Izuku awoke alone; a moment of panic began to take hold, but he heard the divine sound of Inari's laughter drifting in from underneath the door. He turned and looked at his alarm clock. It was well past his usual wake-up time. He surmised that his girlfriends, a term he was still getting used to after the previous day, had been driven from his mind as the most precious thing had been taken and threatened. He woke up and went to the shower; as the water cascaded off his head, he heard the door open, and Itsuka's voice drifted in.
"Inari has been fed; parents will arrive in a few hours; we will bathe and take Inari with us. Food is in the microwave."
"Thank you, tell Momo thank you for me. Are you guys ok?" He called back. "I know we didn't talk much yesterday about…"
"I can't answer for anyone else but yes and no," Itsuka paused. "What happened yesterday, minus Inari being taken would be enough to make for a horrific day, but factor that in… I am thankful, so very thankful, that everyone is safe, that she is safe, that we are still together, but no, I am not ok. No one is, I am sure. Make sure you get dressed. You know my parents will want to see you and so are Momo's. We are planning on telling them about us."
"I can do that. Thank you again, Itsu," he paused. "Itsu?"
"Yes, Izu?"
"I would have sucked it up and made it through last night alone if I had to, but I am glad I didn't have to."
"Same, Izu, Same," she called back.
Itsuka closed the door and walked back into the central part of the apartment, "He is up showering. I told him about the food and the parents."
Momo, who had Inari in her arms, smiled and nodded. "Would you help me with her clothes and stuff?" Itsuka nodded before they headed out the door. She leaned over and gently kissed Momo on the lips. She was happy to see her girlfriend blush some, and Inari giggled. "What was that for? Not that I am objecting in any way, mind you."
"For making last night easier to deal with," Itsuka smiled as they excitedly headed to the large baths.
The entire dorm was not what would be called a flurry of activity, but there was a bustle as the students went about getting ready for the arrival of their parents and families. Inari was beyond overjoyed to find Tsu still in the baths, with the little girl clinging to her.
"Thank you, Aunty, for making the scary lady go away," she kissed Tsu on the cheek; the frog girl smiled and hugged the little girl tight.
"If I am around, I will help your mommies and your daddy chase all the scary people away, Kero," she told the little girl. "Now go get clean so you can wear your pretty dress; my mom will want to see you." Inari nodded, taking her seat in front of Momo so she could get washed up.
There is something magical about getting cleaned up, whether a shower or a bath; something about getting clean makes the day a little more bearable. Everybody was battered; everyone was bruised after the day before.
-Izuku-
Izuku emerged into the kitchen, his stomach crying out for food; his phone chimed as he was heating his plate. It was a message from All-Might.
Dad: I hope you are awake and eating something after everything yesterday. I wish I could see you, but I know it would cause more trouble now. I would like to have dinner with you and Inari tonight. Also, your girlfriends are invited as well if they are available.
Izuku: I am eating, and of course, we can have dinner; I will talk it over with them and let you know. I have to ask: is the actual Ren safe?
Dad: Yes, she is safe, highly traumatized, but she is safe. There will be a faculty meeting tomorrow morning; the press has not been made aware of what happened, but that won't last.
Izuku: I understand; I will see you tonight.
He put his dish into the dishwasher and entered the common area; some other students stopped and looked at him briefly before carrying on with their preparations. He set about making sure some water was available on the counter before he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and saw Bakugo standing there. He saw the ash blonde open his mouth a few times and start to say something, only to stop.
"Don't worry about saying it right," Izuku said.
Izuku could see that take some pressure off Bakugo's shoulders, "Will you talk to my mom if she came up to you?"
"Yes, and Bakugo?" Izuku paused. "Thank you for what you did at the USJ and for helping to watch over her."
"Look, Izuku, needless to say this," he gestured between them. "This shit is complicated, and we need to deal with it, but not today. But we will deal with it!"
"Okay," Izuku shrugged. "I will talk to your mom if she wants to."
"Good," he said and walked away.
"Your life is anything but dull," a voice said behind him, making him jump; he turned and saw Mineta. "Hey man, before this shit gets crazy, I just wanted to ask how you do it?"
"Do what?" he responded, confused.
"Keep moving forward," Mineta offered a cup of coffee to Izuku, which he took. "Yesterday was a, let's just call it, a cluster fuck, your life, dude. I sat down last night and was thinking about what you said. About your parents and Inari's mom, everything you have going on with Bakugo, Ojiro, Momo, and Itsuka. With so much, how do you not just quit?"
