…~AMP~...

"...Hey, Izuku."

Neither made a move to greet each other physically. They stood there, staring at each other as Inko unlatched herself from her husband. She looked back and forth between the two, reaching behind Hisashi and lightly shoving him forward.

"Oh! Um, ahem. " Hisashi stepped forward, but Izuku still hadn't moved an inch. Finally reaching his son, he hugged him close, resting his cheek atop Izuku's curls. "I've missed you, kid. I've missed you more than you'll ever know."

Izuku hesitantly put his arms around his father, speaking through his dry throat, "You, too. I-I mean, me too."

Holy shit, Kyouka wished she could unsee that. That was probably the most awkward hug she had ever seen. Izuku's social capabilities had improved drastically over the year, and Kyouka was proud to admit that she was a big contributor to that. He had helped her a lot too.

Watching him with his father though? It was like Izuku reverted back eight months.

She glanced over to Inko, and their eyes met. Inko nervously smiled back, clearly noticing the awkwardness in the air. Inko was at least mostly aware of her son's reservations about his father, she knew this was going to be a…process, for lack of a better term.

Hisashi pulled back, his hands on his son's shoulders, "My God, I mean look at you. When I saw you on TV, I already knew you were handsome. But, you've already grown more since then…I-I mean, it's no wonder you're apparently such a lady killer, right?"

Izuku smoothed his black button-up back out, "Y-...Y-Yeah. J-Just the one, I mean…"

…Kyouka was gonna curl into a ball of cringe and die. This was her fate. Someone needed to tell Izuku she loved him. She should've taken Izuku and ran. She had to intervene, not just to save her boyfriend from this horror, but save them all.

Kyouka cleared her throat, shrugging her shoulders as she cut in, "Speaking as said one, don't ask him how he did it, because he doesn't know either. Best answer I can give is I'm a sucker for cheesy pick-up lines."

Hisashi turned to her, a chuckle on his lips as he bowed, "Something you have in common with my wife. The famous Kyouka Jirou. With how my wife talks about you, it almost feels like I'm meeting All Might. Hisashi Midoriya. It's an honor."

"The honor's mine," Kyouka bowed back. "You're fifty-percent of the reason I have Izuku, so consider me eternally grateful."

"A-Ah, well then you're very welcome. I…I'm sorry, is that…?" Hisashi sniffed the air, a smile gracing his lips as he turned back to his wife. "Pork Curry Donburi? My God, it's been years."

"As if I wouldn't make it," Inko smiled, ushering him further into the apartment. "It's practically a tradition to make it every time you come back."

"A tradition that shouldn't exist," Kyouka could hear Izuku whisper under his breath. He said it so quietly that there was no way anyone but her could have heard it. She rubbed his back, catching his attention and causing him to jump a little. He smiled a little, knowing he was telling him that things were gonna be just fine.

…But, damn it was gonna be rough.

They followed the two parents towards the kitchen, sitting down at the dining table at Inko's command. Kyouka really wanted to offer to help Inko make the bowls, but she had a very strong feeling Izuku didn't want her straying too far.

Father and son sat across from each other, neither really talking; more like awkwardly trying to smile at one another. Hisashi was managing, Izuku was…trying(?)

"So…" Hisashi cleared his throat, leaning a little bit forward in his seat, "You're okay? Ur—Both of you, I-I mean. The camp attack was already enough, but all that business in Kamino? I mean, by God. Your arms, are they…?"

"Y-Yeah," Izuku nodded, putting his arms onto the table as proof. "They're fine."

His sentences were short, kind of quiet. Izuku really was reversing back to when Kyouka first met him. At least, back to when they first started UA. Izuku had obvious reasons as to why he was so quiet in a public school setting back then, especially where Katsuki was involved. But, to see him acting the same way around someone he should be more comfortable with than almost anyone was…telling.

The sleeves of Izuku's black button-up were rolled up to his elbows, allowing his scars to catch his father's attention. Concern etched onto his face, he reached his hand out, seemingly wanting to take Izuku's arm to examine it for himself. However, he stopped short and retracted his hand back. "A-A villain did that to you?"

"No, not really. We fought, but this was my quirk."

"Holy-! I can't believe I almost forgot! Your quirk! I-I mean, you have a quirk! I'm not sure I would even believe it if I hadn't seen it for myself. I thought your mother was pulling my leg when she told me."

Inko chuckled as she made it back to the table, a tray of filled bowls in hand, "I thought he was pulling my leg."

Hisashi laughed with her as she placed a bowl in front of him, turning back to his son as Inko passed the meals around, "But, I-I mean, how? How can this possibly happen at the age of fourteen? Sure, late bloomers apply for quirks too, but definitely not this late."

"I wasn't strong enough," Izuku cut off his questioning, taking a bowl from his mother. "It breaks my limbs at full power. F-For now, that is. I wasn't physically capable of using the quirk when I was a kid, because I would've died. It appeared when I could handle it."

"Really? But, what about your gene tests? Your X-rays? They said you were quirkless."

"How do you know?"

…Oh boy. It didn't take a genius to know that there was a very clear "You weren't there…" left unsaid, still clinging to Izuku's vocal chords, begging not to be spoken. The deafening silence afterwards certainly wasn't helping either.

"Y-You just never know what could be missed," Izuku recovered (or at least tried to), looking down at his food as he started to eat. "Mishaps happen in hospitals all the time."

