When I wake, the dictionary (along with a list of twenty words to copy) is waiting for me on the table. I sigh and rub my neck, a strange conglomeration of emotions twisting in my stomach. Shame, embarrassment, and that never-ending anger.
What were you thinking?
I grimace.
I wasn't…
I will not abandon you.
I love you.
Was that just a dream?
I pull at my fingers as I go to collect breakfast but pause when the living room catches my eye. I blink slowly, furrowing my eyebrows as I take in the strange state of our home. Because in the living room, scattered around the space, are boxes. And not just one or two, but what looks like thirty of them, all of varying sizes and shades with some opened and others folded flat. They're not even stacked either, just haphazardly tossed to the side like someone couldn't be bothered to even do things neatly. It's like looking at a miniature cardboard city.
I abandon my search for food to curiously rummage through them.
They're all empty.
Why?
What are they for?
I scratch my head at the especially big one. I bet I could fit in it.
I kind of want to.
"Work first," I remind myself, turning away. I pour out a bowl of cereal, open the dictionary, and start writing. The lines are far easier than anything he's ever given me before, though no less annoying. I copy the words in thirty minutes and press the sheets into the dictionary before going to rinse out my bowl.
Then, with nothing else planned, I look curiously back at the boxes.
I wanna get in it…
Flipping one over, I start to rearrange them.
.
.
.
By the time Sensei emerges from his room, I've pulled out two sets of sheets and created the most amazing fort ever. I quickly crawl under it and giggle when I hear the bathroom door shut, and I have to concentrate to stop the light from spilling off my skin and wings or hands or something else equally ridiculous from sprouting out.
When the faucet shuts off and the door opens, I cover my mouth to muffle my noise to wait.
He snorts as he walks by.
"Rin, what are you doing?"
My skin flickers with light and Sensei appears a moment later at the entrance where I'd borrowed two of the kitchen chairs to keep the section open. His socked feet fill my vision before he squats down and cocks his head sideways, raising an eyebrow as I struggle to control my quirk. He looks amused.
"I made a fort!"
His lips twitch, and he glances around the inside.
I'd stacked the boxes to serve as walls and was currently in the process of trying to determine the best way to keep the sheet from sinking down in the middle.
"Can I come in?"
I blink, before feeling my face split into a grin.
"Yes!"
Sensei gets on his hands and knees and crawls in to join me. Being taller, his head bumps against the ceiling and I giggle as he sits up only to have the 'roof' press against his head and fall over his forehead.
"Do you like it?" I ask, clambering over to sit in his lap. "Look, it has a window!"
"It looks like a bunch of boxes with a sheet on it," he says flatly. I laugh, the sound bright and loud. When he blinks in surprise, I push my face into his chest shyly and try to ignore his chuckle. "Do you like it?"
"Yes," I squeal, not pulling away.
"Then it's great," he deadpans.
I can't help the bright glow that explodes across my skin. I giggle and his hand moves to rest against my back. I snuggle closer, closing my eyes and breathing deeply.
"Sensei?"
"Hmm?"
I fiddle for a moment with my question, but he waits, his hand warm against my back, as I try to find the words.
"How… How do you know if you love someone?"
He sighs and the sound seems to shift through my whole body. I lean sideways, my head tilting back to look up at him. He studiously doesn't meet my gaze.
"Sen-"
"I heard you," he huffs, sounding more grumpy than annoyed. I smile at the pout in his voice and lean back forward. "Do you want me to answer that or why I love you?"
My breath catches in my throat.
"It… it wasn't a dream?" I stammer, eyes wide.
"Rin, I'm sitting under a 'fort' with you in my lap. If my actions haven't been obvious up to this point, I'm not sure verbalizing them will make this any clearer. You are my daughter-"
"Ward," I correct automatically.
He grunts and pulls me close to his chest. My head turns, my ear pressing against the warmth of his shirt, and I can hear the steady thud of his heart.
