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Everything was fine from the moment Yamada and Aizawa took him into their care. They set clear rules: no cigarettes, no alcohol and no drugs. To be home at 9 on weekdays, later on weekends, and to be on call and alert if he was running late. They had a long conversation and explanation of how important Hitoshi's safety was to them and he realized, really! Everything was going smoothly until this week.
To begin with, the exams were difficult. He had missed most of the semester in a heroic course. Even with the help of Aizawa and notes from classmates, had to study late into the night. Eventually passed, but the intentionally disrupted sleep schedule, plus the stress and years of insomnia due to the quirk had taken its toll. Hitoshi just wanted to relax and, well, against the backdrop of everything going on, made a bad decision.
Nicotine. First tried smoking a few years ago in a bad place and a shitty foster home. Caught the older boys and they offered a puff for silence. Bottom line - cough to tears, stink, and empty head. Didn't like it. Since then, going back and trying it has become a habit. It's a hard time - my hands reach for a lighter.
After enrolling at UA the decision was made to drop out altogether, it was at least a risk of dropping out of school and a hindrance to heroic work. That's how he's held out for almost a year up to this point.
Hitoshi stared at the smudges of dirt beneath his feet in the alley behind the convenience store, which by good conscience shouldn't sell cigarettes to obviously underage people. He exhales sharply, his heart still pounding, his temples throbbing the same way, but his hands finally stop shaking. The sound of footsteps is heard, and then a pair of boots appear in front of his eyes and Hitoshi's shoulders tense, he just wants a moment of peace, thank you:
"Look, I don't have anything, so why don't you get the hell--"
- "Hitoshi."
Fuck.
It felt like something was stuck in his chest, preventing him from taking a proper breath. He lifts his head. A chill runs down his spine and the realization hits him of how screwed up he is. And it's all about the cigarette, which Yamada Hizashi snatches out of his hand and tosses to the ground. It's the firm hand on his bicep and the frown, the concerned look in his eyes.
"I...Don't...it's pr..." - The guardian silently leads him towards the house, and he can't even say a word to justify himself, because it's clear enough. All that's left to do is swallow back tears and panic. Hitoshi feels himself begin to shake and the road home is lost in convulsive thoughts: what will be the punishment? He failed his mentor, the couple who took him in and gave him everything he needed. And he failed to follow a few reasonable restrictions like some impulsive spoiled child! And they're gonna be so angry.
"Come in" - In his anxiety, it went unnoticed as Yamada walked to the door and held it open, letting the teenager in. He lowers his head, passes and undresses, remaining in the hallway and wishing he could just flop or run away.
And sure enough, Aizawa is at home, checking work papers at the coffee table. He looks up and is alarmed by the general atmosphere, because Hizashi usually bursts into the house loudly, announcing his presence. Now it's his husband with an anxious look and an overly quiet child in the genkan.
"Is something wrong?" a discreet quiet question, causing Hitoshi to raise his shoulders even higher to his ears.
" Yes. Hitoshi, please wait in your room." - Hizashi asks quietly and he can only nod. Making his way into the room as fast as he can, Hitoshi closes the door, pressing his back against it and sliding to the floor. From the bed comes the mawk of a cat. Moti always feels when he needs her fur under his arms and lets himself be stroked. He has a moment to think about what will happen next, because Yamada will definitely tell Aizawa about the smoking in the alleys. He could see their gestures before running to the room, and now there's a muffled conversation coming from them that he's unable to hear or process right now.
Hitoshi just tries to breathe slowly, a knock on the door causes a flinch and everything becomes too fast again. They ask him to come into the living room and well that's it, Hitoshi Shinsho this was your last day-
He walks over to the adults and hangs out near the couch. They sit across and next to each other.
Aizawa nods towards the seats and the order is clear, Hitoshi sat down. His gaze is on his hands as a glass of water approaches in his field of vision:
"It's always dry after cigarettes, take it."
Aizawa doesn't look crazy, neither does Yamada really, but that doesn't mean they can't just hide it well.
"Where did you get them?" asks Yamada quietly.
"I..." he stops talking and swallows his bitterness. The water now seems like a very thoughtful act on their part. Goosebumps run down his skin and his chest shudders from the heaviness of his breathing - I got it at that store. By the alley.
Aizawa frowns at that, Hitoshi shrinks back, but the latter doesn't look surprised, but...disappointed rather. Somehow that's worse than yelling.
