One of Izuku’s favorite things to daydream about on slower patrols is when he and Shouto got engaged. It began with a simple scheduling plan for the rare times their off days overlapped. The rules: 1) they both list out three places they want to go, agree on one, and 2) they each pick a specific thing they want to do at said place.
This time, on a bright early spring day, they agreed on traveling to the gardens of Kairakuen. The plum blossoms are in full bloom and will be magnificent to stroll through. Izuku had playfully begged Shouto to do a photoshoot.
“I just want to see my lovely boyfriend amongst lovely flowers, and to keep it with me forever. And we can support Jirou in her latest hobby! Is that too much to ask?”
Shouto had only rolled his eyes. “Okay, no need to lay it on so thick.” But he agreed easily enough. In return, he wanted to have a picnic.
After an hour of Jirou snapping picture after picture (of them, and of Momo, who joyously came along for “fashion purposes” but also wanted to see the blooms), they sit down to eat. The light gleams in between slowly falling petals, the wind is gentle and warm- it’s like the cosmos have aligned for Izuku to make his move.
While Shouto hums his mother’s lullaby and preps the food, Izuku stares off into the distance. Outwardly he looks composed, but on the inside, he’s screaming his head off. The ring was in his pocket of his spring jacket. All he had to do was reach into the pocket. He’d practiced it, in front of Iida and Ochaco, he’d practiced it in front of the mirror, he’d practiced it in his dreams. He can do this. He can do this!
When he turns around to catch Shouto’s attention, his heart stops in his chest, his jaw dropping.
Shouto is on one knee, staring under his eyelashes. In his palm is a small black box, a simple white-gold band gleaming from the satin.
“I, I, um-” Shouto’s face darkens to a red deeper than his hair. “Wow, this is, um-”
The silence is broken by some shuffling from the bushes, followed by a hissed “Oh come on Shouto, we practiced this! Ow, hey!”
“Is-is that Natsuo?” Izuku stutters in shock, covering his mouth. Suddenly, Natsuo falls out from the bushes and collapses onto the ground. He can’t say anything before another pale hand grabs him by the back of his shirt and drags him back in.
Shaking with laughter and relief, Izuku gets onto his own knee and pulls out his own ring box. It’s to Shouto’s shocked delight that the same white gold ring shimmers from the case.
“Ahhh, the same ring, too?! It’s a double proposal!!” A high-pitched voice squeals from the tree. Shouto looks up, as if the heavens had spoken.
“O-Ochaco?”
“…oh, shit.”
Izuku folds his arms. “Okay, everyone who’s hiding out there, can you come out now please?”
The forest begins to shake, and suddenly their friends are floating down from the surrounding plum blossom trees like the fae, aided by Ochaco’s quirk. Jirou and Momo gracefully land, followed by Iida and a giddy Ochaco. Shouto’s brother and sister emerge from the bushes, Fuyumi scowling at a repentant Natsuo.
“Natsu-nii! Nee-chan! What the hell is going on here?!”
“Well, we weren’t going to do anything but watch,” Fuyumi groans, “but then big mouth over here just had to go and ruin it!”
Izuku swivels to Jirou and Ochaco, who are grinning ear to ear at each other. “I said it was going to be a photoshoot!”
“A photoshoot? Just a regular old photoshoot? Really? How silly do you think we are?” Jirou tosses her hair back. “You really think we wouldn’t support you both once we knew?”
“If it makes you feel any better, I disagreed with this plan. Felt it disregarded your desire for privacy.” Iida notes, brushing off petals to avoid making awkward eye contact.
“But you’re still here, Iida.”
“Ahem. Yes, well.”
“I’ve been working so hard to get all the petals floating too, it was going to be so perfect!” Ochaco squeals, jumping up and down. “But I didn’t see the double proposal coming! I got so excited I couldn’t help myself.”
“Ochaco, I haven’t even done it yet!” Izuku cries.
“Right, right! Sorry! Go ahead!”
Blushing, Izuku turns back to see Shouto laughing quietly while surrounded by his encouraging siblings. They’re both clearly flustered, but seeing him laugh so freely, eyes sparkling- well, Izuku wants to be a part of that inner circle, to love him forever, wants this moment to last forever. Shouto finally calms down enough to sigh and glance at Izuku.
“Maybe you ought to try it this time.”
A hush falls over the small crowd as Izuku kneels back down.
“Shouto. I had something really drawn out that I practiced so many times. It was a script that I just knew would be the most romantic thing I’ve ever said. But here, looking at you- amazing, gorgeous you- I just realized that our most important moments with each other, where we’ve said the things that mattered most- all those things happened instinctually. When I look into my heart, I see only you. When I look into those beautifully unique eyes, I can see a reflection of the two of us and the life I hope we'll share together. Shou, you deserve the very best, someone who will back you up without limits, let you grow without restraint, and love you without end. Will you let me be the one?”
Quiet sniffling and choked sobs are coming from behind Izuku, and his own eyes are full of tears. They start to fall as Shouto kneels in front of him, grasping his hands.
“You’re right. You’re completely right and I am so glad because when I looked at you, I got so overwhelmed that I forgot what I was supposed to say. I remember a little of it, though.” He pauses to laugh before he continues. “Izuku, when I met you, I knew I'd met my match. It was only ever a matter of time until we arrived at this moment. I know our stories have rough beginnings, but, if you’ll have me, I want nothing more than to start a brand-new chapter. Our past was so memorable, but- can our future be infinite?”
A small scream from Ochaco shakes them both from their reverie, and Izuku is blubbering as he begins to nod fiercely.
“Yes. Yes!”
The crowd around them cheers as they slip their rings on and begin to kiss fiercely.
“I- I recorded it!” Fuyumi cries, tears rushing down her face. “I’m sending it to our mothers as we speak!”
“We’re gaining a new little brother!” Natsuo wraps an arm around Izuku, forcing him to let go of Shouto. “Welcome to the family, Izuku!”
“He’s always this annoying, yes. Get used to that.” Shouto remarks, grinning through his own red eyes. Natsuo ruffles his hair.
The pictures turned out phenomenally, with the entirety of Japan blowing up Jirou’s photography page, and Izuku had felt on top of the world.
------
He’s brought back to a sticky, summer evening by the notification over his headpiece that there would be yet another meeting about the remainder of the escaped convicts, and he groans. The bureaucracy of heroism was not something that he’d ever get used to. The meetings only serve as a source of stress, leaving everyone with a bad feeling in the pits of their stomachs whenever the same names come up. Terrible memories are dredged up of the war from years ago, memories that were better left in the past. It’s been immensely personal on two ends for Izuku. It had taken a couple years of therapy to learn to healthily deal with anything involving the League, so mentally this has lingered like a parasite on his daily life. It’s also stressful because his fiancé’s family is personally involved.
Shouto has been unusually quiet about it, which Izuku has noted with concern. Usually he will jump to defend a loved one, but he has said close to nothing about Dabi at all despite being on numerous teams to find and subdue him. Things have been shaky ever since the decision to completely overhaul leadership of the hero public safety commission, and the new elected leaders don’t have complete trust in Shouto yet.
“Maybe he’s a spy.”
“Maybe he’s just waiting to betray us again.”
