Archive of Our Own

“So, Izuku, why’d you invite me out today, anyway?” The silver-haired boy asked with a cracked smile as he grabbed another croquette from the bento.

Instantly, the greenet panicked. How could he possibly answer that, when the answer was more complicated than he could possibly explain?! “Well, I…”

Breathe in. Breathe out. Count to ten, and relax. Midoriya knew that he had no reason to be nervous, but his mind always had run away from him like this, to tease him and make him believe there must be something he was missing. Why else would a cool, popular senpai like Shigaraki want to have anything to do with him? Sure, they were friends… somehow, and they were even interning at the same hero agency, though they rarely saw one another at work these days thanks to their different specialties. Shigaraki worked in rescue treatment, Midoriya in analysis support.

He was about to answer again, but shut his mouth, feeling uncertain. Because Shigaraki was rather used to his younger friend needing a minute to sort his thoughts, he was perfectly happy to give him the time to answer. It was always worth waiting for him to speak, in the end.

Was there even a way for Midoriya to define what Shigaraki meant to him? He couldn’t remember when he’d first realized he had a crush, but it must have been shortly after he began school here. Shigaraki had been the one to save him on that first day, when Kacchan cornered him and tried to bully him again. After being thoroughly told off, the blond hadn’t tried anything again, though whether that was out of respect or intimidation, Midoriya couldn’t even begin to guess. To his benefit, they hadn’t exchanged aggressive words since that day.

Now, he was getting lost in his thoughts again. Shigaraki had asked him a question, and still patiently waited for his answer. No! He couldn’t just leave his senpai waiting. He had to be brave!

Taking a letter and a small box of chocolates from his bag, Midoriya passed it to his senpai and began to speak. “Well, you see, it’s Valentine’s Day, and while I know I’m not a woman, I was hoping that… that you might… I like you, Tomura,” he answered, feeling way more flustered than he’d expected. “I… really want to date you.”

Tomura blinked, looking deeply shocked as he took in his friend’s words. Then, before Midoriya could even have a moment to second-guess his decision, the elder boy had tackled him into the picnic blanket, keeping him in a tight embrace as he fiercely kissed the greenet. Izuku took his turn to be shocked, though his hands quickly threaded into luscious silver hair as he returned the kiss with one of his own.

Did Izuku have any idea how long Tomura had been hoping to hear those words from him? For years he’d suffered alone, misunderstood by his peers and his teachers while being mistreated by his adoptive father. Even the day he’d met Izuku at the start of his third year had been like any other, where he’d planned to avoid going home for as long as possible. He’d been anticipating one last year of isolation, but that chance encounter and saving the boy now cradled in his arms had changed his life. The very next day Izuku had invited him to lunch, and had even prepared him a bento to thank him. Tomura had almost cried as he ate it, the pain of his hunger ebbing away in the face of shiso onigiri and fish croquettes. Fish wasn’t even his favorite food, but he’d found it to be the tastiest thing he’d ever eaten. And maybe Izuku had noticed his hunger, or maybe he’d just enjoyed their conversation that much, but they’d eaten homemade bento together nearly every day since.

He wasn’t even sure when he’d fallen. Maybe it was hearing about Izuku’s experiences of growing up quirkless and resonating with them, since he’d grown up with a quirk that made most people fear him or name him as a villain. Even now, his peers weren’t exactly kind to him about it. Sure, he had a couple friends, but everyone, including his teachers, seemed to focus only on how his power could be altered to fit the situation in ways that they wanted it to fit. Not Midoriya.

Midoriya had only ever accepted Shigaraki for himself, and that wasn’t anything Tomura had ever experienced. So of course he wanted to date him, of course he would say yes. Breaking away for air, he pressed their foreheads together, his gloved fingers tangling in Izuku’s fluffy green locks. “Yes! Izuku, you don’t know how badly I’ve wanted it too, but I didn’t want to scare you, by asking…”

Izuku softened, tears streaming gently from the corners of his eyes as he gazed up in awe at the elder boy. “Tomura, n-never! You could never scare me..!” His eyes glistened with unshed tears of joy as he brushed his right hand lightly over the scars on Tomura’s face. “You’re one of the few people in this world who doesn’t scare me, and I don’t want it any other way. Ever since my first day of school, you’ve been my real hero, the only one who’s mattered to me more than anyone else. E-E-Even more than All-Might!”

With his face so deeply flushed, Tomura thought the younger boy looked like a strawberry. Perhaps he ought to start calling his younger classmate Ichigo . Yet, those words of highest praise cut through, right to his core, and he could feel his own chest tighten with the unfamiliar emotion of caring. “You really mean that? I mean more to you than All-Might? He’s your idol.”

Now, Izuku pressed a finger to Tomura’s lips. His face grew serious, despite his flustered state. “I absolutely mean it,” he began. “All-Might was my idol, yes, but you are my friend, my hero, and, I guess… my boyfriend.” Speaking the words aloud made him flush again, and he averted his eyes as he squirmed with embarrassment. “No, no, why did I say that out loud? Oh god … forgive me, senpai! I’m so weird!”

In response Shigaraki only laughed heartily, joyously. Unlike his normal soft chuckling, this took over his whole body as he trapped Izuku in even closer and kissed him some more, trying to calm the embarrassed boy with softness. Izuku didn’t have anything to be embarrassed for, not when he’d been the kindest and most thoughtful person Tomura had ever met. The only one to see how much he’d suffered. “Yeah, you’re weird, Izuku, but you know what? I kinda like weird.”

Peeking out from where he’d hid behind his own hands, Izuku blinked at him, trying to keep the tears at bay. Despite how close the two had been ever since that first day, despite knowing things about each other that nobody else ever had, despite the fact that this was his best friend above him, Izuku still couldn’t help but find himself doubting the wisdom of his whole confession. “R-Really?”

Tomura nodded, seemingly amused. Well, that was very good. Better than him being put off by his junior’s awkwardness and blundering, at any rate. “Yeah, that’s right. And you know what? You’re my little weirdo now, so we’re just gonna have to be weird together. Okay?”

Who was Midoriya, to argue with his senpai when he seemed so utterly sure of himself? It would be rude, and totally uncalled for, if he doubted Tomura at this moment. No, he certainly couldn’t do that! At the same time, he couldn’t stop the excited grin spreading over his face. “Okay. Does that mean that I get to call you my boyfriend now?”

“Only if you keep kissing me,” Tomura answered, as he swooped in to press another kiss to his lover’s mouth. “Now that you’re mine,” he began thoughtfully, “maybe I ought to get you a collar. We can’t have any of your dumb classmates getting the wrong idea, can we?”

And there it was again, the strawberry blush he so adored. “T-Tomura!” Izuku stammered, looking almost wildly panicked. Another laugh, as the silver-haired boy brushed a hand through green curls once more. “Don’t be so skittish, I was only kidding. But I might not be if you don’t kiss me~”

Well, Izuku could get behind that, at least. Leaning up, he laced his bare fingers with Tomura’s gloved ones, and settled back into their kissing. Because they’d chosen a secluded area, there wasn’t any chance of getting caught by teachers or other students. For that Tomura felt grateful, especially in case anything turned R-rated. Beside them, the picnic and chocolates lay forgotten along with the card, but that didn’t really matter. They were lost in their moment together and the only thing either of them needed, now or ever, was the other’s touch.

Already, Tomura was planning how to get back at his new boyfriend for White Day. He refused to be outdone.

FIN