Leinei checks her phone as she and Katsuki stand outside the restaurant Reina had texted them. Aizawa sat a few parking spots down, in a black car with some tests he had to finish grading. Katsuki grumbles under his breath, shifting his weight as he looks either way down and up the sidewalk.
"She said to meet her here now didn't she?" he asks, tugging at the collar of black button up he had chosen to wear to lunch. "Why the hell did she say now if she was just gonna be late?"
"Maybe she just caught up at work," Leinei suggests, shrugging as she puts her phone in the back pocket of her jeans and fixes his collar. "Stop messing with it. Ei was nice enough to iron it for you before we left."
"No one told him to," he grumbles, waving her hand away. "I'm surprised you left in a tank top. You haven't worn one of those since before the camp."
"Hmm? It was all I had clean," she replies, fixing the straps of her tank top and brushing her fingers against the faded handprint across her neck. "Someone forgot to grab my clothes when he and Izuku were doing our chores for the week."
"You didn't leave them outside!"
"Yes. Let me leave my underclothes outside my door where anyone could go through them. Do you forget who we have in our class?"
"...fine. When we get back, I'll wash your stupid clothes."
"I'm messing with you. I washed my clothes the first day of your house arrest," she laughs, much to his irritation. "It was just warm today so I thought a tank top would be best rather than a t-shirt. Is that not okay?"
"No-no, it's fine. I…you brat," he grumbles, nudging her as he catches a flash of Reina's familiar red hair. "Oh look who finally decided to show up."
"Sorry," the hero laughs, taking her hair down from the ponytail and running her fingers through it. "Spandex is not fun to get out of on a hot day, and I had to shower really fast, I didn't mean to be so late. Were you two waiting long?"
"Not really. Just a few minutes," Leinei lies, shrugging. Reina smiles weakly, looking her sister up and down, seeing the lean muscle she had put on, the difference in her face and the way she carried herself. "How has the agency been?"
"Oh, it's been good. Eia picked up Toda's position after a thorough vetting process," she assures, seeing the looks on the students' faces as they walk into the restaurant. "We redid all of our security measures, my office codes, we even implemented a finger and individual coding system. Each sidekick has been issued their own codes and anyone caught sharing is terminated immediately."
"Seems like you're taking it all pretty seriously," Katsuki murmurs as they get seated in a booth. He lets Leinei sit on the outside, in case she didn't want to stay any longer than she had to.
"Yeah we're trying to," Reina chuckles, water being brought out to the table before they placed their drink orders. "You guys can order whatever you want. My treat."
"...if you're trying to buy your way into fixing our relationship, it won't work," Leinei warns, glancing over the menu. "I'm not looking to get hurt again."
"No, I…I wanted to apologize for how I acted," the older sister says, tapping her fingers on the table as Katsuki glances up at her from the menu before looking at Leinei. "With the Gorlov situation. I shouldn't have forced you into a situation like that, regardless if it was the best thing or not. Which, I'm not saying it was. I'm a shit sister, and I'd understand if after today you didn't want to see me anymore. Please…just at least sit here and have lunch with me, okay?"
Leinei grips the hem of Katsuki's shirt under the table, digging her fingers into the fabric as she bites her lip. Reina sniffles and shakes her head, putting her smile back on.
"You two look really cute together! I bet all the other kids in your classes are jealous of you," she says, looking back at her menu. "Ooh, the food here looks really good. I love that they have different cuisines here."
"...do you mean it?"
Reina looks up again, seeing the menu shaking in Leinei's hand. The younger girl seemed to be on the verge of tears, her eyes watery as she looked at her sister. Katsuki lays his menu down, ready to comfort his girlfriend in case something happens. Or if he needed to hide a body. One of the two.
"All I've ever wanted was for you to be proud of me," Leinei says softly, her voice cracking. "I wanted you to sit there and tell me none of it was my fault, because it's not. Do you know how long it took me to come to terms with that? That it's not my fault our parents died because I was six. It's not my fault Touya died, because I wasn't there. Shiketsu wasn't my fault, because I never meant for any of that to happen. I never wanted to hurt anyone. I needed help, I needed someone to sit there and say hey I believe in you, I love you, and we're going to get through this. Keigo was the one to do that. Then Mr. Aizawa, and Katsu and everyone else at UA. But never you. You would say you were proud of me, but…it never felt that way."
"Lei," Katsuki murmurs, rubbing her arm as Reina sets her menu down. "Breathe, Short Stack."
"Katsu, I need to say this," she tells him, her voice shaking as she covers his hand with hers. "I didn't need a guardian, or someone trying to play Mom and Dad. I just needed my sister, who was supposed to protect me. Who was supposed to love me, even when I fucked up. Because I never stopped caring about you, but caring about you and being near you hurt me more than anything, because it seemed like everything was about you, when I needed help. Maybe that makes me blind and selfish, but.."
