Okay, so I ended up splitting the last chapter into two parts and this is part 1. So here's the penultimate chapter of Apricity, full of feels but it also has some Fuyumi Hawks intimacy in it as well. Enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: My Hero Academia doesn't belong to me.

Chapter 16: Letters From Family pt1— Moving Forward

Over the years of Fuyumi and Hawks's relationship, they'd created many unforgettable memories together, both by themselves and with the rest of the family. And while the pictures were safely stored digitally, Fuyumi had also made a photo album, wanting a physical book to flip through whenever she felt like looking back. First dates, movie nights, family times, their engagement and wedding, the album was filled with a lot of beautiful memories. Among these precious images were also letters from the family. They spoke of may topics from life and love to advice and words not said enough.

Having their own section in the album, these were the letters from family.

Dear Keigo,

I hope you're doing well. I saw a news story a while back, it was about you and how you're engaged. When I found out I felt happy for you but it also got me thinking. I wasn't much of a mother to you when you were a child. I'm sorry I wasn't the mother you deserved but, even with everything that's happened with our family, you've still managed to make a proper life for yourself.

When the Commission approached us and said they'd take care of everything we needed as long as you agreed to go with them, I was honestly just glad we wouldn't be on the streets. More importantly, I was glad our problems would be solved for us. I look back on those moments in shame now, I didn't do a single thing for you. I didn't even try.

Now that you're older and starting a family of your own, I don't want to get in your way, so I'm leaving. I don't want our family ties to bring any burdens to you as you move forward. You belong high up in the sky, not chained down to the earth by anything. You deserve a good life and the love you've found. Finally something I can do for you.

I've seen the good work that you do, the hero you've become. You're strong and brave and you give people hope. The one good thing I've done is bring such a beautiful boy into the world.

I'm so proud of you and glad for the person you've become despite being born to someone like me.

I wish you and your future-wife all the best. Have a happy life, son.

Love, mom.

The heavy rain beat down on the windows and thunder boomed in the distance. Hawks sat on the edge of the bed, the letter still in his hands. He'd read through it many times since the day he found it.

A few weeks after his and Fuyumi's engagement, Hawks had decided to go see his mother. For the first time in over a decade, the two of them would meet again, at least that had been the plan until he arrived at the house she was living in and found it empty. Her clothes and other possessions were gone but the place was still tidy, it didn't look like any foul play had occurred. He looked around the house and found the letter on the small table near the stairs.

That had been over a year ago now, he and Fuyumi were already married. He'd tried to look for her many times but with no luck.

"Still nothing?" Fuyumi joined him in the bedroom and sat next to him.

"I think it's about time I throw in the towel." he looked out the window watching the rain. It was clear Takami Tomie didn't want to be found. In the years they spent apart, he at least knew where she was even if they never saw each other, but now he might never see her again. He didn't know why it felt so different this time but it did.

Fuyumi rested her head on his shoulder, a subtle reminder that he wasn't alone. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against hers, grateful that she was there with him.

Xxx

Fuyumi was in the kitchen making dinner. Hawks headed her way, zipping up his jacket and wearing his white scarf, the one Fuyumi had gifted him for his birthday years ago. The rain from earlier had stopped but it was still cold out.

"I'll be back." he kissed her on the cheek.

"Don't stay out too long, I don't want you getting sick." Fuyumi made sure he was all bundled up before watching him leave. He needed to clear his head and be alone with his thoughts, Fuyumi understood this. Losing the chance to talk or change anything after all this time must've been a devastating blow.

Fuyumi was grateful that her mother was still in her life. Similar to Keigo, Fuyumi and Rei -and the rest of her children- had been separated from each other for over a decade. But at least they had a second chance together.

After Fuyumi switched off the stove, she went to the living room and looked at the large framed photo of herself and Keigo on their wedding day. She smiled looking at the picture hanging on the wall, thinking back to how happy they both were that day. The happiest day of their lives. In the photo they were standing in the middle of a flower garden in full bloom, white, pink and purple flowers were all around them.

Wanting to relive those feelings, Fuyumi fetched the photo album from their bedroom and flipped through the wedding day photos. One of her favourite photos was of her with her brothers standing on either side of her. They'd all posed appropriately in the first photo, and her brothers looked handsome in their kimono but in the second photo, Fuyumi had pulled them closer and held their faces as they all smiled for the camera.