"They're synonymous. Ward, child, daughter, it all means the same thing."
I… I gape, my mouth going dry.
"Th-They do?"
"To me? Yes. What do you think a ward is?" I can't help but blink. He glowers down at me before sighing. "Rin, you are my daughter. I'm not interested in replacing your parents or taking up some arbitrary title, but when I agreed to become your guardian, I agreed to raise you. So yes, I love you."
He pauses and sighs.
"I need coffee. Have you eaten yet?"
My head spins at the immediate topic change.
I love you…
"Y-Yes!"
"Good, you can start packing away your room. Fold your clothes and put them in the boxes and pack any breakables in between the layers. Most of the boxes will be between you and the kitchen. If it doesn't fit, leave it alone and I'll help you break it down later. Don't do anything with your bed, and when you finish come get me. Questions?"
"Uh…"
Sensei huffs.
"Do I need to write it down?"
"N-No," I pout.
"I'll bring you a list when I finish," he says wryly. I wrinkle my nose and he smirks before leaning down to kiss the top of my head. I flush crimson and try to ignore his low chuckle. "Do you need more affection, or can you get started?"
I scramble up immediately, forgetting about the sheet above us and accidentally crashing through the entire thing. The sheet flutters to my feet, the boxes tumble, and I flail in the mess.
Sensei snorts and stands as well, casually avoiding the mess as he grabs and drags his chair back to the table.
I stare at his back, wrapped in sheets.
I… I feel like I just got played.
Sensei's amusement doesn't make the feeling go away.
.
.
.
Boxing up my things is a strange process.
Mainly because I hadn't realized just how much stuff I had. I haven't had more than my bag under the bed since… since Daddy went to jail. And just the process of packing away my clothes reminds me uncomfortably of just how much Yamada-sensei has done for me.
I hate you. You're a fucking liar.
Rin, that wasn't my secret to tell. I understand you're hurt right now, but you're being unfair.
I feel awful.
And with only the mundane task of moving items from one place to another, I feel like I have nothing but time to dwell on it.
"You're such an idiot," I mumble, glancing towards the picture frames still hanging on the wall. My lip quivers as Yamada-sensei grins back with his tongue hanging out, throwing out a peace sign.
My shoulders sag.
What is wrong with you?
Why would you tell him that?
I finish filling the box and finger the blue dress on top, remembering the trip to the store, how to he took me to his work, the way he'd stood behind me and curled my hair. The way he'd hugged me. His kiss at the beach. And…
And I told him to go to hell.
I swipe at my face and sniffle, padding out into the hallway. I find Sensei cross-legged on the kitchen floor with newspapers spread around him, wrapping plates in paper, and setting them, one at a time, inside the boxes. He looks up as I appear.
"Rin?" he asks, eyebrows furrowing. "What's wrong?"
"I… I'm a bad person!" I manage, trying to stop the tears.
Sensei blinks, tilts his head, and pushes the boxes away before rising to his feet. He crosses the kitchen. In only a few, long strides, he carefully manages to avoid all of the items on the floor and stops arm's length away, leaning forward to eye level, his lips twisting into a frown.
"You're not a bad person. Is this about yesterday?"
I bite my lip and nod, and he sighs, straightening and running a hand through my hair.
"It's fine. You were upset-"
"B-B-But I told Y-Yamada-sensei to go to hell!"
Sensei snorts and I look up pouting.
"S-Sensei!" I complain, glaring with wet eyes.
"He's been told much worse, I promise. You can call and apologize. Your phone is on the kitchen table."
"B-But what if he hates me!"
"We are not doing this again," Sensei groans even as his tone becomes stern. "Hizashi doesn't hate you. The man stayed with you at the hospital for days. He keeps a picture of you on his fridge and is constantly asking about you. He would stop by here every day if he didn't work three jobs and I let him. He understands. Now go call him, you can invite him over if you want."
