Incomplete [Chapter 10]

[Chapter 9]

The week was long and arduous, despite daily emails with the kids, and by the time Friday rolled around Izuku could barely sit still. He buzzed with excitement and impatience alike, walking back and forth from room to room, just hoping to pass the time.

“Kacchan!” he yelled, when his phone alarm went off. “They just finished school!”

“Let me guess, you want to be there the moment they get back?”

“Yes!”

“Okay,” he laughed, setting his laptop aside and letting Izuku haul him up off the couch. “Let's go get our kids.”

“Ours,” Izuku repeated softly. “I can't wait to get approval, Kacchan. It has to be soon, right?”

“I'm sure it'll be any day now, just keep holding on.”

He sighed, but nodded, whining when Katsuki took a little too long to put his shoes on and find his keys. Katsuki didn't bother to complain about the desperation, just shoved him at the passenger side door and walked around to climb into the driver's seat.

Izuku clung to him the whole way, pawing at his hand whenever he wasn't using it to drive, leaning over to rest on his shoulder at every red light, and something about it was... Well, cute. He hated to admit it, but the clinginess was sweet – as along as it only happened occasionally.

When the front door opened for them, Yoshiki was just taking his shoes off, eyes widening when he saw them standing in the doorway. He waved awkwardly, and Katsuki waved back, letting him have a low-key greeting rather than drown in hugs like Koharu preferred.

“Don't worry about getting changed, I think we're gonna drop you off at school on Monday, so we'll wash it at our place.”

“I can stay all weekend?”

“If you'd like to.”

“Yes please.” He smiled nervously. “I already packed, I'll go get my bag. Oh. Uh, I guess I need this stuff too, I'll leave it down here.”

“I'll take it,” Izuku offered, holding out a hand for the backpack. “You go grab your clothes and things. Is Koharu back yet?”

“Um, she wasn't feeling good, I don't think she went to preschool. Come inside, I'll go check.”

He took off up the stairs, old wood creaking under his socked feet, and Izuku kicked off his own bright red sneakers to step inside. He found a group of staff in the next room, half of them jumping up immediately when Izuku waved.

“I'm afraid Koharu has come down with a cold,” one of them explained. “She insists she's okay because she doesn't want to miss out, but she didn't make it to preschool today, so it might be best if she stays and rests.”

“She can come rest with us,” Katsuki offered. “We don't mind, and then she won't be upset about missing out. It's not like we sign up to adopt a kid and don't expect something as small as a cold to ever happen.”

“Are you sure? It might put a damper on your weekend plans.”

“Our plans were to do whatever the kids want and need,” Izuku smiled. “If that's resting at home, we have no problem with that.”

“Then I'm sure she'll be very pleased.”

They headed back out to the entryway and the long flight of stairs, suppressing their laughter when Koharu trailed down the stairs with her zoo bag in her hand, a family of monkeys tucked under her arm. She sniffled a little, but held her head high, managing a wobbly smile when she saw Izuku and Katsuki watching.

“I'm okay, I feel all better now!” she insisted, blinking her sleepy eyes. “I'll be fine!”

“It's okay, Koharu, you're coming with us.” Katsuki said, a laugh escaping him as he crouched down to greet her. “You don't have to pretend, you're allowed to get sick.”

“I can still come even if I'm sick?”

“Of course you can,” Izuku assured her. “It's probably quieter at our house anyway, you'll rest better.”

Izuku took the bag from her clutches, threading it over his arm with Yoshiki's, who stood on the lowest step as he watched and waited.

“I made sure she has her uniform,” he said quietly, when Izuku smiled at him. “We're ready.”

“Perfect, shall we head off then?”

They both nodded, and Katsuki wrapped his arms around Koharu's waist, lifting her up to his chest. She sighed faintly as she relaxed into him, her eyes closing, and Izuku suspected she would be asleep by the time they got to the car. With a quick goodbye to the staff and a bunch of tiny kids watching on, the four of them headed out, Koharu murmuring something about monkeys that Izuku couldn't quite make out.

