Third person pov

Shoto had run screaming like Tensei was the boogie man the moment the teen started asking him questions, diving into Etsu's arms like he'd been running from a gladiator in a ring and she was going to fight him off herself. 

He had sobbed and practically begged not to be sent back, which was about as heartbreaking as it sounded, shrieking that he wanted to stay with her at the absolute top of his tiny lungs. The violent reaction wasn't one Tensei had been expecting, and honestly, Etsu hadn't either from how quiet Shoto tended to be. 

Tensei had watched with his mouth partially agape in shock as Tenya ran over to comfort his wailing friend, shooting dirty looks at his older brother. Etsu wasn't sure what to do with an armful of crying child, but she guessed it worked out because Tensei just came and quietly sat back down without another word about kidnappings or heroes. 

Shoto had never really had a meltdown before. Most kids his age had them regularly over small things, like not getting the toy they wanted, or having to wait until after their meal to have their favorite ice cream. 

Shoto had simply... never done that. He was well-behaved and quiet, and beyond mature for his age. It made taking care of him easy. To see him break down in such a raw, age-appropriate way was oddly cathartic. 

It felt more and more like he was coming into himself. The trauma from his previous life was still starkly present, but he was working past it and finally able to act his own age. Etsu was honestly glad.

Tensei continued to bring Tenya to the park, and Etsu continued to bring Shoto. The half-and-half boy still didn't seem to like the older Iida much. Tensei seemed pretty put out by this, apologizing up and down to the kid to no real avail. 

Even his own little brother shot him cold looks when Shoto was around. Etsu thought it was pretty hilarious. Plus, she had the added bonus of being the favorite. A perk she could definitely flaunt whenever Tensei was feeling full of himself. Shoto had warmed up a little to the older boy now that he was forced to interact with him everyday, but there was still an air of weary mistrust. 

Overall, Etsu and Tensei became pretty decent friends. He'd bring food for all of them to sit down and eat, and he'd help Etsu with her homework if she needed it. Etsu appreciated it. It was nice to have someone to talk to who knew about the whole Shoto situation. Not that anyone they ran into seemed to notice the abducted child in her possession. 

Seriously, she had no idea what the hell was going on with that. It was beyond weird. They'd walked past a cop on the way back to their little hovel yesterday and had gotten nothing more than a polite nod. Shoto didn't seem concerned with it, so Etsu supposed she shouldn't be either.

Tensei wasn't as anal about the rules as Etsu had originally thought he was. After his initial worry over Shoto, he'd seemingly recovered and wasn't having any other doubts-- a win for them. Etsu had (admittedly) been tempted to ghost the guy and hope she never ran into him again. Can you really blame her?

She would've if not for the unmatched Wi-Fi connection she somehow managed to get from this spot in particular. Tensei seemed to take her sitting there everyday as an invitation for him to join her. That wasn't the case, but she stopped minding after a couple weeks. Tensei got into the habit of bringing his schoolwork over too, so it was almost like a little study session.

Now came to their current issue. Tensei had informed Etsu of what preschool Tenya had enrolled in. Had even helped her forge documents and agreed to come with her to try and enroll Shoto. 

He truly went above and beyond helping her break the law. For Shoto, Etsu could never go too far. Besides, why bother holding back this far in? She'd already kidnapped him from a literal hospital. Might as well make sure he got the education he deserved to boot. 

Back when she'd first suggested school to him, he'd been extremely resistant to the mere thought. But when she'd told him it was Tenya's preschool, well, he'd changed his mind pretty quickly to say the least. Which brought up the actual hurdle of actually getting him in. Preferably with no arrests.

Tensei was practically about to burst from nerves over the whole thing. He kept eyeing Etsu, wondering if she was going to turn around and back out, but no. No, she was committed to the bit apparently. And he had no idea how to feel about that particular judgement, no matter how well it had seemingly worked for her so far.

Their main issue now was that Etsu really should've changed his name on the fake birth certificate. She'd even slapped her and Tensei's names on it too, as though either of them were old enough to have a five year old. Don't get Tensei wrong-- Etsu was incredibly, incredibly smart. Sometimes she just... didn't make the best decisions. 

