Title: It's Raining Cats (But Not Dogs)
Author: The Emcee
Rating: T for the mention of sexual assault
Pairing: Shinso Hitoshi/Midoriya Izuku
Summary: While walking home from work one evening, Hitoshi gets hit in the head by a cat that fell out of a tree. He gets a surprise when he takes the poor thing home with him.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or the fandom.
A/N: I love this pairing so very much. It's one of my top five BNHA pairings. And I love cats, just like Hitoshi. So, naturally, this became a thing. Feel free to leave a comment in the towel section down below and enjoy!
~…~
It's Raining Cats (But Not Dogs)
~…~
Hitoshi was walking home from work, as he did every day at five o'clock. It had been a long day, full of villains that he had to take control of, and he was ready for a steaming hot shower and something to eat. But he was stopped dead in his tracks when something hit him on the head. He almost didn't react in time, but luckily he caught the bundle of…fur?
Stunned and slightly dazed, Hitoshi looked down and saw that the bundle of fur was in fact a cat. A beat up and injured cat, but a cat nonetheless. Looking up, he surmised that the little dear fell from the tree to his right, though he couldn't make out any claw marks on the branches, if there were any. Without thinking, he tucked the cat, who hadn't moved or made a sound but was still breathing, into his coat and continued on his way home.
It wasn't a long walk; about five minutes or so from where he had caught the feline. His fingers gently rubbed at the matted black fur and he felt his heart squeeze. Whatever had happened to this poor kitty had been brutal, judging by the dried blood caked in certain areas on his body. The sooner he got home, the better. Hitoshi could drop off his paperwork and hopefully make it to a veterinarian's office before they closed. That might be cutting it extremely close and he was worried that he wouldn't be able to make it.
Time flew by as he walked with haste, damn near jogging, and before he knew it, he was home. He opted out of taking the elevator; it wouldn't be a good idea to wait for it. Pets weren't allowed in his apartment complex and he just couldn't leave the little guy out on the streets in his condition. Instead, he took the stairs, rushing up them as fast as he could. Thankfully, his apartment was on the third floor and he was standing at his front door within minutes.
Hitoshi quickly ducked into his apartment and locked the door behind him. Carefully, he walked through the kitchen and into the living room, where he placed his house guest on the couch before he made his way down the hall to his bedroom. After dumping off his paperwork, he returned to the living room and let out a startled scream.
"Holy shit!" Hitoshi yelled, unable to stop himself.
Before him, lying on the couch, was not the injured cat that had fallen into his arms. Instead, it was a kid, probably no more than sixteen at most, and naked as the day he was born. His body was covered in scars, new and old, and cuts and bruises and dried blood littered his pale skin. He looked like hell warmed over, and he was so thin.
When he was close enough, Hitoshi could see black cat ears poking out of dirty emerald green curls. Trailing his eyes down, he saw a tail that had a bloodied, filthy bandage wrapped about it. It looked like it was broken or had been broken at some point. And that was when it hit him.
The being lying on his couch was a neko no hito, a cat person, commonly referred to simply as neko. Nekos were incredibly rare. Hitoshi knew that there were only a few thousand alive in the world today. He didn't know too much about them but he did know that he couldn't take the injured neko to the vet's office.
There was only one option at this point.
Walking into the kitchen, Hitoshi pulled his phone out of his pocket and called his dad. At this point in the evening, he'd still be at the school working on paperwork of his own. Though he hated bothering the man, Hitoshi needed help and there was no one he trusted more than his dad. His dad picked up on the first ring.
"Hitoshi, is everything alright? You don't normally call me at this time," came the voice of Eraserhead, pro-hero, Hitoshi's favorite hero as a matter of fact, and his dad.
"Well, Dad, I'm kind of...in a bind here," Hitoshi replied, scratching the back of his head.
"Go on," his dad said.
"This is going to sound a bit weird, but while I was walking home from work this evening, a cat fell on top of my head," Hitoshi began.
"A cat fell on your head?" his dad asked.
"Yeah. He looked hurt, so I decided to bring him home with me. I figured that I'd take him to the vet right after I dropped my stuff for work at home," Hitoshi continued.
"If you have a plan, why are you calling me?" his dad said.
