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Izuku meets him at a business meeting. Izuku is the CEO of his own company, a toy-making company, inherited by his father, and he is somebody working for a different company that Izuku plans to make a business deal with. Therefore, they’re at the same meeting.
Izuku sits at the head of a table until he stands up to give his presentation and talk about his plans for the future. He explains what he wants to be able to do and why the companies working together would be a good idea for both of their profits. He’s definitely come a long way from the nervous, stutter-y, tear-y wreck that he used to be in high school.
Then he spots the mess of purple hair sitting down at the table, writing down notes and staring at Izuku and his presentation with tired eyes. Very tired eyes.
It’s endearing.
Izuku ends his presentation soon after that, “There are complementary donuts and coffee in the back, please feel free to grab whatever you want,” He announces before making a b-line to the guy he noticed.
He introduces himself only for his habit of being a stuttering mess resurfaces, “H-hey,” He chuckles, “Um, hi- hey- Hello,” He drawls out the ‘o’, clearing his throat afterward, “I-I’m Izu-” He takes a deep breath, “Izuku. Er, um, Midoriya- Midoriya Izuku… Midoriya Izuku,” He smiles, hoping it seems genuine, “Though, um, y-you already knew that, huh?”
The man looks up at him with those same tired eyes, though they seem even more tired up close. It’s kind of worrisome, actually.
“Of- Of course you knew that,” Izuku rubs at his neck sheepishly, “um- uh, did you wan- want a coffee? I can go get you one,” He quickly offers.
“Sure,” The man’s voice is gruff as if he hadn’t spoken for a while and it was his first time using his voice in a hot minute.
Izuku nods and rushes toward the back of the room. He’s never been more grateful to be a CEO at one of these things because the crowd around the table immediately disperses and makes room for Izuku to quickly walk up and pour some coffee.
Then he realizes that he totally forgot to ask the man if he wanted any sugar or milk. He sighs heavily and just decides to bring some, just in case he wants it, but not to add any directly into the coffee, in case he doesn’t.
He walks back to the man, ignoring all the talking from the crowd around him. The purple-haired man is the only one still sitting at the table. He’s just going over his notes as he waits for Izuku to arrive with the coffee.
He sits down on a chair next to him and slides the coffee over, “How did you want your coffee?” He asks, surprised that there’s no stutter, “I-I um, I b-brought some milk and sugar just in ca, uh, just in case,” Ah, and he spoke too soon. He was definitely overthinking it and it caused it to come back.
“Just black is fine,” The man's voice is a little less rough as he accepts the coffee and takes a sip before finally muttering out a, “thanks.”
“Of course,” Izuku smiles sheepishly, tugging on his fingers, hoping that conversation picks up.
It doesn’t, though.
So, Izuku tries for one, “What’s your, um… name?”
“Shinsou,” The man, Shinsou, replies, crossing something out on his notes and writing something next to him. Izuku wants to peer over at them but feels like that’d be an invasion of privacy.
Izuku gulps before deciding to just blurt it out, “I think you’re interesting. I wanna be friends.”
“I don’t make friends,” Shinsou rolls his eyes and takes another drink of the coffee, “you’re better off doing that shit with somebody else, Mr. CEO.”
Izuku sighs, of course his CEO role is failing him now, “C’mon, it’ll be fun. I promise. I am a fun person.”
“Sure you are,” Shinsou nods, “I don’t doubt it. That’s just not what I’m at this meeting for.”
“But, um- Well, you could make a friend anyway,” Izuku says, chuckling to ease the tension, “You can make friends in places even if you didn’t go to that place with the intention to make friends.”
“At least you’ve stopped stuttering,” Shinosu mutters, writing down something else before his pencil stops, “what’d you say the yearly profit would be?”
Izuku’s confidence comes back, “About 22 percent, give or take depending on which path we decide to go down.”
“Thanks,” Shinsou says, his pencil moving again.
“So, friends?”
“No.”
“But-”
“No.”
“I just-”
“No.”
“But why-”
“No.”
“You could-”
“No.”
Izuku sighs, “C’mon. Look, I’m going bowling with some of my friends this weekend,” He walks over to the head of the table to grab a pen and a piece of paper from his stacks, and he makes sure it has a blank spot he can rip off. He jogs back over to Shinsou and writes his number on the piece of paper, ripping it off and sliding it over to Shinsou, “if you change your mind, text me and I’ll send you the details.
