A/n: The first chapter has been edited and redone! I hope that it has improved from what it was before. I am trying my best and am taking your reviews and criticism seriously.
I want to do good with this story.
I think Casimiro is my favorite character in this story.
He's the true hero.
"I can't believe you acted so recklessly. You know better than to push yourself too far, Da-Xia. Had that been a real situation then you would have been royally screwed, and probably would be dead right about now. I know that you were trying your best, but you have to know your limitations!"
Da-Xia sat in the kitchen with her brother and father hovering over her. Cesario had been lecturing her for the last hour, and because she kept fading in and out he had to keep repeating things over, and over, and over, again
She looked to her father for help, but the man had turned his back as soon as she made eye contact. There was no way he was going to be fooled by those cute puppy-dog eyes - not again! And besides, she had promised him that she would be careful, and she broke that promise. He was a nervous wreck when Cesario called to tell him what had happened! Casimiro was getting older, and his heart wasn't like it used to be.
His children of all things would be the death of him, especially his youngest!
Da-Xia sighed and ran her fingers through her hair that was thick with sweat. She was sore, tired, and hungry, and ready to go to bed and pretend this day never happened. She waved off her brother who was still rambling and stood on her achy feet to stretch her muscles out.
"I get it already! I fucked up! Message received." Da-Xia grumbled. "I only did what I had to do to ensure that I passed. Do you not realize the hell Ma' would put me through if I went through all that begging just to fail?! She'd never let me hear the end of it, and I'd end up feeling like a bigger loser than I already am!"
Cesario frowned hearing this. He knew that his sister had insecurity issues, but nothing on this level. Cesario sighed, his fingers twitching against the square outline around his pants pockets, but decided to call it quit when he remembered his promise to his noisy roommate about kicking the habit.
As if he were one to talk. They all had problems that they chose to ignore.
It came with the job.
"You're not a loser, manita," Cesario spoke drawing her attention back to him. "I know you think that I'm too hard on you, but it's in your best interest. The hero world is an ugly place and comes with all kinds of risks; I need to know that you are ready to face those risks with proper judgment, so that at the end of the day I know that you're alright, and I'm not going to have to bury my little sister."
Casimiro's color drained from his face. He clutched at his chest and looked at his oldest son as if he just slapped him across the face - it sure felt like it.
"¡Hijo! ¡¿Estas tratando de matarme?!"
Cesario smirked, and Da-Xia chewed back a giggle. Their dad rarely ever slipped into full-blown Spanish unless something was causing him some form of stress. Cesario mentioning the possibility of his youngest daughter caused a surge of panic.
"No, Padre, I am not trying to kill you; I am stating facts," Cesario said. "I need her to understand these things to prevent something like that ever happening, though I would walk through fire before I let anything ever happen to mi hermana pequeña."
Again Cesario tapped against the rectangle box. Fuck. Why had he made that promise? His only form of stress relief and he had thrown it out the door because a quirky blond-haired moron had made him promise.
Da-Xia frowned not missing the motion. Cesario used to be an avid smoker but had decided to quit, but he still got urges every now and again. The fact she was stressing him so much that he was tempted to delve back into a habit he had gone through hell to break made her feel like a real piece of shit.
Da-Xia clambered down from the stool she was sitting on and shuffled over to her brother, who was still in debate on whether starting his habit again was worth it or not. Gently, she tapped on his arm to get his attention. The older man looked down at her with a frown and a raised eyebrow.
Da-Xia jutted her lips out in a pout and raised her arms. "Lo siento hermano." She whimpered in what she thought was a cutesy way.
"You look ridiculous." Cesario chided. "Apology accepted, manita. Please before more careful. It's bad enough that I have to constantly check in on Pop's, watch out for Arsenio and Lisandro, make sure Ming isn't killing herself with work, and trying to get Ma' to take a damn break once in a while. The last thing I need to do is add you to the list."
"But you will because you love me!" Da-Xia grinned. "And I'd like to believe that I'm the most stable out of everyone in this house."
"That's...probably true." Cesario chuckled.
Casimiro looked at his children with a pout. "Oh come on, kids! I'm not that bad, am I?"
