Disclaimer: Of course I don't own My Hero Academia, its characters, or the franchise.
Story: Izuku was lonely and was trying to have a good birthday. He walked into the room and took her breath away. All of a sudden, she was caught in a whirlwind romance and ends up with a baby on the way. Enji finds himself with a second chance at fatherhood and fixing up the mess that was his life and family.
Set as an AU genderbending fic.
Spoilers: Most definitely for all seasons, even if this is an alternate take.
Warnings: Age disparity, cursing and violence for now…hm, just in case since I'm usually writing it, bit of crazy humor, perverted humor, morbid or sarcastic humor, and maybe some sexual situations…
Pairings: Fem!Izuku/Endeavor, side-Dekubowl (because my regulars know my habitual obsession with the protag/one-sided (or not) others XD

Sweet Love O' Mine
Chapter Three: To Be at Home

"Thank you for letting me in," Enji murmured and Izuku was glad they had managed to make it to her new room, her parents' (and then formerly just her mother's) room. It was large and not (as much as she was a huge fan) embarrassedly covered in All Might and other Hero merchandise that probably would've freaked him out.

That said, he was really warm and because he was so large, the bed was just slightly too crowded with the two of them on it and laying close together. Which meant his warmth was even more than normally felt with the closeness.

"I like having you around," she said sincerely and it was true. No one had ever really wanted to be around her and she was always just that Quirkless deku no one cared about. Enji had been kind and had obviously wanted her and to stay around her. "Thank you for wanting to be here."

Enji's lips moved into a slight smile that mesmerized her. "I'm not typically the kind of person that…that does what happened that night. With you. I don't tend to talk up women or take them to hotels. I'm not even really good with people, much less women. I'm a…rough kind of guy. Most people call me abrasive. An asshole, really," he shrugged slightly.

She frowned. "I don't think you are. Well, at least you aren't with me."

"I took your virginity in the backseat of my car," he pointed out with a wince.

Izuku blinked. "Oh! How'd you find that out?"

"My car had some blood on the seat," his tone had an undertone of guilt she frowned deeper at.

She waved it off. "Don't worry about it. Like I said, I had a good time and it was a good night. I had a really crappy day before that, so I was happy to be together with you in your car and having fun with you."

"You sure?" he asked, voice gruff and uncertain.

She gave him a wide smile and nodded, leaning up towards him as she kissed him briefly, feeling shy after and blushing heavily. He chased after her and drew her into another kiss, letting his tongue tangle with hers for a few moments.

"Okay, so how's work been for you? I know you said you work in the Hero business? How's that? I'm sure it must be a lot of work, dealing with Heroes," she asked about him.

He looked oddly awkward for a moment. "You can say that. It is a lot of work and I have to work with a lot of other Heroes at times."

She paused, hearing that over in her head and catching what he'd said.

"Working with…other Heroes? You mean you're a Hero?" she asked, eyes wide.

He nodded, keeping silent and watching her carefully.

"You're smart," he remarked warily. "And I mean really smart. I still remember your notebook and it is damn impressive. My agency would probably kill for it. Honestly, any Hero agency would love to get their hands on it. So I know you'll get it."

His agency. Meaning he was a Pro and with enough clout to start his own agency.

"I have more like it," she said idly, already deep in thought as she tried to figure out who he was. "That one is my 13th analysis book."

Though she was thinking, she did catch the light in his eyes brighten and the interest grow, making her amused and flattered. She hadn't thought her hobby had been that big a deal…

Still, she narrowed her eyes and observed him more keenly. His hair was red, a shade of…coxcomb red that was too dark to be a regular red but too bright to be crimson. His eyes were turquoise, not quite a full on blue but definitely not green. He was tall —tall and broad and muscled and —

"Oh!" her eyes widened. Hot skin and those features, "E-Endeavor?!"

Woah, woah, woah. She had the Number Two Hero lying next to her in bed. She had slept with said Hero and previously had been thinking of repeating that.

"That's me," he murmured, watching her.

"Is this-is this really okay?" she asked, trying not to freak out so much as she gestured between them.

Of course it wasn't! He was the Number Two Hero and she was a fifteen year old girl! Oh God, she could ruin him! It'd be her fault if this was found out and he —

"I would hope it is," he interjected softly and she paused, taking him in.

Enji was watching her carefully, but she could feel the tenseness off of him. She took a deep breath and gave him a smile, trying not to let it waver.

"It's unexpected and I worry a lot anyway," she said. "I'll be fine."

Hopefully.

He relaxed a little and even managed to give her a small smile that made her heart flutter. Her smile strengthened then.

"Should I ask about your favorite Hero?" he asked dryly.

