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Izuku grew up with just him and his mom. If he had a dad, he doesn’t remember him. For most of what he can remember, his best and only friend, Kacchan, was also his main tormentor and bully. Kacchan’s parents seemed to love each other, but the Bakugou house was always so full of anger and yelling that Izuku’s not sure they knew how to properly express any emotion, let alone romantic ones. This is to say, Izuku has no idea what a healthy romantic relationship looks like in real life, or how to express his love.
Despite that, Izuku finds himself with a boyfriend and he loves everything about him. From how he softens immediately upon being confronted with even just a picture of a cat, to how hard he trains toward his goal of being a great hero. He loves that he’s almost always awake when Izuku can’t sleep and that he actually listens to his rambles and mumbles. Loves his snarky humor and the way he laughs. Even though he doesn’t understand how someone can be so very pretty while looking half asleep, pale face accented with dark eye bags, Izuku loves that, too. One of the things he loves most about his boyfriend though, is the fact that as bad as Izuku is at showing his love, Hitoshi is worse. Somehow, he fails so badly at romantic gestures that it communicates the message anyway. Izuku knows without a doubt that Hitoshi loves him from the simple fact that he keeps trying.
1
The first time Izuku realized Hitoshi couldn’t properly communicate his emotions was a very embarrassing misunderstanding. This is something they’ve successfully kept to themselves, but Izuku is not above teasing Hitoshi about it.
After the war, when their second year finally, officially began and Hitoshi was added to their class, Izuku still spent most of his time stressed and on edge. Barely a week into classes, he could tell his friends were getting tired of his anxious energy. That first Saturday, Hitoshi, then still Shinsou, had come up to him wearing a scowl and said, “You need to relax. Let’s go to the cat cafe.”
He had practically dragged Izuku to the cat cafe where the owner had recognized them and given them both two hours of time, a drink, and a pastry for free. (They had both tried to argue with her but she insisted it was to thank them for their part in saving Japan when children should have never had to fight. They only conceded when she promised to make it a one-time thing and that she would let them pay if they ever came back.)
The two of them had found a quiet spot in the back and Hitoshi had gone around to collect cats and drop them in Izuku’s lap until he had four that stayed curled against or on top of him. One kitten had curled up on his shoulder right up against his neck and was purring so loud that Izuku could barely hear anything else. They started out trying to talk about the cats or their classes when the kitten fell asleep and her purr tapered off. Every time Izuku spoke, though, she woke up and went right back to purring louder than before. With that, they spent the rest of the time in silence, and Izuku was able to fully relax for what felt like the first time in months.
After that, once or twice a week Hitoshi would drag Izuku with him to the cat cafe. Once, Izuku had asked if he minded if Shoto joined them. Hitoshi had made a strange face, but ultimately shrugged, saying it was fine. Hitoshi had seemed somewhat off during that visit, but they had to head back early when they figured out Shoto is actually allergic to cats. Izuku never got the chance to question the altered behavior, forgetting about it when he was back to normal on their next visit.
After two months of at least weekly trips, Izuku realized he enjoyed spending time with Hitoshi and liked him as maybe more than a friend. One chat with Uraraka later, Izuku found himself nervously asking Hitoshi if he’d like to get dinner with him, ‘as a date’. Hitoshi had scowled, raised one eyebrow, and said, “You mean you want to go somewhere other than the cat cafe? That’s fine. You could have just said that. Didn’t have to be so nervous about it.”
Izuku had only blinked at him. It had taken five minutes for Izuku to understand that Hitoshi had seen all of their cat cafe trips as dates, from the very first one, and was under the impression that Izuku was just aromantic or asexual or shy about PDA or something. The following five minutes had been a very awkward discussion where they had both maintained bright red faces and have ever since been exceedingly glad that no one was around as witness. At least it had ended with them confirming boyfriend status and Izuku kissing Hitoshi’s cheek.
2
Their first real kiss didn’t happen until nearly three months later. That night of their first mutually acknowledged dinner date, Izuku had shyly confirmed that he liked the idea of kissing Hitoshi but wasn’t comfortable with anything more than a hug or holding hands in front of other people. He also admitted that he didn’t think he would ever have the confidence to initiate it and would prefer if Hitoshi did so when he felt the time was right.
