The things we don't talk about [Little Sh*t Part 8] (Patreon)

Thank you so much to AnastasiaLee for commissioning this part and being so patient with me for taking forever to write it!

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Midoriya was in the middle of getting dressed when the sirens began, freezing in his tracks to stop and stare out the window. There were smoke clouds rising in the distance, and as he slowly cast his button-down shirt to the side, the announcement rang loud and clear over the speakers.

“Remain indoors, do not engage.”

Part of Midoriya thought he should probably listen, but his provisional license was burning a hole in his pocket, and his hands were reaching for his costume before he’d really even stopped to think about it.

The knock at his door jolted him out of his daze, turning to look with one leg in his jumpsuit, and when the door cracked open on a familiar black and orange design he found himself laughing.

“What’s taking you so long?” Bakugou smirked. “We’re waiting for your ass.”

“We?”

He stepped aside and Midoriya saw a flash of red and white, smiling as the head poked through to wave at him awkwardly.

“Good evening, Midoriya. Are you joining us?”

“Yeah! Kacchan, zip me up.”

He quickly pulled his jumpsuit up over his shoulders, and Bakugou moved into the room to stand behind him. His hand was warm where it brushed against Midoriya’s back, making sure he didn’t pinch any skin as he pulled, and Midoriya flashed him a big smile when he finished.

“Okay, let’s go!”

They made it all the way to the bottom of the stairs before they heard the voice, looking up to see a stern look pointed their way.

“No.”

“Why not?!” Bakugou demanded. “You think we can’t see and hear all the destruction out there?!”

“The Pros are already out there taking care of it.”

“What happened to ‘the more the merrier’ and all that shit?”

“You’re a student, Bakugou, you don’t get to just waltz off into any battle you feel like joining.”

“I don’t feel like anything.” Bakugou growled, hands squeezing into tight fists. “I was meant to be on a damn date right now! But people are getting hurt.”

“Is it him again?” Midoriya asked softly. “The de-ager.”

Aizawa didn’t answer right away, and all three of them grimaced.

“He’s gonna come here anyway, Sensei. You know he is.”

“That doesn’t mean you can just walk right into his hands. They incited an entire prison break, the Pros have been running wild trying to apprehend all the escaped convicts. You can’t just walk in there and hand yourselves to him.”

“Isn’t that better than letting him render a dozen heroes useless in the process? Let them focus on the real criminals, the ones hurting people.”

Aizawa fell silent at that, and Bakugou’s fists slowly loosened up, narrowed eyes darting toward the door.

“Let us do what you taught us,” he said quietly, jaw clenched to keep back the yelling that so desperately wanted to escape. “You would do the same.”

“We can’t just sit back and let people get hurt while this guy tries to get to us with his dumb vendetta,” Midoriya insisted. “Please, Sensei. You know we’re more than capable.”

“And I know how to watch their backs better than anyone else,” Todoroki added. “I can take care of them.”

Aizawa conceded the faintest of nods, and Midoriya was honestly a little surprised to see it.

“I’ll take you there,” he sighed. “But only for this villain, this is not a precedent we’re setting.”

“Understood!”

It didn't take them long to arrive on scene, the fight drifting ever-closer to the school grounds anyway. Only a plastic police barricade and a few officers guarding it kept civilians away from the mess, and despite knowing he'd done it himself a thousand times, he cringed watching people lean over the barriers to try and get closer.

Aizawa looked away for a moment, eyes darting up to a villain flying high above the mess of pro-heroes, and somehow Midoriya managed to crack a smile when suddenly the villain was crashing down to earth.

“We should move,” Bakugou grumbled, eyes darting back and forth across the mess. “We don't want him to show up right beside the civilians.”

Aizawa stepped forward to speak with one of the police officers, and Midoriya could feel himself trembling as he waited. He was itching to get it over with, to take the guy down and lock him up once and for all, so they could finally relax and live their lives in relative peace.

And go on a date, he really wanted that too.

The man pointed off down a street, toward smoke clouds in the distance, and with a last nod from Aizawa they were moving again, weaving through streets and avoiding fights the Pros thankfully seemed to have under control. Occasionally Aizawa paused to erase a quirk for a moment, to get the Pros back on top, and once Bakugou even got to blast some rubble to clear an escape route for civilians, but mostly they just dodged and moved, and Midoriya... Well, he kind of hated it. He understood, sure, but he hated it.

The familiar face stretched into a sneer when they saw each other, Aizawa quickly halting the asshole's quirk, but the three massive villains serving as backup drew Midoriya's attention away in a hurry.

“I'll take the guy with the little wings,” Todoroki said quietly. “My ice will still reach him.”

“Fuck off,” Bakugou growled. “My explosions will blast him out of the damn sky, your shitty ice will ruin the ground for the rest of us.”

“Besides,” Midoriya added, eyes darting away again. “You might need to freeze that guy for us instead, he keeps looking at the pipes on the buildings so maybe he has a water quirk?”

“I'll take flappy bird,” Bakugou reiterated. “Halfie, take Pipe Dream. Sensei can keep his quirk trained on the kid prick, and Deku, you're gonna have to figure out what that big wrestler wannabe can do.”

“I can handle it,” he confirmed with a little smile that Bakugou could almost call a smirk. “Sensei, watch our backs, okay?”

“If you get hurt, I'm giving you extra homework.”

“Understood!”

They split off to fight, and Bakugou launched himself into the air immediately, giving himself some space to fight with the airborne villain without getting in the way of Midoriya's Smash. He'd been on the receiving end of that thing one too many times already, and while he'd never say it out loud, he planned on avoiding it as much as possible.

As concerned as he'd been, seeing the villains in the beginning, they didn't seem to hold much weight in actual combat. With Bakugou riding on his explosions in the sky, the villain lost his only advantage, and Bakugou could already see him panicking.

He glanced down when he heard a crash, watching Aizawa step in to help Midoriya with the massive asshole, and sent off a quick round of AP shots to send his own opponent to the ground. With one villain down, it left him free to help out below – apparently he'd underestimated them at first glance.

“Oi half-and-half, freeze this extra!” he yelled, dropping in to take over with the pied piper while Todoroki restrained the bird brain.

Between the two of them, the next villain went down easily, joining the first in an unconscious, frozen pile in the corner. When Bakugou turned around to check on Midoriya, he saw a familiar gaze darting their way, and before he even knew what he was doing, his feet moved.

A sharp pain in Todoroki's side sent him flying, and he looked up in horror as Aizawa whirled around too late, the two of them watching as Bakugou stumbled back, breathing hard, already shivering in the burst of icy cold.

“Why?” he choked out, clambering up from the concrete. “Bakugou?”

“I'm a hero, asshole,” he growled, voice oddly quiet, like the words were sticking in his throat. “And I didn't have a shitty childhood.”

Todoroki grabbed him as he slipped, catching him before he hit the ground. He was out cold, face surprisingly soft in his slumber, clothes already baggy on his shrinking frame. Todoroki set him carefully against the wall, turning around with a scowl on his face to stare down the villain they'd all become so familiar with over the past few weeks.

“If I remember the reports correctly,” he began, stepping forward and watching the man retreat in turn. “I have a solid minute before you can use that quirk again. How much of you do you think I can freeze in that time?”

Heroes and police alike were soon flooding into the alleyway, and Midoriya breathed a sigh of relief when a well timed quirk bound the villain's arms to his body, rendering him still. He turned around to look at his friends behind him, to shoot them a tired smile, only to find them both swimming in piles of dirty hero costume. The villain was still upright, frozen in position with skin turning blue, but both his friends were out for the count, snoozing surprisingly peacefully considering the rough terrain.

“God damn it,” Aizawa muttered, watching the villain carefully as police hauled the chunks of ice away. “This again.”

Todoroki tossed and turned in his sleep, kicking at his clothes, and with a tiny smile Midoriya scooped him up, wrapping him in his costume and stroking his hair.

“You're okay,” he whispered, rocking him gently. “I've got you.”

“Momma?”

Midoriya felt his heart break in his chest, shaking his head faintly as mismatched eyes blinked open to look up at him, quickly widening into fear.

“Good morning!” he flashed the biggest smile he could manage. “I know you don't remember me, but I'm Midoriya Izuku, we're good friends! You got hit by a quirk that turned you small, but normally you're big like me!”

“M-Mido... Midowi...?”

“Midoriya! You can call me Izuku though, if you want! It's a little easier.”

“Izuku.”

“Yeah!”

“I'm Shouto. Todowoki Shouto.”

Midoriya opened his mouth to respond but was quickly cut off by a familiar grumble, looking up as Bakugou rubbed at his eyes.

“Good morning Kacchan!”

“Haah?” he demanded, his voice so squeaky that Midoriya struggled to keep his laughter contained. “Deku?”

“Do you remember what happened?”

“You're big. Again.”

“Yeah,” he laughed. “Well, you're small.”

“I'm not.”

“Okay, okay. Um, why don't you wrap yourself up in your shirt, and we'll find you some clothes real soon, okay?”

“Who's that?” he demanded, jutting his chin at Todoroki. “You're not meant to hug other boys.”

“This is Todo- Um, Shouto. You met him last time! Remember his super cool quirk?”

Bakugou considered him as he pulled on his massive black singlet, almost pulling it off as a dress other than the fact that it threatened to fall off his shoulders and slip off of him completely again.

“Fire and ice,” he said finally. “I remember.”

Todoroki flinched a little, and Midoriya hugged him tighter, stroking his back again.

“You did so good,” he praised, struggling to keep a smile on his face. “You saved so many people, like a true hero.”

Bakugou pouted, and Midoriya couldn't help but laugh as he bent down to reach for him, pulling him into his free arm.

“You too, Kacchan! Such an amazing hero! I was little a few days ago, like you guys now, and we got attacked! My friends said you two worked together as the most amazing team so that you could protect me and the rest of the students!”

