I can't believe this is happening. Nemuri planned an entire trip without me?! Like, I mean I get it. Seeing her family is super important but at the same time…
I'm not ready. But here we are, in the car with her belting out Florence + The Machine's Dog Days Are Over while we're going. Nudging me over and over. Looking over at her, I smile. In a way, I'm the girl in the song. Running, hiding, not expecting to be happy. And well here I am. Happy. With a loving girlfriend-fiancee. There's a moment where I shake a little. She reaches over and grabs my hand.
"Koyurei, trust me, they'll love you." she says, "You're the sweetest little guy ever."
"That's… not assuring…" I mumble.
"Babe, why would I ever lie? I've never done that with you." she smiles and gets to an exit, turning towards a part of the Saitama Prefecture that's really fancy. Of course the hair at the back of my neck stands on end seeing the traditional houses.
"Are… are those…?"
"We're not going to one of those, I promise." she assures me, there's something in that I don't trust but Nemuri never steered me wrong before. As far as I know. That's when she slows down in a driveway leading towards a nice enough house. She's all dolled up in a sharp looking office ensemble. Like she's got business to take care of with her hair tied into a strange bun. It's always weird to see her hair tied back but she's still so nervous and she gets weird whenever she does.
"Okay…" she breathes, checking herself in the mirror, "My mother might smother you, my brother might smack you, and my baby sister's shy. My father…"
My throat makes a sound like a grinder, "Your… your father…"
"Just take it easy, he's not like Endeavor at all." she gets out and holds out her hand, "Come on, Koyurei. This is our future."
"Okay…" I breathe.
I take her hand. It's soft and slightly smaller than mine. Stronger though, and not burnt to hell and back just because it is. She's gorgeous, always gorgeous. Even when she's crabby in the morning and half asleep. Walking up the way isn't that hard as long as Nemuri leads. The house isn't traditional, it's more like a weird cozy little place with a perfume shop upfront and the residence above and in the back of it.
As we get closer, Nemuri's smile widens to the bright grin I melt for. The genuine smile on her face hits me hard and I try to shamble up one. She squeezes my hand. Tugging me along towards the door. In the driveway, there's a big truck and a sleek sedan, both of them black. The door in front of us swinging open, revealing a woman taller than Nemuri with long and curly lavender hair. Her purplish eyes widen just a little.
"Nemuri!" she yells, darting towards her and hugging her almost like she wants to break her back, "Oh my baby!" she squeals. She swings Nemuri around almost like she's the world's first living wrecking ball.
"Hey, Mom…" she squeezes her back and she's finally released from the prison of the lavender woman. She turns towards me and I dart behind Nemuri, shaking a little. I'm not a hugger of strange women.
"Oh uh, this is my boyfriend, well, fiance. His name is Koyurei Todoroki."
I bow quickly and then her mother smiles down at me. She's taller than me, probably because of the heels she's wearing. She's dressed in a soft looking sweater and normal pants, The cream and black matching pretty well. But then on her feet are bright purple heels.
"Nice to finally meet you, Koyurei. I'm her mother, Ayaka. You're very handsome. Much more handsome than your father."
"Oh uh… you know him?"
"Darling, he's a monstrously stupid sewer person. Now get inside, everyone's waiting!" she shoos us inside and along the walls are a bunch of baby pictures of the three Kayama children. She leads us in.
"Well, guess who decided to drop in, gang!" she exclaims, the room is filled with music, is it ABBA? Why would it be ABBA? But the three people in the living room stop what they're doing the minute they see Nemuri and Ayaka. The man in the middle absolutely bullrushes her.
"NEMIIIIIICHAAAAAANNNNN!" he screams, sweeping her into his arms, muscular and built like a brick shithouse, "My big sis! Oh my god, how are you? Are you doing better after dumping that Todoroki guy?!"
"About that, Neruteno…" she sputters, "I didn't dump him."
