"It's almost Shouto's birthday," he started carefully.
Fuyumi smiled while drinking her mango-banana juice in one of the coffees in Seven Rainbows. Enji was glad paparazzis finally seemed to get bored with the old news, that was Number Two's family situation, and no flashes were trying to distract him from his daughter. And from another matter on his mind.
"Yeah," she smiled. "We're going to invite his friends from preschool."
"He is going to preschool?" Enji had decided on private tutoring for Shouto, before.
"Yes, it will be good for him to learn to spend time with other kids."
Enji bowed his head guiltily.
"I... I just wanted him to be prepared best for this difficult path that is heroing," he said quietly.
He hadn't been thinking straight, he knew that now. He had been looking at Shouto and all he had been seeing was that small bone, all that had been left of Touya. Shouto couldn't die! Enji couldn't let that happen! He needed to make him... what, immortal with his strict training? Some mad idiot he had been.
"I know, dad," she sighed. "But..."
"I know. Your mother made the right choice."
"I think so too."
They were quiet for a moment.
"Um, if there is anything he'd want for his birthday..."
"Dad, we have enough money from you. He is going to get the presents he wants from all of us."
"Yeah, about that... I'd like to give him something too."
"You're giving us the money, dad."
"I used to give you money too, and you still preferred when I bought you gifts myself last time."
Fuyumi saddened. "You need to give Shouto a little more time..."
Ah, so she had spoken with the boy. He didn't want anything from his... ...dad. Enji was still his dad. He was. Nobody could take that away from him.
...right?
"Ah, okay."
It wasn't okay. It hurt as hell. He had been a monster to Rei, he had, and he hurt them through hurting Rei, and maybe he was too hard on Shouto, too, and maybe too cold on Fuyumi and Natsuo, since he had never been good at showing positive emotions, but he still hoped that maybe, with time, the boys would understand that, despite all that, he always loved them. How much time he had been spending with Shouto to help him reach their dream, Shouto becoming a hero? How much time had he spent with Natsuo, helping him with homework? How often he had been by their sides when they were sick, even if he was exhausted after a day of heroing? How often he was at the throats of parents of kids who tried to bully Enji's kids? But his therapist was right – it's the bad deeds that stay in mind most vividly, especially when you're a child.
It was all his fault.
"Dad."
"Ah, sorry."
"Just give them time, okay? You'll see, it's going to get better."
888
He was torn over it the whole day, his mind swaying back and forth, at one moment feeling it would be disastrous, at another thinking that it couldn't be that bad, that it wasn't such a wrong thing, that he had every right to call.
Today was Shouto's birthday after all.
How could he, a father, have no right to give his own child wishes? He had been there when the boy had been born! He remembered well the tiny figure, smaller than Natsuo, the petite eyes staring bewildered at the whole new world outside mother's womb, he remembered that little hand that wouldn't be able to close on Enji's big finger. He remembered all the love, and hope, and pain he had felt looking at this child, this special child that had been brought to life solely to save Touya. Shouto's whole life had been always in Touya's shadow, even if the boy was too small to realize it; everything Enji ever had done to him had been with Touya in Enji's mind. But he still loved this child so much. He'd die for him a thousand times.
Shame he couldn't live for him well enough so that the boy didn't hate him now.
He sighed.
He had no idea what he should do.
He only knew what he so badly wanted to do.
He had called his therapist earlier, and the man had told him there would be nothing wrong in trying to call his son on his birthday, though he should not expect it would be welcomed.
So, it wasn't like he was going to make some kind of terrible mistake, like many he had done. The call wouldn't hurt Shouto in any way. He trusted his therapist's judgment on these things more than his own recently. The only person that would end up hurt would only, probably, be Enji. Served him right.
He finally touched the screen of his phone.
One, two, three, four, five signals.
"Hey, dad," he heard Fuyumi's - quite nervous – voice, among the happy children's chatter from the background. It stopped the moment she said 'dad', though.
"I just-"
"I can't believe you're picking up a call from him on Shouto's birthday!" That was Natsuo. He had never been like that before. It always had been Shouto who'd put up a fight. Natsuo would run to his room or to Fuyumi.
"Natsuo!" he heard Rei's voice.
