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Shouta and Hizashi always were an inseparable pair. Shouta had been leery of the hero course students when he transferred in, but Hizashi had latched on and wouldn't let go.
Eventually, he grew to like Hizashi and depend on him as if they'd been friends their entire lives.
Years after graduating from UA, they still had each other's backs through thick and thin.
Shouta always visited Hizashi in the hospital if he was injured during a patrol. Hizashi always nursed Shouta back to health when he inevitably got sick from all his jelly packs.
Hizashi seemed to always know when Shouta had a migraine, using his Quirk to lower his voice's volume so it was manageable.
After learning that his best friend depended on hearing aids, Shouta dedicated himself to learning sign language.
They saw each other daily at the agency and never ran out of subjects to discuss.
They were happy with their individual routines.
Until...
"I don't know how I'm going to survive this, Sho," Hizashi whined as he collapsed on the couch next to his friend.
"You always find a way," Shouta grumbled halfheartedly, still resting his eyes.
Hizashi groaned. "I need to get another job, but I already have three!" he exclaimed. "I'm a Pro Hero, I'm a DJ, and I'm an English teacher! But these bills are just piling up more and more, and I don't know how I'm going to deal with them."
Shouta gave a noncommittal grunt, cracking one eyelid to peer at Hizashi.
"I don't have the time for a fourth job, Sho! I barely have my own time!"
With a great sigh, Shouta leaned forward, resting his elbows against his knees, giving up on his nap. "We could move in together. That would help with some of your expenses."
"Your rent isn't much cheaper than mine. I don't think it would work for long."
They sat in silence for a bit until Hizashi snapped his fingers. "I've got it!"
"Hm?"
Beaming, Hizashi slid off the couch and onto the floor in front of Shouta. He took his friend's hands in his. "Shouta, light of my life, will you marry me?"
Shouta snorted. "'Zashi, you know you're not my type."
"And you're not mine either!" Hizashi grinned. "But if we get married, it'll help both of our taxes and bills."
Shouta gave a lopsided grin. "Well, when you put it that way..."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
They arrived at the courthouse that evening.
The official looked skeptical but shrugged and went along with it.
"I now pronounce you man and husband," she deadpanned.
Shouta's expression remained unchanged, but Hizashi offered his new husband a slight smile.
She cleared her throat, causing the newlyweds to look at her. "You may now kiss the husband," she said.
"Oh!" Hizashi chuckled awkwardly. "Right."
The following kiss was stiff and awkward. Hizashi blushed as he felt the official's eyes bore holes into them.
Breaking away from the kiss, he flung himself into Shouta's arms. He grunted and staggered back at the sudden weight but held his ground.
"Take me home, Sho!" Hizashi sighed dreamily as he wrapped his arms loosely around his 'beloved's' neck.
Shouta gave the official a curt nod before turning and walking out, still carrying Hizashi like a bride.
The blond held back his snickers, burying them in the fabric of Shouta's shirt.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
By some miracle, the ruse worked. Together, the couple was able to hold their own against the bills that had once plagued Hizashi.
Shouta was glad it was working simply because he was living with his best friend.
He tried to act like the blond constantly grated on his nerves in public, but he was grateful for the company.
Hizashi had immediately thrown away his jelly packs, insisting on cooking food for the both of them.
And the apartment was homier with him around.
He could always be found humming one song or another, sometimes even pitching his voice to mimic and sing along with the radio.
Even in the wee hours of the morning, when sleep was the most vital, he would wake up long enough to ask Shouta how his patrol had gone.
It was better than he could have ever imagined.
Before, Shouta had used one bedroom in his apartment to sleep in - in his sleeping bag, of course. He couldn't be bothered with a bed - and the other bedroom was a storage space, just collecting dust.
Now, Hizashi had decorated his room with knickknacks of all shapes and colors, bringing light into the otherwise drab apartment.
He'd even scrounged up enough yen to purchase Shouta his own bed.
And Shouta found he was actually happy to come home and see Hizashi's smiling face.
That carefree grin always made him feel warm inside.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The incident had happened during Shouta's shift, but the idiot had waited until he got home to take care of it.
Like always, Hizashi's alarm blared at 4 o'clock in the morning, waking him up so he could welcome Shouta back home.
It was a habit he was all-too-eager to lose sleep over.
Usually, he made himself a cup of tea while waiting for Shouta, but the man was already home when the blond left his room.
His eyes flew wide as he registered a torn shirt and dripping blood.
