Rose Gardens and Fevered Dreams

Izuku stared off his balcony into the full moon, smiling as the cooling summer breeze blew past his face. He was lucky- his rooms overlooked his Queen Mother’s famous flower garden and rose maze, and his favorite place- the fountain- lay hidden deep in the middle. Everything was perfect.

“Prince! Prince Izuku!”

His reverie is interrupted by an eagerly grinning Ochaco. He had just finished celebrating his sixteenth birthday as the Crown Prince of Yuuei, and the festivities left him fatigued.  

“Yes?”

“Prince Todoroki is outside! He’s asked for an audience with you!”

Izuku’s eyes widen, exhaustion forgotten. He freezes in place, mind and body fighting for control.

“What are you waiting for?” Ochaco hisses.

“I- I can’t Ochaco! He’s so- and I’m so-”

Petite hands firmly grasp his face and pull him a few inches down.

“Listen to me.” Ochaco furiously whispers. “You. Are. A. Prince! A PRINCE! He came here for your birthday! And damn it, he might have the prettiest eyes this side of the world, but I’ve seen those eyes ogling your muscles during trainings. You’ve got this!”

Nodding, Izuku dashes to the front door of his wing of the palace, in a manner unbefitting of royalty. He throws open the door to see Prince Shouto leaning against the wall across.

Even in nonchalance, he’s always perfect. White suit, golden buttons and hair tied into a loose bun on top of his head. Izuku blanches as he realizes he didn’t change out of the loose pants and undershirt he put on for bed.

Shouto blushes as he’s caught in a daydream. He bows respectfully. “H-hello, Prince Izuku.”

“Hi, Shouto. Prince! Prince Shouto! Hi.” Izuku babbles.

“It’s a beautiful night out. I was wondering if you’d want to go for a walk with me in the gardens. If you aren’t too tired.”

“Of course!”

Smiling, he accepts Shouto’s outstretched hand and they make their way outside.

“Do you know of a place we could speak in private?” Shouto murmurs near his ear, causing a shiver to run up Izuku’s spine.

As he passes the entrance to the maze, he gets the craziest idea and grabs Shouto’s arm.

“Do you trust me?” he asks, staring directly into his eyes.

“With my life.” The blunt answer shocks them both, but before they can begin to question it, he grabs Shouto’s hand and pulls him in a chase through the rose maze.

Moonlight flickers through the bushes, and Izuku feels like he’s in a dream as he maneuvers their way through the maze with ease. Finally, they come out into a space with a magnificent marble fountain, gleaming white in the moonlight. The water bubbles easily as Izuku invites Shouto to sit down next to him.

Izuku’s smile shines brighter than the starlight, and Shouto blushes to the tips of his ears.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

“I- I like you.”

Izuku’s eyes pop wide open. Shouto quickly stands, jumping back.

“I understand if I spoke too bluntly. I- I’ll go now-” Shouto is cut off as he trips over a loose vine, and he slips and falls backwards toward the fountain.

“Shouto!”

Izuku jumps for him, falling into the freezing water. However, where the bottom of the fountain should be is darkness, nothingness, and he struggles to breathe.

------

Izuku gasps as he shoots up out of bed, and immediately groans at the bright light piercing the room.

“Shouto…. Shooouuuuu!” he whines, leaning back in bed and covering his eyes.

Real life smacks him in the face immediately. He’s not a teen prince in a beautiful rose garden at a lovely fountain with cool air. That would be too merciful. Instead he’s 25, covered in sweat, and a pro-hero- and he’s sick as all hell.

“Where are you, Shou?” he tries again, words slurring. It may have been a fever dream, but it was a lovely fever dream and he wanted back in. Anything was better than the painfully sore body and leaking nose he currently had.

A hand lightly smacks him. “Stop yelling, Zu. I’m right here.”

Izuku turns to see his equally sick husband, laying in the bed less than a few inches away and gives him a wide, goofy smile.

“Babe!” he says with excitement, voice raspy. “I had the craziest dream! We were sixteen again, and we were princes, and you were trying so hard to seem cute and flirt with me and then you fell into a fountain. It was so beautiful- there was a rose garden, and it was night, and god it didn’t feel like I was melting. It’s so hot in here.”

Shouto chuckles with mirth and gives him his special half-smile, though it was slightly marred by the bright red nose and limp, sweaty hair.  

“Why’d I have to be the one that fell into the fountain?” he asked, quiet voice stuffy. “Sounds like your brain’s trying to make up for what really happened when we started dating. Do you remember?”

Izuku flushes- of course he remembers. Third year, he’d taken Shouto out to a pier at sunset, and word vomited all his feelings. Shouto had given him his signature, secret smile and returned his feelings, and it shocked him so much that he fell off the pier. Shouto immediately jumped in after him, and they were covered in lake water as they trudged back to the dorms.

“You don’t have to rub it in. Maybe I wanted to be the suave one in our royal parallel universe.”

Shouto leans over for a kiss, missing his lips narrowly. “Mm. You’re too corny to be suave. I’m sure it was just a small mistake on my alternate universe’s end.” He continues to try to reach Izuku’s lips, unabashed by the dizziness making him miss multiple times.

