My Father's Son - Chapter 33

[Previous]

“I swear to God, you assholes are the worst fucking friends in the damn universe! What the hell were you thinking?! What the fuck?!”

Eijirou and Denki could only look at each other in confusion, bewildered by Katsuki's outburst. Even though Katsuki knew they didn't understand, knew they had no idea what he was pissed off about, he just couldn't seem to stop the stupid torrent of words that poured from his uncooperative lips.

“Dude, I think you need a break,” Eijirou said softly, patting Katsuki on the shoulder. “Let us take care of the boys, why don't you go read a book or something? You don't get enough downtime.”

“I don't need a break, I need you to stop ruining my life.”

“Katsuki, bro, come on, we never-”

“Just leave it, Eiji,” Denki shrugged. “This isn't the first time he's said that shit, don't worry about it. Seriously dude, go chill, okay? It's been a while since we got to play with Hiro.”

“Like fuck if I'm leaving you with them,” Katsuki scowled, eyes narrowing.

“What?” Denki's eyes widened, horrified and frankly offended. “You always let us come play, what changed? Did we seriously do something that bad?”

“Haaah? Yuuto is fucking terrified of you, shitbag!”

Both of them softened immediately, Eijirou even cracking a smile as he nodded faintly.

“Right, of course! Sorry dude, I keep forgetting how shy he is. My bad!”

Despite his continued mutters, Katsuki led the way upstairs to where the boys were playing, a hint of nervousness in Yuuto's face when he heard the extra footsteps. Hiroki leapt up immediately, throwing himself at them in a babble of excited half-words, and Eijirou and Denki simultaneously forgot about the awkwardness and concern they'd just been holding.

“Uncle Eijirou! Uncle Denki! I missed you!”

“We missed you too, little dude!” Denki swooped in, grabbing him for a hug before Eijirou could beat him to it. “It feels like forever! Did you grow? You feel taller!”

“Always growing!” Hiroki agreed, puffing out his chest proudly. “But it hasn't been that long, Uncle Denki.”

“It feels like it. And this must be Yuuto, I don't think we've met yet!”

Yuuto nodded shyly, scurrying behind Katsuki's legs to hide himself a little. Eijirou grinned when the little blond head poked out to look at them, giving him a little wave.

“It's been a while, Yuuto! You're looking good and strong, you must be eating all your vegetables.”

“I do,” Yuuto whispered, nodding just once. “Dad cooks them good.”

“Yeah, Blasty is a good cook. He's gonna make a good housewife for someone, one day!”

“Shut up,” Katsuki glared, dropping a hand to rest on Yuuto's back. “I'm glad you like them, Yuuto. You wanna say hi to Pikachu?”

Yuuto's fists tightened in his pants, and Katsuki huffed.

“I wasn't telling you to leave, dummy. Wanna come up?”

Yuuto nodded, fears immediately assuaged, and Katsuki scooped him up into his arms. He clung tightly to Katsuki's chest – at least, as best he could when his arms didn't come anywhere close to wrapping around him – and Katsuki rubbed his back lightly as he got settled.

“You know him, yeah? Chargebolt?”

“Aww, Blasty! You called me by my real name!”

“Shut up, I'm talking to my son.”

“I know,” Yuuto confirmed, mumbling the words into Katsuki's shirt. “He makes lightning.”

“Uh-huh. You have one, don't you?”

“Mm-hm. Should I get it?”

“Do you want to?”

Yuuto nodded, and Katsuki smiled a genuine, honest-to-god smile as he bent down, setting Yuuto's feet on the ground.

“Okay, you go get it, we'll be here.”

Yuuto scuttled off without a word, and Denki smiled at his back, watching him go while Hiroki transferred himself across to Eijirou for hugs.

“Papa isn't home tonight,” Hiroki piped up, as he wound his arms around Eijirou's neck. “It's weird.”

“How come? He goes to work and stuff all the time. It's weird for him to go out at night?”

“No. It's weird 'cause he's only meant to have adult time with Daddy.”

