Toshinori couldn't believe that this had happened. Inko had gone into early labor, mostly from the stress of Hisashi threatening her life, along with their child's… He couldn't help but wince as he knew that he was also at fault. He had also added onto that stress when he lost himself to his rage. God, he barely even remembered everything that was going through him at the moment. It just seemed all too real and it bothered him.
Why did he go into such a blinding rage just from the man's words? Was it because Inko was right? That he had allowed the hate to blind him just because he was so obsessed with finding the man that Miyoko was with in the first place? Looking up at the clock, he saw that Inko had been in the room for some time, maybe an hour. Was she having some difficulties?
Dear lord he hoped that wasn't the case.
He wasn't allowed in the room as it seemed that Inko was stressed, and his own stress and worry was overpowering her as well. It wasn't good for her or the baby and now… now… they were at a risk of losing their child.
Not just because he was early, it wasn't bad being two months early right? Though, it didn't help because of the stress that she had to go through. All of it, it had been too much.
As he had waited, he had made a couple phone calls, telling his friend that Inko and he are at the hospital, he's in the waiting room. His friend, Naomasa had told him that Tenko's arm was for the most part healed though was still tender. They would arrive in a few minutes he believed if he was remembering right.
Shouta and Hizashi on the other hand would take longer as they had to take Hisashi to the station and have him in a room that would erase his quirk. Though, Toshinori knew that he would have to pay Shouta a lot of cat related items to make up for him using his quirk for such a long time. After all, they had only been prepared for him to breathe fire, not to have his body surrounded by flames.
That was another thing. Hisashi had mentioned something about getting a new quirk, it made him rather surprised that he of all people would go out of his way to help someone unless the quirk would have been too dangerous for him himself to use. Though from what he could recall from his rage induced mind, he could recall that Hisashi was having difficulties catching his breath, and when he had the wind knocked out of him, the flames went out with it.
It seemed, that the quirk itself didn't just rely on the air around him, but the air that the body needed as it creates a shield so to speak. Not just as a means to power himself up, but taking all the brain's oxygen which would cause brain damage and most likely damage to the nerves that had an effect on his thoughts, his personality among other things.
Though, it still didn't excuse Toshinori of how he acted. Of the way he had attacked that man even if he in a way, had a right. He had wanted to kill him.
Closing his eyes, the young man didn't think he deserved to be a hero. He didn't think he had a right to be a hero even if he was doing it to save his family and to avenge his sister. He could have done it differently, could have just disarmed him and merely capture him, instead he went just about all out but not enough to kill him. Toshinori wanted him to feel so much pain and wanted to hear the man plea for his life.
Shaking his head of such dark thoughts, Toshinori sat down on a nearby chair as he grasped at his heart. Damn it all, he was so weak. He was so fucking weak that he didn't know if he could be the hero his master believed him to be. He was no pillar of support, was no symbol of peace… he was nothing but a weak man who couldn't protect his family and all those he cared about. "I'm so sorry Miyoko, I wasn't the hero you thought I'd become." He whispered softly before he saw his vision blur with tears.
He hunched forward and buried his face into his hands as he let out a choked up sob. Toshinori didn't know what he could do. The waiting itself was what was killing him. The blonde felt powerless, felt like everything was doing all it could to go against him so he couldn't have a happy life. It seemed as if the gods wanted him to be alone at all costs and it was killing him.
It wasn't enough to take away his parents.
It wasn't enough to take away his sister.
Not enough to take away his master.
Now, it seemed that it wasn't even enough to take away the one woman whom he loved with all of his heart and the child that their love created. What was he to do? What could he do? It just seemed as if everything was against him and would do all it could to ruin his life in any shape or form. It wasn't enough it seemed for the gods to want him to feel so much pain and to suffer. His heart couldn't take any more of this, he just couldn't take any more of this. It hurt him more than any blow to his body, it was a wound to his heart and his very soul.
Leaning back, Toshinori wiped away his tears, wanting to laugh that Inko was rubbing off on him though he couldn't help but feel more tears rolling down his cheeks. Any reminder of her just made him remember where she was, and what had put her in such a state in the first place. "Please be okay Inko, please be okay…" whispered Toshinori before he felt his eyes close.
Toshinori groaned a little as he looked around the room. No, this wasn't a room, it was just an empty black void. "Where am I?" He asked, his voice seeming to echo around the void. Okay, this was starting to creep him out, it made him think that he had died but then he remembered, that he was in the hospital room, so if he had died they would have tried to bring him back. Not to mention, he was perfectly fine before so that couldn't be the case… right?
