Chapter Text
Katsuki remembered what it was like.
Hauling around a trash bag with all of your worldly possessions inside. Random people poking, prodding, and apologizing for things out of their control.
It wasn’t their fault they got tired of him.
It was the social workers' fault that they wanted a baby and Katsuki wasn’t.
It wasn’t until he was in Tsunagu and Kuugo’s care that he felt wanted, that he felt appreciated, that he felt loved.
And Katsuki vowed to make that happen when he was an adult.
It was why he took on every assbackwards request.
Every “problem” child.
Every “hard” child.
Young, old, or in-between Katsuki didn’t care. He just never wanted anyone to feel unwanted like he had so many times over and over and over.
It was why when the social worker showed up with Eijirou, Katsuki had jumped on taking over his care.
The little two year old, with his raven black hair, his big bright carmine eyes, and way too sharp of teeth for Katsuki’s liking, had lost his parents in a car accident, and when he first moved in…
Eijirou didn’t really understand.
The little boy kept poking and asking when his mamas would be back and Katsuki had to be the one to say, “I’m sorry, Baby Shark, but your mamas are gone and you’re gonna be with me for a bit?” And Katsuki still remembered those over-glowing carmine eyes practically pleading for stability.
As Eijirou whispered out, “I tay, wif daddy!” Katsuki's heart melted, and he filed for custody the next day.
Eijirou was an angel child, if not a little dense at times and naive.
When Katsuki finally adopted his second child, he didn’t know what came over him, but when the baby was thrusted into his arms at ass-early-o’clock in the f*cking morning, he knew that he would be part of his little family. He was thankful as f*ck that Eijirou slept through the insistent knocking.
Katsuki stared down at chubby cheeks covered in constellations of freckles, emerald green curly hair, and vibrant emerald eyes. Katsuki knew he was screwed.
Katsuki fell in love with little Izuku, and Izuku was attached to him. The little boy always wanted to be held and cuddled.
His pacifier and blankie were his other best friends as he toddled around Katsuki’s house. Eijirou, the older of the two, was always following Izuku around with a wide smile on his face.
Eijirou had looked up at Katsuki with wide eyes. “Daddy! Is ma brofer?” And after checking with the social worker, he was filing for custody.
After that Katsuki had to put his foot down. He couldn’t be taking in more kiddos when he already had both of his hands full.
Like right now…they were moving to a new city. New people and new places made Izuku nervous and his little baby was trying his best to hold it together with his pacifier and his blanket.
“Daddy! Zuzu is firsty!” Eijirou squeaked from the backseat and Katsuki sighed.
“I hear you, baby shark. Are you thirsty too?” Katsuki questioned softly and his little shark giggled.
“Yuh! Buh daddy sayed have to wait till we get to da new house!” Eijirou replied and Katsuki sighed heavily.
“Dada firsty!” Izuku stuttered around his pacifier and Katsuki hummed.
“I hear you, Zuzu. Daddy hears you. We’re almost there. Okay boys, we’re almost there, and daddy has juice boxes in the cooler and a nice cool baba for the Zuzu,” Katsuki chatted and he could see Izuku’s little hands flapping almost excitedly in his car seat.
“You gots the red ones daddy? Those is ma favorites!” Eijirou replied, his shark plush shoved under his arm and his little chewlery wet necklace between his sharp teeth
“I absolutely do. What kind of daddy would I be if I forgot my little boys’ favorite drinks?” Katsuki smiled when he heard little giggles coming from his back car seats.
“Uh siwwy one!” Eijirou quipped back and Karsuki smiled as he pulled down the long driveway to their new home.
The home was stupidly large, but his dads had helped pick it out. It had a large fenced in yard for the boys to run and grow in.
Something Katsuki felt was necessary for his two sweet and soft boys as they loved to explore. They hiked often enough as a family. Katsuki was really trying to help Izuku gain more confidence in his walking.
The little boy was bow legged and super unstable. The doctors said there were solutions and braces and surgeries…but Katsuki wanted to try just letting the boy walk first.
Katsuki knew it wasn’t Izuku’s fault…The boy came from a bad home, with a drug addicted mom and things sort of unraveled from there.
But Izuku was his son now and he was thriving. He was a happy little almost one year old boy, and even if he had complications, it didn’t mean they couldn’t overcome them together.
And that’s all Katsuki wanted. Eijirou was also excelling, and god his son was a social butterfly. He had friends everywhere. He swore some were probably hiding in the trunk. He was invited to every birthday party, every social gathering, every potluck for f*ck sakes. He was everyone’s best friend and if he wasn’t their best friend, he was their best best friend.
“Dada!” Izuku wailed unhappily and Katsuki sighed. “Out! Out!” Izuku’s little hands were tugging and pulling at the car seat straps and Katsuki couldn’t blame them. They had been in the car for over 5 hours now. They had already made a pit stop to change the boys and stretch their legs.
“Zuzu, daddy hears you. We’re almost there. We got like 20 minutes. Rou, does he have his pacifier?” Katsuki’s eyes kept flicking into the rear view mirror and the little raven haired boy hummed.
“Found it daddy! Here Zu! Is your paci!” The little boy smiled at his brother as he gently pushed it in his mouth, and Izuku suckled almost experimentally before the little boy relaxed.
“Thank you, Rou. Remind daddy to add a sticker to your sticker chart,” Katsuki praised and he couldn’t help the smile as Eijirou practically beamed.
“I wanna Cimson Riot one daddy!” Eijirou smiled as he snuggled his shark.
“Oh I know he’s your favorite! Daddy bought that whole new book of stickers just for you,” Katsuki reminded, and the excited giggles and squeals made Katsuki’s chest fill with warmth.
He truly loved being a daddy. Almost as much as he loved his job as a child psychiatrist. “Daddy…We almost there?” Eijirou questioned and Katsuki nodded.
“Yeah, Rou. We are, and Grandpa and Grandad should have everything set up for us,” Katsuki promised and he smiled as he pulled down the small back road that led to their new home.
The trees lined the streets and they pulled into their driveway. He could hear Eijirou rambling in the back of the car. “Zu! Daddy sayed we almost there!” Eijirou giggled happily.
Katsuki stared up at their new home with an odd sense of accomplishment. He had his own practice now; he had a new home now, and he had the boys enrolled in a new daycare now.
Everything was looking up. He parked and turned off the car. When he unloaded the boys, Eijirou was right at his side, his little hand grasping his pant leg. Izuku practically curled up against his chest as they walked through the door to their new home.
The white blond could barely hold back the tears.
If you asked him when he was ten if he would ever have a family, he would have told you no.
But his dads had cracked open his wall and helped him understand that anger and hatred were valid emotions for what he went through as a child…but they weren’t the only emotions.
“Daddy, you cryin?” Eijirou questioned softly and Katsuki smiled with a soft sniffle.
“I’m just really happy, baby shark. I’m just really happy,” he admitted as he softly closed the black front door. “Now who’s ready for juice boxes and pizza?”
“Me!” Eijirou giggled and Katsuki couldn’t help but smile.
~~~~~
Hitoshi sighed as he heard something crash onto the floor and he felt Denki twitch harshly as he let out a startled squeak. “Oh it’s okay, sweetheart,” he cooed, rocking them a little more in the rocking chair and turning up the noise machine as he tried to help Denki come back from a terrible panic attack.
The little blond in his hold struggled constantly with anxiety and it broke Hitoshi’s heart. “I bet your brother is trying to make something for you,” Hitoshi rumbled out softly as the little blond clung to his shirt. He hummed softly as he felt more tears drench the collar of his shirt.
It had been an accident, a complete accident. Hitoshi had been whipping up some lunch since he had been working on a design and when he turned around a little too fast, he had accidentally hit Denki in the forehead and his little boy collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down his face as he let out a heart shattering screech.
Hitoshi just stared as Denki shoved himself all the way back until he slammed himself in between the fridge and counter. It was a tiny tiny space that Hitoshi hadn’t had a chance to fix yet.
He had apologized, begged and pleaded for Denki to come out and his other son Hanta just shoved him out of the way. “Denki! I found that bouncy ball you like,” the little black haired boy stared as he held up the bright yellow, black, and purple ball. “But you have to come out. You’re scaring Papi, and he is cryin’ which is weird cause he doesn’t cry,” Hanta stated and Hitoshi was crying, because he felt so f*cking terrible and when Denki did finally crawl out from his little hiding hole, he was bleeding because the baby scratched himself so hard. Which led to the now.
“Papi, is sorry he hit you, Sweetheart. I didn’t hear you come into the kitchen,” he whispered and Denki nodded as he sucked his thumb. “You feeling any better?” He heard Denki’s soft hum and he took that as a positive.
The little blond’s bright gold eyes were staring at the bouncy ball in his other hand. Denki was a very active boy. He loved to bounce, jump, and dance. He loved to listen to music and just relax as long as he was with Hanta or Hitoshi. The moment he was separated it was game over and Denki would basically become catatonic. But his older brother took it with stride and together they were a dastardly duo.
Getting into and messing with everything, but he couldn’t be too mad. He loved that they thought of such silly and out of the box things.
As a creative himself, he found it to be awesome, which was why his walls were covered in their art, why they were allowed to paint their own room at 2 and 4. Because Hitoshi didn’t care. He wanted his boys comfortable and happy, and if it meant painting their room yellow and black, then he was fine with it. He heard a tiny squeak escape from his little boy and he looked down, smiling as Denki ran his hand through Ketchup’s fur. The black lab had been a godsend for his kids. He remembered talking to the therapist and social worker, and both recommended a therapy dog. At first Hitoshi had been like no way.
But he quickly caved when Denki had his first true panic attack. It almost looked like Denki was possessed and his baby had to go to the hospital because in all his kicking, screaming and crying. He managed to slam his arm so hard into the table it broke.
After that he went to the specialist to get a therapy dog, and Ketchup came home with them.
Hitoshi jumped at the soft knock. His purple eyes looked up and he smiled when he saw his other little boy holding a plate of cookies. “Papi, I brought cookies,” Hanta stated and Hitoshi nodded as he patted his lap.
“I see that, Love Bug. Come here, let’s have some cookies,” Hitoshi softly patted his lap as his other little man climbed onto it.
“I got everybody's favorites,” Hanta explained and Hitoshi felt tears prick his water line. One chocolate chip, one peanut butter one, and one with sprinkles.
“Oh Love Bug, you are the sweetest little boy.” Hitoshi kissed the crown of his son’s head as he handed the sprinkle cookie to Denki.
The little boy took a stuttering breath as he took a small bite of his cookie. Hitoshi handed over the peanut butter one to Hanta, and the little boy smiled. “Gracias, Papi!” the little boy smiled and Hitoshi nodded.
“De nada, Hanta.” Hitoshi stumbled over the words slightly, but the beaming smile of his oldest was worth it.
No one really knew anything about Hanta. The little boy was found walking down the middle of the street with a diaper on and some shoes.
He had been dropped in Hitoshi’s lap by a social worker and the rest really was history.
Hanta was his little positive light in the darkness. He loved the boy with his whole heart and he loved how gentle and sweet he was with Denki. He loved how helpful he was. He loved how intuitive he was. Hanta was an amazing child and Hitoshi was grateful to have him. Hitoshi could never understand why someone would just abandon such a little angel.
Denki’s story…was completely different. He was born and he was hurt. His mom and dad abused Denki to the point of silence. When he had arrived at Hitoshi’s home, the little blond had been so scared he sobbed.
It wasn’t until Hanta had stepped around his Papi to give him a hug did he stop, and after that moment they were inseparable.
“Papi your cookie!” Hanta explained, handing over the chocolate chip cookie, and he smiled as he took a bite.
“These cookies are about as sweet as my boys,” he joked with a soft smile and they enjoyed their cookies.
Denki had calmed significantly and Hitoshi felt it was safe to let them go. They went back down to the living room so they could play, Hitoshi made sure to put on the calming music and he smiled softly when Denki kissed his cheek in thanks. “I love you too, Denki. You play with Hanta.” Denki nodded as he wandered toward the legos.
Hitoshi sighed heavily as he got to cleaning up lunch. It was dinner time now and the wilted lettuce on the counter was inedible. The high pitched ring of his cell made his ears ring.
He pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh as he answered, “Hey dad.”
“Hey Kiddo, you alright? You sound tense,” Shouta questioned over the line.
“Denki had a major panic attack and I set it off. We haven’t eaten lunch and I’m tired,” Hitoshi admitted softly as he put the dirty dishes in the sink.
“Oh…I was actually calling about Denki. A new child psychiatrist moved in next door to the clinic. You may want to check him out. His name is Dr. Bakugou, and he has amazing reviews and I know you were looking for a new therapist for the boys.” Hitoshi blinked and hummed.
“I am. You got the contact information?” Hitoshi replied and he quickly wrote them down. After a short conversation with his dad, he handed him off to the boys, making sure the video chat was on so Denki could participate.
Hitoshi stared down at the piece of paper.
“Dr. Bakugou…huh,” the purple haired man hummed as he got to work on dinner.
~~~~~
Shoto practically snarled as he pulled the burnt chicken from the oven. This had been his fourth meal attempt this week and he wasn’t getting any better.
“Papa, you burned the chickin!” Eri pointed out and it took everything in Shoto not to roll his eyes in annoyance at his daughter's obvious statement.
“I know Eri-Bear, I know. Can you go get your brother so we can order some food?” Shoto questioned and with that his little girl was flying up the staircase to the upper level of the house, and Shoto was almost in tears.
He didn’t know how to do this.
How do you take one person and duplicate them into two?
How had he f*cked up so royally and gotten caught?
He could still remember Momo’s face when she walked in and found Shoto pounding into some blond male. She looked devastated and hurt and Shoto couldn’t even blame her.
The curtains were open, the lights on and Shoto was so horny he couldn’t contain himself as his hands ran over ripped muscular abs and the musky smell of man got to him.
He knew he was gay for forever. He knew from the moment he watched the All Might cartoon and he was head over heels in love with All Might.
It didn’t mean that Shoto was comfortable coming out. It didn’t mean he was okay with it, and when his parents arranged a blind date for him and Momo, he thought he could hide it.
He thought he could conceal it.
Hell he thought maybe he could learn to love a woman the way he loved a man, and after having sex with Momo…Shoto felt like he wanted to crawl out of his own skin.
Too many curves, not enough muscles, too much breast, not enough pec. Too much…puss* and not enough co*ck.
Shoto learned the hard way that Momo would have been better off with a partner who actually worshiped the ground she walked on.
And Shoto just couldn’t do that.
He tried for years until he was caught cheating and that was that. Shoto moved out for fifty-fifty custody of the kiddos and the rest was history.
She was pursuing a relationship with the head of Iida corp and honestly they looked cute together.
Tenya had an aura of power around him and Momo also did. Something that, even though Shoto was a CEO, he lacked.
He preferred to be in the background.
Shoto sighed as he heard the sound of feet coming down the grand staircase. “Papa! Kota sayed he’s comin’!” Eri called and Shoto nodded.
“Okay thank you princess.” He smiled, as she wandered out into the living room turning on the TV.
Shoto slowly cleaned up the kitchen when Kota slumped him. “Hey Bug, what did you want for dinner?” Shoto questioned and the boy shrugged as he climbed up onto the stool. The mismatched papa smiled softly. “No idea?” He prodded gently and Kota shook his head, hiding under the bill of his favorite red hat.
Shoto paused as he took in his son’s body language. “Well, Papa burned dinner, so how about chicken nuggets? Or tacos?” Shoto offered and Kota scoffed.
“Tenya would have not burned the food,” Kota humphed and Shoto sighed.
“I know. I’m learning slowly but surely. But tonight can you please be nice to me?” he questioned softly and the little boy snarled.
“Maybe if you weren’t a fa*g like mom says then maybe we could all still be happy!” Kota shouted and Shoto was taken aback.
“Kota, bug, we don’t say that word, baby boy. I know you’re upset and miss your mommy…but I promise that…” Shoto sighed. He would have to have a talk with Momo about what she said to the kids.
Because that wasn’t appropriate.
“But it’s true! I don’t wanna be here. I want mommy!” the little boy screamed and Shoto took a deep calming breath as he rounded, crouching in front of his son that was the spitting image of his mother.
“I know you do, and you’ll see her this weekend, okay?” Shoto softly wiped Kota’s eyes. He knew his son didn’t know any better.
He knew that this whole situation was thrusted upon them and the only reason Eri was adjusting well was because she liked change.
Kota didn’t. He liked everything to stay similar. He loved his old room in his own house and the only reason he loved Tenya was because he knew Tenya before they got together.
“But right now, papa would appreciate some time with my favorite boy,” he tried and he smiled sadly as more tears dropped down Kota’s cheeks. He couldn’t seem to catch a break as the little boy practically threw himself at Shoto, and the mismatched man hugged him tightly, picking him up and rocking him.
It would get easier with time.
It would have to.
Because Momo and Shoto were never getting back together.
“It’s going to be okay, Bug, it will,” he promised gently, kissing his son’s temple.
After that he ordered a taco platter and they all ate together. He got the twins ready for bed and tucked in.
Once the house was quiet, Shoto slumped into a chair to cry. He was truly failing his children.
With trembling hands, he lifted the phone to his ears and dialed the familiar number. He sighed with relief when the phone was answered. “Hey baby!” Enji answered and Shoto smiled.
“Hi dad, how are ya?” Shoto squeaked and he heard the concerned hum.
“Are you okay? Something happen?” Shoto couldn’t help it as he blurted out what happened and how broken and upset Kota was at the whole thing.
“Maybe you should take them to see a therapist? Maybe a neutral party could help them?” Enji offered and Shoto hummed.
“Do they have therapists for children?” Shoto questioned softly and Enji laughed softly.
“Yes they do. When your mother and I got divorced, I took all four of you. I think it really helped and I swear I saw a new one opening…Dr…Baku…Baker…I’m not sure, but it’s over by my law office,” Enji admitted and Shoto hummed.
“I’ll check it out! Thank you dad,” he whispered, shifting in his seat softly.
“And Shoto, please realize there isn’t anything wrong with you baby. Love who you love. Okay?” Shoto felt the tears fall as he nodded.
“Okay dad, thank you, love you!” Shoto sniffled.
“Love you too, baby!” With that, he hung up the phone. Shoto opened a google search quickly typing in “child therapist near me” and he smiled gently when one search result came up
“Now how do I book an appointment, Dr. Bakugou?” he questioned as he wiped his eyes.
— — — — —
Katsuki was in love with their new home. There was plenty of room for his boys both inside and outside, even once they grew older. His sweet baby shark wanted his room decked out in red with Crimson Riot memorabilia everywhere. His Zuzu-bean had his own space as well even if he slept with Katsuki most nights.
He was attempting to feed the boys before they started the day. Katsuki had big plans for this day, but first breakfast.
“Daddy! M hundry!” Attached to his right leg was his sunshine, all toothy grins and carmine eyes.
“I know Rou. Daddy is working on it.” Katsuki was almost done plating up scrambled eggs with strawberries cut into hearts and stars for the boys. Zuzu, his cuddly baby, was currently in his carrier attached to the blonde man.
His boys were his life.
“Daddy me ride!” Eijirou wrapped his little arms tightly around Katsuki’s leg, making sure his bottom was planted firmly on his daddy’s foot.
“Oh yea baby shark? Should daddy walk like a dinosaur for you?” He left the two plastic plates on the counter, curling his fingers into pretend claws.
“Rawr! Look Zuzu daddy is bif dinsor.” Giggles erupted from the black haired toddler with small squeaks and squeals while his daddy stomped around the house in over exaggerated stomps.
“Alright Rou let’s get you boys fed ok? I want to show you boys a few things today.”
Katsuki unclipped the baby carrier, running his hands through the emerald green curls. He hoisted the baby up and out of the carrier, planting a kiss to his forehead before strapping him into the highchair.
“Baby shark, are you ready to fly?” Katsuki mimicked the energy of the toddler who ran at him and jumped. Katsuki was prepared and caught the boy in his arms, raising him high in the air overhead.
Izuku was giggling, clapping his hands on the highchair tray.
For Katsuki, hearing his boy laugh was the best sound in the world.
~~~~~
“Daddy where we go?” Eijirou and Izuku were clipped into their car seats getting ready to start the day's adventure. Eijirou loved his baby brother dearly and always tried to share his Crimson Riot blankie with him, even if the baby preferred his own blankie and pacis. Izuku would look at Eijirou with so much wonder and love it that amazed Katsuki.
“We are going on an adventure Rou! First we must navigate the black seas before we find our first hideout! After the coast is clear, we follow the treasure map to our new crewmates. Once we meet our mates we go treasure hunting for ice cream!” This was Katsuki’s favorite game. Take something as boring and mundane as visiting his new office, the day care center, and finally stopping for a treat, and making it sound fun and exciting.
Eijirou was all about it. Of course his baby shark would love the idea of a pirate adventure.
“Zu daddy sayed we pie-rats. Arrrrr. You sayed arrrr too Zu.”
“Ffffft,” Izuku tried to mimic his brother the best he could. Sounds are hard enough when one is learning to talk. Sounds were even harder to mimic due his delayed growth.
“That's right boys. Let’s go treasure hunting.”
The drive to his new office was not long. Long enough however to put his Zu to sleep and his Rou to start asking the ‘why game.’
“Daddy how fum dere no shark in da black ofean?” His crimson eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Ah but there is, baby shark.” Katsuki had pulled into the parking space in front of his new office. He wanted to reach and help as many children as he could. That is why he chose to become a child psychiatrist in the first place. He was given hope when all hope was lost. Now it was his turn to restore that hope.
“Weally?? Where?” The boy was trying to tug against the buckles to get a better look. Katsuki turned around in the driver seat once the car was safely turned off and started tickling the black haired toddler.
“See I caught the best shark!”
~~~~~
His new office may have been boring and traditional on the outside, but inside was anything but. Tucked in the left hand side of the waiting room was a small play area with safety foam floors and plenty of hidden tunnels for little ones to explore. Instead of traditional hard chairs, Katuski opted for more comfortable seating: several loveseats and plush arm chairs. He even asked to have comfortable gliders placed in the waiting for kiddos who loved to rock.
He stood in front of the class door with Zu on his hip and Rou with his hand gripping the front pocket of his jeans. On the door etched in white with a rainbow behind it was his name:
Dr. Katsuki Bakugo - Child Psychiatrist
This was his dream and now it is his reality.
He unlocked the door and disarmed the alarm before stepping fully inside. Rou saw the play area and with pleading carmine eyes looked at his daddy. “Daddy me pway?”
“Have fun baby shark.” He patted the dark locks before his son decided he needed to practice the fine art of zoomies.
“Da Da.” Zu was patting Katsuki’s chest with his tiny little hands.
“Yes Zu, you can play too, ok?” He placed his baby on the ground so the freckled green-haired little one could explore as well.
To keep the boys safe, he locked the interior door to the office before taking a look around. Little Zuzu was not having that.
“Da Da.” Little bow legs and small arms did their best to crawl in a straight line, trying to follow his daddy.
Katsuki turned to see the wide green eyes and mop of emerald curls coming straight for him. His heart melted. The little one kept calling to him with ‘Da Da’s around his favorite paci. His baby had grown so much since he first took him in. A child who was classified as failure was in fact thriving, just at his own pace.
“Can you catch me Zuzu bean?” He took another two steps back, watching the baby attempt to crawl faster. “Up!” Another shuffle forward. “Da da up!”
Katsuki gave in and rescued his little man from his crawling adventure, holding him close to his chest and allowing the little one to nuzzle under his chin. Zuzu's little hand lifted to rest on his daddy’s face. “Tiss Tiss.”
How could he say no? Using one hand to the side of his head, the other under his bottom in a secure hold, he placed kiss after kiss over the boy's tan sprinkles that dotted his cheeks and nose. Katsuki placed his forehead against his baby’s to rub noses. ‘Butterfly kisses.’ His own Papa taught him about those. Warmth flooded his chest at the memory.
“Come on Zu, want to see the rest of the place?” He could hear Rou running around, jumping on the safe climbing toys shouting, ‘Cimson Riot iz here!’ He chuckled, shaking his head. His boy sure loved Crimson Riot.
Inside the actual office was a medium sized desk that held two monitor screens and a comfy looking office chair. On the other side of the desk, where he would actually work with the children and some parents , sat a variety of seating. He had requested bean bags, wobble chairs in a variety of colors, small tot sized recliners with different superheroes on them and some soft suede seating for adults or older kids.
Creating a safe place was key. He wanted to create such a place.
“Looks good huh Zu. Shall we continue the pirate adventure?” He nuzzled his baby, earning a set of giggles.
“Baby shark! The hideout looks safe. Shall we go find some shipmates?” The toddler appeared out of nowhere, all smiles and sparkles.
“Yes daddy!”
~~~~~
The new daycare was not far. In fact it was across the street. He opened the door with his boys in tow to be greeted with a friendly smile.
“Welcome to Kiddie Cove Daycare. My name is Lilly, and who are these precious little ones?” The woman had soft caramel hair and gentle blue eyes. Katsuki already knew everyone who worked here, even if they did not know him. For his own boy’s protection, he had done extensive research.
“‘M a pie-rat!” Eijirou announced, tilting his thumb to his chest with a bright smile.
“I bet you make the best sea captain!” She was enthusiastic and warm. And Eijirou had already wrapped her around his finger.
“Hi, I’m Katsuki Bakugo. We spoke on the phone. These are my sons, Eijirou and Izuku.” Izuku was curious but refused to leave the comfort of his Da Da. Eijirou was looking around excitedly. His social butterfly needed to fly and soon enough he would.
“Nice to meet you in person, Dr. Katsuki. Are we checking in today or just visiting?”
“Daddy sayed we find cew mates!”
“We are just visiting today. I wanted to show the boys around before we go for a treat.”