"Because when I returned to the living room where I put the little guy, he wasn't a cat anymore. He turned into a human. Dad, he's a neko," Hitoshi ended. He heard in dad inhale sharply before he spoke once more.
"That does explain why you're calling me," he said. "I'm guessing that he's unconscious?"
"Yeah. He's breathing, but he looked like he's in bad shape," Hitoshi answered.
"Well, you can't take him to a veterinarian's office or the doctor's office. If you did, they'd probably take him and sell him on the black market. That's what's happened to most of the neko race in this day and age. That's why there are less than a thousand of them left," his dad told him.
"That's what I was afraid of. What should I do?" Hitoshi asked.
"I'm almost done. Recovery Girl is still here. I'll explain the situation to her and see if she might be able to help. There's no one else I'd trust to examine him than her," his dad replied. Hitoshi sighed in relief.
"Good. How long will it take you two to get here?"
"About half an hour. Maybe more. Remember, Recovery Girl isn't a spring chicken anymore," his dad said.
"Okay, I'll see you soon, Dad," Hitoshi said before ending the call.
Releasing a shaky breath, he ran a hand through his hair and looked over toward the couch and his still unconscious guest. He really hoped the neko would be okay. Even though he wasn't a cat-cat, Hitoshi's heart still went out to him and he felt the urge to protect him. While he wasn't sure why, he didn't question it. Something about this feeling just felt…right.
Since he'd be waiting for his dad and Recovery Girl to arrive, Hitoshi figured he'd start rummaging for something to make for dinner. He wanted something quick and easy and he wasn't sure if he'd be serving multiple guests or not. That wouldn't bother him; Hitoshi didn't have a lot of friends and the only person he saw on a weekly basis was his dad.
As he looked through his cabinets and refrigerator, Hitoshi's thoughts turned back to the neko on his couch.
What was his name? How old was he? Sure, he looked like a teenager, but maybe that was because he was underfed and malnourished. Did he have any family? If he did, did they miss him, or did they cast him out? Or were they dead? How did he get hurt so badly? Was he going to be okay? Would he react like a wild, caged animal when he woke up and found he was in a strange place with a complete stranger? Or would he simply run away, never to be seen again?
Hitoshi shook his head and returned to the present. Those questions could wait; figuring out dinner could not. Eying the food he had on hand, he decided on katsudon; that would be quick and easy and he'd be able to make enough for everyone if need be.
After setting the food on the counter to prepare later, he walked into the living room, pausing for a moment to make sure that the neko's chest was still rising and falling, and then continued to his bedroom. He still had about twenty minutes until his dad would arrive, so he could get some work done in the meantime.
However, as he tried to read the files he had over and over again, he found that he lacked focus. Well, focus for work anyway. The neko had all of his focus at the moment and it was impossible for him to get anything done. As much as he wanted to watch over the little guy, Hitoshi knew that that wouldn't be very productive. He redoubled his efforts and tried his best to get some work done. Luckily, time flew by and before he knew it, his dad and Recovery Girl had arrived. When Hitoshi opened his front door, he was all but pushed aside by the tiny, elderly woman.
"Where is he? On the couch, hmm?" Recovery Girl asked as she made her way into the apartment without so much as a 'hi, how are you?' Aizawa stepped in behind her and gave his son a small, tired smile.
"As soon as I told her the situation, she insisted we arrive as soon as possible," Aizawa explained as Hitoshi closed the door behind him. They followed the old woman into the living room, where she went to work on examining the neko.
"How long has he been unconscious?" Recovery Girl inquired, checking the neko's breathing and pulse.
"Well, I've been home for almost an hour and that's how long he's been with me. But I don't know if he was out when he fell out of the tree or not," Hitoshi answered. He and Aizawa watched as Recovery Girl checked his bruises and cuts, every now and then gently prodding his body for any broken bones.
"Hmm," was all she said while she continued her work.
Hardly a word was said between the three of them. There wasn't much to say really. And Recovery Girl needed to concentrate on her patient. After a good while, she turned to both of the men.
"Would you two fetch me some warm water and a towel, please?" she asked. "I'd like to clean him up a bit."
