Archive of Our Own

Rei Todoroki was a woman of great status. Not that she wanted it, exactly, but she would do what she needed to do nevertheless. It wasn’t her choice to be as high status as she was, but again, she did what was needed. 

Even though it meant marrying a monster of a man, someone who didn’t believe in happiness or magic, someone who ripped away any good thing that Rei could ever have. And even if it meant bearing child after child to that man who only saw his children as objects that had to be perfect. 

So far, she had four children and Enji Todoroki seemed to have a problem with all of them. Rei didn’t see it though, her children were perfect, they were well mannered and kind, they each held a gentleness that was rare in the Todoroki household. 

But to Enji they were wrong. Touya was too emotional, he got angry too quickly, and he was too reactionary. Fuyumi was a girl which apparently automatically made her unfit as an heir, girls could never lead nations or be decisive enough to fight in wars. Natsuo was too kind, he was too soft, and in some ways he was too unpredictable since he often defended his siblings rather than himself. And then there was Shouto, their youngest child, he was only a handful of months old so Enji couldn’t find a problem with him just yet, but Rei knew that he would eventually. He always found something wrong with their children. 

And Rei was unfortunate enough to know that when Shouto got just a bit older and Enji eventually found something wrong with him that she’d have to carry another child and pray to the gods that it was a boy. 

But until then, she’d be complicit and as happy as she could be with her four children, and of course she’d care for them as much as she could. She’d care for each of them for as long as she could, but she knew that once they were old enough, she’d urge them to have lives away from the Todoroki estate. 

Part of her wanted to run away now to protect her kids, but she knew she couldn’t. No matter how far she ran or where she went, Rei knew that eventually Enji would find her and bring her back himself, she had no doubt about that. 

She wondered if Enji blamed her for their inability to have a child that was up to his standards, but she knew better and knew that he did in fact blame her, even if she had done nothing wrong. Rei followed his every demand and his every rule, but somehow that still wasn’t enough for the man. And although she was getting tired of it, she couldn’t do anything but just sit there and take it.

Their people didn’t believe in divorce, especially after four children were born into the family. Even if she mustered up all the courage in the world to leave Enji, she’d never be accepted as a member of society, at least not here. 

So Rei learned to live with it, she took care of her children and did everything by the book, if down the line Enji wanted another child she would bear it because what else was she going to do? 

She was, however, lucky enough to have the library to herself and her children. While initially she wasn’t ‘allowed’ to read, she expressed that she could teach the children and in order to do that she’d need a library. Since then, it had been a small escape for both herself and her children. 

Rei deflated a bit in the soft seat she was in, her dress crumpling up in a way that might leave creases and her corset pressing into her ribcage in an unpleasant way. She knew that soon she’d have to go into town to gather ingredients for the week, and as much as she was dreading walking around the small stalls where dirt was being kicked up in the air, it also gave her another temporary reprieve from tending to her children or worrying about her husband walking in. 

“Mom, isn’t it time for music soon?” Touya hummed from his own seat a few feet away, Fuyumi, who was holding Shouto, was sitting on the ground next to Natsuo. There was a book in Touya’s hand. The sight made the corners of her mouth uptick a bit as she looked at them. 

She nodded a bit, “It is time for music soon, why do you ask, Touya?” Rei asked as she got up to walk over to her children, watching them intently. 

The young boy smiled a bit, “Yumi said that I should read another book but I told her that I didn’t think we had time,” he said as he nodded. 

Touya seemed happier now that Rei was “teaching him strategy” or whatever excuse she used in order to get him out from under his father’s thumb. Enji was so hard on Touya, trying to mold him to fit his own image when Rei knew that her son would never be close to the monster that was his father. So, like any caring and attentive mother, she lied in order to get him a reprieve too. She said that he needed to learn math and history from books in order to become a powerful war general, he needed to learn how to play an instrument so he could entertain should the need ever arise. 

While Rei was in a difficult situation and was often outspoken, she was smart and she would always do what was best for her children before herself. 

Fuyumi groaned a bit, “I don’t wanna learn how to play violin again, it hurts my shoulder and chin,” she complained with a pout as she held onto her youngest brother tightly. 

