Chapter Text
Hanami. The time of year when Japan's spring flowers are finally in full bloom. Residents and tourists alike flock the sidewalks in droves to sit down and enjoy looking at the blossoms with their friends and families. Street vendors gather at the more populated areas to hawk their wares or open carnival games for the festivities. Usually, picnic blanket space is first come first served. However, there are also businesses who set up seating areas in advance for reservation. This option is what the Todoroki family chose this year.
For his children's childhood, Enji usually chose a completely private venue for his family to enjoy. But one year, Touya got curious and asked if they could attend one of the public venues. The children instantly loved it more than the lonely and silent private emplacements they would rent. Since then, the family would reserve a shared-seating area to enjoy Hanami. It had been a while since they had attended together, so Enji was only able to reserve one because Rei reminded him to. She was hoping that the outing would cheer up Fuyumi.
Izuku had plenty to do. He was busy ordering and cooking food, packing up the picnic basket, checking the weather, packing emergency supplies, etc. He was expecting to stay home, thinking that the Todoroki's would want family time alone, but here he was driving the family to the countryside. The drive over was slow because of traffic, but the view was gorgeous. Cherry blossom petals littered the road. Izuku could hear the quiet buzz of people on the sidewalks enjoying each others' company under the trees. Luckily, their parking spot was in a reserved area, otherwise they would have been forced to drive up and down the absolutely packed streets for a place to park in.
Izuku did his best not to glance at Fuyumi too obviously. She was probably hyperaware of everyone fussing and worrying over her, she definitely didn't need that kind of attention and stress from the family Maid. Still, he could sense a tense air about. Everyone had been quieter than usual since the boyfriend incident and today was no exception. Even Natsuo, who was closer to Fuyumi, was unusually quiet. The family silently exited the car, Izuku leading the way to their reserved area.
In this semi-private venue, there were a dozen or so raised platforms draped in red cloth for customers to sit on. Each platform had a table surrounded by seat cushions. Around the seating area were various vendors with their brightly colored stalls and signs. Izuku was quick to set up the food on the table before heading to the stalls. Today's meal consisted of a sashimi board, potato salad, a spinach dish, and mayo wasabi. Everything was artfully placed before Izuku excused himself to order several other hot dishes from the food vendors. Gyoza and fried wanton strips would be perfect with today's meal.
Izuku had an idea all the sudden and invited Fuyumi to come help him carry food. He figured a bit of normalcy would be better than acting like he was walking on eggshells around her. She managed a small smile and followed him away from the table. Izuku internally sighed a bit as Enji stood up to follow them. He had been incredibly hover-y around Fuyumi ever since the incident. Izuku knew he was just worried, but gosh! A girl just needs space now and then!
-----
Enji hadn't let his guard down since the incident. It had been a while, but he was still in protector-mode. His early attempts to get Fuyumi to talk about what happened only led to tears. So he backed off for a while. He'd overhear quiet conversations she'd have with Rei, but all he was good for was hugs and cuddles. He knew he should have been grateful that someone was able to talk to her, but being in the dark was driving him nuts! Enji figured now would be an OK time to finally talk about it with Fuyumi. So he got up with Midoriya and his daughter and followed them to the food stalls.
Enji stayed silent as they stood in lines and waited for their orders to be ready, waving away the occasional fly. Midoriya had been chatting with Fuyumi the entire time, talking about little stories from his life or asking her opinion on different foods she liked, stuff that Enji easily tuned out. He felt comfortable in the silence, the occasional twitch of a smile passing his lips as he saw Fuyumi come out of her shell. At the same time a pang of jealousy stung his chest. He should be able to talk to her, too! But here she was, choosing other people to rely on over him again. He busied himself by looking around, always on the lookout for that bastard of an ex boyfriend as if he were going to pop up out of the crowd.
When Midoriya gathered the last of the steaming-hot food, he spoke up before they headed back.
"Midoriya," He addressed. The Maid and his daughter looked back at him. "Go back to the table. Fuyumi and I are going to take a walk around here." Midoriya looked at Fuyumi who gave a resigned nod. He gave them a nervous smile and wished them well on their way. Parting from him, Enji cocked his head towards the street and Fuyumi quickly stepped beside him. Her smile had instantly vanished, much to his displeasure. She looked sad again, withdrawn. He sighed through his nose and thought about his next step. What would Midoriya do? He thought to himself. Looking to the side, he spotted a street game. It was a kiddie pool filled with tiny orange fish. Children were seated around it, catching the guppies with their paper wands. Enji had a sudden epiphany. Midoriya would probably do something that felt normal, something to help Fuyumi let their guard down and relax. Something like inviting her to get food with him. He had a sudden new appreciation for Midoriya's tact. And he could follow suit. He needed something to help her feel normal first before he broached the "forbidden subject."
