My Father's Son - Chapter 4

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When the weekend rolled around, Katsuki made sure the entire house was spotless. He'd even gone out and bought a few new beds during the week, one with a low base designed especially for older people and sick people, another a match for Hiroki's. Hiroki had been excited by the prospect of sleepovers, immediately asking to invite Yuuto over to stay, and Katsuki had smiled as he ruffled short green curls.

“What would you say to something a bit longer? Like, what if Yuuto and his family stayed with us for a while?”

The idea alone had made Hiroki light up in excitement, babbling about sleepovers every day and playing heroes and video games together – but only after homework, of course, Daddy. He just needed a partner for the tennis game, when Daddy was busy, and he thought Yuuto would like it a lot.

The final bed was more normal, dark wood with a comfortable mattress, and Hiroki had emptied his toys out of the spare room without question to make room for it.

“Is this gonna be Mr. Midoriya's room?” he asked, dithering in the hallway “What about Mrs. Midoriya?”

“She's gonna have downstairs. Less stairs to walk up and down all the time.”

“Won't she get lonely?”

“I put a little intercom down there so she can talk to Mr. Midoriya up here,” Katsuki showed him the device by the bed with a smile. “And she'll still come up to be with him and us when she's not sleeping. You and me will have our rooms like we always have, and Yuuto can share with you or one of them, he can choose.”

“He shares with Mr. Midoriya at their home,” Hiroki pointed out. “They have two futon but he says they share one lots.”

“Then he can share this room here,” Katsuki nodded. “And if you guys decide to have a sleepover, you have a bed for him.”

“Okay!”

“Will your toys fit in your room or should I empty the cupboard in the living room?”

“I still have lots of room in my closet!”

“Awesome, I'll help you take them up soon.”

“I'll start now!”

“Good boy. And then piano, okay? So you can play with Yuuto when they get here.”

“Okayyy.”

Katsuki finished cleaning the room and positioning furniture, grumbling to himself a little as he tried to make it perfect. The nerd was already gonna be impressed, he knew, by the shining wooden floors and massive rooms. If not for all the stairs to get there, he'd have gone for tea on the roof terrace to boot, up where they could look out over the park land behind them – technically it was for sports, mostly, playing fields and the like, but it still made for a pretty picture compared to apartment buildings packed in so close you could touch your neighbour's walls from your window. Even his other hero-friends were pretty jealous of Katsuki's house, so it shouldn't be hard to impress the broke nerd.

But he wanted them to be overwhelmingly impressed.

Finally deciding he was done, Katsuki grabbed the last of Hiroki's things, carrying them up the stairs to their bedrooms. He found Hiroki deep in his closet, sorting things onto shelves and into baskets.

“Still got room?” he teased, watching Hiroki giggle. “Are you the only kid in your school with a walk-in closet?”

“No, but I have the biggest!”

“Good. We've always gotta be the best, in this house.”

“Don't worry Daddy, I'm always number one just like you!”

They finished finding everything a new home together, then Hiroki settled himself at his keyboard to practice, Katsuki watching from the kitchen as he cracked eggs and measured flour.

“Are you making cake?” Hiroki asked, pausing mid-song to sniff. “It smells so good, Daddy!”

“Cupcakes,” he nodded. “Gotta convince them this is a good place to live.”

Soon enough the doorbell was ringing, and Hiroki ran to the intercom, checking the image quickly.

“It's them, Daddy! Can I answer it?”

“Yeah, go for it.”

He ran downstairs to unlock the door, letting Katsuki finish pulling hot cupcakes from the oven and tip them onto a wire rack. Inko held Izuku's arm on one side and Hiroki's on the other as they climbed the stairs, both of the guests giggling to themselves at Hiroki's determination to help, and Yuuto followed behind with wide eyes.

“This is the most beautiful house I ever saw,” Yuuto marvelled. “Oh, uh, thank you for having us.”

“Thank you for coming!” Hiroki answered, before Katsuki could even open his mouth. “Do you wanna see everything?”

“Yeah!”

“Okay! Daddy I'm gonna take Yuuto for a tour, okay?”

“Good thinking, bud. The cakes will be ready by the time you get back.”

“Yay!”

The pair took off up the stairs, and Katsuki shot the adults a smile, waving toward the wide living room space.

