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Todoroki Momo sat in her seat across from the reporter, holding her little girl while the reporter held a notepad and pen. Usually with being both a mom and a Pro Hero, she didn’t have much time for side projects like this. But with the influx of questions on her newborn child and her own ulterior motive, she agreed to an interview and small photo shoot for Parents Magazine.
Luckily, the crew were very accommodating, making sure she had everything she needed for herself and her baby. So she sat quite comfortably across from the interviewer with a smile on her face, her arms busy cradling her child.
“Thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview with us Ms. Todoroki, or should I say Creati?” The reporter asked with a coy smile.
Momo gives a light chuckle. “Momo is fine, but thank you for the opportunity to do this interview. Hana seems to enjoy all the attention so I think its a win win for us both.” Her gaze moves down to the baby in her arms, giving the little girl a warm smile and a little kiss on her nose.
“It's our pleasure! Now, tell me a little about Hana. She’s very beautiful, I can see she took after both you and your husband.”
“Thank you, she is beautiful, isn't she?” She runs her thumb over her baby's cheek, right under her mismatched eyes. One appearing gray like her fathers and the other a much darker shade more reminiscent of her mothers, with a full head of luminescent white hair and a bright smile to match, she was quite an adorable baby. Just shy of four months old, Hana was already stealing the hearts of many.
“Hana already has such a personality,” Momo starts with a gentle laugh, her gaze turning back to the women across from her. “It's been such a pleasure being her mother and having such a bright little girl as a new addition to our family. She’s a fairly quiet baby; definitely takes after her father in that way. But she's always smiling and laughing, I couldn’t imagine life without her now.”
“Well, she sounds like the ideal baby for a pair of busy parents. I have to ask though, how do you juggle being a new mom and a Pro Hero all at once? I see news stories frequently talking about the hard work you’ve been doing to help keep everyone safe. But it must be difficult and tiring to balance both home and work life for you.” The reporter asks, leaning closer to Momo, interested in her answer as though she sought her own tips from the headstrong woman.
“I have to admit, it's not the easiest, especially in the beginning and during my pregnancy with Hana. It was hard not to refrain from my usual line of work, but it was very difficult for my body to balance both nurturing for a child and using my quirk. So I took a break from active field work and helped my husband and my agency behind the scenes as much as I could.”
As Yayaorozu spoke, it seemed like the interviewer was entranced, hanging onto every word. It took her a moment to remember to write down her notes for the magazine article later. But she herself was very interested to take a peek into the life of a Pro Hero and mother.
Momo continued, occasionally smiling down at her baby in her arms as Hana made little noises of interest. “After she was born, it was easier for me to get back into the swing of things and use my quirk regularly again. Though I also wanted to make sure I was able to take care of this little one and give her plenty of my attention. So me and Shoto have formulated a system to both juggle hero work and parenthood by taking turns on our off days. If an emergency arises, we have loving family and friends that are more than willing to lend a hand, helping with Hana when need be. But like I said, she's a very good girl and has been no trouble at all for anyone she spends time with.”
“Wow, I have to say I’m a little jealous. I know when I had my first little girl, I was run ragged between work and motherhood. But even through it all, you get to look down at your little one and think, ‘I created this, and I’m so glad to be her mother’. So I think in the end, all the tireless nights and the troublesome days are worth it.” She comments with a little chuckle, scribbling on her pad as after she spoke.
“I couldn’t agree more. Especially with the abilities of my quirk, I’d definitely say Hana is my most special and worthwhile creation. Even with our busy lives, my husband and I couldn’t be more happy to be parents to this beautiful little girl.” As she finished speaking, she lifted Hana up to hold her in front of her and smiled, showering her baby's cheeks in kisses. Hana giggled at her mothers actions, unaware of the pretext but loving Momo’s attention.
The reporter smiled, warmed by the tender scene in front of her. “One more question, if that's alright. Do you think Hana will become a hero, maybe even a Pro Hero, like her parents when she's older?”
The hero places her child in her lap, letting the little girl grip onto her fingers and play with her hands as she speaks. “Shoto and I have talked about it. You know, seeing the dangers from working in the field myself, it makes me nervous to think of my little girl working in those dangers herself. But ultimately, we agreed that it's her decision and whatever Hana decides to do, we’ll support her. We can’t be sure what quirk she’ll have, or even the possibility she might not have a quirk. Either way, my husband and I won’t force her into one or the other direction. Whatever she chooses for herself in the end, what makes her happy, is what we hope to see her do.”