I blink.
"R-Really?"
Sensei gives me a sour look.
"Go call."
When I pout, he gives me an annoyed look.
"Rin…"
"I'm going," I huff, turning on my heel. I send him a dark look and pick the phone up off the table where I hadn't noticed it this morning. A few messages blink in the background from my classmates, but I ignore them. Instead, I hold it against my stomach as I shuffle into my room. Throwing myself on my bed, I stare at it uncomfortably.
Part of me wishes it had broken, if only because I wouldn't have to… so he wouldn't be able to… because…
My mind swirls with half-formed thoughts and I pull up his contact.
You know, apologizing through texts is bad form.
I press the phone button on the screen and squeeze close my eyes.
It rings twice before someone picks up the phone.
"Hello?"
It's such a boring, normal greeting I can't help but wince.
I swallow, cringing into the bed and try to find my voice.
"Rin-chan, you know you're supposed to talk when you use the phone right?" Yamada-sensei says when the pause lengthens considerably.
"I… Yes!" I squeak, before remembering my manners. "…Sir."
"Uh-huh, so it's sir now is it?" Sensei asks in a steady drawl. "You wanna talk about last night Glow Worm?"
I wince and curl into a smaller ball.
"I… I'm sorry," I whisper, sniffing softly.
"Are you? Well then, apology accepted. So, what are you up to this fine afternoon?"
I…
I stare.
That's it?
And when I don't answer, Sensei makes a weird noise on the other end.
"Rin-chan, you do know how these phone calls work, don't you? I thought you and Shinsou-kun talked! We're not supposed to have all these long pauses, yah dig? I ask what you're up to, you say, 'moving!' or 'packing!' and then you know, we keep going."
"I-I-I know that!"
"Then what are yah doin' kid? Paintin' your nails? C'mon, put a little zest in it, would yah? I feel like I'm talkin to a potato."
I flush and he laughs at his own joke on the other end, making me feel even more ridiculous.
"Can… Can you come over?" I ask instead.
"Whaaaaat?" he says in English. "I didn't see that one comin'. But sure, I guess. I got some free time for a few hours."
"I… Thank you?"
"We're gonna work on this," he says flatly. "These phone skills kid… ugh. Anyways, I'll be over in twenty. See yah then!"
He doesn't wait for me to reply and hangs up.
.
.
.
Yamada-sensei arrives loudly as I'm in the process of packing away the hall closet, so Sensei opens the door.
"Yo! Eraser! Lookin' stylish as usual."
"Shut up and come in."
I giggle from the closet at the sound of the door closing and quickly finish putting the items in the box as the scent of something delicious fills the air. By the time I get to the hall, Yamada-sensei is grinning widely at my guardian with his hair down and wearing his favorite maroon sweater. I attach myself to his middle as he talks.
"Oh, there you are you little gremlin!" Yamada-sensei huffs, twisting backward.
I squeak when he grabs me in his arms and makes a face.
"S-Sensei!"
"You look so much better," he laughs, hands sliding up my arms to squish my cheeks. His silliness diminishes as his smile turns fond and he pushes the loose hair back. "I was worried about you kid."
I blush, not really sure how to respond.
"I… I'm sorry…"
"Nah, don't apologize. I'm just glad you're in a better place. You hungry?"
I nod and he grins, pushing me towards the table.
"Alright, well let's eat! I brought takeout! Man, Eraser, this place is a mess!"
"You're too loud."
.
.
.
After lunch, my guardian sends me to my room to finish packing and Yamada-sensei wanders after me to help. Since he's so much taller, he helps me take down the curtains Aunt Nemuri and I bought and shows me how to layer the pictures in my box. When I try to do it with Aunt Nemuri's photo album though, he stops me.
"Leave that, Shouta wants to take a look at it."
I swallow, but ultimately shrug it off. When we finish, noticing the mostly empty state of my room, he crashes on my bed and pats the space beside himself.