"I wanted to quit; when my mom died, I wanted to quit. When Suijin died, I may have, but Inari came into my life simultaneously, and Suijin is part of Inari. You have to fight for something more than yourself, call it crazy but an ideal." He said. "The relationships you have to work on and sort out, talk to the people, and get it to at least where you all know where you stand."
"But Ideals are a vision of perfection, and nothing is fucking perfect," Mineta replied as they took a seat on a stool.
"Doesn't mean you can't fight for it," Izuku sat next to Mineta, "Money and women fade. Do you want to try and build a life around someone that all they want is money and fame? What happens when it slips or goes away?"
Mineta started to respond but stopped. "Beautiful women and money are a great possible perk, but they can't be your driving goal. After a day like yesterday don't you want someone who can just be there for you and help to shoulder the pain, the burden of that cluster fuck? Or someone more concerned about how this might affect your ranking and, therefore, your paycheck." Izuku drank his coffee; he marveled at how good it was. "I don't think you're a bad guy, Mineta, and I saw you leaped out and chucked those balls; it tripped up Shigaraki and gave people time to react."
Mineta laughed, "You don't have to slip out the back anymore, Mineta; it is okay to be scared; only an idiot wouldn't be. I woke up this morning and was scared it wasn't over." Izuku closed his eyes for a minute. "Back in the day, when you tried to do the right thing and were punished, you don't have to worry about that now. I promise that as long as you are doing the right thing, then I will have your back, and if we are going to go down, we will go down swinging and together." He smiled at Mineta and squeezed the boy's shoulder, "Thanks for the coffee."
"You're welcome," Mineta responded as Izuku walked away. He just stood there for a moment. Had he already thrown it all away? Midnight told him so, but could he somehow fight and hold on to his spot, proving he was worthy of a second chance? He took the mugs to the sink and gave them a quick wash as he thought about the future that awaited him; maybe he would go to church, not because he needed god but to see what it meant to live or fight for something greater than yourself. What would he fight for if it wasn't for women or money?
Izuku was near the stairs when Inari appeared in the arms of Toru; the invisible girl was bouncing along and singing with Inari a song that never ended. It sounded like nonsense, but their joy made it tolerable. Inari spotted Izuku, stopping her song, and yelled, "DADDY, LOOK AT MY DRESS!"
She even held it up for him, which made him smile; it was a lovely navy blue with white flowers patterned on the hem and neckline; she had on little lace gloves, white shoes, and a matching hat with a white bow around it. He noticed that Toru was wearing a dress also; it was light blue with a pink belt and shoes.
"Don't you ladies look very lovely today?" Izuku said, coming to the foot of the stairs, "Where are your Mommies?"
"Mommies are getting dressed; Itsu had to get her hair fixed. The bad man made it go away," Inari pouted before leaning into her father's arms. Izuku looked towards Toru.
"Mina is giving it a trim; Captain Douchebag grabbed the ponytail, so they are fixing it some," she answered. "Any idea when the parental units will arrive?"
"Soon, I imagine," they sat on the couches, waiting for everyone.
"Have you heard anything about Yuga?" Toru asked quietly, unsure of her question.
"No, I haven't. I haven't received any updates from the faculty, but I know we will be having a meeting soon," he said as Inari walked over and grabbed the remote for the TV. He watched as she pushed all the right buttons, and soon, cartoons were on the screen. He expected her to return to him, but instead, she climbed into Toru's lap and pulled the girl's arms around her.
Izuku assumed that Toru had laid her head on top of Inari as the little girl's hat shifted; he realized he wished he could see her and her smile. He thought about it and realized that he wanted it almost absently; Toru must wish for that every single day. "Can I ask a sensitive question? You can tell me you don't want to discuss it, and I will understand."
"Go ahead," she responded wearily. She wasn't sure what he would ask, though she was sure it wasn't anything perverted.
"How does your quirk work? I mean, does it absorb light? Does it bend light? Obviously, you would turn it off if you could, so is it a mutation, which means it's always on?" he questioned.
"I don't know if it's a mutation; I was visible till it activated. Some mutations are like that, I guess." Mina paused. "Mina told me when she was born, her skin was grey, and the quirk made it turn that beautiful pink. Quirk suppression cuffs don't work, so I think I am stuck this way."