"I'm sorry...it's not...You took me and there was a rule...But I didn't..." he crosses his arms over his chest, defensively. He feels too small in front of two adults. Hitoshi grits his teeth, starting to get irrationally angry -I know that. Not some kid Just get it over with.
"End what?"-Yamada's voice is still quiet and reserved and it sounds so wrong.
The question itself is simple, but there must be a catch. It's simple: he screws up, he gets punished, so why pretend and have these stupid conversations. Hitoshi snaps back, "You know what you're up against."
"I don't think we're on the same page, kid" - The pair interject with the same expression as Hitoshi casually picks up things from the past.- " What does Hitoshi need to be done with? Besides the obvious desire to be dead by 30 from lung cancer?
Great, they're gonna stretch it out by making him come up with his own punishment options. He's not stupid enough, thank you.
Hitoshi belatedly realized how tense he was, with his back hunched and shoulders at his ears. His guardians, on the other hand, had stooped a little lower, relaxed their arms and held them out in front of him. After a moment, it came to Hitoshi's attention that they were trying to appear safe to him. Cheeks flush and , well, awkward. He's not a traumatized child. Already he wants to end the conversation, get smacked in the neck and go back to the old routine of their relationship.
"Just-" he starts, "just do it already, I don't care. Punish me, yell at me, call a social worker. Anything." Punch, left unspoken.
"Hitoshi is too soft of a tone for Aizawa. Hitoshi's head is down, he's done with it. - We're not going to yell, hurt, or call a social worker. Smoking is a dangerous risk, not just for the heroism you aspire to, but for your health. Remember our conversation at the beginning? - That and your safety are our priorities, so if you need specialist help with your addiction, we'll arrange appointments." -
"No! I, it's not a habit, I haven't touched in a while. Hitoshi shakes his head, knowing it'll go on his list and everything could go to hell. Besides, rehab is for hardcore addicts and people who've gone off the deep end. He doesn't.
"Okay. Okay. Then," Aizawa sighed, "I want you to write a five-page essay on the health hazards of smoking and the consequences of smoking. As well as mechanisms and actions that will help you cope if the urge arises again. We'll develop healthy habits. Is that clear?" Yamada nods, agreeing with her husband's words, and gives Hitoshi a quiet little smile.
"Got it" is annoying, he's spoken to like a child, but he apparently deserves it. But that's not the end of it. It just can't be the end. You don't talk nicely to him and then expect something in return. He's not stupid and he knows it's not over . But he'll accept it and wait to see how it goes.
Yamala holds out his hand. Hitoshi stares at the open palm for a second before the gesture reaches him.
He pulls out a packet and hands it to Yamada.
"Thanks, baby."
The burning in my eyes and chest intensified when a firm hand landed on my hair and gently guided it.
He wonders if he can look them in the eye without shame or hesitation.
20:48 lights up on the fridge as Hitoshi takes a bottle of water, perishable snacks, and puts the small belongings into his backpack. There's already an accumulated amount of change, a charger, and a spare sweatshirt lying there. He's about to head for the exit, but he catches sight of the knife drawer and after a second's thought, he opens it, selecting a small blade and wrapping a towel around the point to keep it from cutting through the bag. A convulsive sigh leaves his chest and Hitoshi realizes that he can't delay any further, or he won't catch the head start.
The cat looks up from the counter as if it understood and condemns the teenager's escape.
But Hitoshi realizes he's doing the right thing. He can't live expecting the worst and frankly his leaving is a weight off the shoulders of the guardians, the teenager fell into their care quite by accident and they were forced to take him in when the previous foster family was arrested for drugs. Aizawa and Yamada agreed to this because otherwise Hitoshi would have been transferred to another prefecture, but it doesn't matter now, he's leaving.
As painful as it is, he cannot become a hero and just a productive member of society, always inconveniencing and hurting others.
The slamming of the door seems final as the teenager exits.
It's better this way.
-----------------------------—
It's past midnight, Aizawa Shota is exhausted walking home with her husband. The last week has worn out his nerves and strength. The stubble has grown to the unpleasant thickness that Hitoshi often complains about, his eyes burn after a long patrol and worrying about the baby is driving him crazy. Hitoshi had regressed in his behavior to the very beginning of his care when he was first pulled out of the system, the kid was fearful, withdrawn and walked on eggshells around them. But now it has become many times worse, he almost does not eat with them and retreats from the room as soon as adults enter it and the options of what to do about it are over. Zashi has been trying all morning to get him to leave the room, but he's barely given a sign of life and then only to refuse. Breaking boundaries was still not considered necessary, but if the weekend went on like this, he would have to step up the pressure and consult a specialist. What is happening now is becoming more alarming with each day of self-isolation.
