Work Text:
As you stretch out in bed, you feel a pressure on your lower back, and warm hands smoothing over your skin. Twisting your head and blinking groggily, you saw Shigaraki straddling your back, his tongue sticking half out in concentration as his hands splayed over you, pressing on your muscles.
He blinked as if only realizing you had woken. He tilted his head, a lopsided grin spreading across his face. “Good morning! I thought you might like to wake up to a massage!” You smiled, sucking in another breath before you realized you weren’t fully breathing. Shimmying around, you got onto your back under him, running your hands over his thighs as you sucked in a breath. The pressure in your head and the way you were only breathing through one nostril, your throat feeling swollen led you to one conclusion.
“I’m sick,” you groaned. The days before you’d had a sniffle, maybe the occasional sneeze or cough, but it seemed to be full force now. “You should probably not be so close or you’re gonna get sick too.” You patted his legs, but he leaned over you, his soft blue air falling around you both as his eyes filled with concern.
“You’re sick? How are you feeling? Do you need tea or a heating pad or a neti pot?”
“What's a neti pot?” You blinked at him, searching your brain.
“Uh, you know what? I actually don’t know, I just heard it can help clear your sinuses or something.” He shrugged, his concern softening. “I squeezed some fresh orange juice, and you know I can’t do anything fancy, but I made you cereal and cut up some fruit for you. Are you hungry?” His fingers traced over your stomach, “Or is food not good right now?”
Batting his chest softly, you shook your head. “I should eat. And back up! I don’t want you getting sick! It’s not my stomach. But I could take a hot chocolate? That might help?” His full smile broke, leaning closer. You couldn’t push him away before he was nudging your face with his nose, pressing kisses along your jaw, over your cheeks and across your brow, circling back down to your lips despite your shrieks and giggles with your weak protests.
Against your words, you lifted into his kiss, lips parting for him as he took his time exploring your mouth. As gentle as he was, you were left breathless when he pulled away. “One hot chocolate, coming right up.” When he stood, you shifted, moving to get dressed, but he pressed a hand back on your chest, pushing you gently to the mattress. “Stay put, sweetheart. Just relax.” Giving into his whispered command, you let yourself settle.
Every bone in you ached to follow him out to the kitchen, to be close to your partner, but between the aching in your body and his explicit direction you stayed put.
You were about ready to drift back to sleep when he returned with a tray for the bed, settling it over your legs, your mug was piled high with whipped cream and sprinkles, and as promised, there was a bowl of cereal, a bowl of fruit, orange juice, and silverware. On the tray as well was a single flower. He remembered your favorite, making your heart swell as he settled beside you, using a toothpick to feed you bites of fruit. “What do you want to do today, sweetheart?”
Your eyes slipped closed, dropping your head to his shoulder. “I just ruined all your plans, didn’t I?” He sighed, pulling you closer. You did. You utterly fucked up his grand romantic plans.
He’d been so on edge for weeks, jumpy and skirting around the topic of Valentine’s Day. You knew he had something planned, but for once, he was actually managing to keep it secret. He tugged you closer, just holding you. “My only desire is to spend the day with you. That plan hasn’t changed. You feeling better takes top priority to me. And hey!” He kissed you, taking all the air from your lungs, withdrawing just as quickly, “This way I don’t have to think about sharing you with anyone! You are worth more than anything to me.”
His warmth eased you like no medicine could, just happy that he was there to support you. He let you finish breakfast, clearing the tray away as you nestled under the covers. He returned soon, scooting in behind you. You’d given up on convincing him to stay away, and as you shivered uncontrollably, nose leaking, he tucked closer, reaching over you to pass you a tissue, kissing just behind your ear.
Sleep overtook you, though you woke to blearily shift your position or the blankets as the temperature shifted rapidly in your body. Every time you were brought back to consciousness, Shigaraki was beside you, sometimes with his eyes closed, sometimes reading, sometimes working on one of his crochet projects.
Several hours passed in a blur before you finally felt awake enough to sit up. “What year is it?” You grumbled at Shigaraki, laying with a hand under you and a book in his other hand. He settled the book on his chest, deft fingers immediately pressing to your sweaty forehead, nodding.
He finally spoke as he combed his fingers through your hair. “The same year you fell asleep in, don’t you worry.” You hummed as he massaged light circles into your scalp. “It’s a little after two. You have a present waiting in the kitchen if you are up to it?” You nodded, opting to clean yourself up a little first.