“I won’t,” Shinsou says and Izuku just walks away. He tried his best.
***
He doesn’t get a response until 3 days later, the day before he’s going bowling.
Unknown Number: Fine. I’ll come. What time? What’s the address?
Unknown Number: This is Shinsou btw
8:11 PM
Izuku grins at his phone. He knew the man would come around and he can’t help but be proud of himself.
You: YAY :D
You: It’s tmrw at 4:00 PM
You: its gonna be me, you, and about 6 other ppl
8:13 PM
Shinsou (cute guy from meeting :D): what do you mean “about” 6 other people?
8:13 PM
Izuku giggles.
You: Well, there’s a couple that might be coming. One of them is very temperamental so if they do come, there will be 8 others but if not, the other person might come, so there might be 7, but if neither of them come then 6.
8:13 PM
Shinsou (cute guy from meeting :D): Um okay. Anyway, the address?
8:14 PM
Izuku sends him the address and can’t help but feel giddy for the rest of the night.
***
When he arrives at the bowling alley, everybody else is there except for Shinsou and Izuku is kind of sure that the man had decided against coming again.
That is until Izuku sees the mess of purple hair (not that Izuku can talk with his own mess of green) making its way toward them.
Izuku grins and waves at him, “Shinsou!” He calls, causing his entire friend group to look over at Shinsou.
“Hey,” The man says gruffly, taking in everybody that’s there.
“Okay, so, um, this is Todoroki Shouto, Uraraka Ochako, Asui Tsuyu, Iida Tenya, Kaminari Denki, Jirou Kyouka, Kirishima Eijirou, and lastly, Bakugou Katsuki.”
“I am not fucking last,” Katsuki grumbled.
“Hm, but you kinda were,” Izuku smirks and immediately dodges the punch he knows is going to be sent his way.
“I’m assuming that’s the temperamental one?” Shinsou asks.
“Mhm,” Izuku grins brightly but is still busy dodging punches from Katsuki.
“I am not temperamental! Deku, what the fuck? Why the fuck did you tell him that bullshit? You’re such a damn liar, I swear to fucking god!”
“Katsuki,” Kirishima sighs, “stop that, it’s not manly to try and fight someone in public.”
Begrudgingly, Katsuki stops chasing Izuku and makes his way back to Kirishima’s side.
“Aw, listening to your boyfriend?” Hitoshi eyes the blonde man, a smirk dancing on his lips.
Izuku sighs, already realizing that it wasn’t a great idea to make this his first outing with Shinsou. He should have gotten to know him before introducing him to his friends.
Katsuki was just about to start screaming when Kirishima grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.
“O-kay, let’s head inside, you can introduce us to that guy when we have Kirishima and Bakugou back,” Kaminari says and tugs his girlfriend in with him. The rest of the group follows but Izuku hangs back with Shinsou.
The two of them walk in together, “Y’know, I thought you said that you weren’t going to text me?” Izuku smirks, teasing him. It’s only right. He almost got Katsuki a whole new kind of pent-up, okay?
“Shut up, I was bored and had nothing else to do,” Shinsou says as if it was an actual good excuse, “given name is Hitoshi, by the way. So that you don’t have to scramble when introducing me to your friends.
Izuku just smiles, admiring the man from the side. His side profile was nice, he was looking straight ahead, making his jawline rather sharp. It didn’t really look like that when he was staring down at his notes.
Izuku fully takes in what he’s wearing now. A pair of baggy sweatpants in black and a plain dark blue t-shirt. His hands are deep in his pockets and he seems a little more rested than when Izuku first met him.
Suddenly, Izuku stops. He just really wants to take him in some more because damn...
Is he just noticing how cute this guy is?
Well, obviously not, he definitely noticed it at the meeting but, like… Seeing him in a new light, more casual, it was different.
Shinsou stops as well, albeit a little more ahead, not realizing that Izuku stopped at first. He turns around and walks back, “What?”
“Can I ask you a really personal question?” Izuku blurts out, not even thinking about how he’s going to phrase it or what he’s going to do once he knows the answer. All he knows is that he needs to know.
Shinsou sighs, “As if I could stop you,” He says, “go for it, I guess.”
“Are you gay? Or- I mean- Er, into guys,” Izuku rephrases, “Are you into guys? Or would I be wasting my time if I tried to be anything more than friends with you?”
