"I'm gonna kill him."

"WHAT?! AI NO THAT'S NOT NECESSARY!"

You practically had to hold the girl back as she attempted to escape out your front door.

"ANYONE WHO MAKES YOU SHED ONE DAMN TEAR IS GOING TO DIE BY MY HANDS!" She growled.

"IT'S NOT TODOROKI'S FAULT!" You insisted, still keeping your arms firmly around her. "HE'S NOT REQUIRED TO LIKE ME!"

"WHAT THE HELL IS THERE NOT TO LIKE?! YOU'RE LOVING AND CUTE AS SHIT! HE'S OBVIOUSLY A BLIND IDIOT!"

It took her awhile to calm down after you had told her what happened. Ai tended to freak out over anything that involved you. It was just part of her overprotective tendencies.

"I just don't get it." She huffed, finally sitting back down. "What exactly did he say to you?"

You recalled the painful words spoken earlier that day.

"Something like 'I just don't feel that way about you'." You muttered in your best bashful Todoroki impression. "Except with a much more beautiful face."

"I CALL BULLSHIT!" Ai passionately retorted.

"Eh? Why?"

"Because I remember the way he was looking at you the night you brought him to The Rusty Mug. I was sure he liked you..." She scoffed.

Your heart skipped a beat at the sheer thought that maybe the boy felt the same way.

Stop it... I shouldn't get my hopes up. Todoroki said he didn't like me. I need to accept that.

"Well, it's over and done with now. I told him how I felt and now I can move on." You sighed.

Ai laid back against your pillow, allowing Kuro to crawl over her. She muttered a few profanities quietly to herself in an attempt to stop aggravating the subject.

"Wanna get drunk?" She offered.

"WHAT NO, I'M UNDERAGED AND I MIGHT GET IN TROUBLE!"

"Oh come onnnnn. It'll be fun." She chuckled. "Maybe you'll even drunk call Todoroki and tell him off."

"THAT'S LITERALLY THE LAST THING I WANT!" You exclaimed.

"Ahhh okay, I'll call him and tell him off."

"THAT'S EVEN WORSE!"

Your door flew open.

"DID I HEAR SOME SPICY DRAMA HAPPENING~" The exuberant Ranka called out. The door hinges had shattered from the force of the man.

"RANKA YOU BROKE MY DOOR!"

"I SHALL BUY YOU ANOTHER ONE!" He proclaimed before sauntering dramatically across the room. "Now then my dear (y/n)... WHAT'S THE TEA?!"

- - -

"I'm gonna kill him."

"WHAT?! RANKA NO THAT'S NOT NECESSAR- This feels like Deja Vu..."

This time you weren't able to hold back the much bulkier man as he headed towards your now broken door.

"RELEASE ME (Y/N), THE BOY MUST PAY FOR BREAKING YOUR HEART!" Ranka yelled.

"LET'S GO TOGETHER!" Ai chimed in.

"I swear..." You growled lowly before finally losing your cool. "BOTH OF YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN DAMMIT!"

They proceeded to quietly sit on the floor in an instant.

"M-My I didn't know you could be so scary (y/n) dear..." Ranka shuttered.

- - -

You took time to thoroughly talk through the situation with the two of them. At the end of the day, Todoroki was kind about it and didn't tell you off.

"I see... Sorry for assuming the worst." Ranka sighed calmly, before completely breaking down into tears.

"Wha-? There's no need to cry!" You insisted, reaching over to wipe the running makeup from under the man's eyes.

"I KNOW DEAR, IT'S JUST UNREQUITED LOVE IS SO TRAGIC!" He sniffled. You smiled warmly at his concern.

Ranka was a close friend of your moms. He kinda took it upon himself to help look after you in her absence.

"Ahhh stop being so dramatic. It was just a crush. She's gonna have a dozen of em through high school." Ai huffed before averting her attention back towards you. "I'm just happy you seem okay."

"I am okay." You smiled. "He's still my close friend and everything. I'm gonna keep training with him until the sports festival and then I'm gonna win! This doesn't change my goal!"

The two of them peaked at each other before shooting bright grins your way. They both wrapped their arms around you and pulled you against them tightly. You relished in the embrace as Ai whispered against your hair.

"We'll be watching."

- - -

"Let us know if you need anything dear." Ranka waved back from the street.

"Heh, a new door." You chuckled, leaning up against the doorway.

"OH PHOOEY I JUST FORGET MY OWN STRENGTH!" He covered his face in despair.

"We'll send a repairman over tomorrow while you're at school." Ai huffed. "And don't worry about tonight. You already know that old, tsundere bastard Satou wouldn't let anything happen to you."

The neighboring door flew open.

"Heard you were talking shit." The old geezer growled.

"Oh I'm sorry, it's past your bedtime isn't it old man~" Ai laughed manically.

"GET OUTTA HERE YA LITTLE MISFIT SHIT!" Satou shouted back.

"Whatcha gonna do? Hobble after me then gum me to death?!"

"I'M 62 YEARS YOUNG! I CAN STILL BEAT YOUR ASS!"

"My my can't we just all get along~" Ranka insisted, only to be met by a resounding, syncopated no from the bickering duo.

You could only watch on from your doorway and laugh.

I'm lucky.

It's not that the pain of earlier had completely subsided, but it was easily palatable thanks to the support surrounding you.

At the end of the day, you felt fortunate to have such a wonderful family.

An odd, messy, misfit family.

- - -

Special feature: Ai vs Satou
Artwork by: UnicornBeau