Chapter Text
It was time for Fuyumi to return to work, and since the arrangement worked out well last week, Enji was entrusted with Usagi once again, much to his delight. In the short time since then, he bought an array of new paintings for her to look at and 'ask' about. His training room was also going through a remodel of sorts, but he doubted it would be finished by the time she came.
He scrolled through his phone for more details, saving pictures of certain colors and decorations he had planned for the future.
"Aww, is that the baby?"
He huffed in irritation as his former sidekick, Burnin, looked over his shoulder at a picture of Usagi he landed on. It was on the day he took care of her; he had asked if he could take a picture before her parents took her home. The image showed her giving a sleepy smile, her baby teeth that had bitten his finger barely showing.
"Pay attention." He scolded. They had been working on training new recruits, and even though his mobility was limited, he was determined to stay on top of teaching them. They were the future, after all. Though he didn't have as many recruits as he usually would due to his exposed past and controversial image. They were a rather scraggly bunch of punks, but despite their delinquent appearances, they remained respectful of his position. However, it was obvious he was their last choice for mentorships. Once upon a time the feeling would've been mutual, he realizes.
"I can multitask." She responded with a shrug. "They're just sparring."
He wouldn't exactly call this pitiful display sparring. They were very sloppy in their movements, and their technique left much to be desired. The information he had gotten about them didn't paint a pretty picture. Two of them had barely graduated from the lowest ranked hero school in the country, one was a convicted felon who was arrested multiple times for attempting to do hero work without a license, and the last was a former petty villain trying to turn his life around. Enji had his work cut out for him.
"Reaper, stop swinging wildly and actually strategize." He told a gray haired, tattoo covered young man, who was using his Quirk to slice at his partner who was teleporting in a cloud of smoke. His Quirk allowed him to materialize and solidify the ink on his skin, so he was covered in an array of tattoos ranging from weapons to flames, and even a pouch to carry extra things. He had to give him credit for creativity.
"You got it, Endeavor dude!"
"I'm no longer Endeavor, I told you. It's Mr. Todoroki."
"Okay Todoroki dude!"
He shook his head with a sigh while Burnin snickered. Why was he always surrounded by the most unserious people?
"And Haze, start throwing in some punches. You won't get anywhere with just dodging your opponent's attacks."
A man clad in ninja attire paused his constant teleporting and emerged from the smoke to pull down his mask. "B-but Mr. Todoroki, this is my best strategy!"
"If this is the best you've got, then you need to do a lot more training before you're even remotely ready." He said bluntly. "A real pro needs to have multiple ways to defeat an enemy, and all you do is run away hoping they'll tire themselves out, and while that's not a wholly bad idea, you need to prepare for anything. What if they don't tire out as quickly as you hope? What if they figure out how to capture you or even worse, kill you or someone you're protecting? Find more strategies."
The ninja opened his mouth to protest before closing it. Looking down thoughtfully, he took a moment to let Enji's words sink in and nodded firmly before pulling his mask back up. With a newfound determination, he began to fight back against his partner, only occasionally teleporting. It worked to throw in a level of confusion, but it was obvious he wasn't used to hand to hand combat and was swiftly knocked flat on his back by his more skilled partner, who also listened to Enji's advice and stopped swinging his tattoo chain and swapped to a more heavy hitting strategy.
Haze whined on the floor and clutched his nose, which was already starting to bleed. Enji counted himself lucky that it was only Burnin in here with him and not his other sidekicks. They would've had a riot at this sight.
The two boys were given a break so Haze could ice his nose, and Enji watched the last two as they continued to spar. These two were doing a slightly decent job compared to Reaper and Haze, as they'd had more experience out on the streets, but they were amateurish with how they fought.
"Drill Head," he started, "your attacks are effective, but you actually need to mix in some dodging. You're taking too many hits and it'll eventually wear you out. Like I told Haze, if you do too much of the same thing, it becomes predictable."
The one he instructed only gave a dismissive 'tch' as a response but otherwise obeyed his advice. He was a tough man that had a red drill with thick white stripes in place of his hair on his head. He was gifted in using it in fights, but he tended to be too violent and aggressive. His vigilante streak was short lived, but he made himself quite infamous for the carnage he left behind. If Enji didn't train him properly, he had no doubt he'd either end up behind bars or continue hurting people needlessly.
