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Usually, when someone brought up ‘Never have I ever’ (or any other drinking game to be honest), it was Shouta’s cue to leave.
He didn’t want to have to do some stupid dares, to reveal embarrassing memories or be questioned about his sexual or romantic experiences.
But then again, the last time he had played this game, he was probably 21. He was introverted, shy and didn’t really care to share his business to people he didn’t know so well.
Don’t get him wrong, he was still exactly the same. But at 31, he had known his friends for the better portion of his life, he had been able to learn to trust them, to confide in them and found himself even missing their company every once in a while.
Shouta, Hizashi, Nemuri and Tensei all had busy lives, as teachers and pro-heroes (Tensei with his own agency), and nowadays they rarely found the time to actually hang out together, to have some fun and to enjoy each other’s company. So when Nemuri invited them over for some drinks at a Friday night, Shouta looked forward to it with a certain fondness, not even hiding the excitement of a fun night with your closest friends.
So, after this many years (and enough alcohol), Shouta was willing to give the game another chance.
“I wanna start!” Nemuri screamed, almost rivaling Hizashi’s quirk. She was too excited to have roped his friends into revealing their secrets to her. Because honestly, that was the point of the game. “Never have I ever had sex in a bathroom!” She squealed from the floor, almost tumbling over with her wine glass. Well, it was her carpet that was getting ruined.
“Oh, you’re not playing around.” Hizashi crossed his arms, his own wine glass on the side table of the couch. He reached over and took a sip as Nemuri whistled.
Shouta was sitting next to his best friend, a beer in his hands, though they all had shot glasses on the living room table, ready to be gulped down by the players if they wanted. Tensei sat on the armchair in Nemuri’s living room, rolling his eyes at the question and blushing furiously. He and Shouta were probably the least excited about the game, but they played along with their more intrusive friends.
But surprisingly, Shouta was having fun. When he was this old, his adventures and experimentation from the early twenties just felt silly and ridiculous, no more embarrassing or a secret. He wanted to participate in the fun, to listen to his friend bicker and tell their embarrassing stories, to maybe share some of his own.
And Hizashi seemed to have a lot of fun too, laughing brightly with Nemuri, blushing when Nemuri tried to coax him to tell more. He was adorable, Shouta's tipsy brain supplied.
Well, maybe Shouta couldn't share exactly everything, like the feelings for his best friend, as old as their friendship was.
But some things were supposed to stay unsaid, Shouta knew, as his smile dropped just slightly from his lips.
“Never have I ever been to Europe?”
“Lame, Tensei!” Nemuri whined, taking a shot. Hizashi took one as well.
“I don’t need to know all of your personal stuff!” Tensei furrowed his brows. Clearly, he had drunk the least.
“But that’s the fun part!” She had drunk the most. “Now, Shou! Don’t disappoint me!”
“Never have I ever flirted at my friends while drunk.” Shouta smirked, seeing Nemuri’s eyes widen and her lips stretch into a smile.
“Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna be. Game on, Shouta-hun.” She winked, downing a shot. Out of the corner of his eye, Shouta saw Hizashi take a gulp of his wine too.
“What?” The blond spoke innocently when Shouta raised a brow at him. “I become flirty when drunk. It doesn’t- mean anything, though.” The man fought back his embarrassment. “Okay!” Hizashi straightened out, rubbing his chin with long fingers. “Never have I ever been on a blind date.”
Nemuri drank, as expected. Shouta had to take a swig of his drink too, seeing three heads turn to him.
“Oh.” Hizashi tilted his head. “I didn’t know you-“
“I’ve been twice. There won’t ever be a third time.” Shouta looked pointedly at Nemuri.
“Hey, I apologized!”
“Nemuri set you up?” Hizashi’s eyes widened and he sent a peculiar look into her direction, like they were talking with just looks between them. “Was this recent, or?”
“No, maybe 5 years ago. I didn’t really ask her to, but I didn’t reject the idea either.”
Shouta remembered how he had confided into Nemuri about feeling lonely after Hizashi had just started dating again that year. He had never been on blind dates, nor was he interested in them, but seeing Hizashi glow with the new love in his life, Shouta had lowered his standards to find something to distract himself with.
Now that Hizashi had been single for the past year, Shouta’s feelings at that time felt desperate and petty, though an honest reaction from a man in love with his best friend for years now.
“You never mentioned it.” Hizashi almost whispered beside him, a hint of something odd in his voice.
“It wasn’t anything significant.” Shouta shrugged his shoulders, not really eager to share the details of his date life any more specifically to Hizashi. If it wasn’t Hizashi he was dating, every other date of his life felt just that- insignificant.
The game continued with questionably, more or less, private questions.
“Never have I ever cheated on a partner.” Luckily, no one drank.
