The Troublemaker

chapter 7

  Hi! I tried to get this to 2000 words, but I felt like I ended it at a good time. There's also quite a few time skips, but I'm trying to get a a certain point.

Enjoy :)

It was a relatively peaceful morning. The birds were chirping away outside, and the leaves were blowing every which way until they finally dropped to the ground.

Everything was going well, considering the circumstances.

"Look, Sho, I know the kiddo's not in the best mental frame of mind. We both know that." Hizashi cracked an egg into a frying pan, listening to it sizzle in the oil, "We can't just leave him to suffer alone."

Shota sighed and refilled his coffee mug, "If we go up and ask him how he is he's going to say he's fine, Zashi. He doesn't trust us, he's barely been here two weeks."

Hizashi replied by shaking his head and exhaling deeply. They stayed in the comfortable silence for a notable few minutes, until the children began to fill it as they slowly awoke.

Izuku walked up to Shota's side, donned in the familiar green hoodie.

"How are you feeling, kid?" Izuku pondered on the question for a few moments, staring at both Shota and Hizashi, before he replied bluntly,

"Hungry."

Shota blanked out long enough for Hizashi to jump in with a quick exclamation about breakfast. Shota hadn't expected Izuku to reply at all, especially not so straightforwardly. Any other day, Izuku would've simply shrugged and stayed out of their way. Shota couldn't help but wonder, what made today different?

Izuku averted his gaze to Hizashi as the man began to speak and converse happily with a silent Izuku. Hizashi had always been better at filling silences. Shota always run out of small talk too quickly, whereas Hizashi came up with more and more conversation on the spot, and could keep conversation going for hours.

Hizashi gestured for Shota to start the toaster, and Izuku stepped away from the kitchen, allowing the older two to dance around the kitchen. He watched their synchronised moves with little interest from where he now stood behind the couch.

As Hizashi began to plate up everyone's breakfast, Eri skipped into the open space, exclaiming her presence excitedly. She was yet to get ready for the day, still dressed in the bright pajamas she had slept in. She happily greeted Hizashi and Shota with a enthusiastic cuddle, and waved to Izuku with the same energy. She clambered onto her designated chair at the table and kicked her legs gleefully as Hizashi and Shota began to serve breakfast and Izuku was invited to sit down.

Hizashi retreated to wake Hitoshi, returning a few minutes later with the boy tiredly trailing behind.

•°•°•°•

Breakfast, to Izuku, was nothing out of the ordinary. It had followed the same routine ever since he arrived.

It was after breakfast when the cycle broke.

Hizashi and Shota had decided that Hizashi would take Izuku to the store, so Izuku wouldn't have to continue wearing Hitoshi's old clothes. Afterwards, it was also decided that Hitoshi would join them, under the guise of him needing new shoes.

Izuku wasn't too sure on how the day would go, but with Hitoshi clearly avoiding conversation with Izuku in the car, he _was_ sure it wouldn't end well.

•°•°•°•

Soon enough, all three of them were walking into the first store of the day: a clothing store.