Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Shit! Ochako, pick up the phone, PICK UP THE PHONE, DAMMIT!

“h’lo?” Her groggy voice croaks.

“Thank God!”

“Izuku, do you know how early it is right now?! It’s two in the morning. This’d better be an emergency,” She grumbles.

“It is! It’s ‘code red, all engines go, please just let me die’ critical.” He's pacing. Can she hear him pacing? Can Kacchan hear him pacing? No, he'd come throttle me if I woke him up.

“Is this like the time you glued your ass do your desk chair so you wouldn’t get distracted from your writing but then it turned out to be gorilla glue and I had to come to help you unstick your ass and—”

“You promised we’d never speak of it again! But no, this is worse.”

“… how?”

“You know how Kacchan and I have that meme war going on?”

“I can’t forget, no matter how much I want to. You two send the weirdest shit. Why you can’t just communicate with words I will never understand.”

“That’s our friendship, Ochako, take it or leave it.”

“Cool, I’ll leave it. Goodnight!”

“I-accidentally-sent-one-of-the-memes-to-the-wrong-number!”

“Oh, Izuku, what have you done?”

“I went clubbing with Kirishima and Jirō. We had a few drinks, danced, the usual. They both fell asleep in the Lyft on the way back, so I decided to scroll through some meme pages to find some way to express my feelings about the night to Kacchan.”

“Deku, what did you send?” He wrings his hands.

“I— it— ” No avoiding it now, he sighs. “I sent a picture of a shirtless guy in a gimp mask eating a taco.” The call goes dead.

Shit.

___

Shōto’s life is a bit more extraordinary than others, not that he really wants it to be. He’s been in the spotlight since infancy when his father decided he was born to be an actor. Born to make him money, more like it. Still, he tries to be as normal as possible. He goes to the grocery store, walks his dog Dabi in the park, and occasionally goes to parties. They’re not really his scene, but everyone has to socialize sometime… or so his therapist says.

Tonight, though, he has decided to attend the Tokyo Film and TV Awards which his long time friend and fellow actor YaoMomo is hosting.

SEVERAL HOURS EARLIER:

“Please Shōto. You are my best friend, and you're nominated for three awards. It would be rude of you not to attend.” He sigh. She's tried for weeks to get him to agree, but he really, really doesn't want to go to the dumb awards. He'll tell her as much and she will just have to listen... right?

“Momo, I really don’t want—”

“Someone will be there to pick you up at 10, bye!” Or not.

So, yeah… he decided to go of his own free will. It was his choice to put on a suit (selected by Momo), his choice to get in the car (provided by Momo), and his choice to sit in this annoyingly uncomfortable chair (unfortunately not provided by Momo, she would have given him a nicer one).

It’s just so boring. All of the jokes are cringey, the losers have to use their good-but-not-award-winning acting skills to pretend they're glad someone else won, it's just bad.

“Shōto, thank you for coming.” Momo greets him during the break with a polite, proper smile. If he didn't know her better, he would think she had forgotten just how much free will he had with the whole thing. A hint of a mischievous glint in her eyes is the only tell. She really is a wonderful actress.

“Your driver was quite insistent that I get in the car. She picked me up, Momo.” Ashido, Momo's driver, has always been terribly strong. She has dragged and lifted him far too many times to be necessary.

“If you didn’t give her such a hard time, Mina wouldn’t have to go to such measures. Plus, I did tell her to pick you up at 10, she merely followed instructions. I have hosting to do, enjoy yourself, your categories are coming up!”

He decidedly does not enjoy himself. He sits in his stained red chair and waits out the next few awards and speeches. There were some technical difficulties in the interim which pushed everything back an extra hour. It's now 1:30 a.m and there are six awards left to give, three of which he is nominated for. Still, he’s contemplating an escape plan when his phone pings in his pocket. He sneakily unlocks it and opens the text:

... What... the hell? It's from an unknown number, but even still, what would prompt such a message? He tries to figure out what to say. Should he say anything at all? Do they know who they are texting? What do?? While he tries to figure out the best approach, another message come in:

Chapter Text

“Fucking what” Katsuki yells through his bedroom door. Deku has called no less than ten times in the last hour and all he wants is the sweet release of unconsciousness. 

“Kacchannnn, help me! I’m meeting Todoroki today and I have nothing to wear.” He rolls his eyes and gives up on his well-deserved nap. 

“Why can’t you ask Round-Face? Isn’t this more her area of expertise?” He grumbles, already resigned. 

“I tried, she hung up on me,” Izuku says, dragging Bakugo to his room. 

“If only I had that luxury,” he mumbles, faced with Deku’s expansive wardrobe. “You have plenty of shit to wear, nerd.”

“But what? It has to be perfect, Kacchan. This isn’t any ordinary date. We’re talking about Todoroki Shōto!” He sighs, watching Izuku tug at his hair.

“Fine. Just this once, you hear me. I ain’t your stylist.” He starts leafing through the closet, hiding his amused smirk. Deku’s really got it bad.

“Thank you, Kacchan!”

“Tch, whatever.”

***

“Momo, I need your assistance. Could you please come help me?” His voice is as even as ever and, if she didn’t know him so well, she would claim he was disinterested. As Todoroki Shōto’s best friend, however, Yaoyorozu can hear the anxiety in his voice.  

“Is that all the information I get, Shō?” She sighs, already pulling on a jacket and touching up her makeup in case she’s spotted by paparazzi. He mumbles something indistinguishable on the other end.

“Please, Momo.” He's really desperate, she muses. What could this be about?

“I’ll be there soon.” He lets out a sigh of relief and she chuckles, hanging up the phone.

Of all the things she expected him to need help with, a fashion emergency was nowhere on the list. 

“You’re serious?” She’s seated on the lush satee in his room, staring into the void of his black and gray clothes.

“Yes, I need to know what one wears when meeting the human embodiment of sunshine.” How he says things like that so serious and monotone is a mystery, honestly. 

“And who might this ‘human embodiment of sunshine’ be, hm?” His face reddens. “Is that a blush? Well, now I need to know!”

“De—” He mutters.

“What was that, Shōto? I couldn’t hear you,” she tries to hide her smile, but even as a top-tier actress it is difficult. She’s never seen him so worked up before. 

“Deku,” she gasps and he blushes even harder.

“You have a date with Deku? Haven’t you been in love with him since you worked on the first Yuuei film?”

“Shh, Momo! It’s not… I’m not… it’s just dinner.”

“How did this even come about?” And how hasn’t she heard about it already?

“He texted me by accident a while back. We only recently realized we were messaging each other and now we are getting dinner.”

“I can’t believe my little Shōto has a date with one of the most famous musicians in the world. You be careful, you hear me? Musicians notoriously play the field.” She says, waving her finger at him like a concerned mother.

“Midoriya would never!” 

“Oh, so it’s Midoriya, huh? And I didn’t hear you deny the date, mister.” Perhaps she should feel bad for making fun of her oldest friend, but it’s a rare opportunity and he’s just so easy to tease.