Hitoshi and Aizawa were quick to move, the former grabbing a wash cloth from the bathroom while the latter took a medium mixing bowl from a kitchen cabinet and filled it half way with warm water. Once the items were placed on the floor beside her, Recover Girl took the cloth and dipped it into the water. Then, she began to slowly and meticulously wipe the dirt and grime from the neko's wounds. It took her a while, but once she was done she reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of antiseptic and some gauze pads. She gently dabbed the wet gauze on the neko's cuts and she smiled when his body coiled from it.
"That's good. That means he's going to be coming too soon," she said. "It doesn't look like he has any broken bones aside from his tail, but I'd like to check him up at my office at the school.
"Be sure to bring him by after work so that I can thoroughly examine him. I want to make sure that he's in tip-top shape before I'll be satisfied with his care. That being said, he does have a lot of bruises and cuts, some of them pretty nasty and they'll probably need stitches. Unfortunately, I don't have any with me. I have to wait for my shipment to arrive tomorrow before I'll have any on hand," she explained as she dressed and bandaged the wounds. Once she had finished, she stood up and turned to Aizawa and Hitoshi.
"It'd be best if we left, Shouta. If there are too many people around him when he wakes up, he might react erratically," Recovery Girl stated.
"We don't want that," Aizawa said softly.
"No, we don't. He's pretty banged up and might even be worse off, but we won't know until tomorrow," she said. "Hitoshi, be sure to feed him and give him plenty of water. Also, he needs a good bath or shower. Provided, of course, he doesn't lash out or run away. The poor thing."
"I already planned on feeding him. And he's more than welcome to use whatever in my apartment," Hitoshi said as he walked his dad and Recovery Girl to the door.
"Be careful with that," Aizawa said with a small grin on his face. Hitoshi's face reddened just a bit and he rolled his eyes.
"I will be, Dad. Thanks for coming by. Both of you," Hitoshi replied as he opened the door. "I'll definitely be by tomorrow after work with him."
"I'll be waiting. Have a good night," Recovery Girl called as she made her way down the hall.
"Call me if you need anything, Hitoshi," Aizawa told him, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it before he followed after the elderly woman.
"I will," Hitoshi called before he closed and locked his door.
Relief rushed through him. It didn't seem as though the neko was in any real harm or danger. All in all, he seemed to be in acceptable shape; just malnourished and filthy.
Hitoshi walked over to his kitchen counter and began pulling out the pans needed for the katsudon when he heard a startled cry and a thump coming from the living room. Putting the food back down on the counter, he rushed to the living room and saw the neko on the floor, awake, eyes wide and frantic and panic emanating from his body, which was shaking like a leaf. Holding his hands up, Hitoshi took a step into the living room before stopping when the neko scooted back until he hit the bookcase.
"It's okay, it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you," Hitoshi was quick to say, his voice soft and gentle and reassuring. "I promise I won't hurt you, okay?"
The neko was watching him intently, his green eyes wide and focused solely on him. He didn't make a move to run away or attack, so Hitoshi figured (hoped) that his words were getting through to the poor thing.
"Do you remember falling out of the tree?" Hitoshi asked him. When the neko shook his head frantically, he continued with, "I guess you were hiding up in the tree and you passed out before falling on me. You were unconscious so I brought you home with me.
"My name's Shinso Hitoshi. I work at a police station, in their villain department. I'm not gonna hurt you or do anything to you. I just want to help," he finished with, "Can you talk? What's your name?"
Seconds passed by and the only sound in Hitoshi's ears aside from his one heartbeat was the panting of the neko. Minutes went by with still no response. All the two of them big was stare at each other. Hitoshi hoped that his eyes reflected his sincerity and desire to help. Apparently they did because after what felt like an eternity the neko finally answered him.
"M-my name is I-Izuku. Midoriya I-Izuku," the neko, Izuku, told him. Hitoshi felt his body relax slightly and he smiled at him.
"It's nice to meet you, Izuku. I'm sorry that I scared you. I didn't want to take you to a hospital. I was told that they aren't safe places for neko no hitos," Hitoshi said. Izuku seemed to be slowly calming down, as his breathing began to slow down and his shoulders lost some of their tension.
"They aren't," Izuku replied. "I-I'm sorry I fell on you." He looked quite sheepish and timid. It was utterly adorable.
"It's fine. I'm glad you did," Hitoshi admitted to him. "If you hadn't, someone else might've got a hold of you."
