Work Text:
Hizashi’s birthday had always been special to Shota.
It was one of the few days he could outwardly show his appreciation for the blond without feeling like he was making a fool of himself.
His birthday was always Shota’s favorite of those far and few days, because it wasn’t like Christmas where Hizashi could turn things back on him, or Valentines day where Hizashi was abiding by the norm of giving gifts to his friends.
No, this was special.
You see, Shota was in love with his best friend.
And this year, he was going to confess.
He thinks.
He’s pretty sure at least, because if he doesn’t, he knows there’s going to be an ass kicking waiting for him on Monday at UA from a certain teacher who carries around a whip.
It wasn’t rational by any means, none of these feelings were. He had known Hizashi 10 years now, made it through UA, years of being an underground hero, and now teaching at UA. He had done so much, seen his friend die, watched the rise of so many heroes, he had been homeless and still refused Hizashi’s help because he was scared of being that close; it was safe to say he was being irrational.
Shota was staring at the ceiling, watching the slow creep of dawn paint the white walls through the open window, starting with soft light, slowly starting to dip into vibrant oranges and yellows as it filtered through the clouds. The colors reminded him of Hizashi, a fitting start to his birthday really. The breeze that pushed through the window was warm if not a little too humid for his liking, ruffling the edges of papers he had tucked under a coffee mug on his night stand.
The sap in him really came out when it came to the blond, he realized as he raised his phone to snap a picture of the sunrise to send to the blond. Before he could even contemplate not sending the message, he sent the photo along with the caption, ‘a perfect sunrise for the birthday boy’.
He threw his legs out of bed, stretching until his back cracked in at least five different places.
He had a plan, which started with drinking a metric ton of coffee.
~~~
Hizashi woke up to a hand running through his hair, tugging gently through the tangles that he’d made while sleeping. He relaxed into the touch before waking up completely, realizing that there definitely shouldn’t be someone else in his apartment.
He jumped and turned over, ready to use his quirk at the detriment of his apartment, only to be greeted with a soft smile and black hair.
“Oh lord, Sho don’t scare me like that.” he relaxed, slumping forward into the arms of his best friend, already slipping back towards sleep in the crook of his shoulder. Hizashi didn’t miss the initial stiffness, and then the quick softening of Shota in his arms, and eventually the arm that slipped around him, rubbing at his back.
“Sorry birthday boy, didn’t mean to scare you. I’m guessing you didn’t get my texts.” Hizashi could hear the smile on his lips, “I hope me bringing you one of those sugary drinks you call coffee helps?” The shoulder he was leaning on bounced slightly, pulling his attention up to the hand that held a large cup of iced coffee; full of caramel and whipped cream.
A sleepy blink and a smile erupted across his features as he grabbed for the cup, “Oh! You shaved!” he yelped, noticing the absence of dark stubble on Shota’s chin. Long fingers reached out, running along his jaw, “Oh man, okay, so what are we doing today, sleepy head?” Hizashi asked, sitting up from his slumped position to start enjoying his coffee.
Shota ignored the ghost of the fingers on his jaw, answering Hizashi with, “For one, you’re the sleepy head here, and two, relaxing for the most part, I made you breakfast by the way.” he motioned to a tray full of fruits and surprisingly, pancakes.
One of Hizashi’s eyebrows crooked up.
“Don’t look at me like that, I can cook, I just think the nutrient pouches are easier.” Shota shrugged, turning to bring Hizashi the tray of food.
Hizashi softened, staring at the soft way Shota moved around his room, somehow despite the harsh demeanor he put on for everyone else, that all fell away when it was just the two of them. It was still early enough that the harsh morning light cut directly through his slatted blinds, casting sharp golden light over the soft t-shirt Shota was wearing.
Shota turned around, tray balanced carefully with even a glass of his favorite pressed juice, which he knew he had been out of for a couple days now. Had he gone shopping for him?
Hizashi made a mental note to check later.
He set the tray down and turned on the TV opposite the end of the bed, selecting the reality show that he had been making his way through in his small amount of free time.
“I know it’s my birthday but you don’t have to watch these things with me, I know you hate them.” Hizashi said, pulling the tray closer to him on the silky bed sheets.
“I don’t hate them when I’m with you.” he shrugged, dismissing Hizashi’s questioning gaze before rounding the end of the bed and sitting down next to him.
Hizashi looked over the food before digging in with his fork and taking a mouthful of the pancakes. His eyes opened wide, they were perfectly fluffy and just sweet enough that they could still be covered in syrup. He looked over at Shota who had been watching him, as if waiting for a bad reaction, “These are really good Sho, where did you learn to cook like this?”
Shota blushed, a hand going to the back of his neck, “I might have asked Lunch Rush for some tips.”
