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⏤e i j i r o . k i r i s h i m a | kiripima!

p a i r. : prohero!kirishima x single mother!reader 

s u m. : as a single parent, you struggle to play the role of mother and father for your son. However, you don't have to stress for too long when the same pro hero your son adores comes to your rescue in the most unexpected way. 

g. : fluff ; angst ; agedup!kirishima ; mutual pining ; domestic!au ; your son is too precious for this world ; ren likes playing cupid ; kirishima is the man ; dad material kirishima ; husband material kirishima ; wife material reader 

s t a t u s : complete

⏤k a t s u k i . b a k u g o u | mommy!

p a i r. : proherosingledad!bakugou x nextdoorneighbour!reader 

s u m. : you're a normal hard working person that loves to bake sweets and treats. Upon finding success in your sweet selling business, you can finally move into a luxurious apartment, where you meet the daughter of an explosive prohero, who makes your life all the sweeter.

g. : fluff ' angst ; sweetmaker!reader ; bakugou is bad at feelings ; his daughter is so sassy ; but she's also very sweet ; and has an incredibly big sweet tooth ; bakugou is doing his best to be a good dad ; you help balance him out ; mum material reader ; husband material bakugou ; wife material reader 

s t a t u s : complete

⏤d e n k i . k a m i n a r i | dada!

p a i r. : prohero!kaminari x singlemother!reader 

s u m. : after a one night stand with a beauty that effectively has his heart racing abnormally fast, Denki finds it impossible to keep you out of his thoughts for an entire year. When he finally makes the decision to find you, he's shocked to see that you've grown more beautiful since the intimate night you two shared. However, what shocks him more is the little baby boy in your arms with familiar blonde hair and gold eyes. 

g. : fluff ; angst ; one night stands can be a good thing ; unknowingfather!kaminari ; you are a successful beauty ; you are a bit stubborn though ; kaminari is full of surprises ; dad material kaminari ; first words mean a lot ; husband material kaminari ; wife material reader 

s t a t u s : planning

⏤h a n t a . s e r o | cello!

p a i r. : prohero!sero x singlemother!reader 

s u m. : even on his off days, Sero still acts like the great hero he is. And now that he's a proud uncle of three, he happily helps return the most adorable looking twins he has ever seen back to their equally adorable mother, unknowing of the multiple future chance encounters that further intertwine their fates. 

g. : fluff ; angst ; prohero!sero ; singlemother!reader ; you are so hard working ; your twin babies are so mature ; twins adore sero ; sero has such a soft spot for your twins ; sero makes everything better ; sero is the best uncle ; dad material sero ; husband material sero ; wife material reader 

s t a t u s : coming soon . . .

⌈𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘴, 𝘪 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘬𝘶𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘴 (𝘪𝘻𝘶𝘬𝘶, 𝘪𝘪𝘥𝘢, 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘪 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘰) 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 - 𝘸𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘪 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 

𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘪 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘴' 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘪 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵

𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 5 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳, 𝘪 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘪 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘶𝘴 ⌋

Chapter Text

You don't know what sparked such an interest in your darling son over a particular red-clad hero but you weren't complaining. At least he wouldn't be moping around over his biological father being absent in his life. That good-for-nothing coward doesn't deserve an ounce of your son's attention in the first place. Even though you weren't that good at judging someone's character back when choosing who to be intimate with, at least your son was better at it than you. 

Your sweet, two-year-old was so entranced by the red-haired hero, he kept asking to watch multiple videos of him online. It's come to a point where he had even watched Red Riot's UA sports festival appearances, where he learned of his favorite hero's real name: Kirishima Eijiro. 

"Kiripima!" Ren, your little lotus, calls out affectionately as he raises both arms. In one of his hands, he holds his favorite Red Riot action figure, waving it in the air in front of the smart TV before bringing the figure into his chest for a loving embrace, pressing his plump, mochi-soft cheeks against the spiked hair of the action figure, happy coos escaping his puckered lips. 

That's a sight you'll never get tired of. 

"You really like him, don't you, little lotus?" you giggle as you kneel down beside him, only to pick him up from under his pits where you then carry him to the table for dinner. 

"Kiripima strong!" he cheers again as you nodded, happily indulging him. 

"Yes yes, he's very strong, he has to be because he's a hero,"

"Best hero! Manly!" you laugh again at the fact that your son picked up on his hero's favorite word and get ready to feed him his dinner. Humming in agreement, you hold up a spoon to feed him, "Mama wike Kiripima?" 

"Of course!" you smile at him, wiping his mouth from stray crumbs and sauce, "He helps protect us from bad guys,"

"Kiripima protect mama!"

"Kiripima protects mama and baby lotus," you coo playfully as you boop your little one's nose, causing him to erupt into a fit of giggles. Reciprocating your adorable son's wide grin, you feed him another spoonful of his dinner. 

Ren is a very energetic boy, meaning that you take many trips to the park with him.

Sometimes you'd take him to the kids' park, where he spends hours in the sandpit making hills and various terrain to place his hero action figures in. He sometimes uses the apparatus provided at the park too for his adventures with his action figures but the bigger kids playing around always played more dangerously so you kept him mainly at the sandpit. Other than that, you'd also spend a good amount of time pushing him on the littler kids swing set. The giggles he'd give out from the ticklish feeling in his pudgy belly always sent your heart flying. 

Today, however, you took him to another type of park that he and you both adore. It was a wide, lush area that had many grassy areas with multiple trails, some paths were fenced with flowers and shrubbery whilst some were within some woodland, there was also a trail that led down beside the river. Many people frequented this park to have picnics, blow bubbles, go on jogs and walks or walk their furry companions. The latter being the main reason why you and Ren love going to this park. Your apartment isn't too keen on having pets so Ren indulges in the feeling of having a one through those that catches his eye at the park. 

The first time Ren encountered a dog, it was with a beautiful, tall but elegant samoyed; as white as sunny-day clouds. Your little lotus was scared at first but quickly grew accustomed to the friendly and gentle canine, leading them to play around and repeatedly embrace each other. As you had a lovely chat with the samoyed's owner, Ren was frequently wrapping his short chubby arms around the dog's neck as said canine curled its body around his new miniature human friend. The samoyed must have encountered children for the first time with your son as its behavior expressed obvious fascination and intrigue towards your little boy. 

Soon enough, Ren had become the one to go up to a dog owner and just start petting their canine companions as you apologized profusely. You had told him many times to ask the owner permission first before going to pet their dogs but he always seemed too focused on petting their fluffy pets to even remember your warnings. As a result, you knew that they only way to get it through to him was to have a serious conversation; you didn't want your baby angering any owners or dogs that could potentially hurt him so it had to be done. 

"Ren, I need you to always remember to ask the owner if you can pet their dogs first, okay?" you looked into your son's eyes with an unwavering but gentle stare. 

"But doggie good!" he complained with adorable pouty lips. It was hard to resist but the thought of your son getting hurt pulled you through it. 

"I know but it's very rude and you're not a rude boy, right?" you cup his cheeks gently as he deflates somewhat in admission to your inquiry. 

"Not rude..."

"That's right, you're a good boy!" you chirp.

"Good boy!" he parrots back as you suppress a grin at his enthusiasm. 

"And good boys ask before they pet other people's dogs," he nods. Satisfied you stand back up as you lift him into your arms, "I also don't want any dogs hurting you, baby," he tilts his head in confusion. 

"But all dogs like pets,"

"I'm afraid not, my little lotus," you hum, "some dogs don't like it so they might bite you and hurt you,"

"Oh no!"

"'Oh no!' is correct," you kiss his frown away, "so always ask first, okay, Ren? Can you promise me you'll always ask first?"

"Okay mama," he grins brightly, "I promise," holding up his pinkie finger, you wrap your own pinkie around his and the promise was sealed. 

You had been able to tame his once uncontrollable urge to approach random dogs and start petting them at the large park, however, you couldn't possibly have been able to keep Ren from running up to his favorite hero. 

"LOOK! KIRIPIMA!" your son shouts as he runs up to the stranger jogging past. His little legs running faster than you've ever seen him run. 

"Ren!" you called out after overcoming your shock. This was the first time he was running towards a stranger and not a dog so you were thrown off and didn't get to him until he was already tugging at the stranger's jogging bottoms, "I'm really really sorry, sir," you begin to apologize upon approaching the two. 

The man had taken his hood down as he kneeled before your son, who was proudly holding up his Red Riot action figure, "Kiripima!" Ren proudly announced as he fell into the stranger's arms. 

"It's alright, don't worry," the stranger assured as he turned to look up at you, still kneeling on the floor with your son in his arms, "I'm always happy to greet a fan," the sharp-toothed grin he sent your way had your heart pounding a million miles a minute. You had admitted to yourself many times that the hero was very attractive but his in-person beauty was on a whole other level of handsomeness. Truthfully, you thought that the stranger just looked like Red Riot and wasn't exactly the hero himself, so the fact that it was actually him had you even more awestruck. 

"Th-thank you for understanding," you timidly giggled, flustered at the gaze of his ruby red eyes cast upon you. 

"It's really okay," he chuckled once again. Kirishima had wanted to go on a jog seeing as his off days often left him feeling restless and could only ever be cured with a good jog at his favorite park. He usually didn't attract much attention as he wasn't as popular on the hero polls as some other heroes, so he had never anticipated being recognized so easily, especially by a child, when he had his hood up. Then again, his hair did have a habit of being eye-catching, whether it was spiked up or left down. His hair had grown quite long so despite him having tied it up, the stray strands that fell on his face must have given him away. 

"Mama, look!" Ren jumped in place, pointing at his hero as he faced you to assure that he had your full attention, "Kiripima!"

"You're right," you coo in amusement with a giggle, kneeling down to join them and missing the adoring smile that swept over the red-haired hero's lips. 

"Look!" he squealed once again as your son dropped his action figure in favor of holding his beloved hero's face in both of his small hands, their noses touching as his eyes continued to sparkle in joy, "Kiripima!" they grinned at each other as you gasped and further indulged your son. 

"Oh my goodness!" you playfully gasp as Kirishima felt his heart tear and collapse into a million pieces within his chest. Your son was so adorable and sweet. He's the youngest fan he's been able to meet and was more than happy to have the starry-eyed boy in his arms. He often looked at his hero friends being swarmed by fans as a feeling of rejection tried to overcome him from not being met with the same treatment. However, this one simple but tooth-rotting-ly sweet encounter inundates all other previous interactions with fans. 

"Oh no..." suddenly saddened, your attention perked up in worry at your son. Ren had raised his hand and started gently caressing at a scar on Kirishima's sculpted jaw, "Kiripima..." the animated awe in Kirishima's face softened into a gentle expression of affection from your son's worry and care. His hero career had diverted his attention away from the idea of getting married and raising kids of his own, but having this little boy in his arms was giving him an addictive rush of wanting to have a child as soon as possible. 

"You know my name~" Kirishima adoringly pointed out as your son nodded with pride, easily distracted from his earlier sentiment, "Can you tell me your name?"

"Ren!" your son pointed to himself before pointing to you, turning the hero's attention away from him and onto your surprised face, "Mama!" just when your heated face was beginning to cool down, you were turned flustered once again under the gaze of the handsome hero. There weren't many images out there of him with his hair down, let alone tied into a short ponytail, but you were given the chance to gaze upon such a sight and couldn't decide whether you should deem yourself cursed or blessed. 

"Ren and Mama," Kirishima nodded with a grin, "it's very nice to meet you Ren," he nodded at your son before turning to you, "and it's very nice to meet you too, Mama," he winked playfully as you felt an arrow shoot through your heart.

Chapter Text

After Ren finally met his favorite hero in person at the park, he demands going every single day at the same time until he sees Kirishima once again. At first, you were worried that Ren would feel disheartened as heroes don't always have the pleasure of getting off days, however, not being able to see Kirishima only seemed to make him all the more determined to reunite with his hero once again. 

It was a rather unorthodox method so, at first, you tried to convince your two-year-old to book a ticket for a meet and greet event that was happening for many heroes, including Red Riot, in two months' time, however, Ren flat out refused - much to your surprise. 

"No!"

"But Ren-Darling, we know for sure that Kirishima will be there for you to greet-"

"No! Kiripima meet me in park!" his cheeks appeared to become even puffier and flushed pink as his brows furrowed in determination, expressing his stubborn resolve at encountering his hero at the park once again. 

It was incredibly endearing to see so, no matter how out of schedule it was for you to go to the park on some days, you were determined to wait as long as your little lotus was. You wanted him to know that you support his choices and will be there for him no matter what so that he can feel comfortable going to you whenever he has troubles in the future. And also, you just couldn't resist his adorable look of commitment, it was contagious, even. 

Time crawled by and two weeks later Ren was finally able to see Kirishima again, calling out in joy and cheering for his beloved sturdy hero the instant he caught sight of his red hair. 

"KIRIPIMA!" Ren cried in happiness, running up to the casually dressed red-head once again but, this time, also tugging you along by the hand. 

"Oh! Hey there again, little man," Kirishima grinned widely at the sight of your son, kneeling down to bring the little boy into a warm embrace. Ren, grinning brighter than ever, happily wrapped his little pudgy arms around Kirishima's neck as you came to a stop before them. 

"Kiripima! Missed you," Ren cooed, holding Kirishima's face in his small hands as he nuzzled his nose into Kirishima's cheek to the point of getting the hero to close one eye. The gesture was shocking for you to witness at first but you really shouldn't have been surprised since Ren loved Red Riot so much. No matter how softly you chuckled at the scene, Kirishima was quick to pick up on it and asked for an explanation with a curious stare from his beautifully angular eyes. 

"That's something we like to do to show how much we missed each other or whenever we want to show how much we love each other. It became a thing when Ren tried to give me a kiss on the cheek for the first time but did the kissing with his nose instead of his lips," you explained, loosely crossing your arms, "he won't stop until he thinks he's imprinted his face into your cheek," at your explanation, Kirishima laughs aloud. What a cute family. 

"I missed you too, little man," it wasn't hard for Kirishima to admit because it was the truth. Over the past two weeks he had been anticipating another potential meeting with the adorable little boy, who called his name so cheerily despite his endearing mispronunciation, and his beautiful mother, who rivaled her son's own cuteness with her recurring flustered cheeks. The two of you couldn't escape his mind, not even in his dreams was he able to forget about you. 

At Kirishima's statement, Rin grinned and turned his face to the side gesturing with his small pointer finger at his own cheek. Quickly reading the little boy's intentions, Kirishima didn't waste a second to nuzzle his nose into Rin's offered cheek, allowing a hearty laugh to escape under his breath while doing so. Not soon after Kirishima had his nose buried into Ren's chubby face did your son call out to you and gestured to his other cheek. Unable to resist and wanting to keep up the jovial mood of your little lotus, you leaned in as well and pressed your nose into his cheek, simultaneously giving him a kiss. 

It was a sweet moment that had you blissfully floating on air. However, no matter how addictively precious the moment was when you opened your eyes and realized how close your face was to Kirishima's you immediately jump back with a yelp as the red-eyed hero chuckled timidly. 

In the time that the adults were avoiding eye contact and being red in the face from embarrassment, little Ren absorbed the interaction with his big, round, doe eyes, It sent his mind racing with thoughts of his cherished mama and his beloved hero standing side by side, as close as could be, with him right in the middle, wrapped in their warm embrace, smiles stretched wide on each of their faces. 

It was a picture of happiness. And Ren was determined to make it come true. 

Soon after, meetings at the park every fortnight on Thursdays became a routine for you. It was the day that Kirishima originally had to himself but now was blithely sharing the time with a mother and son duo he found too irresistible to refuse to stroll around the park in. 

It was Thursday, yet again, and you were happily taking a stroll through the floral fenced paths of the park with Kirishima and Ren. Your sweet little lotus was walking along between you and the sharp-toothed hero as he attempted to hold both of your hands, however, his hand wasn't big enough and so Ren settled for only gripping onto his mama and hero's pointer fingers. He was so happy he had no words and let the adults have their time to chat with one another. 

"He always put up such a fuss when there weren't enough videos of you online," you chuckled as Kirishima felt his heartthrob with endearment, taking an affectionate glance at your son, "and that's how I ended up showing him clips of your sports festival at UA years ago,"

"Is that how Ren learned my name?" 

"Yup!" 

At the mention of his sports festival, Kirishima sighed in nostalgia, "It feels like it was just yesterday when I was still in my first year at UA and competing in the sports festival,"

"What was it like?" you hopped on the balls of your feet, eyes shining in eager curiosity. You had a quirk but not one fit for a hero, nevertheless, you were still fascinated by those that were able to undergo hero training. 

"It was tough, I'll admit," Kirishima signed almost sadly, which you instantly picked up on and made sure to give your full attention to him; you don't want your son's hero getting upset, "it was even tougher because I don't really have a flashy quirk unlike my friends Ground Zero or Shoto or even Deku," 

"That doesn't matter," your voice reached out to him like a gentle breeze on a sunny day, comforting and kind, urging him to smile brightly. Upon looking your way, Kirishima loses his ability to breathe at the stunning smile on your already alluring face as the sun's golden rays rain upon you favorably through the leaves of the trees, "what matters is what's in a person's heart. Everyone's quirk is different and that's what makes them special and eye-catching but that doesn't even amount to the exponential charm someone has when they have the heart of a hero," connecting eyes with the red-head, you send his heart racing dangerously fast, "you are the manliest, most righteous and most courageous hero I've ever seen, and I think that's why Ren fell so in love with you," you giggle, utterly ignorant to the awestruck expression of the hero to your left, "...you're the perfect father figure for Ren..." it was a whisper and you never intended for Kirishima to hear it but he did and it was like the final blow was dealt. He very well could have collapsed from his abnormally beating heart at that moment if it weren't for the mention of Ren's father. 

"That's so unmanly..." Kirishima muttered in anger, his free hand clenching into a fist as he gritted his teeth. You had explained your situation to him the first few times after meeting him regularly at the park and Kirishima was very tempted to hunt the coward down and beat him to a pulp for abandoning you and Ren. It wouldn't be very heroic to do but it was an exception in Kirishima's book.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," the hero quickly backtracked, almost being sent into an uncontrolled stupor from your dulcet voice, "Thank you," he grinned after collecting himself, "I really needed to hear that. Now, I'm all fired up!"

You smiled at his expression of eagerness and was about to voice more of your admiring thoughts of him when you finally registered that Ren was no longer holding onto your pointer finger. Promptly sent into a panic, you and Kirishima begin frantically calling out to him as your eyes dart from place to place until you spot him crouched down before the flowers in the path ahead of you. Despite your quick feeling of relief, you rush over to your little lotus with Kirishima at your side. 

"Ren, please don't just run off like that," you plead desperately as you kneel down to Ren's side as Kirishima does the same to his left. 

"Sowy Mama. Sowy Kiripima," he turns to each of you and frowns guiltily at his actions. 

"It's okay little man, but never do that again, okay? Your mama and I will be really worried if you do," Kirishima voiced your thoughts exactly as he lifted a hand to pet your son's soft locks. It was an image that had you sighing dreamily. If your inner instincts could take over you would have jumped him already and forced him into being Ren's father but that wouldn't be right. Besides, you were sure he already had a lot on his plate being a hero so a relationship with a single mother of a two-year-old wasn't going to be a productive addition to his already strenuous life. Wishing to be with him would be too selfish of you. 

"Mama look!" Ren points to a bud that has yet to bloom and looks at you with eagerness, "Sing for pretty flower!"

"Sing?" Kirishima raises a brow as you blush softly. It was such a cute expression, it suited you a lot. He would shamelessly admit he could stare at your blushing face for however long and still be enchanted. 

"It's my quirk...but I know I'm not allowed to use it in public,"

"It's alright, I'm here and I wanna see," Kirishima rests his chin on his palm and grins at you with his eyes wrinkled happily at the edges. It wasn't very helpful since his charming smile had you needing to catch your breath first before you could demonstrate your quirk. When you were finally able to sing, your sweet voice instantly had Kirishima in a trance, a trance that expanded onto the flora around him as they seemed to rise up with life and all the buds slowly blossomed to reveal the most beautiful flowers he had ever seen. All flowers that bloomed around him, however, couldn't even begin to compare to the gorgeous image of you singing vibrancy and additional life into their stems, leaves, and velvet petals. The image of you replicated portraits and marble statues depicting ethereal goddesses. 

Amongst all the flowers, you were the most precious.

"There's a new ice cream parlor that opened up close to the entrance of the park if you want to check it out," Kirishima suggested on yet another Thursday afternoon. The day had been hotter than usual, which made it easier to catch a sweat but it also blessed Kirishima with the image of you in a beautiful, flowing, white sundress. The delicate material complimented your kind and motherly personality as the little sailor boy outfit you dressed Ren in seemed to bring out a more playful side to the usually well behaved two-year-old. 

"That sounds great, would you like that, little lotus?"

"Ice cream!" Ren cheered as you and Eijiro shared a smile. Through your time spent together, he had allowed you to call him by his first name in exchange for being able to know your name. Despite you urging him to call you by your first name equally, Eijiro persisted with calling you a multitude of other nicknames. The main ones being 'pebble' and 'pretty mama'. You weren't one to complain about being called such cordial names, however, it never failed to make your cheeks blossom a bright red. Red. The color suited you well and, if those nicknames were going to continue eliciting such cute reactions from you, Kirishima wasn't going to stop. 

Making it into the ice cream parlor, Ren couldn't stop bouncing around and had to be held by the hand as you and Eijiro decided to order a big sundae to share between the three of you. Whilst you waited for your order to be assembled, the cashier politely handed over a table number and gestured to some of the empty chairs and booths around the parlor. You decided to sit at a booth so that there was enough room for everyone to relax into their seat. Principally, you sat on one side with Ren as Eijiro sat on the opposite side but Ren wasn't having any of it. 

"Kiripima, here" Ren patted the little space left on his right. 

"Sorry little man, but there doesn't seem to be much room left," Ren pouted at his hero's courteous decline and hopped out of the booth to pull Kirishima out of his seat by the hand. Once Ren had seated him beside you, he proceeded climbed onto his hero's lap and, once comfortably seated, leaned back in content. That was until he saw how far away you were from him and the red-haired hero. 

"Mama, sit close!" you connect eyes with Eijiro who nodded with a soft smile as if to say 'it's okay'. But it wasn't okay, if you continued staying so close beside him any longer, you may really fall for the man. It was all futile, however, since you'd already fallen in spite of your intent refusal. Unable to resist your adorable son's command, you sat closer and closer and closer until Ren was finally smiling brightly in satisfaction. 

"Is this good, baby?" you asked with a hint of nervousness as Ren practically had you pressed up against the pro-hero's arm. 

