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Katsuki had gotten himself into a groove now that Kaiki was older. He got up, got ready for his day, and started breakfast before he’d get her up for school. It was routine to let her sleep until breakfast was almost done and he generally was ready to help her get ready for her day. Of course there were mornings when the young girl would fight him when getting up, grumbling and groaning when he hauls her out of bed after the third attempt of making her rise, but he somewhat enjoyed it.
He did have to admit, on particularly bad mornings, he wished he had help. It would be on mornings when he doesn’t want to put up with anything and she’s pressing all of the buttons. But with those mornings so few and far between, he didn’t think to call the people that said they’d be there.
Opening her bedroom door, Katsuki couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. She slept like the damn nerd: legs spread over the Deku comforter Grandma Inko made for her, head turned off the pillow, and arms sprawled in every way with one arm dangling off the bed. Katsuki let out a breath of a laugh as he stepped into her room, sitting at an empty spot on the edge of her bed. Gently, he touched her warm cheek, feeling the way the chubby cheeks were pliant against his fingers.
“Hey, spitfire, wake up,” he said gently, cracking a smile when the little blonde started moving. “Come on, it’s time to wake up, breakfast is ready. I made your favorite.”
“No,” she grumbled, trying to turn from her father.
Katsuki chuckled. “You have to. You have school and I am working today.”
“No,” she grumbled again.
“Not up for negotiation, Kai,” he said, the amusement gone.
He heard her whimper before he picked her up and started for the bathroom.
“But Daddy, no,” she protested as she buried her face into his shoulder.
“Why not?” he asked as he kicked the door open and set her on the counter to wash her face.
“Sweepy,” she said as she rubbed her eyes.
Katsuki looked at her, taking her in. Kaiki’s hair was a mess from her tornado-like slumber. Her cheeks were red and she looked paler than usual. He slid his hand against her forehead, frowning.
“You don’t feel too good do you?”
Kaiki shook her head. “No, I’m hot.”
Katsuki sighed. “Brush your teeth and wash your face. I will be right back,” he said as he kissed her warm head and stepped out of the bathroom. He pulled out his phone, calling the number he’s memorized since first year at UA. “Hey, shitty hair, I ain’t coming in today. Kid’s sick.”
“Do you need anything?” Kirishima asked, obviously more concerned than he was.
“Nah, I have shit here. We’ll be fine. I’ll call the agency after this.” Katsuki watched as Kaiki stepped out of the bathroom, her fever more evident now that she wasn’t using him as a guard.
“Tell her I hope she gets better soon,” Kirishima said.
“Yeah, yeah, I will. Bye.” With that, Katsuki hung up, walking to his daughter. “Any better now that you’ve washed your face?”
Kaiki shook her head. “No,” she whimpered.
Running his fingers against her hair, he noticed she tried brushing her hair. It made him smile. “You aren’t going to school today, spitfire,” he said softly as he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the couch.
“But we were going to start learning about Pro-heroes today, Daddy,” she whined, clearly upset.
Katsuki chuckled. “You realize everyday is Pro-Hero Day for you, right?” He sat down with her, wrapping a blanket around her. She looked at him, confused. “Well, Daddy is a pro and so is Uncle Eijirou and Auntie Ocha.” Her eyes glistened like Izuku’s would when thinking about the heroes he looked up to. It made his heart ache. “Uncle Shota and Uncle Hizashi too; they are pros. They taught Papa and all of our friends. It’s how we all met.”
Katsuki pushed the lump in his throat down when he mentioned his husband. It still felt way too soon to think about Izuku.
“Who else?”
“What do you mean?”
“Who else would I know?”
Katsuki chuckled. “Every one of Daddy and Papa’s friends are Pros. Some are teachers.”
Kaiki looked from her father, almost like she was thinking. Katsuki pulled her into his arms closer, getting comfortable on the couch with her. “Do you have another name?”
Katsuki chuckled. “I do. Why the questions?”
“Because I am missin’ out, Daddy!”
Katsuki laughed. Just like the damn nerd, he thought bitterly as he sat her down on the couch and stood. “How about this, you take medicine for your fever and I will tell you what you want to know about heroes?”
Kaiki made a face. “No medicine.”
“Then you won’t get better and see the rest of Pro Hero Week at school,” he said with a shrug.
