Notes: I wrote this technically for Shouchako Christmas Week! The prompt was "Family" and it was too good of an opportunity to miss out on. After all, there is one more parent that needs to be met...

Graduating from UA still didn't feel entirely real. Shouto kept thinking he was on spring break and would go back to school the following week. Except he didn't and he didn't the week after that. The fact that they had managed to graduate without any major fanfare, disaster, or villain attack was a feat in itself. Almost nothing could happen without something going wrong. He was positive nearly everyone had been on their toes the entire ceremony, just waiting for something bad to happen.

It didn't and the day passed smoothly.

The only awkward moment had come when Ochako's parents met his family for the first time. It hadn't occurred to Shouto that it would happen until he saw it about to happen. That had been close to a disaster in his eyes, even if it had ended up not being that big of a deal.

Somehow, Fuyumi had managed to wrangle both Natsuo and their father into sitting as a family, although she made sure to sit in between them. The awkward energy between the two of them had been palpable, but, in true Fuyumi fashion, she had pointedly ignored it and forced them to power through the entire ceremony together. It worked against him sometimes, but Shouto liked that she was more confident these days and was able to stand up to their father more.

After the ceremony was finished and parents rushed off to take pictures of their children, Shouto had sought out Ochako first. He knew her parents would want to see him at least briefly before he met up with his family. Instead the two of them witnessed her parents approaching his father and siblings and Shouto's heart had shot directly into his throat. The firm handshake and direct eye contact between the two fathers had nearly made Shouto ask Ochako to use her quirk on him and float him into the sun.

Well, he definitely knew where Ochako got her boldness from.

There was something about the way the men sized each other up that threw him off. One) he wasn't used to anyone being so direct with his father, who was still the number one hero, two) the height and muscle difference was absurd, and three) Ochako's father looked like he was in some sort of competition. It was just like Ochako when she had spoken to his father for the first time after he'd overheard her insulting him.

It hadn't been as bad as Shouto had expected. Ochako's parents were polite and friendly as ever. Fuyumi had been eager to meet them and, of course, ended up inviting out to dinner with them since the ceremony was over. He caught the look between them only because he was used to Ochako subconsciously making the same one, but before they could agree or decline, his father told Fuyumi to use his card since he regrettably had to return to his agency and did not want to come off as rude.

(Best graduation present ever.)

All in all, it had ended up being a great day. There had been only one thing missing from the day spent with both families: his mother.

Of course it had been a sore point that his mother couldn't be there for him. There had actually been talk with her doctors that she would be released soon. Shouto had been pushing for it, to be honest, going out of his way to talk with them and her about it. His father had taken himself out of the equation. Before, the doctors had deferred to him, but he no longer had any part in making the decision. Shouto thought perhaps she was more hesitant than anyone, if only because she had been there for so long and so much had changed since then.

Plus, there was the matter of where she would live. It wasn't like she wanted to move back in with her estranged husband, even if he was no longer the man he used to be when she went in.

That was why Shouto had worked so hard to find the perfect place to live. After deciding on what agency he would start out at, he had gone apartment hunting. It would be the first time he lived on his own, but, if he had his way, it wouldn't be for long. A few of his friends had thought it strange that he would search for a two bedroom place, seeing as how he wasn't the "guest bedroom" type and it wasn't like they believed Ochako would sleep in a separate room if she stayed the night, but no one questioned him.

He'd moved in a week ago. To be fair, he didn't have a lot of things. With Ochako's quirk and help from Iida and Midoriya as well, it hadn't taken long at all to move everything and unpack. After everything was done, they had ordered takeout to "break the place in". Shouto had kind of wanted Ochako to stay the night, but she had a very early day at the agency she'd chosen and something of a trip since she was living with her parents until she found her own place.

Some people had thought they might move in with each other, but it hadn't even been discussed. In all fairness, while they had known each other for three years, they had only been dating for around half a year and thought such a move was too soon. Plus, Shouto needed his own space for now. It had nothing to do with Ochako and everything to do with himself. He'd either lived under his father's controlling thumb or the pressures and absurdity of the UA dorms. Ochako herself had been excited for him to find his own place and had eagerly helped him, giving him tips since she'd briefly done it herself.

However, living nearly an hour away from each other was a lot more difficult than he'd anticipated, but they had both agreed not to let their relationship dictate their job choices. Besides, it was just an hour trip. If he got a car, it might even be quicker. He had to remain positive. Being with Ochako and friends with Midoriya and Iida taught him that.