"Sho, he hasn't touched his food" - Hizashi's blond eyebrows converge on the bridge of his nose. - " I don't think he went out during the day, that's unhealthy". His husband still in his hero costume, runs his hands over his head and begins to untangle his patched hair.
"I'll check on him," Shota sees a streak of light from under the child's door and knocks weakly, not wanting to wake Hitoshi if he's asleep, which doesn't happen as often as he'd like. - "Hitoshi?" - There's no answer and he decides to check after all by gently pushing on the knob. The nightlight is lit in the room and the bed on the bed is in disarray, and the teenager-
He's not in the room.
Shota has an icy lump rising at the level of her stomach, but there's no rational reason for their child to be out of the room late at night.
Refusing to panic, Shota checks the windows - they're locked, the closet and looks even under the bed and it's to no avail.
He goes back to the kitchen, checking the laundry room, the bathroom and their bedroom, all empty, and the hallway is missing a jacket and shoes, which means the teenager left on his own and maybe it wasn't a kidnapping. Zashi notices and already wants to ask a question, seeing Shota's poor face, but he precedes him:
"Hitoshi's not in the apartment."
"WHAT-it's the first hour of the night, this is crazy." - Hizashi pulls his phone out of his pants and starts dialing while Shota grabs his grappling weapon, flies into his boots and freezes at the door, waiting for an answer. It's unlikely, but if the guy decided to go to his friends' house while they were out since early evening and stayed out late, that could be an explanation.
"The caller is unavailable or out of range," a mechanical voice answers after a long beep and it becomes clear that Hitoshi's phone is disconnected.
"I'm going on a search, stay here in case he comes back, I'll be in touch."
Hizashi's face conveys the same terror that swirls in Shota's soul, "I'll contact his friends and Nemuri, wait an hour and I'll notify Detective Tsukauchi"
Shota nods and runs out the door.
Baby, be all right.
Hitoshi didn't think through his plan of action when he decided to run away and it's putting him in a bind now. It's quite windy outside and feeling the subzero temperature, so the grabbed sweatshirt has come in handy as never before. The teen has been outside for 4 hours now and is slowly coming to realize that this part of town seems unfamiliar, but it's just a little nerve wracking. After leaving home it was fairly early evening and over an hour before curfew, so the wandering child didn't arouse the suspicion of passersby.
He tried to get as far and sideways as possible from Aizawa's patrol route. The exact path is unknown, the hero sometimes goes off it, but Hitoshi just went in a different direction. After a while, it seems as if he's far enough away and a small convenience store is encountered along the way. There are numbers lit up at the entrance, which makes his stomach clench. But Shinso exhales slowly, assuring himself of his own safety. It's late enough and he chooses the more lighted parts of the path.
Hitoshi walks through the store and in the reflection sees a figure weaving behind him. At first it seemed as if the person was about to enter the premises and the teenager turns away. The footsteps resume. They go on like this for ten minutes and Hitoshi is getting creepier by the second. After a few meters, the main road forks and there's a gap between houses, which is easy enough to push the skinny guy into and pin him down. Footsteps sound closer and Shinso runs. A sharp turn to the right and he starts off, holding his backpack.
The stalker darted back, but the man was in the wrong shape and it stopped after a few minutes. But Hitoshi only calmed down a few blocks later.
Taking a breath and with an overabundance of nervous energy, he continued on his way, looking around and as he twisted his head around, he almost crossed the yellow tape that fenced off the crime scene, a small store that had been robbed. Shinso pulled his hood deeper over his head and tried to relax his posture as he passed the police cars along the opposite house. He had almost passed the obstacle and was already exhaling, realizing that he had put this behind him-.
"Wait a minute!
Fuck.
He is called out by a man standing in a small group of police officers and civilians. The man asks to wait, and it would be too suspicious to run away from a police officer if not guilty of something. A man very reminiscent of Aizawa, with a black hedgehog, tired eyes and a trenchcoat gets under the tape stopping beside Shinso:
" I'm Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa, did you happen to see what happened here recently?"
Hitoshi knows he's nervous when he shakes his head at the question. Tsukauchi watches the teenager, "Is everything alright? You seem pretty young for a walk at this late hour. Do you need any help?"
