Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When All for One first stole the quirk that would allow him to beat out father time, he assumed it would take at least three centuries for him to get bored of his near immortal existence- maybe one after his rule over the country was resumed from the shadows. He was a patient person. He could manage decades long plans. And even with the occasional roadblock, it wasn’t as if the villain ever thought even world domination was out of his reach (Although he could never actually say the words ‘world domination’ without letting out a stupid sounding cackle. The ‘evil laugh’ was something he still needed to master). 

Nonetheless, it wasn’t his goals that were unobtainable, more that he sometimes questioned if they were worth it. Empires rose and fell. It didn’t take living too terribly long to see that people didn’t change and neither did the world. Not anymore at least. The advent of quirks had started a dramatic change but when the dust finally settled, it seemed as if human civilization just stopped evolving. Before quirks, technology and cities were changing the very landscape of the world every few decades. Now? If a time traveler from a hundred years ago were to see the world today, they’d be disappointed. All for One knew the world could do better. But the fact that he had to be the one to force it kicking and screaming into a brighter future… any victory wouldn’t be satisfying so much as it would be past-due.

After so many years of trying to force the collapse of a senseless society, All for One decided he’d earned himself a break. See if the world really hadn’t changed with his own eyes. That might be a nice refreshing way to spend a decade, right?

He couldn’t squeeze 10 years, let alone 10 months before he once again found himself disappointed with the ‘wonders of the world’. The fact that structures crafted in primitive civilizations still frequently cracked the top ten greatest sights only reminded himself how much the world had stagnated.

So perhaps if he was spending too much time looking at the bigger picture, he should try a smaller one. Meet someone, start a family, and enjoy the company of people that stayed around you for social obligation rather than money and power. Attempt to enjoy a normal life- minus the fear of illness or poverty. Social embarrassment though… there didn’t seem to be any negotiating on that one. While All for One considered himself an expert at manipulating people and could face down any foe, dating was… a challenge.

‘She was late by 5 minutes. Does she truly have that low expectations of this date? Or did she poorly plan her arrival? Can I spend the next decade or so attached to someone with such meagre foresight? Some level of mental ineptitude may be necessary to keep my criminal activities a secret, but is some level of intellectual stimulation too much to ask? Her choice in cuisine doesn’t give me much confidence either. If the research online is anything to go by, the only notable thing about this café is the location and that it’s overpriced. Not that money is an issue, but as she probably expects me to pay the bill and I rather not bother with a leach’

“…I’m just going to leave now.” The green skinned woman said as she began to stand from the table that she’d been sitting at for the last 10 minutes only to hear a string of incomprehensible muttering from her supposed date.

The villain’s train of thought was interrupted. Had he been that wrapped up in his own head? That only happened when he was unfamiliar with a topic or field. If she'd directly entered his personal space or raised her voice he'd have noticed, but someone simply sitting casually a few feet away from him? Had she even made an attempt to engage in conversation with him? He hadn’t realized dating was this complicated.

“Already?” He questioned. Even if this was one of many potential suitors, he hadn’t expected it to be over this quickly. At least without it being on his own terms. “I’m sure I can at least change your mind over the course of our meal.” He wasn’t so much interested in her as he was in gathering data for his next attempt. And being the one to turn her down.

“I ordered, the food came, ate, and you’ve still been in your own little world. Hope you’ve had fun in it.” And with that, she began marching off. And without chipping in for the bill as predicted.

Was it petty to force the earth to swallow up around her? Earthquakes and fissures were common enough in Tokyo, weren’t they?

“It’s been a while…” A voice chuckled from the table beside him.

Now that caught the villain’s attention. “Do I know you?” He asked turning toward the young woman.

Taking in her appearance, she looked rather plain at a glance. None of the horns, fur or extra appendages becoming more common in the world today. Green hair wasn’t the anomaly it once was. But her eyes… there was nothing paranormal about them past the fact that they seemed to radiate joy and kindness. Some kind of emotional manipulation quirk? Anything that messed with the senses could be dangerous. Yet she only gave a chuckle.

“Oh… I just meant it must have been a while since you last dated.” The woman admitted. But it didn’t sound condescending. Just a curious observation.

“I’m a little out of practice…” Not that the man wanted to admit this had been his third date since attempting to try out a normal life.

Perhaps it was this face. Facial reconstruction quirks made it easy to ensure a criminal record never followed him. And disappearing into a normal life was the aim, but perhaps he’d done too good of a job of that. Shaggy white hair, blue eyes and soft trusting features. Plain looking, but hopefully attractive enough for the average person. But at the end of the day it was just a mask. A more intricate one than most people were capable of, but a mask all the same. An average white-collar worker. The best disguise was a simple one.

This earned another chuckle out of the plucky young woman. Odd. Laughter at his expense would usually set the villain on a track of wondering if he should quickly dispose of the nuisance to make an example of them or enjoy watching them take a slow trek down to hell. Her laughter? It was like sharing a joke with an old friend.

“Out of practice? Or practicing the wrong habits?” She guessed. She looked at him like some kind of alien who’d seen earth from afar yet had no idea how to blend in with the locals. Perhaps she could make a good impression for humanity. “Loosen up. You don’t look like a man that came for a casual lunch date… at least not in those clothes.”

“What’s wrong with my clothes?”

“You looked like you’re dressed more for a funeral than a friendly outing.” Even if he was supposed to be some kind of lawyer or corporate head, his garb hardly looked like it was meant for day to day wear.

So dressing for the occasion rather than dressing at his best. A valid enough strategy. “I see... so-“

But his instincts spontaneously went on the attack as he felt a tug coming from his neck. A spew of fire came spewing out of his lips as a reflex action to dispose of any enemy that dared to come this close.

By the time he realized what was happening, his floating tie was burnt to a crisp and the woman sat there shocked. Luckily he hadn’t fired off at a wide range, but his mind had completely forgotten the setting at the perception of an attack.

“Ah… I was just trying to loosen your tie…” She offered nervously looking at the charred remains. “So it’s a clip on…” Not as professional as the rest of his look. But as a villain, having an accessory that would make a quick and simple noose was a liability. He wouldn’t dare wear one, even if around more pleasant company. “I apologize… my quirk is pulling small objects toward me-”

“No, it was entirely my fault… as you can see I can breathe fire…” So much for trying to play off having an interesting quirk now that that one was out of the bag.

But even if she’d been startled, her kind eyes didn’t falter. “I hope you haven’t had to use that trick in your line of work too often.” There was no way she wasn’t questioning the amount of people that may have been going for his neck. If she hadn’t used her quirk, she might be short an arm right now. He could see she was curious… but more than that, she seemed worried. Best to try and redirect the conversation entirely.

“Well, not exactly… I’m an analyst for a quirk assessment firm.” A cover that both connected to his knowledge base on quirks and vague enough that most people didn’t know exactly what went on in those dull corporate buildings. “And you?” He asked trying to shift the attention off himself.

She only gave him a warm accepting smile. Did she believe it? Did it even matter? “I’m a teacher.”

“Ah… so that kind of patience comes from dealing with children then?” Ones that didn’t know how to control their quirk probably which was why she may have used her own. He must look foolish right now

Her eyes glimmered as she gave another chuckle. The villain was surprised he was still talking with a stranger for so long, yet he still couldn’t look away. “Well some of my students may act like children around the end of the term... I teach humanities and social sciences at Hosu University.”

“Ah…” Not some small-time school teacher. Another blow to his ego for failing to assess this woman properly.

She seemed to take joy in it. He probably wasn’t the first time someone had made that mistake. “So many people quick to make judgements… But I don’t mind. With a few choices in clothes and makeup, you can change the person you want people to see you as…” The flower print dress and sunhat helped people see her as some kind of easy-going person a person could feel comfortable talking to. Admittedly, it was much easier to strike up a chat with a stranger than if she actually looked like a university professor. She may have even purposely used vague language to see how people reacted. But it wasn’t the same kind of verbal manipulation that All for One was used to. Hers was subtler. Less trying to lead people down the path you wanted, and more shining a light down others just to see what a person would do. Not a social puppet master, but an observer.

“So who do you want to be seen as?” She asked. The question was prying, yet open ended. But unlike the villain’s usual approach at information gathering which was a heat-seeking probe going for the weak spots, hers was a friendly extended hand. The information she wanted was intended for her to best see how to help rather than hurt. Leaving the man to wonder how much he wanted to tell her. He looked at her face wondering how long he might stay intrigued by this one. How much of this mask did he wish to let slip?

“Midoriya... Hisashi.” He settled on. A half lie. But it wasn’t so much his name he cared about being discovered as it was trying to be someone that could fit into this person’s life. At least for a little while.

“Akatani Inko.” She followed up without a shred of hesitation as she extended her hand to the man that moments ago may have accidentally charred it.

Yes, this did seem like someone that could provide him with an interesting break from villainy. He could be Hisashi for her.

Yet… Red in her family name? Not so fitting… Perhaps he would change that.

Chapter Text

So far, Inko and Hisashi’s dates had been fairly casual. Inko would select the places, and it was always a different event. A movie. An amusement park. A stroll down the shopping district. All the while, Inko’s focus was looked on Hisashi’s reactions always with wide eyes, like some sort of natural life researcher trying to observe a creature in exotic environments. Hisashi only felt embarrassed. Sure, he had over a hundred years worth of knowledge, but it was only now he realized how limited it was. He picked up various skills and lived his life in the shadows. He wasn’t exactly frequently going on dates. Just because he had all the time in the world, doesn’t mean he could waste it. Now though? That was kind of the point. Taking his time to revitalize himself and see things he normally wouldn’t have.

A cat café… now there’s certainly one of those things he wouldn’t have even thought to try.

“Are you sure this is sanitary?” Hisashi asked as he could feel something brushing up against his leg. Oh, this was certainly far out of his comfort zone alright. He had to keep telling himself that there was likely no threat whatsoever here. Decades of instincts now turning on him for mere kittens.

Inko chuckled. “Well the cats aren’t preparing your drinks… But if you’re feeling uncomfortable about something else-”

Hisashi raised his hand. “No- I’m fine… it just takes some getting used to.”

“May I, then?” Inko said holding up a smaller white cat in her arms.

Well, he supposed he could fire up the immunity boosting quirks if he was to engage in the full experience. He sighed and nodded as he held out his hands. Only Inko reached further placing the cat on Hisashi’s head. The feline’s fur blended into his white hair, and it snuggled in nicely into its soft, warm new nest. Any attempts to move earned him a slight tugging of his hair. Inko was already taking out her phone to snap a picture.

“So this is what you find amusing?” Hisashi asked rolling his eyes.

Inko nodded eagerly with a grin on her face. “It’s alright if you don’t- but it just seemed like something you hadn’t tried yet! I wanted to see how you are with animals! They’re great ways to judge character!”

“They really aren’t.” Hisashi mumbled. Although he was grateful the cartoonish perception of dogs barking and cats hissing whenever evildoers walked didn’t exist. “Get the scent of food on you and suddenly you’re their best friend.”

Although here, it seemed like the cats were friendly with all the customers. Plenty had ordered treats for the kitties at their table to attract more attention. But the couple of cats that Hisashi already had were more than enough. The one that was pawing at his leg climbed its way up onto his lap. No use fighting it. He reached over to stroke the cat’s fur. Hm… there was something soothing about it. It gave his hands something to do at the very least. Was this where the image of supervillains siting in a large chair sinisterly stroking a cat came from? What did the cats even do to earn that sort of association? 

“Well, yes. But it’s also in how people treat them. Like how you haven’t really moved them off you.” Inko pointed out.

Hisashi only gave a light shrug, but still kept his movements restricted enough not to bother the cat still perched on his head. “Animal therapy exists for a reason. They’re pleasant to be around.” He begrudgingly admitted. Not like they’d done anything to warrant him violently tossing them off him anyways. It was more of a bother to do so and attract the attention.

“Do you have any pets then?” Inko wondered.

Not unless she counted freak genetic experiments. “I haven’t really had the right environment for keeping one.”

