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takingchences · 7 days ago

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Taglist: @the-weeping-author @randomhumans-blog @rv19 @ocharavitys @k1tk4tkatsuki @l0kisbitch @hanatsuki-hime @kingexplosionmurda @anime-tomicfox @bexxs @literallynpbody @sunshinenotfound

𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐩𝐭. 𝟐𝟑

Where the descendant of a legendary quirk longs to rewrite history by becoming a hero. But in order to fulfill her dream, she must first face off against ghosts from her past and a growing attraction for the insufferable Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight.

Pairing: Katsuki Bakugou x fem!oc

Warnings: mature language

series masterlist + my masterlist

This was a terrible idea. Turn around and walk away before anyone notices.

Sana's hands trembled at her sides. She shook the appendages out in an attempt to regain feeling in the tips of her fingers. Her body felt numb with nerves as she stood outside the midnight blue door, unsure whether to proceed or not. She'd been debating for the entire week since they got back from internships if she was going to go through with this or not. She wasn't quite sure if she was ready to face this yet, but she was also aware that she couldn't put it off forever. The not-knowing was eating away at her, keeping her mind racing all night with questions she alone could not answer.

She'd gone to Katsuki's secret hideout early that morning to watch the sunrise. Sana had needed a place to think and contemplate whether she could go through with today or not. She'd called Hitoshi, not wanting to wake anyone up and knowing that the insomniac was probably just now readying for bed. From the lack of grogginess in his voice when he answered, she knew her initial thoughts were correct.

"What are you afraid of?" He'd asked not unkindly after she'd filled him in on her plans.

What if they don't like me? What if I'm not good enough? What if... "What if I'm not what they hoped for?" Sana frowned down at her lap, twisting her rings around her fingers. Her fear of rejection was rearing its head, pushing itself to the forefront of her mind. Apart from her quirk and pretty face, she was viewed as a disappointment to her father's family. Her morals just didn't align with theirs. If her mother's side felt the same... "What if they already have an idea of who I should be as her daughter and I don't fit that role? I don't know anything about her or them." The strawberry blonde hung her head. "I feel so unprepared."

"Listen to me," he spoke, his tone surprisingly soft. "You're gonna walk in there with your head high and show them what a fuckin' badass you are. You don't need their approval or anyone else's. If they don't like you than that's their loss. You don't need that shit in your life."

Sana broke into a watery grin, hoping he could sense the gratitude she couldn't express enough in words. "I just want to make her proud, you know?"

"Not to sound like a dick or anything," the lavender-haired boy spoke hesitantly. "But she doesn't know you, Sana. And you don't know her." He didn't know the exact circumstances surrounding Suzume Takahashi's disappearance. No one knew if she'd fled the city voluntarily or if she'd been forced to leave by the Sakanos. Either way, she'd made a choice to leave her child in the hands of her tormentors who viewed Sana as nothing more than an object of power. As someone who saw the damage done to his friend's emotional state, he couldn't forgive the woman for that sin. "You don't need anyone's approval."

The solar girl shook her head instinctively, knowing he couldn't see it. She stood up to pace in front of the rock. She perfectly understood what he was saying. Sana didn't have anything to prove to these people, but this was about more than just approval or acceptance. She had an opportunity to learn about the little intricacies and aspects of herself that didn't line up with the Sakano bloodline.

"It's about more than just proving myself, Toshi. It's a connection that I never dreamed of having. There's so much about me and this power that I don't understand. This is my chance to learn more about myself. My last chance at having a real family that accepts me fully as I am."

"You have a family," Hitoshi reminded her gently. "Family isn't limited to the people that share your name and blood, Sana." She thought of Umi and Rei and the Todoroki siblings. She pictured Mina's and Eiji's smiling faces and all of the wonderful friends she'd met only a few months ago but already loved dearly. The ash blonde that shared this sanctuary with her because he'd sensed that she hadn't known peace for some time. Not to forget the sleepless wonder that had not hesitated to answer her call at such an ungodly hour. "We may not be the most conventional of families, but the love is there. You saw me for me the moment we met. Why wouldn't I do the same for you?"

Sana pulled away from the phone to sniffle softly, a tear drifting down her cheekbone. How grateful she was to have been blessed with such thoughtful, caring people. UA was truly a magical place that exceeded all expectations. The Sakano heir nodded, giggling at their mushiness. "I love you, Tosh. Thank you."

