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I hope wherever you are is safe, and you have people around you who love and respect you, and you enjoy this week's update. ^_^

Chapter 6: Change of Plans

The emergency room was always busy, especially so after villain attacks. The onslaught of patients following Wrench's devastation of the financial district swelled into the hallways and out into every available space. Shouto was resolute in his satisfaction that the burn unit wouldn't be encroached upon; there was too much risk of infection. Bakugou was as safe here as he possibly could be.

Patients, beds, and worried relatives blurred together into a seething mass of humanity. Shouto had no hope of remembering names or faces, but he was grateful for the medical staff working alongside him, and for every life they saved.

They couldn't save them all.

Shouto worked as quickly as he dared, pushing himself and his quirk, demanding more of himself every time he felt the threat of fatigue. He reduced swelling, sutured lacerations, and secured bandages. The biohazard bins were crammed with bloody gloves, but he had to change them between patients. The soap and hot water abraded his skin. His hands were still warm and damp when he reached for his next set of gloves.

The doors to the emergency room swished open again.

Shouto turned towards the emergency room entrance ready to do what was needed to try to save another life, but it wasn't a gurney this time. It was a soot covered, bedraggled Midoriya Izuku.

Alive.

Japan's number one hero swayed slightly on his feet. Civilians wouldn't see it, even a trained medical professional might not catch it. He hid it well, but Shouto could read the exhaustion bleeding from every fiber of Midoriya's body.

Weary green eyes locked with a mismatched pair, and he smiled. "Hey, Todoroki."

Shouto stepped away from the crazed bustle of the emergency room. "Midoriya."

Midoriya's costume was torn and bloodied in several places. The lacerations Shouto could see didn't look deep, but they all needed cleaning.

"How's Kacchan?"

"He was sleeping the last time I checked on him. Finally."

Affection broadened Midoriya's smile. "I knew he'd be stubborn about that."

"He didn't try to get up… mostly. Inko-san came this morning, and she helped." Shouto blinked and peered down the hallway at the nearest window. "Is it still morning?"

Midoriya started to chuckle, then winced, drawing a jagged breath of air between his teeth.

"Let me take a look at you, please." Shouto could see his own fingers framing Midoriya's face. They brushed dangerously close to a clotted smear of blood across a freckled temple. Shouto hadn't given himself or his fingers permission to move; it was all reflex.

Midoriya leaned into Shouto's cool hand and sighed. His eyes almost fluttered shut, but then he lifted them and his gaze sharpened. "I want to see Kacchan. And my Mom."

"I'll take you." Midoriya hardly needed an escort to find the way, but Bakugou was due for another treatment and Shouto needed to make sure Midoriya got to him in one piece. He slid his hand down and grasped Midoriya's trembling fingers with his own.

Midoriya had always been an open and affectionate person. He hadn't questioned Shouto's hands on his face, nor did he pull away when Shouto took his hand. Shouto knew he should feel guilty for that, but he couldn't muster the emotion.

They picked their way through the barely contained chaos, and Midoriya didn't let go until it was time to push open Bakugou's door. He pulled away and the palm of Shouto's hand tingled in his absence.

"Izuku!"

Inko-san jumped up from her position by Bakugou's bed and swept her son into her arms.

"Hey, Mom." Midoriya folded his arms around his mother and almost lifted her off the floor. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting."

"You didn't take your phone with you!" Inko-san smacked her palm against Midoriya's shoulder. Shouto would have called it an ineffectual strike, but Midoriya still grimaced.

"It's not allowed on patrol or an active attack site anymore." The words fell from Midoriya's lips with a cadence that felt rote. "The way Heroes get knocked around they break too often." It was true. Fully licensed Hero costumes came with communication devices built in these days. They broke less often, and it made it easy to coordinate a team at disaster sites.

Midoriya's eyes locked on Bakugou's sleeping form, and Inko-san eased her grip on her son.

"I shouldn't wake him," Midoriya mumbled, mostly to himself, but he still crept close to his husband's bedside

As if he sensed Midoriya's presence, Bakugou's lips parted, he sucked in a deep breath, and blinked open his eyes. The smile that stole across his face lacked any of his usual bite, and his tone was breathy and soft. "Hey, Deku."