Natsuo had been a mess that day and cried at least three times, so happy to see his older sister getting married. Although, if Fuyumi brought it up he'd deny with every fibre in him having shed even a single tear. She laughed fondly at that memory.

She'd also taken pictures with her parents. One with her father, in a navy kimono, who actually softened up and smiled with her. The picture with her mother who wore a silver kimono, had the two of them hugging. And finally she'd taken a picture with both her parents in it.

There was also the large group photo with her family, her husband and Izumi and Yaoyorozu. And another favourite was with her, Izumi in a lavender kimono and Yaoyorozu in a sea-foam green kimono. They'd all jumped in the air at the same time, with excited smiles as the photo was taken.

What a beautiful day that had been.

He'd been gone for longer than expected. By the time Hawks walked into the apartment, Fuyumi was asleep on the couch.

When he walked closer he saw the album still open in her lap. He slowly picked it up and looked at the page it was on. Ah, the wedding photos, he smiled. Best day ever. He closed the photo album and put it on the table. Before waking her, Hawks watched Fuyumi sleep for a bit. Her chest rose and fell in a peaceful rhythm as she slept. Once again he found himself feeling extremely lucky to have her in his life.

"Fuyumi..." he gently nudged her. Her brows furrowed before she finally opened her eyes.

"Oh, you're back." she stretched and sat up, "I can warm up dinner."

"Don't worry, I got it." he kissed her forehead then went to the kitchen.

Fuyumi remained on the couch and turned to watch him move around the kitchen and set the table with the fondest smile. This was their life now, married and her husband getting dinner ready for them both. She looked down at her hand where her ring sparkled. This was her life now and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Xxx

The rain had started up again as Hawks and Fuyumi got ready for bed, not as severe as before though, just a light shower. Fuyumi removed her glasses and was about to get into bed but went over to Hawks. She hugged him from behind, putting her arms around his waist. One of the many great things about him sleeping shirtless.

The soothing rain filled the silence between them, Fuyumi listened to his heartbeat.

"I know its not the same but, you've still got a family..." she held him tighter.

"Fuyumi," his hands went over hers. He knew that very well, feeling welcomed into the family like he'd always been a part of it. It was something he'd always treasure. Moving forward together was what he wanted more than anything, and now he was given that chance.

"And you'll always have me." she kissed the area between his wings which sent a delighted shiver down his spine. A fun fact he'd learned over the course of their relationship was how sensitive that area was to her sweet kisses, and subsequently it became one of Fuyumi's favourite places to kiss him.

He turned to face her and caressed her cheek in the dim lighting of their bedroom. Fuyumi pulled him in for a kiss which he immediately returned, wrapping his arms around her. He could feel his desire growing and the same could be said of Fuyumi as well. While her one hand was on his neck, her other slid down his bare chest. A pleased hum travelled up his throat as he held Fuyumi right against him and deepened their already passionate kiss.

Fuyumi arched into him when she felt his hands slip under her shirt, and his lips found their way down her neck. Fuyumi threw her head back. It felt dizzyingly good and she could barely catch her breath when he picked her up and carried her to their bed.

The way Fuyumi breathily said his name, the way Keigo left her lips as she held him tighter against her, not wanting even the smallest space between them, it was intoxicating, like it was pulling at his very core. His lips went back to hers, kissing her urgently and she returned it just as deeply, his hands quickly unbuttoned her shirt, the garment easily slid down her shoulders…

Hey Sis,

There's a lot I want to say and some of it should've been in person but at least in a letter, I won't hesitate. Knowing you, you'd tell me not to worry about it—as you have before—or that I don't need to do this but, more than anything else I want to say to you, I want to say thank you.

Thank you for being the best older sister, for being my older sister, for doing more than you ever should have. You took care of me and you took care of a lot for me. I'm pretty sure there's a lot you didn't get to enjoy as a kid and even growing up because you always had to watch out for me and Shōto (when the old man wasn't around so you actually could.)

Going to school, studying and taking care of us couldn't have been easy. I wish you wouldn't take on the world by yourself or I guess I should say, I should've helped you out more even if you didn't want me to. And also thank you for tirelessly trying to keep our family together, I know I wasn't much help in that department. And believe me, I don't enjoy hurting you at all whenever I leave too soon but anytime he gets involved, I lose it. I'm always happy to show up and be around for you but with him, I can't Fuyumi, I really just can't.

