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There's a baby store somewhere along the stretch from Katsuki's apartment to his hero agency.
He never pays it much mind on his way, but his eyes are bound to wander, always on the lookout of his surroundings, and the baby store is a landmark that signals his walk will be another five minutes, less if he speeds the hell up from his turtle-like pace.
That being said, Katsuki’s never seen a familiar red and white haired idiot through the window until now. He’s holding up a small baby onesie up to his eyes and has that dumb smile on his face that shows he's pleased. Katsuki's heart does a stutter, then his feet as he nearly walks into a fire hydrant.
Fuck.
Their eyes meet.
Fuck.
Todoroki's eyes widen, before he raises a hand in an awkward attempt at a wave that should look dumb, but instead endears itself to Katsuki like everything else the strawberry shortcake does.
Katsuki just wants to go home; he's carrying a shitload of paperwork in his bag, and his patrol was full of extras annoying him and he was tired.
Katsuki enters. The door jingles in his wake as it fuckin' should – Ground Zero is here, bitches – and he heads towards Todoroki, whose attention is back to the garment. Now that Katsuki is nearer, he sees the detail of the onesie loud and clear.
It's a cat onesie because of course it fucking is.
Katsuki lets out a noisy snort that makes Todoroki look up again blankly.
"Hello," he greets, and holds the cursed onesie up yet again. "Yes or no?"
"No," Katsuki says.
Todoroki throws it in his basket with a hum, and Katsuki feels irritation crawl up like it always seems to do when the candy cane haired idiot is with him.
"Why d'ya ask if you're gonna ignore my opinion, huh?" Katsuki hisses.
Icyhot shrugs. "I didn't like what I heard."
He moves to the next aisle gracefully, and Katsuki kind of wants to kick something. But in a baby store, it seems all kinds of wrong so he refrains from his budding temper and follows hot on Todoroki's trail.
"Why're you even here," Katsuki grumps out. He picks up a baby bootie, marveling at how fuckin' small it is as it fits snug in his palm. "These aren't exactly your size."
Todoroki doesn't rise to the bait. He hums instead, picking up some strawberry patterned shoes and looking at them in awe.
"I know," Todoroki says after a beat. He adds the shoes to the basket. "I'm shopping for baby clothes."
Katsuki lets out a strangled breath because, "I can fuckin' see that, Halfie!"
Another hum. It's low and soothing and- fuck. "For the baby," Todoroki clarifies, like he had cleared everything up rather than make it more vague.
"Another Todoroki, huh," Katsuki snoops, feeling dejected.
"Yes."
Well, fuck. Katsuki feels an ugly jealously fester in his belly, and he turns away.
"Congrats," he gets out lowly.
Todoroki looks confused, but nods anyways. "Thanks. Are you on your way home?"
"Yeah."
It feels awkward then, or maybe he's just feeling like shit, so he hitches his bag higher on his shoulder and turns to leave.
"See ya, Halfie," Katsuki says, because he's mature enough to say bye now, despite the pettiness that wants to tumble out and show its face.
"See you tomorrow," Icyhot replies in kind.
If he's doing that awkward wave again, Katsuki doesn't turn to acknowledge it. He focuses on leaving the baby store and heads home.
.
Despite the paperwork he brought back, Katsuki is not doing any of it. Instead he's googling (on incognito mode, plus a VPN because no one is gonna stalk him on his watch) a pathetic 'shouto relationship pregnancy.' The grammar is awful, but it pops up with the right conclusion anyways.
Katsuki scans any reliable articles, but they're all simp blogs or fanfictions. There's nothing on Hero News or Hero Gossip, which means that Todoroki must have been extremely clever in hiding the news about his kid.
There's something more reliable than the news though, but he'll never admit it out loud.
Katsuki internally braces himself for tomorrow.
.
"Oi, nerd!" Katsuki scowls as he flies at breakneck speeds in his rolling chair towards a terrified looking Deku.
He moves out of the way just in time, squeaking out a, "Kacchan!"