“It’s not a—! It’s… I don’t know if it’s… a date.” No one would ever believe the suave, composed, mysterious Todoroki was this flustered. It’s almost a tragedy.  

“Well, we’ll have you looking so good he will be begging you to let it be a date.” He sighs, clearly embarrassed, but she doesn’t miss the quiet “thanks” he whispers through his hands.

***

It’s nearly six in the evening and the sun is just getting ready to set when he sees Todoroki walking towards him. The light shines behind him and he looks like an actual angel, scratch that, no, an angel dressed like a devil. Izuku lets his eyes drift down the other man’s body before he’s spotted. He never knew perfectly fitted black slacks, a not-all-the-way buttoned merlot dress shirt, and ankle boots could stop his heart. Those forearms are absolutely criminal. Granted, paired with well-quaffed red and white hair and those beautifully distracting earrings, Todoroki could never look bad.

***

He has to squint to prevent himself from being blinded by the sun, but even after the moment passes, he is still at risk of being blinded when he finally spots Midoriya. Forget ‘human embodiment of sunshine,’ there’s no way that man is human. Shōto has never before been jealous of an article of clothing, but at this moment he wants nothing more than to be that tight gray v-neck on Midoriya’s body. He’s used to pictures of Deku, ‘the world’s cinnamon roll,’ but tonight he looks like straight-up sin. The shirt is paired with tight, ripped black jeans, a vertical pinstriped blazer, and boots, but the most distracting part of the ensemble is Deku’s face. He’s known for wearing makeup, for toeing the line on gender-based clothing, and he always looks amazing. Screw gender norms. Tonight, though, he’s just got dark green winged eyeliner and light blush over his freckled cheeks. If this isn’t a date, Shōto might just curl up and die right at the table. 

The two stare at each other for a moment before snapping back to reality. 

“Hi,” Shōto tries so hard to maintain his suave persona, but it’s already faltering, a smile threatening to blossom at any moment.

“Todoroki!” Midoriya smiles, bright as expected, and pulls him into a tight hug. Maybe it is a date? Does Deku hug every new person he meets? It wouldn’t surprise him. “It’s so good to finally meet you in person.” He pulls away from the hug but keeps a hold on Shōto’s hand. He knows Momo would say this is an indicator of a date, but… this is Deku. He’s just too kind to follow normal perimeters.

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Midoriya.” Maybe it is a date, maybe it isn’t. It doesn’t matter. The smile that finally settles on his face is genuine either way.

***

Todoroki is smiling. He’s real and he’s here and he’s smiling. Honestly, after the first picture, he didn’t think he would ever see a more beautiful sight, but this moment is most likely the best in his life, even better than when he met All Might and he loves All Might (though he may love Todoroki more). 

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Midoriya.” He could die right now and leave with no regrets. Seriously, how can someone’s voice be that decadent? And he hasn’t let go of Izuku’s hand yet. Kacchan won’t even believe it. 

“I was wrong, in our texts before,” he says, looking up at Todoroki’s now confused eyes. “This is the best day of my life.” The taller man chuckles. Is there any footage of him laughing or is Izuku one of the luckiest people in the world to witness such a rare sight?

“I believe I stand corrected as well.” Ahh, he’s so cool! They look at each other again,  neither saying anything before Todoroki clears his throat.

“Right! So, ah, dinner?” Todoroki nods, looking a little pink, as they walk up to the restaurant. 

Chapter Text

The hostess is visibly startled, as are most of the restaurant's other patrons when they ask for a private table for two. Still, Deku and Todoroki sign a few autographs and take selfies with fans (and humbly request they wait to post them online for a few hours), before being seated at a slightly more secluded table in the back of the family-owned Mexican restaurant.

"Um-- can -- what can I get for you? Sorry! Oh, I'm so sorry," the waitress yelps as she fumbles with the pitcher and spills water on the table and onto Deku's lap.

"It's okay, it's fine, really!" It's a bit... wet, sure, but it's no big deal. He offers her a bright smile to assuage her concerns. "I get it, I would freak out too if I got a surprise Todoroki appearance." The girl looks like she wants to apologize again and that simply won't do. Deku is a fanboy himself, so he really, really does understand her pain. "We'll have the street tacos. Would you like a selfie?" Her head might fall off with the intensity of her nodding.

"That was very kind of you," Shōto says after she's taken their order and photo. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine. A little water won't hurt anyone" Unbeknownst to Deku, the thought of a wet Midoriya is very much hurting Todoroki.  "Sometimes I forget that we aren't normal people," Izuku chuckles, taking a sip from his water to stop himself from staring at the beautiful man sitting across from him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, I'm perfectly normal," Perfect is right, wait, was that a joke? Did the Todoroki-- stoic, too-cool Todoroki-- just make a joke?! Izuku might die right here, right now, and that would be okay. Goodbye world, goodbye One For All. It's been a good life.

"Oh yes, Mister 121 million Insta followers, you're very average,"  he rolls his eyes playfully.

"I have an Instagram?" Shōto quirks an eyebrow and the gesture, while adorable, is exceedingly confusing.

"Are-- are you kidding?" The only reply he gets is a few slow blinks. "You're not kidding. I figured you didn't run it, but you don't even know you have one?" Deku whips out his phone (something he usually avoids on dates... or would if he went on any) and opens Shōto's Instagram page. "Gaze upon your beauty, Sir Shōto." Todoroki's cheeks go a little pink before Izuku realizes he just called Todoroki his first name. He's about to apologize when he sees his date gently flop his head onto the table.

"Uh, Todo?" The man grumbles something, but the words are lost to the wood of the table. "My dude, my guy, I have no clue what you're saying." Shōto lifts his head up and Izuku breaks out laughing. There's a napkin stuck to his forehead and his face is bright red. He looks ridiculous and absolutely breathtaking. Izuku, the good date he is, reaches across the table and grabs the napkin, taking the moment to let his fingers brush across Shōto's temple. Todoroki, flustered and pink as he is, doesn't even seem to notice.

"They post these pictures with captions? Do people really think this is me talking?" Izuku takes his phone back to see which photo Todoroki is looking at. Ah, it's the one from the beach. This one almost killed Izuku when it was posted. It's one of the only shirtless photos on his account and was clearly taken for some promotion, but that didn't stop Deku from staring way too hard at the divots of muscle and smooth planes of his torso. Shōto rocks the trendy red, white, and black floral swim shorts like they were made for him, but the caption is a little less 'Todoroki.'

"'Hotter near the water,' really? I would never say that!" Izuku snorts at Todoroki's unadulterated indignance.

"Maybe not, but it's not untrue." Flirting was never Deku's strong suit, but Shōto gets embarrassed surprisingly easily. It's endearing, especially when the tips of his ears go pink like this.

