Chapter Text
Izuku had been sixteen years old when he fell in love. Izuku had been seventeen years old when he could confess his feelings to the person who probably meant the world to him. And at nineteen, he had to say goodbye to that person.
"I did it, Izuku! We landed a record deal!"
"Of course, Kacchan, you're the best. If anyone can do it, it's you guys."
"What's wrong, Kacchan?"
"I have a block," head in hands he looked at him with doubtful eyes, "Izuku, are my songs even good enough? I feel like everything I write is bad-"
"Stop, Kacchan, that's not true and you know it. Take one deep breath, that's right, and exhale. Do you think you guys would have been offered a record deal if your songs were garbage? Do you think they would let you write if you couldn't? No."
Moist, red eyes gazed into his. A shaky smile, sure hands reaching out and pulling him to him.
"What would I do without you, Izuku," he breathed out against his neck, engulfed in a tight embrace, "I couldn't live without you."
"Move away?"
"Yes. Sero, Denki, Mina, Kirishima and I will move in together, near the agency. It's more convenient that way."
Normally, the boy infront of him never used the real names of his friends, which only emphasized the seriousness of the situation.
"All right. If that's what's best, Kacchan, then that's what you have to do."
"Don't worry, Izuku, I'll write to you so many times that you'll be annoyed with me."
Honest eyes, a loving twinkle in them. He believed them.
"Never, Kacchan."
"I love you, Izuku."
"I love you too, Kacchan."
Bittersweet memories filled his head as Izuku stared at his phone. The headline burned itself into his memory: Lead singer Dynamight of the band TOP gaining popularity denies relationship and rumors of homosexuality.
Thirteen months. Thirteen months ago he had moved away, to Osaka, with his band members, friends and a promise. What was that saying again? Out of sight, out of mind. I guess that's how it was. Shakily sighing, he locked the screen and carefully placed his smartphone beside him.
"What's wrong?"
The questioning voice seemed monotone, but Izuku had known the owner for twenty-four months by now.
"I, um, that, well, that's a long story", Izuku admitted, trying to grin, "Don't worry about it, Shouto."
"I'm not, I'm worried. Your 'grin' is more like a grimace, which is unusual. What did Ochako text you?"
"Just an article."
Shouto raised his white eyebrow and looked at him unconvinced. Energetically, he closed his economics book and slid over to him on the bed.
"Out with it, or I'll text her myself", he nodded to his own smartphone, "You can choose it yourself."
Izuku was a stubborn young man.Twenty years old, four semesters in the university he had worked hard toward, in Tokyo. And apparently single, without warning, ignoring the unanswered text messages. Was he going to drag Shouto into the mess, the dilemma? Was he even allowed to? Was there anything at all that the boy with split-dye hair could be dragged into? Yes, all the pictures in his phone would say. Yes, would Ochako, Tenya, his mother and father say. Yes, would all the messages from over a year ago say.
"Izuku?"
"I told you about Kacchan, didn't I?"
It wasn't a question, but a statement. He'd kind of already dragged Shouto into the situation, just in the abstract.
"Yeah, the asshole you're down about."
Not a question, a dry fact. Once again, Izuku picked up his smartphone, scrolling through his galary, in a particular folder for pictures that was dedicated for only selfies of him and Kacchan.
"Kacchan is Dynamight of the band TOP", he held the device in his hands so that Shouto could see the screen. Carefully, Shouto took the smartphone from him.
"Oh, and the article-"
"Includes an interview in which Kacchan says he's single and not gay."
"Oh."
Yeah, oh. Izuku agreed with him bitterly and silently. Oh described the situation really well. Words couldn't capture what he was feeling. His thoughts were flooded with memories. Instances in which he should have guessed that it would eventually come down to this. The ignored calls and messages, for two months. The disinterest when he could reach Kacchan before that. And now this. Why he was hurting so much? Because he had blindly believed he could trust the Kacchan from before. Didn't want to doubt him and his promises. He clung because he loved. But it seemed that he was the only one who could talk about love.
