Izuku looks down at his fingernails. The paint is perfect, better than he could've done. Shouto has a real talent, he thinks. But then again, is there anything Shouto's not good at? Besides, like, anything that requires halfway-decent interpersonal skills?

"Izuku." His voice is soft, careful. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Izuku looks at Shouto. "Yeah. I'm sure."

"If you make him angry enough…" Shouto swallows. "What if Bakugou won't take you back? Then, wouldn't this all be for nothing?"

Izuku laughs out loud, reaching forward to squeeze Shouto's hand. "You let me worry about that. Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

And he does. Izuku knows for fact that there is no way Katsuki will ever want him back after this, but that's not what he's trying to do here. Izuku has no intention of getting Katsuki back. No, his only mission now is to make Katsuki regret losing him, and if he can maybe get some borrowed affection out of Shouto to fuel his daydreams in the process, all the better. He's aware of the fact that Shouto's only doing this to be a good friend, but that isn't exactly stopping Izuku from wondering what it would be like if Shouto really did have feelings for him.

In some ways, Shouto's the perfect boyfriend. He's so attentive, so meticulous about always making sure his friends are taken care of. His conversation skills leave a lot to be desired, true, but that's not a problem when Izuku can't shut the fuck up half the time, anyway. Maybe...maybe it isn't that Shouto's the quintessential boyfriend.

Maybe it's just that Shouto would be the perfect boyfriend for Izuku.

"Okay." Shouto nods. "Then let's go."

"Let's go," Izuku agrees, opening the door of their room.

In the spirit of committing to their characters, they'd each chosen outfits for each other. Izuku had dressed Shouto in a fresh white button-down and jeans, so not much of a departure from the usual, but Shouto...well, Izuku's slightly concerned that he may have created a monster.

Shouto chose a pair of black leggings ("They're workout pants." "Yeah, and I usually wear them for working out, Shouto!") and one of his own white t-shirts for Izuku to wear. While the t-shirt probably fits fine on Shouto, its loose collar shows a little too much skin on Izuku's much smaller frame. Shouto had sworn up and down that it was fine, though, so Izuku had elected to trust his judgment. It also helped a fair bit towards convincing him that Shouto's eyes went a little glazed whenever Izuku's shirt slid down and exposed his bare shoulder.

As they head down the hallway to the elevator, Shouto grabs Izuku's hand, slowing them to a stop.

Izuku looks down at their clasped hands, and asks, "Yes?"

Shouto steels himself. "How far do you want to go?"

All the way, thanks, Izuku thinks. "As far as you're willing to, I guess." he answers.

Shouto smirks at the ground—actually smirks, who is this man?—then looks up with an expression that can only be described as mischievous. "If you say so."

The elevator chimes its arrival, and they both head in.

Izuku loses all his breath when Shouto pushes him up against the wall, dropping his chin to press his nose to Izuku's neck. Is Izuku in a fucking k-drama right now? Is that what's happening?

"Jesus—fuck, Shouto—"

"Shh. Trust me," he whispers, lips brushing against Izuku's throat.

Izuku realizes then that Shouto's not actually doing anything, despite his phenomenal opportunity. He's really just poised like he might be, like they may have been about to get into some real trouble, but were caught before they—

"Oh." Izuku breathes, relaxing. "Oh, I get it. Okay. Good job."

"Thanks," Shouto says under his breath.

Izuku threads his fingers through Shouto's hair, hamming it up a bit as the elevator dings to announce that they've reached the lobby. Izuku allows his eyelids to flutter shut, dragging his nails down Shouto's scalp. Shouto gives a little moan, and Izuku laughs, high and light. He already feels drunk, though he's never had a drop of alcohol in his life.

"Hey, is that—holy shit, is that Todoroki? With Midoriya?"

Denki's shout attracts the attention of the rest of the third years currently milling around the lobby in wait, and Izuku opens his eyes just in time to see if their ploy paid off or not. There's about three full seconds of silence where no one appears to know quite what to do.

"Go Midoriya!" Mina cheers at the top of her voice, and that sets the rest of them off. Suddenly, everyone's whooping and catcalling, all crowding in as Shouto backs off from his neck and steals Izuku's hand.

"Fucking finally!" Hanta slaps Shouto on the back as they pass him. Shouto only nods, tugging Izuku further into the lobby.

"What a fucking man!" Eijirou slings an arm around both of their shoulders, drawing Shouto and Izuku into a hug. "I'm so proud of you guys."

