Chapter Text
Shouto learns very early that he cannot and should not wish for things. He grows up in a dysfunctional home, he is taken from his mother's arms very early, he loses a brother before he can understand why Touya hates him so much and begins to cultivate a monumental hatred for his father, even when he is only a child. He discovers that he has no right to the company of his brother and sister, discovers that the only time he has any contact with a real person is when he fights his own father and that is possibly worse than having no contact at all. He fights until exhaustion, vomits when receives a blow too hard and dreams of the place his mother was taken every night until the first year of high school.
Then, he arrived in the U.A. Hungry, would be the best way to describe it when he looks back to all these years. He was hungry, he wanted to scream with them all, he wanted to hide his father’s powers so far beneath his skin that they would never ask again if he had them. He wanted to understand why no one seemed to have a life as miserable as him, why only he had so much anger and contempt inside him and how they could have so much fun at a school where they are prepared to be rivals one day. However, above all this, he wanted to end Midoriya Izuku.
He was intrigued by that boy and not just because he thought that Midoriya was a lost son of All Might or something like that, but because he had to have something behind that too big smile and infinite sympathy, even for idiots like Bakugou. So, he admitted just to himself that he had envy. He envies the fact that boy who seemed fragile — and was badly able to use his own power without ending up in the infirmary — didn't let the evil of the world infiltrate his being, as Shouto let himself be. Then the sports festival happens and Shouto knows he can divide his life in two different moments: before and after Midoriya.
Before, all things are cloudy, dark and distant, except hate, but after him, his universe changes forever. After him there is friendship, his mother, his family, his friends and all the things that matter to him. He thinks that's why he sees Midoriya as a rock, a fixed point in his life, who he can always count on and can always come back to. That's the reason why he's sitting on the green-mint sofa, with a porcelain cup of tea between his to-big-hands, swallowing hard.
“So, what did you want to tell me?”
Midoriya sits in front of him, holding a similar cup, but with the detail of having “Best son in the world” engraved on it with an image of All Might on the side. He smiles slightly looking at the mug, despite the nervousness that invades his body. Midoriya's apartment smells like him, reminding Shouto of all the best moments of his high school and his life.
He gathers his courage and looks up, only to already find Midoriya staring expectantly, eyes as green as the first time he saw them. Now that they are real heroes, many things differ from when they were teenagers, like the fact that Midoriya grew up and look more like a big closet crammed into his own sofa than any other thing.
“It’s hard to put my thoughts into words.” Shouto counters, with his usual eloquence. Midoriya smiles softly and even though he isn't more of the familiar rounded cheeks, but rather sharp angles, with his well-built jaw, Shouto manages to muster all the courage that sneaks into his chest. “I’m gay”.
Midoriya's smile doesn't break down but his eyebrows move delicately, just a small sign of momentary confusion that Shouto wouldn't have noticed if he wasn't staring so intensely. Now that the words have left his mouth, he realizes that maybe he should have elaborated better on what he wanted to say.
“I'm very happy that you understood yourself and chose to tell me Todoroki-kun!” The tone is genuinely happy and he puts the cup of tea aside, kind of unsure of what physical contact to initiate next, so he simply places his hand on Shouto's left shoulder. “You know, I'm bisexual. I'm here to help you however you need.”
Shouto knew and that's why he went to Midoriya before everyone else. After the relationship with Uraraka ended a few months prior to high school, they had holed up at the Todoroki house and drank some sake in secret. They were slightly drunk and laughing a lot, but Midoriya cried a little too, half because he really liked Uraraka at that time and half because he thought something was wrong with him for liking boys too. Shouto never told anyone and eventually Midoriya understood himself, but since that day, something crawls under his skin telling him that he is more similar to Midoriya than he thinks.
“I know, it’s just… new, very new. All of it.” Shouto sighs and the squeeze on his shoulders doesn't loosen even for a moment. “I don’t want to hide, I'm telling you first because besides you being my best friend, I need help with something.”