“Ah Eijirou! You will find lots of crewmates and more when you come visit. I am even sure you may stumble across a few heroes or astronauts!”
His carmine eyes lit up.
The woman was careful not to touch the baby without permission. She was taken aback by the wealth of curls and emerald eyes. She gave the baby a soft smile. “I hope we can be friends, Izuku.”
Zu raised his arm and opened and closed his fist, waving to the brunette.
Katsuki smiled, watching Zu willingly interact with anyone besides his brother and grandparents.
“How about we go get some ice cream for Rou, and I have a cold baba in the bag for Zu.”
When he first thought about opening his own practice in a new city, he had been anxious that uprooting the boys may upset them. His boys were champs, and so far everything seemed to be working out.
When he finally got the practice and set it up, he once thought it was a pipe dream. He has a family to call his own. They have a safe place to live with plenty of room for memories and growth.
Here they could be happy.
Here they could heal.
— — — — —
Dinner went smoothly, which Hitoshi was grateful for. He still felt guilty for hurting his sweet little Denks, but it seemed like the cookie and dino nuggets made him completely forget about being upset. Now Hitoshi was drying the plates used for dinner and keeping a careful ear on his boys, who were currently playing with the tricolor bouncy ball. Ketchup watched the ball roll and would get up quickly to bring it back to one of the boys when it rolled out of reach for them. Everyday he was more grateful to have decided to bring Ketchup into the family.
“Ha! Denks!” Hitoshi called out as he turned off the faucet and wiped his hands on the sides of his sweatpants. He chuckled in amusem*nt, watching the two boys’ and Ketchup’s heads perk up and turn to look at him.
“Mande Papi? ( Yes Papi? )” Hanta asked. He was currently holding the ball in his hands, getting ready to roll it back to Denki. Denki hummed quietly, looking over at Hitoshi with curious gold eyes. Ketchup tilted his head before turning back to Hanta and lightly trying to nudge the ball towards Denki.
“It’s bath time Love Bug. Please go put the ball in the toy chest. Sweetheart, do you want to go with your brother or come with me to start the bath?” Hitoshi walked over and crouched near both boys. Denki pouted, hearing it was bath time and quickly crawled the small distance to grab his brother’s arm.
“Ok Papi! Come on Denki!” Hanta stood up, holding the ball in his right arm and helping pull Denki up with his left, never once letting Denki go. He was always a good older brother who wanted to help his Papi out with his little brother. Hanta loved them so much. Hanta beamed, watching Denki give him a thumbs up with his left hand before using it to wave goodbye to Hitoshi.
“Papi, please promise we can play with Geico!” Hanta’s eyes pleaded and his lip stuck out, trying to give his best puppy dog face. Hitoshi wasn't really sure what Hanta saw in lizards, though he understood it had to be the same feelings he got when he saw any type of cat, or when it even started. One day he just came up to Hitoshi begging for a pet lizard and claiming they should name it Geico.
Sadly this was one of the times Hitoshi said no to his son. He simply did not have the proper experience to handle a lizard and he wasn't sure if Ketchup would get along with the lizard. Though Hitoshi did compromise with buying him anything related to lizards, just like he had done with Denki but with pokemon specifically Pikachu. Geico was the name Hanta picked for his rubber lizard bath toy. Ever since he saw the commercial, anything lizard or gecko-like was named Geico. Hitoshi chuckled and nodded, ruffling both boys’ hair softly.
“I promise you, I will allow Pikachu and Geico to join bath time. Today you four are going to turn into my bubble guppies.” Both chocolate brown and gold eyes sparkled at the idea of having a bubble bath. Before Hitoshi could give them a quick kiss on their heads, they were running as fast as they could down the hall to the toy room chanting, “Bubbles! Bubbles!”
“Careful! Don't fall guppies!” Hitoshi chuckled in amusem*nt, standing up to look back down at Ketchup.
“Guess it's just us two-” Hitoshi stopped mid sentence, watching the black lab get up on all four legs, stretch, and take off, running after the boys. “Or just me, that's fine too.” He shook his head in amusem*nt before finishing up with the cleaning of the kitchen.
Afterwards he prepared the bubble bath, making sure it was a warm temperature and had sufficient bubbles for the two children. He could hear them giggling, probably already planning out their adventure in the bubble bath. Hitoshi wouldn’t be surprised if he came out looking like he had taken a bath.
“Alright ninos-( Alright boys- )” Hanta giggled, hearing Hitoshi’s pronunciation, which made Hitoshi smile. While it frustrated him at times to not get the most basic of Spanish words' pronunciation right, it was adorable to hear Hanta laugh.
“Niños Papi! ( Boys. )” Denki giggled, watching both of them crack a smile and laugh over the slight pronunciation error. Hitoshi kissed both their heads but made sure to come back to Hanta and tickle his sides a bit.
“Oh forgive me Trouble! Please forgive me or I might not be able to stop tickling you,” Hitoshi chuckled, watching the black haired boy squeal and try to escape. Denki giggled even more and rushed to hide behind Ketchup, not wanting to be the next victim of the tickle monster. He was a little too late in moving as Hitoshi easily grabbed his wrist.
“Oh? Now where do you think you are going, Sparky? Trying to escape me? That won't do, will it?” Hitoshi pulled both of his sons into a hug and tickled their sides, making sure to be gentle. The room quickly filled with loud laughter and pleas of mercy. Ketchup barked and ran around the trio in circles, wagging his tail.
Laughing, Hitoshi soon stopped, allowing the two to catch their breaths and turned to look up at Hitoshi grinning. They both hugged him as best as they could and snuggled into him. Ketchup barked and sat as close as possible, licking the boys and Hitoshi, clearly happy as his tail was wagging non-stop.
“Did I tire out my guppies? I guess the great bubble ocean will have to be explored another day,” Hitoshi teased, seeing both boys pout and huff at him, Denki being the one to also point in the direction of the bathroom.
“Bubble time then!” He announced in a silly voice, watching the boys jump up and down in excitement. It always surprised Hitoshi how bubbles could make bath time more interesting and fun. He would gladly add bubbles if it meant not having to chase after his sons. Hitoshi, as fast as a parent could with two hyper toddlers who wouldn't stay still, removed their clothing and wrapped them in their respective towels. Denki’s was a Pikachu hooded towel while Hanta’s was a lizard hooded towel. They were a gift from their grandparents on their last visit.
“Papi hurry!” Hanta excitedly exclaimed, already holding Denki's hand and waiting by the bedroom door. Hitoshi followed them and led them to the spacious bathroom, Ketchup close behind. The dog laid just outside the door, watching them to make sure everyone was ok.
“Hanta, hand over your towel so I can put you in first please.” Hitoshi knew better than to put Denki in first. His sweet boy always needed someone he trusted to go in first. It broke his heart whenever he remembered how loud and terrified Denki’s sobs were when it came to his first bath time. Leaving Denki alone in the tub, or anywhere, would not be an option for a while, but he hoped the new therapist his dad told him about could help his sweet boy.
“Denki, it's your turn sweetheart. Please hand over your Pikachu.” Denki was busy watching Hanta, who was now trying to climb into the tub by himself. Hitoshi watched as well, but was on standby in case he slipped. He knew Hanta was starting to do things by himself but Hitoshi could never stop being worried about him. It must be the parental instincts like his own parents told him about.
“I did it Papi!” Hanta cheered before sitting down instantly and causing a huge splash. Giggles erupted from both boys as the water practically soaked Hitoshi entirely. Ketchup instantly backed further away from the door, watching from the safe zone. Denki clapped in glee before removing his now-soaked towel and handing it over to his papa.
“Good job Hanta! Look at my Love Bug go!” Hitoshi clapped for the toddler and didn't bother grabbing one of the many spare towels to dry himself off. He knew this was just the first of many splashes he was going to experience.
“Papi, get Denki inside please! And Geico!” Hitoshi chuckled, taking the towel from Denki and hanging it up on the rack before grabbing the two promised bath toys and handing them over to his eldest son. Denki’s eyes sparkled seeing his Pikachu toy and he made grabby hands, indicating that he wanted it.
“There you go, Trouble. Now then. While I'm glad to see you still dry, Sparky, I'm pretty sure it's your bath time, not mine silly,” Hitoshi joked and smiled, seeing Denki giggle and clap his hands together. How did he end up with two adorable troublemakers? Lifting Denki up and placing him inside the tub besides Hanta may have been the easiest part of bath time because next thing Hitoshi knew it had been an entire hour and both boys were finally dressed ready for bed while he looked like a wet dog. Ketchup licked both of the boys' cheeks and nudged them lightly towards their beds.
“Papi no! No quiero! ( No want! )” Hanta whined realizing it was the most dreaded time in his life: bed time. Hitoshi smiled tiredly and picked both of his kids up. Ketchup made his way to his own bed in between the boys’ bed and waited patiently for them to get in bed to sleep.
“How about an episode of Pocoyo? Just one to finish the night,” Hitoshi asked softly, already seeing the early signs of two sleepy boys. He knew Denki was already half asleep, probably going to be fully asleep as soon as he was tucked into bed. Hanta’s eyebrows furrowed as he thought about this deal. He also had a habit of biting his lower lip when he was concentrating.
“Ok Papi. I like Pocoyo. Pato is my favorite,” Hanta agreed with full seriousness on his face. It took everything in Hitoshi to not laugh at the adorable expression. Denki's eyes widened after hearing “Pocoyo.” The blond nodded his head quickly, clearly interested in the conversation.
“Pocoyo it is. How are we feeling tonight? English or en Español?” Hitoshi slowly pronounced the last bit and mentally gave himself a pat on the back. He was slowly getting the hang of it. Hopefully soon he could become fluent in the language like his Papa was in english.
“Español! Español! Por fav? ( Spanish! Spanish! Please? )” Hanta begged and wrapped his arms around his Papi's neck. Hitoshi felt his heart twist at how adorable Hanta sounded, so wholesome. Hitoshi kissed both of their cheeks before setting Hanta on his bed and heading over to Denki’s bed to set him on it. Hanta quickly climbed into the sheets, getting comfortable and hugging his lizard plushie named El Rey Geico.
“Pocoyo in Spanish it is then.” Denki squealed, hugging his weighted Pikachu and Pichu, getting comfortable under his blankets. Hitoshi chuckled, hearing his tiny squeal. He was grateful to hear Denki make any type of sound, especially when he was happy. Hitoshi properly tucked Denki in and kissed his forehead. He went over to Hanta to make sure he also was tucked in properly and got his forehead kiss.
He then grabbed the remote control for the tv in the boys room and quickly went onto the YouTube app to search up any episode that came up first, which happened to be one called “Un dia de lluvia. ( A day of rain. )” Hitoshi grumbled a bit to himself, not exactly sure what lluvia was but he did understand part of it. Something having to do with “A day of…”
“Rain Papi.” Hanta must have heard him trying to pronounce and sound it out.
“Thank you Love Bug.” Hitoshi smiled and took a seat on the ground next to Ketchup, watching the show with the boys. It seemed like the main character, Pocoyo, had no idea what an umbrella was used for or what it was called. Hitoshi stared at the screen watching the speaker. Pocoyo was asking the viewers what the umbrella was. He felt himself get slightly stressed as he had no idea what an umbrella was called in Spanish.
“Sombrilla! ( Umbrella! )” Hanta shouted, now completely focused on the show and excited to keep watching. Denki clapped for his brother, having full confidence in him.
“El Paraguas. ( The umbrella. )” Hitoshi blinked, completely stumped. El…El what?
“Mierda! ( sh*t! )” Hanta shouted, upset, and hugged his lizard grumpily. Denki tilted his head in confusion but stayed focused on the screen, seeing Pato arrive. He was already patting the bed to the beat of Pato’s walking. Meanwhile Hitoshi stared at his older son in surprise. It didn't take him long to know what he shouted. This wouldn't be the first time Hanta shouted out a curse word in Spanish whenever he got worked up.
“Hanta.” The toddler pouted, refusing to look over, already knowing he was in trouble for shouting out that word his Papi told him to never say. It wasn’t his fault the speaker was wrong. It was sombrilla. He whined when he felt someone sit right down next to him and looked up into serious indigo eyes.
“Papi, I am right, not the show. It’s sombrilla Papi.” The toddler clutched El Rey Geico tighter, upset. Hitoshi sighed and pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back in comfort.
“Hanta, I know you are upset, but no more bad words, ok Love Bug? Those aren't nice words to say or use.”
“...Si Papi ( Yes ), sorry Papi,” he whimpered and hugged his Papi back. Hitoshi smiled and kissed the top of his head.
“It's ok Ha, no need to feel bad. It was just a slip of the tongue. Love Bug, you are right about the umbrella being called sombrilla, but not everyone calls it that. Everywhere you go, words are different and pronounced in other ways. You are such a smart Love Bug, no need to fight the tv when you are both right.” Hitoshi kept a soft and calm voice, knowing yelling and having Hanta fear of him did nothing to help. He wanted Hanta and Denki to live the best life they possibly could. He didn't want them to ever experience abandonment ever again. Hitoshi would do anything for them. They were his world and he would do whatever it took to keep them safe and make them know they were loved.
“I'm smart, Papi!” Hanta smiled, looking up at his Papi, and snuggled into his side. Hitoshi chuckled and nodded.
“So smart Love Bug. Smarter than Papi.” The toddler broke out into giggles before letting out a loud yawn. Hitoshi took a quick glance over at the clock, noticing it was slightly past their bedtime. He took a glance over to where Denki was tucked in and noticed he was already nodding off, hugging Pikachu close.
“Time for bed Ha. Goodnight Love Bug.” Hitoshi turned the television off and retucked him, chuckling at already seeing sleep win.
“Goodnight Papi.” Hanta nodded off tiredly and snuggled into the pillow happily. Hitoshi shut off all the lights except for the cat nightlight and rechecked all the windows, making sure everything was locked and off.
“Te amo mis hijos, ( I love you, my sons, )” Hitoshi pronounced perfectly, watching the two fall into a deep sleep. Turning around, he was ready to head to his own room but paused hearing a tiny voice.
“Te amo Pa. ( I love you Pa. )” The tiny voice of Denki stopped him in his tracks. He turned around to look at his youngest, but the blond was already fast asleep. The purple haired adult stared into his children’s room and teared up a bit from how long but rewarding this day, like many, was. He loved those two boys more than his own life. He would make sure they had everything they needed and never question whether or not they were loved.
Hitoshi wiped the few tears from his eyes. The work he had previously worked on in the morning could wait. He had to look up this Dr. Bakugo, hoping he would be a therapist that would and could help Denki. Climbing into bed, he opened up his laptop and grinned, seeing his two sons smiling at the camera. The photo was taken the day they went to a petting zoo and both boys were having so much fun and they posed for such an adorable photo. Hitoshi once again was grateful for the two. No matter the hardships that would arrive, he knew it would be worth it. He proceeded to go online and search up the child therapist Dr. Bakugo.
— — — — —
Shoto stared at the screen in front of him with confusion. It was simple enough, should be easy to follow, yet every time he tried he had to start over because he missed something important.
Thankfully Eri was patient.
He sat behind his daughter, hairbrush and hair binder in hand, watching an internet video tutorial on how to french braid hair.
The lady on the screen made it seem easy. Comb the hair free of tangles, then, starting at the top of the head, take three medium sized sections of hair and twist them around each other. Add a small section of hair to the section and twist again, continually adding more hair to each section before twisting the pieces around each other again.
Easy.
For her.
Shoto had tried twice already, having to stop and brush Eri’s hair snarl free before trying again. All he’d managed to do so far was create tangles.
“It’s okay dad, we can try again,” Eri would say as Shoto undid his mess to restart. She wanted a fancy princess braid and would sit until she got one.
Kota sat on the couch across the room, playing some video game on his Switch. He would comment occasionally on the progress of his sister's hair, unimpressed and annoyed it was taking so long.
“Mom would be done by now,” Kota mumbled, glaring at his screen while he played. The plan was to go to the park to enjoy the nice day. Shoto had a few hours of time before he had a video conference to attend and wanted to make the most of it. But they wouldn’t get to go until Eri was ready, and she wouldn’t be ready until she got her hair styled. Kota was tired of waiting.
“Papa can do it,” Eri insisted. Shoto loved her confidence in him. He just wished he had the same confidence in himself.
“What about a ponytail?” Shoto asked. He knew how to do that one.
“Nope,” Eri answered, popping the letter ‘p’. “Braid.”
Shoto nodded and restarted the video.
He would get this if it took all day.
Section by section, twist by twist, he managed to braid Eri’s long white hair on the fourth try. Was it the best braid ever? No, not even close. But Eri was happy, and that’s what mattered.
Kota was happy too. Well, happier since they were now on their way to the park.
He raced ahead of them toward the playground, taunting Eri that he was going to beat her to the slide. Eri chased after him in a slow jog, not really caring about winning, and more concerned with keeping Shoto in her sights. Shoto watched them carefully, not too concerned with them being a good distance away as both the park and kids were in clear view, but he did speed up a little when he saw the number of kids already at the playground.
He knew Eri would stay close so he focused more on keeping Kota in his sights. The adventurous little boy had a bad habit of climbing on top of the playground, getting to areas he wasn’t supposed to be.
Every time.
No matter how many times he was told not too.
“Kota, get off the top of the slide!” Shoto shouted as he pushed Eri on the swings. The tunnel slide seemed to get all the kids attention, good and bad, so he wasn’t the only trouble maker doing it.
He climbed down, pouting and glaring at being scolded.
“Thank you, Bug!” He wanted to make sure Kota was rewarded for the good behavior, not just scolded for the bad. He was going to say more when his phone rang.
Shoto quickly dug it out of his pocket, “Shoto speaking.”
It was his secretary, a lovely older lady who had been with the company forever. “Hello Shoto dear. I just wanted to let you know that I got your message about scheduling the kiddos for an appointment with Dr. Bakugou. I managed to get them an appointment for late next week. I added it to your calendar and you’re all set.”
“Thank you.” Shoto felt a weight lift off his shoulder.
~~~~~
Shoto held back a groan as his phone started ringing, again, and the oven timer beeped, signaling lunch was done and ready to come out. He could hear Kota shouting at Eri to get out of his way, back to playing his video games, this time on the TV, and Eri shouting back that she wasn’t in the way. (Even though without seeing her Shoto knew she was.)
The twins loved each other, but like all siblings they also loved to annoy the other.
He ignored his phone in favor of saving lunch. It was simple and basic: chicken nuggets and french fries with some apple slices. A safe choice and one he could easily make.
“Eri, Kota, lunch!” he shouted, his ringtone sounding again as he finished plating the food. He went to grab his phone when the front door opened, so he ignored the ringing to focus on his unknown guest. He knew he needed to answer, or at least call them back, as it could be anyone from work to family.
“Grandpa!” He heard them shout happily. He entered the room in time to watch both Eri and Kota tackle-hug their grandpa, the big man able to easily handle it.
“My favorite kiddos,” Enji said with a smile, picking them up to properly hug them. “Hello Shoto.”
“Hi dad-”
His ringtone sounded again.
“Go answer, I got them,” Enji instructed.
“Lunch is ready.”
Enji nodded and Shoto raced to grab his phone. He saw the photo of his ex-wife and prepared himself for anything.
“Hello.”
Enji had followed, bringing the kids into the kitchen to eat.
“A children’s therapist. Really?”
“Hello Momo.” Shoto replied, gaining the attention of all three people in the room. Eri and Kota brightened up at their mother’s name, while Enji’s smile dropped into a frown.
“Shoto,” Momo snapped, “our children don’t need a therapist. They are fine. I do not approve of this. Cancel that appointment.”
“Momo, you don’t see what I see. They need help processing our divorce. The therapist will help them understand why things are different, and why it’s a good thing.” Shoto tried to remain calm. “Momo, please. This will be good for them and us.”
“Statistically speaking children who partake in therapy following their parents separation adjust better to their new routines and lives than those who do not,” Tenya voiced his opinion, clearly indicating that Shoto was on speaker.
“Thank you Tenya,” he forced himself to say. He didn’t really like the man his wife was seeing, but he was on his side.
“Let me take them to a few appointments. If the kids hate it, I’ll stop.” Shoto bargained.
“Fine,” Momo relented, “but if the kids tell me they hate therapy you cancel immediately.”
“Deal.”
“Oh, and Tenya will be picking them up Friday. I have an appointment so I’ll be busy.” Momo instructed, “Have everything ready by five o’clock.”
Shoto bit his tongue to hold back his old response of ‘yes dear.’ He listened to her give a few more instructions before hanging up.
Eri and Kota had obviously been listening and went back to eating once he had hung up. He had tried to keep the conversation quiet to not disturb them, but it hadn’t worked. Kota was glaring at his food while Eri looked worried. Enji was watching his son closely.
“We’re not crazy,” Kota mumbled.
“Of course not, Bug,” Shoto said, taking a seat next to his son. He knew he would have to explain what therapy was to them, eventually, and courtesy of his ex he got to do it now. “Therapy isn’t a bad thing, and it isn’t because we think you’re crazy. The therapist…”
Shoto looked to his dad for help. Enji saw the pleading look and stepped in quickly, already having practice. “Think of therapy like the doctor, but a doctor for your feelings instead. The therapist, or feelings doctor, will help you figure out why you’re sad, or mad, or even happy.”
Eri pouted at her grandpa, “I don’t like the doctor.”
“This will be a good doctor. No shots. You’ll get to talk and play a little too.”
“No shots?” Kota asked cautiously, “Promise?”
“I promise, no shots,” Shoto said, Enji nodded with him.
Eri and Kota looked at each other for a second before they both nodded.
— — — — —
Katsuki leaned against the kitchen counter, slowly drinking his coffee. The quiet of the house wouldn’t last once his boys woke up, so he was enjoying the peace and looking over some paperwork.
Two file folders lay on the counter: the evidence of two families trusting their kids to Katsuki’s care. He took a long sip of his coffee. Hitoshi Shinso and his two sons Denki and Hanta, ages 2 and 4, and Shoto Todoroki and his twins Eri and Kota, both age 5.
Both parents had gotten back to the office relatively quickly with the completed paperwork, and Katsuki just wanted to give it a quick look over before meeting the families in question.
Katsuki had barely gotten to read the first page when he heard something, or he thought he heard something.
He froze for just a moment, his coffee cup forgotten on the counter as he strained his ears in the early morning silence.
There .
Katsuki ran out of the kitchen as soon as he heard the sound clearer.
It barely took a moment before Katsuki was in Eijirou’s new room, the familiar Crismon Riot decorations spread throughout the new room.
The raven-haired boy looked smaller than ever, all wrapped up in his blanket with tears streaming down his face.
Katsuki rushed to his son’s bed. “Eiji, Baby Shark are you alright?”
He didn’t touch Eijirou, giving the small boy a moment to fully wake up and recognize his surroundings.
“Daddy!” Eijirou sobbed and threw himself into his Daddy’s arms, dragging his blanket along with him.
“You…you…you gone .” Eijirou was shaking in Katsuki’s arms.
“You gone and people say you no coming back…and–and–and–” Eijirou was gasping as he tried to speak. He was so worked up from the nightmare it was almost hard for Katsuki to understand what he was saying. It hurt his heart to see one of his babies like this.
Katsuki ran his hand over Eijirou’s back.
”I’m right here Baby Shark. I’ll never leave you alone. Let's take some deep breaths, okay?” Katsuki spoke softly as he took a deep breath for Eijirou to copy.
After a few moments of deep breaths, Katsuki pulled back just enough to see Eijirou’s face. “Feeling a little better Baby Shark?”
Eijirou gave a small nod but kept the hold he had on his blanket and Katsuki’s shirt. Then Katsuki heard some soft whines from the room next door.
“Want to go find your brother? We can all climb in my bed and cuddle, sound good?”
Eijirou gave a slightly more enthusiastic nod at this and held on as Katsuki stood up.
Katsuki carried Eijiro out of his room till they stood in front of the door to Izuku’s new room.
“Now Baby Shark, we got to be quiet, okay?” Katsuki whispered right next to Eijirou’s ear, prompting the little boy to giggle at the tickle in his ear.
“We must be super sneaky super spies as we go in to retrieve the precious green emerald.”
Eijirou stared at his daddy with big eyes and nodded, holding a small finger to his lips.
Katsuki walked into the darker room, taking large overdramatic footsteps that made Eijirou giggle from behind his hands. He was trying his hardest to stay quiet and be a good super spy.
Izuku was sitting in his crib watching the two of them curiously as they ‘snuck’ closer and closer into his room.
It took a few minutes for everyone to get settled in for cuddles. They had grabbed Izuku and Eijirou remembered he left his stuffed shark in his room so they had to go back and grab that. Once they were all settled, cuddled up in Katsuki’s bed, he heard a small stomach grumbling.
“Are my boys getting hungry?” He looked at the two boys who had looked at him when he started to talk.
“Yes, I a hungee shark!” Eijirou wiggled around under the blankets and Izuku babbled happily along with his brother’s excited exclamation. “Da Da! Da Da!”
Katsuki scooped up both his boys and walked toward the kitchen.
Katsuki strapped the small green-haired boy into his highchair and set the raven-haired boy down in a chair. He quickly stacked up the papers he had left out and got to work cutting up some fruit for breakfast.
~~~~~
After the slightly rough start of the morning, everything was perfect. After a simple breakfast, it was time to get the boys ready for the day.
“This one!” Eijirou’s eyes were sparkling as he held up the brightest shirt he had seen. The fabric was covered in what looked like bright splatters of paint and it had a shark printed right on the front.
“Okay Baby Shark, can you put it on yourself? Or do you need help?”
“I do it!” Eijirou held the shirt above his head. “I big!”
Katsuki smiled at his son and quickly got Izuku dressed for the day. It was beautiful outside and he was thinking maybe they could go on a walk in the park.