Midoriya caressed Bakugou's cheek, smiling when the fiery blond turned his head to press a kiss into the freckled palm. "Hi, Kacchan. How'd you sleep?"

"I got what I needed, "Bakugou grunted. He looked at the clock. "You sure took your sweet time getting back to me."

Midoriya's grin made a dimple in a sea of freckles. "Kacchan it's not even 14:00 yet." The corner of Midoriya's mouth kicked up into a grin. "I mean, if we're just going by the time I only left twenty minutes ago."

"Tch. Dumbass. You left twenty minutes ago yesterday."

Midoriya pressed his smiling mouth to Bakugou's and the blonde hero held him in place with one hand at Midoriya's waist and the other on his hip. It wasn't until they parted, lips glistening, that Shouto realized he shouldn't be watching.

Bakugou's thumb rubbed across the curve of Midoriya's cheek. "You need to let someone look at your injuries."

Midoriya rolled his eyes and sat on the edge of the bed. "That's what Todoroki said. I'm fine!"

"It really won't take long," Shouto added.

"See?" Bakugou gestured forcefully at Shouto. "You're just making trouble by delaying."

Midoriya lifted his hand and pinched the point of his chin between his fingers. "I don't think Todoroki has had any rest either. I'd rather he use his energy healing you, Kacchan." He turned to look more directly at Shouto. "If that's okay with you?"

"I'll be fine," Bakugou grumbled. He reached out his hand and beckoned Shouto forward. When Shouto was close enough Bakugou grasped his right hand and pressed it over a deep laceration on Midoriya's forearm. "Get to work, Icy Hot."

"Kacchan—"

"Perhaps I can help?"

All eyes turned to the door.

"Rei-san!" Inko-san trotted to the door and clasped Rei's hands, bringing her into the room. "How are you? Are you drinking enough water? Do you need to rest? Should I get you a snack?"

Shouto watched his mother blink under the onslaught of Inko-san's affection. A light pink began to stain her cheeks. Shouto had rarely seen his mother blush, but he wasn't surprised. The Midoriya family's almost aggressive affection was quite charming.

"I'm well, thank you Inko-san. I came to check on Shouto and Bakugou-san." Her gaze flicked to Midoriya and she bowed. "Thank you for helping protect the city from Wrench."

Midoriya scratched at the back of his neck. "I didn't really—"

"You may not have accomplished everything you wanted, but that shouldn't discount your hard work. Families are together today because of your actions."

The color blossoming across Midoriya's cheeks highlighted his freckles. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Rei glanced between Bakugou and Midoriya. "Which one of you should I work on?"

Midoriya's gazed landed first on Bakugou, then Shouto. He was going to ask Shouto to tend to Bakugou's recovering wound. Of course, he was, it was Shouto's job, and there was nothing wrong with that. There was no reason to feel—

"Is it alright if you stay with me, Todoroki?" Air punched its way out of Shouto's lungs. "I-If you're not too tired," Midoriya amended.

"I can help," Shouto replied. He stepped forward and grasped Midoriya's hands. The blood matted against Midoriya's temple worried him more, but it didn't feel right pulling Midoriya's face into his hands first thing, not now that he was thinking properly.

"I can grab some antiseptic and bandages," Inko-san offered.

Normally that would be against hospital policy, but rules changed during a disaster.

"Yes, please." Shouto agreed. "It looks like there are a lot of little cuts. We can bandage them faster if we work together."

"I'm really fine guys," Midoriya protested.

"May I roll up your sleeves?" Shouto asked.

Midoriya hesitated for a moment, then he smiled. "Sure, Todoroki. Thank you."

"How can I help, Bakugou-san?" That was Rei. Shouto glanced over his shoulder and watched his mother ease onto the edge of the bed.

"Just Bakugou is fine."

Rei nodded and repeated her question. "How can I help you, Bakugou?"

Bakugou turned his face towards Rei, but his eyes lingered on Midoriya for a few moments longer before they shifted to Rei. "My abdominal wound is a bit sore."

"And?" Midoriya prompted.

Bakugou frowned. "And I have kind of a bad headache."

"No problem." Rei placed one hand over Shouto's abdominal wound and the other brushed across his forehead. "How does that feel."

Bakugou let out the soft breathy sigh he always did when his pain eased. "Better. Thank you."