And finally, he turned his attention to the last problem child. "Dullahan, stop messing around and take this seriously."
The boy only laughed as Drill Head punched his head clean off his body. Before it could go far however, he grabbed it and rolled it like a bowling ball towards his opponent's legs. "Okaaay, but I'm doing it because I want to, not because you told me!"
This kid was the youngest out of the group at only eighteen, and it was clear he wasn't exactly right in the head. Being a former villain instantly put him on heavy watch under Enji and his sidekicks. His demeanor didn't exactly scream remorseful about his poor life choices, and Enji suspected the Hero Commission had something to do with putting him in his care. But, if he truly was trying to turn his life around, then he would do his utmost to help him. He could understand wanting to atone for your past.
The day finally came, and after putting up the final piece, he checked to make sure the paintings were hanging properly and securely. The babyproofing he did last week was still in place for everything in the house, so he didn't do as much running around. For the time being, his training room was closed off.
He heard the doorbell ring and he went to the door, but as he approached, he could hear faint crying coming from the other side. When he opened it, Fuyumi was holding a crying Usagi in her arms, the infant wriggling as her red cheeks shined with tears.
"I'm sorry dad, she's been fussy all day and her teeth are growing in and hurting her." She said with a worried look as she walked in. He helped her put the backpack down as she tried to soothe the baby.
"Has anything helped?" He asked. His heart broke at the sight of Usagi's distress.
"Seong can calm her down with his voice, but he already did that before leaving for work and I don't want to call and bother him."
Seong had a Quirk that allowed him to control people's emotions via his voice, which made him very popular in Korea during live concerts, but due to some unfortunate circumstances involving his father retiring early, he had to put his career on hold to move to Japan to take care of his family. From what Fuyumi has told him about the situation, Seong wasn't on the best of terms with them and all but cut contact after getting into a relationship with her.
Watching the baby sob, his eyebrows furrowed in displeasure and tentatively reached out. "Has she napped?"
"No," she handed Usagi over, "she quieted down after he left, but then she started back up again. I think she just misses him; he's been gone more often. His album's almost finished and he can't wait to put it out."
Putting your job before your family wasn't a wise decision, but Enji knew he wasn't doing this out of pure selfishness. The man cared for his family and only wanted to make enough for them to live comfortably while also pursuing his passion, but to a child, it was impossible to understand. He wondered for a split second if his children ever cried for him, but that thought was quickly shaken. Of course they didn't, they probably cried to be rid of him.
Usagi held his shirt and whimpered sadly. Her hair was loose from its usual high ponytail and hung around her face in messy strands. He carefully brushed away some that were clinging to her wet cheeks and wiped her tears with his large thumbs. He hated seeing her like this.
"Is there anything else we can do to help?"
"She likes music, so maybe just put on some baby songs, it might do something."
He nodded and forced his gaze away to Fuyumi. She looked tired and her brows were furrowed in worry and stress.
"Have you been getting enough rest?"
"Yeah, just new job jitters. Usagi's never been a fussy baby, but when she is, it takes a long time to calm her down." She responds. "Are you sure you can handle this?"
He gave her a firm nod. "Of course, I gave you my word and I intend to keep it. We'll both be fine."
She didn't look convinced, but it wasn't like she had other options - if she did, he wouldn't be here holding the baby. "Don't be afraid to call either of us, Seong gets off at three and will be here as soon as he can."
He gave a hum in confirmation and watched as she rubbed Usagi's head and turned to leave. He followed so she could see her mother off like last time, but the poor child was still too preoccupied with crying. Stroking her head, he tried to direct her attention to Fuyumi as she drove off, but it was no use. He hoped her mother didn't feel bad about that.
When he returned inside, he rocked the upset child and heightened his body temperature ever so slightly to soothe her, and it seemed to work for a moment, because her sobs died down considerably and her grip loosened on his shirt. Sighing in relief, he walked to the new paintings on the wall and spoke softly in her ear.