“A-Adult time, huh?”

“Hiroki, I swear to God,” Katsuki growled. “We've talked about this.”

“But you guys say it!” Hiroki protested. “Why can't I?”

“Because of the context, you little brat. You don't know when it's weird and when it's okay.”

“That's not fair!”

“When did you get so whiny, huh? What happened to my good little boy?”

“The Bakugou side of him is starting to set in,” Denki sniggered. “Your days are numbered.”

“I just don't like it,” Hiroki pouted, tugging at all the strings of Katsuki's heart – manipulative little thing. “I only want Papa to have adult time with Daddy.”

“That's not how it works, Hiroki. Papa is allowed to spend adult time with whoever he wants, and so am I.”

“But I don't like it.”

“It's not your decision to make.”

“Can't you stop him?”

“He's a big boy, Hiroki. He gets to make his own decisions.”

“I bet you could stop him.”

“We're not having this conversation right now, kid. Quit pouting and play with your uncles.”

“You hear that?” Eijirou grinned, hitching Hiroki up to eye level. “He just admitted we were your uncles!”

“He always admits that, silly!” Hiroki giggled, immediately back to his usual self – Katsuki knew he was faking it. “He calls you uncle too!”

“Oh yeah? Good to know, I'll remember that!”

The group fell silent when Yuuto padded back down the stairs, two little toys held carefully in his hands, and Denki was sniffling before any of them could say a word.

“It's yours?” he blubbered, kneeling down to look. “Even though we hadn't met yet?!”

“I got it when I was little,” Yuuto whispered, holding it out to show him. “It was number five.”

“Number five?!”

“Mm-hm. I got All Might when I was two, and then Downfall, then Suneater and Hawks and then you.”

“Oh my gosh, thank you so much!”

Yuuto stared for a minute as the tears fell down Denki's face, then carefully set his figures down on the living room table, wrapping shaky arms around Denki's neck.

“You shouldn't cry,” he mumbled awkwardly. “Crying looks sad.”

“I'm not sad, Yuuto, I promise.”

“I know,” Yuuto nodded, trembling a little when Denki hugged him back, but allowing it all the same. “But it looks sad.”

“Sorry,” he sniffed, wiping his eyes on his sleeve briefly. “There, all better.”

“Good,” Yuuto nodded, taking a step back with his face flushed pink. “And, um, c-congratulations. I was h-happy when you got in the top ten last time.”

“Thank you, Yuuto! I was happy too! In fact, I'm pretty sure I cried then, too.”

“You did,” Yuuto confirmed, surprised when the adults around him all laughed. “What? He did.”

“Yeah, he did,” Katsuki smiled. “He's a big crybaby.”

“Like Papa.”

“Exactly like Papa.”

“Papa said it was Mr. Chargebolt and Mr. Red Riot who introduced him to his new friend.”

Katsuki tensed up a little, but nodded again all the same, his jaw tense as he considered his words carefully.

“Yeah, they did,” he nodded, unable to resist a glare at the pair of them. “They thought maybe he'd like a new... friend.”

“She's super nice!” Eijirou assured him. “And she's a hero, too! She works with me! I'm sure you'll love her if you meet her!”

Yuuto's eyebrows knitted together, and Eijirou seemed surprised to see it.

“Is Papa on a date?” Hiroki asked. “I know what dates are, you can tell me!”

“Yeah, 'cause you go on them with Ryouji,” Yuuto answered immediately, surprising even Katsuki with the no-hesitation teasing. “And give him kisses.”

“Shut up,” Hiroki whined, cheeks burning pink. “Don't be mean!”

“But you do. I saw you kiss him goodbye!”

“Shhhhhh!”

Yuuto produced a smirk that was far too familiar for Katsuki's comfort, scarily reminiscent of his damn mirror, and ruffled Hiroki's hair despite his whines.

“Yeah, they're on a date,” Denki confirmed. “Cool, right? Papa might get to meet someone he really likes!”

