Chapter Text
“Two dates in one day? I’ve been accused of being eager before, but this is a new even for me.”
Bright green eyes and freckles cheeks smiled brightly back at him, nonplussed. “Well, some people just have no imagination! Now is the perfect time for a second date.”
“Are you sure this isn’t still the same date?” Hitoshi teased, half-serious. When Izuku had declared their date over as they got up to leave from the cat cafe, Hitoshi had found his heart sinking. He had been enjoying talking with the greenette without the pressures of homework and overbearing classmates looming in the background. Who would have guessed they had so much in common?
“One hundred percent. First dates are for coffee. You can spend time chatting, get to know each other better - all while having an easy escape if things aren’t going right. Not to mention, they offer a public setting with plenty of backup if things go south and you don’t want to make it to the end.”
And I thought my dating history was bad. Just what kinds of people have you been dating? Hitoshi thought, side-eyeing the shorter teen.
“Oh? It sounds like you’ve got everything planned out.” He was so used to being the one who had to plan everything, it felt strange to have someone else share the load. Strange, but good.
“Of course! Second dates are good for long walks in the park. Still casual, no pressure, but the movement helps you to feel less restricted. Plus, being out and about means you’re less worried about being overheard. You can really start to open up more and see if you’re comparable without coffee and cats to keep the conversation flowing.”
“And third dates?” Hitoshi asked with a suggestive smirk. Violet eyes met green, as Hitoshi wrapped his lips around the cheap plastic straw poking out of his bubble tea. Jeeze, how fucking desperate am I? I hope Izuku isn’t cringing too hard…
“Oh, now third dates are for pulling out all the stops. Dinner, romance, maybe a movie or a play. You’re comfortable enough to enjoy something together that doesn’t require too much talking, yet eager enough to get to know more about each other that talking over dinner, drinks, and dessert still doesn’t feel like enough.”
“And then?”
Green eyes sparkled, as Izuku took a long, deep swig from his water bottle. “That depends entirely on how the date goes.”
Please, please can we skip ahead to our third date? Hitoshi sent a silent prayer to anyone who might be listening. How can one person seem both so innocent and yet so experienced?
“Hey.” Hitoshi jolted, as a warm hand landed on his shoulder. “Nothing has to happen, Hitoshi. Whether it’s our second date or our tenth; no pressure. I’m just enjoying spending time with you.”
Too. Pure! Hitoshi but his lip as he nodded. It took every ounce of his strength not to whimper as Izuku pulled away. Would it be completely trashy of me to ask if we can skip to our third date? Although… it is kind of nice spending time with someone outside of just studying and training.
“So, Hitoshi. Other than cat cafes and extra lessons with Aizawa-Sensei, what do you like to do in your spare time?” Izuku asked, as they joined the queue at a small food stand. He had already insisted on buying both of their drinks at the last stand they had passed.
Man, that smells so good. As he opened his mouth to respond, Izuku continued.
“I like to analyse quirks in my spare time. Pro heroes, underground, villains, vigilantes, even just everyday civilian quirks. They’re all just so fascinating, wouldn’t you agree?”
Does he… does he pause to breathe? Hitoshi watched, bemused, as Izuku descended into a string of low muttering about some of the more fascinating quirks he had seen on their walk.
“Plus I’m a bit of a… well, I suppose a fanboy.”
Hitoshi snorted, not even trying to contain his grin. No shit, Izuku.
“I love collecting hero merch. My All Might collection is my most extensive - I mean, it’s All Might, who doesn’t move All Might? But I’ve also got plenty from other heroes too. Do you collect any merchandise? Or have a favourite hero? Of course you’ve got a favourite hero. Oh gosh, I’m talking too much again, aren’t I? I’ll just be quiet now…” Izuku rubbed the back of his head, a dark blush staining his cheeks.
