Work Text:
Yuna sat in a chair that felt too big and in an office that felt too quiet. She held her hands in her lap, one hand working meticulously to get all the gunk from under her fingernails. Her legs dangled helplessly in the air, and she tried to ignore how heavy and suffocating the air in the room felt. Her parents would be here any minute. At least, that’s what she was told, so now, she sits and waits.
Yuna often couldn't sit still. She was a whirlwind of energy, always running, jumping, or kicking a soccer ball. Even now, she found one of her feet bouncing with a nervous, rhythmic energy, her body itching to stand. Yet she couldn't leave her chair, she couldn’t move any more than she already was, no matter how much she wanted to. She felt trapped. At this point, she wasn't against the notion of just letting the oversized piece of furniture swallow her whole. The secretaries worked on their computers and answered the phones, but their hushed voices and clacking keyboards provided Yuna no comfort.
The main office door opened with a creak, and Yuna straightened her back immediately in response. She willed her wide brown eyes to keep looking ahead, but she couldn't stop herself from letting them wander toward the entrance.
A man with green curls and a sharp black suit came through the door, concern twisted into his features. He greets the secretaries with a hurried bow, and as he straightens himself back up, he catches a glimpse of his daughter.
Yuna was typically loud, bolstered by her confidence, and everything the girl did was touched by her passion. However, now she sat quietly, hunched in on herself as if she was trying to hide, trying to make herself smaller. It was uncharacteristic, and it caused a painful feeling to swell in Izuku's chest.
Izuku moved quickly, closing the space between him and his daughter. He was crouched at her side in an instant.
"Hey, love bug," The words were spoken softly, almost as if he was afraid that if he spoke too loudly, she'd disappear completely.
Green eyes couldn't connect with brown, not for a lack of trying. Yuna's gaze was fixated on her white sneakers, her fingers shifting from her nails to fiddling nervously with the bottom of her shirt.
"Hi, papa," she muttered meekly, and so unlike herself.
"Are you hurt at all?" he asked, his hands hovering as if he wanted to check her for scrapes or bruises.
She slowly shook her head, "No."
At that moment, the inner door in the office opened, and the principal stepped out into view. Principal Shirashi was a tall man; his demeanor was cold, and his face was set in a neutral expression that offered no warmth to the child before him.
"Mr. Bakugou, I'm ready for both of you in my office." He steps to the side, holding an arm out.
"Don't be afraid," Izuku whispers in his daughter's ear before taking her hand in his, giving it a supportive squeeze.
The two of them walked into the office and took their places in the two stiff seats in front of the desk. The principal's desk was unnervingly clean, having nothing on top of it except a stack of papers and a shiny nameplate that read: Principal Shiraishi.
"Your office called me, Mr. Shiraishi, but I have to apologize as I was wrapping up work myself. I'm not entirely sure that I understand what happened today."
"It's alright, Mr. Bakugou, I know you're a very busy man," the principal said, though his tone was clipped. "Today, your daughter and her friends were involved in an incident with another student. To put it bluntly, she punched another student in the face."
"Oh my." Izuku glanced at his daughter and didn't miss the faint blush in her cheeks.
"I had to hit him! I promise, Papa!" Those wide brown eyes finally snapped up to meet Izuku's. The raw honesty in her gaze made Izuku's breath catch in his throat. His daughter was often a natural troublemaker, but she was never a liar. He trusted her.
Izuku smiled calmly, in a way only he could, given the intensity of the situation. "So, what happened?"
His eyes moved from Yuna back to the principal; his expression became more guarded, awaiting the context of the situation.
"Your daughter and her friends got upset with the other student during recess," Shiraishi said. "Yuna and this student argued, and then she struck."
"No! He was pushing Hana and calling her mean names!" Yuna burst out, her voice regaining some of its usual fire. "We all told him to stop! He was calling her useless because she's quirkless and saying she didn't belong at our school! He even pulled her hair so hard she fell down!"
Yuna's chest heaved as she continued. "Miki even went to find a teacher! She found Mrs. Tanaka and told her what was happening, but Mrs. Tanaka just stayed by the bench talking! She didn't come! And then he wouldn't let Hana up, so I... I hit him."
Izuku felt a wave of protective heat rise in his chest. Before he could respond, the office door behind them didn't just open; instead, it felt like the pressure in the room shifted.
Katsuki Bakugou walked in.
