#brain fuzz

“An abridged form of omelette,” you answer, with an undeniable air of mystery.

“Oh,” Izuku responds with a bright expression, ears perking at the base. “So that’s why it smelt so good… I quite like omelettes.”

You smile, unable to help yourself – yeah, you know he does. You had grilled Nejire for a little more than the bare minimum information on your temporary housemates. She hadn’t exactly flooded you with facts and tidbits, but you at least have a little more to go off now than you did when they first arrived.

“Okay, so! I only just started, and all I’ve done so far is gather the ingredients. Could you please grab the chopping board from up there?”

He is already in motion before you finish your request, the chopping board placed gently on the bench not long after you finish speaking. A glance to his face reveals eagerness that makes you want to coo, and just barely do you restrain the urge to ruffle his hair in fondness.

He’s so cute it’s almost a hazard.

Surprisingly, Izuku is much more helpful than you initially predicted. It’s as though he anticipates your directions before you even conceive them, and your movements around each other are smooth and seamless in the kitchen. It’s… a nice change, you think.

When the food is sizzling in the pan and you’re bringing out some meat to prepare, the kitchen greets a third person.

You see him first, standing in the doorway rubbing his eyes (his silky hair, which normally sits pin straight atop his head, is actually standing up so outrageously in a few places that the tufts almost look like extra ears– you would never have guessed that the hybrid was one to suffer wild bed hair), and instantly shoot a smile.

“Morning, Shoto. Did the smell lure you down?”

The hybrid chuckles, the sound lower than you’d anticipated since he is still half asleep. You ignore the sensation that rolls over your skin as a result of the low timbre. “Yeah, smells good. What are you making?”

He pads over to the stool on the other side of the bench and takes a seat; it’s a wise choice, since your kitchen is really only big enough for two people to move around freely. His tail flops over the side as he adjusts, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

Shoto’s mismatched eyes, now cleared of sleep, follow the two of you as you finish cooking and begin to plate up. From the corner of your eye you can see his nose twitching every time the scent of the food wafts a bit closer. They’re both so endearing that you have no doubt they’re going to have no problem finding a home after this is all done.

Breakfast is done before you know it, and the three of you finish your plates in a mix of amicable silence and easy small talk. Izuku spends the latter half of the meal informing Shoto of all the steps taken, and everything you do different in your recipe to the one he knows. He is surprisingly interested, nodding along to each enthusiastic explanation Izuku gives with sweeping gestures.

Once all the dishes are in the sink and the kitchen wiped down, you turn to the two hybrids chatting just beyond the room.

“There are a few tasks I have to take care of before lunch, but I was thinking that afterwards we could head out and get you two the things you need…?”

Shoto turns to level you with a neutral look, but you catch his tail give an intrigued swish behind him. Izuku’s face betrays all of his emotions, however, and you swear there is an extra sparkle in his eyes at the words.

“That would be great,” Shoto says evenly, mere moments before Izuku beams and echoes the sentiment.

“We would like that!”

You bite your lip so you don’t let loose the dumb smile that is fighting to show itself.

They retreat to their rooms not long after, and you retreat to your own just because it’s where you keep all your documents and schedules. The tasks you mentioned earlier include the painful experience of phoning up companies to change certain things about your bills and account. You had no idea before all this that a new phone number would make so many things so damn difficult.

//

By the time your last call comes to an end, you are significantly more drained and the sun has made decentprogress across the sky. If there is one sound you could choose to delete from existence, it would be the stupid low quality music that plays while you’re on hold. Another minute of listening to it drone in your ear and you might have snapped, finally.

You decide to freshen up and wash your face, as though cleansing the experience from your mind. You don’t want to show your agitation around your guests, especially since it’s not their problem and they shouldn’t have to deal with it. You don’t want to make them uncomfortable.

You fiddle with your appearance until satisfied, and then gather your keys and necessities before making your way out of your room. On the way to the foyer, you knock on their doors and let the two hybrids know that it’s time to go. They had gone and freshened up after breakfast, since they didn’t know how long you were going to take.

