Archive of Our Own ^beta

Miyuki paces around the house frantically packing up the bare necessities as quickly as possible. Enji left for work very early in the morning and her two elder children headed off to school half an hour ago. Now is her chance, her only chance to get her youngest child to safety. Her mental health spiraled out of control after her eldest son died in a terrible fire, as her husband became more and more abusive and obsessed with their youngest's quirk. She knows she needs to get away before she does something that she would regret. It hurts her to leave her other two children behind but it cannot be helped. She takes solace in the fact that her husband mostly ignores them, so she's sure they'd be okay. To lose their elder brother, mother and youngest sibling in the span of a few months won't be easy for them but when weighing up her options this is the one that made the most sense even though she feels like the worst mother in the world. A message comes through on the burner phone she had secretly been hiding so she could communicate with the woman who is helping her orchestrate her escape.

A large white moving truck pulls up outside the house 2 minutes later. Miyuki shows them what needs to be loaded and the 3 men that came along waste no time getting started. Inko steps out of the van and approaches, Miyuki finally bursting into tears as soon as the two women embrace.

“Everything is going to be okay,” Inko comforts her, “you're doing what's best for you and your son.”

“Momma?” Ryoto says softly from where he hides behind her legs, “Who are all these people?”

This is going to be so hard on him... he is hardly ever allowed to leave the house let alone interact with anyone except his parents. She turns around and sits down on her knees so that she's at eye level with the little boy, “We're leaving this place.”

“Where are we going?”

“Someplace safe. Don't worry, mommy will be with you.”

The boy starts crying, which is understandable—he's leaving the only life he's ever known, it's natural that he'd be frightened. Even though the situation he has been living in has been terrible, he doesn't know any better.

“I know you're scared, but everything will be okay, you'll see,” she comforts him, pulling him in for a hug.

The men finish packing Ryoto's whole bedroom, all Miyuki's clothes, and some other items and furniture that belonged to her in less than 30 minutes. Inko gets into the driver's side, Miyuki and Ryoto slide into the front of the van with her, and they ride away leaving their lives behind them to start anew.

“Take that envelope on the dashboard,” Inko instructs.

Miyuki opens it up and finds identity documents and passports for the two of them as well as a driver's license for herself with their new names: Rei and Shouto Todoroki.

Was there perhaps another way she could handle this? The doubts race in her head, even though she knows she's out of options. She thinks back to the amount of times she and her family tried to report the abuse and how it all fell on deaf ears. Enji is too powerful, no one dares go against the great Endeavor, the number two hero in Japan.

It takes two hours for them to reach their destination: Musutafu. Inko secured an apartment for the newly named Todoroki's in number 3 of 4 identical apartment buildings where they'll be neighbors of Inko's family. Rei observes her surroundings: the area looks nice enough, but it's not nearly as affluent as where they used to live. The apartment is very small in comparison as well, barely larger than Enji's home gym.

She carries her sleeping child as Inko shows her around the apartment and the movers quickly unload all the belongings she brought with her and help her arrange them. An hour later Inko bids her farewell and heads off to another client, leaving Rei on her own with Shouto sleeping on the couch that came with the apartment. All the stress and guilt culminates as she begins to cry, quickly running to the bathroom in case her son wakes up; he's under enough stress as it is, she needs to put on a brave face for him.

Once she finally gets out of the bathroom half an hour later she finds her son awake. Her sobbing must have woken him up after all.

“Momma, why are you crying?”

She hugs him close. “I'm fine dear. Now listen to me: from now on your name is Shouto Todoroki. Can you say that?”

“Shouto Todoroki...” he repeats hesitantly.

“If anyone asks, your father died and you don't have any brothers and sisters.”

“You want me to lie? But lying is bad.”

“It's okay this time. Please trust me, baby. It's what's best for you, best for us.”

“Okay Momma...”

Rei jumps when she hears a knock on the door after a few hours of unpacking, her paranoia already kicking in thinking that Enji already found them. She realises he'll be aggressively searching for them. Luckily Japan has a strong policy on privacy so he won't be able to find any information unless he finds someone who'd be willing to accept a bribe to do something highly illegal. She looks through the peephole and sighs with relief when she sees Inko, opening the door to let her in.

“I brought you some dinner, I hope you like Katsudon! I also wanted to introduce little Shouto to someone, if I may. Come on, Izuku.”

A timid freckled boy who is the spitting image of Inko shyly sneaks around the corner of the doorway, twiddling his thumbs.

“Shouto, this is my son Izuku. We live right next door so if you ever want to play you can come over anytime, okay?”

“You two will be going to the same elementary school starting next week, I'm sure you'll be great friends,” Rei assures her son.

“School?” Shouto asks, clinging to his mother yet again, slightly nervous about the child that just entered his new home. But there's a sense of excitement hidden in those nerves. He always wanted to play with his siblings but he was never allowed to, it seems too good to be true.

