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"I've always wanted to ask you... why do you call him the love for your life?"
Izuku's laughter tapers off, emerald eyes flicking up and glimmering the second he catches sight of his sun.
Bakugou Katsuki.
Kyouka smiles to herself, shaking her head for asking such a stupid question.
"You've always been so observant, Jirou," Izuku says, and it's then that she notices the red blush staining the apples of his cheeks. "Remember Akito?"
She frowns. "Your good for nothing ex?"
He snorts. "Mhm. I called him the love of my life,"
"Thank God that wasn't true,"
Izuku clicks his tongue. "Not quite. There were... well, there were good times with Akito. And there were bad. Really bad. But he was the love of my life. The one that showed up out of the blue, and turned my life upside down; for better and for worse. If we had to do the math, well... I think in the end, he brought more sadness than joy into my life." There's a gentle smile on Izuku's face, and it catches Kyouka by surprise. It's a look of fondness; of nostalgia for something buried long ago. Yet she can find sadness in his smile lines; in the crinkles around the edges of his eyes. Sorrow overshadows the bliss that made those pools of jade shine; now they're brimming with tears. "I always thought we'd work it out; that one way or another, if I gave him my all, we would be happy in the end. But after everything, I learned that I couldn't keep fighting against the current; that I couldn't force him to become the person I needed him to be. Not when that person was already there, right by my side."
Kyouka's gaze follows Izuku's across the room, a booming laugh echoing around them. Katsuki punches Eijirou in the arm, downing the last of his drink when he catches his onlookers. The light in those saffron irises, it transforms right before Kyouka's very eyes. The joy of being around his friends that made them glow is replaced by the fierce love and care the blonde holds deep within for the man next to her. The passing glance between them makes her avert her gaze, warmth flushing her face; as if she's interrupted an intimate moment between the two.
Izuku's voice startles her. "I couldn't believe I hadn't realized it sooner; Kacchan, the person I looked up to my entire life, the person who understood me better than anyone else, better than my own boyfriend... I was an idiot not to see it. He always pushed me to do my best; to be my best. My best friend that always went above and beyond for me. He listened to me night after night, he held me as I cried..." A soft sigh leaves him as he breaks away from his husband's knowing look. "It was always him. In every lifetime, it would be him. And it was the easiest decision of my life, because Kacchan has always been so easy to love. He's the love for my life because he's the one that makes it easy to build that love for the rest of my life. He's the one I want to share every experience with. When things get difficult, no matter what the issue is, he's the one I turn to for comfort; to feel safe."
He pauses to clear his throat. "Love isn't just a feeling; it's a choice someone makes, day in and day out. Love is built, and it's strengthened by the people that want to make it last, that want to see it flourish for the rest of their days. And Kacchan is the love for my life."
Tears prick the back of Kyouka's eyes as she chokes up, unable to speak. Izuku takes her hand in his, squeezing ever so gently; rivulets of tears carve paths through valleys of freckles as he nods his head. "I know that what Kacchan and I feel for each other was painfully obvious to everyone else, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm grateful to Akito for giving me the chance to find the love for my life; I'm grateful for the lessons I learned, and for the happiness he gave me, however fleeting it was. Because without him, I think it would have taken me a long time to find my way back to Kacchan."
"And don't think for a second that I'm ever letting you get away again." Katsuki's words are playful, but his voice is tight with emotion. "Now stop talking Jirou's ear off and come dance with me, 'Zu. You owe me at least five songs," He winks at Kyouka, his skin flushed a rosy pink as he takes Izuku's hand and ever so carefully helps him to his feet.
Her friend squeezes her hand one last time, wiping away his tears when he finally lets go. "I hope all of that made sense, and I'm sorry if—"
"Don't apologize. I'm glad I asked." Kyouka watches the pair walk towards the center of the room, the rest of their friends fading away. They look at each other and sway to the beat of the music like they were the only people there. She smiles, finishing her drink as she recalls the night they got together. The adoration that filled their eyes when Katsuki got on one knee and proposed. No one could deny that Izuku and Katsuki's love was one of a kind; an authentic, inspiring love that made Kyouka and their friends better people, knowing that such a thing was possible for them. She would always be grateful to be a small part of their story.