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Katsuki wakes up with a body on top of his. He’s confused for a moment when he sees that it’s not his husband’s, who’s instead knocked out beside him. He panics for a minute, body freezing, before he realizes that, uh yes, I am a parent now. As if he hasn’t been for the last seven years.
The tiny body slithers its way under the covers, having come from the end of the bed where their feet lie, and sticks itself right in between him and Shouto. Her head of hair pops out, jet black and absolutely a mess, and then he’s met with big, droopy purple-colored irises.
“Hi, papa.” Hei says, sounding like she had just woken up.
“Hi, butterfly.” He whispers back, voice soft in hopes of keeping Shouto asleep. “How’d you sleep?”
“Good.” She smiles up at him and his heart squeezes.
“That’s good.” He lifts a gentle hand to tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear.
“I’m hungry.” She grumbles after yawning.
“Of course you are,” he grins and stretches. “How about we go make us some breakfast, hm? And then if we’re real quiet about it, we can surprise daddy with it.”
She nods her head in rapid motions, moving her body as quickly and as carefully as she can to not wake Shouto up. He lifts the blanket off of himself so she can crawl over him, but instead she stays on top of him.
“Carry me!” She whisper-shouts, pouting.
“You are far too big now for me to be carrying you.” He chuckles, and lifts her up anyway. Who is he to deny his child anything? Especially when she’s as sweet as candy.
He maneuvers her around so she’s resting on his side, left arm assuring she doesn’t slide down or fall backwards. He was right; she is getting too big to carry around! The few steps from the bedroom to the kitchen have him adjusting her and heaving out sighs. He’s still got his strong build and physique but he used to be able to do this as if he was lifting up weighted paper.
Now that Hei is eight, taller, and heavier, appetite growing just as much as she is, it feels more like two cement blocks stacked together with a few bricks on top. Something about the fact that she’s growing makes him feel uneasy.
The kitchen fills with ruckus the minute he gets out the pans he needs. Hei shouts what she wants as if she were a captain and Katsuki one of her men. He guesses in some ways, he is.
He sends her off to wake Shouto up when she almost tips the carton of eggs over, spills the milk, and stands too close to the stove for his liking, telling her that he’s changing his mind in surprising Shouto just so he can finish in peace.
Shouto and him have made it a big point to not traumatize their child with unnecessary yelling/scolding/fighting/etc. Seeing how both of them grew up in dysfunctional families (Shoto’s definitely more abusive than dysfunctional, but that’s neither here nor there) and turned out to be the biggest hot messes when it came to their personal lives, relationships, and emotions.
Therapy is a wonderful thing but it’d be even greater if there's more of a chance their daughter could go without it.
So, he sends her off to do something productive before he can blow up.
A few minutes after he’s done, Shouto comes down the hall in his pajamas, hair a mess and eyes barely open. He’s being led — dragged, actually — by an impatient looking child.
“Daddy wouldn’t get out of bed.” She explains as he sets all the food on the table.
“Ah? But he’s here?” Katsuki feigns confusion. “How’d you get him out, then, butterfly?”
“She’s a demon.” Shouto mutters, voice deep with sleep. It creaks like old floorboards when he says the word ‘demon’, playfully glaring down at his daughter. “Pulled my hair until I was sure I was gonna go bald.”
“Am not !” Hei giggles, “I told you papa was waiting for us in the kitchen with food and you said you weren’t hungry and then I told you that me and papa were so it doesn’t matter if you’re hungry or not because we want you here when we eat!”
“And then you dragged him out of bed?” Katsuki smirks. The question was directed at Hei but his eyes are on Shouto’s sluggish movements. He looks like he’ll fall asleep right at the table if they don’t keep him the right amount of engaged.
“And then I dragged him out of bed.” Hei confirmed.
“Demon baby.” Shoto mutters and Katsuki snorts. “We spoil you way too much, bug.”
Hei only giggles again and digs in as soon as Katsuki puts her plate in front of her. Shouto watches her eat with a soft smile on his face, contentedness showing even after the rude awakening.
“Good morning, Katsuki.” Shouto says when his plate is set in front of him, bending his neck back to look up at his husband.
Katsuki smiles and leans down, lips meeting lips in a quick good morning kiss, and moves to sit himself down between the two most important people in his life.
“Good morning, sweetness.”
After years, Shouto still isn’t much of a talker but his quick wit and ability to pitch in his thoughts here and there help keep him included. Even when he’s not talking, Katsuki knows he’s listening. He’s always listening. Hei does a fantastic job of keeping the conversation going all on her own, though. Sometimes Katsuki can barely get a full sentence out before she’s moved on to the next thought bubble in her head.
Nothing can ever compare to this . The serenity and comfort of home, of being surrounded by people you can’t bare to look away from in fear of never getting to look again if you do. The chatter of the most precious thing in the world to him and the laugh of the greatest thing Katsuki has ever been handed.
Nothing could ever take away this feeling in his chest— he’s sure of it. There it rests, and there it will stay forever.