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'So, like, are you ganging for the shindig next week?'
Shoto looked up from his paperwork to find Utsushimi inches away from his face and immediately grimaced.
'I thought we talked about respecting personal space.' He grumbled, pushing her head away from him. 'And as for your question, no. I'm not coming to the party next week.'
'Why not?' She pouted in response. Shoto refrained from telling her she looked like a duck. 'And if you say it's because your mystery boyfriend's working again, I will totes go apeshit on your ass.'
Shoto's mouth remained sealed. He didn't doubt that he could take Utsushimi in a fight if she did decide to "totes go apeshit on his ass", but he didn't want to make a mess of his paperwork.
'He's actually not working for once, so we were going to go out to a restaurant.' He lied easily.
'You know…' Ashido slid over on a nearby desk chair, tapping her pen against her cheek. 'As handsome as you are, I reckon you're making up this boyfriend of yours.'
Shoto was glad he had a trained poker face. Instead of his eyes widening with surprise, he merely raised an unimpressed eyebrow.
'Oh really?'
'Pinky-san has a point.' Yaoyorozu shrugged as she walked by. 'You never mention him, except when you're making excuses not to come to any of our events. You've never even told us his name.'
'Because I don't want you stalking him on social media.' Shoto answered quickly, but he was starting to admit, they were gradually backing him into a corner. 'He's a very private person and a potential target for villains if we went public. I don't want to risk that.'
'We're not the public.' Utsushimi unhelpfully pointed out. 'Plus, if that was really the low down, you wouldn't be going on a date to a restaurant that's in public in the first place.'
Shit.
Shoto sighed. He should've just bitten the bullet and chosen his father's agency to work under, but alas it seemed he just loved to suffer.
'I was planning on wearing a disguise.' He pursed his lips, hoping it wasn't too much of a stretch. ‘Like a wig.’
'Well, how about this.' Ashido raised her pen and pointed it at him. 'You come to the party next week with your bae and we'll stop bothering you about him—we'll even let you off for that bit of bullshit you just tried to pull.'
Shoto hated Ashido's ability to see through people like that, even if it did impress him. He stared into golden eyes and held her gaze for a moment, before huffing.
'Fine.' He leant back in his chair, crossing his arms. 'We'll be there.'
He was so fucked.
'Hey, Todoroki-kun, you okay?'
Shoto grunted from his place on the floor, laying flat on his stomach and pressing his face against the tatami flooring.
His friend didn't seem convinced. 'Really? Because you've been lying like that for the past fifteen minutes. I thought we were gonna do some sparring practice when you invited me over, not mope?'
Shoto groaned and turned his head, pressing his cheek against the soft material. His vision focused to reveal green curls that matched shining eyes, along with a concerned expression.
'I'm fine, Midoriya. Just work.' He tried to reassure him, but his friend only grew more worried.
'Wait, did something happen?' Socked feet approached as he crouched down next to him. ‘A villain or-?’
'Nothing like that.' Guilt washed over Shoto; he rolled over onto his back and covered his face with his hands. 'It’s a social thing. The girls at work are forcing me to go to their party next week so that I can bring my boyfriend and prove that he exists.'
Midoriya's eyebrows furrowed.
'But you don't have a-'
'Exactly. But I can't let them know that because it means admitting that I lied for the purpose of not spending time with them.'
'The Todoroki-kun I first met wouldn't have cared about hurting his co-workers' feelings.' Midoriya snorted. 'Has the ice prince's walls finally thawed?'
If they have, it's because of you.
Shoto had met Midoriya during a night-time patrol, shortly after he had debuted as a hero a few years ago. He'd caught the vigilante tying up a known villain, whom Shoto's agency had been trying and failing to track down for the better part of a month. Naturally, they ended up fighting—he couldn't just let him go, vigilantism was illegal, after all—but by the end of the night Shoto had a bloody lip, two black eyes, a restrained villain to hand in to the police and a new friend.
They've been inseparable ever since.
'Sorry to disappoint.' Shoto spoke into his hands. 'Guess I've mellowed in my old age.'
