Enji was gazing out of the colossal windows of his office at the first snow this year. Well, snow was an understatement, it was an actual snowstorm, uncanny in the usually mild climate of his country, but the rapid, unexpected changes of weather still happened from time to time, remnant of what humanity had done at the turn of the millennium to their ecosystem. Luckily, the combined efforts of many nations bore fruits before the weather anomalies could destroy the whole humankind, but there was still some way to go before they all would stop experiencing the weirdest weather from time to time.

He sighed. Rapid changes in meteorological conditions did not bother him personally, but they equalled long tiring days in his job – with plenty of car accidents, sometimes even plane crashes, heightened villain activity and plenty of employees sick or taking leave because of sick kids. His workday started the moment his phone woke up both him and Izuku at 6 AM, calling him to the huge, horrible wreck involving a speeding truck and too many cars that just happened to be in its way. Enji was the closest hero to the site, and known to be very capable in first aid, have ability to cauterize wounds and almost inhuman strength useful in moving large objects. So he rushed there, leaving his, a little down, Izuku at home with Yachie, the girl that for years helped his family with kids. They used to eat breakfast and go the agency together with Izuku, so the boy was a bit disappointed, though he tried not to show it knowing dad had to go save people. Then it was a whirlwind of emergency calls with hectic trying not to get too behind with police reports and internal paperwork that was supposed to be done by his secretary whose kid was down with acute tonsillitis. Admittedly she did work remotely, but there was simply too much to manage even when you did not have to divide your attention between a computer and a sick kid. As a result it was already 5 PM and Enji was not able to see the end of today's shift yet, as he tiredly sipped his sixth cup of mocha, watching the heavy clouds billowing over Musutafu, thick snowfall hiding too many things from heroes' eyes.

His secretary called.

"Yeah?"

"I've forwarded the rearranged shift schedule for this week, Endeavor-sama."

"Good." This was one hellish job to do with all the mess with leaves. Usually it was his HR manager's duty, but she landed in hospital today due to a driver who lost control on the sleety road.

"Mooom!" he could hear the hoarse voice of Uryuu's daughter.

"Call it a day," he decided.

"I still need to-"

"Did I stutter?"

"...thank you, Endeavor-sama."

He got irritated with her thanks. He had no idea why. A thing to be mentioned to his therapist, who encouraged him to work on trying to self-analyze the sources of his negative emotions. Sometimes it was indeed enlightening. And sometimes Enji had no clue why he was angry. In those cases he was supposed to relate the situation to Kazama and they would search for the source together.

"Mooooom!"

"Have a good evening then, Endeavor-sama."

"Uh, wait," 'Uh, wait'? Really? What was wrong with him recently?

"Yes?"

"Um," 'Um', great. Keep working on ruining your painstakingly built image, Enji. "Do any of our employees have a teenage daughter?"

There fell an obviously surprised pause.

"Um, Yumi-san's daughter is fifteen?"

"Could you perhaps ask her what would be the best gift from a father for a teenage daughter's birthday?"

Another pause fell.

"I don't have to," her voice changed, she obviously was smiling, probably laughing at him internally, he just felt that.

('Try not to read the worst in people, Todoroki-sama.' 'I see the worst in them everyday.' 'Yes, working with villains does that not only to you, but to many other heroes too. But not everyone is a villain.')

"Just take her shopping, Endeavor-sama. That's always the best idea. Whole day wandering in a shopping center. They have everything she might want."

'Whole day wandering in a shopping center.'

"I know you people hate me, but I never thought you hated me that much," he couldn't help but groan.

"Be strong, Endeavor-sama, I believe in you," she chuckled.

888

"Um, this got out of hand," Fuyumi smiled sheepishly, glancing at the mountain of gift bags laying on the floor by their table in their favorite restaurant.

Enji felt extremely proud of himself. He survived the day. Admittedly it wasn't as bad as he expected, with Fuyumi laughing out loud like he hadn't heard since she had been a tiny child, her eyes shining with joy whenever he noticed something she liked and bought it. So, sometimes simplest things truly could bring happiness.

"You really went crazy today, dad."

He shrugged. "It was your birthday this week, my love, this is nothing. This is only money."

"No, dad, these are the prettiest eardrops I've ever had!" She grinned, removing her hair so that he could take another look at the earrings they had bought today. With a flowery ornament, subtle chain, and stones that in the shadow had a color of Fuyumi's eyes and in the light shone bright like her hair, they complimented his daughter's beauty best. And she immediately wore it for him. He wondered if she would take them down later, in the taxi. Were the others going to be angry with her for wearing a gift from the father they hated?