Those limitations and Hitoshi’s own nerves had been the main cause of the delay. Izuku had kissed Hitoshi’s cheek and temple and the top of his head in some of their moments of privacy and, by two months, it was practically a habit that when Hitoshi left Izuku at his room for the night, Hitoshi would sweep a hand through his curls and kiss his forehead. The anxious tension that would build when they were alone together for any length of time, however, had Izuku close to making the first move, despite his words.
They were cuddling in Hitoshi’s bed one evening, both tired after several days of being plagued by insomnia when it happened. Hitoshi’s head was lying on Izuku’s chest from how the taller boy was curled around him and Izuku was running a hand through his hair as if lazily petting a cat. To Izuku, at least, there wasn't even that growing tension. Their coexistence too drenched in exhaustion and comfort. Out of nowhere, Hitoshi had surged up so quickly that he had rammed his head into Izuku’s chin and then apparently misjudged the angle or distance back down, crashing his forehead into Izuku’s brow before their lips bumped together.
Izuku had been so dazed that he hadn’t figured out how to kiss him back before Hitoshi pulled away with mumbled apologies. In a panic to soothe his worries, Izuku grabbed his face and brought their mouths back together with enough force that Hitoshi’s lip got cut by his own tooth.
They ended up in a fit of (verging on manic) laughter at the absurdity of the situation; Both sore and ashamed to have let their nerves get the best of them. All because it was their first kiss. They at least managed to share a few much gentler kisses, before they fell asleep.
The next day when they walked into class, Hitoshi had a split lip and a small bump on his forehead, while Izuku had a sore jaw and bruising that colored nearly a third of his face. They had been too embarrassed to explain what happened and were given detention for ‘getting in a fight.’
3
For their graduation, the class had a party at a restaurant a few blocks away from UA. Momo and Shoto had rented out the entire place for the whole evening and most of the class would be staying in the dorms one last time that night before moving out the next day.
Izuku’s mom had been insisting that he move back home for a couple of weeks before looking for an apartment, dissuading him from anything he brought up, so he had resigned himself to waiting to find an apartment once he received his first paycheck. As far as Izuku knew, Hitoshi hadn’t found a place yet, either. He was having trouble deciding on something without knowing where Izuku was going to be or what area he would end up patrolling most often. Izuku knew multiple people had offered him their couch or guest room until he found something, though.
As their classmates started heading to the restaurant, Izuku stayed behind to speak with some of the graduating students from other courses and then to request autographs from each of the heroes on UA staff. Hitoshi had followed him around and then taken the lead when they left UA. Izuku was rambling about the heroes that they didn’t get to have classes with, trusting Hitoshi to get them there, except, instead of leading them to the restaurant, he took them to an apartment building.
The apartment was maybe a ten-minute walk from UA and only a five-minute train ride from the agency where Izuku had accepted a job. Izuku recognized it as one of the places he had liked but had reached capacity while he was still trying to convince his mom that he didn’t need to live with her. Hitoshi silently led him up and into an apartment on the top floor.
The bare apartment was cold and as soon as Izuku stepped inside he sneezed. Hitoshi finally explained that this was his apartment, having signed the lease the day before right as it became available. By the time he finished with just that sentence, Izuku had sneezed four more times and his eyes were watering.
Hitoshi pulled Izuku into the kitchen where he quickly realized the reason for his sneezing. There on the counter was a beautiful large bouquet of eleven giant sunflowers. Blinking away tears and struggling to get a full sentence out between sneezes, Izuku explained that he’s allergic to sunflowers, pulling them both back out of the apartment.
As Izuku was getting ready to compliment the apartment and share his own housing news, Hitoshi placed a key in Izuku’s hand. He offered that he could move in with him once his mom was ready to let him leave. Then, Izuku was crying from more than just allergies. He couldn’t believe Hitoshi wanted to live with him. Neither one had so much as brought up the idea before that moment.
It would have been amazing, except that All Might gave Izuku an entire house for graduation. Izuku hadn’t had a chance to tell Hitoshi that, yet, having only found out that morning and getting thrown directly into activity upon arriving at the school. His mom had been in on it, which is why she had been so against him renting someplace.
They were late to dinner. Izuku, with his red and puffy eyes, still sniffling, trailed behind a pensive Hitoshi. Their classmates started out insinuating a different, rather intimate, activity had held them up, but quickly switched to glaring at Hitoshi and running to comfort Izuku. It had thoroughly interrupted the celebrations to explain it was just because Hitoshi had gotten him flowers that he’s allergic to.