"Wait, did you like it?" Todoroki whispers, eyes wide. The red heart under the picture is undeniable, so Izuku doesn't try to deny it.

"Of course! I'm your number one fan after all."

***

There are a lot of things happening in his head at once. First, he needs to talk to whoever runs his social media accounts. Second, did Deku just say he was his number one fan? Deku? Third, are his pants still wet? It's bad that he's still thinking about that, right? It's just... how can he not? But, back to the second point. Deku is his fan? How could that be? He has so many questions, but that wouldn't be calm or collected and he's failed on both counts several times already tonight.

"I suppose it's only fair that I'm your number one fan too then."

"Don't do it just to make it fair, Todo. I have to earn it." Oh, if you only knew.

"I think you've beyond earned it, Midoriya." Shōto can't tell him that he owns every album they've released along with some of the autographed merch. He has some shame. Maybe Deku would autograph my shirt, he thinks before realizing how stupid that would be.

Their food arrives shortly after and Shōto really has to fight back a smile when Deku picks up a taco and attempts to hold it like the masked man in the meme. All of the toppings fall out, of course, but Shōto does get a brilliant new background photo for his phone.

The rest of the date is spent talking about their friends and upcoming projects. It's nice, no, more than that, it's easy. Shōto has never found it easy to talk to people before. Even his friendship with Momo took years to cultivate. Why does talking to Deku feel so warm and fuzzy? When Midoriya laughs it's like he's wrapping Shōto in a cozy blanket. He could stay like this forever.

They pay their bill and head outside where their cars are waiting, but Shōto doesn't want to go. He knows he has to, he has to be up early for a morning talk show tomorrow and Izuku mentioned something about a meet and greet, but... how bad would it be to forget the rest of the world and stay with Deku?

"Is this a date, Midoriya?" The words seem to form on their own. He certainly hadn't planned to ask, but now that he has...

"Do you want it to be?" Deku's looking up at him with a small smile on his face. He's absolutely breathtaking. It's a simple 'yes' or 'yes' answer, yet Shōto can't speak. They're sitting alone along the edge of a large fountain now. Moonlight reflects off of the water and bathes Midoriya in the incandescent beauty of the night. Deku's eyes light up like stars, his smile radiates like a warm summer evening, and Shōto stops breathing, too. He leans in, one hand finding its way to Midoriya's chin, tilting it up so their eyes meet. The only sound around them is the soft trickling of water and Midoriya's shallow breath. Deku inches forward, nearly closing the gap between their lips. He's just a breath away now, Shōto thinks, moving his hand up to thumb across the constellations of freckles on Midoriya's cheek. They're so close he can feel Izuku swallow hard as his eyes flutter closed.

"I saw them, for real! It really was Deku and Todoroki!" The two shoot apart at the sound of their names. They share an anxious look and dart behind a big tree near the water feature.

Once the fans are gone, Shōto hazards a glance at Midoriya again. They almost kissed. He almost kissed Deku. He doesn't know whether to be upset that they were interrupted or elated that it nearly happened at all.

***

He nearly kissed Shōto. God, he wants to kiss Shōto. He's even more handsome in the evening haze, though maybe it's just the way he's looking at Izuku. That far-away glazed-over look in his eyes should be criminal because it is literally killing Deku.

He wants to kiss Shōto, but not hiding from fans behind a tree. The situation is all kinds of insane, actually: two young celebrities on a first date, hiding behind glorified shrubbery. He can't stop the laugh that bubbles up again. It's so easy to laugh with Shōto, especially when the other man pouts like he is doing right now.

"It's not funny, Midoriya," the glint in Shōto's eyes says otherwise. How can the world think this man is serious? He really is a great actor. Izuku can't help himself, he needs to be closer to Todoroki, right now. He leans up on his toes and wraps his arms around Shōto's shoulders, pulling him in for a tight hug.

"Maybe not, but it gives us something to look forward to next time," he whispers into Shōto's ear.

"Next time?"

"If you'll have me, that is."

"Oh, I'll have you alright," Todoroki's eyes go wide as the words leave his lips and he slaps his hand over his mouth. Izuku finds himself laughing, nearly hysterical, yet again. This time, he hopes the blush he's wearing covers the undeniable red patches growing on his cheeks. He stops himself from saying something equally dangerous, something like "Please."

"That was smooth, Todo! I wasn't expecting that. Can I pencil you in now, then? Say, Friday at 7?" The red and white-haired man bites back an embarrassed smile before schooling his features into his branded nonchalance. He leans down and kisses the top of Izuku's head before shifting closer to his ear.

"Yes, Friday at 7. I'll have you then."

The man walks away and Izuku is left staring in his direction, cheeks definitely redder than the blush on his face. Holy shit.

Chapter Text

It's a testament to Shōto's self-control that he doesn't say something stupider, something like: 'yes, tell me what came over you, Midoriya'. He's not even the sort of person who makes innuendos, but something about Deku makes him brave, borderline reckless.

It's only Thursday and the week has been agonizingly slow. There have been talk-shows, interviews, table reads, and two late shows that hosted competitions to make Shōto smile. There were no successful participants. He's exhausted and misses Midoriya more than he can say, so he tries to make the most of these little moments. They may be driving him mad. Luckily tomorrow there's only one event between him and his date with Midoriya, and it's a big one: Friday brunch at Momo's. His phone buzzes again as he settles into yet another makeup chair for yet another late-night talk show. They're talking to him and he's trying to be polite, but that means he's distracted from his phone, from his rational sensibility. He doesn't even think before hitting send.

***

"Kacchan," Deku whispers from the couch. "Kacchan. Kacchan!" He leans over to the other side of the sofa and pokes the blonde's face, first his nose, then his cheek, then in his ear.

"What?! The hell could you need now, shitty Deku?" He yells, swatting his hand away.

"I think Todoroki wants me." Bakugo scoffs.

"Well duh, idiot. The hell do you think all this was about?" He gestures vaguely to Izuku's phone which hasn't stopped buzzing for days.

"What? No, I mean, I know, but I think he wants me." He throws the phone to Katsuki who reads the most recent messages and smirks.

"That little shit. Never took him for the flirtatious type. Whatcha gonna do about it, De-ku?" He asks almost seductively. Izuku rolls his eyes and snatches his phone back.

"I am going to make him dinner tomorrow." He says, happily typing out a message to Shōto.

"You can't cook, dumbass." Izuku grins wider, looks directly at Bakugo, and bites his lips.

"Teach me, Kacchan?" He pouts and blinks at Katsuki with big doe eyes. If Bakugo hadn't known him for so long, he might've fallen for it. Hell, most of the world has fallen for it. No one believes him when he says the world's cinnamon roll is actually a manipulative little bastard. In the best way, of course.

"Like hell." The blonde tries to stand but Deku is already on him, pressing him to the couch.

"Kacchannnn," He hums, running his hands through the blonde's hair, "If things go well, I might not be home tomorrow night. Think of what you could do, all alone in the apartment for a whole night." Bakugo's eyes darken and he swallows heavily.

