Wow, I actually don't want to make my characters suffer for once. I'm in such a good writing mood today.

Me finding out Reigen was canonically bullied as a kid tho ;-;
Just from personal experience, I barely remember anything from my years in public school, but apparently the bullying got so bad that I was pulled out and homeschooled because of it. 😅

Anyways, enough about me and on to the the story!

Chanting: One more arc until the finale. One more arc until the finale! One more arc until the finale!! ONE MORE ARC UNTIL THE FINALE! :D
(Then comes the sequel 👉👈)
===========================

Age fourteen. Second year of middle school.

     I never was considered physically strong, or durable, or whatever. Despite that, my dad always pushed me to attend sports. "You have to remain diligent, son." He would always say. "If you don't want to grow up to be a wimp, then it is crucial to push yourself!" Yeah... While his words made sense on paper, he failed to see the bigger picture each and every day...

     I'd just gotten done with running that day. A terribly hot day no less. I was on the track team. Why? I didn't know. My dad always said I had to be in sports, but he never specified that I had to stick with one for very long. So, I tended to jump around, looking for the sport that suited me best. ... Or, rather, for a club or group of kids who would actually accept me.

   "You're such a puny little thing, aren't ya?"
  "How many sports did you say you played? Because I'm having a hard time believing you've ever played anything in your life!!"
  "Ha! Looks like Reigen was chosen last...AGAIN!"
  "Yeah, he's always chosen last!"

     I don't really know why my dad pushed me so hard with sports specifically. I had excellent grades, was great at negotiating, and was even told I had a bright future ahead of me by many of my teachers. ... I always just assumed it was because of his own disability, since he used to tell me how much he wished he could play a good old game of baseball with me..but couldn't.

     I was better off playing videogames...by myself. At least then, there was no one to bother me.

     I fumbled my way out the boy's locker rooms, still sliding on a clean teal shirt in a hurry, since I had cram school immediately after this. Usually, I'd only leave if the coach was with me, but today he was too busy cleaning up my vomit thanks to me pushing myself too hard again. So, I was stuck between awkwardly waiting for him and then embarrassing myself by arriving late to afternoon classes, or taking my chances. I went with the second option.

     Outside the locker rooms, I was hit with the sun's intense heat, immediately wrapped in a warm blanket of humidity. There was no in-between from the lockers to the pavement, which was only wide enough to fit one car at a time. On the other side of the thin strip was a chain-link fence. Behind it was a wall of dense trees. Here was a crossroads of sorts..between two parking lots. Once my head had finally squeezed through the shirt hole, I hurried to the right.

     "D###, he's even slow at changing! Are you a sloth, man?!" A bratty kid around my age remarked. I caught my gasp, head jolting up to see a group of kids leaning against the brick wall to narrowly escape the sun's intensity. They were some of the same kids on my track team, all of whom I at least recognized. The biggest of the bunch pushed himself from the wall, taking a few steps toward me with a cocky grin on his face. I panicked. It was either face them or run around the whole building campus, which I knew I couldn't do without vomiting again or fainting!

     "Hey-heyyy, guys!.. I like ice cream.. You like ice cream... Ho-how about we settle this over a nice treat, huhh? My gift to you for not pummeling me today." I stepped back, nearly tripping over completely flat concrete somehow. The kid in the front, who I called "Roger" in my head, smirked.

     "Oh, so ya got cash on ya?~ I don't know why anyone would want to hang out with a loser like you, but we'll happily treat ourselves to some ice cream with your money~" Crap! I should have just kept my stupid mouth shut! I sprinted parallel to the chain-link fence to the right, hoping to somehow pass them so I wouldn't have to run all the way around. I knew that no matter what I did in the end, I was doomed.

     I was too fatigued to run top speed, and since I was already so tired it was easy for the bigger kids to catch up with me. Roger full on body slammed into me! I bounced off the chain-link fence, skin scraping on the burning concrete floor. Roger stomped on my back as I lay on my stomach. I tried to curl up into a ball but he wouldn't let me do that either.

     "Puke again, I dare ya!! Coach is gunna beat your ### if he sees you made another mess! Hahah!" Now this was just juvenile. The other boys crowded around me, pretending to hurl on me. Meanwhile, I tried with everything I had to keep as much of my skin off the pavement as possible! It was burning my legs, arms, and left cheek the most.

   "Oh my gosh! He's so pathetic!"
One boy crouched down and pried my face off the pavement by the ear. "Why are your ears so big!? The crap?!"
   "Heh!! Is that your quirk?!"
   "How much money do you have on you anyways?? I'll bet it isn't much; you look broke!"

     When they were done having their fun tormenting me, the boys simply dug through my pockets and stole my cash before running off to reward themselves.

     I laid there for a little while longer, worried one of them might turn the corner and call the others back for seeing me up again so quickly.

     After a couple long minutes, I stood up and clutched my stomach, gritting my teeth. My back felt like it was out of place somehow.. and all my ribs were sore, maybe even bruised all over. I was too overwhelmed to check.

