Chapter Text
Her phone chirps just as she finishes slicing papaya for their bentos. Tata, their new cook, is in charge of assembling said bentos, but it’s a busy morning and she’s happy to let Fuyumi practice her few kitchen skills to help. Fuyumi is surprised how much she likes it. Aunt Hanako had all but banned her and her brothers from the kitchen, and she’d grown up spurning anything domestic after her mother’s disappearance. But Tata had insisted there are certain skills everyone should know, boy or girl, especially if they considered themselves independent adults.
“One day,” Tata had said to her in her thick Polynesian accent, “you are going to live on your own, and you’ll look in your empty fridge and cry. Then you will go to the grocery store, see all that beautiful and wonderful food you don’t know how to prepare, and cry even harder.”
It might have been funny if Tata hadn’t been so earnest when she said it and given Fuyumi nightmares about grocery stores for days after.
Tata glances at the phone on the counter as she passes by it.
“It’s the Devil-Woman,” she says cheerily, using Endeavor’s favorite epitaph, and Fuyumi quickly rinses the fruit juice from her fingers and snatches up the phone. Tata waves her off, and she carries the phone into the dining room. Kiyo, Tata’s wife and their new maid, passes her with a nod, arms ladened with dishes. Endeavor is still at the table, reading the morning paper.
“Auntie Mitsuki,” she greets, pleased.
“Hey, Fuyu-chan. I hope I didn’t call at a bad time.”
“Just finished preparing lunch. What can I do for you?”
“Your father there?”
Fuyumi glances at the man. He hunches slightly behind the paper.
“Sorry, you missed him. Want me to take a message?”
“Just remind him, per our agreement, Izuku is going to have club activities this year, even if I have to come over and sign him up myself. And tell him he should let the boys join some too. No point in making them wait around for him after school or force you to make a special trip.”
“I’ll be sure to talk to him about it later.”
She means it too, and lately she’s more confident of getting her way. Perhaps it’s because she’s technically an adult now or she’s ‘the lady of the house’ with Aunt Hanako gone, but most likely it’s because she’s the only one standing between her father and Bakugou Mitsuki. It’s a uniquely advantageous position to be in these days.
“Oh, and one more thing,” Mitsuki continues in a lighter tone, “Would you be a dear and get a picture of the boys in their uniforms? First day of junior high and all.”
She smiles. There aren’t many photos in the Todoroki household, most of them formal and stodgy portraits, but Mitsuki is a prodigious picture taker and Izuku not much better. Fuyumi finds herself getting into it too despite herself. She swaps pictures with her adoptive aunt and cousin regularly and has even considered starting a Herobook account.
“Of course, that’s a great idea. Why don’t you send a picture of Katsuki-kun? Izuku would like that.”
“As soon as I can pin the brat down.” There’s the muffled pounded on a door. “What are you doing in there, Katsuki?”
“This is the bathroom, Old Hag! You seriously want me to fucking answer that?”
She grins as she makes her way to Izuku and Shouto’s room. The Bakugou’s are a lively bunch, abrasive and yet inexplicably charming in their way. Mitsuki calls daily, usually on Izuku’s phone, but sometimes to chat with Fuyumi too. She’s checking up on them, but there’s nothing condescending or grating about it. She doesn’t tell them what they should do, doesn’t assume she knows how to fix their problems or even understands their lives, but she’s there if they want advice or just a sympathetic ear. It’s nice to have an adult who is solely on their side for once.
Izuku and Shouto are not in their rooms, though their uniforms are missing form their hangers. She checks next door. Touya and Natsuo are dressed, Natsuo in his new high school uniform identical to his older brother’s, and Touya in one black fingerless glove. Both are currently searching the room for the second one. The gloves, specialized QTMS bluetoothed to his phone, are an Izuku project. He’d come up with the concept while he was away and with Fuku’s assistance, pulled together a prototype to help warn Touya if his quirk is going to start acting up. It’s too soon to tell if they work or not, but everyone’s optimistic.
“Good morning, Aunt Mitsuki,” they call out in unison.
“I think they’re in the gym,” Natsuo adds.
“Oh for goodness’ sake. We have to leave in ten minutes! Hold still for a moment.”
She snaps a picture of them.
“No! I haven’t brushed my hair yet! Touya hasn’t put on his mascara!”
“You realize I could set you on fire in your sleep and everyone would think it was an accident?”
“Well not now you can’t, you silly tit.”
She leaves them to their snarking and heads for the gym.
“Sorry, this might take a minute. I swear we’ve been getting ourselves ready for school for years without any problems, but the second I’m in charge it’s like herding cats.”
Mitsuki laughs.
“You’re reaching to the choir. I’ve only got one to deal with, but you’ve met the little- Finally. Hold still a sec, I’m taking a picture.”
“I’m not having my picture taken in front of the toilet. Why are you so embarrassing? This isn’t the first day of Kindergarten. What do you need my picture for?”
