Hello, Heroes. Rio here with the next chapter of Domestic Heroes. First, I want to say thanks for the views, follows and favorites so far. Glad to know you guys enjoy my work so far. Seriously, you all are great. It makes the time and effort I put into this piece of work worth it. Hopefully I am able to keep you all entertained with this story. Enjoy, lads, and I will see you all in the author's notes.
Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction in dedication to a much grander work. As such, the author does not own the rights to any characters within this story, and any correlation between any original characters that may appear and people in the real world are merely coincidental.
My Hero Academia: Domestic Heroes
Morning Routine
The alarm went off at six in the morning, just like always, and before it could continue for long, Izuku reached over to the nightstand and shut it off. Letting out a short yawn, the young hero, clad only in a pair of boxers, slowly got himself out of bed, carefully untangling himself from the arms of his sleeping partner as he did so. Ochako tended to be clingy in her sleep, and while it was enjoyable, it did make getting ready for the day difficult if she wasn't starting early herself. Today he had to meet up with Gran Torino and Aizawa about a missing person's case just before nine, so he had to get ready a bit early to make it without being late. The time was still fine for him, though, as there was just enough to take Eri to school and walk with Ochako to her part-time job over at Gunhead's Tokyo dojo, where she worked as a high ranking instructor thanks to her continued lessons with the Battle Hero during her time in UA.
Chuckling quietly to himself, he turned his head to his still slumbering girlfriend, admiring her messy hair and drool covered face, and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek before grabbing a set of clean clothes from his dresser. It still amazed him how she was able to balance her hero work at Ryukyu's agency, her duties as a martial arts teacher, and as of recently becoming one of Eri's guardians, without complaint. It was difficult, he knew that much, but she made it work. They both did, really, and while their lives were far from perfect or fully stable, the pair had a good system going at the moment, and they were doing their best to maintain it. Giving his snoozing partner another soft glance, he changed into a white wife-beater shirt and a pair of green track shorts, and proceeded to make his way to the kitchen, stopping at Eri's room for a moment to check in on her.
Shortly after making sure his charge was ok, the sound of sizzling meat permeated the room, and Izuku proceeded to hum as he began cooking some eggs and bacon. Thanks to his habit of waking up early, Izuku usually finds himself being the one who makes breakfast for everyone, with Ochako in charge of dinner, and lunch switching between the two depending on their mood or whoever's home. Sometimes the cooking schedule would switch depending on what shift they were on, but most of the time this was the result. He didn't really mind, though. It was enjoyable enough, and he liked the happy looks on the girls' faces whenever they ate his cooking. As he started getting the coffee and toast ready, though, he felt something soft brush down his legs. Looking down, he smiled lightly at the little orange bundle of fur that was gently headbutting him, and squatted down to give it a stroke on its back.
"Morning, Mikan. You look rested. Did you already eat?" Izuku asked, getting a short meow in response, which he assumed was a yes. "Ok then. That's good. How about you hang out with me for a bit while we wait for the girls show up. They should be here any minute now."
"We're here, Deku. The smell of bacon woke us up." A tired, yet happy voice spoke up, prompting Izuku to stand up straight just in time to see Ochako and Eri, both clad in large, All-Might themed shirts and sporting matching bedheads that he couldn't help but laugh a little at the sight of them.
"…Deku? What's so funny?" Eri asked innocently with a confused head tilt while Ochako simply smiled at the child, patting her head gently as she led her to the table.
"I think it's because we're wearing his favorites shirts for us. You know how much he likes All Might, sweetie." The woman said gently, pulling up a chair for Eri to sit before grabbing her own seat.
"Grandpa Toshi? The skeleton man who visits us that coughs up blood, likes to yell in English, and sometimes gets all big and musclely like that blue macho penguin king in my videogame when he's excited?" Eri questioned, growing even more confused when Ochako began spitting up in laughter.
"Yes, Eri. Grandpa Toshi. And don't mind Ochako, Eri. You know how she gets when she hears something funny." Izuku said with an amused smile, placing a plate of eggs, bacon and toast before the child. "Do want anything to drink? We got milk and orange juice, if you want."
"Do we have apple juice?" Eri asked hopefully, red eyes pleading for her favorite fruit in liquid form, and Izuku had to force himself to keep what Ochako called his 'ugly face' from coming out as he felt his heart clench at the sight of the adorable child.
"I think so. I'll go check. Ochako, you want the usual in your coffee?" Izuku said quickly as he placed the other plates on the table and turned back to the kitchen, forcing himself to calm down as he began rummaging through the refrigerator for the juice in question.
"Yup. Lots of cream with a dash of sugar. The boys at the dojo have been getting quite rowdy lately, so I'm going to need all the energy I can get." He heard her answer, though he could still hear the bits of giggles that escaped her mouth. Smiling ruefully at his long-time partner, Izuku continued to search through the fridge before finding what he was looking for, a small green box with a picture of an apple on it. Happy, he grabbed the box and a nearby bottle of creamer, and proceeded to the coffee machine to get his and Ochako's drinks ready. "You're in luck, Eri. Looks like we have one last box left. We'll buy you some more next time we go shopping, ok?"