"...ing, dad?"

"Sorry, love, but I never thought anything could make you even prettier than you are, but here it is."

"Oh, dad!" she grinned, waving her hand coyly. But he could see as plain as day she was pleased.

He smiled back. His Fuyumi. His dearest child. The only Rei's child that was willing to see him. Admittedly it was just mere months; Fuyumi tried to reassure him that with time, with boys growing a bit, they would want to see him.

He wanted it with all his being.

He dreaded with all his being it would never happen.

Still, he at least could see his sweet Fuyumi. So they sat down and he was listening to her talking animatedly about her teachers, friends, books she had read recently, movies she had seen. She thoughtfully avoided telling him how she had spent her actual birthday, for which he was grateful. He, of course, wanted them all to be happy, but at the same time it pained him that they were happy without him. Happier without him. Though, of course, it couldn't be other way, now he saw it.

He tried to give her as much attention as he could, one day for the six he was absent from her life, every Saturday begging not to be called to an emergency. Not every Saturday those prayers were heard. And even on those they had whole for themselves the time seemed to pass so quickly; even today, when they were doing one of the most boring for Enji things in the universe – shopping. But it was shopping with his Fuyumi, so, of course, the time flew by, and before he realized she finished her virgin fruit cocktail and looked at her phone.

"Ah, it got so late." Sadness gripped his heart, as it always had, but he nodded.

"Yeah, I'm going to call you a taxi."

"Thanks, dad. I loved it today."

There was a pause in conversation and Enji once more hesitated whether to ask. He had been putting it off every time he saw her, for a couple of weeks now. He did not know how to bring the subject up carefully, without giving the impression of trying to put any kind of pressure on her. And also, he knew that deep inside he did not want to hear the answer yet, he wanted to hope a little longer.

So, he chickened out this time too. Brave Number Two, the Flame Hero, frightening Endeavor. Yeah. He took most of the bags and they headed to the entrance to Seven Rainbows, where the taxi was supposed to come pick Fuyumi up. As they were standing there Fuyumi suddenly asked, "What is bothering you, dad? I noticed you wanted to talk about something for some time."

Ah, damn. Fuyumi would notice, wouldn't she. She always picked up these subtle things.

"It's-' he hesitated. They were celebrating her birthday today and it all had gone so well. He did not want to destroy it. "It's nothing."

"Is it about the New Year?"

She was so smart, his Fuyumi-chan. All his kids were. Sometimes he wondered if he wasn't the only stupid idiot in this family.

"Just... Just wanted to know," he murmured awkwardly, almost nervously. "No pressure or anything, just it's near."

"I know. I thought I could maybe visit you on the 1st?"

His heart warmed up immediately. She would see him, not on the eve, sadly, but at least on New Year's! And she would for the first time, since they'd left him, cross the threshold of their home!

"It's not a Saturday, won't your mom object?"

Fuyumi immediately frowned, her good mood spoiled. Damn you, stupid Enji.

"Sorry, sweetheart, it's just we have a deal and-"

"Dad, mom won't mind me seeing my dad. I told you she's not like that," she said a tiny bit testily.

"'M sorry, love."

Fuyumi sighed, but smiled.

He braced his courage once more, since the subject was on the table, and since he had managed to fuck up the evening with his stupid question anyway, so he could as well continue fucking up. Since he really needed to ask even if he knew the answer. "I know it's stupid to ask..." he said quietly. "...but I don't think the boys would..."

Her face immediately saddened.

"I'll talk to them-"

"No, Fuyumi-chan, no. We've talked about this." She mentioned once she was trying to convince her brothers to join her on Saturdays and he pretty much forbade it. He wanted them to come of their own will. They shouldn't be pressured, not after all he had done. And, also, he feared that would create a rift between her and the rest of the family. He didn't want that. He knew how badly she loved them all. Her happiness was more important than his. It always should have been that way. He had been so blind, so stupid. "I'll be very happy with you coming. The boys... let them decide themselves on the right time to see me."

If ever.

She gave him a long look and then an even longer hug.

888

"So, boss."

"So, Sparkle."

"Ah, someone is in a brilliant mood today."

"I'm pretty sure you have some reports overdue."

"No, I actually don't," smirked smugly Sparkle.

"Then go for a patrol."

"I've come to talk to you, boss, and you're kicking me out. I'm telling Izuku you're a meanie."

"He won't believe you," replied Enji proudly before he could hide his pride under the professional mask of impassiveness.

"True. But it's only because of me and my tales of how cool you are."

"I'm actually leaving, you know?"

