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It all started during their first year when Kaminari had been sat behind Ojiro in the 1A classroom, the younger blond simply started playing with his tail for no other reason than it simply being just in front of him. However, to Mashirao, it was confusing as hell. Denki would often join Mineta of all people and perv up on the girls of their class, so Mashirao knew that he was into girls. It also didn't help that he didn't know what to make of his own feelings, he had always only ever been attracted to women, he even had had a crush on Hagakure most of their first year. So why was it that every time the other blond started playing with his tail, he felt his ears burning and butterflies in his stomach?
After the war they all shared so much trauma they had become inseparable. He never even noticed how often Denki wound up staying over at his place, falling asleep with a video game remote in his hands and a bleary-eyed Mashirao tugging it free as he covered the other blond with a blanket. Not until it was his turn to host game night and they were sitting in the living room, Denki carding his fingers through the fluffy end of his tail and a drunken Mina taunting Ojiro's red cheeks.
"Look at you, you look so cute!" Mina giggled and Denki joined her, further petting Ojiro's tail like he would with a puppy.
"I don't!" He tried to pull away from his friend but Denki grabbed it harder and he barely managed to hold back a whimper. That felt good.
"You do too!!" Denki giggled. "I always liked how red your face gets when I pet you hehe."
"Having a tail doesn't make me a pet Denki." He finally pulled free, embarrassment overriding everything else he might be feeling.
"Alright you two, I think it's time to pack it up." Kyoka ushered them as she returned to the living room from helping Hanta and Yaomomo clear out their trash, having left their too-drunk friends in their host's care. It took her until they were waiting for the elevator to notice she had lost one of her drunken fools. "C'mon Denki, Yaomomo's driver will drop us off."
"Nooo… I'm staying here!" Denki pouted, dropping to the floor of the living room and hugging the coffee table like that would keep them from dragging him away.
"Denki… Mashirao deserves to rest without your messy ass waking him up." Kyoka was about to step out of her boots again, Ojiro didn't think he imagined her endless patience for their friend fraying a little too much tonight, so he intervened.
"It's okay, it's not the first time he does this." Ojiro tried to placate her.
"But you shouldn't have-" Kyoka stopped mid-unzipping her boot when Momo touched her shoulder.
"If he says it's okay we should respect it Kyoka," Momo smiled, "let's go, the elevator is here and Sero can't carry Mina forever."
"Hey! I can too! Are you doubting my superior arm muscles?!" Sero called from the hall, all too loudly.
"Big strong biceps!" Mina agreed, giggling and equally as loud.
"Alright… let's go before Mashirao gets a noise complaint fine." Kyoka finally agreed.
Ojiro waved them goodbye as they piled into the elevator and locked his apartment door. He turned to look for his uninvited sleepover guest and found the living room empty, he checked the bathroom, also empty. He checked his bedroom last, and found Denki sleeping soundly on top of the covers.
"What am I supposed to do with you now?" He asked the void, sighed and after changing into pajamas, actually got into the bed as opposed to just lying on top of it. He was looking at Denki's drooling sleepy face and a wild thought grew as quick as a smile of endearment did. He scooted a little closer, kissed Denki's forehead and wasn't sure if the jolt of electricity that ran through him was the other man's quirk or something else. "Good night Denki." He kissed his forehead again and turned away when the electricity really proved to be something else. "What am I doing?"
He woke up an indeterminate amount of time later, feeling hot in all the wrong ways. Ojiro struggled to gather his surroundings, his tail twitched and what he could only assume were arms, tightened around it. A second later, he felt Denki's cold nose burrowing into its fluffy end, turning his skin to gooseflesh.
Mashirao should be used to it buy now, it had been years since Denki was first sat behind him at UA and proceeded to use his tail as his personal fidget toy. He'd even thanked him for it, once, saying he'd managed to focus on school so much more now and that he really appreciated Mashirao not pushing him away or calling him annoying. Right now, however, it caused a much unwelcome reaction in his body.
"Oh god…" Mashirao lied perfectly still and waited for his blood to return to more appropriate appendages. He didn't even realize the sun had risen until Denki stirred away from him as he woke up.
"Morning Mashi…" Denki yawned, stretching like a cute kitten.
"Morning…" Mashirao turned away, cheeks burning. "I'm gonna make us some breakfast, you can sleep a little longer if you want."
"Really? This is why you're the best Mashi…" Denki mumbled and promptly fell back asleep in Mashirao's bed.
