Chapter Text
Izuku hated hospitals.
The stinging smell of antiseptic. The scratchy white sheets. Getting horribly bored while his friends got ahead in their training. Aizawa sensei wedged uncomfortably in the plastic chair by his bed. All Might's worried frown.
Nothing good could come out of a hospital visit.
And Izuku was proud to say he hadn’t been to a hospital in a total of forty-nine days. That had to be a new record.
Red iron soled boots slammed against the cement walls, zipping across the sky like an electrified ping pong ball. His feet barely touched the floor before launching himself in the air again. He watched the people he was tasked to keep safe, going about their days, trusting the heroes to be their shield.
Izuku smiled, at peace. He rubbed his eyes, rolling his shoulders and yawned. His agency had messed up the schedules and Izuku was somehow ended up with a shift of 36 hours right after intercepting a suspected villain hideout.
"Look! It’s Deku!"
"So cool!"
Izuku cracked a smile, observing them from the corner of his eye. Skidding to a crouch on a random rooftop, one hand outstretched for balance and the other on the floor between his knees and winked.
A little cliche like out of a superhero movie but he gave the fans what they wanted. There was a reason he was called Japan’s Sweetheart.
His fans went ballistic, traffic clogging the streets, cars swerved crookedly to a stop, agitated honking from the vehicles and pedestrians cursing out as they jumped aside, narrowly saving themselves from becoming roadkill.
The people loved him. Wholeheartedly.
The Pro Hero chuckled, tired. They were the reason he dragged himself out of bed every morning. Throwing in another wink for good measure, he braced his knees and launched himself in the air as the screeching and swooning fans faded into the background.
This was his favourite part of the day.
Calm. Peaceful. An uninterrupted new day…….
'A phone call is here! A phone call is here!'
Izuku felt his stomach plummet when he missed his footing, blackwhip unravelling a minute too late.
The Pro Hero sighed as the crowd called him an ambulance. There went his forty-nine day record.
“Seriously problem child?” Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose. "I was naive to think you'd outgrow this habit of yours."
Izuku grinned sheepishly, right leg in a sling. “In my defence, my agency messed up my patrol schedule.” Izuku had been running himself to the ground, taking on back to back shifts until fatigue caught up to him. Too caught up in finally achieving his childhood dream, Izuku tended to overwork himself in a bid to overcompensate. To prove himself.
He had slipped from a rooftop during patrol and crashed into the vegetable aisle of the supermarket, breaking a leg and probably bursting his ear drums.
The whole thing was all over BuzzFeed and Reddit.
“You are the boss, couldn't you just say no? Or call me for back up? Or Yaomomo? Or Shoto?” Shinsou sat beside Aizawa, opening his sixth jelly pack for the day, passing one to Aizawa. "There's a reason we run the agency together you know?"
"Which is where you should be right now. Why are you guys here again?" Izuku hummed, typing away an email to his assistant for a half day. Dr. Shingo could finish patching him up by then. Maybe he should ask one of the interns to fetch the stack of paperwork on his desk.
"Would you rather Yaomomo know you're in the hospital? Again?"
Izuku's danger sense tingled as he turned to the two sleep deprived heroes with a grateful smile. "...have I told you how much I love you both?"
Shinsou snorted. "Flattery won't get you out of this one. She already knows."
Izuku groaned and fell back on the pillows. "Oh she's gonna kill me."
The door swung open, a blond young man walked in, red eyes trained on the clipboard, slowly flitting up to scan the crowd. "Pro Hero Deku?"
Izuku felt his throat go dry when he took in the new doctor's appearance. Red captivating eyes hidden behind clear frame glasses, stethoscope slung over a slender neck, a jawline that could cut glass and sleeves rolled up to reveal defined forearms. Izuku's brain malfunctioned. "You're not Dr. Shingo." Izuku felt his jaw click shut, face heating up in embarrassment.
Not a hello. Not introducing his civilian name or shaking in his hand, like a stuck up asshole. He wanted to but it was too late and bringing that up would just make it more awkward.
Slurping noises filled the awkward silence, Shinsou having little to no regard for Izuku's plight, slurped loudly, enjoying himself as Aizawa rubbed his temples, sighing.
The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Good observational skills Hero. Dr. Shingo in not on shift today. I'm Dr. Bakugou Katsuki." He looked down at his clipboard, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “You seem to have broken your tibia and a couple of ligament tears as well."
Katsuki flipped through Izuku's medical history and frowned about to ask him something when a nurse came in with an IV, freezing in his steps. "You!"
Izuku chuckled nervously as he recognized the nurse. "Ah, Nakai-kun. It's been a while."
The nurse, Nakai, looked at Izuku as one would a worm and not the Number Eight Hero. "Not long enough. You were here just last month! This isn't a picnic spot for you to come hangout every three weeks!"
