Archive of Our Own

He doesn’t know when it started: looking at his reflection suddenly became too taxing to him. He doesn’t know when his gaze upon his body turns so scrutinizing. 

He doesn’t know when he started to turn away from going to the school’s cafeteria because Izuku feared that someone would make the joke that the fat kid was waiting in line for his food, or that the fat kid was just so eager to eat. 

He doesn’t know when his own mother made teasing comments about his waistline began. 

Izuku never knew why it was such a problem for other people when he was younger. At first, it was just a few comments about his baby fat clinging onto his cheeks, but even then, it seemed to stick to him. And he was okay with that until people and their comments turned cruel. 

What was meant to be a harmless, caring, “How about we add more vegetables into dinner tonight?” turned into an attack on Izuku’s mindset. It was fine, Izuku didn’t mind this. He didn’t think anything was wrong with the way he ate or looked at this stage, at a woefully oblivious six-year-old.

As he grew older, the cruelty stepped in. Kids would sometimes bar him from entering the playground, claiming that he’d make something break under his added weight. Izuku was fine with this. He was used to getting picked on. He wasn’t a stranger to kids teasing him, but this was among the first times they added weight to the teasing loop.

From there, their unfair treatment spiraled.

Day after day, comments about a hippo or whale were whispered as he passed by, or if the kids were extra confrontational, they’d go up and say it to his face.

Izuku had always been a crier, but he didn’t understand why these comments were hitting him so hard. Was it because his mother was also doing her best to make sure her boy was getting the proper nutrition and advising him to hold back on the sugar in their special cookies? Was it because his fruity drinks had disappeared from the shelves of his pantry? Or was it because there was an occasional comment about how it’s not healthy to do this, this, and this?

It was then that Izuku realized that the reason for the teasing about his weight hurt him so much compared to the other insults was that his mother had agreed to a degree. Nothing so vulgar and cruel to compare him to some large animal or laugh at his face, but in the way that she was trying to get Izuku to shed the pounds. 

Much, much later in Izuku’s life did he realize that trying to make a child lose weight or diet so much wasn’t right.

When he entered high school, he began to make true friends, ones that saw past his weight. One that thought that he was cuddly and excellent at hugs and saw his intelligence for what it was. They saw another kid who was definitely a nerd, but the most loyal and one of the most caring people they’d ever encountered. 

Even so, the bullies got worse, and Izuku had enough of it. 

Izuku had enough of throwing away his friends’ cupcakes or treats on their birthdays because he felt that he didn’t deserve them in such a state. So, he made a plan, a plan to lose weight and finally end all the teasing and endless diets his mother tried to enforce on him. 

He worked hard, harder than anything else he had done before. Maybe it was the exhaustion from the mistreatment. Maybe it was the discontent he saw in himself, but whatever it was, it drove him further and motivated him. 

So, by his second year, he fit in the crowd. He was plain-looking, to begin with, but this time, there wasn’t a thing about him that stood out, nothing that would make others pick on him. Izuku was happy with himself. His mother most of all. She always commented on how happy she was that Izuku was eating right and getting so much exercise. She was happy when he asked for new clothes, but for the first time, it was for the next size down. As much of a loving and caring mother Inko was, she always made sure to voice her disappointments with Izuku’s weight when he was younger. 

But he was finally skinny. Izuku had a trim stomach and his clothing fit him well. Nothing felt too tight, and it was never a struggle to find ones that fit except when his size was sold out. Even so, it was never because they never made his size.

He was happy with himself. 

That didn’t change what he perceived when he stood in front of the mirror. In that case, Izuku couldn’t find it in himself to enjoy the view. He still saw the portly child with tears streaking his cherub cheeks. 

He still rushed past windows that showed his reflection. Izuku tried to divert his eyes from himself in the bathroom.

Somehow, in Izuku’s eyes, his long-time crush and his best friend return Izuku’s feelings. It’s miraculous how the class pretty boy could ever fall for someone like Izuku. It feels impossible for someone so incredible to feel such a way toward Izuku. 

