#only literally

You both knew you were tempting fate, living on borrowed time, he should have left by now and gotten home but each time one of you pulled away, the other came crashing back like two magnets that couldn’t be pulled apart. Hands roamed like they were searching for something and yet, they didn’t venture too far. It seemed there were some lines you both knew just couldn’t be crossed this evening despite the wetness that formed between your thighs and the way his cock hardened between his. 

“I don’t wanna go…” He confessed against your neck in between needy kisses. His words were thick and laced with desire that you felt deep in your core. 

You tugged enough on his roots to make him lift his head. “Your parents didn’t plan for a sleepover,” you reminded him softly with a tender kiss to his lips and followed it up with a couple more along his stubbled jawline. “And I’m sure they’ll be worried about you if you’re not home soon.” 

Your palms were pressed against his chest and you chuckled as you felt the sigh before it actually left him. “Yeah, you’re right.” But that didn’t stop him from going in for yet another searing kiss that left you whimpering into his mouth. Each one the two of you shared left you longing for each other even more than before, unsure how that was even possible.

“You know if Remi was at their place–”

“I know you’d stay, Eiji.”

It meant the world to you just to hear him say it though. If he didn’t have obligations that he loved and took so very seriously, you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’d stay with you all night long. Doing whatever you wanted. Not pressing you for a single thing you weren’t ready for. You just knew that was the kind of guy he was. 

“Good,” He murmured, “as long as you know.”

His hands trailed down your body, thumbs grazing your breasts ever so slightly on the way down to your plush hips where he squeezed affectionately, pulling you flush against him for another deep kiss before lifting you up again. 

It had to be now, no matter how much the two of you didn’t want this night to end. “Call me when you’re home safe.” You said as you walked hand in hand to the door and this time when you rose to kiss him it was fully intentional and right on his lips that turned up into a lovable dopey grin when you pulled away. 

“Always, sweets. Oh– turn around f’me would ya?” 

You spun in front of him and his fingers found that zipper once again. He pulled it down nice and slow so you heard each of the teeth coming apart. He kissed your spine as the fabric split in two and stopped just above your tailbone, “so fuckin’ hard t’leave you.” He groaned and turned you back around for a final goodnight kiss that left you breathless and pinned against your doorway. “I’ll call ya soon.” 

“You better! Drive safe!” You called as he walked down the hallway and he waited until your door closed and he heard the lock slide home before calling the elevator. 

As he waited for it to arrive he still wore that child-like grin. And in the metal of the elevator doors, he could see blush still pooled in his cheeks and ran down the column of his neck. 

He swore he could still taste you on his tongue and feel your softness against his palms, gods, he was never gonna forget a single thing about you or about this night. In the seconds that passed waiting for the elevator he found himself dreaming up future dates and nights out with you. Events that were coming up like the gala… maybe Remi could stay with his parents that night–

The downward arrow lit up and a bell chimed the elevator's arrival dragging him from various day dreams but when the doors slid open, Eijiro realized the small space wasn’t completely empty. One man stood inside. Black slacks and shiny shoes, dress shirt still on but he was missing his jacket and tie, and his red eyes under messy blonde hair looked appropriately exhausted when they met Eijiro’s. 

Katsuki’s brows knitted together when he saw just who was waiting on the other side of the doors. “What’re you still doin’ here? You guys left hours ago– oh.” Understanding washed over his best friends  face as he noticed a look of happiness on the man’s face that was so rare he wasn’t sure he’d ever seen it before. “Heh. It’s about fuckin' time.” 

On the other side was Katsuki himself, black garment bags piled high in his arms. “Katsuki! What the fu–” 

“Just lemme in.” You quickly stepped aside and closed the door behind him while he dropped all the bags down on your sofa. “Kyo showed me the dress you’re planning on wearing Saturday,” he started to explain, “‘S not gonna work.” 

You folded your arms and narrowed your eyes at the blunt blonde, “And why not?” 

“The event is too fuckin’ fancy to be wearing a sundress. You’ll be underdressed.”

You’d been so busy getting used to everything new in your life that you hadn’t even thought to check and see what the dress code for the wedding was, but you sure as hell weren’t going to let Katsuki know that. 

“So!” He gestured broadly to everything he brought.

“Katsuki, you don’t even know my size.”

The corner of his lips rose up with a smirk. “Just trust me, wouldja? I’ve got a knack for knowing sizes and cuts. Guess it runs in the family or somethin’.” He grabbed the bag on top, “All of these are from my old man’s collection last year. They were just sittin’ back in his storage room, not doin’ a damn thing, so I grabbed what seemed good, and now they’re yours.” 

You choked on air, “Excuse me, it sounded like you said they’re mine now.” 

“They are.” 

“You can’t just give me a dress, Katsuki! Especially not one from your father’s collection; it’ll take me at least a month to pay you back!” You were paid well at the agency, and you didn’t have many expenses to worry about, and it still would’ve taken a month! 

“First of all, I’m not giving you a dress; I’m givin’ you all of ‘em.” He held up a hand when you tried protesting. “Listen, they were just collecting dust! He’s not gonna put them back out on the racks, this way, they have a purpose!”

You held the nylon bag in your hands, looking down at it, and then over to the rest of them before coming  back around to Katsuki himself. “I don’t really know what to say… thank you, Kat.” 

“Don’t make a big deal out of this,” Katsuki shook his head, “it’s fine, really. But I do have to get going. Kyoka and I are heading over to the nerd's house. Gotta make sure his vows are down to one composition book rather than the four he had yesterday.” If you looked closely, it seemed the vein by his temple was far more pronounced than usual. 

Before he could make for the door though, you tossed one arm around his neck and pulled him down for a hug with the garment bag pressed between you. “Thanks again, Kat.” 

It took him a second to wrap his arms around you, and you definitely heard him scoff, but more importantly, you heard his quiet; you’re welcome.

Once alone again in your apartment, it took you no time at all to find every available surface to hang the many bags from, twenty-one in total. You unzipped each of them slowly, unveiling the presents that lay within, and honestly, there wasn’t a single one you disliked. 

Katsuki must’ve taken into consideration the colors you wore on a regular basis because all your favorites were among them. Not only that, but he obviously thought about the plethora of different events you’d be expected to attend now that you were back pro hero society, well, in some capacity at least.

Some of the dresses were more understated, and others were glamorous gowns. The ones that fell on the more flashy side, you zipped up to save for a later event, maybe the gala that was coming up in a couple of weeks. That still left you with fourteen perfectly viable options to pick from. After a quick text to Katsuki asking him a few basic questions, was there a theme to the wedding, what the venue was, and once he got back to you, you were able to take five dresses out of the running. 

Nine was still so many though. You had no idea how you were going to settle on just one. 

You’d been zipping up the back of the seventh dress when somewhere in your room your phone started to ring. You found it under one of the garment bags, flipping it over to see Eijiro’s and Remi’s goofy faces smiling at you. He was calling you early tonight. Not that you minded. 

“Hey!” You answered quickly before the call went to voicemail. 

Eijiro had been in his living room with Remi perched in his lap, the phone between her small hands. She’d already changed into her pajamas for the night, teeth brushed, but she begged to say goodnight to you before going to bed, and he didn’t see the harm in it. However, that opinion changed the moment you answered the phone. 

He could see from over top Remi’s head what you were wearing, and it certainly wasn’t the usual hoodie he’d grown accustomed to seeing you in damn near every night. Instead, you were in a gorgeous-looking dress, and he feared he called you at quite possibly the worst time. 

“Wow!” Remi held the phone out like she could see more of your dress that way. “Y/N! You look so pretty!” 

“Awe, thanks, sweets!” 

Gods, all he could think was that someone was over at your house right now, and he didn’t even know why but his chest suddenly felt so hollow even though you took the time away from your date just to answer his call. “Y/N, I’m so sorry,” He quickly interjected, “I should’ve texted you first. Sorry, we interrupted your evening.” 

“Wait,” You chuckled, “You’re not interrupting anything! Well, except my evening of trying to find a dress that’s suitable for Izuku’s wedding. Apparently, sundresses aren’t fancy enough.” 

And just like that, he was able to breathe again, laughing while you turned the camera around and showed off the new dresses you acquired. 

“I wanna help!” Remi bounced and started pointing out different dresses she wanted you to try on for her next. 

“Whoa, kiddo, you were supposed to be getting to bed, remember? This is just a g’night phone call.” Her little lip wobbled out in a pout. “Now, none of that. You’ve got your very first swim lesson tomorrow! Gotta get to bed so you’ll be all ready for it!” 

Remi had been open to the idea of getting in the pool at the top of your building, even more so now that she had a brand new swimsuit and dynamight themed floaties. And, with a few more sunny days of summer left, the date had been set for them to come to your place in the afternoon to see if she’d really go in the water. 

“What if… what if you manage to get in the water for ten whole minutes tomorrow, you can help me pick out a dress to wear afterward. I’ll try on whichever ones you want.” 

She seemed to consider your bribe, tapping her chin and thinking it over. “Can we get pizza after too?” 

“I think we can do that.” 

“Okay then. I go to bed now. Night night, Y/N!” She ended the call before he even had the chance to say goodbye himself. It wasn’t too big a deal though. He sent you a text saying he’d call you back once she was asleep. 

And, less than an hour later, he was stretched out on his sofa, doing just that. 

“Awe, you changed. I thought I might get a preview of tomorrow's fashion show.” 

“Awe,” you mocked right back at him, “and you pout just like your daughter.” 

He had to smile at that. “Hey, she learned from the best.” 

Time passed by, but Eijiro didn’t really notice, he often lost track of it on these late calls with you. But, a sort of routine had formed between the two of you. The first yawn of the night was a free pass, the second meant heading for your bedrooms, and the third was just before you both turned out your lights. And tonight, all three of them were caused by you. 

He crawled into bed and propped his phone up on the nightstand after plugging it in so it wouldn’t die during the night. Laying on his side with his arm tucked under his head, you talked until that third yawn escaped you. “Think it’s about that time.” 

“Yeah…” You sleepily agreed, and he watched your arm reach out of the screen and then go dark while it adjusted to the lack of light, and his did the same. “Sleep well, Eijiro.” 

“See ya in the morning, Y/N. Sweet dreams.” 

FRIDAY

The morning whirled by while Eijiro kept Remi busy, letting the sun rise high in the sky to warm the day before the pair set off for your apartment. She’d been wearing her swimsuit all morning and insisted he had to put his trunks on first thing, too, because he just had to be ready. It wasn’t so bad though, it meant that when they got to your place just after lunch, she was all ready to go. 

You met them up on the rooftop with access card in hand, and Remi bolted right for you just as she always did. “You ready!” He broke into a grin at your enthusiasm. 

“Yeah!” 

Except, that wasn’t exactly true.

Together the three of you sat on the edge of the pool for twenty minutes thus far, just trying to convince Remi to dip her toes into the water. She wasn’t having it. You even reminded her about the pretty dresses downstairs that she’d get to see, and that didn’t seem to be as enticing now that she was face to face with her biggest fear. But, she allowed you to entertain her just a little, pulling up small funnels of water and whirling them gently around her feet. The moment she was asked to put them in herself, though, that was too much for her. 

She would scoot herself back at least a foot. It probably would’ve been a whole lot further had it not been for Eijiro slipping his arm behind her back to stop her. 

“Pebbles,” he tried coaxing her back to the edge again, keeping his long legs still in the water, so no droplets went flying about, “It’s really not that bad, baby. You’ve got your floaties, and we won’t letcha go under. You trust us, yeah?” Even though she nodded at the both of you, the look on her little face made Eijiro’s heart ache. 

He stole a glance over at you, and where his daughter's ruby eyes were filled with anxiety and fear, he saw nothing but patience reflected in yours. You gave him a sad little smile and shrugged. “Well, we’re up here, and I’m not gonna let his big, fun, empty pool go to waste.” 

There was this moment, when your hands reached for the hem of your shirt, and you lifted it up over your head, where Eijiro thought his heart might have actually stopped. Staring was rude. Damn it, he knew better! But, he couldn’t help but peak when your hips wiggled, and your shorts dropped down your curvy legs. You kicked both over to a lounge chair before dropping into the water, using your quirk to minimize any splash that would’ve occurred. 

The tips of his ears burned red and he swore his cheeks must’ve been on fire while his eyes followed you around the pool as you swam a lap and then another. 

“Daddy. More sun blocker.” 

“Wha–?” He immediately refocused on his daughter. Looking down and checking her shoulders and cheeks for any signs of red on her skin.

“Not me. For you.” Her hands reached up and pressed against his heated cheeks. 

“Oh. Oh, I’m alright, Pebbles.” He kissed her little knuckles, “Thank you, though.” 

You’d made your way back over to them by now. The water glistened off your skin when you lifted your arms out to tickle Remi’s feet, and Eijiro just leaned back, happy to watch you work your magic once again. 

There was something about the way his daughter laughed when you were around, it was more carefree than he’d had the pleasure of hearing recently and you just made it all seem so effortless. Even now, you convinced her to crawl back over to the edge of the pool with a smile on her face. “You’ve got your dad right beside you, and I’m right here. Sweets, we’ve got you.” 

Her smile wavered, and she pulled at the skirt of her swimsuit. “What if water goes in my eyes again, or my mouth?”  

Eijiro sat back up and tapped her chin. “Well, you’re gonna keep your mouth closed, for one thing,” 

“And I won’t let the water get anywhere close to your pretty eyes. You just put your feet right here, okay?” Your hand hovered over the area just below her, not making a single splash or ripple in the water. 

And, by nothing short of a miracle, Remi took a deep breath and held it, cautiously dipping in one foot and then the other. 

Eijiro was the first to cheer, with you following just a millisecond after. Both of you with smiles so infectious they spread right to Remi’s, who started breathing again. “I– I did it? I did it! Daddy see! Look! I did it!” Her feet even kicked below the surface. “Y/N! See! Look at my feets!” You sent little bubbles all around her ankles, and a giggle so pure filled the air. 

In the minutes that passed, her butt scooted right to the very ledge of the pool, any further and she was going to be in the water. One look at you, though, and Eijiro knew he had nothing to worry about, you were ready just in case an accident occurred. 

