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Technically speaking, it’s all Kaminari’s fault. Izuku just so-happened to wander over to him while they were all at the bar celebrating after successfully taking down a huge villain, and heard him whisper to himself while staring at the TV, “Wow, I’m so glad I’m into men.”
Startled and surprised with a few drinks in his system, Izuku clapped him on the shoulder and said, “Me too! Men are awesome. Super hot too, y’know? And their arms, and their hands, and their stupidly strong shoulders—”
“Uh,” Kaminari had said, which is a reasonable reaction to seeing the Symbol of Hope drunkenly profess he’s also into men. “Wait, really? I thought I was one of the only pansexual guys in this class, where the hell were you this entire time?! How long have you known?”
Izuku had thought of bright red eyes and attempted to wave it off. “Middle school, probably. You thought you were the only one? Oh my god, that makes sense; no one came out in the older generation, but now we’re the current generation, which means we need to become role models! That’s our job as heroes!”
“Yeah!” Kaminari cheered him on. They both probably had too many drinks, but it didn’t stop Izuku from opening his Twitter app and drafting a quick message. With a flourish, he’d sent the tweet, and wrapped Kaminari into a hug. “We’re loud and proud! Hell yeah!”
Izuku’s phone proceeded to blow up for the rest of the night, and then died. Izuku, riding the high of hanging out with his friends, went home from the bar and passed out on his couch, snoring the night away. It’s only next morning for present-day Izuku that he realizes his drunk persona plugged in his phone, left a cup of water on the table, and something edible with rice so it could soak up the alcohol.
“Drunk me is a genius,” Izuku mutters while he takes a swig of water. He notices first that he has a million notifications, and then chokes when his PR manager calls him again, adding to the list of missed calls from her. As the manager of the Wonder Duo, she’s tough as nails and usually manages to keep the peace, so the fact that she’s calling either means big news or trouble, whichever comes first.
He answers the phone with a hesitant, “Hello?”
“Deku,” Hoshi answers with a dry tone, and Izuku knows he’s done for. “I’m going to safely assume you’re hungover, which makes this conversation better for me. You’re trending on Twitter again. Do you know why this time?”
“Not unless I’ve done something really bad since last night,” Izuku answers honestly. “Did…did I do something like throw Kacchan through a window like that one time? I swear that was an accident, he snuck up on me, but I don’t have any glass in me, so I don’t think—”
There’s a heavy sigh on Hoshi’s end, and Izuku can tell she’s massaging the bridge of her nose. “You came out on Twitter last night,” she deadpans, and Izuku goes silent. “We’ve got two options here; we chalk it up to a drunken endeavor or, and hear me out, you just come out and say you’re gay. Bisexual. Whatever you are.”
“I’m pansexual,” Izuku says, and runs a hand through his curls. “Wow. Okay. That’s not the way I was intending to come out, but…I guess we can just run with it? Is…is the reception any good? I came out to my mom a few years ago but I didn’t think I’d do THIS! Are YOU cool with it?”
“I mean, I’m definitely not straight either.” Hoshi snorts. “But yeah, there’s a lot of kids out there that are really happy that they have a role model for LGBTQIA+ rights now, so I’d say pretty good. Obviously, we’ll have to do some PR work just in case some homophobes wanna start talking shit, but I think this is a good start if you wanna come out officially and tell other people that it’s okay to come out too, especially if their favorite hero isn’t straight as well.”
“That’s a good idea,” Izuku exhales. “What would I do without you? Listen to Kacchan as my voice of reason?” His longtime crush pops into his head, and Izuku pales immediately, putting Hoshi on speaker as he frantically goes to his missed calls. Sure enough, there’s about ten from Bakugou, along with several text messages, and Izuku closes his eyes.
“Speaking of the infamous Dynamight, he’s been blowing up my phone all damn day if I knew or if this was planned.” Hoshi says, sounding exhausted. “Can you PLEASE talk to him? I don’t wanna deal with him right now when I’m trying to work things out with Hero Press.”
If there’s anyone in this world that could handle Bakugou Katsuki, Midoriya Izuku knows that he’s probably one of the only ones that’s on the list. “Yeah, I can do that.” Izuku grimaces. “Thanks again, Hoshi! I’ll let you know of any developments so you won’t be blindsided by them this time.”