Izuku giggles into the kisses. “How rude of you, Shoucchan! I should have let you fall in the fountain.” When Shouto begins to kiss under his chin, he pushes him away. “Stop it. We’re too sick for this. I think I might have a fever. Feel my head.”

Laying the back of his hand on Izuku’s forehead, Shouto’s lips purse.

“Hm. Warm. Now cold. Now warm again. Huh, it’s almost like I can’t feel anything temperature related on a regular day either!”

“All right, smart ass, I’ll grab the thermometer. Your temperatures are fluctuating though, quickly. That’s no good.”

Both were stress sick due to a sudden increase in villain activity leading to a month straight of work. It took Shouto collapsing with exhaustion on scene, and Izuku collapsing soon after as he tried to reach him for them to both be sent home for a mandatory week off. The problem was that because they were both sick, neither of them were in their right frame of mind. They’d barely made it home, washing up, tossing off their clothes and sleeping for an entire day.

Day two of caring for themselves was turning out to be a complete mess as their fevers got worse.

It started when they tried to take a bath together. The steam helped to clear out Shouto’s stuffed sinuses and he relaxed, but Izuku had to jump out of the water when it started to fluctuate between scalding hot and freezing cold every other second.

“Zu…come back…” Shouto moaned. Any other time, that would have immediately peaked Izuku’s interest. This time, it just launched him into a coughing fit.

“You’re making my stomach and my ass hurt.”

Shouto leaned against the side of the tub, eyes smoldering.

“I know how else I can make you say that.”

“Well-” Izuku began, but was then interrupted by Shouto’s sneezing fit. “I don’t think you can handle me today.” Smirking, he pointed at the now scalding water melting down small icebergs.

Shouto groaned and leaned back into the tub, long hair floating around him. “You might be right.”

After bathing (separately!) Izuku shuffled in a blanket to the kitchen to make them both teas. Jasmine for Shouto, chamomile for him. It couldn’t be that hard, right?

Except when he sneezed, he crushed the mugs in his hands and spilled the tea everywhere.

No bother, he thought, sniffling as he awkwardly shuffled to clean the tea.

“I got it!” Shouto cried from the entrance, falling gracelessly to his knees and placing his left hand over the spill.

“Shou- wait-”

Flames erupted from his left side as Shouto swept a hand over the spill, evaporating it on spot. However, the flames caught the cabinets and set them on fire.

“Shit, shit!” Izuku panics and flicks a finger at the cabinets. The fire is immediately extinguished by the wind, but everything in the cabinets are flung out onto the floor from the force of the wave. Breathing heavily, he starts when he hears quiet sobs echoing in the silence. There’s a moment before he realizes it’s not him, but Shouto who is crying, genuinely distraught.

“I’m- I’m sorry Zu! I just wanted to help!” He pathetically falls onto the ceramic, rolling into a blanket covered ball and shivering silently.

Nothing is so unnerving as watching the normally stoic, controlled Shouto break into fever-induced tears, even while in a fevered state himself, and it’s enough to let Izuku know that they both need help.

“It’s okay, Shou. We’re going to be okay.” He awkwardly pats Shouto’s shoulder, realizing from Shouto’s annoyance that he’s patting way too hard. “I’m gonna get us help!”

Scrambling to his room for his phone, he presses in the first number he can think of.

“Good afternoon, Izuku!”

“Mom, help!” he sobs in the receiver, panicked. “We’re sick and Shouto burned the kitchen and I blew it up and we don’t know what to do because I can’t make tea either because I crushed the mugs with my bare hands!”

In his stressed state, he misses Midoriya Inko’s poorly concealed snickering.

“Oh dear. Okay honey, I’m on my way. You and Shouto stay right where you are.”

Almost two hours later later, both he and Shouto are wrapped up in a thin blanket on the living room floor, barely awake. Shouto’s head is huddled deep into Izuku’s chest, held close and comforted by his mindless mumbling. The oscillating temperatures can’t be good for either of them, but both of them are feeling a little clingy and eventually Izuku adjusts. They both jump when the doorbell rings, and neither of them move to answer it.

“Shoucchan? Shou? Shouto?” Izuku murmurs sluggishly. He looks down at his partner and sees him barely able to keep his eyes open. “It’s okay, I got this.” Struggling to his feet, he stumbles to the door to greet both his mother and Rei, both holding large grocery bags.

“Mom! Mama Rei!” he croaks, elated. “Shou! Look, your mom came too!”

“Really?” Shouto cries with excitement, before blushing with embarrassment and covering his face with the blanket.

“Izuku, honey, let us in please.” Inko chastised, frown hiding her indulgence. 

Nodding, he moved out of the way and let them shuffle in. Rei ruffled his hair as she passed, before walking over to Shouto.

“Shoucchan, are you hiding from me?” she whispered, her mellow voice full of humor. Shouto peeked from inside the blankets, bashful. Rei began to giggle as she pinched his cheeks, and a big toothy smile spread across Shouto’s face in response.

“His temperature keeps changing, Mama Rei.” Izuku notes, before Inko places her hand on his forehead.