“Is your bag in the boot still?” Izuku asked, as Katsuki freed one hand to grab the keys. “Emergency supplies?”

“Yeah, should be.”

He hunted it down behind a small toolbox, pulling a blanket out of the kit to tuck around Koharu in the car. Yoshiki belted himself into the middle seat so she could lean on him, and Katsuki ruffled his hair affectionately.

“You're good at taking care of her, aren't you?”

“I've had a lot of practice.”

It took all Katsuki's willpower not to laugh at the answer, instead managing a quick nod before he turned away to snigger. When he got himself under control, he slid into the driver's seat, starting the car and glancing at Izuku.

“Do we have tissues and stuff at home?”

“Mm... Yeah but maybe not enough. Shall we stop?”

“Probably best to do it now so you don't run out of anything while I'm working.”

“Okay, yeah, just a quick one then.”

They drove for a while, pulling into their local supermarket once they got closer to home, and Katsuki reached back to stroke Koharu's hair again lightly as she stirred.

“Stay here, Angel. Deku is gonna stay with you guys while I just pop inside to get some stuff.'

She nodded, and he grabbed his wallet from the centre console, stuffing it in his pocket as he headed inside and grabbed a basket. He stocked up on orange juice and ice pops, some grapes and melon slices for her to munch on if she felt up to it, and a pile of tissue boxes for her sniffles. He grabbed some books, too – simple puzzles and games that she could play from bed if she got bored, and a couple of slightly harder ones for Yoshiki too. Finally he grabbed a bottle of vitamins, and a bottle of children's cold medicine just in case, and headed for the tills. He was back to the car in all of five minutes, dumping the bags in the boot with the kids' stuff, and then they were heading for home.

“I'll grab the bags,” Izuku told him, reaching for the keys as soon as they parked the car. “You just get her in bed.”

“I'll help,” Yoshiki told them, unclipping his seatbelt and climbing out while Katsuki scooped Koharu up again. “I can carry shopping while you lock the car.”

“Thanks, Yoshiki-san!”

Izuku unlocked the front door, and Katsuki took Koharu straight up to her pink bedroom, sheets freshly washed for her to snuggle in. He made sure all four monkeys were within reach, two on each side, and tucked the blankets up nice and high for good measure.

“I've gotta go to work soon,” he told her apologetically. “But Deku is gonna take the super-best care of you, and I'll come check on you when I get home, okay?”

“Be careful,” she instructed, nodding her head faintly. “Don't get hurt, okay?”

“I promise. Not a single scratch, so I can get home to you faster.”

“Kay,” she agreed. “I'm gonna sleep a bit.”

“Good idea. Have a good night.”

He pulled the curtains to darken the room a little, leaving the door open just a crack so Izuku could peek inside, then headed across the way to change into his uniform. When everything was in place, he went back down to the kitchen, digging through the bags and boxes in the freezer.

“Looking for something?” Izuku asked, as he leaned over to put the box of ice pops away. “You hungry?”

“No, I'm good, just looking for... Aha!” He pulled out a plastic container, waving it at Izuku. “Emergency soup. You just need to defrost it and heat it up, see if she'll eat some. Plus heaps of fluids. There's some pasta in the cupboard too, you could make it chicken noodle soup.”

“That's my boy,” Izuku teased, kissing his cheek. “You're always so prepared.”

“One of us has to be.”

He leaned in to kiss him properly, albeit tamely in front of the kid unpacking groceries, then patted his chubby cheek.

“I'd better go,” he said softly. “See you in the morning.”

“Love you, work hard.”

“Love you too.”

He bent down to meet Yoshiki's eyes next, amused by the way the kid stared at every piece of his costume like it was a holy symbol or a wonder of the world, only just managing to tear his eyes up to meet Katsuki’s gaze.