Inko nodded. “My apartment doesn’t allow them- I’d love to have a cat though. I see so many strays on the way back from work, I have to fight the urge to sneak one home with me!”

“Perhaps… I could find you a place that does.”

Inko’s eyes met his. Was he suggesting simply finding her a new apartment? Or moving in with her together? Frankly, Hisashi was still deciding depending on her reaction. Either way, he wouldn’t mind paying the difference so she could live in a larger apartment that allowed for more comforts. Inko wouldn’t accept him simply paying for everything, but he could make an arrangement with the landlord so she at least thought she was getting a good rate.

But before Inko could ask what he meant, a loud female voice echoed across the café. “Ha! Found you!”

Most of the cats turned in attention at the noisy newcomer. They turned away quickly losing interest, but Inko let out an exasperated sigh. “Mi-chan…” The explosive blond certainly made everyone aware of her entrance.

“Hey, don’t look so pleased to see me!” The woman said sliding her way into the booth next to Inko without giving her much notice. Her gaze focused on Hisashi.

The white cat that had been resting on his head was startled enough by the woman’s entrance to jump down onto his shoulder and onto their table. The cat in his lap poked his head up- Hisashi could now more closely see the light brown tabby- before settling back in its new human bed.

“There’s no way this is the guy…” She mumbled dissatisfied.

Hisashi rolled his eyes. Whoever she was, she lacked any manners. “Midoriya Hisashi.” He introduced himself as he reached one hand out across the table only to place it on the cat and scratched it behind the ears. The tom had earned his attention more than this woman had. Although judging by the friends Inko had described, he already had an idea of who she was.

Her glare didn’t seem to falter, but she gave her name anyways. “Bakugo Mitsuki.”

Hisashi nodded. “Yes, I believe Inko-chan has told me some about you… Although now I wonder what she’s told you about me.” After all, if it was too much bad news, why would Inko continue to date him for the last 3 months?

Mitsuki ran her fingers through her hair. “I mean… she hasn’t said anything bad…”

And yet Inko looked nervously at her friend. “Do you really have to do this?” She wondered.

“Hey, I’m just seeing for myself if he’s any good for you!” Mitsuki declared as she wrapped her arm around Inko eagerly.

Hisashi was already liking her less and less. “I’m afraid you don’t get to decide that.”

“Tsk…” Clearly she didn’t like Hisashi’s attitude either. “Hey, Akachan- Would you mind grabbing me a menu? Never been here before.”

But Inko wasn’t buying into it. “I’m not leaving you two alone.”

“What? Come on- I just want to have a few words with him!” Mitsuki insisted.

“I won’t have you trying to intimidate him!” Inko said crossing her arms annoyed.

“For the record-” Hisashi chimed in. “-As loyal as you are to stand up for your friend, trying to say something silly like ‘don’t you dare hurt her’ or ‘you better be kind to her’… Not only is it redundant since I never had plans to, but it won’t change my intentions so much as my view on the person stupid enough to try and ‘intimidate’ me.”

Mitsuki threw her hands in the air. “See! Who even talks like that! Told you to trust your gut! Why are you even bothering if you think this guy is some kind of literal evil vil-”

“Mitsuki!” Inko snapped before she could say more. But the damage had already been done

But Hisashi already started to get the idea. “Ah… I see.” Hisashi turned his gaze down on the cat curled in his lap. “She’s your fail safe.”

“Yeah!” Mitsuki cheered. “So if you even try anything, there’s no way you’ll get away with it! Got all kinds of dirt on you if you try anything!”

Inko let out a groan. This was what she was afraid of alright. She’d hoped staying would keep Mitsuki in check, but there was no holding her back.

“Interesting…” Hisashi noted folding his hands and placing them on top of the white tom. The little thing gave a smug look as it snuggled up to Hisashi’s touch, making it difficult to look like some calculated mastermind as much as some cat fanatic. Despite the tension, Inko slid her phone up to try and snag another picture.

“You do realize the point of leaving any information in the hands of a third party is to ensure should anything happen to those involved, the police- or anyone else able to interfere- will be able to retaliate. It defeats the purpose if the party who the information was smuggled to is known. All that means is whatever happens to the person involved happens to the secret-keeper as well. They would both ‘disappear’ if your suspicions really are a worst case scenario.” Hisashi’s tone came off more as a teacher lecturing a student. A role he was more accustomed to.

Inko didn’t want to team up against her friend especially when Hisashi had gone into his more ‘analytical mode’, but he was right. “That’s why I told you not to worry or do anything about it… That it was just an ‘in case of emergency’ situation. I’m fine if you wanted to meet him… but confronting Hisashi-kun like this is either throwing around false accusations or putting yourself in the line of fire too.”

Mitsuki waved it off. If she looked shocked for a moment like she hadn’t thought of this point, she wasn’t going to let it hold her back. “Don’t care. My point is, if you want to do anything, you’ll have to go through me!”

“Noted.” Hisashi mumbled. Shouldn’t be too difficult to silence her if the need arose. “But for the record… whatever you think you have, I highly doubt it will be of use to anyone. The only thing that will happen is I’ll have a more difficult time being in Inko-chan’s life.”

“So you admit you’re up to some shady business?” Mitsuki said launching an accusatory finger in Hisashi’s direction.

Hisashi didn’t meet her gaze. His eyes were on Inko, squishing herself in the corner trying to make herself look smaller. A mix of embarrassment and guilt filled her eyes. But she wasn’t the one that had any reason to feel that way. He couldn’t really blame her- she was smart to take the precautions, just not so wise about who she trusted.

Hisashi tried to give her a light smile as he tried to reach over the table and place the white tom in her lap. The little thing let out a light cry before settling down in Inko’s lap. Once Hisashi moved, the one on his lap let out a yowl at being jostled, jumping down to find another place to get cozy.

“I’m not presently involved in anything.” Hisashi finally answered. Not for Mitsuki, but to reassure Inko. His concern was with her. “And as long as I am with you, I will not continue with any ‘shady’ activity. Anything you may have gathered so far has simply been taking precautions to distance myself from that life to ensure it doesn’t bother me in the future… If you have any questions on the present, I will answer them to the best of my ability.”

Inko found it hard to stay flustered with a kitten in her lap and Hisashi doing his best to reach out to her. “I’m sorry… I never intended to have accusations fired at you-“

Hisashi shook his head. “You have every right to be suspicious. And you’ve been kind enough not to dig into things.” He gave a light glare toward Mitsuki who was the one that actually made said  accusations out loud. “I understand why that mistrust might exist… And if it makes you feel more comfortable, I know a few websites and programs that allow you to upload sensitive information and can release it as a tip to the police should you fail to enter a password at a regular basis-“

“Oh come on! You are admitting to it now! Even if you are an ex-criminal, Akachan still deserves way better!”

Hisashi smirked. “You say that like there’s anyone ‘better’ than me out there.” Inko’s was the only real opinion that mattered to him on the matter of their relationship anyways.

Inko let out a chuckle. “Ok, now you’re just being arrogant.”

“If anyone else cares to claim they’re a better match for you, then they’re welcome to try and prove it.” Hisashi stood up across the table and planted a light kiss on Inko’s forehead. A red blush flushed across her cheeks as a smile creeped up her lips.

Now if they could just have this accursed table out of the way or readjust the seating, they could more properly enjoy themselves. But first, some pest control.

“Bakugo-san, your poor first impression has been noted. You are free to attempt another at a scheduled time, but I wish to enjoy the company of my girlfriend and numerous cats right now.” Hisashi said shooting Mitsuki his best ‘watching enemies scream from multiple lacerations as they bled to death while drinking a nice glass of wine’ smile.

Mitsuki’s attempts to glare him to death continued to fail. Hundreds of others had tried- even ones that could literally shoot knives with a look- It had yet to bother him with any of them, and certainly wouldn’t phase him now out of this young woman who fancied herself a lioness.

“We’ll talk later…” Inko tried to reassure her friend. But she wasn’t sure if Mitsuki heard her as she stomped out the door. “Well… That went about as well as I expected… I promise, she’s brash but she means well. And once you get to know her, she’s fun to be around.”

“I’m sure she is. Loyal, playful, yet with a nasty bite- like a golden retriever.”

“Hisashi-kun!” Inko exclaimed not appreciating her best friend being compared to a dog. Although there was clearly a giggle in her voice.

“Yes, I’m sorry- I’ve brought up a cursed topic in this place.” Hisashi said finally standing up to sit close next to Inko in the booth. He scratched behind the ears of the cat in Inko’s lap. “Please forgive me. You are clearly the superior species.”

Inko turned to lean on Hisashi’s shoulder. “A close second to people.”

“I don’t know… cats are easier to care for…” Hisashi mumbled half-jokingly as he continued to run his fingers through the white fur.

After all, cats were more intelligent than your average animal. At least they were smart enough to usually stay within the home when they realized they had food and shelter. Not like people that did stupid things like stab you in the back for a chance at a better life.

They didn’t leave you after having sacrificed so much to protect them.

Inko reached over and laced her fingers on top of Hisashi’s. His nervous stroking stopped. “Well… People do make better company…”

Hisashi shot her a smirk. “So would you rather have me around than a cat then?”

“I suppose… why do you-“ And then she remembered the conversation they were having before Mitsuki and blushed. Apartment shopping. Together. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that…”

Hisashi let out a sigh. It was as he expected, but he still wanted to put the offer on the table. “It’s alright… I can be patient”

He had plans that would span decades long. Inko was worth waiting for.

Chapter Text

Hisashi hadn’t been looking forward to meeting Inko’s parents. He realized it was inevitable for their relationship to progress, but Hisashi never had a good relationship with his own parents, let alone someone else’s. When it came to family… well, his track record wasn’t great. It was bound to be much simpler with Inko’s. The worst fear was they’d either be dull or judgmental of anyone dating their daughter. From what he’d initially gathered, the former seemed to be true. They had a simple, modest life. Her father was a sports journalist for a small local newspaper. Her mother ran a chain of flower shops that were fairly successful. There was nothing phenomenal about them, but on their first meeting, Hisashi looked like he had seen a ghost.

Inko’s mother, Hanko looked like the second coming of Nana Shimura.

Inko herself had a few similarities, but it was enough for Hisashi to chock up to coincidence. She did have one of those faces common enough in Japanese women. Her mother on the other hand had an uncanny resemblance. Of course there were plenty of subtle differences. But enough to make Hisashi even stiffer than usual. Inko’s parents simply chocked them up to nerves. Damn it, he knew he should have researched them all further. Shooting a quick text to Kurogiri, he requested for the teleporter to give him a report on Hanko Akatani specifically as soon as possible.

But despite the awkwardness of believing he may have killed one of their relatives, her parents were very eager to make him comfortable and treated him like a guest. He was usually good about shoving anything resembling guilt out the window. After all, there was a good chance he killed or was responsible for the death of an ancestor or relative of most of Japan’s population, so this was probably inevitable. Even if they were close, it wasn’t like they’d recognize him. Even with quirks to change his appearance, he used a mask and voice modifier whenever he was active in the field. The only time Nana had even seen his face was when she died, and he rather hoped she wasn’t stupid enough to tell her friends and family anything about the supervillain she was hunting.

“Dear, you’re muttering…” Inko chimed in carefully putting her hand on Hisashi’s. It was nothing she was able to hear, but she could see his lips moving. He really was nervous. “It’s ok- I’m pretty sure they like you.” Inko whispered in his ear.

Her presence was comforting. Enough to remind himself that he wasn’t All for One. He was Hisashi Midoriya, and making a fresh new impression on his then girlfriend’s parents.

“Don’t worry, we’re not going to give you ‘the talk’ or anything.” Dan Akatani said as he placed the appetizers out in front of Hisashi. Simple cheeses and lunchmeats. Nothing fancy, but more of an opportunity to extend the meal and prompt conversation.

“I wouldn’t mind learning more about what you do though… the growth and development division manager for the Seiatsu Quirk Analysis corporation, was it?” Ms. Akatani asked before setting the plates in front of them all and sitting beside her husband.