Izuku shyly inches closer and musters up the courage to starts a conversation. “Do... do you like All Might?”

Shouto's eyes suddenly light up. “Yes, he's my favourite hero ever!”

“Mine too!”

The two boys hit it off instantly, talking about All Might and their other favourite heroes. Rei is a bit nervous, hoping Endeavor's name doesn't pop up but luckily she didn't need to worry about that.

She leans in to softly speak to Inko, not wanting the children to overhear. “I'm a bit worried about him... he's not used to other children, and he's never attended a preschool. I think it'll be very hard for him to adjust.”

“Perhaps he should interact with Izuku as much as possible this week to get him used to other children? Then, when he starts school next week, he won't feel as stressed because he'll already have a friend there. There's also a sweet little girl named Ochako who lives in the building next door who attends the same school, she comes over for playdates every now and then, and her and Izuku walk to school together. Might be worth arranging a time for all three of them to play and get to know each other.”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea.” Rei smiles before becoming somber and teary-eyed yet again. “Thank you so much Inko, you have no idea how much this means to me.”

Inko hugs Rei to provide some comfort. "There's no need to thank me, I'm just glad I could help." She lets the woman cry for a bit before pulling away from her. "We'll leave you to settle in. Make sure you eat, I'm right next door if you need me. No matter the time, just knock on my door or give me a call."

With that, Inko and Izuku make their way home, leaving Rei alone with her thoughts again. They have dinner and bathe before they both get into Rei's bed, and, with all the emotional exhaustion from the day, she miraculously manages to drift off to sleep. 

That morning Inko drops by once again to check in on them, bringing along a package of some items Rei asked her to pick up for her. Rei and Shouto can't risk going out in public, not yet anyway. Shouto especially is way too noticeable and will stand out like a sore thumb with his distinct physical features.

Rei quickly applies black hair dye to her own hair, before getting Shouto to sit down and go through the same process. When they're done rinsing the dye out, Rei shows him how he looks in the mirror with his new hair.

“This is for you,” Izuku says, handing over the bag he had been carrying over to Shouto, a gift Inko had bought for him on behalf of her son. Shouto let's go of his mom and hesitantly opens it. He pulls out an All Might onesie, matching the one Izuku is currently wearing. His eyes light up: he gets to wear hero themed clothing! The little boy looks up at his mom, bursting with excitement she had never seen. “Please, can I put this on?”

Usually, the kids walk the short distance to school on their own with Inko watching them from the corner, but since it's Shouto's first day of school ever, Rei accompanies him, Inko coming along for moral support. The two mothers walk their boys outside, where they meet little Ochako already waiting for them. She immediately runs over to hug Izuku hello as she always does, Shouto stepping back nervously as she runs towards them. He's a bit hesitant at first, but when he sees that she's good friends with Izuku, his mind is instantly put at ease. In his head, anyone who is friends with Izuku must be good, therefore she can be trusted.

Without going into too much detail, Rei gives the teacher a run down on Shouto's history with socialization so that they have an idea of what to expect. She knows she needs to let go, knows it's what's best for him even if it's going to be difficult, but it doesn't make it easy on her. She watches as he nervously eyes the other children running about the class and laughing loudly, having barely stepped two feet into the doorway. He had never been around so many children before. He backs away to leave the room and return to the safety of his mother, feeling overwhelmed by all the noise and activity, but then he feels a little hand holding onto his. He looks to see Izuku standing next to him, gently squeezing his hand in a reassuring manner. Ochako, sensing his discomfort as well, takes his other hand, and the three enter the room together. Despite their age, they are mindful of Shouto's discomfort and make an effort to guide him through the day as much as possible. In the end, despite some hiccups along the way, Shouto has an enjoyable day with his two new friends.

Later in the day they go outside to play on the playground, taking turns pushing each other on the swing and playing in the sandpit. Uraraka runs off to the restroom and the two boys continue having a great time until a group of three other children approach them.

“Look, it's defenseless Izuku,” they hear a voice from behind, and they turn around to find Katsuki and his two friends watching them menacingly.

“The new kid too,” his one friend notes. “Wonder what his lame quirk is.”

"H-hey Kacchan,” Izuku stutters, Shouto picking up on his discomfort immediately.

“Don't talk to me, stupid nerd,” Katsuki spits, shoving Izuku, who falls to the ground.

The sight of this has anger bubbling over inside Shouto. “Leave him alone!” he shouts, quickly encasing the three bullies in ice, instantly immobilizing them. He can't stand bullies. He couldn't do anything to help his mother against his giant of a father, but he can take on someone his own size and defend his friend.

With Katsuki's hands frozen, he's completely stuck, unable to produce sweat to cause an explosion and break free. He starts screaming and tossing about, throwing a tantrum which catches the teacher's attention.

Before she left her old home, Inko had helped Rei set up a few interviews in advance in the hopes of finding herself a job as soon as possible. She still has some money saved up as a safety net, but she'd rather not use it up if she doesn't need to.