They begin to date, and Izuku falls more and more in love with Todoroki Shouto every day. Shouto accepts Izuku for all he is. He even loves him for the things Izuku finds imperfect about himself. Whether it’s his freckles or his fanboy tendencies, Shouto loves and supports Izuku despite those.

Sometime along the happiness and the slews of dates, Izuku’s self-hatred starts to move away. Through affirmations of love and continual support, it’s enough to make some of his disparities against himself fall to the back of his mind. 

It won’t take away his fear of gaining weight though or change the way he feels about his body. It’s always a factor in the back of his mind, reminding him that he should skip out on dessert or at least have a very long workout session when he eats ice cream with Shouto.

He can’t be left alone because Shouto can’t deal with Izuku’s weight. He doesn’t want to be abandoned and trashed because he’s ugly and disgusting.

Izuku wouldn’t be able to live with himself if such a thing happened because of Izuku’s weight. 

But even so, Izuku finds it in himself to relax around Shouto. What once he saw as imperfections, like scars and habits that he couldn’t get rid of, those insecurities, he was able to accept through Shouto’s love. It’s not that Izuku had become over-reliant, but that he finally felt comfortable and loved enough to truly let go and relax in his lover’s arms.

Shouto was good for Izuku, and apparently, Izuku was good for Shouto, as he had “helped him through his toughest moments and helped him gain the courage to reunite with his mother.” Izuku couldn’t have been happier to know he made such a difference in a person’s life. He was glad he was able to help someone and made a lasting impact. 

As time went on and their relationship progressed, they decided to move in together. Now, it wasn’t an extravagant apartment by any means, but it was comfortable for the two of them and granted them the room to host small get-togethers with their friends from high school and those from their jobs. 

It was comfortable. It was home to both of them. It was a place to let go of the day-to-day stressors and relax. The closer and closer Izuku got to Shouto, the fewer anxieties built up inside him. 

There was one thing that never could go away and could only be explained in shame. The nights when Izuku wanted to give himself to Shouto were ones full of anguish and fear. He hated lifting up his shirt. He hated the feeling of being stared at, even as Shouto’s eyes sparkled with love and admiration, all Izuku could focus on was the staring. Shouto’s eyes inadvertently burned into Izuku’s skin, making his anxiety well up within. 

Izuku didn’t believe the first “you’re beautiful” that spilled out of Shouto’s mouth. Izuku couldn’t believe it. Shouto, someone with god-like handsomeness and the body to match, calling Izuku beautiful wasn’t something easily comprehensible. The inferiority of Shouto being out of Izuku’s league came storming back. 

He felt like he wasn’t enough for Shouto. He wasn’t. Izuku was a deku, afterall. He was back to being the fat kid. He was back to being picked on every day. He was back when he didn’t have self-worth. 

That night, Izuku cried into Shouto’s arms with wet sobs escaping his mouth. That didn’t put Shouto off, though. Shouto, the lovely person he was, listened to every word of Izuku’s story, claiming he would never view Izuku like that and a promise that Shouto would always be there for Izuku. Shouto would be there to listen to Izuku’s insecurities and reassure his boyfriend.

Time goes on, and their date becomes a bi-weekly thing. They’ve always made sure that no matter what, they’d dedicate time together, even if their busy schedules between being a paramedic and an occupational therapist made them spend their date night decked out in pajamas, eating ice cream and rewatching A Dog’s Purpose for the billionth time.

Yes, it makes Izuku cry every time. Yes, Shouto always wipes them away and places kisses on his forehead, saying that the dogs had good lives and a person who loved them just as much as the dog loved them.

The ice cream though was all Shouto’s ideas. Eventually, when Izuku came out and mentioned all of his insecurities about his weight and dedication to maintaining or losing weight, Shouto mentioned how sometimes his body needs something that’s always on a diet. Izuku was told that he doesn’t need to restrict himself. He’s told that his mother was wrong, that no child should’ve been coerced to lose weight like that and to constantly diet. 

