Work Text:
At the hospital, after the war
“ – says Bakgou is still under heavy observation after the surgery, so only family are permitted visitation at the moment,” the receptionist tells Eijirou. He fidgets with his backpack strap as she continues to type into the computer. “Looks like you should be able to see him tomorrow. I’m not sure about Midoriya… the doctor's note says no visitors either for the time being.”
“Okay, thanks,” he responds, before finding a seat in the waiting room and plugging his phone charger into a nearby socket.
He pulls his phone out, connects the charger, and starts to text a few of his classmates. Thankfully, Mina is at the other hospital and was able to check up on everyone over the last day and a half, despite receiving some significant stitches to her thigh. Uraraka is still on bed-rest for her stab wound, and her heart is a little confused, but according to Mina the others seem to be doing alright and have been sent home to their families.Despite the overall exhaustion felt by the class, everyone seemed in happier spirits now that the war had ended. Except, of course, for Midoriya and Katsuki, who were still hospitalized.
Here, everything is so melancholic. Even with the war over, there's a lingering sense of unease with Katsuki and a few of their classmates still in the hospital.
About an hour later, Masaru and Mitsuki appear from the patient corridor.
“Hey, kid,” Mitsuki says. There's an unusual softness to her voice, and a small smile as she approaches him.
“Oh—Hi Mrs. and Mr. Bakugou!”
“Thankfully, it seems like Katsuki will be fine. His arm might be… a little worse for wear,” Masaru adds. “He was in and out of consciousness from all the medications and the pain still, but we were able to talk to him briefly.”
Eijirou nods for him to continue.
“Inko filled us in across the hall. Izuku’s still struggling—he's mostly been asleep—but the doctors are confident he'll be okay after a few more days of observation and a few weeks of bed-rest.”
Eijirou nods again, a small smile crossing his lips. “I'm glad they'll both be okay.”
Mitsuki speaks up, “We'll be headed out in a moment, however…” she fishes for something in her large purse. “We brought something for the brat to eat, but he said he wasn't hungry. He suggested we give it to you so it doesn't go to waste. It's definitely on the spicy side—how he likes it—but he said you'll probably be okay with it.” She hands him a small but stuffed bento box.
“Oh, thank you!” Eijirou receives the box and bows his head.
Mitsuki nods. Her and Masaru turn towards the exit. “Oh, and one last thing. The brat said he wanted to see you as soon as they'll let you in tomorrow. He said it was important—whatever that means. We'll probably see you again tomorrow. Goodnight, Kirishima.”
He echoes the sentiment and bids them farewell before popping open the box and musing to himself. He’s thankful for the snacks his moms snuck into his backpack before he headed to the hospital but they weren't exactly filling, so he’s extra grateful for Mitsuki’s cooking which is delicious despite the searing spiciness.
As the hours drag on, he is once again thankful to his moms for his small blanket in the cold lobby. It’s a blanket from when he was a kid - a red and black shark-print blanket with scratchy felt shark teeth for the edges. A singular physical comfort that keeps him warm as he pulls his legs up onto the cold, clinical chair, and falls asleep.
*
Morning rolls around with not much fanfare. He calls his moms to let them know he's doing alright and that he'll probably be home later in the evening since Katsuki isn't awake yet, and that the nurse said maybe in the early afternoon he'll be ready for guests. He calls Tetsu next to chat with him about a few mundane things to try taking his mind off the situation, which helps. Afterwards, he switches between playing a game on his phone trying to beat Katsuki's high score, reading outdated hospital magazines, and watching a lot of recaps of the news.
His, perhaps, tenth or eleventh rewatch of a certain video is interrupted by a nurse calling him from the reception desk.
"Mr. Kirishima, Bakugou would like to see you now."
Her voice in the quiet lobby startles him—he hadn't been watching the time. It’s 1:05 pm and visiting hours opened shortly after 1 pm.