"Maybe it can be disrupted if it bends light?" Izuku said, holding his chin. "Or even if it is absorbing light, there may be a way for it to be disrupted. It doesn't affect your clothes." She giggled when she saw him begin to blush.
"Did you just realize that during the battle trials, I was naked?" she said; she laughed when he nodded. "You would have been correct, but actually, Midnight had time to make me a pair of underwear, at least that is part of the Gen-Fabric, so no, my naughty bits were not floating out there, but they would have been."
"Does that bother you?" he wondered.
"No, no one can see them. I had to come to grips with the idea when I wanted to run around unseen," she saw Toru's clothing shift towards him. "And I can of like it; it is thrilling," he could hear the secretive tone in her voice. "It has that thrill of knowing you are doing something naughty, but you will not get caught." He couldn't see it, but she was blushing and smiling as he burst into a blush.
He coughed to try and compose himself, "If you don't mind, maybe we can work on you being able to disrupt it somehow; I am sure you would like to see yourself. Take a picture, etc."
"No, Izuku, I wouldn't mind. It would be nice, and I also want to know how I look." Toru paused. "Besides, I like you. You are good people, so hanging out with you and this cuddle bug…I could think of worst ways to waste my time."
-Support Course-
"Look at these costumes. What the hell happened at rescue training?" Hajo said, holding up an emerald green outfit that was ripped and torn.
"You didn't hear?" Kuse replied; the girl looked around and leaned in. "The scuttlebutt is that villains attacked the school."
"NO FUCKING WAY?" Bernard said as he looked over a pink-themed space suit that looked like total hell.
"Nothing official, but I heard some stuff; the first-year hero course has all been sequestered in their dorms and didn't go to class today," Kuse continued. "Look at all their stuff, a lot of this shit is just ruined."
The other students stopped and looked at all the destroyed uniforms on their desks, the broken pieces of body armor on some. "I heard that a kid was kidnapped and held for ransom or some shit," Noah said as he lifted dented and broken armor belonging to the hero course speedster. "Yea, some shit went down."
"Wait, a child was kidnapped?" they all turned and saw that resident explosion maker Mei Hatsume was not tinkering with something that made them fear for their safety but was looking over a teal qipao that looked about to fall apart if you breathed on it wrong.
"That's what I heard, but there isn't anyone in the hero course that has a kid, so it is just a rumor," Noah said quickly.
"Ok. COOL!" Mei responded as she went back to her workstation. It was the tone in her voice that everyone who heard it knew that nothing was "COOL."
"Hey, anyone notice that we are missing 2 cases, one from each class," Louie said, looking up. "#18 for 1-B and #1 for 1-A."
"Oh shit, he is right," Washu replied, looking around.
-1-A Dorms-
Two buses pulled up in front of the hero course dorms. The parents disembarked and promptly invaded.
Izuku took Inari into his arms and moved to the side as the parents made their way in; it was surprisingly organized and not a total stampede. All the parents wore a face of worry; it varied in degree from one to another, but it was all there. He saw the visible relief on their faces as they found their children; hugs were delivered, and some tears were held back for some as they headed upstairs.
He smiled as Mrs. Asui broke away and walked over to him, "I just want to do a quick check-in?"
"We are okay," she raised an eyebrow at him. "As we can be."
"Would it be alright if we see you after we visit with Tsu?" she asked.
"Yes," he smiled as Inari reached for the woman, demanding a hug. "Later, Inari, I promise." She pouted at her father's response but nodded; her daddy always kept his promises anyway. Izuku had thought that Tsu's family would be the largest, but he was amazed when Mineta's family walked in. His mother was over 7 feet tall but had such a slight build she floated across the room to her son. His father was tall and stocky; Izuku could see where Mineta got his unique hair. The army of children came in with them, about half younger than Mineta and the rest older. Izuku counted nine children in total.
Mineta was shocked that his older siblings came; he stuttered when they came to check on him. He blushed under all their affection as he herded them to his room; he noticed the looks of his classmates. As he was walking, he started thinking about his ideal; as he held the hands of his little sisters so they could climb the stairs, a thought began to take hold. He heard his mother immediately start on him withdrawing from the hero course, as she had fainted when they received the news.
Izuku and Inari were about to slip away when the door opened again, and in walked Kobayashi and Midnight. He was worried seeing his lawyer, and then his worry slightly increased when he stood back and Midnight came walking up to him. He noticed her face was bruised, and her arm was in a sling.