“But she's a girl,” Yuuto argued. “He's not gonna like a girl.”

“Yeah, girls are icky, huh?” Eijirou laughed. “But most adults don't think so!”

“I don't think girls are icky, Papa thinks girls are icky.”

Katsuki clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle his snort, unable to resist when he saw the wide-eyed looks Eijirou and Denki shared.

“Papa likes some girls,” Katsuki reminded him, when he'd had a moment to compose himself. “But it was pretty dumb of them to not even ask, huh?”

“He only liked Mama,” Yuuto objected. “He liked one girl. But he liked lots of boys.”

“True. I guess we'll just have to wait and see, huh?”

Denki still seemed blissfully oblivious, caught up in his confusion over the whole thing – because honestly, he had a boyfriend, how had he not thought to ask Izuku his sexuality first? – but Eijirou had a dawning look on his face, a curiosity in his eyes when he turned to look at Katsuki, getting a glare in return (and the faintest of blushes that Katsuki chose to believe was not noticeable.)

“Katsuki, you should have told-”

“Not now,” Katsuki cut him off sharply. “Hell, not ever, because it's not what you're thinking, asshole.”

“You can talk to me if you w-”

“No.”

Hiroki tugged at Eijirou's jeans to get his attention, smiling a twisted little smirk as he leaned in close.

“I know,” he whispered. “But he keeps saying no.”

“Enough, Hiro.”

“Fine,” he huffed. “Uncle Eijirou, you know Nana is on a date too?”

“No?! That's awesome! With who?!”

“With Grampa Toshi!”

“No way! Oh my god, that's amazing. Go Inko!”

“Yeah! She always comes back smiling and giggling lots! I think she really likes him!”

“That's so cool, I'm so happy for her.”

“Do you giggle after dates with Uncle Denki, too?”

“I do,” Eijirou confessed, shooting Denki a quick little smile. “Do you giggle after dates with Ryouji?”

“Don't be mean!” Hiroki whined, immediately flooding red again as he withdrew. “We don't!”

“Oh, I'm sorry bud, I didn't know it was just teasing! It's okay if you don't like him, you don't have to!”

“He does,” Yuuto objected, watching Hiroki burn even brighter. “He just won't admit it.”

“He's my friend!” Hiroki whined. “I'm too little for a boyfriend, Daddy said so!”

“That's true, you should probably wait until you're a little bigger.”

“Even though they still kiss,” Yuuto pointed out, scrunching up his face. “Gross.”

“Only on the cheek! Friends can do that!”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Yuh-huh!”

Katsuki smiled fondly, dropping a hand on each of their heads and giving them a little shake.

“Yuuto, didn't you wanna show Hair-For-Brains something?”

“Oh! Yeah!”

Hiroki breathed a sigh of relief, with Yuuto successfully distracted, and as Yuuto picked his Red Riot figure back up, Katsuki pulled Hiroki into his side.

“It's okay,” he whispered. “He's just being silly.”

“I know,” Hiroki pouted. “It's okay.”

“Good boy.”

─────

Izuku had no idea what he was expecting when he pulled open the front door, but it was definitely not a young woman dressed all but in rags, wringing her hands as she waited. He slapped a smile on as quickly as he could, but she didn't even seem to notice the surprise that had briefly taken its place.

"Can I help you?" he asked, eyes darting away to make sure the boys were upstairs – he didn't like how wary he'd become of strangers, but he felt like maybe it was a necessary evil. No wonder Katsuki had raised Hiroki with a video intercom at hand.

"I'm, uh, looking for Bakugou. Bakugou Katsuki. Um, does he still live here? I'm sorry, it's been a while."

"We're not sure who that is, sorry," a voice interrupted from the top of the stairs. "Papa, is she your friend?"

"Um, n-no, hun, she just came looking for- For the people who used to live here. Bakugou was the man who lived here last year, remember?"

"Oh! He was super nice!"

"I don't suppose you have a forwarding address, do you?"