“Oof.” There was a small thud and a confused noise from Eijirou behind him.
When Katsuki turned to look, he found Eijirou sitting on the floor, one arm sticking straight up as he tried to squeeze his head into the arm hole of his shirt.
“Baby Shark, Rou let me help you!” Katsuki sat down on the floor next to Eijirou, setting a fully dressed Izuku on the floor to play with a few toys.
He carefully pulled Eijirou into his lap and helped untangle the boy from his shirt, making sure each arm went into the correct hole and his head went where it was supposed to.
Kirishima looked down at his shirt as soon as it was on and did a little wiggle of joy.
Katsuki smiled at his oldest son then turned his attention to the smaller boy on the floor. Izuku found a ball and was crawling after it while Katsuki was helping Eijirou.
“Come here you, Zu.”
Katsuki picked the baby up off the ground and held him up.
“You ready to go on an adventure today Zu, you ready for some fun?”
Izuku was smiling and babbling, looking down at Katsuki.
“Daddy, Daddy we go on a venture!!” Eijirou was tugging on Katsuki’s shirt, meeting his dad’s eyes with stars in his eyes.
Katsuki squatted down, holding Izuku against his waist. “We’re gonna be adventurers today, and we’re gonna climb the tallest mountain!!”
Eijirou gasped softly, “The tallerest muntin?”
“Yeah, you and Zuku will be my fearless companions, and you’ll hold the map and tell me where to go from your special backpack.”
“Nooooo, I big kid! I can clim the muntin all by myself!”
Eijirou stood with his feet apart, posing like a superhero,
“I be cool like Daddy!”
Katsuki tried to hide his smile but he couldn’t. His sons were just too adorable.
“Well then fearless explorers, let’s go on an adventure!!!!”
Eijirou was racing to go put on his shoes before Katsuki could even blink. Katsuki shook his head with a small laugh.
“Your brother sure is something special, just like you.” Izuku giggled as his dad softly tickled his stomach and they followed to go help Eijirou with his shoes.
~~~~~
Eijirou was standing at the bottom of the biggest muntin he had ever seen!! It was huge. It was even taller than his Daddy and his Daddy was super tall. He was basically a giant and it was taller than him!
And he was gonna climb it! Him and Daddy and Zu, they were a team of fearless plorers and they were gonna reach the very top of the muntin!!
“Ready Baby Shark?” Eijirou’s Daddy was the coolest person ever . He was super awesome and manly!!
His Daddy was standing right next to him. He had his brother in his carrier and a backpack full of snacks on his back.
They were the good snacks, too. Eijirou knew cause he helped! As soon as his Daddy helped him put his shoes on they put cips and juice and the best fruit snacks in the backpack.
“Yes, Daddy!! We can clim the muntin!! Let’s goooooo!!”
Eijirou grabbed his Daddy’s hand and started tugging him towards the muntin.
All three of them made their way up the trail. Eijirou was singing a song from a movie that was one of his favorites even though it wasn’t Crimson Riot.
“You Welcome, its just me, me
You welcome, you welcome!!”
Eijirou was looking at all the trees and the grass as he sang on their venture, and his brother was pointing at all the cool trees from his spot in his carrier.
“I could splain every fem, feman ah?”
Eijirou stopped singing for a second, then stopped walking as he thought.
“Fen nam, fenamin?”
Eijirou huffed.
“What’s the word Daddy?”
Eijirou looked up at his Daddy. His Daddy was smart and he knew all the words.
“Phenomenon Baby Shark.
I could explain every natural phenomenon
The tide, the grass, the ground
Oh, that was Maui just messing around”
Eijirou stared up at his Daddy. “So cool!” he whispered.
“Coo!” Izu copied from his carrier.
His daddy was awesome!! He knew all the words to all the best songs and he could sing them for him and Izu any time!!
Eijirou kept singing his song as they kept walking up the muntin. When he finished the song, he started another song, then another.
Eijirou was starting to get tired and his feet hurt, but he was a big kid!! He could clim the whole muntin with no help!!
“You good Baby Shark? Need to stop and take a break?”
“No! I big kid!!”
“I think Zuku needs to stop for a snack. Look how hungry he looks.”
Eijirou looked at his little brother. He did look kinda hungry and Eijirou did kinda want to take a break.
“We stop, for Zuku!! He needs a snack!”
His daddy laughed softly, and they went to a bench Eijirou didn’t even see!
They all sat on the bench and Eijirou was watching his brother. He was making a mess with the snacks!
“Noo, Zu eat snacks, not play snacks!” Zu giggled as he shoved a baby snack in his mouth.
Eijirou was drinking his juice box. “Daddy I a big kid.”
“Yes you are Baby Shark. What does my big boy Rou need?”
Eijirou took a big sip from his juice. “Can Daddy carry me? My foot hurts, and–and I wanna hold da map!”
“Of course Baby Shark! Are you ready to keep going?”
Eijirou nodded his head and climbed off the bench. “Venture!! Xplorers!!”
He could hear his Daddy laughing, still sitting on the bench. “First we have to clean up all the trash from our snack and throw it away Rou, then we can keep exploring.”
Eijirou drank the last bit of juice from box and looked around.
“Where trash?” Eijirou wondered aloud.
“Right here Baby Shark.” Eijirou turned and his Daddy was pointing at a trash can. Eijirou quickly tossed his empty juice box inside.
His daddy picked him up and set him in his special spot and they kept climbing the muntin, Eijirou holding the map his Daddy pulled from the backpack, Zuku pointing at all the cool trees and Daddy just walking.
When they made it to the top of the muntin Eijirou felt so big!! He felt like a giant, even bigger than daddy!!
Eijirou giggled as his Daddy set him down in the grass. This was the best venture ever!!
Eijirou yawned. Going on adventures made him feel sleepy. He carefully laid his head against his Daddy, who was sitting with Izuku in the grass.
It was a good venturing day.
— — — — —
Hitoshi had been nervously anticipating this meeting for the last couple of days. He arrived early to Denki’s first appointment with Dr. Katsuki Bakugo. Hopefully this therapist would help Denki instead of stressing him out more or deeming him “unfixable.” The memory of Denki’s first therapist always managed to anger Hitoshi, though karma was arranged courtesy of his parents.
He snapped out of the memory. He needed to focus and make sure everything went as smoothly as possible. Hitoshi smiled looking down at the whole entourage: Denki, Hanta, and Ketchup. He hoped that everything would be ok and work out.
Taking a deep breath in and out, he held onto Denki’s small hand with one of his own and Ketchup’s leash in the other. Hanta, who seemed to be in his protective older brother mode, was holding his brother’s other hand while chatting to him about what they should have for dinner. It seemed like dinner had to be spaghetti with meatballs or nachos. Hitoshi was thankful Hanta was trying to help calm his little brother. His little Sparky didn’t do too well in new places, and the same could be said about himself.
Guiding the two boys and Ketchup inside, Hitoshi was grateful for the automatic double doors that opened quietly. He wasn’t comfortable with the idea of letting go of Ketchup’s leash or Denki's hand. Some of the previous experiences had a child run towards Ketchup and tackle him, calling it their way of “petting the cute doggy.” Other times adults would walk into his son, claiming they were rushing and didn’t see him. Basically multiple excuses for occurrences that should have never happened.
Hitoshi gulped, realizing that there was never really a time he felt comfortable in a therapist’s waiting room or office. His nerves may have been getting to him. Though, Hitoshi had this feeling that it would all be alright. He believed that this therapist would be understanding.
Thankfully, Dr. Bakugou seemed very accommodating in their exchanged emails. He had asked to sit in during Denki’s first few sessions because he knew the small boy would most likely panic otherwise.
The doctor never judged or discredited Hitoshi’s concerns but instead encouraged it, claiming he “wanted the best for Denki,” and if that meant Hitoshi having to sit in on all their sessions, that was “alright with him.” However, the only thing Hitoshi never mentioned was that he always planned to bring Hanta as well.
His parents had offered to watch him for a bit, but Hanta was a great support for Denki. They seemed to communicate in their own special and unique way. Hitoshi was proud to see how far the two came and how strong their brotherly bond was. He knew that if there would be a time his little sweetheart would need the support of his big brother Hanta, it would be now.
Despite what occured in today's appointment, Hitoshi planned to take his Love Bug and Sparky to the park to help decompress from what would no doubt be an overwhelming experience for his baby.
He kept walking down the hall until he found a decorative white door with “Dr. Katsuki Bakugo - Child Psychiatrist” on it. The door looked cute and inviting. It kinda reminded him of Boo’s door from Monsters Inc. except with a rainbow.
“Papi? No quiero ir a escuela ( Papi? I don’t want to go to school ),” Hanta spoke.
Hitoshi chuckled. Now that he looked at the door it did remind him of the doors teachers decorated at the start of a new school year. Hanta was pouting and huffing.
“We aren’t at your school, Love Bug. We’re t the Psychiatrist—”
“The feelings doctor!” Hanta’s eyes widened in surprise. Hitoshi chuckled. So, maybe he was letting Hanta watch too much Spy x Family. Denki squealed, hearing the familiar words. He probably thought a handsome blond spy would be greeting them now.
Taking a breath, he looked down at his precious boys, both of them holding the other’s hand, and began to open the door.
They were greeted with the sight of the coziest looking waiting room ever. The boys were already gasping in joy, seeing the empty playground on the left side of the room.
“Papi! Papi! Please, can we play? Please? Por fav! Por fav! ( Please! Please! )” Hanta begged, pointing in the direction of the playground, clearly ready to run over and claim it as his own. Denki kept pulling Hitoshi’s hand in the same direction, completely entranced with the fun looking play area. Hioshi crouched down and smiled at the two. He was more relaxed seeing that there seemed to be no one else in the room.
“Go ahead, but be careful not to fall or else we have to head home and skip the park.” He chuckled as both ran towards the play area, probably not hearing anything after his ”Go ahead.”
Hitoshi jumped, hearing a small giggle.
“They are so cute and adorable. May I assume you are Mr. Aizawa-Yamada?” Hitoshi finally noticed the receptionist sitting in her seat, who must have watched the entire conversation. He nervously chuckled and scratched the back of his head.
“Yes, that would be me. Sorry. I didn’t realize you were here.”
“No need to apologize. That’s actually the intended idea for this room. Dr. Bakugo wanted the children to see the comfy seats and play area before a stranger. Now then, I do ask that you fill out this form, and you will soon be meeting with the doctor.”
The receptionist kept a soft smile on her face and made sure her voice was quiet. Hitoshi was grateful and made his way over. He couldn’t help but be surprised at all the planning that was done to make the waiting room comfortable.
He took the small packet clipped onto a clipboard and made his way to one of the plush loveseats.
His eyes widened a bit at the small dip he felt from the plush. If he wasn’t careful, he might just nap here. Smiling, he took a glance towards his sons, who seemed to be playing some sort of game involving a few of the available toys on the playground. He quickly got to work filling out the packet, making sure he provided all the information he knew and thought would be helpful to the doctor. These packets became a piece of cake after filling them out various times before.
Once he finished, he handed the clipboard back to the receptionist. He returned back to his seat and waited what seemed to be a few minutes before he heard his last name being called.
“Love Bug. Sparky. Ketchup. Come on time to go see-”
“The feelings doctor!” Hanta cheered, taking a hold of Denki's hand and heading back over to Hitoshi. Ketchup got back up and followed the excited boys and wagged his tail, seeing as none of them were anxious anymore.
He led his boys to the office door and knocked before turning the knob and opening it after hearing a “Come in.” If Hitoshi had thought the waiting room was fantastic, this office would triple it. The office looked more like an ideal comfort room: soft looking pillows and blankets available in almost every corner of the room. There were even a few toys and coloring books settled around the place, and sitting near a few on the floor was Dr. Bakugou.
The ash blond man looked incredibly friendly and had a cute smile on his face that only seemed to brighten once he saw them. He was nothing at all like Hitoshi expected or imagined, though he really wasn't sure what he expected. He pictured the man to be wearing something more “professional,” like a button down shirt with slacks or something. But instead, the blond was dressed down in a simple shirt with a soft looking cardigan and some jeans.
When the door opened, Dr. Bakugou looked up and smiled. “Hi, my name is Katsuki Bakugou. What's your name?”
Denki immediately stopped in his tracks. He stared between his Papi and the new stranger on the floor.
“Would you like to come and play with me?” the blond said in a gentle voice, picking up one of the toys nearby.
Denki shook his head and started stepping backwards to get out of the room before bumping into Hitoshi. “P-Papi…h-home.”
His poor sweetheart was pleading with all that his voice could muster in his state of panic, and it broke Hitoshi’s heart. Ketchup began licking at Denki’s face as tears were beginning to slide down. “Shhhh. It’s ok, sweetheart. You’re safe here. Dr. Bakugou is a nice man. He just wants to talk to you. Hanta and I will be here the whole time.”
It was understandable that his Sparky was scared. He didn’t like strangers very much, especially adults. The exceptions being his Papi and grandfathers. The previous adults he knew only hurt him. Seeing a stranger must’ve triggered that fear.
The blond across the room stayed quiet as he watched the poor baby begin to cry harder. It was like he was trying to speak, but through the tears and the heaving for air, no words could make their way out.
It went on like this for a few more minutes with Hitoshi desperately attempting to calm his son down until Hanta gently nudged him to the side and stood in front of his baby brother. His small hands cupped his brother’s snot covered face and lifted it up slightly, making sure they could look into each other’s eyes. “Denki, todo está bien. Papi y yo estaremos aquí. No more crying please... ( Denki, everything is alright. Papi and I will be here )”
Both Dr. Bakugou and Hitoshi watched as the little boys embraced, Hanta quietly stroking his brother’s back. "Shush...shushh...todo esta bien...te amo...todo está bien...no more crying. ( Everything is ok…I love you…everything is ok )"
After a while, the only sound in the room was Denki’s small little hiccups as he began to calm down. Hanta smiled, completely relaxed and not bothered by the snot, and wiped the tears off.
Hanta leaned down to whisper something in his ear that neither adult could hear before slowly leading him to Dr. Bakugou.
The blond man kept his friendly smile the whole time and waited patiently as the two boys slowly made their way over to him, Hanta taking the lead like always.
Hitoshi watched as his babies quietly played with Dr. Bakugou. At first, Denki was completely silent and refused to look at the other adult, but overtime with some encouragement and reassurance from Hanta, he began to engage more.
The rest of the session was just that: the boys quietly playing with Dr. Bakugou and exchanging a few words back and forth. After a while, the blond man excused himself from the boys and came over to Hitoshi, who was watching just a bit further away with Ketchup right beside him.
“Hello, Mr. Aizawa-Yamada. Would you mind stepping outside with me for a bit?” Hearing those words, Denki whined softly before Hanta started to distract him with something else. More unheard words were spoken to his baby brother.
Hitoshi stood and followed the blond man, letting Ketchup stay behind just in case. With that, the two were outside, and both let out a small exhale of air.
Dr. Bakugou looked at Hitoshi, letting his smile drop. “Well, in terms of a first session, it actually wasn’t bad at all. Freak outs like that can be expected, especially with a child that comes from abuse. Don’t worry, Mr. Aizawa-Yamada. Today went really well.”
“I…I’m” Hitoshi sighed. “Thank you for being so patient. Denki isn’t used to strangers, and he’s terrified of adults. I couldn’t do anything. It’s really embarrassing—“
“Don’t say that,” Dr. Bakugou interrupted. “This is something new for you too, and overtime, you’ll learn ways to deal with it. I’m here to help the parents just as much as the kids. Giving you the tools to help your son is also part of my job, Mr. Ai—“
“Hitoshi…Please.”
Dr. Bakugou smiled. “Hitoshi.”
The purple haired man smiled back. “I’m just grateful Hanta was here. He seems to be the only one who can ground Denki sometimes.”
After saying that, he wasn’t expecting Dr. Bakugou’s smile to disappear. “Actually, that brings up a concern. After watching the two of them today, I notice that Hanta seems to act like a caretaker to Denki…”
Hitoshi stood confused for a moment. “Isn’t that good? It means that he loves him and that they get along.”
Dr. Bakugou shook his head. “This is different. You only put in a file for Denki, so I’m not sure what Hanta has experienced…But it seems to me like he’s putting Denki’s needs before his own in order to please you. I don’t even think Hanta is aware that he’s doing this…If it’s possible, I’d like it if you could send me information on Hanta as well. I think it would be a good idea if I saw them separately.”
Hitoshi was stunned at this information. Then came the awful negative thoughts. How hadn’t he noticed this before? Was he that unaware?
Had he missed something? Had he been so focused on Denki that he hadn’t noticed his poor Hanta suffering in silence?
Maybe both of them seeing Dr. Bakugou would be a good thing. He just wanted what was best for his boys, and after seeing the blond man being so patient and gentle with them both, he felt like he could trust his judgment.
Hitoshi nodded. “I’ll go ahead and email you later on today. Thank you, Dr. Bakugou.”
“Katsuki. Please.” The blond smiled.
Hitoshi returned the smile. “Katsuki.”
With that, he headed back inside the room to see his boys playing together with Ketchup. They said a quick goodbye to Dr. Baku—Katsuki and headed straight for the park near their home.
New worries and doubts were planted in Hitoshi’s head, but he also had found a new hope that his sons would be okay.
— — — — —
Shoto was nervous. Momo had been badgering him about therapy, reminding him time and time again that if the kids showed even the slightest dislike in going, then he better pull them out immediately.
And while he understood where his ex-wife was coming from, didn’t she understand that he was just trying to do what was best for the kids?
He still remembered the phone call he got later that night.
The kids had just been put to bed when he heard his phone ringing once again. When he picked up his phone, he saw the picture of his ex-wife flashing on the screen.
“Hello?” he asked, confused. His wife rarely called him, much less twice in one day.
“Shoto,” the woman said promptly, forgoing any greeting or pleasantries. “Make sure to be discreet when taking the children to therapy. The paparazzi already had a field day with your…blunder. We don’t need to give them any more fodder.”
He resisted the urge to groan. “Yes dear,” he habitually answered.
Not skipping a beat, Momo’s voice took a sharper edge. “And remember, if I hear one negative thing out of Eri’s or Kota’s mouth about this nonsensical idea of yours, you pull the kids out immediately. I can and will take full custody of the kids to keep your…improper preferences and choices negatively affecting them.”
Shoto glared at the floor upon hearing the threat, biting out, “Yes dear.”
Momo harrumphed before hanging up, the line going dead.
Shoto sighed. They got to the doors of the office, and made their way to the personal office of Dr. Bakugou. He led them down the corridor of doors until both they reached the door with “Dr. Katsuki Bakugou - Child Psychiatrist.”
Eri looked up at him, her grip getting tighter in apprehension. “Papa?” she whimpered, staring at the door with uncertainty. Do we have…?”
Shoto smiled down at her, hopefully reassuringly. “Don’t worry Eri-Bear. It’ll be ok. Dr. Bakugou is a very nice man, and I’ll be there the entire time.”
He looked towards Kota, who was on his left. “This is stupid,” the boy grunted, glaring at the floor. “We don’t need to go to a doctor. Mom was right. You are just a stupid fa-”
Shoto cut his son off. “Kota,” he snapped, “What have we said about using language like that?”
Kota met his father’s glare, before breaking it and looking at the door. “Whatever,” he muttered.
Shoto sighed, before knocking on the door and hearing a soft “Come in.” He opened the door to see an extremely comforting waiting room. Eri squealed in excitement, immediately grabbing her brother and running over to the play area. Kota was significantly less emotive, but Shoto didn’t miss the wide eyes with a spark of happiness in them at seeing the play area.
Standing there for a moment, he was snapped out of his thoughts by a soft voice. “Mr. Todoroki?” a young woman asked. She was so small and unassuming that Shoto missed her. Her name plate read Ochako Uraraka.
“Hello Miss Uraraka, yes that is me. I am here for an appointment for Dr. Bakugou with Eri and Kota Todoroki.”
She nodded, handing him a clipboard with some more paperwork to fill out, and said, “Fill these out please, and I will call you when Dr. Bakugou is ready to see you.”
Shoto took the clipboard from her and went over to take a seat, pulling a pen from his breast pocket and quickly filling out the paperwork before returning it to the receptionist.
They sat there for a few more moments before their name was called. He grabbed both of his kids’ hands, Eri on his right and Kota on his left as per usual, and made their way to Dr. Bakugou’s private office.
The same atmosphere from the waiting room carried over into the doctor’s office - comfortable and relaxing.
The twins stared at the doctor who was on the floor surrounded by toys and unlike any of the doctors they were used to seeing. Eri blurted out suddenly, “Are you sure this is a doctor Papa?”
She looked confused, and Shoto chuckled. “Yes Eri-Bear, this is the feelings doctor we were talking about, remember?”
Her brow was scrunched up in confusion and she tugged her hand out of Shoto’s before sitting down next to Dr. Bakugou. “Papa says you’re a doctor, but you don’t look like a doctor. Are we going to have to get shots?”
Dr. Bakugou laughed. “Don’t worry Eri, I promise I won’t give you any shots. We’re just going to talk about whatever you two want today, does that sound ok to you?”
Eri nodded and called over to her brother, “Kota! Come here!”
Kota growled at being bossed around by his older sister. Shoto nudged him closer to the doctor, and Kota growled before going to sit down next to Eri. “Just because you’re older than me by a few minutes doesn’t mean you get to boss me around,” he muttered.
“Hi Kota,” Dr. Bakugou tried to greet, a soft smile on his face. Kota didn’t say anything in response, just turned his head pointedly away and crossed his arms.
“Kota,” Shoto said, a warning in his voice. “Manners please. What do you say when someone says hi to you?”
Kota just turned to glare at his father.
Eri, sensing the tension, pointed at Kota and attempted to whisper, “Hey Mr. Bakugou, did you know that Kota still sleeps with a stuffed animal? He’s a green lamb and Kota named him Deku.”
“Hey!” Kota shouted in indignation. His face was red.
Bakugou turned at Eri and smiled, “Let’s be nice to Kota. Do you have any stuffed animals Eri?”
Eri nodded happily. “Yes! I have a bunch of them! I have one that’s a kitty and I named her Kitty, and I have another that is…”
Eri spent a solid five minutes listing out her stuffed animals. Every. Single. One.
The whole time, Dr. Bakugou nodded along, his attentiveness to Eri never wavering. Shoto smiled from where he watched their interactions. He felt like he made the right choice.
Only once Eri was done did Dr. Bakugou turn to Kota and say, “Do you have any other stuffed animals, Kota?”
Kota scowled and growled, “No…”
“That’s not true!” Eri exclaimed immediately, and Kota’s hands immediately went to cover his sister’s mouth.
Shoto stepped forward to do something, but before he could, he saw Kota jerk his hand away and shout, “Did you just lick my hand? Ew! Now I have cooties!”
Eri smiled smugly and stuck her tongue out at her brother teasingly. She then turned to Dr. Bakugou and said, “He has four other stuffed animals! They’re all kitties and he calls them… Wild Wild puss*cats! They each has names too!”
The rest of the session went similarly, with Kota becoming more engaged and Eri telling Dr. Bakugou whatever popped into her mind. When the session was almost over, Dr. Bakugou got up and said, “You two play over here for a bit, ok? I need to talk to your Papa for a bit.”
The twins nodded, and went to playing whatever the latest game they had come up with was. Something about a princess rescuing a dragon.
The two men stepped out of the office, and only then did Todoroki realize how short the man was. A light blush colored his face as he had to look down at the doctor. “The first session went excellently. I understand that twins, Kota in particular, are having a hard time processing a recent divorce? We should be getting into that a few sessions in once Kota is more willing to talk to me on his own.”
Shoto nodded dumbly, trying to appear professional.
They discussed a few more things before Shoto grabbed the twins and made an appointment with the receptionist for the next session before leaving.
— — — — —
Katsuki was typing up files for Eri and Kota. He needed to think of something for the twins, especially Kota. He also needed to read over the files Hitoshi sent him.
The blonde leaned back in his chair and hummed. Katsuki had a few ideas about what he could do to help those kids. After a couple of hours, Bakugou looked at his clock. It was time for Izuku’s and Eijirou’s nap time to be over. Saving the files on his laptop, Katsuki shut it and walked out of his office to the kids play room
~~~~~
Ei was already up and playing with his toys. The toddler was making rawr noises, knocking the t-rex down and making the velociraptor the winner.
“Hey Baby Shark, how was your nap?” Ei ran over to his dad and Katsuki picked him up.
“Good morn Daddy. Zuzu still sleeping.” Bakugou looked over at the crib where Izuku was still sleeping. The therapist decided to let the baby sleep. Izuku didn’t sleep well last night.
“Want to help me make lunch, Baby Shark?”
Ei nodded, “Yes Daddy. Zuzu will wake up later.”
“We will wake up once we’re done. After lunch, we’re going to the park.”
Eijiriou cheered, saying, “Park time! Park time!”
Katsuki put Ei on the counter and let him watch the blonde take out chicken nuggets and corn rice.
Cutting up some fruit, Katsuki put chicken in the oven and his cell phone rang.
Only one person had that ringtone.
“Hey Cami.”
Ei yelled, “Auntie Cam!”
“Hi Kat Kat, how is my favorite person doing? How’s the new house?” Bakugou handed Kiri a piece of bread.
“It’s good. Coming along. Got the kids room done and the playroom and they really like it.” Cami was so happy to hear that since Kat was really excited about this move.
“That’s great Kat. Are you busy today? I want to come see you and the boys.”
Katsuki looked around the house, which was mostly done. “You can come over. We’re going to the park after lunch. I know Izuku and Ei will be excited to see you. Ei is actually jumping up and down.”
Cami laughed over the phone and said, “I will see you soon!”
After the call ended, Katsuki smiled to himself. He hadn’t seen Cami in a while. Hopefully they have a fun time at the park. “All right Baby Shark. Lunch is done. Let’s go get Zuzu.”