Katsuki gets right down to business. "Is Icyhot pregnant or something?"
Katsuki instantly wants to blow himself up, and maybe Deku too, so the words he just blurted out will die with them. "Fuck- I meant, is he expecting a kid with someone else?"
Deku bumbles around, eyes large like he never quite grew up from when they first met. "Shouto-kun is pregnant?"
Well, at least Deku said the cursed words too.
"That's what I'm asking you," Katsuki replies, though it seems like this was a bust.
"I haven't heard anything from him," Deku says, looking deep in thought. "Why, is he expecting?"
Great. If Deku didn't know, Halfie was probably very tight-lipped about it. Which was odd, because he didn't seem to mind giving information so casually and freely to Katsuki, but whatever.
"Saw him shopping for baby clothes," Katsuki grunts, and rolls back to his own desk with little fanfare.
There's a beat as Deku processes this. Katsuki stares intently at his laptop, then glances at his childhood friend.
"Oh," Deku says, and Katsuki regrets looking because the idiot is looking remorseful; wide eyes staring at him woefully. "I'm sorry, Kacchan, I know how you-"
"Drop it," Katsuki interrupts.
The matter is dropped for five minutes, before Deku gets him a pity coffee from the vending machine and says, "maybe he's shopping for someone else? You know how he likes to buy gifts for people."
Katsuki does know. It's an endearing trait; he knows how much effort that goes with choosing each gift, has been there many times when Todoroki muses between one gift and another for hours on end. Katsuki has four birthday gifts from the candy cane by now, and other random trinkets that got shoved at him because 'it reminded me of you.' They adorn his desk at home, those trinkets, which is why he never lets Todoroki in his room, no matter how much he pesters him.
Before Katsuki can reply, their radios crackle to life. "All available heroes, report downstairs immediately."
They look at each other and grin as they race downstairs to get ready to fight some villains.
.
Katsuki decides to settle this matter once and for all, which is to say, indirectly. He's physically filling out the paperwork for the property damage he had done yesterday with Deku, but mentally thinking about Icyhot.
The man himself slinks into the office like a cat, removing his messenger bag and putting it beside his table neatly.
"Hello," Todoroki greets as he's settling himself in, and Katsuki grunts out a greeting back. "I saw you and Izuku took down those villains yesterday."
"Yeah?" Katsuki is satisfied at this. He had finally pulled off a new move he'd been working on for ages to perfect, and it was a pretty fucking sight. For Halfie to indirectly share his moment made him- content.
"Yeah. You two managed to destroy a few cars."
Katsuki splutters. "They were in the way!"
"Or maybe you were in their way," Todoroki points out, but there's a mischievous smile on his face. His eyes turn soft, which inadvertently turns Katsuki soft. "Congrats on getting that new move. I know you worked hard."
"Hell yeah I did. ...thanks."
Todoroki hums, and a silence befalls them, which Katsuki appreciates. He'll never admit it, but he's come to like their dynamic; silence when it called for it, and easy banter in-between.
It's here and now that seems like the perfect time to pry.
"You gonna take time off?" Katsuki asks.
See, if it is Todoroki's kid, he would. If it wasn't, why the hell would he? It's simple enough, and Katsuki feels quite pleased about his wit.
But Icyhot just looks bewildered, then concerned. "Should I?" He wonders.
"You want to be there for the kid right?" Katsuki replies, and is met with a stony, determined look.
"Of course."
"Then you should take time off- or work fewer hours at least."
"I'll see what I can do then. Thanks for letting me know."
"Good."
It is good. Icyhot can play happy family with his partner, far away from Katsuki who can finally focus on his job and not the feeling of unease and bitterness that rises whenever he thinks about the matter (which is admittedly a lot more than he would like).
It's odd though. Katsuki idly wonders why the thought of taking time off never occurred to Todoroki before. Then he banishes the thought far, far away.
Katsuki's done pining over a man who'll never pine back, and he isn't a homewrecker for fuck's sake.
He's done.
.
Katsuki is not done.
