Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

            A light snow was falling in the hazy evening, coating the city in what was like a fresh layer of frosting. A trio of children played outside a residential home on the nicer side of town, two dark-haired ones – a boy and a girl, same age – and a blue-haired girl that had her long hair done up in cat-ear pigtails, who looked maybe a couple years younger. The girls were working on padding down a massive snowball while the boy worked on a medium-sized snowball and looked to be… adding appendages of some kind.

            “… What’s Junpei-kun doing?” Aguri Karasuma blinked owlishly as she scrutinized the snow sculpture that the boy was working on. Come to think of it, that wasn’t even a snowball, was it? The blue-haired girl didn’t recognize it at all.

            Izumi blinked slowly for a moment before she muffled a giggle with her gloved hand. She and her brother Junpei were twelve, while Aguri was ten. And even for a twelve-year-old, Izumi received frequent comments about her cuteness and graceful beauty. She had a small fanclub of boys in her class, and her parents found this nostalgic. Junpei was a dashing boy himself, and had a few girls interested in him, but he prioritized looking after his twin.

            … Which was neither here nor there, honestly. Neither Izumi nor Junpei were interested in love yet. That’s why they spent holidays with their family more than their friends. … And also why they inherited a love of video games from their mother.

            “He’s building a Gradius head! Unorthodox, but mom showed him how, a few weeks ago!”

            Aguri furrowed her brows, looking between Junpei and the base of their snowman. Then shook her head in bewilderment.

            “… But it’s a snowman. If I didn’t know that thing was from an old game, no one else is gonna! They’ll probably think it’s an alien head or something.”

            “Does it matter what others think?” Izumi tilted her head adorably, keeping a small grin on her face. “Gradius gives our snowman flavor~! No one else has a snowman like ours. As long as Junpei-kun has fun, I don’t see the problem.”

            “… I guess…” She mumbled in concession. It’s not like Aguri was a video game critic or hater. Besides, Junpei was her half-brother like Izumi was her half-sister. After a while, you just learn to put up with your siblings’ eccentricities. The twins were video gamers. … And Aguri was a die-hard movie fanatic. She honestly loved all genres.

            It’s not like they’d be around to see what others thought about their snowman, anyway. They were at Grandpa’s, and they only came down here sometimes. If it wasn’t their school lives, there was lots to do back home with the orphanage. Journeying down the mountain for school everyday was… interesting, but kind of an adventure in its own way. Aguri once asked Nagato why mom and dad couldn’t be their teachers, since they helped run a school and all… Koro-sensei seemed really cool, too.

            … Nagato said there was an issue of favoritism involved if they stayed to be taught at the cram school, and their parents wanted them to experience the world. Plus, going to other schools meant that their parents would have to come down from the mountain at some point and socialize with old friends and just… take a breather. Not to mention the orphans liked coming down to the city for outings, too. Life on the mountain was peaceful, but it was… secluded. Aguri couldn’t deny she’d made some good friends at her school, too.

            Even if she was unmercifully teased for her short stature.

            … Stupid genes. Both her parents were happy for what growth spurts they got… Aguri, on the other hand, would become a milk-aholic, whatever it took to escape this Hell of shortness. It wasn’t fair!!!!!

            “C’mon, Aguri-chan~! Let’s get started on the middle section. Junpei-kun’s almost done.” Izumi chirped started rolling and gathering snow to make a new ball.

            Aguri chuckled weakly at the rather open attempt to distract the bluenette from her thoughts. Aguri was like an open book, especially when it came to her height and dwelling on it too long. She got broody and sulked. Izumi-chan was always sweet about it and never commented on the painfully obvious; she chose instead to cheer the bluenette up, even if her attempts weren’t always successful. Aguri honestly couldn’t ask for a better sister. … Well, half-sister.

            Their family situation was pretty unique… Her schoolmates asked about it all the time. Sometimes not-so-nicely, sometimes sneering and calling her dad bad names…

            Aguri just soldiered on and always answered back: Her parents loved each other. Sometimes their family got mischievous and incorrigible… But their home was filled with warmth and happiness… And that was enough.

            ~*~

“Hey, Grandpa…? Where do mom and dad go, every Christmas?” A dark-haired boy in a red sweater and dark pants tilted his head as he looked up towards the kitchen, where Karasuma was an odd sight in that apron and white dress shirt and black tie underneath, tending to Christmas dinner. Well, odd to outsiders… But this was a typical sight in the Karasuma household. Even Aunt Mei, who wasn’t that much older by the way (a little over a decade; she was more of a sibling than an “Aunt”), claimed that Grandpa liked to take over the cooking during the holidays to mix things up a little.

            Karasuma set the oven to the appropriate temperature before his gaze flicked over to the young boy. It really was bizarre to imagine Nagato as his grandson, but, well… It is what it is. He was hardly the only grandchild; Nagato’s younger sister Aguri was outside playing in the snow with Yukiko’s twins, Junpei and Izumi. That left Rio’s girls, Konan and Yui, but they were with their mother in celebrating Christmas with Rio’s parents this year (much to Karasuma’s shock – Konan was the biggest “daddy’s girl” that he’d ever seen); Yukiko was in the same boat, but left her twins to decide who they wanted to spend Christmas with.

            To be fair, Christmas at Yukiko’s parents house was… Well. Karasuma isn’t surprised Junpei and Izumi wanted to stay here with Aguri. Those three were really loyal to each other. And to them, Aguri was more fun to hang out with than their grandparents, who worked in a law firm.  Nagato here usually kept to himself; he was just entering puberty at thirteen, so perhaps that was to be expected. The dark-haired boy was fine with staying indoors, content to reading manga on the couch. Mei was out visiting some friends, and Irina was sharing some drinks with Gastro and Grip, who were in town. That left Karasuma alone with the boy on the couch, who was staring up at the Special Agent with such perceptive, curious eyes.

            Karasuma arched an eyebrow at the boy and flashed a small grin.

            “Your parents are… honoring a tradition, I guess you could say.” The dark-haired man removed his oven mitts and stared down at the kitchen counter, unusually reflective. After a few short moments, he elaborated… because there was no use in beating around the bush with Nagato. It’s not like the boy was particularly nosy, but he was sharp, and he knew when you were keeping secrets from him. Nagato possessed a certain maturity that just… made you want to be open and honest with him. “They’re out visiting your grandparents’ graves. Your… dad’s parents. And your aunt’s grave, too. They all passed away in the same year… So your parents are just taking time to mourn.”

            Nagato knew that Christmas was a busy time of year for their family. Every morning, they stayed at the orphanage and unwrapped presents with the orphans. After a couple hours of that, Koro-sensei and Uncle Hayate would play babysitter for the orphans, which allowed Nagato and his family (yes, all ten of them) to travel down the mountain and visit their extended families. They usually split up and drifted around, sometimes visiting classmates if they were in town or free.

His dad, however, made it a point to set aside portions of the day to visit the Nakamura household, the Kanzaki household, and the Karasuma household. Dad already visited the other families, so Nagato knew that’s not what his parents were doing right now. Every Christmas had this period in the afternoon where the kids and moms could go where they wanted before meeting up at the Karasuma household for dinner at 7pm. But during this part of the afternoon, his parents always… disappeared. And usually got back a little before dinner. Naturally, Nagato’s curiosity got the best of him, noting it happened for at least several years.

            “Did you know them?” The dark-haired boy stroked his chin, his wise blue eyes never wavering from Karasuma’s gaze.

            The Special Agent took a few moments to recompose himself mentally. That was… not necessarily a loaded question, but if Nagisa didn’t open up about them, then Karasuma wasn’t entirely comfortable voicing his thoughts. He’d rather have Nagisa give his side first, let Nagato form his own opinions…

            Still, the question wasn’t completely…complicated. Nagato didn’t know how rough his dad had it, in his early years. Might as well answer honestly, see how much the boy wanted to know.

            “I met them briefly. Your… grandparents. Unfortunately, your aunt died earlier that year, so I never got the chance. It was a turbulent time, and your parents were… going through a lot. For better or for worse… I adopted your dad that year, and I can only hope that I’ve helped ease the pain for him a little.” Karasuma trailed off into a pensive silence, his gaze falling to the countertop as he mulled over the past.

            He looked up again when he heard Nagato reply, and found the boy mysteriously smiling.

            “Dad talks about you a lot. Says the roof over our head’s thanks to you, along with so many other things. He wants to live up to your example! I never knew my dad’s parents… But I know you. And our family loves you. That’s enough, isn’t it? Family doesn’t have to be related by blood.” Nagato had set down his manga by now, giving his grandfather his undivided attention. He looked so… mature for his age. Back straight, composed face, serious eyes.

            Karasuma allowed himself a small, appreciative grin. Nagisa tended to tell him that he was worrying too much about the parenting thing. It wasn’t that hard to be more responsible than Nagisa’s birth parents… But still, Karasuma knew Nagisa loved them. That he wished it turned out differently. Karasuma could never replace Hiromi Shiota and Hiroki Hinata… But the Special Agent accepted, long ago, that Nagisa was his boy. And that cut both ways.

