On the day that the teachers of classes 1-A and 1-B see their students off for their week long internships, Yagi calls Hizashi and invites the voice hero to his apartment. Hizashi has an inkling of why the man wants to meet and even though he's still heartbroken about his best friend ending the good thing they had and wanting to date the same man as he did, that wasn't Yagi's fault. So he agrees to go over to his place for dinner that night.
Hizashi gives himself a mental pep talk on the way to Yagi's apartment. He can do this. Just because he doesn't get to be the one dating the blue-eyed ray of sunshine, doesn't mean that Hizashi wants him out of his life. In fact, it means the world to him that Yagi thought to call him. To know that he trusted Hizashi and was comfortable in coming to him for help or whatever it was he needed. It made him feel needed. That Hizashi was still important to him.
When Yagi opens the door, the voice hero's breath stills. Yagi's bangs are pulled and pinned together out of his face and he's wearing clothes that actually fit him; A plain pair of black sweatpants and a blue long-sleeved skirt. The voice hero always thought that the room looked a little brighter with Yagi around, but tonight he was positively radiant. He looked like a man in love.
He feels an immense in his chest and thinks that he might collapse from it.
But Hizashi puts on a smile and follows him inside. He takes a deep breath and is surrounded by the smell of something home cooked. "Whatever you decided to cook smells amazing," he says excitedly.
"I was in the mood for pasta. I hope that's okay," Yagi says meekly. Hizashi raises an eyebrow at the man in the kitchen.
"Are you kidding?" he questions, "I'll gladly eat your cooking anytime."
The man in the kitchen goes rigid and reaches up pull at his bangs, but drops his hand a second later when he realizes that he has them pulled back. Hizashi chuckles at him as he pulls the baking dish from the oven.
"Is it that obvious that I'm a nervous wreck right now?" Yagi sighs after setting down the hot dish.
"Let me guess, he just walked up to you and asked you out," Hizashi teases, "Put you on the spot and expected an answer without offering an explanation." Yagi stands there frozen, staring into his red eyes. "Pause," the voice hero instructs with his hands held out in front of him, palms facing Yagi. "You did say yes, didn't you?"
He had to have said yes. From listening to Shouta, he knew that his friend really enjoyed his time with Yagi. He realizes now that he should have noticed his friend's feelings for the the number one hero long before Shouta had told him. In fact it made sense for the two of them to be together.
They worked closely together teaching the next generation of heroes. Hizashi is also able to recall Yagi talking quite amiably about the afternoons spent at school with Shouta, the two of them thinking of numerous training exercises for the students or grading papers. He didn't know the details of how his friend had asked Yagi. Didn't want to because it would only make the pain worse, but for Shouta's sake Yagi needed to have said yes.
"I-I did," he answers finally. "But all I said was that I'd call him before he walked away."
Hizashi sighs in relief. The important part was they'd decided to get together and date. He could do this. He could be the loving and supportive friend watching from the sideline.
He beams at Yagi when he sets a plate of lasagna in front of him. While eating, the two of them brainstorm date ideas. Hizashi likes that Yagi is a simple man who knows that Shouta isn't the overly romantic and dating type. The two decide that lunch at a new cat cafe on the other side town would be appropriate for the pair. Shouta would gush over the felines, a side that Yagi had yet to see, and the blond...well he'd probably do what Hizashi liked to do.
He'll listen to the normally callous man talk excitedly about how he came to adopt Sorin. He'll admire the crease under his eyes when the man smiles and he'll fall for Shouta even more. He'll fall for his best friend and then they'll build a future together. They'll move on and he'll be left alone.
"Yamada?" The voice hero looks up at Yagi standing beside him, his hand resting on his shoulder. When had he gotten up from his seat? "You're shaking. Are you okay?"
Hizashi focuses on his body and forces himself to take slow deliberate breaths. This cannot be happening right now. He needs Shou- he needs to calm himself down. He can do this. He just needs to breath and ground himself to something. He looks back up to into Yagi's bright, but worried eyes, just like he does with Shouta.
He bites back his tears because that is the one thing he cannot let Yagi see. He can't let the man whom he admires, who his best friend admires, see just how emotionally distraught he really is.
Hizashi hates himself right now. He hates his best friend. Hates Yagi.
"I'm so sorry," Hizashi begins, trying to keep his voice steady, "I just remembered that the principal asked me to submit something before the day was over and I completely forgot. I need to get home and get it to him asap." It was lie, but right now Hizashi needed to get out and away from Yagi.