Shoto joins you by the door first, snowy tail swishing softly behind him and his ears perked upright. You aren’t sure what you expected to see him dressed in to go out into the world, but it isn’t the plain black pants, white shirt and thin indigo hoodie combo that he arrives in.

You feel a little silly, as realisation washes over you. Given the situation they just escaped, of course they don’t have anything more than the bare minimum possessions. When Izuku bounds around the corner sporting a similar outfit, your thoughts are confirmed.

A new determination swirls to life inside you as you offer them a smile and gesture for them to follow you. The trip is quick, and you spend it scheming out the route you’re going to take around the shopping centre. Clothes, then care products, then comforts. Hopefully you won’t get too distracted once you’re there.

Thankfully, the centre isn’t too busy. You know that crowded places can be somewhat overwhelming for hybrids, since their senses are so much more heightened than a human’s. You’re unsure of their background prior to the whole trafficking era, but you surmise from their expressions of intrigue and awe that they must have been brought up in quite a sheltered manner. Which, as most things do, has its pros and cons.

Hybrids who haven’t been outside of the system before have a significantly higher chance of being adopted over those who have. Meaning that once you are purchased, or adopted, as a hybrid, from that second on you are essentially ‘used goods’. Second-hand hybrids once returned to the system, tend to stay there. Their value as a product decreases the second they are obtained.

It’s vile.

Shaking your head to clear those thoughts away, you return your attention to the two hybrids who are actually in front of you and muster a smile.

“Okay,” you say, sucking in a deep breath. “It might be busier inside, so if at any time you feel uncomfortable, or you want to leave, please let me know. We don’t have to do all of our shopping today. We can go at whatever pace suits the two of you.”

Silence greets your words, and you might be concerned were the cause of it not plastered over their faces.

A mixture of awestruck and something a shade away from incredulous. You can feel your own cheeks warming from the way they are looking at you. Clearing your throat, you can’t help but avert your eyes to save yourself further fluster. Izuku hastens to respond, stuttering from your side.

“O-of course, thanks, Yona…”

When you turn back, Izuku is beaming at you and Shoto is peering to the side, a small smile on his lips and a light wag to his tail. Doing your best to overcome your fluster, you clear your throat one more and turn towards the mall.

“Okay, let’s get started then.”

A testament to your luck, the centre, as you predicted, isn’t too busy inside. The three of you have room to walk and breathe without stepping into someone else’ space, or them stepping into yours.

“Was there anywhere that you two wanted to visit first?” you ask, glancing slightly behind where they are, standing together.

“Not really!” Izuku answers hurriedly, his attention captured every other second by something new he sees. Shoto’s gaze is slightly more level as it swings around to settle on you.

“Would it be possible to see some clothing first?” he asks, ever so polite. You hadn’t planned on saying no to whatever they suggested, but even if you had you don’t think you would have been able to say no to the face the hybrid is giving you right now.

“Sure!” The word escapes you before you even think to answer. “We’ll do that first.”

Pleased, Shoto nods and the two hybrids fall into step slightly behind you as you lead them to one of the shops you’d researched earlier. Tail-lor Lee’s is a small franchise of hybrid clothing stores that are affordable and that cater to the kind of hybrids you have staying with you right now. The biggest issue for both boys would be the discomfort that their tails would bring in normal human clothes, so they need pants that are specially catered.

It isn’t necessary for them to also get their tops from here, but you know that hybrid-specialising stores pay more attention to the kind of fabric used. Considering their heightened senses, there are a number of fabrics and materials that are quite uncomfortable for hybrids to wear. At least if they buy their clothes from here, you know that it will be material they are comfortable with.

“This isn’t the only store that has clothes you will be able to wear, but it is the closest,” you inform your companions, not wanting them to think that their only options are those within this store. When they don’t seem opposed to anything they see, you send them off to hunt for some things they would like to wear.

It’s interesting to observe the styles that each of them are drawn to. From how lost they are, you feel as though they have yet to discover their own favourite styles and looks. It makes you happy that they have the opportunity now to begin finding that.

