The snapping frigid breeze that had frozen limbs cracking together.

The sopping coldness soaking into his knees.

The freezing, screaming discomfort in his fingers from the snapping cold.

Hizashi was more than ready to go inside. He would be happy to go back inside, take a hot shower to defrost, and put some hot tea on for himself and hot cocoa for his sons. He was more than ready to call a quits on playing in the snow that was soaking into his knees and hands. However, his sons were all too delighted to run across the yard. Squealing and shrieking with delight as they took turns shoving one another into the snow was the most heartwarming thing.

He watched Izuku topple into the snow with a shrieking laugh when Hitoshi then rubbed snow into his hat. The snow tumbling to his shoulders before the rest soaked into his hat. Izuku then launched himself to his feet to push Hitoshi over into the thick snow with laughter being had between the both of them with sparkling delight on their red cheeked faces. The smiles on them were absolutely infectious with giggles spilling into the cold air.

It was this delight, this happiness, that kept him in the snow. So, what if his knees soaked through? If his sons pushed him down so many times that it soaks into his ass? If his gloves were soaking through slowly but surely? If playing in the snow made his boys happy then goddammit, he was going to play in the snow with them. Watching Izuku then running towards him with a shriek as the snow crunched and squealed beneath his boots with that bright smile on his lips had him smiling.

And then Izuku, despite his broken arm, was launching towards him with a shout. The boy flew into his stomach and chest knocking him down breathlessly at the impact as his son fell on top of him. Giggling delightedly when he blinked up at the slate gray sky with a wheezing exhale when he lifted his head to find green eyes shimmering at him sweetly. The red blush on his cheeks from the cold air smothering over those freckles as they blended into the rich color.

He caught his breath as he sat up with a laugh when Hitoshi began waddling over to him through the snow where it squealed and crunched beneath his feet. Hitoshi made quick work with his hands scooping up snow on his way over. And he laughed when those small hands began to run snow into his hat. Scooping up another handful to dump on Izuku who shrieked at the cold snow slipping past the neckline of his coat. Past his scarf.

Just like it had with him as he squeezed Izuku to his chest then reached out to drag Hitoshi into his arms which had the indigo haired boy squealing with delight. He squeezed both boys to his chest with kisses being placed on their heads as they squirmed frantically. Trying to get away as the snow began to soak into his ass and legs slightly. He squeezed them gently before letting them go as they hopped onto their feet to run across the snow once again the best that they could in their snow pants.

He really ought to invest in a pair of snow pants for himself; there was nothing stopping him other than his procrastination. Pushing himself back up onto his feet out of the snow, the biting cold rushed over him in a burst that had him shuddering. His fingers and legs aching from the onslaught of the cold wind paired with the snow. It was almost too much for him as he shuddered with his fingers tugging at the end of his coat to get it to cover his ass.

Anything to provide himself with a bit of warmth to last him a little longer. He couldn't remember when they'd come out but he wanted nothing more than to give his sons a little more time outside. They were always begging to play in the snow and he wanted to hold off as long as he could before returning inside. Silver plumes left his sons lips as they rushed across the yard with Hitoshi falling forward into the snow.

Izuku paused then waddled to his brother to help him before both resumed running across the yard with their giggles filling the frigid air. It had him smiling as he looked to the snow angles that the three of them had made merely minutes ago. His fingers curling then flexing out to fight off the tingling cold creeping into them. He then jumped when a snowball hit him in the chest. Blinking at the snow running down his coat, he watched his sons shrieking as they ran off.

He grinned as he picked up a handful of snow. Then charged after them causing them to scream with delight as they rushed for the backyard gate. He rushed after them, catching up easily when he threw his snowball which hit Hitoshi square in the back. This had the indigo-haired child laughing as he waddled faster through the snow before falling forward again. Izuku turned to help his brother up only to scream with delight as he turned to run when he noticed his new handful of snow in his hands.

He patted it into a ball quickly then threw it which caught Izuku in the head where the snow exploded over his hat. This had the green-haired boy shrieking with laughter as the two of them waddled past the open fence gate into the backyard. Trying to run fast as they could with their little legs in the high snow and their snow suits which limited their movements. It was quite adorable watching their little hat covered heads bob away into the backyard.

Making his way through the snow that crumbled under his feet and had him sinking down to his knees with each step due to his weight. He wondered how his sons managed to run through the snow the way that they did. He walked through the open gate as he stepped high as he entered the backyard where both boys were patting together what looked like the starting's of a snow fort. Their eyes glittered when he came into view when they waved him over to which he happily trudged forward.

Fighting against the snow that was brushing his thighs each time he sank down. And, without so much as a word, he happily began to pack snow on top of the small mound of snow. This seemed to please his sons as he knelt down in the snow to help them as they patted the snow tightly together. The quiet sound of their hands patting the snow was deafening in the cold air. There was a sense of focus that had him riveted to his job of gathering more snow.

The boys seemed delighted each time he heaved an arm full of snow towards them that they then patted down into a compact little wall. He didn't know what they'd use it for or why the sudden need to build one but he was more than happy to pat the snow together as the boys hummed quietly under their breath. He knew that, realistically, they should be inside getting homework done. That he should have been stricter when it came down to it with the boys.

But he'd been helpless against the big eyes and fluttering lashes with pouting lips that begged to go outside in the snow. He'd made a deal with the boys then; when they went inside, they were to sit at the dining room table while he made dinner and they did their homework. He was more than willing to help them with their homework while he cooked but they'd have to get it done. All in exchange for some time in the snow together this afternoon.

He had not a clue what time it was but the sky was beginning to dim ever so slightly. Giving him a somewhat time window that it was getting closer to dinner time. It was always so dark by five o'clock it was ridiculous. He hummed softly with the wind ripping at him causing him to shudder yet he noticed the shudder that ran over both of his sons in response. Were they also getting colder? He'd have to insist soon enough that they go inside.

Patting the snow tightly to compact it before heaving another armful onto the mound as his sons hummed in approval at him. There was something nice about the mindless fun of playing in the snow if his ass wasn't soaked through, his fingers didn't ache and his legs weren't so cold they tingled viciously. He felt like he was half frozen but there was something so sweet about seeing Hitoshi and Izuku having the times of their lives.

All he wanted was for them to have fun in the snow while it was still here. Even if it meant Izuku had to bag his casted arm to make sure that it didn't somehow get wet. He patted the snow together with Izuku and Hitoshi slapping at the snow when the indigo-haired child hummed softly a cheerful tune that had him smiling at the boy. And then Hitoshi was jumping up with a look at Izuku who nodded resolutely at him.

Much to his confusion, both boys nodded before they began to pat together snow balls in near unison leaving him confused for a moment. Then it clicked. The boys had said that before they went back inside that all they wanted was to make a snowman for the backyard. The snow was soaking into his pants as he watched the boys patting their snowballs together to begin rolling around in the snow. The swish of their snow pants ringing out in the quiet around them.

