CUTE THINGS THEY DO

helping them when they need it

incl. itto, xiao, kazuha, childe

warnings: mentions of injuries / cuts

a/n: childe’s is . kind of angsty ?? still has a little bit of reverse comfort. also takes place before he tries to destroy liyue <3

itto

you weren’t entirely sure why arataki itto ran to you when he had an allergy attack, but here he was, nearly hyperventilating at your doorstep.

“what happened?” you ask, putting your hand on his shoulder to steady him.

“beans,” he chokes out. “beans,” he repeats, coughing.

“we were getting food and there were beans hidden under his rice,” one of his gang members explains. “we told him to be careful but he was so hungry he took a bite without checking!”

“oh, jeez. come on,” you sigh, helping itto up. “could you guys give us some space?” you look to the three men standing behind itto.

they all nod. “we’ll stay out here if that’s what you need.”

you close your door and sit itto down. his eyes were filled with tears and he was coughing uncontrollably. “itto, you’ve gotta be more careful. this is the 2nd time this has happened in the past week,” you tell him. “at this rate, you’re gonna build an immunity to beans.”

itto rapidly shakes his head. “no way. never gonna happen,” he says with a strained voice.

“just sit here and calm down. you’re not gonna be able to get your breath back if you keep panicking,” you tell him. “do you want some water?”

itto quickly nods. you retrieve a glass of water for him and he slurps it down. “man, you really are a lifesaver,” he breathes. he already sounds better.

“are you gonna be okay? aren’t eating beans like, particularly bad for you? am i gonna have to rush you to a doctor?” you ask.

“slow down, slow down,” itto says between breaths. “i think i’ll be fine. might have to take it easy for the rest of the night, but i won’t die or anything. it was just one bean.” his face scrunches up. “so gross.”

you refill his glass of water, and he drinks it all in the blink of an eye. “d’you mind if i crash here for a bit?” he asks. “just a few hours, tops. i promise i’ll be gone before the sun sets.”

you nod. “that’s fine, i guess. what do you want me to tell the guys?”

“just tell ‘em to head home and that i’m taking a nap here. they’ll be outta your hair then.”

you did just that, and although hesitant, his gang members left. by the time you came back inside, itto was already fast asleep. you didn’t have to leave home, so you just went on with your day and kept an eye on itto.

the sun started to set and itto finally started stirring. “itto?” you ask quietly.

itto’s eyes flutter open and he rubs them before lifting his head. “oh man, how long have i been out?”

“three days,” you reply. “just kidding, it’s only been a few hours.” you quickly add on once you see the look of horror on itto’s face.

“not funny,” he mumbles, setting his head back down. “how am i still so exhausted?”

“well, you are extremely allergic to beans. ‘extremely’ almost doesn’t seem like a good enough word to describe how badly allergic you are,” you tell him. “just stay the night.”

“are you sure?” itto asks after a few moments of silence. “i mean, i’m sure i can make it home just fine. granny is probably worried about me,” he says.

“i understand that, but i don’t really think you’re in a condition to make that journey back to your granny right now. surely she’ll understand when you get back?“ you suggest.

“yeah, you’re probably right. she’d probably be mad at me for walking that much when i’m like this.” he says. he groans. “i need to go back to sleep. my head is killing me,”

“no worries. hopefully you’ll feel better in the morning.” you say.

“hey, (y/n), thanks for letting me stay here while i recover. i owe you big time.” itto says.

you chuckle. “don’t worry about it. you’re not in best itto condition, i can’t let you go around inazuma looking like that,”

he laughs. “yeah, thanks for — wait, what do you mean by that? how bad do i look?!?”

xiao

“he’s on the roof, as usual. i… don’t think he’s in the best condition. could you please check on him?”

verr goldet’s voice sounded more nervous than usual. as you made your way to the top of wangshu inn, you were just expecting to see xiao exhausted from conquering demons — it was a rare sight, but it did happen. you had never actually seen him physically hurt.

“xiao?” you ask, stepping onto the roof. you couldn’t see him. “xiao?” you repeat.

you hear something behind you. turning, you finally see xiao. you can tell by the way he’s standing that he’s in great pain — eyebrows furrowed, face contorted in a way that makes it only more obvious he’s trying to hide his pain. “you called?”

