Chapter Text
“Your stomach is HUGE Yaomomo!”
Momo disregarded her pink companion’s outburst, as the creation hero was more than aware of her protruding midsection. She placed the platter of warm cookies on the table and sat out mugs for the hot chocolate she had just made for her guests. While grateful for the help, she was remembering why she preferred the company of Kyoka or even Ochako over that of Mina’s. Still, she loved the pink alien hero all the same and was honestly grateful for her presence.
Thanks to the freshly baked cookies, the large home not only felt warm, but smelled warm and for a brief moment, Momo actually felt at ease, that is, until Mina had another inconsiderate outburst.
“I mean seriously, you are bigger than a house girl-- threatening to burst any moment now.”
Momo threw a disapproving glare at Mina, who rang out a light hearted apology, a smirk still snuggled tightly on her beaming pink face.
Momo waddled over to the box of tree ornaments she had found at her parent’s house and sifted through deciding which ones she would add to the 12 foot tree that stood in her living room. It was already pretty full considering the array of red, blue and gold ornaments Himiko and Shouto had adorned the tree with a few weekends prior. Still, Momo thought it would be cool to add on a few more from her childhood. As a child, she hand selected or handcrafted an ornament each Christmas, and her parents had kept each one until the age of 16.
“Wait! Let me help you. Stop bending over so much, sheesh woman!” Kirishima exclaimed, snatching the box from the floor before Momo could bend any lower.
“Thank you both for your help. Shouto was supposed to be back home yesterday, but flight cancellations because of this weather truly put a dent in his schedule.” she frowned, mindlessly rubbing her large stomach.
“Uncle Red. Up!” Himiko shrieked, reaching her arms high towards Kirishima. He smiled a huge toothy grin at the three year old.
“Aht aht. What do you say when you have a request Miko?” Momo asked, her gaze and tone equally stern.
“Now.” Himiko sang, a wide smile stretching across her face causing Momo to frown again. Kirishima whispered something in the toddler’s ear and her mismatched red and black eyebrows arched beneath her black bang in realization.
“Please!” she exclaimed, and no sooner had Kirishima swept her up into his arms.
“She’s such a princess diva just like her Auntie Pinky!” Mina sang, pinching Himiko’s cheeks lightly causing the toddler to burst into a fit of giggles.
“She’s going to run all over those boys.” Kirishima responded, throwing his head towards Momo’s stomach causing the very pregnant woman to grunt.
“I am going to grab her overnight bag. I really appreciate you two taking her for the night. I need to wrap her gifts. I cannot believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve!”
“It is so exciting! And then at the top of the new year, the boys will make their arrival!” Mina pumped her fist into the air, Himiko copying the excited gesture. Mina smiled widely, taking a huge chomp out of her cookie before giving the other half to her “niece”.
While the smell of cookies lingered behind in the large home, the warmth she previously felt did not. With Himiko off to spend the evening with Mina and Kirishima, Momo was inevitably left home alone-- well, as alone as a woman with two lives inside of her could feel. She still could not believe she was pregnant again… with twins!
While Himiko had been a jarring surprise for the newly wed couple almost four years ago, Momo’s current pregnancy was an active decision between the couple. Unfortunately, it was much harder for her to get pregnant this time around. After trying for a year, they finally sought help. Secondary infertility was no fun-- but it was to be expected considering the fact that Himiko had been a miracle surprise in the first place. Momo did not think she would ever be capable of having kids. To have two on the way, in addition to her princess was still shocking for her.
Now, three weeks out from her due date, the twin boys were truly impacting Momo’s mobility. She laid sprawled out on the couch, wrapping paper, bows, and tape chaotically spread around her. She was out of breath and could not believe the simple task of gift wrapping worked up such a sweat.
Her phone rang and she groaned, slowly sitting up to grab it off of the coffee table in front of her. It was quite a stretch and Momo found it hard to believe that she was supposed to be some fit pro hero.
“Mo-chan! How are you doing dear?” Rei Todoroki sang into the phone before Momo could even greet her properly.
“Oh, hi mom! I am doing okay I suppose. I was just wrapping Himiko’s gifts. How is the trip?”