“Go have a seat, I'll be with you in a minute. You want tea or coffee? Or wine?”

Inko giggled, and Katsuki's smile grew more genuine as he held up a bottle of his own mother's favourite.

“Shall we?”

“Go on then,” Inko laughed. “You've twisted my arm.”

He poured her a glass, setting it on the coffee table by the time she sat, and gave Izuku a pointed look.

“Come on nerd, what do you want? Wine as well? Or I might have beer too.”

“Oh, n-no, I'm okay, I don't-”

“Or a milkshake. I'm no good at iced chocolate, but Hiroki says my milkshakes are pretty good.”

“You really go all out, don't you?”

“I'm a perfectionist, nerd. Is that a yes?”

“You really don't need to go to any trouble for me.”

“Milkshake it is.”

He pulled his fancy blender out from its spot in the corner, dumping in a few scoops of icecream and some milk, then drizzling plenty of chocolate sauce in it before he started blending. Hiroki was at his heels instantly, bouncing in his excitement as he reached toward the counter and babbled nonsense.

“You wanna use your words?” he teased, poking the kid in the forehead.

“Milkshake! Me too! Please, Daddy?!”

“I made plenty for you as well, don't worry. Go ask Yuuto what his favourite drink is for me.”

“Okay!”

He ran off as quickly as he'd come, and Katsuki poured two glasses of the chocolate concoction, crushing some flaky chocolate on the top for good measure.

“He likes juice and fizzies!” Hiroki declared, as he returned with Yuuto in tow.

“How does fizzy apple juice sound?”

“That sounds really good!” Yuuto nodded. “Oh. Um, thank you.”

“Good boy!” Hiroki praised, patting his spikes fondly.

Katsuki snorted, struggling to hold back his laughter, but Yuuto just seemed confused and a little embarrassed.

“Sorry,” Katsuki offered, when the red eyes turned on him. “That's what I do when he remembers his manners, I guess he picked it up too.”

He handed both milkshakes down to Hiroki, but still Hiroki waited, letting Yuuto get his big glass of fizzy apple juice before he led the way to the living room.

“Enjoy!” Hiroki said brightly, as he set the slightly fuller glass in front of Izuku. “Daddy makes the best milkshakes!”

“They look very impressive,” Izuku agreed, leaning in to take a sip through the straw. “Mmm, you're right, delicious!”

“Can I get you anything else, Mr. Midoriya? Mrs. Midoriya?”

“We're quite alright, thank you,” Inko said fondly. “Katsuki is taking good care of us. He's taught you well.”

“I like to help! If you want anything just let me know, okay?”

“I'll be sure to do that, thank you.”

Finally Katsuki joined them, with his mug of coffee and a tray of pretty cupcakes drizzled with melted chocolate and sprinkles. True to his education, Hiroki made sure the Midoriyas got first pick, only taking one for himself when everyone else had one in hand.

“So what have you been doing today, Hiroki?” Inko asked sweetly. “Have you had a good weekend so far?”

“We did lots of cleaning! I cleaned up all my toys, and Daddy cleaned the bedrooms, and I did all my homework and piano so that me and Yuuto can play after cake!”

“Well aren't you a good boy! Yuuto just sleeps all morning then plays with his toys, no matter how hard I try!”

Hiroki's eyes widened, but he managed to keep himself from asking why Yuuto didn't do as he was told, much to Katsuki's relief.

“Thankfully he's a smart kid,” Izuku assured them, seeing Katsuki's concern. “He still gets all his work done eventually. We've got two bright boys here, I'm so impressed by both of you!”

Katsuki sat back quietly in his armchair as the group chatted, and he couldn't help but notice that Yuuto did the same, content to listen and occasionally weigh in if he felt like it. Maybe blood really did make a difference in a kid's personality. Intelligence, even.

Thank god Izuku seemed smart too, otherwise Katsuki would have had a frustrating six years.

“Daddy, can we play the tennis game?” Hiroki begged. “I wanna show him.”

“Yeah, go on. You've done a good job today.”

“Thank you Daddy! You're the best!”

“You remember how to set it up?”

“Yeah, I can do it! Switch on, button one, button two, then go!”