With his living situation settled and his job secure, Shouto had thought this would be the best time for the next stage in his relationship with Ochako to happen. It was a very important one and it made him nervous almost as much as her. He wanted to tell his mother about the apartment and see what she thought about possibly leaving the hospital to move in with him - and he wanted her to meet Ochako.

When he had asked Ochako about it, she had been very excited, but now that they were walking down the hallway of the hospital, he saw the nervousness in her. It was probably what he'd looked like on the train to meet her parents for the first time. She hadn't been like this with his father, although that had been a strange and unplanned situation. She'd known about this for a few days and the nerves had built up inside of her since then. She was fiddling with her fingers, wringing them in front of her as she stared straight ahead with a deer in headlights look.

It was kind of cute, if he was being honest.

His mother had been touched when he had asked if he could bring her with him to visit. Of course she knew about Ochako. He had told her about her before they had even begun to date. It had been his mother teasing, "She seems very important to you," that he'd realized Ochako meant more to him than he had realized. All this time, he couldn't figure out what he was struggling with, only to realize he was fighting his feelings for his best friend's ex-girlfriend and one of his ex-girlfriend's closest friends.

"Hey, relax," Shouto told her.

Ochako let out a shaky breath. "I'm trying."

"Really?" Shouto gave her an appraising look. "I couldn't tell. It looked the opposite to me."

"This is your mom!" Ochako exclaimed in a whisper. "It's a huge deal."

"She's nervous to meet you too," Shouto pointed out.

"I know," Ochako sighed. "I guess that helps a little."

It was true that she'd been touched, but she had also been embarrassed over the fact that the first time she met someone so important in Shouto's life it was in a hospital. That didn't matter to Ochako one bit. He had talked with her about the situation when they had just been friends, back when he'd been with Momo actually. The protectiveness Ochako felt towards him with his father did not extend to his mother, who he had stressed was not defined by what had happened.

"What if she doesn't like me?" Ochako asked.

Shouto fought the urge to roll his eyes. "She'll like you. Fuyumi adores you and Natsuo still says you're his number one hero after what happened with our father." He also had been making some not-so-subtle jokes about marriage recently. If he made one of them around Ochako, Shouto might just have to shove him on his face. "I've already told her a lot about you, so consider this just a formality."

"Did you tell her how cute I am?" Ochako teased, grinning up at him.

"Of course I did," Shouto replied with a straight face. "I even showed her pictures on my phone."

Ochako blew a raspberry. "Stop it."

"And she, in turn, had me show the nurses so everyone here could know what a beautiful, sweet girl I'm dating," he continued in a serious tone, absolutely relentless. She burst into giggles. He wasn't joking about it - and she knew that - but he know how much she enjoyed his sense of humor. Making her laugh had caught him off guard at first, but after knowing her for so long, it was much easier to joke around with her. She liked to keep up charades as a joke and he never minded indulging her.

"You're so cheesy," Ochako giggled.

"The worst," Shouto confirmed as he stopped in front of his mother's room.

The laughter faded from Ochako as she stared the door down. It wasn't any different from the other doors, but he would've been able to make his way here blindfolded. He remembered how anxious and hesitant he felt that first day he'd come to visit after the Sports Festival. Ochako's face kind of reminded him of that now.

"Are you sure you want me to meet her?" Ochako asked in a weird voice.

Shouto gave her a look. She wasn't just scared about meeting his mother; she was scared about not meeting his expectations too. It was strange to find someone as nervous about such things as him. She was always so positive about others. He didn't know why it couldn't extend to herself. "Why wouldn't I want my mother to meet the girl I love?"

Ochako blinked up at him and gave him grateful look. She was so weird sometimes. He loved it. Even though they were in public and he knew one of the nurse's was watching them while pretending to look at a chart, the look on her face compelled him to lean down and kiss her gently on the lips. It was a brief kiss, but long enough for him to feel her lips twist up into a smile.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said when they broke apart.

Nodding his head, Shouto knocked on the door to announce their arrival and opened the door to peer inside after he heard his mother call out. "Mom?"

"Shouto!" His mother beamed at him from her desk where she was writing. She'd taken to writing a lot since being in the hospital. He knew every son might say it about their mother, but he truly did think she was talented. "You're here early."

"Someone was anxious," Shouto said before pushing the door open fully to reveal Ochako next to him.

Without even stepping inside, Ochako immediately bowed and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs… ah…" Her face turned beet red as she struggled to figure out what to say, suddenly terrified that she might upset his mother in some way. It was just like when he had first met her parents.

