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It was a day like any other, toshinori was watching TV while Enji read through some reports from his agency.
It was all business as usual, interrupted by a knock at the door.
Neither of the men moved.
"Toshi? Aren't you going to get that?"
"Uh, well, I'm in the middle of my show..."
"Well, I'm working. And you've seen that show a million times."
Another knock at the door.
Toshinori sighed in defeat and headed for the door, "why do I even pay for cable..."
Enji went back to his report, his focus interrupted by a sudden "NO WAY!"
Enji shot up out of his chair, "What is it?! Are we under attack?!"
Standing at the door was a man just a bit smaller than Enji, with a muscled build and chestnut hair.
"DAVID! It's been so long!" Toshinori shouts as he wraps the smaller man up in a big hug that lifts him up off the ground.
Enji ignores the pinch of jealousy he feels at the sight of another man in his boyfriends arms.
"Toshinori, who is-"
"What are you doing in Japan?!" The blonde shout-asks.
"I wanted to see you and catch up! I'm getting real busy these days, so I thought I'd make a little time to leave America and visit my friends!"
Toshinori laughs, "Well I appreciate the visit! I have so much to tell you!"
"Hey! Toshinori! Aren't you going to introduce me?!" Enji yells.
"Toshi, you never told me you had a roommate!"
"R-Roommate?! Wait, TOSHI?!" Enji growls, flames dancing in his hair.
"ONLY I AM ALLOWED TO CALL HIM THAT!!"
Toshinori laughs, "That's no roommate! That's Enji!"
"Oh! This is the guy you're always talking about!"
David approaches the redhead, giving him a firm handshake and a charming smile, "David Shield! I'm an old friend of Toshi's!"
Enji doesn't miss the way David sticks to the blondes nickname, "Yes, well, I am Toshinori's boyfriend, as well as the number two hero, so... I'm important."
Enji smirked, "I'm sure you've heard all about me."
"Oh, yeah! Toshi talks about you all the time! How're the kids?"
"O-Oh, well, um-"
"Er, hey David! Come sit with me in the living room and lets catch up! I'll make us some tea!"
David moves to the living room, leaving the redhead fuming. Damn it! Even though they've just met, Enji already feels like he's losing to this man!
Enji glared at their new guest, who was standing with toshinori in the living room. The two men are smiling warmly at each other. Too warmly...
"It's so good to see you David! You've really kept in shape after all this time!"
"You have too! I'd expect nothing less from the number one hero! Are you still using the weights I made for you?"
"Haha! Of course! Regular equipment just can't match what you make for me!"
Toshinori moved to a spare room in the apartment, moving to a pair of huge dumbbells that looked much too heavy for an ordinary person to lift.
Enji was smoldering, "Toshinori! You receive GIFTS from this man?!"
"I wouldn't call them gifts, more like super important hero gear!" Toshinori says enthusiastically, "You can't get equipment like this anywhere in the world!"
"These weights are nothing!" Enji declared, "I could lift them easily!"
"Uh, are you sure Enji? I don't think you should-"
"I'm certain. Move."
Enji says, getting a firm grip on the outrageous dumbbell.
"HRNGH!!" Enji grunts deeply as he tries to lift the weight, sweat forming and evaporating quickly as his skin heats up.
"E-Enji! It's too heavy! Don't push yourself!"
"I... can... DO IT!!"
Flames are bursting from Enji's shoulders and hips and even his feet, burning away his clothes as he struggles to lift the weight.
The heat in the room explodes, David and Toshinori begin to sweat as the flame hero summons every ounce of his strength to conquer the oppressive weight, but to no avail.
In the end, Enji must release the dumbbell, which hits the ground with a hard 'thunk!', having made it less than a foot off the ground.
Enji is left hunched over, exhausted and sweating in his hero outfit.
"You wear your hero outfit even on your days off? That's so cute!" David commented, earning more of the redheads frustration.
"It's not... cute..." Enji mutters breathlessly as Toshinori helps him stand up.
