The Best Birthday Ever

by NEIWIS

All Shota wanted was to give his husband the best birthday possible. He planned it all out, backed with a logical ruse that ensured his husband was as surprised as possible. Everything went downhill when he ran into the cat. Hizashi wanted to have a fun night at the radio station and then return home to his husband. Have a day of relaxation. If only there wasn't a hostage situation

4. Chapter 4

"You smell."

The words caused Hizashi to jump as his eyes snapped open. A fresh change of clothes was thrown into his face before he had a chance to blink the sleep out of his eyes. His heart rate jumped at the sudden ambush, but as he realized it was just Nemuri being a menace, he calmed down and then grumbled to himself.

"What time is it?" Hizashi asked as he ran a hand through his hair. He had taken off his glasses and his speaker, placing them on the table near him. There was a chair near him, and there was a backpack on it.

"Almost four in the morning," Nemuri answered. Hizashi's eyes moved around the room. There was an empty space where Shota's bed would be once he was out of surgery. The room was larger than a regular hospital room, and there was a few chairs scattered about. "So happy birthday big boy."

"Thanks," Hizashi said through a yawn. He stood and stretched. His nose twitched as he saw that Nemuri was also holding onto a bag of takeout food. "Hear anything about Sho?"

"No more than you," Nemuri answered as she placed food on the table. It was slow enough that they were able to have the room to themselves. And Hizashi wouldn't say that this was their regular room, but he happened to know exactly how many tiles there were. "You know more than me."

"Not much to know," Hizashi sighed as he stood and walked toward the bathroom. "They didn't want to sedate Shota too heavily for surgery in case he has a concussion."

"How bad is he?" Nemuri questioned as she sat in a free chair. Hizashi pulled off his leather jacket and shirt. He used a napkin and water to clean some of the dirt of off his face.

"He's got an open fracture on one arm and a broken wrist on the other. There were a lot of bruises too," Hizashi said. He finished cleaning his face and then began to change his clothes. "Sorry to just leave you with the criminals."

"I knew you were leaving as soon as I heard Shota's name," Nemuri dismissed. "All the criminals were arrested, and they were selling each other out before we had them in the police cars. The best part is that Jiro gets credit for this on her hero profile, so I took her out for ice cream to celebrate. And to let her know not to let sidekicks walk over her."

"What do you mean?" Hizashi asked as he finished changing. He grabbed his dirty clothes and carried them to the bag. He dug out a pair of clothes for Shota before throwing his dirty clothes inside.

"Vision Ray thought he could throw his weight around and order Jiro to pass over the hostage that Jiro rescued. And she had the situation handled perfectly may I add," Nemuri said. Hizashi frowned. He knew that his sidekick was always looking for ways to raise his profile, but that was not the way to go about it. "Shota set him straight."

"How so?" Hizashi asked as he started to dig into the food. Nemuri motioned to the coffee that she had placed by the bag, and Hizashi grinned. "Thanks!"

"Can't have you passing out from exhaustion," Nemuri commented. "Shota told Vision Ray that he should be helping you instead of bothering someone who could more than handle helping an injured hostage to the ambulance. I bet watching Shota yell would have been so hot."

"I doubt he yelled," Hizashi commented.

"In my fantasy he did," Nemuri grinned.

"Stop fantasizing about my husband."

"If he were a few years older and not gay..."

"Gross!" Hizashi complained. A knock on the door caused his attention to shoot upward, and he jumped to his feet. The door opened, and Yun peeked her head in. "Hey! Come on in."

"Hello, Yun," Nemuri said with a wave as the paramedic walked into the room.

"Nice to see you, Midnight," Yun greeted. She looked at the empty space where the bed would have been. "Any word about Eraser?"

"Not yet," Hizashi sighed. 'Thanks for checking in on him."

"Course I'm gonna check on my favorite hero," Yun said. Hizashi gasped in mock surprise. Yun just grinned as she walked toward him. "But for my favorite radio host..."

Yun reached into the duffel bag she had and pulled out an envelope. Hizashi slowly took it and opened it. He tilted his head as he saw a birthday card. Yun spoke, "The doctors were practically tripping over themselves to sign it."

"I have to give you guys a shout out next time I'm on air," Hizashi said as he carefully opened the car. He could see little messages from different doctors, and Yun had signed her name right in the middle. There was also a piece of paper. Hizashi slowly grabbed it.

"I know it's not an official invitation, but it has a date, an address, and my contact information so I can send you a proper wedding invitation over email," Yun said.

"Wha... are you sure?" Hizashi asked quickly. Yun snorted.