Shinsou stares at him for a minute, as if he were calculating an answer, tiring to figure out what the wisest response would be, “I mean,” He clears his throat, obviously a little flustered if the pink tint on his face said anything about it, “I am gay but you’d still be wasting your time trying to get with me.”
“Oh,” Izuku frowns, disappointed, “I didn’t know you were in a relationship, sorry.”
“No,” Shinsou shakes his head, denying that quickly, “I’m not in a relationship but I’m not looking to be in one with you.”
Izuku furrows his eyebrows, focusing on the ’with you’.
It hurts a little bit. What does that even mean? He’s not looking to be in a relationship with Izuku?
Damn.
Izuku takes a deep breath, “You’ll change your mind,” He decides, instead of complaining. He smiles and walks down the hallway to catch up to his friends.
They make their way to their lane and Shinsou arrives shortly after, with a soda in his hand, “I wanted a drink,” He announces, shaking the drink in his hand around a bit, allowing the ice to swish around.
He goes to sit down in the only spot available, which is next to Izuku.
Izuku purposefully allows his own hand to fall off of his lap and brush against Shinsou’s, making no other move, though.
“So, who is eyebags anyway?” Katsuki asks.
“Oh, uh,” Izuku smiles, “This is Shinsou Hitoshi, I met him a few days ago at that big meeting I was telling you guys about.”
“That bullshit, I’m familiar,” Katsuki nods.
“Okay, guys, who is going first?” Ochako interrupts, grinning happily, though.
“Me, obviously,” Katuski scoffs, “I gotta show you losers how it’s done, otherwise you’re gonna lose like you do every other time we come to this shitty place.
“You do realize that Izuku wins every time, right?” Shouto asks calmly.
“Shut the fuck up half n half, you don’t get to say shit after dying your hair those hideous colors,” Katsuki scoffs, “like even Deku’s fucking green looks better than your bullshit.”
“God damn, we’re just attacking everybody today, are we Bakugou?” Kaminari chimes in, chuckling, “No need to go that hard on him, dude.”
“You’re opinion matters even less, dunce face,” Katsuki shoots a glare at him, “you literally managed to burn yourself on my fucking car yesterday.”
“Hey!” Kaminari’s face distorts, “Your car is black and very hot and I wanted to see how long I could hold onto it for.”
“Like an idiot,” Katsuki concludes.
“My idiot,” Kyouka smiles, fondly staring at Kaminari before shooting a glare, one that’s maybe even more intimidating than Katsuki’s, at Katsuki, “so stop with the petty ass bullying.”
“You can’t fucking make me.”
And, with that argument going on, Izuku knows it’s going to last for forever and they aren’t going to actually start for another 10, maybe 15, possibly 20 minutes, so he walks away, deciding to take a breather. He hears the arguing pick up as he walks away, the words getting fainter and fainter, the further he gets.
By the time he gets outside, the arguing is completely silent to him and he breathes in the fresh air. He knows damn well that trying to do anything with Shinsou is probably hopeless but, well, Izuku has always been an optimist, and finding out that Shinsou is gay only gave him more hope.
Still, he knows that it’s going to be difficult.
That’s when he hears the voice right next to him, damn near in his fucking ear as it whispers, “I was wondering where you went.”
Izuku takes a small step away, frightened at first before he realizes who it is, “O-oh,” He feels his heart start to race up because, woah, that whole whispering in the ear thing? Kinda hot. “H-hi, Shinsou.”
“How long does that usually last? Because by the time I left, I’m pretty sure they forgot why they were arguing and were just slinging insults at each other.”
“Mhm,” Izuku hums, “they always do that. You wouldn’t think that those things could come from Kyouka, but they do.”
Shinsou lets out a huff of hair that kind of sounds like a laugh. Well, at least Izuku would classify it as a laugh. Kind of a laugh. A little bit of a laugh.
There’s a small smile on his face, which supports the whole kind of a laugh theory.
“Do you really think I’ll change my mind?”
Izuku realizes what he’s talking about in an instant. He looks up to Shinsou’s eyes and nods, smiling, “Of course. I’m kind of irresistible, don’t you know?”
Shinsou licks his lips, scoffing lightly but there’s no real malice behind it, “Really?”
“Mhm,” Izuku smiles proudly, “In fact, you know that song by Taylor Swift? The one that goes ‘I’ve got a long list of ex-lovers, they’ll tell you I’m insane’?”
Shinsou nods.
“I’m quite the opposite,” Izuku claims, “all of my exes will tell you that I am a delightful human being.”