That is how they end up at Endeavor's agency. Shouto had learned to tolerate Enji with great effort, even though their relationship was not going to evolve into something beyond that one day. They are in their usual uniform and it is almost impossible to get to the agent's office without being stopped thousands of times, since having hero number one and number three publicly together without being on a mission is extremely rare.
When they enter, Hataki is watching something on his desktop computer with headphones and a very composed manner, but closes the laptop before they can even pry what it is. Hataki is a man of small stature and light straight hair that he expertly leaves in a quiff, his smile reminds the cat from Alice in Wonderland and when he's not bothering everyone at the end-of-year get-together, he's just a nice guy who spends way too much time on Twitter.
“Gentlemen’s number one and number three! What do I owe the honor of the visit of these two illustrious figures in my office?”
Hataki pulls out a small bottle that Shouto knows he tells everyone the nonsense that the drink is medicinal, but, in fact, the smell of rum it's a lot less subtle when close up.
“Well, I’m not going to beat around the bush. I'm gay.” Hataki frowns his face as per Shouto saying, looking like he's about to say something about Shouto being the new Sherlock Holmes in town. "And I want…I want to come out publicly.”
He almost vomits in the second part, the nervousness more than clear in his voice. Midoriya's hand flies to his knee in moral support and he feels his chest panting a little less, mentally thanking himself for the idea of bringing his best friend together.
“And exactly what do you have to do with it?” Hataki points a pen accusing Midoriya, who immediately became a tomato.
"Nothing! I mean, I’m just here for moral support.”
Shouto doesn't want to be annoying about this, but he'd be lying if he didn't say he was a little upset by his best friend's immediate defense. He knows is stupid, but the strange taste in the back of his throat associates the rapid denial to disgust.
“So, hero Shouto, I just have one question for you. Why do you want to do this? Many Japanese heroes are from the LGBTQIA+ community, but most of them prefer to keep this in the private sphere of their lives. In fact, the number of assumed heroes grows as the popularity line drops, since they don't have much to lose. So, first of all, I need to know what motivation you have for putting your popularity at risk like that.”
Hataki says all this while typing avidly on his own laptop after reopening it, appearing to have gone into “serious agent” mode. Shouto wished to have a nice, meaningful reason for wanting to do this, but it was very simple: he wanted to make it clear to his father and the world that getting married with a woman was not an option, besides living his life on his own way.
“Because this is who I really am and I want to live my life without having to care about secrets, I don't care about any stupid classification. I already have everyone I need by my side.”
He looks at Midoriya's hand on his knee and realizes that yes, his friends and family are the only people that matter in the end. Hataki stops typing furiously, looking at Shouto deeply, then to Midoriya and letting out a long sigh that doesn't please him at all.
“I had a brilliant idea!” The agent's face is even more incisive now. “Midoriya, didn’t you happen to have a similar meeting with your team?"
The hand on Shouto's knee tightens and he watches his friend shrink, without knowing if it's out of shame or disguised anger.
“How did you know that?”
“We, hero agents, are a very close-knit class, you'd be surprised. Anyway, you coming out publicly was a topic, wasn't it?”
“Yes, but what does it matter-”
“I want to make a proposal to you.” He finally takes his eyes off the screen of the laptop and turns completely towards them, making a graphic visible. “This graph demonstrates that being part of a superhero couple considerably increases the popularity of heroes, even those in queer relationships. You two could pretend to be in a relationship, it would be beneficial for both.”
Shouto feels his head completely spin with the idea that Hataki gives them two and it's been a long time since a hysterical scream wanted to come out of his mouth like that. It would have been more eloquent if he hadn't been in complete shock, so all he managed was to stammer out a half-sentence.
“Wait, what-"
“Shouto, my dear, I know that under that pretty face there is a brilliant brain, so think with me.” Hataki began to articulate like someone who wants to sell a product. “You two can guarantee that the popularity will keep up and still manage to come out of the closet with the advantage of being great friends, so when the fake relationship is over, no gossip will bother any of you about a real broken heart. It's necessary that both of you understand, it's not just a matter of numbers, having two of Japan's biggest heroes in a queer relationship can pressure the government. You can change history forever, for you and everyone who comes after."