After her third and final interview of the day, she gets a call from an unknown number which makes her nervous—what if it's him, what if he's found her?

“Hello?” she answers hesitantly.

“Good day, is this Ms. Todoroki speaking?” a female voice asks on the other end of the line.

“Yes, it is?”

“Shouto has gotten into some trouble at school, are you perhaps available to come meet with his teacher?”

"Is Shouto okay?" she asks, frantically.

“Everything is fine ma'am, we'll explain everything once you're here. When will you be able to make it?”

“I'll make my way there now.”

She catches the next train and rushes to the school as quickly as she can, anxious to find out what her son has gotten himself into.

When she sees her son, she runs over and gets on her knees, grabbing his shoulders, “Shouto, are you OK? Are you hurt?”

“He's fine ma'am, please take a seat.”

She does as she's instructed, and the teacher gives her a very brief summary. "Shouto used his quirk to freeze three students.”

“You got in trouble on your first day of school!” she exclaims, looking at Shouto with a shocked look on her face. She never thought he'd be a trouble maker.

“They were bullying Izuku, I was just helping my friend. Isn't that what heroes do, help people?”

“What's happened to the other children?” Rei asks, turning to the teacher.

“We've already met with their parents and discussed the situation. They will be disciplined as well.” The teacher continues, “While this situation has brought the bullying to our attention, it's best to let the adults handle it as opposed to Shouto taking things into his own hands. Children are not permitted to use their quirks to cause harm.”

“I understand, thank you.” She bows. “And I apologize for the trouble he has caused.”

“Thank you for understanding. I noticed there isn't a father listed on his record. Why is that, if I may ask?”

“He passed away a few years ago,” she lies.

“You have my condolences. Being a single parent can't be easy, he may be acting up because of it. Let us know if we can assist you in any way.”

She could've made up a story about being divorced, but that's severely frowned upon in Japan as a whole. The teacher probably wouldn't have this kind attitude if she knew the truth.

“Thank you, I will have a long talk with Shouto about this tonight. Once again, apologies for the inconvenience. Come on Shouto, let's go home.”

They walk home in relative silence, Shouto clinging to his mother's hand as if his life depended on it. He's confused and a bit too young to understand the whole situation fully. Why would he be in trouble for defending his friend, what's so wrong about that? This just adds to all the other confusion he's already been feeling these past few days. While he's happy to not share the same name with his father anymore, why can't he still just be Ryoto? He hates having to dye his hair and misses the red and white colours it used to have, misses his mother's own white hair. While he doesn't wish for things to go back to how it was before, he wishes everything didn't have to change the way it has. His first day of school was exhausting. Even though Izuku and Ochako were there to guide him through it, being around so many loud and rambunctious children drained him. He misses it when it was just him and his mom.

When they get home, she sits him down to have a talk.

“I'm sorry, Momma,” he says, sheepishly.

“It's OK baby, you were just doing what you thought was right and I admire that. But you need to be careful OK? We can't draw attention to ourselves.”

He nods in response but doesn't say anything, a downcast look on his face.

“Come here,” Rei says, pulling him in for a hug. “I know this isn't easy, but you have to trust me, OK? It's difficult, but it's our only option. We have to make it work for our own sake.”

He hugs her back and they remain silent for a few moments, Rei breaking the silence after kissing him on the head, “I love you baby.”

“I love you too Momma.”

Even though she's trying hard to recover and to gain back her own identity, it isn't until Rei's third therapy session that she really starts opening up. She recalls how they were somewhat happy in the beginning, it wasn't a particularly loving marriage since he only married her for her quirk after all, but he treated her fairly well at first. It wasn't until Shouto's quirk manifested that things started getting out of hand, and it went from bad to worse when Touya died.

Rei was scarred, mentally and physically. She remembers the time he dislocated her jaw, and that one time her wrist got sprained from falling to the ground. She talks about the self harm scars on her thighs and how weak and guilty they make her feel. She recounts the day she drank a bunch of pills intent on ending her life. Fortunately, she didn't take enough and just slept it off, but her husband was too unbothered by her to even notice. This event, too, made her feel an immense amount of guilt; was she going to abandon her children so easily when they needed her, especially Shouto who bore the brunt of his father's abuse? What about her other two children, whom she left behind to fend for themselves in an unloving home? Could she have found a way to get them out as well? Just guilt, guilt, and more guilt.

“One day in the kitchen I almost... Oh God. I almost burnt my own son with boiling water,” she explains in between shaky breaths. “All I could see was his father and I wanted to hurt him. I was horrified, no, I am horrified. That's when I knew I needed to leave before I did something I'd regret forever.”

Emotions overflow and tears start streaming down her face, she feels like she's being smothered, her breath uneven and stuttering. She leaves the therapist's office feeling a sense of relief, as if a giant weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She feels as though she's been holding her breath for years, but she can finally breathe easily now. She's determined to get better, for herself but more importantly, for Shouto.