"I know," she could practically hear his smirk. "You'll be great, Sunny." He'd wanted his own nickname for her and Sunshine was the one that stuck. It wasn't very original, but it was better than most of the colorful names Katsuki came up with for people. "Let me know how it goes."

Sana squeezed her eyes shut and steeled her nerves as she rushed forward to rap her knuckles against the door before scuttling back two steps. She exhaled slowly, focusing on calming her raging pulse. The door swung open as if in slow motion. She first saw a flash of blonde hair, then a politely confused smile. "Hello? Can I help...?" The woman trailed off, her expression going slack in recognition.

Sana gasped softly, stumbling back in shock. "...mom?"

The woman's eyes widened a fraction before her shoulders relaxed. "Oh," the woman giggled awkwardly, waving her hands in front of her. "No, dearest." The blonde placed her right palm on her chest above her heart. "I'm her sister, Kurumi."

"Oh." The strawberry blonde turned her head away in embarrassment. "I'm sorry-" She'd already lost her nerve. Sana moved to leave but was stopped but the woman's desperate cry.

"Wait! Won't you come inside?" Kurumi stepped aside so as not to block the entrance. "Please?" Her soft voice shook with emotion. "I've been waiting so long to meet you, Sana." The woman twisted the hem of the floral apron covering her navy blue dress.

The solar girl hesitated, nibbling on her bottom lip. She sighed, forcing a smile. "Okay." The pastel-haired teen warily entered the home, glancing around at the multitude of family photos lining the walls. She spotted a young Monoma at the beach, then others with the boy and his parents that appeared to be more recent. His father was rather plain looking, with dark blonde hair and hazel eyes. But he had a kind smile that lit up his face.

"I'm sorry again for the misunderstanding," Kurumi trailed after her as Sana took in her surroundings. "I guess I should've mentioned the fact that we're twins in my letter to you. It completely slipped my mind."

"It's fine," Sana assured her kindly. "It was my mistake." The woman did look rather similar to the hazy memories from her childhood. The same golden hair, ivory skin, and delicate doll-like features. A casual glance could've had her passing as Suzume, but there was something that seemed different. Sana couldn't quite put her finger on it, but the more she looked at the woman, the less her mind was convinced that the face she was looking at mirrored her mother's.

This woman just seemed so... melancholy.

Kurumi's almond eyes were a soft periwinkle with a beauty mark by the outer corner, while Sana had pictured a different color entirely. "Are you identical?" She couldn't help but ask again.

Kurumi chuckled bashfully, gesturing towards her eyes. "Well, apart from the eyes."

"What color are her's?" Are, they both mentally noted. Not were. Sana still spoke of her mother in the present tense. Since Kurumi didn't correct her, the teen took it as a good sign.

"You don't remember?" The Sakano girl shook her head stiffly, glancing away.

The older woman sighed. "That's right. You were so young when she left," her lips twisted into a bittersweet smile. "I'm stunned you remember much about her at all."

"Bits and pieces," the girl shrugged. "Nothing significant."

"Blue," Kurumi eventually answered softly. "As dark as the ocean. I was always jealous." Sana tilted her head curiously with a small frown. Her father also possessed blue eyes... so where did her unique amaranth irises come from? Still so many questions without any answers.

"I don't remember much from back then, to be honest. It's like trying to recall a memory of a dream," Sana habitually spun her ring around her dainty finger to give her racing mind something to concentrate on. "I was hoping you could tell me about her. Maybe... fill in some of the gaps in my memory?"

The blonde straightened. "Of course!" She'd wondered over to a round table next to a large window overlooking the back garden while Sana was preoccupied with exploring the family room. "What would you like to know?"

"Where is she?" A simple enough question to start off with.

"She was living around the Aichi Prefecture the last we spoke."

Sana hummed. "Do you see each other often?" Does she visit? She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to that particular question.

"Hmm?" The blonde woman seemed distracted as she poured out some tea into two mugs. "Oh, no." The woman shook her head, her expression a bit uncomfortable. "No, I'm afraid Suzume and I have been out of touch for a long time. Since before she was pregnant with you, actually." She seemed saddened by the thought.

"Really?" Sana drifted over to the table, taking the seat opposite her long lost aunt. "May I ask why?"