"Y-Yeah…" Hisashi nodded, clearing his throat as he too looked down to focus on his food. Wow, he was almost as bad as Izuku. Once again, Kyouka met Inko's gaze, and both silently dreaded every second of this. Inko had her work cut out for her. And, as Izuku's main handler, meant she too had a lot of work to do. "One Hell of a quirk, though. With your mother's quirk and mine, I would've bet anything that you had pyrokinesis or something. Even so, our quirks amount to essentially handy tools and party tricks, but you? You're crazy out there. Fire is technically energy, right? Maybe you have some sort or energy control. I've met a few Pros with something like that, but I guess they weren't all that similar to you."

…Huh, so that's where Izuku got his ramblings from.

Kyouka cut in, noticing Izuku start to internally scramble for either an answer or a way out of the apartment, "Uh, fire-breathing, right?"

"Hm? O-Oh, yeah. Like I said though…" Hisashi picked up a piece of pork from his bowl, pressing one nostril closed. He blew his nose, a stream of flames lightly charring the meat. He waved away the small smoke trail, a bashful smile on his face, "...Pretty much a party trick. But, if you need to light a campfire, I'm your guy. Allergy season is pretty scary though…"

'If only I knew that…' Izuku thought to himself, poking at his food with his chopsticks.

"You would've made Endeavor's kid look like nothing, right?"

Kyouka tried to pick up the conversation for Izuku, nudging him a little, "Eh, he still beat him though. Shoto's actually one of our closest friends now."

"Seriously? Endeavor's son? Making friends in high places."

"Us? You're the HPSC big shot. You've gotta know a bunch of heroes."

Hisashi scoffed, a little shrug of his shoulders, "Yeah, a bunch of government agents and bureaucrats. Real 'heroes'. I've gone through thousands of pens asking for autographs. I did meet Stars and Stripes though."

Izuku finally perked up a bit, his eyes flickering up from his food, "Really?"

Hisashi leaned forward in his seat again, taking the opportunity of regaining his son's attention, "Yeah, a couple times actually. But we met at a conference in Washington DC, went over a couple cases with her. She was pretty incredible. Bonding over admiration for All Might is pretty easy when everyone does. But, I mean…you met him. The real deal."

"...Y-Yeah."

"In all my years working for the HPSC, I still have never met him. I used to think I was his biggest fan, until you came along. Now you not only met him, but he's your teacher? I-I just…Wow. Wow. What's he like in person? You've gotta tell me."

Izuku's throat grew instantly dry again. It was gonna come up, he knew. When was All Might's name not spoken in his household? But, the situation is so much different now. How do you talk to your father about the man who replac-…

Izuku banished his thoughts, deciding to just tell Hisashi the truth. Or, a portion of it. "He's…He's even more than I ever thought he could be. That's saying a lot, I-I know, but…"

"I understand," Hisashi chuckled, a tiny smile gracing his lips. He turned to Inko, a pleading look in his eyes, "Please tell me UA has PTA meetings?"

"I haven't been to one," Inko giggled. "But, I wouldn't be surprised if they started having them after everything that's happened, and how the media has been talking."

Hisashi scoffed, a roll of his eyes, "The school's security is one thing, but after everything All Might did, they suddenly question him because he doesn't always look like he does? They sho-...A-Ah, I'm sorry. The media and the HPSC don't exactly mix already. But, Work and Home, Church and State, and all that."

"Ah, but both are illusions," Kyouka joked.

"Hmhmhm, I suppose that's true enough. My wife told me you were quick with your wit."

"At this point I credit genetics," Kyouka shrugged, a smirk on her lips. "Growing up a musician meant you had to be good at improvisation. Mix in a little sarcasm and snark, and you have a parent's worst nightmare."

"A nightmare? I find that hard to believe since Inko said you were a godsend to our family."

"A-Ah, I don't know about that," Kyouka blushed, her jacks clinking together.

"She's right," Izuku turned to her, one of the few genuine smiles he managed to muster up that evening. "You really can't argue with that."

Kyouka smirked at him, "I'm well aware of your opinion on the matter, you say it all the time."

"Is that a problem?"

"No, but even if I said it was, would you stop?"

"Not a chance."

"Thought so."

Hisashi's brows rose, both surprised and incredibly impressed. Surprised, because that was the most natural he had heard his son speak tonight; not that it was a problem. Impressed, because Izuku was…actually kind of smooth. It was sickeningly sweet, but smooth. He glanced at Inko, who was smiling at the couple across from them. He nodded at Izuku, a silent question of 'Are we sure that was Izuku just now?'

Inko merely shrugged, a knowing and prideful smile on her face. Hisashi had no idea if Inko was the one to teach Izuku his moves, but he was impressed all the same. His son was always a quiet, reserved kid. Seeing him like this? Kyouka really might've been a miracle. Especially since he didn't remember Izuku having a ton of friends growing up, outside of little Bakugou.

"You said Endeavor's son was your friend, yes?" Hisashi turned back to the couple, continuing the conversation. "Have you been making a lot of friends at UA?"

"We have our own little group," Kyouka answered for them both. "Ochako, Tenya, Momo, Shoto, Mei…"

"What about little Bakugou?" There it was. Kyouka's eyes flickered over to Izuku, his grip on his chopsticks tightening. "What was it you called him? Uh…Kacchan? You two seemed inseparable. I remember when yo-"

"No," Izuku cut Hisashi off, his tone curt. "We haven't been friends in years."

"...O-Oh. I'm sorry to hear that, I…I didn't know."

"It's fine. How could you?"

…

…

…

…Kyouka did absolutely everything in her power not to slam her head onto the table.

They really couldn't escape that blonde bastard, could they? Worst part is this particular scenario wasn't even his fault.

It wasn't even actually about Katsuki. It was the fact that Hisashi didn't know, and now they were thrown back into the world's worst awkward silence.