“Shut up and let me be sentimental, brat. One day you’re going to be fat and bald, and I’ll need the photo evidence to prove to your own little gremlins you weren’t always so hideous. Smile!... Hey!”
“I smiled!”
“Oh you little… fine, it looks like you. Congratulations, your likeness is preserved for posterity. Sorry about this, it’s the best I think I’m going to get without taking him by surprise.”
Her phone dings a moment later, and she checks her text messages. Katsuki’s there in all his epic brattiness, grinning like a psycho in his black gakuran with his middle finger proudly displayed. How, how, had this child been sweet Izuku’s best friend growing up until now?
She walks into the gym and finds Izuku trying to hide the segments of the VDS up his pant legs.
Oh, yeah. Because Izuku is ridiculous.
“No,” she says to him.
“But-“
“No. And take those out, you’re wrinkling your uniform. Where’s Shouto?”
“Here.”
She turns to find her youngest brother.
“Why are you wearing a baseball cap?”
“The wig itched.”
“What?”
“Shouto said he also wanted to be enrolled under the name Arataka, but Endeavor said he wouldn’t get through first period without being recognized,” Izuku explains. “I think he took it as a challenge.”
Okay, so maybe the whole lot of them are ridiculous.
“Take it off and go stand over by Izuku. Aunt Mitsuki wants a picture, and we’ve got a get going soon.”
They comply, and after some re-positioning, and fixing Izuku’s tie, she manages a respectable photo. They look quite charming in their red and black uniforms, Shouto prince-like and serene and Izuku boyish and eager. Their smiles are some of the most beautiful things Fuyumi has ever seen. She sends the photo to Mitsuki.
“Now that’s a nice shot. Let me speak to Izuku for a minute?”
“Sure.”
She hands off her phone, even as she starts ushering them out of the gym. They really do need to start heading out. Start of the school year is said to be hectic, and she wants to get ahead of the traffic.
“Hey, mom,” Izuku says a little shyly. He’s been trying out the new title for a while, switching between Auntie and mom, but Fuyumi thinks he’s leaning towards mom little by little. It’s sweet and a little bit sad, but she’s happy for him. “Yeah, I heard. Try mentioning how handsome Shouto looks and I’ll bet he’ll let you take a nice picture. Katsuki likes his competitions… You’re welcome… No, I’m not nervous. I’m just glad I’m in the same class as Shouto. He’s nervous enough for the both of us.”
“I’m not nervous.”
“I think we’d be more convinced if you weren’t insisting to go to school incognito,” Fuyumi says, rolling her eyes.
“That’s personal preference not nervousness.”
“Uh-huh.”
“…”
“You trying to figure out if I’m being sarcastic or not?”
“… Maybe.”
As they head out the door, snagging her brothers, their bentos, and their bags on the way, Izuku has to pull the phone from his ear as shouting breaks out on the other end.
“Come wish your brother good luck, Katsuki!”
“Luck is for lazy fucking extras. Tell the nerd he better rank number one this year or I’ll blow him to smithereens. No brother of mine is coming in second place unless it’s to me. You hear that, Deku? I’ll kill you!”
“I’ll do my best, Kacchan. Try and make some new friends this year. Minions don’t count.”
“Brothers don’t either,” Shouto says just loud enough.
“Go fuck yourself, Peppermint! You too, Deku!”
“Give me back the phone, Katsuki! Too much shouting this early in the morning.”
There are few more pleasantries after that, promises to call later that night, good lucks all around, and finally Mitsuki signs off. Fuyumi settles herself into the diver’s seat, and her brothers settle into theirs. And then, just for a moment, they sit there and take it all in.
A year ago, this day had been a somber occasion, a parting of sorts. Now… she can barely track how they came to now. How accidents and small tragedies, childish schemes and secrets had some how gotten them here. Together. Hopeful. Happy. They had come so far in what seemed like a mere blink of an eye and were now running towards futures they had all but given up on.
“We did it,” she says.
“We did,” Touya agrees, allowing himself a small smile.
“Mostly Izuku, though,” Natsuo points out.
Izuku blushes.
“Operation Somei needed all of us, and Aunt Mitsuki wouldn’t have let me come if you hadn’t come out to Musutafu on your own and introduced yourselves,” Izuku insists.
“True,” Natsuo concedes. “But still, mostly you. And Shouto. Jesus, Shouto, who knew beneath that blank expression lay a master manipulator. Endeavor practically threw you out of the house.”
“So did Kacchan as I recall,” Touya adds with a smirk.
“I have no idea what you mean.”
They stare at each other.
“… Jesus, I still can’t tell when he’s being serious or not.”
“You’re welcome.”
Fuyumi turns on the car and puts it into gear.
“Alright, here we go! All of you ready? Nervous?”
Touya smirks.
“How about you college girl? You nervous?”
She grins back at them.
“Absolutely terrified! But also… really really excited.”