"Fuck," He pants. "I could get so much fuckin' sleep," Deku nods slowly, meeting his hooded eyes. "Fine, I'll help you make a meal so damn good he won't let you leave."

Izuku's dark smile breaks into a giddy one as he flings himself back onto the couch. "Great, 'cause I already texted him!"

"You little shit!"

***

He's settled in Momo's town car, picked up by the same pink-haired driver that lifted him into the vehicle for the award show. She almost seems disappointed that he's coming willingly this time.

If he thought he was tired before the show last night, he's exhausted now. The host kept asking invasive questions about his father and his love life. Why can't they stick to approved topics? Usually the romance inquiries are easy to bypass. They ask if he's seeing someone, he says no. They try to get him to hedge but there's nowhere to go so they drop it. It's a little more complicated now with Deku in the picture. They're not dating exactly but they are definitely something. Still, he responded the same way he always does, but his heart stuttered when he did. It tapered to the beat of liar, liar, liar.

Momo greets him as politely as usual, but not without a teasing air. She already knows too much. He texted her last night after the "I said what I said" fiasco and hasn't stopped sending related gifs since. At least she hasn't found the taco one yet.

"I hope you don't mind, I invited a friend to join us." He did mind, actually. Shōto is so tired of talking and having to be nice, he was really hoping to eat brunch and get made fun of in peace.

"Of course not." Momo smiles but it's not like her usual ones. This one is sharp, mischievous, and it only lasts a second.

"Great, she's in here." He follows her, reluctantly, through the foyer to the large covered porch and he nearly trips over himself when he sees who is joining them. She's dressed casually enough, nice jeans, designer top, and a leather jacket, but the purple hair and headphones are distinctive enough. It's--

"Todoroki Shōto, this is Jirō Kyōka. Jirō-san, this is Todoroki," Momo turns to him again with an arched brow. She's trying to kill him! This is basically meeting Deku's family! He spends more time with his band than his blood relatives, so this may actually be worse. Shōto holds back a sigh and bows politely.

"It's a pleasure." Jirō laughs, laughs and he jerks back up to see why. She's leaning on Momo now which is... confusing, and Momo is laughing too. What joke are they both in on?

"Handsome and polite, I can see why he stole our Deku's heart," she smirks as if she weren't talking about him instead of to him.

"YaoMomo and I were discussing your upcoming date and we thought it best to go over some ground rules with you." God, this is worse than the shovel-talk. Why do they need ground rules? Aren't they both consenting adults?

"Shōto, don't be scared. It's just brunch. Mimosa?" Yaoyarozu hands him the drink and he downs it. He never did like brunch.

"How do you two know each other?" The women laugh and he digs further into his confused pit of discomfort. He has half a mind to text Midoriya to come to rescue him. No wonder Mina thought he would fight harder this morning.

"We met a few years back at the Met Gala. Remember, the one you didn't want to attend?"

"Wait, so you've known--"

"I am the closest with Jirō, but I have met One For All in its entirety, yes." He could kill her. Well, no, he couldn't, but he could ruin brunch, goddamnit! Sure, he didn't want to meet Deku before in case it ruined the image he had in his head, but if Momo already met him and approved, why didn't she say anything?

"We aren't here to talk about my relationship with Momo," the word 'relationship' bounces around in his head a few times, but that seems like a conversation to have after brunch, "we're here to talk about you and Deku."

"What about us?" The purple-haired girl smirks and suddenly he feels like he can hear his own heartbeat.

"I'll let Bakugo give you the 'hurt him and you die' chat because he's much more graphic than I am," she leans forward into his space and Shōto gulps, "but I will say that if you hurt him not even Momo could save your reputation, got it?" He nods hesitantly.

"But I don't want to hurt Midoriya."

"Then we shouldn't have a problem," her face softens into something kind, something he can see Momo liking, maybe. "Beyond that, I wanted to know what your intentions are. Momo assures me you really care for him, but sometimes there are fans who like 'Deku' and not 'Izuku'. Seeing as you're already calling him Midoriya, I think we'll be all right." He could let it go, it seems like she's ready to move on, but he opens his mouth anyway.

"I will admit, I am a fan of OFA and of Deku," Momo snorts in the most elegant way possible, but he ignores it. "However, my affection for Midoriya is unrelated to who he is or his status. I have had the same issue in the past. It can be hard knowing who genuinely cares and who is chasing prestige and fame. When I... when I'm with Midoriya, I feel safe. When we talk he's always reading between the lines and helps me with the things I struggle to say. He... he makes me smile." Something like that means a thousand times more from Todoroki than it does any other person. Hundreds of people challenge him to smile and he never does. He will when it's in a script, but never genuinely. He does enough faking in his job to pretend in real life.

Momo's eyes soften and the air in the room shifts to something that feels like the color green. It's warm and light like the grass in early spring right after a rain shower. It feels like Midoriya.

"Holy shit," Jirō whispers but it snaps him out of his head anyway. "Todoroki was smiling... because of Deku... holy shit!" He hadn't realized, but it makes sense that thinking about Midoriya would make him smile as much as talking to him does. From the understanding look on YaoMomo's face, he must have been.

"I care about him very much."

"Take care of him, he deserves something good." Kyōka smiles back at him offering a peace mimosa. He takes it from her and clinks their glasses together.

"I will."

"Great, now about those ground rules."

***

It's ten to seven and Deku is standing outside Shōto's door. He had expected a grandiose gate with security and pin pads outside of Todoroki's mansion, but the address he got lead him to a cute house in an unassuming neighborhood. It's still big and clearly expensive, but it's nowhere near what would be expected of a famous actor like Shōto.

With one more adjustment of his hair, Deku knocks.

"Hi," Shōto greets with the most beautiful smile Izuku has ever seen. God, it's like he shines angel-light.

'Hi," he says breathlessly. Their eyes linger, neither willing to break contact just yet. Todoroki's smile grows wider and he steps forward and wraps his arms around Izuku, holding him tight. Deku squeezes back immediately with one thought in his head:

I'm so fucked.

Chapter Text

Is there such a thing as ‘home at first sight’ because being with Shōto in this cute house is the most at home Izuku has ever felt. It's an open concept space, western in style, but maintains some traditional flair. The decor is minimal, but there’s an area by the kitchen that’s wall to wall books, old film posters, and a few of the more prestigious awards. Everything about it screams ‘Shōto.’

“You brought things?” Shōto gestures to the bags by Izuku’s feet.

“I promised to cook you dinner and I wouldn’t ask you to get my groceries, silly," Deku laughs, following Shōto to the kitchen.

“I didn’t know you cooked.”

“I, uh, dabble.” Was that a convincing lie to an actor as amazing as Shōto?

“I’ll have to make you something next time.”

“You cook?” Add one more thing to the list of ‘things of Todoroki’s that Deku wants to taste.’
 