“Who are you and what have you done with Aizawa? Asking for help? That’s so not like you.” he tapped Aizawa’s head a few times jokingly.
“Don’t think about it too much or that pretty blond hair of yours is going to go grey.” Shota said, plucking a chunk of strawberry off the tray before leaning back against the headboard.
Hizashi was quiet, but Shota could tell he was thinking by the crease that formed between his brows. It made Shota nervous, knowing that he had freely given Hizashi a compliment on his hair, and now he was stuck in thought.
The thought passed and his face relaxed as he took another forkful of fruit and pancakes, paying attention to the show playing softly before them.
~~~
Shota was glad in the end that he had blocked the morning and early afternoon out, expecting Hizashi to want to relax.
Because relax he had.
After he had literally licked the plate clean, downed the juice, and the coffee for that matter; he had set the tray on the floor, focused his attention on the TV and immediately fallen back asleep; this time long limbs curled around Shota’s midsection and tangled around his legs.
So much for the coffee helping.
Hizashi had always worked himself harder leading up to any days he took off, exhausting himself by putting in extra hours at UA, the station, and logging more time on patrol. As if he really needed to prove how much he was needed, anyone within a ten mile radius of Hizashi knew that even if he didn’t.
Hizashi’s birthdays typically went like this, where he slept most of the morning, before some party or plan the night of. The cuddling thing this year was new though, typically he wanted to move to the living area and just pass back out on the couch, phone in hand, glasses still perched on his nose as his head lolled off the back of the couch.
Shota felt guilty as he ran a hand down Hizashi’s back, rubbing small circles again as he pulled him ever so slightly closer by his waist. He shouldn’t be doing this, letting this happen when he still didn’t know how Hizashi felt, he shouldn’t be pulling him closer, letting Hizashi drool on him. But no matter how guilty he felt, he still wanted to be selfish, he wanted this.
He wanted to see Hizashi’s blond hair fan around him like this every day, wake up with that soft morning light ghosting over Hizashi’s freckled shoulders, he wanted to kiss every scar, to be there to sooth the worries that plagued him, Shota wanted him.
And god if that wasn’t terrifying.
All the outcomes had run through his head leading up to today, especially the possibility that Hizashi wouldn’t want to even be around him after he knows about these feelings. He didn’t want to think about that one, he wanted one where things went well and Hizashi would feel the same.
Nemuri had assured him that the worst case scenario would never happen, even going so far as to help him come up with this crazy birthday plan, assuring him that even if Hizashi did reject him that wouldn’t end their friendship; although she had ended that conversation with, ‘who hasn’t wanted to fuck a friend or two’.
It wasn’t just about sex though, it never had been with Hizashi. Yeah, that would be nice one day, but there was more to it than that. He had all these soft feelings that he had no idea what to do with. And that was the scariest part, because in their profession, people often didn’t date, the risk was high, and people got hurt.
And yet, here he was; a lock of Hizashi’s golden hair wrapped around his finger as he snored softly into his side, the tv illuminating the angles of his jaw in soft blues and pinks, silky sheets tangled around his feet as the day passed on.
He absentmindedly snapped a photo of Hizashi’s sleeping form, setting it to a favorite in his gallery.
~~~
Shota too, fell asleep at some point. The sleepless night he had suffered finally crashed down on him, pulling him deep into sleep alongside Hizashi. The arm he had around Hizashi’s waist had stayed wrapped tightly around him, the only change was that he had slipped further down, repositioning the sleeping blond to his chest as he slipped into unconsciousness.
~~~
Hizashi woke up, less tired than he had been this morning, and definitely less frightened to find Shota in his bed. The acceptance of his cuddles on Shota’s part was a nice surprise, even if it was likely just going to be for his birthday, he was going to take what he could get.
Even if what he wanted was more.
He was comfortably warm, and still curled around Shota’s chest, and that was going to have to be enough. He inhaled, noting a change in Shota’s normal body wash. He smelled warm and woodsy today, when usually he just smelled like cheap soap and laundry detergent. He shifted slightly to stare at Shota’s sleeping face, he lost a lot of the grouchiness that was normally plastered on his features when he fell asleep. The tightness of his jaw relaxed ever so slightly as he unclenched his teeth, he looked peaceful.
A sigh passed through his lips, it would be easy to just fall back asleep like this he realized. Curling further into Shota’s chest, breathing in Shota’s new body wash, it felt good, natural even to live like this.
Hizashi splayed his fingers on Shota’s chest, feeling the rise and fall of each breath, the steady beat of his heart.
He just wished that that heart would belong to him some day.
With that thought he sat up carefully, shaking off that onset of feelings before creeping out of the room to drop off the dishes from this morning and wash his face.