He slowly and careful approached Izuku, making sure that each step was calculated and intentional. Once he was about ten feet away he sat down and extended a hand towards the neko for a handshake. After Izuku watched him for a moment, hesitation written all over his face, he scooted closer and shook his hand quickly, withdrawing it after a few seconds of contact.
"How did you get so banged up?" Hitoshi asked him as he gestured to Izuku's body, which was still naked. Just realizing this, Izuku squeaked and quickly covered his groin region with his hands, his face as red as a tomato.
"A few kids started kicking me around when I was in my cat form," Izuku answered. He looked at his bandaged wounds before turning his green eyes to Hitoshi. "Did you do this?"
"No. My dad and one of his friends, Recovery Girl, came over and helped fix you up. Recovery Girl wants to look you over more thoroughly tomorrow, if you're up for it," Hitoshi replied. "They won't hurt you. They aren't like that, I promise."
"If you're sure…" Izuku said, his uncertainty quite evident in his tone and on his face.
"I'll be by your side the entire time, if that helps," Hitoshi said. Izuku pondered that for a few minutes. Once he was done, he nodded, giving Hitoshi a small, barely there smile.
"I know that you don't really trust me yet, but I won't hurt you," Hitoshi reiterated. "I just want to help you, so you're more than welcome to stay here with me for as long as you'd like."
"Really?" Izuku asked, his voice soft and quiet. His countenance reflected the doubt he felt and Hitoshi nodded.
"I love cats. They're my favorite animal. When I saw the state you were in when you fell into my arms, I just…had to do something to help you. So, for as long as you'd like, you can call this place home. Free of charge," Hitoshi answered, chuckling softly at his own stupid joke. That seemed to cause Izuku to relax even more.
"Look, I'm going to make dinner for us. If you'd like, you can take a shower or a bath. I know I always feel gross when I'm filthy, so I'm betting that you're not feeling to hot either," Hitoshi offered.
"You're gonna let me take a bath?" Izuku asked dumbfounded. Hitoshi nodded slowly. Just what kind of life has this neko lived?
"I don't own you, Izuku. You can do whatever you what here. All I ask, if you are going to stay, is to try and stay out of sight. I don't want someone to break in and try to hurt you, or worse," Hitoshi told him.
"I can do that," Izuku said.
"Good."
Hitoshi stood up and offered a hand to Izuku, who took it after a brief second of contemplation. He could feel the various scars that covered the neko's smaller hand. With Izuku in tow, Hitoshi walked down the hall and to the bathroom. After turning on the lights, he stepped aside so that the neko could enter.
"Feel free to use my body wash and shampoo. I'll buy you your own tomorrow," he said. "There are fresh towels underneath the sink and wash cloths in the second drawer on the right. Take as long as you'd like. You don't have to rush and there is no timer, okay?" All Izuku did was nod as he looked around the small bathroom before turning back to Hitoshi.
"Are you okay? Do you need me to show you how to use the toilet and faucets?" Hitoshi asked him.
"No, it's just… I've never been in such a clean bathroom before," Izuku replied. "And I've never been allowed inside one by myself."
"Oh, well…uh…don't worry about it. Like I said, take all the time you need," Hitoshi said. "I'm making katsudon for dinner."
Izuku started to cry when he said that and Hitoshi damn near freaked out, fearing he had upset or offended the neko.
"Are you okay?!" Hitoshi asked. Izuku nodded and wiped his tears away with his dirtied palms.
"Y-yeah. I just… I love katsudon. It's my favorite. I ha-haven't had it since my m-m-m-mom made it for me," Izuku explained.
"Where's your mom now?" Hitoshi asked softly. He had a feeling that he already knew the answer.
"She's dead," Izuku said. Hitoshi bit his lip and tentatively reached out and ruffled Izuku's tangled, messy hair before he began to gently scratch behind one of his ears. That seemed to help the neko out as after a few minutes his tears began to wane and a soft, barely audible purr began to rumble from his chest.
"I'm sorry," Hitoshi said quietly.
"It's not your fault," Izuku said. Hitoshi stopped and he stood there awkwardly for a moment before he turned, ready to go.
"If you need me, just call for me, okay?" Hitoshi told him.