Rei leaned down and smoothed her hair down slightly before pressing a kiss to the top of her head, “I know, baby, but you need to. Maybe you could become a beautiful violinist that travels the world and meets so many new people,” she hummed, trying to sound as convincing as she could. 

Her daughter nodded a bit, “You would come to my concerts, right, mama?” She asked with a soft smile. Rei nodded quickly. 

Moments later, a young man stepped into the room, one of the people that was hired to help around the house. He was newer, since Enji seemed to go through help rather quickly. “Mrs. Todoroki? It’s time for the children’s music lessons,” he said with a soft smile. 

She nodded as she leaned down, carefully scooping up Shouto from Fuyumi’s arms, “Well, you heard him,” she said with a smile as she looked at her children, “Play well for me, alright? Maybe after your lessons you can show me what you worked on.” Rei encouraged her kids gently as she looked up to the man. He smiled back a bit. 

“I don’t think we met yet, ma’am, you can call me Imasuji,” he said with a small polite nod. 

Rei smiled a bit, “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Imasuji,” she said as she gestured for her children to join the man with short blond hair, “Treat them kindly, please,” there was a little more pleading in her tone than she would’ve liked, but he seemed to be understanding enough, not even commenting on it. 

Before too much time passed, three of her children had left the room with Imasuji, leaving just her and Shouto. She hummed a bit as she held him close, “Are you ready to go out?” She asked as she pressed a kiss to her son’s forehead. 

Her going out to get the food for the week was a sort of punishment from Enji. She knew that they had more than enough money for them to hire someone to do it, but it was one of the few ways that Enji exercised his control over the family. It allowed her to go out while also giving her motivation to come back. Enji knew that Rei would never leave her children and run away, she’d never abandon them. 

Rei rubbed Shouto’s back a bit, “Are you going to be good while we go out?” She asked gently as she pressed their noses together, causing her son to coo gently. The small noise made her smile. 

She went to gather what she’d need for the food run: money, bags, a shawl to hide her from the sun. Once everything was collected, she wasted no time in running out the door, a half breath of relief escaping her as she walked away from the Todoroki estate. As freeing as it was to get out of the estate, knowing that her children were still inside with their father made her uneasy. 

But, she pushed that to the furthest edge of her mind, instead deciding to push forward and go into the town square. The shawl was wrapped around her and Shouto, keeping both of their faces out of the sun. She was rather sensitive to direct sun and she wouldn’t want her son to get burned either, so it was better to cover both of them. 

When she got to the town square, her movements were almost automatic, having gone on that grocery run enough to move throughout the market and between shops with ease. Her bags were becoming heavy quickly, but she toughed it out. She’d rather be exhausted when she got home and have everything than not and have to face Enji’s wrath for forgetting something. 

As she rounded one of the corners that usually brought her face to face with a bakery, she was met by a new little stall. 

It wasn’t unusual for traveling salesmen to stop in their town and try to sell whatever before moving onto the next town, but usually, those people circled back and by now Rei knew most of them. 

The man in front of her though, brown hair that had a hint of red and deep brown eyes, he was new. 

Rei observed him for a moment, tilting her head to the side. The man seemed to notice the fact that she was looking at him though, a smile spreading across his face as he nodded at her, “Good afternoon, ma’am. May I interest you in anything?” He asked as he gestured down to his table. 

She looked at him for only a moment more before looking down at the table in front of her, taking in whatever he was selling. 

From what she could see, it was mostly art. Small marbles that had things painted either on or inside them. They were breathtaking in a way, they seemed to draw Rei in, she couldn’t explain how though. 

Rei looked back up at the man, smiling gently, “These are beautiful, Mr…” she trailed off, noting the fact that the man did not indeed tell her what his name was. 

He smiled more, “Sako, but you can call me Atsuhiro, Miss..?” The man said without a second thought. 

The forwardness took her back a little, a giggle slipping from her mouth, “Todoroki, but you can call me Rei,” she offered him the same courtesy that he extended to her. 

Even though the interaction was so small, it made her feel a bit giddy in a way. Usually people didn’t talk to her so freely, mainly because of the name she was unwillingly connected to, but Sako - Atsuhiro - seemed to be different. 

She looked around quickly, trying to make sure that no one was looking at their interaction before she moved to pick up one of the smaller marbles, looking at it, “Do you make these?” Rei asked curiously as she shifted how Shouto was held against her. 