Somehow, things always managed to go her way anyway, though. So maybe it didn't even matter. Maybe it would just settle the way it was supposed to settle and they'd be fine regardless.

"And he's... yours?" The secretary peered down at Shoto with barely-masked skepticism. Tensei didn't blame her. He and Etsu didn't exactly look like parents in any capacity.  

"Last time I checked." Etsu said with certainty she absolutely had no basis for.

Tensei was sweating bullets next to her. He had dark blue eyes and she had bright yellow, and his hair was a deep blue while hers was black. They weren't exactly the most convincing. Shoto looked adorable however, in his little shorts and the polo Tenya had grown out of already. 

He'd even let Etsu put a hat on him. It was bright yellow and clashed horribly with his hair, but he still managed to make it look cute. He stared up unwaveringly at the secretary when she leaned over her desk to really get a good look at him.

"Right," The woman drew the word out a little, her disbelief evident. "It says here his name is... Shoto Todoroki."

She tapped her fingers on the birth certificate for emphasis, brows furrowing. Tensei and Etsu both shared a look as a she paused, a prominent frown stretching across her face. She leaned a little closer to the paper, eyes flitting up to the pair of teens. 

Tensei forced a smile, trying not to look too much like he was dying on the inside. Etsu just pursed her lips. The secretary cleared her throat a little. And-- nope. No, she definitely knew. She had to know.

Tensei gulped. This was it. They were going to jail. He could kiss his hero career goodbye. Why hadn't Etsu put a fake name like he told her? And why had she put their names down in place of the parents instead of making up some fake identities?! 

Maybe that was the point. He wasn't planning on turning her in, but if he did change his mind for some reason down the line, he was now linked directly to the crime. He didn't think that had been Etsu's train of thought, but it would make sense if it was. 

Honestly, to be brutally truthful, he had genuinely no idea what she was thinking at any given time. She was too bold when it came to Shoto! It was a real wonder she hadn't been caught yet.

"Yeah." Etsu replied casually. The secretary took a deep breath. Tensei braced for impact.

"So is he... is he the kidnapped boy?" The secretary asked in a low tone, almost conspiratorial. Tensei froze, wide eyes darting to Etsu. What was she going to say? How would she possibly get out of this one?

"Is who the kidnapped boy?" Etsu frowned, her brows furrowing. Tensei paused, staring at her blankly. That's... exactly what she'd done to him when they first met! Don't tell him this was her immediate go to as a defense.

"Him." The woman pointed down at Shoto. The boy was being impossibly patient given the circumstances, and he somehow didn't look worried in the least. It made Tensei wonder how many times she'd done this. 

Etsu looked down at Shoto with a raised brow. It was actually pretty convincing. 

"What about him?" Etsu asked, turning back after a beat. 

"Is he Endeavor's kidnapped son?" The secretary's brow twitched with annoyance.

"Endeavor's kidnapped son?" Etsu turned around as though looking for something. She whipped back just as fast, eyes comically wide. "Where?!" 

Tensei couldn't believe he was actually witnessing this right now. With his own two eyes. Even if he had called the police on her, she probably would've just bullshitted her way out. He could see that now.

"You-- his name is Shoto Todoroki, right?" The woman hissed out, thrusting her finger at the boy. Shoto blinked. 

Tensei had to applaud Etsu's ability to keep a straight face. Meanwhile, he was very clearly going through the five stages of grief whilst the younger girl just stood there and stared at the secretary like she was a complete and total idiot. 

It was almost enough to make Tensei forget that they were breaking the law and laugh instead. Almost. He still felt like he was being held in a proverbial chokehold. Especially when the secretary's irritated gaze flitted over him for a brief moment. He'd never thought he'd learn what it was like to have your life flash before your eyes in the office of a preschool.

"That's what's on his birth certificate." Etsu gestured blandly. The woman sucked in a sharp breath of air, and Tensei was almost sure she was going to lunge. 

He watched her very slowly sit back into her chair, eyes never leaving Etsu's face. Etsu stared back, watching the secretary's anger crumble into something like exhaustion right before her very eyes. 