He padded down the hall to the kitchen, noticing that his entire apartment was a little bit cleaner than he had left it last night before passing out. Carefully placing the plates and bowls carefully in the sink, he checked his refrigerator and realized that Shota had indeed done the shopping for him. His expensive juices lined up on the top shelf, and drawers once again filled with various meats and vegetables. Going so far as to check the freezer, he noticed even the ‘unnecessary’ mochi and sweets that were lined up in boxes.
Huh.
~~~
Shota woke up to hear the water running in the bathroom, the TV now turned off, and the door left open a crack to let in the soft music playing down the hall.
He stretched and rounded the bed, intending to pick up the tray, but instead finding that it had already been dealt with. He checked his phone, noting that it was already nearly 4pm before spying a mostly encouraging text from Nemuri, and shockingly another similar one from Tensei.
He should never have told Nemuri about his feelings, he thought, as he sighed, walking out into the hallway as he ran a hand through the sleepy mess of his hair, following the sounds of Hizashi getting ready.
Shota tapped the bathroom door and waited for Hizashi’s muffled response of, “Yes?” before pushing the door open. Hizashi paused the music on his phone as he looked over at Shota, setting down the towel he had been drying his face with.
“You got a brush?” He gestured vaguely at his hair, and Hizashi’s face was once again painted with confusion.
“Are you okay today?” Hizashi asked, handing Shota a yellow handled brush, moving to make room next to him at the sink as he styled his moustache and began pulling half of his hair up into a bun.
Shota ran the brush through his hair, choosing to tie it back at the base of his neck, anticipating the afternoon heat, “Yeah, I’m fine, just didn’t want to look like a mess.”
“Why, what are we doing?”
“I know you wanted to go to the star festival, I know you like the street food, and uh, they have fireworks tonight too.” Shota set down the brush where he had seen Hizashi grab it from, watching as Hizashi pulled a couple strands down to frame his face.
He watched Hizashi’s face light up, a smile evident on more than just his lips, “Really?! You hate crowds though, are you sure? I don’t want you to make yourself uncomfortable.”
“It’s your birthday Zashi, it’s the one day we can celebrate you, so I don’t mind a little discomfort when it’s for you.”
Once again the small crease between Hizashi’s brows appeared, but he didn’t say anything, instead busying himself applying mascara and tending to his brows.
~~~
The train ride to their destination had been a little longer than expected, but fairly uneventful despite the bulk of the blanket and bag that Shota had brought for the night, a few champagne glasses and a homemade cake tucked carefully into the worn leather.
They made their way through the crowds and towards the expansive and rolling park where the festival was being held. The sun was starting to dip past the peaks of the sky scrapers off in the city, beginning its slow descent into the golden hour right before dusk. It lit up the bright colors of the festival booths, their lights just starting to flicker on to stave off the incoming darkness.
Once they made it into the park, Hizashi was fast to find several different things to eat, and Shota was just as quick to pay for them, stacking them in his arms as Hizashi made his way through the treats.
“You know,” Hizashi said, mouth half full of a piece of fried chicken, “You don’t have to pay for all this, I have more jobs than you do.”
“And you spend a lot more on hair gel than I do,” Shota was quick to reply, “Plus it's your birthday, don’t worry about it.”
“Mhmmm.” Hizashi responded, squinting his eyes and pouting playfully at Shota’s hair gel poke. “We should go to the shrine and write down our wishes, and then find a good place for fireworks, I don’t want all of the hilltops to get taken before it’s dark.”
“Whatever you want Zashi.” He smiled and let the blond lead the way through the park towards the shrine.
~~~
It wasn’t as crowded as he had expected as they passed into the courtyard, paying for their wish papers and finding a place to sit to write. Surprisingly, Hizashi had chosen a yellow wish paper, for relationships, while Shota had chosen white, for working on his own resolutions.
Starting with telling Hizashi his feelings.
They tied their wishes to a branch together, higher than most of the other glittering ties, and when it was done, both stood back to watch as they fluttered in the breeze for a moment.
Shota almost jumped out of his skin when he felt Hizashi’s fingers intertwining with his, squeezing his hand as he spoke, “Thank you for just letting me exist with you today Shota.”
Hizashi was still staring at the glittering strands tying the wish papers to the bamboo above them, carefully avoiding Shota’s gaze as he watched as the sun reflected off of each wish paper, before it started it’s final part of the descent and the golden hour began. Shota watched as the vibrant oranges lit up around Hizashi, lighting his hair in a fiery blaze, glinting off the clear rims of his glasses, and highlighting his slight smile in gorgeous hues.
“You’re welcome Hizashi.” He managed, squeezing back the hand in his, “Let’s go find that hilltop spot you want.”
~~~
Hizashi doesn’t know how he got so lucky.
Not only did he get to finally spend a birthday just relaxing, but he got to spend it with his best friend and long time crush, doing the things he had wanted to for years but been too afraid to ask of him.