"Good!"

"Here," Kirishima uttered as he brought his arm up to rest at the back of the booth and urged you to move in closer. At the gesture, Ren clapped happily and stared up at his hero with starry eyes before tugging on your arm to pull you in. From the outside, the three of you looked like a picture-perfect family and it also felt blissfully like a whole, unbroken family. Your heart was full. It was an addictive feeling that you wanted to relish in for as long as possible and, judging from the wide smile on Ren's face, your son was keen on the feeling too.

Sometimes people are allowed to be selfish and you hope you're allowed to, for this moment only, selfishly delude yourself into thinking that you're a complete family with Kirishima as Ren's father, unknowing of a similarly selfish and fanciful notion the red-head was equally wallowing in. With you tucked into his side and under his arm as Ren sits atop his lap whilst being pressed into his torso with his other hand, Kirishima felt the missing patches in his life become filled with the shape of you and your son. 

Blissfully losing yourselves in each other's warm collective embrace, it didn't take long until your multi-colored sundae was placed before you on the table with three long-handled spoons already tucked into it.

"Let's dig in!" you cheer as Ren throws his arms up in joy. 

"Ice cream!" You took one side as Kirishima took the other and Ren devoured the middle. 

"Slow down okay, Ren? You might get a brain free-" unfortunately, your warning came too late as your little lotus clutched at his head painfully, the gesture leading your eyes to an equally in-pain Kirishima. He may have been a grown adult but the allure of a delicious ice cream sundae got to him like a child, "Aww~ My poor boys," you reached up and petted their heads, "it's okay, it'll go away soon," you say comfortingly although you were, somewhat, teasing, towards Kirishima, who gave you a half-hearted glare back. 

"Mama kiss away please," Ren pouted, motioning to his forehead. With a giggle, you lean down and press a kiss to his forehead. 

"Go away brain freeze!" you playfully demand, watching Ren took a moment to blink several times before smiling brightly up at you. 

"Gone now. Thank you, Mama," he cheered before gesturing to Kirishima's forehead, "mama kiss away for kiripima please," 

It took a lot to overcome the sudden redness in your cheeks but as soon as you closed your eyes and with a surge of confidence you were leaning in to kiss away the hero's brain freeze as quickly as possible, ignoring the flustered look of shock he directed towards you. He wanted a kiss too but didn't know if he would be asking too much or taking advantage of the situation. 

Unfortunately, although a more shameless part of you would argue, fortunately, Kirishima was a lot taller than you and your kiss ended up missing his forehead by a lot. It's strange how the taste of strawberry ice cream from your side of the sundae seemed more sugary-sweet on your lips than the same strawberry ice cream on Kirishima's side of the sundae.

Chapter Text

After the day at the ice cream parlor, Kirishima was determined to spend more time with you outside of strolls in the park. Of course, Ren would be present as well because the two of you always come together like a packaged deal, which isn't a problem for him as Ren is just too sweet for his own good.

The pro-hero had grown a fondness for both of you. Every day, he ends up thinking about you, at least, once; holding your hand as he carries Ren in his spare arm, who he knows would immediately start fiddling with his spiked hair. The adorable little coos and awes Ren would let out even though the little boy has played with his hair many times by now would never fail to make Kirishima's heart thump with affection. If any harm came to your son, Kirishima would go ballistic. He could say the same for you. The simple sound of your voice sets his mind at ease and your radiant smile gives his heart wings. If anything were to happen to you, nothing would get in the way of his fight to take you away from danger. 

The way you make him feel wasn't something Kirishima was familiar with and was more than eager to figure out as soon as possible. Hence why he was keen on spending more time with you. This led to him begging Bakugou into swapping patrols for one night so that he could take you and Ren out to a western fair that was traveling across Japan.

At first, Kirishima didn't think you would actually agree to it, however, that could have been his mental cushion for if you ever rejected his offer. On the other hand, he was very pleasantly surprised to hear you agree on an outing with him outside of the park strolls. 

"A western fair?" you hum thoughtfully as Ren perks up in your arms, which you immediately take notice of. Turning your gaze to your little boy, you lean close until your noses were almost touching, "What do you think, little lotus?"

"Fun fun!" Ren cheered before looking at Kirishima and making grabby hands at him, whereby the two of you instinctively took a step closer to one another, allowing Ren to cuddle into the pro-hero's chest. In the beginning, you were always very timid about being so close to the hero, however, after spending so much time together, where Ren constantly forces the two of you to stay within such close proximity, the intimately close distance now elicits a comforting feeling for you. And judging from the relaxed smile on Kirishima's handsome face, you can confidently say that the sentiment is mutual. 

"So, is that a yes, I'm hearing?" Kirishima grinned brightly as Ren nodded. 

"Yes!" the two boys then turned towards you with expecting eyes. 

"I guess, we're going, then!" 

The experience of attending a western fair was completely new to Kirishima but he was happy to be sharing the unfamiliar event with you and Ren. A lot of games were played and most were lost but the few that Kirishima managed to win, resulted in a happily cheering Ren as you clapped in congratulations. Upon handing Ren the toy he had succeeded in winning, the red-head was met with a tight hug around the neck from the little boy as you smiled widely from beside them.

Kirishima hadn't really had the pleasure of feeling the satisfying triumph of being the number one hero, however, from Ren thanking him through the tightest embrace he could manage with his little arms as you smile fondly from behind your son's tiny frame, Kirishima can confidently say that he can finally relate to the feeling of being a winner - of being number one. He is standing on the tallest mountain with his back straight and screaming in happiness up to the heavens. Nothing could beat this feeling. 

He could very well get addicted to this light and whole emotion. If only he can put a name to the sentiment, he would know how to properly pursue it. 

"What dat?" Ren asked, pointing towards a cotton candy stand, "Pink fluffy cloud?" he tilted his head adorably as Kirishima once again became a victim of irresistible cuteness - it's deadly. 

"That's cotton candy, baby," you explain, ignorant to the pink hue flourishing on Kirishima's cheeks. It felt as if you were calling him by that fond term of endearment with how close you were despite your gaze being directed explicitly at your son, who was in his arms. 

"Candy?"

"Do you want some, Ren? I can buy a small one for you, if you'd like," Kirishima offered after sending you a look asking for permission. In response, you had lifted your hand to gesture that a small one would be alright, you wouldn't want Ren having a sugar rush, especially this late in the evening. He would have one undoubtedly since cotton candy was essentially sugar, however, you still want him to experience tasting cotton candy as he's never had it before. A small amount would be alright to have. 

"Okay!"

After tucking Ren into your arms, Kirishima went off to buy a small stick of cotton candy as you and Ren found an empty bench to sit on and gather the small collection of prizes Kirishima had won for him. "Kiripima best!" Ren cheered as he bounced in your lap, cuddling all the small toys to his chest with the happiest smile on his face. 

"Yes, he is, do you remember what to say, baby?" 

"Thank you!" Ren chirped to demonstrate his manners. 

"That's my good boy," your soft praise is followed by a kiss to his button nose. Soon enough, Kirishima came back with a stick of cotton candy for Ren as he hands you a corndog. He has one for himself as well. 

"I felt bad not getting you anything so I hope this corndog makes up for that," 

He chuckles bashfully as you smile and happily accept the offering, "That's so thoughtful of you, thank you Eijiro," he has to keep himself from physically shivering at the way you say his name. It sounds so much better being said by you and your beautiful voice. 

"Nah, it's no problem at all," thankfully, he manages to act normal around you, "here you go Ren," handing over the fluffy cotton candy that Ren had been eyeing the instant his hero came back, Kirishima gently bit his lip in an attempt to keep himself from laughing aloud. 

"Thank you, Kiripima!" Ren leaned over and quickly gave him a kiss on the nose before stuffing his cheeks with the cotton candy, his eyes sparkling with joy the instant that the sugar cotton melted on this tongue. To eat your corndog as Ren devours his cotton candy, you and Kirishima sit side by side on the bench as Ren happily munches away on his sweet treat atop Kirishima's lap. Idle, happy conversation happens here and there as Kirishima drapes one arm along the back of the bench while you lean back and rest your head against his shoulder. 

As you were munching away on another bite of your corndog, which you loved the texture and taste of, rapid footsteps suddenly rang in your ears until a new person made their way to stand before you. Looking up, in front of you, stood a fairly young teenage boy whose eyes were sparkling with excitement whilst bouncing on the balls of his feet. 

"You're the Sturdy Hero, Red Riot, right?!" 

"Uh, yeah," Kirishima confirmed before being hit with enthusiastic rambling. It was clear from the young lad's unstoppable speech, that he really admired Kirishima. Looking towards the casually dressed pro-hero to your right, you witness the look of fondness and humble pride in his gentle expression, which instantly warmed your heart. The entire time, the Red Riot fan was rambling to Kirishima about how much he looked up to him, Ren's full attention was on him too, his concentrated stare on the fan revealed understanding of what he was saying and had Ren nodding along as if to say 'I agree'. Truly, when two fanboys meet, their connection and love for their idol transcend age as well as level of comprehension. Ren normally wouldn't be able to keep up with such frantically put-together, long-winded speeches but his body language expresses his understanding. 

This made you giggle. Your fanboy of a son will be the death of you from his cuteness. 

"I really really admire you. I want to be as brave and strong of a hero as you one day!"

"Good luck on that journey, my man," Kirishima grins toothily as he pats the boy on the shoulder, he would have stood up if it were like all other interactions with his fans but Ren was in his lap and he didn't want to tussle him around. And, frankly, Kirishima liked having Ren seated in his lap, his grown attachment to him being nothing to laugh at, "I look forward to seeing you on the hero charts one day," he does this without asking the boy what his quirk is and just goes to show how he's grown into accepting that you don't need a flashy quirk to be a good hero. You want to say how proud you are of him but don't want to interrupt his interaction with his fan, who, If it's possible, grew additional admiration in his eyes as he thanks Kirishima profusely. 

"Thank you so much Red Riot! I have to go now but I just wanted to say that you and your family look really happy and it's very cute!" at his final statement, the little boy runs off back to his friends as you and Kirishima are left dumbfounded with your mouths gaping open in shock. For several drawn out moments, the two of you stay like that until you finally process the situation in your heads and your cheeks begin to burn hotter than molten lava. It doesn't help that Ren starts clapping his hands happily as he smiles up at the two of you, pink remnants of cotton candy sugar littering the corners of his smiling mouth. 

Despite being so incredibly embarrassed, you instinctively tuck your face into Kirishima's shoulder with a timid whimper to which he follows up with a laugh. What a wonderful thought. To be a part of your family, that sounds like the perfect life to Kirishima. He would do anything to see you every day, wake up to your sleeping face before he goes to gently awaken Ren. If he wants to, he can cook you breakfast but if you decide to cook instead, he won't complain. He'll only complain about how lucky he is to have you in his life and how beautiful you look in the act of taking care of him through your cooking. Maybe he'll wrap his arms around your waist from behind like in those cliche movies, it's cheesy but he knows it'll feel like bliss to embrace you so casually and lovingly. He'll go to work as you and Ren wave him goodbye from the doorway and when he comes back after an exhausting day, you and Ren will both be there to welcome him home with hugs and kisses, instantly reviving his tired frame. A simple life, a quiet life. 

That sounds like paradise. 

A second passes and you begin to feel his big, calloused hand lovingly stroking the back of your head, slightly pushing your face further into his shoulder. With some maneuvering, he has your face pressed into the juncture of his neck and shoulder, still petting down the back of your head as Ren crawls into your lap and cuddles into your stomach comfortingly. In no time at all, you were being cuddled by your two favorite boys. 

"So this is what this feeling is," Kirishima whispers into your hair, which makes you look up at him curiously. 

"What do you mean?"

By now, you were both staring deeply into each other's eyes, "This feeling whenever I'm around you," Kirishima clutches at the area above his heart, wrinkling his shirt in the process, "it's a want- no, it's a need to be with you and Ren," he leans down until your noses touch and the world disappears around you, "not as a friend but as someone more than that..." taking a strand of your hair he brings it to his lips and kisses it as his nose inhales your intoxicating scent, "I want to protect you and care for you and love you and see you every day, both of you. That is my wish," he looks you in the eyes again, "will you grant it for me?"

Chapter Text

Kirishima can still remember the beautifully soft, flustered glow of your cheeks when you gave him your answer that night at the fair. You never looked as pretty as you did in that intimate moment, where the world had disappeared and everything was draped in an enchanting rubescent hue. Your eyes looked all the more dazzling, bigger, and doe-like; your skin was radiant and glowing; your lips were kissable and deliciously plump. His hands itched to bring you into another embrace and kiss you stupid but that would be crossing too many boundaries at once.

"I want to protect you and care for you and love you and see you every day, both of you. That is my wish, will you grant it for me?" the pro hero doesn't know what had overcome him at that moment to speak so candidly towards you but he's grateful for finally being able to selfishly admit his feelings. All he needs is your answer. He hopes to high heaven that you can discern the earnest sincerity behind his vow and, maybe, that would be enough to convince you to say yes.

With bated breath, his eyes follow the way your lips move and subtly smile at the end, "Yes, you'd be granting my wish too, actually," in your embarrassed but stupidly in-love state, you face the floor with your cheeks burning hotly only to connect eyes with Ren, who was still in Kirishima's lap.

"Mama," he reaches out for you, calming your racing heart in an instant. Kirishima smiles warmly at the obvious effect Ren has on you, finding the interaction to be incredibly winsome. As he helps Ren settle into your arms, he couldn't help but lean over and kiss your cheek, only beginning to notice the sudden rise of temperature on your face upon pulling his lips away to whisper in your ear.

"Thank you,"

Now, Kirishima stands on your doorstep, tugging on his jacket just to pass the time as he nervously waited for you to open the door. He had already knocked and was now waiting in anxiety and excitement for you to greet him and commence your scheduled date together. You had just managed to get a trusted babysitter to look after Ren that evening, however, she had warned you that she may not be able to stay until very late as she had other things to do that evening as well. This meant that you were on limited time despite Kirishima having many things he wanted and planned to do with you tonight. It was going to be a tight schedule.

As soon as you open the door, Kirishima feels all traces of nervousness escape him with a single sigh. How can you look so beautiful even with such casual clothing?

"Thank you for picking me up, Eijiro," you try not to stare at him for too long. He had decided to keep his hair down and tied it up in a small ponytail at the back of his head, much like the first time you two met. He looked so good. The plain white shirt he wore under his jacket was stretched deliciously over his taut muscles, similar to how his jeans looked fit to burst from the burliness of his thighs. He was more than just a man of mannerisms; he has the manliest body you've ever seen.

"I wouldn't be much of a man if I didn't pick you up so there's no need to thank me," he grins brightly before something over your shoulder catches his attention, "Ren, my little man," he drops to one knee as you step aside and let your two favorite boys have their moment. It warms your heart knowing that, even though tonight was for the two of you, Kirishima still willingly interacts with your son and in such a loving and sincere way.

"Kiripima!" Ren naturally falls into the pro hero's embrace as you watch the interaction with loosely crossed arms, leaning against the frame of your doorway and holding back a laugh when they ritually nuzzle into each other's cheeks.

"I missed you too, buddy," Kirishima coos, heart-melting at the feeling of having Ren hugging him. He loves your little boy and he never wants him to grow up despite how the idea of helping Ren become a true man, made his chest want to swell with pride, "Now, I know I already asked you this," he pulls away slightly to look into Ren's doe (e/c) eyes, "but is it okay for me to take your mama out today?"

"Yeah! Kiripima and mama have fun!" Ren cheers, throwing his arms up in celebration. It's evident that this is what he wanted all along and you and Kirishima were just dancing in the plush palm of his little hand.

Kirishima had insisted on planning out your first date the instant you said yes and now you were seeing the fruits of his labor. It was really adorable seeing him get so enthusiastic about what he had planned for the two of you. His excitement quickly got contagious and you were soon bouncing on the balls of your feet despite not knowing where your first destination was; apparently there were multiple destinations.

The first being the aquarium. It had just opened so it was pretty crowded, "Lemme hold your hand," Kirishima grinned down at you after paying for tickets, "I wouldn't want to lose my beautiful date in such a crowded place," with your flustered expression and a blank mind, you're surprised you were able to respond, somewhat, normally and reach out to fulfill his request.

"What do you want to look at first?"

"The sharks!" your reply instinctively, eliciting a look of surprise from the redhead.

"Why sharks?" even though he found it surprising, he still helped you navigate your way to the expansive display featuring the carnivorous fish.

"Well, actually..." you giggled to yourself, releasing some tension in your shoulders before continuing with your explanation, "whenever I would put on wildlife documentaries for Ren, he'd always point to the sharks and say 'Kiripima'," you laughed at the wide-eyed expression on the prohero's face, "I think it was the sharp teeth that did it for him,"

It took Kirishima a while to let the information sink in before he was grinning widely, "Would his favorite song be 'Baby Shark', too?"

"Yes!" you squeal before engaging in peels of laughter with the man.

After the sharks, you and Kirishima went around just exploring the places your feet took you to, from coral reef displays to Jellyfish and dolphins. Conversations were relaxed and happy and often consisted of your son. At first, you were very self-conscious about being too focused on how Ren was doing and telling Kirishima your son's entire life story the redhead didn't seem to mind one bit, in fact, he eagerly encouraged your speech concerning Ren. It made your heart feel so incredibly warm and light; Ren is such a big part of your life and seeing the person you were beginning to really care for also express his interest for your son was so reassuring.

On your way to your next destination, the two of you snatched up some street food to snack on along the way. You were happy to find that he had taken you to a bowling alley with retro neon light signs hung up on their walls, a lively bar to the side, and a shoe renting service as fun music filled the background with jovial conversations

"I reserved a place for us ahead of time," Kirishima declared as he points your gaze to an empty aisle, "I'll go tell them we're here and order some snacks, what would you like?"

"Would you like me to pay for the snacks?" your brows furrowed with concern, "I don't want you paying for everything today,"

"It's alright, you can pay me back by planning and paying for our second date," he winks at you, loving the way you easily get embarrassed and avoid his eyes, "so~ snacks? drinks?"

"Umm, a strawberry slushie and maybe...a small pizza to share?"

"Any preferred toppings?"

You shrug your shoulders, finally able to smile up at him as the hotness in your cheeks dissipate, "I'm good with anything,"

"Sure thing!"

As Kirishima walks off to the sign-in desk, you lean against the wall and smile softly, staring at his retreating back. Tonight is going so well. Nothing would be able to change that. Your chest his warm and full, your thoughts are clear and unpolluted and your body feels so light; you could float to the moon if you wanted to. It's the same feeling as when you first fell in love with Ren's father but with Kirishima, it felt even more amplified.

Maybe it was because you hadn't felt romantic love in such a long time or maybe it's because nobody had ever loved you the way Kirishima has. Despite his quirk, he's gentle as could be when holding your hand. He treats you with respect and as an equal, unlike the males that vyed for your attention but instantly backtracked and scoffed when they found out you were a single mother. Those people weren't men, Kirishima is. And he loves Ren, maybe even more than you do.

How lucky you are to have met such a wonderful man.

"You can get right to your aisle, here's your number, and your order will be delivered to you soon,"

"Thanks a lot," Kirishima smiles toothily at the worker, taking his order number and making his way back to you so that he could lead you to your aisle. However, the instant he turns around and faces you, his ears pick up on disgusting whisperings from people nearby. The prohero knows you're gorgeous, you have a unique beauty that make heads turn the instant you step into a room so it wasn't a surprise to hear boys admiring your beauty from a distance. He can accept that, they have every right to admire your beauty but what ticked him off was the fact that they were considering making a competition out of asking you out successfully. These adults are little boys in disguise from how appalling their thought process was.

"Hey go and ask her out, I bet you she'll say yes and if she doesn't, we owe you a fiver each,"

That was enough. It only took Kirishima four long strides to reach you and slam his fist against the wall beside your head as he turned to glare dangerously at the group of boys that tried to strut your way but were instantly stopped in their tracks. His jaw was tightly clenched and his muscles instinctively tensed, making them bulge out more. He was never one to pull such a dark and murderous scowl even on villains but it came so naturally when the situation called for him to protect you.

It made you jump when Kirishima suddenly punched the wall to the right of your head but it might explain the reason why, in spite of the smile you flashed him as he made his way back to you, it wasn't returned and now he was glaring very darkly at a group of men to your far left.

"E-Eijiro?" you called gently as you reached up to cup his face and direct his attention back to you. Upon looking into your concerned gaze, he immediately relaxes and rests his forehead against yours as his hands fall to your waist, pulling you closer.

"Sorry, those guys weren't acting like men at all," he closes his eyes to sigh but when he opens them again, he can still see the evident worry in your eyes and in the feeling of your thumb rubbing soothing streaks on the side of his face, "but let's not let them ruin our night together,"

With that, he leads you to the aisle he reserved and started a friendly competition of bowling. Kirishima had gone bowling many times with the bakusquad while they were still in UA so he was pretty familiar with how to hold a bowling ball, you, however, struggled like a newborn fawn.

"Are you alright there, Bambi?" he chuckles as you shakily hold up the hefty ball and walk up to where the bowling area starts.

"Shush your mouth," you hiss in embarrassment. This was a completely new experience for you so it was only natural for you to struggle for the first few tries. The only problem was that you don't feel like you're getting used to the hold or action of rolling the ball no matter how many times you try. Wanting to at least achieve a decent score, you look over your shoulder timidly, "Eijiro, can you help me please?"

Did you know you were fluttering your eyelashes at him or was it all a trick to have him fall at your feet? Either way, he couldn't say no and was quickly pressed up against your back as he covered your small hands with his bigger, calloused one, his other held you firmly at the hip to ground you in place.

"Like this," his rough but soft voice guides you through the action, and, through it, with an additional try, you were able to get a spare, "Well done, Bambi," Kirishima grins, eyes closed with his sharp teeth on full display.

"Thank you Eijiro," and he receives a kiss. For the rest of your time spent bowling, Kirishima actively helps you for more kisses and eventually finds out that if he pouts after failing to get a spare or strike, you would give him a kiss to comfort him too. Eventually, he uses that as an excuse to give you a kiss if you ever get a bad score.

Using that same excuse, Kirishima gives you the biggest and deepest kiss at the end of your time bowling. There wasn't a winner or loser because both of you were winning in each other's arms.

Since your babysitter had to depart early, Kirishima couldn't take you to his final planned destination but he didn't mind; the memories you made together were still precious and something he will be looking back on often.

