Incomplete [Chapter 16]

Katsuki rolled over with a groan, reaching for his buzzing phone. Izuku was long-since off to work, leaving Katsuki alone, cold, groggy and cranky, in the bed alone. He hated to admit he was such a sap, but he really did hate the days he woke up without Izuku beside him.

“Hello?” he yawned.

“Am I speaking with Mister Bakugou?”

“You are.”

“I’m calling from Yoshiki’s school. He’s unwell, he asked us to call his Dad, and gave us your number. Are you able to come pick him up?”

“Oh,” Katsuki blinked stupidly, sitting up. “Yeah, of course, um... I can be there in... Half an hour? Tell him I’m on my way. Please.”

“We will. Thank you, Sir, we’ll see you soon.”

He practically threw his phone across the room in his hurry to get up, grabbing the first clean clothes he could get his hands on and heading straight for the door. He didn’t even stop to brush his teeth or wash his face, knew he must look awful to anyone who might glance his way, but still he grabbed his keys and leapt into the driver’s seat as quickly as possible.

Every red light seemed to stretch on for hours, his fingers drumming on the steering wheel impatiently, and that wasn’t even half as bad as the intersections where he had to wait for a gap instead of just a light that he knew would eventually come. It felt like there was never going to be a gap, the traffic was just going to stretch on for eternity, a never-ending stream of cars, lined up bumper-to-bumper for the rest of time. He should have just run there.

Honestly, he might have, if not for having to get the kid back home after.

He took the closest parking spot he could find to the school office, stumbling out of the car in such an uncoordinated manner that he suspected if any of the Hero Commission had seen him, he’d have been fired on the spot. But finally, finally, he made it into the office, a little out of breath as he leaned his hands on the counter and stared down at the poor confused-looking lady behind it.

“Yoshiki? Is he here?”

“Oh! You must be Mister Bakugou!” she smiled warmly, jumping to her feet. “Come with me, thank you for coming on such short notice!”

“No, of course, anything for him. Is he okay?”

“His teacher says he was very quiet all day, but he’s always pretty quiet so he didn’t think much of it until lunchtime when he didn’t want any food, and when they brought it into class he...”

“Puked?” Katsuki finished for her, grimacing. “Poor kid. I hate to ask, but I’m still a little new to this: Should I take him straight to the doctor?”

“Stomach bugs are very common in children, usually with rest they’ll get better in a day or two unassisted. If it continues longer than that, he should see a doctor just to be sure.”

“So just treat it like a cold or whatever then?”

“Exactly, just with a bucket beside the bed in case of any more accidents.”

“Got it. Thank you.”

She knocked on a door, and Yoshiki rolled over when it opened, his sleepy eyes blinking open to look up at them. Katsuki tried his best to managed a smile, but knew he’d failed miserably from the way Yoshiki looked at him, knuckles white where they clutched the edge of the sheets.

“Are you sick too?”

“No,” Katsuki snorted, his grin a lot more genuine this time. “I was in bed, I came straight here. I look that bad, huh?”

“N-No! I just-”

“It’s okay, I know I look gross, but I’m here and that’s what matters.”

“Yeah. Thank you for coming.”

“My pleasure, bud. You know that. You wanna come home with me to rest?”

“Is it okay?” he asked, shrinking into the blankets a little further. “I know I’m not supposed to come during the week, but it’ll be noisy at the Home, and since they let you pick us up last week for Koharu’s thing, I just... I hoped...”

“Of course it’s okay,” Katsuki assured him, bending down to pinch his cheek lightly. “Don’t you get all shy on me, we’re past this. We’ll head home and I’ll give them a call, we’ll sort it out.”

“Thank you.”

“Can I pick you up now?”

“You don’t have to, I’ll be okay.”

“I know I don’t have to,” Katsuki smiled faintly. “But can I?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“Alright, come on then Kiddo.”

He scooped Yoshiki into his arms easily, leaning him against his chest, and despite the hint of tension in him, Yoshiki settled in quickly. The receptionist picked up his backpack, shaking her head with a smile when he began to shift his grip to take it.