“Eraserhead.” He could feel a matching blush beginning to heat his cheeks. “He was the first hero I learnt about who didn’t have a mainstream, flashy, acceptable quirk.” Hitoshi fell quiet, as they reached the front of the queue. “Hey - it’s my turn to pay.” He protested as Izuku placed a ¥1000 note on the counter.
“Don’t be silly. I’m the one who stole you away for the morning; it’s the least I can do.” Izuku smiled, as he grabbed their food and began walking again.
A comfortable silence fell between the two, as they looked for somewhere to sit and eat. Despite the mid-morning sunlight, the air had an uncomfortable chill. Hitoshi cursed himself for not bribing something warmer with him. “Here, let me.” Hitoshi started, as warm hands draped an even warmer jacket over his shoulders.
“You don’t need to-” Hitoshi protested, as the other teen took a seat beside him on the bench. Izuku just smiled, waving him off. Violet and green eyes watched as people walked past. Busy commuters hurrying to and fro, tourists ambling about and taking in the scenery, and small children accompanying harried-looking mothers on their way to run errands. “Thanks.”
Tilting his head back, Hitoshi allowed his eyes to slide closed. The sound of others chatting and passing traffic faded into the background, as he allowed himself a moment to take everything in. In the span of just 24 hours, he had lost a boyfriend, and somehow, landed a date with their class's resident ray of sunshine.
Who would have thought Izuku of all people would have a kinky side? Though… maybe he just knows all about this stuff? What if he’s not actually that kinky, it’s all just part of a research hole he once fell down? He’s always doing that, right? Hitoshi frowned. No, no, he said he’s tried some things before. But what? The first, fluttering feelings of desire began curling in Hitoshi’s stomach. Izuku’s control over his strength had grown in leaps and bounds over their time at Yuuei. How would it feel to have that strength pinning him in place? Fuck, that would be so hot.
He may be short, but the greenette was pure muscle. Even without his quirk, he could pin me with no problem. Hitoshi bit back a groan. Well that thought is gonna make sparring together in class more challenging.
“Heh. Not how you imagined spending your long weekend off, huh?” Izuku’s soft laugh brought him back. “Having second thoughts?”
Hitoshi frowned. “About Junichi?” That cheating, quirkist, piece of shit.
Laughing, Izuku shook his head. “I meant about talking through the info I gave you.” His eyes hardened, brow drawing down into a frown. “Once someone tries to push something like that without considering your feelings, it’s really not…safe…to give them a second chance.”
“That sounds like words of wisdom learnt from experience.”
Rubbing the back of his head, Izuku shrugged. “There’s no such thing as too much research or being too careful when it comes to kink. You’re putting a lot of trust into your partner. That’s why it’s so important to find someone you can trust with your safety: physically and emotionally. It’s also why it’s so important to know your own limits.”
“How do I…” Hitoshi trailed off, a faint blush making its way across his cheeks. Clearing his throat, he took a steadying breath. If I can’t even talk about it, how the hell am I going to try it? Come on. Pull yourself together. “How do I know my limits, if I’ve never tried…anything.”
Izuku sent him a gentle smile. “We all start somewhere. Talking, researching, watching, reading or even listening to porn if that’s your thing. You don’t have to jump in at the deep end - that’s actually a really, really bad idea. Like, monumentally bad. Take things slow. Give yourself time to think about what you want to try, why you want to try it, what appeals about it. Then you want to find someone you can talk about it with. I mean really talk. Go into detail about what you want, don’t want, what you’re not sure about. Oh! And make sure you’re going over any old injuries or potential triggers your partner - or partners - should keep in mind. The last thing you want is to panic mid-scene and end up with a whole new bag of issues to deal with.”
Hitoshi stared at Izuku. “That...is a lot.”