"Do you know how much Eraser and I gossip about you in our downtime? I even got to see pictures of your cats," Yun said. "Eraser tells me all about his idiot coworkers at UA, and I tell him about all my idiot coworkers here. Long story short, I would be honored if you two came."

"Then we will do our best to be there," Hizashi promised.

"Hell yeah you will," Yin said. Her eyes flickered down as she grabbed her phone out of her pocket. "I got to go. The soon to be husband is waiting. Give Eraser my best. And happy birthday."

"Thanks!" Hizashi grinned. Yun disappeared back through the door. "She's so cool."
"You know that you're one of the idiots that her and Shota gossip about," Nemuri commented.

"You're the other," Hizashi said as he stuck his tongue out. Nemuri rolled her eyes. Hizashi moved his gaze back to the card and looked over all the writing. A smile plastered onto his face. Then, he tucked back into his food as Nemuri was busy eating and looking at her phone.

The few minutes of silence caused Hizashi to buzz with tension. He knew that Shota was fine. He had seen his husband after all. But that didn't mean Hizashi wasn't going to freak out over the thought that maybe Shota had lost too much blood or an earthquake would hit the hospital and the worst would happen.

Which was why he was grateful as Nemuri tossed her trash in a bag and spoke, "You'll still have to stop by the police station sometime soon to give them a full report."

"After we get Shota home," Hizashi said. Nemuri nodded as if she was expecting that. "I hope the radio station doesn't mind."

"It's your birthday, Hizashi. Be a little selfish," Nemuri said. "And yes, I checked on the radio station. They are fine."

"You're the best," Hizashi began.

"I know."

"And now you've ruined it."

Another silence filled the room as Hizashi tried to sit back and closed his eyes. That lasted about another minute before he sighed and sat up, "What if Sh-"

"Shota is going to be fine, Hizashi. The doctors here are not going to kill him," Nemuri said as she rolled her eyes. "If you're this impatient, you need to distract yourself. I can tell you about some of those sex positions."

Hizashi groaned loudly. Mercifully, there was another knock on the door. It was opened a moment later as a doctor walked in. He held the door open as two nurses carefully pushed a bed in. Hizashi's gaze lasered onto the bed.

Shota's head was turned to the side, and his eyes were closed like he was still asleep. He was wearing a hospital gown, and a blanket had been pulled up to his stomach. Both of his arms rested over the blanket. His right wrist was in a splint, and most of his left arm was as well.

"How's he doing, doc?" Hizashi asked as he watched the nurses park the bed. They didn't hook Shota up to any machines other than giving him a new IV.

"The surgery went well," the doctor answered as he gave a small smile to Hizashi. "We set his elbow and forearm on his left arm, and one of our doctors has a quirk that allowed him to close up the skin where the open fracture was. I assume you'll be taking him to Recovery Girl."

"She's already waiting for us," Nemuri commented. Hizashi looked back at her and saw that Nemuri had her face buried in her phone.

"It's like four in the morning," Hizashi began.

"You know that woman doesn't sleep. She's like a vampire," Nemuri shrugged. "Besides, I think she found out from Nezu."

"How did Nezu find out?" Hizashi questioned. The doctor cleared his throat. "One sec, doc."

"Because he's a benevolent little monster who knows everything?" Nemuri shrugged. She typed into her phone. "Oh, Jiro put it in the group chat. Nezu must have looked in on it."

"Group chat?" Hizashi repeated as he leaned closer.

"The girlies chat," Nemuri replied. "It's for all the girls in Class 1-A and 1-B. I'm sure they have smaller chats, but I'm the admin of this one."

"Why don't I have a group chat?" Hizashi complained.

"Because you're more focused on a group chat than your husband's condition," Nemuri said.

"Shit," Hizashi said as his eyes widened. He looked back at the doctor. "Sorry!"

"There is bruising all over his back, chest, and stomach. No internal bleeding, thankfully. No broken ribs either, but the area seems to be tender. There are multiple bruises around his face, but he has a broken nose. All in all, he'll make a full recovery as long as he rests."

"Well that won't happen," Nemuri commented. Hizashi gave her a look.

"When he's awake, a nurse will check over him, but he should be good to leave once feels up to it," the doctor said. Hizashi nodded. Everyone knew that Shota would rather be buried alive than stay in the hospital for a second longer than he had to. He had already escaped this hospital about three times before they started putting him in a room where the window couldn't be opened. "I'll have the nurses start the paperwork."

"He should be awake within the hour," a nurse said. She leveled Hizashi with a look. "Don't let him take his IV out on his own this time."

"I looked away for two seconds," Hizashi began. The nurse made an unconvinced noise as she turned and left the room. The doctor nodded to Hizashi and followed behind the nurse.

"Let me leave before you jump all over him," Nemuri said.