     "Those guys will....end up.. in prison at this rate." I grunted. Though saying such didn't help me in the moment, in the long run I was at least a little satisfied..imagining those selfish jerks one day getting jail time for all their vile acts. One day...the law would avenge me... Hopefully that wouldn't come at the cost of any lives... Ugh..

     Since I looked too badly beaten to be attending school, my cram school teacher demanded I go to the nurse's office and return home at once. Good idea...

----------

     "You're here early." My father remarked from the kitchen as I slid through the front door. Looked like he was preparing to cook dinner or something. The house was fairly small, heavy on the warm cottagey feel. For starters, the ceiling was short, every floor but the kitchen was covered in dusty old carpet, and all the furniture was a deep/warm brown. The only wood flooring I ever saw in here was on the walls, which to my knowledge wasn't where that was supposed to go.

     "Yeah... Got.. a little beat up at school today. Nurse told me to go home." I wheezed. I dropped my school bag by the front door and slipped my shoes off, hobbling inside, ready to finally get some rest.

     "Teh! Sounds like you need to learn a little self defense! My dad always used to say that if you didn't know how to defend yourself, there was something wrong with you. But of course no one cares about what my old man had to say!" He rambled a little, not once taking a moment to look away from what he was doing. I was beyond used to this by now, though it still got to me sometimes how little he cared. "Don't forget to grab your bag by the way, son. Keep leaving messes and I'll start having you pay rent!" I turned away from the couch I was literally just about to plop down on, slowly limping around the big leather sofa to grab my bag. I dragged it across the living room and laid down beside the couch... I'd...put it away later.... Ugh... "You're quiet as a church mouse, kid! Something wrong?!" My dad called from the kitchen. I groaned, lazily covering my face with my arms.

     "I said... I just got beat up!"

     "And? That shouldn't be an excuse to slack off! Come on and help me in the kitchen since you're here early! Your mom and sister should be back soon, and you know how hard those two work!" I groaned again and picked myself up off the couch. The only thing I wanted to do was get some decent rest like the nurse said, and I could 't even get that...

     I entered the kitchen, a little surprised to find his prosthetic was still on, since he usually didn't wear it at home. I should have picked up on it sooner, since the thing squeaked with every small shift of his weight. Must have not registered to me at the time.

     My dad was born with a rare condition that didn't allow his left leg to grow beyond a certain point. Because of that, he'd grown up using crutches and prosthetics most of his life. I never thought much about his condition until kids at school started to point it out and tease me for the possibility of inheriting the same disability. As far as I was concerned, the only place my dad lacked were running and sports. He was quite capable at just about everything else. In fact, I'd often even forget about his condition entirely.

     My dad was a well off man, which would be hard to tell from our small old house and strict budget. He was no billionaire, but he and my mom together worked and saved up enough money to one day buy their dream home... One day... Would this day ever come while I was still living with them?.. Who knows?

     My mom was into business and counseling while my dad was a specialized masseuse. Apparently, I shared whatever talent he possessed in that field, which led to his near-constant push for me to follow in his footsteps. I, being a bit of a pushover at the time, started to say I'd do it -- not meaning it of course. I just wanted him to stop bugging me about my future career so much.

     "Can you get the milk for me real quick? Afraid I can't cross the kitchen as fast as you."

     Not like I could cross it much faster... I limped around the kitchen, helping my dad out. Occasionally, I'd just stare up at his face from time to time. He had a bushy moustache and short black hair, his hairline already receding. Mom said I wouldn't have the same problem since her dad still has a full head of hair... Genetics?

     No, he.. definitely wasn't ignoring me... Not completely at least. He'd glance at my scrapes, bandages, and burn marks..but just wouldn't say anything about it.

     At the end of the day, all I could do was sigh and obey his oddly high expectations for me.

     Typical Dad...

----------

     "Sure you don't have any scissors in here?" Reigen looked around himself, the passenger seat he sat in, and the dashboard ahead of him.

     "Why...would I have scissors in the car?" Elyse rolled her eyes. She drove, since Reigen had mentioned his little driving experience right before embarking on this trip. Nope. No way would she let her boyfriend crash her perfect little sports car! Her baby.

     "For. Moments. Like. This." The man huffed, which transitioned into a sigh as he gave up on his search. He mumbled nonsense under his breath, picking at the plastic box with his fingernails again.

     You tend to learn a lot about someone while on a road trip. This was a great learning experience for the both of them. Turns out they both had similar music tastes. Both liked the classics of their youth, and luckily for the two, neither of them were really picky about the genre as long as it sounded good. The two adults were equally agitated and liked to complain aloud when it came to interacting with annoying drivers, and both could hold their bladders about the same length of time too.

     "Aha!!" Reigen finally tore the plastic lid to his little souvenir box open.

     "Don't hurt yourself." Elyse side eyed the man, unable to get over his previous excitement about such a cheap shop on their last pee break. ...Why?

     "Relax, I'm fine.." The man smiled, drawing from the destroyed box: one little All Might bobble head. "There!" He set the thing on Elyse's dashboard, the heroic figure nodding along to the chill beats of their music playing in the background.

     Elyse stared at the little trinket for a rather awkward few seconds. "....Why?"

     "It just reminded me of you!"