"Why don't you rest, Enji? I'll get you some water."
Enji really couldn't refuse, letting the blonde move him to the bedroom so he could rest.
---------
Enji glared up at the ceiling as he rested.
That man... he was definitely here to steal Toshinori away. Why else would he come all the way from America just to visit?
Well, Enji wasn't about to lose to some guy toshinori hasn't even seen in years. He needed to show Toshinori that he was far superior to this 'old friend' of his... but how?
Buster, Toshi and Enji's newly adopted puppy, whined at the bedside for Enji's attention.
"Not now Buster, I'm plotting my revenge." Enji says as he looks up at the ceiling.
Enji's already lost face once... but he couldn't lose if he did something toshinori always loved... That was it!
Enji chugged down the rest of his water and jumped out of bed, giving the little dog a pat on the head before moving to the kitchen. He was going to prepare toshinori's favorite food; Beef udon!
Enji painstakingly learned how to make this dish perfectly for Toshinori, so it would definitely prove him the better man.
Enji began to cook the thinly sliced beef, preparing the dashi broth when he hears "what'cha cooking?" over his shoulder. It was David...
"Hmph. I'm making Toshi's favorite meal. It's-"
"Udon! Toshinori goes crazy for that stuff!"
"Yes. I know. And just to be clear, I know much more about toshi than you do."
"Did you know he likes his noodles home-made?"
Enji freezes, glancing at the package of pre-cooked udon noodles he'd gotten from the grocery store.
"Y-Yes, well, as a hero, I don't always have the time to make everything at home! I'm sure you wouldn't understand..."
David, chuckles, "Well, I am an engineer, I know well that a bit of extra time and hard work will make a world of difference. Here, let me show you!"
"N-No, that's-"
But David was already pulling together kitchen ware and ingredients like a pro. In no time at all he had already made a sauce and was stirring together the meat and vegetables, before adding the noodles. Enji was grinding his teeth at this point, furiously trying to match the pace of his new rival.
"It's done!"
"DONE!" Enji shouts, detecting a sweet aroma coming from the sauce that David made.
The fool. He added honey and soy sauce to his udon, setting the stage for his own defeat. Enji almost felt sorry for-
"Is that udon?!" Toshinori shouts before grabbing the plate that David put together, leaving Enji to watch in horror as the blonde wolfs down the other man's homemade dish.
"Aw yeah! It's sweet, just like you used to make in America!"
"But- But I thought you didn't like sweet sauce with your noodles!" Enji interjects.
"Normally I don't, but this is David's specialty! He used to make it all the time back in America!"
"Not true, I only made it when you got homesick, remember Toshi?"
"Oh yeah! You were always looking out for me! I think it's because of you that I really came to love America."
"You should come to the US sometime! I'd love to see you more!"
Enji could've laughed, or scoffed. Did this man have any idea the weight that toshinori carried as the number one hero? He couldn't just leave Japan as he wanted.
Enji watched carefully as toshinori chewed, waiting for the blonde to firmly dismiss the offer.
But toshinori just gulped down his food and said, "that sounds like fun! Things have really improved around here, so I might find time to visit real soon!"
Enji turned and speed-walked to the bedroom, the feeling of panic stirring inside him.
Toshinori was actually falling for this man's obvious tricks! In less than a day this man has charmed his way into toshinori's heart, home, AND stomach, and now he was going to take Toshinori back to America?!
Well, Enji wouldn't stand for it any longer. As soon as the blonde move away from David, Enji was going to get right up in his face and tell him to BACK OFF, and then he would be gone, and they'd never see him again.
Toshinori would never see him again... his old friend, who came all this way from America...
Come to think of it, toshinori almost never had friends over... b-but David was trying to steal toshinori away! Enji had to do this!
Enji shook his head, he just needed to man-up. He needed to barge in there and take control, just like... when he was with rei...
Oh...
Enji suddenly felt sick, was he thinking about what toshinori wanted at all?
