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Himiko sighed when she exited the bar, her current lover sticking to her side like he was glued onto her. He kissed her cheeks; it was sloppy and wet and disgusting; he stank from all the booze. She moved her head to the side to avoid contact. She was so annoyed by all of that.
She dropped the guy, who could barely walk alone, somewhere at a corner. It wasn’t like she cared about him; it was just a useless fuck.
Drunkenly, she stumbled forward to the apartment she shared with her fling. Toya wasn’t her boyfriend or anything. They fucked once or twice, or for the tenth time, but it wasn’t just the right thing. It didn’t satisfy her needs in the long term.
When she arrived home, she heard him and his side piece in the bedroom. It wasn’t cheating, and she didn’t care too much; she craved someone else anyway. She opened her buns and let herself plop onto the dirty couch.
The apartment was dirty overall. Neither of them cared to clean that much since they were out all the time anyway. Beer bottles and pizza cartons were all over the floor, on the couch table, and on the couch itself. It didn’t bother her as much as it should.
In the spur of the moment, still massively drunk, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. Himiko called a number she knew she shouldn’t call, but at the same time, she didn’t fucking care. She needed him! And she knew that he would come when she called.
It was five in the morning when Izuku’s phone rang. He grumbled and woke up from his restless sleep. He extended an arm and grabbed the phone, he looked at the display, and his eyes widened. He exhaled shakily, and suddenly he was wide awake. He sat up in the bed and answered. “Himiko?” What was she doing again?
«Oh, hi, Izu-baby!» she drawled. Izuku heard that she was drunk, she giggled a little. «I am so fucking tired of all of this, … and them,» she mused.
Izuku couldn’t believe that she actually called. He knew he shouldn’t be this excited; he knew that she was nothing but trouble. His heart already began to sting, but he couldn’t help it. He just couldn’t; he was weak when he heard her voice. “You’re tired?” He asked.
«Yes, those guys are so boring … So I was thinking about you, baby. I was thinking about you a lot,» she murmured.
“I thought about you too, to be honest,” Izuku had to admit.
«Oh, I like to hear that … It makes me feel so good!» She sounded happy through the phone. «How is Jinny doing?» Jinny was the cat that they had bought when they were first dating.
“Jinny … he’s doing damn fine, but he misses you so much, you have no idea,” in truth, Jinny probably didn’t care. He was just a cat, after all. He talked more about himself; he was frustrated that he couldn’t get rid of his feelings for her.
Izuku was not stupid … or maybe he was. He knew exactly that this was just a tactic of Himiko to get back together with him. She had done it multiple times by now. And every time, Izuku had been falling for her tricks again.
He couldn’t help it; he was powerless when it came to her. He knew she was bad news, but she made him feel so good whenever they were together. He loved her, and she knew exactly which buttons to push, to make him fall even harder the next time, no matter how horrible the break-up was.
«Izu-baby, I thought about something,» she murmured with a husky voice directly into his ear, at least it felt like it. Her voice was so tempting … It was like honey, sticky and sweet. He could already feel how she wrapped her net around him. «How about we move to Yokohama? Like we always planned to do? You know this lovely little house we imagined for us? I promise, Izu, this time it will last! I will keep myself together. I will never hurt you again!»
Oh, how much he wanted to believe her. How much he wished she meant it. How much he fantasized about a life with her. So many times, he wished they could settle down together, have a family of their own. But for years now, these dreams have been shattered over and over again. Whenever Izuku got serious with her and talked about family and settling down, she just left, leaving him with a bleeding heart all over again.
“I’m not sure …” he stared. The last break-up was so terrible for him, he had been down for weeks, and it took Kacchan’s and Ochako’s combined effort to get him back to his feet. He was glad that his two best friends helped him all the time.
He wondered why he couldn’t have such a stable relationship with Himiko like they had.
They were dating for the past four years, yet whenever Izuku and Himiko broke up, they took him in without questions. They smothered him with love and affection to make him feel better, yet … here he was, probably on his way to make the same mistake over and over again.
«Oh, baby, I miss you so much! Let’s try it again, please! We worked so well together. You are the only one who makes me feel so good. Please, come to Yokohama with me; we will be a real family this time! I promise … no, I swear to any God you want, that I will pull myself together. You and me, this will be amazing!» She tried to coerce him. «Grab Jinny and drive as fast as you can to Yokohama, yes?»
Izuku struggled to get a grip on his thoughts; he wanted it. He wanted it so badly, even though he knew he shouldn’t. He knew that she was terrible for him. But here she was again, swearing she would better herself. And oh, he wanted to believe it. He wanted to feel happy again; he wanted to be with her so badly.