“What if he’s only hiding behind a mask- I mean, look at him-”
It’s with complete disgust that he hears the murmurs that maybe Shouto’s secretly gone rogue again, only because they disdain how impossibly hard for him to be objective when it comes to his own brother. Every time he hears someone whispering too close, he takes the initiative to loudly and clearly assert that they have no idea what they’re talking about.
However, he’s not blind- it’s not hard to see that Shouto's also been kind of secretive lately. When he discussed it with Iida and Ochaco about it over a cup of coffee, they didn’t originally take him seriously- they too were blowing off the rumors, standing up for their friend.
“You know your fiancé broods,” Ochaco said, sipping her latte. “It’s been his thing since high school. You became friends over it.”
“Yeah, I know. I just want to make sure we’re communicating properly, you know?” The piece of biscotti Izuku stirs in his coffee breaks off, and he frowns, poking at it. “I don’t want to dig into everything he’s thinking, he can have space. I just want to make sure we’re being open with each other.”
Iida nods. “Don’t play with your food. But also! That is perfectly valid! He will be your husband; you shouldn’t have to worry about communication and secrets.”
“It’s just so sudden, you know?” Izuku says, leaning back in his seat. “After we exposed the set up last year, when his family was going to therapy, he seemed so happy. Content, even. Even after the breakout at Tartarus, he was stressed, but he was talking to me. But now…”
Was it something he’d done? Something he’d said?
Ochaco places a hand over Izuku’s, frowning. “Do you think he’s hiding something from you? Does it have to do with the rumors?” He shakes his head fiercely.
“I don’t think he’s lying, but I do think they’re bothering him more than he’s willing to admit. I don’t want him to hold all that in, to stress himself out.”
“That makes sense. Just give him time, okay? When he’s ready, he’ll talk about it.”
So now, following his sensible friends’ advice, he’s decided that he’ll talk to Shouto about it when it feels right, but that he’s not going to worry about it.
------
It’s been a long day when Izuku’s shift ends around 11pm, and it’s a weight off his shoulders when he gets home and there’s a bowl of chicken soup in the microwave for him. After swallowing down lukewarm soup, he quickly showers. The cat is asleep at the top of his cat tree, so it’s a blessedly quiet, unbothered event as he bathes off the filth of the day and dries off. Finally, he opens his bedroom door, and smiles. Shouto is already there, curled under the covers, only his hair visible above the comforter. Tossing on some boxer briefs, he jumps into the bed and wraps an arm around his sleepy fiancé.
“I’m home,” he coos. Shouto grimaces, half asleep.
“Mm, welcome home, Zu. See you in the morning.”
Izuku scoffs, grinning. “That’s it? Your beloved fiancé comes home, happy and healthy, and you’re not excited to see him?”
Shouto’s eyes are still solidly shut as he turns around into the embrace, feeling around for Izuku’s face.
“Very excited. Love him. Tired.”
“Hm…can my exhausted fiancé be tempted?” A hand lingers lower, tracing down Shouto’s chest before grabbing tight, and Shouto jumps. Chuckling, he lifts one arm from the covers and around Izuku’s neck. With just a little force, he pulls himself to Izuku’s ear.
“I had a horrible shift and I know you did too,” he murmurs, “but if you’re patient, in the morning I’ll...”
The rest of the whispered secret has him blushing all the way to his roots, and Izuku can only gape as a straight faced Shouto turns and snuggles back into the covers. “Night, Zu.”
“Night?! What the- you can’t just say things like that Shou, I’m never going to fall asleep!”
The bed shakes with Shouto’s quiet laughter, and soon Izuku is laughing along. Worries melting away, he quickly falls asleep wrapped around the cooler side of his beloved.
The sun is halfway into the room the next morning as Shouto makes good on his promise. Izuku is shocked awake to his knees and toes curling unconsciously as a cold tongue laves around his length, travelling down and tightly pulling back up.
“Mm? Shou-shit, I-”
Grasping the sheets, he literally comes to with a blissful moan and body-wracking shudder, seed spilling into his fiancé’s hand and into his mouth. Gasping, he yelps when Shouto crushes his lips into his, nipping down as he traces a heated hand down his back. They only separate when Shouto pulls away, reaching for the oil that they keep next to the bed.
“Is everything okay?” Izuku’s face is beet red, a mix of lust and concern painted in his expression.
“Just doing what I said I would.” Shouto frowns. “Are you not having a good time?”
“What, no. I mean yes, I’m having a great time, no I don’t want you think I’m not! You’re just being- very ferocious about this- not that I’m upset!” His back arches when a warm, slick finger enters him.
“I’m fine,” Shouto breathes, leaving distracting, steamy kisses on his neck. “Everything’s fine.”
Izuku isn’t so sure he believes him, but it’s hard to focus when Shouto doubles down, adding fingers and moving so filthily Izuku is soon at his precipice once again.
“Do you still want me, Zu?” Shouto’s eyes are smoldering, cheeks flushed, hair up in the messy bun that gets Izuku going every time. It’s perfectly erotic, and overwhelmed, Izuku nods. “Use your words.”
“Yes.”
Once he’s full inside, Shouto begins a fervent pace, wrapping his arms around Izuku’s legs as if they were keeping him afloat at tempestuous sea. They’re both lost, chest heaving as Izuku babbles a potent mix of ‘yes’ and ‘Shouto’ when a familiar ringtone interrupts them.
“Shit, it’s Kacchan,” Izuku remarks, slapping a hand over his eyes. “I forgot I was supposed to update him on a case today.”
Shouto couldn’t give a damn less about Bakugou, or the case, or anything other than Izuku clenching around him. He’s irritated enough that the phone call interrupted them; he’s certainly not going to let Bakugou’s impatience stop them from enjoying one another, especially when the phone begins obnoxiously ringing again. He bends to reach the phone, sinking deeper into Izuku. The resulting choked moan makes him pause over the “reject” option, and he smirks. Clicking “accept”, he places the phone next to Izuku’s stunned face.
“K-Kacchan?” he gasps, trying to sound collected.
“Where in the fuck have you been?!” Bakugou’s voice is completely audible without the speaker, but Shouto refuses to focus on his voice. Their eyes connect, communication silent. If Izuku shows any discomfort at all, Shouto will simply hang up the phone for him. Instead, he sees a fire spark in emerald green, a challenge he’s very happy to accept.
“I- I’m-” Izuku claps a hand over his moan when Shouto rolls his hips, content with the resulting loud slap.
“No, I don’t want to hear any excuses! You think I’m a joke? You like to waste my time?”
It’s obvious that Shouto does think this, because the way he keeps pushing into Izuku for the next couple minutes while he tries to reply only infuriates the ignorant man on the other side. Finally, weeping from pleasure, Izuku manages to bite out
“I’ll call you back! Bye, Kacchan!”
Resistant grumbling comes from the phone, and Shouto snatches it. He snaps his hips one more time, wrapping a hand around Izuku, and a loud, salacious moan spills from Izuku’s mouth and into the receiver.
“What- the-”
“He said,” Shouto coolly replies, “‘bye, Kacchan’.”
“?!? ICY HOT I’M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU AND-”
Hanging up, he nonchalantly tosses the phone to the side while Izuku cackles.