Ei ran to the playroom, yelling, “Zuzu time to wake up! Lunch ready!”
“Indoor voice Ei,” Bakugou said softly.
“Sworry daddy.” Kirishima went straight to the crib. Izuku was awake, arms straight up so that Bakugou could pick him up.
~~~~~
After lunch, Katsuki cleaned the kids up and changed their clothes. Cami texted him and told him she was here.
“Auntie Cam here! Zuzu, Auntie Cam here!” Katsuki picked Izuku up and went to the door to open it. Cami hugged Bakugou right away.
“Kat, Kat, I missed you sooo much. Look at you, still hot as hell. Have you found someone yet?” Cami continued talking, “Look at you Green Bean. You have grown so much. Omg!”
Izuku laughed and Cami took him from Katsuki. Ei was jumping and Cami gave him a kiss on the head.
“Hi sweetheart. I missed you so much too. Gosh you boys are growing. Are you ready to go to the park?”
“Yes Auntie we going to play lots!” Katsuki put their shoes on.
“All ready to go?”
Ei held Cami’s hand and yelled, “Ready!”
~~~~~
The walk to the park was always adventurous with Eijiriou. He stopped every minute when he saw a dog and went to pet them (Ei always asked). He also said hi to every single person. There was never a dull moment with the three year old.
“You got yourself a social butterfly. Nothing like you babe.” Bakugou nodded. He knew Ei was nothing like him and it was a struggle.
“Yea Ei always has been like that. He makes friends with everyone.”
Cami watched the little boy. He was so darn cute. A cute little girl went up to him. THe two were now talking and running to the swings. Katsuki tilted his head. That little girl looked familiar…
“Where have I seen her?” Bakugou questioned himself.
Then he heard, “Doctor Bakugou?” Katuki turned around. There stood Shoto. ‘Oh that’s where I’ve seen this little girl. She is my new patient,’ Katsuki thought.
— — — — —
“Venado! (Deer!) ” Hanta shouted, eyes sparkling at seeing yet another deer trying to eat the bread left by some passerby. Hitoshi chuckled, watching the deer perk up and stare Hanta down before skipping off back into the forest. He found it cute that whenever Hanta spotted a deer he had to yell out “Vendado! (Deer!) ” Denki seemed to enjoy it too as Hitoshi could practically see the stars in his eyes.
“Hanta I know we are outside but try to lower your voice. The deers will keep getting spooked and run off.” Hitoshi crounched, brushing back Hanta’s lovely silk black hair behind his ear. He couldn't help the chuckle he let out at seeing the adorable pout from his oldest. Denki let out a small giggle before squealing, seeing his brother run at him at full speed.
“Denks! You will be the Venado (Deer!) ! Come here Venado (Deer!) !” Hanta shouted, laughing and running after his younger brother, intent on catching him. Denki's eyes brightened in joy from the new game of tag as he quickly started to run off. Ketchup barked and kept pace with the blond, also making sure to keep out of Hanta’s reach.
“Be careful Hanta! Denki! I will be right here, ok?” Hitoshi shouted out, watching the two turn back and nod before they started to laugh and chase one another. He would have tried chasing them, but last time that happened he was on crutches. He was never that athletic.
Ketchup seemed to be content chasing both boys. He too would become “it.” Smiling, Hitoshi wiped off the leaves and acorns off one of the wooden benches before taking a seat and pulling out his laptop from his book bag. He planned on checking and responding to emails before he would offer to push both boys on the swings. Hitoshi took another glance at the boys before responding to someone who was clearly incompetent in color. How the hell did someone confuse Aqua and Sea Foam Green?
~~~~~
The boy kept fleeing. He knew he was much faster than the other but his stamina wasn't as impressive. All he could hear was the sound of his feet hitting the ground, causing the leaves to crunch under him. He could hear the other getting closer. His panic kept him pushing through his aching legs. He wouldn't let the other capture him. The boy began to pant from exhaustion. He could tell he was beginning to slow down. This wasn’t good. The boy knew the dangers of being captured, the phantom feeling of fingers on his sides and being pinned against his will. He had to keep going but it hurt. He rushed behind a bush, covering his mouth and crouched, hoping the other wouldn't find him.
Carefully listening, the boy heard the other stop before beginning to walk away from where he was at. Seemed like he was safe.
“Bark!”
Golden eyes widened at hearing a loud bark, a bark that sounded like it came from right behind. Turning around, he came face to face with the dog’s eyes. The boy slowly turned his head back, trembling in fear. Gold eyes made direct eye contact with black eyes. It was too late. He had been found. He knew better than to run. He should’ve stayed with his Pa because now he was a goner. Now he was being delivered into the enemy’s hands. This was it. He-
“GOTCHA!” Denki jumped from behind the bush and ended up being tackled by his older brother. Hanta was laughing, hugging him as Ketchup wagged his tail innocently, as if he hadn’t barked loud enough to draw Hanta's attention. Denki squealed loudly, feeling Hanta tickle his sides and refuse to give him a chance to escape.
“You’re it Denks!” Hanta kissed Denki's cheeks before standing up and holding out his hand, pulling him up. Once Denki hugged him, giggling, he could feel Ketchup licking his hands. The two would have continued to laugh if it hadn't been for the sound of two pairs of feet running up to them. Denki turned his gaze to look into two pairs of excited and curious red eyes, he instantly whimpered, hiding behind Hanta and latching onto his left arm.
Who were they? What did they want? They both had smiles on their faces that seemed to grow once their gaze landed on Ketchup, who was now curled around Denki as soon as he sensed fear from the boy.
Denki whimpered. It felt like the two toddlers were looking down on him. Was he being bad? Where was his pa? Denki turned to look in the direction where he last saw his Pa but all he saw was the green bush he had been hiding behind. The sound of more pairs of feet came running over and it frightened Denki. Who was coming over? Was it Pa?
He felt the hairs on his arms rise and a shiver roll down his spine. He was going to get hurt again. Or so he thought. The newly forming tears in his eyes made it hard to see his surroundings. Shaking, the boy tried to hug himself, not realizing he wasn't cold but trembling in fear.
Why was he cold? He could've sworn it had been warm, nearly hot, earlier today. He jumped, feeling something cold nudge his hand. Whining, Denki tried to get away. He started to feel dizzy. Was it nap time? The boy was too deep in his thoughts and failed to realize his breathing had picked up. He was beginning to have a panic attack.
“GET AWAY!” Denki teared up, hearing the yell. Why? Why did he have to get away? He just wanted his pa. He felt another harder nudge on his hand, making him whimper loudly. What was it? He felt something weighted snuggled up under his arm when he felt soft fur. Fur? Fur! Denki’s glassy eyes stared into familiar brown ones, the exact ones that belonged to Ketchup. He slowly petted his soft fur, calming down at the familiarity. Everything was ok. Ketchup was here.
“Denki!” Golden eyes met with chocolate brown ones. It was Hanta. Hanta! The boy humed, acknowledging the presence of his older brother and smiled. He kept his one arm around Ketchup, cuddling him in fear that if he let go his beloved pet would disappear. Lifting his arm up, the boy made a grabby motion, indicating he wanted a hug from the older boy.
“It’s ok hermanito (Little brother). ” Hanta’s sharp brown eyes seemed to soften up once they met with golden ones and he crouched and hugged the blond. Humming Denki nodded. Everything is ok. Why wouldn’t it be? Hanta and Ketchup were here!
Denki smiled, closing his eyes, feeling the new presence and a gentle hand brush through his hair. He relaxed, feeling the fingers run through his hair. This was nice. He was starting to feel much better knowing his Pa was here now too. Everything is ok. Je had his family here.
“How are you feeling buddy?” Denki hummed quickly but quickly paused. Buddy? Not sweetheart? That voice definitely didn't belong to his Pa? The blond slowly turned his head to look directly into heterochromia eyes. Definitely not Hitoshi’s. Before he could even begin to react to it, his vision was blocked by a tan arm. Hanta!
~~~~~
“Leave us alone! Papi! PAPI! AYUDA (Help!) !” Hanta wrapped his arms around Denkis’ head, effectively blocking the blond from seeing the peppermint haired adult. He didn't want Denki to go through another mini panic attack. It always scared him and his puppy. The man, Mr.Peppermint, looked confused and a bit distraught, not really sure what the boy was saying. Hanta glared, watching Mr. Peppermint’s face sour as if he was sad they were not responding well to his presence. As if! Stranger!
The other two, with red eyes, were watching curiously and confused. They claimed they just wanted to pet Ketchup. Imagine that! He was clearly working! Hanta kept looking back and forth between the three strangers. He knew of the stories of people trying to lure children with other kids to kidnap them. He wouldn’t be fooled!
“Whoa! Who are you two cuties? It's ok, no need to be scared ya know!” Hanta turned to see a smiling brunette that came up to crouch next to the man. She had a smile on her face. Hanta glared at her. First the two kids and now two adults? He glanced down towards Denki who seemed to be ok as long as he held onto Ketchup’s vest and Hanta’s arm. These kidnappers must be desperate in kidnapping them.
“TONTOS! DÉJANOS EN PAZ! (Stupid! Leave us alone!) ” Sero shouted, knowing if his Papi heard him, he would be met with light scolding. But this time it wasn’t his fault. They were all acting stupid for not leaving them alone. It was his job to protect Ketchup and Denki. He could do it until their Papi heard them calling for help.
Hanta frowned, realizing it was his fault that Denki had a panic attack. He shouldn’t have chased Denki further away from their Papi. It was stupid of him. He knew better! As the older brother it was his job to protect when his Papi was taking a break.
“Is he ok?” Dark chocolate brown eyes glared into concerned carmine eyes. The boy’s eyes kept moving back and forth from Denki to Hanta.
“Papa! I'm sorry! We didn’t mean to scare them! Eijirou and I just wanted to pet his cute doggy!” The white haired girl turned to talk to Mr.Peppermint. Hanta posture was stiff ready to…He wasn't sure what he would do if they actually tried to kidnap them but he knew he wouldn't go quietly.
“Please give them some space. They are scared and crowding them isn’t going to help any of us.” A soft familiar voice cut through the various questions being directed at Hanta. He turned to glare at the newcomer but paused seeing the face of the doctor.
“Feelings doctor!” Hanta relaxed and glared at the others. The spy! Hanta’s eyes sparkled, realizing the kidnappers were screwed.
“Attack them! They tried to take Denki!” Hanta pointed at the adults smirking. He was a bit confused when the kidnappers tilted their heads.
“...They did?” Hanta huffed at how slow this spy was. Twilight was 100% cooler than Dr. Bakugo. Before he could say anything, the doctor sat down right next to Hanta and smiled. This time he realized that there was a green haired baby Dr. Bakugo was holding. The boy was staring at Ketchup with curiosity.
“We didn't KatsuBabe!” Camie pouted, hugging him from behind. Katsuki chuckled, ignoring the additional weight on his head, before he looked over at Shoto.
“Mind getting their dad? I heard him shouting by the pond, probably couldn't see these two because of the bush.” Hanta watched as the doctor pointed in the direction Hanta and Denki had been running from. He frowned, hearing the doctor’s words. So it was his fault that their Papi couldn't see or hear them.
“Hm? Oh you’re right babe. These cuties are completely covered by the bush,” Camie giggled, not moving from her spot and instead leaning further on him to poke Izu's chubby cheek. Hanta watched a bit weirded out by the brunette. It seemed like her chest was covering the doctor’s entire hair.
“Yes, he is the man with fluffy purple hair and indigo eyes,” Katsuki nodded and thanked Shoto before returning his focus to the two boys. Hanta frowned but nodded more to himself, realizing Dr. Bakugo was just trying to help them. He was safe but didn't seem to be the fighting type of spy.
“I'm sorry they scared you Hanta and Denki. You both must have been thinking the worst.” Katsuki kept his voice quiet and soft, as if he didn't want to cause Denki to fall into another panic attack. Hanta was grateful. His brother’s panics weren’t exactly nice to him and he became more sensitive to stuff.
“…They came over wanting to pet Ketchup…but he doesn't want pets! He is working!” Hanta explained, looking down at Denki and Ketchup. The two were cuddling and leaning against Hanta. Denki, his eyes on him, looked up and beamed at his brother.
“Oh, I see. You’re right Hanta. I can see Ketchup’s lovely working vest. I don't think they know what a working dog is, so I'll explain it. Is that alright little one?” Katsuki kept his voice sweet and calm, not wanting to further upset any of them.
“He is a service dog not a working dog.” Hanta looked up at a slightly taller boy with mean brown eyes.
“He is working, Kota. You are right as well, Ketchup is a service dog.” Dr. Spy nodded and turned to face the other children but made sure to stay on the ground and make slow movements.
“A working dog!?” The boy’s, with sharp teeths, eyes sparkled, looking at Ketchup as if he was the most famous dog in the world.
“Yes Baby Shark. He is on duty. If you ever see a dog with a vest on, that means they are working and must pay attention so they can do their job correctly. We wouldn’t want them to mess up their tasks, right?” The doctor smiled and turned back to look at Hanta. The small baby cooed quietly, still looking at Ketchup curiously.
“Hanta! Denki!” Denki hummed gently, pushing Hanta's arm down from hearing Papi's voice. Hanta also turned and smiled, seeing a worried Hitoshi rushing behind Mr. Peppermint before finally calming down seeing the two of them.
“Love Bug! Sparky!” Hanta smiled, hugging his Papi after getting a forehead kiss. He allowed himself to calm down and relax, knowing everything would be ok with his Papi around.
“Papi! Denki, Ketchup, and I were playing and I made Denki hide and then I found him-” A bark interrupted him.
“I mean Ketchup found Denki and then I found him and then and then…Those two kids came running over wanting to pet Ketchup and Denki got scared but I protected him! Mr. Peppermint and that lady came over and I thought they were Malos (Bad people!) ! Y el doctor vino y- (and the doctor came and-) ”
“Shush Ha, it's ok. Shoto explained everything to me, Love Bug. You two scared me but I'm so happy to see my Love Bug and Sparky safe.”
“...Ketchup too?”
“Of course, Ketchup too. He is part of our family.” Hitoshi kissed the top of his head and smiled. The two embraced as Denki smiled, hugging Hitoshi’s leg. He looked up seeing the boy with sharp teeth make his way over to him.
“I'm sorry I scared you.” Hanta watched as Sharky stood in front of Denki, nervously playing with his hands.
“I didn't mean to! I just saw your puppy but I know he is working now. I'm sorry, I just want to play and you look like you were playing. If you want we can play but I can do it this time.” The boy looked at Denki with hopeful eyes and held his hand out. Denki slowly pulled away from his Pa’s hug before slowly reaching out to the other.
Red eyes widened in joy before he suddenly yelped and pulled his hand away, shocked from the shock Denki gave him: static electricity. Denki’s eyes widened. The adults, minus Hitoshi, worried, thinking another panic attack would happen, but were pleasantly surprised, hearing the once scared boy break out into fits of giggles.
“Shock!” Denki squealed loudly and covered his face with his hands, trying to stop the flow of giggles escaping him. Sharky was surprised before he too joined in laughing.
“I’m sorry Denki somehow always manages to shock someone with static electricity.”
“Haha, oh don't be sorry. It seems like Eijirou wasn't hurt but finds it just as funny,” Katsuki laughed, smiling and hearing the joy of both boys.
“Oh by the way Dr.-..Katsuki, I wanted to thank you and your wife for finding my sons. They ran off further than I thought they would and the moment I finished my last email they were long gone.”
“Wife?...Who- oh…Oh…OH!” Hitoshi watched in confusion at the mixed facial expressions Katsuki made. The beautiful woman that leaned on top of him was equally surprised before she started hollering.
“HA! HA! Y-you think!?” She got off to hold her stomach from the amount of laughing she was doing. Hitoshi could have sworn he saw tears forming in the corner of her eyes.
“Oh no sweetheart” The lady faked a gag before she pulled out her phone with a lesbian pop socket attached to the case. She kept laughing while Katsuki covered his mouth, pale.
“...You…you thought I was married to Cam-” Katsuki let out a realistic gag that had everyone turn to face him. The brunette gasped and placed a hand over her chest in shock.
“So I'm that repulsive to you Katsuki!?!” The lady huffed and walked over to Hitoshi, holding up her hand showing off a rather expensive wedding ring.
“I am happily taken by this MAN’s receptionist.” The lady made sure to emphasize the “man” in her sentence. Katsuki huffed but ended up chuckling after reassuring his sons that he was perfectly fine.
“I’m sorry Camie but I couldn’t imagine being married to you”
“...Just admit you hate me because you aren't my sweetheart!” She blew a kiss in his direction, playfully winking before laughing.
“We are both proud members of the alphabet Mafia. He is one of my closest friends– well was.” She faked a huff and laughed at seeing Katsuki playfully stick his tongue out at her.
“That is so gross.” The boy, who Hanta heard Dr.Spy call Kota, mumbled loud enough for them all to hear. Shoto’s face morphed from surprise to shock at the words his son said out loud. He walked over with a scolding face.
“Kota apologize,” Shoto sternly ordered.
“What? It's true. Not as gross as you, though. Mama says gay people are nothing but filthy!” Kota sneered, glaring up at him.
“That's not true. My Daddy took me to a pride parade. Everyone is so nice and pretty! That's mean,” Eijirou broke the silence, walking over holding Denki’s hand in his. Denki huffed and nodded, completely agreeing with Eijirou. Kota scoffed.
“You can’t say that. My Papi loves men and he is the most amazing person on the planet! You are a-” Hanta defended.
“Hanta don’t use your words to hurt someone's feelings Love Bug.” Hitoshi, while proud of his son, knew if he let Hanta finish his sentence it wouldn't be exactly kind. Hanta pouted but looked at Kota with a serious look on his face.
“You Mama is wrong! She must be sad she isn't dating…that lady!” Hanta pointed at a surprised Camie who covered her mouth from the cuteness and silly statement.
“My Mom is married to Tenya! They are normal! You all aren't!” With that Kota stomped away angrily, clutching his fists and shoving past his sister who tried to stop him.
— — — — —
“Doctor Bakugou?” Shoto was surprised to see his children's therapist at the park. Obviously, the man had a life outside of work but he wasn’t sure why he would be there until he saw the baby in the blonde woman's arms, presumably his wife.
“Mr. Todoroki. Hello, how are you?” Dr. Bakugou looked just as shocked to see him, at least as far as Shoto could tell.
“Papa!” Eri’s little voice rang out as she ran over to him with the little boy she had been playing with. “Papa, I made a new friend! His name is Ei-ji-rou and he was pushing me on the swings and I pushed him on the swings and-and and now we are gonna play tag or hide-n-seek and make Kota play with us!” Eri was talking faster the more she got excited.
“Yeah Daddy, Eri is weally weally nice! We needs more frens to play wif us!” Eri’s new friend, Eijirou, smiled wide at the doctor.
The woman who Shoto assumed to be his wife smiled back at the kids. “Oh Mi Gosh! Aren’t you two just like the cutest things ever! Have like so much fun with your new friend Eiji!”
“We will Auntie!” Eijirou hollered as both kids ran off to find other kids to play with them. Shoto sighed with a thankful smile that Eri had found someone to play with. He looked back at the couple with a small flush on his cheeks.
“Sorry, let me introduce myself. I’m Shoto Todoroki, Eri and Kota’s dad.” Shoto spoke with the false confidence that he primarily used for business meetings.
“Hi, I’m Camie Utsushimi. As the little sunshine said, I’m like his favorite auntie!” Camie was smiling widely, showing all her teeth as she waved the baby's hand. “And this little cutie pie is Izuku, Kats’ other baby.” The baby, Izuku, hid his face from Shoto before looking back and giving him a shy smile before hiding again.
~~~~~
“Kota! Come on and play with us! Please! I’ll even be it first or you can be it first if you want to.” Eri gave her brother the biggest puppy eyes she could manage.
Kota huffed and groaned, “Fine! I’ll play your stupid baby game but I want to be it first and we are gonna play tag!”
Eri and Eijirou both squealed happily as Kota started to count down from three, letting them get a head start before he took off after Eri, who was holding hands with the other little boy and urging him to run faster.
“I’m gonna get you Eri! You can’t run away with him forever.” Kota was smiling as he chased his sister and new friend before both took off around some bushes and trees.
Eri slowed down with Eijirou behind a tree, trying to be quiet with her giggles. “Shh we gotta be quiet so Kota doesn’t find us really fast.”
Eijirou was giggling as well and put his hands over his mouth and sat down with Eri, listening for Kota. Eri got really quiet as someone got closer to the bush and tree they were hiding behind, only to see another little boy come around before a dog barked from inside the bush. The new boy with the dog tackled another little boy and both of them began to laugh.
Eri hopped up along with Eijirou and headed towards the boys and the dog, completely forgetting about the game they had been playing.
“GET AWAY!” The slightly taller brunette boy yelled at them before turning and talking to his friend.
~~~~~
Shoto had been sitting on the bench looking at his emails when he heard a child yell, only to look up and hear Eri call for him. As he headed over to them he saw two other little boys hugging, the blonde boy shaking and clearly upset. Shoto went over to the boys, unsure of what to do but decided to brush his hand through the blonde's hair, seeing him calm down more as he looked up at Eri who had tears in her eyes, looking just as unsure.
Shoto gave her a smile before looking at the young boy. “How are you feeling buddy?” He kept his voice soft and even, but the little boy froze up and the brunette boy started yelling at him. Shoto backed up from the boys before Camie came up next to him and talked to the boys, the blonde ignoring her and the brunette once again yelling.
~~~~~
“Papa! I’m sorry! We didn’t mean to scare them! Eijirou and I just wanted to pet his cute doggy!” Eri sniffled as she held onto Eijiou’s hand tighter, looking up when she heard another voice that she recognized as Mr. Bakugou. It seemed as if the other little boy recognized him as well, as he was calling him the feelings doctor.
“Attack them! They tried to take Denki!” The brunette boy pointed at her Papa and the other lady. Eri gasped as she let go of Eijirou’s hand and grabbed onto her Papa’s leg. Mr. Bakugou wouldn’t attack her papa, right? He was a doctor and doctors didn’t hurt people. The only time the doctor hurt was when Eri got a shot but Mr. Bakugou wasn't that kind of doctor.
“Mind getting their dad? I heard him shouting by the pond, probably couldn’t see these two because of the bush.” Mr. Bakuguo was looking at her Papa.
~~~~~
Shoto was about to ask what the man looked like but his face must have given him away as the other man described what the boys’ father looked like as well as his name. “Yeah, I’ll uh, go find him.” Shoto looked down at Eri and patted her head. “I’ll be right back, okay?”
Eri nodded as she let go of his pant leg, watching as he headed to the pond looking for a man matching the description he was given, which turned out to be pretty easy as he spotted the man with the purple hair looking a bit panicked.
“Uh hi, are you Hitoshi?” Shoto felt out of place, thinking how weird it must be to have some strange man come up and ask if he had the right person.
“Yeah, hi, can I help you? If not, I’m kind of busy right now.” Hitoshi’s voice was clipped and sharp.
Shoto straightened up as deep indigo eyes cut into him and cleared his throat. “Dr. Katsuki Bakugou sent me to get you. We found your boys. Behind the bushes. He’s with them right now.” Shoto, stumbled along while motioning towards the bushes as his cheeks became pink in embarrassment.
Hitoshi headed to the bushes with a nod of thanks toward Shoto.
~~~~~
Shoto’s face was flushed with embarrassment as he helped Eri up after Kota had shoved her and turned towards the others of the group. “I am so sorry for Kota. We are working on his temper.” He bowed his head down. “We must be going. Again, I am very sorry. Let's go get your brother Eri and head home.”
Eri nodded and waved bye to her new friend before she headed off to gather her brother.
“Shoto, don’t be too hard on yourself or Kota, okay?” Katsuki spoke to him as Shoto nodded and headed towards the twins who were sitting on a bench.
“Let's go home, kids. Tenya will be picking you both up in a couple of hours and you still need to eat lunch and make sure we have everything ready for your mom’s for the week.”
“Ok Papa, can we have peanut and jelly sandwiches, goldfish, and apple slices for lunch?” Eri asked hopefully, looking at Kota, hoping that was what he would like as well.
“I want grape jelly and crunch peanut butter,” was the only thing Kota said to Shoto, not even looking at him.
Shoto nodded, “Ok bug, I can do that. What about you snowflake? What would you like?”
Eri smiled widely, “Apple jelly and-and creamy peanut butter please. Also can you make my apple slices look like bunnies?”
— — — — —
After the park, Shoto brought the kids home and fed them. It was a quick process, really, since he didn’t have time to burn anything.
PB&Js, apples, carrots, crackers.
Easy peasy.
Kota even ate without complaint, which to Shoto was basically a Christmas miracle.
When 5 o'clock hit, the doorbell rang and Shoto’s heart dropped into his stomach. He always hated these times.
Tenya or Momo were here to take the kids for a whole week and Shoto would once again be all alone.
The silence was always deafening and all consuming every time this happened. For six whole months Shoto would drown himself in schematics and the newest products for his thermodynamics company.
He would busy himself with home repairs or redecoration.
The last product had been the massive treehouse in his backyard that Kota looked at and practically scoffed as he had headed back inside, which Shoto had taken as a negative. But Eri enjoyed it.
So Shoto kept doing it. He kept pushing himself to try and cope with the odd sense of helplessness that came from not seeing his babies.
Hell, Shoto remembered holding his twins right after they were born…He remembered those sweet baby smiles, and bright sparkling eyes of his little ones. His preciouses.
He remembered the times Kota smiled unabashedly and without that shell of anger that protected him from the vulnerability the boy was afraid to have and feel.
He recollected the times Eri didn’t shout to get attention, and belittle her brother…He remembered her soft spoken words and her overflowing love and kindness.