“His quirk is alright I guess,” Bakugou grumbled. “I guess I could fight with him sometimes.”

“Yeah, you'll have fun with him,” Midoriya agreed, his smile a little more genuine.

“We should get back to the school. Are you gonna keep these two safe, or do you want me to take them this time?”

“I don't need Deku to protect me,” Bakugou complained, eyebrows knitting together in a scowl. “I gotta protect him. That's my job.”

“As a hero?” Aizawa sighed. “Bakugou, you're a child right now, you don't even have a license.”

“As his husband.”

“I don't know why I was expecting anything else.”

Aizawa locked eyes with Midoriya for a moment, getting a sheepish little smile that was almost apologetic, and with a last little squeeze and a whisper of reassurance, he handed Todoroki over. For a moment the boy looked scared, but when Aizawa cradled him safely in his arms, he seemed to relax a little, resting his cheek cautiously on Aizawa's shoulder.

“I've got you,” Aizawa assured him, surprisingly gentle. “It's okay.”

Arms now free, Midoriya bent down, opening them up to Bakugou with a grin. Bakugou just pouted, looking away and folding his arms, his shirt once again threatening to fall off him completely as Midoriya chuckled at him.

“Let me pick you up, Kacchan!”

“I can walk, stupid Deku.”

“I know you can! But I wanna hold you, can I? I like my cute little husband, I gotta make the most of it for snuggles!”

“Fine,” he huffed. “I guess.”

He stepped into Midoriya's grip, letting the nerd scoop him up and rub their cheeks together fondly, only grumbling a little bit as he squirmed away from the touch.

“Alright baby, let's go find you some real clothes.”

“I'm not a baby.”

“You're my baby, aren't you? Like how your Dad calls your Mom 'sweetie' all the time.”

“That's different.”

“How come?”

“Sweetie isn't a baby!”

“Okay,” Midoriya laughed. “I'll think of a different one, then.”

They began the walk back to the dorms, Todoroki watching curiously from Aizawa's arms as the pair bickered, but thankfully they made it with no real incidents occurring along the way. No more villains, no accidents, no people who needed help after the attacks, not even a demanding little Bakugou who decided he was done going along with their plans. When they pushed open the doors, everyone came running to see, and Midoriya couldn't help but notice the way Todoroki shrank in Aizawa's arms.

“I need to be a hero,” he whispered in Bakugou's ear, bending to set him down. “I'm sorry, my magnificent husband.”

“I'm fine,” Bakugou grumbled. “I don't need help.”

“I'll give you all the cuddles tonight, I promise.”

“Whatever.”

With a last little smile, Midoriya straightened up, holding his arms out to take Todoroki back. Despite his confusion, Aizawa handed him over, nodding faintly when Midoriya hugged him close.

“I'll let you handle this again, I'd better go check in with the other teachers. Saturday classes are cancelled while we investigate this nonsense.”

“Thank you for letting us help, Sensei. I'll take good care of these guys, and on Monday we'll be back in class and back to normal!”

“See that you are.”

He showed himself out while the students were still fawning over the children, and Midoriya smiled as he held Todoroki close, whispering reassurances as best as he could.

“These are our classmates. I promise they're all nice,” he said softly. “Everyone is gonna take good care of you and be super nice. I know it's a little noisy, but we're all friends here. I promise.”

“Izuku will stay with me?”

“Of course I will! I promise I'll take super good care of you until this is over. Do you wanna say hi to all our friends?”

Todoroki looked over to where Bakugou was huffing at his classmates, blushing a little as they poked at his cheeks and ruffled his hair. Despite the noise and commotion, Bakugou seemed perfectly comfortable around the people – maybe not happy, but certainly not nervous or scared. Finally Todoroki conceded a nod, expecting Midoriya to set him down to approach, but instead he just stepped forward with his strong arms still keeping Todoroki protected.

“How are you feeling, Todoroki?” Yaoyorozu asked quietly, a sweet smile on her face. “I know this must be a little scary.”

He peered up at her with wide eyes, and Midoriya grinned.

“This is Yaoyorozu! She has a super cool quirk that can make things. When I turned little she made me a cool hero costume. Actually, she made the capes me and Kacchan wear when we're big, too!”

“How about I make you something to wear?” she offered, gesturing at the blue jumpsuit still wrapped haphazardly around his tiny frame. “Is there something special you'd like?”

Todoroki still stared up at her, lost for words, and Midoriya smiled as he jostled the boy slightly.

“How about an All Might shirt? He's your favourite, right?”

Todoroki nodded faintly, and Yaoyorozu's smile stretched wider as she nodded.

“Okay! One All Might shirt coming right up. I'm good at these, Midoriya always wants them too.”

Yaoyorozu pulled up the hem of her shirt, exposing her stomach to work with, and Todoroki watched with fascination as fabric began to spill from her, patterned with bright red and blue.

“How's this?” she asked, holding up a tiny t-shirt with All Might's face on the front, striped in his signature colours and stars. “Look okay?”

“It's the coolest shirt I ever saw,” Todoroki whispered.

“I'm glad you like it!” she laughed, holding it out for him to take. “Let me make you some pants, too. Just a second.”

Todoroki fumbled it on over his head, letting Midoriya help him tug it down, and when Yaoyorozu handed him a pair of underwear and some sweatpants, he flashed her a little smile.

“Thank you vewy much.”

“You're very welcome! Is there anything else I can make for you?”

Todoroki looked thoughtful, spoiled by choice, but Yaoyorozu seemed to have ideas of her own even as he was still contemplating. Midoriya watched as she produced the same familiar colours, and Todoroki lit up when she held out a squishy little All Might plushie.

“In case you want something to hug,” she explained. “He'll give you lots of cuddles if you get scared.”

“Thank you!”

“My pleasure!”

She turned around, letting Todoroki play with his new toy in Midoriya's arms, and moved to kneel beside Bakugou instead. He was still complaining at his overly affectionate classmates, but he at least seemed to remember who they were, didn't seem cautious around them like the first time.

He jumped when Yaoyorozu pulled something over his head, allowing it all the same, and Midoriya flooded bright red when Bakugou looked down at the new hoodie. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen Bakugou wear that particular shade of green before, and he kind of... Liked it.

“What is this?” he grumbled, stepping into the underwear and pants she held out for him. “I know this hoodie.”

“It's your wife's colours,” Kirishima grinned, ruffling Bakugou's hair. “It looks good on you, little bro!”

“My wife's...?” he turned around to look up at Midoriya, recognition flashing through his face before he looked down again. “It's Deku's hero costume.”

“Yeah!”

“Huh.” Bakugou hummed his contemplation, and Midoriya half expected him to just tear the shirt off and blow it to pieces in his hands. “Yeah, I remember.”

To all of their surprise, he wrapped his arms around himself lightly, hugging the hoodie in his arms.

“It's warm,” he explained, when he saw everyone staring. “I like warm.”

“Do you have something to say, Kacchan?” Midoriya pushed.

“Mm. Thanks. It's warm.”

“You're welcome,” Yaoyorozu smiled knowingly. “I think your clothes from last time are in your room too, but if you need anything else, you can just come and ask!”

“Okay.”

“But you'll have to say please,” Kaminari teased, nudging him lightly and regretting it when Bakugou stumbled a little.

“I know how to use manners, Pikachu!” he glared. “I'm not a baby.”

He looked pointedly back at Midoriya, who only grinned and nodded in return, but when he saw Todoroki in his wife's arms with his new All Might merch, his scowl deepened a little.

“Shouto!” he said firmly, reaching up to tug at Midoriya's arm. “Come play!”

The entire class, Todoroki included, stared at him in shock, but still Bakugou just waited pointedly, arms outstretched to help him down. Todoroki hesitated, flinching away from the loud voice and sharp movements, but when Bakugou just waited with his hands out, he couldn't help but reach to accept.

Midoriya set him down gently, letting Bakugou drag him away to explore the dorms, his warm hand clutched in Bakugou's firm grip while his cold arm wound tight around his new plushie.

“So what happened?” Uraraka asked, the whole group falling silent as they looked up at Midoriya's stunned expression. “You sneaked out?”

“Aizawa-sensei let us go help,” he mumbled sheepishly, ignoring the squawks of indignance around him. “He would have kept fighting to get to us, it seemed ridiculous to let him hurt more people on the way through. But he had bodyguards, and I think Kacchan's and Todoroki's guys weren't too bad, but I spent the whole time fighting this one big guy who like, got stronger when I hit him, I think? So Aizawa-sensei had to help me, and then some other heroes showed up and managed to bind him up, but yeah I didn't really... See it happen. To them.”

A crash in the next room sent them all running, finding the pair of toddlers sitting below an open fridge, Bakugou's arm thrown across Todoroki's trembling form.

“Kacchan, if you're hungry, just say so,” Midoriya said knowingly, sighing as he bent down to scoop them both up. “What happened? Did you try to climb it?”

“Yeah,” he answered quickly, cutting off the stuttering words Todoroki tried to choke out. “I was gonna get ice cream and I fell.”

“Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?”

“I'm fine.”

“You sure?”

He glanced at Todoroki again, then nodded firmly.

“We're fine.”

“Good. Also, it's not ice cream. We just reused the container to freeze the leftover curry Sato made us. Do you want ice cream or do you want food?”

“Both.”

“Greedy little thing,” Midoriya laughed, nuzzling at Bakugou with his cute little pout. “Pick one, handsome.”

“Ice cream.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Midoriya nudged the fridge closed with his hip, carting the boys back out to the living room and dumping them on the couch.

“I'm gonna go change out of my costume, then we'll go buy ice cream, okay? Just stay put until then.”

“I wanna come.”

“To my room? Why?”

“Cos I wanna,” Bakugou pouted. “I'm your husband, you gotta let me come with you.”

“I don't gotta let you do anything,” Midoriya argued, poking his tongue out. “If you ask nicely I might let you come with me.”

“Husbands don't ask nicely!”