Yes, it took a lot of convincing and time as well as spoons because Izuku would only allow himself one scoop at first. But now, he, along with Shouto, will eat their individual cups of ice cream. 

It wasn’t easy seeing the scale creep up in numbers. It made Izuku feel nauseous and uneasy. On some of the worst days, he stays in the bathroom for far too long staring at the increasing number, feeling betrayed and disgusted. 

He always has Shouto, but Izuku doesn’t want Shouto to blame himself for how Izuku is feeling. It wasn’t Shouto’s fault. He’s trying to keep Izuku healthy and from falling into unhealthy patterns and viewpoints of his body. Izuku’s just being dumb about his worth. He’s being irrational. 

He was back to facing the mirror with a scrutinizing glare directed at himself. All Izuku can see are the added pounds to his frame. It’s gross. Over and over, all Izuku can think is that he looks unlovable and undesirable. How could Shouto ever want him? How could he even go on like this? Shouto, who’s yet to come home from his EMT work, would surely dump Izuku if his shirt rose up. He’d surely get rid of the stupid, fat Deku. 

On those lonesome evenings, Izuku cried over the scale, clutching his too-soft sides, wishing he ate less. 

But each and every night he felt that way, Shouto always came to the rescue and fell to his knees to meet his boyfriend eye-to-eye. Shouto never found his boyfriend to be disgusting, even when he was able to pick up leftover food in the kitchen sink drain after doing the dishes. In his eyes, Izuku was the sun to his moon and the greenery to all the nature in the world. 

They talked as Izuku wept over his changing body. There was a conclusion: no more scales. It wasn’t good for Izuku’s mental health. Once again, Shouto had to reiterate that there was nothing wrong with his weight, not even daring to mention that it was considered normal for Izuku’s height. No one ever needed to deal with that stupid stigma in Shouto’s eyes. It was hurtful, and it hurt Shouto to know and experience through Izuku just how harmful these diets and the “ideal body” were to people. 

Shouto would love Izuku no matter what. Shouto will always be there for Izuku when he’s feeling down. He’ll do his best to hug and comfort his love when he’s having a bad body image day; to let him know that no matter what Izuku may look like or weigh, it won’t influence Shouto’s affection for Izuku. 

Day by day, Izuku comes out of his self-deprecating spiral. It’s a slow process, but Izuku’s getting better. He stops hiding under the baggiest of clothes or Shouto’s clothes (which is debatable because Izuku has definitely claimed many [read: all] of Shouto’s sweatshirts and sweaters as his own) and begins to wear more form-fitting ones. 

Izuku’s recovery lets Izuku breathe. It’s freeing. He feels so, so much better and lively without the burden of worrying about his weight so much.

It’s a long process to accept the problems with his body image and self-worth, which he discusses a lot with his therapist. He understands that how others acted when he was younger was cruel and unjust and that he had the right to be in any state he wished to be in as long as it was healthy for him. 

He doesn’t talk to his mother as much, learning to divert the attention away from his physical activities and his weight with Shouto’s help. They knew it was something that would negatively impact Izuku’s headspace, so they both did their best to avoid it. 

Either way. He’s recovering. It’s changing; he’s changing and learning to love how he is with Shouto’s help. 

That’s another thing, Shouto, the love of Izuku’s life, is no longer a boyfriend, rather, he’s a fiancé. 

When he passes a mirror now, he doesn’t stare at himself in hatred or disgust. Instead, he’s okay with himself. Instead, he notices the love bites on his neck or the hands looped around his waist, and he loves every second that he can spend with Shouto. 

His views are changing as he comes to acceptance, but it doesn’t mean he’s entirely healed. 

Indulgence. It’s a word he remembers from his childhood. It’s one he read every time he reached the refrigerator. A magnet that said, “those who indulge, bulge.”