“Alright, call me if you get stuck. Take some more cake with you, if you want.”

Yuuto accepted one happily when Hiroki offered him the tray, then took one for himself, skipping back up the stairs to his bedroom.

“I know what you're trying to do,” Izuku informed him, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips all the same. “You can't convince me with milkshakes and cupcakes.”

“I bet I can.”

“I brought a list of things you have to agree to,” he continued, ignoring the jab. “If you don't, it's a non-starter.”

“Alright, you damn nerd, give it here.”

He slid it across the coffee table to Katsuki, trying to keep a stern look on his face despite the tremble in his hands. The list looked more like a contract, and Katsuki rolled his eyes as he glanced it over, so official and proper.

“What's your job, anyway? You even have one?”

“Oh, um, I'm a journalist! Is it that obvious from the paperwork? Um, I used to work full-time with a magazine, but the work was slowing down and the company wasn't doing well, so when my partner died I went freelance so I could be there for Yuuto.”

“Alright,” Katsuki nodded faintly. “Wondered what field a quirkless hero-nerd had managed to find work in, that makes sense.”

“And Mom does some cleaning work at the train stations, so it's not just my income! We get by!”

“Haah?! Katsuki demanded, scowling as he turned his eyes on Inko. “You should not be working, you need rest.”

“Oh, no, it's no trouble,” Inko assured him. “We do what we have to do!”

“You don't have to do shit,” Katsuki scowled. “I know it's none of my damn business what you do with your life and your health, but Yuuto is so damn worried about you, and you're out doing manual labour?!”

“H-He is?”

“Of course he is! Fuck. Why will you assholes not just let me take care of you all?!”

Izuku's eyes were wide as saucers, unblinking, and Katsuki found himself blushing slightly as he looked away indignantly.

“Let me read this damn list.”

Most of it was fair enough – no holding the money over their heads, no bribery or blackmail, no ridiculous gifts for them or for Yuuto without discussion. The education section made him bristle a little, though.

“For both of them?” Katsuki demanded, jabbing a finger at 'no cram school'. “What happened to I get the educational decisions, huh?”

“You can choose their school,” Izuku acknowledged, hands up in mock surrender. “But we're both parenting both boys, and I don't think it's healthy!”

“You think I'm the only parent in the world who sends his kid to cram school? Keep dreaming.”

Izuku huffed, folding his arms across his chest stubbornly, and Katsuki glared right back.

“How about one day a week?” Inko suggested gently. “They can get help with the subjects they struggle with, and still have time to be kids the rest of the week.”

“Three days until they start school,” Katsuki offered, still pouting a little. “One day once they start school.”

“But-”

“Yuuto is gonna need it,” Katsuki said bluntly. “Would you rather he feels unprepared once he starts school?”

“Of course not, but he's a smart kid!”

“All forty kids who get accepted to that school each year are smart kids. If I'm gonna pull these strings to get him in, he needs to show them he can handle it.”

“I think that's fair,” Inko spoke up, when Izuku hesitated. “He might even enjoy it, dear. He always says he's bored of his normal kindergarten, this could be a way to push him.”

“If it's too much,” Izuku said firmly, “if he's too tired, or he hates it or... or anything, it needs to stop.”

“Obviously, nerd. You think I'd be sending Hiroki if he hated it?”

“Fine,” he huffed. “Three days until they start school, and both of them change to one day when school starts.”

“Fine.”

“Then I guess we can give it a try,” Izuku conceded. “If the rest is fine with you as well.”

“Yeah, just shows me you don't trust me, is all,” Katsuki snorted, reaching for a pen to make the education amendments and scrawl his signature. “Oh, did Yuuto bring merch or something with him?”

“What?”

“He wanted me to sign something, since he missed out last year.”

Izuku stared at him in silence for a long, tense moment, and Katsuki's eyebrows knitted together as he waited for the nerd to find words.

“You're Downfall,” he said finally, realising how dumb the words sounded the moment they left his mouth. “I mean, I knew you were a hero, but I didn't know- Oh my gosh.”

“I thought it was kind of obvious, nerd.”

