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They started out as strangers. Mirio Togata was the talk of the class when he got into U.A. High. Hardly anyone noticed the name right under his: Tamaki Amajiki. Tamaki smiled for himself, silently celebrating behind the crowd of people huddled around Mirio, congratulating him. They were two sides of the same coin, but neither of them knew it yet.
When it was time for the first day of classes, Tamaki walked into Aizawa’s classroom with his head down and arms crossed around his book bag in front of him. He looked up and the only seat available was right behind Mirio. He rolled his eyes but took his seat nonetheless.
There he sat, watching the back of the most popular boy’s head, his blonde locks tied up into a little ponytail. Tamaki didn’t realize he’d zoned out until Aizawa snapped his fingers in front of his face. It startled him out of his trance.
“Focus, Tamaki. I know Mirio is interesting, but you have much to improve on yourself,” Aizawa said.
Tamaki went red in the face. Mirio turned around to look at him. While everyone else laughed, Mirio showed an emotion other than amusement. Tamaki couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he didn’t have time to worry about it right then; he needed to hide his presence as much as possible to avoid being laughed at anymore.
That Halloween, though, things changed.
Tamaki sat under the stairs in the basement, knees pulled up to his chest, quietly sniffling and crying into them. He wiped away the tears as they flowed down his cheeks.
“Tamaki…?”
His head shot up. Blue eyes stared back at him, concerned.
“M-Mirio! What are you doing down here?” He frantically tried to clean his face off and appear less disheveled than he actually was.
Mirio took the last step down from the stairs and hesitantly walked to Tamaki. He reached out a friendly hand. “Are you okay?”
Tamaki stared at his hand, unmoving. “I’m, um, I’m okay.” He put on a wobbly smile.
Mirio was unconvinced. He gestured for Tamaki to grab his hand. “It’s okay. You can trust me.”
Tamaki didn’t want to believe him, but he did anyway. Slowly, he reached up, letting Mirio’s hand, which was bigger than his--just a little bit--pull him up with ease. He wiped at his eyes once more. “It’s just… someone jumped out from around a corner… and…” He shook his head, embarrassed.
Mirio’s eyebrows furrowed. “They scared you, didn’t they?”
Tamaki meekly nodded. “Y-yeah…”
The blonde sighed. “Well, if you want, I can walk with you to Mr. Aizawa’s class.”
A silence filled the air, but Tamaki nodded anyway. He didn’t meet Mirio’s gaze. Instead, he kept his head down as Mirio led him upstairs.
Mirio turned back to look at him reassuringly. “Ready?”
Tamaki nodded. Mirio put on his famous dazzling smile. With that, he opened the door and took the two of them into the hallway.
There were no students around, which Tamaki was thankful for, but he realized they were going to be late. “Mirio, I--”
“It’s okay, Tamaki. I’ll explain to Mr. Aizawa.”
“But I don’t want him or anybody else to know.”
“I won’t tell them, I promise. Just trust me.” He flashed his smile once more. Then, they found themselves in front of 1-A’s classroom. Mirio pushed the door open.
Aizawa and the class turned to look at them.
“Nice of you two to join us,” Aizawa said, deadpanned. “Please take your seats.”
“Yes, sir,” Mirio responded.
Both of them went to their respective seats. Tamaki sat with his head held down as he listened to the lecture on the history of heroes.
After class, Mirio told Aizawa that Tamaki got sick and Mirio was helping him clean up. Tamaki nodded furiously, hoping that Aizawa would believe them.
He did, and they were dismissed. In the hallway, Tamaki thanked Mirio.
“It’s no problem. I wanted to help a friend in need.”
Tamaki looked up at him through his bangs. “I didn’t know we were friends.”
“Of course we are! Do you not want to be?”
Tamaki stammered, “N-no, I do! I just d-didn’t think you… someone like you would want to be friends with someone like me.”
Mirio looked at him sadly. “I’m not the kind of guy I’m made out to be, you know.” He thought for a second, then his eyes lit up. “I know! Let’s throw a Christmas party.”
“What? But Christmas is two months away.”
“Exactly.” Mirio looked ecstatic. “It gives us plenty of time to plan it out and invite whoever we want.”
“W-well, uh…” He bit his lips nervously, but nodded nonetheless. “Sure, let’s do it.”