"I'm not going to jump all over my unconscious husband," Hizashi said with an eyeroll. He moved to Shota's side and brushed hair out of his bruised face. Shota didn't shift. Hizashi placed a hand to Shota's skin and felt that he was still pretty cold.

Hizashi carefully grabbed the blanket and pulled it up over Shota's shoulders. He smiled down at his husband before kissing him.

"Ew!"

"Shut up," Hizashi said. He kissed Shota's forehead and then rested their heads together. "I'm sorry, Shota. This is all my fault."

Hizashi stepped away and collapsed into a chair. Nemuri raised an eyebrow at him, and Hizashi just ignored her. He sighed, "So why am I not in admin in this chat?"

"Because it's for the girlies," Nemuri said.

"But Nezu is in it!"

"Oh, he's not in it," Nemuri corrected. "He just looked into it. There's a reason I don't connect to our school's internet."

"You said it runs slower than your phone data," Hizashi said. "Okay, so you are the admin for the girlies chat. Why can't I be the admin for the boys? Is it Shota?"

"Vlad King," Nemuri answered. "Shota has access to all of the greater group chats because he had to set them up."

"We should make a group chat," Hizashi decided.

"So I can be subject to your terrible sense of humor?" Nemuri questioned. She stopped and looked over at Shota. "Does he still send you random pictures of cats while he's out on patrol?"

"If I don't get a pic, I know something went wrong."

"Start a chat," Nemuri ordered. Hizashi cackled as he grabbed his phone. He had to think of the perfect name. And a picture.

"Nemuri, we need a picture for the group chat," Hizashi said.

"It's not official without one," Nemuri said. Hizashi stared at her face, but she was focused on her phone. "You should make it a picture of a cat, so you can lure Shota in."

Hizashi didn't respond. Nemuri continued to look at her phone, and after about a minute, her eyes flickered up, "Why are you staring?"

"We need a picture for the group chat," Hizashi repeated.

"...okay?"

"And Shota will be waking up soon..."

"But he's not awake yet," Nemuri realized. She was at Shota's side faster than Hizashi.

"Be careful with him," Hizashi complained as he leaned on Shota's right side, being careful of his arm. Nemuri was on Shota's other side as she grabbed her phone.

"Let's both kiss his cheek," Nemuri said.

"You're not going to kiss my husband," Hizashi said. Nemuri made a kissy face but kept her lips only an inch from Shota. Hizasih made a motion that he was watching her, and he kissed Shota's cheek. Nemuri took a few photos.

It was a groan from Shota that caused both of them to freeze in place. Hizashi scrambled back and threw himself into a chair. Nemuri jumped back, "They said he would be awake within the hour. Not five minutes."

"Maybe he knows he's in the hospital," Hizashi decided as he watched Shota shift before settling. Hizashi moved his chair close to his husband and wanted to reach out to grab his hand, but he didn't want to hurt him. So he settled on placing a hand on his leg.

"What did Jiro say in the group chat?" Hizashi asked.

"Hmm. She alerted everyone that they wouldn't believe what she had seen today," Nemuri said as she seemed to scroll up through the chat.

"And what did she see?" Hizashi questioned as he looked over at Nemuri. A crooked smile came to her face. "What does that mean?"

"Well, apparently Shota wears boxers with little kittens on them," Nemuri said. Hizashi froze. He had been so concerned about Shota at the time that he completely skimmed over the fact that his husband had been practically naked in front of his student. "And he is, in Jiro's words and lets be real: mine, ripped."

Hizashi buried his face in his hands as Nemuri cackled. She spoke between laughs, "Jiro told them that she couldn't go into details about how she knew, but they all figured it out anyway because they had been listening to your radio show. Ashido thinks Jiro is lying about the being ripped thing, and Asui wants to know what kind of cat was on the boxers."

"Being the wonderful teacher I am, I assured them that Shota is safe and will be out of the hospital soon," Nemuri said. "And, to change the topic and distract the, I proposed the question of how Shota could be so muscular if he only eats jelly packets."

"How is that helping?" Hizashi demanded.

"Because Ashido got off topic in about three minutes as she talked about the diets of the boys in the dorm, and it spiraled from there," Nemuri said.

"Thanks," Hizashi said as he stood. He grabbed his coffee and finished it off before he began to clean the room of their leftover food. When he threw that away, he organized his things in his bag before grabbed the clothes Nemuri had grabbed for Shota.

The black sweatpants would be easy enough to put on, but Hizashi wasn't sure how comfortable he was trying to get Shota into a shirt. Hopefully, the jacket would be easier to put on. Hizashi moved closer to Shota and hummed softly as he ran a hand through Shota's hair.