“It has been… nice.” the woman stated thoughtfully and Momo could almost picture a faint smile on her mother in law’s face as she got lost in thought.
“Enji has changed, a lot.” she finally added on.
“That’s great. You still don’t have to be with him you know? Though I am looking forward to us all being under the same roof during gatherings finally.” Momo rambled. While she wanted the Todoroki family to forgive Endeavor for his past, she was not in favor of forgetting it all. She wanted everyone to be civil for the sake of the family. That did not mean that she expected her in-laws to renew vows or anything crazy.
“Yes yes Mo-chan. You, Shouto and Natsuo won’t let me give in so easily.” she chuckled.
“Speaking of Shouto, you know he still hasn’t made it home yet. I am worried he won’t make it back in time for Christmas.” Momo sighed, her heart feeling heavy. He had been gone on a mission for two weeks and she missed him so much. Rei Todoroki occupied the couple’s guest house on the property, but since she had been on this trip with Enji, Momo had felt lonely.
“Oh no. We have not had a chance to speak yet. The snowfall is pretty bad in some places. I will be keeping my fingers crossed that he makes it back in time. How are the boys?”
Momo rubbed her hands over her stomach in smooth, slow circles. “They are restless.-- though not nearly as active as their sister was” she finally responded.
“Well my dear, keep me posted on everything! See you on Christmas!”
The two Todoroki women bid their farewells and Momo ended the call before checking her text messages. The group chat with the girls was lively. Ochako had filled the group with pictures of her and Izuku’s mountain getaway causing Jirou to compete by posting pictures of her and Denki’s ski trip. Momo smiled, knowing that Denki was finally going to pop the question to Jirou on tomorrow. Tsu hated the cold and Toru accompanied her on a beach vacation. Their sunny, sand filled photos seemed out of place in the chat. Mina dropped in a selfie with her, Kirishima and Himiko, which by default, shifted the entire conversation.
Kyoka: Don’t think that ur taking my place as #1 auntie Mina Ashido!
Ochako: What makes u so sure that was ever reserved for u in the first place? ;-)
Mina: Himiko practically looks like she could be our child! Her hair is one shade off from Eijiro’s! ^_^
Tsu: He’s not a natural redhead Mina.
Toru: Yeah. 100% sure the carpet does NOT match the drapes… right? Surely he doesn’t dye down there 2.
Momo: Highly inappropriate question. Mina, do not respond, for the sake of the rest of us, please.
Mina: The world may never know ;-)
Momo hit the off button and flopped back into the couch cushion smiling at her phone before yawning. One little nap would be just fine, then she would clean up this mess.
“Ayo Blasty McSplode-Bro!!! Open the door, would ya?” Kirishima shouted.
“GO AWAY SHITTY HAIR!” he heard from the other side of the door. He smiled. “Happy to be here too bro! Open up.”
He heard hefty footsteps stomp towards the door before it flung open, a scowling Bakugo on the other side of the threshold. Kirishima gave a huge toothy grin to his best friend before squeezing past him and making himself comfortable on the blonde’s couch.
“What the fuck did I do to deserve a visit from you?” Bakugo huffed, flopping onto the other end of the couch.
Kirishima took a quick glimpse around the stark condo. Another year that Bakugo didn’t even attempt to decorate for the holidays. He was truly the grinch who stole Christmas.
“Wanted to invite you over to our place tomorrow for Christmas. You can’t spend another Christmas alone dude.”
“Why the hell can’t I?”
“Because I won’t let you.”
“Since when do you care? You’ve made friends with the enemy.”
Kirishima furrowed his brows tightly, a sad frown making an appearance on his usually happy face.
“That’s not fair bro. You know Mina and Momo are close… naturally we’re around them a lot. Besides, you and I both know Todoroki is a good guy.”
They sat in silence for a moment, Kirishima sorting through his thoughts and selecting his next set of words carefully.
“You’ve been back for over three years now bro. You can’t wallow in sadness for forever. Everyone misses you. And don’t get me wrong, I love our one-on-one quality time, but I want all of my best bros together in the same place sometimes, ya know?”
