"Hey, Eri?" she said, "You've been so brave, and I'm going to get you some shaved ice as a reward."
"But..."
"I know. I'm right there." Inko pointed to where the snack stand was set up. A small shed, and a few benches, and there was a woman there already.
"Just be brave for me a little longer, okay?"
"Okay..."
Inko smiled and got up. Walking over to the stands, she placed her order of a cup of shaved ice with chocolate for Eri, and a cup of chamomile tea for herself. The vendor got to preparing her order, and Inko took a seat while waiting. She must've been fidgeting, because the other patron, a young blonde woman, spoke up.
"You seem a tad restless, miss. Is there something wrong?" she asked. "Anything I can help with?"
"No, but thanks for asking..." she smiled.
"Oh." The young blonde had noticed her furtive glances at the bathroom stalls. "You have to..." she said, trailing off.
"Yes," Inko sheepishly admitted, her face heating up in slight embarrassment. "But..."
"I can watch her," she offered. "Or I could ask my husband to. That's him over there," she said, pointing to the man watching the waves.
"Oh, that's your husband?"
"Yes, we got married about a few months ago," she smiled, eagerly raising her hand to show off her wedding band.
"It's beautiful," Inko said, admiring it. It's design was simple, yet elegant, with a miniscule emerald embedded in it. "Congratulations!"
"Thank you." The young woman retracted her hand, and looked back to her husband, who was still sitting on the shore, staring out at the horizon. She sighed.
"He's not usually not this broody, it's just that this place means a lot to him," she explained. "We just got back from a long trip, and we haven't even been home yet. This was the first place we came."
"That's nice, this place must be really important to him, huh?"
"It is," she confirmed, nodding. "This was where he took the first steps to becoming the man he is today."
"He sounds great, and I hope he loves you as much as you love him."
"He does. Hylia, he does. Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve him," she said dreamily, before snapping back to reality. "Oh, listen to me ramble on and on, I'm sorry. Go on, I'll hold on to the treats, and I'll keep an eye on her from here."
"Thank you," Inko said, getting up and hurriedly making her way towards the stalls.
***
"That's a really good sandcastle."
Eri's eyes shot up. The stranger who was staring out at the ocean and the sun earlier, was now much closer.
"T-Thank y..." she started, but was stunned into silence when the stranger took his hood down, revealing a messy bush of green hair. He turned to the little girl, who began to tremble when she saw his freckles and his shiny emerald eyes. He gave the girl a soft smile. The same smile that he used to give her, when she had nightmares of Yakuza. The same smile that he gave her as he reassured her that she was a blessing, not a curse.
"Papa... Is-Is it really you?" she asked, her eyes beginning to water.
"Hey, Snowflake," he said with a small wave, his voice just as warm and soft as she remembered.
Not even Inko called her that.
"Papa..." she said shakily, her eyes beginning to water. Izuku smiled softly and opened his arms. The small girl took the invitation, running through the sandcastle she'd built, scattering the moist sand into chunks, but that didn't matter to her.
Midoriya Family Symphony
Start from the beginning
