family // bnha

twenty-two

"There is no need to explain yourself to me. From my point of view, you were children in a bad situation," she explained to the girl as she set her cup on the coffee table softly before turning to the girl with an empathetic look. 

"C-can you start over, from the beginning, you knowing Shoto, everything," Natsuo asked, scooting up in his seat towards her. Swallowing her pain, she nodded. 

"We met about 9 years ago, so I was about 15. I had went into shock so my Quirk activated and to protect myself and everything around me, I ended up knocking myself out and ending up in the hospital. That's where I met Shoto after he stumbled into my room by accident. He warmed up to me, so we talked and he stayed in my room to watch cartoons before he left saying his dad was coming. I'd given him my number, figuring I could set up a playdate or something with my own. He called me that day twice, but that was it for like 4 years. He called me suddenly like 5 years ago. I don't know what happened, and he didn't answer my questions so I just stopped. I took him out and stuff, sometimes we got soba, or went to coffee shops, Christmas shopping, things like that for years so we got pretty close," Eli started over. 

"He's the same age as my siblings so I-I've always thought of him as one, so I just-" she cut herself off as she looked off, taking a small breath as she rubbed her exposed neck gingerly, making both siblings glance at the scar with slightly widened eyes. 

"My brothers told me and my sister after the Sports Festival incident. So, after that, we just... went and got him. It took a screaming match with your father actually to get him out of there, but we did it. I've fought these types of cases before on behalf of others, and once for one of my brothers, but honestly never on a scale like this," she said, a tired sigh accidentally coming from her mouth as she brought up the tea to warm her dry throat. 

Eli was stressed. Sure, she was happy that Shoto was now safe, but never in her life did she think she'd have to fight for custody with Endeavour of all people. 

"Can we speak to Shoto about this?" Fuyumi asked, a sparkle of determination in her eyes as Natsuo nodded in agreement. 

"Of course, of course," she told them with a nod. 

"After this, I'm going to pick them up from school. Would you like to come with me and maybe have dinner with us?" she asked them, both of them nodding fiercely. She smiled a bit, hoping this ferocity turned to love.

"I can wait here as you guys get whatever you need and we can all fit in my car if you'd like," she said, thanking her constant tinkering to the amount of space in the car. 

And with that they were gone, Fuyumi sitting in the passenger seat of the car, clutching her side bag nervously as she bit her lip. Eli eyed her in worry as she looked at the slightly younger woman. 

"I-" she tried but she was cut off as her phone went off, echoing through the car through the Bluetooth radio. She looked over to see the name 'Izu' on the dashboard before looking at Fuyumi apologetically. 

"May I?" she asked making Fuyumi flinch out of her contemplative state. 

"Ah, yes yes of course," Fuyumi answered, Eli, nodding at the girl before she pressed a button on the steering wheel to answer the call. 

"Hello?" she asked. 

"Nee-chan, oh thank All Might, are you coming to school tomorrow?" he asked quickly through the radio.

"Um, I don't plan to, I have another meeting," she said with a confused look on her face as she drove down the road. 

"Why?" she asked, sudden alertness in her tone. Her worry seemed to spike, making her eyes unintentionally redden as her mind raced towards the USJ incident, suddenly worried for her students. Shuffling was heard over the phone.