"What?" he gently lets her down, turning his icy blue gaze to me, "So, you're the guy who decided my big sis'd be a good babymaker?" I step back and raise my hands. His eyes are sharp and bright blue, almost like a laser sight.
"B-babymaker?! No! I ... I really love her!" I sputter, almost walking right back into Ayaka. She giggles down at me.
"Don't mind Neru-kun, he's just really protective of his sisters. Isn't that right, my military boy?" she sweeps around us and hugs him tightly. It's weird. Normally my mom would just scuttle around and offer halfhearted pleasantries. She'd also give quick hugs and then run off before Dad yelled for her. So seeing Ayaka take her time made me feel all kinds of weird because… is this what Moms are supposed to be like?
"You're damn right, Mama!" he hoots at me, "So you better watch it, Todoroki!"
"Right, yeah, aye aye!" I sputter softly and he nods, sitting down with his camo pants and compression shirt, a metal backed glove on his right hand. He looks strong. Ayaka sits next to him and rests her head on his shoulder.
I bet he's the favorite.
There's another woman sitting on the couch, all bunched up and looking around. I just smile and bow a little. She nods and looks back at her phone. I can relate. She's wearing a pink hoodie and her pink hair flows out of the hood, her bright pink eyes meet mine and there's some red on her cheeks before tearing her eyes away.
She's probably the lost child.
"That's my baby sister, Aikita, she's shy." Nemuri sits next to her and I still stand. There's one we didn't account for yet. He swirls his glass and takes a drink, staring out at the rest of the city. He turns with a smile, his graying black hair and bright blue eyes are set in a fierce face. Dude looks like one of those guys from the old crime movies Touya and I used to watch. I wonder if he's an actor? He steps towards me and smiles, bowing.
"Good evening, Todoroki. How was the drive?" he rises and I bow back.
"It was satisfactory, Kayama-san! I'm sorry for not informing you sooner of my engagement to Nemuri!" I yell, shaking and honestly shambling back up because he's really scary. He raises his hand and I flinch, flames bubbling from my hand.
He lowers it, "Koyurei, I'm glad you're happy with her. She's a good woman." he smiles and marches to the couch, plunking down between Ayaka and Neruteno. He wraps his arms around their shoulders and squeezes.
"My name's Fuwame. No need to be strangers, come on and take a load off." he smiles and gestures to where Nemuri's sitting. I scuttle over and Nemuri gently hoists me into her lap. Fuwame chuckles.
"She's got you trained, huh?" he laughs.
"No sir, I find her comfortable." I answer, the fear still telling me to run away and my quirk inches from firing off. This is too peaceful, where's the shouting? Where's the arguing? Why am I actually feeling safe?
Nemuri gently curls my head towards her shoulder, "It's good to see you all." she says, "Sorry about not telling you guys."
"Well considering the hullabaloo, I think we didn't needja to tell us." Fuwame chuckles, "One minute the perfume store's doin' low profits, the next it's through the damn roof."
Ayaka smacks his shoulder a little, "Fuwame, no business! Poor thing's absolutely shaking!" she's referring to me, shivering and shuddering, maybe even panicking. Nemuri gently scratches my head.
"It's okay, baby. They won't bite." she whispers, I curl further into her and she plants a soft kiss on my cheek. I look out at them, this isn't right and I don't like it. Everyone's got skeletons in their closets. No one is this happy.
Neruteno speaks up, "What's up with him? Is he…?"
"Neruteno, that's his business." Fuwame warns, "What do I say?"
"To not ask about personal business unless they tell you." he recites with an eyeroll, "I'm sorry, Todo- Koyurei." he corrects himself.
I nod and rise from Nemuri, "Apology accepted." Standing up, I stride over to the mantle and look at the photos. We never had those around the house. Everything was sparse and decorated with the traditional trappings. I pick one up of Little Nemuri holding her little scrunched up brother. A smile tugs at my lips. Toya and I held Fuyumi when she was born, even though she liked me better than him. Every photo I look at I see Nemuri's happy carefree childhood.
