Song of Fire and Broccoli

by ashika pl

It started as a self-indulgent story in which Endeavor is not only Izuku's dad, but also has to raise him, since Inko died, and ended up as a monster of a story about Enji becoming a Good Dad (tm) to everyone who can't run fast enough, and in which everyone gets a cookie in the end. Be warned: 1) Shigaraki's cookie is very Special, 2) Touya's very small, but still is (sorry, Touya

12. The Loss

Notes:

First of all, if you came here only for fluff and nice stuff and not to get down and sad you can skip the chapter and read the end notes in which I'm gonna summarize what happens in this chapter, cause all that happens here is sadness. The next one is happening a couple of years from now and even if the events don't change, the wounds are not raw anymore, and well you won't have to go through 10k+ words describing grieving.
Trigger warnings:
(spoilers)
terrorist attack, death, funeral, grief description, major character death

888

888

Izuku sneezed.

"Oh? Catching a cold?"

"Of course not, dad! It's just a sneeze," Izuku tried to wave Enji's scrutinizing glance away.

"You better not hide from me that you're feeling unwell, just because you don't want to miss the trip with Sparkle."

"Dad, I'm fine," insisted Izuku and sneezed again.

"Oh, really."

"Dad, oh, come on, maybe it's just a slight cold."

Enji sighed. "Go get some rest then. You want to recover quickly. The conference is in a few days."

Izuku also sighed, resigned. "Okay, dad," he replied dispiritedly. He hated going to bed early. Just like Enji he was a night owl, loving to stay up as long as possible, playing games, reading books, or chatting on the hero fangroups.

Enji got back to browsing the Internet in search for any clues about the murders that had been recently plaguing Japan. Police suspected a new sect connected to the illegal worldwide antiquirk movement that heralded impending doom the Quirk development was supposed to bring. So far they have been incredibly well organized in his home country – already 12 bodies and still no substantial lead to follow. It wasn't exactly Enji's job to help police in their investigation, but he couldn't just relax and watch a movie when people were dying. Of course, he would set his workaholism aside for his family when needed, but Izuku went to bed and Sparkle had the rare afternoon shift, which allowed Enji to do what he could to help the new but already widely respected chef of police, Tsuragamae.

Still, hours had passed, the front gate sent him an automated text about Sparkle's keys being used, and Enji had nothing.

"Hey, love."

"Sparkle. How was the patrol?"

"Busy," Sparkle yawned. "A lot of scuffles and drunkards and false calls too."

"People are nervous."

"Of course they are. Is Zuku asleep already? He hadn't welcomed me."

Enji cursed internally. He forgot to check on his dear boy, engulfed in the case. "He's coming down with a cold," he replied irritably.

Sparkle watched him carefully. "Enji. We're going to get to them. We will." Ah, so he apparently again let his anger with his job, people, and world in general get the better of him and show.

"Sorry, love. I just hate to think someone may die tonight in my city, and I'm doing nothing about it."

"You're not doing nothing, Enji. We all take longer shifts, and you continue to work from home even after twelve hours on the streets."

"Sorry," Enji mumbled again, replaying his behavior in his head. Yep, he didn't even kiss Sparkle welcome or say a nice word, too angry with the complete lack of results of his online investigation.

Sparkle smiled gently and planted a kiss on Enji's cheek. "I'll record myself saying 'stop apologizing', I swear I will."

They both went to check on Izuku only to find him completely feverish and pouting.

"Zuku, love, why didn't you call me?" sighed Enji, trying not to let his frustration jump onto this new reason to be irritated.

"I'm not very sick," protested Izuku.

"Listen, broccoli, there still will be plenty of conferences I will take you to, I promise."

That got the boy even more down, but there was no point in lying to him – Enji could already tell from his sweaty hands, red face and glazed eyes that the boy had to have a huge fever.

"I promise we're gonna do something nice when you're well again, okay?" Sparkle assured Izuku, stroking the boy's tousled hair.

"Okay," the boy replied sadly.

"Want a recap of my patrol?"

"Sure, dad. Have you seen Hawks? I heard he's in town."

"Yeah, actually I have."

That perked up his boy a little. "Really? Have you talked to him?"

Sparkle made a motion to Enji showing he can go back to his work, so he kissed them both and left Izuku's room. It was late, but he wasn't in the mood for sleeping anyway, with all that was happening in Japan.

Sparkle joined him a couple of hours later.

"Enji, love, it's late."

"Is Izuku asleep?"

"Yeah, I gave him pills and made sure he has plenty of water."

"Thanks."

"Hey. He's my son too, remember?"

Enji smiled weakly, against his dour mood. "I know. Still, thank you for always being a great dad to him."

"You'll thank me best if you go to bed with me. It's late, love. You have to get up at 6 tomorrow, today actually."

Enji grunted something stubbornly.

"Enji, love, we promised each other to take good care of our bodies, right?"

They did. Sparkle made him do it, saying he's worried that Enji's tendency to overworking himself and not sleeping enough might endanger him one day. In Enji's book Sparkle was exaggerating. He knew his own body and had been going to bed late and getting up early for years, but Sparkle was unyielding.

"...fine." It wasn't like his work bore any fruits anyway.

Sparkle smiled and planted a kiss on his lips. Enji encircled the smaller man with his arms.

"Sorry I'm being so strung recently."

"That's it, I am recording it, I really am," chuckled Sparkle.

888

"Bye, dad!" Izuku was still a bit down that he couldn't leave for London with Sparkle, but put a smile on his face when hugging Sparkle goodbye.

"I'll bring you some best, original, English sweets, broccoli boy!"

"Bring me plenty of Snickers!"

"I will!" Sparkle turned to Enji. "Gonna miss you. Like, between drinking and partying."

Enji rolled his eyes in a greatly exaggerated way. "Don't get yourself kicked out of the UK," he replied jokingly.

"Still feel bad for leaving now. Don't overwork and over-frustrate yourself."

"It's good you're leaving. Maybe it'll help clear your head and you'll have some fresh ideas about how to approach this hellish sect."

"I hope so." Their lips met in a chaste, but long kiss.

"Well, see you in a week's time!"

"Bye, dad!"

"Bye, love!

888

He was yet again browsing through the internet, trying to sniff out anything suspicious, when he heard Izuku's still slightly hoarse voice.

"Dad."

Something was wrong, he immediately picked it up. Last time Izuku had sounded like that was when their oldest cat, Blaze, had finally left for his eternal rest. Enji immediately turned around to see he wasn't wrong. Izuku was white as a sheet, eyes wide, hands slightly shaking, looking scared. He had his All Might's plushie in one hand - which was another bad sign, he was ten already and the plushie now was usually sitting on Izuku's desk – and the smartphone in the other.

"What happened, Zuku?"

"Dad... have you seen the news?"

