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shipyard-voyager · 4 days ago

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When Hizashi wakes up to the blaring sound of his alarm, his hand immediately stretches across the bed to find Shouta. The beginnings of a smile are replaced with a pout when his hand only meets cold sheets, though.

Hizashi blinks his eyes open and just like his hand already spoilered him, Shouta's side is empty.

Which either means Shouta had a bad night and left early or didn't come to bed at all. Both options aren't ideal, mostly because it means Hizashi is without his husband this morning, but he won't know until he actually sees Shouta, so he forces himself out of bed, absentmindedly shutting off his alarm before he drags himself into the bathroom.

On days like this he absolutely resents his younger self for coming up with the most ridiculous hairstyle known to mankind, because it takes him way too long to get himself ready. Every second he can't go find his husband is a second Shouta might spent upset and Hizashi hates that thought.

But finally, finally, every last hair is in its place and Hizashi is out of the bathroom in the blink of an eye, only to skid to a stop in the kitchen.

The very empty kitchen.

The very empty kitchen that has a steaming breakfast waiting for him.

"Shou?" Hizashi hesitantly calls out, because freshly made breakfast usually doesn't mean a night spent tossing and turning in bed but it explains Shouta's absence from their bedroom even less.

It's only when Hizashi steps closer to the dish waiting for him that he sees the note tucked underneath it.

Had to go in early, I love you, it says and Hizashi is enough of a sap that he presses the note to his chest briefly before he digs into the food.

It's good, good enough that Hizashi bemoans the fact that Shouta usually can't be bothered to cook, rather opting for take-out than spend time at the stove and before he knows it, his bowl is empty and if he doesn't want to be late for his classes, Hizashi needs to leave right now.

He had hoped to catch Shouta in the teacher's lounge right before classes but when he sticks his head in, searching for a familiar black lump or a yellow worm, he comes up empty.

That is, until Nemuri's smirking face fills his vision.

"You, my dear, are one lucky man," she drawls out and just by the tone of her voice Hizashi knows that he should be blushing but he can't figure out what the hell this is supposed to be about, so he simply frowns at her.

"Huh?"

"Oh, come on, you must have had the best of mornings," Nemuri says, waggling her eyebrows in case Hizashi missed the obvious but it only serves to make him frown more.

"I actually haven't," he simply gives back, and immediately confusion washes over Nemuri's face. "Why would you assume otherwise?"

"Well—because—you must have been up to some naughty shenanigans this morning," she almost stutters out and it's rare to catch Nemuri so off guard, so Hizashi cherishes it, if only to relay it to Shouta later.

Once he actually finds him.

"And I'm asking again, why would you assume that?" Hizashi tiredly says, because a glance at the time reveals that he won't have time to find Shouta before their classes start.

"Because! Why the hell would Shouta look like that if you didn't quite literally blow his mind this morning?"

"Nemuri!" Hizashi hisses out because she's loud and there are actually other teachers in the room.

"What? Am I wrong?" she asks and crosses her arms in front of her chest.

"Yes," Hizashi mutters and fights the urge to push his hand through his hair. It's a somewhat bothersome habit he picked up from Shouta and he has to work to keep his hands at his side. "I haven't actually seen him yet, today," he then admits and Nemuri frowns.

"Then why the hell did he seem so quietly content?"

Hizashi shrugs but the question of what the hell she means by that must be clear as day on his face because Nemuri goes on.

"You know that kind of content he only ever gets when he's being buried by cats in your favourite café or when he gets to spend a weekend smothered with your love. Or when he got blown. Or when he got to blow you. He's not picky in that regard. But that kind of content."

"I—wha—" Hizashi stutters and then snaps his mouth shut because he doesn't actually want to know why Nemuri knows that. There are some things better left unsaid and this is so absolutely one of them.

But Hizashi can picture it perfectly now, because of course he knows what kind of content she speaks about, even without the unnecessary sexual talk; the one that slightly softens Shouta's entire face and makes it look as if he's smiling even though he isn't actually and he's radiating calmness in a way that makes even Hizashi want to sit down and be still and it just doesn't make sense.

An empty and cold bed doesn't make for a content Shouta, not in Hizashi's experience.

He must have stayed quiet for too long because Nemuri tilts her head in question. "You really haven't seen him today?"

"He was gone when I woke up," Hizashi gives back with a shrug and he can't deny how much it's bothering him to admit it.

He always feels a little wrong-footed when his days start without Shouta.

"And he's not here, so I won't get to see him until our lunch break," Hizashi adds with a sigh and a new glance at the time.