After Izuku nodded, Hitoshi pulled the door so that only a fraction of it remained open before making his way to the kitchen. He began making dinner, his mind racing with even more questions than before. All of them would get answered in time, he hoped, but for right now, he needed to focus. Then it hit him. Shit.
Hitoshi ran to his room and rummaged through his drawers until he found a pair of boxers, pajama pants, and a shirt that he hoped would all fit Izuku. He then went to the bathroom and knocked on the door before inching it open wide enough to place the clothes on the counter. The water was running and he knew that Izuku was taking a bath.
"Here are some clothes. I hope that they fit. Let me know if they don't," he said before he hurried back to the kitchen.
Thankfully, nothing had been hot enough to burn or anything. He went back to making dinner and did his best to not think of the naked neko in his bathroom. Hitoshi knew his face was red but he forced himself to push that embarrassment down. Regardless of the heat bubbling in his chest, he was glad that Izuku had woken up. That meant that he wasn't as bad off as he had feared. And it didn't look liked Izuku was going to run off; if he was, he had had plenty of opportunities to do so and Hitoshi wouldn't have stopped him.
Okay, that was a lie. Hitoshi would try to stop him, but only to ensure that the neko was okay physically. But he didn't have to do that and for that he was glad. The thought of him doing more damage than good weighed heavily on his mind. That was the last thing Hitoshi wanted to do; leave Izuku in a worse state than he was when he found him. Life for a neko wasn't an easy one, that much he knew.
Nekos were often bought and sold on the black market, mainly because it was illegal to do so in a store. While they were considered secondary citizens, they were still citizens who had rights, limited though they may be. Because of those limited rights, a lot of people have been able to get away with doing practically anything to them. Hitoshi didn't even want to fathom about what kind of life Izuku's lived; he knew it couldn't have been a pleasant one.
When dinner was ready and Hitoshi was dishing it up, Izuku entered the kitchen.
"I'm done," Izuku spoke so softly and quietly. Hitoshi looked up and almost dropped the utensils.
The pajama pants and shirt were indeed too big for Izuku. One pale shoulder was sticking out due to the shirt being lopsided on him and the neko looked so small and cute.
That was when Hitoshi knew that he was screwed.
~…~
"He's fine," Recovery Girl stated once she had finished her examination. "His tail is definitely broken, but other than that and those cuts and bruises and being underfed, he's fine."
"That's good," Hitoshi said with a sigh of relief.
"Yes, it is. And he was very cooperative," Recovery Girl practically cooed as she scratched behind one of Izuku's ears. The neko purred happily at the contact and leaned into her touch. "He's such a sweet, little thing. You be sure to take care of him, you got that?"
The looked Hitoshi was leveled with didn't hide anything. If he didn't take care of Izuku, Recovery Girl would skin him alive at the very least. Neither of them had anything to worry about though; he intended to take excellent care of Izuku.
"Are you going to see your dad before leaving?" Recovery Girl asked. Izuku turned back into a cat and hopped up onto Hitoshi's shoulders, purring softly as he rubbed against his cheek.
"Yes. I'd like for him to meet Izuku," Hitoshi answered as he took Izuku's clothes from the little woman and tucked them into his pack.
"I know he'll be delighted to meet him. He loves cats just as much as you do," Recovery Girl said. "Now, if you need anything for him, just give me a call. I'll be more than happy to take care of him."
"Will do. Thanks!" Hitoshi called as he left the nurse's office and started towards his dad's office.
It wasn't a long trek, only about a five or ten minute walk from Recovery Girl's office. During that time, Izuku remained planted on his shoulder, his claws barely digging into Hitoshi's coat to keep him from falling off. His fur was so soft and shone beautifully now that it was clean and Izuku seemed to be incredibly relaxed and content, which was a stark contrast to how he had been when he first woke up. Before too long, they were standing outside of Aizawa's office and Hitoshi knocked.
"Come in," came his dad's voice from within. Hitoshi did so and Aizawa stood up as soon as he saw them.
"I take it everything went well?" he asked as he approached them. He held his hand up for Izuku to sniff, which he did before he rubbed his head against it. A soft, warm smile spread across Aizawa's face.
"Yes. His tail is the only thing that's broken," Hitoshi answered. Aizawa nodded as he continued petting the neko.