Both Hitoshi and Izuku focused on their snow balls that they held in their hands. He stood up to brush the snow off of his knees the best that he could when he noted the large wet patches on his pants. It had him groaning quietly but he'd be jumping in the shower soon enough anyhow. He'd let the boys get in the bath while he rinsed off in the shower just to warm himself up. Or maybe he'd merely change his clothes and up the heat in the house.

Blankets. Heating pads and hot water bottles could do it too. He hummed quietly when he then stood up and scooped a handful of snow into his hand to begin patting into a ball while the boys continued rolling their growing snow balls around the yard happily. He was more than happy to begin working on the head for the snowman with his shaking hands. He watched the boys joyfully rolling their snow balls around the yard with a sparkle to their gazes.

As if there were more of an excitement to it than he realized but he didn't doubt that his sons were ready to go in if they were eagerly working on their snowman. He adored having time with his sons; he adored spending time with them after school hours. He knew soon enough they'd grow older and be tired of playing in the snow so he wanted to savor these moments the best that he could. He hummed as he rolled his snowball in the snow that was the perfect sticky consistence for it.

Playing with his sons today merely had him happy to do something with them. He felt he still had some making up to do during those weeks that he had worked at the school and had practically neglected his boys. He felt that he had much to make up for in that regard but the boys didn't seem to be holding it against him. If anything, that blip of their life seemed to have been forgotten about all together. He had not a clue how the young childlike mind worked but he hoped it didn't leave a negative impact.

Hitoshi and Izuku hardly talked about that time and seemed happy with whatever time they spent together. If anything, they acted like any other child their age who wanted nothing more than the attention of their parent. He was happy to spend his free time with the boys that he could. Recently, in compliance with their requests at dinner on Monday, he'd managed to get a few playdates thrown together for the boys. He'd forgotten how nice it was talking to his friends in the mothers group.

How unbelievably welcoming it was to talk with them. How warm their reception of him was. He was happy to find that the parents of Asui, Tokoyami, Kaminari, Uraraka, Mitsuki, and Rei all wanted to throw something together for a while. He'd been happy to reach out and ask the same of them which led to a wonderful playdate with the boys. Where he got to sit in the living room of Mitsuki's while they enjoyed coffee and the cookies she'd made while the children had free reign of Katsuki's room.

It had been absolutely amazing catching up with the women of his friend group. It left him feeling warm when he was walking out hand in hand with Hitoshi and Izuku. Mitsuki had offered to bring him a soup for dinner than he tried to reject but the blonde woman refused to let him reject the soup. She was a fierce woman who didn't take no for an answer it would seem and he liked that. Her husband, Masaru, was unbelievably kind.

The man was quiet, perhaps seen as a bit timid, but he adored talking with the man when they had time to do so. He adored the married couple who always received him with such warmth it had him wondering where Bakugo got his fierce-some personality from. He could guess Mitsuki given her fiery personality. It had been a nice outing at the couple's home with the other mothers of their group where they'd sat amongst themselves complaining about the cold weather.

About all of the snow. There was chit-chat of what this spring was going to look like and the plans they all made to go out to the park together. To do more activities outside the moment that they could do so. It had been like a breath of fresh air when he'd eventually left the Bakugo home with a container of soup pushed on him by Mitsuki with the promise to return the Tupperware. That night they'd had a wonderful dumpling soup made by the woman that the boys had raved over enthusiastically.

It was another recipe he'd have to get from the sharp tongued woman who was always so sweet with him. Not to mention his sons as well. The boys seemed to have adored their time out at the Bakugo's home with all their other friends. They seemed truly content when they'd strapped themselves into their seats in the back of the car. They'd been chatting about it the entire way home and there was nothing he adored more than that. Nothing he adored more than to see his sons be happy.

And that playdate had meant the world to his sons who still chattered about it even thought it had been Wednesday when they went over and today was now Friday. It was the sweetest things about the boys that he found himself truly adoring. If his sons were happy then he was happy. If making them happy was by bringing them to playdates then he'd make a million just to see those bright smiles on their faces. It was all he wanted in his role as a father. To make his sons happy.

To give them nothing but happy childhoods while he had the chance to do so. He glanced over at Hitoshi whose snowball had gotten significantly bigger; he couldn't help but wonder how big the boys were wanting to go with this faceless snowman. Would the boys insist that he dig to find rocks under the snow? They'd done it before but he didn't know if they would make him do the same thing this time round or if they'd be happy to let the snowman be faceless for the time being.

He hummed as he watched Hitoshi push at the snow ball while Izuku rolled his own in the snow while watching his brother. He knew he had to keep his adequately small for the head and that meant making sure it wasn't the same size as Izuku's. Humming as he rolled his snowball around, the snow was soaking into his knees and his socks in his boots felt impossibly wet. Maybe a shower wasn't needed this time round but he was definitely going to make sure his sons were swaddled up.

That they had hot water bottles, heating pads and blankets to keep them warm. He could get a blanket for himself to cuddle up with if he had too. He was sure he'd get warm in a matter of time. Rolling his snowball around, he paused with it was an adequately small size that would work for the head of a snowman. He turned when he heard Hitoshi grunting behind him to which he turned to find Hitoshi pushing the large ball towards the mound that they'd made in the snow.

He watched curiously as his son rolled the large snowball near the stump before rolling around it to roll it up on what seemed to be a small platform for the snowman to stand on. It had him blinking as droplets of water formed on his glasses from the melting snow on his hat. And then Izuku was rolling his own snowball towards them as it got bigger before looking to him with a pleading expression. He shuffled over to scoop the snowball up in his arms with a quiet grunt.

Heaving it up and onto the base of the snowman, he then turned to shuffle back through the snow to pick up the small ball he'd rolled together then waddled carefully through the snow with the ball cradled in his arms. He plopped it on top of the snow man's body to which he stepped back to admire the snowman before him then nodding in satisfaction. He watched his sons heads bob with satisfied bobs of their own before they began waddling through the snow towards the back porch.

It was honestly quite adorable watching his sons take the initiative to get in the house. Were they colder than they let on? He could hear them sniffling with gloves rubbing against red noses which had to be unpleasant. He remembered being a kid and how his nose would gush in the winter time but how the wet, chaffing rub of his gloves would hurt. He made his way forward after his sons who climbed up onto the shoveled back porch.

Stomping their little feet on the wood to knock the snow off of their boots and snow suits the best they could when he made his way up onto the porch. Frowning when the boys shuddered at the snapping breeze rushing over them when he then stomped off his own boots. He knew he'd have to do some mopping but he wasn't going to make them walk all the way around. Not when the poor boys looked so damn cold up-close.