Kaiki pouted, crossing her arms. “Fine, get the medicine.”
Katsuki chuckled as he ruffled her hair and went for the medication. It wasn’t often she was sick. In fact, she was like he was and rarely got sick. Getting her to take it was the trick he wished he knew when he was ever sick. When he was sick, he’d put off taking care of himself, denying he was until it was too much. Now, he took care of himself. He needed to. There was no one else to take care of Kaiki.
After medicine was taken and the ice water to cool her down was drunk, Katsuki sat on the couch with her, keeping things quiet to keep from her head pounding. He smiled when she snuggled against him.
“Daddy, what’s your hero name?”
“Ground Zero,” he said softly. “I had to think of something that wasn’t scary.”
Kaiki nodded, playing with Izuku’s ring he kept on a chain. “What about Papa’s?”
Katsuki tried not to tense as much when he heard her question. Every time he heard Deku’s name as a pro, he was immediately taken back to the last time he saw him. Each time dried out his mouth like there was the dust in it from that day. He slid his hand over hers, holding Izuku’s ring.
“Deku,” he said hoarsely. “It was a name I used to call him when I wasn’t very nice to him.”
“But it’s the name of a hero now,” she said as if to reassure him.
Katsuki could hear Deku yelling that in his head as he nodded, pushing the lump down again. “Yeah, yeah, it is.”
“What about everyone else? What are their other names?”
Katsuki chuckled. “Uncle Ei’s is Red Riot. Auntie Ocha is Uravity. Uncle Shota and Hizashi are Eraserhead and Present Mic, but they are retired. Uncle Shoto and Auntie Momo are Shoto and Creati. Personally, Shoto should have gone with Icy Hot.”
Kaiki giggled. The sound warmed Katsuki.
“Uncle Tenya is Inginium like his brother before him. Uncle Denki is Chargebolt. Auntie Jiro is Earphone Jack,” Katsuki continued, watching his daughter’s green eyes shine like his husband’s used to when talking about heroes. “Auntie Mina is Pinky. Anyone else I need to rattle off for you?”
“Who was your favorite?”
“When I was a spunky kid like you?” Katsuki asked. Kaiki nodded. “Mine was All Might. He always won against the bad guys no matter what. He was the best. He ended up teaching where Papa and I went to school to become a hero.”
Kaiki yawned. “I don’t know if I have a favorite.”
Katsuki rubbed her cheek with his thumb, something he’d done since she was born because of how soft her cheeks were. “That’s okay. You have a big family of heroes that love you all the same. But Daddy and Papa loved you more.”
“But I want one...or two,” she said with another yawn.
Katsuki picked her up. “How about you nap on it and I’ll make you Grandma Inko’s Get Better Soup?”
Kaiki nodded as she held onto Katsuki as he carried her into her room. He laid her on the bed, kissing her forehead again. “Nunnite, Daddy.”
“Sleep well, spitfire,” he said softly before exiting the room and closing the door behind him.
---
He answered messages while she slept and the soup simmered. He answered her school’s inquiry of why Kaiki wasn’t in class. He was annoyed they left two messages, but thankful for the heads up. Even for the heads up that they were having a heroes party at the end of the week in which kids were going to dress up as their favorite heroes. It wasn’t easy raising Kaiki alone, and even harder when he worked as a pro most of the time. When he finally sat down in his office to get work done on the PR side of the agency, he was already annoyed.
Scrubbing his hands down his face, he sighed calling the agency. “Yeah, this is Bakugou. No, I am not in today. Kid’s sick. I can work from home while she rests. She’s fine. Just a fever. I am perfectly fucking capable in caring for her. I am not stupid, asshole. Yeah, I can look over the specs for the photoshoot coming up. I won’t be late in picking her up from anywhere though. You know she comes first. Yeah, bye.”
Without any comments after hanging up, Katsuki started his work. He approved the times for his photoshoot, reiterating that he was leaving as soon as he needed to when it was time to get Kaiki from school. He looked over the new plans for inter-agency training since he swore off inter-agency ops for good. Then, he looked into his schedule for the next month, even though it didn’t change much since coming back to work after healing from his injuries four years ago. The last thing he needed to do was to write to a few people about Kai, something he’d been putting off as long as he could.
