AN: Bakugou: This chapter, I don't punch the Icy-Hot bastard
Camie: Not by lack of trying, mind you
Bakugou: Hey, blame Ponytail for the lack of action and cursing.

(In which Bakugou doesn't punch Todoroki)

Letter 11: ...To Start Again

Settle down, it'll all be clear
Don't pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found
Just know you're not alone
'Cause I'm going to make this place your home
(Home - Phillip Phillips)

"Good job, kiddo!" Camie says with a bright smile, ruffling Tokiya's hair lovingly. The boy blushes in delight at the praise, his feet dangling over the side of the sofa - reminiscent of the way her and Bakugou's pomeranian wags his tail happily when they arrive home. When he smiles at her like that, teeth poking at his lower lip and eyes lit up with childish wonder, Camie can't help but think that she'd love having a kid like Tokiya.

It's a subject that her and Bakugou don't bring up too often. They've been so focused on their careers that they haven't truly had the time to think about settling down or starting a family. Besides, it's probably not their style - they're spontaneous and unpredictable and sorta reckless, and that's part of why Camie loves Bakugou.

But she's also an aunt to this starry eyed angel, and that makes her ponder how it would feel to be a mother.

The doorbell rings and she shoots up, startled, cutting the thought from its roots before she can truly water it with words that would concretize the idea into something scarily palpable. "I've got this," she calls towards the kitchen, earning a "Thanks" from Momo and a grunt of approval from Bakugou.

What she doesn't expect is to swing the door open to reveal a now-not-bruised Todoroki who blinks in surprise upon seeing Camie. Her voice weavers as she searches for the right words - an apology is in order for Bakugou punching him, she supposes. Or perhaps she should punch him herself?

"Hello," Todoroki awkwardly manages.

"Yo, Todofam!" Camie snaps out of her thoughts, bringing two fingers to her forehead in salute.

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Tokiya rushes past her and then abruptly stops a step away from Todoroki, shifting his weight from one foot to another, as if he's not entirely sure what to do, his hands twitching by his side. To Camie's surprise, Todoroki is not as dense as she remembers: he crouches to Tokiya's eye level, opening his arms to allow the boy to nestle into his chest.

The smile that blooms onto Tokiya's face is so genuine and filled with a happiness so raw that Camie scratches the thought of punching Todoroki. Instead, when he releases Tokiya with a last squeeze that packs just ow much the boy means to him, Camie tackles the man down, wrapping her arms around his tensed form. She feels him scrambling to regain his footing, his arms floating around her body, as if he's afraid she'd vaporize if he hugged her back, and suppresses a giggle.

Instead, she decides to conceal some strategic advice under the mask of affection. "There's incoming danger, Todoroki," she whispers in a warning tone

Camie releases him only to be met by a confused face and chuckles. It's only when Todoroki hears Bakugou's footsteps that his face colours in understanding. Camie slyly taps his forearm, "He won't punch you with Momo-chan here."

"Oh for fuck's sake," Bakugou greets as his eyes fall upon the visitor. "Oi Ponytail," he immediately calls towards the kitchen, not once taking his eyes away from Todoroki's, "you have an intruder. Can I beat him up?"

"It's not an intruder, it's Shouto!" Tokiya cries, taking Todoroki's hand in his reassuringly.

"Bakugou-kun, we have discussed your language and display of violence before Tokiya's eyes already," Momo sighs as she exits the kitchen herself, folding the cooking apron she was wearing just a minute before. "Besides, Shouto is welcomed to visit whenever he wants." As she talks, a small smile etches herself on her features and she nods her greetings.

"See Bakuboo, you were being rude," Camie playfully chides him, pinching his baby cheek - Bakugou claims to hate it, but the baby fat rounding his cheeks is the cutest thing Camie has ever seen. His protests are weak, and she revels in the small chuckle that escapes Momo at their antics.

"Iida was right. You really did get tamed, Bakugou," Todoroki honestly states. If she didn't know any better, Camie would say he's blissfully innocent - except she is fully aware of the pleasure both him and her boyfriend find in provoking each other.