'Oh, shut up, I'm older than you!' Midoriya lightly shoved him, before joining him on the floor.
The minutes passed in silence as they both stared up at the ceiling fan, and Shoto chewed his lip in thought.
He could ask Midoriya to accompany him to the party and pretend to be his boyfriend… just for one night. It's not like it'd be hard, Shoto already knew that the feelings he harboured towards his best friend were more than just platonic. The only issue was that Midoriya didn't feel the same way. Would he feel uncomfortable around Shoto afterwards? Would he even agree in the first place?
He slowly lowered his hands and turned to find his friend already gazing at him.
'Midoriya…' He swallowed heavily. 'I hate to ask this of you, but I need a pretend boyfriend and you're the only one I trust to fill that role.'
Freckled cheeks dusted a light pink.
'That wasn't actually a question, Todoroki-kun.' Midoriya sniggered at Shoto's pained expression. 'I'm just teasing. Of course I'll be your boyfriend… fake boyfriend. I'm happy you can trust me with something like this.'
Shoto's lips twitched and he leant up on his elbow to pat his friend on the head, while his heart hammered against his chest.
'My hero.'
'I can't do this.' Shoto muttered as he stared at his reflection.
The party was smart casual, so he had elected to wear a forest green turtleneck and slim black jeans. Midoriya had suggested they wear something of the other's colour to make them look even more believable and, while it wasn't a bad idea, it all felt very real.
And if Shoto only had the turtleneck in the first place because it reminded him of his crush, then that was his business.
He scratched his scar out of habit, then cursed himself for making the tissue glow an unattractive red. It wasn't like Shoto usually cared about this appearance—despite what the girls said, he really didn't think he was anything special. However, if he was going to pretend to be Midoriya's boyfriend for the night, then he wanted to make sure he was presentable enough to deserve such a beautiful partner.
Shoto's mind quickly wandered, imagining heavy-lidded eyes staring up at him and kiss-bruised lips against his own. He imagined a scenario where that could be real, before he shook himself.
Get a hold of yourself, fool.
He was about to give himself another pep talk on not reading too much into tonight, when the doorbell suddenly rang.
Shoto jumped out of his skin at the sound, then quickly patted his half-up top knot and bolted out of the bathroom, down the corridor. Taking a breath to compose himself, he opened the front door, only to inhale sharply with shock.
Midoriya was staring at him with verdant eyes, outlined with black eyeliner that forced Shoto’s attention on them. He hadn't bothered styling his undercut too much, allowing green curls to bounce naturally, barely covering his ears, which had several jewel piercings, some a brilliant ruby, while others shone like moonstones.
My colours.
Shoto swallowed thickly, eyes venturing lower. Midoriya was sporting an open-collared dress shirt, loosely tucked into black jeans. It was a simple get-up, but no less sexy, he thought. The jeans hugged his muscled thighs tightly and his sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, showing off toned forearms that Shoto wanted to run his hands over.
Suppressing the urge, he coughed awkwardly. 'You’re going to get cold like that.'
'If you think I'm not going to be taking advantage of my fake boyfriend's ability to temperature-regulate, then you clearly don't know me as well as you think you do.' Midoriya winked, before scanning over Shoto's own outfit. 'You look beautiful, by the way, Shoto-kun.'
'Shoto-kun?' He echoed dumbly.
'No, no. You're Shoto-kun. I'm Izuku.' He teased, albeit his eyes held no judgement. ‘You can’t go around calling your long-term boyfriend “Midoriya” if you want them to believe us… Unless you already told them a different name?’
'That makes sense.’ Shoto nodded, before processing the question. ‘And no. I didn’t give them a name.’
When his friend hummed happily, he smiled softly and stepped out of his apartment. After locking the door, he turned and extended an arm. ‘Shall we then, Izuku?’
Laughter filled his ears and then a large arm wrapped around his own as they made their way down the complex and to the car park. It was nice; Izuku was a calming presence at his side. Even though his heart was beating frantically against his chest, his worry never consumed him like it sometimes did when he was alone. When Izuku was around, Shoto knew everything would be okay in the end.