“verr goldet asked me to check on you… are you okay?” you ask, stepping closer.

xiao grunts. “i’m fine.”

it’s then when you notice his arms are cut, exposing dark gashes on his arm that are the complete opposite of a human’s flesh. gasping, you put a hand on his arm, making sure to be wary of his injury. “what happened?”

“i said i’m fine,” xiao gently moves away from your grasp. “it’s just a flesh wound…”

“it should still be cared for,” you tell him. “please let me look at it.”

xiao crossed his arms before sighing. “alright, fine.”

“i’ll be back in just a moment. don’t leave.”

you quickly go down the stairs of wangshu inn and retrieve a first aid kit. you’re back to the roof in no time and pleased to see that xiao hasn’t left. “sit,” you say, gently helping him sit down. you start to disinfect his cuts.

he doesn’t even flinch. he clears his throat. “…is it bad?”

you shake your head. “no. it isn’t deep enough to need stitches or anything,” you reply. “but whatever got you, got you pretty good.”

you bandage up his right arm and start cleaning the next. “where were you when i got here? verr goldet said you’d be on the roof.”

“i knew she’d send you after me,” he mumbles. “i didn’t want you to see me hurt.”

“why?” you ask. “it’s a good thing i did, right? you could get more hurt if you left these untreated.”

he shrugs. “i suppose you’re right.”

“if you didn’t want me to see you like this, then why did you still show up?” you ask.

“because you called out my name. and i promised i’d be there whenever you did.” xiao replies.

you finish bandaging him up. “you’re good at keeping promises,” you say, packing the first-aid kit up. “so promise me you won’t hesitate to ask me for help.”

xiao pauses for a moment before nodding slightly. when you start to descend the stairs to return the kit back to its place, you feel xiao’s eyes on you, watching intently. “i’m just putting the first-aid kit back,” you tell him. “i’ll be back. would you like me to get you some almond tofu from chef yanxiao?”

“okay,” he says, shoulder dropping in relief. “just… make it fast, please,”

kazuha

doing business on the docks of liyue, you had grown close to the captain of the crux, beidou. you were the first to welcome her back and the last to send her your regards and well wishes before she left. so when she returned to liyue after a trip to inazuma, she wasted no time to introduce you to kaedehara kazuha.

he was timid, only speaking to beidou, avoiding all eye contact with you — beidou told you once it was just you and her that he had been through a lot recently, fleeing from inazuma after witness his friend get slain.

before the pair left the dock, you called out his name.

“kazuha, if you ever need help, ask beidou where you can find me.”

it was just an offer; you couldn’t deny that his story pulled at your heartstrings a bit. he had gone through so much. losing a friend, fleeing your home nation, suddenly coming to a new nation you don’t know anything about. it was a lot.

a few weeks had passed since kazuha had arrived in liyue. you had only spoken to him once since beidou introduced you to him, but you saw him around the city a lot and would always wave or give him a friendly smile. it wasn’t until a stormy night that kazuha took up your offer of help.

you almost didn’t hear him knock on your door. it almost blended in with the pounding rain against your house. but you checked anyways, and you were greeted with a soaking wet kazuha at your doorstep.

you immediately pulled him inside, running to grab a towel to dry him off. he looked like he was soaked to the bone, his clothes were sopping wet and rain dripped from his hair. you wrapped the towel around him and sat him down.

“i tried to find shelter,” kazuha chuckles as he pulls the towel tighter around his body. “but as you can see, i failed.”

“it’s been raining for hours,” you say softly, throwing more wood in the fireplace nearby. “have you been in the rain this entire time?”

“not the entire time. i was in a cave when the rain started, but the wind started to blow the rain in. so i started to make my way here.” he explains. “it still took some time, though.”

“i’m glad you knew where i was. besides from me there’s only two other houses nearby, and i’m not sure they’d be as welcoming to a stranger.” you tell him.

“after we met a few weeks ago i asked beidou where i could find you if i needed it. since i’ve been here for some time now, i didn’t have any trouble finding you, luckily.” he replies. he sniffles, pushing his wet hair back.

“let me get you some food, you must be starving.” you say, pushing a chair closer to the fireplace. “sit here. get warmed up,” you help him stand and get him seated by the fire.

you quickly go to your kitchen to retrieve some soup you had made earlier while you rack your brain on what to do about his clothes. you had some old clothes you didn’t wear anymore that might fit him; he just needed something for the night. you left the kitchen to get kazuha some food in his stomach.