“See that you do,” Hoshi laughs before she hangs up. Before Izuku can even think about calling his crush back, there’s a loud BANG at his front door. He’s got a feeling he knows who it is when he walks on over, grimacing as he reaches for the handle.
The door bursts open, and Bakugou comes marching in, puffed up like a cat. “Hey, asshole.” He snaps, waving his phone in Izuku’s face. “You know how to pick up a phone, right? Like you know how to make drunk Tweets and not tell me about them?”
“I didn’t even know I made one!” Izuku protests, feeling oddly defensive. “I was talking to Kaminari, I think, and I think I just got excited when I saw something on TV! It was for the solidarity, Kacchan, because I didn’t know if anyone from the older generation of heroes had ever come out before! I know Tiger from the Wild Wild Pussycats is trans, but other than that? No idea!”
Bakugou stares at him. He makes a weird face and scrunches his nose, which tells Izuku he’s genuinely thinking about it. “...So that leads to you coming out publicly on Twitter? What kinda thought process is that, Deku? At least think about it before you make a rash decision—”
“What if I wanna keep my tweet up?” Izuku challenges. He’s never really felt like this before; normally, he’d just think that people were hot and move on, not bothering with it. He’s a hero; when is he ever gonna have time to date? It never mattered before this, especially since his mom found out a while ago. He gushed over a few heroes’ muscles for too long and Inko had a knowing glint in her eye. After that, she aimed to be as supportive as always.
There’s a weird standoff for about ten seconds, and then Bakugou shakes his head and barks a laugh. “Yeah, alright. You better be on the lookout, Deku. My coming out experience is gonna be way better than yours, so step up! I gotta go anyways; I dropped by to harass you for the tweet and then head to the agency for a PR meeting, which means I’ll just be harassing Hoshi the entire time.”
“Yeah, okay,” Izuku says before his brain catches up as he walks Bakugou out. “Wait, what? Your coming out experience? Are you not straight—okay, well, you do dress like you’re not straight, so I’m not sure if I’m that surprised? Like who wears those loafers you fought me in?”
Bakugou gapes, genuinely shocked and offended. “AND I STILL KICKED YOUR ASS!” He yells back as Izuku shuts the door in his face. “CHECK YOUR TWITTER LATER, ASSHOLE! I’LL GET MORE LIKES THAN YOU!”
“I wasn’t aware this was a competition,” Izuku mutters as he leans against the door. Now that he’s finally got some peace and quiet, he unlocks his phone and checks his Twitter account, grimacing at the newest tweet that’s still blowing up even now.
Yeah, okay. That’s pretty obvious. No wonder Bakugou was losing his mind at how nonchalant it was. Izuku sighs and closes his phone, putting his head in his hands. He’s got two back-to-back shifts tomorrow anyways, so he’ll deal with the public and gauge whether it’s positive reception and he’s in the clear.
Izuku swiftly turns to his kitchen, grabs some snacks, and heads back to his bedroom to start watching reruns of old All Might specials, grumbling the entire time.
Predictably, Izuku’s swarmed when he clocks in already wearing his hero gear and slippers. The receptionist sits up a little straighter in their seat, and several sidekicks are staring at him wide-eyed. Kirishima, who’s on shift today with him, comes bouncing up and wraps a thick arm around his neck. “Hey dude!” He greets Izuku, grinning all the while. “Good to see you alive after the outing a few nights ago! So, uh, about your Tweet—”
“I’m keeping it up,” Izuku immediately says, a bit wary. “I mean, it wasn’t the way I wanted to come out, but I can at least own up to it and say that it’s true. I like everyone, technically speaking. Gender’s not an issue to me.”
Kirishima pretends to wipe away a fake tear. “Ah, manly as always. Fantastic, because I was thinking about coming out on Twitter too! I think Jirou beat me to it already during her radio show this morning, so I’ll have to make a great post at lunch!”
Izuku takes a moment to process that information, giving him a weird look as he snags a cup of coffee. “Jirou did what? What’re you talking about? I didn’t have time to check the news this morning. Did I miss something again?”
“Ah,” Kirishima says, which means, you sure did, buddy, and I don’t wanna be the one that breaks the news to you. “Well, Jirou came out this morning, and I think Yaoyorozu is about to announce to the world that she’s a lesbian on a talk show that started about ten minutes ago. You wanna watch it?”