Sorry, I went on a little tangent talking about him, but let me move on to something I'm pretty sure you'll be surprised about. I know about your sleepless nights on Tōya-nii's birthday. I think about him a lot too, even while writing this letter, I wondered what he'd write in his or if he'd even bother writing one at all, or just say what he needed to say to you directly. But back to you staying up, one year I walked past your room and saw the lights still on. It was way past midnight. And the year that started it all, I heard you leave the house. It just so happens that I stayed up as well wanting to wish Tōya-nii happy birthday too, when I saw your room was empty. I'm petty sure that's the time you met Hawks because after that, you two started spending a lot of time together. But I'll talk about that later.

Sometimes I find myself wondering what kind of man he'd be right now. What kind of life would he be living? And sometimes I ask myself would it hurt less if we talked about him more? Holding on to our pain in isolation seems to run in the family. We could've spent Tōya-nii's birthday's together like how we had dinner with mom that time. We could've been doing that all this time but none of us thought of that. But I guess we can talk about this in person.

Now for the reason I'm really writing this, you're happily married. Honestly, Fuyumi I've been wishing for your happiness basically our whole lives. You gave up so much that I wanted life to reward you tenfold and now look. I admit, at first I wasn't a fan of you and Hawks dating. I mean look how our lives turned out because of the pursuit of heroism but I know not everyone is like him. But that incident happened where you got attacked and I lost it, like of all the people, not my sister, not my family again.

But seeing you glow with happiness, get excited about dates, get engaged and then married. You know? Normal things that aren't work or family drama related, just you living your own life and smiling and laughing about it. The life you always should've been living to be honest.

I couldn't be happier for you, you deserve it more than ever and I hope your happiness and love only continues to grow from here.

I don't say it enough but you're an amazing older sister and I love you a lot.

From your (probably) favourite brother, Natsu.

No matter how many times Fuyumi read his letter, the way her brother chose to end it never failed to make her laugh. As if she could ever choose a favourite brother. But one of the many things she really appreciated about Natsuo was his ability to make her smile.

Fuyumi stood in the bathroom completely stunned. She'd had her suspicions and felt the symptoms and changes in her body the past three weeks but there was nothing like having the answer stare at her right in the face.

The test result was positive.

Fuyumi was pregnant.

Her heart was pounding in excitement. She was going to be a mother, she and Keigo were going to be parents. They were about to start a family together. She happily went back into the bedroom and sat on the bed, letting it sink in, tears of joy welled up in her eyes as her hands went down to belly. It was really happening.

Fuyumi couldn't wait to tell Hawks but she still had to get through the whole day before she could. She couldn't wait to see his reaction.

When Hawks finally came home Fuyumi couldn't wait any longer and basically sat him down on the couch as soon as possible, saying there was something important she had to tell him. Hawks was a little nervous but going by Fuyumi's elated energy, it had to be good news.

She reached for something hidden behind the couch cushion closest to her. A white box with a ribbon tied to it. She handed it to him and waited for him to open it. Hawks untied the ribbon and lifted the lid, inside was a yellow baby bib with a baby chick coming out of an egg on it.

It took less that two seconds for the realisation to hit. His eyes flew wide in surprise and the biggest smile was on his face.

"Fuyumi! You're pregnant!?" the overjoyed shock present in his voice.

"I'm pregnant! She squealed and stood up excitedly. Hawks immediately picked her up and spun her, their joyous laughter filled the room.

"We're going to be parents, I can't believe it!" he hugged her and kissed the top of her head. His gleeful energy only added to her own. They were on their way to having their own little family.

Telling her family had gone just as great as she thought it would. Fuyumi suggested a family dinner and stressed how important it was that they all be there. When the weekend came, the family got together. After they had dinner and dessert, Fuyumi and Hawks stood at the front of the room. Hawks held her hand as she spoke.

"Our family's about to get bigger." she lightly squeezed her husband's hand. "I'm pregnant!"

Collective gasps followed by excited cheers and congratulations filled the room. Rei was the first to stand up and hug them both, happy tears already filling her eyes, saying they were going to be amazing parents. Her brothers were just as excited and hugged her as well, Natsuo was already talking about being the best uncle.

