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 Twelve

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"Hmm, hm hmm, hmm hm hmmm~ dream maker, you heartbreaker, wherever you're going..." Kagome lifted her pencil from her homework and checked over her work. Eyes darting from question to question before nodding in approval. "Dad!"

Shota stepped out from his office and maneuvered lithely through the cats crowding his feet on the floor. "Ah, it's time to feed them." Holding his hand out for her work, he looked over the answers and her equations.

"I'll take care of it!" Running into the kitchen, the cats quickly chased at her heels.

"You're just like your namesake,"

Laughing at her dad, Kagome called to Present Mic. The yellow and black tortoiseshell cat continued to rub up against her dad's pantlegs, completely disregarding that it was time to eat.

"You're good," he commented, walking into the kitchen after Kagome. He waved her schoolwork at the cat to get Present Mic's attention. "Go eat, troublemaker."

~Mrow~

"Sounds like he doesn't want to eat. He wants his favorite hero's attention." Kagome watched as the cat picked at her dad's pant leg with his claws.

"Ah, he's exactly like Hizashi."

"... dad?"

"Hm?"

Fidgeting, Kagome crouched down and placed a hand on Pearl. The pregnant cat would pop any day now. "Present Mic; I've seen him a few times... leaving our place around the time I get home from school." Kagome watched her dad carefully, observing the minute tell-tale signs he had that gave away how he was feeling. One particularly stood out. He looked away and brought a hand up to scratch the back of his head before letting it drop to his neck.

"So you've seen him..."

"Were you trying to hide him?" Now that was suspicious.

"Not really hide him..." he heaved a heavy sigh, and his hand dropped to his hip. "What would you say if I told you that Present Mic and I have been in an on-again-off-again..." Shota seemed to stop talking as he tried to come up with a word to describe his relationship with the Voice Hero. "...affair." He said slowly. Testing the word out before raising his eyes to meet his daughters.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why has it been an "on-again-off-again" affair? Why not something more..." Fidgeting, blushing, Kagome felt herself becoming frustrated. "permanent?"

"We weren't ready."

"... are you sure that's it?"

"I'm sure that I have a priority to my daughter, and Zash understands that."

Nodding, Kagome continued to pet Pearl before asking, "can I meet him? He comes around often enough, and I've only ever seen him leave... "

Shota had mixed feelings concerning his, well, for lack of better words, lover, actually getting to know his daughter. Did he trust him? Oh, gods, yes! But he also knew better than anyone that becoming attached to someone could sometimes hurt more than never getting to know them. He'd learned that back when he'd been a student at U.A. However, his daughter wasn't the type to ask for anything. In all of the time he'd gotten to know her, she'd only asked for a handful of things. He could count them on one hand:

1. Something to store music files.

2. Training with him. (He absolutely couldn't say no to this when she'd asked that this be her birthday present.)

3. Toshinori can join them for dinner...absolutely whenever he pleased.

4. Pearl (the Siamese would have stayed anyways once he saw her. She was such a loveable cat, he'd fallen almost immediately.)

5. ...meeting Hizashi.

Could he tell her no? Could he really deny her something as simple as meeting someone he truly liked? Ah, there it was. He did like Hizashi. He didn't want to hurt him or his daughter; why was he so scared that one wouldn't be able to get along well with the other. "I'll tell him you want to meet him."

"Really!?" Kagome stood and threw her arms around his waist.

Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he wondered when she'd gotten so tall. "You used to be much smaller; now you're already coming up to my shoulders." Feeling a bit depressed, he placed one of his hands atop her head. "Slow down, kid."

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There was a drowning silence in the Aizawa loft.

"...wait, wait, let me get this straight." Bringing a towel to wet hair, Hizashi let out an annoyed growl. "You want me to meet your daughter, who you told me you weren't ready for me to meet, and now all of a sudden, five years later, you say you want me to meet her?!"

"You sound mad,"

"Do I?" Draping the fluffy towel over Shota's head, Hizashi grumbled something Shota couldn't make out. "I'm not angry... confused, yes, but not angry." Grabbing a bottle of leave-in conditioner from the table next to them, he popped the cap and poured a good amount into his hands before setting it aside and rubbing his hands together. "Five years... and you kept her mostly in the dark about us, so why did you change your mind?"

