The beginnings of a life (an Erasermic family/Shinkami story)

Chapter Eight

Hitoshi's never hated shopping, but he's never loved it either. It was neutral territory for him. Sometimes it went well, and other times it didn't. There was no way of knowing how the event would end.

He always knew how it started though. Loud. The mall was always loud, filled with echoes of people's conversations, laughter, and whispers.

It was always overwhelming for him, but he's always pushed through it. He didn't have time to take a minute and regulate himself.

But, when he gets tense the minute they enter the mall, Hizashi guides him to the side and talks him through his breathing. He doesn't seem bothered by Hitoshi's constant inability to breathe.

He doesn't mean to be difficult. He doesn't know why he's like this. He's always managed to get through it by himself, he doesn't know why Hizashi keeps stepping in to help. He can handle himself.

But, he keeps that to himself because he doesn't want to upset him. He's yet to see Hizashi angry with him and though he knew it was inevitable, he doesn't want it to happen yet.

Hizashi's kind of nice and he seems to care, but he's had foster parents like that before too and they've all ended up bad, so he knows not to trust it.

Once, he's gained control over his breathing again, Hizashi guides him through the mall, Aizawa (he can't quite force himself to say Shota yet) and Eri falling behind due to her short attention span and love for anything colourful.

Normally, Hitoshi tries to get in and out of a store as quickly as possible and just grab the things he needs, but Hizashi insists on Hitoshi taking his time and picking out things he likes.

In the end, Hitoshi leaves one of the clothing stores with a lot more than he needed or wanted. But, it is kind of nice to have a variety of outfits again.

Hitoshi thought it would end there (at clothes), but no, he apparently needs to decorate his room. He doesn't see why, it's not like he'll be there longer than a few months to a year anyway.

Eri leads them into a bookstore like a woman with a mission. "Can I get more books, dada?" she asks, but everyone already knows that she isn't going to be denied.

"Pick out what you want," Aizawa says, guiding her forward with a hand on the back of her head. She bounces up and down excitedly and makes a rush for the kid's section.

"Do you read, Shinsou?" Hizashi asks, flicking through one of the books on the shelf in front of him. "I mean, I can," he answers which makes Hizashi laugh. Hitoshi takes that as a sign that he's doing pretty well so far.

"What genres do you like?" he asks him, placing the book back down in its original spot. Instead of answering, Hitoshi shows him. Hizashi tells him to pick out as many as he wants.

He settles on two because three would be too many and one wouldn't be enough when he's been told to "pick as many as he wants".

Hizashi pays for his and Eri's books without even checking the prices of them, he barely even glances at the total when it pops up on the little screen at the register.

At that exact moment, he realizes that Hizashi and Shota have more money than he thought they did. At first, he forgets that they're pro heroes and is confused by how much money they're making as teachers, but then it makes sense.

Hitoshi thinks that surely now that they've got clothes and books they're done shopping, but Hizashi only leads him deeper into the mall.

He's almost a bit scared when he's led into the back of a store with a lot fewer people than the prior stores. But, then he's met with an assortment of rubber ducks, and his fear is replaced with confusion.