Shouto freezes for a moment, this thing of being a symbol beyond the hero that he learned to be at U.A. it was something new to him, something he had never had imagined before. But it was a fact, wasn't it? Coming out meant to represent a whole category of people, people like him, people who could look after him in that way and believe in themselves. Suddenly he never was so sure of something in his life.
“I want that, I want to be an important figure for people. But this fake relationship…”
“We will do it.”
Midoriya's saying is resolute and Shouto knows that looking behind his eyes, he can practically hear the gears turning behind those greenish curls. It's only when Shouto puts a hand over Midoriya on his own knee that he appears to regain consciousness.
“If you want, of course! I’ll support you in this if you want, Todoroki-kun.” His voice drops until it ends in a wisp of a voice. “I already had thought about coming out previously, but my management team wasn't very supportive of the idea, but given your courage… I want to be brave like you."
“Then we will be brave together.”
Hataki lets out a loud snort, which reminds Shouto that they are not alone and that thing that flutters in his chest when Midoriya demonstrates being the number one hero should be quiet. It is very difficult, however, when he looks so beautiful sounding inspiring like that.
“Okay, I'll settle everything with your agent, Deku. You will have a contract and a calendar of events that you should go to as a couple, plus some tips for how you should engage in public.”
“Should I be scared because you are already so familiar with the process?” Midoriya questions, but without really wanting an answer.
“You’d be surprised, darling. Now, get out of my office before Shouto starts to drool.”
Shouto seriously considers firing Hataki when he gets up to leave the office, but all the shame in the world wouldn't make him give up on the only agent who didn't give up working with him in the first week on the job. That doesn't stop him from thinking of ways to add laxatives in the man's food the next time they decide to go to a corporate lunch. They planned to go on patrol as soon as the meeting was over, but now they are walking towards the exit of the building awkwardly, without knowing exactly what to do now.
“Are you really comfortable with this idea?” Shouto questions, with all the courage left in his body.
“I can't think of anyone better to put this idea into practice than you, Todoroki-kun. I've wanted to do this for a while and you inspired me to do it, so…” He sighs and looks away from the building when they arrive at the entrance. “I really want to do this. For me and for everyone who needs a figure like the two of us showing that there is nothing wrong with them. How I wish I had when I was younger."
Shouto nods, because he knows what Midoriya means. He wants that too. “Then we will do it and we will change the lives of people who need it.”
When they go their separate ways to make their own patrols, Shouto is pleased with the outcome of the meeting, but soon his brain reminds him of a small problem. His mind is aware of Midoriya's importance in his life and that's why he ignored how his body bubbles when thinking about the man Midoriya has become, however, could he withstand the torment of pretending to be his best friend's boyfriend?
***
When they meet again it is to sign the contract, in a joint team meeting. If there is anyone on Midoriya's team who is against the agreement, it is not apparent during that time.
Confidentiality clauses are reviewed to ensure that both parties understand that revealing the agreement, even to close friends, is prohibited and that they must ensure that this relationship is credible, even in private. It's a long and tiring conversation, but they end at some point and seal the deal between the heroes' agendas.
This is a rare day off for both heroes, so Shouto is about to hang his agent for the neck for stalling, when a conciliatory lawyer decides to end the suffering of everyone in the room. He and Midoriya spoke little, even less between themselves, but his friend's look is resolute and even a little anxious for what awaits them after here. Hataki barely waits for the meeting to end before pulling them aside, looking like a proud father.
“Congratulations, dear ones! Deal made. Your first official public appearance is at the Hall of Heroes in two weeks, but I have something special planned for today. There's an Italian restaurant two blocks from here, you two leave together in the car and go there, Shouto knows which one I'm talking about. The reservation is now ready and I will make sure a photographer is there when you leave. Isn't that great?”
He leaves before either of them can even say anything, humming happily. Shouto would like to fight the idea, but he needs time alone with Midoriya, to know what he really thinks now that the situation has become real and how they will proceed with it.
