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Everytime he thought he'd learnt everything about Shouta, something new poped up.
It had started since they'd first met.
He'd been sure that Shouta was some alternative scene kid outside of school. Hanging out at clubs and bars with friends he did not want to talk about. Smoking crack, drinking booze. Teenage rebels that he didn't even know half the extent of the things they did.
He'd been wrong.
Shouta was a gloomy closed off teenager focused on his studies and goals and not interested in making friends. He cared, though. He just showed it in little things. He showed it in buying little presents for Hizashi, Oboro, and Kayama on Holidays, he would handwrite and draw birthday cards and Christmas cards because he 'had nothing else to do'.
Kayama teased him relentlesly everytime. It never detered him either way. He couldn't be stopped from caring.
In their second year, he had first learned about Shouta's love for animals. He wasn't a full blown vegan or anything. He figures interest is a beter fitting word.
If Sushi isn't proof of that, then maybe his pages upon pages of writtings are.
He loved animals with his whole heart. From amphibians to cats to owls, or flying cats, as Shirakumo used to say.
In their third year, he'd seen one of them. He'd caught Shouta off gaurd and managed to catch a glimpse. It was nice, really. To be able to see his friend's hobbies for once. He just hadn't expected it to be something like...
analysing Axolotls?
He'd written about the living conditions, the living area, the rapidly decreasing population, their distinct features. Anything under the sun he could thing of that remotly related to the topic at hand, it was in there. He was flabbergasted. Still, he was reassured. Knowing that he still had something that made him happy even after…
The mess of the internships he doesn't even want, nor have the time to delve into right now.
After that, he'd wondered if there was anything else about Shouta he didn't know. That wonder grew each year they grew more apart, with Shouta's dedication to grow in the underground world. A 'bounty hunter', as their teacher before had called it. They grew closer together though, after a while. It's a long story he's replayed nearly every night in his arms. He just can't get rid of it, nor get tired of.
Still, next, it was owls and a few more other animals...among other things.
That, he had found out about approximetly two years ago. He'd been cleaning out the bathroom cabinets. Due to Bastard having puked on the bathroom floor. He still shivers just thinking about the sight. Well, those two events don't really colaborate so let him elaborate. Bastard puked, so he'd cleant it up. But upon seeing the horrendous dusty state of their bathroom cabinets under the sink, while putting back cleaning supplies, he'd decided he needed the clean it. Even though he kind of needed to pee. Nevertheless, his brain told him he had to get that done first.
That's how he stumbled upon a total of twenty-one notebooks. Each one a different title for the animal at subject.
For exmple: Barnowls, all the types. The Northern Saw-whet owl. The Barred owl. The Tawny owl. The Screech owl. The Oriental Scops owl. The Elf owl. (So many fucking owls?) Axolotls, Salamanders, Salamanders 2, Axolotls 2, The Pale Tossuck Caterpillar,(We're just going to ignore the random Caterpillar thrown in there or...?) The Bees, (So ominous?) and many many more he couldn't remember. and then two pages titled 'Tomodachi life: living the dream for free on laptop'?
and, trains?
'The Alvia train, EuroCity-Express, EuroNight, EuroCity (EuroAxolotl? I dunno, just an idea.)
So, he pondered with himself. How does he bring this up? Does he just slide in bed with Shouta once he's returned from his night shift an bring it up. 'Sooo, my lovely sweet handome beautiful cranberry (Cranberry?) do you happen to know why we have twenty-one notebooks on different animals and train tracks in Europe or is that just like a normal thing for handsome, sexy introverted men with black hair to have? Oh yeah, nearly forgot the guide to pirate a Nintendo game.'
He'd decided to just bring it up when he'd been cuddled up with him and Bastard on the couch. Following this, his brain will give a brief overview of how the interaction went:
"Hey Shouta?'
'Yes?'
'Why are there twenty-one notebooks under our bathroom sink.'
'Perhaps, it was Pete Martino.'
'What?'
'From Ghosts.'
He always feels a need to know what Shouta's talking about. He doesn't exactly feel guilty for not getting his refrences, he just wants to understand. He wants to understand Shouta in general. He's such a complex person to disect mentaly and he wishes her could connect their brains and walk around in his mind. Come on, even Hound Dog thinks he acts strangely sometimes!
Back on the topic at hand, since then He's made sure Shouta knew he could always just… talk to him. Not in a general converstation, just spewing information Hizashi had never heard about, and he would just...listen. Humming occasionaly and talking about his radio show himself, but Hizashi was such a polar opposite. Shouta would sit beside him, scratching Stormy's ears while Hizashi stood in the middle of the living room, trying to comprehend what was different. (The carpet had been moved. In Shouta's words, the carpet had been 'wrong' before. So, he'd went ahead and put it in the actual middle of the living room.)
