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Kirishima had been the one to suggest having the routine.
He knew of your shaky memory and forgetfulness long before you two had gotten together, listening to your worries each time you reached out to him on bad days. It hurt his heart to see you so stressed about the stuff you weren’t able to remember. There had been too many instances where he answered your calls and heard you on the verge of crying or already in tears.
After one particular morning where he arrived at your house to pick you up, he found you crestfallen and unsure of yourself, tear tracks on your cheeks and your voice hoarse. He learned of yet another unfortunate incident that took place because of your predicament, silently observing as you struggled to pick yourself back up for the rest of the day.
That was the moment where he decided to lend a hand and come up with a way to ease your mind for good.
It took a while of brainstorming before he eventually got the idea of having a shared checklist routine. The both of you would have two copies of the same list that contained most of not all of the tasks you needed to finish by the time you needed to sleep.
During sit down sessions, Kirishima would patiently run down the list to confirm what you were able to get done. Since it was very new to you, he hadn’t once expected for you to have the whole list checked off so early on.
As he predicted, there were a few days where you could only do so much. Even when a fraction of the list had been checked off, Kirishima had always commended you for doing your best. He was proud of your efforts, congratulating you for what you could do and comforting you when you missed a few things.
His words of encouragement had a strong effect on you. You witnessed your improvements with time and gradually became determined to achieve that sense of accomplishment with every new day. Sometimes you tripped and other times you fell, but Kirishima had remained right by your side to lift you back on your feet, cheering you on to dust yourself off and keep on going.
The two of you are currently sitting on your bed, cross-legged with your lists out. Kirishima gives you a soft smile before turning his attention to his copy, lightly gripping a pen between his fingers as he starts from the top. He usually begins with the simple ones first. “Fixed up your bed before starting your day?” he asks as he thumps his foot against the comforter.
“Yes,” you answer, keeping your gaze on your own list. Before the routine came to be, you hardly remembered to straighten the blankets and pillows. Your bed would often look the same as it did each time you left it in the morning. There had even been a string of days where you would fall back on the rumpled beyond belief mattress, too caught up with other things to remind yourself to at least smooth it down.
Adding it to the list sparked a hidden memory of sorts for you. Although you couldn’t exactly recall who it was, you knew that someone in your life once mentioned that you’d be giving yourself a few points of pride early on by spending five or so minutes tending to your sleeping space. Kirishima had echoed it sometime before, and that pushed you to get to work.
The first couple of times, you hadn’t felt any different. But the longer you kept at it, the more you were able to relish in the waves of fulfillment.
Kirishima’s lips quirk upward a tad as he checks the box. “Drank a lot of water?”
You can’t help but laugh at the hint of playfulness in his voice. “Enough,” you quip truthfully, your mind supplying you with most if not all the times you reached for a water bottle from your fridge.
Juice and soda were the usual comfort drinks for you. Their sweet and crisp flavors kept you going when you needed a boost. Allowing yourself to indulge in stuff that made you feel nice was always good, but what had Kirishima concerned was the lack of proper hydration you got on a daily basis.
All of the sugar wouldn’t do well for you in the long run. Hardly having any water at all was unhealthy, and while he never policed you to drink more of it, he would tie in every now and then to check if you had enough bottles in your fridge and how often you ran out towards the end of each week.
That had been enough of a sign for you to go back to having water more often. You still keep your comfort drinks around, but they are consumed considerably less nowadays.
“I see you did your hair,” Kirishima points out fondly, reaching out to rub the back of your head, sifting his fingers through your soft and recently washed hair. His fingers catch a loose strand, tucking it behind your ear. He taps your nose before going back to the list and checking it off. “It looks really nice today.” A cheeky grin is sent your way. “But then again it always does to me.”
The sincerity he speaks with has your face heating up, a shy smile gracing your lips. “Thank you, Eiji.”
There were some days where you forgot about self care, but he never judged you for it. You try not to think about how infrequently you used to tend to your hair. With how hectic things had been, giving it a thorough wash hadn’t often come to mind.
