My Father's Son - Chapter 5

[Previous]

When Izuku woke up, it took a moment for him to figure out where he was. His bed was so warm and comfortable, layered with thick, fluffy blankets, but when he rolled over there was no little lump lying beside him.

Neither Izuku nor Yuuto ever started on the same futon, but by the time they woke up in the morning it always happened. Somehow Izuku would roll over until he met the warm blob, or Yuuto would crawl in under Izuku's blankets to snuggle up against him. To wake up without him there was strangely disorienting, but he supposed it was natural. They weren't going to share a bedroom forever – Izuku had been trying his best to save up enough money that they wouldn't need to share a room anymore, but with rent and power and water and groceries and Inko's sudden hospital bills the year prior and the ongoing medicine costs that followed, it just wasn't feasible.

He was lucky that such a large portion of her medical expenses were covered by the government, frankly. When he'd looked up her condition online, most of the posts were stories about families going bankrupt to cover the costs. Every day, he thanked every God he knew that they lived where they did, and not in a country where they wanted to earn a profit on his mother's illness.

There were a lot of things that could help with her condition, too: a warm home, more time to rest, consistent medication instead of trying to stretch the pills until the next government payment. Izuku tried his best, but as Yuuto got older and started running into school costs, new clothing as he grew so quickly, extra food as his appetite grew with him, it was becoming more of a struggle to keep up.

At least when he started school they'd be able to take on more work hours, instead of needing to be at home with him, but that, too, made him feel sick to his stomach. Schooling didn't cost much if he just went to the local one, but Yuuto had always been such a bright kid, had always been aiming so high. He hated the idea that Yuuto might suffer because Izuku couldn't provide him with a better education.

“Papa?”

He raised his head to see a little blond in fluffy pyjamas standing in his doorway, and he cracked a smile as he rubbed sleep from his eyes.

“Morning, sweetie.”

Yuuto shut the door behind him and dove into bed, snuggling up in Izuku's arms.

“I missed you too,” Izuku teased. “It was weird not having you here.”

“My bed was really comfy,” he hummed into Izuku's chest. “I slept all night, nice and warm.”

“Me too.”

“I like sleepovers.”

“Me too,” Izuku repeated, his voice much fainter. “I'm sorry I can't give you all the things Hiroki has.”

“It's okay, Nana is more important than toys.”

“You're such a good kid. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Papa.”

They were words he only ever heard when Yuuto was tired or sick, but every time those little hands curled against his chest and that little face snuggled into him, he knew it anyway. He still teared up every time he heard them, though, and that morning was no exception.

In a moment of weakness, he kissed Yuuto's fluffy spikes. He wasn't quite as sharp and explosive as Katsuki, but Izuku would have had to be a fool to not realise the resemblance.

“There's something I need to tell you,” he whispered. “And it's kind of big news.”

“What is it, Papa?”

“Mr. Bakugou asked if maybe we'd like to live here with them.”

“Really?”

“Mm-hm. It turns out we might kind of be family, in a way. So he wants us to come here with him and Hiroki.”

“Are we gonna?”

“I think we should try it, unless you don't want to.”

“I want to, but only if Papa is still here.”

“Of course, baby! I would never let you go.”

“Is that why Hiroki asked if I wanna be his brother?”

Izuku smiled to himself, nodding against the fluffy blond locks.

“Yeah, Katsuki must have told him.”

“Nana will come too, right?”

“Of course. And, um, she might not need to work as much, so she can spend more time resting and remember to get her medicine.”

“That would be nice. I like it when she can play and not hurt.”

“Me too, sweetie. You think we should try it out, then?”

“Uh-huh.”

“If you change your mind, or if it doesn't work out, or anything, you just let me know, okay? I'm gonna keep doing lots of work and I'm gonna save up all my money, so if it doesn't work out, we'll be okay still.”

“Okay. I'll tell you.”

With a yawn, Yuuto tilted his head, finally meeting Izuku's eyes. He'd always thought Yuuto's eyes were so gorgeous, with their vibrant, fiery red, always just slightly narrowed as if he were constantly lost in thought.

“Am I gonna keep sharing Hiroki's room?”

“You can share with Hiroki or you can share with me, or if you really want, you could even share with Nana. Sorry I can't get you your own room just yet.”