"No, I'm sorry, he had his mail redirected," Izuku shrugged. "I wish I could help."

"I guess I'll check with his agency instead, thank you anyway."

"No problem!"

She stepped away, and Izuku watched her go for a moment before he closed the door, sliding the deadbolt across just in case. She didn't seem dangerous, but the way Hiroki had interjected so quickly had set him on edge.

"You should stay away when there are strangers," Izuku said softly, scooping him up for a hug.

"You can't tell them Daddy lives here, Papa. They might be villains."

"Thank you, hun. You're very right. But if they're villains, you don't want to be here if they start trouble."

"But I have a quirk," Hiroki pouted. "I can fight!"

"You're a kid with no fire around to control," Izuku pointed out bluntly, his stomach churning when Hiroki's face fell. "You're gonna be an amazing hero, Hiro, but you have to grow up first. It's better if Papa gets hurt than you."

"No!"

"Yes," he said firmly. "Hiro has his whole life to live! Hiro needs to be the best hero in the world! Papa has already lived a long time."

"I don't want Papa to get hurt."

"I know, hun, but I don't want you to get hurt either. But we're okay, yeah? No one is hurt, it's all over now. Next time we'll check the intercom, like you always tell me. Papa was silly today."

"Silly Papa," Hiroki repeated, nuzzling into the side of his neck. "No more sillies okay?"

"Yeah, no more sillies."

─────

When Izuku heard Katsuki's voice outside, he looked up in surprise. Both boys were staring too, wide-eyed and nervous, and Izuku gave them both a quick hug before he slid out from under their snuggles.

Through the window, he saw a familiar face in the street, Katsuki fuming as he spoke to her in a low voice.

"I'll be right back," he said quickly. "You boys wait here, okay?"

"Be careful Papa," Hiroki said nervously. "No sillies, remember?"

"I know, buddy. It's okay."

He padded down the stairs, cringing when he saw the balled fists and barely contained anger trembling on the doorstep.

"Of course he fuckin' did," Katsuki growled. "I'm a hero, you clearly know that. You think you can just show up unannounced on my damn doorstep and be invited in for tea?! You lost that opportunity when you left a baby in my arms and fucking vanished."

"Oh," Izuku squeaked, eyes wide when Katsuki looked back. "That's who you are."

"Go inside, Deku," Katsuki said sternly. "I'll be in soon."

"Are you sure? You don't need anything?"

"I'm fine."

He hesitated a moment longer, jumping when the door clicked open behind him.

"No no no," he said in a hurry, reaching to push the boys back inside, too late as Yuuto ducked under his arm. "Hey, stop it, go-"

"Oh, look at you!" the lady cooed, bending down and holding out her arms. "It's nice to finally meet you! You wanna come give me a hug?"

"Are you healthy?"

"W-What?" she stumbled, taken aback. "Healthy?"

"I heard some people get sick from their parents," Yuuto clarified. "Do you have any of those?"

"No, sweetie, none at all. You have nothing to worry about!"

"Okay."

He turned around and walked straight back inside, and somehow Izuku was a little proud of him for it. No emotional reaction, no falling for the manipulation, just the one question he cared about and then gone again. Hiroki, on the other hand, stepped forward, winding his arm around Izuku's leg.

"Go inside," he insisted, getting a stubborn little head shake in return. "Go take care of Yuuto for me."

"No."

"I know I shouldn't have abandoned him," she spoke up. "I wasn't in a good place, you know that. I wasn't equipped to raise a child, I knew he'd have a better life with you, but now I want to be a part of it! He's still young, it's not too late for us!"

"You left me," Hiroki yelled, eyes watering. "Not him, and you still haven't said sorry."

Her eyes widened, staring blankly, and Hiroki tore himself away, stomping back to the house with his eyes full of tears. Izuku followed, glancing back one last time at Katsuki's clenched jaw.

"I'll get you a doctor's appointment," he said quietly. "I know why you're here. Go see our doctor, give him your medical records in case we ever need them for Yuuto, and when he tells me he's got them, I'll Send you money. Once. If you come back again, I'm calling the cops."