“I couldn’t have thought of a better response. Well, it's been a pleasure talking to you and meeting Hana in person.” The interviewer waves at the little girl and she giggles in return. “Thank you again Momo for the chance to talk with you and for giving us a look inside a Pro Hero’s life of being a working mother. If you follow my director, he'll take you both to get ready for the photo shoot. I can’t wait to see how the photos come out!”
“Thank you, I’m excited to see them as well!” Momo replied with a smile before shifting the baby onto her hip and giving a small bow to the reporter. She did as directed and followed the man out of the room. Just like before, they offered accomodations for her and Hana, making it an easy and quick photo shoot. Hana was of course on her best behavior the entire time, as if she knew what was going on. They were there for a while longer as they changed into a few different looks and posed for the winter edition of the magazine.
All in all, it was a good day and Momo couldn't wait for Shoto to see the articles and pictures. Happy to bring him a little surprise after all the work he’s been swamped with lately. She decided she would keep it a surprise till the magazine issue came out and he could see it in person. The thought made Momo smile to herself as she made her way home with Hana from a job well done.
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It was a few weeks before her magazine issue of ‘Parents Magazine’ came out and the entire time, Momo kept silent of her little afternoon trip with Hana when she gave the interview and had photos taken of the two. She wanted Shoto to be completely surprised when he saw it. And that he was when it was brought to his attention shortly after it was published.
It was a normal day in the office, well, as normal as it could be for Pro Hero’s. Todoroki Shoto was busy doing paperwork and research for an upcoming case. Sitting at his desk in his agency’s building in the late afternoon, the hero didn’t look up when he heard someone enter the room. Knowing the sound of those stomping steps from miles away.
Bakugou came up to his desk in his usual aggressive fashion and slammed something against his desk in front of him. At the moment, the explosion hero was assisting Todoroki and his agency in the job he was currently working on. Being that it was a big case at the prospect of a new vigilante group, it was all hands on deck where they could spare it. So having the hero stomp up to his desk in the middle of the afternoon didn’t come as a surprise.
What did surprise Shoto though was the image of his wife and daughter that was slammed in front of him. “Trying to outshine the rest of us huh, Icy Hot?” He said with a sneer.
The ice and fire hero was just as shocked as Bakugou it seemed. He had no clue that Momo had done the interview or photo shoot. A small smile graced his face as he picked it up and took in the sweet image of his beautiful wife holding their child, giving Hana a kiss as they wore matching red winter hats. Momo was in Shoto’s old hero uniform from when he was still in UA and Hana was wearing an adorable pink onesie with patterned images of her father littered across the fabric. It was impossible for Shoto to keep the grin from springing onto his lips as he flipped to the page of the article about the two and read what Momo had to say about being a mother to Hana.
Todoroki thought the magazine did a wonderful job showcasing Momo as the hard working mother she is and bringing light to how amazing she was at being able to juggle two of the hardest jobs in the world; that of a pro hero and that of a mother. His chest constricted and he felt incredible love for the two. Shoto was so surprised and overjoyed at seeing the magazine issue. All he could think was, ‘I’m so lucky to call these two my family’. He was incredibly grateful for the life he had been granted with his two favorite women in the world.
Annoyed by Todoroki’s lack of response and seeing the man's surprise and joy at seeing the magazine issue, Bakugou deduced that the hero had no clue about the magazine article. Rolling his eyes, he turns around to leave. “Cute kid…” He mumbled before starting to walk away.
Shoto chuckled but before he could say anything, Bakugou cut in again. “Now let's get back to work idiot. I’d like to go home to my girls before I grow old and whither away if we don’t finish this damn case soon!”
Todoroki just shook his head in amusement before turning his gaze back to the magazine in his hands. He smiled to himself before setting it down and getting back to his paperwork, eager to finish and go home to his girls as well; to tell Momo what he thought of the magazine article.
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Momo was putting Hana down for the night. Having changed her and put her in a fresh onesie, the little girl was ready for bed. Rocking her to help her slowly fall asleep, the hero hummed a little song till her baby's eyes were closed and she could hear the tell-tale signs of Hana’s soft breathing. As she was placing her down in her bed, Momo heard the front door close, knowing her husband had just come home.
She smiled and gave Hana a kiss on the top of her head before leaving the room to greet Shoto. Closing the door behind her, Momo made her way to the entrance of the house where she was met with her tired but satisfied looking husband. “Today was a good day then?” She asked as she walked toward him.