            … Maybe it was because he accepted that role as a father that he stressed over all this. Maybe it was just a natural process.

            “Doubt I’ll stop worrying about it, but… That means a lot, Nagato.” Karasuma breathed an easier sigh this time as he mentally reviewed the preparations for dinner, and found that he had a little spare time. “… You wanna start a movie? Or tell me about that manga you’re reading?”

            Nagato chuckled softly and rubbed the back of his head bashfully.

            “I’m pretty sure my moms would kill us if we started Home Alone without them… Maybe dad, too. We watch it every year, but I guess it’s one of those timeless classics!” The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes good-naturedly. Aguri and his half-siblings liked the Home Alone series, too. And so did he, if he was honest. Everyone just took it too seriously around here. “And as for the manga… Well… I’d be happy to show you, but I think it’s going to take more than one evening to catch you up to speed. The current arc’s been ongoing for half a year now. Even dad’s fallen a little behind on reading it… although Koro-sensei and Uncle Hayate are on top of it.”

            Karasuma huffed out a small chuckle. Of course those two remained eccentric, and in Koro-sensei’s case probably childish…

            Hmm.

            “How… How are they? Koro-sensei and… Hayate?” The Special Agent frowned a little at the thought of the latter. He and the Reaper always seemed to be at odds, but as far as he was aware that man hadn’t left that mountain for assassination work in years.

            A part of him was unnerved, deep down… But that might’ve been old instincts kicking in. Just because Hayate wasn’t the type to retire in the past, doesn’t mean that he couldn’t change.

            Nagato hummed as he leaned back into the couch, crossing his arms in contemplation. Karasuma raised a curious eyebrow at the boy seemingly mulling over his words carefully. Was the situation that complicated?

            “… I think they’ve accepted this is where they want to be.” Nagato mused after several pensive moments, nodding shortly to himself as if that summed up things quite nicely.

            “Mind elaborating on that?” Karasuma queried. It didn’t sound ‘serious’ or anything, so he wasn’t worried… But he was confused. Those two assassins loved gallivanting around the world, as he recalled.

            “Well… Dad keeps giving Uncle Hayate lots of vacation time. Or… he used to. We all knew Uncle Hayate was itching to travel, and dad didn’t like forcing him to stay. But one day, Uncle just came in for breakfast, was offered vacation time… and he turned it down.” Nagato nodded slowly at his Grandfather’s shocked expression; the dark-haired boy couldn’t believe it himself when it happened. “Mom, dad, and Koro-sensei all looked at each other and had some kind of understanding, but no one said another word about it. Uncle also stopped talking about his old jobs; he still makes threats and gets violent, but he used to be really passionate about sharing his past and now he just… doesn’t.” Nagato shrugged helplessly at his Grandfather’s deepening confusion. “I asked him later if he was happy, being there on the mountain with us… He said ‘happiness is relative. It changes with the times.’ I didn’t really get it, but then he said there’s a lot of Reapers in the world, but not enough Protectors. Apparently, he thinks our little corner needs one, and he’s willing to oblige.”

            Karasuma’s brow furrowed at this information. Nagato was a sharp, perceptive boy, the Special Agent was aware of this. Everything Nagato just described had to be the truth… But if that was the case, then something happened. Some incident that prompted Hayate to step in and… protect. Maybe one of the orphans. Maybe one of Nagisa’s kids. Whatever the case, an incident happened and Karasuma never heard anything about it.

            The Special Agent huffed quietly. He wouldn’t jump to conclusions. He’d just ask Nagisa later, see what he knew about Hayate’s… change of heart. If the incident wasn’t that big of a deal, he wouldn’t begrudge Nagisa keeping it private… But Karasuma would like the bluenet to confide in him if anything serious did come up. He wasn’t acting as an agent of the Ministry of Defense, but as a concerned father.

            Still, that could come later. Karasuma nodded slowly at the dark-haired boy, stowing away his ruminations on the Reaper.

            “What about Koro-sensei?”

            Nagato flashed a goofy, blissful grin, his hands draping lazily across his chest as he eased his posture a little.

            “He’s… He’s not going anywhere. Dad said when I was born, Koro-sensei cut his vacation time short to stay by mom’s side. He likes travelling, but he says there’s stuff more important than pleasure. I couldn’t tell you how many times Koro-sensei’s picked me and Aguri up from school, taken us out for ice cream, gone to the movies, done all kinds of things, really… Koro-sensei’s always there if we need help. Me, Aguri… mom and dad… It’s not like he doesn’t want vacations, Koro-sensei just feels this is where he needs to be. I couldn’t quite tell you why he feels that way, though.”

            Karasuma shook his head fondly as he maintained his small, peaceful grin. That sounded like the former Octopus alright. He was there when Nagato was born, and could confirm Koro-sensei was as anxious about the pregnancy as much as Nagisa and Akari were. And he was a pile of nerves again when Aguri was on the way… Koro-sensei loved Akari’s sister, so it made sense he’d sacrifice everything for Akari’s happiness. And Nagisa’s. That loyalty and devotion only strengthened as the years went by.

            ‘He sees this as his second chance… Koro-sensei blames himself for Yukimura’s death, and being around you guys is the closest he’ll get to imagining what he could have had. … But more than that, he really does want Akari safe and leading a fulfilled, happy life. His love for your family really is powerful and special.’ The Special Agent mused to himself before moving over to the couch to sit beside Nagato. He clapped the boy’s shoulder warmly and kept up his reassuring smile. “I’m glad they have a home with you guys. Part of me wondered if those two would travel forever, but even they could find somewhere to belong. It’s… also a relief that you have adults to fall back on with your parents so busy running that orphanage.”

            Nagato shrugged as he relaxed under his Grandfather’s massaging grip on his shoulder.

            “Aguri has me too, and we have our friends if all else fails… We understand it’s a lot of work taking care of all those kids. And still, mom and dad take time for us. We’re not lonely.”

            Karasuma ran a hand through his head, smile dropping a little.

            “I know. I’ve seen your dad grow up, so a part of me’s always going to worry about you kids… even if it’s just a little bit. Your dad was about your age when he found people that he could rely on, and he turned out fine, but no one should be… neglected. Promise me if something comes up, for you, Aguri, or any of you kids, you’ll tell at least one of us. Whether that’s your parents, Koro-sensei, me, Irina, even Hayate. Nothing is ever too trivial or an inconvenience.”

            Nagato nodded slowly at his Grandfather’s earnest request, peering up into his eyes unflinchingly.

            “We will. I’m always on the lookout, and Izumi and Konan are, too. But if something gets too big for us, we’ll let you guys know! I don’t think you’ll have anything to worry about for now, though.”

            Under most circumstances, Karasuma might have agreed with the dark-haired boy. … However, even setting aside that the oldest kids were on the verge of puberty, there was still the matter that Karasuma had personally helped train a class of Junior High kids to become assassins… It wasn’t a normal situation by any means, but Nagato and the rest were the children of that class. Practically anything was on the table in this crazy world of theirs, in Karasuma’s eyes.

            Still… Nagisa was an adept, qualified kid. Akari, Rio, and Yukiko were, too. Karasuma could only imagine what their offspring would be capable of in a few years’ time.

            ~*~

            “C’monnn, Yui-chan~! Koran said he was sorry!” Konan groaned a little as she sat outside along the wall next to her mom’s old bedroom, where her little sister had holed herself up in. Idly, the bluenette blew a few strands of hair out of her face and tugged a little at her green and red striped sweater.

            A redheaded boy wearing glasses leaned against the wall on the opposite side of the door, hands shoved in his pockets as he wore a blue sweater with white snowflake patterns scattered across it. He flashed a self-depreciative grin as he attempted to offer an olive branch. … Again.

            “I went too far, Yui-chan. I didn’t mean to throw the snowball that hard, or even smack you in the face… Sure, maybe I’d play that rough if it was Nagato, but never with you~…” Koran adopted his most suave, most charming voice…

            Unfortunately, to no avail. Yui was always a tough sell when it came to Koran or his siblings. … Mostly because the lot of them were mischievous devils that couldn’t be trusted for crap. Well, three of them couldn’t. One of the boys took after his mom more in personality, but the other two boys and the sister…? Yeah. The Akabane’s were a barrel of monkeys.

            Even Konan, for all of her impish spirit, could only put up with the redheaded devils on her best day.

            … Not that the Karasuma’s and Akabane’s weren’t tied to the hip. Just… There’s always some people you tread carefully around~…

            “Even I could’ve told ya launching a snowball at that distance was a bad idea.” Konan rolled her eyes and bitterly grinned up at her… best(?) friend.

            “I was aiming for you.” Koran drolled. He was hiding it well, but he did feel awful for upsetting Yui like that.

            Konan snorted amusedly.

            “And that makes everything better~!” The bluenette chirped oh-so-innocently.

            The redhead twitched in aggravation, throwing his hands up in the air exasperatedly as he tried ‘defending’ himself.