Vigilante or not, Izuku was a hero too.
They eventually came to a stop in front of a motorcycle, with two helmets and a leather jacket hanging off the handle bars.
Shoto raised an eyebrow. ‘We’re going on this?’
‘Don’t sound so snotty, Todoroki-san.’ Izuku snorted, untangling his arm and grabbing the first helmet. He gestured for Shoto to come closer and took a surprising amount of care putting it on, trying to avoid giving him helmet-hair whilst also making sure it fit comfortably. ‘Feel okay?’
‘It’ll do.’ Shoto huffed, crossing his arms as his friend chuckled and donned his own helmet. In truth, Shoto didn’t hate the bike in the slightest. Not that he’d ever admit it, but he actually found it rather hot to imagine Izuku riding around on the contraption, clad in leather and-
Stop it, Shoto.
He had to rein himself in, or else there would be a very big problem when he was inevitably pressed against Izuku’s back on the bike.
Luckily, Shoto was thrown from his internal conundrum when Izuku handed him the leather jacket. Feeling the material, he frowned. ‘This is yours. I can’t wear this.’
‘You will not be coming on this bike unless you wear it.’ Izuku told him easily as he mounted the seat. His tone was nonchalant, but Shoto knew he was being deadly serious. ‘If we crashed and you got injured, I’d never forgive myself.’
‘Sure, but why didn’t you bring two jackets?’ Shoto begrudgingly slid his arms through the sleeves. It felt warm… and it smelled like Izuku.
‘I actually just completely forgot.’ His friend rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled nervously. ‘Honest! I left the house and you know the voice in your head that says “you’re forgetting something”? Well, that happened, but I thought I was just being my usual anxious self, so I ignored it, until I was already halfway to yours, then I realised. It was too late to go back at that point though.’
‘It’s okay.’ Shoto chewed his lip, before gingerly taking his place behind Izuku, trying not to touch him. ‘Just… Don’t crash please. And remember to bring two jackets next time.’
‘Next time, eh?’ Izuku looked over his shoulder and wiggled his eyebrows. When Shoto shut his visor to hide his embarrassment, his friend chuckled. ‘Okay, I’ll stop teasing. You are going to have to hold onto me if you don’t want to fall though.’
Before Shoto could comprehend what was happening, Izuku grabbed his hands and wound Shoto’s arms around his waist. The leather squeaked with the movement and he refrained from making a similar noise as he pressed closer, flush against his friend’s back.
The engine whirred to life seconds later and Izuku turned back to smile at him. ‘You ready?’
‘Not really.’
‘That’s a shame.’
The good news was that, thanks to his well-rehearsed breathing exercises, Shoto managed to prevent popping a boner as Izuku rode through the city. The bad news was that several of his co-workers had decided to wolf-whistle when they spotted him arriving into the parking lot with his mystery boyfriend.
‘They’re going to be insufferable.’ He murmured when Izuku killed the engine and they took their helmets off. He sighed as he watched the others head into the building.
‘Everything will be fine, I promise.’ Izuku beamed at him, brushing a few strands of hair from Shoto’s face. ‘I’ll protect you.’
Shoto flashed his own small smile at that, before dismounting the bike. He waited for Izuku to lock it properly and, leaving their helmets with the vehicle, they linked arms and walked towards the entrance. Neither commented on the fact that Shoto was still wearing his friend’s jacket.
‘Wow, Todoroki-san! You really came?’ Yaoyorozu was the first to greet them once they were inside. She smiled warmly at him, before her gaze shifted to Izuku. ‘Is this the famous boyfriend we’ve heard absolutely nothing about?’
‘The famous boyfriend is here?!’ Ashido screeched, as she bolted towards them and stared with wide eyes. ‘Wait, he’s actually real?’
‘Last time I checked, yes.’ Izuku laughed warmly.
‘He definitely looked real when he brought Todoroki here on the back of his motorcycle.’ Utsushimi added, suddenly appearing from behind Yaoyorozu, flashing her signature pout.
