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There’s no way to explain the extreme terror of finding your child missing. It’s as if the whole world goes silent, and all that is left is the racing of your heart and your brain going a million miles a minute. Nothing else matters at that moment, just the pure adrenaline running in your veins and the deafening silence of their absence.
“Katsuki!” You yell in a piercing voice. Your shriek rattles the house, the undying fear evident in your voice. “Kasumi’s missing again!” Your eyes are rounded with fright, your breath coming hard and fast as you process the situation, wondering how you let this happen.
Kasumi, your little boy, had just turned three. He was already a gifted child, speaking in mostly complete sentences by two years old, which in itself came with its own unique challenges—and to make matters more complicated, his quirk developed shortly after his third birthday. He had inherited your quirk instead of your husband’s or a combination of the two. In short, he could teleport.
The issue? He could teleport.
The problem with teleportation is that without proper training, you could end up anywhere. Thankfully, because Kasumi’s powers were so new, his range wasn’t too far, so you didn’t have to worry about him teleporting out of the city. But it was still a harrowing thought to know that your child could be anywhere in the surrounding area you lived in.
Your husband appeared beside you a few moments later, his usual scowl twisted with a hint of worry. “He really disappeared again, huh? Were you ever this much trouble when you were little?” Katsuki asks, his eyes skeptical. You turn to your husband, eyeing his expression as you realize he’s teasing you. You focus on your breathing, knowing from years of work as a pro that panicking won’t help your situation.
“What, and you weren’t?” You accuse lightly, a joking tone to your voice as you try to distract yourself for a moment so you can make a plan. Katsuki huffs, pulling you into his chest for a hug, caging you in his strong arms, knowing you need the reassurance, even if you won’t say it. “You’re avoiding the question.” You say, poking the blond’s cheek with your index finger. His crimson eyes look uninterested, clearly not happy with your teasing.
“You love me, and you know it,” You state, smiling at your husband. You feel the slight movement of his diaphragm against you as he takes deep breaths, making you subconsciously mirror his breathing pattern and calm your racing heart.
“Whatever.” He says back, not releasing you from his grasp as he rubs minuscule circles into the space between your shoulder blades.
“Awww, you do love me!” You say, placing a quick kiss on his pulse point. “Now let me go so we can go find our kid.” Katsuki complies, letting you go with a barely noticeable pout tilting his lips. You feel more levelheaded after the interaction—a list of places to search already forming in your mind. “I’m gonna go check the park. You got the market?” You ask, turning to walk away from Kasumi’s empty room. You quickly gather your phone, purse, keys, and a small snack and light jacket for Kasumi. Knowing the ins and outs of your quirk, Kasumi would be drained after teleporting—especially because his powers were so new, and he hadn’t grown accustomed to them yet. Finally, you slip on your shoes, standing in front of the door.
“I’ll go check in with the people at the agency as well, see if any of those extras have seen him.” Katsuki’s gruff voice said from behind you. You nodded, trying to keep yourself from worrying so much. “We’re gonna find ‘em. We always do.” He assured, placing his hands on your shoulders and giving you the lightest squeeze before letting go. You heard him walk down toward the genkan, grabbing his own coat and keys before heading out.
Holding your bag to your chest, you closed your eyes and envisioned the park. Thinking of the colorful plastic slide and miscellaneous structures Kasumi often enjoyed playing on. You felt the falling sensation start, your whole body feeling weightless for less than a second before you saw bright light behind your eyelids.
Opening your eyes, you saw the place you had wanted to visit—The park. A few parents were there pushing their kids on the swings or watching them from a bench, chatting. You scanned the area for any sign of your son, but he wasn’t there. Walking up to the strangers, you ask them if Kasumi might have passed through the area.
“Sumimasen,” You say in Japanese, trying to get their attention. The couple on the bench turn their heads in your direction, curious about your presence. “I’m looking for my son. He’s about this tall.” You say, gesturing to a certain height below your hip. “And he has spiky blond hair. I was hoping you might have seen him.”
“I’m afraid not,” the woman replies, her eyes holding sympathy as she begins to understand your predicament.
“But, we were planning on staying for a while long,” The man says, “We can keep an eye out if you’d like.” He offers. Your eyes open in surprise while your heart swells with gratitude.
