Happy Ending ((TENYA IIDA X OC))

Flash Forward

Fifteen Years Later

"That's where my story ends, and where yours begins."

A pair of glistening red hues gazed back up to me in wonder. Her thin arms were wrapped snugly around her thighs, and her chin rested on top of her knees as she intently listened to me.

We had been situated in her room for some time now. The sun had long since set behind the horizon, and the only thing to illuminate the dark was the spiraling nightlight sitting on her nightstand. Glittery stars danced on the ceiling and the walls, and a gentle lullaby from the light filtered into the settling silence.

My daughter looked to be processing the old story I had just shared with her, navy brows knitting together as she looked down to the lavender sheets of her bed. I had always planned to tell the account of my past experiences with Dream Walker to my children; but no amount of expectancy could have prepared me for the thick silence that had fallen between us.

Chinami's quirk had manifested later than usual just as mine had. She was my oldest child, and the one out of her younger twin brothers to inherit Dream Walker. I knew that sharing my experiences with her would be important to her growth and understanding of her own powers, and hoped with every fiber of my being that the past wouldn't haze over her opinion of her quirk.

She had always been mesmerized by the power I possessed, and now that she had it, I had no other choice but to warn her of the dangers that came with having it. Chinami had to be more careful in terms of using her quirk against others, for losing control was still plausible even when Francis laid dormant. The power in and of itself was overwhelming, yet I reassured her that I would be there every step of the way; no matter what.

Several minutes went by before Chinami found it within herself to look at me again. I wasn't expecting to see sadness in her eyes.

"Mom..." she trailed off, her tone nothing but a whisper. "Does that mean people are gonna be scared of me?"

I looked down at her for sometime as a sullen feeling befell me. A twinge of nostalgia wrenched at my heart at the question I so frequently asked myself fifteen years ago — and is still a question I frequently think about. Taking in a deep breath, I leaned forward and took her hand.

"I wish I could tell you no," I began, and her grip on my palm tightened. "Dream Walker is inherently a scary thing to look at; but what matters is how you use it and what you use it for. The power within it is frightening, but that doesn't mean you are, too."

"What if no one wants to be around me now that I have it?" Although her voice cracked, she looked less crestfallen.

"Times have changed, Chinami," I tried a gentle smile as I brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "I paved the way for the acceptance of dark-natured quirks so you wouldn't have to deal what I dealt with when I was young."

She looked slightly comforted, and as she bit her lip, she shuffled forward on the bed and wrapped her arms around me. I gratefully returned her tight hug, and planted a firm kiss to the top of her head to further convince her that there wasn't anything wrong with her.

"I just want you to remember to be careful," I continued and she nodded against me. "With Dream Walker comes a great deal of attentiveness. There are still those who don't approve of our quirks, and I want you to remember that."

Again, she nodded before pulling away. What shined back at me was a determined, confident smile; and I couldn't help but return it.

Our moment, however, was soon interrupted as a gentle knock emanated from her closed bedroom door. We both turned in the direction of the noise as the white wood slowly pushed open, and who poked their head in was Iida; who still adorned his hero suit after an overtime shift at his agency.

"Daddy!" Chinami beamed at the sight of him and jumped into his arms as he inched into the room, leaving me to chuckle on the foot of her bed as Iida caught her midair.

"What are you still doing up, Bitsy?" He asked after kissing her cheek.

"Mom was telling me about Dream Walker," Chinami told him, and thus all eyes were set on me. "How to use it, how to be careful, what it was like with that Francis guy. Other mumbo jumbo."

Iida shook his head in amusement as he set her back on the bed. His tired eyes were directed toward me, and he silently gestured toward the door.

"The big talk, I see," he went on and pulled the duvet over Chinami as she laid her head down on the pillow. "Your moms lucky you don't have school tomorrow, young lady."

Chinami only stuck her tongue out at him as I arose to my feet. "It's only nine-thirty."

"Don't sass your dad." I reprimanded lightly as I pinched her cheek.

She yelped and ducked under the covers, making both me and Iida laugh as we made our way toward the doorway. I stepped into the hall as Iida leaned into the room, his hand resting on the door handle as Chinami finally peeked over the blanket to look at him.

"Sleep right, Bitsy," he said, flashing her a soft smile. "I'll see you in the morning."

He received a closed eye smile in return, and with that he closed the door. I leaned against the adjacent wall as Iida turned to look at me, lips pursed and brow risen in question.

"Don't you think she's too young?" Was his first question, and I finally rolled my eyes.

"She's eleven, Tenya," I reminded, walking passed him toward our room. He followed. "Better now when she's impressionable rather than when she's a rebellious teenager. You and I both know how I was."

"How you are," Iida corrected. I shot him a harmless scowl as he trailed into the walk-in closet. "I just don't want her to be overwhelmed."

"Neither do I," I sighed, rounding to my side of the bed before sitting down. I watched absently as he removed his armor. "But there isn't anything about Dream Walker that isn't overwhelming. I want her to be prepared."

"I know," Iida replied as he switched the light off in the closet. He slowly walked over and sat down beside me. "With you as her mother and mentor, there's nothing she won't be able to handle."

I smiled at him, and at that moment I felt a relief similar to the one I felt when I was convinced to stay in Musutafu. That world was a changed place now, and I knew that Chinami would be strong enough to take on anything it decided to throw at her.

She was my kid, after all.

"She's always been a fighter."

~~~
An: and with this flash forward, I can proudly say that Osoroshi's full story has come to an official end!

I'm incredibly grateful for all of those who have read and given me feedback. Without your support I probably would have given up on writing about our little snowflake from the start.

It's been a long year, but I'm so happy to say that it's over, and that Osoroshi finally got that happy ending she deserved. I'm also very excited to continue the Kaminari x Oc fic some of you have been anticipating, so look out for that soon :)

Again, a BIG thank you to every single one of you. I love you all, and I'll see y'all next time <3
~~~