ATOMIC STRUGGLE

5「meditation」0

(Last chapter for today, you guys are running me dry 😂 I'd still like some comments though! Now go forth and enjoy the chapter~}

Neither Endeavor nor Todoroki had come after him, so Izak had made the trek home without incident. As he was taking off his shoes, he found that Shinso and Mihoko weren't home yet. When he looked at one of the clocks on the wall, he saw that he had only been gone an hour, so it was almost 2pm. Thus, since he had already finished any and all homework he had the night before, Izak just went into his room to meditate.

He wasn't a fan of meditating, but it helped him stay sane. The doctors at the lab he was created at had made him meditate at least five times a day when his quirk had first developed, which is what helped him to get used to the voices. Atoms had small, child-like voices, and their pitches were really similar. They got louder the more Izak concentrated, though.

Even though that might have seemed counterproductive, it showed that young Izak that he could control the volume. Many times, atoms' voices were so quiet that they were unintelligible, but thanks to his meditation, he could understand them, and could understand that the atoms were happy, that they needed, desired, wanted him around. When he was just a little kid, that was really what kept him going.

Not the doctors. Not the stories they told. The one thing that kept him going were the atoms' voices that told him they were so happy he was born, so happy he was alive, so happy he was there, just so happy. Because he was the only person in existence that could understand and talk with them.

The whole reason he'd gotten rid of his penis was because the atoms in it were a bit.. horny, and Izak himself was anything but. The doctors had practically gone feral when he did, but no matter how frazzled or against it they were, the maroonette had persisted and thus had kept himself in a non-binary state of existence.

As for meditation, recently he had been doing it less and less, which was not great for his mental stability. Which was why he was glad he could take a bit to just relax, close his eyes, and focus on the voices of the molecules around him.

As usual, they were all happy that he was there, that he was listening to them, that he existed. Some said they didn't know what they would do if he hadn't been born. Others wished they were a part of his body so they could be with him always. The O2 molecules were particularly chatty as they bounced against the atoms of his skin.

A few hours later, his focus was shifted as a voice cut through the air that definitely was not from the atoms.

"IZZY!!! GUESS WHO WE BROUGHT HOME?!" Mihoko exclaimed as she burst through the front door at almost half past five. Izak exited his room to find Shinso following sheepishly after her. And right behind him, Giran smiled with a slight wave.

"Sorry for the intrusion, but they invited me over for dinner," He informed the teen, who just blinked for a moment before nodding.

"That's fine. I'm curious though," He glanced down at his kid. "Why didn't you text me?"

"Uh," Mihoko looked away guiltily. "Cause I didn't think about it?"

"Be sure to tell me next time," Izak patted her head, and she gazed up at him in surprise.

"You aren't mad?"

"Like I said, it's fine. You can bring whoever you want home since I trust your judgement," He told her, causing her to purse her lips and try not to cry. Hitoshi watched the interaction, feeling a smile tug at his lips. He also felt a bit guilty since he hadn't thought to tell Izak. To be fair to him, though, Mihoko had said Izak and her knew the guy, so he hadn't really questioned it when the seven year old had invited him over for dinner.

"Well, it's almost dinner time, so I'll whip something up and we can eat," Izak said, so the little girl cheered and rushed to the bathroom to wash her hands. "Thank you for humoring her," the maroonette inclined his head to the guest, who just chuckled.

"Of course! I was a bit surprised to see her with this fine young man," Giran glanced at Shinso. "But it's nice to know she has another person to support her."

"I'd say it's more like them supporting me," Hitoshi mumbled.

"Is that so?" Giran mused.

"Probably," Izak shrugged. "Anyway, let's go to the living room so we aren't clogging the hallway. Want some tea?"

"I WANT MY HOT CHOCOLATE!" Mihoko screamed from the bathroom, causing Shinso to wince at how loud and demanding that was. The maroonette didn't even flinch as he snapped, and a resulting squeal of satisfaction told the purplehead that the little girl had gotten what she had asked for.

"So, you can create food and drinks?" Giran probed as he sat down at the table along with Shinso. Izak just shrugged as he went over to the cabinet and got out some cups.

"Basically," He replied briefly. "So, drink?"

"Coffee, please," the guest requested.

"...Hot chocolate for me, please," Hitoshi mumbled, so Izak snapped and gave them the cups that had been filled with their beverage of choice. Mihoko pranced out of the bathroom with her own cup, humming happily as she joined the two at the table.

"My, this is the best I've ever tasted," Giran's eyes lit up.

"Glad you like it," the maroonette said as he also sat down with his own cup that was filled with water. This time, without a snap, food appeared on the table along with plates and silverware. At first, Giran's eyes narrowed, but he didn't question it as he followed everyone's lead and folded his hands together quickly.

"Thanks for the food."

"Delicious as always," Hitoshi smiled softly after a bite.

"Yeah really, this is exquisite," Giran agreed. "I've been to some high-end restaraunts and none of them compare."

"Right?!" Mihoko beamed. "Izzy's food is the best!"

"I just think myself and my friends should have the best in life," The chef said boredly as he also ate. The guest paused in lifting a mosel with his chopsticks, peering at his host. Maybe, just maybe, he thought to himself, he could save those people.