Tuesday

Can We Just Talk?

For Shouto's legs to be so much shorter than Hanta's, he's giving him a hell of a hard time attempting to keep up. He's bordering on jogging to keep up with him, calling out to him with a startled yelp as he nearly gets hit by a car while he's crossing the lot. He gets that Shouto is angry. Embarrassed, maybe. He might even be afraid. He never thought he'd see Inasa again; had hoped for it, honestly. Yet, like always, fate has a way of fucking him better than anyone else can.

"Shouto, just wait a second! Can we talk?"

Hanta whips around right in the middle of the road, an incredulous look of surprised plaster onto his face as he ignores the car honking for him to get out of the way after it nearly flattens him. He'd say that he couldn't believe Inasa was following them but that bastard never understood when to take a hint.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?! Obviously he doesn't want to talk; he's literally running away from you!"

Inasa's head tilts as he watches Shouto in consideration, gaze flickering back to Hanta.

"I dunno, that looks kind of like a brisk walk to me."

"If you weren't so goddamn big, I'd fuckin' fight you."

"Why? I don't wanna fight, I just want to talk to Shouto."

"I said fuck off, windbag!"

The driver honks their horn again and Hanta promptly flips them, glaring when they let go of the brake and bump his leg with their front bumper. There's more than enough room for her to simply move around him like all of the other cars are doing but it would seem she intends to intimidate him into moving. Little does she know that she's barking up the wrong tree. Hanta's a broke college student who's going to be drowning in student loan debt by the time he gets his degree; he could use a lawsuit check right about now.  

"Get out of the goddamn road!"

"Fuck you, lady!"

Hanta stumbles a bit as he's grabbed by the waist and maneuvered out of the way, looking down at an incredibly irate Shouto who's avidly attempting to murder Inasa with his eyes.

"I'm giving you five minutes, Yoarashi. Five, and if you haven't said anything worth my time, I'm going to pepper spray you with mace so strong it could put a bear on its ass."

Hanta is, at the very least, incredibly annoyed with the fact that Shouto is even giving this  asshole his time. They'd been having such a nice day and now, because Inasa wouldn't just fuck off already, Hanta was gonna hear about him for the next several days.

Great.

Inasa's grin comes back ten fold, eyes raking Shouto's form over once again."Wow. Man, you really do look gorgeous, baby. I mean, a year apart has really been good to you, huh?" He reiterates. 

"Yeah, best time of my fuckin' life since I managed to rid myself of a fuckin' parasite like you." Shouto says pointedly. His face scrunches in distaste. "And I'm not your fuckin' baby."

Inasa's booming laughter has always been fuckin' annoying to Hanta.

"I kinda deserve that, I guess. I'll admit that I wasn't the most fair to you---"

"You were incredibly possessive to a point of emotional abuse and then while you kept me at home to make sure I wasn't cheating on you, you were cheating on me. If you're gonna talk about it, tell the fuckin' truth about it."

Inasa's smile falters at that, averting his gaze with a tentative nod. "That's fair---hell, that's true. I objectified you and treated you like property, not someone that I loved. But Sho, I really did love you. I was just insecure and---"

"And you ruined me. I gave you everything you asked me for. You wanted to fuck three times a day, six times a week? I spread my legs for you with no questions asked, gave you my body when and where you wanted it. I cooked. I fuckin' cleaned. I started dressing more modestly in public; wanted to save the sexy shit for your eyes only, you know. I neglected Katsuki for you---I neglected my reason for living for you and I won't ever be able to make that up to him.

"You talked to me like I was shit. You handled me way too rough. And I let you because I wanted so badly to be perfect for you so you'd never leave me. So you'd love me. And none of that mattered. Because you would still get up and go be with someone else."

It's been sitting deep inside of Shouto for quite some time---all of that pain and hurt. He's never talked about it with anyone, not even with Katsuki. He'd just told him that he was fine. That romance wasn't meant to last forever while he drank all of his problems away and spent his nights in clubs and parties sleeping with all of these different men just to make himself feel something.

He's so glad that Eijirou didn't fuck off that day.

Inasa shakes his head in denial. "Shouto. You don't understand. I didn't---she didn't mean anything to me."

"She didn't? Cause you took her out in public. Took her out on dates. She was posted all over your social media. You said you loved her! In front of everyone!"

He's getting upset, hands shaking as he tries to keep his breathing leveled, throat burning from the amount of effort it takes for him not to cry. "You took everything from me! I went so long without having any value in myself---without loving myself! You humiliated me and I'm so fuckin' disappointed in myself for staying. But I'm glad that it happened because without it, I wouldn't have met someone who loves me for every bit of fucked up that I am." He manages a smile, blinking away his tears as an odd sense of happiness washes over him at the thought of Eijirou.

"He didn't care that I was a brat. Or that I didn't believe in love or that I was too much to handle." He continues, making quotation marks with his fingers. "He encourages me. Loves to spoil me and show me off. Shower me in his love and affection and give me everything I never thought I'd feel again. So for that one reason, I'm gonna say thank you. But I don't forgive you. And I don't want anything to do with you. Don't wanna be friends. Don't wanna be cordial. So unless you have anything else if importance to say to me...Hanta and I are leaving."

Inasa just stands there, dumbfounded and speechless.

Good. There isn't anything else to be said.

Shouto turns on his heels again to make a beeline for the car and Hanta flips Inasa off one last time before he quickly goes to follow. He unceremoniously tosses the bags into the back seat before sliding into the driver's side.

"Sho...babe, are you good?"

He's trembling, sniffling as he wipes at his face with his hands. Hanta's worried when he doesn't receive even a nod.

"Baby. Tell me somethin'. I'm getting scared over here."

"I'm fine, I'm---okay." Shouto finally breathes out. He laughs, even, and Hanta isn't sure if he should be concerned or not.

"I'm just---God, Hanta, that felt so good to fuckin' get that out, you know? I needed that closure so much, you've got no fuckin' idea." He laughs, grinning from ear to ear. He can finally let go. He can finally stop feeling like he was the one who wasn't good enough. He's better than just good enough. Eijirou has shown him that.

Hanta feels his own lips curling into a smile, reaching over to ruffle Shouto's hair fondly.

"I'm glad. You still hungry?"

"Fucking starving."

"Soba?"

"Yes, please."

Maybe after today, Shouto can learn to live a little lighter. A lot happier.

Hanta's gotta meet this Eijirou guy.