Bemused, Izuku watches as an intern immediately goes to turn the TV on, and sure enough, they watch as Pro Hero Creati gently sets down her teacup and tells the talk host, “Well, Pro Hero Deku continues to be a trailblazer for the new and upcoming ranking of heroes. As one of our Twin Stars, he keeps showing ways to truly bring hope and peace to all of Japan and that includes providing a safe space for LGBTQ+ children and adults to thrive in. I wish I would’ve had my own safe space when I was a child, which is why I’m delighted to announce that I am indeed a lesbian.”
“So, you’re only into women?” The talk host asks, looking relatively surprised as she taps her fingernails on her thigh. “There were rumors that you might’ve been dating Pro Hero Entropy, but—”
Yaoyorozu holds up her phone and hits the unmute button. Todoroki’s voice drawls out from the phone, “Hi, I’m gay. And also asexual. Yaomomo was my beard for a few years. Thanks for having us.”
“I’m into all women,” Yaoyorozu says pleasantly, giving the camera a winning smile. “Cisgender, trans, anyone really. I have no romantic feelings for any men.” The receptionist lets out a loving sigh and swoons, while several interns give Yaoyorozu heart eyes. “Any more questions?”
“No, I suppose not!” The host replies, and that’s that.
Izuku turns back to Kirishima with a weary sigh. “I think I accidentally started an uprising. I planned on taking down the Hero Commission, but not like this. Is it weird that I’m really proud of this? It’s not the way I wanted to come out, but beggars can’t be choosers.”
“If it makes you feel better, Kaminari’s been going apeshit for hours now.” Kirishima grins. “He’s apparently really happy that he’s the catalyst for you coming out. I don’t think you understand the impact of what you’ve started, Midoriya. This is fucking awesome!”
The front door to the agency bursts open, and Bakugou comes marching in with a swarm of reporters shouting his name and waving their microphones at him. He looks oddly proud, and their manager’s frantically shouting at the crowd and slamming the doors behind her. “You piss me off so much, you ass,” Hoshi threatens, jabbing a sharp nail at Bakugou. “I know you’re impulsive but goddamn it you can’t just tell reporters to meet you at the conference room! What if you say something stupid?”
“Then I’ll be sure to be the smartest asshole in the room,” Bakugou retorts, and he looks even more smug. “Not that it’ll be hard.” Hoshi scoffs, and Bakugou throws his head back to cackle. He catches Izuku’s eye and immediately rights himself, stalking over and grabbing him by his arm.
“Hey, Deku,” Bakugou says, making Izuku’s insides flip. He’s so close to him that Izuku could count all of his pale eyelashes if he really wanted to. “You wanna come to my conference? I’ve got an important announcement to make for all of Japan to hear about.”
Normally, Izuku would go red under Bakugou’s sharp eyes, but he’s feeling a little manic from realizing that he’s started something pretty big, so instead he puts his hand on his hip and leans forward to scrunch his nose at his crush. “Is this because you’re trying to one up my tweet?” He asks, laughing when Bakugou flushes red.
“None of your damn concern,” Bakugou snaps, seemingly flared up already. Hoshi hides a smile behind her hand. “Go to the conference. I’m about to blow your shit outta the damn water, loser. Keep your eyes on me.”
“Where else would I look, Kacchan?” Izuku says, and it comes out so fond that Kirishima lets out a wheeze next to him. All of their interns stare in shock, and Hoshi looks like she’s aged about ten years. Bakugou, for his part, short-circuits and reboots at that moment.
The receptionist coughs. “Dynamight, the reporters are swarming the conference room.”
“Whatever.” Bakugou mutters, running a hand down his face. Izuku falls in line with his best friend, and they both head to the conference room; sure enough, there’s people clambering to get a seat at the front, and a few security guards doing their best to keep the peace. Hoshi approaches the podium and lowers her sunglasses and glares them down, waiting until the room gets quiet enough to talk.
“We apologize for the short notice,” Hoshi says dryly, “but Pro Hero Dynamight has a few words he’d like to say on his own terms. As per usual with our policy, no questions until the end, and we have the right to refuse to answer any of them.”
