Work Text:
Eijiro was jolted awake by a knock on his door, his heart jumping to his throat as he looked at his phone and realized it was about 4 in the morning. Something had to be wrong, and the lack of notifications on his phone just made his panic all the worse. But, he took a deep breath. He was a hero after all and could defend himself plenty. Even if he was half asleep and in his boxers.
With a yawn, he reached for the hoodie he had tossed off last night from his floor and made his way out of his bedroom and to the front door.
Another knock sounded out as he reached it and he blurted out, “I’m coming, I’m coming.”
With his eyes halfway closed, he opened the door, revealing his best friend sitting against his door frame, still in his hero costume. His brain jump started, and he knelt down next to Katsuki who had his eyes closed and his head resting on the wall behind him.
“Katsuki?” He asked, concern making his throat close. He hadn't seen him in…
“Hey, ‘Shima.” Katsuki said with a half-hearted smile, his eyes fluttering open.
“Dude, what happened?”
Katsuki scoffed, or tried to, as he grimaced, “Some stupid half-ass villain. Tried to knock the shit out of me. Fucking failed.”
He took a full look at Katsuki then, wincing at the blood and cuts all over his face, the purpling bruise on his eye, the way his hero costume was ripped from the sleeves, his eye mask pushed up on his forehead to take the sweaty hair out of his face. Eijiro really must be half asleep, because he doesn’t think Katsuki had ever looked more badass or handsome.
“Let's go inside, okay?”
“You have bandages and shit, right?”
Eijiro nodded, getting up and offering his hand to Katsuki. He took it with the softest touch, and he tried to be just as gentle as he lifted him up.
“Did you not go to a doctor or something?”
“I don’t have time for that bullshit.” Katsuki rolled his eyes. “ Besides, they’re just cuts.”
Eijiro clicked his teeth. Katsuki had gotten like this over the years, caring less and less about his injuries. Taking more and more missions overseas, working every night. Not having time for anything but hero work. Not dinners. Not phone calls. Not even texts. Claiming that he could handle everything. It was as reckless as it was brave.
“You sure about no doctor?”
“I’m fine, Ei.”
He sighed, letting Katsuki lean on his shoulder as he realized he was limping. He led him to his bathroom, turning on the light and patting his counter.
“I can do this shit myself. Just tell me where your stuff is.”
Eijiro shook his head, “You can’t come here and not expect me to help you out.” Why Katsuki even came here in the first place? He didn't know.
Katsuki frowned at him, carefully hopping up on the counter, “I can never say no to you.” He mumbled, as if he didn't want him to catch it.
He frowned at that, the sting of the reminder that was exactly not the case, turning on his sink and reaching for the drawer that had washcloths. He let the water turn warm, soaking the towel and ringing it out.
“Stay still, okay?” He said, getting closer to Katsuki's face and being met with the most beautiful pair of eyes, swollen and bruised, but still so pretty. Filled with all the colors in the night sky. He was so close he could feel his breaths tickle his nose, the small grunts of pain as he adjusted himself on the counter.
Very lightly, he rubbed the washcloth over the bottom of his nose where most of the blood had dried, leading to the top of his lip.
“Tell me if I’m going too hard, okay?”
His stomach fluttered at his choice of words, his face heating, and Katsuki tried his best to smirk back.
“Get your mind out of the gutter, Ei.”
Eijiro let out a quiet laugh, “Says you.”
He tried not to think about how intimate this was, running his fingers over Katsuki’s face, his pouting lips, above his eyebrows. How much he dreamed of doing just this when Katsuki happened to fall asleep next to him. How much he ached to touch him like this all over, gentle, adoring hands falling over the curves of his body. How he wanted to caress him lovingly, just like this, cupping his cheek to tilt his head that much over. The same way he wanted to take his face in his hands to kiss him.
Katsuki blinked up at him, and Eijiro blinked back, swallowing. He brought the washcloth to the sink again, rinsing off the mess and ringing it back out.
“Anywhere else besides your face?” He asked, running his fingers over his lips just for the selfish sake of it.
Katsuki sighed, wincing as he lifted up his shirt, revealing a gash on his waist.
Eijiro gasped, “Katsuki,” He swallowed, “Who hurt you?”
“Didn’t pay attention, some asshole with this ice-like quirk. Sharp and shit. I’m not sure if it was some quirk modification, but it hurt like hell.”
“What was he trying to do?”
Katsuki shrugged, “Was running away from the cops and some heroes. I was the only one who managed to get to him. I just blasted my way to where he was and punched him in the stomach. But then he started fighting back. Quirk was fucking annoying and canceling out mine.”
Eijiro frowned, “Did they get him?”
Katsuki broke out into a small smile, “Course I did. Fucking blasted the bastard into a wall.”
Eijiro smiled then, too “I’m proud of you.”
He helped Katsuki pull his shirt up, Katsuki saying he could just toss it. He opened the cupboard below his sink to fish through the small basket of first aid he had, getting out some antibiotic ointment and bandages. He washed his hands, taking out some cotton swabs to dab the medicine lightly over the cuts on his face. He patched them up, grabbing another clean cloth to assess the damage around his stomach.