“You sisters both keep your hair long, and she’s pretty tall for her age. S’not like I keep track of your favorite color coats… I just saw ‘you’ were open and took a fifty-fifty shot!”

            “Aaand you lost. Epically.” Despite herself, Konan found herself smirking coyly at the guilt-ridden boy. “I’d avoid gambling in the future, Koran-chan~… Unless you wanna lose all your monies.”

            The redhead grumbled an unflattering remark, but otherwise leaned his head back against the wall and groaned miserably.

            “… She’s not gonna talk to me for a week, is she?”

            “Well, it’s a fifty-fifty shot~…” Konan matter-of-factly explained, casually gesturing at the door. “She’ll either ghost your butt for a while. … Or she’ll use you for batting practice~!”

            Koran shivered in dread at that possibility.

            “I’ll take the ghosting, thanks. I mean, that still hurts. … But not as much as her friggin’ bats! Is she getting lessons from Yoshi and his dad, or what?!”

            Konan said nothing for a few short moments, seemingly distracted by a far-off noise. Then her face perked up and she leered at the horrified redhead next to her.

            “Why don’tcha ask her yourself~?”

            “Wha…?”

            Koran couldn’t even get the full question out. In the next moment, the door they were waiting next to swung open, and a blue blur popped out intensely. … A blue blur that happened to be holding something blunt and painful that smashed painfully into Koran’s chest as he staggered back, staring at the second blue-haired girl in disbelief while his glasses slipped off his face.

            When things settled down, he could make out Yui standing there huffing and puffing, glaring daggers at him and clutching a wooden bat. Her sweater was red, and embroidered with gingerbread men and house patterns.

            “Where…?!” Koran spluttered helplessly, not understanding where the hell Yui got that baseball bat from. He knew this wasn’t their house, after all.

            “Sometimes have sleepovers here.” Yui grumbled tersely, not letting up on her glare as Koran nervously slipped his glasses back onto his face.

            Konan chuckled softly at her friend’s gobsmacked expression as he got smacked in the chest a couple more times – though Yui went easier on him. She’d pipe up with a more coherent explanation, that Yui usually stayed the night when there was school matches, and sometimes left her equipment behind. Though to be fair, it didn’t really matter. Yui had, like, an artillery of bats and balls. Some here, some at school, and a ton at home.

            Koran didn’t need to know that, though~! He’d be more careful from now on. … Probably.

            “Feeling better, Yui-chan~?” Konan chirped brightly, and the younger bluenette huffed out aggravatedly.

            “… A little.” Yui answered sourly, raising her bat behind her head and tapping the back of her neck threateningly as she continued to glare down Koran.

            “You hit me three times!!” The redhead spluttered indignantly.

            “And you nailed me between the eyes.” Yui sniffed imperiously, turning her head away stubbornly with a humph.

            Koran sagged pitifully as he heaved a sigh.

            “… Sorry, Yui-chan.” Poor guy sounded so dead inside.

            “You can repay me with pizza tomorrow.” Yui still wasn’t budging, apparently, on accepting his apology. Konan quietly snickered behind her sister.

            “Pizza?! C’mon, Yui-chan, I’m flat broke!! It was just a snowball!” Koran whined.

            Yui slightly turned her head back to peer at him shrewdly, raising an eyebrow inquiringly.

            “So you do want your dad knowing about the last ‘candy raid’~?” Her tone was mocking, though the redhead regrettably knew she was dead serious.

            “C-Can’t you just take a few more whacks at me and call it even?!” Koran had gone ghastly pale, his hands were running through his short red hair as his expression became one of desperation.

            “I’m not the one whose dad is gonna murder his kid for stealing from the candy store yet again~… You clearly have no shame, so why should I~?”

            Koran drooped lower and lower in horror and defeat, peering at Yui so lifelessly.

            “You are a cruel, cruel Mistress, Yui-chan… How do you sleep at night?” He just knew that if he tried to steal the pizza tomorrow, Yui would hold that over his head… The only way to smooth this over was to dig into his emergency reserves.

            … aka, crying and pleading his sister for another ‘loan’ and going deeper into debt with her.

            “Very comfortably! I mean, you’re gonna gimme deep dish, just the way I love it.” Yui smirked and leered at the redhead that looked to be on the verge of sobbing.

            Yui was the nicer blue-haired sister, by the way. She just made special exceptions for the Akabane family, and Konan honestly saw no issue with this playful sadism. If only she’d stand up for herself more, like this! Konan didn’t mind playing the overprotective sister, but clearly Yui could hold her own.

            “Alright, you two, kiss and makeup now~…!” Konan clapped her hands to break up the mini bullying session. “Yui, we should probably go and see if mom’s ready to go – getting pretty late.”

            Yui blinked slowly before nodding and stowing away her bat in her mom’s old room. Koran stared the older bluenette helplessly, feeling a bit betrayed.

            “You’re seriously not gonna talk her down?!”

            Konan quirked an eyebrow curiously at the boy.

            “Would you prefer she act on that tasty bit of blackmail~?”

            “… No. I really wouldn’t.” The redhead groaned. His dad loved him, but he did have a habit of going overboard on the punishments.

            And, well… stealing was wrong. Koran knew this. … But desperate times call for desperate measures! He was in-between periods of getting allowance, and it’s not his fault the candy shop had a fresh stock of everything that day! Really!!

            “Well, you’d better make that two deep dish pizzas~!” Konan sported a familiar Cheshire grin. “I didn’t know about your li’l raid ‘til Yui-chan said anything. Thanks, Yui-chan~!”

            The younger bluenette nodded sagely at her sister’s praise, and swaggered off with Konan right behind her. Koran was left behind despondently, leaning against the wall and now dreading the fact he had to beg his sister for twice the amount of money…

            He was so screwed.

Chapter Text

            Snow crumped underfoot as the dark-haired woman approached a grave with a far-off look in her eyes, her face downcast. She wore a dark green winter coat, dark pants and boots, soft green gloves, and a light blue scarf around her neck while her long dark hair cascaded down her back. Soon enough, she reached her destination and stared down at the engraving on the tombstone.

            “Hey, Akari~…! Turns out my schedule’s open tonight! Wanna grab dinner?”

            “Whoa, whoa, whoa…! Why do you sound like you’re on Cloud Nine all of a sudden?! Who’s the new man in your life~?”

            “Ah…! Wh-What are you talking about?! You know I’m engaged!!”

            “Aw, don’t gimme that line~! Drop the jerkface and find someone who treats you like a person!”

            “Don’t go there…!”

            “Anyway, I’m down~! If you tell me all about this guy who’s caught your fancy~!”

            “… So is that a yes?”

            “You bet~! Your treat!”

            “Ughhh!”

            ‘Aguri Yukimura – Daughter. Sister. Teacher. Friend. The sun shined brighter when she was here.’

            That was the epitaph left on her grave… And Akari could still hear the last words her sister ever said to her, loud and clear. Though the years had gone by, though Akari had managed to still find happiness… The pain remained.

            Every Christmas she braved the elements to come out here. … Because no matter what, Akari couldn’t let her sister spend the holiday all alone. Even if it was just for an hour, or under it… Akari wanted to be there for Aguri. Koro-sensei came out here every day, or, well… he used to. With their bustling lives on the mountain and taking care of the kids, they helped him work those visits down to every week or so.

            It’s not that Nagisa, Akari, Yukiko, and Rio didn’t want their beloved teacher to spend time with Aguri… Just… Drowning in sorrow every day was rough. Even if Koro-sensei bounced back every time, for their sake, it wasn’t good to let the man suffer like that.

            Akari would know how hard it was to venture out here. Every time, those final words from years ago echoed in her ears, and her eyes welled up with tears. Things got so rough, Akari worked out a system with Nagisa: Every Christmas, they’d split up and visit Aguri and his parents. Give each other maybe… fifteen minutes to half an hour on their own. Neither of them liked this part of the ritual, leaving each other alone for a bit…

            But they both needed this time to decompress. Akari was there shortly after Aguri died… And Nagisa woke up to seeing his parents dead. Akari sought vengeance. Nagisa feared he became a murderer, a monster. There was a lot of unresolved feelings in both cases… No child should have to suffer like they did.

            Yet they were both still here. They had each other, and they had Yukiko, Rio, Mister Karasuma, Irina, Koro-sensei, Hayate, their children, and so many friends. It didn’t make everything okay… But they’d managed this long.

            Akari could keep going so long as she had Nagisa.

            “H-Hey, Sis…” The dark-haired woman mumbled shyly, wiping away at her tears and sniffling a bit. “Another year gone by, huh? I’ve been older than you for a while, but… It still feels… weird. I still don’t like it. I should be teasing you about gray hairs, and you and Koro-sensei should be, like, on your twelfth kid or something…!”

            Akari released an uneasy sigh and shook her head slowly, continuing to wipe away the tears.

