A/N: Sorry for the late second chapter had to get a new laptop.
Izuku's eyes slowly opened as the sun steadily lowered itself toward the horizon. He rubbed his eyes as he yawned. He had been on the train for a couple hours and had managed to nod off once it really started moving. He gave a long stretch as his joints popped. "I'm getting old." He said looking at the setting sun and feeling the train steadily slow as they neared the station. He shifted in his seat as he checked his watch. "I should arrive by five or six, I think. I'm not too sure how the traffic in the city is." He said as he looked down at several baskets placed between his feet. He supposed if things didn't go well, he'd have to find a hotel for the night.
"He never did like eating his vegetables. I hope he's grown up some," Izuku said to himself as the high-pitched screech of the train wheels ground to a halt as they came into the station. Once the train came to a full stop Izuku stood up from his seat gathering the baskets at his feet as he shuffled off the train. "You want some help with that sir?" One of the train attendants asked and Izuku raised his hand shaking his head.
"Thank you but I can do this much." He said as he continued off the train. As Izuku walked through the terminal he couldn't help but look around. It had been so long since he was in the city and so much had changed. "So much can happen in in fourteen years." He said as he stepped to the curb to hail a taxi. As he stood there his baskets hanging from his arm, he noticed a small girl looking up at him. More accurately she was looking at the collection of vegetables, Knick knacks, and sweets he had. He chuckled and fished out a candy apple handing it to the girl.
"Here you go little one." He said watching her eyes light up at the sweet. He smiled at her as the girl's mother gave him a small bow.
"What do we say Mari?" The woman intoned. The little girl looked back towards Izuku from the apple.
"Thank you, Mister!" She said gratefully with a bow. Izuku gave a hearty chuckle.
"Not a problem at all please enjoy it." He said as a cab pulled up in front of him. "Now if you'll excuse me." He said easing himself into the back of the cab with a low groan. "If they make these cars any lower to the ground, I'd be better off standing on top of them than sitting in them." He grumbled. The cab driver gave a soft laugh.
"These are the times Pops, everyone wants to get there faster, and cars need that aerodynamics." Izuku leaned forward handing the man a piece of paper with an address on it.
"If you say so young man. Could you take me there please?" He asked to which the driver nodded.
"Sure, thing Pops." He said beginning to drive.
"You come in from the country I take it?" The driver asked. They'd been driving for several minutes now with the cityscape blurring by in the evening sun. Izuku gave a chuckle.
"What gave me away?" He asked half-seriously. The driver gave a nod to the baskets in his hand.
"There's no way those veggies came from a grocery store I can smell that earthy scent on them. Reminds me of going to see my folks in the countryside. They always send me back with enough vegetables to feed an army. I'm no cook though so I usually wind up donating them." At that he looked in the rearview mirror at Izuku. "You wouldn't happen to be from Mandalore village, would you?" He asked almost nervously. Izuku shook his head.
"No, I'm from Kashyyyk. Why?" Izuku asked as his driver chuckled.
"Oh, I was worried you might be from the same village as my folks. I was going to ask you to keep that a secret about me donating their vegetables." He said with an apologetic laugh.
Izuku nodded. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind, better than them going to waste he said as the cab driver turned the corner and stopped in front of a large house. Izuku looked out at the large home and couldn't help, but smile. "He's done well for himself." Izuku said handing the cab driver his fare with a generous tip as well.
The cab driver looked at the leftover cash for his tip and his eyes widened. "Hey, pops I can't take all this." But Izuku was already shutting the door and waving goodbye as best he could with his arms full of baskets. He stepped past the gate and walked up to the door. He felt his heart start to race. "I haven't seen him in fourteen years, and we didn't exactly end on the best of terms." He said as he raised his hand to knock only to hear a shout from the backyard. Izuku turned to the low gate at the side of the house and walked over and what he saw blew everything out of his mind and started his feet to moving.
Tenko raised his eyes to look at his father, not that he had a choice. His father had him by his collar. "Do you really want to know what heroes are?! They're people who hurt their own families... only to help complete strangers." Tenko watched his dad's hand raise up like he had so many times and closed his eyes against the slap he knew was coming, but...it didn't. He slowly opened his eyes seeing his father looking shocked. He followed along his father's arm and saw another man gripping it well short of it having hit Tenko.