A few reporters grumble but let it go, and Bakugou takes Hoshi’s place. Izuku stands off to the side watching and ignores the few camera flashes that point in his direction. For now and always, his eyes are on his Symbol of Victory.
The thing about Bakugou Katsuki, of course, is that he’s blunt and never shuts the hell up. PR essentially gave up trying to curb his cursing and instead decided to let him talk whenever he really wanted to, and did their best not to force him. They left those talks up to Izuku and Kirishima just in case, so the fact that Bakugou wants to talk is a bit concerning—
“I’m gay and demisexual,” Bakugou announces to the entire room, and it gets so silent you could hear a pin drop. “Read it and weep, assholes. And with that outta the way, I’m here to announce that I’m hosting a pride parade for all of Japan in April. Anyone’s able to come, and go nuts with whatever you identify with. It’ll be in a few weeks at the end of April. I’ll get PR to finalize a date, time, and location soon.”
Izuku stares. Kirishima snorts, and the room erupts into chaos. “I heard he was going big, but this?” Kirishima laughs, shrugging when Izuku turns to him with wide eyes. “What? It’s Bakugou, did you expect anything less? Did you even see what he wrote responding to your drunk Tweet?”
“Nah,” Izuku says faintly, watching his childhood friend stand tall and proud at the podium. Deep down, there’s a flutter of hope in his chest. Does…does he have a chance? After all this time? It’d probably be better to wait until after the celebration, as he doesn’t want to distract Bakugou from any of his plans.
The reporters are clambering for answers, pointing their mics out, but all Izuku can do is stare. He’s not sure why; maybe because he’s realizing that he genuinely did start something, and the impact is going to be even greater than he anticipated.
Bakugou turns to him and catches his eye. Izuku flushes red; the knowing grin tells him that Pro Hero Dynamight clearly caught him lacking, and he’s about to pay the price for it. In a move that shocks Izuku, Bakugou winks, and then turns back to the crowd. “Fine, you assholes, ask your questions!”
Izuku burns and withers away in a fire, and Kirishima puts his head in his hands.
Never let it be said that Izuku’s not caught up on current news events, but he’s somehow also missed Bakugou’s response to the Tweet that started it all after sitting down and reading the most recent Tweet from his crush. He rubs his eyes from where he’s laying in bed, rolling over and checking the one profile he has notifications on for.
Izuku snorts loudly and startles himself, grinning all the while. What a moron. So determined to be the best that he can’t help but make waves in life. Truly an inspiration for the people, and that’s why he loves him.
It’s a strange thing to come to terms with himself, but Izuku’s always known that Bakugou would be a part of his life. They’ve been together for so long that he honestly feels like he can’t breathe if he thinks of a future without him.
And speaking of the devil himself, there’s a phone call lighting up his phone. Izuku exhales and goes to answer it, already knowing who it is. Who else would be calling him slightly before sunset? (Todoroki and Uraraka would’ve been close to midnight.)
“Hey, idiot.”
“Hi, Kacchan.” Izuku smiles at him over the phone. “What’s up? Pride’s in a few weeks, are you excited? I can’t believe we’re already getting close to it! I’m sure I’ll have to pick out an outfit and see if there’s gonna be street vendors—”
“Do you think a person deserves a second chance?”
Silence. Izuku stares at his phone for a moment, putting the call on speaker. “...What?”
Bakugou huffs on the other end, but Izuku can hear the shake in his voice. “You heard me, Deku. Even if this person wanted to earn a second chance, d’you think this is a start? Solidarity and some goddamn support?”
He’s not trying to be subtle, so Izuku graces him with a straightforward answer. “I think the person had earned a second chance a long time ago,” he says gently, and smiles even though he knows Bakugou can’t see him. “When you’ve been by their side for years and years, Kacchan, and still supportive after everything, then yeah, they’ve earned it. I mean, a pride parade? I’m very proud of them!”
Bakugou barks out a laugh, and Izuku can hear the tears in it. “Yeah? Even if this is some elaborate proposal with a certain action in mind?”
Izuku’s not stupid, of course, and he’s been able to read Bakugou for years and years. “Always, Kacchan. I know our patrol routes won’t overlap for a while, so…do you want to talk at the parade instead? I know we’re both busy until then, but I know what you’re trying to say.”