He was still in his hero suit, the black and orange plating reflecting the light, but his mask was pulled up, pushing back the front of his spiky blonde hair. He looked terrifyingly calm, but those who knew him well could see something else simmering just beneath the surface.
"Kacchan," Izuku's eyes widened at the sight of his husband. "I didn't know you were coming."
Izuku had texted him about the situation, but he didn't think he'd be able to leave work to come to the school.
Katsuki gave no reply; his eyes were narrowed, scanning the room with a sharp, frantic intensity that he tried to mask as aggression. He was panicking over his little girl, but as he stepped closer and saw her sitting there—physically whole, if a bit shaken—the panic settled into a hard focus.
He didn't greet the principal, and he didn't even look at Izuku; the room had become silent amidst his presence. He went straight to Yuna, his shadow falling over her chair. He leaned down, his large hand coming up to rest briefly on the top of her blonde, curly hair. He quickly checked her face, her hands, ensuring she hadn't been hurt.
"You okay?" he asked. His voice was a low, gravelly rasp.
"Yeah, I'm okay, Daddy," Yuna whispered softly.
Only then did Katsuki turn his gaze toward Principal Shiraishi. If Izuku was the "good cop" parent, then Katsuki was the cop you never wanted anywhere near you.
"So, from what I heard, my daughter says a friend of hers went to a teacher and was ignored while some brat was assaulting another kid," Katsuki said. He didn't raise his voice, but the weight of his words made the principal shift uncomfortably in his seat. "Is that part of the incident you were gonna mention, or were you just gonna talk about the punch?"
"Mr. Bakugou, the school has a zero-tolerance policy for physical violence—"
"And what's the policy for teachers ignoring kids when they're being bullied?" Katsuki countered, his red eyes flashing dangerously. "Because if my kid sees someone in trouble and the adults in charge are too busy chatting on a bench, she's gonna step in. That's what we taught her."
Izuku placed a hand on Katsuki's arm, a silent request to keep the "Dynamight" energy at a manageable level. "We understand there are consequences for hitting, but we also expect the school to address the harassment of a student, or the fact that a teacher failed to intervene when asked."
Principal Shiraishi cleared his throat, the sound dry and nervous against the backdrop of the Wonder Duo's simmering intensity. He adjusted his nameplate, his eyes darting briefly to the door as if hoping for a distraction.
"I understand your joint perspective," Shiraishi began, his voice now sounding thin. "And we will certainly have a conversation with Mrs. Tanaka regarding the oversight. However, the fact remains that Yuna broke a school rule, and a major one at that. Physical retaliation is not the answer we teach here. The other boy's nose is fractured, and his parents are quite influential, top donors for the school, in fact. They are demanding that Yuna receive an immediate expulsion."
Katsuki's eyes narrowed into slits, a tiny, dangerous spark of orange light flickering at the corner of his palm. He didn't move, but the air in the room suddenly smelled faintly like burnt sugar.
"Expulsion?" Izuku's voice was calm, but it held an edge of steel that usually only appeared on the battlefield. "For defending a student after the staff failed to intervene? I don't think so."
"He pulled her hair, Papa!" Yuna's voice cracked, her brown eyes shimmering with a mix of anger and the sudden fear of being kicked out of school. "Hana was crying, and he wouldn't let her up! I told him three times to stop, and he just laughed!"
Izuku squeezed one of Yuna's hands, the same hand she had used to strike, his thumb stroking her small knuckles. "You used your words first. That's what we practiced."
"I did! I even used nice words!" Yuna insisted (that was a feat for her on its own), her long blonde curls shaking as she looked up at Katsuki. "Daddy, I tried to be a hero without hitting, but he kept going! I didn't even use my quirk because you always say I can only use it at home!"
Yuna was blessed with a quirk similar to Katsuki's. Izuku was happy that she got one at all. The fear of his daughter being quirkless used to keep him up for many nights before her fourth birthday finally came. Not that being quirkless could stop his daughter from achieving greatness, Izuku served as a prime example. Izuku’s fear stemmed from his knowledge of how cruel the world could be when you didn't possess one, especially now, when it was rarer than when Izuku and Katsuki were children.
Yuna's quirk was considered dangerous, especially in the hands of a seven-year-old.The raw heat and power will no doubt rival her own father’s one day. Yuna’s quirk involves her converting the chemical energy in her body into thermal energy, which then produces heat from her palms, but she manifests the thermal energy as orbs. Not being able to control the output can really strain the user and produce harsh burns on her opponents. Katsuki works with Yuna at least twice a week, just training on accuracy and control of her orbs. Izuku makes sure the specialized glands in her hands are well taken care of, often massaging his daughter's hands and incorporating special hand lotions into her daily routine. If Yuna had used her quirk, the current situation would be far more complicated than it already was proving to be.