Izuku scratched his nose in embarrassment as Aizawa and Shinsou seemed to enjoy themselves watching Izuku get yelled at. Most hospital staff were flustered around the Limelight heroes but not Nakai, no. That poor nurse was at the end of his rope and way too sleep deprived to be in awe.
Katsuki watched in amusement as Nakai handled Izuku with the least amount of gentleness possible while taking his vitals. "Last month?" The blond doctor flipped through the pages. "For two-degree burns and-" Katsuki blinked, checking if he read it right, "-and twenty three broken bones?"
"Not just that, Dr. Bakugou." Nakai spoke up, jabbing the IV needle a little too harshly. "This man—" he jerked his thumb in Izuku's direction, "snuck out after first-aid in that condition to rejoin the villain fight."
"You're the reason the 'do not try this at home' disclaimer exists, doesn't it?" Katsuki said, tone between mildly amused and incredulous.
Izuku wanted the ground to just open up and swallow him whole. Anything to get through the torture of the handsome doctor judging his poor life choices. "How long are you going to be mad about that Nakai-kun?"
Nakai's expression turned downright dangerous. "Three days. Dr. Matsuda yelled at me for three days. I'm still on probation for losing the Number Eight Hero two hours after he was admitted." Nakai grumbled as he strapped the BP machine a little too tightly on his arm.
"I guess that explains the 'flight-risk' on your record." Katsuki smirked. Izuku's heart flipped. That smirk did things to him. It was not fair that he had to be scolded in front of the good-looking doctor with the dangerous smirk and magnetic red eyes.
"Did you have breakfast today?” Nakai asked, sighing when Izuku grinned sheepishly.
“Does a cup of coffee count?”
Nakai inhaled sharply as though resisting the urge to snatch the clipboard from Katsuki and smacking him across the face.
“Well……that is not my fault. Being a hero is a dangerous occupation. I didn't have time!” Izuku protested.
"Oh really? I'm assuming the last time you saw your bed was three days ago?"
"Four." Shinsou droned, slurping on his jelly pack a light louder. "He's been holed up at his agency all week."
"Did you come here to snitch?!" Izuku exclaimed as Katsuki's frown grew deeper. Why was his so called best friend hell bent on making him look bad in front of the devilishly handsome doctor?! "Sensei don't you have anything to say?!" Izuku cried in a plea for help to Aizawa which the Vice Principal of U.A quite pointedly ignored.
"Dr. Bakugou, I'm pretty sure our Number Eight Hero slipped due to sleep deprivation." Nakai stated like Izuku was a criminal on trial and Katsuki would be the one deciding his fate.
"Hey this is a biased diagnosis! I could have been thrown into a building by a villain."
Katsuki looked at him with a deadpan expression. “I read the BuzzFeed article.” Izuku wanted the earth to swallow him whole. “And saw the video.”
That’s it. He was stealing Kirishima’s hair dye and moving to Antarctica. He can simply no longer show his face around Japan.
“Don't you teach self-preservation in those fancy Hero school of yours?” Katsuki raised an eyebrow at Aizawa.
“I tried, Dr. Bakugou. Trust me, I really tried.” Aizawa sighed.
Katsuki clicked his tongue. “You’re gonna be on bed rest for two weeks.”
Izuku sat up straighter. “What? No, just call Dr. Shingo once he comes for his shift. I’ll be up in no time.” Dr. Shingo was a cancer specialist with the ability to induce and control the rate of mitosis. Izuku was the occasional hero who took advantage of Dr. Shingo's quirk to regenerate his torn muscles and run as far as possible from the hospital.
“Absolutely not. Dr. Shingo has far more important cases to deal with rather than a careless hero. Japan won’t engulf itself in flames if the Number Eight Hero takes a fucking break for once.” Katsuki snapped, scratching out a hurried prescription and slamming it on Izuku's bedside.
Two weeks in the itchy hospital bed. The stinging smell of antiseptic. The scratchy white sheets. Izuku looked at the prescription. Katsuki had good handwriting for a doctor. Looking up he noticed the doctor already halfway out the door.
“Wait…hold on…Oi Doctor!”
Katsuki snapped his head around, looking over his shoulder.
Izuku felt his face heat up and cleared his throat, embarrassingly aware of Aizawa and Shinsou watching him with curious eyes. “Um…come on Doctor, I’m sure we can work something out.”
“Oh trust me Hero, we cannot.” Katsuki raised an eyebrow, lip curling up in an amused smirk. “Now sit quietly and suffer.”
Izuku groaned and fell back on his pillows.
"DOCTOR BAKUGOU!"
Katsuki jerked, almost stabbing the patient with the injection in his hand.
"Oi! Stop yelling in the geriatric ward, you Rip-Off Nurse Joy!" Katsuki grabbed Nakai by his arm, lowering his voice. "You know what Dr. Matsuda did to that dumbnut with the megaphone that cause three heart attacks in here, don't you?!"