Cesario snorted and gave his sister an affectionate hug. "You're a child trapped in an adult's body. So yes, you are." Cesario's voice held only seriousness.
Da-Xia watched with an amused expression as her father and brother argued back in fourth. It was ironic considering the two looked like the very thing they were arguing about. She was so absorbed in the little debacle happening before her, that she hadn't heard the sound of footsteps behind her until she suddenly was blinded hands pressed over her eyes and felt the weight of someone's chin pressing down on her head.
"Guess who!" The voice chipped. "And you better get it right."
"Your hands stink!" Da-Xia gagged shoving their hands away. "As if I wouldn't be able to tell the difference, Lisandro. Sheesh, you think that I'm that big of an idiot that I can't tell my twin brothers apart?"
She could hear the audible pout her brother made as he pulled his hands away. Da-Xia spun around on her stool to face the twins.
Arsenio was wearing a broad grin, and Lisandro had a kind smile on his face.
They're identical in the face but have features that make them easy to tell apart. Arsenio has messy light brown hair and ocean blue eyes. Lisandro has blondish-brown hair worn in a bun, and light brown eyes that remind her of honey; they share the same caramel-tinted skin tone and take more after their mother's Chinese features over their father's Spanish ones.
"What are you guys doing home so early? And what's in the box?" Da-Xia motioned to the pretty pink box that Lisandro was holding. "Wait - did you bring me something home?!" Da-Xia asked excitedly when she recognized the box to be from Tiers of Joy; Japan's best sweet shop.
No. She isn't biased at all.
"It was supposed to be a surprise." Lisandro sighed. "But someone is impatient." He said, glaring at his younger twin brother.
Arsenio chuckled sheepishly and scratched his head. "Sorry, bro! I was just excited! It's a special occasion, isn't it?"
Da-Xia blinked in confusion. "It is?"
Lisandro sighed while Arsenio's eyes widened realizing what he said. Cesario stood off to the side with his eye twitching, as their father held back his laughter.
"I knew telling the two of you - " Cesario paused. He cleared his throat and glared at Arsenio."- Arsenio would be a big mistake, but I had little choice since you wouldn't stop calling me while I was trying to work."
"I was excited!" He whined. "It's not every day that something as big as being accepted into Japan's greatest school happens! Can you blame me for being a proud older brother?"
Da-Xia's eyes widened. "Wait - what?! I got accepted?! Really?!" She squealed with excitement, jumping up and down with a huge smile on her face and blue eyes full of happiness. "It is true, Cesario? Did I get into Yuuei?!"
The men of the house glared at Arsenio who was slowly trying to back away. The oldest of the siblings groaned in frustration. He looked down at his little sister who was trying - trying - to patiently wait for his answer, but he could see that she was about to burst at the seams with the happiness that was radiating from her body.
He caved.
"Yeah. It was decided pretty quickly, though many people shared my views of your recklessness you made one hell of an impression. Congratulations, manita, you've made me - us - all proud."
The dam that Da-Xia had been trying to control from behind her eyes broke, and the tears poured from her eyes like waterfalls as happy hiccups slipped out her throat.
She did it?
She did it!
She got into Yuuei! She was going to become a hero!
She was one step closer towards her dream!
Da-Xia felt arms wrapping around her that she recognized as Lisandro's from the smell of his cologne. His hugs were always super gentle and comforting. She laughed as he nuzzled her hair and whispered praise to her in Spanish.
Arsenio soon joined in, ruffling her hair and going on and on about how proud he was of her, and to make them proud and show the world what the Yueng-Hidalgo family are made of.
They were hugs filled with love, pride, and joy...but also, sadness, for the fact that Da-Xia was living the dream that twins once had when they were younger, before learning that they were quirkless and that they could never become heroes.
Da-Xia sniffled and hugged her brothers tighter. They were a significant source of her inspiration for wanting to change how the world viewed heroes, because to Da-Xia, they were heroes. They had every trait worthy of a hero, and it wasn't fair that the world decided to deny them of their dream.
It was always the deserving ones.
The next to join in the hug was Cesario, but he just awkwardly wrapped his arm around the piles of hugs, so that his hand was only able to reach Arsenio's hair that he roughly tugged on without shame. The boy cursed at the oldest child who gave a lazy grin in return.