"He's right, mum, it's my birthday! Fuyumi, you're mean!"
"Just... it's nothing. Sorry. Shouldn't have called." He was such an idiot. Always such an idiot. He should have stuck with beating up people's asses, not starting a family. What a pathetic fool he was.
"Dad, I'll give Shouto your best wishes."
"I DON'T WANT NONE!" screamed his Shouto.
"Have a... good day, Fuyumi. Sorry for this." He finished the call before she could answer. No point in making it worse for her.
'So, they've been having a nice birthday and of course you had to fuck it up, Enji. You just had to.'
"Yo, boss, I-" Sparkle shut up when he saw Enji's face.
He should snarl at him for not knocking, but he felt he didn't have an ounce of energy for anything anymore, ever.
'I can't believe you're picking up a call from him on Shouto's birthday!'
'from him'
'I DON'T WANT NONE!'
"Hey, boss." Of course Sparkle looked sympathetic, sorry. Even if he didn't know what was wrong he could see well how Enji was feeling. Still, being with anyone right now was simply too unbearable.
"I'm off for patrol."
"Boss-"
"Go home."
888
Touya's birthday was exactly a week after Shouto's. In this case he didn't have to worry whether to call or not. Cause his child was dead, and was dead because of him.
His therapist was trying to unwire it from his mind, saying it's not about switching blame from his wife to him, but to realize the very blaming was the problem, but Enji knew better. It had been his deranged idea that had killed his boy. It had been his idea to try to make the boy hate Enji. It was Touya's obsession with his father that had been fueling his desire to become a hero, and Enji had done what? Instead of taking the boy to a psychiatrist, he assumed that if the boy came to loathe him he'd stop dreaming about being a hero, would stop burning his body. What kind of a demented mind could come up with something like that?
But back then... but back then he had no idea what to do. They had no idea what to do. They both had been trying to persuade the boy, show him there are so many other paths in life, no less heroic. Enji even tried to switch the training into Quirkless one, tried to convince the boy he could be a Quirkless hero, but Touya would not hear any of it. To be trained Quirkless? When he had an amazing Quirk just like his dad, Number Two? There was no persuading him.
Enji had been so scared, so terrified of what might happen, that he had made it happen. He pushed the boy away, hoping he'd stop dreaming about becoming a hero, he'd stop using the Quirk the hateful father had, and all he achieved was... ...was his boy's death.
And he had died alone, his last thoughts probably of his father, his beloved father that had been nothing but cold and distant towards him for years. What was what Aizawa had said? That it's all about giving good before someone dies? He gave his beloved son nothing good before his precious child burned to ashes.
Enji remembered every word uttered by Touya back then:
'It's something you have to see, dad! You'll realize I wasn't a mistake!'
These were the words of a child whose whole world had been revolving around Enji.
'It's something you have to see, dad! You'll realize I wasn't a mistake!'
Of a child who had loved him beyond everything.
'It's something you have to see, dad! You'll realize I wasn't a mistake!'
Of a child he had pushed away.
'It's something you have to see, dad! You'll realize I wasn't a mistake!'
These words would haunt him to his last day in this world. These words had burdened his conscience so heavily he had to keep putting all the blame on Rei, or else... Or else... Or else he wouldn't know how to cope with the fact he had caused his own child to die.
He never asked himself how Rei would cope with it. He stopped seeing her, through the pain, the madness, the fury.
No, he had stopped seeing her even before.
No, he had never really seen her.
She had been the mother of his children. That had been her role from the very beginning in his eyes.
"Dad."
He flinched back to reality.
"Izuku?"
Izuku looked at him sitting in front of Touya's butsudan.
"I can sit with you."
Enji silently reached out his hand. The boy settled by his side and gave Enji his plushie.
"I will buy you your own All Might plushie, dad."
Enji started to stroke the green hair gently.
This child was his last chance to be a better father. He had no idea whether he was capable of it; he felt like he was roaming in darkness, no longer recognizing what was good for a child, where was the area between being too strict and too lenient. Not that he ever had proper recognition of that in the first place...
"Does it ever stop hurting?"
Oh, Izuku.
He took the boy in his arms. What could he tell the boy? His goal was to make Izuku stop hurting, but was that possible? Would lying help?