Kurumi swirled her mug around, her expression pinched. Distant. "I couldn't say. We were very close growing up, her and I. We did everything together," the woman's smile waned, turning bittersweet. "Things changed after high school. We'd been glued to each other's side since we were infants, but this was our chance to discover ourselves. We both wanted to explore our individuality, so we decided to attend different universities. The distance put a strain on our relationship you could say. We grew apart and lost touch for awhile. Suzume even went so far as to stop coming home during breaks and holidays. She hardly picked up the phone or wrote to us."

Sana shifted uncomfortably. "Did she ever say why?"

The older woman shook her head. "She hung around a different crowd back in those days. A lot of students at her university were outspoken about the disparities between the evolution of quirks and how they were being governed. They thought the laws should change with the times. Your mother rallied for more progressive quirk movements." She shrugged. "That's how she met your father, actually."

Sana frowned, stirring her lukewarm tea absently. She'd honestly never thought about how her parents met. She'd just assumed that her grandparents had made the necessary arrangements. It was hard to imagine Yoichi Sakano being a young idealist trying to change the world for the better.

What had changed to turn him into the man she knew?

"When she told me about the marriage contract, I was horrified. I'd been married to my husband for over a year by then. I begged Suzume not to go through with it. A quirk marriage is no way to start a family, but your mother was always headstrong. She said she was free to do whatever she liked. Our parents and I didn't agree with her life choices, so... she cut off all contact." Kurumi quietly ran a handkerchief beneath her eyes. She sniffled, smiling sadly at Sana.

The strawberry blonde reached out to pat the woman's hand comfortingly. Kurumi sighed, turning her hand over to squeeze her niece's fingers. "We didn't know you even existed for another six years." Six...?

Ah, Sana realized. The year her mother left. The week her entire world shifted on its axis thus starting her slow descent into Hell.

"She came here before she left, you know." The blonde stood up to snatch a small silver frame that Sana had missed from off one of the shelves. She walked back towards the solar user and offered it to her. "She gave me this."

It was a picture of Sana as an infant, sleeping soundly in the arms of a female whose identity remained unknown. The woman's face was out of frame, so the only identifying feature was the cornflower blue sweater she wore. Sana held the aged photo carefully between her fingers as if it might disintegrate into dust at the tiniest movement. "Did she say anything?" She whispered emotionally. "Did she give a reason why? Was she threatened? Paid off?"

Kurumi shook her head with a tearful smile. "I'm afraid your guess is as good as mine, dearest." Sana reluctantly handed the photo back to her aunt, who cradled it between her hands as carefully as a baby bird. "Suzume liked to march to the beat of her own drum. If she wanted to leave, nothing was going to stop her."

Even her own flesh and blood believed that her mother chose to leave her behind of her own free will. "Did..." Sana quietly cleared her throat. "Did she love me?"

The blonde woman became very interested in her hands. "I can't answer that," she admitted helplessly, as if she too was disappointed with her answer. Sana knew that it wasn't her aunt's fault. Kurumi had no knowledge or power over Suzume. The woman was free to do as she wished and her daughter would just have to find a way to accept that.

"Can I ask?" The teen hesitated. "Why you never came forward until now?"

"Oh, I wanted to!" Her periwinkle eyes were sincere. She reached a hand out to grab Sana's. "Believe me, I tried. I wrote so many letters that returned unopened. I was escorted off the property whenever I tried to visit. I would've done anything for you to have grown up with Neito," her voice shook, her hands trembling in hers. "But your father wouldn't have it. He said he'd cut ties with our family the day your mother 'lost her usefulness."'

Sana remembered the day of the Sports Festival, asking her father if he recognized the name Monoma. He had lied to her then, she realized. He'd lied to her for most of life, so she shouldn't feel so surprised by his most recent betrayal. "You know my father?"

"Not really. I've only met Yoichi once. The day they received their marriage certificate." Kurumi shifted in her chair anxiously. "Sana, I... I'd like to apologize if my son said or did anything to upset you or make you feel uncomfortable. Up until recently, we were under the impression that you knew about us." Kurumi pat the back of her hand that was clasped between both of hers. "We thought you staying away this long was your choice."

The jewel-eyed teen shook her head. "They never mentioned you. Any of you."