Mirio lit up. “Yes! Oh, this is going to be so fun. I’ll text you!” He started to walk away before turning back around. Sheepishly, “I don’t have your number.”
They exchanged numbers, then went their separate ways. Tamaki smiled for the rest of the day.
Over the next two months, they spent as much time together as they could. Mirio walked with Tamaki to his dorm room every day after school, and when they said their goodbyes, Tamaki always blushed. Mirio noticed it, but he thought it was because of the cold weather. He was oblivious.
The rest of the school saw their friendship blossom, too. The bullies that jumped out and scared Tamaki on Halloween were too scared to do it again now that Mirio was around. He wasn’t a scary guy, but they cared more about their reputation around school than messing with, as they put it between each other, “a weak loser.”
Nevertheless, the weeks passed by quickly. Mirio and Tamaki spent hours studying together, whether it be in Tamaki’s or Mirio’s bedrooms, in the library, or outside in the garden. Mirio made sure to bring blankets and hot chocolate when they studied outside in the cold; he didn’t want them to get too cold!
It was a week away from the Christmas party, and Tamaki and Mirio were preparing decorations together. Mirio was in charge of the mistletoe and Christmas tree while Tamaki planned to make cookies and a feast for everyone. He enjoyed cooking; it was a nice stress relief. His mother taught him everything he knew.
“Hey, ‘Maki,” Mirio said.
Tamaki looked up from the paper he was writing on. “Yes?”
Mirio didn’t say anything--instead, he held up the mistletoe with a shit-eating grin. “Think anyone’s going to kiss under the mistletoe?”
Tamaki flushed red. “W-why would you say that, Mirio?! I don’t think anyone has kissed anybody before in our class!”
Mirio shrugged. “I think Nejire has had a boyfriend or two, so she’s probably kissed someone. But come on! I think someone is going to kiss. Don’t you?”
Tamaki fidgeted nervously in his spot. “I don’t know, Mirio… Who do you think it’s going to be?”
“Umm…”
The silence was loud.
Tamaki couldn’t take it. “Okay, I think you’ll kiss someone, Mirio.”
“Me?!” he exclaimed, exasperated.
“Yes. Everyone loves you! Why wouldn’t someone want to kiss you?”
Mirio gaped slightly, but quickly closed his mouth once he realized. “W-well, you’re likable, too, ‘Maki. Someone’s going to want to kiss you, too.”
Tamaki giggled quietly. “You really think so?”
Mirio mirrored his bashful reflection. “I do.”
They finished their preparations in silence, radiating heat and shyness. Neither of them realized they were talking about each other, but they were ready to take that chance.
The day of the Christmas party came. Music wisped through the air with the smell of Tamaki’s food. Everyone snacked on cookies, wagashi, and roast chicken. There was happy chatter filling the room. Even Aizawa and Present Mic were in a good mood.
In the middle of it all was the large mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. Everyone avoided it, which made Tamaki a little sad to see, but it didn’t scare away his Christmas spirit. He kept passing out Christmas treats and little presents he bought for his friends.
Mirio quietly watched from the corner, hanging out with Nejire and Yuyu. A soft blush crept across his cheeks; Nejire immediately noticed.
“What’s wrong, Mirio?” she teased. “Thinking of someone special?”
Yuyu giggled with her as Mirio closed his eyes and shook his head furiously.
“N-no! That’s not- that’s not how it is, I just-” He tried justifying his actions, but he couldn’t. His shoulders fell in defeat. He looked pitiful. Quietly, he mumbled, “I don’t think he’ll ever like me back.”
Nejire pouted. “Come on, you don’t think he’s had a crush on you since before you met?”
“No. I’m nothing special.”
Yuyu smacked his arm. “Don’t put yourself down like that. You’re an amazing person and he’d be lucky to be with you.”
Mirio gazed over at Tamaki again, who was now smiling and laughing with his friends. “I’d be even luckier to be with him.”
A devious smile crossed Nejire’s face. “Is that so?”
Mirio squinted at her suspiciously. “Don’t you dare.”
“Oh. But I do.”
Before the blonde boy could stop her, she grabbed Yuyu by the wrist and dragged her over to Tamaki.
The ravenette yelped cutely when Nejire and Yuyu popped up beside him like they were ghosts. “Please don’t scare me like that.”
“Sorry,” Nejire giggled. “But we were wondering if we could talk to you in private.”