"What's his name?" he asked.
"Izuku. He'd change into his human form, but…" Hitoshi trailed off, his cheeks garnering the slightly tint of red.
"It's too risky. If someone were to see him, he'd be in immediate danger," Aizawa finished.
"That, and when he changes, he's naked," Hitoshi added.
"That makes sense. Normal cats don't wear clothes and it'd be impractical as well as impossible for him to wear clothes specifically made for them," Aizawa said.
"Yeah, that never really made sense to me, people dressing their cats up," Hitoshi said. "If I ever even tried that on a cat, they'd rip me to shreds."
"I wouldn't blame them," Aizawa said. He straightened up and ceased petting Izuku, who was purring happily as he settled back down on Hitoshi's shoulder. "Take care of each other, you hear me?" His eyes went from Hitoshi's to Izuku's. Both nodded in response to him.
"Good. I've got to get back to work. I'll see you Sunday for dinner," Aizawa told them. Hitoshi bide his dad farewell and left the school immediately.
~…~
Five months later and things were going smoothly. Izuku slept on the couch in the living room after flat out refusing to take Hitoshi's bed, claiming that it wouldn't be right to take the man's bed after he took him in. So the couch had been Izuku's bed at night.
While Hitoshi worked during the day, Izuku would take care of the apartment and made sure it was cleaned and kept. When it came to dinner, they took turns, rotating every night. It was a nice arrangement for the pair.
As time went on, Hitoshi learned more about Izuku. He found out that he had never known his father and that his mother had died four years ago, when Izuku was sixteen. Both Izuku and his mother, Inko, had lived on the streets for quite some time until his mother had managed to find a place that would hire her. Unfortunately, that place was a brothel and while his mother services 'clients' Izuku worked tirelessly in the kitchen and as a house keeper, doing whatever he was told to do.
That was where his mother died; naked on her back, her body littered with bullets along with the man who had paid for her. The gunman had tried to steal her, hell bent on selling her for a high sum of money. After that, the owner of the brothel had tried to force Izuku into the business, but he ran away and eventually came to this city, where he had escaped time and time again from people who wanted to sell him or use him for nefarious means.
Izuku has been beaten, sexually assaulted, and abused by countless people. All of the scars on his body had been acquired in the four years he's been on the streets. There were some things Izuku didn't want to explain to Hitoshi, things he's had to do just to get a meal or a warm place to sleep for the night. The only times he had known a gentle hand had been when he was beneath someone or right before a slap to the face.
As a cat, plenty of people liked to kick him around, even when he wasn't in the way. Kids liked to torment him and chase after him. Cars almost ran him over. Dogs would run him down. Life hadn't been pleasant at all. Not until he met Hitoshi.
Life for him now was completely different and Hitoshi was proud and happy to help Izuku out in any way he could. The longer the neko lived with him, the more he opened up. Now, it was as though he were a completely different person. Izuku would smile as brightly as the sun, or brighter, whenever Hitoshi was around. He would greet him whenever he'd get home from work and see him off when he left. They cuddled on the couch all of the time and whenever he was in his cat form, Izuku would purr and constantly seek out pets, which Hitoshi was more than happy to give him.
Things were pretty darn perfect in Hitoshi's opinion, with the exception of one thing:
Hitoshi was almost one hundred percent sure that he was falling in love with Izuku.
His every waking thought constantly revolved around Izuku, with the exception of when he was at work. Going home was something he extremely looked forward to just because he'd get to see the neko. He loved cuddling and holding and just generally touching Izuku, and Hitoshi wasn't naturally a touchy-feely person. But that was different with Izuku.
Not only that but Izuku was the most beautiful being Hitoshi had ever laid his eyes on. His green hair was always soft and untamable; his green eyes would sparkle and shine as bright as any star in the universe when he was happy, and would darken and cloud over when he was sad. He was so short and tiny and he fit perfectly against Hitoshi's side. Izuku was always so warm and full of life, and he loved heroes just as much as Hitoshi, with All Might and Eraserhead being his two favorites. That pleased Hitoshi and his dad greatly when he told them that, face blushing as he did so. And the mumbling he'd do whenever something truly intrigued him and got him thinking was enchanting and adorable.
