nagito/therapy shipper

Hajime couldn’t believe his luck sometimes. Be it bad or good. It had definitely increased since his time in the lighthouse and he knew the source, too. But there were still instances where he was surprised at what came his way.

Such as right now, as he stared at the cart in front of him that no one was paying attention to.

He was on the office floor to give a report to his superiors. It had been the same as usual, nothing out of the ordinary for this place. He was dismissed as soon as the doctors had everything they needed from him. And so he had prepared to leave and go do his duties. But then he had noticed a cart near the snack table that this floor had for the higher ups. On it were various items that looked as though they were being tossed. And one of them happened to be a pretty large fictional novel.

An idea popped into his mind as he glanced around. No one was paying him any mind. This was his chance. He grabbed the book and a few apples off the table, exiting the room and booking it over to the elevator. He sighed once the doors closed, knowing he had been successful in swiping the items. This was exciting for him, as this would surely be beneficial for Izuru. A different kind of sweet food and a method to pass time. So he hurriedly assembled his cart and transported it to the sixth floor. Where his charge waited for him.

Scanning his card, his heart raced as he heard the beep and the doors open. And it continued to race even as he pushed the cart in. A fact that didn’t go unnoticed.

“You are in much higher spirits. Would you care to share with me the reason?”

Izuru laid on his bed as usual, smiling and staring at him. Already he seemed in a better mood than previous days. Especially when compared to the events of the previous week.

But Hajime pushed the memories away, not wanting to think of the three messes that had angered the Ultimate Hope. “I have a few surprises. I’ll give them to you after the tests, alright?”

Izuru perked up a bit at that. “Surprises you say? I am most curious. Very well, proceed.”

Nodding, Hajime did just that. He even noticed Izuru eating just a little faster than normal. So he too was eager. A nice thing to see.

Finally, the bowls and utensils were placed on the cart. It was time.

“So I have two things for you. Here’s the first,” he said as he pulled out a bowl. Small chunks of apples filled it, the sweet aroma filling the room once out in the open. Izuru’s eyes widened a bit, reaching out and pinching the one on top. “Your enthusiasm suggests that this was not acquired by usual means. You took this from your superiors right under their noses, didn’t you? I approve of your actions.”

Hajime grinned as he handed the bowl to the experiment. “I’m glad you like them. And here’s the other thing.” He pulled the book out from the cart’s bottom shelf and handed it over as well. “I know they don’t want you to have anything to entertain yourself with. But they never actually come to see you in your room so they will never know.”

Izuru took the book and looked it over. He looked fascinated at the object, turning it every which way. “I held books in my previous life. But not in this one. And I don’t believe he ever read this one. Something new.”

Hajime smiled with glee. Izuru was in a very positive mood from his gifts. He had hoped for this and was glad that he bore witness to it. “I’m so glad you like them. I’ll be sure to try and get you more if I can. I don’t know when they are going to empty that cart. Maybe I can grab some while they are eating.”

“If you can, that would prove to be helpful. But do take care to not get caught. However, that is a task for later. You shall stay here with me for the next hour.” Izuru had set the book down to grab his wrist, tugging him hard so that he landed on the bed and on the thin legs under the covers.

Hajime scrambled hard to get up and off the Ultimate Hope. But it seemed that Izuru had other plans. Through precise movements and calculations of the caretaker’s reactions, the brunette ended up sitting on the bed with his back resting on the experiment’s chest. “There. The optimal position for us. Don’t try to move now. You don’t want to ruin this, do you?”

Hajime instantly went still. Even if he had a relatively stable and safe relationship with the superhuman compared to the rest of the world, he was still a force to be reckoned with. Someone powerful that needed to be respected and listened to. Something he never forgot. “No, sir. I would never want to ruin what you do or make.”

“Good, good,” Izuru cooed in his ear, sending all sorts of shivers down his spine. The left arm traveled to retrieve an apple chunk while the right looped around his midsection and held tight. “Now, here is my request for you, my dear caretaker. Since my hands are currently occupied, I couldn’t possibly hold the book up. So you shall both hold it and read it for me.”

Hajime felt his face flush. “Do you mean… reading the book aloud?”

Izuru nestled his head on Hajime’s shoulder, tugging him closer into the embrace. “Yes, that is what I desire. I know you can do it. No need to be embarrassed. No one else is listening.”

Hajime shakily sighed, resigning himself to his fate and task. He just had to power through the embarrassment. He was only being requested to read a book aloud by the most powerful and important human on the planet. No big deal, right?

Trying his best to be comfortable with his situation, he grabbed the book from where it was laying on the bed. He cracked it open, flipping through the pages until he found the first part of the story. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to begin speaking.

Only to get an apple chunk popped in there. He made a surprised noise and tried to not choke on the small piece of fruit.

“I figured you would want one before starting. I don’t believe I will be able to eat them all considering my stomach’s typical amount of consumption. So I shall share.”

The caretaker chewed and swallowed the fruit as fast as he could, wanting to respond. “You are generous, sir. But if I may, can you let me know when you are offering? I don’t want to suffocate if I swallow it wrong.”

Izuru hummed, which Hajime could feel from his position on his shoulder. “I suppose I could. You perishing from asphyxiation would not bode well for the rest of the planet. Very well, I shall be more obvious when presenting them to you.” The white haired man leaned in closer, hot puffs of air on the shell of his ear. “Continue as you were, my dear caretaker. I am eager to know what kind of story we have here.”

Hajime nodded and took a breath. Then he began, reading aloud for the first time in a while. It became easier once he got into a rhythm. He even got invested in the characters and the story as they went along. He only paused when Izuru fed him an apple, the experiment keeping his word and making sure it was obvious. With the two of them working on the bowl, it was empty in little time. So Izuru used his now free hand to hold the chain on Hajime’s collar. Something he had shown that he liked to do based on previous encounters.

But eventually, after something like a half an hour after the apples were gone, Hajime noticed that Izuru’s grip on him had loosened. He slowed his reading to a stop and glanced over. The red eyes were shut and his breathing was deep and slow. The sedatives must have made him fall asleep. So Hajime quietly shut the book, placing it on the windowsill for him to find later. And he carefully extracted himself from the other’s hold, laying him down on the pillows and bringing the blanket up to cover his body.

He normally would have left right around this time. Just gather his materials and exit the room. But for some reason, this time he paused before leaving. He stepped back over to the bedside, gazing down at the sleeping man. He was overcome with a wave of emotion. But the prevailing one was… fondness. It led to him reaching a hand out and laying it on the white hair, stroking some of the locks.

“I’ll do everything I can to help you. To make your life better in this hell. I swear this to you. And may the world strike me down if I ever fail you.”

He removed his hand, returning it to the cold, metal cart. And after a final glance, he left the room to continue his job.