"Is everything okay, Professor?" he asked.
The pro heroine looked at him and provided a weak smile. "No, but you already know that. I will also speak to the class soon, but first," she bowed deeply to him. "I am so sorry that I wasn't there to help defend you and your classmates and Inari. I hope you can forgive me."
He was shocked, but he thought about it: she and Vlad had been targeted and whisked away at the start of the battle, leaving them on their own. It had been a strategic move, eliminating their instructors and the only people with experience, leaving the students at a tactical disadvantage. It was obvious from her wounds that they hadn't been dropped into a spa resort and had just chosen to enjoy themselves rather than fight to get back to them.
"You have nothing to apologize for," he said as warmly as he could; she looked up at him, and he could see that she was blaming herself for what had happened. The attack, Inari's kidnapping, Yuga, simply everything when it wasn't close to being her fault. "Professor, no one knew, no one. We didn't know that we had two…issues. They got to Inari under Neze and Torino's noses; they couldn't even stop it."
"But still…" she protested.
"When you were teleported away, did you shrug your shoulders and simply wait for someone to find you? From the looks of it, you fought your ass off, so much so that Recovery Girl couldn't even heal you all the way or at all due to you being exhausted. None of us blame you or the other professors; please raise your head." He said softly to her.
Midnight raised her head and looked at the young man who had every right to be irrational and angry at everything, and here he was doing his best to comfort her for her perceived failure. "You are one of a kind, Izuku, thank you. Mr. Kobayashi is here to see you; excuse me, I must see Recovery Girl." Her smile was more robust now. "But don't neglect yourself, Izuku, while you are being strong for everyone else," she added as she stepped aside.
Kobayashi came over, and Inari immediately went into his arms, "It is good to see you as well, little one," he hugged her before turning his attention to Izuku. "If you would please show me to your quarters, there are some matters we need to discuss." Izuku nodded and led the man to his room.
Once inside, the lawyer set the girl down and placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder, "Before we get into the business part of my visit…How are you holding up? I can only imagine that this ordeal has been difficult and not only putting it mildly but a gross understatement."
Izuku paused. He could feel himself breaking some, but he looked to Inari and stopped himself. Kobayashi saw this as well. "I understand, Izuku; let us get to the business part then." Izuku nodded and took a seat at the table.
"Ok, first, U.A. has made an offer in case we decide to sue," Kobayashi said as he opened his briefcase.
"Why would we sue?" Izuku stammered out.
"Inari being kidnapped, threatened, etc.," Kobayashi replied, pulling out some paperwork. "It is quite generous; all you have to do is sign."
"No, I am not suing the school," Izuku said, pushing the paperwork away. "It wasn't their fault with what happened. I am sure that others may sue, but not me."
"This incident will break on the new tomorrow; how will you handle that? Your name and news about you having a child will break across the country and the world." Kobayashi folded his hand on the table. "This could have serious repercussions. Someone will dig and find out about Suijin, her parents, and their criminal record. Life is going to be very difficult." Izuku raised an eyebrow. "Well, more difficult from here on out. It would be best to increase your nest egg now while you can. Should this require you to step away…"
"I will not step away; I will not profit from this." Izuku looked at Kobayashi; the man was staring right back at him. "If I could do anything to those responsible, suing them if so far down the list, I may remember it after I put them in the ground." He paused, "No, Kobayashi, there will be no lawsuits. Not on my end, but if any news outlets mention Inari's name, I want them sued into oblivion. She is a minor; her name should be kept out of all this."
"I will do what I can, but it will get out; her birth is a matter of public record." Kobayashi looked away to the Inari, sitting at the coffee table, coloring quietly. "She has gotten so big; how is she holding up?"
"Fine, I have to take her to a counselor. She slept with me last night as expected, and it all just happened yesterday," Izuku had followed Kobayashi's gaze and was looking at his daughter; she seemed content to be there coloring.
"If you need anything, Izuku, please feel free to call, even if it's not legal counsel. The Mrs. sends her thoughts and prayers." He said, getting to his feet and packing up his things. "I read some of the report that other person that showed up, he sounds terrifying."
"He was evil; that is the only way I could put it." Izuku shuddered. "I wonder what his goals are; why attack many kids? I get the feeling he could have ended me right then and there, but he didn't, and I don't know why."
"Who can understand the rationale of a madman?" Kobayashi moved towards the door. "He is probably a parent."