"It gives me a good excuse to take you out again as soon as possible, so don't worry,"

"Thank you so much," you smile as you approach your door, "and thank you for walking me home,"

"It's alright..." you see him bite his bottom lip and continue looking up at him curiously, "but I also just really wanted to see Ren again," this made you laugh. As soon as Ren saw Kirishima on TV fighting evil, he fell in love and it seems as though the instant Kirishima met Ren at the park, he fell in love too.

When you open the door, running footsteps greet your ears, soon enough, Ren is colliding with your legs to hug them, "Be careful, my little lotus," you giggle, "you're going to make me trip," Ren ignores your statement when he spots Kirishima and makes grabby hands at him too.

"Kiripima!"

"Ren!"

As your boys have their reunion, you go to pay the babysitter and see her off as Kirishima takes Ren inside, sitting on his shoulders. After locking up, you let your ears lead you to the only place in the house where laughter was suspended in the air, only to find a heartwarming scene. 

On the floor, was Kirishima, playing with Ren who seemed to be acting as the hero. The pro was already down for the count and dramatically coughing to make it look believable that he was gradually dying until he fully collapses, limbs spread out like a star after a particular hit to his stomach, 'dead'. In concern for his favorite hero, Ren drops his fists and kneels down to clench his tiny fists into Kirishima's shirt and gently tug on it.

"Kiripima, okay?" he shakes him again, "...Kiripima?" your darling son gave a weak whimper, turning your heart weak as the prohero had him fully believing that he was knocked out and terribly hurt. Just as you saw tears surface, Kirishima springs to life and brings the boy to his chest with a laugh. By the end of it, they're both a giggling mess.

"Sooo..." your voice smoothly cuts through the domestic scene, "what do you guys want for dinner?"

"Dinner?" Kirishima asks.

"Stay," Ren says, tugging on the redhead's shirt again as he sits in his lap, "mama cook deli-delchous! Yummy!" Ren demonstrates by smiling as he rubs his tiny stomach. Unable to resist your son's charms, Kirishima nods and is immediately greeted with a tight embrace from the boy, "mama, cook meat please!"

"Oh~" you coo, "What kind of meat?"

"Good, yummy meat!"

"Good yummy meat it is!"

Chapter Text

You are, somewhat, glad that Ren convinced Kirishima to stay. Evenings preparing dinner would usually consist of Ren constantly trying to get your attention in hopes of playing with him but you can't just abandon your place at the cutting board or stove to play pro heroes; it could cause a fire or some other accident and your stomachs would be empty for the night. A hungry Ren wasn't a cute Ren. Now that Kirishima was there to entertain your three-year-old, cooking dinner was much easier. 

As a result of your kitchen being connected to the living room and only being separated by a countertop, you could very clearly hear and see your two favorite boys playing around. It was the cutest thing, and your heart was a puddle of goo. At first, Kirishima had offered to help but with your instance on cooking dinner for everyone and Ren's adorable pleading to play with 'Kiripima', the red-head was soon rolling around on the floor with your son. Either that or he was standing tall with Ren in his secure grip as he took your little lotus flying around the room. Ren was animatedly flapping his arms up and down like a bird, attempting to imitate bird sounds or catchphrases from the pro hero Hawks, it was too much for your little heart. 

Even though he had agreed at first, Kirishima always took advantage of when Ren got briefly distracted by something to ask if you were really okay with cooking all the food on your own. After the third time, you had had enough. It was sweet though, and yet, as he leaned in to whisper his question for the fourth time, you went up on your toes and kissed him softly. 

"I've got everything covered," you leaned back, eyes staring fondly at the dopey smile on his face, "go back before Ren notices you're gone-"

"Kiripima! Mama! Kiss Ren too!" looking down at Kirishima's feet over the counter, you see Ren staring up with a pout, his arms raised and his small hands making grabby motions. Of course, Kirishima picks him up to press a kiss against his right cheek as you do the same with his left cheek.

In no time at all, dinner was ready and, as the table was being set by Kirishima and Ren, you transferred dinner into bowls and plates. Ever since Ren turned two, he was able to feed himself so it was quite curious for you when Ren held his spork out to Kirishima as a demand to be fed by him. And so, commenced the most adorable scene you've ever witnessed. Kirishima was more than happy to help feed Ren, he even went so far as to make airplane noises whilst imagining Ren's little spork to be an airplane. 

"Wow! You eat so well Ren!" Kirishima congratulates and Ren is grinning brightly until he catches sight of a vegetable on the spork, whereby he immediately leans away. Noticing this, Kirishima pulls his brows together as he frowns softly, "Now now Ren, don't want to grow up to be a strong and tall man?" Ren is frowning but is gradually losing his stubbornness towards the vegetable, "don't you?"

"Yeah! Ren strong like Kiripima!"

"That's right," Kirishima grins again, "now open up,"

"Ahhh~" and Ren finally eats the one vegetable he's despised ever since birth. Astounded, you stare on with your mouth agape, as soon as Kirishima noticed your expression, he winks your way and continues feeding Ren. 

As soon as Kirishima gets a taste of your cooking, his eyes sparkle and he grins so happily; he almost broke the spoon that was still in his mouth from his sharp teeth, "This tastes so delicious, (Y/N)!" you blush and tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, "You'll make such a good wife one day," he mutters under his breath. You're sure he wasn't supposed to say that out loud so you didn't draw too much attention to it despite your face becoming abnormally hot. 

As the night drew to a close, Kirishima was soon preparing to leave whilst thanking you for the amazing meal you cooked up for everyone until Ren came up and tugged on his pant leg. 

"Kiripima stay for bedtime," shocked, you and the red-head stare down at your son with wide eyes, "Kiripima sleep wit Ren and Mama!"

It was spontaneous and embarrassing at first but you and Kirishima eventually fell asleep in the same bed with Ren cuddled up by both of you in the middle, content smiles stretched over your lips. That night you slept better than you ever did before, perhaps it was because you felt safer with Kirishima right beside you or because your family finally kept complete. Either way, you secretly wish that it would happen again soon. 

Ever since Kirishima had such a great time over at your house for the night with Ren, eating such delicious homemade food, he was constantly over at your house for dinner. Many times, he would buy the ingredients on the way to your home as his way of saying 'thank you'. Of course, he always asked what was for dinner beforehand, and, from that, you gave him the ingredients you were missing and needed. He would take the time to have dinner in your cozy residence almost every day of the week, however, whenever he was gravely injured or looked too roughed up from an arduous fight, he wouldn't let himself go as he didn't know how Ren would react.

Affectionately, Kirishima recalls and kept in mind how, when he had first met the little boy, Ren was quick to notice and morn over a scar on his jaw. It wasn't a noticeable scar from afar but definitely became obvious when someone looked closer. Knowing how observant and empathetic Ren was, Kirishima made sure to keep him away from the reality of hero work as much as possible. Only when he's older, will Kirishima be more willing to face him with the truth.

Imagine watching Ren grow up, by your side, holding your hand and caring for Ren as much as you do, if not, more. That sounds like a dream. Just the thought of that had the pro heroes face turning pink as his cheeks were tempted to lift his lips up into a smile. He tried to suppress it, however, by gently biting down on his bottom lip but it was no use, his dopey grin was obvious. 

"What are you smiling so much about, Shittyhair?" Bakugou's rough voice snaps the redhead out of his trance, looking around, his soft blush becomes an embarrassing crimson as he realizes that his entire group of friends had their eyes on him. 

"Uhhh..."

"I bet it's that girl of yours," Kaminari speculates, wriggling his brows deviously as Kirishima's own brows shoot to his hairline. 

"How did you know?!" ignoring the fact that he just ratted himself out, Kirishima demands an immediate answer with his wide, sharp stare. 

"So this is real?!" Mina interjects, holding up a tabloid with a picture of Kirishima from the back, entering your household with your hands and legs visible outside of his silhouette. 

This can't be good...

You weren't comfortable with the idea that your identity could potentially be figured out by millions of people, especially considering Ren's age and the vulnerability that comes with that. However, the firm promise Kirishima vowed in protecting you was all you needed to feel reassured. His eyes blazed with an undeterred resolve as his voice dripped with a devotion that was thicker than honey. That was all it took to trust him with your life and your son's life too, however, you would also be there for Ren alongside the pro hero - the added protection of maternal instincts further assuring you. 

Even though that was one issue, it was somewhat resolved, this current one, however, needed some getting used to. Kirishima had admitted to disclosing your relationship with the rest of his Hero team, who consisted of Ground Zero, Charge Bolt, Cellophane, and Pinky, despite wearing casual outfits, they were still easily recognizable. Now, you stand before them with Ren in your arms, whose eyes sparkled with bright excitement but whose body expressed timidity. 

Gesturing to Ground Zero, you softly speak up to Ren, "Who is he, Ren?"

Your timid three-year-old takes a moment to play and wriggly with his fingers before uttering, "Bakudo..."

It may have been just your imagination but there was a humble dusting of pink across the explosive hero's cheeks as soon as Ren muttered his name. Despite being mispronounced, it seems as though your son still had the same effect on the usually fiery blonde. 

"And me! What's my name, little guy?" Kaminari enthusiastically chimed in, stretching his neck to be in Ren's line of sight as the pink-skinned hero did the same from the left. 

"Me too!" 

Ren looked at the electric pro with a small smile, "'Nari!" he exclaims and turns to the horned, pink hero beside him, "Mina!" both their eyes turned glossy with tears of happiness and awe from how adorable your son was as Ren faced Cellophane, "Se-" he begins, "-anta!" and finishes. The black-haired hero throws his head back with a laugh before grinning toothily at your son.

"Just call me Sero lil' bud," he reaches out and pets Ren's hair affectionately as you and Kirishima look on, observing the scene like proud parents. 

"It's kinda strange that he knows our real names and not just our hero aliases," Mina thinks aloud as Kaminari nods in agreement and Sero looks down at you for an explanation. 

"Actually..." you giggle, "he wanted to watch a lot of clips online about Kirishima but he wasn't satisfied with the 'few' that were posted there so I ended up showing him your UA sports festival," they all make noises of understanding, "he ended up watching all of them from there and now he knows you by your real names,"

"Hah?!" Bakugou exclaims loudly, drawing all attention to him. 

"You mean you like Kirishima more, over me?! Huh?! Kid?!"

Ren smiles brightly at Kirishima's name being mentioned and throws his arms up in a cheer, "Kiripima!" at this, Kaminari, Mina, and Sero awe audibly, snickering under their breaths as they do so. In the meantime, Kirishima bites back a very happy, very wide smile. 

"Why?!" Bakugou presses, stepping closer to you and Ren and leaning down so that he can have eye contact with your little lotus. You were being pretty intimidated by the blonde but seeing as Ren was still smiling happily, you couldn't argue and ruin his experience of meeting the number one hero. 

"Kiripima strong!" Ren attempts to exaggerate by flexing his little arm muscles although there were none, "Kiripima best!"

"WHAT?!"

"Back up, Bakugou," seeing that his blonde friend was actually willing to challenge a three-year-old, Kirishima finally steps in and takes Ren from your arms before bringing the little boy close to his chest. He had hope that Bakugou wouldn't take it to heart considering Ren's age but he needed to back up before Ren started crying or something. It was odd though; Kirishima had never seen Ren cry before, even if he tripped, he always got back up, dusted himself off, and carried on. And, sometimes, if he got scratched, he would know to go to you for a bandaid, not a trace of a single tear in his doe eyes. 

"I thought for sure that Bakugou would have made him cry by now," Sero mutters from Kirishima's right. You just so happened to hear this and smiled widely. 

"He stopped crying so much after he got to know you on TV, Kirishima," you explain, catching everyone's attention in the room. 

"What do you mean by that?"

"I think he likes how brave and how strong you are. Maybe he's aware that I'm a single mum and looks to you for inspiration on how to help me because he's seen you help so many other people," as you continue explaining the reason why Ren may not cry as much as other children his age, the red-head looks down at the boy in his arms and smiles softly. It made his chest fill up with pride and happiness at the idea that Ren looked up to him so much. It's better than any compliment anyone has ever expressed to him. Even if the queen of England came up to him and marveled openly at how strong he was, it still wouldn't amount to the astronomical compliment of having Ren view him so fondly, "And I think that's why he made it his life's mission to get you and me together," this catches Kirishima's attention immediately. 

"You noticed it too?" the red-head chuckles. 

"Of course I did, he's my son, after all,"

"And apparently he's a little cupid too," Mina awes, leading everyone to nod in agreement.

"So how do you feel about being on the tabloids and social media," Bakugou springs up after Ren finds his way into the blonde's arms. It was surprising but Bakugou didn't seem to mind your little lotus tracing patterns on his chest with a finger, atop his shirt. 

"Uhhh...well," you avoid Kirishima's eyes, "I'm not happy or comfortable with it but I know I can trust Kirishima in protecting me and Ren,"

Bakugou huffs and clicks his tongue, "Like this idiot can protect you two at all hours of every day," you expected Kirishima to lash out in his own defense but the red-head actually stood back with a smile. 

"Are you gonna help me protect (Y/N) and Ren too, Bakugou?" Kirishima teases as you gasp softly in pleasant surprise. 

"I can help them by myself, idiot!" the blonde lashes out. 

"Awww~ thanks man," 

"Us too Kirishima," Mina chimes in as Sero and Kaminari grin from either side of her. You're so grateful. Kirishima went to pull his teammates in for a group hug as a way to express his gratitude but his arms were pushed away by Bakugou, breaking his attempt before it even commenced. 

"Don't assume that I'm doing this for you!" Bakugou's deep frown softens slightly as he stares down at Ren, "I have a little girl too so..." just as the blonde trails off, Ren reaches up and caresses the hero's cheek whilst eying his frown. 

"Bakudo, please no be sad," Ren pokes his small finger into Bakugou's cheek and tries to lift his lips into a smile, to which the blonde pulls away from with a click of his tongue. 

"I'm definitely protecting this kid, just so he knows that I'm the better hero," Bakugou insists, doing his best to hide his blushing face and starry eyes from your son's sweet actions. 

As time went on and your relationship with Kirishima progressed, many more pictures of you and Ren with Kirishima kept getting taken, it's come to a point now where people know yours and Ren's faces explicitly. Through it all, Kirishima made multiple attempts at stopping the constant taking of pictures but, despite his efforts, the media didn't stop. You were very understanding with this, knowing that it's close to impossible to keep media and paparazzi away from a hot topic. The one thing you're grateful for is the fact that Kirishima and his close group of pro heroes and friends have promised to be there for you when you need them and now you have their personal numbers on speed dial as well as their agencies. 

You never wanted to have to phone any of them but you're aware that some situations call for such a thing. 

It's been a week since your full face was exposed on a tabloid and posted all over social media, now everyone knows who you are and many people in public have come up to you asking if you're Kirishima's new girlfriend. What else can you say except the truth? So you tell them the truth. Most of them were Red Riot fans so they quickly congratulated your relationship and expressed their gratitude and sentiments for a long and happy relationship with the pro hero. Most encounters were just fine whilst the very few that tried to lash out were quickly stopped by others nearby, who took example from their favorite heroes, especially knowing that you had your young son with you. 

However, one encounter was particularly nasty. 

It was Ren's biological father. He seemed to have recognized your face in newspapers and all over social media and had sought you out. He looked terrible. His attire wasn't put together well and his rough beard made him look as disorganized as his messy hair. It made you wonder what happened to him after he left you to go through pregnancy and caring for Ren alone four years ago. 

"What do you want?" you asked, bringing Ren into your arms. You were in a quaint park that not many frequented so you were very much alone with just Ren. Kirishima was with you but had run off a while ago to get drinks and snacks for everyone and with special intent on spoiling Ren. 

"I just wanted to see my son, that's all," the man tried to play it off as he made eye contact with Ren. He was smiling an obviously fake smile, which made Ren really uncomfortable, therefore, the instant they made eye contact your son hid his face in the crook of your neck. 

"You've been gone for four years, what made you change your mind and come looking for us now?" you ask, trying to keep your voice steady and not set off Ren. He's your big brave boy but encountering a stranger that claims to know him is a different story to getting scrapes from running. On top of that, you also hope to stall the conversation long enough for Kirishima to come back.

"I just really missed my son,"

"You don't even know his name," you counter, past bitterness seeping into your speech, "or his favorite color or his favorite food. You have no right to call him your son,"

"Won't you give me chance?"

You didn't believe in his intentions, "No,"

"Oh! So your standards are so high now, you can only date a prohero?!"

"So this isn't about Ren and about me dating Kirishima?!" he's got some nerve. You really tried to keep your voice from raising too high in that instance but it proved harder than you thought. 

"You can't date him!"

"And you can't dictate what I do with my life," your voice is calm but firm as you press Ren closer to your chest, "unless you're willing to be a good father to Ren and really be there for him, then you're out of my life. You were out of my life the instant you abandoned me when I was pregnant."

"You can't be happier than me..." 

His ridiculous statement made you speechless, "I can't believe you just said that..." there was a craziness in his eyes that made you take a step back as he took a step forward. Hearing the shake of your voice Ren looked up at you, bottom lip wobbling as he raises a hand to caress your cheek. 

"Mama..." he whimpers as you gently shush him. 

"It's okay baby,"

"Be Mine Again!" your ex shouts, finally setting Ren off, bulbous tears falling from his doe eyes. 

"Never!" you snarl back, keeping your voice down as you tuck Ren's face into the juncture of your neck and shoulder, "Never again. You're not a good man. You're not a good father,"

Just as your ex was about to shout once more, Ren saw Kirishima's approaching figure over your shoulder and desperately calls out to him, "Kiripima!"

"Ren!" you warn, moving to steady your son as he was about to fall off your shoulder from reaching over with his grabby hands towards his favorite hero. Kirishima's attention is immediately drawn to the two of you, his happy grin dropping at the sight of an unknown man rapidly approaching your figure. 

"I'll show you how good of a dad I can be," you almost miss your ex's threatening words but you were still too late at processing his possible intentions. In no time at all, your ex was grabbing at Ren's arm as you gasp and cry for help. You didn't want this to become a physical tug of war with your son taking the place of the rope. 

"Let go of him now!" Kirishima shouts from behind you, dropping the newly bought snacks as you tried to push your ex away but to no avail. You were very nearly brought to tears when you hear Ren cry out in pain from having his arm be gripped too tightly. 

"Papa!" Ren cries, reaching out to Kirishima with his spare arm, immediately setting off the prohero's protective instincts. Neither of you even realized that that was Ren's first time calling Kirishima by that title. The red-head had imagined the moment many times in his head, in scenarios that were far more pleasant than this one. However, it just proved how much closer the two had grown and how much love they had for one another as father and son. 

"He's not your dad, I am!"

Before your ex could grab at Ren with his other arm, after he had set it free from your retaliation, Kirishima had his wrist in an iron tight grip. The redhead's grip was so tight, you could see your ex's hand get pale at the loss of blood circulation, making him lose his grip on your son's arm. 

"I. Told. You. To. Let. Him. Go." Kirishima growled, grinding his teeth to keep his voice low for Ren. Your weak ex finally did and was immediately thrown to the ground as you took multiple steps away, focusing your full attention on Ren; trying to calm his shivering and put a stop to his tears by stroking his back and whispering words of comfort into his ears, "I convinced myself to man up and be civil whenever I met you for the first time, despite hearing what you put (Y/N) and Ren through. But," Kirishima hissed as he leaned in close, eyes shadowed over with murderous intent, " you aren't man enough to be treated like that," Kirishima had never been so threatening before but hearing the desperation in Ren's voice and seeing both of your distressed tears, he lost full control and was now running purely on instincts, "you're someone that doesn't like talking; you like to shout and scream and throw punches. If it's punches you want to throw then I can help you with that..."

Kirishima pulls his clenched fist back, ready to punch your disgusting ex in the jaw but the gentle touch you place on his arm has him tensing for only a moment before his tight fist unclenches and he releases the man under your soft request, "Please stop, Eijiro...lets leave him be and just file for a restraining order...I don't want you to get in trouble," Kirishima didn't say another word but left your ex laying on the ground, gasping for breath from the unadulterated, intense fear he was put through. As the redhead walked away, he made sure to have his hand on your waist as Ren cuddled up in his spare arm, giving him the peace of mind he needed to know that you were both safe and sound. 

"Thank you, Papa," the tension in the air broke at Ren's soft whisper, bringing a grin to Kirishima's face instantly replacing his previous scowl. 

"So it's 'papa' now, huh?"

"Kiripima, Ren's papa!" you and the prohero laugh at Ren's sudden change in expression. Now he was smiling widely, like always. 

"Ren," your little lotus points to himself, "Mama," he points to you, "Papa," and he finally points to Kirishima, "Family!" he cheers as you both lean down and kiss his chubby cheeks. 

"A happy family," Kirishima grins, bouncing on the balls of his feet at the idea of playing such an important role in both your lives. 

You smile up at the red-eyed hero in agreement, also giddy with jubilation, "The happiest,"

Chapter Text

Looking around your new penthouse apartment, you grin proudly. It wasn't the fanciest penthouse, nor was it ornamented with an extravagant, glass chandelier but it was simplistic and modern, and far better than your previously grubby apartment. From when you first started out your baking business, you were at the very bottom, in a small and cramped apartment between a neighbour whose baby always managed to cry throughout the entire night and another, who was always getting himself inebriated with a fair number of his rambunctious friends. It wasn't the ideal place to live in at all.

Everything went into your bakery.

The beginning was rough but as your business grew and blossomed into the expansive renowned establishment that it is now, you were able to save up enough money to buy your dream penthouse apartment. 

"All that hard work was worth it..." you utter to yourself after you saw the movers out. 

Taking in the sleek and stylish penthouse around you, you laughed, remembering the words and voices of the people that once doubted your dreams of making it big in business as a young woman. They also managed to underestimate your quirk in doing so. Your quirk is called charm. Essentially, you are always able to craft something charming, as long as it's created by your hand then it can hold the charm that you intended it to have and it can be made from any material, even from junk. 

It wasn't cheating. You had to work just as hard to perfect your craft of baking and creating beautiful desserts to be able to pull off opening three bakeries across Japan - just because something had charm, doesn't mean it can get away with not tasting good. You're now the proud owner of stellarly reviewed bakeries spread throughout the country and you couldn't be happier. Featuring in various cooking magazines, you were able to express your humble beginnings at your parents' countryside orchards, hence why so many of your recipes contain fruits and appeal to those that want healthier alternatives but still possess a sweet tooth. Despite the insurmountable amount of publicity your bakeries received, you remained humble as your focus wasn't on the money. 

Bringing joy to those that ate your sweet treats, knowing the hard work and love that you put into each and every one of them only further assured you that you made the right choice. The only people to ever believe in your dreams were your parents, they had your back the entire time and happily supplied you with their beautifully grown seasonal fruits. To this day, they are still one of your top suppliers. Giving all your love into your baking creations and business was all that you've known for the past few years of your life. 