He reached out to twist the door handle, swinging it open then ushering the boys into the dining room before stepping in himself and shutting the door behind him. The boys began to waddle forward with their snow suits swishing as he made sure the door was securely shut. Noting the wet trail left behind by his boots, he walked forward carefully through the dining room then the kitchen. He glanced down the hall to find the boys taking their hats, scarves and gloves off.

It had him smiling softly when coats were then unzipped with the boys shivering fiercely with trembling hands struggling with the zippers as he made his way down the hallway. Stripping off his own hat, gloves and scarf that he put down on the heater before squatting down to help Izuku get his zipper down when he frowned at how red his fingers were. Same with Hitoshi's. Cupping his son's hand, he rubbed his hand between both of his before blowing hot air into it.

Trying to help warm up his hand when he then looked to Hitoshi who shrugged his coat off. He reached over to take Hitoshi's hands in his which were utterly freezing as his coat dropped to the floor. He really ought to start limiting their time outside in the snow. There was having fun and then there was nearly freezing. He'd assumed everyone's gloves were thick enough but he needed to make sure they warmed up. Even their little noses were a brilliant red like their cheeks and ears. It tugged at his heart as he rubbed Hitoshi's hands.

"Alright, we got two choices, okay? Do you want to take a bath and warm up or would you rather I swaddle you up with a blanket and give you both the heating pad and hot water bottles to warm you up?" He questioned as he rubbed Hitoshi's hands before reaching out to take Izuku's hand gently with both boys sharing a look that had him fighting the urge to snicker. To snort. It was an adorable look shared between brothers that had his heart squeezing when both boys looked back to him.

"Can we just have the he-heating pad and the-the blankets this time?" Izuku requested with his little arms shrugging as he helped ease his coat over his casted arm while his other hand worked to get the straps of his snow pants over his shoulders. Shivering fiercely as the straps were worked down. It had him smiling at his sons when Hitoshi began pushing at his snow pants down to his knees. Their clothes, thankfully, were still perfectly dry thanks to the layers they wore.

"Of course you can! I'm sure that you'll warm up quickly under the blankets!" He let Izuku holding onto his shoulders as he stepped on the heel of his boots. Working his feet free one foot at a time when he grabbed his wet boots and stood around to stuff them under the heater. He took Hitoshi's boots from the floor to stuff them under the heater next to Izuku's when he stood up. "Why don't you get that snow suit off, Izu, and go in the living room to wait, hmm? I'll get you both that heating pad lickety split!"

"Li-Lickety split sounds gross, Dad!" Hitoshi perked up while Izuku stepped out of his snow pants when green eyes sparkled playfully at him when he began to work the straps of his snow pants over his shoulders while Izuku rushed forward over the threshold of the living room. He grinned when the indigo-haired child shoved his snow pants down which he stepped out of quickly. And he reached out to gently pinch Hitoshi's nose causing him to giggle nasally. "Dad!"

"You're a silly kid, aren't you?" He replied with a gentle back and forth pull to get his son's head shaking with it when he let out a nasal giggle when he let go of his pinch. He reached up to ruffle damp indigo locks gently as he stood up right with his son smiling up at him. "Why don't you go sit down in the living room while I get my coat and boots off? Then I'll be right there with a comforter and the heating pad, alright? It won't take me long so don't be afraid to huddle together!"

"Okay! What are we-we gonna have for dinner tonight? My tummy is-is rumbling!" Hitoshi questioned when he raised his brows at the indigo-haired child who bounced up on his toes with a sparkle to his eye. He had to admit that he hadn't been thinking of dinner and what he'd make. Only that he knew they needed to be inside by dinner time. It had him fighting the urge to wince when his son cocked his head to the side curiously. "Do you even know what you're gonna make?"

"Shush, you don't get to question your father like that! You nosey little guy, I'll steal your nose for questioning me and putting it where it doesn't belong!" He loved the laugh that left Hitoshi when he tugged him into his arms with the indigo-haired child squirming and twisting when he danced his hands along his sides which had him dancing on his feet when he then chuckled softly as he hugged his son tightly. "I don't know what I'm going to make yet but it'll be something yummy, I promise!"

"Ha! I knew you di-didn't know what you were going to make!" Hitoshi crowed as if he were somehow victorious in something as he shivered in his arms with a sparkle to those purple eyes. He rolled his eyes affectionately at the six-year-old who then squirmed out of his arms with a stumbling step forward over the threshold of the living room. He couldn't help grinning at his son who then stuck his tongue out before speaking. "I get to keep my nose! Haha!"

"Keep it up and I'll steal your nose anyway!" He retorted with a playful growl to his voice that had his son grinning wickedly at him. That sparkle flaring in his eyes when he stood up with his hand going to the zipper of his coat to work it down when Hitoshi stuck his tongue out playfully again. He stuck his tongue out back at the indigo-haired child who then turned to rush into the living room where his brother was shivering on the couch with a smile on his lips.

He watched his son jump up onto it next to him with small arms going around the green-haired child. He tugged at the zipper of his coat to work it down as he then shrugged his shoulders with his coat slipping down to pool into his elbows effortlessly. Tugging his arms out of the sleeves with a rustle, he then hung the coat up on the hook where he then reached for the wall to balance himself. He stepped on the heel of his left foot to work his foot free from his boot.

Stepping on the left heel then to work his left foot free from his boot as well, he scooped his boots up to stuff beneath the heater next to Hitoshi and Izuku's. He then jumped into work rushing down the hallway towards the kitchen. His socked feet soaking up the wet path with a wince as he made his way through the kitchen to the small hallway of his. He flew down it to his bedroom where he walked in.

He walked over to the dresser to tug open the drawers only to blindly throw the first pair of sweats and a new sweater his hands touched on the bed. Then rushed to his closet where he ripped the doors open. Reaching in for the heating pad, a thick comforter, and the two hot water bottles he had with their covers before rushing out of the room. His feet striking the ground hard with thuds that filled the quiet of the house.

Then he paused in the kitchen to stuff the hot water bottles in the microwave. Starting it up, he placed their covers on the counter then turned on his feet to rush across the kitchen to the hallway once more over the same wet path he'd left behind. He padded into the living room where Hitoshi and Izuku were indeed huddled together with their eyes locked on the tv before them. He padded over where he gestured for them to stand as they shivered.

Once they were up, he laid the heating pad down then wrapped the comforter around both boys. Having them sit with the blanket between their legs and bottoms and the heating pad. He didn't want them sitting directly on it; God forbid one of them got a chafing rash from the heat. He then plugged the heating pad and set it to the third level; nothing too hot and nothing too cool. Something warm to get them warmed up while the hot water bottles spun in the microwave.

He watched his sons tug the blanket around them while they huddled together when he nodded before turning on his feet while they watched their tv show. He made his way into the hallway, wincing at the wetness of his socks as he made his way forward down the hallway to the kitchen. Rushing down his small hallway again down to the end where the small broom closet resided. Tugging open the small door, he grabbed the mop then turned to walk back down the hallway where he entered the kitchen.