"Yeah I remember. And that's going to happen to you and me in the very near future." Nakai said, breathless, on the verge of passing out.
"Stop freaking out and talk like a human. What is the matter?"
"Flight risk took off again." Katsuki pinched the bridge of his nose. This is why he hated treating Heroes. "There's more." Nakai spoke up again.
"Now what?"
"Dr. Matsuda is on rounds."
Katsuki widened his eyes. "No. No. No. How many strikes have you had?"
"Two." Nakai's voice quavered.
"For fuck's sake." Katsuki himself had two strikes on his name. That blasted Dr. Matsuda has been looking for an excuse since to fire Katsuki since the day he joined City Hospital, three years ago.
He was not letting some human sized disclaimer serve it on a platter to Dr. Matsuda.
"So this it huh?" Nakai was hyperventilating into a paper bag. "We're going to be fired. My landlord will evict me for not paying the rent. I'm gonna be homeless and no one will marry me!"
"Oh like hell I'm letting this fly. Come on, get up!" Katsuki hauled Nakai to his feet, the poor boy dry heaving. Katsuki barged to the security room, eyes scanning through the CCTV monitors. "Aha!"
And there he was, the Number Eight Hero on the third floor, limping towards the elevator.
Katsuki shrugged off his white coat, dumping it in Nakai's hands and rolled up his shirt sleeves. "You are not costing me my job, Pro Hero Deku."
Izuku kept his head down, ducking past anyone who remotely resembled Nakai-kun as he waited for the elevator. His leg throbbed but after years of training with OFA, Izuku was pleased to say he had a high tolerance for pain. Normally he would use BlackWhip to swing out of the hospital window but Nakai-kun had given him a slightly larger dose of painkillers, making him drowsy.
Izuku froze mid-yawn as the elevator doors opened to reveal a pissed off blond doctor. Katsuki's eye twitched, crossing his arms. "Oi Hero, going somewhere?"
Izuku snapped his mouth shut with an audible click.
Red eyes narrowed and Danger sense rang alarm bells. And Izuku braced himself, smiled nervously and bolted.
"Oh hell no!" Katsuki sprinted, wheezing within the first five minutes. He really needed to hit the gym if a guy with a broken leg was outrunning him. Even if said guy was the Number Eight Hero of Japan.
To Katsuki's luck, Izuku ran into one of the empty stretchers, slowing him down. Or more like knocking himself into it, rolling over the stretcher and kicking the nurse in the process.
Izuku fumbled to his feet, using the stretcher as a shield as Katsuki lunged over to grab him.
"Get back in your room! You need to be there in—" Katsuki checked his chat with a frenzied Nakai's live update of Dr. Matsuda's location, "— in fifteen minutes!"
"I'm fine! Let me go please!" Izuku pleaded on the verge of tears.
"You didn't go to Med School! I'm the doctor here. So shut the fuck up and listen to me! You're not fine!" Izuku huffed, shoving the stretcher at Katsuki before making a run for it again. "Oh not again." Katsuki groaned, running after him.
After chasing him through three floors, shoving five doctors into the walls and making a round of the cafeteria, Katsuki trudged down the stairs to see Izuku crouching with his hands on his thighs, panting. He turned back, going paler when he noticed Katsuki.
"No! No— no! Timeout!" Katsuki held his hand up in defeat, both slumping down to sit on the stairs. "Why are you being so difficult?"
Izuku looked up at Katsuki, who was perched a couple of steps above, with a critical eye. "You— you are being unreasonable. It's a small injury."
Katsuki clutched the bars of the railing like a lifeline, trying to sound as intimidating as one could while out of breath. "You.....had bone.....sticking out of your skin." He tried to sound as menacing as he could while gasping for breath.
Izuku shrugged, wheezing, waving his hand around. "I've had worse."
"That ain't a valid argument."
"To me it is!" And with that, Izuku shot up and sprinted towards the exit, leaving a trail of smoke behind him.
Katsuki sighed and drew his knees up to his chest, leaning his head against the railing. Goodbye job. Goodbye salary. At least he can say goodbye taxes too.
Finally catching his breath, Katsuki was about to go and pack his belongings into a cardboard box, when said 'flight risk' backpeddaled. Izuku's face was white, as though he had seen a ghost.
Katsuki sat on the stair, confused as Izuku clambered up to hide behind him, clutching his shoulders with a death grip, hiding. "What the—?"
"Hide me please." Izuku spoke like a man with the fear of god in him. Katsuki wanted to argue that Izuku was a six-foot-five bulked up Pro Hero trying to hide behind a tired and sleep deprived five-foot-ten doctor.
"Oh god!" Izuku whimpered, holding out Katsuki has a human shield as the doctor saw someone approach them.
Number Eleven Hero, Creati.
