Missing Pieces

Thirteen

The next week was tense. Bakugou wasn't acting like himself and neither was Riko.
Kirishima could see what was happening. They were pushing each other away so the split would hurt less. They were so much alike that Kiri didn't find it hard to read them at all.
Riko slept in their bed a few nights, but mostly stayed in her own. Kirishima couldn't help but feel a sense of dread for the state of their family.
He wanted to bring it up so many times, but he didn't want to start a fight.
The day when the social worker came to pick them up, was the worst one of Kirishima's life.
She arrived at eleven, pulling Kirishima out of playing with Hajime and Bakugou and Riko out of bed.
"Uhh welcome!" Kirishima greeted as Bakugou shuffled out of the bedroom, hair in a mess.
"Good evening. Did everything go well with them?"
Kirishima swallowed. "Yeah. We loved having them around."
"You're the only foster parents to say that about them."
"Oh yeah?" Bakugou stretched out his arms. Kirishima could tell he was only there to be present, that he would go back to bed the moment she left and forget these last few weeks had even happened.
And where would they be then? Back to their old ways?
Kiri didn't want to go back. He wanted to continue exploring this new side of Bakugou, the side where he was gentler, caring; the side that wasn't afraid to show vulnerability.
Hajime waddled over to him, grabbing onto his pant leg. He picked the toddler up, realizing that he would never get to take him to work again, never get to watch him laugh when he juggled the balls in the squash room, or play with him while Bakugou cooked dinner.
The social worker held out her hands and Kirishima reluctantly handed him over.
"Where's Riko?" She asked, just as the bedroom door opened. Riko came out, pulling her luggage behind her. She looked grumpy, the same kind of grumpy that Bakugou was every time Kirishima made him come to the grocery store with him.
"Aren't you going to say goodbye?" The social worker asked.
Riko stared at the couple for a long time. Bakugou stared back with equal intensity.
It was tense for a moment  Kirishima wasn't sure what she was going to do.
The social worker was about to say something when Riko stepped forward. She wrapped her arms around Bakugou's waist.
The blond was surprised at first. Kirishima didn't blame him. Riko wasn't the most affectionate kid and neither was Bakugou. But he knelt down, pulling her into a full hug, a tight one.
When the two parted, she ran off immediately, almost forgetting her bag.
"Thank you so much for taking them in. We'll keep in touch if there's another case you could take."
"Don't bother." Bakugou stated flatly. "We don't plan on taking in any other kids."
"Oh...alright..." The social worker nodded, stepping out of the apartment and taking the kids away before Kirishima could even process what was happening.
And then it hit him; what Bakugou had said.
"Katsuki...what did you mean by that?"