"My loquacious daughter asked to meet you."

"Really? So... so you told her about us?" Hizashi seemed to be lost in a daze at that.

"She'll be home in an hour, so... don't go anywhere."

"I wouldn't dream of it." He pressed a kiss to the top of Shota's head. "Oh, did she say why she wanted to meet me?"

"...who knows?"

While the two waited for Kagome to get back, Shota had started prepping dinner. "Wanna make dessert?"

"Ooh! Yeah, I'll take care of the good part of dinner!"

"Excuse me? You are implying that dinner won't be good?"

"Dessert is always better."

One Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Pine Nut Gremolata and Key Lime Pie Mousse, Kagome was throwing the door open. Hair flew about her shoulders as she ran into the kitchen and threw her arms around her dad.

"WE'RE HAVING A SCHOOL DANCE!"

"..." Placing down the wooden spoon in his hand, he silently pried his daughter from his waist and looked at her. "A dance. Where you go with someone and... dance?"

Hizashi raised a brow from the kitchen table where he sat. Interlacing his hands, he set his chin atop them before watching the scene unfold.

"Yeah! They said voting for the theme will be open for the rest of the week. I put in my vote for Fairytale. Call me old-fashioned, but I want to wear a ballgown and be treated like a princess! Gosh, I'm so excited! Oh, oh, and they're asking around for chaperones. They had open spots for it if parents were interested, and if you go, we could have a dance too!"

By this point, Shota didn't know where to start. His daughter going to a school dance with anyone was unsettling. The thought of him participating as a chaperone was disturbing. His daughter dressed like a princess... well, that he could get behind, but the rest was not okay. Not able to form a coherent line of thought, he chose to change the subject. "Look who came to have dinner with us."

Turning around at the mention of their company, Kagome brightened even more than she already was. "Present Mic!"

"Little listener!"

She placed her bag over a chair at the table and sat down, "I've wanted to meet you for a while now, so I'm really happy you came!"

"Have you now?" Frowning as he turned an accusatory look to Shota.

"Don't get on dad; he didn't know until the other day. You'd barely spare me a glance whenever I saw you leaving the house. I realize that you're and dad's relationship isn't any of my business, and maybe it's selfish of me, or... well, it's selfish of me, but I wanted to know the person who my dad cherishes so much." Kagome ducked her head, "I hope I'm not being too pushy."

"You think I'm the one your dad cherishes?" Hizashi sounded confused.

It was that confusion that had Shota turning around to face the two.

"I know he does."

"Your proof?"

"Proof?"

"You must have proof, don't you? It's not like anything in this apartment points to him cherishing me."

It didn't take Shota long to realize that Hizashi wasn't serious. Releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he turned back to the food. He'd honestly been concerned that Hizashi thought he didn't care about him. What a horrible thought that was.

Kagome looked around the room, then smiled. Running into her bedroom, she came out two minutes later with a cat. "This is Present Mic,"

"Oh dear God!" Shota could have died. The shock on Hizashi's face was worth his own embarrassment, yet also, no.

"Dad's always saying that he's like his namesake! Especially when he cuddles."

"... Sho?"

"Dinners ready," Wondering which topic was more emotionally damaging, the school dance or the cat, Shota decidedly would never try changing the topic again.

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In a matter of one week, Kagome found that she really enjoyed spending time with Hizashi. The blonde had come over every day after her classes to spend time with Kagome, which included outings with just the two of them. Like, she was currently out at the Mall with the Voice Hero! When she was six, she never thought this would be her life.

"Kagome!" He called out to her from the circle rack where he stood, holding a few outfits. "Come try these on,"

He held a sweet Cross Wrap Bowknot Top in one hand, and a Butterfly Flower Pleated Skirt Outfit in a soft rose quartz color. It was cute, and she didn't have many girly outfits. Not that she didn't enjoy dressing up. She and her dad tend to dress more practical and comfortable than fashionable and dressy. She didn't waste a minute in grabbing the outfit. Running inside the dressing room, she changed and did a little spin in the mirror. "The skirt is spiny!"

"Come out, let me see!"