"Kotaro what are you doing?!" The older man growled. He was an old man now that Tenko could see. His green hair was streaked with grey, and wrinkles adorned his face giving him a wizened look, but Tenko could see his strength as well. His green eyes weren't faded like Grandpa Chizuo they were bright and fierce in the moment as he stared at his father. His rough wrinkled hand gripped his father's arm so hard his tendons stuck out against the leathery skin.
"F-father?" Kotaro said shock draining all emotion from his voice. Tenko watched the old man, his paternal grandfather let go of his father's arm before pulling Tenko's collar out of his father's hand and setting him gently on the ground. Tenko stood as shocked as his father as his grandfather stood back up.
"What were you doing Kotaro?" His grandfather asked again breaking his father out of his shock. He watched emotions war on his father's face before anger settled into its familiar place.
"What are you doing here?" He asked roughly. "I told you I never wanted to see you again. How did you find out where I am? It's been fourteen years!" He hissed stepping toward his father almost as if he was about to strike him, but the older man stood firm.
"You're right. You did say that, and it has been fourteen years." Izuku answered. His father frowned deeper.
"So why are you here interfering with my family?" He asked as Izuku looked at him.
"Because I thought after fourteen years it was time to leave the past in the past. Because I thought now that you had time to be the person you wanted to be and find your own place in the world you wouldn't be the angry boy who left his family home that day. Because I missed my son!" Izuku shouted tears brimming in his eyes. Tenko stood where he was seeing his grandfather say such things to express such an emotion. Something he'd never seen from his own father. For the longest time Tenko felt as if his father hated him.
Kotaro scoffed. "Nothing has changed. I feel the same way about her as I did then, and the same way about you Father." Izuku nodded.
"I can see that, and I accept that, but I will not accept you beating your son! This is not how a parent should treat their child!" Izuku shouted stepping closer to Kotaro until their noses were nearly touching. "Say what you will about me, about your mother, but I did not raise you to be like this. This isn't the Kotaro I lovingly raised for eighteen years, and if it is I am sorry." Izuku continued. Kotaro glared at his father.
"I don't want your apologies." Izuku turned his back on Kotaro and kneeled to Tenko.
"I wasn't apologizing to you." Izuku said looking at Tenko as he rubbed a few stray tears from his eyes. "What's your name young man?" He asked Tenko who scratched his neck and sniffled.
"Tenko, Tenko Midoriya." Izuku smiled at him and took the hand he was using to scratch his neck.
"Hello Tenko I'm your grandfather Izuku, and from the bottom of my heart I am sorry for my son's actions." Izuku said bowing his head to Tenko. "Please forgive him." He said facing the ground. Tenko looked at the old man before him on his knees and asking for him to forgive his own father. He didn't know what to say. His father was his father, but he had hurt him. Could he forgive him for that? Still his grandfather had saved him, had kept his father from hurting him again. "I forgive him." Tenko whispered all the while Kotaro glared at him.
"This is ridiculous. You can't come here after all this time and tell me how to raise my son." Izuku smiled as he raised his head and ruffled Tenko's hair.
"Thank you Tenko." He said standing up. "Tenko I dropped some of my baskets when I came in would you mind getting them. They're over there." Izuku said pointing to the gate where he'd come in. Tenko stood still for a moment before moving to do as Izuku asked. Izuku then looked at his son.
"You're still angry Kotaro, as you said it's been fourteen years, no it's been almost thirty years. You must stop it; you must let the anger go. She's gone Kotaro, you can't hurt her by being angry." He said looking past him to the house seeing a woman, a young girl and an older man and woman. He could see the look of fear in their eyes. "The only people you are hurting are your family, and most importantly yourself." Izuku said looking at the young boy gathering the baskets.
"I'm going to tell you this Kotaro, you are going to stop hitting that boy. I don't know what he could have done to warrant that kind of abuse, but it stops here and now." Izuku said his voice like steel. Kotaro looked back at his father and growled.
"If you care so much leave and take him with you!" He shouted. There was a gasp from the household as the young woman that he assumed was Kotaro's wife ran out.
"No, you can't Kotaro he's, our son!" She shouted rushing up to him and grabbing Kotaro by the shirt. "Take it back, take it back right now or I'm not going to follow your rules anymore!" She shouted. Izuku looked at his son and shook his head.
"I'm not here to take your son Kotaro, I'm here for mine." He says walking over to help Tenko with the baskets. Kotaro watched his father move to Tenko and help the boy; all the while, his wife begged and pleaded with him not to send the boy away. He'd never meant to say it, he did love his son, but he also couldn't deny that he was angry, far angrier now than he'd been before, and he always seemed to direct it at Tenko. The boy was frail as is, and the...abuse. He couldn't even bring himself to think it let alone say it, but that is what he had been doing to him.