“Gettin’ pretty close to the water there, Rem. Wanna go in?” 

Her lip was stuck between her teeth while she thought it over and then she motioned for him to lean down, whispering something for only him to hear. “Can you help me? You and Y/N. Want no water in my face.” 

He ran his fingers through her soft, dark hair, “‘Course we will.” 

He tugged his t-shirt off and tossed it beside yours on the chair. There was no way he missed your gaze falling the second his head turned back toward the water, and he did his best to hide the smirk on his face because at least he hadn’t been the only one staring. 

When he dropped next to you in the water, you tamed the splash just like you’d done for your own. He popped up at your side with a cheesy grin on his face, pushing his hair back out of his eyes while you flicked a small orb of water at him. 

“Alright, baby, just gonna slide right off the edge like we did,” He held his arms out for Remi, holding his hands out to guide her right where she needed to go. 

“There’s not gonna be a splash, I promise.” 

She nodded. “Countdown?” 

You and Eijiro started at the same time, “3…2…1–!” 

Remi used her hands and pushed off with a shriek leaving her lungs. Eijiro was quick, snatching her up right away. “That’s my girl!” He beamed, and her little fingers dug into his forearm while he twirled her around the water, making her legs make their own wake. You followed wherever they went, keeping the water steady and off her face until Remi reached for you, wanting you to carry her around instead. 

The afternoon snuck by while the two of you passed Remi back and forth, carrying her around the pool, around the people that came and went, letting her get used to the water for as long as she wanted. 

Eijiro was lazily following you as you made another lap around the pool with Remi on your back, her arms locked in front of your neck. Water splashed around the both of you, and you weren’t doing too much to mitigate it anymore. Perhaps more surprising was his daughter didn’t seem to mind. Not one bit. 

He couldn’t wait to tell his parents about this. Oh, and Mina too. And Katsuki and Tamaki. None of them were gonna believe it. Hell, if he weren’t witnessing it happen right before his eyes, he wouldn’t believe it! 

But, there was one thing Eijiro knew beyond a shadow of a doubt; none of this would’ve been possible without you. He’d hoped one day Remi would be able to conquer her fear, find a way to overcome it, but he never thought it’d be this soon. Apparently, all it took was the right person. 

You had Remi held up in your arms now, wading around in small circles, the pool far more crowded now than when all this had begun. “Daddy, has it been ten minutes yet?” 

Both of you laughed since roughly 160 minutes had passed since she took the plunge. “Yeah, Pebble, it has.” 

“Okay. I think I’m done now. But, we can come back, right? Y/N said if I learn how go under water I could swim with duckies and sharks someday!”

“Yeah, baby, if that’s alright with Y/N.” You rolled your eyes and flicked another orb at him.

“Of course it’s alright with me!” 

“Tomorrow?” 

Eijiro made his way closer with a smile on his face, thrilled his daughter was eager to get back in the water. His hands brushed yours when he lifted Remi out of your arms. “Not tomorrow, ‘m sorry. Remember, dad’s gotta go to a wedding. Y/N’s going too and you’ve gotta help her pick a dress out for it.” 

“Going together?” She asked while you both waded to the latter.

It was only decided last night that the two of you would ride there together. You mentioned something about getting a taxi, and he saw no sense in that, not when he’d have to drive by your place on his way to the venue. “I’m gonna pick her up, yes, you nosey child of mine.” 

“Good!” He lifted her back out of the water before climbing up the ladder behind her, turning to offer you his hand, but you were still all the way in the water.

“What is it?” 

Your eyes darted around and he saw you taken in just how many more people were up on the rooftop now. “Do you– would you mind grabbing my shirt f’me? I um–” You glanced down in the water, and it clicked for him when one hand settle across your scars.  

“On it.” 

He grabbed a towel too and brought it over. As soon as you were on the ladder, he let the towel cover you so no one saw a thing, held it around your back while you slipped your shirt on, standing  between his arms. “I’m not embarrassed by them.” Your voice was so quiet only he heard you and his response was just as soft.

“Glad to hear it. You’ve got no reason to be.” 

“I just don’t like the judgemental looks.” 

“Darling, you don’t owe me or anyone else an explanation.” You still stood so close to him, and you certainly didn’t know it, but it made his heart beat a little quicker. A habit he picked up every time you were in this close of proximity. “They’re just a part of who you are, but I understand why you don’t want strangers commenting. ‘S okay.” 

“Daddy!” The intimacy that had gathered between you instantly disipated, heads whipping towards Remi, who was sitting on the lounge chair, bundled up in her shark towel, “Pizza and dresses now, please!” 

Eijiro just shook his head until he felt your hand rest on his arm. “Hey, at least she said please.” He scooped Remi up in his arms, and you grabbed the towels, all three of you heading down to your apartment.

“Okay, daddy, I think we found best.” His daughter crawled up beside him on the sofa, hiding a yawn behind her hand, the excitement of the day finally catching up to her. 

The pizza had been finished, and you let Remi inspect the dresses you narrowed down from the night before. She pointed out the ones she liked and paid the others no mind. Eijiro had seen you in three of them so far, and each time you stepped out of your room in a new dress, his expression never failed to make your knees feel just a little weaker than before. 

Sitting up a little straighter on the sofa, his smile looking so unbelievably genuine, the words beautiful and gorgeous dropping from his lips more than once and reddening his cheeks in the process. 

The fourth time you stepped out of the room and gave your little twirl, that was the only time Eijiro had been rendered speechless. You felt his gaze on you, starting with your legs and working its way upward, lingering in certain places longer by only a fraction of a second. His lips were slightly parted, jaw just barely unhinged. The temperature in your apartment felt like it rose twenty degrees in a matter of seconds, all from the way he was looking at you. 

“Hello! Earth to dad. Y/N looks pretty, right?” His daughter's hand waving about in front of his face seemed to break him from the trance he was under. 

“Y–yes. Of course.” He cleared his throat and moved a yawning Remi off his lap, “I don’t think you got the back zipped up all the way, though. May I?” 

You nodded and turned around for him, felt his fingers hold your waist still while his other hand pulled the little zipper up the last few inches. 

“For what it’s worth, I think they all looked great on you.” His quiet words tickled your ear, breath warm against your skin, and you couldn’t help leaning back into his touch like you had that morning in his kitchen. 

“But you like this one best.” 

You felt his rumble of a laugh before you heard it this time. “I don’t think my opinion matters that much.” 

His calloused fingertips brushed against your shoulders, leaving goosebumps in their wake. “I think your opinion matters a lot, actually.” 

Of course, you didn’t need him to say outright that this dress was his favorite. His reaction to seeing you in it was more than enough indication. Over the past few weeks you’d shared with him, his words and actions slowly stoked embers low in your belly you’d almost forgot existed but hearing him admit,  “If it matters that much, then yes, out of all the dresses tonight, I think this one makes you look stunning,” That made them spark. 

“Thank you, Eiji.” 

A little shuffle from the sofa had both of you turn your heads. Remi found herself a blanket and pillow and made herself comfortable, her eyes getting weighed down by sleep. 

“I should be getting her home.” 

“Right, of course!” You started towards your bedroom, meaning to get changed real fast, but he caught you just as you crossed the threshold. “Oh, the zipper.” He nodded, and you spun back around. He pulled you right back into his hold, bringing the zipper down until you felt cool air hit your bare back. 

Facing away from him meant you didn’t see the way his fingers lingered, longing to touch you just a little more, hoping to satisfy his growing curiosity, especially since the dress dipped low enough that he was blessed with the tiniest glimpse of the lace panties you had on. He refrained, though, and said nothing more than you’re welcome when you stepped away to get changed. 

He grabbed his and Remi’s bathing suits that had been hanging in your hall bathroom, put them away along with a couple toys she’d brought out and by the time Eijiro lifted his daughter up into his arms, she was just barely clinging to consciousness. 

“Leaving?” 

“Yeah, pebble, gonna head home now.” 

You opened your door at just the right time to hear her ask. “Y/N coming too?” 

“No, she’s already in her home.” 

“Oh…” 

She held out sleepy arms for a hug once you were back in sight, and, for a moment, neither you or Eijiro were quite sure if she was going to release you. 

But, when she settled back against Eijiro’s chest, he offered you a hug of his own. Holding you to his side, “I call you when we’re home.” 

“I’ll be up.” Your arms were still around him, needing this for just a few more seconds that he was happy to allow. Both of your minds sad the night was ending but also, already looking forward to the day to come.

SATURDAY

Soft pastels painted the evening sky, providing a picturquese backdrop for what had already been a beautiful day. 

The ceremony for Izuku and Melissa was kept short in order to, “make sure the nerd could say his vows and not sob ‘em,” according to Katuski, but that didn’t take a single thing away from the event itself. A cocktail hour followed, whisking away the newlyweds and their close family and friends while the rest of the guests, yourself included, mingled around expertly decorated tables, sipping on signature drinks and munching on some of the most delicious appetizers you’d ever tasted. Perhaps the only thing tastier was the dinner itself. 

You sat at a large circular table with Eijiro on one side and Tamaki on the other. Lost in conversation with friends that had your cheeks aching from laughter.

It wasn’t long before the brand-new Mr. and Mrs. were sharing their first dance, and the DJ was calling for other couples to join them on the dance floor. Tamaki was already standing from the table, his hand holding his husband’s. 

“Do you like dancing?” You asked Eijiro, leaning back in your seat slightly so he could hear you better. 

An easy smile slid on his face. “Yeah, I like dancing, can’t promise you I’m all that good though.” 

His chair suddenly jerked, kicked by Mina, who’d been on his other side. “Excuse you! After all that time I spent teaching you how to dance for Kat’s wedding!” Her eyes landed on you next, “He’s great, do not let him sell himself short!” 

Before he could get any more of a lecture, Eijiro stood and held his hand out to help you up. He led the way onto the dance floor, finding a spot for the two of you between all the others that paired off. His hand softly rested on your waist, and your mind instantly snapped back to the night before.

You’d been trying not to think too much about it. Not wanting to read into it or see something that wasn’t really there. But maybe there was something more to it all. It certainly felt like there could be with the way your feet moved effortlessly along with his, in perfect time with the music. And you never really could deny how nice his fingers felt laced with yours. 

“Mina was right,” You mumbled with a small smirk when he cocked an eyebrow as if to ask about what. “You are pretty great.” 

You could’ve added, at dancing, to the end of that sentence, but then you might not have gotten to see his smile. The one that pushed up the balls of his cheeks, so his eyes crinkled at the corners, it was one of your favorites. 

He twirled you around suddenly, only to pull you back in close to him, and you got to feel that rumbling laugh again when your hand landed on his chest. “Guess I do still know a thing or two.” The wink he gave certainly wasn’t necessary, but it reminded you of that flame in your belly, and how it was  getting harder and harder to ignore. 

Eijiro had lost count of the number of dances he had the pleasure of sharing with you. When the slow songs blended into more lively numbers, you still remained in his arms. That was until Mina, Ochaco, and Itsuka, fueled by many fruity cocktails, pulled you away from him and into a circle of giggling women. 

He took the opportunity to lose his suit jacket and wander over to the bar in search of something to cool himself off. It wasn’t until he had a glass of whiskey in his hand that he noticed Denki, Hanta, and Katsuki all crowded around a hightop, Denki with his arm in the air, waving him over to join them. He just didn’t realize quite how fast he would regret it.

It was about five seconds after his whisky glass touched the white linen tablecloth that the question spilled from Denki’s lips: 

“Alright, I gotta ask since you guys are clearly gettin’ real cozy, how’s the sex? Good, right?” He saw his friend’s golden eyes find you in the crowd, and slowly he nodded his head. “With the way she moves those hips, it’s gotta be good.” 

“Denks, I’m driving t’night, and that means I cannot drink the amount of alcohol required in order to have this conversation with you.” 

Hanta snorted a laugh before taking another swig of his beer while Katsuki only rolled his eyes. 

“Awe, c’mon, you’ve been keepin’ it quiet for weeks, man! Give us something!” 

All he could do was shrug his shoulders and press the cool rim of the glass to his lips, knocking back about half of it in one go. “I’ve got nothin’ to give. We haven’t had sex.” 

But Denki really couldn’t help himself, “Why the fuck not? I know you’ve been outta the game for a while, but really, did ya forget how it works or…” 

This was just a conversation he couldn’t have. Especially not here. “‘S just not like that between us.” But, even as he spoke the words, they tasted acidic in his mouth. 

He knew what was holding him back, what kept him from trying to seek something more with you, but, more importantly, he knew what you were going through. The loss you had suffered and were still learning to cope with. He wanted more than anything to be there for you, and, so far, you were letting him, he was a person you trusted, and he didn’t want to chance these feelings he was having ruining that. 

Denki and Hanta shared a look before the blonde looked back at Eijiro. “Well, since it’s just not like that between you guys… guess I’m gonna go finally make my move.” He clinked the neck of his beer with Hanta. “Wish me luck!” 

The three men watched as Denki moved his way between groups and couples until he found you among them. Eijiro saw his mouth move, and you nod your head with a grin. “Damn. Don’t know how he does it.” Hanta chuckled before leaving for another drink. 

Eijiro knew how. He knew it didn’t have a damn thing to do with Denki and, instead, had everything to do with the fact you were just that kind of a person. 

“You’re gonna shatter that glass if you squeeze any tighter.” 

Katsuki brought him back, and he forced his hand to relax, but he still didn’t take his eyes off of you. 

“So, you gonna tell me what the fuck is really goin’ on? ‘Cause dunce face might believe that shit you said, but I sure as hell don’t.” 

He wrenched his eyes away from where Denki had his hands on your hips and snapped them over to Katsuki. “There is nothing else to tell. It’s like I said weeks ago; there’s nothing goin’ on with Y/N and I.” 

Katsuki glared up at him, and Eijiro knew it was taking everything in him not yell, so, he pulled him a little further back from the crowd, just in case. 

“Quit. Fuckin’. Lyin’. To me. You’re shit at it.” 

“Whaddya want me t’say, Katsuki? Huh? That I like her, ‘cause, yeah, I fuckin’ do.” 