Pausing on the path, he hummed; Fuyumi turning her head toward him and pausing as well. Glancing at her and then at the game, he silently made his way over to the kiddie pool and sat down on one of the tiny plastic stools. His daughter quickly followed and sat next to him. The attendant made his way over to the two and Enji exchanged some change for a wand.
"You've caught fish before as a child." He finally said out loud, holding the baton out to his daughter. Fuyumi obediently took it. He grunted and motioned at the pool with his chin, folding his arms and sitting back. A man of few words, as always. Fuyumi was silent for a moment, but to Enji's relief she broke out in a small smile and began to fish. She slowly and patiently chased after a fish, gently scooping it with the fragile paper backing. She's learned a lot since then, Enji thought to himself, recalling a time when Fuyumi was young and looking frustratedly at her broken paper wand. His daughter expertly scooped up the tiny squirmy fish and deposited it in the netted off section reserved for caught critters. She let out a huff of amusement and Enji basked in it. That was the first happy sound he'd gotten from her so far. His shoulders untensed and he relaxed considerably.
Fuyumi went on to catch five more fish. Enji would occasionally point out an easy target and she would quickly nab it. Every time she would let actual words slip out was a victory to him. Even though they were small things like "whoops," or "got it," he was glad he was slowly coaxing her to come out of her shell around him. People bustled behind them, creating a nice white noise. The occasional fly would buzz by, Enji swatting them away. By the time the soggy paper backing the wand broke, Fuyumi had caught at least a dozen fish, them swimming in their small enclosed area. The attendant rewarded her with one of the goldfish in a small water-filled bag, handing it over. She took it with a smile and stood up. Enji nearly jumped as he heard her chuckle.
"You look so silly sitting on that tiny stool," she said. Enji's lips quirked upwards as he stood up.
"I'm sure I do."
Satisfied with that small interaction, the two slowly made their way back toward the picnic area. Enji could feel the tension between them had decreased dramatically. Well, here goes, he thought to himself as they reached the end of the rows of vendors. It had been a while since he brought up the incident. Surely with the passing of time the sting must have also decreased, right?
"Fuyumi," he addressed.
She paused mid-step and looked back at him.
"Dad?" she said back.
"We should talk about it." It was obvious what he was talking about. The brightness that was in Fuyumi's face fell, but she didn't burst into tears like she did before. Enji continued on.
"That bastard... your ex... why did you stay with him for so long? He'd been doing it for a while, right?" Enji couldn't bring himself to put words to the actual crime. Fuyumi looked reserved, but her shoulders slumped in defeat. She faced him fully.
"Yes dad, he'd been doing it for a while..." She looked into the distance and furrowed her brow, as if searching for the words she wanted to say. "We got into an argument one day. It was about how we were going to spend my fall break. He wanted us to go visit some friends, but I was tired from work and wanted to stay home. Anyway, the argument got worse and worse and before I knew it, he slapped me."
There was a pause that was agony for Enji. No matter how much he wanted to ask another question, he knew he needed to let her speak.
"I was shocked. We both were. But he immediately apologized for it. He even cried. We ended up getting ice cream together and I wrote it off as a one-time thing."
"But it wasn't." Enji let slip out. Fuyumi's eyes got rounder, but she nodded her affirmation.
"It wasn't. It didn't happen again for a long time. I don't remember what the next argument was about, but he pushed me and I fell over the side table next to the couch." She bit her lip. "He was just always so sorry about it afterwards! Always so upset about letting himself do that."
"Did you try to leave?" Enji asked. She made a shy and guilt-ridden shrug.
"I did. Kind of. It was after we'd gotten into another fight and he hit me again. I told him we needed a break." Her face crumpled slightly. "But... he freaked out this time. He told me I made his life worth living and if I left he wouldn't want to be in it anymore."
Now the tears were forming. "I just didn't want him to die! I was so scared. I couldn't leave. I didn't want him to hurt himself or something. So I told him we would try again and we would just go around in the same cycle. We'd fight, he'd hit me, I'd say I was done, he'd apologize. Over and over again. It was exhausting."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Enji asked exasperatedly.
"I dunno!" She crossed her arms defensively. "I was... embarrassed."
"Embarrassed?" He parroted disbelievingly.