Izuku coughed, knowing of Endeavor's infamous (one-sided) rivalry and intense chase after All Might and could already predict his reaction.

But then he narrowed his eyes at her. "I was sarcastic and half-joking, but now I want to know, even though I'm pretty sure I don't."

Well, damn. What kind of expression had she worn that had made him say that? Stupid face of hers!

"All Might," she admitted and he rolled his eyes in exasperation and smacked his forehead.

"Of course," he griped. "That guy…"

Though she was amused at his reaction and she could tell he had forcefully made himself lighten up, she could also hear the subtle tone of bitterness and couldn't help wonder about it.

"Why do you want to beat him so much?" she asked, catching him off guard.

"I want to be the strongest and be Number One," he told her straightforwardly and she furrowed her eyebrows.

"I guess being the strongest is a requirement to be the Number One Hero," she muttered. "But…"

She looked him in the eye. "I don't think that's really the whole point of being the Number One Hero."

Enji frowned at her. "What do you mean?" he asked gruffly.

"Well, aside from being the strongest, they also gage you on other qualities, like how the people see you."

That made him grimace. "I don't really give a crap —I'm not going to fake smile and play nice just to be liked; I'm not here for a popularity contest."

"It's not just about popularity," she gave him a look, frowning herself. "When someone looks at you, when people look at the Number One Hero —whoever it is and not just All Might as an example in that role —they want to look at that person and think 'This person makes me feel safe. I can trust my life with them. They care enough about me to care if I live. They care that I am a person.' To me, that's what the Number One Hero represents."

He looked at her strangely but closely, eyes intense as he thought.

Izuku winced and awkwardly coughed. "I mean, that's what I think! The Number One Hero to me isn't someone based on just strength or popularity…Just…someone like that," she finished lamely, wanting to smack her forehead.

"I see," he murmured, still watching her intently but now definitely thoughtful.

"Never mind that!" she said hurriedly, thinking she'd screwed everything up, like she always did.

"Work's not bad," he said suddenly, answering her original question as if they hadn't gotten sidetracked and then that whole thing hadn't spiraled. "I had to deal with a few cases that were easily solved, but the number of them seem to be multiplying. My sidekicks can be exasperating, but they're efficient and good workers. I can at least depend on them."

Relieved it seemed things were back to normal and he was continuing on, she smiled tentatively at him.

"That's good. I'm glad you have people to help you and you're not taking it all on yourself. I'm sure you could handle it, but having people you can count on is good too!"

He started to smile a little again and it made her happy to see.

"And you?" he asked. "You said you were graduating soon?"

Oh. Right. She did but she couldn't exactly tell him from where. He didn't even know how old she was!

She tried not to look hesitant or sound hesitant. "Ah, yes. It won't be long now actually," she said as vague as she could. "I just finished up my last exams these last two days and was treating myself when I ran into you at that boba shop."

"Congratulations," he told her sincerely. "Do you know what you want to do afterwards?"

"Generally speaking, not really," she admitted, also not wanting to allude in any way towards still being a student. "I really, really want to be a Hero though."

"It's hard being one," he told her honestly. "And not as easy as one would have thought to break into the industry. Though you are really amazing and beyond intelligent with those analysis of yours —you would have more than a chance to at least break into the Support division, if you really wanted to do something with Heroes."

Izuku sighed. "You're right, but it's just…I've wanted to be one for so long and to just…" She looked at him tentatively, from under her eyelashes. "I know you don't like him, but while I was growing up, All Might was that figure I latched onto. He was always saving someone with a smile and I just wanted…I wanted to be a Hero like him that could reassure someone and save them with that feeling of safety that I always got watching him. Especially after…especially after," she hesitated, "I was told I was Quirkless."

He blinked and she could feel him tense up beside her.

"Y-you're Quirkless?" he asked.

"Yes," she started withdrawing from him. "Is that a problem?" she asked cagily.

Enji winced and reached out to her. "No, no. I was just…surprised," he confessed. "I hadn't expected that. It doesn't matter to me though."

She looked at him warily though and he moved forward carefully and brushed her hair back from her face.

"It doesn't," he said firmly and she finally relaxed a bit. She still wasn't sure about that, but he was there and he wasn't leaving her.

"Anyway, it was a comfort to watch him, especially after that news," she continued softly. "In a world where practically everyone had and valued Quirks, I felt alone. His smile, as fake as it might be, made me feel a little less alone."

Enji looked chagrined. "I still don't like him and I won't be smiling at everyone all of a sudden…But I don't mind giving what smiles I can force out for you," he coughed, cheeks reddening a little bit.