On her walk home she walks past a newspaper stand and pauses when she sees what the headline is.

The search for pro hero Endeavor's wife and youngest son continues.

She picks up the newspaper, and skims through the first paragraph.

It is believed that they were kidnapped, though there is no news on whether there was a request for ransom. Could it be that a villain is trying to get revenge on the pro hero? If you have any information that could be helpful, please contact your nearest police station.

All previous thoughts of relief from her therapy session vanish. She pulls her hood over her head and obscures her face, hoping no one sees a resemblance to the picture on the front page. Suddenly she feels paranoia take over and quickly walks away. She feels as though everyone is watching her and could swear for a brief moment that she was being followed by a man in a tan trench coat with a large hat obscuring his face. She quickens her pace, dodging in between the crowd of people, and quickly makes her way onto the next train that arrives. She sits down to catch her breath and tries to convince herself that she's just imagining things, but she can't shake the feeling that that man was onto her. Is she losing her mind?

“What are you drawing?” Shouto asks, changing the subject.

“It's a hero costume for Ochako.”

“Woah, that's me?” she says excitedly, looking at Izuku's rough sketch. “I look like a cool astronaut!”

He smiles. “Your quirk makes me think me of outer space.”

“I love it, I can't wait to wear it one day!”

Izuku's face lights up. “You mean that?”

She nods enthusiastically in response.

“Will you draw one for me too?” Shouto asks, as he admires the sketch as well.

Izuku's face lights up yet again. “Yes! I had an idea already...” he trials off, flipping around in his notebook looking for something.

“When you froze Kacchan that one time, I noticed how cold you were afterwards. So I thought of something...” he shows him a page in his sketchbook. “It's a suit that makes you warm. It'll just know when you're too cold and warm up when you need it. I don't know how it works yet but I will one day.” He smiles.

“I know, one day we'll start a hero agency together!” Ochako declares.

“I can't be a hero with my quirk. How am I going to fight villains without a good quirk?” Izuku says sadly.

“I think you have an amazing quirk,” Shouto insists.

“Yeah! Shouto and I will fight villains and you can help us with cool gadgets and suits.”

“And you can tell us what quirks the villains have to make it easier for us to fight them,” Shouto adds.

“See, you can help in other ways. One day we'll wear the costumes you drew, and maybe you can make stuff that helps heroes. You'll be the hero to the heroes!” Ochako explains excitedly.

“That sounds fun!” Izuku agrees, successfully cheered up by his friends.

“We all go to UA together,” Ochako suggests, sticking out a tiny pinkie to each of the boys, which they reciprocate. “Pinky promise.”

They start playing their favourite game, taking turns between being a hero, villain, and innocent civilian respectively, chasing each other around and play fighting. Suddenly, Shouto trips over a toy and tumbles to the ground, getting some carpet burn on his knees in the process. Izuku rushes, reaching his hand out to help him up, but to everyone's surprise, Shouto's injuries quickly disappear.

As Izuku becomes aware of a sudden sting on his own knees he looks down, realising that the injuries are now present on his own body instead. When Izuku begins crying, Inko rushes into the room to see what happened and she finds him rolling on the ground, clutching at his knees with his two friends panicking around him.

“Let me see...” Inko asks, gently moving his hands away so she can get a closer look.

“What happened?” Rei, who had arrived a few minutes prior, asks Shouto.

“I fell and hurt my knees but then Izuku touched me and the sores went away.”

Inko picks Izuku up and carries him to the bathroom, where she tends to his wounds.

“Is this a quirk?” he asks, now calm but still sniffling.

She sighs, knowing she can't hide it from him anymore. “Yes, it is.”

A brief silence ensues as the wheels in his head start to turn. “I can help people with this one, Momma,” he says softly as the implication sets in.

She gently takes him by the shoulders to grab his attention. “You can't help others if you're injured yourself. Please don't use this quirk recklessly. Promise?”

“Okay.”

She closes her eyes in frustration, knowing full well he's too selfless for his own good. With how often he's likely going to use it, she realizes this quirk may very well end up giving her a nervous breakdown.

Rei Todoroki sits in the therapist's office, her hands folded tightly in her lap. The soft hum of the room's ambiance fills the space as she gathers her courage to continue opening up about her painful past.

Her therapist, a kind and understanding presence, offers a reassuring smile. "Ms. Todoroki, whenever you're ready, you can share your thoughts and experiences with me. We're here to work through this together."

Rei takes a deep breath, her voice trembling as she begins to speak. "I... I used to have dark thoughts, thoughts of not wanting to live anymore. It was a time when I felt so overwhelmed by pain, both emotional and physical."

Her therapist nods, providing a safe space for her to continue.

"I didn't know how to cope with the immense pressure and suffering," Rei continues. "There were moments when I tried to end my life. I thought it was the only way to escape the torment."

The therapist listens attentively, her expression filled with empathy. "I'm truly sorry that you had to go through such a painful time, Ms. Todoroki. It's important for you to talk about it, and I'm here to help you heal."

