☀☀.

if i die

IF THE SUN REFUSED TO SHINE...

Izuku Midoriya x fem!reader synopsis: running to him, even after the world turned dark. warnings: angst?, hurt/comfort, childhoodfriend!reader, reader is not a student at u.a, takes place during season 6 ep 137, PRE-RELATIONSHIP, potentially ooc. that's all i think?

It was gloomy that day, the rain had hurtled towards the angry crowd of civilians formed at the front of U.A. Everyone was angry and confused, some felt betrayed and others tricked. They didn’t want him here, fearing for their safety at the thought of the boy with a target on his back. They screamed and yelled, children cried, teachers tried their best to pacify what had started to become a mob.

You thrashed in your mother's arms, a trembling in your lower lip as you tried to claw your way out of the suffocating embrace. "Let go!" You cried, turning to stare at your mother– desperation clouding all rational thoughts in your mind. 

“It’s too dangerous! Calm down!” Your mother scolded, fingers trembling against the sleeves of your sweater, trying to hold you as close as possible– out of harm’s way, just as any mother would. Just like she would when you were younger and would waddle into her room clutching your blanket, wiping at the fat tears that rolled down chubby cheeks. She wanted you safe, in her arms, where you couldn’t be harmed by scared citizens protesting for their safety. 

But you couldn’t let her. Not this time. 

You had to get to Izuku. It repeated like an alarm, loud and insistent as Uraraka’s speech lingered in your ears. You didn’t care if it was dangerous. It didn’t matter to you. As long as you could reach him, touch him, hold him. None of it mattered.

He was probably crying– you know he was. The two of you always held a small knack for knowing when the other was upset, even as children that played in the warm rays of the sun, beaming and giggling happily. “Please! I have to get to him!” You begged, jerking this way and that. “It’s Izuku, mum!”

And then a kid ran past you. He was small and had a red hat, and red sneakers that looked like Izuku’s– a lady cried out after him, “Come back!”  You nearly stopped to stare, but you had become acutely aware of the fact your mother had loosened her grip momentarily to look over her shoulder to identify the voice.

That was your opening. 

You slipped between her fingers, fleeting like a leaf in the wind, an apology in the back of your mind as you pushed your legs into a sprint. The rain splashed under your thundering feet, droplets hitting the bare skin of your legs, but you didn’t care. It wasn’t a priority right now. He was.

Izuku with his green eyes and unruly hair, with his cute little freckles that you always loved. Izuku with his heart of gold and sweet smile, always ready to lend a helping hand. Izuku, who had stopped your world the day he left that letter on your door, shrouding it in a cloud of darkness.

As you shoved your way through the crowd, your heart squeezed as the sight of him became clearer and clearer to you. He was standing now, fat tears rolling down his freckled cheeks as the kid from earlier and a lady with bunny-like features wrapped their arms around him.

“Izuku!” You had barely a second before his name ripped itself out of your throat in a raw, desperate cry. 

His gaze turned up to you, green eyes wide and confused as he registered your presence mere metres away from reaching him. A whispered call of your name fell from his lips, quiet and wavering– more tears streaming down his face. 

There was no time to prepare before your body slammed into his, sending him stumbling back a few steps as your arms curled around his shoulders in a tight embrace, squeezing him tight. “Zuku.” You sobbed, fingers curling into the dirty and tattered fabric of his suit. “Oh god, Zuku. I– I didn’t know where you went after I found that letter. I was so worried and then there were the rumours– Are you–”

Another whisper of your name fell from his lips, big hands resting at your waist and pulling you closer. “I– I’m okay. I’m sorry.” God, his voice. It was still so warm even after all he’s facing. 

You pulled back, just enough to press your forehead to his, eyes squeezed shut– savouring the feeling of him. “Don’t apologise.” You muttered, tears still roaming down both of your faces. “Just… just stay here.” Don’t go. Stay here with me, where it’s safe. You wanted to say, but you knew his departure was inevitable. He would leave you, again. And you’re not sure he’ll return this time.

So you held him closer, lips inches away from each other as you both soaked in the warmth of the other’s embrace. And for the first time in awhile, it felt like the sun was shining once again.

Pro Hero, Pro Momma, No problem?

((TW: post partum issues, body self esteem issues, talk of breastfeeding, negative talk about self. Minors DNI.))

Katsumi was *adorable*. At 4 months, her carmine eyes had come in beautifully, and her full head of (h/c) hair, the same as yours swirled and spiked on her pretty little head.