“I don't want my own room, I would get lonely,” he pouted. “I wanna stay with Papa.”

“Good, I would miss you,” Izuku smiled, hugging him tight. “Maybe when you're a bit older, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Think we should get out of bed now?”

“Maybe when I'm a bit older.”

Izuku laughed brightly, and Yuuto grinned up at him, delighted by his father's joy. For another ten minutes they snuggled up to snooze, but when they heard footsteps climbing the stairs they reluctantly rolled themselves off the bed.

“Morning Mom,” he yawned, running a hand through his hair as he stepped out of the room. “Did you sleep okay?”

He looked up too late, flushing bright red down his chest as he took a step backward, almost crashing into Yuuto in the process.

“I'm so sorry!” he squeaked. “M-My mother was sleeping downstairs, I thought-!”

“It's quite alright, hun,” the lady flashed him a familiar smile. “I hope we didn't wake you.”

“No, no, not at all! I was just- We were just- Oh my gosh I'm so sorry just let me go put a shirt on.”

The lady laughed as Izuku scurried back to the bedroom, mortified, retrieving his shirt from the day prior and pulling it over his head.

“I'm Mitsuki,” she informed him, when he returned fully dressed. “Katsuki's mother.”

“Mother?” he asked in disbelief, eyeing her over. “Oh, I- that was rude, I'm sorry! You, uh, you don't look old enough to have a son his age.”

“Well aren't you the sweetest?” she cooed, dragging him into a hug. “Midoriya, right?”

“Oh, s-sorry! Yes! Midoriya Izuku, but just Izuku is fine! And this- wait, where did you go? Yuuto?”

He peeked out from the bedroom doorway, and Izuku waved him over to join them.

“This is Yuuto. Say hi, sweetie.”

“Good morning, I'm Yuuto.”

“It's lovely to meet you, Yuuto! My name is Mitsuki!”

“Are you Hiroki's Grandma?”

“I am! I hear you're gonna come to the pool with us today, are you excited?”

Yuuto nodded faintly, taking a step closer to Izuku's leg, and he smiled as he laid a hand on the tiny back.

“He's a little nervous,” Izuku explained. “He's never been swimming before.”

“Never ever?” she asked, watching him nod again. “That's so cool! You're gonna have so much fun!”

“Grandma!” Hiroki burst the moment he saw her, throwing himself at her before he'd even made it all the way down the stairs. “I didn't hear you arrive!”

“Hey little man!” she grinned, catching him for a hug and whirling him around. “I didn't want to wake anyone up!”

“Did you meet Yuuto and Mr. Midoriya?” he asked, pointing at them over his shoulder. “Yuuto is my best friend!”

“I did! They're both very nice, aren't they?”

“Uh-huh! The best!”

She set him down carefully, and he took a moment to look around, surprised.

“Where's Grandpa?”

“He got called into work this morning, somebody had a biiiiiig wardrobe malfunction for their runway show this afternoon and he has to go clean up their mess. So it's just me! He'll be back after lunch!”

“Okay!”

He skipped back over to the stairs, picking up two little duffle bags he'd brought with him and handing one to Yuuto.

“Swimming stuff!” he explained needlessly. “And Mr. Midoriya, Daddy said to give you these.”

He held out a little pile of clean clothes, and Izuku almost refused before he remembered he was talking to a five year old.

“Where is your Daddy?”

“He went to work!”

“And just left you here without a parent?”

“You and Mrs. Midoriya were here.” He tilted his head slightly, confused. “Aren't you an adult?”

“I normally come over earlier,” Mitsuki explained, “but he told me to come a bit later since you were here. I'm sorry, I thought he was going to tell you first.”

“No, no, it's fine! I was just worried he did it when we weren't here, too!”

“Katsuki would never,” Mitsuki laughed. “He's such a protective Dad, it's very cute. I never expected him to be the paternal type, you know? He never really planned on having kids, and then suddenly this baby was on his doorstep, and I had the gorgeous little grandson I'd always dreamed of!”

Hiroki giggled when Mitsuki pinched his cheeks, and Izuku couldn't help but smile down at him.

“We were the same,” he said softly, hugging Yuuto a little closer when the hand curled into his pants. “We didn't plan it, it just happened. And then, um, when he was born, she...”