“When he sees me, he’s going to want to kick my ass so bad I can’t move.”
Shouto leans down, taking his lips in a carnal kiss, waiting until Izuku’s speechless before pulling away. “He won’t. Besides, only person able to leave you unable to walk is me, Zu.”
It only takes a few more thrusts before both are climaxing, Izuku’s pleasured cries loud enough that they might have to apologize to their neighbors for the noise (again). Shouto falls onto his chest, Izuku’s come sliding between them. It’s only a moment before Izuku hears a sizzling and looks down.
“Ick, babe I think your skin is cooking it,” he comments, poking between their chests, and Shouto groans before rolling off the bed and holding out a helping hand.
“New way for you to swallow me?”
Izuku laughs, taking it. “Gross. You’re actually the worst.”
After a shower (and another sloppy make out) they finally make their way to the island in the kitchen. It’s the perfect day off, Izuku thinks. T-shirts and shorts, the AC on blast, sunlight from their open windows, and now- a large meal. His contentment is unending.
“Breakfast,” Shouto comments, folding his legs and leaning back in the bar stool.
“It’s afternoon!”
“Brunch, then.”
Izuku agrees, getting out everything they’ll need. “I’m thinking an American breakfast. Eggs, bacon, and bagels.”
“Try some fruit too, you meathead.”
“Excuse me! Of course, fruit!” Izuku points his nose up, masking his humor. “My mentor was All Might- I know about a balanced brunch to go after an excellent workout! Now here,” he says, placing a cutting board, a bowl, and a bag of strawberries and grapes next to a lasciviously-grinning Shouto. “Slice fruit. Well, the strawberries. You can cut the grapes if you want, though-”
As Izuku begins a rant on fruit and proper breakfasting techniques, Shouto neatly slices the strawberries. The bacon is already sizzling when Izuku cracks six eggs into a bowl, adds some salt, pepper, and milk, and begins to whisk. Even at home their teamwork is smoothly efficient, Shouto handling the bagels and pouring juice while Izuku finishes by adding cheddar cheese to the almost cooked eggs.
“Taste it,” Izuku says, holding out a fork with steaming eggs. “I think it needs more cheese.” Shouto blows a small bit of frost over the eggs before allowing Izuku to put it in, chewing thoughtfully.
“No. I think it’ll be fine with some salt.”
Brunch is a sweet affair, Izuku regaling Shouto with the previous day’s heroics. Shouto even offers to put the dishes in the dishwasher while he relaxes, and Izuku again can’t help but marvel at how perfect everything seems to be going. Everything is right with world as he flops onto their couch.
And then he stupidly turns on the news.
“Heroes are still on massive manhunts for the escapees, with it now going on five months since the outbreak. Though an efficient sweep has been done both nationally and internationally, with most of the villains back in lockdown in Tartarus, the few that remain at large comprise a much more menacing threat.”
Shigaraki’s dead eyes pierce him through the screen, Izuku unconsciously running a thumb over his scarred fingers. All that shit was supposed to be in the past. His aging mentor left him in charge of the world, and it was his right to eventually…pass on from this world, knowing that Izuku had everything under control. Shigaraki’s escape only smashes into old insecurities, at squashed down rage, and he is determined to catch him once and for all.
“Despite his past terrorism, authorities have been shocked to find absolutely no sign of Todoroki Touya, alias Dabi, since the outbreak.”
“-ku.”
“We can’t help but wonder, with everything that happened last year, if just maybe he’s had a change of heart, or perhaps-”
“-zuku!”
“No matter what, his inevitable fate is intertwined with that of his-”
“Turn it off, Izuku!”
The frost in Shouto’s command cuts through Izuku’s focus, literal as he glares at the back wall of the kitchen. The glass in his hand now shattered and dripping with blood. Izuku is up at once, TV forgotten.
“Shouto, your hand!” Izuku gently pries the broken glass away, dashing to get some peroxide, Neosporin, and some bandages. Shouto shakes, not moving an inch from where he stands bleeding. Leading him to the sink to rinse off the blood, Izuku waits for him to say something.
Finally, he sighs. “I’m sorry. For breaking the glass.”
“No, don’t be. It’s just a cup. I’m more worried about your palm. It’s light this time, but you’ve got to be more careful, Shouto.”
“Yeah.”
It’s telling that he doesn’t retort about Izuku’s easy injuries the way he normally might. The bandage is tightly wrapped around Shouto’s hand, and Izuku is cleaning up the blood on the floor when he goes for it.
“Sorry. It was the news story, huh? I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Mm. It’s fine.” Shouto’s voice is hard, but it’s not directed toward him. It’s the second time he’s said it, and now that Izuku isn’t blinded by lust he can hear the anger boiling behind it.
“It doesn’t have to be fine if you don’t think it is, Shou. Let’s talk about it, hm?” Taking advantage of the moment, Izuku’s tone is gentle as he pulls Shouto to sit, hoping to have a productive conversation. He knows his lover isn’t the most expressive, especially when he’s stressed, but he always feels better when he gets it out. It’s been their ‘thing’ since the beginning, like Ochaco said. Izuku provides him a safe environment, and Shouto opens up, and vice-versa.
“I know it must be stressful at work, hearing about your brother.”
Shouto grimaces, turning away. “You have no idea.”
“Well, I’m all ears.”
There’s a pause while Shouto gathers his thoughts.
“It’s- I-” he sighs in frustration as the words stick to the back of his throat. “It’s the same old bullshit. People talk, and I’m so tired. It’s exhausting to hear the…the hatred people have for him, even if it’s well deserved. It’s exhausting to be stuck in the middle. I’m used to hearing talk about me too, it’s all people have ever done, but… it’s really just getting old.”
“I…have heard the things people have said, yes. They like to bring up last year.”
“Go fucking figure.”
“But there may be a way to turn it in your favor! They worry about you at the meetings. I think that maybe they just want you to speak up a little more about it, be firmer in your approach. Let them know what’s what.”
It’s the wrong reply, as Shouto shakes off Izuku’s comforting hand in disgust, standing to move away.
“‘Speak up a little more.’ Ha! I’ve already said everything I will on the topic. Why can’t they just let it go?”
Izuku’s eyebrows furrow in concern. “We’re public figures, Shouto. High ranked heroes, almost at the very top, even. You know media is going to crawl all over us, it’s an unavoidable part of the job. Especially given how close to the heart the whole thing still is.” His heart only sinks further when Shouto sneers at him.
“‘Close to the heart.’ Yes, Izuku, I know. I know all about the limelight, in more ways than one. I’m sure your gossiping buddies can let you in on that. I don’t need you to fucking tell me.”
The condescending tone is enough to make Izuku grit his teeth in defensiveness, but he tries to stay calm. “You don’t have to- I’m not trying to-”
“Besides. I don’t care what those assholes have to say about me or my family.” Shouto crosses his arms, tilting his chin up. “If they want to hate me, let them. I don’t care. My actions will speak for me in the end.”
“Shou, don’t be that way.”
“Don’t be what way?!”
“It’s not personal, Shouto! They’re only nervous, and I think if you just communicate with them-”
“Not personal? Are you serious?! So, what, you believe them? You hear all those rumors, and you believe them? I thought you were smarter than that, Izuku.”