"Ok! Thanks, Deku." Eri said happily, smiling at her guardian as he placed the juice box beside her plate. After putting a steaming mug of coffee by Ochako's food, Izuku finally made his way to his own plate, setting his coffee mug down, and raised his hands in prayer with the others, speaking softly before digging in to their breakfast.
"Thanks for the food…"
The meal was as good as always, if a little on the plain side, admittedly, but that was just how they operated. Both Izuku and Ochako prefer to keep things simple in their household, both out of preference and habit. It was the main reason why their apartment, despite being quite warm and cozy to them, was a little on the barren side despite the two of them making a decent amount of money with their hero work and Ochako's side job. They had gotten the apartment shortly after becoming Eri's legal guardians, and it was really a lucky find for them. They were living on the bottom floor of the complex, and the building was located near Eri's current school and close enough to Izuku and Ochako's agencies to walk. The apartment itself housed two bedrooms, a decent-sized bathroom that housed their washer/drier, a couple closets, a big den and a kitchen with all the necessary utilities and comforts they needed. The rent was a bit on the high side, much to Ochako's discomfort when they first moved in, but it was more or less the perfect size for the three of them. It also allowed pets, which was the biggest selling point for them because of Mikan, and as the months went by, the three of them had manage to make the apartment their home, and were content with their living arrangement.
"Mmm… That was delicious. Breakfast was as great as always, Deku." Ochako sighed, rubbing her now full stomach as she leaned back on her chair.
"It is. I really like the bacon. It's really nice and crispy." Eri agreed, finishing the last of her apple juice.
"Ah shucks, you two, it was nothing. Really." Izuku said bashfully, a sheepish smile on his face as he scratched the back of his neck from the praise before grabbing the now empty plates and cups. "Well, I'm going to get these washed. How about you go and get ready for school, Eri. Ochako and I have some time, today, so we can walk you there, if you want. We can even stop by a convenient store nearby and buy you a box of apple juice for your lunch. Ochako's making it this time, so it will definitely be delicious."
"Really?" Eri asked looking at Ochako with so much hope that she ended up getting practically glomped by her female guardian, much to her surprise and Izuku's amusement.
"Of course, you cute little thing, you! How can I not when you look at me like that!" Ochako practically gushed, causing the young girl to blush at the unexpected burst of affection, before being placed back on the floor. "Now, listen to Deku and get ready. Oh, and have him look over your report on battle heroes before we head out. We know how smart you are, Eri, but we want to make sure there aren't any silly mistakes on it. Teachers can be very nitpicky when it comes to errors."
"Tell me about it…" Izuku muttered as he washed the dishes, remembering how their less…academically inclined friends looked after taking remedial lessons to make up for their mistakes. Denki and Mina in particular ended up quite frazzled after a session with Aizawa.
"Ok, Chako. I'm gonna go get ready now. I'll be back, soon. Let's go, Mikan." Eri said before heading over to her room with the orange tabby in tow.
"…She's just so precious, sometimes. I'm glad that we decided to take her in, Deku, even if it was difficult for us at first." Ochako said, giving her boyfriend a proud, loving look that was quickly followed with a kiss to his cheek.
"It was hard, but it was worth it to finally get her to smile. The damage done by Overhaul might not ever go away completely, but we, and everyone else, did our best to ensure her recovery went as well as it could. Especially Eri. We made it work, thankfully, and now everything is going smoothly…" Izuku insisted as he set the now clean kitchenware on the drying rack, pausing for a moment before giving his girlfriend a wry smile. "Well, as smoothly as our lives go, anyways. Considering who we are and our jobs, can't really tell how long peaceful days like this will last."
"Your right, and that is why we have to make the most of it when its here, and work our butts off to make sure they persist, or at least come back if it ever goes away." Ochako said, a look of determination on her face that was mirrored on Izuku's, before melting away into a smile. "Now, you go and get ready, mister, while I make our lunches. You have that meet up with Gran Torino and the others, right? Make sure you're nice and presentable to them, Deku. Can't have the future symbol of peace look like he has a bush growing on his head."
"Considering you look like you have fuzzy sticks sticking out of your hair right now, I don't think you're one to talk." Izuku countered as he pointed at her messy bob-cut with a smirk, laughing when she stuck her tongue out in defiance. "I'll go get ready, just don't take too long on the food. Got to brush your hair so that you'll look presentable yourself."
"I don't think presentation's gonna matter much while I'm pinning boys twice my height into the ground for money, but ok. Whatever you say, hun." Ochako laugh with shrug before getting started on the bento boxes,
"I'll have your clothes ready on the bed when you're done. See you in a bit, dear." Izuku said as he made his way back to their room, smiling slightly when he saw her stiffen slightly and cheeks slowly becoming redder. It was rare for him to call her by a pet name, preferring to use her first name after calling her by her last name for so long, but it always amused him to see her slightly flustered whenever he calls her 'dear' or 'love'.