"Oh! Okay, one second. Let me pack some stuff up."
The nurse hums and quietly chats with the front desk lady as he hastily stuffs his blanket and charger into his bag. On the way to the desk he tosses his empty snack wrappers into a trash bin.
The nurse in maroon scrubs guides him down a few hallways to Katsuki's room. After a curt wish of wellness, and a responding thanks, the nurse is on her way to another room.
Hesitantly, Eijirou peeks through the door. Katsuki is lying on his back, looking serene and breathing steadily. He quietly sets his backpack down and takes a seat by Katsuki's bedside.
He’s nervous to know how Katsuki is doing, yet excited to see his best friend again. Especially after everything they both went through in the past few days. He leans forward and crosses his arms on the bed railing. Katsuki’s right arm is heavily bandaged save for his hand, so he taps Katsuki’s chest with two gentle fingers to get his attention. “Hey, Katsuki.”
Ruby eyes slide open, blinking a few times before focusing. The whites of his right eye are bruised red.
"Hey, Red," he smiles weakly.
“How are you feeling?”
“Like a freight train fucking hit me,” he laughs. Some relief washes over his face upon seeing Eijirou.
Eijirou chuckles in kind, and shifts one of his hands down to Katsuki's. It’s heavily scarred.
"Hey, Shitty Hair.”
"Hm?"
"Sit on my good side."
"O-oh! Okay, hold on.” After he moves, he notices Katsuki’s left arm is free of bandages, but he has an IV and a heart monitor hooked up instead.
Without prompting, Katsuki continues. “Yeah, doctor said my hearing is a bit shot, mostly on my right side now, and I can't feel anything in half of that hand. Thumb and first two fingers work, though.” He lifts his arm, slowly, pointing said fingers at Eijirou. There's a small wince of pain as he does so.
“Oh…” Eijirou's eyes remain downcast for a moment, but he looks back up to Katsuki's left side. Thankfully, all that’s visible on Katsuki’s face, shoulder, and upper arm are minimal scratches that would likely heal within a few weeks, painted across smooth skin dusted with blond hair that he was all too familiar with. Fluffy blond hair sticks out in odd directions, not styled how Katsuki usually likes it, after a hospital wash once he was determined stable enough for it yesterday. Overall, he's just glad his best friend is alive and able to talk. Absent-mindedly, Eijirou reaches forward to spike the blond tufts back into their usual shape.
“... Yeah. Some bullshit about physical therapy might bring some feeling back or some shit.”
“What about your ears? And your eye? And heart?”
“I don’t… wanna talk about that last one. Doctor said it’ll take time to get used to. But, eh, eye looks worse than it is. Feels fine. My ear: said it should be a temporary loss, but also I should wear earplugs and look into some hearing aids just in case. I think it'll be fine.”
“Well I'm glad it's just temporary, cause…” Eijirou leans forward to rest his free arm on the railing, supporting his face and squishing his cheek. As he opens his mouth to speak, Katsuki interrupts him.
"—if you're about to say some sappy shit, I fuckin’ swear…" There's no bite to it, and Katsuki’s smile is knowing.
“How did you know?” Eijirou asks between chuckles.
He was going to say: How else are you gonna hear me tell you I love you over and over even when you tell me ‘cut the sappy shit’?
“You have that dumb look on your face. I know it because it happens every time you're ten seconds from getting blasted.” Katsuki smiles fondly and his eyes wander to where their hands are connected.
“Uh huh, well, only when it's you. Everyone else doesn't seem to mind my dumb grin,” he chides. Either way, Eijirou’s fairly sure that Katsuki only blasts him as a form of affection. Over the past few months, he’s noticed Katsuki has found more excuses for any form of physical contact from Eijirou. Sparring, wrestling, smacking his hardening after particularly bad puns, sitting extra close during movie nights in the dorms. Eijirou has definitely noticed.