I didn't get that. I never got that. There's tears running down my cheeks. Nemuri gets up and wraps her arms around me from behind. Turning me around and holding me. The rest of her family watches and I don't understand. Why were they talking? Why were they so kind? They didn't have to be. So why is it so hard to accept? Ayaka and Fuwame look at each other, Neruteno and Aikita go back to their phones. Nemuri takes me outside, the fresh air calming me down just a little. Nemuri sits down on one of the porch seats, pulling me back into her lap.
"Shh… Shhh…" she soothes, "Let it out baby."
I'm overwhelmed. So I cry. I always have that answer. It's assuring. Telling me I still feel and have emotions regardless of all the pain. But back in that house I never once did.
"Big brother's hurt?" Fuyumi had asked, her little hands reaching up, "Don't cry!" I turned from sucking on a burnt finger.
"Oh no, Fuyu. I'm fine!" I blink back tears and sweep her into my arms, having her on my hip as she watches me cook.
"Nothin' hurts?" she looks at me and I smile, kissing her on the forehead.
"Nothing at all."
Or the time I defended Mom with Natsuo seeing me storm by. She was still pregnant with Shoto and Dad got mad at her. I rose and fought with him even though my body was already raw from the training he put me through outside my old sidekicking days. I fought so hard, pushed him back, my flames hotter and stronger because of my anger and hatred for him. He was the one who killed Toya, He was the one who made me suffer, HE WAS THE ONE WHO MADE MOM AND EVERYONE CRY.
Yet he won. After all I did. After every bit of me was scorched and burned and Mom was crying and running over to me, sobbing into my back.
"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! So sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" she sobs with Dad slowly backing off. He realized something that day.
I wouldn't let him break me. He could break Toya but never me. Natsuo was still young then, still wide eyed and happy but understanding from me and Fuyumi that Dad never cared about us. He married his dream, not Mom. He sired soldiers not children.
"Koyurei! I wanna have some noodles!" he chases me, "Come on big bro~!"
"In a minute, Natsu!" I snap back, tears burning down my cheeks that hurt more than Sekoto Peak's. Dad didn't hold back but I wouldn't let my Mom get hurt. I couldn't just cry. I dry my eyes and focus on the bandages.
Pull.
Stick.
Pull.
Stick.
Every single motion hurt. And now I'm here in the arms of my loving girlfriend meeting her family and realizing…
It wasn't normal.
The fighting, the training, the hiding and praying that Dad wouldn't hurt me to anyone that'd listen. I remember… the last time I cried in a big way. Howling, I was howling, sobbing in my mother's arms just… just begging her to not let Dad train Shoto. My baby brother. The last child. The only child he cared for more than me and her.
"Let's leave, Mom!" I cry, "I can get a job, I can… I can do anything just… just pack a bag and we'll go. Take us all with you and we can all go somewhere like… like… America? Maybe… maybe…"
I wanted to save her. I wanted to save them. I needed to. That way Toya wouldn't be a mistake blaming me in the back corners of my mind.
Her arms squeeze me like Nemuri's did. Her cool body pressed up against my too-warm-too-cold one. Panic and fear, sadness and anger all soup up and make a mess, boiling over until I'm nothing but a sobbing wreck just clinging to the idea that I could make all of this better. Nemuri pulls me out of the memories with a soft, loving kiss. A press of her gorgeous lips to my own as I'm crying and breaking apart. This wasn't normal. Growing up that way wasn't normal. I bury myself into her arms and she says the words that I always wanted to hear and believe were true.
"It's not your fault."
I always don't want to believe that. In some way if I was stronger, in some way if I was smarter, if I didn't want to have a normal life and follow my father and brother into the trenches of the hero world and become what he wanted then…
It wouldn't be my fault. The tears quiet down and Nemuri kisses my neck.
"You've been so hurt, baby…" she whispers into my skin, "Every inch and part of you. Now I want us to head back in and have a nice dinner with my family, and well…" she touches my cheeks.