She cooed as you fed her, for the 3rd time that night. Being an exclusively breast fed baby meant you were a milk machine 24-7.

Which also meant Katsuki was free to do his pro hero work at any time.

When he went back to work (a week. The workaholic went back on patrols a week after Katsumi was born. You were less than pleased.), you obviously had taken the brunt of...everything.

Sure, Mitsuki and Masaru visited and helped where they could- but you were the food source, the comfort, the *mother*. And at her age? Mom trumped everyone else.

However, the big day was about to happen. You were going to have a day to yourself, and Katsuki was going to take you out to dinner. Katsumi could take a bottle, thankfully-so she would be watched by Katsuki's parents.

You had taken a maternity leave from your pro hero work, so you hadn't really been outside (aside from Katsumi's doctor appointments) since her birth.

And it was nerve wracking. As you put her back in her bassinet, you couldn't help but worry.

What if you got engorged?

What if Katsumi was inconsolable?

What if she got sick?

What if she-

The door clicked open slowly. You sat up quickly, a hand hovering over Katsumi's sleeping form, ready to protect her.

"Relax. Its me." A familiar gruff voice said, unusually quiet. You let out a soft sigh.

"Katsuki. Geez." You sighed. He began to peel his costume off.

"I got about three hours of sleep I can get in before next patrols. So can you make sure the brat doesn't wake me up?" He asked, and you withheld your tongue.

As if you had gotten any consistent sleep the past months.

"Sure." You said quietly, settling back into bed. He ruffled your hair.

"Thanks. Night." He slipped in, and soon enough he was out.

You wanted to cry. Scream. Wring that stupid neck of his.

You took a breath. Maybe you shouldn't go out. Katsumi needed you here. Right?

No, you needed this. Everyone insisted.

So why did you feel so bad about it??

A few hours after Katsuki left for his agency, Mitsuki and Masaru came by to pick up Katsumi. As you adjusted her carseat once more, you began to explain things. You reached over, taking the bag you had packed that early morning.

"So here's three bottles and some frozen milk in case she wants more. Every three hours she gets like, about 5 ounces-so a full bottle, but she can eat more!" You said, handing Mitsuki her diaper bag, packed to bursting with everything you thought she might need. Mitsuki eyed the bag.

"This is....really heavy!" She chuckled, a bit suprised at the heft of it.

"Better overprepared than under!" You smiled. Masaru and Mitsuki looked at eachother.

"Right, well. We'll be off. Don't worry about a thing, (y/n)! She's gonna be just fine!" Mitsuki said, tapping the hood of their car.

Katsumi made a noise, and you flew to her side. "Oh, it's okay! You're gonna spend time with grandma and grandpop!!" You cooed, and Katsumi looked disgruntled. You frowned. "M-maybe...I can get her to calm down if I'm there-"

"(Y/n), relax!! You're running yourself ragged! Katsuki told us you barely even bathe! That's no good!" Mitsuki pushed her back to the door of her and Katsuki's apartment. "Just leave it to us! Katsumi's in great hands!"

"Okay. But my phone's on! And if I need to feed her instead of the bottle-"

Mitsuki closed the door. You stared at the door blankly, and heard the engine of their car roll away.

Well.

You stared down at the genkan, then shuffled a little. You gave a sniff in the air.

Oh. You smelled like milk, sweat and diaper cream.

Maybe...a bath couldn't hurt...

You hadn't really *looked* at yourself in the mirror for a hot minute. You stared at yourself in the bathroom mirror. Your eyes looked tired, baggy and slightly red. Your skin had dry patches all over, and was.. that a pimple?? Your hair was dull and dry, but that wasn't the worst of it. You backed up, looking at your torso.

Oh god.

Where there was once a toned stomach, now was soft. Squishy. And...what were those lines?!

Stretchmarks!? Well. That made sense. And your boobs?? Once decent and perky, now like pancakes, nipples cracked slightly. Breastfeeding did a number on them, that was for sure.

What had happened to the sexy, pro hero (h/n)?? You barely recognized yourself. You felt like a pile of flesh, flabby and used up. You found yourself squatting down, flopping on the small shower stool. You felt the rolls squish and undulate as you sat down, and you felt worse. You quickly showered yourself off, avoiding looking at the mirror. You didn't even want to look at your...nether regions. It probably wasn't too good-looking either.