"Yeah," he always kept his eyes on the news, just in case of quickly needing to rush out to help, and also to be able to spy out anything suspicious. Today nothing interesting was happening in Japan, so the news moved overseas, to the terrorist attack that happened somewhere. Admittedly Enji had not paid any attention to that, being more interested in domestic problems, and too concentrated on his search.

Izuku swallowed. "Um, so you think dad is fine?" he asked uncertainly, clearly very anxious.

Cold crept into Enji's heart. He immediately turned back to the muted TV in the corner of his room and turned the volume up.

"-still unknown. The rescue services state that considering the number of professional, highly skilled heroes inside, there are still chances of finding survivors despite the magnitude of the explosion. Ah, it seems-"

Enji's heart turned into ice.

"Dad?"

He knew he should reassure his boy, tell him they don't know anything yet, that Sparkle was a professional experienced hero, but he was a professional experienced hero himself and one look at the mass of rubble that once was the Imperial College London conference center and other surrounding buildings told him what he did not want to know.

The chances of survival for someone without a body enhancing or shock absorbing Quirk were minimal. Less than minimal.

He closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath.

Maybe Sparkle had his suit on. And the helmet. That would definitely increase his chances of-

"Dad," Izuku now sniffled. He knew he should be a support to his son now, but he couldn't utter a word. He just couldn't. So instead he reached out for the boy and sat Izuku on his lap, and started to frantically check whether indeed it was the place where the lectures in which Sparkle was supposed to take part in were held.

Before he could do it, he heard the TV. "And, yes, we have it confirmed now by one of the survivors with shock absorbing Quirk – there were exactly 1102 professional heroes taking part in this year's Worldwide Heroism Conference, 29 from Japan, 4 of them-"

He felt his Izuku's fists clench on Enji's shirt, the small face wet and pressing against Enji's chest. He should say that they still don't know, they still don't know, that there still is a chance that-!

He took his phone with shaky hands and searched for the number he hadn't been using for some time. He prayed the man would answer.

"Mr Endeavor," he heard the grim voice speaking British English. So the UK police officer had not deleted Enji's number for so many years. He had saved him back then, so it probably counted. He forced himself to speak, even though his throat was dry, his brain refusing to process any words that could suggest...

"If- if you know anything certain... please, call me asap..." A hero part of Enji felt guilty. The other man probably had a lot on his hands and there were thousands of people from all over the world trying to get information about their families right now. But he couldn't just wait for the official announcement. He just couldn't. "If you know anything about Sparkle, that is, Heihachi Chigira, a Japanese prohero. He had come to the conference with Yuuei staff, he held no lectures."

"Of course, Mr Endeavor, I shall call you the moment I know his whereabouts," the man's voice was somber, not heralding the expectation to gather any good news. "Have you tried calling him?"

Fuck. Why didn't he think- No, he knew why he didn't think of that. He subconsciously felt there would be something final in calling Sparkle and hearing the voice telling him 'The number you're trying to reach...'. He would have to stop hoping that on this day, maybe, Sparkle got sick and stayed in the hotel. That maybe he just got bored of lectures and went sightseeing. That maybe this time, for once in his life, he would let a hangover keep him back.

"I'll- I'll try to reach him." He put down his phone. Izuku was watching him with big, teary eyes.

"Will- will-," and the boy stopped, too scared to put it into words, just like Enji.

"We don't know anything yet," Enji finally whispered. But he knew. He always knew. It just couldn't be this good. Not with him, never with him! 'But what were the odds?!' he thought angrily, mutinously. He had already lost his son! What were the odds of now losing his husband?! Why did something like that have to happen to him again?!

But he knew. All those years in heroing and he knew well. Life wasn't fair. People were cruel and stupid. World was a horrible place. It had been always like that.

He finally called Sparkle. 'The number you-' he dropped the connection. He opened messages – last one was from a couple of hours ago 'God, my head hurts, you're so right about not drinking! But couldn't let those Poles brag they're better than me! ...they were, though! ;) Love you!' followed by Enji's good-naturedly mocking reply.

As he stared at the text, the text just like many he had received from Sparkle, normal, everyday, filled with the same good humor and everlasting positivity Sparkle always emanated, recalling his own smile he had when he had got it, the warmth he had always felt thinking of Sparkle being his husband... he tried not to think this text might be the last one he would ever get. The ice in his heart seemed to grow, and grow with sharp shards, piercing all his being, filling every corner of his soul with blinding pain and freezing cold.

'If he hadn't gone there, he'd be here, by your side, laughing, joking, worrying about you, and all you would have in your mind would be the case of that sect. You'd tire eventually, and you'd shower together, and cuddle, just like a couple of days ago, just like every day, if he just hadn't-' 'Shut up. SHUT UP.'

Then he realized.

His Izuku had been supposed to go with Sparkle and it had been only his sickness that-

Oh God.

If things had gone differently he would be overworking himself again, Sparkle by his side chastising him lightly, smiling, loving.

If things had gone differently he would be staring at the TV, uncomprehending, without both his husband and his son. Without anyone anymore.

Oh God.

Enji shut his eyes with all force he had, almost seeing stars under his lids, his arms tightening around Izuku.

No.

No.

The phone started ringing and he felt a wave of terror. His Izuku tensed in his lap.

But it was Fuyumi. He realized he didn't want to pick up. He didn't want to talk about this. They didn't know anything yet, so people shouldn't be speaking anything yet, panicking yet, checking up on him yet! And he felt he wouldn't be able to utter a single unnecessary word right now anyway.

Still, he forced himself to accept the call. It was his Fuyumi after all, but only he knew how much it cost him right now.

"Dad... have you se-"

"Yes," he snapped, incapable of stopping himself.

"Was Sparkle-san... there?" she asked quietly, fearfully.

He couldn't make a sound to that. He just couldn't.

"I'll, I'll be on my way to your place, dad."

"I- We don't know anything yet." Bullshit, he knew. He just knew. He just wanted to be wrong, he begged to be wrong, but he knew.

"I'm still coming over, dad. I won't be bothering you, but you know, I might be... needed."

"Okay," he said hoarsely.

Silence fell as he was staring with empty mind at the news, survivor after survivor uncovered from under the rubble, and many, too many bodies leaving the site in black bags. Was one of them-? His Izuku was curling up on his lap, completely quiet, like never. Would his Izuku be in one of those if-? He kept his tight hug around the boy, it was the only thing he could do, with his mind blank and broken, the horrible cold and pain overwhelming. A couple of cats approached them, watching their two humans carefully. What they saw was enough information even for their small mad cat minds to realize something was wrong and they jumped onto Enji's lap, purring loudly, rubbing their heads against Izuku and Enji's faces.

