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Denki heard the news simultaneously as everyone else in the country. He was busy preparing dinner when a particular name popped up on their TV.
"A major explosion has just taken place after Pro Hero: Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight was going after an underground group. Just as he was about to detain some of them, they shot their quirk enhancement serum at him. Eye-witnesses claim his explosion doubled in size and its repercussions could be heard and seen a few kilometres away.
Dynamight was immediately taken to a nearby hospital. His status is unknown…"
Denki had never made it to a hospital faster in his life. His phone was blowing up but Denki wasn't in the right headspace to respond to the calls and messages he was receiving. Not until a particular ringtone caught his attention. He was glad he'd given his boyfriends their own ringtones, it helped distinguish them from any other calls.
"Yeah?" He picked up the call while running toward the hospital.
"Denks, I'm with him. He's alright." Hitoshi's voice rumbled through the speaker and Denki felt himself slow down with the words. He was glad Hitoshi had been working nearby.
"Breathe Babe." Hitoshi's deep voice cut through to him and Denki took a deep breath in and a long one out.
"Good. Make sure you come here uninjured and without causing havoc outside. I take it you're close?" Hitoshi asked and Denki felt his heartbeat regulate itself. He didn't realise it had been going haywire before.
"Yeah, I'm around the corner. I'm not running anymore." Denki informed Hitoshi while waiting for the traffic light to turn green. It took forever and Denki stepped from one foot to the other, trying to calm his nerves. He heard Hitoshi hum agreeingly.
"Good. We're still in the ER. They won't allow two people simultaneously so just tell me once you're here and I'll come switch with you."
The traffic light finally turned green and Denki power-walked over the street, dodging some of the other pedestrians.
"Right, will do. I'm almost there."
Central hospital was towering in front of him. An ambulance shot around the corner, sirens and lights on and Denki watched the surrounding nurses act as another emergency arrived for them to take care of. He swallowed a thick lump. He hated hospitals. They made him feel squeamish and sick. And for good reason.
"I'm entering now. I'll make my way to the front desk and then to the ER."
Denki took a deep breath. He could overcome his fear. He wanted to see Katsuki and he'd have to enter the hospital for that. He bit his lip and stepped inside, making his way to the front desk.
"Hello, um, Kaminari Denki, I'm looking for Bakugou Katsuki. He was admitted to the ER."
The lady behind the front desk smiled at him before asking: "And who are you to the patient?"
Denki felt his heart beat twice as hard as before and he took another deep calming breath.
"His boyfriend." He replied. The woman nodded, typed something into her computer and then narrowed her eyes at the screen.
"I'm sorry, it says here he already has a boyfriend visiting him." She gave him a calculating look before her gaze turned pitiful and Denki shifted his weight onto his other foot.
"Um, I know, I'm on call with him. We're also together, we're both his boyfriend, um. I know there is only one visitor allowed per ER patient but we'd switch if that's okay…" He felt awkward and embarrassed and the woman's eyes widened.
"Oh." She responded, looking a little dumbfounded but then she typed something into her computer again.
"Alright, you may change places with Shinsou Hitoshi."
Denki's chest became lighter at her words.
"Thank you." He turned around and made his way to the ER. "I'm coming,” he said to Hitoshi, "I'll meet you outside."
The call ended and Denki took a deep breath in before entering the ER. Nurses and doctors were running around and Denki introduced himself to the young man at the front desk.
He pointed him to the waiting area and Denki made his way over only to stand awkwardly by the door. There were many people with different problems waiting for treatment. Denki felt like an intruder next to them. A small girl was crying and holding her arm, which was likely broken. An elderly man was coughing his lungs out and another guy looked like death incarnate.
Thankfully it didn't take long for Hitoshi to show up and take his hand to lead him to Katsuki's room. Once they arrived, Hitoshi pulled him aside, brushing a stray hair behind his ear. Hitoshi's hand rested on his cheek before he moved it to the back of Denki's head and pulled him into a hug.
