The next day, Izuku was an anxious mess. The guy he had started to develop feelings for made it abundantly clear that he wanted nothing serious, and now he needed to go to a party with said guy. He had been texting with Kaminari earlier in the day, and the blond had somehow sensed his unease through the phone, showing up at Izuku's apartment unprompted with Sero in tow. 

"Why don't we just go with you?" Sero asked from where he now lay on Izuku's bed. He and Kaminari had taken it over nearly an hour ago while Izuku was pacing the room. He'd calmed down enough to sit next to them for a while but was once again burning holes into his carpet from the repeating steps. 

Izuku didn't bother to stop his movements as he quickly shook his head. "You guys weren't invited." 

"It's a house party, Iz," Kaminari drawled, leaning back on his hands as his eyes tracked the other man's movements. "I guarantee half the people there weren't directly invited. That's kind of how they work." 

"Would Shinsou get mad about it?" Izuku absently asked as he continued walking the length of his room. 

Sero scoffed at the question. "I don't really give a damn, baby. If you want us there, then we're there. Shinsou can find someone else to psychologically torture for the night." 

"He doesn't psychologically torture me," Izuku bit back, more on edge than usual due to the rapidly growing pit in his stomach at the thought of seeing Shinsou. 

Sero raised a challenging brow that Izuku didn't see, too focused on the floor in front of him. "Are you or are you not in love with him?" 

"I've known him for three weeks! I can't be in love with him, Hanta." 

A heavy sigh left the other man's lips as he rolled onto his stomach. "It's been proven that humans can fall in love after four hours of meeting someone." 

Izuku waved off the scientific research easily. "I'm nearing the genius level; it's actually harder for me to fall in love. Good try, though." 

"You're human, Iz," Sero grumbled, falling forward and letting his face hit the blankets under him. "Denki, wrangle your new bestie, please." The last sentence was almost inaudible because of the blankets muffling him. 

"Don't ask me for help," the blond said, digging his elbow into Sero's unprotected side and earning a small yelp in return. "I'm good with numbers, not people. Well, I mean, I'm good with people, but like... the friend variety. I'm terrible at relationships, you know this." 

"And I'm any better?" Sero asked back in exasperation. 

"Well, one of us needs to be. The little genius is losing his mind," Kaminari said, turning to Izuku with a small frown. 

"Fine," Sero said with a sigh as he forced himself to his feet. "I'll fix it. Get dressed. Denki and I will be back in an hour, and we're taking you to this party." 

"But-" Izuku was about to spout off a million dismissals and excuses, but Sero raised a hand. 

"No. You two wanted me to fix it, so I'm fixing it. We're going with, and you're gonna have fun tonight, baby. Fun, not a panic attack about Shinsou of all people," he huffed and rolled his eyes at the name. "You will literally run out of air before you talk me out of this, so don't bother. See ya in an hour." He winked as he turned for the door. 

Kaminari jumped to his feet with a bounce, a bright smile plastered on his face. "Wear something hot, yeah? If I'm gonna be seen with a freshie at a party, it's gonna be a hot freshie, got it?" The question was punctuated with an eyebrow wiggle that made Izuku playfully roll his eyes in retort. 

"I hate both of you!" he called as they both left his room. 

"You love us!" Kaminari yelled back without missing a beat. "Remember, hot!" 

Izuku fell onto his bed with a loud breath, rethinking every single life choice that had led him to that point. "Fuck, I need to call Toga and Ura." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This is an awful idea," Izuku mumbled as Kaminari pushed the front door of Monoma's home open. The place was already packed, loud music blaring through the speakers that littered the house and the strong smell of alcohol and sweat assaulting Izuku's nose. He hated parties. 

Sero threw his head back with a laugh that was almost lost to the music, one arm slipping around Izuku's shoulders and forming a grounding pressure there. "C'mon, baby. It'll be fun. Just stick with me and Denki." 

Kaminari's hand slipped into Izuku's, pulling both men toward the kitchen with a small skip in his step. "Drinks," he chirped with a grin. "We need drinks!" 