Currently storming down the hallway with a murderous glare that chilled Katsuki to the bone. He respected a person who could throw a mean glare.
But the mean glare was currently approaching him. To be more accurate, the trembling Hero poorly hidden behind him.
"Hey—Yaomomo." Izuku's voice croaked with a scared smile.
"Izuku. Why are you in the hospital? Again?" Yaomomo's voice was ice cold. "Or better yet, why aren't you in your bed?"
Katsuki hedged a look at the hero behind him, knuckles white with the tight grip he had on the doctor's shoulders. The two were still seated on the stiars as Yaomomo loomed over the two, Katsuki and Izuku jerking back in sync as she inched closer, Katsuki unintentionally leaning against Izuku's hard chest, the hero's legs bracketing Katsuki.
"I'm sorry and you are?" Yaomomo paused to focus on Katsuki, leaning back slightly. Izuku peeked his head out, still hiding behind Katsuki.
Katsuki pointed to himself in question. "Oh, I'm Dr. Bakugou Katsuki."
A look of recognition flashed in her eyes. And the next thing Katsuki knew, The Number Eleven Hero immediately dropped into a perfect 90 degrees bow, almost knocking into his head.
Katsuki and Izuku jumped back two stairs in tandem, Izuku's nails digging into his shoulders. "What the hell is going on?" He whispered sharply to Izuku, the two still sprawled on the steps. Izuku shrugged, utterly confused.
"Thank you for putting up with our Problem Friend." She said earnestly, making Izuku frown and peek out from behind Katsuki, insulted.
"You sound like sensei." Izuku ducked behind Katsuki again when Yaomomo shot him a piercing glare.
Katsuki found his voice, shrugging lightly. "It's not a big deal, part of the job and everything."
"Pretty sure chasing after him is above your pay grade."
"That it is." Katsuki's phone buzzed as he remembered why the two were sitting on the steps in the first place. He wrenched off the hero's hold on him, standing beside Yaomomo to stare at him. "And you! You are marching your ass back into your room before Dr. Matsuda sees you out here!"
"B-but—"
"Listen to your doctor Izuku!"
"H—HAI!" Izuku remained seated. "Um, Doctor?"
"What?"
"It's hard to get up when you're sitting between my legs."
Kasuki went beet red and shot up, yanking the hero up to his feet and smuggling him back to his room before Dr. Matsuda caught wind. Katsuki watched in surprise as Yaomomo bullied him into his bed and tucked him in. The blond hid a laugh into his palm as Izuku got lectured before she left for her patrol, a minute before Nakai burst in with Dr. Matsuda, the nurse almost fainting in relief to see Izuku in bed.
"That your girlfriend?" Katsuki teased as the two were left alone, Izuku sulking in his bed.
Izuku snorted. "Annoying elder sister. Yaomomo is like that terrifying boarding school warden that will stare you down until you finish your stew. The only thing missing is a wooden ruler."
"Your class is an extremely codependent lot, aren't ya?" Katsuki leaned onto the wall near Izuku's bedside, shrugging his hands into his pockets. "First the teacher and his xerox copy with eyebags. Now this."
"Going through a near death experience does that to you."
Katsuki straightened. "The war? I'm sorry I didn't mean to—"
Izuku snorted. "All Might's moral building class." He laughed, earning a smile from Katsuki before his eyes widened.
"You—you were taught by ALL MIGHT?!"
Izuku grinned smugly. "He was my personal mentor."
"Shut up!"
"It's true!" Izuku shrugged. "Do you like All Might too?"
"Do I breathe?!" Katsuki pulled the chair backwards, resting his elbows on the crest rail. "Tell me everything! I mean everything! It's my medical fees for chasing you around the fucking hospital."
Izuku launched into tales of his chaotic school years, drawn in by the sparkle in Katsuki's eyes, wishing to spend eternity like this, the handsome doctor's attention fixed on him.
Only him.
Like a wrecking ball crashing into his fragile progress—
“Mah, please don’t shower so much attention on me, I can’t handle it.” A drawl broke the two out of their All Might fanboying to look up to see Shinsou munching on a burger, regarding them with a blank stare that looked freakishly like sensei.
"Yo!" Kirishima waved brightly from behind Shinsou, jarringly in contrast to Shinsou's dead eyes. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Bakugou. Yaomomo filled us on the little Tom and Jerry chase you both had."
Izuku rolled his eyes laughing as Kirishima shoved him aside to sit beside him, stealing a spoonful of his jello. “You know, Dr. Bakugou, this young man right here spent three days out of the working week in Recovery Girl’s office.” He said between bites, Izuku trying to shush him.
Katsuki let out a long suffering sigh, shooting the Pro Hero a wry smile. "After the last three days, I completely believe you, Red Riot."
"Oh please no need for the formalities. Please call me Kirishima."