Once in his room, having made a quick stop at the restroom to both relieve himself and brush his teeth, he grabbed his phone and checked the time, seeing that it has only been an hour since he'd woken up. That was good; they were still on schedule and were on track to get ready. Smiling, he proceeded to change out of his loungewear and proceeded to put on what Ochako calls his 'investigator clothes': A dark green dress shirt over a white undershirt, black dress pants and crimson shoes. He normally wore such clothes when working on missing people cases, which is what the meet up was about, and couldn't help but chuckle at the apt name his girlfriend had for the ensemble. Nodding to himself, he grabbed a pair of suitcases from under his bed his and Ochako's hero outfits, the two having their initials on them in English letters, and set them on top of the bed before heading over to one of the dressers to pick out his girlfriend's clothes.
"Hmm… She's got both patrols and martial arts training, so she's going to need something loose for today to quickly change into. Maybe that ensemble she wore last time would work? Or does she want to try something different. It's really hard to tell when it comes to her. She prefer casual clothes more than anything, so I might go that route. Then again, if she has any unexpected meetings, she'll need something more professional to wear. Should I do a cross of both? How would I do that? Times like this were I wish Ashido or Hagakure were visiting. They know more about this stuff than I do. Lets see… How about-"
"How about you let me pick out my clothes instead, Deku. If I let you handle it, we won't be leaving home for a good hour at least." A joking voice spoke up behind him, causing Izuku to turn to see Ochako leaning on the doorframe with a smirk on her face and her arms crossed while Eri was peering behind her, dressed in a white blouse under a dark blue blazer and a red kerchief on her neck, a black skirt with matching stockings, and her white hair tied in a ponytail with a red ribbon. It was the uniform for her school, and Izuku had to admit, she looked quite adorable in it.
"Ah. Sorry, girls. Didn't mean to go off like that. Picking out girls clothes is…just as confusing as ever." Izuku apologized, laughing awkwardly as Ochako walked towards him and gave him a playful punch to the chest.
"I should've figured it'd end up like this. How about you go and check on Eri's homework while I get ready. Eri wants to brush my hair this time anyways, so this will go by faster." Ochako suggested, to which Izuku nodded in agreement.
"Here's my assignment, Deku. I hope it's written well…" Eri said as she pulled her paper out of her pink backpack and gave it to him, looking fairly nervous as she did so.
"I'm sure it is. I'm just going to make sure everything is done properly, Eri. I won't change it drastically, I promise." The super-strength hero assured, patting the time rewinder on the head with a smile. Happy to have gotten a smile in return, he headed out of the room with the report in hand and read through it, missing Ochako's proud look towards him and Mikan following him from behind. "Oh. Eri's written about Kirishima, huh? That makes sense. The two did get along pretty well during our first Culture Festival, and he's been making quite a name for himself lately. I'm sure everyone's heard of Red Riot by this point."
Finally making his way to the living room, grabbing the boxed lunch Ochako made for him on the table along the way, Izuku sat himself down and continued to read the report, Mikan hopping right beside him and plopping itself on his lap. Amused by the cat's antics, he began gently rubbing its back, feeling it practically rumbling as it purred, before turning back to the paper. It was truly well written, and there were hardly any mistakes on it. The few that were present were minor at best, and he doubt Eri would get marked down for it. It seemed that Aizawa did well in giving the girl a proper education while she was under his care. Giving the paper another once over and placing a few notes on it with a nearby pencil, Izuku nodded to himself with a proud smile, and placed the report on the small table before him, just as he heard Ochako and Eri approach him, with the former carrying their respective suitcases.
"So what's the verdict?" Ochako asked, dressed in a simple white blouse with a black skirt and matching pantyhose with her hair tied in a small bun.
"Everything looks good. Just a few minor things to correct, but nothing serious. I did put on a couple suggestions for you, Eri, but you did really well on your report on Kirishima. I'm sure you'll get full points on it." Izuku said proudly, grinning at the blatant look of surprise in his charge's face.
"…Really?"
"Really. It's great, Eri. Keep up the amazing work." Izuku said, giving the elated girl a gentle pat on the head, before getting off the couch, with Mikan following his example. "Ok, time to head out. You got everything you need, Eri?"
"She does. I checked. We're all set and ready to go." Ochako spoke up with a grin and thumb's up prompting the young man to turn to her gratefully with a nod.
"Perfect. Let's get going. Mikan, watch the house while we're gone." Izuku stated, smiling at the meow of response from their pet, before heading out of the apartment with the two most important girls in his life.
It was a start of another busy day for them, but it was nothing they can't handle. It was, after all, a daily routine to them at this point.
Prompt 2: Morning Routine
And that was chapter 2, readers. Hope you all like it. Simple, fluffy and sweet, just how I like it. There will be more like this to come in the following days, guys, so look forward to it! Also, if you guys haven't noticed, this fic is also posted over in Ao3. I'm finally branching out now and I'm quite happy that I'm doing so. Tomorrow will bring you all another update, so be patient, and I will pump out another dose of fluffiness in the morning (at least morning my time). Take care, fellow heroes, and I will see you all in the next update.
Farewell, and remember. Go beyond, Plus Ultra.