“That would be amazing. Thank you.” You respond, bowing slightly to show your gratitude. You quickly give the couple your number, thank them again, and head out on your way again in search of Kasumi. There were a few other places nearby he might have gone.
You walk around the area, scanning the sidewalks and streets for any sign of your little boy. You’re farther out from the city, walking in densely crowded housing areas where you see a few people take afternoon strolls. It’s not late, but late enough to worry if you’ll have enough time to find Kasumi before it grows dark.
After scanning most of the area and asking some of the locals, you decide to turn back and search the more crowded areas of the city. At this point, you just hope no villains have picked him up. It’s bad enough that both of his parents are pro-heroes, not to mention that his father is in the top ten.
“Kasumi!” You call, earning a few odd glances from people walking nearby. You give them an awkward smile, trying to apologize. They turn away, making space between you. You take a few more steps, looking around for small blond tufts or running feet.
You’re about to call out again when you hear it. “Okāsan!” You hear the voice of your little boy call. You turn around rapidly, seeing the small figure of your son running toward you at full speed. Kirishima’s in his Red Riot gear, following behind him.
When Kasumi reaches you, he latches onto your left leg, locking his arms around you in a death grip while burying his face into the fabric of your pant leg. You smile down at him, bringing a hand to ruffle his blond hair, nearly identical to his father’s.
Still smiling, you lift your gaze to Kirishima, seeing his usual blinding smile in return. “Thanks, Kiri.” You say—your whole being thankful.
Kirishima tips an imaginary hat over his head. “Anytime, Mrs. Bakugou,” He says in a gentleman-like manner. You let out a shaky breath you didn’t know you had started to hold. You were so glad to have Kasumi back in your sight.
You reach down, opening your arms for Kasumi. He unlatches himself from your leg, allowing you to carry him against your chest as you hold his weight. His head lies on your shoulder, his cheek pressed against your neck. “Want me to walk you home?” Kirishima asks next to you, “My patrol just ended, and Bakugou would kill me if anything happened to you two on your way home.”
“I’m a pro-hero, Kiri.” You say, looking at Kirishima as you slowly start heading home, walking along the less crowded sidewalk. “And if I was really worried, I could just teleport there.” You say. You look down at your son cradled in your arms, bringing another soft smile to your visage. “But I just want to hold him for now.” You say lightly, feeling your son snuggle into you.
“He looks so much like Bakubro,” Kirishima says over your shoulder as he walks slowly beside you. “If he didn’t have your eyes, I could have sworn Bakugou was turned into a kid.” You chuckled at that, Kirishima laughing along with you. “I’m serious about walking you home though, Bakugou will never let me hear the end of it.” He said, trying to maintain a serious expression.
A slight smirk pulled at the edges of your lips, a light laughing huff escaping you. “Alright, alright.” You say in defeat. “Wouldn’t want Katsuki beating on you.” You both think back to the blond’s temper. Remembering the days when your husband was still in high school, hitting Kirishima’s head with a book when studying even when he wasn’t upset. His temper had mellowed out quite a bit since then, but he could still be a real pain when he felt like it.
You and Red Riot walked back to the DynaRiot agency first, Kasumi falling asleep in your arms as you waited for Kirishima to change into civilian clothes. While waiting in the lobby, you took the time to inform the nice couple from the park that Kasumi had been found and to call your husband. Katsuki picked up on the second ring.
“Did you find him?” Your husband’s low voice asked over the phone.
“Mhm,” you hummed, softly petting Kasumi’s untamed spikes. “Kirishima found him right before his patrol finished up. We’re at your agency right now, waiting for him to change before we head home.”
“I can pick you up,” Katsuki said more than asked.
“I know you can,” You said, smiling to yourself while watching your son sleep in your lap. “But then, who would protect Kiri?” You joked. “I hear the streets are dangerous at night.” You heard Katsuki let out a loud sign, conflicted.
“Just be safe getting back.” He said, his voice a low growl that showed how he’d rather drive you home instead.
“Will do Great Explosion Murder God DynaMight.” You teased your husband with his extreme hero name, hearing his upset grumblings on the other line. You smiled wickedly, amused at your own fanatics.
“Alright, ready to go?” Kirishima asked, walking into the lobby in different clothes. He wore his hair down, a baseball cap covering his eyes along with a mask and easily forgotten clothes. It was moments like these when you were glad to be a lesser-known hero. You didn’t have to worry about being recognized in public as much as Kirishima and Katsuki did.
