It looks perfect and thanks to Kacchan, it is perfectly straight and even. In honor of the first game night in the new house, Izuku had asked everyone in the house if it was okay to hang the friend collage in the dining room where everyone would be gathered. After everyone gave the affirmative, he attempted to hang the big collage up by himself much to the chagrin of Katsuki who ended up being a landing pad, as he walked by, for Izuku who toppled off of the stool he was standing on.

Katsuki's precision in hanging the art was fueled by the anger that the smaller man had flared up. Izuku showered the fuming blonde with praise and thanks and graciously bowed out of the room when he was shown not one but two middle fingers.

Normally the first part of his day would be spent with Iida since they continued on their traditions from when they were in the dorm together, but Ochako and Tsu had asked for some help in choosing what cards to buy for their new decks and then Izuku had the collage fiasco so they both took a raincheck. Instead, he did some cleaning around the house, but even that wasn't much since everyone kept their surroundings practically pristine. With a resigned sigh, he goes to the basement.

Todoroki is sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone lazily. Perfect. "Shoutoooo," Izuku whines as he flops onto the couch next to his best friend-turned-crush.

"Yes, Midoriya?" He asks, glancing up from his phone.

Izuku huffs dramatically before saying, "I am so bored." A glimmer of amusement plays in Todoroki's eyes before he goes back to his phone. Izuku gasps, feigning shock. "Are you really going to leave your best friend in this condition?" No response.

Izuku is not about to give up that easily. He flops onto his back on the couch and wiggles his way up until his head is in Shouto's lap. It finally gets Todoroki to look at him for a moment. Now to activate his special ability: Cute Factor Full Cowling. "Shou," he says softly. "I'm only asking for a moment of your attention, please." He widens his eyes innocently and can tell that Shouto is having an internal struggle if he should or not. Now to come at him with an ultimate move: Heart Snatcher. "We never spend enough time together." Izuku says it softly as he reaches a hand up and cups Todoroki's cheek, sliding his thumb along the jawline that he would love nothing more than to kiss.

Shouto's eyelids flutter closed as he softly sighs and Izuku can't help but wonder if he does that without realizing it. After a few moments, Todoroki all but throws his phone over the back of the couch, ignoring the clatter that it makes when it hits the floor and lays down beside Izuku. After some wiggling and adjustments, they get comfortable. Both of them have their legs dangling off the arms of the couch on opposite ends and are using each other's thighs as pillows. Izuku has to bite his tongue before he points out that they almost look like yin and yang.

"You now have my attention, Midoriya," Shouto says, looking at the pile of green curls on his leg. He nearly chokes on his own spit when he feels a warm, rough hand perch on his exposed hip, the thumb sweeping across the bone there slowly and repetitively.

"Sometimes I miss high school because we used to be closer back then," Izuku laments quietly.

"We're roommates now," Shouto says.

"I hardly see you," he replies. He can feel the other male nod against his leg.

"I know what you mean. Growing up sucks in some respects," Shouto whispers.

Screw it. Screw this. Now or never. Get what you want or get over it.

"Hey Shouto?" Izuku whispers back. His throat suddenly feels tight.

"Yes?"

"It took me a while, like way longer than it should have. And there have been some bumps along the way, but I really like you."

The silence is deafening and seems to compress Izuku from all sides. It isn't until the edges of his vision turn black that he realizes he is holding his breath. The breaths in and out are slow and shaky at best, but he feels better. He debates on raising his head to look at Shouto, but the other speaks before he can do it. "Are you sure?"

"The signs have been there for a long time, since before I became your friend. I just didn't realize it until recently. For someone who is so smart, I can sure be dumb." Izuku silently giggles and Shouto snorts.

"How sure are you?"

"I'll play you."

"What?" Confusion laces Shouto's question.

"Tonight, at game night. Best two out of three. If I win, I get to take you on a date," Izuku says smugly.

"What if I win?" Shouto fires back.

"What do you want?"

"What I want is you. I'll admit though that I'm hesitant and I don't want to just go headlong into this." Shouto sighs before continuing. "If I win, I want massages from you. For a week. Your hands are magical."

has stopped working. 404: Midoriya not found.

It is hard to process the information that Todoroki has just given him. It isn't a no, or a maybe, or a yes. It's a 'let's take it slow' and that is something he can work with. He didn't turn down the date challenge either.

"You're on, Shouto," Izuku says excitedly. "So, in the meantime, do you want to get snacks with me for tonight?"

"Sure."

When the pizza arrives, it is their usual delivery guy who is surprised that they are still going strong in game night, even after leaving the dorms. Izuku assures him that he'll see them again next Sunday if he's working. They talk for a few minutes and Izuku learns that his name is Tokoyami Fumikage and that he too is a student at AMU.

"Of course, Deku would befriend the pizza guy," Uraraka says as she peeks out the bay window to see what is taking him so long.