“So…Can we go in my car?”
“Oh, of course! I just wasn't expecting to be photographed today, you know?"
Midoriya laughs, a little awkwardly as he scratches the back of his head. Shouto notices that the friend is in training clothes and he probably doesn't look much better with an outfit consisting of a sweatshirt and a thin shirt underneath. His hair is tied up in a half bun since it's hard to tame now that it's past his shoulder length.
“I think you look great, as always. We can cancel if you prefer! Y-you know, whatever you think is best.”
The words run over each other, as they always do when Shouto gets really nervous and it makes his face as red as his hair, but Midoriya laughs softly and that's all that matters. He ends up throwing the shame away in his brain.
“Come on, I would never miss the chance for you to buy me lunch.”
All the way to the parking lot is done in comfortable silence, they take Shouto's car, which has every possible trick to avoid being recognized, since he has been used to gossip sites following his every step since long before he was hero number three. The walk to the restaurant is quick and soon they are being taken to a private room, where they can eat without prying eyes on them.
“Wow, this place looks extremely expensive! I even feel bad joking about you paying for everything yourself.” Midoriya says before sitting down on the padded bench in front of him.
“Don’t worry about it, there’s nothing I like more than spending my dad’s money on people who really matter.” He stops talking as soon as a waiter brings a menu. “You can order whatever you want.”
Before the waiter leaves, he orders a cold cut starter to eat while Midoriya chooses his dish, Shouto comes to the restaurant frequently because he likes the privacy that the place offers. The light emanating from the table's window hits Midoriya's curls and he takes advantage of the time his friend examines the menu to admire it. That familiar feeling stirs in his chest, a mixture of admiration and attraction, that feeling he always made a point of leaving below the surface of his expressions.
“So, I didn’t ask before, but are you seeing anyone?” Midoriya asks and looks up at Shout while putting the menu aside. “Y-you know, with this contract thing, I don’t want to disturb your personal life.”
Midoriya clears his throat when he's done, a blush filling his face and trailing down to his neck, where it's clearly visible until the collar of his shirt covers his freckled skin. He's cute when he's embarrassed, Shouto thinks.
“No, I wouldn’t have accepted it if I was. And you?"
“Oh, no. Definitely not. It’s been a long time since I went out with someone.” He looks down, focusing on his scar-covered hands. “This thing about being the number one hero takes up a lot of my time, I don’t even see our high school friends anymore.”
“Not even Uraraka?”
Midoriya looks at him again, surprised. There is no time to answer the question, because the waiter arrives at the table with the starter, ready to take their order. Shouto almost regrets having asked, but reaffirms to himself that he and Midoriya are just talking, friends talk about these things all the time.
“I've been seeing Uraraka-san, but not as often as before. No more than I see you or Iida, for example.” He smiles nervously and Shouto struggles against the urge to ask what is the problem. “And definitely not like this. You know. Romantically.”
“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” Shouto says, sincerely.
“You didn’t, Todoroki-kun!” He waves his hands in front of his face, like he did in high school. “It's just… Uraraka-san already has someone she likes and I'm happy for her. We got over each other a long time ago, but I can't help but feel…Envy.”
"Envy?"
"Yes." He sighs, laughing lightly. “It's pathetic, isn't it? I'm the number one hero, I have a great mentor and a family that loves me. Still, I envy my friends who manage to find someone to share their life with.”
“I’m sure half the people in Japan would die to be with you.” Shouto states, his tone perplexed.
"I think so." He scratches the back of his head, looking embarrassed again. “It's more about finding someone who can come into my life easily, I'm a hero, so... I don't want to put anyone at risk. I know I also sound arrogant when I say this, but I can't let my guard down. Just look at Kacchan and Kirishima-kun, they have their own agency, they are partners in everything, the spear and shield of Japan. I want what they have. It’s ridiculous, isn’t it?”
Midoriya buries his face in his hands, half ashamed and half affected by what they just talked about. Shouto doesn't know exactly what to say so he starts eating the appetizer so he doesn't have to talk, the guilt of asking slowly filling him.