Katsuki's cheeks tinted red, chuckling lightly, scratching his neck. Izuku narrowed his eyes at Kirishima, the red head monopolising the doctor's attention until he was called into the ER. Just as Katsuki was about to leave, Kirishima stopped him. "Oh Doctor Bakugou, can I have your number?"
Izuku’s eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets. What in the world…. He could feel his jaw being pushed back up, mouth clicking shut. “A mosquito might get in.” Was all Shinsou said.
“Um, okay?” Katsuki prattled off his number to the excitable redhead, a wave of irritation curling in Izuku. Why did he get scolded when Kirishima received special treatment? He also wanted the handsome doctor’s number.
Katsuki left while Kirishima saved his number on his phone. “What? How—”
Shinsou and Kirishima looked up as Izuku floundered. “What is it, Midobro?”
“You— what are you going to do with his number?”
Kirishima tilted his head. “I’ll text him. Does that bother you Midobro?”
“Yes, does it bother you?” Shinsou echoed his question with a teasing glint in his eyes.
That’s it. Izuku mentally disowned Kirishima and Shinsou. The two no longer held his best bro position. Where was Todoroki when he needed him? On second thought, Todoroki would just add fuel to the fire.
"No, why would it bother me?" Izuku pouted.
"Looks like it."
"You don't know anything." Izuku scowled. Shinsou slurped on the jelly pack a little louder.
“Then why are you pouting?”
“I’m not pouting!”
“You are, Midobro.” Kirishima chimed in.
Izuku, in a particularly petty mood, coiled out BlackWhip, making Kirishima shriek and staggered back.
Halloween of Second year had just been Izuku flashing those black tendrils and catching Kirishima off guard till he screamed like a 50’s cartoon character.
“Izuku you know I don’t like this creepy quirk of yours—!”
Izuku only grinned maliciously. “Oh, I know.”
Shinsou rolled his eyes, watching Izuku chase Kirishima around the hospital room with a small amused smirk. Until Nakai kicked them out once visiting hours were over, leaving Izuku in the cold, itchy room alone.
Izuku sighed, scrolling through his calendar. Eleven more days.
Izuku has been in the hospital room for a whole week now. This was officially his longest stay. This had to be a new record.
After hours of grovelling, Nakai and Katsuki had agreed to let him practice walking around with his crutch, after Katsuki threatened to call Yaomomo if he tried to run again. "O-oi doctor, this isn't fair."
"I play dirty, deal with it." He had snarked back. For some reason, Izuku's doctor had the Number Eleven Hero on speed dial. Izuku didn't dare imagine the horror that deadly combination could do.
Nakai was still in shock of seeing Izuku listen to Katsuki. "You- you tamed the flight risk!" He looked at Katsuki with reverence from that day on.
And that's how Izuku found himself aimlessly roaming around the hospital and losing his way twice, before landing up in the cafeteria. He might as well make the most of it. He was getting sick and tired of staring at the white walls, losing his mind.
“Thanks.” Izuku smiled politely at the beet-red fumbling barista, hoping she wouldn’t hold him back for a picture. He fumbled with the tray, trying to balance his crutch and hot coffee, successfully wiggling into one of the plastic chairs nearest to the counter.
He sat back, swiping through his work emails, regular patrol reports from his sidekicks.
“Fucking hell with their shitty overpriced shit.” Izuku looked up right in time as he watched Katsuki wrestle into the seat opposite him. Katsuki seemed restless and irritated, red eyes finally landing on Izuku. Or more specifically the unused sugar packets beside his coffee. “You gonna use that?”
“Um, no. No, here.” Izuku slid the packets across the table, Katsuki ripping into them and dumping the entire packet into his styrofoam cup.
Izuku thought it was best not to poke the tiger and watched, mildly horrified as the doctor added two more packets of sugar. The corner of his lips twitched, eyebrows rising in amusement as Katsuki’s face pinched at the first sip of coffee, still unsatisfied with it.
“What are you looking at?”
Izuku shook his head, chuckling. “Would you like some coffee for your cup of sugar?”
Katsuki rolled his eyes, still scowling at the coffee cup. “Aren't you supposed to be in your room? I swear to god I do not have the time to chase after you again."
Izuku chuckled, "No more running, I've learnt my lesson."
Katsuki's amused smile turning into a frown at the first sip of his coffee. "Can’t get a decent cup of coffee in this hell hole. Bet you’re one of those nerds trying hard to be cool and have your coffee black?”
Izuku shrugged, raising his cup. “Stronger the better. Helps with the night shifts.”
“I fucking know!” Katsuki slumped onto the table. “My bloody shift starts in another hour and I’m about to fucking doze off over the operation table.”
“For the sake of whoever you're going to be operating on, let me see if I can help.” Izuku chuckled, waving at one of the barista. “Can I get a RedBull?” Katsuki watched as Izuku popped the soda can and poured one half of it into Katsuki’s stale coffee. “Try it now. Should be a bit sweeter.”