"Am I dead?" he decided to ask, not really expecting an answer.
"No, you're not dead Nori." Came a voice, a voice that he hadn't heard in almost seven years.
Toshinori whipped around as he looked in the area. "Yoko!? Where are you!?" This had to be real, this couldn't be a dream. Dear god don't let this be a dream! This can't be a dream! Please!
"Nori, I'm proud of you." Came Miyoko's voice as her body appeared before him. She was so much shorter than he was, and looked like she did before her death, before she was dating Hisashi. His eyes were wide as he stared at her. Smile on her face as she giggled. Even her laugh was like it was before everything had happened. "You finally found him Nori, and… you didn't kill him." Miyoko said with a gentle smile on her face.
"Yoko… I… I'm so sorry! I didn't save you, I couldn't save you in time and I'm so sorry! Can you ever forgive me!" Toshinori said with tears streaming down his cheeks.
Miyoko frowned a little before she tilted her head at him. Hair falling in her face before she reached up and tucked a lock behind her ear. "Nori, I told you in the letter. My choice was never your fault. It was mine, and mine alone. I didn't seek out the help I should have, and I didn't believe in your strength." She gave him a sad smile before she looked off into the distance. It made Toshinori wonder what it was that she was seeing, though maybe it was something that he himself wasn't ready yet.
"I won't lie though Nori, I had hoped that I could have stayed with you. I would have loved to meet the woman who captured my brother's heart." Miyoko said with a soft and gentle smile on her face. "I bet I would have liked her."
"You would have loved Inko, I know she would have loved you Yoko." Toshinori said with a sad smile.
"Nori, I know how you went about when you fought Takahashi-san… I mean, Hisashi." Miyoko said with a frown on her face and that was when Toshinori felt so much shame creeping itself in his heart once more. Just as he was about to apologise to her, the young woman held up her hand. "Don't. I also saw how Inko brought you out of that darkness. I know it isn't much, but she was able to save your heart and for that I am forever grateful to her."
"I still was blinded by rage Yoko." Toshinori whispered.
"That is true, you were. But you had so much going on in your heart that even you didn't know was there. You were mad when you couldn't find any idea on who Hisashi was back then, that he was the reason I took my own life. That he hurt your son's arm and tried to kill Inko and your unborn child." Miyoko said before she took a couple steps toward him, giving him a small smile. "Yet, you still held back."
"Because I wanted him to suffer-"
Slap.
"Ow!" Shouted Toshinori as he held his hand, causing him to look down at his sister with a frown on his face. "What the hell Yoko!"
"That was for thinking such things! Yes, you were angry, yes, you were pissed off because he had harmed and threatened your family who knows how many times. But you still held back because there was a small part of you that didn't want to kill him. That didn't want to hurt him no matter how much he had hurt you." Miyoko said before she pulled on her brother's one lock of blonde hair to pull him down to her height. He winced from the feeling, wondering why he could even feel anything like this in the first place. "But, you are still a hero deep down Nori, you are a hero that everyone can look up too."
"Yoko… I still used my quirk on him and most likely came close to killing him."
"Ah, but All Might didn't attack him. Only Yagi Toshinori did, if anything your friend may only give you some community service or only take away your hero's license for a little while and you'll get it back. You don't have anything to worry about Nori. You worry far too much."
Toshinori gave her a small smile before saying "That's your fault you know. You were such a cry baby, always so sensitive and worried for others that I wanted to take away all of your worries."
Miyoko pouted a little as she said "I can't help it, I was like mom in that aspect." Toshinori gave her a solemn smile before he pulled her into a tight hug. "Nori, you can still be a hero, I know you can." Miyoko said as she hugged him back as best as she could.
Toshinori couldn't help but frown a little, why was it that he could feel warmth from her? If this was only her spirit that he was talking too, then he shouldn't be able to feel anything from her. Such as her slap, pulling on his hair or the warmth that he was feeling from her. This was nothing but a dream, he knew that but he wanted to hold onto her a little while longer. Was that so wrong?
"Nori, I love you my big stupid, silly, weirdo of a twin brother." Miyoko whispered.
"I love you too Yoko, my silly, sensitive cry baby of a twin sister." Toshinori whispered.
Pulling back, Toshinori looked at her for a moment longer as he asked "Yoko, I have to know, how can I feel all of this? I mean, you're dead and I'm… I'm asleep aren't I?"