“My Mama died having me,” Yuuto finished, when Izuku choked on his words. “I never met her.”

“Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry!” Mitsuki pulled them both into a hug, and Hiroki tacked himself onto the pile in a hurry. “You poor thing, that must have been so hard.”

“I'm lucky Yuuto was a cuddly baby,” he grinned, blinking back pinprick tears that never seemed to stop showing up, no matter how many years passed. “I spent lots of days and nights giving him snuggles.”

“Papaaaaa,” Yuuto whined, thumping his thigh lightly. “Don't tell people embarrassing things!”

“Sorry sweetie, I won't do it again.”

“You say that every time!”

“Sorry, sorry! Alright hun, I'm gonna go check on Nana and see if she's coming to the pool with us, okay? Do you need to get ready to go?”

“All done, I brushed my teeth and got dressed!”

“Good job, I'm proud of you. Alright, you hang out with Hiroki and Mrs. Bakugou, I'm gonna go get ready.”

As much as he wanted to reject the clean clothes, Izuku knew he stank. He'd showered the night before and put his dirty clothes right back on, since their sleepover was so impromptu. He should have known from the beginning that Katsuki would find a way to make them stay longer, especially with such a cute little kid on his side who would happily do his bidding.

With a sigh, he changed into the clothes, fastening the belt nice and tight to hold up pants that were far too big for him, and doing some swimming of his own in the soft black t-shirt. He was gonna have to learn to carry a change of clothes, if this kept up.

Or learn to say no to Katsuki's smirk.

The first option seemed a lot easier.

─────

Yuuto was a little apprehensive as he stepped into the shallow pool, but Hiroki held his hand tight, beaming his usual bright smile at the teacher.

“Hirokun!” she grinned, pulling him into a hug. “How was your week?”

“The best week ever! This is Yuuto, he's my best friend!”

“It's nice to meet you, Yuuto! My name is Tsuyu, I'm friends with Hirokun's Dad.”

“It's nice to meet you Miss Tsuyu.”

“I hear this is your first time in a pool,” she continued, smiling wide. “You're gonna have so much fun.”

It took a few minutes for him to settle in, but soon the boys were giggling and blowing bubbles together, splashing around in the water like it was their second home.

Izuku glanced over at Mitsuki and found her smiling at the pair, a strange softness in her eyes.

“He looks so much like Katsuki,” she explained, when she caught him looking. “I never met the woman who gave birth to Hiroki – or to Yuuto, I suppose, technically – so I just assumed he looked like her. He was never going to have another kid, so I just accepted that my grandson wasn't going to look like him, like me.”

“He doesn't want more kids?”

“It's not really about the kids. He was never going to have another girlfriend.”

“Why not?”

Her smile wavered a little, for the briefest of moments, before it was back in full force.

“This isn't really my business to talk about, I'm sorry. I got a little carried away! It's just so nostalgic seeing a little blond boy running around getting into things. Katsuki was always curious, wanted to know what everything was and how everything worked.”

“Yuuto is a little nervous,” Izuku told her, surprised by how attentively she listened. “It's probably my fault, I'm not the most confident either. He likes to try things, but he has to do it at his own pace. If it's something he's done before, he's a natural leader, but new things not so much. If I had asked him if he wanted to go swimming, he'd have said no way. But hearing that his new best friend does it, he suddenly needs to know what it's like. I can never guess how he's going to react to anything.”

“He's more than welcome to keep attending,” Mitsuki informed him, smiling when he cringed. “If you'll excuse us for the gossip, Katsuki told us you don't have a lot of money. I'm sure you've realised by now that he makes a good living as a hero, and he's more than happy to pay a few extra dollars for Yuuto to get the same opportunities Hiroki gets.”

“I know he is, he's very generous, it's just... awkward.”

“Can I ask why?”

Izuku paused for a moment, contemplating all the swirling thoughts and emotions that filled his head.

“I don't want to feel like I owe him something,” he said finally. “I feel like... I'm inadequate. Like I screwed up.”

“Oh, honey, no!” Mitsuki threw an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in close, shaking her head. “It's nothing like that, sweetie!”

She hugged him tight, and Izuku leaned in a little, her touch strangely addictive.