“I dabble,” Shōto smiles with a mischievous glint in his eye. Not a convincing lie, then. 

“Do you want help?”

“Oh, you can chop veggies if you want. It’s not an overly complicated recipe,” because Kacchan wouldn’t let him attempt anything difficult. It would be ‘too much too soon’ and ‘might ruin chances at a good night’s sleep’ or whatever.

“I’m sure whatever you make will be wonderful.” This is so much better than texting. The last week has been harder than he imagined. They haven’t even known each other that long, how can one date ruin him as much as it has? Why does he want to be ruined even further? 

“Midoriya?” Shōto’s hand drops onto his shoulder and he leaps in the air.

“What?!”

“You alright? You went somewhere else.” His hand is still on my shoulder, his hand is still on my shoulder,  his hand is still on my shoulder.

“Yeah, yes, I am a-okay, wonderful, fantastic—”

“Midoriya!” The warm hand moves from his shoulder to his cheek and the other hand reaches around to the other side of Deku’s face. Oh my… his hands are on my face! Deep breath, just take a deep breath. 

“I’m good, really, Todo. I’m just really excited to see you. I missed you.” Shōto smiles again and something ignites in Izuku.

“I missed you too, Midoriya, a lot. Probably more than is acceptable.” Todoroki missed me too. His heart beats irratically and he really has no desire to control it.
 
“I’ve just been so excited to see you that now I’m here and I don’t know what to do. I want to make you dinner and talk about your week, but I also want…”  he swallows the words.

“What do you want, Midoriya?” Todoroki asks a little huskily, hands still on Izuku’s face.

“You. I really want you.” 

***

His eyes are electric. Every time Shōto steals a glance it’s like he’s been shocked. Midoriya fits in so well in his kitchen, in his house, in his life. 

He never thought he could have a moment this normal, chopping vegetables while Deku cooks. Okay, maybe having a world-famous musician in your kitchen isn’t ‘normal,’ but it feels it. This isn't 'Deku' of One For All, it's Midoriya Izuku, his adorable boyfr-- date.

Deku is smiling, but he seems a million miles away. Maybe he’s not as comfortable as Shōto. Is there anything he can do to make him more comfortable? He’s reached over to touch Midoriya’s shoulder before he has a second to think about it.

He’s happy, thank goodness. Jumpy, but happy and he missed Shōto just as much. Maybe this bubbly feeling is normal too.

“I’ve just been so excited to see you that now I’m here and I don’t know what to do. I want to make you dinner and talk about your week, but I also want…” 

“What do you want, Midoriya?” He barely manages to whisper out the words.

“You. I really want you.” Shit. Deku is trying to kill him. 

“I— I—” He stutters.

“Oh God, was that too much? I’m so sorry, I—” And now Midoriya is panicking, say something Shōto, you idiot!

“I want you, too.” He says, looking straight into his deep green eyes.

“You do?” Deku whispers, hopeful but uncertain.

“Of course I do! The only reason I even hesitated was the stupid ground rules.” His own eyes go wide.

“Ground rules?” 

“Uh-oh, oh no.” He backs away from Deku, laying his face in his hands. “One of the ground rules was not to mention the ground rules.”

“Great, if you already broke one, who cares about the rest?” Izuku steps closer.

“Nope, they don’t have to know I broke it.” Todoroki backs up again.

“Who?”

“Well, Momo—”

“Momo as in Yaoyorozu Momo? The super talented, super kind, beautiful actress, that ‘Momo?’”

“Yes, she is my best friend.” Izuku blinks a few times, seemingly stupefied by the revelation. 

“I should have expected that. You’re both very talented and famous and stunning, of course, you’re friends, I— I’m mumbling again. You should stop me if I’m mumbling, Todo. I’ll never stop.”

“I like the mumbling.” Deku beams. He does like the mumbling, but it may also be a good way to change the conversation.

“Wait, didn’t you say ‘they?’ Did someone else give you ground rules?” Nevermind.

“Mm, well, there is a chance Jirō joined us for brunch this morning.”

“Kyōka?! My Jirō?” Shōto nods. “Well, now I have to hear all about it!” 

Shōto tells him about their meeting while they finish making dinner. 

“So, what are the actual rules?” Shōto can feel the blush on his cheeks growing. The rules weren’t entirely PG. Izuku looks at him with wide eyes. Todoroki clears his throat. 

“There are three rules, four if you count not talking about the rules,” he begins. “Rule one, don’t break Deku’s heart. Rule two, don’t let the public know until you figure your shit out. Rule three, no funny business before the third date.” He hazards a glance at Izuku who is blushing just as bad as he must be. 

“They really thought those were necessary?” 

“They have some merit, I suppose. We haven’t really defined what we are yet, not that we have to if you don’t want to.” The green-haired man smiles, but it’s more serious than the lighthearted ones before.

“I liked you before I knew who I was talking to, Todoroki. We’ve been texting for weeks and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. Then I found out it was you and I was so ridiculously happy it’s crazy. I really like you, Todo. I know we live busy lives and it may be hard, but I’d like to be with you.”

Shōto’s heart is going to explode it’s beating so fast. What does one say to a confession as kind and beautiful as that? He takes another bite of, frankly delicious, food and tries to formulate literally any words.

“You make me smile. It’s notoriously hard to do that and with you I’ve found I need to fight to keep myself from smiling. You’re ridiculous and gorgeous inside and out, and I really like you. I would be honored to be yours.” Was that too formal, probably, yeah. What’s wrong with you, Todoroki, you—

***

Izuku flings himself across the table and into Shōto’s lap, winding his fingers into red and white locks.

“You mean it? We’re really doing this?” If he smiles any more it might be painful, but this is the best sort of pain.

Shōto doesn’t say anything, but Izuku notices the second he starts to lean down. It’s a lot simpler this time, no fans, no shrubbery, no titles or commitments, just Shōto and Izuku. When their lips finally touch, it’s like starlight, bright and blinding, but so beautiful you can’t help but to love it. Shōto tastes like homemade Katsudon and fresh winter snow and Izuku wants more. He leans into the kiss from his spot in Todorki’s lap and wraps his arms around his neck, pulling him in. 

It’s passionate but not heated or rushed. His head bobs slowly, licking and sucking into Shōto’s mouth. Todoroki lifts him with ease, not breaking the kiss, before laying Izuku down on the couch and pressing sweet kisses to the side of his neck and cheek. They stay like that for a while, all soft touches and light kisses, until Shōto tickles up Izuku’s side, forcing out a high-pitched squeak.

“We should do that again soon.” Todoroki whispers into the side of Izuku’s neck.

“I, uh, told Kacchan not to wait up for me. He’s actually hoping I don’t come home.” Shōto quirks an eyebrow.

“Presumptuous, I like it.” He leans down again for another gentle kiss. 