"Why do you say that?" Izuku stopped and stared at the man, remembering the villain's words to Neito.
"Parents do the strangest and craziest things for their children," Kobayashi smiled. "I have been a lawyer for a long time, Izuku, and I have seen a lot of strange things that parents have done." Izuku tilted his head slightly in confusion. "I have seen parents willing to fight the weather if they thought it would help their child, tear reality asunder for them; a parent will truly go farther for their child than will for a lover. It is a beautiful and terrifying thing to see."
Izuku thought about it, and he could only nod in agreement. He knew there were limits to how far he would go for those he loved, but for Inari, he couldn't see those limits.
"I will be in touch," Kobayashi said his goodbyes from the door before exiting the room.
-Momo-
Momo and her parents had exchanged charming formal greetings in the common area; they then made their way to her quarters. As the door was closed and locked, her parents just pulled her in into such a tight hug she wondered if they were trying to break her ribs. Her mother was crying silently as she clung to her. She even noticed some tears from her father, but they were quickly wiped away.
"Oh, my baby girl," her mother Chi began. "When I got the news, I was absolutely shocked, angry, terrified, and so relieved that they said you were not critically injured. But the fact that you had been injured was something that just tore at my very soul."
Then her father asked the question, "Are you okay?"
Momo began to answer yes, but her voice broke. She began to cry and clung to her parents in almost desperation; she just said no and started to repeat how scared she was. To Gio's credit, he didn't say anything, letting her pour out her emotions. His blood boiled thought at the anguish and pain his beloved daughter was expressing. Two terrible things had happened to his little girl, and he had not been there to protect her from either of them.
It took Momo several minutes to finally compose herself; once she did, she sat down on her bed with her mother, sitting next to her and pulling her head down to her lap. "Do you want to talk about it?" her mother whispered.
Momo took a deep breath, "This isn't how I wanted to tell you, but Izuku and I are dating now; I am also dating Itsuka."
Chi looked up at Gio in surprise. "How did this come, and whose idea was it?" he asked.
"It was mine; I fell in love with Izuku after he saved me." She closed her eyes as her mother ran her fingers through her hair. "I talked to the therapist about it, and she told me it could be simply because of that very fact, hero worship. So I sat back and wanted to get to know him to see if those feelings were true, and they were. I love him and Inari so very much that it hurts." Momo opened her eyes, looking at her father. "There is something special between Itsuka and me; she is in love with Izuku and has been for a long time. When I thought about sharing Izuku with her, it didn't bother me; it made me happy. The thought of having her there with us made me happy, and I also realized I had feelings for her. I told them I wanted to date them and be a part of Inari's life. I want all of us to be happy together."
"What if it doesn't work that way, honey?" Chi said. "Those kinds of relationships are complicated, and for your first one?"
"I know that, Mother," Momo sighed. "But I want it, I want to try. I couldn't sit back and not have them in my life. The events of the USJ drove me home that life can be short, and I do not want regrets."
"I must say that this is shocking to hear," Gio said. "But it is best to find out what you like and want while young." Momo smiled some when he said that. "But I want you not to rush in too fast; what about Inari?"
"Inari may have started calling me mom," Momo said, sitting up; her parents were shocked. "OK, so let me tell you everything. I came in from class, and Inari….
-1-B Dorms-
Itsuka was staring at her hair; that damn bastard had lopped off just a large chuck with his stupid quirk. Thankfully, Mina and Kyoka were able to help do something with it; for now, it was a punk rock pixie cut with the top being longer. It looked fantastic and was the best she would get until it grew back.
She walked into the dorms about 15 minutes before the parents saw her class all sitting in the common area. The conversation paused as she entered, but it seemed to pick up again, so she knew they weren't talking about her. The topic was, as expected, Neito.
"Nice cut, btw," Setsuna turned, giving a thumbs up and flashing a toothy grin. "Very punk."
"Thanks, the girls in 1-A were kind enough to help me out," Itsuka said, sitting between her and Kinoko. "What are we discussing?"
"Nieto," Togaru almost growled.
"What about that bastard?" Itsuka responded, matching his intensity.
"I was about to propose, going forward, that we need to keep an eye out not only on each other but also those in our sister course," Niren said, standing up. "Nieto seemed desperate to create strife between us, and if it was something he wanted, then I say we go against it. He wanted us not to like you, Itsuka, and foster resentment with Izuku and his daughter."