The first message was from Shoto, who managed to keep up-to-date with Kaiki more than Katsuki wanted. He didn’t hate the guy, and Deku was close to him, but he hated how persistent he was now that he had a way in. Shoto and Momo had one of their own now, but they didn’t stop in checking on their “niece” at least once a week. Most of the time, Katsuki was forced to attach a picture of her, which Momo would definitely print out to hang somewhere in their house.
The second was Ochaco, who just wanted Kaiki’s picture for an album. That one he was more than happy to send. She was around his daughter enough to know what was going on with her. Although, she is a mother-hen when Kaiki isn’t up to par.
The third was from his mom, who was traveling with his father. She was checking in, as she normally does, but Katsuki could tell she wanted a response before she called him at an ungodly hour of the night because she didn’t care to remember what time it was in Japan. Maybe it was to get back at him from when he was growing up. He wouldn’t put it past her.
Katsuki had just settled on the couch when his phone rang. Without looking at the screen, he knew who it was. “What now, shitty hair?” he asked, a little annoyed that he couldn’t relax without someone wanting something from him.
“How is she?”
“Sleeping,” Katsuki answered shortly. “I gave her medicine and waited until it kicked in to let her sleep. Sometimes she has a habit of throwing it up.”
Kirishima chuckled, remembering when he got thrown up on by Kaiki when he gave her medicine one time. “Boss told me you approved the photoshoot.”
“And?”
“And I am surprised. You don’t usually go for the charity work or the photoshoot, promotional stuff.”
“Need royalties somehow and this one is for charity anyway. Damn nerd would have made me do it.” Katsuki knew that if he didn’t focus on the words he was saying, then they wouldn’t hurt when he let names slip.
Kirishima chuckled. “Yeah, true.” There was a pause; Katsuki could hear a distant voice on the other end of the line before Kirishima spoke again. “What did you guys talk about?”
Katsuki sighed. “Apparently, it was the start of Pro-hero week at her school. She was going to learn about us.”
“She already has the sources,” Kirishima said with a chuckle. “Hell, she calls nearly everyone in our class Auntie or Uncle.”
Katsuki chuckled. “Yeah, I went through the list, telling her our pro names.” His eyes turned watery as he thought about what Kaiki looked like; her eyes shining with interest. “Ei...she looked just like him when she learned them.”
Katsuki could sense Kirishima’s frown. “I...I…don’t know what to say.”
“I don’t either. What am I going to do when she starts asking more about him? I can barely keep my shit together when we are talking casually about our work. What am I going to do when she asks more personal questions about him? I can’t skirt the answers. I’ll look like a fucking coward.”
“I guess we can do that together. She knows talking about him can be hard, but she is just as curious as he is too.”
“Almost too much like him when it comes to curiosity,” Katsuki countered as he looked at Kaiki’s door, making sure it didn’t open while he was talking. The last thing he wanted was for her to know he’d been hiding things from her.
“Are you honestly that surprised?” Kirishima asked with a chuckle. “She is his kid too, Bakugou.”
Katsuki rolled his eyes. “I know that. I was at the appointments. I just didn’t expect it to hit that hard. It’s been a few years. Things are supposed to just...feel better.”
“Perhaps get easier,” Kirishima pointed out. “I doubt things just get easier overnight...or over a couple years.”
Katsuki got up to stir the pot of soup. “Yeah, well, it should. I still get to raise spitfire alone. Deku would have known more of what to do than I would have.”
“Doubt it, he was clueless with confidence most of the time.”
Katsuki laughed bitterly as he tried the broth.
---
Katsuki enjoyed the somewhat peaceful day he received after finishing his work. He couldn’t think of the last time he was left with nothing to do. Kaiki was always doing something or going somewhere that he just fell into whatever she wanted. Even after hanging up with Kirishima, did he find trouble finding something to do that wasn’t maintaining the house or finding something to do that felt productive. Even glancing at his watch, he knew he was only doing it because he wanted Kaiki to wake up.
“Her medicine should be wearing off soon,” he muttered to himself as he stood back up from the couch and took out the medicine, putting it on the coffee table for when she woke up. He paced around the room, trying to think of something more to do that wouldn’t make him look crazy. After answering another work-related email about the PR of another hero in his agency, he tossed his phone onto the couch and started for his room.