“Yes they do. What about your Dad?”

Bakugou contemplated it, pouting a little, and Midoriya knew right away that he'd won, even if Bakugou was too stubborn to admit it.

“Can me and Shouto come with you to get changed?”

“Please?”

“Please,” Shouto whispered, making Midoriya's heart melt. “I'd like to come too.”

“Alright, Shouto said please, so he's coming. Kacchan?”

“Ugh. Please, Deku.”

“Alright, let's go.”

He picked them both up again, despite Bakugou's complaints, and slung one over each shoulder. Smiling at his classmates, they headed for the elevator, the class finally dispersing now that the initial whirlwind was over.

“How'd we get attacked?” Bakugou asked, wriggling himself around until he could see Midoriya's face. “By the guy who does this.”

“Mm... We didn't really. He was out being mean to people, so the three of us and Aizawa-sensei went to help stop him. I was fighting another guy, and when I turned around, you two had stopped him but you were both little.”

“I'm not lit-”

“You are little,” Midoriya cut him off. “I know you don't like being little, you like being the best and the biggest, but you'll get even madder at me if I say you're a child so you're gonna have to put up with being little.”

“I'm a big boy!”

“But your size is little, compared to normal.”

Bakugou grumbled, but seemed to concede, leaning in against Midoriya's shoulder again rather than protest.

“You tired?”

“Kinda.”

“Do you want to sleep and have ice cream later?”

He shook his head faintly, despite his eyelids hanging low, and Midoriya smiled as he hugged him a little tighter.

“Okay, ice cream then nap. I didn't even know you liked ice cream.”

Bakugou shrugged, and Midoriya felt like it hit him all at once as he turned his head, watching Todoroki shrink under his gaze.

“Were you trying to get ice cream for Shouto?”

Bakugou shrugged again, but Todoroki nodded faintly, an apology waiting on his lips. When Midoriya smiled again, the words halted, and Midoriya squeezed him just as tight as he squeezed Bakugou.

“Okay, an ice cream and a nap. Let me find you some shoes.”

He pushed open the bedroom door, letting the boys run rampant through his merch as he changed into something more comfortable than his beat-up hero costume. They were still exploring when Midoriya moved to dig through a box of supplies from their previous adventures, but when he pulled out some near-new socks and shoes, they both joined him obediently. One of Midoriya's pairs seemed to fit Todoroki well enough, while Bakugou seemed to be the same size he'd been the first time, and when the two boys were set, he slung them over his shoulders again to cart them out.

“I can walk,” Bakugou grumbled. “I'm a big boy.”

“No shoes in the house,” Midoriya reminded him, tilting his head slightly to rub their cheeks together. “Besides, I like being able to hold you.”

“Fine. If you want, I guess.”

He set them down when they reached the front door, bending to put his own sneakers on, and Bakugou scoffed quietly, kicking at them lightly as he laced them up.

“You have the same shoes as when you were little,” he pointed out. “you never got new shoes?”

“They're new! My old ones wouldn't even fit anymore!”

“You just keep buying the same shoes?”

“Yeah! I like them!”

“Hmm,” Bakugou considered it, tilting his head as he surveyed the worn sneakers. “They're so bright though.”

“They're my favourite colour!” Midoriya pouted at him. “I like bright!”

“Why red? Everything else you own is green!”

“Like Kacchan's eyes!”

Bakugou blushed bright red, looking away in a hurry, and Midoriya just grinned as he held out his hand.

“You wanna walk with me or let me carry you?”

“Wanna walk.”

“Okay. Shouto? Walk or carry?”

“I can walk too,” he said quietly.

“Okay, let's go!”

Bakugou took his hand as they headed out, but before he could offer the other one to Todoroki, Bakugou was already reaching for him, linking them together clumsily. Midoriya couldn't resist a smile, seeing Bakugou wedged between them, keeping them all chained together safely.

It wasn't a long walk to the icecream parlour, and Midoriya was almost disappointed when Bakugou pulled away from him, the boys scrambling up to the counter to peer through the glass. There were at least a dozen flavours on offer, most of them in bright, attractive colours, and Midoriya could practically see Todoroki's mind exploding over the options.

“It all looks good, huh?” he smiled, squatting between them to look for himself. “That pretty berry one matches your hair.”

The icecream in question was vanila with swirls of berry sauce, and Todoroki seemed astounded by the thought, one hand tangling in his hair as the other pressed against the glass to stare.

“Anything look good to you, Kacchan?”

“Pick for me,” he demanded, leaning in and resting his cheek on Midoriya's thigh. “Pick a good one.”

“You want me to find something you'll like?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm. Okay. I can do that.”

Bakugou nodded faintly, slumping against Midoriya's side – he really had to be tired, to be so affectionate. His little bursts of pretending to be fine were nothing on the clingy, cuddly giveaways.

“Can I pick you up again?” Midoriya asked quietly, getting a little nod in return. “Thanks, darling.”

“Darling is for girls,” he grumbled, as Midoriya hoisted him up onto his hip.

“Think of one you like, then. Let me know which ones are okay.”

“I thought I was Kacchan.”

“You are, but I say that all the time. Sometimes I wanna be extra affectionate.”

“Fine,” he huffed. “I'll think about it.”

“How about you, Shouto? What looks good to you?”

“The blue one and the gween one and the yellow with the spwinkles and the wainbow one and the purple one and-”

He stopped when he heard the lady at the counter giggle, blushing a little, but Midoriya just ruffled his hair fondly.

“It's okay, you don't have to pick just one, maybe we can get you a few small scoops.”

“Would you like to try a little and see which one you like best?” the lady offered, already picking up a container of tiny spoons.

“Can I?”

“Of course, sweetie.”

She picked out a little of each of the most colourful flavours, handing them over one by one for him to try, but to their surprise he lit up when he tasted a plain brown one.

“Good?” Midoriya asked knowingly.

“Amazing.”

“You want more of that one?”

“Uh-huh!”

“With sprinkles?”

“Can I?!”

Grinning again, the lady scooped out some of the salted caramel ice cream for him, waving him over to join her at a little collection of toppings to choose from. As he taste-tested a few of those, too, she returned to scoop ice cream for Midoriya and Bakugou.

Midoriya pointed out two that looked good, then carried Bakugou over to the toppings, laughing when he found Todoroki picking out three kinds of sprinkles and the chocolate sauce. His sundae looked like a monstrosity by the end, but Todoroki looked at it like it was made of gold, eyes wide as he accepted it from her hands.

“Go choose a table for us, Shouto,” Midoriya smiled. “Pick where you want to sit.”

With a nod he turned to inspect the little booths, and Midoriya pointed out a couple of toppings, digging his wallet out to pay for them all. Finally they were all seated in a cute little booth with comfy seats, Bakugou rubbing his eyes as he sat up to inspect what Midoriya had picked out for him. He took a tentative spoonful, side-eyeing Midoriya as he stuck it in his mouth, but as he swallowed and reached for more, he conceded a nod.

“What is it?” he asked, before shoving the spoon back in his mouth.

“Almond with chopped macadamias and a little bit of caramel sauce.”

“It's not gross.”

“Not too sweet?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, I'm glad.”

Midoriya sat back with his little tub of lemon and lime, watching the boys smear ice cream and sauce all over their faces, and he couldn't resist a smile at the pair of them. Todoroki still flinched away from loud noises or sudden movements, but otherwise he seemed like any other kid – a little shy, but not the messed up, tortured kid he'd been expecting. He still had his scar, so he'd clearly already felt the pain of that incident, but so far it didn't seem to be affecting him too heavily.

“What were we doing?” Bakugou asked, peering up at Midoriya's thoughtful expression. “When the villain came.”

“Fighting him, I told you didn't I?”

“Before that. The shark guy who calls me Katsuki was being weird.”

“Weird how?”

“Something about interrupting important things.”

Even in his toddler form, Bakugou didn't miss the blush that spread across Midoriya's face, scowling when he turned away quickly to hide it.

“We were going on a date,” he explained awkwardly.

“Haaah?! You can't date that asshole! You're my wife!”

“What?! No! Me and you, Kacchan!”

“Oh,” Bakugou's anger faded in a hurry, eyes wide as he stared at Midoriya's embarrassment. “So what? We do that all the time.”

“We, um, don't. Not really. I mean- School, you know? We're busy.”

“Oh,” Bakugou's face crumpled, and Midoriya hated himself for making it happen. “Sorry.”

“What?! No! Kacchan!”

“I should take you on lots of dates.”

“It's okay, I promise. We spend lots of time together! Studying and stuff!

“But it's not the same.”

“No, but it's okay. I promise we'll go on a date as soon as you're big again.”

“Nuh-uh!” he grumbled, glaring at his ice cream. “I'll take you on a date tomorrow.”

“Kacchan, it's okay, really! You're-”

“I'm big enough to take my wife on a date!” he interrupted. “We'll go... Um... Dancing.”

“I'm not sure there's anywhere to go dancing around here Kacchan, but it's a sweet idea.”

“A romantic walk on the beach!”

“We could do that, but won't you get cold?”

“Mm... A fancy dinner, then.”

“Where? We probably need a reservation. Maybe a casual dinner?”

“That's not special enough.”

“Anything is special with Kacchan.”

“It's not.”

“How about a theme park?” Midoriya suggested, thinking back to the ads he'd been seeing online. “There's a pro-hero collaboration going on, we could go ride some rides and eat the themed food.”

“Yeah! That's perfect! Mm... Shouto should come too though, just this one time. He'll get lonely otherwise. You wanna go to a theme park? We can ride the roller coasters!”

“Can I?”

“Yeah! I gotta take Deku on a date, but you can come too!”

It took every ounce of Midoriya's willpower to not laugh at that, but he nodded along, smiling widely as he withheld his giggles.

“Yeah, let's all go to the theme park,” he agreed. “Tomorrow, we gotta sleep lots first.”