"Mm hm." She avoided his gaze.
"How did being a victim embarrass you? You were the one getting hit. You had nothing to feel bad about." It just didn't compute for Enji. He was flabbergasted.
"I dunno, dad!" Fuyumi raised her voice. "I just was, OK? It's hard to explain. I still don't understand it either, but I felt too embarrassed to come to you or mom for help. That's just how I felt." The tears were threatening to spill over for her now.
"You should have come to us for help." Enji reprimanded. Unbelievable. A little bit of embarrassment was preventing her from getting out of a domestic violence situation? Had he taught her no self-respect growing up?
"I couldn't!" There was an annoyed edge to her raised voice now. "I told you! I felt like I couldn't! Sometimes you can't help feelings, they just happen."
"And you let some feelings get between you and your safety?" Enji shot back. He was starting to feel heated. By now there was a wide berth around them as the crowd avoided getting too close to what was obviously a very personal family matter. Enji didn't care. They could walk by all they wanted. He needed to figure this out logically. He needed her to see how illogical she was being. "He was actually hurting you! You had bruises all over your arms. I bet that time you showed up with that yellow spot on your wrist and you said 'it was nothing' that was actually a bruise, wasn't it?"
This time Fuyumi flushed hotly and a tear finally spilled. "You're attacking me, dad." She accused. "You're acting like it was my fault."
"It wasn't your fault!" Enji rolled his eyes. How could she accuse him of that? "I'm just saying you had to do one little thing and you would have been safe! I would have gotten you a new apartment, got a moving company to get all your stuff! But no, you were embarrassed." He scoffed. He waved his hand to chase away another fly. But just as his open palm rose, Fuyumi flinched. Hard.
Enji froze.
"Did..." No way. "Did you think... I was going to hit you?" His voice held disbelief with an edge of accusation. Fuyumi actually hiccupped. Enji looked at the sky as if the heavens would give him an answer. "I can't believe it..."
"I'm sorry, okay?" His daughter said, her voice now loud and thick with grief. "I didn't mean to!"
"You actually thought I'd hit you?" Enji gave her a hard look. "I. Never. Laid a hand on my family. I would never lay a hand on you." Now he was hurt. "Do you actually think I'm like him?"
"No!" She gasped, throat convulsing as if she were holding back a sob.
"Then why did you flinch?" His arm was slowly lowered, not wanting to trigger her again. Guilt shot through his chest. He knew he was authoritative on them growing up, but an abuser he was not.
"I didn't mean to!" Before anything else happened, a sob bubbled up from Fuyumi's chest and her hands shot to her eyes to scrub at them. Probably embarrassedly. She looked angry, but was actively crying. Enji couldn't get a read on her. He just shook his head at her disappointedly and walked past her. "Come on. We're going back to the table." He heard hesitant footsteps behind him as she followed obediently.
Every time he heard a tiny sob behind him, pain would slice through his heart. At the same time, he felt like he couldn't even look at her. He was pissed. The muffled sobs eventually died down to silence and the two made their way to the seating area. It looked like the food had been picked at, but everyone but Midoriya was gone. The boy heard them approach and turned with a smile. "Master! The other three said they wanted to explore for a bit, so--" and then his smile froze as his eyes flicked to Fuyumi.
"Hey, did something happen?" He asked, his tone immediately changing to be incredibly soft.
"We were just talking." Enji said gruffly, handing over the goldfish bag to put on the table. Fuyumi crawled on the blanketed platform to sit on one of the cushions. "Hey, are you ok?" Midoriya reached out toward her concernedly, but she whacked his hand away. She hiccupped again and stared angrily at her lap.
"I just. Want. To be alone." She said in the same gasping-crying thing she was going through.
Nonetheless, Midoriya's tone was still soft. "Of course." He slowly turned toward Enji "Hey, I saw some fishbowls earlier. Let's go get one for this new guy." Usually the Maid was one to only suggest or ask permission first. But this was a soft, yet firm demand. Not even waiting for Enji to answer, Midoriya smoothly got up, put on his clunky red shoes, and tugged Enji away by the edge of his sleeve. The man just gave up and let him. His head was swimming. He could use some distance from his daughter right now.
-----
Izuku was pissed.
He left them alone for fifteen minutes and of course Mr.Todoroki would be a complete dolt and bring up the incident again. And now Fuyumi was crying. Great job, Mr.Dad. But even though he was seething inside, he didn't let it show. Instead silently guiding Enji away and to the nearby plaza where there were actual brick-and-mortar stores. They'd parked right in front of the shop when they came and Izuku had spotted glass bowls through the windows. It was a great excuse to herd his Master away and talk to him about what he did.