Hisashi had his role of the boring white-collar worker down pact. He could talk for hours convincingly on the kinds of affairs that went on. He could twist ‘funny stories’ from his actual endeavors to fit an office work space. Inko had a weak half smile on her face when he began. She wasn’t sure how much of Hisashi’s ramblings were lies. But her eyes glimmered as she tried to sort out what may have actually happened to him or coworkers Hisashi may have. The Akatanis certainly seemed satisfied with Hisashi’s answers. Either they bought it completely and were happy that Inko’s new boyfriend had a stable living, or simply trusted that Inko was happy with him.

He didn’t get a response from Kurogiri until an hour after he’d left. It would probably be best to leave the past in the past… yet curiosity got the better of him and he opened the file anyways. Sure enough, Hanko Akatani used to be Hanko Shimura. Nana Shimura’s sister. Very little could be found on them together, so they probably weren’t close. Heroes did often choose to keep their loved ones at a distance to protect them. Or at least, if they had any sort of relationship they kept it out of the public eye. Hisashi hadn’t seen any pictures of the former wielder of One for All, but as she’d been dead for years now, they may not want to think of her. It was best not to think of it. Inko never brought up any mention of her aunt, and there was no use starting a conversation that would be awkward at best and incriminating at worst.

After that first hurdle though, things were rather pleasant. Inko had quite the peaceful family dynamic that Hisashi wasn’t used to. He had visited the families of his subordinates for a ‘friendly meal’, but coming in as an outsider that controlled their son or daughter’s future was a world different from an actual family dinner. For one, he’d almost forgotten that families like this still existed. Most villains weren’t on such good terms with their parents. And if they were, they weren’t so open about their work and activities. And while he was treated with respect in the Akatani home, they weren’t tripping over themselves to please him or too nervous to speak like with his subordinates’ families. They were quick to accept Hisashi as one of the family.

Her father, Dan, seemed quieter but it seemed more by choice. He went into sports journalism more because he was dissatisfied with how other more “prominent news” was handled. It was a mess of trying to twist stories, make headlines, and create their own news while ignoring scandals that ‘the world wasn’t ready for’. Much simpler just to report on athletics where he could actually write directly on the events he saw where lives weren’t at stake. But that didn’t mean he didn’t care or failed to notice what was going on around him. If Hisashi got him talking, the man could talk up a storm on corruption, censorship and the use of heroes to cover up tragedies. You’d think he was secretly a villain with a grudge. He was fairly bright- but he realized early on how cutthroat journalism could be. That if he wished to pursue it, that might cost him his life. And after meeting Hanko in college… he decided being a white knight wielding a pen pursuing dangerous truths wasn’t what he wanted. He recognized the ugliness of the world, but decided not to focus on it. Hisashi wasn’t sure whether it was cowardice, selfishness, or the kind of restraint even All for One failed to possess.

Hanko herself had a good head for business. She inherited her family’s flower shop but wasn’t satisfied with living her life in a tiny little corner store. Hanko linked smaller stores like her family’s in a chain- although you’d never be able to tell as she let the places she launched a corporate takeover against keep their same name and storefront. They essentially were able to run everything as they had before, but their suppliers, pricing, and quality standards went through Hanko. Apparently, there was a conspiracy that even All for One never knew about- the majority of “mom and pop” flower stores in Japan were owned by a single woman who connected them all and had them functioning like a Swiss clock. It wasn’t anything malicious of course. But it was interesting. Nothing that even earned her much of a profit. But the majority of stores she took over would have gone out of business eventually. Hanko turned loss-leading businesses into something that could stay afloat for a few generations more. Individually, they would have run each other out of business. Together they could enjoy a modest living.

Neither of them were what Hisashi expected. Of course, they had to be more than just the complacent sheep of society if they produced someone like Inko. Yet… they were still nothing like Hisashi was expecting. They weren’t simple. They were… well… people. And like Inko they accepted him. Oh sure, they asked more questions than she did. But Hisashi always had a roundabout answer for them. If he was in a good mood, he even threw in the truth sometimes. They were leagues better parents than Hisashi’s biological ones. Being part of a family like this… If he had this growing up, perhaps things would have turned out very different for him. Or at least delayed it.

However, when they asked about his own family, that was a part of the persona he hadn’t really developed much. ‘Hisashi Midoriya’ didn’t really have a family. His parents passed long ago- and they were already estranged before that- and his brother lost to the field of heroics. None of it really a lie, and something he hoped they wouldn’t push on. Death was an awkward topic Yet when he brought up his brother… that came the inevitable mention of Nana Shimura.

“I had a sister like that… you’d never have heard of her.” Hanko waved off. “We were closer when we were younger… Nana always wanted to be a hero, but it wasn’t like our parents could afford any fancy schools to continue her education. But she found a sponsor that was willing to support her through school and take her into their agency when she graduated… but the second she entered high school, it was like she lived a world apart. It wasn’t like she was in it for the fame or glory… but work kept her busy. I was surprised she even managed the time to meet someone. Although… after what happened to her husband, I suppose that’s why she kept me and our parents at a distance.”

Ah- that’s right. He had Nana’s husband killed as well. Another pesky corpse for what he assumed was his long dead conscience. He glanced aside. He was on a list of thousands of names that he couldn’t even remember. Dead simply for the purpose of hurting a more troublesome enemy. But Inko still kept her hand on his. Did she even know what she was trying to ‘comfort’ him for? She probably assumed he was thinking of the brother he lost. Which was true… just his death was among many others now floating up to the surface. But Inko’s touch helped to quiet the ghosts that her and her family awoke in the first place.

“She was more of an underground hero taking on larger criminal organizations. In the end, it wasn’t even a villain that killed her. Remember Aldera? Tragic accident. She… was helping with the evacuation.”

Of course, All for One remembered it. He was the one that destroyed it. The cover story was a nuclear reactor overloaded and took out a small chunk of the city. No one wanted the public to know that it was the work of a supervillain. And that supervillain was still alive and had killed dozens on a whim. And now that same supervillain was just casually having dinner with the family of the one hero the entire plot had been carried out to kill. It wasn’t guilt… such a dirty word that implied regret. Nana Shimura needed to die. She was a threat. It was only unfortunate that All for One had to meet anyone connected to her.

But the feeling of Inko’s hand gripping tighter on his reminded him that he wasn’t All for One right now. He was Hisashi Midoriya. Whatever these feelings were, he could shove them away like he always did. But.. there were other feelings he could express. Ones he could use to connect with his new family.

“My brother… was the same way.” He finally whispered. “He wasn’t a powerful or popular hero… But he had a habit of sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. He put the wellbeing of others before his own. I… I didn’t support him. I thought he should care about his own life more than the thousands of people that would only see his death as another ‘heroic sacrifice’. That he could be so much more… anything but a hero. But he wanted nothing more than to protect people. But… he didn’t distance himself to protect me… He was angry with me until the day he died. I was right of course… he died ‘protecting people’ and was praised for it. But only for a brief moment. He died for them and saved thousands, but that wasn’t even worth a monument or an honorable mention for the populous. I’m the only one that even remembers his name. He died alone… He could have been surrounded by loved ones if he just let others come close, but he refused to let them die with him.”

It was an abridged version of the truth. But it was enough. Silence hung as Inko looked at Hisashi sympathetically. He mentioned having a brother in passing before, but he spoke as if it was a trivial detail such as his blood type or favorite color. Something he didn’t want to think too much about. This was the first time he really spoke in detail about him. She had gathered that Hisashi wasn’t a fan of heroes. She was beginning to see why.

Hanko smiled at him. Even if the face was similar, the smile was far different than Nana’s. One filled with determination and unwavering hope. This one was more melancholy. Reminiscent of better days. Trying to connect with others. He could see where Inko got her compassion from.

“Even if we don’t understand what they died for… We remember them. That’s enough.”

They’d never know exactly how similar Hisashi’s brother and Nana Shimura really were. The quirk they shared. But still the two connected their families in a way that Hisashi never could have planned for. It wasn’t anything he would have asked for… but something that helped them both to heal from wounds they never realized were so deep.

Chapter Text

All for One had engaged on many disappointing ventures over his reign over Japan’s underworld. There were plenty of successes, yet none of them lasting. He could raise an empire lasting decades only for it to topple overnight, followed by grueling years of picking up the pieces.

Yet with Inko… it was a roller coaster. It was impossible to tell success from failure when faced with that smile of hers. She seemed so amused by whatever what Hisashi did. Were it to come from anyone else, he’d assume it was ridicule. But he knew it wasn’t. How did she manage to take joy from no matter what attempt to court her? He knew that sometimes he came off as too stiff, providing her with typical flowers or sweets. Yet her corrections came with more accurate information about herself. Her hobbies. Preferences. Dreams. The way her eyes seemed to glisten when she talked about the people in her life. And Hisashi relished in every detail.

Hisashi didn’t know how he managed to attract this woman’s attention considering he seemed to be from an entirely different world. He couldn’t have planned it better, and he was a criminal mastermind. This was more than a serendipitous encounter. This was the stars aligning to give him something he couldn’t have even thought to have asked for. It was like the days of his youth where he was arrogant enough to assume all he had to do was think something, and the universe would provide. He was on his guard for it to all crash down upon him like it had before.

But it never came. There was no betrayal. There was no secret sting operation. Inko never even asked of his past. And whenever the conversation drifted into the specifics or any other areas he couldn’t easily explain off, she never continued to press when he tried to redirect the topic. Was she hoping he’d tell everything of his own volition? Or did she really not care? The truth was always in the back of his mind. What business did such a hideous thing like shame have with him now? It had been easily enough ignored in the past. Yet one touch of Inko’s hand made it melt all away. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered. With her, he wasn’t All for One. He was Hisashi Midoriya. The mask he made was forged out of pieces of himself he thought he’d discarded. But the disguise was a part of him now. And now, he wanted her to become one with him.

He did his research. There were usually one to two years was the usual estimate of dating time for a greater chance at a happy marriage, so the timing was right. He’d picked out a small but posh little restaurant with a terrace view of the city was picked- a place that Inko had claimed was her favorite. Colorful strings of lights had been hung above them, their glowing faint against the slowly setting sun in the sky. A soft little happy melody played, one that Hisashi often saw on his girlfriend’s current playlist. Vibrant red hydrangea sat in a bouquet in the center of the table. He wanted to book the place for just them, but he knew how Inko enjoyed people watching. Still, he had a few tables cleared to allow for some dancing. Hisashi planned for all her favorites. Everything should go smoothly. Her heart had to be his by now.

Yet why did he feel so tense?

They had already made their orders, but Hisashi sat stiff as a board in his chair as the day when Inko first saw him on his failed date. No muttering. The plans were already in place.

Yet… the weight in his pocket felt too great. He knew that despite its meaning for everyone else, it wasn’t permanent. It didn’t mark his territory, claiming this woman as his own. It was a promise he probably couldn’t keep. It was a wish for a better future. It was a gesture to someone that had made him happier than he could even remember. It was an invitation for loss and suffering. It was a chance at a life he told himself he deserved but probably didn’t.

“Hisashi?”

Her voice cut through all the doubt and overthinking. The stress melted away. How did she manage to do that to him? Make him feel like none of it mattered? Her hand reached out to touch his and the oddest thing happened. Tears began to well up in his eyes. HOW?! After everything he’d done and been through… what was this even about?! It astounded him. He didn’t understand how it was possible. How could any one person invoke these kinds of feelings in him without knowing such a huge part about him? A laugh that sounded more like a man gasping for air erupted from his lips. He felt like he was breaking apart and being embraced all at once.

But he could instantly see Inko was worried at what looked like Hisashi suffering a mental breakdown. “I… I’m fine… Well, no… But… I don’t think it’s anything bad.” He’d never been so unsure of himself. But he grasped Inko’s hand with both of his. He wanted this. “You… I don’t think you have any idea what incredible feat you’ve managed to accomplish.” Japan’s greatest supervillain a stuttering mess at the whims of a single small woman.