None of that really seemed to matter when Katsuki looked at his little girl. Those wide brown eyes were usually lowered in defiance and determination, but now they were open wide and helpless. Her waterline was brimming with tears that she was trying to hold back from flowing. Yuna was like him in so many ways, but right now, he only saw Izuku. The same Izuku who stood there with those same eyes, fists up, and his body trembling. So helpless and yet, taking a stand and being braver than Katsuki could ever dream of being. His daughter wasn't ever a crier; she was too stubborn, so seeing her in this state caused an ache in his chest. Katsuki let out a sharp, harsh exhale. God, this kid was going to be the death of him.
He walked around the side of the chair and stood directly between the Principal's desk and his daughter, a physical shield.
"Listen to me, Shiraishi. You aren't expelling her. You're going to give her the standard suspension for a first-time physical offense, or you're going to spend the next forty-eight hours explaining to me, and the school board, why a bully is allowed to assault quirkless students. While you're there explaining it, maybe you'll see how influential we can be."
The Principal's face went from pale to a panicked shade of red. "I... I will have to consult with the board, but... perhaps a two-day out-of-school suspension is more appropriate, given the mitigating circumstances."
"Two days," Izuku agreed, his voice firm. "And we want a written apology from the other student to Hana. Not to Yuna, but to Hana. For the harassment she endured."
Shiraishi nodded quickly, scribbling notes on a paper that he pulled out of the stack. "Yes, I will facilitate that. Yuna will be allowed back on Thursday, provided there are no further incidents."
Katsuki didn't look satisfied, but he gave a single, sharp nod. He reached down, his large hand gently but firmly gripping Yuna's shoulder. "Get your bag, kid. We're leaving."
The walk out of the main office felt shorter than the walk in; at least Yuna had her parents beside her this time. Yuna clutched her black backpack to her chest, her sneakers squeaking on the polished white linoleum. Izuku walked on one side of her, one of his hands swallowed Yuna's smaller, causing her to shift her backpack over the opposite shoulder. Katsuki stalked on the other side, his presence still radiating a "don't touch" aura that made the passing teachers jump and glance nervously.
As they passed the nurse's office, the door was cracked open. Yuna caught a glimpse of a boy sitting on the edge of the cot, a bloody cloth held to his face, and a very angry-looking woman in an expensive suit hovering over him.
Yuna's pace faltered for a second. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She felt a thick, dizzying fog of "too much," a sensation that made the hallway feel miles long, and her backpack felt like it was filled with lead.
"Don't look at 'em," Katsuki muttered, his voice dropping to a low, private register. "Keep your head up. You did what you had to do. We'll handle the rest."
"But he's crying, Daddy," Yuna whispered, her brown eyes wide as she looked up at Katsuki.
"Yeah, well, Hana was crying too, and she didn't do anything to deserve it," Katsuki countered. "Sometimes people have to learn the hard way that actions have consequences. That goes for him, and it goes for you. You're grounded for the two days, you get that?"
"Okay," Yuna sighed, her shoulders slumping.
"No soccer," Katsuki added, though his tone held no real bite. "And you're helping me clean the gear in the gym. If you're gonna use those hands to punch, you're gonna use 'em to work, too."
Izuku looked over, catching Katsuki's eye. There was a silent communication between them—a shared understanding of the fine line they were walking. They had to support her sense of justice without encouraging violence, especially at school. However, Izuku caught the proud glint in his husband’s eyes.
They reached the heavy double doors of the school entrance. The afternoon air was crisp, a sharp contrast to the stuffy, tense atmosphere of the principal’s office.
"Papa?" Yuna asked as they approached the SUV.
"Yes, love bug?"
"Is Hana gonna be okay tomorrow? Who's gonna protect her if I'm not there?"
Izuku stopped at the car door, kneeling down so he was eye-level with her. He tucked a stray blonde curl behind her ear, his expression full of love and empathy. "Hana is going to be okay, Yuna. I'm going to talk to her parents and make sure the school is watching out for her. And you know what? Miki and your other friends saw what you did. Sometimes, it just takes one person standing up to make everyone else feel brave enough to do the same."
Yuna’s eyebrows pinched together, considering this. "Like when you saved the people from the fire last week?"
