Hinako sat down across from Dr. Nabe slowly sinking into the couch as her eyes darted around the room. Dr. Nabe took a moment to look over Hinako. She could see a lot of Izuku in her mostly in her mannerisms and personality. She could only attribute the blonde hair to her mother. "It's ok Hinako I'm not going to bite I promise. I'm just here to listen and hopefully help you move forward." Dr. Nabe said before giving her the same speech she gave Izuku letting her know that nothing they said would be shared without her express permission not even with her father.
Hinako nodded at that believing that Dr. Nabe would keep her confidence. "Thanks that makes me feel a little better about this. I guess I'm nervous because I don't really know what to say or how this therapy thing works." She said leaning back against the couch. Dr. Nabe nodded.
"That's completely understandable Hinako. Let's just start with what's on your mind right now." She said as Hinako bit her lip. "It doesn't have to be anything big, just tell me what you feel right now in this moment." Hinako looked up her yellow eyes locking onto Dr. Nabe before she sighed.
"I'm nervous, confused, sad for my dad." She said as Dr. Nabe nodded.
"Good, good let's start there. Why are you sad for your dad? Your showing empathy for him which means you care about him." Dr. Nabe explained as Hinako scoffed.
"Of course I care about him he's my dad…though that wasn't always the case. I was a real bitch to him a while ago. I told him he didn't love me because he wouldn't let me see my mom. I was so stupid he was just trying to protect me and now he's here dealing with a bunch of shit from the past all because I was a stupid, selfish, bitch!" She hissed crossing her arms as tears built in her eyes.
Dr. Nabe pushed a box of tissues across to Hinako which the teen slowly took dabbing at her eyes. They really are alike she wears her heart on her sleeve too. Dr. Nabe thought. "Hinako I can assure you that your dad doesn't blame you and yes you were selfish, but it was for the right reason. You may not have gotten the result you wanted or intended, but the motives behind your demands were pure. You wanted to meet your mother, the person who brought you into this world that's a natural desire. I will say the methods you used were a bit extreme, but it was for an honest desire." Dr. Nabe explained as Hinako tossed the tissues away.
"Still I hurt my dad. He's always thinking about me and I just ignored his feelings. I want to make up for that, but now I have all these questions about myself and who I am. I mean my mother is a freaking serial killer. Whatever brand of crazy she has is in me too I've seen it and felt it. Am I going to turn out like her? Is my dad going to have to lock me up just for the safety of other people? I'm a monster just waiting to happen."
Hinako began spiraling into a mutter storm like her father as darker and darker fears began piling up threatening to drown her until a clear and crisp smack resounded around the room. Hinako jumped her manic mumbling coming to a screeching halt. She looked at the doctor who'd slapped her pen against the table. "I'm sorry if that startled you, but it was the only way to center you again. Now Hinako I understand you are worried about who your mother is affecting who you will become. That is unfortunate, but a rational conclusion." Dr. Nabe let her words settle in for a moment before speaking again.
"Our parents do have a large effect on how we choose to live our lives, though some of us choose not to admit that fact. My parents were both two of the most normal people you could meet, but that was only on the surface. My father fought daily against gambling addiction, and my mother had been abandoned by her parents living in a foster home after foster home. They did everything in their power to live as normal a life as possible sometimes going to drastic means to do so. This affected me in wanting to know what drove good people to do sometimes downright awful things." Dr. Nabe took a breath as she looked at Hinako.
"Your mother is a part of you, yes, but you get to decide how much that part will affect the person you are. After all your father is a part of you as well a much bigger part I would say. Your parents are just the foundation Hinako what you build on that foundation is up to you. All I'm here to do is make sure that foundation is stable so you can build whatever you want on it understand?" Hinako took a moment to go over everything she just heard and it made a lot of sense.
"I get to choose who I want to be." She said as Dr. Nabe nodded.
"Yes now, will you help to strengthen your foundation?" She asked as Hinako gave a smile.
