This is still a safe chapter. It's pretty fluffy. Todorki plans a toddlers birthday party because Bakugou doesn't know what the fuck to do.

"Alright, Icy-Hot, I'm only gonna say this once, so listen up," Katsuki commanded over the phone, unsure if Todoroki Shouto was even really listening.

"Thanks." The implied, 'cause I wouldn't have known what the fuck to do' was probably lost on Shouto, but that didn't matter.

"Kid's gettin' ready right now. I'm finishing up this damn cake if my mom would STOP BUTTING THE FUCK IN!"

Sounds of a minor scuffle broke out over the line, and a feminine growl and guttural "Katsuki you ungrateful shit, I'm just trying to help make my granddaughters cake," could be heard before Katsuki came back with, "We'll be there in thirty, alright?!"

The scarred man nodded into the phone as if Katsuki could see, and hung up with a minute quirk of his lips.

"How's Kacchan doing? He sounded pretty pleasant." Izuku called out from the floor of the Bakugou living room, taking a break, face a little red from all the lung capacity being used on balloons.

"He said they'll be here shortly," Todoroki announced, eyeing their handiwork so far before he set up a special chibi Deku themed futon on the kotatsu at the center of the room.

"Ya know, I've never really known what it was like to have a big birthday since it was only ever me and my mom. But I think this is just the right amount of party."

"My old man never really gave us parties, there was always training to do. That could've easily been Bakugou." Todoroki said quietly, remembering Bakugou pacing in their living room in front of all the guys, complaining how Ochako finally wanted a birthday party for Miho now that she was old enough to remember. Bakugou had worried in a way that Shouto had never seen Endeavour do until it was almost too late in life. So Shouto enjoyed the split second of relief that crossed his friends face when Shouto volunteered to plan it. "I think it will fit everyone's tastes," he finished.

"Yeh, Bakugou will like the excessiveness, but Ochako will like that it didn't cost us much. I mean, it doesn't get much cheaper than 50,000 yen for a party." Izuku smiled, gazing at the myriad of balloons covering the entirety of the floor and hanging from the ceiling, the large Kotatsu now covered in overflowing bowls of chips and snacks with an empty spot waiting for a cake, and a tiny ice bucket of fancy juices. "And Miho won't care at all, I think. Not with this many balloons."

Shouto smirked, thinking of the little girl who was, for all intents and purposes, his niece.

If he'd been asked a decade ago, when they were fifteen, if he could see himself staying over at Bakugou's on weekends with Midoriya; having relaxing, rotating, weeknight dinner's and drinks; creating a path of ice to rush Ochako to a hospital when Bakugou was away; holding her little red-eyed half Bakugou creation for the first time; or blowing up over 300 balloons for said creation's third birthday, he'd have...calmly ignored them, and gone on with life, not believing a word.

Yet here he was, filling an entire apartment with balloons and snacks because all that time spent growing together meant he cared. Plus this was how they did it on tv, so why not. He figured his partner would stop him if it didn't seem correct.

In other words, however worried Bakugou was about how to be a parent, or throw a party, Shouto was even more clueless but he cared enough to try.

"Sero and the gang just texted that they'll be late, and Kirishima said he's on his way, just picking out a gift still. And I think Koda is going to bring some cute animal friends" Izuku said, walking to sit beside Shouto, thumbing through his phone as he settled in to wait for the girl of the hour.

"Yaoyorozu and Jirou are en route," Shouto added, checking his separate group chat between the girls and him, leaning his head on Izuku's shoulder in content.

"Everything's ready?"

Before Shouto could answer, the front door opened, a tiny voice already chattering away as the Bakugou family burst in.

"Cans I see it, cans I see? Please, papa?!" The toddler begged, oblivious to her surroundings. Her slouchy beanie cap over her bobbed hair, striped high collar tunic, Wild, Wild PussyCats pawprint hoodie, and black leggings made her look like a tiny model. She reached over and over for a box that Katsuki kept moving around to get out of her grasp.

"No! Take off your shoes brat!" Katsuki said, passing the box off to Ochako who was already out of her flats and making her way through the throng of balloons to place it on the table.

"Don't talk to my granddaughter that way you little…"

"Dear, Todoroki and Midoriya are here." Bakugou Masaru announced quietly.

While her grandparents discussed, and her father was removing his boots, a rogue balloon, bright and green, half the size of the tiny little Miho, bounced in front of the child as she chucked her tiny sneakers against the wall of the entryway, and her eyes popped.

"I don't care. Katsuki IS being an unfair little..." Mitsuki started as Miho turned.

"KATSUKI! IT'S BALLOONS!" The little girl cackled, interrupting all the commotion. She jumped up and ran, prancing through and kicking up every balloon in her path toward the kotatsu, "I LOVE BALLOONS!" She screamed, "KATSUKI! Look! I love balloons!" She continued, urging her father to follow toward the table.

Katsuki rolled his eyes, working desperately to not show how much she was making him want to smile like a dumbass. Ochako burst into laughter, accidentally activating her quirk as she clutched her chest.