Fury sparks between them, now both standing at odds.
“Of course, I don’t believe them! You’re not listening to me, you’re too busy getting upset. And there’s no need to insult me, either.”
When Shouto only tchs, Izuku runs frustrated hands through his hair.
“Okay. I’m willing to apologize for coming on too strongly. But I would like an apology for the defensiveness as well.”
“I’m not apologizing for something I meant.”
“That’s not even- Ooh-” Seething, Izuku pushes the bar stool in roughly and storms toward the sink, if only to have something else to do other than look at Shouto. “Forget it! This conversation is over for right now.”
“And hopefully so is you and your commission friends’ nosing in my family’s business. It’s none of your concern, anyway.”
One for All cracks across Izuku’s skin as spins around, patience gone.
“None of my concern? We’re going to become family! We’re engaged! To be married! How can we be a team if we can’t trust or talk to one another?!”
“Trust? Right, that. Well, it’s not like you’ve always been so forthcoming with truths to me or the media.”
It’s a low blow, and Izuku braces at full height at the obvious insinuation.
“Don’t you dare bring One for All into this. You know there are larger reasons at hand as to why I couldn’t tell you and can’t tell them about this power!”
“But the rest of us ‘just need to communicate’!” Shouto mimics, tone ugly.
“Stop it! Just stop! Throwing insults isn’t going to work, Shouto,” Izuku shouts. “Yes, I just need you to communicate, and you’re being ridiculous!”
“I’m not the one who suggested I entertain the same people who never fail to mock me, who drink my family’s pain like vampires! Talk to them?! Maybe I don’t want to communicate with them, or you!”
“Well that’s a goddamn problem then, because we cannot walk into marriage on secrets and lies!”
Shouto’s eyes flash. “Well then maybe we won’t walk into marriage at all!”
The sharp words cut so deeply that Izuku collapses back into the counter, inhaling sharply to regain the wind knocked out of him. For a few moments, the words hang in the air, choking any leftover good will from the morning.
“Shouto,” Izuku whispers, face contorted in a pained smile. “Shouto, you- you don’t mean that. Don’t say that.”
Shouto’s heart is pounding in a chest so tight that it feels like he could faint. Clenching his fists, he turns to flee from the apartment.
“Shouto, no-”
The devastated whimper is rebuffed by a blast of freezing air as the door slams. Falling to the floor in a crumpled heap, Izuku lets the scalding frustration tears fall.
What have I done?
Shouto blindly sprints through crowds, pissing off disgruntled pedestrians and turning the eyes of curious ones, but he’s so far gone that it doesn’t even matter.
How could I say something like that?
What’s wrong with me?
By the time he finds a small alleyway to collapse in, everything he’s said has stormed through his head like a stampede, leaving him sickened by his behavior.
He was only trying to help!
You don’t even deserve him.
An entire morning, wonderful, and you go and ruin it by acting like a piece of shit.
You’re just like him.
The intrusive thoughts are only intensifying when buzzing in his pocket finally cuts through his focus. The resulting anxiety is enough to almost make him vomit on the cement. He doesn’t want to see Izuku’s smiling face on his smartphone, doesn’t want to hear his heartbroken voice. Doesn’t want to face the consequences of being purposefully cruel to the one person he loved more than anyone else.
When did I become like this?
Why does it feel this way?
The questions are a pointless deflection, because he knows exactly why he’s been so on edge; why for months he’s felt like a fraud. Why he’s hit with bone-deep panic every time someone mentions Touya. Why his heart slams into a wall every time someone mentions the search, his crimes, or the entirety of last year’s incident which he wishes he could just fucking forget happened-
Except he doesn’t want to forget. Not really. He doesn’t want to forget Touya, and despite how everything happened and how it turned out, that connection meant something to him.
I’m so fucking sick of being confused!
His hand is shaking when he pulls out the small burner phone from a side pocket and squeezes it tight. Just a little activation of his quirk, and it would melt to pieces the same way the short postcard, on which was simply ‘Congratulations’, disintegrated. But he can’t bring himself to do it.
Shouto knows what the new members of the commission want to know. He knows what they all, his fiancé included, want to know. The truth is- he legitimately doesn't know where Touya is; hasn’t seen more than a glimpse of him since that fateful day at the teashop.
What he does know is that one simple phone call, one pretend family emergency, and Touya would appear. It’s the perfect trap. Touya would despise him, give him that same disdainful, hateful look he reserved for their father, but it would be the right thing to do. Legally and objectively, his brother deserves prison for the horrible crimes he’s committed and as a hero, it is his job to put him there.
So why does the idea sicken him so much?
Subjectively, Touya has done nothing wrong (that he can prove) since he vanished. Other than the occasional postcard to their mother (and that was another issue altogether that left him restless at night), which were postmarked from random areas across Japan every time, there was no proof of correspondence from him.
Stop lying to yourself! You can’t rationalize his choices! Or yours!
Right and wrong aside, he doesn’t want to have to be the one to detain his own brother. Not when he knows that they’ll shove him into solitary, or likely execute him. He knows what type of person Touya is. His brother would rather die in the field, die fighting, than be locked up. The conflict tears Shouto apart inside, because he also doesn’t want to have to kill his brother. But he knows that Touya wouldn’t want to give anyone else the satisfaction.
He wants to burn the accursed phone- who knew that something so light could bear sin so heavy?
Instead, he shoves it back into his pocket.
‘My actions will speak for me in the end.’
Shouto chuckles wetly at his audacity; the nerve to say something like that, something so blatantly false. Who does he think he is?
The phone buzzes again, and when he yanks it out with every intent to turn it off, it’s his sister’s face that shines from the screen.
“Shoucchan! I’ve been trying to call you! Wh-”
Fuyumi immediately stops when Shouto heaves a sobbing breath into the phone.
“All right. Where are you? Are you at home? I was already in the neighborhood.”
The words aren’t coming, his throat too tight to speak. All he manages is a short croak.
“Okay, I’m checking your location now. I’m on my way. Don’t move, okay?”
It’s about ten searing minutes later when Fuyumi’s car rolls up to the side of the street, and Shouto slips into it silently. For a couple moments they sit in park as Fuyumi surmises his state.
“You want to go get some noodles?”
Shouto shakes his head. He wouldn’t be able to stomach it.
“You want to help me go grocery shopping? I have your emergency cap and glasses with me. We can sit in the parking lot until you’re ready to go in.”
Shouto nods and Fuyumi smiles, switching into gear.
Two days have passed when Izuku finally hears a knock at the apartment door. Dashing to the front, he tries not to let his face fall when he sees Fuyumi at the door with a duffle bag.
“Hey!” He tries to interject cheer into his voice as he gestures. “Come on in.”
“Hello, Izuku. I’m sure you know why I’m here. I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ll only be a few minutes, just to grab some extra clothes.”
“I understand.” Still, he follows her around like a lost puppy, pointing out the appropriate drawers.
“Is Shouto okay? Is he hurt? I heard about the villains he faced off with today, I’m sure it wasn’t pretty.”
“He’s not badly hurt, just a couple scrapes. But he is very tired.”
