Chapter Text
"Dad?" Someone says, soft and hesitant, near his elbow. Shouta nearly backhands them in surprise.
It's dangerous to sneak up on off-duty heroes. Dangerous to sneak up on anyone really, when you don't know them or what they are capable of.
A teenager, short and underfed with prominent freckles on his cheeks, stands less than three feet from him.
Shouta opens his mouth to tell the kid to leave him alone (he is not in the mood to deal with more children than he has to in a day-the quota has been met) when said teenager crowds a little closer with a nervous smile. "Sorry I'm late."
Shouta has never seen this teen before in his life, let alone waited for him anywhere. But then the kid’s eyes dart to the side and there’s a very, very, tense line to his shoulders. He glances over as well, scanning the rest of the customers until his eyes catch on a man at the end of the aisle staring very intently at the two of them. The man is average height with short cropped bronze hair and pale yellow eyes. He’s wearing jeans and a dark blue hoodie. With the way the kid's standing, almost putting Shouta directly between them, it's obvious he considers the man a threat.
He could leave.
He never would, but the option was there, staring him in the face against all his better morals. Shouta sighs, resisting the urge to bury himself in his sleeping bag and never come out, and makes a decision.
"Was wondering where you went," he says, dumping the basket into the kid's arms and taking satisfaction in the brief expression of surprise and bafflement. But he brightens once he realizes Shouta's going along with his story and follows him into the next aisle.
"Sorry, got lost looking for batteries," the teen says. He isn't entirely sure the store even carries batteries, but he doesn't say that aloud. He grunts instead, handing over a few packages of spicy-sweet instant noodles that he finally finds on the bottom shelf.
"Took you long enough."
It’s quiet between them for a few minutes after that, but the kid doesn’t complain about being made to carry stuff. Nor does he look like he’s going to bolt the moment Shouta pays.
"What's the story behind this, kid?"
"Izuku," the kid responds immediately, in a low toned whisper, as he dutifully takes a bag of rice. "He’s been following me almost all day. You looked the closest, sorry."
Shouta can sort of see it, in the same tiredness that drags at his bones and the messy hair. Enough for a passing glance, at least, but wouldn't hold up under close scrutiny. But he also gets the strange feeling like that’s not all of it, but he doesn’t feel like pressing.
"You know him?" He asks, honestly hoping the answer is negative. Estranged family members were some of the worst kind to deal with. Thankfully, the kid shakes his head.
"Recognized him cause he was hanging around the other side of town before people started disappearing," Izuku says, seemingly unaware of Shouta pausing in the middle of handing him a stout bottle of seasoning. "Other than that, I've got no idea who he is."
Interesting. Shouta continues on with his shopping. "No name?"
"Nah."
By the time he finishes up and pays, the man is waiting outside on a bench, scrolling through his phone without actually glancing at it. It's even more obvious that he has his eye on Izuku, as well, because it looks like the man snaps to attention once he catches a glimpse of the teenager.
Shouta wants to be able to get home to his husband and cats. He does not want to wait the guy out with the kid. So he makes his decision. Thankfully he still has his capture weapon and other equipment.
"C'mon," he tells him, shifting the bags in his arms until the hand closest to his knife is free, just in case. He also subtly makes sure that he is in between the creep and the kid. The teen glances up at him with a squint then down at his own full arms, mouth twisting into a frown.
"You just want someone to carry your stuff," Izuku accuses, but he does follow him down the street and away from the man, slightly behind and to the right.
While it is nice to have someone else carry the bags, that’s not the main reason. This is a worrisome situation, a kid being stalked by a man with obvious ill-intent. Shouta is a hero; he became a hero for a reason and that was to help where he could. And at this moment, he can help this kid not get kidnapped or killed or a hundred other awful things that could happen.
Shouta doesn’t want this kid to be another face on the news.
"Can't have you disappearing on me just yet," Shouta says.
"I'm quirkless," he says, and there's something wistful and bitter in his tone that makes his heart ache for the kid without a way to really express the sentiment. We disappear one way or another."
