Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Making friends is easy for Midoriya. Except, well, when the person he’s trying to be friends with isn’t up for it.

That’s the case of Todoroki. Along with Koda, he’s silent. Unlike Koda, though, no one’s ever heard him talk. Based on multiple accounts, though, it appears as though he still has the ability to.

But that won’t stop him. After all, he’s on fairly good terms with Koda, especially after he learned how to sign instead of trying to guess what the other is saying. Needless to say, Koda appreciated it greatly.

There was a point where their relationship shifted. Some time where he had broken his arm for the millionth time. Pretty badly, too; he needed another day to recover. To his surprise, Todoroki was the only one who showed up and... gave him flowers. And when Midoriya thanked him, he bowed and headed out the room as fast as possible. He's not convinced that that day was real.

However, even so, it seemed as though Todoroki didn’t know what to do really… do beyond that day. He just looked at Midoriya a lot-- and I mean a lot. To some people, it was weird. But to others, it looked like he was almost… trying to get Midoriya’s attention. But whenever he did, he would just turn his face away. Today, however, that will not be the case.

It’s the end of the day, and everyone’s ready to walk home. Seeing as Todoroki fits into his shoes, Midoriya quickly apologizes to his friends-- ‘guys i’m sorry but this is really important business’-- before he runs over to the other.

“Hey, Todoroki-kun!” Midoriya says, a huge smile on his face. Todoroki’s eyes look up, blinking. The setting sun seems to make them look all the more brighter.

Realizing his first mistake, Midoriya mentally scolds himself for it, immediately resorting to sign.

Sorry! I meant to ask. Would you rather if I sign or if I speak? He signs. Todoroki seems a bit surprised at this, given his expression. He’s chewing the inside of his cheek. He shakes his head.

Todoroki’s sign language skills, Midoriya realizes, are not all that refined. In fact, it’s not JSL at all. They’re vague gestures. Luckily, Midoriya’s good at putting pieces together.

“You don’t know that much sign language, huh?” He asks. Todoroki nods. Todoroki then mimics texting.

“Ah, okay! Can I get your number?”

Todoroki looks absolutely dumbfounded. Mistake number two. Three strikes, and he’ll be out in no time. To back this up, Todoroki takes out his phone, showing that he uses a notepad app instead.

Fuck.

“O-of course! Sorry, nevermind then--”

Todoroki extends his hand out to Midoriya. Midoriya, not really know what to make of it, sort of… shakes it? Is this what he’s supposed to do?

Todoroki’s lips turn up faintly, shaking his head. He offers his hand again, this time waving his own phone.

“Oh!” Midoriya takes out his own phone, offering it to Todoroki. The other gladly takes it, punching in a number. He gives the phone back to Midoriya before sending him a text.

From: Todoroki Shouto

Is this preferable?

To: Todoroki Shouto

yeah! this is good

From: Todoroki Shouto

It’s okay to respond verbally, you know.

To: Todoroki Shouto

oh! ha, okay! i just thought my voice was gonna get, y’know, a little annoying

From: Todoroki Shouto

No, I don’t mind.

I like your voice.

Okay. So. Midoriya is definitely blushing hard enough to make him lightheaded. “Well, I’m glad one of us thinks so,” He says. Fidgeting a bit, he licks his lips. “I was actually wondering if you wanted to… walk home together?”

From: Todoroki Shouto

My home is kind of far away. I have to take a train to get there.

“Ah, that’s okay!” Midoriya says. It’s strange, talking via text. But if it means having Todoroki be more comfortable with him, then he’s more than happy to get used to it. “I happen to take the same train.” Pause. “N-not that I actually know what train you take, but sometimes I see you on it after school, y’know? So I kind of just assumed,”

Todoroki gives a small smile again, nodding towards the exit. So he actually wants to walk with Midoriya. Okay! First step to friendship complete. It can only get better from here.

As they walk to the train station, they actually have a rather pleasant conversation. Even with Midoriya filling most of the silence, there had been so many dings coming from his phone that shows how much Todoroki is responding to him. Enough that he has to keep his phone on vibrate.

Of course, they got really weird looks on the train. Some guy had been looking at them, muttering something like “Those kids, their noses are buried in all that stupid technology.”

Todoroki gives him a glare before going back to texting. Midoriya admires his ability to just not care about things. Especially about what other people say. As the train nears the station, Todoroki looks over at the doors, then at Midoriya.

“This is your stop.” He says, more in a matter-of-factly way than a question. Todoroki gives him a slight nod. “I guess we’re both getting off here, then?”

Todoroki’s eyebrows furrow, questioning Midoriya. A smile is given back to him.

“I mean, we are walking home together, right? That means I get to walk all the way to your home!” It’s too confident. Dial it down, Midoriya. “O-or, at least, if you want me to.”

Todoroki looks like he’s pondering. Then, as the train stops, he motions for Midoriya to come along.

Phew.

Midoriya follows the other’s footsteps, surprised to see that the station isn’t jampacked with people. Maybe that’s just a wealth thing; low populations, bigger living spaces. Yeah. Nothing like how Midoriya lives.

It’s an extra walk to the Todoroki residence, but a good one. Now he can kind of understand how Todoroki keeps his legs strong. Not that he’s been looking at them, of course. There’s no way he could do that.

They end up near what looks to be like a castle. Obviously it’s more modernized, made of more sturdier material, he imagines. The entrance is surrounded by trees and all kinds of greenery as a set of stairs lead up to the estate. He can even hear something streaming from beyond the walls; a river, maybe? Jeez. They must have some garden.

It’s at this point that Todoroki actually stiffens. And of course Midoriya can guess why. There's nothing to hide: something's going on. Not that Midoriya really knows anything. It looks like Todoroki doesn’t even want to be around in the same area as the home built for kings. Nevertheless, he looks at Midoriya before jotting things down on his phone.

From: Todoroki Shouto

Thank you for accompanying me. It was nice.

Midoriya smiles at the message. “The pleasure was all mine. Maybe we can do it again sometime-- if you’re comfortable with it, of course,”

Todoroki gives a soft smile of his own, nodding. He stands in his spot for a bit before beginning to climb up the stairs. However, before he continues his ascend, he turns back to look at Midoriya again, giving him a good-bye wave. Midoriya gives one back, and Todoroki resumes to the climbing.

Even long after Todoroki is gone from his sight, Midoriya just stands at the entrance. That is, until his feet get tired enough, and a missed call from his mum’s enough to get him walking back home.

He can’t wait to see Todoroki tomorrow.

--

Later that night, there’s a text, and Midoriya is awake to see it before he goes to bed.

From: Todoroki Shouto

Goodnight, Midoriya.

Midoriya can feel the corners of his lips reach his ears. He’s already saying goodnight to him? He can’t believe he’s the Flash of friendships.

To: Todoroki Shouto

goodnight, todoroki-kun! sweet dreams!

And with that, he goes to sleep, killing the time he has to wait for the next day.

Chapter Text

Todoroki managed to escape his father last night, though just narrowly. It was a blessing that Endeavor got a call for help before he could beat his fury down on him. It wasn’t enough to ruin his rather… giddy mood.

And it totally isn’t because of Midoriya.

Which is why this morning, he wakes up content. And judging by the lack of someone yelling at him out of bed at four in the morning, it seems like his father hasn’t returned home.

Good.

Yawning softly, he stays in bed for a bit. Despite today probably having the same routine as any other day, it’s different. Because he’s in a good mood. Which, for him, is really rare. Sadly, he has to leave for school sometime. He slips his way out of his comforter, and is now standing. Giving himself a good ol’ stretch, he quickly changes into his school uniform, preps himself in the bathroom, and heads downstairs.

The only person in his house is himself, of course. However, he’s not the only living thing. Sitting on the last step is a furry little feline, looking up at Todoroki as if she had been waiting for him. His little Maron.

Bending down to her level, he gives her a little scratch behind the ears. She’s quite the cat, really; a bobtail cat who has so much fur that Todoroki is more than happy to manage. She had lost one of her eyes and had all these ‘weird’ spots that made people look away from her, but that didn’t stop him from adopting her. He still remembers what his father said-- Oh, Shouto. Your cat doesn’t need to look like you --, but he didn’t care. He loves her, and she loves him.

Maron purrs softly, and he smiles. Todoroki rises onto his feet, walking over to the kitchen. Putting down a fresh bowl of water and food, he walks out into his backyard. 

The garden is rather beautiful. He took a lot of care of it, as it’s not only a good way to pass time by lounging on the chairs in the patio area and working on the plants, but it’s also a beautiful, living memory of his mother. He remembers when they first started planting those potted flowers in bare dirt, and how she would always laugh whenever he’d get soil on his nose. Ever since she was sent away, Todoroki refused to let anyone else take care of the garden.

Todoroki fills up the watering can from the spout nearby, and starts the rounds. First the grass. Refill. Then the flower beds. Refill. Then the trees. It’s quite a lot of work, maintaining a garden. But he was built to work anyway.

After tending to the greenery, he whips out his phone, still opened to the texts.

From: Midoriya Izuku

goodnight, todoroki-kun! sweet dreams!

He smiles to himself. Todoroki read this last night. He was almost convinced it was just something made from his sleepy imagination, but it’s good to know that it’s not. Todoroki chews on his lip, finger clicking on the box so he can type a message. Should he even write one? Would that be desperate? They’re friends, right? What if they’re not? All they did after Todoroki had given him flowers that day was walk home together. But total strangers wouldn’t walk home together, right? He doesn’t know how this whole thing works. He’s never made a friend in his life besides Maron.

Sometimes, it makes him sad. Deep, deep in his heart. He’s quick to bury the feeling.

Just then, his phone dings.

From: Midoriya Izuku

hey!! good morning!

Todoroki’s eyes widen. He actually… texted back? First thing in the morning? The sun is barely up.

Can’t keep him waiting, though. That would be rude.

To: Midoriya Izuku

Good morning, Midoriya. How did you sleep?

From: Midoriya Izuku

really well! i had a really nice dream

also, ik this is kind of weird, would you’d like to go to school together? like, maybe we can meet up at the station where we stopped off yesterday? if you’re not already on your way to school,

Oh. Oh.   Oh wow! What should he say? Should he accept? It seems like the right thing to do, but…

Does he really want to get this close to him? Midoriya… he’s good. But he’s too good. Todoroki isn’t good. Grim thoughts begin to creep into his mind, reminding him of who he is and what he stands for. He’s nothing more than a stepping stone, and Midoriya has too much of a heart for him to get involved with him.

To: Midoriya Izuku

I’m sorry. I’m already on my way there.

From: Midoriya Izuku

oh! that’s okay! i’ll see you in class then?

To: Midoriya Izuku

As per usual.

Todoroki can feel his expected bitterness coming back to him, replacing the good spirits that had filled him before. At least it makes it less difficult to keep a tight lipped mouth. Pocketing his phone, he makes his way out of the residence, trying not to feel too bad about the absence of Midoriya’s chatter.

--

The day starts out relatively slow. Like always. Somehow, though, Todoroki feels off. He’s not focusing on the lesson, and is having trouble taking down notes. He can already feel the coolness of his his ice climbing from his foot upwards, and he doesn’t know why.

“Todoroki-kun?” Yaoyorozu whispers. He turns his attention to her. She seems worried. “Are you okay? You look… distracted.”

Todoroki nods slightly, looking down at his notebook. It has a third of the information that’s on the board. By the frosty sigh he lets out, he only seems to agitate Yaoyorozu’s worry further. At this rate, he’ll probably bring out the motherly side of her, which he’s seen cause a lot of embarrassment on behalf of other students. All the contents on the board are already getting erased.

“Here.” She says, offering her notebook to him. “I’m already done anyway, and it’s almost time for lunch. Just make sure you give it back to me by the end of the day, okay?” When he tries to push the book back towards her, she nudges it into his hand twice has hard. “Don’t give me that sass, young man.”

Honestly? Bless her heart.

Without much energy for resistance, Todoroki opens the notebook, right to where she last left off. He can see that Yaoyorozu is an avid doodler. There’s hearts in the corners, as well little drawings of herself saying what appears to be reminders. There’s also one particular doodle of Jirou, and he smiles just a bit.

The school bell rings, and everyone gets up to go to the cafeteria. Well, everyone except for Todoroki, who stays behind to finish whatever he’s missing from all that in-class dissociation. The potential of him messing up a notebook that isn’t his just doesn’t sit well on his conscious. While he’s engrossed in his serious note taking, he can hear shuffling in the room. Lifting his head up, he has to blink a few times to really see who it is.

Midoriya. Why’d he stay behind? Usually he’d be amongst his clique, laughing and smiling about something Todoroki always wishes he could get the scoop on. He’s looking down at Todoroki, gentle green eyes being the one thing that makes Todoroki’s stomach flip for some odd reason. Whatever frost had built up on him is slowly being melted away.

“Hi, Todoroki-kun!” Midoriya says, bright and cheery. “Do you mind if I sit by here? I know this is Tokoyami-kun’s seat, but I’ve already asked if I can take his seat for lunch.”

Todoroki doesn’t have to think on it, because his body moves for him. He shakes his head, and Midoriya takes a moment to turn the chair and desk to face his way, setting his lunch on it. The other opens up the box, and begins to eat as Todoroki turns back to his notes. Of course, after a while, Midoriya breaks the silence.

“Hey,” he says, swallowing down the food he chewed up. “Can I ask you something?”

Todoroki lifts his head up, looking at Midoriya. There’s little pieces of rice at the corner of his mouth, and had Midoriya been any other person, he wouldn’t be feeling the urge to wipe them off. So instead, before the other begins to speak, Todoroki taps on his own mouth.

Midoriya seems confused at first, but Todoroki can literally see when the light bulb in that amazing brain of his flicks right on. He swipes at the rice with the back of his hand, and Todoroki smiles a bit.

“S-sorry,” Midoriya apologizes. “I’m a little messy sometimes.”

Todoroki gives him a dismissive wave. You’re very cute when you’re messy , he thinks. What a silly thought to think.

“Anyway,” Midoriya says, knee fidgeting underneath the desk. “I was, uh, wondering. You’re always sitting by yourself at lunch, yeah?”

Todoroki gives a delayed nod. He never really cared much for sitting with others. He always ate apart from his siblings, apart from his peers. He avoided eating with others whenever he could, considering they’d try to drag him into conversations. Which, as he knows, isn’t exactly his forte. He just hopes to God that Midoriya’s not about to propose--

“How about sitting with us? Us as in, like, Uraraka-chan and Iida-kun. Along with some other kids from our class,”

Fucking hell.

Midoriya must’ve seen the look on his face, because he’s backpedalling himself right against a wall. “O-of course! You don’t have to, but I just... thought it would be nice. Y’know, since we’re friends. You’re always alone, so…”

Todoroki’s pretty sure his eyes are sparkling. So he does consider them as friends? That nearly flips all his worries out of the window. He was so… confident that Midoriya wouldn’t think of him as a friend. After all, they had barely started talking, and only walked home together once. But thinking about it, Midoriya’s always considered everyone as his friend. Excluding Bakugo, maybe. Todoroki isn’t sure about what went down between them, but the way Bakugo screams at Midoriya in particular makes him think it was nothing good.

But, all that aside… maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. After all, he’d be sitting with some of his classmates. It’s not like they’re total strangers. Just… acquaintances. Yeah. You can have lunch with them.

Todoroki doesn’t notice himself tapping his pen against his lips, and how it makes Midoriya extremely nervous. Obviously, the other boy isn’t trying to show it, but he’s twiddling his thumbs at an amazing speed. Todoroki flips to another page in his book, writing down his response. He can’t be bothered to take his phone out of his bag.

I’d like that.

Midoriya tilts his head. Gradually, he can see Midoriya’s nerves easing before he looks back up at Todoroki. “We can have lunch with just Uraraka-chan and Iida-kun, if you’d like.”

Todoroki shakes his head. People always perceived his silence as ‘cute’ or ‘shy’. He’ll come out of shell, they’d say. He’s not used to people. They’d try to coax him to talk. Would tickle him so he can say ‘stop it!’ They’d always go out of their way to make him as uncomfortable as possible in an attempt to make him break.

Those people are fools. It’s so easy for them to just assume things without even asking him how he felt about them. It’s annoying. It’s a huge reason why he avoids people in general. They always felt sorry for him, and he never needed their pity. And although he severely doubts it, as much as he wants to believe he’d never do it, if Midoriya were to ever force him to speak or resent him for not doing so…

Even now, he’s a bit bothered at Midoriya thinking he wouldn’t be able to handle big groups. But it comes from a good place, he knows.

“Ah, okay! I guess we do that tomorrow!” Pause. “Hey, are we still walking together today?”

Oh. Fuck. He almost forgot. Todoroki starts to write.

Are you sure you want to go the distance again?

Midoriya’s lips move as he read, and dammit. He doesn’t know why, but it makes him smile even more. Though, once Midoriya’s gaze shifts onto him again, he tries his best to snap his face into a neutral expression.

“Yeah! Don’t worry. I’ve got pretty strong legs. I can take it.”

Oop. There goes the flippy thing again.

Okay then. Let’s meet up after school.

After that, they return to complete silence. But neither of them are bothered, as they both spend their break doing their respective things.

The hours pass slowly, like a snail trying to get to the other side of the road. Since he and Midoriya had established they’d go home together, Todoroki tries hard to not let his eyes fixated on the clock. He shouldn’t be so obsessive with time, he knows, but… he can admit it that excitement is getting the better of him. At least he makes more of an effort to take notes this time. By the time the bell rings and everyone rushes out, Midoriya is the only one to stay behind once again, waiting for Todoroki. It’s endearing.

“Ready to go?” The other says.

Yes. Yes, I’m so ready to go, Todoroki thinks, but gives nothing more than a simple nod.The pair then go downstairs, switch out their shoes, say their goodbyes to any classmates that waved at them, and began their journey home.

It’s still the same. He and Midoriya walk to the train station, talking about nothing in particular. Todoroki thinks of investing in a better phone for faster texting, but that’d be a waste. Besides, with the amount of messages he can fire into Midoriya’s phone, his fingers are fast alone. It’s not until they get on the actual train, though, that things between them go silent. Usually, Todoroki wouldn’t care for it; silence is to be respected. He, of all people, should know it. But Midoriya… never goes quiet. Suddenly, anyway. It’s weird. And it makes Todoroki slightly uneasy.

Squished between Midoriya and a stranger, he tries his best to text.

To: Midoriya Izuku

Are yyo uojay

Instead of sending it to him, though, Todoroki simply shows Midoriya. The other reads it, and gives him a kind of… ingeniune smile.

“Yeah, I am. Why?”

To: Midoriya Izuku

Youree rley quie

“Oh…” Midoriya purses his lips. “Sorry. I just.. I don’t know.”

Todoroki stares at him for a moment. He wants to ask what’s wrong, but something tells him not to pry. Maybe he can help him some other way?

To: Midoriya Izuku

Tellme abotu your drem

Midoriya blinks, a bit taken aback. “My dream?” He asks. Todoroki nods, and it seems to jog Midoriya’s memory.

“Oh! From this morning, right? It’s a little weird and long, but still nice. Are you sure you’d like to hear it?”

Yes. Of course. A thousand times yes. Hell, he’d listen to Midoriya recite War and Peace any day. He tries not to let his nod seem too enthusiatic, but definitely encouraging. That’s the ticket. Midoriya smiles, a finger coming up to scratch at his cheek. It’s… adorable. Adorable? Yeah.

“Okay, so. It starts with me being in my bedroom. Except, it’s not really my bedroom? More like my room, but on some… other planet.” Todoroki raises a brow, and Midoriya chuckles. “I know, right? It’s weird off the bat. Anyway, I hop out of bed, checking my surroundings. Suddenly, All Might’s there with me, and tells me we’re on the moon. I was like ‘but the moon is white and we’re standing on squishy purple stuff?’”

It looks like the glint in the other’s eyes begins to return again. Todoroki makes sure to pay extra attention. To his surprise, the dream really is bizarre-- does it come from Midoriya’s creative roots? He always knew he had a big imagination. There’s one particular part about Todoroki being the prince of some far away land and the theme of said dream switching from futuristic to medieval in one flex of All Might’s arm. It made Todoroki react in total surprise. Midoriya had laughed-- ‘you won’t believe what happens next’! He said. The best thing about all this? Midoriya never stopped talking. Of course, besides the short breathers and him asking Todoroki if he’s still following the story, he’s been all smiles and chatter.

Todoroki Shouto, you’re a genius.

Just then, they hear the announcer say the name of their stop. They both get up, not stopping the conversation as they dismount the train and make their way to Todoroki’s home.

Scratch that. Endeavor’s home.

He can’t help it when he grimaces, feeling his shoulders slump. Midoriya seems to notice this, as he pauses his storytellling.

“Hey, are you okay?” Midoriya asks. Todoroki straightens himself out, trying to reassure the other with a nod before deciding to text instead.

To: Midoriya Izuku

I’m okay. Just feeling a bit sick.

It wasn’t really a total lie. He always feels sick whenever he steps foot into his own residence. Even worse when he’s in it.

Midoriya frowns. “Aw, really? I’m sorry… hopefully you’ll feel better soon.”

Todoroki smiles weakly. It hurts, being secretive with Midoriya of all people. But he doesn’t want him to worry-- doesn’t want him to stress.

Much to Todoroki’s dismay, they stop right at the steps of his home. There’s a shiver running up his spine, and it’s definitely not the doing of his body tempurature. He sighs.

“Hey…” Midoriya says timidly. “I guess I’ll… uh...see you tomorrow then, huh?”

Todoroki doesn’t have enough energy to do anything else but nod.

Midoriya’s mouth twitches, looking as if he wants to speak, but doesn’t have the right words to say. They both stand there awkwardly. Todoroki can already visualize it: him wanting to send a text, but erasing every single message he’d think of out of fear of them being inadequate. That’s how he ends up overthinking everything.

“I should probably get going....”

Todoroki tries not to frown. A neutral face is important during times like these. Where subtle goodbyes wrap around one’s heart and begins to squeeze. He avoids Midoriya’s gaze as he nods, the other already turning on his heel and waving.

“Bye, Todoroki-kun! Have a good evening!”

Okay. Well. Maybe the whole ‘subtle goodbye’ thing is not so subtle.

Nevertheless, Todoroki waves back, watching as Midoriya makes his way slowly out of his sight. It’s their second time walking each other home, and though it’s on a solemn note, he remembers the time on the train, and he smiles to himself as he walks up the stairs.

Todoroki slides open the door, peeking around before entering. He kicks off his shoes as Maron runs over to him, brushing up against his leg.