"I don't know, love. I don't know."
'I don't think so.'
"But I don't think your mum would want you to feel pain forever, right?"
"She'd always kiss me better."
"Because she did not want you to hurt."
"Mm."
"Yeah."
"Touya-niichan would not want you to be sad forever too?"
Enji sighed and kissed Izuku's bushy hair, mostly to hide his face.
888
The days were passing quickly. Enji's work was as busy as always, and all free time he had he devoted to Izuku, with exception of Saturdays when Fuyumi would join their little family or sometimes meet only with Enji when Izuku was with his friends from preschool. They started training too, though of course first they had to begin with foundations – building muscles, stamina, reflexes, no fighting yet. Enji had no idea how he would approach the later stages of the training, but tried not to think about it yet.
And so far Izuku loved the exercises Enji had given the boy and his enthusiasm sometimes terrifyingly reminded Enji of Touya. The boy would do everything Enji ordered him to do, with astonishing for a five year old dedication, concentration and patience, and would soak up every praise Enji would give him. And there was no need to withheld those, the boy was making amazing progress. Enji started to see there were some of his genes in this child, who physically looked completely unlike him. Well, not like any of Enji's kids looked much like him. Not the strongest of genes he had, and now he started to think it maybe was for the best, all horrible things considered.
So, the time was rushing, as usual, and before he realized, the winter gave way to the warmth and lively colors of new spring and before he noticed it was time for annual sakura petals watching. Previous years he had been always taking patrols on this day, not too keen to spend time relaxing with his employees under the beautiful trees. He had been certain his presence would spoil everyone's good mood, after all.
Now he knew a little better. He still did try to take a patrol this year too, so that someone else could enjoy hanami instead of taking a shift, but Sparkle would not have it, practically forcing him, with Uryu's keen assistance.
In the end he did not regret it – all the children from the agency's preschool were there and Izuku was in seventh heaven, especially since Enji granted him an additional no healthy diet day. And also the very fact that it appeared people really did not mind his presence as much as he expected was kind of nice. Kind of worrying too, since he truly believed in strict management as a path to successful agency, but then again most of them worked with him for years and already proved themselves to him many times. So, all in all, it was nice to just sit there, watch the petals fall down, listen to his coworkers' happy chatter, to kids' laughter, nice to sip beer and eat delicious food everybody brought. To watch his Izuku being so happy. To try not to think about his other kids who were enjoying the same hanami without him. He invited Fuyumi, of course, but she already had plans with her brothers and mother.
"Yo, boss, cheer up."
"That's my resting face."
"No, your resting face is scowling at everyone, not looking blue."
"I'm not blue."
"It's going to get better, boss. You'll work this out. You always work everything out."
Enji took a long sip of his beer. Yeah, he always was able to work everything out in his agency. But apparently successfully managing a family was too difficult for him.
"It's getting dark. You want to hit a pub with me?"
Enji stared at Sparkle. No one had ever invited him out to a pub since the times he had been a mere trainee.
"Aw, come on, boss, we could bad-mouth all the heroes we want. Pub is the best place for it."
Enji rolled his eyes.
"You're unbelievably talkative today, boss."
People started to slowly gather their things. Izuku ran back to him.
"Did you enjoy yourself, broccoli boy?"
"I loved it, dad! Those sweets from Fukuoka are amazing! Anka-chan told me she got an autograph from All Might this morning! Yuko showed me the rainbow she learned to make! And..."
Enji was smiling as they started to pack their things too, Izuku relating to him and Sparkle everything he had heard and done during the hanami.
Soon all goodbyes had been said and they were walking slowly back to their home.
"Dad?"
"Yeah, Izuku?"
"Kacchan's birthday's soon. I don't know what to get him."
Ah, right, Kacchan. Izuku's first thought when he had heard hanami had been coming had been to spend the day with Bakugous. Luckily they were apparently leaving the city, going to Mitsuki's sister's place. Luckily, cause Enji'd prefer if Izuku forgot about the boy. Their relation was nothing if not toxic, from his point of view. But it was wishful thinking. His kid was as stubborn in this as he was stubborn in wanting to become a hero.
"Hmm, isn't he a fan of All Might?"
