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"Who does he think he is?" The youngest in the dining room mumbled, teeth gritting at the memory of what happened in the grocery that afternoon. On the outside, he looked calm and composed, but being this child's parents for 16 good years made his furious steps, clenched fists, tensed shoulders, and the darkness on his face really visible to the two elders.
Crackling ice threatened to burst from his hands as he rambled, "for him to be brazen enough to come talk with you as if he did not mess you up is just… so hecked up, Tou-san."
Katsuki almost choked on his saliva upon hearing the softened curse. He was very much aware that if Shouto was not around, a more vulgar profanity would trip out of this kid's mouth. It was mind-boggling how their son got Shouto's generally calm, placid disposition and at the same time, could display Katsuki's explosive temper when provoked.
Shouto, on the other hand, was too surprised to bother noticing or commenting on the slightly profane language. Akira had been talking non-stop for nearly two minutes, just spewing out his annoyance over his estranged grandfather. This was the longest Shouto had ever heard their son speak since the latter reached his teens. Akira was often aloof, unfazed and unbothered by almost everything, so to witness him stand in front of his father, tell his grandfather to scram away from their peaceful lives, and grumble about said incident at that very moment made Shouto's heart swell in joy and gratitude...
And worry.
"Yes but he is still your grandfather." Katsuki could not believe that it was from his own mouth that those words came from. Personally, he had zero fucks about kinship and his anger for his father-in-law still burned up to that day, but no way did he and Shouto plan to pass down the cycle of pain and anger to their son.
"Oh please, tch, did he ever become a grandfather to me?" Akira rolled his eyes. He finally thought of sitting down on the dining chair after minutes and minutes of pacing back and forth. "He never even became a father to Tou-san so why will I care?"
Shouto shook his head. "Your father is right though, Akira. Even if that old man is an ass… a-hole, you should not have called him off in public."
Katsuki nearly cracked up about how cautious Shouto was in terms of language around their son. Their son inherited Katsuki's hair, temper, one of his eye and half of the characteristic of his quirk, and he was certain that Shouto wanted to spare their son's behavior.
"Is it about this goddamn reputation talk again? Who cares about a retired hero's reputation? Besides, the world needs to know how much of a horrible father he had become."
"Akira." Shouto warned lowly.
"What?" Addressed teen frowned. "What I am saying is the truth."
Shouto glanced at his husband, asking for help, and Katsuki understood.
Katsuki repetitively tapped the table with his finger to get the other's attention. "Listen up, you brat. Don't get us wrong, okay, especially me. I am still fucking enraged at that bastard of an old man, but we don't want to cause a scandal for all of us here, do we?"
Katsuki had to pause for a few seconds to calm down, to ignore the image of Enji slapping a pregnant Shouto from years and years ago. "You are in your first year at U.A. Everyone is watching you the same way they are watching me from day 1 to now, and in exactly the same manner as your mother when he was still an aspiring hero to be. I don't want to hear any rumours circulating about how unruly and disrespectful you are, because we know that it is not true."
"That's right." Shouto took a sip of his tea. "It is not about that old man anymore. It would be about you, how people perceive you."
"I don't care—"
"—and the way Katsuki and I raised you."
"I…" Pink tinged the teen's cheeks in realization and embarrassment. No way he wanted people to nitpick on his parents who did nothing but raise him with all the love and values they showered him with. Akira rubbed his nape and diverted his blue and red eyes to the side. "Sorry. I was not thinking."
Katsuki reached over the table, ruffling his child's damp blonde locks that were spiky when unstyled. "I am impressed though."
Akira cocked a brow up. "Where?"
A proud grin. "Your self-control. Thought you would hurl exploding ice on Old Man's face. When I was your age, my temper was way out of control, and I once almost made his head explode when I interned with your father and Deku at his agency."
Akira waved his hand dismissively, poorly masking his embarrassment at the unexpected praise. "I already told you. I did not get my temper from you."
"Continue telling yourself that bullshit," Katsuki chuckled.
The two blondes watched as the red and white haired parent rose from his seat and engulfed his son in an embrace. "Thank you, Akira."
"I did nothing." Akira ripped his gaze away from a smiling Katsuki and hugged Shouto back.
Katsuki carried their empty mugs to the sink and used it as an opportunity to lighty slap his son's back. "Go to sleep, brat. Not because you are on winter break means that you can lounge here at 11 in the night."
"Fine." Akira broke away from Shouto's embrace, smiling softly at his father.
Katsuki started soaping the mugs. "Don't go out tomorrow too. Surely, reporters are gonna swarm over your little heroic act."