I grin and crawl in after him, squirming until I can lay my head on his shoulder and wrap my arm around his stomach. He pats my back and chuckles, pushing his sunglasses back with his other hand.
"So how you feelin' about the move?" he asks curiously. "Are you excited to live in the dorms? Nervous? Scared?"
"I… I don't know," I mumble, feeling my face flush.
Sensei lifts an eyebrow.
"Whatcha mean you don't know?" he says, bumping his forehead against mine. I try to shrink away, but the arm I'm resting on catches and holds me tight. His green eyes sparkle as he smiles. "You not been thinkin' about it or you don't wanna talk about it?"
I…
"Nervous?" I whisper.
"See, that wasn't too hard, was it? But I get the nervousness. It's been a while since you lived with more than just ole Eraser here. It shouldn't be too bad though. Shouta mentioned he got permission for you to stay with him, so that'll be nice! Plus all your classmates will be there too!"
Mineta will not be returning. He has chosen to not become a Hero.
"Not all of them," I mumble.
Sensei's face falls and he grimaces.
"I heard about that," he admits, pulling away to rest his head on my pillow. The arm, however, doesn't loosen. "You know that wasn't your fault, right?"
"He… He got hurt trying to save me," I admit, arms tightening around the blonde man's stomach. I shove my head in his stomach. "It feels like it."
"I hear yah. That's just your guilt talkin' though. You got hurt trying to save me, was that my fault?"
What?
I pull away, eyebrows furrowing as I lean across his chest.
He blinks at my frown.
"I… That's not the same!"
"Isn't it?" Sensei asks, slipping both arms behind his head, mustache twitching. "You were nice and safe with the big, strong hero, and then you got in your head to go and be all heroic. The only difference I see is that you were the lucky one, which is ironic considering the whole lucky quirk in general. But that could just as easily have been you Rin. I heard that villain suffocating you. Why do you think I was so upset? It's amazing you haven't had more serious physical side effects with all the damage you've taken."
He looks pointedly at my exposed arms, at the cracked scars that run the length of them.
I look down and sniff.
"Hey, on the bright side, he's not dead, he's just hurt. Just because he isn't beside you in class doesn't mean you two can't still keep in touch and be friendly. You can always call him, though for real, you gotta do better with those phone calls. Yeah?"
"Stop," I whine, embarrassed as he makes a silly expression. I hide my face, trying not to smile, in his chest. "Sensei!"
"Alright, alright. What's got you all flustered anyways? You're usually not this subdued. You get into trouble or something?"
"N-No," I grumble, still not looking up.
He shifts and one arm moves from behind his head to run through my hair. After a long pause, he makes a weird noise.
"You suuuuure?"
"A-Aizawa-sensei said he loved me."
Whatever he was expecting, it clearly wasn't that.
Yamada-sensei chokes, and I peak up, over my arms to catch the stunned expression on his face. For some reason, it makes my chest ache.
"S-Sensei?"
"So he finally told yah, huh?" the blonde asks, even as he manages to get back control. His expression turns amused. "I was expectin' him to hold out for a while longer, to be honest. He's stubborn like that you know. But I'm glad he didn't. I imagine it's been a while since someone's told you that, huh?"
I flush.
"I… Mama and Dad-Daddy used to say it. But… But Sensei," I whisper.
"Hmm?" he asks, tilting his head sideways.
"Sensei… He said… He said that- that ward means daughter. That… That I'm his daughter."
I think that if Yamada-sensei had my quirk, he'd be blindingly bright. Even without it, his face lights up with excitement as he laughs.
"Man, you two have just been having heart-to-hearts all day, huh? No wonder he's hidin' out in the kitchen. You must've sucked all his affection juice dry. Hah!"
"I did not!" I squeak, smacking his chest.
"There's my glow worm!" he laughs, making a face. "Heh! Is that why you've been so quiet? You all worked up cause he put a name to what's been goin' on for months?"