Quickly mopping up the trail here first with the quiet swish of the mop pad over the floor ringing out as he made quick work mopping up the melted snow. He turned to quickly mop down the hallway to the small mat he had to wipe shoes off before setting them in the little cubby. He mopped up the trail in the hallway before walking down it again into the kitchen then to the dining room where he made sure to wipe it up in there.

He turned and wince at the faint wet sock marks left behind but he knew there was no changing that now. He merely mopped over the trail he left behind in the dining room and kitchen before padding quickly to the carpeted floor of his hallway. Walking down it with brisk strides, he couldn't help shivering as he tugged open the small closet door to stuff the mop in there before shutting the door.

He then bent down to tug his soaked socks off of his feet, tossing them into his bedroom when the microwave beeped shrilly. He then rushed forward with a pep to his step as he rushed down his short hallway into the kitchen. The slap of his feet on the tiled floor was deafening as he walked over to the microwave. Popping open the door, he reached in for the very warm water bottles which he slipped into their coverings with a satisfied hum.

He shut the microwave door then scooped up the water bottles that sloshed quietly in his arms as he turned on his feet. Padding across the living room to the hallway, his feet slapped over the floor deafeningly with his brisk strides as he flew down the hallway to the living room. He smiled when both boys looked to him curiously when he walked into the room to hand them the warm bottles which they immediately hugged onto then curled the blanket around them both again.

Nodding to himself, he turned on his feet to walk briskly across the living room with shivers racing down his back as he stepped into the hallway. Now all he had to do was get his clothing changed and possibly have a nice hot drink. Did he want tea? Or coffee? It had him humming softly as he made his way down the hallway into the kitchen again. Making quick work through the room to his little hallway that he flew down, he reached for the hem of his sweater which he flipped up over his stomach.

Up to his chest where he bunched it up carefully while tugging his arms through the sleeves. He then bunched his shirt up over his head where his hair bunched up and slipped through the neckline as he worked it up and over his head without ripping his glasses off. Or his hearing aids out. He shivered at the air on his skin as he threw his shirt in the direction of his hamper. Scooping up his socks, he did the same with those as he then turned to the bed where his clothing was waiting for him to change into them.

He hooked his fingers into the waistband of his pants where he wriggled to get them down while keeping his boxers up. He pushed his pants down to his knees where they dropped down to his ankles effortlessly when he stepped out of them then tossed them towards the washing basket that he kept in the corner by the bathroom. He then shuddered with goosebumps breaking out over his skin as he reached for his sweat pants which he flapped out once then a second time.

And then he was bending over to slide his feet into the pant legs. He quickly tugged the pants up his legs quickly where he jumped lightly with his feet poking out the feet of the pants. The tight cuffs hugging his ankles as he tugged them up to his hips. The waistline hugging him tightly while his pants flowed loosely in between. He then grabbed his sweater that he threw on quickly while being mindful of his glasses and hearing aids.

Anything to keep from ripping one or the other off as he worked his sweater down with the hem fluttering against his waist. His hair was a bit damp from the snow but there wasn't much he could do about that. He sighed out as he shivered again when he then glanced over at his laundry basket. He might as well get started on his clothing then check the boys laundry tonight when he brought them up for bed. He padded around his bed with his hands tugging the hem of his sweater until it settled comfortably against his waist.

Then he grabbed his laundry basket. It wasn't completely full which was good; he didn't want to deal with a full load at the moment. Not to mention it was getting close to that time again where they stripped beds and washed their sheets. He sighed out softly to himself as he padded forward with the basket in hand as he paused by the foot of his bed and sat the laundry basket down. He grabbed his robe hanging on the wall, the deep purple fabric softer than anything as he slid his arms into the sleeves.

He closed his robe then tied it together with the belt. Padding over to his bed, he reached underneath to grab his slippers which he slipped his feet into with a sigh. At least that'd keep his feet from being too cold now that he didn't have his socks on. Shuffling to the end of the bed, he picked his basket up again then padded over to his doors where he pushed open the doors to march out into the hallway. Well, he could say that he was proactive at the very least.

He was getting the laundry done. He shuffled into the kitchen with the bottoms of his slippers dragging over the tiled floor with a whisper as he slid forward on his feet across the kitchen to the doorway where he then made his way down the hallway. His sons were humming along with the opening song of their cartoon when he made it to the living room entrance. Walking quickly into the room, he put a pep to his step when he walked in front of the TV quickly.

Surprised when he got no protest from the boys as he then opened the small door of the utility room. He flicked the light on then opened the washer to make sure he didn't have a forgotten load inside. Finding it empty, he happily began scooping his clothes out of the hamper into the washer. Making sure it was evenly divided, he grabbed his detergents and his scent beads. Pouring a cap full of both, he dumped them into the washer with the small turquoise pellets glowing against his clothing.

The soft blue of fabric softener soaked into his clothing. He closed the top, returning the caps to their containers, and fussed with the knobs before pulling out the right knob with a pop that had water gushing into the basin. Sighing out quietly to himself with a nod, he turned the light off and stepped back into the living room with the door shutting behind him. Putting that pep to his step he crossed in front of the TV with the boys merely watching him curiously as they huddled together under the blanket.

Hugging their hot water bottles and the heading pad, they had to be getting toasty by this point. He wished he could lay with the heated water bottles or the heating pad. Or he could take a hot bath tonight. God, that sounded wonderful now that he was truly thinking about it. When's the last time he had a bath? He couldn't remember but it had him sighing out quietly again as he walked down the hallway. He couldn't wait for the boys to go to bed just so he could have that bath.

It was going to be absolutely fucking amazing. He knew it already. But he couldn't think about his bath now; not when he had more important things to think about. Like what he wanted to make for dinner. Shuffling into his kitchen, he flicked the light on which had him blinking against the illumination. He found himself shuffling forward to the fridge where he tugged open the door with a suck as it gave way. Looking into the fridge, he knew he wanted something hot. Something easy.

He still had those chicken thighs from a few nights ago that were still good. He had carrots, a few stalks of celery, onions and he still had chicken broth that could be used. If he remembered right, he also had egg noodles still or he should. He could make chicken noodle soup tonight; something that was filling and something warm that would heat them up. He could make the chicken now and sear it on the stove then finish cooking it in the oven or he could cook it on the stove then shred it up.