Hands shaking, Izuku closed the door behind him, hurrying upstairs to find his boys back on the couch, Hiroki's head in Yuuto's lap. Yuuto stroked his hair awkwardly, trying his best to be comforting, but when Izuku returned they quickly parted to let him sit in between.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, pulling them both into his lap. "I know this is really weird, and hard, but just remember we love you, okay? Papa loves you so much, and so does Daddy, and Nana, and Grandma and Grandpa, and all your aunts and uncles and friends. You boys are the most important, most precious things in my life, and I love you so, so much."

Yuuto squirmed a little, and Izuku expected him to pull away from the hug, but instead he just wiggled over, wrapping his arms around Hiroki and hugging him within Izuku's arms. Hiroki swallowed hard, trying valiantly to keep the tears at bay, and Izuku hugged them a little tighter when the front door closed.

"She's gone," he said softly, when he found their little hug-pile in the living room. "I'm sorry you guys had to see that."

"Did she say sorry?" Hiroki asked quietly.

Katsuki swallowed hard, and Izuku could see the torment in his eyes.

"I didn't think so," Hiroki whispered. "You don't need to lie to me, Daddy."

"I'm sorry, Hiro. I don't want to lie, I just wish things were different."

"Did she leave a phone number?"

"No. I'm sorry."

"I didn't think she would," Hiroki shrugged weakly. "I don't want it, but I thought maybe she would try."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"You don't need to say sorry, Daddy. You're the best Daddy ever, it's not your fault."

"You wanna give Daddy a hug too?" Izuku offered.

"Wanna hug everyone."

Izuku had already lost count of the number of times he'd been surprised that day alone, but when Katsuki sat down beside him, it added one more to the list. He leaned into Izuku's side like it wasn't remotely a big deal, wrapping an arm around their little huddle and holding them tight.

"Why did she come now, Daddy? Be honest, okay?"

"There was a news article the other day," he sighed, running a hand through Hiroki's curls lightly. "About the lawsuit, about the hospital messing up. They gave us money so that we wouldn't get them in trouble, and me and Papa didn't really want to get them in trouble anyway as long as they learned their lesson. She saw that in the news and thought maybe she could get that money if she came back."

"And then run away again with the money?"

"Maybe. We can only guess."

"Did you give her any money?"

"A little bit," he admitted. "I said I'd give her money for a doctor, to make sure she's healthy like Yuuto asked, and that if she did that, I'd give her a little bit of money to help her out. Have you guys heard the word 'addiction' before?"

"Like people who drink lots of wine on TV?"

"Yeah, exactly. She's like that, she spends all her money on things like wine, and it makes her sick, but she can't stop. That's a type of sick too, addiction. And it's not a contagious sick, you won't catch it by being too close, but sometimes... Sometimes you can have a genetic predisposition to it."

"Like if your Mom and Dad are addicts, it's easier for you to be, too," Izuku clarified. "But that doesn't mean you are or you will be, it just means you might be a little more... inclined."

"Yeah," Katsuki nodded. "So both of you, as you get older, if you ever feel like you might be sick in some way, you need to tell us. Okay? Even if you're worried you did something bad, you won't be in trouble if you tell us the truth."

"What kind of bad things?"

"Mm... Like when you're at high school, sometimes people will sneak alcohol even though they're not allowed it, and that can make you sick. If you drink too much of it, it's hard to think properly about what you're doing, and you can get hurt. That won't be a problem for a long time, though. We can talk about that more when you're a bit older."

"But it could be something silly, too," Izuku added. "Like you sneak an extra dessert but then you feel really sick after, or you get stuck somewhere or hurt by something you weren't meant to be playing with. And you won't want to tell us and make us mad."

"But we gotta anyway?"

"Yeah, because we don't want you to be hurt or sick, we need to help."

"Mmkay, I'll tell you," Yuuto nodded, patting Hiroki's head awkwardly. "Hirokun too?"