Minutes were passing and Izuku's phone rang. The boy took the call, listened for a moment to whoever was on the other side, tried to respond, but completely dissolved into sobs instead. He took the thing from Izuku's hands.

"Hello."

"It's- it's me, Tenya, Endeavor-san. I'll, can I come to your home?"

"Tenya-kun..." he started, but Izuku started to nod weakly, in between his sobs. "P- please, d- dad."

He didn't know how much longer had passed, every minute dragging like eternity, before the Iida brothers had come and Izuku threw himself onto Tenya, now almost wailing. The other boy just held him tight.

"Is there anything you need me to take care of?" asked Tensei simply.

"He's not- He's not yet-"

"I know, Endeavor-san. But agency wise? Anything you were supposed to do today?"

Enji shook his head.

Tensei left for the kitchen and brought them all cups of water and then left again, sensing from Enji it wasn't the time Enji would want to spend with anyone other than his family. Tenya stayed. He wouldn't leave his best friend, and Izuku obviously didn't want him to either.

Soon Fuyumi came too and just sat by his side, saying nothing, doing nothing but taking one of his hands into hers. Even more cats trickled into the room and they evenly divided themselves between the three of them. And they stayed like that, waiting the most horrible wait that could happen to anyone and that would happen to everyone, eventually.

Enji just didn't expect it would happen to him again so soon. So soon after his Touya died.

Finally his phone rang again.

His heart dropped when he saw it was a call from the UK.

"Yes," his voice so hoarse that it was barely recognizable.

There was a pause and Enji knew what it meant.

No.

"I'm very sorry, Mr Endeavor, sir."

"Are you sure? Don't tell me this if you're not absolutely certain it... it... it is him," he croaked.

"...It is. I'm so very sorry."

888

It was different than how he had felt with Touya, his mind numbly observed. With Touya everything had been burning, everything had torn itself apart, he wanted to scream, to wail all the time, he wanted to destroy everything and himself.

Now it was the exact opposite – he felt like his heart and his mind and even every cell in his body was frozen, cold beyond any imagination, numb and painful at the same time. How could something be numb and painful, Enji didn't know. Maybe his mind was protecting itself from spiraling down into mad fierce emotions, from repeating the past. Maybe. One thing that hadn't changed though was pain. Impossible, piercing, overwhelming, dizzying, excruciating pain.

Still, he couldn't cry. It was like the pain froze even that in him. He couldn't cry, he couldn't wail, he barely could talk. He had gone through all the days before Sparkle's final goodbye on auto-pilot, doing everything he had been supposed to do, not breaking, not taking leave in his job, not refusing to see people who wanted to see him and give him the condolences. He was perfectly capable of normal functioning. It's just he didn't feel anything but the thick frigid wall of pain that engulfed him, crushed him, separated him from everything that was happening around him. Talking was difficult, forced, and uttered words were automatic, flat, empty. Even with Izuku he couldn't make himself feel anything but this and maybe but dread he was failing him now, incapable of crying with his boy, incapable of saying anything about Sparkle. At least Izuku didn't have only broken Enji – there was Fuyumi, and Iida brothers, and Aizawa, and Yachie, and Kurumada.

Now they both were before Sparkle's casket, Enji staring at it, unthinking, empty, the reality being much too much to process. He tried to concentrate on his son in his arms, who was crying vehemently because the world had taken from him first his mum, now his dad, to concentrate on his scent, on his tiny hands holding Enji tightly, tried to reach through the wall to the boy who was still alive, who was still with him. On his right was Sparkle's mother. She also wasn't crying, but her face had pain etched so deeply she looked like Mary from Pieta. First she had lost her beloved husband, now her only child. And Enji hadn't been able to do anything about it. Number Two's husband, and he died, murdered by fanatics. The wall grew thicker, the pain intensified, but so did the numbness. By her side stood Sparkle's grandmother, a tiny, plump woman, who loved Sparkle as much as his mother did, a woman who had pretty much raised him. She, unlike Enji and Sparkle's mom, was crying, tears falling incessantly all the time.

Enji's mind continued to wander on people, unwilling to focus on the quiet casket. On Enji's right stood little Tenya, watching Izuku in pain. It was obvious he wanted to help his friend so badly, but he knew there was nothing he could do and it devastated him. By his side was Tensei, just as he had been all these days, unintrusive but helpful presence, doing his best to relieve Enji of arranging the goodbye and the funeral, cause Enji would bury himself completely in every duty he had, but that one. He had been also speaking with Izuku as a hero, answering his aching questions kindly and considerately, hugging him, comforting him far better than completely numb Enji. He would always remember that. By Tensei stood Aizawa, brows frowned, lips in a tight line, angry, glaring at the whole world. He also had been hovering around these days, pretending he had been taking care of the cats, but Enji had felt his watchful eyes on him. Aizawa was the one to deal with the reporters whenever they'd try to jump him outside of his working hours, or even now, before the final goodbye. And Enji couldn't be more grateful, the young hero was capable of completely obliterating those heartless assholes with just a few well chosen scathing words, making sure they'd immediately disperse and leave Enji alone. Even now it felt like he had a guardian dog around, making sure no one bothers their small family.

Quite further stood the other part of his family – Rei and her children, together with some displeased looking woman, probably a friend of the family. His Natsuo seemed angry, scowling, lips tight, their corners turned down, eyes firmly fixed on the ground. He looked so much like Enji like this it would normally ache, now however the feeling was barely reaching Enji through the wall. His Shouto looked lost, uncertain, shooting glances at his family, shooting glances at Enji, turning his look to the ground whenever their eyes met, but without hatred or disdain, simply shaken by all this, and unsure what he was doing here or maybe what he was supposed to do. Fuyumi was standing with them, not with Enji. He remembered how she had asked him tentatively if she could stay with her brothers. Wa she worried they'd get out of line? Or maybe she did not want to deepen the distance that had been created between her and Natsuo after she had gone to Enji's wedding, after she had been so supportive of Enji starting a new, happy family. Now she kept looking at him with so much commiseration in her eyes it seemed she felt all the compassion for him the other kids did not feel.

People were giving speeches. Enji wasn't listening, did not want to listen. Everytime he heard 'Sparkle' or 'Heihachi' he tried to will his ears go deaf. He felt like he did not want to hear anyone ever mentioning that he had had a happy past with loving him husband that now was gone. That would never ever be again. He was grateful Tensei arranged it so that no one expected him to give a speech.

