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David always appreciated and admired his partner’s dedication to his work, but it was tough sometimes. Being long distance was hard enough already, but being kept a secret?
He didn’t like that, but it was what Toshinori wanted—and All Might got what he wanted.
Though, in hindsight, that was David’s opinion. In reality, Toshinori was always sacrificing for others. He didn’t get what he want. He wanted to have a public relationship, David knew that, but he still couldn’t help but feel somewhat bitter.
“It’s to protect you, Dave,” Toshinori had said, voice soft with a promise he couldn’t guarantee. “I swear one day we’ll be able to go out together in public.”
But how long until that one day came? Would it be tomorrow? Next week? Next year? 10 years from now?
Well, David got his answer in the form of an invitation to Japan, three weeks after the war.
“Dave!”
David lifted his head toward the far end of the corridor, where it stretched on and on beneath harsh airport lighting. His legs felt like lead and his back throbbed after the flight. He’d gone back to the U.S. for a while to see family, which meant the trip was even longer than it would’ve been if he’d flown straight from I-Island.
But it was all worth it to see Toshinori standing there, smiling—himself. No longer that hulking statue of muscle that screamed Symbol of Peace.
No, this was Toshinori. His Toshinori. The one David fell in love with all over again, every time they were forced to be apart.
David picked up his pace, weaving between other travellers and their luggage with quick, breathless apologies, single-minded in his need to reach him. And then, finally—
“Hey—!”
Toshinori caught him and hauled him in, arms wrapping tight around his waist. They’d hugged in public before, sure, but this was different—private in the middle of all that noise, Toshinori bending down as if he could fold himself into David’s shoulder, his face tucked into the worn fabric at David’s collar.
“Toshi?” David managed, the word knocked half-out of him by the force of the embrace. His suitcase stood abandoned behind him, suddenly the least important thing in the world.
“Is everything okay?” David tried again when Toshinori didn’t answer.
After a few frantic heartbeats, Toshinori pulled back just enough to look at him—and then smiled, small and almost disbelieving. “Hi.”
“Hi yourself,” David said, blinking. “What’s going on?”
Toshinori swallowed. Breath hitching, then he let it out on a rough little laugh and shook his head like he couldn’t believe his own nerves. “This is ridiculous.”
“What—”
Toshinori leaned in and kissed him.
David’s eyes widened, shocked—but only for a heartbeat. His body remembered this the way it always did, instinctive as breath. He kissed back without thinking, because this was the most natural thing in his world.
They broke apart a few seconds later, both of them breathless.
“You—but what about—”
“I told you, didn’t I?” Toshinori hummed softly, still close enough that David could feel the words. “That one day we’d be together in public.”
David blinked, then laughed tearfully. “God, I love you.”
“I love you too.”