Especially since Bakugou’s never been the best with words, but his actions have said everything for their entire lives. Izuku’s not afraid of him, nor wanting to shield away from what he knows Bakugou’s telling him.
“Yeah, that’ll work. See you then, loser.” Bakugou hangs up without waiting for a response, and Izuku smiles to himself as he puts his phone back on the charger, pulling up his covers and going to bed.
Japan Pride isn’t as nerve-wracking as Izuku thought it’d be, weirdly enough.
He’s absolutely terrified, sure, even as Todoroki paints a pansexual flag on his face with his tongue sticking out, but there’s a sense of calm and peace in his chest that he can’t help but acknowledge. This is always how it should’ve been; celebrating the way you and other people love in every sense of the word, romantic and platonic alike.
“You ready?” Todoroki asks, mouth curving into a smile. “Thank you for your drunk Tweet again, Midoriya, I had the absolute joy of seeing my father blow a gasket at our latest family dinner when the news came out. Fuyumi made me a cake as a way of saying congratulations.”
“I’m glad!” Izuku beams up at him. “Did you hear that Shinsou heard that Kaminari was into men and he literally sprinted over to his apartment a few days ago? I’m pretty sure they’re together now, but it’s been amazing to watch! Even older heroes are coming out!”
“I heard All Might’s showing up too,” Todoroki adds, making sure there’s enough glitter on the tip of his nose before he sprays himself with setting spray. “Ashido was right; I do look good with eye makeup. She’s apparently one of the event coordinators since Bakugou needed assistance, not that he’d ever admit it.”
Izuku’s held onto their weird phone call for the past few weeks, and he’s honestly excited to see how this entire event will play out. Maybe if he’s lucky, he’ll have a romantic partner by the end of it. Todoroki gives him a knowing look before ushering the two of them into a company car, making sure to get dropped off a few blocks away so they don’t get swarmed.
The moment Izuku steps onto the streets that have been blocked off, the growing crowd roars and cheers. People clap Izuku on the shoulder, shouting about their Symbol of Hope and how he’s started something beautiful. There’s people of all ages surrounding him; young toddlers to elders, and they all look so excited that it brings tears to Izuku’s eyes.
Hoshi pushes her way to the front of the crowd, holding two VIP passes. She slaps one to Izuku’s chest and hands the other over to Todoroki, who gives a peace sign and melts into the crowd of partygoers. “So you don’t get lost, moron!” She shouts, and jerks a thumb to a barricade placed in the middle of the street. “Lover boy’s waiting for you, so you better hurry before that idiot gets swarmed.”
Izuku takes off immediately, gently maneuvering people out of the way. There’s so much color around him, bleeding into his sight and making him see rainbow all the way down the block. It’s a beautiful day outside; Bakugou picked a perfect day, because of course he did.
Standing in the middle of the street, Pro Hero Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight stands tall with a sleeveless hoodie and pride bracelets. He pushes a pair of sunglasses off his face and slides them into his pocket, grinning the entire time. “Hey, Deku,” he calls out, looking way too damn confident. “You like my proof that I’m with you all the way to the end? You think you can one-up me in coming out? Hell no! I’m the best of the best, and—”
Izuku’s shoes slap against the pavement as he breaks into a sprint, his VIP pass swinging around his neck. The air crackles with electricity as he practically flies into Bakugou’s arms, wrapping his own around his hero’s neck. The only thing that’s on repeat in his head is, I love him, I love him, I love him.
In his own way of confessing, Bakugou organized a way to show his love and support by continuing to be the Symbol of Victory for all of Japan. Izuku’s love for Bakugou has been one of the constants in his life, and he might’ve paved a path for others to come out, but Bakugou has ensured that they’ll be supported for the rest of their lives.
Izuku shuts his eyes and presses his lips against Bakugou’s, pouring as much love and affection he can into their first kiss. He feels Bakugou’s arms briefly linger at his back before they wrap tightly around him, pulling the two together. “Hey, nerd,” Bakugou rasps when they break apart. “I don’t think I can get any clearer than this, asshole. You want me or not?”
“Of course I do,” Izuku murmurs into his mouth, unable to stop himself from laughing delightedly. The crowd around them roars with joy, or maybe they don’t. With Deku and Kacchan, they’re only wrapped up in each other’s worlds. “It’s you! You’re the love of my life, Kacchan!”