Patience was key in situations like this, apparently. Trying to come up with some elaborate lie was just going to get them caught. People would look at this and think it was too ridiculous to possibly be true. Tensei had almost been one of them, after all. 

"...He can go in. I'll get him put onto the role." The woman said miserably. "If you would fill this out with a valid email and phone number then we can get him settled in right away." 

Shoto lit up like a lightbulb, hugging Etsu around the waist briefly before sprinting off towards the open door of his new class. Tenya had been pacing past it anxiously for the past thirty minutes that they'd been there, ignoring the ushering of his teacher trying to get him to go socialize with the other kids. 

Etsu took the clipboard with an air of smugness. Tensei just slouched and let it happen.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Etsu landed an entry-level position doing filing for a small hero agency that worked mostly with the more minor of the leagues, but only because Tensei had helped her forge emancipation documents that declared her free to live legally on her own despite her age. 

Etsu had practically had to beg on her hands and knees to be taken in even despite that. Her promise to stay with the agency at least a year no matter how hectic it got was what really sealed the deal. The agency hosted minor heroes, sure, but it sure did have a lot of them working out of it. They hadn't been able to keep a secretary for more than a month. Etsu had to truly scramble to keep up with the droves of paperwork flooding in. 

Tensei silently promised himself to offer her a job at the Iida agency once he graduated. The first thing Etsu got herself, surprisingly enough, was actually a phone and a plan to go along with it so she could contact Shoto's school if needed, and vice-versa. They'd put Tensei's number down on the boy's paperwork beforehand, but she wanted access to him too-- understandably. 

Still, Tensei being on the birth certificate made more sense after that. The school already recognized him as Tenya's older brother, so trying to walk in and say he was someone else wouldn't work. However, Shoto needed to have a number attached to his file in case of emergencies. Etsu being able to contact her work didn't hurt either.

Etsu ground through her schoolwork like a woman gone mad, blazing through it whenever she wasn't at work. Tensei had taken to picking Shoto up from school as well, given no choice when Etsu found herself working overtime. 

The Iida didn't really mind. Though he had to sprint from UA to get there in time, he was doing that before anyway. Tenya loved spending time with Shoto. Watching them play was the most comical thing he'd seen in a while, and it helped his friend out. A win-win in his book. Etsu had grown on him a lot. 

"I still think Etsu is better than your brother." Shoto admitted, patting the sides of their sandcastle. Tenya nodded in understanding. Etsu was especially awesome. She was way more relaxed than Tensei was, and she gave better hugs. "I wish she didn't have to work so much..." 

"Me too. I miss her, and Tensei too. He has school all day." Tenya frowned. Etsu was really, really cool. Tensei was cool too, but he'd made Shoto cry that one time. His brother had apologized, sure, but neither of the five year old boys were quite over it yet. He had practically said he was going to give Shoto back to his old family! The mere thought was offensive. "Do you still get to spend time with her?" 

Shoto brightened a little at the question. It made Tenya relax some. Shoto had... a hard time. There were things he didn't know about. That wasn't his fault, of course! He had grown up with a really mean dad-- the number two hero Endeavor, Shoto had whispered to him one day whilst they ate their popsicles under the playground equipment. 

He hadn't let Shoto go out and make friends, or play at the park. The only thing he was allowed to do was train his quirk. He'd awakened it earlier than most kids did, apparently. Him having been so secluded meant he didn't really know about friends holding hands, or how to play, or how to act in a classroom. About stranger danger or basic rules Tenya had already learned. 

Tenya was more than happy to educate his best friend on those. He knew a lot about rules, after all.

Shoto's first day at daycare, he'd looked at the abundance of colorful toys and drawing supplies like he had no idea what they were. Anytime someone tried to come say hello he'd shrivel up, eyes defensive as though he were expecting to get hurt. 

He'd been like that when Tenya had first become his friend too. Quiet and hesitant in everything he did, as though afraid to do it wrong. It made Tenya really upset. That's why he was really glad Etsu had saved him. 

