Kiribaku Week 2019

Day 2 - Children

When looking for a babysitter, one generally does not consider Katsuki Bakugou for the job. This is because Katsuki and kids generally do not go well together, it always ends with the kid crying or cowering in fear while he gets an earful.

So that's why he was so confused when the little girl who just lost her family imprinted on him of all people.

Currently, he was in the infirmary at UA, still in his hero costume, with the little brat sitting on his lap as she gets patched up because she needed medical attention but would start sobbing if he let go of her for more than a minute. All he wanted to do was get out of there and back in his regular clothes but he was needed to fill in what happened.

Katsuki sighed and glared up at his teacher, “I've told you already! I heard an explosion, went to check it out and found the girl sitting in the middle of a pile of ash. She was crying, so I calmed her down and told her I would take her somewhere safe.”

“The girl's name is Onishi Aeko, and the place you found her was her home. Apparently, her father was abusive and had a combustion quirk similar to yours, Bakugou.” Aizawa sighed, “According to her mother's friends, the man would abuse her and threaten to combust poor Aeko if she fought back or told someone.”

Katsuki growled, involuntarily tightening his grip on the girl on his lap.

“Luckily for her, it seems, her quirk came in just as he was about to make do on that promise. Apparently, she's impervious to all types of combustion, even yours. Unlucky for her, her father kept trying to blow her up and instead ended up blowing the entire building up along with both her parents.”

Katsuki looked down at the small girl in his lap. That explained why she had taken to him, then. She had just lost her parents, so she latched on to the first person who showed her kindness.

“We're looking for a more permanent home for her, but since she refuses to leave your side, for now, you'll have to be her guardian,” Aizawa stated, sounding almost bored by what was happening.

Katsuki sighed and looked down at Onishi, who was done with her examination and was looking up at him with wide amber eyes.

“Well kid, looks like I'm stuck with you.”

∆

Onishi, of course, took to Kirishima immediately. Within an hour she was riding on his shoulders as the three of them walked the campus.

“So you gotta take care of her?” Kirishima asked as Onishi played with his bright hair.

Katsuki sighed, looking up at the girl, “Yeah, I guess. She won't go to any adults, and she'll start crying if I'm not in reaching distance.”

As if to prove his point, at that moment Onishi reached out and put her hand in his hair. Her eyes widened at how different it was to Kirishima's and she reached out to Katsuki to get him to switch her to his shoulders.

“Alright, alright,” he sighed, taking the girl from his boyfriend and setting her where she wanted.

Kirishima smiled at the sight of them, then frowned and tilted his head curiously, “She doesn't talk much, does she?”

“She's mute, ” Katsuki explained, “Whether it's by choice or she can't talk we don't know.”

Just then, who else would round the corner in front of them but Kaminari and Sero. Their eyes lit up when they saw them, and the two quickly rushed over.

“Well, if it isn't our favorite lovebirds?” Sero grinned, crossing his arms.

“Did you guys skip the marriage and go straight to adopting a child together?” Kamk asked, eyeing Onishi where she sat on Katsuki's shoulders, hands in his hair.

Kirishima went red at the accusation and Katsuki sneered at them, though his face wasn't completely free of a blush either.

“No, you dumbass, I saved her and now I have to take care of her until they find her a good home.”

“Sure you did Bakubro!” The two chorus, giving each other a grin, before Kami stepped forward and offered a hand to the small girl.

“Hello there little one, I'm your Uncle Kami!”

He ignored Katsuki's bark of “Don't introduce yourself like that!” and smiled when she shook his hand shyly. After, Sero stepped up and introduced himself similarly, much to Katsuki's annoyance.

It took Onishi longer to warm up to them than Kirishima, but that was to be expected. By the time they had gotten to the dorms, though, she was giggling away at their antics.

Katsuki handed Onishi off to Kirishima without a word and started digging in his pockets for his keys, “By the way, where the fuck is Raccoon Eyes?”

“Oh! Mina's sick,” Denki explained, then his eyes lit up, “But I bet she'd get better quick if she met this little one!”

Katsuki spun around on his heel and glared at him, “No, I am not risking Onishi getting sick.”

The other three blinked at the protective tone in his voice as he stormed into the dorm. Kirishima shrugged in apology and followed him in, Onishi on his hips.

∆

The day was pretty successful, all in all.

Katsuki toned down his language for the day, as well as his yelling when he saw it made Aeko, he had started referring to her by her first name sometime around dinner, become upset and agitated. Kirishima also stayed with them the entire day, which made it much easier.

Katsuki was immensely grateful for his boyfriend's near-psychic ability to tell how the girl was feeling and know exactly what to do to keep her happy. This ability had come in handy while he was making dinner, as Aeko was being particularly fussy because of her hunger.

Now they were all lying in bed in Katsuki's dorm, the two boys facing each other with Aeko curled up in the middle. Katsuki was watching his boyfriend, who was looking down at the girl with a soft look that was achingly familiar.

“You want to keep her, don't you?” He asked softly, and Kirishima looked up at him.

“Is it that obvious?”

“Only because I do too,” he sighed, “I just don't know if it's possible.”

Katsuki looked down at Aeko. She looked so peaceful now compared to when he had first found her. He didn't understand how her father had been so willing to blow her up, to destroy this precious girl.

He pulled her closer to him, accidentally waking her up a bit in the process. She rolled to face him and looked up at him blearily.

“Papa?”

Her voice was soft, and rough with disuse, but that wasn't what brought the tears to his life. He pulled her even closer, cradling her against his chest.

“Shhhh, Aeko. You're safe, go back to sleep,” he soothed, his voice breaking with emotion.

She snuggled against him and went back to sleep. He looked back up to Kirishima and saw he also had tears pooling in his eyes. Katsuki pulled him forward so he was against the girl's back and their legs were tangled together.

“We are keeping her, whatever it takes.”

Kirishima nodded, pressing a quick, confirming kiss to his lips, before pressing his lips to the top of Aeko's head.

And that's how the three of them slept that night.

∆

I'm really proud of this one, it's just so cute!