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izuku had gotten sick with a dreadfully high fever after reuniting with his dad. the stress of being apart for so long piling up, up, up and finally taking a physical toll on the tot.
hizashi figured the only hurdle when izuku got admitted to the hospital was curbing shouta's enhanced parental instincts that came with his new mutations. the man was comparable to a feral mama possum in hizashi’s opinion with how unwilling he was to put izuku down, carrying him around all day everyday. not that the baby had any complaints, content on attaching himself to his dad like a clingy little limpet.
they may have some separation anxiety to address in the future.
regardless, he thought he had hammer in the understanding that ‘the hospital staff are here to help izu, shouta. they’re not your enemies’ into his friend quite thoroughly.
now, walking into the pediatrics ward to a small group of junior doctors rambling nervously about the uncooperative patient in bed 7 to a supervising recovery girl, he wasn't so sure.
although, hizashi curiously took note that they mentioned a fussy 'patient' instead of parent.
he greeted the youthful heroine who granted him permission to tag along since they were just about done with their rounds and heading over to finish with izuku anyways. he remained silent as he listened in on the elderly lady lecture her students.
"honestly, what on earth have you done to upset the sunshine child," recovery girl tutted at her students.
as they approached the bed, they were met with the sight of a worried shouta, his multiple red eyes shifting and flitting almost anxiously as he tried coaxing a wailing izuku out from where he was stubbornly hidden under the blanket.
to put simply, shouta was fretting. nervously flitting and hovering like an anxious parent. he was doing his best to reel in every instinct screaming in his being to hide the baby away, keep him safe, protect protect protect-
yet, he resisted because 'you want izu-chan to get better, don't you, shouta?'.
but truly, he was at a lost at what to do. izuku had fought off the doctor assigned to him tooth and nail. refusing to be checked, he had cried and scream and kick and shove, even going as far as to bite the guy when he tried prying the kid from his dad.
shouta was not above begging the child at this point. he would carve his own heart out if it would calm his baby.
baby. let the doctor see you. please?
hizashi noted that shouta’s control on his telepathy was slipping, as he heard the man’s voice ringing in his head though the words were clearly only meant for his son. he saw a few of the staff flinched too. shouta rarely lost contol of his ‘speech’ anymore, he must be really frazzled.
"no! don't wanna! he's a meanie! don't wannaaa!" izuku shrieked from under the blanket, very evidently distressed.
"alright, alright, dearie," recovery girl placated gently, simply standing by the bed, not moving to force the child from his hiding spot. big teary green eyes peeked out at the familiar voice, revealing a very upset and pouty izuku. "why don't you tell me why dr nakamura here is a meanie, hm?"
izuku seemed to freeze at the question, hesitant to answer as his gaze flicked back and forth between recovery girl and his dad with uncertainty, before his eyes watered with renewed tears and he burst out crying.
"he called daddy a monster! said he was dangerous a-and bad. i- i heard him! he's a meanie!" he wailed and the doctor in question paled at the admission. shouta's eyes widened at his son's breakdown, quick to scoop his baby into his arms, blanket and all.
its okay, baby. its okay. shouta tried hushing the child, uncaring of whatever unkind words were directed at him, just wanting for his baby calm down. he just wanted izuku to get better, so he could squirrel his baby away in the safety of their home and fuss over him to his heart's content.
"noo, its n-not!" izuku protested through hiccuping sobs as shouta lightly bounced him in his arms.
"oh?" the young hero said slowly, raising an eyebrow at the relevation. "why, that is quite mean indeed."
"mm. mhm," the child managed through sniffles, slowly settling, having his feelings heard and validated.
“i will have a stern word with dr nakamura on his bedside manners, sweetie, i promise,” recovery girl assured kindly, dismissing her students with a stern glare, sending them scrambling out of the room in a panic. “is it alright if i look over you now, dearie?”
the boy sniffled but nodded.
recovery girl proceeded to look over the child, izuku remained in his dad’s hold, sniffling miserably but cooperative.
“alright. his lungs have cleared up and his fever is gone. we should be able to switch out his iv medication for oral ones and he can be discharged,” she concluded. she thanked the boy and his dad before trudging over to the group of cowering young doctors for what was sure to be one hell of a scolding, hizashi thought, amused as he watched her leave. he turned his attention back to shouta who was already looking at him, finally taking notice of his presence.
zashi, the man rumbled tiredly, running a hand down his face wearily. the boy clinging to his neck only offering the blonde a little wave before hiding away in his dad’s hair.
“hiya, sho!” he greeted, shooting his best friend a sympathetic look. “i was just stopping by to see how you and the little man were doing. looks like you had one hell of a morning huh?”
baby being difficult.
“i think being upset about tour dad being called a monster is a pretty valid reason for a little tantrum,” he drawled out, lips tugging in a smirk at bob of green hair nodding in agreement even as izuku stayed resolutely hidden against his dad and the glare shouta shot him over his son’s head.
am a monster though, he huffed, apparently not seeing the issue, going silent at the angry wiggle and high pitched whine izuku protested with.
“i suppose you are,” hizashi agreed thoughtfully, his statement making izuku turn in his dad’s arms to look at him in surprise. “but i doubt he meant it in a way that wasn’t malicious or mean. izu was probably right to be upset, you know.”
“daddy’s a monster?” he asked quietly, his wet chubby cheeks and red rimmed eyes making him look particularly pitiful.
“he is,” he cooed soothingly, running a hand through messy green curls. “but its not supposed to be a bad thing, honey. he is just different and its wrong for people to be mean about it.”
the tot nodded his head in understanding.
“should’ve bit him,” izuku scowled so darkly that it startled a laugh out of hizashi.
“did you not bite him, izu?”
baby did bite him, shouta chuffed, unable to mask the pride in his voice even as he rolled his eyes.
“should’ve bit more,” the child pouted.
“usually, i wouldn’t encourage violence but just this once, good job little monster,” he teased, chuckling at the satisfied toothy grin it pulled from the baby. even shouta cracked an exasperated smile.
baby monster.