He waited on the bed as you at least semi dressed yourself for the day, taking care of the mess that was your hair and your not-so-morning breath. When you came back out, he offered you his arm, standing tall like a gentleman. You two were never quite formal, but he walked you down the hall like a queen, stopping with you when you tugged on his arm, seeing the kitchen table.
On it sat a whole bouquet of your favorite flowers, alongside a red envelope and a heart shaped box.
“Look, I know you aren’t up for much today, and we can schedule our own special Valentine’s Day when you are feeling up to it, but I didn’t want to not do anything, so this is just a small token of what I feel for you.” He ran a hand through his hair, stepping back from you to see your reaction. With a nod of encouragement from him, you moved up to the table, lifting the flowers to your nose, breathing their scent deeply. Perfect.
In the box, there were chocolate covered strawberries, nearly making your mouth water. You turned to smile at him before reaching the card, wanting to see what it said. Inside, it was a blank white card on the outside. Your brows drew together, pausing to look back at Shigaraki. He had settled, nodding encouragement to you. Opening the card, four tickets slipped out, and you quickly tucked them behind the letter before you could get caught up in what they were.
To my absolute Sweetheart,
I love you. I know I don’t say it nearly enough to you, but I hope in everything I do, I try to show you, and I hope it comes across. Thank you for all our time together. I hope you have cherished it as much as I have since we’ve met. I am so lucky to have you in my life. To get to hold you and show you just how beautiful and wonderful you are. You are like the piece of me that I have been missing. You are every bright thing in my life, and I cannot wait to spend the rest of our time on this planet together. Me and you. I’ll be here for you. Now, and when we are 72, and can barely stand. I will hold your hand, and brush your hair, and tell you how beautiful you still are everyday. Promise. Here’s to today, and all the today’s to come.
Yours always,
Shigaraki
Dashing the welling tears from your puffy eyes you took out the tickets. Two for the afternoon, the show you’d been dying to see since you first heard about it. He was going to take you to the theater. The other two, embossed gold foil, had the words Grand Opening in a stark black font, details below. "What are these?"
"Oh! Yeah," He grinned, stuffing his fists into his pockets, "There's this exclusive club opening tonight. Club Main? I though we could see what all the fuss was about after I wined and dined you. But they aren't going anywhere anytime soon. We'll take a raincheck on those events." There was nothing but warm approval in his words. You set the tickets and the card on the table, taking a shaking breath as you stepped towards him. He opened his arms, and you couldn’t help but spill into them.
“Thank you. Thank you, I’m so sorry I ruined the surprise! I don’t want to be sick!” You hit his chest again, and he just tucked you impossibly closer.
“It’s alright. You are all that matters. When you got the sniffles, I made a backup plan just in case. You focus on healing now, okay?” He thumbed away the tears that were rebelliously spilling from your eyes. “Let’s cuddle and watch stupid movies, okay? Or do you want to read? Or nap? Or I could feed you the chocolate strawberries by hand?” You nodded, grabbing the box of the sweet treat before shuffling to the couch. He threw a blanket over the two of you, settling beside you as you picked something to watch, and he fed you tantalizing bites of the sweet fruit, the chocolate melting all over your face, which he was more than happy to lick up for you, and all over his hands, which you were more than happy to lick up for him.
By dinner, you were in a daze, mind reeling from the sugar and the multiple movies you two had sat through, just focusing on breathing in a way that didn’t hurt.
He fed you soup and more orange juice, and after dinner, pulled out two mini chocolate cakes, though he ended up feeding you one and putting one back for you to have when you are feeling better. You rolled your eyes at him, knowing his sweet tooth was as big as yours. He helped you back to bed after that, cuddling against you as you talked. You wanted to spend your life with him. You wanted to see his successes, and support him even when he failed. He wanted to see you sick anytime, knowing he could take care of you.
He kissed you again, soft, unhurried, his lips melting against yours as your heart slowed down, as if it wanted to extend this moment as long as he could, just like the rest of you.
When he pulled away, he tucked you in, pressing a final kiss to your forehead before pulling you close, adjusting the blankets one last time before he cuddled close. You were on the verge of sleep as he whispered, “Happy Valentine’s Day, sweetheart. I love you so much,” so soft you barely heard it as you fell into a blank restful night. It might not have been according to plan, but you couldn’t ask for a better Valentine’s Day, and you couldn’t ask for anyone better to spend it with.