“Will they now?”
“AND, I’m a really good kisser.”
Izuku is pretty sure that Shinsou is probably angry with the way the blush on his face is betraying him right now.
“Really?”
“Mhm,” Izuku says.
“Prove it,” Shinsou mumbles.
Izuku processes Shinsou’s words for a moment, blinking up at him. Did he hear him right? Is he sure he heard him right? There’s no way he heard him right, right? Right.
No, yeah, he definitely heard him right seeing as Shinsou is staring at Izuku expectedly.
And that’s how Izuku finds himself grabbing Shinsou’s shirt and pulling him forward, connecting their lips in a sloppy haze. He pushes the taller man’s back to the wall and kisses him a bit deeper.
Shinsou pushes Izuku back before the kiss gets any more intense, “Okay, um,” He licks his bottom lip before biting it, “Maybe you can change my mind.” He says before walking back inside.
Izuku just stands there in a daze for a moment because he can’t believe that he actually just did that. That’s crazy. He’s crazy.
He goes back inside shortly after and is pleased during the night when Shinsou starts to get along with all of his friends. Especially Kaminari.
Izuku is glad that he found a friend in his friend group.
***
A month later is when Izuku confirms that he’s not crazy. They’d gone on a handful of dates and then, they’re sitting in Izuku’s bed, watching a movie, and Shinsou just says, “Are you my boyfriend?”
It catches Izuku off guard at first because, in his relationships, he’s usually the person questioning these kinds of things but, then again, it has been a while of them ‘dating’, though they never really specified it was dates, even though they kissed at the end of every single one and they were holding hands and there were nights of face timing and late night phone calls and falling asleep and- Okay, yeah, they were definitely dating.
But, like, Izuku didn’t want to risk messing something up, so he’s never asked Shinsou. To be fair, he was planning on it soon but Shinsou beat him to the punch.
Izuku just mumbles a, “yes,” and nothing else is said. They just watch the movie in silence.
***
“Y’know,” Izuku says, cuddling into Hitoshi’s side, “I thought you weren’t at that meeting to make friends?” He randomly decides to tease his boyfriend.
“Mm,” Hitoshi grumbles, “I never said anything about boyfriends.”
Izuku just laughs but, honestly, he can’t say anything because he’s right. It’s not like he’s even making anything up or trying to make his point true, it just… is true. That’s it. It is true.
“You’re an idiot.”
“Please, let’s not recreate that argument between Jirou and Bakugou.”
Izuku just looks up at Hitoshi and smiles gapingly, “Awww,” He coos, “Hitoshi, was that you’re way of telling me that you’re my idiot? AWWW.”
“Shut up,” Shinsou rolls his eyes and focuses on the movie that they’re watching.
Izuku just continues to coo and kiss at his boyfriend.
His idiot.
***
Three more months into their relationship, four months after meeting, and it’s Izuku’s cousin’s birthday. He insists that they bake her a cake.
This is how he ends up with all of the frosting on him and none for the cake.
“I told you to stop,” Izuku giggles. He’s not angry at all, licking the frosting off of his lips and the skin around his lips. Then he frowns, “Hitoshi, now we don’t have any for the cake,” He realizes.
“We can just make more,” Hitoshi shrugs, smiling as he leans down to kiss frosting off of Izuku’s nose.
Izuku wipes a ton of frosting from his face onto Hitoshi and giggles at the face he makes.
“Oh my god,” Hitoshi’s mouth drops as he stares at Izuku, “You are- Wow, babe. Wow.”
Izuku just giggles some more, “You got within firing distance, it was only fair after all you did to me,” He gestures at the frosting all over his face, in his hair, and on his clothes.
“Yeah, okay,” Hitoshi nods, considering, “I guess I deserved that, huh?”
Izuku nods, “Now go make more frosting so that I can shower all of this off,” He points towards the bowl where the frosting previously was.
“Okay, okay,” Hitoshi agrees, grabbing the stuff to make the frosting and Izuku makes his way to the shower.
***
“I love you,” Izuku mumbles, hoping that it’s not too soon. It’s been 5 months of their relationship but he feels ready to say it. Hell, he’s been ready to say it for a while, he’s just been scared.
They’re sitting at Izuku’s table, eating dinner, and Izuku got the courage to say it so he said it before he could back down.
Hitoshi just smiles back softly, “I love you too, Izuku.”
