Pairing: Aizawa Shōta/Yagi Toshinori (Erasermight)
No warnings. Just fluff
Words: 1654
For the Erasermight Secret Santa exchange. Basically, just a bunch of x-mas fluff.
"She's completely wiped out," Toshinori comments lightly, leaning over him to peer at Eri's sleeping face.
He's smiling, not his wide All Might smile, but the soft and tentative quirk of lips that's uniquely Toshinori. The one he produces when he's feeling particularly deep about something but there's no immediate need to put on a show. It's like there's a fire burning under the other man's skin, it lights up his face and his blue eyes seem to glow with the force of his feelings. It's breathtaking.
Ten years ago, Shota had disliked All Might with an intensity that bordered on hatred sometimes. He had looked at the idol, saw that smile, heard his laughter and thought him shallow; he had seen the reporters dodging the hero's every step and thought him a fame hungry imposter playing at being a hero, dragging others down with him with his impossible ideals.
Shota of a decade ago had been an idiot, he thinks firmly as he looks at the pure sincerity shining from behind the simplest gesture that can be offered, just a smile. And yet...
If this is what everyone else saw back then, when All Might jumped from crisis to crisis, beaming smile and catchphrase always ready, then Shota finally understands how the now retired hero managed to snare the hearts of a whole country and beyond.
He had been a bit slow on the uptake, but even he had succumbed to the pull of this sun in human form.
Finally registering Toshinori's words Shota tears his eyes from his partner's face and looks down at the wild cascade of white hair resting in his lap. He cards scarred fingers through the strands lightly, unwilling to wake her but unable to stop the tender gesture. Eri doesn't stir. If anything, she seems to fall into a deeper sleep at his touch, somehow aware of their presence and the safety it entails even in a state of unconsciousness.
"And she almost made it this time," the retired hero continues, humor coloring his voice.
Shota automatically turns towards the tv and sound system only a couple feet away. The digital numbers read 23:43.
It had started last year with an innocent comment from the troublesome child, who isn't a child any longer even if he still is just as troublesome as a nineteen-year-old compared to his sixteen year old self. And ever since then Eri had made it a point to try and stay awake with them until midnight. Toshinori finds it cute, as he always does when his children pull stupid (if harmless) stunts. Shota... not so much. It is harmless though, so he just rolls his eyes and limits himself to counting the minutes until the excitement and exhaustion inevitably catches up with her. Like now.
"You shouldn't encourage her," he admonishes half-heartedly, knowing it will fall into deaf ears.
As expected, Toshinori merely laughs.
"How can I blame her for wanting to spend more time with you?" The goof says, nuzzling his cold nose into Shota's neck. He shivers, both at the cold and the touch itself. Then lips tease the sensitive skin of his throat and he almost jumps out of his skin from the electrifying feel of it.
"Stop that," he uses his free hand to remove the temptation from his neck, even though the last thing he wants right now is for Toshinori to stop. The impish look in those alien eyes tells him everything he needs to know: that his lover is an asshole and a tease and Shota is going to make him pay. But later. Preferably when their adopted daughter isn't in the same house as them, nevermind the same room.
He narrows his eyes at the blond whose only response it's to broaden his smile and pretend innocence. Shōta inwardly snorts. Whoever thought that All Might was some saintly figure obviously never spent more than five minutes in his presence. Shōta knows the truth though, there is nothing innocent in All Might.
But back to the sleeping child using his legs as a pillow.
He untangles his legs from Toshinori's and straightens his back. With careful movements, he lifts her into his arms and gets to his feet with a grunt of effort. Yeesh, he's definitely getting older.
"Daddy?" Eri mumbles sleepily.
"I'm here," he reassures, and she hums happily. Red eyes peek from under heavy eyelids.
"'n dad?"
"Here love," Toshinori says from his side, having stood with him. He bends down and presses a kiss on her forehead, next to her nubby horn. "We are here and you're safe." In this moment the rumble that comes from Toshinori is pure All Might. There's no chance of being nervous or afraid when the man directed all the force of his confidence to you that way, not for him and certainly not for the nine-year-old in his arms. "Sleep now, love. You are safe."