“So why the hell is the human battery pack dancing with her then?”

He just barely managed to grit his response between clenched teeth. “Because I can’t give her the kind of relationship she deserves to have!” 

“The hell does that mean?” 

“All the time ‘m not workin’, ‘m with Remiru. I couldn’t even keep my ex around and that was when I was just workin’!” 

It was so damn hard for Katsuki to keep his voice down, Eijiro knew that, and he just didn’t care. He didn’t want to talk about this, but Katsuki wasn’t letting it go. “Your ex was a piece of actual trash, and you know that! So, why are you bringing that up! Y/N already hangs around with you and the kid, like, all the time! What would change?” 

“It’s different! We’re just friends right now! The expectations are totally different!” 

“You don’t really believe that, do you?” Eijiro prepared himself, expecting this to be it, but rather than explode, Katsuki sucked in a deep breath. “You’re being fuckin’ stupid; you’re gonna let fuckin’ Kaminari take your girl because you’re too damn scared. Man the fuck up.” 

Eijiro wasn’t sure there was ever a time in his life when he wanted to clock Katsuki quite as much as he wanted to at that moment, and in trying to keep that anger in check, he let something else slip rather than his fist. “There’s shit you don’t know.” 

“About what!” 

“About her!” 

That had the blonde blinking for a moment, and it was too late to try and back track. “What about her?” 

“Can’t say. ‘S not my place.” 

“Eijiro, I worked with that woman for months. I nearly fuckin’ died right next to her. I might not know everything about her, but I’ll tell ya what I do know: She loved her job, her life, and the people in it. Even after that failed mission, she wasn’t scared to go back out into the field, she didn’t want to quit, but something made her. If almost dying doesn’t make you quit, then something way more fucked up must’ve. You tellin’ me you know somethin’ about that?” Eijiro nodded his head slowly. “If she trusts you to share something so important to her, what makes you think she wouldn’t wanna be with you?” 

He swallowed thickly, trying to think of a way he could voice his concern without explaining what really happened to you. “She was hurt, Kat, bad. Physically, but way more emotionally, I think. Even if I had the time to make her happy, I don’t want to push her into something new before she’s actually ready.” 

There was no stopping Katsuki from scoffing at his making you happy remark but the rest he seemed to take to heart. “Fine. Ya wanna let her take the lead, alright, but you’ve got her best interest at heart. You know her better than anyone right now. You really think Duracell is gonna be as considerate?”

“No…” 

“Then I suggest you go fuckin’ do somethin’ about it before he actually thinks he’s got a shot.” 

He really had no idea what he was thinking besides knowing that the idea of you with Denki was going to make him ill. So, he gave Katsuki a final look and then was crossing the dance floor. He didn’t have a clue what he was going to say to try and get you to dance with him again… if you even wanted to dance with him again– Just as he started getting in his head about everything, he saw you right over Denki’s shoulder, and the smile you gave him made his heart skip several beats. 

“You came back!” You chirped just as soon as he reached you. 

“I’ll always come back for ya.” He grinned, knowing in the back of his mind he definitely meant that in more ways than one. “Do ya mind if I cut in, man? Promised Y/N a dance weeks ago.” 

“Awe,” Denki pouted, “Fine, just come find me if he decides to take a break again.” 

The way the blonde kissed your knuckles before leaving, Eijiro could’ve done without seeing that, but you laughed it off and slid right back into his arms, and suddenly, everything felt alright again.

You sighed, seeming to be thankful for the slow song that came on, and he could feel you leaning on him a little more than before. When your cheek pressed against his shoulder, he feared you might hear his heart hammering out an escape plan. 

“Did ya wanna take a break for a bit?” He asked quietly, still swaying you gently, but you shook your head.

“I’ll be alright for at least another song. Plus, I missed you.” 

Now, he definitely knew you could hear his heart, just as sure as you could see the shit-eating grin on his face, “Oh really?” 

“I– I just–” Damn, did you look cute when you got flustered. 

“Was Denks really that bad of a dancer?” He asked, and you stopped stumbling over your words, laughing softly instead.

Your own laugh blended with his. “He’s not bad, he’s just not you.”  

For the rest of the reception, you remained right by his side. Dancing, getting drinks, talking with friends, as the night wore on. Where one of you went, the other followed. Neither getting sick of the other’s company. 

You stood hand in hand during the sparkler send-off, waving goodbye in the vast crowd that gathered behind the limo taking Izuku and Melissa off on their much-deserved honeymoon. From there, though, the party died down tremendously. 

More guests sat in chairs at tables rather than dancing to the last couple songs of the evening. He’d wound his arm over your shoulders, and you’d had your head rest on him for the last ten minutes. “Wanna head out?” He murmured softly into your hair, and you nodded.

A few quick farewells, and see-you-Mondays, later, and the two of you were walking to his car, one of the last few that remained in the parking lot. The music followed you out, and your ears perked up, instantly noticing the notes to one of your favorite songs. 

“Damn…” He looked down at you with a bit of concern etching on his face. “Nothing. It just this song is one of my favorites, and, of course, it plays when we leave.” 

He’d unlocked the car and took your shoes from your fingers, setting them on the backseat along with his jacket. “What’re you doing?” 

“Dancing with you,” you let him slip your hand back into his, “just one more song before the night over.” 

Out here, you had all the room you could possibly want to move around, a dance floor for just the two of you, and yet you danced closer than you had all night. Your bare feet were on the tops of his polished shoes, your head tucked comfortably right under his chin, and that song you loved so damn much, now more than ever before, you wished it would never end. 

But you knew those last couple words, the final cords coming to a close, and the laugh that bubbled up out of your lungs with Eijiro started walking with you still on his feet back to the car; well, he was pretty sure that was his new favorite song. 

He helped you slide in, making sure your dress was out of the way before closing the door. Neither of you asked this time; his hand just held yours the whole ride back to your place, thumb ghosting across your knuckles while you watched the moon following you home. 

You’d fallen asleep again, worn out by the day, and he woke you just as he’d done before; his warm hand cradling your cheek, gentle caresses bringing you back to him. “Hey, lemme walk you up.” 

You had no objections to the kind offer, and he kept his arm around you as you walked through the lobby, during the ride up the elevator, and down the corridor while you pressed your thumb against the scanner to open your door. 

“Thank you for today, Eijiro. I had a lot of fun.”  

It was so easy for him to smile back at you. “Me too. Want me to call when I’m home, or are you gonna pass out before then?” 

“I promise I’ll stay awake.” And, before you had a chance to realize what you were doing, you rose on tiptoes and pressed your lips to his cheek, dangerously close to the corner of his mouth. “Drive safe, and thank you again.” 

His eyes were wide, but you were just a little too tired to notice, your mind not yet realizing what you’d done. “Uh– yeah– right! I’ll talk to you soon.” 

You went through the process of locking the door and putting your shoes away before it dawned on you. 

“Oh shit…” You muttered in your empty apartment. “Oh shit!” Fingertips pressed to your lips. You kissed him, you actually kissed him! Hand holding and hugs were one thing but kissed him! 

What were you gonna say when he called? Would he still call? Maybe it wasn’t that big of a deal to him, and he wouldn’t mention it at all, that would be the best outcome but, maybe it was a very big deal to him. Maybe you crossed a line–

You knew that knock at your door and quickly undid the lock. “H-hey, um, d–did you need something?” 

His cheeks burned redder than you’d ever seen them before. “Yeah…” his hands cupped your cheeks, and he leaned in close, “You.” The three-letter word landed on your lips just a second before his lips did. 

He couldn’t keep them against you for long, he told himself he wouldn’t, but from the moment yours brushed his cheek, he could think of nothing else. The doubts he had were swallowed up by the flame you sparked, and curiosity turned him back around and carried him right back to your door. Just one kiss. That was all he needed. Or that was all he thought he’d need. 

The moment he pulled away, he instantly craved more and wanted to bring you right back to him, but you looked so stunned, practically frozen in place, and he feared he’d been right before. This wasn’t what you wanted. All the doubts and insecurities crashed over him until both your hands grabbed a side of his undone necktie and yanked him back against you. 

Your lips came alive, igniting against his. 

Gods, he wasn’t sure he’d ever felt anything quite like you. He couldn’t remember another kiss he felt throughout his entire body, and yet yours felt like lightning running through his veins, setting every nerve on end. 

“Damn…” The word barely fell off his tongue before it was gliding back in your mouth, not quite able to get enough. You both sucked down ragged breaths when you broke apart with smiles plastered on your faces. “I– um– I should probably get goin’. My moms’ are still–” 

“--at your place because of Remi.” He nodded but closed his eyes when your warm hand rested on his cheek. “Just call me when you’re settled for the night, okay?” 

“Soon as I can, promise.” 

He’d meant to be on his way, he knew he should’ve been going but you turned in between his arms and he had to bite his lip to stifle a groan. 

“Think you can help me again before you leave?” 

You knew exactly what you were doing. Any hint of tiredness had left you the very moment he showed back up at your door. And now that he allowed you a taste, you were wide awake and greedy for more. 

The way his hands tightened on your waist almost made you melt. He’d always been careful with you, every touch gentle. But when you looked back at him over your shoulder, a quiet, “please,” leaving you, for the briefest moment you felt a fraction of the strength he actually possessed press into your flesh when he took just one step forward.

He guided you through your doorway and into the apartment, using his foot to shut the door so his hands never left you. “You make it real hard f’me to walk away, y’know that?” 

“Then stay…” his lips on your neck cut your sentence short, each kiss like fire licking your skin. 

“Can’t.” You knew that. Of course, you did, “But, I want to.”

One hand traveled up the length of your spine, nearly reaching that zipper that you knew he’d pull down only far enough because that was the respectful thing to do, and then he’d be gone. Because he was a good man, a great father, who needed to be getting home to his daughter. You shouldn’t have asked and yet the desire was just a smidge too strong for you to withstand; “Just another five minutes?” 

He’s fingers halted, the air thick with something brand new beginning, and he spun you around fast enough your breath caught in your throat, coming face to face with his perfect smile, “five more minutes.” 

Neither of you had called it a date over the phone! And not in any text messages either! There was no possible reason for your brain to even think Kirishima could be considering this a date. 

And yet you still had six different tops thrown across your bed, two skirts, a pair of leggings, and three pants, none of which you were happy with for your not date. The thing was, even if this wasn’t a date, you were still going to the place you were going to be working at, therefore you had to make a good impression. A good impression without trying to make it blatantly obvious that you were trying to impress. 

Sucking in a deep breath through your nose, you knew what you’d go with. A pair of sleek black pants that cut off right at the ankle and hugged your hips just right, paired with your favorite blouse, if for no other reason than comfort and familiarity. Dressing up the whole thing with a pair of heels that were worn in enough that they wouldn’t kill your feet no matter how much walking you did. 

You glanced at the time, too late now to change even if you wanted to…

It was not a date. 

Over and over he told himself that, so many times that he lost count! But, he hadn’t even realized he’d dug out one of his favorite shirts from the back of his closet that hadn’t seen the light of day in he couldn’t remember how long. Rolling the sleeves just under his elbows and trying to decide if he should leave it unbuttoned or not. 

In the end, he settled on not because this was not a date and open seemed more casual. Yet, Remi narrowed her eyes at him when he walked into her room. “Why you wearing nice shirt? Thought we go to grams’.” 

“You are going to grams’,” he corrected her, “I have to go into work for a little bit.” 

Her little bottom lip jutted out. “Oh, don’t gimme that!” He scooped her up in his arms and spun her around until she was giggling. “You love going over to their house, and what about the puppies?” Eijiro was doing everything he could think of to keep her distracted because there was no way he was telling her he was actually meeting you. She’d never let him leave, not without her at least. He had no clue what he was going to do when she learned you two would be working together. 

Within the hour he was pulling into his parent’s drive, seeing them both working in the vast front yard, waving as he pulled up to the house. “There’s my girl!” His mom crouched down and caught Remi the moment she jumped at her while his mum walked over to greet him with a hug and a kiss.

“How are ya feelin’, love?” 

“I’m doing good, mum, promise.” They were so proud of all he’d done in his hero career and yet they also never quit worrying about him. It’s just hardwired, was what they told him every time he reminded them they worried too much. 

“Daddy has a date!” His eyes went wide at the words coming out of his daughter’s mouth.

“I do not!” 

“That is one of your nice shirts, Eiji.” 

Both his parents eyed him with curiosity while he fumbled with a response. “I— I’m going to work! I told you guys that on the phone! And— and I have a lot of nice shirts, thank you very much!” 

“That we only see you in for holidays and special occasions… like dates.” 

Both his daughter and the woman that held her wore identical smug smiles. 

“I’m sorry to disappoint you all, but I really am just going to work.” He kissed Remi and then both his mothers, “And if I don’t get going, I’m definitely going to be late.” 

Once in the car, he was able to release the sigh he’d been holding in, thankful they let him go without any further hassle. 

Somewhere between his mothers’ place and yours though, it occurred to him that this would be the first time the two of you would be seeing each other outside of the hospital, well, besides the accident in the park and the train crash. Eijiro’s fingers twitched anxiously against the stirring wheel but he wasn’t really sure why.

He’d spent so much time with you over the last week, he even talked to you well into the night for the last two, seeing you in person and outside of the hospital shouldn’t be weird or uncomfortable and yet nervous excitement flowed faster and faster through his veins the closer he got to your apartment.

When he got there though, and you answered the door, a different kind of nervous energy took him over. He thought you were pretty that day in the park… hell, he thought you were gorgeous. Even in the hospital you still managed to look lovely to him somehow. But now, he got the chance to see the normal you and it made his heart leap into his throat, that had to be the reason he couldn’t speak for a moment… right? 

It returned to its rightful place in his chest though with a quick clearing of his throat and suddenly he recalled how to exchange a basic greeting! 

Lucky for him, when the two of you walked down the sidewalk on the way to the agency, he was also remembered how to have a conversation, then again, you always made that easy for him. And even when the conversation tapered off, when you happened to see something in a shop window and your steps slowed, he didn’t mind the comfortable silence. Not a single bit. Another topic would pop right back into one of your heads and away you two would be chattering. 