Izuku’s smile grows and he can feel his face heat up at the declaration. Even after 6 months of known Hitoshi, he still gets so flustered around the man.
“I’m really glad you came to the bowling alley that day.”
“I’m really glad I came to the bowling alley that day too.”
Izuku drops his chopsticks so he can go around to the other side of the table and give Hitoshi a kiss because lord knows he needs it.
***
Izuku starts working on a project about a year into their relationship. Just a little less than a year into their relationship. He’s not giving Hitoshi as much attention but he tries to assure him that once everything is done, things would go back to normal.
Hitoshi doesn’t seem angry at it. He never says anything. He never seems upset that Izuku is working so much more and Izuku is grateful that he got such an understanding boyfriend.
He spends as much time with Hitoshi as he can but, sometimes he feels like it’s not enough. That Hitoshi will get bored or something. But, again, Hitoshi never says anything. He seems fine so Izuku decides not to worry about it. He focuses on his work and does all of his meetings and business trips and whatnot.
***
They don’t really have fights. During their entire relationship, they don’t really have fights. Petty arguments, sure. A very minor fight here and there, of course. But actual, real, relationship-ending fights? No.
They don’t have big fights.
Their relationship is good.
Which is why Izuku is shocked when, a little over a year into their relationship, Izuku gets finishes a business trip early and decides to see his boyfriend. He walks into Hitoshi’s apartment (unlocking the door with the key that Hitoshi gave him) and sees Hitoshi kissing Kaminari on his couch.
Izuku just drops his keys. He drops his keys and stares at them in shock.
They pull away from each other instantly and, at the moment, Izuku is more mad at Kaminari than Hitoshi. Though, that anger will definitely come later. Maybe.
“What?” Izuku mutters, needing to hear something but not being able to say anything.
“Izuku,” Hitoshi rushes over and grabs Izuku’s hand, “you weren’t supposed to be here yet.”
“I, um,” Izuku speaks, not knowing if he can even make coherent sentences, “I got in from the airport earlier, I wanted to surprise you,” He gulps, mumbling numbly as he pulls away from Hitoshi and makes his way to Kaminari, “Why? Why, Kaminari? Why?”
“I-”
Izuku feels tears beginning to swell up in his eyes as a lump forms in his throat, “God, Kyouka is going to feel so fucking betrayed if the way I feel right now is saying anything.” He glances back at Hitoshi and gulps.
5 years and an engagement.
That’s where Kaminari’s and Kyouka’s relationship was at. 5 years and an engagement. They’re supposed to be getting married in 4 weeks.
“Don’t tell her,” Kaminari pleads and, instantly, rage hits Izuku harder than anything else.
“You really think I am going to keep this from her?” Izuku screams, “God, you are a lot more stupid than I thought you were Kaminari. I am not going to let her marry a man who doesn’t fucking care. I’ve known her way longer than I’ve known you and I’m not letting this happen to her. I’m not going to let her find out as I did.”
“I do care about her,” Kaminari gets up to be at level with Izuku, screaming with just about as much veracity as him.
Izuku shakes his head, disgust on his face, “Then you would tell her. You wouldn’t be sitting here cheating on your fiance, Kaminari.”
“You don’t know anything about my relationship with Kyouka,” Kaminari says bitterly.
“Like hell I don’t,” Izuku scoffs, “I was there to help you during your entire relationship with her, Kaminari,” A tear slips down his face, “every fight you had, every argument, every good thing that happened, I was there, I listened to you, I helped you, and then you and do this? To me? To her?” He bites his bottom lip in an attempt to get himself to not cry but, instead, he just gets met with the taste of blood.
Kaminari just stares at him.
“I think, um,” Izuku takes a deep breath, looking back at Hitoshi and being unable to hold back tears anymore, “I think I need to go.”
“Izuku, wait-”
“No,” Izuku cuts Hitoshi off, “I, um, I can’t do this right now, Hitoshi. I can’t, um, I can’t think so I just,” he sighs, “I need to go.”
“I am sorry, I swear I didn’t mean for it to happen, he was just over a few weeks ago, just before you left, and we were playing video games and then we just kissed and-”
“A few weeks?” Izuku feels like he’s going to throw up after hearing that. He slaps his hand to his mouth, “This has been going on for weeks?”
Hitoshi winces, “Damn it. Izuku, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”
“If you didn’t mean for it to happen then you wouldn’t have continued it, ‘Toshi,” Izuku leans down to grab his keys. He takes a deep breath before asking one question, “Why?”