"You two are so disgusting," Nemuri complained.

"I know you didn't say that to me," Hizashi huffed as he turned to look at Nemuri. She stuck a tongue out at him. "You're the one who wrote a sex thesis!"

"And you're going to read it."

Hizashi shut his mouth because he knew Nemuri was right. She grinned triumphantly. Another groan broke through their banter. Shota's head moved against Hizashi's hand.

"Zashi?"

"Hey," Hizashi said as he looked at Shota. Bleary, exhausted eyes looked at Hizashi. "You're safe now. We're in a hospital."

"Can we leave?" Shota asked. His speech was slurred slightly, and his voice was heavy with exhaustion.

"As soon as you feel up to it," Hizashi began. Shota immediately tried to sit up. "Woah! Calm down there."

Hizashi placed a gentle hand to Shota's chest and gently pressed him back against the bed. Shota winced and slowly looked around, "How long?"

"Only a few hours."

"It's still your birthday?"

"It's still my birthday," Hizashi promised as he brushed stray hair out of Shota's face. "A nurse will be here soon, so don't take your IV out. And behave."

Shota remained silent, which was better than arguing. Not as good as a promise. But Hizashi would work with what he could get. The door opened, and Hizashi turned his head as a nurse walked in. The nurse walked right toward them and smile.

"Hello, Eraser. I'm Nurse Pyri but just call me Pyri. I just want to take a look over you before we release you. How are you feeling right now?"
Shota was silent for a few moments, and Hizashi almost sighed as he realized that it was going to be one of those visits. Mercifully, Shota finally spoke, "I'm tired. Everything is sore."

"Do your arms hurt?" Pyri asked.

"Yes," Shota answered. "More of an ache than a burn."

"We'll send you home with pain medicine then," Pyri said. "Do you remember what happened before the hospital?"

"I was involved in a hostage situation. As the hostage," Shota replied. "I fell asleep while in the ambulance."

"We took you to surgery as soon as you got here," Pyri began. Hizashi tuned the nurse out as he focused on his husband. Shota's entire body looked weighed down by exhaustion, but his eyes were alert. He looked focused.

His skin was paler than normal. While his jaw was clenched, it didn't seem like it was from pain At least not excruciating pain. Shota was answering questions and didn't look annoyed. In fact, it could be argued that he was being cooperative.

Pyri finished her questions and moved to take out the IV. Shota stared ahead. Pyri looked at Hizashi, "I have the discharge papers all ready. You can sign for him."

"I'll help Shota get dressed," Nemuri promised. Hizashi looked at the two and then nodded. Shota didn't even grumble that he didn't need the help. He just sat there patiently. Did he hit his head and lose his entire personality?

Nemuri grinned at him. Hizashi turned and followed the nurse out of the room. She led him toward the front desk where he just had to fill out some paperwork,listen to some warnings, get Shota's prescription papers, and listen to a few more happy birthdays.

And you know, some autographs and pictures for the listeners in the hospital.

By the time he was done, he saw Nemuri leading Shota out of the hospital room. She stayed near him but didn't crowd around him. Shota was walking hunched over, and his hands were resting near his pockets even though he couldn't complete the action

Shota looked steady as he walked toward Hizashi. A grin came to Hizashi's face, but he spoke in a soft voice, "Ready to go?"

"If you are," Shota answered. Hizashi nodded and followed next to Shota. Nemuri rushed ahead of them to get the car. Hizashi stayed next to Shota.

"How are you feeling?" Hizashi asked.

"Tired," Shota answered. He moved closer to Hizashi and touched their shoulders together. "Still feel hazy."

"Well, you did just finish with surgery. I'm happy that you didn't try to run from the hospital," Hizashi said. Shota grunted. They made it outside and to the car that Nemuri had pulled up for them. Hizashi made his way to the passenger's door and opened it.

"Sit in the back with me," Shota muttered. Hizashi wasn't one to turn that down. He closed the passenger's door and then opened the back door. Shota carefully sat inside and scooted toward the middle. Hizashi sat down and closed the door. He didn't even have time to put his seatbelt on before his husband was pulling him into an awkward sort of hug.

One where his left arm was thrown haphazardly over Hizashi's chest, and his left leg was brought over Hizashi's lap. Nemuri looked back at them and raised an eyebrow as she took in the scene, "Should we go to Recovery Girl?"

"Yeah," Hizashi began as he felt Shota's other leg wrap around the back his leg. Shota rested his head against Hizashi's chest. "You okay, Sho?"

"I'm perfect now," Shota answered. Hizashi grinned and wrapped an arm around Shota, not wanting to hurt his arms anymore. "You're perfect."

"I think you're perfect," Hizashi said.