“Never have I ever slept in a work meeting.” Shouta drank.
“Never have I ever been shouted at by my boss.” Nemuri drank again, eyeing at Shouta for targeting her like this.
“Never have I ever been to a BDSM club.” Nemuri and Shouta take a shot. Hizashi questions Shouta’s honesty but Shouta counters with his story from his early hero years.
As more drinks get downed, all of them seem to get more into the game.
“Never have I ever called a sex partner the wrong name.” Shouta smirked once again, knowing that Nemuri was surely going to drink. He hadn’t expected Hizashi to, though.
“Oh, yeah!” Nemuri cracked up as she seemed to know what Hizashi was drinking for. “That black-haired grumpy hook-up, wasn’t it?” Nemuri raised her brow.
“Shut up!” The blond blushed, pointing to Nemuri as she put her hands up, both clearly not just a bit tipsy.
Shouta’s stared at the interaction with surprise, wondering if he should know what they were talking about.
“Never have I ever dated a woman.” Tensei continued. Were asexuals even allowed to be in this game- they held way too much power.
All three players drank as Tensei grinned happily. Hizashi turned to Shouta, once again, his eyes wide.
“Oh my god, Shou! You’ve dated a woman? You’re gay!” Hizashi gasped out.
“Don’t think two weeks count in any other situation but in this game. Let’s not get caught up in technicalities.” Shouta brushed the comment away with his hand.
“You’re calling your sexuality a technicality?” Nemuri burst into laughter.
“Technically, yes.” Shouta grinned. He was enjoying the game, only a part of it on the account of how many shots he had already taken. “Did I never mention this to you, Hizashi?”
“Well, no!” The man pouted.
“Now you know.” Shouta shrugged a shoulder, trying to move on.
“Yeah, but just because of some stupid game..”
“Hey, don’t hate the game!” Nemuri interrupted.
“Why does someone always get offended?” Tensei huffed under his breath.
As the round went on, Nemuri had been grinning too widely when she looked at Shouta. She was up to something.
“Never have I ever been jealous of someone’s partner.” She then stated out loud.
Oh, she’s evil.
Shouta seemed to be the only one drinking this time.
“If you’re the only one drinking you have to explain too.” Nemuri pointed at him.
“Yeah, when has this happened?” Hizashi tilted his head again, a confused pout on his face. Shouta didn't know why he cared so much it.
“Three times.” Shouta held up four fingers.
“Three?!” Even Nemuri sounded surprised. Well, Hizashi had been dating seriously with three partners, so three times it was. “Shouta-honey, you have to stop settling! How are you ever going to find anyone if you never take your chance? Just go for it!”
“They were dating. Nothing I could do about it.” Shouta pulled back on the couch, crossing his arms and shuffling deeper into the seat.
“But she’s right, though.” Hizashi spoke expectantly. “You can never know if those people were just waiting for you to confess.” He blushed furiously immediately after.
“You didn’t drink. You don’t know what it’s like.” Shouta felt embarrassment reach his cheeks too. Hizashi was about to open his mouth when Shouta continued abruptly. “Let’s move on.”
The atmosphere had improved after a few questions again. Tensei and Nemuri were laughing at all the stories Shouta shared for the first time, while Hizashi seemed to be questioning his life choices next to him.
Apparently Shouta ‘should have told him’ that he had once shaved his head bald, had once given a lap dance, and sang in front of the whole school in primary school. Apparently, ‘these were important things best friend’s should know about each other.’
Shouta had switched back to drinking water after his head was starting to hurt. Nemuri was lying on the floor, half-asleep but she insisted she was still in the game. Hizashi’s drink was empty too, and he had stayed awfully quiet for the past few rounds.
“Shouldn’t we just go to sleep already? I mean, now I already know you three better than ever. Maybe too good, even.” Tensei yawned and stretched on his seat.
“I don’t mind continuing.” Shouta announced.
"I'm a bit tired too." Hizashi spoke quietly, fiddling with the empty wine glass in his hand.
“Noo!” Nemuri had woken up. “Last one, I promise! I want something j-juicy out of you boring virgins, fuck! Something like.. Never have I ever made out with a colleague!”
Hizashi rolled his eyes and shook his head, clearly very confident about himself.
Shouta sipped his water almost unnoticeably, but Hizashi flicnhed next to him.
“What the hell, Shouta? You- You’ve kissed someone from the teachers, or a pro hero?! I can’t believe you don’t tell me these things! Who was it? Oh my god, was it Miss Jok-“
“You’re an idiot!” Shouta was getting upset now too. He didn't like being questioned about what he had or hadn't done, especially when Hizashi seemed to think there was something wrong with Shouta. Well, this time, HIzashi wasn't so innocent either. “Remember the last staff Christmas Party at U.A? You made out with me!”
