Chapter Text
Izuku walked into the agency feeling like he had been run over by a train, but he forced himself to smile at the receptionist as he passed by. His eyes were puffy and red, even though he spent the entire morning pressing ice cubes to his eyelids to relieve the swelling.
Shoto - or should he call him Todoroki now? - was at the apartment grabbing the last of his things. It was suffocating, being in the same space as the man that had ripped his heart out the night before.
He had been such an idiot. The entire night he thought he was getting proposed to, only to be blind sided when his boyfriend of five years admitted to cheating on him with one of their closest friends over the last few months.
Izuku had decided to spend his day off doing paperwork rather than walking on eggshells in his own home. He could spend the day distracting himself with damage reports and grabbing a hot bowl of katsudon from the cafeteria. Anything was better than having to face his ex-boyfriend.
He stood in the elevator, leaning his head against the wall and shutting his eyes to prepare himself to face anyone he might run into as he walked to his office. He and Kacchan had opened the agency a little over two years ago, right after they both broke into the top ten. Most of their classmates from UA chose to join them, with only a few outliers remaining at other agencies.
Izuku was thankful that Sero was one of the few that chose to go to another agency, specifically to work with Hawks. It was one less thing for him to worry about as he dealt with the changes facing him.
The elevator doors opened on the top floor, where all of their closest friends worked. He stepped out, making sure to keep his gaze on the floor so that no one could see his puffy eyes. He knew Ochako was finishing up her shift soon, and she’d realize something was wrong as soon as she saw him.
He had almost made it to his door without running into anyone, silently celebrating his small stroke of luck.
“Midoriya Izuku.” An all too familiar voice called out, stopping him in his tracks.
Perhaps he had celebrated too soon.
He immediately morphed his expression into his signature smile, turning to face his best friend as she stared at him with her arms crossed over her chest. His heart dropped when he noticed Mina, Momo, Jirou, and Tsu standing behind her with concerned expressions.
“Uraraka Ochako?” He spoke meekly, his confident smile slipping as he met her eyes. There was no hope, his friend knew his emotions better than he did most days.
“What’s going on?” Her eyes scanned his face, taking note of every concerning detail. He knew he had dark bags that highlighted the redness of his eyes. His hair was much messier than usual, less purposeful and more disheveled. The concern in her gaze was palpable, and he couldn’t think of any way to get out of the situation.
He shrugged, trying to remain casual as he decided how much to divulge to his friends about his current situation. While they would without a doubt support him, he was more so concerned with what they would do to his ex-partner.
“I just had a rough night.” He answered, hoping the women wouldn’t push any further.
Ochako raised a brow, clearly not believing the lie about the true nature of his distress. It was Mina who called him out, though.
“Mido, no offense, but I’ve haven’t seen you look this low in a while.” She stepped forward to grab his arm. “What’s really going on?” Her eyes were so kind, so ready to hear about how his heart had been torn from his chest.
What would his admission do to her friendship with Sero?
Did he care anymore?
Tears began pouring down his cheeks, hours of suppressed emotions finally making their way into the outside world. He gave himself a few moments to truly experience the range of emotions he had been ignoring since Todoroki sat across from him last night.
A shuttered breath escaped him, his arms moving to wrap themselves around himself in a tight hug.
“Sh-” He stopped himself from saying the man’s first name. “Todoroki said he wanted to see other people.”
He sighed, some of the tension in his shoulders relaxing now that he let himself say those words out loud. His friends gasped, various expressions of shock and disbelief covering their faces.
“He broke up with you?” Ochako asked quietly, a deadly gleam filling her eyes.
He nodded, breaking eye contact to once again gaze down at the floor to avoid the stares of his friends.
“He’ll be happier with Sero anyways, I don’t want to hold him back from what he truly wants.” He shuffled on his feet, wishing this entire interaction was over already.
“Sero?” Jirou exclaimed, her eyes narrowing as a deep frown settled on her face.