So he continued watching the crowds. There was his whole agency, with families and kids, a huge number of people, all of them knowing Sparkle personally, even if sometimes fleetingly, everyone liking him. There were Sparkle's relatives, not too big of a number, all openly sobbing, or quietly crying, devastated, all loving him so much. There were Enji's relatives, who came only because not coming would mean losing their faces in Japanese higher circles, but none of them cared a tiniest bit. Enji was a disgrace in their eyes, since he had made an extramarital child and divorced, staining their family name with a scandal, then, what was even worse, had married a man, and finally, what was probably the most outrageous in their eyes, had given up his family name to take that of Sparkle's. And there were heroes from other agencies, most of them knowing Sparkle. There was All Might, solemn, quiet, to Enji's surprise and gratitude having refused to give a speech, refusing people to concentrate on his flashy light for once. There was Nezu, who lost so many coworkers in that terrorist attack, most of the teachers from the school he barely had become a principal of gone. His eyes sometimes wandered onto Enji and Enji felt from him genuine understanding for his pain and respect for what he was going through. And there finally were fans, so many of them. The goodbye was held in an open space, since everyone expected crowds, and they were right. Everyone loved Sparkle. And now he was gone. Enji shut his eyes tight.

Finally the speeches were over. A lot of people moved to the casket, to say their final words, a lot moved towards Enji.

"Are you sure?" asked Aizawa quietly for the tenth or hundredth time.

Enji nodded. He wanted to see it through right. Sparkle would want- The pain pierced. -would want him to accept all these kind people's words. "Maybe you could just take Izuku-"

"I'll be fine," sniffled his boy. "I want to be with you."

"It is going to be long and sad," said Tensei kindly.

"I'll stay with dad. I'll thank them all with dad." Right. He already saw how these things worked, years ago, when his mom died. This was so unfair, he thought for the millionth time, Izuku did not deserve this, any of this.

Tensei and Aizawa exchanged looks, but said nothing more, merely watching the long line of people who started to express their sympathy for Sparkle's mom and grandma, for Izuku and Enji (he was again single dad now, it suddenly hit him; ridiculous, should have been obvious realization, but it hadn't hit him until now, as he was standing here, listening to people's words, trying not to hear them at all). They, thankfully were making it short, some maybe intelligent enough to know all Enji needed now was to get out of here as soon as possible, some maybe put off by Enji's cold exterior, some put off by Aizawa's incessant glaring.

It was only when she stood against him he realized he would have to talk to Rei, for the first time in more than five years. Somehow his working on autopilot mind had failed to process the situation and to provide him with any warning. Then again, it had been reasonable to expect her not to approach him. She brought his children here, he was a father to them after all, but she herself had no duty to show any sympathy towards her abuser. Yet, she was here.

"Dad," said Fuyumi quietly. He found her hand and squeezed. "I am always there for you, okay?"

"I know, Fuyumi-chan," he murmured.

"We'll talk more later, okay, dad? You seem- you need to rest."

No, he needed to get back to his work, asap. To find those who killed his Sparkle. His teeth gritted. He said nevertheless, "Okay, Fuyumi-chan."

And then, there was Rei.

"I am really sorry, Enji," she said, looking straight into his eyes, her face cold, emotionless, disconnected from her words. Natsuo was by her side, saying nothing, continuing to glaring at the ground. Shouto still seemed lost, his eyes on his mother, avoiding looking at Enji.

"Thank you for coming," he had repeated the phrase again, for the millionth time today. Though in this particular case, he realized, he was lying. They had never met him all those years, the last thing he wanted was to see them now, now when he was in no state to deal with any more emotions, now when all was about the man he loved, who was dead.

"If you need any help, Enji, I'll provide what I can." She was looking at him scrutinizingly, but he saw no real empathy there, no kindness, no forgiveness. Well, he did not expect any, nor he deserved it. Still he'd prefer if she didn't say anything at all instead of speaking those cold, meaningless phrases.

"I'm fine."

She frowned.

"I have friends."

"Alright."

And that was it. They all turned around and moved away, neither of his boys saying a word to him.

He turned to the next person and then he heard Natsuo's quiet voice, "Serves him right."

Maybe this wall of pain he was engulfed in was not such a bad thing, since those words did not even make him feel worse. He already felt in such a way that even this could not make it worse.

However he wasn't the only one who heard the words. He felt Izuku's hand squeezing his.

"How can y-" he started shouting at his Natsuo and to his surprise he reacted momentarily, despite his state of mind, immediately taking the boy into his arms and crushing him against his chest. People were staring at Izuku, at Natsuo, at Rei who was now scolding her son in a hushed voice, at Fuyumi who started crying quietly.

"Hush, Zuku. Sparkle wouldn't want us to argue now."

"But, dad, how can he-" Izuku tried to fight back.

"It's okay."

"It's not-"

"Izuku, please."

Izuku buried his face into his chest and started to cry again. "We loved dad, dad was great, how can he say that?!"

"I'm sure he didn't mean that," he whispered.

888

"Enji-sama..." he heard Untenmaru's hesitant voice. All his servants were tiptoeing around him now, even brash, straightforward, always angry Untenmaru. They remembered well that he had turned into a mad monster after Touya's death, even worse than he had been before it. This time... he wasn't like that. The fury was there, towards those who killed the love of his life, but he still was mostly numb, robot-like, not taking it out on anyone close anymore. Still, he obviously wasn't right. Couldn't be right. Who could, truly? And they saw it, couldn't blame them. He was just grateful they were giving everything they could to his Izuku, all love they had for him, since Enji himself felt distanced even from his dearest son, his own gestures, words feeling forced, empty, unsupportive.

"What is it, Untenmaru?" He frowned when he saw his chauffeur's face. Something was wrong. Izuku, who had been by his side all the time when he wasn't at school, looked up from his homework, his eyes worried, face pale.

"What happened? Did something happen to Fuyumi?" he was already standing, his fists clenched, flames escaping his body. If something could crack this wall of numbness and coldness it was fear that-

"No, no, Fuyumi-sama is fine!" Untenmaru rushed to explain seeing Enji's face.

The wall was back the same it had been before, the fear disappearing and making more room for emptiness in Enji.

"...it's just- Rei-sama has come to visit you."

Enji blinked.

Rei? Rei? Why? Merely a couple of days had passed since Sparkle's... goodbye and nobody bothered Enji but Iida brothers and Aizawa (though they really couldn't be called a bother). And of course Fuyumi had been here every afternoon. So Rei, suddenly, of all people? He recalled their conversation. 'If you need any help, Enji, I'll provide what I can.' Did she come to check on them? This would be... a lot. To come to her abuser. To want to help him despite everything he had done. This just proved again what a monster he had been in contrast to this good kind woman. Or maybe she wanted to apologize for Natsuo? Fuyumi already had done that, sounding extremely contrite, even though it not only wasn't her fault, but deep inside Enji had thought perhaps Natsuo had been right. Someone like him, to again start a new happy family, like what he had done never had happened... Of course he didn't truly believe that, he did not believe in fate or karma or God. But... Natsuo had all right to hate him, even if Enji would give much to not be hated by his own son...

Enji shook himself internally and stood up from his armchair.