Yeah, Hitoshi was positive he had fallen head over heels for the neko, but that wasn't something he wanted to share with Izuku. At least, not yet. It was far too soon for that and he wanted Izuku to be completely comfortable around him and at home. So, he figured that it'd be more practical to wait for Izuku to make a move, assuming that he would make a move. Assuming that Izuku shared his feelings.
Hitoshi strongly doubted that.
Izuku never seemed to crave Hitoshi's touch as much as Hitoshi craved his own. And while he blushed often, it was at plenty of things and not just stuff that had anything to do with Hitoshi. Plus, even though they did cuddle often, Izuku spent just as much time on the opposite end of the couch away from Hitoshi.
So, Hitoshi did his best to push his budding feelings for Izuku down and keep them at bay. They weren't something that either one of them needed to think about, not for the time being anyway. Only five months have passed; it was too soon for those feelings.
~…~
Eleven months after Izuku first fell into Hitoshi's world, there was a thunderstorm. There had been storms in the past, but none had been as loud or as violent as this one. Storms had never bothered Hitoshi, so when he went to bed he fell asleep almost immediately. But he had been woken up all too soon by Izuku running into his room and all but diving into his bed. The neko quickly scurried underneath the blankets and Hitoshi woke with a start, his mind racing as he tried to figure out what was happening.
That was when he realized that Izuku was hanging onto him for dear life, tears streaming down his eyes and his body trembling with fear. With his heart racing, Hitoshi breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back against the headboard of his bed, his fingers caressing the neko's green curls.
"Izuku? What's wrong?" Hitoshi asked. All he got in response was a head shake and Izuku clinging to him tighter.
He laid down and pulled Izuku closer to him, tucking his head underneath his chin and wrapping his arms around his body securely. Hitoshi felt a wetness seep through his shirt and he knew that Izuku was crying. Was he afraid of thunderstorms? Had he told Hitoshi he was before? Not that he could recall. Maybe the thunder reminded Izuku of how his mother died? Perhaps, but Hitoshi didn't want to ask that question.
Instead, he merely held the neko and whispered words of comfort into his ear while the storm raged outside. Rain pelted the windows of the apartment. Lightning lit up the sky and made shadows dance. And the thunder resounded throughout the apartment like a loud, uninvited guest. Every time the thunder boomed, Izuku would whimper and press closer to Hitoshi.
Never before had the neko been in his bed, not even as a cat. Izuku has never even sat down on it, and now he was beside Hitoshi in it, underneath the covers as he cowered from the storm. Hitoshi's heart was still racing as he held onto Izuku. His hand was petting his hair and he kept kissing his hair and forehead.
"It's okay, baby. You're safe. I'm with you. No one and nothing is going to hurt you," Hitoshi reassured him.
"You p-p-promise?" Izuku stuttered before he squeaked at another loud crash of thunder broke through the sound of rain.
"I promise, honey," Hitoshi replied before kissing his soft hair again. "I love you too much to let anything happen to you."
Hitoshi's body seized up when he realized what he had just said. His eyes widened and he stopped petting Izuku's head. Oh shit, he had just messed up. That wasn't something he had wanted Izuku to know, not now, not so soon. Closing his eyes, he waited for Izuku to break free from his grasp and run away from him. He waited for Izuku to punch him or slap him and call him disgusting or something.
But none of that came.
As the storm continued outside and the room remained quiet except for the rain and thunder, Hitoshi listened for any movement from Izuku. He heard it, but it wasn't rushed nor was it fleeing. Instead, he heard and felt Izuku lean up and then a pair of soft lips were pressing against his own in a chaste kiss. Upon opening his eyes, Hitoshi found Izuku staring at him with a big smile on his face and eyes shining despite the thunder.
"I love you too, Hitoshi," Izuku told him before kissing him chastely again. This time Hitoshi responded and all but melted into their second kiss.
When Izuku pulled back, he gave Hitoshi another smile and snuggled against his chest. Smiling softly in return, Hitoshi embraced the neko again and began cuddling with him. He felt a tail wrap around his leg and he pressed a kiss to Izuku's ear, laughing softly when it twitched against his lips.
That was how they fell asleep: in each other's arms. And that was how they fell asleep from that day forth.