Izuku prepared himself with a breath. He needed to handle this with kid gloves. His Master sounded angry himself. He surely wouldn't respond well to an accusatory tone. A peddler had moved her cart in front of the shop, but Midoriya still recognized the store behind it. Instead of entering the store, Midoriya turned on Mr.Todoroki and confronted him.
"Alright, you want to tell me what happened?"
Mr.Todoroki huffed through his nose. "We were talking about her ex-boyfriend. I went to swat a bug and she flinched at me. Like I was going to hit her. She was already crying at this point." he tacked on at the end.
Oh no, that's pretty bad.
"Tell me exactly what happened." Izuku said.
"I asked her why she stayed with her boyfriend if he was abusing her and she said she felt like she couldn't tell anyone because she was 'embarrassed.'"
Midoriya's brows rose at the air quotes and flippant tone Mr.Todoroki used. Oh yeah. This was bad.
"We went back and forth, but she wasn't listening to me. She kept going back to how she was feeling instead of realizing how deep in shit she was with this bastard and getting help. I just don't get it."
"Mm hm," Izuku encouraged, absolutely bursting at the seams to say more.
"And she says she was afraid! Her! The daughter of a highly successful fortune 500 company. Does she believe so little in my power? What I could have done for her if she had just told me?" Mr.Todoroki's voice was full of frustration and anger. "Then she said I was attacking her when I was just asking her valid questions. She kept getting so emotional about it. That's when I went to wave away a bug and she looked like I was going to hit her."
Deep breaths, deeeep breaths, Izuku. Don't throttle your Master. Not just yet. Izuku calmed his heart. OK, step one. Sympathize with him.
"It seems like a lot happened. You must have felt... I would have been really sad if my daughter thought she was going to get hit by me when I didn't mean it." The Maid ventured.
"It was just swatting a fly! Of course I didn't mean anything by it. Barely raised my hand." Mr.Todoroki huffed, crossing his arms.
"Right." God, where did he start? There was so much shit. "Let's back up a bit. So she said she stayed with the boyfriend because she was embarrassed, which didn't make sense to you."
"Right."
Step two. Get him to sympathize with her. "Hmm, that's a hard one. But it's very common for domestic abuse victims to feel embarrassed."
The crease in Mr.Todoroki's brow reappeared and he cocked his head.
"Let me explain it like this. Abusing someone is bad and is probably one of the last things Fuyumi would ever do to another human being, right?"
"Of course. She would never dream to." Mr.Todoroki followed.
"Right. So if she did do that, she would feel pretty embarrassed and would want no one to find out, right?"
"Ok..."
"She's feeling secondhand embarrassment right now. Someone she cares about did an embarrassing thing, AKA abuse. She, being an empathetic person, feels for him."
Mr.Todoroki remained silent, but a contemplative look appeared on his face.
"At the same time, she wants to hide this embarrassing thing if only for the sake of the reputation of the person that she loves. So maybe she lets the first incident off."
"Right, she did. She brushed it off but it kept happening and she still didn't leave."
"Sure, sure." Izuku's cadence was still soft and smooth. "By this point, it's happening over and over again. That's where the first hand embarrassment comes in. It would be super embarrassing for people to find out she let herself get abused and continued to let it happen. The logical thing would be to leave such a relationship. And because she didn't do the logical thing, she's embarrassed."
It looked like a spark of understanding finally dawned on Mr.Todoroki's face. Looks like using 'logic' to approach the issue worked.
"And what happened next?" Izuku asked.
"She said I attacked her."
Izuku nodded empathetically, trying to make himself look like he was on Mr.Todoroki's side as much as possible. "Ok, so she said your line of questioning was attacking. It's normal to feel defensive about such a sensitive topic, first off. So she was already on edge before you even said anything." Izuku reassured him and Mr.Todoroki was nodding along. "It's really hard to approach someone who is in that state with sensitivity. You gotta put yourself in their shoes at the start and think about how they must have felt. So you have this girl who is already feeling defensive and very emotional. And then we have you, whose mind is thinking logically. The two don't mix. To me, if I were in her shoes, if I love a person a lot, my emotions are going to be my driving force in the relationship. It's not like a business relationship that's emotionally distant and more logical, right?"
Mr.Todoroki was starting to look like he was understanding what Izuku was saying. Thank goodness. "So she, being driven by her emotions, is being met with the littlest amount of emotion, because you were using logic instead right? And she found that abrasive and uncaring."