And then finally, Casimiro joined in the little family affection, sobbing and going on and on about how proud he was of all of them.
They broke away shortly after that in fear of getting tears and snot on them from their father's blubbering.
Da-Xia wiped away her tears of joy (Hah! Get it?! I'm so smart!) and redirected her attention to the box that Lisandro had placed on the counter. She tiptoed over to it with the grace of a drunk swan and tore the lid off with her eyes going wide at the sight of Magdalena, which are a type of Spanish cake that taste of lemon.
"Didn't think you brothers remember your favorite treat?" Arsenio smirked. "Dig in, kid. They are all yours but maybe save me one, please?"
"I'll think about it," Da-Xia smirked pulling one of the sweets from the box and showing no hesitation in digging in. She nearly cried again from how delicious it was. "You guys are the reason I'm fat!" Da-Xia whined into her delectable treat.
Laughs echoed around the room as Da-Xia passed out the sugary sweets, and joined her family at the kitchen counter. They all chatted aimlessly as they feasted on the desserts until there were none left.
"Oh, Dixie, Mingzhu asked for us to give this to you," Lisandro said suddenly.
"You got in contact with Ming?" Cesario snorted. "She wasn't too busy for you? That's amazing."
"Not quite..." Lisandro sighed. "She called us so that we could deliver her lunch, again." Lisandro frowned and pulled a small silver box with a red bow from his pocket. "Here, Da-Xia. Oh, she wrote you a note too." He said, fishing out the note.
Da-Xia thanked him and wiped her hands on her pants. She stared at the box for a minute unsure of what to think of it.
Mingzhu...rarely gave out gifts, and when she did they were and had little thought or effort put into them.
Arsenio scoffed. "She can remember a case she worked on a year ago but can't even remember to visit home or call her family to let them know she's doing well. She's just like..." Arsenio trailed off with a sigh, but everyone knew who he was talking about.
Their sister was practically a clone of their mother.
Da-Xia decided to stall no longer and pulled the ribbon from the box. She set it off to the side and lifted the lid revealing her gift. Her eyes widened, surprised not to find something lame like socks - that's Ming's go to present - but instead, a beautiful bracelet that sparkled under kitchen light.
She carefully lifted it from the box and inspected the details; the bracelet was held together by a red thread, and was made from jade gemstones that were spaced apart by rose-quartz crystals; initials were engraved in to the stones of the jade to spell her name out in what she recognized to be her name in Chinese. A shiny, golden elephant charm hung in the center of the bracelet with a polished ruby for an eye.
Da-Xia was flabbergasted by the beautiful charm bracelet. It wasn't like anything she's ever seen before - especially from Mingzhu!
"What's the note say, sweetie?" Casimiro asked. He was also surprised by the thoughtful gift, considering his wife and daughter were as terrible when it came to gifts as they were cooking.
She had completely forgotten about the note! Da-Xia gently set the bracelet back in its box as she fished the letter out, and smoothed out the wrinkles from Lisandro's pocket.
She began to read.
Wǒ zuì qīn'ài de xiǎo mèimei...
Da-Xia almost tossed the note away right then and there. Migzhu knew that nobody in their family but herself and their mother knew Chinese and just the thought of the Chinese language gave Da-Xia the biggest headache of her life. Her mother had tried teaching her when she was young, but like with all her others siblings - minus Ming - gave up when seeing it was hopeless.
Still, she felt she had to...try and read the note.
Oh. Right. You can't read Chinese, can you? Sorry. It's become a habit at this point.
Da-Xia sighed. Her sister did this too often.
Māmā told me that you were trying out for Yuuei - well, she complained, really - and that you suddenly wanted to become a hero. It should have been evident with all your hero memorabilia you have shoved around your room; have you cleaned that lately? The last time I was there, it looked like a bunch of pigs had moved in.
Da-Xia's eye twitched.
Not to mention the smell. How do your clothes even get so smelly? Haven't you ever heard of perfume? You should try it sometime, Mèimei.
"Is this stupid letter just her insulting me the whole damn time?!" Da-Xia growled.
Hey. Wipe that ugly look off your face. I'm only joking, somewhat. The point of this letter wasn't to piss you off at me even more than you already are. I'm sure you've all had a family discussion about me by now, but you should worry about yourselves instead of always trying to butt into my personal life...I'm fine, thank you.