"The fuck did you say, Icy Hot?!"

"Language," Momo and Camie simultaneously say.

"Uncle Bakugou, do you not like Shouto?" Tokiya questions, putting a stop to the heated staring contest going on between Bakugou and Todoroki, the former's attention now focused on the kid holding his father's hand. Camie feels the blond relax as he brings a hand to the back of his neck and his shoulders slump.

"No, I don't," he bluntly responds. "He's always acting like a smartass when he's actually a coward. The only reason I tolerate him is cause he can actually be useful in a real fight, but I'd rather not see his mug more than I have to," Bakugou sighs, now looking at Todoroki. "And I still want to punch you."

"I deserved that one," Todoroki calmly replies, not averting his gaze from Bakugou's determined look. "But I won't give you a reason to punch me again."

Camie can feel the tension in the air, thick enough for a knife to slice through it, so she claps her hands to dispel the heavy atmosphere. "Touching reunion yall, but I'm, like, starving." There's no room for arguing as her fingers clasp around Bakugou's wrist and she drags him towards the kitchen, humming happily.

"You'll join us for dinner, won't you?" Camie hears Momo ask Todoroki.

Bakugou tenses up again, a growled "No" ripping from his throat. Camie spins on her heels and gives him a pointed look. "He's doing his best, Katsuki, so you should behave, too." The use of his first name catches the usually explosive man off guard. "For me?"

He rolls his eyes, but Camie can see the tinge of pink that colours his ears and smiles at how cute Bakugou can truly be. "You won't get off my case, will you?"

"Nope," she idly answers, popping the p.

"So annoying," he groans, his fingers lacing through hers as he lets himself be dragged into the kitchen without any further resistance.

"I had a suggestion."

Bakugou remembers the last time he heard those words from Icy Hot's mouth and decides to cut him short. "We are not going to the aquarium again, cause the last time we went there, you spent three fuc-freaking hours watching some fuck-freaking penguins."

Todoroki has the audacity to give him that befuddled look of his which pisses Bakugou off so much. "I wasn't going to suggest the aquarium. Also, I wasn't inviting you."

"You what, you bast-"

"What did you have in mind, Shouto?" Ponytail peacefully asks, shooting Bakugou a sideways glance that warns him to refrain from using curse words. He gulps his insult with another bite of his absolutely fucking delicious mushrooms, throwing daggers in Todoroki's direction.

"Disneyland," the bastard says, whipping out three tickets to prove his point.

And then, as if his words are fucking magic, all the other weaklings at the table get starry-eyed and start swooning.

"You-you actually got tickets," Ponytail says, her hands balled in fists raised to her face in excitement as she leans in closer, inspecting the piece of paper like it's a fastpass to heaven or something. "Shouto, I can't believe this, this is perfect-"

"We're going to Disneyland?" Tokiya says, his face perfectly mirroring Yaoyorozu's, down to the excited blush taking over his cheeks and the way he lifts himself from his chair just slightly. "I want to ride It's a Small World! And the teacups! And there will be mascots, can we please take pictures with them? Oh and if we stay until the closing time we can see the castle lighting up! I only saw it in videos but I heard it's amazing can we-"

"Bakuboo!" As if dealing with the Yaoyorozus wasn't enough, Camie is now invading his personal space and jutting her lower lip out in that pout she knows he's fucking powerless against. "We have to go, too!"

"What?"

Her eyes sparkle with childlike wonder. "I've never been to Disneyland before!"

"But you don't even like animation movies that much," he argues, attempting to push her away but only managing to make her latch onto his arm like a koala.

"But I love amusement parks," she stresses. He doesn't give in, holding her gaze seriously - crowded places are a pain in the ass, with all the people recognizing and rubbing elbows with them. Bakugou would much rather spend time in their apartment, really, but Camie won't go down without a fight. Sure enough, she puts on her puppy dog eyes and pleads, "Pretty please, Katsuki?" He really hates it when she purrs his name like that, making his heart do unhealthy somersaults. "We haven't been on a date in forever."