“Did they- did he cheat on you?” Mina asked, her eyes widening in horror as she began to piece together the entire situation.
Izuku turned his head to gaze down the hall, unsuccessfully trying to control the tears streaming down his face. He didn’t want their pity, especially as their sad gazes began to send prickles across his skin.
“Izuku, look at me.” Ochako spoke quietly as she placed a hand on his cheek and guided his reluctant face to look at her.
She stared at him for a long moment, the look of fiery determination he had grown to admire over the years burned in her eyes.
“Fuck him.” She said plainly, and he briefly recoiled at her sudden use of a curse word. It was rare he heard that type of language from his friend, only in the heat of battle or during an especially frustrating Monopoly game.
“What?” He asked in confusion, although he understood the purpose of her statement.
“You heard me.” She said plainly, and the group of women behind her all nodded in agreement. Mina was fuming, glaring at the ground as she seemed to come to terms with Todoroki and Sero’s betrayal.
“It’s okay, Ochako. Clearly I wasn’t giving him what he needed, that’s why he had to find it somewhere else.” Izuku felt the tears threatening to come forward again, but he couldn’t allow himself to break down again.
Smack
A sharp sting erupted on his cheek, and it took him a few moments to realize he had been smacked. Ochako was standing in front of him in calm fury, her hand still raised as if she would smack him again.
“Never blame yourself for what that bastard did, or I’ll smack you again.” Her tone left no room for argument.
He held his cheek dumbly, staring at her as if he were seeing her for the first time. She never let him talk down on himself, always championing him and not letting him forget his worth.
When had he forgotten those lessons? When did his self worth become dependent on his partner?
“Okay.” He whispered, reeling with the realization that he had lost so much of himself over the years of his relationship.
“Midoriya, what is your preferred ice cream flavor?” Momo asked, typing away at her phone instead of meeting his gaze. Izuku furrowed his brows in confusion, unsure of where the question came from. The rest of the women stared at him expectantly, and he decided that a brief intermission from talking about his break up would be helpful.
“Um, I like mint chocolate chip?” He stared in confused silence as Momo once again began typing away at her phone. The rest of the group were also on their phones as well, while Izuku stood there awkwardly and watched. After a few moments she looked up again and nodded at Ochako.
“Alright, there will be ice cream waiting for us when we get to Kyoka and I’s home.” The raven-haired girl put her phone away, looking over her wife’s shoulder and nodding in approval.
“Wait, why are we talking about ice cream?” Izuku finally asked, frustrated at being left out of the loop. It seemed to be happening to him a lot recently.
Multiple pairs of eyes glanced up at him all at once, seeming to remember his presence for the first time since their strange behavior began.
“Step number one for forgetting your ex: drown yourself in sweets and do some selfcare with your friends.” Mina said, looking at him like this was something he should know.
“Um, okay?” He was still confused, but he had learned not to argue with this particular group of heroes long ago.
Ochako put her phone in her own pocket, looking pleased with herself before towards the rest of the women. They all put their phones away before looking towards the brunette, standing at attention as though she were a general.
“Okay ladies, operation ‘Make Deku Forget About His Bastard Ex’ has now commenced.” The group all nodded with serious expressions on their faces, almost reminding Izuku of the meetings they had before a big mission.
“Status report?” Ochako requested with the tone of a leader, and Izuku watched in quiet wonder as his friends began listing off their progress.
“I’ve scheduled our appointments at the spa, the manager owes me after I stopped a villain from destroying their hot springs a few weeks ago.” Mina responded proudly.
“I made a few breakup playlists that cover the different stages of emotions Midoriya will be feeling over the next few days.” Jirou sounded bored, but there was a glimmer of anger in her eyes from the news that Izuku had revealed earlier.
“I just downloaded all of the All Might movies onto my streaming app so that we can watch them after the spa.” Tsu said, and Izuku’s heart swelled a bit at all of his friend’s gestures.
“Good, Momo already confirmed that we will have snacks when we get back to her place later.” Ochako took her phone out and smiled, typing a quick reply before turning back to the group.
