Imagine Me Without You

Summary: Her voice could do many things, so long as she accompanied her "will" with a lyrical melody. Kagome was an orphan who was lucky enough to be found by Aizawa back when he was actively pursuing criminals at night as Eraserhead. She owes everything that she is to the man who gave her a home and a family.

Anime: InuYasha/Boku no Hero Academia

Genre: Action/Romance

Pairing: Undecided

Rated: M

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Chapter Eleven

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For a good few minutes, it was quiet in the Aizawa household. When Kagome had held open the door for an excited Eijiro, she could hardly contain a giggle when his smile fell. He was still in awe, but everything he thought he knew was all a lie."I thought...but what about All Might? I thought—I was sure! You two, I keep seeing the two of you together on the streets!"

Raising a brow from where he was standing at the stove, a pink apron tied firmly around his waist. Shota found himself a bit annoyed that the kid in front of him had been so sure that All Might was Kagome's father. It bothered him.

"Eiji, this is Eraserhead. Shota to his friends, and dad to me. Probably the coolest Hero you're ever going to meet."

"...never heard of him."

Shota sighed, "no autograph for you, kid."

"Ah! S-sorry, sir!"

Kagome laughed, "relax, Eiji." Grabbing his hand, she pulled him from the kitchen and past three curious cats sniffing at his shoes.

"Door stays open!" Shota yelled reflexively.

"Just putting our bags away!" She yelled back, grinning madly at her father's clear anxiety.

"So, what's with you and All Might then?"

Shaking her head, Kagome hung her bag on one of the three hooks attached to the back of her door. Taking Eijiro's, she placed it next to hers. "Don't let him mess with you, Eijiro; he smells fear." Moving across her room to her bed where a fat, very pregnant Siamese lay sleeping, she lowered her nose and booped it before petting her softly; not once did the cat wake up.

"You weren't kidding. You do have a lot of cats."

Smiling up from her place on her bed, Kagome nodded, "yeah, dad tends to bring them home from his patrols. This one," she jabbed her thumb at the siamese, "actually followed me home one day, and I decided to bring her in. That was almost...a year ago? Almost half a year later, she got pregnant with Fox's kittens. She should be giving birth soon too."

"What's her name?"

"Pearl," She pointed past him as another cat walked in with a solid black coat, "that's Soba, and the gray tabby is Mochi. The one you probably won't see is Present Mic. He's a yellow and black tortoiseshell that hides well from people he doesn't know until he's ready to attack." While she said this, she pointed down, and Eijiro followed the direction she pointed with his eyes. Getting down on one knee, he peered curiously under the bed and smiled at the cat. Bright yellow eyes stared right at him.

-BOOM-

Eijiro fell back in shock; Kagome wasn't phased, but he looked like he was about to join the cat under her bed.

"I am here!"

Hearing the familiar voice of the Hero All Might, Kagome watched Eijiro stand and bolt out of her room. Dressed in a solid white t-shirt and a pair of beige pants, he stood in the doorway of Kagome's flat as if he lived there. "Kagome..."

Walking out of her room, she leaned against the doorframe and watched Eiji fanboy as he took in All Might. "Yeah?"

"It's him...it's really him. It's All Might!"

"Yeah," Kagome nodded. Walking up to her dad, she helped him set the table as he motioned for her to come over. Listening to Eiji as he ran up to All Might and started talking with him in excitement, it was hard not to laugh. "Guys, come sit down and eat before the food gets cold. All Might, can I get you something to drink?"

"Ah, water, please!"

"Eiji?"

"Water!"

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"Your name was Kirishima, right?"

"Th-that's right!"

Kagome took a bite out of her food, enjoying her father's cooking as she savored the pork katsudon. "Hey, if you're not going to eat, I'll take your food away." For the last twenty minutes, All Might had been staring at Eijiro while he ate. Kagome had kept an ongoing conversation to keep her friend from becoming more nervous than he already was. For some reason, she'd never been like this with the heroes she'd met. All Might, Ms. Joke, Present Mic, and Nezu, the latter two, had been trying to recruit her dad at U.A, the Hero Academy. Honestly, Kagome thought it would be pretty cool, but he seemed hesitant. She'd only been able to meet Present Mic a handful of times, and it was usually as he was leaving her apartment and she was coming home from school. In fact, Kagome wasn't even entirely sure if he knew she was Shota's daughter. He would walk by her, pat her on the head as if he knew her, which he didn't, and call her a "little listener."

