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Among his many qualities, Izuku also has many flaws. His general disregard for his health is one of them, and one that gives his boyfriend a fair bit of grief. Though, in his defence, he really doesn’t get sick often. Sure, he breaks bones and gets sprains and just gets overall beaten up on the regular, but that’s entirely different. It’s kind of curious how tiny, microscopic beings can do so much damage to a person that takes beatings pretty much every other Tuesday. Still, Izuku was sure that he simply had a sore throat; it had been cold out lately and maybe his early morning runs could have used a few more layers on his person, plus he had that screaming match with Kacchan and that certainly wasn’t doing his vocal cords any favours…
Despite Shouto’s best efforts to get Izuku to see a doctor, he just kept dismissing it with a half-hearted wave and a few reassuring words. Shouto wasn’t convinced. Luckily for Izuku, his boyfriend isn’t the type to say “I told you so”, but in all honesty, that’s just because his unamused stare says it for him. When Izuku was struggling to swallow at lunch that day, all he wanted to do was shrink under his gaze. Even more so when Uraraka started making beyond inappropriate jokes about what he wouldn’t be able to do that night.
“Now will you see a doctor? Clearly, this ‘sore throat’ of yours isn’t going anywhere.” Shouto had deadpanned, crossing his arms over his chest and letting out a frosty huff of a breath.
Izuku reluctantly agreed.
And now he is sitting in the hospital’s waiting room, bouncing his leg impatiently because he should be finishing tomorrow’s homework by now. But it’s okay, the doctor will just prescribe him some medicine and he will be on his way. He can stay up a little later to catch up, and Shouto will help him in the subjects he struggles most on, surely.
The little ding of a new ticket being called draws Izuku’s attention to the screen and he abruptly stops his nervous tapping.
“That’s you.” Shouto stands up and Izuku stares at him with an inquisitively raised eyebrow. “I’m coming with you to explain what’s wrong. You can’t even speak.”
Well, that’s certainly fair.
Izuku gags at least twice when the doctor pushes down on his tongue to check his throat and he tries not to imagine Uraraka’s voice making another snide and thoroughly unwarranted comment. The doctor doesn’t necessarily grimace, but her face when she sits back on her chair really isn’t encouraging.
“It seems like you’ve got pretty bad tonsillitis.” Oh, that sounds like it’s bad. “You’re not allergic to penicillin, right?” Izuku shakes his head in response. “Alright, then if you wait near the nurse’s office, we’ll give you a shot and you should be better in no time.”
“A shot?!” Izuku squeaks and immediately regrets it, an itch forming in the back of his throat that sends him into a coughing fit that spreads pain all throughout his being.
How exactly it hurts more than his last two trips to Recovery Girl combined, he really doesn’t know.
“Yes, the infection has advanced so much it’s the most efficient way to treat it. I will prescribe you a follow-up antibiotic just to make sure it really gets dealt with, since even one dose might not be enough with the state you’re in. Something tells me you aren’t open for a second shot in two days.”
Eyes widening, Izuku shakes his head vehemently, clearing his throat with a flinch and forcing himself to say that what she suggested is fine. Offering him a small, sympathetic smile, she prints out the prescription and points him towards the nurse’s office. He walks stiffly to the chairs by the door, trying not to crumple the paper in his hands too badly and avoiding Shouto’s eyes. For some reason he is sure that his boyfriend is staring.
“Izuku,” Shouto calls and Izuku hums in response. “By chance, are you afraid of needles?”
Izuku cringes at the tone of disbelief, sitting down and shrugging his shoulders before finally risking a glance at him. Shouto’s eyes are narrowed and he seems a little incredulous, but at least it doesn’t look like he is going to mock him. He knows how this sounds.
“You realise that we have fought a killer who threw literal katanas at us, right?” Shouto asks, still just sounding genuinely confused. All Izuku can do is nod. “Well, alright. Do you want me to be there for you?”