"Rei-sama is in the garden." His Izuku stood up too and Enji didn't have it in him to tell him to stay. If the boy wanted to be by his side, then Enji could give him at least that.

Rei was viewing his garden, her lips strung tight, a shadow of pain marring her beautiful face. She hadn't been here for more than five years, hadn't been here since she had run away from her monster of a husband. The very being here must have been almost a physical pain for her.

She looked at him, face rearranging into neutral, then her eyes dropped to Izuku. She smiled at him, to Enji's surprise, weakly and almost sadly, but she did.

"Hello," Izuku's voice was uncertain and wary. He probably was thinking about Natsuo whose words had shaken him so much.

"Hello, Izuku-kun." Then her eyes turned back to Enji and her smile disappeared. "Hello, Enji."

"Hello," he answered, his mind completely blank. What should he say? The last time he had seen her he had been her oppressor. Shouldn't the first thing to be done was to apologize? But these were only words, weighing nothing against the gravity of his sins. His therapist was always saying words were important, but in this case they could do nothing but anger Rei, right?

"How are you doing?" she asked before he could manage to decide what should be said.

"I'm fine," he repeated the same phrase he had repeated millions of times since Sparkle had... died.

Her eyes narrowed and seemed to be boring him through.

"Are you sure, Enji? This is a... terrible time for you."

"I... will be fine." He would. He survived his own son's death, and caused by him too. He knew he was going to survive that, horrible reality as it was.

Rei kept quiet for a moment. Enji still had no idea what to say, a vague feeling trying to break through his wall, telling him this was important, he finally had a chance to speak with Rei, to... what? Make amends? Repair anything? Make her feel better somehow? He had no idea. Maybe if it wasn't just a few days after his happy marriage had been destroyed in such a horrible way, maybe if his whole being hadn't been in pain, it would be easier to think clearly.

"I could take care of Izuku, if you want."

It was like a knife cutting through his hazy thoughts and feelings, through the numbness and ache. Suddenly Enji was sober, wide-awake, his mind working with clarity he had been missing these days. He suddenly knew perfectly well why she had come. It was never to help him.

She was worried for Izuku.

His Izuku looked at him, confused.

"I'm... no longer like I was before. I... am not going to hurt my child."

Rei was watching him carefully. "I know... that back then you also did not intend to hurt your children. Fuyumi-chan told me you weren't... truly aware what you've been doing would harm them."

"It's different now," To his surprise he felt anger. He shouldn't, she came worried for the well-being of his extramarital child, the child he made by being unfaithful to her, and it was something he should respect and laud. She didn't have to care about whatever would happen to Izuku. Yet, he felt angry, angry that during this grievous time she would come to take away the only thing he had left, that she thought he might hurt the light of his eyes. But he quelled his anger, he knew he wasn't thinking right, he felt he was being tempted to fall back into old tracks of hating Rei. He had been used to it for such a long time after all. "I am seeing a therapist. Izuku is also going to a therapist after... Sparkle's death. I have friends helping us both."

Rei was still watching him carefully. "...alright," she finally said. "Fuyumi told me you... have changed a lot."

"I am... trying."

Her eyes narrowed and he was sure she wanted to ask him why he couldn't try before, he was sure of that, but she said nothing.

"Can I.. speak with Izuku?"

Anger again tried to raise its head and he forced it down again. He won't translate grief into wrath, never again.

"Alright. Izuku, I'll leave you with Rei-san, okay? She was my wife, you know that. She just wants to check whether you're alright."

"Is she going to take me away from you?" Enji blinked, surprised.

"Of course not, she just wants to make sure you're okay with me."

The tears appeared in the boy's green, big eyes. "She will take me away."

"No, Izuku, she won't-"

"She will," his boy started to sniffle. "I lost my mum, I lost my dad, now I'm gonna lose you. It's always like that, always, it's gonna be always like that." He started to fully sob now, face hidden in his hands, tears still escaping and falling to the ground. He immediately crouched by his boy.

"No one will take you away from me, I promise you-"

"Dad promised he won't get himself killed, too!"

Enji's eyes widened. He enfolded the boy in his arms.

"This..." he whispered. "This we can't ever foresee. He couldn't know. He was a hero, Izuku. You know that."

Izuku kept sniffling.

"But this I can promise you. Nobody takes you away. I promise."

"B, but in movies they come and they talk with the kids and they take them away."

"They won't, Izuku. They won't."

But Izuku kept crying. He had been crying a lot since Sparkle had died, and Enji knew he was going to cry a lot for a long time to come. This child was too pure, too sweet for everything life had been throwing at him. It was so unfair.

"I'll leave you."

Ah, right, Rei, the cause of all this.

"He... his dad just died."

"I know, Enji. I came to offer help, not to break your family."

'Like you broke ours.'

"Thank you," though he wasn't sure he really meant that, his mind on his crying Izuku, who wouldn't be crying if she wasn't here in the first place.

Rei nodded, looking sad.

888

"Aren't we going to make a butsudan for dad?"

Yeah. It was high time to get a grip. Days have passed and Sparkle's things were laying like he had left them before leaving for London. Every single thing hurt, but Enji still couldn't get himself to give them away or at least stock them in a chest, not mentioning not having any willpower to make a proper butsudan. It felt like doing that would equal finally accepting that Sparkle was nothing but past now, and past did not exist, not really, and he ached for it to exist, just a little longer, even if it pained.

But he had his child to look after. He had his child he needed to help through the stages of grieving.

"Okay, Zuku."

Izuku watched him closely, his big green eyes as usual shining with intelligence higher than his age would suggest. "We don't have to, dad. There is always time." Enji wondered if Izuku had been speaking about him with the therapist. Probably. He was his dad, the most important thing in the world, the person who was shaping what Izuku felt and who he was to a great extent. Of course they would be talking, Jun'ichiro-sensei probably explaining patiently to Izuku why Enji was the way he was now, broken and not the best support he should be for his dearest son.

"No, you're right. We have to do this. Dad would want to have a wonderful butsudan."

"...all kids have only one family butsudan," added Izuku hesitantly.

"Ah. Well, you were so young back then. I thought you would prefer your own butsudan, only for your mum."

"But we're one family, right, dad?"

Enji nodded. He was used to grieve alone before Touya's butsudan, so he had just assumed for some reason that little Izuku would prefer to have a separate butsudan where he could tell all the stories he wanted to tell his mom without Enji around. But the boy was right. Family should be together.

Still, it was so hard. Picking up Sparkle's things. Choosing those most special to him, to be placed on butsudan or in the butsudan's room. Putting away the rest. Some probably could be just given away or thrown away, the stupid unimportant stuff like a toothbrush, pants, shoes. Maybe one day. Probably one day. But for now they just hid them in the chest in the storage house.

