The Deku-Shaped Hole - Chapter 8

Katsuki arranged every bit of food with the utmost care, perfectly positioning pieces in their own little compartments of their own little boxes. Inko didn't say a word about it, leaving him to his pickiness as she finished up the cooking, and Katsuki had never felt more grateful to anyone as he did toward Inko for not calling him out on his nerves. When he finally closed the lids, satisfied with his work, he met her gaze with a forced smile.

"You look nice, Katsuki."

He flooded red, one hand moving awkwardly to his hair. He'd finally conceded to his mother's complaints and gotten it cut, back to the super-short style he'd gotten so many compliments on. Normally he wasn't one to care about that kind of thing, but when he'd found himself wanting to make a good impression, to keep Izuku interested, it had been the first thing that sprung to mind.

The second was a trip to his parents' office to steal – uh, obtain – some of their new clothing lines, but like hell if he'd ever admit to that.

"Hopefully your son agrees," he found himself blurting out, looking away again. "Sorry, uh, I guess I shouldn't say stuff like that to his mother, huh?"

"He will," Inko smiled widely, and Katsuki suddenly knew exactly where Izuku's came from. "You can say anything to me, Katsuki, we've been through enough over the years."

"I can't believe I'm so damn nervous," he admitted, grimacing. "I've felt a lot of shit over the nerd, but never nervous."

"He's going to be so happy to see you."

"Us," Katsuki corrected her. "His, uh, his two favourite people. Right? I hope?"

"Right," she agreed. "Shall we?"

"Yeah, let's go. Do you mind if we take the train? Traffic is gonna be a nightmare at this time of day."

"Not at all!"

He shrugged on his jacket at the door, once again torn between feeling like a badass biker in (admittedly fake) leather, or a dumb daddy's boy in his father's clothing designs. In all fairness, he suspected a lot of his father's lines were aimed at Katsuki anyway. His mother's choices were much smarter, business shirts and neat tailored suits, but his father had always held an inexplicable affinity for reds and blacks, for torn jeans with studs, for heavy denim and leather jackets. 

He was hardly going to complain, he hadn't paid for clothes in years.

Katsuki tucked the boxes of food under his arm, and together they walked to the station, Katsuki glaring a kid out of his seat as they stepped onto the busy train so that Inko could sit. She reached for the food, then, and he conceded, setting it safely in her lap. 

All his thoughts of pretty presentations, cool clothes, hot haircuts, everything went out the window the moment he stepped into the hospital room. He never hesitated, never stopped to ask questions, just set the food aside and immediately took a seat on the edge of the bed, winding his arm around Izuku's back.

"Hey, it's okay," he said softly, stroking Izuku's arm lightly. "I'm here, Deku. You okay? Do you need the doctor?"

He shook his head, hiccuping a little as he leaned into Katsuki's side, looking up at his mother in the doorway with a wobbly smile.

"I'm sorry," he choked out. "I didn't expect you so early."

"Don't be sorry," Inko shook her head, slowly moving to the chair at his bedside. "Do you want to talk about it, sweetie?"

"I j-just-" he spluttered, rubbing stubbornly at his teary eyes. "They s-said I can't..."

"Work?" Katsuki asked, when the words stopped. "You can't go back to work for a while?"

Izuku nodded, and Katsuki held him a little tighter.

"I don't think that's a surprise to you, is it?" he asked softly. "You knew it was gonna be a long time before you were back to normal."

"It's hard hearing s-someone else s-say it."

"I know. But listen, I'm gonna keep taking care of your area, gonna keep working hard for you, and when you're back on your feet we're gonna work our asses off together, okay? It'll fly by, you'll be back in no time."

"I s-screwed up."

"You didn't. You were just unlucky. It could have been any of us. Shouldn't you be grateful?"

Izuku looked up at him, lower lip quivering, and Katsuki tried his best to put a smile on his face.

"If it were me, I probably would have died," he pointed out. "If it were anyone else, they definitely would have died. But you're here, and you'll be back to normal in no time. Ultimate hero, right?"

"Yeah," Izuku sniffed, choking out a faint laugh. "I did good, huh?"

"You did so good."

When Izuku settled, Katsuki left the bed to find a box of tissues, mopping his face tenderly and doing his best to avoid the new scars. The one on his eye was still the worst, and Izuku didn't miss a beat when he felt Katsuki hesitate.

"I can see," he assured them. "It's a little fuzzy but I can still see."

"I'm glad," Inko smiled.

"You hungry, nerd? We figured hospital food wouldn't be up to much, so we brought breakfast, if you want to eat."

"That sounds amazing," he nodded, his stomach growling at the thought. "You made me breakfast?"