"I've literally been waiting for this moment for three long, torturous years," Mina says with relish. "God bless. We should celebrate!"

"Hey, who won the pool?" Kyoka calls out. "Does anyone know?"

"Me," Momo shyly says, raising her hand. "I bet they'd get together in the month before graduation."

"God, some people have all the luck!" Denki grouses. "Why'd we let Yaomomo make a bet? She's too smart."

"Yeah, let the dumb kids have a chance," Hanta huffs good-naturedly.

"Guys?" Ochako approaches then, Tsuyu and Tenya only a step behind her. "Is it true? Are you two...together?"

Izuku hesitates. He knows what he's supposed to say, knows what everyone expects of him—but for some reason, he can't quite bring himself to do it. Izuku can't just lie to his friends when in all reality, this would never be happening for real without Shouto at least being under duress. Or something.

"Yes." Shouto grips his hand more tightly, pulling Izuku closer to his side. "We are."

Ochako's face splits into a glorious, beautiful smile.

"I'm so happy for you!" she bursts out with. "Even if I didn't win the pool. Damn."

"I was only a month off," Tsuyu comments.

"Congratulations, you two," Tenya announces his approval. "Now, why don't we—"

"What? DEKU!"

Izuku flinches automatically, instinctually, and Shouto shoves Izuku behind himself as Katsuki starts stomping towards them. This is a bad idea. A terrible, no-good idea, and it's going to end in Shouto getting hurt, and Izuku knows what it's like to be on the other side of Katsuki's rage—how could he do this to his friend—!

"S-Shouto, we should stop—" Izuku hisses, tugging on the back of his shirt.

"No," Shouto declares to both him and Katsuki, or maybe to no one at all. "Back up, Bakugou. You're not coming near him."

"Out of my fucking way, Half Baked!" Katsuki hollers. When Shouto still doesn't budge, he adds, "Didn't you fucking hear me!? Move!"

Shouto cocks his head. "I heard you, Bakugou, but you apparently didn't hear me." His voice drops. "Back. Up. Now."

Izuku was ready to intervene, to jump in the way of Katsuki's fists before they could barrel into the only innocent person in this mess, but the force of Shouto's anger sends that course of action right out the window. Izuku swallows, glancing up at the tense set of Shouto's shoulders. He hasn't seen him this pissed off since the sports festival way back in their first year, back when Shouto was forged from abuse and ran purely on the need for revenge. No, Izuku hasn't seen this side of his friend in a long, long time. How could he have forgotten that in his own way, Shouto knows viciousness as well as anyone?

"Bakugou dude, back off, yeah?" Eijirou slips an arm over Katsuki's chest. "Todoroki told you to give them space."

Katsuki throws him off. "I don't give a fuck what Todoroki said! I wanna talk to that fucker Deku—"

"Insult Izuku one more time, and you'll be talking to me," Shouto threatens, fire flickering to life around his fingertips. "And I'm a lot less forgiving than my boyfriend is, Bakugou."

Katsuki's face twists. "You little fucking—"

"What the hell is going on in here?"

Everyone exhales as Aizawa enters the lobby, the classmates all taking a step back in tandem. Even Katsuki and Shouto follow suit, though they don't stop glaring at each other.

Aizawa's face is hard as he approaches. "Well? I left you alone for three and a half minutes. What's going on?" He scans the three of them.

"N-Nothing, Sensei," Izuku pipes up, stepping out fully from behind Shouto. "Just a misunderstanding."

Aizawa narrows his eyes, looking as though he believes that about as much as he believes Izuku's innocent in all this, but either Shouto's got impeccable timing or he's really made for improv because he chooses that moment to wrap his arm around Izuku's shoulders and pull him protectively into his side. Izuku clutches Shouto's shirtfront, secretly glad for the comfort, and Shouto drops his hand to settle over Izuku's hip. Another inch downwards and Shouto's palm would be gripping Izuku's ass.

Izuku's positive he isn't the only one to make that fun observation, since he watches Denki smother a guffaw as Mina smacks him about a foot behind Aizawa and Katsuki makes a noise like an overheated kettle. His face is red enough with barely-contained rage that Izuku's certain the only thing currently keeping him alive is Shouto's considerable firepower and undeniable audacity.

"I see," Aizawa delicately says, gaze dragging back up to their faces. He rolls his eyes as he turns away. "Show's over, everyone! Get to your seats."

"C'mon, guys." Ochako shoots a nasty glare at Katsuki before smiling at Izuku and Shouto. "I'm starving. Let's go eat!"