That's the first valid argument she brings up tonight. Closing his eyes with a sigh, Bakugou already knows he's lost the moment her face lit up like a Christmas tree at the idea. Camie thrives in places bustling with people, and seeing her smiling face is worth the discomfort of it all. Opening his eyelids to fix her with a stern gaze, Bakugou says, "We aren't going with the Icy Hot bastard."

Camie positively beams, and Bakugou wonders if he's always been this weak to other people's happy expressions or if it's just her. "It's a date, then! This is going to be Instagram worthy fam, I tell you!" she hums as she happily sinks back into her chair and fishes for her phone.

On the other side of the table, Tokiya and Yaoyorozu seem equally excited about their trip. Despite himself, Bakugou thinks that for the first time ever, Todoroki might be good for them.

"Backpack?"

"Check!" Tokiya answers, trepidation evident in his voice as he laces his shoes.

"Cap and blazer?" Momo asks as she picks up her own purse, rummaging through the snacks and medicine to make sure she didn't forget anything essential.

"Check and check," Tokiya says, waiting for his mother to put on her sunglasses and hat.

"Smile?" Momo pokes Tokiya's cheek, eliciting a small giggle out of her son. "Then we're good to go!" she declares, opening the door. Tokiya runs out past her and jumps in place as he waits for her to lock and check the door, hopping down the stairs ahead of his Mom.

Momo watches his endearing enthusiasm with a small smile. It's truly a sight to behold, the way he takes off down the stairs but stops at the end of every flight, turning back and bouncing on his heels as he waits for her to join him. As they exit the building, Tokiya pushes the heavy metal door himself, heaving at the effort but giving Momo a proud beam when he succeeds.

The sun has barely risen, so they're met by a chilly breeze that mussels Tokiya's hair and blows away Momo's straw hat. She makes to run for it, but someone else catches it for her, and her eyes track muscular arms and a trademark unbuttoned shirt atop a blue slim fit to meet mismatched eyes.

"Shouto!" Tokiya yelps in delight.

"What are you doing here?" Momo asks, slightly amused by the small bow he gives her as he offers her hat back as if it's a precious object to be handled with care. She curls her hands around the knitted straws but doesn't avert her gaze from his mesmerizing eyes, waiting for an explanation.

"I figured you might need a ride," he says around a smirk, straightening himself. It's now that Momo notices the dark blue car parked in the driveway and feels her heart flutter. A memory she'd long since forgotten resurfaces - that of Shouto offering her a ride after he got his driving licence and her laughing that he's reckless enough to land them both in the hospital. In the end, he brought her to the beach just as the sun was sinking into the sea and she created a blanket for them to nestle into as they watched the stars flicker to light one after the other, as if controlled by a cosmic switch.

Heat takes over her face at the memory, giving away the affection she still holds for the past. Swiftly covering her blush with the hat, Momo watches as Tokiya excitedly runs towards the car to inspect it, comparing it tirelessly to Kaminari and Bakugou's vehicles.

"It's not exactly a carriage, but I think it'll do for Disneyland," Shouto says, closer than she remembers him being. He makes another half-bow, this time his hand outstretched as if he is courting her - Momo must be delusional, for there is no other explanation for how intimate this all seems to her. She feels bold enough to accept, gingerly placing her hand in his and letting him lead her to the car, opening the door of the passenger seat for her.

"Too bad you can't pull back the chair, My Lord," she teases him and is blessed with one of his rare chuckles.

"I'll do better to think of it in the future," he answers in kind, helping Tokiya in the back seat. Momo is just about to remind him of the boy's seatbelt when she notices Shouto fastening it in the mirror and bites down on a smile.

Once Shouto is back in the driver's seat, he turns the keys in the engine and brings the radio to life. To both Momo and Tokiya's surprise, the familiar tune of Part of Your World floats through the car, and Tokiya immediately stars singing along.