“here’s some soup,” you say. “you’ll have to change out of those clothes before you get sick, though,”

kazuha nods, taking the soup from your hands and sips it, sighing in relief at the warmth. “thank you for helping me,” he says. “i don’t think i realized how cold i was until i got here.”

“of course,” you reply. “there’s no way i’d leave you out there. let me get you those clothes now,” you go to your bedroom and find the clothes — looking at them now, they’d surely fit him.

when you return, kazuha had finished the soup and was standing by the fire. he had just finished drying his hair; it was out of it’s usual ponytail now. “i’m sorry for causing any—“

“shh,” you shush him. “it’s fine. i offered to help and now i’m helping.” you hand him the clothes.

his eyelids are heavy. he looks so exhausted he could fall asleep standing up.

“i can take you to my room and you can have my bed for the night.” you tell him.

kazuha shakes his head. “no. i can’t do that. i can just sleep out here on the floor.”

“kazuha—“

“i’ll be fine. i’m used to it. having a roof over my head is enough for me.” he says.

you listen to the rain outside for a few moments before nodding. “okay. you can put your clothes by the fire, hopefully they’ll be dried by morning.” you say. “are you sure you’ll be okay?”

kazuha smiles slightly, nodding. “yes. i can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done so far.”

“alright, then. i’ll see you in the morning.” you leave kazuha by himself and go to your own room. it takes you some time to shut your brain off and fall asleep, but you manage.

in the morning, you leave your room and see that kazuha has already woken up. he was back in his own clothes that had dried and had neatly folded yours and set it on the table.

“how are you feeling?” you ask.

“okay,” kazuha replies. “although… i can feel a cold coming on,” he sighs.

“well, you can always come back if you need to. a cold will definitely leave faster if you have proper shelter. i can also get you some medicine from dr. baizhu. i have to deliver something to him today anyways,” you tell him.

kazuha nods, grinning. “thank you.”

you quickly get ready and head towards the harbor with kazuha. the smell of rain still lingered in the air, children were jumping in the puddles left behind while the wild animals drank from them.

“i have to head to the crux,” kazuha says. “thank you again for all the help.”

“you’re welcome. feel free to come by anytime,” you tell him.

he nods, a soft smile on his face. “i’ll definitely consider it.”

childe

there had been a few times before when you had needed to patch up the mysterious man from snezhnaya — usually just a few cuts and bruises, but for a toy seller, he was getting hurt an awful lot.

so when he showed up on your doorstep, clothes tattered, covered in blood, you knew there was definitely something he wasn’t telling you. but that didn’t mean you were going to deny him help.

silence fills the room as you disinfect his cuts and clean the dirt off his skin. you noticed that body was basically covered in scars.

“you’ve definitely seen me in better shape,” childe finally says, voice strained. he’s still able to crack a smile.

you look to him. even though he’s smiling, you can sense some kind of hurt in his eyes. you quickly glance away. “i have.”

“i appreciate your help. i didn’t know who else to go to. the pharmacy is closed, and i’m not sure i’d get the same kind of help there as i will from you.” childe says.

you nod. “you made the right choice. so, what happened?” you ask.

the question makes childe shift uncomfortably in his spot. “i can tell you’re suspicious.”

“of course i am. am i supposed to think toy sellers get in fights like this?” you question. “either way, i don’t care. we’ve already established some kind of friendship, so…”

“it was never my plan to keep my real job hidden from you,” he admits. “but it would change your mind about me. and it felt kind of nice to have someone who didn’t know what i’m really in liyue for… but everyone figures it out somehow,” he says, chuckling.

“childe…” you say softly. “i’m still helping you. and i plan to do this whenever you need it.”

childe looks to you, with an almost confused and hurt expression on his face. “i’m not a good guy.”

“then i’ll pretend you’re a good guy.” you reply, pressing a bandage onto a cut on his shoulder. “if mr. zhongli trusts you, then surely you can’t be all that bad? i’m starting to get a feeling you don’t talk too highly of yourself.”

childe looks down at the floor. “okay. then we can pretend i’m just a toy seller.”

you pull childe’s sleeve back down to cover the bandage. “alright.”

childe stands up from his seat and heads to the door. “thank you again.”