“It’s not ridiculous, it’s understandable.” Shouto brings his hand to Midoriya's after thinking about what to say, trying to attract his attention. “You are not and will never be pathetic for wanting to be loved, Midoriya. We all want it.”
He finally lets his hands fall from his face, remaining in a loose grip with Shouto's hands on the table. Shouto feels the blush on his face spreading because his hands are touching, but he doesn't move or look away.
“Even you?” He asks, his tone soft, as if there were only the two of them in that restaurant.
“Especially me.”
The food arrives, breaking the bubble they were in and transforming Shouto into an embarrassed mess. They eat in silence for a while, alternating between the dish they ordered and the starter, just enjoying each other's company and the intimate atmosphere that the restaurant provides. Shouto considers coming here more often, maybe renting the entire hall to his friends, that would be good for Midoriya.
“You’re making that face.” Midoriya says, as he bites a piece of his noodles.
“What face?”
“The one you do when you’re plotting something. The one you made when you convinced Kacchan to throw fertilizer on your dad’s car.”
Shouto laughs, muffled. In his defense, his father was really getting under his skin that week, asking him to leave U.A. and go to dinner with him. And it was April 1st, it was an innocent prank where he and Bakugou were never held responsible.
“I was thinking about renting this restaurant for our group, having a party and taking the opportunity to meet everyone again. Just that." He deliberately ignores his past bad behavior.
“No need, we’ll see them all at the Hall of Heroes.” Midoriya stopped eating. “I think we need to define how affectionate we will be at this event, don’t we? So that everything is believable, of course.”
Shouto's hands quickly start to sweat and he swallows hard, the scheme of going out to eat with Midoriya and gossiping about their lives was one thing, but having to act publicly as a couple was something completely different. And he was painfully inexperienced in these matters, having never even come close to dating anyone, let alone having a solid, public commitment.
“I have very limited experience when it comes to romance, as I have never actually dated. You can do as you see fit and I will follow what you do, do as you say.” Shouto is simple, but he could feel his face getting hot and the sweat building up even more in his palm.
Something passes through Midoriya's eyes, but it's so fast that Shouto can't identify what it is. “Okay, but I would just like to know your limits, like can I hold your hand? Hold you by the waist like other couples do? Kiss your cheek?”
Shouto snorts, trying to hide the tremor in his voice when he speaks. “I think we have to do these things, otherwise it will be awkward.”
“I know, but I want to really know your limits. You don't seem like a physical-touch person and I don't want to invade your space any more than you want to allow. It’s okay to be restricted in showing affection in public, no one will find it strange.”
Shouto likes physical touch, he likes it a lot, but no one knows that besides his mother. It's strange, because in his head it makes perfect sense that someone who didn't have the comfort of a hug growing up would be hungrier for physical contact than anyone else. He doesn't know if the reason people assume this is that he's a bit closed off about his feelings and his personal life, but the truth is he feels desperate for physical touch. He has a big body pillow to hug when he sleeps, he still lays on his mother's lap to receive pats in the head and Midoriya may not have noticed, but he always leaned into him during parties. It's more than most of the class can say they've ever had from him.
“This is all fine with me, I have no problem with physical touch.” Shouto pauses for a second, rephrasing the sentence. “I have no problem with physical touch from those I trust. And you are one of those people.”
“Aww, do you trust me?”
“Focus, Midoriya.”
“Right.” He laughs lightly. “What about, um… The after party? I know you don’t normally stay for them and I rarely do either, but we’ll have to this time.”
“Fine by me, just another one of the boring responsibilities of being a hero.”
Midoriya narrows his eyes at him. “And I can be more affectionate with you in public at the after party?”
“You say that word as if it were a threat. Affectionate." Shouto rolls the word around on his tongue, speaking in a teasing tone. “I’m fine with whatever you want and if you’re not sure about that, you can ask me right away.”
“Okay, you’re teasing me now. Very funny.” Midoriya snorts, looking away. There's no real upset in his tone when he talks. “I’m sorry if I’m too paranoid to improvise.”