“We can watch a movie and you can take the guest room. I don’t trust myself to share a bed with you, if I’m honest, and I really don’t want to know what happens if I break another rule.” Stupid rules. He’s going to have a talk with Kyōka, the cock-blocker. Why doesn’t she want him to see how beautiful the rest of Todoroki is? Why is that so bad? 

Shōto pulls blanket over them and lays his head on Izuku’s shoulder, and the thoughts of yelling at Jirō fade away. This is perfect, the rest can wait. 

Chapter Text

"Okay, so I know the rules say we can't tell the public yet and I get it but it sucks," Deku whines, draping himself across Shōto's shoulders at the breakfast table. "I want everyone to know how important you are to me." They've been official for two months and it's been tough, between Todoroki's shooting schedules and OFA planning another world tour, they only get to see each other once a week at best. They both know in-person dates will eventually turn to texts and video calls when Deku leaves, which makes every second together even more special.

Shōto tilts his head back and pulls him into a soft series of kisses. "I know, bunny. I wish we could be normal and post disgustingly cute photos on Instagram, but we should wait." Izuku groans.

"I knowww, I know. I just miss you and I don't like lying." Todoroki stands up, hoists the smaller man into his arms and carries him to the couch, unceremoniously dropping him onto it.

"S-Shō?" Todoroki smirks. He may never be able to hear his name again without remembering the first time Izuku used it. Bakugo had kicked Izuku out for the night because he was 'loud and annoying as hell,' but anyone can see how much that man cares about Deku, especially if they were subjected to the same threats he gave Shōto. He still shivers sometimes at the dead look in the blonde's eyes when he said things like 'if you hurt him I will cut off every one of your toes and sew them onto your face,' and 'I will take your balls and shove 'em so far down your throat, you won't want to see tomorrow. You get me?' He did, he does. He has no plans to hurt Izuku. No pain just pleasure, which incidentally is how he got Deku to call him Shōto. He was pleased to find out Izuku is as loud in bed as he is on stage, but a lot more explicit.

He leaves little pecks all over Izuku's face, bathing in the tingly feeling he gets when Deku giggles.

"Be mine for just a little longer. Someday the world will know and they'll try to get as much information out of us as possible. For now, just be mine and I'll be yours." Izuku beams up at him. It still makes his heart leap. How can this beautiful, remarkable man be his? Shōto has never felt so happy in his life, even if he's got more to hide. People have speculated, sure, but most people think they're just friends. They spend most of their time at Shōto's house anyway, so the general public doesn't have much opportunity to catch them holding hands or kissing. Speaking of which, he thinks, leaning down to kiss Izuku again.

***

"Shō, have you seen my white jeans?" Izuku's voice trails down the hall.

"Th' ri'ped on's? I th'nk th'y're h'ng up t' dry. Shoul' be fin' to we'r." His boyfriend yells back from the bathroom. Midoriya hears him spit and turn on the sink as he finishes brushing his teeth. It's a good thing Shōto knows where his things are because he sure doesn't. Their driver will be there in a few minutes to take them to the studio and Izuku is still pantless.

"Ah, found them!" There's a honk outside right as he finishes tugging them on and pulling on sneakers. Shōto descends the stairs like a royal. Even after six months of dating, Izuku has yet to see a version of Shōto look bad. Even in the morning after a long night on set when he's a drooling, snoring mess, Shōto still looks beautiful. Sometimes, Deku thinks he looks even more amazing on those mornings because he's more his 'boyfriend Shō' than famous actor Todoroki Shōto.

He can't help but stare as Shōto pulls on his own shoes and watch the lean muscle shift under his shirt as he laces them up. He's beautiful and perfect and Izuku doesn't want to know a day without him. He is in so deep, drowning in affection.

Shōto extends his hand and wiggles his fingers, prompting Izuku to take it. He does, but before they make it to the door he pulls Shōto in and kisses the breath out of him. Todoroki smiles and bops their foreheads together before dragging him out the door.

God, he's so in love.

***

They hop in the car and exchange a few words with the driver before settling in for the ride. They really have to thank their press teams again for setting up an interview together. Shōto is to talk about his latest film and Izuku will tell everyone about their newest album and upcoming tour. It's the first time they have ever done anything together professionally and Todoroki is excited and... anxious. What if they slip up? Izuku wouldn't be mad. He knows how much Deku wants the world to know, but Shōto's not ready. What happens when everyone knows? What if things change?

He takes Izuku's hand in his again and steels his mind. It'll be fine.

It doesn't take long to get to the studio or go through hair and makeup. The process is familiar, if tedious, but Izuku looks adorable, so it's worth it.

Before he knows it, they're on stage with the host, a loud blonde who seems to speak in riddles. Izuku promised to translate because Todoroki doesn't understand 'internet speech,' whatever that means. It's just one more reason he's grateful for Midoriya Izuku.

"Alright, fam! We are Live! Today we have two very successful, absolutely gorge men with us. Show Deku and Todoroki some love!" The studio audience cheers as the in-house band play a plucky tune. "Lit! Let's start with Deku, you--" The interview is going well. He hasn't understood half the things the interviewer has said, but Izuku helped as promised. They've gone over his new project and OFA's tour information and Shōto almost allows himself to breathe. There are only a few minutes left and Izuku is on a roll. He watches as Deku animatedly talks to the interviewer, Cammie, he thinks her name is, about a recent viral cover of one of their songs. He's so adorable it hurts!

Shōto thinks back to the morning when he woke up with his head nuzzled into Izuku's green curls. They cooked breakfast together, watched an episode of the anime series they've been binging, and got ready for this interview. They basically live together at this point. Izuku's clothes are all over the house, mugs and pictures have migrated from his place to Shōto's, and he stays over whenever he can. Izuku is leaving for the world tour in two weeks and he doesn't want to spend a minute away from him. He loves Izuku. He loves Izuku. It's not a groundbreaking realization, but it strikes at an odd time. There's a weird buzzing in his ear and he feels like he may be forgetting something.

"Todorok-san?" Right, the interview. Cammie is looking at him expectantly and Deku is clearly trying to hide a smirk.

"Sorry, I zoned out for a second. What was the question?" She smiles in that exaggerated, overly-nice way that he usually hates, but he can't be mad right now. He's too busy being in love with Izuku.

"I was asking about your love life. Any hot deets?" He nearly rolls his eyes at the woman. The denial is already on his tongue, but then he sees Izuku's dazzling smile out of the corner of his eye. He loves that smile. He loves this man, and--

"As a matter of fact, there is." Cammie leans forward in her chair and Izuku stares at him with wide eyes, happy but confused.

"Do tell, come on fam, don't leave us hanging!" He thought he'd feel nervous, letting people in, but Izuku is right next to him so nothing can really be that scary.

"A few months ago I started seeing someone. They're the most important person in my life and I am very lucky to have them," he says stoically.

"Ahh! You're breaking a lot of hearts out there today, Todoroki-san! We'll get back to you in a second," she turns to Mirodiya. "What about you, Deku, any juicy romantic tea?" Izuku squints his eyes a little bit like he does when he's thinking and tilts his head ever so slightly toward Shōto.

