The apartment was quiet except for the bubbling of curry on the stove. Katsuki Bakugo stirred the pot, his mind on his kid. It had been a tough day for them—one of many. They fought mental battles every day, and all he could do was make sure they didn’t fight alone.

“Dinner’s almost ready,” he called. No response. He sighed, stepping into the living room. They were curled up on the couch, earbuds in, staring at nothing.

“Hey,” he said, crouching down. Their tired eyes met his. “Curry’s done. Hungry?”

They shook their head. “Not really.”

“Tough. Small bowl’s fine, but you’re eating.” He headed back to the kitchen, muttering under his breath as Midoriya wandered in.

“Rough day?” Deku asked, concern in his voice.

Katsuki glared. “What do you think? They went to school, though. I’m counting it as a win.”

After plating the food, Katsuki set a small bowl in front of his kid. “Eat what you can. No pressure.”

He sat beside them. “You know I’m proud of you, right?”

They blinked at him. “For what?”

“For today. You didn’t want to go to school, but you did anyway. That’s huge.” Their eyes filled with tears, and Katsuki’s chest tightened. Damn it, but he hated seeing them cry.

Midoriya peeked in. “Hey, after dinner, want to watch a movie? Shoto’s making popcorn.”

Todoroki, who wasn’t making popcorn, didn’t correct him. Katsuki smirked. “See? Even these nerds are trying to cheer you up.”

His kid let out a soft laugh. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Katsuki said, ruffling their hair. “Now eat, dumbass.”

For the first time that day, the weight in the air lifted, just a little. It wasn’t perfect, but Katsuki would fight like hell to make sure they knew they weren’t alone.