"I'm perfect too," Nemuri added as she started to drive.

"Not as perfect as Hizashi," Shota argued. "He's got a radio station, a job as a teacher, and he's a pro hero."

"We're all pro heroes and teachers," Nemuri said. There was amusement in her tone.

"But Hizashi is better," Shota said, and the spike of tone almost made it sound like a whine. Hizashi smirked and kissed the top of his head. "The most amazing pro in the world."

"Better than All Might?" Hizashi prompted because he was having some fun with this. Shota snorted so hard that it sounded like it hurt him. "So not better."

"Better. Way better," Shota muttered. "Your quirk is amazing, and you are amazing. Do you know that, Hizashi?"

"Well, I don't know," Hizashi began.

"Don't encourage him," Nemuri complained. "I can't take a whole car ride of this."

"It's not Shota's fault that he is high on that good pain medicine," Hizashi said. He felt Shota's head nuzzle against his chest. "You're just jealous he's think I'm a better pro than you."

"The best," Shota mumbled. Hizashi grinned at Nemuri.

"Can this light hurry up?" Nemuri groaned.

"I like your mustache too," Shota continued.

"He's clearly lying. That thing is a disgrace," Nemuri said. Hizashi huffed and ran a hand through Shota's hair. There was still blood, dirt, and grime caked in there. He would need to give Shota a bath when they got home.

"You're just jealous that I have a man all over me. It's your dream," Hizashi teased. Nemuri rolled her eyes.

"Not to mention your ass," Shota mumbled. Hizashi felt his cheeks turn red. Nemuri glanced back at him and winked.

"Tell me about his ass," Nemuri said.

"It's not flat like yours," Shota answered. Nemuri scowled, and the car sped up a little more. Hizashi cackled and felt Shota's head nuzzle him again. "It's perfect. Especially in skinny jeans."

Shota's eyes closed for a few moments, and Hizashi figured he was going to fall asleep. Instead, Shota pried his eyes open and sat up slightly. Only to snuggle closer to Hizashi.

"I think we picked up the wrong Shota," Nemuri decided.

"I think he's exhausted and high on pain medication," Hizashi decided. "Though he is a cuddler in his sleep. Even if he won't admit it."

Shota made a noise that could have been one of disagreement. Hizashi kissed the top of his head and spoke, "You never told me the full story of what happened."

"Hmm."

"You told me that you left the house to get eggs," Hizashi began.

"To make a cake just as beautiful as you," Shota interrupted. Nemuri pretended to gag.

"And you saw a stray cat, only to realize it was a woman with a quirk that let her turn into a cat. And her gang jumped you and attacked you."

Shota hummed in agreement. Hizashi spoke, "What else happened?"

"Took turns beating me up," Shota answered in a tired voice. Hizashi felt his anger spike for a moment. "They called you."
"And told me they had kidnapped a hero and wanted to meet," Hizashi said.

"Didn't want you to hear me speak," Shota mumbled. "Didn't want you to worry."

"What happened to your arms?" Nemuri asked.

"Broke my wrist falling on it. Asshole criminal broke my other arm," Shota answered as he lifted his head slightly before dropping it back down.

"Twice," Hizashi muttered as he remembered the yell. How had he not realized it was Shota who was in pain? He was a terrible husband.

"Two of them seemed to feel guilty," Shota said. He moved his arm to awkwardly rub his eyes before settling his arm back over Hizashi again. "They dropped me off in a corner when they heard you were coming. Passed out for a little after that."

"And woke up to being rescued by your student," Nemuri added. Shota grunted. It seemed like he was to say more, but his eyes closed. His eyes snapped open again a moment later.

"Hey, Nemuri?" Shota began.

"Yes," Nemuri sighed.

"Were you there when Hizashi found me?" Shota asked.

"I was," Nemuri said as her face softened.

"Did you see how amazing Hizashi was?"

"Oh my god! Shota, I will throw you out of this car!"

"As long as Hizashi catches me."

"I swear that he is doing this to be an ass," Nemuri muttered.

"Well, I did say he was an ass when he was hurt," Hizashi said.

"Your ass is nice," Shota mumbled.

"Hizashi, shut him up before I throw him out of this car! I will do it."

"Okay!" Hizashi said with an evil grin. Nemuri swore as she realized her mistake, and Hizashi tilted Shota's head enough to kiss him on the lips. And he made exaggerated kissing noises just to drive Nemuri insane.

The car sped up a little more, and Hizashi cackled. His cackle increased as they were forced to stop at a light.

"Your lips are so soft," Shota began, and the car's horn blared as Nemuri planted her face on it. Hizashi laughed so hard that it hurt his gut. He pulled Shota a little closer as he calmed himself. His husband shifted to get as close as he could before nearly smacking Hizashi with a splint.