“You were working so much these last few months,” Hitoshi answers quickly, “I feel like I’ve barely seen you, and Kaminari was there and available-”
“Not available,” Izuku corrects.
“I’m sorry, Izuku,” Hitoshi takes a step towards him and Izuku doesn’t move away, “you weren’t there, though.” He says and, suddenly, it feels like he’s a lot less sorry, “You weren’t there. You were gone. Off on business trips or at the office or doing paperwork. You haven’t been here, Izuku.”
“I’ve been trying,” Izuku cries because what? Now he’s to blame for this?
Hell, maybe he is to blame. Maybe Hitoshi was dropping him signs and Izuku was just too dumb to realize that his boyfriend was getting bored. Maybe he should have read the signs better. He should have been less focused on his work and realized that his boyfriend needed him. And because he didn’t, his boyfriend went and got that support from somebody else.
“I’m sorry,” Izuku apologizes because what else is there to do? He’s the reason this is happening, isn’t he?
There’s a small voice at the back of his mind, telling him he’s not to blame. Telling him that it’s not his fault. Telling him that it’s not his fault. Telling him that it’s not his fault. Telling him that it’s not his fault. Telling him that it’s not his fault. Telling him that it’s not his fault.
But he doesn't listen to it because he’s so self-deprecating that he believes whatever is told to him, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there, Hitoshi. I’m so sorry.” Tears fall down his face at an alarming speed, “I’m sorry that I wasn’t there and I’m sorry that you felt the need to cheat on me and I’m sorry that I’m not a great boyfriend and I’m sorry that this is my fault and I’m sorry that I’m feeling so hurt right now.”
“Izuku-”
“I think I should go,” Izuku mumbles, walking out the door and shutting it behind him.
He decides to drive to the only place he can think of. The place that’s at the top of his mind right now.
He knocks on the door, a quick knock. His knuckles hit the door a couple of times before falling back down to his side and gripping the side of his pants tightly.
“Izuku?” Kyouka’s face appears in the doorway and she notices Izuku’s disheveled look rather quickly, “Are you okay?”
Izuku shakes his head, “I’m sorry, Kyouka.” He breaks down into tears again, just thinking about the situation.
“What happened, Izuku?” Worry appears on Kyouka’s face as she steps outside to pull Izuku into a hug, “can you talk to me?”
“I messed everything up,” He mumbles.
“Can we go inside?”
Izuku nods and they walk into the living room, Kyouka closes the door behind him, and Ochako, Katsuki, and Shouto are there.
“Deku?” Katsuki looks like he’s about to spout some insult at him until he realizes the way Izuku looks, “The fuck happened to you? Are you okay? Do half n half and I need to go commit some crimes?”
Izuku shakes his head, “It’s all my fault, I’m an idiot.”
“What happened, Izu?” Ochako gets up and guides him to the couch, “Can you tell us what happened? When did you get back to Japan?”
“Today,” Izuku mumbles, “A couple hours ago,” wiping his tears, “I, uh, I wanted to surprise Hitoshi and he was- Um…” He breathes, glancing a guilty look at Kyouka.
“What happened, Izuku?” Shouto asks.
“He was cheating on me,” Izuku whispers, crying some more when he locks eyes with Kyouka, “with Kaminari.”
That’s when Kyouka’s face drops. It dropped before, after hearing that Hitoshi was cheating but after hearing who it was with, it drops even more.
“I knew he was acting weird,” Kyouka whispers her own whisper, tears filling her own eyes.
Izuku was so scared that she wasn’t going to believe him but now that he’s gone and said it, he’s not sure if it wouldn’t have been better if she didn’t.
Shouto started to get up and Katsuki followed behind him.
“Guys,” Izuku sighs, “Just- Don’t,” He shakes his head, “This is my fault.”
“The fuck do you mean?” Katsuki asks, glaring at Izuku.
“I’ve been gone, I’ve been- I haven’t been here with him.”
“So that gives him a right to cheat on you, Izuku?” Ochako says something about it now, “He couldn’t have talked to you about the situation? He couldn’t have told you how he was feeling so you guys could work on ways to fix it rather than him just cheating on you? With an almost married man, at that.”
Izuku’s used to Ochako speaking the truth but he’s not used to it hurting so goddamn badly.
“I should’ve-” Izuku’s voice breaks, “I should have noticed,” He buries his face in his hands, “I should have noticed that he was pulling away.”