Of course, his heart started hammering a little faster again once you got to the agency though. It was the way you walked just a little closer to his side so you didn’t get separated between the many people flitting about. And there was the way you smiled when he introduced you to the people who’d be your co-workers, the people he called friends. 

Mina welcomed you with open arms, literally. Pulling you away from him for the time being to show you how your office would be right beside hers, because, obviously you were getting an office if Izuku and Katsuki had anything to say about it. 

Denki was quick to join Mina, clearly wondering who the new girl was and, Eijiro was pleasantly surprised the man showed a modicum of restraint; he waited a full minute before using a pickup line on you. One that must not have been very good judging by your eye roll and Mina’s groan of disgust. 

Hanta was out on patrol with Kyoka and one of the team’s sidekicks, so, you’d have to meet him on your official first day but, aside from that, he also introduced you to their team's receptionist, Hina, a sweet woman with streaks of gray shooting through her dark coiled locks. You didn’t get a chance to actually speak with her since she was talking on the phone the entire duration of your visit, but, that was pretty normal for Hina. 

Even Katsuki snuck out of his meeting, though, that was because he was wondering what the two of you were doing there when neither of you were supposed to working yet. 

Eijiro had ducked into his own office while you were preoccupied, wanting to give you all the time you desired to get to know people and your new workplace. He had no intention of getting any actual work done but he still thumbed through the paperwork that sat in the center of his large desk. Documents he would need to fill out regarding his participation in the rescue efforts for the crash. And, sure enough, when he logged into his email, there were all the medical releases he’d need to worry about. Standard procedure for any pro who had to undergo surgery due to an injury caused while on duty. 

However, that was a problem for future Eijiro to deal with. He’d have desk duty for another couple of weeks anyway before he’d be cleared to patrol again. Plenty of time to get boring paperwork taken care of. 

You poked your head in just a couple of minutes later and made a comment about how nice of a view he had out the vast glass windows and he had to agree. It was prettier at night, he thought but, even in the daylight the view of the city spreading out down below was something to behold. The view from yours was just as nice though, he just had the advantage of the balcony off his particular office. A perk of being one of the agency’s many founders; getting a say in the design. Everyone had their own taste, this just happened to be his. 

With Mina needing to get ready for an interview, Denki now taking a phone call, and Katsuki returning to his meeting, Eijiro took the opportunity to show you the rest of the agency. 

He made sure to verbally tell you all the places he could remember, which floors specific things were on, but the places he deemed most important he made sure to actually take you to. They were the ones you could usually find the team at if they weren’t on their floor. 

This meant you got to see the two gyms, the swimming pool, the food court, and the research, medical, and support floors. He watched you take each new place in. How you wasted no time in greeting people with a warm smile. 

He was laughing by the end of the tour, when he was walking you back to your place, he listened to your opinions of the agency and his co-workers, telling him there was no way you could possibly remember everyone’s name. 

“You don’t need to worry,” He grinned, “Promise, I’ll help ya in any way I can.” 

If you had any doubt that Eijiro Kirishima was a man of his word, they were long gone by your second week on the job. 

“Which floor can I find Yaoyorozu on again? I need her signature for this press release with Pinky.” 

“Two floors up.” He was behind his computer like he’d been for most of the time you’d been working here and he made sure to give you one of his signature bright smiles before you were hurrying on your way.

Shit, you doubled back, “Hey, don’t forget—“

“I have my appointment to be cleared in for fieldwork at three today. I remember, darling.” 

You grinned at the nickname. It didn’t mean anything, you learned that pretty quickly after hearing him call practically everyone in the office that at one point or another but it still made your heart skip a beat. Especially when he let it slip outside of the office. When the gang of pros went out after hours and always invited you along. Or, during your late-night phone calls with him that did, in fact, become a habit, the nickname would occasionally slip past his lips then too. If he knew the effect it had on you, he never commented on it, he just kept on being his usual, cheery, helpful self. 

Kirishima was always there when you needed him, all of his friends were. It never left the back of your mind just how lucky you were to be thrown in with this group of people that accepted you with open arms. If you had questions, they were happy to answer them, and, in return, you were happy to help them out with anything you could. 

Like, making sure Katsuki had at least an hour off after an interview so he could blow off some steam. Or, not scheduling any calls for Denki before 9 AM because he was certainly not a morning person. It was the little things that you took notice of but it made a world of difference to them. They were quickly learning that they could come to you with problems and you would do what you could to find solutions. 

Which is why it didn’t really surprise you to see Kirishima in your doorway, “Can I come in?” He asked after a quick knock. Back from his afternoon patrol but still in his uniform. 

“’Course!” 

He stepped in and closed the door behind him with a quiet click. 

In the 21 days you’d been working with the man you’d gotten pretty decent at reading his facial expressions, of course, the late-night phone conversations helped too. You now knew when something was bothering him or was just making him downright annoyed. But, the one he had on now was the same one he got before a meet and greet or any kind of live press event; something was making him nervous. 

Out of his pants pocket, he pulled out his cell phone. “Would it be alright if you listened to this voicemail I got while I was out?” 

You were a little skeptical, only because of his demeanor but told him to play it anyways.

Eijiro, it’s mom. Your daughter has something she’s been wanting to ask you all day so, here she is— 

Daddy! Daddy, listen! It’s been, like, forevers since I’ve seen Ms. Y/N and I miss her whole lot! Can she please come over for dinner tonight? Gammy says it’s okay! I already ask! Please, daddy!

It’s fine with us, Eiji, really. Y/N sounds lovely from what Remi and yo— 

He stopped the voicemail before his mother could continue and slipped the phone back into his pocket while he explained, “She asks about you, well, a lot, actually. I don’t want it to be weird and I don’t want you to feel obligated or anything but I had to at least ask because—

Now it was your turn to cut him off, trying to hide your smile that was threatening to bloom in response to the nervous word vomit. “Do you want me to go to dinner, Kirishima?” 

“Yeah… yeah, I’d really like it if you did and it’d mean the world to Rem. But, it’ll be at my moms’ place and I don’t want you to feel awkward about it or anything.” 

“Kiri, it’s fine. I’d be happy to go to dinner, I just have one condition.” 

“Name it.”

“You tell me what your moms’ like to drink because there is no way I can show up empty-handed.” 

He chuckled and you watched him finally relax. “I’ll tell you on one condition:” You raised your brow, waiting to see what he was going to ask of you. “You call me Eijiro, at least, while we’re there.” 

A warmth pooled in your cheeks at the forwardness of the request. “Alright… Eijiro,” Experimentally rolled his given name off your tongue and you saw that same heat in your cheeks rise in his own, “I think I can do that.”

He quickly got changed and the both of you walked out of the agency to the weekend ahead. He offered to drive and you happily accepted, making things all the easier since you’d walked to work that day. 

Kirishima handed over control of the radio, letting you pick whatever you liked, saying he was prone to listening to just about anything. 

So, with music pouring through the speakers, your voices singing along, while hair whipped around you as Kirishima drove down various streets, leaving the city behind and heading off for the countryside.

Before arriving, Kirishima made a point to give you some information about his parents so you weren’t walking in completely blind. Letting you know he was the only adopted son of Cara and Natsumi Kirishima, Cara being his mum, and Natsumi his mom. Both women were now retired from being teachers, and moved out to the country, but were constantly around for him and Remi when they weren’t traveling. 

“They went on this Euro adventure for like four months,” He was telling you with a wide smile on his face, “The stories they came back with…” There was awe in his eyes as he shared a couple of them with you before deciding he should stop so you didn’t have to hear them twice. 

“How’d they meet?” 

“An educational seminar. My mum was an attendee and my mom was the one presenting. They ran into each other at a bar later that evening and my mom was smitten right from the start.” He chuckled a little, “My mum thought she needed to get off her high horse. But, with the help of some alcohol, they both got to talking and I guess the rest is history.” 

It wasn’t too much longer until Kirishima pulled into a long driveway framed with beautiful trees the whole way up to the home. On the porch that Kirishima drove past, you caught sight of a woman with dark hair sitting with two dogs on either side of her and puppies playing at her feet. In the yard, gazing into a little pond was another woman, this one with strawberry blonde locks piled atop her head, and standing just in front of her was a very familiar little girl, who’s face you saw light up in an instant the very moment she saw the car. 

Remi took off, nearly tripping over her own two feet before she could run after you two. “Ms. Y/N!” She hollered over and over until she reached you, running right into your arms when you crouched down to her level and completely ignored her father. “Missed you.” She nuzzled her little face into the crook of your neck, allowing you to pick her up just as Kirishima walked around to join you. 

“Missed you too, kiddo.” 

“Where’s my hug, huh, little pebble?” He tickled her sides until she threw her arms around his shoulders and climbed over into his arms. 

Two small hands held his face still so she could look right at him. “Thank you for bringing her. Best daddy ever.” Kirishima looked as if he was going to melt right on the spot when his daughter kissed the tip of his nose. “Now c’mon! We gotta take Ms. Y/N to meet gammy and nana!” 

She wiggled and Kirishima took that as his cue to set her down between you two and she wasted no time reaching up expectantly, waiting for each of you to take one of her hands. He wore a small smile when he leaned down a bit so she didn’t have to reach so high and once you accepted her other hand, she happily took off again. 

Introductions were full of warm and welcoming smiles. His parents inviting you into their home, offering drinks in between a handful of questions. 

They knew a little about you, the basics like your name, the fact you and Kirishima worked together, and that you helped Remi in the park. Kirishima explained to them how you knew Bakugo and Midoriya, and you shared your relation to Tamaki. 

“But, you two met completely by accident?” Cara asked when the four of you sat on the front porch. 

You nodded. “That’s right. I’d only been here for about a week, I was taking a break from job hunting in the park.” 

“That was when Remi snuck away to the duck pond,” Kirishima interjected and his Natsumi rolled her eyes. 

“That kid loves her animals.” As if that fact wasn’t obvious the way she was chasing the litter of puppies around the yard at that very moment. 

“I panicked,” Kirishima admitted, “Called the whole gang to try and help me find her when Y/N came up to me with Remi explaining what had happened… just happened to be in the right place at the right time.” 

When he looked your way his eyes were soft. He’d thanked you at least a hundred times so far for what you did that day and he showed no sign of stopping no matter how many times you told him it wasn’t necessary. 

Together you explained how you met again at the train crash, realized the connections between mutual friends, how Bakugo and Midoriya offered you the job at the agency, the highlights. 

But, those late nights in the hospital, the overnight video calls that still were happening, and the date that wasn’t a date… you kept those memories for yourselves. 

Remi came barreling up the wooden steps when Kirishima was telling them about his patrol that day, inquiring about food because she was starving. 

Lucky for the little one, everything was already prepared and just needed to be set out on the table, a task everyone helped with. You moved between the kitchen and dining room, taking in all the little things that made this house into a home. Most notably the artwork that lined the walls, pieces from the many trips Cara and Natsumi had taken together over the years, there was also a plethora of family photos that you made a note to take a closer look at after the meal. 

Remi sat right between you and Kirishima, happily munching on the food her father put on her plate. The food that you gathered on your plate, was absolutely delicious. Fresh vegetables from the garden the family had with a few other options for main dishes. “Eijiro didn’t exactly let us know what you liked to eat, so,” His mom gestured to the table and your heart warmed from the generosity. 

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise with how kind of a man Kirishima was, he had to learn that somewhere. 

You were listening to a story his mum had been telling about a trip they took to Greece a few years ago. She was recalling the many days they spent hiking the Corfu trail, and all the breathtaking sites they got to see along the way. When Remi asked her to tell her about the flamingos they’d seen, you took the opportunity to quietly ask, “Could you pass me a little more of that dipping sauce, Ki— Eijiro?” 

He had a tongue touched smile at your slip up but passed you the sauce without saying another word. 

When the meal was done, bellies happily full and the conversation waning, Eijiro ran a hand across his daughter’s back. “Gotta take a bath t’night, pebble.” She whined and made a face, “I know, I know. Wanna take one here or when we get home?” 

“Neither…” 

He pulled her onto his lap. “You’ve got those fun bath toys here though.” She shook her head. “What if gammy or nana give you a bath?” 

She buried her face into his chest, “Don’t want to.” 

This had become their regular routine ever since Remi’s fear of water set in. She’d put up a good fight, he’d end up bribing her with something, and even then it would be the quickest bath with as little water as possible being used.  

“Eijiro, lemme see that pitcher of water.” He slid it over to you so you could refill your glass, “Kiddo, can you look at me for a second? ‘Remember, water isn’t so scary.” 

Remi turned her head so her cheek was pressed to his chest but her ruby-red eyes were on you. “It is when I can’t see.” 

“Poor baby girl.” His mum cooed. 

But his mom, who’d been taken a few plates into the kitchen, grumbled something much harsher, “Could beat that damn woman…” 

“She’s gone, love, ’s alright.” Cara calmed her wife as the two left the room. 

Eijiro hadn’t found a particularly good time to tell you about Remi’s accident, why she was as scared of water as she was, but with the furrowed brow you had now, he couldn’t really avoid the topic. 

“Rem, we’ll figure this out in a bit. Why don’t you help gammy feed the puppies.” 

Instantly her mood brightened. Hopping right up and seeking out her grandmothers’. 

“I can just pretend like I didn’t hear that…” 

“No, no, it’s alright.” He heaved a sigh, turning in his chair so he could face you. “I’ve taken Remi to that duck park since she was a baby. My ex, Remi’s mother, never liked going. Something about the smell of the place bothering her…” All he could do was shake his head at the ridiculousness of it all. 

“When Remi was three I went away for a week on an assignment out of the country. Phone calls were spotty at best. And Remi was fussy, not sleeping… she missed me. It was all I heard about on the calls we were able to have. My ex decided to take her to the duck park one day to try and calm her down and it kinda worked for a bit.” 

His fists were balled so tightly that his knuckles had gone white. “I, um, I still don’t know exactly what happened but Remi fell into the pond, and rather than ‘getting in that filthy water’ my ex decided to shout for a pro to come help. One came, quickly too, thank gods but, Remi got sick from the water, was in the hospital for a few days.” His eyes couldn’t hold yours anymore. “Ever since then she’s been terrified of being in water, she loves looking at it, just hates being in it or it running down her face in any way.” 