“are you sure you want to leave? you must be exhausted. you’re already hurt and it’s dark outside. you should really—“

“i’ll be fine.” childe cuts you off. “i shouldn’t take up more of your time. you’ve already helped me this much.” he opens the front door. “i hope i’ll see you again soon.”

and then, he’s gone, leaving you with nothing but your thoughts.

Call signs

Ft: Mikey, Mitsuya, Chifuyu, Hanma, and Draken

‣ ᴍɪᴋᴇʏ

✦ He uses a lot of names for you, but he often uses your name. On certain occasions, if he's more clingy than usual, he'll call you babe or my love.

"Come on, Mikey, you'll be late for your meeting."

"Babe, they can wait! I just want my cuddles. "

‣ ᴅʀᴀᴋᴇɴ

✦ He prefers to use your name. He does, however, use the words baby, love, and angel on occasion. He just thinks your name is a lot prettier than these call signs. He enjoys seeing your eyes light up whenever he calls you an angel.

"Eyes up here, Angel."

"You cannot blame me for getting distracted by your biceps, Draken."

‣ ᴄʜɪꜰᴜʏᴜ

✦ He uses my love and babe ALL THE TIME. He only uses your name if he'll tell you something serious and he needs your full attention. He accidentally called you bro once, and you always bring it up to fluster him.

"It was one time!"

"Yeah, whatever bro."

‣ ᴍɪᴛꜱᴜʏᴀ

✦ Yup, this man always calls you darling or my beloved. He loves watching you become flustered whenever he calls you that. He uses your name when you two are in a public place, since he's not too big on PDA.

"You look so beautiful like this, darling."

"You're the prettier one here, Takashi."

‣ ʜᴀɴᴍᴀ

✦ He uses baby girl as an inside joke between you two. He'll just call you that just to piss you off. On a serious note, he calls you angel or baby when he feels like it.

"Where are you going, baby girl?"

"Can you please stop calling me that?"

𝗘𝗫!𝗛𝗨𝗦𝗕𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗬𝗔𝗧𝗢 !

˖˚˳⊹ ex!husband ayato feat. ayato x fem! reader

˖˚˳⊹ warnings: nsfw : possessive and toxic behavior : mentions of pregnancy

ex!husband ayato who's still calling you his wife despite the both of you already being divorced for a long time.

ex!husband ayato who lets the shuumatsuban keep tracks on you so he'll always know you're safe.

ex!husband ayato who'll always cry about missing you in front of thoma, hoping he'll tell you about it afterwards.

ex!husband ayato who'll always show up in the middle of the night because he's still not used to sleeping without you by his side.

ex!husband ayato who will always protect you from people who're trying to get too close to you, or at least he thinks they're being too close to his y/n.

ex!husband ayato who's always there to listen to you whenever you complain about being alone and wanting to be in love again.

ex!husband ayato who'll reminisce about good old times that happened between the both of you, hoping you'll go back to him.

ex!husband ayato who'll always have a shoulder for you to cry on whenever a guy breaks your heart or messes with you.

ex!husband ayato who‘s still keeping panties of you in his drawer which he holds whenever he jerks off on the thoughts of you.

ex!husband ayato who will fuck you the exact same way he did on your honeymoon so you'll never forget how good he makes you feel.

ex!husband ayato who'll leave big hickies on visible areas of your body so everyone knows you're claimed by him.

ex!husband ayato who tells you his cock is made for you whenever you cry out about him being too fucking big for your cunt to take.

ex!husband ayato who wants to breed you until you're leaking and full of his cum, fantasizing about the way you would look with a big belly made by him, practically waiting for you to get pregnant so you'll never leave ever again!

ex!husband character event

do not! share, copy or repost my work. ✎ ©ANANTARU 2022

*Tanjiro is Ma

𝕽𝖔𝖒𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖈 𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖘

Characters: Mikey, Mitsuya, Hakkai, and Baji.

ꪑ꠸ᛕꫀꪗ

Childhood friends to lovers

✿ I think this trope fits your relationship with him. It's not like he'll suddenly have a romantic interest in you until he knows you long enough.

✿ He doesn't open up easily to new people, so I think he might like a partner who knows him very well instead of just rushing into it. Like, you need to know his family and him as a person until he acknowledges his feelings.