The question he wants to ask, “does he want to see me?”, goes unspoken. The heartbreaking reply in Fuyumi’s steel eyes is “no”. He can’t help but feel some unbidden jealousy at the thought that Shouto’s injuries were being treated by someone other than him- that was his job.
The bitterness quickly turns toward himself when he realizes that this is Shouto’s big sister. The one who’d been there through everything, taking care of him for his entire life. She would know much better how to take care of Shouto, how to address the true wounds. Gracefully, Fuyumi comforts Izuku in the way that she can.
“You know he just needs some time. I’m not saying he’s right for his argument with you.” Ah, so she knows. Of course. “In fact, knowing Shouto, this is likely his defensiveness issues rearing their ugly head again. Still, I hope you would understand- with this entire transition back into herodom, his new views of that world, his views of our family…especially with my beloved, stressful older brother… his thoughts are chaotic right now. And I know it doesn’t seem like it, but it really is in his best intentions to keep you safe from those thoughts. He has to learn that it’s still okay for him to open up to you…especially since you’re going to be married.”
“He still wants to get married?” Izuku whispers, voice a squeak. Fuyumi’s eyes fill with sympathy.
“Of course he does. He loves you, so, so much. Don’t ever doubt that.”
He nods, wiping away stray tears. “I just… I thought that if I provided him with safety, that if I just sat with him to let him know I could confront it with him, he’d feel happier. That he could open up. I don’t see why he got so upset.”
Fuyumi bites her lips, debating a response. “Izuku?”
“Yes?”
“Perhaps… I know it’s in your nature, to want to save everybody when you see a problem. You’re truly a good hero. But- at least for Shouto, because I can’t speak for everyone- maybe you ought to let him come to you first. It’s a hard lesson, trust me.”
Izuku frowns in confusion, resulting in an expression like her brother’s as she tries to explain.
“How about this. Do you remember your first fight?”
“I’ll never forget it.” How could he ever?
“I remember when he told me he told you. Anyway, I know that, due to the drama of it all, it’s easier for everyone to remember how you helped him begin to come into his own.”
The heatwave that evaporated the frost, the flames rising high into the air, the adrenaline that Izuku felt pumping through his veins- dramatic and unforgettable indeed. Why is she bringing this up?
“Have you considered that the only reason you were able to do any of that- that you had proper context to help- was because Shouto told you first? And not because you sat him down and made him tell you? Granted, his intentions were not… well-thought out, and he wasn’t in the right state of mind, but he was ready to open up to you.” Fuyumi sighs. “I suppose all I’m saying is while it’s wonderful that you’ve given him a space to be safe, you also need to accept that it doesn’t automatically mean he’ll just feel safe and open up. Sometimes different traumas call for different approaches.”
Fuyumi blithely tells him goodbye and leaves, leaving Izuku flailing in the wind.
Work has become unbearable, especially when Izuku realizes that at some point they’ll have to speak to each other. Other than direct commands and yes or no questions, Shouto is completely cold and shut off from him. The frosty distance is agonizing, and everyone around them can see it. Now that the whispers going around involve his relationship, Izuku can see why Shouto was so exasperated. The rumors range from concerned, to vitriolic, to excitement, even. One patrol, while walking past a citizen with an old-fashioned radio, he overheard two talk show hosts gossip gleefully about the state of his relationship.
“Oh, Todoroki Shouto and Midoriya Izuku? Trouble in paradise, I heard!”
“What did you hear? I’m all ears!”
“I heard that Todoroki hasn’t even been seen with his ring on!”
It’s stupid- they don’t even wear their rings on their fingers. Anyone who cares about them knows this. They wear them on chains. Unless…unless Shouto wasn’t wearing his anymore? And someone caught on?
“But Midoriya Izuku is so nice, so sweet. Surely he wouldn’t just dump a loved one like that!”
“Not so loved, anymore! How else can you explain Todoroki’s cold shoulder?”
“True! Well, it’s a pity, but then again- it gives all the rest of us a chance, right? Todoroki Shouto, if you’re listening to me- I’m available. I love a bad boy!”
As the women cackle tastelessly, Izuku wants nothing more than to take the radio and crush it with his bare hands. ‘Not so loved, anymore’ rings in his ears for the rest of the day and throughout the night, poisoning his thoughts.
Worst of all, it’s making all their friends worry again. It’s been an entire week when Iida finally stops Shouto during their patrol. The shift had been awkward, which wasn’t normally how it went when Iida, Shouto and Izuku were working together. Where jokes, laughs and generally good advice used to float between them, a heavy silence lingered as they peered out from the top of the small building complex.
“Has everything been okay?” When Iida goes to place a hand on Shouto’s shoulder, he shifts away.
“Sure.”
“It’s just, that you have seemed…less of your normal self, lately.”
Rolling his eyes, Shouto’s expression twists into a sinister sneer.
“Don’t worry, I’m not ‘going evil’ again due to my ‘broken heart’. I’m sure that’s what everyone is thinking.”
“Shouto!”
Before Iida can clarify, Shouto simply launches himself off the roof, ignoring them both. Izuku sighs, running a hand over his face and mouth.
“I’m sorry, Iida.” There’s nothing else he can say, nor wants to say- finally, on some level, he understands Shouto’s reticence. Iida still seems shaken by the interaction.
“I wasn’t thinking that,” he murmurs, adjusting his helmet.
“I know you weren’t. It was meant for me.”
“Strangely enough, I don’t think it was meant for you either, Midoriya.”
Eyebrows raised, Izuku gives a questioning glance and Iida sighs, rolling his neck before muting his headpiece.
“I am aware that you two are arguing. It’s unfortunate, and it would be best both professionally and personally, if you were both were to handle it.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“But I don’t think he’s angry at you, exactly. If he were, I think he would say so.”
“Well I wish he’d tell me what he’s angry at, already. It’s been a hard week.” The exhaustion in his voice is evident. Iida purses his lips.
“Maybe what he’s angry at isn’t safe for you to know? Rather, he doesn’t think it’s safe for you to know. Or that you would be very distraught to hear? Think about what happened with him before. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to communicate, he felt like he couldn’t. You’ve mentioned before that you try to provide a safe environment for him. However, what if he isn’t the one he’s trying to protect? What if it’s you?”
It’s a sound observation, echoing Fuyumi’s sentiments from earlier that week.
“I know I’m not supposed to push him; I’m just so on edge not knowing what’s so obviously wrong!” Izuku cries, wracking his thoughts. “He’s been frustrated at the media buzz, definitely, but they’re no real threat to me. Maybe because he can’t directly fight them? But that can’t be it, because I talked to him about confronting them, and he didn’t want to do it. That’s- that’s why we had a fight in the first place.”
Iida nods, thoughtful. “So then, with this theory, we can rule out that the rumormongers are what are bothering him.” When Izuku doesn’t reply, he continues. “Well. I hope you both find happiness again. Soon. I don’t think Ochaco-chan and I can take another day of you both fighting- it’s very disheartening to see such a strong relationship fall apart. And I, too, am tired of the talk show hosts being rude. I have written a strongly worded letter template, should you ever decide to use it. It has 98% efficiency, and I’ve never had to use a single curse word.”
