The quirky adventures of Aizawa Izuku

Nightmares

I guess you could argue this is an epilogue of the epilogue...
It's wholesome as hell regardless.

———

Todoroki woke up first.

It didn't matter how many years it was, he and Izuku remained the lightest sleepers.
He moved slightly, curious what had woken him and listened carefully, as he gently shifted Bakugou's thigh to alleviate the pins and needles in his lower calf.

An all too familiar whimper to his left was his answer.
It didn't surprise him much. Izuku had had a rough day rescuing people from a flood in Bangladesh. He was still supposed to keep his powers on the down low, and though Shoto was sure he'd managed to save everyone, natural disasters that took away people's livelihoods in seconds and created so much suffering weren't much better than wars. It took an emotional toll on Izuku, and when that happened, his fears would gain the strength to attack him at night. To punish him as he saw it.

Leaning over the greenette curled and shuddering on Katsuki's chest, Shoto nudged Hitoshi's shoulder gently.
It only took a few pokes until bleary indigo eyes met his.
Before he could explain, a muffled sob answered for him, and Hitoshi grimaced before carefully disentangling himself, and leaving the bedroom quietly to make his way to the kitchen.

Shoto turned his attention to Katsuki, the heaviest sleeper, and poked him hard in the ribs, earning an irritated grunt. The second poke did little more, but third time's the charm and shortly a grumpy Pomeranian was glaring at him.
"Izuku." He stated softly and the blond glanced down at the greenette, frowning.
"Not again." He grumbled, though the worry came through.
Shoto nodded, and hearing the distant sound of the gas cooker being turned on, decided it was time to wake up the angel.

He ran his fingers slowly through the shorter man's long hair, as Bakugou unwrapped his arms. Izuku would panic if he woke up 'restrained'.
"Izuku." Murmured Shoto softly as the greenette whined, "wake up, love."
Izuku shifted a little but it took him raising his volume a little before long lashed eyes opened, gazing first at the ceiling than hastily scanning his surroundings, in the habit he'd never managed to lose.

When his gaze settled on Shoto, his breathing finally evened. He reached out, Shoto closed the distance immediately, lifting Izuku into his lap and freeing up Bakugou who headed to the cupboard to collect the heated blankets.
"You're safe love." He murmured softly, rubbing the greenette's shoulders reassuringly. He knew what type of nightmare it had been when Izuku leant forward to listen to his heart beat. They all had those dreams.

"We're safe."
"Toshi...K-Kaachan..." asked Izuku, his voice barely above a whisper.
"They'll be right here in a moment love." Shoto carefully combed and plaited Izuku's hair, whispering sweet nothings as he did so, though the greenette paid more attention to his pulse, his breathing light but steadying.

Shoto smiled in relief when Katsuki and Hitoshi arrived together.
The first with several heated blankets, the second with a tray of hot chocolates, knowing Hitoshi, two would have more coffee than chocolate powder but both he and Izuku were addicts and there were more important things in life to worry about. Unless you were Katsuki and spent most of your life worrying about your partners. He was such a mother hen sometimes.

They knew exactly who had faired worst in Izuku's dream when the greenette turned and sagged when Katsuki met his frightened gaze. The blond crouched in front of the bed and gently wrapped a pale purple blanket with a cat pattern around Izuku, cocooning him in warmth before picking him up, like a giant piece of sushi and settling in the middle of the bed with him in his arms.
Izuku rolled his head back against the taller man's shoulder and sobbed quietly.

Hitoshi handed a hot chocolate to Shoto while they waited to him to finish letting out his frustration, they all understood and left him some illusion of privacy as he had his quiet tantrum over the cruelty of his subconscious. When he did stop, Katsuki pressed a gentle kiss to his temple and Izuku sighed a faint thank you as one hot chocolate/coffee/mocha? was pressed into his hands.

Hitoshi kissed his forehead and sat the other side from Shoto, him wrapped in an orange blanket with dogs on it, whilst Shoto had the green one with rabbits. The blue one was at Katsuki's side, it had birds on it, which had confused the others when Shoto'd bought it. He'd told them 90% of birds mated for life, and that was the last they'd questioned it though Izuku's reaction had been adorable.