Shoto missed the times he could feel the actual connection with his babies and not the odd sense of disconnect that lingered like a deathly infection on their relationship.
He just wanted to fix everything.
He just wished…He had figured out his bullsh*t earlier.
The mismatched man could understand Momo’s blatant anger and resentment. He had done things to her that no faithful loving wife should have to endure at the hands of an insecure man such as Shoto Todoroki.
He had been the one to drag a stranger into their bedroom, their sanctuary from the outside world; he had painted the walls with his own self hatred and disgust. He had burned the bridge as quickly as it had been built, and Momo couldn’t put out the spreading fire of self destruction fast enough to save Shoto from his own imbecilic actions.
He had cheated. He had destroyed her inside and out. He had taken her self worth and disregarded it at the first turn.
Shoto knew he was gay from the moment he knew what attraction was. Yet he allowed society to dictate what was allowed and what wasn’t allowed. He had listened to the judgemental whispers, and silver tongues of poison dripped and burned his flesh as he forced himself into the mold of a perfect son.
A perfect male specimen.
It wasn’t until his father finally had the courage to come out and start dating his own boyfriend that Shoto even took into consideration that he could also have that. That he could also love and feel connected to someone he was actually connected to.
But instead of getting a divorce and parting as friends, he had cheated on her. He had picked up some random man from a bar and the rest was history.
Shoto stared down at the mahogany wood floors in his foyer as he wiped away the tears. That was then and this was now.
Shoto now had to repent for his mistakes and he was starting by helping his children heal from the heartbreak of their parents splitting.
With a deep breath, Shoto was opening the door to Tenya’s kind and smiling face. Honestly Shoto couldn’t have picked a better partner for Momo. She needed a kind and understanding man who had no time for outside nonsense. Plus Shoto could tell he truly loved Eri and Kota, and any interest the kids had, Tenya was trying to learn – the video games or the pretty pretty pony characters – for the kiddos.
He would stay home from work when they were sick, take them to lessons if Shoto or Momo were too busy. He was an incredible man and Shoto could admit it. “Hey Shoto! I’m just here to pick up Kota and Eri.” He smiled kindly and Shoto nodded as he hollered for the twins. The sounds of running feet could be heard as the twins made their way into the foyer.
Eri looked upset, yet Kota looked oddly relieved and the mismatched man could feel his heart breaking. “Hey Tenya!” Eri smiled as she hugged the man. He hugged her gently as he reached out for Kota’s fist bump.
“Hey Princess.” He smiled, “Hello Kota.”
Shoto sighed as he handed the bags off to his ex-wife’s husband. Tenya was kind and he also exuded confidence which Shoto truly lacked.
“Tenya, we got a new doctor!” Eri smiled and Tenya crouched down right in Shoto’s foyer with a kind smile on his face.
“I heard! Your mom was telling me about it. How did you like it?” he questioned with non-judgemental navy eyes.
“It was amazing! Dr. Bakugou is really nice! And he was even nice to Kota when he was being a grump in the office!” Eri giggled and Tenya chuckled softly.
“Let’s not pick on Kota, okay Eri?” he reprimanded softly as he looked at the little boy holding tightly onto his Deku plush. “Did you like it, Kota?” he questioned as he pushed his glasses up his nose. The little boy crossed his arms and gave a slight hesitant nod.
Shoto and Tenya shared a look at each other wide eyed in shock. “Oh? You did?” the stepdad asked with a kind smile. “What did you like about it?” He crouched down, his body relaxed and open to let Kota know he was safe to talk to and Shoto could only hope to be able to mimic that posture.
“Dr. Bakugou was really nice to me,” he admitted and Shoto’s heart cracked at how sad the boy sounded, almost like he didn’t deserve it. “He didn’t get mad when I yelled at him. He said he understood my feelings,” the little boy admitted and Tenya nodded with a smile as he ruffled the boy's hair.
“This doctor sounds amazing! You’ll have to tell Mommy and me all about it!” Tenya smiled, and with a few hugs and a soft wave Shoto was child free until Friday.
He would have to call Dr. Bakugou to schedule another appointment. He was so certain that Kota was going to tell Momo he didn’t want to go anymore. He was so certain that he had hurt his son unintentionally by making him talk to the doctor, but it seemed like Dr. Bakugou was some sort of miracle worker.
Shoto sighed as the silence of his house practically made his skin crawl. He couldn’t stay here tonight. He needed to go out even if it was only for a drink.
With that, Shoto grabbed his keys as he locked up his home of solitary confinement and slipped into his red SUV and drove toward the nicest bar in town.
~~~~~
Hitoshi smiled as Denki slowly helped him pack his bag to spend the night at his grandpa's house. “You want Pikachu, Sparky? Or do you want Gummy?” Hitoshi asked, gently holding up both stuffed animals to Denki. The little blond’s eyes lingered over his favorite yellow Pokémon and his favorite purple alligator plush.
Denki clicked his tongue with a bounce as he grasped the alligator in his hands. Hitoshi smiled softly as he placed Pikachu back on the little boy’s bed.
Ketchup was currently curled up behind the little boy, his wet nose pushing into Denki’s arm to stop the boy from chewing on his fingers. Hitoshi smiled sadly as he reached forward, opening Denki’s little set of drawers full of fidget toys and things for him to chew on. “Denks, my sunshine, my lovely little brilliant son, let’s chew on this instead,” Hitoshi offered as he slipped the chewing bracelet onto the boy's wrist to softly redirecte the destructive behavior.
Denki’s poor fingers were red and raw from all the chewing. His anxiety had been through the roof after the park. It had been a lot of people and a lot of new eyes that lingered on the little boy's actions.
It had been odd to watch, because he witnessed his baby start to spiral a few times and that little black haired boy, Eijirou, was quickly able to redirect him. It was like the new little friend could detect what was happening and within seconds Denki and Eijirou were onto new tasks. New images. New scenery.
And it was like the pot had started to boil over, and each time it reached the brim Eijirou quickly turned down the heat and blew on the bubbles, calming and soothing the raging anxieties that were trying to take over Denki.
And while that happened, Hanta had been able to play with the other kids at the park, and god it was like Hitoshi was watching his little caterpillar turn into a butterfly as Hanta socialized with other children.
Of course, the overprotective brother would take time to check on Denki and even Eijirou before he was back to playing with Kota and Eri.
Honestly Hitoshi wished he could question Dr. Bakugou to his ways of parenting because Eijirou was a perfect gentleman, a little f*cking star. He was polite and kind. He was soft and gentle with everyone, and when he fell, he got up, brushed it off and moved on.
All things that he was working on with his babies. Hanta was still a little rough around the edges and Denki was still struggling.
Hell, they were both struggling and Hitoshi blamed himself for that. He had been the one missing the fact that Hanta was over compensating by taking care of Denki.
He couldn’t believe he had missed that. This whole f*cking time, he had allowed his babies to suffer in silence.
He had let Hanta stifle his own shine to take care of Denki and that wasn’t fair. That wasn’t right.
That was Hitoshi’s job, and he had failed so miserably that a doctor who spent an hour with them could tell what was happening.
Hitoshi had felt gutted at that realization. That he had been so ignorant for so long. Who was he to wear rose colored glasses and just pretend everything was fine when his sons were suffering under his nose?
Hitoshi vowed that that would never happen again. Not ever. He f*cking refused.
Hitoshi jerked when he felt a small soft hand touch his cheek. Lavender eyes focused on gleaming gold and the soft humming escaping his little boy. Denki was rocking just slightly as he gnawed away on the silicone bracelet. “Oh sorry, Sunshine, Papi got lost in thought,” he admitted and Denki blinked at him. A look of understanding sat in the two year old's eyes. “Denki, I just want you to know, Papi was very proud of you today. You played with some new friends and I'm just–I’m so happy for you.” Hitoshi sometimes struggled to connect with these issues.
He was a parent who loved to praise his children. Even for the mundane, he was big on believing children didn’t get praised enough for tough things like trying to make friends or being social, especially for his little ray of sunshine that struggled to attach.
Hitoshi smiled when Denki leaned forward, laying his forehead on his Papi’s forehead, hugging him around his neck. “I love you too, Denki Shinsou. With my whole heart,” Hitoshi promised when he heard a scoff from the doorway.
“Papi! That isn’t fair! It’s half of your whole heart, I get the other half!” Hanta pouted and Hitoshi smiled, holding open his other arm, which Hanta quickly ran into, hugging Hitoshi tightly.
Hitoshi smiled and with as much confidence as he could muster, he said, “No te preocupes bicho, yo también te amo con todo mi corazón. ( Don’t worry Bug, I love you too with all my heart. )” The smile on Hanta’s face made it all worth it.
“Buen trabajo, Papi, ( Good job, Papi )” Hanta praised and Hitoshi smiled as he hid his tears in Hanta’s raven black hair.
“Papi would do anything for my boys,” he promised, and he knew he needed to get better at learning how to correct and fix his own behavior.
Healing started when everyone put in the time and effort and his babies were trying their best. He knew therapy would help the boys. Hell Hanta had even asked the doctor for help when he needed it. The trust had to be forming, right?
He could only hope so. Even Denki seemed to calm slightly around the man. He was still hesitant to get close, but that was fair. They had just met.
“Alright, my lovely beautiful boys, are you all packed?” he questioned gently. Both boys nodded, but didn’t move from the hug. Hitoshi was happy to snuggle the boys, and his parents could wait.
Hitoshi sat back, letting both get as many snuggles as they needed. “Okay, Papi, I’m ready for Abuelita’s house!” Hanta smiled and Hitoshi nodded as he got up, keeping Denki on his hip as the little blond refused to let go.
“Then let’s go!” Hitoshi smiled as he grabbed the bags. Hanta strolled and so did Ketchup, his own leash in his mouth.
Hitoshi got the boys buckled in and the bags put away before driving towards his parents home. His dad had been insistent on allowing Hitoshi some solo time after he called, breaking down and crying on the phone about how he was a failure.
His dad and papa both reassured he wasn’t, that those boys were healing and that stuff took time, and the fact that Hanta found comfort in the doctor was a plus. The fact Denki found a new friend was amazing.
And they were right. Hitoshi had to remember that. He had to remember that everything took time. He had to remember that his sons loved him and he loved them. He had to remember that in the long run, everything would come out in the wash.
The drive over was pretty quick as Hitoshi pulled up the driveway to his childhood home. A soft “gramma” was heard and Hitoshi couldn’t help but smile. Denki and his dad were always super close.
They just connected. Shouta was quiet and gentle, Denki needed quiet and gentle. Hanta and Hizashi were thick as thieves and Hitoshi couldn’t be more thankful.
The single father quickly unloaded the boys and whistled for Ketchup, the service dog happily trotting at his feet. “I wanna ring the doorbell, Papi!” Hanta smiled as he pushed the button. Denki was curled up against his shoulder, chewing away on his bracelet.
Hitoshi could hear the rustling through the door as it swung open, revealing his papa. Hanta gave a happy squeal as he jumped at the man. “Oh hello Hanta!” Hizashi smiled as he lifted the boy up, hugging him.
“Grandpa! I gotta tell you about all the cool stuff we did at the park and we went to the feelings doctor! But he’s actually a spy!” The raven haired boy rambled as he twisted the long blond hair on his grandpa’s hair.
Hizashi looked at Hanta with amused eyes. As he stepped back, a harsh whine was heard and wide gold eyes were slightly panicked. Hizashi smiled softly at the blond boy. “Don’t worry, little listener, Grandma is inside. He is finishing up lunch for you and Little Bear, okay?” he explained and Denki looked at Hitoshi with wide eyes.
“Sunshine, it’s okay. Grandpa would never hurt you,” he explained gently and Hizashi smiled with a wave of his hand.
“It’s okay, baby boy. He’s always a little off at first, but within an hour he’s calm,” he promised, and Hitoshi knew this. It wasn’t weird for Denki to have anxiety over change. But he knew that it was healthy for him to hang out with his grandparents.
“Denki, wanna go see Grandma? Here let’s go find him,'' Hitoshi offered as he walked inside, dropping the bags in the entryway before making his way to the kitchen.
“Is that my Lightning Bug?” Shouta questioned and the happy squeal that escaped Denki was precious and calmed Hitoshi’s racing heart. Denki was making grabby hands and Shouta grabbed him easily enough.
The raven haired man smiled at his son as Denki nuzzled into his neck. “So go have fun,” Shouta demanded, and Hitoshi smiled, leaning over kissing his son’s cheek.
“I will, I love you Denki, be good.” He smiled and Denki hummed softly as Hitoshi walked away, planting a kiss on Hanta’s cheek. “I love you Hanta, be good! Papa, Dad if you need me, my cell will be on,” Hitoshi promised and both of the older men chuckled.
“We can handle your Angel children,” Shouta teased as Denki waved, staying curled up and happy.
“Okay! Okay! Geez I’m out. I’ll see you boys tomorrow. Ketchup’s bowls are in the tote bag,” he explained, and with that he was out the door. He had the next two days off and he knew that he deserved a drink. With that, he was off to a bar to enjoy his child free night.
~~~~~
Katsuki smiled as Eijirou climbed up in his bed as he rambled about his new friends Denki, Hanta, Kota, and Eri. “Daddy! Can we pway gain wif dem?” Eijirou questioned as his daddy helped him get dressed.
“Oh I am sure we can, Baby Shark,” Katsuki promised softly as he dried the little boy's hair. “Did you still wanna go to Aunt Camie’s for the night, Rou?” Katsuki questioned. He always made sure his sons knew they had a choice. Even with the most mundane of things, gentle parenting to Katsuki was crucial in his baby's development.
His sons knew they could use their words and tell Katsuki if something was wrong or if they didn’t like something. It was not the end of the world if Eijirou wanted to wear his red shoes or his green ones. That could be a choice for his little shark.
“Yes Daddy! Pwease!” Eijirou’s little legs kicked on the bed as he brushed Eijirou’s hair. It was getting quite long. He usually threw it up in a ponytail, since his son really loved his long hair. He always squeaked out that he wanted it long like Crimson Riot, so he could spike it and Katsuki just smiled with a nod because it was Eijirou’s hair.
“Okay, Baby Shark, then Daddy is going to pack your bags. You can either watch TV for a few minutes or you can play blocks with Zuzu,” he explained and he watch Eijirou think it over and then smile as he wandered toward the playpen, unbuckling the latch and locking it back on so he could sit and play with his brother.
He quickly packed a bag for Eijirou and one for Izuku. Zuzu was spending the night at Grandpa and Grandad’s house because his baby wasn’t perfectly comfortable at Camie and Ochako’s house just yet. They were slowly working up to it, but Izuku’s comfort was more important to him than Camie or Ochako’s feelings. No matter how mean or rude that sounded.
When all the bags were packed and the boys loaded up and dropped off, Katsuki found himself feeling listless.
He always prioritized his boys.
Eijirou and Izuku were his entire world.
It felt like years since he had time to himself. He usually had one of the boys at home because he always made sure that Eijirou and Izuku both knew that they were allowed time just for them. It was crucial that each of his sons felt important and cherished. So solo daddy days happened about once a month for each boy, sometimes twice depending on what the grandpas wanted or the aunts.
But tonight, he found himself driving around when a little bar caught his eye. He hadn’t had a drink…since he got Eijirou as his foster son. That could be a fun activity. Dinner and a drink.
Katsuki smiled softly as he pulled into the parking lot and he walked into a quiet and quaint little bar with dark wood and dim lights. It smelled of honey and whiskey, two things Katsuki would admit he liked as he walked toward the hostess stand and was seated at a round table with three open seats as he looked over the menu, getting a complimentary glass of water placed in front of him.
He jerked when he heard, “Doc?” Katsuki looked up into inquisitive lilac eyes and Katsuki smiled.
“Mr. Shinsou!” He smiled and gestured to the empty seat. Katsuki was never a man to turn away company.
“Oh Hitoshi is fine,” the man promised as he sat down, setting his glass of scotch in front of him with a warm inviting smile on his face. “No kiddos tonight?” he questioned and Katsuki chuckled.
“That obvious?” He teased and Hitoshi laughed with a nod.
“You look like me. Like I lost my limbs,” he chuckled and Katsuki smiled at that before they heard someone clear their throat as he looked into mismatched eyes.
“I feel that as well, Dr. Bakugou, Mr. Shinsou. Mind if I join the hopeless dad club?” he teased and Katsuki laughed.
“Please join us, we all look like lost wandering souls,” the blond teased and the men all chuckled softly as they relaxed under the dim lit bar.
“How are you tonight, Mr. Todoroki?” Katsuki questioned gently and the man shrugged as he held his glass of water.
“Shoto please, and eh, it’s hard when my kids are away,” he smiled sadly as he traced the rim of the water glass. “But I am alright. How about you gentlemen?” he questioned, and Katsuki couldn’t tell if it was the dim light, but Shoto looked almost heart broken.
“My boys were confiscated from me by my dads. They demand grandparent privileges about once a month.” Hitoshi laughed softly as he took a sip of his scotch. “But what about you Doc? I honestly did not expect you to have two children.”
“Oh Eijirou is with his honorary Aunt Camie, and Izuku is with his grandpa and grandad.” Katsuki smiled softly. “But I do have my phone on me in case I’m needed,” he explained and both men hummed with a nod.
“So those children aren’t Camie’s?” Shoto asked gently and Katsuki shook his head with a smile. “Biologically whatsoever?”
“No, I was actually a foster parent for a long time,” he admitted to both men with a shrug. “I was actually in the system myself at one point so I always knew I wanted to be a foster parent, but when Eijirou and Izuku were placed with me I knew they were meant to be my sons.” Katsuki was not shy about his upbringing. In fact, he advocated for a lot of foster children and felt like it was important to talk about those issues.
“How is Eijirou so well adjusted?” Hitoshi questioned, his face serious as he bit his lip. “I mean the boy got my kid to open up in a matter of seconds. I want to know your parenting secrets,” the purple haired man admitted and Shoto hummed.
“I have to agree with Mr. Shinsou. You must be a magic man or superhuman. My son actually admitted that he liked you today, and Kota…doesn’t really like anyone right now.”
“I am nothing like that,” Katsuki promised quickly as he sipped his water. “I…I just listen. A lot of children are overlooked or micromanaged, and I am not saying that you are doing that, gentleman, whatsoever. It’s just what I see a lot in this field. We are always trying to put our children in boxes and trying to determine what is best for them. It’s okay every now and again to ask them what they prefer. It’s how I raise Eijirou and Izuku. They get to make decisions and choices. They get to decide things for themselves. It's the only way they truly learn,” he smiled as he thought about his boys then he looked over at Hitoshi.
“And as for Eijirou…He came to me as a ray of sunshine. That boy has a heart of gold honestly. I am honored to be his dad. That had nothing to do with me, but his birth mothers, I’m certain,” he shrugged softly, “and I am not ashamed to admit it.”
“Dang, I was hoping for a parenting book to help me fix my f*cking mistakes,” Hitoshi chuckled darkly and Shoto hummed in agreement.
“Nah, don't be so hard on yourself. At least you didn’t cheat on your wife because you finally accepted the fact you were gay at 32,” Shoto admitted and Hitoshi hissed as he threw back the last of his drink.
“That sucks man, but we all make mistakes and I am happy you could finally find yourself. You and your kiddos will be happier because of it,” Hitoshi promised and Shoto looked at him wide eyed. Both men swore they could see the beginning of tears as Shoto quickly looked down at his glass of water.
“Yeah too bad my kid hates me now,” Shoto sighed heavily and Katsuki shook his head.
“Kota doesn’t hate you, He’s just trying to navigate his new world and it’s just a bit stressful. He’s also only repeating what he hears and if I had to guess your ex is probably just hurt as well. I don’t think she actually believes those things…I think she is also trying to navigate everything.” Katsuki gave him a reassuring smile, then he looked at both gentlemen. “Honestly, I truly think you both are amazing fathers from what I have seen this far. In fact I think you’re doing a lovely job. Kota and Eri are only doing so well because of your guidance, Shoto. Denki and Hanta are so loving and soft because of you, Hitoshi,” Katsuki admitted and both men’s mouths dropped open as they looked at the therapist.
“I…Thanks doc, I’m always afraid I’m f*cking up ya know, cause Denki barely speaks and is on edge 24/7, and now I am noticing more and more of Hanta trying to appease me when he shouldn’t have to.” Hitoshi swallowed thickly and stared down at the empty glass.
“Denki just has a lot of trauma, Hitoshi. He…He speaks just in his own way. I noticed at the park with Eijirou, he hums and clicks and snaps. Like he is communicating. It’s just not vocally…but I know we can get there. And Hanta is an Angel and a firecracker. We’ll get it all squared away,” Katsuki promised. “In fact, I know these children will succeed because they have something a lot of other children lack.” Katsuki shrugged as he took a sip of his water.
“Oh and what is that?” Shoto questioned.
Katsuki gave them both a smile, his eyes particularly vibrant in the low light.
“They have you, parents who truly give a damn,” he replied.
Both men sat back in awe, and they spent the rest of the night chatting and discussing themselves.
They talked about Hitoshi’s fashion line.
They talked about Shoto’s heating and cooling company and how much he truly loved thermodynamics.
They talked about Katsuki and his hobby of reading and drawing.
They all stayed together until the early morning when the bar closed and they all went their separate ways.
Not realizing that all three fathers truly needed someone to lean on and friends they could trust.
— — — — —
Katsuki would be lying to himself if he didn't say how much the email from the pediatrician had affected him. After examining his baby Zuzu, it has been recommended, in order to fix the deep curve to his legs, that the bones be broken, realigned, and put back together with rods and pins.
His baby was not some action figure that was broken. That is what bothered him the most. How could he sanction harming the sweetest baby ever. He couldn’t, no he refused to hurt a single freckle on his constellation kissed cheeks.
He needed a moment to breathe, to count by prime numbers in order to redirect the anxiety crawling over his skin and tightening his chest.
1…3…5…7…11…13. He continued the pattern, clearing his mind and resetting the critical thinking errors the email had brought on.
The fight wasn't over. He wouldn't give in or up. He was Dr. Katsuki Bakugo and he did not know the meaning of the word surrender. Especially with his boys.
There is always another way.
Over, under, around, and through.
Sleepless hours were spent mulling over articles and research. Defeat was not an option for the blonde. Finally after copious amounts of coffee he had found someone nearby who specializes in early childhood physiotherapy.
With a few clicks the appointment was made.
~~~~~
Building Bridges and Rainbows was not far from Katsuki’s home. This morning he had moved a few appointments around to take Zuzu to meet with the pediatric physiotherapist. Katsuki had done his homework. He understood this would be a lifelong investment for his gemstone.
Tetsu was nothing like he had expected. The man had 100% positive feedback and recommendations and came highly recommended by different physical therapists as well. Katsuki was expecting someone…older perhaps.
"Good morning! I'm Tetsu Tetsu. You must be Dr. Bakugo. And who do we have here!?" The white haired man possessed the kindest eyes and had a genuine smile. That alone eased Katsuki nerves.
"M rou! M gunda growd up big wike Riot!" Eijirou was all toothy smiles and bright carmine eyes.
"Of course you will! Look how strong you already are, little man! I bet you could take me down right here and now! High five!" Tetsu had a soft spot for kids. How could he not? There was nothing better in this world than the sound of a child's laughter and true smiles.
"And this beautiful boy must be your brother huh Rou?" Engaging the whole family really made a difference in how effective any treatment would be. Plus it made sense to include the siblings. This way no one felt overlooked.
Eijirou jumped up to meet the high five with all the power his two year old self could muster. Tetsu played along, pulling his hand back as if it had genuinely been a super hard slap. He even over exaggerated his facial expressions.
"Yup! Dats muh bruder him almost dis many!" Eijirou held up a single finger.
"That's awesome bud. How about we head on back and we play some games. Sound good?"
Tetsu had guided them to a special section set up with brightly colored thick foam mats and lots of balls, cars, and foam blocks. The works.
Katsuki had put baby Zuzu down so he could sit him up surrounded by baby proof toys. Tetsu sat down on the floor criss-cross applesauce style and started to just play with the boys. Zuzu was not interested at first but quickly warmed up to the man who was currently laying on his back with Rou, calling to his brother for aid.
"Zuzu hewlp! We cap turd hims." Katsuki was amazed about how his baby Zu was trying to do the army crawl to his brother.
Tetsu had been observing the curly green haired tot the whole time. He noticed the bowing in his legs, more pronounced at the knees. He noticed the smaller facial features and delayed movements. He also saw determination and joy in his wide green eyes.
"Rou! As a junior Riot here you are in charge! Can I count on you to play for a bit while I find my super juice?" Tetsu gave the dark hair boy a salute when he nodded energetically, stepping to the side to speak with Katsuki
"Great boys. You mentioned on the intake form you are a child psychiatrist? I take it the pediatrician ticked you off a bit." Tetsu understood a physician's point of view. Their job was to fix the problem. Tetsu's job was to learn how to manage and work with the problem, not against nature itself.
"Yeah, you could say that. I won't traumatize my baby with surgery like that." Ruby red eyes watched his boy's play. His heart softened, melting with their joy.
"It's not some magic pill Sir. Izuku may be in therapy for life or for a year. What we can do is help him succeed. He's a perfectly normal child and we can teach him and your family how to enhance his range of motion. Braces can help. There has been successful straightening of the legs using variations of bands, kinda like braces for the teeth. Gate walkers can help as well." Tetsu placed his hand to his chin thinking. When Rou waved at him with his sharky smile, Tetsu raised his fist in the air with triumph.
"First steps are always the most important. Strengthen the muscles first. I do it through play. Kids have fun, I have fun, everyone wins. I like to do home and care facility interactions as well as here in the center. That way everyone involved is on board."
