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Shouta grumbled as he spun at his desk chair. He was supposed to have a quiet evening with Toshinori. That all went down the drain.
“I told them fewer assignments, yet I’ve received one a week,” Shouta whined as he grabbed his materials.
Toshinori’s soft, wheezy chuckle filled his ears. “Come on. They said it would be quick.”
“Yeah, and that I was the only one for the job.” Shouta rolled his eyes. “The kids needed me. Blah. Blah. Oh, and blah.”
“Stop throwing a tantrum and get back here. I’m expecting my evening cuddle from my husband.”
“I’ll see you in a few hours,” Shouta said finally. “Love you.”
“I love you, too,” Toshinori coughed and wheezed.
“Don’t die on me, old man.” Shouta joked.
“Hey, I’m still kicking! Don’t tease.” Toshinori coughed hard.
“Okay, okay, just calm down. You know how you get when you laugh.” Shouta replied, worried.
“I’ll keep that in mind. See you.” Toshinori hung up.
Shouta sighed as he reached over to turn off his computer. He left his bag at this desk before he grabbed for his costume. Shouta suited up in his standard hero gear. He was surprised all of it still fit so well. He'd buffed up a bit since taking care of Toshinori.
"I don't even know why I had to be the one to do this. Some so many other heroes could check out some old abandoned mansion filled with rogue teenagers with quirks." He couldn't deny it, though; it was the teenager part that got to him. He still taught often, but not as much as before. He’s more behind the scenes now. Creating curriculum and running simulations for UA was still hard work. Nearly thirty years later, schools were still struggling to incorporate the right balance of All Might and Deku to teach their student heroes effectively. Being hands-on with a group of teenagers once more was a yearning he didn’t know he had, but it’d felt right, so he said yes. They probably needed some guidance, a little training, and they’d be on their way. Hell, they could have chosen a better shelter than All Might's original headquarters.
Shouta smiled to himself, remembering Toshinori's edgy phase as All Might. Taking a page from the American heroes was probably a mistake or at least a regret. A rich philanthropist? Sure. A playboy? Toshinori was far from a playboy. What a dork. Shouta shook his head fondly. He supposed that's why he's loved him for so long. Thirty-five years was indeed a long time after all. Especially when neither of them expected to be together for even a year, it was the best thirty-five years of his life, though. Every moment with Toshinori felt fulfilling, comfortable, and so full of love. Shouta never imagined he’d love someone as much as Toshinori.
Shouta flicked off the lights and quickly made his way down the stairs and to his motorcycle. At sixty-six, was he too old? Maybe? But the bike was his baby and a part of his later years as Eraser Head. Toshinori was all to blame. He loved it just as much as he did. He shivered when he got to open air. He could probably prepare some soup for Toshinori when he gets back. They'll have an excellent breakfast for the morning. Yeah. He'll do that. Toshinori would appreciate it. He's been having a rough few days lately. He could use a pick me up for sure.
Shouta settled his helmet on his head and peeled out of the parking garage. Shouta wove through the early evening traffic, keeping a mental list of what ingredients he'd need to pick up from a late-night mart. They had potatoes. Toshinori liked the flavor of carrots in his soup. He wasn't sure how much they still had, but he could grab some just in case. Onions and tomatoes were easy to mush up and swallow. He'd grab those on his way as well. Toshinori had also been craving some spice lately. Toshinori had started getting stubborn in his old age, but Shouta had grown soft about his diet. Toshinori just wanted to die peacefully and doing what he wanted. Shouta couldn’t deny him.
The strong wind didn’t help him as he exited the city and made it to the highway. The wind chilled him to the bone. His hands got numb as he kept riding, but he was almost there. He’d warm up soon. Shouta kept moving at a steady pace down the empty highway. The sun had gone down a while ago. Forest sounds and various nocturnal animals had already started scurrying around.
“Holy shit!” Shouta coughed. He’d inhaled too quickly as he stopped abruptly.
“Sorry, Sir.” a freakishly tall man in a trench coat bowed at him. “You see, my car spun off the road, thanks to the ice.”
Shouta removed his helmet.
“Are you hurt?” he could see his breath.
“No, thank you for asking.”
Shouta noticed a gleam of yellow under his broad hat and high coat collar.
“Can you please take me to a place I can make a call?” the man tried, voice desperate.
“If you don’t mind a motorcycle.” Shouta tilted his head.
“Not at all.” the man shook his white-gloved hands. “Anything is fine.”
Shouta nodded. “Hope on.”
The man scrambled onto the back of the bike. He situated himself awkwardly as he tried to fit. Shouta snorted at a memory of Toshinori doing the same as he set his helmet back on. It was weird that the man pressed so close to him, but Shouta ignored it as he rode on. He blinked and suddenly felt warm. He stood up straight, man and motorcycle gone. Shouta squinted at a shadowed figure. His breath hitched as he ran into Toshinori’s arms.
“I missed you,” Toshinori slowly pet Shouta's hair.
“You had so much more waiting for you in life,”
“Not without you,” Shouta mumbled softly.
“Hmmm… a broken heart. You big softy.”