After Work
Really. It soaked into his hero suit, making the thick material cling to his skin. Which, did nothing to stop the chill from leaking into his bones. His hair, ever the mess, was plastered against his forehead, getting in his eyes, letting rainwater drip down his face, and all together making life a lot more difficult than it needed to be. Izuku pushed his bangs out of the way for the umpteenth time and sighed.
At least patrol was over with, finally.
It was a boring day, with crime rates being nonexistent, thanks in large part to the relentless rain that curtained the city. Izuku knew he should be grateful for the slow day; no crimes meant no lives at risk. But being out in weather like this was absolutely dreadful.
He thought briefly about stopping back at the agency to change. He really did. The thought of warm, dry clothes was so utterly enticing, but then Izuku realized he’d have to trudge back through the torrential downpour, just to get home, thus retroactively negating getting dry in the first place. So here he was, still decked out in his hero gear, soaked through to the bone and shivering, dragging his feet back to his apartment.
Izuku sighed. Just another block to go.
There weren’t many civilians out. Only a handful of people dared to brave the storm, huddled under their umbrellas and walking at a brisk pace, barely sparing Izuku a passing glance. Which was probably a good thing. Izuku wasn’t sure if anyone really wanted to see the current number four hero looking akin to a drowned rat.
He dashed across the street, boots sloshing through yet another puddle. Crap. Izuku shivered, wincing as he felt more chilled rainwater slosh into already waterlogged his shoes. There was no escaping the many puddles that littered the streets and alleyways, and Izuku had honestly given up hours ago. That didn’t mean he liked getting water in his boots, however. It was cold, and wet, and he was starting to lose sensation in his toes.
Izuku just bent his head and powered onward, thoughts of a warm shower, dry clothes, and a much needed nap filling his mind. Just a little farther, and he could get out of this costume. And get warm. And get out of this awful rain.
When his building finally appears around the corner, Izuku felt like he could cry with relief. He didn’t, of course; crying would take too much energy. Energy he did not have, thanks to the dreary and dreadful day. He fumbled for his wallet, hidden in one of the many pouches on his utility belt, and pulled out his keycard. Or, tried to. His cumbersome gloves paired with his numb fingers made things rather difficult. Which left Izuku standing outside his apartment building, fighting with his wallet for a good five minutes before he finally managed to free his keycard and swipe himself inside.
Stupid security measures. Izuku got it; safety was vital, especially given how many celebrities and heroes lived in this complex. But dammit, he just wanted a warm shower. Was that really too much to ask?
Apparently it was- Izuku got stopped by the doorman, who insisted upon asking him about his day, which while quite polite, left Izuku shivering miserably and dripping all over the white tile floors.
Then, he missed the elevator and had to wait for it to travel six floors up- and yes, he counted- before coming back down. And of course, just as he was getting on, another five people dashed up, hollering for him to hold the elevator. Izuku did, of course; he was raised to be polite, after all. But he was gritting his teeth the whole time, shivering and trying to not look as pathetic as he felt.
Of course, because life apparently hated Izuku in this moment, each person needed a different floor. Because of course they did. So Izuku had to wait as the elevator stopped five different times, on five different floors, before he could get to his. Why he ever agreed to stay in a ten story building downtown, Izuku didn’t know. He was certainly regretting such decisions, now.
The elevator finally pinged for his floor, and Izuku stumbled out, heaving a sigh.
He was dragging by the time he reached the appropriate apartment door. Unable to even lift his boots, the staccato squelches came accompanied by the squeaks of wet sneakers on linoleum. Izuku fumbled with his keys. His numb fingers made things difficult, and curses crowded his tongue. Dang it. He resorted to yanking his gloves off with his teeth and letting them flop onto the doormat. It helped; Izuku was able to get the right key into the doorknob at last.
One twist and the door sprung open. Izuku fumbled his way inside, kicking at his gloves to get them across the doorway. He’d pick them up, but he was so tired. Izuku was afraid that if he bent over now, he’d fall over and wouldn’t be able to get back up.
The floor would be too comfortable, and his limbs too leaden.
Once Inside, Izuku was met with warmth and the savory smells of dinner. He somehow managed to shoulder the door closed behind him, and began the ever difficult process of untying and kicking off his boots. The strings were soggy and waterlogged, making Izuku grimace. Gross. His fingers, now tingly, still felt cumbersome as he tugged at the knotted string. Izuku leaned heavily against the wall for balance as he muscled his shoes off, a sigh breezing past his lips as he freed his feet from their cumbersome and damp confines. There. He picked up the boots and placed them on the mat with the rest of the neatly organized shoes. The socks came off next; Izuku ripped them off, grimacing at the way they dripped.
Distantly, Izuku registered the sounds of rustling and movement from within the apartment, but his mind was singularly focused. He trudged past the living space and kitchen, staggering his way to the bedroom. There was a pause, and the clank of dishes echoed through the space. “Izuku?” a voice called. He managed a hand wave as he crossed the threshold, hands already fumbling to remove his rain drenched costume.
A shiver wracked his body as he peeled away the soggy fabric. He stripped down to his boxers, dumping the wet costume in the hamper with a sigh. Izuku ran a hand through his damp hair. Should he shower now, or…?
Warm hands caressed his shoulders, skidding down to his waist. Izuku hummed and leaned into the touch. The warmth and care chased the chill away, and he melted as Ochako pressed a kiss to the nape of his neck. “Hey,” she murmured.
Izuku shrugged. “Boring, mostly. The weather was awful, though.”
She hummed, the vibrations tickling his skin from where she pressed against him. “I hate patrols in the rain,” Ochako murmured. “I always end up drenched.”
That was the understatement of the century, and Izuku couldn’t help the snort. He felt her smile curve into the back of his neck, and she hugged him tighter. “Go take a hot shower,” she said. “I’ll finish dinner, and then we can cuddle. Okay?”
Izuku twisted in her grasp so that he was facing her, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Okay,” he said, voice soft. It was moments like these, quiet, behind closed doors, that he liked the most. After it was all said and done, they took care of each other.
Rain sucked, but having a warm place to come to made it all better.