"What do you want to do to me, baby?" she smiles up at me, "Maybe…" she tugs me down and her lips gently press to the skin just below my ear.
"You want to worship me? Kiss my body all over?" she's making me melt just from her soft whispers alone, "My sweet little boy deserves a reward, doesn't he?"
"Can we do it now?" I squeal a little as her hand brushes down my ribs, heading towards my crotch, her hand returns to my waist.
"Not right now, hon. We have to get through dinner." she sighs and looks genuinely disappointed with that sad furrow in her brow and a soft, almost sad smile, "I know, I know. You're sad you don't get to be loving me."
We get out of the chair and there's some kind of soft satisfaction in my heart over all of this. Just the idea that everything is so much better. I mean not all the way but regardless I do feel better. It's better than nothing at all. Or staying broken. She leads me back inside and Ayaka's there.
"Oop! Sorry honey! I was just a little curious~!" she giggles and pats her on the head, "My little girl is so romantic!" she coos and I look down at my feet.
"Oh, and I didn't hear much, Koyurei. Don't worry." she smiles and I look up at her. She's winking and I chuckle a little. How long was she listening anyway? Nemuri and I join the others at the table.
Fuwame smirks, "Well, feeling better? I get it." he smiles and Aikita huddles into her food.
"Thank you for the food, Dad." she mumbles.
"You're welcome, Aikita." he says back, "So, what was it like at the Todorokis, Koyurei?"
"Lonely. It was me and my younger siblings without our mother or father or baby sibling. I took care of them and they just wanted our mom back but it just wasn't meant to be." I close my eyes and shovel in the food. It's good. Not as bad as the meals back in that house were. Just without the loving touch of a good meal. It was just kind of sad. But other than that all I could think about is Nemuri in bed next to me, naked or clothed, her hair spreading on my chest in a velvety soft flood of dark purple.
Aikita glances up at me, "Oh! S-sorry! I was ah… using my quirk!" she squeaks. I notice that Neruteno is nowhere around. It's not the wrong thing to think that he's just busy. Ayaka giggles.
"Why Aikita! You sly girl!" she chides, "Always looking out for your big sister!"
"Of course! Nemuri just brought a Todoroki home!" she blurts back. Okay, what is it with them and Todorokis? Ayaka looks at me and Fuwame speaks up.
"Enji an' I go back a while, kid. If you're thinking I was a Yakuza, you'd be right. Although I don't do that n'more." he smiles and looks at my burns, "I clapped my eyes on ya and well, you're nothin' like Nemuri described."
"What'd she describe me as?" I ask, looking at her with a, 'you can't be fucking serious' look on my face. She smiles and her dad continues.
"She described you as lonely, almost like a soldier shell shocked half to death. But you had good qualities too. And well since I know your intentions are clearly born outta love for her and not just makin' her a baby factory-"
"Dad!" Nemuri snaps, "Sheesh, do you really have to bring up that theory?" she fidgets a little and looks at me with a sheepish blush. He laughs and lights another sweet smelling cigarette. The entire air in the house is almost sickly sweet and airy. Like incense and perfume all over the place. I guess it's to be expected when my fiancee's quirk has something to do with scent.
"Ah. Forgive me then, Koyurei. Just remember your dad's-"
"A piece of shit." Ayaka finishes for me, reaching for my hand and grabbing it, "When Nemuri told me about what you went through I just couldn't believe it." she rubs the back of my hand where a slight burn found its way there.
"Well, that just comes with the fact my Dad raised soldiers. But hey, what can ya do?" I shrug with a smile, "I just take one day and one step each moment. I would've gone insane if I was stuck there for any length of time."
"That's still no excuse for what he put you through, Koyurei." Fuwame huffs, "I got half a mind to fight him myself."
"Baby, you'd die." Ayaka sighs, shaking her head, "Just know that we'll help you if push comes to shove. Nemuri picked you because she loves you. That means you're family."