Giggling softly, Miyoko whispered "It's because you are my twin brother. We are still connected, even while I am not with you on the living plain of existence, I am still connected to you therefore, you can still feel me even when you can't see me, and I'll always be around you Toshinori. Now, go out there and be a hero, and a father, and husband to your family and everyone who needs you."
Toshinori smiled gently as he said "Alright, I'll be the hero that you always saw me as Miyoko, the hero that I know that I still am. A hero that can be there for people who cry out for help and hope." His smile soon grew so big that it would have broken his face if he wasn't used to doing such a thing.
"That's the brother I know and love!" Miyoko said with a smile before looking around her and saw that the void was starting to tremble. "It seems that our time is up. You're starting to come around, maybe if you need more advice, I'll see you again Toshinori." Miyoko whispered softly before she started to wave her brother off and slowly vanished.
Wait, she was leaving him already? No! He just got her back even though… he knew that it was a dream. Rushing towards her, arm stretched out as he said "Wait Yoko! Don't leave yet! I want to tell you so much! If I have a daughter, Inko and I want to name her after you! We want to keep your memory alive, we want you to still be a part of our family even if you're not there! I'll tell our children all about their aunt Yoko! I promise you this, you'll never die! Not again, I'll make sure that you live on forever in our hearts!"
Miyoko stared with wide eyes as she stared at her brother. Even as he phased through her body, and landed behind her. The young woman slowly turned around and stared at her brother before kneeling before him and reached out placing a hand on his head, much like he did so many times with her when they were children. "Thank you Nori… thank you for everything that you've done for me. I feel like, now I have thanked you properly." She whispered gently, tears streaming down her cheeks as she kissed his forehead before she faded in what one would best describe as sparkles of light before even those had disappeared from his sight.
"Yoko… no, thank you for everything you've done for me." Toshinori whispered before everything started to fade.
"Toshi?" came a voice, causing Toshinori to groan in pain and discomfort as he opened his tired and bleary eyes and saw his friends into the room. Hizashi had his hand on his shoulder, having started to shake him from his sleep. "You okay there buddy?" asked Hizashi.
Toshinori blinked a few times before sitting up a bit more on his seat. He couldn't help but look around as he wondered how long he had been asleep for. It just seemed as if everything was a dream, no, it wasn't a dream. He had felt Miyoko, he felt his sister and felt… so much lighter now. Much more than he's ever felt in his entire life.
"Hey, Toshinori are you gonna say something?" Shouta calmly said. Wondering why the blonde wasn't saying anything yet. It seemed as if he was disoriented or something.
"Yeah, looks like you've been crying in your sleep." Said Naomasa as he held Tenko's hand. "What did you dream about? Inko's fine so far, though she's still in the process of having the baby."
Toshinori looked up at his friend before looking down at Tenko. He saw the little boy shifting side to side as he looked at anything other than his father. It almost broke his heart, but Toshinori knew that they both needed this. "Tenko, come here please son." Tenko looked up for a moment before he let go of Naomasa's hand, he seemed nervous until a soft sob escaped the boy and he ran to Toshinori and wrapped his arms around him. Toshinori held onto the boy tightly as if he was a lifeline.
"Toshinori are you okay?" asked Hizashi with a frown.
"I am, more so than I've been in a long time." Toshinori whispered softly, only loud enough for his friends to hear him before he peeked up at them through his lashes.
"Then what's wrong?" asked Shouta.
"I don't think you three would believe me." Toshinori whispered softly.
"Try us." Shouta mumbled.
Toshinori let out a soft sigh, though he didn't let go of his son. He couldn't, it felt like if he did that he'd fall apart even though he still felt light, he felt terrible for losing his sister again. Turning his gaze down at his son, Tenko looked up at him with concern in his red eyes. "Dad?" He said softly, curious as to if he was going to be okay.
"I… I dreamt about Miyoko." Toshinori managed to whisper.
"What?" Hizashi said with a frown.
"I know, it sounds crazy but… I saw her! I spoke to her and she talked back! It felt so real!" Toshinori said with a frown on his face as he looked up at his friends. "She told me to forgive myself. To let go and live my life that I should still be a hero even after what I've done to Hisashi. I… I had wanted to give up and she talked sense into me." Toshinori said with a frown on his face. Setting Tenko on his lap, Toshinori let out a soft sigh as he looked down at his son and ruffled his hair a bit. Causing the boy to pout, Toshinori could only smile at that. "She spoke to me you guys, and I felt so much better for it. I felt… so much lighter even though she slapped me when it came to my guilt over my fight with Hisashi."