Todoroki settles in his usual place beside Katsuki in their shared office, and he nearly screeches in shock. He doesn't of course, but it's a very near thing because why the fuck is this strawberry shortcake here and not with his pregnant partner!?
"Fuyumi-nee says I shouldn't take time off," Todoroki announces breezily.
"Hah?!" Out of everyone, Katsuki was sure the elder Todoroki would support the time off. "Why?"
"She says she can handle it herself," Todoroki explains. "Plus, her husband is taking time off. They were a bit confused when I said I could help them. Appreciative, but confused."
Shit. Katsuki is confused. He's gaping, then remembers to close his mouth lest he look like Pikachu. He's scrambling his thoughts, and his words too. All he gets out is another dumb, "hah?"
Todoroki does another shrug. "I'm sure they can handle their own baby. But you're right, I did take some time off anyways to help them and be a good uncle."
"Uncle?"
"Yes."
Katsuki realizes he's gaping again, and closes his mouth only to open it again milliseconds after: "it's not your kid?"
Todoroki shoots him a quizzical look. "No. Didn't I say it was my sister's?"
"No!"
"Oh."
That better be a regretful oh, because the past few days had been nothing but hell for Katsuki.
"I don't think I would want kids," Todoroki continues. He has that contemplative yet troubled expression on his face, and Katsuki can't help but stare. "I don't think I would be a good father."
At this, Katsuki snaps out of his daze.
"Bullshit," he declares. "You'd be the fuckin' best dad."
"You can't know that," Todoroki points out wryly.
"I do know that. Fuck, this isn't even your kid, yet they're all I hear about from you these days. About where you're gonna take them, what clothes you brought, how spoiled they're probably gonna be ‘cuz of you. You're so- so excited about this, and you light up every damn time. If that's not the signs of a good dad – or uncle, whatever – I don't know what is."
Silence.
Katsuki feels his traitor ears turn pink, and he grips his pencil so tight it snaps. They both watch the two stubs roll around, coming to a halt right at the edge of his desk before they fall to the floor.
"I don't want them to grow up like I did," Todoroki admits quietly.
It breaks Katsuki's heart to hear, and he aches for the boy who never got the childhood he deserved. But- he’s not gonna stand for this self-wallowing behaviour.
"They're not," Katsuki says fiercely. "You're not- him, alright? I don't think you ever could be. Your sis' kid will turn out just fine, just like yours will if you ever want em."
This is the second time today that Todoroki has made him ramble some encouraging shit, and Katsuki feels the redness in his ears spread to his cheeks. Holy fuck.
But Halfie just stares, eyes wide and almost sparkling with genuine happiness. "Thank you, Bakugou."
Katsuki promptly turns away, not bearing to see the starry-eyed look he's fallen in love with any longer.
Todoroki doesn't seem to be done, though. He moves his rolling chair in front of Katsuki so that their knees are almost touching. Then they are, as the candy cane shifts forward.
"I took a few days off this week," Todoroki announces, and blatantly stares at Katsuki like he's supposed to know what that means.
All Katsuki knows is that Halfie has days off that he'll probably spend with his cat, which is- good for him.
"Bakugou," Todoroki continues, and nudges his knee annoyingly. "Go on a date with me."
Whatthefuck.
"...what?"
"A date. ...you're off Saturday, right? I took that day off, so I was thinking we could go somewhere together."
Katsuki is apparently, not done pining. The gears and cogs in his mind crank back into motion after a ridiculous amount of time, and after getting over his stupor, he smirks at Todoroki. "Where to?"
(They pass the baby store on their way to the park, picnic basket full of homemade food lightly swinging in Shouto’s hand that was connected to Katsuki's own. Shouto tells him to wait outside, shoving the basket to the other’s chest, and rushes in to make a purchase. He comes back minutes later, holding out a bright orange Ground Zero onesie with a small beam that Katsuki can't help but smile back at.
Fuck, he's really in love with this sap.
And as they lean in to kiss, this time he knows the feeling is mutual.)
fin.