“How?! You've never shown me your quirk, all I knew was what Hiroki told me about making things go boom! I figured you had to be good, since I recognised your name and you're obviously so damn built, but I didn't register-”

Katsuki held a hand out, palm up, cutting him off with the crack of an explosion. The babbling stopped, thankfully, replaced with muttering about explosive materials and combustion, but at least it was a little quieter than the gushing.

“Daddy!” Hiroki called, thumping down the stairs in a hurry. “I heard a boom, do I need to get- Oh, um, is everything okay?”

“Yeah, sorry bud, just showing them my quirk.”

“Oh! Okay! It's cool, right?” he asked, flashing his wide smile at Izuku's look of wonder. “Daddy has the coolest quirk!”

“Yours is pretty damn cool too, little man,” Katsuki pointed out, leaning over to ruffle his hair. “Everything okay?”

“Uh-huh, we were playing tennis and I heard the boom so I just wanted to check!”

“You're a good boy.” He glanced at the Midoriyas, pulling a face before he continued – he'd made a point of having the same conversation every time since the kid learned to talk, he didn't need to break the streak just because of a couple of new family members. “What would you have done if you came down and I was fighting someone?”

“If you were fighting Mr. Midoriya I would try to stop you,” Hiroki mumbled. “He's too nice to fight you and he doesn't have a quirk, that would be mean.”

“That's not what I meant, idiot.”

“If a villain was here?” he clarified. “I would make Mr. Midoriya and Mrs. Midoriya and Yuuto come to the roof with me and I would call Uncle Eijirou.”

“Why him?”

“He's closest to home!”

“Okay, good boy,” Katsuki praised, patting his cheek lightly and listening to him protest despite his giggles. “You can go play again if you like.”

“Uh-huh! But Daddy, can me and Yuuto have a sleepover? Please?”

“I'm sure we can arrange that at some point.”

“Tonight, I mean,” he pouted. “I know you have to work, but maybe we could take him home when Grandma and Grandpa pick me up in the morning?”

“You'd have to ask Mr. Midoriya about that,” Katsuki pointed out. “Yuuto should probably be here too.”

“I'm here,” Yuuto objected, and Katsuki looked back to see him hovering at the bottom of the stairs. “It's okay if I can't, me and Hiroki are just having fun, and he said the other bed was so he could have sleepovers, so he said maybe I could stay longer if you were okay with it.”

“Why don't we all have a sleepover?” Katsuki suggested, when he saw the awkward look on Izuku's face. “I'll make us all a nice dinner, and we can watch a movie or something later.”

“Yeah!” Hiroki beamed, bouncing up and down in his excitement. “Mr. Midoriya, Mrs. Midoriya, would you like to stay for a sleepover?! It'll be lots of fun I promise!”

Thankfully, even the stubborn Izuku wasn't immune to Hiroki's excitement and enthusiasm. Inko smiled and nodded, and with a little sigh and the tiniest of smiles, Izuku did too.

“Sure, let's all have a sleepover,” he agreed. “That sounds fun.”

The moment the kids left, followed by a wave of excitement and giggles as they ran up the stairs, Izuku turned on Katsuki, trying and failing to produce a glare.

“Don't think I don't know what you're doing.”

“Just try to stop me.”

─────

Hiroki dragged Yuuto along by the hand when he headed for the dining room, opening up a wide cupboard to retrieve plates and glasses. He carefully passed two glasses to Yuuto, who blinked at him in surprise for a moment, but followed when Hiroki took three of his own. He carefully held them between his arm and his chest, the other hand free to set them neatly in front of the chairs. Yuuto followed suit, sliding them into place at two more seats, holding his arms out obediently when Hiroki offered him a stack of plates.

Katsuki smiled fondly as he watched, peeking back at them from his spot at the stove. Yuuto still had that same wide-eyed look, like he'd never set a table before – Katsuki suspected he hadn't – but he copied everything Hiroki did, laying out plates and letting Hiroki handle the utensils.

“Oh! Yuuto, can you please get the napkins?” he asked, pointing at the cupboard before he went back to laying out chopsticks and spoons. “There's a pile on the bottom shelf!”

“S-Sure.”

He scuttled over to the cupboard, and Katsuki caught a glimpse of his expression hardening as he looked over the shelves.

“Everything okay, Yuuto?” he called.

“Y-Yeah, f-fine!”

