I finish getting dressed and ready for work. Touya is laying in bed, watching me as I gather my things.

"It's cold out there," he says. "So make sure you cover up."

"My black jacket and scarf should be enough," I answer. "Breakfast is ready for you on the dining table. When will you leave?"

"Soon. I'll shower and clean up after you leave."

"Sounds good."

I stand in silence for a moment, remembering the conversation Touya and I had last night. The thought of Touya being the father of my child should have me ecstatic - but the current circumstances won't allow me to. Instead, I must keep this child a secret from him until I figure out the best possible solution for everyone involved. My saddened gaze lowers and Touya sees it. He sits up on the edge of the bed as I stand in front of him.

"I'll get going…" I'm about to walk out of my room.

Touya pulls me back into his arms. He holds me close, feeling bad about last night. Both of us aren't even sure when the next time we'll see each other will be. As we embrace, I can't help but think of the life we're holding between us, fighting back the tears. After a moment of this, I finally break away and leave. I lock the door to my apartment and head out. I wonder about the life Touya and I could've had if he hadn't disappeared - if he hadn't become a villain. How he and I could've been kissing each other goodbye when leaving for work all the time. All that we could've been doing together as a couple. Together as a family.

'If only…' I think to myself sorrowfully.

Touya just finished getting dressed, sitting on the edge of the bed after just dying his hair. He gazes down to the floor, remembering last night.

'I don't deserve her…' he thinks.

Touya reaches for the drawer of the night stand, grabbing the black photo album. He gazes down at the photos.

'As much as I'd love to start a life with you…' he thinks. 'I can't. Not after all I've done...not until I fulfill my goal.'

Touya then gazes down at a photo of Keigo.

'I know what that feathery bastard is up to…' he thinks. 'He thinks he's got everyone fooled...but not me.'

Touya puts the black photo album back into the drawer as he sits in silence.

'He'll get what's coming to him…' he bitterly thinks.

I walk out of the single person restroom, using it to hide my occasional vomiting from everyone at the agency.

'Definitely don't need anyone insinuating Keigo knocked me up…' I think. 'Though it'd be bigger news if people found out Endeavor's lost son, Dabi, is the father of Nova's child…. Imagine the headlines.'

I shake my head at the thought as I make my way down the hall. Enji has permitted my request to stick to office work for now because the winter is taking a toll on me. He's also been too busy training Shoto, Izuku and Katsuki, so his attention is on them. This saves me from effort to hide my pregnancy so much. I sit at my desk, returning to my computer screen. I can't help but think of Keigo's involvement with both the League and the Liberation.

'What has the Commission assigned Keigo?' I think. 'He's been gone for so long… not even a call from him. And the last time I saw him that day...he was promoting the Meta Liberation books…'

I take a sip from my ginger tea, using it to help alleviate my nausea. Based on Keigo's lack of communication with me, I figure he can't due to surveillance of some sort.

'That wasn't like Keigo to promote the Liberation's ideology…' I think. 'And for him to promote it to the boys? Something isn't right…'

I glance at the time and see it's noon and decide to take my hour long break. I lock my computer and head to a private staff lounge down the hall, locking the door behind me. Luckily this lounge has its own restroom, so it's ideal for my nausea. I plop myself on the couch, letting out a sigh. My mind thinks of the love making Touya and I made last night, recalling it's the roughest we've ever had thus far.

'Because we don't see each other often,' I think. 'I noticed Touya and I communicate our affection through touch…. I'm more on the shy side while Touya is fairly direct with what he wants.'

Touya has always been the one to take the lead. Enji would often worry he would become a bad influence on me when we were younger. Then I remember the first time Touya tried kissing me. The incident that caused them to separate us.

Touya and I are sitting in the living room of his home watching television with Natsuo and Fuyumi. Touya sits to my right as we're on the floor while his siblings sit in front of us. A news report of All Might plays.

"Today he saved dozens of civilians!" The reporter exclaims. "With All Might on our side, we shall never submit to evil!"

My eyes sparkle a bit at the sight of All Might's fierce and brave appearance.

"He's not all that great…" Touya grumbles.

I turn my gaze to Touya and see him bitterly stare up at All Might on tv. Feeling bad for him, I place my hand on his forearm to comfort him. He's snapped out of his bitter trance and is able to give me a small smile. With his siblings distracted by the television, Touya takes my hand and sneaks us out of the living room.