“Masaru and I were lucky enough to be able to give Katsuki a lot of opportunities, growing up, and coupled with a whole lot of hard work, he got to where he is today. Just because you didn't have the same luck that he did, doesn't mean you've done anything wrong! You and your Mom have been through some tough times that we were lucky enough to avoid, and you've been so strong through it all! You're not inadequate at all, Izuku – you might be stronger than any of us!”

Izuku didn't realise the tears were spilling over until his mother returned from the vending machine, pausing in the middle of handing him his drink to gawk at him instead.

“Izuku, honey! What's wrong?!”

“It's nothing, Mom,” he laughed, wiping his eyes. “Mrs. Bakugou is just being super sweet, and you know what I'm like.”

She sat down beside him, wrapping an arm around his waist and shuffling in closer. With one on each side trying to comfort him, the stupid tears just flowed harder, and he couldn't help but laugh at himself.

“Izuku,” Mitsuki said softly, stroking his shoulder. “I know you want Yuuto to have an easier life than you two had.”

“I do,” he agreed, sniffling. “I just thought I would be the one to give it to him.”

“You will be,” Mitsuki smiled. “Just between you and me, Katsuki's forgotten what the word fun means. So you take those boys and you play with them. Let Katsuki handle education costs and new clothes and swimming and music lessons, you're in charge of making sure they're happy.”

“Hiroki is happy, though. Even without me.”

“He likes getting praise from his Dad,” she smiled wryly. “He does things with a smile because his smart Daddy tells him they're good for him. And when he does well, Katsuki gives him all the praise in the world, and that makes him happy.”

“Cram school,” Inko smiled faintly, letting out a long sigh. “He's so young for that.”

“He is,” Mitsuki agreed. “But Katsuki wants him to have his choice of career options one day, whatever he may decide. The best way to do that is to make sure he has the best possible education, every opportunity to discover what it is that he loves and is passionate about. The best universities start with the best high schools, which start with the best middle schools and primary schools and kindergartens. He's not going to risk his kid's future just because he has to do extra homework.”

“You make it sound sensible,” Izuku groaned, covering his face with his hands. “How am I supposed to have fun with them if they're stuck in school all the time?”

“They have evenings, and weekends, and holidays, and sick days, and a thousand other days that they're going to need someone. And Katsuki does too, you know? He works very hard, I'm sure you know that, and sometimes he works incredibly long hours, then he has to come home and deal with cleaning that big house, buying groceries, cooking good, healthy meals, and trying to be a good role model and a good Dad along the way.”

“I can cook and clean,” Inko laughed. “I'm sure I can take some of that weight off his shoulders.”

“If you can do that and be happy, then do it. Let him take a weight off your shoulders financially, while you take one off his, with chores and kids.”

“What if we have a fight or something?” Izuku asked quietly.

“Then you'll work it out like adults,” Mitsuki smirked. “You know, he was a super angry kid. Very proud and very conceited. He yelled constantly, fought with everyone, but the next day he would still come back. So if you fight with him, just give him time to cool off and he'll come around. He's gotten better since Hiroki, trying to set a good example.”

“Does he ever... I don't know, see his friends? Go on dates?”

“If he's not working, he's taking care of Hiroki.”

“I feel kind of bad,” Izuku mumbled. “I love spending time with Yuuto, but sometimes... You need a minute, right? To hang out with adults.”

“We always offer to babysit, but he doesn't want to feel like he's abandoning his kid for trivial reasons. Who knows, maybe he'll let you take the reins occasionally.”

“I'll do my best.”

He scrubbed a few last tears from his face, waving when Yuuto looked up at them in the stands.

“Thank you, Mrs. Bakugou.”

“Mitsuki, dear. We're family now.”

─────

When Izuku stepped into the apartment, it hit him extra hard to see exactly how shabby it was. The paint was peeling, the furniture was old and saggy, and everything was so small. It had never seemed so bad until he'd had a taste of something else. Something better.

“What did you think of the piano, Yuuchan?” Inko asked, as she followed Yuuto into the living room. “Is that something you'd like to try?”

“It's boring,” he pulled a face, pausing for a moment. “Hiroki thinks so too, but Mr. Bakugou says it's good for him.”

“Like vegetables,” Izuku teased, poking at his chubby little cheek. “Sometimes things that are good for you aren't the most exciting in the world.”