In recent months, things have been very busy seeing as you were in the process of opening up yet another bakery in Tokyo. It was your biggest bakery yet, hence why you were moving into a penthouse apartment within the bustling city. The newest bakery in Tokyo was going to become your main premises after you painfully said your goodbyes to the one back in Hiroshima. It wasn't the end of the world though, you were starting yet another new chapter in your life through this in addition to a partnership with a rapidly growing cafe. Due to your popularity, you've managed to collaborate with a well-known tea chop attempting to establish itself as another big corporation. Seeing as the owner also had humble beginnings, the two of you wanted to support each other, and what better way to do so than join hands and create a coalition that was beneficial to both? 

"Life is good," you sigh, smiling to yourself as you slumped down into your new leather sofa. 

The business was spritely at your new location in Tokyo. Many foreigners visiting Japan left with smiling faces as Tokyo folk visited, explored, and often came back for more the next following days. As you begin to smile at yourself, eyeing the dozen, carefully but beautifully packaged red velvet cupcakes in your arms, you stop in your tracks. You take a moment to strain your ears and see if what you heard was correct. Not a moment goes by before the sound of sorrowful sniffles greet you, swiftly reeling your attention to a bench beside the bus stop not too far away from your apartment complex. 

Propped up on the pew, hunched over and wiping at her teary eyes, was a little girl with soft, blonde hair, flushed cheeks, and teary crimson orbs. The strings of your heart pulled at you and, in an instant, you were crouching down beside her, attempting to meet her eyes. You've always had a soft spot for children, but that grew all the more when you started your first bakery as they would always come in, raving about the delicious smell and the beautiful baked goods on display. Many times, families would come in requesting for birthday or any type of celebratory cake. The smiles on their faces always brightened your day and pulled you through gloomy climates. 

"Hey there..." you whisper, trying not to frighten her from your sudden appearance, "what's the matter?"

She meets your eyes and you have to keep yourself from gasping. She's a beautiful little girl. It made you wonder what her parents looked like but you were all the more upset that she had tears running down her flushed cheeks. The instant she met eyes with you she huffed. 

"I don't talk to strangers!" she snarls, trying to be intimidating with the furrowing of her brows, "Especially to stupid, ugly ladies that just want to talk to me to get to daddy!" 

"Now, now," you continue, just as softly as you began, knowing that her insult was just to protect herself, "I don't know who your daddy is but you're absolutely right there, it's not good to talk to strangers so let's change that." you offer her a warm smile, "My name is (Y/N) and I'm a baker," you subtly exhibit the cupcakes in your arms as a reference, "what's your name?" she took a moment to sniffle again but remained stubborn in the pause that followed so as to prolong her need to answer your question. Undeterred, you remained patient and smiled comfortingly.  

"...j-just because you tell me your name," sniffle, "doesn't mean I'm gonna tell ya' mine..."

"That's alright because that doesn't matter to me," you adjust the cupcakes in your arms, "what matters most right now is the fact that this lovely little girl is sobbing alone and I don't know how to fix it,"  

"I'm not sobbing," she grumbles, staring you right in the eye with her tearful ones as she pouts. Her appearance did nothing to convince you of the narrative she was aiming to coerce.

"Yeah, right, and pigs can fly," you tease as she poked her tongue out at you. This made you giggle, the sound of which made her shoulders relax ever so slightly. The blonde girl's daddy always said not to do that at people, especially towards him because they could get really angry (albeit, not as much as he would), but seeing your peculiar reaction spiked her curiosity. You're nothing like the women that tried to approach her dad, with their big fake boobs and skin-tight, short clothing. There was a moment of silence as she eyed your cupcakes and the branded symbol imprinted on the box that stored them. 

"Those look yummy," she mumbles under her breath, pointing timidly at the cupcakes in an attempt to distract you as she takes in more of your profile. You didn't smell like his dad, who smells faintly of sweat, caramel and the manly cologne uncle Kiri gifted him on his birthday. And you didn't smell like the women that approached him, always heavily scented with sickly sweet and powdery perfume. Instead, you smelled like cookies and cream and hot chocolate. It was strange but a good kind of strange. 

"Oh?" you grin, "You're welcome to have one if you'd like," 

She shakes her head, her blonde locks floating in waves through the air, "Daddy said not to take food from strangers,"

"And he's absolutely right," you hum in agreement, admiring how intelligent she was.

It looks as though she's about to smile pridefully but stops herself halfway in favour of crossing her arms stubbornly, "He's not always right..."

"Why's that?"

"Be-because he broke his promise!" so that's why she's upset, you connect the dots, "H-he said we'd spend time together but he always has to leave and Uncle Nari has to come look after me instead," 

"Do you not like your Uncle Nari?"

"I do...but I like daddy more," your eyes soften at her claim, reminding you of how much you adore your own father. 

"Did you and your daddy have an argument over this?" 

"...yeah," she doesn't know why she's telling you everything so willingly but she felt as if she could trust you. Your smile is kind and warm and nothing like the red-painted smiles of the disgusting evil ladies that always tried to catch her daddy's attention. Her daddy never liked those women so she didn't like them either. You weren't like them though, so she supposes you're alright. You kinda remind her of Uncle Kiri; when her daddy gets really angry and needs to be calmed down, Uncle Kiri would always have a gentle tone that had an, almost, instantaneous unruffling effect on her daddy's temper. That was what you were doing now, your kind gaze is calming and your serene voice is pleasant to listen to.  

You finally sit beside her on the bench, "I bet you're feeling very hurt right now," you sympathise as she nods her head, staring at her dangling little feet, "I felt the same way when I argued with my dad for the first time," this made her look up at you instantly with round, doe eyes asking you to elaborate and possibly help her make sense of her own situation, "I didn't want him to leave to do work because I wanted him beside me at all times," 

"What happened after?" she asks before whispering, "Did you run away?"

"Run away?!" your eyes almost bulge out of their sockets. That must explain why she was shouldering a backpack almost twice her size, "I could never do that; I love my dad too much," she hummed in thought, "don't you love your daddy very much?"

"The most in the world!" she nods enthusiastically.

"Then running away because of an argument wouldn't be a good enough reason," you see guilt and regret flood into her eyes as she turns to look down at her shoes again. 

"But what if he doesn't want me anymore?" she sniffles, "Because I shouted at him bad?...Daddy doesn't love me anymore," her voice is breaking and filled with heartbreak at the thought of her father no longer loving her, it breaks your own heart just listening to her weak voice. From how smart and stubborn she was earlier, you can tell that she's very strong and well-aware of things at her young age, so to see her vulnerable like this must be a rare sight. But, you suppose it's naturally, at the end of the day she was still a child.

Your heart clenched at her painful cries and you just had to pull her into an embrace. Thankfully, she didn't fight back and just cried into your shoulder. This made you holder her tighter, wanting to protect her from as much pain as possible. Sometimes, a sweet treat isn't enough to bring happiness and comfort to those than need it. Most of the time, all someone really needs is a shoulder to cry on and a tight hug to tell them that everything will be okay, that they are safe, and that there's nothing to fear.

"Shhhh...it's okay, love," you whisper, "everything's okay, you're okay...there, there," it took several minutes of you stroking her hair as she cried her little eyes out into the crook of your neck before she could finally begin to collect herself. 

Even when you were certain she had finally calmed down, she continued to bury her face into your shoulder, "D-do you think Daddy's angry?"

"He's angry, yes, but I bet you that he loves you too much to stay angry for long," she pulls away with sparkling eyes and a happy smile. 

"You think so?!" laughing at her enthusiasm, you smile and nod.

"Of course!" she sits for a moment, smiling to herself as you ask the question, "Were you planning to run away?"

"...y-yeah..."

"That's no good, your daddy will miss you," 

"But he shouted at me," she visibly deflated at remembering the scene with her dad.

"Just because your daddy angrily shouted at you, doesn't mean that he no longer loves you. You are his daughter after all," she doesn't say a thing and looks away with remorse, "...listen, I promise to give you a cupcake, heck! I'll give you all the cupcakes in this box if your promise not to run away and go back to your Dad,"

A faint blush tints her cheeks a charming pink as she looks away bashfully, "j-just one is okay...'cos daddy said that too much is bad for me," even with a sniffle she manages to give you a smile. 

"Your daddy must really love you then," you softly state as you hand over a promised cupcake. 

"I-It doesn't seem like it sometimes," she mumbles over a bite of the elegantly frosted, baked treat. 

"I know but he’s willing to have you hate him than have you get sick from eating too many sweets...I think that shows just how much he really really loves and cares for you," unable to resist, you boop her nose with your pointer finger after wiping away the stray buttercream that collected around her mouth. 

"Daddy really loves me?" her eyes are smiling as widely as her mouth while she ignores the warm feeling that your affectionate gesture kindled within her stomach. 

"Of course, he does!" you smile as she grins brightly, red velvet crumbs littering her plump cheeks, "You're a very polite and very adorable little girl, who wouldn't adore you?"

She wanted to smile at your compliments and reassurance but she only frowned upon remembering her earlier words, "I'm...I'm really sorry about calling you ugly a-and stupid...you're not any of those things,"

"It's alright, sweetheart," you coo wiping at her cheek, lovingly pushing away the stray crumbs that accumulated as she finished her cupcake, "you were just very upset and angry," she was in awe at how understanding you were, "but next time you're angry, make sure to tell your daddy or any other adult you trust, okay? Adults make mistakes too and your daddy needs to know when you're upset so that he's aware and so that the two of you can do something about it. You can even suggest doing something together to let the anger out, rather than run away,"

"Like what?" she tilts her head cutely.

"Maybe you can go to the park and run around until all the anger has left you," you jokingly suggest, "or...you can throw balloons of paint on a canvas and watch them burst to create an explosive painting! Or you can sing very loudly about how angry you're feeling!" you both laugh. 

"But-" she giggles with an adorable hiccup in between, "but I don't know how to sing!" she squeals when you go to tickle her sides.

"Nobody has to listen! And who says you need to know how to sing? You can just shout as loudly as you can until you can't anymore,"

"Daddy shouts like that all the time!" 

"Oh? To who?"

"To people that deserve it!" she leaves you to contemplate over what she means by that statement but seeing as she's not getting saddened by the idea, you assume that it's never towards her and doesn't affect her too negatively to be worth much concern. 

"Well...since I gave you that cupcake, will you stay?"

"Mhm!" she nods happily, "I always keep my promises," 

"Good girl," you smile, ruffling her hair affectionately. 

"But I can't go back home yet,"

"Why not?" 

"I wanna scare Daddy," she looks at you with pleading eyes as you send her a look of disapproval. You aren't an advocate for petty revenge, "pretty please?" but you were a sucker for puppy dog eyes. 

"Fine...but where will you stay?"

"Can't I just stay with you?"

You hummed in thought for a moment before a devious smirk made its way to your face, "I would say yes but inviting a stranger into my home is really dangerous..."

"My name is Katsumi Bakugou! And I'm six years old!"

Coincidentally, you appeared to live in the same apartment complex but what was more surprising was the fact that you were actually neighbors. Since you had moved in fairly recently and had been relatively busy with the new bakery opening, you weren't able to greet your neighbors with your usual smile and offering of baked treats. You had planned to do so eventually, however. Even though this was an elite penthouse, it didn't mean that you could abandon your manners and etiquette.

"I can't believe it, we're neighbors!" Katsumi cheers, happily running about your living space. 

"You seem very happy about that~" you tease lightly as she huffs with a grin.

"Of course, I am! Our old neighbor was a stuck-up businessman that talked only about himself! You're way more fun," in a way, you're a businessman too but, at least, she finds you more favorable.

To pass the time, you put on a movie to watch together and ate some popcorn, making sure to keep an ear out for any commotion happening in the neighboring apartment. Granted, it would be relatively quiet, seeing as these walls were built practically soundproof, however, you're sure that any parent's horror over their missing child would break through any wall. 

You were just about passing the halfway mark of your second studio ghibli movie with Katsumi when you heard barking, angry yells outside your apartment door. 

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU COULDN'T FIND HER?!"

"I-I! She wasn't here when I got to your apartment!"

"WHY WERE YOU TAKING SO LONG TO GET HERE DUNCE FACE?!"

"I wanted to bring a peace offering from that famous bakery that opened up, you know how upset she gets when you suddenly get called in-"

"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH! SHE'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN SOME DAMN CAKES!"

The growl and unequivocal wrath you sensed in the shouting male's gruff voice had you shooting out of your chair and running to the doorway with Katsumi in your arms. Worry was evident in both your eyes from the terror the man would cause just from the threatening tone of his voice. 

"It's okay, Daddy, I'm here!" Katsumi shouted, reaching out towards her father as soon as you opened your apartment door and the two blondes met eyes. She was fully intent on exacting her pretty revenge but that resolve melted away as soon as she heard the fear in her daddy's voice. Right now, all she wants is to be in her Dad's arms and curling up into his hard chest.

Truthfully, you were stunned to see the pro, Ground Zero, outside your apartment door, still dressed in his hero attire. If you could freely stare in awe, you would've been there all day. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The instant Ground Zero had Katsumi snuggled up in his arms for a tight hug, he sets her down behind him and comes at you with a vehement stare so piercing you felt a prickle of hot needles fly down your spine. 

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING WITH MY DAUGHTER? HUH?!" he roars, pressing you into the door of your apartment as he almost spits in your face.

A kabedon?! A very aggressive kabedon! And one that doesn't typically end with a passionate, mutual kiss! This doesn't bode well...

"N-nothing! Katsumi was really upset earlier and I just wanted to be there for her," you've seen Ground Zero out fighting villains many times on TV, and the way he reacts whenever he gets irritated by some shameless interviewer or reporter - it was frightening. And that was just through a screen. It was even more terrifying to be at the receiving end of his hellish rage; suddenly, there isn't any air left in your lungs to breathe back a reply, your mind is as blank as a new canvas and your eyes were beginning to tear up.

All you wanted was to have Katsumi smiling again, not this. 

"DADDY! STOP THAT RGHT NOW!" from behind him, Katsumi pulls Bakugou away by the ruffle of his trousers and moves to stand in front of you. She stares up into his eyes with an unwavering gaze as she places her small fists on her hips, her little feet shoulder-width apart, "(Y/N) IS MY FRIEND AND YOU WILL APOLOGISE TO HER FOR BEING A MEANIE!" you've seen the strong pro fight villains before and refused to give up after sustaining multiple lethal injuries, however, in front of his daughter, he was quick to surrender and turn to you with an apology, albeit reluctant and through clenched teeth. 

That day, you realised that only Ground Zero's daughter could face him in a fight and win.

Chapter Text

Now that you've met your neighbours, you were definitely dropping by with your home-baked, chocolate chip cookies. These were special though. Knowing that they were getting consumed by the most adorable little girl on the planet, you put in the extra effort of shaping the baked goods into teddy-bear faces. Truthfully, you were nervous to knock on their door, intimidated with knowing that the number one hero and his adorable but equally firey daughter, were just on the other side. If it weren't for you remembering the sweet girl that melted your heart, wrapping you around her little finger, you would have turned right around and eaten the cookies yourself. It wouldn't have been your first time eating your worries away but you pulled through for sweet Katsumi. 

It took several moments before the door opened to your knocks. You had hoped it would be Katsumi that opened the door just so your heart could stay settled for longer. However, with your luck, the casually dressed, number one hero ended up being the one to look down at you with his usually piercing stare, orbs of vibrant rubies framed with long, thick, blonde lashes. It sent your heart into a frenzy of emotions that you didn't know if you should place favorably or not. 

"What do you want?" his rough voice demands after growing irritated at your prolonged silence. He can tell that you were doing your absolute best not to let your eyes trail down to his defined torso and slim waist, clothed in a tight, black tank top. Admittedly, you're showcasing better restraint than most women that approach him so he demonstrated equal restraint with keeping from barking your ears off. His precious daughter also won't stop praising you so he supposes he needs to be more gentle when interacting with you. 

"Ummm, I-I just came to formally introduce myself as your new neighbor," you announce, swallowing the lump in your throat and raising the carefully wrapped cookies in your hands, "I also baked you and Katsumi a little something, I'm a baker after all," grunting, the hero takes the bundle of cookies from your hands and steps aside. Before you were able to ask him what he was doing, a sudden force collided with your legs. Letting out a surprised squeal, you flailed your arms to keep your balance as Bakugou holds back a smirk of amusement, lips sealed to his admission of finding your actions oddly endearing. 

"(Y/NNN)!" Katsumi cheered, hugging your legs with a bright smile on her face, "Did you come to play, huh?!" her eyes sparkled like the same rubies as her father's whilst eagerly staring up at you. 

"I'm sorry Katsumi-chan but I have to get to work soon," you apologize softly as you pet the top of her head, heart aching at the noise of sadness she lets out. 

"Here, firecracker," Bakugou gently eases Katsumi off you before handing over the cookies you baked, "she made you something,"

"Oh!" Katsumi opens the pretty packaging and gasps at the cutely shaped cookies, "Teddy bear cookies!" she awes openly, allowing for a smile to blossom on your lips; she's too cute for her own good, "I can really have these, Daddy?" she looks to her father who gives a brief nod with a grunt. 

"What do you say?" Bakugou gives a brief tilt of his head in your direction eyes still fixed upon his daughter. 

"Thank you so much, (Y/N)-san," holding the bundle of cookies to her chest, she bows to you with a bright grin. 

"You're welcome! I hope you enjoy them, Katsumi-chan,"

"If they're as good as the cupcakes you gave me last time then imma love them lots!"

"It's 'I'm going to', not 'imma', firecracker," Bakugou corrects with a subtle smirk directed at his daughter.

"You say 'imma' as well dad! Stop making me look bad in front of (Y/N)!" as Katsumi pokes her tongue out at her father, he sends a soft scowl her way. The scene was very sweet, it made your heart flutter in your chest and encouraged you to get baking, knowing that your baking creations come out best when you're in high spirits, especially with your quirk in play.

"Listen to your dad, Katsumi-chan, he just wants you to grow up well," 

You watch as Katsumi ponders to herself for a moment before nodding with a wide grin stretched across her face, "Okay!"

"So you're going to listen to her but not me, huh?"

"I love you, Daddy!" it's amusing to see the number one hero just grunt in agreement, not putting up the usual stubborn fight he showcases on TV and in interviews. It's a rare sight to witness so you ensure to bury it deep within your memory, ready to recall it with fondness in the future. 

"Well," you begin with a soft giggle, "I suppose I'll be going now, it was a pleasure officially meeting the two of you," with a bow, you turn and were about to leave if it weren't for the timid tug on your pant leg. Eyes softening and smile adorning your lips you hum at Katsumi questioningly upon turning to find her sheepishly staring up at you, one hand clutching your pant leg as the other still held a tight grip on your baked goodies. 

"You really can't stay and play?" from behind her, you hear Bakugou click his tongue as he crosses his arms, forcing his muscled chest to strain the fabric covering them as he leans against the doorframe. 

"I'm sorry, Katsumi-chan," you needed to be firm but it broke your heart to see the shattered expression on her sweet face, "but listen..." you kneel down to her level and tuck a strand of hair behind her cute ears, "you can always visit me at work," 

"Really?!" her eyes sparkled.

"Of course, I'll serve you personally," you mirrored her adoring grin with one of your own, not noticing the spark of interest in the eyes of the young girl's father. 

"Daddy, we're going!" Katsumi confirms as her father quirks a questioning brow.

"Whoever said that?" his gruff voice is gentle despite his ambiguous denial. 

"B-but-"

"We don't even know where she works," with a click of his tongue, Bakugou turns his gaze away from his daughter who's mood instantly brightened. 

"Thank you, Daddy!"

"Well?" ignoring Katsumi despite flashing her an acknowledging and kind stare, the tall blonde faces you with a stiff pout on his lips. 

"I work at the Bakery Kuidaore," 

"Pretty established place," Bakugou muses as he lifts himself from the doorframe.

Feeling bashful, you look to the floor, "Thank you but...it's still getting there,"

If Bakugou wanted to say something about the implications of your suspicious wording, he didn't, instead he watched as Katsumi made a pinkie promise with you to visit the Bakery as soon as possible so that you can spend time together even if you were working. He hasn't seen his daughter so excited and spritely around a woman other than her auntie Mina so it was pretty refreshing. Like a cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer's day, Bakugou relished in the moment's sweetness and slightly sour aftertaste.  

It's the same type of relationship Bakugou can imagine his daughter having with her real mother. If things were different, if events unfolded differently that day, if he didn't lose her then he wouldn't have to see his daughter be approached by strange women trying to get to him and his status or look longingly on at other children's 'whole' families when he goes to pick her up from school. She likes to act strong because she adores him and his tough exterior as much as he adores her and her mastered puppy eyes but he can see through her facade. She's just waiting to cry out to him but Bakugou doesn't know what to do.

"When can we go visit (Y/N), Daddy?"

"When you finish your homework," Bakugou firmly says as he tries not to smirk at her whine of protest and eventual sigh of compliance. 

Before you had left for work, you told Bakugou to mention that you asked them to come personally when they enter the cafe so that you get informed right away and stay true to your promise. You were determined to serve Katsumi and the number one hero yourself, not for their status but because they were your neighbors and it would be an honor to serve such a cute family; it reminded you of when you first started your journey as a small-time baker. You haven't explicitly seen Bakugou's partner so you were hoping he'd be comfortable enough around you to bring her along, you'd love to see the complete family. 

All Bakugou expected was for you to cater them as a waitress, not for him and his daughter to be led to the empty second floor and seated at the best table - on the balcony with a spectacular view of the city beside the ceiling-tall windows of the luxurious cafe and the climbing plants wrapping around the balcony railings.

The hero's suspicions were growing more with every moment that went by. It'll be impressive if he was proven right about your true position at the cafe, seeing as you're so young but he needs to see it to believe it first.

"Wowwwie!" Katsumi awes at the beautiful cafe and at the view they were sitting in front of, "This is such a pretty place, huh, Daddy?"

"It's not bad," Bakugou shrugs, leaning back in his chair as he takes in the breathtaking view. It was also nice that he wasn't mixing in with the other customers. Interactions with his fans during patrols were relatively pleasant so long as a villain didn't start attacking but this was 'Daddy-Daughter time'; he'd rather keep his daughter away from their attention and flocking, especially in an enclosed space.

"That means you really like it here, huh?" Katsumi cheekily pokes, smiling happily when she notices the twitch of a smile in her father's pressed lips.