After a long discussion, Hitoshi still moved into the apartment and Izuku moved into the house from All Might. They each had a key to the other’s place and Izuku knew things would be fine from how often he came home to fine Hitoshi asleep in his bed, if from nothing else.
4
Within that first year as heroes, Izuku ended up on a three-month ‘loan’ to the United States to help with a small but strong villain group in Florida. The day he returned, Hitoshi surprised him with dinner. At least he tried to. The problem was they had still been living separately at the time, Izuku hadn’t told him exactly when he was getting home, and Hitoshi didn’t know about the extra security Izuku had installed on his house the day before he left.
Izuku got home to a slightly open door and sounds coming from the kitchen and immediately went into hero mode. He crept through the door on silent feet and found his alarm system broken and the bolt mechanism stuck open, making him even more on guard. He had peaked into the kitchen to see a muscular man in a too-small hoodie and low-slung sweatpants, a chin covered in grey-looking stubble just visible around the hood. The man was rifling through his knife drawer and Izuku barely thought before moving. He had him wrapped in black whip, arms restrained behind his back and hood yanked down in seconds.
Izuku had released Hitoshi immediately, of course, but had yanked the hood hard enough to rip it, only then realizing it was Hitoshi’s favorite fan-made Eraserhead hoodie from before the man became his mentor. Izuku felt awful and apologized so many times that Hitoshi got annoyed with him, snapping at him to 'just stop.'
The katsudon that Hitoshi had made hours before and left in the oven to keep warm was very dry and burnt and hardly edible, but they ate it anyway. While Izuku fixed the front door so that he could at least get it closed, Hitoshi washed the dishes, inadvertently placing the bowls away somewhere that would take Izuku a week to find.
They met back on Izuku’s couch for a movie. Izuku claimed the first kiss since his return and finally got a ‘welcome back’ from his obviously exhausted boyfriend. Not two minutes later, Hitoshi was dead asleep, head on Izuku’s shoulder.
The next day, Izuku found out Hitoshi had struggled with insomnia the entire three months he was gone, and the exhaustion combined with the anticipation of Izuku’s return made it so he could hardly think straight, let alone shave or pay full attention to cooking. He didn’t even remember breaking the alarm system. Izuku had never felt so loved.
5
Even just last week, Izuku had woken up in the hospital, Hitoshi nowhere in sight. His phone had apparently been destroyed in the fight that had landed him injured, as it was also not there. He didn’t know why he was alone. He wasn’t usually.
Eventually, near four in the morning, they let him discharge himself. Izuku slowly walked home, stopping several times to duck away from the sparse civilians or rest on a bench, thankful at least, for the change of clothes and hat that had been waiting for him. He unlocked the door and walked into their home to find Hitoshi lying on the couch, their cat curled on his chest, and watching the door through bleary, barely open eyes. Their eyes locked and Izuku was greeted with a mumbled, “Welcome back. Glad you didn’t die.” Before Ube-colored eyes fell closed. Izuku huffed fondly at the man before carefully arranging himself half on top of him to fall asleep himself.
He learned two days later that the hospital hadn’t allowed Hitoshi to stay outside of visiting hours. He had spent a good hour trying to convince them that he should be allowed to stay as an assigned bodyguard for the rising hero. ('Soon to be Number One', he’d said.) Upon still being refused, he had left Izuku in Inko’s care who had gone home around midnight, just before Izuku woke. Not that Hitoshi told him that. No. He found out from his mom.
Hitoshi had then gone to his Hero agency to deliver the half-ruined costume and broken phone with instructions for Mei to build him a new one, no restrictions as long as it wouldn’t blow up after she presented it to him. Izuku is forever grateful that his friends and family know they don’t always remember to communicate their care clearly and always inform each of them when the other has done something in silent care. It keeps away the dark thoughts when such seemingly careless interactions occur.
+1
And now, as Izuku stands in front of Hitoshi and stares at the matching set of simple silver rings, he’s overwhelmed with so much love that the emotion slips out through his eyes in the form of crystalline tears.