"I know, I'm gonna go with you, to say bye to Izuku."

Enji rolled his eyes, but he did not mean it. And Sparkle's face showed he knew that perfectly well.

"So, boss. Before you're gonna carbonize us all, I wanted to tell you you can spend New Year's Eve at my place. Or Uryu's, she's got small kids, Izuku would enjoy it."

Enji stopped and stared.

"Or Yumi, she's an awesome cook. Or-"

"I don't need-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but we think it would be awesome to have Endeavor at our table on New Year's."

"It's family time," he spat.

"That makes even more sense. Your job is your second home, right? And considering how annoying families are, you're fitting right in."

A huge part of him got angry, as usual. That they were pitying him. That they thought he was going to spend a pathetic lonely time with his extramarital son, who wanted to keep his mum's surname (not that he did mind, but he was sure people were whispering), thinking about his wife and other children. That they simply wanted to alleviate his sour mood for their own sake. But a newer, hopefully better part of him, reminded him of what his therapist told him, that he had a huge problem with accepting help, with not seeing kind gestures for what they were.

So instead of being the usual dick he said, "Thanks. But I actually am spending this time with Izuku's... family. Of sorts."

"Okay, cool, boss. I'm gonna be thinking of your eternal scowl at the dinner though."

"Hopefully missing it."

"You bet. Oi, Izuku!"

"AH, SPARKLE-SAN!" shouted Izuku hoarsely.

"What have you been doing, little one, been at a metal concert?"

"What?"

"People shout a lot at metal concerts, kiddo, and then they have a voice like you."

"It hurts a bit."

Enji felt guilty in a second. Whole his family had resistance to low temperatures. He never needed to care or think about what his kids should wear. Now he was doing his best during this sudden onslaught of winter, but apparently he fucked up. Of course he would.

"Come on, Broccoli Boy, we have some throat syrup at home," he said as he hugged his boy and tightened the woolen winter scarf Izuku had put around the neck definitely too loosely.

"Mum- '' There it was, still this aching pause; so little time had passed after all. Though Izuku got a little better with Enji's help. They had made a beautiful butsudan for Inko, with Enji always making sure there were fresh flowers there. They had made a small handmade memoir of sorts - Enji's therapist's idea - where Izuku put his mum's pictures, and wrote his memories about mum, and drew pictures for her. It had become his most prized possession. But still, of course, all this was not enough. Probably never would be.

"-used to give me a raspberry syrup."

"We have exactly that."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Bye, little Enji!" Sparkle decided to leave them be.

"Bye, Sparkle-san!"

"Bye, big Enji!"

Enji glared at Sparkle, but of course said "Bye, Sparkle!". Izuku was watching after all. Sparkle grinned.

888

"Dad... dad..."

He awoke instantly. Something was wrong.

"Dad... I feel sick."

Izuku looked feverish. Very feverish.

'Fuck. Fuck. I knew I'd fuck this. I knew I should have made him wear warmer clothes. Fuck you, Enji.'

"Sick as in hot?"

"Yeah, and..."

And the boy vomited by his – well, pretty much theirs, so far - futon.

Fuck.

It wasn't that Enji was panicking. Almost all of his kids, despite their temperature based Quirks, often got sick, like normal kids. Only Shouto was an exception, his fire Quirk getting rid of malignant microbes just like in Enji's case. So it wasn't a panic. It was anger. Anger steaming from the fact he felt this proved he wasn't a parent good enough. Izuku did not deserve to be suffering from anything so soon after losing his mum.

"I'll be here in a second, sweetheart. Vomit all you want, love, don't worry, we'll clean it up."

He didn't want to drag the boy to the bathroom while he was vomiting, ridiculously thought it'd made the boy feel guilty. He remembered how his mothe- he shook away the memory. He put the kettle on in case he needed to prepare herbs that would help with vomiting, recovered the thermometer from the cupboard with first aid kit and all sorts of medicines, a bowl, and was back by Izuku's side. The boy stopped vomiting and looked terrible, red, sweaty, painful, tears in his eyes.

"Hey, let's get you a little cleaned up."

"Mm."

He carefully took Izuku into his arms and brought him to the bathroom, grabbing a new pair of pajamas on his way. After he helped his son with washing and gave him some water to drink he gave him the thermometer. Izuku just stared at it tiredly, with no understanding in his sickly glistening eyes.

"It's a thermometer, Zuku, put your hand up."

"Mom had that... the one that..."

"My Quirk would interfere with the electronic one, love."

Izuku actually pouted. It just showed how sick he had to be. He never pouted. He never had any sort of issue with listening to Enji's requests. He was the most docile child in the world.

