To Stand by Your Side (DekuBaku)

Chapter 6: Paradigm Shift

Playing the waiting game was always the hardest part.

It hadn't taken too long to get to U.A., nor to find their way into carefully stacked stadium seats, but now that it was happening right before his eyes the annual Sports Festival felt just that much more real.

"Ooh, should we get some popcorn?" Ochako's excitement bubbled up through her words like fizz in a soda. "Or corn dogs! We can get those too. Izuku, you like yours with ketchup, right?"

"Popcorn always gets stuck in my teeth, so..." Kirishima pondered. "I vote corn dogs! I haven't had one in so long."

"You know there's no actual meat in those, right?" Izuku teased, but was only met with a stubborn defense of the corn dog and its supposed soul-lifting properties. Ochako left them alone with a roll of her eyes, yet a glimmer of contentment still shone strong in them.

"Ah, she's too good to us." Kirishima chuckled. "Been putting up with our bullshit from day one. Well- your bullshit, really. I was great" His friend let out a long, relaxed sigh, and leaned back in the plastic seat. "It's still weird to think about the fact that you two were actually dating back in second year. Like, I get you were horny, but-"

"Oh, shut it." Izuku snorted. "We were all horny. Don't try and convince me you weren't jealous! Why do you think third year between us happened then, hm?"

"Shh, shh. Third year was different than you and her." Kirishima insisted. "And I mean, at least I was better at hiding how desperate I was than some." He paused. "Man, I still remember all your shitty pick-up lines. And t-shirts." He stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening upon an elated realization. "Wait, Midoriya, do you still have that one that says 'Boyfriend Material' on it? God, that was the best...!"

"H-Hey!" Izuku sat, feeling as if he'd been deeply wronged. "Look, she liked it, didn't she? Yeah, it was kinda stupid, but like-"

"Boy, she had pity on you." Kirishima cackled. "Oh, god, you looked so stupid. It was hilarious."

"I burned it." He deadpanned. "It's dead. Gone. And if you don't shut up, you're next."

His friend gasped, a dramatic hand coming up to his heart. "I'm so sorry! Don't threaten me, good hero! I mean you no harm!"

Izuku couldn't help the smile that drifted over his lips, though, and began to realize just how much he'd missed his company. Something about Kirishima always made him easy to relax and be around, if nothing else. He'd been off working a few cities away, so the time they spent together was few and far between. But this was comfortable. Easy. Kirishima had thrown a lazy arm on his shoulder by the time Ochako came back, and even at just that small bit of contact and familiarity, he felt a bit more secure.

Should I ask him if maybe... if he'd be willing to do what we did back then...

Then, recognizable mortification crept back over Izuku when he realized just what it was he was thinking.

That's weird, right? I can't- I can't ask him to sleep with me again! No, no! We're not in high school any more, any of... that, between us... is over. No more.

The guilt was creeping back in, but this time, it was all he could do to just shift his attention to the event at hand and the friends- who were nothing more than friends- at his side. Yes, maybe he and Ochako had dated for a while before realizing it wasn't going to work, and with Kirishima he had had somewhat of a mutual-relief thing going on in third year. But that was it- nothing more. It was friends with benefits back then, and just friends now. Kirishima was busy with his life and probably trying to find a partner, too. So, Izuku would shift his desires to the back burner, grin and bear it and push through.