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Izuku’s decision to go study in America after graduating from U.A. had been a long time coming. Ever since they started thinking about what would happen once they were done with high school, Shouto had been expecting it. Izuku was following in All Might’s footsteps, and it was common knowledge the hero had gone abroad once he was out of high school himself. But even if that weren’t the case, America had amazing opportunities waiting for young, up and coming heroes that he could surely benefit from. It was only natural that would be the next logical step for someone hoping to become the next symbol of peace after his mentor entrusted him with the task.
At first, Shouto had been upset. After all, his best friend was going all the way across the globe, and not only that, but it wasn’t really a secret that Izuku meant a lot more to him than either of them chose to let on. They had other things to worry about at the time, more important things. There would be time for him to act on his feelings, Shouto told himself, when things were a little less hectic. They both knew where the other stood and that was all that mattered in the then and there. They exchanged caring touches, fond glances, hushed words of comfort, even a few warm embraces that, to this day, still manage to draw out the cold feeling of loneliness with just the memory alone.
Eventually, he managed to accept it, long before Izuku even said his final decision out loud. Shouto was happy for him, still is, really, but even so, that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to miss him terribly.
Throughout the time he was away, they wrote to each other, they texted each other and sometimes even indulged in a few calls, but never video. For some reason, Shouto felt like it would hurt just a little more to see Izuku’s face. It was enough to see him on the news, on online forums, social media posts… Even those, he avoided looking at for too long, lest his heart start squeezing painfully in his chest with the longing. Especially since American news outlets really enjoyed speculating about Heroes’ relationship statuses, and every time they tried to find evidence of Izuku’s interest in someone or another, Shouto was ashamed to admit he felt bile rise up in his throat.
Oftentimes, Shouto would wonder if it was the same for Izuku, this constant battle between catching a glimpse of him and avoiding it at all costs. It was quite exhausting, never knowing which side he should land on.
They constantly talked about visiting each other too, Izuku most of all, given he missed his home and his mother. But in all three years Izuku was set to be away, it never happened. There was always something in the way; villain attacks, an unexpected workload, some accident that ended up costing Izuku the money he had been saving to visit… Sometimes it almost seemed like it was on purpose, but Shouto tried not to entertain those intrusive thoughts for too long. There was nothing to them but paranoia and grief, and it would do him in no good to dwell on the lies of a lonely mind.
Not long after Izuku left, Shouto took to visiting his mother as well as his own. In part, to keep her company, but it was the other way around as well. There were always things that Izuku would forget to tell him or her, and they would have fun completing his stories over tea every other week, if time allowed.
Those three years were long and gruelling, but when Izuku said his last goodbyes at the airport, Shouto had promised him that he would have a home waiting for him whenever he returned to Japan to work at a hero agency. He was a man of his word, so when he moved out of his father’s house, he immediately looked for a two-bedroom apartment rather than something for just himself. He could spare the money, and it was always nice to have a guest room for any of his friends if they needed a place to sleep after an extremely tiring night, considering he lived closer to some of their agencies. And by the time the days on the calendar started the countdown to Izuku’s return, he already had everything ready for him to move in the moment he got back.
Izuku had mentioned in their last call that he already had a job waiting for him at the same agency Bakugou worked at, and Shouto had helped Inko pack his things about a week prior. He would be moving out of her little apartment regardless, but hearing the confirmation that he would be accepting Shouto’s offer from three years ago sent a wave of relief washing over him. Shouto hadn’t even realised how tense he had been during that call, but the moment Izuku asked him if he still meant what he had said back then, he almost broke down crying. Luckily, he managed to keep himself together enough that only a short gasp escaped his lips. The moment Izuku hung up after telling him what day he would be back, Shouto called the agency to get the day off.
Shouto spent the past three years waiting for this day, and now that it’s finally here, he can’t stop fidgeting. His stomach is twisted into painful knots, and his breaths feel just a bit too short, but Inko places a gentle hand over his bouncing leg and squeezes, raising an eyebrow at him as she looks up from the book in her hands.
“Are you going to be okay, Shouto-kun?” She asks with a wobbly smile, and coming from Izuku’s mother, who is notorious for worrying herself sick over him, she seems surprisingly calm. Which really says a lot more about him right now than it does her.
“Yes, sorry. Just anxious.”
She opens her mouth to say something else—something reassuring, most like—, but Shouto jumps to his feet the moment he sees a flash of unruly green hair amidst the airport’s crowd. Inko follows his line of sight and quickly stands up as well, her breath hitching while Shouto’s gets caught in his throat entirely. All the feelings he has been holding onto all these years are threatening to burst out of him, and Shouto is just about ready to run across the airport just to get to Izuku faster.
Except it seems he has the same idea, his large verdant eyes widening even further as soon as he spots them. Izuku nearly drops all his bags in his haste to get closer, his gaze trained on Shouto’s as he weaves past the crowd with such ease Shouto has to blink a few times to make sure he is seeing it right. Just a couple of metres away, Izuku finally lets go of his large baggage, opening his arms as he throws himself forward. And just when Shouto starts to step in his direction, ready to pull him into a tight embrace, Inko steps between them and pushes him back a few steps, intercepting Izuku’s incoming hug by wrapping her own arms around his waist before burying her face in his stomach.
Scratching at the back of his neck, Shouto gives them more space with a stifled chuckle, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he waits for Inko and Izuku to break apart.
“Look at you! Is it just me or did you get bigger?” Inko sniffles, pulling away to take a good look at her son.