"Exactly like that," Izuku smiled, ruffling her hair gently before resuming the trek to the car, affectionately dubbed “Deku’s dumb mom van” by Katsuki.
Katsuki was already waiting by the driver’s side, instead of heading for his usual bike; he was staring at the SUV with a look of lingering adrenaline.
"I left the bike at the agency and blasted my way over when I got the call," Katsuki muttered, his jaw tight as he climbed into the driver's seat. "My heart rate didn't drop until I got in that office."
Izuku climbed into the passenger seat, reaching over to rest a hand on Katsuki’s arm. "I think the city’s air traffic control is used to you by now." He turned to Yuna, who was buckling into her seat. "Ready to go get your brother?"
"Are you going to tell him that I was bad?" Yuna asked, her voice small.
"First of all," Izuku said, turning in his seat further to firmly capture her gaze, "you aren't bad. You were trying to do the right thing, you just picked a way that has consequences."
"Also, your brother’s just a brat," Katsuki grunted, checking his mirrors. "He thinks 'bad' is when we run out of juice boxes. You don't need to worry about it."
Yuna may not say it out loud, but she did care what her brother thought of her, despite his age. He always loved following Yuna around, copying her movements and agreeing with every decision she made. He really admired his older sister, and Yuna couldn’t tarnish her reputation in front of her number one fan (she loved him too). Knowing that her suspension wouldn’t change how Hiroki felt about her, did help lighten the heavy feeling in her chest, just a little bit.
The transition from the tense school office to the Sunshine Daycare was like stepping into a different world. When they walked in, the smell of crayons and apple juice filled the air, and a high-pitched squeal erupted from the play area.
"Daddy! Papa!"
Hiroki, a three-year-old whirlwind with Izuku’s green curls and a face currently smeared with what looked like purple finger paint, came barreling across the carpet. He slammed into Izuku’s shins with enough force to make him stumble.
"Whoa, easy there, Hiro," Izuku laughed, scooping him up.
"Yuna! Look!" Hiroki shouted, waving a crumpled drawing at his sister.
Yuna’s eyes brightened, her somber mood finally cracking as she grabbed the paper. "That’s a cool dragon, Hiro!"
"It's daddy!" Hiroki corrected.
Katsuki leaned over, squinting at the purple blob. "I don't have that many limbs, brat. Let's get out of here, your sister’s got onion duty, and I’m starving."
Hiroki’s sticky hand found Yuna’s as they walked to the car, and just like that, the heavy feeling she’d been carrying started to disintegrate. By the time they made it through the front door of the house, Yuna didn’t have to hold the weight of being a suspended student anymore. She was just Yuna. The heavy shadow of the school office couldn't follow them past the threshold of their own kitchen. And true to his word, Katsuki had a stool pulled up to the island for Yuna, along with a small pile of onions for her to peel and cut.
"If you're going to use your hands to throw punches, you’re going to use 'em to work," Katsuki reiterated, handing her a blunt trainer knife. "Peel, and don't rub your eyes, or you'll really have something to cry about."
“I don’t need the trainer knife, Daddy,” Yuna grumbled, but took the knife into her hand anyway.
Yuna took to the task with surprising gusto, her chin held high. The fear of expulsion had been replaced by her usual spark, flickering back to life now that the heavy shadow of the Principal's office was behind her.
"Hana’s mom texted me while we were in the car," Izuku said, leaning against the counter as he helped Hiroki with a snack. "She wanted us to know that Hana told her you were the bravest girl in the whole school. She said she felt safe because you were there."
Yuna’s head snapped up, a massive, toothy grin breaking across her face, one that resembled Katsuki's rare full-fledged smiles. "Really? She said I was brave?"
"She did," Izuku smiled.
Katsuki flipped a pork cutlet in the pan, "Yeah, well. Brave is one thing." He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing playfully. "Tell me, brat, did you at least put your hips into the punch? Or was it just a sloppy swing?"
"Kacchan!" Izuku chided, though his eyes were dancing with amusement. "Your daughter was just suspended! Don't encourage it!"
"What? If she's gonna get suspended, I at least want to know if her form was worthy," Katsuki smirked, ducking a playful swat from Izuku.
Yuna laughed, her boisterous, loud energy finally back in full force. She was grounded, had a mountain of onions to peel, and she had an early workout with her dad tomorrow. And yet, as she watched her family, she knew it was worth it. If Yuna had a redo for the day, she’d choose to do it all over again in a heartbeat.