After thinking about it on your own, you soon decided to put your foot down. You wouldn’t let your stresses stop you from getting rid of copious amounts of grease buildup. It wasn’t worth the trouble, and you realized you didn’t like the idea of walking around with what could be considered a bird's nest on your head.
“Finished your homework?” Kirishima asks next, now moving on to the more complex parts of the list.
You bite your lip, staring down at the crossed out check mark and scratched out “x” over the box. You did remember to start some of your work, but actually completing all of your assignments had been a struggle.
Some questions were tougher than others, and there were plenty that left you outright stumped. It was difficult maintaining focus during lessons these days, your focus dwindling even when you tried your hardest to prevent it. You now spend one or two hours teaching yourself what you missed, making sure you didn’t fall too far behind on classes.
You gave it your best shot, working your brain until you got to the last question. At that point, you stopped straining your concentration and scribbled something in just to get it out of the way. In a sense, you did finish your homework. Not necessarily with correct answers, but at least it’s not a burden on you for tomorrow. “As best as I could,” you settle for an answer after nodding.
Kirishima simply hums as he checks off his box. “Your best is more than enough,” he says, knowing full well that he also has troubles with homework.
The session continues in the same manner for another few minutes, with you confirming what he inquires about. Putting some time in to study, going out for a short walk to clear your mind, giving yourself several breaks throughout the day… You were too caught up with your list to notice the proud shine in Kirishima’s eyes.
It grows brighter and brighter the more you two go back and forth. The warmth he has in his heart for you intensifies as he takes in your now confident form. He’s glad, no, relieved, to see you in much better shape.
It’s been a long, long time since he saw you cry. He can’t tell when last you looked frantic or frazzled, and he hopes it stays that way. He’s gotten used to seeing your relaxed and calm expressions again.
Kirishima is just happy you let him help. He can watch you scan through your list any day and wouldn’t have a problem. If it’d get him to see you marvel at the fruits of your hard work, he’d take any chance he gets.
“That’s everything,” he breathes once he checks off the last box, generously ruffling your hair. A laugh escapes him as you start giggling, prompting him to set his list down and use both of his hands to give you a good tousling.
Once he finishes with his fun, he cups your face with utmost tenderness. Your smile is precious to him, and he’s delighted that you’re finally showing it freely. “I’m so, so proud of you,” he says as he brushes your cheek with his thumb. “This is the first time you got through the whole list!”
He watches your eyes soften a bit, his grin faltering at the slight shake of your head. “Not the whole list,” you say almost wistfully, sparking a small ounce of confusion in his chest.
“No?” Kirishima glances down at his copy, thoroughly skimming it over. All of the boxes are checked. Not a single one is left out or empty. “Are you sure?”
He feels your hands come to his face, gently directing his attention back to you. The love in your gaze is so strong it holds him in place, giving you free reign to lean forward and press a deep kiss to his lips.
Kirishima is quick to push back, applying a small bit of pressure. He’s careful as he reciprocates, not wanting his teeth to slip through and cut you. A shiver runs through him once he receives the sheer gratitude poured into it.
After you pull back, you rub your nose against his, tickling his skin with your light breathing. “I love you, Eijirou,” you whisper past your smile, swiftly sneaking in another peck. “Thank you so much for being patient with me.”
Kirishima wraps his arms around you, keeping you close as he lies back on the bed. He rubs his cheek to yours, giving you a second kiss on the curve beneath your eye. “I love you, too,” he whispers just as softly, saying your name fondly. “Anytime, and anything, for you.”
You push yourself up a bit, allowing him to see your face once more. The closed eye smile you wear is a sight he's missed far too much. It's enough to make his heart burst, and for as long as you two remain together, he would never get tired of it.
As the night goes by, with you peacefully sleeping in his arms, Kirishima does his best not to smother you with affection. All it takes is one more look at your face for him to give into the urge.
His flurry of kisses wakes you up, but you don't complain one bit.