The splint nearly hit him again as Shota tried to rest his arm on Hizashi's neck. Nemuri was going as close to the speed limit as she could, and she let out a loud sigh of relief as the car stopped outside the gates of UA.

"Shota, you have to behave," Hizashi began. "Because unlike the doctor, Recovery Girl will beat you up."

Shota grunted but slowly got out of the car. Hizashi moved to his side to walk with him. Together, they made their way into UA and toward the infirmary. Nemuri followed right behind them. When they got close to any kind of door, Nemuri cut around them and opened the doors.

As they got close to the infirmary, Shota's pace started to slow. Hizashi moved to his side and spoke, "Need help?"

Shota shrugged and didn't fight as Hizashi wrapped his arm around Shota's waist and let his husband put some of his weight on him. The two of them walked toward the infirmary. Recovery Girl was waiting for them out the door.

"How are you feeling, dearie?" Recovery Girl asked as she led them into the infirmary.

"Tired," Shota answered. "Arms hurt."

"On a scale from one to ten?" Recovery Girl asked.

"And a normal person's one to ten scale. Not a Shota one," Nemuri added.

"Six," Shota said as he did a weird half shrug with the arm that was in a splint. Then, he moved his other arm that had his wrist in a splint. "Four."

"You don't seem like you have much energy," Recovery Girl commented. Hizashi nodded his agreement. Shota shrugged with both shoulders this time.

"He had more than enough energy to talk," Nemuri said.

"Because Hizashi deserves to know how amazing he is," Shota began. Nemuri put her hands to her head like she had a headache. Shota looked at Hizashi. "He is amazing!"

"I am," Hizashi agreed.

"I'm sure he is dearie. Get him some water," Recovery Girl as he looked at Hizashi. He nodded and walked toward the small fridge at the other end of the infirmary.

"Do you have coffee?" Shota asked after a moment.

"No coffee!" all three of them said at once. Shota huffed but didn't argue the point. Hizashi came back with a bottle of water. He opened it. Shota raised both of his arms and stared at the splints. Then, he sighed and allowed Hizashi to bring the water to his lips.

There was a bit of awkwardness as Hizashi tried to help him drink and ended spilling a good amount of water on him. Shoat didn't make a comment. Recovery Girl handed a piece of candy to Hizashi, "Give him a treat to get some energy back. And to keep him quiet. It's too early in the morning to hear him go on about you."

"But Hizashi is-"

"I know I'm wonderful," Hizashi gently interrupted as he unwrapped the candy and fed it to Shota. It was one of those candies that Shota would spend the next minute chewing. Recovery Girl waved them away as she led Shota to a bed and sat him down.

It seemed like Recovery Girl was judging how much energy Shota had. Hizashi was surprised that his husband was even conscious now. Having just woken up from surgery after being held hostage would have been enough to send Hizashi to sleep. And the cuddle session should have sealed the deal.

But as Shota stood there with drooping eyes, it looked like he was actively fighting to stay awake. Recovery Girl's quirk would put him out at least. Hizashi looked at Nemuri and nudged her. She looked at him.

"Is Shota acting weird to you?" Hizashi asked. Nemuri raised an eyebrow.

"Are you just now realizing that?" Nemuri countered. Hizashi glared at her. "One, he didn't try to immediately flee the hospital when he woke up. Two, he answered all of the nurses questions without a fight. He didn't take his IV out by himself. And he let me help him. Of course something is wrong with him."

"Is it a quirk? Did he lose too much blood? Is he-"

"Babe, it's your birthday," Nemuri said. Hizashi looked at her in confusion. "He wanted to make this birthday special for you. That's why he made you think he was going on patrol, so he could surprise you. He's been planning this for weeks now. Do you think all the times he stared off intently at school was because he was thinking about work? No! It was how to make this the best day possible."

Hizashi looked over at Shota as Recovery Girl kissed his cheek. This was good. Shota would pass out, and Hizashi could take him home. Maybe give him a shower. And take a very long nap with the best pillow over.

But, Shota didn't slump over as Recovery Girl pulled away. His eyes stayed open, though it looked like his eyelids were actively fighting him.

Recovery Girl made a noise like she was impressed. She turned and walked away. When she came back, she was holding onto a cupcake. Recovery Girl walked right toward Hizashi and held the cupcake out, "Happy birthday, Yamada."

"Thanks!" Hizashi said with a grin. He focused on eating his cupcake. As he did, Recovery Girl walked back toward Shota.

"We'll have to do more healing after you've had a good night of sleep," Recovery Girl said. Shota managed a single nod. "Your arms are more stable, but you can't go lifting anything just yet. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'm glad you're safe, dearie," Recovery Girl said.