Giving the women a gentle smile, Shoto stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his wife. Holding her close, he chuckled at her comment. “It was a pretty typical day, Bakugou got some leeway on the case. But I got a nice surprise just a little while ago..”
Momo smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, looking up into his mismatched eyes with a loving gaze. “Oh? What was that?”
“Hmm, well Bakugou came into my office earlier and in his usual fashion, brought something to my attention. You know I don’t get caught up in the tabloids often, but I got the pleasure of reading an article on this incredible Pro Hero and her daughter. I have to say, I had no clue what to expect but it was definitely a pleasant surprise.” He replied with a smirk, leaning forward to press a kiss to her forehead.
Momo gave him a sly look, her own smirk matching his. “Oh that? I must have forgotten to tell you about that. Hana and I were asked to give a little interview and take some photos for the winter edition of their magazine and I thought it might be a nice gesture to the people asking about our beautiful baby girl. And of course, I thought it would be a nice surprise for my husband when he saw it. I think Hana looked especially cute in the pajamas with the pattern of her father on it.”
The man in question gave a hum in confirmation before shaking his head with an amused look. “I think you're right. Though.. I only hope that… well…” He wasn’t able to finish his sentence, making his counterpart tilt her head in confusion.
“What is it Sho? You know you can tell me…” Her own expression worried, she didn’t like seeing the frown on her husband's face. He sighed before letting go of Momo and turning around, he didn’t move, but just wanted a second away from her worried gaze. It made him feel guiltier than his own thoughts already caused him to feel.
“I just… Well, I just hope that one day, Hana can look back at these memories fondly. That she’s happy that I’m her father and that I don’t disappoint her. It’s..” Shoto sighs again, having a hard time expressing himself fully. Even as he got older and more emotionally mature, he still felt it difficult to talk about his past trauma. He turned back to look at his wife.
“I didn’t really have the best father figure growing up. I sometimes think I’m not good enough to be her dad. That I’m not trying enough to be there for her. Missing moments like these because of late nights in the office.. Being so consumed with work, making Hana’s life revolve around our hero lives, I just… I just don’t want to disappoint her and make her resent me like I did my father when I was younger..”
“Oh Shoto…” Before saying anything else, she walked closer to him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close for an embrace. “I know these are still thoughts you struggle with, and it'll take some time, but I know you’ll soon see how wonderful a father and husband you are.” Momo brought her hand up to his cheek, the man in front of her leaning into her soft touch. “Know that Hana loves you, and will look up to her strong and amazing dad when she's older too. I know it. You don’t have to be perfect Sho, neither of us are. But as long as we're together and offer her our love and support, I think we’re doing a good job as her parents.”
“Just like what I said in the interview, it's Hana’s choice what she wants to do or wants to become when she's older. And we will be there to offer her our support no matter what, just like we talked about. Sure, she has an incredible Pro Hero for a father, who sometimes gets busy saving the country. But, at the end of the day, you come home to her and give her your love and affection. On off days, you go above and beyond to do whatever makes your little girl happy. So Sho, know that you're doing a great job as her father and she’ll recognize that as she grows up.”
Momo’s expression was gentle as she spoke. Sometime into her words, Shoto had closed his eyes but offered her his full attention. After she finished, a small smile appeared on his lips once more.
Taking a few seconds to bask in his wifes generosity and reassuring remarks, he replies, “Thank you Momo… You always know what to say. And I can only hope that I live up to this impressive image you're describing as her father.”
“That's the thing Shoto, you already have. And one day Hana will tell you herself too.” Her words were final, as if leaving no room for argument. But she meant it, Momo thought of Shoto as the most caring and loving dad, so happy that he was the father of their child. She knew he struggled with his insecurities, and she was more than happy to help sooth his anxieties and reassure him when she was able.
“Now, why don’t we go have dinner and I can tell you about Hana’s first interview and photo shoot?” Momo spoke with an excited tone, happy to finally share with Shoto the events of the day of their interview.
“Yeah, I’d like that a lot.” He pulled back but took her hand, letting his wife lead him further into their house in the direction of the kitchen. He had a loving expression on his face as he listened to her retelling the day. Though he couldn’t stop his thoughts revolved around the wonderful women he got to call his wife. How did he get so lucky to be able to marry such an amazing woman? Shoto hoped that one day, he would be able to see her words come true.