Hiroki looked up, tilting his head to the side as he contemplated, staring at the little handful of white cloth napkins in Yuuto's chubby hand.

“Oh!” he said brightly, face lighting up. “Sorry! I forgot! I'll go get more!”

Katsuki finally understood, when Hiroki took off down the stairs – he'd washed a bunch of them earlier in the day, but he hadn't thought about what was left in the cupboard.

“All better!” Hiroki grinned when he returned, carefully folding two clean and dry ones and adding them to the place settings. “Sorry!”

“S'okay,” Yuuto mumbled, setting his own pile next to the plates. “Thought maybe I got the wrong ones.”

“I'm sorry!” Hiroki rounded the table to stand in front of him, poking at squishy little cheeks when Yuuto pouted. “Ask me next time, 'kay? If you're not sure about anything!”

“Quit it,” Yuuto protested, face burning pink. “I can do it myself, I don't need help from anybody!”

“But we're a team!” Hiroki protested, his eyes a little hurt. “We can't be a team if you try to do it all yourself! I wanna help!”

The look on Yuuto's face was surprisingly familiar, not unlike a larger, more freckled expression Katsuki had encountered over the table at a children's restaurant.

“Hey, Hiroki, can you go let the Midoriyas know that dinner is almost ready?”

“Okay,” he agreed, nodding as he gave Yuuto one more nervous look. “Um-”

“Yuuto can stay with me, you'll only take two minutes.”

“Yeah!”

He jogged downstairs to the little room Inko would be staying in, and Katsuki rounded the counter to bend down in front of Yuuto's stubborn face.

“Hey,” he said softly. “I know you've been through a lot, yeah? Things aren't the easiest for you at home?”

“I can handle it,” he sniffed, quickly wiping his eyes on his sleeve. “I'm a big boy.”

“I know you can, you've done so good. But it's okay to ask for help, I promise. All those things you don't want to ask your Nana and Papa because you know they'll be sad, you're allowed to ask me.”

“I'm fine.”

“I know you are. But if you're ever not, you know who to call, okay?”

“Okay.”

When Hiroki returned, he had Inko on his arm once again, smiling down at him fondly as Izuku helped from the other side.

“Sorry about all the stairs,” Katsuki offered awkwardly.

“It's quite alright! Izuku is just a little protective, I'm more than capable of walking on my own!”

“But you don't need to!” Hiroki pouted. “Not if I'm here to help!”

“Thank you Hiroki, you're very kind.”

Hiroki kept hold of her all the way to the dining room, giving her pride of place at the head of the table and making sure she was comfortable. Katsuki handed him a jug of iced water and he carefully poured five glasses, taking it back to the kitchen for a refill before he set it in the middle of the table.

“Can I take this one, Daddy?” he asked, pointing at a big salad bowl.

“Yeah, thanks. Be careful.”

“I will!”

Yuuto shuffled a little closer, watching as Hiroki ducked past with a smile, and hovered awkwardly by Katsuki's legs. It took a minute for Katsuki to notice, glancing down at the awkward look on his face, but only took him a second to catch on.

“Would you mind carrying this one to the table for me, Yuuto?”

“Okay.”

He accepted a bowl of rice, getting a tight grip on it before he shuffled back out to the dining room to lift it onto the table. Izuku gave him a soft smile, and Yuuto blushed, turning to hurry back to the kitchen.

“Thanks for helping,” Katsuki said quietly, handing both boys a big plate of vegetables each. “I'll bring the meat, then we're done.”

“You're welcome Daddy!”

“It's fine,” Yuuto blushed, looking away. “I don't mind.”

“Go grab a seat, I'll be with you in a minute.”

Katsuki realised far too late that he may have cooked too much, when he saw it all laid out on the table. He had a habit of going too far when it came to guests. Even though the food itself was simple, he never wanted to leave anyone with less of something than they'd like.

“Dig in,” he instructed, dropping into the seat beside Izuku. “Eat a lot, I don't want leftovers.”

“Daddy!” Hiroki giggled. “Don't be mean, we always have leftovers.”

“Not this time, you guys gotta eat.”

Yuuto didn't need to be told twice, grinning as he loaded his plate with rice and meat eagerly. Izuku was a little more apprehensive, but Katsuki gave him a sharp nudge with his elbow, and with a little grumble he reached for a bowl.

