: mentioned/implied self-harm, mentioned/implied adultery

***

Izuku's heart is beating out of his chest. After a long, surprisingly relaxing flight, he's extremely excited to reunite with his friends. They know of his situation and offered to help him move in. He was moved to tears when they promptly denied his refusals, exclaiming how they were friends and helping him out was the bare minimum. Izuku was incredibly grateful he had people like them in his life.

Izuku is shaking when he grabs his luggage. Only one bag filled with the bare necessities. He nearly tumbles as he speeds walks to where he is being picked up. It's pleasant outside, the wind turning Izuku's ears red. He's always preferred the cold, having associated the feeling of 'hot' against his skin with 'fuck I'm in pain'.

His eyes water when he spots a large, bold sign with the letter 'Izu' written in big, messy font. His friends are waiting right at the front, all in their strikingly different attires. They haven't noticed him, eyes looking everywhere but where he is standing. He uses the opportunity to sneak up on them, walking around the crowd so he is standing behind them. He taps on Xee's shoulder.

"I'm sorry-," he's cut off when his eyes meet Izuku's viridian.

"Mon Lapin," he whispers, and Izuku grins brightly at the nickname, feeling heat rush to his cheeks. He sounds so endearing.

"Hi."

"Xee what are you-," Aviva goes quiet, before shoving past Xael and tackling Izuku in a hug. Izuku grunts, stumbling and instinctively wrapping his arms under her legs to keep them from toppling.

"Izu!" she cheers loudly, grabbing everyone's attention. They bury her head into his neck and Izuku chuckles into her hair.

"You stupid fuck!" Ezra yells, tackling them from the side and pulling them into a hug. Hands wrap around his back and wrest by Aviva's hips.

"I'm glad you're here, Zuki!" Ai says into his ear, and Izuku has to crane his neck a little to flash them a smile.

"Oi, I'm not missing out on this!" Valeria exclaims, and Izuku feels her wrap around Aviva and grip his waist. He feels the tears quietly streaming down his cheeks and nothing is said for a few seconds. Obnoxious coughing breaks them apart and everyone reluctantly let go. Izuku barely waits for Aviva to touch the ground before he's running over to Ezekial and Xael. He grabs them both by the waist and crashes into them, pulling them close. They wrap their arms around his frame and Izuku feels his tears wet Ezekial's shirt, where his head is buried.

"We're glad you're here, Amore Mio," Zeke says once they pull away.

Izuku's smile is wobbly and he sniffles, "I'm glad too."

"So does that mean y'all can be together? You're staying here permanently, right?" Ezra pops up from behind them. Izuku turns, grabbing both of their hands and interlocking their fingers. He looks up at them and everyone and nods.

"Fuck yes!" Ezekial cheers, pulling Izuku in for another hug. He feels Xael come up from behind him, followed by Ezra, Aviva, Ai and Valeria. He sighs.

He missed this.

***

Izuku and his friends conclude that they'd celebrate after Izuku got settled in. Luckily, his mum didn't pay for the apartment upfront, so Izuku can find a smaller place in the complex with cheaper rent. His mum had been humble in saying that they have little to spare in their bank account. Izuku is sure that with careful spending, their savings are enough to last him around three-years.

His friends insisted they go shopping and Izuku agreed immediately. He'd never been fond of plain and his new apartment looked grossly normal. Besides, he wants a new wardrobe.

Currently, they're at the first shop of many. Aviva had offered to pay for everyone and no one was about to take away their right to spend her parents' money as she pleases. If that was how they asked them to stay hush about their infidelity, Aviva would milk them to their last fucking penny.

"What about this?!" Xee points at a light beige, floral button-up. He's sandwiched in between Izuku and Ezekial, which is a little funny considering their height difference, but he likes the security. Everyone split up, agreeing to meet at the food court in two hours. Izuku went with Xee and Zeke, obviously, who were currently being garbage help at finding outfits for him.

Zeke snorts, "since when does Izuku where anything floral?!"

"Aren't we helping him find new outfits?"

"Yeah, new stylish outfits. On what planet would I ever let Amore Mio go out looking like someone's great grandmother from England?!"

"Well it's not like you're doing anything to help," Xee huffs, folding his arms and leaning more into Izuku's side. Izuku rolls his eyes at their antics, but can't help the fond smile he wears despite it.

"You're both shit helpers," Izuku cuts them off, ignoring their offended glances, "and this store reminds me of a funeral home."

He steps in between his partners, "now is that one thrift store that I always went to still open?"

Zeke nods and Izuku looks at him in mock outrage.

"What?"

"That place is open and you still took me here? Are you fucking dense? And you," he looks to Xee, "you're supposed to be smart."

They both blink owlishly at his dramatic reaction, their eyes glinting with mirth and amusement.

"We're sorry your highness," Zeke says and Izuku only scoffs, looking away. Xee shakes his head and cups him by the chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. Izuku's eyes melt immediately.

Why is his boyfriend so damn attractive? Who allowed this? What stupid donkey on rollerblades blessed him with such looks? Stupid pretty mother fucker.

"We can go now," he rolls his eyes, "seriously you can be so dramatic."