“Shouto.”

His blood runs cold. Knowing the consequences, he looks up, feeling his brows furrow themselves.

“You’re late.” His father says from the top floor. It’s odd how even something as mundane as which floor they’re on is a clear indicator of their relationship as a whole. One is above the other, and it isn’t Todoroki. He doesn’t respond. Stupid old man. “I saw you with that Midoriya child. He is no good for you, landing himself in the hospital every day.”

Todoroki can see how the flames crackle around his father’s frame. It’s a warning. Despite being intimidated, he tries his best to stand his ground, showing defiance as he climbs up the stairs. It’s a big mistake once all he sees is Endeavor in front of him, looming. Threatening. He takes in a sharp breath, which makes his father chuckle. It’s gross, feeling like someone had just scratched at a chalkboard next to him.

“You act like tough shit, but you always back down. It’s the only reason I tolerate your pathetic attempts at rebellion.”

Don’t react. Never react. Reacting will always get you in trouble.

“He’s only going to be dead weight.”

Todoroki’s mouth opens. But under the heated, hostile glare of Endeavor’s eyes, it shuts, his lower lip getting caught between his teeth as he shakes.

“Hmph. Be smart, Shouto.” Endeavor says, pushing past Todoroki and leaving him with his thoughts.

Just a typical night. Nothing to mull over.

Trying to suppress every single urge to cry or kill his father, Todoroki walks to his room, leaving only frost behind. He shuts the door with a light hand, leaving the slot crystalized with ice. He’s too exhausted to do shower and homework-- he really doesn’t want to do either--, but he can get away with not showering more than he can without completing his studies. Good thing Todoroki’s an insomiac. He gets changed into pajamas, sits down at his desk, and works. And works. And works. After an hour in, he gets a text.

From: Midoriya Izuku

feel better soon! i’d detriot smash your sickness if i could

Todoroki can feel his face burn and break out into a smile. He’s pretty sure that being kind and cute at the same time is probably a crime on Midoriya can commit in his eyes. A crime, of course, which goes unpunished. The image of him Detriot Smashing™ his father, the root of all his issues, is fulfilling even though it shouldn’t be.

‘Be smart, Shouto.’

A certain sourness only his father could bring infiltrates his senses.

To: Midoriya Izuku

I think it’s already quaking at the thought.

From: Midoriya Izuku

!! todoroki-kun? you actually replied? but it’s one in the morning!

To: Midoriya Izuku

I know why I’m up at this time. But what about you? Why are you awake?

From: Midoriya Izuku

oh! uhhhh

doing.... schol… stuff?

*school

ok no i’m lying

Todoroki’s shoulders bounces a bit from the inaudible laugh he lets out.

To: Midoriya Izuku

Then you still haven’t answered my question.

From: Midoriya Izuku

now i’m not saying this is true, but there’s a very good show on tv right now and… well….

To: Midoriya Izuku

Pfft.

Go to bed, Midoriya.

From: Midoriya Izuku

but i’m not tired!

To: Midoriya Izuku

I have a feeling you will be once your head hits the pillow.

From: Midoriya Izuku

you have a good point. i should go

but that means you should too! stop what you’re doing and get some rest!

To: Midoriya Izuku

Oh, I’ve long since done that. I’m in bed right now. As should you be.

Blantant lie, of course. But if it’ll get Midoriya to go to bed, desperate times call for desperate measures.

From: Midoriya Izuku

oh!

okay enwjkfnewk i guess that’s fair

i am a little sleepy anyway and my phone’s gonna die so

goodnight todoroki-kun!

oh wait i said that earlier

To: Midoriya Izuku

Don’t worry. You’re fine. Goodnight, Midoriya.

From: Midoriya Izuku

ahhh! feel better soon, by the way! bye!

Todoroki’s fingers hover annoyingly over the keys, not knowing what to say. Should he say goodbye back? Would that be awkward? Maybe he shouldn’t. But wouldn’t that be rude? Maybe. He could flip a coin, let it make a decision for him, but he won’t. In the end, he leaves his phone on his desk, opting to leave the conversation there. Todoroki takes a glance at his bed, before turning back to his homework, finishing it up. It takes an extra thirty minutes, but that’s his bad.

Their walks together will end prematurely, he knows. Even though Todoroki knows he wants nothing more than to rebel against his father by ignoring his orders, he can’t afford that. Because he’d get Midoriya in trouble too. And he doesn’t deserve that. Todoroki is the one who’s in shackles, bound to this home. Bound to Endeavor whether he likes it or not. For the sake of them both, he’ll have to put an end to it.

Does that mean he has to stop talking to Midoriya? Surely that shouldn’t be the case. His father doesn’t work at UA. And whenever he shows up unannounced, he always goes to the principal’s office and waits for Todoroki there. It should be safe to keep speaking to Midoriya on school grounds.

But that would make it harder for him to keep his distance. In order for Todoroki to be able from being compromised emotionally, it would be best if he stayed away from him all together. Treat him like he’s any other classmate.

His pencil point snaps when he forcefully writes the last period. Dammit. Instead of neatly putting away all his things, he just leaves his broken pencil and completed work sprawled out on his desk as he flops onto his bed.

Todoroki thinks some more. He wants to talk to Midoriya more. He doesn’t want to be just acquaintances, as they were before. But that would make it harder for him to keep his distance. In order for Todoroki to prevent himself being compromised emotionally, it would be best if he stayed away from Midoriya all together. Treat him like he’s any other classmate. Thoughts of this morning begin to creep in.

Midoriya is good.

You are not.

You’re going to hurt him. You always hurt anyone that gets too close. If you don’t want to hurt him, stay away. You’re only going to make it harder on the both of you if you keep getting close to him. Destroy everything you have now before it’s too late.

Todoroki buries his face in his pillow. Of course. He’s a fucking idiot. He knows why he never bothered making friends beyond the fact he’s mute. He’s going to hurt them. His grip on the pillow only tightens, frost making its way up the walls, into each nook and cranny in his room. His own chest feels cold, unmoving. How could he be so stupid? Even apologizing to Midoriya would be a mistake. Starting tomorrow, he’ll start avoiding him.

A small part of him tells him otherwise.

Chapter Text

Well, this sucks.

It’s been awhile since he and Todoroki last walked home together. Hell, even last spoke to one another.

At first, Midoriya assumed that Todoroki felt too unwell to engage in conversation. He had texted Midoriya an apology for not being able to have lunch with him and his friends. Of course, Midoriya understood that. Whenever he feels sick, he knows all he wants to do is hole himself up in his room. But the days following after, Todoroki has made no effort to contact him. Midoriya would greet him in the halls, and all he’d get was a glance. He’d text him, but none of them have even been read yet.

What did he do wrong?

He was confident that if Todoroki had a problem with him, he’d tell him. Todoroki isn’t shy. Nor is he someone who believes in sugarcoating things. If Midoriya had accidentally fucked up somewhere, Todoroki wouldn’t hesitate to tell him. At least, that’s what he thinks.

It’s discouraging. Midoriya really thought they had something going. That they were actually friends. Could it be that… no. No, Midoriya knows Todoroki wants to be friends. Or maybe he doesn’t? It’s hard. Midoriya is naturally good at reading people, but… some are just more difficult than others.

“Midoriya.”

He picks up his head, seeing his teacher’s tired, unmoving eyes.

“No sleeping in my class. Only I’m allowed to do that.”

“Ah! Sorry, Aizawa-sensei...” Crud. He must’ve zoned out. Bakugo snickers behind him. Class resumes as usual, but Midoriya just… can’t stop thinking about Todoroki.

Sometime later, the bell rings, and everyone shuffles out of the classroom. Todoroki is one of the first to dash out, and there’s no way Midoriya’s gonna let him slip this time. He grabs his bag, pushing past his classmates— ’Sorry! ‘Scuse me!’ ‘Coming through!’— and running to catch up him. Which is hard, because Todoroki moves surprisingly fast. He’s running down the stairs, he’s losing his tail—

“Todoroki-kun!” Midoriya wheezes. It’s enough to get Todoroki to turn around. “Please—ha—wait up!”

An expression flashes across Todoroki’s face, but it’s too quick to catch. Midoriya almost trips trying to stop himself from being thrown forward by his own momentum.

“Todoroki-kun,” Midoriya breathes. “I wanted to talk to you!”

Todoroki’s stare is cold. There’s nothing in his eyes that can give Midoriya a green light to ask things, and it’s so… frustrating. But Midoriya can do this. He has patience. If he could tolerate Bakugo after so long, he can handle this.

Break the ice, Izuku, he thinks. Be the little persistent bug you are.

Todoroki turns back, walking forward without Midoriya. Midoriya chases after him, though to the degree of speed walking rather than running. It’s ridiculous, but he’d rather not risk getting caught again for the latter.

“Todoroki-kun,” He says. No dice. Todoroki only seems to be walking even faster. Two can play at that game. “Todoroki-kun, please. I’m really worried about you! You haven’t talked to me for a while, and I just-- Todoroki-kun please stop for one second--”

Todoroki is not giving him the time of day. He hasn’t even looked at him once during all this. But Midoriya can see how Todoroki’s gnawing the inside his lip. Is it because he’s annoyed? No, that’s not it. Think, Midoriya, when have you seen him do this?

“Todoroki-kun,” He says softly. “I just-- I just want to talk.”

Todoroki, instead, decides to run this time. Fucking shit. And the amount of students that fill the halls seems to grow, as if the powers above are telling Midoriya to leave him alone. He stands amongst the crowd.

What do I do now? Do I have to wait again? Should I chase him? Should I pin him against a wall?

He shakes his head at the last one. No. Not that one. That’s the kind of stuff you see in shows. Midoriya sighs heavily, retreating to fight another day. His phone vibrates in his pocket, and he takes it out grimly.

“There’s no way Todoroki-kun texted me…” Midoriya mumbles. Except… “... OH.”

There it is. A text from the boy he’s been running after and that his legs are still itching to chase.

From: Todoroki Shouto

I’m sorry for my behavior. I really wanted to talk as well, but a bustling hallway isn’t the place to do it.

Midoriya brings his hand up, smacking his forehead. He doesn’t think it’s the reason Todoroki was so hellbent on running away, but it’s definitely a reason. Tenacity got the better of him this time. Midoriya shoots him a quick text back.

To: Todoroki Shouto

you’re right! i’m sorry jfnjenejknr i was just… really worried about you, so…

From: Todoroki Shouto

I’m sorry. We can talk later during lunch if you’re not busy?

To: Todoroki Shouto

yeah yeah of course! i’d like that!

From: Todoroki Shouto

It’s settled, then.

Midoriya’s lips are in a tight line, staring at the message. Even with their conversation being short, at least Todoroki actually talked to him for the first time this week. But something is… definitely off. He saw earlier; how Todoroki chewed at the inside of his mouth. It meant something, Midoriya knows. He only hopes he’ll get the answer-- or even so much as a hint -- to what’s going on with his friend.

--

This time, Todoroki has lunch with him. Or, at least, something remotely close to lunch.

Midoriya’s mother would have a heart attack.

Sitting in the chair in front of him, Midoriya tries his best to look as relaxed as possible. Which is kind of hard, considering his nerves are flaring, trying to expect anything and everything Todoroki has to say.

Todoroki isn’t making any move to speak. Instead, he’s just eating. Midoriya can respect that: the last time he texted while eating, Mum had pulled his phone right out of his hands with her Quirk. To this day, he doesn’t do it in fear of her coming out of nowhere and snatching it again.

So they spend some time doing just that. The silence only seems to make Midoriya even more nervous, though, as he tries to ease the bounce of his knee. Even as he eats, his appetite is diminishing. What if this doesn’t benefit either of them? What if it’s something he can’t help with? What if Todoroki just… never wanted to be friends in the first place? Has he changed his mind? Midoriya’s chest hurts.

Todoroki takes a napkin that was resting on the table, wiping his hands. He folds it over, wiping his mouth. Midoriya’s eyes can’t look away. He’s so… slow at brushing that paper across his lips. Is he stalling? Maybe.

Midoriya chokes at the thought he has right after that.

Todoroki’s eyes zone in on him, showing concern as Midoriya coughs. Great. The first time Todoroki looks at him this entire period, Midoriya is spitting out pieces of rice he gagged on.

“I’mfine--” Midoriya wheezes, patting his chest with the back of his hand. Todoroki’s hand twitches, but he doesn’t do anything. Midoriya could frown if he wasn’t so busy dying.

As Midoriya clears his throat, Todoroki starts to text.

From: Todoroki Shouto

Are you sure you’re okay?

Midoriya’s cheeks warm up, and he gives a lopsided smile as he nods. Attempt to start a conversation, Izuku. “The food-- it went down the wrong way. Ever had that happen to you?”

Todoroki’s lips turn up ever so slightly, and he nods, looking down at his phone again. Whatever smile he had is now gone.

From: Todoroki Shouto

About earlier…

I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did.

Oh. Okay. Here we go, Midoriya thinks. He passes off a gulp of the tension build up in his throat as something irrelevant.

“It’s okay, Todoroki-kun,” He says, reading the message on his phone. “I just… I’m really worried about you, y’know?”

From: Todoroki Shouto

I know.

I just… I should have told you this, I know, but… I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be around me.

Midoriya reads the message. No matter how hard he tried to prevent it, hurt instantly fills his chest, making Midoriya frown even more. He didn’t think it was possible. He looks up at Todoroki, who has his eyes averted. His hands are trembling, and Midoriya wants nothing more than to hold them.

“Why?” Is all that comes out of Midoriya’s mouth. He doesn’t know what else to really say.  He can see Todoroki beginning to chew the inside of his cheek again.

From: Todoroki Shouto

I can’t tell you in detail… but…

You know how my old man is.

Of course. Of course. That guy is always giving Midoriya dirty looks. He has yet to understand why; he admires the hero Endeavor. But Midoriya always had his suspicions on what the number two hero was like behind closed doors. Only Todoroki would know.

“So… it’s not an issue of me being around you…” Midoriya says softly, thinking out loud. “It’s an issue of you being around me…”

Todoroki’s eyes snap from his phone to look at Midoriya with woe. He shakes his head vigorously, a literal blur of white and red filling his vision. Midoriya’s heart hurts, knowing that Todoroki is blaming himself for not being able to be around him.

“You do want to be friends, right? And you like walking with me?”

Todoroki stops his head shaking, his hair a complete mess. It looks like someone just ruffled the hell out of it. He nods timidly, and the gears in Midoriya start turning. What can they do? It’s not much of a problem if they hang out at school; as far as he can tell, Endeavor would never come to UA for a stroll. But he can’t walk Todoroki home, or else he’ll get the boy in trouble. Midoriya’s hand comes up to his mouth in thought.

“What if…” He mumbles, feeling Todoroki’s attentive gaze on him.

“You walk me home instead?”

Todoroki’s brows furrow, and he tilts his head a bit. God, he’s cute.

“My house-- it’s not far from here…” Yes, “It’s just a stop away. And the walk from the station to my place is about ten minutes tops…” Uh huh,  “By the time you’re done, you should be able to make it home pretty early!” YES!

Todoroki’s expression show a tinge of hopefulness. He seems to think Midoriya’s over, given by how he doesn’t respond for a few moments.

“We can try it out today,” Midoriya quickly adds. “See how long it actually takes, and if you’re able to get away with it.”

Todoroki’s lips purse a bit-- oh god --, his face one of thinking. He then nods again, firm and sure. If they could pull this off, they’d get to go on walks together. They’d get to keep making progress….

He’d get to know Todoroki more. And lord, does he want that so bad.

Midoriya smiles at the other. “Okay, then.”

Todoroki looks down at his phone again, typing away.

From: Todoroki Shouto

I’m hoping it does, but… if it doesn’t work… at least we can talk here, right?

I can have lunch with the rest of the class instead of keeping you here. I know I missed my chance the first time, but…

He thinks he missed his chance? Midoriya thinks, his heart going soft as he smiles. He wants to tell him that it’s untrue. That Midoriya would give him a million chances for god knows what reasons. But he’s afraid that saying that would be a teeny bit too extreme, considering how premature and fragile their relationship at this moment is.

“Don’t worry. The offer was never taken off the table anyway.” Midoriya says, settling on that instead. Todoroki smiles softly at him, and— God? Is that you?

With whatever issues they had now out of the way for now, they both finally relax, talking to each other for the rest of the period.

--

The plan is going great. By Todoroki’s account, Endeavor hasn’t suspected a thing. For the past week, they’ve been able to walk home together without question.

Well. Maybe that last part isn’t true.

“You’re hanging out a lot with Todoroki-kun, huh, Midoriya-kun? You two are oddly close.” As—Tsuyu says at the lunch table, making Midoriya spit out his drink.

“T-Tsuyu-chan! Please!” He whines, his cheeks heating up. Sure, his friends have already confronted him about it before, but they’d be somewhere secluded, and understood that he’s just trying to be friends with Todoroki. Not to mention that Todoroki is sitting right next to him—

Luckily, Uraraka— bless her heart— intervenes, changing the subject as quickly as possible.

“Hey, is anyone else excited for the trip in two weeks? I am!” She says brightly. Kaminari groans from the opposite side of her.

“They claim that it’s supposed to be relaxing, but you can’t trust UA teachers. They’re always… plotting new ways to torture us, I’m sure.” Kaminari says, looking grim.

“It’s not torture.” Jiro cuts in, biting a piece out of her sandwich. “They’ve been trying to train us to be heroes. That’s kind of why we’re here.”

“It’s a good thing they’ve recognized our hard work, though!” Ashido says. “After what we’ve been through, we could use a break out of this town.”

As the rest of their group chatters on, Midoriya looks over at Todoroki. The other is just watching everyone else converse amongst themselves, and Midoriya thinks he’s comfortable with just that. It’s good to see that he’s adapting to this. But he asks just to make sure.

“Are you doing okay?”

Todoroki blinks at him, nodding. Midoriya smiles.

“Good.”

--

The school day finally ends, and the afternoon bustle begins. Todoroki and Midoriya waste no time, going through the usual and heading out the doors. Midoriya has never been more content in his life.

From: Todoroki Shouto

What are you smiling so much about?

Oh. Oh. Was he smiling a lot? Well, looks like he didn’t notice. In fact, Midoriya can’t help but smile more.

“What? I can’t smile?” He says playfully as they walk down a street. It’s oddly empty.

Todoroki rolls his eyes. With the amount of time they’ve been spending together—’You two are oddly close’—, Midoriya can already tell what he’s saying. Todoroki’s face is so… telling. Every facial movement is important. Done with purpose. It may just be Midoriya reading into it too much, but honestly? He doesn’t care. Whether it’s intentional or not, Midoriya is glad that Todoroki’s getting used to him enough to break his seemingly chronic face of neutrality.

“Alright, alright.” Midoriya says. “I just… was thinking, y’know? It’s been nice, walking with you.”

Todoroki looks at him, doe-eyed. Like he can’t believe it. But then he gives Midoriya this warm, kind smile, and Midoriya has to look away to stop himself from showing the gummiest smile on the planet.

They finally get to Midoriya’s apartment, stopping at the door. It’s always at this moment where the longing starts to happen. The thoughts of ‘I don’t want this to end’ and ‘Tomorrow can’t come sooner’ arise, filling Midoriya’s brain.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye for now then,” Midoriya says. He sees Todoroki frown, and he smiles meaningfully. “I know, I know. But we’ll see each other tomorrow. Now be on your way, I don’t want you to be late.”

Taking the keys out of his pocket, Midoriya is about to put them in the keyhole, but he feels a hand on his shoulder. Looking back, Todoroki is standing there, brows furrowed. It’s a bit… scary, to say the least.

“What…?” Midoriya asks timidly. Is there something he wants to say? Did he miss something?

Without any further warning, Todoroki pulls him in, giving him a hug. It’s awkward; Todoroki is tall, and so Midoriya came face first into his chest. Todoroki’s also really tense— is he nervous?

Midoriya’s hand comes up to pat Todoroki’s back, still confused about the whole thing, or why Todoroki even hugged him in the first place. Todoroki then pulls away, opening his mouth to say something… but ends up bowing instead, and racing down the stairs.

Just like when he gave me the flowers… Midoriya thinks. He smiles to himself. It’s… endearing. People always seem to think that Todoroki is just some cold guy who just wants everyone to fuck off or something. It’s clear that he just doesn’t know how to deal with things like friendship— probably because he’s never had any.

Midoriya doesn’t want to dwell on those thoughts.

Instead, he opens the door to his apartment, smelling the sweet aroma of whatever his mother is cooking in the kitchen.

“I’m home!” Midoriya says, kicking off his shoes. He can see his mother poke her head out of the kitchen, smiling widely.

“Izuku!” She says cheerfully. “Hello! How was school?”

“Good,” He says, walking down the hall and setting his bag down on a chair at the table. “Great, actually. Remember when I mentioned about me becoming friends with Todoroki-kun?”

“Ah, yes!” She says, stirring food in a big pot. “How is that going?”

“Extremely well! I think he’s really starting to open up to me…” Midoriya hesitates to mention the hug. He decides against it, feeling like it’s something that should be kept between he and Todoroki instead. “It’s nice.”

“I’m glad to hear that!” His mother says, turning off the stove. “Maybe you can invite him over for dinner sometime!”

Midoriya freezes at the thought. Then he melts. Then burns. His cheeks feel like they’re on fucking fire. This really shouldn’t be happening; it’s not like Todoroki should be special than any other friend. After all, he’s had Iida and Uraraka eat dinner at his place. And Bakugo… before their fallout. And yet…

“Oh, I don’t know…”

“What? Would he not want to?”

“Ah! Well, no— I mean— I can’t really speak for him,” He says. Well. He can technically, but obviously he’s— wow. His brain is as jumbled as his tongue.

Midoriya’s mother laughs. “Don’t worry, honey. It was just a suggestion. But if it ever happens that he’d like have a taste of my cooking, well… you know how much I love sharing my food.”

Midoriya’s nose feels hot as he chuckles out of embarrassment. “Of course. I’ll… make sure to mention it sometime.”

“Good!” She says. “Oh! And speaking about sharing food, aren’t you going to leave on a trip soon? I heard it’s going to be quite a drive!”

Ah yes. The second trip mention today. Apparently they’re gonna be rooming in pairs. Considering Midoriya gets along relatively well with nearly every male in the class, he should be fine.

“Should I pack extra snacks so you can share them with your pals?”

Oh.

“Ah— you don’t have to!” Midoriya says. “I’m sure we can hold on until we get to the destination anyway.”