“Uh-huh! A healthy dinner cos we had ice cream, and then bedtime, so we can get up nice and early for the park!”

“Sounds like a plan. You all done?”

Bakugou nodded, pushing away the cardboard cup he'd all but licked clean, and Todoroki put his own beside it with a little smile. It warmed Midoriya's heart to see it, it was hard to not just snatch them both up and hug them to death.

When they returned to the dorms, he found their friends giggling up a storm, and he eyed them warily as they passed by. There was something weird going on, that much he could tell, but he couldn't decide if it was a good idea to address it with the kids around or not. He settled instead for heading to the kitchen, hunting down some fresh vegetables and meat to make dinner, listening to their whispers as best he could while he got the boys set up with some rice to wash.

It took a solid hour for him to find out what the conspiracy was about, long after they'd cooked and eaten their dinner, Bakugou almost falling asleep in his bowl; after they'd scrubbed themselves off and soaked in the bathtub together, splashing each other playfully; after they'd bundled up in three sizes of matching All Might onesies Yaoyorozu had left at the bathroom door; and especially, after Bakugou had taken his time finding every scar on Midoriya's upper body, kissing them all better “like a good husband”. In fact, Midoriya had almost forgotten about it altogether, until they made it to Midoriya's room and found the door wide open where he'd almost certainly closed it behind him – he never locked it, sure, but he always closed it.

“How the hell did they do this?” he asked himself, as he stepped inside and found a second bed frame pushed up beside his own, made up with fresh new sheets and pillows to provide him with a passable double bed. Todoroki and Bakugou climbed up immediately, bouncing back and forth for a whole two minutes before they tired themselves out, and Midoriya fished his phone out of his bag to read the barrage of texts that were coming in.

“We stole it from your husband's room,” Uraraka explained. “Figured he wouldn't mind.”

Bakugou was going to kill them when he got back to normal.

“Alright, it looks like you two are sleeping with me,” he sighed, smiling fondly all the same. “Who wants a story?”

“Yeah!”

At some point in their adventures, he'd found a set of kids' books among their possessions. He assumed they were from one of his turns as a child, seeing as he didn't remember them, but he was starting to realise it was also entirely possible that someone had just slipped them into his room as a joke. All the same, he picked one up and crawled under the sheets, the boys tucking themselves in either side of him when he flipped open the cover.

“Get comfy,” he instructed, pulling the blanket up over their laps. “Time for bed.”

Bakugou was out like a light by the time they reached page two, finally giving up on his fight to stay awake like a big boy, but Todoroki continued to lean over and look at the pretty pictures as Midoriya read, fascinated by the heroes and their magic powers.

“Did the prince get to go back to his Mom?” Todoroki asked, when the story came to an end.

“Do you think that would have made him happy?”

“Yeah.”

“Then yeah, I bet he did. It said they lived happily ever after, right?”

“Right,” Todoroki confirmed, snuggling in and pulling his blankets up over his nose. “His Mom loved him lots, didn't she?”

“She did,” he nodded knowingly. “All Moms love their sons very much, no matter what.”

“No matter what?”

“Uh-huh,” Midoriya nodded, stroking at silky, slightly-damp hair. “Even if sometimes we think they don't, or someone tells us they don't, or... anything. Our Moms love us very, very much.”

“Yeah,” Todoroki nodded, satisfied. “Goodnight Izuku.”

“Goodnight, Shouto.”

─────

The sun was barely up when Midoriya felt a hand shaking him, his eyes cracking open on a tiny, eager face that peered down from above. A wide smile stretched across his lips, eyes surprisingly bright for so early in the morning, and Midoriya couldn't help but grin back as he dragged the boy down for a hug. Bakugou whined when Midoriya nuzzled into his hair, but it barely covered the giggle fighting its way out.

“Good morning Hot Stuff,” Midoriya teased. “Sleep okay?”

Bakugou flushed pink, but nodded all the same, and Midoriya was surprised to note that he didn't protest the dumb pet name.

“Theme park?” Bakugou prompted. “It's morning! We can go!”

“Yeah, okay,” Midoriya chuckled, smiling at Shouto when he rolled over to join their little huddle. “Gotta have a nice big breakfast first, so we have energy.”

“I'll cook!” Bakugou insisted. “I'm a good cook!”

“I know you are,” Midoriya agreed. “But you might have trouble reaching the stove and things, so can I help too?”

“I guess so.”

“Alright, are we getting dressed or are we having a pyjama breakfast?”

“Pyjama breakfast!” Bakugou insisted, pulling up his hood with the golden antlers to represent All Might's hair. “I am here! To make the best breakfast!”

Midoriya couldn't contain his laugh, clapping a hand over his mouth to stifle it and only succeeding in turning it into a snort. He wished he had a camera rolling to capture all the cute things Bakugou did, maybe a security camera in the corner of his room. Then again, he probably wouldn't get any dates with the full-sized Bakugou if he found out there was video evidence of his dumb toddler antics.

“Alright,” Midoriya managed, when he'd composed himself a little. “Down to the kitchen.”

The dorms were still empty around them, far too early for anyone to be up on a Saturday morning – well, except Bakugou, even when he was a toddler for a couple of days.

“What are we making?” Midoriya asked, as they trudged into the kitchen area and he began searching through the fridge. “We have eggs, ham, rice, maybe some fish...”

“Omurice!”

“Yeah? Okay, we can do that I guess.”

He pulled the rice out first, leftovers from the night before, then handed Bakugou a carton of eggs. In a big metal mixing bowl, Bakugou began cracking them open, handing Todoroki a whisk to start mixing them up. Midoriya watched for a moment with a little smile on his face, but quickly went back to setting up a big pan to heat. He sneaked a few vegetables in to cook while the boys were distracted, cutting them up small and mixing them into the rice, and by the time Bakugou looked over they were well out of sight.

“Ham in the rice?” he asked, leaving Todoroki to continue mixing, picking up the ham instead. “I'll cut!”

Sure enough, when Midoriya handed him a small, fairly dull knife, Bakugou set to work chopping it into little cubes and tossing it in the pan. Considering how tiny he was, he was surprisingly good at the few cooking tasks he'd attempted so far.

It only took a few minutes for them to get everything cooked through and split onto three plates, Bakugou watching like a hawk as Midoriya carefully split three omelets open over the top.

“Perfect?” he asked with a grin, ruffling Bakugou's hair.

“Pretty good,” Bakugou hummed. “I dunno about perfect.”

“At least taste it first!”

They sat down at the kitchen table to eat, shovelling food into their mouths, and despite the way Bakugou spilled rice everywhere and Todoroki froze his spoon three times trying to cool down his rice a little, Midoriya smiled the entire way through.

“You two are so cute,” he praised, when he'd cleared his plate. “How about you just stay this small forever?”

“Nuh-uh!” Bakugou objected, pouting again. “Not small, not cute, and gotta be a hero!”

“Fine, fine, I guess I'd better make the most of this weekend, then.”

“Yeah!”

“But you're definitely cute.”

“Am not!”

Todoroki reached out, poking at Bakugou's chubby cheeks as he pouted, and Midoriya stifled another laugh when Bakugou glared at him. It didn't last long, when Todoroki flinched away from the look, and even Bakugou seemed a little surprised by it. He was used to people avoiding him, used to them flinching at his quirk, but at his glares alone? That was new for him at that age.

A small hand clung to Midoriya's shirt as he washed dishes, following him to the counter in a hurry to stay close, and after a moment Bakugou seemed to recover from his brief shock, following them to the sink. He didn't say a word, just took a damp cloth to clean his mess off the table, but when he returned, Todoroki met his eyes for the first time in what seemed like forever.

“I'll protect you,” Bakugou grumbled. “I won't let anyone hurt you.”

Midoriya wondered if on some level, Bakugou really understood what those words meant. There was no reason to assume, to even consider that he might remember all the things Todoroki had told him, but the tone of voice he used was so unfamiliar, from the toddler. From an older Bakugou, in a moment of weakness, absolutely – but from a child of maybe four years old, who had never in his life encountered such a deep emotional pain, or even met anyone who had encountered it? It just didn't fit.

“Dekuuuu,” Bakugou grumbled, tugging at his arm. “Come on, let's go!”

“You need to brush your teeth,” Midoriya sighed. “And put some clothes on, and I need to pack a bag with some water and stuff.”

“Then hurry up,” Bakugou pouted. “I wanna go to the theme park!”

“Please?”

“Dekuuuuuu!”

“Okay, okay,” Midoriya laughed. “Come on, back to my room. Actually, let's make a stop at yours first, I think there are more clothes and stuff in your room.”

“We don't share a room?”

“Mm... We do a lot,” Midoriya shrugged. “But we still have two rooms. You don't like all my merch.”

“What?! Why not?! All Might is the coolest!”

“You say it feels weird, like he's staring at you in your sleep.”

“Hmm, I guess,” Bakugou hummed. “But I like seeing it during the day!”

“Okay, I'll keep it in mind. Come on, let's go find some clothes.”

─────

Todoroki looked a little green as they stumbled away from the first roller coaster, and Midoriya suspected he looked the same way himself. Bakugou's smile stretched wide across his face, though, and Midoriya couldn't help but smile faintly at his enthusiasm.

“That was so cool!” Bakugou declared, throwing himself at Midoriya for hugs. “Did you hear All Might's voice?!”

“I did,” Midoriya grinned, wrapping an arm around him as he attached himself to Midoriya's leg. “That big drop was pretty cool, huh?”

“The coolest! And the loop! We went upside down, Deku!”

“Yeah we did,” he laughed. “I think I need a moment for the next one though, do you mind?”

“Can we go take photos with the hero costumes?”

“You mean the real heroes?”

“I'm not stupid, Deku, I know they're not the real ones. But I still want photos!”

“Okay,” he laughed. “Let's go get photos with the hero costumes.”