‘He what now?!’ Ashido sounded both excited and shocked. ‘Wait-’
‘Yaoyorozu, Ashido, Utsushimi. This is Midoriya Izuku, my very real boyfriend.’ Shoto proudly introduced, interrupting Ashido before she could say anything that made him uncomfortable.
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you all.’ Izuku bowed. ‘I’ve always loved heroes! Thank you for keeping our country safe.’
‘There’s no need for that Midoriya-san.’ Yaoyorozu blushed, waving him off. ‘But thank you for your support.’
‘Now I see why he’s been hiding you from us.’ Utsushimi bounced forward, face inches away from Izuku’s own as she searched his expression. ‘If I bagged a major hottie like you, I’d keep you on a leash too.’
‘I think you and I have different ideas about who's on the leash.’ Izuku replied easily, much to Shoto’s mortification. ‘But I appreciate the compliment.’
‘I like this one.’ Ashido cackled, pushing Utsushimi away and wrapping an arm around Izuku’s shoulders.
Shoto felt a hint of jealousy and let go of Izuku’s arm to snake his own around his waist, pressing him closer.
If Ashido noticed the act of possessiveness, she didn’t acknowledge it. ‘So, tell me, Midori-kun, what job could you possibly have that has you working such gruelling hours that we haven’t met you before now? After all, you’ve been dating a while, right?’
Shoto knew she was testing them and refrained from snorting. Good luck trying to outwit Midoriya Izuku.
‘Shoto-kun wasn’t sure how to break it to you all that he’s dating a vigilante.’ Izuku shrugged, watching how the other heroes gaped at him. Shoto remained perfectly still, his blasé demeanor never faltering despite the rush of anxiety that spiked through him.
What the fuck is he doing?
Izuku blinked innocently at the girls, before his lip eventually wobbled and he snorted out a laugh. ‘Oh wow, you believed that? I’m flattered, but no. No, I work in a care home for the elderly, that’s all. It’s nothing special but it can be quite demanding. Quirks can get out of control as we get older—pair that with some of the common neurodegenerative conditions associated with old age and it can get pretty messy sometimes.’
It wasn’t a lie. While Izuku practiced vigilantism on the side, his main source of income came from working at the care home. It was admirable, but Shoto knew his friend craved the life of a pro hero.
‘Oh gosh, I never thought about that before.’ Yaoyorozu covered her mouth, delicately. ‘That’s certainly understandable that such work can be difficult.’
‘Gucci! Damn, Midoriya. That’s like, totes poggers of you to vibe with the oldies like that.’ Utsushimi seconded.
Shoto simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief that they had forgotten about the vigilante comment and smacked his forehead, because what the fuck kind of language even was that?
‘We’ll be going now.’ He spoke bluntly, wanting this ordeal to be over. ‘We came, we proved that my boyfriend, Izuku, does in fact exist and we are in a very real, very romantic relationship. Now, we’ll be going home.’
He was met with several cries of protest and Izuku suddenly ran a hand through his hair affectionately, rubbing at Shoto's scalp.
‘Do we have to go so soon, my love? Let me at least get you a drink first.’ He purred, turning both Shoto and the girls into putty. Despite his words though, he met Shoto with a look. You can say no at any point.
He supposed he wouldn’t mind pretending to be Izuku’s boyfriend for a little bit longer.
‘I guess one drink wouldn’t be so bad.’ He shrugged, leaning into the touch as a crooked hand worked his roots. The girls cheered at that, then whispered to each other as Izuku tugged Shoto away to the reception desk, which had been turned into a makeshift bar.
Once they ordered—a cocktail for Shoto and a lemonade for his designated driver—Izuku met him with a look.
‘You okay?’ He tapped his plastic cup absentmindedly. ‘I hope I wasn’t too much back there.’
‘No, not at all.’ The opposite really. Shoto brought the drink to his lips and sipped, feeling the burn from the alcohol, just barely masked by the fruity flavour. ‘You handled them… very well, but I don’t think I was very convincing.’