"Alright, Doc let's do this." She said sitting forward. Dr. Nabe smiled as she got comfortable.
Izuku sat in the waiting room before hearing his phone go off. Deciding to get a breath of fresh air Izuku walked out onto the sidewalk before flying high into the air. "Hey Shoto how's it going?" He asked addressing the ice fire hero.
"It's going well, but I should be asking you that. How is the appointment going?" He asked as Izuku nodded.
"It's going well I think. I do feel better she's with Hinako right now. I hope this helps her." Izuku said worried for his daughter as Shoto stayed quiet. For anyone else that would be awkward, but Izuku and Shoto had been friends for years so he knew that whenever Shoto got quiet he wanted to say something, but wasn't sure how it would go over. "Shoto you can just say what you want. I won't get mad." He said as Shoto released a breath.
"If you say so, I was just going to say that you shouldn't worry about her so much. You're both dealing with a very difficult and painful situation. Make sure to think of your recovery as well." Izuku looked at the phone for a moment. You wouldn't know it by looking at him, but Shoto was a very caring person. He may not express it in the right way, but he cared deeply about those around him.
"Thanks, Shoto I'll keep that in mind. I should probably head back inside just in case Hinako needs me. Tell Yaoyorozu I said hi." He said as he began floating back down to the ground.
"I will goodbye," Shoto said before hanging up. Izuku touched down and walked back into the office. Seeing that Hinako wasn't present he sat down to wait again.
"So Hinako you said you always felt off around your dad tell me what you mean exactly." Dr. Nabe asked. Hinako rubbed her head for a moment before thinking back to when she first felt like she didn't belong or that her dad was ashamed of her.
"Well, I think I really felt it when my dad had his class reunion. Now that I think back on it I think he was just trying to keep people from making any connection between me and… Toga." Dr. Nabe stopped writing as she noticed the pause.
"Hinako not to get off track, but do you have a hard time not calling Himiko Toga your mother?" She asked which made Hinako clench her fist on her thigh. It's not a problem how you choose to see Toga is up to you, and whatever makes you comfortable is best." Dr. Nabe said as Hinako sighed.
"Whenever I think of her the word mother pops into my head automatically, and I stomp it down. I don't want to think of that monster as my mother, but at the same time, she is. I want as much distance between me and her as possible, but the instinct to call her mother is still there. For so long I thought my dad just didn't want me to see my mother because he was a jerk. I had this whole romanticized image in my head that I and my mother were just a couple of free spirits that dad couldn't control and that's why she was gone, but now I know better." She said with a sigh thinking of the psychotic look in Toga's eyes.
"I think I still have that desire in me though and I'm trying to fight against it. I don't know maybe I'm just being dramatic." She said slumping on the couch as Dr. Nabe took a few more notes.
"I know you may not want to hear this Hinako, but from what I've read of your mother and what I've learned about you from this session. I can see similarities." Immediately Hinako sat up her yellow eyes tinging with red.
"WHAT!? I am nothing like that, that MONSTER!" She shouted glaring at Dr. Nabe whose face remained placid.
"Hinako please calm down." Dr. Nabe said as Hinako realized what she was doing and took a deep breath and calmed down.
"Sorry." She said simply as Dr. Nabe nodded.
"It's fine, now as I was saying you and your mother are similar, but not in the ways you might think. From what I can see you have your mother's free spirit you march to the beat of your own drum yes, but not to an extreme degree as she did. You also have a talent for reading people. The reason I think you got under your father's skin so well is that you understood what would hurt him the most, but you also have your father's empathy. Having that great ability to read people and your father's compassion you can see and feel for others. That's something we could use more of in the world. As I said before Hinako you are not simply the sum of your parent's parts. You are your own unique person."
Hinako thought about what she heard and found herself smiling. "Thanks, Doc," Hinako said feeling better. Dr. Nabe nodded.
"You are very welcome now let's get back to the topic. You said you felt that your father was ashamed of you at his class reunion." Dr. Nabe recapped. Hinako nodded and sighed.