"Look, Usagi. Flowers." Her red puffy eyes turned to the wall and widened at the colorful array of beautiful flowers dotting every inch of the canvas. There were several different species in the garden, but her eyes fell on a particular kind he hadn't noticed when he bought the image.
"Rindou," he murmured. "Those are... your grandmother's favorite..."
They were so small in the painting compared to the others, it was a wonder she spotted them, but her gaze was transfixed with the deep blue flora in the bottom left.
Her hand reached out and brushed against the painting and cooed in wonder as she felt the dry paint beneath her palm. She always seemed to enjoy that sensation, he wondered if he should buy some paper for her to color and paint on once the training room was done being renovated.
He showed her the new paintings and spoke to her about what was in them, but after a short while she started kicking her little legs, signaling she wanted to be let down. He obliged and went to the sofa and carefully sat her down. She wiggled about until he grabbed her trusty bunny toy and pacifier and eagerly began chewing on the rubber as she waved the plushy around. She was very mobile for a baby her age; he wouldn't be surprised if she started crawling and walking early with how much she wiggled.
Of course, he thought pridefully, she's a Todoroki. I bet she won't even need to crawl; she'll just start walking right away.
Sneezing on the toy, the baby's face scrunched, and Enji loosened his facial muscles when he realized he was making the same expression. Fuyumi informed him previously of tissues in the bag, and he swiftly pulled them out and wiped his granddaughter's snotty nose and the bunny in her hand. He made a mental note to buy more in the future in case they ran out. And maybe some disinfectant spray. And wipes.
With a newly cleaned nose, Usagi began squealing happily while he threw the dirty tissues in the garbage. Her hair was starting to frizz up from rubbing it on the couch, and the corners of his mouth twitched at the flyaway strands. With her hair down, she looked a lot like her mother when her hair was longer.
He leaned closer and lifted a hand to tickle her belly and was rewarded with a squeal of laughter. This made his smile grow, and he did it again. They continued this for a few minutes before she pushed his hand away and sneezed again. He hoped she wasn't catching a cold.
He wiped her face which was red from their earlier activities and placed the tissue aside. Her brows furrowed and she began to roll her body back and forth. He remembered her constant wiggling last week and caught her before she could fall. She seemed to be growing frustrated again, because her little lips quivered and soft hiccups started escaping. Soon, her eyes grew watery and Enji felt his heart race. He needed to distract her!
"Look, Usagi." Grabbing the remote, he quickly flicked the TV on and turned it to something a child could watch. Fuyumi had told him they sometimes put the TV or computer on for her, but only for a limited time. He wasn't the most knowledgeable when it came to what children watched, but the dancing vegetables on the screen seemed safe enough.
To his relief, the little redhead's attention was captured and her tears paused as she gazed at the screen. He let out a breath and sank back into his seat. At least she was calm for now.
He made sure to watch over her as she pushed herself up, giving her a helping hand to lean on for support. It was a great feat for a baby her age, and he felt another wave of pride at her progression. Her back was against the cushions, and he adjusted them to be more comfortable for her neck.
He felt his phone vibrate and he saw a text from Keigo. What did he want?
Heeey, how'd the newbies do?
He huffed and replied back. They're a pitiful bunch. You sent that boy Araki to me, didn't you?
I don't know what you're talking about. A winking emoji followed his message and Enji only rolled his eyes. He knew he wouldn't get a direct answer from him, but in a way, that gave him all the information he needed. Keigo may not be in the control of the Hero Commission anymore, but his old habits of hiding his true motives would be difficult to let go.
They aren't what I'm used to, but they show the smallest hint of promise.
He had to admit, he was grateful for his attempts to help him. He knew he didn't deserve it, but it was still kind of his... friend, to do so. He'll have to remember to ask him about his loyalty to him, and why he was so intent on being there for him.
See? I knew this would be good for you. Getting a bunch of greenhorns keeps you on your feet.
He snorted at that. Right. The most that lot did was give him headaches, but, they also had... interesting personalities. He glanced at Usagi and noted her fixation on the TV, and typed back on his phone, Is that why you took in that boy? Tokoyami, was it?