"You've known our Kagome for four years now," sliding his plate out of Kagome's reach, All Might's grin hardened into a firm grin, unlike his smile that gave hope. "What are your intentions?"

"Studying for the U.A and becoming a hero like Crimson Riot," Kagome answered for a now very intimidated Eijiro. "We're eleven. Try not to be weird." This was all totally unnecessary.

"Sorry, sorry. You're just so adorable. I can't bear the thought of someone stealing you away from me!"

Shota paused mid-bite and gave All Might a side glance, "you realize she's my daughter, not yours, right?"

"We could share."

"...would that make All Might my mom?"

Shota stood and took All Might's plate away in the same motion. Walking to the kitchen, he quickly packed it away and moved to the door, "Here, take the food and go. Leave. Get out."

Laughing as All Might pouted, though if she knew her dad, he was probably watching the time for All Might. Even if he was seriously contemplating beating All Might, he worried and cared for his friend.

"Whaaaat?! Wait, b-before you leave..." blushing fiercely, he looked down at his hands before glancing back over his shoulder.

"Haha! Did you want an autograph, young Kirishima?"

"Yes, please!"

"Go on then, grab what you want me to sign."

Placing her fork down, Kagome bent down and lifted Soba as he nudged her leg. He was purring from the attention she wasted no time in giving him.

"Not at the table, Kagome."

"Right," standing and walking away from the table, she placed the black cat down atop the cat condo in the corner near their couch. It looked out over the city, so the cats had come to enjoy the view from the highrise flat. "Stay here, Soba. I'll play with you later."

"Here,"

"Ah, this is a Mint Condition Crimson Riot Biography...you really want me to sign this?"

"Crimson Riot is my idol. I want to be just like him when I become a Hero. Still, you're also one of my Idols. I would be truly happy if you signed it. I plan to become a great Hero. Someone who protects, who fights for the people!"

"I see. What an admirable goal, young Kirishima! I look forward to seeing the kind of Hero you become! Plus Ultra!" Signing his name in bold, All Might held the book carefully in his hand as he looked at it thoughtfully. "You're a good kid. Keep working hard, young Hero. Kagome,"

Kagome ran forward and threw her arms around his waist. Though she could not wrap her arms around him, she smiled as he placed his heavy hand on her head. "You've truly a talent for choosing your friends."

"Of course, you're my friend too!"

"That's right!"

"All Might," Shota looked down at his watch, tapping his finger against the crystal casing. All Might didn't need to be told what Shota meant; he could feel it. It hadn't felt like he'd been there for all that long, but time flies when you're with friends. Shota held out the packed dinner. "We'll see you again, but you're going to be late."

"You're right. Then I will be on my way. Until next time, my friends! HAHA!" Gone, All Might was out the door like a normal person, with Eijiro and Kagome watching until he was completely out of sight.

"So, what do you think, Eiji. Can you keep my chaotic family a secret?"

"Yeah! Of course, I can!"

"Since you're here, how about the two of you go ahead and work on your homework. Might as well knock it out after you finish dinner."

"Is that really okay?" Looking up at Shota to make sure it was alright with him. As if he wasn't the one who just suggested it. Shota gave a small nod before ushering them back to the table and giving the door a light kick shut. After Eijiro called his parents, he finished dinner with the Aizawa's, and then he and Kagome sat down to do their schoolwork in the living room. Three out of five of their cats had found comfortable spots around the kids while they focused on packet after packet of work. Soba kept reaching for Kagome's pencil, trying to stop her progression with her math as he sat there on her right. His cute folded ears were pressed against his head as he paid close attention to the pencil. "Daad!"