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The park was fairly empty as Todoroki Shoto walked hand in hand with his daughter down the path and through the entrance of the playground. Even though it was barren now, Hana had a play date planned with a few of her friends. Shoto was always early to any event, so it wasn’t a surprise he was the first one there, arriving before his friends and even his wife. Now it was just himself and his daughter on the clear autumn day, glad to cherish this quiet moment with her.
“Daddy, where's mommy?” Hana, now 4 years old, looked up at her father and asked. The man smiled before picking up his little girl and placing her on his hip, giving her his full attention.
“She’ll be here soon, my little flower. Your friends will too I think. Is there anything you want to do while we wait?” Momo had planned to stop by when she was on her lunch, wanting to spend the time she could with her family since she had been busy with work lately. So Shoto offered to take her, giving him the excuse to see his friends he rarely got to see. Being heroes and parents kept them all very busy.
She paused, putting a hand on her chin in a very mature manner to think about her options before making the very important decision. “Will you slide down the slide with me daddy?” As she spoke, Hana looked up at her father with twinkling mismatched eyes and a toothy grin, one Shoto couldn’t dream of resisting. Not like he could ever say no to his little girl to begin with.
“Of course, lead the way.” Placing her down, he let his daughter lead him by the hand to the playset, watching her excited movements as they walked. Shoto helped her climb the ladder, slowly clamoring after her as she ran to the slides that could barely fit both her and her father. But the hero didn’t mind, as long as she was having fun.
Sitting down at the top of the slide, he placed Hana in his lap, wrapping his arms around her and holding her securely to his chest. “Ready?” He asked.
“Yeah! Let's go daddy, go, go go!!” He gave a chuckle at her enthusiasm and pushed off, making the quick journey down the winding slide till they made it to the bottom. All the while Hana’s giggles of joy could be heard the whole way.
As they got to the end of the slide, they were abruptly stopped from getting off by a towering figure. Both Todoroki looking up at the man in sync, they notice Bakugou Katsuki standing in front of them, with a little girl perched in his arms.
“You gonna sit there all day Icy Hot or are you gonna let the other kids get a turn on the slide? Pretty shitty behavior for a hero if you ask me.”
Shoto rolls his eyes before standing up with Hana and moving past Bakugou, looking around the pair. “It's nice to see you too. And hello Sara, where’s Kirishima and Aio?” His last question was directed at the other man as the little girl in his arms shyly waved at the Todoroki.
“He’s coming, clearly taking his damn time..” The explosion hero says, looking over his shoulder to see his husband jogging up to them carrying their other daughter.
“Sorry we’re late! Aoi saw a flower on the way and wanted to bring it back for her dad.” The redhead in question grins sheepishly as they approach the steadily growing group. Aio then leans towards Bakugou, gently placing the flower in his hair. The hero frowns in retaliation but chooses not to say anything, also weak to his daughters actions and words.
“Whatever, where are the other two idiots?” Bakugou grumbles.
“They should be here soon, they tend to be late to gatherings.” Todoroki replies, setting his daughter down as Kirishima did the same with Aio and they ran off to the sandpit to play.
The two other men nodded before turning their gaze to the remaining child in Bakugou’s arms. Sara was shyly snuggling close to her dad, having a hard time loosening up her tight grip on his shirt. Kirishima leaned into his husband's side and rubbed her back encouragingly. “Sara, don’t you want to go play with your friends? You know Aio gets lonely without you.” He said, a gentle smile on his face.
The little girl hesitated for a moment, looking between her daddy and the other kids. Slowly she nodded and let go of her dad's shirt, giving Bakugou the initiative to let her down. She carefully walked towards her friends, but not before turning to look back at Eijiro. He gave her a supportive thumbs up, which gave her enough confidence to approach her friends and join their game they started.
Katsuki glared at his husband. “Stop doing that, you're gonna make her think it's okay to be weak.”
He just smiled at his husband, letting out a soft chuckle. “She’ll be fine, some kids just need a little extra encouragement. You know how she is. Plus, look who's talking, your mister softy when it comes to Sara.”
That pissed the explosion hero off, as he started swearing at the other man while Kirishima just laughed. Shoto watched the exchange, thinking their dynamic was a bit strange. But when has their relationship ever been normal?
He found himself chuckling along with the hero before he felt a hand on his shoulder and he was turning to see who it was. Momo smiled up at her husband, coming up on his right side and joining the group of men.