«Izuku, I love you! You are the only one I love. All … all these other guys are nothing compared to you. I know that you are way too good for me. I understand if you don’t want me anymore, but please, I miss you so much, and I want you so badly!» Her voice was whiney, and he heard her sniffles. «I want you to hold me close and tell me that everything will be okay. I want to feel your warmth, want to see your amazing smile.»
“I love you too …” He knew he shouldn’t, and while muttering the following sentence, silent tears were falling down his cheeks, “I will come as fast as I can. Wait for me, and don’t cry!”
«Please, hurry! I want to have you close to me!»
“Yes, I will hurry. I grab the cat, and then we can be one family again, right?”
«Yes! Our life in Yokohama will be so much different from what we had before! You will see, I’ve changed!» She promised him again.
Izuku hoped that she really meant it this time. His heart couldn’t endure another break-up.
“I love you. I need to pack my stuff … See you soon.”
«Yes, baby, see you soon!»
Click …
The phone call ended, and Izuku stared at his device. His background was still a picture of him and Himiko, taken in college. A soft yet somber smile appeared on his face. With the thumb, he ran over her image. Sighing, he got up and packed his stuff.
Himiko grinned on the couch. She knew he would always come back to her …
The rummaging of Izuku next door waked up Katsuki. He had a bad feeling; that’s why he got up to check. His heart was beating fast when he knocked on Izuku’s door. “Oi, Izuku? What are you doing? Is everything okay?”
The door was opened, and Katsuki’s blood froze when he saw the expression on Izuku’s face. No … no! “Oi … what the hell is going on?” He asked.
“I’m sorry, Kacchan … But I have to go. Where’s Jinny?” Izuku pushed past him, a giant backpack and another bag shouldered.
Katsuki’s breathing got faster. He knew what this meant immediately. “Oi, did this bitch call again?” He asked. His voice was a bit shaky; he hated this. A lump grew in his throat.
“Don’t call her that …” Izuku walked past him.
Katsuki followed suit, banging on Ochako’s door while walking behind his friend. “Oi, Ochako, get up! She did it again!” His loud voice cracked a few times. “Izuku, fucking wait, you can’t be serious, can you? You’re not going back to her, right?”
“Kacchan, she promised me to change. This time everything will be different!” Izuku said without turning around.
“Oh, are you still fucking believing her? Why? She broke your heart four times already! Do you need to repeat that a fifth time? When do you fucking learn?” Katsuki yelled, the lump in his throat got bigger and bigger.
Now Ochako appeared behind him too, still sleepy. “What’s going on?”
“This bitch did it again. He wants to leave again for her!” Katsuki said.
“Oh my god! You can’t be serious! She’s a lying bitch! When do you realize that?” Ochako was wide awake all of a sudden.
“Don’t call her a bitch!” Izuku shouted. He turned now around. “I love her! And she loves me! I know that we can make it work. This time it will work!” He sounded so desperate. He had to convince himself too. He knew that she was a liar, yet, he wanted it to be true.
“Izuku, please! Don’t go! I beg you! She will break your heart again!” Ochako grabbed his arms. “Did you forget how the last time ended? Do you want to repeat that?”
“Of course not! But it won’t come to it this time! I will make sure to treat her right, to make her stay. This time it will be different!” He was adamant.
“How stupid can you be? She’s never gonna change! She cheated so much already. So why are you willing to give her more and more chances?” Katsuki yelled; his voice was cracking again, and he could hear that he sounded a bit whiney, but he didn’t care.
“Because I want it to work out. I love her so much, and it’s so terrible without her. I mean, you have a stable relationship! Why am I not allowed to have something like that?” Izuku’s voice got louder too.
Ochako and Katsuki gasped when he said that. They looked at each other, stunned by his assumption. “We are not dating!” Ochako said. “W-Why would you think that?”
“What? You two live together for years, and you’re always together.” He gestured towards them.
Katsuki scoffed. “We’re best friends, idiot! Is it a crime to be friends with the opposite gender?!”
“N-no?” Izuku furrowed his brows. “I just assumed …”
“You assumed wrong! And now quit this bullshit! You know exactly that you shouldn’t go. So why are you doing it anyway? Why can’t you find someone else?” Katsuki asked him. “Why does it have to be her?” His voice cracks got even worse.
“I don’t know! No matter how hard I try, I can’t get away from her! I need her! And she needs me! I can help her this time. I will make her stay! She just needed some time to come around!”
“But we need you too!” Ochako said, desperation in her voice. “And we need you to not do stupid things for once!”
