Consider. Nana doesnât know Sorahiko when she has to send Kotaro away. Alone and worrying, she decides to flee to a less populated area near a foresty mountain range and rents a place in this rickety old building owned by an uncle and nephew her age. Itâll be fine. She hides her name so All For One canât track her down and she can train her quirk like Shinomori did in the forest.
But there are sounds. And a little locked door with an eerie glow behind it.
Since you asked so politely :3 I wanna say that I am absolutely taking any kind of asks for art/writing/or edits by the way!
Iâm gonna be a bit fucky with continuity here so bear with me guys, but Nana has been divorced from her husband for two years now, but they have a very healthy co-parenting relationship. Donât mix this up though, it was a mutual split due to their equally demanding jobs and drifting apart emotionally.
Accidentally turned it into more of a Nana and Kotaro thing but thereâs implied Nanahiko|| 1,700+ Words
Thereâs no name for a childless mother. You call a child with no parents an orphan, a spouse who has no lover a widow, but nobody has given a name to a woman who has lost their child, even if heâs still technically alive.
Nana had to make the difficult choice to leave her poor, sweet Kotaro to foster care after her ex-husband, the boys father, was murdered by her arch-nemesis, All For One. Nana knew it would be selfish and dangerous to keep him close to her. She knew even better that it would hurt like hell to leave her only child, but she had to focus on his safety over everything else.
Nana wanted to take his things with her, knowing she couldnât stay in her family home any longer, she knew it would be too dangerous if even the smallest trace of him was connected to her. The only thing she managed to slip into her boxes was a square from the blanket she would swaddle him in as a babe in the hospital.
And then she was gone, driving hundreds of miles away to the countryside to live in a home tucked in the mountains of Kobushi. Miles of isolation and forest that she wouldnât have to worry about going out into to train her quirk harder. She isnât going to let Toshinori befall the same fate as the others. She will be the one to kill that monster.
Staring up at the impossibly big, albeit decrepit home,Nana couldnât help but feel that pit of loneliness build in her chest. The front of the home had a wrap-around porch with a few rocking chairs, allowing for a parent to watch their child play on the swings that were planted firmly in the grass. The place was so old that she could almost hear the thousands of questions her son would ask her about the ones who had made it and if she thought it had ghosts or other YĹkai.
âYou donât belong here.â
The statement was said in such a matter of fact tone that it snapped Nana right out of her trance, head turning to look at the ominous man who had uttered those words.
He was tall and around her age with broad, muscular shoulders that paired well with the rest of his built frame. His face however, was grumpy, a beaky nose and brown eyes that bore into the woman hard enough to make her feel unease. âPardon me? Who do you think you are?â
âSorahiko Torino. My Aunt and Uncle own this home. The one youâre renting. I do maintenance for the house.â He raised a brow at her with a frown, as if this were obvious information she shouldâve known. Granted she shouldâve, the name was on the website, but she rushed into booking her physical and mental escape that she didnât bother to focus too hard on names or faces.
âWhat I said was for your own good. You donât belong here, and I think you should leave as soon as you canâŚâ Sorahiko insisted, his gaze searching the windows of a nearby home carefully before turning his back to her so he could seem busy with yard work.
âWhat are you talking about? The listing said it was approved for residency, donât tell me thereâs black mold.â The last thing she needed was to drive all the way back to Musutafu and unpack all of her things again, but her concern for that disappeared when he shook his head.
âJustâŚ.. Trust me. My Aunt and Uncle say thereâs something off about this house. Iâm not even technically allowed inside. Be careful, Miss Tomomi.â
Nana couldnât help but think about how freaky this man was, and was quick to unpack her car and move everything she owned into the genkan, where she discarded her boots in exchange for slippers so she could investigate the home properly before completely settling down.
Letâs just say that it was less than luxurious. Bugs skittering across the bathroom walls and black water coming from the faucet paired with cracked windows and creaky pipes, this place looked nothing like the photos online! By the time she was done with every room in the home she had a sizable list of complaints for Sorahiko to repair so she could actually dwell here.
But then she noticed something. A small outline in the wall of the living room with a small keyhole imbedded into the foundation. Nana frowned. Thatâs not normal for most homes, even ones as old as these, but something about it unnerved her, probably her logic yelling at her to barricade it in case that guy or his family tried to sneak in while she was sleeping. So, she placed several heavy boxes in front of it before going about setting up the bedroom.