‘You’re just nervous. It's endearing.’ Izuku shuffled closer and took Shoto’s drink, setting both cups down before he wrapped his arms around Shoto’s neck. ‘Try and relax. Don’t think of this as me doing you a favour. Treat it like it’s real. Talk to me like you usually do, but kiss me like a boyfriend would—touch me like a lover would.’
Shoto’s cheeks felt on fire at the intimacy of Izuku’s words, spoken so nonchalantly, yet the meaning behind them felt thicker than honey. Instantly, his shoulders relaxed under muscled arms and he gingerly lifted his hands to rest them against his friend’s waist. He felt silly, but when Izuku sighed against him, smiling softly, he grew more confident.
Experimentally, he rubbed his thumbs in circles across the denim covering defined hips, enjoying Izuku’s approving hums. ‘That’s it, it’s okay. You don’t have to be afraid of me.’
It’s not you I’m afraid of, it’s myself. He wanted to say. I’m afraid that if you give me a taste of this life, I won’t be able to go back to normal.
‘You’ve never given me reason to be.’ He murmured instead, allowing Izuku to sway them around slightly, in time with the music playing from the large speakers dotted around the room. ‘I’m just… not sure where to draw the line.’
‘Well, what are you okay with?’ Izuku gazed up at him, his expression so open.
‘Everything.’ slipped from Shoto’s lips before he could stop himself and his stomach twisted with embarrassment. Luckily though, Izuku didn’t judge him for the slip, other than emit an amused exhale through his nose.
‘In that case, do you want me to take the lead?’ He reached up and stroked the puckered crease where his scar met smooth skin. Shoto immediately leant into the touch, eyelids fluttering.
‘Please.’ He whispered.
Shoto liked being in control—he liked paving his own path through life, especially after everything that happened to him with his family—but he had to admit that the idea of relinquishing that control to Izuku was alluring. Even if it was only for one night, he wanted to see what it was like to let Izuku make the decisions for them both.
He felt warm breath fan his skin and Shoto opened his eyes to find Izuku’s face inches from his own. His friend gave him a moment to prepare, rubbing their lips together lazily, before pressing against them fully for a proper kiss. Shoto inhaled sharply, reciprocating with vigour as he gripped Izuku’s hips tighter.
Distantly, he heard more whistling from across the hall, but paid his friends no mind. Instead, Shoto focused on the feel of slightly chapped lips against his own. Kissing Izuku was just as perfect as he had always imagined it would be, and when the aforementioned pulled away, Shoto didn’t even hesitate to chase him, smashing their mouths together once more with a sigh.
Izuku was addictive. It made his heart flutter with pleasure, but his fear never subsided. This isn’t real. Remember that.
‘Wow, get a room.’ Ashido heckled, walking up to them without an ounce of shame.
Shoto grumbled at the interruption, then again when Izuku pulled away and grabbed his drink from the side, taking a swig, before chuckling softly.
‘I’m sorry, I just can’t help myself sometimes.’ He gave Shoto an appreciative glance. ‘I mean, have you seen him?’
‘Oh, I have.’ Ashido snorted, also giving Shoto a once over. He felt very self-conscious having two pairs of eyes staring at his body and hid his face behind his drink. ‘Did you know that we used to call him the handsomest boy in our class when we were at UA?’
‘Used to?’ Izuku echoed, raising an eyebrow. ‘I hope the only reason you all stopped was because you graduated.’
‘Of course.’ Ashido winked. ‘I reckon if you were in our class though, things might’ve been different.’
Shoto wasn’t even mad—he never believed the nickname was genuine anyway—so honestly, he agreed with Ashido. He had no doubt Izuku definitely would’ve won the title of handsomest boy in class if he’d been accepted into UA.
‘I don’t know about that.’ His friend rubbed the back of his neck and smiled humbly. ‘I was a lot more awkward back then. My hair was all over the place and, at best, I was cute. At worst, well...’