Finally Sparkle's office, that used to be also the place where he would play his PC games, store gifts from fans, kept some of the childhood memorabilia, emptied. When Enji looked at it it was almost like being at his funeral again. It was over. It was. Life was moving on, rooms were getting empty, meaningless, lifeless things were left behind and put away. The new reality was here, the reality without Sparkle, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. At least the Americans finally got the culprits. Well, the very culprits died during the explosion, but at least they had found the leaders of the antiquirk sect that had arranged this massacre. Not that it would bring his Sparkle back.

He had closed the shouji for the last time and went back to their new, bigger, too big, butsudan. There was Touya, much younger than he had last seen him, still radiating joy, happy to be Enji's son. There was Inko, smiling with genuine warmth and kindness, not a shadow marring her pretty face. And now, there was Sparkle.

Sparkle.

Sparkle.

For the first time since his love's... death Enji felt tears filling his eyes, but they didn't drop. He wondered if he could ever cry again. Maybe first losing his son, now losing Sparkle had finally been too much. Maybe a part of him was irreversibly broken now. It surely felt that way.

There came a sniffle. He turned to his Izuku, sitting by his side, trying to be quiet, but with tears falling down. At least the boy cried for both of them.

"Dad would want us to be happy again, one day," he said quietly, not believing he could ever be happy again, but knowing he needed to help his Izuku achieve that. "He would wa-"

Then it hit him. He had completely forgotten. How could he forget that?! What was wrong with him?!

"Dad?"

"Zuku, dad... God, I'm sorry, but I forgot! I forgot!" What kind of father was he?

"Dad, what's wrong?"

"Dad had left us a message. He recorded it in case..."

Izuku's eyes widened.

"Izuku, I'm so sorry! How could I forget that!" He was such a failure!

Izuku's arm tightened around him. "It's okay, dad. It's hard to think when it hurts."

He rushed back to his room, searching his memory for what Sparkle had said back then. ('It's on your cloud, named 'S to Enji' and 'S to Zuku', copy is on my red pen drive on the shelf. 'God, Sparkle, this is so morbid.' 'Enji, many people are doing those. Especially us, heroes.')

He started to click fervently, searching for the files, terrified that maybe somehow they were gone, erased, and that the pendrive would be broken too, and he'd never hear the last message from Sparkle.

But there they were, both video files seemingly intact. He felt his heart thumping so powerfully it threatened to escape through his throat. He rushed here, but now his hand was hovering over the keyboard.

"It's okay, dad, we can do it tomorrow." Izuku was watching him again carefully.

"Do you want to watch it today, Zuku?"

Izuku hesitated. "...yeah, but I can wait for you. It's okay."

God, this child was thinking about Enji even now, instead of himself. He hugged him tightly and then clicked on Izuku's file.

The video started. Sparkle was sitting behind his desk, against the monitor of his PC. He looked sad for a second, then he smiled kindly.

"I'm so sorry, Zuku, my broccoli."

Izuku sniffled, his hands gripping Enji's desk so tight his knuckles went white.

"I'm so sorry, love," Sparkle repeated, still smiling, but the sadness seemed to overcome him again. "I know I have promised you I won't get myself killed. I shouldn't have ever broken that promise. I shouldn't have done this to you, little one. I really meant my promise. I wanted to spend many years watching you become the best hero ever. But, even if I'm never gonna see it... I already did. Everything about you was showing me your great future. Even if I'm not gonna see it, it is as if I did. You're the best, Zuku, love. The greatest hero I've ever seen. And the greatest son and buddy. I loved us playing hero cards, no one plays them as well as you do!" Sparkle's smile widened genuinely. "And our food trips! You were the best partner to sniff out the best new places to make us fat! We had so much fun! I have so many amazing memories thanks to you! You were making me so happy, Zuku. Thanks to you I don't regret a single thing. I... I am so sorry I have left you. I am so sorry. I promise you I did everything I could not to."

'You couldn't do a thing. The explosion just snuffed out your life like a candle's flame.'

"I wish it hadn't happened. But, thanks to you, Zuku, I got to know what it means to have a wonderful family, a wonderful son. You gave me that and I died happy. I did. I promise you that. Now you try to promise me you will live happily too, okay? I know it seems now you'll never be happy again. But do this for me, okay? If you're going to be sad, it will be my fault. I don't want to be the one who is making you sad, Zuku. Promise me you will be as happy as you can, okay? Being a hero is very dangerous. I knew that and I filled my life with happiness. Promise me you will be happy, and you'll remember me smiling, okay?"

Izuku was downright sobbing now. Enji himself had tears in his eyes again.

"But it's so hard," croaked his son. He tugged Izuku to himself. "It's so hard, dad."

"I love you, Zuku, I love you so much. And thank you, love, for all the happiness you gave me. I love you, my broccoli."

And it was over. Now Izuku had completely dissolved into tears. Enji took him onto his lap and tightened the arms around him, his own heart aching more than it had ever ached during this whole time since that horrible evening, when Izuku had come to tell him about the dreadful news. The cats were all around them now, some of them meowing, probably drawn by Sparkle's voice, maybe thinking he was back. For the first time Enji felt the wall cracking, the numbness dissipating, making him want to howl and wail. But he grit his teeth and made sure his Quirk wouldn't burn his son hidden in his arms. They were sitting like that for a long time, Izuku crying, Enji not saying a word, cats all over them, purring, rubbing their small heads against them, trying to provide all the comfort they could.

Finally Izuku calmed down.

"'S your turn, dad."

Ah, true. He really didn't know if he could take it. Still he braced himself and started the second video.

Sparkle looked guilty in this one, and clearly worried. God, he seemed worried. For Enji. 'You died, idiot! Don't worry about me!'

Sparkle didn't start talking immediately, like in the video for Izuku. He seemed to be gathering proper words, looking uncertain, sad, and definitely guilty and worried.

"...I'm sorry, Enji, love," he finally said with a grave sigh. "God, I'm so sorry. You've been through so much shit, and look at me, adding to that," he sighed again. 'You stupid fucking idiot, stop being guilty for dying! Stop worrying about me! It is you who are... who are dead.' The wall was no longer cracking, it was shattering, as he saw his Sparkle for the last time, his dead Sparkle sending him a message from the past, worried and guilty he had hurt Enji. "I know it is horrible. I know how hard it is for you now, love. I... I have given you so much happiness, and now I have taken it away." 'You didn't! You didn't! They did!' he wanted to scream. 'The villains! The true monsters!'

"But please, love, I beg you, I truly beg you. Concentrate not on what you have lost, but on the fact it was possible. I remember that day so very clearly, when we were on that roof, when you were all but saying that you can't be happy with anyone, ever, when you were sure you'd never fall in love and be loved in return. I remember it so clearly. And look, we have had such happy years together."

