Chapter Text
“Hey Eiji,” Katsuki asks quietly.
Eijiro hums back, enjoying the feeling of Katsuki’s strong hands running through his hair. Scratching lightly as Eijiro rests his head against Katsuki’s chest, arms wrapped tight around the other.
“I’m sorry for calling you shitty hair. Back when we were in school.” The remorse in Katsuki voice makes Eijiro look up.
Two nearly identical sets of crimson looking into each other. Eijiro shakes his head, not dislodging the fingers that continue to play with his hair.
“Its okay Tsuki, that was years ago. Besides you’re less of an ass now and I just took it as a pet name after a while.”
“Only you would. I guess it just feels wrong saying shitty. Besides you liked me back then too. Was it cause I was being an ass?”
“Nope, it was your manly muscles,” Eijiro says with a smirk, and a squeeze to Katsuki bicep.
Katsuki snorts before saying, “Listen Ei, I’m trying, for you.”
”Your hair at first I thought its so damn red. And pointy. Just weird,” he says, still playing with those loose strands, pulling them through his fingers slowly. “But I get it now, its a part of you.”
Katsuki voice is quiet and contemplative, “We’ve gone through so much shit. You, me, all our friends. But you stuck through it. I see you now. I see the color red and it feels good. Real good, cause of you.“
He smiles, looking at Eijiro like he is the most precious and amazing thing in the world. To Katsuki he is.
“I know you’ve got me. In the field, you’re the unbreakable Red Riot. And here, your mine. My unbreakable Ei.”
Eijiro cant help it Katsuki is just so manly. His bottom lip wobbles and he feels his vision cloud with tears. This is all he ever wanted to be. A hero who is unbreakable. Even if he cracks he toughens up and gets back up for the people who he loves.
“Your hair, its beautiful. You’re so damn beautiful,” Katsuki brings a strand of hair close and kisses it before placing a hand on Eijiro’s chin guiding him to connect their lips softly.
“I was thinking about dying my hair tonight, the roots are growing in,” Eijiro mentions while he and Katsuki sit at the dinner table enjoying a meal a few days later.
“Need help?” Katsuki asks.
“No, I’m good. But I was wondering do you still want to dye your hair? Like you mentioned before.”
Eijiro was shocked when Katsuki brought it up that night. He wanted to dye just a little part of his hair, to match with Eijiro.
“Yeah. I’d like that.” Katsuki responds with a smile, before continuing his dinner.
They sit together in the bathroom while Eijiro pulls out his plastic bowl and brush. Opening up the two tubes of colorant and mixing up equal parts. Its a small batch.
Katsuki does help him after-all. Eijiro sits on top of the closed toilet seat as Katsuki stands over him. Katsuki combs each section of hair slowly. He spends time touching each strand. Almost ashamed at how he indulges in it’s softness but Eijiro looks pleased with the pampering.
Eventually Katsuki puts on a pair of gloves and sets to work. Dipping the brush into the deep red pigment, picking up a section of hair and painting the strands. He takes his time as Eijiro hums quietly to himself and Katsuki squints in concentration.
He reaches the bangs, pulling back those front strains, applying the dye then quickly grabbing a clip to hold Eijiro’s bangs back. “Done,” Katsuki says, kissing Eijiro’s exposed forehead. The fresh red-head blushes at the gesture.
Eijiro yawns all this is almost enough to put him to sleep. “Time to dye yours. So what were you thinking?”
“You can choose,” Katsuki says snapping the gloves off and into the garbage.
“Hmm?” Eijiro looks at Katsuki, his face open and honest. Trusting.
Eijiro reaches his hand out, rubs against the others cheek gently before he runs his hand through those flaxen blond locks. Eijiro feels a pang in his chest, something like this, it means the world.
“How about this?” He lightly pulls a length of hair from behind Katsuki’s ear. Its a small part, but should always be visable.
“Sure,” Katsuki agrees instantly seemingly lost in Eijiro’s eyes.
Eijiro giggles and grabs a glove as well. Instead of using the brush, just uses his fingers to rub the dye into Katsuki hair.
Eijiro steps out of the bath with a hair still driping wet onto the towel around his neck. He sits in front of Katsuki on the bed, ready for phase two. The whirring sound of the hair dryer starts up, Katsuki fluffing his hair and drying it. The strands going from deep wine red to a vibrant crimson. Left wavy and soft and perfect.
When Katsuki wakes the next morning its face deep in a beautiful crimson, he cuddles closer so unwilling to pull away. The constant beeping of his alarm means he eventually gets up, placing a quick kiss to Eijiro’s shoulder before hopping out of bed.
He brushes his teeth still feeling half asleep, when he finally blinks his eyes open enough he is surprised by his own reflection.
There has always been red in his reflection. His eyes, he always wanted to be strong, the kind of strong that could take on the world. But that same red reflected in Eijiro’s eyes taught him a different kind of strength. One that made him a better hero and a better man.
Now there is another reminder, he reaches for the crimson strand that stands out against the paler of his own natural blond. This red that represents Eijiro’s strength. Another thing he feels blessed to share.