A/N: challenged myself to see how well I could write while sleep deprived and off my meds. I think I did pretty well.
Katsuki can't remember the last time he's had a home-cooked meal. Even before current events had taken place, he'd simply just been too busy or too broke to be bothered with going grocery shopping and cooking for himself. Sure, Izuku kept him fed but with his hectic schedule, it wasn't as if he'd had time to sit down and enjoy his Auntie Inko's cooking. If he wasn't working then he was in classes or working on some stupid fucking essay that took up a majority of their grade but had been overall pointless in typing because the professors usually only ever skimmed through them instead of actually reading them. Honestly, why assign all of this fucking work if you're not even gonna use the same amount of effort to grade it as the students did in writing it?!
But Katsuki digresses.
He's been living on gas station coffee and cheap, greasy take-out and fast food for the last two years or so. Admittedly, it's a hell of a step up from surviving on ramen noodles and peanut butter sandwiches but the last time he'd even see a home-cooked meal was...
The dinner Auntie had made for them in celebration of Katsuki graduating high school.
It seems like such a distant memory even though it was only two years ago---he can't even remember what she'd made. All he remembers is feeling like he'd taken it for granted when he finally got on his own and realized that those meals back home were a privilege.
Today, for the first time in years, Katsuki is eating a breakfast meal that was handmade from scratch just for him.
He hadn't expected for Hitoshi's father to be such a good cook but he supposed that killing people didn't make you less likely to be skilled in something like preparing food. It sounds like such a horrible stereotype but he just figured they'd be much too busy learning how to hide bodies or make murders look like accidents to be concerned about making the perfect flapjack.
Go figure.
"Thanks for the meal, Aizawa-san."
"You can call me Shouta, sweetheart. Or dad. Whichever you prefer."
Hitoshi half-heartedly whacks his father in the back of the head with the towel that he's drying the counters with, an annoyed grumble slipping past his lips. "Are you going to be this embarrassing the entire time that I'm here?"
Shouta shrugs. "Maybe. I don't get to do this often, kid. Let me have nice things."
"Bullying your son when he comes to visit is considering having nice things?"
"Letting me be a father for once is considered giving me nice things."
Katsuki can't see his face, but he can practically hear Hitoshi roll his eyes from here.
"Fine. Sure. Whatever." He relents, sitting next to Katsuki at the table after setting a glass of orange juice in front of him. "You don't have to wait on me to start eating, baby. We don't say grace in this family. Eat up; it's been awhile since you've been fed properly." He suggests, digging right into his meal without much fanfare. Katsuki almost doesn't want to eat his own---it looks so perfect that ruining it seems like such a waste but his desperate stomach growls angrily so he, too, relents and finally begins to eat the meal gifted to him.
If you'd told Katsuki before today that heaven was a flapjack breakfast on a Tuesday morning, he'd call you a liar and tell you to fuck right off but now?
Shouta might as well have been an angel.
The dark-haired man leans against the counter, freshly made mug of hot coffee poised at his mouth as he watches the two of them in silence. It isn't an awkward one---not until Katsuki makes eye contact with him. He averts his gaze, cheeks darkening as he notes the peculiar look in his eyes.
"Tell me about yourself, Katsuki. I mean, I've never seen nor heard of my son being so attached to someone. And believe me---I'd know. I've got friends in high places. I'm a little curious about what makes him so addicted to you."
Katsuki shrugs, eyes flickering up at Shouta as he continues his meal. "There isn't much to tell." He says flatly, "I'm a college freshman at Yuuei and a stripper who works at exclusive clubs. The only real notable trait that I can think of is that I'm mean as all hell."
"You don't seem mean to me."
"I'm trying to make a good impression on my boyfriend's father right now. The knowledge that you could make my life even more of a living hell without ever lifting your finger is a damn good motivator."
Shouta snorts out a laugh---genuine, if Katsuki is reading him correctly.
"You're honest. I like that."
"It's not as charming as it looks."
"Don't sell yourself short, darlin'. That bratty little attitude is what made me fall right in love with you." Hitoshi chuckles lightly as he takes a sip from his own coffee. Katsuki snorts into his glass. "Sure it wasn't the fact that I would get naked for you?"
"No offense, baby boy, but you'd get naked for anybody that paid you."
"I'm not offended at all; I was a damn good stripper."
"About that. We could use that to our advantage." Shouta chimes, catching both of their curious gazes as he finally takes a seat at the table. "I did a lot of thinking about your situation. Called a couple of friends up to do some footwork for you. Hate to tell you but going to Shikoku is a lost cause. They expected you, cleared base before you even started your journey."