'Too few, too few.'

"It seemed impossible and yet, these were amazing times. So please. I beg you. Please not let these years go to waste. Please do try again. I am not telling you to forget me, but on the contrary, to remember all the happiness we had together, and remembering this to try and find this happiness again. Promise me you'll try again, Enji, love, promise me that."

Enji couldn't. He couldn't. He couldn't even begin to imagine being with anyone else. Anyone else taking Sparkle's place. Sparkle was perfect for him, he couldn't have ended up with anyone kinder, anyone more understanding of Enji's issues, more patient, more well suited to his difficult character, and someone who would be that great and still fall in love with Enji, of all people.

"Please, do that, one day. I know this is hard now, and I know you are in a horrible state. I'm so sorry for that. I hope you are seeing your therapist regularly, love. You have to be there for Izuku too, but if it's too difficult, remember about our friends, Tensei, Shouta, please do call them and ask for help."

He didn't have to. They were coming regularly on their own. He would be always grateful for that.

"I wanna thank you, Enji, for all the time we had together. I loved every single minute I had with you. You made me so happy! You and your Izuku! I may have had a shorter life than many, but I knew what I got into when I became a hero. We both knew it could happen one day. What is important for me, and I want you to keep that in mind too, love, is that I've been blessed to have a wonderful life. I was luckier than many, Enji, I really was. I had a wonderful family, happy childhood, many friends, a job I loved, and finally a man and a son I loved most in the world. I truly had a happy life, Enji. I've never had to go through anything like you had. I had a blessed life. Please try to have one too, before the time comes for you too."

He felt Izuku's fists clenching.

"I love you. I truly do. You made me so happy."

And there they were, finally, tears dropping, one after another, now that they finally started Enji felt like they would never stop.

Sparkle hesitated.

"I... was an only kid. If you... if it is going to be too difficult for you, it is fine for you to not be in contact with my ma and grandma. I don't want the past to keep breaking you. It is really fine." Sparkle hesitated again. Enji knew what had been on his mind. Sparkle's mum was calling him everyday, now that her boy was gone it seemed like Enji was the closest thing. Enji felt painfully he would never be Sparkle, not only because, obviously, no one could replace her very dear child, but also simply because he had always been socially awkward, had trouble keeping up the conversation. Sparkle would talk with his mum for an hour everyday, never out of topics, but Enji? In Enji's case the conversation was always tearing, the silence dropped all the time. They'd finish it after mere minutes. But he was trying. And Sparkle's mum seemed to need it, so he was giving the best he could, as little as it was.

"...but if you maybe... ma loves you so much. If you could... take care of them... I'd be grateful. But please, not at the cost of your own mental health, love. Okay? Promise me that too. I love you. I love you. Please fall in love again. Please don't compare them to me. They will be different, but as long as they will love you back, you will be happy. Be happy for me, Enji. I love you. And I'm sorry."

This was the end.

Finally, for the first time since what it seemed like eternity, sobbing had completely wrecked him, the wall down, the anguish screaming and gushing out in a stream of tears.

888

"Do you think... I'd make a good teacher?"

Enji looked at Aizawa surprised. "You are a great teacher to my kid. Where did this come from?"

Aizawa merely shrugged, his eyes on the kittens pursuing one another in Enji's garden, though Enji knew well he was following Izuku and Tenya's sparring easily too.

"I'm just... wondering."

Wondering? Then it hit him. Of course. The realization was painful, but that was life. What was the end for one person was a beginning for another.

"Nezu offered you a position in Yuuei?"

Aizawa looked irritated with himself. Probably scolding himself internally for transgressing onto this still raw for Enji territory. "...yeah," he admitted.

"I think you will be a great teacher."

Aizawa hummed in a greatly unconvinced manner. "I wonder."

"You will. You have skills, you have a very sane attitude towards heroing, and you know how to share knowledge, both theoretical and practical. And you know how to help kids find methods of learning best suitable for them."

"I've only been teaching these two so far. It's quite a little to draw any assessments."

"I'm forty, Aizawa, and Number Two. I've seen many heroes that had graduated from various schools, not only in Japan, and I see a horrifying amount of flaws in their skills, knowledge, attitude. I'm sure your students won't be like them. I've trusted you with my own kid. Yuuei can only benefit from your presence."

"Wow, I never took you for a praise singer."

Enji took a sip of his mocha, his eyes on some particularly swift and well thought of attack of Tenya's that his Izuku barely avoided. But avoided. Against a boy with an accelerating Quirk. His boy was so talented.

"I'm saying what I think. I wouldn't say the same about me, or even about Tensei, who is great, but far too meek to be a teacher."

"You are a good teacher."

Enji thought about his Shouto and sighed. "I learn from my mistakes. A teacher should not learn from the mistakes made on his students."

That got Aizawa pensive.

"You should take the offer. Also, it's not only my opinion. Nezu would not choose anyone but the best."

"He doesn't know me."

Enji chuckled dryly. "He knows everything, Aizawa, everything."

"'Maybe he just likes people to think that."

"Oh, no, trust me, the little furry is not ruling the world only because he doesn't want to."

A shadow of a genuine smile on Aizawa's face. Meaning Enji was one of his friends now. Aizawa showed those microsmiles only to his friends, few and carefully selected bunch that they were.

"Take it."

"It is going to be horrible. All those kids. I hate people, Chigira-san. You're going to be visiting me in an asylum after one semester."

Enji exhaled the quietest chuckle. "You just know you're gonna get attached to them. You know you'll end up worrying your head off over the brats."

"Absolutely not. My heart is reserved only for cats."

"Sure it is."

So... Aizawa was going to be a teacher at Yuuei. So many died in that terrorist attack, so, of course, Nezu would be hiring. Life went on. Someone's death was some other person's chance. World continued in its tracks.

Enji hated it.

But he knew it was just his pain speaking. He no longer felt as bad as in the first weeks after Sparkle's death, he finally started to feel all range of the emotions again, the sensation of being disconnected with everything and everyone finally gone too, but the pain was still there, quieter, more faded, but still there. So it was hard to watch the world revolving without his Sparkle. But he wasn't in this place for the first time. He knew he would get used to it, though he also knew he wouldn't. Not really, could never really. He would always ache for him, like he would always ache for his son. But he would come to accept the reality, one day.

"You better be one of Izuku's teachers when he gets to Yuuei."

Aizawa's eyes softened. "Well, that's one highlight. Don't tell him I said that."

"You're beyond help."

The boys finished their sparring and approached for the review. Enji let Aizawa do the talking and realized he really didn't have anything he could add. Aizawa really would become a brilliant teacher, even with his cold exterior and harshness. But this was a hero school, they could die one day, so these were pros, not cons.

"Going with us for lunch?"

Aizawa hesitated. "Might as well."