“You take care of them for me, alright? You're the man of the house while I'm gone.”

“Oi,” Izuku interjected.

“Deku is my wife,” Katsuki explained, getting a wobbly little smile from Yoshiki. “He needs someone tough to keep an eye on him.”

“I will.”

“And Koharu too, spoil her rotten while she's sick. Whatever she wants, she gets. Best way to recover fast.”

“I promise.”

“Good boy,” Katsuki praised, pinching his cheek lightly. “Make sure you smile for them. I'll see you tomorrow.”

“Um... Save lots of people, okay? I want... I want to watch it. After.”

“I'll try to make something exciting happen just for you.”

With a last little pat on his dark hair, Katsuki bid them farewell, tying his mask into place and launching himself into the rooftops. He'd been taking the train all week, which meant it was a self-propelled motion kind of day, just to mix it up for anyone studying his schedule. They hadn't had any issues with ambush or stalking the entire time they'd been working their zone, and while others credited that as luck or coincidence, Katsuki and Izuku both adamantly insisted it was because of their diligence with the matter. As much as other agencies denied it, it hadn't stopped them from all employing the same route-randomisation systems, so Katsuki knew they'd admitted the genius of his plan, somewhere deep down.

Izuku began defrosting soup as Katsuki disappeared into the sunset, hunting down the noodles Katsuki had mentioned and setting Yoshiki to work cutting them carefully into small pieces with a dull knife. When the soup was cooked and assembled, he set some aside to cool a little, and began scrounging through the freezer to find dinner for the two of them.

“Is there something special you feel like eating?”

“I eat anything.”

“There must be something you like the best, though, right? A favourite?”

“Mm... I don't think so. What's your favourite?”

“I like katsudon, but I'm not very good at making it. Maybe we should just order pizza or something while there's no one here to yell at us.”

“Pizza?”

“Yeah, have you had pizza? Like, dough with cheese and meat on top?”

Yoshiki shook his head, and Izuku grinned, digging out a menu he'd hidden in the back of the cupboard. He handed it over, pointing to a list of options, and told Yoshiki to pick the one that sounded the best. While Yoshiki looked, Izuku took the mug of soup upstairs, knocking on the door lightly as he poked his head in.

“Hey there,” he said softly, when Koharu rolled over to look. “I brought you some soup, can you try to eat a bit for me?”

She nodded, sitting up, and Izuku propped her pillows up behind her before he handed her the mug.

“It smells yummy.”

“I'm glad. It doesn't matter if you can't eat much, even just a few spoonfuls would be good. It's best to get some food in you when you're sick so your body has energy to get better.”

“I'll eat some.”

“Good girl.”

He pulled over the soft armchair they’d picked out to match her room, sitting down at her bedside and tucking hair back from her face gently as she took a sip.

“It's tasty.”

“I'm glad. Yoshiki-san and I are gonna order some pizza for dinner in a little bit, do you want to try some of that too or should we just keep you some for tomorrow?”

“Mm... Tomorrow. I think I just want soup tonight.”

“Okay. There's heaps, so just let me know if you want some more, okay? Don't go hungry because you're worried about asking. We have lots of orange juice too. In fact, let me get something.”

He ducked down the hall to his own bedroom, hunting down the old tablet he sometimes did his paperwork on, and grinned to himself as he pulled up the shared notes app he and Katsuki used to exchange grocery and to-do lists.

“Here you go, you can tell me what you want here, see? So if you want water or juice, just type it here and it'll tell me, and I'll bring it up to you. I'll come check on you a bunch anyway, but if you fall asleep I don't want to wake you up all the time to ask if you want anything.”

“Thank you.” She typed a little smiley face and sent it, to test it out, grinning when Izuku showed it to her on his phone. “I think I'll mostly sleep.”

“Yeah, I think you will too. You got through that soup fast, though. Are you super hungry?”