Kotaro pushed past his wife leaving to enter the house. Izuku stood up watching his son leave as he and Tenko had gathered all his baskets together. He walked over to Tenko's mother. "I'm sorry for just arriving like this. I'm Izuku Midoriya. Kotaro's fath-."
"I know who you are and please don't apologize I'm glad you showed up when you did." She said looking at her son and then at Izuku. "Please come in and set those down. I'm Nao Kotaro's wife." She introduced herself leading Izuku inside. "This is my father Chizuo magi." Izuku looked at a brown-haired older man around the same age as himself he would assume. Chizuo gave a small bow.
"Nice to meet you Mr. Midoriya." Izuku gave a small bow in return as he set his baskets on the kitchen table.
"The same to you Mr. Magi, and please just call me Izuku I think you and I are about the same age." He said as Chizuo nodded.
"Then call me Chizuo good sir. Izuku smiled.
"Will do."
"This is my mother Mako Magi." Nao continued waving a hand to her mother. Izuku saw a black-haired woman around his age who smiled setting down teacups in front of all the adults.
"Just call me Mako." The older woman said setting down Izuku's cup. "And please have a seat you must be tired from the trip here." She went on to say. Izuku just gave a chuckle.
"It was certainly a long trip, but I was able to get some sleep on the train, and feel free to call me Izuku." He said taking a seat and giving a sigh as he picked up the teacup and felt the warmth bleed into his hands.
"You've already met Tenko." Nao said waving to the young boy standing next to Izuku who gave a slow nod.
"That I have." Izuku said elaborating no more. Nao gave a slow nod before turning to a young black-haired girl. She seemed to be about the same age as Tenko maybe a year or two older.
"This is Hana my daughter." She said as the girl peeked out from around her mother's legs at him and then at Tenko who didn't look at her.
"Hello." She whispered before pulling back around her mother's legs.
"I'd like to say thank you for what you did for Tenko. None of us could stand up to Kotaro until after you did. I know that sounds terribly weak, but it's the truth." Izuku sighed but nodded.
"I owe you an apology as well. I don't know what happened but that's not the Kotaro I thought I raised." Izuku said with a sigh. "I'd hoped he would have left the past in the past, but it's still writhing inside him like an angry snake poisoning his life and yours." He said as Nao shook her head.
"Please he's not always like that, he's strict but not like that. When it comes to his mother things always spin out of control." Nao says as Izuku nodded.
"Nana died when Kotaro was young. She was a hero and gave her life in the line of duty. Kotaro has never forgiven her for that." Izuku ran a hand through his hair as he remembered Nana. He loved her more than life itself if he could have swapped places with her, he would have, but she wouldn't let that happen. "I tried to raise him right be the parent he needed, but it never amounted to much it seems. His anger took him away from me."
"I'm leaving dad I'm going to college, and I never want to see you again." A young Kotaro stood in the doorway of their family home. Izuku looked at his son and though tears were in his eyes he wanted to bring his son back to talk him out of this, but he didn't. Kotaro was making his own choice now just like Nana had. They were both gone on their own journeys and just like her he couldn't stop Kotaro. In the end Izuku just raised his hand and waved.
"Have a safe trip Kotaro. I'll be here if you need me." He said watching Kotaro shut the door.
That was the last time he'd seen his father until today. "Fourteen years." Kotaro said as he held up a photo of him, and his parents. He couldn't stand being there anymore. That woman had abandoned them and yet his father still sung her praises, still defended her choices. Despite his actions he did love his father, he was the parent that stayed after all. They were both quirkless. He remembered his father cheering him up when he found out he wouldn't get a quirk. "He took me for ice cream and told me I was still special, and he loved me."
Kotaro played back that memory to the ones he'd shared with his own son. Aloofness, dismissive and at worst abusive. "What have I done?" He asked himself as he stood up in his study. He walked to the door and then headed to Tenko's room as he did, he heard laughter from downstairs. How long had it been since laughter ran through this house so freely?
"Really grandpa dad did that?" Hana asked still giggling. Izuku laughed himself.