"Yeah!"
Enji thought about it.
"I'll figure something out, Izuku."
888
He smiled as he watched Izuku practically vibrating out of his skin staring at some very rare (and incredibly expensive for a goddamn piece of plastic) figurines of All Might's, with actual All Might's signature on the package, that Uryu had managed to get from the Number One's agency.
"OH, DAD!"
"One for you, one for Katsuki's birthday."
Izuku plastered himself with his all fours to Enji's leg, to Enji's amusement, and then jumped back to staring reverently at the figurines while practically bouncing in place.
"Kacchan gonna love it, dad!"
"I hope so, Zuku."
888
"Sure you don't want to tell me what's wrong?" Enji noticed how Izuku had been speeding to read every message on his phone, even during the training, only to be visibly disappointed. He couldn't get anything out of his boy so far, though.
"'S nothing," murmured the boy, obviously downcast with not getting whatever text he had been waiting for.
"You sure?"
The boy shot a glance towards his plushie settled in the corner of the gym from where it had been watching Enji doing the push ups and Izuku skipping the rope.
"You can tell me."
The boy picked at the hem of his shirt.
"Asked Kacchan about his birthday and he texted nothing."
Ah.
That little fucker.
Izuku had been so hyped up about coming to Kacchan's birthday with this goddamn figurine, and the little asshole probably did not even intend to invite him. Though, it was to be expected, judging from Katsuki's general behavior. Still, how could one break that to Izuku? Enji had no idea. And not really heart too, especially now, seeing the boy so dejected.
"I'm gonna call auntie, okay?"
"...I don't know," murmured Izuku sadly.
"It's okay, Zuku."
"...what if he doesn't like me anymore?"
'what if he doesn't like me'? It was obvious to everyone Katsuki was the furthest from liking Izuku any five year old could be.
Enji sighed. "Sometimes even if we like someone very much, they won't like us back."
Izuku's eyes went wide and then filled with tears. "I'm gonna go to my room, dad."
"I'll, I'll talk to your auntie, sweetheart," replied Enji immediately, his heart thundering. He couldn't stand this boy's tears.
"I'll talk to your auntie, she knows him best."
"...okay."
"...how about we play a game together, Izuku?"
"...okay."
So they spent the rest of the afternoon playing some fighting game that featured actual heroes, the game Izuku loved and Enji personally hated, but it lifted Izuku's mood a bit. He called Bakugouu in the evening, making sure Izuku was in the shower and couldn't overhear the conversation.
"I really can't and won't force Katsuki to invite Izuku," sighed Bakugou. "I know Izuku can't process the fact their ways went apart, but isn't it your duty to explain that to him?"
Enji clenched his fists.
"I mean, I love Izuku, he's the sweetest child, a true angel compared to my little devil, but this is a good lesson, Todoroki-san. That's life."
"He's clinging to things from his past with his mother. What's so weird he doesn't want to lose them?" he practically growled.
She sighed. "You're really too soft on him. You can't protect him forever."
"He's fiv-" He shut up as the memory hit him.
('He's only five!')
...at least he obviously had made some progress from... before.
She sighed again. "I know, I know. But he's got to learn he can't force anyone to like him only because he likes them."
"You are like family to him! It's not just losing a playground buddy for him."
"...so tell him we're going to our family in Osaka, okay?"
"He's got a gift for Katsuki, painstakingly prepared."
"Well, then, you both can drop by to give it to Katsuki before the birthday, right?"
888
Katsuki looked at Izuku and his gift scowling.
"Katsuki!" snarled Bakugou.
The boy pouted.
"It's signed by All Might!" added Izuku, trying very badly to grin widely, as if he could somehow infect his old friend with smiling.
Katsuki looked even angrier. "You just came to show off! No one can get that figurine now! You think you're better than me, cau-"
Bakugou smacked Katsuki on the head. "Katsuki!"
"Bakugou-san," Enji said in a low, warning voice.
Bakugou just rolled her eyes. "You're gonna say 'thank you' like a civilized human being, Katsuki! It must have been hard for Izuku and his dad to get this, so behave!"
"I never asked for anything from him!"