Thanks to his years of Pro Hero training, Hizashi was able to set aside his immediate fear and worry, instead guiding Shouta into the bathroom.
He gently removed his ragged shirt - mentally reminding himself to throw it out - but couldn't hold back a gasp at seeing the deep slashes in the underground hero's skin.
Dark blood dribbled down his heaving chest, and Hizashi felt tears prickling his eyes.
Shouta still hadn't said a word, but Hizashi knew when he needed help. Without even taking the time to remove his pants - they didn't seem to be hiding any major injuries anyway - Hizashi ushered Shouta into the shower so he could rinse the wounds.
As the blond gently cleaned the gashes with a washcloth, warm water spraying them, Shouta heaved a great sigh.
"'T was a mutation Quirk. He surprised me."
"Don't beat yourself up about it, Sho."
The water swirled between their feet, tinged pink.
"I should've-!"
Hizashi pressed a finger against Shouta's lips, silencing him. "Don't you dare finish that sentence, Shouta," he said lowly.
They lapsed into silence, with only the white noise of the shower filling the space. Hizashi finished cleaning the wounds, gently pushing Shouta out of the shower before turning the water off.
Thankfully - depending on who was asked - Hizashi had plenty of experience stitching up wounds, so it wasn't long before the ugly gashes were sewn up.
Shouta began walking to his room before Hizashi stopped him.
"You might open your stitches during the night, plus my room is closer. It would be better if you slept in my bed tonight."
Shouta was too exhausted to argue.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Even after his injuries healed, Shouta let Hizashi dote on him.
It was... nice to share a bed with him.
Sometimes, Shouta would be kept awake by his insomnia.
Instead of staring at the ceiling like he'd done for years, he found himself watching Hizashi.
The blond's snores were unnaturally soft, as if he was unconsciously avoiding damaging the room around him. He hugged his pillow closely, murmuring something so quiet that Shouta couldn't make it out.
His hair cascaded across the sheets in a golden waterfall, looking nothing like the gelled peak of his hero persona.
Almost moving of its own accord, Shouta's hand reached up and brushed some of Hizashi's hair off his cheek, tucking it behind his ear.
His fingertips brushed against soft skin, and Hizashi hummed, smiling contentedly.
Acting on instinct, Shouta inched closer, gently prying the pillow from the blond's grasp.
It didn't take long for Hizashi to latch onto Shouta instead, cuddling up against him and pressing his face against his chest.
Finally feeling peaceful, Shouta drifted off to sleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was in the little things they did for each other.
In the mornings, Hizashi always had breakfast ready with tea for himself and extra strong coffee for Shouta.
He looked after Shouta when he inevitably came home with injuries.
He tidied up around the apartment.
Shouta always ensured he was home in time for dinner just to see Hizashi's smile.
He massaged Hizashi's shoulders after his patrols, knowing the directional loudspeaker was heavy.
He held Hizashi in his arms at night.
The pair almost unconsciously began seeing the other as more than a best friend.
They relied on each other.
And eventually, the day came when they realized they loved each other.
It wasn't a stunning realization that could be likened to fireworks exploding across the sky.
Instead, it was more like finally naming something that was always there, soft and warm and in the background.
It was familiar.
Since Hizashi had proposed initially, Shouta surprised the blond by sinking to one knee and holding papers up to Hizashi.
"Hizashi, will you divorce me?"
"Why, Sho, you're such a romantic," Hizashi remarked sarcastically as he took the papers and read them over, confirming they were official divorce papers.
Shouta snorted, standing up until he was face-to-face with Hizashi. "When we got married, it wasn't because we were in love with each other. I want to get married for real."
"We could just renew our vows?"
Shouta pulled a pen out of his pocket and offered it to Hizashi. "We never said any vows in the first place."
Feeling exasperated, Hizashi smiled. He gripped the pen and signed his name with a flourish.
"This calls for a celebration!" he exclaimed, laughing as he walked into the kitchen, returning moments later with a bottle of wine and two glasses.
Shouta gave a lopsided smile as he took one glass, watching Hizashi fill it.
"To our divorce!" He grinned, lifting his drink into the air.
"And to our wedding tomorrow!" Hizashi tapped his glass against Shouta's before they both drank.
"I think I'm going to enjoy this wedding," Shouta said, handing Hizashi a small box.
He opened it to reveal a beautiful gold engagement ring.
The blond felt tears pricking the back of his eyes, spilling over and streaking down his cheeks.
"I am too, Sho."