She felt torn, as Hisashi may be a tad awkward, kinda quiet, but he still seemed pretty chill; just a decent guy. Izuku said he was never a "Bad Father" per say, but…Kyouka guessed she just never knew what to expect. She knew so little about the man that she never had a proper picture.

But, she supposed therein laid the problem that Izuku didn't have a proper picture either.

It was like Izuku was trying to say everything he wanted to say to his dad in the most roundabout ways that Hisashi could never pick up on. Until now, that is.

With how Izuku's eyes widened, he apparently didn't even mean to say it. At least, not in that way. But, it seemed in the overflowing ocean of thoughts and comebacks about his father that had been growing throughout the evening, something finally slipped out.

…He wasn't jumping to take it back though.

Hisashi cleared his throat, looking down at the table in what Kyouka could only decipher as shame. "I…I…I'm-"

"Honey," Inko cut Hisashi off, standing up from the dinner table with a smile. She grabbed her bowl, along with Izuku's and Kyouka's. "Help me with the dishes, would you?"

Hisashi looked back and forth between his Inko and Izuku, clearly scrambling for any sort of proper response. His mouth opened, the hint of a response on his lips, but nothing came out. "I-...Uh…S-Sure."

As he stood up, Inko turned to Kyouka and nodded towards the hallway, "I think we've kept you long enough, don't you think? I don't want to keep you two from your date."

Kyouka raised a brow at Inko. Date? They didn't have a date tonigh—...Oh.

Basically Inko's way of saying "I'll take him, you take Izuku before this gets any worse."

"Right! Don't want to miss our movie! Dinner was great. It was an honor to meet you, Mr. Midoriya!" Kyouka nodded, getting up from the table with a jack wrapped around very confused Izuku's arm to pull him with her.

"U-Uh, it was great to meet you. But, w-wait, can I just-"

Izuku couldn't even get a word out before they were at the front door and Kyouka sped through her goodbye of, "We'llbebackseeyoulater!"

Shoes in hand, Kyouka shoved Izuku out the front door and into the night air. She shut the door behind them, sliding to the ground.

Izuku stood in front of her, a sigh escaping his lips, "...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

Kyouka shook her head, reaching up to take Izuku's hand and kiss his knuckles. "It's not your fault, and you know it."

"...Should I go back in there? I shouldn't avoid this like I did with my mom."

Standing up and putting her boots on, Kyouka asked, "Do you think you're ready for that? As in, do you think it wouldn't turn ugly?"

"I-I don't think there's ever going to be a version that won't be ugly, but…I don't know." Izuku rubbed at his brow, thinking it over before nodding his head with a sigh, "It's his first night home. Just give them the house tonight. They haven't seen each other in years, they need it. All I'll do is bring more tension. My mom doesn't deserve that, not tonight."

"You just need to sort your emotions, and come back with what you really want to say. You're not gonna solve this with him in just one day, just like with your mom. Different situations, I know. You were caught off guard with him coming back in the first place, you're not in a good headspace. Not to mention the outside stress you're under. Just cool off, and we'll come back later."

Izuku shut his eyes, taking a deep breath as the cold air filled his lungs. He sighed, nodding in agreement and began to put his shoes on. "Yeah. Yeah, okay."

Kyouka smiled somberly, rubbing his back, "You wanna go to my place? If you need to, you can spend the night, come back before either of our parents know."

"Hmhmhm, I'm pushing it with my dad. I don't wanna push it with yours."

"We'll tell them you're there. Just, you know, ruffle up the guest bed a little bit. Maybe put a couple of your hairs on the pillow, pretend you slept there. You can easily get from the guest bedroom window to my window."

"Your parents wouldn't believe for a second that I slept in the guest bed."

"Yeah, but they could never prove otherwise."

"...You are the worst, best influence."

"So, yes."

"That's a maybe."

"Sure," Kyouka merely smirked at him, taking his hand as they walked towards the stairs, "Let's go hash out your daddy issues."

…~AMP~...

Hisashi stood over the kitchen sink, staring blankly at the building bubbles as the water ran. His son's words rang out in his ears, echoing with no intention of stopping.

The water suddenly stopped, and hand wrapping around his own. He glanced over to his wife, Inko's both somber, yet serious. "You knew this would happen."

"...I know."

"We talked about it on the phone. I told you Izuku wasn't going to handle this the best."

"...I know."

"Despite Izuku's anger, our son has a way of turning everything around on himself. Somehow, some way, he'll blame himself for how things turned out."

"It's not his fault," Hisashi sighed, rubbing at his eye as he hunched over the sink. Hisashi's voice came out quiet, and wobbly, "...It's mine. It's all my fault."

"Hey," Inko turned his face to meet hers, cupping both of his cheeks to keep his gaze on her. "No one in our family is blameless for how things turned out. You, me, Izuku, all three of us have contributed to the disjointed picture we've become. Even if we didn't mean to, even if we had the best of intentions, we did. Izuku and I fixed our relationship, but it took time. Izuku isn't one for these types of situations. Trust me, he'd rather fight a thousand villains than talk about the past. But, he'll face it eventually. He always does, it just takes him time. I shouldn't fail to mention he's also under a lot of stress right now, and your return hasn't helped it. In the end, it'll be for the best having you back home. Of course, I'm a little biased in that regard, but still. Our son's life has become a very complicated puzzle while you were away, and you just need to find the spot you fit in."

Hisashi nodded, wiping at eyes before anything fell. He squeezed Inko's hand back with worry still etched onto his face, "...What happens if he doesn't want me a part of it?"