Inko didn’t bat an eye. Her free hand reached over to Hisashi’s cheek as she looked at him eye to eye. Such pretty blue eyes. Eyes that she somehow knew weren’t really his. Perhaps they were contacts… but they felt more like a picture painted before her. His entire face and appearance did. Yet she saw something else beyond them that began to take form from their first date. It was like a child learning to walk for the first time. Yet at the same time carrying lifetimes of knowledge on their shoulders. It was a puzzle she didn’t want to be solved. Like finding out the truth behind Santa Claus- you knew the details didn’t add up, but should you look at it closely, the spell would break. But the man she saw forming before her… He may not have initially existed before they met, but he was a good man. And she wanted to believe that the face before her was no longer just a fake to him either. That the day wouldn’t come when they both woke up from this dream.

“Love… it’s a miracle that happens more often than you think…” She said with a smile curling up her lips. “And it’s one that a single person can’t do alone.”

The tears finally broke the dam in Hisashi’s eyes. He sprung out of his chair. This was his moment. He needed to take it. He planned it perfectly. And yet… that’s why it would never be perfect.

“This is all wrong.” Hisashi anxiously let go of Inko’s hand. He stepped away from the table trying to figure out what was missing. He continued to pace until he reached the exit to the restaurant. But Hisashi turned looked back at Inko and gestured at her with a wave of his hand, ensuring her that he didn’t want to leave alone.

As they both waited in the elevator, Inko looked at her boyfriend trying to figure out what exactly was wrong. She took a deep breath and finally spoke her mind.

“Judging by everything you had set up, it looked like you were about to propose.” Inko said like it was a light hearted joke.

Hisashi bit his lip. “And if I was?” He awaited her list of the things he clearly did wrong. The social cues he’d missed.

Inko closed her eyes and tried to think it over. “I wouldn’t say it was ‘all wrong’… But what do you think?” It wasn’t as if she would have given him a direct no. But there was something missing.

Hisashi took a deep breath as he tried to answer the question. He felt like a kid in class being called to the front to explain what was wrong with his extensive essay. “It… wasn’t spontaneous.”

He didn’t mean that it should come out of nowhere. And there was nothing wrong with having a plan. But he planned too much. Did everything by a book. He incorporated Inko’s preferences, but this was just filling in the blanks of a plan that generally worked to earn a yes on a proposal. It was too structured for the woman that seemed to come out of nowhere and catch him by surprise.

Inko let out a knowing hum in agreement. She didn’t want to tell him what to do. Nor could she really tell him herself. Had she dreamed of what her engagement would be like? Yes… but that didn’t make it feel right for her. Or right coming out of Hisashi. They were fleeting daydreams stringed together from romantic movies where declarations of love were made at someone else’s wedding or an airport before a couple would be parted forever. It didn’t feel real. It didn’t feel like Hisashi. That entire planned date… it was a script. He certainly planned things like this. But it didn’t show who he was.

“What should I do…” He mumbled out loud wondering if he would have been better off just taking the plunge and going with what he had. But he didn’t expect Inko to answer for him. It was something he needed to figure out for himself.

The elevator door dinged, leaving the couple awkwardly standing within the lobby. Hisashi grasped Inko’s hand as he stumbled out into the city street.

Hisashi looked back at Inko, his eyes locked on her eyes. A vibrant field that looked like it could last an eternity. He wanted to be someone else for her. Someone better. Or at least… someone different. But for that, he felt he needed to share a piece of himself. A part from when things were so much simpler. The last time he was truly Hisashi.

--o--

The cab ride was silent, but Hisashi never let go of Inko’s hand. His mind was thinking of the past. Something he usually avoided- especially when he was with Inko. But he kept searching further back. He needed to find that part of his heart he’d buried away.

When they arrived at the beach, the sun was drifting across the water’s horizon. There were a few families in the distance, but they all seemed to be packing up for the day. The couple was relatively alone. Not caring about messing up his suit, Hisashi ungracefully planted his bottom in the sand.

Inko still had no idea what was going through his head, but she tried to be polite. “Lovely view…” Although she was just speaking to fill the void.

Hisashi hacked out a laugh. “The last time I was here, it was a literal dump.” He was never here for anything as ridiculous as a view.

Dagobah’s shores were much like the tide. The trash would pile high as this place was forgotten. And then for a brief period, some good hearted soul or a real estate developer would recognize the diamond in the rough and it would all disappear. Only for frequent tourism to eventually return it to a trash heap once again. A pointless cycle. Yet he preferred it when it was littered with old knickknacks and other forgotten things. For young eyes, it felt more like a treasure trove.

“The last time I wasn’t here alone… it’s the last time I can remember being genuinely happy… Before I met you that is.” He admitted, eyes gazing across the beach trying to imagine this place as it was.

Inko sat down beside the man that was still kept his past as much of a mystery as he could manage. Any regards to his past were kept vague. He rarely brought it up, and Inko never asked it of him. She laced her fingers through his, curious about whatever he was willing to share. Who was he with? Another partner? Someone he’d lost? Someone he’d looked up to?

“My brother and I… we’d spend days searching for scraps to make due with… I hadn’t had a real home since I discovered my quirk. Later than most… but still nothing our parents wanted anything to do with.” With quirks as rare as they were back then, it took a few more years past the general manifestation age before he realized he could steal them. Even if it was something he could hide, it didn’t make him any less a freak in society’s eyes at the time. But he never wanted to hide it. He could only think of the ways that he could use his newfound power to rise up. To change the world. He refused to live in a home where he was seen as less of a man rather than more.

“It could have just been me that left. But Kazuki followed me anyways…” For a while at least. Just saying his name out loud was like breaking a spell, bringing back both good and bad memories. “We practically lived in those mountains of trash…” Although walking through the memories, another came to mind.

“That’s right… I kept us warm with my fire breath…” He’d almost forgotten how long he had this quirk. Many of the quirks he’d stolen seemed to manifest in people in different ways. The man he’d gotten it from begged him to take away the embers that emerged from his nose every time he sneezed, constantly outing him as a ‘quirked menace’. Instead, Hisashi used it to make bonfires for him and his brother to keep warm in the winter months. He’d always claim that it wasn’t enough. That they deserved so much more. Yet somehow, he then had something more precious than any of the empires he’d gain over the years.

Holding Inko’s hand here… she was similar in her positivity, yet gave off a completely different feeling. His brother was a narrow-minded lightweight who was more interested in keeping the status quo than thinking of how things could be better. Kazuki let himself be kicked down yet refuse to hold any contempt for those that had hurt him. He was always fine with whatever hell life threw at him. He hoped for a better future without doing more than little acts of kindness. He was always happy with what he had. So why was it that the first time in his life that his brother decided to pick a fight, it was against Hisashi?

Inko… she didn’t have grand ideals. But she was still seeking something. She was an observer. And when she sees an opportunity, she swoops in and takes it. When she chose her moment, she’s like a bolt of lightning. Strength and power coming seemingly out of nowhere. She sees things most people would look over because she knows what it’s like to be walked past without a second glance. She never struck him as someone that was weak or needed to be protected. Where Kazuki emitted the aura of a sickly flower that needs constant attention, Inko was a warm day that made him want to simply lie back and bask in.

“The last time I can remember us enjoying our time together… I found a western comic book…” It would be weeks before he could actually claim to have followers, but it was the last memory that stuck in his head. “We both were eager for anything with colorful heroes, but my English was atrocious, and he couldn’t read a word.” The disadvantages of running away from home before finishing a basic  education- even more so in Kazuki’s case.

“But he wanted a story, and I was his big brother that knew everything…” He chuckled knowing his memory wasn’t perfect. Still, his brother probably was just sucking up to get any sort of interpretation when Hisashi didn’t even want to try and make a fool of himself. “So I made it up as I went along…”

Hisashi loved the tales of heroes and villains in an endless battle as much as his brother did. But while he was attracted more toward complex villains who could drive the heroes in circles for volumes, Kazuki couldn’t stop rooting for the heroes- no matter how much Hisashi said it was pointless. There would always be another villain, or the series wouldn’t be able to continue. Wasn’t it more fun to enjoy the plots devised along the way? But Kazuki kept making up his own endings to clifhangers that would never be resolved as long as the economically challenged brothers failed to track down the newest issue. The hero beats the villain, saves his loved one, confesses his feelings to the girl of his dreams and vows they’ll all live peacefully together ever after. Hisashi thought it was all too boring. But maybe it was simply that Hisashi never could imagine a ‘happy ending’ like that existing in reality. Now though… sitting here with Inko… he couldn’t help thinking maybe Kazuki didn’t have such a wild imagination after all.

“It’s been so long since I was last truly Hisashi…” He admitted as he finally looked back at Inko. He can’t even remember why he decided to give her that part of his real name. He’d tossed it around before. He never really hid it. The name simply hadn’t described the person he was any more so much as his quirk did. It was an empty name, a distant memory. But with Inko, he wanted it to mean something. He wanted to have a family again.

Hisashi’s left hand shook as he reached up to his face. His features began to melt away like wax revealing a strong jaw and sharper features. Black freckles were scattered under his eyes. His hair shifted from white to a dark black with slight curls at the ends. Dark red eyes met Inko’s. His real eyes.

Inko sat quietly through Hisashi’s walk down memory lane. If a childhood searching through the trash were the happy memories, then how much worse did this story get? There was a lot he must be leaving out… but he was showing more of himself now than he’d ever before. Even if this new face looked darker, she’d never seen Hisashi so vulnerable. Inko reached out her hand.

“It doesn’t matter what face you have… or what you’ve faced in your past.” She reassured him looking into his eyes. Even if they appeared different, she wanted to believe that it was the same man.

“You wouldn’t be saying that if you knew.” Hisashi admitted bluntly. He was grateful that Inko hadn’t pried. If she knew even a month’s- or even a day’s- worth of his activities of his life as a supervillain, she would be seeking out the police right now.

Inko shifted her head and sighed. “I can’t really say… But what matters is who you want to be. If you truly want to leave that life behind you.”

Hisashi turned his body so he was in front of Inko and took both of her hands.

“I want to be a permanent part of your life.” Hisashi declared.

Hisashi lifted up Inko’s hands and slipped his palms upward to reveal the ring within them.

“Will you-“

He didn’t even have a chance to finish his sentence before arms were wrapped around him as Inko burst forward practically knocking Hisashi over.

“YES!” Inko cried out as Hisahi began to feel her tears running down his back as she embraced him.

His heart stopped for a moment. It wasn’t the first time Inko had initiated physical contact. But after that first near burning… it had never been so sudden. She was careful to ask before bursting into his personal space for more than a light touch. She probably assumed he had some form of PTSD. But now… he no longer had that reflexive fear that he was in danger. Some part of him was screaming that he could still be. That the knife may not slip in his back now, but he was merely creating a weakness. He’d seen shapeshifters before. Quirks that could steal a body or mind. Or anyone simply willing to hold her hostage if they discovered her link to him.

Inko pulled away for a moment seeing his shock. “Oh… I’m sorry… I should have said something first.” She said pulling away slightly, before Hisashi wrapped his arms around her as well.

“No… it’s not you… I’m just…” How many more lies would he even tell? How many more half-truths? How much more of his guard would he let down? “I’m… worried.” He whispered honestly.

“That’s new… You admitting to it at least.” She whispered amused in his ear.

“What do you mean?” Hisashi shot back feeling offended. He always was calm and confident. Or at least so he told himself.

“You’re always so tense…” Inko said as her hand drifted up his forearm. “Usually deep in thought… Stiff… Eyes constantly looking at something else… I’m sure there are plenty of things to worry about… But keeping it to yourself only makes it worse. Even if you have your reasons… whatever fears and doubts you have. You should be able to share them with me. Keep the secrets of whoever you were… But I want you to be able to share everything about who you are now with me.”

“It’s not that simple…” Hisashi mumbled. Even with a new face… One little slip up and his enemies would pounce at this weakness. “The past coming back to haunt me just sounds so cliché… But there are those that would use you to get to me.”

“Does Hisashi Midoriya really have any enemies?” Inko mused

 All for One had enough enemies to populate a few small countries. But Hisashi Midoriya…

He pursed his lips. “I suppose not…”

It would be difficult to completely leave it all behind so there wouldn’t be a trace of All for One left. Plenty of loose ends to tie up. But even so, just because he’d leave that life behind didn’t mean he’d leave that power behind him.