He tried his best not to think about it the entire time while he cooked, but the moment he walked back into the bedroom his breath caught in his throat. Denki was sprawled on top of the covers, shirt riding up his abdomen, showing off his adorably toned but soft tummy. His hair was a complete mess buried in between the pillows, a strand thick enough to choke him lying inside his drooling mouth, the cutest little snoring coming out of it.
"Oh man." Mashirao muttered.
It had been the most infuriatingly slow three weeks at work, ever since they'd become young pro-heroes villainy had started decreasing at a slow but steady rate. Which is how, occasionally, they would wind up with basically nothing to do other than basic community service, and how they wound up hanging out around each other's agencies more often than not. After "realization morning" as Mashirao dubbed it in his head, he'd been subtly avoiding Denki, or so he thought.
"You need to get it together man," Kirishima of all people was the one to talk to him about it during an uneventful patrol, "Denks has been pouting for like a whole week now."
"What?" Mashirao was startled by the seriousness in the redhead's expression.
"You're acting like how I used to in first year before I confessed to Katsuki, so not manly." Eijirou clapped his shoulder and made to walk away, "So get it together and stop making him feel like he's the problem. He doesn't deserve that."
Opportunity didn't come until a couple of days later, Mashirao had apprehended some idiotic thieves trying to rob a video store in broad daylight near Denki's agency of all places. The moment the police took over the arrest he found himself being dragged to a nearby park by the other blond, already dressed in his civilian clothes.
"Look Mashi, I know I'm annoying and not the smartest but even I can tell when someone is avoiding me, so if you could just tell me what the fuck I did wrong so I can fix it and we can be chill again I'd appreciate it a lot." Denki said in a single breath, and before Mashirao could even react to being manhandled and called out, the shorter blond continued on. "And like, I'm not stupid, you know? I know it was something I did when I stayed over last time, but I was pretty fucking drunk and I legit can't remember doing anything worthy of being avoided, so like, it's not fair that one of my best friends is avoiding me when I don't even remember why."
"Sorry Denki, you're right, it's not fair." Mashirao said when Denki gasped for air. "You didn't do anything wrong, I'm… I'm an asshole."
"You literally aren't, try again without a side order of BS." Denki pouted, crossing his arms. He looked so adorably cute with his brows furrowed and lower lip jutting out like a petulant five-year-old, Mashirao could only whine. It wasn't fair that Denki was so freaking gorgeous.
"I am an asshole, because what else would you call someone who develops a stupid crush on their friend when there's absolutely no way it can be requited and it happened only because the friend kept playing with your tail which was never meant to be an erogenous zone but somehow with that friend it became one of all things?" Mashirao blurted all at once and when he was finally done he was panting.
"You… you have a crush on me?" Denki was blushing so hard Mashirao wanted to die, how did he manage to look even cuter?
"I'm so sorry Denki, I know you like girls, like, LOVE girls. And to be honest I didn't even know I could like guys, until the other day really, and that's why I've been avoiding you so that these stupid feelings go away and things can go back…"
Mashirao's second ramble was interrupted by Denki's body crashing into his, teeth and all. Both recoiled with muffled groans as they covered their mouths trying to mitigate the pain.
"How do movies make that look so romantic?" Denki whined once they recovered and Mashirao gaped at him, understanding coming to him in waves.
"W-what…" He couldn't even make it a question.
"I was trying to be epic." Denki sighed, circled around Mashirao and leaned against a nearby wall, which was how Mashirao realized they were in a very secluded area of the park. "Let me try that again." Denki wrapped his arms over Mashirao's shoulders, buried his fingers in Mashirao's hair and pulled him closer. "You have a crush on me." Even though he didn't say it like a question this time, Mashirao still tried to pull away. Denki didn't let him. "Which is great because I do too."
"You do too, what?" Mashirao breathed, eyes darting between Denki's own and his lips.
"You have officially lost the right to call me dumb." Denki smiled and pulled Mashirao once more, slowly this time, letting their breath mingle before finally connecting their lips again.
Denki's lips were softer than Mashirao would have ever imagined, a part of him wondered what they'd feel like under his fingertips. Would they be as soft as the blond fuzz on his nape? Would they feel softer than they did with his lips? What other parts of Denki… his derailing thoughts came to a screeching halt with the jolt of electricity that ran through him.
Original post by BCXSanson on bsky
"Sorry…" Denki gasped, letting go of Mashirao as his fingers continued to spark up. "I uh…"
"Need a minute?" Mashirao offered, and Denki nodded. "Same… I kind of can't believe this is happening…"
"Same." Denki sighed, quirk back under control. "I promise I'm not gonna zap you every time we make out."