Bakugou reached out, tangling his fingers in Midoriya's pant leg to hold him tight, and Todoroki blinked at them in surprise when Bakugou held out another hand. Nervously, he accepted the offer, lacing their fingers together and letting Bakugou drag him along. It was almost fascinating the way the pair interacted – left alone, Todoroki flinched away from Bakugou's noise and sudden movements, but as soon as he had a grip on Midoriya or on Bakugou himself, he was suddenly unaffected.

The park was split up into five sections, each one currently themed around a different top hero for the sake of the collaboration event. They had gone straight for the All Might section when they entered the park, with American foods being sold in the stalls and posters of him in all his different costumes. Bakugou went for a big cardboard cut out, All Might's costume from the golden age but with the face cut out. It took everything in Midoriya to not laugh when Bakugou stuck his proud grin through the whole, and he quickly retrieved his phone to take a few photos.

“Your turn!” Bakugou announced, when the camera was done flashing. “Shouto go be All Might!”

“I go be All Might,” Todoroki confirmed, switching places happily. “I'm All Might?”

“Yeah!”

Midoriya snapped photos again, this time including one of Bakugou grinning up at him too, and when Todoroki stepped away he found a tiny hand reaching for him.

“Deku be All Might!”

“Me?”

“Yeah!”

“Alright, I guess so,” he chuckled, handing the phone to Bakugou for photos. “My turn to be All Might.”

He stuck his face through the hole, watching as Bakugou held up the camera with the utmost focus, tongue poking out the corner of his lips. After a moment to gather himself, he contorted his face into a familiar grin, casting shadows over his features.

“My boy!” he boomed, aware he'd succeeded when the boys both cracked up laughing. “Eat this!”

“Dekuuuu!” Bakugou whined through his laughter, hands trembling as he tried to take photos. “How do you do that?!”

“A lot of practice,” he grinned, relaxing again and taking a step back. “Do I make a good All Might?”

“Yeah!” Todoroki nodded, while Bakugou was still umming and ahhing. “The best!”

“I guess it was okay,” Bakugou admitted sheepishly. “Can we line up now?”

“Yeah, let's go.”

They joined a little queue near a photo spot, where a man in an extra tall All Might costume was posing with kids, a booming laugh playing from inside the suit that Midoriya was pretty sure was a recording. When they reached the front, though, Todoroki suddenly panicked, clutching at Midoriya desperately, and Bakugou stopped to look back.

“Shouto?” he asked, eyes wide. “You don't wanna get a photo with the All Might?”

Todoroki whined quietly, and Midoriya scooped him up, snuggling him close to his chest.

“You want me to hold you?”

Todoroki nodded, and Midoriya nodded, smiling fondly.

“Okay, just let me give my phone to this nice lady and she can take a photo of all of us.”

“I'll get it,” Bakugou insisted, reaching into Midoriya's pocket to grab it. “Excuse me miss, can you take a photo for us? Oh, uh, please?”

He held the phone up to the staff member on duty, and she smiled down at him like he was the sweetest kid in the world – even though Midoriya knew otherwise, he still caught himself thinking it on occasion too. Superficially the kid was adorable, it didn't matter if he was laughing or pouting, he was still gorgeous. Underneath it, though, was... Actually, no. As much as Bakugou wanted to think he was terrifying and scary beneath it all, he really was just adorable.

Together the trio joined the All Might actor at the front, and Midoriya let Bakugou drag him into place, setting him and Todoroki up exactly where he wanted them. Bakugou nearly squealed when the actor's massive hand landed on his back, so stupidly excited even though he knew it was a fake.

The staff snapped a few photos, and then they were moving again, Bakugou thanking the actor without any prompting and Todoroki waving shyly as they moved to get the phone back. Midoriya said a quick thank you, Todoroki whispering one of his own, and then they were off again, following Bakugou as he looked around for their next adventure.

When he turned around, though, his expression twisted into a little pout again, his little hands reaching up for Todoroki.

“Come on, Shouto,” he insisted, twitching his fingers like he might grab Todoroki himself. “Next ride, let's go.”

Todoroki nodded faintly, sliding down from Midoriya's grip to accept Bakugou's hand. Blinking stupidly, Midoriya watched them run off to look at a map, taking a moment to realise he was staring and hurry after them.

“I don't wanna do that one,” Todoroki whispered, when Bakugou pointed at a particularly red section on the map. “Wanna do another one.”

“Hmmm...” Bakugou contemplated, and Midoriya braced himself for an argument. “Okay. Let's go to the middle and do the ferris wheel!”

“Kay!”

For a moment Todoroki looked scared again when they looked up at the massive spinning wheel, but he swallowed hard and stood tall, holding tight to Bakugou's hand as they waited in line. As stupidly cute as it was to see them get along, Midoriya couldn't help but be the tiniest bit jealous of the way they played together, like he didn't even need to be there with them.

They piled into a little car, Midoriya taking a seat on one side, and while he expected the boys to sit opposite, he found them squeezing in on either side of him, tugging at his arms for attention – one more gently than the other. His jealousy melted away when they both leaned into him comfortably, resting their heads on his shoulder as they looked out the little windows. They took turns pointing things out as the wheel moved, babbling about the cool heroes they could see in the distance and the rides they wanted to go on next.

“It's so cool,” Todoroki whispered, when they reached the very top. “I can see all of it.”

“It's very pretty,” Midoriya nodded. “Can you see where you want to go next?”

“Mm... Woller coaster,” he said quietly. “Katsu's turn.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he nodded firmly. “Katsu did the wheel for me, I do the coaster for Katsu.”

“Alright, we'll give it a try.”

─────

The sun was hanging low in the sky and both boys were starting to lag, rubbing at sleepy eyes as they trudged over to the park map.

“You guys ready to head home?” Midoriya asked knowingly. “Still full from the Mighty Burgers?”

“One more ride,” Bakugou mumbled, eyes darting over the little map. “Gotta do last ride.”

“Okay, sure. We went on all of them, so what was your favourite? We can do one last turn on your favourite.”

Bakugou paused, gnawing at his lower lip as he considered it, but when his eyes shot to Todoroki, Midoriya understood.

“The ferris wheel,” Bakugou said finally. “Last ride should be the ferris wheel.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Midoriya agreed, when Todoroki's head popped up in a hurry. “One more turn on the ferris wheel to look at everything, then we'll go home and get some sleep.”

Bakugou grabbed their hands, dragging them both back toward the towering wheel in the center of the park, and Midoriya could only smile down at them both. Bakugou had always been a leader, had been the head of the pack from day one at kindergarten, always coming up with some plan to get the entire class in trouble and somehow convincing them all to go along with it. He didn't see it as much now that they were older, now that Bakugou had chosen to avoid people rather than lead them.

He'd missed it.

This time it was Bakugou who sat in the middle of the seat, fingers tangling in Midoriya's shirt to hold him close, his fiery eyes already sinking closed. He leaned in close, cuddling into Midoriya's side with a stubborn pout that warned Midoriya not to say a word.

Todoroki marvelled once more at the way they could see out over the park, tentatively climbing out of his seat to look through the windows and see it more closely. Bakugou tried valiantly to keep his eyes open, and Midoriya found himself reaching out, dragging him into his lap for snuggles.

“What're you doing?” Bakugou grumbled.

“I want hugs.”

“Ugh. You always want hugs.”

“Yeah. Can't I have hugs, Kacchan?”

“Fine,” he sighed, resting his head on Midoriya's warm chest. “I'll sit here.”

“Thanks, Kacchan.”

When the wheel came back around, nearing the ground, Midoriya stood up, hitching a sleeping Bakugou up with him. He held the boy close with one arm and reached for Todoroki's hand with the other, leading him carefully off the ride and back onto solid ground.

“I had a weally fun day,” Todoroki said quietly. “Thank you for bwinging me.”

“Any time, Shouto! I'm glad you had a good time!”

“You can hold Katsu though,” he smiled sweetly. “I walk by you.”

“Thanks sweetie,” Midoriya laughed, wrapping both arms around Bakugou's limp form to hold him up a little easier. “I think we wore him out.”

“But he had fun too.”

“Yeah, he did. And so did I. It was a great day.”

The trains were thankfully quiet when they got on board, and when an older lady saw them coming she shifted over with a smile, freeing up two seats beside each other. He gave her a grateful nod as he sat, giving Todoroki the spot between him and a plastic divider, where he didn't need to sit beside a stranger.

“Your brothers?” she asked.

“Oh, um... Friends, actually?” he smiled sheepishly. “They were hit by a quirk so I'm taking care of them until it wears off.”

“Oh! I heard about that villain on the radio. Did they catch him, in the end? You weren't fighting him, were you?”

“We all were,” he admitted. “We're U.A. students. These guys caught him while I was fighting another villain he was working with.”

“Well, I'm glad you're okay! Thank you for protecting those of us who can't protect ourselves!”

“Oh, no, not at all!” Midoriya blushed bright red, feeling it spread down to his chest. “I'm still learning, after all! One day I'll be able to call myself a real hero, but for now I'm just doing my best!”

Bakugou woke up when they reached their stop, rubbing his eyes sleepily, and Midoriya smiled down at him with a softness he only ever seemed to feel for the stubborn little kid.

“Almost home, Kacchan. Let's go get some sleep.”

“I can walk.”

“You don't have to.”

“But I can.”

“I know you can. Do you want to?”

Bakugou shook his head, cheeks flushed pink, and Midoriya chuckled as he hitched him up to rest on one hip, wrapping an arm around him to keep him in place. With the other hand he reached for Todoroki again, leading him off the train, making sure they stayed carefully linked together until they passed through the U.A. gates.

They stopped by Todoroki's room first, by his timid request, and Midoriya smiled as he watched the kid explore. It was an elegant room, with a few plants and expensive wooden furniture, but Midoriya was surprised to see a piece of paper left out on the desk. Todoroki was normally so careful about putting everything away when he left the room, about coming back to a clean, uncluttered space, but for some reason a single piece of paper and a pen had slipped through his cracks – an assignment he was working on when the villain struck, perhaps?