"Of course, he would, the useless nerd," Katsuki scoffs from the table.

"That dude will chat with and help anyone," Kirishima says with a big smile. "So manly."

"He helped me realize I'm bisexual," Kaminari chimes in and everyone stops to stare at him. "Whoa, wait! Only because he grinded that bubble butt on me at the frat party." The girls simply nod and go back to what they are doing.

"Dude," Sero says to Kaminari. "I don't know if it is better or worse that it only took Midoriya's ass to make you realize your sexuality."

"Here he comes!" Ochako exclaims, pulling the front door open for Izuku. "About time, Deku! We're all starving. Those first matches really took it out of us."

"Sorry guys, Fumikage has been bringing us our pizza for how long now and we never stopped to chat with him?" Izuku says, sitting the pizza on the island in the kitchen. Everyone rushes past him to get food, but Izuku's stomach is in knots as he thinks about his impending matches with Shouto.

Sitting at the far end of the table, he stares between his Minotaur deck and his Enrage deck, trying to decide which one would do better against either of his friend's decks. Speaking of, Todoroki takes the opportunity to snatch the seat across from Midoriya and slides him a plate of pizza and a can of soda. "Thank you, Shouto."

"Don't thank me, consider it your consolation prize when I slaughter you in these matches," Shouto says deadpan. He slips his Red-White Aggro deck from its box and begins shuffling.

"Todoroki is savage," Ashido says, sitting beside Shouto and tearing into her pizza.

"You have your hands full with this one," Kirishima says, pulling up the chair beside him. "What did you do to ruffle those red and white feathers?"

"If I win, he gives me a massage every day for a week," Shouto answers without glancing up from his shuffling.

"Todoroki, you have to win. Sorry Izuku but your massages are magical," Kirishima says.

Leaning in and speaking low enough for only Eijirou to hear him, he says, "and if I win, I get to take him on a date."

"That is no fair! How am I supposed to choose a side now?" Kirishima whines.

Izuku shrugs and shakes his Minotaur deck out of the box, shuffling it quickly since he has yet to use it today and it is already mana weaved…

…The game had been close, but Shouto's deck was much too quick against Izuku's. It made Izuku's anxiety creep up into his shoulders and settle there. He needs to win the next one to stay in the running. They both switch decks, Shouto picking up his dragons and Izuku getting his dinosaurs…

…Izuku is almost done for, his D20 is reading three. In a last-ditch effort to win, he pays the six mana to bring out Etali, Primal Storm. After Shouto exiles the card on the top of his library, Izuku brings out Charging Monstrosaur. He attacks with every creature he has on the battlefield and even after being blocked, manages to end Todoroki. He is still in the fight. He keeps his Enrage deck while Shouto goes back to his Aggro deck…

…The D20 reads zero and Izuku stares blankly at the battlefield before him. How did he lose? Did Shouto not want to go on a date with him after all? If he did, he certainly would've lost on purpose, right? His massages aren't that great. Everyone is staring between them. Only three of them knew Deku's part of the deal so what were the rest waiting on? Confirmation of his defeat?

"Fuck." It's barely loud enough to be a breath but Team Todoroki hears it and cheers. A hand squeezing his bicep makes him jump and he looks up to see Eijirou looking at him with a frown. Izuku refuses to cry in front of anyone so he smiles wryly at the redhead before smiling at Shouto who looks taken aback.

"I expect that first massage tomorrow," Shouto says with a smirk.

By no means is Midoriya Izuku usually petty, but he can't help himself. "If I had won," Izuku announces to the room as he picks up his now cold pizza on a plate and stands up, walking toward Shouto. "I would've had the pleasure of taking Todoroki here on a date. As it stands however," he says, pausing beside a stoic Shouto. "I still win in both outcomes." Everyone is quiet as they watch the exchange between the two men, confused. "I may not get to take you out on a date, but now I get to have my hands all over your hot body. I will take that as my consolation prize."

The sound of the buttons being pushed on the microwave are drowned out by whistles. Izuku glances over his shoulder as his pizza is heating up to see Shouto's very pink cheeks. Turning back to the microwave, he instead sees Uraraka standing in front of him.

"I haven't heard you stoop that low to embarrass someone in a long time, 'Zuku. You must be really upset and embarrassed," she says, eyeing him worriedly.

"I just want to date him," he says, hanging his head. "I hoped he wanted the same thing, but I guess not. One date isn't rushing anything, right?" His voice gets more and more raspy with each word as he struggles against the tears.

"No, it isn't rushing," she reassures him as she pulls him into a hug and glares at Todoroki who is silently standing in the doorway, watching the exchange.

"I just want to be happy and be happy with him," Izuku gasps out quietly into her shoulder. Shouto finds the floor to be enthralling all of a sudden before he turns and walks away.