He trailed off then with a nervous laugh. Shoto knew how that sentence was going to finish. Izuku had told him enough about his past and about the bullying that he could fill the gaps.
‘Cute, handsome, same difference.’ He shrugged, before Ashido could question Izuku further. ‘You’ve always been perfect to me.’
‘Shoto-kun…'
‘Ew, gross!’ Ashido stuck her tongue out, grin never faltering. ‘Y’know, I never took you for a sap, Todoroki, but I stand corrected.’
‘He’s the biggest sap.’ Izuku looked at him almost dreamily, heavy-lidded eyes tearing up slightly as he reached up and pulled Shoto down for a wet kiss. ‘But I’m not much better. That’s why he never talks about me or takes me out much. You want all my attention on you, don’t you, kitten?’
‘Izuku...’ Shoto practically purred at that, reaching up to cup a freckled cheek. He did; he wanted all of his attention. It was as if Izuku had read his mind. The only difference was that, if they really were partners, he would never even hesitate to show off Izuku—let everyone know they were together, just like he was doing right now.
God, he really was a sap.
‘See?’ Izuku grinned against his lips. ‘You’ve unleashed a monster inviting me here tonight.’
‘Evidently.’ Ashido shivered comically. ‘Damn, Todoroki, don't you have a reputation to maintain?’
‘I’m sorry, did you say something?’ Shoto deadpanned, as Izuku began kissing along his jaw.
‘Don’t be rude.’ Hot lips chastised and pulled away, despite Shoto's quiet whine of protest. Unbothered, Izuku leant his head against his leather-clad shoulder, facing the other hero apologetically. ‘Sorry, Pinky-san. We’ll try and tone it down.’
‘Hey, we signed up for it.’ Ashido shrugged, looking between them knowingly, before she turned around and made her leave. ‘You kids have fun now.’
'We will.' They both chorused, amused by their synchrony.
The moment she was out of earshot though, Izuku snorted and downed the rest of his lemonade.
‘You’re a natural.’ He elbowed Shoto affectionately as the latter sipped at his own beverage. ‘How’re you feeling?’
‘Better. Good.’ Shoto nodded confidently. ‘I- It’s actually pretty fun.’
‘Oh yeah?’ Izuku smiled playfully. ‘Then how about you finish that drink so you can dance with me?’
Shoto hummed with interest, before gulping down the rest of the liquid. He was aware that verdant eyes were watching the bob of his Adam's apple, but tried not to pay it any mind, especially when Izuku stepped in front of him.
When Shoto tilted his head to the side in question, his friend bowed low, extending an arm. ‘May I have this dance, Shoto-kun?’
He snorted, but took Izuku’s hand nonetheless.
‘Just don’t step on my feet.’
Several hours passed in a flash and suddenly, it was time to depart for the night.
Shoto had to admit that the party had been more fun than he had originally expected. Not only was everyone thrilled to see him and Izuku, but the man himself had been nothing short of perfect. He was a calming presence at Shoto’s side, caring and protective; it had his heart longing for their night to never end.
He hugged Izuku’s waist tighter as they rode back to his apartment. Shoto hadn’t parted with the leather jacket at all since the start of their night. He liked the warmth that radiated so differently to his flames. There was something comforting about wearing Izuku’s clothing.
The air was chilly, worsened by the speed they travelled at, so Shoto heated up his left side, hoping to alleviate some of the goosebumps that crawled along Izuku’s skin. Strong shoulders slumped at the gesture and Shoto rubbed his scarred cheek between them, staring to the side and watching the many fuzzy lights fly across his vision.
When they eventually came to a stop outside Shoto’s apartment complex, a wave of dread washed through him as he reluctantly let go and clambered off the bike. Removing his helmet, he shuffled on his feet awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed. He then chanced a glance at Izuku and found verdant eyes boring into him intensely, as if searching for something. Before Shoto could ask though, his friend removed his own helmet and beckoned him closer, pulling off one of his gloves.