"You okay?" His voice whispered into his ear and Denki felt the nervousness and the uneasiness slowly subside with Hitoshi's warmth.
"I'm better now." He answered honestly into Hitoshi's chest and Hitoshi squeezed him tight.
"Good."
Denki bit his lip and looked up into his boyfriend's tired eyes. It wasn't the usual tiredness from lack of sleep. Denki was great at differentiating Hitoshi's tired eyes from one another. His current gaze was full of worry.
"How are you doing?" Denki searched Hitoshi's eyes and Hitoshi let out a small sigh. He was clearly trying his hardest not to break under all of the stress.
"Alright, given the circumstances. I'm just glad I was in the area. I heard the explosion and got worried. I was there when the ambulance came. I'm sorry I wasn't able to reach out to you earlier."
Hitoshi sounded exhausted and even a little hurt; he was probably blaming himself for something completely out of his hands like not arriving sooner. Denki squeezed him tight, placing a small kiss to the corner of his mouth. He couldn't have Hitoshi be mean to himself.
"No, it's alright. I'm sorry you had to witness the accident firsthand. I'm glad you were with him though." Denki rubbed small circles over Hitoshi's back, trying to calm his boyfriend and show him he wasn't alone anymore.
"How about you go get a coffee from the machine in the waiting area and I'll come find you after?" He offered and a small smile pulled on the corners of Hitoshi's mouth. Finally, he was looking less grim.
"Sure. Just a warning before you go in, Katsuki can't hear as of right now. They're still assessing the full damage of his eardrums. And he looks like shit. He's covered in bandages and has slings on both his arms because he dislocated his shoulders to try and get as much distance between his body and his palms. They said the move probably saved him from major injuries." Hitoshi gave him a quick kiss and then left for the waiting area.
Denki stood in front of the door and without Hitoshi by his side he felt the uneasiness return. He gulped down the knot in his throat and then knocked on the door before slowly opening it.
Katsuki was lying in the bed by the window. He was sharing the room with another person, whose curtains were drawn and Denki quietly closed the door so as to not disturb them. He made his way to Katsuki's bed. He was propped up and awake, looking out of the window.
Hitoshi was right to warn Denki. Katsuki was indeed a tough sight to see - covered almost from head to toe in bandages and both arms in slings. Denki knew from experience though that Katsuki was likely to lose the slings in a day's time.
Slowly, he moved into Katsuki's field of vision and his boyfriend immediately whipped his head around to meet Denki's worried eyes. Relief flashed over Katsuki's features.
"Denks." Katsuki's voice was hoarse and broken and Denki couldn't help but smile at the sound of his name. He sat down at the end of Katsuki's bed and remembered that Katsuki couldn't hear him. Saying Denki's name was probably done out of reflex.
In moments like these, Denki was glad Hitoshi and Katsuki had taught him sign language. They'd both known it since they had been little children; Hitoshi because of his deaf mother and Katsuki because the doctors predicted he'd likely become hard of hearing or even deaf with time the more he used his quirk.
–I was worried about you
Denki signed and Katsuki's eyes widened in recognition before a smile pulled on his lips. Wiggling his fingers, Denki realised Katsuki couldn't really respond in sign and so he took his phone, opened his notes app and handed it to Katsuki. He took it into his hand and began to type very slowly with his limited movement. Once he was done, he wiggled the phone for Denki to take. He read Katsuki's response.
> sorry 4 worrying u
>Im fine tho
>doc will transfer me out of er
>got some 3rd ° burns but will be ok
Denki put the phone down to respond in sign to Katsuki.
–
Okay. We'll stay with you.
I'm glad you're okay.
Can I touch you or no?
Katsuki didn't take the phone this time. Instead he nodded his head toward his body. Denki smiled, kicked off his shoes and then crawled over to Katsuki, aware of his surroundings and all the cables and needles stuck to Katsuki's body. Slowly, he sat beside him, opening his arms and Katsuki leaned against him as much as possible. It was enough for Denki and he slowly carded through Katsuki's messy hair.