The guilt of not being there for his child was written all over his face. The fact he wasn’t at the hospital within minutes haunted him. And the rage he felt when he realized his baby had been struggling for minutes while his ex just stood by and watched… that hate never left him. 

Your hand covered his and he almost pulled away from the contact. For how close the two of you had become recently, you hadn’t done anything more than exchange a quick hug. But, it felt nice, he couldn’t deny that, it made him relax just a little when your thumb gently brushed across his scarred skin. You had to dip your head to look at him. “You know it wasn’t your fault, right?” 

“I know,” He confirmed with a weak voice, “Still wish I could’ve done something though.” 

Somehow your sad little smile helped to ease the ache within him. “That’s because you’re a really good parent, Eijiro.” His eyes closed and he had to fight the urge to admit how nice it was to hear you say that. “Can I try to help her?” 

His eyes quickly shot open at your offer, “Y-you don’t have to do that but if you wanted to—.” 

“I do want to.” You squeezed his hand before letting it go, reaching for the pitcher of water. “Time to put my quirk to good use.” 

From the window over the sink, he was able to watch you and his mom out on the porch with Remi. His daughter had crawled into your lap with no hesitation. You had the pitcher in front of the three of you and, using your quirk, you drew the liquid up from the container. 

Remi frantically grabbed your hand and made you put the water back but, with a little coaxing from you and his mom, she cautiously allowed you to do it again. 

You brought a small ball of water in front of you both, letting Remi experimentally play with it however she liked. Poking, flicking, and eventually, she plunged her arm right through the thing. 

“She’s really good with her.” His mum noted from beside him, taking in the sight unfolding while she was elbows deep in soapy water, washing off some of the dishes. 

“Yeah, she really is.” 

“Does she have any of her own?” 

He shook his head, “Nope, but, she thinks of Kaio, Tamaki’s boy, like her nephew.” 

She nodded her head in acknowledgment but didn’t say anything more. Eijiro redirected his attention from where you were now making the water into shapes and onto the unusually quiet woman beside him. “Mum… what’s wrong?” 

“It’s nothing, dear, ‘m fine.” 

He flipped the dish towel onto his shoulder and looked right at her. “What happened to ‘we don’t lie in this house’?” 

She sucked in a deep breath, setting a soapy plate back into the warm water. “Eiji, I know you’re grown but I thought we were close.” Quickly he became thoroughly confused because they were close! “It’s just, hearing about your girlfriend from Remi rather than you… it hurts, baby. I thought you would’ve told us yourself.” 

“Wait, wait, no,” He lets out a laugh of relief and takes her by the shoulders, “You— you’ve got the wrong idea! Y/N and I, we aren’t like that, we’re just friends is all.” He pulled her into a tight hug, feeling her wet arms go around his back. “You and mom were the first women I ever loved, please, ya gotta trust me when I say if I’m seeing someone, I will definitely tell you about it.” 

She hugged her son tight and silently wondered to herself; if the two of you weren’t already dating… how long it was going to take? 

With your help, Remi took a bath with very little fuss. 

“Daddy, she used her quirk and kept all the water outta my eyeballs!” She was telling him while he combed out her hair.

“Oh yeah?” 

“Yeah! And then she pulled out all the soapy bubble right out!” 

“Sounds like a pretty big adventure.” His mom was grinning, packing up Remi’s little bag of goodies so the three of you could call it a night.

“Big adventure.” She yawned, tired from the whole ordeal. 

“Think that means we should be on our way.” He chuckled and kissed her cheek. “Who’dya wanna sit with while I go grab our leftovers?” 

“Y/N, please.” 

You were sitting beside his mum on the sofa and held your arms open for her. She nuzzled against you but swung her legs, giggling when her nana caught her toes and started to mess with them. 

Eijiro smiled to himself when he heard laughter from the three of you, taking his time to put the containers his mum had packed into a bag.

He knew you’d get along with them just as much as he knew they’d like you, but actually seeing it firsthand brought him so much comfort. 

No matter how much he wished for his ex to get along with his parents, it was never in the cards. They never clicked. No matter what his parents tried to capture her attention, her responses always felt fake, overwhelmingly forced, but with you, it seemed effortless. Like you genuinely were having a good time. He just hoped that was actually true. 

“Thanks for inviting me, and please, thank your parents again too. They’re so sweet.” 

The music was turned down but you still hummed along until a quiet, “Dada, Y/N?” He looked back in the mirror while you actually turned around to see what she needed. 

“Can we have sleepovers tonight? I still haven’t gotten to.” She sounded so sleepy and her little eyes were even able to stay open but Eijiro didn’t know what to say. You both just shrugged at each other. 

“Sure, pebble, think we can do that.” 

“M’kay. Good. Thanks. Night.” And with that her head tipped forward, back asleep again. 

You carefully reached for her, guiding her back in her car seat so her neck wouldn't strain, and then turned back to Eijiro. “I can just Uber home once she’s asleep, no big deal.” You whispered just in case she was still listening. 

“Feel bad making you take an Uber…” 

“It’s really alright.” 

He wanted to argue but he didn’t have a better solution other than offering you his spare room which he wasn’t sure how you’d feel about, so, for now, he let it go. 

He enjoyed the quiet of the ride for a while. There was no need to fill the air with idle chitchat to mask any kind of awkwardness because there was none. Just a sense of peace and your quiet humming. He only spoke up after you reached back to pick up the dark shadow plushy that had fallen to the floor and placed it right back in Remi’s lap. 

He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about what his mum had said in the kitchen and the words sort of just slipped out of his mouth, “You’re really good with her.”  

“She’s a good kid.” 

“I know but, just the way you are with her… I can’t really explain it.” 

He could see a distant smile pull up the corner of your lips. “Must be a little bit of those mother’s instincts that stuck around.” 

Eijiro blinked a couple of times, sitting up straighter like that would help him make sure he’d heard you correctly, and then your eyes went wide as if you realized you said something you shouldn’t have.

“I— I just—“

“I thought you said you didn’t have any kids.” 

“I don’t! I never did.” 

“Then… what did you mean? If I may ask.” He wanted you to know you didn’t need to tell him anything even though the curiosity would surely kill him if you chose not to. 

And you sat in the passenger seat, quietly for a very long moment, quieter than he’d ever seen you before, to the point he thought you weren’t going to say anything at all. He saw your mouth open once but no words came out. Saw you do it again, but still nothing. 

Suddenly you seemed so far away like you had been in the hospital when he’d seen your scar. You didn’t want to talk about it then, he didn’t see why you’d want to talk about it now. “Y/N, it’s okay if you don’t wanna—“ 

“’S just no one knows. No one here at least.” 

“You mean since you moved?” You nodded your head, “Do you want anyone to know here?” 

“I didn’t think I did. I don’t wanna dump this information on anyone, least of all you. ’S not good, Kiri.” 

He watched your fingers twist and turn the hem of your shirt. “Hey,” Doing his best to look over at you but also keep his eyes on the road ahead, “You let me tell you about Rem and my ex earlier,” This time he put his hand over yours, momentarily stopping your fidgeting fingers. “You can tell me whatever you like.” 

Your hand was still under his and you also didn’t pull away. He kept it over you, comforting you hopefully like you’d done for him while collecting your thoughts. It was eating you away, whatever it was, he could see that now. “We’ve all done things we regret, Y/N. Stuff we wish we could change. Whatever happened, I’m not here to judge you for it.” 

“You promise?” 

He moved his hand and linked your pinkies together, “I pinky promise.” 

You gave him a very dry laugh, adding, “I don’t think I want anyone else to know… is that okay, can you keep this to yourself?” 

“Of course. It’ll stay just between you and me, you’ve got my word.” 

He heard you draw in a deep and shaky breath and he set his hand back over yours. “Okay, just gonna dive right into this…”

“I was engaged for quite a while to my high school boyfriend. We had a pretty long engagement, wedding planning was just never a priority for me at the time and he didn’t seem to mind but, I became pregnant over the course of the engagement. We weren’t trying or anything but we wanted kids down the line, we already knew that so we decided to keep it.” 

Your voice warbled so he began moving his calloused thumb over your knuckles, “My fiancé asked me to stop hero work the mo-ment we found out. I told him that was ridiculous, that plenty of pro heroes work through the first several months of pregnancy and then return after the birth. He f-finally agreed to let me work. When I was three months along, my agency was attacked. I was fine, so was the baby, the attack was minor but, he told me either I stopped hero work permanently o-or he would leave me. I-I didn’t stop.” 

Illuminated by the glow of the dash, Eijiro was able to see the tears that had started to roll down your cheeks. He felt his heart start hammering quicker in his chest, your hand practically using his as an anchor the further you drifted into your story. “He left like he said he would. We’d been together since we were teens and I loved him but I didn’t kn-know what I’d do if I had to stop working, it was everything I worked for. So, I was gonna still have the baby and work, I’d do both. On m’own. When I was five months along though, there was a villain attack. My boss wouldn’t let me patrol any of the more high-risk areas so, I was on a simple p-patrol route, quiet area, it should’ve be-en fine. B-ut it wasn’t…” 

The more your voice broke the harder it was for Eijiro to fight the tears he could feel welling up because he knew what the outcome of this was going to be. His misty eyes glanced back at Remi, still sound asleep, and you pressed on. “There’d been mo-re of them than I-I realized. I w-was hit with a quirk th-at caused my internal or-organs to fail 'nd I went down.” 

Under a street light on the deserted road, he had to pull the car over. He threw it in park because he wanted you to have his full attention to get through this. Eijiro kept his eyes on you even though you wouldn’t look anywhere but the empty road ahead, he gave you both his hands to hold, your fingers anxiously toying with his own. 

“S-someone with a re-generation quirk arrived ‘nd stabl-stabilized m-me but, but,” One of your hands left his and covered your stomach, fisting the fabric over it so tightly. Tears rained down your face, splattering in your lap as you shook your head, “He— He was already g-one!” 

Eijiro got out of the car in an instant, leaving his door open and running right to your side. You had your arms thrown around him the moment you could. There was no asking permission, no fear of lines being crossed, none of that mattered right then. 

“Shh, ’s alright, ’s okay,” He undid your seatbelt so he could maneuver you into his arms, wrapped them around you so tightly while your fingers dug into his back, his tears falling into your hair, “I gotcha, let it out, I gotcha.” 

He could just barely see Remi’s face, lost in her own little dream world, and it only made him cry that much harder. For how unprepared he was when it came to her, how scared she makes him, even how much he questioned if bringing her into the world would be the right decision, Eijiro couldn’t imagine a world that didn’t have her light. From the moment he felt her kick, he couldn’t fathom his life without her in it. 

“I wanted h-him so badly, Eijiro.” He kissed the top of your head and let you ramble, say all the things you’d kept inside, whatever you needed to. In time, your sobs turned quiet. He rubbed soothing circles into your back while you told him how very few people knew you were pregnant. Most assumed you’d gained some weight but even before the split, you wanted to wait to tell people. After it, you wanted to wait as long as possible to avoid judgment. 

You weren’t particularly close with your parents, especially after your ex left after a difference of opinion, and they sided with him. So, when you were finally out of the hospital and recovered, you’d made the choice to move. Move away from all of it. 

“It took me some time to g-et finan-ces in order and sell off a lot of my things b-but then I came here. Wanted to b-be close to family I liked, I just didn’t know how to tell ‘em what happened. Still dunno how to.” 

His fingers brushed a strand of hair out of your eyes. “You tell Tamaki whenever you’re ready, and he’ll listen, and he’ll understand, and he’ll be here for you, I know he will.”

Your breaths came quicker again, “B-but ’s my fault! I kept working, I kept going, I—!” He tried to calm you down but you kept going, “I should have listened. I’d have my baby if I just—!”

“Hell no!” He held your face in his hands and that made you go quiet. “This is not your fault! This is that villain who hurt you’s fault!” 

“But I could’ve—!” 

“I said no!” He wouldn’t let you do this to yourself, not anymore, not if he had anything to say about it. 

“The International Pro Hero Association dictates that active hero work must be put on hold by the sixth month of pregnancy.” He remembered reading that when his ex was pregnant and he needed to know about the time off he could get. “You were within that time frame. You were allowed to work. People have worked longer!” He brushed your tears away only for more to take their place, “You could have taken the time off, you could have quit all together! But something can always happen, you just never know. Look at me, Y/N, please.” He waited until your eyes met his, “This was not your fault.” 

Your eyes squeezed shut again. “No, no, Y/N, please don’t shut me out. Alright. I need you to repeat after me, okay? This was not my fault.” Your mouth remained closed. “Come on: This was not my fault.” Still nothing. 

So, he dipped his head a little lower and brought his lips right beside your ear. Eijiro made his voice as quiet and soft as he possibly could. “That bastard took so much from you, don’t you dare blame yourself for the pain they caused. You did not deserve what happened. If you wanna be mad, be mad at them. Now, say it, please: This was not my fault.”

A couple of seconds ticked by, “This was not my fault.” It was barely a whisper but he heard you. 

“That’s it. Very good. I know how much you care. I’ve seen it myself. You are a good person, say it.” 

“I am a good person.” 

“I knew how much you cared the moment you brought Remi back to me. You saved her from reliving her worst fear and you didn’t even know her. You are compassionate, say it.”

“I am compassionate.”

“I saw it when I found you in the valley. Takes a special kinda person to do what you did when you fell. You protected others even though you were injured yourself. You survived. You are resilient, say it.”

“I am resilient.” 

“Doin’ so good. One more time for me, deep breath; This was not your fault.”

You sucked in the air and on the exhale, “This was not my fault.”

He hadn’t paid any attention to the time he spent at the side of his car holding you, it didn’t matter how many minutes had snuck by, he’d stay like this for as long as you needed him to. With time, your shaking sobs stilled and, you clung to him a little less. “I think I’m out of tears.” You chuckled weakly, pulling back a little and looking up at him. 

He smiled and brushed your hair back again. “Think they’re all in my shirt now.” 