If Bakugou was still his teenage self, he would've blown Katsumi up where she sat for her comment but ever since he had to raise her by himself, he's matured. She needs a strong parental figure in her life but also someone who was patient and assured her that she had no limits. It took time but he grew into those shoes almost perfectly, he was still rough and stubborn at times but it seemed as though Katsumi inherited her mother's understanding and caring nature. He doesn't know how but he's grateful. Katsuki was devastated when his former partner passed on but seeing a piece of her in his daughter, becoming a similar pillar of support and reassurance to him and his values, it was comforting. It's as if the world wanted to say that she was still looking after them with tender, watchful eyes despite not being physically there. Nevertheless, he and his daughter still argued sometimes, but it always ends with mutual regret and the willingness to forgive on both sides regardless of who started the dispute. 

"You know Daddy best, firecracker," these were one of the rare moments Bakugou could spend with his daughter and enjoy being a father. He never knew that the feeling of being number one could be so easily swamped by something he never thought to think twice about years ago. 

"Good noon!" a chirpy voice calls out, distracting the blonde pair, whose ruby eyes are instantly drawn to your approaching figure, "Thank you for taking the time to drop by even though I'm sure you could be doing something else," you sheepishly extend your gratitude. 

"Nuh-uh! We like you (Y/N)-san!" Katsumi blatantly expresses with wide eyes and a passion behind her intense gaze. 

"Of course," you giggle after overcoming your brief surprise at her blunt expression. Bakugou hasn't said anything to protest his daughter's statement and only continued staring at you with his signature pout, "I really appreciate the visit, please let me serve you my best," bowing to the pair, you proceed to guide them through the menu of available drinks, meals, and patisserie. 

Firstly, you served them their drinks and quickly followed with slices of cake and other desserts, "Yummy!" Katsumi cheers in delight crumbs all over her face. Bakugou finishes his bite before reaching over to wipe the crumbs off her face.

"Slow down," Bakugou warns gruffly, restraining his smile because you were still beside them from his daughter's insistence. Beforehand, Bakugou questioned the cafe's name but now he understands after sampling the popular menu items. He doesn't like many sweet things but you've somehow made the impossible happen, almost persuading him to keep eating until he was bankrupt; he doesn't blame his daughter for being so excited to stuff every plated dessert down, "today is our day so I'm sure we can stay here for as long as we want," 

"Can we?!" Katsumi turns to you, Bakugou taking the opportunity to wipe the other side of her face. 

"Of course, but only until closing hours,"

"When is that?"

"Not until eight at night,"

"That's my bedtime!" she cheers as you giggle with a nod, missing the sweet glance Bakugou flashes your way behind piercing ruby eyes. Whenever you interact with his daughter, it always looks so natural, very unlike the women that usually tried to forcefully fall into his arms; it was refreshing to have you around his daughter, "I can't believe you can bake this well. Daddy is really good at cooking but not at baking," Katsumi cheekily adds as her father starts to bark out in anger, although very much toned down compared to his usual protests. 

"That may be true but your father is capable of something so much better than my baking," staring into Katsumi's sweet eyes your gaze warms, "he saves people's lives," Katsumi good practically see the pride welling up within her father as his ego inflates an insurmountable amount.

"But you make people happy with your cakes and stuff too so that's just as important," 

"Well..." you lightly sigh in defeat, not having the heart to argue with her that much further, "I suppose different people have different values and ways of perceiving the world,"

You didn't outrightly object to her claim and you didn't go back on your word either, something that Bakugou appreciated. You didn't force your own values onto his daughter, letting her think for herself and decide what she wants to prioritize. That was something Katsumi also appreciated about you; other women she saw around her father either solely focused on him, trying to get as close as possible, or sucked up to her so as to get on her father's good side. It was all forced. It never felt nice. But you were different, she liked you a lot and her dad didn't seem uncomfortable or irritated around you either. It's like you're the puzzle piece they've been missing. 

Katsumi needs to keep you close, it's something she needs to do, she doesn't know why but the feeling in her tummy was saying that it has to happen, "Do you think I'll be able to bake as good as you?"

"With enough practice, then, of course! You're capable of anything you set your mind to," your eyes smile with your lips as you lovingly stroke her crumb-free cheek. 

"Can you teach me?!" 

It was a sudden request but how could you ever say no? "Sure I can! What would you like to make?"

"Something Daddy would like," Katsumi's full focus on you makes her miss the look of endearment her father sends her way. She's really a 'Daddy's girl' and he couldn't be happier; he should be the only man his daughter looks towards. Despite it being a fleeting ideal as she continues to grow, he wants to hope that she will stay his little girl forever.

"Well, what does Daddy like?" you ask politely as Bakugou tries not to choke on his drink. The images that flashed in his mind had never been so unsavory - had he grown some type of kink after becoming a father? That can't be...

"Spicy stuff!" the conversation carries on despite Bakugou's struggle for air. He's fine, as long as you two didn't catch an eyeful of the flustered and embarrassing state he was in. 

"Hmm..." it's unusual for desserts to be spicy but you're confident in a recipe, "Alright! On Sundays, the cafe closes early, earlier than your bedtime," you boop her nose, "around 5 pm, actually. So if you're up to it, I'll stay after hours and teach you a recipe that you can take home to your father,"

"Thank you so much, (Y/N)-san! Daddy, can I come on Sunday?" Bakugou grunts, "That's a yes! Thank you!" she cheers merrily, going to hug the grumpy blonde and sit on his lap as you stare on lovingly at the scene. 

Bakugou doesn't usually accept invitations such as the one you've extended without him being there to supervise, however, Katsumi really likes you - if her constant praises and likable descriptions of you were anything to go by. He trusts his daughter’s judgment, if she says you're a good person, then she's right; she is the center of his world so he'll allow it. The interactions he's seen the two of you share also cast you in a favorable light, which is reassuring. Not only that but it saves him from hiring a babysitter when his other hero friends are also out on patrols or missions. 

When Sunday finally comes, Katsumi couldn't sit still until Bakugou had dropped her off at your cafe. 

"Are you sure you can use the kitchen after hours?" Bakugou asked with a raised brow as you reached down to bring Katsumi into your arms and stand with her at your hip. 

"Oh don't worry, sir Dynamight," you persuade, "I'm the owner, after all," He wasn't shocked but that didn't stop his eyes from widening as you smirked and carried Katsumi to the cafe's kitchen. 

"See you later, Daddy!"

"Be good, firecracker,"

Seeing how Katsumi was so elated to be making something for her father made your chest fill with warmth. It's clear that Bakugou is a really good father from how much his adorable daughter seems to adore him to the ends of the earth. He must act very differently around her compared to other people, which is incredibly sweet and added to your existing fondness for the pro but also made you feel a little jealous. Dynamight was a hero that you greatly admired for his work despite his controversial way of approaching battles and colorful speech; it made you really want to see how he was around Katsumi when they're alone. You've had small glimpses from the limited interactions you observed of them so far, however, you craved more. Of course, this was an unreasonable desire so you easily trampled it down and moved it to the back of your mind. And, there, it stayed until Katsumi came bouncing in with her loveable personality and endless admiration for her father. 

"Today, we're making spicy chocolate truffles," 

"Ooo~ those sound yummy!"

"Fingers crossed your father approves of them,"

"We're just gonna have to put a lot of love into them so that he'll have no choice but to like them, then!" Katsumi says with fiery determination, one that was very reminiscent of a rough hero. It's astounding how similar yet so different they can be to each other. Laughing, you nod and get started, letting her complete small tasks on her own with a watchful eye, whilst the big tasks you completed together. It was a joyful and happy few hours that the two of you shared. 

"(Y/N)-san," Katsumi begins as you hum in acknowledgment. 

"What is it, dear?" 

"What do you think of my Daddy?" the little girl continues with a light blush coating her cheeks. Her dad usually calls her firecracker but never such loving nicknames, it's not that her dad doesn't love her because he's told her many times how much she means to him. No, it's not that. It just feels really good to be called 'dear'...especially if it's by you, someone that Katsmui adores almost as much as her father. 

Caught off guard, you almost ended up ruining the recipe but held through with a smile, "Well...he's very nice,"

"Gimme more!" her desperate whine made you laugh. 

"Alright, alright. I think he's a very talented person and, although not everyone agrees with him sometimes, his heart is in the right place," the soft, loving smile on your face made Katsumi jump in place with a wide grin. 

"Aaaaaannnnnnd~...?"

"People say he's destructive with his work but they don't know that he actually takes really good care of the surroundings when fighting villains and it's not directly a cause of his quirk that some buildings get damaged." you take a short moment to recall your fondest memory of him, "He saved my older bakery once, actually," 

"Really?!" Katsumi's eyes almost bulge out at the somewhat fated circumstances. 

"Yes, really," you convince, "I was just starting out my small business when there was a villain attack. Your father was very brave and fought fantastically against the villain, so much so that there wasn't a single scratch made on the walls of my bakery," Katsumi stands taller with the growth of pride in her heart at her father's favourability, "he really saved me that day and helped my bakery flourish. So despite others' views of him, I don't think his quirk is destructive at all, in fact, it's really beautiful, like fireworks," you giggle at the comparison, letting Katsumi join your merriment, "I love his quirk. I also love how skilled and adept he is at utilizing it to save innocent people as well as cause as little collateral damage as possible." turning to the pro's young daughter, you meet her stare with a wide grin, "He deserves the title of number one,"

That was all it took for Katsumi to envision a kaleidoscope of future scenarios with you and her dad spending time together, falling in love, and eventually completing their incomplete family to live happily ever after like in the movies she adores so much. It made her upset that her father was getting criticized so heavily ever since he was dubbed the number one hero so, to know that you had other opinions, you became the perfect person in Katsumi's eyes to be with her father. It can't be anyone else but you, she'll make sure of that. 

Once the truffles were carefully decorated and packaged beautifully, you took Katsumi home in time for her dinner so that she could have the truffles for dessert with her father. 

"Please come in! I want you to see Daddy's reaction too!" Katsumi begged as Bakugou only opened the door further to allow you inside, a complying slave to his daughter's demands. He looked fresh off of work, smelling deliciously of scented soaps and shampoo, just out of the shower, dressed in his sweats and a tight black shirt. 

At first, Bakugou looked at the truffle skeptically, seated at the dinner table with you and Katsumi seated opposite him to observe his reaction. Holding back a smirk at both of your eager expressions, he took a bite and allowed the flavors and texture to direct his expressions. 

"It's not bad..." 

"That means he really likes it!" Katsumi cheer and celebrates with you, high-fiving for a job 'well done', "Now, I wanna try it too,"

"Here you go," you offer to feed her a truffle that she happily takes a bite of, "how is it?"

"Yummy!"

Staring on at the scene, Bakugou's heart skips a beat, imagining his old lover in place of you. It was an endearing interaction but it also induced a deep ache within his heart. It made him realize the one thing he never wanted to admit; it was the fact that he missed and craves having a partner.

When he still woke up to his significant other sleeping beside him, Bakugou had been the most stable in his life despite not being the number one hero at the time. Now that he reached his dream and was also a single father, the stress weighed heavily on him no matter how meticulous and efficient he was about doing things.

Every once in a while his friends courteously offered to babysit, seeing the tension build up in his figure and mentality, however, Bakugou often refused in respects to their jobs as pro heroes. He also had his pride to keep from accepting their aid atop that. You, on the other hand, were different. You alleviated the pressure on his shoulders with ease because he knows his daughter really likes you, and that you were also happily willing to spend time with her, not just take care of her. 

It seemed almost too good to be true that you ended up being their new neighbour.

At that moment, Katsumi, seeing the way her father looked at you and remembering your words of fondness for the pro back in the cafe kitchen, became determined to set the two of you up. She'll recruit whoever she needs to but she was getting you and her father together.

Chapter Text

Bakugou doesn't know how it happened but, somehow, after months of you moving in, it was now routine for you to be spending Sunday nights over at his apartment with Katsumi. He would be responsible for cooking dinner as you had your little play date with his daughter and, to compensate for not helping out, you would have dessert pre-made and ready to be had after the main meal every time you come knocking at 6pm exactly. It needed some getting used to but Bakugou quickly grew accustomed to your company; you've done a lot for his daughter and for him as well, without even knowing it - you've become the first person he reaches out to when work calls him for patrol or for a high-risk attack and Katsumi doesn't have anyone to look after her. 

After seeing how well you handle his daughter, Bakugou is always assured that Katsumi will be well taken care of should he have to leave her under your care. It's comforting to have someone as reliable as you around his most precious and treasured daughter. 

Over time, the two of you built a good dynamic, working together to entertain Katsumi but also help her build good coping mechanisms whenever arguments happen; you never want her run-away attempt happening ever again. Bakugou wasn't a good example for that, clearly, as he was never taught how to properly handle his temper, instead, you have to step in to defuse the situation on both sides. Ultimately, you end up teaching both father and daughter how to talk things out and work through things together. 

There was one misunderstanding that you remember clearly, where a joke went too far. Bakugou insisted on calling Katsumi 'cherry-face' when she had gotten so angry and red in the cheeks after losing a race in mario kart. It seemed like an innocuous enough joke to Bakugou and, even to you, until you both heard a sniffle. You never knew that such a small and soft sound could send your heart thundering within your chest. When you both faced Katsumi, she was looking at the ground with clenched fists at her sides as tears dripped from her ruby eyes. 

"I-I'm not a 'cherry-face'...I h-hate daddy..." she weakly defended past her pouting and trembling lips as she feebly stomped her foot with a shake of her fists. Looking at Bakugou, he was frozen in place, unable to move with regret, guilt and self-loathing flashing across his own ruby orbs. That left you to take control of the situation. As you move to comfort Katsumi, you lightly brush a consoling hand down the prohero's arm, bringing him back to earth just in time to witness you kneel down before his daughter to bring her into your arms.

"There there, baby..." you coo softly, petting her blonde hair with one hand as the other holds her close to you, "shhh..." you settle her sniffles, pulling away after a while to wipe away her tears and snot with the hem of your shirt, "now I know you don't really mean that," she says nothing, "you love daddy very much, don't you?" you ask, loud enough for even Bakugou to hear. Katsumi nods and presses her face into your neck, mumbling something into your collarbone, "what was that dear? Speak clearly, now..."

"I-I do love daddy," 

"That's my good and honest girl," you praise softly, hearing the surprisingly soft footfalls of Bakugou approaching you two, "so how did it make you feel when Daddy called you 'cherry-face'?"

"V-very sad," she hiccuped accompanied with yet another sniffle. 

"Did you hear that, Bakugou-san?" you ask softly, pulling away to face the prohero kneeling down beside you. 

"Yes I did..." he grumbles softly before reaching out to pull Katsumi into an embrace, "I'm sorry, firecracker," he whispers into her hair, tightening his hold around her briefly, "I was just joking but I didn't know it hurt you that badly," a minute went by where Katsumi sighed and settled more comfortably into her father's arms after putting an end to her weak sniffles, "I promise not to call you that again,"

"I-I'm sorry too Daddy, I didn't mean it when I said I hated you,"

"You better," Bakugou joked with a rough but gentle chuckle, making Katsumi playfully punch his shoulder. 

"I know I should be stronger though..." she whispers, making both you and Bakugou strain your ears to listen closer, "I know jokes like that shouldn't get to me if I wanna be strong like you, Daddy,"

"You can be strong in other ways, cupcake," you comfort, earning a nod from Bakugou. 

"And it's not a race to become strong. As you grow up, you naturally become stronger," Bakugou suggests as you smile at his response, "for now, just let your dad protect you," 

"Unless he's the one you need to be protected from," you playfully jab at him for his earlier mistake, "in which case, I'll protect you, Katsumi,"

"As if you could take me on," Bakugou snorts, "Katsumi has a better chance at beating me than you, any day,"

"Don't shoot me down like that," you protest, earning a giggle from the little girl in his arms. 

It was a privilege, really, to be able to see the usually rough number one hero so soft and gentle around his daughter, you're sure that's the only time he allows himself to get mushy in any sense. You won't hold it against him, however, Katsumi has a unique charm that just makes her so loveable and the fact that she was the only daughter of the person you admire most, only adds to your love for her even more. The sweet moments you share with them alone always makes your mind wander to fantasies you know you shouldn't even dare consider, bearing in mind the fact that you know nothing of Bakugou's past partner and definitely have no place in the matter to pry about such private happenings. You can only hope that he'll open up about it when he finally deems you worthy enough. 

It was yet, another Sunday night and you were, once again, spending it with Bakugou and Katsumi. Tonight was as relaxed as all previous nights, however, this time, Katsumi had managed to convince her dad to have take out for dinner so that he can participate in her little play date with you. 

"What are we doing today, Katsumi?" you ask as you and Bakugou settle down on the living room floor. 

"We're going to play rescue!" you raise a brow at her suggestion. This is new. Looking towards Bakugou, you both share the same look of confusion. This must be a new game for him too. 

"Well, what do you want us to do, cupcake?" you move the subject forward after quickly averting your eyes away from the prohero. After seeing you flustered so many times at his casual attire, he must know that he easily makes you nervous whenever he wears a tank top and baggy sweats, right? If so, then why is it that he consistently wears the same tank and sweats every time you come over, albeit in different neutral tones and colours.

Maybe you're giving him to much credit to notice how much he affects you. For now, you'll let it go and just do your best to keep your eyes off the burliness of his arms, as well as the sculpted muscles of his chest and abdomen, showcased by the thin fabric of his white tank, nor how his loose black sweats hang onto his hips just enough for you to see the angled lines leading to his crotch. 

Leaning back on his palms as he sits with his legs crossed, Bakugou holds back a smirk at your ruffled demeanour. He knows it's mean to tease you so obviously while acting innocent but seeing you internally panic around him whilst trying not to let it show is far too amusing for him to just stop. You almost come close to being as cute as his daughter. 

"(Y/N)-san, I am going to rescue you from Daddy! Daddy, you are the bad guy that needs to battle me!"

"Battle you?" Bakugou raises an amused brow as a smirk stretches across his face. He looks dangerously handsome and has your heart racing exceptionally fast, "How?"

"I need to chase you around and when I finally catch you, you have to let (Y/N)-san go!" she demands.

"Alright alright, but what am I releasing (Y/N) from?" he asks as you both stand up. 

"You have to carry her silly," Katsumi chirps as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "when I catch you, you need to release her from your arms,"

"L-Let me get this straight, cupcake," you stutter out, almost choking on your words, "you mean to say that, Bakugou has to carry me around while you chase after him," Katsumi nods along as Bakugou continues staring on in shock at his daughter's impishness, "a-and he can only put me down when you catch him?"

"Yup!"

"So basically we're playing tag but I have to carry around sweets over here," Bakugou points his thumb at you, missing  how he referred to you and the squeak it managed to elicit from your lips, "while you chase after me,"

"Yup!" flashing you her adorable smile and making your heart leap in your chest, you miss the mischievous glint in her eyes. 

"This little imp," Bakugou mutters quietly enough for you to miss but for Katsumi to hear. 

"What was that, Daddy?" she presses, challenging him to say it again. 

"Oh, it's nothing firecracker," Bakugou says through a strained smile before sweeping you up in his arms and beginning to sprint off as he ignores the squeal of surprise you let out from the sudden gesture. 

"Bakugou-san!" you shout in embarrassment, wrapping your arms around his neck tightly. 

"No way am I letting her win," he grins, facing ahead of him as he continues running and subconsciously holds you tighter in his arms. You swear you're about to explode from all of the heat rushing to your cheeks, you're a bomb ready to explode in his arms. This was a rare opportunity, however, so you let yourself relax and lean your face into the crook of his neck. He smells so good, like the sweet fragrance of burnt caramel with the added robust scent of sweat. It suits him so well. Smiling happily to yourself and off in your own little world, you miss the crawling blush that makes its way up Bakugou's neck and flourishes across his cheeks, light dusting at his clenched jaw. You're just his neighbour and someone that takes care of his daughter, nothing more, nothing less, so why was his heart having the same stupid reaction as when he was with...

Bakugou slows down, not enough for you to notice but enough for Katsumi to catch up and unwillingly tag her father so that he finally sets you down. 

"Haha! I win, Daddy!" Katsumi grins proudly at having beat the number one hero. 

"Yeah yeah, don't rub it in my face, firecracker," Bakugou reaches down to ruffle her familiar blonde locks.

Giggling, Katsumi skips to you and wraps her arms around your legs, "You're free and all mine now, (Y/N)-san," 

"Thank you for rescuing me, Katsumi," you laugh and pick her up for a cuddle, dismissing how her statement was incredibly contradicting. 

The night carried on and you all played a number of games as requested by Katsumi, there even came a time where Bakugou had to dress up as a princess with a tutu in order to participate at Katsumi's princess tea party. 

"I only invited princesses to my tea party, daddy! I didn't invite stinky old men in baggy pants!" Bakugou had, firstly, tried to reason that he didn't care about whether he could join in or not but he eventually succumbed to Katsumi's demands, not liking how her small back faced him and how you had all of her attention.

Just for her, he made an embarrassment of himself. You had to hold back your giggles at his funny appearance, dressed in a pink tutu with his pinky raised and holding a plastic tea cup whilst sitting in a chair he was too big for. Granted, you let out several snorts at the beginning but you managed to remain polite and focus solely on Katsumi, the pretty host of the tea party.

It didn't make him feel good when you laughed at his predicament but Bakugou couldn't help but stare in awe at how you interacted with Katsumi - like the two of you were meant to be a mother and daughter pair despite the biological differences. Bakugou didn't want to acknowledge it but it was blatantly staring him in the face; he couldn't just turn away from it. It was a pretty picture, one that he knows he and Katsumi had both been craving for a very long time. 

For the rest of the night and after devouring the takeaway that was ordered, whatever Katsumi said had to come true and that meant having a spa-night. You did face masks with cucumbers over your eyes, had mani-pedis with Bakugou to help pick colours and apply nail polish, and even delved into a light skin care routine - you did everything!

It was a fun time that Katsumi wanted to share with you, a girls night that couldn't be beat, even with her father around. It felt like you were a complete family and Katsumi loved it.

As the night drew to an end, you and Bakugou stood beside Katsumi's bed to tuck her in. 

"Best night ever," she cheered sleepily. 

"Yeah...it's never happening again," Bakugou grumbled as you laughed at Katsumi's whine of protest, "not for the rest of this month at least. Next month?...Maybe you can do it again,"

"That means 'yes'!" Katsumi cheered, lifting her arms out of her duvet as you quickly make to tuck her in again, "I love you, Daddy,"

"I love you too, firecracker, now go to sleep,"

"But I'm not tired yet..." 

"Funny," Bakugou starts with a smirk, "don't think I can't see you holding back a yawn," 

Too tired to argue with her father, Katsumi finally lets herself yawn, "It was only a little yawn, Daddy,"

"Oh?"