"And so she pushed me away." Mr.Todoroki finished. Bingo.
"And she thought you were attacking her." Izuku nodded affirmatively. "Asking logical questions is totally valid, but her emotional needs needed to be met first. So sympathize first."
"But that still doesn't excuse the flinching," Mr.Todoroki's face fell again. Izuku noticed it was more sad than angry now.
"Right. The flinching probably was a total accident on her part. She associated the raising of a hand with 'they're going to hit me' because of her ex. As abuse that she had been facing for god knows how long now, that's what she understood on a visceral base-instinct level. It's not because she hates you or is scared of you. She just got out of an abusive situation and had a reaction triggered."
Mr.Todoroki seemed more relieved than anything, probably from the reassurance that she wasn't actually scared of him hitting her. Izuku had to reinforce it into him that he was not an abuser and was not thought of as such.
"And how did you react to her flinching?" Izuku prompted. Step three, analyze what he did wrong.
"I... got angry and accused her of thinking that I was an abusive father." His Master admitted, hanging his head slightly. But Midoriya just nodded sympathetically instead of giving him an 'I told you so.'
"So you accused her instead of...?" Izuku prompted.
"Instead of sympathizing with her." Mr.Todoroki finished.
"Instead of sympathizing with her." Izuku affirmed, put a reassuring hand on Mr.Todoroki's arm. "You are not an abuser. She doesn't think you're an abuser. You can see things from her perspective and knowing what you know now, I bet you would have reacted in a way she would be more receptive to. And you would want to do that because I know you love and care for your daughter." He patted the arm. "I think you could really benefit from stopping and putting yourself in the other person's shoes. To step back from your emotions and think of how they feel first."
Izuku looked to the side and spotted a trinket on the cart next to them. There was a display full of little animal keychains made of leather. He picked a random one and held it up to Mr.Todoroki. "It can be really hard to step out of your mind, though. Some people benefit from using physical reminders to remind them to do things." He opened Mr.Todoroki's palm and dropped the keychain onto it, closing his hand around it.
"Whenever you see this keychain, I want you to remember to this conversation."
Mr.Todoroki looked down at their hands, a new understanding plain on his face. "I will. I want to do better and I will do better."
"Good." Midoriya said. "Now lets buy that bowl so we can get back and you can work things out with Fuyumi."
"That sounds good." Mr.Todoroki said. They paid the vendor for the keychain, which Izuku saw disappear into the sleeve of Mr.Todoroki's yukata. After quickly choosing a glass bowl for Fuyumi's new pet fish, they hoofed it back to the picnic area.
"Mr.Todoroki, I'm going to stay back so you can talk to her." Izuku mentioned. By the time they returned, it looked like the other three had returned as well. Fuyumi looked calm, but her eyes were still incredibly red.
"You don't have to do that," Mr.Todoroki said. "Looks like we're going to have an audience anyways."
Approaching the table, Mr.Todoroki was met with glares as sharp as daggers, not that he paid them any mind. His focus was rightly on his daughter.
"Fuyumi," he addressed. The girl looked up at him with those puffy eyes. She looked empty. "I would like to apologize to you. Can we go somewhere private?" There was the smallest flicker of emotion on her face and she slowly nodded. Standing up, she got off the platform and began following her father. Trying to salvage a sense of normalcy, Izuku smiled and said, "We got a glass bowl for Fuyumi's pet fish."
The table was still silent, so Izuku just slid into his seat and began fiddling with the fish bag.
"Well, at least he's apologizing." Shoto finally said lowly. He was staring and picking at a piece of sashimi in front of himself.
There was a noncommittal hum from Natsuo. Rei didn't say anything but hadn't stopped looking at the direction they disappeared down.
Dear lord, let this meal be at least a little normal again. Izuku thought exasperatedly, helping himself to a wanton strip.
-----
It was under the awning of a restaurant's back porch where Enji finally found a quiet place to talk with Fuyumi. It was both away from the crowd and the hot sun. When he finally turned towards her, he found himself looking away. He hated this part. Apologizing was never his forte. Fuyumi fidgeted as the silence stretched out. Her arms were crossed and she was curled in to herself. Enji let out a breath. It's now or never. He hated apologizing. Hated admitting he was wrong. And yet he opened his mouth--
"I..." he hesitated. "would like to... apologize." There, he said it. The thick feeling in his chest lightened slightly. "For being so callous earlier. Bringing that up in a semi-public area was not tactful of me."