“Sorry about that.” 

“Don’t be. You don’t have to be sorry for a single thing.” He reached around you and opened the glove box, pulling out a little pack of tissues. 

“Couldn’t of gotten these out a few minutes ago?” Your laugh was a wet one but you plucked a couple free. 

“I was a little busy.” He countered and took a few for himself. Your hand brushed gently over his cheek. “Please don’t apologize again.” But you looked like you wanted to, really badly too, like you didn’t know what you should say instead. “C’mon, why don’t we get headed back?” 

You nodded your head and he helped you turn back into the car, even buckled you back in before quietly closing the door.

You were quiet when he started to drive again but he didn’t really expect anything different. What was unexpected was the question you’d asked him, “Could I hold your hand again?”  The question had barely left your lips and he had his hand resting on your knee, palm up, just waiting for you to grab. “Thank you, Eijiro.” 

He smiled again hearing you say his name. “You’re still callin’ me that.” 

“Is that okay?” 

“Mmhm. I like it.” 

It felt like you’d blinked and you were parked in front of an unfamiliar home. The world finally came back into focus. One of Kirishima’s hands was still in yours but his other was brushing along your cheekbone, the cause of you waking up. “G’morning,” He grinned over at you, “Ya fell asleep.” 

“Crying sometimes makes me tired.” 

“I know what that’s like.” 

You looked over at him, neither of you making a move to go anywhere just yet. He was chewing his lip, thinking about something, “What is it?” 

“’S just you look really tired and I do have a spare room. You’re more than welcome to it if you’d like.” 

His generosity really had no limits. And, you could admit to yourself that after what you’d talked about, all that you shared, going home to an empty apartment didn’t sound too fun. But, was it weird to accept the offer? “Could I get a glass of water and get back to you on the room? Lemme see how I feel?” 

“‘Course.” But still, neither of you pulled away from the other. Both turned in your seats to face the other, head’s resting on the seatbacks but not speaking another word. His thumb still brushed over the back of your hand and you would squeeze his every now and then. It was a silent sort of communication that you were lucky enough to both understand: his way of saying, ‘I’m here for you,’ and yours was a, ‘thank you,’ in return. 

He looked at you differently now but, just as he promised, it wasn’t in a way of judgment. It was as if you peeled back a part of yourself to him, allowed him to see more, and he was going to take his time memorizing it. 

“Home?” 

The both of you looked in the backseat and saw Remi rubbing her sleepy eyes. 

“Yeah, pebble, we’re home.” 

“Y/N…” 

“Yes, sweets?” 

She held her arms out even though she was still in her car seat. “Hug?” 

Kirishima smiled and explained that she had a tendency to get really clingy when she’s tired which, you remembered from the night in the hospital. 

Your hand slipped out of his, “You don’t have to, I can get her.” 

“Noo—!” His daughter protested. “Y/N please…” 

He gestured for you to go ahead, “If you’re sure you don’t mind.” 

You really didn’t, not a single bit. You unbuckled her from the seat and she latched her arms around your neck. She tucked her head right under your chin while Kirishima grabbed the leftovers and her little backpack and then led you right up to his front door. 

“I think she fell back asleep.” You whispered when he quietly shut the door behind you both. 

“She does that.” He took her limp body into his arms, “I’ll be right back, just gonna put her in bed. Make yourself at home.” 

When Kirishima quietly walked down a long hallway, you slipped your shoes off and set them beside his own. His house wasn’t lavish like some of the top heroes you knew. It was on the larger side but it felt cozy somehow. Pictures on the walls of the two of them with family and friends, a couple of him and friends from his school days too. 

A wrap-around sofa made up most of the living room, along with a brick fireplace with a television hanging above it. On the mantel between the two were little figurines that you assumed were works of art created by Remi, he also hand a few of her drawings signed and framed sitting on each of the end tables. 

The house might have been big but it was well lived in. Memories had been made within these walls, enough that it wasn’t just a house but a home. 

You took a seat on the edge of the sofa and were looking out at his backyard through the sliding door. You couldn’t make out much of it, but he had cute little fairy lights strung up and they brought a warm glow into the night. 

“How about that water?” Kirishima nodded his head for you to follow him into the kitchen. “Sorry, it’s a little messy. We didn’t get a chance to clean up after breakfast.” He hurried to put a couple bowls in the sink and a purple dinosaur cup. “Just water, or can I get ya anything else?” He opened up the refrigerator and let you have your pick of water, milk, juices, beer, or wine coolers. 

With a beer in his own hand, he led the way out to the backyard. It was a decent size with a yard past the deck, complete with a playset and swings. But, Kirishima made for the set of patio furniture, taking a seat on the sofa while you sat across from him in one of the chairs. 

It didn’t take long for the two of you to fall into your usual nightly routine, only this time it was in person rather than via a video call. You’d easily lost track of the time, letting him and the easy-flowing conversation lighten your spirits, laughing up to a sky littered with winking stars. 

When a rush of cool night air ruffled your hair and sent goosebumps up your arms, Kirishima quickly went back inside and returned with a quilted throw, unfurling it so it would wrap around your shoulders. He even took the time to get you another drink, returning with also a bowl of snacks in hand. 

You moved to sit beside him on the sofa, making it easier to share the treats while you kept talking, all bundled up in the blanket. Well, bundled up until you saw him shiver that is. 

At that point, you shimmed the blanket so it could cover his legs too even though he insisted he wasn’t cold. You both sat with legs up on the sofa, backs on opposite ends but legs in between each other. Hands that weren’t digging in the snack bowl found each other again, your fingers lightly brushing like neither one of you knew if it’d be okay to hold now that the moment in the car had passed. But, one of you had to be brave enough to do something. This time it happened to be Kirishima. His fingers filled the spaces between yours when he nonchalantly popped a pretzel into his mouth with a grin and it made your heart flutter.

He’d been doing that a lot lately, doing or saying little things to make you feel like you had butterflies in your stomach, you’d almost forgotten what that was like. You were pretty sure he wasn’t even aware of the things he was doing either. 

The looks he’d give you, with his gentle eyes and crooked smile, like the one he was giving you now, they were quickly becoming something you looked forward to seeing every single day. Not only that, they were becoming something you depended on seeing every single day. Because when he had his two days off after his 48-hour shift, and you only got to text him for 24 hours, it felt like your day wasn’t complete without seeing it. 

He had a way about him that made you feel calmer, more relaxed. You couldn’t explain it, but, on that quiet road when every terrible memory came flooding back to you, each decision you’d regretted making, and all the horrible things you told yourself in your darkest moments, Kirishima was somehow able to break through all of it. 

“Hey,” You called his attention back from rooting around the bottom of the bowl, “Thank you for not treating me differently now that you know.” 

“Oh, please, you don’t need to thank me! Made a promise after all.” His hand squeezed yours to emphasize the statement, but he was still able to see the weight of the night bringing you down again. “Could I hug you?” 

The question caught you off guard. “You didn’t ask me before…” 

“That’s because you hugged me before.” 

“Oh, right…” That had been what happened.  

“May I?” You nodded and he pulled you forward, letting your legs settle over his, and you tried so hard not to think about the fact you were practically sitting in his lap with his thick arms surrounding you, his chin resting atop your head but, after a while, he pulled back to look at you. 

“I will never pretend to know the pain you feel, I don’t even want to consider losing…” He swallowed instead of saying her name, “I just really hope you know that what happened to you doesn’t define who you are as a person, you’re more than that one event. It was tragic, I’m not denying the impact that it’s had on you, you’re just so much more than this one thing that happened, no matter how big it was.”

Kirishima had a way about him that made you feel calmer and more relaxed. He also had a way about him that made your heart race faster than it ever had before. 

Falling asleep under a blanket of shining stars, holding hands with a kind and handsome man, should have been incredibly dreamy. However, you woke up with tangled legs and heads awkwardly resting on opposite armrests again. The blanket was covered in cold morning dew, your skin chilled to the bone, and your throat felt scratchy. 

The world was barely even awake, stuck in that crisp blue light before the sun broke the horizon. 

You leaned forward, shivering and shaking when you reached a hand out for Kirishima, who lay with red hair falling in his eyes and mouth slightly open. “Kiri-shi-ma.” Damn, you couldn’t even keep your voice steady, so next time you just tried, “Kiri.” 

He slowly came to, the first word for the day being a swear followed up by, “So fuckin’ cold.” Even in his daze, his hand found yours, and then you noticed him pull at his damp shirt, “C’mon. Gotta get you outta these wet clothes.” 

You felt the warmth of his home the very second he pulled you back inside, but, he didn’t stop walking. You followed him down a new hallway and right into a room that you could assume was his bedroom. He didn’t give you time to take things in though, walking you right into the bathroom. “Warm up with a shower. I’ll leave ya some clothes on m’bed.” 

His voice thick with sleep never failed to make you smile. “And what about you?” 

“Guest shower, down the hall. ‘M gonna make coffee when m’done.” 

And that was exactly what he’d done. Brewing an entire pot of the delicious warm liquid and pouring himself a mug and one for you. He’d been with you in the cafe enough times now to know how you liked your coffee, leaving the steaming beverage right on the counter for when you came out. Except when you did, he nearly dropped his mug.

It wasn’t just the fact you were wearing his clothes, all of which were comically large on you, no, it was mostly the fact that curled up in your arms with her messy bedhead was his daughter. You explained that she’d come into his room looking for him but he barely heard a word you said, too caught up with just the sight of you both in front of him. 

“So early,” Remi whined and it snapped him back to reality, “No work today.” 

He chuckled and traded you the mug of coffee for his child. “Right, pebbles, not going to work today.” 

“Then why you awake!” 

“I dunno, kid.” He heard you laughing, following him into the living room where he set Remi down on the sofa with a pillow tucked under her head. “How about some cartoons, yeah?” 

She let him put on some show, and that meant within ten to fifteen minutes she’d be sleeping again. “She’ll be out for another hour or so.” He told you, going for his second cup already, hoping it might get rid of the sore throat he felt coming on. “’M really sorry we fell asleep like that.” 

You waved a dismissive hand at the apology. “You weren’t the only one who passed out.” When he saw you roll your neck like you were trying to work a kink out, he brought his hand up you to you without really thinking, but you didn’t stop him either. You actually turned a little more to give him better access. 

His fingers kneaded your warm skin, dipping under the shirt collar to follow the tense muscle. When he heard the pleasant hum come from you, felt you lean back into him just the slightest, he knew he was doing something right. 

“You doin’ okay?” He asked when he felt you neck relax again. 

“’M doing really good. Thank you.” 

He was thankful you back was still towards him so you couldn’t see the pink rising in his cheeks. He quickly cleared his throat. “You’re welcome but, I, uh, I meant with what happened on the way home last night…” 

“Oh,” His hand settled on your shoulder, brushing his thumb across your skin, “Yeah, I think I’m doing okay.” Your fingers laced with his. “Thanks for letting me stay over.” 

“Anytime.” 

“’Scuse me!” Both of you jumped a little and looked to see Remi sitting up on the sofa. Neither of you had noticed how busy the four year old had been in the short amount of time. She now hand three additional blankets pulled out over the sofa, and a mound of pillows. “Sleepovers mean all of us!” 

And that was how the three of you ended up on the indoor sofa this time. Warm under soft blankets. Comfortable enough that the three of you fell back asleep, not waking up for another couple of hours. 

“French toast, please!” Remi made the breakfast request and was flinging open the pantry, pulling out a teal and pink step stool, “I’m gonna help!” 

When the three of you came to, you offered to head out, not wanting to intrude on Kirishima’s Saturday off with Remi but both father and daughter invited you to stay. Well, Kirishima invited you to stay, Remi pleaded. 

You couldn’t remember the last time you made breakfast with someone. Actually, you couldn’t remember the last time you went about making a hot breakfast in general. 

“Easy on the sugar, pebbles. Don’t want your teeth falling out.” Kirishima put the bag out of his daughter’s reach and placed the freshly sliced bread in front of her. “Okay, remember, we want the egg wash on the bread, not the counter,” He coached but let her dip the bread in and move it to the pan by herself while you worked on frying a couple of eggs next to them. 

Of course a mess was made but the both of you expected as much. The mixture ended up all the way to Remi’s elbows but none made it to the floor. “Can… could you?” Kirishima didn’t really know how to ask for your help but you were happy to give it. 

“Want me to cook or clean her up?” 

Remi’s eye’s lit up, “Y/N can use her water!” 

That was true. “I can if that’s okay.” 

“By all means!” 

You took a sip of water, solidifying the element you’d be using for the day, and set Remi down on the edge of the sink. Turning on the faucet, you made sure the water was comfortable before asking her if she was ready. 

“Mmhm!” 

With a flick of your wrist, you channeled the water. “Arms out, please!” She did as instructed and you wrapped them in the water while Remi giggled, a wide smile pushing up her round cheeks. 

When Kirishima didn’t have to flip the bread, he was looking over his shoulder, watching the two of you interact, not even caring about the torrent of butterflies taking flight in his stomach. 

He was so screwed. 

Remi ran off to her room after breakfast while you and Kirishima cleaned up the kitchen. You were washing the dishes while he put away ingredients. You’d been setting a bowl in the dishwasher when you noticed the Save the Date on his refrigerator and mutter a quiet, oh shit, under your breath. 

He’d heard you though, “What’s wrong?” Spinning around to make sure you hadn’t hurt yourself.

“Nothing really. I just, with everything that happened, I forgot about Izuku and Melissa’s wedding coming up.” 

Now he turned to the reminder on his fridge. “Yeah, just a couple weeks out now. Izuku’s been going nuts over the little details.” 

You smiled thinking about how he probably had at least ten different notebooks filled with ideas and plans for the day. “Are you going?” 

“No, I thought I was gonna have a newborn and making that flight with them didn’t seem like the most fun idea.” Kirishima froze and you watched his face fall. “Hey, it’s fine! Really.” His lips were still tight but he nodded, opting not to dwell on the subject. 

“I’m sure if you just talked to Izuku, he’d love to have you there!”

