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Todoroki slammed Izuku against his apartment wall, his leg slipping between the green haired hero’s, and Todoroki’s lips claiming kiss after kiss from the man in his arms.
How many times had they done this? When did this become the norm for them? They weren't in a relationship, but they would often come together when they needed a release.
It started when they couldn't save everyone in a collapsing building. They'd retreated to Izuku’s tiny apartment in the middle of the city, silent and grieving, and stood together in the kitchen.
Izuku couldn't remember who moved first, but suddenly they were grasping at each other. Desperate kisses, roaming hands, and discarded clothing. They needed to be together. They needed a moment to be close, to forget what had happened. To forget how the Pro Heroes Deku and Shouto failed to save so many people.
They could give each other that. A state of oblivion; an escape. They stumbled to Izuku’s bedroom, kissing and murmuring nonsense, both silently vowing that despite their own feelings, it meant nothing. It was nothing. An escape, nothing else
They just didn't realise it would keep happening.
Stirring gently, Izuku slowly woke up to the sight of Todoroki climbing out of his bed.
He hummed and stretched. “Good morning, Todoroki-kun.”
Todoroki looked over his shoulder at him. “Good morning, Midoriya.”
Izuku’s eyes roamed over Todoroki’s back, and his traitorous heart skipped a beat at the sight of the muscles there. Red nail marks, Izuku’s handiwork, stood out against Todoroki’s skin, and he felt a thrill of satisfaction at seeing them.
But, as always, there was the overwhelming feeling of disappointment that their time together was over. He should be used to this—it had been going on for months—but he never wanted Todoroki to leave.
He'd been in love with his former classmate for years. But Izuku had been shy, and awkward, and never mentioned his feelings all through their time at UA. Feelings that had only deepened since they'd started sleeping together.
The first time it had happened, Izuku had woken up to a fully clothed Todoroki, who thanked him for the night and then promptly left the apartment.
Izuku had been crushed, but he kept it to himself. He didn't tell anyone what had happened, and it was clear that Todoroki had done the same. It was a moment of weakness, of escape, for the two, and they had an unspoken agreement never to mention it.
When he saw Todoroki next, the fire and ice wielder acted like nothing had happened, so Izuku did the same. He didn't bring it up, he accepted it as a one-time, incredibly amazing experience, and moved on.
Until Todoroki came back.
He appeared at Izuku’s door, looking distressed, and Izuku immediately invited him in. He fussed over his crush, sitting him on the lounge, giving him a blanket, making him tea, and when he was certain Todoroki was comfortable, he sat down beside him.
“Todoroki-kun,” he said, gently taking his hand, “are you alright? What happened?”
“I couldn’t save them,” Todoroki choked out. “Why? Why couldn’t I save them? Why did this happen again?”
Understanding flowed through Izuku. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Todoroki-kun,” he said, giving him a one-armed hug. “How can I help? What do you need?”
For one long moment, Todoroki didn’t say a word. He simply stared at Izuku, as if committing his face to memory, and then lunged forward to capture his lips in a heated kiss. Izuku stiffened in surprise, certain that their last tryst together had been a one-off, but he quickly melted into it. If Todoroki wanted to forget the world for a moment, Izuku could give him that.
It became the norm for them. Whenever they needed an escape, they would go to each other. Todoroki would turn up, black and blue from his Father’s training, and Izuku would kiss away the pain. Izuku would arrive at Todoroki’s door, barely coping with the stress of heroics, and Todoroki would whisper words of comfort while Izuku panted and moaned beneath him..
They never spoke about it, and they never acknowledged their relationship; they just lost themselves in each other. They would talk about what upset them, they’d understand each other’s pain and help to fix it, but they never mentioned how they’d clearly moved on from ‘just friends.’
And now, as Izuku watched as Todoroki slipped on a shirt and murmured his standard, “Thank you, Midoriya,” he had never regretted a decision more.
Jealousy burned quick and hot in his stomach, taking Izuku by surprise.
He’d been curled up watching TV, and a segment on heroics came on. They were talking about heroes that they thought would make a cute couple.
Shouto had been paired with Yaoyorozu.
“Shouto and Creati make such a wonderful pair, don’t you agree?” The show’s host asked the audience.
No, no, Izuku didn’t agree. Yaoyorozu and Jirou made a cute couple, he and Todoroki made a cute couple, not Todoroki and Yaoyorozu.
“What do you know, anyway?” He muttered sullenly at his TV.
The people that made the show didn’t know Todoroki like he did. They didn’t know that he was quiet, but would talk if you were just patience enough. They didn’t know that he was touch-starved and loved it when Izuku’s hands would roam all over his body. They didn’t know the hilarity of Todoroki’s dry wit, or had been privileged with the sight of a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.