"He will. And, if not then…We'll cross that bridge when we get there. But, prove to him why you should be a part of it. Eventually you'll have to come to terms and explain why you were gone so long…to both of us." Hisashi closed his eyes, his wife's words hitting him with another wave of guilt. Inko put the dishes on the drying rack, unplugging the sink and drying her hands. "Right now, I'm just happy to have you home again. But, I know how your job works. I know how busy and demanding it is; how much they probably did need you. But, I know there was no reason you couldn't have come home multiple times in the last five years. You don't have to tell me now, but Izuku isn't the only one that deserves an explanation."

Hisashi turned to his wife, panic in his eyes, "I swear to every god of every religion, it wasn't an affair. I would nev—"

Inko raised her hand up, stopping him in his tracks, "I know. No offense, 'Sashi, but I don't think you could even start an affair, much less handle one. I'm the one who asked you out, and you could barely muster up the word 'yes' through all your blushing and stuttering."

Hisashi ran a hand down his face, chuckling out of relief, "Yeah, I remember. My friends made fun of me for months…I'll explain everything, I promise. It just…It's just probably not what you're expecting."

"You're Izuku's father. After raising him for sixteen years, I think I can make a pretty good guess. You two are more alike than he'd care to admit."

"…When are they coming back?"

Inko scoffed, then giggled, "I'd say there's an eighty to ninety percent chance they're not. There was no date, honey. I just knew Izuku wanted nothing more than to get out of here for a while. I'd bet Izuku ends up staying at Kyouka's."

"Wh-?! Holy Hell, thank goodness he inherited most of your genes in the romance department. They're already that serious?"

Inko could merely laugh as she thought back on everything that the couple had been through in only a little less than a year, "You couldn't even comprehend how little of an idea you have. He's slept there before, but obviously he sleeps in the guest bedroom."

"...And we believe that?"

"We'll convince ourselves that we do and ignore what's really going to happen."

Inko walked away, heading back towards the hallway. Hisashi put a lid on the curry pot and stowed it away in the fridge before moving to follow his wife. Inko seemingly was already in the bedroom, but another door caught his eye. Izuku's All Might nameplate was still hanging from his door.

He remembered back when he got Izuku that thing, back when he was seven or eight. The door was slightly ajar, and his curiosity couldn't be helped. Hisashi walked over to the door, stepping inside to find a…surprising lack of All Might merch?

There were a few figures on the desk, a couple leftover posters, and his bedsheets were still there. But, everything else was gone.

"Hey, Inko?" Hisashi called out to his wife in the other room, "Did Izuku get rid of some of his merchandise?"

"...You're joking, right?" Inko yelled back from their bedroom. "Not in a million years. They're just stored in his closet. He told me he just wanted to change it up, but I'm fully aware it was because he didn't want to 'do anything' in there with Kyouka with all the little All Might's around. Imagine dozens of versions of your teacher watching you sleep."

"Dozens of Mrs. Sakamoto?" Hisashi scoffed. "Yeah, okay, nevermind. I fully understand now."

He walked around the room, finding textbooks from UA on the desk, a black denim jacket on the bed (something he had to assume was Jirou's doing), and a few pictures of Izuku with some people that seemed vaguely familiar outside of Endeavor's son. But, what really caught his eye was the row of notebooks neatly lined up on the shelf above Izuku's desk.

"He never stopped…" Hisashi remembered Inko telling him about buying Izuku's first one on a phone call, he had been on a case in Okinawa at the time. Izuku didn't explain why he wanted a notebook so bad, and he seemed oddly secretive about it. Which, at the time, was very out of character. Now? Apparently, not so much.

It wasn't until weeks later that Inko had found Izuku practically glued to the living room television, some big battle with a couple villains in Tokyo was on screen and he was frantically writing stuff down. The scary part was she found him covered in bruises and burns, along with a bloody nose.

Izuku had said he went to watch a villain attack, even though he had told Inko he was going to the playground with Bakugou. Damn, what happened between those two?

Hisashi grabbed the latest one, "#13 2.0" written on the front in black marker, flipping through the pages quickly as he sat down on the foot on Izuku's bed. The book was completely filled out, so he had to assume Izuku had the one he was currently on stored somewhere else.

Hisashi stopped on a page of Miruko, his eyes going wide at the sketch of her, "Holy Hell…Izuku drew these?"

"What?" Inko appeared in the doorway, now donned in a blue robe. "Oh, his journals."

"Yeah, all these drawings of heroes! I mean these are good! Like, good good. Like, beyond professional-level good. At least we know if UA hadn't worked out, he would've aced art school. I mean…Oooh…" Hisashi flipped to another page, his lips forming into a smirk as he turned the journal so his wife could see. "I can see he definitely found his muse though."

Inko chuckled as she could see Kyouka's sketch on the page. Most of Izuku's sketches were of heroes in natural poses, or the occasional action shot. Kyouka's, however, was an in-depth headshot, her hair waving in the wind, staring directly at the viewer in her natural bored glare. But, there was this light in her eyes that Izuku somehow managed to capture, as if Kyouka was daring you to face her. "Kyouka is already a beautiful young woman, so I can only imagine what she looks like through Izuku's eyes. That drawing is probably the closest we'll ever get, but I have a feeling it doesn't compare."

"Uh, yeah," Hisashi chuckled as he flipped through more pages, finding more and more drawings of Kyouka. "I can see that."

"Okay, let's not embarrass him, even when he's not here," Inko giggled and raised her hand, the notebook flying out of her husband's hand and into hers. She walked over to Izuku's shelf, and put it back in its proper place. "You're going to love Kyouka. I'm sorry things got cut short tonight, but she's my equal in terms of being protective of Izuku."

"Ah, so she…probably hates me."

"Not what I meant, but her only knowledge of you is from Izuku. So, it might be more accurate to say she's frustrated with you."

"That's far more than fair."

