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Shouta let out a long, tired sigh as he opened the door to his apartment. It was dark and quiet like always. He took off his capture weapon and hung it on the hook next to the door, “I’m home,” He called out to nobody.
Shouta wasn’t usually bothered by his unsocial life, but every once in a while the loneliness crept up on him. It was times like that that Shouta wished he had someone to greet him when he got home from work. He wished to come back to a warm home with music coming from the living room and a loud voice calling to him. He wanted to wrap his arms around them and look into their beautiful green eyes-
He stopped in his tracks. He didn’t need his mind to wander down that path. The tired hero huffed, a scowl making its way onto his face. The harsh look faded away, though, when he felt something rub against his shins.
Shouta’s lips quirked up a tiny bit as he kneeled down to pet the fluffy grey cat. Her name was Mocha and she always helped him when he was feeling down. He scratched under her chin, smile widening when she began to purr, “I’m not alone. I have you.”
After showering Mocha with love for a few minutes, Shouta stood back up and made his way to the kitchen. He switched on the small radio that sat on the counter. He didn’t usually care to listen to music, but on nights like this, it made his apartment feel a little less cold and empty. He stilled when he heard the familiar voice that came from the radio.
“Hey, listeners! This is Present Mic coming at you from Put Your Hands Up Radio!” The announcement was pretty loud even though Shouta was sure he had the volume turned down. The man glanced at the small device, a familiar feeling of longing welling up in his chest. He missed his best friend.
Hizashi had finally achieved his dream of not only being a pro but also being the host of his own radio show. He was quickly rising through the ranks with his popularity. Shouta tuned in when he could, listening in the car and when he did his paperwork. Hearing his friend’s cheerful voice was comforting after a long patrol, even if his heart ached when he was reminded of the distance he put between them.
It was his own fault that they didn’t talk, Shouta knew that. He had been in love with Hizashi for years and he had no hope of getting over him. One day Shouta realized he couldn’t keep his feelings bottled up. Instead of facing his problems, though, he began avoiding Hizashi. He used any excuse possible to cancel plans and slowly stopped responding to his texts. Eventually, he stopped talking to Hizashi altogether.
It had been months since Shouta last spoke to him. Hizashi still sent a text every once in a while, but they were beginning to get further apart. Shouta’s heart would fill with guilt every time he didn’t answer, knowing he was getting closer and closer to the point that Hizashi would stop trying. He didn’t want to hurt his friend, but he was also desperate to rid himself of the feelings he had developed. Nemuri had once told him to just confess, but Shouta could never bring himself to do so. Just the thought of Hizashi rejecting him or being uncomfortable with Shouta's feelings was more terrifying than any villain he had ever faced.
Shouta listened to the happy pop song that had begun. He didn’t catch the name of it, but he tapped his feet along nonetheless. He knew Hizashi was probably enjoying the song where he was. Shouta pulled some leftover takeout from the fridge and grabbed a fork. He began to eat it cold. The man could almost hear Hizashi lecturing him on eating properly. He smiled, remembering all the times his friend had scolded him for not taking care of himself.
Shouta continued to pick at his food, but he had lost his appetite and eventually gave up. He wandered to his bedroom, happy to finally exchange his costume for one of his many soft sweaters. Some of the tension left him with the change of clothes and he was glad. He grabbed the stack of paperwork that had been collecting dust on his desk and brought it back to the kitchen. He made himself comfortable on the couch, content to listen to the music drifting through the apartment while he worked. After each song, Hizashi’s voice came back and he would ramble about something or another before announcing the next one.
For a moment, Shouta closed his eyes. He pretended he was fifteen again, sitting in Hizashi’s room and listening to music as they did homework together. He could almost smell the food that his friend's moms would make for them when Shouta was over. He could almost feel the warmth of Hizashi’s side pressing into his as they poured over their textbooks.
When he opened his eyes and returned to the real world, he slumped over. His chest filled with a dull ache. He yearned to see his best friend again. He desperately wanted to hear that loud voice directed at him.
Shouta knew listening to Hizashi’s show did more harm than good. It reminded him of how much he missed him. He knew he should probably turn the radio off to save himself from the pain, but he just couldn’t bear to do so.