“I’m gonna touch around your stomach, okay? Tell me if it hurts.”
He ran the washcloth lightly over his stomach, being slow around the middle of his waist. He let his thumbs graze the expanse of his skin, making sure there were no cuts anywhere else, resting his hands on the small of his back. He lingered there, his thumbs rubbing near the tender skin. Katsuki shivered at the touch, hissing as his head thumped on his shoulder.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. Muscles are sore.”
Eijiro started to rub up and down his back, “Is it okay if I hug you a little?”
Katsuki nodded, and Eijiro brought him close, letting him rest on his shoulder as he ran his hands up and down, squeezing his back muscles just a bit.
“Good?”
Eijiro felt Katsuki’s arms wrap around his back, so slowly, the lightest embrace.
“Fucking hell, Ei. All I could think about tonight was coming to you.” He confessed.
“Yeah?” He asked, shakily. His heart skipping a beat.
“Yeah. Sorry for interrupting your sleep.”
“It's alright, man.” He whispered, hugging Katsuki just a little tighter.
He’d always take care of Katsuki, no matter what. No matter the hurt feelings or how long the separation.
“You sleepy, Ei? Want me to get out of your hair?”
“You don’t want to stay?”
Katsuki hummed, “Can I?”
“You know you always have a standing invitation. My apartment is practically yours.”
His best friend sighed then, “I'm sorry. I'm sorry I haven’t been here in a while. And then I come here and look like shit.”
“You could never look like shit.” He admitted, nuzzling his nose in Katsuki's hair. “And hey, it's okay. Life happens. You're here now, right?”
Katsuki exhaled, nodding, “I’m gonna try harder.”
“You try hard enough, Katsuki. I'm not upset at you for not seeing me.”
“Yes you are. It's been three months, Ei.”
Eijiro sniffed, his nostrils tickling with the smell of sweat and that natural sweetened spice that was Katsuki. He swallowed. Katsuki didn't need to hear about his feelings right now. Not anymore. Not since…he can't. Not while he was hurt. Even though Eijiro was hurt himself.
“Stop being so goddamn understanding and be mad at me.” Katsuki gruffed, a hint of humor in his tone.
“Okay. Fine, I'm super mad at you, Kats.” He said with a smile, his heart twitching with the truth.
“Don't humor me. Tell me the truth, Ei.”
Katsuki's hands fell from his back to his hips, pulling him in closer.
“I am mad at you.” He whispered. “I'm mad that you overwork yourself.”
Katsuki nodded, pressing his nose against his.
“I'm pissed that I haven't seen you in three months. You haven't called me in 2. You don't even text me anymore.”
He could feel Katsuki tense, hugging him tighter.
“I'm upset that it feels like we're not each other’s anymore.” He confessed, shakily.
It was hard to see. Katsuki on the news, the talk of the town with Endeavor’s agency, the headlines all saying that he and Midoriya and Todoroki were this unstoppable, inseparable trio. He knew it was for just that, headlines, but it still stung the same. That he was here, missing him, being in love with him, and everyone else got him all the time.
Especially because, just before Katsuki had thrown himself into his hero work, he had confessed to him under the moonlight. Years of being in love with Katsuki and he couldn't handle it anymore. He kissed him and told him he loved him.
And he had been rejected. Katsuki saying that he couldn't. He can't. Not right now. That hero work was important. That they need to focus on that. Both of them. But how could Eijiro fight anymore when it took so much effort to keep his heart beating normally?
“Fuck. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Ei. Of course I'm yours.”
Eijiro scoffed, “Are you?”
“I am. I've always been yours.”
“Then why?” He asked, the words feeling like ice down his throat. He tried to pull away, but Katsuki held him tight.
“Cause I'm an idiot, Eijiro. I'm a goddamn idiot that can’t handle you loving me back.”
Eijiro pulled back just enough to face him, and he melted. Katsuki’s eyes were filled with tears, so ready to spill. His lips wobbly, the grip on his back shaking.
“What?”
“I've never…loved anyone before. Ever. It's a lot to feel, Ei. And you? Loving me back? Telling me that and kissing me?”
“You--you love me?”
“‘Course I do. I’ve been in love with you since we were stupid kids. Ever since you came up to me with that goddamn hair of yours and that stupid smile.”
Eijiro broke out into a smile, tears ticking his eyes. He could feel Katsuki’s hands balling in the fabric of his sweater, his grip fierce and determined.
“I'm sorry, Eijiro. I really am. And I lied to you. I need you more than anything in the world. These months without you have been torture. And if you forgive me and you'll have me? I want to be yours.”
He grinned, wiping a tear that fell down Katsuki’s eye, careful around the bandages.
“Thought you already were?”
Katsuki smiled his heartbreakingly beautiful smile. “I am.”
They went back into their embrace, Katsuki holding onto him so firmly, like he never wanted to let go again. But then, he let his grip go, looking at him with those eyes of his.
“How mad would you be right now if I kissed you?” He smirked, his tongue peeking out to lick his lips.
“So mad.” He joked, closing the gap between them and kissing Katsuki with all his love.