“Tenya just confirmed that he will drive us to the spa and pick us up when we are done. We can all head outside to meet him in a few minutes.” She went back to typing on her phone, but Izuku still had questions.
“Wait, we’re doing all of this today?” He didn’t want them to schedule their day around him, especially after they had gotten off an early morning shift. He was a grown man, he could take care of himself after a breakup.
“I don’t want to disrupt any of your plans, I can just go to my office and finish up my pending reports.” Izuku shuffled on his feet, not appreciating the disapproving looks on the women’s faces.
“Mido, you’d do the same for any of us. It’s the least we can do, and you’re not disrupting anything.” Mina ruffled his hair affectionately.
“Got it?” She said, her tone not leaving any room for argument.
He nodded meekly, shy under the attention he was receiving. This was not the way he expected to spend his day, but it did sound more enjoyable than filing another property destruction report.
They made their way to the front entrance of the agency, keeping an eye out for their bespeckled friend and his SUV. Izuku wasn’t sure how they would all fit in the car, but he should have known that his friends would pull all stops to make him feel better.
A party bus pulled in front of them, the horn blaring a variation of a club song that Izuku vaguely recognized. His eyes roamed the surrounding area, searching for the bachelorette party that this bus must be waiting for. He hoped they would still be able to see Tenya when he pulled up, the man hated tardiness.
Suddenly the doors of the bus opened to reveal the interior, which was filled with strobe lights and upbeat music. The driver rose from his seat and began making his way down the stairs, probably to look for his missing riders.
Izuku’s jaw dropped when the driver’s face was revealed by the sunlight, highlighting the familiar blue hair and sharp eyebrows of one of his best friends. Tenya’s glasses reflected the sparkly buttons of his chauffeur’s uniform, and there was a matching bedazzled hat underneath his arm.
“Hello! I will be your driver today, please make your way onto the vehicle so that we may head to our next destination!” Tenya stepped to the side, gesturing for them to climb the stairs.
Izuku turned to Ochako, whose face was red from suppressed laughter, and immediately knew this was her doing.
“How?” Was all he could manage to say, still shocked by the image of Tenya in a sparkly uniform.
“You should know not to question my methods by now, Deku.” The girl simply winked before approaching her husband and landing a quick kiss to his cheek. Tenya spluttered before pulling away and giving his wife an admonishing look.
“Ocha- I mean, ma’am! There shall be no fraternizing between the passengers and the driver! That is extremely unprofessional!” The small blush on his cheeks only made the brunette giggle mischievously as she climbed onto the bus.
“I think that look suits you, kero.” Tsu said monotonously as she followed behind Ochako.
“Yeah, maybe you should bedazzle your hero uniform!” Mina giggled as she joined their friends.
Momo gave the man a pitying look before slipping him a bundle of cash, which he immediately tried to return.
“There is no need for tips, Momo!” He tried to thrust the cash back into her hands, but she simply waved him away.
“You’re doing something very kind, Iida. Please treat yourself to something nice when we get back from the spa.” She continued her way onto the bus, ignoring their friend’s arguments. Tenya looked to Jirou, clearly trying to get her to talk reason into her wife, but the purple-haired woman simply shrugged.
“Believe me, she isn’t going to change her mind.” Jirou made her way onto the bus, leaving only Izuku and Tenya standing on the sidewalk.
Izuku smiled gratefully at his friend before moving to follow the rest of the group inside, only to be stopped by Tenya grabbing his shoulder. When he turned he saw a look he hadn’t seen in years, one filled with righteous anger and a thirst for revenge.
“I am not above repeating my actions in Hosu, if that would help you to get over our former friend’s disregard for your relationship.” Tenya was serious, Izuku realized. As the number one hero he should be a bit concerned by his friend’s casual offer of violence on his behalf, but he was mostly touched by the gesture. His friends had dropped everything for him, and he had to fight the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes.