They didn’t know him like Izuku knew him, and it hurt that, even on a TV segment, another person stood at Todoroki’s side.
That could be me, he thought. If only he was brave enough to confess his feelings. Fight villains? Sure. Save the world? You bet. Tell Todoroki he loved him? No way.
He took a deep breath and fought down the urge to Detroit Smash his TV. The show didn’t know anything; it was just hero gossip. What right did he have to get jealous, anyway? It wasn’t like Todoroki and Yaoyorozu were dating—she and Jirou really were an adorable and devoted couple—and it definitely wasn’t like he and Todoroki were.
But he wanted to. God, did he want to. He could just never find the courage to ask.
Izuku sighed and switched off his TV.
Todoroki stared at him, uncomprehending. “You’re…giving me a key to your apartment?”
Izuku blushed and shuffled awkwardly. “Well, yes. I just—I just thought that it’d be easier. If you ever wanted to let yourself in, or—or you just wanted a safe, comfortable place to go, you could always go to mine. I mean, you don’t have to—it’s fine—but I just wanted to know that you’re always welcome and—”
“Midoriya,” Todoroki said, cutting him off and clutching the key to his chest like it was something precious. “Thank you.”
“Deku-kun, don’t you think you’ve let this go on long enough?” Uraraka asked, over a mug of tea.
He choked on his drink. “W-what?”
“You’ve been pining after Todoroki-kun for years now!” She said, with all the enthusiasm of someone who did not have the full picture. “He probably doesn’t even realise you like him. You need to tell him before it’s too late!”
“I—uh—well—”
She reached out to put her hand on his. “He might not know you like him, but he definitely likes you. I’ve seen the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is watching. You have a chance, Deku-kun! You just have to take it!”
“I—it’s just—I like him so much and a don’t want to ruin it,” he babbled.
She gave his hand a comforting squeeze. “You’re not going to wreck it. Anyone can see that he likes you, you just need to show him that you like him, too.”
Izuku briefly wondered how clearer you had to be about liking someone when you’ve been having casual sex with them for months, but he didn’t dare mention it.
There was a knock at the door, and Izuku pulled himself from the table to answer it.
“Todoroki-kun,” he said in greeting, his heart already hammering at the sight of his friend (with benefits?)
He heard Uraraka rinse out her tea mug in the kitchen and approach them. “Hello, Todoroki-kun!” She said cheerfully. “I’m gonna have to say hi and bye; I’m running late enough as it is.”
Izuku knew that was a lie. Uraraka had said she had a free afternoon when she’d arrived there, but judging by the wink she sent in his direction, she was giving Izuku time to confess to his crush. She gave both of them hugs and then with one, final farewell, she breezed out of his apartment.
They stared after her.
“I—” Todoroki began, looking baffled.
“She’s really late!” Midoriya blurted, desperate for him not to question Uraraka’s odd behaviour. “We were having coffee and talking, and we didn’t notice the time until you knocked on the door.”
“Right.”
“So, Todoroki-kun, what can I do for you?”
There was a faint pink tint to Todoroki’s cheeks. “I have something for you,” he said, reaching into his pocket.
“Mmm?” Izuku hummed in interest, only to stop and stare, wide-eyed, at the key Todoroki handed him.
“Now you’ll be able to get into my apartment, too,” Todoroki explained, a little unnecessarily, because why else would he be giving Izuku a key?
But he wanted Izuku to go there? He trusted Izuku enough to allow him to just let himself in whenever he wanted?
“Thank you,” Izuku said sincerely, unable to control the wide smile that appeared on his face. His heart was hammering in his chest, and he tried to calm it by making a show of adding the key to his keychain. “There, perfect.”
Nope. Nope, his heart was still about to burst out of chest. That didn’t work.
They needed to talk about this. Really, they did. They slept together regularly, they had keys to each other’s apartments. They needed to define whatever the hell they were, or if they were even anything.
…Or Izuku could be entirely distracted by the fact that Todoroki was staring at his lips.
He knew what that look meant: Todoroki wanted to kiss him, and obviously, Midoriya wanted to kiss him, too. But no! They had to talk! They really needed to—
Todoroki kissed him, soft and languid; Izuku’s knees went weak.
…Oh well, they could talk later.
Izuku had taken to making extra food at mealtimes, just in case Todoroki turned up (which was more often than not.)
They were frighteningly domestic. Izuku would cook, they’d eat together, Todoroki would do the dishes, they’d watch TV, they’d make out, occasionally get interrupted to go fight villains, come home, collapse in bed, sleep or make love, depending on how tired they were. It was routine, like clockwork.