     "...Eh?-... An All Might bobble head reminded you of me??" The woman snickered.

     "Yeh! Because he's a hero, just like you!"

     "...I'll allow it." Smirking, Elyse leaned back in her seat a little. This guy had to be a secret All Might fanboy or something. He just had that kind of energy.

     Why were they on this trip? Simple. It was almost the end of one year and the beginning of a new one! Since Mob was gone and Serizawa had plans to visit his mom -- taking Teruki and Jin with him, (since they were now a package deal or something) Reigen had no more excuses not to visit his parents, who had only a few years ago finally bought that dream home of theirs. He'd already seen pictures from his mom. Most of their money just went into the large plot of land their next small house was built on.

     But they didn't live too far away from their old childhood home. In fact, the plan was to go to an old fireworks display on New Year's Eve to celebrate together. One the family used to attend annually in his youth. Reigen's older sister and her husband of seven years were going to be there too!

     Why was Elyse here? Simple! She wanted to meet her boyfriend's family of course! That, and she was almost fully recovered from her injuries by now. But still not recovered enough yet to continue hero work. So this was the perfect window of opportunity for her to try something new.

     They neared the end of where the GPS's instructions, anticipation building as Elyse drove up the winding road leading up a pretty tall hill.

     "D###, your parents own all this land?" Elyse squinted, impressed.

     "I think it's just the property on the right." Reigen pointed. "But, I dunno. Those pictures my mom sent me weren't the best quality.."

     ""You have reached your destination."" Their guide said all of a sudden, backing out of the map. Elyse's car came to a slow stop. There was...not a house in sight. Both scanned the walls of dense trees around them. A thin layer of snow dusted the underbrush, but it was nothing impressive.

     "Oh!" Reigen's arm shot out, pointing something off to the right. "I think that's their mailbox!"

     "Noice!" Easing into a cruising speed, Elyse drove her car off the thin paved road and onto a gravel pathway. She gritted her teeth. Maybe she shouldn't have brought her most expensive car on this trip..? Serves her right for wanting to impress his parents.

     The forest slowly cleared away, revealing an open valley where a small house stood on the edge of a crystal blue pond.

     "Aayo!" Elyse exclaimed. Reigen's eyes widened, a grin spreading across his face.

     "This must be my sister's place! My parents let her build a house around here since she visits them so often... Yep! Looks like a house she'd design!" Reigen's legs bounced in his seat as Elyse found a decent spot to park off to the side. The trail continued on past this house, but she could tell Reigen was excited to see if anyone was home. He proved her theory by spilling out of the car at once, discarding the bag of snacks by his feet and racing up to the small, cozy looking house. Elyse turned off the car and followed him, wrapping a coat around herself since it was a little chilly.

     The man didn't run up to the front door. Rather, he stood in front of one of the windows beside it, having to crane his neck quite a bit thanks to the house's height. He knocked on the window a few times until at last the white curtain inside was pulled aside.

     Immediately, once the two siblings' eyes met, Reigen stuck his middle finger up a her, teasing her with an angry look. She swiftly followed, sticking her middle finger up at him like she was genuinely angry to see him. Elyse stopped halfway to the house, worried to get any closer and end up in the middle of a sibling brawl. Didn't Reigen say he hadn't seen his sister in SIX YEARS?.... WHY WERE THEY-???

     Both held their middle fingers up at each other even as they hastily made their way toward the door. The sister reached it first, opening the red door and jumping through it to wrap her brother up in a tight hug. Reigen hugged her just as aggressively, the two actively trying to squeeze the living spark out of each other! They began to rock each other side to side, laughing and happy to see each other. .. A sigh of relief from Elyse.

     Reigen's hair was a reddish blond. His sister's was a blondish red! She was shorter than Elyse by about an inch, and by the looks of it she was a little older too.

     "Took you so d### long to get down here!!" The sister exclaimed, cracking his back with one final squeeze before letting go. Reigen groaned, rubbing his spine and arching his back for a moment.

     "Yeah, sorry... Busy.."

     "Psshhh! Sure, whatever-- whose this by the way?"

     "This~?

     This is my girlfriend!.. Seiko, meet Elyse. Elyse, meet Seiko!"

   "Hi!"
   "Hi-"

     The two women politely shook hands. Elyse was...a lot more nervous than she expected to be! She didn't want to come off as rude- or petty- or impolite- or barbaric- or- or-

     "It's good to meet you! So, how long have you two been dating~?"

     "About..." Gosh, how long was it?! The woman really has to stop and crunch the numbers... "About..three weeks..?" What?! Noo! It felt longer than that! Reigen was equally shocked by the numbers she had crunched, pulling out his phone calendar to double check.

     "Well d###... It really hasn't been that long, has it?" The man scratched his head. His sister politely nodded, not sure if their confusion was a good or bad sign. "..-A lot has happened these past few months, so it's pretty easy to lose track of time!" Reigen regained his cool, leaning an arm on Elyse's shoulder and flashing his sister a grin. Realizing she'd been pulled into an act of his, Elyse joined in by crossing her arms and smirking at his sister too, slowly nodding in agreement.