"I'll tell you," Hiroki agreed. "Daddy, can I sleep with you tonight maybe? Just this once?"

"Of course you can," Katsuki nodded, hugging him tighter. "Any time you need it."

"Really?"

"Really. Happiness is more important than independence."

"Papa is good for you," Hiroki smiled faintly, shifting a little to lean his head on Katsuki's chest. "A good influence."

"Yeah?" Katsuki snorted, holding him closer all the same. "Do I need to go back to being Grumpy Dad?"

"You were never grumpy, silly."

"Good, I'm glad."

"You're just happier now. And cuddly."

"Mm, you're big enough now to know when it's okay."

Izuku gently nudged Yuuto into Katsuki's lap to cuddle with them both, kissing his cheek, then Hiroki's, before he stood up.

"I'm gonna go heat up Da- Katsuki's dinner," Izuku informed them. "Then you can cuddle all night."

"Thanks Papa," Hiroki shot him a tiny smile, his eyes not quite keeping up. "I love you."

"I love you too, Hiro."

"I help," Yuuto whispered, untangling himself from the little knot of snuggles. "Dad, take care of Hirokun."

"Yeah, I'll take care of him."

Yuuto followed Izuku to the kitchen with his light little steps, hovering for a moment before Izuku bent down to ruffle his hair.

"You're such a good boy," he praised, smiling when Yuuto blushed. "A good helper, and a super good brother, too. Thank you for being my son."

"You're getting sappy, Papa," Yuuto pulled a face. "I wanna help heat up dinner."

"Thank you. Think we should take Hiro an ice cream too?"

"Yeah!"

By the time they returned to the living room, Katsuki was half asleep in his chair, Hiroki snuggled comfortably in his lap. Yuuto smiled as he skipped over, pressing a paper-wrapped cone into Hiroki's hand, and Hiroki smiled a little more genuinely when he saw.

"Thank you," he yawned, sitting up a little to make room for Katsuki to accept his plate. "You brought my favourite kind."

"Yeah," Yuuto nodded. "Eat it and feel happy, okay?"

"I will."

─────

It broke Izuku's heart to see Hiroki mope around the house, completely unlike himself, but he wasn't sure there was anything he could do or say to make it any better. Yuuto had spent the day following him around, trying his best to cheer him up; Inko had cooked all his favourite foods, showering him with attention and affection; and Izuku had just offered him hugs and wished he could do more.

He'd had to explain the day's events to Inko after the boys were in bed, curled up for cuddles with Katsuki. In hushed whispers he'd told her all about the woman who had shown up and the way she didn't seem to care in the slightest, the way the boys had known it the moment they heard her speak.

“She barely even looked at them,” he'd said solemnly. “And they noticed. They saw the way she looked straight past them.”

As much as they'd both wanted to assure each other that everything would be fine, neither of them could quite manage the words.

“Papa?” Hiroki said quietly, holding out his arms.

“C'mere, my sweet boy,” Izuku cooed, pulling him in for hugs with no hesitation. “It's been a rough day, huh?”

“Mm-hm,” Hiroki nodded, fingers tangling in Izuku's shirt. “Will Papa tell me a story?”

“Of course, buddy. Do you wanna pick one out?”

“A real story, I mean. Not a book story.”

“Oh. I'm not sure I have many of them, but I guess I can try to think of one?”

“Tell me about your date.”

“M-My date?”

“On Sunday,” Hiroki clarified. “You went on a date with Uncle Eijirou's friend.”

“O-Oh. Y-Yeah, I guess I d-did.”

“Was it fun?”

“Mm... Yeah, it was.”

“Did you giggle lots when you came home?”

“Huh? No, I don't think so. How come?”

“Nana giggles after her dates with Grampa Toshi.”

“Yeah, she does,” Izuku laughed. “I think she likes him a whole lot. She blushes when we talk about him, too, and if I ask her about her dates she gets all squirmy and embarrassed.”