"Your Mom did the fish and the rice, I did the eggs and salads."

"Teamwork breakfast?"

"Yeah," Katsuki chuckled, looking up to find Inko beaming across the bed at him. "Teamwork breakfast."

"I want teamwork breakfast."

He retrieved the boxes from beside the door, handing them out, and Izuku tore his open eagerly to peek.

"Kitties!" he declared, scooping up one of the carefully fashioned rice balls. "So cute!"

"Did you lose a few years?" Katsuki teased, bumping him in the shoulder lightly. "Back to being ten?"

"Say what you want, I have kitty cat rice."

He beamed again when he uncovered the bumble bee omelette, looking up at Katsuki with shining eyes.

"You did the eggs!"

"Your mother isn't the only one who knows how to cheer you up, nerd."

Izuku grinned as he shoved it in his mouth, his worries apparently all but forgotten, and Katsuki leaned in a little closer as he opened his own breakfast. Together the three of them ate in a comfortable quiet, only broken by half-hearted protests when Izuku stole food from Katsuki's box beside him.

"I'll learn some more," Katsuki promised, when Inko collected up the empty containers. "I'll make you cute breakfasts every day until you're out of here, okay?"

"Will you really?"

"Yeah. Anything to keep you smiling."

"You're so cheesy," Izuku grinned. "I appreciate the concern, but really Kacchan, when did you become such a dork?"

"Shut up," Katsuki laughed, ruffling Izuku's hair roughly. "Huh? Did you shower?"

"Kind of," he blushed. "I, uh, didn't want to be super gross when you came back to visit. The nurse helped me take a bath."

"Idiot, like I care if you're a little ragged after being in hospital this long."

He scowled when Inko gave him a pointed look, but Izuku was already reaching out to touch the shorn-down hair on Katsuki's temple. 

"Fuzzy," he grinned, stroking a little more boldly when Katsuki didn't shove him off. "You look good with short hair."

"Don't say that in front of my mother, she's been nagging enough already."

"But you do! I'll be sure to thank her!"

"Whatever."

They remained in their comfortable little bubble of teasing and love for a good hour, until Katsuki's phone began to buzz, and he reached for it with a sigh.

"Sorry, I've gotta go to work. I'll come back tonight, before visitation ends. Want me to bring dinner? I'll have to buy it, but it'll probably be better than hospital food."

"Cheeseburger!" Izuku answered, without a moment of hesitation. "Last night I really wanted something heavy and greasy."

"Sure, cheeseburger it is. Text me if- Oh. Phone. Uhh... Inko, text me if he changes his mind. And let me know what you want, too. Around six?"

"I'll let you know," she agreed with a smile. "Take care of yourself, Katsuki. Be safe."

"I will. See you tonight. Later, nerd."

Izuku waved goodbye, waiting for the door of the stairwell to swing shut before he let his smile waver.

"He doesn't want to go, but he has to," Inko assured him. "He's been working so hard, he really wants to make you proud."

"I'm always proud! He's such a good hero!"

"So are you."

He sniffled a little, but when he found tears waiting in Inko's eyes, it was all over. 

By the time a nurse walked in on her next rounds, the pair were sobbing relentlessly in each other's arms, bleating nonsensical half-sentences, and with a little shake of her head she walked out again.

They weren't paid nearly enough to deal with a Midoriya Meltdown.

─────

Katsuki reached into his bag as he walked, producing a greasy paper bag by the time he reached the doors. Izuku's eyes lit up when he saw it, reaching out with determined hands, and Katsuki couldn't help but crack a smile at his enthusiasm. He'd spent so long watching over a lifeless body, to see that smile was... Everything.

"It smells so gooooood!" Izuku praised, pouting when Katsuki refused to set it in his hands. "Kacchaaaan!"

"Hold your shit together, Deku. Hands."

He dug out a couple of wet napkins, tearing the packages open and cleaning Izuku's hands stubbornly when he held them out. Izuku looked straight into his eyes the entire time, shining bright, and Katsuki did his best to resist the flush that threatened to take over his face. 

"Towel," he continued, laying one out over the bed to protect the blankets from grease. "Plate."

Finally he produced a couple of plastic plates from his bag, laying them out on the tiny bedside table to divvy up the orders. Inko's small burger and fries went across to her, Katsuki's was set aside to wait a little longer, and he set to work unwrapping Izuku's massive cheeseburger amidst a chorus of whines.

"Suck on these, impatient nerdass."

He handed over a box of fries and Izuku tore in like his life depended on it, moaning obscenely as he worked. Katsuki just shook his head, taking out a little plastic knife and attempting to hack his way through the burger. By the time he handed the plate over, the food was in bite-sized chunks, easier to pick up and hold with Izuku's injured hands, and less facial effort to get it in his mouth. 