Momo steals a glance at Shouto, whose eyes are trained on the road. The curve of his lips doesn't betray him, but the crinkles around his clear blue eye do - he always talked with his eyes - and Momo can't help but smile as she frees her voice to join Ariel.

When the last notes of the melody die down, Tokiya exclaimes, "This is going to be the best day ever!" The excitement laced in his words is evident, his sparkly aura already reverberating in the small car. Momo turns around in her seat to reciprocate his smile, so wide that it seems to overtake her entire being.

Unbeknownst to mother and son, Shouto is smiling as well, a warmth long since forgotten spreading through his chest like a pool of ink simmering with stories yet to be told.

"We've… passed through here before," Shouto dully notes, looking at the map he and Tokiya are holding as if it's the most complicated crossword in the world. Then again, Shouto has never been good with words, which could plausibly extrapolate to his abismal interpretation of a map, Momo ponders.

What Momo didn't expect was that their son would inherit Shouto's disastrous space-orientation, clear in the way he squints at the map and says, "Maybe we're holding this upside down?"

In reality, they are holding the map 90 degrees to the West. How the colourful attraction names marked on the piece of paper haven't clued them in on their mistake yet, Momo can't quite tell. She decides to keep it for herself and fishes out her phone to snap a quick picture of their focused faces while they attempt to elucidate the mystery of the cursed map, as Shouto has dubbed it - Tokiya nodded energetically in approval and frowned at the paper even further.

Their little detour - and by that, Momo means an entire loop through Toontown - has at least allowed her to stop by every food stall, scouting the best sweets to share with the two later. She has also caved in to her desire to buy matching mouse ears for Shouto and Tokiya and is now waiting for the perfect time to slide them on their heads.

For now, though, she decides to be a kind soul and save them from the misery painted all over their faces. Peeking between their hunched forms, she points to a spot situated in front of Donald's Boat. "We're here," she says, pointing to the building behind them to prove her point. "Chip 'n Dale's treehouse is over there," Momo repositions the map and her finger tracks the paper as she talks, eventually rising from it to point to her right. "So that's the road we'll take."

Shouto and Tokiya stare at the map again and then at her, eyes filled with admiration. "That's amazing, Mom!" It's really not, but Momo feels bad about being the one to tell them that, so she just ushers them ahead, using this chance to sneak the mouse ears on their heads. As expected, they look absolutely adorable.

"What's this?" Shouto's hand moves up to touch the fluffy black ears and he eyes Momo wearily. "Is this what I think it is?" Then, exchanging a glance with Tokiya, he nods and the child takes out matching pink ears and signals for his Mom to bow and take off her hat so he can properly adjust them.

"When did you even buy these?" Momo asks, caught off guard when Shouto snaps a picture of her. "Violation of privacy!" she cries, as if she hasn't just done the same.

"I prefer calling it my new background picture," he says slyly, showing Momo the photo depicting a blushing version of her, smiling happily at her son. Turning the camera back on, he shifts the device to Tokiya, who flashes a smile and a peace sign like Camie has taught him.

"We got them while you were talking to the vendor from that donut shop," Tokiya answers her earlier question. "Do you like them? They're like Minnie's!"

"I love them," Momo says, squeezing Tokiya's hand. "Thank you! They're a perfect disguise," she conspiratorially whispers, making Tokiya giggle.

As if to prove her wrong, Momo hears her name being called and turns around only to come face to face with a grinning Kaminari dragging his very much amused wife behind. He immediately bends down to hug his favourite nephew, crushing Tokiya in a warm embrace. "What a surprise, Kaminari-san, Kyouka!" She looks over at her best friend and tilts her head curiously, "And unexpected, frankly. You didn't tell me you had plans this weekend."

"I didn't," Kyouka stresses, jabbing a finger in Kaminari's side. "My idiot husband did."

"You act as if you haven't just been laughing on the Jungle Cruise!" Kaminari mocks being shot through the heart at Kyouka's words.