"Sorry, Zuku, love, but it won't hurt, it might be a little cold, that's all."

The boy put his arm up with a very unhappy face.

"Show me your throat, my little hero."

Now this made Izuku a tiniest bit less dejected. Enji made a mental record to call him this in the future emergencies.

"Where is my All Might?" he said, still quite petulantly, though a little less than before.

"In your room, Izuku."

"I want my All Might."

"Okay, but please show me your throat first?"

Ah, the tonsillitis, of course. He apparently had caught it in preschool. So, at least it wasn't Enji's fault...

And the fever was.. 39,1.

"I'll need you to swallow a pill, sweetheart."

"I want my All Might."

"Okay wait a second here, love." He went back to Izuku's room, took the plushie and his phone. He was already calling when he was back in the bathroom.

"Todoroki-sama?"

It was the nurse.

"I need Kurio-sensei to immediately come to my home. Izuku is sick."

"Todoroki-sama... we have our hands full. There was a huge-"

"All of you?"

"Tomoe-sensei is not here, but she is sick. But I could send one of the doctors in an hour, two at most."

Enji growled angrily to himself. Of course on the one night his child was sick they all would be busy. Izuku started vomiting again. So much for taking the pill.

"I'll be there in fifteen. I just need a doctor to have a quick look and give prescriptions. I can handle the shots myself."

"Of course, Todoroki-sama."

"Shots?" asked Izuku when the call had ended.

"It's going to be a very tiny needle."

"Mom would never give me shots," he started to sniffle. It truly was a testament to his fever, the boy never shed a single tear over any scratch or bruise before.

"It's gonna be okay, Zuku. You won't even see the blood, love."

"It's hot. You're too hot. I want mum back." It pained Enji, but all the most aching thoughts always resurfaced when one was sick, especially if it was such a small child.

"I'll fly you there, sweetheart," his last hope to improve his tiny broccoli's mood at least a bit.

Sniffling quietened.

"...like, with your Quirk?" Izuku croaked.

"Yes. But we need you to wear very warm clothes and goggles. You won't like it. It's gonna be very hot."

"And we'll fly?"

"Yeah."

It was the quickest way anyway.

"...okay," said Izuku, still sadly and tiredly, but the crisis seemed to be quelled for a moment. He dressed the boy without any problems, though obviously with no enthusiasm and with little help on Izuku's part, and then thrown at himself the first thing lying around, some old yukata, and they were off, the bundle of clothes containing his little sick kid kept tightly in his arms.

And squirming and moving about, trying to see something. He changed the boy's position a bit, so that he could see something, but the boy kept twisting.

"Izuku, stop moving, we're very high."

"But I wanna see everything," the boy complained.

"It's dangerous, love."

"But-" protested Izuku as he squirmed again.

"STOP MOVING!" he shouted furiously, before he even realized what the hell he had done.

Izuku froze.

"Sorry, my love, but you can fall down, love, I'm sorry, sweetheart, didn't mean to shout." It's just that he was so worried, and this was dangerous, even if Enji never ever dropped anyone, with his forsaken luck he could do it now, by some monstrous touch of some devil's finger, or simply a villain's Quirk. But a part of him whispered he wasn't being rational, that he simply was worried, and unnecessarily so, since his kids had tonsillitis before, and he's just overreacting, because that's the only child he'll have the chance to raise. And he knew that part was right.

And he just shouted at his poor sick boy.

He felt a wave of self-loathing so strong, he'd cut himself, if there was a time for that.

Izuku watched him with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry, little one, I love you, I'm sorry."

"But you would catch me, right? Why are you scared? I saw you catching people."

He stared at Izuku. The boy did not look scared of him. Why not? That made no sense. He had just shouted at him.

"I would catch you, love. I would." Or else he'd commit suicide on the spot. He kissed Izuku on his beanie.

888

Enji was drowning in guilt and shame when they were going back. He shouted at his Izuku. At his sick Izuku. Who was dejected, pained, feverish, missing his mom, and he shouted at him. Even if the boy did not seem moved by it in the slightest it still was horrible. Made sense, with Enji being a horrible person. How many times had he shouted at his kids like that and paid it no mind before? He thought it had barely ever happened, but he no longer was sure.

And the doctor chewed him a new one for flying over with the kid 'in panic'. He didn't panic. He was just worried. That's all. He wanted to be sure it's just tonsillitis and nothing more.

And also apparently he was making Izuku wear too warm clothes - not too light as he feared - which probably exacerbated the sickness. Oh, he was such a failure.