"KATSUKI! It's your balloon!" The toddler jumped, pointing at her mother, wildly gesturing for Katsuki to grab her.

"She still calls you Katsuki?" Shouto asked. Midoriya stood behind him, covering his smile to contain a laugh.

The blonde scowled and reached up to try and grasp his wife, who deliberately kicked at his hands, happy to be laughing at his expense and the inadvertent and yet cute lack of respect from Miho.

"It's all we call him." Ochako gasped, trying to catch her breath, happy tears in her eyes as her daughter continued kicking up a storm, screaming, crawling and dancing through the balloons.

"Yeh, little punk's not smart enough yet to remember all the damn time." He said, giving up, waving off the woman on the ceiling.

The doorbell rang.

Masaru opened the door to find Tsu and Kirishima waiting.

"Hey! I caught this fly while I was walking up to the gate, Kero." Tsu said, stepping in first then revealing Kirishima, who was carrying a large picnic basket.

"What's in the basket Red!" Bakugou shouted over the chatter of people. "Oh well, I figured since you and Miho share a birthday month, you'd like some father-daughter outing materials. Come and get it, kid!" Kirishima yelled to the girl, who immediately stopped shoveling chips in her mouth and ran to the kneeling redhead, greasy fingers smearing his clothes as she hugged him.

"What'sis? For Miho?" The toddler asked.

"Yeh, open it up."

The puffy cheeked child undid the clasp and popped up a flap on the basket to reveal a jam-packed amount of chocopies, spicey ramens, and hot pepper flavored snacks.

"KATSUKI! SPICEY!" Miho screamed, looking to her father and smacking her cheeks, shaking her head like she was being hit by a taser, producing a thousand watt smile.

Katsuki clenched his fists hard to relieve some of the aggressive ache to squish his daughter, and hold her tight, the sides of his mouth pulling into an unintentionally soft smirk.

"What do you say?" Ochako said, finally touching down from her foray above, wrapping her arms around Katsuki's waist, and squeezed a bit at his hip as she held him.

"Thank you Ojisan Kirishima! Mraow!" She exclaimed, jumping up and instead of pecking him on the cheek, made a slurping sound, fake licking like a cat.

"No problem little one! Happy Birthday!" Kirishima gave her a sharp-toothed grin and looked at Katsuki.

"Yes! Happy Birthday!" She said, running off, continuing to slurp.

"It's her new thing. She decided her paw pads make her a cat." Katsuki offered, shaking his head like he didn't understand a goddamn thing.

"Oh well, then that's our cue," stated Midoriya, producing a small bag and holding it out to Miho. "Why don't you go ahead and open it, Miho."

"Yay! Presents! Ojisan Deku, Ojisan Icy-Hot! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" She slurred, grabbing the bag, too excited to think.

Rummaging through a small tree's worth of tissue paper, Miho pulled out costume cat paws and a clip on tail.

Tiny fingers gripped the items tight as Miho's body shook, big eyes too excited to blink. "CATS!"

"Here, let's put everything on." Masaru signaled the toddler over, infected by the girls open and happy nature.

Ochako followed in the tiny girl's wake, picking up the paper and bag like a trawler. "Iida's brother offered to cater tonight, so he's bringing the food by with an assistant. Can some of you help Katsuki and me set up a few more low tables and move the couch?"

"Aw, you should've let us know Ochako, Shouto and I coulda had that done already. I'll help." Izuku kissed the top of Shouto's head and left.

"Us too!" Kirishima and Tsu added, before following Ochako and Katsuki into the hall.

Shouto stayed behind and sat on the floor, watching the little Bakugou play fight and paw at her grandparents.

He secretly enjoyed the wonderful sounds of a house filled with talking and laughter and hoped Midoriya and he would be able to have that one day.

Shouto wondered if things would be like this forever. Everyone together, raising the next generation as a community, sharing the love that they built for one another over so many years, and turning it into strength. To share each other's burdens and build each other up. Todoroki believed that would be able to get them through anything.

It's something he never had growing up, and even if he ever had children, he wanted to be able to always give that love and strength to Miho too so she could carry that torch into the future with her.

Without even realizing he'd drifted away somewhere, a tiny paw filled his vision, then gently grasped his cheeks.

"Ojisan! I love you smile!" Miho said, grinning big, eyes squeezed tight in glee.

Sure enough, Shouto could feel the rise in his cheeks, and the upward turn of his lips. At the realization, he closed his eyes at her touch, exhaling a small shuddering breathe. It burned a bit behind his lids and in his throat.

Miho, not quite understanding what was wrong, looked momentarily confused before she jumped, "Don't worry! I'll save you with Fearless Deku Smile AND HUGS!" She shouted, bringing her arms tight around his neck in a big bear hug.

Shouto laughed at that, intrigued at how Deku was indirectly a party to bringing back his smile even through this tiny person.

Shouto hugged her back.

"I love your smile too."

Miho cackled and ran off, diving and rolling under the sea of balloons.

Yeh, the future seemed pretty bright.

This is your first warning to turn back now if you don't like major character death, or implied major character death. Because we got it all. You are free to stay in this world where they all live happily ever after. The next chapter will be your second warning.