Welcome back, Heroes. Rio here with the next part of Domestic Heroes. This here chapter can be considered a milestone, as we are now a third of the way done with this challenge. And what better way to mark it than with a story about...hair? Yeah, not going to lie, this one was a bit of a strange one to figure out. The biggest challenge was actually the title for this piece, believe it or not. I just went with something simple for it, though, since I really couldn't come up with anything good. Creativity hit a snag there, but hopefully the piece itself will be enjoyable enough for you all. With that all said, enjoy the story, everyone, and I will see you at 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 Tales

Hair Care

"Ahh… Nice and clean… Nothing like a hot bath to make you feel fresh and relaxed, huh, Mikan?"

"Mow."

Eri giggled at the towel clad cat in her arms, walking out of the bathroom dressed in her new puffy Hero Thirteen jammies and her hair wrapped up in a towel of its own. She was asked by Ochako to take a bath shortly after dinner and she had to admit, she felt really good after taking one. It was just over a week after she had fallen ill by a virus that was spreading around, and she was extraordinarily happy to have finally recovered from it. She felt so sickly and grimy the entire time, and the medicine she had to take tasted disgusting, even if it was cherry flavored. The only good thing that came out of her sickness was that she was excused from school and that her guardians stuck around more often to take care of her, even if it did make her feel guilty. She was the reason they couldn't go to that fancy hero party that Yaomomo had, after all…

She shook her head as soon as those thoughts started to pop up, causing her towel to fall off her head in the process. Both Izuku and Ochako assured her multiple times that they were ok with missing the party, stating that taking care of their sick daughter was more important. The fact that they actually called her 'daughter' made the girl's heart skip a beat, and the smile she had that day never left her face, even during a coughing fit. She was also told that, during her first day with the virus, Eri ended up calling Ochako and Izuku Mom and Dad. She couldn't help but feel embarrassed when she got called out like that, but the extremely happy expression on the couple's faces when they were called that practically slew her embarrassment in nearly no time at all, and was slowly getting used to physically calling them her parents instead of simply Deku and Chako, her guardians. It was a big change for them, but a pleasant one nevertheless…

"Eri? Sweetie? Are you out of the bath now?" The voice of Ochako spoke up from the woman's shared bedroom with her significant other, causing the child to perk up as soon as she heard it.

"I am, Mom! I even went and gave Mikan his bath, too! He was really dirty, for some reason. Did he go outside and play in the dirt?" Eri asked as she grabbed her towel from the floor before rubbing the cat's towel on its body to dry it up.

"Probably. You know how he gets when he's let out to have fun." Ochako's voice stated with a laugh while Eri was able to pick up a note of unbridled joy in the woman's tone. "By the way, is your hair still damp? I can dry it for you, if you want."

"…Sure, Mom! I'll be happy with that!" The girl grinned as she trotted over to her parent's room, opening the door to see Ochako sitting in front of a small vanity with a hair dryer and brush nearby, and practically beamed when the young woman went and embraced her. "Hehe… Mom, cut it out! You're squishing me and Mikan!"

"I can't help it! You're just so cute in my old jammies! I had no idea they would fit you so well! I'm so glad Deku and I gave you our things…" Ochako sighed happily as she gently rubbed the girl's damp hair, being more affectionate than usual ever since Eri decided to call her Mom. The little girl could understand the feeling, though. She's been getting a quick rush of happiness whenever she called her guardians Mom and Dad, and the happy expressions they got when she called them that made her very happy as well.

"I'm glad, too. It feels nice to wear my…parents' old stuff. Makes me feel closer to you guys." Eri confessed, a light blush adorning her face and giggling cutely when she felt Ochako's embrace growing tighter along with soft mutterings about how her daughter was the most adorable being on the planet. "Say, can we dry my hair now? I don't want to get you wet with it and I think Mikan's starting to suffocate between us."

"Hmm? Oh yes, good idea." Ochako said before letting go of the girl, giving the cat in her arms an apologetic look. "Sorry, Mikan. Didn't mean to squeeze you like that. Forgive me?"

"Mow…"

Both Eri and Ochako giggled at the deadpan response and blank stare of their household pet as Eri set it down and took off the towel from it, both watching with a smile as it climbed onto the bed and began licking itself clean. Amused by the actions of the orange cat, Ochako promptly returned to the vanity and sat herself down, patting her lap so that Eri could sit on it. The girl nodded eagerly and proceeded to plop herself on Ochako like a seat, grinning as the woman grabbed the brush and hairdryer.

"Ok, sweetie, I'm about to get started. Let me know if its too hot for you so that I'll turn down the heat."

"Kay." Eri nodded before Ochako went to work on her hair, sighing blissfully as she felt the hot air hitting her comfortably and the feeling of the brush untangling her usually unkempt white tresses, straightening them in the process. "…Mom?"

"Yes, Eri?"