...
Shouta’s mind blanks for a moment and he almost freezes midstep. This kid...
He glances at the kid out of the corner of his eye to really look at him. Dark green hair, messy and curled in a soft halo around him. Green, very green, eyes that hold a sharp spark of intelligence, a suspicious tint, and something indescribable. Freckles that stand out against pale skin and a dark bruise just visible from under the edge of his shirt collar. The shirt is plain and a little loose over his thin frame. And bright red shoes.
And even while holding the grocery bags, his hands are twisting together. This kid is beyond anxious.
Shouta taps the boy’s elbow lightly. Izuku looks up at him questioningly, yet still with a suspicious sheen. "Kid, are you okay?"
Izuku frowns for a moment before smiling hugely at Shouta. "Of course, I'm fine."
Shouta frowns but says nothing. He knows that smile is just a mask, a shield to protect something. He hums and continues to walk beside Izuku. Shouta debates on many things. He isn’t sure if this kid will run for it if Shouta starts asking harder questions. He knows that this kid is being hurt though, or at the very least neglected; he is too skinny and pale. The bruise Shouta can just barely make out is worrisome.
Shouta wishes his husband was here at this moment; Zashi is so much better with people, especially children. Zashi is also very emotionally intelligent as well as beyond observant with people.
Shouta decides to test the waters. "Are you safe at home, kid?"
Izuku trips over an uneven part of the sidewalk. Shouta steadies him with a hand on his elbow before letting go gently. The kid coughs, his cheeks bright red. "Home is fine."
That does not answer the question. Shouta watches as Izuku chews on his bottom lip. He is lying, or at least not telling the whole truth. He knows this kid is being hurt. This small child that doesn’t deserve the pain and suspicion he wears like a cape on his small shoulders.
This kid needs help. Actual help. But Shouta doesn’t have anything more than his suspicions and can’t legally act yet. But he feels the need to give this kid something concrete.
Shouta sighs. "Okay. If I give you my number, will you use it if you ever need help?"
"Why would you do that?" Izuku breathes.
Shouta realizes at that moment that he never introduced himself to this kid. This teenager is just randomly following a stranger down the street. That is dangerous; what the heck is wrong with this teenager that he just trusts some random man to this extent. This kid. "My name is Aizawa Shouta. I’m the pro--"
"Hero, Eraserhead," Izuku finishes.
Shouta stops on a dime and turns to face the greenette. Izuku flinches back. Shouta freezes as something in his chest breaks for this child. "I’m not gonna hurt you, kid." Shouta’s whole body relaxes to try to put the kid more at ease, to maybe show he’s not a threat to Izuku.
"Okay," Izuku says quickly, a little higher pitched. His breathing hitches slightly.
Glancing around, Shouta sees no one else close enough to hear them; there’s a group of three adults walking on the other side of the street. He crouches a little to be closer to Izuku’s height. "Kid, Izuku, I swear I will not hurt you." He wants Izuku to trust him, even slightly.
Izuku studies Shouta for a long moment. And Shouta does not move, keeps his posture relaxed and his eyes steady. "Okay," Izuku says finally as he glances away. A slight breeze ruffles his green curls.
Shouta is sure Izuku doesn’t fully believe him so that’s the best he is going to get right now. "I’m sorry that I startled you," Shouta says. "I was surprised you knew my hero name. Nobody has ever recognized me like that before. Would you be willing to share with me how you knew that?"
Izuku twists his hands more. "U-um, w-w-well, I’ve r-read some about you on hero f-f-forums and the des-description of you a-al-always includes your c-capture scarf and, and yellow goggles among other things. And you’re a-also v-very observant, which p-probably comes from your w-work as an underg-ground hero."
So, the kid is a hero fanboy by the sound of it. And even if he’s read some things about Eraserhead, it’s harder to put that knowledge into action like he did. That takes some serious deduction and observation. And Shouta has run into people that have met both his personas and not put them together.
Shouta nods slowly. "You're pretty smart, kid." He has potential.