“You're not squirmy.”

“No, I'm not.”

“Does that mean you didn't like her?”

“Mm... You know how Lemillion and Suneater are married?”

“I know what gay means, Papa,” Hiroki cut him off. “If you're gay you can say it.”

“Okay,” Izuku laughed. “I'm not really. I'm bisexual, I like-”

“Both, I know.”

“Yeah, okay, good. Yeah, I like both. But... Maybe I like boys more?”

“Okay.”

“Did Katsuki explain all this stuff to you?”

“Mm-hm. 'Cause Uncle Number Two and Uncle Suneater are gay, and Uncle Eijirou and Uncle Denki are bisexual like you, but Auntie Ochako and Uncle Tenya are straight, and some people aren't a boy or a girl so they have lots of different options and words too. I know lots of words. You know about Daddy, too, right?”

“I do, but I wasn't sure if you did.”

“Uh-huh, Daddy doesn't keep secrets from me.”

“That's good. I don't either, I promise.”

“I know.”

Hiroki snuggled in a little closer, resting his cheek on Izuku's shoulder and taking a deep breath.

“Was she pretty?”

“She was.”

“What did she look like?”

“She had very pretty blonde hair, and bright purple eyes. I don't see purple eyes very often, I like people with rare colours.”

“Like green?”

“Exactly,” Izuku grinned, turning his head to plant a kiss on Hiroki's cheek. “When I was little I didn't like my green much, but I got used to it as I got older, and then when I saw it on you I fell in love.”

“Papa is handsome.”

“Hiro is handsomer.”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Yuh-huh.”

“Now you sound like Yuuto,” Hiroki smiled softly. “Red is rare too.”

“Yeah, I like red too,” Izuku nodded. “Like Yuuto's eyes, and my favourite shoes.”

“And Daddy's eyes?”

“And Daddy's eyes.”

“Are you gonna date purple-eyes again?”

“I don't think so.”

“Oh,” Hiroki perked up a little, eyes wide. “You didn't like her?”

“She was lovely, and very pretty, and very funny, but... I think I like someone else better.”

“Are they pretty too?”

“Very.”

“With special colours?”

“Uh-huh.”

“That's good.” Hiroki paused, snuggling back in again. “Me too.”

“You like special colours too?”

“I like someone too,” Hiroki blushed. “I think.”

“Oh yeah? Maybe you should tell me a story, then.”

“Don't pretend, Papa. You know already.”

Izuku couldn't help but laugh, squeezing Hiroki tight in his arms.

“You're allowed to tell me stories I already know. If you want to, I mean.”

“It's embarrassing,” Hiroki whined. “It doesn't matter.”

“How come you never told me about him before?” Izuku pushed, still grinning down at his embarrassed lump of a son. “I didn't know about him until I met him.”

“You did,” Hiroki pouted. “I told you lots!”

“You did? When?”

“I told you lots of stories and showed you lots of texts,” Hiroki pouted. “Didn't you listen?”

“I always listen! But you never told me his name, you have lots of friends!”

“But I only text Ryou,” Hiroki mumbled, blushing brighter again. “Mostly. And I only play games with Ryou.”

“Oh, that word game you like?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I didn't know it was him.”

“Mm-hm. He's lots of fun, and super smart, and his quirks are really cool.”

“Yeah, I didn't get to talk to him much but he seemed very cool.”

“Mm-hm.”

“And pretty.”

“Papaaaa!” Hiroki whined, burying his face in Izuku's shirt. “Don't say things like that!”

“You're very cute,” Izuku laughed. “I'm sorry, I won't tease anymore, I promise.”

“Meanie.”

“I know, I'm sorry. So you guys have been friends since you were babies, huh?”

“We were babies at the same time and Uncle Number Two was worried Daddy might get lonely 'cause he was taking care of me and not talking to his friends.”

“Yeah, I still hear that one a lot about him.”

“Mm-hm. So he said Daddy should visit so me and Ryou could meet each other and be baby-friends. But really it was so Daddy could spend time with adult friends, I think.”