“Then I have nothing to worry about… I trust you with my life.”

He was worried about clichés a moment ago. And yet here he was proposing to his partner at a sunset and brushing his lips softly against hers as the waves rolled against the sand. He pulled back for a moment, and held his hand against her cheek.

“I’ll give it up for you…” He whispered back, wondering if she’d ever realize the truth. If he’d ever tell her everything. “…All for one.”

--o--

“All for One!”

“…What?” Hisashi asked confused as he examined a worn out radio that probably only needed a bit of fiddling with a button to fix.

“What to call your quirk- Or maybe even your hero name!” His brother declared gleefully.

“No one wants me to be a hero.” Hisashi mumbled annoyed. Any attempts at vigilantism hardly earned him any thanks. Usually just a call to the police for a ‘even worse threat’.

But Kazuki’s smile didn’t falter. “But… I think you can be. You just need to save one person! And then you can show everyone.”

Hisashi scuffed up his little brother’s hair. “The only person I’m interested in saving is you.”

 “Exactly! Just pretend any one person is me… And do everything you can for that one person! All for One! And then I’ll help the world understand how amazing all the superpowered people like you are! One for All!” Kazuki said punching the air enthusiastically. Although as he jumped in the air, his knees wobbled on the way down as he had trouble with his footing in the sand.

“Oh, so you get a hero name too?” Hisashi chuckled.

“Of course! We’ll be a team- You have the brains and brawn- so I’ll be the heart and will to move forward! All for One and One for All!”

--o--

When that bond broke, Hisashi thought he would never have a family again. But it turns out, he just needed to find a new person he was willing to give up everything for.

Chapter Text

Hisashi’s view of family continued to expand with his introduction to the Akatani’s. With his first meeting, he began to wonder if perhaps he’d been biased by only seen a string of broken families that were more common homes for villains to come out of. Inko’s parents were far too kind to be the norm. However, that didn’t mean the rest of their family was normal by any sense of the word. At least from the snippets Hisashi could gather from their annual meetings.

Christmas Eve. Apparently not just a holiday for couples and awkward office parties.

Inko’s aunt (Or ‘Tia’ as she insisted Inko call her) was apparently a foreigner that when she married Inko’s uncle had wanted to keep some of her own family traditions. That even if she was far from her home, she wanted to integrate her traditions with her new ones. So that meant throwing a huge Christmas Eve party to unite the entire family- especially the ones without a significant other to spend it with.

Inko had given Hisashi the option- she was just as eager to go walk through Hosu to see the light and tree displays for their first Christmas together. But it would be polite to check in with her family’s annual Christmas gathering for just a bit. Hisashi was expecting some kind of small gathering. It was in her aunt’s home, so it should be fine, right? Come in, say hi, and be out in time for a romantic walk.

Besides, while she “gave him the option”, she seemed to have learned fairly quickly that Hisashi was reluctant to do anything to disappoint her.

Hisashi was sure that if there was any sort of building code, it was violated by all the people shoved into the apartment. While large for most in Tokyo, it was not made to handle all the ‘family’ clustered in. And Hisashi was very liberal with the word since it seemed like there was hardly any family resemblance. Inko explained that some of it was a matter of family extending invitations to other friends and “found family.” The string of friends, in-laws meant that most there weren’t related by blood, but it was about sharing each other’s company.

It was all so busy, it took a good half hour for the hostess of the party to find them.

“Inko-chan!” A scream pierced the room loud enough for them to hear despite all the music and chatter. A short brunet weaved through family before getting a chance to practically leap up and kiss Inko on each cheek. “How have you been?”

Inko seemed to be used to the violation of personal space. “It’s been a nice year…”

A grin flashed across the older woman’s face. “I can see!” She remarked sizing up Hisashi.

<“My niece found herself another one! Let’s hope this one doesn’t drain the liquor cabinets like that blonde gal she brought along last time!”> She shouted out to a relative in Spanish across the party.

Hisashi couldn’t help letting out a snicker. With a quirk that made it easy to pick up other languages, he had a feeling he knew who she was talking about.

But the woman’s hearing was sharp as she eagerly turned to Hisashi. <“You know Spanish?! Do you know how difficult to find someone that speaks it in Japan?! Please tell me you do!”>

Hisashi scratched the back of his head, not sure he wanted to invoke the woman’s attention. Still, they were Inko’s family. They could be a source of good information. <”I’m a bit of a polyglot…”>

<”Me too!”> The Cuban woman replied eagerly. <How many? French? Italian? Chinese?>

<All of the above> Hisashi replied casually. <I have plenty of business partners all around the world.> None of which any of this family would be meeting.

Inko had no idea what they were saying, but she seemed happy to see that her aunt was happy. “You sound very romantic in Spanish.” Inko teased. It was one of the love languages, was it.

But her ‘Tia’ waved it off. “If you think that any word in Spanish is romantic, then you haven’t heard any of my husband’s attempts. His accent is atrocious. But cute.” She said switching to Japanese for Inko’s sake. She extended her arm around Hisashi’s back as she drew him toward the drinks. “Maria Akatani! Welcome! So, you have got to tell me where you and Inko met. You know, Inko-chan met her last boyfriend at one of my parties…”

Hours. That woman could talk for hours on end without so much as a single breath in. Hisashi hadn’t even got much of a word in. He spent the entire night looking at his watch, praying for when him and Inko could excuse themselves for a romantic stroll.

On one hand, by the time they got out it was past 11, and it was freezing cold.

On the other, there weren’t nearly as many people on the city streets and Inko huddled close to Hisashi for warmth. It was the first time he’d been glad Inko thought his quirk was fire breathing. No one was going to berate a couple for illegal quirk use on Christmas Eve. They had their very own warm fire to join all the colorful glowing lights of the city.

--o--

While Hisashi enjoyed the company of Inko’s parents, having such a large amount of Inko’s family in one place was overwhelming. It was parties like that which were how people developed claustrophobia. Hisashi had hoped they’d only have to go once. But it seemed like whether or not Inko had a significant other, she went every year. And she wanted to bring Hisashi with her. While Hisashi didn’t get his ear talked off as much as his first year, he still had yet to master the art of enjoying himself at huge family gatherings.

“Is it so selfish to want to spend all of Christmas Eve with you?” Hisashi asked as he wrapped one arm around Inko to hold her close.

He held Inko’s hand, his index finger now lingering on the wedding band before laying a kiss on it. It may be their 3^rd holiday together, but it was their first officially married.

“I promise, we won’t be there long.” Inko said patting Hisashi on the shoulder.

“But that’s what you said last year.” Hisashi felt like a child with that kind of complaint, but there didn’t seem to be any way to get out of it.

The plan was to come early and leave. And sure enough, there did seem to be less people than they arrived. The party had only technically just begun, but it seemed like most people were used to showing up late. Without nearly as many people, Hisashi got a chance to see that the tree set up near the entrance wasn’t just a conglomeration of lights and ribbons. Hundreds of different ornaments were crammed on the tree. From elegant looking percaline angels and bells to plastic framed pictures that looked like they were decorated by small children. There was no rhyme or reason to the placement. Exotic looking souvenirs were right next to cheap little toys. Hisashi had no doubt that there was a story behind each of them.

“It takes longer to decorate every year.” Maria said as she noted Hisashi admiring her tree.

Hisashi turned, careful with his words. It was like entering a mine field. One statement could blow up into an entire night-long story. “I can imagine…”

“I’d say about half the tree is from trips- I get something from every place I go!” Maria said beaming proudly.

Some of them looked like Italian-blown glass, some looked like Russian Faberge eggs- It seemed like she was quite the world traveler. It was probably how she ended up in Japan. But Hisashi bit his tongue. It was a trap. He had to make sure not to say a word if he wanted to salvage the night.

“And of course… then there’s special events… Births… Each of my kid’s first tooth-”

Oh god, there were tooth-shaped ornaments that were containers. Was hording your children’s discarded bloody teeth supposed to be cute?! Was this really what normal people did?! All for One had done far worse, but he at least knew he wasn’t normal!

“-and anniversaries.” She said pointing to a set of glass bells ornamented with crystal flowers. Looking close, he could see a year over two decades old in gold paint.

Hisashi noted that his in-law was actually being rather to the point with her story rather than taking the usual diversions. That itself was a Christmas gift, yet she still reached out under the tree for a small box wrapped in reflective silver and green striped paper. Inko’s eyes seemed to be shining as if she already knew what it was.

“Midoriya-kun… I know we don’t know each other very well.” Although to be fair, no one really did. “But you’re part of the family now. Even if it’s just a little reminder… I want you to know from here on out, you’re never alone.”

Hisashi was caught off guard. The woman was still practically a stranger to him, but she was already ready to call him family? Was he supposed to have gotten her something as well? They didn’t share a drop of blood, yet someone that was practically a stranger just showed him more kindness than most of his biological family.

Like a giddy child, Inko placed her hand on the gift in Hisashi’s hand and began to tear at the paper.

“Ah… did you want to open it?” Hisashi asked nervously trying to re-direct the attention off of him.

“No! We should open it together!” She insisted as she bounced on her heels. It was probably some sort of tradition in their family. Or Inko truly embodied the ‘kid at Christmas’ spirit.

Hisashi let Inko do most of the tearing into it, only running his finger under the tape on one of the sides and keeping the present still. Really, he wasn’t sure why two people should be opening such a small gift, although once he saw what it was, it seemed like it was more of a symbolic gesture.

Two white porcelain doves perched together on a golden ring.

Inko let out a gasp. “It’s beautiful!”

Hisashi’s first thought was that they didn’t really have a tree or any place to put such an ornament.

But the more Hisashi looked, the more he realized it wasn’t just some gift bought in passing. The box seemed to have been opened, with the current year hand painted across the doves chests in gold. Even the tiny eyes of the doves were painted in. Green for Inko and blue for Hisashi (as far as she knew at least). It was likely his new relative had done so herself, although it did look like a fairly professional custom addition. The gesture meant more to Hisashi than the gift itself.

It was rare for someone other than Inko to be able to bring a genuine smile to his face. Or at least one not caused by the suffering of others.

He didn’t really enjoy these annual parties, but the company was always welcome.

--o--

“Midoriya-san! Perfect timing!” One of Hisashi’s distant in-laws called out to him as he walked in the door. He couldn’t remember for the life of him how they were related to Inko or their name. But ‘perfect timing’ usually was a nice way of saying ‘I have something I want you to do at this very minute’.

Hisashi raised an eyebrow. “Perfect timing for what?”

The young man seemed out of breath. Probably one of the grandson’s helping set everything set up, even if the party was still going on. “So, funny thing is… You know the coal pit abuela has to cook the pork every year?”

“Not sure why in this day and age she still uses such a thing, but yes…” Strange traditions he supposed.

“Well you see, it’s been cooking all day now, and it doesn’t look like we have enough coal. And then abuela remembered that you have a fire quirk-”

“No.” Hisashi immediately insisted.

 “You didn’t even let me finish!”

“You’re asking me to perform illegal quirk use by being a human flamethrower for hours, just so you can finish cooking your Christmas pig. I think I’ll pass.” Not that Hisashi actually cared about illegal quirk use. But he’d come early in the hopes that he and Inko could slip out early. Not so he could waste his breath.

“Oh come on, everyone uses their quirk behind closed doors!” The relative insisted. “And it won’t be long- it’s just got… maybe an hour left on it?”

Inko trailed behind Hisashi carrying a cake she’d baked. “Hisashi? What’s going on?”

Shit, Hisashi knew the second Inko heard of this she’d rope him into it “It’s noth-”

“Inko-chan! Please convince your husband to save tonight’s dinner!” And there went any hope of leaving at a reasonable hour.

Inko let out a chuckle. “Well, I don’t know. Can you, Hisashi?” She teased.

Hisashi rolled his eyes as he took out his phone. “I’m not letting out a steady stream of fire for an hour… Maybe I can find someone about getting more coal or another oven-”

“No! It’s got to be now! If you wait too long, it won’t cook properly! The pork will be ruined!”