Crossing his arms with his left arm bending up as his fingers drummed on his jaw. He could season and cook up the chicken then chop up everything with the chicken broth and cook both at the same time. He could do something so long as he got cracking on dinner. It may only be three fifty-five but soup always took a while to cook and it was a simple recipe. He could just be lazy and throw ramen in the microwave for the three of them but he found he likes cooking.⭐

Sure, he may be mediocre at best when it came to cooking dinner but he'd had time to adjust. Time to learn the dos and don'ts. He reached into the fridge to grab the celery, the bag of carrots, then opened the drawer to grab an onion. He'd use two onions but the boys weren't the biggest fans of onion but chicken noodle was always the exception to it. He didn't understand it but he'd cut it up small so they wouldn't complain about large pieces in the food.

He hummed softly to himself with his armful as he shuffled over to the counter to place them down. Then he turned on his feet to the open fridge door where he snagged the chicken broth off of the door then shuffled around it to reach in for the chicken thighs within. He then pushed the door shut with the items inside rattling lightly. He then turned back to the counter where he walked over to place the stock down and reached under the counter to grab a pan and a pot.

Placing the pot on the stove, he placed the pan next to it as he reached into the cabinet to grab the oil, three bowls to hold the carrots, celery and onion. Grabbing a large mixing bowl, he shut the cabinet then opened the one next to it for his seasonings. Grabbing the small spice bottles then setting them on the counter, he shut the cabinets then got to work on tossing the chicken thighs into the bowl. He'd be shredding it up so did it matter if they were cut up? He didn't think so.

He began to open the caps of his seasonings; some cayenne, garlic and onion powder and a bit of adobo never killed anyone and always made the soup taste better. He then reached for the salt and pepper to sprinkle on the chicken and reached into the bowl to mix it all around to make sure both sides were covered evenly. After he did so, he opened the oil with his clean hand to pour a thin layer in the pan then cranked the knob to turn the burner on.

While that was getting ready, he shuffled to the sink where he washed his hands with soap and flicked his hands off. He rinsed the sink out before grabbing the towel off of the oven door where they always kept it. He rubbed his hands dry then plucked a knife from the knife block and grabbed the cutting board. He opened the bag of carrots where he tugged out two and shuffled back to the sink to wash them off. Making sure they were perfectly clean, he then laid them on the cutting board.

Cutting the ends off, he listened to the quiet sound of his knife cutting through the carrots and hitting off of the cutting board. It was always so nice to cook; it kept his mind numb. Kept him from over thinking when he was focusing on not cutting off his fingers or sliding his palms. He finished cutting up the carrots and placed them in the bowl while scooping up the ends and tossing them into the sink for the time being.

He then picked up the two stalks of celery where he took the time to peel off the "stringy bits" as his boys called it. He slipped them into the sink as well before he got to work on chopping up the celery. Small pieces, again, to make it bearable for the boys. The crisp crunch of his knife cutting into the vegetable was deafening as he happily hummed under his breath with his hand holding the celery still. Repeating the action with the second stalk, he placed the chunks of the first into the bowl and he began to cut into the second one.

He'd been so wrapped up in his sons this afternoon that he'd hardly had time to think about his problems. About his own life. It had been amazing nice being sucked into an afternoon of childlike fun. Even if his ass had been soaked through from the few times he'd fall in the snow. There had been something absolutely adorable about spending the afternoon off of his phone and with the boys. They were like little black pits lately.

Always hungry, always asking him for snakes with that pleading pout on their lips and widening of their eyes. He had to imagine that they were hitting some type of growth spurt that required more food to fill their bellies. He didn't want them eating at all hours of the days but he was generous when it came to their afternoon snacks. Anything to leave them content to get them from lunch to dinner time. They'd been outside this afternoon so their snack had consisted of blueberries, granola and yogurt for their afternoon snack.

Then they'd flown out the front door after the boys had been bundled up. The two had so much energy following their hours at school that it had left him in awe. Absolutely delighted that his sons had such energy to play in the snow the way that they had. There was no doubt that afternoon playtimes needed to be a more common occurrence. While he couldn't see himself going out into the snow all the time, he was sure to find something for the boys to do inside.

Activities to do indoors so they weren't bored this winter. He'd have to ask Mitsuki what it as that she did for her son Katsuki, to keep him preoccupied during the winter months. Chopping up the last of the celery stalk, he scooped the chunks up to place into the bowl then grabbed the onion to peel off the skin. He braced himself for the tears that would prick at his eyes as he posed the knife over the onion once the skin was in the sink.

And he cut into it; the smell was unbelievably strong as he worked to dice up the onion small as he possibly could to make it easier to get his sons to enjoy the soup. He blinked against the stinging in his eyes as he diced up the onion before scooping up the small chunks to place in the bowl. His hands were going to smell like onions if he didn't wash them. He shuffled over to the pan where he scooped the chicken thighs up one a time to lay in the pan with a bursting sizzle.

He laid both thighs out on the pan then shuffled to the sink to gather up the ends of the carrots, the strings from the celery and the skin of the onion. Shuffling across the kitchen to dump them in the trash with a hum. Turning back to walk to the sink, he turned the water and grabbed the soap then scrubbed at his hands. Trying his best to be thorough after touching the raw chicken. He scratched with his nails, scrubbing and twisting his hands together under the rushing water quickly with suds pouring off his hands.

It was during this scrubbing that he struggled to keep his robe sleeves out of the stream. Turning the water off, he grabbed for the towel to rub his hands dry again then turned his attention to the vegetables. Picking up the oil, he drizzled a lazy line along the bottom of the pot then turned the burner on beneath the pot. He capped the oil then turned to shuffle back to the cabinet, opening the cabinet and returning it back to its place.

He then shut that cabinet and reached up to open their "pasta" section where he found a bag of egg noodles. He grabbed the back with a crinkling deafening rustle of the noodles and plastic bag. Placing it down on the bed, he grabbed his tongs and spoon with a low, cheerful hum as he placed the spoon down on the counter. He tugged the bowls of vegetables closer to the stove where he then began to press down on the chicken with his tongs causing it to hiss loudly.

He nudged at the chicken, lifting it up slightly to check the underside and humming softly as the smell of cooking chicken filled the kitchen. It had his stomach snarling lowly with a sigh leaving him. He wasn't good at meal preps; he found it easy for his sons but not so much for himself. He'd neglected to eat lunch today because he'd been busy sorting through the bills of his bookstore in his office that he neglected the meal.

He was utterly starving and if it hadn't been with the promise he'd eat at home, he was sure Nemuri wouldn't have shoved a tube down his throat so he'd eat. He placed his tongs down to grab the onions which he dumped into the pot which hissed at the addition of the onions. He just needed to sweat them down enough for it to be palatable to his boys. He picked up his spoon that he used to swirl around the diced onion in the bottom of his pot.

Once they were soft, he'd add the carrots and celery then the chicken broth and the noodles and chicken. From there it'd be a matter of letting it all cook together until the pasta was ready. Nodding to himself, he put the spoon down then crossed his arms over his chest as he looked over the stove. It was easy to keep himself busy but it didn't mean he wasn't thinking. He was nervous. Anxious.