     Seiko the sister squinted happily. '...Cute... They won't last a year.'

     "Speaking of time!" Reigen rolled up his sleeve, revealing an actual watch Elyse didn't even know he had! "We better meet up with the the mom and pops before the sun sets on us!"

     "Great idea. ... Wwwhhheeerrre can I park my car?"

     "Oh, Dad's garage is already full... Maybe just let it weather the night then?" Reigen's sister suggested, passive-agressively punching Elyse's shoulder. The brunette rolled her eyes to the heavens-on-high... Please no... God no.. not like this!

     She wasn't as angry about her car as she was worried about Reigen's sister ruining their trip. She seemed nice enough at least.

     Hopefully...

----------

     Apparently, Seiko's husband was a little late on his business trip and wouldn't be back until tomorrow, so Seiko took it upon herself and herself alone to lead her brother and his girlfriend up the gravel road. It wasn't a long walk. Just up the hill, surrounded in trees, was a nice little cabin at its peak. A welcoming place to call home.

     "-Aw, Reigen, how I've MISSED you! Oh!" The blond's mom fell through the door, caught only last minute by her son and his still aching back. Thanks Seiko... Mrs. Arataka placed a long, lasting kiss on his cheek as her arms were wrapped around him. Elyse giggled at the sight.

     His mom was shorter than both her children; about Zeya's height. Maybe even a little shorter. Her hair, in contrast to her reddish headed children, was bright blond! However, it was hard to tell if this was from age, dye, or something else. It was also short and curly. Kind of old fashioned, but Elyse personally found it cute. "Ooo, and is this that girlfriend you mentioned~?" Releasing her son, the mother shuffled up to Elyse, even without an answer catching the younger woman in a tight squeeze.

     Dang! Was it just Elyse or were everyone in the Arataka family masters at giving hugs? The brunette's heart leapt when the kind older woman gave her cheek a kiss too. Not nearly as long as the one she'd given her son, but it was miles more than whatever the young woman's own parents gave her! Elyse hugged the woman a little tighter and patted her back as a quiet thanks.

     "Now come inside! All of you!.. Before you go and catch a cold!" The mother herded everyone inside. "Dinner's almost ready! So everyone sit at the table for now!"

     "Alright, Mom." Reigen smiled. He took in a large breath of the sweet aromas floating around in the air. Man! Despite him having never visited this house of theirs, it already felt so much like home.

     Since the dining table was right next to the kitchen, Reigen and Elyse made sure his mom was in on the conversation too as they caught everyone up on the goings-ons of their lives. And boy was there a LOT to talk about! They started with how they met and moved on from there, since it would take a painfully long time to explain even a YEAR'S worth of their lives before that.

     Seiko listened quietly, only making the occasional jab at their story, as if expecting not all of it to be true. Mrs. Arataka was the opposite, joyfully commenting on the tale and interjecting only to ask engaging questions of her own. Since Elyse was sat opposite to Seiko at the table, somehow that only intensified what little tension there already was between them.

     What was her problem??! Did she seriously think she was helping Reigen by talking like this?! ... Hhh, whatever.

     As a beautiful dinner was set out for everyone to enjoy -- an impressive mix of American and Japanese style foods -- it was time for everyone to dig in.

     "Oh, Toshi~!" Mrs. Arataka called down the darker hall as she joined everyone at the table, sitting beside her daughter across from her son. "The whole family is here ready for dinner!!"

     "EHH?!" Came an older man's voice. Shortly following, the mumbling of the approaching old man with a receding hairline of still black hair approached. Only small flakes of it had turned gray. "Shoulda told me sooner my son was here!.." He had on a very subtle but noticable smile.

     "Wait, Dad, you were here the whole time?!?" Reigen spun around in his seat, getting the first good look at his dad in five years. "Didn't you hear us??"

     "Aeh.." He passed by his soon, stopping only momentarily to pat him on the back. "Musta gotten so used to you talking my ear off that it didn't register!" Which was followed by a wheeze as the elder waddled away. Elyse heard a strange creaking with each step, so she leaned her head back just in time to catch a glimpse of the old man's prosthetic before it disappeared from sight. Toshi sat down, exhaling a relaxed breath as he sat at at the end of the table between his son and wife. "Well, there's no point in letting this go to waste.. Thank you dearly, honey.. Now let's dig in!"

     No one had to tell them twice! Everyone began to pick from the wide array of foods set out in dishes on the table to add to their plate. Elyse, despite being pretty hungry, didn't want to eat like a pig in front of Reigen's parents, so she started with a very small amount. Reigen took notice beside her as he was scarfing down his own large plate of food, clearly enjoying his mother's cooking.

     "Oi! You trying to starve yourself?! Here.." He started to scoot things off of his plate onto hers. While he wasn't thinking anything of it, Elyse was blushing profusely by such a friendly gesture. She and her siblings were always so reserved about sharing food. Even the concept of offering up one's own plate of goods to another felt like a silent "I owe you" pact for life!

     "Thanks..." Elyse finally, bashfully, accepted the extra food, grateful Reigen was too preoccupied to notice her blush. Across the table, however, Seiko gave Elyse a weird look. This only made Elyse blush even more, forcing her to look down as she ate.