He doesn’t know when it appeared on the fridge’s magnet side, but it was always stuck in the back of his mind. As of recently, or ever since he’s truly come to accept that diets and workouts weren’t always healthy for him, it’s been a whisper in his head.

He doesn’t know why it pops up today. 

Spring is around the corner and Izuku has been rearranging his closet to go back into the warmer season clothes and has started putting away the heavy-duty coats, long sleeves, and thick sweatpants. It’s in the back of his closet when he sees a high school track and field shirt. He smiles at the memories of the good friends he made and how hard he worked. He remembers the looks from across the field to Shouto, who was, at the time, a longing crush. 

Feeling nostalgic, he starts to shimmy off the fluffy sweater that he was starting to feel a bit overheated in any way and places it on his and Shouto’s shared bed. He holds up the shirt, still reminiscing, and begins to put it on. When he gets his head and arms through their holes, he realizes that something’s off – the sleeves are too tight around his arms. He thinks that it’s a bit weird that the dryer would’ve shrunken that part of the shirt until he tugs the hem of the shirt down.

It’s tight all over, he realized. He scrambles over to the full mirror and sees how his skin pushes against the fabric of the once loose-fitting shirt. It’s tight enough that his arm fat plumps out once the sleeve ends and how the fabric is stretched where his stomach is, leaving a small indent where his belly button lay. 

It hits him. He got fat. He plumped up, and his shirt which should’ve been fine-fitting was tight. 

Oh, god. 

It hits him again how much his body changed since Shouto and he got together. He was fit! He was trim! He had visible lean muscles! Those were gone now, covered with this – this fat!

It’s a gross feeling that bubbles up inside him. He thinks of all the work he had done to accept his body, but suddenly, he feels like he’s been neglecting all the things he worked so hard for. 

He yanks off the shirt, throws it to the corner of his closet, and then shuts the door. Roughly, he tugs the sweater back on, wanting to hide from the hideous piece of lard he imagined he became over the years. 

It’s revolting how normally fitting the sweater is when it once was oversized. 

He’s revolting. 

Shouto knows something is up with Izuku when he comes back home from work. At first, he thinks something happened at work like a patient showed up late just to be rude to him, or that maybe the convenience store ran out of Izuku’s favorite drink and snack combo.

But when he enters the door and calls out, “I’m home,” his fiance, with a chipper voice and usually bounds toward him in greeting, instead, calls out a meek, “welcome home.”

He knows something is wrong, and the air is off. Setting down the keys in their clay panda bowl, so they always knew where they had placed their keys, Shouto set off to their shared bedroom. 

“‘Zuku?” Shouto said as he poked his head into their room. He gazes around their space only to see that there’s a small pile of clothes by the side of the bed with a large lump of Izuku under all of the duvets and pillows. Shouto steps closer to the bed, placing a hand lightly over the clump he believes his fiance is under. “Are you feeling sick, Baby?”

He feels Izuku shrug from under him. Shouto, already feeling that he must take care of his lover, begins to strip from his outdoor clothes, only staying in his undershirt and underwear.

“‘Zuku, I’m coming under the covers, okay?”

A small whimper elicited from the pile.

Startled and afraid, Shouto gripped the covers covering his fiance. “Izuku? Are you in pain?” 

Shouto saw as Izuku clutched the covers tighter with his fists, preventing Shouto from pulling them off of his lover’s body. 

Faintly, Shouto heard a strained whisper, “No, just don’t come under. I don’t want you to force yourself to look at me.”

“Izuku, honey, I never force myself to do anything with you.” Knowing Izuku may need extra space, Shouto picked his hand off the bed and took a seat on their carpeted floors. “Is there a reason you don’t want me to look at you?” 

There wasn’t a response, but a sniffle came from the lump Izuku was tucked into. They sat in silence with an occasional sniffly coming from Izuku’s bundle. Shouto was at a loss. He had a faint idea of what was happening, but they weren’t going to get anywhere until Izuku was willing to talk with Shouto. No matter when that will be, Shouto will be there by Izuku’s side and support him in whatever way he can.