Since the previous day with Nemuri and Taishiro, he'd promised himself the next time he saw Shouta face-to-face that he was going to say something. There was absolutely something nerve-wracking about that decision. Something so absolute about it. But he needed to say it; they were two weeks into the new year, going on three, and it was ridiculous to put it off much longer. All he wanted was to confess yet the idea of it put a pit his stomach.

An icy pit that speared through him leaving him icy in its wake but he knew he needed to do it. It was something he needed to get off of his chest. Something he wanted to get off his chest. He'd been crushing on Shouta for how long now? Three months actively? Three months out of six? He didn't need to stretch it to four months, did he? He knew how he felt. He knew what he wanted. He knew who he wanted. So, what was stopping him? What was keeping him from telling Shouta exactly how he felt?

After all, he was a grown adult; he was the father of two young boys. He needed to do as Nemuri says; he needed to 'put on his big boy undies' and confess already. He knew it wouldn't do anything but possibly hurt his pride if he was honest with his best friend. He couldn't stop himself from wondering what Shouta would say. How he would react. Would those dark eyes widened at him? Black lashes fluttering as his brows shot up on his forehead creating small wrinkles on it?

His full lips parting as his mouth dropped open into that look of surprise he'd seen before? Would he be receptive to his confession? Or would he be stone faced and reject him immediately? It had him nervous at the thought of confessing. There was so much to this that he didn't know what to do about it. So much about it that was unknown. He wished he could read Shouta better; just so he could get a good idea on how the man would actually react. How he would view his confession.

There was nothing he wanted more than to have full confidence that the black-haired man would accept him. He wished he had that confidence but he didn't. Shouta had been his friend for six months now and still his mind was an enigma that he couldn't unravel. Was something he had no clue how it worked. He wished he could say that after six months he knew Shouta like the back of his hand and in some ways he did. He knew what made Shouta laugh, what made those dark eyes sparkle, and he knew what made him smile.

He knew his sense of humor better than he knew his own. He knew that Shouta was often exhausted late at night from his grading. He knew that everything that had been given to him by Shouta. He knew that, despite the little awkwardness, that Shouta enjoyed their hugs. It was something Shouta had admitted to him and it warmed his heart to know that Shouta enjoyed their hugs. There was nothing he loved more than to have those strong arms around him.

To have Shouta hug him so tightly he swore he could feel his heart beating against his chest. Tight hugs that left him breathless when they were over. He just wished he knew him well enough to have a clear image on how he would react when he confessed to him. He wished he knew what to expect. That's all he wanted; to have an idea of how this was going to go with Shouta. The sound of his breath rushing out of him tore him out of his idle thoughts.

He grabbed his tongs once more to flip the chicken which had seared perfectly with the hiss of the flip ringing out. Putting down the tongs, he then grabbed the spoon to stir the onions that were beginning to become translucent. Almost ready. He couldn't deny that Shouta hadn't been on his mind too much. Well, no, that was a lie, wasn't it? He was thinking of him just the other day while he'd been exercising. Running as if he could get away from the thoughts that came all too effortlessly to him.

He just wished he didn't feel that jealousy; it was an ugly, twisting emotion in his chest that left him breathless under its weight. There was something about it that left him struggling to process. That had him struggling to find the word for the ugly words in his chest that had him wanting to act out in what he knew would be highly inappropriate. He knew he had no reason to be jealous over Shouta. After all, he had yet to confess so he had no real claim on the other man.

None whatsoever but he wanted to have one. He wanted to have some type of binding claim on Shouta that wasn't just best friends. As much as he loved being Shouta's best friend, he truly wanted more. He wanted to feel pride when Shouta referred to him as his boyfriend. He wants to feel contentment when that arm wrapped around his waist. He wanted to be held close while Shouta introduced him as his boyfriend to those around them.

He wanted to be able to lift his arms up and curl around those broad shoulders and kiss his face. To twist his fingers in black curls and let those full lips trail down his throat while he bowed and arched in his arms with a giggles spilling out of him. He wanted Shouta to swing him around off of his feet as he was heaved into his arms. He wants to be Shouta's boyfriend so damn bad. These fantasies were doing nothing but growing.

Piling one on top of another with imagined scenarios renewing and reinforcing themselves in his arms. Allowing him to fantasize about what Shouta would feel like in his arms. What he would feel like to cuddle up to him in bed. To inhale that delightful, musky vanilla cologne that he found himself inhaling fiercely when he hugged the man. He wanted to know what it would be like to be skin-to-skin with Shouta. The whisper of their skin sliding against one another with hands sliding along his waist.

Over his ass. To feel them sliding up hi back while those full lips pressed to his own. All he wanted was to experience these scenarios that his mind made up. All he wants is to act on the thrumming under his skin that was doing nothing but building steam. Doing nothing but growing intolerable. Untreatable. Was it normal to long for human touch like this? To merely want to be touched so he could feel some relief? To have Shouta's big, rough hands on his skin?

Was it so wrong for him to pine and long for something like that? Long before Shouta had even come into the picture, he'd been thinking of taking on a lover. Someone he could work out his frustrations with. His physical needs with. Did that mean it was merely unfortunate that he met Shouta? That he fell for Shouta like this? Was it just unavoidable when he met him in that shop that warm August day with the man bouncing the then baby Eri in his arms? Was it just fate?

Or was there a coincidence behind it all that he didn't see? Something he was missing? He didn't know. It was hard to wrap his head around it. Hard to think about it. He felt like it was a coincidence but that would be mean facing that he had an attraction to this man from the beginning. He couldn't deny that he'd been painfully curious and hopeful he'd run into Shouta again. He'd been bouncing on his toes watching the front door from behind his counter with the hope that he'd run into him again.

When he joined the mom group, when he gave him his number, it had all been for the sake of helping the black-haired man who looked like he was drowning under the weights of a one-year-old baby. And then things swept up in a way he never expected it too. Shouta's life touching his own, being in the same school but never meeting, friends with the same people but never meeting as well? It felt like fate that he met Shouta. Like he'd drawn a gamble and somehow won it.

Fate that their friendships mingled together and they became a little group of four. Was Nemuri and Taishiro right though? Did Shouta really look at him with a smitten expression? Did he look at him with desire? If that were really true then that meant that Shouta possibly held the same feelings. But he couldn't let himself hope. He just couldn't. Just because he was aching for a human's touch, another man to love him, didn't mean that Shouta felt the same.

And yet there was a quiet voice in the back of his head that was screaming this could be possible. This could be true. That his friends could be telling him the truth about this. It had him sighing out softly to himself as he turned his attention back to his cooking. Checking the onions, he hummed with satisfaction before grabbing the bowls of celery and carrots then dumping it into the pot. He then reached for the chicken broth which he uncapped and proceeded to dump into the pot.