Midoriya would have known his husband had a headache; it made sense that he'd want Rei, who could use two hands, to work on Bakugou. Shouto would have thought that knowledge would push against the painful cords of his soulmate bond, but something softer and warmer nestled in his chest as he watched his mother comfort Bakugou.

"Ready to get started?"

Shouto blinked. Inko-san was at his elbow with a stack of antiseptic wipes and bandages. She let Shouto pluck a wipe from the pile before settling them neatly on the foot of the bed. Shouto peeled up the fabric of Midoriya's hero costume. Inko-san worked on her son's left arm and Shouto cleaned the cuts on his right. Midoriya's hand wrapped lightly around Shouto's forearm as he worked. He was probably doing the same thing with his mother, but it felt…intimate.

Midoriya let Shouto turn his arm this way and that, cleaning and bandaging lacerations as he went. They weren't holding hands, that's not what this was about, but every brush or slide of skin sent a shock of tingles racing along Shouto's nerves.

The laceration across Midoriya's shoulder had scabbed over, gluing him to his hero uniform. Shouto lifted his fingers to the hem of Deku's hero uniform and made the mistake of lifting his gaze to Midoriya's face. Soft green eyes met and held his with a gentle, relaxed gaze that sent a cascade of goosebumps over Shouto's neck and shoulders, right down to his fingertips. Shouto forced his sandpaper tongue across dry lips trying to animate them to speech. What he managed was barely a whisper. "This might sting a little."

"I trust you."

Three simple words from cinnabar lips that Shouto definitely had to stop looking at. He dropped his gaze back to Midoriya's shoulder and peeled the fabric aside in one smooth motion. Midoriya didn't make a sound, but Shouto knew from the way his muscles twitched that he'd caused some pain. "I'm sorry." He lifted the antiseptic wipe.

"Thank you for doing this, Todoroki." Small puffs of breath slipped across the shell of Shouto's ear. Were they really standing so close? He focused on the dirt and getting it out of the wound. Anything left behind would cause pain and increase the risk of infection. It took three antiseptic wipes before Shouto was satisfied.

"All done?" Midoriya asked as Shouto pressed an adhesive bandage across the shoulder laceration.

"I want to take a look at your head wound." Shouto lifted his fingertips to Midoriya's temple. "Did the field medic check you for concussion?"

Another huff of air ghosted across Shouto's neck and he almost trembled. "Yes, Todoroki. They wouldn't let me leave until I was cleared."

"Tch," Bakugou sputtered from the bed. "Idiots should have taken the time to treat your injuries."

"They needed their supplies for the injured, Kacchan." Midoriya's voice wavered and his adam's apple bobbed in his throat. Shouto tightened his fingers over Midoriya's uninjured shoulder. Healers knew they couldn't save everyone, especially after an event as catastrophic as this attack had been, but they didn't see everyone. The front-line heroes saw the worst cases, the civilians who never made it out alive, the ones that were too far gone to save, and the ones that would die the moment they were moved. It was no secret that Deku took every life he couldn't save personally.

"You are injured, dumbass," Bakugou grumbled without any real energy. He must be exhausted too.

"May I use my quirk on this?" Shouto asked, hovering his hand over Midoriya's hairline. "It's not big but head wounds can bleed a lot and I don't want it to open up again."

Large green eyes, nestled in a starburst of freckles that Shouto often fought the urge to count, shifted back to his own heterochromatic gaze. "Sure, that's fine."

Shouto let his fingers descend into soft green locks and activated his quirk. Midoriya gasped and leaned into his hand. "Wow… that's really strong."

"It's probably overkill for an injury this small," Shouto admitted, "but I just want to sure."

"I doubt it," Bakugou murmured. "You know this nerd never tells anyone how badly he's really hurt."

"I'm—ah! I'm fine Kacchan. Really." Midoriya was almost leaning on Shouto now.

Bakugou's reply was dubious at best. "Ah, hu."

Shouto's eyes skated across clusters of freckles, unable to settle on one, because each time he concentrated he saw the gooseflesh he was raising on Midoriya's skin. He pulled air into his lungs in deep, measured breaths. One. Two. Three. He kept his exhalations slow and forced himself to focus. Just a bit more… "There." Shouto disengaged his quirk gradually and gently lifted his hand from Midoriya's hairline. He curled his fingers close to his palm as he pulled away to keep them from trailing across freckled cheeks. "How does that feel?"

