EDITED

Keijo descended the stairs of his grandparents' house, hood pulled over his head. In a few minutes, his parents would be arriving to pick him up, but for now, Mitsuki and Masaru had called him down to grab a snack, which he declined. Since his arrival, he had remained quiet, barely leaving his bedroom. However, he couldn't help but overhear familiar voices emanating from the kitchen, prompting him to peek around the corner. To his surprise, his parents were already there, engaged in conversation. A peculiar sensation washed over him—an overwhelming feeling of invisibility and insignificance. Deciding to abandon his covert observation, Keijo resolved to go outside and wait for his parents, rather than lingering by the corner. The thought of seeing them so soon after his outburst in front of his grandma and dad churned his stomach with unease. Unfortunately, his secret escape plan was thwarted by his grandpa's voice.

"Keijo, where do you think you're going?" Masaru inquired. Keijo turned his head and found both of his parents staring at him. He shuffled his feet and shrugged. "I was just... going outside," Keijo muttered.

"It's dark out. You shouldn't go outside by yourself," Masaru replied.

"But... Tizumi does..."

"That's because they don't wander off like you, and Midoriya is always keeping an eye on them from a distance," Kirishima sighed.

"That's not fa-"

"Keijo, I swear to All Might, I'll discipline you if you say 'that's not fair'," Bakugou warned, fixing an intense glare on the young child. "What the hell's been up with you lately? You're constantly talking back and throwing tantrums when things don't go your way."

Keijo knew his parents were right. His behavior was unacceptable, and he needed to apologize. He removed his hood and approached the adults. "I... I'm sorry," Keijo mumbled, fidgeting with his fingers. A hand tousled his spiky black and blond hair, catching him off guard. "It's okay, buddy, but it's still not acceptable," Kirishima said. "You'll be able to join the next sleepover, but for now, you're grounded."

"Okay," Keijo replied, feeling a slight sense of relief. At least he had another chance for the sleepover. It wasn't so bad after all, but being grounded was still disappointing. Yet, why did he still feel guilty? He had apologized, yet the weight of his transgressions lingered. Keijo clenched his fist and looked up at his parents, determination etched on his face. "Dad, Papa, I promise I'll do better next week! I won't cause any more trouble at school! I pinky promise!" Keijo extended his pinky, waiting for his parents to reciprocate.

Bakugou's cheeks flushed at his son's endearing gesture. "Tch, whatever, shrimp," he muttered, linking his pinky with Keijo's. Kirishima followed suit, and a pout formed on the brown-skinned boy's face. "I'm not a shrimp! One day, I'll be super tall!" he exclaimed, brimming with excitement. Bakugou chuckled and scooped up his son. "Yeah, you will. C'mon, let's go home."

"Okay!" Keijo chirped happily. "Bye, Grandma! Bye, Grandpa!" He waved them goodbye before bounding out of the house. "Hey, Keijo, it's dark out there! Wait for us!" Kirishima called, chasing after his son. Bakugou sighed and shook his head. Mitsuki smirked and nudged him with her elbow. "He's just like you when you were younger."

"Fuck you," Bakugou retorted before making his way out of the house, not bothering with a proper goodbye. They didn't deserve one. In a hasty farewell, he muttered a brief "bye" and shut the door. Okay, perhaps he was softening. It was all Keijo's and Kirishima's fault—two damn rays of sunshine in one household. Not that he had any regrets. Bakugou observed Kirishima spinning Keijo in the air, the pair erupting into laughter together. Ugh, such insufferable cuteness. Despite himself, a smile crept onto his face.

"Alright, Kirisunshines, let's wrap it up. We're going home," Bakugou clapped his hands and walked towards the joyful duo. "Haven't heard that nickname in a while," Kirishima grinned. "I suppose we've been brightening up your grumpy personality."

"Die."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

See you next chapter!

Words: 661