"But…" Inko cut back in, leaning on Izuku's desk. "Believe me when I say Kyouka wants nothing more than for you to be a part of Izuku's life again. All she ever wants is for Izuku to be happy. She's done more than you could imagine to achieve that goal. Her bite matches her bark though, so be careful."

"Oh boy. How does it feel like I'm the one meeting the parents?" Hisashi ran a hand through his hair, resting his elbows on his knees. "But, she's the one, right?"

"If those two aren't meant for each other, then I would question every relationship ever."

Hisashi chuckled, rubbing his hands together as he stared down at the floor. His son fell in love, and he should've been there to see it. "...How's his relationship with Jirou's parents?"

"Oh, Kyoutoku and Mika adore him. Apparently Kyoutoku took a while to fully accept things, but he never was actually against Izuku. He was just afraid of his daughter growing up."

"Have they…you know, been there for him? Has anyone, I-...I-I mean…"

"I think it would be better if I made you ask these questions in person. I'm not either of your relays."

"R-Right, right, I'm sorry. Just…Just feels like I'm playing catch-up."

"You are."

"I…Y-Yeah…"

"Honey, this is going to take a while. Even when you and Izuku find some sort of starting point, don't expect things to just suddenly be normal. Trust me when I say there's no such things as normal in this house. Izuku is the most kind-hearted person in the world, but he keeps chips on his shoulder and does his best to ignore them. Which he then fails at. He won't suddenly be open to you. You have to earn it like the rest of us. And, you're going to be at an even bigger disadvantage, because Izuku's moving out."

"I-?! I'm sorry, what?"

"UA is building dorms. They think it'll be safest for students— particularly Hero Course students— if they were under UA and its teacher's protection. The decision's already been made, his teachers are coming by tomorrow to get our signatures."

"I-...I mean, he's leaving? He's allowed to come home, right?"

"Of course, he can come home whenever he wants. But, he's going to live there. Even if I was against it, Kyouka's parents have already agreed too. He'd spend all day at school, and then with Kyouka, only coming home to sleep. Izuku would basically live there already."

"I suppose, but I…I just got here, and I was hopin-...I wish I was consulted on this decision…" Hisashi sighed, hanging his head. "...If I was here. But, I wasn't. Even if I was, I would have agreed anyway. Oh, God-damn it. I understand, I do. I'm just…regretting my choices as a parent."

"Join the club. Now, forgive me, but I'm going to use the Midoriya Family Trademark and put our problems aside. Even if just for tonight. I have my husband back, so I'd like to simply enjoy that fact for the time-being." Inko walked over the door, stopping just in the doorway. She turned her head, looking over her shoulder towards Hisashi. "Mostly, because there's another reason I wanted Izuku out of the house…"

Hisashi watched as Inko held up her robe as it slipped off of her shoulders, showing that there was nothing underneath the rest.

"Inko…"

"I…I know I don't look like I used to. I-I've been getting better, though. I've lost 7 kilos. Or, I suppose you're used to US measurements now. Um, fifteen pounds, I think? And I-"

Hisashi stood up from the bed, silencing Inko. He walked forward, taking his glasses off as he approached her. He put his hands on her waist, pressing his nose into her hair, "...Get in the bedroom."

Inko smiled, grabbing the front of Hisashi's shirt and yanking him down, dragging him towards their room.

…~AMP~...

( Kyouka's Bedroom )

"Ugh…"

Kyouka looked out from her bathroom, taking her toothbrush out of her mouth, "What?"

Izuku shook his head as he sat down on Kyouka's bed, a grimace on his face, "I don't know. I suddenly had a wave of feeling disgusted."

He fell back completely onto Kyouka's bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Kyouka's parents knew he was there, but they hadn't actually asked if Izuku could spend another night. Mostly, because Izuku hadn't actually decided on if he was going to.

Despite his feelings, it still felt wrong to spend the night away from his father. He should at least be there in the morning.

…What the Hell was he doing? His father came home after all this time, and he just ran? Well, technically dragged out, but he didn't object. His mom and Kyouka thought he was a ticking time-bomb in that room, and they were right.

Izuku stood up, opening his mouth to tell Kyouka he was going home…

Then, he immediately sat back down and put his head in his hands.

He didn't want to go back. He really didn't want to do all this right now. Where was he even supposed to begin?

Hey, Dad. Been a while. Almost five years! Remember when we never spoke? Oh, I kind of semi-replaced you. Oh, and I have All Might's quirk. Oh, and he's the one I kind of replaced you with. Oh, and my girlfriend has it too and it makes us targets of the most dangerous man to ever live. Oh, and I'm moving out in a couple weeks. Oh, and Kacchan tormented me for eleven years and I never told you because I wasn't comfortable sharing my problems with you. Or anyone really, but certainly not you. Did you know that gave me severe depression? That was a fun decade, wish you were there.

…Yeah, he wasn't doing this tonight.

Or tomorrow.

Or next week.

…Ever?

As much as he wanted to talk to Kyouka about this, and he would, it just felt like he wasn't helping her much. Kyouka was doing everything she could and more, as usual, but there was only so much that she could do before Izuku had to take some kind of action for himself.

Not to mention Kyouka didn't particularly have much experience in this department, especially since he barely told her anything about his dad. She was working with limited tools here.

That's when All Might's advice from earlier reawakened in his mind. Perhaps he really did need that third-party?

He wasn't too comfortable speaking about private things with anyone besides Kyouka, his mom, or All Might. Not to mention who he was going to call definitely wasn't much of an emotionally open person either.

But, he had to push his comfort zone. This wasn't just for him, it was for his mom too.