“You? Holding out on your hunger until you get to where you need to be? Unheard of. Last time I checked, my little Izuku is fond of eating large amounts of food.”

Midoriya laughs. “Okay, okay. That’s true. But still…”

His mother chuckles. “Don’t worry. I’m just messing with you.”

“I know, I know.” Midoriya says, walking towards his room. “Call me if you need anything.”

“Will do!”

Midoriya passes through the door, closing it gently behind him. He stays there for a few moments before walking over to the bed, falling face first onto it and releasing a breath he didn’t know he was holding as he turns into goo on his mattress. He recalls just moments ago, Todoroki had brought him into a hug. A hug. And Midoriya was too confused to hug back. But he can remember it clearly; a taut body against him, strong arms around his sides. Todoroki’s scent still lingers in his nose; nothing he can make out, but it’s tingly and crispy. It’s not the best hug, but it’s the very first Midoriya has ever seen Todoroki give. It’s surreal, and his heart is racing, and oh my god how did he not hug back—

Midoriya’s arms subconsciously wrap around one of the pillows in his grasp. When he notices this, his cheeks flame up again. If he had hugged Todoroki back, how would’ve he done it?

Slowly, his grip becomes tighter. His nose nuzzles into the soft fabric, breathing in as he gives his pillow a good squeeze. His eyes close, and he can already imagine Todoroki embracing him again. This is embarrassing.

… But he won’t let himself care. Just this once.

Chapter Text

Shouto’s hand finds its way through a mess of green curls, the tips of his fingers rubbing into the other’s scalp. He can feel breathing on his neck, the pressure of someone else on him, the scent of earth and sun. Hands feel at his sides, riding up his shirt, as he turns his head to brush his lips on soft skin.

The person on him slowly bring themselves up and seat themselves on his midriff, their hands coming up to take his face; they’re rough, calloused. They feel good. A thumb brushes his scar, but he’s at ease. Shouto can feel his lips parting. They’re saying something,  he can’t hear himself. But he feels his own smile, how easy it is on his face. A spill of freckles on dark skin comes into his vision as this mystery person puts their forehead against his, making the tips of their noses touch. Their lips are so close, and he longs to press his own on them.

He feels himself saying their name. They smile fondly.

“I love you.” They say. Midoriya. This is Midoriya. Comfort and familiarity tingles his senses from head to toe, and he feels drunk. The gap between them is closing, their hearts beating hard in their chests…

——-

Shouto wakes up, his left side burning as he sits upright. Quickly, he pats down at the small flames that managed to burn through his poor, simple tee. He breathes heavily, his heart literally in his throat as he tries to swallow it down. God, what the fuck. It was a dream. Just a dream.

… Just a dream.

He’s… almost… what’s the right word? Sad? No. Disappointed. Disappointed? No, he shouldn’t be. That was a weird dream. A weird dream about… him… and…

Jesus Christ. Shouto tries to keep down his temperature. After the initial shock of… whatever he had been dreaming about somewhat wore off, he blinks a couple of times, looking over at the clock.

Two in the morning. He lies back down, trying to fall asleep again.

It’s futile.

Ugh. Ugh. Shouto’s head feels clogged as he gets up out of bed, walking into the bathroom adjacent to his room. Turning on the light, he squints; goddamn, are his lights always this bright? Bleh.

His eyes set on the covered mirror in front of him. The only divide between him and the reflective pool is a simple piece of cloth. Shouto never leaves his mirror uncovered; back then, when he was still trying to get used to his scar, he would break anything that showed his retched left side. Nowadays, he wouldn’t say he’s comfortable but… he’s grown to tolerate the disgusting patch of dead skin as a reminder of his goals. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have bad days. The cover is just a precaution; just in case he feels particularly insecure some morning, he wouldn’t have to be greeted by his reflection.

How is he feeling today? If he gauges it, he’s at a three. Not too bad. He feels very tired. But also… slightly buzzed. He’s not too worked up.

Shouto’s hand rises up to pull off the cloth. The lights of his bathroom shine down on him, and he doesn’t regret seeing himself. Not immediately, anyway. He turns on the faucet, bowing down to splash water on his face a couple of times before turning it off, the heat of his body gradually evaporating the droplets.

‘I love you.’

Shouto’s chest knots up in a strange way. He makes a low noise of discomfort as he throws the cloth back onto the mirror, shutting off the light on his way out. What’s wrong with him? Why is he so… so…? Buh, his head spins just thinking about his dream.

As Shouto climbs into his bed again, his eyes spot something green on his table. A little bonsai tree sits there in the dark.

Green. Midoriya.

His feet move without him thinking about it, and he picks up the pot. Walking back to his bed, he sets the tree onto the nightstand next to him. It’s as far as possible from him; he doesn’t want to harm it while he’s unconscious, but he still wants to keep it close. Content with what he’s done, Shouto crawls back into bed, head resting on the pillow as he stares at the plant.

Green curls. Freckles. Wide smile.

Shouto sighs. He feels warm. Like someone’s holding him. It’s intoxicating.

After a while of just staring at the plant under the sparkling moonlight from his window, Shouto drifts off to sleep, a part of him hoping to come across that dream again.

——

His brain must’ve short circuited.

Despite feeling like the definition of zonked, Shouto woke up for school again about two hours later. Once again, Endeavor is missing from his home, which automatically makes him feel good. He fed Maron, watered his plants, packed his lunch, and walked off to school. However, it was about halfway through the walk that he bothered to check his phone:

It was Saturday.

He slumped all the way back to his house, had changed out of his uniform and into pajamas, and landed face first on his bed again. Which brings him to now.

Shouto doesn’t get it. Why is everything getting… messed up all of a sudden? In his years being alive, there’s never been a hiccup like this. Sure, Shouto usually wakes up at this time on weekends anyway, but he would’ve just cleaned the house or meditate in the garden afterward. Right now, though, he doesn’t feel like he can do anything without zoning out.

Rough, scarred hands on his skin. Kind green eyes.

Shouto’s hands come up to slap the sides of his head, and he lets out a frustrated growl. This… dream. It’s causing too much trouble. He’s too used to night terrors to deal with this. His heart won’t stop fluttering, and he feels heated whenever he thinks about it. He looks over at the clock hesitantly before grabbing his phone off of his bed, finding his number on consultant. He still can’t believe she chose a silly name for herself, but he can’t change it. He begins texting away.

——

To: peachy keen!

Yaoyorozu.

I need to talk to you.

From: peachy keen!

You don’t need to call me by my last name, Todoroki!

We’re friends, remember?

To: peachy keen!

Sorry. I forget.

From: peachy keen!

That you can call me by my first name? Or that we’re friends?

To: peachy keen!

I’ll let you decide.

From: peachy keen!

Hardy har.

What do you wanna talk about? Boys?

To: peachy keen!

…

From: peachy keen!

What

Holy shit

I never knew this day would come

Hold on i have to screenshot this

To: peachy keen!

Do NOT.

From: peachy keen!

Drat. Okay.

Love expert Momo is here for you. Talk to me.

To: peachy keen!

I don’t know how to start.

From: peachy keen!

Well… which boy is it?

Is it Tokoyami-kun? He’s a good one. Good boy, he is.

To: peachy keen!

Ah, no.

It’s… Midoriya.

From: peachy keen!

Oh my god

Oooooo my goodness okay! He’s a good boy too!

To: peachy keen!

I don’t know. Is it weird that I… think about him? A lot?

From: peachy keen!

In all honesty, not at all.

I’m pretty sure everyone in our class has had their share of Midoriya exclusive thoughts.

To: peachy keen!

What’s that supposed to mean?

From: peachy keen!

Todoroki, have you met Midoriya?

He’s so easy to get infatuated with one way or another, it’s insane. I think even Bakugo has had his moments.

To: peachy keen!

That doesn’t make me feel much better.

From: peachy keen!

Can’t say I didn’t try.

The issue isn’t that you think about him a lot, but I wonder. What exactly do you think about?

To: peachy keen!

I don’t know.

I think a lot about his face? And his voice. And our walks home.

I feel really jittery around him. And my hands get clammy.

From: peachy keen?

Hmmm…

To: peachy keen!

I had this really embarrassing dream about him last night. And no, I won’t give you details. But… I woke up with my heart threatening to break through of my ribs.

From: peachy keen!

But was it good? The dream, I mean.

To: peachy keen!

…

Very.

From: peachy keen!

i’m choking

OKAY! SO! I have an idea of what this might mean.

Had you not described the symptoms, I would’ve ruled the dream out as something weird, but with the way you guys have been hovering around each other lately…

To: peachy keen!

Um…

From: peachy keen!

Don’t even try denying it. I know you know this more than anything.

But since I never walk with you guys and I’m too busy during lunch to pay attention to you both, I have a proposal to see you in action.

I’ve arranged a study session for some of our friends. I know Midoriya-kun is gonna be there. I think you should come.

To: peachy keen!

But… Endeavor…

From: peachy keen!

Don’t worry. He loves me, remember?

Well. Loves my family’s legacy. Not me in particular. But I meet his standards. It’ll be fine. I’ll talk to him.

To: peachy keen!

… Okay.

What time should I be there?

From: peachy keen!

Is your father home? I think you should leave while you have the chance.

To: peachy keen!

I’m doing enough sneaking around as it is.

It’s also five in the morning.

From: peachy keen!

The study session starts at eight a.m., so could you be here like… fifteen minutes earlier?

To: peachy keen!

I can do that.

From: peachy keen!

Great!

Phase one begins.

To: peachy keen!

See you soon.

Wait… ‘phase one’?

——

Shouto could die. He really could.

As their classmates come into the dining room, they’re all, of course, dressed casually. But his eyes zone in on that mess of green curls he saw in in his dreams, dressed in a bright yellow hoodie with ‘PLUS ULTRA!’ smacked in bright red on it. It looks like he made the logo himself, almost.

He suddenly loves the color yellow now.

Midoriya looks around the place, stars in his eyes. It’s unbelievably cute, and he couldn’t have imagined that those bright eyes could be so blinding. His eyes drift from the ceiling to Shouto, and suddenly Shouto’s heart jumps into his throat.

“Todoroki-kun!” Midoriya says cheerfully, running over to him. “I didn’t know you’d be here!”

Shouto tries his best to keep his cool, shrugging as nonchalantly as he can. But he’s feeling chalant. Very, very chalant. The word doesn’t exist, but he can’t describe it another way.

“Deku!” Uraraka says from across the table, taking a seat. “Come sit next to me! I know you’re really good at math!”

“Ah, okay!” He says, smiling gleefully as he then turns to Shouto. “I’m glad you’re here.” With that, he’s off, and Shouto tries not to let the fact that he’s dazed show through.

Good. I would have died had he sat next to me, he thinks. But the relief is short lived, as Midoriya takes a seat right in front of him. Which means he could see Midoriya’s face for god knows how long this is going to last. That his chances of accidentally meeting Midoriya’s eyes has increased tenfold. Shouto would move seats… if he truly wanted to.

Yaoyorozu is seated at the head of the table, her eyes on Shouto. He’s got a bad feeling about this. She gives subtle thumbs up as everyone else takes their seats before she rises up, clapping her hands.

“Welcome, everyone!” Yaoyorozu says, her smile bright. How does she do it? Or rather, how is anyone at this table besides Shouto able to smile so widely?

“Some of you guys know the drill, yes? Does anyone mind reciting the rules for our new guests?” She says, gesturing to Midoriya and himself. 

She’s already singling us out…   he thinks to himself.

Kaminari raises his hand. Yaoyorozu gives him a nod.

“We recite the rules every time we come in here. To keep our memory juices flowing.” He says, letting his hand fall.

“Don’t call them ‘memory juices’...” Ashido groans. “Also… uh… snacks are available for our convenience. But we can’t take too many.”

“Bathroom is down the hall to our right. It’s the last door at the end. We can go without asking.” Jiro adds.

“Oh! We, uh, take breaks half way.” Sero says.

The rest of the rules go on as Shouto zones out. He didn’t think there’d be so… many.

Leave it to a class rep to have a bible’s worth of regulations.

After they get through all that, it’s time to study. Next to him is Kaminari, who’s looking over at Shouto. Does he want to tell him something? One of the rules was to not be afraid to ask for help.

Shouto turns his head to him. It’s a good way to get his mind off of Midoriya.

He catches Kaminari jumping slightly. “Oh! Hi, Todoroki-kun! How’s it… going?”

Huh. He’s nervous. Shouto looks at Kaminari’s paper, which has pencil scratches everywhere. He looks back at Kaminari, who is turning a bit red.

“... Okay. I need help.”

Shouto nods. He can see that. Texting to talk to Kaminari would be a bit too much; after all, he should try to have Kaminari’s easily distracted mind on the task at hand for as long as possible.

Actions speak louder than words.

With that, Shouto is in game mode. He begins to show Kaminari what he knows, what formulas to use. Science has never really been Shouto’s strongest subject, but he’s got enough to land him as one of the smartest students in his class.

“You know, I thought this would be a lot harder.” Kaminari says, jotting some numbers down. “Communicating, I mean. Since you don’t talk.”

Should Shouto take offense to that? He feels like he should. But Kaminari is only stating facts. Plus, he doesn’t think Kaminari would ever do him conscious harm.

“You’re a really good teacher. And even better at getting your point across. You’re honestly amazing. I thought you’d think I’m, like, stupid or something for not getting any of this.”

Shouto shakes his head. Kaminari isn’t stupid at all, he knows that. Afterall, if he was, he wouldn’t have made it into UA. He tears a paper out of notebook, writing something down before pushing it towards Kaminari.

“‘We’re all at this study group for something’....” Kaminari reads. Shouto’s eyes quickly shift to Midoriya, who is laughing about something with Uraraka.

For something… he thinks.

“Todoroki-kun?” Kaminari says, catching Shouto’s attention again. Oh no. Was he staring? He was. With Kaminari’s eyes digging into him, Shouto feels nervous.

“... Can you help me with this question?” Kaminari says, turning to his paper and pointing to one. Shouto releases a mental sigh as he nods.

After working for another while, Yaoyorozu claps again.

“Okay!” She says. “Time for a well deserved break! Enjoy your thirty minutes!”

Nearly everyone gets up to walk around, some heading to the kitchen, others to the bathroom, others to the yard that the two huge glass doors lead out to. Only four of the twelve are left at the table. With Uraraka gone and Kaminari out of his sight, panic arises in his chest.

“Hey, Todoroki-kun!”

Oh fuck.

Shouto looks at Midoriya, trying to keep his face neutral. But he sees that bright smile, and he can’t keep his own from breaking through. He’s weak, so fucking weak.

“How’s it going? Is studying treating you well?” The other asks, tucking a covered hand underneath his chin. Sweater paws. Sweater paws. Shouto’s inhibitions nearly slip from his grip, and he’s convinced his face is going red. Just in case, the cold within his body comes to his aid once more.

Shouto’s head goes from side to side before he cocks it slightly towards Midoriya, beckoning him to respond. Midoriya groans softly in response, but Shouto can tell it’s of good nature. Everything is of good nature when it comes to Midoriya. Like the bonzai tree that sits on his nightstand.

“My brain huuuuurts. I think I’ve done more thinking in the last two hours than I have in the last two weeks.” Midoriya says, a gentle smile on his face. It’s killing Shouto inside that he can’t get closer to the other.

Shouto can’t help but chuckle at Midoriya’s whining, taking his phone out. By what seems like muscle memory, Midoriya takes his own out, ready to read. The fact that he’s gone this long without mentioning anything about being mute is… appreciated.

To: Midoriya Izuku

At least you’re exercising your mind. Keeps it from going into mush.

Midoriya laughs. It’s sweet and light in Shouto’s ears, making him warm all over. His toes tingle.

“I guess so!” He says. “I just wish my body was ripped as my… what was the word… cerebrum.”

To: Midoriya Izuku

Except you are. Have you seen yourself?

Midoriya reads the message, and immediately flushes. At first Shouto thinks he’s stopped breathing. But then he rereads his own message, and he tries not to react. His ears feel too hot. Out of the corner of his eye, Shouto can see how intently Yaoyorozu’s eyes stare at him, her hands folded in front of her face like some sort of CEO.

“Ah, wow,” Midoriya sputters. “I, um, I guess I never… paid attention to myself enough?”

Shouto pays attention. So much. All he wants to do is run his hands up those abs, handle those strong biceps, see how every muscle flexes underneath his hands. He wants to pay so much attention to make up for the lack Midoriya gives to himself.

He shouldn’t be thinking this way. Absolutely not.

To: Midoriya Izuku

Well, now you know. I guess.

“Yeah…”

Things fall silent between them. It makes Shouto nervous again. Which is weird, because usually he’d be comfortable with it. But after literally complimenting Midoriya on his fucking muscles of all things, of course they’d have this awkward rift. Shouto’s mouth is dry, his heart thudding against his ribs.

Midoriya, of course, is the first to break the quiet.

“Hey…” Midoriya says, twiddling his thumbs. “I was wondering. Where’s you get your jacket from? It’s really cool.”

Shouto takes one look at himself. It’s a simple jean jacket, a bit worn out at the cuffs. The word ‘Striker’ is embroidered on the collar. A weird place to put a word if you ask him.

To: Midoriya Izuku

I got it at some thrift store.

Midoriya seems surprised at this, his mouth forming into an ‘o’. “You thrift?”

Shouto’s hand comes up to make a seesaw movement. He’s always thrifted on impulse. He never had a set time when he thrifted; it could be once every three months, or twice every week.

To: Midoriya Izuku

You can find a lot of simple stuff without breaking the bank.

I’m not one for much glam.

Midoriya smiles at him. “I like your style.”

It’s a simple phrase, but it’s enough to make Shouto’s heart skip a beat. He likes… his style. His stupid, simple style. Midoriya’s isn’t that different, but Midoriya… was made for simplicity. And that’s definitely not a bad thing.

They just… stare at each other for a bit. Shouto wants to snap his eyes away from Midoriya’s, he really does, but he’s lost in those green eyes. Lost in Midoriya. Shouto can feel how his heartbeat sends shockwaves everywhere in his body.

“Are you two okay?” Uraraka asks, and Shouto’s impromptu… staring contest ends as his eyes falls onto the table. Holy shit. What was that?

“Uraraka-chan, my god! Don’t scare me like that,” He hears Midoriya say. Shouto almost misses it from all the screaming in his head.

Uraraka laughs. Shouto picks his head up to see her taking her seat.

“Sorry, sorry.” She says. Her big eyes then look at Shouto, and she smiles wide. “How are you, Todoroki-kun?”

Shouto gives her a thumbs up. He’s… actually not sure, in all honesty. But saying that would mean he’d have to explain himself to her, and with Midoriya there, he doesn’t want to.

“Good!” Uraraka says cheerfully. Honestly, he has never see anyone so close to Midoriya in personality than her. But she’s missing the charm that made him more… drawn to Midoriya.

After that, the study session continues. During this half, though, he can feel Midoriya’s stare on him. His stomach feels funny, his chest even funnier. If Shouto can survive the rest of this study session, he’ll be surprised.

—-—

It’s one in the afternoon when they finish studying in the Yaoyorozu residence. Everyone heads their separate ways, saying their goodbyes.

Well. Everyone except Shouto and, of course, Midoriya.

Shouto had originally planned to stay and talk to Yaoyorozu, but Midoriya offered to stay to clean up. Feeling like a total dick, Shouto provided the same reason.

So now they’re here, wiping down the dining table. Shouto begins to chew the inside of his lip, trying not to pay attention to how Midoriya’s curls fall in across his forehead, prompting him to brush it back. The sleeves of that yellow hoodie are even rolled up, revealing sunkissed skin and battle scars. Fuck.

“Hey, Todoroki-kun?”

Shouto perks up in alert, looking over at him and ignoring the skip of his heartbeat.

“Are you okay?”

Shouto nods timorously. Oh fuck. Is he noticing something? Crud. Midoriya’s always been attentive. Observant. Shouto’s been trying so hard to remain calm that it’s becoming exhausting. Hell if he’ll let up, though.

“Ah, okay.” Midoriya says, scrubbing against a stain. It must be tough. “I just. Well. I’ve noticed you start chewing the inside of your mouth whenever you’re worried.”

Shouto’s brows furrow. He’s confused.

Midoriya is quick to add; “I-I mean! Not that I look at your mouth, but— uh— I just… notice things. But anyway, what’s on your mind?”

You, he wants to say. You’re on my mind. I don’t know why. I don’t think I want to know, because it’s scary. But I’ve been having you on my mind.

Instead, he shakes his head.

Midoriya looks a bit hurt— please don’t feel hurt —, but he has an understanding smile. “Okay then. Just know that if you want to talk about anything, I’m here for you, okay? You can trust me.”

Shouto nods, showing a smile of his own in hopes of comforting the other. I know I can.

After Yaoyorozu comes in, she claps her hands. She has quite the habit of doing that, it seems.

“Thank you, boys!” Yaoyorozu says, smiling. “It’s time to go home.”

“Ah! Thank you for having us, Yaoyorozu-chan!” Midoriya says, bowing a bit.

Yaoyorozu waves a dismissive hand. “Pfft. Enough with the formalities. It was my pleasure.” She looks over at Shouto, a certain look in her eyes. He doesn’t like it. Not one bit. “I’m taking you home.”’

Shouto’s eyes widen, and he looks at Midoriya, who has a sympathetic smile as he laughs a bit.

“Don’t worry.” Yaoyorozu says. “I’m taking Midoriya-kun too.”

“H-huh?” He’s stopped laughing now, and Shouto almost snorts at the dumb look popping in his face. “Oh, you really don’t have to--”

“I know.” She says, readjusting the bag on her shoulder. “But I have some errands to run, so I figured why not. Now come along, you two.”

She really is the mother of the class… Shouto thinks. Just like how Iida’s pretty much the father.

Finding it’s within his best interest to not argue with her, he follows her lead, Midoriya next to him, They make their way into the driveway, where a chic black car is set at the entrance.

“It’s cool, right? My parents made it.” Yaoyorozu says, patting the hood of it.

“... You mean… from their bodies? That’s actually amazing!” Midoriya says enthusiastically. Shouto would agree; he’d imagine it takes two to get the job done. He just doesn’t get how it happened. Did they just spilt the car in half and put them together? He doesn’t know.

“I know right? It took a while, so I’ve been extra care of it.” Yaoyorozu clicks a button, and the doors open up as she slides into the driver’s seat. “Hop in.”

Shouto and Midoriya exchange looks. Shouto decides to step back, gesturing for Midoriya to enter first. Midoriya smiles sheeplishly as he enters. Shouto slips in after that, shutting the door behind him.