Na, that's just 'cause he reminded me of myself in a way. Birds of a feather gotta stick together.
Enji could only groan. How old are you?
Aw c'mon, that was pretty funny. Just 'cause I got my wings clipped doesn't mean I have to be all serious.
Despite his demeanor, Enji knew the loss of his Quirk affected Keigo greatly. He'd catch him sometimes gazing up at the sky with a bitter smile, at the birds he once flew beside. He got lucky with his life, but being stripped of such an integral part of your life must be like losing a limb. He could only imagine the trauma one had to endure. Keigo was a far stronger man than he, in more ways than one.
He hadn't realized he'd been staring at his phone without any movement until Usagi brought him out of his thoughts with a whine. When he looked back, he saw her face twisted in sadness, and fat tears rolling down her cheeks.
I have to go. The baby's crying.
Putting down his phone, the big man lifted his granddaughter up and began rocking her. This only seemed to make her more upset, because she squirmed and flailed her chubby arms and legs. She didn't scream, but her wailing was so hard it left her gasping and coughing. Something must be wrong. He recalled Fuyumi mentioning when she arrived that Usagi was teething.
He couldn't do anything about that, but maybe he could provide some relief. He upped his temperature and pressed her face to his shoulder to soothe the pain like he had earlier. She pushed away from him and struggled in his hold. He sat her on his lap for a moment, not wanting to completely set her down. Okay, so it wasn't her teeth that were bugging her. He waved her bunny in front of her, hoping that would cheer her up from her sadness, but she just pushed it away with a whine.
It wasn't her teeth, and it wasn't a need to be held, nor was it boredom. So what was it that was causing her so much distress? Hunger, maybe?
He swiftly stood with the crying infant and grabbed her bottle out of her bag and made his way to the kitchen. Aware of his inexperience in preparing milk, or... anything regarding childcare, he had begun watching videos on the internet to reacquaint himself with everything a few days prior to babysitting her again.
She had a highchair he bought recently, but he didn't feel right setting her down while she was crying, so he moved her to his right arm, balancing her on the prosthetic while his good hand prepared the milk.
She wasn't a loud crier like many other babies he'd heard throughout his life, her whimpers and sniffles the only indication that she was crying if one wasn't looking. Nonetheless, it broke him to see it. If he recalled, Fuyumi was a lot like that when she was that age as well. She was always trying to be strong...
The microwave beeped and he took out the bottle, testing the temperature by flipping it around and dripping some of the milk on his wrist. It was difficult doing it with one hand, but he managed. Once it was at an acceptable temperature, he held it to her lips and she immediately began suckling from the nozzle.
As he watched her drink, his chest rose cautiously as he allowed himself to feel just a little hopeful that things would calm down. He returned to the living room and listened to the soft sounds of her drinking her milk. Hopefully this was enough.
His phone vibrated in his pocket and he grumbled in irritation. What does he want now?
Too bad I'm a hawk and not a songbird. I'd sing her right to sleep.
That's what he was bothering him for? Enji rolled his eyes and didn't grace him with a response, but his friend didn't seem to take the hint. Kids love me. I still got Hawks merch flying off the shelves.
He was about to tell him to stop texting so much when he got another text from the pest. Haha, flying. Get it?
I'm blocking your number.
Waitwaitwait! Came the panicked response, causing a twisted sense of joy to rise up in Enji. He looked down from the phone to see Usagi pulling the bottle away, a drop of milk sliding down her chin. He swiftly wiped it and picked her up to burp her. It was almost amusing how his large hand covered her entire back as he patted it. A tiny burp released from her mouth, along with a small drop of spit up. He cringed internally as he felt the liquid seeping through his shirt and onto his skin.
To his dread, Usagi's sniffles started up again and he began to rock and softly shush her in an attempt to calm her down, but it was futile. Her sniffles grew to sobs and her little body shook with the harshness of her crying and he wracked his brain to come up with something, anything, that would calm her down. He grabbed her bunny, showed her the TV, cuddled her until she didn't want it anymore. He'd managed to hold off the worst of her crying until now, but it seemed nothing would soothe the sorrowful infant.
