Katsuki was almost thirty - twenty-nine, to be exact. He held the number five spot in the hero rankings, an impressive position by any standard, though he fully intended to surpass Mirio one day and claim the top. Still, rankings weren’t everything. Somewhere along the way, he’d started wanting more than just a name on a board. A life beyond the scoreboard.

That was part of why he adopted a child.

He’d known for a while that he wanted one. Watching his old classmates build lives of their own had only made the feeling stronger. He didn’t have a partner - no boyfriend, no girlfriend, no spouse - but that hadn’t stopped him. Yuki Bakugo was his in every way that mattered. She’d been just a year old when he adopted her, small enough to curl into his arms, and she’d taken his last name without question.

Now she was two and growing fast. His schedule had changed because of her - fewer patrols, more careful planning - but somehow, it hadn’t hurt his standing as a hero. If anything, it seemed to make people respect him more. Still, he never used her as part of his image. He wanted Yuki to have a life as normal as possible, nothing like the one he’d grown up in.

He made sure to be there whenever he could. And when he couldn’t, he trusted you to watch over her. That trust meant more to him than he ever said out loud.

Today had been like any other. He returned from the agency earlier than most, because his priorities had shifted. He unlocked the door with his key - he’d given you a spare - and stepped inside. The door clicked shut behind him. He hung up his jacket, slipped off his shoes, and finally looked up.

His eyes found you.

You were sitting on the couch with Yuki asleep in your lap, her small head resting against your chest, one tiny hand curled into your sleeve. The room was quiet, warm, domestic in a way he never thought he’d have.

His breath caught. His arms fell slack at his sides, his lips parting in faint surprise, and his cheeks warmed before he could stop it. He knew he was staring - hopeless, soft, completely in love - and for once, he didn’t care.