Kacchan had called me over after Aiko had finished eating. Her wide curious red eyes looking around, taking everything in. "Go clean your face and then you can relax and hold her for a while," he told me and by the end of everything he had me in the rocking chair and soft classical music was playing from a small player we had bought months ago. I had opened the doorway for him to return to class but he insisted that I stay here for a while.
Aiko on the other hand was waving her arms around and just studying everything. The way she squeezed my finger told me everything that I needed to know. She trusts me, and so does her mother, my husband. What happened for me to get so caught up in the conspiracies that I could actually forget something so simple.
"Your mother is so smart," I whispered and she smiled at me as if she knew exactly what I was saying. She was quickly growing tired but when I tried to put her down she started to cry and I was left to try and soothe her again.
My daughter cooed happily in my arms, squealing as I made silly sounds and faces at her grabbing my hair with her fierce determination, whenever I gave her kisses. I played with her.
"Deku?" I heard Kacchan call for me but I didn't really want to go back to class yet. I'm not ready to put Aiko down and the way she was interacting and squealing only told me that she would cry if I tried. "Deku, bring Aiko with you," I swear that I can hear him rolling his eyes but that's impossible, I turn my attention back to our daughter anyway.
"My sweet princess, are you ready to see your Mommy?" I asked her playfully just for her to smile, yawn and reach for me all at once. "Look at you doing so many big girl things at once," I cooed just for her to smile. The fact that I heard Kacchan click his tongue in frustration was left ignored because, well, it's more fun that way. I cooed at her a little longer and it was when she had a tight grip on my face that I finally had to get up, her happy squeals at the motion but she quickly let go, too tired to continue.
I continued to talk to her even as I stepped through the shadows. She let out a large yawn and I made a face at her. "Now you're tired?" But instead of arguing she just smiled at me, melting my heart in the process.
I looked up at Kacchan's chuckles but he only motioned for our daughter. I made a face but Aiko pushed me away, she already saw her mama and she was making a grabbing motion that spoke louder than any words.
"Someone is hungry already?" He whispered softly but once she could reach his face she slapped him, irritated. "Ah!" He gasped dramatically, acting surprised but they were both smiling brightly.
"You're going to teach her bad habits," I tried to frown but they were just too cute.
"Nah, she'll just know how to stand up for herself," he waved me off, dismissing the idea. I looked around the room, surprised by how quiet it was but we were alone.
"They all went to the gym, Recovery Girl could have burned me alive with her glare when she saw me try to join them so I called for you instead. You should probably join them though. Aiko and I can watch you put them back in their place," he grumbled but if I had to guess I would say that something happened after I left to put him in such a sour mood. I didn't say anything though, sometimes all he really needs is for me to keep silent and right now I think it is one of those times.
"Only if you two are going to watch," I gave in far too easily but the way he smiled made it all worth it. After all, what could go wrong?
***
"Absolutely not," Recovery Girl went to swing her cane but I dodged back already prepared.
"I won't do it again! I was just going to join the class in whatever they are doing," I pointed into the gym right when there was an explosion before looking at her confused. "What are they doing?" Even with all my memories of class from our first time around I have no idea as to what fresh hell they were conducting right now.
Recovery Girl sized me up for a minute and must have decided not to hit me with her cane again because she stood next to me looking through the viewing window. "They decided to show your class what happens when they push their body to such extremes like you did and why it's a bad idea. Of course they are not pushing them as far as you went and I am here to keep an eye on things. Three of your classmates are currently suffering from quirk overuse and fatigue," she motioned behind me and I looked over to see Kacchan sitting down next to Jiro and Shoji and it took a minute for me to notice Hagakure was nearby them too.
"So they are training?" I asked her, confused. I mean even in my first life I trained like this with All Might in order to even qualify for U.A.
"What do you mean by that?" She asked, her voice was pitched weird, telling me I mumbled part of that out loud.
"Which part?" I really need her to clarify. What if I said something dangerous?
"You used to train like this with All Might? Before U A.?" Ah, good. The safe part then.
"Well as you know, my quirk is still new. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get used to it with all the ones the spirits keep throwing at me," I let a shudder travel through me which has her relaxing her stance again. "I was a weak kid. Bullied all the time. Barely surviving normal everyday interactions just because I was quirkless. From kids showing off how they were better than me to adults who looked the other way, I was in the hospital a lot," I spoke calmly but for me I guess it's been a lifetime ago not just a couple years and that's hard to remember sometimes.
"Hell, even Kacchan seemed to hate me for being quirkless," her whole body froze up hearing that but Kacchan had already joined us, knowing where this conversation would be going.