"When's Dad coming home? Is he still busy helping Mirio with that case?" She asked, craning her head to get a better view of her guardian to talk.

"He's actually on his way right now. He called while you were in the bath, telling me that he and Togata manage to catch the culprit that's been on the run for the past few weeks. He wasn't really happy with the way they caught him, though, and he won't tell me why…" Ochako explained with a shrug, before staring down at the girl's hair in a curious fashion. "Hmm… Sweetie, do you want me to style your hair? Odds are likely that we're going out to eat tonight, so I can help make you look good, if you want."

"We're going out? In this weather?" Eri asked, looking quite confused as she pointed at the window, where she could see the rain hitting the glass plane from behind the shutters.

"I know, it's weird, but Mina messaged me not too long ago if we could hang out with her and Kirishima and I figured why not. I told Deku about it and he's fine with it. The weather's not too bad, and we have raincoats. Should be ok as long as we properly cover ourselves." Ochako explained as she continued to brush the girl's hair. "So, what do you think? Want me to stylize it or leave it as is…?"

"…Can you give me the snow queen's braid, Mom?" Eri asked quietly after a moment of thought, feeling a little unsure about her request. The style she asked for was from one of her favorite movies, right next to the dragon ones, and she always liked it whenever she could get her hair like that. It made her feel like a princess…

"Of course, you can, sweetie. It shouldn't take me too long. Thankfully, your jammies aren't pullovers, so we won't have to worry about you messing up your hair when its time to dress up, but I would suggest putting on a blouse when we get ready." Ochako suggested as she set the brush and hairdryer down, replacing them with a comb and a curling iron, as she began to get to work.

Eri hummed as she felt her guardian work her magic on her hair. It felt good. Really good. She never imagined herself getting this kind of treatment when she was with Overhaul and the others. Even when she was finally rescued and put under Aizawa's care, something as simple as getting her hair done was a bit of a novelty for her, mostly because she didn't really see the point. She knew she had to get it clean and straightened so that she would look presentable, but getting it stylized wasn't something she'd see her enjoying as much as she was now. Maybe it was because of who was stylizing it that made it feel so…special. So warm…

"I'm home!" A familiar voice called out, snapping the child out of her thoughts. A smile was growing wide and fast as she realized who it was that arrived, and would've jumped out of the room immediately to greet him if it wasn't for the fact that Ochako, now with some bobby pins in her mouth, was still working on her hair.

"Welcome home, hun! I'm in the room right now getting Eri's hair done for tonight! She wants that braid that the snow queen had in that one movie she loves!" Ochako spoke up, managing to be perfectly articulate despite the metal pins in her mouth.

"The one with the ice salesman who talks to a moose and the taking snowman? That's a good look for her…" Izuku stated, his voice drawing closer as he talked. Both Eri and Ochako stared at the doorway as they watched the man approach them. The moment he came to view, both girls couldn't help but gasp at the sight of him, before laughing at the sight of him.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, you two…" Izuku muttered, covered in dirt, mud, leaves and even a few twigs sticking out of his head. In fact, his hair looked akin to an actual bush with all the foliage that was sticking to it.

"Oh my god, Deku, what happened? Did you guys chase a villain down a forest or something? Because it looks like you took a part of it with you with your head like that!" Ochako guffawed, not even trying to reign in her laughter while Eri was a mess of giggles thanks to the woman's statement.

"As a matter of fact, I did, and it was a serious pain to apprehend the guy. At least we caught him in the end, but I wish I didn't end up like this in the end." Izuku sighed as the girls' laughter began to die down. "I'm going to take a shower to get rid of all this gunk before I get ready. If I show up like this, Ashido would tease me like no other for the next couple days at least."

"Sounds like a plan, bush boy. Go and get yourself cleaned up. I'll have your clothes on the bed when you're done." Ochako stated, snickering at the deadpanned expression on the young man's face.

"See you in a bit, Dad!" Eri chirped with a wave, grinning at his stiffened form and aura of pure happiness, before the man turned to her with a massive smile and wave of his own as he left to the bathroom to clean up.

"…Looks like Deku had a lot of fun, today. Lets hope our outing will put him in a better mood." Ochako said as she went back to work on Eri's hair, when a thought occurred to the child.

"Hey, Mom? How come you don't have long hair? I'm sure you'll look really pretty with it, and I can help style it like what you're doing to me. I'm sure Dad would like it, too." Eri asked innocently, looking up at the woman with big, red, curious eyes, and her brows furred in confusion when Ochako began to giggle slightly in response.