            “… Sorry. I just… really wanted you two to work out. Ditch Yanagisawa and be… happy. I know I’ve said that almost every time I’ve come out here… But it’s just how I feel. You deserved way better, Aguri. I lucked out with Nagisa, and I’ll never give him up for anything… But I also know how much I’ve hurt him. I had so much to make up for in that one year alone… You’d have told me to calm down and hear the whole story before acting on anything. It’s just… you… you died. I couldn’t take it. I was on my own, you might’ve been murdered, and… and…”

            The former actress took several moments to recompose herself. She hung her head in shame, but thankfully the tears died down somewhat.

            “I know that’s no excuse. I’ve apologized God knows how many times… To Nagisa, to Koro-sensei, to everyone… For better or for worse, they accepted me. And I’m… I’m grateful they did… I just… I’ll never forgive myself for putting Nagisa and Koro-sensei through so much. You knew them both before I did, and they were precious to you in their own ways. I’m… I’m really sorry about everything, Aguri. You probably wish that I’d forgive myself, but I… can’t. I just can’t.” Akari heaved a broken, miserable sigh before mustering the brightest expression that she could. “A-Alright. Enough of the heavy stuff, I promise! I needed that off my chest… You’re the only one I’ll talk to about this. … ‘Cause I know my boys would keep trying to change my mind. And they do enough check-ins with me as it is!”

            Akari giggled softly and fondly touched the blue scarf around her neck, just imagining Nagisa surrounding her with his warmth and protection. … It was honestly the greatest feeling in the world, and she would never get enough of it.

            “S-So… Nagato hit thirteen this year! Ugh. I’ve been dreading the teenage years for a while, but Nagisa’s pretty confident Nagato and Aguri will turn out okay. And… maybe he has a point. They’re both good eggs. Nagato still keeps to himself a lot, and he totally gets that from Nagisa by the way!! I’ve been trying to talk him into hanging out more with his friends, but I hear from Karma and Sugino’s kids that Nagato’s always got his nose buried in one of his sketchbooks, doodling away. He’s smart, kind, notices every little detail, looks out for everyone, offers to help with chores, sets the table and stuff… It’s just too bad that his social life is probably on life support. I’ll probably faint if he ever manages to bring a girl home with him… but then again, Nagisa stole my heart, and Nagato’s almost like a mini clone of his! So… he’ll probably be fine…”

            The dark-haired woman heaved another sigh as she wistfully smiled, reflecting on her son and feeling lighter as she moved on to thinking about her daughter.

            “Aguri’s still the baby of the family – she’s ten now. I’m so glad I’ve got a few more years before she becomes a terror~! Don’t get me wrong, she’s a sweet, wholesome angel now… But if Nagato takes more after his dad, I’m dreading Aguri-chan taking after my habits. Right now she’s happy with just watching movies, but what if she begins looking at those offers for becoming an actress?! I know I told you about them the last few years, but they keep coming, Sis!!! … I don’t want my baby learning the same harsh lessons I did. At least let her have a childhood. I mean… I got one because of you, but I still became a spoiled princess with all that fame going to my head! Aguri-chan’s as sweet as Nagisa, and I don’t wanna spoil that…!”

            Akari huffed stubbornly as she ran a hand through her hair anxiously and peered up at the late evening sky.

            “… I wonder if that’s how you felt about me getting into all that. You supported me all the way, but it probably wasn’t easy. I remember you were always asking about my day, and I never stopped to ask if you were fine with what I did… I always just assumed with college, getting engaged with that prick, working in that lab, and working as a teacher… I dunno. I thought you were making up for lost time, but were you worried about me…? I guess you just… believed in me, regardless of how you felt. I should believe in Aguri-chan, too… She’s named after you, so she’s strong. I trust her, and if nothing else, Nagisa and I will be there for her…! That’s a promise.”

            Nodding resolutely to herself, Akari breathed another sigh, once more feeling much better after unloading herself like that. She spent a little more time talking about the other members of E-Class, Koro-sensei, Nagisa, and herself. Obviously, it was a bare bones summary of the past year, just overall thoughts and plenty to talk about when it came to the kids… But by the end, Akari had dispelled the sorrow she wandered here with.

            “… I miss you, Sis. We all do. I know I teased you about Koro-sensei when I didn’t know anything about what you guys were going through… But I stand by every word of what I said! ‘Find someone that treats you like a person!’ I’ve been married to Nagisa for over a decade, and been in love with him for twice as long…! We don’t always get along, and our unique marriage is really hard at times… But he cares! He worries too much about keeping me happy, and he never puts in the same effort for himself. It’s… frustrating… But I’m glad Yukiko and Rio have my back on this!! He treats each of us as special and irreplaceable, and it’s only fair to reciprocate that love threefold…! S-So… I know you and Koro-sensei would have worked out. I don’t regret teasing you. … I just wish we could’ve been happy together.”

            Having spoken her peace, Akari bid farewell and checked the time.

            ‘Oof!! How’d an hour go by like that?! I’m sorry, Nagisa…!’ The former actress moaned and berated herself for losing track of time like that.

            She didn’t blame Nagisa for getting lost in his own head. He hardly ever had a moment to himself, so this little ritual of theirs was mostly for his benefit… But when she approached her husband from behind, noticed how quiet he was, hands shoved in his pockets… Akari kicked herself again mentally. She should’ve known better.

            “H-Hey, Nagisa… You okay…?” Akari gently probed, reaching out to massage his shoulder consolingly.

            Nagisa was standing before two graves, wearing a blue winter coat, dark pants, boots, light blue mittens, and wore a red scarf around his neck. His hair remained short after all these years, and the scar over his eye remained, but he was still the same old Nagisa.

            The bluenet didn’t say anything for several moments, though he leaned into his wife’s massage a bit before nodding slowly.

            “Mmhm. Mom just had a lot to say, today.” Nagisa mumbled quietly, not sounding particularly happy about it.

            Akari’s concern deepened. Her grip on his shoulder tightened the tiniest bit and she fixed him with a firm stare.

            “C’mon, Nagisa… Don’t torture yourself like that!” She huffed a little as he barked out a short, broken chuckle.

            “I know she’s not… really speaking… It’s just, when I talk out loud… I can imagine how she’d reply. I can hear her, like she’s really there.” The bluenet helpfully explained, a light smile tugging at his lips.

            Akari released a small groan internally. They’d had this conversation before, and the former actress knew exactly where her husband was coming from… After all, she talked with Aguri the same way. She even found it charming when it was his dad doing the talking.

            … But his mom? How could he…? Why could he smile when he thought of that woman…?!

            “Nagisa…” A lecture was on the tip of her tongue, an earnest plea for her best friend to be proud of everything he accomplished and not listen to that despicable woman…

            But Akari’s shoulders slumped as resignation set onto her face. They’ve had this talk plenty of times over the years. Even when Nagisa wasn’t here at the graves, he’d have days where he remarked how his mother would feel about something. To Akari’s amazement, not everything was… rotten. Not everything sought to tear him down and make him feel miserable about not following his mom’s plans.

            It baffled Akari every time, and she still didn’t know how to… deal with these complicated feelings settling into her chest and stomach.

            “It’s alright to be worried for me.” Nagisa’s smile remained as he reached out and petted the top of her head, making Akari mewl in grudging contentment. “You guys only saw what dad showed you… And I know better than anyone that mom could be hard to live with. It’s… difficult to convey my feelings for my old family. Or I guess, why I feel this way. Why I loved my parents. If you weren’t there like I was, you’re not gonna be able to picture it. … Not after you saw mom at her worst.”

            Akari eventually raised her head after relaxing under Nagisa’s soothing touch for several moments. Her voice was cracked slightly, eyes pleading for answers.

            “If you can’t convey everything… can’t you at least tell me a little? I’ve wanted to understand… I just never met her. And… she hurt you so much…”

            Nagisa hummed thoughtfully for a moment, nodded slowly, and drew the former actress in for a warm hug. One that the dark-haired woman quickly reciprocated with gusto. The bluenet rested his head on hers and just let the words slip out soothingly as he rubbed small circles along her back.

            “Mom had… this whole plan for her life. It’s true. But between her own parents and just overall circumstances, she was never able to get the things she wanted. Wasn’t allowed to grow her hair out, couldn’t get into the university she wanted, and especially couldn’t get a job at this company she’d had her eyes on for years! After she met dad and fell in love with him… she finally found a little bit of happiness. Her life wasn’t ideal, but she put up with it. She had dad, and there was still a chance that she could spoil her kid rotten if she had a little girl… That’s what she was hoping for.”

            “… But she got you.” Akari mumbled, hugging her husband tighter on impulse. For his sake… but also her own sake. She didn’t want the memories of those interviews ruining what she was hearing right now. She wanted… Nagisa’s perspective…

            Well… to be fair, she’d heard his perspective in those interviews. But it’d been so long… she was a little fuzzy on the details.

            The bluenet nodded lightly, nuzzling into her head fondly as he continued to hold his wife.

