Because Mom couldn't come, Fuyumi's the one to walk me down the aisle and she can't even take it. She's in tears as Hawks and Mic get me situated. The whole 'topsy turvy' wedding was to be that I was the bride and Nemuri was the groom. That I'd be walked down the aisle and all that.

Fuyumi sniffles and blows her nose into a tissue, "Koyurei, I never thought you'd be the first one married." she smiles and hugs me tightly. We separate and Natsuo helps me adjust my tie.

"You okay, Natsu?" I ask, and he looks up at me with tears running down his cheeks too. His hands shake a little and he grins.

"Yeah! Yeah, just that... It's a shame Mom couldn't come." he sighs, "Shoto wanted to come but of course that bastard didn't want him to slack off."

"I *invited* him." I snap gently, "Shoto's probably running a little late." I check my face in the mirror and it's alright. Everything's all well and good. I can only imagine the kind of chaos Nemuri's side's going through considering that Fuwame got pulled over.

There's a knock at the door and Fuyumi goes to answer it, "Coming!" she exclaims. Nervous energy pings through me like a damn near generator going ten million miles an hour.

But then I hear it, "Mom?! What're you doing here?"

"I wouldn't miss this for the world, Fuyumi." Mom answers simply, showing up in a dark blue dress with her hair tied back. Hizashi and Keigo both look at her absolutely stunned.

"Yamada, Takami. Thank you both for being part of my son's wedding procession." she bows her head, "I know it's unorthodox, but I really do appreciate that."

"Nothing to it, Ma'am!" Hizashi exclaims, "Me an' Nemuri go way back, so Koyurei became one of my buddies too!"

Keigo smiles, "Well, I guess that's good. I'm really happy you feel that way Mrs. Todo-" Fuyumi elbows him gently in the ribs, "Ow! Okay, Ms. Himura!"

Mom smiles as we all get to the entrance to the sanctuary. Mom winds her arm in mine.

"This is it." she says.

"Were you ever nervous, Mom?" I ask, "Because I'm very, very nervous." She pats my arm with a serene smile. Of course I don't mean to bring up any painful memories but she seems happy enough.

"Yes I was, your grandparents sold me to your... father. And I was so nervous about it I thought I was going to die." she admits, "But you chose Nemuri. You trust her enough to be vulnerable without fear of her hurting you."

We get to the door, "I can't promise it'll be easy, but if you two work together it'll turn out better than you think." Natsuo and Keigo stand on either side of the door ready to push it open.

I take the bouquet of flowers and take a deep breath. The veil over my face billows a bit from my breath. Don't explode. Don't explode. Don't set anything on fire.

The song begins, Head Over Heels by Tears for Fears. The sanctuary spread before us all decorated and ready to go. Nemuri's side of the aisle is chock full of relatives while my side is almost pitifully empty aside from Natsuo's seat, his girlfriend, Fuyumi, and Moe just about to cry. There's a yellow lump off in the seats a few rows back.

I turn my eyes to the altar and there she is, with Aizawa as her 'best man' and Yamada adjusting the music but standing nearby. His girlfriend Emi is standing next to him and Thirteen is near Aizawa.

Still no Shoto. But that's probably to be expected. Dad probably didn't allow him to come to the wedding. Or maybe he decided not to himself? I can't blame him though.

On my side is Natsuo grinning like he's super excited, Keigo using his feathers as tissues, and where Shoto should've been is empty. Mom looks up at me and Nemuri steps in to take me up to the altar. Nemuri's an absolute vision. She's in a black dress with gold chains draped around her hips and looping to her chest. Strings crisscross her lower back and while it leaves nothing at all to the imagination it's her choice.

Mom kisses me on the cheek, "Take good care of my son, Nemuri." she passes me towards her and Nemuri locks one of her arms around mine.

"You bet I will, Mom." she answers with a quick wink. She and I walk towards the altar and while the ceremony goes all I can think about is how I never imagined I'd be here arm in arm with someone I'd never in a million years think I'd be with.

We go through the ceremony, the vows and the I dos. The officiant smiles and says the magic words.

"You may now kiss the bride."

She lifts my veil and sweeps me into her arms, kissing me full force as my bouquet drops out of my hands. She dipped me and is reaping the rewards. The crowd goes wild and all I can think about is the joy just making my heart explode. She pulls away and hoists me into a bridal carry. We get out of there and into the car waiting for us. Fuwame, no, Dad. He got it for us. Said it was 'No big deal for my son (in law) and daughter.'

Nemuri still has me in her lap before I move to the passenger seat. I keep staring down at my ring like I couldn't believe it even happened. We made it, we won, and now it's all going to be together from here on out. Everyone loads up the car with their gifts, Mom and Ayaka (My mother-in law now.) both end up kissing me on the cheek and wish me luck. Fuwame and Neruteno keep it brief with a quick handshake.