“No, I'm okay now,” she shook her head, still smiling up at him. “I was a little hungry but now I'm perfect!”

“Okay, I'm glad. You get some more rest, then, and I'll come check on you in half an hour or so.”

“Thank you. I'm glad you still let me come visit.”

“Of course we did, sweetie. Something like being sick would never stop us, I promise. We'll take good care of you.”

“Can I hug you?”

“Of course you can.”

Izuku leaned over and squeezed her tight, letting her take in his warmth and comfort for a minute before she lay back again. Izuku adjusted her pillows, helping her lie back down, and with an armful of monkeys again she snuggled in.

“Are you warm enough? I can bring you another blanket if you like.”

“I'm nice and warm, thank you.”

“Okay sweetie, I'll leave you to sleep for a bit then. Just let me know if you need anything. You can write hugs on the list too if you like.”

“Okay.” She smiled, letting her eyes fall closed. “Goodnight.”

“Sweet dreams.”

─────

When Katsuki arrived home he expected to find a quiet household, everyone sound asleep, but as he crept up the stairs he immediately heard the noises from Koharu's room. Coughing, sniffling, the rustling of blankets trying to muffle them. He knocked lightly and stepped inside, watching her roll over and pull the blankets down to see him.

“Not feeling well?” he asked softly. “Do you need something?”

The water bottle on her bedside table was empty, along with a mug that seemed to once have had soup in it, and he picked up the bottle pointedly.

“I'll go get you a drink, okay? Can you breathe?”

She nodded, and his lips tightened slightly.

“Say something for me, you don't need to worry about being quiet. You're coughing an awful lot, be honest with me. Can you breathe?”

“Yes,” she croaked, nodding again. “I just hurt.”

“Okay, I'll be back in a second then.”

He took the dishes away and ditched them in the sink for the night, filling the bottle up with juice again and obtaining an ice pop from the freezer too. As an afterthought, he reached for the bottle of medicine he'd picked up at the store, reading the directions before he turned the light out and returned to her room.

“Take a drink,” he instructed, handing her the bottle. “It'll help.”

She gulped down some juice gratefully, the coughing slowing immediately, and he showed her the little plastic bottle next.

“This stuff is gonna taste really bad, but it'll help you feel better. Do you think you can try some for me? Just a little bit.”

She nodded, and he poured a capful, handing it over carefully. Katsuki watched as she screwed up her face, throwing it down and making a disgusted noise in response, poking out her tongue.

“Not tasty, huh?” he chuckled. “Good girl, here's your reward.”

Her eyes widened when he offered her the ice pop, and he grinned as she tore it open, sucking on it tentatively.

“It's so good!”

“I'm glad. Hopefully it'll help your sore throat since it's nice and cold.”

“Thank you.”

“No need, I would have brought them sooner if I was home. Why didn't you wake Deku?”

“I didn't want to interrupt.”

“Silly. He offered, right? He wouldn't offer if he was gonna be upset. We just want to help you feel better, I promise.”

“Mmkay. I feel better now.”

“I'm glad.”

He sat down in the chair at her bedside, leaning back and getting comfortable as she sucked on her ice pop happily. Her hair was a tangled mess, and he smiled as he reached out to comb his finger through it gently, a little surprised when she leaned into his touch.

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Uh-huh?”

“I think it's really sweet when you give me and Deku hugs and stuff, so don't misunderstand, but are you like that with everybody you meet?”

“No, only a few.”

“Yeah?”

“Mm-hm. How come? Is it bad?”

“Hmm... Not really, but if you were doing it to strangers or people you just met I'd be worried. You could accidentally hug a villain and end up in trouble by accident.”

“Oh. Okay. I'll make sure I don't hug strangers.”

“Good girl.”

He picked up the hairbrush from her bedside table, gently combing the tangles out while she ate, and she leaned into him contentedly as he worked.

“Did you fight anyone tonight?”