"Touya, where are we…?" I whisper.

"Shh," he holds up a finger to his mouth.

Touya leads me away down the hall and to the yard of his abode. He sits us down on a bench in the courtyard. The evening sky is lit by the bright moon as it lightly snows.

"Wear my sweater," Touya takes it off. "So ya won't get too cold."

"Thanks," I softly smile at him.

Touya helps me put his sweater on as he stays in his long sleeve black shirt. He zips it up to the high collar, the zipper poking my nose. We lightly laugh at it.

"Why'd you bring us out here?" I ask.

"I just wanted some time alone with you," Touya admits. "I don't get to see ya often since you're off at the Commission facility...with that feathery boy…"

I stare at Touya, in awe of his now all-white hair. Touya notices I'm staring at it.

"I hate my white hair…" he grumbles.

"But I like it," I try to cheer him up. "It's like mine, see?" I hold up some strands of my hair.

Touya stares at my hair for a moment, feeling comforted by my smile. Now that he's thirteen, he's grown quite a lot in stature. He's a bit taller than me now. His gaze then lowers in thought.

"Akira…" he says.

"Hm?" I respond.

"That feathery boy…"

"Keigo?"

"Do you...like him?"

"Well yeah."

"You do?" His head darts to me.

"We're very close."

Touya lowers his gaze.

"Why do you ask?" I wonder.

"He's just...better than me…" Touya says.

"What do you mean?"

"His quirk doesn't hurt him...and he knows how to use it so well… He can be a hero while I can't."

"I don't want you feeling bad…"

"I'm just...afraid that you'll fall in love with him."

"Touya…"

I reach for Touya's hand as I scoot closer to him, gazing into his turquoise eyes.

"I already told you," I say. "You said you'd marry me right? So that means I love you...even with all your flaws."

"You still love me…" Touya is in awe. "Always?"

"Always," I state with a nod.

Touya unzips the tall collar of his sweater a bit, revealing my face fully. He stares at me for a moment, his face slowly leaning toward mine. I'm a bit confused at this at first, not moving at all. His lips are about to touch mine, our eyes slowly closing.

"Touya!" Enji's voice startles us.

We pull away and turn to see Enji on the porch, his stern gaze at Touya.

"What are you doing with Akira alone out here?" Enji asks.

"None of your business," Touya retorts. "Aren't you supposed to be busy training that perfect brother of mine?"

Enji keeps his stern stare at Touya, making me nervous that they'll end up in a fight again.

"It's time I take you back to the Commission facility," Enji turns to me.

"Why?" Touya gets angry. "So that they can torture her some more?"

"She's here under special permission. If she doesn't go back on time, the President won't allow her to come back anymore."

"She shouldn't go back! She suffers there everyday!"

"Touya…"

"But it's all the same here… We suffer here too."

Enji heads over to us and holds out his hand to me.

"Let's go, Akira," he tells me.

I take his hand and Touya gets angry at this.

"If you love her so much," Touya says. "Why do you keep allowing her to go back to those people who hurt her?!"

"I have no choice," Enji states.

"You're just gonna let her suffer?"

"Come on, Akira…" Enji begins to lead me away.

"Don't take her!" Touya pulls on Enji's arm.

"She has to go back!"

"No she doesn't!"

"Let go, Touya."

"First you take away my dream of becoming a hero...now you're taking Akira?!"

"That's enough."

"Don't take my only friend away!"

Touya pulls hard at Enji's arm, which causes Enji to almost yank at me.

"Touya, that's enough!" Enji shoves Touya back.

Enji shoves Touya back too hard, causing Touya to fall to the snowy ground.

"Touya…" Enji feels bad.

Touya just runs inside into the home. I stare after him in sorrow.

"Come on…" Enji leads me away.

Enji tries to meet my gaze but I keep my eyes lowered. Seeing Enji be so rough with Touya actually took me by surprise. He's always been so kind to me and to see him in that manner, I was frightened a bit. I can't help but feel bad for Touya as well. All he wants is to become a hero like his dad.

'Touya…' I think to myself.

That was the last time I'd seen Touya alive. After that incident, Enji and the President made the decision to stop my visits to the Todoroki abode.

