bakugou and shinsou dream of having kids, a little boy and girl because they know what it’s like to be an only child.

they also know what it’s like to have parents who weren’t always the kind of adult they needed in their lives.

spite throws more fuel into the burning fire.

however, they can’t just have a child.

it’s not as easy as having unprotected sex with each other, or putting in requests to foster children in need.

they’re heroes, and the last people social workers want to hand the kids to are the ones who risk not coming home every night.

it’s not like they haven’t tried, but they’ve been denied under the failure of a home study or a judge’s mallet.

their hero equipment is dangerous, and after having been targets of a several villain attacks, they’re unsafe. any child under their care is automatically endangered.

“it’s bullshit!”

“katsuki...”

bakugou’s exploding fist hit the marble countertop as he looked down at the floor.

“i want...” his throat tightened, cutting off his voices, “brats, ‘toshi. kids! i don’t want to just... die without having my own family! i look at these people—“

shinsou looked down at his cup of tea, a wave of emotions flooding his chest.

“these motherfuckers who-who take advantage of the fact they can hold their kids and look at them and see themself and their partner...”

“katsuki.”

“just to fucking throw them away like garbage!”

bakugou threw his head back as tears stung in the corners of their eyes, the ceiling light more interesting than his partner.

“and we-we can’t... we’re heroes, ‘toshi. we’re heroes. we save the world, but we can’t save these kids, the-the people who need it most, ‘toshi.”

shinsou swallowed back the lump in his throat, raising his mug to his lips with a trembling hand.

“don’t you know villains are cut from the same cloth as heroes?” bakugou whispered. “that... with the wrong guidance... anyone can be villains. that most kids in foster systems—“

“katsuki, please.”

“they fall off the wagon after they age out because they don’t have anybody. we’re perfectly capable of protecting our own family! why the hell can’t we get through, hitoshi? why the fuck—“

“bakugou!” shinsou raised his voice.

“what—“

his rambling silenced.

he felt bad for using his quirk, but there was no other way to get him to pay attention.

when his hold released, bakugou sucked in a deep breath before smacking a hand over his eyes.

the tears trickling down his face didn’t stop, and shinsou felt his own vision begin to blur.

“we can’t.”

“i know.” bakugou held on to the refrigerator for support. “i know...”

“if we want kids, we have to give up our careers. we have to retire, prove that we aren’t targets by throwing up the white flag.” shinsou told him. “we’re not ready to retire. we’re young.”

“i don’t want to be rolling over in my grave when my children can finally start their own families.” bakugou choked. “i want my cake, and i want to eat it too.”

shinsou stood up, the feet of his chair skidding against the linoleum floor.

“i know. katsuki, i know. i’m the same.”

shinsou reached a hand out for him, and bakugou pulled him closer before burying his face into his neck.

“it’s not fair.”

shinsou threaded his fingers through his hair, rubbing at his scalo gently as he felt his own tears roll down his cheeks.

“before we die...” he murmured.

“we’ll have kids...”

it’s an unspoken rule that they don’t bring up the fact that with every major villain attack, they could lose their life. anyone at any time can pass.

but being heroes, being on the front lines nearly every hour of the day, they’re just that much closer.

“i promise.” shinsou finished.

“you can’t promise that.” bakugou whispered, his fists pulling on his partner’s shirt. “you can’t give me that false hope, or fragile expectation, hitoshi. don’t do that t-to me.”

“we will. we’ll have a family, and it’ll be so beautiful.”

shinsou’s voice thickened as he stared at the empty refrigerator door.

“maybe they’ll draw us p-pictures.” his eyebrows lifted as he felt a sob shake its way from his stomach to his shoulders. “bright pictures of us all with big smiles—“

“please...”

“and we’ll hang them up.”

bakugou’s tears soaked into his shirt, and shinsou’s arm wrapped tighter around him.

“we’ll pile in the kitchen, get flour everywhere, and then laugh while cooking dinner.”

“just... stop...”

“you and i will be the parents that we needed, that we never had while growing up.”

“you can’t promise that, so don’t go saying that!”

bakugou shoved him away, and shinsou looked to his work phone when the device began vibrating on the kitchen table.

“we can’t have kids.” bakugou pointed to the flashing screen. “who watches them when we’re out... dying?”

shinsou walked towards his phone before picking it up.

“who tells them that their dads are gone because they can’t pick between duty and domesticity?” he yelled, red faced and teary eyes.

“who will be there for them when we fought so fucking hard for a family, just to leave?”

and that’s why he doesn’t bring up the possibility of death.

“it’s not fucking fair!”

shinsou raised the phone to his ear, eyes casted down to the table of his forgotten tea.

he cleared his throat, trying to quell the weakness of his voice, but never got the chance to speak.

“a gang of villains were spotted smashing into a bank four blocks down from your current location, armed and dangerous. stay on your toes.”

“yeah.” he nodded, and the line cut. “katsuki, i—“

“go.” he said, turning his back to him. “get it done, then come home to me.”

“i will.”