“Allow me,” she insisted. “I’ll walk you out.”

“Thank you, that’s good of you.”

“You’re being polite,” Yoshiki mumbled, resting his head on Katsuki’s shoulder lightly. “Are you sure you’re not sick?”

“Thanks kid,” Katsuki snorted, relieved when Yoshiki cracked a smile of his own. “You know I’d do anything for you. Including be polite.”

“Thanks.”

He carried Yoshiki out to the car, doing his best not to jostle him too much as he freed a hand to get his keys out and open the back door. The pair of child seats still sat fastened into the back seats, where they lived as a permanent fixture now, and Yoshiki reached for his own seatbelt when Katsuki set him down. Together they got him belted in, and Katsuki put the shiny Dynamite backpack beside him, thanking the receptionist one more time before she headed back inside.

“How do you feel right now, buddy?” Katsuki asked, reaching for a blanket to tuck over top of him. “Think you’re gonna blow chunks on the way home?”

Yoshiki wrinkled his nose, and Katsuki couldn’t help but grin, popping open the boot of the car to rummage through the contents.

“Here,” he offered, passing him a thick plastic bag over the back of the seats. “Deku used to get car sick when we drove to see the parents, always had to keep these on hand. If you think it’s gonna happen, try to let me know and I’ll pull over for you.”

“Okay.”

“Need anything else? Are you warm enough? Need a drink? You’re probably hungry after puking, do you want a snack? Do you feel like anything in particular?”

“You’re fussing,” Yoshiki smiled softly. “I’m okay.”

“Ugh, you’re right, I am. Sorry. Okay, driving now.”

He checked the seatbelt one last time before he closed the door, climbing back into the driver’s seat to head out. A glance in the mirror had him cringing a little, his hair all flat on one side and a spiky mess on the other. He even had a smudge of black across his cheek, left behind by his mask the night prior. It was no wonder Yoshiki thought he was sick.

“It’ll take us about half an hour to get home,” he began, once they were out on the road. “We’ll get you tucked up in bed, then I’ll give the Home a call and let them know you’re staying with us for a day or two. They’ll probably want you to check in on Friday, just so we don’t have you for like five days straight, but maybe they’ll settle for just a visit to show them everything is okay.”

“You should probably wait for Izuku to call,” Yoshiki suggested quietly. “You said he’s... More patient.”

“I wish,” Katsuki huffed. “He won’t be home until two, we’re covering morning shifts for a friend this week. They’ll be pissed if they find out I didn’t call them right away. I’ll be nice, I promise.”

“I know you will but it’ll make you frustrated.”

“What, you don’t like me when I’m cranky?” Katsuki teased, glancing at him in the rear view mirror.

“I don’t want you to be unhappy,” he pouted. “You might...”

“Might what?”

“Ch-change your m-mind?”

“We’ve talked about this, kiddo. There is absolutely nothing you can do to change our minds. We want you, more than anything.”

“Me too.”

“I’m glad. I promise we’re doing everything we can to hurry up about it.”

“It’s summer soon, did you know?”

“Yeah, less than a week to go, finally gonna get warm. It’s the nerd’s birthday on the fifteenth, we’ll have to arrange something fun together.”

“Can I come too?”

“Together includes you and Koharu,” Katsuki assured him. “We should sneak off and find him presents, too.”

“When’s your birthday?”

“Mine already passed, this year. It was back in April, before we started our weekends together.”

“Oh, I missed it.”

“Yeah, but by the next one you’ll be living with us forever, so we’ll never have to miss one again.”

“Definitely before then?”

“Definitely,” Katsuki echoed firmly. “There’s no way it’ll take a whole year.”

“Okay,” he nodded, eyes falling closed.

“You feeling queasy?”

“Just sleepy.”

“Okay, you take a quick nap then while I drive. I’ll try not to stop in a hurry and wake you.”