"Well, with everything that got said yesterday, I guess it makes sense," Setsuna said. "That guy showing up claiming to be his dad, All-Might getting called Grandpa by Inari, that is all some crazy stuff."
The rest of the class chimed in with comments and concerns. "No one likes this, but we need to hold each other accountable from here on out," Niren continued. "We need to report if any of us start acting suspicious for our safety and the safety of others."
"We have to big brother ourselves?" Awase said.
"I feel it is the only choice, but we should vote; in the future, I want more votes and meetings with you all. I don't want to make decisions that will unilaterally affect us as your class president. I feel that is the most healthy way to move forward." He looked at the rest of the class as they nodded their agreement. "I want to make Setsuna our new vice president."
"Whoa, slow your role there, prez; why me?" Set said, standing up.
"You pretty smart, and when Neito was trying to get us all against Itsuka, you were like, Nah, I am going to make up my mind," Shinso said quickly.
"Despite your flippant attitude, your grades are excellent, you scored second on the recommendation exam, and you have a way of getting people to at least listen," Ibarra added to some surprise. "I believe that you will do well."
Set tried to talk her way out of it, but the rest of the class shot down her arguments none harder than her friends. "Traitors," she whispered. "Fine, I will do it," she smiled as the class cheered; it was a nice feeling that they believed in her so much she swore to herself that she wouldn't disappoint them.
-Itsuka-
She was happy to see her mom and dad; she could tell he was holding it in the best he could. He played a big, tough guy, but when it came to his family and Itsuka, he was a big ole teddy bear. The parents immediately began to disperse, with the Kendos being no different. Once in the room, it took the ladies a little to calm Nao down. Hina sent Nao to get them some drinks from the kitchen, and then she took Itsuka into her arms.
Itsuka let the emotion go and began to tell her mom everything had happened. From Momo to Izuku, to Inari calling her mom, the three of them dating all of it. Hina knew her daughter had dated a few girls before and was surprised to hear her speak about Momo. Izuku, that was no surprise. Itsuka had tried to keep that from her mom, but the words abject failure would have been the best to describe it.
Nao came in while Itsuka was still composing herself; when he wrapped her tight, usually Itsuka would shut it down, but instead, she just let it go. She went to wash her face while Hina filled him in on their daughter's new relationship status. When he began to say something, Hina gave him a stare, leaned in close, and whispered, "Kori." Nao immediately shut up.
When Itsuka returned, her parents were sitting, waiting for her to begin. Itsuka sat down on her chair, taking a deep breath, and told them what happened and how it all went down.
-Momo-
Her Parents sat there and listened to the whole story; Momo sanitized some of what had happened with Shigaraki and left out Yuga but told them about Neito and the betrayal. She made them promise to increase their security as that monster had some sick fascination with her and the company.
She had briefly considered keeping it from them, but the thought of Neito somehow approaching them without them knowing what was happening had bothered her too much. She knew that with the people surrounding Neito, the masked man, the mist villain, and whomever else if they decided to go after her parents, there was only so much she could do. But they had the resources and the connections to make that one hell of a costly decision.
"Poor Izuku and Inari," Chi said as the conversation ended. "They are all alone. I would like to see them if that is okay with you, darling?" Momo nodded.
"I would also like to talk with the man who stole my precious Momo's heart," Gio added. "I know what kind of person he is; I just want to talk with him some. It is my right as a father."
"Fine, but be nice, Father; I truly do love him," Momo whispered the last part.
-Mitsuki Bakugo-
She could hear his voice; it wasn't quite the same voice that haunted her dreams. It was older, deeper, of course. She sat around the corner of the building; she would get up and go to walk over, but stop, walk away, stop.
He hated her; when she saw him, she saw the pain she had caused. She had taken Inko from him; she had robbed him of his mother and robbed his mother of watching her son grow up. Whenever Mitsuki saw Katsuki, she was thankful, sad, and guilty. She got to watch her son grow, change, and chase after his dream. Inko wouldn't, at least not in the same way.
Sometimes, Inko was in the dream, yelling at her, tormenting her for what had happened. It was a never-ending cycle of pain for some time; she didn't know what to do. Katsuki told her to get help that they both needed help. For years, he would deny it, shun it, scoff at it; whenever she saw him touching that scar by his eye, he would lash out. Lash out at her, Masaru, anyone around, and those who weren't around.