“Alright, gotta go. See you soon.” You told Katsuki, him once again reminding you to be safe. You put your phone into one of your pockets. You lifted Kasumi back into your arms, following Kirishima out the door on a short walk back to your home. Thankfully, you lived close by.
When Katsuki and Kirishima built their agency, they wanted it to be central to the city. It was the perfect spot, close to your home and not too far away from the daycare Kasumi went to on days you both worked. It was perfect.
“So, what are you gonna do when you get home later?” You asked Kirishima as you walked together. His usual longer strides slowed as he matched your pace. Kasumi shifted slightly in your arms.
“Hmm, I don’t really know.” He replied, showing his usual beaming, shark-toothed smile. “Maybe I’ll hit the gym for a few.” Kirishima rubbed the back of his neck with one of his hands, the other staying in the pocket of his jacket.
“You’re not hanging out with Kami tonight? You guys are usually stuck to each other like glue, even during patrols.” You said thoughtfully, thinking about the strong bond between the two that had lasted since U.A.
“Nah, he’s hanging out with Jirou tonight.”
“They’ve been going out for a while now, right?”
“Yup, and you can’t say that I told you, but he’s thinking about asking her to marry him.” Kirishima said, the sound of cement under his feet droning in the background.
“Wow,” You looked up at Kirishima, “What took him so long?”
“I know, right? They’ve been dating since their last year at U.A. Sometimes, I just can’t get over how oblivious they both are.” You hummed in agreement, feeling Kasumi shift in your arms again, stirring awake.
“Sorry, Babe.” You say softly, slowing down to look at your son. “We’re just about there.” Kasumi lifted one of his hands around your neck, playing with the back of your hair. A few moments later, you arrived at the apartment complex you and Katsuki lived in. “Well, this is me.” You say to Kirishima.
Turning to face you, Kirishima gives you another one of his signature smiles. “Always a pleasure,” He says. He softly pats Kasumi’s head before turning and walking away, wishing you farewell.
“Don’t be a stranger!” You call out as he walks farther away, waving to you as he heads in the direction of his own apartment. “Alright, I need to set you down for a moment, Sweetie.” You say to Kasumi, slowly lowering so that his slipper covered feet touch the ground. You buzz in, moving past security and waving to the guard as you head home, handing Kasumi the snack from your bag to munch on in the meantime as you scoop him back up.
It feels good when you finally swing open the door to your apartment, setting Kasumi on the floor. He runs in before you can remind him to take off his shoes. “Kasumi!” You call. “You need to take your slippers off before you get past the genkan.” Suddenly, your son appears beside you, giving you a slight scare as his quirk teleports him right behind you.
His face is lit up in a large, childlike smile. His eyes scrunched up in happiness. “Did you see what I did? I did it just like youuu!”
“And so you did. I’m proud of you, Sweetheart, but teleporting can be dangerous, and I’d like it if we did it together from now on. Just until you gain more control.”
“Okay…” Kasumi replies, his head looking down at his house slippers that had been on his feet since he teleported outside. You feel bad, wishing it was easier to convey that you just wanted him to be safe while he learned to use his power.
“I have to work tomorrow, but maybe when I get back, we can go to the field at the school and practice. How does that sound?”
Kasumi’s head lifted immediately, a large smile spreading across his face as he nodded frantically. “I’m gonna teleport into the air and glide like you did on TV!” Kasumi exclaimed in excitement.
You chuckled lightly. “I don’t think you’re ready for that just yet.” You slip off your shoes, sliding on some house slippers before taking off your son's ruined shoes and letting him run around in his socks. You mentally noted that you needed to buy him a new pair of house slippers.
“You hungry?” You ask Kasumi, walking into the living room of your apartment where Kasumi was plopped down on the couch and searching for hero fights on the news. Sometimes, you feel it’s too violent for someone his age to witness such things, but as a hero, you knew how violent the real world was, and a deeper part of you said it was good for him to be aware.
“Nu-uh.” He replied, finding a channel discussing a robbery at a local store that was being handled by a nearby hero. You walked farther into your home, heading into the kitchen to prepare a kettle to make yourself some tea.