“I appreciate that, I really do. But I also don’t want Ochako to hunt me down when her husband is thrown into Tartarus for murdering the number four hero.” Izuku shivered as he imagined the wrath he and Tenya would have to face if that came to fruition.
“That is implying that I would be caught, and that Ochako wouldn’t be by my side.” Tenya once again spoke in a serious tone, making it difficult for Izuku to tell if he was joking or not.
Izuku chuckled nervously, he really hoped he wasn’t about to become an accessory to murder, but he wouldn’t be surprised with the amount of chaos his friends had caused in the past.
“You should make your way on board so that we can arrive at the spa in a timely manner!” Tenya slid back into his driver persona effortlessly, guiding Izuku onto the bus before taking his seat at the front. Izuku was too distracted by the flashing lights and music to question his friend’s behavior any further.
“Zuku! Come join us!” Ochako called, already holding two glasses of champagne in her hands. Izuku allowed himself to give into the environment surrounding him, sliding next to her and grabbing the glass out of her hand. He had nothing else planned for the day, might as well get drunk with some of his best friends and forget his misery for a few hours.
“Midoriya, have you been to the spa before?” Momo asked, her cheeks already pink from the alcohol. Jirou sat under her arm casually sipping her drink, clearly enjoying the music playing through the speakers.
“Um, no. I’m not really sure what to expect.” He nervously took a sip of his drink, cringing at the taste of alcohol. He never really drank, always too busy with hero work or focused on other things. The effects of the alcohol were already taking hold, a soft buzzing feeling filling his chest and senses.
“You’ll have fun, kero. It’s relaxing to let yourself get taken care of every once in a while.” Tsu’s feet were on Mina’s lap, and Izuku smiled at the casual affection the two women had with each other. They had only recently started dating, but it seemed like they were a perfect match.
He let himself relax into the atmosphere, sipping on champagne and catching up with his old friends. They all worked in the same agency, but between patrols and paperwork it was hard to make time to see each other outside of work.
Jirou had been in the middle of talking about her last gig when all of their phones pinged at the same time. They quickly pulled them out, hoping there wasn’t an emergency that demanded all hands on deck. The group relaxed a bit when they saw it was a message in their class group chat.
Kirishima: Guess who is coming back to Japan in a month! :D
Izuku couldn’t control the smile that overtook his face, and he quickly replied with a series of smiley faces and thumbs up. A chorus of cheers broke out in the bus, making it clear that everyone was excited to have their resident golden retriever back in their lives.
Kirishima had moved to America two years ago to experience something new, but had promised to join the Wonder Duo Agency as soon as he came back. He knew Kacchan would be especially happy to have his best friend back in town, even though the blond wouldn’t outwardly express it.
Izuku’s heart fluttered a bit in his chest, but he blamed the sudden flush he felt on the alcohol. Sure, he had always found Kirishima charming and caring, but so had everyone else at UA. It was impossible to fight off the magnetic pull the man had always had around him, like pure sunshine distilled into a human body.
Yeah, he might have had a small crush on the red head back in their first year before everything went to shit. But then Kirishima began dating Kaminari for a short time, the war happened, and any thoughts of relationships were stowed away into a small little box in Izuku’s mind.
When Sh - Todoroki confessed on graduation day it had just seemed like the natural next step. Of course he would be happy with his best friend, they had always fit together so perfectly. Izuku had thought that would be it for him, but clearly his ex-partner hadn’t felt the same.
Your emotions are just too much for me sometimes, Izuku. Things are just easier with Hanta, I hope you can understand and forgive me one day.
The memory of last night threatened to bring a new round of tears, but he refused to let his breakup ruin this rare outing with his friends.
“I can’t believe Kiri is coming home!” Mina exclaimed, jumping up and down in her seat in excitement.
“I know! I can’t wait to hear about his time in America.” Ochako smiled, her cheeks flushed from the three glasses of champagne she had consumed.