Izuku's eyes shone with tears when he saw, when he understood what all the waiting had been about, and despite causing him a little cringe, he reached desperately for Katsuki with both hands.

"Eat your food, nerd," Katsuki said fondly, leaning over to kiss the top of his head. "You can hug me after."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Katsuki could see Inko withdrawing when she'd finished eating, yawning to herself quietly as Izuku made lewd noises around his food. When he wasn't paying attention, Katsuki leaned over, smiling faintly.

"I've got him now, you can relax."

"I appreciate it. It's good to have you here."

"No big deal."

With the food gone, Katsuki set aside empty plates and trash, cleaning Izuku's hands again before they settled in for real. Izuku's head leaned on his shoulder, warm breath flitting over his arm, and he smiled fondly up at Katsuki's nervous face.

"Thank you."

It took less than an hour for Izuku's words to turn on their head, a hand moving to his stomach as he pulled a face.

"I don't feel well."

"Shit or puke?"

"Vomit."

"Bucket coming right up."

He reached under the bed where he'd seen it put away early on, setting it in Izuku's lap and watching him curl his arms around it protectively.

"Don't look, it won't be attractive," Izuku insisted, jaw clenched.

"Don't be like that. I don't care if you're attractive, I'm gonna fuckin' help."

He readied more wet wipes from his bag, and Inko went to find the nearest nurse. As it all began to take its course, Katsuki reached out tenderly, rubbing slow circles on Izuku's back as he teared up.

"No more greasy food for you," he teased. "Not such a good idea, huh?"

"Worth it," Izuku spluttered. "Totally worth it."

When Inko returned she brought with her a nurse and an IV bag that was quickly switched out with Izuku's usual one, Katsuki suspected to keep him from dehydrating. Still he continued to rub up and down, round and round, slowly and gently along Izuku's spine.

"Keep going," Izuku said pitifully, when he found a moment of peace. "Feels good."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'll stay all night then, just for this."

It wasn't long before the rounds began again, nurses arriving to politely kick visitors out, but with Izuku still huddled over his bucket, Katsuki put on his sternest Pro-Hero face. 

"You don't really expect me to leave right now, do you?"

"Well..."

The two nurses glanced at each other, dithering, and finally one let out a long sigh.

"You can have one hour, Mister Bakushinchi. That's all."

"Thank you."

He waited until both nurses left the room before he smirked, meeting Inko's eyes across the bed. 

"The perks of being a top hero, huh?"

"I hope you don't abuse your power too often."

"No, this might be the first time ever."

"Good boy. Keep making us all proud."

It only took about twenty minutes for the vomitting to stop, for Izuku to rinse his mouth and let Katsuki clean his face, for the nurse to return to replace his bucket. Still though he leaned into Katsuki's side, letting the hand stroke up and down his back.

"Don't stop," he reiterated, eyelids fluttering closed. "Just like that, Kacchan."

"I won't stop. You get some rest."

"Mm... Should wait until you have to leave."

"No you shouldn't. It's way easier for us to leave if we know you're sleeping peacefully."

"Do you make Bakushinchi plushies yet?"

"No. Do you want me to?"

"Want a Kacchan to hug when you have to go."

"A big one, then."

"Yeah."

"I'll see what I can do."

Izuku smiled, rolling his head a little to find a comfortable spot, and with a nervous glance at Inko, Katsuki slid down the bed. They lay side by side, arms clutching at each other, and finally Izuku found the spot he wanted – right in the crook of Katsuki's neck, body draped halfway across Katsuki's side.

"Comfy."

"Go to sleep, then. I'll just have to tell the nurses I can't possibly leave, when it's time."

"Mmkay. Goodnight Mom, goodnight Kacchan. Thank you for being here."

"We'll be back again tomorrow," Katsuki assured him. "I promise."

"Pinky promise?"

"Yeah."

He looped his little finger around Izuku's twitching one, locking them together for a moment. Soon Izuku's grip fell away completely, his body just a dead weight over Katsuki's, but the contented little smile on his face as he slept made it all worth it.

When the time came for them to leave for real, Katsuki slipped out from under him neatly, making sure his head was nestled comfortably in pillows instead. It felt oddly cold without him there, so Katsuki pulled the blankets up too, making sure Izuku would be comfy and warm.

"Goodnight, Deku," Katsuki whispered, as they crept from the room. "See you tomorrow."

They stood in the elevator in silence, but as they walked to the train station, Inko smiled to herself.

"Katsuki?"

"Huh?"

"Thank you for caring about my son."

Katsuki snorted, nudging her lightly with his fist just to make a point.

"Thanks for having him, I guess."