A/N: I was severely sleep deprived while writing this.
"...Toshi?"
Katsuki isn't sure of what time it was, only that it had to be either incredibly late or annoyingly early by how dark it is outside as he stirs awake from where he'd been sleeping in the passenger seat of the car. Hitoshi's jacket is draped across him so he imagines he must have been asleep for quite some time; they're parked in some rather unfamiliar place.
Unfamiliar to Katsuki, anyway. Hitoshi seems to know very well where they are.
The older man has his gaze focused out of the window. He doesn't take his eyes away from the house they're parked in front of, simply reaching over to squeeze Katsuki's thigh to let him know that he's there. The blonde sighs as he goes to sit upright in his seat, pulling the jacket up to his shoulders.
"Where're we at?" He asks groggily and Hitoshi grunts. "Go back to sleep, baby. I'll wake you when it's time."
Katsuki sucks his teeth at him, wiping a hand over his face. "Time for what, babe? What are you even doing? How long have we been sitting out here?"
"Hm? It's…" Hitoshi pauses to check the time. "A little past five thirty in the morning so maybe an hour. You worry too much, baby, it's still too early for you to even be up. Just go back to bed---"
"Why, so you can leave me in the car to go and kill whoever's in the house that we're outside of?" Katsuki counters, stretching as best he can in his seat. "This is mad creepy, by the way. Are we stalking somebody?"
"You're not doing anything except sittin' your pretty ass down where I tell you. Don't even think about tryna get involved with my jobs, Kat, I'm serious---"
" Okay, damn."
"Good. Now, since you're so curious: I'm not on a job. This is my dad's place. The address he left for us."
Oh.
"Then...why are we sitting outside, baby?"
Hitoshi sighs. Finally looking away from the window to look Katsuki in the eyes. "Cause I don't even know what the fuck I'm doing here. I haven't seen my dad in years; didn't even know where the hell he's been for the last...I dunno. Five or six years? He just disappeared. What am I supposed to say to him?" Hitoshi is, admittedly, not prepared to face his father again. "I basically raised myself after that. Not that I blame my dad at all---I know he had his reasons...but…"
Katsuki's expression softens, hands reaching out to caress Hitoshi's jaw with his thumb. "You're not sure how you'd go about carrying on with him. I understand." He says, leaning forward to kiss him and hopefully help calm his jittery nerves. "I don't know your father but I don't think he's expecting anything from you. You're not going to lose anything just by reconnecting with your father. And if you don't feel good about it, baby, then we can just turn around and leave right this moment. You don't have to force yourself to do this. It all depends on whether or not you want your dad in your life again. Either way...I'm with you."
Katsuki doesn't expect his opinion to mean much. He doesn't have the slightest clue of what Hitoshi's relationship with his father is like. He's not sure of what their last words to each other were. Of what Hitoshi's last memory of him consists of. All that Katsuki knows is that if he had the chance to go back and make amends with his own parents, he'd do it in a heartbeat.
Granted, his parents didn't introduce him to a life of traumatizing murders and ties to corrupt government agencies but...Katsuki likes to think it relates all the same.
Kinda.
Maybe.
Whatever. The important thing is that it seems like he's managed to get through to his incredibly nervous boyfriend despite not actually knowing what the hell is going on.
"Alright...yeah, that makes sense. Thank you, baby. You always seem to know how to get me outta my head."
Katsuki's smile widens at the praise he receives, blushing as Hitoshi reaches up to hold Katsuki's hand to his cheek. He turns to press a kiss into his palm.
"I love you."
"Y-Yeah?"
"Yeah." Hitoshi chuckles as he leans forward, his lips ghosting against Katsuki's own. "Gimme some love."
Katsuki responds by leaning into the kiss, fingers carding through Hitoshi's wild and hellacious head of hair as the older man hums his satisfaction. "God damn, I love those lips." He groans as he pulls away and Katsuki bubbles into a soft laugh. "You're too much." He accuses him and Hitoshi snickers, offering him that cocksure grin that Katsuki has come to love.
"Let's get this shit over with. You wanna stay in the car or---"
"People are trying to kidnap me, Hitoshi."
"Ooo, I forgot about that."
"What?!"