Iida? Facing off against rumors? When? A wide grin breaks across Izuku’s face before he can help it, and he belly-laughs for what might be the first time in an entire week.
“Thanks, Iida. For the advice, and for the, uh, template.”
“Of course.”
Their talk comes to an end when a panicked S.O.S. comes through their headsets, leading the team to a crumbling city corner and a narrow street. While the other villains were easy enough to handle, the real issue is a gargantuan Ent-like villain storming forward, crashing into windows and crushing anything in its path.
“What’s the plan, Deku?” Shouto demands, gritting his teeth as he launches walls of ice around the buildings, trying to support their foundations. His fury only grows with the villain manages to crash through the ice. Izuku shakes himself- they refer to each other by hero names in work situations. He knows this. Taking a moment to strategize, he prepares a plan.
“Since I’m assuming we don’t have any nearby heroes with size-morphing powers, we’re going to have to bring them down to our size. Shouto, you won’t be able to use too much more of your ice walls like this without causing excess collateral here-”
“I know.”
Izuku swallows, continuing. “Long story short, we’re going to knock them down with multiple hits so that they can’t block them all. Shouto we need a blunt-ended icicle to stun them, and some sort of tunnel or ramp. Ingenium and I will run it forward, and combined with a wind blast from me, we should be able to get it off the ground. We need to hit them a second after the icicle stuns, so I’ll let you know when to jump. Ingenium, you’ll cover from the ground, just in case more villains come out, or if something happens where we can’t reach. All of this is probably going to happen in a couple seconds, so move quickly. Understood?”
When both Shouto and Iida nod, they break. There’s only one city block worth of space between them and the villain, so the ramp is short but steep, and the icicle ramshackle. Standing on top and in the front, Shouto braces for take off. At Izuku’s signal, he and Iida sprint down the ice, and as soon as the ramp begins to curve upward, Iida falls to the side and Izuku releases a burst of energy. They’re in range of the villain’s wingspan when Izuku commands Shouto to jump.
Despite the lack of time, the villain manages to catch the icicle out of midair and is about to swing it like a bat at Izuku. Before this can happen, Shouto shoots another blast of ice at their hand, knocking the icicle down. Unfortunately, this leaves him open, and the villain catches him with their other hand. They squeeze, tightly, and Shouto can hardly breathe as he activates his flames.
Simultaneously, this gives Izuku enough time to land a well-placed punch into the villain’s chest, and the villain stumbles back some distance, but doesn’t fall- Shouto wasn’t able to freeze its feet beforehand.
There won’t be enough time before it charges! Izuku laments as he falls to the ground. I’ll have to move as fast as I can from the ground but-
The villain roars; Shouto has managed to burn their hand almost clean off, slipping from its grasp. Realizing the same thing as Izuku, he launches an ice pillar underneath him, allowing Izuku to jump off it and into the sky, landing on the villain’s head with a Full Cowling. Both Shouto and the villain fall to the ground. Izuku lands into the dust cloud that results from the collision, unable to see.
“Is everyone okay? Ingenium? Shouto?”
Izuku panics as the dust begins to clear.
“The villain has been subdued, and everyone is okay.” The calm reply over his headset comes from Iida, and when Izuku reaches him, he almost collapses with relief. The villain has shrunk into an average human height, with cuffs around their arms and legs. And leaning on Iida, heavily bruised but alive, is Shouto. Rushing over, he helps to support Shouto’s weight, and they limp to the medics.
While Shouto is treated, Izuku crushes Iida in a hug.
“Thank you for saving him. Thank you so much! I’m so happy you both are safe.”
Iida smiles. “It’s our job!” Something else crosses his mind, and his smile falls. “He panicked- I saw him. He saw you falling, saw that the mission might be compromised, so he rose the ice for you. He was too close to the ground to save himself. If I hadn’t been running under to catch him- well…”
Izuku swallows and is going to respond when a medic calls them over. Racing over, Izuku gently but firmly grabs Shouto by his shoulders.
“Why didn’t you use your ice to stop your fall?! You could have snapped your spine falling from that height!”
Shouto tries to pull away, looking down wearily.
“Because I trusted my teammates to have my back.”
The defeated sigh slams a realization into Izuku. The whole time, even though he was upset, Shouto would still sacrifice his safety in the field for Izuku, and for the sake of taking down the villain. Despite it all, he was willing to continue being a hero. How could anyone question that kind of unwavering loyalty? And how much must it hurt to have that kind of loyalty questioned, and continue to do it anyway? Once again, Izuku feels as if he’s let Shouto down. His hands loosen on Shouto’s shoulders, falling to his hands.
“Let’s go home, Shou. If you want, I mean. Please. When this is cleaned up.” Though it’s being stated, Izuku knows not to push if the answer is no. After a few moments, Shouto acquiesces, shoulders stiffening before he slumps.
“Yeah. Okay. I’d like that.”
A few hours later, after villain and scene cleanup, Izuku and Shouto silently make their way home. It’s a solemn affair, both eating silently, and showering and preparing for bed in separate rooms. Izuku grabs some blankets and a pillow, moving to the couch. He’s not sure of Shouto’s comfort, given that he’s been noticeably tiptoeing around their home, and doesn’t want to trigger anything.
He’s just about to turn off the light when Shouto closes the bedroom door on the cat and walks out to the couch, wrapped in a comforter, and sits on the other end. He glares at the floor, fists tightly wound in the blanket, as if he wants to say something or come closer but can’t. Izuku wavers for a moment, and then opens his covers and his arms.
“If you want… I’ve missed you so much… Just for tonight, can I- am I allowed- do you want to be held? Everything else can wait until tomorrow. I promise.”
Like a river that’s been undammed, Shouto rushes forward into Izuku’s arms, and Izuku can’t help his laugh of relief until he feels shaking.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Shouto murmurs, hiding his face deep into Izuku chest and the blankets.
“I’m sorry, too.”
Izuku wakes up first to loud meowing. Yawning, he pours some cat food and walks to the bedroom with it. Once the cat is handled, he washes up and then brews some coffee. Coffee was reserved for the hard days-after, where tea wasn’t enough; the smell a tell-all of a rough night. Behind him, he hears a groan and heavy footsteps, followed by water, then another flop back onto the couch.
“Is it really a coffee day?” Shouto grumbles, face down in the couch. When Izuku pats his shoulder to hand him the cup, he hisses, flinching away from the contact.
“Hey, if it hurts, you can just stay laying down. But from how you look, it’s a coffee day.” Izuku places the lukewarm mug onto the counter and brushes the red and white strands out of his face.
“My back is stiff from being squeezed and then dropped onto Iida. He’s covered in armor though, so he took it well.”
“I’m glad he caught you, tough armor or not.”
“Me too.”
Izuku sits on the ground, making sure they’re still face to face when he takes a deep breath.
“Okay. I don’t want to push you, Shou. I don’t. I don’t ever want you to feel the need to run away from me. No more disappearing. I don’t want you to be afraid, to have to tiptoe around me and hold things in. It makes me sick to my stomach that I could be so…so foul to scare you. So, whenever you’re ready to talk, just know that you can, and you don’t have to be afraid of anything from me.”
Shouto’s eyes dart to the floor, shame heavy.
“I’ll try. I want to talk, I just…” I need help starting.