“I see it's already an eventful play date huh? How are the girls?” She asks with an amused smirk on her lips, before turning her attention to the children playing a short distance away.
“They just got here but it looks like they’re having fun. I think she missed her friends. It’ll be nice when they start school soon.” Shoto knew how social their little girl was, and how much fun she had around the other kids.
“Mn, I agree.” Even Bakugou and Kirishima turned their attention to the children to watch them all play together, fond smiles on their faces. The kids were growing up so fast, and soon, they would be their own heroes.
With the adults all distracted, the group didn’t notice the other three sneaking in to join the group. They only did when Jiro came around to stand beside Bakugou and pluck the flower from his hair.
“Very manly, is it a new fashion statement?” The sound hero says, heavily amused by the unlikely image of the man that greeted her upon arrival.
He ripped the flower out of her hands and sneered at her. “Shut the fuck up, ears. As if your dumb husband didn’t make you guys late worrying over his own looks.”
“Hey!” Kaminari lifted one hand in surrender, his other occupied by the little boy trailing beside him. “Language dude, not cool. What I spend my time doing at home doesn’t matter, leave the hair out of this.”
“Yes, that is definitely the reason why we’re late.” Jiro replies with a smirk, squeezing her husband's shoulder in sympathy when he turns to her with a look of betrayal.
Momo and Kirishima chuckled at the duo's banter while Bakugo was busy shoving the flower back in his hair.
Shoto just stood by and watched his friends, missing the time spent with them. Moments like these always reminded him of their days as kids, even though they were missing a core few in the group. But as heroes, it was almost impossible to get time away from the job to spend it around each other. Even now, their main motivation was their kids but Todoroki was still grateful to be alive, happy, and be able to have this time with them.
As Momo gushed over Jiro and Kaminari’s little boy Hibiki, it made Shoto smile warmly at the pair, thinking it would be nice to have a son and give Hana a little brother…
He was interrupted from his line of thinking as Aio ran over and crashed into Hibiki, the two children laughing before the little girl took his hand and led him to the group of already playing children. It warmed Shotos heart to see the kids all get along, just like their parents.
After they made sure all the children were settled and comfortable, the group sat on the benches in the park, watching the little ones as they all caught up. Talking about their hero duties and the kids newest advancements, as well as the upcoming school year and the possibility of quirks in their children.
None of the heros had seen the signs yet, all of them still fairly young. It was always a curious thing, wondering who their children would take after; which parents quirk they would get a variation from or if it would be a mash up between both. It was a constant topic of conversation, especially for Eijiro and Katsuki since they had adopted their girls because of a hero mission gone wrong and they knew very little of their original parents.
No one truly knew what to expect until that day came. What was unexpected was that today would be that day for Hana.
As they were all engrossed in conversation, they didn’t notice anything strange at first. Until Kirishima was grinning like a fool and standing up to get a better look at the group of children.
“Guys, look!”
Their attention drawn back to the kids, everyone's gaze is drawn to Hana as she holds up her hand, snowflakes whirling around her small fingers and arm. The other children watched in amazement too as their friend did something they couldn’t quite wrap their heads around. Hana just looked up at her palm, shock and bewilderment in her expression as she did something she had no idea she was capable of, snow manipulation.
Momo and Shoto stood up and went rushing towards their daughter, the both of them kneeling in front of her to get a better look. The group also stood to move closer, amazed that the very thing they were just talking about was happening in front of their eyes.
“Hana thats…” Shoto started.
Momo finished it for him. “Amazing. Sweety, do you know what's happening?”
“What mommy?” The girl turned her gaze to her mother, the snowflakes going still and falling as her attention was drawn away.
“That's your quirk, little flower. Just like daddy…” Shoto had a warm smile on his face, looking towards his wife as they shared a moment of admiration for their child.
Their friends and the other children surrounded them then, taking part in a special moment for the Todoroki’s. All with various reactions and looks of amazement, Kirishima was the first to break the still atmosphere.
He chuckles, picking up both his girls in each arm and kisses them on the cheeks. “Looks like we have the next generation of heroes on our hands.” Eijiro says with a huge grin.
“I think you're right.” Shoto says, smiling fondly at his daughter before pulling her in for a hug, one that Momo quickly joins in on with happy tears in her eyes and a smile on her own lips. Whether Hana became a hero or not, both Todoroki’s knew their daughter would have a special life, and they couldn't wait to experience many more moments like these with her. Together.