Work Text:
Izuku’s hands were shaking despite his attempts to settle them. They always ached when a storm blew through. His fingers were crooked, and they trembled slightly even years after he’d broken them so many times during his first year at U.A - nights like these made that readily apparent.
He could see the lights of Musutafu through his apartment window as rain gently pattered on the panes of glass. For a moment, it was the only sound to break the silence. A proper thunderstorm would be rolling in soon, and he can feel it in all of his scars, but right now Izuku was only focused on one thing: his friend. He was sitting at his dining table with Hitoshi, who he hadn’t spoken to in… gosh, it had been a while.
Izuku lived in Musutafu since he was born and had no plans to leave any time soon, but Hitoshi moved back to his own hometown not long after graduating from U.A. Each one of his friends had moved to different places across Japan after graduation, as a matter of fact, and they didn’t see each other often because of it. It made times like these, when they saw each other again so suddenly, a bit strange and awkward despite having known each other for years.
Izuku didn’t think he’d ever outgrow his social awkwardness, really - his students teased him about it relentlessly. When he wasn’t in ‘hero mode’, he tended to bumble his words, shakily drop things he was holding and trip over his own two feet. He’d been that way since high school. And yet…
“Sorry about this,” Hitoshi huffed softly, breaking the relative silence and tearing Izuku from his thoughts. Hitoshi was peeling damp pieces of his hero costume off, slowly and carefully, as still-drying blood made itself apparent. “I know you didn’t exactly sign up for this when I asked to stay with you for a while…”
Izuku scrambled to return to the present moment, furiously digging through his first aid kit. He just wished his hands were a little more steady - it would make this whole process a little easier. “It’s okay, really! I know you work really hard, and this is just part of the job… I’m happy to help.”
“Yeah, pretty sure the whole world knows that by now,” Hitoshi rolled his eyes fondly, halfway between a grimace and a smile when he finally got to his shirt and managed to peel it off without wincing too badly. “Still. Doesn’t mean I shouldn’t apologize for showing up at your door a day early looking like shit. Or for making you take a look at me like this. I could’ve gone to a doctor, but…”
Izuku paused to take a look at the wounds that needed tending to. They weren’t particularly gnarly - they’d both seen and been through worse in their lives. But they still should be taken care of, and Izuku was more than capable. It would save Hitoshi the trouble and paperwork of an “official” doctor’s visit for wounds acquired on the job, especially when they were relatively minor in the grand scheme of things.
Hitoshi was asked by another agency to come to Musutafu as part of a sting operation for some crime ring or another - Izuku hadn’t asked for details when he heard about it, knowing Hitoshi would share if he asked even though he wasn’t supposed to. To Izuku’s surprise, though, Hitoshi asked to stay with him rather than using one of the proffered lodgings from the agency that requested his services.
Izuku was more than happy to offer him his pull-out couch, even if it wasn’t anything special. The idea of being able to catch up with an old friend like this was a welcome prospect. They’d settled on plans, and Hitoshi was supposed to arrive tomorrow, but… like he said. He showed up here suddenly not too long ago, injured and looking in quite a state.
Izuku, of course, had hurried the other man inside and offered him a change of clothes, a towel for his hair, some hot tea, and very quickly pulled out his first aid kit, offering to help take care of him in nearly the same breath. Hitoshi had been blindsided by it all for a moment, but here they were now, with Hitoshi’s wits recovered and Izuku’s focus returned entirely to the situation at hand.
“It’s alright,” Izuku finally replied with a smile. “Really. You’re not making me do anything. I offered.”
Hitoshi pulled the towel he’d been given over his hair to try and hide the fact that his face was twisting up into some other expression Izuku wasn’t sure what to make of. Izuku could still see him, though, as he towel-dried his hair, so he supposed Hitoshi wasn’t trying that hard.
“I guess so,” Hitoshi replied after an awkward silence, “but still.”