“This is the part most parents give up. They don't want a long term commitment or multiple sessions. Most come to him for a quick fix. That's the problem. Kids aren't broken to begin with.”
"That sounds fantastic and exactly what I was hoping for. My baby doesn't need to be fixed. I just want him to have a full and joy-filled life." Pure love radiated from the blonde.
These were his buddies, his babies, and he would give them the best shot at happiness.
~~~~~
Eijirou still had nightmares that plagued him regularly. Memories twisted in the child's vivid imagination induced panic attacks and gut wrenching tears.
Childhood trauma doesn't just go away. It's always there in the back of the mind, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
It was 3 am and Katsuki was awoken by the sound of a child's terror filled scream. He knew it was his Baby Shark. It didn't surprise him. It just hurt to hear and see his sunshine in pain.
Running to his room, he found the boy curled into the corner of the bed. Large crystal tears were flowing freely from his carmine eyes, trembling. His Baby Shark was sobbing, unable to catch a breath in between.
"Hey Baby Shark. It's just Daddy ok? Can I come closer?" Asking permission for any sort of touch was important. He may want to hold his boy close, but right now it was about what the boy needed, not himself.
Eijirou nodded, unable to find the words to speak up. He looked so scared. Katsuki was worried he would hyperventilate until he blacked out.
"It's ok Baby Shark, it's ok to be scared. Can I hold your hand?"
Eiji reached out a hand to him, which Katsuki took and pressed it to his own chest. Using his own breathing as a guide.
"Breathe with me Rou, remember how? We suck in air just like this." Katsuki took a deep breath in, pushing his chest up so the boy could feel it rise. "And we hold it and push it all out."
Once his breathing had slowed, Eijirou climbed into his Daddy's lap for cuddles. The little boy didn't know why he was so scared. He didn't understand when his chest felt like it was being hugged too tightly or why his clothes were so itchy. He just knew he wanted his Daddy.
"It's ok rou. I promise. That was scary huh? Daddy gets nightmares too." Katsuki was careful to not put a lot of pressure on the little frame. Instead he kissed the top of his head, rocking him gently. Sometimes Eijirou goes non verbal after a panic attack and that was ok. It was his self preservation kicking in. He just needed to be reassured that he was safe and loved and that it’s ok to be scared.
Thirty minutes later, his dark haired boy was asleep. Katsuki didn't want him to wake up alone after such an intense night terror, so he took the boy with him to sleep next to him.
The following morning Rou was feeling off. He didn't know the words to explain why nothing felt right. "Daddy tis itsy too." Everything was bothering him. From the sunshine being too bright to his clothes feeling tight or itchy. He just wasn't feeling good.
"That's ok Baby Shark. We can find something softer ok? Do you want me to stay home with you today?" Katsuki could move things around. It was never a problem. He just wanted to take care of his heart.
Rou shook his head. He always had fun at daycare. His bestest auntie Camie would play with him and Zuzu and the other kids all day. "No Daddy. I wanna pway wif Auntie. M big now."
Katsuki found the softest cotton shirt and shorts his big boy owned and helped his little man get dressed. Katsuki knew his two year old was already exhibiting signs of over stimulation. Probably the results of last night's nightmare.
At least he could warn Camie so she could bring him over if things got too rough for his Baby Shark.
"OK baby shark. But if you feel icky or stop having fun we can hang out in the bean bag chairs ok?" He ran his fingers through the tousled dark locks before they took off out the door.
~~~~~
This afternoon he was going to talk with Kota alone. Where the dynamics between twins was important, so was treating them like individuals. Just because they were twins doesn't mean the two are the same person, and as such they should be allowed to be uniquely themselves.
Katsuki had just entered the waiting room to greet Shoto and Kota when Camie had entered the office with an upset Baby Shark. Eijirou had refused to hold her hand, which seemed to upset his friend.
"Hey Baby Shark, still itchy?" Katsuki approached his son, gently kneeling down to match his height.
Eijirou just nodded, pulling at the hem of his shirt.
"Maybe he is sick Kats? He's never this way with me." Camie sounded sad. She loved her best buddy and hated to see him upset.
"He's not sick Cam. It's just a rough day. Everyone, even kids, have days when they are sad and those feelings are valid. It's unrealistic to expect children, no matter their age, to not have days where they don't feel energetic and positive."
Katsuki explained to his lifelong friend, not caring if others were listening or not.
"Well I guess that is true. I'm going back to work. Can I get a hug Rou?" Camie had her arms outstretched ready to scoop the little angel up into her arms as she has done so many times before.
Eijirou wasn't having it. He scooted away closer to his Daddy.
"Come on buddy, just one quick hug goodbye?"
"Camie, he is overwhelmed and overstimulated today. He doesn't want to be touched or touch others and that's ok. His boundaries need to be respected. It doesn't mean he dislikes you at all. Just means that today he needs his space."
Katsuki stood up and smiled warmly at his friend. "I'll talk to you later when I come get Zu. Hey Baby Shark, wanna blanket and bean bag it?"
Eijirou just nodded, following his Daddy a few steps behind him.
"Hi Kota, Hi Shoto. Kota, would it be ok with you if Eijirou hangs out with us while we talk?" Once again, Katsuki understood that children needed a choice just as much as adults. Choice and consent mattered.
"I don't mind Dr. Bakugou," Kota seemed impressed by what he had witnessed and it actually put him at ease. Whatever nervousness he might have felt evaporated.
"Great, why don't we all head on back. Shoto gives us about an hour?"
The mismatched man nodded, also bewildered by how easy it was to disarm the previous situation.
"Why did you do that?" Kota was not a big talker but he was curious as to the thought process of not forcing the little boy to say goodbye.
"Hmm do what?" Katsuki took a particular comfy bean shaped bean bag while Rou took the soft covered one next to him. Kota grabbed one of the wobble chairs he seemed to favor from last time, eyeing the doctor curiously.
"Why didn't you make him say goodbye?"
"Well Kota, everyone, even children, should be allowed to say no. You don't have to hug anyone or owe anyone any sort of explanation as to why. You have that choice."
"Do I?" The boy sounded cynical for one so young.
"Of course you do."
"Hmm. What does oversensitized mean?"
"Well, ever have a day where nothing feels right? Lights are too bright? Sounds too loud? Even your skin feels off, itchy or like ants are on you?"
"Yeah that's usually when I get angry and I don't know why."
"Well that’s overestimated and oversensitized. Sometimes when we think we are angry, we are really just anxious or upset for another reason. And that's ok. It's important to know that your feelings, good or bad, are valid and should be respected."
"I'm mad all the time though. I'm mad that I have two dads and I didn't get a say in that."
"I can understand that. Is there a reason that upsets you?"
"I already have a dad! So why do I need another one?"
Kota was clearly starting to get upset. Katsuki was aware he needed to redirect the question in a way that would make things clearer for the boy.
“Want to play Rainbow towers with me? It’s like Jenga but the dice chooses the color block you have to pull.” Katsuki was already setting up the game on the small tea table in the center of the room.
Kota watched him with peaked interest. He liked games. “Yeah, alright.”
“Great! You can go first. Just roll the dice and whatever color it lands on is the color of the block to move.”
Kota started the game up and after a few rounds, Katsuki could tell he was starting to relax some.
"To answer your previous question. Do you only have one friend?"
"No, I have a couple I play with."
Kota stuck the tip of his tongue out, testing different blue blocks to find one that was loose enough to move.
"It's kind of like that. Having more than one friend doesn't mean you dislike your other friends. Just like having a dad and a step-dad doesn't mean you have to dislike one to like the other."
"So…It's ok to like them both?"
"Yes. You can like both. You can dislike both. Either way you are allowed to choose."
"Oh." He rolled the dice landing on red. Tapping several different ones, the boy was able to locate a perfectly loose block.
"That's the biggest take away from today I want you to think about. You have the choice. When you start to get upset, you can take a moment and count, or say colors and you can ask yourself what is making you upset. You may not be angry. You may be frustrated or feeling ignored. You may be anxious, or just having a sad day. It's perfectly normal to have feelings. Each feeling is a response to what goes on around us, good or bad."
Katsuki would say it time and time again. Every single emotion is a rational response to stimuli and should never be pushed away or belittled.
"So I don't have to pretend I'm like Eri?" Questioning eyes fell upon the blonde doctor.
"You are an individual Kota. Just because you were born twins doesn't mean you have to be identical. Kota is allowed to be Kota and that makes you perfect just the way you are. Besides, I want to know more about you. What you like and dislike.”
“Why?” The tower was starting to be full of holes and sometimes it would randomly start to tip. To avoid a noise disaster, he grabbed a soft blanket behind him and wrapped it loosely around the tower to soften the fall when it went.
“Why wouldn’t I? Eijirou loves the color red and anything Crimson Riot. I’m not a fan of red. I like green and orange.”
“Oh. I like blues, not dark blues but nice blues.” Carefully he placed the new block on top of the stack careful to not tip the balance.
“I’ll tell you a secret…I don't like carrots or celery,” Katsuki scrunched up his face in utter disgust, earning a giggle from the boy.
“I don’t like broccoli. It’s just…weird”
Katsuki placed a yellow block on top, tipping the balance and the tower fell with the softest of tinks. “Looks like you win Kota. That was fun. Thank you for playing with me. “
"Yeah..I liked it too…and…I'm sorry for the other day at the park." Kota was looking at the floor pulling on random strings on his shorts. The toe of his shoe was lightly scraping against the floor with his small fidgeting.
"It's ok Kota, really. You can call me whatever you want. You can get mad at me or sad or whatever you and it's perfectly fine. You won't get in trouble here. This place is a safe place to feel whatever you want."
Katsuki smiled warmly at the boy. Every person needs a place to feel safe enough to explore not just positive feelings but the harder negative ones as well.
"I…like that."
~~~~~
Hitoshi had just entered the office when he noticed Shoto leaving with the bubbly little girl who was chatting away with her dad about what she learned and did today with the 'feelings' doctor.
The two men exchanged a polite smile and waved in greeting.
Today Denki would be working with Dr. Bakugo alone without Hanta. Hitoshi had already confirmed that he was allowed to sit in and watch as long as he didn't disturb the session. Katsuki was aware that sometimes having a safety net of a loving parent can make all the difference.
Katsuki met the two in a hall, greeting Denki first with a soft humming sound before greeting Hitoshi.
"Hi guys. Wanna come on back and play?" His warmth and sincerity not only calmed Hitoshi's own anxiety, but the humming from the doctor actually had Denki's partial attention.
Katsuki let Denki sit wherever he wanted before sitting down on a colored pillow as well. The room was completely silent save for the soft hums and taps from the little blonde boy. The doctor just sat there swaying softly as if it was a natural habit of his.
Denki clapped his hands and gave a nasal sounding hum which Katsuki responded to by snapping his fingers twice, clapping one, and patting his leg twice.
Electric gold eyes lit up and tried to copy the pattern. The clapping wasn't hard, but the snapping was tricky. When Denki started to get frustrated, he went to bite on his fingers. Katsuki redirected him with a hum, making a cup with his hand and pretending to take a drink.
Denki nodded, mimicking the basic sign for a drink.
"Hitoshi. Behind you is a small fridge with juice boxes. Can you grab us some> Oh and the gold fish crackers."
Katsuki went back to just relaxing with the little boy while the juice boxes and snacks were delivered.
Katsuki pointed to the juice box, hummed a few sounds and made the sign for drink again. When Denki copied him, Katsuki plunged the straw in handing it to him.
The drink spilled almost instantly, red juice leaked from the clear plastic straw onto the ground. Hitoshi quickly jumped up only to be stopped by Katsuki holding his hand up. Hitoshi sat back down watching his little blonde boy start to have a meltdown.
Denki was aggressively rocking and humming loudly. Golden eyes started to fill with tears while his little hands started to flap around. The boy was in a highly agitated state over a few drops of juice.
Katsuki leaned over slowly laying on his back near the boy but not touching him. Instead he just hummed in a gentle melody looking up at the ceiling. One of his favorite things about this office was the incredible mural painted on the ceiling. A fantasy landscape with cute dragons and fairies flying around multiple castles sitting on clouds. Unicorns were dancing with bunnies and all sorts of cute critters.
Denki, seeing how he wasn’t going to be touched or grabbed, lifted his head to the ceiling of magical creatures. Like Katsuki he chose to tip over, laying on his back near the kind doctor, just staring at the ceiling in wonder.
Fifteen minutes had past of the two just laying there and humming to each other. Denki shifted to his side to place a small palm against Katsuki’s cheek. His own way of saying thank you. Katsuki hummed at the boy, smiling.
Katsuki slowly moved to sit up, always keeping his hands lightly folded into his lap so the boy could see he had no intention of grabbing or touching him in any way. The juice box was picked up and placed rightside up for the little boy.
They continued to play the snap, snap, clap, clap, pat, clap, and Katsuki this time pointed to the snack crackers, lifting his fingers to his lips and mimicking putting the food in his mouth.
Denki smiled and copied him with his hands. Laughing brightly, Katsuki opened the snacks for the boy.
"You see Hitoshi, Denki is just fine. He just has a different language is all."
Katsuki was enjoying his afternoon snacks with the little blonde boy who seemed to just be enjoying himself. This environment was meant to be stress free and a comfortable place for kids to feel safe.
Between humming and random pats and claps, the two colored and played with blocks.
The goal for today was not to teach the little blonde to talk. Instead it was to learn how he talks instead.
When it was time to leave, Katsuki stood up to talk to Hitoshi. "The goal was not to force him to talk our way, but rather for me to listen and learn his way. He was able to pick up on some basic sign language easily enough and he really is just a bottle of sunshine."
Hitoshi didn't know what to think. What type of person makes this kind of connection so quickly? Just like the other night when the three of them sat around chatting. Katsuki just made everything seem so clear.
"How do you do it Doc? How are you so calm and collected all the time?"
With a lopsided smile Katsuki looked into the lavender eyes. "The secret is I'm not."
This time, when it was time to head back outside Denki turned back with a shy smile.
— — — — —
Today was the day!
Hitoshi had just finished dropping off Denki and Ketchup at his parents’ house. He was hoping to spend the day having some one-on-one time with Hanta. They hadn’t done that in forever.
Denki was hesitant at first, but his adoration for his Abuelita won him over in the end. He was quickly distracted by the cool things his Abuelita had knitted. Small toys and blankets of various colors.
“Alright, Love Bug. What do you wanna do today?”
Hitoshi watched as Hanta took only but a second to pause in cleaning up the toys around the room from their fun yesterday night. Denki had done really well for his first solo session with Dr. Bak—Katsuki, and Hitoshi let the kids mess around all last night. It was very fun but also very messy, and they were all too tired by the end of it to clean up. Hitoshi actually planned to do it himself, but Hanta being Hanta had to help his Papi.
“We can get groceries, Papi. We’re running out of orange juice.”
After his talk with Katsuki, Hitoshi really began to notice how Hanta never really asked for anything. He almost wanted to suggest something, but he wanted to try Katsuki’s approach and allow Hanta to choose for himself. “Ha, what do you want to do?”
The little boy’s face looked confused for a second, then hesitant. “Umm…The arcade?”
Hanta’s voice had gotten much smaller, much more unsure than Hitoshi was ever used to hearing. He hoped that one day it wouldn’t have to be like that anymore.
“Good idea, Love Bug. The arcade is a great idea.” Hitoshi made sure to smile and reassure Hanta of his idea, and it seemed to ease whatever insecurity his baby was feeling because he noticed Hanta perk up again.
“Yeah! Papi, they have new games!”
Hanta was practically jumping on his feet with excitement now, so Hitoshi wasted no time with cleaning up the rest of the mess. When they were finally done, Hitoshi got them ready to go to the arcade.
Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t visited the arcade with Hanta since he first adopted Denki. Granted, they hardly went often, but he knew it was a place Hanta enjoyed. It just wasn’t possible because of all the loud noises of the kids running around, yelling, and all the dinging from the machines. Denki just wasn’t able to handle all that. But that also meant Hanta had to miss it on something he enjoyed…
Hitoshi had to keep from mentally kicking himself for that.
He had been so stupid!
He should’ve done something like this a long time ago.
But now wasn’t the time for that. He needed to focus on his baby.
Today was for him.
When they got to the arcade, the small boy was smiling so wide. His face was filled with childlike excitement that Hitoshi hadn’t seen in a while. No. Not like this.
“Papi! What should we play first?” Hanta’s eyes were scanning the entire room, his excitement barely contained.
Hitoshi just smiled. “What do you want to play, Ha?”
“That one! Over there, Papi!” His baby pointed at the large machine playing loud music with light-up flooring and arrows.
Hitoshi internally cringed at the aspect of having to dance, but it was a worthy sacrifice to make his baby happy. “Alright. Let’s dance, Love Bug.”
Walking over to the machine, Hitoshi put in the quarters to start the game. A menu screen came on, prompting them to select a song. “You pick the song, Ha.” Once again, Hitoshi wanted to let Hanta make as much of the decisions today as he could. He really wanted to let Hanta know that he had that power and that he valued what his baby wanted.
Hanta hummed and scrolled through the different options. “This one , Papi!”
Hero too
Of course Hanta would pick the most energetic song…
Hitoshi smiled. “Good choice, Ha. Ready?”
“Ready, Papi!”
With that, the music started, and the two tried their best to imitate the moves on the screen while also keeping their feet with the arrows. Saying Hitoshi was struggling was putting it lightly. He was not, is not, and will never be a dancer. Hanta on the other hand was doing great. His son was not only matching everything perfectly and kicking his butt on the scoreboard, but he was adding his own flare to each of the moves.
Call him biased, but his baby looked like a professional. Hanta had always been a confident boy, but even Hitoshi could see he was in his element. And don’t even get him started on that smile…He hadn’t seen Hanta smile that wide in a long time.
“Papi, keep up!” Hanta laughed as he did a little spin into the next move.
That’s when he noticed he had missed the past few moves, getting lost in the moment. For the rest of the song, he tried to do as Hanta said and keep up. Hanta at one point grabbed his hand, so they could finish the song together.
Needless to say, Hitoshi was exhausted, but he loved every single minute of it. He loved it even more so when he heard Hanta laugh and cheer, “Again, Papi! Again! Again!” He was jumping excitedly and showed no sign of the exhaustion Hitoshi felt.
“Alright, Love Bug. Again.”
The two of them danced to the same song for half an hour. Each time it played, Hitoshi got a little better, and the two of them found more ways to dance together by the end, swapping sides, twirling each other, or high-fiving. They even had a small crowd watching by the end, mostly kids who thought Hanta was cool.
By the end, Hitoshi was out of breath and sweating up a storm. Hanta was still as energetic as can be, but he took mercy on his poor Papi and let him sit down for a minute to rest. As Hitoshi sat, he noticed Hanta staring at the ice cream some kids were holding as they ate with their families. “You want an ice cream, Ha?”
Hanta looked back towards his Papi as if startled. “Huh? Wha?”
“Do you want me to buy you an ice cream, Love Bug?”
Hanta shook his head. “No thanks, Papi. I’m fine.” Hitoshi wasn’t fooled, though. He saw how his son’s eyes wandered back to the tasty treats every so often.
Crap.
Should he buy them?
Hanta said no, but he obviously wants one…
But if he tries to buy one for him after he said no, would that be as if he wasn’t respecting Hanta’s decision?
Ahhh. This was so hard.
What would Katsuki do?
Hitoshi took a deep breath and tried to refocus.
Choice.
Give him choices.
“Alright, Ha. What about this. Do you wanna go play some games while Papi rests for a bit, or do you wanna eat some ice cream with Papi?”
Hanta stared into his Papi’s eyes. “Ice cream with Papi.”
“Ok. What kind would you like then, Love Bug?”
“Chocolate, please.”
“Good boy for using your manners. Chocolate it is.”
Hitoshi quickly paid for two chocolate ice creams and handed one to Hanta. The boy was all smiles as he ate his ice cream, occasionally talking about the other games he wanted to play afterwards.
It made Hitoshi so happy to see Hanta be so carefree. He didn’t even have to prompt Hanta into talking about what games he wanted to play this time!
Hitoshi smiled at his son as he listened to him talk a mile a minute.
He’s glad they got to do this.
~~~~~
They spent a whole three hours at the arcade before Hanta seemed satisfied to return home. It was already late in the evening, and he was planning on picking up Denki a little later after dinner was ready. So, they returned home, and Hitoshi sent Hanta to get his bath stuff ready when he got a call from his parents.
“Dad? What’s up?” He felt a small sense of panic. Was something wrong?
“Hey, hunny. I was just calling to tell you that Denki fell asleep with his Abuelita. If you want, we can watch him for the night. Or I guess me since your father is already passed out too.” Hitoshi heard a small chuckle.
“Yeah, Dad. That would be perfect. Thank you.”
“Aright, hun. We’ll see you in the morning then, okay? I expect to hear about your fun adventure with Hanta tomorrow.”
Hitoshi chuckled. “Only if you tell me how much fun you had with Denki, Dad.”
“Fair enough.”
The two of them exchanged a few more words before Hanta came back with his towel and bath toys.
“Hey, Love Bug. I just got a call from Abuelo. Denki is sleeping over, so it looks like it’s just you and me tonight.”
“Oh. Ok.”
“Is that bad, Love Bug?”
“No! No, Papi! I…I’m just worried about Denki.”
“Denki is going to be fine. He’s got Ketchup and Abuelo and Abuela.”
Hanta nodded. “And we have each other.”
“Exactly. Now, let’s get cleaned up, so we can cook dinner. I’ll let you pick.”
The rest of the night went smoothly. They bathed quickly, and Hanta decided he wanted fideo soup for dinner. He was also adamant that he help cook it, and Hitoshi couldn’t deny him.
Hanta loved to be his little cooking partner. He loved to watch, and sometimes he taught Hitoshi new dishes. Like this one. Hanta showed him what went into fideo soup, and it eventually became a standard in their household. It was also one of Hanta’s favorites.
After eating from their bowls in front of the TV as they watched a superhero movie, it was time for bed.
“Hey, Ha…Since it’s just us tonight, would you like to sleep with me in my room?”
He watched as Hanta’s eyes began to shimmer just a little. He nodded vigorously as his mouth was full of fideo.
Hitoshi chuckled. “Alright, Love Bug. Let’s clean up and get to bed then.”
~~~~~
As they both settled into bed, Hitoshi could see the restlessness in Hanta’s eyes.
“What’s wrong, Ha?”
“Why did you do this Papi? What did I do?” Hanta sat cross legged in front of Hitoshi on the bed, a genuine look of confusion taking over his features.
“Nothing, Love Bug. I simply wanted to spoil you because I love you, and you deserve everything.”
Hanta just began to look more confused and he said, “But I didn’t do anything, Papi…I don’t deserve anything.”
“That’s not true, Baby,” he immediately corrected.
Hanta shook his head and fresh tears pooledl in his eyes. “No! It is, Papi! I…The only thing I did today was be selfish. That’s no good!”
“Ha, listen to me. You are not selfish. Even if you were, that’s not a bad thing. You deserve to want things for yourself. It’s perfectly normal.”
Tears began to cascade from his baby’s cheeks. “No! No! If I start wanting things, they’ll disappear again! I don’t want Papi to disappear!”
At this point, Hitoshi couldn’t take it anymore. He pulled his baby over to him, bringing him close to his chest and wrapping him in his arms. “I will never leave you. Do you understand me? I will always be here for you. To love you, protect you, spoil you…I want you to not be afraid to speak up about what you want.”
Hanta lifted up his head to look at Hitoshi with wide, wet eyes like he’s trying to find any lie there. He doesn’t. “I…I want m-more days like this with Papi…I miss when we would play just the two of us sometimes…I’m sorry.”
“Shhh. There’s nothing to be sorry about, Baby. I miss them too. You’re not bad for wanting some attention. That’s normal. I promise we’ll make it happen more often, ok?”
Hanta whined in agreement as words were too hard right now and hugged Hitoshi back with shaking arms.
They spent a while in silence as Hanta’s hiccups eventually evened out into sleep. Hitoshi just held his baby closer. He felt a small warmth in his chest. He’s so glad he did this for his baby. This was just the first step, but he knew that he would never let Hanta feel like he couldn’t express himself ever again.
— — — — —
Eri and Kota got into Tenya’s car, their step-father strapping each of them into their booster seats. Their backpacks were placed on the floor of the car.
“Are you guys excited to spend some time with Mommy and I?” Tenya asked, starting the car and buckling in. He quickly adjusted the rearview mirror to look at the twins in the backseat. Kota had his lamb, Deku, in his lap, and Eri had her unicorn, Glitterbomb.
Eri and Kota nodded their assent. “Is Mommy going to be home tonight?” Eri asked quietly.
Tenya sighed and said, “No, I’m sorry guys. She has a very important meeting that’ll last until well past your bedtimes. But look on the bright side! She should have tomorrow off to spend all day with the two of you.” He pulled out of the driveway and onto the road. “What do you guys want for dinner?” he asked, trying to distract the two children from their missing parent.
Eri, not missing a beat, asked, “Can we have mac’n’cheese for dinner? With dino nuggies?”
Chuckling, Tenya responded, “If Kota is ok with that too, then sure Eri. I can make that for dinner.”
Kota grumbled but nodded, saying, “Then I want to pick dessert and I pick ice cream sandwiches.” Eri cheered at hearing her dinner request and dessert would be had.
“So how do you guys like the new therapist? Kota you seemed to like him a lot,” Tenya continued. He watched as Kota hugged Deku tighter, his little legs swinging. He looked down, hiding his face under the bill of his cap and muttered out something. “What was that Kota?” Tenya asked kindly, keeping his voice calm.
“He is…nice. We- uh we talked about some stuff and…”
“And?” Tenya prompted gently.
“He said that I could like both you and Papa,” Kota finished.