ꪑ꠸ꪻᦓꪊꪗꪖ

Best friends to lovers

✿ I can just see him slowly falling in love with you. just like how Katniss fell for Peeta. It wasn't immediate, like love at first sight, but slowly getting to know each other and just feeling like, "Yeah, I love this person."

✿ He was probably interested in you at the beginning, and vice versa. There's a lot of tension going on here and teasing. HAHSHA Y'all probably act like a couple but are friends.

ꫝꪖᛕᛕꪖ꠸

Sister's friend to friends to lovers

✿ So, yeah, you were Yuzuha's friend, and she introduced you to her brother in hopes of becoming his friend.

✿ The plan worked, and Hakkai always anticipates your presence when you're coming over. I just think that he trusts his sister, and when he knew you as a person, he just felt like he could trust you. I don't know how to describe it, but I think he knows that you're his safe place.

✿ It took a while for him to talk to you and get to know you. However, you were patient and enjoyed his company.

𝐵𝒶𝒿𝒾

Grumpy x sunshine

✿ They can also be enemies because of his personality. Don't tell me that a few people don't like him. But, yeah, you're the sunshine and you're always there for him.

✿ He loves how you don't even do anything but it cheers him up. He loves how adorable you look and how you always manage to be kind to people.

✿ He thinks it's a bit unnecessary to be kind to rude people.

Gagi, lakas ng lindol dito. Nakakahilo HAHSHAHA

— inazuma boys as boyfriends !!

characters: ayato, thoma, itto, gorou, kazuha x gn!reader

- a.n. just some thoughts i’ve gathered from playing/thinking :)

ayato:

• soft and caring boyfriend !!

• kinda old-fashioned in a gentleman way?? he’s courting you everywhere, always locks your hands, makes sure you’re comfortable in your surroundings

• he’s still a busy man :(( doesn’t have a lot of time to go on dates

• but when he does have the time he makes sure it is worth it and memorable for both of you

• he likes quiet night walks in chinju forest especially when it’s just the two of you when he can have you all to himself and listen to your voice without any interruptions

• ayato is a bit of menace. might embarrass you in public if he feels like it

• whispers in your ears a LOT. he likes to see your face turn red from some of his comments

• he’s into moderate physical touch in public and heavy physical touch behind closed doors

• having his hand on the small of your back, around your waist, on your shoulders - you name it, he’s obsessed

• worries about you a lot, especially while he’s caught up with work and cannot check up on you himself, then he sends someone (ahem thoma ahem) to see if you’re okay and out of trouble

• likes it when you give him massages while he’s slumped over documents, likes top of the head kisses, likes having you sit in his lap, likes having you around in general

• ayato loves you a lot, even when he doesn’t show it, he’s always thinking about you

thoma:

• i don’t want to say this bc it’s obvious but.. malewife

• thoma loves to take you with him on his errands in inazuma city

• (definitely not because he wants to show you off no no no…. no…….)

• it’s just that having you around gives him the energy to keep working

• speaking of malewife.. he LOVES to cook for you and would never shame you if you don’t know how to cook yourself

• acts of service is definitely one of his live languages so seeing your happy smile while eating what he’s made is all he’ll ever need in his life

• speaking of love languages, he likes physical touch !!

• even the smallest of touches make him happy

• but in public he’s kinda shy because he’s afraid to make you uncomfortable :((

• when you give him the confidence he needs he’ll no doubt have his hands all over you in a respectful (!!) manner

• thoma is a very proud boyfriend, he’s always thinking of how lucky he is to have you in his life :((

• love him please dear god LOVE HIM

itto:

• he brings chaos with him but that’s not much of an issue to you because you like the lifestyle of risk and fun

• despite looking so menacing and people deeming him as mean he’s as soft as a labrador puppy

• he’s _very_ attentive !! you almost couldn’t believe it in the beginning but that’s the truth !!

• he’s also very needy… so needy for your attention and kisses

• whines and complains when you forget good morning kisses :(( they matter to him a lot you honestly don’t know why but they do

• it’s honestly so cute how this big boy is so awfully in love with you he can never stay put when you’re around !!