"Oh, well I guess you should get going then," he says defeatedly.
Hizashi picks up on Yagi's tone of voice and it hurts his heart even more than his own traitorous thoughts. He reaches up to hold the other blond's hand that's still resting on his shoulder. "Hey I'll make it up to," he offers, "After your perfect date, we can get together and you can tell me all about it so I can tease Shouta."
The statement brings a smile to his angular face but it doesn't reach his eyes. Hizashi feels like there's something more that the man wants to say, but instead of asking him to continue he just returns Yagi's smile and makes sure that it stays on his face until Yagi closes the door behind him. He stands there for a good minute before he breaks down. He turns to walk down the hall so that Yagi doesn't open the door to find him in tears.
He shouldn't be thinking this way. It's horrible. He's horrible. He should feel honored that Yagi trusts his opinion to help him plan the perfect first date that Shouta will actually enjoy and smile at. And he is. He really is, but at the same time it hurt like hell that man he'd fallen for had asked for dating advice concerning his best friend that had just ended things with him.
It starts to rain and Hizashi stops in the middle of the sidewalk to look up at the sky, letting the fat drops hit his face. They'll hide his tears so that no one will notice that he ever cried in the first place. He pulls his hair back and ties it loosely just to keep it out of his face. He had taken the train to Yagi's place and though it'd be quicker to take the same route home, he decides to walk through the rain, which had picked up.
Maybe the rain will even wash away this negativity he's filled with. His hair and clothes are sticking to him now but he doesn't care. What he cares about is ridding himself of this jealousy. He doesn't think that he and Yagi would make a better couple, but he had thought (hoped) that they had a connection. Guess it was just all in his head.
When he gets home, he strips from his wet clothes and thinks about showering but finds that he just doesn't have the energy to complete the task. So he just throws his clothes into the bathroom and crawls into bed with red, tear-stained cheeks.
At least he was able to stay and help Yagi decide on where he and Shouta were going to go. He felt horrible about leaving so suddenly and with such a lame excuse, but he was having a panic attack and the only person who normally snapped him out of them wasn't around so he did what he was able to do for himself. He focused on something real, Yagi's eyes, until he'd calmed down and then got out of the environment that was causing the stress.
Hizashi stares at his alarm for what seems like forever. He's not tired and it's not that late. The two classes he taught would be gone for the week. He'd practically just been dumped by his best friend so that the man could date Yagi, whom he wanted to be with. The whole situation was a total shitshow and right now he just couldn't stay in bed. He huffs and throws the blankets aside. When was the last time he'd done something for himself? When was the last time he'd gone out and just enjoyed a night out?
Tonight Hizashi was done caring for someone that wasn't him. For just one night, he needed to let go and do something he hadn't done a long time. Like go out and enjoy the live music at one of his favorite bars he used to go to before he started teaching. He misses those days because everything was much simpler. Hell, everything before Yagi was much simpler. But tonight he wasn't thinking about him. No Yagi. No Shouta.
It's a quarter to ten when Hizashi locks his door and heads into town. Dressed in his favorite pair of skinny white-washed jeans, a black tee with white flowers and moons on his shoulders and freshly cleaned hair pulled up into a neat ponytail, because you had to be freshed faced if you were going to have a night on the town. Humming to the song only he can hear, Hizashi thinks excitedly about the music he's going to hear. He had no intentions of drinking or bringing anyone home. He just wants to listen to some undiscovered talent and enjoy the music. He's not looking for a one night stand that he knows he'll regret in the morning because his heart just isn't cut out for that kind of mess.
That didn't mean he could enjoy the view that came with the music. When the voice hero walks in, up on stage is a lithe looking man with short brown hair cut asymmetrically and piercing brown eyes, hanging off the mic. Hizashi glides over to the corner of the bar and settles in for the show. The man on stage was several years younger than he but he had very precise control over his voice that came only with years of voice lessons.
That was something the voice hero could relate to, though the singer's reason was most definitely different than his own. Hizashi leans back against the bar and settles in for the rest of the set. It's an interesting style; a fusion of bluegrass and rock and something he could listen to quite often. The variance in tempo keeps each song unique so that the set doesn't get stale. It's a good idea, for someone who's new to live performances.
That just means he's got a lot of room for growth. Growth meant moving forward. Moving forward was a good thing. The blond shakes his head at the thought and turns away from the stage as the crew clears their stuff. It was a good set. Guy has a lot of potential if he applies it properly.