Hizashi went pale white, then burning red. “Oh, right.”
Tensei finally called the game off, as he gathered his stuff to go home. Nemuri had apparently fallen asleep again as Shouta waved their friend goodbye from the couch. He wasn't going to sleep until he got some answers.
He turned back to Hizashi, seeing him looking away, pouting to himself.
“Okay, what is it?” Shouta spoke breathlessly. “Why are you so shocked about me not telling you all of these things?” He crossed his arms.
“Because! I’m your best friend, Shou! I feel like I should know all of this! I feel like you always leave me in the dark about your life.” Hizashi was clearly upset, but not out of anger. He sounded hurt.
“Oh, like you tell me everything about yourself, too.” Shouta rolled his eyes, or tried, at least. His head was still hurting.
“Well, y-yeah!” Hizashi hesitated. “You do know all the people I’ve dated, my embarrassing mistakes and what I've had for dinner every day!” He frowned deeper. “Do you think I don’t want to know?”
“I told you,‘ Zashi. These are not important events of my life. I’m not keeping them a secret from you, I just don’t think you really care to know about- my dating life, or some old primary school memories.”
“Of course, I do!” Hizashi sat closer. “They are important to me. I feel like- like I’m not a good enough friend to know, or- you don’t care enough to want to share your private thoughts and feelings with me. I don't wanna be left out of your life, Shou. I want to know all the little, insignificant stuff, because- it’s you.”
Shouta wasn’t sure if he was too drunk and hearing things, but Hizashi’s words sounded so soft and fond to his ears. He felt a bit guilty- maybe not for not sharing every little thing about his life- but because he sometimes really did undermine his best friend’s interest in his life, and left things unsaid because he thought they wouldn’t interest Hizashi.
And the truth was, he wanted to share everything with Hizashi. He could ramble about every little detail about his life, if Hizashi said he’d listen to it- if he’d want to hear it. He’d tell Hizashi all feelings of his heart, his biggest desires and most hidden secrets, if Hizashi asked for it.
And Hizashi always opened his heart out to him, probably every single day since they’d met. At that moment, the last secrets inside Shouta felt so heavy, weighing on his shoulders. The strong feelings that had always been there, the compassion and love that had been burning in his heart for years. His heart was screaming to let them out, to confess them.
Well, what were drinking games for.
“Okay, then.” Shouta straightened his back. “You always tell me everything? I have a last one. Never have I ever been in love with my best friend.” Shouta didn’t realize he had actually let those words out, until Hizashi’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open.
Shouta could feel his face warm up under those eyes, his heart beating out of his chest. Now he had said it, it was what Hizashi wanted, right? If his friend backed out, Shouta might be able to play the secret out as a drunken misunderstanding, but-
All he had to do was take the last shot on the table, to prove his confession.
But they both reached out to the glass, their hands brushing before they both jumped back.
“Wha-“
“Shit!”
“Why are you taking the glass?” Hizashi accused.
“I was about to prove the statement a lie! That’s how the game works!” Shouta countered.
“You can’t drink if you’re the one saying it!”
“Then, what were you doing?”
“I thought you were outing me about my secret! That you were just proving that I don't tell you everything!”
“how could I have known that you have also been in love-“
Wait, what? They were both about to take the shot, so Hizashi was also-
“You have been in love with me?!” Shouta pointed to himself. His brain was completely incapable of handling the situation with any rationality.
Hizashi squealed, hiding his face in his hands. Then, he nodded.
Shouta bit his lip, not knowing what to say. He took a deep breath, and spoke quietly. “’Have been’? So, not anymore?” He stared at his trembling fingers in his lap.
“No.” Hizashi removed his hands. “I still am.”
Shouta felt his heart flutter in his chest, amplified by the warm buzz of the alcohol in his veins. Hizashi loved him.
“But, you- what about-“ Hizashi turned to him, his eyes as confused as during the game.
“Me too. I am- still..” The words felt stuck in his throat now, at the moment when he needed to let them out the most. Luckily, Hizashi didn’t need any more, as he jumped into Shouta’s neck, hugging his shoulders tightly. He smelled of alcohol- and tasted, too.
“Are you sure you’re not hiding something vital from me anymore?" He was just inches away, their bodies pressed together which made Shouta's skin prickle. “Like, is it possible you’re married, for example? Or, maybe you just want to get into my pants, after how good of a kisser I was at Christmas?” Hizashi narrowed his eyes, a grin on his face.
“Never have I ever lied to you, ‘Zashi.” Shouta kissed the tip of his nose, enjoying the blush spreading onto Hizashi’s cheeks as he leaned to whisper into his ear. “And you’re not that good of a kisser.”
“Shouta!”
Shouta decided that he liked drinking games again.