Later and later the night got. Neither Shouto nor Izuku had moved from where they lay or sat. It wasn’t until a quiet rumbling came from the pile of blankets. When there weren’t any signs of Izuku getting up or acknowledging his hunger, it confirmed Shouto’s beliefs about what was bothering Izuku.

“Izuku, I’m going to get started on some dinner for us, okay?”

“You don’t need to. I’m not hungry.” 

Shouto frowned at his fiance’s response. How long had Izuku been feeling like this? Had it been just this afternoon? Or had the negative thoughts taken hold of him earlier on in the week? If so, how had Shouto not seen how much Izuku was hurting until now? 

When Shouto became aware of Izuku’s struggles with his food habits, especially when he got into a restrictive mode, Shouto has come up with the idea of “thank you bites”, so even when Izuku wasn’t in the mood for eating or was feeling down on himself, Izuku at least had some food in his system. Shouto had no idea when the last time Izuku ate a full meal outside of their shared dinner was the night before since Shouto left before Izuku had awoken that morning. 

“I’m going to make some for both of us. We can always save your portion for when you’re feeling hungry, Baby.” Standing up, Shouto exited the room, turning back once he reached the doorway to see if Izuku had any reaction. His head hung low as he prepared the food. He was worried for Izuku. It has been a long time since his weight has affected him this much. He knew that Izuku’s mind typically headed to a worst-case scenario when something troubled him, but what was Izuku’s worst-case scenario right now?

Izuku wasn’t talking. He wasn’t eating, and Shouto wanted nothing more than to help him. 

Going with a simple comfort meal that Izuku said he ate when he was a lot younger, Shouto went back into their room to eat with Izuku. Alongside the fried rice, he brought two cups of water because Izuku definitely needed to stay hydrated. Not only that but if Shouto knew Izuku, then whatever was bothering him was unfortunately making him shed tears.

“‘Zuku, I brought you some water.” He set down the dish by Izuku’s bedside table and pulled up one of their little blue chairs by the dresser to get close to Izuku. Still holding both of their glasses, he stuck one hand out, saying, “I know you may not be up to drinking it right now, but it’s important that you stay hydrated.” 

The lump under the covers stilled at Shouto’s voice. It was like Izuku was contemplating getting under the covers or remaining there, willing to ignore his health and Shouto’s wishes. 

“Izuku, come on. I’ll help you wipe off your tears, okay? Please come out from under there. Trust me, it’s a lot less stuffy over here than it is under all that, okay, Love?” 

Slowly, the sheets draped around Izuku’s hunched-over frame. Shouto’s hand, still outstretched with the glass of water, was in Izuku’s view. Before long, Izuku took the drink, silently agreeing to talk out some of what was bothering him. 

“Better?” Shouto lightly questioned.

Izuku nodded, taking a big breath in before letting it out in a heavy sigh. He turned his head away from Shouto’s gaze, choosing to focus his attention on the nightstand where the fried rice was placed. Shouto could see the red puffy eyes that framed Izuku’s face, a clear sign he’d been crying for a while. 

“Would you like some?”

Izuku instantly shook his head. His mouth opened and then clicked shut before shaking his head again. It was so unusual for the man Shouto loved to be so silent. It was like there was always something to be talked about. Those were the best of times, but right now, it was up to Shouto to wait until Izuku was ready to talk about what was bothering him on his own. 

Leaning over, Shouto placed his own glass on Izuku’s nightstand before grabbing the plate of rice and sitting beside Izuku on their bed. 

“Shh, I’m only gonna eat in bed just this once. No crumbs will be found,” Shouto assured. 

That cracked a small smile upon Izuku’s lips. Long ago, Izuku made it a rule that they weren’t allowed to eat in bed after Shouto had snuck in a bunch of crackers to eat during one of their movie nights. That night, the sheets were unbearably itchy from the crumbs that Shouto had left behind from his snacking. 