“You think I should do more piano?”

“Hmm... What about another instrument?” he suggested, locking the front door behind them. “It doesn't have to be piano, but an instrument would be good for you!”

“We could look at a few and see if anything stands out,” Inko offered. “I'm sure we could find some videos and things.”

“Okay, I'll try.”

Izuku pulled open the fridge, sighing when he found the shelves bare, even though he really should have expected it.

“What do you guys want for dinner?” he asked, shutting it again in a hurry. “I'm gonna have to run to the store.”

“I wanna try carrots again.”

“Yeah? Awesome, I'll be sure to get some carrots. Anything else?”

They were interrupted by a loud knock at the door, all three of them equally surprised to hear it, but Izuku walked toward it anyway. They were probably being too noisy again, the neighbour was always on them about Yuuto's voice being too loud, he would have to smooth it over and ensure they only spoke in whispers the rest of the night.

With his best apologetic smile on his face, he pulled the door open, freezing when he saw the conceited little smirk waiting on the other side.

“What, you're not packed yet?” he asked, as if it were the simplest question in the world. “We came all this way to pick you up and you haven't even packed a bag?”

“W-What?” Izuku stumbled, eyes darting down to Hiroki's cheeky grin. “Y-You-? Um, c-come in?”

Katsuki stepped past him without waiting for a second invitation, kicking his shoes off at the door and padding inside in thick black socks.

“What, you two as well?” he asked, feigning disbelief. “It doesn't surprise me from the nerd, but I expected better from you two.”

“I'll help Yuuto pack!” Hiroki giggled, taking him by the hand and heading for the bedroom. “You help Mrs. Midoriya, Daddy! Don't make her bend over!”

“Good plan, thanks bud.”

The kids disappeared into the bedroom, but still Izuku could only stare as a long finger prodded him in the chest.

“Come on, I need to start cooking dinner, go get some clothes and shit. Unless you want to wear more of mine?”

He plucked pointedly at the dark t-shirt Katsuki had left with Hiroki early in the morning, and Izuku blushed bright red.

“One night,” he stuttered finally. “Since you already got Yuuto excited.”

“Oh please,” Katsuki snorted. “I'm gonna keep getting him excited every night, and you know it.”

“One night,” he reiterated. “Yuuto has kindergarten in the morning!”

“Taken care of. Hiroki's teacher is delighted to have him join the class tomorrow and see if he wants to stay until school starts.”

“You can't just change his school without even asking me!”

“I signed your contract, nerd. You agreed that I get to pick the schools, and that's exactly what I'm doing. He'll have to borrow Hiroki's spare uniform, though. I haven't had a chance to pick one up for him yet.”

“You're not serious.”

“I'm dead serious. Now are you gonna pack a bag or do I need to do it for you?”

“You're impossible.”

“I'm a hero, Izuku. I always get what I want.”

With a smile that could lead anyone to hell and back, Katsuki escorted Inko to her bedroom, ignoring the quiet grumbles behind him as Izuku sulked. Inko smiled warmly as she closed the bedroom door behind them, dropping her voice to the quietest of whispers.

“You learned to handle him very quickly, didn't you?”

“What, not giving him a choice about anything?” Katsuki snorted. “Yeah, I learned on day one that he can't make a damn decision about anything.”

“He's a very proud man, he doesn't like to admit when he needs help. I think you two have that in common, don't you?”

“Haah? What's that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, dear!”

With a scowl on his face, Katsuki eyed the sparse furniture in the room.

“Do you own this stuff or rent it?”

“We own most of it, the appliances stay with the apartment.”

“Are you sentimentally attached to any of it?”

“Not at all, it was just the cheap things.”

“Alright. You grab all your clothes, then. Do you have a bag somewhere?”

“I believe so! Let me take a look.”

She shuffled over to the closet, reaching for one on a high shelf and giggling when Katsuki reached over her head to grab it.

“Thank you, dear! I'll make a start on my clothes.”

“Be careful. Can I take these books?”

“Of course!”

He dropped his backpack to the ground, producing a few rolls of fabric and shaking them open, lining up a set of thin cloth shopping bags at his feet. Carefully he took handfuls of books and photo albums from the little shelf on the wall, stacking them neatly and taking another quick look around.