Enji's fingers brushed the leather keychain hidden in his sleeve. Step back from my emotions and sympathize with her, he remembered.
"I took some time to think it over and I think you were right when you said I was attacking you. I noticed I was only asking questions about you, what you did, placing the burden of everything on you. When in reality it was that bastard's fault and he's to blame for everything."
Fuyumi did nothing more than blink emptily even as he apologized. She must feel physically exhausted from all that crying and stress, he thought. I hope she has the capacity to accept this apology.
"I shouldn't have reacted the way I did earlier when you flinched, either." He continued. "I was so caught up in my own emotions, my own perspective, that I forgot to consider yours. I realize that your reaction isn't something you can help having after him. And I know you meant me no harm by it."
Sympathize! The voice in Enji's head sounded suspiciously like Midoriya, as if the young man had turned into a little shoulder angel, or a representation of his conscience.
"I didn't stop to think about how you feel. You must have been scared, sad, and stressed during this whole ordeal." At that mention, there was finally a flicker of something in Fuyumi's eyes. The slow way she straightened up was almost imperceptible. "I... messed up. And all I can say in this situation... is 'sorry'."
"Okay, dad..." was Fuyumi's reply. She seemed too tired to even care. Were his words reaching her?
"I'm trying to change." Enji continued. "I'm trying to become a better father. A better person. And it's unfair that you have to be collateral damage while I work on changing myself."
"... 'S okay" She murmured.
"It's not." Enji argued. "It's really not. But I'm sorry, and all I can say is 'I'm sorry' and 'I'll do better'." Fuyumi nodded slowly. But instead of leaving things at that, she took things in a direction Enji wasn't expecting.
"It's really tiring. Trying to cater to your emotions." Fuyumi's voice was tired, resigned. But there was a bit of fire behind it. Enji's brows rose. Was she... talking back at him? The old Enji would have scolded her for doing such a thing, but he was better prepared and more self-aware now. So he gave an affirmative hum and let her continue speaking.
"You always get mad." She continued. "Always. Whether it was about the company, or Shouto, or anything. You get so... nasty and I always try so hard to calm you down." She finally looked up at him. "I'm just so tired."
"I'm sorry." He didn't know what else to say. This came out of nowhere. But she wasn't done complaining. "I'm tired of being the peacekeeper at home. When you and Natsuo try to bite each other's heads off. It always falls on me to balance things out again." Enji just allowed her to speak her mind. If this is what she needed right now, then so be it. He did say he wanted to apologize for all the ways he behaved wrong as a father before. Guess now was just the time.
"It's like... juggling politics, but at home. It's so hard to keep both sides happy. On one side, I want to support their complaints because they're valid and I usually agree with them. But on the other side, you're the sole provider of this family and we still need to respect you. Being the mediator and trying to find common ground between you all has been impossible. And if nothing gets solved, I'm always the one sweeping up the damage afterwards. Talking to and making sure that you're OK. That Natsuo's OK. That Shoto's OK. That mom's OK. I never really got in a fight with you myself because I couldn't afford to. Who was going to keep the peace if it wasn't me?" She said and then hesitated.
"But then... you got mad at me." Tears instantly welled in her eyes and spilled over, her face crumpling. Enji's heart wrenched. He wanted to comfort her in some way. But he didn't want to scare her again with any sudden movements. "You got mad because I flinched and I never felt you be mad at me before." Fuyumi was actively rubbing her eyes now as she hiccupped and sobbed. "I tried so hard to be a good girl--" hiccup "and then--" she gasped and a sob came out next.
At that, Enji crooned, his brows knitting together in concern. He'd never seen Fuyumi be so distraught before. His arms slowly raised and his hands slowly grasped her arms to bring her in closer. "Hey," he said softly. He brought her in, her head thumping against his sternum, his arms wrapping around her. Fuyumi was that worried about being good? Enji thought about how she must have felt.
"You must have felt so trapped." He said. Not being able to lash out, always being the peacekeeper. Fuyumi sobbed harder, her hands coming up to bunch the fabric of her father's yukata. "I didn't-- h-want you to be-- to be mad." She cried. And he just let her. He shushed her and started patting her back as if he were comforting a child. He rocked them back and forth in little motions, hoping it would soothe her. His cheek was rested on the top of her head. "I'm not mad." He reassured her. "I'm sorry I was earlier. I shouldn't have been. You are a good girl." His voice was as soft as it had ever been. He certainly wasn't used to it.
