Chapter Text
The very best part of any day is dawn, Izuku is sure of it. In the morning, everything is a clean slate: no matter how bad the day before has been, however disastrous or messy, a new day offers the chance to change things for the better. Not only that, but Izuku is sure that no one could argue with him if they were to watch the sun rise over the far field at the Midoriya Ranch. He watches it now, leaning on the fence at the edge of the horse paddock: it lights the green of the field in gold and turns the sky a soft lilac-pink as it banishes the last lingering night. A smile comes to Izuku's lips as the warmth hits his face: it's a new day and a chance for good things to happen.
“Izuku!”
With one last glance up the hill, Izuku picks up the heavy basket of eggs at his feet and heads back into the house. In the kitchen, the smell of brewing coffee greets him, along with the sight of his mother sliding a couple of eggs onto slices of toast at the table. He leaves the basket to one side and washes his hands, sitting down as Inko puts a mug of coffee down by his plate.
“Thanks mum,” he says, giving her a grateful nod and taking a sip. After the pre-dawn chill of the chicken coop, the warmth spreads through him pleasantly.
“How are the girls?” Inko asks, sitting down too.
“They seem okay,” Izuku replies. “Toga still seems a little grumpy so I'll keep an eye on her.”
“Okay,” says Inko. She glances over at the notebook open on the table, clearly considering her upcoming itinerary with her bottom lip caught between her teeth. Putting down his mug, Izuku leans forward over his plate.
“I'll be fine,” he reassures her. “I've been here on my own before.”
Inko half shakes her head. “Only for a couple of days at a time,” she points out. “Not for three whole weeks.”
“I'll be fine,” Izuku says again. “I'm twenty, not a baby, and you said someone's coming to help me so there's nothing to worry about.”
“Okay,” sighs Inko, her worry turning back to reassurance (as has happened daily for the past week). “The ranch hand will be coming late this afternoon—his name is Eijirou Kirishima and he seemed like a very nice young man when we spoke on the phone.”
Izuku suppresses a chuckle as he remembers the last time his mother hired a 'nice young man' to come help: Mirai was in his thirties and (apart from his friend Tenya) the most sensible person Izuku ever met. If this Eijirou guy is anything like that Izuku will be more than fine. “I'll make sure I'm here when he arrives.”
“But if anything happens call me,” Inko says. “Anything at all.”
“I won't,” promises Izuku. Before his mother can protest, he adds, “You'll be on a cruise ship mum, there's nothing you'll be able to do even in an emergency, but I can handle everything. You just enjoy your holiday with auntie.”
“Oh, that reminds me,” Inko says, “Mitsuki said to get Katsuki to come help too if you need it.”
Izuku grins. “I will—she said the same to me when she came by last week.”
“Good,” nods Inko, looking over her itinerary again. “She'll be coming to get me in an hour so I can go clear out the stable before she arrives.”
Immediately Izuku shakes his head. “You'll be gross afterwards and won't have time to shower, you get ready and I'll take care of everything.”
Inko's mouth opens, ready to insist, but then she looks down at her dressing gown and relents, soon heading upstairs with her breakfast and coffee. Izuku hears the ceiling above him creak as she moves around and finishes his food. Idly he looks over his mother's itinerary, following her familiar writing down the page. By this time tomorrow she'll be on the cruise ship, getting ready to set off, and today she and Mitsuki will catch their flight to Busan and get checked into their hotel for the night. Izuku smiles to himself—it looks like a great trip that the two women will really enjoy and he's glad Mitsuki was able to convince Inko to finally go and take a break from the ranch. Everything will be fine, he knows it.
Having gotten his other morning jobs finished (after seeing off Mitsuki and a slightly tearful Inko), Izuku takes a shower and boxes up the eggs he collected. As he loads them onto his bike to take to the butchers to sell, he hears a gentle huff from the paddock.
“Hey Toshi,” he says, looking up into the nostrils of his horse. Toshinori huffs and Izuku chuckles, reaching into his pocket as he gets up. “I can't hide anything from you can I?” He offers the apple he was carrying to the horse, stroking his neck as he eats it. “We'll be okay without mum around won't we?” he asks softly. “It'll be fun—maybe I'll see if Kacchan wants to come over and play video games like when we were at school.” Toshinori noses at Izuku's clothes and he laughs. “Sorry, no more, the other one is for Nemuri.”