“If you don’t shut up about this matter, I’m going to kiss you right here and put an end to all your worries.” Shouto is totally kidding right now, a smile on his face, but the surprised look in Midoriya's eyes raises suspicion. “You don't think I've never kissed anyone before, do you? Is that why you are so worried?”
Midoriya tries to deny it at first, but his face becomes more and more flushed the more he struggles to form any coherent words. “How should I know! You never told me anything about it.”
“It would be pretty horrible if I had never kissed anyone at twenty-four.”
“Beautiful the way you are, it really would be.”
Shouto can't think of anything to respond to. Midoriya seems as surprised at the words that left his mouth then Shouto, he focuses back on his plate of food and Shouto does the same, kind of on autopilot. How could he focus on anything now that he knew Midoriya thought he was handsome? And that they would have to pretend to be a couple in love in front of all their friends? He decides to leave this to think about it in the comfort of his room, then asks Midoriya about his training routine, if he's seen Inko recently, if he's watched the new series about All Might. The gala night at the Hall of Heroes is forgotten, as is this thing about them being a fake couple.
Shouto pays the bill himself a few minutes later, insisting that Midoriya not even try to pay him later. They eat ice cream before leaving and talk about their agents, the conversation is more Midoriya complaining than anything else. When they leave the restaurant, Shouto is imitating his friend's agent and Midoriya laughs so hard that he looks like he's going to explode at any moment.
“I had forgotten how good you are at imitations.” He leaves first, turning to wait for Shouto. Since Shouto is one step higher, the size difference becomes even more pronounced, even though it has decreased since high school. “Thank you for today, Todoroki-kun. It was really fun!”
“Yes, I thought so too.” Shouto notices the paparazzi standing outside the restaurant and is sure Midoriya follows his gaze, because he approaches. “You’ve got a dirty spot here.”
Shouto raises his right hand, giving a privileged view to the photographer who was peeking behind a building, holding Midoriya's cheek and cleaning the place. It feels like Midoriya isn't even breathing, but he leans into the touch in an intimate way, the way no friend would. He stands on tiptoe to place his face close to Shouto's, pressing his wet lips to his cheek, just below where the scar begins.
“This photo will look great.” He whispers, amused, before walking away.
Leaving no room for an answer, Midoriya used One For All to return to the building and disappeared from sight. Shouto's cheek doesn't stop tingling at the unexpected touch and the blush never leaves his face on the way home.
***
In the safety of his apartment, Shouto allows himself to take a deep breath and close his eyes for a long time, thinking that his life is about to change completely from now on. This unspoken attraction to Midoriya has been in his brain since high school, but he could barely come to terms with the fact that he exclusively liked men back then, let alone explore those feelings for his best friend, who dated a female classmate back then. Over time and with Midoriya becoming single, he thought that he could say something or try to do something, but the truth is that not even he knew where the friendly affection began and started to mix with carnal desire.
He thinks passion is the right term, a passion for his best friend long hidden among the things Midoriya makes him feel. And to be honest, he was resigned with this, for someone who had already lost so much, Shouto preferred Midoriya's friendship to risking confessing and having nothing. His cell phone starts vibrating furiously, breaking him out of the trance he was in.
Worst agent in the world: I didn't know you two had a talent for performing
Worst agent in the world: [link]
He opens the article without even thinking about responding to his agent, soon seeing the title “Heroes n°1 and n°3 seen together, a new affair being born?”. There isn't much information in the article, just that they entered and left the restaurant together and the place who had a romantic atmosphere, it was also known for being extremely private. However, they managed to get an interview with one of the employees, who stated that he and Midoriya were holding hands. At the end of the article they present the photos that the gossip magazine photographer took.
His hand on Midoriya's face, who looks half surprised and half happy, a hint of a smile about to form on his lips. He actually stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, Shouto could almost feel the soft lips and the burn again, making his stomach flutter. He abruptly locks his phone for a second, trying to recover. My God, what had he done? Shouto could barely think about touching Midoriya right now without almost instantly combusting. I'm fine with whatever you want , he thinks ridiculously, that would be his death sentence.