He knew she wasn't really supposed to, and they weren't supposed to talk about it, but how bad could it be if she'd rescued him from the life that hurt him? Plus, Tenya never would've met him. Shoto was his bestest friend in the whole wide world, and he didn't even get mad when Tenya talked about the rules or studying! In fact, he even agreed most of the time!     

"She makes sure we eat dinner together every night, and she asks about my day, and tells me all about work." Shoto said proudly, his chest puffed out. "And she cuddles me and reads me to sleep." 

Tenya awed, clapping his hands together in applause. Of course Etsu made time for Shoto! He was the whole reason she'd gotten a job to begin with. She wanted to get a real apartment for them, she said, so Shoto could have his own room and Tenya could come have sleepovers. 

He was super excited! Tensei had told him that they didn't really have a house right now, and that they just slept in a temporary spot. Like camping, kind of. It sounded hard not to have a real place to live. He wished Etsu and Shoto could come live with them. They could put another bed in his room, and Etsu could share with Tensei since they were already friends.

Tensei watched the two boys continue to play and chat, eyes drifting up when he finally spotted Etsu jogging towards them. She looked absolutely frazzled from her day at work, her hair falling out of the bun she'd pinned it up in and the bags under her eyes looking deeper than ever. 

He winced a little at the sight of the backpack hanging off her shoulder. And of course, she was going to come in here and do more schoolwork. She was aiming to pull ahead and graduate early so she could focus more time on Shoto and working. He wasn't sure how she handled it all. Even his workload wasn't that brutal, and he went to UA High. 

"Afternoon, gentlemen." She breathed out once she was close enough, sweating from her run. Shoto let out a gasp, popping to his feet and running to meet her. Etsu caught him with the arm that wasn't clutching her backpack strap, hugging him to her as he latched onto her leg. She gave Tensei a genuine, almost apologetic look. "Thank you again, Tensei."

"It's no problem." Tensei waved her off as she hobbled over, Shoto still attached to her. 

Tenya raced up and latched onto her other leg. She didn't bother trying to get them off, tossing her bag onto the bench next to the older Iida and standing there for a moment trying to organize her thoughts. 

Etsu was honestly not sure what she'd do without Tensei's help at this point in the game. To think the guy who'd almost been her and Shoto's downfall would be so supportive. He was a good friend. Etsu hadn't had one of those in a long time now, but he'd grown on her, and she could safely say she'd trust him with just about anything. 

His willingness to help her regardless of the law said more than words ever could. What would she have done without him? She wouldn't have a job right now. Wouldn't have time for it, because there's no way she would've gotten Shoto into that school without him. Afterschool care wasn't something she could afford right now either. Him picking Shoto up was everything.

Honestly, Etsu was tired. It all felt like an endless cycle with no time to slow down and relax. Looking down at Shoto reminded her of why she was doing this. She was committed. She loved him-- and she was going to get him everything he needed, even if she had to drive herself into the ground to get them.

Shoto had only brought good things into her life so far. A new friend to joke around with and a sense of responsibility and drive she hadn't possessed before. Now she had a job and was working towards real stability. She never thought she'd make it this far. Apparently anything was possible if you were willing to pull your pants up and get with it. 

"Ugh. Fuck schoolwork." Etsu seemed to decide after a moment of catching her breath. Tensei shot her the same look he did every time she cursed. She shot him one back. "Let's go get ice cream before I burn to death. Calculus can wait." 

Tenya gasped, detaching herself and bowing formally in thanks. His hand shot out and grabbed Shoto's as soon as he felt he had proficiently conveyed his gratefulness. The half-and-half boy reluctantly let go of her as well, allowing Tenya to haul him down the sidewalk and towards the ice cream parlor they always went to. 

Tensei sighed and stood up as well, taking Etsu's bag with him. He tried not to make a face at how heavy it was. What was in there? Bricks? 

"Hard day?" He tried, picking up his own schoolbag as well. He'd finished his homework long before she'd gotten here. Etsu let out a breath of air, smiling a little.

"You have no idea." 

~~~

Okay obligatory you can read ahead on Patreon to chapter 25 reminder idfk who cares about that LOOK

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