Midoriya moved closer, intending to slip it into a drawer, but the familiar handwriting made him pause. Why did Todoroki have a piece of paper with his writing on it? Had he written a letter when he was a toddler, like he'd once written to the older Bakugou?

One hand hot, one hand cold. Fights with Kacchan. Friends??

He snorted to himself, a little amused by the childish analysis. He'd never really gone back to look at his first few books of notes, but he imagined it would be incredibly cringe-worthy if he did.

Hot Cold Man makes big ice, fire not as big but very bright and pretty.

It took Midoriya far too long to notice the carefully inked letters off to one side, his jaw dropping when he began to read.

Yes, friends with Bakugou. Ice has had more practice than fire.

“He didn't,” Midoriya whispered to himself, snatching the page up to look closer. “Were you answering my questions?”

Todoroki Shouto. Hero name Shouto. I think Iceburn or Fireberg is better

I'll take that into consideration.

The thought of Todoroki sitting down and writing such sweet answers to his dumb kid questions made Midoriya tear up, and suddenly a weight was wrapping itself around his leg, whining at him quietly.

“Izu sad?” the tiny voice asked. “No sad.”

“Sorry, Shouto,” Midoriya sniffled, setting the paper back down and ruffling Todoroki's hair instead. “I'm not sad, I'm very happy. It's okay.”

“Happy cry?”

“Happy cry,” he confirmed. “Shall we head back to my room to sleep? Do you want to bring anything with you?”

“Go back,” Todoroki confirmed. “I don't need anything. Thank you for bwinging me.”

“You're welcome! Alright, let's go get some rest!”

He took Todoroki's hand one more time, leading the way to the bedroom, and the moment Todoroki fell onto the mattress his eyes were sinking closed. Midoriya considered getting them both up to shower and brush their teeth, but their peaceful faces were too sweet to disturb. One night wouldn't hurt.

Twenty-four hours had passed already, since the boys became... Well, boys. If their past experiences were anything to go by, at any minute one of them could pop back to their normal size, finding themselves snuggled in bed together, and Midoriya couldn't help but pray it was Bakugou who changed first. If he found a child Todoroki cuddled up to himself and Midoriya, he might pout a little, but he'd get over it. A full-sized Todoroki though? There would be hell to pay.

Then again, considering the time it took for All Might and Aizawa to recover, they could have another week of toddlers for all he really knew. He’d cross that bridge when he came to it.

“Goodnight,” he whispered, as he tucked the blankets up over their chests. “Sweet dreams.”

Todoroki's hands reached up, fingers clutching at something that wasn't there, but his eyes remained shut even when his lips parted briefly.

“All Might?”

“Here you go,” Midoriya laughed, reaching into his bag and digging out the plushie he'd been carrying around all day. “Get some rest with All Might.”

“All Might,” Todoroki repeated, this time with a smile, as he tucked it under his arm and leaned his head on Bakugou's shoulder.

Yeah, there would be hell to pay if Bakugou woke up to a teenage Todoroki doing that.

Midoriya took a photo.

─────

Midoriya woke up to whispering beside him, eyes cracking open to find two toddlers on the floor beside him, playing with Midoriya's All Might figures in hushed voices. He couldn't help but smile when he saw them, so invested in their little scenario and so serious about every move they made.

When Bakugou lifted a hand, Midoriya shot out of the blankets, grabbing his wrist too late to stop the little sparks he fired off.

“What?” Bakugou asked, frowning.

“No quirks inside!” Midoriya insisted. “You'll break things. Or scare Shouto.”

They both turned to look, expecting tears or trembling like every other loud noise they'd encountered so far, but to Midoriya's surprise he instead found a look of awe – eyes wide in wonder, jaw hanging open a little as he stared.

“Again!” he said brightly, when Midoriya slowly released his hold on Bakugou's skinny arm. “Wanna see!”

Bakugou's lips curled into a smirk, and Midoriya sighed, falling back to lean against the edge of his bed.

“Be careful,” he conceded, nodding. “Don't let them hit anything, okay?”

“Okay!”

Bakugou held out both hands this time, popping off his tiny explosions like fireworks in his palms, and despite the bright lights and relatively loud noises, he still just stared in awe.

“Katsu so cool!” Todoroki said softly. “More!”

Bakugou puffed out his chest, a picture of pride and confidence. He was used to being praised at every turn, that had been Bakugou's life growing up, and a small part of Midoriya was a little sad to watch it. The confidence Bakugou held these days was far more fake, and he certainly didn't hear a lot of admiration, other than Midoriya himself reminding him he was amazing.

“I'm going back to bed,” Midoriya said finally, glancing up at the glowing clock on his bedside table. “Why are you up so early?”

“Katsu had nightmares.”

“Shut up!” Bakugou insisted, blushing bright red. “I'm not scared of a stupid dream!”

“Oh, Kacchan, no,” Midoriya's face fell, and he dragged Bakugou into a hug. “Bad dreams are normal, it's okay, you don't have to be brave when your friends and wife are here!”

“Shut up!” he said again, thumping his head on Midoriya's chest stubbornly. “I'm not being brave, I am brave!”

“I know you are, baby, but even big brave heroes are allowed cuddles when they have bad dreams. Why don't we hop back in bed and see if we can get a little more rest, yeah?”

“Fine,” Bakugou grumbled, muffling his yawn in Midoriya's shirt. “If you want cuddles that bad I guess I can give you cuddles.”

“Thanks Kacchan,” Midoriya humoured him, scooping him up and tossing him lightly onto the mattress. “You too, Shouto. Come on, it's too early to get up.”

He picked Todoroki up and threw him right beside Bakugou, getting giggles from both of them when he dove in between.

“You two were all snuggled up together when I came to bed,” he pouted, dragging them in closer under each arm. “It's my turn this time.”

“Izu's turn,” Todoroki confirmed, snuggling into his side. “Izu cuddles.”

“Thanks Shouto. Kacchan?”

Bakugou pouted, looking away stubbornly, but Midoriya just ruffled his messy hair.

“Please, Kacchan?”

“But you have Shouto. You don't need my cuddles.”

“Shouto is my best friend, he gives me best friend cuddles. I still need my husband cuddles.”

“I'm your only husband.”

“Exactly, so no one else can fill my need for husband cuddles.”

“Fine,” Bakugou conceded, wriggling closer and slotting himself into Midoriya's armpit. “I gotta take care of you so you don't get any more scars.”

“You don't like my scars?”

“No.”

“Some people think scars are hot.”

“Hot?” Bakugou screwed up his face, considering. “Like when you called me Hot Stuff?”

“Exactly.”

“But they're all the times I should have protected you,” Bakugou complained, tugging at Midoriya's sleeve to get a better view of the worst offender. “I shouldn't have let this happen to you!”

“Oh Kacchan, it wasn't your fault!” Midoriya assured him. “There was nothing you could have done. You've done an amazing job of protecting me, I promise.”

“Not good enough,” Bakugou argued.

“More than good enough,” Midoriya countered with a smile. “Kacchan is so amazing. But now it's my turn, okay? I promise I'll chase away the bad dreams. That's my job when I'm bigger than you.”

“Mm... Fine. Goodnight.”

He was out before Midoriya had even finished returning the word, and when he turned his head, he found Todoroki sound asleep too – little idiots really had been up too early.

─────

When Midoriya woke up for real, he found a text waiting on his phone, smiling when the screen lit up on All Might's name. It was an invitation, in All Might's typical over-excited way, to meet him in his office for brunch. He tried not to think about the fact that All Might was at the school working on a Sunday, otherwise he'd have had no reason to choose his office as the location – the man was a workaholic and nothing Midoriya could say seemed to change that. He'd slept later than planned, though, and the invite time was less than an hour away, so he tapped out a confirmation and gently shook the boys awake.

By the time he got them out of bed, their teeth brushed and their hair combed, their limbs stuffed through the appropriate holes of their clothing, it was already time to leave. He threw on some clothes of his own, sighing when Bakugou grumbled at him and insisted on picking out “something nicer for his husband,” but still he let Bakugou hunt down something he liked and pulled it on obediently.

“Alright, we gotta go!” Midoriya insisted, glancing at the time once more as he picked the boys up, one under each arm, and hurried toward the elevator. “He'll be waiting!”

“Who?” Bakugou asked, jolted out of his whines by the curiosity. “Who are we seeing, Deku?”

Midoriya didn't give him an answer, keeping his secretive little smile as he shoved shoes on the boys' feet at the door and stepped into his own, breaking into a jog as they headed across campus. He knew All Might wouldn't care if they were ten minutes late, but he cared, and that meant the boys were going to have to put up with being carried.

“Sorry we're late!” he said breathlessly, when All Might slid the door open and flashed them a wide smile. “Kids are hard.”

“No problem at all, my boy! Come on in! It's good to see you Young Bakugou, Young Todoroki!”

“All Might,” Bakugou said breathlessly, staring up at him with wide eyes when his feet touched solid ground. “You look different.”

“Ah, yes, my apologies. I'm an old man now, you see – not so big and strong anymore.”

“You're still big!” Bakugou insisted, standing up on his tiptoes to gain an extra inch, reaching up like he might be able to grow an extra four feet that way. “You're so tall!”

All Might laughed heartily, and recognition finally flooded Todoroki's face when he heard it, his hand clutching at Midoriya's pants but his feet creeping forward all the same.

“You're All Might?” he asked quietly, transferring his grip to Bakugou's shirt and surprisingly not getting blown up for it. “I like watching you fight.”

“Well thank you, Todoroki my boy! I know you don't remember me watching, but I enjoy watching you fight, too.”

“Me?” Todoroki squeaked. “B-But-”

“The way you balance two quirks at once is admirable, I'm not sure I could do the same.”