"I… I don't know!"
"Mmmhhmmm, I think it is. You embarrassed that Eraser-sensei loves you? I mean, what'd you expect. You two have been living together for months. A man can only hold out against your charms for so long, kiddo. You got me in what, a week?"
I still as he laughs, and after a moment he manages to stifle it to a chuckle.
You got me in what, a week?
Something warm and tight squeezes in my chest.
"Sensei?" I ask, hesitantly.
He notices the mood change, and his own expression relaxes as he smiles fondly back.
"Yes, Rin-chan?"
"Do… Aizawa-sensei says we're—that we're a family. Are… You're family too though. Right?"
I don't know what I expected, but the tears in his eyes definitely aren't it.
"I-I'm sorry! I- We- You don't have to answer that! I'm-"
He cuts me off and both arms move to crush me against him. He doesn't let go either, rolling sideways with me and pushing his face in my hair.
"I… S-Sensei?"
"Yes, Rin-chan. We're family too."
I smile and bury my nose in his soft sweater and the comforting scent of cologne.
I like that.
.
.
.
Aizawa-sensei eventually comes to check on us.
He crosses his arms and snorts when he finds us giggling on the bed.
"What are you two doing?"
"Talking," Yamada-sensei sneers. "If you wanna know, you gotta join the cuddle club!"
The blonde holds out his arm and I flush when he makes a come-to motion.
"I don't care that much," says my dark-haired guardian.
"Now, don't be a sourpuss-"
He snorts and Yamada-sense laughs, sitting up, pulling me with him.
Aizawa-sensei rolls his eyes and I giggle at the petulant look on his face. He ignores us though, eyes scanning the room and taking in the empty walls and stacked boxes.
"Good work. We'll move everything tomorrow."
He moves, as if prepared to return to the kitchen, but as his eyes fall on the photo album he pauses.
I feel my shoulders stiffen at the strange expression on his face, especially when he takes a step towards it. Remembering our argument last night, I frown, and Yamada-sensei pulls me close. Aizawa-sensei, however, doesn't notice. He opens the book, and I know the exact moment he finds the picture. His face goes stiff, his lips curl down, and his hands clench before suddenly pulling away.
Behind me, I hear Yamada-sensei bury a sigh.
"Shouta-"
"Rin," My guardian interrupts. "Come here. I need you to answer some questions."
I don't want to.
But Yamada-sensei doesn't really give me much choice. He gently pushes me off the bed and stands to follow. His own expression turning much more serious. The blonde frowns as he pulls out his hairbow and fixes his hair in a quick move.
I reluctantly go to stand beside my guardian.
Daughter.
I love you.
"Sir?"
"You said Kurogiri looked like him, but how similarly? Did they appear the same age?" Sensei looks like he wants to ask more questions, but he stills himself and waits, hands slipping into his pocket and shoulders hunching forward.
He doesn't look my way, and I feel something uncomfortable creep through my chest.
"My closest friend is Hizashi," Sensei says tightly after a long moment. "Not only because I've known him the longest, but because at sixteen he was there with me when we buried our other best friend."
"Who is your best friend?"
I don't even have to think about it.
"Shinsou."
Shirakumo is dead.
He's not.
What if it were Shinsou?
I don't answer, dark emotions twisting in my chest. My mind swirls with thoughts, with emotions that make me uncomfortable. Just the thought of Shinsou being the one with his throat slashed… The idea of it being his picture on that funeral table. The idea that… that this is Sensei's Shinsou.
He still hasn't looked away.
It hurts so much to imagine, how much worse is it for him?
I reach forward and hug him, desperately squeezing his stomach as the tears begin to swim in my eyes.
I'm sorry.
He does look away then.
"Rin?" he asks, fingers automatically sliding through my hair. "What's-"
"I'm sorry!" I whimper, tears spilling over my cheeks. "I don't want you to be hurt!"