They had even managed a perfect viewing place for the fireworks, a small hill by a pond with only a few other couples spread out.
They weren’t a couple, he tried to remind himself as he watched Shota pull out a second smaller blanket from his bag and begin to unwrap its contents. There was a small container with a tiny homemade cake inside, a few candles and a lighter taped to the lid along with utensils, followed by two champagne glasses, and a bottle of pink champagne.
Before Hizashi could process it, Shota threw the smaller blanket around Hizashi’s shoulders, driving off the impending chill of the night.
“I know it’s not the big cakes that Nemuri gets, or the ones that you normally have at your Present Mic bashes, but I still wanted you to be able to make a wish tonight, for your birthday that is.” Shota said as he opened the tupperware, sticking the few candles on the top.
He popped the champagne, handing Hizashi a glass before pouring his own.
“It’s perfect Sho.” Hizashi managed, trying not to get choked up.
Shota lit the candles as Hizashi sipped the champagne, a hand protecting them from the breeze as he began to hum a short tune before presenting him with the cake.
Hizashi’s heart felt full as he closed his eyes, breathing in, and then finally blowing out the candles to make his wish as the first fireworks exploded overhead.
He hoped today never ended.
~~~
Shota watched as Hizashi had started tearing up right before he closed his eyes, watching as he centered himself before blowing out the candles, watched as reds, yellows, and blues lit up his features from the sky in tandem.
He felt his heart squeeze and overflow in his chest, and before he could stop the words, they tumbled out.
“Hizashi, I’m in love with you.”
They came in a rush, carried on the last bit of the air in his lungs.
So much for his plan to wait until after Hizashi had seen the fireworks.
And for a moment the world stopped around him, the breeze died and the only sound was another whistling firework flying up into the sky before the world exploded again around them and time started anew.
Hizashi’s eyes flew open, and the cake was quickly sent aside before the blond barreled into him, toppling him over and falling on top of him, blond hair a curtain around him.
“Say it again, Say it again Sho, please god, say it again.” he said almost frantically, his eyes searching Shota’s flicking back and forth, looking for anything that would tell him this was real. That this wasn’t a joke. That Shota really was in love with him.
Shota swallowed, jaw almost trembling, staring up at Hizashi as he was backlit with the glittering light of another explosion, “I fell in love with you, Yamada Hizashi,” he stuttered, “I-I’m in love with you.” he said, a little louder this time.
A smile a million times brighter than Shota had ever seen split across Hizashi’s face, another firework exploding behind him, “I love you too Aizawa Shota, and I have since we were 15.” He said, placing his hands on either side of Shota’s face before closing the distance between them, soft lips pressing against his own.
The kiss itself probably only lasted 15 seconds, but in that time, it felt like the world finally righted itself after years of everything being upside down.
When Hizashi finally pulled back, his eyes were wet, glittering along with every new explosion that lit the park around them.
“You-? You are?” Shota’s lips pulled into a smile, his forehead resting on the blond’s.
Hizashi nodded, “I just, I never thought you felt the same way. And then today happened, and I just-” he stopped, taking a breath in before continuing, “That’s what I wished for tonight, both times.”
Shota pulled them both up into a sitting position, Hizashi on his lap, Shota’s arms wrapped tightly around his midsection. “Zashi, I fell in love with you back on that stupid rooftop, watching you get so excited about our futures, watching you be able to have fun even when things were hard,you-, it’s always been you.”
“Sho you stupid sap, god we’ve both been so stupid.” he shook his head lightly, “Watching you take care of Sushi, seeing you continue to stand after- after Oboro, and fight so hard to prove you belonged in the hero course without an offensive quirk, all of it made me love you. Even when you pulled away, those feelings never dulled.” He said softly, brushing a piece of hair back from Shota’s tired eyes.
“I’m going to kiss you again.” Shota said, a hand trailing up to Hizashi’s jaw, fingers resting lightly in the back of his hair.
Hizashi smiled again as he leaned in, his own hands on Shota’s jaw, pulling him back in.
He was never going to say no to this.
~~~
They had stayed like that until the fireworks died, until the cake and champagne were gone, even after everyone left, locked in eachothers arms, staring at the stars in the sky; only leaving once a bug crawled on Hizashi and he almost screamed half the city awake.
Shota didn’t go home that night, instead spending the night finally cuddled up with the blond, and waking up to exactly what he had wished for, for the first time for the rest of his life. Watching as those soft blues bled into yellows, pinks, purples, and oranges on Hizashi’s freckled skin.
The moment was only broken when a grumpy Nemuri and Tensei used her key to let themselves in, yelling from the front door to ask why they hadn't been allowed to spend a moment on Hizashi’s birthday with him.
Finding them curled up with each other though, messy hair and all, led immediately to a loud celebratory exchange that Shota really wished his head hadn't had to endure.