He's going to be late for real if he doesn't get going right this second.

"Strange," Nemuri hums but lets him leave and Hizashi silently agrees as he gathers his things and makes his way over to the first class of the day.

Strange doesn't even being to cover it.

~*~*~

Hizashi's morning runs long. So long, in fact, that he doesn't manage to catch Shouta in front of his classroom like he hoped he would and his mood drops even further when he gets back to the teacher's lounge and Shouta isn't there either.

"He said he had an errand to run," Nemuri apologetically tells him. "I tried to stop him at least long enough for you to catch up, but you know how stubborn he can be."

"Like a mule," Hizashi agrees, slumping where he stands. He really hoped he would get to see Shouta during their break.

"Listen, I know I said he looked content this morning and he still did just now, but is everything alright?" Nemuri hesitantly asks and Hizashi doesn't even have to think about his answer.

"Of course it is."

There's no doubt that it isn't, because Shouta has nights where he just doesn't sleep and their lives and their five jobs are hectic enough that sometimes they just don't see each other because nothing lines up right. If something really was wrong, Shouta would have told him. He would have found the time to tell him, personally or via text or call, Hizashi is certain of that.

"Okay," Nemuri easily agrees and then Hizashi gets distracted when Uraraka pokes her head through the door.

"Mic-sensei?" she calls out and Hizashi plasters his best Present Mic smile onto his face as he skips over to her, faltering slightly when he sees Ashido and Yaoyorozu at her side.

"What can I do for you, little listeners?" Hizashi asks and he notes with worry how serious all three of them look.

"Sorry to interrupt your break," Yaoyorozu says, ever the polite one, "but we were just wondering—"

"Can you tell us what's wrong with Aizawa-sensei?" Uraraka interrupts her and just on cue Ashido bursts into tears.

"He's dying, right?" she sobs out and Hizashi blinks, completely blindsided by all of this.

"He's what?" he finally gets out because none of this makes any sense and he watches how Uraraka tries to calm down the crying Ashido while Yaoyorozu wrings her hands in front of her chest.

"It's just—he's been really off today and we were wondering if something has happened? Did he get hit with a quirk or something?"

"You two are friends, right?" Uraraka chimes in, glancing over at Hizashi. "Do you know anything?"

"Off how?" Hizashi asks helplessly because he can't—in very good consciousness—tell them Shouta is not dying if he doesn't know how he's behaving.

Shouta tried to hide potentially lethal wounds from him before, and even though it doesn't fit with what Nemuri has said it's better to be cautious here.

"He—he—he was smiling," Ashido gets out between sobs and Uraraka thankfully takes over.

"And not that creepy smile he does when he's about to unleash hell on us but a real one. A happy one."

"He didn't threaten to expel any of us today, he didn't snap when the boys were a bit too loud during class and he let us all go early. He didn't even bring his sleeping bag today," Yaoyorozu sums up and she seems honestly distressed.

Validly so, Hizashi guesses because it's a big enough deviation of Shouta's normal behaviour that Hizashi has to refrain from frowning, lest he worries the kids any more.

"He's not dying," he then says with conviction because if he were, Shouta would be more snappish, not less, and even more prone to fall asleep to avoid all of his problems.

If he's staying awake and smiling and not snapping at anyone, then that must mean he's in a really good mood, especially if he's willing to let his kids see it. He usually plays everything so close to his chest at school so if things are leaking out today, then it has to be because he's happy.

That's the only explanation Hizashi can come up with, which just makes him want to pout because how can Shouta be happy if they didn't even get to see each other today?

"Are you sure?" Ashido sniffles but Hizashi nods.

"One hundred percent, listener! Just imagine that on all other days he woke up on the wrong side of the bed and today, finally, everything worked out fine," Hizashi says, and wants to groan at the irony of his words because there was no right side of the bed today, not when it was empty and Shouta long gone.

He watches how relief floods over the girl's faces, though, and that is all that matters.

"If you're sure," Uraraka uncertainly says and Hizashi nods again.

"Absolutely, one hundred percent,” he reiterates. “Your favourite teacher is not dying."

It's a testament to how worried they really were that they don't even pretend that Shouta isn't their favourite and Hizashi vows to tell him all about it once he finally manages to see him.

"Now off you go, enjoy the rest of your lunch break," he finally shoos them away and they leave without much protest, leaving Hizashi and his thoughts alone.

"You know, he does have one more kid," Nemuri's voice jolts him out of it and his head flies around to her. "One he sees regularly, after classes."