Tenya was surprised at this, but kept his smile up. Honestly, he hadn’t thought Kota cared for him much - the young boy seemed not to like anyone, and Tenya was still fairly new. Momo said that Kota took longer to warm up to others than Eri, and Tenya had thought Kota had only recently started tolerating him.
“I’m glad that you like me, Bug,” Tenya grinned. “And your therapist sounds like a smart man.”
Kota went silent.
Tenya let the silence sit, for a moment before focusing on Eri. “What about you Princess? What do you think about the therapist? Dr. Bakugou it was?”
“He is really cool!” Eri exclaimed. “He has a bunch of stuffed animals and other cool things in his office and he isn’t scary like the other doctors. He also listened to all of my stuffed animals and everything else! Like actually listening. Only you and Papa do that!”
Tenya smiled sadly. Where Kota could be abrasive and cold, Eri was excitable and extremely welcoming, sometimes too much so. She got along with other children just fine, but adults tended to tire of the girl quickly. Of course they would nod along with Eri, but they were not actually listening to her.
Eri was an intuitive girl and could tell. Tenya had seen it happen a few times at several functions Momo had dragged the children to. “I’m glad that you both like him and have someone to talk to.”
~~~~~
Tenya got the children home and prepared dinner. The night was mundane, and before they knew it, it was bedtime. “I’m a big boy! I don’t need a bedtime!” Kota loudly protested, sitting with his Switch on his bed and playing Minecraft.
“Kota,” Tenya said, a gentle warning in his tone. “It is time for bed. Let’s start the week off right, ok? You can play again tomorrow, I promise, but it is important you get at least 8 hours of sleep. You know, there was a study-”
“All right all right I’m going to bed!” Kota cut him off, huffing and putting his switch back in its charger. He turned off the light and dramatically flopped into his bed.
Tenya sighed and turned on his heel, shutting the door quietly behind him. He wandered over to Eri’s room across the hall and peeked in. Her fairy night light was on and she was sitting on her bed playing with her Pretty Pretty Pony stuffies.
“Let’s go to candy mountain!” she said in a high pitched voice.
Tenya getly knocked on the door and said, “It’s time for bed dear.”
Eri looked up and nodded. “Ok Tenya.” Tenya watched as the little girl put her stuffed animals on the nearby shelf and settled under her covers. He shut the door behind him once she was curled up in bed, and wandered downstairs to wait for his wife.
~~~~~
Momo was exhausted. She unlocked the door to her house and stepped out of her heels, leaving them at the door and putting on her house slippers. She saw her husband standing at the counter nursing a cup of tea. “Tenya?” she muttered, going up behind him and wrapping her arms around her husband.
He didn’t shudder or stiffen like Shoto did when she pressed herself fully against his back.
“Welcome home, darling,” Tenya responded, setting his cup down on the counter and turning around to embrace her completely. “How was the meeting?”
“Exhausting. The dinner party was so long and it–there was this,” she scrunched up her nose, “gay couple.”
Tenya kissed her forehead before gently chastising her. “Love, you know there is nothing wrong with being gay, right?”
Momo sighed heavily. “...I know,” she responded. “You know it’s just…” she trailed off.
Tenya let them sit in silence, holding her in the comfort of his arm before saying, “You know, I think it would be good to see someone about this. It seems to be good for the kids and Kota actually likes his therapist. I know you don’t mean anything, but Shoto told me that when he took the kids to the park, Kota had an outburst. He said a few slurs…” Tenya sighed.
Momo nodded.
“I’ll look into it.”
~~~~~
Shoto was excited. It was finally Friday which meant he would be getting the kids back again.
Momo knocked on the door, Kota and Eri in front of her. Kota was playing on his…Stitch? It was some sort of gaming console.
Eri had her hands grasped around her backpack. This time a stuffed puppy was under her arm. Shoto smiled at the amount of stuffed animals she had - a collection that continued to grow bigger every time they went to the mall.
He opened the door, nodding curtly at his ex-wife and ushering the two children in. Kota nearly tripped on the front step, and Momo gently steadied him. “Kota,” Shoto lightly scolded, “please watch where you’re going.”
Momo glared up at him, and he turned his head to look away. He could never challenge her, even back when they were married still.
She walked the twins up into the house, and before she left she said, “...you may continue therapy with them.” She didn’t say anything else as she walked out and got into her car.
Sighing, he shut the door and turned to look at his children. Eri looked up at him with wide eyes and Kota seemed to be heavily engaged with his game. “What are you playing? Is that the Mario Crossing game?”
That got Kota to look up. He huffed and rolled his eyes. “It’s not Mario Crossing. That’s not even a game Papa. And anyway I’m playing Minecraft.”
Shoto nodded, not really understanding what that meant. He didn’t really understand the variety of games that existed out there. “Do you guys want to go anywhere? We can go to the park or the mall, or something else if you guys would like. Just window shop a bit? Though I do need to swing by the office before…” Shoto trailed off.
“Let’s go to the mall!” Eri cheered, waving her puppy in the air in excitement.
“Kota?” Shoto asked. “I can’t leave you home alone, and you can’t bring your game with you bud. I don’t want you to get lost.”
Kota huffed and said, “Fine. I’m getting off now. Just let me save this real quick cause it’s almost night time and I don’t want to die and have to respawn.”
“Uhm ok…?” Shoto said. Eri ran up to her room to put her backpack away in her room, and Kota walked up slowly behind her, his game still clutched in his hand. “Careful not to slip!” Shoto called up after him. He got a grunt of affirmation in return.
After a few minutes, the kids raced down the stairs, stopping immediately once they saw Shoto staring up at them. They switched to a quick speed walk, Kota trying to put his arm out to prevent Eri from passing him.
The twins raced outside to Shoto’s garage and got into the car. “I win!” Kota declared victoriously.
Eri scowled and said, “Yeah well you cheated!”
“Guys, calm down,” Shoto said, getting into the car himself. He was glad to see them both playing though, especially Kota. He talked to them about their week and what they did, Eri being the main one to respond to him as per usual. But Kota was more talkative, so that was something.
Before they knew it, they got to Shoto’s office building, which towered over the city. The doors slid open once they got close, and Shoto was greeted by a friendly hello from his receptionist and secretary, Miss Chiyo.
The kids ran up to her, and she grinned. “Hello dearies, how are you doing?”
“Hi Miss Chiyo! We’re gonna go to the mall after Papa grabs what he needs from here,” Eri answered. “Oh and Kota is like really really close to getting to the Nether too!”
Kota nodded along with his sister. Miss Chiyo chuckled at the children, pulling out two lollipops and handing one to each child. “That sounds very cool, Kota. Here you go, dearies, you need to keep up your energy,” she smiled.
Shoto gave her a resigned look. He tried to get her to stop giving them candy, but she wouldn’t budge. Every time she said that they were children and should enjoy themselves. “Kids, do you guys want to come up with me or stay with Miss Chiyo?” he asked, letting them choose.
“I wanna go up with you Papa!” Eri squealed, and Kota nodded in agreement with his sister. The three of them filed into the elevator and pressed the button to the top floor. Once it dinged and they entered his office, the children both rushed over to the large window that went ceiling to floor, giving an amazing view of the city.
They peered down at the street, watching the ant-like people and cars move on the streets. Shoto quickly grabbed the paperwork he needed and called the twins to go.
They both grumbled and dragged themselves back to the elevator before bidding goodbye to Miss Chiyo and leaving. Before they knew it, they had arrived at the large shopping center, and Eri excitedly pointed at a large building. “I wanna go there Papa!”
Shoto pulled into the store: Costco. The kids unbuckled themselves and eagerly ran inside to the building, Shoto having to catch up and flash his membership card at the employee before running after his children. “Guys, you need to wait for Papa, remember? It’s dangerous to wander off on your own.”
They groaned and Kota exclaimed, “But Papa, you’re so slow!” Shoto chuckled, and they walked up and down the aisles. When they got near the pastry aisle, Eri darted off. Shoto muttered under his breath, grabbed Kota and ran after his daughter.
“Eri!” he shouted, looking around wildly. He saw two little legs poking out of a large bin. “Eri, what are you doing?” he exclaimed, running up to pull his daughter out of the cardboard box of…squishmallows? Eri had one firmly clutched in her hand.
“Look Papa, it’s one of the new squishmallows! This one’s name is uhm…” she looked at the tag and stuttered out, “B-ber-jit.” She held a pink and orange boba squishmallow up at him, and Shoto sighed.
“Eri-Bear, you have plenty of stuffed animals already. We said we were going to go window shopping - that means no buying stuff,” Shoto tried to reason with his daughter. She just held the squishmallow tighter, looking up at him with big, pleading eyes.
He tried to look away, but his determination broke when he heard a small “Please Papa.”
“Fine,” he sighed.
Only for Kota to pipe up, “Hey no fair! How come Eri gets something? I want something too!”
Shoto said, “Ok Bug, we can do that. What do you want? A new game? Uhm what do you need, one of those Playbox ones right?”
Kota only looked at him, unimpressed, and scoffed. “Papa, those are two different gaming consoles. You mean PlayStation and Xbox. But no, I want a big cake! And I don’t have to share it with Eri!”
Kota dragged them both to the pastry aisle and picked out a big cake. Shoto looked at the price and nodded in defeat. “But no eating it all at once,” Shoto added sternly.
Kota agreed easily, but they both looked up at hearing a few familiar voices.
“Daddy look! Pwease cookies!”
“Let me think, Baby Shark…”
— — — — —
The Costco was a big store, even sitting in the cart way high off the ground everything was so big! And it made Eijirou feel small, like a mouse.
There were big rooms that were cold like the refrigerator at home and a pile of squishmallows toys so big he could hide in them and never be found if he wasn’t sitting in the cart.
“Daddy look! Pwease cookies!” Eijirou pointed at the table filled with boxes of cookies.
“Let me think Baby Shark…”
“No Daddy, I a mouse, squeak! Mouse needs a cookie, like the book!”
“Okay then Baby Mouse, it looks like we have to get cookies! We can’t not give a mouse a cookie! You want to grab them?”
Eijirou nodded his head so fast the bandana he had put on all by himself slid down over his eyes.
Eijirou’s Daddy had a big smile on his face as he fixed the bandana and picked Eijirou up out of the cart, and set him on the ground.
Eijirou smiled at his Daddy then ran over to the cookie table. There was a lady at the table right next to the cookie table looking at muffins. “Which ones would be better for shark week? Chocolate or Blueberry?”
Eijirou stopped with the box of cookies in his arms. Did she say sharks?!
Ejirou took his box of cookies and walked up to the muffin lady. “Hello!” Eijirou tried to wave but it was hard with the cookies. “Sharks eat meat! Some sharks like the bonnethead shark can eat grass! I don’t think sharks like muffins though.”
Eijirou smiled at the lady, “What’s shark week? Do you go to the beach and play with sharks? Or, or do you go to a aquarium and pet the sharks in the touch pool? I like sharks a whole lot. They are the best animal!!”
The muffin lady looked down at Eijirou, and he took it as a sign. “There are lik 400 kinds of sharks. That’s more than I can count on my fingers!”
The muffin lady bent down. “Where is your mommy? Are you lost honey?”
Eijirou stared at the muffin lady. “I’m not lost, I telling you about sharks! What’s shark week?”
“Baby Shark, you get the cookies?” Eijirou looked away from the lady to his daddy. He’s still standing a few steps away from the cookie table with his brother in his special carrier.
“Daddy, I a mouse!! Squeak, squeak I got cookies!!” Eijirou started to go over to the cart, then stopped, “Bye muffin lady!! Have a good shark week with all the sharkys!!!”
Eijirou held the cookie box up for his Daddy to put in the cart.
~~~~~
Katsuki took the container of cookies from Eijirou. He was a little embarrassed, overhearing the conversation between the woman and his son. His son was very cute but they would need to talk about going up and talking to strangers later when they got home.
He picked Eijirou up and set him carefully back in the cart. ”Okay you two, let’s grab a few more things then we can head home!”
Katsuki looked down at Izuku, who was strapped to his chest in his baby carrier. The little one year old was sleeping against Katsuki and as he glanced down, he noticed his cheeks were a little pink. Was Izuku getting a little too warm?
“Daddy look!!! Park fwiends!!!!”
Katsuki looked up to where Eijirou was pointing. Standing just on the other side of the pastry aisle was the Todoroki family.
“Hello Shoto, Kota, Eri! How are you today?” Katsuki asked the family.
~~~~~
Costco had taken longer than Katsuki expected. After running into Shoto and his children, they ended up talking for 20 minutes, with Eri showing off the squishmallow her dad was getting her and Kota showing Eijirou the cake he was getting all to himself. By the time they all finished talking and the shopping was finished, it was nearly an hour later than Katsuki had planned.
He loaded the groceries into the car, making sure Eijirou was buckled in safely before walking around the car to the side with Izuku’s car seat. As Katsuki unbuckled Izuku from the carrier, he heard a small whine. When he looked at his son’s face, he wasn’t asleep anymore.
The baby’s face was flushed and one of his hands was tangled in Katsuki’s shirt, Katsuki balanced Izuku in one arm and carefully reached up to loosen Izuku’s grip on the shirt.
The green haired baby only whined more, shoving his face into Katsuki’s shirt, and rubbing his face against the soft fabric. Even through the fabric, Katsuki could feel how warm his Zu’s face was.
“Ooh, baby do you feel bad?” Katsuki softly whispered, “Okay, you got to get in the car seat so we can go home, alright?”
He got another soft whine, but this time when he tried to get Izuku to let go of his shirt, he was able to do it pretty easily.
Katsuki drove home, his mind swirling and trying to form a plan for when they all got home. How did he miss the signs that one of his babies was getting sick?
When they made it home, he helped Eijirou out of the car, picked up Izuku and brought them both inside. He could worry about bringing the groceries in a minute.
When he got inside, he made sure Eijirou was good playing in his room before turning his focus to Izuku.
The little baby’s face was flushed, his nose runny, his eyes just slightly glossy, his little hands pulling at the shirt Katsuki had put on him that morning, and small little whines were escaping his mouth.
Katsuki set him down and started pulling his clothes off carefully. Izuku’s skin was flushed and hot to the touch under his shirt.
“It’s gonna be okay Zu. I’m sorry you’re not feeling well.”
Katsuki sighed as he tossed the clothes in the laundry basket and walked down to the medicine cabinet in the kitchen. He needed to get the baby thermometer, and call the pediatrician…
Katsuki froze in the kitchen, Izuku cuddled in his arms. What if it was something terrible? What if his baby was so sick that he needed to go to the hospital? He needed to call Camie or his dad or someone .
Katsuki dug his phone out of his back pocket, hands shaking so hard in his panic it fell and slid across the tile floor.
“No, not now. Why now?” Katsuki scrambled after his phone, tears of frustration only making it harder to grab off the floor, making sure Izuku didn’t get jostled too much all the while.
Katsuki unlocked his phone and clicked on a number, anxiety growing with each ring.
When the phone finally connected, he just started rambling to what he hoped was a fully awake Camie.
“Camie, I need you to come get Eijirou. Izuku’s sick and I’m freaking out and I know it’s probably just a cold, but with everything in his medical history I’m worried about it getting worse and I don’t want to have to take him to the hospital, but if I do I think it’s be better if you had Eijirou so I wasn’t dragging him around and getting him off his schedule.”
Katsuki dug around with one hand in the medicine cabinet, his phone pressed between his ear and his shoulder.
“Where is the stupid baby thermometer? Camie? Hello?” When he didn’t get a response from the phone, he stopped his search and grabbed his phone off his shoulder.
One glance at the screen and his face went white.
“You should take a breath, and repeat that cause I got none of that.” A voice that definitely wasn’t Camie’s came from his phone.
He had called one of his patients’ parents!! Katsuki felt embarresment flood his body as he started at the call screen that read Shinsou Hitoshi and not the Stupid Blonde Girl/Camie/Best Friend/Best Aunt/GirlBoss nickname Camie had put into his phone ages ago and he never bothered to change.
“I am so sorry, I did not mean to call you and interrupt your afternoon!” Katsuki stumbled over himself to get an apology out. This was so embarrassing!
“It’s okay! I know a sick kid can be stressful. Just take a deep breath.” There was a moment of silence and it was clear he meant for Katsuki to actually take a deep breath, so he did.
“Good, now are you alright? Did you need to hang up and call whoever you meant to call? Or did you just want to talk it out to help calm down?”
Katsuki smiled at the offer. “Thank you but I think I can handle it now. I was just spiraling a bit. Thank you.”
“Of course.”
After a quick goodbye, Katsuki felt much calmer than he did before the accidental phone call.
He had a plan. He grabbed a baby wrap and quickly wrapped Izuku to his chest, giving him the closeness he wanted while still giving Katsuki his hands.
Katsuki phoned the pediatrician and found the baby thermometer, and after a quick temperature check and talk with the doctor, they decided to just give Izuku some baby Tylenol and make sure Katsuki kept an eye on him.
Somewhere between the phone calls and getting the groceries actually inside, Izuku had fallen asleep on Katsuki, his soft breathing louder than normal due to his runny nose.
Katsuki sighed and closed his eyes for a moment as he leaned against the counter, not quite ready to put all the groceries away.
He remembered what Hitoshi had said on the phone: take a deep breath.
Katsuki took a long breath and opened his eyes as he let it out, his eyes locking on a container of cookies sitting on the counter.
EIJIROU!!! He had been so worried about Izuku. Katsuki rushed to Eijirou’s room only to find the boy wrapped in a blanket on his bed. It looked like he had fallen asleep in the middle of a game with all his toys.
Katsuki smiled and scooped up the boy. The rest of the groceries could wait. Everything cold had already been put away and his boys needed cuddles. Katsuki carried both of them into his room, carefully setting Eijirou down before untying Izuku from the baby carrier and climbing into bed. He quickly checked Izuku’s forehead with his hand. Then Katsuki laid down with both of his boys cuddled close to him. An afternoon nap definitely couldn’t hurt after the panic of the last hour or so. Katsuki felt a little calmer as he drifted off to sleep with his two most important people cuddled close.
— — — — —
It had been a few weeks since the accidental phone call from Katsuki that led to what Hitoshi considers a great friendship. It happened after the following session for Denki. Hitoshi was leading Denki out the office followed by a much calmer Katsuki who seemed to be wearing a soft sweater that looked as comfortable as one of his son’s blankets.
“I'm glad I got to see you today Denki. It was so much fun.” The soft smile Katsuki gave Denki had Hitoshi feeling some type of way. It felt great meeting someone who didn't automatically assume Denki was being disrespectful for not answering back verbally. He looked down at his youngest and smiled, seeing the usually timid blond smile back. The trio continued walking down the colorful hallway until they arrived at the waiting room.
“I will just confirm your next appointment Mr. Shinso.” Ochako smiled and began to type on her computer. Hitoshi thanked her quietly, taking another glance at Denki, surprised to see the boy standing in front of Katsuki without him.
“...E!” Denki’s golden eyes looked directly into soft red ones.
“Hm? Did you say E Denki?” Katsuki kneeled at his spot slowly, not wanting to assume Denki wanted a hug. Denki hummed and nodded in agreement, his golden eyes scanning the waiting room for E. Ochako smiled from her spot, waving at him and remaining quiet.
“Who is E, sweetheart?” Hitoshi crouched down next to Denki, slightly confused but having an idea of who the boy was referring to. Eijirou probably. Denki smiled up at him before proceeding to pretend to be Chomp. Amused, Hitoshi looked towards Katsuki.
“Your chomping like a shark is amazing Denki. I'm assuming you are asking for my Baby Shark, Eijirou?” Denki’s eyes widened as he nodded and continued to chomp for a few more seconds. Katsuki chuckled at how adorable the blond boy was.
“He isn't here right now Denki. He is at daycare with his baby brother Izuku,” Katsuki explained to Denki, who in turn pouted. Hitoshi smiled and ran his fingers gently through blond strands of hair.
“I'm sure we can see Eijirou another day, Sweetheart,” Hitoshi promised and chuckled, seeing Denki extend his smaller pinky. Hitoshi intertwined their pinkies before kissing Denki’s forehead.
“I promise Sweetheart.” Denki seemed satisfied before running carefully towards Katsuki and held out his pinky again. Katsuki had a look of surprise before quickly smiling and holding out his pinky.
“I promise you too, Denki. I know Eijirou and Izuku had fun last time in the park.” Denki squealed once their pinkies were intertwined before looking up expectantly at Katsuki.
“...Oh! I see” Katsuki leaned over slowly, watching carefully for Denki’s reaction, but after seeing no negativity, he placed a soft kiss on Denki’s forehead. Hitoshi's eyes widened, surprised at the boldness of Denki’s actions. Usually his son wasn't very fond of affection or any type of touch from others besides family.
“I pinky promise Denki. Now then, why don't you play a bit while I talk with your Papa about a play date?” Denki hummed before excitedly running towards a small slide in the play area. Ketchup, who had stood quietly beside Denki, now followed after the boy, wagging his tail. Hitoshi watched as Katsuki fondly smiled before standing back up and gave a tiny bashful smile.
“Hitoshi…I just wanted to apologize for mistakenly calling you the other day. Along with thanking you for helping me calm down.” Hitoshi smiled, a bit amused at the usually calm and collective blond who now was blushing and looking away, embarrassed. Neither of the two noticed Ochako glancing between them and having a smug smile on her face.
“No need Katsuki, like I said before, having one of your children be sick can stress any parent out. I hope both Izuku and Eijirou are healthy and back to their sunshine selves.” Katsuki looked up, relieved to have not been a bother and chuckled. Hitoshi realized he enjoyed seeing the man smiling and laughing, even if his red cheeks were an adorable sight.
“Yes thank you, both are back to their hyper and active selves again.” Both turned their heads hearing a familiar deep laugh.
“It doesn't seem possible to ever see either of your rays of sunshine not smiling or laughing.” Shoto was holding the door open for his twins, both waving hello before running off to the play area. Denki watched both and slowly began to open up to playing with the dolls with both twins. Kota, while reluctant, agreed immediately after realizing he would play the mighty hero.
“Hi Kota and hi Eri.” Katsuki waved at the two before looking back up towards Shoto.
“Shoto, hello.” Hitoshi nodded in greeting, which Shoto returned with his own smile.
“Hello Katsuki and Hitoshi. I see I got here a bit early. I had a day off today.” Shoto walked over, happily chatting after glancing over at his twins, making sure they were respecting Denki’s space.
“No worries Shoto. I was just telling Hitoshi about a play date before he left with his ray of sunshine.” Katsuki smiled and still didn't notice Ochako’s shocked expression, which quickly morphed into one of knowing. She secretly began texting her wife about the clear love interest.
“Oh? May I ask if my twins are allowed to go? They both seem to enjoy spending time with all of your sons.” Hitoshi grinned, nodding, and pulled out his phone to check for his next free day.
“I don't mind. They both seem to have gotten Denki out of his shell.”
“I also agree. My boys love playing with the twins as much as they do with Hitoshi’s boys.”
“I'm glad to hear that. If you both would like, I don't mind inviting you over and I'll cook-” Shoto was surprised at how easy it was to converse with the two equally gorgeous men before him. Along with offering to cook when he knew he couldn't cook to save his life. He cleared his throat, looking towards his twins with a slight pink tint to his cheeks.
“I mean I'll buy dinner for everyone.” Hitoshi and Katsuki had equally surprised expressions before they both tried to protest.
“It's alright, you all will be my guests and it's rude not to treat such wonderful guests without the utmost care.” Shoto smiled, not really noticing the two similar blushes on both shorter men's faces. Hitoshi nodded, finding a sudden interest on the floor.
“Thank you Shoto. That would be great. Please text me when you are available and I will respond soon. Thank you as well Katsuki. You two have a wonderful day.” Hitoshi bowed his head at both men before making his way towards Denki, who seemed to be cheering with the knight for their glorious defeat against the mighty dragon.
“Time to go sweetheart. Let's say goodbye together, ok?” Hitoshi crouched, helping Denki out from the castle to the top of the slide. Denki smiled, jumping into his Pa’s arms before turning around and waving at the twins.
“Bye Eri. Bye Kota. Thank you for playing.” Hitoshi smiled at both before picking Denki up and setting him on his hip. Denki squealed, laughing, clinging onto Hitoshi like a koala.
“Bye Katsuki. Bye Shoto, have a wonderful day.” Hitoshi smiled, watching Denki wave bye to both men before pointing towards the door. Hitoshi carried him out of the building, none the wiser to the ultimate smile Ochako had on her face.
~~~~
Hitoshi blinked, staring at the address on his phone for the 100th time that hour. He swore Shoto said this was the address to his “house,” not castle. The indigo haired man kept typing the address into his GPS expecting a different route or something else, not for the GPS to tell him he had arrived. He was at the entrance of a long driveway that led to a huge mansion.
“A castle, Denki!” Hanta’s eyes were wide in awe. Denki was equally amazed at it, neither of the three being able to not stare in shock at the size.
“...Come on Hitoshi, just drive and knock on the door. Once the old couple opens the door, you can explain and laugh about it with them how you definitely got the wrong address.” Hitoshi sighed before turning on his car and driving slowly into the long driveway. He thought it was the wrong house but the more he looked into the mansion’s long driveway, the more that one vehicle looked awfully familiar to Katsuki’s.
“Papa! Papa! Castillo!” Hanta shouted, pointing towards the mansion, clearly interested. Denki squealed and clapped, feeling the same amount of excitement as his brother. Hitoshi smiled, nodding along, feeling a sense of dread at thinking about having to drive back out if they are at the wrong address. Though what was once dread quickly changed to amusem*nt as he watched the front door swing open and three small humans wave excitedly from the door.
“Apparently this is the right address,” Hitoshi whispered out in shock and quickly winced, hearing both his sons squeal loudly and wave.