“Huh? Oh, at work? A little, yeah, but nothing bad. Just silly people who drank too much alcohol, that happens a lot on Fridays.”

“You didn't get hurt, did you?”

“No, I'm fine.”

“Oh good.”

She finished her ice pop and Katsuki took the wrapper from her, tossing it in the trash can and offering her the box of tissues to wipe her hands. She snuggled into her blankets again when she was clean, smiling up at Katsuki's soft face.

“You look scary on TV sometimes, but you're really nice.”

“Thank you, I try my best.”

“Yokkun is still kind of scared of you, he likes heroes a lot.”

“I know, we'll give him some time and hopefully he'll come around.”

“He will!” she assured him, grinning. “I know he will.”

“You should get some rest, it's late.”

“Mmkay, I'll try.”

“I'll stay here with you until you fall asleep. I'm sure you'll feel better in the morning.”

“Thank you,” she reached up to hug him tightly, smiling as she lay back down and closed her eyes. “Goodnight.”

“Sweet dreams, Koharu.”

─────

Izuku was surprised to wake up to an empty bed, but just as his panic reflex began to bubble up, he heard Yoshiki emerge from his bedroom, padding down the stairs. With a long, deep breath he climbed out of bed, reaching for his phone as he dragged some clothes on. He had the usual text waiting, letting him know Katsuki had finished his patrol and was on his way home, but no more. No missing persons reports, then, or big fights on his way home. Maybe he'd been there already and not woken Izuku up? He could be in the bathroom, or getting water, it was far too early to panic.

He poked his head through Koharu's door to see if she needed more juice or tissues, immediately softening into a smile. Bent over at the most awkward of angles to lean on the edge of the mattress, his butt barely hanging on the edge of the chair, Katsuki rested at Koharu's bedside. She clutched her biggest monkey and a half-empty bottle of orange juice in her arms, sleeping soundly even when Izuku pulled out his phone and approached the bed.

“Morning baby,” he whispered, kissing Katsuki's cheek. “Found you.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he sat up. “Did you freak out?”

“No, I was en route but not quite there.”

He rubbed at Katsuki's neck, getting an appreciative hum in return as he nursed the stiff muscles, and planted another kiss on the top of his head.

“Go to bed, I'll take it from here.”

“Mm... You've got it?”

“Yeah, I've got it. She has the list app, see?”

He pointed to the tablet plugged in beside the bed, and Katsuki nodded faintly.

“Alright, bed then.”

Izuku leaned over to the tablet, leaving a quick note that he was awake if she needed anything, then guided Katsuki through to their bed. He was still half-asleep, dazed, so Izuku halted him when he went to collapse, stripping off his sweaty hero costume and tossing it in the laundry basket. He dug out a clean pair of boxers and a soft singlet, dressing Katsuki despite his grumbles about doing it himself, and then he was tucking his husband in under a pile of blankets, watching him smile faintly as he snuggled in with his favourite pillow. The urge to join him was strong, the temptation to just lie down behind him and wrap an arm around his waist, holding him in tight, or to lie down in front of him and curl up to his chest, breathing in the slightly burnt scent he always came home from work with, but he knew Yoshiki was waiting downstairs, so instead he kissed the man goodnight and closed the door behind him.

“You hungry?” Izuku asked, when he reached the living room. “I'm thinking eggs, you like scrambled eggs?”

“Yeah.” Yoshiki nodded. “Thank you.”

“No problem.”

He set to work cracking a dozen eggs into a bowl, knowing Katsuki would scoff half the pot the moment he woke up for real, and as he whisked them up he glimpsed Yoshiki hovering in the doorway.

“Everything okay?”

“Is it okay if I get a drink?”

“Of course, you don't have to ask permission. You know where the glasses are, right?”

Yoshiki nodded, heading over to the appropriate cupboard, and Izuku pointed at the fridge as he stirred his pot of eggs.