Touched and feeling rather emotional, she moved up and kissed his lips sweetly, blinking back a few tears that she felt him wipe away.

Enji hadn't wanted to go home. He'd wanted to stay there with her, with someone who'd actually gave a damn about him.

He didn't want to come home to an empty, cold house with children he'd 'created' and whom he'd pushed away, had made hate him. He didn't want to look at Natsuo and Fuyumi and see virtual strangers, and who probably thought the same of him. He didn't want to look at Shoto and have to see a visceral reminder of his failures.

As a Hero, a husband, and a father.

What had all of that been worth? To surpass a man he didn't like and thought was fake, yet someone he did grudgingly respected as a symbol? What was the meaning of being Number One?

Izuku had expressed herself so earnestly about it and it had made him really stop to think and he wasn't sure anymore. He'd wanted to be the strongest, to be the best…but what did it matter if he wasn't the one people would look to and rely on in that spot?

How can he call himself the Number One Hero if his strength wasn't enough?

Entering his home made him realize just how dismal not only his life had become but the emptiness it was filled with and that he felt, and made him question everything.

His steps echoed loudly as he walked into the place he should've called home, but he realized there was a difference in "home" and being with Izuku.

Being with her felt more like home than this cold, lonely place.

It was of his own making, of course. Didn't stop him from wanting to be with her and to stay away from this house that he'd come to hate coming back to.

"Otou-san, you're home late," Shoto noted from near the kitchen's entrance.

He looked at him tiredly. "I was held up."

Shoto's eyebrows furrowed, but his youngest son didn't question him. Instead, he went onto something else.

"Are we training now?"

Enji paused for a moment before shaking his head, grunting.

"No, you can do what you want," he said, brushing passed Shoto and heading to his room.

He just felt tired.

The night was bearing down on him already. He didn't know what Shoto ended up doing, but he was too empty to say or do anything other than collapse on his bed and lay there.

His head was wrapped up in thoughts and the same things kept circling over and over again, crashing around in his brain and telling him too many things at once.

Enji couldn't sleep at all and by the time it was in the middle of the night and he knew all his kids were home and already in bed, he'd made up his mind and decided that he was going to get out of there.

He already felt like he was suffocating.

Knowing it was late though, he quietly slipped out of his room and headed to the entranceway of his house. There was no need to tell the others where he was going; he doubted they'd care. He just wanted to be at one place at the moment.

The moment his shoes hit the pavement outside of his home, he took his phone out and dialed a quickly familiarized number.

"Hey, Izuku, are you still up?"

Her voice answering him immediately made him smile.

"Yes, Enji? What's wrong?"

"Can I stay the night?"

The affirmative answer made him relax finally.

Shoto woke first, as he was used to doing, especially when he knew his father wanted him to be rested and ready in the morning to get ready for training when it was the weekend (and for him to be ready to head to school when it was a weekday). Indifferently looking around, a spark of confusion entered him when he realized there was no breakfast.

Most importantly, there was no sign of his father.

"Good morning, Shoto!" his sister greeted him cheerfully, her kind personality shining through as always.

"Good morning, Fuyumi," he greeted back, still struck by the odd absence of their father.

"Oh," Fuyumi noticed as well. "There's no…Where's Otou-san?"

"I don't know," Shoto muttered, frowning as he went to the man's room.

Clenching his jaw, he steeled himself before knocking. When there was no answer, he blinked and frowned again to himself. Deciding to just open the door, he entered the room and found no one in it. It was quiet and looked mostly undisturbed.

"…What?"

"Hey! What happened to breakfast?" he heard Natsuo from all the way from the kitchen.

What was going on?

Started 4/11/21—Completed 4/17/21

A/n: Ho shit, it's been a hella long time, right? Yikes. I've been caught up in other things and other stories and other fandoms unfortunately, but since the new season has started, I've gotten inspired and back into BNHA, as well having found my outline/notes for this story. So here's to hoping to being able to update a little more often? In any case, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Let me know how y'all are feeling :)

Quick Points:

1. No sex this chapter, even though I'd originally planned and thought (from end of last chapter) that I'd have it lead into this one with it. I decided it was better this way, and they could progress more with talking and all, etc.

2. 1st chapter on the '7 weeks ago' was a mistake –that time elapse was actually my original estimate of how long Enji was gone and had left Izuku behind before he'd come back, and when writing the next scene had forgotten that and had written their first meeting instead of the moment he left. Although, I've again (after making a more concrete timeline of things) readjusted that period so how long he'd been gone has changed now. In any case, I'll fix that time elapse later on.

3. Next chapter, Enji's kids catch up. So does Izuku~