"No. It's fine and I'm...18, going home" - Shinso feels how insecure his lie sounds, but he doesn't need the outside attention.
Tsukauchi casts a long look, " I realize that it may be uncomfortable to talk to police officers, so we can offer to talk to the hero, okay?" - The detective says with an open expression - "You see, my Lie Detector quirk, so I'm going to have to ask you to wait." He beckons the trainee over and explains the situation out of hearing range to Hitoshi, who honestly doesn't know how to get out from under the detective's gaze, fingers cold and heart pounding at this moment,and hands clenched into fists, in his jacket pocket.
He needs to escape.
After a moment, Tsukauchi's phone comes to life and he turns away to take the call, sending the person he was talking to to Hitoshi.
"Good night, I'll wait with you until the hero arrives. " - The young guy, apparently new to the service, smiles optimistically when he notices the teenager shaking: "We have blankets if you're cold. It gets pretty cold at a time like this."
"I n— yeah. Yeah, if I may. The blanket I mean. Please" - Shinso sees an opportunity as the policeman nods and approaches the medical officer a few meters away with the request. He takes a small step back and realizing he's standing on the outskirts of this whole area, takes another. The officer thanks his interlocutor and starts to turn to Hitoshi, and he turns and runs in a flash.
Shouts and the sound of feet can be heard from behind, but he doesn't turn around. They must have lost sight of him a while later, because it's getting quiet enough for a city at night. A few turns later, Hitoshi stops, resting his palms on his knees and catching his breath. We need to spend the night somewhere safe and away from people. There's too much going on right now. There's a fire escape to a fairly tall building on the right, not a high-rise, but that's even better. No drunks or nosy people will get in there, enough shelter for the night.
The ladder creaks and squeals with a terrible noise as it is climbed. And conquering the moment of second horror, Shinso continues the arduous climb. The steps end below the roof and Hitoshi clings to the ladder with one hand, while with the other he throws his backpack from his shoulders to the roof. He lands with a clang and now needs to pull himself up there following. Thanks to his lean physique and the small muscles built up during his training with Aizawa . The teenager clings to the edge and pulls himself up. It's hard, the footing disappears from under his feet and the ladder has been waiting for this moment, for one fastener to come loose and the ladder to wobble dangerously. Shinso gathers up his strength and carries his body to the roof, his forearms and palms burning with searing pain.
Hitoshi rolls over to his backpack. We can catch our breath, climbing in.
He lies on his back for a minute, just breathing with his eyes closed. Hitoshi sits up and starts looking for his backpack, feeling his hands wet, but not like sweat. The bag lies nearby, it opened due to the fall and the knife slipped out of the towel and now lies a few centimeters away. Shinso picks up the backpack first, realizing he needs to inspect if it's scratches are bleeding, but can't see a damn thing in the dark. Taking his phone out of his jacket pocket, he turns the device on. The light from the screen is enough to see that the skin on his arms is puckered from the climb. A bottle of water eats in his bag, cotraining to cool the wounds. Only then does he see the notifications. Hitoshi had turned on silent mode even before leaving, so there was no vibration from the 36 missed calls and messages. There's the most from Yamada, a dozen from Aizawa, a few alerts from friends and Midnight's class teacher.
Incoming: Yamada
The phone keeps ringing and Hitoshi doesn't know what to do. He was sure that leaving was the right thing to do, that it would be less disturbing, but seeing so many notifications asking him to answer, come back, or just to signal that he's alive makes him feel bad. Tears come to his eyes.
The clatter of boots on the opposite edge:
"SHINSO HITOSHI." - Yellow sunglasses, a floating scarf, and a very evil hero across the street.
Hitoshi jumps up in fright and takes a step back, the phone drops down the screen and goes dark again.
He and Aizawa are on the roof.
‐------‐------------------------------
"Detective Tsukauchi, listening"- Naomasa took a familiar number, Aizawa had been involved in many joint investigations to keep me in touch with him after hours as well.
"This is Aizawa. We need to report a missing teenager and organize a search." - A tired and worried hero's voice comes through the phone.- "We're not sure of the time of the disappearance, between this morning and 12 at night."
"Accepted, but you need to report for the record and write a formal statement. Is it a student?" - Tsukauchi is familiar enough with Yuei's 1-A class history that if Aizawa goes through the personal channel first, bypassing procedures, it must be a student.