"No. You're right. I'm a terrible sister. I was thirteen when our parents died, and I was blind with my own grief. I blamed you and hated you for something you couldn't control, and by the time I tried to start being what I needed to be, the damage was already done. I said fucked up things, and did even worse things. I should never have put you in that bad of a situation, and I should have protected you. I should have been there when you needed help, because I almost lost you and I was so scared that I had."
"...do you really want to start fixing our relationship?" Leinei asks her, using the heel of her hand to wipe her eyes. "Because I don't..I don't want something to happen and then we hate each other until the day we die, or-or be like in those movies and tv shows where we just never talk except on holidays and birthdays."
"I really do," Reina laughs, shaking her head at the examples her sister laid out. "More than anything. You and Kei are all I have left in this world."
"Maybe we should get a pet then," Leinei laughs, teasing her as she leans against Katsuki, who gives a half smile. "Not a dog or something though."
"What, do you want a cat then?"
"I was thinking of a lizard actually. I think having a kind of lizard would be pretty cool."
"What, like a bearded dragon? We can go get one today, if you wanna. I'm sure there's a petstore nearby with one."
"Who's gonna take care of it?"
"That's a good point! Maybe we can get permission for it to stay with you at the dorms. I'm sure having a pet around is good for morale."
"Isn't that why we have Hounddog?" Katsuki asks, getting a laugh out of the sisters as he places a soft kiss on Leinei's head. "But I don't think that's a good idea with Lei starting at Fatgum's agency with Kirishima and whatever that upperclassman's name is."
"Speaking of work studies, are you going to be able to get your provisional license?"
"I have to take some remedial classes, but I should have one by December," he replies, shrugging. "The only bad part about this is I have to do them with that annoying Icy Hot."
"He's not that annoying," Leinei scolds him, pinching his side and making him jump. "And he's still my friend even if he's not yours."
"Yeah yeah. He just drives me up the wall like that damned Deku."
"I thought you two were getting along better?"
"Slowly. He still annoys me."
"Well baby steps are better than no steps."
Reina smiles as she watches them talk, resting her chin in her hand as they go back and forth. Watching Leinei smile and joke around with the ashen haired boy, the way her eyes light up. Her laugh is almost contagious, Reina giggling to herself at something she said.
The old Leinei never would have been able to say anything like that…When did she get so grown up on me?
She's only sixteen. She never should have gone through the things she did, especially not because of me. I'm going to be better.
Because…because I almost missed seeing her like this. I almost missed getting to see her smile and hearing her laugh, and watching her grow up.
Lei, out of the three of us, you're definitely the best. Never forget that.
"Reiiiii, leggooo!" Leinei whines, struggling against her sister's bear hug after she had walked the students down to Aizawa's car.
"No, you're too cute and sweet and I don't want you to grow up anymore, okay?" Reina says, rubbing her cheek on hers as Leinei laughs. "You're shooting up way too fast! Stay a kid!"
"I gotta go back to school!"
"Five more minutes! I dunno when I'll get to see you again! Come onnnn!"
"I'll call you later, I have to catch up on my homework!"
"You didn't finish it last night?"
"No, I have more! You think we just exercise all day? Have you seen Ectoplasm's algebra?"
"No I suppose I haven't," she laughs, pecking her sister's cheek before letting her go. She looks at Katsuki, who stiffens as she pokes a finger in his chest. "You take care of her. She's covered your ass too much. Pick up the slack."
"Reina!"
"I planned on it, Red," he scoffs, pushing her hand away. "I got her, don't worry. Nothing's going to happen to her with me around."
"Better not or I'll come for your hair. And trust me, unlike Jeanist, I can make it stay down."
His face goes pale, his eyes wide. She gives Leinei one last hug, saying bye as they get into the car. She waves as they drive off, waiting until they've turned the corner to wipe her eyes. Her phone starts ringing as she takes a breath, reaching into her pocket to pull it out. She groans seeing Keigo's name scrolling across the screen, shaking her head as she answers.
"Yes big brother?" she asks, rubbing her temple.
"You made up with Lei, huh?" he asks, the smile evident in his voice. "She just texted me telling me you two had lunch with Boom Boom Boy. How did it go?"
"Really good. We talked about a lot, and had a heart to heart. Her and Katsuki are actually really cute for each other. I've never seen her smile so much. Oh! Did you hear that she's starting at Fatgum's agency on Monday? I think it-"
"Yeah, I know. I'm the one that talked him into it honestly," he laughs. "But he was already thinking about taking her in to begin with, so it wasn't hard. Him and that Suneater kid can teach her a lot. I actually called you about something else."
"Hm? What's up?"