“There's orange juice or milk if you want, help yourself. Or just water, if you prefer.”

“Thank you.”

“You should get on to your homework after we eat, I'll help you out if you need it. Then if Koharu-san is feeling better later, we can all go out and do something.”

“Okay, I'll do it after food.”

“Until then, want to watch hero cartoons with me?”

“Yeah!”

He turned off the stove and scooped out some food for each of them, putting the rest aside for later, and took a scoop of rice from the cooker to go with it. Katsuki would have his head when he found out that was all they ate, but Yoshiki seemed happy enough, so together they grabbed the living room blankets and settled in to watch the television.

“I saw your photos on Monday,” Yoshiki mumbled, when the credits rolled between episodes. “With Uravity and Ingenium and Froppy.”

“You're good,” Izuku laughed. “Even out of costume you recognise their faces, huh?”

Yoshiki blushed, but nodded, looking away as he considered.

“They do interviews and things,” he explained awkwardly. “In street clothes, I mean.”

“That's true, none of us really keep our identities secret, in our generation.”

“Do you see them a lot? Are you friends?”

“Yeah, they're my best friends! We get together at least once a month, usually every two weeks. Shouto comes too most of the time, but he was busy this week.”

“Shouto,” he murmured, his cheeks flushed. “You're friends with him too? Wow. I guess you make friends with everyone in the top ten.”

“Oh, no, we've been friends since school,” Izuku grinned, counting off on his fingers. “Red Riot, Pinky, Chargebolt and Cellophane are around a ton, I still see Creati and Earphone Jack pretty often, and Invisible Girl, Anima, and Tailman come hang out sometimes. Most of the others moved away from the city. Oh! I still see Lemillion a lot too!”

“You're so lucky.”

“Yeah,” Izuku grinned. “I really am.”

Izuku dug out his phone, pulling up his group chat and tapping out a message while Yoshiki was distracted by cartoons.

> If any of you have kid-sized merch shirts available or in the works please let me know, I need some. Bonus points for autographs.

Immediately people were typing replies, and he cringed a little in anticipation.

> I'll explain later.

It calmed down a little with the words, but still multiple names continued to type, and he waited anxiously for the inevitable questions.

> Any gender preferences? Tsuyu and I have just okay'd a bunch of new kid stuff! Fun socks and hair bows and things like that!

> Any. Those sound amazing, thanks Uraraka!

> We're on it!

For the next hour he was bombarded with shipment notifications, due to arrive by the end of the week, suppliers coming through in a hurry to box up and send out their stock. Izuku sent what felt like a thousand hearts to every friend who notified him. Yoshiki would be so damn excited – and Koharu too, no doubt. None of his friends would accept his money, which was unsurprising to be honest – he wouldn't have either – but he couldn't help but think on how lucky he was to have such good friends.

Just like Yoshiki had told him.

─────

Izuku's head whipped around when he heard the explosion, watching smoke rise above the buildings. Another, closer, and people began to run. Screaming and tears, people stumbling as they ran by. He looked down at the tiny hand linked with his, then back at Katsuki's scowl.

It was meant to be their day off. Meant to be Katsuki's and Izuku's chance to recover and spend time with their family, meant to be Koharu and Yoshiki's chance to go on a normal family outing, but once again they'd been interrupted by the damn inconsiderate villains.

“Go,” Katsuki said firmly, without bothering to meet his gaze. “It's my turn.”

“Ka-”

“GO”

He shoved a crying Koharu into Izuku's arms, and finally Izuku snapped out of his daze, wrapping an arm around her as she clung desperately to his shirt. He crouched down, hooking his free arm around Yoshiki and mumbling an apology as he scooped him up.

He spared one brief glance back as Katsuki curled his fingers inward, sparks popping in his grip, but then he was running, bursts of green lightning in his legs as he moved, following the crowd beyond the rapidly appearing police barricades.

