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He wasn't sure when it started exactly but Yumi followed him everywhere.
To eat, to sleep, to school hidden in his bag.
If Shouto was caught without Yumi, then that wasn't him and he'd been abducted by aliens.
Taking her everywhere, though, came with an eventual price.
"NO!"
"She's dirty. We can give her a bath." Katsuki was trying to reason with Shouto, not that it was working.
"No! No! No! Ki, stop!" Shouto was grabbing onto Yumi with practically all of his strength, attempting to clutch her to his chest.
Tears started spilling over before long...
But...
He just couldn't part with Yumi.
She was his best friend, besides Midoriya - Ki too... mostly...
He didn't care that Yumi was dirty, she was just fine. It was just a little mud by her left eye. He had a massive scar on his so what was the difference, really?
Aside from the fact that she was completely drenched, Yumi was doing just fine.
"Yumi's gonna get sick. She's cold and really wants a warm bath right now, and I'm sure you do too, considering you've been in the rain and all, huh baby?" Katsuki was bartering with a toddler - not how he'd expected his day to go in all honesty but we move.
" 'umi..." Shouto's voice was smaller, sniffles being wiped on his sleeve as tear tracks formed down his cheeks.
He was exhausted.
The training from today had physically exerted him to his limits and the extra provisional licensing lessons had stripped him down of anything he had left. It was when they were walking back into the dorms that Yumi fell into a puddle, Ki deciding that it would be best to wash her, and him too.
Shouto shuffled closer to Katsuki, wrapping his arms around his neck as Katsuki took the signal and lifted him into the air, waiting as Shouto's legs curled around his waist. The boy buried his head in the blond's neck, hoping to disappear or scream or cry or just be away and gone.
"Baby, s'okay..." Katsuki bounced him gently, counting underneath his breath whilst shushing him until his shoulder stopped getting wet with tears.
"C'mon. I'll put Yumi in the washing machine and I'll put you in the bath with lots of bubbles and then you can put on pyjamas, grab Yumi, and come sleep with me. Sound good?" Katsuki hoped the suggestion would land without another waterfall down his back.
Shouto sniffed gently, pushing back from Katsuki until he was put down and handed Yumi over. Katsuki placed her in the washing machine, pouring in soaps and left Shouto watching beside him, holding his calloused finger with Shouto's whole hand.
" 'umi spinnin'."
"Yeah, she is."
"She sc'red?"
"Maybe... But you're gonna have a bath too to show her that it's okay, right? You wanna go have a bath? Lots of bubbles."
Shouto hummed, sadness creeping by his eyes. He was lifted up once again, and taken to the bathrooms. Katsuki ran the water, checking it four times before placing Shouto inside and letting him play with the mountains of bubbles.
Katsuki left quickly, grabbing a pull up and pyjamas from Shouto's room and bringing them back in.
"Ki! Ki! Look!" Shouto was holding pillars of foam against his head, giggling with joy; Katsuki smiled.
"Mkay, Shou-Shou, time to come out."
"Why... Don' wanna..." the child pouted, dragging out his words.
"Don't you want to get Yumi out of the wash? I bet she's nice and dry and warm by now." Katsuki coaxed.
" 'umi! 'umi! 'umi! 'umi!" Shouto repeated, a smile on his face as he clapped his hands.
Katsuki took this as his sign to lift him out of the water, immediately dressing him in his pull up and deep red pyjamas.
'They match your eyes, Ki.' That's what Shouto had justified when he showed them off to Katsuki the first time around.
Soon enough, Katsuki was carrying Shouto back into the laundry room and grabbing Yumi like she was gold. She was gold to Shouto, to be fair. He handed her over with a smile.
"Here."
" 'umi!!" Shouto beamed, holding her against him.
"Okay, Yumi acquired. Now, bedtime." Katsuki was firm.
"Mm..." Shouto was already drifting off in his arms, with Yumi occupying his arms.
Katsuki landed the pair into Shouto's bed, covering him and Yumi with his blanket, the one with snowflakes, and placing a pacifier in his mouth.
'Finally.' Katsuki thought to himself, ‘I really needed a fuckin' bed today.’