“Oh, no. Like you said, the wedding is in a couple weeks! I’m not gonna ask them to accommodate me like that.” Kirishima casually reached for his phone that had been sitting beside the stove. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing…” His thumbs rapidly tapping the screen. 

“That doesn’t look like nothing!”  You tried to peek but he lifted the phone higher so you couldn’t see. “You are not!” 

“What are you gonna do about it if I am, hm?” 

There really wasn’t anything you could do about it, not when he held his phone up that high. Then it chimed with a new message. “Oh…” 

“What does ‘oh’ mean!” 

He brought it down and handed it over for you to read:

You: Y/N mentioned she totally forgot to send in her RSVP to your big day with her moving and I think she’d really like to be there for you guys. Any chance she might be able to go? I know I marked plus one but I’m not bringing anyone. Could she use that?

Midoriya: That’s a really nice offer, Kirishima, but I already accounted for her when we knew she moved… forgot to tell her I guess. I should do that… thanks for the reminder!

You smiled at Midoriya’s response but it was what Kirishima had offered that you read a second time over. “That really sweet of him… you were willing to give up your plus one for me though?” 

He set his phone back down with a sheepish smile. “Yeah, I mean, I don’t have plans to bring anyone. Mina made me mark it just in case, but,” He just shrugged, “So, guess I’ll be seeing you there?” 

“Guess so. Save me a dance?” 

His grin grew wider. “You got it.” 

It wasn’t for another few hours, when you were kicking a ball around the backyard with Remi, that you noticed Kirishima massaging his throat again, something he'd been doing all morning and you wondered if he might've been feeling a little off too. “Everything okay?” 

“Yeah, just had this sore throat since we got up. ‘S probably nothing. I’m sure it’ll be gone by tomorrow.” 

“Mines been that way too must’ve just been the cold air.” 

Except, his wasn’t gone by Sunday and neither was yours. In fact, the scratchy throat turned into a cough and was accompanied by a runny nose come Monday morning. But, you weren’t running a fever so, off to work you went.

Kiri: Just dropped Rem off. Moms’ gave me soup. Wanna split it for lunch?

You: Hell yes! What wonderful women!

You’d been in your office for only an hour, a humidifier right on your desk when Mina knocked and nudged your door open. “Hey babe, everything alright? You usually don’t have your door closed.”

“Careful!” You warned, “I think I’ve caught a cold and don’t wanna pass it on. Hence the closed door.” 

She backed away slowly but her wind was reeling; you weren’t the only one with a cold, Kirishima was sick too…

“A couple of interns saw them leave together on Friday. Same car and everything.” Kaminari told her. “Kinda mad Ei scooped her up first.”

Mina smacked his arm. “After everything he’s gone through the man deserves someone so nice! And Y/N is perfect. Shoulda seen her in the hospital with Remi. It was adorable.” 

“Ya think they’re sleeping together yet?” 

She really wasn’t sure. Kirishima had been so guarded since the split happened but, if you two left together and were both sick now, there was a chance. “Well, there is one person Kiri would tell.” 

They both quickly walked across the office, thrilled Bakugo was here and not on a patrol for once. 

He could not believe these two idiots, gossiping around the agency. “It’s just that time of year! Don’t go spreading fuckin’ rumors, you hear me!” Both of them looked like children, staring down at their feet, muttering a quick, ‘okay.’ In return.

“Good! Now, one of you go take Kirishima’s route for the day. I’m sending his ass home.” 

Bakugo walked out of his office before either had a chance to argue, walking two doors down, not even bothering to knock on Kirishima’s door before barging in and slamming it shut behind him. 

“The fuck is going on with you and Y/N!”

“Bakugo, too fuckin’ loud, man.”

"People are talkin'!"

"'M not in the mood today..."

The blonde didn’t give a damn about his best friend's headache. “You two fuckin’? Is that it?”

At that, Kirishima actually stood from his desk. “First of all, I don’t know where you get off coming in here accusing me of this. And second, not that it’s any of your business but, no, I’m not having sex with her. If I was though, it’s none of your damn concern!”

“Ya left together on Friday, both come in sick today, something’s gotta be goin’ on!” 

“For fucks sake,” He rubbed his temples, “Remi missed her, okay! Took her to have dinner with us on Friday. Stayed up late talkin’ and fell asleep out on the deck, got sick, end of story. Happy now?” Bakugo still gritted his teeth. “Why are you acting like this? Why do you care?”

“’Cause, you both have been going through shit! Don’t wanna see either of you end up hurt worse than ya already are, alright? Don't need ya being each other's rebounds and all that shit! Fuck!” He took a deep breath. “Just get your ass home and rest. Sending Y/N home too.” And he walked back out the door. 

Kirishima popped by your office, saw you packing up your laptop, “Heading home too?”

“Yeah, Bakugo doesn’t want anyone else getting sick.” 

He nodded. “I still have that soup. Wanna go be sick together?” 

It was worth it though. When Tamaki texted him, giving him the all clear to come back with the kids, he quickly understood that it wasn’t just Remi you were good with, Kaio took to you instantly. If he hadn’t known this was your first time meeting the boy in person he would have thought you never left his side since the day he was born.

You slipped easily from conversations with him and Tamaki right into one’s with the children, like a pro! Though, he didn’t find himself talking much today, not that he minded. You were catching up with Tamaki, learning all about Kaio, and also listening to his daughter tell tales of their adventures together. And Eijiro, he was more than happy to just sit back and take it all in.

It wasn’t often that he got the chance to watch someone he saved recover, see them get better and better each day, watch the light of their smile grow brighter. It was a reward he’d never been granted and he considered it a privilege to be at your bedside throughout your improvement.

The thing was, you weren’t just someone to him anymore. You weren’t just some woman who found his daughter in the park either. Now you were also friends with his friends, family to one of them, and to Remi, she looked at you as if you personally hung every star in the night sky.

To Eijiro personally though, he wasn’t too sure what you were just yet. But, damn was he eager to find out.

For now, he sat under the canopy of string lights that made up Tamaki’s and Mirio’s back deck. Remi had crawled her way up to his lap right about the same time Kaio had claimed Mirio’s.

“I still can’t wrap my head around the fact she’s really here. She moved here.”

Tamaki had been rolling the same question around all night long. Eijiro had done his best to stay quiet during these moments, not wanting to butt into family matters but the words slipped off his tongue.

“She just said she wanted a fresh start. Why’s it so impossible to think she’d want to do that here?”

“Because she had a life back there, Eijiro, and she just… left.”

Eijiro realized there were things you’d told Tamaki that you didn’t share with anyone else, the way the man carefully worded his sentences made that obvious. But, it was the way he said it that made Eijiro’s heart sink and he asked the question he wasn’t sure he wanted an answer to, “Did she leave anyone… in particular?”

“So, she hasn’t told you.”

“It’s not my place to talk about my cousin’s life.”

“Yeah, but, we can’t just let him think she did what Toki did to him and Rem.”

Tamaki sighed, staring down into his glass like it would show him all the answers. “My cousin was engaged, Eijiro. The wedding was in just a couple months.”

“And, and she just left the guy and came here? No explanation or anything?”

“No, no, nothing like that! She told me differences arose between them and he chose to leave but what those differences were, she hasn’t told me.”

So, a breakup mixed with some type of incident, or, that was what he assumed with the pieces you gave.

He noticed the thick scar along your side when a nurse came into give you a shot just yesterday and, like an idiot, he brought it up and apparently, the negative memories that came with it. He tried playing it off when he saw how defeated you looked, told you he knew all too well about the painful memories scars can leave even after they’ve healed but it took Remi slipping a colorful beaded bracelet on your wrist for you to smile again.

Eijiro hadn’t stopped thinking about it though, whatever you went through, could it have been what drove you to move?

His hand ran down the length of Remi’s back and then up again. “Well, whatever her reason for coming here, I say we give her the fresh start she wants.”

The couple looked at him, “It’s obvious something happened but at the end of the day, what that something is doesn’t really matter, does it? When things crumble around us, we either get buried or move forward. She’s choosing to move forward and we support her, do what we can to help.”

Tamaki’s face settled on a small smile while Mirio agreed wholeheartedly.

Not too long after, Eijiro was gathering up Remi’s bag she toted around to the hospital with her, full of coloring books and craft supplies. With the bag over his shoulder and his daughter in his arms, he said goodnight to Tamaki at the door.

“You’ve always been bright, ya know, I’ve always thought that,” Eijiro stopped and turned back to the man. “But, I sometimes forget how insightful you can be too.”

He chuckled. “You shouldn’t underestimate me, Tams.”

“I’ve learned that. I nearly get my arm dislocated in training when I do. Thank you though, for being there for her.”

“Of course.” He promised to keep being there too, as long as you wanted him to be. It was half past ten by the time the pair got home. Remi just waking up when Eijiro slipped her shoes from her feet.

“Little pebble, go brush your teeth, and then you can go to bed, okay? You can take a bath in the morning.” She groggily agreed but stopped walking when he hung up her bag, looking at the thing with her head tilted to the side. “What’s wrong, baby?”

She reached her hands up for it, making grabby fists until he lowered it into them. “He not here…” She spun the bag around, opening pockets and digging inside, “Daddy, daddy, he’s not here!”

He must have been tired because it took him longer than it should have to realize who 'he' was.

“We gotta go, daddy, gotta go right now and find him!”

The little plush Fat Gum keychain had been the first hero merch she got as a baby, well, the first besides his own. She took the little toy everywhere with her. No matter what other toys she received, Little Fat was always close to her heart.

And, so, Eijiro had to let her look. They went back down the block, searched in front of their house and he even called Tamaki but no such luck.

Eijiro finally convinced her to lay down though, wiping fat tears from her round cheeks. “Promise, Pebble, we’ll keep lookin’ tomorrow, okay? But, you gotta sleep so your eyes are wide open! You might miss’em if you’re too tired.”

That logic seemed to work for her. Remi’s tiny arms hugged the 3ft Fat Gum close to her and closed her eyes when Eijiro kissed the top of her head.

Shutting the door quietly behind him, he finally let his mind spiral, she couldn’t have really lost the thing, right? It had to be some place! He didn’t even want to think about the bidding wars he’d get into trying to win her another one since that particular item was retired.

After he rechecked Remi’s bag and all around the front of the house, he had one more thing he could try before opening up eBay.

Eijiro pulled up Taishiro’s messages, nearly midnight was too late to call the guy, and he asked if by some chance he still had a few tucked away some place but, before he sent it, his phone chimed and your name popped up.

Curiosity among the chaos made him open your message first and he was instantly relieved when he did.

Your face was pressed up against the little stuffy and the comment below: Found this little guy tangled up in my sheets. Tam said it was Remi’s. Thought I’d let ya know he’s safe and sound with me.

He breathed slow and steady, his heart finally slowing down. Eijiro even got up and peaked in Remi’s room to let her know but miraculously, she was already asleep.

That left him to collapse heavily onto his sofa, laying on his back while he typed out: I hope you know you’re a lifesaver. Remi’s been a mess.

You were quick to respond, He’ll be here waiting for you two tomorrow. Or tonight if she’s really missin’ him.

She’s actually asleep, but thank you so much! And now his heart was hammering again, you were already planning on them coming up tomorrow even though it hadn’t been talked about, you were even willing to let them back tonight. Speaking of sleep, shouldn’t you be doing that? You look far too awake in this photo.

He was already setting it as your contact ID in his phone when you sent, I don’t sleep well in hospitals, or new places in general.

I’m sure they could give you something to help.

I’ll be alright. They’re telling me one more day of observation and I should be able to go home the following day. Hopefully staying at Midoriya’s will be better.

THAT’S GREAT NEWS!

Yeah! So, two more nights of crappy sleep and then a good night's sleep is all mine.

Eijiro flipped a pillow behind his head, If you’re not sleepin’ then what are ya gonna do?

Watch mindless television that I know nothing about… stare at the wall…

Sounds boring. He hesitated before typing out, You could talk to me instead. And sent the followup message.

It took you a moment longer he noticed but he smiled to himself reading your response, Why don’t you call me then?

But call how… a phone call was the safer option but he really just wanted to see your face too. Was it worth the risk? He could say it was an accident if you declined it… yeah, he went for it.

It was dark when you picked up but he heard your quiet whisper of a hello and what sounded like shuffling as you put headphones in. A dull yellow light flicked on behind you and then you were filling up his screen.

“Hey.” Eijiro felt around the floor for his obnoxiously long phone cable and plugged it in. “How are you?”

“All good over here. What about you?”

“Yeah, same here.” He watched as you rolled on your side, balancing your phone on the little table beside your bed and his heart flipped when he saw Little Fat resting against your pillow. “Hey, why are you whispering?”

“I dunno,” Oh, now you were smiling at him, pulling the blanket up around you, “Kinda feel like a kid sneaking around after bedtime trying not to get yelled at by her parents.”

“Think the doctors are gonna yell at you for being on your phone?”

“They might!” Even your laugh was quiet.

He settled in, tucking his arm under his head, he told you about dinner with Tamaki and Mirio, what you guys had for dinner, and then listened to you talk about the first time Tamaki got you to eat takoyaki. He could have listened to you talk about anything for hours.

And that was exactly what he’d done.

You shared stories back and forth just between the two of you for the first time. He was able to curse and not need to panic that Remi had heard him. You closed your eyes laughing over something he’d said and so many times he had to mentally remind himself he couldn’t laugh at full volume because Remi was asleep. But, Eijiro couldn’t remember a recent time he’d had so much fun on a phone call, he didn’t want it to end… and technically, it didn’t.

> > > < < <

“DADDY!” He jolted awake, falling off the sofa and onto the floor right by Remi’s feet, “Daddy we gotta go find Little Fat! Right now! Who dis? Hello!”

She had his phone before he could grab it, “Hello!” Your startled face came into the frame, “Ms. Y/N… oh…” Eijiro inclined on his elbows watching his daughter closely inspect the phone screen, “Ms. Y/N, you have a Little Fat Gum too?”

He pulled her with the phone down into his lap to explain, “Actually, baby, Ms. Y/N found Little Fat last night all tangled up in her blankets.”

“Why was he there?”