“S’okay,” Yoshiki mumbled, leaning his head on the edge of the seat. “Thanks for picking me up.”

“Any time, buddy.”

He was completely out in just a few minutes, long before Katsuki pulled into the driveway, so when they made it home he opened the front door first, then returned to scoop Yoshiki into his arms again, rather than wake him. They went straight upstairs to his bedroom, with freshly changed sheets after their last weekend together, his two smallest hippos waiting for him on his pillow. He finally stirred when Katsuki set him down, and Katsuki smiled slightly, reaching for a clean set of pyjamas.

“You wanna get changed for me?” he whispered, when Yoshiki’s eyes cracked open. “I’ll wash your uniform for when you’re feeling better.”

“Mm-hm.”

Katsuki helped him sit up, and while he set to work changing, he ducked out to find a bucket. He was starting to think he should buy an extra, to keep for potential kid vomit rather than using their mop bucket, but that was a job for another time.

“I’ve got soup in the freezer for later, if you get hungry,” Katsuki told him, when he returned to find tiny hands fumbling with shirt buttons. “I’m gonna tell Deku to stop for some stuff, maybe some ice pops to suck on? And some more juice? What kind would you like?”

“Mm... Pineapple?”

“That’s a good one when you’re sick,” Katsuki agreed. “Is there anything you feel like eating?”

“Maybe... Jelly?”

“The fruit pot ones or the squeezy ones?”

“Pot.”

“Got it, I’ll put it on the list. Anything else you need? Not just for while you’re sick, just anything.”

“Could I maybe have a pencil?”

“For school or drawing?”

“For school. Mine is really small, m’sorry.”

“You don’t need to be sorry, school stuff is important.”

“I have my zoo pencil but I don’t wanna lose it or break it.”

“You don’t need to justify it,” Katsuki assured him, stroking his hair lightly. “I’ll get you some pencils. You ready to lie down again? I have a bucket here in case you get sick again, but if you think you can make it to the toilet that would be better, so your room doesn’t get smelly, especially if you miss. I’m gonna only use the downstairs toilet, so if you need to run across the hall, it’ll be empty for you.”

“Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me, I just want you to get better. Tell me if I can help, okay? If there’s anything I can do.”

“Could you sit with me a little bit?”

“Of course I can. It’s nice to have company sometimes, yeah? When we’re not feeling well especially. You get comfy.”

Yoshiki shuffled back down into the blankets, wrapping his arms around his hippos, and Katsuki straightened them over him, making sure he was warm and comfy before he sat down on the floor beside him.

“I get summer holidays from school,” Yoshiki mumbled, his face a little pink. “Can we see you more when there’s no school?”

“Absolutely,” Katsuki agreed. “I’m already talking to the Home about it. I want to have you all holidays but they say that’s too much, so we’re figuring it out.”

“All holidays would be nice,” he agreed quietly. “But I’d be sad after.”

“If you had to go back after?” Katsuki clarified, getting a little nod in return. “Yeah, that would be hard for sure. Deku said maybe we could flip it, so you stay with us all week and go back on the weekends. If it works for summer, maybe they’d let us keep doing it when school starts again.”

“We wouldn’t get to do as much stuff.”

“No, we wouldn’t,” Katsuki nodded. “But you’d get good sleep every night for school, and we could help you with your homework, and you wouldn’t have to worry about having too many clothes or toys and all that silly stuff. We’d get our weekends back when we get to have you forever.”

“That does sound good,” Yoshiki admitted. “Do you think they’d let us have some weekends too? Just sometimes?”

“Yeah, I’m sure they would, just like we sometimes pick you up from school if they call us because you’re sick, right?”

“Yeah,” Yoshiki grinned. “Okay, weeks sounds good.”

“I thought so too. Maybe me and Deku will be a real pain in the butt, we’ll just come over to the Home on weekends and hang out with you guys there. They did say we could come any time.”

“I don’t think they’d like that,” Yoshiki giggled. “They’d say it’s too much.”