"Ah, sweetie, you have no idea how many times I get asked that…" Ochako said as she set the comb and curling iron down and proceeded to go on with the braid itself. "Well, the main reason why I don't get grow out my hair is to keep people from pulling it. Long hair may look nice, but it can get in the way in a fight very easily if you're not careful. Some people can make it work, like Tsu and Yaomomo, but I didn't want to take the risk of someone grabbing me by the hair to keep me down. I keep it short like this so that the odds of that happening are low, and I even have it in a bun sometimes to help keep it down. I still have to be careful, though, since even with it short, it's still fairly big and fluffy. It can still be grabbed fairly easily if I'm not careful. It's also easier to maintain when it's short like this, and more cost effective. Long hair may be nice and all, but I personally don't think it's worth all the money it takes to keep it looking good, especially with how full mine is."

"Oh… That makes sense…" Eri nodded, peering at her own hair and silently wondering if she should do the same with her hair. It also made sense that her mother-figure kept her hair short to save on money. She was quite the yen-pincher when she wanted to be...

"That, and Deku says he likes my short hair. Says that it's cute and matches my charm. The fact that he enjoys petting and scratching it doesn't hurt, either…" Ochako admitted, her rosy cheeks growing slightly darker from her confession, and Eri couldn't help but giggle in response to that.

"Well…Dad's not wrong. I like your hair, too, Mom. It's nice and soft and poofy. And it feels good. I wish my hair would be yours when I grow up." Eri admitted as she reached up to touch one of Ochako's bangs, smiling at how light and silky it felt.

"I'm sure you will, sweetheart. You just have to take care proper care of it…" Ochako assured with a soft expression, smiling proudly at the girl before gesturing her to the mirror. Alright, all done. Go look at the mirror and tell me what you think?"

Eri did just that and smiled brightly at the sight of her wavy, fancy looking braid that she was given. She looked just like the snow queen in her favorite movie, minus the red eyes and tiny horn. She got up from Ochako's lap and neared the vanity to get a better look, and the more she stared at her hair, the more she liked it. She still wasn't entirely sure if she should keep it at it's current length or get it shortened like Ochako's, but she was happy with it for now. She'll come to a decision once it was time for her to go to UA…

"Ok, Eri, time to get ourselves ready. Deku should be out of the shower by now and as soon as he's done getting dressed, we're heading out." Ochako said as she laid a set of men's clothes on the bed, right next to a napping and dry Mikan, before going into her own dresser to grab some for herself.

"Got it!" Eri nodded, heading towards the door just as it opened to reveal Izuku clad in only a pair of green sweats while rubbing his head with a towel. "Hi, Dad. Look at what Mom did to my hair! Looks pretty, huh?"

"It does, Eri! Ochako really outdid herself with it!" Izuku agreed, a warm smile on his face as he spoke, before turning his attention to Ochako, who was giving him a strange look. "Um… Is something wrong?"

"Oh its nothing. Just missing the days where you'd just come in with a towel on your waist instead of your sweats. The view still looks good, though, so I can't complain." Ochako sighed longingly, causing Eri to look at her mother in confusion before turning to her father, who was now sporting a massive blush on his face.

"Really, Ochako? In front of Eri? I know you've gotten bolder, but come on…" He grumbled, further confusing the child, before watching him removed the towel from his head…

*boof!*

…And go wide eyed when she saw his hear suddenly explode in all its frizzy glory. She could've sworn it actually made a noise when it puffed up. She had seen his hair explode in volume after a shower many times already, and it never ceased to both surprise and amuse her. It honestly looked like he was wearing a green afro on his head…and with that thought she immediately imagined the young man dressed up in old disco clothes doing some kind of ridiculous dance, finger pointing in the air and everything. Her cheeks puffed up, and she covered her mouth in order to keep herself from laughing, but her imagination was still running wild. She then started to think of others in disco garb, such as Ochako and Aizawa, and found herself unable to control herself. She began laughing loudly, clutching her stomach as her voice practically echoed throughout the entire apartment. Izuku, Ochako, and even the newly awakened Mikan, looked down at the girl in confusion.

"Ok… What's this about?"

"No idea, Deku."

"Mow…"

Eri continued to laugh even as she was escorted to her room by Ochako so that she and Izuku could change. Not even Mikan followed her with how lost it looked when it stared at the girl. She managed to finally control herself after a while, but she still let out a few giggles as she got herself ready for dinner, one stray thought passing through her head as she dressed herself.

Note to self: Convince Miss Mina to get Dad and Mom out to a disco club and take pictures of it! She'll love the idea, I know it!

Prompt 10: Hair

Author's notes: Yup. Went with the comedy route for this one. Really, there was no other way to go with a theme like this, but I think it turned out pretty well. Still unsatisfied with the title for the piece, but it will do. I had fun with this prompt regardless, and I think this a good way to end the week. Also, from this point forward, Eri will be calling Izuku and Ochako Dad and Mom from now on. A change reflecting their relationship 'upgrade' that I'm sure a number of you will like. Next update will be on Monday, so look forward to that! Until then, thank you all so much for reading my stories, Heroes. Enjoy your weekend, and I will see you next time.

Farewell, and remember: Go Beyond. Plus Ultra!