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There’s only three things you need to know when it comes to Izuku Midoriya:
One: He loves his mom.
Two: He just came out as bisexual.
Three: He’s madly in love with his straight best friend.
Izuku paces back and forth in Kyouka’s apartment, waving his hands around in exasperation as he rambles.
“I… I feel like a total cliche, Jirou! Gay guy falls for his straight best friend. How much worse could it possibly get?”
“And don’t even get me started on the fact that he’s the reason why I figured out I’m bi. This is a complete disaster!”
Kyouka laughs, shaking her head. “Midoriya, calm down. It’s not the end of the world, okay? It would be remiss of me to say that this happens even to the best of us. You’re not the only one — who cares if it’s a fucking cliche?”
Izuku glances at her and sighs. “I just- what am I supposed to do now? We’re two months into the semester, and he’s hours away.”
“Wait. Are you planning on confessing to him?” Kyouka’s eyebrows shoot up in shock.
“No! Oh God, no, no, no, no. I just. Well, I… I want to come out to him. Other than you, no one else knows yet. And he deserves to be one of the first people I tell. He’s my best friend, after all.”
“I sense a but there.”
He groans. “I’m scared. Not that he’ll react badly, of course not. I… don’t want to make him uncomfortable.”
“How would your sexuality make him uncomfortable?” Kyouka frowns.
“It’s not really that. It’s just that we’ve known each other since we were toddlers. We tell each other everything. This is something quite literally life-changing, and I can’t not tell him. I—ugh, I don't really know how to explain it?”
Kyouka simply nods, encouraging him to continue. Izuku sighs, dropping his head in his hands.
“If I come out to him, one way or another, he’s gonna find out that he’s basically my gay awakening. And he’ll know how I feel about him. I can’t do that; I refuse to put him in such a compromising position because if the roles were reversed, I’d probably panic! And I can’t risk our friendship over something as stupid as feelings.”
“So it’s your feelings that you’re worried will make him uncomfortable, not your bisexuality?”
Izuku nods.
“And you’re 100% sure he’s straight?” She shrugs when his eyes widen at the question.
“I know him better than I know myself, Jirou. He’s only ever dated girls, and he’s never said anything or shown any remote interest in guys before. I’m sure.”
6 months later
The line rings twice before she answers.
“Hey, Midoriya. How are you?”
A broken sob escapes him. “Jirou… I messed everything up.”
“Alright, I need you to breathe; slow, deep breaths. C’mere,” Kyouka guides him onto the sofa, holding his hand gently as he squeezes his eyes shut to concentrate on his breathing.
“Just like that. Nice and slow. Don’t think about anything else but this right now, okay? I’m gonna bring you some tea,” She tries to let go of his hand, but he grips it tightly.
“Not yet, please. I—”
She gently shushes him, humming as she strokes the back of his hand with her thumb. Once his breathing finally evens out, Izuku finds his voice.
“I think I just ruined my friendship with Kacchan.”
“What exactly happened, Midoriya?”
Izuku takes another long sip of his tea; the brew soothing his parched throat after all the crying from the last few days.
When Kyouka doesn’t continue, he speaks.
“Kacchan had that—that really big race on Saturday, and he lost, and I— fuck, I was such an asshole to him, and I just—I fucked everything up.” He sniffles, fighting back the tears already pricking his eyes.
“We haven’t spoken since then. Jirou… I’m so fucking scared I’ve lost him for good.”
“I highly doubt that, Midoriya.” He looks at her, jade eyes still glassy with tears.
“I don’t see how he would ever forgive me for this.”
She sighs, curling up on the cushion next to him.
“Let’s backtrack a little to what exactly happened during the race. You said you were an asshole to him?”
He nods slowly, fiddling with his thumbs. “Kacchan, he… well, he lost. And this race was important to him because of the cash prize, and I... I invalidated his feelings. He was convinced the winner, Shinsou, had cheated during the race.” He looked so… betrayed, Izuku thinks as he remembers the pained look on the blonde’s face.
“Did he say how he did it?”
Izuku shakes his head. “That’s what sort of led to our argument. I told him he couldn’t just accuse people of cheating because he was upset over not winning, and he sort of lost it on me. He more or less said I wasn’t being supportive.”
“And he never said anything about what he thought Shinsou did to cheat?”
“I didn’t really give him a chance to.” He slumps back against the couch.
Kyouka nods, smiling softly at him. “Alright. Is there any other reason why you think he’d stop being your friend?”
“I think this is reason enough — don’t you?”
“I mean, sure, if it were me. But for you two? Not at all. You said it yourself before; you’ve been friends since you were children. Something like this, as bad as it sounds, isn’t enough to completely ruin a friendship like that. I’m sure Bakugou isn’t sitting around at home hating you for what you did.”
“Then why hasn’t he said anything?” Izuku says, completely vexed at this point. “Not a single text, nothing! At this point I would gladly take a message that told me to fuck off and never talk to him again!”
“I don't mean to sound harsh, but you haven’t said anything either, Midoriya. Communication is not one-sided; sure, Bakugou could reach out. But you are just as capable of doing that. Neither of you are in the wrong for not saying anything, but you also can’t blame him for not trying if you aren’t willing to do it either.”
She has a point, Izuku thought. Besides, it was his fault Kacchan was upset. So if the responsibility of reaching out had to fall on someone, it was him.
But he was scared.
“Scared of what?” Kyouka’s voice cut through his racing thoughts.
Izuku downed the last of his tea, setting the mug on the coffee table.
“What if he does hate me?” His voice was barely a whisper, fear constricting his throat. “What if I reach out and he… he never answers? I don’t know what I’d do, Jirou, I can’t lose him. ”
She took his hand in hers, squeezing gently. “You’re not going to lose him, okay?”
“I just… I care about him so much. He means everything to me, and I… is it sad to say I really wish sometimes our relationship could be more than it is now? I know he’s straight and that it’s not possible, but every day, I just wish…”
“I know it’s hard, Midoriya, but this crush will eventually dissipate. I’m so sorry it’s hurting you,”
But Izuku didn’t want it to go away. He didn’t care that it hurt. He’d suffer his entire lifetime pining for his Kacchan if it came to that. He just wanted him.
Kyouka was standing on the porch, watching Katsuki get into his car. Her phone buzzed, and a familiar name flashed on the screen.
“Hey,” She answers, a soft smile dancing on her face.
“Jirou… you’re not going to believe what I’m about to tell you.” Izuku’s breathlessness makes her smile grow wider as she watches Katsuki drive off. And now it starts, she thinks to herself as she sits down.
“What happened, Midoriya?”