Izuku, who had seemed slightly hesitant to split from Shoto at first, was evidently comforted by the small size of the store and wandered off towards the fluffier section. Considering his rabbit genes, it makes sense that he would want to be comfortable and swaddled in a way by the clothes he wears. You catch him pulling a few hangers off the rack, their contents large, soft and oversized. Each one of them undergoes tough scrutiny, and not all of them remain off the rack.

It’s a little funny to see how much thought is being put into it.

Shoto, on the other hand, has been standing and staring at the same rack ever since he entered.

It’s full of colour, and it occurs to you that he might not know which one he prefers, or where to even start. You find yourself wandering over without thinking, the only sign he is aware of your approach being the soft swish of his tail as it perks ever so slightly.

“What’s the dilemma?” you ask, sweeping your eyes over his options. They’re mostly simple t-shirts and long-sleeved garments.

“There’s so many colours,” he answers, confirming your earlier speculation.

“You’re right,” you say, reaching up to brush your fingers against the sleeve of a grey shirt. It’s softer than anticipated, feeling more like bamboo weave than traditional cotton. “Do you have a favourite?”

Shoto hums, mimicking your action and brushing his fingers against the material of a purple shirt. “I don’t know… maybe white?”

You turn and give him a funny look without realising it; he catches it from the corner of his eye and laughs.

“Pretty boring, right? But honestly, I like them all. There isn’t really one that stands out.”

“Maybe start with the basics, then?” you suggest, pointing to your end of the rack. “You can’t go wrong with a few black and white shirts. Then you can maybe just add one colour at a time.”

Shoto hums, but doesn’t seem opposed to the idea. He takes a few of the suggested ones off the rack, folds them over his arm, and then turns to you as if to say, ‘what now?’.

You stifle a laugh and place your hands on his shoulders, turning him around. “The changing room is that way. Go try them on!”

Obediently, the man nods and makes a beeline for the changing rooms without any further question.

“Yona!”

You turn at the searching call of your name, and catch sight of Izuku wandering around with an absolutely massive pile of clothes in his arms that towers to just above his head and cuts off his sight.

“Over here,” you say, smiling as you see his ears flick in response and his head whip your way. He comes bounding over and almost knocks straight into you.

“Sorry, sorry!” he gasps, leaning his head around the pile. Two big puppy eyes that have no business being on the face of a rabbit hybrid greet you. “I need your help, I can’t choose which one I want.”

You laugh, taking the top portion of the pile into your arms so he can see. “Well, why not try them on so you can see which ones you actually like wearing? Shoto is in the changing rooms right now, so we can check in with him too.”

“Great! Let’s do that.” Izuku smiles brightly, dark curls bouncing with each step he takes. He goes in front of you, and for the first time you catch sight of the cottony tale that rests just above his butt.

It twitches, and you almost have a heart palpitation.

Thankfully, the rest of your time passes in the store without any further incidents of that nature. You had to explain to Izuku that he was allowed as much as he wanted, and you think the information might have broken him. He refused to get everything he had picked out, but at least what he took to the counter was of a decent size. Both hybrids got a few pants as well as tops, and seem pretty pleased with their purchases.

When the total is read out, their jaws drop, and instantly Izuku is reaching for the folded clothes to take some back. You laugh as you tap your card and explain that you were provided money for them to get what they need, so they shouldn’t worry. You don’t bother mentioning that you might have pitched in a little yourself, because you feel like even Shoto would have protested that.

The three of you leave the store with heavier arms than when you entered. Right upon exiting, a group of people rush past and almost run into you. It’s a little busier than before, enough so that you reach out and take their hands into your own. Two shocked gazes fly your way, and you instantly feel sheepish.

“Sorry, but I thought this was a better alternative to either of you getting lost. If you’re uncomfortable, you can take your hand back.”

To your surprise, neither of them drop your hands. Instead, you could almost swear that their grip tightens.

Your face is warm as you begin on your way to the next store.