When they're both in bed, he slips a palm under the hem of her sleep shorts.

"Katsuki," she chides around smiling lips but reaches down to swat his hand off.

He grabs her fingers and guides them down to his briefs. Once he shows her how hard he is, he moves their hands up to her right nipple. His lips lay warm kisses on the juncture of her neck until she concedes with a little sigh. "Get a condom."

He's about to reach for his bedside drawer when he remembers that he'd given that condom to Eijirou as a joke.

Hilarious.

"I'll pull out," he murmurs against her shoulder.

"Condom." she repeats firmly.

He comes closer to grind himself against her. "Said I'd pull out."

"Katsuki."

The air between them is still for a second. He hates the way his name hangs in the darkness of the room so he reaches out to click the lamp on. In the dim light, he props himself up with his other hand.

"What's up?" he asks as calmly as possible.

"You tell me," she says, flipping onto her right side to face him.

He upturns his palm. "I can't fuck you anymore?"

"You can," she enunciates like he's five, "Just use a condom."

Now it's his turn to sigh. "For what?"

"Guess."

That patronizing tone is normally enough to make him turn to the other side and go the fuck to sleep, but he's still pretty hard so he humors her.

"We haven't used condoms in years." he points out, "I always pull out and you're on the pill, so what's the deal?"

"Just because I haven't gotten pregnant doesn't mean I won't. So if you wanna have sex, go put a condom on and I'll reconsider."

He blinks. "You'll reconsider."

"Yeah." she nods. At his expectant stare, she explains, "That's how Kyouka got pregnant. Denki was all, 'Oh, I'll just pull out. Oh, she's on the pill so whatever.' And now look at them."

He shrugs his shoulders with an annoyed indifference. "So what? Everyone knows he's a dumbass. It was only a matter of time before he knocked her up."

"It's not because he's a dumbass." she tells him, "It just happens."

He sits up promptly and starts rubbing his face for a while.

"Alright. Fine." he mutters from under his hands, "Say on the off-fucking-chance you do get pregnant, would that honestly be the worst thing in the world?"

Ochako is frowning at the corner of the room when he looks up at her. The silence that settles between them makes him sort of regret asking.

"I told you," she says finally, "I don't think we're ready to have kids."

Ready? He understands her reluctance, but he doesn't think anything can prepare them. Did any of their classmates seem ready to her?

"Look," he says, cupping her cheek. "None of those assholes were ready. They just went out and had kids and they're fine."

"Fine?" she snaps, jerking away from his grasp. "It's been a whole year, and Mina still can't have sex because of the rip down her vagina. That sound fine to you?"

Katsuki recoils. He'd heard smidgens of that from Eijirou but was spared most of the graphic details.

"And Tsu told me that she hadn't been eating right since she gave birth. She said that tonight was the first time she'd sat down for an actual meal in a month. A month, Katsuki."

He blinks and wonders what the fuck that has to do with anything. "Alright, so?"

"So," she huffs, "I don't wanna experience that."

"Just because it happened to them doesn't mean it'll happen to you."

"That's not the point," she mutters, looking away, "We're not ready."

"Who's 'we', exactly?" he asks, frowning now, "'Cause it sounds more like you're the one who's not ready."

She looks back at him and frowns too.

"No," she agrees, "I'm not. And I don't think you are either."

"Why's that?" he asks tolerantly. He gets the feeling she's about to insult him.

"Well," she folds her arms, "No offense, but you don't exactly strike me as father material."

"Father material," he remarks indignantly. He wishes he could take back every ounce of restraint he'd given. At her needling little nod, he jeers, "Oh, alright. But daddy who still relies on you for rent is, right?"

He realizes he fucked up just as the last word comes out of his mouth. Her eyes are burning right through him with a look that says he isn't going to get laid for the next few weeks.

"Don't ever bring up my dad again." she tells him. And yeah, he probably shouldn't have mentioned it. He's about to say sorry, but then she mutters, "That's why we aren't ready." And the word dies on his tongue.

He's aware that the main reason she wanted to be a hero was to help her parents out, but for fuck's sake, she doesn't need to be shelling half of her hard-earned paycheck out to them every month.

"I'm not your broke-ass dad," he snaps, "I don't need our kid taking care of us. I can do that myself."

She shakes her head. "It's not just money."

"Sure seems like it."

"See? That's your problem."

"No, it's yours."

"Katsuki," she sighs, "You need patience and time and peace of mind to raise children. All of which you have none of."

Patience and peace of mind, fine, he's still working on himself so he'll give her that. But if she's talking time, they should split that responsibility.

"Who said any of them ever had that? Besides, it's not my fault those slackers are taking time off to be with their kids. They should be out there with me."

"And what am I supposed to do?" she asks resentfully, "You expect me to just stay home and take care of the baby all day while you wreak havoc—?"

"Wreak havoc? You mean fucking save people?"

"No, I mean all the collateral damage that I end up having to deal with." she retorts. In his defense, it's a little hard to take damage control into account when he's so focused on getting the job done. "For less money," she adds bitterly.

He does get paid more—nearly three times as much. But what the fuck does she want him to do about it? Go on strike until they close the wage gap? At least his money goes towards them and their savings instead of being given to his parents.

"Oh my fuck," he groans into his hands. His fingers start rubbing his temples before moving up to pull at the roots of his hair. He really wasn't trying to belittle her, he was just trying to think pragmatically. How did the fight escalate from unsafe sex to unequal pay?

"All I'm saying is that if we both have twenty four hours in a day, it only makes sense for the one who makes more money to go out while the other person stays with the baby."

"The other person," she repeats in the same tone that threatens to ignite his palms, "Just say women! Just say me."

Maybe the fight never actually escalated, maybe it was always just about gender roles and the world they live in. He agrees it's a problem that he gets applauded for his labor while Ochako has to pick up after him and Deku uncredited.

Still, she didn't have to put all her shortcomings and parental insecurities and general shit on him. He's also still a bit wounded about her doubting his paternal aptitude.

"Fine," he snarls, "You. After I'm done with my job— which is actual fucking hero work— I can come home and watch the kid, while you go out and do your disaster relief, Uravity."

Ochako blinks into space. She does that when she's so mad she's speechless. He watches her jaw clench and listens to her swallow. Her eyes look glossy.

An apology is about to fly out of his mouth but never does because, in one fluid motion, she tears the sheets off her and throws them over him.

"Fuck you." she says on her way out.

And the door slams shut before he can say it back.