Absent-mindedly he noticed the familiar figure on one of the roofs.

Fuck it all, he suddenly thought. Fuck it all.

He landed by the young man.

Eraser Head stared at the Number Two, Endeavor, rushing through the night with his kid in his arms. Enji realized he was still in his old, worn yukata, in the middle of wintery night. Well, fuck his image to all hells.

"Hey, look, Izuku," he said ignoring Aizawa's questioning look and one brow raised very high. "It's one of your favorite heroes."

Aizawa blinked, which said a lot. "Really, Endeavor?" There was an obvious sneer in his voice. Enji couldn't care less. He already decided to plunge through, for better or worse. He couldn't care less for what Eraser Head was going to think about him. They can call him a bakaoya to the end of his life.

"Ooooh, Eraser Head, you're so cool!" croaked Izuku as loud as his weakened state allowed.

"My Izuku is Quirkless, but he's going to be a great hero one day," explained Enji. "He admires you because you fight basically Quirkless often."

"Yeah!" muffled by the scarf voice piped up again. "How do you use your capture scarf? Was it made by someone's Quirk? Does it have a mental link with you? I've heard you captured Bad Wolf all by yourself, you're AMAZING, and it was so cool when you-"

Sadly Izuku's voice gave up.

"Enough, Izuku, you're sick, sweetheart."

"Really? You're teaching him this crap at this age? Telling him how cool it is to be a hero?"

"But it is cool!" protested Izuku, now his voice as hoarse as a crow's.

"I keep telling him it's difficult, and especially difficult for him. But I won't be stopping him. He's going to be a great hero."

"You're an idiot," deadpanned Eraser Head.

Izuku stared at him with wide eyes. "My dad's the best in the world!" he protested. Admittedly Aizawa's contemptuous face shifted a little.

"And what does your mum say about you wanting to fight villains?"

"Mum's... gone. She died, because no hero was around," said Izuku sadly.

At least Enji had this little satisfaction that Eraser Head did look guilty now.

"We're going, Izuku."

"My dad is not an idiot!" croaked Izuku.

"No, he isn't," said Aizawa to Enji's surprise. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

888

Enji stared at Eraser Head standing on Enji's own engawa. Izuku, still not completely recovered, stuck his head out.

"Eraser Head!"

"How did you get inside?"

"I'm very good at this stuff."

That was worrying. This was supposed to be a safe place for his family! If this young - even if definitely talented - pup could get here, so could seasoned villains!

"I'll tell you my secret way in. I just happened to arrive when one of your servants was leaving and showed her my hero license."

Oh.

"You could have called."

"Like you'd let me see Izuku after I called you an idiot. You're not known to be the-" he hesitated as he glanced at Izuku still staring at them both with curiosity.

"You wanted to see my Izuku?"

"Yeah, I have a gift for him."

"A gift? From you? From Eraser Head?" Squealed his child happily. Of course his Izuku would be hyped up. Eraser Head did not do any fan service. Enji liked that about him. Izuku could definitely feel special now.

"Yeah, for you. I was rude to your dad. You've got a good dad. Not many would dare to approach me so unceremoniously with their fanboy son," he smirked rather goodnaturedly. Endeavor smirked back knowingly. The young man seemed to have the same anti-fan vibes Enji had. "These are for you."

'These' was a bundle. That started to meow, when placed on the engawa.

"These three also have no mum. They could use a nice family to help them."

Izuku looked and looked and looked alternately at the three kittens and at the Eraser Head. And suddenly he was hugging Aizawa, to the man's horror.

Enji grinned malevolently. "Serves you right."

888

Notes:

POV: you're an introverted talented young underground hero doing your difficult job in the middle of the night while suddenly Number Two rushes onto your roof wearing nothing but old yukata with a sick child of his for a moment of fanboying. One good thing? Now Aizawa knows what to do with the kittens nobody wanted.
Also, if I did my maths right Aizawa is still very young, this is totally the time when he would be doing some volunteering at the cat shelter, I totally see it.
Also, no, I don't approve animals as gifts, but Aizawa ain't stupid, everybody knows Enji's rich and have space, money and people to take good care of the cats.
And yes, one day you'll have a scene in which Enji's gonna be buried in cats during winter, what with his Quirk.
Also 'He was the most docile child in the world.' haha, Enji, you have no idea what kind of problem child you got there, ahaha, just wait until he gets into Yuuei.
Also, this is getting SO LONG. I wanted to describe New Year and Shouto's birthday, and Katsuki's birthday, and Izuku's birthday, and suddenly I was like, oh dear it's 4k already, and we haven't even reached New Year's Eve yet