Tears and wind alike stung at his eyes, and he gritted his teeth as he held a little tighter, tangling his fingers in t-shirts as he moved. Koharu held him like her life depended on it, bawling into his shirt, but Yoshiki just leaned against his shoulder, staring back at the mess growing smaller in the distance, his little heartbeat pounding against Izuku's.

“He's amazing,” Yoshiki whispered, Izuku barely catching the words over the rush of wind in his ears.

“Yeah,” he agreed breathlessly, jumping out of a growing crowd and rebounding off a nearby building to bypass the masses. “He really is.”

He was breathing hard by the time they made it home, setting Yoshiki down with an apologetic look in the doorway and letting them inside. The television was going before Izuku even realised what he was doing, the motions second nature at this point, but Yoshiki was immediately glued to the screen with him, so he figured it couldn't do them too much harm.

Katsuki was dripping blood down his arm, some kind of laceration running along his bicep, but still he wore that same look as always, eyebrows knitted together as if he might scowl, but with a grin stretched wide across his lips. Conceited, some people called it, but Izuku knew better. All Might was Katsuki's hero too, after all. He was saving people with a smile, no matter how menacing it might appear.

People were yelling from the sidelines, officers telling him to wait for back up, news reporters covering his every move.

“Step back,” Katsuki told the officers, bending his knees a little as he prepared. “Don't get caught in the fray.”

“Sir, I must implore you to-”

“Do you have kids at home?”

“I'm sorry?”

“Kids,” he repeated, as if it was the most obvious question in the world. “Do you have any?”

“Y-Yes, I do?”

“Then fucking stand back so you can go home to them.”

The officer hesitated, but conceded a single nod, moving back to the safety of the barricade. Katsuki was alone, truly alone, and Izuku's breath shuddered as he saw the signs.

Wait for backup? No, never. He'd already been in there suppressing the blasts, but this was Katsuki and that was never enough. He would take this bastard down before backup even got close.

Yoshiki pulled his knees in tight, staring at the screen with a combination of excitement and fear warring on his face, and after a moment Izuku sat down beside him. He still held Koharu tight with one hand, stroking her back lightly, but with the other he reached for Yoshiki again, gently pulling him into his side.

“Cheer him on, Yoshiki,” Izuku said softly, managing a little smile when nervous jade eyes looked up at him. “All he needs is your support.”

“Dynamite never loses,” Yoshiki mumbled, softening a little into Izuku's ribs, letting the scarred arm hug him close. “Never.”

─────

“Are you sure you're okay?” Yoshiki asked, eyeing the bandages that peeked out of Katsuki's t-shirt collar. “I can go myself, if you need to rest.”

“I'm totally fine,” Katsuki assured him, dragging him over to an empty seat. “We have to go seven stops, make sure you listen to the names and start learning them, just in case.”

Yoshiki nodded, looking up at the little screen showing the next station, mumbling under his breath as he deciphered the complicated characters in the name. For someone who shared no DNA with Izuku, had no blood link, his bright green eyes and mumbling habits certainly made him look the part.

“Did you do an interview when you started school?” Katsuki asked him, as the train pulled out of the station and started on its way. “Look around the school, answer a bunch of questions about yourself, all that kind of thing?”

“Uh-huh. The pre-school teachers told me lots of things I should say.”

“Like what?”

“Like... They always ask what we do during school vacations, and they said I should talk about spending lots of time with my parents, so I had to make up a story about going on a trip together.”

A heavy silence fell between them, and Yoshiki looked away, biting his lower lip.

“Travelling seemed fun,” he explained, his voice a little quieter. “But I never did much with my parents, so I thought I could at least make up a nice story.”

“I'll take you somewhere,” Katsuki blurted out, seeing those bright green eyes widen. “If you want to go on a trip, we'll all go. Next time you're on holiday.”

“But you have to work.”

