To be a Great Father Chapter 2
https://archiveofourown.org/works/60543418/chapters/159770179
This was dreadful...
Absolutely dreadful...
Hisashi would sulk if Inko wouldn’t scold him for it.
The only ones at ease in this situation were Izuku and the youngest Todoroki, they were playing, laughing. And Hisashi was envious of it.
They were blissfully unaware of the tension in the room. Hisashi sat at a too small kitchen table with far too many guests. He could tell Inko was embarrassed for having to cram the guests into a tight spot like this.
“I’m sorry for it being so tight, w-we don’t usually get these many guests.” She’d rush to explain, as she set the large wok in the middle of the table.
Hisashi nearly snorted. He would’ve laughed if he was watching this scene from afar, it must have been comical looking. The wok was nearly the size of the kitchen table, causing a few plates to be moved back to accommodate it. The children were crammed together, elbows touching on the table, some had regular wooden chairs with a few folding chairs sprinkled in.
Though one thing Hisashi was grateful for, both for Inko’s and the Todoroki’s sakes, was Rei’s tact. He’d expected some level of prestigious, pointed nose, snobbery that was associated with the rich. But he supposed she didn’t come from wealth originally; her family did sell her to an egotistical maniac after all.
And there were no words uttered amongst the children; they were well-behaved if not suspicious of strangers. They’d give Hisashi sideway glances, as if measuring his threat level. Every tease he’d turn Inko’s way was met with a deeply distrustful glare from the children, as if they couldn’t tell what was happening before them.
Hisashi suppressed another sigh.
He handled traumatized children in his work, aimed to traumatize them more, not deal with them in his personal life. He had Izuku, and the boy was the epitome of perfection, any trauma Izuku dealt with was eradicated the second it started, so there was nothing to worry about. Hisashi glanced at Izuku, the boy mumbling about his friend's quirk, and his shoulders sagged a little, relieved.
Yes, yes, he was right. Izuku was fine...
Inko buzzed around the kitchen, Rei following her, offering to help. And the atmosphere at the table was stuffy, Hisashi missed his wife already, even though she was but a few feet away.
Hisashi nearly got up, stretch his legs a little, get away from the children's stares and the awkward silence, when finally, someone spoke up.
“Are you a hero or something?” Hisashi paused, hand planted against the table, body hovering above the seat as he was about to stand.
“Natsuo!” A little girl whisper shouted.
Hisashi slowly turned to face the children. The mention of heroes catches his son’s attention.
“What?! He’s huge, I was just wondering...” The little boy, with white spiked hair with red highlights, spoke, crossing his arms.
Hisashi nearly spoke up, snide remark on the tip of his tongue when his son beat him to it.
Izuku shook his head. “Nope, papa isn’t a hero... But he’s big and strong... He’d be a good one.” The boy shouted excitedly, bouncing in his seat.
Hisashi suppressed a sigh, conflicted with feelings of warm fondness and irritation.
He turned his attention back to the cooling food in the wok, frowning.
“Alright, alright... Who wanted milk?” Inko announced, pouring ice water from a pitcher into the adults' cups.
“I did, please.” Izuku announced, waving a small hand in the air. Shoto raised his hand in response.
“I’ll have some too.” Natsuo announced. Rei shot the boy a look which made him sputter out a quick “please.”
Inko nodded, turning on her heel but Hisashi beat her to it, jumping up from his seat.
“You sit down Inko. I’ll take care of the milk. You eat” Hisashi waved her off, long strides landing him at the fridge before Inko could even take a single step.
She blinked at her husband, a little confused before smiling fondly. She took a seat crammed between her husband's chair and Izuku.
“Hand me your plate Rei, I’ll serve you guys. How much Katsudon would you like?” Inko announced.
Hisashi stuck his head in the fridge, knees touching his chest and back rounded, he felt ridiculous but needed some time to reevaluate the circumstances he’d found himself in.
He took in a few calming breaths; the cool was refreshing against his cheeks. Just a little moment longer, and then it’d go back to playdates. One Todoroki, with an enthralled Izuku, that was good.
That was fine.
Hisashi grabbed hold of the milk jug, pulling it out and grabbing cups. A warm chatter emitted from their dining room, Hisashi found himself humming as he filled the individual cups. Sippy cups for the smallest ones and a regular cup for the older Todoroki, Hisashi had this thing figured out.
He glanced out into the other room, watching his beautiful wife chat up the Todoroki, then he glanced at his perfect son, waving his small hands in the air. He precariously gripped the three cups and couldn’t help the pride that bloomed in his chest.
Maybe the guests weren’t so terrible. They had proper etiquette, no diseases (he checked), and most importantly, they made his family happy.
It had been dark and gloomy months, what with Izuku transferring schools. The fear that a mortal would never understand his son’s greatness had plagued their minds. Until, finally, Izuku rushed home excited to tell his doting parents about the new friend he made.