"Rin, I'm not-"
"He was your Shinsou!" I interrupt, rubbing my face against him even as my arms tighten. "It's not- I'm sorry-"
"Rin," Sensei sighs, sounding more exasperated this time, and behind me, I hear a soft cough. "I'm fine. It's been years, stop apologizing, none of this was your fault. And- Hizashi, I'm about to kick you, knock it off. Rin, I need answers to take to the police. This photo is 14 years old of a boy. Kurogiri is an adult male. I need to know how closely they resemble each other."
He still doesn't believe me.
I try not to react, hurt more than anything that he's wrong.
"He… He had eyes like that," I say, letting go and swiping at my face. "And a nose like that and a mouth like that."
"You know, we might need to work on phone calls and describing people," Yamada-sensei mumbles. "Kid, that was horrible. It's almost as bad as your description of ole bush boy! What about hair color, distinguishing marks? Was he missing any teeth?"
Teeth?
I give him a weird look.
He huffs and makes a weird one right back.
"He had shadow hair," I answer slowly, gesturing to my head. "His whole body was covered in the shadows. And… I-I don't know. I mean, he talked so he had to have teeth, maybe? He mostly just looked at me and then sent us all away."
Both men frown and share a glance.
"Do you think you could be mistaken?" Aizawa-sensei asks.
I scowl sharply.
"No! I know his face! I remember faces! I-I'm just… I'm not good at names!"
"Okay, hey, we believe you! It's okay!"
"He doesn't!" I snap, glaring up at the dark-haired man holding me.
"I wouldn't be asking you questions if I didn't believe you," Sensei says sourly with his eyes narrowed back down. "So I suggest you take some deep breaths. If you get worked up, you're going to timeout. Do you need a minute?"
"No," I retort angrily, wrinkling my nose.
He glowers and pushes my head into his shirt.
I huff and try to ignore the dangerous temptation to bite him.
"Is there anything else you can remember?" Yamada-sensei asks instead, catching both of our attention.
I consider it, eyes closed and still holding on.
There isn't.
I shake my head and try to ignore the quiet unease between the two men. When I look up, Aizawa-sensei's eyes leave my face again, clearly drawn back to the photo. I watch, perplexed, as he stares at it, eyes glazing over and lips sinking into a frown. He stares for what feels like an eternity, and in his arms, I can feel the tension running through his every muscle.
I'm fine.
He scowls, reaches out, and snaps the book close suddenly.
"Yamada, don't you have work?" Sensei says sharply, pulling away. "Rin, put that away and start taping up your boxes."
The blonde frowns.
"Shouta-"
"I'm fine," he grumps, waving him off. "The kitchen is packed and I'm going to start taking apart the furniture. Rin, when you finish you can join me."
Both Yamada-sensei and I both watch as Aizawa stuffs his hands in his pants and walks off.
.
.
.
Yamada-sensei does have to leave, though he doesn't look particularly enthusiastic about it. He gives me one of his best hugs before he does though, squatting down so I can lean heavily against his shoulders and kiss his cheek.
"Hey, Glow worm, can you do me a favor?"
I frown and pull back.
"Sir?"
"It's nothin' big, but if you can, could you try and give Shouta a little slack for a while?" he asks, fingers brushing across my cheeks. "I'm not sayin' try to hide your feelin's or anything, just… just maybe give the man a few more kisses or be a little extra silly with him?"
I pout as I stare into his bright green eyes.
"It's 'cause of Shirakumo, isn't it?" I ask softly.
Sensei smiles sadly.
"You weren't wrong that it's his Shinsou," the blonde admits quietly. "And he will be okay, but family looks out for each other. Yeah? They love each other unconditionally and they forgive each other."
I blink and lean back into Yamada-sensei's embrace, warm and safe and overwhelmed with the scent of cologne.