No... he was being selfish and controlling, just like he used to be.
Wait, no! Toshinori and Enji BELONGED together!
...didn't they?
Enji peered out at the two men laughing together, toshinori looked genuinely happy in a way that Enji's been too busy to truly appreciate lately.
Maybe... maybe David was just better for Toshinori. After all, they had a real history in America. When Enji thought of his own history with toshinori, it seemed to be filled with yelling and fights and misunderstandings.
Enji looked out the bedroom window, turquoise eyes unwillingly settling on a familiar green rooftop. He's always only thought of himself up to this point...
Maybe it was time for a change. Enji reflects on these thoughts for a while as he stares out the window.
-------------
After a while, toshinori steps into the bedroom.
"Hey, Enji-"
"Toshinori... I've decided it's okay." Enji says solemnly.
"Huh?"
Enji could feel his heart breaking as he spoke.
"Just that... if you want to go back to America with David, then... i-it's fine. I'll be okay on my own, s-so... you don't have to worry about me."
"HAHAHAHA!"
The redhead spun around to see Toshinori's head thrown back in laughter, Enji's face heating up exponentially.
"Stop it! Stop laughing!"
Toshinori calmed himself down and moved towards the redhead, "Enji, I'm not going anywhere! David is a dear friend of mine, but that's all he is! You're the only man I want to give my heart to!"
Enji blinks, he looked genuinely surprised.
"But... but what about America? And... and David probably won't always be fighting with you and misunderstanding things..."
"It's true..." Toshinori says, smiling, "we misunderstand each other, and sometimes we fight, but even so... I feel so alive when we're together! When you're around, I really feel like the number one hero, even when we're sitting around watching TV!"
"Really? Do you really mean that?"
Toshinori smiled, "I do, Enji. Loving you is just... so much fun."
Toshinori hugs his precious redhead dearly, and Enji is feeling a million things at once; massive relief that he's not losing the love of his life, absolute elation that Toshinori would choose to love him over anyone else, and, of course, an overwhelming feeling of victory as he imagines David's lonely flight back to America.
"Hey... I think we should say goodbye to David before his flight leaves." Toshinori says, and Enji pouts.
"...fine. Only because I feel sorry for him. He'll probably never find a partner like you."
Toshinori chuckles, "OK then! Let's go!"
---------------
"A WIFE?!"
Toshinori and David both have a good laugh, once again lighting the fuse to Enji's temper.
"My bad! I should've started with that!" David says all-too-cheerfully.
"I'm going to have a daughter soon, and I wanted to catch up before I'm too busy to visit old friends."
"I can't believe you're going to be a dad! I'm so jealous! You'll have to send me lots of family photos!" Toshinori says.
"I will." David assures, he and toshinori hug one last time before enji moves to say goodbye.
"It was great to meet you, Enji! I hope you'll always be here to fight by toshinori's side!"
"I will be." Enji says sternly, "And, um..." the redhead looked away and muttered, "Thank you for being toshinori's friend..."
"O-Oh! No problem, haha! You know Enji, you can be kinda cute in a shy sort of way!"
"W-What?! How DARE you say such things to me!!" Enji spat with the slightest bit of a blush on his face.
Toshinori couldn't help but notice how much attention David was getting from the redhead.
"Uh, David, you should probably get going! I mean, you never know with airports!"
"That's true! I'll see you later toshi, come by America some time! And bring your cute boyfriend-"
Toshinori slammed the door shut.
"That's enough of David..." Toshinori mutters, his boyfriend smirking.
"Toshinori... are you getting jealous?"
"Wh- Wha- of COURSE not!"
Enji gave a knowing smirk and headed for the kitchen.
"I'm not! I'm really not!" Toshinori yells, and Enji gives a chuckle as he pulls ingredients from the cabinets, feeling stupid for even worrying about their relationship.
It's about time for dinner, and Enji thinks he'll try to add honey and soy sauce to his udon tonight.