Marshmallow |BnHA|

Chapter Eighteen

Izuku wasn't stupid.

He may only be seven, and have known his Unkie for a few months, but he wasn't stupid.

He knew Shouta was sad. 

He'd been sad when Izuku had arrived - he'd recognised the way he'd look at things a little longer than necessary - and when he'd caught Izuku awake after his nightmare for the first time. Then again when they'd buried fake Mama, and even more so the few weeks after. It had gotten bad when his Uncle Hizashi had left, but his Unkie seemed to get better as Izuku did. Then, after his father came, Shouta had looked angry.

Izuku was good at telling emotions, he'd learned quickly how to read people once they said he was Quirkless. He learned who to avoid quickly.

But now, on the way back from the Bakugo's, Izuku wasn't sure what emotion his Unkie was feeling.

Sat silently in the back of the car, Izuku furrowed his eyebrows. He looked sad and angry, but also sympathetic and understanding, before disgust. So, he didn't make a sound. He kept his gaze outside the window, trying not to make too much movement to attract his attention.

Clearly his Unkie wanted some space to think without being interrupted, and Izuku knew he'd just annoy him.

Izuku was clever, he knew a lot. 

Izuku silently sighed, absently picking the skin around his nails and furrowing his eyebrows even further, wondering why his Unkie was switching bad moods. This morning he had seemed okay, he rolled his eyes a few times when Kisan had yelled or zapped something, and maybe a bit tense when Auntie had opened the door, but okay. 

Had Izuku said something? Was it because he left to play with Kacchan? Maybe that was it - had Izuku been rude? Had Izuku annoyed his Unkie? Had he ruined it? Was his Unkie going to leave just like his Father? What if he was going to give him back? What-

Izuku was cut off as a hand ruffled his hair, blinking and realising they were home. 

"Come on Lettuce."

Nodding, he walked a small step behind and quietly, shuffling in the door and taking his shoes off quickly. "Izuku."

Twisting to look at Shouta, Izuku furrowed his eyebrows slightly as he saw a hesitance on his face. Then, it vanished and he shook his head.

"Never mind- Katsudon for dinner?" Izuku picked at the skin around his nails. "I-If you want."

Before anything could be said, Izuku swept Paws up and scurried to his bedroom. The fort had been taken down that morning, and the bean bags returned to his bedroom, so that's where Izuku headed, pulling the large hoodie on and curling up on it. 

"I d-don't know wh-what to do Pa-Paws."

The cat mewed, nuzzling against his cheek. Izuku sighed. "I s-should find Un-Uncle, I think Unkie mis-misses him." Rubbing his eyes before he could cry, Izuku looked around his room, eyes settling on his yellow backpack.

"Unkie s-should be nap-napping soon. I'll t-track Uncle on that. T-Then I'll go b-before he wakes up. I'll p-pack."

_____________________

"Izuku, dinner's done."

Shouta let his knuckles hit the door gently, yawning. He'd not long woken from his nap - having slept longer than meaning too - and had to rush cooking dinner so the kid could eat before it got too dark.

Shouta wanted to read him a story tonight. He'd seemed off since leaving the Bakugo's, and the threat of him having a nightmare was large. Plus, he only had a few more days off until he was back at work - he'd used up nearly two years worth of sick days, and didn't want to dip into his third.

Who knew what accidents would happen and he may need more. 

When there wasn't an answer, he slowly pushed the door open. "Izuku?"

The bed was neatly made and Shouta's hoodie on the beanbag, Paws resting on top. Now, Shouta knew something wasn't right. Izuku all but lived in that hoodie.

His guard raised he through the door to each room open, yelling for him. Instead, he was met with empty rooms and startled cats. He froze as he moved towards the kitchen, eyes flying to the door.

It was shut, locked, but the latch was hanging loose. Scrambling to find his phone - giving up after a few minutes - and keys he barrelled out the door, racing towards Nemuri's. 

Her face was contorted as he banged on the door, eyes wide. "What do you want-"

She cut off at the obviously distressed look, pulling Shouta in. "Sho? Hey, what is it? I need you to breathe for me." Shouta struggled to bring gulps in as his hands gripped Nem's wrist, eyes widening.

"I-Izuku! He's go-gone! I don't kn-know where he is!" She pulled him into the living room, settling him on a sofa and handing him a glass of water.

"Okay, slow down. Where did you see him last?"

Shouta exhaled shakily. "He we-went to his room around t-two. I had a n-nap and woke up to p-put dinner on. He wasn't t-there when I ca-called him for dinner. He was q-quiet Nem, he went s-straight to his room and d-didn't say much. I t-though he needed space."

She nodded, a calm expression on her face. Only years of Hero training allowed her to do that.

"When you opened his door was anything out of place?  The window open? Was your front door broken into?"

Shouta shook his head. "O-Only his backpack. A-And the latch was off - my p-phone! He took my phone, I c-couldn't see it." Before anything else could be said, Nem's phone rang, and they looked to see Shouta's ID. 

She took it and pulled it to her ear. "Hello?"

A loud, mellowed out but still obnoxious, voice on the other side. "Nem? Is Shouta there? Izuku's with me."