I'm so sorry, Usagi. I don't know what to do.
Too bad I'm a hawk and not a songbird. I'd sing her right to sleep. Keigo's text came to his mind, and he ran it through once, twice, until he finally realized what it reminded him of.
Songbird. Song. Seong!
Recalling Fuyumi's words, he picked up his phone again and dialed her husband's number. But just before he hit the call button, he paused. Seong was working, he shouldn't be disturbing him. But his daughter needed him and he might be the only thing to calm her down. But to seek his help on only the second time babysitting would mean Enji wasn't capable of handling things himself. But... he couldn't stand to see the sadness on his granddaughter's face.
Pressing the call button, he held the phone to his ear as Usagi cried silently into his shoulder. He heard it ring a few times before Seong finally answered, but not in the way he expected.
"Missing me already, Fuyumi? I got a few minutes, let me hear how much you can't wait to see me again with those sweet moans of yours-"
"Finish that sentence and I will fly over to your studio and melt your tongue to the roof of your mouth." Said the baritone voice of Seong's father-in-law.
He heard the sounds of something falling over and the crackle of the phone sliding across the floor. A few moments later, Seong's voice returned, sounding nothing short of panicky. "Shi- sorry, Enji, sir! Me and Fuyumi like to joke around like that-"
"I have no interest in hearing more about my daughter's sex life, I called for Usagi."
"Right right-" he cleared his throat and spoke in a much more serious tone. "What's wrong, is she okay?"
Enji let out a long sigh. "She's been crying nonstop. I've done everything I can to calm her, but nothing works long-term. Fuyumi told me you could calm her."
"Yeah, that might work," Seong replied. "I always sing her to sleep when I can. I was up with her almost all last night. I can sing to her again."
"I'm sorry to bother you, I know you've been very busy lately." Enji said sincerely. He hated the fact that he couldn't deal with this himself.
"Hey, don't worry about it." The man reassured in that easygoing tone of his. "That's why you have my number. I love my baby girl; I'll do anything to help her. Hold the phone to her ear, please."
He did as instructed and held it to Usagi's ear, listening as Seong spoke in a soft voice. "Usagi, baby?" Like magic, the infant stopped crying and lifted her head to look around for the owner of the voice. "I'll be home soon sweetheart, be good for grandpa, okay?"
Usagi cooed and moved her head back and forth, still searching for her father. Enji smiled at the sight. "She's looking for you."
"She's real attached to me. Makes Fuyumi jealous," Seong snickered. He stayed quiet for a minute before he began to sing in a low tone, his tenor voice filling the air through the phone, and his daughter's eyes started to droop as a wave of drowsiness hit her. Enji wasn't sure how the mechanics of Seong's Quirk worked - if he could control emotions through phones or if Usagi was only affected because it her father, but whatever it was, it worked. Her head began to sway as she fought a futile battle against sleep, her mouth hanging open as if it took too much energy to keep it open. Eventually she relented, her cheek resting back on Enji's shoulder, her breathing evening out into a steady rhythm.
Enji sighed in relief. Maybe that's all she needed, was to hear her father's voice. When Seong finished his melody, Enji spoke quietly so as not to wake the baby. "She's asleep now. Thank you, Seong."
"No problem, I'm glad you called. It was better than letting her suffer."
He had to agree, if he had allowed his pride and fear of burdening Seong to get in the way, then Usagi would still be crying right now, miserable and wanting.
"You're right." He said quietly, his eyes never leaving his granddaughter. "Goodbye, and thanks again."
Seong bided him goodbye as well and hung up, leaving Enji alone once more with the baby.
Three hours later, Seong came to pick up the baby, who had woken up an hour prior and was in a much more cheerful mood. Enji noticed his son-in-law avoiding eye contact, and both men silently agreed to never speak of his embarrassing mistake at not checking his caller ID earlier.
He waved them off, feeling both at peace now that Usagi was with the parent she missed, and lonely now that she was gone.
How'd it go? Texted Keigo.
For once Enji didn't feel that familiar pang of irritation and texted him back. It went well. She's back home now.
And she'd be back with him again soon enough. For now, he focused on getting her room ready for next time.