Hitoshi wakes with a start, as Patch leaps onto his chest meowing in his ear. "Morning" he yawns, stroking his head as he sits up, then glances over at the clock to find it's 6:23AM. He stretches his arms, then gets up and walks to the bedroom door, realising that he left it open last night. Walking out, he notices Aizawa curled up on the couch asleep. He sighs, realising that he probably stayed out there since the phone call.

All of a sudden, there's an ear splitting scream. Aizawa immediately jumps awake, looking around for the source of the noise before running into their shared bedroom. Hitoshi follows, and stops when he sees Yamada standing on the bed, pointing to the wall screaming "Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!"

He sees the spider on the wall, and immediately backs away. Aizawa sighs, then walks out to find a glass, and captures the spider before throwing it out the window. "Thank you" Yamada sighs, cautiously getting off the bed and smiles at his partner. Aizawa grunts a response, and walks back out.

Yamada pauses, looking at Hitishi confused before walking over to him, "Shou? What's wrong?"

Aizawa stops. They both notice his shoulders tense at the nickname, but before he could reply Aizawa walks back into the bedroom. "I'm getting dressed. Don't come in"

He looks at Hitoshi, "He's probably just tired. Sorry if I woke you"

"Its fine, Patch woke me up before"

Yamada smiles, but sighs looking back at the door wondering what's bothering him. "He's in a bad mood. But I'm sure he'll cheer up before we get home tonight. Don't worry Hitoshi"

Hitoshi looks at him in shock, hearing the hero call him by his first name. But he either didn't realise what he said, or it was intentional.

___

Aizawa's mood doesn't change.

He walks into the apartment without saying anything, and heads straight to the kitchen. His expression is hard and he still looks tense, while Yamada watches his husband with concern from the hallway. Hitoshi locks eyes with him, but Yamada looks away and heads for his room to get a change of clothes for his shower.

Hitoshi stays on the couch biting his lip. An uncomfortable silence falls over them, replacing the silence that Hitoshi found comforting. He swallows down his anxiety, and tries not to let himself he bothered by the two seemingly ignoring him. He knows that Aizawa is just bothered by whoever keeps calling him, and yamada is just worried about the sudden shift in attitude. Surely things will return to normal in a few hours?

When Yamada is washed and changed, he heads towards the kitchen. He gives Hitsohi a smile as a greeting, but it quickly disappears as he rounds the corner and looks at Aizawa's back. Hitoshi listens in from where he is.

"Shou?"

Silence

"You've been ignoring me all day. Please just talk to me"

More silence.

"Shouta, just tell me what's wrong. You can tell me anything, you know that right?"

"Its nothing Zashi. I'm fine"

He can hear a cupboard door open and close, along with Aizawa's footsteps on the floor.

"Somethings wrong! You're not usually like this, even when you're exhausted"

"I'm fine" He growls.

"He called again. Didn't he?"

There's a brief silence that hangs in the air, and the mention of a 'he' catches Hitoshi's attention.

"Just leave me alone"

"He was our friend Shouta!"

"was"

"Are you really just giving up on him?"

"Shut up"

"After everythi-"

"I said shut up!" Aizawa yells.

Hitoshi jumps slightly, shocked that Aizawa raised his voice. He's never heard the hero shout, especially not at Yamada. There's a longer silence this time, before Yamada says his name in a soft tone. Something slams against the side, and Aizawa walks out of the kitchen, red in the face and stiff, ignoring Yamada as he calls his name.

"Shouta, please. Just talk to me!" He follows him, but the eraser hero walks out slamming the door behind him.

The apartment falls into silence once again. Yamada stares at the door for quite some time, before turning to Hitoshi with a forced smile. "He's still grumpy...don't worry he just needs time to cool off"

"Can I ask who you were referring to?" Hitoshi replies carefully, but the other just shakes his head with a sad smile.

"I'm not sure that's the best idea" He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck, "Help me make dinner?"

Hitoshi nods, and follows him into the kitchen.

Dinner is silent, except for the sound of chopsticks against the side if the bowl. Yamada seems to have trouble keeping up with his iconic enthusiasm, instead being replaced by worry and an emotion that Hitoshi can't pick up on. They leave a bowl out for Aizawa, so when he gets home he cam eat, along with a note.

The two go to bed early that night, concerned that Aizawa still hasn't come back after hours. Hitoshi lies in bed, wondering if Yamada is struggling to sleep as well.

Whoever was calling him must've hurt him. That's the only explanation Hitoshi can think of. Yamada said they were friends, so whatever they did probably hit him hard, as from what he can tell, Aizawa isn't the type to let people get close to him so easily.

Just gone 2, and the door opens and Aizawa walks back in sighing. He takes his boots off at the door, and heads straight towards Hitoshi's room. He slowly opens the door, and calls the boy's name quietly to check if he's awake.

Hitoshi rolls over, after some hesitation, and looks at him, "Are you ok?"

He nods, making his way over to the bed and sits down, "I'm sorry"

"It's ok..."

"No it's not. I probably made you both worry" He sighs, "but I'm fine now"

Hitoshi doesn't know how to reply. His only response is "We left your dinner on the table"

"Thank you. Now, get some sleep like you should've been. A CPS worker should be over within the next few days to sort out who will be taking care of you"

Hitoshi ignores the stab in his heart, nodding. Aizawa walks out without another word.

____

In the morning, Hitoshi finds Yamda awake already "Morning!"

"Morning..." Hitoshi looks around, then back at him, "where's Aizawa?"

"He got called in early. The kids were doing something, and he was asked to go and sort them out" He chuckles, "I was woken up when he was and I couldn't get back to sleep. Are you ok?"

"Yes...he came in and apologised to me since I as still awake. Are you ok?"

"Yeah! He apologised as well, but I understand why he was upset. Shouta doesn't always do well with his emotions, and sometimes he bottles them up until he finally breaks. It doesn't happen that often, but in the 15 years I've known him he hasn't changed" He sighs, leaning back while still looking at him, "Before you ask, I can't tell you what's wrong with him"

"Why?" Hitishi asks without meaning to. He knows he's in no place to ask, but it just slips out.

Yamda sighs again. "Something happened in our second year. He still hasn't let it go, and I don't think he ever will. And I don't think he wants anyone else to know what happned. I'm not entirely sure why"

Hitoshi doesn't ask any more questions, seeing a distant look on the man's face. It also affects him, and Hitsohi doesn't want to bring up those kinds of memories for the two that took him in. So he pushes his curiosity away, and sits beside him.

"You know, Hitoshi?" There it is again "We should do something together. I've never spent time with you, except English lessons, while Shouta has. I want to get to know you"

"Why? I'm going away soon though, aren't I?"

Yamda smiles, and avoids one of the questions, "You're an interesting kid. I see why Shouta saw potential in you, and I'm not lying when I say that you two are alike. I'm sure, with a mentor like him and your skills, you'll get into the hero course!"

Hitoshi smiles.

"Besides, you've been living here for a few days, and I don't really know you that well. So? What do you say?"

"Yes!"

The hero smiles wider, "Great! We'll figure it out when I get back later, ok?"

Hitoshi nods, still smiling. Yamada, after having a brief internal conflict, settles with ruffling his hair, before walking out of the apartment.