Luckily, his mother laughed lightly. "It's okay. You can call me Rei or whatever makes you feel most comfortable. It won't offend me either way."

Ochako stood upright, an embarrassed look still on her face. "Of course. Um, you can call me Ochako? Or Uraraka! It doesn't matter." Shouto gently prodded her into the room. For a second, it had looked like she might bolt or accidentally activate her quirk on herself. Just in case, he kept a hand at her elbow. "I think it took Shouto about three months of us dating before he managed to use my first name and I thought he might pass out."

"I had just been punched in the face by Bakugou in class," Shouto mumbled in embarrassment. Of course that was why he'd struggled with using her name for the first time. It had nothing to do with the fact that it was an intimate detail or that he'd been daydreaming about it or he had just watched her absolutely demolish Bakugou a minute later and therefore win their team's match. Just thinking about it made him want to kiss her again, but he was in a room with his mother, so he definitely was not about to do that.

His mother began to put up her things from her desk. "Let me just get my stuff…"

"Shouto told me you write?" Ochako prompted.

"Oh." His mother laughed, her cheeks flushed a little. "It's not that big of a deal. Just something to pass the time." She waved a delicate hand in the air. "There's admittedly very little to do here."

"Don't listen to her," Shouto said as he stepped up to help her, putting her books back on her shelf. "She's written some really beautiful stuff."

His mother gave him a fond, if not a little embarrassed look before she walked to the small kitchenette area. "Do you want some tea? I've got some being made."

"Sure, I'd love some," Ochako replied. The kitchenette wasn't big enough or made to cook meals, but she could fix some tea. It was partly so occupants in her condition could continue to take care of themselves. She was no longer dependent on people, not like she'd been in those first few weeks here. He knew she was self-conscious about not being able to cook them an actual meal, but he had assured her it was fine. He could tell her a hundred times; it wouldn't make her feel one hundred percent about it.

Even though she wouldn't want to admit it, he also knew it was partly why she had never brought up meeting Momo. The Yaoyorozu family was well-known and affluent. Momo wouldn't have judged her in the slightest, but it had made his mother too uncomfortable. Did the fact that Ochako came from a more middle class family make things easier? He didn't say it and neither did she. He didn't think it made her look bad, but he knew that both his mother and Ochako would be embarrassed if it was brought up.

"She's a tea fiend," Shouto pointed out, referencing her dad's comment about her. She nudged him in the side, but he only gave her a soft smile and sat down in one of the extra chairs.

"When he was really little," his mother said as she started to pull out a few cups from the one cabinet, "he would hide and wait until I set my tea down. As soon as I looked away, he would dart over to drink it and hide before I returned."

She hesitated for a moment, the tea kettle stilling in her hand. He spotted the issue right away. The fond memory of him stealing her tea wasn't the only thing that came to mind in this moment.

"I did the same thing," Ochako said, jumping to the rescue. She had undoubtedly noticed the awkward pause and his mother's moment where she'd drifted for a few seconds, but she pretended like it never happened. "My parents had to start hiding it from me. They had to get creative since I could float myself to the top cabinets and fridge."

His mother took a breath, grateful the moment had passed, and poured the tea. "Congratulations on graduating, by the way." She poured their tea. "Your parents must be so proud."

"Over the moon," Ochako replied happily, "and a bit relieved too. I'm back living at home until I find a place close enough to work to not cost an arm and a leg in transportation." She took the cup his mother handed her. "Thanks. I had to move out on my own when I started at UA. They weren't prepared to be empty nesters yet, I guess."

His mother gave her a surprised look. "You were living on your own at fifteen?"

"Really learned to stretch that budget," Ochako said with a chuckle. That was an understatement. She had admitted to going meals without eating, having to choose whether to eat lunch or dinner when things got really tight. It was something he'd never had to worry about. As the number two hero Shouto's entire life, his father had made a lot of money. He didn't want to say that this facility was nice and cost a lot, but…

It was an unpleasant thought. He didn't want to think about it right now, not when he was supposed to be happy. Ochako could pinpoint every moment when he got lost in his head. She said a certain blank look came over his face and in his eyes. To be honest, Iida had learned to spot it first. It was both nice and sometimes frustrating to have people in his life that could read him so well.

"I kind of liked living with everyone in the dorms," Ochako said thoughtfully.

"Hm." His mother smiled at her. "A bunch of teenagers living under one roof? I'm sure you all got into plenty of trouble."