But they still hadn’t talked about it.
By this stage, Izuku was too scared to bring it up. They had a relationship, of sorts, even if it didn’t have a label. Izuku knew that he was head over heels in love with Todoroki, and that Todoroki was at least attracted to him to some degree. But what if he brought it up and he ruined it? What if he just randomly blurted out “I love you,” in the throes of passion? What if he scared Todoroki away?
No, no, it wasn’t worth that. So, Izuku kept his mouth shut.
“You look happy, Izuku,” his Mother said, smiling.
He turned to her, bewildered. “Huh?”
He had gone to his Mother’s for their weekly catch ups, but had hadn’t expected her to come out with that.
“You look happy,” she repeated. “You’re smiling a lot more.”
“…Well, I guess I am.”
Her expression became knowing. “Is it because of a special someone?”
He blushed. “I—uh—um—”
She laughed and hugged him. “You’ll have to bring Todoroki-kun over here one of these days. I need to thank him and give him a hug for putting that smile on your face.”
He pulled back and gaped at her. “M-Mum!”
She beamed and laughed even more as Izuku continued to splutter at her.
The TV played before them, but Izuku barely paid it any attention. He was more caught up in the sensation of Todoroki’s arms around him, and the gentle rise and fall of his partner’s—lover’s?—fuck buddy’s?—chest.
(Izuku was privately inclined to the term ‘boyfriend,’ but he’s not game enough to mention that one.)
Still, they’re comfortable and content curled up on Izuku’s lounge, making odd comments here and there about what they’re watching. He’s leaning against Todoroki’s chest, listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat. Todoroki’s arm was around him, holding him close, and Izuku never wanted to move.
Perhaps inevitably, the segment on cute hero couples came on again.
“Huh,” Todoroki said, looking at himself paired with Yaoyorozu. “No offence meant to Momo, but you would look better up there.”
Izuku died. At least, he was fairly certain he died. His heart definitely skipped a beat and he was certain his face was bright red. How could Todoroki can something like that so easily?!
Todoroki caught onto the fact that Izuku was staring at him. “What—”
Izuku sat up and kissed him, moving mid-embrace so he was straddling Todoroki’s lap. A savage thrill coursed through him, satisfying the green-eyed monster that had appeared the last time Izuku saw that segment on TV. The people who made the show might think Todoroki was suited for someone else, but Todoroki preferred him.
If Todoroki was surprised by Izuku’s sudden onslaught of kisses, he didn’t show it. Instead, he eagerly kissed back, giving as good as he got and doing his utmost to leave a hickie on Izuku’s neck.
It was too much for Izuku to handle. “Shouto,” he breathed out.
Todoroki froze; Izuku’s eyes went wide.
To his growing embarrassment, Todoroki lifted his head from Izuku’s neck and stared at him intently.
“I—” Izuku began, wondering exactly how to apologise for using his first name like that. It was one thing to call him Shouto as his Hero name, but as his personal name? That was a whole different thing entirely!
“Say that again,” Todoroki said.
“Shouto?”
“My name. You said my name.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be…I liked it.”
“Can—can I call you Shouto-kun if you call me Izuku?”
Shouto nodded, leaning in so their noses touched, and their breath mingled. “Izuku.”
He’d always been fond of his name, but that didn’t prepare him for how utterly right it felt to hear it coming from Shouto’s lips.
In that moment, it seemed pointless to worry about what they were to each other. It seemed stupid to even have doubts about how much Shouto cared for him. The fire and ice user was looking at him like he was something to be treasured; precious and invaluable.
He’d worry about talking and labels later.
Things came to a head, as they often do, in spectacular and explosive fashion (surprisingly, Bakugou was not involved.)
A villain came after Izuku, looking to knock the popular hero down a peg or two. Shouto gave him third degree burns and then promptly encased him in ice. When a friend of said villain kidnapped Shouto in retaliation, Izuku crushed three terrorist groups in his quest to find him, and Detroit Smashed the ringleader so hard, it took five days to work out where the punch had sent him flying.
People left them alone after that.
And it finally gave them time to talk.
“…You punched him to Australia.”
“He kidnapped you.”
“To Australia. He landed in Australia.”
“Did I mention he kidnapped you out of petty revenge? And had ties to three terrorist organisations?”
“Australia.”
Izuku’s resolve wavered. “I’m sorry!” He wailed, looking wretched. “I didn’t mean to punch him that hard! I know that wasn’t very heroic of me! But I was scared and angry and worried, because he had you and I love you, and I had to get you back. I mean, he’s still alive—somehow—so that’s good, right? I didn’t kill him. Oh god, Shouto-kun, what if I killed him?!”