“W-why? Are you mad at me?” He began panicking.
Yuyu cut in, “No! It’s something that’s good for you, I promise.”
“Oh, then, uh…” He told his friends to excuse him for a moment, then he followed the two girls to the hallway across the room.
The three of them stood in the shadows together, Tamaki pressed against the wall and the two girls crowding him. He twiddled his fingers together nervously.
“S-so, uh, what did you want to talk about?”
Yuyu smirked. “What do you think about Mirio?”
Tamaki lit up like a Christmas tree almost instantly. “M-Mirio? He’s, um, he’s a really good f-friend.”
Nejire stood closer to Tamaki, practically getting in his face. “Come on,” she pressed, “what do you really think of him?”
“I’m not sure what you’re asking…”
Yuyu smiled sweetly this time. “We know you like him.”
“WHAT?” he practically yelled.
Just then, Mirio rounded the corner to see how much his two friends were hounding Tamaki. “Come on, leave him alone,” he interjected. “Can’t you tell he’s uncomfortable?”
Tamaki gulped as the girls backed off from him. He sighed a breath of fresh air as his friend approached, friendly, warm, and inviting.
“We were just having fun,” Nejire pouted.
“Fun for you doesn’t mean fun for him,” he retorted.
Nejire was quiet, then said, “Come on,” and took Yuyu with her, away from the two boys.
Mirio put his hand on Tamaki’s shoulder. It felt like fire to Tamaki, like his skin could melt right off with how warm his hand was.
“Are you okay?” Mirio asked tenderly.
Tamaki gulped, but nodded nonetheless. “Yeah, they were just teasing me…”
“I’m really sorry about that. Is there any way I can make it up to you?”
Tamaki’s heartbeat pounded in his ears. He wasn’t sure how to approach the situation. “N-no, there’s nothing. Thank you though…”
Mirio scrunched his eyebrows. “Are you sure? I’ll do anything.” His thumb rubbed near Tamaki’s collarbone.
Lightning raced through his body. It was getting hard to breathe.
Just then, some third-years passed through the main lobby, going to spar outside. One of them laughed with his head thrown back like he’d seen the funniest thing in the world.
“Wow, who knew we had gay people in our school?” the taller one said.
The shorter one laughed with him. “I know. It’s kind of gross, if you think about it. Boys shouldn’t date boys.”
Mirio’s face went straight from worry to anger. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”
The taller one smirked, hands in his pockets with a glare in his eyes. “Two little bitch boys, that’s who.”
Tamaki saw a yellow flash before his eyes and it was only after Mirio hit the ground that he realized what happened. Mirio had rushed toward the two boys with his fist balled up, but the shorter one tripped him while the taller one punched him in the back. They laughed loudly as they walked away. No one else saw it--only Tamaki.
He rushed forward to a groaning Mirio, who was splayed across the floor. His nose bled.
“Oh my god, are you okay, Mirio?” he asked desperately.
Mirio coughed, pushing himself up from the floor. He tilted his head back once he was seated upright to stop more blood from falling. “I’m fine,” he replied. “Just thought I’d have an easier time hitting at least one of them.”
Tamaki shifted his gaze down towards his lap, which his hand curled in. “... I’m sorry.”
Mirio glanced over at him. “For what?”
Tamaki shrugged, but that didn’t stop tears from falling down his face. “This isn’t the first time that’s happened to me,” he rasped. “Specifically from those two.”
“Wait…” Mirio said. “You mean… they’ve bullied you before?”
The other boy nodded, sniffling. “It was before I met you, and I tried to ignore it so it wouldn’t bother me, but it does.” He choked on a sob, wiping the tears away with the sleeve of his shirt. “I’m sorry you got pulled into it.”
Mirio tilted his head back to a normal angle. “Don’t apologize. Besides, they’re worthless nobodies if they bully someone for being gay.” He paused. “Not that you are! Just that it’s rude to assume anybody is because you never really know who they like.”
An awkward silence filled the air between them as Tamaki turned to look away from Mirio.
The blonde’s jaw went slack, just the slightest bit. “... You know,” he started, “you can tell me anything, ‘Maki. It won’t change the way I think about you.”
Tamaki stifled a cough and the following sob. “I-I’m not gay.” It wasn’t believable in the slightest. “At least… I don’t think so…”
Mirio nodded. He reached his clean hand out to hold Tamaki’s. The latter’s eyes widened and he looked at Mirio. “W-what--”
“I’m gay, Tamaki.”