Sure, he didn’t expect to be half-time active pro and half-time PR manager, but it let him raise his kid. He was thankful his agency allowed him to do it, probably taking more pity on his daughter than him. His high school self would want to kick his ass at not being a full-time pro like the rest of the class. That was all he cared about, being number one in the popularity rankings. Now, things were different.
Now he had a kid to look after. He still had a husband to grieve in some way or another. He still had to move on to what was best for him. Sure, not being in the spotlight as much as his friends left him working harder to climb the rankings, but he was fine with it as long as he got to see his daughter’s face at the end of the day.
Yeah, high school him would definitely want to kill him for switching priorities.
Katsuki stopped just shy of his bedroom door when his eyes caught a glimpse of a picture hanging on the wall. Another picture of Izuku and him in school. It was their first year, after their fight that left them in house arrest. After All Might lost his powers for good. He remembered that moment when Kaminari decided to snap the picture of them working. Katsuki was yelling while Izuku was meagerly trying to smile despite needing to work.
“God, I was scary as fuck,” Katsuki mumbled as he stared at the picture. “What the fuck did Deku see in me?”
Before Katsuki could enter his room, he heard the click of Kaiki’s door open. He turned to her door, seeing the small blond girl with messy hair step out while rubbing her emerald eyes.
Suck it high school me, he thought as he stepped to her.
“Looks like someone is awake. How are you feeling, spitfire?” Katsuki asked as he crouched to her level, his fingers rubbing against her soft locks.
She looked to him confused for a second before snuggling close to him. “A little better,” she mumbled against his neck.
Katsuki wrapped his arms around her as he picked her up. “I made Grandma Inko’s Get Better Soup. Wanna take more medicine and try some? It will help make you feel even more better.”
Wordlessly, Kaiki nodded. Katsuki made his way to the couch, preparing the medicine and giving it to her to take with the juice he’d gotten out.
“Take it easy, Kaiki,” he reminded her. “No one else will have it, okay?”
Kaiki nodded as she sipped her drink, snuggling back into his chest. “Daddy?”
“What?”
“Did I always like snuggles?”
Katsuki gave a fond smile at the memories of snuggling with her. “Yeah. You and Papa both loved snuggling to me. We used to dog pile on the old couch. Even now, you still snuggle.”
“Did Papa?”
Katsuki answered before he thought. “Yeah, just like you did. He clung a lot when we slept as kids. It was like extreme snuggling after Papa and I started dating.”
Kaiki nodded as she set her cup on the coffee table, curling back into her father. “So, did you hear from school?”
“I did, and Uncle Eijirou,” he answered as he rubbed her back mindlessly, hoping she doesn’t throw this dose of medicine up. “Uncle Eiji says he hopes you feel better soon.”
“Me too,” Kaiki said, exhausted from being sick.
“I heard from your school, too,” he started, trying to word it without the words stinging him. “Your teacher said that you’re having a heroes party at the end of the week. So you have to get better so you can attend.”
“I don’t wanna go,” she responded with a sigh.
Katsuki was surprised considering her excitement earlier in the day. “Why not?”
“They are gonna dress like my aunties and uncles and Daddy and Papa and I don’t wanna see it.”
Katsuki gave a soft smile. “Your teacher also mentioned that dressing up as Papa was off limits to the rest of your class but you. You can dress like him or me or any of the other members in our family. Is that okay?”
“How about both?”
“Both?” Katsuki asked, picturing Kaiki dressed as half of him and half Deku. It made his heart soar and ache.
“Both. Papa with your grenades.” Katsuki blinked, remembering the few times Izuku handled his gauntlets. “You know what I hope?”
“What?”
“That Shiki doesn’t dress as you,” she said with a frown and a small growl.
Was Shiki the one that she laid flat that one time? Fuck, I can’t remember her classmates’ names, Katsuki thought quickly.
“Why not? I am freaking awesome!”
“Yeah, well, he isn’t,” she said with certainty. “He would look stupid.”
Ah, yes, he was the one she punched that one time at school, he thought.
“What’s his last name?”
“I don’t know that, Daddy. He doesn’t need to know that I don’t know it. He knows mine.”
“Well, you have a famous set of daddies.”
“Which is unfair,”Kaiki pointed back.
“I think it’s soup time if you have the energy to argue with me.”