The kitchen didn't have a door, just a frame, so it wasn't much quieter than the main party area. The three of them still had to speak loudly to be heard over the music. 

Izuku didn't hesitate once he saw a tall bottle of vodka, clearing the room in a few steps and placing the bottle against his lips. He started to swallow mouthfuls, completely ignoring the burn in his throat and eyes at the taste. 

"Holy shit," Sero shouted, rushing to him and pulling the bottle away. "Ever heard of pacing yourself?" His dark eyes were narrowed as he looked Izuku up and down, unbridled concern the only emotion he showed. 

"I'll be fine, Hanta," Izuku quipped, wrapping his arms around the taller man without a thought. "I have a good tolerance." At least he did, when he was drinking every other day. Now, he'd been sober for half a year, and the tolerance he'd built up had vanished. Izuku was already buzzed off his ass, clinging to Sero like a child. 

"Yeah, sure," the taller man said sarcastically, wrapping one arm around Izuku before taking a long pull from the bottle in his hand. He was planning on staying mostly sober, but a few shots weren't going to knock him on his ass. 

Kaminari was watching the two with clear amusement in his eyes, a beaming smile just underneath. He grabbed a cup from the counter, pouring a generous amount of vodka into it before placing the bottle back in its spot. "You guys know you're not actually supposed to drink from the bottles, right? It's basic party etiquette to use a cup." He lightly shook the cup in his hand, careful that the liquid inside didn't slosh around too much. 

"I wanna be drunk off my ass," Izuku grumbled with a huff, giving Sero a tight squeeze. "I wasn't bothering with a cup." He stuck his tongue out at the word as if the thought of it disgusted him. 

"Midoriya!" A cheerful voice from the entrance of the kitchen caught all three men's attention. 

Izuku beamed as he saw Monoma making his way over. "Hi!" 

Icy eyes traveled from the clearly intoxicated Izuku to the two men next to him. "Riff raff," Monoma greeted, a smug smile tugging at the corners of his lips. 

"Still a pretentious dick," Kaminari said with a long sigh, bringing his cup to his lips. 

Monoma rolled his eyes at the insult but let it go in favor of looking down at Izuku. "Shinsou's been looking for you for nearly an hour." 

Izuku's lips formed a pout, his cheek resting against Sero's chest as the taller man brushed a hand through his hair. "Shinsou's being mean right now." 

The blond in front of him nodded as if he expected that answer. "Found out he didn't want to date you, huh?" 

"Okay, seriously," Kaminari said, stepping in between his friends and Monoma, "the guy's already drunk because of your best friend. At least try to pretend like you care." 

"I do," Monoma snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. "I like Midoriya and think he'd be great for Shinsou. Why the fuck do you think I wanted him to come to this party so bad?" 

"Awe, Monoma," Izuku cooed, his cheeks starting to turn pink as the alcohol hit him like a freight train. "You're trying to play matchmaker. That's so cute." 

"And he's gone," Monoma sighed. "Shinsou's already hammered, too. If we shove them in a room together now, they'll just end up fucking like rabbits." 

"Did not need that mental image," Sero huffed, holding Izuku tighter to his side. 

"Shinsou's drunk?" Izuku asked, perking up and ignoring everything else that had been said. "I've never seen him drunk before." 

"You want to?" Monoma asked with a faint smile and one brow raised. He'd thought it'd take more convincing after his best friend had gone and stomped all over Izuku's fragile heart. He wasn't going to complain, though. 

Izuku eagerly nodded his head, dislodging himself from Sero's side. He nearly tripped over his own feet, only staying upright when the dark-haired man righted him. 

"Iz, I don't know if that's-" Sero tried to argue against him leaving, but he was quickly cut off by Monoma. 

"Come on, Midoriya. I'll get you to him," he said, wrapping an arm around Izuku's waist to support his weight while tossing a glare over his shoulder at the other two. He started to slowly lead a very drunk Izuku from the kitchen. 

Kaminari bumped his elbow into Sero's arm, snapping the taller man to attention. He'd been so focused on burning holes in the back of Monoma's head, he hadn't noticed the concerned frown on his best friend's face. "C'mon. We promised Izuku we'd stick with him tonight. Just because he's gushing over Shinsou now doesn't mean he'll feel the same way in the morning." 