"Well, it started a few days before that. Dad had brought me to see grandma; she was really the only other person I got to spend time with aside from dad. I mean people would visit us like Uncle Toshi, but for the most part, it was just me and dad at home. He also didn't let me out much. It was school and home. Not to say I couldn't go outside, but he never let me leave the yard. He was really overprotective, but I always felt he was protecting everyone from me than the other way around."
Hinako thought back to some of the things her dad would say to her when she was out playing with the other kids. "Hinako be careful, Hinako don't hurt the other kids, Hinako you have to control your temper." Things like that it was never, "Hinako have fun, or Hinako do your best."
Hinako was around five years old as she wandered around the one-bedroom apartment. After her father moved out apparently her grandmother had downsized, though from what she sometimes heard her dad always offered to get her a bigger place. "Izuku do not spend your money getting me something I don't need this is more than enough for me and your father when he comes home on vacation."
Inko Midoriya was a plump, aged woman. Her deep green hair had lightened with age going to the color of ripe lime. She wore a loose deep blue sweater and a long black skirt as she set out tea for herself, Izuku and Hinako. "If you say so, mom," Izuku said sipping the tea.
"Besides if you want to spend money so bad you should spend it on your daughter. Us girls need a lot to keep ourselves pretty isn't that right Hinako." Inko said winking at her granddaughter. Hinako smiled happily with a nod. "After all you are taking her to your class reunion aren't you?" Inko asked as Izuku sighed.
"Mom I'm not even sure I'm going let alone taking Hinako. If I did go I was hoping she could stay here with you." Izuku clarified as Inko looked at her son sternly.
"Izuku why on earth wouldn't you want to take your daughter with you? She's an adorable thing and I'm sure all of your friends want to see how she's grown." Izuku was about to respond to his mother when Hinako placed her hand on her father's leg.
"I can't go, dad?" She asked her golden eyes large as dinner plates. Izuku sighed.
"Ok, Hinako I'll bring you." He said resignedly.
"It felt bad you know like he was looking for any excuse not to bring me with him," Hinako explained. "And then when we got to the reunion I wasn't allowed to leave his side like at all. I wasn't really upset about that, but what really made me feel like shit was when I met Eri." Hinako said remembering as she and her dad walked into the rented-out center for the reunion. She was dressed in a deep blue skirt and white shirt with black shoes as her father came in something akin to business casual. He wore a long-sleeved green button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to show his rugged forearms.
Izuku wore black slacks with green and white tennis shoes. "Alright, Hinako don't leave my eyesight ok. I want you close by, understand." Izuku explained as an excited Hinako nodded happily. This was the first time she was going to be able to meet so many new people.
"Ok, dad." She said as the two walked inside and saw all the other people inside. At her father's entrance, there were several shouts of greeting.
"Midoriya! Glad you could make it man!" Shouted Kirishima as the two exchanged a fist bump and bro hug. "How you been bro?" Kirishima asked before looking down at Hinako. "Oh, right you're a dad now. Didn't think you'd be the first one to have a kid. Hey, I'm Kirishima I'm a friend of your dad's" He said smiling at Hinako who walked over to the man with no fear and patted his leg.
"I'm Hinako Midoriya I'm four years old nice to meet you." She said with a grin as Kirishima smiled back.
"Nice to meet you, too little lady. Sweet kid, you got Midoriya." Kirishima replied as Izuku placed a hand on Hinako's shoulder pulling her back some.
"Yep, that's my daughter." He said as they followed after Kirishima to meet with the others. Hinako was at her dad's side as he mingled with his old friend though she did want to go and meet with the other kids around. As she contemplated doing that a feminine voice yelled out. "Deku!" Izuku turned around as a silver-haired teenager slammed into him. Izuku's face split into a smile as he hugged the girl.