Enji wasn't big on comforting. He never really needed to be. If the kids ever got upset, he left it to Rei. Perhaps it stemmed from the neglect he suffered as a child. And yet something grabbed his instincts by the throat and screamed at him to soothe. To placate. To comfort. To protect. They stood there for an eternity. Enji would occasionally whisper, "you're a good girl" assurringly. Fuyumi's bawling became crying, then sniffling with the occasional hiccup. Even when she fell silent, they still stood and swayed for longer. He found he didn't really want this moment to end. Peace blanketed his heart. He found himself focusing on Fuyumi's even breathing. Nothing else in the world mattered or even existed except for this moment with his daughter.
"... Love you, dad."
It was said so quietly, but it struck Enji right through his heart anyway. Fuyumi always said her "I love you's" growing up. Always before she left the house or when she excused herself for bed. He'd grown accustomed to them over the years. They were her habit. But this one felt so full of genuine emotion, said so out of place from where he was used to it, it rocked him to his core. He absolutely believed her in that moment and felt something in his heart warble.
Fuyumi was used to saying "I love you." But he never said it back. Not really. Not until now.
"Love you too, sweetheart." Enji was also not one for nicknames under any circumstances. Not for his ex-wife, not even for his children. But this just sounded right.
Enji wasn't sure how long they had been standing there. Eventually, he felt a slight press on his chest. He loosened his arms, letting Fuyumi take a step back, and rested his hands on her shoulders, looking her over.
"Do you feel better now?" He asked softly. This time Fuyumi managed an honest and relaxed smile. "Yeah, dad." He couldn't help but give her another hug. "Good. You're my good girl." He released her, making sure every move was telegraphed and slow. "Are you ready to go back to the table? Or do you want to go home?"
Fuyumi shook her head a smiled. "I'm OK. Let's go back to the table."
-----
Izuku perked up when he saw Mr.Todoroki and his daughter making their way back. By the time she reached them, Fuyumi was smiling softly. Internally, Izuku sighed in relief. He gave Mr.Todoroki a knowing nod, which was returned. They ate together and enjoyed the view. Fuyumi started a conversation. Izuku was sure they were all as surprised as he was, but he was also feeling warm because that meant she was OK. The rest of the picnic went smoothly. Mr.Todoroki staying silent and stoic as usual, the rest of the family relaxed as they chatted, Izuku and Fuyumi both coaxing out a couple laughs from the others.
Soon, it was sunset, the cherry blossoms dyed orange in the rapidly-fading light. Izuku packed up and drove them back home, feeling contented and happy.
-----
Enji was sure to find Midoriya back at the house after they arrived home. As everyone retired to bed, he found the Maid in his room. Knocking on the door twice, he opened it and stepped inside. Midoriya looked up from his phone where he was seated on his futon.
"Good evening, Mr.Todoroki." He greeted.
"Join me tonight." Enji said simply and turned to head toward his own room. He heard rustling noises as the Maid hurriedly got up to follow.
Never one to assume or feel entitled to Enji's bed, Midoriya would always go to sleep in his own room unless Enji found and asked him otherwise. The older man felt contented, but emotionally exhausted after the day ended. It was a mixture of feelings, really. Part of him wanted to spend time with Midoriya to help him forget everything, part of him wanted the company simply because he liked spending time with the boy. He briefly wondered if he was just being clingy because he was grateful for their earlier conversation. Midoriya always had such a useful perspective.
Enji entered his room, leaving the door open for the Maid. Walking towards his bed, he shrugged off his robe and tossed it on the covers. After hearing a faint click and padding of feet, he felt a smooth hand gliding up his spine and onto his shoulder. Another arm wrapped loosely around his waist. The touch sent a chill through Enji's body. How long had it been since he'd indulged in his touch? They hadn't done anything since the incident because things were so tense in the house.
Turning in his loose grip, Enji faced Midoriya. The Maid's own robe was open, revealing that he was wearing nothing but soft cotton briefs. They seemed like they were more for comfort rather than looks. Sitting on the mattress, Enji drew him in between his spread knees and held him for a moment. Hands roamed clumsily, hesitantly. As if both parties were having a hard time getting a feel for the other. Midoriya's touch was uncertain, as if he were asking "is this OK?" He felt like he wasn't sure of himself and was afraid of messing up.
Enji's touch would faulter between being heavy and light. He held Midoriya's chin and drew him in for an awkward kiss. He tried to remember what he was supposed to do, where his lips were supposed to lay, how they were supposed to soften. It was sweet, punctuated by guilt. Is it OK for us to be doing this right now, with everything that happened? he wondered. The thought left a sour feeling in his stomach that was far too distracting for him to perform any better.
