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Warm hands come up to help roll Toshinori’s sleeves as they slide down his forearms for the dozenth time. He holds still, sudsy fingers laced through Aizawa’s wet hair pooled in the wash basin. With both sleeves rolled back above his elbows again, he gets back to his task.
“Thank you, Aizawa-kun,” Toshinori says as he massages the man’s scalp gently with the shampoo. He gets a hum of acknowledgment in return.
The shampoo is lathered in thoroughly, the white foam stark against Aizawa’s dark hair. Toshinori murmurs a warning before turning on the faucet, letting the water run and wash away the suds. He cups a few handfuls to drip over the strands closer to Aizawa’s forehead, careful not to let anything trickle down to his eyes with how he has his head tipped back over the sink.
Once the shampoo is rinsed, Toshinori steps away to grab the conditioner. When he turns back he sees Aizawa attempting to sit up, blinking at him in confusion.
“Oh, you don’t need to–”
“I insist,” Toshinori tells him kindly. He’s the one that offered to help wash Aizawa’s hair in the first place, so he’d like to be thorough. He knows how frustrating the post-surgery mandated sponge baths can be; matted and oily hair is an unfortunate consequence. He’d like to be of help in any way he can.
Aizawa hesitates for a moment, adjusting in the chair before tipping his head back once more. Toshinori gives him an assuring smile before gathering his hair back into the basin.
“Thank you,” Aizawa tells him softly.
“Of course,” he says, “Please don’t ever hesitate to ask me for my help. I do…understand how all this can feel. A simple hair wash can do wonders for the soul, and I think you could use it.”
“Did you ever ask anyone to help you out like this?”
Toshinori swallows, “No. No I did not. It’s a miracle my hair has stayed the way it is,” he adds with a joking tone.
“Hmm.”
Aizawa falls silent again and Toshinori applies the conditioner, letting it soak for a few minutes before washing it away. He tugs the towel wrapped around Aizawa’s shoulders up to his hair as he sits up again, squeezing out the excess water and then gently rubbing it dry.
When he’s done, he sets everything aside and comes back to help Aizawa out of the chair, crouching to let him sling his arm around his shoulders. Still slightly bent forward and bearing half his weight, Toshinori walks Aizawa over to the bench where his prosthetic leg leans against it, safely away from the water.
Aizawa grunts as he drops onto the bench, and Toshinori takes a seat next to him. He watches as Aizawa pulls up the leg of his lounge shorts, slips on the liner, a fabric sleeve, and then his prosthetic. He grips Toshinori’s shoulder as he gets up on his feet to get a feel for it again.
“I do feel a lot better now,” Aizawa tells him, the smallest of smiles on his tired face, “Mentally and emotionally more so than physically, if that makes any sense.”
Toshinori beams at him and nods, “Yes, absolutely. I’m glad to hear it, Aizawa-kun.”
“Yeah.”
The kiss placed to Toshinori’s cheek then takes him by surprise. He blinks, perplexed.
“Thank you, again,” Aizawa says, “I know these past few months haven't been easy for you either.”
Toshinori shakes his head, “No, please–I have not been able to do much, barely anything, so any struggles I may have is noth–”
“Also matter,” Aizawa cuts him off. He gestures to his own leg and his face, “You think I have? Watching from the sidelines isn’t easy, far from it. I understand that now. So you’re allowed to be a bit mad and upset too, I hope you know.”
Toshinori wants to say something, deny that thought or offer a smile, but finds he is unable to do so. So he nods.
“Okay then,” Aizawa reaches a hand out and Toshinori takes it, getting to his feet as well, “We have some problem children that we need to attend to now and I would like to acquire some pants before we face them.”
That pulls a hearty laugh out of him. It’s true, the students should be up soon and they need him as they all recover from this great ordeal they’ve all gone through. It’s his duty as a hero, but more importantly, as their teacher.
It was Aizawa that helped him see that, not too long ago. That he is needed, even now. Especially now.
And as Toshinori takes a chance, a selfish one, and presses a kiss to Aizawa’s temple, he lets himself see something else: that not only is he needed, but that he’s wanted.