"Eri it's so good to see you!" Izuku exclaimed as he petted her head laughing with joy. Eri was up to the bottom of Izuku's chest her silver hair was held back by a headband. She was dressed in jeans and a red t-shirt matching her red sneakers, reminding Hinako of her father's trademark shoes. The two chatted as easily as if they had just seen one another. Hinako looked at the two of them and felt her chest tighten as she continued to watch them.
"It was like Eri was his daughter. He was talking with her more easily than he ever talked to me. It hurt really bad. I wound up starting to cry and my dad picked me up before excusing the both of us. We left and didn't come back. I felt bad for ruining the party, but at the same time, I was glad that it was just us. I don't know I was all over the place. Seeing him talking with Eri like that just sucked." Hinako explained as best she could.
Dr. Nabe nodded. "I see that would be hurtful. Seeing your father interact with people more easily than you his own daughter. I'm sure your father didn't mean it that way, but that was how you took it which is what mattered at the moment. Thank you for sharing that with me Hinako. Now I think we should stop there for now, but I look forward to meeting again with you next week." Hinako cast her eye to a nearby clock and saw that she'd been in here for longer than it had felt to her.
"Yeah, better head out for today. I don't want my head to get too small." She joked as she stood up and headed for the door. Dr. Nabe smiled politely as the two exited the door seeing Izuku stand up as they did so. Hinako moved quickly to give her father a hug who eagerly returned it before looking at Dr. Nabe.
"Well, I would call that a successful session. I look forward to speaking with you two again next week." She said as Izuku moved to shake her hand.
"Yes, we'll be there thank you so much, Doctor," Izuku said as he looked at Hinako who nodded.
"Yeah, thanks Doc." She said as the two left. Izuku looked at Hinako.
"So did you still feel like shopping?" He asked as Hinako bounced her head from side to side before nodding.
"Yeah, we should still do that. We both need a change to our wardrobe." She said as Izuku knelt down only for Hinako to stamp her foot. "No call a cab or something I don't want to fly!" She said crossing her arms annoyed as Izuku tilted his head to the side before adopting a knowing grin.
"Hinako you're not afraid of heights…are you?" He asked as Hinako blushed.
"No, no I'm not I'm just saying we should take a cab or something." She groused as Izuku gave a quiet chuckle.
"Fine, fine I'll call a cab." He said pulling out his phone.
Dr. Nabe looked out her window at the now set sun and stretched hearing a few pops as she did so. "Time to head home." She said shutting down her computer before gathering her notes and files to lock them into her filing cabinet. Even after several appointments the Midoriya's were still on her mind. She knew she wasn't the first or only therapist to speak about a hero-villain pairing it happened more often than people might think, but this one was highly complicated.
As Dr. Nabe reached to turn the lamp off on her desk her cellphone rang. She took it out of her purse and looked at the caller's I.D. before answering. "I was wondering when you were going to call." There was silence on the phone before Shoto Todoroki responded.
"Am I that predictable?" He asked as Nabe shook her head.
"It's not about being predictable Shoto it's that you just care that much. It's a good thing, and I know what you want and without going into too much detail I think I can help your friend and his daughter." Shoto breathed a sigh of relief as he stood up in his office. Shoto cut an imposing figure much like his father, though where Endeavor had been built like a fighter Shoto was lean seeing as he focused on mid to long-range combat.
"I suppose I should thank you for recommending me to him." Dr. Nabe said as Shoto shrugged.
"You're good at what you do and I trust you," Shoto stated plainly as Dr. Nabe laughed.
"Thank you for the vote of confidence. I mean it Shoto. I'll take care of your friend don't worry." She said as Shoto nodded.
"If there's anything I can do to help I will. I owe Izuku a debt that I can probably never repay." He said as an idea popped into Dr. Nabe's head. It was dangerous and probably unprofessional, but she felt in her gut that this would help her to help her patients.
"Well since you offered. There's something I want to ask you." She said before taking a deep breath. "Do you think you can get me in to see Himiko Toga?" She asked.