“Of course, Miss Rei, I’m not some sort of scammer,” he mused as he looked at her, “they’re very special to me and my people.”

Rei nodded a bit, guessing that the man must be from far away if he was speaking about his people as if they were different from her own. “How do you make them? They seem so… delicate,” she said with a smile. 

Atsuhiro hummed a bit as he leaned closer, “Well, now that’s a secret. Maybe if we see each other again, I’ll tell you,” he hummed as he winked. “But, as a sign of good faith, I’ll let you keep that one. Bring it back with you next time, alright?” He said with a smile. 

Another small laugh made its way from Rei as she blushed, the color on her cheeks a stark contrast from how pale she looked. 

She looked down at the marble in her hands. A tiny tree was painted on the inside, the bark looked normal but it had the most beautiful pink flowers on it. She had never seen flowers quite like them, or a tree bloom to be that beautiful, but she loved it. 

Rei closed her hand around the marble before she slipped it into the bag, bowing respectfully to the man in front of her, “Thank you, Atsuhiro, I’ll be sure to take great care of your art,” she promised as she looked back up at him. 

The man smiled widely as he nodded, “It’s most alright, Rei, you don’t have to have any formalities with me. I am just a common person unlike yourself,” he hummed. 

So he did know who she was. And he was still talking to her like that? Was still winking at her? Rei felt more heat flood her cheeks as she nodded a little. “That - I just - I wanted to show you how thankful I am,” she said with a nod, trying to sound more sure of herself than she was. 

Atsuhiro laughed a bit as he nodded, “Don’t worry, Rei, I understand. Just come find me again soon, alright? And bring the marble back,” he hummed, “I’m guessing you have shopping to do, so I’ll let you get on with that now.” 

She nodded a bit, and while she was sad that the kind man didn’t seem to want to take up more of her time, she wished that he would. 

While she’s been treated nicely by men in the past - mostly people that her husband hired, or the other shopkeepers that she was a regular customer for - people that were as nice as Atsuhiro were rare to come by. 

The rest of her shopping went by seamlessly, and almost like magic, it seemed that her bags were lighter than they had been before. When she got back to the Todoroki estate, she checked over everything twice, just to make sure that she had gotten everything. 

It was all there though, everything she had set out was on the table in front of her. Maybe… maybe she had just been carrying the bags for so long that they seemed lighter. Yeah, that had to be it. 

Rei picked the marble up from the bag last, rolling it around between her fingers before putting it in the space between her chest and the slip she had on, wanting to sneak it off to her room later. She hoped and prayed to the gods that she no longer believed in that Enji wouldn’t find it. She had a lot of things that weren’t for herself, but she hoped that one thing would remain hers and just hers. 

***

It was about a week until Rei could go into town again to get the groceries. She found herself looking forward to the time a little more than she had ever. There was no telling if Atsuhiro would be there again, most traveling merchants would’ve moved towns by then. 

But she could hope that maybe he stayed. Maybe the marble that she kept in her bedside, the one she held every night to remind her that there were good men out there, still had its true owner in the square, that maybe the man waited for her. 

Rei probably should’ve acted the slightest bit less eager to go to the city, maybe if she was thinking a little harder, she would’ve put up more of an act. It was important to not make her husband suspicious. But that thought didn’t even cross her mind. 

She was lucky enough that one of the handmaids was willing to watch Shouto for a bit so it would just be her in the town. As much as she loved bringing Shouto out with her, she was a bit exhilarated at the fact that she could talk to Atsuhiro without Shouto there. Well - if the strange man was there. 

Without too much hassle, she got into the city, venturing between shops like normal. Rei didn’t want to seem too excited, because if she did, someone might report back to Enji and that would not end well. She couldn’t risk her husband finding out about her desire to know more about the traveling merchant in their town. It’d be disastrous for her and for Atsuhiro. 

A shuttered breath left her as she closed her eyes, centering herself before she started forward again, wanting to get the groceries collected quickly. If she did what she had to and the merchant was still in town, then she’d be able to talk to him for much longer. 