"Nevermind. C'mon, get your little fine ass outta the car so I can introduce you to my old man." He insists, reaching over to open Katsuki's door for him before opening his own and stepping out. "This could go one of two ways."
"Yeah? What's that?" Katsuki asks, pausing to stretch his legs to relieve them of the stiffness they felt. They must've been driving for hours.
Hitoshi sighs. "Well, this could either be a heartfelt reunion with a whole lot of banter and shit talking or this could be an incredibly awful and awkward meeting that ends in utter disappointment for everyone involved."
"Which one are you hoping for?"
"I'm probably going to be embarrassed either way."
"You're not very much of an optimist, are you?"
"Fuck optimism; daddy's a realist, Kitty Kat. C'mere. You know the rules; stay close."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming."
Katsuki quickly rounds the car, tucking tightly at Hitoshi's side as the chilly morning wind makes him shiver. Hitoshi is more than happy to share the heat from his body, arm looping around Katsuki's slim waist as he approaches the door. "You could've kept my coat on if you were cold, baby. You're not dressed for this kind of weather." He says, giving Katsuki a once over. Katsuki mumbles an apology under his breath but Hitoshi disregards it with a kiss to his temple, rubbing up and down Katsuki's bare arms to warm him up a bit more.
Hitoshi raises a hand to open the door when it cracks open on its own. He pauses a moment and takes a step back, expecting for the door to open completely but it never does.
"Are you gonna stand there all morning? Hurry up, you're letting all of the heat out." Comes distant and slightly muffled through the door.
Hitoshi and Katsuki share a look with one another but Hitoshi complies to the gruff and exasperated voice by lightly pushing the door open with his foot. He's greeted by the sight of a dimly lit living room. He doesn't see anyone as he walks in and feels himself become a bit nervous; had he imagined that voice before? Surely not. Katsuki had heard it too, didn't he?
He closes the door behind them but he doesn't lock it---a habit he's picked up when entering new places. He needs to be able to exit without the obstacle of a locked door should something happen---be able to get Katsuki to safety.
He's hoping---for all involved---that he doesn't have to do that.
"You two hungry? Thirsty? I'm making coffee, if you want some." The voice comes again but this time from their side. Hitoshi whips around, subtly pulling Katsuki behind him. Is he really so tired that he hadn't noticed someone to their right? Hadn't noticed that someone was quite literally making morning coffee at their side?
He's staring at the back of who he assumes to be his father, scarred and marred by years of experience and the misfortunes of war. The dark hair on his head is tied back, sweatpants riding low on his hips. If Hitoshi didn't know any better, he'd think he'd just crawled out of bed but it's more likely that he'd been waiting for Hitoshi---expecting him. Or, perhaps he'd heard them when they arrived and had known that they'd been sitting outside all of this time.
Upon seeing the man's face, he relaxes a bit. No matter how many years go by, he'd recognize that face anywhere.
Not even the poor lighting of the kitchen could hide just how exhausted his father seemed, eyes red rimmed and webbed. He looks as if he's not had a proper night's sleep in days, dark circles underneath his eyes quite reminiscent of the ones that Hitoshi carries on his own.
Even down to the scar beneath their right eye, Hitoshi favors his father so much. Katsuki would think that they were brothers if he hadn't known any better. Hitoshi couldn't deny this man even if he wanted to.
"What are you so jumpy for? You don't recognize your old man?"
"N-No. I mean, yeah, of course. Sorry. Been on my toes for the last few weeks." Hitoshi breathes out, shifting nervously on his feet. "Coffee's good, thank you."
"For your friend, too?"
"Ah...yeah. Yeah, he likes coffee."
"Have a seat, it'll be done in a bit." He gestures to the kitchen table and Hitoshi escorts Katsuki in, pulling out a chair for him. He opts to stand instead, leaning against the counter to take in his surroundings. It's a nice place, not on the main road but close enough to the city that it wouldn't be inconvenient for him to come and go when needed. Quiet. Tranquil, even.
"You don't want to sit down?"
"Not really. Pretty wired, it's best if I stand."