Yeah, measuring tape and all.
That was the thing with Shouta, he hadn't even been suprised, he didn't need to be. This had happened multiple times and it's not like it's hurting anybody. Besides, It brings Shouta peace of mind knowing everything is just right. If it helps him sleep at night it's fine by him.
So yeah, while that happened, Shouta would talk about what he liked, though admitedly quietly. Hizashi learned something new everyday. Shouta's talking never bored him.
Though, admitedly, sometimes things suprise him.
n-wordsaurus…
He doesn't even know if he's alowed to think it in his mind.
He'll play it safe.
Sometimes, Shouta just likes to ramble. Like when they sit at the dinner table, his dinner will lay forgotten while he pets Stormy on his lap. Hiashi just likes to listen to him talk. "Some caterpillars have an Osmeterium." He gestures at his plate and Shouta picks up his fork again, "Really? What's that?"
He continues petting Stormy, her content purring seems to annoy Bastard. "It's defensive organ found in all papilionid larvae. It's situated on the Prothoracic segment and it's activated when the organism feels threathened." He smiles when Shouta starts eating again. "Lika a stink bomb for ants. It doesn't really smell foul for humans, though. Too bad. Oh, and Owls have assymetrical ears, one ear is higher than the other. It's cool."
Anyways, admittedly, he'd thougt he'd learned everything his husband loved, maybe not the details but atleast a vague understanding.
Needless to say, he'd missed something.
How did he find out this time, you ask?
No, it didn't happen while opening a a cabinet. No, it didn't happen while looking over his shoulder.
It happened when Shouta's gun for Hero work kept jamming. Shouta, still, refused to get rid of it, to the point Nedzu promised to make sure he got an exact replice of the gun itself and all of the parts he'd tweaked.
Which should have been his first sign.
He should have asked himself, why does his husband love that gun so much? Why would his husband know how to change gun parts? Why did Nedzu, a sadistic bastard who loves watching people suffer, promise to bring Shouta, his favorite lab rat (the irony), peace of mind over a gun?
He'd ignored it. Told himself he must have learned. Told himself Nedzu probably had an obligation to make sure Shouta, as a pro hero, had safe and regulated equipment.
Oh, he learned learned for sure.
He should've seen the glint of excitement in Nedzu's eyes
The doorbell had rang and Shouta had jumped to his feet, startling Bastard awake on the couch and recieving a hiss in turn. He didn't react. Just opened the door, accepted the box hatsily and slammed the door shut again. He still had at least half the decency to thank Snipe.
Shouta didn't exactly look excited, but he had a gleam in his eyes. Something he had when he'd spotted an owl in one of the UA trees. Apparently it'd been an 'oriental scops owl'?
"Is that like a really good gun or what?"
"Good gun?" He opened the box, carefully removing the styrofoam and pulling out the other smaller boxes. "This is a Walthers PDP Full size Pro SD." His voice was filled with awe, gawking at the gun as he gently placed it on the styrofoam. "The brand founded by Carl Walther in 1886."
He leaned forward in the chair, resting his head in his hands. "So...A good good gun. That's a long time ago."
"Yeah. Let's see if The Rat actually listened to me..." His hands fidles with the tape on the box."
He shrugs "Does it, like, have any downsides?" He wants to know, obviously. If something piques this much interest out of Shouta, he needs to know if it actually lives up to it's name. "It has no audible, tactical reset. No red dots come in the box. You do get one free plate but it usualy takes ages to arrive, from what I've heard. No optic plates in the box. Poor texture." He grins when he rips open one of the smaller boxes. He has no idea what half of the terms Shouta's using mean, but it is awfuly interesting to see him like this. It is infact, rare.
"When I was first starting out as a Pro, my original plan was to get one of these babies and another compact slide, a compact threaded barrel, too. I used to have a Glock, too. It had the best Optic I'd ever owned. The recoil was light so it didn't stress the screws. I hadn't been allowed to keep it, though. Said it wasn't practical for underground use. So, they gave me this baby when I asked for it, and I'm not complaining." The rest was quieter, mumbled under his breath as he changed the pistol's parts. He managed to catch some bits here and there, though. "32 MOA circle. 2 MOA dot." YHe jumped when Stormy rubbed against his leg "Kind of like EOT tech."
After that he couldn't make sense of his words anymore, but that was fine. Shouta looked happy, excited. He had never though he'd been a firearm kind of person. Maybe that was just another thing of his.
Either way, he wasn't going to comment on the notebook on the kitchen counter.
Titled 'semi-automatic'.
Wasn't any of his bussines anywways.
"Owls have eye tubes."
"That's nice, Shouta."