Half-open green eyes blinked at him. "Good." Midoriya cleared his throat, probably trying to shake out whatever had made his answer so breathy. "Much better." He gave his head a little shake as if he was trying to clear it and stumbled into Shouto's chest. "Whoa."

Shouto's arms tightened around Izuku—no. His arms tightened around Midoriya, determined to keep him on his feet. Metal scraped across the floor and Shouto saw that Inko-san was pulling one of the chairs over and setting it in place behind Midoriya. She reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "Sit down, baby."

"I'm fine," Midoriya protested. He shook his head, but they were so close he effectively rubbed his face into Shouto's shoulder. "Just dizzy."

"Sit down," Shouto repeated. He leaned forward, easing Midoriya back into the chair, angling his legs to keep a close grip on Midoriya until he was fully settled. Shouto continued the movement until he was crouching in front of the chair. "Most of the patients I work on are already lying down. I should have had you sit down first; that was thoughtless of me."

Midoriya's hands pressed against Shouto's shoulders. "Stop it. I'm fine. I really feel much better."

Shouto peered at the skin he could see around the clotted blood at Midoriya's temple. The visible bruising had receded and Midoriya's eyes were bright and clear. "I'm glad to hear it. There's nothing wrong with resting for a minute."

"He's right, Deku. Drink some water; take a breath."

Inko-san appeared at Midoriya's side with a bottle of water and pressed it into his hands.

"Thanks, Mom."

Midoriya's throat contracted rhythmically as he downed half the bottle. He pulled back with a sigh and smiled when Bakugou reached for him. Midoriya slipped his hand into Bakugou's and threaded their fingers together. Shouto really shouldn't be watching so closely. He started to move away.

"You sit too."

Shouto glanced over his shoulder and Bakugou's frowning face.

"You heard me, Icy Hot. You've been on your feet just as long as Deku. Sit down for a minute." Bakugou patted the side of his bed and Shouto stared.

"He's right," Midoriya added. "You look rung out, please rest for a minute. Midoriya's fingers curled around Shouto's arm again, tugging him back.

Shout didn't resist. He stepped forward and sat against the edge of Bakugou's bed. Midoriya's fingers trailed across his wrist as Shouto sat, but they didn't let go. He was sitting in a linked chain with Bakugou and Midoriya. He could feel his mother's presence at his back, and Inko-san's comforting smile found him over her son's shoulder. It shouldn't have felt so comfortable, and he certainly shouldn't have felt tempted to nestle in beside Bakugou. What a strange thought; he must be tired.

The door to Bakugou's room opened and closed. "Ah, there you are."

They all turned to face Aia-san, who strode into the room with purpose. She scanned their faces and nodded to herself. "Good. You're all here. I can tell you all at once."

Shouto didn't like the grim press of her lips. "Aia-san?"

"The hospital is sending every stable mobile patient home."

"What?!" Midoriya tried to shoot to his feet but a simultaneous joint effort of Bakugou and Shouto's hands on his shoulders kept him seated.

"What does that mean for Bakugou-san?" Rei asked. One hand had fallen away from Bakugou's head, but her other remained fixed over his abdominal injury.

Aia-san crossed one arm across her torso and pinched the bridge of her nose. "The hospital is discharging him today."

Shouto rose from the bed with the same careful precision he used in battle. "Bakugou still needs treatment several times a day. The risk of infection is too high to send him home."

"Unfortunately your reputation is working against you here, Todoroki-san. Bakugou's healing exceptionally well given the severity of his injuries. He was one of the patients they evaluated personally instead of giving a sweeping generalized order." Aia-san's fingers pressed up across her face until her forehead rested in the heel of her hand. "He has a 100% projected survival rate. That's good enough for them." The last few words were ground out between clenched teeth.

Shouto's fingers itched to curl into his palm. "Our goal is 100% full recovery, Aia-san. His hero license—"

"I know!" Aia-san grimaced and glanced back towards the door, but her shout didn't bring anyone running. After yesterday it would probably take a hell of a lot more than a single shout. "I know," she repeated more quietly. "I've read your reports, and I agree with them, okay? But I don't get to counteract this. It's already decided."