"I have no reason to go out."
"Don't let your father go out too. If any suspicious person looms around the house, contact me."
"Got it, Old Man." Akira got up and muttered, the last two words whispered under his breath with a mischievous smile.
"Whatcha saying, hah!?" Katsuki hollered, eyes ripping away from the cups he was rinsing towards his son.
"Good night." Akira waved, not even looking at them, as he headed to his room upstairs.
Shouto laughed, eyes crinkling as his gaze followed their son's retreating figure. "He is growing up."
Years ago, he was the one shielding his son away from harm whenever Katsuki was away for missions. Now, it was the same child that stood his ground protecting his father despite the apparent fear and intimidation in his eyes and the wobbling of his knees.
"Yeah. Akira is as stubborn as you were especially in terms of living up to your own principles," Katsuki replied with an endearing chuckle. He placed the cups on the drying rack and sat beside his mate and husband.
"And that kid inherited your strong instinct to protect others." Shouto remembered the way his son stared at his towering grandfather, thinking how similar it was to Katsuki's gaze back when they told Enji about Shouto's pregnancy. "You should have seen him earlier. He really looked and sounded like you when he was insulting my old man, only that he was not as loud as you."
"Did you really have to throw a jab on me."
"Of course."
The sixteen years that passed surely healed wounds, because no way he could ever speak of Enji in a lighthearted manner without crying if this happened back then.
"I am worried though." Shouto added, lips pressing into a tight line before he could speak again. "I don't want him to live in the same wrath that I lived with because of my father."
"He won't succumb to that, I'm telling you." Katsuki reassuringly rubbed the younger's shoulder. "We are his parents, Halfie. We raised him. We won't let that happen."
That was true. They poured so much effort raising their son in the best way they could. Since the day Akira was born, they filled the child with so much love, not wanting him to succumb to any negative emotion that could possibly eat him for a long, long time.
A smile. "Yes. We would never."
"About you though… are you really alright?" Katsuki's hand laid on top of Shouto's own. "You can talk about it if it bothers you."
"I am alright, to be really honest. It was more of surprise that he approached me." His father saw him at the beverage section when Akira was away getting some meat.
"His approach was… just too materialistic though." Shouto awkwardly laughed. He intertwined his fingers with Katsuki's. "I mean, to attempt compensating for your bad parenting and the shame you gave your child just because he got knocked out of wedlock is just…"
"Trashy. Shitty. Downright fucked up." Katsuki supplied. "No amount of money could ever cover for the pain he inflicted on you."
"On us."
Shouto was very much aware of the difficulties Katsuki encountered when the blonde was about to debut as a hero. With Endeavor pulling some strings and connections, Katsuki, the number two hero-to-be at U.A., found it hard to find an agency that would accept him. It was all thanks to Best Jeanist who was unaffected by Endeavor's threats that Katsuki debuted just a month after graduation and Shouto's conceiving.
Even when Katsuki debuted as Ground Zero, it was difficult to be popular and trusted, not with Endeavor's spawns doing everything that it took to lessen media coverage and exposure for Katsuki and to tarnish his name with cheap gossip and rumors.
It was all thanks to the financial help generously given by Katsuki's parents and Shouto's siblings that they fared by in the first few years of parenthood until Katsuki finally established and secured himself to the number two spot. Add in Rei's and Mitsuki's homemaking lessons, Shouto had easily got used to the life he never thought he would have.
"A simple apology might have been enough." Shouto sighed. He propped his chin on his free hand and stared ahead. "Yes, I already forgave him but it would be nice to hear how sorry he really is, you know. Offering me cash is like merely slapping it on my face how loaded he still is even after retiring."
Shouto basked in the warmth of the arms that suddenly engulfed him in an embrace.
It felt nice to be trapped in these arms, these arms that grounded him to reality, kept his sanity in check and drowned him in love and bliss when he was still chained down by his wrath for his father.
Wrath for all the abuse Enji inflicted on him and his mother.
For the feeling of neglect the former number two hero had caused his other children.
For him being the cause of Touya's demise.
For destroying Shouto, instilling in him values that made him suppress not only his secondary gender but who he really was.
For attempting to shatter Shouto's plans for a happy family.
"Thanks." Shouto whispered to Katsuki's skin, smiling.
"Stop making everything awkward by always saying 'thanks.'" Katsuki scoffed without any bite in his words. He cradled Shouto's head and caressed the silky red and white locks. "If your old man bothers you again, tell me."
"I will, but no need to do anything." Shouto answered with confidence. "I can handle it. I can handle him."
Katsuki knew that he was right marrying a fighter. "I know."