Work Text:
there for you when you need me
(Erasermic Week 2021 Day 1: Cuddling)
It was unusual for Hizashi to be so exhausted.
Usually, the energy drinks he drank down at the speed of light were more than enough to keep him going throughout the day. They were stocked so full of caffeine that he could keep pushing through until the three separate jobs he worked were merciful enough to give him a break. Going forty-eight hours without sleep regularly? Not a problem.
Except, when it all caught up with him and slammed into him at once. That's when the caffeine stopped working and there was no denying his need for rest.
He kept the smile wide on his face throughout the school day, but even his most oblivious students could see how tired he was. His hair wasn't gelled up and was only done up enough for what he wore around his house (a bun used from hair at the top of his head, and the rest pooling around his shoulders; he'd sooner be caught dead than wear his hair without even a touch of flair). The dark circles under his eyes, barely hidden by his prescription glasses, were more than enough to rival his husband's. His hands trembled when held in the air. Even his hero costume had been abandoned for the day in favor of a large sweatshirt and some comfy slacks.
His students had nearly forced him to take a nap, but Hizashi knew that if he conked out, he'd sleep for the next seventy-two hours and nothing on Earth would be able to wake him.
Alright, that was an overstatement, but he could rival Shouta's napping ability if push came to shove.
By the time he got home, the smile fell from his face and his knapsack filled with papers crashed to the floor.
Shouta's arms wrapped around his body as his eyes rolled up, and the next thing Hizashi saw was the floor being way too close to him.
"Hizashi, you need to sleep. Right now."
The corners of his mouth curled up. "'s gotta be bad if yur commentin' on it…" he slurred, his voice a fraction of the normal volume he spoke at.
"Yes. Half your students and all of mine asked about you and your health today, and that was just within my morning classes. You're going to sleep. Now."
Hizashi rolled his burning eyes, barely able to force them back open as he straightened up. "We both have gradin' to do, Shou… 'M already behind as it is…"
"I'll take care of it. You need to head to bed. You'll eat and shower tomorrow morning."
"So bossssy…" His vision blurred, and as he took a step forward, the floor rose up to meet him. Again, sturdy arms stopped him from slamming his face into the hard-wood ground. "Gotta get the grades done first. 'M behind on them. 'll be fine…"
Shouta's heavy sigh echoed in his ears. "Fine. I'll get our grading set-up put together, and then we'll grade the essays and quizzes we gave our classes. You go clean up from the day."
That was Shouta speak for "do what you usually do for self-care, because if you conk out and complain to me about missing your skincare routine tomorrow morning, I will not hesitate to bring up the previous day's events."
Hizashi waved his hand. "'lright, 'lright… Mr. Grumpy…"
His husband stayed quiet as he shuffled into the bathroom.
It took him over fifteen minutes just to wash his face. His first mistake had been using warm water, and the warmth against his cheeks reminded his body too much of the pillow on his bed. By the time the splash of cold water hit his eyes, he was close to calling for his husband again to make sure he didn't hit the bathroom sink on the way down.
Then came spot treatment, a touch of booster serum to brighten up his skin, some moisturizer to finish the job…
It was heaven once he finally finished everything he needed to do.
Shouta's matter-of-fact gaze locked onto Hizashi's hunched over body as the man shuffled out of the bathroom. An eyebrow lifted on his face, similar to something Hizashi had seen him use on his overconfident students.
"'M comin'… You didn't start without me, eh?"
His husband scoffed softly. "You were in the bathroom for about an hour. I didn't touch your classes' work, but I got a head-start on mine."
Hizashi nodded, a yawn popping the joints in his jaw. "'S fair…" he murmured, just missing one of the end tables and plopping onto the other side of the couch. Shouta showed no change in emotion as Hizashi flopped back, one of the throw pillows crushed against his left side. "Now… lemme see…"
He leaned forward, trembling fingers nabbing the first essay at the top of the stack he had brought home. Black glasses shifted, and as Hizashi shook his head to clear his foggy mind, he pinched the side of his glasses and adjusted them back into place.
First essay of the night.
'The-'
His eyes rolled up, his head fell back against the couch, and the entire world went dark.
When his eyes finally cracked open again, Hizashi saw his bedroom.
Everything was a mix of light and dark, just enough for a person to make out the furniture in their room with the swell of the early morning moonlight. One of his hearing aids was still in his ear, the left one, while the other ear against the pillow was devoid of the little device. The fan on the ceiling squeaked softly with each turn, humming as it chilled the room. Based on what his room looked like, Hizashi could only guess that it was sometime early in the morning.
Two in the morning, if he could take his best guess.
He shifted, letting the lingering cloudiness of sleep start to pull him back into his dream.
Then his body noticed the arms wrapped around him.
They were cupped around him, cutting into his right side and draped over his left side. Shouta's body was molded to his back, and his soft, sleepy breaths tickled the back of Hizashi's neck. By the way Shouta was holding onto him and cuddling into him, one would think the man was never going to let go.
The gooey smile was on Hizashi's mouth before he could stop it.
His left arm lifted, bare of clothing, and he reach his hand behind Shouta's head to thread his fingers through the black hair.
Shouta stirred, waking up with a 'murr' in his throat similar to the cats that had claimed the entire spare bedroom in their apartment. His hold around Hizashi tightened, and he pushed his forehead against the nape of his husband's neck.
The awkward angle was killing his arm, but damn if his husband wasn't the cutest thing.
"You good?"
"Yeah. All the papers were graded. Grades entered. Leftovers packed for lunch. Breakfast already premade. Cats all fed."
"Thanks, Shou…" Hizashi murmured, careful to keep his voice low.
"You've done it enough for me before," Shouta muttered back. "'s time I returned the favors…"
Flashes of memories, full of Hizashi making sure his husband could get the rest he needed while making sure work wouldn't pile on him the moment he woke up, appeared in the blonde's mind. They were there for a moment before they disappeared, and Hizashi was back in the moment, wrapped in his husband's arms.
"'d go back to sleep, 'f I were you… 's two in the mornin'… you gotta get up fer work in two… hours…"
The sleepy touches and slurred words in Shouta's voice, combined with the lingering fatigue in Hizashi's body, was more than enough to convince the blonde to stay in bed for just a little longer. He let go of Shouta's hair, unwrapped the other hearing aid still on his ear, and dropped it onto the nightstand next to him.
"Yeah… Night, Shou… Love you…" he said, careful to keep the volume at the lowest he could without a hearing aid in.
Shouta didn't answer, most likely because he had already gone back to sleep.
The blonde's muscles relaxed, and his eyes drooped closed. "'m mean it, Shou…" he murmured. It wasn't a moment later that Hizashi returned to his dreams, cuddled up in his husband's arms.