Sero gave a curt nod in agreement before they joined up with the other two. Monoma and Izuku hadn't gotten very far, so it wasn't a hard task. 

"Look who I found," Monoma called after a minute of walking through the crowded living room. They had arrived at a chiller corner of the room, the one where all the couches had been pushed. It was littered with a few different people, all of who seemed more relaxed than the average partygoer. It didn't take a sober person to know they were smoking weed in this corner. 

"Iz," Shinsou breathed from his spot on the couch, reaching out to the smaller man with an easy smile. 

Izuku fell into his arms without a second thought, almost entirely forgetting why he'd been mad in the first place. He was just happy Shinsou was happy to see him. "Hi," he said quietly as the taller man pulled him to straddle his lap. 

"Hey." Shinsou returned his greeting before his violet eyes were glancing to the side. Sero had walked up to the side of the couch, leaning back against the wall so he could keep an eye on the two of them. Kaminari had taken a seat on the arm of the other couch next to them, turned so he could face his friends. "I see you brought dumb and dumber." 

"Hey," Izuku scolded with a small pout. "They're my friends, be nice." 

Shinsou leveled him with a flat look. "They're my roommates, and I've never been nice to them a day in my life." 

"I don't care," Izuku huffed, wiggling slightly to get his legs in a more comfortable position under him. Once he was happy, he rested his forehead in the crook of Shinsou's neck with a satisfied hum. "Try, or I'll go hang out with them instead." 

"You're sneaky and manipulative," Shinsou mumbled, only loud enough for Izuku to hear. His hands had moved to rest on Izuku's thighs, slowly traveling across them in a lazy manner that should not have bothered Izuku as much as it did. 

Kaminari snorted at the two, but neither seemed to notice. He glanced over his shoulder at Monoma, who had taken a seat on the same couch as him. "Fucking like rabbits, huh?" 

Monoma took a drag of the blunt in his hands before offering it to the other blond, who took it happily. "If Midoriya wasn't so shy and anxious, Shinsou would be railing him right here." 

"Dude," Kaminari exclaimed, choking on the smoke in his lungs for a second before quickly passing the blunt to Sero. He couldn't handle smoking like the dark-haired man could. "That's fucking gross." 

"It's loud," Izuku complained, a frown on his lips. Not drinking for so long and then getting black-out drunk didn't sit well with him. 

"Let's go, then," Shinsou offered. "Monoma's got a guest room upstairs we can hide in." 

"But we just got here." 

Shinsou chuckled quietly, the sound vibrating out from his chest and causing Izuku's whole body to tingle. "I've been here for an hour and definitely don't mind leaving if it's with you." 

Izuku sat back, a teasing smile on his lips as he wrapped his arms around Shinsou's neck. "You just want to get in my pants." 

"Izuku, shortie, there's not a doubt in my mind that the second you hit a pillow, you're passing the fuck out," Shinsou said, bumping their foreheads together for a second before sitting back. "I just don't wanna be stuck here without you." 

Izuku's heart skipped a beat. That sounded an awful lot like what a boyfriend would say in this position. If Shinsou really didn't have any feelings for him aside from sex, why would he say any of that? 

"Then, let's go," he said softly, hopping off Shinsou's lap as the world started to sway. 

Sero was the one to catch him again, and Izuku latched onto him quickly. "Whoa, where're you going, baby?" 

"Warm," Izuku mumbled, letting himself be hugged against the other man. Sero's hugs were elite, and drunk Izuku didn't have the same boundaries as sober Izuku. He'd cling to Sero all day if he was able. 

A hand was suddenly on the back of his neck, gently prying him from the warm hold. Izuku whined for only a moment before Shinsou's arms were around him. 

"He wants to sleep, I'm taking him to a bed," Shinsou said in a gruff voice. 

Izuku hummed in the hold, uncaring about the two men arguing above him. He was warm, and there was a comforting pressure around his entire body. What was there to worry about? 