Both Ochako and Shouto blushed, although he didn't think his mother was implying anything. Still, the faint smile on her face was too knowing and sneaky. When they started dating, they hadn't done anything (too) inappropriate. While he more than enjoyed that side of their relationship, there wasn't enough privacy for one thing. Everyone was in everyone's business no matter what. That was why it had been such a struggle when he'd first realized he had feelings for her. It felt like it wasn't long before some of his classmates knew too. It had stressed him out.

"It was definitely an...experience," Shouto finally said. It was the truth. Growing up, once his quirk had manifested, he hadn't been allowed to hang around his siblings. Training took up too much of his time and his father thought that they would only be a distraction since their quirks weren't what he was looking for in a successor. He'd gone from being almost entirely alone to being surrounded by nineteen other kids his age. It had been overwhelming at first, but he had adjusted quickly.

"It was fun," Ochako said, "but I'm sure Shouto is excited to have his own place."

"I...do wish it wasn't so far out," Shouto admitted. He wanted to hold her hand. Judging from the way his mother's eyes flickered between the two of them, he felt like she could tell. She wouldn't have said anything, but he was still weird about public displays of affection in front of any authority figure.

Ochako set her cup of tea down. "It's a really nice place: great view, nice kitchen area, open concept, good location, and both bedrooms are spacious."

She gave Shouto a pointed look, which he caught onto immediately and made him swallow. Yes, the main point of this trip was so that his mother could meet Ochako, but the other part was so that he could ask her about the apartment. If left to his own devices, he would procrastinate and she knew it. He didn't know why he was nervous about that aspect of the trip. Maybe he was afraid his mother would say no.

It wouldn't exactly be rejection, but it would certainly feel like it and it had been a long time since he'd felt that come from his mother. A very, very long time.

"Actually," Shouto began slowly, "I was wondering…" He had to set his tea down. For some reason, his hands were starting to shake and he didn't want to rattle the glass or spill anything, except now he didn't have anything to occupy them and the tremble was still noticeable to him. (He wanted to hold Ochako's hand so bad.) His mother was watching him, a patient look on her face. "I was wondering if you wanted to come see it." He did his best not to fiddle with his hands, folding them together and and leaning forward to rest his forearms on his legs. "Your doctor said it would be good for you to get out some before…"

Maybe he was being too presumptuous. What if she didn't want to leave? What if she was scared? There was a lot about her life here and the circumstances surrounding it that he didn't understand. Had he only been thinking of himself when he had come up with the idea that she could move out of here? That he could give her a life outside of this institution? It wasn't his fault that she was in here, but he still wanted to, well, save her.

Was that selfish of him?

"You want me to come see your place?" his mother asked carefully.

"Yes," Shouto said, trying to sound firmer. "Ochako helped me pick it out and it's really nice, but it's… It won't be complete until you see it. It won't feel like home."

His mother considered his words, looking down at the cup of tea resting on her knee. He knew it was a lot for her to take in and think about, especially since he had kind of sprung it on her. He knew he should've talked with her about leaving the hospital before asking her this, but he'd gotten antsy. She'd been in here for far too long as it was. An entire decade had passed by. Ten whole years of her life, the world had gone on without her. He was graduated from high school. He was a pro hero.

But he wouldn't truly feel like one either until she was out of this place.

"I know it's sudden," Shouto said nervously, "but you don't have to answer me right away."

His mother looked out the window, a distant look in her eyes, like she was looking at something far away in her memory. Shouto couldn't take it anymore. He dropped one of his hands in between his and Ochako's chairs and she reached out to take it. They were at an angle where his mother couldn't see their hands clasped together, but she would be able to tell if she looked over at them. Maybe this was a conversation he should've had with only her, but a part of him had needed that boost from Ochako's presence to ask her in the first place.

"You really want me to visit?" his mother finally asked in a quiet voice.

"Yes, I do," Shouto replied.

His mother glanced at him. "Would it just be me and you or…?"

"It can be anyone you want," Shouto told her quickly. "We can invite Fuyumi and Natsuo to come. They would love to see you - and they haven't seen the place either."

"What about Uraraka?" his mother asked.

"I can come if you want," Ochako jumped in. "I'm not that great of a cook, so we might have to rely on take out or we can go out to eat. There are some really good restaurants in his area. We can go anywhere you want."

The gears were turning in his mother's head as she chewed her bottom lip. It kind of reminded him of Ochako when she was lost in nervous thought. His mother didn't do it very often, but then again, she'd never been in this position before. Maybe her doctor had hinted at her taking a trip outside the facility, but they never asked her or told her outright. She'd never had to consider it before. It was strange to think, but living in here made some things easier for her too. There was a lot she didn't have to think about.