But probably the most shocking reaction of all was Enji pulling them both in for a hug, saying he was happy for them both. Getting over her initial shock, Fuyumi hugged her father back. Tears filled her eyes. Hawks had been just as surprised but more than gladly enjoyed the moment.

As the weeks went by, Fuyumi's belly grew and grew. She stood in front of the bathroom mirror and turned to the side to see just how much more her belly had grown. With an affectionate smile, she slowly rubbed over it. We can't wait to meet you.

Hawks joined her and put his arms around her from behind and kissed her cheek. Fuyumi closed her eyes and leaned into him. They swayed gently from side to side. It was beautiful moment for the three of them.

Or so they thought.

"We're having twins?!" Fuyumi repeated just to be sure she'd heard the doctor right. But even if she hadn't heard, the image on the screen clearly showed two babies. That did answer why Fuyumi felt like her belly was a lot bigger than she thought it should be at her stage of pregnancy. As the doctor explained more and more details, the parents-to-be only got more excited to meet their babies.

Fuyumi was due around Spring but the most exciting news by far was learning that she was carrying girls. Hawks, who had been holding her hand the entire time, kissed it when they found out.

It was only when they were back home and getting ready for bed that night that it really hit Hawks again. In a few month's time, he was going to be a father. Him, a father when he never really had a good example of one in his life.

Neither of them did growing up.

"Do you ever worry about it? What kind of parents we'll be?" he got into bed next to Fuyumi.

"Of course I do. It's our first time being parents. We've never done this before and sometimes it's all I can think about." Fuyumi admitted as she leaned against him.

"Especially with the way we grew up."

"Yeah..." she let those words sink in. Fuyumi had brought up these worries with her mother. How much she feared history repeating itself but her mother reassured her. "But, Keigo, we're not our parents and you're definitely not your father. We're going to do our best with our girls and I've seen you at your best. There's not a single doubt in my mind that you're going to be the most amazing father." Fuyumi smiled and nuzzled into him and placed his hand on her bump.

"And you're going to be the best mother." he held her closer.

Of course they'd have moments of doubt and fear, they only wanted the best for their children. And having grown up the way they had, in homes that forced them to grow up much too quickly, they both wanted to create a home full of laughter and love. To give their girls the childhoods they deserved, the ones they never got to have.

They'd already created that home for themselves as husband and wife and to take that moving forward into their lives as parents was a wish and a prayer they'd always hold on to.

Nee-san,

Writing this letter to you brings back memories of when I'd write to mom back when I was still in high school. Looking back on everything and how far our family has come, I keep thinking about how hard it must have been being the oldest without Tōya-nii around to help you. But even so, I've enjoyed every meal you've ever prepared for me and just having you as sister has made my life a lot better.

You've always supported and encouraged me and even though our relationship only started improving as we got older, it's still better than not having you as a sister at all. Thank you for being a great sister to me.

You're one of the reasons I got to grow up and become the person I want to be, so seeing you walk down a path of your own and making your own life for yourself makes me really happy.

Also as the months go by, I find myself feeling more and more excited that you're having kids. I'm not sure how to be an uncle yet but I'll do my best. I also end up wondering if your kids will look more like you or Hawks. Is that a strange thing to wonder? I guess you'll tell me when the time comes.

I know you'll be a great mom because you're already amazing at being a teacher and amazing with kids. Remember back when I was trying to get my provisional license and I told you how we had to work with kids for the day? When I was struggling, I remembered thinking to myself "how could nee-san be so good at this and do it everyday?" it felt so beyond me but I gained even more respect for you.

Oh yes, Momo saw me writing this letter and made sure I told you that she's happy for you too and wishing you all the best—we both are.

Once again, congratulations on all the blessings coming into your life.

You deserve them all.

Keep making happy memories,

Shōto.

Almost there, we're almost at the end. Sometimes it still blows my mind how far this story has come (and it's even done yet, lol). Including letter to Fuyumi and Hawks from their families was something I really wanted to do, like yes the story is about the two of them but how have the others also been seeing the relationship and growth of the people they care about, that was the motivation behind the letters. Also the letters work as time skips, after each letter a significant amount of time has passed and we enter a new part of Hawks and Fuyumi's lives. Anyways hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Well that's it from me-

Until the next chapter:

Ketsui Tasogare :-)