Eijirou squeezes Katsuki's hand. Katsuki squeezes back. Eijirou grins even wider, a light blush dusts his cheeks.
“Speakin’ of… there was a reason I wanted to talk to you first out of all the extras.”
“Huh?” Eijirou’s eyes refocus on Katsuki's face and his pretty red eyes.
“Yeah, finally being able to just lay here gave me some time to think. Wanted to ask you somth'n.”
“About what?” Eijirou hopes he knows what it is, but…
“... ’bout your offer. For a date.”
Eijirou sits in stunned silence, then lets out a gasp of surprise. His heart is beating a mile a minute as he recalls one of their last conversations in the weeks leading up to the war.
*
They had been hanging out in Katsuki's dorm room, only a week or two before the war, and had just finished playing a fighting game. Eijirou beat him for the first time in a while. Playful insults and jabs turned into play wrestling. After a few tense moments, Katsuki had him pinned on his back, wrists grasped about his head, and was sitting on his chest. Though, Eijirou wasn't really trying to win; he was too busy laughing, which made Katsuki laugh, and that genuine smile that he loved so much showed itself once again.
Once their breathy laughs calmed, and as Eijirou looked up into ruby eyes, he blurted the question that had been on the tip of his tongue for the last few months.
“Katsuki, will you go on a date with me?”
Katsuki stilled, withdrawing his hands from Eijirou's arms. Eijirou, of course, expected a firm, ‘no, let's just be friends, I want to focus on hero work’ or ‘Shitty Hair, I don’t like you like that’ or literally any other reason not to go out together, and was completely prepared for it. Despite the increased physical contact, lingering touches, and subtle looks they always shared that gave Eijirou hope that there was at least something between them—that Katsuki might be interested in something more—he still couldn’t be sure.
He couldn’t wait, however, because he was so eager to have the life he kept dreaming of every morning when Katsuki would wake up in his dorm room after an extra-late movie night. A life that consisted of: their first date, a shared first kiss somewhere romantic and meaningful, meeting his parents, an anniversary, a joint agency, living together, making new friends and keeping up with old ones together. A life with Katsuki in it.
He knew he’d kick himself hard later in life if he didn’t at least try. The war, eventual graduation, and their general career path as heroes were all looming reminders of that potential Katsuki-shaped void. With everything in mind, Eijirou became so confident in his feelings and was willing to risk it all. He was hopeful that their friendship could survive a confession if the feeling wasn’t mutual.
What he wasn't prepared for, was Katsuki looking forlornly at the carpet. "I, uh... I don't know," he was at a loss for words as he tried to figure out what to do with his suddenly nervous hands.
Eijirou supplied timidly, "You can say no if you want, Kats. You don’t have to." Ever so nice, he sounded reassuring, as if Katsuki's refusal wouldn't be the reason he'd silently bury his heart six feet deep in agony trying to find someone else to fill that Katsuki-shaped void.
"I… It's..."
A few moments passed. Eijirou's heart kept beating rapidly. His eyes flicked between two lost-looking ruby ones until they stared back at him.
When Eijirou shifted nervously underneath him, Katsuki gripped Eijirou's wrists once again, this time harder. He shoved him back down into the soft carpet of the dorm room and his determined eyes held contact.
"It's not a no, Red."
"So it’s…?" Eijirou was a bit confused.
"I don't know what it is. I don't fucking know how to deal with this... feelings shit. And with everything so close ... can you—can you ask me again? Another time?" Katsuki slid his hand up Eijirou's arm to squeeze his hand.
Eijirou's hopeful eyes closed as he nodded vigorously in understanding, trademark grin returning to his cute face. “Okay! Yeah, I can do that.” Truthfully, he’d wait however long Katsuki would need or want just for the chance to go out with him.
The moment was broken when he hastily flipped Katsuki over and pinned him instead. A bright red blush spread across the blond's cheeks.
"Hah! got you! Now I'm winning!"