"That's cause you were yelling like a lunatic," she says, chortling at the memory. "I can't believe you were scared like that by a tree. A tree, Denki!" Kyouka seems to be choking on her own laughter as Kaminari protests that the tree in question was scary.

"But why are you actually here?" Shouto asks, making his presence felt and pushing Kaminari to launch into a long speech about how much he has missed his friend. "You saw me two days ago," Shouto points out skeptically.

"That's two days too long!" Kaminari cries.

"He won the tickets," Kyouka says unphased, answering Shouto's previous question. "Denki made this bet with Sero and Kirishima that he could win a supermarket lottery and apparently, he really did."

"My latent talent has finally bloomed!" Kaminari proudly declares.

"It was pure luck," Kyouka waves her hand dismissively, dispelling her husband's claims.

"So, where are you headed now?" Momo asks.

"The biggest rollercoaster around, I guess."

"No!" Kaminari sharply cuts Kyouka off, and she turns around wide-eyed. "You can't ride a rollercoaster when you're pregnant, Kyouka! Think about out baby girl-"

"You don't know it's a girl. And the doctor said I can continue my hero activities throughout the first trimester, so why would rollercoasters be off limits?!" she crosses her arms, facing Kaminari with a stubborn expression Momo knows all too well. Exchanging a look with Shouto, they both nod, knowing they have to put a stop to this soon.

"I'm not letting you put yourself in danger, Kyouka! You know I'd rather you didn't do hero work either-"

"And what, waste away at home like a housewife? I'm a hero, Denki-"

"You're also a mother now-"

"I don't like rollercoasters," Tokiya shily interjects, pressing his back into Momo's legs as he feels all the attention shift onto him. "They're big and scary, so could we perhaps go to Peter Pan's Flight instead?"

"I don't like rollercoasters either," Shouto states, attracting Tokiya's attention and offering him a small smile. "So I think Fantasyland sounds good."

"It's decided then!" Momo claps her hands in delight, dispelling the tension that has built up over the past few minutes.

Kyouka's brow relaxes and she nods. "Yeah, that's a fine idea, Tokiya. Let's go!" Despite her even voice, she doesn't spare Kaminari a second glance, and Momo can tell she's still mad.

It's a quiet day.

It actually is, despite Kyouka's sharp tongue and Shouto's smart replies, until the earth shakes and Momo spots an unsettling presence in front of one of the shops. The nearby cries of the vendors clues her in on the situation - a textbook theft. Analysing her surroundings, she spots a high pole sticking out from one of the merry-go-rounds in Fantasyland and formulates a quick plan. Locking eyes with Shouto, she says, "Leave this to me. Take care of Tokiya!"

And with that, she jumps in.

White, strong ropes, the likes of those her teacher always used in combat, roll out of her arm, and Momo uses them as a lasso, aiming at the pole she noticed earlier. Using the momentum to change her trajectory, she charges towards the man that caused the commotion, knocking him to the ground before he has the chance to even think of using his quirk again. As soon as her body hits his, though, she realizes she used too much force and is going to crash in the other civilians, so she braces for the impact-

That never comes.

Instead, she finds herself gliding down an ice slide and whips her head around to see the thief trapped by strong chains of ice. "That was reckless," the ice user tells her, extending a helpful hand. Momo gratefully takes it, standing up and dusting herself.

"I'm really rusty," she sighs, giving Shouto a crooked smile.

"I'm always open for practice," he offers as they walk towards the man who caused the commotion and Momo starts creating quirk-nullifying shackles. "Kyouka took Tokiya and Kaminari called the police, so this should be all," Shouto says as he snaps Momo's creation around the man's wrists.

Except it's not, because they're suddenly flocked by bystanders and realize at the same time that they blew their cover. Exchanging a glance, they also realize this is going to be a long day.

Their salvation comes in the form of Kaminari, approaching them with a very much excited Tokiya holding his hand. "That was amazing, Mom!" the boy says, running up to her and crashing into her arms. "It was like you were flying! And Shouto used his ice so neatly, too!"