"Make out? That was barely even a kiss." Mashirao mocked with baseless confidence.
"Ah yeah? Why don't you show me a real kiss then?" Denki raised a brow, and zapped him teasingly.
Mashirao rolled his eyes, reached for Denki's cheek, thumb caressing it before tracing his bottom lip making them part slightly.
"I like you a lot Denki." Mashirao whispered and leaned in, relishing the feel of Denki's lips against his own this time around, he really liked that they definitely felt softer when they kissed. He pressed his tongue forward slightly, eager to explore more, to feel more. Mashirao had been given permission to show Denki just how much he'd wanted him this entire time, he wasn't going to wait.
Mashirao felt Denki melt into the kiss as it deepened, his fingers tangling in Mashirao's short hair one moment and relaxing the next. He felt Denki's heartbeat pick up pace as the skin of his neck warmed up under Mashirao's hands. He ventured opening an eye as their tongues played with each other, just in time to see Denki's expression when Mashirao's teeth grazed his swollen bottom lip.
"Mashi…" Denki whimpered and all of Mashirao's blood rushed downwards.
"I uh…" He panted against Denki's lips. "I think we should meet back at my place… otherwise we're gonna get arrested."
"Or photographed by paparazzi." Denki groaned and pulled away only enough to rest their foreheads together. "Pick your poison."
"I'd rather have you all to myself." Mashirao kissed the tip of Denki's nose, making him wrinkle it adorably.
"Way better option." Denki's gorgeous smile turned to a frown. "You still have to do your end of patrol paperwork."
"How about you go ahead to my apartment and I meet you there? I'll even shower at home so you don't have to wait for me long."
"Talking about showering together and we haven't even gone on a first date?" Denki grinned and pushed Mashirao away a bit. "Scandalous."
"Who said anything about showering together?" Mashirao shot back and Denki blushed. "I'll see you at home." Mashirao said, kissing Denki's forehead by way of goodbye.
Forty minutes later, he was opening his front door to the sound of Denki singing along to whatever song blasted through his earphones. He smiled, thinking how this wasn't even a novelty in their dynamic. More than once had he come home to one of his best friends commandeering his video games or his kitchen, Mashirao kept a wide variety of easy to cook meal kits in his fridge precisely for this reason. And still, it felt different with Denki, especially now that they were…
"Oh." He realized as he started his shower: they may have confessed their mutual feelings but would that make them boyfriends by default? "Get your shit together Mashirao, you can figure it out together." He mumbled and switched the water off.
When he walked out of the bedroom he found Denki splitting a pizza into two plates, still dancing and singing like he normally would except that he was wearing one of Mashirao's shirts with only his boxers underneath. Call him cheesy, but having that visual in front of him for the rest of his life sounded like heaven. He walked over to Denki and wrapped his arms around his waist, to which Denki yelped, not having noticed he had company.
"Hey." Denki turned just in time for Mashirao to plant a soft kiss on his lips.
"Hey." Mashirao replied, kissing him again. "You know… me coming home to you cooking in my clothes… that's very domestic…"
"Yeah, almost like we're boyfriends or something." Denki joked, but the pink in his cheeks said he meant it.
"I'd love to be your boyfriend, Denki." Mashirao smiled.
"Great!" Denki exclaimed and turned back towards the food. "I got kinda hungry while I waited but then the pizza didn't get ready fast enough, and now you're here and we were in the middle of something…"
Mashirao kissed his cheek and took one of the plates.
"How about we watch the new episode of your anime while we eat and then keep making out on the couch?" Mashirao suggested, peppering Denki's face with kisses.
"We're gonna taste like pizza…" Denki chuckled.
"Perfect."
They watched Denki's show like it was any other Tuesday, each on a corner of the sofa as they ate for the first half and with Denki cuddling Mashirao's tail for the second. The only difference was that this time Mashirao was also cuddling Denki, and when the credits rolled in, he started kissing Denki's neck.
"That tickles." Denki laughed, letting go of Mashirao's tail and turning to face him. "I'd like my kisses now." Denki demanded before leaning in, connecting their lips.
It wasn't the heated make out session they interrupted at the park, this was them getting to know each other in an entirely new way. It was soft kisses and even softer touches as their hands explored under the shifting edges of their clothes, but it didn't matter, now that they were together they would have all the time in the world.