"Sure, did nearly gave us a heart attack. Jumping off the second floor to see if he could float like Nana. She caught him and gave him an earful. Nana always had such a beautiful smile, but she had a sharp tongue when she wanted to." Izuku looked down at Tenko and Hana. "You two like Kotaro have her hair. A fine shade of black indeed." He said ruffling the two's hair as footsteps could be heard on the stairs. Izuku looked up seeing Kotaro with a pair of backpacks. Izuku stood up as well as Nao.
"What are you doing Kotaro?" She asked fear in her eyes. He didn't look at her instead staring at his father.
"I need your help dad." He said his eyes shining with unshed tears. "I-I'm a terrible father. I've done things that will shame me for the rest of my days, but I know that I can't change without your help. I want you to take Hana and Tenko back to the countryside with you." He said as Nao yelled.
"Kotaro what are you saying you can't get rid of-!"
"I'M NOT!" He shouted looking at them all. "I've done awful things and not one of you stopped me. I'm not blaming any of you I take full responsibility, but I must do better. Hana and Tenko won't stay forever just for a month or two. I think the countryside would do them some good and, in the meantime, I can work on me. If you want you can all, go with him, but I don't think dad's house will fit all of you."
Kotaro looked at his father who was eying him but nodded. "He's right I have a couple spare rooms, but not enough."
"Nao honey go with the kids. Chizuo and I will stay here." Mako said placing a hand on her daughter's face. "We'll look after Kotaro while you're gone." She said nodding. Kotaro looked at his wife and nodded.
"Go ahead I'll be fine; I'll be better when you return." He said placing one bag each at Hana and Tenko's feet. "I haven't been a good father to the two of you. That's why I'm sending you two to spend some time with your grandfather." Kotaro looked up at Izuku. "He's a better man than me and has always been a better father. You two will have fun out in the country with him. I know I did when I was growing up. Even if I didn't always appreciate it." Izuku smiled at that. Kotaro had hated living out in the woods, but after a while he'd enjoyed it and even grown to love the woods.
Izuku had taken them to live out there after Nana had left to face her duty. He'd done his best to hide the two of them away from that monster and he liked to think he'd done a good job. Kotaro looked back at his children and hugged them both. "I'm sorry Tenko I, well I'll be better when you return, I promise." He said standing up and looking at Izuku. "Dad...thank you." He said holding out his hand. Izuku looked at his son's hand and then hugged him.
"You'll never have to thank me Kotaro I love you and always will." Izuku said pulling back from his son. Kotaro took a moment to look at his children and then his father before pulling away. Nao was next to walk up to her children.
"I'll follow you in a day or so kids. Be good for your grandpa until I get there." She said kissing them both on the forehead and then kissing Izuku on the cheek. "Thank you, you've made Kotaro see things in a better light. I don't think any of us could have done that." She said as Izuku nodded.
"It was nice to meet all of you." He said with a small bow before looking at the two kids now in his care for a time." What do you two say we get down to the station and try to catch the last train." He said rubbing both children's heads as they gave a slow smile and grabbed their bags before following Izuku out the door.
Kotaro looked at the door his father had left through and sighed with relief. He could do this he could become better now that Tenko was safe and away from him. He could start to change for the better. He hugged Nao and kissed her on the cheek. "I know it's been hard these past years, but I promise I'll start to be better." Nao looked up into his eyes and gave a gentle smile.
"I know."
Izuku sat on the train the two children asleep across from him and smiled. He'd seen his son for the first time in fourteen years and now he had his grandchildren with him. He looked at Tenko who looked so much like Kotaro did at his age, and then there was Hana who reminded him of Nana. Izuku looked out into the night darkening sky and thought back to the last time he'd seen Nana.
"You must hate me for doing this, don't you? For abandoning you and Kotaro." She said those grey eyes of her swirling with so many emotions. Courage, fear, regret, guilt and a storm of others. Izuku had walked up to Nana and held her to his chest.
"Don't ever think that. I know and understand what you have to do. I don't like it, but it's what you have to do. Kotaro will understand as well. We both love you so much Nana." He whispered as he kissed her. "Besides when you beat him you can come back. All For One doesn't stand a chance against you." He said placing his forehead against hers. His green eyes locked with her steel grey ones. She gave that beautiful smile that he'd fell in love with from the first time he saw her.
"Yeah, I'll beat him in time for dinner. You always know what to say Izuku." She said as they shared one last kiss before she left for the last time. "Keep him safe for me Izuku. Kotaro is our future." She spoke.
Izuku turned away from the window and looked at Tenko and Hana. "I'll keep you two safe because you're the future." He said kissing both kids on the forehead.