A flood of messages fills his cellphone and Shouto is very reluctant to even look at them, but he decides that he can always choose to respond to them or not. There's already one missed call from his mother and two from Yaoyorozu, the group message from old 1-A class beeps like crazy and he thinks even his father has sent a message. He takes a deep breath, deciding to start with Yaoyorozu.
yaomomo: I can't believe you hid from me that you're dating midoriya
yaomomo: the number one hero
yaomomo: the guy with the most defined six-pack who has ever set foot in Japan
yaomomo: this is worse than when you finished watching gossip girl without me
shouto: it's not a big deal
shouto: it's all very recent
yaomomo: as I know that chatting via text sucks, I'll be stopping by your office so we can talk tomorrow
shouto: I'll be busy tomorrow
yaomomo: oh I'm not asking, I'm INFORMING you :D
He ignores the rest of the messages and resigns himself to the fact that not even a threat to the Prime Minister would stop Yaoyorozu from being in his office tomorrow. After scrolling through them once again, postponing what he should do, he ends up dialing his mother's number.
“Hi mom.” He says simply when someone answers, his breath catching in his throat.
“Shouto, darling! How are you? I miss you."
Shouto breaks a small smiles, it's very like his mother to start the call without jumping directly into the subject, a consideration for his well-being. She always wonders how he is and worries about making him uncomfortable, which is more than he's had from Enji in his entire life. A tightness forms in his throat before he responds.
“I’m fine mom. And you? I miss you too.”
"I am great! I would like you to come visit me, I'm curious to meet my son-in-law! Apparently everyone in the family already knows him personally, except me.”
His mother's tone isn't really accusatory, but there's a hint of doubt in her voice. Everyone knows that he is very attached to her and his brothers and would not let them find out about his relationship through the media.
“It’s complicated, mom. He's my best friend, you know? It’s hard to know where the platonic and the romantic divide.”
What he says is true and seems believable, things would be really complicated to define if he and Midoriya got into a real relationship. The silence on the other end of the line reminds him that his mother didn't have much experience in love and that her marriage to his father was terrible, causing him to purse his lips in guilt.
“I'm sure you guys will figure out how to work things out, anyone who puts that passionate look on their face is more than welcome here at the house. Just bring him to dinner when you come, okay? Fuyumi won’t stop saying how she knew you guys would be together since she saw you in first year, I think she’s going to explode if she can’t congratulate you.”
They continue on the phone for a few more minutes, talking about the two of them living together now and their plans for when he comes to visit. What his mother said keeps running through his mind, that his sister saw what he felt long before he realized it himself. Was it that obvious? Did his friends also notice before him?
The afternoon progresses and Shouto focuses on the cases he took home early on, working on a new program to combat drug trafficking in the south of the country. When he realizes, night has already taken over his old apartment. He ignores 1-A's messages and the articles circulating on the internet, as well all the mentions on his social networks. His phone beeps once again and he opens the chat quickly this time.
midoriya♡: ochako-san is constantly cursing me for hiding this from her
midoriya♡: I had to promise her an expensive birthday present so she wouldn't turn this BETRAYAL in our friendship
midoriya♡: can you believe it?
shouto: sure, yaomomo looks just as angry
midoriya♡: kacchan sent me a message just to say that we are disgusting
midoriya♡: I think he's jealous
shouto: he is literally already married
midoriya♡: but we are the ones in the news!
midoriya♡: [photo]
The photo is just Izuku in a silly selfie, with his tongue hanging out, but Shouto pays attention to his pajamas. It should not come as a surprise to him, Midoriya is known for being an absolute nerd and having merch from absolutely all of your friends, but they're usually just plushies or keychains. He almost sets his own couch on fire when he realizes that Midoriya is wearing pajamas from his clothing line, characteristically divided in half and with two colors.
midoriya♡: good night, fake boyfriend!
He was so, so fucked up.