“HI E! HI ERI! HI IZU!” Hanta shouted while Denki clapped and waved with the same enthusiasm. Ketchup lifted his head from the ground and licked both boys' cheeks. He received head pats and wagged his tail.
“Love Bug, they can't hear you with our windows up, Silly. Come on, let me unbuckle you and your brother so you can say hi.” Hitoshi parked his car right behind Katsuki’s before getting out and helping both of his sons out of the car.
“Kota! I told you not to open the door without me.” Hitoshi chuckled, taking a bag full of supplies and both of his kids' hands.
“I forgot.” Kota yelled back and watched the three guests make their way up the stairs to the front door. Hitoshi smiled at the children and looked up behind them, seeing Katsuki and Shoto.
“Hitoshi, I'm glad you are here. Katsuki and I were starting to think you got lost.” Shoto smiled and opened the door much wider to let them all in.
“I will admit when you said house…I expected…not this,” Hitoshi chuckled a bit nervously, not used to being in such a large property. It felt almost unreal. However, he was glad Denki and Hanta were excited more than anything.
“I was as well. I was expecting a retired old couple to answer the door,” Katsuki laughed.
“As did I!” Hitoshi chuckled. Shoto watched both men laugh and was a bit pouty.
“I'm sorry to disappoint you. I'm a perfectly healthy young man.”
“You’re old! Probably 100!” Kota mumbled and ran inside, leading the others who had just finished a hugging and hello session towards the living room. Ketchup followed after Denki, making sure he wouldn't drop into a panic.
“You make a handsome old man, Shoto,” Katsuki laughed quietly, trying not to laugh at the statement. Hitoshi snickered and laughed more, seeing the growing pout on Shoto’s face.
“...You look young for a 100 year old Shoto,” Hitoshi teased the taller man. Both Katsuki and Hitoshi laughed, not noticing the once pout started turning into a fond small.
“Yeah yeah, this 100 year old would like to head in to make sure the children haven't overturned the house.'' Shoto watched in amusem*nt as both fathers quickly nodded in realization and made their ways towards the living room.
Hitoshi entered the living room and watched as both Hanta and Denki played with the others, each having fun and not worrying about being afraid or stressed. Ketchup was laying watching all of them play some type of hero game. Hitoshi smiled and turned to say something to the two fellow fathers but paused, staring at two of the most handsomest men he had ever met smiling fondly at the children. He felt a small grip on his heart that made him realize something. He never felt this way but hearing so many times from others, even films…Was this what having a crush was like?
— — — — —
Shoto smiled as he watched the children play together. Eri had taken charge and guided them into the mess that was the living room. Littered with toys that Eri had dragged from her room, every stuffed animal she owned, along with the toys already stored under the TV - all had been dumped into a pile for easy grabbing.
She was introducing all the stuffed creatures to the boys. Izuku and Denki seemed the most interested, while Eijirou and Hanta watched their siblings more than the toys. Kota sat at the edge of the group, wanting to be involved yet not the biggest fan of playing with animals.
“This is Dewdrop. And this is Pinky.” Eri lined up each animal as she said their name, handing the pink puppy to Izuku when he reached forward in interest.
“Here you go doggy, this one can be for you.” Eri said with a giggle, placing a green frog next to Ketchup. Not touching the dog, but close enough it seemed like he was playing too. The service dog didn’t seem bothered, his focus on the little blonde next to him.
“That’s adorable,” Hitoshi whispered.
“Eri’s great at sharing,” Shoto said with a smile.
Shoto guided the dads into the kitchen, where they could still see the kids and any mischief they were getting into but far enough away they could talk without having to speak over the kids' conversations. They talked about their kids, each getting to talk about the latest accomplishments they had achieved (even small ones like getting a kid to try a new food), and vented about work a bit.
“We should play princess!” Eri suddenly shouted, gaining the attention of everyone. The little girl quickly pulled out the play clothes from the corner of the room. Shoto watched, ready to intervene when she forced a tiara onto Kota’s head, but was stopped by a hand on his arm.
He turned to see Katsuki staring at him.
“Give Kota a minute before you rush in.”
Shoto turned back in time to watch Kota pull the tiara off and stomp away from the group, thankfully quieter than he’d ever been when angry.
~~~~~
Kota wanted to shout. The tiara pinched his head and he always hated the dresses Eri tried to get him to wear. They were itchy, no matter if they were over his clothes or not. He never understood how Eri could wear them for hours at a time.
He tossed the tiara onto the couch next to him, glaring at it instead of his sister. The group didn’t even seem to notice he left, all still engrossed in the newest set of toys Eri had dragged before them. He peaked over the back of the couch and noticed the dads in the kitchen, watching all of them while they chatted. They all glanced over at him, not at once, but each at different times to check on him.
Kota ducked back down when the purple haired man, Hanta and Denki’s Papa, looked over at him. He grabbed the couch pillow to hold, stopping when he noticed his Switch underneath it. He’d forgotten that he had hidden it earlier that day, when Eri had tried to take it to play and he didn’t want to share. She ruined his games all the time. He was finally making good progress and didn’t want to have to start over, again.
He grabbed it, placing the pillow back into its spot to lean on. He turned it on, making sure the sound was off so he didn’t attract attention to himself. He didn’t want his dad taking it from him and making him go back to the group.
He needed a break from them, from Eri.
That was okay.
Right?
He thought so.
He remembered Dr. Bakugo saying something similar when it was his own son that got overwhelmed. So it should be fine for him too.
He wanted to glance over at the adults again, but was worried they would be looking at him.
“What’s that?”
Kota jumped and clutched the gaming device close at the sudden question. Hanta stood in front of him, watching with curious eyes.
“It’s a Switch.” Kota relaxed a little. Hanta was calm, and by himself. He was okay with just one person nearby.
“Puedo jugar?” (Can I play?)
“What?” Kota asked, confused at the words Hanta was saying. He sounded excited.
“He’s asking if he can play.” Kota looked over his shoulder to see Hanta’s dad standing a little closer than before, still a good distance from them. “Hanta, honey, Kota doesn’t know Spanish.”
Hanta nodded before speaking again, “Can I play?”
Kota frowned, “No.”
“Can I watch?”
Kota stayed silent as he thought. Nobody ever asked that. Eri only wanted to play the games herself, and his dad was always confused when he talked about video games. He looked back at Hitoshi, wondering if he was going to say anything, force him to let the boy watch or even play, but he had moved back into the kitchen.
“Okay.”
Kota moved over, giving room for Hanta to climb up next to him on the couch. He titled the screen a little so he could still play while allowing the four-year-old a better view.
~~~~~
Shoto watched Kota carefully, trying to keep from showing how shocked he was when Hanta settled next to him. The two boys focused on the game, occasionally talking about what was happening. Hanta would speak in Spanish every so often, and was quick to translate for Kota. After a few times of it happening, Kota stopped giving him odd looks at the Spanish, just waited for the English repeat.
“Wow,” Shoto whispered to himself.
“What?” Katsuki asked, just as quiet.
“Kota, he’s…calm.” Shoto responded, “He’s been so angry lately. It’s nice to see him happy.”
Hitoshi smiled, “He’s a good kid.”
Shoto nodded at the statement, smiling when he saw Kota glance over. The small boy seemed to be looking for reassurance in his actions, and Shoto was going to make sure Kota knew everything was okay.
He wanted to thank Katsuki, and Hitoshi. The therapist turned friend was helping more than he could ever think possible, and Hitoshi was so gentle with helping Kota understand Hanta. He turned to the dads, smiling when he saw them watching the kids. He paused in what he was going to do, just enjoying the moment.
— — — — —
Katsuki watched Kota and Sero. The two seemed to be getting along just fine, talking about the game and Kota showing Sero what he was building.
Katsuki smiled as he walked over to where Ei and Eri were playing. Izuku was holding a stuffed rabbit. “Hey Zuzu, are you having fun?” The green bean nodded as he held up his arms for Katsuki to pick him up.
“Daddy, don’t I look cute?!” The blonde looked at his son, who was wearing a Belle dress with a crown on his head. Eri was wearing a Jasmine costume. Katsuki took a picture of them. They were so cute that he had to take pictures of them.
“You look so cute, Baby Shark.” Ei smiled and continued to play dress up with Eri. Bakugou found a couch to sit on not too far from the kids so he could watch them. Shoto came over and sat next to him.
Katsuki didn’t realize how handsome Shoto was. He needed to stay calm.
“I’m glad the kids are getting along,” Shoto said. His voice was so calm.
‘I could listen to him talk all day…dam pull yourself together,’ Katsuki thought.
“Me too. Ei likes making new friends. He seems to get along well with Eri.”
Shoto smiled at his daughter then looked at Katsuki, who looked at him. Shoto put his hand on Katsuki’s face. “I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time…I think you’re beautiful Bakugou. I can stare at your eyes forever.” The blond blushed. Was this really happening?! Shoto smiled at him and that made Katsuki blush more.
‘Oh my god, that smile!’
“Shoto, I’m not beautiful, you got the wrong man.” Shoto frowned.
“No, I got the right person. Don’t put yourself down, Bakugou. You are gorgeous.”
‘Wow this man is going to make me pass out with all of these compliments. I can’t take this.’
“Hey there you are. Bakugou, are you ok? Your face is red.”
Katsuki got up and covered his face. “Shoto, where is your bathroom?”
Shinsou wrapped his arm around Katsuki’s shoulder and said, “I will show him, I had to take Denki.” The two walked to the bathroom and Katsuki looked up at Hitoshi. They guy had a nice facial structure and he bet he had a nice body under those clothes.
Damn why are they so hot?
The child therapist looked away, trying to hide his face.
Shinsou caught the blond looking at him and smirked, “I don’t want to meddle, not my thing, but what did Todoroki say to you?”
Katsuki stopped at the bathroom door and opened it. “Todoroki complimented me.”
Shinsou hummed. He wasn’t sure why Bakugou was acting like he didn’t matter, because he did. “I can see why Todoroki did, you’re an amazing person Bakugou. You helped my kids. Denki is doing amazing and he likes talking to you. You’re a great therapist and you’re not bad to look at, doctor. I would’ve loved it if you were my doctor. You can give me a checkup any day.” Bakugou blushed madly and he shut the bathroom door, leaning against it and hearing Shinsou laughing.
‘Two hot guys hitting on me? What the f*ck?! What is happening?!’
~~~~~
After dinner, the kids wanted to watch a Disney movie. Twenty minutes later, Eri and Kota were arguing over what movie to watch. Eventually the kids settled on Moana.
Eijirou was bouncing up and down, and Katsuki had to tell Ei to calm down. He gave Ei something to drink, and that seemed to calm him down. Katsuki sat back down between Hitoshi and Shoto.
When the singing crab came on, Katuski could hear Izuku try to sing along to “Shiny.” ALl he heard was “Shiny~~” and it was so cute. The green bean laid his head on Katsuki’s chest and it seemed like Zuzu was getting tired.
The kids fell asleep towards the end of the movie. Shoto picked Eri and Kota up, thanking Hitoshi and Katsuki for coming over as well.
“We need to do this again.” Katsuki nodded and Shoto smiled at him and gave Katsuki a hug.
“Thank you for having us.” Hitoshi helped Katsuki to the car. “I will see you next week, Bakugou.”
“Have a safe drive home, Shinsou.”
The purple haired man said, “You too.” Then SHinsou stopped and turned around.
“Would you like to have coffee with me sometime when you’re not busy?”
Bakugou blinked and nodded. “That sounds nice.”
“Great, it would be nice to have an adult to talk to.”
Bakugou chuckled, “Yes it would. I have to look at my schedule and let you know.”
“Take your time Bakugou. Let me know whenever it’s ok.”
Katsuki gave the man a small smile. “Ok, see you later.” Shinsou waved Katsuki off and walked to his car.
Bakugou drove home with a smile on his face. He couldn’t believe what had happened, but it would be nice to go out and talk to someone.
He couldn’t wait for next week.
— — — — —
Hitoshi stood outside Kastuki’s door again for the second time this week. It was finally Hanta’s turn to meet with him alone, and Hitoshi hoped everything went well.
Because Hanta was much more secure when being alone, Kastuki suggested that it be a one-on-one session, which Hitoshi agreed to. He’d seen Kastuki work plenty of times with Denki, and he trusted him with his boys. Especially after getting to know him a little more.
It was strange.
They hadn’t interacted much outside of their kids, but Hitoshi felt a connection to the blond beauty. The accidental call, the play date, and even his flirting…
He shook his head at that.
How could he flirt with his sons’ therapist?!
It was so insanely risky.
The last thing he wanted was to ruin things between them and have his boys suffer because of it.
No.
He needed this to work, so he needed to stop whatever it was he was feeling.
“Papi?” Hanta’s voice broke through his thoughts. He immediately looked down at his son to see him staring back with a confused expression. “Are we gonna go in?”
“Yes. Sorry, Love Bug. Let’s go in.” With that, he opened the door to reveal Kastuki waiting for them, beautiful as ever. Hitoshi couldn’t place when he started to feel this way toward the blond, but he couldn’t deny that Kastuki was a gorgeous being.
His hair shimmered like a soft golden halo as it was illuminated by the sun behind him, his face framed with small glasses that made his features look even more delicate, and he was dressed in a dark red cardigan that looked so comfy.
If you added in his gentle personality and how he handled not just his kids, but the way he supported Hitoshi…How could he not gravitate towards such a wonderful person?
“Hello, Hanta! Are you ready for your first session?” Kastuki shined a welcoming smile towards them and leaned on his knees so he could be at Hanta’s level.
The black haired boy nodded excitedly. “I’m ready!”
Hanta walked into the room without a care in the world, and both adults smiled as they watched him. Eventually, Katsuki looked back at Hitoshi. “Thank you for trusting me with him. How has it been with both of them?”
Hitoshi had to push his intrusive thoughts away.
This wasn’t the time to be gawking at his sons’ therapist!
“It’s actually been really good. Denki seems a little bit more secure with others, and Hanta seems to have opened up after we had a talk. I think we’re moving forward every day.”
“That’s amazing, Hitoshi. I’m so glad. Eijirou and Izuku keep talking about how they want to play with their new friends again,” he chuckled lightly. “We definitely have to get together again soon.”
Hitoshi smiled. “Definitely. I would—they would love that.”
Just bury him now…
“It should be a lot of fun. But I should let you go now. We should only be about an hour.”
Hitoshi nodded in what he hoped wasn’t in an awkward way and stole one last glance at his son already occupying himself with one of the toys laid out. With that, he turned and left.
~~~~~
Hanta watched out of the corner of his eye as his Papi left. He couldn’t help the slight racing his heart felt as he saw him disappear around the corner, but he just repeated his Papi’s words in his head to help soothe the uneasy feeling.
I will never leave you.
I will always be here for you
Papi wouldn’t lie.
Papi doesn’t lie.
He repeated those words on a loop in his head. Over and over and over…
He must’ve become too engrossed in his thoughts because Hanta didn’t notice Dr. Bakugou close the door, nor did he realize that he had been calling his name softly for who knows how long.
“Hanta?”
Dr. Bakugou’s voice finally reached his ears, and his head shot up. “Sorry! What?”
The blond smiled gently back at him and answered in a gentle voice, “I was asking what you thought of the play date we had a few days ago. I saw you getting along with Kota.”
After hearing that Dr. Bakugou wasn’t mad at him, Hanta felt a little more at ease and started thinking back to that day he was referring to. “Yeah. He was playing this cool game, and I got to watch. It was fun.” He didn’t really know how he was supposed to answer.
“What game was it?”
Hanta shrugged. “Mines and Craft or something. He built a lot of stuff, which was cool. He also found diamonds! He was really happy about that…”
Most of their conversation was about his time with Kota, in which he explained how interesting it was. Kota was quieter than most people he knew, but it reminded him of his Papi, so it felt familiar and comfortable. He also let Hanta play with him, so Hanta liked Kota.
After rambling on for a few minutes, Hanta caught a whiff of something that smelled…spicy?
He looked around the room and caught a half eaten plate of food resting on a desk that he assumed was Dr. Bakugou’s. “What’s that?” He nodded in the direction of the food.
Dr. Bakugou seemed confused at first at the sudden question. They had been talking about Kota for the past few minutes before the seemingly random question. He turned his head to see what Hanta was referring to, swiveling his body a bit. “What’s what, hun? I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
“Comida. Food,” Hanta answered.
“Oh! I’m sorry, hun. I had just finished my lunch when you came in. I guess I forgot to put it away in my excitement to get ready. I can clean it up.”
“Smells good. Spicy.”
The blond was slightly surprised at this. “Do you…want to try it? It’s very spicy though, hun.”
The black haired boy looked intrigued and mildly excited as he nodded. Together, they made their way across the room to Dr. Bakugou’s desk, and the blond fished a plastic fork from his desk drawer. After tentatively warning the boy about the spice and advising him to take a small bite only, the blond watched as Hanta tasted his cold lunch.
Thinking about it, he really should have heated it up first…
“Mmm! This is so good! Muy bien!”
“Wait…You like it?” Dr. Bakugou asked incredulously.
Hanta nodded, taking another stab at the food with the fork and shoveling it into his mouth. “It’s amazing! Just the perfect amount of picante.”
“Picante?”
“Spicy!”
The blond nodded. “I see. Well, thank you. I made it myself, so I’ll take all the compliments,” he chuckled.
Hanta gasped in response. “You made this? Can you show me? I wanna see, so I can teach Papi. He still doesn’t put enough spice.”
The blond laughed harder this time. “Oh really? Well, I’d love to show you. Maybe during our next play date it can be at my house, and we can cook something together. How does that sound?”
Hanta nodded eagerly, almost jumping with excitement.
~~~~~
Hitoshi sighed as he picked out groceries. Denki was napping on his chest and was settled on his hip, and Ketchup kept up right next to them as they walked through the store.
“Why the big sigh?”
Hitoshi was startled by the sudden monotone voice that seemingly appeared out of nowhere and was met with the familiar mismatched eyes of the man he was starting to see much more often lately. He looked back down at Denki to make sure he hadn’t accidentally woken him. Thankfully, he was still sound asleep.
“Shoto? What are you doing here?”
The man shrugged and answered, “Same thing as you. Buying groceries.”
Hitoshi just stared back at him until Shoto spoke again. “So the sigh… Something troubling you?”
“Oh uh… well it’s nothing…”
It’s not like he could tell him about his unfortunate crush? Attachment? Attraction?
…to Katsuki.
“Is this about wanting to get with Katsuki?”
Hitoshi sputtered, completely thrown off by the utter bluntness of the question. “What in the world are you saying?! Is this really something to say right now? Where are your kids?” Hitoshi was whispering, but it might as well have been a hiss.
Again Shoto shrugged. “They’re in another aisle finding some snacks for an impromptu movie night. We were able to convince Kota.”
“And why bring up Katsuki?”
“I know you’re at least attracted to him. I saw the way you interacted at my house. It’s fine. I don’t judge. I feel the same way too.”
Hitoshi was yet again blindsided by this. “How can you say something like that? He’s our kids’ therapist! That’s beyond unacceptable.” He looked down at Denki once more to make sure he wasn’t awake to hear this conversation, and he was grateful to see his little spark still snoozing away.
Shoto sighed. “Hitoshi…Take it from someone who wasted a lot of their life worrying about what’s ‘acceptable.’ You’ll just regret it in the long run if you try to deny your feelings. There’s nothing wrong with liking Kastuki. He’s beautiful and sweet, and I can sense he feels at least something for us.”
“Us?”
Shoto shrugged again. “He blushed a few times at our play date.”
Hitoshi shook his head. “Ok so…I’m so freaking lost here. Wow this is a lot.”
The two-toned man chuckled. “It’s pretty simple, really. We like Katsuki, and Kastuki might like us back. Seems pretty simple to me.”
“Umm…How on Earth is that simple? Even if we ignore the fact that he’s our kids’ therapist, there’s two of us… and the only evidence you have that he likes us is that he blushed a few times…”
Shoto stared him down dead in the eye, a mischievous smirk forming on his lips. “I’m pretty attracted to you too, Hitoshi. There’s nothing wrong with being a trio, no?”
Heat immediately rushed to Hitoshi’s face. No words. He had no words for that. The only thing he felt was warmth all over his body and his heart began to beat out of his chest, so he did the only thing he could…
He grabbed something random off the shelf next to him, put it in his cart, paid for his groceries, and left.
The only thought repeating in his head:
What the f*ck just happened?
— — — — —
Kota stared out the car window, ignoring everyone and everything. Quietly, to himself, he was glad that seeing the doctor was always the same day at the same time, even though his dad and Eri took forever getting out the door, at least they were never late. One thing he didn’t like was when he and Eri switched who got to see Dr. Bakugou first. He liked going first because going first was like being a winner and winning was the best.
Kota looked back at his sister who was just talking away. He wasn’t paying attention to her and was pretty sure that she was talking about unicorns or princesses or something dumb like that. Kota was getting restless and drumming his fingers. “Dad, I think we are going to be late.”
“We are just fine on time, Bug. I promise you.” His dad's voice came from the front, soft as always.
“Yeah Kota! You can't even tell time. How would you know what time it is?” Eri pointed out like she always did.
Kota scowled at his sister, “You can’t tell time either, you dummy!” He really didn’t like her calling him out like that.
“Kota, nice words please. We don’t call other people names, okay?” His dad's voice was a little harder as he meant business. The boy just rolled his eyes and looked back out the window seeing the building.
~~~~~
“Hi Kota, do you want to come back first today?” It was the front desk lady’s voice. She was nice and always calm, never upset or like his mom or Eri. Kota got up and went to Dr. Bakugou’s office with his dad behind him.
“Hi Kota, it's nice to see you again. Why don’t you take a seat while I talk with your dad real quick.” Katsuki was also nice and quiet and never got upset with Kota when he was angry or yelling. He quickly picked one of the soft bean bags that didn’t feel gross and started bouncing his leg and continued petting the nice fabric of the bag.
As Katsuki sat down, Kota stopped bouncing his leg and fisted his hands and crossed his arms. “Hi Kota, did you have a good weekend?”
Kota nodded, “Yeah, you were there for that playdate thing.”
“I was there, and you seemed to have fun with Hanta.”
“Hanta was fun. He didn’t get pushy and wasn’t sad when I said he couldn’t play with me but was okay with watching me play. Even if he said confusing things in panish.” Kota was slowly relaxing as he folded his legs up under him and started playing with his fingers.
“Oh? Can you tell me more about that?” Katsuki was watching the little boy, who made very little, if any eye contact, and continued to fidget.
Kota watched as Dr. Bakugou reached over to grab a popper and handed it to the boy. “It was nice because when I tell Eri no, she cries and tattles on me to dad. I don’t like having to share with her. She ruins my games and gets in my space way too much and sometimes she will breathe too loudly or talk really loud. Then I get in trouble cause I’ll yell at her to be quiet.”
“Does Eri make you mad a lot, Kota?” Katsuki asked nicely, not pushing at all.
“Not always, but she does things like that a lot. A lot of people do things that make me mad. Like when Tenya has to pick us up from school and it isn’t his day to pick us up. Or if mom has to leave for a surprise meeting when we are with her and she promised no meetings. It also makes me mad when dad will take us to the store on Tuesday afternoon instead of Saturday morning, cause on Tuesdays the store is always really loud and bright and the fridges make too much noise.”
Katsuki nodded and glanced at Kota’s hands, which had stopped playing with the popper and were instead picking at his fingers. Kota noticed the doctor looking at his hands so he stopped and crossed his arms. “Mom and Tenya don’t like it when I do that.”
Katsuki looks at him a little confused, or at least from what Kota could guess, and asked “What do you mean?”
“Well I heard mom and Tenya talking about me and then they asked me why I was doing it. So I stopped doing it…At least I try to stop.” Kota shrugged as he clenched and unclenched his hands.
“Kota, you know it's okay to fidget like you do?”
“Can I?” Kota was hesitant and unsure as he moved how he was sitting and started bouncing his legs and started clicking his fingers.
Katsuki nodded, “Yes you can, it's called stimming and it's not hurting anyone or you, unless you are hitting yourself or someone else.”
Kota stopped clicking his hands as he thought to himself before getting upset. “No! No one else at home does it! Eri doesn’t do it! I don’t want to be weird and let other kids make fun of me cause I'm being crazy!”
Dr. Bakugou let Kota yell and stomp around before asking him to come over to help him, “Kota, bud? Can you come help with my breathing?”
The boy paused and looked at the doctor before walking over, clearly still upset and angry. “Why do you need help breathing?”
“Well when I’m upset I’ll stop and breathe to calm down or count to 10 before I get really mad and say something mean.” After Dr. Bakugou showed Kota the breathing technique, he calmed down significantly.
“You get mad too? No way you do, you're like super nice all the time!” Kota exclaimed, throwing his hands up.
The doctor chuckled, “Yep even I get mad, but I always try to calm down before I do something. Would you like to try that Kota? Before you get upset and angry, to breathe and count to 10?”
Kota nodded his head with a shrug, “Yeah I guess so.”
Katsuki smiled at him warmly. “It's okay if you don’t always get it perfect, but we can always try, right?
~~~~~
As Kota left the room and Eri entered, Shoto was stopped by Katsuki. “Shoto I just wanted to have a real quick chat about Kota.”
Shoto froze, worried it was something really bad. “Yeah what is it?”
“It's nothing bad I promise you, I just noticed some things Kota has been doing, none bad of course, but I have a feeling he might be on the spectrum.” Katsuki kept his voice calm and even, not wanting Shoto to freak out.
Shoto tilted his head confused. “The spectrum? What is that?”
“It's known as Autism Spectrum Disorder. If you want I can give him a proper test and diagnoses.”
Shoto nodded his head, relieved it wasn’t the worst possible thing. “Okay, yea let me talk with the kids’ mother so she won’t be giving me an angry phone call.”
Katsuki nodded with a smile. “Of course.”
