Izuku decided to push his luck. He knew the worst that could happen is Hitoshi turns him down. But he was gonna try really hard.

"Hey Hito?" Izuku said, using his best puppy dog eyes to match the name he was given. He was really gonna lay it on thick.

Hitoshi lazily looked up at him, knowing that he wanted something, and having a good idea of what it was. "Yes puppy?" He asked.

"Can I please see Kacchan?" He asked, batting his eyelashes.

"No."

Izuku pouted at how quickly he was shot down. He thought Hitoshi would at least think about it. "Please? I just got him back after all these years. Don't take him away again." Izuku said, tears brimming in his eyes. He knew that tears probably wouldn't affect Hitoshi, but it was worth a try.

To Izuku's surprise, Hitoshi actually seemed conflicted. "Fine, but you're coming to work with me. No complaints." He bargained with a cocked brow.

Izuku's face lit up like Christmas. He really was going to work for him anyway, so this was just extra incentive. "Deal!" He said cheerily.

Hitoshi made a 'tch' noise and looked away. "You're lucky you're cute, or else that night in the coffee chop would have went a whole lot different." He stated.

Izuku moved so he was kneeling near the end of his bed, closer to Hitoshi. He had a habit of talking quiet so he wanted to hear better. "I thought I got away with it because I was feisty?" Izuku teased. He was starting to see more and more of Hitoshi's true colors, and he couldn't say he hated all of them. Just ya know, the murderous ones.

Hitoshi's face softened as he let himself relax and joke around with the smaller boy. "So I guess you have a few things going for you." He admitted, sparing Izuku a heated look.

Izuku noticed that he had relaxed and took the opportunity to keep the banter going. "Are you admitting that I have more redeeming qualities than you?" He questions, becoming more confident around Hitoshi as he realized that he wouldn't snap his neck for the jokes.

No matter how hard he tried, Hitoshi could help but admire the way Izuku's confidence grew. He liked that side of him, it was the reason he had become to infatuated with him in the first place. "Guess I am." Hitoshi said with a shrug. He didn't have a problem with telling Izuku thought he thought higher of him than himself. He wouldn't have a problem telling anyone that. It was just the truth. Izuku was so... good. In every sense of the word. Something Hitoshi could never even hope for.

"Whoa, didn't take you as a softy." Izuku said, a little stunned by the defeat.

Hitoshi rolled his eyes, but not with malice. He gently grabbed Izuku's jaw and moved him so they were once again, nearly nose to nose. "I'm not soft, puppy. I'm just not a liar." He said, shifting his gaze from Izuku's bright green eyes, to his soft pink lips.

Izuku's breath hitched at the proximity and the Hitoshi's gaze. He couldn't stop his own eyes from flicking down to the insomniac's mouth. He could feel Hitoshi's breath on his face, warm and smelling of coffee and cigarettes. Not a combination he thought he'd find attractive, but then again, he had never thought he'd find a leader of the mafia attractive either. His life was just full of surprises.

Before either of them even had time to think their actions through, Hitoshi was slowly leaning in and Izuku was doing nothing to discourage him. Izuku swore he felt just the lightest brush of Hitoshi's lips, before there was a loud crash from downstairs, making Izuku jump back in fear. Hitoshi hadn't moved his body, but he was now looking at the door.

They exchanged a look before deciding to head downstairs and see what the commotion was about. They were half way down the stairs when the heard the first yell.

"Get the fuck out of my house!" Followed by another crash.

"How many god damn plates are in this house?" Bakugou's voice asked.

"Get out, get out, get out!" Inko was livid and half crazed.

Izuku was terrified of his mother, but he was more terrified of what she's do to the people he cared about. He pushed past Hitoshi and sprinted down the rest of the stairs. Walking in on the scene, he could see that Todoroki and Bakugou were standing near the living room and Inko was at the sink, throwing anything she could get her hands on.

"Mom! Stop!" Izuku said, rushing in front of his friends.