Masaru would hear them both at night when they were asleep; Mitsuki was crying and pleading with Inko. Katsuki was arguing with Izuku. He never thought about leaving them; they needed him. Someone had to be there when they were ready to get help.
Katsuki first went to his mother, and when Masaru came home, they stood together, asking for help. He almost wept, but he held it in and sprang into action. He had plans, and he updated his plan every week. Mitsuki had to go inpatient; Katsuki would start patient. In the end, he could move back into the room with his wife, and he could be home again. Mitsuki still struggled; that night, when they bumped into Izuku and she saw Inari, it was devastating. Just something else she had robbed Inko of.
Then he was in the dorms; she was going to stay away, but then the school called. Villain attack, students injured. She had to come, Katsuki told her after she fussed over him for 10 seconds. "He said he would talk to you if you want."
"What if he hates me?" she responded.
"You believe he does anyway; at least this way, you will know for sure," Katsuki replied. "He and I haven't tried to kill each other or even gotten into it…" he looked away and muttered, "That much."
She looked to Masaru, "Do it, so you can try to close that book. If he hates you, he hates you, but if he doesn't…"
That was how she found herself here; she was sitting against the wall, her head in her hands, trying to control her freak out, when a little voice said, "Are you okay? Would you like some water?" Her head shot up; she didn't scream, which she would always be proud of, as the tender teal eyes stared at her holding a bottle of water. She looked to the side of the building and saw his hand sticking out; he waved it to let her know he was right there.
"Yes, I would like some water," she said, slowly taking the bottle. "What is your name?"
"My name is Inari; my daddy said you may need some water," she smiled so warmly, so tender that Mitsuki wanted to hug her and cry.
"Where is your daddy?" Mitsuki asked after taking a drink.
"HE is right by the wall; he said you can sit here and talk to him if you want, or you can come closer." Inari's voice was very proud she had remembered the whole sentence.
"Did you daddy tell you who I was?" Mitsuki whispered.
Inari nodded, "He said you are Mr. Boom-Boom's mommy," Mitsuki almost did a spit-take at that. "And that you are my Aunt Mitsi!" Her head shot up at that part. "Ok, I am going to go play." Inari ran off around the corner. "I did it, Daddy. Did you hear I remembered the whole thing!"
"I heard, my princess, you did amazing. Now play. I will watch from right here," she heard his voice so warm, nothing like she heard in her head. Mitsuki got up and moved over to sit just around the corner from him. "I figured this might be easier."
She started and stopped several times before she took a deep breath and just said, "Do you hate me?"
"No," his answer was clear and quick. "I was very angry with you for a time. I was angry with you right after, but I was also angry with my Mom, the world, your son, you name it. But I also drank a lot then, so there is that."
"So you did hate me?" she whispered.
"I was angry at what had happened; I was hurt that you came to the funeral, said sorry, and ran away," she could hear the compassion and hurt in his voice. "You owed me more than that."
"I did, and I do," Mitsuki listened. Her heart was about to explode, but she did her best. "I am so sorry, Izuku, I am so fucking sorry. I should have just called us a cab or extended our stay. It was just such a colossal fuck up. Then I made it worse, Katsuki made it worse. He told me, he told me everything; I am so sorry." She wasn't sure when she started crying, but she was.
"Then I saw your little girl, and I couldn't speak. I robbed you of Inko and Inko of you and meeting her, and…and…Jesus Izuku I am so sorry. I wish there were a better word, but I don't know one…" She felt a hand touch hers, and she froze. She looked over and saw his hand on hers.
"There is nothing we can do to change the past, Aunty, nothing we can do to bring back the dead. Trust me on that." She heard the emotion again in his voice as he squeezed her hand. "But I don't have anyone to tell my daughter stories about her grandmother; all I have are the stories from when she had settled down and was my mother. I would like it if Inari could hear stories about her before those times."
"I can do that," she whispered, squeezing his hand back. "What about you and Katsuki?"
"We still need to sort that out, but I think we are going in the right direction, though I suspect some punching will be involved." He said with a laugh. Mitsuki wanted to protest or say that they shouldn't use violence, but she knew that her son and Izuku had some things they needed to work through.
"Izuku, would it be too much to ask for a hug?" she held her breath, waiting for him to answer.
"it is never too much, Aunty; come here; I want to introduce you to my daughter properly."