The older man doesn't make any comment about Hitoshi's odd behavior, busying himself with distributing hot coffee into three mugs. He offers one to Katsuki and then to Hitoshi, setting a few packets of sugar and creamer onto the table for them. Katsuki goes about making his coffee acceptable for his tastes but he knows that Hitoshi likes to drink it as is, as it would seem his father does as well.
He hasn't stopped eyeing Katsuki since he handed him the mug.
"Didn't think you were the type to work with partners." He says, eyes finally flickering up at his son. Hitoshi scoffs at such a notion.
"I don't. Sorry, it's rude of me to not introduce you. Katsuki, this is Shota Aizawa. My father. Dad, this is my baby, Katsuki." He points and Katsuki manages a nervous smile, raising a hand to wave at him.
"H-Hi."
"Hello young...man, I'm assuming. Apologies if I assumed incorrectly, it's just that my son addressed you as 'he' so I figured I should do the same."
Katsuki can't help but giggle at that.
"Yes sir, I'm a guy."
"You're very beautiful."
"Ah, t-thank you."
"When did you become such a damn flirt?" Hitoshi grumbles, setting the half empty mug down to narrow his eyes in his father's direction. It's the first time that he sees Shota crack a smile, smirking over the rim of his mug. "Since when did you start dating cute little twinks? Hell, when did you start dating at all?"
"Mind your own business, you damn lecher."
"You're one to call someone a lecher." Katsuki snorts and Hitoshi feel, admittedly, a little betrayed. "You're taking his side?"
"Toshi, what are you even talking about?"
"Oh, Toshi? That's a cute nickname. So you guys on honeymoon and just decide to drop by and see me or…?"
Hitoshi sighs, wiping a hand over his face.
"I knew you were going to be embarrassing."
Shota chuckles, reaching over to ruffle Hitoshi's hair. "It's been too long. Besides, you were standing there acting like you were about to piss yourself; I had to lighten the mood somehow." He says, sitting down at the table. "What? Did you think you were gonna come here and that I'd attack you? Try to shoot you? I'm not like your mother. I thought you knew that."
"I do. I mean...fuck. Like I said, it's been a rough couple of weeks."
"Had to be if you made it out to Orca's place. He's a good man. Knew he'd send you my way if you ever made it there. And I knew you'd come if you ever needed my help."
"...I do. But I don't know if I can really bring myself to ask that of you." Hitoshi admits with a sigh, finally sitting down across from his father. He tells him about his most recent job and the current situation he's gotten himself into. He isn't exactly sure why he feels like telling his father will change anything but it certainly feels better to talk about.
Talking to Katsuki was therapeutic, sure. Just the sound of his lover's voice telling him that things would be alright had always put him at ease. But Katsuki wouldn't understand like his father did.
"I see. What are you worried about the most, kiddo? That you can't finish the job?"
"God, no. The job is an easy job; Chisaki's a fucking moron. I just... I'm scared of...losing my baby. I can't focus on the job if I don't know he's safe for sure. And then what happens afterwards? I'm supposed to just hand him over to Midoriya? I'm supposed to trust that the League won't screw me like the Hassaikai did? I dunno."
There's a moment of silence. Katsuki keeps quiet mostly because he feels it isn't his place to hand out his opinion on the matter. He doesn't know what he's dealing with---not like these two.
Shota downs the rest of his coffee, looking as if he's debating on whether or not he'd like to refill it.
"You kids go to the spare bedroom. Sleep in a proper bed for a while. Have some breakfast in a few hours."
Hitoshi bristles. Hadn't he heard anything he just said?
"Dad---"
"Calm down, brat. You're not helping you or him when you're sleep deprived, hungry, and on edge. Rest. I'll help you take care of the rest."
As much as Hitoshi wants to question his father, he doesn't. Hitoshi understands that in most ways, he's still a novice while his father has molded his experience into expertise. The best thing he can do for them both is to accept his father's help and advice.
Besides, a nap sounded absolutely heavenly right about then.
"Alright."
"You trust me?"
"I shouldn't. Number one rule is to trust no one at all. But you're my father. I've always trusted you."
Shota's smile returns.
"Attaboy."
"We'll see you in a few hours."
"Sure. Put a sock on the door if you're gonna---"
" Dad ."
"Fine, fine."
This is a better outcome than he could have ever hoped for.
Still, he had never been so embarrassed.