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Izuku is making tea when the door opens, slowly with a soft creak. The padded sounds of footsteps follow, and Izuku smiles to himself as he turns off the kettle and grabs two mugs from the cabinet.
"Welcome home, Kacchan," Izuku says as he pours the hot water into the two mugs, one green and one orange. He hears nothing but a grunt in response, which only makes Izuku's smile grow wider. His Kacchan is here, safe after a long shift of patrol. Izuku couldn't ask for more.
Izuku hears the footsteps come closer to where Izuku is standing at the counter, and then he feels the strong, muscled arms snake around his waist and hold on tight. Izuku sees the sleeve of scars on Kacchan's arm and holds back the tears that still come to this day.
"Everything all right?" Izuku asks, moving his arms to wrap around Kacchan's.
Izuku sways them from side to side, tea ignored for the moment as he sinks into Kacchan's hold.
"Bad day," Kacchan responds. "Exhausted."
"Oh," Izuku says. He turns around to face Kacchan and sighs.
He looks exhausted. His face is smeared with dirt, the front of his bangs sticking to his forehead. His eyes are tired, the red that Izuku always sinks into muted and dull. Izuku's heart aches; he hates that he can't work full-time as a hero, still working his teaching job simultaneously, and Kacchan has to patrol alone.
The only good thing about it, really, is that now Izuku is here, in the comfort of their home, to brush the bangs out of Kacchan's eyes with careful fingers, to hold Kacchan's face in his hands and tilt his head down to kiss his forehead. to take Kacchan tight into his arms.
"I'm sorry," Izuku tells him, moving Kacchan's head to rest on his shoulder, rubbing soothing patterns down his back. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Maybe later," Kacchan says, so quiet, the way he gets when he's too tired to put up his angry facade. "Need to shower first."
An idea strikes Izuku. "No," he says. "We are going to take a bath, together. Come on, I'll wash your hair."
This is how Izuku knows Kacchan is truly fatigued and burnt out: he lets Izuku take his hand and lead him to their bathroom with only a nod in response.
Kacchan's hand is tight in Izuku's own, and Izuku's heart thrums with a simple excitement at the idea of taking care of Kacchan, of washing his troubles away and kissing his skin until Kacchan thinks of nothing but Izuku, and how much Izuku loves him and always will.
Izuku leads Kacchan into the bathroom, closing the door with a quiet click and moving Kacchan so he's positioned in front of their bathtub. Kacchan moves to start taking off his hero costume, but Izuku stops him.
"Let me, Kacchan," Izuku implores. "Please?"
Kacchan's answer is a huff of a laugh, fond and acquiescing. So Izuku moves to wrap his arms around Kacchan's neck, finding the zipper in the back and pulling the top of his costume off of his shoulders, watching in awe as Kacchan's neck and collarbone are revealed. Izuku sees the fading bruises from the places where he'd kissed Kacchan last night, and he can't help but press a few soft kisses there again, smiling as he hears Kacchan's heartbeat against his chest, as he hears Kacchan's content sigh.
"I love you," Izuku says.
Kacchan doesn't reply, and Izuku doesn't mind. When kacchan's like this, Izuku doesn't expect any sort of reciprocation for the care he bestows upon him. He doesn't ever, really, but he always gets it eventually. His Kacchan cares for Izuku so wonderfully.
Izuku always wonders what he's done to deserve this, to have the privilege of slipping Kacchan's costume all the way off, of seeing the scars he got in Izuku's name and having Kacchan wipe his tears when they inevitably fall. Izuku kisses the scar on his shoulder, reverent.
Kacchan presses his cheek to the top of Izuku's head, and they rest there for a moment. Breathing each other in. Izuku loves the quiet times like these, when it's just the two of them in their veil of domesticity. When Izuku can feel the love radiating off of their skin.
Izuku lets go after a moment, returning to the task at hand. He reaches down to turn the water on, making sure it's at the temperature Kacchan likes before turning back to Kacchan and having him sit on the edge of the tub. Izuku kneels down in front of him to unlace his boots. He pulls off Kacchan's boots one by one, and then his socks, and while he has Kacchan's foot lifted he can't help but press a kiss to the inside of his ankle, despite Kacchan's muffled sound of disapproval. Izuku doesn't care, he loves to kiss every part of Kacchan.
When Izuku pulls away, Kacchan swivels around and gets into the bathtub. Izuku quickly takes off his own clothes and follows behind him, sitting with his back to the edge and gathering Kacchan in his arms until he's flush against his chest. Izuku kisses Kacchan's shoulder again.
Izuku wraps his arms around Kacchan's waist and feels him relax. Good. Izuku internally laments when he has to move one of his hands away from Kacchan's torso to grab the shampoo, squeezing some into his hands and lathering it into foam, and begins washing Kacchan's hair.
Izuku loves the feeling of massaging Kacchan's scalp, his fingers scratching lightly against Kacchan's silky soft hair, watching the shampoo slowly scrub the dirt and grime away. Izuku loves the way Kacchan sinks boneless into his chest, a low sound leaving his lips.
Izuku knows that sound, because it means Kacchan is feeling good, and that makes Izuku feel good. So he keeps massaging for a minute, washing Kacchan's hair with the same focus he puts into everything else he does, and with the extra burst of love that Kacchan always fuels in him.
Kacchan comes to life under Izuku's fingertips. It fills Izuku with a type of joy he can't find anywhere else, to hear Kacchan's sighs of contentment as his breathing slows and he relaxes to the sensation of Izuku washing his hair with devoted fingers. Izuku is devoted to Kacchan, really, in all the shapes and forms it could ever possibly take. Sitting in the bath as the water sloshes over them, as Izuku takes a handful of it and begins rinsing out Kacchan's golden hair, this is only the smallest of ways Izuku has given his everything to Kacchan.