The women began planning a welcome home party almost immediately, with Ochako creating a guest list on her phone while Mina began looking for venues. He listened in, gulping down the rest of his glass and happily accepting when Momo went to refill it.
“You seem to be enjoying yourself, Midoriya.” The woman smiled kindly at him as she went to refill her own glass.
“I really am.” He smiled, watching as Ochako and Mina planned Kirishima’s surprise party with impressive speed. Jirou and Tsu were bobbing their heads to the music, content with quietly enjoying the atmosphere of the party bus. He enjoyed hanging out with his friends like this, it reminded him of simpler days.
A sudden thought occurred to him as he watched as Momo picked up her phone and glanced at it with a disgusted look.
“You guys don’t have to choose sides, you know.” He stared into his glass, unwilling to meet the eyes of his friends.
“What would you do if Tenya cheated on me with one of our friends?” Ochako said casually, taking a sip of her drink as she watched Izuku process her question. The thought of Ochako showing up to his door with tears in her eyes was enough to cause tendrils of rage to worm their way throughout his body. With a jolt he realized he had actually activated black whip, which he carefully wrangled back into his hands.
Ochako was smiling at him, clearly pleased with the look of realization on his face.
“Exactly.” She grinned again as he shifted in his seat.
“But Momo, you’ve known him almost your entire lives! I don’t want our breakup to come between your friendship.” He had to insist, he knew Todoroki viewed Momo as one of his closest friends.
“A person that would cheat on their partner is not the type of person I’d like to be friends with.” There was a fire in her eyes, a hidden anger that Izuku didn’t want to tap into by arguing with her any further.
“Um, okay. I just don’t want there to be any drama.” Izuku would hate for anything to come between the bonds they had built over the years, fighting and bleeding with each other.
“If there is any drama you are not the one who caused it.” Tsu said plainly, and a small sense of relief passed over him. He knew the green-haired woman would never lie to him, especially about something like this.
“Okay.” He smiled at his friends, feeling assured for the first time in a long time. He would enjoy himself today, worrying about the consequences of his break up later.
The rest of the trip went by smoothly, the entire journey taking around an hour or so to get them out of the city and closer to the spa. Izuku was surprised when Momo revealed that many heroes booked weekend getaways to the spa, a nice chance to get away from the daily grind of hero work. He wasn’t sure why he and Todoroki had never taken advantage of something like this.
Tenya parked the bus at the front entrance and got out of his seat, gesturing for their attention as they finished the last of their drinks. Izuku felt a bit buzzed, more relaxed than drunk.
“Attention guests, we have arrived at our destination. Please carefully exit the bus and head inside. I will return in a few hours to take you home.” He was taking his role as chauffeur so seriously that it was difficult for Izuku to keep a straight face. It seemed the entire group was fighting off giggles as the exited the bus, especially when Tenya went to grab Ochako’s hand to help her off.
“Nope! No fraternizing between the driver and riders, remember?” She giggled as her husband pouted, and she sneaked in a quick kiss to his cheek as she followed Mina down the last few stairs.
Izuku paused at the top of the stairs, turning to his friend and placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Thanks again, Tenya.” Izuku smiled widely, hoping his appreciation was evident.
“Anytime, my friend.” Tenya gave him a small smile before gesturing for him to follow their friends into the spa.
“Go enjoy yourself.” The blue-haired hero insisted before shutting the door behind him. Izuku made his way towards the group, enjoying the sounds and smells of nature that surrounded them. It had been a few months since he and Kacchan had their last hiking trip, and he made a mental note to plan another one soon.
They entered the lobby, and Izuku had to force his jaw to stay shut as he took in the understated luxury surrounding him. Everything was carved out of stone and wood, with gold accents complimenting the natural decor. A small stream ran through the center of the building, generating ambient noise that filled the acoustics of the space. The smell of lavender and eucalyptus permeated the air, causing the tense muscles in his shoulders to relax as they made their way to the front desk of the spa.
A tall woman with bright pink eyes greeted them as they approached, smiling warmly as Momo shared their reservation details.