“You’re burning up as well, Izuku.” She noted sternly. “Both of you need fluids and rest. Did you not take any medicine? What have you even been doing here?”

“Zu blew up the kitchen.” Shouto replied, smirking.

“After you caught it on fire!” Izuku retorted.

“Enough!” Inko spoke, shutting them both down. “You both are a mess. Rei, do you mind getting them both set up here with ice packs while I see how bad it is in there?”

“Sure thing, Inko dear. Both of you have cleaned up, yes?”

They nodded, staring adoringly at Rei as if she were their kindergarten teacher.

“Okay. How do we feel about getting you both blankets and stuff in the living room? That way you’re on carpet, soft covers, and we can keep an eye on you.”

Shouto’s eyes lit up. “Like…like when I was little? Sick slumber parties?” This was a trick of Rei’s when her babies were little. She would trick them into thinking that being sick was like a slumber party and get them blankets, soups, and stories. It was one of few peaceful moments that Shouto valued.

“Yes, love. Just like then. You want to help your husband?”

Shouto nodded, stars in his eyes. Izuku’s own eyes were misty as he saw just how vulnerable and happy Shouto was. His mother had always been around to take care of him when he needed it, full of love and katsudon, so this wasn’t new for him. Seeing Shouto receive the motherly love he always craved filled him with joy.

“Come on, Zu. Let’s go get some blankets.” Shouto said, pulling him by his arm.

While they went to find all the blankets and pillows, Rei entered the kitchen to see Inko finished levitating all the plates and bowls back into place.

“Not too bad.” Inko laughed, waving around. “Some scorch marks, but luckily everything here was plastic.”

“Inko, you’re such a good mother. Thank you for calling me.” Rei gently thanked her while getting together two mugs and pouring in the nighttime flu mix. “I wasn’t there for Shouto when he was little the way I needed to be, and I really want to make sure he knows that when he needs me, I’m here now.”

Inko gently grasped Rei’s hands, squeezing them. “Of course, Rei. Izuku has always been a handful, and when he called me today, I just knew that they both could use a mother’s love. And you’ve made Shouto so happy- even if he is seeing flying unicorns right now, anyone could see he’s also happy to see you.” Both ladies laughed as Izuku popped his head in.

“We’ve got the blankets!”

“Thank you, Izuku. I’m warming up some soup.”

“Oh, is it the special one! The curry broth!”

“You can smell it?”

“I can smell. Shouto’s the one that’s stopped up.”

“He won’t be for long, after this broth. Now listen to both of your mothers and go sit down.”

Saluting them both, Izuku went back to the living room.

Later, Izuku and Shouto lay back on pillows and blankets, ice cold rags on their heads. Rei kept her hand on top of Shouto’s, making sure that he constantly stayed cool. The medication was starting to kick in, so between that and the fevers, the best the two men could do was babble. However, when Inko brought in the hot broth, Shouto leaned away from the steaming bowl with a small look of horror on his face.

“He doesn’t like hot liquids, Mom.” Izuku spoke, seriousness cutting through his sniffling. He may be exhausted, but he would never forget Shouto’s vulnerabilities.

“I can gi-” Rei started to reach for the bowl, but then paused, her look reflecting her son’s. Would Shouto accept hot broth, let alone from her? Both Todoroki’s seemed to be caught in a terrible memory, before Inko moved away.

“I’ll just… go let it cool off a little.”

Rei nodded, grateful tears in her eyes. “Thank you, Inko.”

Later, Rei helped Shouto to drink the lukewarm broth, both much more relaxed now that it was cooled. Once they’d eaten, Izuku and Shouto cuddled up next to their mothers.

“Mom, did Izuku tell you about his dream?” Shouto asked Rei, half-asleep as she ran cool fingers through his hair.

“He didn’t. What happened?” she cooed. Izuku turned on his side, excited to tell the story.

“We were princes!” he murmured. “There was this beautiful rose garden that Mom made, and it had this wonderful rose maze. I didn’t see you both, but you had to be queens! Anyway, I took Shouto through it, all the way to this fountain. At the end, Shouto confessed his feelings.”

“That’s so precious.” Inko said, laughing. “You’re newly married and yet you’re still dreaming about confessing.”

“Izuku thinks that it’s his alternate universe self.” Shouto mumbled, laughing softly.

“It was! And even there, you love me!” Izuku bragged, punching Shouto in the arm.

“I’d have married you there too, Prince Izuku.” Shouto whispered, causing them all to giggle.

“Love you too, Prince Shouto.” Izuku replied, yawning.

Another hour later, Rei and Inko looked down on their sleeping boys from a more comfortable position on the couch, sipping tea.  

“Aw, our little pro-heroes.” Rei chuckled. “Top of the ranks and taken down by two old ladies with flu medication.”

Inko threw her head back, laughing softly. “I’m so glad that our sons found each other, Rei. Even in their dreams, they fight together.” Nudging her head in their direction, Rei turned to look.

Although they’d started on opposite sides of the blankets, Izuku and Shouto’s hands were grasped tightly together, and both were smiling at the other.