Izuku was devoted to Kacchan back when they were kids and nobody else was. Izuku has cried for him, fought for him, almost killed for him, stared his dead body down in the battlefield and vowed to never, ever be late again. Izuku would do anything for the man he loves.
But right now, all Kacchan needs is somebody to wash the dirt out of his hair. So Izuku does, and then he works Kacchan's favorite conditioner into his now-clean hair. While the conditoner absorbed, Izuku reaches for the bar of soap to clean the rest of Kacchan's body.
Izuku loves washing Kacchan's hair, but washing Kacchan's body is his favorite thing to do. It's a little precarious when they're both in the bathtub, but Izuku makes do. He spreads the bar across Kacchan's skin, taking extra care on his scarred arm, shoulder, and chest. Izuku can't help but kiss down Kacchan's spine as he goes, tears welling up once again when he sees the backs of Kacchan's scars from being impaled—Izuku hates that the scars cut right through his body and are visible on both sides of his shoulder and torso.
But Kacchan hates it when Izuku cries over his scars, so Izuku shakes his head and moves on. When he's done with the soap, Izuku has Kacchan sink back down into the water, letting the soap rinse off, and Izuku gets to work taking out the conditioner in Kacchan's hair.
Izuku pays close attention to Kacchan's current state. Kacchan's sunken fully into Izuku's chest. His eyes have fluttered closed, his light eyelashes fanning across the tops of his cheekbones. His breathing is even and relaxed, and the expression on his face is calm. Izuku's heart is fit to burst at the sight. Izuku never thought he'd be lucky enough to see Kacchan like this, vulnerable, his guard down, fully trusting Izuku to take care of him and treat him right. Izuku always dreamed of being this for Kacchan: his protector, his caretaker.
As kids, Kacchan had always been determined to protect Izuku, and despite all their rough patches in the middle, Kacchan has. Kacchan has taken hits for him, practically died for him, and Izuku has had enough. If he could tuck Kacchan inside of his heart and keep him safe there, he would.
Izuku can't do that, but he does everything in his power to keep Kacchan safe, happy, and loved. So that Kacchan never has to bear another scar again. So that Izuku never has to wake up missing his heartbeat again. So that they can spend an eternity just like this, together.
When Izuku's finished getting the conditioner out of Kacchan's hair, he gently nudges Kacchan to signal that it's time to get out. Kacchan grunts softly in annoyance, which Izuku finds truly endearing, but after some cajoling, Izuku is able to get him to stand up and step out. Izuku is quick to grab one of their towels off its bar hanger and wrap it around Kacchan. He hugs him through the towel for a moment, enjoying the heat of the fabric between them until Kacchan shoves him off, turning around with a pointed glare set in his red eyes.
"What?" Izuku asks, confused. "Are you okay, Kacchan?"
"Put a damn towel on, Izuku," Kacchan mutters, and Izuku looks down at himself and laughs. He was so focused on Kacchan that he forgot that he needs to dry off and stay warm, too. Thankfully, he has Kacchan to remind him.
So Izuku wraps himself up in another towel, and this time Kacchan leads him to their bedroom, where Izuku sits Kacchan down on the bed and rummages through their dresser for some clothes. Izuku gives Kacchan a pair of Izuku's old sweatpants and one of his tacky shirts that says sleep shirt, utterly shameless about how he's dressing Kacchan.
"You take every opportunity to get me in your clothes," Kacchan grumbles, but he does put them on. Izuku only grins wide in response, putting on Kacchan's aji-fry shirt and a pair of Dynamight boxers with grenades on them that make Katsuki scrunch up his nose. It's adorable.
"Scoot over," Izuku says, and Kacchan shuffles down the bed and lays his head on the pillow. Izuku frowns, jumping on the bed and cuddling right up to Kacchan, moving Kacchan's head so it's resting on Izuku's chest.
"I wanna be your pillow," Izuku says, petulant.
"You're a child," Kacchan tells him, but nuzzles deeper into Izuku's chest. Izuku wraps his arms around him, breathing in the scent of him and relishing the feeling of Kacchan's body curled safely within Izuku's hold. Izuku feels good like this, as Kacchan's quiet haven.
It isn't long before snores begin to fill the room, and Izuku looks down to see Kacchan sleeping peacefully. Izuku smiles, stroking the scar on Kacchan's cheek with his thumb and presses a kiss to his forehead.
"Sweet dreams, Kacchan," Izuku says, love dripping out of every word.
Izuku holds onto him just a little tighter. Sleep threatens to claim him, but Izuku staves it off just a little longer, too busy admiring the love of his life. Izuku is never happier than when he gets to be like this, taking care of Kacchan, helping him, holding him, loving him.
Later, Kacchan will tell Izuku about his bad day. Later, Izuku will make them tea again. Later, they will fall back into bed and kiss and kiss and kiss and then they'll fall asleep again and Izuku will wake up searching for Kacchan's face to hold in his hands like it's precious.
But for now, Kacchan sleeps soundly, and Izuku holds him tight, presses another kiss to his soft, slowly-drying hair, and finally closes his own eyes. Kacchan isn't going anywhere. He'll be here when Izuku wakes up, and Izuku will kiss him good morning and watch Kacchan smile.
And for now, Izuku finally lets his eyes close, resting one of his hands on Kacchan's chest to feel his heartbeat, and slowly falls asleep knowing that he's done his job. Knowing that he's made his Kacchan feel better, he's protected him and kept him safe.
Knowing that in the end, no matter what, he is Kacchan's hero, too.