“Well, remember how Little Fat makes you feel better when you’re sick or sad?” She nodded, “I think he was trying to make sure Ms Y/N felt a little better too.”

You’d remained quiet, a sleepy smile on your face while he explained but then Remi held the phone up to look at you fully. “Did he help? Are you feeling better?”

“I’m feeling so much better, kiddo! Thanks for letting me borrow him!”

“You’re sure? You can keep him for a little longer if you gotta.”

Eijiro thought he might have seen tears in your eyes. “Remiru, you are the sweetest little girl. He helped me so much last night and I think he’s ready to be picked up.”

Remi spun in his lap, dropping the phone square on his ankle bone, “Okay, daddy, you heard her. We gotta go get Little Fat now.”

“Yes, baby. Go pick out clothes and we’ll go in a minute.”

He pulled himself back on the sofa, rubbing the last bit of sleep from his eyes. Damn, how long had you two talked for?

“Nice bed head.” He looked at you between his fingers, you were smiling with another laugh on your lips.

“Yeah. Yours looks pretty cute too. All this way and that.”

He watched you dramatically flip it while he got up and stretched. “Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you shortly. I’m gonna stop for breakfast on the way, how about I sneak you in something? What wouldya like?”

That night was indeed supposed to be your last in the hospital. Eijiro and Remi stayed in your room while you had a few final tests run, they even left and managed to sneak you in some boba around lunch time. Dinner was the finest pizza the hospital had to offer. Demolished by the three of you until there was nothing but crumbs of crust left.

Being your last night, Eijiro hadn’t meant to stay that late. He knew you’d have a busy day tomorrow, getting settled into Izuku’s apartment and all that, and yet, the clock ticked later and later and he found himself not wanting to leave.

While you helped Remi fold a paper airplane he found himself wondering if you’d still want to do this, want to spend time with the two of them. He had no clue how to ask and he probably wouldn’t but he hoped he’d get more moments like these with you. With you and his daughter. He wondered if you really would help her swim or if you’d like to go with them to the duck park. Or would he only see you at work or at events with all your friends.

In case the latter came to pass, he decided to soak up every moment of this day that you’d give him. Even when dusk clung to your windowsill, when he noticed Remi rubbing her eyebrows (the telltale sign she was fighting sleep), Eijiro still didn’t want to leave.

Remi asked you to read her a story and you agreed in an instant. Eijiro should have called it a night. He knew darn well when his daughter snuggled in against you she was tuckered out but he let your voice fill the room with tales from the children’s book. His heart clenching when you dramatically read a line or squeezed Remi close at a particularly cute part.

Her inky black hair spilled over your shoulder, eyelids so heavy that they closed before you got to the end of the story so when your words trailed off, he stood from the chair knowing it was time.

“I-I don’t mind.”

“What?”

“I mean, I don’t mind, if you don’t.”

There was technically no reason for him to stay. He should have packed up Remi’s things and taken her home but she looked so damn peaceful snuggled up against you and it flooded his chest with adoration. She’d been so guarded since her mother left, careful not to let anyone that she didn’t already know into her life. And yet, here you were. Your fingers absentmindedly trailing up and down her arm and so Eijiro sat back down.

He felt lighter somehow, as if that was even possible. But, his shoulders dropped and he swore he could even breathe a little easier too. For a moment, surrounded by only the chirps and beeps of machinery, Eijiro let his eyes close too.

“Thank you,” He cracked open an eye when he heard the two little words from you, “‘M not sure if you usually visit people when they’re in the hospital but you’ve made being here a lot easier.”

“Well, I do tend to visit the children’s wing when I can and I’ve been the big jolly guy at a couple hospital holiday fundraisers if you catch my drift but, no, I don’t usually make a habit of hanging out for several days.”

He thought for a moment, trying to find the right way to say, “I was kicking myself for not getting your name that day in the park.” But the words were just tumbling from his mouth, “And then you were at the crash, and you know my friends, you’re related to one of them, and my kid, hell, she’s crazy about ya.”

He finally took a breath and realizing he couldn’t take it back now so, “I don’t make a habit of hanging out in hospitals but I hoped I’d get the chance to get to know you.”

“I expected you to stop showing up.” You admitted with a sheepish smile. “I wouldn’t have blamed you, obviously! Guess I’m just a little surprised you kept coming back.”

“What can I say, I like you, Y/N.”

“I like you too, Kirishima.”

Four days in the hospital felt like a lifetime.

Four days and your life had changed in ways you couldn’t have planned for and that you certainly hadn’t expected.

Tamaki had shown up bright and early to the hospital, fully prepared to spend the entire day with you and help you get situated into your new home which was good since you didn't get released from the hospital until the early evening.

You insisted he really didn’t need to help, you didn’t have many belongings, but he reminded you that you just had extensive surgery, not to mention with the lack of daily quirk healing injections, you were likely to start feeling some pain.

There was paperwork to be signed and then you were on your way to the hotel you’d been calling home. Tamaki helped gather up the few clothes you put into the dresser while you packed up your toiletries and within a half hour he had your suitcase in hand and your duffle slung across his chest.

“So, Midoriya’s apartment is about five blocks from our agency,” He told you on the cab ride, “And you’re in a really good location too. Lots of good food but the building itself is really secure and quiet. Midoriya spent a lot of time picking this place out.”

You pulled up to the high-rise and the green-haired hero was waiting for you. He pulled you into a careful hug. “I’m sorry I didn’t visit you more! Work has just been kinda busy.”

“Don’t worry about it. I had good company. Someone’s gotta be out here saving the world, right.”

He nodded and held open the door for you and your cousin. “I’ve already explained to the doorman, the head of staff, and the head of security that you will be staying at my place. There is a heated rooftop pool you can access and a gym, any time of day.” He pointed out the area in question enclosed in all glass windows.

Izuku handed you a sleek black card. “This gives you access to both those areas and the elevator. I can also set it up to access the apartment but I preferred using the thumbprint feature Melissa created.”

There was no possible way he could hide his beaming look when he talked about his fiancé's inventions, explaining to you that he’d scan your thumbprint with his phone and would give you access, Tamaki's too, just in case you needed anything.

“Go on, try it out.” You pressed the digit against the matte black pad just above the door and, sure enough, there was a little click and the door opened for you. “There is a place for a key though, just behind that pad, if you ever need it. Other than that, welcome home!” He held his arms out in a grand gesture. “I stocked the fridge and got you some of the essentials since I wasn’t sure what you had with you. Feel free to rearrange things or decorate however you like! The master bed and bathroom is down that hall,” he pointed off to his left, “and down this way is a guest room, office, and half bath.”

“Oh! And speaking of guests,” He continued on, “they don’t have to sign in or anything but they do need an access code for the elevator or they’ll have to go to the front desk. Someone will call you then and verify they’re allowed up. Security measures and all that.”

You were trying so hard to take in everything he was saying but really you were a little stunned with the place you’d now be calling home. It was top of the line, state of the art, in fact. All modern with sleek edges and crisp design. You’d made decent money as a Pro in America but you certainly didn’t make enough to afford a place like this.

“And, if you need anything right away, Kacchan and Kyoka live just above you, I wrote their unit number and the elevator code on the fridge for you.”

“Izuku, I really cannot thank you enough-“

He held up a hand. “There’s no need to thank me. You’re our friend Y/N, we just want to help take care of you, okay?”

You nodded and accepted the help. “I also wrote down a few restaurants that you might like to try, but, made sure to grab a few of those cup-o-noddles you like so much too. They’re in the pantry.”

Damn, you nearly forgot how you used to live off those things. “Are you hungry? We could all go out for a bite?” Tamaki asked but you shook your head.

“Thanks but, I think I’d like to just get settled in.”

Both men were more than happy to respect your decision. You tried to give thanks to Izuku again but he just repeated how none was necessary.

Tamaki though, he lingered after Izuku had said he’d see you on Monday and took his leave.

“I’ll be alright, Tam, I promise.”

“You’ll call if you need anything at all, right?”

“Of course.”

“Or Bakugo if it’s urgent.”

“I will, Tamaki. Ya know, I did use to be a pro like you.”

He looked to the ground. “Yeah, I know. I’ll always worry about you though.”

You wound your arms around his middle and felt him rest his chin atop your head. “If you keep worrying, this pretty hair of yours is gonna start turning grey.”

“It already has. Kirishima dyes it for me.”

You chuckled at the thought of the two men up to their elbows in indigo dye but, “Why Kirishima?” You asked, “Why not have Mirio do it?”

“Because Mirio hasn’t dyed hair before. I know I could ask him and he’d do it for me but Kirishima’s been dying his hair for over a decade now.”

“Really?”

It was almost impossible for you to imagine the man with anything other than the bright red hair and you’d just assumed that Remi got her ebony locks from her mother but, now you were wondering if it was from Kirishima… what he’d look like with that same dark hair…

“Alright. If you promise me you’ll reach out if you need anything,”

“I promise.”

“Then I’ll get out of your hair.”

With him gone, for the first time in five days, you were alone. No friends, no family, no doctors or nurses. Just you.

With the lights off, you laid in your new king-sized bed with the comforter hiked up to your chin. It was after midnight, by all accounts you should be dead tired, however, you were currently the opposite.

Of course, you spent ample time going over your new apartment. Learning where things were kept, trying out the amazing rainfall shower, opting to save the jacuzzi tub for another day. But, after a cup of those noodles Izuku had been so gracious to stock up on for you, you were finally feeling a little sleepy and thought to take full advantage.

The problem was, you were now under the covers with you were wide awake.

The new job was lingering just around the corner, it wasn’t that you were scared exactly. You worked as a pro hero for nearly seven years, were a sidekick before that, and an intern before that! By all accounts, the job should be fairly easy for you to acclimate to.

Still, you didn’t know everyone. The personalities, the way they liked things handled, there was still so much to learn, and damn you really would hate disappointing people who were being so very kind.

Gods, how did people like their coffee? Who all liked coffee? Were you responsible for coffee? Why did you suddenly care about fucking coffee so much!

You shoved a pillow over your face to muffle your groan and almost didn’t hear the trill of your phone.

Kirishima’s name popped up with a new text message and despite everything, you were subconsciously grinning.

Kirishima: I really hope you were able to get to sleep alright. I know you said you have trouble being at new places though, so, if ya can’t, you could call me again. Just wanted you to know that.

He’d called you for the last two nights, even yesterday when he got home, after he put Remi to bed, the man still called you. Of course, he asked if he could first, he was respectful in that way… and in many others.

You kept thinking about what Tamaki had said before Kirishima and Remi arrived the other day, “If you were gonna be saved by someone other than Mirio or I, I’m happy it was Kirishima, he’s a really good guy.” And everything the redhead had done only further supported your cousin's claim.

You: If we keep talking every night, pretty soon it’ll become a habit.

A couple of minutes passed and this time, your phone was ringing with another FaceTime call that you promptly answered.

“Not all habits are bad, ya know?” His voice was cheery despite being quiet, “Making a habit to drink 8 glasses of water a day, that’s a good habit to have.” There wasn’t much light in your room but you wondered if there was enough that he saw your eyes rolling as you laughed.

His screen was almost pitch black, you could only see the parts of his face illuminated by the light of his own phone, his cheeks especially when he smiled for you.

“You look like you’re in bed. Probably means you should get some sleep.”

You could see him shake his head against his pillow. “‘M fine. If I wanted to sleep, I wouldn’t have offered to talk.” He rolled and set his phone against a glass of water, muttering a prayer that it wouldn’t fall over. “I would just go out to my living room but Kaminari is currently splayed out across my sofa. Have you met him yet?”

“Nope.”

“He’s a good guy, a bit of a wildcard, but good all the same.”

“Does he work at the agency?” You asked, fluffing a pillow and positioning your phone against it.

“He does! Yeah! Actually, most of our graduating hero class works there, and others too but, we kinda founded it all together.”

“H-how many people were in your class?”

“Twenty of us in each but only a handful from B class joined.”

Your mouth ran dry. An executive assistant for at least twenty different people?

“Hey,” He squinted into the phone, “I can’t see ya all that well but you look worried. Has the idea of work been bugging you? That what’s keeping you awake?”

“What? Do you have a secondary mind-reading quirk I don’t know about?”

His white teeth flashed with a smile, “No, nothing like that. I’ve just gotten good at reading people. If I knew what was in that head of yours, I wouldn’t have to ask.” When you only gave him a half-hearted smile in response though, he asked again, “Is it?”

“All those people… it’s just a little daunting.”

You heard him stifle a laugh. “What!”

“You’re not responsible for all of us, you goof!” He apologized for laughing, “I figured Bakugo or Midoriya explained this to you: We have about forty five pros working at Alliance right now and just as many sidekicks but we’re all broken up into little teams, squads and stuff. The squad you’re working with is made up of Bakugo and Ashido, who you’ve already met, and there’s also Kaminari and Sero, oh, and myself. And we have three sidekicks who also work with us.”

So, 8 people, that was a little better than what you were thinking.

“Why don’t I take you by the agency tomorrow so you can check the place out before your official first day? I’m not goin’ back until Monday anyways!”

“You’d do that?”

“Yeah!” He sealed his lips shut for a second, obviously listening to make sure he hadn’t woken up his daughter but his enthusiasm had warmth blooming across your cheeks. “Yes, I’d be happy to give you a tour and introduce you around. I just gotta make sure my mom can watch Remi. I try to keep her out of the public eye as much as I can. But, she usually has no problem. I can pick ya up at noon?”

“That sounds great.”

A silence fell between you and your eyes started to feel heavy. “Want me to stay on the phone until ya fall asleep?”

“Do you mind?”

“Not at all.”

“Thanks, Kirishima. When I start snoring you can hang up.”

His rumbling laugh made your stomach flutter. “Alright, you’ve got a deal.”

Except, Kirishima must have fallen asleep around the same time, once again, the call hadn’t ended and you were awoken by Remi catapulting herself onto her father’s chest. “Daddy! Good morning! I would like pancake please, I help put in chocolate chip… Daddy.”

His voice was thick and he had one arm slung over his eyes, “Yes, baby girl?”

“You had another sleepover with Ms. Y/N. Not fair! Next time we all have sleepover together! I cannot believe you...”