"Will you still go home the day after tomorrow?", his friend asked after a few minutes of silence in which he had his arm around him, in silent support for which Izuku was infinitely grateful. At that moment, it was probably the only thing that was still holding him together.
"Yes, my parents are looking forward to seeing me, and I would love to spend my birthday with them."
"You want to go alone?"
"It's all right, Shou."
"We can go with you. Ochako, Tenya, Momo and I, if you want."
Doubting, he looked at his human support.
"I don't want to bug you guys. You guys certainly have better things to do at the beginning of the semester break than go home with me."
"Izuku, it's your birthday. We'd love to spend it with you, including your parents."
"I don't know-"
"Too late", Shouto handed him back his mobile phone, "I already texted the others from your account. Ochako is out of the woods, Tenya and Momo have also agreed."
"Shouto!"
Outraged, Izuku pushed his friend away, but couldn't help a small smile. A part of him was broken, but he was not as alone as he felt. Was his heart confused because it was suddenly broken? Yes. But he could rely on his friends to dispel the confusion and heal the heart.
So he spent a day and a half recovering from last semester's exams and sorting his study materials so that he could easily find them if he needed them in the future. Along the way, he made sure his parents wouldn't be surprised by four more people and that his friends had room to sleep at his parents' house. Still, he couldn't resist sending Kacchan the article, along with a request for an explanation. Part of the broken shards of his heart longed for this to all be a stupid misunderstanding and for Kacchan to logically clear it up, even if that was unlikely. He was a helpless idiot.
It turned out to be true that his friends wanted to celebrate his birthday with him with enthusiasm. Ochako bounced back and forth excitedly as they waited for their train, Tenya emphasized how excited he was to see his parents again and tell them what an ambitious son they'd raised, and Momo gushed with a soft smile about how relieved she was that the five of them could finally spend time together again after the stress of the exam period. And Shouto, well.
"Spending time with you guys, a plus. Spending time without my father, a double plus."
And so they had stood at his parents' front door a few hours ago, joyful and also drained from the long journey and the fact that they had left at half past five in the morning.
"Izuku, my dear! Happy birthday!", his mother fell around his arm and pressed her warmth and love into him, which his soul greedily absorbed, "How are you? Did you have a good journey? My goodness, you've gotten thinner, aren't you eating enough? My baby, 21 years old!"
A giggle snapped Inko out of her emotional stupor. Clearing her throat, she let go of him and opened her arms, her smile beaming.
"Ochako, Tenya, how nice to see you again, how are you? And you two must be Shouto and Momo. I'm delighted to finally meet you, Izuku has told me a lot about you. Oh, where are my manners! Come in, please."
Happy was the right adjective to describe the rest of the morning, and subsequent noon. His mother had insisted on spoiling him and his friends, did not let them help and served them a sumptuous brunch that they enjoyed together with his stepfather. Shooed them into the living room afterward, where she was to rest while he was presented with gifts. Izuku did not care much for expensive things, but valued gifts very much in their emotional values. So he nearly burst into tears when he held the latest issue of the All Might Comics in his hands, even before the official release date. His stepfather, creator of the comic series, just grinned and held him tightly in his arms, while Shouto almost fell off the faith.
"Toshinori Yagi? You are- Izuku, your father is-", he stuttered, with an unusually expressive look on his face, which made them all laugh.
"Yes, young Shouto, that's right. Are you reading my comics, too?", his father asked, touched and beaming.
And so much of the early afternoon before coffee and cake was filled with nerdy conversations about comics, alongside exchanges of recipes and interior design options between his mother and Momo.
Eventually, though, they had to move back to the dining room to enjoy the traditional cake and accompanying coffee and wine.
"You don't have to help me, you're guests!"
Determined, Momo took the plates from his mother's hand while Tenya and Shouto grabbed the wine glasses from the cabinet.