Hizashi starts humming one of the songs that just been played, not noticing the brown hair beside him.
"It's a good thing that my song is stuck in your head, right?"
Hizashi cocks his head toward the smooth voice and looks into the dark eyes belonging to the singer that had been onstage only minutes ago.
"I'll admit that it was catchy," Hizashi jokes with a shrug, "but in all seriousness, it was a pretty good set."
The man smiles at him, a hint of red staining his cheeks. "Wow," he starts, "That means a lot coming from you."
Hizashi raises an eyebrow at the younger man and turns in his seat to face him. "What's that supposed to mean?" he questions.
The singer downs his drink and also turns to face Hizashi. "Well, you're Present Mic, Voice Hero and host of Hero Radio," he says with a sultry voice, "Any compliments from you mean the world to individuals like me."
"And just who are you?"
"The name's Saitei."
Hizashi is surprised by how forward the younger man is, but also admires his boldness. Normally he's the bold one because it makes for a good emotional mask. No one ever thinks that the guy who knows everyone and how to make them smile is actually breaking on the inside.
There's an immediate connection between the two. The young singer offers to buy Hizashi a drink, but he keeps his head on straight and remains sober. Well, as far as alcohol goes. This man knows just what to say to his vulnerable mind that he can't keep himself from smiling like an idiot the entire time. The two sit through the next set, the younger man inquiring what's so special about the group currently onstage.
Hizashi gives his opinion, explaining that the current group is a house favorite, returning to where they started, which is why everyone is all smiles, singing, and dancing to the set. The singer's voice is a little strained, but she's got experience so she's letting her drummer take point as the star tonight. They've been at this for years and know how to read the crowd. The voice hero had featured the group on his show once before and was familiar with their work.
When he realizes that he's been babbling the whole time, Hizashi clamps his mouth shut, worried that he probably ruined this set for this guy. But Saitei smiles and encourages him to continue. Hizashi talks music until one in the morning and the place is nearly empty and all the while this man did more than just listen to him. He gave Hizashi his full attention, something that hadn't happened in a long time if he didn't count the nights he'd spent with Shouta.
"Tonight was fun, -"
"Please, Yamada is fine," Hizashi interrupts before he can continue.
"Okay then, Yamada," he corrects, "Tonight was fun and I'd like to see you again."
The voice hero opens his mouth but nothing comes out. It wasn't smart to pick someone up from a bar, but they weren't going home together. And seeing each other again didn't mean that they were dating, yet. This guy was attractive. He was funny. And tonight... he'd made Hizashi the center of his world as they talked music and performance techniques, something that he didn't have anyone to talk about with.
"I'd like that," he finally says.
After that night at the bar, he meets up with Saitei twice more before he asks Hizashi to date him. It'd only been two weeks since Shouta and Yagi had gotten together, but Hizashi is doing okay. Saitei calls him day and night when they aren't able to see each other just so that he can hear Hizashi's voice and let the voice hero know how beautiful he thinks that he is. He buys into those sweet words because they make him happy.
He was still a little hurt by everything and he couldn't be around Yagi because he kept thinking about that look the man had given him at dinner that night, but he was moving forward. He'd worked so hard in making sure that Yagi felt welcome and he really didn't want to lose him so he continued to invite him when the teachers all got together, but he mostly favored spending time with Shouta instead.
That was normal in a new relationship. Those slight rejections still hurt him but that hurt leads him to call his own boyfriend who knows just what to say to make the voice hero feel better and before he knows it, he's falling for him. It's too fast and his rational side is screaming at him to back off, but he's never been very good at listening to that part of his mind. Shouta was always the rational one.
Hizashi would be lying if he said that he didn't miss his best friend, but he could see that the man was all the happier being with Yagi. They really were a good match for each other and he felt like such an ass for almost getting in the way of that. Still, he really enjoys spending time with Saitei, going to rehearsals and his shows on the weekends. They even talk about the possibility of featuring him on his radio show, to give him some exposure for his shows.
Saitei is excited, showering Hizashi with compliments of him being the greatest boyfriend ever and how lucky he is to have him. That does the blond in and he says that he loves him. It was said in the moment and he tries to take it back but the younger man kisses him and says that he loves Hizashi too. He can't stop the tears because no one, besides Shouta, has said those three words to him in so long.
It's almost too good to be true.