“Buckle your seatbelts. I’m not gonna get on my hands today.”

Silence.

“Please. I’m just joking.”

Midoriya snorts.

As they pull out of the driveway, Midoriya and Yaoyorozu begin chatting away, and it fades into background noise. Shouto realizes just how… tired he is. With the wonky sleep he’s had and all that studying and thinking, he’s exhausted. He takes a gamble, looking over at Midoriya and…

Oh man.

The boy’s eyes are barely open. It looks like he’s trying to fight off sleep to the best of his ability. And it’s a losing battle, too, as his head starts to loll around. Shouto sits there and looks out the window, not know what to do. A weight lands on his left shoulder, and he freezes up, eyes drifting towards what it is. He already has some idea, but he doesn’t want to believe it.

Midoriya, after all his efforts in keeping himself awake, has passed out. His head is now resting on Shouto’s shoulder. The other has already fallen into a light snore.

He must be so tired… he thinks.

“He works so hard.”

Shouto’s head whips to look at Yaoyorozu, who’s watching them from the rear view mirror.

“He’s a good one.” She whispers. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

Without thinking, he nods slowly. There’s no doubt about it; Midoriya is strong and beautiful. He inspires everyone around him to strive to be a better version of themselves. He’s got everything it takes to be a hero, and that’s valuable.

A particular bump in the road sends Midoriya off of his shoulder, and Shouto is quick to grab him, slowly putting him on his lap. His heart flutters as his fingers accidentally feel at those soft curls on the other’s head. It was an accident, he tells himself. I can’t do it again.

But his lithe fingers find themselves in Midoriya’s hair again, getting caught a bit. Midoriya smiles in his sleep, and Shouto gasps softly. He’s never had someone rest in his lap before. Even his cat never really did this. It’s… new. Shouto can’t recall the amount of times his body’s warmed up. He doesn’t want to move, doesn’t want to leave him. But his home comes into view, and Shouto could already imagine his father waiting for him in the kitchen.

They pull up in front to the Todoroki residence, and Shouto’s shoulders slump. Yaoyorozu gives him a look; it’s sad. Sympathetic. Shouto hates it.

Nevertheless, he gently picks up Midoriya’s head with one hand, opening the door with the other one. Slowly, Shouto slips out from underneath, putting the other’s head down as he exits the car. He tries to close the door as gently as possible.

Yaoyorozu looks at him from the open window, smiling softly. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he’s safe.”

Shouto nods. That’s all I can ask for.

As the car drives away, Shouto can’t help but stare. Midoriya isn’t in his sight anymore. Isn’t in his lap. And yet, it feels like he’s still around, lingering. Perhaps it’s because Shouto’s thinking so damn much about him. But you know what? He doesn’t think this will stop. Not unless he assesses himself. Looks at where they stand, and is sure about what Midoriya actually means to him. Even as Shouto walks up the stairs, he only thinks of one thing:

That small, freckled boy in a bright yellow hoodie.

Chapter Text

Izuku isn’t exaggerating when he says that the past few days have been the best days in his life.

Here’s the rundown: not only is Izuku getting closer to Todoroki, but Todoroki is also warming up to the rest of the class. He doesn’t really… talk to them, but they talk to him, and he listens. He reacts. Todoroki has a conversation with them without moving his lips and they understand ninety percent of the time. They’ve even learned that close ended questions are a lot more efficient in Todoroki’s favor.

However, as much as Izuku is glad that Todoroki is really opening up to him, it’s becoming quite… challenging to be around the other boy. When Izuku is around his friends, he feels fine. Todoroki is also a friend of his, but around him, Izuku feels… not fine? But not bad either?

Stressful is more like it.

It shouldn’t be. Todoroki is my friend, he tells himself. So Izuku does he feel this way? Why does his heartbeat step out of its rhythm whenever Todoroki so much as looks at him? Why do his palms get sweaty, his head filled with goop, his stomach with butterflies?

Izuku thinks about the last time he saw Todoroki out of uniform. He had a plain white tee, but wore a jean jacket, the sleeves rolled up to a little bit over his elbows. There was a word Izuku can’t recall on the collar, but he can remember that it was in red and in cursive, which was really pretty.

He looked so good… Izuku thinks to himself, not being able to hold in a pleased sigh. He always does.

Wait. No. Stop that. Izuku, he is your friend. You friend. You can’t just--

“Izuku?” His mother calls from the other side of the door. “Are you alright? You’ve been spending quite a while in there.”

“Ah, sorry! I dozed off!” Izuku says. It’s half true, which is why he doesn’t feel as bad saying it.

He hears his mum laugh. “Silly boy, come on out. You’re going to be late for school!”

Izuku looks up at the clock in their bathroom and-- holy shit he’s gonna be more than late! Jesus fuck, he’s gonna get chewed out by Aizawa-sensei if he doesn’t get there within the next ten minutes!

Izuku dashes out of the bathroom, running into his bedroom and throwing on his school uniform before running back out. His feet skid across the floor as he makes haste into the kitchen, giving a kiss to his mother’s cheek.

“Bye, mum! Love you!” Izuku says, running towards the door and quickly putting on his shoes as he runs out the door.

As he dashes down the streets--’ Sorry!’ ‘I’m in a rush!’ ’Whoops!’ --, Izuku realizes that there’s no way he’s going to be able to get to UA in time. At this rate, anyway.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, he thinks. Would it be illegal? Maybe. But he has to make it to school before the gates close, even if it’s by a hair.

Izuku can feel the familiar surge of One For All coursing through his body, energizing him. Izuku runs as fast he can to build up speed, sparking beginning to fly around him as he pants heavily. The last stretch is ahead. If he can make it with just one jump, it’ll be a miracle.

Izuku braces himself, teeth clenching.

Three…

His toes press harder against the ground.

Two…

His knees bend.

One…

He lowers himself as possible, envisioning his body as a spring.

Go!

Izuku then ejects himself into the air, just the way All Might has done so many times before him. What he definitely didn’t expect, though, is just how high he’s propelled himself. The wind whips at Izuku’s hair, his eyes only catching a glimpse of the ground before they snap back up to the sky.

It’s amazing.

Just then, though, Izuku hears something… loud. Like a rocket taking off. He moves his head to the source, and his eyes widen considerably.

Oh shit.

It all happens in slow motion to Izuku. In amidst a firestorm is the hero Endeavor, who looks just as surprised as him. But Endeavor’s expression changes into something more sinister as the older man passes him. Izuku’s eyes never leave him, feeling the heat of those bright flames. With how close the two of them are, they lick at him, setting Izuku’s nerves on fire as he’s touched by a controlled inferno. When Endeavor then passes him, Izuku’s mind returns to the present, seeing the school just a couple of meters ahead, and he tries his damn hardest to ignore the pain coming from his arm.

Seeing a flagpole sticking out of a building, Izuku takes it as his last chance at making it. As he descends, he latches into it, swinging himself around like a gymnast in the goddamn Olympics. Izuku flies through the air again, this time getting closer to the school! Success! Now he can just land and-- oh fuck, how is gonna land?! Is that a tree?! Oh Christ All-Mighty nononono--

Izuku ends up smacking into the tree, and he falls right through the branches as he lands in the bushes. His head, obviously, takes the brunt of it all, but he quickly scrambles to his feet, running through the school’s entrance and hearing the gates shut behind him. As if they expecting Izuku to come at the very last minute.

Izuku doesn’t have time to be relieved, making his way into the building and up to his classroom in a hurry as the power of his Quirk drains out of him, making his limbs suddenly feel like lead. Once he gets to the huge door of Class 1-A, he slides it open, and all chatter ceases as he walks in.

Aizawa-sensei looks him up and down with a tired but critical eye. “... Midoriya.” He says, looking over at the papers in his hand. “You made it just in time for homeroom. Please take your seat.”

“Yes, Aizawa-sensei…” Izuku says, resigned as he walks by in robotic steps, and slowly eases himself into his chair. As the roll call begins, he can feel something touch his hair.

“Damn, Bushhead. I thought it was out of season for you to be growing fucking leaves.” Bakugo says. Izuku can tell the amusement behind his voice. Izuku turns his head to the boy behind him.

“Kacchan…” Izuku says, seeing Bakugo twisting the leaf at the stem between two of his fingers.

“Sorry, Leaf Boy. I didn’t want this to fall on my desk.” Bakugo says, throwing it on the floor. Well, that’s not much better, is it?

Izuku shakes his head, making other leaves fall out of his head. He spends the entire class trying to pick twigs out, clean his uniform as best as possible, and keep his exposed upper arm from touching anything. Once homeroom was over, Izuku gets up to move.

“Midoriya.”

Izuku freezes, looking over at his teacher. “Ah-- yes, Aizawa-sensei?”

“Mind telling me why you came in here looking like you just rolled in dirt?”

Izuku laughs nervously. “I… saved a cat out a tree… and… fell out of it.”

Aizawa-sensei is staring him, his eyes then setting on Izuku’s arm. “What happened there?”

“Oh! Uh,” Shit. What can he say that won’t sound like bullshit? “I must’ve scraped against something. It doesn’t hurt, though.” Except it does. It fucking burns.

His teacher doesn’t seem the least bit convinced, but he stops prying. “I hope you know that you won’t be getting a new uniform today. I’ll have to file an order for you.”

“Ah! Of course, I--”

Out of seemingly nowhere, Aizawa-sensei throws a sealed bag at him. Izuku barely manages to catch it, looking at the contents inside.

“Change into that for now. It’ll be embarrassing for you to just walk around all tattered like that when it’s not caused by a battle.” Aizawa-sensei says, eyes drifting towards the door. “By the way, I know you guys are there. No use hiding.”

You guys? Izuku thinks. Just then, Uraraka, Iida, and Todoroki shuffle into the room.

“I told you he’d find out.” Iida says.

“Can’t say we didn’t try.” Uraraka sighs. Her eyes then set on Izuku, going from happy to worried in a matter of seconds as she runs over to him.

“Deku! What happened to you?!” She says, her big eyes looking at him all over. Izuku is used to it, he doesn’t mind how she tries to see through him like glass.

“I just fell out of a tree trying to save a cat, is all.” Izuku feels bad, lying to her. But he did really fall out of a tree. There’s just a bunch of half-lies today, huh?

“Your arm,” Iida points out. He’s more controlled than Uraraka is, but Izuku doesn’t miss the way the other’s eyebrows knit together in concern. “What happened to it?”

“Oh! It’s just a scrape. Don’t worry.” Technically, it is a scrape. A scrape from almost shouldering the fucking second best hero on the planet. He can see how Todoroki’s eyes focus intently on his arm, but his face is rather set.

“Maybe you should go see Recovery Girl?” Uraraka suggest, her hands folded together as she fidgets a bit. She’s always done that whenever she’s worried. It makes Izuku feel... terrible.

“It’s not that bad,” Izuku says, looking at his injury. He doubts it, but he still hopes it won’t blister. “I’ll have to change before I consider it, though. So, excuse me…”

“Oh! Of course--” Iida says, moving out of the way. Uraraka does the same as Izuku holds the bag close to his chest, beginning to walk out. Todoroki is the last to move, eyeing Izuku’s form.

I hope he doesn’t notice anything, Izuku thinks to himself as he exits the room, speedwalking into the bathroom around the corner. Sighing softly, he walks into a bathroom stall, locking it.

Carefully, Izuku starts removing his clothes. Endeavor had definitely ruined his uniform; the hole in the sleeve of his jacket isn’t big, but it’s eaten away, just like the shirt he’s wearing. He folds the jacket, setting it on the lidded toilet seat. He removes his shirt, being extra careful to pull off the pieces of the fabric that had stuck onto his burn. Jesus, it’s not that bad, of course, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less.

Izuku hears someone come in, entering the stall right next to him. He makes nothing of it. His phone vibrates in his pocket, though, and he takes it out.

From: Todoroki Shouto

That’s not a scrape. That’s a burn.

Of course. Izuku doesn’t know what he expected. Todoroki, of all people, would know how burns look like.

He tries not to think about the scar on the other’s face.

From: Todoroki Shouto

Don’t try fooling me. I can see you.

… Huh?

To: Todoroki Shouto

don’t you mean you saw me? like, earlier?

From: Todoroki Shouto

No.

He can’t be serious. Izuku, slightly concerned, looks everywhere around him. On the ground, between the cracks of the stall door. Slowly, though, he raises his head and--

“Oh my god!” Izuku shrieks, his back hitting the side of the stall. It’s impossible to think otherwise; above the stall is a peeking Todoroki, who doesn’t seem shamed in the slightest bit that he’s literally looking at Izuku shirtless. Fucking hell, Izuku just wants to hide.

“Todoroki-kun?! What are you doing?! I’m changing!” Izuku says, his voice going up at least two octaves. Todoroki doesn’t seem fazed at all, though he looks down momentarily.

From: Todoroki Shouto

You lied. I want to help.

You could’ve told me that when I was done changing… Izuku thinks, feeling his cheeks heating up. Was Todoroki that worried that he felt the need to see Izuku’s injury while he was unaware of it?

“Okay, okay! Just-- at least let me finish changing first? I’ll be out in a minute!” Izuku says. Todoroki stares at him, squinting. But he gives in. Izuku can hear the other getting off of the toilet and out the stall, but it’s clear that he doesn’t get out of the bathroom.

Izuku sighs heavily. Had he known this would happen, he would’ve just gone to Recovery Girl after all. Not that there’s anything wrong with Todoroki being worried about him-- it’s greatly appreciated to know that his friend cares about him-- but… it’s… Todoroki. The guy who has been at least ninety percent of his thoughts. The guy he was literally so hung up on this morning that he was late to school. The mere thought of oh my god he saw me shirtless and I didn’t even notice is enough to make him let out a small sound into the fabric he smothers into his face.

With a deep breath, Izuku gets back to the task at hand, changing into a new set of clothes; a typical tee and sweatpants. It’s certainly more comfortable than what he had in before, but he wonders why UA has something like this in the first place. Maybe a lot of students bust up their uniforms?

Izuku makes his way out of the stall, finding Todoroki leaning on one of the sinks. Upon seeing him, though, the other pushes off of the sink, making a beeline towards him before grabbing at Izuku’s wrist.

I’m going to die in the boy’s bathroom.

Todoroki sits him down on the a bench inside the bathroom-- Izuku will never get why there’s one in the first place--, his hands moving to the edge of Izuku’s short sleeve.

“W-wait--” Izuku says, feeling frightened. “Please, be careful. It…” He hesitates. There’s no use lying. “It hurts.”

Todoroki’s expression softens, and he nods. Cautious fingers slowly roll up the sleeve, and there’s a strain between Todoroki’s brows that Izuku finds he doesn't like.

Todoroki lifts his hand, and Izuku can already feel the cool air that surrounds it. He gives Izuku a look of pending approval.

“Go ahead…” Izuku says quietly. He wouldn’t be able to say no even if he wanted to.

Todoroki’s hand comes over his burn, chilling the heat that spurred in that area. It’s… relaxing. Izuku’s shoulders drop as a wave of relief hits him, and he catches himself sighing.

“Oh, wow…” Izuku says blissfully.

Todoroki gives him a gentle smile. Is Izuku dreaming? He feels like he is. Where else would Todoroki give him a smile while tending to his wounds? If this is a dream, he doesn’t want to wake up.

They stay that way for a while, Izuku taking the time to just… absorb Todoroki’s presence. It’s not the first time he and Todoroki have been together, considering all the walks they’ve went on. But they’d be in the middle of a crowd, in the middle of buzzing train passengers and bystanders on the streets. Here, it’s silent. Nothing is moving around them. It’s a different way to take in how the other boy steps into his space.

“Todoroki-kun?” Izuku says, eyes travelling to see Todoroki kneeling next him as he regulates the temperature of his hand. His eyes look up at Izuku’s, warm and soft.

“Thank you for this.” Izuku realizes just how quiet his voice becomes. Quieter than intended. Some kind of… feeling has slipped through.

He didn’t think Todoroki’s expression could get any more soft, but it does. It does, and Izuku feels like he’s underwater, but not drowning. In fact, he’s below the surface, but he’s breathing in now more than ever.

Todoroki almost looks like he’s melting, eyes filled with what seems like absolute adoration. Izuku believe this is just his brain deceiving him; there’s a huge chance that Todoroki is just smiling at him, nothing more. But the smile in Izuku’s eyes is one of kindness, of care, and Izuku’s head is swimming. His mouth is dry, his chest feels like it’s about to burst. There’s one thought that keeps circling in his brain, a feeling trickling down even to the deepest parts of his body.

I’m so in love with you.

The universe, with all its power, must’ve thought time was up for them. Because right then, the door swings open, revealing Bakugo and Kirishima.

“Like I said, man. I just think that-- oh!” Kirishima says, noticing the two of them. Fuck. “Midoriya! Todoroki! Hi! I was wondering where you guys went.”

“You guys missed class, you fucking geniuses. At this rate, I’ll swipe your spots on the grade charts in no time.” Bakugo says, opening one of the stall doors. “I gotta take a piss.”

“I mean. That’s why we’re here--”

“Shut up!” With that, the stall door slams, and Kirishima smiles.

“So, what are you guys doing here?” He asks. Izuku opens his mouth to say something, but Kirishima notices how Todoroki is holding onto his arm.

“Whoa! Dude! Is that the thing from this morning? How’d that happen?”

“Oh, uh, it’s just a scrape…” Izuku says, feeling the glare of Todoroki’s eyes on him. He feels too afraid to look.

“And you just sat through homeroom, enduring the pain?” Kirishima’s hand comes to a very strong fist as he nods his head. “Now that’s manly. I hope you know I love and appreciate you for that. Amongst other things.”

“What the FUCK did you just say?!” Bakugo yells from the stall.

“Don’t yell, Bakugo! The men are talking!” Kirishima says, his toothy smile making Izuku smile a bit himself. There’s a loud thud on the stall door, but nothing else.

“Anyway,” Kirishima says. “I hope you feel better soon.”

“Ah, thank you! I’m actually feeling a lot better.”

Kirishima smiles. “Of course you are. You’re in good hands, Midoriya.”

Izuku’s eyes look at Todoroki momentarily. I’m so in love with you.

“I know.”

--

Sometimes, things don’t go as planned.

Izuku’s heartbeat thuds in his ears, making him dizzy as he runs around the corner. The lack of breath is doing more harm than good at this rate, but he can’t stop. Not now.

A villain is chasing him, their large, monstrous form contorting to rip through the narrow passageways between buildings. When he first saw them while on the walk home with Todoroki, they were so much bigger. However, since they split themselves into two separate beings and broke Todoroki and him apart, Izuku is now left to deal with this one on his own.

It’s not like he could use his Quirk either. The first time Iida, Todoroki, and himself used them to take down the Hero Killer, they almost got arrested for it. And as much as Izuku hates to run away, All Might told him it’s all he can do in order to survive during situations like this one. Especially when he’s in civies.

“Shitshitshitshit--” Izuku spits out. His legs are tiring out, he’s getting slower. The villain behind him lets out a vile cry, making Izuku cover his ears in effort to shield them from the sound. He turns his head, for only a second, to see a fist coming right for him.

From making it second nature, his Quirk activates, strengthening him for the inevitable impact. Izuku uses his arm as protection as he feels the fist hit it, blowing Izuku back. He tries his best to ground himself, tries his best to not his the building behind him as the sole of his shoes wear down from skidding across gravel.

Izuku does end up hitting the wall enough to knock the air out of his lungs, but not enough to incapacitate him. He quickly moves out of the way, a giant fist ripping through the building instead of him as he heaves.

He can’t keep this up. His body won’t allow it.

The villain lets out another screech. Izuku covers his ears, clenching his teeth. This time, though, he sees their first coming towards him again. In the worst possible time, Izuku freezes, not knowing what to do.

You can’t use your Quirk. You can’t move, but one more step, and you’ll collapse. Either way, you’re done for.

Izuku closes his eyes tightly, trying to ready himself as best as possible for impact before--

“Not so fast!” He hears someone yell, their voice loud and booming. There’s no mistake. A streak of red, white, and blue comes into vision, knocking the villain right into another building. The sheer force of the air alone is enough to make Izuku fall and roll backwards like a helpless tumbleweed because how weak he is right now.

“Young Midoriya!” All Might says, running over to him and helping him up. For the sake of not worrying All Might more than he already has, he tries his best to suppress the shaking of his legs. “Young Midoriya, are you okay? Speak to me, boy!”

“I’m fine,” Izuku manages to cough out, the debris making it slightly hard to breathe.

“Don’t worry, you’re safe now. The paramedics will be coming soon. The pros are here.” All Might’s voice is soothing. Well, as soothing as a guy with a voice as deep as is could be. Izuku can see at least five other heroes pile onto the villain in the distance.

As well as a certain person coming towards All Might and him, sliding on a sleek slate of ice.

“Young Todoroki?! What’re you—?” Another screech from the villain, and a pro is kicked right up into the air. All Might looks back, then looks at Todoroki, who has been ignoring him the whole time and looking at Izuku instead with huge eyes. It worried Izuku to death.

“Nevermind. Todoroki, protect Young Midoriya until the paramedics get here. I’ll be back.” Facing Izuku now, he tries his best to not look concerned, but Izuku can tell. Even behind his smile, All Might is a human being, just as emotional as everyone else.

Todoroki immediately nods, hopping off of his-- what? Ice slide? All Might leaves them, doing… hero stuff. Off. His head hurts.

“Hi, Todoroki-kun…” Izuku says, feeling lightheaded as he tries to walk over to the other boy. It was definitely a bad idea, because the moment he moves, he’s already falling forward. Todoroki is quick to catch him-- so quick.

Izuku’s body feels heavy. He must be heavy for Todoroki. But Todoroki shows no sign of struggle as he scoops Izuku off of his feet, moving farther from the action going on a few feet away from them. He didn’t even ask if Izuku wanted to be carried. He can feel himself feeling like he’s falling slowly as he and Todoroki sink to the ground. He’s still in Todoroki’s arms.

“I’m sorry…” Izuku says quietly, looking up at Todoroki. The edges around the other are blurred, his eyes creating this… illusion of dull tunnel vision. Todoroki looks at him strangely, his brows furrowing.

“Our walk…” Izuku says, his tongue becoming weighty. “It.. it was ruined. You’re gonna... be late. I’m sorry.”

Todoroki’s mouth opens, but it shuts quickly, and Todoroki is shaking his head. It’s like he doesn’t care, but Izuku knows that he does. So why? Why is he staying? He knows that All Might told him to stay, but he could have left when he was still heading towards him. Izuku wouldn’t have taken offense. But he’s here, and a selfish part of Izuku is happy he is.