Midoriya sat back and watched as the trio enthused over quirks and heroes and villains alike, watching them take photos together and answer each other's questions – surprisingly, it was pretty even between All Might asking and answering. He really was good with children. Every so often, one would break off to eat something from the spread All Might had laid out – fancy-looking bread rolls with cheese and bacon baked in, little sausages wrapped in bread, a platter of fresh fruit, even pretty little cupcakes were among the plates – but still they continued their little mock interview.

Midoriya's favourite part, however, was watching the way Todoroki clung to Bakugou. Even though little Bakugou was much more lenient about being touched than the older version he was used to, it was still surprising to see him allow the grabbing and holding on. Todoroki followed so closely every time they moved that when Bakugou stopped walking, Todoroki crashed straight into his back. And yet, Bakugou never once complained; he just turned and checked that Todoroki was okay, and went right back to what he was doing.

“I want cuddles,” Bakugou demanded, making Midoriya jump when he crawled into his lap. “Gimme cuddles.”

“Sure, Kacchan. Are you feeling tired still?”

“I'm fine.”

“Okay, baby. You know you can have cuddles whenever you want.”

Bakugou nodded into his chest, snuggling in close while Todoroki shyly continued to talk with All Might. When Midoriya wrapped his arms around the figure, though, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

“You feel hot,” Midoriya pointed out, brushing blond spikes back to touch his forehead lightly. “Are you hot?”

“I'm fine.”

“I know you are, but do you feel hot?”

Bakugou nodded faintly, and Midoriya swore under his breath, peeling off the Deku hoodie Bakugou had been wearing since the moment Yaoyorozu produced it.

“I know,” All Might said quickly, when Midoriya opened his mouth. “Todoroki my boy, would you mind staying here with me a little while? Young Midoriya and Young Bakugou need to go do something very quickly, they'll be right back.”

“That's okay,” Todoroki nodded. “Is Katsu okay?”

“He'll be fine, sweetie,” Midoriya assured him, patting him on the head fondly before he pulled Bakugou into his arms and stood up from the couch. “We'll be right back, I promise.”

“I stay,” Todoroki confirmed. “Eat cake with All Might.”

“Perfect. I'll see you real soon, then.”

He scuttled out of the building with a burning-hot Bakugou in his grip, cooing what he hoped were soothing noises as he jogged back to the dorms.

“Am I sick?” Bakugou choked out, when he cracked his eyes open and saw Midoriya's nervous face.

“Not sick, I promise. Um, you're gonna go back to being big soon. Proper big, I mean. Like me.”

“Now?”

“Um, pretty much,” he nodded. “We're just gonna go to your room and find you some big clothes!”

“Mmkay.”

He set Bakugou on the bed just in time to see his body start to deform, turning away in a hurry as the cute little clothes tore to shreds around the rapidly growing body.

“Fuck,” Bakugou hissed, and Midoriya shuddered a little. “Fucking again?”

“Here, um, let me- let me get you some clothes.”

“Why are you so damn nervous all of a sudden?” Bakugou demanded, shoving Midoriya aside lightly to get his own clothes. “You change back before me or something?”

“N-No, I um, I didn't get hit?” he said awkwardly, sneaking a glance back and breathing a sigh of relief when he saw baggy sweatpants hanging around Bakugou's narrow hips. “Y-You and Todoroki did, and I've been taking care of you?”

“Oh,” Bakugou said softly, falling still. “Um, thanks. I don't seem to be hurt, so I guess you did an okay job.”

“We had fun,” Midoriya smiled, turning around as Bakugou pulled a shirt over his head. “I need to go back to Todoroki, All Might is taking care of him while I'm here with you. Do you want to come?”

Bakugou paused, and Midoriya gave him a knowing smile.

“I get it, it's okay. I just promised I'd be right back, that's all. You don't have to come.”

“I'll come.”

“Y-You will?”

“You took care of us both,” Bakugou grumbled. “The least I can do is help out until he's back to normal.”

“Thanks, Kacchan! He'll be really happy, he liked you a lot! You were really good friends!”

“Fuck off, like I'd ever be good friends with that halfie bastard.”

“Uh-huh, okay,” Midoriya humoured him, lips twitching as he fought back a smirk. “Let's go, then?”

“Yeah.”

They walked back out of the building in silence, the dorms devoid of their usual activity – it seemed everyone had decided to head home for the weekend, given their Saturday off. Not really surprising considering the number of attacks they'd had in the past few weeks, Midoriya kind of wanted to see his mother, too. About ten steps from the door, though, Bakugou reached out, snatching Midoriya's hand with his cheeks flushed bright pink.

“Sorry about our date,” he said quietly. “Um, we'll try again.”

“It's okay,” Midoriya giggled, covering his own blush with his spare hand. “Little Kacchan took me on a date while you were gone.”

“Haah?! What did that little brat do?!”

“Kacchan, he's you, don't be so jealous! I told him the villain interrupted our date plans, so he wanted to take me on a date!”

“Where did you go?” Bakugou huffed, and Midoriya took a moment to admire the jealous little pout on his handsome face.

“To the theme park! You know the top hero collaboration going on? We went and ate the All Might food and rode all the rides. The roller coasters made me sick but you had fun on them so we did it anyway. Oh and Todoroki came too! You were very sweet with him, always taking care of him.”

“That's not a date. You took two kids to a theme park, that's babysitting.”

“Little Kacchan called it a date.”

“Too damn bad. I'm taking you on an actual date. Our first one.”

“Is that why you're pouting?” Midoriya asked, stopping in his tracks. “Kacchan! It's still our first date, I was just teasing!”

“Damn right it is,” Bakugou grumbled. “Little brat's got nothing on me.”

“He was very cute.”

“Shut up.”

“He let me call him pet names.”

“Shut up.”

“Like Hot Stuff, and sweetie, although he didn't like baby very much.”

Bakugou threw an arm around Midoriya's neck, rumbling green curls roughly, and Midoriya giggled even through his whines.

“You would let me call you 'baby', right Kacchan?” he asked, laughing harder when Bakugou pulled at his hair. “Because you're not insecure about being called a baby?”

“Shut the hell up! Pet names are stupid!”

“But I like them!”

“You already call me fucking Kacchan.”

“You're cute! You deserve cute nicknames!”

“Shut up!”

A laugh bubbled up from Midoriya's chest, his free hand once again clapping over his mouth to cover it, but this time the way Bakugou looked at him was surprisingly fond.

“I missed this,” Midoriya explained, eyes a little watery. “The bickering and teasing, I missed it a lot.”

“It's only been a couple of days, dumbass.”

“I know, but I missed it.”

In a moment of weakness, Bakugou reached out, wrapping his arm around Midoriya's waist and pulling him in close. He pressed his cheek to Midoriya's hair, ignoring the little sob that wracked Midoriya's body, and for a moment they just stayed.

“I missed you so much, Kacchan.”

“I know, nerd. I miss you too, when it happens to you.”

“Little Kacchan is adorable, but it's not the same.”

“I know, but we'll get through this. The police have to be taking the guy seriously by now, soon enough he'll be locked up for good and we'll never have to deal with his bullshit again.”

“I love you, Kacchan.”

Bakugou paused, his hand sweaty against Midoriya's back, but finally he nodded.

“I love you too.”

“We should go check on Todoroki and All Might.”

“He'll be able to handle it for one more minute, it's fine.”

“If we have kids do you think they'll be as cute as you were?”

“No, they'll just scream like assholes.”

“Rude.”

Finally they broke apart, and Midoriya looked up with a tearful smile, admiring the little smirk aimed his way. With his hands trembling, he tilted his head, planting the tiniest of kisses on Bakugou's cheek and watching him blush bright red.

“Let's go on a date, Kacchan.”

“I'll make a new dinner reservation.”

─────

“Again, Katsu!” Todoroki insisted, tugging at Bakugou's arm. “Wanna see!”

“Okay, okay,” Bakugou huffed, squatting down to Todoroki's height. “No touching, remember.”

“I know!”

He popped off little explosions in his palm, and Todoroki marvelled at them just like the first fifteen times he'd seen them. Midoriya had expected him to be nervous, seeing Bakugou in his tall, scowling glory, but instead the kid had fallen in love. He stuck just as close to Bakugou's feet, only now Bakugou was a lot more careful, turning slowly or slowing to a gradual stop rather than let Todoroki just walk into him. He even allowed it when Todoroki reached for his hand, linking their fingers together and dragging him away to show him things.

It was adorable as fuck and all Midoriya could do was attempt to keep his tears at bay.

The peace was broken by a slamming door, Bakugou pulling a trembling Todoroki behind him before he'd even looked up. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, what any of them had expected, when they turned to face the intruder, but he was certain that it hadn't been Endeavor.

“Why was I not called?” he demanded, using every inch of his height and width alike to appear intimidating, though All Might still had almost a foot on him even in his skinny form. “I have a right to know when my son is involved in a quirk accident.”

“It wasn't an accident,” Bakugou growled. “He was protecting people from a villain.”

“You think my son is an idiot?” Endeavor demanded. “No one would get hit by that quirk on purpose.”

Bakugou felt tiny hands curl into his pant leg, shaking with fear, and it took every ounce of his willpower to not launch himself at Endeavour then and there. Instead, he turned around, snatching the tiny Todoroki into his arms and holding him close.

“He won't hurt you,” he said quietly, crossing the room to hand him over to Midoriya. “He won't try, and if he did, he'd have to go through me and All Might and Deku first. I promise he'll never hurt you again.”

Behind them, All Might was doing his best to smooth things over – largely failing at it considering how terrible the relationship between the pair was. Bakugou stepped toward them, letting Midoriya whisper promises of his own as he held Todoroki tightly, stroking his back. The nerd was too good with kids, for someone with no siblings. It was kind of scary – he'd address that issue later, though.