"Deku!" Bakugou said in a harsh voice. Todoroki and him were in the mafia, a drunk mother was a cake walk compared to what they dealt with on the daily.

"I'm sick and tired of your friends thinking they can come and go as they please!" Inko slurred, throwing a wine glass and narrowly missing Izuku's head, once again.

Hitoshi was down the stairs, grabbing Izuku's wrist and trying to pull him back, but the green haired male pulled away. "She's my mom, I can handle this." He whispered, his voice sounding desperate.

Hitoshi's eyes softened. He hated seeing Izuku so torn. "She's black out drunk, she won't listen to you." He said back, making sure to keep an eye on Inko, who was trying to get the last drop of wine out of the bottle.

"You've also been such an ungrateful little leech!" She spoke up, drawing everyone's attention again. The words clearly bothered Izuku, but it wasn't anything he hadn't heard before. "You're the reason he left! You're the reason he didn't stay here, with us, with me! You're the reason he's dead!" She said, getting more angry and violent.

Izuku shook off Hitoshi's hand, knowing that his mother just needed to sleep off the booze. She would be better in the morning.

"Mom, please calm down. I know you don't actually mean-" He had been walking forward, slowly and with his hands up, like he was approaching a wild animal.

She cut him off with a screech and swung the empty wine bottle at him. Her aim was off and it hit his shoulder instead of the top of his head, but it still shattered on impact, causing glass shards to become imbedded in his skin.

The three boys behind him and leapt forwards as soon as she swung, but they hadn't been able to stop her in time. Hitoshi grabbed Izuku before he could completely sink to the ground. He softened the fall and made sure that there wasn't any pressure on his shoulder.

"Get her out of here." He hissed at Todoroki and Bakugou, who had already restrained her. They nodded and dragged her kicking and screaming out of the house.

"P-please! Don't hurt her!" Izuku yelled as his friends and mother disappeared.

"Sh, puppy. Let's just try and get this glass out of your shoulder, yeah?" Hitoshi said, surprisingly gentle.

Izuku started to squirm in his arms with Hitoshi just tried to stand up. "N-no! They'll- they'll hurt her! They can't- She's all I have left!" He yelled trying to get out of Hitoshi's grip.

"C'mere." Hitoshi whispered while pulling Izuku into his chest and letting him cry while supporting his weight. "They won't hurt her, just locker up until she's sober, okay? How does that sound?" He asked, trying to calm the boy he had grown rather fond of.

Izuku looked up at him with red rimmed eyes, breaking Hitoshi's nonexistent heart. "P-promise?" He asked with a sniffle.

Even though he hated how much Izuku cared for his abuser, he was about to break him even further by hurting her. "Promise. Now can we please clean up your shoulder?" Hitoshi asked.

Izuku just nodded and they headed to his bathroom, grabbing out the first aid kit. It didn't take Hitoshi long to clean Izuku up, seeing as he had more than a little experience.

Izuku's eyes were drooping, signaling that he had been worn thin that day. Hitoshi lightly chuckled at the tired puppy. The noise caused Izuku to perk up thought.

"I like you laugh." He stated sleepily, relaxing again.

"First my smile, now my laugh? Do you just like me happy?" Hitoshi asked, scooping Izuku up bridle style, just like when he carried him home last night.

"Mhm." Izuku admitted in his half asleep state.

Hitoshi gently set him down in his bed, making sure that he was comfortable and warm. He had turned to walk back out, knowing that he still had to deal with Izuku's mother, but a small hand stopped him, grabbing his wrist with a firm grip.

He looked behind him at Izuku's wide eyes and heavier breathing. "Please don't leave. I-I'm scared." He said, thinking of what would happen when his mom finally came home again.

Not being able to handle a terrified Izuku, Hitoshi silently let Izuku pull him into his bed and cuddle up to his chest. It was only ten minutes before Izuku's breathing evened out and he was out cold.

Hitoshi stayed up, insomnia kicking in, running his hand through Izuku's soft curls. He sighed as he watched the slow rise and fall of his chest. "What're you doing to me Izuku Midoriya?"