“You sure?” You asked over your shoulder, your voice just slightly louder to make sure he heard over the TV. You’d given him something to snack on earlier but wondered if that was really enough.
“Yeah!” Kasumi replied, staying on the couch. Enthralled by the television. You sighed as you waited for the water to boil, listening to the small chatter from the TV in the other room. By the time you were pouring the hot water over a tea bag in your favorite mug, Katsuki was back, the sound of him entering the apartment catching your attention.
“Daddy!” Kasumi shouted, racing to the door to greet his father. The familiar shuffling sound of your husband roughly kicking off his shoes sounded near the genkan. You hear his signature stomping steps moving behind you, happy squeals leaving Kasumi. You turn around, greeted with the sight of your son sitting atop your husband’s shoulders with a beaming smile.
“So, Shi—Kirishima found him, huh?” Katsuki corrected himself before swearing in front of your son.
“Yup,” You said, lifting the steaming mug to your lips and blowing. You saw your husband’s eyes lower, following the motion of your lips as you blew on your steeping tea. Your mouth curled into the tiniest smile as you watched Katsuki’s neck flush slightly at being caught. Kasumi still on your husband’s shoulders, completely unaware of the silent exchange as he played with Katsuki’s wild spikes.
You saw Kasumi yawn, his eyes drooping ever so slightly as he let his head rest on his father’s. The day’s events were finally catching up to him. “You tired, Babe?” You asked, looking up at him from where you leaned against the counter.
“No…” He said silently, the slightest hint of a whine seeping into his voice. “‘M not tired.” A second yawn betrayed him. You watched him with a knowing glance, looking into your husband’s red eyes before nodding your head in the direction of Kasumi’s room.
After changing into a set of lighter sleeping clothes and lightly brushing his teeth, Kasumi was tucked into bed. You pulled the covers over him, tucking it around the sides of his body and his neck to keep him warm while he slept. “Mommy?” His voice called.
“Yes?” You asked, looking into your son’s eyes, which held a striking resemblance to yours.
“I’m sorry I scared you earlier. Didn’t mean to do it.” You quietly sighed, stroking your son’s head affectionately.
“I know, Baby. I know.” You let your voice fade into the otherwise silent room. “I just want you to be safe, you know that, right?”
“I do.”
“Good, because your father and I will always do our best to keep you safe.”
“What ‘bout you?” Your son asked, his voice laced with drowsiness. “I want to keep you safe too.” You smiled then, leaning forward to place a kiss on your son's wild head of hair.
“Don’t go worrying about me. I’m a pro-hero, remember?”
“I wanna be just like you and Dad when I grow up. ‘M gonna beat villains up like Daddy does on TV.” You cleared your throat in an attempt to cover up your silent snicker.
“Maybe one day, but you have your whole life to figure that out.” You looked at your son, seeing his closed eyelids flicker as he began to doze off.
You stood up, turning off the lights in the room and hovering in the doorway, watching your son’s peaceful sleeping form. You felt a presence beside you, instantly knowing who it was. “He’s so much like you, you know?” You whispered. Katsuki moved closer, his silhouette blocking the light from going into Kasumi’s room as his shoulder brushed yours.
“Yeah, but he’s also like you. He’s got your eyes.” You smiled, looking over at your husband as his lips quirked at the edges. You turned lightly, closing Kasumi’s door with a quiet click and stepping away quietly. You moved into the living room, flopping down onto the couch with a long sigh as you let your eyes close.
You felt a weight dip next to you on the sofa, your husband using his arms to lift you as he lay down on the couch, pulling you on top of him so that your chests pressed together and your faces nearly touched. You opened your eyes, watching how he looked at you with his blood-red eyes.
“Parenting is exhausting,” You said. Katsuki hummed in agreement, pulling you closer as his nose brushed yours. You rolled your eyes, watching as a smirk plastered itself onto your husband’s face. You leaned your face down, meeting him halfway as your lips touched in a tender embrace. It was sweet and filled with love, reminding you of one of the many reasons you married him.
You let your head rest on his toned chest, feeling the heat seep through his shirt and diffuse on your skin. You sighed happily, listening to the steady beat of his heart as one of his hands came to rest on the middle of your back. You stayed like that for a long while, savoring each other’s embrace as exhaustion swept over the both of you, lulling you to sleep in each other’s arms.