The arm that is burned is pressing against Todoroki, but Izuku can’t bring himself to care. He’s pretty sure that he’s got some bruises everywhere now. Nothing new here.

“You’re so kind, Todoroki-kun.” Izuku says, blinking slowly as he feels a smile split his face. “You’ve been... such a help to me. You always… have been.”

Todoroki looks at him, almost… stunned. As if he doesn’t believe him-- as if he can’t believe him. Izuku knows that whenever his head becomes all jumbled and messy, he can say some pretty bizarre things. But what he said is clear. And he meant it.

Izuku’s heart hurts from throbbing so much. His eyelids are too heavy, and his breathing is jacked up. He can’t bring himself to stay awake anymore. Everything’s getting blurry, and he closes his eyes, feeling tired.

You’re in good hands, Midoriya.

Someone’s calling his name. He can barely hear them. But Izuku doesn’t recognize their voice. His consciousness fades into oblivion.

Chapter Text

Shouto cracks his knuckles subconsciously as he sits in the emergency room. It’s always full here; so many heroes have accidents every day. This is where they end up. And Midoriya, who care very little about his own health, is one of the more... frequent patients. So frequent, in fact, that a lot of the hospital staff know him and usually just take care of him right away.

From what Shouto saw, Midoriya seemed fine. The extent of injuries he saw were a couple of bruises poking here and there. What he’s most worried about, though, is a particular large on one of his forearms.

He may have super strength, Shouto thinks. But he’s far from invincible. Images of Midoriya breaking his limbs over and over again for months fill his mind. The way he used his fingers even while they were broken during the sports festival. As a fighter both physically and mentally, Midoriya is stronger than any person he’s ever met. But even he has his limits.

A doctor comes by and stops in front of Todoroki. She only meets his eyes once before snapping her gaze towards the clipboard instead. “Um, are you Midoriya’s friend?”

She’s intimidated.

Shouto snaps his fingers, trying to get her attention. In the brief moment that she looks at him, Shouto nods as quickly as possible.

“Well, Todoroki-sama, you can ease your nerves. Not that you looked nervous, but just. Yeah.” She says. “There’s no internal damage, and the external damage-- besides his left arm and back-- is relatively minimal. He only passed out from exhaustion, and should be discharged half an hour after waking up. Make sure he keeps icing it for a bit.”

That’s a relief. He knew as much, but it’s always good for suspicions to be confirmed.

“If you’d like to see him, he’s in room 102 upstairs.” She says, finally looking up at him. Her eyes are set on his scar. He doesn’t care. Everyone zones in on it.

Shouto bows shallowly, walking off to visit Midoriya. His mind is pretty much blank; he doesn’t feel as nervous anymore. But hearing that Midoriya so tired he ended up passing out…

He’s been doing that a lot lately. Shouto doesn’t like it.

Once he gets the other’s door, his hand reaches out to slide it open, only to hesitate. What if Shouto wakes him up and Midoriya hasn’t rested enough? He’ll just go back to being Midoriya, and he can’t afford to do that. Judging by how hard he passed out, though, Shouto thinks he’s being rather silly.

As Shouto opens the door, everything is quiet. It’s like the room was made to let Midoriya sleep. He slowly closes the door, trying to be as quiet as possible. His steps are light as he nears the bed, finding Midoriya fast asleep.

Thank goodness, Shouto thinks. He sits in the seat provided. It has one of those tough, uncomfortable cushions, but he’ll deal with it.

Seeing Midoriya’s face, Shouto can see just how… tired he looks. There’s a tinge of darkness underneath the boy’s eyes, and they’re slightly baggy. As if he hasn’t slept in a while. He’s already drooling a bit, but Shouto could care less about that. The same light snore that he heard in Yaoyorozu is present now.

Looking over the rest of Midoriya’s form, he can see how his bruised arm is now bandaged. Shouto can see some medical patches poking here and there. He… wishes he could’ve made it sooner. If he did, this wouldn’t have happened.

But the past is in the past, Shouto thinks, sighing softly. There’s no point in wishing about what I could’ve done.

The sun is starting to set, the sky turning a warm orange. The light is reflected on Midoriya’s face. It makes him look so… soft. Fragile. Beautiful. The green of his hair reminds him of summer trees, his complexion golden. Being this close to him and having nothing but Midoriya’s earthy scent, everything about the other boy is ethereal.

Shouto’s hand reaches to gently put itself on the bandaged arm, and he tries his best to cool the skin underneath the material. He’s had such a rough day today. Rougher than he’s seen on the surface, anyway. God, there’s so much Shouto doesn’t know about  Midoriya. He doesn’t know what the other struggles with. His fears, what makes him sad, his past. No matter how open he looks, he’s a closed book like Shouto is. Like anyone on this planet, Midoriya shows what he wants to. He can’t force the boy to tell him anything-- and God knows he would never--, but…

This is the boy who’s on his mind. The boy who makes Shouto’s heart beat like he’s the only reason it’s functioning in the first place. The one who makes Shouto’s mouth dry. The one who makes Shouto second guess himself, who makes him trip up, who makes him snatch his phone up quickly.

The one who made him speak his first word in a long, long time.

That’s right. He remembers.

--

As Midoriya was succumbing to sleep, Shouto had panicked. The rational side of him had guessed that it was just a case of severe exhaustion. But his feeling side, the side that has been so… agitated lately. Before he could even catch himself, the word ripped out of his throat, like a machine that had just started to work after collecting dust and cobwebs.

“Midoriya!” Shouto yelled, shaking the other as gently but firmly as he could. But it was futile; his voice fell on deaf ears. Shocked at his own action and Midoriya going unconscious in his arms, Shouto’s eyes became bleary, feeling… wet. They were welling with something nearly foreign to him, his only memory being when his mother was sent away. Before they spilled, though, he evaporated them as he heard All Might’s voice coming closer.

--

Shouto can’t believe how ridiculous he was. How he’s being. Midoriya wasn’t dying, but he reacted as if he was. Midoriya is supposed to leave the hospital today, but Shouto can’t shake off the feeling that he’ll have an overnight stay. Because that’s always how it is with Midoriya. Midoriya pushes himself too hard, too far.

Shouto’s hand almost curls to hold onto Midoriya’s arm tighter. His lips begin to tremble, and he sucks them in instead. It’s inevitable that Midoriya is going to hurt himself.

I want to protect him… he tells himself, looking at Midoriya’s closed eyes. I want to protect him. I want to protect him. He’s strong. He doesn’t need me to. He wouldn’t want me to unless he had to ask me. But I don’t want him to hurt himself as bad as he does. I don’t want him to be in here more often that he needs to.

Shouto’s heart hurts. What is this feeling? Everyone in their class is willing to put their lives on the line. Everyone can land a visit in the nurse’s office or the hospital from time to time. But Midoriya is different. Shouto cares about him. So damn much. It’s terrifying, because he doesn’t even care about his mother and siblings the way he cares about Midoriya. Before Midoriya, he cared about no one but himself. Midoriya is the one who makes him realize he has a heart, that he has a soul, that he’s more than just some tool his father made him to be.

Midoriya makes him feel like he’s a person.

I care about him.

Shouto’s head drops a bit. He can’t help how his hand gently presses into the other’s arm even more. He has so many thoughts. So many feelings. Like sand in a sifter, Shouto tries to find only the solid chunks; tries to find out what they all mean, nothing else.

As he sits up, his lungs expand as he takes in a slow breath. His senses are garbled, as if he’s having his first breath of air in a tub of tar. Shouto hasn’t felt this much in such a long time, and of course Midoriya is the one who has reached deep into his heart, tearing these feelings out. It’s not like he admitted this to Midoriya. He’ll probably never get the chance to. But he’s not blind to it anymore. There’s a name for what he feels. But he can’t find it just yet, and it’s so… frustrating. Had Shouto been any other person, had he been born as someone who is a little more in tune with themselves, then maybe--

Just then, Midoriya begins to stir, and those bright green eyes begin to flutter open. Whatever high he was is smacked right out of him, and the nervousness settles back in. Midoriya groans, rubs at his eyes, and blinks at him.

“Todoroki-kun?”

Shouto nods. A thousand thoughts race through his head, trying to dominate each other, but nothing comes out. His lips act like a steel gate between the outside world and his voice, and he’s thankful for that.

Midoriya looks at his arm, which oh god Shouto is still fucking holding onto--

“Is it so bad that you had to ice it?...” Midoriya says, frowning a bit. It makes Shouto feel bad; he doesn’t want him to frown. It doesn’t look good on him. But Shouto nods anyway.

As long as I have an excuse, he thinks.

Midoriya sighs, but soon smiles. “Thank you, Todoroki-kun. I know I’m a bit of a handful--”

Shouto shakes his head, not letting Midoriya finish his sentence. No. No. Never.

Midoriya licks his lips as his brows knit together, presumably in thought. “I hope I’m at least thirty percent better once I recover. I don’t wanna miss the trip.”

Oh. Oh. That trip. The supposed ‘vacation’ that’s supposed to last a week. There’s still going to be hero related activities-- like sparring, Quirk training. The physical activity in that field’s going to be brutal, and Shouto doesn’t want him to go. Because there’s no way their teachers would stop Midoriya from training, because he’s stubborn like that.

Shouto gives a disapproving look without meaning to, and Midoriya raises a brow.

“No?” He asks. “Why?”

Shouto’s in too deep now. Shouto’s eyes drift down to Midoriya’s arm before they come back up to meet Midoriya’s green irises. They’re so gentle.

“Don’t worry. It doesn’t really hurt. I’ll be okay.”

I know you will. But I don’t want you to overwork yourself.

Shouto sighs. There’s no use in arguing. He’s only Midoriya’s… friend. He’s no one significant in his life. It hurts to admit.

“Hey.”

That catches Shouto’s attention, and he faces that bright, soft smile that makes his insides gooey.

“Thank you for staying me. I appreciate it.”

… Shouto can’t help but give a small smile.

For you? Always.

--

Shouto didn’t think he’d spend his night this way.

After he and Midoriya got out of the hospital, Midoriya’s mother had called. By how loud she was speaking into the receiver and the apologetic face Midoriya was making, she must’ve been very worried about her son not calling her sooner. He mentioned about Shouto staying with him at the hospital. Midoriya’s brows had furrowed as he came to a stop, making Shouto feel confused.

“Uh… I don’t know…”

A bit of more talking on her end of the line. Midoriya’s eyes look at Shouto. It made him feel lost.

“My mother’s asking if you’d like to stay over for dinner.”

Oh. Holy shit. Shouto had to think it over; Midoriya’s mother invited him for dinner. Probably because she wanted to thank him for looking after him. It made him feel… sheepish. But Endeavor…

“She says it’s okay to say no.”

After a stretch of silence, Shouto nodded anyway, already conjuring up a plan in his head. After Midoriya hung up the phone, Todoroki has explained what he was thinking through text.

“That’s brilliant!” Midoriya said.

So now they’re here, walking up the stairs to Midoriya’s apartment. Shouto is texting at the speed of fucking light at this point.

To: peachy keen!

Yaoyorozu.

From: peachy keen!

Todoroki.

To: peachy keen!

I need help. Stat.

From: peachy keen!

What happened?

To: peachy keen!

I’m staying over at Midoriya’s house for dinner and I need backup.

Endeavor’s going to chew me out since I’m not home.

From: peachy keen!

Phase one point five? Oh wow.

Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

To: peachy keen!

I don’t know what you mean by that but also don’t care much at the moment.

Please, please, please save my ass.

From: peachy keen!

Don’t I always?

Do you wanna extend your stay? I can say you’re deciding to stay overnight at my place since we have stuff to do.

To: peachy keen!

…

Let me ask.

To: Midoriya Izuku

Is it… okay if I stay over?

Midoriya reads over the message, and Shouto swears he can see his face redden. It’s so fucking cute.

“A-ah, if you want to! I mean, my mother definitely wouldn’t mind--”

Shouto nods, smiling a bit. He types one last message on his phone.

To: peachy keen!

Yes please. Thank you. I owe you one.

He then stores his phone in his pocket, feeling it vibrate, but he doesn’t take it out again.

 Shouto and Midoriya now approach the door, and he’s already breaking a sweat. What does he do? What if Midoriya’s mother criticizes him for not speaking? What if she doesn’t understand him?

Midoriya must’ve noticed Shouto’s nervousness, because he places a tentative on Shouto’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry.” Midoriya says softly. “My voice is yours.”

What a lovely voice to have.

As Midoriya knocks on the door, Shouto can hear the clanking of pots hitting each other.

“Coming!” says the voice on the other side. By first impressions, Midoriya’s mother seems just as clumsy as Midoriya himself is. The door unlocks and swings open, revealing a small woman with a big, bright smile and even bigger eyes. Shouto definitely get where Midoriya gets his looks from.

“Hello, Todoroki-kun!” Midoriya’s mother greets, looking up at him. “Oh, wow. I certainly didn’t expect you to be so tall! My Izuku seems so little small next to you--”

“Mum…” Midoriya says, his tone giving away the fact that he’s embarrased. Shouto mentally checks his own height; he’s a little over the average at five foot nine. He didn’t think he was that tall. Midoriya is pretty close, reaching to about his chin.

“Alright, alright.” Midoriya’s mother says. “Come on in! It’ll be a bit till dinner is ready, so feel free to relax!”

The two of them then enter the household. Shouto looks around, blinking. It seems like the Midoriyas did the most with the space they were provided. The apartment itself is… surprisingly cozy. Small. Humble. Everything Endeavor’s place isn’t. Sometimes Shouto forgets that people don’t live like he and Yaoyorozu do. In fact, now that he thinks about it, he doesn’t think he’s ever visited anyone else’s home besides Yaoyorozu’s.

“Hey, Todoroki-kun!” Midoriya says, catching his attention. “Come! Lemme show you my room!”

His room. His room. Holy shit. He’s about to enter the Midoriya's HQ.

Of course, Shouto follows. But not before peeking into the kitchen, seeing how Midoriya’s mother hums to herself as she stirs something up. It’s… nice. To see a mother being kind. He tried not to remember his own.

As Shouto enters the room, he is immediately bombarded with superhero merchandise. All Might posters line the walls, as well as a bunch of other heroes.

Including Endeavor.

He suppresses the urge to grimace, instead looking around more. There are shelves upon shelves of different hero trinkets and figurines. Clothes showcasing elite teams lie on the floor, and he picks one up. All Might’s slogan is printed on the front, with a logo of a fist.

“Oh! Aha, uh, I don’t actually… wear these anymore. Kinda.” Midoriya murmurs, kicking some of the clothes to the side. “Mostly to sleep. Sometimes.”

Shouto grins a bit. So he wears superhero merch as pajamas. As expected from a stan. Instead of throwing the shirt on the floor, he folds it up, placing it somewhere. It’s out of habit. Everything he does is out of habit.

“Sorry of all the nerdy stuff, too…” Midoriya says, plopping himself onto the bed. “I just. You know. I love superheroes a lot. Special interests and all.”

Shouto nods in understanding. His fingers twitch. He knows how to do this. Shouto raises his hands up, signing.

Me too.

Midoriya smiles wide, and Shouto can see his face go all pink. It’s… nice. Midoriya seems like he has very few people compliment his room, let alone share his intense interest in superheroes. After that exchange, Midoriya invites Shouto to see a mound of videos. He talks about hero tactics, appearances, how the press perceives them. Politics, social media, basically everything Shouto never really paid attention to until now. His mind lingers in every word.

Shouto is absolutely fascinated by Midoriya. Just a few hours ago, the boy had been fallen out of a tree saving a cat, got a mysterious burn, had his uniform ruined, got attacked by a villain, and landed himself in the hospital for a bit. And yet, here he is, talking about how much he admires how pro heroes try their best to keep everyone safe.

“Boys! Dinner is ready!” Midoriya’s mother calls. Midoriya pauses a video they had been watching together.

“Coming!” He says, putting the computer to sleep. “C’mon, Todoroki-kun. Let’s eat.”

Shouto nods, getting up and following Midoriya out the door. There’s a particular scent that tickles his nose; a scent only a mother’s cooking could have. Why is he thinking so much about mothers?

The table itself is already set, he and Midoriya sitting opposite sides of the table. Just like at Yaoyorozu’s place. Repercussions of the thoughts that had floated during that study session bubble inside his head.

“I hope you like katsudon, Todoroki-kun.” Midoriya’s mother says, putting a bowl in front of Shouto. It smells… amazing. There’s something about it that’s different than the katsudon Midoriya eats at school. It’s more… customized. Especially in the veggies department.

“In all honesty, after I heard Izuku got himself wrangled in the hospital, I wanted to cook him his feel-good food. If I had known you were coming before that, I would have cooked something… healthier.” She says. Very quickly, though, she adds; “I’m glad you’re here though!”

Shouto gives a small smile. So she’s who he got his rambling from.

Besides the (rather large) bowls of katsudon, Midoriya’s mother sets a smaller bowl of noodles next to them. At least, next to her bowl and Midoriya’s. She was right about this meal being unhealthy; the noodles themselves are adorned with all kinds of things. This is a bit off of what a traditional dinner is, but who cares?

They must eat a lot… Shouto thinks.

“Ah, sorry. We eat a lot…” Midoriya says, smiling sheepishly.

Another theory confirmed.

“Would you like some noodles, Todoroki-kun?” Midoriya’s mother asks. Shouto, feeling like he’s gonna burst once he eats his bowl of katsudon, decline her offer with a shake of his head. After all, the fact that he’s eating this while on a diet… well. Endeavor definitely wouldn’t be happy, that’s for sure.

She then sits down at the table, rubbing her hands together. “Alright! Let’s eat!”

The three of them together begin to dine. Apparently, the rule of ‘no talking at the table’ doesn’t exist in this household. The Midoriyas talk about their day, their plans, what they should do tomorrow… it’s all little, mundane things. Things that are sweet. Unlike this meal. This meal is full of so much fat that he’s sure he’ll be leaking a bit of grease in his sweat.

“Todoroki-kun,” Midoriya’s mother says. “What do you think?”

Shouto picks up his head, rice coming short of his mouth.

“Of the trip you guys are going on. You’re leaving in two days, aren’t you? Oh, it’s going to be lonesome here…” She mutters. Shouto doesn’t know how to answer her. Not in a way that wouldn’t involve him opening his mouth. He doesn’t want to do that. Ever again. It’d be too rude to answer through text anyway.

Midoriya seems to notice his hesitation, and he swallows down his food. “Actually…” He says, looking at Shouto for approval. “Todoroki-kun is mute.”

“Oh!” She says. Shouto is bracing himself for the questions. ‘Why?’ ‘How?’ ‘Was he born that way?’

Instead, none of that comes out of her. Midoriya’s mother looks at him in understanding.

“That’s fine!” She says. “Are you excited for the trip?”

Shouto is actually… surprised.

Midoriya’s mother had asked ‘What do you think?’, an open ended question that would have required me to give an answer through verbal communication. But after she learned I’m mute, she immediately rephrased her question as ‘Are you excited?’, a close ended question that can be answered by nod or a shake of the head. Could it be…?

He finds that both Midoriya and his mother are staring at him, expecting an answer. Shouto clears his throat, nodding. They both seem to smile on cue.

“I heard you guys are going to a private lodge somewhere in a forest.” She says. “Good. I hope that the abundance of trees will keep you hidden from all the bears and rabid animals.”

Midoriya laughs wholeheartedly. It makes Shouto’s heart jump in elation, and he has to pat his chest to give himself the feeling of putting it at rest.

“I don’t think we’d have to worry about animal attacks, Mama.” Midoriya says, picking up some noodles before slurping them up. “We-- mm-- have Koda-kun with us. He’s got a Quirk that helps him communicate with all species, even insects! He’s so cool!”

Shouto nods in agreement. It’s true; Koda doesn’t himself as much as credit as he should. Come to think about it, a good chunk of their class feel some kind of insecurity about their Quirks. His eyes drift to his left hand.

Nevertheless, Midoriya seems to take the conversation off onto a completely different tangent. The other begins to gush about their classmates-- ‘Oijiro-kun is so strong!’ ‘Hagakure-chan’s Quirk is great but she deserves a costume would disappear with her,’, ‘Satou-kun gets to eat candy and be strong at the same time! That’s awesome!’ --, his hands flapping so hard Shouto’s almost afraid that they’re going to fly off his wrists. There’s a certain familiarity in such erratic movement; whenever Shouto feels particularly upset, he’d start nibbling on his fingers. Or even just outright bite them. He’s learned to take better care of his fingers, though.

After they were done with their meals, Midoriya gets up, taking their plates. Shouto, being someone who has never liked letting other people do things for him, also gets up. But Midoriya’s mother stops him.

“Oop. Not so fast, Todoroki-kun.” She says, smiling softly. “You’re our guest, remember? Besides, it’s my little Izuku’s turn to wash the dishes today.”

He hears Midoriya chuckle from the kitchen area. “You say that like it’s torture.”

It’s… strange. This whole place is strange. Shouto is always the one who does the dishes at home. The one who always does the cooking, the cleaning, the laundry, the gardening. The Todoroki family, as wealthy as they are, have never had servants in their life. Because everyone would be assigned roles; well. Besides Shouto himself. He spent the majority of his childhood training to become a weapon against the number one hero to participate in whatever his brothers and sister did. But with his mother and siblings out of the picture, as well as every other person who resided in their home, Shouto was left to do everything himself. Everything Shouto has done up till now was done by him, no one else.

It seems like Midoriya’s mother doesn’t think that much differently.

Shouto doesn’t know what to do now. So he sits down.

“Mum?” Midoriya says from the kitchen, a bit louder than necessary. Probably because of the running water. “Is it okay if… Todoroki-kun stays the night?”

Midoriya’s mother gasps, looking at Shouto. “Oh! Of course you can, Todoroki-kun! Hold on, I have to get the futon out of the closet.” As she scurries to do just that, she stops, looking over her shoulder. “I’m sorry-- do you mind sleeping in Izuku’s room? I’d hate for you to be alone in the living room. Of course, if you’re fine with it.”

“R-right! Uh, no objections here!”

Shouto’s mind stops doing its thing. Only two thoughts present themselves in the blank space of his mind; yes or no.

Say ‘yes’, and you run the risk of uncertainty. Closeness. You’ll be sharing space for more than just a few hours. Say ‘no’. It’s smarter.

It’s solid. Logical. That’s what he should do.