Hiroki waited politely until the guests had taken their fill before he served anything for himself, taking plenty of vegetables without needing any prompting, much to Izuku's surprise when he glanced over.

“Do you want some?” Hiroki offered, when he caught Yuuto staring at the plate. “They're really yummy!”

“You like vegetables?”

“Yeah! Well, when Daddy cooks them I do,” he grinned. “One time I had carrots at school and they were soggy and yuck. But Daddy's carrots are the best!”

“I guess I'll try,” Yuuto conceded, taking one little cube of each roasted vegetable and putting them on his plate. “Are you tricking me?”

“Huh? No! Never!” Hiroki's jaw dropped, almost offended by the notion. “I promise they're yummy!”

Izuku didn't dare to even look at him as he stuck a piece of pumpkin in his mouth, chewing at it thoughtfully.

“Not bad,” he admitted, poking at the rest. “Do they all taste the same?”

“Nope! The carrots and the sweet potatoes are my favourites!”

He pointed them out, and Yuuto took a piece of carrot, his eyes widening a little as he bit down.

“I like that one.”

“Yeah! They're so good!”

Hiroki reached for the bowl again, picking out some more carrots and dropping them on Yuuto's plate happily, and Katsuki had to stifle a laugh.

“He's such a good influence,” Izuku whispered. “Yuuto never touches vegetables.”

“Hiroki is a good kid,” Katsuki grinned, shoving him lightly with a shoulder. “I'm a good Dad.”

“You are,” Izuku admitted. “Sorry I doubted you.”

“It's fine, we're still learning to handle all of this. It'll get easier.”

“You're making a lot of assumptions here.”

“I signed your stupid contract,” Katsuki snorted. “You playing hard to get or some shit?”

“Shut up.”

They exchanged little smirks and quickly went back to their food, listening to the kids chat up a storm between mouthfuls. For a couple of people who only met a week ago, they got along like a house on fire, already best friends just from a few hero figurines and a game of digital tennis.

“You go swimming?”

Katsuki looked up, when he heard the strange tone of disbelief in Yuuto's voice. Hiroki's head tilted to the side, confused, and he nodded faintly.

“Every Sunday,” he nodded. “You don't?”

“I don't know how.”

“But that's why I go, I didn't know how either.”

“Do you want to go with him tomorrow?” Katsuki suggested, ignoring the glare he got from Izuku. “I'm not sure if you can do the group class or if they're full, but you can do the private with him.”

“Private?” Izuku asked in a low voice. “Are you serious?”

“The group is for fun, the private is to learn,” he shot right back.

“It's okay,” Yuuto said softly, gaze dropping to his plate as he toyed with some rice. “I don't need to go, I'll learn at school later.”

“If you're sure it's not too much trouble, Yuuto would love to go,” Inko said firmly, smiling when Izuku gaped at her. “It sounds like a fantastic experience. I'll just have to go get him a swimsuit when the stores open, then he'll be more than ready!”

“He can borrow my one!” Hiroki offered, beaming from ear to ear. “I have another!”

“He's a bit taller than you,” Katsuki pointed out.

“Yeah, he can use the big one! I'll use the old one!”

“Okay. If it doesn't fit, take him to the store at the pool, okay? Grandma will get him one.”

“Okay!”

When everyone was finished eating, Hiroki started clearing plates away, and Katsuki smiled faintly when Yuuto leapt up to help. They stacked dirty plates and utensils, carrying piles out to the kitchen without even a prompt from Katsuki. Hiroki did everything so easily and naturally, so used to helping clean, and Katsuki didn't have to look over to know that Izuku was impressed.

“Just gotta lead by example,” he smirked, punching Izuku in the shoulder lightly as he stood up. “Back in a minute.”

He joined the kids in the kitchen, ruffling both their heads of messy hair and getting two matching whines for it.

“Thanks guys, you can go play again if you want.”

“Thanks Daddy! Come on Yuuto, I'll show you the bowling game this time!”

“What's bowling?”

“I'll show you!”

“Okay!”

They took off up the stairs, and Katsuki smiled to himself as he slid the containers of leftovers into the fridge.

This was gonna be easier than he'd thought.

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