“Yeah, silly people, there’s no such thing as too much.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’m gonna keep working on it, like I said. All I need is for you to keep having faith in me, keep cheering me on at being nice to them and convincing them I’m a good influence.”

“You are,” Yoshiki huffed, hugging his hippos tighter. “You’re the best hero, you have to be good.”

“Thanks, kiddo. You should get some sleep now though, want me to tell you a story like when you go to bed?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, make sure you’re cozy, I’ve got a good one for you today.”

─────

“So uh, something happened,” Katsuki said awkwardly, meeting Izuku at the door.

“Hi Izuku thanks for getting groceries, welcome home I missed you lots,” Izuku teased, nudging past him in his torn up costume and a baggy hoodie that absolutely belonged to Katsuki. “Wow that was a great fight you had on TV, I couldn’t look away, you’re so cool and sexy when you fight.”

“Yoshiki’s school called because he wasn’t feeling well, he insisted they call me instead of the Home. So he’s here resting, I called and managed to convince them to let him stay with us while he’s sick so he can rest, but they refused to let us take Koharu too just because we have Yoshiki.”

“Oh. Uh, shit. Okay. Yeah, you win. He’s upstairs now?”

“Yeah. The best I could convince them was that I could pick Koharu up from school to explain to her so she doesn’t feel left out, but I’ve gotta head out now to get there in time. Can you watch Yoshiki?”

“Yeah, of course. Is he sleeping?”

“On and off, he’s been puking so don’t use the toilet upstairs in case he needs it. He has a bucket, and he asked for the pineapple juice so hopefully he’ll drink some when he wakes up again, want to fill a bottle for him? He needs to hydrate.”

“I’ll sort it,” Izuku assured him. “Go grab Koharu, buy her an ice cream on the way and sit down to talk about it. We’ll be fine here.”

“Yeah, okay. Thanks. Love you, you were sexy or whatever. Bye.”

“Love you too,” Izuku laughed at his back. “Drive safe!”

He had a sense of deja vu as he drove to the preschool, cursing every red light and growling at every old lady who crossed the street too slowly. The bell had already rung by the time he pulled up, and he hurried to the gates before she could disappear with the caregiver who picked up her and the others from the Home.

“Kacchan!” she beamed, when she saw him coming. “What are you doing here? It’s Wednesday!”

“Came to see my little angel,” he grinned, catching her in a hug. “Gotta talk to you about something – don’t worry, everything is okay, but gotta explain some stuff. You wanna go get an ice cream before I take you back?”

“Yeah!”

“Cool, let’s hop in the car and we’ll park at the ice cream place.”

She chattered away about her day as they got her buckled in, pausing while Katsuki rounded the car but starting up again the moment he was in. Her excitement was so infectious, Katsuki couldn’t help but grin along with her, and it wasn’t until they were sat down with a huge banana split between them that she finally paused to breathe.

“What do you wanna tell me?” she asked. “Is it about the weekend?”

“No, our weekend will be the same, actually it’s about... Today. Um, Yoshiki’s school called earlier because he’s not feeling good. He’s been doing a loooooot of yucky puking. He’s gonna be okay, but he needs some time to rest, he won’t be at school for a day or two.”

“Oh no! Is he sleeping at home?”

“At our home, yeah, not the Home.”

“Good home,” she grinned. “Not bad home.”

“How about new home,” he laughed. “They won’t like it if you say good and bad home.”

“Okay! He’s at home, but I have to go to old Home?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I asked if you could come too, so it’s not unfair, but they wouldn’t budge.”

“It’s okay! I want Yokkun to get lots of rest, it’ll be better at home! I still get to come on Friday?”

“Yeah, absolutely. I’ll come pick you up, just like normal. If Yoshiki is feeling better he might even come with me, just to show everyone that he survived spending a weekday with us.”

Koharu giggled, and Katsuki couldn’t help but smile too, leaning his head on his hand as he took another spoonful of ice cream.