“You tryna’ kill me or something?”
“Eh, the night shift is going to kill you later anyway, just saving your time.”
“My hero.” Katsuki grumbled wryly but nevertheless took a sip of Izuku’s concoction of death, sighing in relief as he tipped the cup over. “The fuck do they teach you in hero schools?”
Well… Izuku did pick up this habit in U.A, second year to be specific. With their first year being constantly interrupted with villains and wars, their second year was crammed with internships and all the theory they had missed.
Turns out participating in a war does not give you a leeway to skip a grade.
Katsuki signalled the guy behind the counter, “You’ll have ramen?” And raised two fingers when Izuku nodded. “Fair warning, this shit is spicy and will give you food poisoning.”
“Nice advertising.” Izuku rested his chin on his palm, amused.
“More patients for me.” Katsuki grinned, Izuku mirroring as his shoulder shook in laughter.
In between bites, Izuku noticed a bunch of doctors in groups all around them. They all had their cliques. The Orthopaedics huddled by the vending machine, the surgeons were discussing together, the Anesthesiologists, the Radiologists, they all mingled with their co workers.
Except for one doctor.
The one currently slurping ramen in front of him.
“I can hear your brain short circuiting.” Katsuki spoke, eyes trained to his food. “I know you want to ask.”
“So…. you don’t play in teams?”
Katsuki shrugged. “I wouldn’t say that.” Clicking his tongue, he turned and looked at Izuku with a wry smile. “Quirkless doctors aren’t exactly ‘friend’ material. Or even colleague material.”
Izuku went rigid. Quirkless. Without his permission, memories from Middle School resurfaced, anxiety pooling in his gut. Worthless. Waste of space. You'll never be a hero.
“I’m—”
“If a sorry comes out of your mouth, I’ll stick this in your eye.” Katsuki threatened with the chopsticks in his hand. “I’m used to it.”
All those memories of a life before All Might entrusted him with OFA came rushing back. At that moment, it took everything in his will power to not spill his guts right then and there.
Instead he said, “I was gonna say I’m taking the rest of your RedBull.” Izuku reached over and doused the rest of the RedBull into his own coffee. “Besides, it’s their loss.”
Katsuki stared at him, lip quirking up in a half smile. Izuku couldn’t help but glare at the doctors, their faces being replaced with all the bullies Izuku had come across.
“Oi Hero!” Izuku’s gaze snapped back to Katsuki. “Your ramen is getting soggy.”
Izuku snorted and shook his head. “Hey, for what’s it worth…. mad respect for holding your ground.”
Katsuki’s lips quipped up ruefully as the two made their way to the lifts. “Well what other choice do I have? Had to do something to make people realise I’m not a waste of space.”
Izuku swallowed harshly. That one sentence hit home harder than he thought it would. Izuku’s hands traced the scars on his forearms, those days before OFA….
Katsuki checked his watch. “Alright, my shift starts in ten minutes, I gotta go.” He was about to leave, the crowd of doctors shuffling away as far as possible.
“Oi Doctor, you owe me a coffee!” He called out, hanging onto any excuse to see him again.
Katsuki grinned lazily, giving him a two finger salute before leaving.
Somebody (—cough Yaomomo cough—) got the news of Izuku's stay in the hospital to Inko. Izuku pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. "Mom, for the fifth time, I'm completely fine— No I'm not dying! It's a small injury, on my leg, the farthest part away from my heart and brain. It's the safest place to get injured."
"But why are you injured again?" She wailed. Izuku winced worrying she'd pass out from dehydration.
Again.
As if on cue, Katsuki barged into his room with Nakai in tow. "Alright Hero, time to remove your cast."
Izuku almost burst into tears of relief. "You heard that Mom? My cast is being removed today, I'm perfectly fine."
"You get to come home today?" Inko sniffled, hopeful. "I'll come and pick you up! Where did I keep my keys?" Inko's voice got fainter as she rummaged in the background.
"Wait hold on, Mom." Izuku turned to Katsuki. "Oi Doc, can I go home today?"
Katsuki stared at him blankly. "No."
"W-why?"
Katsuki raised an eyebrow. "Cause I said so."
Izuku sighed and covered his phone, hopefully muffling the conversation for Inko. "Doc, it's my mum on the phone and she is a heart patient. She can't handle the stress. Please make her believe I'm not dying? Please!"
Katsuki placed a hand on his hip. "Just what do you think my job is? First you make me chase you around then throw your friends out once visiting hours are over, now you want me to talk to your mom?"
"Yes thank you!" And thrusted the phone into the blond's hands with pleading eyes.
Katsuki fumed but raised the phone to his ear. "Yes Midoriya-san, I assure you, your son is fine. A little careless, yes, but otherwise completely fine."