"Mm… love you…" She mumbles as her eyes close again and her breathing evens out again.
Toshinori answering smile is powerful enough to brighten the room, maybe even the whole block. That's something that could never be said of his own smiles, which have been described as creepy on more than one occasion. Still, he can't help but smile back, nor can he stop himself from tilting his head upwards and capturing those lips in a deep kiss.
Being unable to reign himself around Toshinori has been the theme of his life for the past four years, ever since the man started teaching at UA if he's being honest. At first it was simply an inability to keep his temper and annoyance in check when around the imposing hero. But then, as their relationship improved from barely tolerant to cordial to something that could be called friendly… well. And then they started dating and it was all downhill for his sanity from there.
"I'll be back," he murmurs against those lips and has to force his body to move away. As he does he catches Toshinori's lovestruck expression and feels a surge of warm bloom in his chest. God, but he loves him.
It doesn't take long to tuck Eri under a mountain of fluffy blankets and equally fluffy plushies. Once again she's dead to the world and hopefully she will remain that way the whole night
On his way out, he flicks the night light on and leaves the door ajar. She has come a long way from the timid and terrified girl they rescued almost three years ago, but physical scars aren't the only reminders from that time. It's a little thing to be at hand for when the nightmares strike. They are all well acquainted with the unavoidable evil that are nightmares.
"Good night."
Shōta returns to the living room but the couch is empty, and the kitchen is dark. However, the front door is open, flakes of snow drifting inside only to melt as soon as they touch the floor. He shivers a little at the chilly air that stole inside in the short interim. He steps out, closing the door to prevent more snow from drifting inside. Immediately another, more violent shiver travels down his spine and his breath mists with every exhale.
"It's cold," he grumbles as he slides next to Toshinori, who is looking up at the dark sky dotted by the falling snow. He rubs his arms through the ridiculous sweater Toshi had gifted him earlier. It's comfy and warm, but it's definitely not warm enough to ward off the winter chill.
Instead of answering, Toshinori opens his arms, the invitation clear. He sighs in relief as he sinks in the embrace. He feels more than hears the sigh of contentment that his lover exhales and definitely feels those sharp cheekbones against his scalp as the other nuzzle the top of his head like an overgrown cat.
He snorts in amusement at the image. He sobers up as he feels the shivers that wrack Toshinori's lanky body. It hasn't been five minutes since he went to put Eri to bed, he's pretty sure of that. Then again, even following a strict diet and exercise regime, Toshinori has very little fat to combat the effects of the cold.
"You're going to catch the flu, standing outside like this." He says with a frown as he turns around in the cage of those long arms. The old hero's nose is bright red and so are the tips of his ears. Shōta's pretty sure he presents a similar picture.
Toshinori blinks slowly at him, as if coming out from a trance. He doesn't ask what he had been thinking of. Toshi's insecurities are many and varied, but the end of the year usually brings about thoughts about his mortality and that's not a topic he's in the mood to tackle with Christmas right around the corner.
"You're cold," Toshinori states uselessly. His left hand leaves his back and comes to rest on his cheek, thumb rubbing back some feeling to the chilled skin and finally coming to rest on the scar under his eye. Shōta sinks a bit more into the embrace, even as he shoots the silly man a dry look.
"It's snowing, Toshi," he enunciates slowly.
He laughs sheepishly and shrugs a shoulder. "Sorry. I just- it hasn't snow in a while on Christmas. I've missed it."
Shōta huffs, but accepts the excuse at face value.
"You're hopeless," he says. He extends slightly stiff fingers and grabs the idiot by the dampened bangs, tugging lightly. Toshinori immediately gets the message and he leans down to meet him halfway.
Both of them are panting a bit when they separate, their breaths mingling in a white cloud around them.
"Merry Christmas, Toshi."
Said man startles at the reminder and laughs breathlessly. He rests their foreheads together, bright blue eyes never faltering from his own.
"Merry Christmas, Shōta."