"Okay," I whisper back. Then, shyly I offer. "I… I love you too?"
"Hey, hold onto that," he says patting my back with a low chuckle. "Neither of us really wanna hear that unless you mean it, okay? It shouldn't be a question when you say it, it oughta be a fact. And neither of us are in any hurry, yah dig?"
I smile and squeeze my arms around his neck.
"Yes, sir."
"Alright, alright! I gotta go. You got homework though! Call me either tomorrow or the day after, we're gonna fix these phone skills, yah hear!"
I pull away and he presses a sweet kiss against my forehead, grinning as my entire face heats up. He slinks out of my room, wraps Aizawa-sensei in a loud hug filled with a lot of annoyed grumbling, and leaves whistling brightly.
I return to taping all my boxes shut and labeling the outside.
When I finish, I gather up the supplies and go to find Sensei. I find him in the middle of the living room with his hair pulled back, sitting cross-legged on the floor with the cat tower flipped sideways in his lap and a baggie full of screws beside him. It takes a moment to realize he's taking it apart.
From the way Miska watches him, I don't think she's figured it out yet either.
"Sensei? I'm finished."
The dark-haired man doesn't look up as he concentrates on whatever he's doing.
"Put the supplies on the stove. We're having leftovers for dinner if you're hungry."
I'm not.
I place the tape and marker on the stove and wander over though, leaning against Sensei's back to see him working out a very long screw.
"Do you need help?"
"You can hold the top still," he grunts.
I move to sit beside him and hold the top, a second later there's a small click and the weight falls fully in my arms.
"Put that in the cat box," he says even as he puts the screw in the bag. He shifts the tower down and starts on the next section.
I do as I'm told and return, taking hold of the end of the next piece and holding it steady as he starts twisting the screwdriver. We sit in a comfortable silence as he works, and I lean against my guardian's knee, content in the feeling.
Sensei tears apart two more sections before he speaks.
"Hizashi's right, you do look better."
I blink and look over at him, curious as he studiously ignores me.
"What do you mean?" I ask, watching his face. He looks like he does in class, eyes narrowed, lips naturally curled down, and the dark shadows of his eyes pronounced.
"It's only been a week, but today is the happiest I've seen you in a while."
I frown and furrow my eyebrows, not really sure how to respond to that.
I should be upset.
My brother… Kaito. And Mineta-kun… And… And so much has happened.
"Is… is that bad?" I ask quietly.
"No," he answers, still not looking up. "Emotions change from moment to moment. They aren't reliable or rational. But I'm thankful you had a good day."
Family looks out for each other.
I love you.
Daughter.
You all worked up cause he put a name to what's been goin' on for months?
"Sensei?"
"Hmm?" he mumbles, eyebrows furrowing right as the last piece of the cat tower clicks and drops. He sighs deeply, dropping the screwdriver and leaning back to stretch his hand. He glances my way, dark eyes steady. "What?"
"I… I like being in your family."
He blinks, clearly taken aback, and then smiles.
It's the one he never shows at school.
"Are you going to be all sweet now that Hizashi spent the last two hours filling your hug quota?" he teases, handing me the base of the cat tower.
I flush and snatch the base.
"N-No!"
He chuckles and zips the plastic bag full of screws closed. When he finishes, he pulls out a pen and writes 'Cat Tree' in large letters. I pout, put the base in with the rest of the pieces, and then return. Instead of sitting beside him though, I wrap my arms around his neck, leaning across his shoulder so he sags towards me.
I love you.
Daughter.
I kiss his cheek and smile as it turns pink.
"You're blushing Sensei."
"I like having you here too Rin."
His smile turns teasing when my own face turns a bright red.
A/N: Quick update! Life is about to get kinda hectic. School, a second job, my birthday (tomorrow yay!). So, honestly, the chapters are either going to be getting much shorter or it might take me longer to update. But this story means a lot to me, so it will get updated! Promise! :)