"I'm not surprised," the blonde woman sighed deeply. "If Yoichi could've produced an heir on his own, he would have. My sister was nothing more than a breeding mare in the eyes of that family."

"What about your parents?"

Kurumi went on to describe how her family—no, their family she had to remind herself over and over—was scattered across three cities. They didn't get to meet up regularly, only for holidays and the occasional birthday celebration. "Oh!" the woman gasped. "I just realized... I have no idea when your birthday is."

"June twenty-first."

The woman's eyes bugged out of her head. "That's less than a month away!" She panicked, patting her pockets down for her phone. "Oh, I can't wait to introduce you to everyone!" Her fingers were furiously typing away, her fingernails clicking against the screen. "I'll have to call and let them know-!" The blonde cut herself off, a subtle blush on her cheeks as she held a hand in front of her mouth sheepishly. "Ah, I mean... if that's all right with you?"

Sana was stunned into silence.

"It's just," Kurumi rushed on to explain. "I know they would all be thrilled to meet you! You can't imagine how long we've been waiting for this day! But I understand if it's too much too soon. You probably need some time to adjust and decide-"

"No, it's okay." Sana smiled. "I would like that."

Kurumi beamed with unbridled joy. It was the happiest Sana had seen her since she'd arrived that morning. The woman obviously valued family above all and was eagerly trying to make up for lost time. "We could have a party here in the backyard," she gestured wildly towards the window to show her the beautiful, expansive garden. "We could set up tables out back with some pretty lights!" She clapped with an elated giggle. "It'll be wonderful!"

"It sounds lovely," Sana complimented in a polite tone. She wasn't sure how to feel in that moment. She'd never had a proper birthday before. Usually it was just her and the Todoroki siblings eating Umi's baked goods after a homemade meal.

Kurumi clearly picked up on the shift in her mood and decided to drop the topic for a time. They discussed school and how her internship had gone. How Kurumi and her husband had both makored in journalism. He was a sports writer while she focused on homes and gardens. They talked about Sana's friends and what kind of hobbies she was into. At one point, the woman had disappeared into the kitchen to throw together a quick lunch. When asked why the house was so quiet, Kurumi explained that her son and husband were at a baseball game.

Neither one seemed to notice the passage of time as the sun sunk lower and lower until the front door rattled open. A man stepped inside wearing a baseball jersey and cap. He gently tossed his keys onto the hook and removed his hat. "Honey, we're home." He sang, only to freeze as he met eyes with a stranger in his home. "Oh? Who's this?"

Kurumi leapt to her feet. "Shigeru," she ran around the table to embrace the man. "Honey," she held a hand against his chest. "This is Sana, Suzume's daughter." The man glanced between the two women in shock.

"It's nice to meet you," Sana waved. Shigeru returned the gesture with a chuckle.

"Same here, kiddo."

The front door swung open a second time. She heard his whining before she ever saw him. "Nice going, dad. You locked the car with me still inside." Neito grumbled.

Shigeru stage whispered to his wife out of the corner of his mouth. "I was hoping it would take him a little longer to get out."

Periwinkle eyes darted to Sana's figure and widened comically. "What the hell is she doing here?!"

"Language." The adults chided simultaneously.

She wiggled her fingers at him with a teasing smirk. She would definitely be paying him back for the scene he caused at the Sports Festival.

Kurumi offered for her to stay for dinner but Sana declined, explaining that Umi was waiting for her back home. The housekeeper had been blowing up her phone for the last half hour asking when she was coming home. The blonde woman had squeezed her into the tightest hug in the doorway, her lilac perfume tickling Sana's nose pleasantly.

"You're welcome here anytime, darling." Her aunt whispered. Sana felt a lump forming in her throat at the woman's sincerity. She nodded in response, not trusting her voice. She drew the hug out a moment longer before finally pulling away.

"Thank you." Kurumi smiled, brushing a fallen hair away from the girl's cheek.

"We're family," she responded as if it was nothing. Shigeru bid her farewell from the couch while Neito pouted in the corner, refusing to acknowledge her presence. Sana turned back to wave one last time before making the trek back home. She shot a text to Umi saying she'd be home soon for dinner before dialing Hitoshi's number.

"So did she have fangs and snakes for hair?" He asked instead of greeting her properly. She could hear the smugness in his tone and rolled her eyes.

"No," she drawled. For once, she was happy to be proven wrong. "She was wonderful."

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