Izuku flashes her a sheepish smile and shrugs. “Maybe a little?” He then turns to Shouto, his little laugh trailing off and a light flush crawling up to his sun-kissed cheeks as he seems to truly take him in for the first time. “I-if anything, I’m pretty sure Shouto-kun grew a lot taller. A-and…”
He pauses, swallowing, and Shouto furrows his brow in confusion, running a hand through his hair unconsciously and getting his fingers tangled in the knots. Suddenly, he is struck with the notion that he hasn’t really bothered to cut it since Izuku left, his brushing of his bangs away from his eyes the one thing that had reminded him to do it beforehand. After the fact, he just started collecting stolen hairclips from Ashido and borrowed hair ties from Momo. Is that why Izuku is staring? Before he can figure it out, Inko clears her throat, drawing both of their attention to her.
“I’m sure you two have a lot to catch up and all, but you’re going to live together soon, so—” She claps her hands and grabs the handle of Izuku’s bag, smiling brightly at them. “I’m going to take my son home so we can catch up. You understand, right Shouto-kun?”
Despite the sweet upturn of her lips, Shouto can see the threat in Inko’s eyes, biting on the inside of his cheek and nodding in silent agreement. Izuku lets out another tiny laugh, sounding a little more nervous than before, then turns to Shouto and gestures awkwardly before grabbing at the strap of his backpack and throwing it over his shoulder, hanging his head slightly.
“Well, I suppose I will call you two a taxi and take one home myself.” Shouto says quietly, digging into his pocket and taking Izuku’s hand to place the key to what will soon be their apartment atop his palm. “Tell me when you go, I will give you a proper greeting.”
A small smile settles on Shouto’s face, and Izuku’s own expression reminisces that of a deer caught in headlights, getting redder with each second that passes until he closes his fist around the key and stares back at his feet with a muted word of thanks. Shouto thinks he sees Inko rolling her eyes fondly when he starts walking outside to call for the taxis. As Izuku and Inko get settled in one of the cars’ backseats, Shouto helps the driver load the luggage in the trunk, waving them off before getting into his own and pointing the driver to his apartment.
Inko doesn’t release Izuku for at least another five days, but considering how long he has already waited and knowing she has waited just as long, he can’t really find it in himself to be mad or anything of the sort. She is his mother, after all, he knows how much he wanted to spend as much time as possible with his own when she finally got released from the hospital. So, when he wasn’t working, he took care to tidy up the house, make sure it feels like a home and not just a place he has been sleeping and eating in for the past three years. He had never been good at making his spaces feel lived in. Perhaps it was a habit born of his upbringing.
When Izuku sends him a text telling him he will be leaving his childhood home by the following evening, Shouto is happy that he will have a night patrol that day. When he gets home in the morning, he showers, eats, sleeps for a few hours, and is still left with more than enough time to prepare a nice homecooked meal for when Izuku arrives. He might as well put the skills Momo taught him to good use, considering he hardly ever cooks for himself.
Shouto never thought he would enjoy hearing the jiggle of a key in a lock as much as he does when Izuku gets inside, rolling his suitcase behind him and sucking in a deep breath when he catches sight of Shouto by the entrance to the kitchen. Izuku closes the door with a soft click and they simply stand there for the longest time, staring at each other, savouring the moment of quietude.
“Hey.” Izuku breathes, breaking the silence, and Shouto smiles.
“Hey.”
“You look really good,” He blurts, flushing the moment the words are out of his mouth, then clearing his throat. “I just—I didn’t say that, back at the airport. You look good, with your hair—It’s really…” Izuku gulps, sighs, and shakes his head, taking off his shoes without another word.
Making sure that he didn’t forget to turn off the stove before leaving the kitchen, Shouto walks to the living room, gesturing with his head for Izuku to follow. They both sit comfortably on the couch, half facing each other as they lean with their sides against the back of it. Izuku continues to burn holes into his head with his intense gaze and Shouto has to resist the urge to roll his eyes as a fond grin crawls onto his face.
“Do you want to touch it?” He has been told so many times that his hair looks ridiculously soft that it doesn’t faze him anymore. “You wouldn’t be the first to ask.”
“R-really? Are—are you sure?” Izuku sputters, uncertain, and Shouto just nods his permission, tilting his head downward for easier access.
Crooked and rough fingers he has missed so sorely weave between his locks, gentle, kind. His eyelids flutter closed at the touch, a small, contented sigh tipping from his lips, and he hears Izuku’s breath catch for a second, feels his fingers twitch over his scalp. A tiny shiver creeps down his spine.
“That feels nice.” Shouto hums and Izuku huffs out a breath that sounds akin to an incredulous laugh.
“Yeah… It does.” Izuku agrees in a hushed voice, continuing to tenderly pet his head for a few more heartbeats before reluctantly resting his hand over his lap. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too. But you’re here now.”
“I am.” Izuku smiles that brilliant smile of his, and everything in the world feels right. “There’s something I have wanted to tell you for a really long time.”
“Me too.”
Another beat of silence passes. Neither of them says anything, just appreciating the moment, staring into each other’s eyes, taking in the soft smiles and caring gazes. Izuku rests his head on the couch cushion, and Shouto mirrors him, reaching for Izuku’s hands and holding them between them both. His hands are as rough as he remembers them, and he traces the familiar scars over the back of the right one with the pad of his thumb. He may be a little taller, a little wider even, there might be a couple more scars around his arms, on his neck and face, his hair looks a little wilder, but those eyes are the same, these hands are the same, this feeling is exactly the same—perhaps a bit more intense.
“Welcome home.” Shouto says, voice choked with emotion.
Izuku closes his eyes and tears roll fat down his freckled cheeks. “Thank you for having me.”
Shouto could have kept going, told Izuku all of the feelings he has been holding on to for so many years. But they waited this long, they can wait just a bit longer. For now, they will enjoy being back in each other’s company, share a nice meal, and get settled in their new home. And if Izuku chooses to follow Shouto into his room rather than go across the hall, then that will be all the better.