It took Katsuki fifteen minutes to calm down a fretting Inko, patiently answering her questions multiple times. Once Inko was satisfied that her boy was not in danger she profusely thanked Katsuki, hanging up.
"So," Katsuki teased, "Pro Hero Deku is afraid of his mother huh?"
"Who isn't?" Izuku snorted. "More like I don't want her to worry. She can be a little overprotective."
"With a kid like you, I'm guessing it's the normal amount of worry a parent has."
"A kid like me?"
Katsuki hesitated a bit, smirking. "I remember your Sports Festival. You were the kid who broke all his bones right? Still haven't outgrown that habit, have ya?" He asked, gesturing to the very obvious broken bone Izuku had.
Izuku grinned sheepishly. "That is not how I want you to remember me."
Katsuki leaned forward, placing his hands on the bed rails. "Oh, then how should I remember you?"
"Oh nothing much." Izuku fiddled with the corner of his blanket, smiling nervously. "Maybe the guy who taught you that awesome trick with the coffee?"
Katsuki's lip tugged upward. "That actually helped. The surgery was a success. I'm sure my patient would be very grateful that you kept me awake throughout the surgery."
"A Hero is never off duty." Izuku laughed and lifted his collar, cheering internally when he earned a snort from Katsuki. "Which reminds me, you still owe me a coffee."
"Finish your two week sentence Hero." Katsuki gestured to Izuku's hospital room. "Then we'll see."
"Oi Doctor! I'm gonna hold you to that promise!" Izuku called out, grinning like an idiot as Katsuki closed the door behind him.
"So, both of you just gonna ignore my presence?"
Izuku yelped as Nakai's monotone voice droned, almost jumping out of his skin. "When did you get in?"
"When you were flirting with Dr. Bakugou." Nakai shrugged, tone flippant as he jotted down something on his clipboard.
"I- I WASN'T FLIRTING!"
"U-huh." Nakai let out the most condescending hum from deep within his soul. "So you don't want to know what Dr. Bakugou likes? What's his type? Who in the hospital has their eye on him? Okay, suit yourself, I'll see myself out." He drawled, inching out the door.
A black tendril shot out like a lasso, wrapping around Nakai and yanking him closer. Izuku grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him like an empty wallet. "Tell. Me. Everything."
Katsuki signed the last of the paperwork and submitted it at the reception. He walked past the pediatric ward, the unusual chattering making him pause. Peeking inside, he found the familiar mop of green hair in the middle, the gaggle of kids crowding the Number Eight Hero, excitedly talking over each other.
Katsuki leaned against the doorway, watching with an amused smile.
“Deku-san is it true you can lift a truck?” A little kid asked with sparkly eyes, the others cooing and in awe, blinking.
Izuku chuckled and flexed his bicep. “What do you think?” The kids shrieked in delight, chatters rising as they crowded around him with their drawings as Izuku maneuvered himself to a chair, setting his crutches aside. “Alright all of you, one by one.”
The kids scrambled into a not so straight line, holding up their drawing sheets for Izuku to autograph them with a green crayon.
Katsuki had never seen the kids so happy before.
Most of them had grown tired of the hospital, losing the spark in their eyes. Energy sapped out by the constant tests and medicines. The once bright smiles were now a faint shadow of what they used to be. Kids were supposed to jump and play in the sunshine, not cooped up in a room with an IV. It was their age to munch on chips and candy not bland hospital food.
Izuku sat there, cooing at their drawings and pretending to be in awe of every little shiny thing they brought to show him.
Watching the tall hero surrounded by the little swarm of brats made Katsuki smile.
“Oi Hero! Aren’t you supposed to be resting?” He finally made his presence known, the hero looked up at him and grinning widely. Katsuki’s stomach flipped at the carefree, boyish smile.
“Well, my doctor told me to get some fresh air.” He cheekily replied, standing up as the kids whined.
“Deku-san stay a while longer, please!”
Katsuki watched Izuku literally melt at the kids' insistence and puppy eyes, biting back a laugh. The doctor noticed the way Izuku’s shoulders slacked, the medicines tiring him out. “Alright brats, back to you colouring now. Deku-san needs his rest too.” Katsuki ushered the kids back to their arts and crafts table, offering the Hero a hand to stand up.
The kids pouted but left him alone, mournfully waving at Izuku.
Izuku, grateful for the help, got up while Katsuki supported most of his weight. “You really need to stop sneaking out of your hospital room. You’re in one for a reason, you know.”
“Old habits die hard.”
“Your habits are shit.”
Izuku chuckled, a deep sound that reverberated from his chest. It did things to Katsuki. “I thought today was your day off?”
“Came in to drop off some paperwork.” Katsuki shrugged, noticing the way the Pro Hero’s gaze wandered over him.
“It’s odd to see you out of scrubs.” Izuku held the doctor’s gaze unblinkingly, uncharacteristic for the clumsy and shy Hero.