"And now I hate myself for it," he grumbled while carefully holding our daughter who is now sleeping peacefully in his arms.
"Kacchan," I groaned, already knowing where this line of conversation could go.
"Deku, I'm allowed to regret being a little asshole to you. I'm not going to get all depressed over it anymore but this is our life. I can't undo the things I did and said," he gave me a no nonsense look that had me holding up my hands in surrender but he leaned into my arms instead. I gave him a small kiss on his neck before reaching for our baby. Aiko has filled out quite a bit after so long and I have to try and think about what today is. Is it really almost time for Christmas? She'll be two months old very soon and it won't be long before we go to France again. Maybe we should start trying for a second baby now? Just have two at the same time.
"Careful, your thoughts are dangerous," Kacchan chuckled but he still has his smirk trained on me. "But I'm not against it." And now I just want to go home. Forget everything else for the day.
"Young Yagi, your story?" Recovery Girl, gently reminded me and I had to clear my throat and hopefully my mind in order to think properly.
"Right, Dad had to help me train so my body wouldn't explode from the power. Even after months of training and special diets I still shattered my bones anytime I used my quirk. So even yesterday, as bad as it was, didn't really hurt as much as you would think it did. I've hurt a lot worse from long before I even had a quirk," I shrugged but she looks mad again. Now though, she seems more mad at the world than at me.
"How many times were you hospitalized before you gained your quirk?" She asked, surprising me with her question and I paused.
"I don't really know. I mean I went a lot but I don't know how often I was required to stay and then there's how many times I should have stayed but didn't because the staff didn't see me as important enough?" I stood there trying to calculate how many times the receptionist turned Mom and me away because they were at capacity thanks to some villain terror attack and my broken arm or second degree burns weren't bad enough for them to do more than basic treatment or prescribed creams.
"Right," I looked back down at the woman to see her trembling with an anger that I've never seen before. "Young Yagi, it appears as though your mother and I will need to talk quite a bit in the very near future," the way she forced her smile made my skin crawl but at least she wasn't mad at me, at least not right now.
"Deku," I looked up, hearing the edge in Kacchan's voice but he was looking down at our daughter who was completely asleep. "Aiko needs to sleep properly. Maybe we should just go home for today?" He suggested but I don't really know if it was actually a question or not. He looks so angry and tired and if anything he looks more like he would be the one to explode if he didn't get somewhere else soon.
"Okay, you must be just as exhausted. Aiko has been keeping us both up and I'm pretty sure she'll be cutting teeth soon," I kept my voice calm and he accepted the excuse. I don't really get why he is angry but maybe he just needs me to help calm him down? Or maybe he wants to get started on baby number two. I gave him a small hopeful smile and he actually chuckled a little but he sounded tired, so very tired.
"Let's get you both to bed," I sighed, as much as I would love to get to work now the idea of Kacchan forcing himself while he is already so tired kind of kills it for me.
"Let's," he answered, his eyes softened again as if he thought of something nice and I'm struck by how much I wish I could hear Kacchan's inner voice like he could hear mine again. Still, my words don't like to come out right and this way I don't have to worry about Kacchan misunderstanding me.
I watched as he set Aiko down, only fishing a little until she relaxed again and Kacchan tiger on my arm the way that told me that he wanted to go to bed so another shadow opened showing our dorm room. It really is nice how thanks to the darkness our home just feels so much larger but I guess I'm a way it is. Two dorm rooms, his room at his parents house and Aiko's room at my house. Thankfully Mom and Dad found another house that had four bedrooms so Toya, Shoto and Hitoshi didn't have to share a room. Technically my room is Aiko's but Kacchan and I have been looking for a big house. Maybe even five bedrooms.
"Five huh?" Kacchan smirked, already half undressed for bed. His teasing eyes seemed to light up at some kind of challenge. "So two or three isn't enough for you?" His pants fell down leaving him bare and suddenly there weren't any thoughts in my head.
"What?" I asked after a minute but he was perfectly comfortable just standing there and letting me take in his strong lean body.
"You don't think I'm soft anymore?" He teased some more while helping to take off my jacket.
"Are you soft?" I asked confused and he chuckled.
"Exactly, I'm not so tired any more," he was nearly purring in my ear and I swear my heart skipped a beat.
"I can fix that," I whispered as my clothes disappeared and his lips met mine before I could pick him up and now I can't help wondering if maybe, just maybe, he was trying to get pregnant acting like this.
"You are an amazing father, it would be a shame if there was only one," he kissed me.
"As many as you want," I answered and he smiled even bigger.