“I hope you know what a good kid you are,” he said fondly. “I bet all those annoying babies at the old Home would complain if they weren’t allowed to come.”

“They’d throw big tantrums!” she agreed, pulling a face. “Banging their fists and kicking their feet and screaming, like when they have to take a bath.”

“All that for a bath?”

“Uh-huh! They used to have baths together so it was more fun, but then they got in fights, so now everyone has to take turns for a quick bath. I like it at home when I can have long hot baths, instead of quick cold ones.”

“You can have the longest baths you want on the weekends,” Katsuki nodded. “Maybe we can find you some bubble bath, too.”

“Yeah!”

“I’ll try to get some for this weekend,” Katsuki promised. “and fancy soaps, the ones shaped like little shells and hearts and things.”

“Okay!”

“And a bath bomb. Do you know what a bath bomb is?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Me neither, it sounds cool though. I’ll ask Mina, she’ll know.”

“Do your friends know about me?”

Katsuki paused, cringing a little, and shook his head.

“No, not yet. I guess that’s kind of weird, isn’t it? It’s been a long time now, but I don’t think we’re ready for all our friends to barge in to meet you guys, it would be a bit... overwhelming.”

“Yokkun would be super nervous,” she nodded solemnly. “Me too a little, I think. Not yet!”

“I think we’ll know when it’s the right time, yeah? It’ll just feel right.”

“Yeah!”

They finished off their ice cream, and hand-in-hand, they made the walk back to the Home nearby. It all seemed too quick, was over too soon, but Katsuki knew that Koharu, just like him, appreciated even just a few minutes to see each other’s face.

He paused to hug her at the door, squeezing her extra tight, and she smiled softly as she leaned into his chest for a minute.

“I love you so much,” he whispered. “You are such a good girl, I hope you know that.”

“I love you too! Come back Friday, okay?”

“You know I will. I’ll see you then.”

“Bye-bye!”

“Bye, Angel.”

He waved goodbye and watched her shut the door safely before he turned around, whining to himself quietly as he walked back to the car. No matter how many times they did it, it never got easier to say goodbye.

─────

Izuku hummed sympathetically as he stroked Yoshiki’s back, whispering reassurances as he retched. The poor thing sobbed quietly as it all came out, whispering apologies every time he got a break, but Izuku just shook his head.

“It’s okay,” he said softly. “Accidents happen, especially when we’re sick. We’ve dealt with worse things than a little puke.”

Katsuki’s footsteps were heavy on the stairs, and Yoshiki tensed up again when he heard them freeze in the hall, cursing under his breath. Another little sob came out as Yoshiki hunched over the bowl again, and then Katsuki’s head poked through the doorway, a pained look on his face when he saw the pair inside.

“Didn’t make it, huh?” he asked softly. “Poor kid. I’ve got it Deku, you take care of him.”

“P-Please don’t be m-mad,” Yoshiki sobbed. “I thought I could hold it.”

“I’m not mad, I promise,” Katsuki assured him, leaning over to ruffle his hair lightly. “You should see Deku when he’s sick, he makes way more mess, and he never stops whining. At least you get lots of sleep like you’re supposed to, Deku likes to milk it for attention.”

“Cuddles make me feel better,” Izuku pouted. “Don’t be mean to your husband.”

“I’ve been mean to you since we were three, ain’t stopping now. Careful what you say or I might make you clean up the puke.”

“I’ll do it,” Izuku shrugged. “You have to stay with Yoshiki though, he needs a dad right now.”

“It’s fine, I’ve got it. You stay put.”

He ducked out to grab the cleaning supplies, and Yoshiki slowly sat back on his heels, accepting the tissues Izuku offered to wipe his mouth.

“Better?”

“A little,” Yoshiki mumbled. “I’m sorry I made a mess.”

“Really, it’s okay,” Izuku said again, squeezing his shoulder lightly. “I promise we’re not mad or upset, it’s just a thing that happens, okay? No bad feelings at all. Are you ready to head back to bed?”

“I think so.”