Just because Hisashi probably could continue to do so, didn’t mean he wanted to. For all he knew, they were just messing with him. But Inko just had to continue to gang up on him.

“Please?” Inko asked as she laid a quick kiss on Hisashi’s cheek.

A light red blush flushed against Hisashi’s face. Well, maybe this one time he could be the hero and save Christmas Eve.

--o--

“Hisashi, is this necessary?” Inko asked as Hisashi bundled up every inch of her body and equipped Inko with a medical mask.

Hisashi shook his head. “No. We don’t have to go at all. But you’re the one that still wants to go a crowded party when you’re expecting.”

Although just because Inko was getting round and a few months along didn’t mean she was completely helpless and needed to stay locked up from the outside world.

Inko rolled her eyes. “They’re family! I only see some of them once a year, so they’ll want to hear the good news!”

“They can hear it next year when they see our son for themselves… Although… he would only be half a year old and it would be risky to bring him into a place he could easily catch something. Might be safer to wait two years.” Hisashi contemplated.

“We’re going tonight!” Inko insisted. “And next year too! Come on, I know you love all your family. You can’t pretend to be all grumpy with me!”

“Well you know what they say about too much of a good thing…” Hisashi mumbled. And these Christmas parties were like taking a highly concentrated dose of a keg’s worth of alcohol in one chug.

Inko was happy to share all the details about her and her husband’s plans for their little boy. And Hisashi was on guard to make sure none of them got within a half a meter of his lovely wife and child to be.

--o--

“Awweee! Izuku! You look so adorable!” Inko exclaimed fawning over the little elf costume she slid on Izuku

The young child shot his mother a smile, mostly just eager to please his mom. He twirled around in a circle letting the bell on his hat jingle and his skirt poof up a little in the air

‘He’s far too young to realize how embarrassing this will be in the future’ Hisashi thought to himself.

Inko of course took plenty of pictures. Hisashi took a few of his own. He wouldn’t call it ‘blackmail’ per say. But he knew a few embarrassing photos were perfect for keeping a rebellious adolescent in check.

…And for himself. His adorable son was perfectly suited for green and red. It was hard to not swing his little boy in his arms. More than once at least.

“You are far too cute to be of my blood” Hisashi remarked as he held Izuku up as the boy giggled. He seemed to take after Inko a lot more with her softer features. But the curliness of Izuku’s locks was closer to Hisashi’s- his original appearance at least. They looked much cuter on him.

Little elf Izuku spent the entire night getting his cheeks pinched by relatives. He was the center of attention, and there were hundreds of pictures of him floating around to haunt him in the future.

--o--

Once again, it seemed like Hisashi could not avoid the annual party. And once again, it seemed like they would be there for hours. And while Inko managed to get herself drawn into a long conversation on the yearly update, that didn’t mean Hisashi had to stick around for it.

Well, at least he was going to enjoy the food. There were usually enough deserts to induce a diabetic coma.

“Come on, Izuku- let’s get something sweet for the both of us.” Hisashi said holding Izuku by the hand so he didn’t get lost in the crowd. Even though the kitchen wasn’t too far away, pushing his way through the crowd felt more like they were walking across town.

But it was worth it- at least to Izuku. The young boy’s eyes widened gleefully at the colorful display of cakes and cookies lined up. The four-year-old already seemed to be calculating how much he could grab and eat in one sitting.

“You can have one slice of cake, and one cookie for now… Maybe some more later if we’re still here three hours from now.” Hisashi warned. Chances were, Izuku would try and sneak some later, but he could at least try and get the boy to pace himself.

Izuku sighed and nodded as he began to cut himself a slice of fluffy looking sponge cake with gumdrops sprinkled on top. Yet for some reason, when Izuku cut into the cake a thick smell entered the air. Alcohol?!

Hisashi looked at the cake, now noticing a ‘for adults’ scribbled post-it under the plate. Normally, any sort of rum cake baked any alcohol out making it safe for anyone to eat. So whoever baked this must have drowned it after it came out of the oven.

“I’ll take this one.” Hisashi said taking the slice out of his son’s hands.

Only to see how wide eyed and hurt his son looked after just having sweets swiped right out of his hands. It was as if shot a puppy right before his eyes, and then proceded to slaughter the rest of the litter in colorful ways.

“…You can pick out an extra cookie.” He immediately caved before tears could start flowing. He was far too weak against those eyes.

The sadness flashed from Izuku’s eyes too fast as he went to snag a larger slice of a different cake and frosting coating cookies. Had Hisashi been played? Maybe even from the moment Izuku went for the one desert he knew he wouldn’t be allowed to have? Hisashi wasn’t sure if he was concerned or proud.

--o--

It had taken nearly a quarter of a century since Hisashi heard these parties started being held before someone actually complained enough about the noise to get the landlord involved. And as much as they hated to be a Grinch, the new tenant would not put up with the entire mess again.

They found a small banquet hall that rented out multiple rooms for events. Hisashi was even willing to pitch in some as well if it meant there was more breathing room. It was still crowded, but at least now it felt more casual, and less like some wild college party.

Probably better for Izuku as well, a ‘kids area’ had been planned. Rather than the children clinging to their parent’s legs or finding a quiet place to hide, there was a place for the younger kids to make crafts, decorate cookies, and a gaming console set up for the teens.

Izuku glanced awkwardly at both, not sure any of the activities really suited him.

“Looks like you’ll be having more fun than I will tonight.” Hisashi jokingly remarked, hoping Izuku would click with the other kids. Izuku hadn’t exactly fit in well since his quirk failed to emerge. But this was family. They were obligated to at least be cordial with each other.

Izuku still eyed them all warily. Even if he’d seen glimpses of them in past years and they were technically family, he still barely knew them. It was like the first day of school all over again.

Hisashi sighed. He couldn’t force his son to be social and it was probably hypocritical of him to suggest it. “Well… you brought a book at least, didn’t you?”

Izuku scratched his head embarrassed. “Kind of… My notebook…”

Hisashi nodded. “Seen anything interesting enough to write about then?” He asked his son. How was a 5-year-old better company than some of the other adults at this party?

“I saw the Water Hose duo take down an electric villain… It got me thinking how they’re not really related, right? But they’ve got a similar quirk… wouldn’t it be better to team up with someone that can cover your weaknesses? It’s good to partner with someone you work well with, but how helpful is it?” Izuku wondered as he opened his notebook to a crude sketch.

“The quirks look similar, but there are almost completely different.” A new voice chimed in.

Izuku and Hisashi turned their heads toward a kid that only looked a year or two older than Izuku who seemed to have done an excellent job of blending in. You could barely see his red eyes through his long black shaggy hair. He barely looked up from his phone. From the looks of it, he was scrolling through some sort of hero news.

“Drizzle can produce water from the air, pouring torrents of it spontaneously on her foes or burning buildings. On the other hand, Drencher has hydrokinesis. He can’t create water, but he does have fine control over it. While he has more trouble with higher volumes, he’s better with trickier combat and fighting fires where there’s more of a risk for structural damage. Both ‘water quirks’, but they still function very differently.” The boy continued as if he were stating simple facts like how the sky was blue or 1+1 is 2.

“Ooohhh…” Izuku said listening eagerly. “So just because it’s the same element doesn’t mean they can do all the same things. But since they’re both working with water, they can offset each other’s weaknesses.”

Hisashi wondered if he needed to re-evaluate his way of thinking. Maybe children were just more interesting to speak with in general.

“Of course- just because I have my fire breath, doesn’t mean I can produce or control fire like Endeavor.” Hisashi pointed out. At least, not with that quirk

Finally, the kid looked up from his phone at Hisashi. “Are we talking a gland in the back of your throat that’s able to ignite gas with your internal body lining immune to fire, or you’re only able to produce fire from a certain point- which happens to be around your mouth?”

Izuku’s head turned eagerly toward his father. He didn’t realize even something as simple as fire breathing could be so complicated.

Honestly, Hisashi hadn’t really given much thought to it. There were plenty of other more useful quirks, so he hadn’t really examined exactly where his fire was coming from. Although with how All for One worked, it transformed parts of his body while he was using the quirk. Even if it was an emitter quirk, his body still took on the extra adaptations that usually protected the user from their own quirk. He supposed he could feel the fire emerge from his gut whenever he used that particular quirk.

“I’d have to say it’s closer to the first… only it’s not coming from the back of my throat. More from deep in the chest.” Hisashi said feeling somewhat embarrassed that he couldn’t really answer the question very completely.

The shaggy-haired boy merely shrugged. “Most people don’t really know the fine details on how their own quirk works… Not like the average person can train their quirk as much as heroes can.”

Was that supposed to be a sneaky insult? But it was as good as an excuse as any rather than the truth of “I have so many quirks, I don’t spend as much time considering the fine details past how to best utilize them”

“And what’s your quirk?” Izuku asked eagerly.

The boy’s attention seemed to shift down to his phone. “Isn’t it rude to ask a person their quirk before even asking their name?”

Izuku’s cheeks flushed red embarrassed. “I’m sorry! I just got all wrapped up in all the quirk talk! I’m Midoriya Izuku! It’s ok if you don’t want to say what it is!”

The boy let out a sigh. The kind of sigh that Hisashi had only heard out of annoyed teenagers that had already become disgruntled with life, yet with not enough experience to back it up. Although there was no way the runt was a day over 10.

 “Akatani Mikumo… Everyone calls me Yamikumo though...” He took a deep breath, flinching before continuing. “I… I’m kind of quirkless… Not that it really matters… Not like most people can use their quirks in day to day life…”

He seemed to expect that the statement would be enough for them to end the conversation. The boy was likely used to getting ignored after admitting to being quirkless. But if anyone could understand, it was Izuku.

“Doesn’t matter… but everyone seems to think it does.” Izuku replied. Kind of ironic to say so since they were just geeking out over water quirks, but Izuku at least wanted to believe there was more to a person than their quirks. “I’m quirkless too.”

The young Akatani lightened up a little, even moving some of the hair out of his face to get a better look at Izuku. “Huh… So I’m not the only genetic screw up in this family.”

“That’s not a very nice thing to say!” Izuku shot back.

“What, it’s true.” Mikumo said with a smirk. “Sure, 1/5 people are quirkless, but that’s mostly from the older populations. Younger you get, the rarer it gets. Especially when both parents have quirks. I don’t have anyone else in my class without a quirk.”

“Me too!” Izuku exclaimed.

“Just our luck, isn’t it? Doesn’t make quirks any less interesting to talk about.” Mikumo glanced at the notebook that Izuku was holding. “So, you take notes on heroes quirks then?”

“Well, some of my classsmates too…” Izuku said as he flipped to the beginning toward his page on Bakugo.

Hisashi had stayed mostly silent, knowing he was the last person that could claim to understand. He’d seen quirkless individuals in action before plenty of times. But being quirkless back when he was young didn’t mean the same as it did today. Even if he claimed he didn’t think it mattered, it was easier to say when you had hundreds of quirks at your fingertips. He would never know what it was like to truly feel useless in a world that put so much weight on your quirks. Hisashi was glad that Izuku had found a friend- better yet, family- that could understand him.

--o--

“I’m telling you boys- All Might was here at one of my parties!” Maria claimed to the eager young boys.

Hisashi almost spit out his drink as he overheard. How many awkward relatives were in this family?!

 “You’re crazy, abuela.” Mikumo mumbled.

But Izuku was just curious as ever. “Well… there are a lot of people that come every year that aren’t related by blood!”

Hisashi inched closer as his aunt-in-law continued the story. “It was over 20 years ago… Maybe 30? But I never forget a face! He was only a teenager.”

“Then how do you know it was All Might?” Mikumo asked still skeptic.

“He was really muscly for a child his age! And he had that same long blond hair! I thought he must have been American… He came with one of Hanko’s sisters… Nana I think? She said she was training the young boy.” Maria insisted, although while Izuku’s curiosity grew, so did Mikumo’s disbelief.