He was feeling a lot better, knowing Katsuki would be okay and was now in his arms. A few minutes later, Denki felt Katsuki's weight shift and he looked down to see his eyes closed shut. He must have been really exhausted and Denki placed a small kiss on top of Katsuki's hair.
A message from Hitoshi popped up and Denki manoeuvred his phone into his left hand in order to respond. He shot an awkward selfie and sent it to Hitoshi, who replied with a heart and a picture of his instant coffee. He informed Denki of a phone call he'd had with Katsuki's parents and how they'd agreed to come visit once Katsuki was transferred from the ER.
Another ten minutes or so passed until there was a quiet knock on the door and then Hitoshi's messy purple hair popped into view. Denki couldn't contain the snort escaping him and Hitoshi smiled his way before quietly pushing inside and making his way toward them. He had a bag of snacks and drinks with him and pushed Denki's favourite candy into his empty hand.
"Thought we could use some comfort foods."
Denki would have kissed Hitoshi for thinking ahead but he was currently used as a human pillow and so he opted to blow him a kiss instead before he dug in. After a few quiet minutes Denki's brain came back online and he looked at Hitoshi with slight concern.
"Aren't we one too many visitors right now?" He asked and Hitoshi simply shrugged his shoulders.
"I asked a nurse if it's okay and she said yeah. I also asked if there were any updates on Kats' check ups and she said she couldn't tell me but she may have overheard his doctor preparing the transfer papers and that it will likely take about an hour max."
Hitoshi took a sip of his coffee and given the fact it was still steaming, Denki knew it must have been his second or third cup.
"Got it. I think one of us should head home and grab Kats some things, right?" Denki proposed. Down by the end of the bed, Hitoshi nodded his head.
"Yeah. I can do that if you want to stay. It's up to you, really. It may be weird for Kats to have me by his side when he wakes up and not you." Hitoshi offered. Denki didn't have to contemplate his offer for long and agreed. He instructed Hitoshi to pack some of the dinner he'd cooked.
Hitoshi took off shortly after and Denki stayed by Katsuki's side. Around half an hour later Katsuki woke up and it didn't take long before he was transferred into a hospital ward.
Hitoshi arrived back just as the doctor explained to Katsuki and Denki the extent of the injuries and for how long he'd like Katsuki to stay with them. Denki had to translate most of it in sign and to say he was glad Hitoshi was back, would be an understatement.
He'd immediately waved him over and explained the gist of the situation before Hitoshi, who was much more fluent in sign language, took over interpreting.
"Alright. Have a good night's rest. Should you need more pain medication don't hesitate to use the call button. Please remember we do not allow overnight guests." The doctor's last sentence was accompanied by a stern gaze toward both Denki and Hitoshi, who reacted with wildly different gestures. While Denki saluted, Hitoshi simply rolled his eyes but nodded so the doctor would get off their back.
– We'll stay for a little longer but Doc said we can't stay overnight.
Denki signed and Katsuki nodded his head in understanding.
I'd call bullshit but doc is right, you need your rest and us too.
I brought you some comics and some clothes.
Denki cooked dinner, I brought some for you.
Doc said you're allowed to eat.
Hitoshi's sign was much faster than Denki's and Denki always admired how easy it seemed for Katsuki to keep up with it. Denki still had a harder time, though he was getting much better. They didn't use signs solely at home but often enough so Denki would be able to learn continuously.
"Thanks" Katsuki croaked out and both Hitoshi and Denki simultaneously signed 'I love you' to him in return. They stayed to eat dinner together, Hitoshi carefully helping Katsuki by spoon-feeding him. Katsuki didn't enjoy the experience but as long as one of his boyfriend's helped him, he allowed it.
They made sure Katsuki was comfortable before they left with a promise to return the next morning, warning him that his parents may be coming along. He rolled his eyes fondly at the news and then shooed them out of his room.
