Happy pride month everyone! Please make sure to stay safe and to have fun! Also.. happy one year anniversary! Last year today is when I first published Orphan Nanny, and I couldn't be happier. Lost but Found was only supposed to be a three-chapter installment of Eri settling in, but I'm just as excited for what I have planned. I hope y'all enjoy this :D
Now, Julie was a practical woman, okay. She knew what she wanted in life (her family, safe and protected and loved), and she already had it! That means she must be doing something right, right? Right.
But sometimes, she will admit, she was a bit scatterbrained.
This, she decided, doesn't look right.
There was a kid sitting on her couch.
Julie did, in fact, have several kids, but she was, like, 99% sure that Himiko was the only blonde one of the bunch. Dabi's hair was forever dyed a dark blue, Tenko was on the couch next to the kid playing Minecraft with Jiji on his shoulder, Izuku had green hair, Hitoshi had lilac hair, and Eri was right next to her. The funny thing about this picture was that their legs were between them and they were playing Foot War while they gamed.
Megumi was in the kid's lap, not at all bothered by the justling, so she at least knew he wasn't any kind of threat (because let's be honest, Tenko's a right dumbass sometimes), and he was holding a controller and casually whacking Tenko's avatar to death. He was using Dabi's controller, the one with pastel-blue flames painted on the sides that was easy on the eyes and the customized handgrip that melded with Dabi's sensitive palms. He didn't look at all bothered with Julie's presence, casually tucking his long sand-blond hair behind his ear.
"Uh," Julie said eloquently, then did a mental tally of her kids again, "who's this?"
Tenko barely glanced over at Julie as he waited impatiently for some meat to cook in an oven he built, hiding out in a cave as he tried to up his hearts. "A friend," was all he offered, like it explained anything.
Julie blinked slowly, letting go of Eri's hand so she could wander over to the kid and scratch at Megumi's ears. He purred in gratitude.
"I was quite surprised myself," Atsuhiro said, poking his head out from the kitchen entryway. His mask and balaclava were missing, and Julie could see Hitoshi seated at the table across from him. Based on the pink bracelet around her wrist and the deck on the table, Atsu was teaching her card tricks. "I couldn't imagine little Tenko had any friends," he teased.
"Hey, shut up!" Tenko yelled, button mashing violently when the kid's avatar appeared out of nowhere and started hitting him with a diamond sword. "I have plenty of friends!" he said, just as his avatar died and the kid collected everything that was in his inventory. He slumped back into the cushions. "I no longer have any friends."
"My name's Kenta, if anyone was wondering," the kid said, looking smug as Tenko respawned and was immediately killed again with an arrow. "Me and Ten play video games online. I live close by so he invited me over."
Julie just kinda opened her mouth, then closed it and shrugged in a what can you do gesture. When it came to her kids, she learned a long time ago to just roll with the punches.
While introductions were made, Eri got up from the couch to head into the kitchen, accepting the juice box Atsuhiro handed her. Eri made a grabby motion with her hands, and he obediently picked her up and set her on his knee, smiling gently.
"And how was your first day of school, sweetheart?" he asked. Julie's heart melted a little as she saw the big smile on her daughter's face and the warm gleam in Atushiro's brown eyes.
"It was awesome!" Eri cheered, smile so wide her eyes squinted shut. "Ikoma-sensei was really nice and Fuyumi-senpai is really really pretty! She gave me this lollipop." She pulled out a bright red lollipop, looking so happy Julie just wanted to squish her little cheeks. Eri has started school later than everyone else since Julie wanted to make sure she had settled into the house and that she was comfortable with the idea of school, but from the way that she babbled on and on about her classmates, she had nothing to worry about. "Everyone was reeeeally nice when Ikoma-sensei intra- introduced me, and then we got to color!"
"Oh really?" Atsuhiro asked indulgently, grinning when Hitoshi shuffled the deck and started a different trick. "What did you and your classmates draw?"
"We drew our pets! I drew Jiji and Megumi and Mama!" Eri pulled out pieces of paper from her little pink backpack and eagerly showed them to Julie.
I will not cry, I will not cry…fuck, Julie thought, because honeslty, her kid drew a picture of her, how was she not supposed to get emotional?
The drawing was of her, with a big blob of blue lines for her hair, and a dark gray crayon used for her skin. It was about as good as a four year old could draw, but it was her four year old that drew it.
"Oh Eri…" Julie murmured, eyes tearing up, "it's wonderful." She took her from Atsuhiro's lap and held her close, wanting to never let go.
She gently took the drawings from Eri when she offered them up and used magnets to pin them to the fridge, hanging there alongside Dabi's accepted job application, several family photos, miscellaneous magnets, Tenko's first A, and a photo of her and Atsuhiro.