Luck seemed to be on her side, because as she rounded a familiar corner, she ran into the tall man once again. She let a rare smile creep onto her lips as she looked at the man. “Atsuhiro,” she said with a hum, sounding a bit more than pleased to run into the man again. 

Atsuhiro smiled brightly as he bowed just a little, “Lady Todoroki,” he hummed before he tilted his head to the side, “Were you hoping to run into me?” The man asked, a mischievous look on his face. 

Rei couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her as she blushed deeply, shaking her head a bit, “I decline to answer, but,” she hesitated for a moment before she put her hand in her bags, fishing out the marble before presenting it to the man, “I kept it safe, like you asked.” 

The man looked at her, a pleased look crossing his face as he let out a small hum, “Indeed you did. I knew you would though,” he hummed as he winked at her, taking a moment before gently and tenderly, he grabbed the marble from her. “It’s still in perfect condition. I’m glad it is,” he smiled, seeming genuine. 

She didn’t know what exactly he was implying though. She promised that she’d keep the marble safe and she had done just that. Why would it be scratched? Why wouldn’t it be in perfect condition? 

The thought slipped past her mind that perhaps Atsuhiro was merely mentioning the fact that it probably wouldn’t be in perfect condition if her kids played with it - or even worse, if her husband found it. 

Rei shook her head quickly, dismissing that thought before she looked at the man, “Didn’t you say that you were going to tell me how you painted them?” She asked curiously as she looked down at his table, observing some of the more intricate marbles that were on display. 

There were some small ones with things like crystals or flower buds, and larger ones that held small bodies of water, tadpoles, and lily pads. Whatever the method was, they were absolutely stunning to look at. 

He laughed a bit, “That’s for me to know,” he teased before he let out another louder laugh. “I have a very… special way of painting them though. It’s easier to show than to explain really.” He viewed the marble that he had taken back just moments before, then he placed it back in Rei’s hand and guided her fingers to close around it. 

Slowly, he leaned closer until he was practically right next to her ear, “If you want to see… or if you find yourself needing help in the future, just smash the marble, alright?” He whispered out, like it was a secret.

A deep blush overtook her cheeks as she inhaled deeply, “Yeah, I… I can do that,” Rei quickly nodded, feeling a bit more shy than she had felt just moments prior. 

Atsuhiro nodded with a smile, “Don’t worry too much though, okay? I’m sure you won’t need it,” he explained dismissively, preemptively dismissing any sort of anxiety that would brew in Rei’s chest while she walked home. 

She nodded quickly, “I know, thank you though, sir,” Rei said with a smile. She looked around for a few moments before inhaling deeply, “I should… continue with getting the food,” she explained slowly

The man pouted a bit, like it was dramatic for him to do so, “Are you sure you can’t stay just a little bit longer?” He asked with a small hum.

Rei hesitated for a few moments. She could stay a little bit longer, soak up the positive attention and the way that the merchant was looking at her, at the way that she felt like she actually mattered to a man that barely knew her. Or… she could go back home to her loveless marriage, but her kids would be there and that was always good, she had to protect them nonetheless. 

She compromised with herself, drawing in a deep breath as she thought, her cheek getting sucked in between her teeth as she chewed on it nervously. “I suppose… I could stay for a few more moments,” she said with a little nod. 

Atsuhiro seemed pleased with her determination, smiling wider as he nodded. “Good, good.” Out of the corner of her eye, she just barely saw the man grab a smaller marble from his table, or… perhaps he didn’t. The hand disappeared under the table momentarily though, and when it emerged, Atsuhiro was holding a delicate looking flower. It was white and had a sort of ruffled texture. 

“It’s a carnation,” he said with a smile as he offered it to her. Gently, she took it, allowing their hands to brush for just a few moments. Rei wanted to let her hand hesitate there close to his for longer, but she knew it’d be risky to do so. 

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered out as she observed the flower, bringing it to her nose and inhaling deeply. It smelled fresh in a way, and a little bit like wet grass. Whatever it was, she enjoyed it. “Thank you so much… you’ve shown me such kindness despite not knowing me at all,” she said with a small laugh. 

Atsuhiro shook his head, “Really, Rei, it’s my pleasure. Don’t worry too much, alright?” He said with a smile. 