Tears well up in Rei's eyes as she remembers those dark days. "I also turned to self-harm as a way to numb the emotional pain. It was my way of trying to gain some control over my life," she explains, subconsciously placing her hand on her thigh where her old scars hide beneath the fabric of her pants. "Sometimes, I still have those urges and it takes everything in me to not do it again. It's like I have an annoying itch that I'm not allowing myself to scratch. It's maddening."

Her therapist reaches out a hand, a silent gesture of support. "Ms. Todoroki, it takes great strength to share these experiences, and I'm grateful that you trust me enough to do so. We'll work together to find healthier ways to cope and heal from your past."

Rei nods, her heart heavy but relieved to have started this difficult conversation. She knows that facing her past is the first step toward finding a brighter future for her and her son, one filled with hope and recovery.

Izuku's room is a colorful mess, toys and action figures scattered haphazardly across the floor. Laughter fills the air as the group of three friends sit in a circle, taking a break from their epic hero adventures.

Ochako, her cheeks flushed from excitement, suddenly blurts out, "Hey, guys, do you know what I was thinking?"

"What?" Izuku asks, his green eyes shining with interest.

Ochako grins mischievously and points at Izuku. "I think I'm gonna marry you when we grow up!"

Shouto's eyes widen in surprise, and he nearly chokes on his juice. He coughs and stares at Ochako, his heterochromatic eyes flickering with confusion. "Marry Izuku? Why?"

Ochako shrugs, seemingly unfazed by Shouto's question. "Because he's my best friend, and he's really nice! Plus, we've known each other forever!"

Izuku blushes at the mention of marriage, his tiny freckles standing out against his cheeks. "Um, Ochako, I thought we were just playing pretend heroes."

Ochako giggles, patting Izuku's head affectionately. "We are! But one day, we'll be grown-ups, and I still wanna be with you, Izuku."

Shouto, not one to be left out, leans closer to Izuku and declares, "Well, I think I should marry Izuku!"

Ochako's eyes narrow, and she points a finger at Shouto. "No way! I called it first!"

Izuku blinks, feeling a little overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events. "Wait, do I have to marry one of you when we grow up?"

"Yes!" they both answer in unison.

Shouto crosses his arms, a determined glint in his eyes. "I don't care. I want to marry Izuku too, and I have ice powers to protect him!"

Ochako huffs, her brows furrowing. "But Izuku doesn't need ice powers to feel loved!"

Izuku, feeling the tension rise, tries to interject, "Guys, can't we all just be friends?"

But Ochako and Shouto are locked in their own world now, their faces inches apart, noses practically touching.

Ochako grits her teeth, her determination unwavering. "Izuku deserves someone who believes in him and supports his dreams. He needs a best friend like me!"

Shouto's eyes narrow as he stares down Ochako. "I can support his dreams too, and I can protect him from any danger!"

Ochako pushes her face even closer to Shouto's. "Well, I can make him smile every day, and that's more important!"

"You both make me smile every day-" Izuku says nervously, but they continue to ignore him.

Their argument escalates as they both try to one-up each other, their voices growing louder with each exchange. Izuku watches in shock, torn between his two friends.

Shouto's cheeks redden with anger. "You're just trying to marry Izuku because you're jealous of my ice powers!"

Ochako's eyes flash with indignation. "I am not! I'm trying to marry him because he's my best friend and I love him!"

"No, he's my best friend and I love him more!" Shouto retorts.

Inko enters the room, her gentle voice cutting through the tension.

"Children, what's going on here?" she asks, her motherly concern evident in her tone.

Ochako and Shouto break away from their heated argument, their faces still flushed with anger. They both turn to Inko, ready to explain their sides of the story.

Ochako and Shouto exchange guilty glances, realizing that they need to explain their side of the story.

Inko gently prompts, "Now, what's all this arguing about, you two?"

Ochako takes a deep breath and begins, her voice shaky with remorse. "We were arguing because... because we both said we want to marry Izuku when we grow up."

Shouto chimes in, "Yeah, and we got carried away with it, and it turned into a fight."

Inko nods, understanding the source of the conflict. She smiles warmly but gently scolds them. "It's important to remember that you're all just children, and there's no need to argue about such things now."

Ochako and Shouto lower their heads, their faces flushed with embarrassment. They both mumble apologies, recognizing that they let their playful competition spiral out of control.

Inko continues, her voice soothing. "You three have something special, a wonderful friendship. It's important to support each other's dreams and be there for one another. There's no need to fight over Izuku like this."

Izuku, feeling grateful for his mother's wisdom, nods. "I just want us to be friends forever."

Ochako and Shouto look at each other, their expressions softening. They both nod in agreement, realizing that their friendship is far more important than any rivalry.

Inko pats their heads lovingly. "That's the spirit! Now, why don't you all give each other a big hug and promise to be the best of friends?"