     "So! Elyse. Tell me about yourself. You're me son's girlfriend, right?" Mr. Arataka spoke up after a little while.

     "Um, yeah!.. I am." Still sounded funny. Her?? Someone's girlfriend!?? "As a career, well, I've been pursuing hero work-"

     "-What's your hero name then?" Seiko.

     "Queller?"

     "Pfff! Sounds kind of like one of Reggie's old gamer tags! Isn't that right?" The woman snorted, looking for Reigen to join her. But he just stared, unamused by her comment. Even a little irritated that she'd tried to go there. Seiko's smile dropped. She continued eating in silence.

     "Hero work..? Why that is quite the dangerous profession." Mr. Arataka continued. "You know my dad used to be a hero too! .. But, that's enough about my old man. No one cares about him..." Leaning his head back, the older man gulped down what little broth remained in the stew he'd served himself. That actually looked pretty good. Maybe Elyse should try it. "Anyways, ya know how to cook??" The man inquired, staring her down so intensely for an answer she feared he may just kick her out if she answered incorrectly.

     "Um... I- I- I.... Why do you ask..?" She didn't want to make any assumptions, but.. that was a pretty weird thing to ask on its own.

     "Oh! Nothing much. I was wondering if you'd be up for helping me make tomorrow's dinner is all! The wife and I usually take turns!" Oh! Okay, that was actually a pretty cute offer. "Was thinkin' I could divide and conquer. Go fishing with Reigen to catch up a little bit, then cook with his girlfriend to get to know her a bit as well!.. Nothing tastes better than freshly made fish, after all!" He relayed his plan to the entire table. Everyone just kind of nodded...except for Reigen, who leaned back in his chair, exasperating a big sigh.

     "Awh- FISHING?? In this weather??" He groaned a little bit, arms going limp. Elyse rose her hand meekly.

     "I've never been fishing before, but.. I'd like to try~"

     Mr. Arataka went from looking kind of disappointed at his son to pleasantly surprised at the young woman.

     "Aw, that would be very nice of you to join me... Reigen! I forgot the recipe for the sauce I always used to make, so use that grade-A student head of yours and try to remember it for me!" The elder snapped at his son, mainly for his attitude. Reigen got the message hidden between the lines and sat up properly in his chair.

     Reigen leaned a little to whisper into Elyse's ear. "Thanks for the save... I always hated fishing." Pff! This man.

----------

     After dinner, while Elyse and Mr. Arataka helped Mrs. Arataka clean up after everyone, Reigen pulled his sister outside. It was much darker now. The only lights coming from either the moon or inside the house.

     "Bro, it's cold outside!" Still not knowing what her brother wanted from dragging her outside, the thirty-two year old huffed out there on the front porch.

     "What do you think you're doing??" Reigen asked hoarsely.

     "Well, I'm.. standing in the cold?"

     "Hhh, you know what I mean!" The young man rubbed his face irritably. "What's all the prodding at my girlfriend about?? I never did that to Ibukou!.. or any of your other boyfriends!" Though frustrated, Reigen remained fairly quiet, knowing he could easily be heard through the door if he raised his voice.

     Now seeing what this was about, the woman crossed her arms and rose a brow at him. "Oh please.. I'm only testing her to make sure she's right for you."

     "...Then leave that part to me, why don't you?" Reigen did the Italian fingers thing. "I would think I'd know what I want in a partner better than anybody. .. We came here for a good time. Not. Hhhh..." An agitated hand of the man's dug through his thick head of hair, not even able to make eye contact with his sister at the moment.

     The woman regretfully closed her eyes, head downcast. She sighed. "...I get it... I'm sorry. ... Guess.. guess I'm just used to you being that small, little boy still...who'd always come home needing to be patched up..." The woman chuckled. "But.. you're a big, grown, strong man now." Her hand landed on his shoulder, soon after going half limp and slowly drifting down the side of his arm. Reigen's eyes darted up, a couple small tears collecting in them as they met with his sister's.

     That's right... It was usually Seiko who tended to his wounds and made sure that he got his rest when she was around. He never forgot that, but, it never really registered to him how much that meant to him until now.

     "...I missed you so much..." Reigen leaned into his sister, her gladly accepting his loose embrace. She was cold, after all. Now felt like... Now felt like the right time to finally ask.

     "...Then why did you move away? And why didn't you visit??" Her own eyes suddenly produced a couple small tears. "..Why've you been trying so hard to avoid me..?"

     "M' sorry about that... To be honest..... I was jealous... Couldn't stand to see you so happy.. while I, um.. was still figuring things out."

     "Oh, Reiggie..."

Pat.. pat.. pat..

     "You've always bewildered me...

     ...I'm glad you're here right now, though...

     I missed you too."

----------

     The Aratakas being the Aratakas decided to separate the young couple via houses.. since apparently sleeping in the same house was no good. ... Nevermind the times the two'd already shared a hotel room for money saving reasons... What?? One room with two beds was far cheaper!

Meanwhile, Elyse:
      🧍
      💵
   💵💵
💵💵💵

     Reigen slept over in his parents' guest bedroom while Elyse slept over in Seiko's guest room. At least this way both of them had their own beds.