The woman nodded slowly as she let out a laugh, gently placing the carnation in with her food, not wanting to arouse suspicion from someone around town or from her husband. “I should probably be going now,” she said a second time, but now the words came out more forcefully. 

Rei didn’t want to leave. She wanted to stay in this beautiful moment with the beautiful merchant that wanted to pay attention to her. But she knew better. 

Atsuhiro seemed to recognize that somehow as well as he nodded slowly, seeming a bit sad in a way. “I’ll come back as soon as I can,” she promised, the words coming out as a whisper. It seemed to do the trick because the man smiled just a small bit before they bid each other goodbyes. 

As Rei walked away, she could feel her heart hammering in her chest, making her feel like she was just a bit lightheaded. 

The rest of her time in the town was uneventful and far too soon, she was back at the Todoroki estate. 

She could feel the way that anxiety quickly crawled up into her chest as she got closer to the estate. Rei hated returning home, but she’d do it for her children. She would always come back for them. Even if she became mildly infatuated with a mystery merchant in town. She could never leave Enji because her children needed to be safe and protected and she was the only one that would be sure to look out for them like that. 

The evening seemed to drag on, Enji seemed to be keeping a special eye on her which made her stomach bunch up in the most uncomfortable way. She hated the way that Enji would observe her, specifically if he wanted something. 

But she kept a smile on her face, interacting with her children and telling them about how some of the shop owners in town sent their regards or asked when they’d be joining their mother. It was sweet in a way, how nice the people of the town were, maybe they felt pity for her because she was married to him . 

Later in the night, as the bugs came out from their spots to make peaceful noises, Rei got her children ready for bed before tucking them in and reading them a story. It was their evening ritual and she wouldn’t compromise it for anything. 

As the book ended and she placed the last kiss upon Natsuo’s head, she reached for the doorknob before opening it. The man behind the door was the guard that introduced himself the other day. There was a sort of sorry look on his face, one that Rei didn’t particularly like. 

“Mrs. Todoroki… your husband wishes to speak to you in his office,” he said stiffly before he looked at her. 

The smile that she previously had dropped, her lips falling into a straight line as she nodded curtly. Dread slithered into her every feeling, but she attempted to keep her own mind calm. Rei didn’t want to cause panic when there was no real need to panic after all. 

Slowly, she let herself be guided to her husband’s study, each step feeling a little bit worse than the last. Maybe she was foolish to ever come back to the estate, but… she glanced over her shoulder to the door that the children were behind. Then she hardened her features as she entered the office. She had to come home, for her children. 

“Rei,” Enji greeted, his voice sickeningly sweet, like it was dripping honey that Rei wanted no part of. “Come sit, darling.” 

He always did this, feign innocence, feign respect and peace. It was all an act and as soon as Rei’s guard was down, he’d let the mask slip off and she’d regret whatever she did that was wrong in his eyes. 

“Enji,” she greeted back, her voice betraying her by being the slightest bit shaky. She hated when she showed the man in front of her any sort of fear, it always felt like he was a little too… pleased with the display. 

He hummed as he reached down, his hand being hidden by the desk before it emerged, a white carnation in his hand. 

Rei’s blood ran cold, but she attempted to keep her composure, she didn’t want to give Enji any ideas. 

“Imagine my surprise when I was going through the grocery bags to find… well, this,” he said as he held the flower tenderly. “You know, I was a bit confused… at least until the baker came by this evening. He told stories about a strange merchant that you’ve been talking to. Actually,” he paused before he reached - presumably into the same drawer -  before bringing out a marble with the most beautiful tree in it. The same one that Rei had been gifted. 

Her resolve broke as her breath hitched in her throat. 

There was no doubt in her mind, Enji knew. 

“- the same man that made this marble, right? Tell me, Rei, does he treat you nicely?” Enji’s voice got dangerously low, it was a tell-tale sign that he was getting more upset the more they talked. 

“I don’t k-”

“Don’t act stupid now, Rei. We have vows , you know. We made promises to each other. And, I bought you. You’re forever indebted to me, don’t forget that. Without me, you wouldn’t have the lavish life that you have, you wouldn’t have the children, they wouldn’t be learning how to read or how to play music. Without me, you’re nothing.” 

Anger surged up in her as she stared at her husband, a new level of rage bubbling up to the surface. 