“Anything else in here?”

“I don't think so!”

“Okay, I'm gonna move on, then. Yell if you need anything, don't hurt yourself.”

“Thank you very much!”

He took his bags out to the living room, grabbing some more books and a much heavier album, smiling when he saw Yuuto's name on the cover. He'd have to ask about that later.

The windowsills were next, little statues and knick-knacks arranged across them, but he had something for those, too. From his bag came a hard-shell case, and he plucked yesterday's newspaper from the recycling, wrapping each item carefully and arranging them inside.

By the time Izuku emerged from the bedroom, every personal item from the kitchen, living room, and Inko's bedroom were all in Katsuki's car downstairs. He'd made a couple of trips up and down the stairwell with Inko's guidance on what to take, and he only smirked again when he returned to find an unimpressed Izuku in the doorway.

“I said one night, Katsuki.”

“And your mother said take it all,” he sneered, shouldering past him. “Hiroki, how are you guys doing in there?”

Hiroki popped out immediately with his backpack stuffed full, Yuuto right behind him with his own. All that was left behind was Izuku's belongings, and the shelf of hero merch they clearly prized so much. The clothes and durable things had been easy, they could just be thrown in bags, but he had to consider the figures a bit more carefully.

“Hey, Yuuto, do you have any cardboard boxes?” he asked, gesturing toward the shelf. “We can box these up safely and take them with us.”

“I think so!” he nodded, darting back in to rifle through a closet. “Like these?”

Sure enough, he dragged out a stack of boxes of different sizes, kept from various pieces of mail and packaging from their purchases. Katsuki nodded, kneeling down to help, and Hiroki grinned when he saw Izuku's frown.

“Daddy said you would complain,” he giggled, when Izuku caught him watching. “But I don't wanna wait! I'm excited for you to come live with us!”

“Does he tell you exactly what to say to me?” Izuku accused, bending down to meet his eyes. “Did he coach you on that sentence in the car?”

“Of course not, Mr. Midoriya! I just want you to come be happy with us!”

“He coached you on that one, too, didn't he?”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” he smiled sweetly. “Daddy would never!”

“I can't win with you, can I?”

“Nuh-uh! Daddy says heroes never lose, and I wanna be the best hero ever!”

Izuku sighed, conceding a little nod as he tugged on a green curl.

“Manipulative little thing.”

“Uh-huh!”

“Do you even know what that means?”

“Uh-huh!”

“I give up.”

“Finally!” Hiroki grinned, dragging him back to the closet. “The rest of your clothes, Mr. Midoriya! There's lots of room in your closet at home, don't worry!”

“Alright, alright,” he smiled faintly, reaching for a handful of hangers. “You win, Hiroki. You, and you alone, definitely not your Dad.”

“Yay! Now I'm the best!”

Defeated, he began to pack the rest of his things, stumbling over words when Katsuki took his full bag and handed him an empty one.

“Come on, kiddos. Time to take a load down to the car. Last one down the stairs is a rotten egg, but if you trip and hurt yourself you have to do the dishes tonight!”

Loaded with bags, and Katsuki with a box of carefully packed figurines, they took off down the hall, and Izuku could still hear their footsteps echoing long after they were out of sight.

“It's gonna be great, Izuku,” Inko assured him, leaning against the doorway to watch. “He doesn't have an ulterior motive.”

“You don't know that.”

“I do. I know it's hard to let people in, to trust people, but if there's anyone worth trying for, don't you think it's Hiroki and Katsuki?”

“I hate that Yuuto can't be as carefree as Hiroki is, I feel like a failure.”

“Can't he?” Inko asked sincerely, pointing at the front door. “He seems pretty happy and open to me.”

“But he's spent his entire childhood going without things, and now someone else gets to be the hero who gives him everything he wants.”

“He's still a child, Izuku. This is still his childhood. In a few more years, he'll hardly even remember all of this. He'll just be a happy, healthy, probably slightly spoiled kid.”

“Yeah.”

“He's never going to blame you for anything, never going to think you weren't good enough. He loves you. All he wants is your time and your love.”

“I know that. Really, I do. It's just... hard.”

“I know, honey. But it will get easier, just you wait and see.”

“I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too, sweetie.”

[Next]