     The next morning, Elyse hiked up the hill with Seiko.

     "...Sorry about yesterday, by the way..." The older woman awkwardly rubbed at the back of her head as the two walked.

     "Hm?"

     "You know? All the questioning and teasing?.. I'll stop."

"Oh.. Well, thank you.." Elyse celebrated inside.

     "Just promise me you won't try to take advantage of him, alright?"

     "Pff! You know we're talking about an expert con man, right?!"

     "You know what I mean." The two met eyes, Elyse surprised by the sheer amount of sincerity in the other's firm stare. The younger nodded.

     "I won't."

     Seiko the smiled faintly, turning her eyes back onto the gravel road. "Good.."

     When they arrived, both were pleasantly surprised by the wall of wonderful aromas they ran into. Guess Mrs. Arataka decided to make breakfast. Reigen hobbled out of his room to the sweet smell of pancakes while in his PJs, a tired but peaceful expression on his face. "Dang, is my mind deceiving me or did I actually get a full night of sleep?" He yawned. The other two young ladies joined him.

     Everyone had their share of breakfast, then Reigen and his dad led an expedition through the old couple's property. That thin layer of snow from yesterday had melted now, so everything was damp enough to slip on. But the trip as a whole was an enjoyable one.

     Since everyone arrived from the hike a little later than expected, Reigen's dad's plan went into motion right away. He stole Elyse with him to try their luck fishing while Reigen prepared everything needed to cook it.

(Broooo, since I just did a bunch of outside work, my blistered hands are shaking like MAD right now. XD But I really wanna wriiiite! Sadness.
Also have to hold everything weirdly now since I have blisters and peeled skin everywhere. Whew! I love the outdoors!)

     Elyse and Mr. Arataka sat down on the dock beside Seiko's small house, and with the elder's guidance, the two successfully cast their rods into the pond.

     "Since it's a little colder, all of them should be at the bottom of the pond. Now just start winding it back to yourself slowly to get the fish's attention." The elder instructed. Elyse was glad to be given a task that required so little movement, since she'd tugged a stitch of hers earlier on that walk.

     "How did the fish get in here anyways..?" Elyse wondered, mostly to herself.

     "I put 'em in there after we moved in... I also feed them to make sure they grow big and strong!.. D### fish are spoiled! -Oops, you sensitive to swearing?"

     "Pssh! Swear all you want! I do plenty of that on my own." The woman smirked. Just sitting here on the dock with the old man..it actually felt kind of nice. She should probably stop comparing her own parents to Reigen's, but.. they were just so nice in comparison!

     After a few quieter minutes, the elder cleared his throat. "So, you interested in having kids?"

     Taken off guard, Elyse's head snapped to the elder, cheeks flushing red. "WHH?!? We-'re just dating right now!"

     The man laughed. "Pretend then that I'm not Reigen's dad and pretend that I'm just asking generally here. My daughter was never interested, so I'm wondering if you are the same way.."

     "Um, well, I- I'm not particularly interested in the process of making said children...so, no." Poor Elyse was redder than she'd ever been in her life.

     "Hm, at least you and my son are on the same page. But also, ugh.. Blast me for having two Asexual children!..." The dad groaned, which eased into a laugh. Elyse joined him. The old man was just so jolly! So easy to talk to..somehow.

     Breaking through the silence that followed. "I'm interested in adopting, though...?" The woman tilted her head, for once sharing something that'd only been kept in the depths of her mind for years now.

     "Oh...?" 😏 "Well in that case I hope one of them will be named after me."

     Red again. "Only dating so far!!"

     "Oh, right. I shouldn't get ahead of myself." 😏

     A little more time passed. Then, "Oh!" Elyse felt something tug on her pole. Unprepared, she almost lost the rod entirely. "Woah!"

     "Woah, looks like a big one! Need any help reeling it in?" Mr. Arataka started to lean the woman's way, hand stretched out halfway, ready to grab it and help her if needed.

     Elyse gritted her teeth, leaning back on the dock. "No... I.. think I've got it.." It took a while, but eventually the woman pulled out one FAT fish! The thing was at least fifteen pounds! Mr. Arataka had to lay on his stomach and dig hid hands into the icy water to grab the thing by the gills.

     "Ahh! What a beauty!" The old man remarked. He tossed the fish into the bucket behind them and helped her fix her wire and add new bait to the hook. After she cast hers out again, both sat back, relaxing again. "Heh, if we can get two more that size, we'll only need about three of em!"

     "No kidding!"

...

     "So how's Reigen doing, by the way?"

     "Teh, you're asking me??.. Pretty good, I guess. His business is doing well, he's got a couple pretty neat coworkers, he's having to be a lot more social now that I keep dragging him to after work events! Guess you could say he has me now, too..." Pivoting her chin, Elyse noticed that though the older man was enjoying hearing all of this, there was that look of satisfaction missing from those dark brown eyes of his. "..You're wanting to know if he's doing alright emotionally.. aren't you?"

     "Maybe just a little.." He looked embarrassed to admit it for whatever reason.