Enji tore her apart easily, broke her down, called her things, but before right then, he had never brought their children into it. And that was where she drew the line. 

A sound made its way out of the back of her throat as she launched herself forward, trying to grab onto Enji wherever she could. 

In the altercation, the marble and the flower fell from her husband’s hands as he went to grab into her. She heard the marble smash onto the ground before she realized what happened when it did. 

But the tree suddenly sprouting up in the middle of the room seemed to bring them both to a temporary pause. 

Rei blinked as she looked at the tree, observing it closely. It had the same pretty flowers as the tree from inside the marble, in fact… she was somewhat convinced that somehow it was the tree from inside the marble. 

But that was impossible. There was no way that a painted tree could suddenly become real like that. 

She glanced at her husband for just a moment before she pulled away completely, using the fact that he was stunned to her advantage. Quickly, she ran to the door, flinging it open before going to the children’s room. She didn’t know where she’d go, but Rei knew that she had to get away from where she was now. 

As soon as she got into her children’s shared room, she pushed the armoire in front of the door, struggling with it more than she’d like. But hopefully it would give enough of a buffer between her children and Enji. 

“Touya, Fuyumi, Natsuo, wake up,” she called gently as she scooped Shouto out of his crib, he looked so small and delicate in her arms. Rei’s eyes scanned her other children, looking sleepily and confused at their mother. She was lucky that they had all woken up when they did. 

She saw Touya open his mouth to say something, but before the boy could speak, she shook her head and moved one of her fingers in front of her face, telling him to be quiet. “Grab only what you need, then we need to go,” she whispered out as she tracked to the other end of the room, slowly opening the window. 

They were on the ground level, so there wasn’t much of a drop for her, but her kids would probably need help. She gestured for her children to come to the window. “I’m going to help you out, okay? And once we’re all out, we’ll run, okay? Like a game,” she explained with a weak smile, hoping that it would convince her children. 

She looked at Shouto for a moment before she placed him on the nearest bed. She’d help Touya out first, and then give him Shouto. 

One-by-one she helped her children out of the window. From the door across the room, she could hear thudding and yelling. She knew that her children weren’t completely ignorant, that they probably knew what was happening. 

Rei scooped Shouto back up in her arms, holding him close to his chest before she nodded. She let the kids run a little in front of her as she took one look back inside the room where they had grown up. 

Light was just barely peeking into the room, something that suggested that Enji would be coming for them soon. 

Without another moment passing, she turned back to her children and started running. 

They were lucky enough to get to the tree line before she glanced back again, just wanting to see how much of a head start they got. 

“Mama watch out!” She heard Fuyumi whisper yell merely seconds before she ran into someone. 

Her blood ran cold as a hand snaked around her waist and kept her from jostling too much. Part of her was expecting it to be one of the guards from the estate, or - even worse - for it to somehow be Enji. 

But as she looked up at the man, she caught familiar wavy brown hair and brown eyes, much like she did merely a week ago in the town. “You came,” she whispered out, not believing her eyes. 

“I told you to break the marble and I would,” he said comfortingly as he slowly released her, “now, we should be quick about this, I’m sure we don’t want your husband seeing this.” 

Rei nodded quickly before she looked down at her children, “This is someone who mama trusts, okay?” She soothed them as she slowly looked between the three. When they nodded, she looked back up at Atsuhiro and nodded. 

The merchant brought them just barely into the forest before he gripped onto some bark on a nearby tree, the bark seemingly folding under his fingers, almost as if it were fake, like he was merely opening their eyes to an illusion that had been there the whole time. 

Before Rei could ask any questions, Atsuhiro pulled back on the bark to reveal an almost blinding light. It almost looked as if Atsuhiro had pulled back a curtain, the brown of the tree bark flowing in his hand freely as if it was a windy night and the window was left open.

She let out a gasp as she felt her oldest three children crowd around her legs, holding onto her dress like it was a security blanket. 

“Wh-” Rei started before Atsuhiro cuts her off with a shake of his head. 

“Do you trust me?” He asked as he extended a hand to her. 

Some small part of Rei wanted to answer no, that they just met each other. Why would she trust him when they haven’t known each other long. But he did come to rescue her, he did hold her so she wouldn’t fall or drop Shouto. Atsuhiro was offering an out, and she’d be stupid to not take it. 