"That means, I'm not tired yet!" 

"Keep telling yourself that,"

"It's true!"

"Yeah yeah..."

You almost want to laugh aloud at their shenanigans. It was too cute, "Anyway, aren't you going to a ball soon, Daddy?"

Bakugou raises a brow, "How do you know that? And it's not a ball, it's a gala, firecracker,"

"Uncle Nari told me," she grins cheekily. 

"That dunce face is a bad influence on you, don't listen to him," Bakugou grumbles, trying to change the subject. 

"But it's true, right?" there was silence, "That means, 'yes'! Do you need a dance partner, Daddy?" before Bakugou could get in a reply, Katsumi presses further, "I can be your dance partner!"

"I'm afraid it'll be way past your bedtime for that," the pro chuckles huskily, reaching out to comb his fingers through her hair. 

"Then what about, (Y/N)-san, why don't you take her to the gala?" Katsumi turns to you before Bakugou could give his answer, "Please dance with my Daddy at the gala, pleaseeeee!" she begged and, just like how the night had been going so far, neither of you could say no to her. It wasn't enough for her though and she made the two of you pinkie promise to seal the deal. 

With a cheer, Katsumi was wide awake all over again; the only thing that seemed to settle her down was Bakugou reading her favourite bedtime story as you gently combed your fingers through her hair.  Her eyes were droopy and her mind was foggy but she was content and full of love, and you and Bakugou were proud to say that you were the ones responsible for giving her such fun memories to reminiscent over, one day in the future. 

With a whisper, Katsumi slowly drifted off to sleep under the soft gazes of her most precious parental figures, "good night daddy..." Bakugou smiled gently, watching as his daughter slowly reaches up to touch your hand atop her head,"goodnight mommy...I love you..."

The world seemed to stop turning at her statement. It made you feel on top of the world to be seen as such by the little girl that had made such a big impact in your life, but at the same time, it made your stomach drop to your feet. You didn't know what happened to Katsumi's mum as you had always avoided the topic, waiting for Bakugou to share the story when he felt it was the right time, so you were scared to see how the pro reacted to Katsumi's slip up. 

The tension in the room quickly built and so did the walls that Bakugou had just begun putting down whenever he was around you. A few minutes drawled by before you finally allowed yourself to breathe when Bakugou stood up to lead you out. He doesn’t walk you to your front door like he always did on past nights, instead he slams the door in your face as soon as you stepped out. It was uncalled for but you understood that whatever evoked such behaviour must have been pretty painful and that you needed to be patient.  Hopefully, he'll be able to talk things out when enough time passes and his intense emotions settle down.

However, even though time does pass, Bakugou never interacted with you the same and the distance between you seemed to stretch for miles despite living right next to each other. Even Katsumi's incessant pleas to have him join during the Sunday night play dates you share doesn't affect him. 

Bakugou is conflicted. He was completely in love with Katsumi's mother when she was still alive and believes no one will ever be as good of a partner to him nor mother to his daughter as his belated love. It didn't feel right to just replace her when she had such a big influence on his and Katsumi's life despite passing not long after she was born. The fluttering feeling in his chest whenever you cross his line of sight is now something Bakugou has come to hate. He doesn't want to acknowledge it but it forces him into a horrible balancing act of keeping his daughter happy whilst also keeping the interaction with you to a minimum. 

It was painful for the both of you but Bakugou refuses to let you affect him in the way that only one person in his life should be able to affect him. Now that the only woman he will ever allow himself to love is gone, no one else shall take her place. 

At the night of the gala, Katsumi eagerly put on the live showing of the event on TV under the watchful gaze of the hired babysitter her father had gotten to take care of her that night, obviously because you weren't going to be able to babysit her as you'd be with her dad. It wasn't her bedtime yet so she can sneakily watch the opening of the event where the select proheroes and celebrities attending would arrive and walk the red carpet. 

"Daddy will be showing up soon!" Katsumi giggled to herself, jumping in place, ready to see you and her dad dressed up and partnered together for a night of dancing and celebration. "Wait..." there's a sudden pause in Katsumi's excitement as she sees her father enter the screen view but not with you by his side. Instead, he is with a strange woman Katsumi has never seen before, "th-that’s not (Y/N)…where is she?..." Katsumi frowns deeply, anger furrowing her brows "Daddy’s gonna be in big trouble when he gets home,"

Chapter Text

Ren bobs up and down in joy on the living room floor, happily watching a compilation of Red Riot action clips on youtube instead of what typical children his age would usually be watching, highlighting how much of a Kirishima fan he is. The idolised hero in question sits right beside you, watching the clips as well with a light blush dusting his sculpted cheeks; he still can’t believe that he’s become the apple of your son’s eye, however, for you, it’s very believable. It makes you giggle how soft his expression is when gazing at your son but how that same soft look becomes ruffled whenever Ren makes a cheer of elation from what he sees on screen.

Chapter Text

As expected, the organisers of the gala didn't waste any expense when embellishing the venue in order for it to be suitable for the prestigious heroes atop the various wealthy sponsors and celebrities that would also be in attendance. Despite the decorated setting, Bakugou wasn't feeling too good. There was a weight sitting uncomfortably in the pit of his stomach that made him feel nauseous, which wasn't helped by the decorated dead weight hanging onto his arm as if he was her lifeline. 

"I told you to quit clinging onto me, didn't I? Don't use me as an extra crutch when you have your own two feet to stand on," Bakugou scoffed bitterly, looking at said woman with disgust. In the past, he would have been able to put up with multiple women trying to vie for his attention but he was far more irritable tonight. The reasoning behind it was obvious but the stubborn hero was in denial. Why did he even bring this stranger with him in the first place? 

"But, Katsuki, I'm your date-"

"Don't call me that," he quickly cut her off. You, yourself, have hardly called him by his first name, so why should she be able to throw it around so casually? It was far more pleasant sounding whenever you called his name too, mainly because you never squeaked and squealed the way she did so your voice didn't scratch his ears like nails on a chalkboard. In fact, your voice was soothing and sweet, much like the many baked goods you were infamous for creating. 

He could have gone alone to this gala like he usually did. What in the world made him think that bringing a complete stranger was a good idea? Shrugging off the woman, Bakugou wandered off to the refreshments table at the corner of the venue and grabbed a glass of wine from a roaming waiter. Finally away from the gaze of most attendees, Bakugou slipped into his thoughts under the mature taste of wine. 

A distance away was his abandoned 'date' and he watched her as she looked around searching for him but she'll have no luck; he made sure that he was well hidden and moving every so often she wouldn't think to look in the same place twice from the sheer size of the gala. His aimless floating amongst the crowd finally led him to his group of friends and fellow hero colleagues, amongst them was none other than, Kirishima and his significant other. 

"Ah! Bakugou!" the instant he heard the red-head's familiar voice, Bakugou wasted no time in getting to Kirishima and his date, Akina, "How are you doing, my man?" Kirishima and Bakugou shared their usual regards, composed of tightly clasped hands and touching shoulders. 

"Good evening, Bakugou-san," the elegant lady standing by his friend's side greeted as the two esteemed heroes parted, a greeting that the blonde returned with a silent nod. 

"Good evening, Akina, how are you and Ren doing?"

"Very good, thank you," she smiled and gestured to his glass of wine with her own. 

"I never knew you were a wine guy,"

Bakugou shrugged and eyes the drink in his hand with indifference, "I'm not one for alcohol at all, usually" this made Akina's brows furrow with concern for a moment before she quickly stops herself and raises a curious brow instead. 

"Any reason why tonight is any different?"  

Bakugou hums to himself for a moment, still eyeing his glass of deep red wine. It was a very good question. And he didn't know how to answer.

"...no idea,"

Kirishima, sensing a disturbing difference in his friend's demeanour but knowing not to pry further in such a public event, changes the topic, "Where's your date, I remember little Katsumi saying that you were bringing someone really special tonight," this peaks Akina's interest. 

"Katsumi? Is that your little girl Bakugou?" 

"Yes," the explosive hero sighs and runs a hand down his face before downing the rest of his wine, "and that person isn't here," 

"What's wrong, man?" Kirishima asked with obvious concern as Akina nodded with equal worry beside him. They were perfect for each other, "This isn't like you...don't tell me something happened with Katsumi? She seemed so happy when we talked and she told me the news about you finally having a date for a social event," Bakugou growled, not knowing how to explain himself. The inner guilt and the conflict of emotions raging through him about you was tearing him down more than he'd like to admit and it's the most emotionally exhausted he's been ever since his beloved passed away. 

Noticing the downward shift in mood immediately, Kirishima excused himself, "I'm sorry Akina," 

"You're just being a good friend; you shouldn't be sorry for that Ei, " the two shared a small smile and a brief kiss before the red-headed hero led Bakugou to an outdoor balcony, away from perked ears and prying eyes. Along the way, they witness Sero and Mina dancing the tango in the middle of the dance floor, attracting many eyes due to their hypnotically synchronised movement and carefree spirit. They even caught sight of Kaminari joking around with a woman who couldn't stop laughing at his dopey character, the connection between the two was visible to the naked eye as the electric blonde grinned and kissed the extinguished lady's hand. Although seeing the rest of their friends brought a smile to Kirishima's face, Bakugou only felt ostracised by their merriment. Tonight was supposed to be a good night and now he was already feeling regret and guilt over the way he treated you atop going behind his daughter's back. His broken promise will come to light soon, he just hopes that it takes a while so he can fully prepare himself. 

"Tell me what's wrong," The two were already out on the balcony and Bakugou didn't even realise until Kirishima brought him back from living in his head too deeply. 

"Nothing's wrong, dumbass,"

"Yeah right, didn't your daughter teach you it's bad to lie?" 

This makes Bakugou chuckle and absentmindedly blurt, "just like her mother," Kirishima laughed along with him at the statement. 

"She was definitely one of the better heroes out there, perfect for you,"

"Exactly," Bakugou almost teared up. Allowing himself to fall for you would be betraying his first love and that didn't sit right with him but it meant betraying the current love of his life, Katsumi. His was juggling his morals and it was driving him insane. It's never this hard when he has to fight a villain, it's so straightforward whenever he's battling a criminal but when it comes to his daughter and the people he holds dear, it's a different story. Raising Katsumi alone was a struggle he had to endure whilst aiming to be number one but it made him a better person because she was a lot like her mother, righteous and never afraid to call him out on his bullshit. For sure, she would chew him out like a starved dog for his wrongdoing tonight and he wasn't looking forward to it. 

"You can tell me what's wrong, you know," Kirishima assured from beside him as he leaned against the railing on his forearms, "I'm always here for you, man,"

"I know, I just...there's a lot happening right now, it's nothing for you to worry about Shittyhair,"

"I don't believe you,"

"I don't care if you believe me or not, just quit worrying already, it's my problem so I'll take care of it myself," there was silence as Kirishima contemplated what he should say next. 

"...all I'm going to say is that you should just follow what this is telling you," Kirishima softly jabs at Bakugou's chest, right where his heart should be, "There's no need to overthink things, bro," another silence follows as Kirishima quickly flashes back to the emotional reaction Bakugou had at the mention of his deceased love, "Leave the past in the past and move on to a brighter future,"

Not long after that, Kirishima makes his way back inside to stand beside Akina again as he bid his friend a good night. Bakugou had a lot of assessing to do considering his feelings  in the meantime and decided to call it a night early. This was all just a big charity event and he had already made a generous donation so he can leave at any given time. 

The hero sighs in relief that it's gotten pretty late so he's sure Katsumi's already in bed. For now, he'll do his best to prepare for when the questions come in the morning. 

Upon arriving home and seeing the familiar sight of his front door, Bakugou sighs in relief. Leaving the gala was the best decision he made that night. It was the best decision he's made ever since he decided to distance himself from you. As much as he wants to deny it, there's a deep ache within his chest that yearned for just the sight of you or even for the melodious sound of your voice. You had a way of captivating others whenever you entered a room, one glance and a complete stranger would be entranced, not only that but you also always seemed to be singing whenever you talked, so reposeful and dulcet was your voice that you could easily pass for a siren on land. 

Regardless, Bakugou is sure that his little firecracker is already tucked into bed as it was already way past her bed time. It's currently ten at night so the explosive hero ensures that he treads inside as quietly as possible, not wanting to alert his daughter. Instead, he wanted to seek out the babysitter in order to provide payment for her time before seeing her out the door as per usual.

"Bakugou-san," came a sudden whisper as Bakugou almost jumps out of his skin from taking his shoes off at the door. 

"Shut up," he hisses at the individual,"I don't want Katsumi waking up," reaching into his blazer pocket, he clasps an envelope of money and hands it to the babysitter, "here's your payment, thank you for taking care of Katsumi tonight. She's in bed, yes?" Bakugou carries on with tucking his shoes off to the side, expecting the usual answer of Katsumi being in bed already only to grow angry at the answer he's given. 

"W-well...she didn't want to go to bed so..."

Bakugou flashes a menacing look and hisses, "Even if she puts up a fuss, you tuck her into bed and don't take no for answer, this is part of your job!..." seeing the babysitter visibly shaking from the growl in his voice makes the blonde relent and force himself to stay calm, "Just get out, I'll tuck her into bed myself. I've already organised a cab for you to get home, it should be arriving down stairs in a few minutes,"

With a soft expression of gratitude, the babysitter bids him goodnight, her voice shaking as she gathers her things and puts on her shoes to begins her journey home. The night isn't over yet and the tension in Bakugou's shoulders return. Knowing that it was just his beloved daughter, however, lessens the load considerably. 

"Oi! Dad!" came the call of his daughter just as Bakugou passes the living room door on his way up to her room. Katsumi doesn't usually refer to him as just 'Dad' so the blonde raises a brow, especially at her tone as it was neither welcoming nor warm like it usually was. 

"Katsumi, why are you still not in bed, firecracker?" Bakugou rubs at his temples as he slowly approaches her. She's stood in the middle of the living room with her arms folded, brows angrily furrowed and an impatiently tapping foot as if she was counting the seconds it took him to get to her. Katsumi was the splitting image of her mother whenever she was about to rain hellfire on him and it did nothing to help his distress from the night so far. 

"That's not the point, Dad! Why weren't you with (Y/N) at the gala?!" Bakugou's eyes flash with panic, which makes Katsumi all the more angry. 

"How did you-"

"I know because they were broadcasting it live!" this makes Bakugou curse under his breath and avoid eye contact with his daughter at all costs. He knows what a broken promise means to her so he was definitely getting chewed out for this.

"Don't curse! Swear Jar!" she points to the right side of the living room where a jar was labeled with that exact name and was partially filled with bills of cash and a collection of coins. 

"Not now, Katsumi," Bakugou kneels down to her level, "I know I broke my promise but-"

"Yes you did and I'm really angry at you dad!" her voice rose with her puffed-up cheeks and almost made him wince at how she was no longer addressing him as 'daddy'. It emphasised her rage more and Bakugou couldn't stand being on the receiving end of her temper, especially having him be the cause of it made him feel incompetent as a father.

"You need to understand that there are a lot of things going on and some promises have to be broken,"

"That's just an excuse! You pinkie promised and you should never break a pinkie promise; that's a crime!"

"No it's not,"

"Yes it is because Uncle Nari said so," her statement reminded him of the first time Denki made a pinkie promise with her, drilling the concept of promises into her head and about how much her mother valued keeping one's end of promises. Bakugou didn't see a problem with it until the electric hero weaponised the fostered belief in his daughter to subject him to more interviews than he was willing to take up. Granted, it was all for the betterment of his career and fight to become the number one hero but Bakugou still didn't appreciate the electric blonde for using his own daughter against him. 

"Everything isn't as black and white as you think, firecracker, you'll understand when you're older,"

"No! I'll never understand why you would ever break a pinkie promise dad! Never! You probably really hurt (Y/N)'s feelings since she couldn't go to the gala and dance and have fun!" Bakugou sighed but she kept going, huffing and puffing and getting red in the face as she shouted her little lungs out with all the passion she had in her small body, "Who was that other lady? She's ugly! She's not as pretty or as nice as (Y/N) and you know it! I bet she doesn't smell like cookies or sing good lullabies or bake really well either! If she's not any of those things than she's not a nice person and you shouldn't have been with her dad!"

"You need to go to bed-"

"Not before you apologise to (Y/N)!" And with that, she storms past him and runs out to your apartment. Bakugou tries to bring her back before she could reach your door but after the exhausting day he's had, he found himself lacking the energy to keep up with his raging daughter. No matter what he does to bring Katsumi back, his little girl wouldn't budge from her stance at your front door. She wouldn't spare him a glance as he tried to pull her arm away only for her to forcefully thrash her arm out of his grip so as to bang her fist repeatedly against your front door.

Katsumi continued to refuse his attempts to bring her back home and, although he knows he could easily throw her over his shoulder, he didn't want to use excessive force on her. He watched in vain as she continueed knocking on your door until you finally pulled it open wearing the cutest pajamas he had ever seen. You were dressed-down but still looked so beautiful and, despite him still being dressed for the gala, Bakugou knew that he didn't look as astounding as you tonight. He'd never admit it, though, how his heart stopped beating for a moment when he was finally able to see your face, hear your voice and breathe again. 

"Katsumi-chan? Bakugou-san? What are the two of you doing here?"

"Dad needs to apologise!" Katsumi huffed as you raised a brow, this is the first time you've heard her address him so curtly and without the usual loving intonation in her voice. 

"Your dad doesn't need to apologise for anything, dear," despite your statement and disregard of the situation, you still haven't been able to bring yourself to lock eyes with the explosive blonde and, he hates to admit it, but he wishes you would. It was understandable that he wanted to go alone as it was a, somewhat, forced pledge made by Katsumi but seeing the live broadcast and seeing that he arrived with another woman made your heart tear. 

"Yes he does because he broke his promise, he even went with some strange ugly lady with an ugly dress and ugly smile and ugly nails! He hurt you and that makes him a bad person," she begins to cry as you kneel down and bring her into your arms, rubbing comforting circles into her back as you try to soothe her. 

"Don't cry now, cupcake, it's alright...I'm okay, see?" you pull away slightly and smile to reassure her as Bakugou looks on, not knowing how to process the scene. The two of you just fit together so well, how was this even possible? He never needed anyone else as he raise Katsumi and if it wasn't going to be his former beloved then nobody else would be good enough to stand by him yet, here you were, breaking down all of his expectations. He didn't know what to feel.

"No! He needs to say sorry and he still hasn't!" she wails in your arms, sobbing into your shoulder, "I wanna stay with you tonight! Please, I want a sleepover with you,"

Worriedly, you finally let yourself meet Bakugou's ruby-red eyes but only for a very brief moment, "I'm happy for you to stay the night Katsumi-chan but you need your fathers permission first," you expect Katsumi to turn and asked for her father's consent but she only shakes her head vigorously as she continues to press her face into your shoulder. 

"Dad's permission doesn’t matter! I hate him and I mean it this time!" your eyes widen and you take a moment to process what she just said with full confidence and bitterness. It looks as though Bakugou needed the same amount of time, if not, more, to comprehend it too. 

"Katsumi that isn’t very nice to say," you become stern as you see the hurt flash in Bakugou's eyes, missing the panic and distress seep into Katsumi's own. 

"But it’s the truth! I hate him! He's stupid and mean and he's a promise breaker!" she wasn't budging so you finally address the man in question. 

Looking up at the stunned hero, you ask, "is she allowed to stay the night?..."

"...no she isn’t,"  

You expected as much, "you heard your father Katsumi-chan, I can’t have you stay tonight," 

"No! You let me stay all those other times! And even when dad said no, we made him say yes, remember? Make him say yes, now too! Please!" 

"This time it’s different Katsumi, I’m sorry," you really were as you pull away from the blonde girl, finding it easier now that her arms were losing their strength. Whether it was from physical or emotional exhaustion, you don't know, "please return home and sleep well, I’m sorry I can’t tuck you in today," you give her a soft kiss on the forehead and an apologetic smile before turning to softly close the door whilst wishing them a gentle 'goodnight'.

Katsumi stares on at the closed door with increasing tears pouring from her eyes. She’s gone completely quiet now, only hiccuping when her heart stutters in her chest from the heart break she had to endure in that moment. This couldn't be happening.  

"Katsumi let’s go home, you need to sleep, it’s way past your bedtime," Bakugou moves to hold her hand for the umpteenth time that night and for the umpteenth time, again, Katsumi pulls away from his advances. This time her gaze is directed at the floor and her voice his quiet and chilling.  

"I hate daddy," this one statement makes Bakugou’s heart drop. He knows it’s not a result of a tantrum that makes her say meaningless things, instead it's purposeful and it frightening that his precious daughter would hate him so candidly, "because of daddy, (Y/N) doesn’t want to be with me..." her small sniffle makes the world come crashing down, "I really hate daddy."

The night before, Bakugou couldn't bring himself to slip into a peaceful slumber despite committing to a healthy sleep cycle around his duties as the number one hero. Katsumi's words of hatred ate away at him all night and it ultimately lead to a panicked call being made and spending the majority of the night talking everything through with Kirishima. He told the red-head everything, even revealing all that was to say about what happened with you so far, how you've made such a natural and strong connection with Katsumi and, despite admiring you for your sincere efforts with his daughter, the swell of adoration blooming within his chest for you made him act out bitterly at the idea of potentially going against his deceased beloved. It was all a mess of words to Bakugou. He allowed everything to spill from him naturally and without order; it didn't matter to him, at the time, whether or not it was comprehensible to the listener in the situation.

There was no need to worry, however, Kirishima knew exactly where he was coming from, especially after going to school and growing up with him, the red-head knows how Bakugou works and listened to all that he had to say. By the end, Kirishima suggested he take a day off work and babysit Katsumi the next day but not before advising that he apologise sincerely for the mistake he made. It was a lot to ask and Bakugou would have refused if he wasn't so sleep deprived and emotionally shattered. 

The following day, it wasn't a surprise that Kirishima was at Bakugou's door flashing his signature sharp-toothed grin and bouncing giddily, ready to take care of his favourite niece. For Bakugou, it'll be a tough day to go through but he's relieved that one of his best friends were taking care of his daughter for the day.

"Remember what I told you last night?" Kirishima asked as he stands beside Bakugou at the kitchen counter, cooking up breakfast for Katsumi. 

"I'll apologise to Katsumi," satisfied, Kirishima brings the cooked breakfast to the girl in question at the table as the blonde gets to work on cleaning.

Upon finishing up with the cleaning and drying of his hands, Bakugou looks over to see that Katsumi was already halfway done with breakfast. Taking a seat across from her, Kirishima took that as a sign to make himself scarce and made the excuse of needing to go to the toilet so as to give them privacy.

