Enjoying Nature – Todoroki x Deku
A/N: Aged-up AU. Young adult TodoDeku.
So there isn't much talk about nature but… they're outside? Does that count? I kinda ran away with the plot and forgot the prompt.
Words: 1,422
A hushed call of his name roused Izuku from his slumber. He continued attempting to sleep for a moment before the whisper sounded again, and he knew there was no ignoring it. Emerald eyes slowly blinked open, vision blurry before they focused on the figure currently trying to get his attention.
"Daddy!"
A warm smile melted across Izuku's face as he fully awoke, sitting up in his bed and reaching for the young girl standing beside it. She had mint-green hair that fell down her back in soft waves, and bright icy blue eyes full of awe and admiration.
"Good morning, Ichika," the green-haired boy grinned, holding his daughter in his lap.
"Morning, Daddy," she giggled, securing her short arms around Izuku's chest and squeezing as tightly as she could manage.
"Is it time to get up for the day?" Izuku questioned.
"Uh-huh!" came Ichika's cheery reply.
The pro-hero chuckled. He always enjoyed a day off to relax and spend time with his husband, but having a child in their lives had made him appreciate such days so much more.
"Do you wanna wake up Papa?" Izuku offered. "You're much better at it than I am."
Over the years, Izuku had become a master in all things relating to Shoto Todoroki and keeping him happy, which in itself wasn't a difficult task. However, Izuku had learned early on that Shoto was not a morning person, and while he wasn't overly grumpy like some of their former classmates, getting the dual-quirk user out of bed was a struggle.
He was never outwardly mean to the green-haired male upon being woken up, but ever since they'd adopted Ichika, Izuku had learned that Shoto responded positively to anything her minty heart desired, and that included getting her Papa out of bed.
"Papa!" Ichika whispered rather loudly, poking Shoto in the cheek as she sat on his abdomen. The older male responded with a groan, turning his head away from her tiny fingers.
The four-year-old pouted, poking his cheek again. "Papa! Up time!"
That seemed to catch Shoto's unconscious attention, and he slowly opened his eyes. Heterochromic orbs settled on the toddler sitting on his stomach, and his lips stretched into a lazy smile.
"Did Daddy send you to wake me up?" he grumbled, his voice thick with sleep. Beside him, Izuku felt a shiver crawl down his spine at his husband's tone.
"She's better at it than I am," Izuku shrugged, a guilty smile plastered on his face.
"Up time!" Ichika repeated, exhaling a rather loud squeal as Shoto's nimble fingers dug into her sensitive ribs. Her giggles were loud as she lurched to the side, reaching desperately towards Izuku in hopes of making him her savior.
"Unhand her!" the freckled hero shouted half-heartedly, catching his daughter's arms with ease and tugging her away from her tormentor. Shoto reached across the bed with one arm, his fingertips catching the bottom of his daughter's foot for one final assault before he gave in.
"Fine, you win," he smiled softly as Ichika cuddled into her dad's chest.
"We beat Papa!" Izuku cheered, lifting his hand. Ichika high-fived it with as much force as her toddler body could muster.
"What should we do today?" Shoto inquired, rising to a seated position and stretching his arms. Izuku stared shamelessly at his husband's bare torso, watching the taut muscles stretching beneath fair skin.
"Park!" was Ichika's personal suggestion, and her parents shared a look before shrugging in unison.
"Park sounds good," Izuku replied, gently nudging Ichika off of his lap so he could rise from the bed. "If you want to get her ready, I can pack us some lunch."
"Sure," Shoto agreed. He padded across the floor towards their dresser, opening a couple of drawers and withdrawing some light-wash fitted jeans and a stormy grey button-up. He dressed quickly and ran his long fingers through his tangled locks before turning to his daughter.
"Come on, Chika," he cooed. "Let's get you ready to go."
"Park!" the young girl giggled excitedly, taking her papa's hand and dragging him out of his room. As he passed Izuku in the doorway, he planted a soft kiss on the other's lips, and the younger male smiled as he watched them exit the room. He dressed himself in a tight black t-shirt and dark-wash jeans before heading down the hall to the kitchen to round up a picnic.
Once the food was prepared and Ichika was dressed in a white floral shirt and soft pink shorts, everyone slipped on their shoes and headed out the door.
The park was only a ten-minute walk from their house, so they arrived quickly. Izuku took the picnic basket to their preferred table and began unloading it while Ichika dragged Shoto towards the swings, demanding to be pushed. Shoto helped her into the child-friendly swing before stepping around behind her and gently nudging her back.
"Higher!" she squealed, and Shoto hesitated for a moment before complying.
"Come eat!" Izuku called, and Shoto gently slowed the swing to a stop.
"Come on, Chika," he smiled, lifting his daughter out of the swing. She clung to her papa while he carried her across the wood chips, heading towards the picnic table. He sat down with her in his lap as he looked at the assortment that Izuku had prepared, a fond smile on his lips.
"What do you think?" Izuku questioned, offering Ichika half of a ham-and-cheese sandwich and a cherry flavored juice pouch. The toddler happily tore into her lunch, leaning back against her papa's chest.
"It looks delicious," the red-and-white-haired man insisted, picking up a turkey sandwich for himself. He nibbled on it while supporting his daughter's weight.
The freckled hero smiled. "It's not much, but I figured no one would be too terribly hungry yet."
"It's perfect," Shoto commented, bringing a light dusting of pink to Izuku's cheekbones. Years into their relationship, long enough for them to have gotten married and adopted a child, and compliments from his high school sweetheart still made him blush.
"Can we play Lava Monster?" Ichika inquired as she stuffed the last bite of sandwich into her mouth.
Her parents shared a look. Izuku grinned.
"Of course we can," Shoto smiled, shaking his head. Such an expression on his husband's face only meant that he would be the monster, struggling to reach Izuku and Ichika from the ground below the play structure.
"Yay!" Ichika wriggled her way off of her Papa's lap, running towards the steps that led to the structure. "Papa's the monster!"
"Of course I am," Shoto chuckled. He stood, taking Izuku's hand as they slowly followed their daughter.
"Don't worry," the younger male smiled. "You're only a pretend monster."
He then released Shoto's hand and took off towards the play structure, leaving his husband slowly trudging along. "What's the color, Chika?"
Ichika assessed her surroundings as she stood atop the walkway of the structure. "You can't touch yellow!"
Shoto snorted. Of course she chose yellow. The base of the structure was yellow, including the monkey bars and climbing poles. Only the slides and rope ladder were other colors. It was a good thing he was tall, though he mused that such was the reason his daughter chose a difficult color.
He reached the structure and planted his hands on his hips, watching as Ichika scrambled away from him. He shuffled towards the slide, using his long legs to easily ascend it. Once he reached the top, every piece within reach was yellow, so he could only wave his arm in hopes of catching his daughter.
"Run!" the young girl giggled, tugging Izuku's hand and running to the opposite end of the equipment. Shoto jumped off of the slide and ran through the wood chips, meeting his husband and child at the other end where the monkey bars sat. Izuku jumped atop the bars, cradling Ichika in his lap, and peered down at his husband. Shoto reached, but to no avail. Despite the height he'd gained since he graduated high school, the monkey bars had been built for older kids and as such were out of his reach.
"You win this time!" he sneered playfully, earning a cheer from Ichika.
The rest of the morning continued on similarly. Shoto eventually caught Izuku's leg, forcing him to take a turn as the monster. Ichika changed the color rules more than once, and after a few hours of playing, they returned to the table to finish off their sandwiches before heading home.