"Thank you," Shota said as he bowed his head. It looked like he was going to pass out once again. Instead, he lifted his head and focused on Hizashi. A small smile touched his face. "Hey, Hizashi."

"Yes, my dear," Hizashi said with a small eye roll. He couldn't stop the huge smile that appeared on his face. Nemuri sighed in annoyance and walked toward Shota. She placed a hand to his chin and made him look up at her.

"Are you going to spend the entire ride back to your place talking about how wonderful Hizashi is?" Nemuri asked.

"Yes."

Nemuri ripped her sleeve a moment later.

"Nemuri!"

"Watch his head."

Nemuri caught Shota as he breathed in her quirk and collapsed a moment later. She laid him back on the bed and looked back at Hizashi, "I was not going to put up with him for any longer."

"You can't just use your quirk on him," Hizashi complained. Nemuri shrugged and slipped both of her arms under Shota. She started to lift him. "Hey! I'll handle this."
Hizashi tried not to shove her away as he glared. She just shrugged and didn't look sorry. Hizashi gently rested Shota's arms on his stomach before he put one arm under Shota's legs and the other under his back. He picked his husband up.

"I think he'll be asleep for the rest of today. He probably won't be awake until tomorrow morning," Recovery Girl said. "Try to keep him from using his arms until I get another look at him.

"Of course. Thank you for everything. And the cupcake," Hizashi said. Recovery Girl gave him a nod. Hizashi carried Shota out of the room. His husband's head lolled against his chest, and it allowed the last bit of worry to wash out of him.

Shota was going to be fine. He just needed a good night of sleep and another visit with Recovery Girl. For now, Hizashi had his husband in his arms. As they made it to the car, he laid Shota in the back and rubbed his aching arms.

"I always forget how heavy he is," Hizashi sighed as he tried to stretch.

"Or how weak you are," Nemuri said. Hizashi stuck his tongue out at her. "Do we need to stop anywhere on the way back to your place?"

"No. I just want to get Shota into bed," Hizashi said. He sat in the passenger's seat and laid his head back. He moved his gaze back to Shota. Quiet breaths left Shota, and he looked peaceful. Relaxed. It just hurt Hizashi's heart to see evidence of what had happened.

"Don't we all," Nemuri grinned.

"Witch," Hizashi hissed as he slapped her arm. "You're just jealous of what Shota and I have! That's why you put him to sleep."

"Oh, please. Get over yourself," Nemuri scoffed, but there was no bite to her words. She waited until they were at a light to look over. "I was worried he was pushing himself too far by staying awake. Especially after Recover Girl healed him."

"I know," Hizashi said with a gentle smile.

"He was also really annoying."

"So are you."

" So are you."

"I don't sound like that!"

"Of course not. You sound much more shrill."

Hizashi made a noise of indignation. Nemuri winked at him before she started to drive again. Hizashi rested his head back and closed his eyes. He just needed a moment to rest. Then, he could...

---

"Hizashi, wake up. We're here, and I am not carrying you inside," Nemuri said. Hizashi's eyes snapped open. Had he fallen asleep? Hizashi wiped his eyes and blinked a few times. "You snore when you sleep, did you know that?"

"I wasn't sleeping," Hizashi protested as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"You certainly weren't getting beauty rest," Nemuri said. Hizashi flipped her off as he got out of the car. He moved to the backseat and opened the door. After some careful maneuvering, he was able to pick Shota up.

Nemuri had already gone ahead to unlock the door, and Hizashi pushed his way into their apartment. He looked back at Nemuri, "Thank you for everything, Nem. I appreciate it."

"Of course," Nemuri said with a smile. She kissed Hizashi's cheek. "Happy birthday. Don't forget to the talk to the police."

"I will later," Hizashi waved off. "Once I get Sho settled and eat some actual food. I'll hit them up as soon as I can. I should stop by the radio station to."

"Call me when you go if you want me to stay with Sho," Nemuri said as she poked Shota in the cheek. A noise of annoyance left Shota as he shifted. His face scrunched up for a moment before he relaxed.

"Thank you," Hizashi said. Nemuri winked at him before she left the house. Hizashi turned and made his way toward their bedroom. The first thing he needed to do was strip Shota of his clothes and give him a nice long bath.

With careful maneuvering because their cat was trying to weave herself around Hizashi's legs, Hizashi made it into their bedroom. He laid Shota on the bed. After unzipping the jacket, he studied the bruises covering Shota's chest.

