With that he guides Izuku to the racks that look to be his size and starts going through clothes. After a few moments of uncertainty, Izu starts following his example.
There's not much Hizashi can do to help his nerves beyond suggesting the most outrageous options he can find, horrible polka dots, loud clashing stripes, the ugliest shade of purple he's seen in his life. Eventually Izuku's shoulders come down from their hunched position and he stops glancing up at Hizashi's face every other second for approval.
Finally, he brings over what is, based on how nervous he is, probably his first actual suggestion. Not a guess on what Hizashi wants, something that he wants.
It's a plain t-shirt with the words "dress shirt" scrawled on the front.
Is that something kids like?
"Looks rocking little listener!"
Hizashi did not think he'd be out of touch with the youth before he hit twenty-seven and yet here he is, puzzling over a plain t-shirt that says "dress shirt." Is it ironic? Is this some newfangled trend?
Izuku takes his reaction as the positive that it is (even if Hizashi really isn't sure what to make of it) and comes back with a different colored shirt with "flannel shirt" printed on it. It's not even flannel? It's light blue? Whatever, Izu's happy and that's what matters.
By the fourth variation on the trend Hizashi is getting a little concerned. Hopefully he isn't committing just because Hizashi said the first one looked good.
"You know Izu, you can pick something different if you want."
"I-I like these, they're n-nice."
That settles it, if Izuku wants to wear nothing but shirts that have random descriptions of other clothes, that's what Izuku will wear.
-
It takes a while and some convincing on Hizashi's end but they get the clothes done. Izuku makes most of the choices without much more prodding and Hizashi only lightly pushes for a few extra hoodies that he's certain would look absolutely adorable. Izu seems to know his play but agrees after feeling how fuzzy and warm his choices are. To make sure he doesn't wear out before they finish they get smoothies before moving on to the rest of the list.
Up next is a phone and school supplies. The process doesn't take long but by the end Izuku's fidgeting is much worse and he's clearly anxious. It's obvious that he's at the end of his rope. Hizashi knows not to push too hard, poor kid's still overwhelmed and traumatized. They can always come back and while he'd love for Izu to make his room his own his mental wellbeing has to come first.
Decorations will have to wait then.
-
Izuku doesn't like shopping. Honestly he kind of hates it. Not that he's had many opportunities to go on shopping sprees before. Being thrown out into a sea of choices and told to choose is terrifying. What if they don't like his choices or it's all a trap or he picks something expensive by accident or doesn't pick fast enough or... unspoken rules are scary and never turn out well for Izuku.
But, as stupid as it might be, he trusts Yamada-san and the list does help. He's not drowning in choices with no sense of the consequences if he messes up. The list gives him goals, he just needs enough shirts and pants to meet the requirements and then he can move on to the next thing. He even manages to pluck up the courage to actually pick things he likes and Yamada-san doesn't tell him they're stupid or ugly or too much money. It's still so stressful but it helps and he gradually manages to relax a little.
The smoothie is really nice and he manages to make it through most of the rest of the list. He's dreading the last thing on the list though. It just says decorations. No instructions, no elaboration like the rest of the list, no suggestions. Just... decorations. Izuku doesn't want to. It's too much on top of an already stressful day.
Yamada-san doesn't make him.
Izuku must not have done a very good job hiding how anxious and nervous he feels because Yamada-san just looks him in the eye and says they can come back another day for decorations. He can't even try to hide how relieved he feels. Yamada-san doesn't seem annoyed at having to come back later even though he could have just ignored how stressed he is and kept going, he's so nice.
-
Izuku likes to watch Aizawa-san and Yamada-san cook from the kitchen counter. He's never felt very safe around adults and it's always been in his best interest to make himself scarce as often as possible but Izuku's slowly coming to trust these two and he wants to spend time with them. He might be a little starved for human contact. They don't cook together very often, usually they trade meals so it's a little odd to see them dancing around each other in the kitchen... or, Yamada-san is dancing, Izuku is fairly sure Aizawa-san doesn't know how to dance. He's really good at subtly dodging Yamada-san though.
Izuku just sits quietly and watches them. He's really good at being quiet, and watching is a habit born from necessity. They know he's there of course, Yamada-san keeps grinning at him and Aizawa-san has rolled his eyes dramatically in his direction over his husband's antics more than once. Izuku revels in the feeling of being in the same space as someone else without the constant crawling fear that seems to follow him nearly everywhere. The little voice that tells him to cower and hide is blessedly quiet and he feels safe.
They're making katsudon, Izuku distantly realizes from his spot at the counter.
He'd honestly forgotten he'd mentioned liking it.
-
Looking down at his meal brings equal parts excitement and trepidation. Will he like it? He remembers begging his apathetic mother to make it before things got really bad but the memory of what it tastes like eludes him. Maybe trying it again will jog his memory? He isn't sure.
He takes a slightly shuddering breath and tries a bite.
It's good.
It tastes nothing like he remembers.
Or maybe he just doesn't remember at all.
One of the only positive things he had of his very short childhood and he can't remember what his mother's katsudon tasted like.
It didn't taste like this.
He spent so long desperately clinging to what tiny scraps of happiness he had and...
He doesn't know what it tasted like.
He hears a chair scrape loudly across the floor as someone gets up.
Yamada-san is kneeling in front of him looking a little frantic. Why is he upset? Did Izuku do something wrong? He didn't mean to.
He reaches out oh so gently and Izuku doesn't flinch. He cups his face in his hands and brushes his thumb over his cheek and...
Oh.
He's crying.
The realization shocks him into sucking in a breath. Suddenly it's like the dam breaks and he's sobbing in earnest. Yamada-san just keeps carefully wiping his tears away, like he's something precious. It only makes him sob all the harder.
He isn't even sure why he's crying.
There's nothing wrong with the katsudon. He's safe and warm. He has adults that don't ignore or hurt him. Things are so much better now. So why is he crying?
He doesn't know.
His breath hitches as he tries to focus through his distress and tears. He vaguely registers a hand running through his hair and Yamada-san still crouched in front of him gently thumbing away his tears as they fall. He can see Aiko staring at him from one of the bookshelves. He's still holding chopsticks. Someone's saying something he can't quite make out. It's comforting all the same.