Izuku's smile faltered for a second, but then the boy forced it back. Enji couldn't fathom why the boy was doing this. Why so stubbornly try to show affection to someone who treats you like that?
"I'll just leave it here, okay, Kacchan? And we're going to go, we have to, uh-"
"We have to go see the veterinarian with one of our cats," Enji helped his boy smoothly.
"You can stay, I pre-"
"I don't want him to stay!"
"Katsuki, for fuck's sake!"
"We really have to leave, once again happy birthday, Katsuki," said Enji coldly.
"Bye, Kacchan! Happy birthday!" Izuku added, still smiling widely.
The smile disappeared the moment they entered the car. The boy immediately reached for his plushie that patiently waited there for them.
Enji took both the boy and the plushie onto his lap. He stroked his hair.
"Izuku, love, sometimes people just won't like us back. You're too good for him."
Izuku buried his face in Enji's chest and was quiet for a while. Enji could see Kurumada's worried glances. Enji decided not to clue him in, or else the chauffeur would most likely barge into the Bakugou's home with homicidal intent. All his servants would die for Izuku after the months they had spent with the precious boy.
"...you told me you had been a bad dad," Izuku finally said in a quiet, sad voice.
That completely blindsided him. What?
"Yeah, Izuku. I had been."
"But you're a good dad now."
Ah, he saw now where this had come from.
"...I'm doing my best, Izuku. But you see, my family needs... a little space now. Maybe your Kacchan needs that too to become better?"
Izuku again fell silent. Then he finally said, "But he's family, dad. I can't leave him like your family left you, dad."
God, this child was five. And sometimes he'd say things like that, like he was much older. Or maybe Aizawa was right, that children were much smarter than adults gave them credit for?
"Kacchan is not me, Zuku. And sometimes space is good, love. It might be better for him even if it makes you sad."
Izuku thought about it for a while, wringing the plushies arms.
"...okay," he finally uttered so tiny but so heavy sigh.
Enji hugged him tightly.
888
"So, boss."
Enji ignored him. He still wasn't really sure how to tackle all the... er, support? Yeah, it was definitely an effort in support Sparkle was trying to give him. On one hand Enji was grateful, and sometimes would even verbalize it, to his therapist's approbation. On the other hand, this was work, and a dangerous, difficult one too, so he wanted Sparkle to concentrate on it, not to keep thinking about Enji. Also, the paperwork was piling up.
"Oi, boss."
"I'm working," replied Enji, but the lack of irritation in his voice betrayed him. Damn. It was enough for Sparkle.
"Our Izuku's birthday is coming."
Our. He was glad his face was hidden by the laptop's screen, cause he knew damn well it softened hearing that. Izuku was so happy that people from his agency always welcomed him cordially whenever he dropped by and it made Enji happy in turn.
"So?"
"Well, we could throw a party!"
Enji rolled his eyes even if he internally added even some more points in favor under 'Sparkle'.
"We can't throw an agency party for the boss's child. It would be unfair to other kids. It could strain his relations with them."
"But nothing official! You can't just deny us wanting to visit our Izuku on his birthday!"
"Even if it's going to be a private event, the effect will still be the same."
"...well then, let's start throwing parties for all our kids. We don't have that many in our preschool. I don't believe we can't allocate some funds to that."
Enji stared at Sparkle.
"You want me to use agency's money to throw birthday parties for employees' kids."
"Totally."
Enji stared some more.
And then said, "Alright, but I want to be there when you'll try to convince our chief accountant to this."
"But, boss, if you'd be the person to tell her that-"
"No, Sparkle, it's your idea, I don't want to take credit for something so kind and goodhearted," smiled Enji Todoroki, the kindest man in the world.
"...Izuku will be very sad at my funeral, boss."
888
Enji couldn't believe he was doing that. He hated every step that was bringing them nearer and nearer to the wretched place. He hated every second of the meeting that was about to happen. He loathed the whole conversation, every goddamn patronizing, sugar-coated bullet he was going to hear. He hated all the stares he would receive. He'd rather be anywhere else, even fighting villains.
But he was going to do this, for his Izuku. He promised himself to be a better father to this child. He promised himself to stop following his negative emotions. He promised himself to overcome what he used to be.
But still.
But still.
This was almost too much.