The tension in the room dissipates as the three friends share a group hug, their smiles returning. They make a heartfelt promise to always support each other's dreams and cherish their friendship.

As they separate from the hug, Inko suggests, "Lunch is almost ready, come help me set the table so we can eat? After lunch you can go back to playing your hero games."

They eagerly agree to Inko's suggestion. Afterwards, with their disagreement behind them, they return to their imaginative play, their bond as strong as ever, with their friendship and shared dreams of heroism still intact.

The first year after Rei escaped with Shouto has been tough. She'd still sometimes wake up in the morning and think Enji was there, it could take a few minutes to remember that he isn't and she's in a safer place now. She'd even watch the clock on some days when she was at home, her anxiety increasing as the hours tick by closer and closer to the time he would usually come home from work. She has to remind herself that she's free, and he's never coming back, not here in her home.

She still has nightmares, but they seem to be subsiding as of late. The fact is that she won't be okay after only a year away from him, he did break her down little by little for well over a decade and she's lost parts of herself along the way. Parts of herself that she needs to work at restoring.

She watches as the children play gleefully at the park; the air filled with excited chatter and laughter. Watching her young son enjoying his time with his friends after never even being allowed to play with his siblings warms her heart, and she knows her difficult decision was worth it. She pushes down the guilt she feels about leaving her other children behind by reminding herself of the terrible thoughts she was having towards the end of her time in Enji's house. If she's being realistic, she did it as much for herself as she did for them. There's no telling what she might have done in her state of mind at that time, and she shudders at the thought of her accidentally hurting them in a fit of delirium. How she almost did that to sweet little Shouto who didn't ask to be born. Her kindhearted angel who never deserved to live a life of suffering under his father's thumb. No child deserves that.

Suddenly Rei is pulled from her mental ramblings. She feels as though she's being watched, and she takes a look around. She sees movement out of the corner of her eye, but when she turns to see what it is, something—or rather someone—ducks behind a large tree. Either she's losing her mind or someone is watching her, neither scenario being ideal. Her gut tells her to run and get away so she does just that, calling for the children to get ready to leave much to their dismay.

About an hour after they return from the park, there's a knock on the Todorokis' door.

“Hello, can I help you?” she asks as she opens the door nervously.

“I'm private investigator Naomasa Tsukauchi. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Ms. Todoroki, right?”

She anxiously nods in response.

“May I come in? I have a few questions for you. I won't take up too much of your time.”

She reluctantly lets him in, hoping she has enough wit to throw him off her trail. Shouto peeks around the corner to see who's at the door, then runs up to his mother holding on to her leg for comfort; he always gets a bit anxious when someone he's unacquainted with shows up. Tsukauchi notices that the boy has heterochromia, just like the boy he's been searching for: one eye is grey like his mother's but the other eye... the other eye is a vibrant blue, unmistakable just like the pro hero Endeavor.

“Just give me a minute to arrange something,” Rei says, picking up her phone. She gives Inko a call to find out if it would be OK for Shouto to come over just for a little bit while she sorts out this issue. Inko is over in a flash, and she takes Shouto with her to her apartment, leaving Rei alone with this stranger. She makes them both some tea and takes a seat across from him in the living room.

“Have you seen the missing persons case for the wife and son of pro hero Endeavor? It's been all over the news for months now,” he states, making Rei tense up slightly. “A case of kidnapping is suspected, but there was no request for ransom. Odd isn't it? What would kidnappers want with them if they aren't even going to ask for money from someone as wealthy as Endeavor?”

“I-I don't know,” Rei stutters.

“Unless they weren't kidnapped at all. There were some items missing belonging to the mother and son, but other than that, no sign of a robbery. Very odd indeed... Isn't that right, Mrs. Miyuki Takibi?”

She freezes in place, her eyes open wide: he found her. What'll happen now and how bad is the punishment from him going to be? She knows she'll bear the brunt of it, but she also knows that Shouto will return to a rigorous training routine and she can't handle the idea of him suffering like that again.

“We weren't kidnapped!” she exclaims desperately, catching him off guard. Taking a deep breath, she continues in a panicked ramble, “We ran away, and he knows that, but he'd never admit to abusing his family. How could he, heroes don't hurt people. Admitting that would destroy his public image. He will do anything to make it not look like his fault, and if he finds me and it comes out that I ran away, I'll just be painted as a crazy person.”

Tsukauchi knows it's true. Endeavor has copious amounts of money to throw at his problems, and with that he can achieve almost anything. Most people are easy to buy, money is too irresistible.

“Ma'am, please calm down. I'm just here to have a conversation with you. Tell me more about it, if you're comfortable sharing that is.”

She looks down at her hands resting in her lap, then takes a deep grounding breath before she explains the circumstances of their marriage. How he essentially 'bought' her as his wife just to get a hand on his quirk for the sole purpose of having a child with both fire and ice abilities. He listens in stunned silence, realizing it's much worse than he even anticipated. He doesn't dare interrupt her.