"He's drunk," Sero hissed, pushing himself off the wall. He was about ready to lunge for Izuku. "You can't-" 

"I'm not," Shinsou snapped, his grip tightening around the small man in his arms to the point it almost hurt. Izuku frowned but said nothing. "Jesus Christ, I'm not a fucking animal. I'm gonna let him sleep." 

Sero's jaw ticked, eyes glancing down to Izuku before meeting Shinsou's. "If he wants to sleep, we'll just take him home." 

"You've both been drinking," Shinsou deadpanned. He was already annoyed with all the clinging Kaminari and Sero did with Izuku, but this was really getting on his nerves. He'd lived with the two other men for years, why did they suddenly lose all trust in him? "Sober up for a few hours, and then you can take him home." 

"Fine," Sero spat, forcing his hands to unclench at his sides. "But I swear to god if you-" 

Shinsou cut him off, one hand moving from Izuku's back to the hair at the nape of his neck. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't need to take advantage of him. If I want to fuck him, all I gotta do is wait for him to ask for it." 

Sero's lips pulled back in a snarl, seconds away from leaping at the other man. He didn't get to, because Kaminari quickly placed himself in between them, one hand on Sero's chest. 

He frowned at his friend before looking at Shinsou. "Just leave, Shinsou. Quit being such an ass because some people actually care about Izuku's well-being." 

Shinsou rolled his eyes at the blond, a small huff leaving his lips as he pulled Izuku towards the stairs. "Sorry, just don't enjoy being called a rapist by a friend." 

"We're not friends," Sero said quickly, keeping a watchful eye on the two as they moved past. 

"We used to be." 

Sero looked away, glaring holes into the floor in front of him. "That was before." 

"Before what?" Shinsou asked with a raised brow, pausing at the bottom of the stairs. "Before he picked me over you? That's pathetic, Sero." 

"Just go," Kaminari snapped, looking back to his friend with his eyebrows drawn together in concern. 

"Whatever." 

Once the Shinsou and Izuku had disappeared up the stairs, Kaminari pulled Sero down on the couch that they had abandoned. Sero wasn't in the mood to talk, especially not with all the people surrounding them. He supposed the music was loud enough to not let their words carry if they were careful, so he sat back with a sigh. 

"Izuku has nothing to do with it," Sero admitted in a quiet voice. 

Kaminari had to strain to hear him, but he still caught it. "You sure about that?" 

Sero groaned, running a hand down his face before looking at his friend. "Okay, so he does, but not what you're thinking. It's not because he picked Shinsou over me. It's the fact that he's so blindly in love with him, and Shinsou is leading him around like a little puppy. He's already taking advantage of him, and just... It doesn't sit right with me. I don't wanna be friends with someone who just uses people for sex without caring how they feel." 

Kaminari hummed, understanding what he was getting at. "For what it's worth, I think Shinsou does care. He's just not good with emotions and doesn't know how to handle them." 

"That's not an excuse." 

"You're awfully bitter tonight," Kaminari mumbled. His eyes caught a girl on an adjacent couch who was trying, and failing, to hide the fact she was checking Sero out. He nudged his friend with a small smirk, nodding toward the girl. "Go get laid; you'll feel better." 

Sero's eyes trailed over to the girl and scoffed. He pushed Kaminari away by his head. "I don't wanna get laid." 

"Since when?" 

"Since I'm trying to sober up as fast as humanly possible and get Izuku the fuck out of here." 

"Working out speeds up the metabolism." 

"Fuck you." 

"No, fuck her." 

Back upstairs, Shinsou found the spare room with ease. He tended to stay in it almost as much as his own room, so being drunk and stoned didn't keep him from getting there. He threw the door open and scowled at the couple who had been making out against a wall. They pulled back at the loud bang he'd caused, blinking at him owlishly. 

"Get out," he snapped, and they didn't need to be told twice. 

The guy pulled the girl along, nodding once to Shinsou as he passed. He vaguely recognized him from some class he had last year but couldn't remember any details. The girl kept her head down, her hair obscuring most of her face as she ashamedly fled the room. 