"Ah, well," he laughs, cheeks red, "a few months ago I started seeing someone. They're the most important person in my life and I am very lucky to have them," he repeats Shōto's statement verbatim. Cammie's face scrunches up in confusion for a second before her eyes go wide.

"Wait! You don't mean, are-- are you two--?" Shōto reaches over and takes Izuku by the hand and the studio audience goes wild.

"We are," Izuku nods. 

"I have a thousand questions! How many months have you been together? Have you met each other's families? How serious is it?" The interview asks question after question without giving them any time to answer. Izuku seems excitedly overwhelmed and he really can't have that. Shōto takes their joint hands up to his lips and kisses Izuku's knuckles. He ignores all of the questions and the woman asking them and looks into Midoriya's emerald eyes.

"I'm in love with him."

Izuku freezes for half a second before launching himself into Shōto's arms and whispers in his ear, "I love you, too."

The audience is screaming, Cammie is yelling more questions that will go unanswered, and Shōto, Shōto smiles.

Chapter Text

“I don’t want you to go,” he mumbles into Izuku’s shoulder. 

“I wish you could come with me,” Deku whispers back into his hair. It’s their last hug before Izuku leaves for One For All’s world tour: ten months of music, traveling, and being apart. It’s not the first time they’ve had to make work a priority since getting together, but it will be the longest. Shōto starts production on a new film next week and he’ll be crazy busy, but knowing he won’t come home to a mop of green hair in his bed after a long day has him less than thrilled. 

“We’ll video chat?”

“Everyday.”

“And you’ll take care of yourself?”

“I swear it. Kacchan wouldn’t let me slack off.”

“One thing we agree on then,” he huffs. Todoroki’s relationship with Bakugo is tedious but he makes do for Izuku’s sake. Neither he nor Katsuki will ever admit to actually getting along, that would be far too easy. Instead, he throws dry jabs, and Katsuki ‘Ground Zero’ Bakugo responds with fiery insults. It’s an ideal friendship acquaintanceship. 

“You’ve got to let me go, love,” Izuku says, squeezing him and laying a kiss on his cheek before pulling out of his grasp.

“Never,” Shōto tugs him back in and kisses him one last time, trying to pour all the love and affection he can into it before releasing all but Izuku’s hand. “I love you, Zu. Be safe and break a leg. But not literally like you did during your last tour when—”

“Ha. Ha. Very funny, Shō. You're such a fanboy.” Izuku pouts before offering a genuine and vulnerable smile, one he doesn’t show the world or his army of fans. “I love you too, always. I’ll text you when we land.” He kisses Shōto’s hand and slides into the open car door. The space between Shōto’s arms is cold. 

***

Izuku loves and hates tours, he always has. It really is great to meet fans from all over the world and hear them sing OFA's songs. Their support means everything to OFA and they literally could not have gotten anywhere without it, but traveling and performing all the time is physically and emotionally taxing. 
 
He lost count of the number of shows they’ve done, four months of the same set will do that. They don’t even have time to see the cities they perform in which is a real shame. Izuku has always wanted to see Venice… he’s pretty sure that’s where they are now, anyway. 

“Deku, what the hell are you doing?” Jirō quirks her head sideways to look Izuku in the eye. He’s been hanging upside-down off the couch for a few minutes now, waiting for the opening act to finish playing.

“I miss him so much, Kyo.” She sighs, taking a seat on the ground next to him. 

“You feel guilty for wanting the tour to be over.” He nods. “YaoMomo and I call a few times a week, but it’s not enough.”

“You and Yaoyorozu?” Izuku shrieks, tumbling off the couch. Jirō just chuckles and pats his contorted body where it lies on the floor. 

“It’ll be over soon. Call your man after the show and have fun with the tour if you can. Thousands of people singing our songs, your lyrics, it’s what we always dreamed about. Todoroki would want you to enjoy it.”

“I know you’re right and I do love performing for the fans. I love the music and OFA, but… sometimes it feels like my dreams have… 'changed' isn’t the right word.”

“Evolved? Grown?”

“Yeah, it’s like... I still want this, but I can’t picture my life without him. Whatever dream I have now doesn’t exist without Shōto.” Kyoka doesn’t respond for a minute and he’s not sure she will at all until she whistles low and long. 

“You’re really in love with him.”

“I’m really in love with him.”

“Then sing for him, Deku.”

The show that night flies by faster than usual. He imagines Shōto front and center and sings every song for him. 

***

“How was set today?” Izuku’s blurry face asks from his phone. The conversation is similar to the one they have every few nights, but Shōto is thankful for it. His costar is this windbag Yoarashi and every day of shooting has been exhausting.  

“Well, he’s finally seemed to understand that I hate Endeavor as much as he does, but now he won’t shut up. He talks to me constantly.”

“Well, you are a delight, Shō. I really can’t blame him.” Even countries apart, separated by time zones, and through a lagging screen, seeing Izuku’s smile is the best part of Todoroki’s week. His laugh and adorable dimples make Todoroki fall in love all over again every call. Knowing he’ll get to talk to his boyfriend is the only thing that keeps him going through the grueling hours and annoying company. 

He listens to Deku talk about his most recent shows, laughs when he finds out Bakugo wiped out during rehearsal yesterday and tries to hide the tears welling up in his eyes when it hits him just how much he wishes he could hold Izuku in his arms again. Somehow Deku can do what millions of people have failed to do: see through his act.

“Are you alright, Shō-Shō?” He can hear the thick layers of concern in Izuku’s voice that he’s tried so hard to prevent. He could lie. He could say he’s just tired from all the long days, but what’s the point?

“I miss you,” the words he’s been trying not to say break the seal on the waterworks. The tears run down Todoroki’s face and through the rapid river he can see Izuku isn’t fairing much better.

“I miss you so damn much, Shōto. I didn’t know it was possible. I feel like I’m missing a limb!” And that’s exactly it, isn’t it? Living without Izuku is like losing his leg. He can do it, it won’t kill him, but it’s damn hard to adjust and he’s afraid whatever hit him got his femoral artery. He’s bleeding out and hobbling and the only route to salvation is in Izuku’s arms. 

Maybe he can live without Deku, but he doesn’t want to. 

***

Six months. They’ve been on tour for six months. Jirō keeps reminding him that they only have four to go, that they’re closer to the end than the beginning, but it’s not close enough. He’s tried to imagine Shōto there and sometimes it works. He enjoys the shows while they’re on stage, but the second they step off, ‘Deku’ melts away and Izuku is left both high off adrenaline and deeply hollow. 