“Oh, you will be fine, dating or not, your relationship is great and stable, and you can handle yourself. I will be fine; this time, it will be different!” He said it so much, to convince himself too. He needed to hear it over and over again from his own mouth.
“You’re such a fucking dumbass! You will make yourself miserable once again! Did you forget how it ended the last time? Do you want to suffer like that again? You haven’t seen yourself, huh? Was the work that we put into helping you up again all for nothing?” Katsuki screamed. He grabbed Izuku by the shoulders.
Much to Izuku’s surprise, there were tears in Katsuki’s eyes. He had never seen Kacchan cry just like that … He hesitated for a moment, but then he stepped back, out of Katsuki’s grip. He shook his head ferociously. “No … I can’t stop myself. I know it’s dumb! I know I shouldn’t do it, yet … I need to. She will stay this time for real …”
“If you know that it’s dumb, why are you doing this?” Ochako stepped forward, she wanted to grab his arm, but he moved it away. This action hurt; it sent a sting through Ochako’s heart. Tears were flowing over her cheeks. “Are our emotions not enough? Do you not care what we are going through every time we have to pick you up?” She blinked rapidly to clear her eyes from the tears.
“You won’t need to do it this time. I will show you that it will work! I thank you for everything you’ve done for me, but I need to do this!” He backed away from them.
“That’s a strange and cruel way to show your gratitude!” Katsuki spat; he was so pissed off. He hated Himiko for doing this to their friend, yet again. Why could this bitch not leave him alone?
“I’m sorry, yeah? But … I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” Izuku turned around. “Jinny!” he called out for his cat. He came over upon being called, looking kind of confused. Izuku grabbed him. “Come, we’re going to see Himiko again.”
“You stupid fucking idiot! Don’t do it! Please! I beg you!” Katsuki cried out. Now he was really crying. The lump in his throat made it hard for him to speak.
“Yes, please don’t go! Especially not at five in the morning! J-Just think about it for longer! Y-You can’t make this decision on the spot, please!” Ochako tried to convince him to stop for a moment. But at the same time, she knew she couldn’t stop him. It never worked.
“NO!” Izuku shouted while putting Jinny away in the transport box. He grabbed it and rearranged his bag. “I’m going now. I will meet up with the love of my life. I will prove to you that I can make it work!” With that, he turned away from them.
Both knew that they had lost him once again when they observed his back. “You stupid idiot! But don’t come running back to us crying!” Katsuki yelled out, his voice cracking multiple times.
The door closed shut, and the silence was deafening. “SHIT!” Katsuki let out, openly sobbing now. He ran over his face with his arms to wipe the stupid tears away, but they came so fast that these actions didn’t last, much like his efforts with Izuku.
Ochako wrapped her arms around Katsuki, pressing her face against his chest. She was shaking so much. Katsuki returned the hug, burying his face on the crook of her neck.
“Fuck, why does she have to call again?” Ochako hiccupped. Her fingers gripped tightly at Katsuki’s shirt. “She always ruins everything!”
“I don’t know … He’s a stupid fucking moron …” Katsuki sobbed. They walked back to the living room, sitting down on the couch, Ochako cuddled up to Katsuki, still crying.
“I feel so dumb for wasting all this energy into him,” she murmured. “We’re not much better than this idiot, huh?”
“No, we’re just as dumb as him …” Katsuki agreed.
Katsuki and Ochako had a secret, and it weighed heavily on them, yet they never managed to tell Izuku this one thing that might have changed everything. Not since this bitch was in his life.
The reason they lived together. The reason they put up with Izuku’s bullshit. The reason they tried to help him back up on his feet all the time …
The reason was, they both loved Izuku.
They found out about each other’s crush during their time in college, and they hated each other for that. Or it was more jealousy that the other one could potentially end up with him.
However, this changed when Izuku got together with Himiko for the first time. When they heard about this, they were both heartbroken and ended up in a bar together, drinking their sorrows away. During that time, they realized that the other one wasn’t so bad after all.
Due to money issues, Ochako moved first in with Katsuki, it was supposed to be temporary, but since then, they have been stuck together. However, they became friends eventually, while they talked more about Izuku, now that he was unavailable for them.
They ended up making a pact. If Izuku were to break up with Himiko, they would help each other out trying to win Izuku’s heart over, and no matter who would get his heart in the end, the other one would respect it. However, they could not directly tell him that they loved him. He had to choose one of them.
However, it came all differently. The first break-up was so severe and damaging. Izuku was heartbroken for months, and of course, it was the wrong time for them to ask him out. They tried their absolute best to get him back on track, to help him out of his misery.