• ITTO IS THE BEST HUGGER IN INAZUMA (real (i’m inazuma))

• his touch is so warm and so soft, you feel protected just from being held

• he loves to hold you close in public, but still fears that people might think of you badly because you’re with _the_ arataki itto

• you are always reassuring him that you’re completely fine being his partner and that makes him so happy :((

• itto definitely knows you love him no matter what and that’s the only reassurance he’ll ever ever need <3

gorou:

• puppy boyf

• gorou is so awkward around you omg he doesn’t know what to do with his feelings :((

• he always tries to be strong and composed for his soldiers but whenever you’re around all that effort goes down the drain hehe

• he’s obsessed with your safety in the best possible way and always takes the time out of his day to check up on you no matter what he’s doing

• he’s probably the second most overprotective one out of all the boys (after kazuha) since he knows what loss is and he does NOT. i repeat does NOT want to lose you

• loves to be held by you :( so bonus points if your love language is physical touch !

• you’re definitely the only one who can touch his tail and ears, in fact, gorou _wants_ you to touch him there

• he also likes to be the little spoon when you two are sleeping together, to him your touch is heavenly

• your dates are always full of fun and excitement since with you he can let his status and duties fade into the background

• but, like ayato, he’s often busy, so these dates are kind of rare

• gorou’s also very loyal and honest with you, he wants you to feel comfortable enough to open up to him completely in any situation

kazuha:

• the one that is in touch with his and your feelings

• in fact it almost feels like you two are connected on a different level

• kazuha somehow always knows when you’re in trouble or danger, always justifies it with ‘the wind whispers’

• like i said, is the most overprotective of all

• he lost too many important things and people in his life to let you be taken away from him the same way

• so being with him sometimes feels like having a personal bodyguard who’s also very soft and gives you lots of kisses <3

• kazuha is super attentive !! takes note of the smallest things you mention just to bring them up in the future

• his love language are no doubt words of affirmation and quality time

• you often spend your free time together somewhere far from people, preferably in the nature, while he writes haikus inspired by you

• there are also cats following him around a lot, and, weirdly enough, it makes you feel safe and ‘at home’

• he doesn’t hide any of his feelings towards you, never misses a chance to kiss you and whisper a quiet ‘i love you’ before going somewhere

• to kazuha love is something divine and ethereal, so getting to share it with his special someone is beyond anything he’s ever wanted in life

𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑;

➵ multi x gn!reader ➵ contents: his reaction when you do this prank on him

does a double take and whips his head around to stare at you as you pass. blushes when he sees you. isn’t sure what to do at first but quickly makes up his mind to run in the other direction of the escalator to try and catch up to you.

⤿ hinata, bokuto, koganegawa, aran, nishinoya, akiteru

glances at you with a startled expression but doesn’t say or do anything. can’t stop thinking about the cute little wink and smile you shot him though, and turns to look at you again when he steps off the elevator.

⤿ kita, iwaizumi, ushijima, osamu, daichi, aone, akaashi, sugawara

catches your hand and tries to hold on to it for as long as possible. absolutely no shame, will do it in front of all his friends regardless of what they think. leans so far over the handrail towards you that he almost tips over it, but he’ll risk it all to try and get your name and number.

⤿ atsumu, terushima, hanamaki, kuroo, tanaka

rolls with it and kisses your hand. smugly tells his bewildered (and slightly jealous) friends that the two of you are dating. makes that a reality by the end of the day.

⤿ oikawa, meian, matsukawa, tendou, romero

rips his hand away. gives you a onceover. offers you his hand again.

⤿ tsukishima, kyoutani, daishou, sakusa, kageyama, semi

Here is Tanaka giving you some motivation for the day!

if katsuki has told you once, he’s told you a thousand times—don’t wait up for me.

you never did understand what all the fuss was about. sure, the fatigue would catch up to you after a few consecutive days of doing so—but it was never anything a little more sleep in the morning couldn’t solve.

still, after seeing how adamant he was about the whole thing, you dropped the habit altogether—or at least, he thought you did.

it’s almost midnight when katsuki arrives home, easing the front door shut with the utmost care. he doesn’t bat an eye upon noticing the dull amber glow emanating from the kitchen—you always leave the little light above the stove on for him. he does however, feel his heart skip a beat when he rounds the corner and sees a figure clad in black sitting at his kitchen island.

he easily recognizes the figure as you—seemingly lost in your own little world as you rest your chin in your palm and stare down at your phone. you click on a news article that catches your eye—one from just two hours ago. dynamight’s big rescue! on the evening of tuesday september 6th, three villains entered a bank around ni—

“the hell are you doin’?” his voice lingers from the doorway, much softer than usual—because he knows you’re unaware of his presence.

it startles you nonetheless, but it could have been much worse—he probably just saved you from a major heart attack. a true hero, even off duty.