'It didn't help that Touya didn't make any friends at school…' I think. 'He was possessive of me, seeing that no one else understood him but me...The kids at his school talked of becoming heroes. Imagine being the son of the No. 2 hero, having the dream to be like him, only for it not to be possible because your body gets hurt by your quirk…'

Not only did Touya inherit Enji's flames, but he also inherited Enji's foolishness and stubbornness. Enji hyped Touya up to become a hero and surpass All Might. When they found out his flames hurt him, Enji had no choice but to stop training him. This led him to have more children with Rei with the hope that Touya would forget about his ambition. But it only further damaged Touya more, seeing his siblings as replacements. He and his family began to split in turmoil over the years, even more after Shoto's birth.

'If only Enji and Rei had handled the situation better…' I think. 'Maybe...just maybe Touya would've ended up differently.'

I enter the President's office after she called me in to discuss something with me. My gaze lowers as I hear her talking on the phone.

"Yes, I also agree," she says. "Your son has gotten out of hand with Akira… I'll continue discussing this with her. That is all," she hangs up the phone.

'Was that Enji?' I think. 'It must be about him catching Touya and I almost kissing a few days ago…'

"Akira…" the President has a stern stare. "It's come to my attention that your relationship with that boy has gotten out of hand."

"Touya?"

"Due to his current situation, Enji and I have decided that it's best you don't see his family anymore."

My eyes go a bit wide at hearing this.

"What...what do you mean?" I ask.

"Touya is a troubled boy," the President. "You're the only friend he obsesses over. His current state of mind isn't healthy for himself nor for you."

"But… he needs me. I'm his only friend."

"Exactly as I said. He needs to work on making friends at his school."

"Who else does he have but me? No one else understands him… He needs help."

"That's not your job. His parents will figure that out."

My heart aches at this sudden news. I silently exit the office, not uttering another word.

'I'm not...going to see Touya anymore?' I think.

I make my way down the hall. The thought of losing my best friend brings me dread. Touya and I have always been there for each other, using each other's shoulders to cry on. The fact that Touya isn't mentally doing well worries me. To him, I'm his only ray of hope.

'He has no one else...no one…' I think. 'With me gone...how is he going to cope?'

After silently walking down the halls, I find my way into my bedroom. My feet drag as I sit on my bed and lay down on my side.

'I don't want...anything bad happening to him…' My eyes tear up. 'Why? Why does it have to be this way?'

I begin to softly cry. Aside from Touya, his family is the closest thing I'll ever have to a family. For it all to be torn away so suddenly causes me heart ache.

"Akira?" Keigo's voice breaks the silence.

I turn my head and see Keigo peering at me from the doorway, his wings narrow behind him. I'm so heartbroken that I can't even talk to him, continuing to cry on my side.

"Hey…" Keigo stands at the side of my bed.

Keigo gently places a hand on my back.

"What's goin' on?" He asks.

"The President…" I sniffle. "She said I can't see Touya anymore…"

"Oh…"

"I'm his only friend… I can't help him…"

"I'm sorry, Akira…"

I continue to softly cry into my pillow. Keigo scurries off but returns shortly from his room across the hall.

"I can't make Touya come back…" Keigo says. "But… I can try to ease your pain."

Rubbing tears from my eyes, I open them and see Keigo holding his Endeavor plush toy out to me.

"Whenever I'd feel scared…" he says. "I'd always hug my plushie...and I felt safe again."

Accepting the plush toy, I remember the hardships Keigo experienced before arriving here at the Commission facility. He shared his experience with me, and I shared mine, which brought us closer together. This Endeavor plush toy brings him comfort.

"I may not be Touya…" Keigo scratches his head as he sits on the edge of my bed. "But I'm like a brother to you… so I want to help make you feel better."

"Keigo…" my eyes tear up more.

"It's alright…" Keigo reassures me. "Just remember that you'll still have me."

I reach out and embrace him, softly crying into his shoulder. He returns the hug with his bright red wings helping me feel safe.

The timer on my phone goes off. I reach for it and shut it off, preparing to go back to work from my break. I lean my elbows on my thighs, lowering my gaze in thought.

'I'd lost Touya once…' I think. 'The pain I felt thinking I couldn't save him...it was devastating.'

I rub my face and stare down at the floor in thought.

'And now I've tried saving him once more…' I continue to think. 'But it seems no matter how hard I try...he doesn't want to be saved.'

Thinking of my unborn child, I put a hand on my stomach in sorrow.

'As much as it hurts me…' I think. 'He's no longer my priority in saving…'