The container was very nearly full and he squeezed to get every drop that he could. He then capped the empty container before shuffling over to the trash to throw it away. Walking back to the counter, he tugged open a cabinet to grab the cover the pot. The celery and carrots would boil in the broth for some time and they'd be efficiently soft by the time he added the noodles and chicken. All he had to focus on was getting the chicken cooked and shredded with the shredder.

Listening to the low hiss of the burners, he picked up his tongs to prod the chicken slightly then peeking beneath it to make sure it was cooking properly. He then began to gather the bowls together which he slid into the sink. Turning the water on, he opened the dish washer to tug the rack out slightly. He began stacking the bowls quickly into the rack once he'd rinsed them off. He made quick work of it while his hands trembled lightly from the chills racing down his back.

He wanted nothing more than to go find his phone and text Shouta. He wanted to talk to the black-haired man. There had been a bit of silence between them with Shouta getting back into the swing of returning to his work. The last thing he wanted was to bother his friend while he was trying to work or while he was doing paper work. The last thing he wanted to do was stress the man out further. But if Shouta messaged him then he would happily engage in that texting.

He just didn't want to be a bother. He didn't want to annoy Shouta. And yet he missed talking to him as freely as he had over the winter vacation. It had him shifting with his hands drumming uselessly against his thighs when he reached to grab the tongs to check the other side of the chicken. Humming softly at the sight of the cooked side, he pressed his tongs down onto the chicken causing it to hiss at him when he placed his tongs down again.

Bending to reach under the counter to open the cabinet door. Reaching in for the chicken shredder that he placed on the counter, he shut the door when there was a chirruping meow that had him looking over. Cappella came walking towards him with those brilliant blue eyes of hers staring up at him when she padded over to rub up against his leg. Bending back over, he ran his hand over the cat's head then down her back with hips jumping up.

He gently curled her tail around his fingers then brought his hand back up to her head which nudged against his hand. He scratched in front of her ear gently then to the back of it. Sliding his hand down her back in a sleek caress down to her tail where her hips jumped up again when he began to scratch before her tail. It swayed side to side lazily with the cat purring up at him as he scratched the spot before sliding his hand to gently curl her tail around his fingers once again.

Her head nudged his knee when he squatted down before scooping her up into his arms. Standing up right with her in his arms, she curled into his chest with hard purrs racking over her as her head nudged his jaw. God, does he love his cats. Did he love Cappella. The calico was purring delightedly in his arms when he glanced over to find the small gray body of Sterling padding over to him. Scratching Cappella's stomach gently, her tail swaying over his arm, he squeezed her close to his chest when he kissed her head adoringly.

His baby. His first baby. He nuzzled his lips and nose into the top of her head which nudged against him as she purred fiercely. Damn near trilling at him. He squeezed her gently with his hand caressing her little head as he ran his hand down her side. He then turned his attention to the chicken when he grabbed the tongs to prod at the thighs while Cappella purred fervently. Vibrating in his arm. He kissed the top of her head again while Sterling wound lazily between his legs.

Chirruping up at him the same way that Cappella had. Smiling down at the small gray cat, he cradled the calico in his arm when he turned the burner for the chicken off. He then moved the burner to the back one to get it off of the heat. Kissing the top of his cats head again, he slid his hand over her side as she purred fiercely. He nuzzled his nose and lips to her head when he then bent over to place her down on the floor again.

He needed to get the chicken shredded and in a bowl. He ran his hand over her back again with hips jumping up eagerly to accept his pet when he straightened up to open the top of the chicken shredder. Grabbing his tongs, he picked a thigh up from the pan with steam rolling off of it when he placed it down in the middle of the shredder. Covering it, he grabbed the small handles and began to twist and turn the chicken that fell apart effortlessly.

Humming softly, he continued moving as he shredded up the chicken with the sound of the TV just barely making it to him. He made sure the chicken was shredded up when he reached up into the cabinet before him, opening the door and grabbing a bowl. He pulled the top off of the shredder to dump the chicken inside. Of course, the smell of chicken had a chorus of meows at his feet with one "crunchy" meow standing out.

A stark contrast to his sisters chirping meows, he smiled down as Twix nudged his thigh when he glanced over to find Reese sitting in the doorway of the kitchen with her wide orange eyes watching him. He smiled as he then used his tongues to grab the other chicken thigh and placed it on the shredder. Covering it, he grabbed the handles like with the first he began to twist and turn it. It was nice to cook even if it didn't completely take his mind off of things.

At least he'd spent the afternoon for God knows how long out in the snow with his sons and made them happy. That was all he'd ever wanted; to make them happy. And he liked to believe that despite being cold that he'd made his boys happy this afternoon. All he ever wanted was to make sure that his family, his sons, were happy. He shredded up the chicken, a tight hold on the knobs, and he happily hummed softly to himself as he finished twisting.

He lifted the cover up to dump the chicken into the bowl. Making sure to get every little bit into it, he then popped the steaming chicken into the microwave despite the meows at his feet. It was about time for their dinner anyhow; they'd get something better than chicken. He opened the dish washer to slide the chicken shredder onto the rack then snapped it shut before curious noses could sniff it out. He turned his attention to his vegetables and chicken broth.

Lifting the cover, he picked up his spoon to swirl around the mixture as he hummed quietly. He tapped the spoon off then put the cover back onto the pot. He turned back to the coffee pot that held half a pot of cold coffee; he knew coffee wasn't the answer but something hot would be nice.While he was more of a tea person, a cup of coffee now and again wasn't going to kill him. Hell, he'd even drink some hot chocolate with the boys when they asked for it tonight.

Grabbing a mug from its hanging position on the wall, he grabbed the pot from its place on the burner when he poured himself half a cup. Then he heard the light sleep of bare feet making their way towards him. He glanced over his shoulder to find Hitoshi padding down the hallway who then put a pep to his step when he noticed him approaching. The indigo-haired child rushed into the kitchen with hands reaching out towards him when he noted movement in the hallway again.

He looked over his shoulder to find Izuku padding down the hallway after his brother. Hitoshi reached him first with arms curling around his waist and a face pressing itself just above his hip. He looked up when Izuku entered the kitchen quickly and padded over to him quickly. He smiled softly when Izuku's good arm wrapped around his waist as he joined his brother. Reaching down, he ran his hands over wild indigo locks and green curls adoringly. ⭐

"What are you two doing, huh? I thought you wanted to warm up in the living room?" He questioned when he scratched their heads gently with small hands gripping onto his robe as they peered up at him. There was something to their gazes that had him tilting his head with his smile softening on his lips with his hands rubbing over their hair. "We're having chicken noodle soup tonight and yes, before you ask, I did chop up an onion but I've got some bread to go with it."