Hitoshi curses under his breath. So much for an easy job.
"They could have taken her any-fuckin'-where by now; who knows how many safe houses they have in that area alone. Knowing Chisaki, he's probably put her on a plane by now---"
"Not quite. He knows you have this little sweetheart here and he's not gonna leave without him---he's valuable. Most likely, he's gonna try and zero in on you since he knows you're beeline-ing it straight for the Hassaikai base."
"Makes sense. He'd try to catch me slipping and snatch Katsuki while I'm busy trying to yank the wool from over my eyes. It's a damn good strategy."
"Well, Chisaki isn't an idiot."
A pause.
"He's kind of an idiot."
"An absolute moron but he's a damn good strategist."
Katsuki listens on, attempting to keep up but all of these names and places have all begun to muddle together as they speak. He tugs a hand through his hair, attempting to shake away his incoming migraine. "Ah, wait, wait, sorry. Just---I'm confused here. We're going after a person ? What the hell is the Hassaikai? And what does any of this have to do with me? What does he need me for?"
Shouta and his son share a look with one another to which Hitoshi shrugs and avoids his father's narrowed gaze.
"My son hasn't disclosed any of this to you?"
"Are you kidding me? It was like pulling teeth just to get him to tell me his favorite color."
It's expected, Shouta thinks to himself. Hitoshi has been trained to be as secretive as possible and it's nearly impossible to simply drop habits like that from memory. Katsuki must really be special to have gotten any info out of him at all. Shouta himself doesn't even know what Hitoshi's favorite color is.
"Well...I guess I kind of have to tell you now." The mercenary sighs, reaching down for his pockets for a cigarette when he remembers that he's still in his underwear. "Alright, well. The girl we're after is, uh, what people in Chisaki's business like to call exotic merchandise. It's sick, yeah, but there are a bunch of sick fuckers willing to pay top dollar for her. She's fifteen years old so if we don't get to her now, we won't be able to save her." He begins,"Same with you. You fall right into that category. So does your friend Shouto but he's, ah...protected. You were supposed to be protected, too, but Midoriya fell short on his end."
"This about that disgusting, sex-trafficking bullshit? What do you mean exotic ? I was born and raised right in the next few towns over---"
"Your parents weren't. More specifically, your mother. Same with Shouto's mum. And our target's mother as well. You don't know much about your family history, baby, but you're born from rare blood."
And just like that, Hitoshi drops a bomb on him and continues on without even giving him a moment to absorb and consider what he's being told.
What the fuck does he mean by rare blood ?
"I've been hired to save the girl by eliminating the Hassaikai but that in itself is a job unable to be done---not by one man. But I can kill Chisaki and that's just as good. Without a leader, they're useless and they'll fall apart on their own. I just have to make sure the girl is rescued first. As long as he has her, he has the upper hand. Leverage."
"Didn't take you as an altruist." Shouta comments and Hitoshi huffs out a cynical laugh.
"Altruist? I've sacrificed enough for this job and it's gotten way too outta control for me to stop now and walk away empty handed. I want my check."
"Hitoshi, are you fucking serious? You want your check ? This is a human being; she's more than a fucking meal ticket." Katsuki points and Hitoshi groans in annoyance.
"Oh, for fuck's sake, Kat. The fuck you want me to do, put on a cape and save every poor damsel that needs saving? It's not my fuckin' job and even when it was, I knew that I couldn't save everyone. I know you have this complex about doing the right thing or fuckin' whatever but you're gonna learn really quickly that shit just doesn't work that way, alright?"
Katsuki's jaw snaps shut, tense as Katsuki tries his best to stop his trembling. He's breathing heavily through his nose, unshed tears stinging at his eyes as he glares angrily in Hitoshi's direction.
"Really fuckin' convenient for me then, huh? I'd be in her shoes right now if you hadn't decided you wanted to keep me as a fucking pet."
Hitoshi sighs, resting his palm in his hand as Katsuki hastily stands from the table.
"Kitty Kat..."
"Whatever. I'm gonna leave you two to discuss whatever plans you came up with to secure your fucking check. "
Hitoshi reaches out to grab Katsuki's arm, sure not to grip his wrist too tightly lest he unintentionally bruise him.
"I'm just one guy, Katsuki. One. As much as I'd like to, I can't just solve all of the world's problems. I'm not strong enough. I don't have the resources. The list could go on, really. You know? Detaching myself from it all helps. Treating jobs like tasks instead of people? It helps. I'm sorry if what I said hurt you. But baby, you gotta trust me. You don't wanna get too attached to your humanity with a job like this."