As you set yourself in the tub, you couldn't seem to enjoy it. You felt like a cow, probably smelled like one, and you were certainly producing milk like one.

No wonder Katsuki worked constantly.

"No, stop that." You said to yourself. Katsuki wouldn't be so vain. And he *cried* when Katsumi was born. There was no way he wasn't happy with his new little family.

You tried to think positively. As you got out of the bathtub, you dried yourself off quickly, going to the bedroom.

You had been wearing pj's and lounge clothes for months. You wondered if you could fit into your regular clothes now.

You stared at your jeans. "I'm sure I can fit into these..." one leg in, and the other followed.

Tight. You struggled with the button. Did....did your hips get wider?? You were careful during pregnancy with what you ate, and stayed active. And even though you still had to eat more calories due to breastfeeding, you hardly ate junk.

But here you were, barely fitting into your old clothes before the pregnancy. Once you squeezed yourself in, you grimaced.

Muffin top city. Population? You.

You immediately shucked off the offending material. You threw open your closet.

Soon, piles of your pre-pregnancy clothes were piled on the unmade bed. You had slid down the closet door, naked and feeling even worse than before. Nothing fit right. You didn't even want to think about how your hero costume would fit once you came back from maternity leave.

Would anyone even take you seriously?

You felt awful.

You swallowed back tears, and slowly got up. You went to your dresser, picking out a nursing bra and your maternity underwear. You felt like a leaky grandma, with the granny panties covering your pooch, and the bra wasn't exactly meant for a sexy lift, either. You slipped in some nursing pads, and grabbed some maternity pants and one of Katsuki's tshirts.

You threw your hair up in a messy bun, and went off to pump the milk now making your breasts feel tight.

Katsuki found you on the couch, snoring away. He kicked off his boots in the genkan, looking up at the clock. 5:39. "...Babe?" He looked down at you, leaning onto the back of the couch.

He sighed. He knew you needed the break. You probably hadn't slept right in months. He went to pull over a blanket over you, until he saw two dark spots on your chest.

Uh oh.

"...Oi, (y/n), wake up. Yer leakin'." He said, shaking your shoulder a little. Your eyes fluttered open, and he smirked. "Hey. You got a situation." He pointed to your chest. You looked down.

Crap.

You felt your boobs and sighed. You were full. Again. "Let me...go pump. I'll be back." You sighed, throwing off the now soiled shirt and bra, turning away to go to the bedroom.

Katsuki looked. He smiled softly at you.

There was the woman who he fell in love with. The woman who was the mother of his child, who he watched become something even more amazing than a hero. A mom. He remembered it like it was yesterday. You, giving birth to his child-sweat, tears and blood, shouting only once or twice in exhaustion. You had held onto his hand like a vice, he had never seen such determination from you. Not even when you did your pro hero work.

You were a goddess. You were amazing. You were *his*.

Not once did he see the flaws as flaws. Stretchmarks were like his scars from his high school years. Badges of honor. Your softer form felt warm and so *right*. And your boobs? Well...he had often gotten unusually jealous of their daughter once or twice, let's just leave it at that.

You felt his eyes staring at you. You turned. "What?"

"I love you."

The room went silent. Katsuki usually only said those words when something big was going on. Like their wedding. Or when she told him she was pregnant. Or when Katsumi was born. It wasn't because he didn't love you, no-far from it. He was a man of action and little words when it came to romance.

You found yourself crying. You crouched to the floor. He went to you, wrapping you up in his arms.

You found yourself word vomiting.

You found yourself admitting to him all your pains, your dark thoughts, your feelings of inadequacy and self loathing. He didn't shush you. He just rocked you back and forth as you cried.

You didn't think motherhood would be so lonely, so...sad. You didn't know if your old self would come back or not.

"What're you saying? Of course it won't." Katsuki suddenly said. You blinked away tears.

"H-huh?" You stuttered.

"I mean...You're always gonna be you. But...you also changed. You have to. People change all the time. You just....changed in a bigger way. You're a mom now. You can't stay the same. But..." he sighed. "Youre...You're beautiful. You keep getting more and more beautiful, and I..." he rubbed his forehead, his other arm still holding you to his chest. "...I feel like I'm falling in love with you all over again." He mumbled, ears turning red. You found yourself blushing. He swallowed. "Look, I'm shit at words-you know that. But where you see all that crappy stuff, I see a warrior. The woman I fell in love with all those years ago back in U.A . I see who you've become-and I still don't get how you can make me act like a lovesick idiot, even now. Dammit, woman!" He huffed. "You don't even know what you do to me, and here you are, thinking you're some sort of fat cow?! That's not just insulting to you. That's insulting to me." He suddenly narrowed his eyes. "How dare you insult my wife and my child's mother."