… But he doesn’t want to do that. And without the heavy foot of his father’s foot on his back just for a night, Shouto is free to do whatever the fuck he wants.

Shouto nods.

“Great!” Midoriya’s mother says, opening a door-- the closet, he assumes--and digging through. She takes out a rather small futon, and Midoriya turns off the water of the sink. “Hopefully this will suffice for now!

“Here, Mum. I’ll take it--” Midoriya says, but his mother practically hugs it close to her.

“Oh no you don’t, mister. You need to take a shower.”

“Ah--” Midoriya looks over at Shouto, turning crimson red. Shouto didn’t think that’d be possible. His eyes quickly whip to his mother again. “Did you have to say that now?”

“Yes.” She says. She’s smiling, but Shouto doesn’t understand why. Is she deliberately trying to embarrass Midoriya? Shouto doesn’t know how to feel about that. “Now go on. I’ll set this up in your room.”

“But--”

“Go!”

Midoriya sighs in defeat. “Okay, okay.” He looks at Shouto apologetically. “Sorry. I’ll be back.”

With that, Midoriya runs into his room briefly before running back out with whatever clothes Shouto assumes he’ll sleep in. Strangely enough, Midoriya’s mother actually nods towards Midoriya’s bedroom as Midoriya enters the bathroom, locking the door.

Shouto has been through this process more than enough times on the battlefield. He starts walking into Midoriya’s room.

Still as colorful as before, he thinks.

Midoriya’s mother then enters the room, setting the rolled futon onto the bed before going still. Shouto feels confused--in this house, what else is new--, tilting his head. He hears water begin to stream, and Midoriya’s mother breathes out a sigh of relief.

“Okay,” She says, picking up the futon and laying it out on the floor. To Shouto’s surprise, there’s already a duvet, and she just picks a pillow from Midoriya’s bed and hands it to him.  “Now he can’t hear us. Please, take a seat.”

Shouto’s brows furrow, and he slowly descends onto the futon, looking at Midoriya’s mother for approval. Apparently he’s doing the right thing, because she plops right onto it. Shouto puts the pillow in his lap as he sits cross legged. He wants to take up as little space as possible.

“I’ve been wanting to speak to you since the moment you came up in a conversation Izuku and I had.” Midoriya’s mother says, her hands folding neatly on her lap.

Midoriya talks about me?... Shouto thinks, feeling his hopes getting up. But really, who doesn’t Midoriya talk about? He idolizes everyone in their class one way or another. Shouto is nothing special.

“You had brought him flowers once, right?”

Shit. Of course Midoriya would tell her about that.

Shouto nods, and she smiles softly at him.

“This might sound a little jumbled, but…” Midoriya’s mother twiddles her thumbs, and Shouto could tell she’s thinking hard. So even if whatever she says sounds like the embodiment of cars speeding against each other, he’ll understand why. Midoriya functions the same way sometimes.

“He cares a lot about you…” She says. “In all honesty, I’ve never seen him this way before. It’s… so nice, you know? To know he’s made a friend like you.”

Shouto nods. Friends. Friends is what they are. It doesn’t matter what he just admitted to himself; they’ll be stunted at being ‘just friends.’ But as long as Shouto can keep Midoriya in his life, he’s content with just being friends.

“I know this isn’t really my place to talk, but…” Midoriya’s mother looks down at her hands.

“You see, when Izuku was younger… he… he was bullied a lot. Bakugo-kun, of course, was Midoriya’s only source of friendship and protection, but… they broke apart. After that, with Bakugo-kun turning on him and the bullying getting worse. Eventually, Izuku… my happy, smiling, precious Izuku… he… stopped talking.”

Shouto’s eyes widen. The woman’s eyes stay fixated on her lap, as if she doesn’t want to meet his own. To see her this hurt… he doesn’t blame her. Shouto didn’t like it when Midoriya was quiet for half a train ride. Shouto thinks back to earlier, when Midoriya was gushing about their class at the dinner table. It’s so… hard to imagine Midoriya being silent. And he doesn’t want to. Because Midoriya not talking wouldn’t be Midoriya at all. Shouto clenches his hands, feeling frost at the tips of his fingers.

“It was so hard,” Midoriya’s mother says, sounding as if she’s on the verge of tears. “During his last two years of junior high, he was silent. And of course, we worked our way around it; I eventually learned how to speak to him without relying on paper so much. But I would be lying if I said I didn’t pray to hear his voice every night.”

Shouto hears a sniffle. He doesn’t know what to do. What does he do? He’s never tried to comfort anyone who cried in front of him. Or even because of him. Why does the universe do this to him?

“B-but,” Midoriya’s mother begins, picking her head up. “I remember. When he came home one day, he came running to me. He hugged me so, so tightly. He said ‘Mama, I have a Quirk!’”

Shouto gasps, and she laughs softly, bringing a hand up to wipe a tear from her eye.

“It was the first time he spoke for what seemed like decades. And ever since that day, he’s been talking nonstop again. In fact, Izuku’s been more talkative now that he’s finally at UA. It’s so… amazing. And he talks about you so much, Todoroki-kun. You make him so, so happy.”

So does every other friend of his, Shouto thinks. He shouldn’t be reacting so… bitterly. But he does. Because he knows that he’s not special.

“From what he tells me, you’ve been there for him so many times. I know the trip is coming up soon…” Midoriya’s mother says. “Do you think he should go?”

Without hesitation, Shouto shakes his head. She may be Midoriya’s parent, but since she asked, of course he’s going to give an answer.

The woman chuckles. “Thought so.” A beat of silence. “You and I both know that nothing is going to stop him from going. Not even those injuries that he has yet to recover completely from. I could be worrying over nothing, but…”

Midoriya’s mother holds a hand out, palm up. It’s clear she’s waiting for him to put his own hand on hers. Shouto has no idea why-- he’s actually never let anyone hold his hand for a long time. It seems like this house is just a reminder of everything… ‘abnormal’ about his upbringing. About him. He should feel uneasy. He knows he should feel uneasy. Yet Shouto feels so… calm.

Shouto’s hands reaches out, and Midoriya’s mother takes them both, putting her other hand over his own. Her grip tightens just a bit, and she closes her eyes. Shouto has no idea what she’s doing. But then her eyes open, and they look into his. Shouto would have never thought that soft eyes like the ones she has would pierce him as easily as his father’s stare would, but… then again. Full of surprises, this household.

“Please, Todoroki-kun. I know you’re kind. I know you have a good heart. My son may be reckless, but when it comes to his perception of people, he is no fool. If he befriended you, I know you’re good to him.” She says softly, her eyes beginning to water. “I know this is a lot to ask, but… take care of Izuku for me, okay?”

The words are so… simple. But Shouto knows how much weight they carry. She doesn’t only mean for him to take care of her son on a weeklong trip; she means to take care of him any time, any place. At school. On the walk home. During battles. She doesn’t know Shouto’s past. She’s never spoken to him up till now. Besides what she probably hears about him or sees on TV, she knows next to nothing about him. But she’s trusting him with her son, based only on Midoriya’s judgement. It’s a phenomenon that he was allowed to experience for a short, sweet time in his life.

A mother’s love.

It’s… petrifying. Shouto feels like he’s being given something priceless and irreplaceable. That’s exactly what Midoriya is. Shouto would love nothing more than to take Midoriya close to his heart, to never lose him, because he’s so valuable. And yet, for that same reason, Midoriya is so precious that Shouto never wants to touch him. He’s afraid that if he tried to, Midoriya would just fall apart, and he’d lose him.

However…

Shouto’s eyes meet the older woman’s. There’s a heat in his chest; in his soul. Devotion. Promise. His nod is slow and meaningful, like he’s made a vow by oath. There’s no way he’d able to always be there for Midoriya, he knows. But if there’s one thing Shouto can swear by, it’s that he’s going to do his damnedest to keep Midoriya from ripping himself apart in the long run.

Midoriya’s mother smiles. The water stops running, and the two of them snap back into reality. Quickly, she lets go, putting a finger up to her lips.

“Let’s keep this between us, yes?”

Shouto nods. She gets up, dusting herself off. He hears the sound of another pair of feet coming, Midoriya’s coming into view.

Oh my god.

For the first time ever, Midoriya’s hair is being held back by what seems like a towel headband with… are those bunny ears or All-Might’s fringes? Shouto doesn’t give a shit. It’s absolutely adorable on him. Not to mention it’s yellow. He didn’t think he’d care so much about a color on another human being, but here he is. Not to mention he’s got a huge shirt and is wearing basketball shorts. It’s so… expected.

“Oh! Todoroki-kun!”

Shouto’s eyes widen just a bit. Now that he’s hearing the other boy saying his name, he has a newfound appreciation for it. Not only out of adoration, but now out of… respect. There was a time where Midoriya was just like him; sad. Quiet. Alone. Shouto doesn’t want Midoriya to ever feel that way again.

Midoriya seems to have noticed, because his brows arch up. “What’s wrong, Todoroki-kun? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Maybe you should consider that he’s just tired as you are, honey.” Midoriya’s mother says, walking out the door with a loud yawn. “I, also, am very tired. Don’t stay up too long, you two.”

“We won’t!” Midoriya says. After she leaves, he closes the door behind her, sighing softly. “I hope she didn’t say anything embarrassing about me.”

Shouto shakes his head. On the contrary, Shouto thinks. The other boy is under a new light in his eyes; his righteous halo is even brighter than before.

“Oh! I, um, I guess you need some clothes to sleep in, yeah?” Midoriya says, walking over to a drawer and fishing things out. “You’re kind of in luck. I happen to sleep in a lot of big stuff, so I guess they’ll fit better on you than on me.”

Shouto feels weird about this. For a number of reasons. He’d not only be wearing someone else’s clothes-- that’s really weird. And no, thrift shopping doesn’t count, thank you very much.

Plus, he’d be wearing Midoriya’s clothes. Midoriya’s. Shouto is already drowning in all things Deku just being in this apartment, and his limits are truly being pushed. And not in the way he’s so used to.

Guess I’ll die.

The clothes Midoriya picks out are rather plain as well. Or, at least, if you don’t count the back of the shirt literally shouting ‘PLUS ULTRA’ at whoever lays their eyes on it.

“Sorry,” Midoriya says, chuckling nervously. “I don’t, uh, exactly own any pajamas that don’t scream ‘local hero fanatic’.”

Shouto gives him a dismissive wave, taking the clothes gratefully. Midoriya turns around, fishing for something else, but Shouto doesn’t… know what to do from here. What does he do about the pressure on his chest?

Suddenly, Shouto’s mind goes to what he saw in the bathroom. Midoriya is like him. Midoriya should understand.

Shouto takes ahold of the shirt he’s wearing, slipping it off over his head. Just as he expected, though, he’s met with a look from Midoriya. Midoriya just stares, and suddenly Shouto is a lot less confident than before. He can see a certain color rise from Midoriya’s neck up, and Shouto’s afraid he’s about to get fucking yelled at and that’s the last thing he needs--

“I’m so sorry!” Midoriya squeaks, covering his mouth and turning around immediately.  “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to look at you for that long! I was just surprised! I was probably invading your privacy oh my god--”

Shouto feels… hurt. He looks down at his own chest.

Is Midoriya sorry about the scars? Does he think I got cut up in battle or something?  Shouto thinks. They are pretty ugly. The surgeon had messed up, scarring more than needed when they removed his breasts. But he has scars all around his form anyway. Slowly, Shouto’s arms come to hug himself, staring at Midoriya intently as he turns around, peeking through his fingers.

“I’m sorry,” Midoriya apologizes again. “You were, uh, shirtless, and I was just… surprised that you were…. uh…. so…. toned…..?”

Shouto quirks a brow up. Apparently that makes Midoriya even more flustered. Before Midoriya can open his mouth, Shouto takes his phone. He briefly reads over Yaoyorozu’s text that he didn’t answer before searching for Midoriya’s number. He can hear Midoriya shuffling to get his own phone.

To: Midoriya Izuku

I figured I would do that because… I wanted you to know that I’m… since I saw you in the bathroom earlier...

Midoriya reads the text, and Shouto can’t decipher his expression. Soon, though, he can see Midoriya’s face break into a smile.

“A firm believer in ‘actions speak louder than words’, yeah?” He says through a chuckle. “... Thank you. I really appreciate that you went that far to let me know. But can you please put a shirt on? I can’t take much more of you sitting in my room without… y-y’know.”

Oh. Fuck. Why can’t I just do things normally?

Shouto puts on the piece of clothing. It’s… surprisingly soft. And it smells a lot like Midoriya. It feels so nice on his skin.

“I-I guess you’ll have to change your pants too, huh? Uhm…” Midoriya turns around again. “G-go ahead! I won’t look this time! I promise!”

Shouto stares at the other boy’s back. He tries to imagine a time again; a time where Midoriya wouldn’t have reacted like this. Wouldn’t have apologized profusely. He doesn’t like it. But Shouto works quickly to take his pants off, sliding whatever he was given on instead.

They’re just sweatpants, which means they’re supposed to be loose, but… this is a bit too loose. Shouto feels like they’re about to fall off. In fear that they will, he ties the drawstrings as tight as possible.

With a snap of his fingers, Midoriya turns around, and Shouto can see him breathe an actual sigh of relief. Midoriya then smiles, looking at the time.

“It’s pretty late. We should sleep before we feel the repercussions in the morning.”

Shouto snorts.

To: Midoriya Izuku

No 'we'.  Just you.

Midoriya shakes his head. “Nope. We. There’s no way I’ll be able to sleep if I know you’re awake. We’re gonna sleep together.”

Silence.

“N-not! Like! Actually sleep together! But, just— oh man, I hecked up—” Midoriya mumbles quickly. He turns off the light, and the only real source of it in the room is… a… what is that? A jar of glitter? It’s above him, on Midoriya’s nightstand.

Shouto, unable to hold himself back for seeing something so shiny and bright, sits up on his knees as he shuffles closer to the seemingly magical jar.

“Do you like it?” Shouto hears Midoriya ask. He hears the other boy get on the bed, and he knows Midoriya is crawling. Using that bruised arm to get around. Shouto’s eyes detach from the jar to look at Midoriya, whose hand is tucked underneath his chin again. A lot of people do that. But Midoriya is different. He always is.

“I made it myself. I put some glow in the dark stuff in. I don’t like being in complete darkness.”

Shouto supposes Midoriya could just get a nightlight. But with the surprisingly amount of light this jar’s showing off, he thinks it does the job just as well.

“Sometimes I, uh, shake it,” Midoriya continues. “I like watching the glitter whirl around and settle. It helps me calm down when I feel bad. Also helps me think.” A pause. “Wanna shake it?”

Shouto has never nodded so fast in his life.

Midoriya notions for Shouto to take the jar. He does, and wow. Somehow, it looks a lot prettier in his hands. It’s so… blue. It reminds him of a picture he saw on the enter one time when he was browsing through meaningless articles; there was this bioluminescent aquarium. This jar full of glitter and glow stick fluid is even better than that. Shouto isn’t sure if he’s thinking this because he’s biased, but he doesn’t care.

Shouto gives it a quick shake, hearing the liquids inside glosh around in the container. He watches as flecks of sky blue scatter, submerged in electric blue. He shakes it again. And again. And again. He loves it. It’s so pretty, so… relaxing. And also very addicting.

“We can make one for you too, if you want…” Midoriya proposes. Shouto looks over at him. The other’s eyes are averted, but his smile is soft. He can tell that he’s being bashful about making glitter jars with Shouto.

Shouto, of course, agrees. Because he’s love to have one of these things. And also because he loves.... loves…. likes the idea of making things with Midoriya. It’d make having a glitter jar all the more special to him.

After a while of violently joggling around a jar, Shouto finally decides he’s had his fill for now, putting it down on the nightstand. The two boys actually decide to settle into their respective sleeping spaces, and Midoriya yawns, his arm dangling off of the bed.

“Hey, Todoroki-kun,” Midoriya says. “Are you comfortable?”

Shouto nods. As comfortable as can be, he thinks. It’s kind of… sad. All Shouto does is think of responses. Responses that no one can hear. Sometimes, Shouto remembers the reason why he’s been silent in the first place, and it makes his blood run cold. The frost his memories produce rimes up his arm underneath the duvet.

“Good… I mean… my back seems to hurt every time I sleep on one, so…” Midoriya mumbles.

“... I don’t know. This is the first time I’ve had someone be here overnight. Let alone in my room. I talk a lot to myself. But you’re here listening, and so I can’t help but talk to you. I’m sorry. You’re probably tired. It’s understandable. I just wanted to make up for the talk we lost when we got attacked by that villain. I’m still sorry about that. I tried to look for you, but it was too hard.”

Shouto’s chest feels tight. You say that as if I’m the one who got hurt.

“... I’m rambling again, aren’t I? I’m sorry. But you already know that I talk a lot, so I guess I shouldn’t apologize for that. I’m-- fuck,” Shouto sees how Midoriya turns his head, stuffing his face into the pillow instead of looking at him. It… hurts. He can tell Midoriya is frustrated. He knows Midoriya’s thoughts are probably tangling together, because Midoriya is trying to bite his tongue.

Shouto’s heart is thudding as his unfrosted hand comes up to hold Midoriya’s. He doesn’t care how this looks. He doesn’t care about how the touch sends this… wave of warmth from his arm to the rest of his body. What Shouto feels now doesn’t matter. All he wants is to let Midoriya know that it’s okay. That he’s okay.

Midoriya gasps softly, lifting his head to look at him. Shouto can’t bring himself to do anything with his face; it feels numb. All these years of being detached from the world, unfeeling. It makes it so hard to make any face of sincerity. But he hopes-- god he prays-- that Midoriya can see something in his eyes. That Midoriya can see how much he means to Shouto.

And he does. Because the smile returns on Midoriya’s face, and his head rests easy against the pillow again. His calloused hand Shouto’s tighter, making Shouto feel like he could yell from the greatest of heights. They’re both holding onto each other, and it’s enough. No matter how much Shouto will always long for more, any of Midoriya’s touches are enough for him.

Shouto doesn’t know who’s going to doze off first. All he feels his eyelids getting heavier before he closes them, seeing both he and Midoriya’s hands still intertwined.

Chapter Text

Izuku’s eyes struggle to open. There’s no light to enter and blind him-- after all, he has no windows--, but he doesn’t… want to wake up. Maybe he stayed up too late? He doesn’t know.

His hand feels lonely. It’s just… dangling. Blood has pooled at the end of his fingertips, but it’s like a tap on the shoulder compared to him breaking his arms constantly. He’s lucky it’s not his bruised arm getting fucked up again. Izuku lifts his hand up, letting his circulation do its thing as he comes to a seating position on the bed. His other hand reaches for his phone on the nightstand.

From: Todoroki Shouto

Sorry. I had to go early. Thank you for letting me stay.

Izuku smiles. Todoroki staying over is probably the highlight of his month. For not having someone spend the night here for years, Izuku didn’t expect himself to be a decent host. With his mother’s help, of course. He wonders what she said to Todoroki when he was in the shower.

Probably some embarrassing baby story, Izuku thinks, much to his disdain. She’s always done that.

Finding no point staying in bed, Izuku stretches before getting out of it. A few bones pop, and it feels like he’s being born again, really. Well, maybe not exactly. But something like it.

He turns on his phone again, checking the time. It’s six thirty in the morning. Plenty of time for him to get dressed, have breakfast, and be on his way to school.

Izuku flicks the light switch, eyes trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. He can see the futon Todoroki slept on is neatly folded up, as well as the clothes he had slept in.

I wonder… Izuku thinks. Todoroki’s scent is rather strong. In a good way, of course; he has a nice smell. Can I… no, wait, no, Izuku! Get it together! That’d be super weird!

… But no one’s around. It wouldn’t hurt, would it?

Slowly, Izuku reaches for the folded pair of clothes. It feels… wrong. But Izuku begins to remember the events of last night. How Todoroki took his hand first. How Todoroki’s eyes looked at him in patience and understanding. The feeling of Izuku’s heart thriving because of the skin contact, and how Todoroki let him squeeze his hand. He misses the feeling of the other’s scarred palm, the sense of safety that came with Todoroki lying on a futon next to his bed.

Izuku brings the clothes up to his nose, inhaling deeply. His brain is filled with fond memories of Todoroki. He can’t help but sigh in content, feeling so… at peace. All because of some pieces of fabric smelling like his crush. Man, it’s like Uraraka all over again.

Except… it isn’t

Izuku had been so enraptured in Todoroki’s scent that when his mother knocked on his door, he lets out a loud yelp.

“Izuku?!” She says, obviously concerned. And rightfully so, considering he almost fucking screamed.

“S-sorry!” Izuku says hastily, shoving the clothes into a random drawer and slamming it shut. “You just scared me, ‘s all! I thought you were gonna come in while I was changing!”

“Izuku, please. I would never.”

“You did it yesterday thinking I was...”

“That was yesterday. This is now.”

Izuku snorts, shaking his head. He doesn’t exactly… have a uniform to dress in. After all, his got burned through… Endeavor.

Endeavor ruined my uniform and burned me?

Izuku is trying to think of ways he can put it. But every time he tries to make the thought sound better, it just sounds… worse.

Endeavor accidentally hurt me…?

It sounds like the most likely reason. But as Izuku tries to pound the thought into his head, the cracks in his brain peek through the surface. He remembers the way Endeavor had looked at him as they passed each other. How his blue eyes, unlike the rest of him, were cold. Harsh. They hit him hard like a ship against a glacier. Endeavor’s flames were controlled, and yes, he would have fell had he extinguished them. But Izuku has observed that Endeavor does have the capability to manipulate his flames in a way where he wouldn’t burn anyone. He’s seen this whenever Endeavor would eject himself into the sky, a ring of fire fanning out with citizens around, but it doesn’t burn them. If anything, there would only be a little heat.

Izuku doesn’t want to believe himself. He doesn’t want to believe that Endeavor, one of the greatest heroes of all time, would deliberately hurt him. His eyes trail up a wall seeing Endeavor. Despite him just being a poster, Izuku can’t help but feel… uneasy.

“Izuku! Breakfast is ready!”

Izuku shakes the thought out of his head, focusing on the now. He looks at himself in the mirror for a second; he’s shirtless. His chest scars are clean, and his pecs are filling in what used to be soft tissue. Izuku would always do this. He feels prouder every time. More… confident in his looks.

Izuku puts on some clothes that will be easy to take off, assuming that he’ll be provided with a new uniform at school. He heads out of his room, already being hit with the smell of a very western breakfast as he quickly darts into the bathroom to… do his thing.