     "Hhh... Well, he's got a lot on his plate, but generally.. yeah, I think he's doing pretty well.."

     "That's good to hear..." A small smile remained on his face as the man turned to stare out at the water. Elyse leaned forward a little to get a better look at his face.

     "...You know you could ask him that yourself.. right?" Trying not to sound judgemental or anything. Reigen had mentioned how emotionally distant their father had always been toward he and his sister as children; even now as adults, their old man struggled in that area. While Elyse assumed that meant he probably just wasn't the kind of person to take interest, his little nudge made her question that. "There's no shame in wanting to know how your little boy is feeling.."

     "Tehh... Yeah I've..been realizing that over the years.. Gosh, after Reigen left, I realized just how little the two of us had actually bonded. Used to assume he'd just stick by my side forever.. ya know..?" Elyse silently nodded along. "I had such high hopes that he'd grow up to be a generous man, who led an honorable life. I didn't really care what job he might take, I just wanted him to continue to live the Arataka way: helping people... Guess... If I wanted him to live generously...I should have been generous to him myself! Poor boy probably just never had a good example to follow... So.. I can't really blame him for turning out the way he did..."

     Elyse's brows creased a little. "Turning out what way?"

     "Um... Shouldn't you know?.. He's still a con man, right?" Elyse's eyes widened just a smidge as she recognized the full situation.

     "Ahhh..." Leaning back, Elyse chuckled. "That he is.. But... I dunno.." The woman stared beyond the pond, down the hill's edge to get a peak at the horizon line full of distant trees. "Hmh, guess you didn't hear this since you were in the other room, but it's actually because he was a con man that the two of us met in the first place... You see, I hate con men. Once was tricked into buying a crappy car and never recovered from that." Snickering. "You see, I was trying to sabotage his business, run him out of town, all that jazz. ... But, then I got to know the real Reigen..." Mr. Arataka slowly turned his head, raising his right brow just a smidge. "He may be a con man...but he's nothing like the rest. Pfff! He covers up massages as removing spirits or something!. And while he may be lying, he always makes sure to help them in the end. I've even seen him turn down unfair offers or refund someone for simply failing to help them. ... So, I'd have to say he's a very honorable man... Not to mention that his employees are people no one else would give a second chance. But he's time and time again taken in rejects, given them a job, and helped them live out a normal life. And if that's not generous, then I don't know what is! ... Better than that, he's jumped into dangerous situations just to save his friends, acting like a true hero.. even without a quirk. And he's always there for them... Honestly, standing next to him, he makes me -- a certified hero who saves lives as my job -- feel like the virtue-less one!" She saw that the old man, still staring ahead to avoid eye contact, was practically on the verge of tears. "...You have nothing to be ashamed of. Not you or your son. ... This is coming from someone who had terrible parents, but, I'd even say he's pretty lucky to have you as a dad..." That got to him. A tear finally slipped down his cheek. He let it rest there for a moment, then wiped it away, repositioning his seating to avoid making any more tears.

     "Thanks... Genuinely, thank you... I've never been more proud of my boy than I am right now..."

     Elyse leaned to the side a little, resting her shoulder against that of the older man's. "Happy to help.."

----------

     After they'd caught four fish, two of them a little smaller, Elyse and Mr. Arataka headed back up the hill, the old man using a crutch for extra support.

     After the fish had all been gutted and taken care of, Seiko's husband arrived. The man was very...business. Apparently, he had a fun side in there somewhere, but even with his inlaws he was very much reserved. So he mostly sat with his wife on the couch, an arm wrapped around her shoulder casually, allowing her to do all the talking.

     Now that Elyse had finished fishing, she enjoyed warming back up indoors. She sat on one of the couches, talking with Reigen's mom, sister, and brother in law. There was still so much to talk about, and it was nice having people around who were genuinely interested to hear about it.

     While the woman chatted away in the living room, Reigen and his dad prepared the dinner in utter silence. They listened to the conversation outside, but didn't care to interject or add on. Neither of them could think of anything to say to the other either. Reigen kind of felt bad... He hadn't seen his dad in so long. Much less talked to him! But, here he was, not a word coming to mind. .. His dad felt the same way, perhaps even more strongly.

     Finally, the old man just had to set down his knife -- from cutting the fish -- and sigh.

     "Reigen- ...Hhh..." Reigen turned his head with minimal interest. "There are a lot of things I regret when it comes to how I raised you and your sister; mainly that I should have been there more... emotionally." As he admitted that, his son turned his head to the elder with a slight tilt, unsure if he even heard that right! "As you know, my dad was a veteran who'd survived Hell as a hero and a soldier. He was never the same after that war against All For One. I could return home all bloody and beaten, but as long as I hadn't broken anything he declared me fine." The old man admitted, rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand. Reigen just stared with wonder. "...I regret that some of his cold, short-mindedness may have rubbed off onto me. I guess I just didn't want you to wind up a sissy who cried about every little scrape and bruise." He followed it up with a long inhale, then a long exhale. "I'm sorry. I...should have cared more."

     Reigen was shell shocked. When did this change happen??? What the crap did Elyse do to him?!