Izuku blew a raspberry, standing up from the bed as Kyouka walked out of the bathroom, "I gotta make a call. I'll be right back."

Kyouka raised a brow, but nodded, "Okay. Is it too private for me to ask about?"

Izuku scoffed, a chuckle escaping his lips, "Kyouka, I don't think the word private exists between us anymore. We'll talk about it after, but I guess you can just listen in anyway."

"Fine, then we'll make it training. You can stay in here, I'm going to take a shower and to try and listen. I've gotten used to normal settings, but I haven't tried using my new hearing in the shower. The rain at the hospital was brutal."

"I wish I could make a joke about making it a quick call so I can join you, but I wouldn't even want to hint at that idea with your parents down the hall."

"On the beach and in a hot spring I can handle, but within a five kilometer radius of my parents? Yeah, no thanks. I'm good for tonight."

Izuku laughed a little as Kyouka stepped into the bathroom, hearing the water turn on. He sighed, pulling out his phone and finding the contact he was after.

…~AMP~...

( Todoroki Family Estate: Dining Room )

"Did you visit Mom today?"

Shoto looked up from his bowl, humming in response to Fuyumi's question, "Mhm. She's good."

*CRASH*

Fuyumi sighed at the noise coming from down the hall, for what felt like the millionth time that day, "...That makes one of them. Dad hasn't left the dojo since All Might's announcement this morning."

Shoto's eyes glanced down towards the hall, not hearing another noise. At least no more slamming, that is. He returned to his breakfast, a shrug of his shoulders, "He's number one now."

Fuyumi opened her mouth, but flinched once she heard another clash come from down the hall, "...Not the way he wanted."

Shoto froze, food close to his lips, as another bang could be heard from down the hall. He closed his eyes, trying to drown it out, but the noise echoed around in his head and memories. He sighed, dropping his chopsticks and standing up from the table, "...Good."

He walked away, the tea on the nearby kettle whistling as he disappeared back to his room. Shoto rubbed his left eye, moving towards his bed before his phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket.

This one was different from the typical single buzz from the group texts. He wasn't too much of a talker in the messages, but he read them all. He pulled out his phone, seeing Izuku's caller ID on the screen.

He can't remember the last time Izuku had called him, if ever. It honestly just worried him more that something happened. After camp and Kamino, Shoto wasn't sure he could even be surprised anymore.

He answered the call, raising his phone to his ear, "Hey, Izuku. Do you need something?"

"Do you hate your dad?"

Shoto blinked a couple times at the sudden question, but still remained completely neutral.

He was wrong. He could be very surprised.

"...It's complicated, but yes."

"..."

"...Do you hate yours?"

"...It's complicated, but I…I don't think so."

"Okay, then go from there I guess."

"I-I'm sorry, I dont…I don't really talk about this stuff with anyone but Kyouka."

"Speaking of which, and forgive me for how this will sound, but I'm just a little surprised you're calling me about this and not talking to her."

"Because Kyouka has a great relationship with her father."

"Hm, good point. Continue."

"I-I just...Listen, I know comparing our situations is almost insulting to you, and I doubt you like to talk about this stuff any more than I do, so you really don't have to talk with me and I know that we haven't talked about it since the Festival and I don't know how things have been between you two since then and I—"

"Izuku," Shoto cut him off after realizing Izuku had forgotten what punctuation and breathing was. "Don't worry about it. You saved me from my father, at least in one way. It's only right that I help you with yours."

"Th-Thank you. Really, it means a lot."

Shoto sat down on his bed mat, resting his head down on his hand, "Go ahead."

"Okay. I know my father is nothing like your dad. He's never done anything like that, he never would. He loves me, I know that, and he's never been a 'bad' father. But, there's a reason why you guys have only met my mom and not him. He's worked overseas practically my entire life, and he's only come back home a handful of times. We communicated when I was a kid, but as time went on it lessened and lessened until it was nonexistent. Yes, a lot of that is also my own fault, due to some things in my life that I won't go into. But, he stopped trying to, outside of the scarce letter once in a blue moon. His job is extremely demanding, yes. But, almost five years of being gone? My mom and I aren't stupid, we both know his job absolutely would've allowed him to come home plenty of times. It just feels like-"

"You're welcoming home a stranger," Shoto finished for him.

"...Yeah. To be perfectly honest with you, I don't know what I need to ask you. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you've forgiven your dad."

"Not even a little."

"Exactly. I guess I just wanted to hear your thoughts. Am I validated in being this angry? Should I try something?"

"Honestly? I think my father isn't the right person to be talking about here. I think this is a bit more comparable to my mom."

"Your mom?"

"I didn't see my mom for years after what happened. My only memories were from when I was little, so things were fuzzy, outside of a few specific things. After the Sports Festival, I visited her. It was like we had to reintroduce ourselves to each other. It's not easy to do that after you left each other after something so bad. She didn't really mean to do it, but it still happened. Your dad is probably the same. If he's the man you say he is, then I doubt he meant to do this. At least, not really. You're still validated for being angry, even if it was a two-way street situation. I was angry at my mom, for a time. Back then, I couldn't properly understand what was wrong. So, at least get an explanation. You might not like it, but you need to work from somewhere."

"I've been hearing that last sentence a lot…"

"Because it's true."

"Yeah…I know. Thanks, Shoto. This helped a lot. This is also the most I've heard you speak in one conversation, so I guess now I understand what that feels like when people talk about me."

"It's not a problem. You can call if you need to talk about it more. Or, I guess in-person when we get to the dorms."

"Oh, right. Happy to know you're going too."

"Anything to get me out of this house."

"Hm, I can only imagine. Anyway, I'll let you go. Thanks again, Shoto."