Nodding, Izuku turned to face Hitoshi. Pulling one leg under him, he scooted back so he could more clearly see the purple-haired teen. “It is. But it’s the safest way to do things. Maybe I’ll tell you about it someday…” He shook his head. “I want you to know you can talk about these things with me, ‘Toshi. No strings attached. I’m not expecting anything from this.” He waved between them. “If we go on another date or not - and I’m really, really hoping we do - I want you to know that you can still come and talk with me about anything kink or non-kink related. This, right here? Is a judgement-free, safe space. No strings attached. Talking about things, asking questions, even asking what the heck terminology means, doesn’t imply any obligation to try things with me or anyone else. It’s, like, one of my golden rules.”
Hitoshi nodded hesitantly. That makes sense. Izuku really is too good for this world. “One of them?”
The greenette smiled. Downing the last of his drink, he stretched. “Oh yeah. I’ve got a few basic ones. We might as well run through them now, if that’s ok with you? Even if we head back to the dorms and call it a day, they’re still a really good starting place if you do decide to pursue things further with, well, anyone.”
“I’d like that. I mean - to go on another date. And to hear more about your...rules.” Fighting down another blush, Hitoshi finished off his own drink, before grabbing both of their empty containers. As he stood to throw them away, Izuku followed behind.
“That’s great! Well, there’s no time like the present. Rule number one: if you can’t say it, you can’t do it. To be fair, it’s more of a personal rule rather than good practice. If you aren’t ready to talk about a kink, to discuss it with your partner or partners like an adult, then you probably aren’t ready to actually try it out in real life. Writing it down doesn’t count. Actually verbalising what you want to try has this… this way of helping you work through potential issues, I guess? It gives you, and your partners, the time and space to discuss the finer points. Not to mention there are a million different ways you can take some kinks.”
Hitoshi watched with a smile, as Izuku explained in a manner usually reserved for discussing heroes and quirks. He’s just so enthusiastic and adorable when he gets going.
“Take bondage. ‘I want to try bondage’ is completely different to me saying ‘I want to tie you up’ - which, again, something completely different to, say ‘Hitoshi, I want to use your capture weapon to tie you up, leave you helpless and exposed, and have my way with you’. Or even ‘Hitoshi. I want to chain you up in training ground beta, tease you until you’re begging for release, and leave you bound, gagged, and crying for more.”
Oh fuck. Fuuuuuck.
“And that’s not even getting into predicament bondage, cable ties, cuffs, seran wrap, vacuum play…” Hitoshi reached a hand down to subtly readjust himself in his jeans, as Izuku’s muttering fell to levels he could barely hear.
“Got it. Talking is good. Anything else?”
“Rule two: always have a safe word.”
“Wait. Isn’t that what the talking is for?” Hitoshi interrupted.
“You can never be too careful. Just because you’ve discussed things and agreed on limits, doesn’t mean things will go according to plan. Let’s go back to my earlier example. Say we were doing a scene where you agreed to let me tie you up.”
Oh gods please. Hitoshi nodded.
“Then say…you felt really uneasy. Or your hand starts to feel numb because one of the restraints is in the wrong position. Maybe you just can’t get into the right headspace. Using a safeword system like the traffic lights - red for stop, amber for try something new or near your limits, green for good to go - means you can let me know something isn’t right without having to stop and have a long discussion. Which you can totally do, but pulling yourself out of the scene isn’t always necessary to fix things.”
“That…makes sense.” Hitoshi said, as they reached the edge of the park. He glanced across at Izuku. He seemed so confident and knowledgeable. How long has he been into all of this?
“Which brings us onto rules three and four: keep it RACK and SSC. Risk aware consensual kink, and safe sane consensual. PRICK’s also a really good model to keep in mind. Personal responsibility, informed, consensual kink.”
“There’s a lot of emphasis on consent in those acronyms.” Kind of the opposite of what Junichi wanted us to try.
“Yup. Safety, consent, risk awareness. Together they’re the backbone of the kink community. Without these guiding principles, you’re just a person who’s risking hurting or getting hurt while you’re exploring things you may not understand. That’s just-”
“Dangerous.”