“Here, have a rinse first, get the taste out.”

He handed over a bottle of water, and Yoshiki took a sip, swishing it around before he spat it in the toilet. Once more, then he nodded faintly, handing the bottle back to Izuku.

“I’m gonna leave it in the corner here, in case you get sick again,” Izuku told him, setting the bottle down just inside the doorway, where he hopefully wouldn’t trip on it. “Come here, I’ll help you back to bed.”

Yoshiki held out a shaky hand, but Izuku reached underneath it, picking him up around the waist and lifting him up. Yoshiki’s face turned pink, but Izuku didn’t seem to notice, balancing him carefully on a hip and stepping over the damp spot on the carpet to head back to the bedroom.

“Alright, let’s get you tucked back in,” Izuku said softly, gently setting him down on the mattress. “Get comfy for me.”

Yoshiki nodded, lying down to put his head on the pillow, and Izuku smiled softly as he brushed dark hair back out of the tired eyes. He pulled the blankets up, tucking him in, and made sure the plastic bucket was well within reach beside him.

“Just so you know, you don’t have to make it to the bathroom,” Izuku assured him. “If you think getting up is too hard, just use the bucket, I promise I don’t mind washing it out for you after. Just call me to wash it, or it might get smelly.”

“Okay,” Yoshiki conceded, his voice weak. “I don’t want to be a bother, but I guess... Bucket is better than floor.”

“Yeah,” Izuku grinned. “But even floor is okay, as long as you feel a little better afterward. You are far more important than the floor is, okay?”

“Thank you.”

“I know we don’t say it much, but you know we love you, right? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, saying it too much, but I hope you know it anyway. You’re my son, no matter how many days a week they make us take you back, and I promise we’re working really, really hard to let you stay here forever. You’ve seen people be adopted before though, right? The little kids? It takes a long time sometimes.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “And sometimes it doesn’t work and the kids come back again.”

“Is that why you’re so worried about us changing our minds? I promise that won’t happen, not unless you decide you don’t want to live with us. Kacchan and I will never try to give you back. We love you way too much. We didn’t walk in there to find a kid, but we met you and knew we had to bring you home. You’re just so perfect for our family, and we loved you from the very start.”

“I love you too,” he whispered, so quiet and awkward that it made Izuku want to hug him extra tight.

“I’m glad. Do you want a drink before you sleep more? There’s still juice here. Or an ice pop to eat?”

“Juice please.”

Izuku handed him the bottle, and Yoshiki took a few big gulps, the bottle dwindling down below halfway.

“Next time I come up I’ll bring you another,” Izuku promised him. “So whenever you want to finish it, you can. If you run out before I come up again, just give me a call. Still got the tablet?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Cool. Just stick it on that list and we’ll see it, then.”

“Thank you. For letting me be here, too. It’s much nicer than the Home. And so quiet.”

“I can imagine,” Izuku grinned. “Maybe you should pretend to be sick every week so we can be together all the time.”

“They would notice,” Yoshiki laughed quietly. “I um, I asked Kacchan about summer.”

“Oh! Yeah, we’ve been working on it!”

“I thought... The weekdays sounds good. After, I mean. Um, I’ll miss doing things on weekends, but... But good sleep, and food, and dinners with you guys... It sounds really good.”

“Yeah,” Izuku agreed. “It’s not as exciting, but it’s better for you guys, for being happy and healthy. That’s the most important thing. We’ll get to spend lots of time together in the evenings, and go to school together on the train, and eat all our meals together, and I’ll get to come say goodnight to you every single night. That sounds pretty dang good to me.”

“Me too.”

“Good. You get some sleep now, okay? Need to get your energy back. If you’re hungry, or thirsty, or anything, just give me a call or send me a note. Got it?”

“Got it,” Yoshiki agreed, nodding faintly. “Thank you, Izuku.”

“Sweet dreams, Yoshiki.”