"Can we stay with you while you cook?" Hitoshi then asked with those wide purple eyes staring up at him as his head leaned against his side. Holding onto his waist with those strong yet small hands of his when he felt Hitoshi shuffling forward with his feet just lightly touching his own foot when the indigo-haired child spoke up again. "We won't get in the way or nothing! We just wanna be out here with you for a little while, Dad, before we eat and do homework so is that okay?"

"That's more than fine, Toshi! You and Izu can hang out with me long as you want! You never have to ask me to hang out, alright?" Rubbing his hands over their hair once more, he then gently pinched cheeks adoringly with his thumbs rubbing over cheekbones gently when both boys smiled up at him with small fingers twisting into his robe. "You two are my number ones and you're always going to be that. So if you wanna spend time with me, then tell me so, okay? And I'll always make time for the two of you."

"Dad?" Izuku's fingers toyed with the rope of his robe slightly with a tug and he hummed down at the green-haired child who stared up at him with those wide, glittering green eyes. A rich hue that had him smiling softly down at his son who then shuffled closer with his small feet lightly touching his foot. Just like Hitoshi. Would they climb onto his feet? He didn't know but he didn't mind it. "I-I wanted to ask for a while but To said not too but I wanna ask! Do you have a crush on Mister Aizawa?"

He felt heat flood his face in a rush at the rather innocent question from Izuku. His cheeks burned with his lips pinching tightly together when he stared down at the wide eyes of his sons who were waiting for him to answer. Did he tell them? If he told them, would they blab it to Shouta when they saw him? Or heard him on the phone? Did he want to take that risk admitting it? He dragged his teeth over his lip before sighing out as he ruffled their hair. "Can you both keep a secret for me? You can't tell anyone."

"We can do that! We can keep a secret!" Both boys jumped then as they popped up onto their toes, shouting in unison with their wide eyes on him. Sparkling now with all the curiosity that a six-year-old could possess over something. He knew he didn't have to tell them. He knew he didn't. And yet he found himself caving all too effortlessly when Hitoshi bounced on his toes much like Izuku had. Izuku then looked up at him with those wide green eyes as he spoke up again. "Is it really super duper secret stuff?

"Yes and it's very important you don't say a word to anyone, got it?" Heads bobbed quickly with the eagerness he was quick to recognize when he grinned down at his sons when he poked Izuku's nose then pinched Hitoshi's lightly. "I may have a little crush on Mister Aizawa. But he doesn't know that! You can't go blabbing to Mister Aizawa that I have a crush on him, okay? It's not nice and it'd make me sad if you said something about it. So, you gotta keep it a secret alright?"

Eyes glittered up at him with fascination when Izuku and Hitoshi, moving in unison, pinched their lips together then rang their fingers over it like a zipper and twisted an invisible key. Throwing it over their shoulders. It was quite adorable when Izuku then giggled with his hands holding onto his robe as he bounced on his toes again with green eyes glowing up at him before he looked to his brother. "See, I told you, To! I told you that Dad had a crush on Mister Aizawa!"

"Just because you were right doesn't mean you get to rub it in, Zu!" Hitoshi replied back while he felt his mouth drop open in surprise that it had been so obvious to his sons that he had a crush. So what was the point in telling them both about it if they already knew? Were they merely gossiping? Did six-year-old's gossip? It had him gasping when he then bent down and scooped Hitoshi up as he squealed then squirmed in his arm. "Ah! Dad! Don't do it!"

He then bent down to scoop Izuku up into his arm who shrieked with delight when his casted arm rested around his shoulders as he then spun side to side tightly with both boys shrieking. Legs kicking against the counter and cabinets as hands held onto him. Shrieking with such excitement it had him squeezing the boys to his sides before dropping them on the floor with a thud as he held them tightly. "You two are worse than gossiping old women! I should take both of your noses for that!"

"No! You can't! Then we won't be able to-to taste the soup!" Izuku shrieked before bursting into laughter as he began to run his hands up and down their sides. Their shrieking laughter almost too much for his hearing aids as they squirmed and then ducked beneath his arms to run across the kitchen with manic giggles that had him grinning at his sons. Hitoshi and Izuku both held their small hands over their noses with wide grins. "You can't take'em! They're our noses!"

"I can and will take them! When you're least expecting it, I'll get them!" He roared playfully as he stepped forward which had both boys running forward with hands pushing him against the counter. He couldn't help laughing as he ran his hands over their hair with faces pushing into his stomach. Muffled laughter into his robe as he grinned down at his sons. If they wanted to spend some more time with him then he'd give it to them. After all, he'd spoken the truth. They were his number ones and he adored them to bits.

"You'll never get'em, Dad! Never ever!" Hitoshi crowed as he tilted his head back to grin widely up at him with Izuku nuzzling his face into his robe. And then Hitoshi was ducking his face away with a squeal when he made a movement like he was about to take said nose. It had him grinning down at his sons who pushed him back against the counter when he ran his hands over his son's hair then down to their backs where he rubbed them comfortingly. "Nope, nope! No nose for you!"

"I love you two, you know that? I love you very much, Toshi and Izu, you're my everything." He crooned down at them when he bent over to kiss the tops of their heads with hands rubbing their backs gently with the green haired child tilting his head up and he kissed his forehead while he had the chance to do so. This got him a beautiful, cherubic giggle from his son when he curled his arms around them and held them tightly. "I love you, Izu."

Izuku beamed when he tightened his good arm around him with fingers tugging idly at the belt of his robe. Green eyes glowed up at him with all the adoration in the world. An adoration that had layers to it which had his heart catching in his throat as he ran his hand over wild green curls when a soft, sweet smile curled over his son's face when he bounced up on his toes. "I love you too, Dad!"

Rubbing his hand over those green curls, he then turned his attention to the indigo haired child who was peeking up at him. As if he were somehow hoping he'd either be included in it or hoping that he would be spared of it. He smiled down at his son who clung to him as the soup began to boil softly. He'd have to check it soon but first he ran his hand over those wild indigo locks that he so adored. "I love you too, Toshi."

And it was quite adorable how red his son turned; as if he were embarrassed that he was sharing his affection to him. Something that he'd had at least once a day to his sons who always looked so delighted when he said it to them. And he ran his hand over those wild indigo locks again when his lip jutted out in a little pout. It was quite adorable but then a smile curled over Hitoshi's lips. A shy smile he'd recognize anywhere when he looked up at him with those wide purple eyes. "I love you too, Dad."

"Good. Now who wants to help me make some chicken noodle soup?"

"Me!" Both boys shouted in unison with hands jerking into the air as he laughed at their enthusiasm as he ran his hands over their hair again. Ruffling it playfully when both boys grinned up at him with a shimmering shine to purple and green eyes that stared at him with all the adoration in the world. His sons were his number one; his first and only priority. There was nothing he wanted more than to protect and cherish them. He'd figure everything out. He was sure of it. Until then there be him, his boys, and chicken noodle soup.