            “Right. That was just another wrench thrown into her hopes and dreams, and she… Well. Mom didn’t like it, but she tried to be good. For both me and dad.” Nagisa heaved a small sigh as he held Akari close and composed his thoughts. “Mom was… strict. Even if I wasn’t the little girl she wanted, she could still expect me to be on my best behavior. To follow and do what she said. That might sound bad, but I’ve got a lot of good memories offering to help my mom around the kitchen or clean the house… I tried my best to help her because I loved seeing her smile! They were really rare, and most of them were when she was with dad… But sometimes we’d watch a movie and she’d laugh and have a good time! Those were some of the happiest memories of my life, before I met you guys.”

            Akari made a small sound of acknowledgement, burrowing her face into Nagisa’s chest, alternating between listening to his words and to his reassuring, calming heartbeat.

            “Thing is… It got harder as I grew older. Mom liked to play ‘Dressup’ with me, and I used to just go along with it because I thought it was just a game for me and mom to play. We kept doing it, though, and it just didn’t feel right to be wearing girl clothes when I was, like, seven or eight. I started fussing over the ‘game’, and even the fact that I wanted to cut my hair… Mom bluntly told me no, and that she didn’t want me to say another word about it. She grounded me for speaking out, and went harder on me because of my grades… Dad noticed things were getting tense, and he recommended that mom take the offers for overtime at work. I guess we were doing okay financially, but mom was always stressing about staying afloat… Not to mention she wanted to save up for getting me into the university she never got to attend.”

            Nagisa continued recalling how things were back then, and Akari couldn’t help marveling at how… nonchalant he was. Most people would be overwhelmed with such a turbulent childhood, and maybe Nagisa was, back then… But Akari couldn’t help noting what a big heart her husband had.

            If she’d grown up with such a mother… Akari couldn’t imagine loving her as much as the bluenet did.

“She took dad’s advice, and I spent most of my time with him for a while. But dad had his own job, and mom pressed him into taking overtime too when she overheard us talking about school, and how some of the kids were bullying me ‘cause of my hair. I think she was nervous dad might let me get a haircut… I’m not really sure. I do know, though, that was around the time mom started getting into arguments with him, and home was just… miserable. A few weeks of that, and dad had enough and just… left. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t even ten years old yet.”

            Akari moaned a little and raised her head up to look at him, mild frustration eating away at her.

            “… Were you going somewhere with this? ‘Cause right now I’m feeling pretty bad I wasn’t there for you when we were kids…”

            Nagisa chuckled softly and scratched his cheek sheepishly.

            “M-My bad… I kinda needed to touch on all of that, though. Because… when mom and dad split up, I stayed with mom. Believe me, dad really, seriously tried to convince me to go with him. He… He sat me down and explained how mom was working herself too hard, and that was causing all the arguments. Dad realized he’d made a mistake, and he tried convincing her to take a vacation, just the three of us, but she wouldn’t listen. She grew harsher, made sure that I was listening to her over dad… I knew it was getting worse. I knew dad tried, and that he just couldn’t take it anymore. But I… It’s because mom was working herself to the bone that I couldn’t leave. She was working hard for me, because she wanted me to get into a good school and get a good paying job… I’d seen her crying more than a few times after she fought with dad, and I… I couldn’t abandon her.”

Nagisa peered into Akari’s shocked gaze, keeping his arms firmly wrapped around her. He nodded slowly to affirm how he felt about the situation back then.

“Mom did hurt me a lot. Not all of her plans were great or even in my best interests… She really just wanted a ‘Round Two’ for herself, but even so… She still loved me. She lost control of herself, but there was love mixed in with all that selfishness. I hoped that by staying, I could keep her rare smiles going, and maybe someday dad would come back… I convinced myself that maybe they split up because I wasn’t pulling my weight.”

Nagisa shook his head slowly and cracked a bittersweet smile as he chuckled self-depreciatively.

“You, Yukiko, and Rio helped me understand that I wasn’t at fault… But back then, I was just desperate to get my family back. Getting bumped down to E-Class was originally like a slap in the face, but it honestly proved to be my saving grace. I’m… I’m glad I met you guys. And even if mom was misguided so often… I still cling onto the good times we had. And I still miss her so much. … But I’ll be fine, because I have the best family in the world! I got a new mom and dad. Even a little sister! Mei’s awesome. And I have you. Yukiko. Rio. Our kids. Koro-sensei. Hayate. Everyone in E-Class. I’ll never trade you guys for anything. You filled the hole in my heart!”

Akari found herself tearing up a little as Nagisa recited those words. That’s exactly how she felt when she finally confessed to him on that special Valentine’s Day… It’s crazy. She kept telling Nagisa how much he meant to her all these years, but no matter how many times she repeated herself, it just never felt like it was enough to truly convey how important he was to her.

            And here he was, feeling the exact same way. Nagisa understood her perfectly, like he always did… She hurt him just as much as his mother did, and Nagisa still accepted her. Flaws and all.

            Tears rolling down her cheeks, Akari could hold herself back no more as she dove up for a passionate kiss and hugged him tighter than ever before. It just wasn’t fair how crazy she was for this handsome, sweet, kind, gentle soul of a man!! After all these years, he still possessed her heart, and she felt like she was fourteen all over again.

            Courteously, Nagisa was reciprocating her kiss, with all the heat and passion he was capable of. She knew their feelings resonated with each other, and so they stayed like that in one another arms and kept up that kiss for quite a while. Oh, it was frigid outside. … But in that passionate, loving moment, they could barely feel the chill at all.

            ~*~

            “Koro-sensei~!”

            “Hmm…?”

            A dark-haired man clad in a black winter coat, pants, gloves, boots, scarf, and wearing a graduation cap on his head hummed lowly in recognition of a familiar voice. The former assassin brightened immediately once he caught sight of the new arrivals that reached their old stomping grounds, where Koro-sensei was watching over a brood of young children playing with each other in the snow. Some were making snow angels, others were building forts, and still others were engaged in a fierce snowball fight.

            But it seemed like everyone would be having some new playmates join them today!

            “Well, well, well~! If it isn’t Yuma, Meg, and gang!” The teacher cheerfully greeted his two former students and their eight children in tow. All the kids’ eyes were sparkling with wonder as they peered around the mountain and the orphans having a blast already.

            Meg chuckled good-naturedly and ruffled the head of one of her daughters, gesturing out at the orphans. The little girl was clearly raring to go.

            “Go on, guys! It’s all yours!” The brunette hardly needed to urge them on, but they gleefully charged out into the open playground, all the same. Some engaged the orphan children, and others did their own thing.

            As Koro-sensei got a good look at his former students, he couldn’t help feeling a swell of pride. The Isogai clan had really shaped up quite nicely. The teacher could see a little bit of himself in Yuma, at least with how the young man kept his hair around medium length and how he stayed tall, lithe, and fit. Meg was also dashing as ever, her long hair kept in that familiar ponytail. 

            Eight kids was definitely a lot to handle… But if anyone was up to the challenge, it was the former E-Class Reps. In truth, Meg only gave birth to six of the little rascals… At that point, she put her foot down, and the two of them settled on adopting any future children if they wanted more. … Which they clearly did. Yuma was used to having a big family, and Meg really became fond of two of the orphans in Nagisa’s care a few years back. Yuma was even eyeing another orphan in the current batch, but was in talks with Meg, Nagisa, and Akari about that particular boy. He was rather new, and untrusting of adults in general… The Isogai’s would have to make some preparations if they wanted to take in that boy.

            Koro-sensei fondly shook his head to bring himself out of his musings as he beamed affectionately at his kids. … E-Class would always be his kids, no matter how old they became.

            “I wasn’t sure if we’d be seeing any of you guys today!” The teacher confessed as he ran a hand through his dark locks casually. “But… I’m glad you made the trip. How’re the folks?”

            Yuma and Meg shared a fond look. That was just like Koro-sensei, always checking in…

            “My mom was actually taking a vacation, and couldn’t make it back in time ‘cause of storms delaying flights this week… We’ll probably stop by to see Meg’s folks later, though we’re kind of winging it.” Yuma mused.

            Meg followed up with a soft, affectionate grin.

            “We did promise the kids we’d visit you guys over the holidays~! They’ve been chomping at the bit all month. Hinata-chan, Hiroto, and Daigo said they’d be coming by, too… Although…” The brunette scratched her cheek sheepishly. “When we went to meet up with them, their house was, um… lively. I texted Hinata-chan that we’d be going on ahead, and she hasn’t replied yet. … It’s just one of those days.”

            “Nyufufufu~… I wouldn’t expect any less from Hinata-chan!” Koro-sensei giggled mirthfully, despite how… understated that family situation was.

            Times may change, but E-Class steadfastly remained the same in their hearts and minds. When Nagisa, Akari, Yukiko, and Rio got married, that was like opening up the floodgates. Yuma and Meg got hitched a few months later. This was followed by Karma and Manami a year later, Rinka and Ryunosuke soon after, then Tomohito and his girlfriend… And it’s not as if there was only marriages throughout those early years. Just about everyone in E-Class found themselves in relationships, even if not all of them lasted. Taiga struggled with finding a partner that stuck with him for more than a few months, but even he found someone after several years. Of course, they hadn’t tied the knot yet, but it was a good sign that the relationship hadn’t ended like all of Taiga’s previous ones.