Keigo hugs me, "Good luck." he whispers into my ear, "She's gonna make you really happy."

"She already does, Kei."

"Good."

She drives us back home. Instead of a reception we decided it'd be best to have our first dance at home. When we pull in there's no time to lose. We put up the gifts like a blender or a crib, some things were baby stuff and other things were kitchen stuff I wanted.

Wait... baby stuff?

I look over at Nemuri and she sashays close, "Just in case we want a little you or me running around. My parents pretty much loaded us with stuff." A little fear jolts into me but I stay strong.

"We can take our time though, right? I'm... I'm not ready." I mumble, "I mean, if you are I'm sorry..."

"You don't need to apologize, hubby." she wraps her arms around me and kisses me on the cheek, leaving a stain of red there. She pulls me close and into our bedroom, "We'll have a baby when you're ready I promise."

"Okay." I let her lay me down and I work my hands up to the tie holding up her dress. She undoes it herself and it pools around her waist like a shadow. She's wearing black, lacy lingerie.

"What about our dance?" I ask.

"Koyurei, just sit back and relax." she turns on the music, "This is our dance." she kisses my palm and my fingers. Taking her time and staining them with her lips. Her eyes meet mine and all I can see and feel is how much love she has for me.

Just for me. The slow soft sensuality of her kisses brings me into a dreamlike haze of being drunk on her. Her lips brush pleasure down my arms and lift them so she could kiss my sides.

Nemuri's love is slow, methodical, she makes sure I know what she's doing. She takes her time and just sees the fruits of her labor be me just barely conscious but accepting all of it at once. She turns me over on my stomach and kisses the back of my neck, lingering near my ear and whispering into it, "You're mine now." her soft body presses against my back and all I can do is let her kiss me.

It's sweet surrender and she works her way down again.

"Nemuri, are you lulling me to sleep?" My voice is heavy and I think I'm super tired but at the same time I might not be at all. She giggles.

"Maybe?"

"That's... haaaahhh... mean." I curl into her as she pulls the blankets over us. Everything is right with the world.

I still can't believe it. Me and Nemuri are finally married. We're in our bed at our house where we should be but at the same time there's this excitement going through me a mile a minute.

"Hmmmm?" Nemuri groans before rising and stretching, her body still so perfect even with her scarring from the villains she had to wrangle. Her eyes open and they're still that perfect blue. Only difference is the sparkling ring on her right hand's ring finger.

She settles back in with her brushing against my chest a little before she plops down and lays on her side. Her arms wrapping around me and drawing me close with a happy little sigh.

"Morning, Mr. Kayama... pull the blankets back up." she smiles and I pull them up. My flames gently heat up my body and she snuggles close. Things have gotten colder lately and I get that Nemuri wants to cuddle more and more often.

Of course at some point I have to get moving. I wiggle a little and it gets her to try to drag me back into the soft and warm darkness.

"Nooooo..." she whines, "Don't gooo..."

"Do you want breakfast or not, Nemuri?" I sigh, "Because this is how you don't get it."

"Kiss first, then food." she pulls me in for it and I answer eagerly, "... 'Kay you can go." I get out of bed and she curls up in it. Pawing for a shirt I slide one on and my boxers and pants.

Going into the bathroom I study my hair and face. For once I'm looking well-rested. I almost look like Sekoto never happened at all. Like nothing bad ever happened. Then I blink and the shimmery white scars are back. But I don't hate them anymore. Not when Nemuri and other people love them. Mostly because they know I'm alive. I feel a bump and push through my legs. Sushi decided to rub against me.

"Hey buddy..." I greet and he looks up at me with a slow blink.

Sushi follows me out with a happy meow and I bend down a bit to pet him. In the early morning light I turn on the stove and begin my work. Washing the rice and making sure there's enough ingredients for everything.

I feed the cat and make sure his water is all full and squared away. Everything's in order and nothing is out of place. Nothing is wrong and everything is okay. Just... calm down, Koyurei.

It's your favorite month, you just got married, and let's just focus on what's in front of us right now.

December is always the month I love the most. Not because of Christmas, but because it'd get dark sooner and the cold always feels better than the heat. The smell of the food fills the air and I make sure everything is going right. This is the first day I'll be a professional Househusband. Starting it off with a good breakfast is literally the best step I could take. Of course it's not the only step I could take just one of the best.

Plating our food, I find Nemuri already fixing some coffee, "Do we need anything else?" I ask as she sips it.

"Nah. I just... why are you so focused on working?" she cocks her head, "I'm supposed to be the breadwinner here, bucko." her tone gets teasing and I grin.