"You're getting hot, dad."
"Sorry, Izuku." He took a deep breath and forced his Quirk completely quiet. Izuku was worth it. Izuku was worth everything. Even this horrible meeting that would be a nightmare material.
Secretary smiled at him very professionally as she gave them directions, he couldn't see a trace of wonder or judgment in her eyes.
The other employees, though, were eyeing them both with overt surprise and suspicion, some were smirking, he was sure of that, especially when their eyes fell on his little Izuku. Endeavor and his extramarital child. Here, of all places.
Fuck them.
The ornate door opened and the gigantic, bigger even than Enji, familiar figure welcomed them with their trademark grin. The grin he loathed so much.
"Welcome! Please come in, because I am here, waiting for you!"
'Fuck you, All Might,' thought Enji and used every single ounce of self-control he had to seem neutral. Pleasant was absolutely out of the question and out of his capabilities.
"Good morning. I am really grateful you found time for us," he replied calmly.
"Of course! I'd always find time for Number Two hero and his son!"
'You just couldn't not mention I'm Number Two, could you?'
He pushed lightly his Izuku forwards a little since the boy's brain obviously fried seeing his beloved hero up close, as was to be suspected.
"Ah, ah, All- All Might!"
"Hello, little one!" grinned All Might. "Come inside!"
So they entered the study, Izuku looking as if he was just transgressing into an innermost sacred area in a temple.
"So, I heard you have a birthday today, little one!"
"Um, yes, sixth!"
"Now, that's a big boy! And you want to be a hero like your dad?"
"Um, and like you, All Might!" Izuku's eyes couldn't be wider. Enji was happy so far nobody expected him to take part in the conversation, thank deities for small mercies.
"This is great! Do you have a fire Quirk, like your dad?"
"Um, no, I'm going to be the first Quirkless hero!"
All Might's smile shrank visibly, though of course did not disappear. Enji suddenly realized with horror he had not foreseen one thing. Even for a second he had not thought that All Might could...
"Ah, there are plenty of heroic professions for Quirkless kids!" All Might's grin was back. Izuku's face shifted however, when the words started to sink in.
Enji laid his huge hand on the boy's head, every part of his body taking part in an immense effort to stay composed and not throw the blond fucker out of the window of fucker's own agency.
"My Izuku is going to be a prohero," he said calmly, uttering every single sound in every single word of this sentence perfectly clearly. "He is going to become the first Quirkless hero, and a great one too."
All Might did not respond immediately, but it was the first time Enji saw his smile gone, replaced by graveness.
'Don't you fucking dare say a word more. Don't you fucking dare.' He narrowed his eyes, and let the plus ultra version of Endeavor's glare hit the other man. To hell with composure, calmness and neutrality. Not slaughtering him was going to be success enough.
But All Might smiled again at Izuku. "This is a very dangerous field, boy. Even heroes with great Quirks die all the time..." Izuku's eyes were still wide like when he had entered the place, but there was a completely different emotion in them now. Enji regretted with all his being this deranged idea to take Izuku to meet his beloved hero. But who could have guessed the idiot blond would decide to suddenly stop planting heroics in children's hearts?
"...but if this is your dream. Your own dream, then I can only wish you to be Plus Ultra!" He grinned.
"Okay," whispered Izuku, still visibly shaken.
Enji decided to end this. He reached for Izuku's small backpack.
"My Izuku wanted you to sign his hero notebook. We both will be very grateful for that," he said coldly, giving All Might said notebook.
"Of course! Ah, you've got quite a collection here, young Todoroki!" Enji actually flinched. That bastard. Everybody and their cat knew Izuku kept his mother's surname. Enji wasn't bothered by it, but how dared All Might shoot at him with a poisoned arrow like that!
"It's... it's Midoriya," Izuku whispered quietly.
"What?"
Izuku replied nothing.
"His surname is Midoriya. After the greatest mum in the world, right, Izuku?"
Izuku nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Oh, sorry, didn't know!"
'You lying bitch.'
"Here you go!" All Might was still grinning when he gave Izuku back his notebook. Enji wanted to knock out all those shining teeth so badly. "Remember, go plus ultra in everything you do!"