“Would it be easier if I asked yes or no questions? And gave you room to explain if you think it's not enough?”
The question is upsetting, only because it reminds him of the questions they’ve been taught to ask traumatized child victims. Aware of this, Shouto scoffs, but then nods.
“No worries! We don’t-”
“Just start.”
“Okay, okay.” Izuku leans back, hands low but capitulating. “Have you hurt yourself physically?”
“No.”
“Have you hurt someone else physically?”
“No.”
“Emotionally?”
Shouto’s eyes are sad. “…Yes. Someone else.”
“Is it more than one person?”
“Yes.”
“Am I one of those people?”
“Yes.”
Izuku pauses, taking this information in. Let’s focus on just us right now- I think that’s easier to tackle.
"Is it something that you think would affect our…our engagement?"
"Yes."
"Is it something to do with last year?"
With a groan, Shouto rolls onto his back. "Yes."
“Does it have to do with your oldest brother?” Shouto’s flinch is a confirmation, but Izuku waits for him to reply anyway.
“Yes. It seems everything does, these days. Go ahead and ask, Izuku. I know where these questions are going. So, let’s just get it over with.”
Izuku takes a deep breath. “All right. Do you know where your brother is?”
Despite his own pushing for the question, Shouto still rocks with the pain of the words being spoken out loud. He focuses on the ceiling, trying not to look to his side.
“No. I don’t. But I know if I call him, he'll come."
Fists tightening in his lap, Izuku wavers. He’s not sure what to do, now that the dangerous words have been said, now that the crux of the issue is now exposed.
“Izuku. Bring me my suit. I didn’t put it up last night, it’s still in the bedroom.”
Still silent, Izuku follows directions, watching Shouto reach into a pocket and pull out a small, dark flip-phone.
“Is this-”
“Yes. It’s an emergency phone that he dropped on me a while back. I didn’t know it was him, I promise! He was well disguised and apparently well out of my reach once I realized who it was.”
Bemused, Izuku looks at the small piece of plastic. So, this- this was what was causing Shouto so much inner turmoil. It almost seems comedically easy- to just throw the thing out, or to solve a major villain problem with literally the click of a button. When Izuku takes the phone, it’s like a weight lifts off his fiancé and he pours forth with an explanation.
“First, I want to say I’m sorry for how I acted- you were just trying to help and to understand. I know you thought all of this was about the rumors. I grew up with this scar, Izuku. This scar, and Endeavor for a father. So, I’m used to gossip, and I’m not worried about people talking. They annoy me, extremely, but I know how to defend myself. But this time… The rumors were true, Izuku. I’m not trustworthy. I’m not objective about this. How could I be? I don’t want to hurt my brother and I don’t want to be a part of something that would hurt him, even if I know it’s the right thing to do. At the same time, I feel like it’s my sole responsibility; that it wouldn’t be right for anyone else to handle it. And the worst part, is that it seems like this is my punishment, and everyone seems to be enjoying it. That’s why it was bothering me so much.”
“Shou-”
“I didn’t want to tell you because you don’t need to be complicit in this. Your official hero record is almost spotless, your reputation golden. You’re already with me, and I’ve already fucked up enough as it is.”
“That’s-”
“As for us…” Shouto turns his head, steeling himself for the shining green eyes he knows he’s going to look into. “It would break my heart, Izuku, to force you to stay in a marriage that you would be unhappy in. If you feel like you aren’t safe, or like you can’t trust me or communicate with me, then I don’t deserve to be with you. I already feel like I don’t. If you want to break the engagement, I will understand.”
The last words are choked, but still manage to come out clearly. Watching Shouto deflate in acceptance is too much to bear, and Izuku surges forward in a tight hug. Shouto’s pained cry makes him lean back.
“Sorry! Sorry! I got overwhelmed!” Once they’ve both calmed down, Izuku (gently!) places a hand on Shouto’s face.
“Listen to me. I will never want to break this engagement, so don’t ever think that! You deserve me- I am yours, remember? Our future is infinite, just like you said.” His voice quivers with emotion, and Shouto turns to kiss his hand gratefully.
“The rumors? How people think of me? My integrity is one thing, yes. But my reputation? I hold your opinion of me higher than anyone else’s.”
“Even All Might’s?” The doe-eyed expression Shouto is making is so unlike him, and it’s adorable.
“Shouto, come on,” Izuku groans, before jokingly pondering. “You’re at 100 and he’s at like a 98.5.”
Chuckling, Shouto’s body relaxes and Izuku relaxes along with. The truth is, that reveal last spring has always caused some conflict within him. Izuku hates that Todoroki Touya’s ‘situation’ has caused so much strife within Shouto, even though he knows that Dabi’s choices run deeper than simple villainy. It’s a source of bitterness to him, that things couldn’t ever just be in black and white, and easy to deal with. But that’s not the reality of heroism. However, more than any of that, he doesn’t want those complexities to ever come in between them, despite how hard they seem to try.
By the time he stops thinking, Shouto has struggled to sit up and is sipping the cooling coffee. Realizing how long he must have been sitting there, Izuku finally comes to a conclusion.
“As for the rest… it’s a lot. It is. But I can’t force your hand, Shouto. I won’t. This is a choice you’re going to have to make. I must be honest- if we find him, and if it’s on us to bring him in… I can’t not do it. I will serve justice. But I won’t make you draw him out like that, not in a way that you find to be so despicable. I don’t plan to disrespect you like that. I’ll be by your side, and I’ll support you through however this all turns out. We’ll go through it together, no matter what. I promise.”
Shouto apprehensively dwells on his response. “Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
“I don’t know what else I could be and keep you at the same time.” Izuku shrugs. “I’m not happy that you’re in such an awkward position, and I’m not happy he’s put you there… but I also can’t act like I understand how it feels. I also know that I can’t make you talk about things as if it’s so easy. Your sister and Iida made sure I knew that.”
“I really owe him one. And Fuyumi,” Shouto nods in understanding. “Did she get you with one of her gently disappointed talks?”
“She did. I needed it.”
“She got me too. As soon as I started putting her groceries up, she gave me The Look™. Nobody is immune.”
A few more peaceful moments pass when Izuku tugs on Shouto’s sleeve.
“How do you feel about marriage counseling?”
“If it would make it better for us in the long run, I want to do it. Do you want to try it?”
“Yes. I read somewhere that if you can go, you should. We might be even stronger for it.”
“Okay.”
Izuku feels like they’re in a new stage again, tentatively reaching for contact and trying to forge a deeper connection. It’s in the air, unsure, but filled with new potential. He’s about to reach for Shouto’s hand again when he remembers the radio station.
“Hey, um…Shou?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you…stop wearing your ring? While you weren’t here?”
Shouto frowns, turning to Izuku with a discontent look. “Of course not. I never take it off, other than when I’m asleep. I would never…did you think I did?”
Relieved, Izuku squeezes his hand, beaming.
“Oh, thank goodness,” he breathes, speaking quickly. “I heard these evil radio hosts talking about how I didn’t love you, and how you weren’t spotted with your ring, and Shouto I sobbed around this ring this week.”
“Aw, Zu. I didn’t cry around the ring… but I did sleep with it in my hand. I thought I’d lost it during one of the fights I had on patrol, and I almost tore up the entire street looking for it.”