"You're right!" Hizashi shouts, almost lets his quirk slip with how excited he is, because how could he forget that Shouta is supposed to meet with Shinsou after classes for some extra training today?

It's the perfect way to finally see him before they both get home and Hizashi has half a mind simply running off now, but then the first warning bell goes off and he groans.

"Fuck everything today," he mutters as he rubs a hand over his face, but he dutifully gets back to his classes.

He'll just let his last one go a little bit early, so he can ambush Shinsou in front of his class, so that there can be no chance of him running off anywhere and then he'll get to see Shouta.

Easy.

~*~*~

"I'm really sorry, Mic-sensei, but Aizawa-sensei cancelled on me today," Shinsou tells him and Hizashi mutters "Yamada, come on kid, we've been over this," almost before Shinsou's words register.

"Wait, he what?"

Shinsou shrugs as he pulls out his phone, turning it around so Hizashi can see his chat history with Shouta, as if Hizashi wouldn't believe him otherwise.

"He said he had a family thing today and couldn't train me, so we switched it to tomorrow."

"I see," Hizashi mutters and now Shinsou seems distinctly uncomfortable.

"Is everything alright?" he haltingly asks and then rubs the back of his neck in a gesture so similar to Shouta when he's embarrassed that Hizashi does a double take. "It's just—you seem worried and he was overly chipper today, he even sent me an emoji, here, see," Shinsou rambles and points at a distinctly emoji-shaped, well, emoji in their chat.

"I see," Hizashi says again and then shakes himself out of it. "Everything's fine, Shinsou, don't worry. Our schedules haven't aligned very well today and I just thought I could catch him during training with you, that's all."

Shinsou mulls that over for a moment before he nods, but he doesn't seem very reassured at all.

"But—you two are alright?" he then dares to ask and it's almost sweet how he worries about them.

"I promise, we are," Hizashi softly tells him, because there is no reason for him to think anything else.

'Family thing' could be anything, really, but it sure as hell doesn't mean they have any kind of relationship problem, Hizashi is one hundred percent certain of that.

"Okay."

"Mind if I join you for training tomorrow?" Hizashi asks, trying to get some life back into the conversation again and predictably, Shinsou lights up.

"Not at all!"

"Great, I'll be there then," he promises him and then waves him off, now eager to get home and figure out just what the hell is up with Shouta today.

Hizashi is barely halfway to his car when his phone chimes.

Went on ahead, meet you at home. Love you <3, the message from Shouta reads and now this, this is worrying.

Shouta doesn't shy away to show his affection for Hizashi and it's not rare for him to tell Hizashi he loves him either, but two times in a day is suspicious. Not in a 'I'm dying' or 'We need to talk' or 'I want a divorce' kind of suspicious but in a 'I brought home a stray' or 'We're going to adopt a teenager' kind of suspicious.

Suspicious enough at least that Hizashi doesn't waste another second and almost runs to his car. He knows better than to speed on the way back home, but whenever he has to slow down he finds himself humming with his quirk just barely detectable and he thinks he might just scream for real should he get stuck in traffic.

Thankfully none of that happens and soon enough he finds himself unlocking their door. Shouta must be home, because there's light on, and music is softly meeting Hizashi in the hallway and just the thought that he is finally in a space with his husband again has Hizashi relaxing and he lets out a soft “I’m home!”

His relaxation lasts until he steps into the living-room because then he's just completely gobsmacked.

There are flowers. There are flowers everywhere and just from a glance Hizashi thinks they might all be his favourites. That paired with the music and the admittedly delicious smell coming from the kitchen has Hizashi panicked that he might have forgotten their anniversary, but that can't be because they got married in summer and it's still bitterly cold out.

"Shou?" Hizashi hesitantly calls out and he's almost embarrassed by how much better he feels the second his eyes land on Shouta.

Just like Nemuri had said, he looks content, happy even, and there is that smile Ashido and Uraraka talked about.

"Hi," Shouta says and steps close for a lingering kiss that Hizashi is helpless against and he feels a little dazed when they part. “Welcome home.”

"Hi," he breathes out and then takes another look around. "What is all of this?"

Shouta shrugs. "I just felt like it," he says and now that is some utter bullshit.

There is no way Shouta just felt like this if there isn't a reason for it.

"Who are you and what have you done with my Shouta? Where's the catch?"

Shouta lets out an amused huff and brushes a kiss over Hizashi's cheek.