“That's good, I'm glad he still saw his friends sometimes.”

“Uh-huh. And they got to talk about stuff while me and Ryou played. But lots of our playing was just rolling.”

“Because you were too little?”

“Even when we got bigger. We liked to roll on each other.”

An image flashed through his mind of the doorway to a fancy house, and Izuku couldn't help but laugh.

“Is that why you do it when you say hello?”

“When I'm excited,” he nodded. “Not every time. And he always uses his permeation to get away like a big cheater.”

“Is there a story behind the kiss goodbye, too?”

“Papaaaaaa.”

“Sorry, is that another embarrassing thing?”

“Yes!”

“Sorry.”

Hiroki looked up when Yuuto returned from his bath, and Izuku could see relief written all over his face when he found Hiroki looking a little more like himself. He gave them a quick smile from the hallway, stepping into the kitchen to check on Inko's dishes progress, and Izuku moved his lips closer to Hiroki's ear.

“Are you gonna get married like Ryouji said?” he whispered.

“No!” Hiroki squeaked.

“How come? I thought you liked him.”

“Daddy says I can't!”

“Because you're too little?”

“When I'm big, I mean,” he amended. “He doesn't want to be family with Uncle Number Two.”

“Oh sweetie, he's just teasing,” Izuku assured him. “You can marry whoever you want, when you're big enough!”

“But Daddy always says no!”

“What do I always say no to?”

Izuku's head darted up, surprised to see Katsuki framed in the doorway, his costume torn across the middle to show off flawless abs. He hadn't even heard him come in, and a weird hint of fear passed through Hiroki's eyes when he saw.

“D-Daddy, you're home!” he spluttered. “I didn't know!”

“Seems like you guys were having a good snuggle,” Katsuki smiled faintly, falling onto the couch beside them to ruffle Hiroki's hair. “What do I always say no to?”

“Nothing!”

His eyes watered, and Izuku rubbed his back in hopes of being at least a little bit comforting.

“Why are you making that face?” Katsuki asked, cupping a soft cheek in his gloved hand. “Are you okay, Hiro?”

“He's okay,” Izuku assured him. “Just a little embarrassed.”

“How come?”

“He was just telling me about how Ryouji wants to marry him but you say he can't because of Mirio.”

Katsuki's eyes widened, catching on right away, and he reached out his other hand to cradle Hiroki between them.

“Hiro, if you like Ryouji, that's totally okay,” Katsuki said solemnly, so uncharacteristically sincere. “Do you want me to stop teasing?”

“You wouldn't be mad?”

“Haah? Mad about what? About you dating or marrying the kid you've loved since you were a baby?”

“About Uncle Number Two being my husband-Dad.”

“Father-in-law,” Katsuki corrected. “If you can put up with him, then you're perfectly welcome to do it. You're a better man than I am.”

“You're teasing again.”

“Only a little,” Katsuki smirked. “You finally figured out you have a crush on him?”

Hiroki nodded shyly, and Katsuki leaned in, pressing a sweet kiss to Hiroki's hair.

“I'm glad. You two are always super happy together, I like seeing you happy. There are far worse people to be related to than Number Two, alright? I'll never say that again, so don't you forget it.”

“Thanks Daddy.”

“Alright, are we done with the sappy stuff? I need a bath, and it looks like you do too. You wanna come play in the tub with me?”

“Uh-huh! Can I bring my duck?”

“Sure. When did you get a duck?”

“Yuuto bought it for me! He got one for Eri, too, but we haven't seen her again yet!”

“You should've told me. I'll invite them over for dinner.”

“Yeah!”

As they headed for the bathroom, Hiroki snuggled happily in Katsuki's arms, a pair of burning red eyes glanced back over his shoulder. Izuku wasn't sure he'd ever seen that expression before on Katsuki's face, akin to something he could only call gratitude.

He knew already that those eyes were going to be burned into his brain for a long, long time to come.

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