As if on cue, a jet black Friesian comes up to the fence and Izuku pulls another apple from his pocket to hold it out to her. Nemuri sniffs suspiciously at the apple for a moment before snatching it from his hand and crunching it between her teeth.
“Hey, be nice,” Izuku says. “I kept the green one for you and everything.” Nemuri simply snorts at him, stomping away from the fence and across the grass. Patting Toshinori's velvety nose, Izuku shakes his head. “She's in another bad mood today isn't she? I'd better go.”
He steps back, glancing at the sign on the fence warning people not to approach the horses and that they can bite. There's no danger of it with Toshinori, but the sign has proven to be extremely necessary for Nemuri. With a last look across the paddock, Izuku gets on his bike to head into town. The road is quiet as always: on the way Izuku passes only one little car dragging a trailer loaded up with cobs of corn. In town, he spots Katsuki loitering outside the butchers.
“Hey Kacchan,” Izuku greets, pulling up beside him.
Katsuki looks up from his phone. “Alright Deku? How long did you and the hag have to persuade your mum to actually leave?”
“About twenty minutes,” says Izuku. “You know what mum's like.”
“At least they went in the end.” Katsuki slides his phone into his pocket. “And you didn't burn the ranch down?”
Izuku pouts. “Of course I haven't!”
“So you haven't tried cooking yet then?” smirks Katsuki.
“Well... no, not yet,” admits Izuku. “But I'm not going to have any kitchen accidents, I promised my mum.”
Katsuki snorts. “Yeah okay—let me know when you need me to come rescue you.”
“I'll be fine,” Izuku insists, “but you're still coming to help with milking tomorrow right?”
“Yeah of course,” nods Katsuki. “Want me to bring Ochako? We might be able to get her to do something useful between squealing over the calves and baby goats.”
“I'm sure I can find her something to do,” Izuku grins, “and if not we know what her Instagram story will look like.”
“Yeah, fluffy and ridiculous.” Katsuki rolls his eyes. “Haven't you got someone else coming to help already though?”
Izuku nods. “Someone called Kirishima—mum said he's really nice.”
“Probably means he's boring,” shrugs Katsuki.
“I'm sure he's fine,” Izuku says. “Either way, I should get on.”
“I won't keep you then,” says Katsuki. “Got my own shit to do anyway.”
“You meeting up with Chako?”
“Yeah, might swing by the fire station too.”
Izuku frowns. “Why?”
“Someone has to warn them you're planning to cook,” smirks Katsuki.
An indignant huff leaves Izuku. “You're so rude.”
“You say that like it's a surprise,” scoffs Katsuki, pulling out his phone when it pings with a message. “Catch you later nerd.”
“Bye Kacchan.”
Izuku waves Katsuki away, parking his bike and heading into the butchers. Of course he can cook for himself and the ranch hand—he hasn't set off the fire alarm in... well, just about six months. His mother wouldn't have left him alone if she didn't think he could take care of himself, right? He pouts thoughtfully to himself as he waits to be served. Maybe he should make something simple for dinner tonight?
When Izuku returns to the ranch he sees an unfamiliar flatbed truck parked in front of the house and feels his face flush—he must seem so rude not to have been here when a customer arrived! Quickly he hops off his bike, leaning it against the paddock fence and hurrying over to the truck.
“Hey I'm so sorry I wa—”
Izuku stops short, his hands on the open window frame of the driver side door, as he finds no one sitting inside. Blinking, he looks around: there's no one standing by the front door or anywhere nearby. He left the 'closed' sign in the window and locked up when he went out so where could the visitor be? Most people (even without any kind of appointment) tend to wait in their vehicles if Izuku and Inko aren't around but whoever this is seems to have gone elsewhere. Maybe they've gone to look at the chickens?
Before Izuku can go investigate, he hears a whinny from around the side of the house and his blood runs cold. No, they can't have... At another whinny, Izuku pushes himself off the door of the truck and races around the side of the house. He looks across the paddock, past the sign on the fence to Nemuri and beside her a figure with bright, cartoonish red hair.