Izuku, after making good use of the toilet, splashes his face quickly with water from the faucet. As he comes up, he’s met with his reflection; his complexion is definity washed out under the fluorescent light. Sometimes, it warps his vision of himself just a little. Makes him look plainer than he already is.

Izuku thinks of Todoroki being in this bathroom, freshening himself up to leave the Midoriya residence. He wonders what the other boy is doing now.

--

Shouto had woken up early. With no window, there’s no immediate concept of time. No sense of what the hour is, how much he slept. A familiar pang of panic hit him, and he shuffled onto his knees, and found that his hand had slipped out of Midoriya’s long before he opened his eyes.

Shouto quickly looked for his phone; the battery was almost dead, but it’s at least enough for him to read the time.

Three in the morning. Good. Endeavor was usually up about two hours after that. Shouto would not only make it in time, but he would be able to start his morning routine early, and get some shut eye. Despite not seeming like it, he’s capable of being very, very tired. Which usually led to internal crankiness on his part.

Shouto quickly changed out of his clothes-- well, Midoriya’s clothes,--, switching into his uniform. He got up quickly, folded the futon, puts it somewhere in a corner and placed the folded clothes on top. As quietly as possible, Shouto then tiptoed out of the other boy’s room and into the bathroom, where he then did the best he could to prod at his teeth with a dollop of toothpaste on a finger and used chewing gum as an extra precaution. He’ll just have to brush his teeth thoroughly once he gets him.

Shouto then snatched his bag, puts his shoes on, and made his way out the door. The usually busy and noisy complex Midoriya lives was silent and dark. He had no trouble bumping into people as he dashes down the stairs, running the rest of the way to the train station.

Fast forward to now. Of course, the station is pretty much empty; not many people decide to wake up at three in the fucking morning to go somewhere. Shouto debates whether or not he should use his quirk to get home faster, but decides against it, finding that leaving a huge ice trail will only work against him later. When the train comes, Shouto is quick to hop on.

In the thirty minutes that he spends on the train, Shouto send Midoriya one last text.

To: Midoriya Izuku

Sorry. I had to go early. Thank you for letting me stay.

After it’s sent, his phone kicks the can. Great. The train eventually pulls up to his stop, and he jumps off of it, now running to rest of the way home. Shouto thinks he shouldn’t be in this much of a rush-- his father’s usually set to wake up two hours later anyway.

Usually, he thinks grimly. Usually isn’t always. There’s no guarantee that he’s not going to be up before that.

Shouto feels sick to his stomach at the thought. He prays to the heavens that the fun he’s had at Midoriya’s place will bite him in the ass. Frost builds up between his joints, but he can’t bring himself to regulate his own temperature. Not when the man who cursed him with such an ability is the same man he hates.

His feet hurt as they slam against concrete, scaling their way up the stairs to the estate. Once Shouto’s at the door, he doesn’t dare to breathe. He feels lightheaded from the lack of oxygen, but Shouto would rather risk dying than having Endeavor rip his head off.

But he wouldn’t do that to his precious little weapon, will he? Shouto thinks bitterly.

Slowly, he opens the door, stepping into the home and closing it behind him. It’s dark, dreary; no doubt from the lack of sun outside. Shouto begins to take off his shoes. The floors seem to creak even more underneath his feet, and he has to clench his teeth to endure the sound. If he can just make it to his room--

“Shouto.”

Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuck. Fuck. FUCK,

A thousand alarms go off in Shouto’s brain at once. He can feel himself begin to freeze up, and he can’t. Not now. Not when his father is sitting in a chair at the kitchen table, not even looking at him. Shouto can’t trust his fight or flight responses, as both will end in disaster for him.

“You slept over at someone else’s home without permission. You have deliberately disobeyed my rules.” Endeavor says. His face looks set, but Shouto notices he’s holding a cup. A cup that is slowly beginning to crack from the heat of the man’s hand. “You’ve been hiding things from me, haven’t you, my boy?”

Chills run up Shouto’s spine, but all he’s thinking is cracking Endeavor’s in half.

Shouto can see his father rise from the chair, walking over to him. The cup he was holding before melts completely, and all he does is flick his hand to get the excess off. The flames Shouto is so used to seeing are emerging from Endeavor’s face, and he can’t bring himself to move. He feels so… fucking helpless. Shouto knows that no matter how much he squirms, his fucking father’s heavy hand will always keep him in place.

“It’s that Midoriya kid and his friends, isn’t it?” Endeavor says, beginning to circle around Shouto. It’s like being thrown into a shark tank and having no cage to defend you from their strong, deadly jaws. “They’re no good. They’re making you soft. Flimsy. I can see it. You’ve changed for the worse.”

Don’t react. Don’t react. For the love of God, don’t react.

“Midoriya. He’s the catalyst of all this, yes?” Endeavor taunts. “He and I had passed each other the other day. He used his power illegally. You can say that he got… a bit too close to my fire by accident.”

Shouto’s eyes widen.

So he’s the one who burned Midoriya. It wasn’t a fucking accident. Endeavor hates Midoriya. He hates what Midoriya means to All Might, his proclaimed nemesis.

He hurt Midoriya. He hurt Midoriya. He hurt Midoriya, he thinks, over and over again. Rage begins to build up in his gut, and no matter how hard Shouto tries to suppress it, a growl escapes him. Endeavor stops right in front of him, his massive form looming over Shouto.

“Got something to say, Shouto?” He asks. The blaze around Endeavor gets strong, the heat almost becoming unbearable. Shouto doesn’t give him an answer. When met with silence, Endeavor’s hand curls into a fist, striking him just below his ribcage. Shouto gets the air knocked right out of him as he wheezes, getting knocked back against the floor. The man’s foot coming crashing against his chest. There’s no secret as to why Endeavor didn’t just hit him in the face instead.

“I’ll repeat myself one last time.” Endeavor says, foot pressing against Shouto further. Shouto feels like screaming, his bones feeling like they’re about to give in. “Do you have something to say?”

Shouto doesn’t make a sound.

“Hmph. That’s what I thought.” Endeavor then lifts the weight off of Shouto’s chest. There’s a beeping sound, and Endeavor looks over at the source before turning to face Shouto.

“I must attend to duties. Take today as a reminder, son. Remember your true purpose.”

With just that, Endeavor leaves the house. Without the light from the flames his father emitted, Shouto is left in this cold and dark room, gasping for hair. His chest hurts so bad. But Shouto quickly sucks it up, getting onto his feet again. As he walks to his room, crystals grow in wake with every step. The walls frost over, the area of effect only growing bigger as Shouto enters his room, heading towards the bathroom.

The ice coming from his feet spans out from where he’s standing all the way up the walls and to the ceiling. Shouto takes off the cloth covering the mirror, revealing his reflection.

He’s such a fool. Such a damn fool. Midoriya got hurt by Endeavor, and it’s his own damn fault. Shouto had really believed he could be with Midoriya. Be with his classmates. He thought maybe, just maybe, he could be free.

But Shouto’s reflection shows something different. Frost runs all over his right side. His expression is cold. He can see the icicles form in every crevice of this cramped space. Shouto was never capable of being good. A certain void replaces his heart. The throb of his chest is gone, the cold digging deep into his body.

There’s one last thing to do. To ensure that Endeavor would never hurt Midoriya again because of him. Shouto must let him go. He didn’t have a chance to begin with. He should have never let things get this far.

Shouto’s ice breaks the light above him, fractures of the bulb crashing against the floor. He’s now in complete darkness again. This time, it’ll stay this way.

--

Izuku doesn’t know what to do.  He doesn’t know what to say.

This morning, Izuku had his head up in the clouds just thinking about Todoroki. Izuku ran to school, excited to see Todoroki again.

When he actually got to school, though, Todoroki pays no attention to him as he enters the classroom.

Izuku tried to say hi to him, but Todoroki never bothered to return the greeting.

Izuku tries to text Todoroki, but Todoroki wouldn’t look at his phone.

It’s clear that they backtracked. But why? He doubts it has anything to do with the sleepover. If Todoroki wasn’t having fun, he’d tell Izuku. If he wanted to go home after dinner, he would’ve. With the amount of time Izuku has spent with Todoroki, he knows him more than the last time this happened. And if that’s anything to go by, Izuku reckons that Todoroki’s father must be responsible.

But Izuku doesn’t know how to confront Todoroki about it. The other boy didn’t look like he was about to give in any time soon. And what hurts the most is that Todoroki is only giving him the-- for the lack of a better phrase--cold shoulder. No one else is getting shunned by him. No one else is getting ignored. It’s like Izuku doesn’t exist in Todoroki’s world.

What happened?

For christ’s sake, Todoroki doesn’t even look at him. It’s like Izuku isn’t worth breathing around. And Izuku is trying so, so hard to remember that this is not Todoroki. Todoroki would never try to get close to Izuku just to push him away. But doubt is digging into Izuku’s heart like a stake, making his trust waver.

When the day finally ends, Izuku is just about ready to go home alone. Well, at least, he was.

“Midoriya-kun.”

Izuku turns quickly to the source, and boy, is he glad.

In front of him stands Yaoyorozu, with her arms casually behind her back. With the lighting of a setting sun, she looks like an absolute angel. An angel that will help him get through this hard times.

“Yaoyorozu-chan!” Izuku exclaims, a bit happier than he realizes. “I’ve been meaning to speak to you all day!”

“Me too,” She says. Izuku notes that she opens her mouth, but closes it soon after, instead motioning him to follow her. And he does just that.

The two of them do go outside, but instead of heading to the train station to go home, Yaoyorozu proposes take her car. Izuku, in no mood to really protest, agrees. They have to do a bit of walking, but it doesn’t take long to reach the vehicle, and they don’t waste time in getting in.

“Okay,” Yaoyorozu breathes, slamming the door shut behind her. “Let’s talk.”

“O-oh! We’re doing this now?” Izuku stutters. You’d figure she’d at least… y’know… build up to it. But if she’s being this direct and hasty…

“I’m not good at talking while driving anyway.” Yaoyorozu admits. “Besides, this is time-sensitive. I need to know if we’re on the same page.”

Izuku nods firmly. “So, something has happened to Todoroki-kun, yes? I’m not imagining it?”

“That’s correct. We also knows he enjoys your company.”

The dagger. The dagger. It’s still there, threatening.

“I guess so,”

“There’s no room for ‘guess’. I can swear on my life.”

“Okay, okay! I believe you!”

“Good. Okay. So. We agree that his father is involved somehow?”

“Right.”

“But that begs the question.”

“ What did his father do?”

“That’s when everything gets hard.” Yaoyorozu says, leaning back in her seat as she puts her hand to her chin in thought. “The first time this happened, I knew you’d break through the ice, so I didn’t feel the need to intervene. But this time seems…”

“... Worse.” Izuku says quietly “Which means whatever Endeavor did to Todoroki-kun this time…”

“It must’ve been even harsher.” Yaoyorozu says, her expression sullen. “That leaves another question.”

“Why’d Endeavor do… what he did…” Izuku says. His blood feels hot in his veins. Eighty percent of him is sure that he really doesn’t care why Endeavor would hurt Todoroki. Even though violent thoughts aren’t really something he experiences often, the fact that he hurt Todoroki at all is enough for Izuku to want to give him a kick to the family jewels. And then some. “Could it be that we just… messed up somewhere?”

“No, no…” Yaoyorozu says, shaking her head. “I can’t see how. We timed every one of our moves. You two tried to make yourself as hidden as possible within the masses. If anything went wrong, surely it wouldn’t be on our part…”

“Then…” Izuku frowns, his fingernails pulling at his pants. Man, this is a new uniform, and he’s already starting to ruin it. “What should we do?”

Yaoyorozu sighs. “There’s only one thing we can do. And that’s talking to Todoroki-kun himself.”

“Yaoyorozu-chan,” Izuku says, feeling the tremble of his voice. “He acted like I… like I didn’t exist!”

Izuku can’t count the amount of times he’s been hurt in this day alone. Pain is wringing him like a wet towel, making him feel all sorts of twisted and messed up. No amount of getting beat half to death by a villain can compare to the feeling of Todoroki tossing Izuku out like trash.

“You and I both know that he’s not treating you that way because he wants to, Midoriya-kun...” Yaoyorozu says. Her tough face is breaking apart, revealing teary eyes and worry for their mutual friend. “He’s… he’s being forced to. I know for a fact that he would never do this on purpose. But… if anyone can get help him… it’s you, Midoriya-kun.”

Izuku tries to shove the lump in his throat down to where it came from, but it’s so… hard. His own eyes are starting to become blurred behind the tears brimming in them.

“Y-Yaoyorozu-chan, I--.... I can’t…. he….” The words come out like a pathetic whine. Izuku feels like screwing his mouth shut, and his cries would be trapped within him.

Yaoyorozu bursts. Her words sound like they’re getting choked up in her throat.  “You’re the only one who can do it, Midoriya-kun! Todoroki-kun; he’ll listen to you! He did the first time, didn’t he?! You have to try!”

“I…”

“In order for us to know what’s happened to him, you have to talk to him,” Yaoyorozu says quickly. “Tomorrow, we’re leaving this city for a week. I know we’re going to split up in pairs, and I would have the disadvantage of not being roomed with him due to conformities. You, on the other hand, have a one out of eleven chance to end up with Todoroki. If you happen to land said chance, then you’d have a week to try to break through to him! I know this seems like a lot, but… everyone else and I, believe it or not, are worried about him. However, you are the only one who’s ever been able to get as close as you are to him.”

Izuku wishes he could say she’s lying. He wishes he could say that she’s mistaken, that she’s just as able to help Todoroki as he is. But deep down, Izuku knows that it’s true. He’s not blind to it; Todoroki has demonstrated to Izuku that he trusts him. That he cares about him. Izuku’s head is filled with memories of the two of them on their afternoon walks, talking nonsense, irritating old people for texting constantly. How Todoroki listens to everything Izuku says and actually cares. Todoroki had come to him first seeking friendship in the form of a bouquet to make Izuku feel better about his broken leg. They’ve formed a bond, and it’s indisputable. To give up on Todoroki now, when he needs Izuku the most… well. That would be very un-herolike, huh?

Izuku takes in a slow breath. The tears are still in his eyes, but they won’t fall. He’s not going to let them.

“Okay.” He says, being as firm as possible. “Don’t worry, Yaoyorozu-chan. I’ll do my best.”

Yaoyorozu smiles at him. It’s warm and comforting. It’s practically the best thing he’s experienced all day.

“I know you will.”

Chapter Text

Shouto, with the rest of his class, stands in a single file line. He initially didn’t want to come to this trip. In fact, he dreaded the idea of him having to be in a bus with Midoriya sitting somewhere on it, leaving him with no place to hide for two hours. But it’s better than having to stay in Endeavor’s home for a week, having nowhere to go as an escape.

Anything is better than that.

So now he’s here. Unlike the other Class 1-A students who are conversing excitedly like a couple chirping birdlings, Shouto isn’t in the mood to speak. Less than he usually does. From where he stands, there are a total of three people between Shouto and Midoriya. Shouto knows it’s for the best, to be separated like this. It’ll keep Midoriya safe from his father. Safe from himself.

“Okay, class. Let me get your attention for two minutes.” Aizawa-sensei says, walking in front of the students and leaning against the bus behind him. Shouto will never understand how he could be so… casual about things. Perhaps being old and tired has something to do with it.

“I was gonna announce this once we got to the destination, but you know me. I hate surprises.”

“You sure kept surprising us with pop quizzes.” Ashido says.

Aizawa-sensei looks at her. “That’s different. Anyway.” His eyes trail down to the paper he’s holding. Shouto’s never seen him without any papers in his hand before. “We’ll be rooming you guys in pairs; two people for every cabin in the area.”

After hearing no one have any objections, Aizawa-sensei continues. “Since there will be one of you without a partner, you’ll have a cabin to yourself. I’ve decided that Tokoyami will have it.”

“Aw, what?!” Kaminari whines. “That’s not fair! Can’t we, like, vote on it?”

“Yeah!” Hagakure says. “No offense to you, Tokoyami-kun,” Shouto hears a hum. Probably from Tokoyami. “But I think we should get to do something about the single room!”

“The thing is,” Aizawa-sensei sighs. “Tokoyami has an entirely different being attached to him. They’re a pair.”

“No fair!” Jiro huffs. “That’s his Quirk! He can activate that at will!”

“Most of the time.” Tokoyami says calmly. “Not so much at night.”

“Fair.” Oijiro says.

“Right. With that out of the way, I’d like for the pairs to mount the bus together as I go down the list.” Aizawa-sensei says. “First up, Ashido and Kagakure.”

Squealing ensues as the two girls hop out of the line, holding hands. They’re both quick to run onto the bus.

The next ten minutes slowly cuts away at the line by twos. With every male student being paired off with another, Shouto can feel the lump in his throat getting heavier. By the time most of the class bas boarded, only three other boys are left.

Bakugo, whose permanent rage face can give Shouto’s poker face a run for his money.

Kirishima, who is glancing at Bakugo so much and trying to look away when Bakugo does the same. Shouto can’t tell if Kirishima is trying to be obvious or subtle. Either way, he’s doing a bad job.

And Midoriya. Midoriya, whose eyes are set in the ground instead, body tense.

Please let it be Kirishima, Shouto prays. Or Bakugo. But not Midoriya. Please, don’t let it be Midoriya.

“Kirishima and Bakugo.”

Shouto can hear something shatter in his mind. The universe hates him, he knows. But to do this is just cruel. His fingers are twitching so badly he has to make them into fists in order to control himself. Shouto watches with disdain as Kirishima and Bakugo climb into the bus, bickering as they go along.

“Midoriya and Todoroki.” Aizawa-sensei says, nodding towards the bus’ entrance. “Hurry up and get on. We’ve got a long trip ahead.”

Don’t remind me, Shouto says in his head. Fucking shit. He would have genuinely rather have had Bakugo screaming into his ear for a week while they co-exist in a room than to have to endure the time spent in a cabin with Midoriya, let alone sit on the fucking bus with him. Shouto’s stomach churns as he boards the bus.

Class 1-A is as lively as ever. Everyone’s talking about something Shouto could care less about at the moment as he nears the last row of seats. Unlike being in the line before, there’s nothing to separate him from Midoriya now. He’ll just have to suck it up and keep physical contact to a minimum.

Shouto chucks his bag into the overhead compartment, leaving it open as he shuffles into one of the seats. Finding it convenient for the both of them, Shouto takes the window seat. Midoriya approaches soon after, putting his bag in the compartment as well before closing it. He quietly sits to Shouto.

It is then that Shouto realized he made a big mistake.

If I’m at the window seat, it just means I’ll be cornered here until we get to a rest stop, Shouto thinks, already deflating into this glorified armchair. Even then, we’ll have to wait for everyone to get off the bus from front first. We’ll be the last ones getting off. I literally just inconvenienced myself just by trying to be mindful of the two of us. I have never felt more betrayed by myself in my entire fucking life.

Shouto has to physically resist the urge to slap his palm against his face. Instead, he twiddles his fingers in his lap, sighing softly. He’ll survive. He can do this. It’s only going to be an hour until they stop, then another until they get to the destination. How hard could it be?

After just fifteen minutes, Shouto has come to another realization: this is, in fact, going to be harder than he thought.

Yesterday, Shouto could’ve collapsed onto his knees in tears, had it not been for his own resolve not to. That day, he wasted so much energy trying to shove Midoriya out of the picture. It took so much out of him, forcing himself to stay away from the only person on the planet who has ever made him feel completely safe and content with himself. And the faces Midoriya had made-- oh god, Shouto wanted to scream his throat raw. That day, the other boy tried so hard to get him to speak, and Shouto wanted to so badly. But Shouto couldn’t. Midoriya looked beyond hurt. He looked like Shouto just ripped him in half, in fourths, in sixths.

Shouto might have done just that.

Shouto’s calmed down since yesterday, though, leaving him more susceptible to.. well… anything. His eyes subconsciously glance at Midoriya, who’s now playing a game on some sort of console. Shouto could be texting him right now. They could be talking. They could have been acting like yesterday didn’t happen. There must be some universe out there where they’re doing just that.

Shouto just wishes it were this universe.

As Shouto looks out the window, he doesn’t know what to think. He shouldn’t feel jealous that his other classmates get to talk to each other. That his other classmates probably come from stellar families. That they’re bound by things they can change, unlike Shouto, who is bound by something that courses through his veins. A sort of crimson that he just wants to drain out and replace.

They’re about thirty minutes into the trip, and the bus is slowly becoming more quiet. Which makes sense; they were supposed to be at the school at seven in the evening and leave at seven forty five. Probably to mask the bus at night so they’d have less of a chance running into… unwanted people. The chatterboxes have conked out by now, and someone here is a particularly loud snorer.

From where Shouto is sitting, he can’t tell who’s awake. He can see that both Kirishima and Bakugo, who are seated on the right side of the bus and directly across from them, are both asleep. Bakugo looks a lot more peaceful when he’s snoozing.

What Shouto can tell, though, is that Midoriya is still awake. He’s faced away from Shouto, looking at the window that Bakugo is currently leaning his head against.

Don’t talk to him.

Shouto looks out the window next to him. There’s nothing special about the view; just a whole bunch of trees and bushes masked in darkness. But Shouto tries to recall how they look like when the sun is out.

Plants, he thinks. Plants depict life. Plants are green. Life is green. Midoriya has green hair and eyes. Is Midoriya a plant? Or is he life? Both are plausible. Life is green and organic. Midoriya is also green and organic. He’s nature’s gem.

Shouto doesn’t know how long he thinks of nonsense. He’s always been prone to dissociate whenever he’s not busy doing something. It’s like everything around him fades into a blur, along with anything he might be feeling. Shouto can never tell whether he does it subconsciously or deliberately, but it’s saved him from himself many, many times.

His arm mindlessly moves to put itself on the armrest to his right, but…

“Ow--”

Shouto snaps out of his trance, his head whipping towards the other boy. Midoriya has one of his hands, holding the forearm of his opposite arm. Shouto can see the bandages wrapped around, and…

Oh no.

Midoriya looks up at Shouto, eyes wide. “O-oh! Don’t worry about me! It was my bad,”

Shouto keeps staring at him, still worried. He remembers it being a pretty bad bruise; the skin must still be pretty tender.

Midoriya smiles shyly, his expression overall being… dulcet. Shouto can already feel himself melting. Had this been yesterday, he wouldn’t be feeling this way so easily. And he knows he shouldn’t feel this way, because feeling this way means that he’s just letting Midoriya ram his way into his heart again.

“I’m okay,” Midoriya says. “I promise. You can take the armrest if you want.”