"That sounds like her." Shouta mumbled, causing Toshinori to look up with a frown.
"There are theories that a twins bond, depending on how strong it is can transcend death. You and Miyoko had a very powerful bond, though I think that because of your mind blocked all memory of her, you refused to let her in so to speak. Then of course after you remembered her, your own guilt, pain, and ideas of revenge in your hate filled heart had still blocked you." Shouta calmly explained before he crossed his arms over his chest. "Now that you have it mostly out of your system, you were finally able to connect with her again and she was able to talk some sense in that hard head of yours."
Toshinori just blinked at Shouta as if he had just grown a second head. "You should be a teacher." Toshinori spoke out of the blue.
"I don't know, don't think kids would want to listen to me as a teacher." Shouta said with a shrug.
"I think you'd be a great teacher Shouta!" said Hizashi with a grin on his face, causing Shouta to blush a little.
"I'll think about it." He mumbled.
"So, you spoke to Miyoko?" asked Hizashi.
"Yeah, I guess she couldn't fully pass on because she felt like she hadn't thanked me properly. She finally did, and I had to tell her that I'd tell my children about her. To make sure that she knew that she'd never be forgotten. No matter what, they would always remember her as will I." Toshinori smiled as he let out a soft sigh.
"Dad? When will you speak about her? I wanna know." Tenko said with a frown.
Toshinori smiled at his son before saying "I'll tell you about her later son. Right now, I fear that if I start talking about her now the doctor will come out. I'm worried for your mom."
"But mom's strong, she'll be okay! Then the baby will be here and we can all be happy! That guy won't hurt her anymore right?" Tenko said as he tilted his head to the side.
"Well, since the baby is a bit early, and due to all of the stress with everything that's happened I fear that… we may lose the baby." Toshinori let out a soft sigh, causing Tenko to frown a little. "We don't know, but I hope that the baby will be okay."
"I'm sure the baby will be fine, the baby will be strong like you and mom. I'm sure of it!" Tenko said with a smile on his face. Toshinori couldn't help but smile at the boy, he was already nothing but smiles even though he had gone through such an ordeal. Maybe, seeing that he and Inko for the most part had been brought back or maybe, he was trying to cheer up Toshinori.
Oh wait…
"Shouta, how bad was Hisashi's leg? Tenko's quirk was used on it." Toshinori mumbled.
"To be honest? I was amazed he was still standing. The skin was completely destroyed and all you could make out was muscle tissue. Tenko did a real number on his leg but it's being treated as we speak before we take him to the jail and to a court of law. He'll be going away for a long time with all the cases against him." Shouta answered back with a yawn. "Now, if you'll excuse me I'm gonna have a nap." With that, Shouta pulled out a long fluffy sleeping bag that Toshinori didn't even know how he carried that thing around without anyone noticing. Though the man crawled in and zipped himself up to the point where he looked like a big yellow caterpillar.
"How does he carry that thing?" asked Toshinori.
"Honestly? I have no idea. That's one thing I never figured out." Answered Hizashi with a frown on his face. "But I know it fits two if the need arises."
"I didn't need to know that." Toshinori said with a sigh.
"Yagi-san?" Toshinori looked up at the doctor as he walked out. The man looked exhausted yet he had a kind smile on his face as he looked at the man and the little boy on his lap. "Well, good news or bad news?" asked the doctor.
"What… what's the bad news?" asked Toshinori, hoping and praying that it wasn't what he thought it was.
"Well, bad news, Inko had lost a bit of blood and it was a bit of touch and go for a little when it came to the baby. We did everything within our power to save the baby." The doctor said.
"And… and the good news?"
"Congrats, it's a boy and he's alright. Mom and baby are just resting right now and you may go and see them both. But I should warn you, the little one is very tiny and it was amazing that he survived at all from all the stress that Inko had gone through herself. But, it seems you have a fighter on your hands." The doctor said with a chuckle. "Now, only family can go in."
Toshinori pushed himself up, holding onto Tenko as he looked at the boy. "Ready to meet your baby brother?" asked Toshinori.
"Yeah!" Tenko said with a smile on his face.
Toshinori chuckled as he made his way down the hall. Following the doctor as he wondered how Inko was. She must have gone through hell and back just to have their son. If he was honest, he was worried to what their child would go through down the road. It seemed that everything was going in different ways, and he feared that something would go wrong when so far everything was fine.