“Oh my god you’re so embarrassing,” Bakugou groans, but he’s also fighting a smile. “I was thinkin’ we’d get together either on the battlefield or someplace else; knowing your luck, I would’ve bet the hospital. For once in my life, thanks for proving me wrong, asshole.”
Izuku’s heart flutters, because he can read him like a book, and he strokes his thumb over Bakugou’s cheek. “I can prove you wrong for the rest of our lives, if you’ll have me.” He grins, feeling starstruck as Bakugou throws his head back to laugh.
“FINALLY,” Ashido hollers from where she’s standing on top of a trash can and ramping the crowd up. Shinsou pretends to wipe a tear away from where he’s standing with Kaminari, trying to make sure Ashido doesn’t tip over. “Took you guys long enough! Place your bets on where the first date’s gonna be!”
“You fuckers WISH,” Bakugou hollers back before he tosses a box in Izuku’s direction. He fumbles for a moment before getting a good grip on it, cracking it open to see—
Izuku drops the box. It falls near Bakugou’s right foot and the grinning bastard just pops it back up, easily catching it. “I’m waiting for an answer, ass.” Bakugou tells him, shaking the box threateningly. “You chose this! You chose me, and you know damn well I’m never letting you go again. Are you all in or not?”
Well. Nothing says Bakugou Katsuki like going above and beyond. “You haven’t even taken me on a date and you’re already giving me a ring?” Izuku protests, tears forming in his eyes. “Kacchan, what would my mother say? You’re proposing to her only child! Did you even tell your mom?”
“Of course I did!” Bakugou barks back, trying and failing to look nonchalant. Izuku can easily see his shoulders shaking. “They all said yes! I even asked All Might and that asshole gave his blessing! Figured it’d be an easy anniversary to remember since it’s my birthday—”
For some reason, that’s the catalyst that sends Izuku back into Bakugou’s arms. He wails and buries his face into Bakugou’s neck, crushing him in his grasp. “Of COURSE I’ll marry you, moron!! I would never say no in a million years!”
“Then I’ll have to make sure you say no when a billion years rolls up,” Bakugou huffs, but wraps an arm around Izuku’s waist and squeezes. “If you ever give me a heart attack like that again, I swear to god I’ll kill you.”
“Fine, fine.” Izuku sniffs and reaches up to kiss Bakugou again, feeling rough fingers wipe his tears away. They both hear Kaminari’s yell of “ARE THEY GETTING MARRIED?” and Ashido screams so loud, she topples off the trash can.
Bakugou breaks their kiss and rolls his eyes while subtly making sure Ashido’s okay. “Well, fuck. I forgot I’m in charge of this entire damn thing so I have to get everything started. You wanna join me?”
“There’s literally no other place I’d rather be,” Izuku retorts, watching as Bakugou cracks open the box and practically shoves the ring onto Izuku’s finger. “When did you get my ring size anyways?”
“Auntie Inko is incredibly resourceful,” Bakugou snorts, eyeing the ring as it sits perfectly on Izuku. “The sooner I get this shit done, the sooner we can leave and I can make us dinner.”
“Ooh, what’s it gonna be?” Izuku beams as the crowd demands their attention. The Wonder Duo, of course, stay wrapped up in each other. “I heard you were trying a new onigiri recipe a few weeks ago, do you think you could make that?”
Bakugou gives him an incredulous look as they both walk over to Hoshi, who’s standing nearby with an incredibly proud grin. “I didn’t learn how to make your mom’s katsudon recipe for nothing, asshole. You’ll take what I make and you’ll LIKE it.”
Izuku fist-pumps and Hoshi lets out a deep sigh. “You continue to make my life more difficult,” she says dryly, but smiles at both of them. “Congratulations to both of you. Now, who’s taking the other’s family name? I’ll need to update paperwork as soon as possible if that’s cool.”
The Wonder Duo stares at each other before jabbing a finger into each other’s chest. “You’re taking mine!” Bakugou shouts, and Izuku retorts, “Well, I think I can make a case for Midoriya too! If you remember that drawing I made when we were four—”
Their squabble fades away in the roar of Japan, and to their future ahead of them, bright as stars.