She blushed and peered out of the room before fulling stepping out. Hiding her hands behind her back, Kagome fiddled with her fingers as Hizashi checked the fit on her. Holding his hand out, he smiled at her. Taking his hand, she laughed giddily when he gave her a spin. "I like it!" She really was happy. Maybe this wasn't normal, but most of her life was just go-go-go, and that was how she liked it. Slowing down was for school and sleep. Life was here, and she wanted each moment to be all that it could be. Then there was one other thing that she'd noticed. Hizashi, in all of his energy and friendly coddling, was like a mother. He'd seen other kids out with their moms, and the interactions were similar. Nothing like the way she was with her dad. Not that she didn't love going out with her dad, she did, but... at some point, she felt like someone was missing. That's not fair to him, though. "Hizashi, am I being selfish?"

"Selfish?" He sounded surprised and looked even more thrown by the question. "I'm sorry, little listener, I'm not sure I follow." He took the bag of clothes he'd bought from the woman at the corner while another associate moved around the corner, removed the security sensor from the skirt and shirt, and then clipped off the price tags.

Smiling at the woman who finished removing the clear plastic tags from her shirt, she walked out with Hizashi, and the two started off to the fountain, where there were benches to sit and relax. "It's just... I love dad," swinging her hand back and forth subconsciously; she wasn't paying much attention to the fact that she was dragging his hand with hers. "I really do. So, I should be satisfied with it being just the two of us. We have cats too! So, I'm not alone. I'm never alone. Only, sometimes, it feels like something is missing. When dad goes on patrol, it's just me at home, and sometimes I'll stay awake for hours after he's left just waiting by the window."

Hizashi was stunned. Beyond his own experiences, he wasn't all that knowledgeable about a child's psychosis. He knew enough about mindfulness and being aware of a student or child's- in this case, mental and physical state, but recognizing the diagnostics was something different altogether. The problem lies in not being able to tell if there is, in fact, a problem. From what she was saying, her symptoms appeared at times when her father wasn't around to notice them. That really wasn't good. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recalled reading a study on the absence of a mother figure and the effects it could have on a child. Something like, children tended to grow up emotionally immature and detached, which he didn't see at the moment, but again, what did he know.

He dropped the bags down next to the bench and guided her to it, kneeling in front of her as he looked into her eyes. They were glazed over in uncertainty, "Oh, little listener..." Hizashi took her hands in his, "I don't think it's selfish to want a mother, or for that matter, wanting your dad to come home safe. It sounds like you're worried when he leaves at night."

Kagome gave a small nod, "I don't want to disappoint him, so I try my best to take care of the house while he's out. I do the dishes and sweep, make sure the cats are all good, and then go to bed...sometimes."

"Sometimes?" He took a seat next to her and leaned down on his elbows, resting them on his knees to hold his weight. "What do you do when you don't go straight to bed?"

"...I write."

"You write?!" He looked thoughtfully at the girl, "I write too. It's hard to keep all of your thoughts in your head, isn't it."

Kagome smiled, "it makes sleeping easier. I usually write poems and lyrics. What do you write?"

"I...write down entries in my journal, of my thoughts and dreams for the future. Sometimes I ramble as if I'm talking to a friend. I'll write down what I have difficulty telling people, telling myself. Sometimes, it's hard to admit to some of my thoughts, so putting them down on paper makes it easier to understand what's on my mind. You said you write poems and lyrics. Would it be okay if I read them one day?"

"Read my poems?" She suddenly looked sick, "y-you won't tell dad what I wrote, right?"

"No, of course not. You don't even have to let me read them if you don't want to. I was simply asking. Your journals are yours, and they are a private and safe place for you to record your thoughts, however creatively you choose to do. I just thought that having someone to talk to might help you too. Even then, you can talk to me anytime, Kagome. About whatever you want." Frowning, he added, "You know, your dad loves you. I don't think he'll be disappointed in you. So, if you find yourself up to it, you should also try sitting down with Sho and talking to him about how you feel. I promise you; I've known him since we were fourteen. He's not the type of guy that finds fault with a person's emotional turmoil. I wish I could be of more help; I feel a bit out of my depth here, but I will always listen."

That was enough for Kagome, who sat quietly thinking about one thing or another for a few minutes. "Hizashi?"

"Yes?"

"Can we go to the book shop?"

"You want to buy a journal?"

"A special one."

He nodded, "let's go find this special journal."

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Me: Here is chapter twelve of Imagine Me Without You.