"Thank you," they both said in unison, Izuku quietly, Enji angrily, and then Enji took Izuku into his arms to leave with no more words.
Izuku kept quiet all the way to the car. Kurumada shot Enji a questioning and worried look, but Enji just shook his head slightly. He'd explain later and they both would go out to set fire to every All Might poster they could find or something.
It was halfway to their home when Izuku finally asked, "Do you really think I can become a hero, dad?"
"Yes," replied Enji, putting all the determination and love and faith he felt toward his Quirkless son. "You will be a great hero. You will. You've got the heart and brains and resolve, and you have me for a father. We'll get there together. I promised you that and I won't break my promise."
Izuku looked at him for a long time, probably searching for any falsehood, any crack in Enji's behavior that would show that maybe, deep inside, Number Two agreed with Number One. After all they both had Quirks.
"But All Might said-"
"Fuck Al-" Fuck, he had a no swearing rule in his house. "I mean, Izuku. All Might was born with the greatest, most useful for a hero Quirk. He had it easy from the very beginning, all laid down, ready for the taking. He is like a bird that looks down at humans and can't imagine you can fly without wings. But humans learned to fly. Many heroes don't have useful Quirks, many heroes find it very difficult to control their Quirks. My Hellflame burned my own house, when I was three."
Izuku's eyes widened. "Really?!"
"Yes. It's not easy for us, Izuku. I told you it was going to be difficult. Many people won't believe in you. Maybe sometimes you won't believe in yourself too. But you'll get there. You will become a hero I'll be proud of."
Tears filled Izuku's emerald eyes. "Dad..." he whispered and he hugged Enji with all the power he had in his small arms, burying his face in Enji's chest.
888
Endeavor (adm): I am very well aware I have strictly prohibited discussing private matters on our agency chat. However the situation is serious.
Endeavor (adm): Our beloved Number One just pretty much told my Izuku he can't be a hero. Whoever is coming to today's birthday party should be aware of today's, harrowing for my boy, events, and take it into consideration while talking to him.
[62 people are typing]
888
Izuku stared and stared and stared with big eyes as more and more people were coming, every single one making a beeline to him to give him birthday wishes and gifts, all of them saying they can't wait to work with him when he becomes a great hero like his dad.
Enji felt so moved. Maybe the grass around his house was going to be ruined for weeks, maybe the cats were not going to forgive him the commotion for days, but it was so worth seeing Izuku so completely recovered from the morning disaster. He was... grateful to all these people. He was so grateful for their willingness to come to his aid in such a trivial matter (Well, not trivial for him, and not trivial for his Izuku.) He really never thought they'd do this for him.
"Oi, boss, are you touched?"
"Of course not."
"Like, not in the head, boss, I meant-"
"Sparkle."
Sparkle grinned.
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"It was the best birthday I've ever had, dad," whispered Izuku sleepily.
"I'm glad," said Enji as they laid in their futon together, a mountain of gifts just beside it, his Izuku smiling drowsily against Enji's chest.
"The fireworks Sparkle-san did were so amazing, and how Anka-chan's mom changed the colors of the lamps, and Uryu-san told me all your agency is proud to be friends with me, and Mishima-san told me I'm gonna be the example for all Quirkless kids out there, Maya-chan is Quirkless too, you know? And..."
Izuku drifted away, smile not disappearing from his face.
Notes:
Can't believe this little (actually long af) story already got more kudos than my other BNHA story! Never expected that! Honestly I was mostly writing it for myself and thinking, well, I could share :D. You people are so nice, I'm really happy you like it despite all the grammar errors and a VERY SLOW pace :D.
Okay, back to the very story, this is not going to be an All Might bashing story, I love the guy, and he means well, though he's also wrong. Originally I intended to make him even harsher to Izuku and Enji, but, well, that wouldn't be very paragon, I mean, hero-like of him. He's going to reappear after some years, worry not, he is an important character in this story, though you couldn't tell so far.
Next chapter we will finally move a little on and jump at least a year, we'll see how much exactly. Also, Eraser Head will be back. Also, someone from Enji's agency will try to hit on him :D. I mean, guy is divorced now, right? This will, obviously, completely blindside Enji.
Thank you for your favs and follows, and even one comment! 3