─────

“Mina says she’s more than happy to cover the day shift,” Katsuki began, setting his phone down to just breathe for a minute. “She’ll do both days, she’s gonna call Frogface to patrol with her. I said we’ll be on call still, so if shit goes down that they can’t handle alone, we’ll be there. Any luck with the nights?”

“Ochako can do tomorrow night, but not tonight. I think it’s gonna be too short-notice to get someone for tonight.”

“Yeah, figures. I’ll go out tonight then, just means I’m gonna have to sleep during the day tomorrow. Any luck with Friday?”

“Ochako can’t, but she said Shouto should be free. I’m just about to give him a call.”

“He can probably cope with it solo,” Katsuki mumbled begrudgingly. “Should we find someone to work with Round Face?”

“She’s gonna sort it, she told us just to focus on stuff at home. It feels weird not telling them why we need cover.”

“Yeah,” Katsuki agreed, sighing as he leaned his head on a hand. “Koharu asked about it, actually. About whether our friends knew about her.”

“Do you think it’s too early to say something? Part of me says if it all falls through it’ll be worse, but I really hope it won’t fall through, and if it does somehow, we probably want our friends to understand why we’re so miserable after?”

“I don’t think either of them is ready to meet them. I’m still concerned about how Yoshiki is gonna handle your Mom, even though I know it’ll be fine. A bunch of friends is just... too much.”

“What about a video?” Izuku suggested. “Introduce them, get them to wave, send it to the group chat?”

“We can ask the kids,” he agreed. “If they’re cool with it, that should work. They’ll still want to rush over, but it’ll be easier to tell them no.”

“We’ll talk about it when Yoshiki is feeling better,” Izuku smiled softly. “So you’re gonna work tonight, after that we’re covered until Monday night. I’m picking Mom up from the train station on Friday at eight, and you’re gonna drop her off on Monday morning while I’m at work?”

“Yep, all sorted.”

“I need to write all this down, we need a calendar.”

“Wait ‘til Friday, Koharu would like to help you make and decorate one.”

“Oh! Yeah! That’s a great idea!”

“Aren’t they always?” Katsuki smirked.

“You’re so full of yourself,” Izuku complained, laughing all the same. “Do you wanna take a nap before work? You got woken up early today.”

“Probably a good idea,” he sighed. “I’ll check on Yoshiki on my way through. There’s soup in the fridge in case he’s hungry when he wakes up, I defrosted some of the chicken one again. He’s mostly just been drinking juice all afternoon though, he hasn’t wanted food.”

“Noted,” he grinned, leaning over to kiss Katsuki’s cheek. “Get some rest, baby. I’ll take care of him, don’t worry.”

“I know you will.” Katsuki ruffled the messy curls, pulling a face. “You need a shower though, go do it while I’m checking on him.”

“Good plan! Sweet dreams, Kacchan!”

He picked his phone back up and headed off up the stairs, yawning when he finally let himself give in. He’d been keeping the fatigue at bay by sheer willpower alone, determination to make sure his kids were doing okay, but with Izuku there to take over, he was finally ready to collapse again.

As he passed the little bedroom at the top of the stairs, he poked his head inside, relieved to find Yoshiki sound asleep in his bed. He was snuggled into his blankets, looking all comfy and cozy, and for a moment Katsuki just stopped to stare at him. They were all aware that he’d never have gotten that comfort at the Home, that he’d have been surrounded by yelling toddlers and crying babies, maybe even caregivers who didn’t want to let him rest properly – Katsuki couldn’t say for sure, but Yoshiki had seemed to think so.

“Goodnight,” he whispered, to the silent room. “Feel better soon.”

Yoshiki didn’t stir, sleeping soundly, and with the tiniest smile in the world, Katsuki left. He moved into his own room, stripping down to his boxers and crawling into bed, moaning at how good it felt to just lie down on the soft mattress, wrapping himself up in blankets. Soon it would be too hot for the thick layers that covered him, they’d have to sleep with the air conditioner running and the blankets shucked off to feel its effects, but for the moment he would make the most of his heavy, snuggly bedding.