“Where was it?”
“In my suit. Whole time, it fell in my suit. I felt both relieved and stupid.”
Izuku is giddy at the idea of Shouto loving him so much that he would panic over their ring, and he leans into his lap and kisses his forehead.
“It’s okay. Even if you didn’t have that ring, if I had you, I’d be okay.”
Blushing, Shouto rolls his eyes and awkwardly leans away.
“Couldn’t have told me that when it happened. Anyway, you’re pressing in a little too hard, Zu. It hurts.”
“Right! Sorry. Would a massage help?”
Shouto groans again as he leans forward to replace the cup. “Yes, actually.”
“Okay. I’ll go grab some oil; you lay down. Unless you need my help, or-”
“Just go.” Shouto has already taken his shirt off, laying down onto the couch with a pained moan.
Izuku returns with their multipurpose almond oil and small towel and kneels onto the ground.
“I’m going to start with your back, okay?”
An accepting murmur from the couch lets him know he can begin, and rubbing oiled hands together, begins to press into tight muscles. Shouto moans, appreciative of the deep tissue massage.
“You’ve had some intense knots in here, Shou,” Izuku comments. “Maybe you ought to go see a real masseuse.”
A muffled “no” makes him giggle. Izuku keeps sculpting until the muscles are pliant and Shouto has truly melted into the couch. When he finishes at the thighs, he can’t notice the new muscle tension.
“Babe, you okay in there? I just finished everywhere on this side. You need me to get the front?”
When he gets no reply, he shuffles up to push the hair out of Shouto’s eyes. His heart pounds at the amount of desire blazing in them, and the blood in his cheeks quickly travel downward.
“Do you need me to place my hands somewhere else?” he asks, voice low with lust. He’d tried to keep a cool head, it was only a massage, but if Shouto wanted something more then by all means…
“Please. And take those off, I need to see you too.”
Izuku’s shorts are quickly kicked off as Shouto holds out a hand for help sitting up. He latches onto Izuku’s leg and leans forward, gently kissing his stomach, his thighs, nipping here, nipping there. Exhaling sharply, Izuku gently lays him back down and flops down over him onto the couch, spreading his legs and slowly grinding down.
“You comfortable?” Izuku breathes, biting into the newly massaged, soft neck. When Shouto squirms in response, he takes it as a sign to slowly pull off his shorts. Once those are finally gone, all that’s left is Shouto’s pretty dick, moisture beading on the tip.
“You look like you need me, Shouto. I’m so glad to see it.”
Their lips come together fiercely, pent-up emotions culminating in a messy, desperate kiss as they struggle to continue despite needing to breathe. Shouto is the first to pull away, leaning his head back to allow more open-mouthed kisses down his neck. He grinds up to accentuate his point, feeling the heat above him, and Izuku growls.
“You need me too,’ Shouto replies, smirking, “unless you’ve grown a third arm in the last few minutes, and I didn’t notice.”
“Glad to see your sense of humor is back.” Supporting his weight so that they’re touching at all the right places, Izuku rolls his hips, groaning when pleasure shudders through him.
“Touch me. Touch me, yes-” Shouto’s breathless command is followed by another kiss, a warm, firm hand wrapped around him made slick by another handful of oil. By the time Izuku pauses stroking, Shouto’s hair clings to his face, his expression salacious, erotic moans only urging his fiancé toward more.
“Wrap an arm around me for more support, if you can,” Izuku murmurs, pupils dilated with lust and restrained impatience.
When Shouto obeys, Izuku braces one arm for balance and uses the other to lift Shouto’s lower back. Satisfied, he begins to grind in earnest, leaving them both gasping at the slick warmth of the friction. Maybe it’s how vulnerable he’s feeling, or a combination of his sore muscles with pleasure that leaves him keening, but Shouto cries louder than usual, his temperatures fluctuating as he gets closer and closer to climax.
“Fuck, fuck, oh my- Izuku, I’m, I’m about to-”
When Izuku stops his pumps, Shouto whimpers, stiff legs still unconsciously curling upward. He’s prevented when Izuku flexes a little to keep him in place, which does absolutely nothing to quench his insatiable arousal.
“Shh, Shou. Just wait for me. I want to come together; can you wait for me?”
Chest heaving, Shouto fervently nods, and Izuku kisses him on the shoulder as he applies more oil, leaning them down onto the couch.
“Thank you.” Squeezing tight at Shouto’s base, Izuku pushes even faster, reveling in how Shouto’s moans have become tearful sobs as emotion and the need to come overwhelm him. He’s almost there when he curls a hand in red and white hair, babbling emotional.
“I love you, Shou. So much. I don’t ever want to be apart again. Stay with me.”
“I will. I am.”
“Come with me?”
“Yes.”
Izuku loosens his hand, and the relief of pressure is followed by a gasp, then a strangled cry of his name. Izuku feels Shouto’s body tightens as he comes, and he follows soon after, curling into Shouto’s chest as he cries out. They both relax back onto the couch, their breaths slowing until they are on the same pace.
“Is your back feeling any better?” Izuku asks, breaking the ice.
“Mm. A little. I need an ice bath, and then I need to rest in a real bed.” He pauses, before realizing he sounds a little cold. “But the sex was great.”
Laughing, Izuku finds the small towel he brought and wipes them both up, before going to get the bathwater going.
“I love you, too.”
When he returns to the living room, Shouto is stiffly standing, trying to show as much dignity as he could while being naked and completely wrecked.
“You are so incredibly good looking,” he says, wrapping a hand around Shouto’s waist and squeezing. “Other people should be jealous of me.”
Snorting, Shouto brings him in for a kiss. “If you keep listening to all those hack gossip shows, you’ll find out they are.”
“Good. I’ll order us some food, and we can chill in bed today. Okay? Go relax in your bath.”
When Shouto wobbles off, Izuku puts in the order to the noodle shop that they both like. Once it’s delivered, he gets some sort of neat tray together, and is standing pleased over his efforts when his phone buzzes. There’s a notification from his group chat, followed by a bunch of news station notifications. Sliding the news notifications without looking at them, he opens the group chat.
[Iida]
I hope everything is going well for you both.
@SmallMight @IcyHot
[BubblegumPink]
Yeah, I heard yesterday was rough
[SmallMight]
We made up
Everything’s fine
I’m going to turn our phones off now
[BubblegumPink]
Ooooh go get your man
[SmallMight]
😉
Smiling, Izuku turns off both phones and leaves them on the counter- the emergency hero phones are always on and available, just in case. He’s leaving when one more catches his eye. That phone. Narrowing his eyes at it, he’s tempted to throw it away, or to crush it. It’s a childish emotion, but it doesn’t matter because that’s not his place.
“Zu? Izuku? Are you okay out there- you’re unusually quiet.”
Snapping out of his reverie, Izuku plasters on a smile. Whatever solution they come up with, whatever solution Shouto decides on, it can certainly wait until after he surprises his fiancé with one of his favorite meals.
“Everything’s fine, Shou! Just relax, I’m on my way back!”
He tosses it into their one of their kitchen drawers and slams it shut, grabbing the tray and heading back to their bedroom.