EDITED

"Papa, papa, papa, papa, papa, papa, papa, papa, papa!" Keijo bounced up and down with excitement, his youthful energy radiating. Kirishima glanced down, his eyes meeting his four-year-old son's beaming face. Kirishima was preparing for his hero shift, only needing to put on his mask before being ready. "What's the matter, little buddy?" Kirishima inquired, scooping up his cheerful son. Keijo smiled, revealing his sharp shark-like teeth, reminiscent of Kirishima's own. "Uncle Denki and Uncle Sho wanted me to ask you if I could spend the night at one of their houses for a sleepover!"

"A sleepover, huh?" Kirishima replied, his smile widening. "I don't see any reason why not. Sure, you can go, but you'll have to ask Daddy first. Although considering you got in trouble at preschool today, I'm not sure he'll agree. But who knows?"

Keijo pouted, and Kirishima gently placed him back on the ground. The young boy crossed his arms and stared indignantly at the floor. Kirishima chuckled softly. "Not only that, but you and Daddy had an argument, and you haven't apologized yet—"

"Dad started it!" Keijo interjected, his voice filled with defiance. "It's not my fault!"

"Keijo, you were the one who started it," Kirishima said, crossing his arms, his tone firm. "Don't raise your voice at me. You need to apologize, or else you won't be going at all." Keijo groaned, lashing out by kicking one of the shoes strewn across the floor, and stormed off. Kirishima let out a weary sigh. Keijo had inherited his father's explosive temper, and he certainly could be a handful. However, both Bakugou and Kirishima acknowledged their role in spoiling him, which had contributed to his challenging behavior.

Keijo returned to his room, his angry expression still etched on his face. He didn't want to apologize; he believed it wasn't his fault that a classmate had been mocking his quirk. Keijo felt he was simply standing up for himself. When they had arrived home, Keijo had continued to argue with Bakugou about the incident, which had escalated into a back-and-forth of raised voices. Did he feel even the slightest remorse for his behavior? Perhaps a little. Apologizing was daunting for him. It felt embarrassing and uncomfortable, and Keijo's stubbornness prevented him from apologizing unless he genuinely felt the urge to do so. He glanced around his room, searching for something to occupy his restless mind, but found nothing that caught his interest. He desperately wanted to attend the sleepover, especially to see his buddies Tizumi and Seminar. He missed them dearly.

Yet, he would have to apologize. Keijo wasn't skilled with words, so he decided to express his remorse through actions. Determination welled up within him, and he leaped off his bed, leaving his room with resolve. He descended the stairs slowly, carefully checking both directions to ensure his parents were nowhere in sight. Spotting his father watching TV in the living room, Keijo felt a pang of apprehension. Why was this so difficult? He shuffled down the remaining stairs, standing beside his father's location. He just needed to find a suitable way to express himself non-verbally. Ah, a hug! But he couldn't bring himself to touch his dad; he was still upset with him. No, he wouldn't apologize like this. Keijo turned on his heel, slipping away unnoticed.

"Babe, are you ready?"

Keijo heard his Papa's voice echoing through the house. The bicolor-haired boy observed his dad appearing from the stairs. Bakugou stood up and fastened his gauntlets to his wrists. "Yeah, I'm fu-freaking ready," he replied, striding toward Kirishima. "Hey, Keijo, you're heading to Grandma Mitsuki's house!"

"Oh, right. Keijo wants to go to a sleepover at, uh, Kaminari's house," Kirishima mentioned. Bakugou raised an eyebrow, his expression turning sour. "No, he's not going."

"Why not?!" Keijo shouted. "I want to go!"

"You're not going because you caused trouble at school, brat! There's no way you're going!"

"That's not fair!" Keijo stomped his foot, and small sparks emitted from his hands. "I want to go!"

"I don't care what you want! You're not going, and don't you dare use your damn quirk on me!"

At that moment, Keijo unleashed a full-blown tantrum. He kicked and punched things, yelling and screaming. Kirishima tried to calm both of them down but failed, resorting to the one thing he knew would catch their attention. "KEIJO, SHUT THE HELL UP! YOUR BEHAVIOR WON'T GET YOU WHAT YOU WANT! IF YOUR DAD SAYS YOU'RE NOT GOING, THEN YOU'RE NOT!"

Keijo froze, his eyes welling up with tears. His papa was angry with him too. Great, just great. Keijo lowered his gaze in shame, expecting more scolding, but none came. "Get in the car, Keijo. Now," Kirishima commanded, pointing towards the garage. The four-year-old boy walked to the garage, entered the unlocked car, and settled into his car seat, securing the seatbelt. It wasn't fair. He hated his parents. Why couldn't he have cool parents like Tizumi? Unbeknownst to Keijo, tears streamed down his cheeks, and he sniffled.

Right now, he wished nothing more than to hide. All he wanted was to disappear. Bakugou and Kirishima climbed into the car, and they dropped Keijo off at Bakugou's parents' house. Not a word was spoken during the ride. Keijo stepped out of the car, feeling dejected and upset. When Mitsuki asked him what was wrong, he remained silent. Bakugou explained the situation, and she frowned with sadness.

"Keijo, that wasn't a nice thing to do," Mitsuki admonished him. "You should apologize."

"I'M NOT GOING TO APOLOGIZE! I HATE THEM!" Keijo yelled before sprinting up the stairs, seeking refuge in the bedroom where he would spend the night. He clutched a teddy bear and a blanket, retreating to his hiding spot, which happened to be the closet. He berated himself internally, convinced that he was a troublesome brat, annoying everyone around him. He believed that everyone wished he would disappear. It was all his fault. It would always be his fault.

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See you next chapter!

Words: 987