Mistuki rose to her feet and slowly approached the corner; he was so much taller now, muscled, with no baby fat on his face. He was a young man, much like her Katsuki. When she stepped into his hug, she expected him to disappear like smoke; that this was all some dream when he didn't, she cried again. She could hear Inko teasing her, "And you said I cried too much."
-Katsuki-
He heard the whole exchange from his window; he and his father were listening in case it went south.
"When are you going to settle things?" Masaru asked.
"Soon," Katsuki replied as they went to leave the room. "It is about time that we do so."
Masaru squeezed his son's shoulder as they went downstairs.
-Inari-
The strange woman who smelled like Boom-Boom was lovely; she played with Inari and smiled. She wasn't there for long before leaving and asked Inari for a hug. Inari loved to give hugs, so she was more than happy to oblige.
Next, two kids, Aunty Tsu, came to play with her; she even got to visit with the original. It became an endless parade; after that, her mommies showed up, and everyone played with her. She was in pure bliss.
-Izuku-
Seeing Beru was nice; he sat down and talked with her; she told him she would return to see him soon due to the incident. He was pulled aside by Gio and Nao when they arrived; in the end, they gave him the same warning he would one day provide a boy who came to take Inari out. Break her heart, and I will break your face. Gio, of course, put it much more poetically and with tact, but Nao was having none of that. As said before, it wasn't the ideal way he wanted to announce his relationship with their daughters, but that luxury had been stolen.
He wasn't sure how it happened, but soon, all the parents and other students were out back, and everyone was talking and interacting. Students that had been dispersed around the USJ together were congregating and introducing parents to each other. He met all the parents; their girls had talked about him and Inari.
He seemed to be conversing with the girl's parents, especially the Moms, while the Dads stared at him as if watching and judging. He didn't understand why. There was a warmness outside that afternoon; the class had survived an ordeal to bring them closer together; with the parents and his classmates' families, a connection was formed. He smiled and missed his mother; he knew she would have loved to be in the middle of it all, getting to know the other parents and exchanging information.
He was surprised when Hina wrapped him tightly and whispered how happy she was that he and Inari had made it through and that he and Itsuka would be happy. The little family waited until the bus had pulled away before they took their leave; Momo and Itsuka were getting increasingly nervous as the time to have dinner with All-Might was approaching.
They walked across campus past the standard teacher home to the woods, where they came across a secluded home tucked back in the trees. This was where All-Might lived while on campus; when the door opened, they had a hard time finding their voices; not only was this dinner with All-Might, but they were also meeting Izuku's father and grandfather. Momo's social training kicked in, saving her any embarrassment; Itsuka mentally wanted to kick her girlfriend as she had no such training to fall back on as she fumbled through her greeting.
His hearty laugh put them both at ease; once the door closed he was in his skeletal form, they had heard of it but seeing it was all different. "Please, call me Toshi or Yagi if you like while I am in this form."
Momo went with Yagi and Itsuka Toshi, "Now the grilling of the food and the grilling of your relationship with my son will be a little bit later; if you, please head to the back with my granddaughter, her Pap-Pap is waiting for you outside I need to talk with my son."
The girls nodded; the promise of Pap-Pap got Inari to let go of All-Might and go with her Mommies outside. Izuku was slightly concerned; his father squeezed his shoulder and told him to follow him. Izuku thought he had been in every room of this house, but to his surprise, he was led into a room he had never been in. He saw All-Might close the door, and he heard it seal a panel open, and All-Might typed in a code. Izuku could hear a faint hum.
"This room is designed not to let sound escape; it can still come in but not out," Toshi said. "It was designed by my niece Melissa Shield. She is rather brilliant."
"Ok, why are we here?" Izuku said, looking around.
"As a hero, as a person, and as I have learned since you came into my life as a parent, there are times and things that you have to let out. And you cannot do so in front of certain people or risk others overhearing," Toshi's voice was much softer than usual as he crossed the room and placed his hands on Izuku's shoulders. "Sometimes a father has to put on a face in front of his child so the child will not be afraid. In this room, you can let that face go. Are you alright, my son?"
Izuku's head nodded yes, but the word no floated from his lips. Toshi pulled him into a gentle hug, "It is alright, my son, let it go. I am here," he whispered.
Izuku's resolve broke; when he hugged his father, it was soft, but it got tighter as he just let the truth flow. "I was so scared, Dad. I was so fucking scared I was going to lose her. I can't lose her; I just can't."
"I know, son, I was scared also; it is ok, just let it out. I am here and will always be here."