            But a good number of his students were married by now. Sumire, Sosuke, Kotaro, Yuzuki, Koki, Takuya, Taisei, Toka… even Itona and Gakushu found partners! Probably the most surprising pairs that came out of E-Class were Hinano and Justice, and Ryoma and Kirara. Those relationships took years to surface… But Justice kept at it, and Hinano-chan finally folded when she realized she could have been having something wonderful like all her friends. And Ryoma and Kirara… Apparently, they’d been keeping in touch, and they got married a few years after Nagisa. A librarian and a politician was an interesting combo, but they clicked well!

            … All of that said… Hinata and Hiroto remained the most worrisome relationship of E-Class. Their love was real, no question… But even after marrying each other ten years ago, even after giving birth to Daigo, even with Hinata-chan pregnant with a second child… They fought a lot. Hiroto cleaned up his act years ago, pursuing Hinata and only Hinata… But the young acrobat always found something to get angry about with him. Most relationships would have probably broken up long ago, yet Hinata and Hiroto had periods of reconciliation and stability. … It’s just arguments were frequent and intense.

            They’d even tried counseling, at the urging of their former classmates and teachers… But to this day, it was the same song and dance. Seemingly just a few steps away from disaster, but never going all the way.

            Yuma grinned wryly in return, and looked around the playground curiously.

            “So… where’s everyone else? I see a lot of the younger kids, but even some of them are missing.”

            Koro-sensei resumed his gaze out at the frolicking children and flashed a lazy grin.

            “Well… Not everyone wanted to be outside… A few of the older ones are cooped up inside, playing some video games. Hayate took the rest out for some skiing and sledding down the slopes~! I would’ve invited everyone to join in, but you know Hayate. He chose the more, ah… The hills that make you go fast. Plus, not everyone was up for sledding anyway. Best to just roll with what the majority’s up for, and bring ‘em back inside before it gets too cold.”

            Meg blanched a little at the mention of Hayate overseeing even just a few of the kids.

            “Are you sure that was the right call? The Reaper… er… Hayate is pretty laissez-faire with supervision. Someone’s probably hurt themselves by now…”

            Yuma chuckled nervously as he considered the situation, and couldn’t deny the odds were heavily in favor of that. Koro-sensei simply shook his head whimsically and never dropped his lazy grin.

            “Injuries build character~! Besides, you kids turned out perfectly alright, all things considered! Hayate hides it well, but after that incident with Amida years ago he really started to care. Seeing Amida make all that trouble for Nagisa, endangering her fellow orphans because she fell in with the wrong crowd, it made Hayate nervous that an incident like that might happen again while he was half way around the world. He’s kept an eye out for trouble ever since.”

            Yuma’s grin fell as he adopted a mildly morose expression.

            “Amida… How’s she doing these days? I remember she didn’t stick around long…”

            Meg nodded in stoic agreement, crossing her arms as she glared at the ground. Everyone heard of Amida and what happened back then. Nothing can compare to the fateful year they had together, but that incident with Amida was still… bad. For a while, everyone was checking in with Nagisa, Akari, Yukiko, and Rio. That they were holding up and staying strong.

            But nothing quite like what happened with Amida had repeated itself in all these years. … That was at least something.

            Koro-sensei’s smile remained in place, despite the grim memories attached to this topic.

            “She got better! It took a lot of soul-searching, but she managed to find her own answer. Amida accepts responsibility for what happened, and that’s ultimately why she left us… She was scared that she’d just find a new gang and endanger everyone again. But after a while of being on her own, she started accepting Akari’s calls. Hayate kept track of her, so she never really ‘lost us’. … It just took her time to heal, and figure out what she wanted to do with her life. Amida never got proper parents, but she started looking after some younger kids that were on their own. It’s been touch-and-go, but she’s happy. … And she’s grown up.”

            Yuma and Meg relaxed marginally at this news. If Koro-sensei said she was fine… then she was fine. Nagisa and Akari never said much about Amida, or Koji for that matter, but that was most likely Amida’s request. … Or they didn’t feel it was their place to say, after everyone was so worried about the orphanage.

            And as the former Class Reps got a better look at Koro-sensei… they could see that he was in his element. That even though for a while their teacher had a certain wanderlust about him, he had come to accept that he was home. This was where he belonged, and he was content looking after all these kids.

            Because they were Nagisa and Akari’s kids.

            … They did notice a few gray hairs, however. Koro-sensei aged gracefully… Yet he was growing old. He was older than Mister Karasuma, Professor Bitch, and Hayate… E-Class was in their thirties by now, edging closer to their forties.

            There was a bittersweet serenity, reaching this conclusion as they watched their beloved teacher. Health and vitality still radiated from him… Yet how long would that last?

            Deep down… they hoped he’d be with everyone for a while longer.

Chapter Text

            Yukiko flashed a warm, heartfelt grin as she spared one last glance at her childhood home as she exited through the front gate. It really was nice to drop in and see how her family was holding up. Keeping in touch over the phone was one thing, but visiting in-person just… It felt so fulfilling. Yukiko loved her family so much. As a child, she never would have imagined herself coming back home every year to warmly celebrate with her parents; her brother maybe, but her father especially had just… He was a strict man.

            Still, those days were long behind them. Everyone was a bit disappointed Izumi and Junpei didn’t stop by to receive their gifts personally, but they understood when Yukiko told them that the kids were spending the day with Aguri and the Karasuma’s. No hard feelings. Her parents knew all too well the twins were tied to Aguri at the hip, so Yukiko accepted the presents in their stead. The gifts weren’t anything that she couldn’t carry in her purse.

            Yukiko released a light sigh as she set in for the somewhat long walk to the Karasuma’s. That was the downside to the holiday; a lot of things, even public transport was down for the day. Arranging a taxi might be possible, but Yukiko didn’t want to steal the driver away from someone else that might need the ride more.

            The one downside to living on the mountain. It just didn’t seem right to pave a road for a garage there… And Kunugigaoka was still at the base of the mountain, so using the parking lot there wasn’t an option, either. That didn’t mean they were without cars of their own – Nagisa owned an orphanage, and they had six kids between her, Akari, and Rio. Of course they did. They owned three cars, actually; they just had to rent out a public parking garage with dad – Mister Karasuma’s help. One belonged to Yukiko, and one belonged to Rio; that’s how they got to work, day-to-day. The third car was for Nagisa, more specifically for emergencies. They left that one behind for Koro-sensei and Hayate, in case anything came up with the orphans.

            ‘And just my luck, Rio’s car is in the shop…’  The dark-haired beauty lightly lamented without any real heat behind it. She’d lent her car to Rio without a second thought, considering Konan and Yui were going to the Nakamura’s.

            At least Nagisa and Akari walked her here, so the trip wasn’t completely on her lonesome. The return trip, though…

            “Hey, there she is!” A familiar voice rang out from behind her, and Yukiko turned curiously to see Nagisa and a man with short black hair she’d recognize anywhere, grinning reassuringly at her as the pair of them came jogging up to her. “See?! Told ya we’d make good time!”

            The bluenet chuckled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

            “Guess so… You just get done, Yukiko? Everything go okay?” Nagisa asked with gentle, sincere eyes.

            Despite being caught off-guard by the encounter, Yukiko giggled at his concern and swept her husband up in a hug and nuzzled into him affectionately.

            “Everything went great~! Dad wrapped up that one tricky case right before the holidays hit… So he’ll be able to start out the year fresh. I’m thrilled for him~…!” The dark-haired woman grinned elatedly into his neck.

            Nagisa’s grin came just as easily as he rubbed slow circles along her back, closing his eyes peacefully.

            “I’m glad! I know your family was stressing over that one for a while. Great to put that case behind them.” The bluenet muttered soothingly into her ear, and Yukiko nodded contentedly.

            After a few moments they drew back, and Yukiko’s curious gaze fell on the other man who watched the loving exchange fondly, gloved hands shoved in his beige winter coat’s pockets.

            “Nice to see you back from America, Tomohito! Yoshi-kun’s been looking forward to you getting back all week! What’re you doing outside all alone on Christmas, though? Elise let you out of the house so soon…?” The dark-haired woman tilted her head slightly.

            The baseball star scratched his cheek sheepishly and chuckled in mild embarrassment.

            “She, uh… doesn’t know I stepped away for a bit… I was having a snowball fight with Yoshi when I saw this guy roaming around on his lonesome!” At this, Tomohito smirked good-naturedly while he nudged the bluenet with his elbow, earning a chagrined chuckle from Nagisa. “Yoshi kinda knew I couldn’t ignore my best bud like that, so he went back inside to keep his mom busy while I helped sort out Nagisa here~… Seems like you’re the ones all lonely on Christmas, not me!”

            Yukiko frowned in mild bemusement before turning back to her husband inquiringly, arching an eyebrow.

            “I thought you and Akari went to the cemetery? She’s not with you anymore?”