You trembled. Suddenly, you felt that hot, gooey feeling in the pit of your stomach. He scooped you up, and you squeaked. "K-katsuki! W-wait! I'm top less and I gotta pump-"

"Oh. Don't worry about that, babe." Katsuki smirked. "I'll take care of that...". You blushed. As he walked into the bedroom with you in his arms, you suddenly realized what he meant.

Oh dear.

((Okay. This is purely self-indulgent. As a mom with a now 15 month old, I really poured myself into this. What reader is experiencing I totally felt, and still felt. I actually cried a little when I got to the self depreciation scene. Because that was me. It's still me. Post partum is a bitch. Motherhood tested me so much, and still does. It probably won't make much sense to you till you actually go through it, but it's crazy. Ironically, I was breastfeeding my kid while I wrote half of this. So...maybe this is also a love letter to myself and to any mom's on here still trying to find themselves. Also, you can't tell me Katsuki wouldn't be crying silent tears while holding his kid, you just can't convince me otherwise. Should I do a part two?))

school afternoons ☀️

give this man to me rn i'm so srs

｡⁠☆Loser Boyfriend｡⁠.ﾟ⁠+⁠ 

☆Cw: one use of "her", Mina calls you girl once, embarrassment, fluff, humor, rookie!prohero!deku

"Izuku, dude, no offense, but how did you land that?"

Izuku turns to Denki, looking just as lost as he does. There's a little flush on his cheeks and a wide eyed expression on his face. The boy looks like a confused baby dear, which truly only adds to Denki's confusion.

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"Teach me your ways." Denki says, comically whipping out a notepad from his pants pocket. "Did you grovel? Cry? Feed her a love potion but disguise it as juice so that she would drink it, but have no clue what it was?"

"N-No of course not!... And I'm pretty sure that would be illegal anyway..."

Denki shrugs, "Hey I don't know your life. You could be into some weird shit on the down low, you seem the type!"

Izuku responds with an eye roll. If anyone 'seems the type' it's Mineta and Denki himself. They turn back towards you instead of continuing the conversation. You're still in the same position you were in before; fully leaned over the back of the couch, legs closed with one slightly hanging in the air, while the rest of you is inside Mina's personal space giggling at something she's showing you on her phone.

You're in some cute little outfit that Izuku helped you pick out, a rare case, since Izuku still wears almost exclusively punny t-shirts and sweats. The only reason he helped is because it's your first time meeting his friends and former classmates, you just wanted to make sure the outfit wasn't too little or too much. This is not to say he was much help.

Izuku feels almost entranced by you, and you're not even looking at him. You haven't glanced his way since Mina took your attention, actually. Izuku could start pouting if he wasn't too busy ogling your backside. He's so busy he misses the picture Denki snaps at the enraptured look on his face.

"C'mon man, let's go raid the snacks before Kaachan forces us to leave the kitchen."

Denki's arm around Izuku's shoulder shakes him out of his stupor and he nods in agreement, not really having heard what he said at all. He allows Denki to lead him to the kitchen with only minimal glancing behind his back, just to get a little more time to soak in your image.

But he doesn't expect your eyes to catch. He has no time to prepare for the heat in his pink cheeks to spread to his ears, no time to prepare for your smile to make his heart thump in his chest. It makes him lightly stumble in his steps and turn to face forward again, feeling incredibly embarrassed.

"Oh, Izu! Can you come back for just a sec?"

Izuku breaks out of Denki's hold with not a single lick of hesitation, embarrassment be damned. His world shortens and zooms in when you talk, the feeling of embarrassment, as well as Denki's voice, becomes muffled in the face of it. None of that matters if you're the one who needs him.

"Look at this picture Mina has of you!"

It's the picture All Might took of him before he bulked up. The one where he's dirty and sweating and crying after trying to haul a fridge across a beach. Izuku thinks he might die. Where did she even get that picture?

His face must say a lot, because both you and Mina burst out laughing. You're trying to reassure him, but you're laughing so hard you're struggling to gain a breath to string words together. If the floor swallowed Izuku whole right now, he would be grateful. It was a terrible idea to bring you to meet his classmates, especially a gossip like Mina.

