Katsuki Bakugo hated being away for long. Missions were part of the job—hell, they were most of the job—but every time he left, it gnawed at him. He could handle the fights, the travel, the exhaustion. But leaving his kid behind? That was the one thing he never got used to.

At least they had Deku. Not that he’d ever say it out loud, but Katsuki was grateful. The nerd had a stable schedule as a teacher, which meant he was always around in the evenings. It was the best option for his kid whenever Katsuki had to leave for longer missions.

Now, standing at Izuku’s doorstep, duffel bag slung over his shoulder, he exhaled sharply before knocking.

The door swung open almost immediately, and there stood Izuku Midoriya, smiling. "Welcome back, Kacchan!"

"Yeah, yeah," Bakugo grumbled, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. His eyes immediately scanned the room, searching.

And there they were—his kid—bounding toward him with a wide grin, their small feet barely touching the ground before they launched at him.

"Dad!"

Bakugo caught them with ease, arms wrapping securely around their little frame. He let out a breath, something easing in his chest as he pulled them close. "’Bout time," he muttered, his voice rough, but there was no missing the warmth in it.

"You were gone forever!" they accused, pulling back just enough to look at him, their brows furrowed in something so much like his own stubborn expression that it made Izuku chuckle from the doorway.

"Yeah, well, I’m here now," Bakugo said, adjusting them on his hip before setting them down. "You behave?"

"They were great," Izuku chimed in before they could answer for themselves. "Kept up with their studies, ate their veggies—well, mostly."

He added. “Come in for a bit? I made tea.”

Katsuki hesitated. He wanted to just take his kid and go home, but… maybe a few minutes wouldn’t hurt. His kid was still holding onto him, clearly not ready to let go just yet.

“Fine. But only for a bit,” he grumbled, stepping inside.