…~AMP~...

( Kyouka's Bedroom )

Izuku hung up, rubbing his forehead as he sighed deeply. He heard the shower shut off, and the pad of Kyouka's feet stepping onto the bathroom floor.

"How'd you do?" Izuku called out to her.

"Shoto was a little drowned out by the water," Kyouka responded through the door. "But, you were pretty clear. I'll get it down."

"I know you will," Izuku got up, walking to the bathroom door and leaning against it. "...Can I come in?"

Izuku heard some shuffling around before the doorknob turned, opening up so he could see Kyouka wrapped in a blue towel standing in front of the mirror with her jack returning from the knob to her ear. Her wet hair was brushed back behind her ears. Izuku couldn't help but notice just how much like her mom she looked with that hair. "What? Hoping I was gonna be naked?"

"Nothing-"

"Nothing you haven't seen before. Yeah, yeah, I know."

Izuku smiled, moving behind Kyouka and hugging her tightly. Kyouka leaned back into him, leaning against his head as he burying his nose into the crook of her neck. "You're getting wet."

"I don't care."

Smiling at their reflection, she put her hands over Izuku's arms, "Shoto's a big softie under that deadpan expression."

"Hm, so are you."

"Very funny," Kyouka reached back, running her hand through the back of Izuku's hair. She turned into him, kissing his cheek bone and nuzzling into it, "You okay?"

"Yeah, but…I gotta go back."

"Good. I think it's the right choice. Only if you're ready to, I mean."

Izuku groaned, but still nodded, "I think so."

"Okay then. Call me before bed?"

"Of course," Izuku raised his head and kissed Kyouka softly, their lips lingering against each other for a while. Once separated, Izuku pressed his cheek against Kyouka's hair, "You know, we won't have to do that soon. I-I mean, I guess we haven't talked about the dorms situatio-"

"Oh we're moving-in together. I don't care, Aizawa will have to move Heaven and Earth to get us out of the same room. If he ever found out, I mean. Which he won't. Remember what we talked about on the night of Kamino? We can move into my room, and your room can be your All Might Altar."

"I-It won't' be an alta-...Deal. We might need someone to act as our alibi at any point we get caught."

"We'll go over the details later, but I think I got something. Now get outta here, Pretty Boy. I love you."

"I love you too." Izuku kissed her cheek and finally separated from her. He left the room, running a hand down his face as he only slightly hoped that his parents would already be asleep by the time he made it back…Okay, a little more than slightly. He made it to the bottom of the steps, finding Mika and Kyoutoku on the couch watching a movie. "I'm heading back home. Goodnight, guys."

"Hey, kid" Kyoutoku turned around, stopping Izuku just as he made it to the front door, "I won't pretend to know why you both suddenly showed up...Do I need to kick your dad's ass?"

Izuku was taken aback, but chuckled. "Hmhmhm, no. No, it's nothing like that. Thanks for the offer though."

"You sure? I mean, c'mon. What even is his quirk?"

"He breathes fire."

"...Well, if you say you can handle it, all power to you."

Mika crossed her arms, a shrug of her shoulders, "I'll still do it."

Izuku chuckled, but shook his head again, "No, really. He's a good man. As you're already accustomed to, my life just gets a little complicated. But, I'm fine, really."

Mika raised her brow at him, "Is that a guy's version of 'I'm fine', or an actual 'I'm fine'?"

At the top of the second floor balcony, Kyouka appeared in her pajama shorts and tank top, "Resident Izuku Translator here. He means he's actually fine. He just needs to get a handle on the situation."

Izuku motioned up to their daughter, "You can't get a better professional opinion than her. Goodnight, everyone."

Hearing their goodbyes as he left, Izuku stepped out into the night air once again.

…~AMP~...

( Some Time Later: Midoriya Family Apartment )

It was past midnight when Hisashi stepped out of the bathroom, yawning as he made his way down the dark hallway. The moon was shining through the curtains in the main room, guiding him through the darkness. Inko was already asleep, and jet lag had taken him a while ago.

He had woken up to use the bathroom, but his curiosity got the better of him. He had fallen asleep before Izuku came back, so he didn't actually know if his son was even here. He walked over to Izuku's door, finding it slightly ajar. He peeked inside, barely being able to see through the near pitch black darkness.

But, he could see no lump in the bed, indicating that his son wasn't home. He did end up staying at Kyouka's then.

Hisashi sighed, lifting his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. He felt like he needed a drink, but at this hour? Water would have to do.

He walked into the main room, going around the outer counter to make his way to the fridge.

"Hey."

"Ah-!" Hisashi nearly jumped out of his skin, turning towards the direction of the voice. Barely visible in the dark was Izuku, sitting in the same spot at the dining table he sat at during dinner. He was wearing the same clothes from dinner, so either he had just gotten back or he had been sitting there a while. "Jesus…You scared me, Izuku."

"Sorry."

Hisashi leaned over the counter, reaching around the wall to hit the secondary lights. Dimmer, yellow lights lit up the main room, " Ahem …Uh, so what are you doing out here so late?"

"I was on a call with Kyouka. Those usually go on longer than we intend, and my room is so close to yours. I didn't want you two hearing me. You probably need sleep."

"After a flight from America to Japan? Yeah, tell me about it." Hisashi didn't move to go back to bed, or even get his water. He stayed leaning against the counter, both father and son silent. "I…I-I never got to ask, but you and Jirou. How'd you meet? I'd typically assume UA, but I remember your mother saying it was befo-"

"Where were you?"

"-...I don-"

"I just want to know. If you don't wanna tell me, then at least tell mom. She deserves that and more."