            Nagisa rubbed the back of his neck again before shrugging nonchalantly.

            “Just thought we could help everyone get back home for dinner… I didn’t forget about you since Rio’s got the car, and Akari’s just making sure mom didn’t get too drunk while catching up with Grip and Gastro. We know Mei’s not gonna have issues getting back on time.”

            “Ahh.” Yukiko made a small sound of understanding, and then her face broke into a wide grin as the baseball pro chipped in again.

            “… Is it still weird that I can’t get over you guys calling Professor Bitch ‘mom’?” Tomohito snorted out a small chuckle, which Nagisa mirrored as he smiled wryly at his friend.

            “A little, yeah! We’ve been doing that for years. You know she’s earned it, too!” The bluenet didn’t really need to defend Irina at this stage in life, but he had a sinking feeling that he knew where his best friend was going with this.

            Tomohito’s smarmy grin only cemented this growing dread in his stomach.

            “She was your first kiss, Nagisa. Just sayin’~!” The baseball star chirped innocently, and just like that Nagisa powerfully shuddered and stared down at the snowy sidewalk in hot embarrassment, cheeks burning up.

            “I-I b-buried that m-memory a while ago, and I’d prefer to keep it that way…!” The bluenet squawked out, face going redder before paling as the air around them grew chillier for some reason.

            Both men blinked owlishly at the ominous feeling, and turned their gaze back to Yukiko, who had a frosty, pleasant, closed-eyes grin as she regarded both of them… though mostly Tomohito.

            “Tomohito-kun… Mom never did that.” The dark-haired woman’s voice was calm. Controlled. Level. The tiniest bit of steel was in there somewhere.

            The baseball pro began to sweat buckets as the temperature seemed to continue dropping.

            “Uh…”

            “Never. Did. That.” Yukiko insisted, and the young man threw up his hands peacefully, knowing a losing battle when he saw one.

            “A-Alright, alright…! Geez. I thought Akari was the only one who cared about that, um…” Tomohito chuckled anxiously at the dark-haired woman’s eyes glaring icy daggers at him. He gulped, slightly backtracking in his inquiry. “… thing that never happened?”

            Yukiko huffed patiently, crossing her arms. The chill in the air died down somewhat, and the guys released breaths they didn’t realize they’d been holding in.

            “I tended to keep my opinions to myself back then… I still do, a little.” She mumbled, eyes darting to the side stubbornly. “I didn’t want to be rude. And if I’m honest, my crush for Nagisa wasn’t that strong yet… B-But…! But there are just some things you just don’t do!!! Wh-Whether I like the boy or not, I-I’m not comfortable with a teacher crossing lines like that…!”

            Nagisa and Tomohito’s expressions became chagrined at the woman’s own admission.

            “I’m onboard with forgetting that whole thing, by the way…” Nagisa waved lamely as he flashed a nervous grin and chuckled weakly.

            Yukiko didn’t seem to register his comment, though. Too caught up in her own recollections as she shook her head fiercely and her eyes blazed with righteous indignation as she dropped her arms to her sides and shouted. … Just a little.

            “A-And anyway, who wants to count that as Nagisa’s first kiss?!?!?! I didn’t like thinking about that in hindsight later that year, and I don’t like it now!!! It’d be one thing if it was Akari-chan, but mom?! Sh-She was just fooling around…! That didn’t count!!!!!” Yukiko squawked as her face heated up terribly in embarrassment, unable to contain her… wrath. Her very flustered wrath.

            Nagisa and Tomohito exchanged a silent look as they privately agreed to never bring this up ever again. Between her, Akari, and Rio, Yukiko was supposed to be the sweet, nonviolent one. Yet both young men knew for a fact that if you pushed her buttons… Yes, even Yukiko-chan could ooze with bloodlust.

            … Not as scary as Akari, mind you. About in the same spectrum as Rio, which is still pretty terrifying… But Akari was top dog when it came to bloodlust. And there was only ever one person that could calm down any of these ladies when their buttons were pushed.

            “Wh-What are you…? Mmph!” Yukiko squeaked and blushed a brighter pink as she belatedly realized what Nagisa was going for.  He wordlessly slithered in, and captured her lips while wrapping her in a hug that she couldn’t and didn’t want to escape from.

            Eventually, the embarrassment and frustration leaked out of her, and she was fervently kissing Nagisa back. Tomohito watched them go at it for several moments before rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, grinning with a smidge of guilt.

            “Still a ladykiller, huh…?” Tomohito chuckled nervously when the pair of husband and wife didn’t seem to hear him, lost in their own world as they kissed and caressed each other. “You, uh… You get her, Nagisa!”

            … The baseball pro felt so awkward standing here, watching this.

            And they were still going…!

            “R-Remember to breathe!! Guys? Guys?!”

            …

            …

            ~*~

            “Wow. When you guys said you needed a lift, you meant it.” Rio muttered, staring nonplussed at the car wreck in front of them, which had been moved to the side of the road to allow traffic through.

            Rio was sitting in Yukiko’s van, Yui and Konan in the middle seats, with the window rolled down so she could talk to her three former classmates. Former classmates that looked haggard and just done with the day while police and emergency vehicles were tending to Terasaka’s totaled vehicle. Clearly, the other driver was already taken away by the authorities.

            “Guy swerved out of nowhere. Relived my childhood for a few seconds.” Hazama spoke up in her usual droll, dreary tone. She honestly looked no worse for wear, despite what she just went through. She shrugged nonchalantly at the stares she got from Rio and her kids. “Kinda nostalgic, mostly depressing. … Forgot to write down a few poems back in fourth grade. Might see if I can recall ‘em later.”

            Rio, Konan, and Yui blinked owlishly. Like always, Hazama was just so… chill. Of course the gloomy woman could get worked up and worried, but considering what they went through in E-Class… Yeah, no. Rio could kinda see why her old classmate was so calm. … Rio couldn’t decide if that made the situation more pitiful or not.

            Poor Konan-chan and Yui-chan didn’t get it, though.

            “Drunk asshole!!!” Terasaka gritted his teeth, hand twitching in aggravation as he huffed out irritably. “Christmas ain’t supposed to be like this! There should be fewer cars on the road and shi…! … Crap.”

            The politician sweatdropped as Rio gave him a look, silently advising him to watch his tongue around her girls. He scratched the side of his head and offered an apologetic expression in return.

            “Mister Itona wasn’t able to fix it?” Yui piped up, tilting her head curiously at the white-haired young man who remained stoic even in the face of this inquiry.

            “I’m more into the electronics, gadgets, and tech stuff… For a job like this you want Taisei. … And even he would probably have to take it to the shop.” Itona spoke matter-of-factly, earning a groan from Terasaka.

            “Yeah, I know…! It’s gonna be a bi- a real pain to get this sorted out… Damnit… And I gotta be outta town for the next few days. Ugh.” The brunet crossed his arms as he growled and grumbled under his breath.

            Rio hummed thoughtfully before shrugging neutrally and flashing the trio a reassuring grin.

            “We’ll get ya sorted out somehow. Maybe Karma can hook you up?”

            “… I don’t wanna owe that guy any more favors.” Terasaka deadpanned, shaking his head stubbornly.

            “You could always ask grandpa for help!” Konan chimed in, only to be shot down again. … By Itona.

            “Terasaka has too much pride. He’ll rent a car first thing in the morning.” The white-haired man sounded so certain of this.

            “And it’ll be in the evening paper, too. The press is always watching.” Hazama nodded sagely along with Itona.

            Itona flushed in deep embarrassment and grumbled louder.

            “S-S-Screw you guys…!!! I’m not scared to ask Mr. K for help!!!!! I can fix my own problems, b-but maybe I will ask for help since it’s on short notice!!”

            Hazama and Itona shared a doubtful glance before both shook their heads again.

            “… Yeah, no.”

            “Don’t see that happening.”

            Rio chuckled at the nostalgic feeling of seeing the Terasaka Gang bickering, and Yui and Konan switched to the back seats to make it easier on Terasaka and Itona while Hazama was granted the passenger’s seat.

            “Well, get in~! You guys said you were headed to Takuya’s place, yeah?”

            The blonde received various affirmations from the trio as they buckled in, though Terasaka was sending a stubborn, uncertain glance back at Yui and Konan.

            “Me and Itona can sit in the back, y’know… We’re kinda imposin’ on you guys enough as it is.”

            The younger bluenette waved her hands peacefully, beaming pleasantly at her mom’s old friend. Konan was the one that gave a verbal answer as she flashed a chagrined expression at Terasaka.

            “It’s cool, Mister Terasaka! You guys are always so nice to us. And survivin’ a car crash like that is punishment enough! It’s okay.” The older bluenette reassured him.

            Itona shrugged nonchalantly, remaining cliff-faced as usual.

            “We’ve been through worse. Terasaka swerved, too. Musclehead probably saved our lives.”

            “H-Hey…!!! You wanna start somethin’?!” The brunet flushed again in embarrassment.

            Any banter was cut off as Yui blinked owlishly for a moment and then piped up.