It was quiet while they all sipped their drinks, the only sound was the wind outside, rustling the trees of their back garden. No one had turned the light on, so they could only see each other by the cool blue light of dawn. It was around four thirty.

Izuku was the last to finish, another small thing they'd only picked up by living with him. The time he took savouring food. He'd rather not eat breakfast than shovel food down, he always took his time to appreciate every mouthful. He took his time a lot, appreciating small things even Shinsou wouldn't think about twice let alone Shoto's privileged ass. It was what made spoiling him so fun.

He was grateful to even sleep in a bed with them, you couldn't imagine his expression the time Shoto had bought a memory foam mattress. He'd barely had enough food, let alone meat as a child, the way he'd melted at the taste of Katsuki's expensive Wagyu sirloin steaks had been amazing. He only ever bought the cheapest instant coffee to feed his addiction, and Hitoshi would never forget how his eyes lit up at the first sip of proper artisan coffee.

No matter how stable the life they'd made with him was, no matter how secure, he still never took it for granted, not even having a roof over his head, let alone their love. They hoped he would with time, though the way he revelled in every moment seemed to draw out the honeymoon phase of their relationship, which was now four years long and showing no signs of slowing.

"I'd apologise but I don't want Kaachan to yell at me." Mumbled Izuku eventually.
Hitoshi chuckled.
"Want to talk about it?" Asked Shoto.
"No." Izuku yawned and leaned into Katsuki's side. "What time is it?"
"4:57." Said Hitoshi.
Katsuki pulled Izuku closer, "too late to go to sleep, too early to get up. You really know how to pick em, Deku."

Shoto glanced over to the window. "At least we can hear the dawn chorus."
"Bunch a birds having a dick measuring contest ya mean?" Asked Katsuki dryly and Izuku snorted.
"Just like you to ruin one of nature's greatest treasures." Hitoshi hummed, leaning back as the birds outside got louder in protest.
Shoto picked up a hair brush and started to play with Izuku's hair, teasing it out of the blanket cocoon.

"Tenya's marrying Yuga tomorrow." Muttered Izuku.
The other three glanced at him uncertainly, but the greenette seemed lost in thought.
"Think we'll need sun glasses?" Shinsou quipped.
Izuku nodded seriously, "maybe parasols too...Mei helped make the grooms' suits."
"Shit."
"Tokoyami gonna survive?"
"Tsu's bringing a phone so he can watch through video call."
"That girl."

"I love this." Izuku said quietly.
Katsuki scowled, "listening to shitty birds at five in the morning and talking about glitter fuck's wedding?"
The greenette let out a peel of laughter, "yeah I guess. Just this...peace."
He closed his eyes, smile wide and content.
It faltered a moment and he looked around at each of them, though landing on Shoto. "It's okay, isn't it? To stay like this?"
"You're thinking about the wedding aren't you." Murmured Hitoshi and Izuku nodded.
"Who the fuck needs a big party to prove they love each other?" Grouched Katsuki, "I love you little shits and I don't need sit around in a damn suit to prove it."
"Who are you calling little?" Asked Izuku and the blond's face drained in colour, but the menacing look shifted quickly to teasing and he relaxed.
"I'm not bothered at all," Hitoshi added his two yen after laughing at Katsuki. " I've never been happier in my life, and why would I want to ruin it by letting loose my mother on wedding planning."
Katsuki shivered at the thought, as Shoto winced, recalling Touya's nightmarish experience vividly.
"I like the ring idea, I've bought one, but I'm down to avoid the wedding part," the bicoloured man concluded, reaching for a hair band to tie up the greenette's French braid.

"Then, Sho, Toshi, Kaachan, will you guys consider not being married to me for the rest of your lives?"

The trio rolled their eyes at him, but he got a kiss on the cheek from Hitoshi, a grumbled 'fine' from Katsuki, and a reverent 'until death do us part' from Shoto. It was going to be perfect.