But when they finally got him back and started to make advances on him, this bitch called again, and he fell right back into her spider web.
Katsuki and Ochako were also heartbroken over this. All their effort to build him up was wasted! Yet, they couldn’t bring themselves to stop their feelings for Izuku. They were desperate. They couldn’t believe that he was such a fool.
When Himiko ran away a second time, it was even worse than the first time. Yet, Ochako and Katsuki were right there to catch him when Izuku fell. They put even more love and effort into building him up again. They wanted to make sure that he knew they were always there for him, that he had options, yet, neither of them explicitly told him their feelings.
They sat with him on the couch; when he broke down crying over this fucking bitch, they coddled him, showed him how genuine love and affection felt like, yet, whatever they did, it was never enough. He never saw them as more than friends.
Maybe it was because he thought that they were dating, Katsuki wondered. He hadn’t realized that it might look like this for outsiders, especially when they didn’t know he was gay. He cursed at himself for not clarifying this to Izuku.
Izuku was in a really good place after some time had passed. He went out more again, and Katsuki and Ochako prepared to confess to him. However, they had no real idea how to do it, that both would have a fair chance, so more time passed.
And then, Himiko reappeared again, she did as if nothing ever happened, and all the progress Izuku had made was gone … as if it had never existed. He immediately jumped back into her web, disregarding every red flag she sent out.
And Katsuki and Ochako once again suffered. For some time, Izuku was so happy with Himiko. It was always like this, they didn’t know what she told him, but it worked miracles. The day she returned, Izuku had previously agreed to meet up with Katsuki and Ochako, but he only shot him a quick text message that he would be out, meeting up with someone else.
They knew that it was her; they just knew it. It was frustrating, and it hurt. But, they didn’t know what to do. They always preached to Izuku that he should forget Himiko, yet, they never followed their own advice.
Himiko knew what buttons to push to make Izuku go crazy for her, which sucked so much. Yes, she was beautiful; however, she sent off so many red flags. At least for people with a little bit of common sense.
When she disappeared for the third time, Ochako and Katsuki were ready to pick up the pieces that were left of Izuku.
He was highly depressed after this, and he refused to eat. Finally, Katsuki had to force him; otherwise, he would have starved himself to death.
It was terrible to look at; his heart clenched when he saw Izuku like this. He constantly questioned why Izuku would go back to this bitch. The sex must have been amazing …
Ochako cradled Izuku like a baby for most of the time. She held him close, showed him love. She wanted to show him how good love could be with the right person. She hoped that he would get the hint, but he never did …
Maybe they should have come clear to him about their feelings. But, of course, he wouldn’t see them as potential love candidates if he thought they were a couple. Ochako cursed about this fact.
Izuku talked a lot about how perfect Himiko was, even though there was nothing perfect about her. She was a manipulative, cheating bitch, and Ochako and Katsuki told him many times that she just played him.
But of course, he wouldn’t hear any of that. He never listened when they criticized Himiko in any way.
This time, she stayed away for longer, almost an entire year. Finally, Izuku made a full recovery. He moved in with Katsuki and Ochako, and they happily had him over at their place. They hoped they could show him the life in a happy, healthy relationship. But Izuku was dense.
Both hinted that they were interested in him multiple times, but he never saw it. He either couldn’t or didn’t want to see their feelings. How many times had Katsuki wanted to yell at him …
Ochako and Katsuki enjoyed the times when they would sit together on the couch, Izuku in their middle, they hugged him, held him warm and together. Yet, he seemed fragile, especially when there was a romantic scene in the movies. He questioned why he couldn’t have a normal relationship.
They tried to cheer him up that he just needed to find the right person. Katsuki and Ochako wished they could tell him in these moments, but they honored the pact even after all this time. Maybe that was the mistake.
For about a year, they were spared of this woman’s presence, but when she came back, she did it with a bang. They had a garden party with some of the other friends when in the middle of it, Himiko appeared. All of them tried to stop her from encountering Izuku, but they couldn’t. And the moment he saw her, Katsuki and Ochako knew that he would fall for her again.
She brought him a gift, a bottle of high-class whisky, and she promised him high and mighty that she had finally changed. That she wanted to settle down, and THIS TIME it would work. Everyone kept telling Izuku that she was a single red flag and he should avoid her, but within a week, she had wrapped him tightly around her fingers.
Katsuki and Ochako cursed at themselves. Why couldn’t they do this right? Why couldn’t they do a good job with Izuku? Why couldn’t they break this bond that connected him to this vile person? Why didn’t he want to see the love they had for him?
It lasted six months this time. And it was absolutely brutal to observe. She hyped him up for events, just to cancel them last minute. She would always come over to apologize afterward. And he let her do this to him. She always had a different excuse.