I'll visit once the case I'm working on is finished. I promise.
Da-Xia found comfort in those words. Even if she and her sister didn't always get along, she did make good with her promises.
I don't need to have a psychological quirk to know that you quickly passed that exam. You quirk and spitfire personality when in battle almost guarantee it but if you didn't, just toss this out. But I know you did. I'm never wrong about these things, and for that, I say congratulations, Da-Xia.
You're moving up in the world.
However, that doesn't excuse your actions. Oh yes, I'm almost one-hundred percent certain that you were reckless yet again, and pushed yourself too far, idiot. It's about time that you started to think before you act.
Look...I didn't waste valuable time in writing this letter just to berate you.
"You could have fooled me."
I'm your older sister. We're family. Whether you want to believe it or not, I care about you and worry about your wellbeing, okay? But, to make a long letter short, I've got you a gift that you've probably already seen by now.
It's a good luck charm. Every piece of that bracelet has some form of meaning - take care of it.
The red thread represents fire and passion. It's a perfect fit for you. It highlights your control over fire and the desire you have buried beneath those insecurities of yours.
Jade represents goodness, preciousness, and beauty - stop making that face - but it also leans towards courage, justice, and compassion, as well as wisdom, and modesty. I think it fits for a future hero.
The rose quartz crystals symbolize love and beauty in yourself. So start loving yourself and find yourself a boyfriend or girlfriend already. I think that Shinso boy is kinda cute, don't you?
Da-Xia's face became painted in red. "It's not like that!" She squeaked and tried to shake her blush way. Her thoughts momentarily drifted to the purple-haired boy. "Hey, Cesario, do you know if a boy named Shinso Hitoshi passed?"
Cesario frowned. "The name doesn't ring a bell. I can't say whether he did or not." Plus he only really remembers the names of the students who had shown potential to him, like that Midoriya kid, and that Bakugou brat.
Da-Xia frowned. "Oh. I'll ask him later...I guess."
Her attention returned to the note.
And finally - the elephant is a Chinese symbol of wisdom and strength.
I know I've given terrible gifts in the past (Don't expect that to change anytime soon), but I put a lot of love and effort into this gift, Mèimei
Cherish it and wear it at all times.
This bracelet represents everything I think and feel about you. So please take care of it, and know that when you wear it that I am with you...and I am so very proud of you, Da-Xia.
You're growing into a beautiful young woman.
Te quiero mucho, pequeño héroe.
Ps: Seriously. Clean that room. You're going to get lost in all that junk. Oh, and tell Arsenio and Lisandro I say thanks for lunch, and for Fùqīn to quit all his blubbering and start acting his age.
Also...I have things to discuss with Cesario when given a chance. It's imperative.
Your awesome AND NOT annoying older sister - Ming.
Da-Xia stared down at the note stained with freshly fallen tears. She removed the bracelet from the box and slipped it over her wrist; it was a perfect fit.
Da-Xia pressed the note to her chest and bit back a whimper.
There was at least one phrase she new in Chinese.
"Wǒyě ài nǐ."
Weeks had passed since Da-Xia learned of her acceptance to Yuuei. When the official letter came, she barely glanced at it before tossing it aside, already having known the outcome, those her enthusiasm for the future remained high.
It was also the first time that Shinso had contacted her since the exam. It wasn't long after she had received her letter that she got his text, asking her to call him. At first, she thought about ignoring him for spite since he hadn't bothered to contact her at all in the weeks that she spent trying.
But she missed him, and with her weak will, she ended up calling him not even a minute after being told to do so.
The dial rang only once before Shinso picked up the phone.
"Hey."
He spoke in his usual tired draw, though it was heavier than usual Da-Xia noted.
She smiled at finally hearing his voice again. "Hey. You remembered me." She laughed lightly. "I was beginning to think you went off and found a new best friend."
Shinso snorted.
"Too much work. Yeah, guess I should apologize, shouldn't I? I just needed some time alone...to think."
Da-Xia sighed. "I understand that Shinso, but you had me worried. We've been talking almost every day since we've met, so it hurt when you just started ignoring me without even saying anything to me."