“Hey!” Izuku calls—he doesn't want to spook Nemuri but this person is entirely too close for comfort. He climbs over the fence, his heart in his throat. “Excuse me!”
The figure turns and Izuku feels his heart give a strange hiccup as he sees the man's face: he's never seen anyone like him in his life. Under his red hair, the man's eyes are lively and scarlet and his mouth is open in a toothy grin. Not only that, but as Izuku glances down he notices the man's complete lack of any sort of shirt. Most surprisingly, his hand is under Nemuri's chin and she's nuzzling her nose into his shoulder, something she only normally does with Inko and (when she's in the mood for it) Izuku.
“Hi,” the man says as Izuku reaches him and Nemuri. “Is this your horse?”
Izuku pauses, taken aback. “Er... yes, her name is Nemuri.”
“Nemuri.” The man's grin widens and he gently scratches Nemuri's chin. “A pretty name for a pretty girl.”
Another little whinny leaves Nemuri and she noses at the man's shoulder again. Izuku can't help staring at the scene, his mouth hanging open until the man raises an eyebrow at him.
“Are you okay?” he asks Izuku. “You look surprised.”
“I am,” confesses Izuku. “Nemuri doesn't like people.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah, she bites—didn't you see the sign?”
“Sign?”
Izuku gestures over his shoulder to the sign affixed to the fence and for the first time the man's smile falters.
“Oh—no I missed that,” he admits.
“Really?” asks Izuku. “It's huge...”
The man half laughs. “Ah, yeah, sorry—reading is hard for me sometimes.” He strokes Nemuri's chin some more. “I do know horses though and she doesn't seem bitey to me.”
Tell that to Kacchan, Izuku thinks, remembering the time Nemuri tried to bite Katsuki's ear and how he swore never to go near her again. Up closer to the red haired guy and with his initial surprise over Nemuri's unusually sweet disposition fading in the face of his clear ease with her, Izuku can't help but notice just how nice he is to look at. His lack of shirt shows off his broad chest and toned muscles, as well as tan lines from where he has worn one previously. His legs, clad only in shorts and well loved work boots, are just as strong looking; Izuku feels heat creep up the back of his neck at the sight. Lost for words, he flounders, but the man nods towards the house.
“So this is your place then?” he asks.
Izuku nods. “Yeah, with my mum.”
The man's smile widens. “You must be Midoriya!”
“I... yes.” Izuku stops short. “How did you...?”
“I spoke to your mother on the phone,” the guy says. “She said you'd be here—I know I'm a little early.”
Realisation hits and Izuku's jaw drops. “So you're...”
“Eijirou Kirishima.” Along with his name Eijirou offers Izuku another grin. “It's nice to meet you.”
“You... you too,” says Izuku. “Sorry, I meant to be here when you arrived.”
“Don't worry about it.” Eijirou waves a hand. “It's my fault for being early—but then I got to meet this lovely girl.” He kisses Nemuri's nose—something Izuku only manages once a year or so—and nods across the paddock. “He's gorgeous too.”
Izuku looks over his shoulder to see Toshinori having a drink from the trough. His hair shines golden in the early afternoon sun, bringing a smile to Izuku's face as he turns back to Eijirou.
“That's Toshinori” he says. “He's a lot friendlier.”
Eijirou raises an eyebrow. “Did you name him after All Might from the comic books?”
“Uh... maybe,” Izuku admits, cringing. “Pretty dorky I know.”
“Not at all!” puts in Eijirou. “My horse back home is literally called Crimson Riot.”
“Oh wow, really?” Izuku asks, a relieved sigh leaving him.
“Yep,” nods Eijirou. “He's super chunky so obviously needed a big buff name—I'll show you a picture later.”
“Yes please, I'd love to see him.”
“I've never seen a palomino Clydesdale before,” observes Eijirou, nodding to Toshinori again.
“Yeah, he was from a ranch a few towns away,” says Izuku. “I saved for him for a while.”
“So he's yours?” Eijirou asks. When Izuku nods, he says, “Nice, he looks like a great horse.”