     "I... I don't even know what to say... Thanks, I guess?" An awkward chuckle followed. The old man turned his chin, smiling over at his prized son, whose adorable smile filled him with so much joy it made him want to burst.

     The old man's lips parted, letting loose an unexpected laugh. One full of joy. "And don't think you have to bring me gifts, have a successful career or a girlfriend to come and visit... Even if you were a washed up criminal, I'd still love you... You are my son, after all." Mr. Arataka offered his son a hug. Reigen's smile softened even more, joy filling his heart full of warm fuzzies as he stepped forward to complete that hug. Both their hands were dirty, so they kept 'em off each other's backs, but it was still no less a warm embrace.

     Elyse smiled warmly from in the living room, catching a glimpse of the father-son bonding moment.

     "Hey, Reigen!" Seiko stood up from the couch. "M' going on a smoke break. Wanna join me?" The young man pulled from the hug and leaned around the corner to smile at his sister.

     "Sorry, but I- I quit smoking a few years ago."

     Seiko scoffed in amazement. "Luckyyy... I've been trying to quit for years." She was more of the habitual smoker.

     "Well maybe I can find you some resources to help you with that.. I'm pretty good at searching the web." Offered the Reigen.

     "Thanks.. That might actually help."

     Elyse just listened, amused. She didn't even know Reigen used to smoke!.. Hm... Now that she thought about it, he probably quit because of Mob, didn't he...? Man, she'd really have to thank that boy one day for simply existing. Being the innocent bean he is.

----------

     The great thing about living so far outside the city is that you can do pretty much whatever you want.

     After a fabulous dinner, everyone piled into Mr. Arataka's truck. Yes, four full grown adults chilling in the bed of a truck. What could possibly go wrong?

     Nothing, thankfully. After a thirty minute drive, everyone arrived safely at the local firework site. This thing had been going on for over thirty years. Some old, round guy nicknamed Mr. Stinky supplied the field. His sons were in charge of buying and arranging the firework display using money donated from the local residents. How did Elyse know all of this? Reigen of course. People from all around gathered, either sitting on their cars or laying out picnic blankets to watch. The sun had long since set, meaning the new year, and with it the display, was only a few minutes away.

     The truck was facing opposite of the field, allowing Elyse and Reigen to sit up on the truck's roof, feet dangling over the bed of it where Reigen's family sat. Seiko pulled out a bottle of some sparkling, un-alcoholic drink for everyone to enjoy along with a few small cups. Apparently it was an Arataka thing to be insanely sensitive to alcohol.

     "Any new year's resolutions?" Reigen leaned back, propping himself with one arm, the arm holding the glass leaning on his bent knee; foot on the truck's hood up there with him. Elyse mimicked, leaning back with her legs crossed on the truck top.

     "No... Not really.. I don't typically do those. Hmm... Maybe, making amends with Zeya. ..I feel kinda bad about just abandoning her like that..." The woman sighed, staring up at the stary sky. As much as it hurt to be betrayed like that, Zeya was still her dear niece. A girl who deserved all the second chances Elyse could afford her. Reigen stared up as well.

  "10"
    "9"
      "8"

"Yeah... It would be pretty nice to get Mob out of that sticky situation he's in." Reigen added, swirling around what little remained in his drink.

          "4"
            "3"
              "2"
                "1"

     "What is wrong, anyway--?"

                      "HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!"

     A fountain of fire sparkled, lighting up the field around it and signaling to everyone that the time had finally come. There was reason to celebrate. Elyse closed her mouth. There was no need to finish her question now anyways. Reigen and Elyse both had on a pleasant smile, watching the wide array of bright colors. The whizzes, crackles, and pops that filled the air. All the bright lights everyone just liked to sit back and watch.

     "I always thought it was interesting... No matter how awesome the fireworks are... It's always the people you're with you remember the most.." Elyse thought aloud, only Reigen beside her hearing it.

     He turned his head, smirking at her. "What did you tell my dad anyways?"

     "Hm?"

     "Earlier today. He... He actually apologized to me."

     "Oh..? Most of that was himself... I just told him how amazing you were..." A faint blush crossed the man's cheeks. He bashfully turned away, a his lips forming a small smile.

    He rubbed the back of his neck. "Gosh, this is weird..."

     Leaning forward a little. "What is?"

     "I never really knew what a relationship would feel like, but... It feels like I'm just hanging out with my best friend.."

     "....o...?"

     "But I also really want to kiss you.."

     Elyse's breath caught in her throat. "...What's stopping you?"

     Both of them slowly leaned in, meeting in the middle..for a first kiss.

.

.

.

.

.

On drive back:

Elyse: "Hey, you still interested in martial arts?"

Reigen: "Uhh, yeah!"

Elyse: "Sick! You're joining me then! I still sometimes train under the hero who brought me on as a sidekick for a few years! He's got his own little dojo. They allow non-heroes and sidekicks to practice with them too! You'll love it!"

=========================
Help my little sisters keep peeking over my shoulder at the WORST time!

Anyways yeah. Enjoy those 8,000+ words. 👍

Also here's his sister. Ik it's just him genderbent, but here.