Cradle To The Grave

Domestic Bliss?

Deku was trembling as his wife drove him home, her hand was in his and his eyes kept darting between her and the road. He had been crying for an hour, he heard his son rambling, he felt his daughter's little feet on the back of his chair as she sang. He looked into his rearview mirror, a slight smile coming to his lips as he saw Kaide Bakugo in the middle of the chaos, smiling politely as she listened to Kaz talk at one thousand miles a minute about this his latest creation, as if she could possibly be following him at all with Himiko screaming her very own song about kittens right next to her ear. Who would have thought that Kacchan's kid would be patient and kind enough to deal with two miniature Dekus on either side of her?

    Ochaco parked the car in their driveway and Deku went to get Himiko, picking her up and carrying her in his arms. It was weird, there was a time in his life where he could pull a train with his teeth, now he had a hard time carrying his thirty pound child up the steps to his house.. He watched Kaz and Kaide go inside, he thought about asking if they could all spend time in the living room together, but he didn't want to embarrass his son, and he knew he was excited to show Kaide what he was working on. He watched the two of them disappear down the hallway, remembering the little  boot prints they used to leave up and down it. They had grown up in the blink of an eye. No they hadn't, Deku reminded himself, he had just missed his son's childhood. Deku sighed as his daughter squirmed.

    "Down!" She whined, Deku huffed, kissing her head and setting her down. He watched her run after her brother, laughing to himself. He went to his living room, looking at one of his son's projects on the floor.

    "Do you think he does this so we will ask him questions about his work?"

    Ochaco laughed and looked down at it "maybe."

    Deku looked at her for a long moment, huffing, he felt better now, he could see her, without imagining her falling from the sky, but he was still shaken, still sad about the things his son said, still reeling from what had happened to his friend. He went to her and curled up. Ochaco smiled, holding him gently.

    "Are you okay?"

    Deku nodded his head with a sigh, looking at her. "Just.. Thinking about-" he paused

    Ochaco nodded "Me too." she replied, looking away from him and huffing.

    Deku frowned "I always wondered, how much you remembered, from that day." his voice broke slightly

    "I remember seeing Hawks' feathers, coming towards me, but knowing they wouldn't help. Watching Mirio move towards me, but not fast enough. I remember seeing you, standing there, looking horrified, I remembered silence, before you began to scream and cry.. Wondering where Kaz was.. Hoping he didn't see anything." She looked at him sadly, I mostly remember recovering though, how long it took, how hard it was not to be able to keep up with Kaz anymore.. The day, I think, was mostly hard for you and Toga, for me it was mostly all the other stuff."

    Deku sighed, the other stuff had been hard for him too, dreading going home, because he was going home to a needy little boy who had no idea what was going on or where mommy was, why this strange man was suddenly telling him what to do. Trying to take care of Kaz, while so sick with grief he couldn't take care of himself. 

    Ochaco sighed, resting against him "But we got through it stronger."

    Deku nodded his head, huffing as she kissed her. He hoped Fuyumi would be as lucky as they had been.

    "It showed me I didn't know my son." he murmured, "and I've tried so hard to make it up to him, but I-I know I never will, after what he said today, I think I really hurt him."