It's been months since… everything. Since the war, since All For One's defeat, since my… rebirth. I've been actively avoiding my father, Hizashi, even though he saved me from those thugs a while back. I don't know why I'm avoiding him. Is it fear? Disappointment? I mean, the guy's a CEO of a major hotel chain. I'm…an assassin, and a father. He knows about both, of course, but still, the thought of actually having a relationship with him, of starting over, it's…overwhelming.
I groan, pushing myself off the couch. Eri's been restless all morning. "Okay, kiddo," I say, ruffling her light blue hair. "Let's go to the park. Papa needs some fresh air, and you need to run around."
Her red eyes light up and she nods excitedly. I grab her hand, and we head out, Kurogiri covering for me at the base. He had been reborn as human after everything that happened so we have been trying to help each other out.
The park is crowded with families, the sounds of children's laughter echoing through the air. Eri immediately darts towards the swings, her little horn bobbing with each step. I watch her, trying to absorb the normalcy of it all. She deserves this kind of life, a life far removed from the darkness I used to embrace.
As I continue watching Eri play, lost in thought, someone taps me on the shoulder. My breath hitches. It's him. Izuku Midoriya. My… little brother. The one from my past life. He doesn't know anything about the reincarnation. Hell, I don't even know if he suspects we're related.
"Hey," he says, a hesitant smile on his face. "Mind if I sit here?"
I clench my jaw, trying to keep my expression neutral. "Do what you want."
He sits down on the bench beside me, a comfortable silence settling between us. He starts with small talk, the weather, the park. Then he mentions he's doing well in his university. "It's… different than I imagined," he says, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I'm enjoying it."
I nod, offering a noncommittal grunt. Deku glances at me, his eyes studying me. I can see him piecing together the details: the similar bone structure, the red eyes. His eyes widen, a dawning realization spreading across his face. He must recognize my face, but he doesn't know it's a "better" version.
"Tomura?" he whispers, his voice barely audible.
I sigh, running a hand through my light blue hair. This was inevitable. "Relax, Deku," I say, trying to sound reassuring, even though I can see the panic building in his eyes.
I take a deep breath and begin to explain. I tell him about All For One, about how he's our father, but we have different mothers. I tell him about the reincarnation, the chance I was given to make amends, to be better. "And that," I say, pointing to Eri on the swings, "is my daughter."
He looks stunned, utterly bewildered. He opens his mouth to speak, but no words come out. He just stares at me, then at Eri, then back at me. The questions are swirling in his eyes, a chaotic mix of disbelief, confusion, and… maybe, just maybe, a hint of hope.
He starts firing those questions, one after another: "Reincarnation? All For One is our father? You have a daughter?!" They're frantic, disoriented, but under the surface I can detect the same genuine curiosity that defined him in our past life. It comforts me a little.
I patiently answer each one, trying to keep my voice steady and calm. I tell him about Eri's quirk, about rescuing her from Overhaul, about the difficult journey of becoming a parent. I tell him about the organization I work for now and the people I surround myself with. As I talk, his initial shock slowly fades, replaced by a quiet attentiveness. He still had this. This burning curiosity of his.
We talk for hours, the sun beginning to dip below the horizon before we realize how much time has passed. Eri, tired from playing, comes running back to me, her face flushed.
"Papa, I'm hungry!" she whines, tugging on my pants leg.
I smile, scooping her up into my arms. "Okay, little one. Let's go get some dinner."
"Oh! Who's this?" Eri asks, pointing at Izuku.
"Eri, this is your uncle. Izuku." I tell her.
Izuku looked a little surprised. "I'm not a stranger!" He shouts softly.
Eri waves shyly at him. "Hi, Uncle!"
Izuku's face lights up, his eyes sparkling with genuine joy. "Hi, Eri! It's so nice to meet you."
The sight of them together, Eri's innocent smile and Izuku's uncontainable happiness, warms something inside me. Maybe, just maybe, this new life, this second chance, could actually work.
We exchange numbers before heading back to our base. I put Eri in the bath, then take a shower myself, the warm water washing away the tension of the day. While I cook dinner, Eri dances to a silly cartoon on TV and I can't help but smile.
Dabi walks in as I'm stirring a pot of stew, the scent of herbs and spices filling the kitchen. He wraps his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder. "Smells good," he murmurs.
"Go shower," I tell him, nudging him playfully. "You smell like smoke and blood."
He laughs, a low rumble in his chest. "Alright, alright." He kisses my cheek before heading to the bathroom.
When he comes back, he looks conflicted, a storm brewing in his turquoise eyes. "What's wrong?" I ask, concerned.
"Shoto reached out," he says, his voice hesitant. "He wants to talk."
I glance at him, my heart sinking a little. "Do you want to?"
He shrugs, running a hand through his white hair. "I don't know. Part of me wants to, but… I don't know what to say."
I take his hand, squeezing it gently. "Then just listen. Hear what he has to say. You don't have to fix everything in one conversation."
A few days later, he meets up with Shoto. The meeting goes on for hours, and when Dabi comes back, it's late. He asks if Shoto can crash at our place. I set up the guest room for him, and the next morning, Shoto meets Eri. He's surprisingly gentle with her, his heterochromatic eyes softening as he watches her play.
It was all… good. Balanced. We weren't hated by our families, not anymore. Maybe this peace would last.