Katsuki guessed she had another side piece. That’s why she never treated Izuku right. It was so frustrating to see him get broken down. It was breaking Katsuki’s heart, yet, because of this stupid pact, he didn’t confess to him, even if he desperately wanted it.
Izuku needed to realize how wrong Himiko was for him. How bad of a person she was. But he just wouldn’t listen to them.
Then, one night, Himiko just disappeared again. They got notified that Izuku was in the hospital after attempting to kill himself. They were mortified to hear that.
Izuku cried and sobbed and told them he didn’t want to go through that anymore. Why didn’t she want to stay with him? And it was again Katsuki’s and Ochako’s responsibility to fix him.
They showed him even more love and affection; whenever he had nightmares, they would sleep next to him in the bed, they cuddled close to him when his “girlfriend” didn’t do it. This bitch did never deserve an ounce of Izuku in the first place.
It was a slow process, but Izuku recovered from this. He even went to therapy for his suicide attempt.
Katsuki and Ochako talked with him about Himiko, and this time, they spoke more clearly. They needed to make him understand how bad Himiko was.
And at least for a while, it seemed to work. He realized how much she played with him. Over and over again, he realized the pattern, and he promised them he wouldn’t fall for it ever again.
For a while, Ochako and Katsuki were optimistic that they finally broke through to him … Up until today, this was; where everything turned to shit again.
It was wondrous how easy it was for her to turn him around. But, at the same time, Katsuki and Ochako were nowhere nearer with their confessions. This stupid pact! They knew they should have just told him … Maybe it would have changed something?
They cuddled on the couch, even two hours later. They wondered what they had to do to break this curse finally. “How long do you give them?” Katsuki asked her. He sniffed and ran again over his face with his arm.
“I don’t know … maybe four months …” She scoffed. This was so bizarre, but … it had been repeated so much by now, she just couldn’t do it anymore.
“Yeah, I’ll go with five.” Katsuki leaned his head back on the rest. The lump in his throat was still there, but it slowly got smaller. Crying it out really helped.
“We are not exactly better than he is, right? We make the same mistakes over and over again,” Ochako mumbled. She pressed her head against his chest.
“No … we should have been more clear … the next time, we have to tell him. Tell him about our feelings. In a clear conversation where we both are present. Maybe he will understand this …”
“It’s so bizarre that we know that there will be a next time …” Ochako lifted her head to look up at him.
“Yes … I don’t know, it’s cruel … but I’m looking forward to her disappearance … Because that means we can have him for us once again,” Katsuki gritted his teeth. He was ashamed of his thought process. He knew he shouldn’t think like that, but by now, he was so used to this lifestyle, they didn’t know it any better.
“Next time, we really have to tell him …” she murmured. “The last time ended with him in the hospital, and I don’t want to repeat that part …”
“Me neither. Shit, I just want to be selfish and lock him up so he can’t meet her again” Katsuki buried his face in his palm.
“It’s so messed up … It will always go in a downwards spiral … It’s a hopeless love …”
“Yes, love sucks.” Katsuki wrapped his arms tighter around Ochako.
They would wait the next months for Izuku to return. They knew that he would come back. He always did, and they would be there for him like they always were. But maybe this time, they had the courage to confess to him …
Izuku was driving through the city on his way to Yokohama. He was eager to meet up with Himiko. He missed her so much. Jinny meowed in his box next to him. “Soon, we will see Himiko again. Everything will be okay!”
He arrived at the meeting point, and his eyes widened when he saw her long, blond hair in the sunlight. She wore a cute summer dress that was moving around in the wind. She stood up when she saw him, one hand against her forehead as a protection against the sun.
She smiled when he got out of the car. He even forgot Jinny for the moment. “Himiko!” He called.
“Izuku, you came!” She flew into his arms, and suddenly, his world was whole again. Izuku breathed in her fresh scent of shower gel. She returned the hug as tightly as she could. “I’ve missed you so much!”
“I’ve missed you too, Himiko!” He moved back a little and looked at her. She was gorgeous, her cheeks rosy, her golden eyes had this sparkle in them. Her smile was captivating. “I love you …”
“I love you too!” She got up on her toes, and she pressed her lips onto his. He closed his eyes and reciprocated the kiss. Her lips on his felt so right!
Izuku was enjoying his time with Himiko. They walked along the beach, and their love seemed unbroken and even stronger than before. They were holding hands, and every thought of the past years was gone. All the tears he had shed seemed so far gone.
At this very moment, the world was back in balance again. Here was his place, here was where he belonged …