"Firecracker?..." Bakugou pauses, waiting for a response, "Katsumi?..." still no response, "Katsumi Bakugou," all he was able to achieve was a fleeting glance but that was all he needed, "I'm sorry for upsetting you and for breaking my promise...I didn't know it would upset you this much. I should have talked to you and (Y/N) about it first, I'm sorry," still not getting a response, Bakugou sighed and stood from the table, "You're uncle Kiri is taking care of you today so be good,"

Bakugou planned to pick up breakfast on the way to work with a coffee and tried to hug his daughter goodbye like they usually did at the door but Katsumi turned in Kirishima's arms and tucked her face into the red-head's shoulder instead. Defeated, Bakugou sets off to work but not before leaning in to give her a short peck on the cheek. She didn't return his affection but, at least, she didn't pull away.  

"See you after work, firecracker," there was no response and Bakugou travelled to work sleep-deprived and dispirited. Either way, he wasn't going to let it bring him down and distract him from his duties, no matter what happens at home, he refuses to let it impact him substantially at work no matter how heartbroken he was. 

The day progressed and as Katsumi finds herself sitting at the table having lunch with one of her favourite uncles, she finds out that he's become a dad to a little boy despite not being blood-related. This immediately peaks her interest as that's exactly what she wants with you. 

She starts with little questions, "What's his name?"

"He's called Ren and he's four years old," 

"He's younger than me! Does that make me his oneesan?" Kirishima throws his head back in laughter. 

"I suppose it does, huh?" they grin at one another, "I'd love for the two of you to meet, you'd like each other very much,"

"I'm sure I will if you're his dad, uncle Kiri!" Katsumi chimes happily before pausing for thought, "But how come he's already four years old? He hasn't been a baby yet..."

"He has, I just haven't met him until now,"

Katsumi's eyes widen comically and Kirishima has to hold back a snort of laughter, "And you're already his dad?!"

"Well~..." Kirishima sing-songed, "not really but I'm his father figure and he's grown to call me his dad over time,"

"That can happen?" 

"Of course it can! I'm proof!"

Katsumi goes quiet, "I want that with (Y/N),"

"Katsumi, listen to me," Kirishima stares softly but sternly into the ruby eyes that were so reminiscent of his best friend's, "it may be possible but it isn't always so simple," this wasn't the answer, Katsumi wanted, "your father has had a lot to go through raising you alone and without your mother around. When they got together, Katsuki was the happiest man alive and that happiness was made ten-fold the instant he heard news that you were going to be coming into the world,"

"Dad really loved me, huh?"

"Yes he did and he still does," this brings tears to her eyes.

"Even though I said all those horrible things?"

"Even then because your dad doesn't know when to quit; he doesn't know when to quit loving you or your mom," Katsumi was silent. 

"But...she's not here to watch me grow up...(Y/N) is,"

"That's true but you have to be patient with you dad, he really loved your mother,"

The defeat translated into Katsumi's form as her rigid stance slumped into the softness of the sofa cushions, "...But I- doesn't he also really like (Y/N)?"

"I think he does,"

"Right?!" she's upright again, her eyes sparkling with an abundance of stars, "Daddy can like (Y/N) and be with her at the same time, that doesn't mean he has to stop loving my mom!" 

"It's gonna take a while for him to realise that," Kirishima watches Katsumi take on a pondering pose as he holds back a chuckle, "why don't we plan something out for them? And I'll help you carry it out?"

"Yes please, uncle kiri!"

By the time Bakugou arrived home, Kirishima was still there with his daughter but this time, she was willing to speak to and acknowledge him, just that alone made the strength come back to him and erased an entire day of fatigue from his toiled muscles. 

"Daddy," 

"Yes, firecracker?" Bakugou kneels down to her level. 

"I will forgive you as long as you apologise to (Y/N) properly and make it up to her by going on a date!" by now, Bakugou was willing to do anything to get into his only daughter's good graces as well as make up for his mistake; this was the perfect opportunity. 

"Anything for you, firecracker,"

"And for (Y/N)!"

"And for (Y/N)," Bakugou chuckled. 

Before the meat of the plan could be served, Katsumi needed to do some scheming with you first and Bakugou allowed her to spend the day with you. With that information, you happily allowed Katsumi to become the main subject of your day and took her to work with you, again, with Bakugou's explicit permission. You were happy that they had mended their bond and that Katsumi wasn't as tearful and broken as the last time you saw her. Truthfully, you were so worried about her that you contemplated paying a visit the next morning but withdrew yourself. You knew that Bakugou was a good father so he'll be able to take good care of her and you clearly weren't welcome before him any time soon so you had to hold yourself back. Your faith was well placed as the duo were back at your doorstep two days later. 

"Thank you for not being angry at Daddy, (Y/N),"

"Not at all cupcake," you assure as you move about, tending to the large ovens of your bakery, "I don't know why he did what he did but your father is a man that doesn't do things without good reason, he may not go about things the right way but the good intentions are there," you make sure to lock eyes with Katsumi as you state your final statement, as if to further emphasise your point, "and what more do you really need?"

"...you're too good for Daddy," this makes you laugh aloud with your head thrown back. 

The day goes on and you and Katsumi have the best time playing about in your bakery's kitchen, almost getting cavities from the amount of 'taste testing' the two of you were doing. Either way, it was filled with laughter and fun activities that you wouldn't trade the memories of for the world. Soon enough, you were carrying Katsumi home as she carried a box full of goodies to share with her father when they arrive back at the penthouse. 

"Sooo..." Katsumi began, side eyeing you bashfully as you both approached the established apartment building.

"Soooo~" you mimicked and giggled, "what do you want to say, dear?"

"When are you next free for the whole day?" you raise a brow but answer nonetheless. 

"Hmmm, Saturday? So two days from now," you smile at her as she grins back, "Why? Are you gonna ask me out on a date?~" you tease playfully.

"Nope! But I know someone else who will~" she sang and refused to answer any of your questions for the rest of the journey back. 

For the past two days, Bakugou had been brainstorming ideas with Katsumi on what to do during the date. At first, he believed that it would only be one day of planning but as soon as it moved onto the next day, Bakugou couldn't help but become mildly irritated. 

"Does it really have to take two days of planning?" 

"Daddy, do you want me to forgive you or not?" Katsumi snapped, which had Bakugou raising his hands in surrender. 

"Alright, you're the boss,"

"Good! Now stop whining, everything has to be perfect!"

"Bakugou-san?" after hearing a knock at your door, you smiled to yourself and hurried to open it, expecting to see Katsumi after her devious insinuation two days prior but were shocked to find her father, instead. It wasn't unpleasant to see him, you were just worried that Katsumi somehow, forced him into this, "What are you doing here? Is Katsumi in trouble, somehow?" you slowly become frantic with worry for the little girl and Bakugou mentally admits that you worrying for his daughter makes his heart soar. 

"No no, that little gremlin is alright," it's time to correct his wrongdoing and he's nervous but willing to do this for Katsumi, "I came here to apologise for how badly I've treated you..." You silently stare at him as he looks away in bashfulness and shame, meeting your eyes again several moments later, "and I know a simple apology isn't going to be good enough so would you consider going out on a-...on a d-date?" by now the explosive hero was red in the face with his brows angrily furrowed to form a menacing scowl, as if to disguise his embarrassment over his uncharacteristic proposal. Your continued silence was beginning to intimidate him more than most villains he's faced against, which is shocking. If it weren't for him glancing your way briefly and seeing the soft smile forming on your face, Bakugou wouldn't know what he would have done to save himself. 

"Did Katsumi put you up to this?" you tease, leaning against the door frame with your arms loosely crossed. 

Chuckling, Bakugou straightens his shoulders and pulls a somewhat guilty look, "She wouldn't forgive me otherwise...and, besides, I was a dick to you and you didn't deserve that, I'm really sorry about what I did-"

"What did you do?" you pressed, amused by his stuttering at the question but also endeared by his sincerity. 

"For pushing you away and distancing myself when you did nothing wrong, for subjecting you to my anger...and for taking somebody else to the gala," he couldn't meet your eyes from the remorse he was subjecting himself to in that moment. 

"...why did you do all those things?..." you know it's wrong to press further on such a private and sensitive topic for him but you needed to know where you stood. 

Bakugou turns away, "...I can't tell you right now..." for the first time, in a long time, fear grips him and steals his breath away, he's scared about what you may think of him. 

"That's alright," that one statement makes me breathe again and he turns swiftly to see your gentle smile and beautiful eyes stare back at him with understanding, "you can tell me when you're comfortable enough, in the meantime, I'll be getting myself ready for our date, I'll try to be ready in 15 at the latest," with another smile, you close the door and leave Bakugou standing stiffly and stunned at your doorstep. He never expected to be forgiven so easily by you. If it was him, he wouldn't have had the same level of understanding you just displayed, even his old love didn't have the same amount of patience and understanding as you. It gave way for a dangerously beautiful emotion to blossom in his chest an emotion he hasn't felt since the love of his life passed.  

Not too long into the date the two of you set out on, you immediately noticed Katsumi, another little boy and a familiar hero adoring spiky red hair looking on at the two of you having your picnic at the park from a hedgerow not too far away. Their disguises were so obvious, they stood out like a sore thumb. Bulky sunglasses and a sophisticated all black attire to adorn all three. They looked like they stereotypical spies who belonged in a cheesy spy films. 

"Ummm...Bakugou-san..."

"They've been following us ever since we left, the little boy is my nephew and shittyhair's son, do you want me to shoo them away?"

"No no," you giggle, "it's quite comical actually," in an attempt to disguise your laughter, you take a bite of your sandwich and awe at how delicious it is, "goodness, what did you put in this sandwich to make it taste so good, Bakugou-san?"

"Stop joking around, it's just normal ingredients," dismissing the three onlookers to your picnic, you now are having to stifle your giggle from how adorable the grown man looked with such a prominent blush on his face. 

A distance away, Katsumi punches the air in victory at the scene. 

"Everything is going well for operation lovey-dovey," Katsumi locks eyes with the younger boy beside her and they both smile with a victorious nod.

"It sure is," Kirishima agrees and leads the two kiddos to a nearby bench, holding both of their miniature hands in his massive ones, "but aside from that, let's grab some ice cream, sound good?"

"We get ice cream, Pa?" Ren muses from the red-head's left side, making the hero nod happily.

"Uncle Kiri is the best!"

"Papa is the best!"

"What's your favourite flavour Ren?"

"I like what mama likes!"

"What does your mama like, then?"

"Chocolate!"

"Your mama has good taste,"

"Yup! What does Sumi-oneesan like?"

"Strawberry!"

"Yummy!"

Kirishima is in heaven, listening blissfully to two adorable kiddos that just about reach his knees, chatting away at his feet. Hearts and flowers could very easily be animated in the air surrounding them considering how adorable they both were. If Bakugou were to have another child, he's such Katsumi would make for an amazing older sister. 

The next stop of your date was the ice skating rink. 

"This is the part where (Y/N) is supposed to be really bad at ice skating so Daddy can catch," Katsumi angrily stomps her feet, ignoring her uncle's suppressed chortles as Ren tilts his head in curiosity, taking in the odd scene before him, "So why is it the other way around?!"

Bakugou was flailing around like a headless chicken as you stood of to the side, perfectly stable and taking to the ice fairly well, "Don't laugh at me, woman!"

"I'm not!...well~" 

"This is for Katsumi...this is for Katsumi," Bakugou was practically sacrificing his pride in front of you but he was grateful that there was nobody else on the rink except the two of you as he had rented out the entire vicinity. The only problem was that it made the three spies keeping an eye on them all the more obvious as they occupied the seats furthest from the ice, binoculars fixed onto their eyes. It was unsettling at times but you were able to dismiss it. 

"Would you like a hand there, Bakugou-san?" you sweetly offer. 

"J-just this once!" the grown man snapped as you rolled your eyes playfully. 

"Yes yes you big baby,"

"WHAT?!" the blonde yelled, his voice bouncing off the walls as you finally let yourself laugh loudly, that is, until the explosive hero lost balance in your hold and sent himself and you flying to the cold, hard floor.

"Well...I guess this is kinda what I imagined..." Katsumi mutters, staring on as you and her dad rub at your sore limbs until you finally look up and make eye contact with one another. The trio watched as realisation of the intimate pile on the two of you were subjected to came to mind and you instantly pushed each other away. 

"AHH-" Katsumi lashed out in frustration but was luckily cut off by Kirishima's hand over her . 

"Pa, Sumi-oneesan said they were supposed to kiss then,"

"Well...I guess not everything goes as planned,,"

 "Daddy needs to be more romantic!" 

After this, there was a movie that was too mature and action-packed for the kids so Kirishima had to drag a whining Katsumi and a cheerful Ren to another movie theatre for a more child-friendly film. It was really too bad as Katsumi would have witnessed her two favourite parental figures cosying up on a reserved sofa seat newly installed by the cinema. This was just their shadows however and so she wouldn't have been able to notice the crimson red dusting her father's cheeks for the thousandth time that day.

You really smelled like baked goods and you were soft in his arms. It was a feeling he had missed for a long time. With his chin resting on your head, yourself curling up in his larger figure and your fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns into his forearm, Bakugou's focus was most definitely not on the film playing out for him to see. 

"I hope this is alright," you whispered, giving a final shuffle as you settled into a comfortable position almost sitting on his lap sideways. Throughout, you were blissfully unaware of the hero's flustered state. 

"You're fine," he managed to utter, the gruffness of his voice more evident at his hushed tone.  

"Mmmm~" you were very content, "you smell nice, Bakugou-san," Bakugou is an expert when it comes to explosions but the explosion of his heart was not one of them so, as he panicked about the repercussions of that for the whole film, you happily stood at the bridge of almost falling asleep in his arms. 

The day finally ends with a dinner at a popular restaurant, where your three spectators occupied a table no more than three meters away. Again, you and Bakugou made the conscious decision to not point them out despite how flagrant their disguises made them appear. Now, they had embellished themselves with fake moustaches, fedoras and a trench coat, they even kept their sunglasses on inside the restaurant. The little boy that made up a third of the trio actually had his moustache constantly slipping off and so Katsumi, with her beautiful blonde hair tucked up into her fedora, kept fixing it for him as you and Bakugou ordered your meals. They made this date better than it already was and you were grateful. 

Over dinner, conversations were as smooth and humours as they have been the entire day and you were happy to soon be ending the night in such a jovial mood. 

"Thanks a lot for putting up with me," Bakugou suddenly says, arbitrarily and making you look up from your meal, "I know I'm a hard person to get along with so appreciate your effort with trying to get along with me and...and not pressuring me into saying anything I'm not comfortable with disclosing," with this, you smile and reach for his hand so as to comfortingly caress his skin with your thumb. 

"Bakugou-san, I understand that things get hard sometimes and that people make mistakes, it's the same case for the people that are healing, whenever you need somebody to talk to, I'll be there for you but if that time isn't now, then I'm not going to pressure you into doing or saying anything. Please don't think of me as someone that will precive you differently just because you aren't willing to open up to me entirely. Take your time, there's no rush,"

You're so understanding and patient…a lot like his belated love.

"Thank you," Bakugou didn't know what else to say except those two words. He wishes he could say more, anything to express the amount of gratitude he feels towards you but the smile you send his way was enough to inform him that you already knew and that it was okay. But that wasn't going to be good enough for Bakugou. He had to say something more, "I like you," it takes both of you a moment to comprehend his confession and when the two of you simultaneously look to the side, you realise that the trio of spies hadn't been able to see the confession as they were too busy scarfing down their food. Thank god. 

"I like you too, Bakugou-san," in shock, Bakugou stares at you and finds that your flustered beyond belief at your own confession. It appears as though you were caught up in the moment as well. Katsumi sure had a knack for building up romantic relations, he was beginning to feel quite proud. 

"But-" the blonde stutters, not wanting to lead this further than it needs to be led, "I'm not ready to move on yet..." the implication of his statement stunned you. Was that why he's been hesitant all this time?

"That's perfectly fine, Bakugou-san," 

"You're an amazing woman, (Y/N), hard-working, kind, patient and understanding, your perfect," Bakugou begins, releasing his thoughts and emotions on the plate before him, "but I can't give you false hope when I can't stop thinking about Katsumi's real mother," your nodding along in understanding, not offended at all, "She was my first love and I feel as though I'm betraying her if I so much as think of someone else, even though I know that it’s already been five years,"

"Five years since..."

"Since she passed away,"

It was then that you were finally able to piece together the entire story and it was heart breaking. 

"Bakugou-san, please don't feel bad and just listen to me..." Bakugou meets your eyes, "I am not going to pressure you into a relationship that you're not ready for even though the feelings are there. It's completely understandable why you would be hesitant and I don't blame you. I'm not angry. I'm not sad. I just want you to know that I appreciate your transparency since this is clearly a sensitive topic for you. I don't intend on replacing Katsumi's mother in your heart when she has a place there specially for her, I'm grateful that she was able to give you Katsumi before her passing and I bet that she was a phenomenal person for giving birth to such a lovely little girl,"

There were truly no words to express how much Bakugou was grateful for you being so perfect. 

Weeks passed and even though such dates became a regular occurrence for you and Bakugou, sometimes even including Katsumi, the two of you never made it official and it became the main source of frustration for the little girl at the centre of both your worlds. So, naturally, on an outing just between you and Katsumi, she doesn't miss the chance of confronting you.

"Why aren't you and Daddy together yet mom- I mean (Y/N),"

"It's just not the right time yet, my love, please try to understand," you try to reason, wiping away the stray crumbs on her cheek from the snacks she had been munching on. 

"But you two made up didn’t you?"

"Well, y-yes we have but-"

"And you both like each other, right?"

You don't know why but having Katsumi point out the mutual feelings between you and her dad has your heart racing, making a humble nod hard to muster, "w-we do-"

"So why aren’t you getting married and living happily ever after like in the movies?"

"I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that, cupcake," you find her imagination adorable, though.

"Why can’t it?" unexpectedly, she begins to get teary eyed and has you fumbling about in your hardback for tissues, "I want you to be my mommy so please," as your kneeling down and wiping her tears away, she’s whimpering and looking a lot more timid and broken then her usually spitfire, headstrong self. It breaks your heart.

"I’m sorry, my love," you hold her in your arms tightly and begin to strokes her hair, "but you need to understand that it’s not that simple and there are a lot of adult feelings and issues involved,"

"Wh-why do grown ups have to be so weird about everything?" huffing angrily, Katsumi wipes away her tears almost aggressively, with her small fist as you reach up and let her blow her nose into your offered tissue. 

"I know right?," you laugh softly and nuzzle noses with her, bringing a small smile to her face, "grown ups are so weird,"

"Very weird!"

"We should be more like you," you boop her nose and the both of you giggle. 

To cheer Katsumi up more, you text Bakugou that you're going for a walk by the river with Katsumi, where you know there'll be an ice cream stand nearby. Not even a minute goes by and you immediately get the approval you needed however, like a worried, overprotective dad, he reminds you to be careful with Katsumi, especially because she can’t swim. To that, you promise to take good care of her.

"The river is so pretty!"

"Right? But you know what's prettier?" you gesture off to the distance. 

"Ice Cream!" without a second wasted, Katsumi was running off, declaring a race to the stand with a laugh as you try to clamber up to her speed. 

"Katsumi wait you silly girl!"

"If I get there first I get double scoops!"

"Says who?"

"Me!"

Just as Katsumi was running on the elevated path by the river, a powerful tremor shakes the land as a resounding boom echos from the distance and sends her falling into the river. Acting on pure instinct, you jump in after her with a horrified shout. 

"KATSUMI!" you couldn't swim either but you couldn't just do nothing when someone so precious to you was in danger. As a consequence of the shaking of the earth, the river was also sent into a furious frenzy of waves that you battled through to reach Katsumi. You don't know how you made it but with pure adrenaline pumping through your veins, you managed to hoist Katsumi up and out of the ferocious river, relaxing at the sight of her safely on land and immediately getting swept away under a torrent of muddy blue. 

Closer to the city centre, Bakugou was on patrol and was promptly alerted to the villain attack. A villain that could create devastating calamity by producing heavy sound waves with a clap of his hands was causing havoc in an area near by. Not too far from the river Bakugou had remembered that you and Katsumi were taking a stroll beside. His heart racing and with gritted teeth, Bakugou rushes to the site, praying to all gods that the two of you were safe. 

He arrives just in time to see you haul up his daughter to safety before being engulfed by an angry wave. The violent mountains of water were so powerful, they were hard to swim through for anyone of any caliber in swimming. Nevertheless, Bakugou checks up on his daughter first, assuming you'd be capable of staying afloat and having faith in how capable you were. 

Coughing violently and with tears in her eyes, Katsumi screams at her father upon registering his presence beside her, "Daddy! Save Mommy! Please! I-I don't think she can swim!"

Chapter Text

After spending almost an eternity in suffocating darkness, you wake up in a hospital bed beside a large window. In the same bed beside you, Katsumi is curled up atop the sheets and pressing her face into the side of your waist as her arm lays atop your stomach. Her cute face is scrunched up uncomfortably and, although it makes you sad to see her upset, you can’t help but feel warmth spread through you from the fact that she’s worried for you even in her slumber. 

Just as you go to gently shake Katsumi awake, the faint opening of the door across the room draws your attention away and stops you mid act. In walks Bakugou, who you instantly lock eyes with and smile at, ready to whisper a greeting in respect of Katsumi’s dreaming state. You weren’t given the chance to utter a single word as Bakugou makes it to your side in seconds. His strong arms are wrapped around you tightly as he presses his face into your neck. You recognise the feeling of being held in his arms; you can recall the blurred moments leading up to you blacking out whilst caught up in the thrashing body of the river. Was he the one that saved you? 

“You’re awake...” Bakugou sighs in relief reaching up to stroke the back of your head, something he’s come to habitually do as a father whenever he needed to comfort Katsumi. In this case, however, it was his way of comforting himself, giving reassurance in the fact that you were okay and that you’re present. Of course, he was told that you would be alright and that they just needed to wait for you to wake up and do some quick checks before you could go home. That verbal reassurance, however, is different to seeing you awake and being your usual self. 

Bakugou didn’t hesitate to jump into the waves after you as soon as Katsumi was as far away from the riverside as possible. The instant he removed the gear that weighed him down, Bakugou battled the furious waters, grateful for the training that helped him resist such conditions and maintain a cool head when his heart was pounding painfully from both worry and strain. The instant he spotted you in the waters, Bakugou rushed to your side despite desperately needing to go up for air, this caused a lingering ache to throb in his lung for an hour or so after your rescue. The discomfort had only just managed to dull out completely before the pain in his heart followed it at the confirmation of your full recovery ahead. 