"Nonsense, we're happy to help, Inko," replied Ochako, who put the coffee on the table, "It's the least we can do after you spoiled us so much."
"Sit down, mom," Izuku gently pushed his mother into the chair next to his father.
Sighing, she held a hand to her chest and smiled back at her husband.
"What caring friends our son has."
Lovingly, Yagi stroked Inko's back and pressed a kiss to her temple, only to whisper something in her ear shortly after. Izuku looked to the side. As much as he loved his parents, the open declaration of love hurt, only pushing the shards of his heart deeper into his chest.
"Mrs. Midoriya, you brought out two too many plates. Which cupboard do they belong in?"
"Oh no, that was on purpose. Shouto, will you please put two more wine glasses on the table?"
"Who-"
The ringing of the doorbell interrupted Izuku's question. An uneasy feeling spread through him.
"Izuku, honey, will you open the door?"
"Of course."
With a heavy heart, he left, the seconds racing and creeping at the same time. Opening the door confirmed his feeling and the confusion in his heart rose.
"Izuku, honey! Happy birthday!"
Mitsuki Bakugou enclosed him in her arms, in a strong embrace from which he could not have broken free even if he had wanted to. Mutely he stood in the doorway, as if paralyzed. What was he supposed to do? What did one do when the parents of the person who had broken one's heart stood before one? Izuku didn't know, so he did nothing.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know you broke up with each other," Mitsuki gently stroked his hair, "His new girlfriend, for God's sake, I don't like her at all."
His brain suspended, rebooted.
"New girlfriend?"
Mechanically, with stiff movements, he disengaged from the embrace and took a step back. The confusion, which had previously only resided in his heart, rose into his eyes and now became visible to the people across from him. What was Mitsuki talking about? Questioningly, he looked back and forth between her and Masaru, waiting.
Uncertainly, Mitsuki tilted her head, reflecting his astonishment in her otherwise confident posture.
"Yes, Camie. Today, his agency announced their relationship publicly."
Izuku learned in that moment what falling really meant. It was the moment his heart was broken for the second time. Everything inside him contracted painfully. Tears welled up in his eyes, sobs, which he held back with difficulty, constricted his throat. It was difficult for him to breathe. He was falling, for the second time in his life. But this time he did not fall in love. This time he fell because of the love he had felt.
"What's going on here? Why don't you come into the dining room?"
His mother's voice sounded muffled, reaching his ears only with difficulty.
"Izuku?"
Ochako.
"What happened, why is he crying?"
Shouto.
"I mentioned that Katsuki had his new relationship made public today."
Pain. Please, don't let it be true.
"What, when?"
"Two hours ago, the agency released a statement on Tritter."
No one had used his cell phone. He had unsuspectingly spent a beautiful day.
"Izuku, you guys broke up?"
"No."
"Excuse me?"
Mistuki's aghast question snapped him back completely.
"No," he squeezed out with effort, trying to get himself under control, "We, Kacchan, no, Katsuki and I, didn't break up with each other. I didn't break up with him. He didn't break up with me."
"How can that be when he introduced us to Camie two months ago?"
Two months ago, huh? Bitterly, he shook his head. So that's why.
"I haven't been able to reach Katsuki for two months. He doesn't text me back, ignores my calls. Now I know why. Thank you, for the certainty your son couldn't give me. Nice birthday present."
With those words, he turned, away from the man's parents, who thought him so worthless that he couldn't reasonably end whatever they had. Behind him they stood; his parents and friends. All with incredulous expressions on their faces, Ochako with her cell phone in hand. But Izuku didn't want that now. No pity, no disbelief. No, he wanted to pretend that this didn't affect him. But he only managed to take one step before the dam broke and tears streamed down his face once again. Arms encircled him, supporting him as he sobbed helplessly. What had he expected? Why had he been so stupid? Damn it, why did it hurt so much?
Izuku was 21 years old when his heart was broken by a person who meant the world to him, but for whom he was apparently just the dirt under his shoes.