Protecting You (Katsuki Bakugo x Reader)

Chapter 57- Phoenix

Endeavor checked his watch as he visited a familiar florist in town, his flaming beard and hero suit nowhere to be found. His hair was freshly cut and groomed, his muscular chest adorned with a baby blue button down shirt rolled up to his elbows, navy slacks, and a complimentary warm brown leather pair of shoes along with a matching belt.

"Here you go Mr. Todoroki! Your total is 8275¥. Would you like your receipt?" An elder woman manned this particular flower shop that was in her family for generations. Enji Todoroki only trusted her and the rest of her family to tend to the tiger lilies in his rooftop garden and to create amazing bouquets.

"No thanks. See you later Louisa."

"Tell sweet Rei I said hello! I hope to see her here soon!" Enji smiled with remorse in his cyan eyes as his heavy lids cast themselves towards the floor.

"Me too."

The walk was short, and despite visiting hours being over about twenty minutes prior, the psychiatric facility guards let the number one pro-hero through without any issues. He walked down a hallway lit with fluorescent lights that has become familiar to him since your fight with All for One before stopping at Room 0-0, a private hospital suite hidden from the smaller grouped rooms.

Enji held his breath as he knocked on the door with an almost timid pressure.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Rei."

Both parties were holding their breaths...until a brave mother of four cracked the door open enough to see her husband's face.

"You're back?" Her voice sent shivers down Enji's spine in the best possible way...like an angel broke from the heavens just to speak to him. Her gray eyes and chapped lips were the only things visible in the crack of the doorway. After seeing Enji's lips curl into a soft smile, she felt safe enough to open the door further...her divine ivory hair flowing freely around her porcelain skin. The couple were so opposing in nature: Enji Todoroki being a tenacious and fiery man whose strength set his enemies ablaze...and Rei being soft, yet firm in her emotions and ideals. She had a strength in her that most people never saw...and that was her belief in forgiveness.

That her husband who used to leave their home in ashes could grow like a phoenix.

That she who once scarred her son could eventually find it in her to move past her guilt.

"I'm back...and I'd like to keep visiting you more often...if that's okay with you...?" Enji scratched his head and averted his eyes like he did back when he was a young man that was hopelessly in love with the teenaged girl that eventually became his wife. Quirk marriages were hard, simply because they were mostly arranged. Enji picked Rei not only for her quirk and beauty...but because he adored her pure smile...he felt himself cool his rage in her embrace.

It's been so long since he's felt that sensation...but he would do anything that he could to earn that feeling back.

"Come in, Enji." Rei's hands were icy against his own, her silver eyes trailing towards the tiger lily bouquet he was holding. "These are so beautiful! And perfect timing too! The last ones were starting to wilt!" Enji looked in the vase on her bedside table to see his previous bouquet starting to wither away. He closed the door behind him, grasped the old bouquet, and burnes it to ashes right in the vase.

"Make a wish," Enji said quietly. Rei was thoughtful for a moment then quietly blew on the flowers, a delicate frost coating the orange and white striped petals. Enji then placed the lilies in the ash filled vase, the embers still smoking lightly enough for the frost to drip like morning dew. "Was it a good wish?" Enji followed through.  Rei gave him a brilliant smile that was almost triumphant in nature. She felt vindicated that he held onto hope that the Enji she fell in love with over twenty years ago was still inside somewhere...and she was right.