When the Principal arrived, Bakugou hoped maybe it was over. Hoped he would tell Endeavor to leave the grounds and come back when he'd calmed down and could stop yelling at everyone. He also recognised the irony in that hope, but that was just one more item on the list of “things to address later”.

“Why don't you take Todoroki back to the dorms while we sort this out?” he suggested instead. “You boys don't need to hear adult heroes argue like children.”

Bakugou opened his mouth to protest, but Midoriya was already standing, already heading for the door and squeezing past Endeavor without so much as a look. Bakugou considered arguing all the same, considered staying to fight on Todoroki's behalf – oops, another list entry – but when he met All Might's eyes he found himself nodding.

“We'll take care of him,” he grunted, shooting a glare at Endeavor. “I'm counting on you, All Might.”

“I would never let you down, Young Bakugou.”

“I know.”

He followed Midoriya back to the dorms in silence, watching the failed attempts at consolation that Midoriya offered and wishing, for maybe the first time in his life, that he knew how to help the dumb kid. He'd tried so damn hard to avoid the stupid situation all together, but now they were stuck with a traumatised toddler and a familiar feeling of failure washing through Bakugou's body.

“You wanna play All Might?” Midoriya offered, kneeling down by the little figures set up on the carpet. “What were you guys playing last night, hm? Wanna finish your game?”

Todoroki shook his head, hiding his face in Midoriya's chest, and Midoriya gave him some sympathetic coo of understanding that Bakugou could never even attempt to recreate.

A floppy plushie drew Bakugou's attention, from where it lay against the pillows of a double bed Bakugou didn't remember Midoriya owning last time he looked. He didn't recognise the plushie, either, which was weird since he thought he'd seen all of the nerd's merch before – owned half of it himself, if he was gonna be entirely honest. A weird flash of understanding jolted through his brain, his hand reaching for it before he could think twice.

“Here,” he said softly, poking it into Todoroki's arms. “All Might is gonna take care of it. He's the best hero, you know that.”

Todoroki turned his head slightly, one puffy eye peeking out at him as he pulled the plushie in to squeeze between himself and Midoriya. Bakugou tried to manufacture a smile and failed miserably, tried for anything other than a scowl and still felt pretty certain he wasn't managing it, so instead he reached out and ruffled Todoroki's hair awkwardly.

“I won't let anyone hurt you.”

They sat together on Midoriya's bed, shoulders pressed against each other lightly and Todoroki snuggled in their laps, his plushie held tight in his grip. Bakugou continued petting the kid's hair lightly, the only touch he could manage that was anywhere close to comforting, and soon Todoroki was drifting off with his head in Bakugou's lap, his body in Midoriya's.

“You know about his Dad, then?” Midoriya asked in a whisper. “I knew you were closer, after the licensing course, but I didn't know you were that close.”

“We're not. He didn't.”

“Kacchan, you don't need to be ashamed of having fr-”

“I'm not,” Bakugou cut him off. “I overheard him, when he told you about it. A long time ago. Add that to all the shit we've seen with his family and it was pretty clear, I didn't need him to say the words.”

“Oh. And you've... You've kept it to yourself? All this time?”

“There are some things you don't tell people,” he shrugged. “Things that everyone knows are there, but you don't talk about them.”

“Yeah.”

When the adults arrived, Bakugou knew from the look on All Might's face that, for the first time in a long time, he'd lost. He knew from the way the sunken eyes couldn't meet his, the way he stood so rigidly in the doorway when he was normally smiling and full of warmth.

“No,” Bakugou said sharply, the moment Principal Nedzu opened his mouth. “Not happening.”

“Bakugou, Endeavor is his father,” Nedzu pointed out. “He has a right to care for the boy until he's back to normal, and you can't just refuse.”

“No,” Bakugou repeated, sliding out from under Todoroki and letting Midoriya hold on to him instead, a pillow replacing his thigh. “I'm not giving him to you.”

“You don't get to make that decision,” Endeavor scowled. “He's my son and you're just a punk kid from his class.”

“You want to talk about fatherhood?” Bakugou sneered. “Sure, let's talk.”

“Kacchan,” Midoriya interrupted.

“There are things half-and-half doesn't talk about to anyone,” Bakugou continued, fists trembling with the effort it took to not pop off sparks and wake the sleeping toddler. “But that doesn't mean we don't know. I know, and Deku knows, and I'm betting All Might knows too.”

“Kacchan,” Midoriya insisted.

“I've learned more about parenthood in the weeks since this villain popped up than you've apparently learned in your entire damn life. If you want me to let you take the brat, you gotta at least apologise to him for being a shit father.”

“Kacchan!”

“What?!”

He whirled around, ready to argue with Midoriya too, until he saw the sweat beading on Todoroki's face. There was no recognition in the expressions on any of the adults' faces, just anger from Endeavor and concern from All Might and Nedzu as they tried to calm everyone down. None of them had been through this, unless All Might's experience as a kid counted, and now... Now was a worse time than ever for Bakugou to back down.

“It's okay,” he heard Midoriya whisper, reaching for an oversized onesie in All Might's colours that lay on the edge of the bed – his list was growing longer by the minute. “I've got you, Shouto, it's okay.”

To Bakugou's surprise, Endeavor didn't speak. He didn't yell, didn't argue, just stared into Bakugou's fuming eyes in silence for a minute.

“What happened?”

When the adults looked up, they found a fully-grown Shouto in a frankly ridiculous All Might onesie, sitting on the edge of the bed. A large part of Bakugou wanted to stop and take a photo, to make fun of him for the rest of his damn life, but even he knew it wasn't the time.

“Problem solved!” Nedzu announced, clapping his hands in a way that should have looked gleeful, but just seemed relieved. “Endeavor, let me escort you to the gates, I'm sure you have a busy day ahead of you!”

After a pause that stretched far too long, Endeavor nodded, glancing back over his shoulder as they stepped out into the hall.

“Shouto,” he called, watching a dazed look dart up in response. “I'm... Sorry I was a bad father sometimes.”

Lost for words, Todoroki simply nodded, watching with a familiar wide-eyed awe as they walked out. All Might offered them a quick smile before he followed, an enthusiasm in his voice that was clearly fake, and then the room fell still.

“You should get that in writing,” Bakugou snorted, slamming the door behind them. “Good riddance.”

“Thank you for trying to protect me.”

“You remember all that?” Midoriya asked, eyes widening. “I never remember anything afterward!”

“When we were fighting, I mean,” Todoroki clarified. “Thank you, Bakugou.”

“Whatever, asshole,” Bakugou huffed, cheeks flushed slightly pink as he looked away. “I'm a hero. Of course I did, even if it's you.”

Todoroki cracked a smile, giving them a little nod as he stood up and made for the door.

“I'll wash this and get it back to you,” Todoroki offered, gesturing toward the onesie he now wore, stretched a little too tight to accommodate his height. “Um, thank you. I assume you took care of me. Of us.”

“Little Kacchan helped me,” Midoriya teased, watching Bakugou blush prettily again. “We have lots of cute photos, I'll send them to you.”

“Ah, thank you. I think I'm going to go take a nap.”

“Yeah, that's probably a good idea,” Midoriya agreed. “Oh, um, here, I found this in your room – I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snoop!”

He plucked a piece of paper off his desk, covered in a messy scrawl and little doodles, neatly inked sentences interspersed with the scribbles.

“You keep it,” Todoroki smiled, and Midoriya wondered how long it had been since he saw that expression on the stoic face. “If you get turned again, you'll want them back.”

“Yeah,” Midoriya laughed. “I'm sure I will. Um, thank you. It was sweet of you to answer them.”

“You'll just ask all the same questions again, otherwise. But uh, I haven't done enough tests on the third one yet, I'll have to get back to you. Alright, thank you again. And you, Bakugou. Really, thank you.”

“Whatever.”

“I'll see you tomorrow some time.”

“It's Monday tomorrow!” Midoriya grinned knowingly. “We'll see you in class!”

“I'll look forward to it.”

He turned to leave, but Bakugou halted him in his path, still blushing a little as he reached for the bed.

“Here, this is yours. Little brat would be upset if you didn't keep it.”

Todoroki looked at the floppy little All Might plushie in his hand and his faint smile stretched wider, nodding as he accepted it with a careful touch.

“I'll be sure to keep him safe,” Todoroki nodded.

Bakugou listened until the footsteps reached the end of the hall, the elevator doors sliding open for him, then gently closed the bedroom door. He knew there was a barrage of questions coming his way, but he needed a moment, needed to figure out his vague answers before Midoriya could worm something embarrassing out of him.

“Little Kacchan demanded a lot of cuddles,” Midoriya said instead, smiling when Bakugou looked confused. “It was very cute, especially how insistent he was about sleeping with me.”

Bakugou hummed in contemplation, a little smirk curling at his lips, and Midoriya smiled wider when he saw the familiar look return to his boyfriend's face.

“Well,” Bakugou began, taking a step forward. “I could do with a nap.”

Midoriya burst into giggles when Bakugou tackled him onto the bed, wrapping him up tight in a hug, and when the tears began to trickle down his cheeks, Bakugou returned the laughter.

“You're such an idiot,” he complained, messing up Midoriya's hair roughly.

“But I'm your idiot.”

“Yeah, you're definitely that.”

He dragged the blankets up to their shoulders despite the sunlight beaming through the sliding door behind them, pulling Midoriya's head into his chest demandingly, but Midoriya just smiled as he rested his teary cheek on Bakugou's chest.

“I missed you, Kacchan.”

“I know,” Bakugou nodded, leaning his chin tentatively on Midoriya's hair. “But it's okay now. Why? Because I'm here.”

“You're such a dork,” Midoriya giggled, missing the way Bakugou's lips curled into a fond smile above him. “Kacchan is amazing.”

“Amazing enough for you to not ask all the awkward questions I know you're dying to ask?”

“Yeah,” Midoriya admitted, closing his eyes and breathing in Bakugou's sweet scent. “There are some things we don't need to talk about.”