He continues to gaze over at Toshinori but Izuku can't tear his eyes from Eijirou: he's never met someone so immediately friendly before (save perhaps Ochako) and combined with his thick biceps and thighs he's utterly irresistible. It's only when Eijirou looks back at him that Izuku realises he's been staring and drops his gaze.
“So um...” He rubs the back of his warm neck. “Do you want me to show you around? Obviously you've met the horses.”
Eijirou nods. “Sure, that sounds great.”
After taking Eijirou on a tour of the ranch—the cattle and sheep fields, the goats, chicken run and various barns and outbuildings—Izuku leads him into the house and shows him to the guest room. Leaving Eijirou to unpack and get settled in, Izuku retreats to his own room to recover from the encounter. There's no use pretending he's not already a little bit smitten with Eijirou: he's sweet and great with the animals and into comic books, not to mention the single hottest person Izuku has ever met in real life—how is he meant to not immediately fall for him?! And now he faces three whole weeks having to be with him all day every day...
Izuku's face flushes as he considers having meals with Eijirou, working alongside him, sleeping in rooms separated by only one wall... Oh my god he's going to see my dorky pyjamas and toothbrush and we have to share a bathroom!
His phone pings softly and Izuku pulls it out to see a message from Inko.
Hello sweetie, we've arrived safely and will embark on the ship tomorrow. Is everything okay? Did Kirishima get there? Make sure he's got everything he needs and be polite to him. Use the money in the kitchen piggy bank to get takeaway if you don't want to cook, okay? I love you xxx 17:24
Izuku laughs softly to himself—even from another country his mother will always want to check in. Lying down on his bed, he types out a reply:
Good to hear you made it safely :) Everything is fine, Kirishima
He pauses, unsure what to say about Kirishima when even the thought of him and the sound of his footsteps moving down the stairs is making his stomach jump excitedly. God, he met this guy literally hours ago—how can he already be this goofy over him?! Opting not to berate his mother for hiring someone so sexy (realistically she probably has no idea what Kirishima looks like), he finishes his message:
Kirishima arrived fine and I'll make sure to take good care of him. I love you too, enjoy your trip xxx 17:28
Izuku sends the message (followed by one to Mitsuki telling her to confiscate Inko's phone), running a hand through his hair as he sits up again and gazes out of the window. Much as part of him wants to hide out in here, among his creased and faded comic book posters, he needs to go make dinner. Taking a deep breath, Izuku gets up and heads downstairs to the kitchen. When he gets there, however, he finds Eijirou already there, once again sans shirt and cheerfully whistling as he rummages in the cupboards.
“Um...” Izuku watches him find a frying pan and place it on the stove. “Are you okay?”
Eijirou turns to look at him, a bright smile returning to his face as their eyes meet. “Hey Midoriya, you hungry? I saw you had the fixings for carbonara.”
“I... yeah, I was just coming down to start cooking,” says Izuku.
“Well I'll help if you like,” Eijirou offers. “If that's okay that is—I've been on the move a lot lately so it's been a while since I last ate something that wasn't processed.”
Though he's sure that he can handle the cooking on his own, Izuku finds he can't deny Eijirou his request when it's accompanied by that winning smile. He gives Eijirou a small smile in return, nodding. “Okay, sure.”
“Awesome!” Eijirou beams before looking about again. “Do you have an apron? Don't want to fry bacon without something to protect from oil spatter, you know.”
Izuku tries (and fails) not to look at Eijirou's bare torso. “Uh... my mum has one on the back of the door...”
Crossing the little kitchen to Izuku, Eijirou half closes the door and retrieves Inko's pale pink frilled apron from the hook. “Ooh, ruffles!”
“You don't have to wear it,” Izuku puts in quickly. “I can find you something else—”
“Absolutely not,” declares Eijirou, slipping the apron over his head. “This is perfect.”
He ties it behind his waist, smoothing out the front. His fingers run over the pocket with its embroidered pansy design—Izuku can't help smiling at how delighted Eijirou looks wearing it (even though the top leaves large amounts of his chest exposed on either side).
“So,” Eijirou says, “what would you like me to do?”