Izuku pouts childishly but doesn't let go of Xee's hand when he guides him to the store.

***

(Izuku's apartment: His bedroom (bottom right); the bathroom (middle left); living room & attached kitchen (upper left))

"I love it!" Izuku squeals once they're done decorating his apartment. With everyone's help it took them a little over three hours, but to see the outcome was worth it. Besides, when Izuku mentioned him returning, there was a silent agreement that they'd be hanging out at his place more often than the others. Mainly because the complex is nearest to the school, but it did help that there haven't been any authoritarian figures in the Midoriya household since his father.

Everyone nods approvingly.

"It looks great, Zuki!"

Izuku smiles at Ai, "all thanks to you guys."

Ezekial shakes his head, "don't make us sound so helpful. We'll be spending most of our time here anyway, of course, we're going to make sure it looks good."

"I'm still grateful," Izuku beams, and Zeke can't keep the blush that stains his cheeks.

"I'm tired," Xael drawls, grabbing onto his partners' wrists and pulling them onto the couch. Izuku finds himself sandwiched in between Xee and Zeke and can't help but giggle. His other friends come to join, everyone cuddling on the large couch. Izuku preferred this group of friends over his previous one. They were affectionate and close, not afraid to hold each hand's or and spoon each other as they sleep.

He supposes it's a preference, but everyone in 1-A was always very professional and cold, at least towards him. Well, excluding Kaminari, Shinso and Kirishima before he became good friends with Bakugo.

"What're you thinking about?" Zeke asks, bopping him on the nose with his finger.

Izuku scrunches his face cutely.

"Just my old classmates," he feels Xee stiffen beside him, "they were never the kindest to me."

Ai snorts, "that's an understatement, Zuki. Your classmates were a bunch of slimy assholes with smiles as real as my hair colour."

Izuku laughs, "always a way with words, Cotton."

They merely shrug in response.

"Speaking of!" Aviva shoots up, ignoring her girlfriend making grabby hands as she makes her way to the counter where there are still a few bags of items left from the shopping spree.

"Я знаю, ты не встал, чтобы продолжить распаковку, зайка, " Val grumbles, folding her arms and giving her partner a pointed look.

Vi opts to grab the whole bag off the counter before making their way back to her girlfriend. She bends down to hug Val from behind and whisper something in her ear, to which her smile brightens and she twists to press a chaste kiss to her partner's cheek.

Izuku's look of content melts when their heads turn to stare at him. He unconsciously presses closer to Ezekial, who smiles at his antics. Izuku always had a thing from drama.

"What's with the looks?" he dares ask.

Viva smirks, "makeover!"

And then without so much as a warning, they grab Izuku by the arm and pull him off the couch and into the bathroom. Ezra grins, mumbling an 'I almost forgot' and follows her, as does Ai.

Ezekial and Xael share a look before following, Valeria trailing behind them with a smaller bag in hand.

"Babes," Izuku looks to his boyfriends, eyes wide and scared, "help me."

Zeke chuckles, walking over and kissing his partner on the forehead.

"You'll be fine, Amore Mio," he says. Ezra comes in with a chair from the kitchen and forces Izuku down, ordering him to stay put.

"What're we doing?" He whines.

"Makeover, Mon Lapin."

"I get that, but what 'makeover' are we talking about?"

"Easy," Xi pulls out a bunch of shit from the bag and places it on the sink counter, "hair-dye, scissors, razor."

Izuku's frown twists into a manic smile.

"Neon split-dye?" He looks to them, "like someone poured toxic waste on half my hair and tar on the other?"

Ai nods, their own smile wide, "fuck yes."

"And tomorrow we can take you to the tattoo parlour to get a few piercings. I know you've been dying to get a more since you got your lobes and tongue pierced a year ago."

Izuku nods, running a finger over the where he used to wear black studs.

"The ones in my lobe closed," he says sadly.

"All the more reason to go. Besides, I've been meaning to pierce my septum for a while now."

Xee hums in approval, "piercings are hot."

In response, Zeke grips his waist and pulls him in for an open-mouthed kiss, one that has Xael blushing furious shades of red.

He sticks out his tongue deliberately when pulling away, the metal piercing pressing into Xael's lip for a short moment. Izuku hops out of his chair, ignoring a protesting Ezra, and pulls Xael by the collar, mimicking Ezekial. It's only a few seconds, but the shiver that he feels run-up Xael's spine as he pushes his tongue past his lips and slowly pulls away to press the metal into his skin has his heart beating wildly.

Xael is still stuttering helplessly when Izuku goes back to the chair. Eventually, Ezekial guides his hands to rest around his waist and he composes himself, resting his head atop Zeke's shoulder. Izuku looks at them fondly.

(A/N: idk how poly relationships work since I'm very monogamous but i always read stories where Izuku is like, their boyfriend and the other partners neglect each other and idk i prefer it when it's like, equal affection without the bias. so yeah, expect a lot of Xael x Ezekial shit too.)

(update: lmao i'm not monogamous)

When he feels something wet weigh down his hair, he closes his eyes and breathes softly, excited.

Neon-split hair, here I come.