Hisashi remained quiet for a few more beats before he hung his head, "Far more. I was everywhere. Different states, countries…but that's not what you mean."

"..."

"...Okay." Hisashi pulled out his chair and sat down in front of Izuku, preparing himself for whatever backlash he deserved. "I was very busy. You know my job, it's extremely demanding. But…Yes, there were times where I could've come home and…and I chose not to. I…I was afraid."

"...Afraid?"

"After being gone for so long, barely home for nearly a decade, I was terrified of what I would find if I came back." Hisashi leaned forward, looking down at his wringing hands on the table, shame on his face, "One day, years ago, Inko called and told me that you were troubled. You were shutting down, blocking her out. It was sometime after your diagnosis…I should've been there. I knew I should've been there, you were so excited. But, I didn't want to take the hours off. I knew I was in the running for the Ambassador promotion. I knew you were in pain, but I got the promotion. I took it, and I had to leave. I thought it wouldn't be so bad, I'd be back. But, months turned into years. I guess you know all this already, but what I'm trying to say is I was blinded by my goal. To work with all these heroes, it was my dream job. I didn't think of the consequences."

…Izuku really wished he didn't understand that far too well.

"Anyway," Hisashi continued, "After a certain point, we started messaging less and less. I was too busy to video call, and the time difference definitely didn't help. But, even when I would finally be able to, I could tell you weren't really in it or you wouldn't really respond. I switched to letters because maybe the personal touch would help. And, the stretched out time between each letter would yield more to talk about each time. But, I suppose neither of us were ever particularly talkative, especially as you grew older. Because of my time at work or away, we never really learned how to talk to each other. Even when you were younger, you always gravitated more towards Inko. But, your mom was always great with kids. I thought children always counted for her quirk or something, hmhmhm. I-I sorry, I'm kind of rambling…"

"I get it. Believe me, I do."

"Yeah…But, uh, things apparently started getting worse as you got into your teens. You were clearly struggling, and your mother couldn't get through to you, but I didn't know how to handle a situation I knew nothing about. I was so out of touch. I didn't realize the distance between us would be both real and figurative. At that point, our communication was basically zero. I should've been here, helped your mom, helped you with everything you were going through. Then, my thoughts and fears all just snowballed from there. After all this, I thought maybe you hated me. Or, at least wanted me to leave you alone. It had been so long, what if Inko fell out of love with me? Found another man? Maybe she already did. Was she at least happier? What if we divorced? What would that do to you? Where would I go if so? Was Inko angry with me too, and just didn't want to say it? When you're gone for so long, you also get comfortable with where you are, afraid of change. So…a-and I know this won't make any sense, but…I sort of made this fantasy in my head."

Izuku perked up, already feeling a pit form in his stomach, "...A fantasy."

"It's not an excuse. Nothing that I've said or will say will be an excuse for my choices. It's my fault. But…yes, a fantasy. I made this idea in my head that I had a happy family, the one I didn't want to leave in the first place. I didn't want to face the possibility that my family might be gone if I came back. I thought…I convinced myself that everything was fine. I was afraid that once I came back, my whole life would turn upside down. I know how that sounds, and I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't think I want you to, at least not yet. It's not something you can just forgive, but I'm going to work hard at being that husband and father I should've always been. I was being selfish, afraid for my own happiness and not the ones' I accidentally left behind. I…Ugh, none of this makes any sense, does it?"

"...I wish it didn't." Hisashi perked up, seeing his son sigh as he looked off into the dark hallway, "Forgive me for how this sounds, but we're far more similar than I ever wanted us to be. It seems I inherited your emotional intelligence, or lack thereof. I did the exact same thing. When I was diagnosed I built this fantasy. One that I couldn't jeopardize at any cost, and I hurt Mom for years because of it…and you."

"...N-No, Izuku. It's my faul-"

"You're not blameless. I never said you weren't. But, it's like you said, I shut everyone out. We should've both tried harder, but…we sealed ourselves in our own bubbles, because we were too afraid of reality. We were caught up in ourselves" Izuku turned back to his father, taking a deep breath before he continued. "Listen, I-...I don't really know you. You don't know me either. When I say a lot has happened over the last eleven years, I mean you can't even begin to fathom the life I live now. There are things you'll learn about me, and…and things I'm not going to tell you. Not yet, that is. I've made my new life thinking you weren't going to be a part of it. And, I'll be honest, I was okay with that. To an extent, that is. I've met people that have…filled your shoes, let's say."

"...I understand."

"But," Izuku cut back in, "...I'd like to try and put you back in. I'm still angry. I've learned over the last year that despite how much I hate this aspect about myself, I can hold grudges. I mean, really hold grudges; sometimes without even realizing what I'm doing. So, I can't say that it's going to be easy, especially with how long it took Mom and me to set things right."

"That doesn't matter," Hisashi shook his head. "I don't care how long it takes, I'll do it. The one good thing about not coming home is how many vacations I've built up. Combining that with the Emergency Family-Care leave, I'll be here a long time. I-I can even find a new job, or-"

"It's okay," Izuku stopped him. "We can cross that bridge when we get there. Luckily for us, we both have fairly unstoppable support systems."

"Hmhmhm, yeah. I suppose we do."

With the conversation seemingly over, they sat in silence once again. Neither were particularly sure how to finish this talk, but at least the silence was very slightly less awkward.

"Well…" Izuku finally spoke up. "I-I'm pretty tired."

"Oh-. Uh, yeah. Me too. Jet lag, and all. I'm just gonna get some water."

"Yeah, okay" Izuku got up from the table, walking towards the hallway. He stopped as he reached the archway, turning back to look at Hisashi. "...Goodnight, Dad."

"...Goodnight, Son."

…~AMP~...