“Ah, yes! We are so happy to have you here with us today. Please follow me to the changing rooms.” She guided them to the private changing rooms, and their group briefly separated to change into the plush spa robes. Izuku had a moment to himself for the first time since he entered the agency, so he took a moment to let him process the events of the past few hours.
His friends had rallied behind him without hesitation, immediately prioritizing him over anything else they had planned for the day. A warm feeling filled his chest as he was once again reminded that he had an army behind him. He left the changing room and met back up with his friends, who were already browsing the spa menu to see what their first activity should be.
“I think we should start with facials and a mani-pedi session.” Mina suggested, and the rest of the women nodded in agreement. Izuku simply followed along, trusting his friends to guide him through this new experience. Their guide directed them to a room further down the hall, and they were placed in comfortable recliners as the attendants began preparing them for their day of self-care.
They were handed glasses of cucumber-mint water as they chose the scents for their treatments. Izuku loved the refreshing taste of the beverage, and he considered making it at home as a treat to himself.
He couldn’t remember the last time he had let himself relax like this, or even thought about treating himself like this. It was wonderful, not having to worry about deadlines or villains and just letting himself live in the moment.
He ended up choosing mandarin scented scrubs and lotions, a welcome change from his normal mint and vanilla scented shampoo and body wash. The aesthetician examined his skin, giving him a small facial massage as she decided what serums and treatments would most benefit him.
“You will receive a complimentary bag with a few skincare items I recommend before you leave for the day.” The woman informed him, and Izuku realized just how luxurious this place must be. He knew Momo wouldn’t accept him trying to pay her back, but he’d be sure to buy her a few boxes of her favorite tea as a thank you gift.
“Close your eyes and let yourself relax.” One of the workers spoke softly, guiding Izuku further back in the chair before the man placed an eye mask over his lids. The cooling texture felt amazing, and Izuku let out a sigh as his hands and feet were massaged. The smell of oranges and cucumbers filled his senses, his body began to feel heavier as he sunk lower into the cushions.
He didn’t realize he had fallen asleep until a soft tap on his arm brought him back to the waking world.
“Mr. Midoriya, we have completed your treatments. If you’d like to stay in the chair you are more than welcome to, but your group is deciding on their next destination.” One of the workers said, speaking quietly so that he wasn’t startled.
Izuku sat up slowly, stretching his arms over his head and taking in the scene around him. His friends were once again huddled around the spa menu, smiling and chatting as they looked over the various options. He went to stand, but one of the attendants stopped him before sliding a pair of sandals over his feet.
He admired his newly pedicured toes, which looked soft and well-maintained for the first time in his life. His fingers were the same, the nails trimmed to perfection. When he joined his friends on the other side of the room they complimented his newly glowing skin.
“You look great, Mido.” Mina whispered, bumping his hip with her own before turning back to the other women.
“I think we should do massages next.” Jirou suggested, and they were once again led to another room, this time curtains for privacy.
The rest of the day was filled with pampering, from massages to hot springs and even a guided meditation. Izuku felt more relaxed than he had in his entire life, and he was surprised that his normally sore muscles were free of pain. He’d have to start incorporating massages into his routine, especially if they gave him results like this.
They finally found themselves standing back at the entrance, waiting for Tenya to pull up with the bus once again. Momo had insisted that he join them at her and Jirou’s home, and he couldn’t deny the invitation. This had been more fun than he could have imagined, and he wanted to continue to distract himself from the empty home waiting for him for as long as possible.
“Did you enjoy yourselves?” Tenya asked as they boarded, letting himself fall out of his chauffeur persona as he wrapped an arm around Ochako’s waist.
“I definitely did! What about you, Deku?” Ochako smiled brightly, clearly riding the high from their day of pampering.
“It was great, maybe we should do this together more often. I’m sure my muscles would thank me.” He chuckled, grinning at the enthusiastic nods from his friends.