The effect is instantaneous. Izuku’s entire face and ears go red as he flails his hands through the air.
"N-n-no I-I. I’m r-really. I m-mean. Uh-umm."
Does no one praise this kid ever? Shouta frowns. Someone has had to have seen this kid’s intelligence before. Or do they all ignore him for something he has no control over. Just passes over the kid without a thought.
What is wrong with the people in his life? Shouta wants to growl, but refrains so he doesn’t scare Izuku.
"So back at the store, did you choose me because I’m a hero?" Because Shouta is curious if it was a deciding factor or if it was lucky that he looked close enough to the hero.
"Oh. Umm. Well, that was part of it. I guess. I mean you w-were the closest looking to me but I could’ve ch-chosen someone else that looked...umm...friendlier. I just figured you could also protect yourself if that guy tried to attack. I didn’t really want to put anyone else in danger or anything, but that guy was kinda scary and I couldn’t lose him myself so...I just. Yeah."
So there is a chance that the kid could’ve chosen to continue to deal with a highly dangerous situation of a stalker by himself without alerting anyone. Shouta nods. "Okay. That was smart of you. I’m glad you reached out like that."
"Um. Okay."
"So. Why wouldn’t I give you my number in case you ever needed my help?"
"Oh. Well. I’m quirkless. Nobody ever helps me after they know that. Nobody ever cares about us." About me, he doesn't say.
Shouta breathes out sharply. Anger, bright and hot, that he has not felt in years burns like fire through his body. He has the urge to go beat the people who have hurt and ignored this kid. The terrible ones that have conditioned this boy to assume no one will help him. At the same time, he wants to wrap this teen up and take him home with him so Hizashi and the cats can hug and cuddle this kid and make him feel loved and wanted. Shouta wants to protect this kid who is just so sad.
"Okay. I care. And I will help you if you ever need me. I am going to give you my card that has my personal phone number on it and you can call me anytime." Shouta pulls out a simple gray card from one of his belt pouches and hands it out to Izuku.
Izuku stares at it as if it’s going to bite him. Or as if he’ll pull it away before Izuku can take it, to tease him, Shouta realizes.
"But, I'm quirkless."
"I don't care. I don’t think that matters. You have value outside of your quirk or lack thereof."
"Okay," Izuku takes the card slowly, obviously still waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Shouta carefully takes his bags from the kid. "I can walk you home if you’d like." He really wants the kid to say yes, so he can see his home and know where this kid lives. Get full names that he can get Tsukauchi or Nedzu to look up later.
"Um, no. No, thank you. I’ll be okay now that that guy isn’t here."
Not unexpected that he said no though. Shouta nods once, disappointed but not going to show it outwardly so Izuku can’t take it the wrong way. "Okay. Will you text me that you got home safely at least? It’s getting dark out."
Izuku’s eyes widen before answering softly. "Okay. I could do that, I guess." Shouta knows that the kid still doesn’t believe that Shouta cares.
"Good. Don’t forget or I’ll be worried and have to track you down."
"Yes, Eraserhead-san."
"Kid. Izuku. You can call me by my name."
Izuku hums. He stares at the card before pocketing it.
"Okay. Be careful getting home and don’t forget to text me."
Shouta nods as Izuku turns away.
Shouta watches Izuku walk down the street until he turns. He continues on his way, slow and steady as a few cars pass him. He ambles the two blocks back to the complex that his apartment belongs to. After nodding to the doorman of the building, Shouta makes his way up to the third floor, to his apartment, and to his cats and husband a couple blocks away slowly, his thoughts swirling around this one sad, lonely, hurt kid.
After the groceries are put away, his phone pings with a message.
xxx-xxx-xxx
Eraserhead-san. This is Izuku. I made it home.
Aizawa Shouta
You can just call me by my name, kid.
I'm glad you made it home safely.
Problem Child
Yes, Aizawa-san. Goodnight, sir.
Aizawa Shouta
Goodnight, kid. Contact me any time.