- x -

Liked by fcking_angelic, highashell and 1,663 others

_ okay but i look hot

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can't wait for the piercings

we did a good job

obviously

if i wasn't gay i'd 100% fuck you

no♥︎

- x -

At the familiar shady tattoo parlour (of course, it's shady, they agreed to tattoo minors with too much money to spend, well Aviva's money but still) Izuku sits nervously in the chair as they ready him for his piercings. Perhaps it is a little...ridiculous that he's wanting to get three piercings on either ear already, but he's excited. He's also getting his second tattoo. In Japan, inked skin is frowned upon, and living at the U.A, amongst the prying eyes of everyone, Izuku kept himself from getting inked to avoid scrutinisation. Not that it hadn't happened regardless.

He nearly back peddled out of getting the tongue piercing before Zeke promised it was easy to hide seeing as Izuku wasn't a yeller of any kind.

His was careful to keep the first tattoo from being seen, always hidden by the band of his underwear on his left hip. Everyone in his friend group has one, roman numerals signifying the date they all promised to be friends. It's special to him, almost as much as the one he plans on getting today. It's only Zeke and Xee with him, everyone else having stayed behind.

"Why don't you hold his hand?" The employee that was tending to Izuku nodded to Zeke and Xee. Izuku looked to them with pleading eyes, blindly reaching for their hands. He smiles when slender fingers intertwine with his own.

"Ready?"

Izuku nods, holding his breath as a needle is pressed into his ear. His boyfriends feel his grip on them tighten when it pierces, only slackening when the stud is pushed through,

"Five more to go," the employee hands him a mirror and he marvels at the earring. He's always had a liking for black studs. It's only 20 minutes when he has every piercing in and he's making his way over to the tattoo chair. A girl with long, curly red hair steps out. She bears no tattoos aside from a feather just below her rib from what Izuku can see. He had called for her in specific.

"Hey kid, what can I do for you?" She shows off a lazy smile, "heard you called for me but I don't think I've ever seen you around."

"You specialise in tattooing over scars, right?"

Her smile drops into a more solemn expression. She points to the feather in her rib with a sad smile. Looking at it closely, Izuku can see the raise, wrinkled skin. A scar.

"Was stabbed at home when an intruder broke in," she breaths through her nose, "bad memory, bad scar."

Izuku doesn't say anything. Xael and Ezekial are with the piercer to get Zeke's septum done.

"What about you kid?"

Izuku hesitantly lifts his sleeves. Lines, thin, straight and white crawl all over his upper forearm to his elbow, blending with his battle scars. A few are fresh, but most are old. He stopped after middle school, fighting his addiction to pure pain. The want to see his own blood stain the skin of his wrist. It helped him feel when he felt nothing. Izuku had found himself with an insatiable craving for more more more. He relapsed after Katsuki's confession and was at his worst after his mum's passing, but Hitoshi and Denki (who found out after he strained his wrist and bled through his sleeve when one of the cuts reopened) helped him get back on his feet.

"What were you thinking, kid?"

"Before my mum passed, when I was still really young and naïve, she tells me lullabies about local heroes.," Izuku lips quirk, "I loved them of course, but when things were really bad she'd sing this silly song and say 'remember that bad times...are just times that are bad'," Izuku shifts to pull his phone out of his pocket, showing a letter his mum had written right after Izuku got in U.A, "you think you can mimic her writing?"

The girl looks over and nods, "sure thing kid. Think you can email it to me so I can make a stencil? It's [email protected]"

Izuku sends it and waits patiently for her to return.

Five minutes pass when Xael and Ezekiel walk over, Zeke adoring a new piercing.

"What're you getting?" Xee asks.

Izuku lifts his wrists, hesitantly showing off his scars. Xael gently traces along the jagged lines, his fingers moving with a carefulness Izuku wasn't used too.

"Mama's lyrics."

Ezekial bends his head to place a gentle kiss by Izuku's ear, whispering, "we're so lucky to have you," before pulling away. Izuku blushes a furious red and is about to exclaim his embarrassment when the tattoo artist walks back in, carrying a cart of appliances with her. Xee lets go of Izuku's wrist and steps back.

"Which one's yours?" She nods to Xee and Zeke.

Izuku smirks proudly, "both."

The tattoo artist whistles lowly, "damn."

Izuku hums his sentient because truly...damn.

"Anyways," she pulls out a paper with Inko's phrase in purple ink, "ya ready?"

Izuku nods, smiling when Xael reaches out to squeeze his free hand.

"Yes, ma'am."

***

Izuku blinks away the tears as he stares at his new tattoo for the fifth time since they left the parlour.

"Amore Mio," Ezekial shoves him lightly, effectively breaking him out of his trance. He turns to him and blinks owlishly.

"What?"

"You're cute."

Izuku puffs, "I know."

Xee laughs, slinging an arm around either of his partners' shoulders.

"Let's go before the others worry."

Throughout the walk, Izuku can't help but think about how grateful he is for a new start.

Even if he starts school tomorrow.

***

Word Count: 2919

Я знаю, ты не встал, чтобы продолжить распаковку, зайка

- I know you didn't get up to continue unpacking, bunny