It had been a month or so since she had moved in with little difficulty and little trouble from the home owners. Occasionally she would sit outside on the porch to chat with Sorahiko while he did yard work, but it was completely professional. She didnât give him any hints to her true identity, for her safety and his own. For the most part they were good friends in a world of isolation and loneliness, although he did seem to clam up anytime she mentioned the strange door she had found.
Nana had been swaddled on her blow up mattress late in the night, clutching the baby blanket to her heart as she willed her chest to stop hurting when she heard it. Like a scratching against the walls, coming from downstairs. Oh shit, rats?!
She was quick to jump out of bed, blanket still held close as she slowly eased down the stairs, peeking through the banister to see if she could spot any rats or mice wandering around, but instead she was surprised by the mysterious door, not only unlocked but wide open with beautiful glowing lights emitting from the strange passage, despite Sorahiko repeatedly telling her they didnât have a key.
Slowly, Nana crept closer, peeking inside to see if she could spot whatever was making those scratching sounds. But then she heard it.
âMommy?â A voice echoed from the opening, and Nanaâs heart dropped as she registered who the voice belonged to.
ââŚKoko?â Her voice cracked softly when she called for the boy, eyes glimmering with fresh tears as if this were all some kind of a dream, but when she heard the all too familiar giggling she didnât even hesitate to crawl in.
The material was squishy, almost like a plush bouncy house that went on forever before ending at a similar door. Tentatively, Nana reached out and pushed, the door creaking open softly and revealing a miraculous sight: The living room, once cold and empty, was now filled with soft lighting and furniture to her liking. Toys littered the carpet, mostly stuffed animals and action figures, but the sight sent her scrambling out and climbing to her feet in a hurry, like the sight confirmed what she hoped.
âKotaro?! Baby where are you?â Her call was urgent as she raced around the home, heart rate increasing until she stumbled into the kitchen, where a cabinet was open and two stubby legs stood on the counter to rummage through it.
Nana couldnât contain her tears as she rushed forward to scoop the boy into her arms, clutching him tightly while she sobbed into his hair. âKotaro my- My sweet Kotaro, What are you- How are you-â It was like she couldnât get the words out, finally pulling her face away to cup his round cheeks properly, only for all of the blood to drain from her body.
Her son was completely the same. Same nose as his father, a goofy smile, messy hair, All was normal. Except for the buttons that replaced his big beautiful brown eyes, the eyes she adored whenever they looked to her for answers or knowledge.
âKotaro what did you⌠What happened to you?!â Nana could only muster a whisper, much to the amusement of the boy.
âBecause Iâm your other Kotaro, Mommy! Everyoneâs like this here. I missed you so much, you were gone forever!â Kotaro whined softly, clutching the fabric of his motherâs sleep shirt to stay close to her, disregarding the dazed panic she was in.
âEveryone. Everyone? You mean there are more people like this?â As if to clear her confusion up, there was a soft knock on the front door before it clicked open.
âI brought dinner!â A familiar gruff voice rang out through the house before Sorahiko peeked into the living room with a wide smile and identical button eyes to Kotaro, who wriggled out of her grasp to run up to him.
âTorino-San youâre back! Youâre back, youâre back! Mommy came back too! Look, look!â The little boy giggled as the silver haired man lifted him into his arms with ease to noogie his hair affectionately, though his gaze settled on Nana.
She was feeling confused and disoriented, trying to tell herself this was all a dream due to all the layers of weirdness that surrounded her, but then Sorahiko raised her hand and pressed his lips to her knuckles, an action that despite her best efforts, left her face red and heart racing.
âWelcome back, I got your favorite, Nana. Spicy chicken katsudon.â The smell of the dish hit her immediately, reminding her stomach that she hadnât had a thing to eat all day, but she tried to fight back gently.
âHow do you know my name?â Sorahiko merely laughed, throwing his head back l as he interlaced their fingers, like this was something completely normal for them.
âYou told me, of course. Now Câmon, Kotaro wanted to watch that new Captain Hero movie, so move your butt to the couch and Iâll reheat the food.â He punctuated this statement with a second kiss, this time to the cheek, before moving past her to start cooking.
Nana merely stood there for a moment, feeling more confused than ever while Kotaro yanked her arm to the living room, eliciting a long forgotten smile as she followed what he wanted, sitting so he could crawl into her lap with a blanket.
Even if it isnât real, surely it canât hurt to stay for a little while, right? After all, what harm could her sweet baby do to her?