“... Oh.”
Again, an awkward silence filled the space between them. Then, Mirio chuckled sadly. “I didn’t want to say anything out of fear that you would think differently of me, so I understand if you don’t want to be my friend anymore. I just--”
“They were asking me if I liked you.”
Mirio’s eyes widened. “Nejire and Yuyu?”
Tamaki nodded.
“That’s why you were acting like that,” Mirio said. “Huh. I need to have a talk with them.”
“No!” Tamaki interjected. “I-it’s fine. They, um…” He paused, heart racing a million miles a second. “... They weren’t wrong.”
It was Mirio’s heart’s turn to pound rapidly. “You like me?” His eyes lit up like the Christmas tree in the lobby.
Tamaki cleared his throat, clenching and unclenching his jaw. He picked at the skin around his fingers nervously. “Yes,” he whispered. He began to tear up again.
Mirio reached up to hold Tamaki’s cheek in his warm palm. “You don’t need to be scared to tell me anything. Ever.”
Tamaki subconsciously leaned into it, closing his eyes and enjoying the feel of his skin touching his own. They stayed like that for a couple of seconds until Tamaki realized what he was doing. He blushed hard and turned to the side, embarrassed. “S-sorry.”
Mirio pulled his face back to him with his thumb and index finger, grasping his chin. “Don’t be.”
They smiled shyly at each other for a moment before Mirio’s nose started to bleed again. Tamaki panicked slightly. “Mirio, your nose--”
“Oh, shit,” he said, tilting his head back again.
The two of them stood up and went to the bathroom.
By the time they finished in the bathroom with Mirio’s nose (and a long, casual conversation about the night and each other), the two of them found that most of their friends had gone to bed. They looked around at the stragglers. They didn’t recognize anyone, so they looked at each other and silently agreed to head back to their dorm rooms.
Once they got to Mirio’s, he turned to Tamaki sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Um, if you want to, we can hang out just a little bit more. I have to clean up first, though.”
Tamaki furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head. That was unusual. Mirio normally let him in without a worry about what his room looked like. Nevertheless, “Sure thing. I can wait out here.”
Mirio thanked him and quickly slid into the room, careful to not let Tamaki see anything. The ravenette chuckled to himself as he waited.
It wasn’t long until the door opened again. Once Tamaki saw inside, he was amazed. “Wow!” he gasped, eyes lighting up like the Christmas tree in the corner. It was small and fit on top of Mirio’s desk, but it was cute and fit the space. The room was spotless, as if Mirio had cleaned it already once that day before the party. The icing on the cake, though, was what dangled from the ceiling fan.
A mistletoe.
Mirio stood underneath it with a blush running from his cheeks to his neck down onto his shoulders. “I like you, too, Amajiki,” he blurted out.
Tamaki stood in the doorway, eyes wide and unflinching. He stared down the blonde who fidgeted where he stood. “Are you sure?”
Mirio nodded confidently. “Absolutely. It’s funny,” he chuckled. “I thought I didn’t have a crush on you and that all I was feeling was… adoration? I guess? But, uh, as it turned out, I realized that I really, really like you.”
“Why, though?”
Mirio was confused. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, what’s there to like?”
His heart was breaking. “Amajiki, there’s so much to like about you. You’re kind, generous, loving, handsome… I could go on forever.”
Tamaki’s eyes began to well up. “Do you mean that?” he asked, voice wavering.
Mirio nodded. He held his arms open. Tamaki didn’t hesitate to run into them and embrace in a warm hug. He cried into Mirio’s shoulder, who happily rubbed his back and whispered loving words into his ear.
Once he calmed down, he backed up slightly with a smile on his face, wiping the final tears away. “I can’t believe you like me too.”
Mirio ran his fingers through Tamaki’s dark hair. “Of course I do. I like you so, so much.”
Tamaki giggled, going for another hug. Mirio hugged him back, but once they separated, he reached up and grabbed his face again. He got the same reaction out of Tamaki as earlier.
Once Tamaki opened his eyes, he found Mirio less than an inch away from his face. His blue eyes sparkled with interest.
“We’re under the mistletoe, you know.”
Tamaki quickly looked up. Sure enough, they were now both under the mistletoe. He’d forgotten when Mirio told him he liked him too. He quickly hid his face in his hands. Mirio put his free hand on the small of Tamaki’s back to hold him close.