Shinsou let out a sigh once the door was closed behind them, feeling some of his tension finally drift away. "C'mon, shortie. There's a bed right there," he mumbled, leading Izuku toward the piece of furniture. 

Izuku hummed as he was pulled down onto a soft blanket, not bothering to get under it before his head hit the pillows. "You're so snappy right now," he mumbled. He tried to pull himself toward Shinsou but failed miserably and gave up with a pout. 

Shinsou lightly chuckled at the display before throwing him a bone. He collapsed next to the other man, pulling him to lie with his head on his chest. "Yeah, well, your friends piss me off." 

"I thought they were your friends, too," Izuku said with a pout. 

"So did I," Shinsou mumbled, letting his face get buried in Izuku's soft curls. "Guess they don't like me stringing you along." 

"But you're not. You made it perfectly clear you didn't want to date before we even started fooling around. It's not your fault I can't keep my heart in check," Izuku grumbled, too drunk to hide his feelings. They had just slipped out, and he hadn't even noticed. 

Shinsou stilled at the admission. He'd expected it, seen it coming a mile away, but he wasn't prepared for Izuku to flat-out say it. Guilt gnawed at him because no matter what way you looked at it, he was stringing the younger man along. He knew it, Izuku knew it, and his two idiot friends knew it. 

He couldn't bring himself to fix it or end it. He cared about Izuku, more than he cared about anyone else, but that didn't change the fact that he wasn't going to date him. He liked what they had: a close friendship and stress relief. That was all he wanted or needed. He wasn't going to define their relationship just to ease his guilty conscience; he thought that might actually be more cruel. 

"I don't like the way Sero acts around you," he mumbled, choosing to forgo the conversation about their own relationship. "He's got it bad, and it really pisses me off." 

Izuku perked up, shifting so he was resting on his elbows over the other man. He was dizzy for only a moment before everything stilled again. "Are you... jealous, Hitoshi?" Using his first name was something Izuku only did when it was just the two of them. Shinsou hadn't decided if he liked it that way or not yet. 

"Maybe." 

Izuku huffed, letting his head drop against Shinsou's chest as the weight became too much for him to support. "You're not supposed to get jealous. You're the one that just wants to fool around." 

"I know that," Shinsou grumbled, his arms moving to wrap around Izuku and keep him trapped in place. "But fooling around doesn't have to mean that there's no feelings involved. I mean, for the love of god, he calls you baby. As if he's the one blowing your back out." 

Izuku couldn't help the dopey grin that slipped onto his face because this was progress. Shinsou was jealous of his friends, which meant he cared about him as more than just a booty call. To Izuku, it was as if Christmas had just come early. "Do you want me to tell him to stop? I will, ya know." 

"I don't want to mess with your friendships," Shinsou said, waving the idea off. "I don't wanna be that guy." 

Izuku shook his head, resting his chin on Shinsou's chest so he could look up at him again. "Even if we're not dating, this is still some sort of relationship. You're allowed to set boundaries, you know. I'll tell them to tone down the flirting." 

Shinsou sighed but said nothing. He pulled Izuku up, resting him in the crook of his neck and making himself more comfortable. "Weren't you tired? You should get some sleep." 

"Or," Izuku started in a leading tone, nuzzling his nose against Shinsou's neck, "we could fool around in Monoma's guest room and really piss him off." 

 "You're drunk, Iz. I'm not touching you." 

Izuku pouted, sitting up once again. "You're drunk, too. It's not like you're taking advantage of me. You have pre-established consent and enthusiastic consent now." 

Shinsou smiled softly at Izuku's brain set to work, even inebriated. "Not happening, shortie. Just wait 'til tomorrow." 

"Fine," Izuku grumbled with a huff, falling back to his snuggle position and shutting his eyes. "But I'm not made of glass, you know, and I'm pretty much sober now anyway." 

"Doesn't matter, just get some sleep before Sero drags you back home." 

"What if I don't want to go home?" 

"Todoroki'll kick all our asses if you don't." 

"Ugh, I hate having older brothers." 

This chapter was exactly four thousand words long and I totally didn't edit or add words to meet that at all.