The song that was playing faded away and Hizashi spoke once again, "Alright, listeners! It's about time for me to head out!" He paused for a moment, voice slightly softer than his usual persona, more hesitant, "This last song is for my favorite listener!"
Shouta perked up at that last part. A part of himself hoped Hizashi was talking about him. He listened to his friend rattle off a goodbye and then the song began to play.
The tune wasn't as energetic as the bouncy pop songs the station usually played, it was slower. Shouta recognized it as one of the songs Hizashi often played for him in highschool when the voice hero had taken up leading the guitar. He realized the song was, in fact, for him. It was in english so Shouta didn't really know the meaning. It didn't sound super sad, but it definitely wasn't happy either. The singer sounded wistful, like he longed for something. Shouta laid back on his couch and closed his eyes, drifting off and thinking about Hizashi's voice.
A loud knock on his door startled Shouta awake. He groaned, definitely not pleased about being woken up. He sat up and nudged mocha off his lap before standing. Glancing at his clock he noticed it was late, three in the morning. He was weary, picking up his capture weapon before cracking the door open slowly.
He dropped his weapon when he saw who was at the door, though. His eyes widened as he whispered, "Hizashi?"
His friend looked absolutely miserable. He was drenched like he had stood out in the rain that was currently pouring outside. His hair was down, drawing around him like a curtain, but otherwise he was still in his hero costume. He was missing his sunglasses, tired eyes looking up like he hadn't slept in days.
"Hey Shou," He mumbled, lacking any resemblance to his usual cheeriness.
"What are you doing here?” Shouta questioned before guiding the other man inside, "You're fucking soaked, Hizashi-"
"Do you hate me?" His friend interrupted, eyes trained on him.
Shouta froze, unable to comprehend what he just heard, "Of course not."
"Then why the hell won't you talk to me? You stopped answering my calls and you don't reply to my messages," Hizashi wasn't yelling, but he wasn't whispering either. He sounded desperate, "Tell me if I did something wrong."
"You didn't do anything wrong. It's my fault and I didn't know it was hurting you," Shouta confessed. He hadn't considered it bothering Hizashi much. The voice hero had plenty of friends so Shouta figured he wouldn't miss him.
"Do you know how stressful it is to not have you reply?" Hizashi asked, tears beginning to slide down his face, "When I have no idea if you're even alive? I comb the internet every morning to make sure Eraserhead hasn't been killed in action!"
"I didn't know-" Shouta tried, unsure of what to say.
"Of course you didn't. You have no idea how much you mean to me," Hizashi cried, "And yet I have no idea if you even care about me in the slightest."
"I care about you more than anything, Hizashi," Shouta's response was automatic, almost stern in the way he said it, trying to make sure his friend believed him. As soon as the words left his mouth, he scolded himself. As true as they were, he hadn't meant for Hizashi to ever find out.
Hizashi was still, looking at Shouta with wide eyes. The tired hero sighed. The damage had already been done, he might as well explain.
"I was scared because you mean the world to me. I thought I could figure out how to stop myself from feeling the way I do if I just wasn't around you for a while," Shouta sucked in a breath, trying to calm his nerves, "I love you, Hizashi."
The voice hero continued to stare at his friend. A smile cracked at his face and he let out a laugh. Shouta hunched over, embarrassed, "What?"
"Sorry. It's just-" Hizashi wiped at his eyes, "You, mister calm and rational, came up with the most ridiculous plan ever to get over your feelings while I was over here feeling the exact same way."
Shouta looked up, "You?"
Hizashi stepped forward, hand cupping his friend's cheek, "Yes, Shouta. I love you. So much."
The tired man looked up, "You really should have said something sooner," As soon as the words left his mouth he pulled Hizashi's collar, crashing their lips together.
Hizashi went to wrap his arms around Shouta, who pulled away, "Let's get you dry. Then you can hug me all you want."
The other agreed and Shouta pulled him back toward his room where he was able to swap his soaked hero outfit for a pair of warm pajama pants and a sweater. Shouta thought Hizashi looked adorable in his clothes that were just slightly baggy on him.
"Come here," Shouta said, pulling his friend onto the bed and wrapping his arms around him, "I love you."
"I love you too, Shou," Hizashi replied with a small kiss.