“So…” he started, “can I kiss you?”
Tamaki peeked through one of his fingers. He seemed interested, and that was all Mirio needed.
He grabbed both of Tamaki’s wrists gently and pulled them away from his face. “I don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do this,” he whispered before leaning in to press their lips together gently. Tamaki was frozen in place for a few seconds before relaxing into it. He snaked his arms around Mirio’s neck and Mirio wrapped his arms around Tamaki’s waist.
When they pulled apart, they smiled at each other. It wasn’t long before they ended up cuddling in bed and watching videos on Mirio’s phone with Tamaki’s head resting on his chest.
Two years pass like the blink of an eye.
“Please, please, fuck me harder, oh GOD--”
Tamaki dug his nails into Mirio’s shoulders and threw his head back, letting out lewd moans that the whole dorm could probably hear. Mirio did as asked (or begged, in this case) and pistoned his hips at an angle that made Tamaki’s eyes roll into the back of his head. It didn’t take long for him to finish, jaw dropping and eyes squeezing shut as he released between the two of them. Mirio followed shortly after, filling his boyfriend up to his heart’s desire.
They panted together. Mirio’s biceps trembled as he continued to hold himself over the small frame beneath him while they came down from their high. Finally, he inched his way out, chuckling at the whine Tamaki made at the loss of feeling full. He laid down next to him, pulling him close to cuddle. Tamaki made himself at home on Mirio’s chest, satisfied and smiling.
“You know…” Mirio started.
“Hm?” Tamaki inquired, turning to look up at him.
“I’m really glad we met.”
Tamaki giggled. “Me too.”
Mirio shook his head slowly. “No, I mean… I’m really glad I met you.”
Tamaki propped himself up on one elbow. “Why do you say that?” he curiously asked.
“Well… I never thought I’d meet my soulmate. I thought it was all a bunch of bullshit that would never come true and only existed in fairytales.”
Tamaki chuckled. “Togata, I already know that. Silly.”
Mirio smiled back at him. “Yeah… I figured I’d remind you.”
“What for?” He tilted his head cutely.
Mirio pursed his lips, eyes shifting, then sat up and reached for the bedside table. He pulled the drawer open. All Tamaki could see was Mirio’s back.
“I’ve wanted to do this for longer than you could imagine,” Mirio whispered.
Tamaki still heard it. His eyes widened when he realized what Mirio was doing. The blonde slid off the side of the bed and onto one knee in one smooth motion. In his hands was a beautiful, shimmering engagement ring. Mirio chuckled softly. “You know, I wanted to take you out to a fancy restaurant to do this, or even somewhere public like a park, but… I just can’t wait. Tamaki Amajiki--” He held the ring closer to Tamaki, reaching across the bed. “--Will you marry me?”
Tamaki covered his mouth with his hand. It wasn’t long until he was crying and nodding his head. He reached his arms out to ask for a hug, which Mirio happily obliged. He stood and pulled Tamaki into his arms. Tamaki sat on his knees, tears falling down his face as Mirio put the shining diamond on his ring finger.
“Oh m-my god,” he stammered. “I never thought--” He choked on his words. “I never thought I’d get married.”
Mirio kissed him lovingly, holding him tight. “Who wouldn’t want to marry such an amazing person?”
That only made Tamaki cry even more. He was a happy, blubbering mess.
The next morning they got a lecture from Aizawa, but were also congratulated by him and Present Mic. They passed on married life advice from their own experiences as a couple.
It was a long year of wedding planning, stress, tears, and excitement, but the big day finally came.
Mirio wore a white suit with a black tie, and Tamaki was inverted to him. They both smiled wide the whole day: during the photography sessions, the ceremony, and the reception. Nejire and Yuyu were there, too; they apologized long ago for their behavior. Everyone had an amazing time dancing, laughing, talking with the happy couple--nothing brought down the day.
By the end of it, Mirio and Tamaki were wiped out. They got into the back of the limo together, waving goodbye to their friends and family. Once the door closed, they both leaned back onto the seats and sighed, smiles on their faces.
“I love you,” Mirio said, turning to Tamaki.
“I love you, too,” he replied.
Mirio leaned over and planted a kiss on his lips. It was the best day of their lives yet, with many, many more to come.