“I noticed that Denki was,” Kyouka mumbles, “I figured that it was just because he was busy at work or something. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve noticed.”
“That’s how long it’s been going on,” Izuku sniffs, “They said it happened just before I left…”
“I’m gonna fuckin’ murder them,” Katsuki scoffs, his fists balled up, “Kyouka, can I murder them?”
Kyouka shakes her head, “Katsuki, let’s… not.” She takes a deep breath.
“I’m sorry,” Izuku says again, not knowing what else to say with the guilt he’s feeling.
“It’s not your fault, Izuku,” Shouto says, “It definitely is not your fault. Nobody in their right mind would cheat on somebody they love for such a stupid reason. Hell, nobody in their right mind would cheat on somebody they love at all.”
“I’m sorry,” Izuku apologizes for apologizing because, apparently, that’s about all he knows how to do. Apologize.
He can’t help but feel guilty. Guilty for not paying attention to how Hitoshi was feeling. Guilty that his boyfriend cheated on him with Kaminari. Guilty that Kyouka got cheated on.
Guilty that he still loves the man that cheated on him. Guilty that he’s feeling guilty since his friends are telling him not to feel guilty.
Guilty.
***
Izuku is sitting on Ochako's cold bathroom floor and Ochako is sitting next to him concerned. He stares blankly at an Instagram post from Hitoshi. It’s of him and Kaminari at the beach, both of them smiling as if they didn’t turn lives upside down. They look so happy and Izuku can’t help but wonder if he and Hitoshi were ever that happy.
They definitely were.
Once upon a time, they definitely were that happy, and that just causes Izuku to start crying.
“I know it wasn’t my fault, O,” Izuku has tears streaming down his face and he’s just surprised that they’re still coming, he’s gotta run out of ‘em eventually, right?
He sniffs and lets out a sob, “I know that it isn’t, or at least you keep telling me it isn’t and that he’s the one who fucked this whole relationship up but I just- I keep waiting for a call. Or a text. Or just something from him.” He wipes at the tears on his face and he knows that he looks like a mess. His eyes and nose are probably all red and puffy and it’s sore from wiping and sniffing and he hasn’t slept in days so there are probably eyebags on top of all of that, “I still love him, Ochako. I love him,” His voice breaks.
Ochako just pulls him into a comforting hug, “I know it’s hard but it’s not your fault he cheated on, Izuku. Yeah, you’ve been consumed with work lately but he should have spoken to you instead of thinking it was right to cheat on you. You can’t blame yourself for what he did.”
Izuku knows she’s right. He does. He really, really does but, like, what if he had spent more time with his boyfriend? What if he paid more attention to Hitoshi? What if he was more focused on their relationship? Maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe it is his fault, maybe he’s the reason all of this happened.
“I hate that I miss him, O,” Izuku whispers, “I hate that I love him. I hate that I want him. I hate that I need him,” His crying gets heavier and now he can’t even speak, too busy sobbing.
“I know,” Ochako rubs his back, “it sucks, I know, and I am so sorry this happened to you, Izuku. You do not deserve this. You deserve somebody better. That guy sucks.”
“I want him to miss me, Ochako,” Izuku sniffs, “I want him to miss me… But he doesn’t. He doesn’t care. He doesn’t care, Ochako,” He pulls away from her to see her face, “He doesn’t fucking care.” He takes a deep breath and lets it out, his crying finally calming down.
Now, he just feels numb. Done with crying, done with tears, done with feeling sad. Hell, done with feeling at all.
“It’s been 2 weeks, so why do I still feel like this?”
Ochako furrows her eyebrows and looks at her best friend sadly, “I’m not sure the feeling will ever go away, Izu.”
Izuku sighs heavily, “You know, if he called me right now and asked me to come over, I would go back to him? If- If he called me and told me that he still wants me, I would go back to him.”
“Izuku…” Ochako mumbled.
“If he just told me that he’s sorry, I would forgive him in an instant, Ochako,” Izuku says with a tight-lipped smile, “if he told me he loves me, I would tell him that I never stopped.”
“Izu…”
Izuku just gulps, knowing that what he said doesn’t make any sense to anybody but him. Knowing that his feelings probably won’t ever make sense to anybody else. He has so many good memories with Hitsohi, though, and he just wishes that he had paid a little more attention to ques Hitoshi might’ve given him.
Even if he did, though, it’s unlikely anything would change. Or is it?