Shouto began to eat and eventually held out the spoon to Izuku, silently asking him to take a bite. Shaking his head, Izuku refused. So, Shouto used his secret weapon, the thank you bite. 

“Please, Izuku? How about a thank you bite?”

Izuku’s eyes darted to the spoonful of fried rice, the grains still steaming from being cooked not too long ago. His eyes looked contemplative until they reached Shouto’s eyes. Using his pleading eyes, or as Izuku so called them, Izuku’s resolve crumbled.

Hesitantly, Izuku opened his mouth, allowing Shouto to scoop the rice into his mouth. Quickly, as Izuku began to chew, Shouto snuck a kiss on Izuku’s cheek. A whispered “Thank you,” was given before Shouto lifted the spoon back to his mouth. 

They remained silent as Shouto ate their fried rice, leaning on each other on their bed. It wasn’t until Izuku opened his mouth, leaving it open, that Shouto got the hint. Smiling slightly, Shouto once again spooned the rice into Izuku’s mouth, his fiance humming at the taste.

Once they were finished with the plate, Shouto set it aside once again before leaning back on his fiance. Taking Izuku’s hand in his, Shouto lightly began to rub his thumb atop Izuku’s hand in circles. 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

With a sigh, a warbled, “I guess I should talk about it,” came from Izuku. 

“I’m not going to force you to say it. Only if you’re ready, okay?”

Izuku flopped onto his back atop their messy bed. “Shouto, I need you to be honest with me, okay?”

“Always,” Shouto said determinedly. 

Laying his arms across his eyes, Izuku asked, “Am I enough for you?”

Enough for Shouto? “Izuku, what? What do you mean by that? Of course, you’re enough for me. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner, friend, and more.” 

“Even though I’m…” He trailed off. 

“Hmm? Izuku, you’re everything to me. I love you. What’s going on?”

Dejectedly, he said, “I don’t fit into my clothes, Shouto.”

Knowing it was about his weight, Shouto suggested, “So we’ll buy new ones.”

“It’s not the same!” Izuku burst out. “They’re tight! How could you stand to be with me when I’ve gained so much?! How could you just watch as I gained more and more weight? How hasn’t that disgusted you? How does that make me good enough for you? Why are you still with me? It’s gross; I’m gross.” 

Shouto climbed further into the bed, clasping Izuku’s arms into his hands. “Izuku,” he whispered so delicately, fearful for the pain his lover was feeling all alone. “Tell me. Which part of you do you think isn’t enough for me?”

“I just- I just told you!” Izuku turned to Shouto, eyes filling up with tears. “My body! My stupid, fat, useless body!” 

“Izuku,” Shouto interrupted. “You’ve always been enough for me. You’re so much more than I deserve. Your body is part of you, and I love it. Please, ‘Zuku, please don’t criticize it so harshly.”

Tears began to freely fall now. “You didn’t answer me. How could you just watch as I gained more? Why doesn’t that repulse you?” His voice was cracking, and it was breaking Shouto to listen to such degrading thoughts.

Internally, Shouto was beating himself up for not supporting Izuku sooner, and for not giving him enough love. It was no one’s fault, logically, but Shouto felt responsible for not being there when Izuku needed his support. 

“It doesn’t repulse me. Your body could never. As long as you’re healthy and happy, I see no problem with the weight you are at right now.” Shouto scooted closer to bump noses with Izuku. “You gained more, sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s entirely unhealthy. Izuku, I watched you grow happy with eating freely. I watched you become more accepting of food you’d never eat because you were afraid of it. I saw you happy eating what you wanted without so many restrictions, and it made me so happy to see that.”

Izuku’s lip was quivering, trying to sort out what he wanted to say next. “But I’ve gained so much. I wasn’t anywhere close to this size when we started dating. How could it be that you find a whale like me attractive?” 