”It takes time to get rid of all the old habits, fears, anxiety, and memories. I still get anxious when I hear a car stop outside. I sometimes still start having a panic attack when I look at the clock and realize it's almost time for his workday to come to an end. I don't know when it will eventually all be normal again, but I know it will, eventually. Perhaps not fully normal, but at least to some extent. For now, I just want to be left alone to enjoy the peace and harmony I have not had in years. Take care of myself and heal from years of emotional torment while I raise my son in the best loving environment I possibly can.”

Tsukauchi remains silent, and Rei expects the worst.

“You're here to take us back, aren't you?” she asks sadly when he doesn't say anything.

“I'm a private investigator, not a cop. I've just been sent out to find your whereabouts and report back to my client. Nothing more, nothing less. What they do with that information is out of my hands.”

“Right...”

“I should get going,” Tsukauchi says as he stands up, placing his cup on the coffee table. “Thanks for the tea.”

She suddenly clings to his arm, sliding down onto her knees in desperation. “Please! Please don't make us go back to that place. I'm begging you,” she pleads with tears in her eyes. “I don't think I can take any more. Going back will be the death of me. Please, Mr. Tsukauchi. If not for my sake, then for the sake of my son.”

He helps her back up onto her feet. “I almost forgot,” he says, not responding to what she had just said, instead taking an envelope out of his pocket. “This is for you.”

She takes it tentatively, reading the text on the outside: Dearest Miyuki. She recognizes the handwriting instantly; it's a letter from her mother.

“Don't worry Ms. Todoroki. Do you have a message I can relay to your parents?”

She thinks for a moment, before responding, “Please tell them that we're safe and doing well. Then please ask them to stop searching for me. I can't risk having him find me, so don't tell them where I am.”

Tsukauchi smiles. “I'll do so. Thank you for your time.”

She walks him to the door and they part ways, Tsukauchi slowly making his way to the nearby train station. All he did today was talk to a single mother struggling to raise her son on her own. Nothing unusual to report. At least, that's what he'll tell Endeavor.

It hadn't been long since the USJ attack on class 1A, and Izuku is still on edge. Things could have gone badly and he could've lost both of his best friends, which is something he doesn't even want to think about. He wishes he had been there to observe the main villains and figure out what their quirks were, at least he'd be of help in that case. Getting this information could be detrimental if they were to attack again, and Izuku could prepare a perfect plan for defeating them but there's no such luck.

It caused a lot of contention between UA and the students' parents, as the parents were no longer sure how safe their children would be living in dorms on campus. After all, the villains were after one of the teachers and not any of the students, there's no telling when they'll make another attempt at killing All Might. Wouldn't having the kids live on school property just put them in harm's way? On the other side of that argument, at least if something happens pro heroes will be around to protect them, there's no telling whether they'll decide to go after the students next.

Moving into the dorms had been enjoyable for the children at least, getting a small taste of freedom from their parents and getting to spend as much time as they want with classmates and friends after school (minus the curfew of course).

“Is it wise to have this sports festival so soon after the USJ attack?” Izuku asks as he helps Shouto dye the roots of his hair black on a Sunday afternoon, a process that gets repeated every week to prevent his two-toned roots from becoming visible to anyone other than the people who know his true identity. Even though they know Kirishima dyes his hair red, Shouto still needs to keep the fact that he dyes his hair a secret so he can remain under the radar. That was one of his mother's main requests when he moved out.

“I don't know... I guess they're trying to return to a sense of normalcy, show the public that they're still strong and have everything under control."

“I guess... but I am concerned that this will expose our quirks to anyone who watches. Those villains could be watching and who knows what they'd do with that information...”

“Are you still working on your gear?” Shouto asks, trying to change the subject and take his anxious friend's mind off of everything.

His face light's up, succesfully distracted. “Yeah, it's going to be awesome! I'm covering all my bases. It's going to be able to fly up to a certain height, I've installed grappling hooks, sensors to detect any nearby threats, and ways to counter those threats... well, I probably shouldn't say too much just in case we have to go up against each other.”

“I see, so you have a a way of defeating me too then?”

“My lips are sealed. Either way, it's going to be great!”

“Sounds good,” Shouto says with a smile, but Izuku can tell something is off.

He frowns. “What's wrong? Is something bothering you?”

“I wish I only had an ice quirk, it's kind of inconvenient only having a quirk on my right side. My left side kind of acts like a blind spot of sorts. If it was only ice, I'd be even more powerful being able to use it on both sides. It puts me at such a disadvantage.”

“I think it's amazing that you have two quirks, I've never seen anything like it.”

“You have two quirks too.”

“Right, but they're not nearly as powerful as yours. And, well... I wasn't exactly born with mine.”

“That's fair. I just wish I didn't have that bastard’s quirk, it makes me sick just thinking about it.”

“Well, it's not his quirk, it's yours. Same way your ice quirk isn't your mother's. You inherited it, sure, but it belongs to you," Izuku explains, calmly continuing with the dye job.