Izuku just shook his head and gestured for Hitoshi to come closer. He started by cleaning up the bits of half-dry blood so he could get a better look at what he was working with, even if none of the wounds looked too bad on initial inspection. As he cleared away the blood and studied them, his hands still shook with soft tremors, but Hitoshi either didn’t notice or chose not to comment. Izuku tried his best to be gentle and careful regardless - he doesn’t want to accidentally hurt his friend any more than he already is.
Once all of the wounds were clean, Izuku began tending to them properly. A couple of them required butterfly stitches and some proper, wrapped bandages - he made sure to pay them extra attention, ensuring they weren’t wrapped too tight but that they were still properly supported. As he finished wrapping the first one up, securing it in place, Hitoshi finally pulled the towel from his head and looked at him with a pointed stare. Absentmindedly, Izuku realized how long Hitoshi’s hair had gotten since last they saw each other, and he found himself thinking that the long hair was a good look on him.
“You really don’t care that I showed up out of nowhere like this?” Hitoshi asked quietly.
Izuku huffed to himself, pulling out what he’d need to take care of the second more serious wound. “No! I would’ve said so if I did. We’re friends; I really don’t mind.”
“I just… didn’t know if you’d still consider me a friend after how long it’s been. Even if we meet up every once in a blue moon as a class, I still feel bad for not making more time for you. We used to hang out all the time back in school,” Hitoshi murmured, closing his eyes as Izuku began his work on the second one.
“I know. I miss it, but we’re working adults now. We aren’t in dorms any more, either. We have lives. Honestly, I think meeting as often as we do despite our schedules is pretty impressive,” Izuku said, a small smile on his face as he thought of his friends and how well they were doing these days. It made all the times his hands shook worth it, in his mind. “But if you still feel bad anyway, asking to stay with me while you’re in Musutafu on work more than makes up for it… I’m happy to have you here, wounds and all. We can do something together once you’re feeling better and you’re not busy with work, if you want.”
Hitoshi let out a long, suffering sigh, his eyebrows pinched as he took in Izuku’s words. “You’re just as nice and thoughtful as you always were. Even when somebody shows up on your doorstep, tossing rotten work you didn’t ask for into your lap…”
“Stop saying that. It’s not rotten work,” Izuku replied without missing a beat. “Not to me.”
Hitoshi cracked an eye open at that, looking at him with an expression Izuku didn’t have a name for. “… You don’t think so?”
Izuku smiled from ear to ear. “Of course not. Not if it’s you.”
Hitoshi made a strangled sort of noise that he’d patently deny making later, but he quickly recovered and was acting like it never happened. “You shouldn’t say that sort of stuff so casually. Somebody else might get the wrong idea… I guess you’re lucky it is me.”
“Huh? What sort of stuff?” Izuku tilted his head a little in confusion as he finished wrapping the second of the two serious wounds.
“…Nevermind. Don’t worry about it,” Hitoshi muttered, and a bolt of lightning flashed in the window behind him. It lit up the room for a brief second of time, enough for Izuku to tell now that he was seriously blushing. Izuku could’ve sworn he muttered something about somebody being oblivious under his breath, but it wasn’t loud or clear enough to be certain. “Just… thanks. For helping me out. I’ll leave it at that.”
Izuku blinked owlishly, not sure what had Hitoshi so flustered about what he said, but he nodded regardless.
“So… what happened, anyway? I thought your operation wasn’t until a couple days from now,” Izuku said, changing the subject to try and spare his friend from any further embarrassment.
Hitoshi jumped on the topic change, looking grateful. “Well, it’s a funny story, really…”
Izuku listened to Hitoshi tell the story of his sudden run-in with crime on his way here, steadily working on the rest of the wounds as he took it all in - all the other injuries needed were some regular adhesive bandages and maybe an ice pack. He offered Hitoshi a couple of painkillers as well, and his friend took them with a sip of his tea, barely a pause in his storytelling.
Izuku was more then happy to listen to somebody else ramble on for once - he was especially glad to have company on nights like these. With his focus entirely on his friend, his hands were blissfully still, the constant trembling quieted as they rested next to Hitoshi’s.