Work Text:
Ryumi and Shoto had been living together for a little over a year, and despite a bit of a rocky start, their careers were both going well. Ryumi had found a niche in emergency rescue, much like her parents had before her, and Shoto specialised in covert missions, using the ice side of his quirk to neutralise hostiles before they could attack.
“You will not believe the day I had!” Ryumi called, kicking her shoes off in the vague direction of the shoe rack. “I spent two hours shifting debris, and there wasn’t even anyone in the building! It was going to be demolished anyways. Everyone had been moved to a different place already. What a waste of time! I could have been actually helping people, but noooo !”
When Shoto didn’t respond to her, Ryumi hesitated. “Shoto, are you okay?”
No reply…
“Shoto?” Ryumi took a moment to neaten up her shoes, knowing how much it annoyed Shoto (and her, not that she would ever admit it) when their shoes were scattered in the doorway, creating a tripping hazard. “Shoto, sweetie, where are you?”
Shoto’s voice was a little shaky as he called out, “Kitchen.”
That shaky tone had Ryumi running to the kitchen, where Shoto was sitting at their small kitchen table, his phone discarded on the table. “Fuyumi called.”
“Your sister? Cool! I’ve been wanting to meet her, you know?” Ryumi said, keeping her tone upbeat and optimistic.
Shoto shook his head. “It's about my mother.”
Oh. Oh, no.
“Is she okay?”
“Better than okay,” Shoto muttered. “She’s being released from the hospital. She wants to come and see me.”
“... isn’t that good?”
“Of course not!” Shoto snapped, then winced, realising that he raised his voice. “Sorry, I’ll go.”
Ryumi grabbed his hand. “Hey, don’t leave.”
“I can’t be around you when I’m like this. It’s not fair to you. I refuse to take out my feelings on you.”
“That’s not what this is, Shoto. You know that.” Ryumi said, trying to keep her voice level. “Talk to me, treasure.”
Shoto was quiet for a long moment. Swallowing dry, he mumbled, “I’m going to hurt her again.” His left hand started flickering, small flames twitching to life. “Hasn’t she already been hurt enough? Haven’t we already hurt her enough? Thinking about her in the hospital all that time, because of my father …” Shoto practically spat out the word. “It makes me angry. Angry enough that I might do something stupid. Angry enough that I might hurt the wrong person. Angry enough that I might not be able to control it.”
The flame flickering on Shoto’s hand began to spread, moving up his arm. It was lucky that he had invested in some flame retardant clothing, or his shirt would have been singed already.
“I’m sorry, snowflake. I’m so sorry,” Shoto sobbed, his voice cracking around the term of endearment. “You need to go. I don’t want to hurt you. Please, just leave.”
Ryumi stood firm. “You don’t scare me, Shoto. You never have.”
Shoto was hyperventilating now, his chest heaving. “Please, don’t let me hurt you. Please.”
When a pair of warm wings wrapped around his shoulders, Shoto tensed all at once, before going limp in Ryumi’s arm, his fire quirk deactivating. Ryumi ran her fingers through his hair, his head resting on her chest. “Shoto… you are not your father. You’re not his quirk or his cruelty. I know you. I know you would never hurt someone deliberately. Not a stranger, and definitely not your family.”
“I don’t want to hurt my mom,” Shoto mumbled, “But she hurt me…”
“I know, my prince. I know, but you forgave her for that, didn’t you?”
Shoto nodded against Ryumi’s chest.
“Then it’s okay, isn’t it? Even if you do hurt her - which you won’t - she’ll forgive you, won’t she?”
“Mhmmm…”
“I’d like to meet your mother,” Ryumi added. “If she’s okay with it?”
“Yeah?”
“Yep! I’ve got to ask for her son’s hand in marriage, don’t I?”
Shoto snorted, making Ryumi smile. “Isn’t it a bit early for that?”
“Never hurts to be prepared,” Ryuji shot back. “I really do want to marry you someday…”
“I’d like that.”
“You ready to move yet?” Ryuji asked.
Shoto shook his head. “Not yet.”
“That’s okay, sweetie. Take all the time you need.”
They had all the time in the world. For each other, and for their futures together.