It was way past midnight when they finally left the hospital and Denki found the energy to respond to some of his friends' texts with a short: He's fine, we're fine, talk tomorrow.
A week later, Katsuki got discharged from the hospital. Denki and Hitoshi were by his side, making sure they got everything they'd brought. Katsuki's burns were healing up nicely and they got a whole discharge letter telling them how and where to apply the special burn cream and what type of painkillers Katsuki could take.
On the downside, Katsuki's ears had taken irreversible damage. His left eardrum was completely torn and his right ear had suffered to the point he couldn't hear more than dull sounds. Katsuki had not taken the news well. He'd started using support items to help with hearing loss from his quirk since he'd already had damaged ears from childhood but his support items hadn't been enough for the enhanced explosions.
Anything you'd like to eat?
Hitoshi signed to Katsuki as they made their way to a cab stand. Katsuki only shrugged his shoulders, his expression unreadable. Denki didn't like the way Katsuki was closing off and he jumped in front, walking backwards so Katsuki had a good view of his hands.
–We can grab your favourite ramen from your favourite spot.
He offered and Katsuki watched before he was finally lifting his own hands to sign.
I'm not hungry. Watch where you're going!
Denki rolled his eyes at both statements. He looked over to catch Hitoshi's worried gaze and decided he knew what to do. He almost pirouetted around to run ahead.
Did he just twirl? Have you been giving him too much chocolate?
Katsuki signed, clearly torn between amusement and annoyance. Hitoshi rolled his eyes at him before replying.
I have nothing to do with that. I think he's planning something. I don't know if we'll like it.
Fuck. I'm tired, he better not do something extra.
Tough luck, I think he will plan something extra.
Katsuki let out a hoarse sigh just as they arrived at Denki and the cab he'd hailed for them.
–I already told him where we're going. You can get in.
They eyed Denki suspiciously but he only graced them with his brightest smile, nodding at the cab. It was quite the sight to watch Hitoshi and Katsuki realise they were in front of their apartment and not some type of restaurant. Katsuki looked positively relieved and Denki would have almost taken that personally. Almost.
–You're all set. I'll see you two in half an hour!
They barely had a chance to react to Denki's signs before he'd slipped back into the cab, waved and then drove off.
I have no idea what the fuck he is up to.
Hitoshi signed as he watched the cab round a corner. Beside him Katsuki shook his head.
Whatever he's up to is not my problem
You may be right and wrong. But let's get inside and let Denki surprise us.
Denki returned home half an hour later, just as he'd said. Katsuki and Hitoshi were settled on their couch in the midst of a few very big blankets and pillows. It looked very cozy and Denki couldn't wait to join them.
Carefully he plated everything, making sure to include their drinks and some chopsticks before he made his way over to their living room. Hitoshi heard him before they could see him and he turned to greet Denki but the words got stuck on his tongue when he noticed the big tray of food.
Katsuki turned around as well and his eyes widened as he realised what Denki had prepared for them. Katsuki shook his head just as Denki placed the tray on the small coffee table.
–I got us all of your favourites.
I knew you wouldn't want to eat.
You do that whenever you get in your head.
But I love you and want you to be happy.
Even if it's just for a moment because of spicy ramen.
Katsuki's eyes were still wide once Denki finished. He stood awkwardly in front of his boyfriends and the fact no one was saying or signing anything made Denki feel increasingly uneasy and embarrassed. Maybe this was a dumb idea. He was about to sign more when Katsuki grabbed his wrist and pulled him close.
Denki stumbled awkwardly over the blankets and the coffee table before landing square over Katsuki's and Hitoshi's laps.
Never fucking change
Katsuki looked down at his face with so much gratitude and warmth, Denki was blushing immediately.
I love you too
Katsuki leaned down to press a small kiss to Denki's lips and Denki's uneasiness was completely ebbing away. Hitoshi joined their small cuddle by kissing each of them and then carding his hands through their hair.
Denki had been scared to death just a week ago but right now he knew they'd be okay.