The words were practically a whisper on her breath.
"I...missed you, eggplant."
There was silence for a good minute. Then the sound of a heavy sigh filled her ears and drowned out the thundering of her heart.
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. I'm not good with this apology crap...Dizzie." He paused as if to think of what he wanted to say. "I guess I missed you too."
Da-Xia's heart exploded with joy.
"You guess?" She laughed. "Of course you did. Once you get a taste of me, you can never get enough."
"That's perverted.
"Wha - I didn't - that's not...shut up, jerk!"
Shinso could imagine her flustered face and laughed.
"Relax. I'm kidding."
Shinso's laugh was nice. Da-Xia wished he did it more.
"I called because I was curious...have you gotten your letter from Yuuei?"
Her heart stopped. She was dreading this conversation.
"I did." Da-Xia breathed. "Did you?"
"Yeah."
Silence followed by more silence. They both knew the question they wanted to asked, but neither knew how to go about it.
Da-Xia was afraid of what Shinso would say.
She broke the silence.
"What...did it say?"
A pause.
A sigh.
The clicking of his tongue.
"I...got accepted to Yuuei."
Da-Xia's eyes widened, and her heart skipped a beat.
"You did?! Shinso that's-"
"I was denied into the Hero Course. They're putting me in General Studies, Da-Xia." He sounded defeated. "I was barely able to do anything in the exam. Not when compared to those bastards who are blessed with their heroic quirks. The only reason I was accepted was because of my scores on the written exam."
"Hitoshi I'm so sorry." Da-Xia clutched her phone. "You did your best. That test wasn't suited for people like you."
He laughed dryly.
"People like me, huh? Yeah, that figures. Save your worries. I'm over it."
No, you're not.
"I didn't mean it that way, and you know it. The test was stupid and robbed so many people with the potential of a fair chance."
"Nothing is fair in this world. Haven't you learned that?" Shinso scowled. "What about you? How did you do as if I don't already know."
Da-Xia sighed. "Well, maybe you'll be happy to know that I nearly killed myself in that exam. I went too far and ended up in recovery. My family wasn't happy but I had to push myself."
"Answer the question, Hidalgo."
Da-Xia flinched. Shinso only called her by her last name (He refused to include her mother's name) when he was angry with her. She couldn't tell if it was because of her recklessness, or if it was because he already knew her answer.
It was probably both.
"I ranked fourth place. I had a score of forty-eight points and some added rescue points, but I can't remember how many. I was...approved for the Hero Course." Da-Xia's voice broke to a whisper.
A long pause.
"You're mad at me, aren't you?"
Silence.
"Hitoshi please talk to me. I'm sorry-"
"I've got to go. Later, hero."
The words stung, but it was the evident animosity in his voice that had Da-Xia curling herself into a ball and crying out her frustrations.
She felt terrible for Shinso, she did. But she wasn't in control of who got to play hero; Da-Xia would have picked Shinso over anybody else if she had the choice, but she didn't. She was angry and frustrated. She always did her best to support Shinso with whatever decision he made, but it seemed like he still found some way to drag her down and make her feel bad about herself because she was born with a physical quirk, and he wasn't.
It's not her fault, and she was tired of feeling bad for it.
If Shinso wanted to hate her, then fine.
He wouldn't keep her from her goals.
A real hero is made from the path they choose, and not the quirks that they are given. That's what Da-Xia believed.
Whether Shinso was with her or not, she was going to continue to walk down the path to change, and create a world of equality, so that people like Shinso no longer had to be left behind.
She was going to take a chance so that others could have a chance.
End Note:
A short chapter pack full of family bonding, fluff, and some angst and drama! Honestly what more could you want?
You know I think I'm just now realizing that Da-Xia's father is the male version of Midoriya's mother.
I think those two would get along well.
A little translation list. They might not be completely accurate since I'm using the internet as my source.
¡Hijo! ¡¿Estas tratando de matarme?! - Son! Are you trying to kill me?!
mi hermana pequeña - My little sister
Lo siento hermano - I'm sorry big brother
Te quiero mucho, pequeño héroe - I love you so much, little hero.
Fùqīn - Father
Wǒ yě ài nǐ - I love you too