“I’m sorry for worrying you,” as much as you wanted to, you couldn’t savour the feeling of being tightly held when the blonde hero pulled away with his signature scowl.

“Shitty woman...you didn’t know how to swim, did you?”

Despite averting your gaze to avoid his piercing stare, you caved, “no...I don’t,”

“Why the hell did you jump in then, dumbass?!”

“I needed to save Katsumi,” you whispered sharply with a snap of your tongue, “I made a promise...” silence filled the air as Bakugou leaned back to admire you further, the action contradicting his ever present frown. You were just as heroic if not more heroic than his past partner - his first love. He saw bits and pieces of her in you but you were still your own person. You weren’t as stubborn, you were gentle and understanding, always looking for a compromise in every disagreement; you were more delicate but that didn’t mean you weren’t strong, you had strength in other things; you weren’t impulsive and spontaneous, it was a charm that his past love had that he fell for but you had your own charm when it came to your rational thinking and weighing of all possible options, only to go with one that had the most benefits across all parties. Compared to his first love you were almost the exact opposite but in things that mattered most, you were the same, loving, kind, compassionate and the only ones capable of entrancing him completely. 

It hurt to think that he was, in some way, letting go of the first woman he ever loved and thought he would love for the rest of his life but a part of him said that it was okay. She was a stubborn one that grew green with envy easily but he knew that she ultimately wanted for him, all the things that made him happy. You make him happy. Katsumi too. You fit the empty space in their lives seamlessly. It’s as if the universe was saying this was his second chance at obtaining pure happiness. And he’d be an idiot to throw that away; he almost did, at first - what was he thinking?

He’s fully aware that he’s wrapped around your little finger now even though you don’t seem to notice.

It’s better that way...for his dignity. He may be head over heels but that doesn’t mean he’s gonna explicitly tell anyone about it. Instead, he’ll express it the way he knows best, through actions.

“Damn woman,” Bakugou uttered under his breath, almost laughing at himself for being so stupid this entire time, remembering how his old love used to complain about how oblivious he could be at times, especially with love. This was a perfect example of her claim.

“That promise was important to me!” you defended after hearing his utterance. 

“More important than your own life?‘ the explosive blonde challenged, staring deeply into your eyes as they sparkled with a familiar determination. 

“Yes,”

Bakugou’s eyes narrowed dangerously as a shiver travels up your spine but you don’t waver, “nothing is more important than your life...” the steely glow of his ruby orbs grow warm and soft, and you silently gasp, “Katsumi wouldn’t want to hear you say that...and neither do I,” you were speechless, “and if this incident really did cost you your life...” you don’t know when it happened but Bakugou was suddenly mere centimeters away from you, your noses touching timidly as his feathery lashes waved at yours coquettishly with every blink. His voice lowered to a whisper, “I might have stopped breathing if that happened,” you had no time to react as Bakugou captured your lips with his own and pulled you as close as possible with his hands on your hips. The minute you closed your eyes, Bakugou followed-suit and savoured the moment as if it was your last minute on earth. How long have you yearned for this? And how could you be so greedy for already wanting more in the midst of it? 

You didn’t want to pull away but the ache of your lungs was becoming painful and relented as your mind remained foggy with elation. 

“Oi, sweets,” you blushed at the nickname, “someone’s awake,” surprised, you turned to your side and smiled brightly as Katsumi cheekily peeled one eye open before jumping into your arms, cheering in happiness. 

“Does this mean you’re going to marry daddy and live happily ever after?” your blush intensified having not completely dissipated from earlier. 

“Wh-wha-?”

“How much did you hear and see?” Bakugou’s eyes were once again narrowed but this time.

“I didn’t see anything~...” Katsumi feigned innocence but, of course, couldn’t hold her own excitement back for long, “but I heard everything!” she giggled as Bakugou groaned, throwing his head back in embarrassment. Just as he was going to scold her for eavesdropping, he was cut off, “Daddy you were so romantic~” she sighed dreamily as if she had watched a k-drama scene unfold, “right mom?”

“Yes, he was,” you whisper, forgetting to correct her way of addressing you. 

“Stop calling her that,” Bakugou snapped, “she’s not your mom,” he stands up and turns around to leave the room and call for a nurse, the room’s atmosphere turning dismal as a familiar ache in your chest clenches around your lungs and heart, “not yet, at least” as quickly as the pain settles, it’s washed away from Bakugou’s final statement and Katsumi is squealing in joy, cheering and bouncing around in your lap, chattering up a storm about being a flower girl, rings and wedding dresses. You're surprised that with all her jabbering, you were still able to catch a glimpse of Bakugou’s red-tinted ears as he shuts the door behind him and giggled to yourself, remembering that he didn’t need to leave the room to call for a nurse as there was a button for assistance right at your bedside. 

Despite being discharged at the hospital, Bakugou and Katsumi made you promise to take, at least, a day off of work so that you could fully rest. At first, they bargained with you taking an entire month off but you had responsibilities as an entrepreneur so you made them lower it to a week and eventually settled on one day but with the promise to do nothing the entire time, hence why you’re sat reading a book in your living room with the early morning sunlight slowly filtering in through your ceiling-tall windows.

A sudden knock at the door pulled you away from your modest bundle of sheets and pillows not expecting such a sudden visit but building up anticipation as to who it could be. 

“What are you two doing here?” you laughed upon revealing who stood at your doorstep - you weren’t surprised but it still made you happy, regardless. 

“To take care of you, that’s what!” Katsumi announces, hands on her hips and feet shoulder width apart, proud to make herself useful as Bakugou stands a little behind her, his arms piled high with god-knows-what in boxes, his ruby eyes barely peeking over the stacked heap in his arms. 

“Haha! Then please,” you step aside and pull the door open wider, “make yourselves at home,” you didn’t know what they had planned but you were thrilled, nonetheless. Silence and solitude was always a pleasant way of passing the day but having others share the time with you, filling the hours with laughter and developing fond memories was just as, if not, better than the former. 

It appears as though they had visited your bakery beforehand from the delicious baked goods Katsumi, sitting on the kitchen island, helped her father lay out beautifully on the available plates. 

“This is for later!” Katsumi chirped happily after meeting your gaze only to finish up her work and asked to be brought to the floor so as to order Bakugou around some more, “Go help (Y/N) daddy while I make everyone some good ol’ lemonade,”

“Alright, firecracker,” Bakugou fondly ruffles Katsumi’s hair with a soft smile, “you got your step stool?”

“Yup!” she holds up the foldable stool with a grin then tucks it under one arm as she uses her other to push Bakguou towards you, “now, shoo!”

“Yeah yeah,” Bakugou rolls his eyes at her and finally turns his full focus onto you. He was dressed in his dangerously casual attire again; baggy, army green sweatpants that hang from his hips, sheepishly leaving a window of skin to view his v-line as his tight black tank accentuated his thin waist and toned physique. The blush on your face made him smirk. You were so cute shamelessly eyeing him up like that but it wasn’t as though he never did that for you too. You loved showcasing your shoulders and collarbones and Bakugou was grateful, it was an appetising sight he always readily devoured with his greedy eyes. 

“U-ummm-” you began but gasped at suddenly being swept up into the blonde hero’s strong arms as a squeal of delight came from Katsumi in the kitchen. Both instances made your cheeks burn and your lips tug up into a smile that you buried into Bakugou’s exposed neck. 

The rest of the day carried on like that. You found that Bakugou abandoned what little hesitancy he clung onto before and the distance he was displaying had completely vanished. In place of his prior aloofness, he made the effort of interacting with you more, the intimacy encouraged by Katsumi in, sometimes subtle but oftentimes undisguised pursuits. The cheeky six year old would even go so far as to demand the two of you kiss but each and every time, Bakugou would turn her down only to wait until she grumpily turned away to lightly peck your lips. No matter how many times it happened, you always became a flustered mess, rousing suspicion in Katsumi when she turns and takes in your frenzied state. Perhaps that was what made her so happy and bold when ordering her dad around, the number one hero, to do her bidding, most of her requests being about you. 

In her happiness, she jumped up from the cuddle pile you were all huddled in and rushed to the kitchen, “I’ll get us more snacks and drinks!”

“Need any help with the fridge, firecracker?”

“I’m good! Thanks, daddy!” Bakugou raises an anticipating brow as his lips curl into a slight smirk, as if he was anticipating something, “I’m a big girl!” Katsumi finally shouts, to which Bakugou nods at with a knowing look on his face. 

“She’s a ‘big girl’...” he whispers to you and you both smile in amusement, “but can she reach the top shelf with her small step stool?”

“Daddy! ‘Up’s please!”

“No, no she can’t,” you both laugh and Bakugou soon leaves to help his daughter, but not before giving you a soft kiss. Moments pass and your heart is still racing, even when the explosive blonde comes back to cuddle up with you again, “she insists on making the drinks look pretty,” he pulls you up to lay on top of him with a gentle grunt, making the right adjustments so that you were both comfortable, “I think she spotted your little umbrellas, fancy shaped ice cubes and edible flowers,” he whispers to which you smile at. For the uptenth time that day, you share a laugh and sit in comfortable silence until…”why didn’t you wait for heroes to arrive that day? You were fairly close to the city, we could have gotten there on time and you wouldn’t have had to put yourself in danger...” 

This question again. You had had this conversation already and you were sure that you made yourself perfectly clear about your reasoning the first time but Bakugou is still obviously frustrated from the incident and your idiotic actions. For now, you’ll put up with it.

“I didn’t want to wait for heroes...” you stubbornly huffed but relaxed into his shoulder as he stroked your hair, “I needed to save Katsumi, especially because she couldn’t swim...” 

“But-”

“And I made a promise, didn’t I?” your voice was firm but still kind and gentle, “I wasn’t going to go back on that promise,” even though he expected your answer, Bakugou was still shocked but pleasantly so at your consistent response, so much so that he smiled to himself as you drew patterns onto his chest with your finger. Finally, you lifted your face to smile at him. In that moment, he saw even more of his past lover in you. She too always stayed true to her word and kept all her promises, it’s a trait evident in Katsumi and he’s come to love the attribute very much - it appears as though all of his loved ones have it and he embraces that fact wholeheartedly. 

The moon eventually rose after the sun set and the time came to tuck Katsumi into bed in your guest bedroom; she had insisted on a sleepover at your place and since the father and daughter duo had already spent the entire day with you, why not the entire night as well? 

Naturally, the motherly instincts in you kicked in at the sight of Katsumi’s drowsy face and you began to sing her a lullaby, unaware of the loving gaze Bakugou was staring on at the scene with. This was an image he desperately craved to have with his old lover many times in the past. Now that it was unfolding before him, his soft heart ached  at the bittersweet happiness he felt to see you fulfil such a role. 

With this, maybe he can finally let go. And so, as soon as you stopped singing, he greedily captured your lips in a searing kiss backed by so much passion and indescribable emotions, you were overwhelmed and could barely savour the moment as Bakugou pulled away too quickly. 

“We can’t have Katsumi seeing just yet...” he whispers.

Months pass and you easily integrate into their lives and them, yours. You have a spare room all to yourself and several shelving spaces in the kitchen and fridge to call your own, equally, Katsumi and Bakugou took over two available spare rooms in your penthouse. It wasn’t a forced change nor was it an unwelcome one; it simply made things easier as you’d spend several days at their penthouse before you moved back into yours and it didn’t take them more than a day to follow you and spend a handful of days at your penthouse too. 

Most of the cooking was left to you despite Bakugou already being a phenomenal cook, his hero work always left him exhausted and it helped to take your pre made bento boxes to his agency, it helped give him a feeling of home while he was out fighting villains or toiling the day away in his agency on paperwork, it provided the right motivation he needed throughout an exhausting work day. It was also much nicer for him to return home without having to worry about cooking food for himself and Katsumi. At times, you’d return later than him but had everything prepared and set up on the kitchen table, even so, Katsumi insisted that they always wait for you so that you may all eat together. Bakugou agreed but also prepared a light snack during the wait. More often than not, you were, thankfully, the one home before him and after a ‘welcome home’ hug and peck on the cheek from both of his favourite girls, you ushered him to the bathroom to freshen up with his bath already made up, it was really a blessing to have you in his life as well as Katsumi’s. Bakugou could no longer imagine a life without you in it. In fact, it scared him to think about such a life, especially because you picked up such a big role for both him and Katsumi effortlessly, he couldn’t see anyone else bringing about the same comfort and happiness you did to his every day routine. 

You’ve even taken up the role of dropping off and picking Katsumi up from school. Each and every time you do so, she wears a golden smile on her face. The first time you dropped her off, you were dressed for a magazine interview, professional and beautiful; intimidating but in an awe-inspiring way, you attracted more attention than you originally thought but your main focus was Katsumi.

Kneeling down to the elated blonde’s short stature, you gave a sweet smile, “Take care now, cupcake. Be good, be kind,” you lovingly stroked her hair, taking care not to disturb her adorable pigtails, “and have a wonderful day,” with a kiss and a hug, you let her go, staring at her for a moment when she puffed out her chest and her classmates ran up to her, beginning to whisper amongst themselves as you stood back and watched the scene with a restrained giggle. Not in any rush to leave and wanting to wait until Katsumi walked indoors to go for your interview, you stayed and witnessed the scene with your ears perked in alertness. 

“Is she your mommy, Katsumi?”

“Yeah! She’s super pretty, right? She owns the famous bakery in the city centre.” the surrounding children awed unanimously, their eyes sparkling as you bashfully feigned ignorance. As if that wasn’t enough, Katsumi continued with her prideful gloating, “That’s my mommy, she’s really amazing, isn’t she? More amazing-er than yours and she’s all mine and daddy’s! Now, kneel down and cry!” even though she was treating you like a sparkly, rare pokemon card, you only felt flattered but coughed so that she didn’t build bad habits. You could practically see her cute button nose reaching for the sky as she proudly stood with her hands on her hips and her feet wide apart. 

“Katsumi...” you sternly eyed her down for her lie and boastful attitude. 

“Well...she’s not my mommy yet, but I’m gonna make her my mom, just you wait and see!”

Almost an entire year had passed and what an almost-year it was, you and Bakugou had a date all to yourselves almost every week as there was equal effort on both sides to make time for the other, in fact, it was encouraged immensely by Katsumi as well. If it wasn’t for her, your weekly dates with Bakugou wouldn’t have begun and if it wasn’t for the dates, you wouldn’t have discovered his love for hiking. WIth that, you made it so that you, Bakugou and Katsumi all went hiking and camping together once every three months or so, as long as the weather was good. 

Bakugou couldn’t be more grateful. He felt so much happiness seeing you embrace and openly partake in an activity that you were pretty clumsy at in the beginning. It made him feel important. Yes, he was the number one hero but it was the validation he never knew he needed to have - that he was important enough in your life to spend three days away hiking and camping on a mountain every three months. He never knew how good it felt but as soon as he realised it for himself, he did the same to Katsumi and you. Every two weeks, he made sure to return home early so that he could cook dinner with you and let you boss him around in the kitchen. All this as Katsumi sat at the kitchen island giggling to herself from the scene and often getting so giddy that she joined in on the effort to make dinner. 

Every time dinner was cooked together like this, the food tasted even better than normal.

For Katsumi, Bakugou found that her likes were always tailored to what she saw in himself and you. Whenever Bakguou approached her about what she liked doing, she’d express wanting to learn close combat and quirk training whilst with you, she’d want to do something about cooking or baking. For a time, Bakugou insisted that it didn’t have to be about what he and you liked but Katsumi persisted that whatever her parents liked, she liked it also. 

“Stubborn squirt...”

“A lot like you~” you teased and ultimately started a fight you couldn’t win. 

“So…” Katsumi began laying between you and her father under the pillowfort she insisted on creating for movie night.

“What is it, cupcake?” you hum in content. 

“When can I start calling you my mom?”

Shocked at the sudden question, you take a moment to clear your throat and turn your full focus onto her, “For that to happen, a really big decision has to be made between me and your father...” you trail off, not knowing what else to say. 

“How do you feel about it, then?” Katsumi pleads, “Don’t you want to be my mommy? I’m a good girl, I promise,” your expression softens at her trembling voice. She’s wanted this for so long but you and Bakugou have been taking your sweet time. It was unfair for her to be so demanding but at the same time it was unfair for you to make her wait so long when the answer was obvious. 

“Of course, I’d want to be your mommy but your father has a say in this situation too,” you both turn to Katsuki, the name he now insists you call him by. 

“Daddy?....” Katsumi asks softly but after an extended silence from Katsuki, she resorts to pleading, “You have to say yes! I want her to be my mommy! She does everything a mommy does! She takes me to school, makes my bento, plays with me and kisses my boo boos better! She looks after you and your boo boos too daddy!”

“Well...as long as she wants to look after a bratty little girl,” Katsuki softly chuckles at his daughter’s whine of protest, reaching up to pet her hair and calm her down, as if to say that he didn’t actually mean it, “and equally bratty grown man, I say, why not?” meeting eyes with you, he takes in your shocked but bubbling excitement and pulls you into an embrace, Katsumi remaining the centre of your arms. She looks up, completely silent as stars sparkle in her eyes, watching the scene before her play out like a scene in the movie. Without a word, you embrace the two tightly and bury your smiling face into Katsuki’s neck and nod, breathing in his intoxicating scent - a mix of sweet sweat and alluring aftershave. “Say it like you mean it, dumbass,” Katsuki urges with a gentle voice. 

“Yes!” you squeal in pent up elation only to sigh in content right after, “I’d love that so much...” 

You had almost completely forgotten that Katsumi was still cuddled up between you two if it weren’t for her clapping hands and cheers of joy, “Woah! Daddy! You were really romantic just then!” sparkly eyed, she stares at her dad but is reminded of the situation when she locks eyes with you again, “Wait! Can I finally call you my mommy now?”

“Well...” you and Katsuki lock eyes and smile, it wasn’t official but she’s been waiting so long, “go right ahead, cupcake!”

“Yes! You’re my mommy!” you thought you had seen Katsumi truly happy before but now you know that this is her at her happiest. Her smile could win against the sun. 

Chapter Text

i can just imagine it… 

Ren and Kirishima spending time together while you did a quick run to a shop nearby. Usually, Kirishima asked for any ingredients you would need before he came over as he picked them up on his way there but you had forgotten to mention needing more pasta sauce for tonight’s dinner so, taking responsibility, you went off to quickly retrieve it. 

In the meantime, Ren and Kirishima were played heroes and villains together. All was well until Ren’s little tummy suddenly rumbled - it was absolutely adorable. Pouting, Ren plops down to pat at the pudge that was his stomach before staring up at Kirishima. 

“Hungy,” he whispered, almost ashamed that he couldn’t wait until you finished cooking dinner. Sympathising for him, Kirishima picked up your son to stand him up before leading him to the pantry.

“A little snack to tide you over for the mean time won’t hurt,” Kirishima hummed and grinned as Ren jumped in place, clapping his little hands in glee. 

“Snack! Snack!” 

It took everything for the red-headed hero to keep from sweeping the little boy up into his arms and snuggling him to death.

Chuckling to himself at Ren’s antics, Kirishima searched for a light snack that wouldn’t spoil dinner too much for the little boy bouncing around his feet. The red-head would never want to ruin your hard work in the kitchen, all your meals never failed to fill his stomach contentedly each night, and he’s sure the same can be said for Ren, so maybe a juice box?…

Distracted with what to pick out for Ren’s snack, Kirishima didn’t realise he had accidentally knocked over a pack of tortillas until he heard a frightened shout for his name. 

“Kiripima!”

“Oh-!” with his trained reflexes he was able to catch the falling tortillas in time. Meeting eyes with Ren’s frightened ones, the hero immediately tried to defuse the tension, “More like Hurricane Tortilla!” he joked after animatedly wiping non-existant sweat off his brow and earning a squeal of delight from the three year old. 

When you got home and finished making dinner, you were told of a very interesting adventure Ren had with a ‘hurricane’. The following night, the three of you had Cannelloni for dinner. 

Chapter Text

although Ren is four years old he’s had to mature quicker than his peers. unlike them, he’s only ever known his mum and that was all he needed. he never knew that he needed a dad when all he’s ever had; all he’s ever needed was his mum. 

she kisses his boo boos, reads him stories before bed, cooks him his favourite meals, makes sure he gets dressed for preschool and so much more. without his mom, he doesn’t know what else there is. 

but the instant he and his preschool peers realised that he was different, purely because he didn’t have someone to call his ‘papa’, he was suddenly treated differently

“you really don’t have a papa?”

“no…”

“who plays with you, then?”

“my mama does,”

“who helps you get dressed?”

“my mama does,”

“who cooks your favourite food?”

“my mama does,”

“your mama must be really tired, huh?”

“what?”

ren had to mature faster for his mama. since he didn’t have a papa, he needed to help his mama wherever he can; he made sure he didn’t play as often when you looked more tired than usual, and stayed quiet for you when it gets late, he makes sure he can put his socks on and does his velcro shoe straps himself so you can focus on his coat. as long as his mama was happy and didn’t get tired, ren was okay with doing what he needed to do. 

that was until he met his hero, his idol. the perfect man for his mama. the reason ren got so attached to the red-head was because he was everything his preschool friends said their dads were. kiripima was strong, he was reliable, he was helpful and he took care of others. 

ren couldn’t have been happier the day kiripima and his mama met for the first time. to him it was the world’s way of saying that he can finally have his papa, a papa that he deserve and a papa that his mama deserved too. 

“papa!” ren cried in happiness when he sees the familiar red hair past the preschool gate. it was usually his mama that picked him up but this time it was his beloved hero. it’s not like he doesn’t like his mama anymore but he’s so so happy that his papa is the one that picked him up. 

“hey little man!” kirishima grins toothily, ignoring the awestruck look of the other children and their parents; all he can see and focus on right now was his son, not by blood but that didn’t matter, what mattered was the wide smile on ren’s face and the loving gaze in your eyes when you look at the two of them together, “sorry your mama can’t come to pick you up, she’s on a grocery run right now,”

“it’s okay!” ren chirps happily. 

“thank you for being understanding,” kirishima softly kisses his forehead and gets them on their way, “ready to head home?”

“yeah!”

as the pair walk to kirishima’s polished range rover 5th generation sv, ren sees the amazed expressions of his classmates over the hero’s shoulder and grins happily. he points to himself and then the back of kirishima’s head as he mouths, “my papa,” not knowing he effectively whispers the proud statement into kirishima’s ear. 

as ren snuggles up into kirishima’s shoulder, the hero’s grin widens and shoots you a quick message, attempting to convince you to let ren have his favourite for dinner tonight.