Tenya grinned, but Izuku frowned at his phone.

"What's up, Zuku?"

His Izuku paled. Meanwhile Tenya got a text too and his eyes widened. "No way," he whispered, but Enji could not decipher the emotion.

"What happened?" he asked again, trying to remain calm.

"They're gonna-" Tenya started enthusiastically, but then noticed Izuku's face and promptly stopped in track. Izuku was breathing quickly, the thumping of his heart clearly visible on his shirtless chest.

"Zuku?"

"They- they're gonna expel Kacchan!"

888

Anger was dwelling in the back of Enji's heart. Well it had always been there, since he had been a teenager, but for years now he'd been trying to keep it at bay, under control. Today it was burning particularly fiercely. They had barely lost Sparkle and what was Enji doing? Going to the principal of Yasunishichuu Middle to what? Convince him not to expel Katsuki Bakugou. It was ridiculous. It was irritating. Why couldn't his boy forget about the little asshole, especially now, when their hearts were still shrouded in sadness?

A part of Enji, probably the healthier part, knew it was wrong to be irritated with his Izuku. It was wrong to be annoyed he still cared for a boy that used to be pretty much his brother. It was whispering that Enji was not as much irritated with his son as with another proof that life was going on, that new matters were arising in Izuku's heart, new problems, uncomparable to losing his dad, but important nevertheless.

He sighed. He could feel Izuku's big eyes on him.

"You angry, dad?"

He chose his words carefully, not to sound insincere. The boy was smarter and smarter with every passing year, and, of course, he knew Enji so well.

"I'm always angry with things, Zuku. I'm angry Katsuki-kun did not change for the better. I'm angry you had to get involved."

"I didn't have to, I wanted to. You have to."

Yeah, too smart.

"I just don't like him," he finally admitted. There wasn't much hiding from Izuku nowadays. "But I love you, and I will help him for you. However, his bullying must stop. I am not that powerful, love, to stop his expulsion if this continues."

Izuku's eyes turned back to gaze at the floor, his face unhappy.

"But we'll think of something with the principal." Actually, Enji already had an idea, though he knew it would be extremely difficult to convince the principal to. It was one of the most prestigious middle schools in Musutafu after all, they were very strict when it came to bullying and any other sort of hooliganism. The rich parents did not send their kids here to be traumatized or to get under a bad influence. Thankfully Enji was rich, and he knew the promise of big funds for the school could make wonders.

The principal welcomed them cordially. Izuku was one of their best students, and Enji was the best parent they could get – wealthy, famous and influential. After exchanging initial pleasantries the man got to the point. Enji liked him immediately.

"So, you have said on the phone Tod- Chigira-sama, you wanted to speak about Katsuki Bakugou? Was your child one of the kids bullied by the little delinquent?" he looked serious now. Probably nervous too. Enji could have as well come here to tell him he was suing them for the trauma his kid had gotten. Good. Nervous meant more malleable.

"No. On the contrary. I have been thinking for a while" A complete lie, but oh well. "about a new project I'd like to invest my money into."

That, of course, got the principal's interest immediately.

"Of course, Chigira-sama! How can we help?"

"Your school is so prestigious, if you implemented the system here, it would encourage other schools to do the same."

"Of course! What are we talking about exactly?"

"Kids like Bakugou need help not being thrown out of the educational system."

The principal's enthusiasm immediately died out. Enji could imagine why – the man did not want his school to be known as the one who coddles ruffians. He probably did not want anyone to know they even had any at all in his school.

"This is so important," he pushed. "This is how villains are created. Feeling kicked out by society, without any perspectives in life, they turn to drastic measures and then good people die."

The principal's face was an emotionless mask now. So, it wasn't going to be that easy.

"I understand you fear undesirable PR," he said outright. "I know you fear parents will think this is a school with bullies."

"Chigira-sama, I wholeheartedly agree that your cause is noble, and I will do whatever is in my power to advance it, however we simply cannot let other parents live in fear of their offspring's safety."

"Did the boy harm someone seriously?"

"Chigira-sama, it will be too late, when it happens!"

"If I speak with the parents of the other boy?"

The principal hesitated. "Well, I suppose... then we could perhaps find a solution. However, what exactly is your plan, Chigira-sama?"

888

Bakugou? She hadn't called him for years. She hadn't called him since that day when he threatened her with social services. Well, he couldn't blame her. Was she going to thank him? Somehow he doubted it.

"Yes."

There was a pause. Maybe she was surprised he took the call.

"You think you've been so heroic, right? Saving my Katsuki from expulsion?"

"It wasn't me, it was Izuku," he replied coldly.

"So, your Izuku saved my Katsuki from the results of your fucking assholish shit!"

Enji blinked.

"Sorry?"

"It is all your goddamn fault!"

What. The. Hell.

"It's because of you that I went more lenient on him, stopped beating him, when he deserved it, and look where it got us! He would be perfectly behaved if not for you!"

'You... you've got to be joking,' he almost hissed out loud the words.

"This is where your no spanking raising methods lead difficult kids like Katsuki! It's all your fault I haven't made him right!"

Only Enji knew how much it cost him to remain, externally, calm. He did it only for his Izuku, since Izuku still cared so much for the other kid. And, maybe, because he was a hero. It was his job to help people, young bullies including.

"Have you even been going with him to the therapist at all?"

"'We will have to now, because of you!"

"Good."

888

"Thanks, dad."

Enji kissed the green head. "Anything for you."

888

888

Notes:

So, short summary: Sadly, Sparkle dies in a terrorist attack, and Enji (and Izuku) grieves throughout all the chapter. He gets support from Iidas and Aizawa, he actually meets Rei and his kids for the first time in years, but it's cold, obviously, no forgiveness here, and Natsuo is especially hating him. Apart from that Bakugou is finally sent to a specialist and Aizawa becomes a Yuuei teacher. Also it is proven that Enji's great idea to go and threaten Mitsuki with socical services did not help at all, as you could guess.
Okay, apart from the summary.
This is not Natsuo bashing fic either, but he's a teenager now, and teenagers tend to feel strongly and say cruel words even in situations lesser than this.
Also I have no idea how exactly Aizawa became a teacher in Yuuei, but this story is offcanon, so I decided to stay with this headcanon of mine. I always thought it a little weird that so many teachers in such a prestigious school are so young. And, well, they're all heroes, it makes sense they died, sadly.
I'm really sorry to all the people who loved Sparkle. I promise you he really had a wonderful life, I do! Also blame another character who could have saved him, but didn't for his reasons (little spoiler for the future plot) (and, no, it's not Hawks).
Next chapter is gonna take place a couple of years later and will see Izuku and Tenya preparing for Yuuei, and All Might's back! And some other people will appear or reappear too! I promise it's not going to be as sad as this.