Izuku nodded. “Exactly. It leads into my rule five: kink checklists. Do them. Keep them. Read them. There are hundreds out there. No two are exactly the same. None of them cover everything. I mean, Rule 34 and all. But they offer a great starting point to help you get to know your partner better, to see how compatible your kinks are, to see areas where compromise might work, and where your hard limits are. It’s always worth going over your checklist with each new partner, no matter how many times you’ve done it before. What you’re comfortable doing with one person might not work with your dynamic with someone else. Or when you start trying something out, you may find that you hate it and want to make it a soft or even hard limit.”
“But…” Hitoshi interrupted hesitantly. Izuku made an encouraging noise, urging him to go on. “If you’ve already said something is ok, you’ve already given consent…”
“Consent can be withdrawn at any time. Saying yes once isn’t a blanket ‘ok!’ for someone to do it whenever they want.” Izuku said firmly. Seeing Hitoshi’s skeptical look, he pushed on. “Let’s go back to our example. Say you agreed to let me tie you up. That agreement doesn’t carry over into all situations.”
“I mean…” Blushing, Hitoshi avoided eye contact. Why would anyone say no to you?
“No, really. Say you gave me permission to tie you up, and we had a really fun evening back at the dorms. Does that give me permission to then tie you up in the common room the next day? Or to actually use your capture weapon against you in class in a sexual way, where anyone could see us? Or what if I was in the mood and you had a really bad migraine, or an injury Recovery Girl couldn’t heal? Or you’d just pulled an all-nighter, and weren’t in any state to get up to any kind of kinky fun -does that give me permission to push you to do something just because you said yes last time?” The intensity of Izuku’s gaze made Hitoshi’s steps falter.
“You wouldn’t do that.” Voice steady and firm, Hitoshi clearly meant what he said. Izuku’s fierce look morphed into something softer.
“I wouldn’t. But you only know that because we’ve known each other since first year. Even then, it’s worth having failsafes in place. Didn’t Junichi seem nice enough until he blindsided you?”
“Point.” He agreed with a sigh. “Talk things through, safety first, keep it consensual, traffic lights are your friend, checklists are good. Anything else I should know?” Hitoshi could feel his footsteps slowing down as they made the familiar trip towards Yuuei. He didn’t want their date to be over.
“I think that’s enough for now. I really enjoyed our second date, Hitoshi. Thanks again.” Izuku beamed at him. As they approached their dorm, Hitoshi made a beeline for the stairs, desperate to extend their time together even a little bit.
“I enjoyed it too. Does it…” Hitoshi coughed, clearing his throat as he worked up the courage to ask. “Does it have to end? I’d love to spend more time with you. If you want...”
“You’re too sweet.”
Hitoshi could feel his stomach sinking, as Izuku shook his head. What did I do wrong?
Izuku came to a stop as they reached the common room. Pulling out his phone, he fiddled for a moment, before looking back at Hitoshi. Leaning in, he pressed a gentle kiss to the taller teen’s cheek. “I had a really great time. I’ve got a few things I need to get done today, so I think we should leave things here.”
Nodding, Hitoshi looked away. Of course it had been too good to be true. Cat videos. Cat videos and caffeine will see me through. This doesn’t even count as getting dumped: it’s only a second date.
“Check your inbox. I’ve sent you the basic kink checklist I use with all of my partners. Take a look, make time to fill it out, and bring a copy with you tonight.”
Wait. What? It felt like he was blue screening. He looked at Izuku blankly. “Tonight?”
“Six o clock sharp. Date three. I’ve got it all planned out. Unless you’d rather not?”
“No! I mean, yes. I mean.” Hitoshi huffed, as the other teen laughed at him. “It’s my turn. To plan - and definitely to pay.”
Gentle hands reached up to brush against his cheek. Without thinking, Hitoshi allowed his eyes to slip closed, leaning into the touch. “Let me take care of you. I know it’s not something we’ve gotten into yet, but I like to take care of my partners. Let me do this?”
You’re going to be the death of me, Midoriya Izuku.
“How could I say no to that?”