"Oh, baby no, don't look like that!" You gasp, placing a hand on his shoulder. It's not nearly as comforting as you're trying to make it be.

"Izuku you look like a total loser, good thing you gained some muscle there, pipsqueak!" Mina chortles.

"Oh stop it! He doesn't look like a... Loser... I think it's cute!"

"Keep telling yourself that!"

Izuku has never considered the merits of getting hit by a bus before, now is a better time than ever to start.

Your arms wrap around him, and he instinctually hugs you back. You press your still smiling face into his chest, and turn towards Mina, still a little breathless.

"It's okay Izuku, I'll protect you from Mina's mean words." You giggle.

Mina is quick to start booing you, but Izuku doesn't miss the picture of him being sent to an unsaved number in her phone. Oh she's going to get it next time they spare together, and he will make absolutely sure it is soon. She doesn't get to run away from the enemy she has created today.

"Whose side are you even on, girl?" Mina huffs playfully, turning back to her phone and sitting back down on the couch.

The party goes smoothly after that, mostly because Izuku doesn't leave your side for the rest of the night. He refuses to let any of his other classmates show you blackmail. Even when you go to the bathroom he stands right outside the door, waiting for you to come back. At one point during the night Katsuki told him he looks like a stray puppy, and before he could deny it, you responded, "it's cute, part of his charm". He elected to ignore the way it made his chest puff out.

He likes to believe you think of him less as a puppy and more of a guard dog. He will not be confirming or denying this with you.

Before long, the party is over. Despite the little mishap with Mina earlier, he's satisfied. You were both fed well, and you very clearly had a good time with his friends, so he considers the night a success. He knew that you'd been nervous about the whole thing, his reassurances hadn't done much to sway you, but you had a great time. Just like he said you would.

As he's pulling the car out of the driveway, you turn to him, a mischievous smile spread across your face. Izuku hopes you don't notice how heavily he swallows when you look at him, your expression is making him nervous.

"Mina sent me that picture of you."

The car lurches as he slams on the brakes. "She gave you her phone number?! Noo she's gonna show you how much of a loser I am!" He whines, putting his head into the steering wheel.

"Izu, my love, you are a bonafide prohero who's about to hit the top 30 barely two years out of highschool, you are not a loser."

Izuku turns to you with a wobbly smile, forehead still lying on the steering wheel. "U-Uhm no, I totally am. Hero work aside."

You giggle, his heart stutters again.

"Well you're my loser then."

"Yours?" Izuku flushes.

"Mine."

And well, being a loser isn't so bad if it means he gets to be yours. Your boyfriend. Your guard dog. Your puppy. Your loser. Your anything. He can be anything, as long as he's yours.

Love men who are losers and very smitten for their sweethearts, what can I say

｡⁠☆Requests open

𝐂𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐊𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 ♡♡

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ 𝐀/𝐍: I thought of this idea since like I got Cotten candy today 😝 anyways here is the idea, also sorry if it’s short though I hope you enjoy !!

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: You and Izuku spend the day at an amusement park, riding roller coasters, playing carnival games, and sharing sweet moments. When you both stop for a snack, a simple, unexpected gesture leaves your heart racing faster than any ride.

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: None

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖

The bright lights of the amusement park twinkled like stars as laughter and cheerful music filled the air. You and Izuku walked side by side, a comfortable warmth between you despite the cool evening breeze.

“This place is amazing,” you said, looking around at the towering rides and game booths. “I don’t even know where to start!”

Izuku chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “We could start with something easy, like a game? I-I mean, if you want to!”

You nodded eagerly. “Only if you promise to win me a prize, Midoriya.”

His eyes sparkled with determination. “I’ll do my best!”

After a few (adorably failed) attempts at ring toss, Izuku finally managed to win you a small, plush All Might. He handed it to you with a sheepish smile.

“For you,” he said, his face already turning red.

You hugged the plush close, grinning. “It’s perfect.”

As the night went on, you rode every ride you could, from the gentle Ferris wheel to the stomach-flipping roller coasters. When you finally decided to take a break, you stopped by a cotton candy stand.

You ripped off a piece and held it up to Izuku. “Here, try some!”

He hesitated for a second before leaning in and taking a bite from your hand. His lips accidentally brushed against your fingers, and suddenly, the air between you felt warmer than it had all night.