When Midoriya got on his knees, what usually sent a warmth to his stomach was overridden by nerves. Suddenly, Enji was being conscious of himself. What if he tasted bad? He didn't smell weird, did he? As the Maid took him into his mouth, the man let out a breath, his eyes roving to the ceiling. It took a little longer for him to harden. He did his best to empty his mind, to forget the events of the past few weeks and focus only on what he was experiencing. He placed a large palm on Midoriya's curls, getting his fingers between the tangles. The boy squirmed on the floor, likely opening himself up with his one hand while the other trailed Enji's thigh.
"That's enough." Enji said, drawing Midoriya's head up and off his hard length.
"How would you like me?"
Enji hesitated. Things were still feeling awkward between them. They weren't quite finding a rhythm. He wasn't sure if he could do eye contact right now. He also felt like he wanted to be on top, so he would distract himself by having to move more. "Stand up. Bend over the side of the bed." He finally decided. The hair-tousled man slowly got to his feet, wobbled for a second, then obediently put his hands on the mattress and presented himself. Getting behind him, Enji dragged Midoriya's briefs to his thighs and felt him up. He was a little dry, so the man decided to get the lube out of his nightstand and apply it to them both.
Cool liquid slicked down his length and dripped on the ground. Enji took a while to line himself up correctly, and slowly pushed in. With quite a bit of effort and a few labored grunts, the head of his dick finally popped in. Both sighed. Then, working a bit more, Enji slowly and painstakingly inched his way forward and into Midoriya's heat.
"Fuck, you're tight," he finally mumbled as he worked his hips.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Midoriya replied. His voice sounded strained, as if he were having a hard time breathing. He gave a signal to go ahead and Enji sunk further and further in, eventually bottoming out at the entrance of Midroiya's womb. Both letting out breaths, Enji rested for a few seconds. It was almost unbearably tight. His distracting thoughts were rapidly draining out through his ears, only being able to focus on the warmth around him. Fuck, it felt good. He drew himself back all the way to the tip and snapped forward.
Two things happened simultaneously. For one, Midoriya let out the most desperately whorish moan Enji had ever heard come out of his mouth. For another, Enji's hand flew to his length and quickly squeezed it between his thumb and finger, preventing himself from coming too early. He supposed one positive of not having sex for some time was how good it felt once you started up again. Both breathing harshly, they took half a minute to calm down before trying again.
Midoriya arched his back in anticipation. Enji grinded forward in little thrusts as he reposed himself. When he was ready, he snapped his hips forward and set a brutal pace. Midoriya let out a small surprised yelp, which was followed by increasingly breathier sounds. Enji could picture the tears in his eyes. A molten warmth quickly filled his belly and shot sparks of lightning through his body. The tightness was so good, the slide was so good. The redhead completely forgot what he was worrying about before. There was nothing to worry about, nothing to think about, not when he was pummeling the boy's pussy.
He let go of the boy's hips so he could uncap the lube again and coat one of his fingers. In the time it took for him to finish, Midoriya was frantically rutting backwards, trying to chase that snap that made everything feel so right. Enji almost found himself chuckling at his desperation, a quirk to his lips. Grabbing his hip once more, Enji got back into fucking the Maid hard and fast as his lube-coated finger reached around Midoriya's front to find his clit. Arcing his finger in a slight bend, he allowed Midoriya to rut right on the digit. The green haired man's pace was unsteady and desperate at this point, moans turning into harsh pants.
Before long, Enji could feel the familiar sporadic clenching on his length as Midoriya came with a relieved sigh. He finally let go of the tension he was holding himself under, coming as well. Feeling himself come in long spurts, Enji felt his energy drain away from him suddenly and he nearly collapsed on Midoriya. Hunching over the smaller figure, Enji took a minute to catch his breath before pushing himself up off the mattress. With a slow and sensitive slide, he was out and slowly softening. Dragging a hand appreciatively down Midoriya's back, he lightly caressed him with warm hands until the Maid decided to get up himself.
Lifting himself up on his toes, Midoriya gave Enji a peck on the chin and then slid into bed. He quickly pulled the covers up over his nose and peeked up at Enji playfully. The man sighed and made his way to the other side of the bed and shut off the bedside lamp. He crawled in and was immediately accosted by the clingy brat, who threw his arm and leg over him. Fixing himself so Midoriya could use his arm as a pillow, Enji settled down quietly.
There weren't many words tonight. But sometimes, you didn't need them.