Shota was on the couch behind his daughter and her friend, a book in hand as he read silently while they worked. Reaching his arm down without tearing his eyes away from his book, he lifted Soba into his lap and away from Kagome.

~Mrooow~

Not giving into Soba's agitation, Shota scratched him behind the ear until he settled comfortably on his lap. It didn't take the kids long to finish their school work. By the time they were cleaning up, it was already getting dark. "Kagome,"

"I know! I'll do the dishes and get ready for bed. Be safe on your patrols!" Burying her head in his chest as he ran a hand through her hair before letting her go. "Kirishima, I'll walk you home."

"Oh, you don't have to, sir!"

"Humor me,"

Eijiro blushed, "r-right!" Running into Kagome's room, he grabbed his blazer and bag before rushing back to Shota's side as the Pro Hero grabbed a few things to get ready for his patrol tonight. He grinned and waved goodnight to Kagome, "I'll see you at school tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow!"

When all was quiet in the Aizawa house, Kagome did the dishes, like she usually did, washing them and then putting them away in the dishwasher. Then did a quick sweep of the kitchen before taking a shower. Afterward, Kagome dressed for bed, wrapped her hair into a towel, and sat down on the couch with the blinds drawn and the curtains pulled aside. "..." A worn-out journal filled with lyrics and poems lay open in her lap, a pen twirling in her fingers as she caught the eyes of her reflection. It was a moment of silence she shared with the girl in the window. Her father didn't know how she would sit there for a few hours, contemplating what crimes were taking place in the shadows of the streets that her father guarded every night. Looking down pointedly at a new page in her journal, she brought the tip of her pen to the first line and began to write.

Where have you been...?

And what have you been doing?

Why can't I recall your eyes, the shape, the color, the size?

Alone, in the dark, something broke in the skies.

I was abandoned, lost; I was scared!

In the shadows, unprepared...

Where did you go?

What was more important than your child?

I wondered, questioned for years, what it was I'd done wrong!

Not me! Not me! I was not the problem! I did not choose to walk away!

I was the child.

I was wronged.

I was abandoned.

I was alone.

I was so scared.

I was not good enough.

Why was I not good enough!?

It was raining...

It was raining, and I was found.

Three years come and gone; I was found.

He brought me home, nothing more than a stray; he took me in.

In a day, I found myself warm, safe...still scared.

He gave me a last name.

I called him dad.

For the first time in three years, it wasn't you.

You weren't the person I thought about.

You weren't the person I dreamed about.

I no longer want you.

I don't need you.

He found me.

He saved me.

He gave me a home.

I was so young...I don't recall your eyes...but that's okay.

I know that his are always watching over me.

I am good enough.

Kagome placed the pen down and closed the book. Her eyes looked out at the city. She wondered curiously where her father was. He never patrolled the same place two nights in a row. Closing her eyes, her heart heavily pounding against her chest. She was shaking. Her hands. It happened sometimes, but she tried to conceal it. He didn't need to know. He didn't need to know that she was still afraid. Kagome thought it was silly. She knew he'd never toss her aside. Not the same way her parents had. She could recall songs her mother would sing to her to get her to sleep. So she couldn't understand why she'd been abandoned. Despite knowing of her mother's love, she still despaired. Shadows she couldn't give a face to; they plagued her.

Not able to place a voice, a face, or even a shape! So, why were they still tormenting her? Taking a careful breath, she closed her eyes. Counting; one - two - three - four - five; this went on till she counted to ten. Opening her eyes, she stood, cast a final look outside, and smiled. She was safe; they couldn't hurt her. Those shadows would never hurt her again. Lowering the blinds and untying the curtains, Kagome reached down and picked up Soba before walking back to her room. The journal was placed gently on the bookcase next to her desk; the light was turned off before she stepped lightly across the carpet and climbed into bed. Her eyes slipped shut, tired and ready to sleep. "Be safe, and come home soon, dad."

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Me: Here is chapter eleven. I hope you enjoy this chapter. A bit lighter at the beginning and a bit heavier towards the end. Please let me know your thoughts!