Katsuki doesn't respond verbally but he doesn't try to tear himself away. Hitoshi takes it as a win.
"C'mere. Don't leave." He gently coaxes Katsuki back towards the table, seating him on his lap instead. The blonde folds his arms over his chest and averts his gaze, mouth turned down in a frown.
He's pouting.
Hitoshi can't help the fond smile that crosses him, hand reaching up to take Katsuki's face in his palm.
"God, you're such a baby sometimes."
Katsuki scoffs and half-heartedly turns away with a roll of his eyes.
"Shut up."
"Don't be mad; I love that you're all sweet like that." The older man hums, gently gripping Katsuki's jaw and turning his head to face him once again. "You mad at me, baby?"
A pause and another eye-roll.
"No. I can't be mad at you for that."
"Mmm, that's my boy. Gimme some love."
Katsuki leans forward to kiss Hitoshi, cheeks burning with the realization that his father had been sitting there watching them the entire time.
"I-I love you, okay? Please...promise me that you're not going to throw me away like that. Can you promise me that I'm not just collateral? That you don't just want me because of my rare blood ? Cause if that's true then---"
"Baby, baby, hold on. That's what you're worried about? Holy shit, I wasn't tryna paint a picture like that in your head---"
"And my son is too damn lazy to go so far as to bring you home to meet me if you were just an object to him. If he just wanted you for the value on your head, he'd have turned you in for the bounty already and he wouldn't even need to be bothered with going through with this job. He doesn't give a shit about his track record. He's not one to commit."
"But I'm committed to you, baby. You don't have to worry about that; I'd never intentionally do anything to hurt you." Hitoshi assures him, gently squeezing at Katsuki's hip. The blonde relaxes at this, tense posture slowly melting away as he leans into Hitoshi's chest. "You mean that?"
"I do. I love you, Kit. More than I've loved any other person for a really long time. And for the first time in a long time, I've been able to feel things again because of you. I've been walking around empty for what feels like an eternity. I told you that you were different from the others. I wish you'd believe me when I tell you how much you mean to me."
Shouta actually bubbles into a cackle at that. "Jesus, fuck, when did you become such a fucking sap ?"
"I was having a fuckin' moment, old man!"
"Seriously. I wasn't even that touchy with your mother."
"Well, my mother was a psychotic, paranoid bitch. Don't compare what I have with Katsuki to the biggest mistake of your life."
"Not the biggest mistake." Shouta clarifies as he stands to take the dishes to the sink. "I got you out of the deal. Best thing that ever happened to me."
Hitoshi blushes, sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck and Katsuki can't help but wonder how two of the scariest motherfuckers he's ever met managed to be so goddamn cute.
"That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
Shouta shrugs. "I don't have any reason to keep my affections to a minimum anymore. We never did physical affections or affirmations when I raised you because we couldn't afford it. I don't work for anyone. I'm a free man. I can afford to be a father."
Hitoshi manages a smile.
"After this, I'm hoping I can afford to be a son. Maybe come move back here in the city so we can be closer. Get married to this sweet little blonde thing I fell head over heels for. Sounds like the life, don't it?"
Shouta hums a non-committal response. "For us, maybe. You should keep in mind to ask Katsuki what he wants. He had a life there in Tokyo. Friends. School. You don't wanna uproot him from that, do you?"
"Little late for that now. I'm considered a missing person right now. My friends turned out not to be who they said they were and by now I'm sure as shit going to fail the semester and lose my scholarship. That life for me is just as good as over." Katsuki explains, a bit downtrodden. He's learn to come to terms with things quite some time ago but there are so many days where he wishes that he could go back to the way that things used to be.
He could have gone his entire life without this.
But he supposes he should be grateful. Because of this, people in his life have been exposed for who they really were.
Fucking frauds.
But God, does he miss Shouto and Yuga.
"Hitoshi is willing to put his gun down just to have a normal life with me. Moving away from the shadow of a miserable life that I used to live so that he can be close to you is the least I can do to compromise."
Shouta seems impressed---though for what, Katsuki is unsure.
"I really like this one."
Hitoshi kisses Katsuki's crown with a loud smack. "Yeah, me too. So tell us about your plan. The quicker we can get this shit over with, the better."
Shouta snaps his fingers as if he'd forgotten and had just been reminded of something important.
"Oh, yeah. Katsuki. You said you were a stripper, right?"