He wanted her to be a bigger part of his life. He wanted her to have her own life - to live. It was important. How long had it been since she could make her own choices? This was the first one of many if she wanted. She could still say no. She could say she wasn't ready. He wouldn't begrudge her for it. Yes, he would feel disappointed and even a little rejected, but it was still her choice. Besides small things here and there - like what kind of tea she wanted to drink or what music she wanted to listen to or what she wanted to write - she didn't have a lot.

They could go anywhere she wanted, even if it was just eating in at his apartment. How long had it been since she'd been able to make a simple choice like where she wanted to eat?

Even though he had been on the outside, Shouto had felt the same way for the longest time: boxed in by someone else's decisions, his life planned out for him. Even when he rebelled, it was to get back at his father. It had never been about himself. He got better, but it had taken him time to fully grasp the concept that his life was his own. It had taken some time for his father to understand that too. It was his power, his life, his future, his decisions.

That was partly why neither he nor Ochako had considered moving in together right off the bat. He needed that time on his own and she knew that. It didn't mean he loved her any less. If anything, it made him love her more. She knew when he needed space, but she also knew he still needed and wanted her. Even though she must have known how much he'd wanted to hold her hand, she had waited for him to reach out to her first and she hadn't hesitated for a second to reciprocate that desire.

His mother looked at them, a soft and hopeful expression on her face. "I'd… I'd love to see your new home. I want to see the life you're building out there."

A warm, pleased feeling burned into Shouto's chest and he allowed a smile to cross his face. It might've been small, but it was extraordinarily happy and relieved. He had been scared that she wouldn't want to take him up on the offer. He knew he had to go slow. First, she could take this one trip out of the hospital and then, if it went well and she was comfortable, a few more to other places.

"And I think you should join us, Uraraka," his mother added. "You're clearly an important part of Shouto's life and I want to get to know everything."

"Oh, I know," Ochako said excitedly. "I can bring dessert!"

Shouto shook his head. "She has an incorrigible sweet tooth."

Ochako squeezed his hand. "One that you enable all the time."

"Good." His mother laughed lightly. "He should spoil you here and there."

"He's really sweet," Ochako said, looking up at him. His cheeks burned pink. She looked back to his mom and gave her a big grin. "I should tell you about our first date. He was so cute."

Shouto let go of her hand so he could groan and hide his face. "Can you not? It's humiliating."

"It was adorable!" Ochako insisted. "I'd never seen him so nervous before. I was used to him being so smooth."

His mother's grey eyes glittered like icicles. "Oh, yes, do tell. I'm fairly certain he left a few details out."

He had indeed left a few things out because he'd been embarrassed enough, but she had wanted to know how it had gone and, in truth, he'd been excited to tell her about it. Maybe it hadn't been the perfect first date, but it had solidified his feelings for her and made him feel less shameful as well for falling for his best friend's ex.

Ochako winked at him before launching into excruciating and hilarious detail about their first date. Shouto sat back in his seat, face red, and simply listened as the two women talked. He'd done this with Fuyumi and Natsuo a few times, but there was something truly wonderful about watching his mother speak freely and happily with his girlfriend, who was equally happy. Any of the nerves the two women had felt about meeting each other slowly melted away with each laugh, smile, and fond look thrown in his direction.

That warm feeling, while it used to be fleeting, didn't leave his chest. Maybe he had been a little nervous about his mother meeting Ochako too, but not because he had been afraid she wouldn't like her. He knew she would. How could she not? He just… This must have been what Fuyumi felt. He wanted to be a family. He wanted them to be whole and together. He wanted everyone to be involved instead of separated like they'd been during their entire childhood.

And now they were and it felt damn good.

Growing up, after his quirk manifested, he hadn't known he could be this happy. He'd always assumed it would just be hero work and that was it. There would be nothing else for him. There would be room for nothing else in his life. All that would matter was becoming the number one hero, defeating All Might or whoever else was in his place. It was what he'd been raised to do - what he had been brought into this world to do.

He hadn't known that he could just live his life and be happy. His time at UA taught him that. His friends eased him into it. Even his enemies and rivals made him realize things about the world around him. And Ochako? Well, she was like a piece to the puzzle that he hadn't even known he was missing until she was right there next to him, fitting her hand in his, leaning into his side with her head on his shoulder. Every struggle and fight for the life he had now was entirely worth it and he'd do it all over again if it meant being with her.