“Izuku, I don’t care how much you weigh. I care if you’re healthy and if you’re you. Even if you’ve grown, you’ve given everything to me. You are everything to me, no matter what weight you are.” Shouto cupped Izuku’s face into his hands, gently caressing his cherub cheeks. “I see it like this: this person has given all of himself to me along with his unconditional love. With that, he undeniably deserves my love too. I believe that you deserve my love every day, all the time. I’ll find you attractive no matter what because you are what attracts me to you, not some six-pack or unrealistic model proportions.”

“Oh,” is all that Izuku manages to say. It’s washing all over him. He’s feeling all of Shouto’s love rush to him all at once, making him float with elation. Does he really deserve such kind words?

“Izuku,” Shouto says when he feels his fiance curl into himself more. “The only growth I’ve ever cared about has been our relationship and growing as our own people. Trust me, Love, your weight has never bothered me.”

Shaking his head, Izuku said, “You’re pushing my point aside. How am I still attractive to you?” He turned to face Shouto, eyes serious and holding onto every last word Shouto had said and waiting for a response. 

Without hesitation comes, “everything about you.”

Izuku’s face cringed and sternly negated. “Impossible.” 

“It’s true. I like every aspect of your body. Head to toe. And before you deny that I can’t possibly like your plushness,” Izuku flinches slightly in the hold of Shouto’s arms, “think again because I do. I love how soft you are and how your arms around me make me feel so safe. I love it when we’re driving home and I can rest my hand on your thigh and instantly feel my cold hand warm up. I love that I can rest on any part of you and fall asleep without a problem.”

While these words were spoken from the heart, there was churning inside Izuku’s stomach at the mention of his plushness and how comfortable he’d gotten. 

Accidentally muttering some of that, Shouto replied, “Izuku, you’ve gotten comfortable around me. That’s amazing. I want you to be comfortable around me. It’s relationship weight, and that’s okay. And I think that the extra weight has only served to make you cuter in my eyes. So, yes, I think every part of you is attractive. That’s not a lie.” 

Head slumping on Shouto’s chest, Izuku sobbed. He wasn’t understanding Shouto’s thought process, only thinking over and over again how someone so perfect could harbor such feelings for him. It’s unfair to Shouto to deny his feelings, but Izuku couldn’t help from feeling so inferior. 

Huffing, Shouto says, “You’re not the only one who gained a bit of relationship weight, you know.” 

Head popping up from Shouto’s chest, Izuku stared at his fiance curiously. Rolling his eyes, Shouto pushed his sleeves up, revealing much plusher and less defined upper arms. Mouth agape, Izuku lifted his hand to squish the pale flesh of Shouto’s arm.

“How rude, babe.” Shouto smiled seeing his lover so surprised and enamored with the new revelation. 

Pushing Izuku over into the ruffled bed, Shouto pressed soft kisses into his temple, making sure to ghost over the freckles dusting his cheeks. 

“Adorable, though, if I do say so myself.” Trapping Izuku between his arms, he asks, “feeling a bit better?”

Izuku’s bright smile appears for the first time that day, instantly warming Shouto’s heart. He nods and nuzzles his face into Shouto’s shirt, breathing in the scent of his fiance. “I’m sorry.” 

“For what?” Shouto questions.

“All this. I’m a lot to deal with, Shou.” 

Pushing a finger to Izuku’s lips, Shouto shook his head. “Never.” Shouto rolled off of Izuku and stood up. “How about you take a nice warm shower, and I’ll clean in here.”

After a bit of convincing, Izuku left the room for their shared bathroom. Once he heard the water start running, Shouto moved to get their room back into order and clean up their dirty plates.

Tonight, Shouto knew Izuku needed a relaxing, stress-free night. Cleaning up their room and picking up the clothes was the least Shouto could do. Besides, Shouto needed to find a place for Izuku’s ill-fitting clothes. 

The last thing Shouto wanted was for Izuku to have to suffer with the idea that he wasn’t enough for Shouto. 

So that night, they’d lean on each other, and Izuku would be on his next step in coming to terms with his body image.