“just some light reading,” you turn your head and give him a sheepish smile, simultaneously giving him a once over for any injuries. fortunately, you find none—not that you can see at least.

“meant what’re you doin’ up,” he replies, crossing his strong arms over his chest as he takes a few steps further into the kitchen.

“waiting for you,” you hum, hopping out of your chair and padding over to him. he watches, from the moment those words leave your mouth to the moment you wrap your arms around his neck—and then he turns his head. “kats, i missed you.”

he knew it was coming, but that didn’t mean it was any easier to hear. lately, with this increase in crime, you’ve been seeing him less and less. he hates it, but he knows you—and how quick you’d drop everything for a little more time together. he’s witnessed it, all those late nights and early mornings, they took a toll on you—and you don’t deserve that. so, he put an end to it, made sure you knew how important your health was, and had you sleeping like a baby by ten o’clock most nights. but, here you are.

“go,” he nods towards the stairs and rests a hand on your lower back, ushering you ever so gently. “‘ll be there in fifteen.”

he’ll inhale his dinner, wash up at the speed of light, and slide into bed next to you—just like the old days, right?

“i haven’t eaten yet,” you mumble.

you feel his hand stiffen up, and he’s no longer steering you towards your bedroom. he peers down, scarlet eyes boring into you from right beneath his furrowed brow—because he knows that you know, he’d never let you go to bed on an empty stomach. touché.

“pain in my ass,” he mutters, dropping his hand and letting you shuffle towards the fridge where you’re harbouring two plates of leftovers. he trails his gaze down to your feet, and you swear you hear a little snort slip out of him.

as if drowning yourself in his hoodie and sweats wasn’t enough, you have his slippers on—and they’re a size, or seven too big for your feet. you don’t have enough fingers to count all the times he’s called you ronald, or said that he didn’t know the fuckin’ circus was back in town. he can make all the clown jokes he wants, you’ll never give up that warmth and comfort—him getting a kick out of the whole thing is a side effect you can handle.

“how was patrol?” you ask, sliding one of the plates into the microwave. you more or less know how it went, but you’ll keep that to yourself.

he mumbles a same old shit before giving you a vague rundown of the bank robbery—well, the attempted bank robbery. he’s cut off by the loud beeps that echo throughout the room. you reach for the button that opens the little door, but he beats you to it, nudging you away with his hip. he removes the plate—and it’s blatantly obvious that it’s his—the portion size being a dead giveaway. still, he holds it out for you to take. “eat.”

the look on your face must’ve said it all, because he’s quick to follow up. “‘ll finish what you don’t, baby. sit, eat.”

his gaze lingers on you for just a tad longer than usual before he turns around and heads for the second plate. there’s probably half the amount of food on this one, but he doesn’t seem to mind. so you sit, and eat. he’s not far behind, plopping down next to you just a couple minutes later.

“katsuki?” you side eye him, thinking about how cute he looks with his cheeks all full. it’s been a little while since you’ve sat down and had a meal with him—this is perfect, just what you wanted. still, you can’t help but look ahead as you yearn for a little more. “will you wake me up before you leave tomorrow morning?”

“mmm,” he holds his hand in front of his mouth, rapidly chewing the remainder of his bite so he can answer you. “whatever, but if you swing at me once ‘m leavin’ you there.”

as much as katsuki would love to have a testy six am encounter with the little overtired monster that is you—he won’t, because he’s going to let you sleep until your sweet heart’s content.

you won’t be happy, he knows that—hell, maybe you’ll even swing at him tomorrow evening while fully awake. nah, who’s he kidding? you’d never consciously do that. he almost smiles at the thought though, biting the inside of his cheek to prevent it.

right, you won’t be happy, but you’ll get over it. it’s his job to get up early, come home late, and deal with all the bullshit in between.

because, in all aspects of life—from sleep, right down to the level of warmth and comfort you feel on your feet—katsuki believes you deserve just a little more than him.

✩ note : the man of the year returns to izurou :o thank you for reading ++ thank you for allll the love on my first kats fic !! i’m hoping this one is enjoyable as well >: reblogs are appreciated!