“I can find someone to cover me for a week, it's no big deal. For a long time, me and Deku were the people with no family at home to worry about, so we covered tons of shifts for people with new babies and things. Now that their kids are a bit bigger, they can work a bit more, so they all owe us favours.”

“Do you think...” he trailed off, contemplating his words as his cheeks burned pink. “One day, I mean, not... Not yet, but could I maybe meet some of your friends? More heroes?”

“Of course you can,” Katsuki snorted. “They’ll break down our door to meet you if I don’t set it up eventually. We’re just holding off until you want to.”

“Okay,” he nodded firmly. “I'll tell you when?”

“Perfect.”

When the train pulled up to the station near Yoshiki’s school, they filed off silently, and Katsuki reached for his hand in the rush of people. The kid was so tiny, it was already hard to keep track of him sometimes, let alone in a crowd of people. But together they made it out to the street, weaving their way down two streets until they reached the tall gates. He wasn’t sure exactly what to say, when they stopped walking, clusters of kids passing them on both sides to go greet their friends and teachers.

“Have a good day at school,” Katsuki said finally, mentally kicking himself for sounding like such a dumb, oblivious parent already. “I mean, I know it’s school, so it’ll probably suck, but...”

Yoshiki cracked a smile, and nodded faintly, slipping his hand from Katsuki’s slowly.

“Thanks for having me,” he said softly. “I had fun.”

“Me too,” Katsuki said, surprising even himself with how sincerely he meant it. “Koharu will be waiting for you, after. And I’ll see you on Friday.”

“Friday,” Yoshiki echoed.

Katsuki wasn’t sure how to say goodbye properly, not yet. Izuku always demanded kisses, and Koharu always wanted hugs, but Yoshiki was still so timid, so withdrawn. Instead he found himself holding out a fist, a little awkwardly, and to his surprise, Yoshiki smiled as he bumped it with his own.

“Take care of yourself.”

“You too.”

He watched for a minute as Yoshiki left, shooting him a last wave before he went into the building, and then a moment more, just in case. When he glanced at his phone, he knew Koharu would be safely back at the Home, too, hopefully tucked up in bed with her bottle of juice Izuku had taken with them.

Truth be told, Izuku could have handled both the kids’ drop offs on his way in, but Katsuki hated the idea of lying at home while Izuku did all the work, so they’d settled on splitting it – Katsuki would take the train with Yoshiki, so he could start getting used to it for future weeks, while Izuku would drive Koharu home for comfort and ease while she was still a little under the weather.

But dropping him off at school seemed easier than taking them back to the gloomy old building, Katsuki thought. He didn’t envy Izuku. It had been more like a normal family activity, even though he knew when classes ended, he wouldn't be the one picking him up.

The trip back felt quiet without the kids at his side, even though neither of them talked all that much. And the house seemed empty without them, when he got back, even though it was the same as it always was when Izuku was at work or hanging out with his friends.

He would be home soon, thankfully. His first shift for the week had ended around the time Katsuki and the kids woke up, and he’d just slipped the drive with Koharu in at the tail end, before he went to bed. Maybe Katsuki would go back to bed with the nerd, get in some quality snuggle time like Izuku so often did to him. Most days he complained about it being too soft and pathetic, but maybe it was a soft and pathetic kind of day, for once.

“I'm home,” Izuku called, kicking his shoes aside in the doorway.

“I missed you,” Katsuki answered with the utmost sincerity, hugging him the moment he'd closed the front door. “I love you, dumb Deku.”

“It's really empty, huh?” Izuku smiled knowingly. “Not that you're not enough, or something! I just mean-”

“Yeah,” Katsuki nodded. “It is.”

“Kind of... Lonely.”

“Agreed.”

“I need some sleep, do you want to-”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I do.”

“Okay,” Izuku grinned, kissing a once pale, now pink cheek. “Come give me cuddles, Husband.”

“Coming, nerd.”

[Chapter 11]