Izuku’s eyes widened, and he quickly covered his mouth with his hand. “S-Sorry! I didn’t mean to—”

You giggled, reaching up to wipe a bit of stray sugar from the corner of his lips. “It’s okay, Izuku. You’re cute when you’re flustered.”

His face turned a deep shade of red, and you swore he looked ready to short-circuit. But instead of pulling away, he smiled—soft and genuine.

“I’m really happy we came here together,” he admitted.

You felt your heart skip a beat as you squeezed the plush All Might in your arms. “Me too.”

As the night ended, you rode the Ferris wheel one last time, watching the city lights in comfortable silence. And when Izuku shyly reached for your hand again, you let him.

It was, without a doubt, the best amusement park trip ever.

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖

@𝐋𝐢𝐥𝐲𝐱𝐝𝐩𝐩 ; 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐥, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭, 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬.

🏐.

i cried katsuki i love you

“i can do the alphabet in sign language!” eri chirps to you one night, tugging at the bottom of your skirt as she gazes up at you with that sparkle in her eyes she gets when she's about to show you something important.

the city hums softly outside your window. cars in the distance, someone’s dog barking, the occasional clink of a bottle hitting pavement. you’re curled on the couch with your legs tucked beneath you, fingers grazing the hem of the throw blanket, and eri’s settled close, knees bumping yours, her face lit by the soft blue flicker of the tv screen.

your mouth parts into a soft gasp, eyes going round with surprise, delight catching in your throat. “that’s so cool!” you grin, reaching for her instinctively, brushing a hand through her snowy hair. “you should show suki, he’d really like it.”

she nods, mouth stretched into a proud little beam, her arms winding around your leg in a hug, like she wants to melt into your side and stay there forever. “okay! where is he?”

you glance up, eyes flicking toward the hallway without much thought.

“i dunno,” you hum. “i think he’s getting your bedsheets.”

“i’m gonna go find him!” she cheers, letting go of you and running off without another word, small feet padding down the hallway before you can call out a reminder. to be gentle and cautious.

you sink back into the couch with a quiet wince, already imagining the startle that’s coming. katsuki doesn’t wear his hearing aids at home. he says they make him feel alienated, like he’s underwater in his own home. says he prefers the quiet, even when it means he misses footsteps behind him.

down the hall, eri’s palm skims the wall as she turns the corner.

“suki?” she calls out, forgetting he can't hear her.

she finds him with his back to the room, broad shoulders blocking the light from the closet as he reaches for the folded sheets on the top shelf.

she slowly steps over to his spot, tapping his bulgy arm and looking up at him with pride. he jumps, and almost blasts whatever it is coming near him. he knows it's not you, you make sure to knock on the wall or anything just to make yourself known before getting close to him.

it’s not dramatic, not loud, just a sharp inhale as his muscles twitch beneath his skin, the sheets nearly slipping from his hands, turning his head to look down at her in surprise.

“you scared me,” he mutters, voice low, words shaped more from breath than sound.

eri just grins up at him, undeterred. she lifts her right hand, fingers curling and tucking until they make a neat little H. katsuki raises a brow, the closet door creaking as it swings shut behind him.

immediately after, she forms an I with a soft grin

then she follows it with an I, fingers small and steady, her eyes never leaving his. her smile is proud. soft. expectant.

the moment reached him slower than it should have, but she keeps going.

her fingers move carefully, like she’s practiced this a hundred times in her room, mouthing the letters silently as she went. she starts spelling out the alphabet, grinning with pride.

by the time she gets to K, katsuki's kneeling, bringing himself to her level as he sits on his heels so they’re eye to eye. his expression softens in a way only a handful of people ever get to see.

his hand rises— not to stop her, not to fix her hands, not to take over. just to mirror her. to do it with her.

his lips are twitching, not into a smile yet, but close enough. something fond, folded under layers of gruffness and disbelief.

“you learn all that just for me?” he asks, low and rough.

eri nods, both hands flying up now, fingers tangling as she shows him N, then O, like she doesn’t want to waste time answering him out loud.

katsuki exhales like he’s been holding it in since she tapped him, then reaches forward and cups the back of her head gently, thumb brushing through her hair.

“your hair needs to be brushed." he murmurs, like he's trying to escape from the feeling inside of him. he's not even sure what it is, it just feels nice. to have her, this little girl, learn a language for him.

he reaches for the fallen sheets with a smile, a real smile. the kind that pushes up into his eyes and softens all the hard lines around his mouth.

hurry!!