"Now we got conditions, though. No cheatin' on her, no abandonin' her, and for the love of god don't ever hurt her." He says with a soft smile and a serious glare. I nod and smirk back with a kind of fear about it.
"You got it, sir. I'll do my best!" I exclaim with some of my flames popping up like embers. Nemuri hugs my arm and rubs it with her cheek. She smiles up at me even though she's taller than me.
All I do is smile and stand to my feet. Happily stretching and bowing to the parents of my beloved.
"Have a good night, you two! Now if you'll excuse us…" I say, grabbing Nemuri's hand, "We have a long day tomorrow." I wink at her and she smiles.
The minute we get home we're in our room. With Nemuri sitting on the bed, clothes off and legs gently spread, showing off her glory and she undoes her hair and fluffs it out with it falling all the way down to her waist. Her luxuriously soft body and her luscious hair spread out on the pillows and bed. She sighs and looks at me with those shining blue eyes, reflecting the neon signs outside and giving me a full spectrum of color and light. Almost like a miniature city. Swallowing down a lump in my throat, I kneel.
"Come here, Koyurei." she beckons me with a finger, shuffling forward and she sits up, pulling me up to sit in her lap. She gently pulls my shirt and suit jacket off, I'm almost marveling at her body. But there's a moment where I hesitate to kiss it. A moment where I almost want to run away. A moment where there's that old feeling pulling at my guts telling me I can't be what she sees. I can never be the man she wants. I can never be the man who satisfies every whim or urge.
Her hands touch my cheeks, "Koyurei." she says, steadying my thoughts and showing them. She gently guides me forward, pressing her forehead to mine.
"You're enough, Koyurei. You don't have to be the biggest or the strongest, you're mine and that's enough. So enjoy it, enjoy me!" she squeezes me tight and I kiss her lips, leaving a messy trail of hot kisses quickly cooled by soft cold ones.
She laughs, moans, holds me close, lets me mess around with her and hold her tight. She's precious to me and I want to show her how precious she is. Her eyes are full of love. Every moment here is just me telling her I love her with every kiss and touch. Her smiles melt me down and I'm kneeling in front of her, with her legs draped around my shoulders. Soft and strong at the same time. The body of my love. The body she stares at and sees flaws. I don't see them at all.
I lean forward and her legs softly push me towards her too. She moans into the ceiling. My eyes close and it tastes sweet, licking and kissing eagerly.
"Ah! Oh, Koyurei…" she moans, "Just like that, loverboy, right there." she reaches down and pets my hair, "There's my good boy…"
I love you, Nemuri. I love you so much. I want to always love you and want to always be with you. I don't need to be strong and I don't need to be a hero. I just need to be me. I just need to take care of things and take care of you.
Leave it all to me. She bucks forward. Her soft, moist body pressed against me.
"Ahhn! Oh my god, so good!" she cries, with her legs tightening around me even more, "I'm… I'm cumming, Koyurei! Make me feel youthful! Make me-" she moans loudly and the sweet liquid fills my mouth, squirting against my face.
She unwraps her legs from me and leans back. I crawl up to her level and she wipes away her love from my face with her skirt, "Good boy… good boy…" she breathes, cheeks deep red and breath panting gently.
"Nemuri, I love you." I close my eyes and kiss her, slipping deliciously into her. This is my purpose. This is my new purpose. Just to be with her and make her happy. All I want is to be free from the pain.
So I just want to cut loose, let go, shed the weight. Tears and joy spill out of me and I put it into Nemuri, holding her close and releasing into her. She smiles and I curl against her. Rain begins to fall on the windows, the clouds heavy and the thunder gently rumbles through the thick air. Her scent is sweet, rich, flowing through the room. Smelling like chocolate and roses, her chest falls and rises, gently and at the right tempo. She runs her hand through my hair fondly. I think it's okay to love her as much as I do.
I close my eyes and hear her softly whisper, "I love you."
I believe every single word.