Slowly, she reached a hand forward before she wrapped her hand around his. “Of course,” she said in a whisper, like it was forbidden to say those two words. 

Before Rei could even process what exactly was happening, she was pulled through the blinding light.

It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the light, let alone to adjust to the world around her. 

“I’m… technically we’re called fairies, but I quite like the term Fae more,” Atsuhiro explained. 

Rei quickly looked around, spotting Touya, Fuyumi, and Natsuo around her before she relaxed just a bit, her grip on Shouto only tightening. 

“That was how I knew when you broke the marble. That’s part of my… abilities, some would say. I’m sure you probably got quite scared when the tree became full sized again, I apologize for that,” he laughed a little. 

She took a moment to look around again, taking in how… beautiful everything around her seemed. Flowers were nearly everywhere, an amount of life and color in one space that she had never seen before. It was stunning. 

“Rei?” Atsuhiro said gently, like he was scared of how she was going to react. 

She only smiled as she nodded, “No… it’s okay. I think… I think it’s a bit wonderful in a way. Plus you saved me so I’m-”

“Don’t worry about paying me back or anything. Just… let me help you get on your feet here? Let me show you my world and hopefully you can be happier here,” Atsuhiro said with a smile. 

Rei inhaled deeply before she nodded, a smile on her face. 

***

Two years had passed since Rei was pulled through the veil into another world that she didn’t even know existed. 

At first, it was nearly overwhelming. There were a lot of things that were similar to the world that she had grown up in, but at the same time, there was a lot that was just slightly different. 

Like how the sun somehow seemed brighter, but it also didn’t hurt as much as the sun she grew up with, or how long the flowers stayed bloom, or how good the food tasted. 

It was almost a bit like a fantasy world - which Rei supposed it was one, with Fae being something that she had only read about in fairytale books. But she didn’t mind and she adapted quickly. 

Her children seemed happier too, each finally growing into themselves, finally being able to be themselves without the weight of their father hanging over them. 

Touya hit double digits, and he took a special interest in pottery and baking. It was a bit cute seeing all the messes that he could make in the kitchen when he would swear that he was making something for the whole family. 

Fuyumi started reading more, and as Shouto got older, she started teaching him to read as well. She loved to garden in her free time, oftentimes helping Rei in the garden during long days. Rei was happy to have the company and to share a bonding experience with her daughter. 

Natsuo became fascinated with herbs, and with dragging Rei down to the clinic in town that way he could see the medic there mix elixirs and tonics. He had sworn to Rei more than enough times that when he grew up he was going to be just like that. 

Shouto had grown up a bit as well, now he ran around everywhere and babbled on and on about this and that. He loved to play with his siblings in the grass fields that were just a few paces away from the house. 

Rei would oftentimes sit with some tea on the steps of the back porch, watching as her children played and ran away. If she was feeling up to it, she’d also run around with them. 

Occasionally, Atsuhiro would join them too, chasing the children around and pretending to be the big bad wolf or whatever they wanted him to be. 

The merchant was so good with her children, he genuinely cared about them in a way that she didn’t know was possible. 

A hand on her shoulder brought Rei out of her thought process. She looked up and smiled at Atsuhiro before she leaned up to peck his lips, “When did you get home?” She asked as she looked the man over. 

“Just a few moments ago, I just wanted to watch you and them for a moment,” He said with a smile as he gestured to the backyard. 

Fuyumi and Touya had joined forces to give them a picnic of sorts. A tablecloth from inside had been laid upon the ground and some pastries that Rei had helped Touya cook were laying on plates. Then, there were the small bouquets of flowers and herbs that Fuyumi had gotten Natsuo to help with so that everyone could have their own personalized bundle. 

She smiled widely at the display before Shouto came running up to her and Atsuhiro, grabbing onto her dress and his pants, “Mama, dada, it picnic time!” He said happily as he tugged on their clothes, as if he was trying to get them to start walking. 

Rei laughed as she leaned down to pick her son up, holding him on her hip as they went to sit down on the cloth. 

She felt so blessed to have her children, to have Atsuhiro, to finally be happy. 

Rei looked between all of her family, adoration and affection making her heart full. She really was so very blessed.