Bakugo’s red eyes pierced into his and just for a moment, Kirishima saw sadness gloss over before the glare returned.
“I told you before you left that you were making a mistake.” he started, his voice almost at a whisper. He needed to test the waters; needed to see if Bakugo would be receptive to hearing what he had to say.
And he had told Bakugo that he was making a mistake, repeatedly. He warned his best friend that if he broke up with Momo and went to America for three years, things would drastically change between them-- especially given the sucky way he had called it quits with the woman. The stubborn explosion hero did not listen, and during all three years, Kirishima had to keep tabs on Momo. Though Bakugo pretended like he did not care, Kirishima knew better. He knew the reason why he received so many phone calls from his usually standoffish friend was because through him, Bakugo could keep up with Momo.
When he shared news that Momo had been depressed after the breakup, resulting in a hospital visit for not eating, he knew it hurt Bakugo.
When he casually mentioned that Todoroki had been hanging around a lot with Momo, he knew it upset Bakugo.
When he had to break the news that Momo and Todoroki had become official, he knew Bakugo was livid.
When he had avoided Bakugo’s calls because he knew the news of their marriage had become public and he did not want to be the one to have to confirm it, he knew Bakugo was shattered.
And when Bakugo found out that Tiny Todoroki was on the way, he knew his best friend would live with a world of regret of what could have been and maybe even what would have been, had he not broken things off with Momo.
Bakugo’s shoulders slumped instead of tensing up for confrontation and Kirishima took that as a sign that he could continue with the convo. “ She was a good one, and I am sure it hurts that she has moved on. I totally get it. She may forever be the one that got away, but you have to be a man and own up to your mistake and move on. You’re an eligible bachelor bro! No offense, but you’ve been a little bratty boy bro. BE. A. MAN!”
Before Bakugo had a chance to respond, Kirishima’s phone went off. Seeing Mina’s picture appear on the lock screen prompted him to accept the call in the middle of the conversation.
“Babe-- the twins are coming! Momo called me for a ride to the hospital, but you have the car. You have to go get her!” Kirishima’s eyes grew wide and excitement bubbled over causing him to act before responding. He immediately hung up.
“We… we got to go…. NOW!”
“Sho… they’re coming.” Momo whispered into the phone. Shouto’s face dropped and the expression on his face caused her heart to drop.
“Mo-- no. I can’t miss this.” he croaked into the phone. “It’s too soon. Tomorrow is Christmas. They’re not due until the middle of January.”
Momo gave a sympathetic smile into the phone screen.
“I know baby, but they’re ready. I’m so sorry I will try to hold out for as long as I can.” she whispered and she could have sworn she saw tears welling in his eyes. He looked away.
She had only seen her husband cry once in their four years of marriage and almost ten years of friendship.
“Okay.” he grunted. “Are you okay? Who is going to take you to the hospital?” he asked, any indication of tears or sadness now gone.
“Kirishima is on his way. Himiko is still over at their place, but Mina said he ran out and had the car.”
He nodded into the camera. A contraction hit and Momo wailed out in pain.
“You got this. You are so strong.” he stated into the video, talking his wife through her contractions.
A knock at the door startled Momo. “I love you Sho. Please get home safe.”
As she ended the call, Kirishima bursted through the door and her heart paused when she met the red eyed gaze of Katsuki Bakugo.
“You’re as fucking big as a house, Ponytail.” he scoffed, causing her to smile. For a moment, things felt normal between them and she wondered if the past few years of damage could be undone. Her thoughts were interrupted as another contraction hit.
“Oh fuck. Shitty hair, grab the bag. Come on Ponytail, I gotcha.” Bakugo huffed, draping Momo’s arm over his shoulder as he steadied his arm around her waist.
“BAG? What bag!? Be a bit more specific dude!”
“My hospital bag, its… its in the closet...over there.” she mumbled, the pain increasing by the second. She watched Kirishima poke his head into the closet, hastily grabbing the bag before making his way to Momo’s other side.
“Alright Mama Bear, lets getcha to the hospital, STAT!”