“Someone in our family trained All Might?!” Izuku exclaimed. That was nearly as amazing as being related to the man himself

“Some muscly blond kid? That could be anyone! Pics or it didn’t happen!” Mikumo practically demanded.

“I should have… but they both left before I could. They were both in costume since they were on call so I know it was at least a budding hero with her… or they had some kind of costume party to attend…”

Izuku desperately wanted this theory to be true. “Ok, so we cross reference the costume with the suit All Might wore at UA, then even without a picture, we can confirm if you really saw All Might here.”

Hisashi would have been proud of his son’s analysis if it weren’t rooted from his hero obsession. He almost wanted to step in and confirm Maria’s story, but he couldn’t really think of an explanation of how he knew that Nana Shimura really did train All Might. Although wouldn’t have that been an interesting party to attend…

“Sorry dear- I’m good with faces, but I couldn’t tell you exactly what they were wearing… Nana had a cape… I think they both wore some yellow… The boy wore something that showed off his muscles… It would be another few years before All Might made his debut, but I remember being sure it was him!” The older Hispanic woman insisted.

Mikumo only sighed and shook his head. “So no real proof that it was All Might… I mean, it would be cool, but it’s not like there’s any way to prove it short of asking the guy. And there’s no guarantee he’ll remember some Christmas party he attended in high school. And if you really meet All Might, are you really going to waste the big questions asking on something like that?”

“No…” Izuku admitted. Information on All Might’s UA days were limited. He’d have been lucky to have even found a costume of All Might in that era, let alone some mysterious mentor figure. But he still had a light smile on his face. “Well… at least that means it’s not disproven. It’s still cool to think about, isn’t it?”

“The magic doesn’t die tonight then.” Mikumo said shooting his distant cousin a light smirk. “If it turns out to be true and your great aunt trained All Might, you better get me an autograph!”

Izuku nodded eagerly. “Oh yeah- that’s got to be at least worth that much!”

Nana Shimura… every time that woman’s name was mentioned it sent chills down Hisashi’s spine. Just because he killed her, did she really have to keep haunting him? None of the other ghosts of his victims were this troublesome.

--o--

It was only when December hit that Izuku realized this would be the first holiday he’d be spending without his father. It wasn’t like it was a huge holiday for their immediate family. Just the annual family party they went to. But even if it had been months since the incident that took Hisashi from their lives, there were little reminders here and there that didn’t seem to let him just fade into their memories.

Such as the empty chair at each meal.

Maybe that’s why Inko was more willing to have guests over. As much as Izuku tried to keep his ‘tutoring with Sensei’ apart from his home life, somehow Shigaraki had occasionally found himself at their dinner table. It started when Sensei suddenly went silent and both Shigaraki and Izuku were worried about what happened. Someone so important in both their lives was gone. Even if he eventually ‘returned’, things weren’t the same. He kept his own contact through a screen sticking with audio most of the time. As if he didn’t keep himself distant enough from his pupils before. They knew he was injured. That it might take years for him to recover- if he ever even did. It left Shigaraki and Izuku to shape their own futures. Izuku wouldn’t have called them close. But at least he wasn’t scared of or avoided the teen anymore.

Shigaraki knew the rules. No talking about his ‘activities’ with Inko. Which was fine since he mostly talked about video games he’d been playing anyways. And if anything did slip, it was easy to claim it happened in a game. But Izuku wasn’t sure how much his mother might have gathered. She was clever about what few questions she did ask. Mostly to make sure Shigaraki was being well cared for. She knew Shigaraki didn’t attend school- both he and Izuku turned to their Sensei’s tutoring for their education. But with the amount of games Shigaraki seemed to play? Inko seemed to worry how much of an education he was really getting. Not like she was going to give him a test or anything. Although Izuku was sure he’d pass it even if she did. As weird and gaming obsessed as Shigaraki seemed, he actually was fairly clever and book smart. Sensei wouldn’t have kept an interest in him if he wasn’t. Shigaraki’s appearance did give cause for Inko to worry. But it seemed like Shigaraki’s dry skin was more a side effect of his quirk rather than malnutrition. Shigaraki claimed the excessively long hair was a style choice. It didn’t keep Inko from being concerned about him though.

Shigaraki didn’t speak much about the people that surrounded him. And while Inko knew a traditional family wasn’t really necessary, it didn’t seem like he even had something as simple as someone to share his meals with or talk with him about his day. Kurogiri was the closest thing he had to a parental figure, and that was an odd relationship that Izuku wasn’t sure how to explain. Some mix between some hired butler to care for him, a subordinate, and someone that genuinely cared about his future? Either way, Inko had opened her doors to Shigaraki any time he wanted to stop by to have some sense of normalcy in his life. Shigaraki claimed it was a pain and that he had better things to do. But he’d still occasionally drop by.

“Only because your mom is a half-way decent cook” Shigaraki would claim. Yet he always seemed to leave happier- or at least less annoyed- than when he came.

It was some time mid-December when Inko extended the invitation to him.

“It’s a Christmas party with family, but plenty of people bring friends that don’t really have anywhere to go on Christmas Eve.” Inko offered, doubting that Shigaraki had been hiding some special someone to snuggle up with for the holiday.

Shigaraki shrugged. “There’s a special raid event going on the League servers…” Izuku still wasn’t sure if he actually talking about a game or it was code for criminal activity. “But it doesn’t start until 11… I guess I could stop by.”

Shigaraki spoke like he didn’t care, but Izuku could tell he was curious. Izuku had never heard of Shigaraki having any plans on Christmas Eve past in game events. Shigaraki venturing out in public for a social gathering? Now this Izuku had to see.

Inko hadn’t given Shigaraki a dress code past wearing his special gloves to keep all five of his fingers from touching. As confident Shigaraki assured Inko he was with controlling his quirk, she was still worried about any ‘accidents’ happening with the other guests. Especially considering Shigaraki started dusting enough of Inko’s plates and cups during one of his heated debates that Inko simply switched to disposable plates and chopsticks whenever he came around.

When they walked through the door, Izuku had a hard time figuring out if this was going to be a good or poor experience for Shigaraki considering the stunned look he had on his face.

“It’s like a convention in here….” He mumbled trying to figure out how the Midoriyas had this big of a family.

“I’ll admit, I don’t know most of my distant cousins very well.” Inko said trying to make Shigaraki feel more comfortable. “But a lot of them are guests other family members brought- so they wouldn’t be alone on Christmas Eve.”

Shigaraki rolled his eyes. “Whatever, I’m not a charity case. I could have made my own plans if I wanted to.”

And by that, Izuku was sure it would have just been another night of gaming.

Izuku wanted to go and find Mikumo, but he knew he should keep an eye on Shigaraki. Although maybe he could kill two birds with one stone.

“Hey, I know where they’ve got a console set up.” With any luck, Izuku would be able to watch him from afar while catching up with his distant cousin.

Izuku made one huge mistake though. He assumed Shigaraki was actually good at playing games. But it seemed like Shigaraki wasn’t used to playing against actual human players.

“Give it up, you got in the bottom half, pass the controller along!” One of the younger kids called out.

“You all are cheap ass noobs playing a kiddie game!” Shigaraki shot back.

“Language! There are kids present!” Mikumo shouted

“You are a kid! And I didn’t say anything they wouldn’t hear on TV!” Shigaraki exclaimed getting more irritated.

“Technically a teen, and judging by how your rage is going, better to step away from the controller before you say or do anything you regret.” Even if he wasn’t the oldest in the room, he at least knew how not to behave like a complete child.

“Oh, I’ll do more than break something.” Shigaraki said with a grin on his face.

“Don’t you dare!” Izuku exclaimed diving for the controller.

Isuku was already fearing having to pay for the expensive controller as he saw Shigaraki’s fifth finger fall on the controller. But luckily, it did not come.

“Oh- that’s right. Wearing this annoying thing…” Shigaraki said as he began trying to slip his glove off.

“You think mom’s going to let you come back from dinner when I tell her you’re intentionally breaking other people’s things?” It was the only card Izuku could play.

“Tsk, you think I’m threatened by you calling your mommy on me?” He asked rolling his eyes.

“Say he did it anyways.” Mikumo urged. “I’ve known this guy for like 5 minutes, but he already seems like an ass-” But then he remembered his own comment “asinine excuse for a human being.”

“Telling a child to lie? Sure you’re not the ‘asinine’ one?”

“It’s for the greater good. Do it, Midoriya-kun.”

“Come on- it’s Christmas… can’t you be good for Santa or something?” Izuku begged.

But then a wicked grin appeared on Shigaraki’s face at the mention of something else he could hurt Izuku with.

“DON’T YOU DARE!” Mikumo shouted.

“Oh come on.” Izuku said rolling his eyes. “I already know the truth about Santa.”

Mukumo sighed and nodded. “Fair enough…” Even though he’d only learned himself about a year ago.

Izuku nodded. “How can I not? He’s got the coolest quirk on the planet! Quantum control- so he can stop both time on his own body’s aging process and the world allowing him to deliver all those presents in one night! It’s got to take a serious amount of control to keep the night going for so long while traveling all around the world! Santa’s like the greatest hero ever!”

Both Shigaraki and Mikumo opened their mouths unsure where Izuku got this theory from, or how plausible it really was. Mikumo looked toward Shigaraki wondering if he was going to be an ass and ruin it anyways.

But to both his and Izuku’s surprise, Shigaraki only sighed and stepped away from the controller.

“Whatever, I guess it’s Christmas…”

And coming from Shigaraki, Izuku was sure that meant it was his best one yet.

--o--

So many years Hisashi tried to squirm out of that stupid annual family gathering. But now that he was All for One once again, there was little he wouldn’t do to be able to take part in it once again. He missed having a family. Now he couldn’t even physically see them. And even if he had quirks to see them in different ways, the state his body was in… he could no longer remain as Hisashi Midoriya. He could support Inko financially. He could continue to train Izuku as his Sensei. But he couldn’t be the father and husband that once was able to stand beside them. He couldn’t even physically stand without the aid of quirks. He couldn’t be the family they deserved.

He had hoped that he’d be able to find a healing quirk or something to undo the damage All Might had done within the year of the injury. A good chunk of his horde of quirks were lost in that battle. Nothing he looked for seemed like it would be enough. He began to fear that he really would die slowly in this withering body.

But all the pieces were on the board. A means to return to his family. A way to repair his body. Multiple plans lined up to ensure All Might would never keep him away again. He would only need to remain All for One for just a little while longer.

All for One watched from afar, sitting at a bus stop across from the banquet hall where the annual party was held. A large baggy trench coat was able to hide most of the life support equipment he’d hauled with him while a scarf and old ballcap kept most of his face hidden. It wasn’t an ideal set up, but it would last him a few hours. Even if he looked like he was homeless, at least it would mean he’d be ignored as he watched from afar. While he couldn’t literally see his family with his own eyes, he could still hear them. Still visualize them in some sort of manner with an infrared vision quirk.

All for One didn’t play the role of the stalker often since he needed to leave his family. Better to devote his time to ensuring his return. But this time of the year… it had him nostalgic. And he was so close. He just needed a little taste of what he once had to give him that last push forward. He’d see them from afar enjoying themselves, and then he’d leave.

And then he sensed them coming into his range. Inko. Izuku. And the newest addition to their family, Eri. All for One had already begun to get to know the young girl. It was a shame he had to meet her in the state he was currently in, but there was no avoiding it. She was his key to becoming Hisashi again. And once he was Hisashi, he could be a father to her as well. To properly be the father Izuku needed. To be able to look Inko in the eyes and hold her again. He’d left them waiting too long.

They were so close as they passed him by. But All for One remained perfectly still. He couldn’t afford to say a word. There was no way he’d be noticed, but he still rather err on the side of caution.

“It’s really cold… how much further is it?” The young girl asked with a slight shiver in her voice.

“Just across the street, sweetie. Just keep holding on.” Inko insisted.

“Here- let me help.” Izuku kneeled down, taking off his own scarf and began to wrap it around Eri.

“Y-you don’t have to…” Eri mumbled. Although she was already clutching the scarf close.