"Hey, fuck you!" Their wrestling continued again as the golden light of the sunset poured through the balcony window across red and blond hair like warm honey. The loading screen blinked and sprites bounced in place, the game console long forgotten.
*
In the hospital Katsuki squeezes Eijirou’s hand once again and continues to talk as Eijirou's heartbeat keeps its steady, rapid pace. As if somehow the increased blood flow might help him listen better.
“I thought about you, you know. Out there. You probably even saw when I did. I know you’ve been watching the video.”
Of course Eijirou saw. The whole world has been raving about these Deku and Kacchan Bakugou kids on the international news. The video has gathered millions of views overnight. Eijirou replayed it several times in the lobby this morning, a few more times in his head, and had been in the middle of watching it a few more times when the nurses called him up for visitation. Yes, it hurt to see his best friend pushed to the point of exhaustion, coughing up blood on screen with his arm broken in front of the whole world, but moreover, he was proud of Katsuki’s accomplishments. Everything had led up to that moment. And, the fight itself—narratively speaking—looked cool as hell. His elated feelings watching Katsuki fight reminded him of their fight at the first sports festival and watching his best friend win after. His manly best friend.
Eijirou nods, listening to that gruff voice he’s heard so many times before. He could never get tired of it.
"Right at the end, before I fell. When I stumbled and caught myself, it was because of you. I remembered when we talked in the dorm once, when you were worried about keeping up. You remember that?"
Eijirou nods and hums in reply, not wanting to interrupt. He isn't entirely sure where Katsuki was going with this, but just the notion alone that his best friend even thought of him at probably the most important moment in their lives so far made tears puddle at the corners of his eyes.
Katsuki clears his throat.
“Well, I remembered that. About how you're stupidly strong, and then when you told me about your first Unbreakable, you remembered that conversation too. And I was thinkin’ about you when I was ready to pass out, but just thinking about you was enough to keep me awake just a moment longer. I think… we make a good team. Not just when we’re fighting. So I thought on it some more. And… I don’t wanna fuck things up by waiting too long and maybe you move on or some shit. So yeah, I wanna go on a date. When I'm out of this dumb bed, obviously."
Eijirou’s wide grin seems to shine in the early afternoon light and as his eyes scrunch up, small tears flow happily down his cheek.
“Oi waterworks, lighten up.” Katsuki’s good elbow nudges him.
“Sorry!” Eijirou rubs his cheeks against his arms where it still lays on the bed railing to wipe the fresh tears from his eyes without letting go of Katsuki’s hand. “I'm just... happy. I can’t wait. Katsuki, I’m so happy.”
"Yeah. I could say the same." Katsuki’s smile widens as he squeezes his hand for the third time today, and for the fourth time ever.
Eijirou’s eyes roam over Katsuki's gorgeous features, despite his exhausted appearance. They settle on his lips, and Eijirou’s tongue darts out to briefly wet his own.
“Oi, ‘m not gonna let you kiss me in the goddamn hospital bed. You can wait until our date for a proper one.”
“That's fine, Katsuki.” Eijirou instead lifts Katsuki's scarred hand to his lips, and kisses each knuckle instead. “Whenever you’re feeling up to it, maybe we can go to the arcade in the afternoon, then go hiking up the mountains? I think it’d be a nice spot to watch the sunset and we could have a nice picnic dinner.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Katsuki squeezes his hand once more.
Eijirou sits there, in the hospital chair, mesmerized by his best friend. He’s happy he understood what Katsuki had told him that night in the dorms.
Because, a few months before his confession, Eijirou told him that even if Katsuki hated his stupid, sappy ‘I love you, bro’ whenever he made the redhead happy, a single hand squeeze would mean the same thing so he could get away with it without embarrassing Katsuki.
And the moment Katsuki said, ‘Can you ask me again? Another time?’ it was the first time Katsuki squeezed back, and Eijirou understood.