"The catch is that I am your Shouta," he teasingly gives back and steers Hizashi into the kitchen where not only dinner is waiting for him but also the cupcakes he loves so much from that one bakery across town.

"I call bullshit," Hizashi says, even as he leans into Shouta's hands as he pushes him down onto a chair.

"Fine," Shouta sighs out and pushes a hand through his hair as he rolls his eyes.

"So? What happened to my Shouta? Grumpy, grouchy, 'I don't want to spend my time needlessly in the kitchen' Shouta? You cooked for me today. Twice. Not even to mention any of this!" He sweeps his arms around in an encompassing gesture and Shouta only smiles.

"Your Shouta happened to have a bad night," Shouta starts and Hizashi can't help the flash of satisfaction when he realises that he had been right with his assumption.

It doesn’t explain anything else, though, which Shouta must be able to read off his face clear as day, because he gently puts a hand over his mouth to stop him from speaking.

"And as your Shouta was laying there, watching you sleep because it calms him down like nothing else, he realised that he is the happiest man on earth. And then he decided that he needs to show his appreciation for you."

Hizashi reaches up to tug Shouta's hand down, which he gracefully allows and frowns up at him.

"You don't have to though. I know you love me."

"I know," Shouta sighs out and kisses his forehead. "But this is not about me loving you. This is about me being incandescently happy and having the urge to do something about it."

"But those are my favourite flowers and my favourite cupcakes. Why not do something for yourself?"

"You're such an idiot," Shouta sighs out and his face stays soft and happy and Hizashi maybe feels a little bit as if he's floating in his own pool of happiness. "I'm only happy because of you. You make me the happiest man alive. Why would I ever do any of this if not for you?"

"Oh my gods, you're such a sap," Hizashi gets out, but his voice is shaking and his eyes might be a little bit wet but he just loves Shouta so much.

"Only for you," Shouta shoots back and Hizashi laughs, even as he pulls on Shouta until he gets the hint and climbs on his lap. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Hizashi immediately gives back and he can't believe how lucky he got when he's met with a warm gaze.

And then he remembers what happened at school and he bursts out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Shouta asks, now with a small frown on his face and Hizashi laughs some more.

"Nemuri thinks we've had some sexy times this morning because you are so happy. Your kids think you're dying and they also admitted you’re their favourite. Shinsou was worried we're having relationship problems!" It's all so funny in retrospect that Hizashi laughs some more and even Shouta's mouth curls into an amused smile.

"If my kids think I'm dying they have zero observation skills."

"I'm not so sure about that, considering how you normally act, your behaviour was pretty concerning," Hizashi gives back and noses at Shouta's chin. "You cancelled on Shinsou for a family thing and then I come ask if I can join for training, clearly not knowing about anything and it had him worried."

"And Nemuri?"

"Knows too much about our sex life, apparently, and I'd rather not remember this ever again."

Shouta laughs at that, his head thrown back and Hizashi can't help but to lean in and softly bite at his throat, making Shouta's breath hitch.

"What did she think we were up to?"

"Blowjobs in the morning. Though she couldn't decide who went down on who," Hizashi gives back and now it's on him to almost choke on a breath because when Shouta looks down at him there's a distinct heat in his gaze.

"I had different plans for tonight but I'm flexible," he simply says and Hizashi swallows before he says "You sure are."

It's enough to make Shouta laugh again, which makes Hizashi feel very accomplished, thank you very much, but to his dismay Shouta stands up not even a moment later.

"That's for later though. I did not spent an hour in this kitchen for you to let it all go cold," he says and Hizashi feels as if his chest is going to burst right open with how much he loves this man.

"You're wrong," he says, apropos of nothing and immediately Shouta glares at him. "You're not the happiest man on earth. You can't be, because where does that leave me?"

Shouta narrows his eyes at him for a moment before he softens again and he reaches out to tug Hizashi's glasses and headphones off his head.

"Fine. We can both be the happiest. That would leave you right at my side."

"So exactly where I want to be," Hizashi nods and catches Shouta's hand in his to press a kiss to his palm. "That's acceptable."

"It better be," Shouta grumbles, but there's still that soft, content look on his face and Hizashi knows that it's all just an act. "Now let go of me, we need to eat."

"If you insist," Hizashi says, reluctantly dropping Shouta's hand, though he can't help but to swipe his thumb over the ring now securely on his ring finger, like it always is when they are at home.

He finds himself thinking that he would marry Shouta ten times over if he could and with how Shouta acted today, he is more than certain that the same is true for Shouta as well.

They truly are the luckiest, happiest men alive.

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