“I want to!” Izuku insisted. “It won’t be long anyways. Just worry about starting to warm up, ok!” All for One had to focus to detect the wide smile curling across his son’s lips. Nothing like the stiff blinding smiles he must have observed from All Might over his life. This smile was more like his mother’s. How many of their smiles had he missed?

Yet they suddenly seemed to stop moving. Why weren’t they moving? Of all the people that had passed him by already without a second thought, why weren’t they just ignoring him?

“Sir? Are you alright?” Inko politely asked turning in his direction.

The supervillain begged that she was talking to someone behind him. He stayed still hoping she’d just give up and move along. But it seemed he miss-assessed the situation.

“Is it really that cold out?” Izuku wondered now worried. “Sir, are you awake? You shouldn’t be sleeping out in the open like this. There has to be somewhere you can go for at least a little while.”

Damn, they were talking to him. As much as he wanted to be able to speak with them, this was the last place he wanted to reunite with them. But if he continued to try and play possum, they’d probably call him an ambulance. He tried to give a slight wave. A thumbs up. He could try throwing his voice, but that could be an unneeded risk considering both Izuku and Eri had been hearing it recently.

Inko let out a sigh that he seemed to be moving without them trying to shake him awake, but she didn’t enjoy the idea of leaving someone on the street on a night like this. “Are you sure you’re alright?” Inko asked.

All for One nodded.

“Maybe you could come inside and warm up for a few hours… get something to eat… I don’t think anyone would mind too much…” She continued to insist.

All for One had to bite his tongue not to take her up on it. He wanted nothing more than to spend Christmas Eve with his family… But not like this. Not as a broken shell of who he once was. Not while he was unable to fully hold or enjoy his time with them. Just being this close… it would have to be enough.

All for One shook his head.

Inko must have thought him mute at this point, but at least she seemed less worried. “Try and find some place warmer if you can. If you’re still here when we’re on our way out, I’ll make sure to find you somewhere to spend the night.”

But Inko’s smile was warmer than any shelter she could have provided. If his eyes weren’t scared over, All for One suspected he might be on the verge of tears. Even still, Inko continued to show kindness without having any idea what it meant to him. He could only nod, trying to prevent himself from taking her in his arms now.

“Merry Christmas!” Inko called out cheerfully before she turned with her children to cross the street.

All for One kept track of them until they made their way into the cluttered party where it was hard to keep track of them amongst all the people.

“This is the last year we’ll be apart.” The villain promised himself.

By this time next year, he would be Hisashi again. He wouldn’t let another year pass without his family back in his arms.

Chapter Text

How was he here?

This… this wasn’t what he’d planned.

It turns out that the door to the delivery room guarding his wife and soon to be child was his greatest foe all along.

Theoretically, Hisashi envisioned possibly having a child with the woman he’d already invested 3 years in. After all, this wasn’t the first child he’d produced. About fifty years ago, curiosity got the better of him and he wondered if perhaps he could replicate All for One- or at least another similarly interesting quirk. And the old fashion way of producing life was a whole lot less expensive and with less complications than purely engineering a heir in a lab. 28 trials. 27 of them quirkless. Disappointing, but not too surprising considering Hisashi came from the first generation of quirk wielders with a chance of around 1/500 of developing a quirk.

And the one ‘success’? A complete imbecile. Clearly intelligence was not genetic. The child had the ability to transfer quirks into objects that anyone could use. Something that could more efficiently make an army than All for One, letting their subordinates use multiple quirks more safely without their body and mind getting overloaded. And what did they wish to use this miraculous ability for? To try and get rich. To sell quirks like some kind of commodity. They’d gotten themselves killed by not properly choosing their targets to steal from. It turns out mafia bosses prefer their muscle with their quirks. All of this could have been avoided if they actually trained with just one of the fancy little quirks they treated like expensive jewelry. A huge disappointment and waste of potential.

But yet with none of those attempts was All for One actually present at the birth of the child. All of the mothers were women he paid off or were interested in power. None of them he had an actual connection to. None of them he really cared about any complications in childbirth. None of them was he legitimately scared to lose.

Inko… the thought of anything hurting her was a threat worse than any of the pompous pro heroes he’d faced. And worse yet, the very thing bringing her harm was as protecting. The moment the little parasite brought her the slightest bit of discomfort, Hisashi was quick to ask if 9 months of this inconvenience was really worth it. They could always adopt. Or have someone else be a surrogate mother and carry a child to term for them. But Inko only laughed him off. She said this was something she wanted to do. An experience for both of them.

This ‘experience’ would be the death of him.

Hisashi had gone from not wanting to even think about the strange little cluster cells taking over his wife’s body like a plague to vigilantly reporting to her side the moment she felt even the slightest twinge of movement. From that moment, something clicked in his head that there really was a life growing in there. Life that was both part his and Inko’s. They were no longer a disease hurting his precious wife. They were alive.

Everything needed to be perfect. He ensured Inko was taking the proper vitamins and diet, that they were both going to those special exercise classes, and that she never had to lift anything heavier than a bottle. He hardly wanted her to even leave the house, but Inko was far too stubborn for that. Hisashi had almost let the existence of a few of his extra quirks slip out as he defended his wife from the many threats of the outside world such as stray dogs or pushy (potentially diseased) salespeople. None of his exploits over the past few decades had required this much of his attention. But hearing the heartbeat of his unborn child had flipped on a protective side of him that hadn’t existed since his brother was a kid.

Hisashi had wanted to be in the birthing room the entire time yet had managed to get himself evicted. His demands for stronger pain medications were ignored- including by Inko herself who sided with the doctors over Hisashi’s ‘over worrying’. She’d been the one to kick him out to the doctor’s relief- had any of them even suggested it, he’d have ensured their life would be falling apart before they could finish saying ‘malpractice suit’. He could still hear and see everything going on with the aid of sensory enhancement quirks. But it only made it worse as he sat there unable to do a thing for the woman who had brought him such happiness.

Everything would be fine. There were no complications. The stages of labor were going smoothly. Inko’s screams… those were to be expected. It had already been two hours as Hisashi continued through this purgatory. Only an average of 6 more. Hisashi knew this all logically. And he hated it.

Hisashi clenched his hands together pissed at whatever cruel god decided that intense pain lasting for hours as a human being were jammed down a hole only a few centimeters long would be the method of reproduction for humans.

Screw it. He didn’t care what lines were crossed or what questions were asked. He couldn’t do this anymore.

“Hisashi!” Inko yelled, although Hisashi was sure she was only angry about the pain not necessarily at him. Or at least that’s what he told himself.

One of the nurses was sitting with Inko. As labor would last a while, it wasn’t necessary to stay with the patient unless there were any complications. But Hisashi had ensured extra care would be taken with his wife. Right now though, Hisashi wanted some privacy.

“Why don’t you check on some of your other patients?” He requested calmly with a smile.

“I don’t need you babying me!” Inko snapped.

Ah irritability. Considering what Hisashi had read on childbirth, Inko seemed to be doing rather well keeping herself together.

“I promise to be on my best behavior…” Hisashi said pulling up a seat at Inko’s bedside.

Inko was still glaring but gave the nurse a nod to leave.

Hisashi reached out to hold Inko’s hand. “I just can’t bare the thought of you in this much pain any longer.”

Inko sighed exhasporated that he was still going on about this. “The doctors insisted any additional pain medication would make it more difficult for me to push.” Inko reminded Hisashi.

“If they dull the nerves, yes you will have less control and thus any further analgesics would be problematic. Modern medicine can’t do anything more for your pain. But I can.”

Holding onto Inko, Hisashi reached out for a quirk he called “Shared Agony”. As All for One, he mainly used it to push his own sensations of pain on his enemies. He’d never taken it on himself even though he knew he theoretically could. He never had a reason to shoulder another’s pain.

But he hadn’t expected it to be so bad. The pain rushed in like opening a flood gate. Hisashi had quirks to increase his pain tolerance. But it turns out that they only worked with his own pain, not pain psychically transferred to him via a quirk. He strained himself trying to keep a straight face, trying not to tighten his grip on Inko.

Inko felt a weight lift off her shoulders- and clearly that weight landed right on top of her husband. “Hisashi?!”

“I’ve had worse.” Hisashi hissed through gritted teeth. But not by much. He had to be impaled to reach this level of pain.

“How many quirks do you even have?!” This was at least the third one including fire breathing and some kind of face changing. Maybe a fourth having to do with years of knowledge and experience that a man his age shouldn’t have. But really she was more worried about Hisashi and what he was even doing.

Hisashi let out a bitter chuckle as he tried to ignore the pain. “Never enough.” Was now really the best time for her to finally ask that question?!

“Is that even safe?!” Inko hated it, but it was technically natural for her to be going through the pain of childbirth. It certainly looked like he was receiving all the pain she was just enduring, and Hsiashi didn’t have painkillers.

“Can you still push?” Hisashi questioned.

“Yes… but I mean about you! How does this quirk of yours even work?”

“I’m perfectly fine. I’ve used it before.” Granted, he wasn’t usually on the receiving end. “I just ask you act natural and don’t say anything when the nurse returns.” The last thing he needed was someone asking questions. He kept his hand on hers to maintain the connection. A husband holding her wife’s hand during her pregnancy was nothing suspicious, right?

“It’s not natural for the husband to be the one in excruciating pain.” Inko insisted. Hisashi was certainly taking it better than she was, but one look at her husband’s face and it would be obvious that he was clearly taking this worse than she was. “Thank you for trying to help, but you can’t hold it like this until the baby is born.”

“Watch me.” Hisashi insisted more stubborn than anything. He rather be the one to go through this pain than not be able to do nothing about it as Inko suffered.

“Half.” Inko tried to compromise. “Or I go back to doing this on my own.” She tried to pull her hand away. It seemed to be part of whatever this quirk was. But Hisashi gripped her hand tighter.

“No… we do this together then.” Hisashi finally relented. He probably gave her a little less than half, but it was enough that Hisashi could at least hold a more natural looking expression. Enough that he could make it appear more like concern. And he certainly still was. It didn’t matter how ‘natural’ this entire process was. There was always a chance that something could go wrong with the mother or child. And Hisashi would anything to ensure their health and happiness.

When the nurse returned, she gave a slight smile. She knew how hectic of a time this could be. Midoriya wasn’t the first husband to get thrown out due to the mood swings that came with labor. But they seemed to have achieved a proper balance and Inko seemed a lot more calm because of it.

She turned to the fetal monitor. “Let’s see how your son is doing…”

--o--

“Time your breaths just like we practiced- you’re doing wonderful!” Hisashi exclaimed still gripping Inko’s hand tight. He could feel her pain increasing and he tried to take as much of it as he could off her.

“You’re almost done, Ms. Midoriya.” The doctor reported.

Inko couldn’t get much more of a word out past her breathing. But then it came. The child’s cries. Her eyes softened. That was her son. He was really here.

“You’re not done yet- You still need to deliver the placenta.” Hisashi reminded her. But Inko was in a daze as her eyes were focused on the nurse drying off the child and ensuring he was healthy. Her child.

After a few more minutes, it seemed as if the dust had settled and the battle was over. Finally, the nurse set the bundled up child in his mother’s arms. Hisashi and Inko had already settled on his name long before.

“Welcome to the world, Izuku.” Hisashi whispered as he got as close to Inko and his son as he could manage.

Inko’s eyes were wide and tearing up. She was exhausted. But this was all finally a reality. Her son was here in her arms. She softly touched her finger tips to the newborn’s. They tried to grasp on to their mother’s finger’s eagerly. Inko was left speechless.

Hisashi was overjoyed. “Izuku is already a strong one, isn’t he?” Izuku. He just loved being able to say his son’s name out loud. To finally see him. Thin green hairs poked out from under the cap he’d been bundled in to keep him warm. His light green eyes blossomed before him, only sure to become more like his mother’s with time. Hisashi leaned in to plant a kiss on his son’s forehead.

Inko could only nod. The tears were streaming down her face. She was captivated. This was her child. It was difficult, but every moment of it was worth it. The hardships weren’t over. They’d only just begun. But she knew with absolute certainty they’d be worth it.