Just then something stirs within Shouto. Were Izuku’s eyes always that vibrant? How didn’t he notice until now that they glimmer as if they were emeralds out in the sun? And his hair… it looks so soft, and he wants to touch it so badly. Then there are those adorable freckles of his. Wait, adorable? What the hell is going on with him? Suddenly he starts feeling uncomfortable. Izuku is too close but for some reason not close enough at the same time. He can faintly feel Izuku’s warm breath against his left ear, and just the fact that Izuku is touching his hair feels suddenly feels all too intimate. Everything feels warm, no, it feels hot, especially on his left side, like he's about to accidentally go up in flames. Izuku’s voice brings him back to reality.

Izuku continues when Shouto doesn't repond. “Not saying you should go around using it, obviously that would be dangerous considering your circumsta-" He pauses mid-sentence. "Uh, Shou?”

“Yeah?”

"You’re really really hot…” Izuku says with a frown.

Izuk thinks Shouto is hot?! Why does that make Shouto's heart race, and why does he feel so damn giddy about it?

Oh... Oh no.

“Thanks?” He responds awkwardly having no idea how to even respond, his brain short circuiting as the revelation dawns upon him.

“That’s not what I meant you pinecone, I mean like your left side, it’s very hot to the touch. Are you ok?”

Izuku touches areas on his left side to check if it’s the case on the entire side of his body, and every time he touches him, Shouto feels like he’s about to explode.

“Is your quirk acting up?”

“I don’t know, I…” Shouto says, feeling flustered.

Izuku reaches out and touches his cheek, still just checking his temperature, and that’s the final straw for Shouto—his left side starts to flare up, small flames erupting from his skin. Izuku yanks his hand away. “Ouch!”

Shouto feels terrible, his flames instantly dying down. He immediately grabs Izuku’s hand and inspects it closely. “Are you OK? Did I hurt you?”

“No, I just got a fright to be honest. I’m not hurt, I have no idea why I said ouch,” Izuku laughs. “Are you OK though?”

Shouto looks down the left side of his body and notices his clothes are singed. “Yeah, I don’t know what happened there...”

“Hmmm... well that's no good,” Izuku says using his quirk sight, then continues dyeing Shouto's hair. “I don't see anything unusual, that's so weird.”

“It's probably nothing.”

“Maybe, but it could be dangerous. You've never really used your fire side so you don't have a good idea of how it works or how to control it which isn't exactly a good thing. Accidents can happen.”

He knows Izuku is right, he could've seriously injured him and he wouldn't have been able to forgive himself if he had.

The week passes without incident and Shouto doesn't lose control over his quirk again which is comforting, but he can't shake this odd feeling he's had ever since then. Things with Izuku just feels weird, and he doesn't like it. He doesn't want their dynamic to change, but he just had to go and develop feelings for him. He didn't even know he was actually attracted to guys in the first place, or attracted to anyone for that matter. This kind of thing can ruin friendships and completely change the dynamic of their friend group and he can't afford to have any of that happen. Izuku has slowly become quite popular among his class mates, even with people from the hero and general courses like him. He spends a lot of time with Hatsume as well, so it's possible he has a thing for her too. If he were to confess and Izuku didn't reciprocate his feelings, it would be a disaster. So he'll just bottle it all up; having Izuku as a friend is more important to him than the feelings he has for him.

After a long, stressful week dealing with all of these feelings, it's finally weekend and the kids all return to their respective homes. It's nice to see his mom again, he's been so busy he wasn't really paying attention to how much he missed her and her home cooking and, of course, she had prepared his favourite meal for him.

They sit at the table eating and catching up, and eventually the sports festival comes up.

“Shouto, I think it's best for you to not participate in the sports festival. I'll write a note to your homeroom teacher and ask them to excuse you.”

“What?! But I've been looking forward to this.”

“I know but it's dangerous. He could be watching, and if he puts two and two together... he'll find us and who knows what'll happen to us then.”

“Mom, I'm tired of hiding.”

“I know, but this is what's best for us. You'll understand when-”

He suddenly stands up. “Can't you see? We haven't escaped, he's still controlling us! I can't even use my quirk to its full potential. I can be so much stronger, this bullshit is just holding me back!”

He's never raised his voice at her like this before, a sign of teenage rebellion starting to rear its ugly head.

“Shou please listen...”

“No!”

“If you're going through a rebellious phase that's fine, but please just do this one thing for me,” she pleads.

“Ugh!” he grunts, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "I'm not being rebellious! I'm tired of having to deny a part of myself, of hating a part of myself because he's an asshole. He doesn't deserve to dictate what I do with my life.”

“Shouto, I need you to understa-”

“I'm going back to the Midoriyas, don't wait up for me,” he bluntly cuts her off before slamming the door behind him.

The loud noise makes her jolt, her nerves completely on edge. The angry shouting and that furious look in her son's left eye serving as a terrible reminder of what she left behind all those years ago.