Gratitude no doubt shines brightly in his eyes when he looks into Shouto’s, taking his cool hand and bringing it up to his somewhat heated cheeks—is it embarrassment or does he have a fever? Maybe both, actually—to place a small kiss on his knuckles. Shouto’s lips quirk up for a moment as he lovingly runs his hand up his face, leaving it on his forehead to ease the heat.
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“Midoriya Izuku?”
Jolting away from his boyfriend’s cooling touch, Izuku jumps to his feet, bowing his head before following the giggling nurse inside the office with Shouto in tow. When she starts taking out the penicillin and the needle to suck it up, Izuku would have gulped if it weren’t so excruciatingly painful right now.
“It’s just a needle, Izuku.” Shouto whispers beside him, and Izuku purses his lips before turning to him.
“A really pointy one…” He chokes, holding onto his neck as he pushes past the pain.
A comforting hand rubs at his back and Izuku lets out a pained sigh as the nurse turns to him. “Please pull down your trousers slightly and lie face down on the bed.” She instructs and Izuku balks.
“P-p-pull down my what?” He asks, ignoring the sting just to make sure he didn’t mishear it.
“Your trousers, Izuku.” Shouto offers. “That shot’s given on your glute.”
My ass, you mean, Izuku thinks, eye twitching and cheeks flushing even more than the fever made them. He hesitates with his hands around his trousers’ waistband, his eyes flickering from the nurse holding onto to the medicine and his boyfriend, feeling the heat on his face climb higher and higher. At this rate he is going to fry his brain.
“I can just leave.” Shouto shrugs casually and Izuku immediately reaches for one of his hands, squeezing as the panic rises the moment his eyes move back to the extremely sharp needle.
“Please don’t…” He begs.
“Then do as you’re told. The sooner you do, the sooner it’s over and done with.”
Izuku frowns but nods silently, fixing his gaze on some far corner of the room as he quickly shimmies his trousers down to uncover half of his bottom and lying on the hospital bed. Shouto respectfully stands in front of him, looking at their joined hands rather than his shame hanging out in the open. Is he smirking? He’s totally smirking. Something cold rubs over the top of his right butt cheek and Izuku gasps, squeezing his eyes shut, only peeking up when he hears Shouto’s amused huff to glare at him.
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“It’s just some rubbing alcohol.” He smiles softly.
“You’re going to feel a sting.” The nurse calls, and Izuku’s grip on Shouto’s hands tightens, a breath hissing past his teeth when the needle pokes through his skin.
A weirdly heavy—is that the right word?—feeling soon follows, and just as quickly as it started, it’s over.
“All done.” The woman’s sweet voice announces as she throws the needle into the little yellow bin on the table beside the bed.
“See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Shouto raises a brow at him as he gets back on his feet to pull his pants back up, then rubs at the spot the needle stung him.
“It’s sore.”
“That’s normal. It will pass soon though, don’t worry. Feel better.” The nurse waves them off after Izuku thanks her and they both walk out hand in hand.
Izuku heaves a small sigh. At least it’s over. As soon as they have the antibiotics, they return to the dorms in a comfortable silence, Shouto’s left side warm against him.
“Ah, Midoriya-kun, Todoroki-kun! You’re back!” Iida calls once they walk into the common room.
“Everything okay, Deku-kun?”
“Tonsillitis.” Shouto answers for him, ruffling his hair with a somewhat exasperated sigh.
“You poor thing. No wonder you couldn’t swallow—” Uraraka cuts off at the sight of Iida’s gaze. “—your food.” She finishes with a wiggle of her eyebrows that Izuku returns with an eyeroll of his own.
“Well,” Shouto muses as she is about to leave them alone, a mischievous smirk flashing past his lips. “It’s not like I didn’t get any action tonight.” Izuku’s eyes widen and his face burns all over again as his boyfriend casually walks away, leaving him to endure Uraraka’s snorts on his own.