Katsuki felt his ears heat up, clearing his throat, forcing nonchalance into his voice. “Maybe that’s because you keep seeing me in a hospital.”
“We should change that huh?” Izuku asked with poorly concealed hope. “You still have to buy me a coffee.”
Katsuki felt the corner of his lips turn upward. “I don’t date my patients.”
“What if I ask you again after I get discharged?” Izuku stopped walking as they reached his hospital room, tone a little more serious now.
Katsuki looked up at him. “You’ll just have to wait and see. Get some rest Hero.” And with that, he turned on his heel.
“I’ll take that as a half yes!” Izuku yelled out at Katsuki's retreating figure, unable to get that goofy grin out of his face.
What he didn’t know was that Katsuki mirrored that smile.
Katsuki did everything in his control to expressions. But seeing some of the top twenty heroes sprawled over the hospital room and fighting over the PlayStation was really testing his poker face. "This isn't a coffee shop for you lot to hangout you know! This is the third noise complaint I've gotten from this room."
A tall guy with square glasses sat upright and shook Katsuki's hand, almost dislocating his arm from his shoulder in the process. Ingenium 2.0. "Thank you for setting our friend on the right path." He said earnestly, bowing at a perfect 90 degree angle, speaking as though Katsuki rescued Izuku from a life of sin.
Izuku grumbled. "I'm not that bad."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night Midobro." Chargebolt said with a mouthful of chips, dusting his fingers on Izuku's sheets. Him and Red Riot were crammed with Izuku on the bed, almost jostling his broken leg.
"If you break his leg again, I'll have to extend his stay in the hospital to one month."
Izuku wasted no time in unfurling BlackWhip depositing the two, not so gently, on the floor, effectively throwing them off his bed.
"How rude!"
Izuku groaned and fell back on his pillows. "I want to leave! Why are you holding me captive here, Doctor?"
"Cause I enjoy your misery. I thought that was clear by now." Katsuki snarked, checking his vitals.
Izuku rolled his eyes. "Very funny."
"I don't know what you're complaining about Midobro. If I had a doctor like Bakugou-san, I would never leave the hospital." Kirishima said, still on the floor, the two heroes having no intention of getting up.
"See, be a little appreciative like Red Riot!" Katsuki haggled Izuku, the Pro Hero's mood souring.
He watched with narrow eyes as Katsuki and Kirishima blatantly flirted in front of his jello. He opened their group chat.
Aizawa's Hellions
Izuku: the one who smuggles me outta here gets my prized All Might collection.
Yaomomo: No. Suffer.
Ashido: Until yesterday you were a little too happy to be in the hospital with your doctor? What changed?
Kaminari: kiri is flirting with izu's man.
Iida: I can confirm. @Fracture is turning red.
Izuku: HE'S NOT MY MAN!
Ashido: who's gonna tell him?
Hagakure: I think it's time for the birds and the bees talk.
Kaminari: @Dad-sensei, you're on.
Aizawa: why am i in this chat?
Ashido: Shrugging off your responsibility is not very manly
Aizawa: if i could expel you, i would
Ashido: Boo hoo
"Your B.P is finally in an acceptable range." Katsuki's voice made Izuku put his phone down, Katsuki finally paying attention to him.
The pain from the injury had shot up his blood pressure but apparently the Number Eight Hero had a high pain tolerance and never stayed in a hospital long enough to catch it. Hence the two week observation.
"So I can leave?" Izuku asked with poorly concealed hope.
"Yes, two more days and you'll be a free man, Hero."
"Finally!" Izuku fell back on his pillows. "Two more days and I won't be your 'patient' anymore." He said, wiggling his eyebrows.
"No need to get so cocky. I fell like you're gonna return in the speed you leave." Katsuki scribbled out a prescription.
"I'm not that bad!"
"You are!" Kirishima and Kaminari chimed in, making Katsuki and Izuku look up.
"You're still here?" Izuku sighed.
"Very, very rude! I know for a fact Mrs. Midoriya didn't raise you like that." Kaminari clicked his tongue and got a Fruit Roll-Up thrown on his head. "I'm gonna have a word with your parents, young man."
Iida nodded seriously. "It is quite unbecoming Izuku-kun. As a hero you must uphold—"
Izuku ignored both of them, looking at Katsuki expectantly.
Katsuki simply smiled teasingly. "We'll see, Hero."
Izuku fell back against his pillows with a goofy grin on his face. He couldn't wait to get discharged.
Aizawa's Hellions
Kaminari: izu is in loooooooooveeeeee
Izuku: I'M NOT
Kaminari: my apologies. he's WHIPPED
Ashido: I told you he takes after Dad-sensei.
Aizawa: that's it, you're in detention. monday, my office.
Ashido:.....
Ashido: I graduated ten years ago
Aizawa: that is not going to stop me.