The crowd takes a step back as Shouto crouches to ruffle the boy's hair, and then thins out even further to allow Kaminari and Kyouka to take hold of the thief. "This was supposed to be a day off," Kyouka sighs, rolling her shoulders back. "I demand a refund on my lost practice time, Pikachu."

"How is this my fault?" Kaminari huffs, pretending to ignore the smile curling around his wife's lips as they slip into playful banter. All around them, Momo can hear mutters about the JackBolt couple, as they are known to the wider public, and supposes the attention shifted off them the moment Kaminari took the thief off their hands.

She meets Shouto's eyes and knows this is their cue to escape.

Shouto adjusts the Goofy cap Tokiya chose on his head and bites back a chuckle. It's been so long since either him or Momo had to put on childish disguises in order to enjoy a peaceful day out that he's forgotten how embarrassing it is - and also how little he cares, because Momo laughs at the stubborn white and red hair that sticks out from underneath his cap.

"We need sunglasses," Momo says matter-of-factly, pretending to ignore the excited smile curling her lips.

"Mom's really enjoying this", Tokiya notes as she hums her way into the accessories corner of the shop. "Do heroes always have to wear disguises like this?"

"Sometimes," Shouto sighs. "You know, Tokiya, being a hero can be plenty tiring."

"But it's also cool!" his eyes shine as he faces Shouto with unfiltered honesty. Then, as if realizing something all of a sudden, he waves his hands in front of him. "Ah, I didn't mean it as a joke regarding your quirk! I really thought you and Mom were amazing out there! If only I could control my ice like that," he trails off, looking down at his hand with a yearning so intense Shouto can only compare it to Midoriya's desire to improve.

Suddenly squeezing his hands into a fist, Tokiya looks up and says, "Could you teach me?"

Right at the same moment, Momo returns with three pairs of Zootopia sunglasses, her own rabbit shaped ones already resting on the bridge of her nose. "We have to get these!" she informs them, voice thinned out by excitement.

Still processing Tokiya's words, Shouto doesn't protest as Momo pushes fox-shaped sunglasses on his nose, trailing behind her and Tokiya as they head for the counter.

It's way past midnight when Shouto unbuckles the belt protecting Tokiya's sleeping form and cradles the boy in his arms. The child's head lolls onto his shoulder, white hair splaying haphazardly on the soft material of Shouto's shirt and mixing with black tendrils as the man attempts to walk slowly as to not wake up his son.

His son. It still feels so new, so warm, and Shouto is still not quite sure he deserves to feel such happiness as he did today, but he's determined not to let this chance run through his fingers. He'll sink his teeth into it, if need may be, and never let go.

"He must be exhausted," Momo softly whispers, her words floating in the chilly night air. Shouto can still see a trail of the fireworks that lit up the sky over the castle sparkle in her eyes as she parts Tokiya's hair. "It's a good thing he doesn't have school tomorrow."

Shouto hums as he follows her up the stairs, afraid any word he might mutter would wake up the peacefully sleeping child. Momo speaks for him instead, "Thank you. For tonight. For everything." He eyes her curiously, a quirked eyebrow the only question lingering between them. She shakes her head and mutters, "Nevermind." Then, to keep herself busy - maybe to avoid his still puzzled look? - she rummages for the key in her purse and turns it in the lock.

Shouto steps inside after her and feels like he just came home.

"You could sleep here, if you want," Momo finds herself saying as Shouto steps out of Tokiya's room and closes the door behind him quietly. The words echo in her ears as soon as she frees them into reality and she realizes just how wrong they sound. "I mean, it's pretty late for you to drive back and you must be exhausted-" she trails off, feeling her face burn.

"It's alright," Shouto responds. His lips twitch in a half-smile - if Momo's face wasn't red before, it surely is now. He steps closer to her, until he's so close that Momo must tilt her head to meet his eyes and needs to remind herself to breathe. "I had fun," he whispers, and Momo feels his breath wash over her. It smells like mint and cotton candy.