‘Wait, you’ve got something on your face.’ He called, as Shoto stepped forward, leaning down so Izuku could help. A calloused thumb reached out and stroked his cheekbone with incredible care, before the rest of his hand cupped his face and brought Shoto down for a kiss.
He immediately responded, embarrassed by the shocked gasp that transformed into a low whine as he slotted his lips so naturally against Izuku's. It was only brief, but when they pulled back, Shoto panted slightly, yearning for more. Instead of acting on that though, he chose instead to shift his gaze from kiss-bruised lips to expressive eyes.
‘There wasn’t something on my face, was there?’
When Izuku shook his head, guilty, Shoto allowed himself to hope. ‘This isn’t part of the act.’
It wasn’t a question, yet Izuku nodded anyway.
‘It’s not. I’m sorry. It’s just… when you asked me to pretend to be your boyfriend, I got a little excited.’ He admitted softly. ‘Because I like you, romantically, and this was my only chance to be with you that way. And I kissed you just now because I didn’t want it to end just yet and I’m so sorry. If I ever made you uncomfortable or took advantage or-’
‘Wait.’ Shoto covered his lips with three fingers, effectively shutting him up. ‘I thought I was the one who liked his friend romantically but could never be with him that way?’
‘Huh?’ Izuku pulled Shoto’s hand away from his mouth, confused. ‘But you were all stiff and awkward before. I thought you weren’t interested, not even a little bit.’
‘Izuku, I wouldn’t have let you shove your tongue down my throat in front of my co-workers if I wasn’t interested.’ Shoto crossed his arms in front of his chest, biting back a smile when freckled cheeks turned bright red.
'Er, I- er… Well, that-' Izuku spluttered, rubbing the back of his neck. Shoto refrained from telling him he looked cute and instead waited for him to form a more coherent sentence.
Eventually, Izuku bit his lip and peered up at Shoto, eyes hopeful. 'Well, see- seen as you're interested… maybe I could take you out on a d- date sometime? A proper one.'
The air became thick and humid when flames licked Shoto's crimson hair, but he couldn't find it in himself to put them out just yet, especially when Izuku's eyes shifted to watch the display, lips parted slightly in a smile. Shoto wanted so desperately to kiss that smile, so that's exactly what he did, extinguishing the fire first.
He intended it to be quick, so he could answer Izuku's question, but the latter had other plans, eyelids fluttering shut as he cupped Shoto's cheeks softly and let out a breathy sigh. Izuku was so warm against him that he couldn't help but deepen the kiss. They'd shared plenty during the course of their night, but this one felt different.
It was proof that this was real.
'I'd like that very much.' He finally murmured against swollen lips, which blossomed into a smile as Izuku pressed back with even more vigour, attacking him with a plethora of kisses, moving from his lips to his cheeks, to the corner of each eye. The sensation had Shoto laughing softly.
'Don't laugh at me.' Izuku pouted when he finally pulled away, albeit his eyes were crinkled, betraying him. 'I'm just really really happy right now.'
'And I'm laughing because I'm also happy.' Shoto wrapped his arms around broad shoulders, clasping his hands together as he stared down at him. So, so beautiful. 'You make me happy.'
Fresh tears welled in Izuku's eyes and he released a wet chuckle.
'Stop it, you're making me cry.'
'Well, why don't you come inside for a bit and I'll get you some tissues? We can talk more about you taking me on a date as well.' Shoto knew how suggestive he sounded and relished the delightful blush that had now spread to Izuku's entire face.
'I- I'd- Y- Yeah. That'd be nice.' Izuku flashed him an almost bashful grin, before adding, 'You are my boyfriend, after all?'
It was phrased as a question, but the answer was obvious.
'Yes.' Shoto rubbed their noses together. 'Yes, I am.'
Izuku hummed against him, before he chuckled playfully.
'Well, at least you won't need to introduce me to your friends.'
Shoto snorted.
'If they can't handle us fake dating for one night, then they definitely won't be able to handle us now.'
'Is that a problem?' Those addictive lips ghosted over his own and Shoto's cheeks ached from smiling as he leant forwards.
'Not in the slightest.'