Setting Eri down, she let her guide her back into the living room and over to the couch. While they had been in the kitchen, Tenko and Kenta had joined a server, playing a game she didn't recognize. The two worked well together, it seemed, even if Kenta was obviously more skilled at the game. It would be nice if Tenko had made some friends outside of the Internet, but she knew he didn't get out much, and was honestly just glad that he was beginning to invite them over (even if he neglected to ask her first).
Before Julie could ask what they were up to, her phone began to ring, and she pulled it out to see Inko's contact on the screen. Grinning, she picked up.
"Inko? Hey, what's-" She paused. "What?"
—
It was…a lot to process. Himiko was stock-still next to him, All Might standing before him in all his American-esque glory, and Izuku was just. Processing.
"...I'm sorry," he said, after an uncomfortable amount of time had passed without him responding, "I'm gonna need you to repeat that."
All Might waved his hand dismissively, like it didn't matter that what he said was complete bullshit, like he didn't just turn Izuku's theories and knowledge of Quirks on its head.
"There will be plenty of time for explanations later, young Midoriya, but for now I need you to make a decision."
"Uh…" he said, because what else was he supposed to do? He spared a glance at Himiko, who looked just as lost as he felt. When he raised a questioning eyebrow, she just shrugged helplessly. What should we do? she mouthed.
I don't know, he mouthed back. He turned to All Might, who was looking expectant after his speech, like Izuku was stupid enough to accept a Quirk that was one of the world's Top Ten Unknowns without all the details.
"I think," he said, when the look was starting to grow impatient, "I need to consult with a third party," and grabbed Himiko, dragging her a few feet down the block so they could have some semblance of privacy (he could still feel All Might's shadowed eyes drilling holes into the back of his skull). Shifting from foot to foot, Izuku asked, "What the hell should I do?"
Himiko shrugged again. "What can you do?"
Izuku cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?" What kind of question was that? Of course he would take One For All, but he was gonna need some time to think. Until-
"Izuku," Himiko said, and her voice was so serious and flat he immediately stopped fidgeting, "you have to take it."
His shoulders slumped, hurt. "Well, I mean, yeah, but-"
Himiko shook her head like she was trying to dispel what his brain was trying conjuring up. "That's not what I meant. Think about it—All Might is the most influential Hero in the world; you can't exactly just walk away after he just revealed one of biggest secrets the world has ever not-known." She bit her lip in thought, fang peaking out and eyes downcast. "...the Commission—All Might may not work with them officially, but they handle most of his affairs. It's a safe bet they're in on whatever is going on here." Her eyes met his. "They're not just gonna let us go." Izuku paled at the implications.
She was right, and he knew it.
The Commission has been operating for decades, and with a secret as big as All Might's, there was no chance in hell that he wouldn't tell them what happened. They had a nasty habit of "disappearing" anyone that got in their way (those reporters that tried to expose Endeavor came to mind), and everyone knew it, so no one would blink twice if two random middle schoolers suddenly stopped showing up. He couldn't do that. Not to his mom, or his family.
He didn't really have a choice, did he.
Izuku looked to Himiko, and he saw his own understanding reflected in her eyes. Quietly, he asked, "...do you still-"
"Of course I do, Izu, how could I not?" She pulled him close, burying her head into his shoulder. "You'll make a great Hero, with or without a Quirk, you understand?" He nodded against her shoulder, sighing when he heard All Might clear his throat impatiently.
"We should probably get back to him," he mumbled.
"Probably," Himiko mumbled back, though she continued to hold onto him for another minute before letting go.
Sighing again, he let Himiko pull him along gently until they were standing before All Might, leaning back so they could look into his shadowed eyes.
"I-" he started, but All Might interrupted him.
"Of course, before I am to give you my Quirk, you must train. Your body…" he eyed Izuku skeptically, "...isn't suitable for One For All, and your arms would blow off your body."
"Fu- what?" Himiko yelled, then was shushed by them. "You want to give Izuku a Quirk that could hurt him? Are you insane?"
"Well-"
"Himiko, it's fine," Izuku interjected, though he shared the sentiment. Not only had All Might automatically assumed he would be taking his Quirk, but he also had not told him that it would be dangerous for him to wield. Something told him that All Might was still holding out on him. Eyeing him, he asked, "What kind of training did you have in mind?"
His smile widened into a grin. "I'll have to consult with some trainer friends of mine, so don't worry about it, young Midoriya! For now, I must be going. And remember, young Midoriya, young Himiko-" Even though his smile didn't lessen, Izuku could tell he was being serious, "-you must not tell anyone else of what you have learned today."
Even though Izuku still had questions, he figured All Might wouldn't have the time to answer them, and resigned himself to just trading numbers and setting off back home with Himiko.
"Well," she said, swinging their hands between them, "you know what they say: never meet your heroes."