She searches for words, but only finds a myriad of ways to describe the mesmerizing colour of his eyes. Eventually, she breathes, "Me too," and takes a step closer, her hand brushing against his, warm skin skimming ice cold nails. Her fingers instinctively curl around the place her golden ring usually resides, but find it empty - she can't possibly wear it around him, after all.

Their hands brush again, but this time, it's because Shouto leans in. His nose almost skims the skin of her cheek - at this proximity, Momo can feel the difference in temperature between his two sides. And she may be an idiot for thinking it, but Shouto's hand cups her cheek like he's asking for permission.

She nods.

His voice quivers as he breathes, "Momo, I-"

And then Shou-chan meowls and the moment is effectively destroyed, because the sound reminds Momo that they're adults and have responsibilities now, that she's a mother and can't simply act like a teenager in love all over again and risk losing everything, that she doesn't even know if Shouto really harbours feelings for her or is acting out of guilt.

So she takes a wobbly step back, and feels the instant cold that envelops her when Shouto retracts his hand.

"I should probably go," he mutters. Momo can only nod again.

She leads him to the door in silence, watching as he puts on his shoes - he still slips his foot in first and adjusts the laces later - and his jacket - buttoning the last button first - and turns the doorknob. Before he leaves, though, he turns around one last time, presumably to bid her goodnight.

Except his lips press to her cheek instead, quickly but firmly, and his parting words are, "I also had my reasons."

And with that he leaves.

Momo leans against the closed door for support, a hand touching her scorching cheek as she slides to the ground and buries her face in her palms. Shou-chan meowls again, jumping in her lap and nudging his nose against her thumbs, but Momo can't bring herself to peel her hands away.

What was that supposed to mean?

It smells of night - that cold, fresh smell that fills your lungs in painful gasps and whips away at your face. The lamp posts shed yellowish circles of flickering light around the grey support poles, but Iida purposely avoids them. His head is ducked so his ears sink into the warmth of his scarf as he takes long strides towards Hatsume's apartment-turned-lab.

"I'm going to make this work. I'm going to be a good father." The determined fire burning in Todoroki's eyes is remarkable, yet it makes Iida feel so cold that not even his knitted scarf can warm him up. He knows what's rushing through his veins, can distinctly feel the nasty feeling that makes his insides twist, but decides not to name it. Names are powerful, and Iida doesn't take chances.

He's acting like a bratty kid fleeing to his mother's side when things get rough, he knows. And yet, as he opens the unlocked door to Hatsume's apartment - he's long since learnt she won't answer him even if he knocks -, he feels like he is the mother. How the woman can live in this complete and utter chaos is beyond Iida.

"You're here!" she calls from behind an endless pile of empty cups of noodles that she's currently arranging into an imposing castle. "Takeout should arrive any minute now!"

"Hatsume-kun," Iida sighs, peeling his jacket off and contemplating where exactly to hang it. Discovering that the hangers have been transformed into a new robot of sorts, he opts for folding the coat over his arm - he knows better than to touch Hatsume's work in progress. "Takeout isn't healthy."

"Healthier than instant noodles," she points out nonchalantly, clapping in delight at the finished construction.

Stomping out another sigh, Iida decidedly states, "We're going to clean."

Hatsume deflates like a popped balloon. "Because that's your coping mechanism?" she drawls out, crossing her arms.

"Because this place gives me a headache," Iida counters calmly, beginning to sort through the stacks of clothes abandoned over the floor. "A clean environment is key to-"

"-a clean mind," she quips, dropping her hands. "I know, I know. I'll help you, but if you touch my babies-"

"-I'm done for," Iida smiles - it's been so long since he's genuinely smiled that it feels a tad strained. "Duly noted."

And so they clean.

Iida dodged Hatsume's question earlier, but cleaning really does soothe him. It makes him feel like, if he can put every single thing in order, his thoughts and feelings will follow the pattern and sort themselves in clear-cut drawers that he'll then push into a huge library and label accordingly. He knows Hatsume isn't like that, but he appreciates her picking up the litter and empty packages.