Tenko though was pretty much bouncing in his arms. Toshinori couldn't help but smile at the boy, he was so excited to meet his new baby brother. "Now son, your mom will be very exhausted, so you must be careful okay?" He said calmly, hoping that the little boy will understand.
"Okay dad." Tenko said with a smile on his face.
"Good man." Toshinori said with a smile.
Though, he couldn't help but wonder what it was that Inko would say to him the moment he went into the room. Then again, she wasn't mad at him when he was rushing her here. So, that had to mean that everything was okay now. The way it should be, Inko and he can live a happy life with their children that was the only thing that he ever really wanted.
"In here, Inko is awake and the baby is perfectly fine but we'll need to observe him for a few days to make sure nothing is wrong."
"I understand." Toshinori said with a smile. "Thank you for saving both of them." He added before walking into the room.
What he saw made his heart leap into his throat. There, Inko laid on the bed sitting up while she held onto a little bundle of blue blankets. The only sound from them was Inko's humming, and a soft coo coming from the baby. "Inko." Toshinori whispered breathlessly.
Inko looked up, her humming stopped before she smiled happily. "Look Izuku, there's your daddy and big brother." Izuku just cooed and gurgled in responds.
Toshinori smiled before he made his way over to Inko, carefully setting the little excited boy in a chair before taking a seat next to the boy, pulling himself and Tenko closer to the bed. "How are you feeling my dear?" asked Toshinori.
"Honestly? Exhausted. I just wanna go home but I know that I'll be needed here for a little bit." Inko said with a soft smile on her face. "They couldn't risk a natural birth with how much stress I was in so had to do a C-section." Inko said softly before leaning back in her bed a little more. Though, she looked over at Toshinori and just gave him the softest smiles that he's ever seen on her before in his entire life. "Do you wanna hold him?" asked Inko.
He couldn't speak, it was something that he's wanted to do and honestly? Before he didn't think he deserved to hold his child but… after his talk with Miyoko he felt like he could now. It was something that he had wanted to do the moment he learned Inko was pregnant and thought for a brief moment that he didn't deserve to. Now… he knew that he wanted to hold his son.
"Yes." Toshinori said softly.
Smiling, Inko carefully moved her arms as she handed the baby to Toshinori. The blonde leaned back in his chair so Tenko could have a better look at his baby brother. "He's so tiny." Tenko said, and Toshinori couldn't help but chuckle a little. "He'll get bigger though right?" asked Tenko.
"Of course he will sweetie, if anything he may end up the same height as your dad." Inko said with a smile.
Toshinori couldn't help but look down at Izuku. The little boy had green curls for hair, though he couldn't help but wonder if his hair will be straight like Inko's or rather fluffy like his own. The baby opened his eyes and peeked up at his father, Toshinori saw the little boy just staring at him as if examining him. "Hey Izuku, I'm your daddy." Toshinori said with a smile on his face. The baby cooed and gurgled before waving his little arm around. The blonde couldn't help but smile before he reached down and carefully placed his index finger against the baby's hand.
Izuku grabbed onto his father's finger and gurgled a little. "He already has a strong grip." Toshinori said with a smile on his face. He couldn't help but smile at the boy, he was perfect. Green eyes just like his mother and he could already make out some freckles on his cheeks. Where that came from he had no idea, though it still made him more precious.
"So, his name is Izuku?" asked Tenko.
"Yeah, it was a name that your dad and I wanted." Inko said with a smile on her face.
Toshinori chuckled before kissing Izuku's chubby cheek, causing the baby to gurgle in responds. "Yeah, though if we had a girl we were gonna name her after your aunt Miyoko."
"Dad, will you tell me about her now? Please?" Tenko asked with a tilt of his head.
"Sure." Toshinori said with a chuckle. "Let's see, where should I start? Ah yes, Miyoko and I were born here in Japan with our parents. Mom was from America, which is where I get the blonde hair and blue eyes from."
Toshinori spent the whole night telling Tenko about his aunt. Izuku of course ended up drifting off to sleep during the story. Inko though, she just watched as father and son spoke. She noticed that Toshinori seemed much more at peace now. More so than she's seen him in a long time, and for that she was forever thankful.
Now, she hoped that they can have their happily ever after. That was the only thing that she would want with her family, for them all to live a happy life where they can always be happy and have their lives filled with love and laughter.
'That is the only thing my family deserves.' both Inko and Toshinori thought to themselves.