            “Oh, Miss Hazama? I found those overdue books! S-Sorry… Um. I’ll get them to you later this week. A-Along with the money for ‘em.”

            Hazama remained stoic and just barely peered back at the younger bluenette, waving her off.

            “Just bring ‘em back tomorrow or whenever. You guys are usually in good standing. I’ll waive the late fee this once, call it a Christmas gift.”

Now Karma’s kids, on the other hand… She might have to talk with those boys again. One of them was a whole year late on one book. A faint smirk graced her lips as she mentally noted to give the Akabane household a call this week. Striking terror into those mischievous rascals tended to put her in a good mood~…

            “That’s a bit cheap for a gift, don’tcha think?” Terasaka blurted out without thinking.

            “Eh? You got ‘em something?” Hazama quirked her eyebrow at her husband archly. He reddened again in embarrassment and gulped a little, eyes darting to the side to look out the window guiltily. The gloomy woman smirked lightly again. “That was sweet of you~… Hope you remembered to get something for all Nagisa’s kids.”

            “There’s the six of us, y’know~!” Konan chimed in again, never one to miss a moment to mess with one of their family’s friends.

            And never one to back down when he put his foot in his mouth, Terasaka spluttered desperately.

            “Y-You bet I did…! I’ll, uh, I’ll have to get ‘em to you guys when I get back, though!! Next few days are booked as hell…”

            A moment of reverent silence. … For Terasaka’s boneheadedness.

            “He’s gonna forget by then.” Itona deadpanned, appearing unapologetic when Terasaka glowered at him again.

            Hazama waved off the white-haired boy.

            “Nah. I’ll remind him. Christmas is sacred around here. A promise is a promise~…” The gloomy woman’s Cheshire grin was terrifying like Rio remembered it. Ah. Good times~…

            “Don’t forget the orphans~…!” Rio, similar to her oldest daughter, didn’t miss a chance to tease her old friend. “Nagisa can’t spoil ‘em too much, and they could use some new toys~…”

            “’Can’t spoil ‘em,’ my ass.” Terasaka grumbled under his breath, knowing full well the bluenet practically gave them the moon. That orphanage was incredible.

            Now, the brunet understood why Nagisa tried so hard to keep everyone happy and comfortable… It’s not like his friend didn’t teach the kids to appreciate everything, either. But Terasaka knew those kids didn’t need more toys… That’d just be overkill.

            Still, Terasaka hadn’t visited the mountain in quite some time. Itona went up there on occasion, and Hazama. He was just so swamped with work as a politician. This seemed like the best excuse to drop by, even if his wallet was gonna be aching by the time car repairs and cost for gifts settled into his bank account. … Sigh. He should’ve kept his fool mouth shut.

            Rio grinned nostalgically to herself as everyone transitioned into casual topics again while she kept a dutiful eye on the roads as they drove through the city to Muramatsu Diner. Everyone was so busy with their lives, it just felt awesome to have the excuse to chat up her classmates, even if the circumstances could’ve been better. Apparently, they’d tried calling Isogai, Koki, or Ryunosuke and Rinka to get a ride before trying the Karasuma’s… But all of them were occupied or couldn’t be reached, and Rio didn’t mind hearing from Hazama again. The librarian kept the orphanage pretty well-stocked, but Rio was almost never around when she or the other members of the Terasaka Gang came by. Mostly ‘cause of work or picking up or dropping off kids and stuff.

            Their bonds were still strong, after all these years. E-Class grew up, but they never really drifted apart. Rio was glad some things never changed.

            ~*~

            Akari wasn’t really sure why she volunteered to go and round up mom. It was… productive, maybe… Really big and responsible of her to do that… But the former actress should have known what she was getting into, stepping into a bar… even if it was Christmas. In hindsight, perhaps Akari understood that if she didn’t, Nagisa was gonna do it…

            And. Well. There was no way Akari was gonna leave her sweet, caring husband alone. … With big boobs. Drunken big boobs.

            ‘Okaaay, I might still be a little territorial of him. It’s fine…!’ Akari nodded sagely to herself, feeling no shame in biting the bullet when she remembered this was for Nagisa’s sake.

            Hey. She might have some trauma from seeing mom smush her poor, impressionable Nagisa into those giant melons when they were teenagers… But Akari was fine! Fine!!

            “Hey, look~! It’s Akari~!” Hinano chirped excitedly as the former actress approached their small party, in a back corner of the pub.

            “Akariii~!” Toka gushed, the stench of booze kinda strong on her as she leaped up and closed the gap between her best friend within seconds.

            Akari flashed a chagrined expression as she waved lamely at everyone at Irina’s table while she hugged it out with the brunette. From what she could see, Hinano, Kimura, Toka, Yuzuki, and Koki were all here sharing a drink with their former teacher. They all seemed pretty inebriated, too… So it was probably more than just one drink.

            “Hey, guys! Quite the party~!” The dark-haired woman greeted them warmly. Though her grin suddenly became slightly… forced. “Alright, Toka-chan…! None of that, please!”

            The very drunk brunette kept squeezing, though. Much to Akari’s chagrin.

            “Have they gotten bigger, or is it just me?!” Toka sounded a little too happy for Akari’s liking, so she separated them a bit, hands on Toka’s shoulders as her forced grin remained in place for several moments.

            “… It’s just you, Toka-chan.” Akari assured the intoxicated woman, whose cheeks were so flushed. If her chest had grown, Akari would know. She did literally every trick in the book to make those puppies grow. … And no luck. It sucked!!! “You’re drunk. Very, very drunk.”

            Toka stared blankly at Akari for many awkward moments, sluggishly blinking in bafflement.

            “I’m not… hic! ‘m not drunk.” The brunette stubbornly refuted her bestie’s harsh allegations.

            Akari just patted Toka’s head fondly.

            “You are… But it’s fine~! As long as you’re enjoying yourself!”

            “… maybe I am… hic… a little.” Toka abruptly confessed, wobbling a bit before Akari helped her back down into her seat, next to Irina.

            Yuzuki beamed brightly at the former actress.

            “Stay and have a drink, Akari-chan~! We were just gonna play some poker!”

            Akari’s grin twitched the tiniest bit. She shook her head in faux-exasperation of the mangaka’s not-so-innocent request.

            “Maybe another day, Yuzuki…” Or maybe never. When the girls got together like this, even with Kimura and Koki around, ‘poker’ tended to become the stripping variety. It was just drunk girl antics, and usually they were appropriately shamed when morning came, but Akari was sober right now. And she intended to keep it that way. “I’m just here to remind mom it’s time for dinner~!”

            Irina blinked slowly, as if registering Akari for the first time. The former actress sweatdropped. Was the blonde really that trashed?

            “Sure, I could go for some good food right about now.”

            Akari breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently, mom wasn’t that far gone yet. She scooped up the blonde’s coat and handed it over to her, not wanting to tempt fate.

            She was halted by Irina’s next words. And her coy smirk.

            “After you play a round of poker with us. You never do. Always some bullshit excuse~…”

            Akari facepalmed, dragging her hand down her face. Of course it wasn’t that easy. If Grip and Gastro were long gone, the femme fatale must have cracked open the good stuff. Which meant mom was three sheets to the wind. Just fantastic.

            “Mom…! I’m not playing strip poker!!!” Akari fumed, waving the coat more emphatically in the blonde’s face. It was a little embarrassing, referring to Irina and Mister Karasuma in this way while her friends were very drunk, but she’d been referring to them this way for years. “Dad called, and dinner’s ready!! We’ll be late if we don’t go now!”

            “Better deal out the cards, then.” Irina mused, still utterly fixated on this game… that Akari would not be playing…!

            “C’mon, just one round, Akari-chan~!” Kimura brightly, yet very drunkenly pleaded with her. Koki was quick to follow up.

            “It’s been ages! Catch up with us~! What’s the harm in being a little late~?”

            Akari deadpanned at the unhelpful duo. They knew damn well if she caved here, Akari and the femme fatale would be lucky to return home tonight.

            … Because Akari would need a stiff drink to put up with these shenanigans.

            “Just ooone game~?” Hinano batted her eyes at the former actress, hands clasped together ‘innocently. “Kimura and Koki will be wearing blindfolds~!”

            “Eh? We will?” The men echoed, seeming unable to comprehend how they’d play without being able to see their cards.

            Akari twitched at the incessant peer pressure. On the one hand, she was absolutely putting her foot down, no ifs, ands, or buts. On the other… she did feel a little awful about leaving everyone high and dry when it really had been a while. Akari huffed out a sigh, massaging her head.

            “… Look, why don’t we meet up for New Years? I’m sure Nagisa would love to come, too. And Yukiko. And Rio!” Fingers crossed this would be enough to satisfy her inebriated former classmates.

            Several awkward moments of silence. … And then Irina stubbornly piped up.

            “Sounds fun. Now let’s play some poker~!” The blonde lecherously smirked, licking her lips.

            Akari inwardly screamed as Irina’s tenacity infected the others.