"Well, I always stay busy." I answer, "Besides, we're not going away for a while are we?"

Nemuri shakes her head, "It's stupid, but the Sky Egg thing is coming up soon and everyone's pumped. In fact there's a lot of stuff that's carrying over to the New Year." her tone brightens almost sarcastically at the next part.

"Of course they want me to show up! The social pariah who's married to the former biggest candidate for number one hero after his dad!" she waves her hand in frustration, "Just... I want you to stay safe."

"I will, I will. The only thing I have to fear is Dabi and I think I can fend him off." of course my confidence might be false but at the same time there's just this feeling that I need to buckle down and do it right.

"Honey..." Nemuri sighs, "Leave him to me. It's my job. You just worry about here and Sushi, and your cute little figures." She's only looking out for me. She's only helping me. It's okay.

But there's still that constant itch. That need to just get that damn suit back on and go out on patrol just so I could sleep well at night without worrying about if my entire world would crash down or not.

The next appointment with Dr. Shinsou is at the end of the week. That's why I didn't go anywhere. Nemuri finishes her coffee and breakfast. What felt like the Honeymoon Phase wasn't really catching. Until she kisses me goodbye at the door with the kindling in my heart igniting in sheer joy at her touch. She's got me under her spell and I don't mind it at all. The door closes and I get to work.

Sweeping's easy, it's one of my favorite bits of cleaning in general. Next to mopping and cleaning the kitchen too. Sushi keeps chasing down the hair and dust, spreading it even more before I can get the dustpan. Even still there's this itch. The constant festering desire to get my Enavant suit back on and patrol. Everyone just thinks that when you don't want to be a hero you hand in your license and put your costume away, but for me?

It was like an infection. It sits in the back of my head almost like a gun nestled there (I had some pointed there in my days as a hero.) just waiting to fire. Just waiting to swoop down and hoist me high into the air again.

I sit on the couch, chores done, and I'm flipping through the same old channels bored out of my skull. Images flash and voices tear and stitch together over and over as I try to find something to ease the itch.

I get my phone and call her. Nemuri picks up and it sounds like she ran off to talk to me.

"Hey babe, what's up?" she asks, "How's my hubby doing?"

"I'm... I'm okay." I answer with a soft voice, "I just... I miss patrolling."

"Oh I know, Koyurei, I know." she sighs, "Listen, how about you go out for a walk or something to get some fresh air? You like doing things so even if it's a walk it works." I clench my phone a little tighter.

"I guess..." Looking down at my slightly trembling hand I can tell its harder than it looks. But I do it anyway. Going outside almost seemed herculean when I thought about it too much but in reality it isn't.

I huddle into my coat with the cold nipping at me. The winter chill slicing through the air with the brown remains of leaves scattering and spiraling. The thick crunch of them tamping on my boots. My earphones pump more Tears for Fears into my ears and all I can think about is the fact that I made it this far. I'm married now and we're both dancing around the idea of having a kid.

Maybe that's what has me so out of sorts? The idea that we're right where things went wrong for my parents. Right where things went wrong for me. Right where I could repeat the same mistakes. The bookstore smells like coffee and other treats as the people bustle through rows and rows of volumes and novels with titles facing proudly outward. Everything is in order here and I weave silently through the aisles.

Why would Dad make us read classics? Did he really like Poe that much? Touya and I devoured Poe, read Wells, Homer and Propertius, all kinds of classics. So much that it made me sick that I missed some of them. Hemingway, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, I Am a Cat, and No Longer Human. Loaded with so many quotes and lines and knowledge of books almost like Bradbury's future. Everything remembered and nothing forgotten.

Almost like he'd be giving us a way to experience a world we'd never know as heroes.

Most of my copies Dad had burned for punishments. Mom had given me a set of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit once. So here I am, reclaiming it. Building my collection all over again.

Then I notice a little boy gawking up at me almost like he knows who I am. Of course he does, they all do. The kids always recognize their heroes even without the suits on.

I smile and hold my finger up to my lips. Just to keep him quiet because I'm busy trying to get my books and get out. He nods and still watches me as I pay and leave. Even through my earphones I hear it. The chaos all the way down the street. My books in my arms and my eyes almost mesmerized on the hero and villain fighting like there's nothing else to do. I clench my jaw and bite the inside of my cheek hard.

I'm a househusband. Not a hero.

I'm Koyurei Kayama, not Koyurei Todoroki.

I'm Koyurei...

Not Enavant.

I check the time and the list I made to make it home in time for lunch. The villain and hero fight behind me and I keep walking, no matter how much it hurt me to. No matter how much I itched to step in and feel like I had my old purpose again.

I have a new one.

I'm Koyurei Kayama, and I'm Enavant no more.