The door to Bakugou's room opened and a harried-looking orderly rushed inside with a wheelchair. "I'm sorry for the delay, Aia-san."

"Thank you, Mei-san." Aia-san nodded and Mei-san hurried back out of the room, supposedly to her next urgent task.

"Shouto."

Rei's hand on Shouto's left arm felt blisteringly cold. He turned to look at her and blinked through the hazy smolder he'd apparently been releasing into the air.

Oh.

A quick glance confirmed that frost was creeping across his right forearm too.

Shouto blinked again and both frost and smolder began to dissipate. He could see Bakugou smirking at him out of the corner of his eye and Aia-san's lips twitched traitorously when his gaze returned to her face.

"The board won't be swayed, but I'm not powerless," Aia-san continued. "I'll tell them you've been summoned by the police to assist other pro heroes. You won't have any shifts at the hospital until Bakugou-san is truly well enough to reduce his treatment to once a week."

It wasn't exactly a lie. All available pro heroes were requested to assist in the task force to capture Wrench. For most this was the equivalent of an order, but Shouto wasn't the only hero that also worked in essential services. He was only obligated to use his best judgment about where he would be most useful.

"And that's only if the board has the energy to notice your absence," Aia-san said. "I've already spoke to the head of physical therapy. Rei-san, if you're willing I'd like to requisition your services for the burn unit in Todoroki-san's absence."

Rei nodded. "Of course."

Aia-san stepped forward and prodded her finger directly against Shouto's chest. "And I don't want you to even show your face back here until Bakugou is able to begin weekly treatments. You needed a break before this happened. Focusing on a low-needs patient might be the only way I get you to take a goddamn break."

Shouto wasn't about to put up a fight. He turned to look at Bakugou and Midoriya. "I might need a key to your place." His eyes flickered back to Midoriya. "Pro hero hours are going to be hectic and I don't want Bakugou to get up and answer the door yet."

Midoriya and Bakugou shared a meaningful look. Slight twitches of muscle and movements of the head seemed to indicate a silent conversation. It only took a moment for them to come to a consensus.

"We have a guest room," Midoriya said, turning back to face Shouto. "You're more than welcome to stay there." He lifted a hand to fiddle with the short hair at the back of his neck. "I'd actually feel a lot better leaving if I knew Kacchan wasn't alone."

Shouto felt the weight of his mother's gentle gaze on him. The nuances of this situation weren't lost on her, but she wouldn't try to stop him. A stronger man would have backed away from this entire situation ages ago. He should feel guilty; his heartbreak would hurt her too…but not more than it already had. There would be no happy ending for him, and if this was the closest he'd ever be allowed to get, he would take it. "If it wouldn't be an inconvenience…"

"Nah," Bakugou replied. "I probably do need someone to keep me from climbing the walls." His toothy grin was just the slightest bit self-deprecating. It was Bakugou's version of a request.

Midoriya's hero suit chirped and he lifted the hood to his ear with a frown. Shouto watched his chest expand and contract in a silent sigh. "Yes sir… Yes. I'll be right there." Midoriya lowered his hood. "The chief of police wants me down at the station."

Bakugou frowned. "You've only been gone from the financial district for what? An hour?"

"They want me to meet with the profiler and some of the task force." Midoriya caressed the side of Bakugou's face. "And there's always more paperwork to do. I won't be in any more danger today."

Bakugou turned his head and half kissed, half bit Midoriya's retreated fingers. "You need to rest, Deku."

"I will," Midoriya promised. "I'll be home tonight."

Bakugou's eyes narrowed. "Before midnight, or I'll come get you myself."

"Before midnight," Midoriya agreed, raising his hands in mock surrender.

"Is Katsuki in a good place to be moved?" Inko-san asked Rei.

Rei nodded. She smoothed her thumb across angry red skin before pulling her hand back. "He won't need another session for at least three hours."

Inko-san clapped her hand together. "Alright. Izuku dear, don't worry. I've got this." She turned to Shouto and Bakugou. "Let's get you boys home.

Thank you for spending some of your time here with my story today. I hope you enjoyed this week's update. You won't have to wait long to find out what happens next; I update every Friday afternoon/evening PST. Stay safe out there, and I hope to see you back next week! ^_^