“Midoriya Izuku, I have been thoroughly in love with you for nearly six years. You have been nothing but loving, kind, and patient as I stumbled through the process of learning to express this love. I hope that, through the years, my clumsy attempts at being romantic have managed to impart even a fraction of the love I feel for you because I know that even the grandest, most thought-out, perfectly executed, romantic gesture wouldn’t be enough to show half of the love you deserve.” Hitoshi squeezes Izuku’s hand as a sound that’s half sob, half laugh escapes his lips. With a wink, he continues.
“You are the most intelligent human I’ve ever met and the greatest hero I’ve ever seen. You care so much and have figured out exactly how to make sure I know the depth of your love for me. I am truly lucky to exist by your side. I wouldn’t be half the hero I am- wouldn’t be half the man, without you in my life.” Izuku manages to smile as Hitoshi takes a deep breath.
“I know I haven’t said it nearly enough, but I love you, Izuku. I don’t want to imagine a future without you in it, let alone live it; and I’m tired of having to use my hero license to con my way into your hospital rooms.” Hitoshi smirks when that comment earns him a wet laugh.
“So, Izuku, Love of my life, will you marry me?” And Izuku can’t help it; He falls to his knees, nearly landing on Hitoshi’s foot, pulling his hand from Hitoshi’s in order to grab his face and crash their lips together. Black whip explodes from him, wrapping around them both until it nearly blocks out the dim streetlights. Izuku lights up, green sparks dancing over his form in a way that he knows leaves a static tingle over Hitoshi's skin, illuminating the white smoke now surrounding them, quickly filling their little enclosed bubble.
After a long moment where Hitoshi’s newly freed hand finds its way into Izuku’s curls and he can feel the smile on Hitoshi’s lips, Izuku pulls away just enough to whisper, “Yes.” His next words are barely comprehensible, mumbled between kisses pressed over his boyfriend’s fiancé’s face.
“I - Love - You - So - Much! - Yes! - Yes - Of - Course - I’ll - Marry - You. - Yes! - Yes.” As Hitoshi laughs, Izuku feels like his heart is going to explode with happiness. It had been a hard day, but this? This was perfect.
They each had to fight a dangerous villain that caused at least one civilian injury and then had to deal with the mounds of paperwork that go along with those encounters. They had both come out of their respective fights with a few minor injuries. Nothing that required a hospital, but enough that they each have tender spots and sore muscles. Izuku had a live interview scheduled that he couldn't skip out on and had to deal with a reporter asking questions that were way too personal. As he left the studio, a small mob of fans were waiting outside. Izuku loves and appreciates his fans, but he really just wanted to get home.
Hitoshi had met him at the door with open arms, offering a long hug and several kisses before telling him to get changed and directing them to a nearby restaurant with the best Katsudon they’d found. He’d challenged him to a race back and when they had landed on their bedroom balcony near simultaneously, both laughing, Hitoshi had sunk to a knee and pulled out the sleek black box. It’s not the first time Hitoshi has managed to be romantic without any… issues, but Izuku certainly thinks this will be the most memorable.
Hitoshi wipes a thumb through the stream of tears on Izuku’s cheek. “You going to shut off your quirks so we can put on these rings or do I need to use mine?” Izuku hears the barely noticeable tonal shift which means he’s laced his question with his quirk and shakes his head. He rests his forehead against Hitoshi’s, hands still framing that beautiful face, lets his eyes fall closed, and takes a deep breath that smells of coffee and cats and spice and home. By the time he opens his eyes, they’re back in the open air of their balcony, the last wisps of smoke dissipating into the night.
Hitoshi grins at him, fingers expertly slipping from his curls without a single tug to pick one of the rings from the box. He hands the box to Izuku then takes his hand, placing a kiss to his knuckles and sliding the ring onto his finger. Izuku is pretty sure his smile can’t get any bigger. He flips their hands and one-handedly removes the other ring from the box. With a light giggle he repeats the gesture of placing a kiss to Hitoshi’s knuckles before nudging the ring into place.
It’s Izuku that moves, then. Dropping the box onto Hitoshi’s lap, his arms moving under his knees and around his back, legs pushing to standing, all in one fluid motion. Black whip makes a temporary reappearance to open the sliding door into their room, closing both it and the curtains behind him. Izuku has to show his fiancé exactly how perfect this was, exactly how happy he is, and exactly how much he loves him, after all. He doesn’t want it to cause any more overly personal questions should anyone catch a glimpse through the glass.