They all settled into their seats, ready to enjoy the journey back into the city and looking forward to the rest of their night. Izuku’s stomach began to rumble, not quite satiated by the small finger sandwiches and snacks they enjoyed at the spa.
Momo immediately pulled out her phone, typing a few things and nodding before putting it away once again.
“There will be katsudon waiting for us at my home, I am sure we are all hungry.” She winked at Izuku, a silent acknowledgement that he was not allowed to protest her offer of dinner.
He simply nodded, sending her a grateful smile before leaning into Tsu’s side and listening as Mina gushed about the latest upgrades to her hero suit. Tsu patted his head, unperturbed by his casual touch. The ‘Dekusquad’, as they liked to call themselves back in highschool, had grown used to each other's casual cuddles and soft touches. It was a way for them to find comfort in each other, a reminder that they had all survived the hell they were forced into at such an early age.
Izuku allowed himself to simply listen in on the conversations surrounding him, while a small part of himself regretted not letting himself indulge in this type of day sooner. He had spent so much time trying to be a good partner for Shoto that he had forgotten how to be a good friend along the way.
He wouldn’t let anything stop him from being a good friend, especially now that his friends had done so much for him in his time of need. Perhaps this break up was a good thing after all, a way for him to find himself again after so many years of just surviving and trying to get to the next day.
They made their way back to the city as the sun set on the horizon, falling into quiet conversations as they enjoyed each other’s company. When they pulled up to Momo and Jirou’s home Izuku half expected Tenya to join him, but he simply waved them off. Ochako explained that he was going to return the bus and enjoy an evening to himself, catching up on some reading and enjoying having the house to himself.
They made their way through the gates and through the front door, the savory scent of fried pork and rice making all of their mouth’s water. He followed Momo and Jirou into their dining area, which was already set up for their meal. Jirou wasn’t fond of having help around the house, but Momo had convinced her to allow it every once in a while. Their assistants had placed two bottles of wine with glasses on the table to compliment their meal, and the group poured themselves a glass of the red beverage as they took their seats.
Izuku raised a glass, grabbing the attention of his friends.
“I just wanted to say thank you, this has been the most fun I’ve had in a while and I really appreciate you all for making this happen.” They all cheered, taking large sips of their drinks before adding in their thoughts.
“I was not going to let my best friend wallow in his feelings while doing paperwork alone.” Ochako looked at him disapprovingly, clearly still annoyed by his choice of coping mechanism.
He smiled sheepishly, taking a small sip of his wine and turned away from his friend.
“I appreciate that.” He muttered, embarrassed that after all these years his only coping mechanism was still overworking himself. He really needed to work on that, especially since he’d be feeling a range of emotions as he came to terms with the breakup.
He dived into his food, enjoying the taste of his favorite meal and the comfort it brought him. The katsudon was cooked to perfection, reminding him of the many times he had shared the meal with his mother and friends over the years.
After they were finished they cleared their dishes and pulled out the ice cream, making their way to the living room to watch some movies and enjoy their treats. Tsu pulled up an older All Might movie, one of Izuku’s all time favorites, and they settled in for a quiet night of hero films.
An hour into the first movie there was a knock on the door, and based off of the confused looks on their hosts’ faces it was an unexpected visitor. Panic briefly bubbled in Izuku’s stomach, hoping it wasn’t his ex coming to talk about their break up with Momo. Jirou stood from her seat and made her way to the door, clearly readying herself to tell a certain fire and ice hero off if he dared to show his face here.
“Where is he?” A gruff voice called from the foyer.
Izuku immediately relaxed when he recognized the voice of his childhood friend, and the sound of boots being unzipped meant that Kacchan was making his way into the house.
“Hello to you too.” Jirou said dryly, though not stopping their friend from his mission. Izuku stood, awaiting the barrage of questions Katsuki was sure to throw his way, and was surprised to see Hitoshi trailing closely behind.
Kacchan and Hitoshi’s relationship had been a bit of a surprise at first, but over the years it was clear that their relationship just made so much sense. They balanced each other out in so many ways, a fundamental understanding that no one else could quite match.