Ugly purple bruises started back at him. He could see where the criminals had focused their shots, specifically on Shota's stomach and side. His breathing didn't seem too uneven, so Hizashi was hopeful that his ribs weren't too badly bruised. Taking off the jacket was a pain because it meant lifting Shota into a half sitting position and having to listen to the groan that left him.

"If you don't want me to use all kinds of shampoos and conditioner on your hair, let me know," Hizashi teased. He half expected Shota to snap out of his sleep long enough to mutter that his two dollar shampoo was fine enough. Even thought it wasn't. "I didn't hear a protest. I am going to make your hair even more beautiful."

Hizashi grinned and walked away to grab plastic to wrap around the splints. He made sure to wrap Shota's left arm much more in case it slipped into the water. Shota didn't make any noises of pain, and it seemed like he was really out of it.

Pulling off Shota's pants was easier, and Hizashi stepped away to start the water in the tub. As he was making sure the water was the perfect temperature, he heard an undignified mew. A smirk came to his face as he walked back into the room as saw that Shota had wrapped both arms around their cat.

"Let her go, Sho," Hizashi said as he gently lifted Shota's arms enough for their cat to slip away. Hizashi studied the bruises that littered the rest of his husband's body. His gaze ended on the last article of clothing that Shota wore.

The kitten boxers were Shota's, and maybe Hizashi's, favorite, but Hizahsi wasn't sure how he was going to get the mixture of blood, dirt, and filth off of them. The little white kittens that once adorned it were now black and bloodied.

Hizashi sighed and pulled Shota's boxers off. He tossed the clothes into the laundry before pulling his husband off of the bed and carrying him toward the bathtub. As he laid Shota down inside, he carefully kept his arms above the water.

It was easy enough to hang one of Shota's arms over the edge of the tub, and he rested the other on the wide edge. Shota seemed to melt back into the water, and Hizashi carefully cleaned the dirt and blood from Shota's body, being careful of his bruises.

And Hizashi couldn't stop the smile that came to his face as he washed Shota's hair. First, he gently dunked Shota's hair in the water. Then, he took his time carefully applying shampoo to every part of Shota's hair, massaging the shampoo into his scalp. Little noises left his husband every so often, so Hizashi really focused on massaging those spots.

"I'm going to buy you a brush to keep in your costume," Hizashi commented. "You have such nice hair that you never take care of."

After applying the shampoo, Hizashi let it settle for a few moments. He studied the growing hair on Shota's face. A grin came to his face, "I always tel you that we should have matching mustaches. I could do that now."

Hizashi cackled to himself as he could imagine it. Shota would kill him, though. He would actually strangle Hizashi. Or worse, Shota would just rip the mustache off of Hizashi's face, "Nah. I would never do that while you were unconscious. Now, if I got you drunk..."

Hizashi snickered before washing the shampoo out of Shota's hair. Then, he massaged a layer of conditioner in there. One of their cats wandered over to Shota and sniffed his hand curiously. Hizashi regarded Button.

"Don't," Hizashi warned as Button opened her mouth to bite down on Shota's fingers. "I'll throw water down on you. I swear."

Button seemed to get the memo and tried to play it off by nudging Shota's hand with her face. When he didn't give her any affection, a dissatisfied mew left her. Hizashi dried one of his hands and gave the little demon some scratches.

She butted his hand before racing off. Hizashi dipped his hand back into the water before focused back on his husband. Shota had sunk slightly into the water, and he started to shift, bringing his arm off the edge. Hizashi caught his arm and ignored the groan that left him. He carefully put the arm back on the edge of the tub.

"Almost done," Hizashi promised as he washed out the conditioner. After doing a once over to make sure any excess dirt and blood was gone from Shota's hair and body, Hizashi drained the water from the tub and went back to their room.

A yawn left Hizashi as he eyed their bed. He was tired as well. Exhausted really. Hizashi retrieved a pair of boxers and threw them on the bed. He wasn't going to bother trying to slip a shirt or pants onto Shota. He was just going to bundle him up into some blankets.

"Come on, Sho," Hizashi said as he grabbed a towel and began to dry Shota off. Then, he carefully lifted him out of the tub and carried him toward the bed. Hizashi barely had enough time to get the boxers on Shota before his husband was turning away, somehow hooking onto the blankets and bringing them with.

"Hey, no starfishing," Hizashi complained as he tried to nudge Shota out of the way. "Not on my side of the bed."

Hizashi sighed dramatically as he collapsed on the bed, being careful of Shota. Then, he wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close. Shota's head shifted, and a mumble escaped him, "Love you, Zashi."

"I love you too, Shota," Hizashi said as he planted a kiss on Shota's head. Then, he grabbed his phone and set an alarm. Hizashi allowed himself to melt against his husband and fell into a peaceful sleep.