Aizawa continues, "No, ward. Name Shinso Hitoshi, 15 years old, orientation to be about 175 tall, purple hair and eyes. Wearing a black jacket with....
"Cat's paws and by any chance a backpack with Mika's show logo on it?" - Tsukauchi interrupted his colleague and if he's right, the Aizawa kid is standing literally a few meters away from him.
Aizawa's tone, usually even, got a hitch and something between relief and alarm at the already different kind of thoughts slipped in:" Yes. Is he okay?" - Either way, knowing that a detective at one o'clock in the morning knows about your kid isn't the most reassuring thought and Shota prayed that the man had just stopped the teenager in the middle of the night rather than a terrible thing happening.
Tsukauchi confirms almost immediately," Yeah. The guy was sneaking past the crime scene, we stopped to canvass and he lied, then it's okay. He's with an intern now."
" Don't let him go, I'll be right there, reset the location" - Shota is happy to hear that Hitoshi is in his care, but has to personally make sure the boy is safe. comes a point on the maps and it's a 10 minute run from here. He's about to drop the call when he hears the noise and shouting on the other end.
"Aizawa, he ran, we've got officers on the trail , I'll keep you updated" - Tskauchi frantically explains the situation and Shota speeds up, disconnecting.
In a record six minutes, he made it across the rooftops to the cordon that Tsukauchi had dispatched. The detective himself is coordinating the police, leaving some to investigate and sending the rest after the escaped guy. He spots a disheveled Aizawa at the same second nodding towards the alleys: "Shinso rushed that way but the officers lost him after a few turns, we're sending out a search party now and doctors are nearby if needed."
The hero nods and silently hopes the latter won't be useful, heading off down the trail. On the way, he's already notified Hizashi that the baby is probably fine and he's waiting for news, about to leave for them.
Aizawa is more thankful than ever that he took the grappling weapon, it helps him navigate the rooftops, scoping out the streets in search of Hitoshi. He has no idea what was going through the kid's head since he decided to just leave at one point while no one was home. Shota can't understand where and how she and her husband made a mistake; they are trained heroes and teachers familiar with teen and foster child crises. But their child ran anyway, it remains to be seen whether this is the learned behavior of a child who couldn't handle the situation in any other way or whether they as guardians pushed him. The only conflict, if you can call it that, was the cigarette situation, although they seemed to have handled it quite well. Apparently that turned out to be a faulty assumption. But that was okay, they would find Hitoshi and talk it over.
He notices a small light on a nearby roof and a flicker of purple.
Found it.
Shota lands on the roof, announcing his presence and calling out to Shinso so as not to scare the kid, but he still jumps up from the knock and drops the phone. The man takes a step towards him, and Hitoshi...backs away
to the edge
Aizawa's insides froze. If he misread the situation and the child is in a more vulnerable state than he thought, he should proceed with caution.
Shota stops, relaxing his body and his scarf hands drop to belly level, he'll reach in a split second if Hitoshi snaps, but still trying to be safe. At that moment the sky clears and in the light of the moon and city lights, a glint catches Aizawa's attention - it's a knife on the roof. There's not enough light to determine if there's blood on it, but even having it makes the hero hold his breath and treat the situation as a potential danger to the child and definitely a topic they'll bring up, but later. When Hitoshi is home, safe.
My heart bleeds seeing the horror on the face of the child they were protecting.
There is silence for a few moments.
"Aizawa is angry, he's going to kill me, he's pissed off" - The mantra runs through Hitoshi's head as he steps back. Aizawa hasn't said anything yet and started to approach, but seeing the child's fear he stops.
Shinso watches the hero crouch in front of him getting smaller, keeping his distance. His chest is pounding and he's shaking, but it takes a minute, two, during which they simply remain silent and breathing.
"Hitoshi, I'm not going to get any closer, okay? Just answer me, are you hurt anywhere?" - Aizawa asks him, keeping his tone calm and Hitoshi starts to shake his head and wants to clench his fists, but the pain reminds him:
"Just the palms, scratched myself when I was climbing," Shinso's voice was quiet and worried.
Aizawa exhales, "Okay. Okay Baby, can you come to me please? I promise, no one's mad, we're just scared for you" - Hitoshi wants to refuse, but really the only other option is to jump, and he's not that desperate and if Aizawa is telling the truth, and really not mad.... He finally makes up his mind and comes a little closer.
Shota's grip of fear released with each baby step toward him, Shinso stopped at arm's length.