Caught up in his panic, he didn’t notice how Shouto had gone still. They were sitting beside one another on Izuku’s lounge, but he didn’t pick up on the fact that the other man had gone as silent and stiff as a board.
“What kind of hero would that make me if I killed him?! I wouldn’t deserve to be a hero, I’d be a villain!”
“Izuku.”
“All Might would be so disappointed. I’d never be able to work in heroics again. Why haven’t I been punished over this?”
“Izuku.”
“But I had to get you back! He took you! How dare he? I was so worried—”
“Izuku!”
He blinked. “I—yes?”
“You said you love me.”
Izuku’s panic over nearly killing the kidnapped was quickly replaced with an entirely new form of alarm. “I what?” He squeaked, thinking back over what he’d said.
Oh. Oh shit. He did say that. He wasn’t meant to say that! Not like that!
Shock seemed to be etched on Shouto’s face. “You said it.”
“I did,” Izuku blushed, looking down at his shoes, embarrassed, “and—and I meant it. But it’s okay if you don’t feel the—”
He was cut off as Shouto’s hand gingerly cupped his cheek and forced him to look up. Izuku sucked in a breath at the sight of his partner’s beaming smile and the sheer joy that radiated out of his heterochromatic eyes.
“I love you, too,” Shouto said, and sealed the declaration with a kiss.
Izuku melted into it, but quickly pulled himself away. No, no he couldn’t get distracted by Shouto’s perfectly kissable lips, or his beautiful hair that Izuku loved to run his hands through, or his eyes, that he wanted to drown in; who were looking at Izuku in equal parts adoration and lust…
No! No! He had to focus!
“But…but…” He tried and failed to get the words out.
“I’ve been in love with you for years,” Shouto went on. “Since UA.”
“What?!” Izuku cried. “No, I’ve been in love with you since UA.”
“It seems we’ve wasted a lot of time…although, I wouldn’t call these last few months wasteful.”
Izuku choked out a laugh. “I—I was so confused.”
Shouto frowned. “About what?”
“When this first started,” he said, gesturing between the two of them, “I thought it meant nothing to you. I thought it was just a way for us to forget all the bad things around us. To escape them, to be unware of them, for a little while. It was more than that for me, but you didn’t say anything, so I didn’t say anything. The morning after, you just left, and I thought that was going to be it, but then you came back.”
Shouto pressed his forehead to Izuku’s. “I’m sorry. I was scared, that first morning. I was terrified that I’d ruined things between us, so I ran. Then I thought if I just acted normal, everything would be okay. Then you were acting normal, and it was like nothing happened, and I didn’t want that. I wanted more, but I didn’t know how. That second time, I didn’t even come here for—for sex. I just wanted comfort, I just wanted you, but I’m selfish and took whatever you gave me.”
Izuku pulled back to he could gently cradle Shouto’s face in his hands. “You’re not selfish. The keyword there was ‘gave,’ and you didn’t take anything that wasn’t wilfully given.”
Shouto reached up to cover one of Izuku’s hands with his own, leaning into the green haired hero’s touch. “Izuku…I wasn’t trying to forget the world, I was trying to memorise you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe I wanted to forget the first two times, but I never wanted to forget you. I kept thinking that every time would be the last time. The last time we ate together, the last time we slept together, the last time we watched TV on your couch. I wanted to memorise everything I could, because I might not get another chance. The way your eyes light up when anything remotely hero related comes on the news. The way you grasp at the sheets when you’re about to—”
“Shouto-kun,” Izuku interrupted, looking bright red. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but stop talking.”
Shouto smiled, soft and warm and utterly beautiful. “Sorry.”
“You’re not sorry,” Izuku laughed.
“No, but I am sorry for confusing you. I’m not good at facing my feelings.”
“Neither am I, it’s okay.”
“We did this all backwards, didn’t we?”
“Yes, but that just means that now we can go forwards,” Izuku said, leaning in.
“I like the sound of that,” Shouto replied, and closed the distance between them.
Days later, after their relationship made front page news, after Shouto and Izuku finally made it on the cutest couple segment together, and after they received hundreds of congratulatory messages from their old classmates and teachers (plus a huge ‘I TOLD YOU SO’ from Uraraka), the two heroes made their way to Izuku’s old home.
“Mum,” Izuku said as they entered, “you remember Shouto-kun, right? I know it’s been all over the news, but we wanted to tell you in person: we’re dating.”
True to her word, Inko smiled, thanked Shouto and gave him a hug.