They soon fall into casual chit-chat - what happened at work today, did Bakugou blow his gauntlets again (Hatsume can't wait for the answer to be yes so she can get an excuse to work on a new model), did Kaminari buy more pink stuff for their yet unconfirmed daughter? And then, all of a sudden, Hatsume breaks the pleasant nothings with a pressing question.

"Do you believe in exorcism?"

"What?" Iida blanks, chopping the air with his hands. "I mean if you are referring to a quirk, I could do some research into it, however-"

"That bag is moving," she simply states, pointing towards an empty bag of chips that is, indeed, sliding across the floor. "If it's not a spirit, then it's a cockroach, and that's honestly even worse."

Iida gulps - her words, of course, hold an undeniable truth. "Hatsume-kun, could one of your creations save us?" She bites her lower lip and shakes her head in slow motion, the frightening reality of the situation creeping up on them.

Iida is a hero - he can deal with this. Slowly, as to not scare his target, he takes a step closer, then another, and raises his foot. Hatsume whips out her phone. "Data gathering," she mouths as she slides over to her camera to film the scene of the crime.

Except it never comes. The doorbell rings, their stomachs growl, and in her rush to get the door and eat something other than cup noodles, Hatsume steps on their target, delivering a deadly blow. The lack of data is forgiven upon sniffing the delicious scent of the chinese takeout, and Iida smiles, amused by her sudden change in demeanour.

Now that the place is clean - or at least acceptably tidy, by Iida's standards - they sit on the tatami mats and hunch over the carton boxes of fried chicken, resuming the story of how Uraraka almost revealed her wedding dress to Midoriya. Hatsume's laughter fills the place and Iida finds himself chuckling at her own experience with Midoriya, who wanted to arm his wedding tux - just in case someone decided to crash the wedding.

The pain in his chest is momentarily forgotten, a dull ache ringing in the back of his ribcage, and Iida thinks that maybe he should make himself a tape of Hatsume's contagious laugh and energetic voice and play it on rainy days.

Dear Shouto,

Every year, I forget about Father's Day. I'm probably just tricking myself, but I can't trick Tokiya. His kindergarten reminds them every year, without fail, that they need to shower their fathers with love - and I can only imagine how alienated he must feel, how out of place he must be when he has no one to give his handmade card to.

He's a child, and he's brimming with curiosity, yet he only asked me once about his father. He wouldn't ask me where you are, or why you left, or who you are. All he asked me was "Does Dad love me?" I said, "Yes" without skipping a beat.

How could you not?

Tokiya nodded and hugged me, and that was the end of it. I think I'm being unfair to him, just as I am to you - you have the right to know each other, and I'm keeping you apart. It tears me inside, Shouto, wondering what could have been, what a romantically optimist part of me still wants to be.

But everyday, it gets harder to even muster the courage of putting ink on paper. Words are powerful, and written words might just as well be stone. I'm feeding my own illusions by even entertaining the thought of one day dialing your number and telling you everything.

If one day, my number lit up your screen, would you answer?

I never throw them away. The cards, I always save them. What for, I can't tell, but they're all stacked in the same drawer as this notebook that shall never see the light, crowded in the crook of a dusty book you forgot here when you left. Just like these letters, those cards will never reach you, but they exist, proof of love and timeless waiting. Because if you ever decide to come back, you'll have a place to come home and a family to welcome you here.

We miss you Shouto. More than you can imagine.

Love,
Momo

AN: Hello!

I promised fluff, I delivered fluff (and here is where Gem would add "just don't ask about chap 12" Okay it's not that bad, it just has a Tokiya scene that makes us tear up cause the boy is precious and we love him)
But yes anyway, the second arc! Todo-Tokiya interactions! Todomomo fluff! Iida healing and Mei being an unorganised mess (we have not yet discovered whether this is how she flirts or simply her lifestyle but you know. she's a MESS)! Kyouka being pregnant and snarky and Kaminari being such a dad tm! All the good stuff!
Until next time, with more of our favourite dorks!