The abuse had been a blip, Endeavor, being but a mere fly in the way. But it seemed peace had been restored.
“Yes.” Hisashi thought to himself, sighing. “I’m a great father...”
Though, he’d rather die than admit the relief he felt knowing that he only had to worry about one child.
Just little Izuku was enough for him...
Hisashi smiled at himself, feeling confident, as he stepped back into the living room. He tuned into bits and pieces of the conversation around him.
“Oh, I could just never accept...” Rei folded her hands in her lap, staring at a point on the kitchen table.
He set the cups down in front of the children, smiling wider at the chorus for ‘thank yous’, before planting a kiss onto his wife’s cheek.
Inko startled from her conversation with Rei, looking up at her husband with warmth.
“Oh! Hisashi, me and Rei were just talking.” Her husband reclaimed his place by her side, taking a sip from his glass of water.
“I suggested to her that we watch her little ones for her.” Hisashi spit his water out, hands slamming on the table as he erupted into a coughing fit.
“Hisashi!” Inko exclaimed, patting her husband's back fiercely. “Are you okay?”
He covered his mouth, coughing a few more times before finally settling down. Trying to reclaim some of his shattered dignity as he leaned back into his seat.
“Are you okay, Papa?” Izuku whispered from beside him.
“Yes...” He coughed again at the rasp of his voice, “Of course...” He reiterated, giving his son a smile.
A quick glance around the table told him he had everyone's attention. The Todoroki children stared at him wide-eyed as if he were a wild bull.
And Rei, well Rei was refusing eye contact. “I-I really appreciate the offer, but I couldn’t accept. It’s a lot of work.”
“No, no. I really insist. With the death of... Well... It can’t be easy being a single mother raising four children.” Inko said, hands wrapping around Rei’s, trying to reassure. Hisashi would have smiled if his wonderful wife wasn’t sealing his own tomb.
“It doesn’t have to be all at once. But I want to make sure that you don’t get too overwhelmed. You deserve a break occasionally.” She continued, Rei’s gaze dropped back down to the table. She was silent for a moment, eyebrows scrunched together in contemplation.
Hisashi leaned towards his wife, whispering in her ear. "Don't insist Inko... It’s natural for Rei to not feel completely comfortable with that option. We shouldn’t be rude.”
Inko frowned in response, shoulders relaxing, and Hisashi inwardly pumped his fist in the air.
Another crisis averted.
“I’m sorry... I’m being rude, you just think about and get back wi-”
“Maybe... Maybe just once...” Rei interrupted, head finally raising to lock eyes with Inko, there was an intense desperation in her gaze.
It made Hisashi pause.
Until finally her words caught up to him... He slowly turned his gaze to Inko, completely speechless.
“Great!” Inko clapped her hands together in triumph. “Is there a day you have in mind? We can work with anything!” She continued.
Hisashi’s eyes widened, and he opened his suddenly parched mouth.
“Well... I-I, umm, maybe just Saturday...” Rei started, sounding less confident but still desperate.
“Inko-” Hisashi started.
“That sounds wonderful! Both me and Hisashi have that day off, right?” Inko turned her attention to her husband.
“Ink-”
“Right.” Inko turned back to Rei without allowing Hisashi his rebuttal.
Hisashi gaped at his wife’s betrayal.
He had known, when they started dating, that Inko Midoriya wasn’t a woman to be trifled with. Her intellect and determination were thrilling, yes. But what scared him was her loyalty to family, something they shared...
Well, that and the dead parents...
Her loyalty was fearsome, it was strength in her small frame. But it was a farce.
His wife had betrayed him.
Hisashi took a cautious glance around the table, taking notice of the panicked expressions on the children's faces.
So, they were also angered by the choice... Well aside from little Izuku and... Shoto...
They were smiling wide grins.
“That’s great.” Izuku cheered. Hisashi watched his young prince chat excitedly to his friend about all the grand endeavors they’d do together. And the betrayal lost a little of it’s edge...
Softening like butter on a porcelain dish, he brushed his son’s hair away from his eyes. And he turned his gaze back to his wife.
She gave her husband a fond smile, something her husband didn’t take long to match. And her hand curled around Hisashi’s larger one.
And he’d take it as growth, a growth his brother used to taunt him about.
“You’ll always be petty.” Hisashi wanted to laugh, as his fingers curled in between his wife’s he nearly forgot why he was angry, why he was worried.
What could possibly go wrong?
On Saturday morning the birds were chirping, singing their songs to the world. Peachy sunshine peaked from behind the curtains.
And by noon, the Todoroki’s arrived. Hisashi felt peace... He felt confident. He was the demon lord; he’d be able to handle watching five children. He had Inko by his side. It would be fine.
Alas... By half past 1 in the afternoon, Hisashi rememebered something he’d forgotten...
He completely underestimates his prince’s penchant for trouble making...