Katsuki took one look at Izuku and grunted, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at Izuku like he had personally offended him.
“I’m going to kill that icy hot bastard.” Katsuki spoke calmly, which was the most terrifying thing Izuku could imagine. An explosively angry Kacchan was one thing, but you never wanted a calm Katsuki.
“Kacchan, no.” Izuku said firmly, already crossing the room towards his friend. The blond had grown protective over the years, especially after their final battle against All for One.
“Kacchan, yes.” Katsuki glared at Izuku, clearly offended that he was trying to stop the number two hero from murdering someone. Hitoshi placed a hand on his fiance’s shoulder and Izuku let out a sigh of relief. He hoped the purple-haired man would be able to talk some sense into his childhood friend.
“Babe, you can’t kill Todoroki.” Hitoshi’s tone sounded bored, as he was clearly used to his future husband’s rage episodes. Izuku suppressed a giggle when Kacchan pouted at his partner and huffed out a sigh.
“Why not?” Katsuki whined, much to the amusement of their friends. Izuku was expecting some type of logical answer, such as the probability of being thrown in Tartarus for murdering a fellow hero. He should’ve known better than to expect anything logical from his friends.
“It will be too obvious if you murder him, let me do it.” Hitoshi grinned wickedly, and Izuku groaned as he watched Katsuki pull his fiance in for a quick kiss before shouting in celebration.
“I can help you hide the body!” Ochako said brightly, like she wasn’t offering to be an accessory to murder.
“There will be no killing my ex-boyfriend!” Izuku shouted in disbelief, sighing as he watched the entire room deflate with disappointment.
“What about some mild maiming?” Mina asked, a mischievous grin on her face as she casually tossed a bit of acid between her hands.
“No maiming.” Izuku crossed his arms and gave her a disapproving look, causing the woman to huff out in annoyance and drop the subject.
“Now, are you two going to join us for movie night or are you going to continue to threaten my ex’s life?” Izuku turned to Hitoshi and Katsuki, who were clearly still grumpy over not being able to ‘take care of’ Todoroki.
After a few moments Kacchan simply grunted, plopping down on the couch next to Tsu and Mina and pulling Hitoshi into his lap.
Izuku returned to his seat next to Ochako and nodded for Momo to unpause the movie before snuggling back into the cushions. After a few minutes he looked over the room, cataloging the people who had shown up for him without question in his time of need.
They had dropped everything to give him a day filled with distraction and relaxation, not pushing him to talk about his feelings or think too much on the night before. They had opened their arms and welcomed him without question, reminding him of his worth and his place in their lives. Momo and Jirou had opened up their home to him and their friends, letting him stay out of the house and in the company of the people he loved for a bit longer. Tsu and Mina had been immediately down for the ride, bringing him both the joys of laughter and the blunt honesty he had grown to love over the years.
He knew Ochako had probably texted Kacchan, knowing that Izuku wouldn’t want to announce the break up to their friends. His childhood friend had come so far, always showing up for him when he needed it. Hitoshi had become one of his closest friends during the war, and his steady presence was a grounding force in a time where Izuku’s emotions were threatening to overwhelm him.
For a brief moment he wondered what Shoto was up to, perhaps moving his things into Sero’s apartment or taking his new boyfriend on a date. His chest tightened, but he allowed himself to feel the pain this time. He wasn’t weak for mourning his relationship, nor would he be weak when he inevitably returned to an empty apartment and cried clutching Shoto’s old pillow.
If he was going to get through this he had to let himself feel the pain, become intimately familiar with it so that he could work its way through its winding paths and bumpy roads. The journey might be one of the most difficult things he’d ever go through, but he knew he wouldn’t be going through it alone.
He locked eyes with Ochako and smiled at her when she reached out to squeeze his hand before turning her attention back to the movie.
Pain had been one of the only constants throughout his life, but he wasn’t fighting it alone this time.