They’re in the US leg of the tour now which means the time difference to Japan is outrageous. At best it’s 13 hours, like in Philly and Boston, at worst it’s 16 painful hours. Right now it’s the worst-case scenario. They’re in Los Angeles which is way too crowded and loud. Why do they need so many damn helicopters in this city? OFA has three shows here due to sheer volume and demand, so he'll have to get used to it. Maybe he should be happy to be able to stay in one hotel room for three whole days, but he’d rather it have been somewhere in Oregon. He got to wander there for an hour during their last tour—‘got to’ meaning he escaped his security detail, but that’s neither here nor there— and he’s been dreaming of the lush trees and gorgeous coastline ever since. Shōto would love it there.

Izuku heaves a deep sigh before sliding in his earpiece. One LA show down, two to go. The opening act, The Big Three, is playing their last song and OFA has to keep up the energy. Just think of Shōto. It's the mantra he's adopted before every show, but he can only lie to himself so many times before his heart feels the heavy ache of his absence in the crowd and in his arms. Izuku pushes the thoughts away as he runs out on stage and becomes Deku.

They’re through the first few songs. The last chords of 'Wonder Duo' ring out and he’s about to introduce the band like he always does, but Jirō beats him to it. 

“Hello, LA!” The crowd cheers, expected. Jirō talking, not expected. What is she doing? Why is he the only one in the band that seems surprised? He sneaks a glance behind him and even Kacchan seems to know what’s happening. “We are One For All, thank you all for coming out tonight. I’d like to do the introductions tonight if you’ll bear with me. I am Earphone Jack! On drums, we have Ground Zero!” He and Jirō changed roles in the band years ago when they realized Bakugo was less of an asshole when he beat his aggression out on a drum kit and when Jirō admitted she favored keyboard.

“That's Uravity on guitar and Red Riot on bass! Tonight we wanted to give a special shoutout to our amazing vocalist. We couldn’t do what we do without him and, you know LA, he’s been having a bit of a hard time lately.” The audience lets out something between a cheer and a cry, it's both sympathetic and enthusiastic. “See, he’s been missing someone special and even though he puts on a brave face, we all know he’s been struggling.”

Izuku is stuck in an awkward smile-glare at the mic. The thought is nice, but the attention is not the sort he was prepared for. He doesn’t move, doesn’t even listen to the end of her intro, too busy being uncomfortable, so he’s beyond confused when the crowd starts screaming, like, actually screaming at the top of their lungs. He scrambles to tune back in.

“— so, please help us in welcoming our special guest tonight!” Izuku swings his head hard enough to get whiplash.

His heart stops. The crowd stops. The world stops. Standing in front of him in a brilliant emerald green suit is… 

“Shōto?”

***

Living without Izuku is not a life worth living, that’s what he decided when he talked to him two months ago. Now it’s just a matter of doing something about it. 

They’re nearly done filming, just another few weeks and he’ll be free from the bonds of production and the loud, overbearing presence that is Yoarashi Inasa. Three weeks, that seems like just enough time. He looks up OFA’s tour schedule for the ten-thousandth time. 

“Hey, can we start the press tour in LA?” His agent and manager are quickly on board, maybe because he always fights the press tours so his asking to be a part of it is more than anyone could hope for, but it’s still good news. Step one, done. Step two… will be more uncomfortable. 

“Momo, could I ask a favor of you?” He’s willingly joined her for Friday brunch, despite her previous Brunch Betrayal. It’s a bit step.

“You know I’ll do what I can. What is it?”

“I need to get in touch with Jirō.” Her teacup halts mid-way to her mouth. He watches as her face shifts through emotions until she schools herself and takes a sip from her cup before setting it gently back on the table.

“You’re going to surprise Deku.” He nods and she sends him the contact. It’s a much nicer brunch than That Brunch. He’s going to surprise Deku.  

Getting the number is easy compared to making the next call, but he takes a deep breath and hits the button. It’s for Izuku. 

“Who the hell is this and how did you get my number?” Off to a great start.

“Hello, Jirō. This is Todoroki, we met at Momos, I—” bubbling laughter stops his flow. 

“Oh, Todo, you really are adorable. Yes, I know who you are. What’s up?” He wrote a script for this. He works best when he knows what to say, after all, but for some reason, she throws him off-kilter. Suddenly he feels like his pre-written words aren’t enough.

“I… I am in love Deku.” He hears a short inhale on the other end of the call but keeps going. “I miss him more than I’ve ever missed anything and I don’t want to wait another however-many-months to see him. I was hoping to surprise him at one of your LA shows and I was hoping you could help me.” 

“My God, you two are freaking made for each other," she mumbles, "I’m in. Tell me what you’re thinking.” 

Scheming with Jirō is easier than expected. They agree on the date and she swears to get the rest of the band and production team on board. He’s sure they’ll all go for it. It’s a social media team’s dream. That’s what his social media team told him, anyway.

That’s how he found himself backstage with The Big Three, anxiously awaiting Jirō’s introduction. He can see Izuku from here and it’s the closest he’s been in so long, he wants to forget the plan and run out there, but he waits. He’s here to surprise Izuku. Shōto is fairly certain he’ll surprise everyone. 

***

Shōto is here. Shōto is here! That's all it takes for Izuku to forgo pretenses and his Deku persona. He lunges for Shōto and is caught in the best hug of his life. His feet are off the ground and he's being swung in big circles at the front of the stage. He pulls away, just enough to get space to smash their lips together. This will be all over the news later, but he could not care less.

Too soon, Shōto is placing him back on the floor, and Izuku nearly whines.

"Izuku," God, Shōto's voice is just as beautiful as he remembered. It's just not the same over the phone. It takes a second for him to realize how loud that voice is and another second to understand that Todoroki Shōto, the man who hates attention, is wearing a mic. "The first time I talked to you I thought you were crazy. You sent weird memes and made dumb jokes, but I found myself entranced by you. I looked forward to texting the mystery-person who somehow got my phone number." The crowd laughs and Izuku follows suit, but he's finding it hard to breathe the more Shōto talks. "Then, I found out you were that person and I knew I couldn't let you go. Your stuff is still all over my house, you never know where your pants are, and I have never been happier than when I have you in my arms. We hid our relationship before at my request, but I don't want to hide anything about us anymore. That's why, in front of your band and the world, I have something I want to ask you." Izuku watches in slow motion as Shōto drops to one knee and pulls out a velvet box. He can distantly hear the crowd and his friends screaming, but all of his attention is on his Shōto. "Midoriya Izuku, Deku, you saved me from myself. You are my hero and I don't want to spend another minute without you. Will you marry me?" There's a sparkle in Todoroki's eyes masking a desperate plea. Izuku doesn't know what he has to worry about until he feels the tears on his face. Happy tears.

"Holy— My— Shōto! Yes, yes!" He pulls his fiancé off the floor and into a bruising kiss. His hands shake as Shōto slides the ring on his finger and he has no idea how he's going to finish the show, but it doesn't matter. All that really matters now is the feeling of Shōto's hand in his. They can figure the rest out.

As the screams of the crowd die down and OFA's other members attack Izuku and Shōto, both men share a small smile, and one thought: thank God for tacos.