"Hitoshi, shall I touch you?" - the child nods and Shota slowly stands up reaching out his hands, when the right one touches his shoulder Hitoshi squints his eyes and becomes stone to the touch, but Aizawa slowly wraps his arms around his shoulders and guides his other hand to the back of his head, cradling the child. He's okay, Hitoshi is alive and scared, n okay. The last few hours have been endless fear and anxiety. The baby holds in tension for a few seconds, and then convulsively exhales and relaxes his body.
The first sob and a faint shiver is heard.
"You're not in trouble, you'll be fine. I have you Toshi, it's okay" - Shota quietly exhorts the child, stroking circles on his back, and the sniffling turns to actual crying. In Aizawa's memory, this is the first time Hitoshi doesn't hide his feelings. He continues to drive with his hand as he removes the other from the boy's head, sending short messages to Hizashi first, Tsukauchi and anyone else contacted.
So they stand like this for a few minutes and Hitoshi begins to calm down," I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I thought it was better" The teen pulls away and Shota holds him lightly by the shoulder, the echoes of fear making him have a point of contact with the child, just in case:
"Like I said, you're not in trouble, I'm sorry we didn't notice your feelings, Hitoshi. If you're not feeling well with us, or there's been some kind of mistake, it can be fixed. We can find qualified help or a home you'd like to stay in and feel safe..." - Aizawa has to say this and assure that Hitoshi has a choice, control over his life -
"NO!" - Hitoshi shakes his head - "You're the best people I've ever had in my life and I'm afraid of ruining everything because I'm broken and I make mistakes all the time." - The child wipes his red eyes.
"You are by no means broken. We all need reassurance sometimes that we're loved and valued, we'll figure it out." - Shota physically ached at Hitoshi's words.
At that moment the door on the roof swings open and Hizashi flies in, he is a mess. Eyes red-rimmed, hair sticking up in a half knot, his husband couldn't find the energy or care to wash when it was unknown if their child was alive.
"Sho, where- Hitoshi!" - Hizashi sees the teenager peering out from behind her husband and shrinking under Yamada's gaze.
Seconds later, Hizashi's tight embrace descends upon them, sighing:
"Baby, I'm so glad you're alive! God, Hitoshi, please don't ever do that again!" - Hizashi cradles the baby against him, stroking his head, groping his hands and seeing the wounds on his palms that upset him even more.
"I'm sorry..." - Shinso whispers into Hisashi's shoulder as he is cradled. He couldn't have imagined that the act would turn out to be so frightening for the guardians. Perhaps his head really was in the wrong place.
"I'm just glad you're here"-Yamada lets them all catch their breath.
Eventually the embrace dissolves.
"Toshi, we'll understand if you're in no condition to answer right now, but we need to know. Why were you on the roof, with a knife and...do you feel safe?"
Hitoshi didn't get the point at first when it clicked. From the outside it looks like he was about to jump, but that's completely not the case.:" I wasn't going to hurt myself or...jump. I swear, it seemed like a good place to spend the night. High up, no one's gonna go up there. And the knife is for self-defense." - He rubs the back of his head in embarrassment as he explains this and only hopes he'll be believed when the situation is so dubious.
"Okay. Okay, thanks for answering. We believe you, babe." - Yamada gives him a small, open smile.
"Are you ready to go home?" - Shota gently holds Hitoshi's shoulder. And the man simply nods in agreement in response.
They walk down the stairs of the building together, getting into the car. Hizashi drives, while Hitoshi and Aizawa sit in the back passenger seat.
The drive home won't be long, but within minutes of starting the trip, Shota feels the weight of the child's head on his shoulder. Hitoshi has endured anxiety, the extent of which the adults didn't realize, and it's finally over. He can let go of the tension and allow himself a long-awaited nap. Aizawa holds the child along the way and carries the passed out teen to the door, having to maneuver properly to get him into bed without waking him up, taking off his shoes and jacket, but they manage.
Shota and Hisashi leave Hitoshi's room, leaving the door ajar just in case. There's a realization that the child needs more reassurance, boundaries of his own, and a healthy way to tell adults how he feels. They concluded that running away was part of the foster child's adjustment to a family with concerned people in his life for the first time. He felt stressed, scared and didn't understand how to cope, so he found a way to help him survive earlier.
They will find help and talk about the possibility of therapy for everyone in the family. But that's tomorrow.
Now go to sleep.
A happy future together awaits them, no matter what.
end