Shouto shakes his head, averting his eyes after. His heart is thudding again. The kind of thud only Midoriya can produce. His hands are starting to get clammy again.

For a while, they sit in silence again. But it’s less… tense. Shouto tries his best to stay within the space of his seat, but his knee keeps touching Midoriya’s. Their shoulders brush one another’s. Midoriya sounds like a broken record; he’s always apologizing after every dollop of physical touch.

And Shouto doesn’t know how it happened. When it happened. One minute, Shouto was trying to keep his distance in this cramped space. The next, he has an earbud in his ear, the other being in Midoriya’s as they listen to a podcast. Apparently it’s pretty popular in the West.

Shouto can see how Midoriya’s eyes slowly blink as he tries to focus in the audio. His eyes are red. They look like they’re burning.

Shouto shouldn’t be doing this. This is the exact opposite of his plan. He’s supposed to be keeping his distance, not closing it. But Shouto’s hand commits treason, fishing for his phone before he punches in a text.

To: Midoriya Izuku

Are you tired?

Midoriya’s phone buzzes two seconds later, the other boy squeaking as he jumps in alarm. He blinks rapidly before reading the message.

“Oh! Uh… no…” Midoriya says, rubbing one of his eyes. “What makes you think that?”

Shouto blinks, staring before he texts again.

To: Midoriya Izuku

You’re a really bad liar.

Midoriya chuckles, and it sounds like music to Shouto’s ears. He didn’t know he’d like the sound of someone trying to hold themselves back from laughing.

“Can’t say I didn’t try,” The other says, shrugging. “I may or may not feel a bit sleepy.”

Silly boy, Shouto thinks. If Midoriya is tired, it only makes sense for him to rest. It’s not like anything important is going on. They’re just on a bus. Knowing that Midoriya probably won’t make a single move to sleep, Shouto knows a way to get him to.

You’re not supposed to help him, dumbass. You’re supposed to be resisting. You’re supposed to push him away.

The little voice in Shouto’s head reminds him in the sound of his father, making him freeze up. He’s doing such a horrible job following his own plan. Is it because they’re so… close? Is it because Shouto is in a better mood? He doesn’t know. And if he doesn’t know, that means he can’t do anything about… these feelings.

Instead of trying to help Midoriya go to sleep, though, Shouto just… turns to look out of the window again. Because he can’t trust himself otherwise.  Everything’s gone silent between them again, the only thing keeping them together are the earbuds. The podcast’s episode has long since ended.

Shouto, again, doesn’t know how long he’s been staring at the window. His mind isn’t even focused on whatever scenery he must be missing out on. He feels something bump against his shoulder though, and his eyes drift to see the source.

Of fucking course.

Midoriya has fallen asleep. On his shoulder. In a moving vehicle. Wasn’t there another instance like this? It seems like years behind him. Shouto remembers what happened; how a mess of green ended up on his lap, his fingers tangled in the tufts. Shouto can’t do the same thing now. Because that would mean he would have given up his plan completely.

All Shouto does is hurt others. As a hero, Shouto knows he can be good. He has the skill. This curse of a quirk. As a person? Never. Because he’ll never understand people beyond from what he sees on the surface, just like how people will never understand Shouto the same way. There are some people in this world that don’t deserve to be hurt, though.

Midoriya, Shouto thinks. His heart feels heavy in his chest. Shouto just wants to… stop. He wants to stop feeling. He wants to stop thinking. If he could, none of this would be as hard as it is. Shouto used to be able to drop people as quickly as he picked them up. But Midoriya… he’s done something to him.

Shouto’s heart can’t stop beating like it’s being overworked, and he swears within the confines of his mind. He’d freeze this annoying piece of muscle over if it meant stopping it from breaking through his ribcage.

The thought of it makes the bruise on his chest hurt.

The guilt of the possibility of Midoriya getting a bruise because of the armrest eventually washes over him. Shouto carefully lifts the armrest between them by his free hand, feeling Midoriya’s weight shift more onto him. Seeing that Midoriya’s bandaged arm is now pressing up against him, Shouto makes an effort to fix that.

--

So. He may or may not have messed up somewhere.

Shouto eyes flutter open-- when did he fall asleep? He doesn’t know. There’s an odd weight on his chest. He doesn’t feel his feet on the floor. It’s really warm. His nose tickles.

As Shouto gains more sense of his surroundings, he begins to feel… nervous. He’s still in the bus, that’s for sure. But...

Oh.

Shouto’s back is against the window, and his legs are stretched out across the two seats. There’s someone in between them, reclined against the rest of Shouto’s form.

Midoriya.

Oh shit. Oh shit.

The other boy is currently fast asleep, head lolled to the side. His bruised arm rests over his midriff, and the iconic light snore is resonating within Shouto’s ears. It’s not nearly as loud as the pounding of his heart beat.

Shouto tilts his head back, getting his nose out of Midoriya’s thick, curly head of hair. He breathes in, but it’s no use; the other boy’s sweet smell is lingering on his senses, and every effort to get fresh air into his lungs is moot. Shouto can feel his fears and thoughts about his father slowly begin to fade, his tense form relaxing underneath Midoriya, eyelids getting heavier. It’s overwhelming.

Shouto doesn’t have time to think. He can think later. Sleep begins to reel him back in. And this time, he can rest soundly, knowing Midoriya is safe between his legs.

--

The next time Shouto wakes up, yawning soundlessly and bleary eyed. He’s… mildly disturbed by the lack of noise. And the lack of pressure on his body.

“Oi, Icy Hot. ‘Bout fuckin’ time you woke up.”

Oh great. First thing he hears is Bakugo’s yapping. Well, at least he knows there’s no immediate danger.

What Shouto sees, though, is so amusing that it practically makes up for the unwanted vulgarity that the explosive boy spits. Underneath a bright, red cover is Kirishima, with mismatched socks poking out from under the blanket. Which would mean Kirishima’s head is in Bakugo’s lap. The best part? Bakugo’s hand is frozen in all that spiky hair.

Shouto smirks, and Bakugo is downright offended.

Bakugo growls. Such an animal. “Why I oughtta—”

Shouto can see the blanket move, a small groan coming from Kirishima. Bakugo ceases all movement, but his gums still show through his snarl. It’s funny how fast Bakugo’s flame is extinguished because of that boy sleeping his lap.

Bakugo huffs at him, muttering something Shouto can’t hear. He doesn’t care enough to really think over it, though.

“Ah, Todoroki-kun! You’re awake!”

Shouto’s heart jumps as his eyes trail to see Midoriya. He’s got some bags of chips and two drinks in his arms, and is smiling widely down at Shouto, who is… well. Obviously he’s not dying on the inside.

They stare at one another, saying nothing. Those green eyes of Midoriya’s are doing more than just looking. They’re… searching. Shouto feels like they’re trying to drill themselves into him in the form of a longful gaze.

“Deku, stop the fucking lovey dovey eyes and sit the fuck down. You’re too close to me.”

Their staring contest is over, with the other boy looking back briefly at Bakugo before turning back to Shouto.

“I bought snacks for us,” Midoriya says, offering Shouto one of the bags of chips. “Sorry for not getting anything more filling. It wasn’t in my budget.”

Shouto picks up his phone, texting singlehandedly as Shouto takes the bag gratefully.

To: Midoriya Izuku

Why didn’t you just buy something better for yourself? I’m sure you would have had enough money if you didn’t get me anything.

The sound of something vibrating comes from Midoriya’s hoodie pocket, and he takes it out. Shouto didn’t even notice Midoriya had a hoodie on in the first place. Was he wearing that before? No, he must’ve changed into it. Fuck.

“True,” Midoriya says, smiling sheepishly. “But I wanted to get you something!”

Shouto feels his face heating up. It’s pathetic how literally anything Midoriya does that is remotely kind makes Shouto feel like melting chocolate. He hates feeling this hot. Shouto’s glad that the drink the other gives him is chilled to the touch.

As the bus now pulls out of the rest stop and back onto the road, Shouto’s goal is now hanging by a single thread. He and Midoriya have spent the time just playing games together and texting each other like they were about to experience a world catastrophe. Neither of them had mentioned the whole… sleeping arrangement from earlier, but Shouto doesn’t know what he’d do if he were confronted about it.

--

From: Midoriya Izuku

you know, i was really worried abt you

To: Midoriya Izuku

Why?

From: Midoriya Izuku

well… you seemed really upset yesterday…

To: Midoriya Izuku

I wasn’t.

From: Midoriya Izuku

todoroki-kun…

it’s ok to say that you were

and i don’t know what happened but… if you wanna talk about it…

To: Midoriya Izuku

There’s nothing to talk about.

From: Midoriya Izuku

that’s okay! I just… y’know… wanted to put it down on the table

To: Midoriya Izuku

I get it now.

No wonder.

From: Midoriya Izuku

?? what??

To: Midoriya Izuku

You’ve been trying to get me to open up about yesterday.

That’s why you let me listen to your podcast. Why you bought me things.

From: Midoriya Izuku

todoroki-kun…

To: Midoriya Izuku

I don’t know what you’re trying to get out of me.

Yesterday was just a bad day.

From: Midoriya Izuku

i’m sorry, todoroki-kun, but…

that was more than a bad day.

i know when you have a bad day. what yesterday was was even worse.

To: Midoriya Izuku

This is ridiculous.

From: Midoriya Izuku

look, todoroki-kun.

it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. but please don’t lie to me saying that you’re fine.

no matter what you think, you’re not made of ice.

---

Shouto doesn’t speak to Midoriya for the rest of the day.

He hates this. He hates feeling this way. He hates staying with Midoriya and suffering. He hates being away from Midoriya and suffering. He hates that he’s in a constant battle between what he should do and what he wants to do.

Shouto has been an obedient child most of his life. Because anything other than that would provoke his father to harm him or his mother. But when his mother was sent away, Shouto felt less fear, and instead felt more anger. Now, both his fear and anger are racing against one another, seeking dominance.

Sadness, though, is something else. Shouto can’t remember the last time he was genuinely sad. When Shouto would become a shut in for days. When he never bothered to get out of bed until he was forced to. When he couldn’t eat or shower properly because the weight of his own body was already too much to bear.

Vague recollections of long, snowy hair and a shaken expression come into his mind.

Sadness is the dark horse of this race. Shouto can feel it. Shouto doesn’t want to think of all the other things these three competitors are bringing. Because things’ll get more complicated for Shouto. His mind would cave in on itself. It’s better to funnel your feelings than to let them storm around.

Or it’s better to have no feelings at all, if you can help it.

When they got to the place they’d be staying at for the rest of the week, Aizawa-sensei would give a helpful, short walk-through of the place.

“Walk along this path to get to your sleeping quarters. Bathrooms are within your cabins for your convenience. Don’t do anything stupid. I’m looking at you, Kaminari. There’ll probably foxes and other animals running around here at night. Leave them alone. I don’t care how late you sleep. Keep in mind training runs from eight in the morning to twelve in the afternoon by the creek. Do what you want after.”

Okay. So. Maybe not so helpful.

Nevertheless, with the help of a map given to everyone upon arrival, they more or less get what their cryptid of a teacher means. After the initial rules, Aizawa-sensei gives out keys to the cabins, and all the students split up.

Shouto and Midoriya now walk down a trail of dirt, silent and cold. This is how it’s going to be for a week. A damn week. Shouto can already feel the existential dread as they climb up the stairs to their cabin, with Midoriya unlocking the door.

Never mind everything Shouto has thought about the universe hating him. No, he’s convinced it loathes him.

“No way…” Midoriya says in disbelief, cheeks turning red. In front of them is a huge canopy bed, a bottle of champagne and two glasses. To the right, there’s a balcony that looks over the greater river, compared to the little creek they’d be training by. The lighting isn’t normal either; there’s a bunch of festoon lights everywhere that are so bright they overcompensate. But the dials on the wall suggest they can change the hue and brightness of the bulbs, and Shouto doesn’t know why that’s an option. He bets there’s a hot tub around here somewhere.

“They must’ve made some sort of mistake,” Midoriya says, already turning to open the door. “We’ve got to… uh… tell Aizawa-sensei…”

Shouto, of course, isn’t having it. Because as much as he’s in agony to be in such an intimate space with Midoriya of all people, it’s only as intimate as he makes it out to be. Plus, Shouto just wants to sleep.

So Shouto stops Midoriya, grabbing him by his backpack and spinning him around.

‘Tomorrow’, Shouto signs. He’s glad he knows some basis of the language. Midoriya’s face goes even redder-- Shouto didn’t think it was possible-, and before he could protest, Shouto makes a beeline towards the bathroom. As if it couldn’t get any worse, the damn thing has no door. Who knew romantics were so wild about lack of privacy.

Shouto, being determined to kill the pain as quick as possible, messily begins to remove his clothes. Sweater, shirt, jeans, shoes, socks. Then he works his way to the top while redressing, and he’s finally slipped into something more comfortable.

Shouto then takes his bag, dropping it by the side of what must be the most extra bed in the world. He can see how Midoriya is hugging his own bag close to chest, looking like he’s about to scream.

“U-um,” The other boy stutters out. “C-could you… um… do you… m-mind…. waiting… outside…. I…. I d-don’t…. uh…. I….”

Shouto nods. He understands. It was a gamble for him to change in the bathroom. A gamble that Midoriya finds too embarrassing to take. Shouto walks to the other side of the cabin, where the balcony lies.

Shouto turns off the light on the balcony, in fear of someone hawking around the area. It’s definitely… nice. Shouto can’t see much of the scenery considering how late at night it is, but the moonlight shines elegantly on the quiet running river. It’s… relaxing. Not to mention the amount of stars in the sky is ridiculous; Shouto has never seen so many.

Needless to say, he’s in awe.

About a good ten minutes later, Shouto hears a knock on the ‘doorframe’ (there is, again, no door) behind him. He turns around to see Midoriya, who is, for once, not in bright casual wear. Just soft, desaturated colors. His hair is pinned back, and instead of looking like he absorbs the moon like he does the sun, the moonlight bounces off of him, those green eyes standing out more than ever.

He doesn’t look the same way as he does in the sun. In the sunshine, his excited, positive personality shines at its brightest, and he looks like absolute gold. In the moonlight, however, he’s… different. More calm. More quiet. He looks even more… raw. He looks like… himself. Forget all the super strength or the crackling of electric light around him. Forget bloody noses, broken hands, and tear stained faces. Forget the hero Deku. This, truly, is Midoriya.

The air in Shouto’s lungs is pushed out. Not in the way his father did it; forced. Cruel. No, it’s a gentle kind of push. Like warm hands slowly pressing down onto his chest before letting up, giving him room to breathe again.

“Todoroki-kun?” Midoriya says, snapping Shouto out of his head. “Are you okay?”

Shouto swallows, nodding as he tries to ignore the heat in his cheeks. Not wanting to raise suspicion, he walks slowly past Midoriya into the cabin again.

The champagne and glasses have been put on the table far from the bed. Midoriya probably did that. Shouto pushes away the shimmery curtains of the canopy, collects the rose petals on the duvet, and throws them in the bowl on the nightstand where the rest of the petals float. Of course there’s only one thick and huge blanket to cover them. This is so stupid. Why do couples insist on sharing everything? Nevertheless, Shouto makes his way under the blanket, almost melting into the heaven that is a good mattress and plush bedding.

“I can… uh… sleep on the floor.” Midoriya proposes. It’s absurd. Shouto knows Midoriya doesn’t like sleeping on the floor. It gives him back aches and makes him uncomfortable.

Let him sleep on the floor. Let him sleep on the floor. Let him sleep on the floor, goddammit.

Shouto tries to remember the events of today. How Midoriya tried to leech information out of him, and how upset that made Shouto. But once Shouto stopped talking, Midoriya respected that. Shouto knows deep, deep down that Midoriya is only trying his best to help.

So, with a soft sigh escaping his lips, Shouto beckons Midoriya with his hand. Midoriya hesitates, but he seems to get the message, as he then climbs into bed with Shouto. Shouto then gestures the act of pulling, and Midoriya pulls the curtain closed behind him, finally relaxing into the bed.

Well. As relaxed as Shouto can feel. They’re back to back, and Midoriya is as stiff as a board. On this bed meant for kings, there should be more than enough room to at least have three feet of space between them, but neither of them move to create that gap. Shouto convinces himself that he’s just too lazy to do so.

Shouto closes his eyes, trying to sleep. And he really does try his absolute hardest. But it’s like Midoriya’s rigid form is rubbing off on him, despite Shouto’s body being slacked. He can’t sleep like this.

So Shouto does the best thing he knows how to do: pretend to sleep. It’s a very useful skill in his ‘home’. But this time, instead of just pretending, Shouto turns over, and his front meets Midoriya’s back.

He can hear Midoriya gasp, then mutter things like ‘oh my god’ and ‘fuck what do I do’ under his breath.

It looks like this isn’t enough, Shouto thinks. He then decides to throw his arm over Midoriya and get closer, putting his nose in Midoriya’s hair. This is a mistake. A huge mistake. Like how he took the window seat. Like how he showed concern over Midoriya hitting his arm. Like how he let Midoriya listen to audio together. Like how Shouto let his eyes stare at the freckled face that puts the bright stars in the sky to shame.

This is all a big mistake. But Shouto’s made so many, he can’t bring himself to care.

“He’s asleep, he’s asleep, he’s asleep,” Shouto hears Midoriya whisper to himself. As if this is only a thing that would happen unconsciously. Shouto’s chest feels in pain. And that’s not just because the bruise on it is feeling agitated. No, the pain is deeper than that.

He feels Midoriya begin to relax against him, though. How he just… gives in gradually. The other lets out this soft but prolonged sigh, and Shouto can tell that Midoriya was holding his breath. Shouto’s not sure whether this was his imagination or not either, but it feels like Midoriya has scooted a bit closer to him. He hates how he doesn’t see it as a problem.

By the time Shouto is feeling tired enough to sleep, Midoriya’s soft snore has ensued. He can pull away now. He can turn over like he planned, creating some sort of distance between them. But Shouto’s body doesn’t want to move, and he has no energy to fight against it.

Taking in Midoriya’s calming scent, Shouto settles for staying.

This is just for the sake of your comfort. Nothing more.

The tiniest voice in his head says otherwise.

It’s then that Shouto understands why couples enjoy sharing.

Chapter Text

It’s been two days since they’ve been here.

The day after they spent a night at the… love cabin, they learned that other kids in their class have experienced something similar. Iida and Kaminari had a cabin with four beds that they put together to make a bigger bed for each of them. Shouji and Aoyama had something more bareboned. Yaoyorozu and Uraraka’s cabin didn’t have a bathroom. Obviously, all these mistakes were corrected by the park’s staff, so everyone has a standard cabin. That entire day, Todoroki went back to avoiding him, like the day before hadn’t happened.

Things aren’t so different today.

“I don’t get it,” Yaoyorozu says, her leg coming up to knock hard against Izuku’s uninjured forearm. “He still hasn’t opened up to you?”

“Not in the slightest.” He replies, his fist surging forward. Yaoyorozu dodges effortlessly, her brows knitting. “He’s been less cold, sure, but he’s still not talking to me at all. He always just goes through his day routine and then goes right to bed.”

“Hm…” Yaoyorozu drops to the ground, leg swinging to get Izuku off his feet. He jumps, his body twisting as he aims to get his own kick at her side, but she blocks it by just a hair.

“Do you think we should wait until he’s ready to talk?” Izuku says. “Because it doesn’t seem like he’s going to say anything to me.”

Yaoyozoru gives two strong punches, one of them hitting him in the abdomen. It hurts, but his muscles absorb most of the shock, allowing him to take her other arm and throwing her over his head. Of course, she lands instead of slipping, their arms now tangled together.

“Ngh-- I doubt he’s going to confess on his own accord. I’m convinced he’d rather die.”

“That’s intense.”

“He does share the number one spot for the most intense student in our class.”

“Wha--”

Oops. Izuku left an opening for her. Because one moment he’s confused, and the next he’s been thrown into the creek. He gets soaked in freezing water, but he doesn’t mind it very much. Izuku’s body is pretty heated up from the sparring.

… Okay. Nevermind. He feels like a block of ice.

“Yaoyorozu-chan!” Izuku says, his teeth chattering a bit. She lets out a hearty laugh, offering her hand out.

“Sorry! I guess I got carried away,” Yaoyorozu says, a bright smile on her face and she pulls him up. “But anyway. I think you should still try to get through to him. Otherwise, he’ll never give.”

Izuku sighs, wringing out some of the water from his shirt. “I guess you’re right. He’s really good at keeping secrets, huh?”

“So are you, when it comes down to it.”

“I think everyone is.”

Yaoyorozu hums. “I think you should change before you get a cold out here. Meet you in the mess hall?”

A casual change of subject. Good. “Ah, yeah. I’ll see you there!” Izuku says, waving her off as he then starts to walk towards his cabin.

On the way there, Izuku tries to conjure up a plan. So, he knows that something went down between Todoroki and Endeavor. That’s a fact. But to get him to talk is a whole other thing. So far, Izuku’s attempts have only seem to either annoy Todoroki or make Todoroki ignore him for a while. Maybe he should backing off a bit? Izuku does have more chances to get through to Todoroki. But like how Yaoyorozu said; this is the best opportunity. So what can he do?

Droplets begin to hit the top of Izuku’s already soaked hair. Then there’s a light shower. Then, there’s a heavy rain, beating down on him like they’re trying to hurt him on purpose. Brontide can be heard in the distance.

I’d better hurry up before I get electrocuted, Izuku thinks humorously, picking up the pace as he then runs up the cabin’s stairs, opening the door. To his surprise, he sees Todoroki sleeping in his respective bed.

Izuku’s bandaged feet are quiet against the floor as he leaves a trail of mud and water, walking over to his bag as he then takes out clothes. He then begins to creep towards the bathroom, drying himself off before changing into a warmer set of clothes and bandages because he feels like he’s about to die via hypothermia.

His body is still a bit damp, but he’ll live. As he walks out, Izuku can see Todoroki shiver underneath the covers, curling up into a ball.

Is he having a bad dream? Izuku thinks, feeling concerned over his friend. He walks over to the other, hand reaching out to shake him awake, but he immediately draws it back. Todoroki probably wouldn’t want Izuku to see him like this, but…

I can’t bear to see him like this either.

When Izuku places a tentative hand on Todoroki’s arm, the other boy whimpers, and Izuku is shocked. It’s… it’s the first time he’s ever heard Todoroki make a vocal noise, rather than a breathy one. But to hear it when Todoroki is probably upset… well. That just takes the magic out of it.

Izuku shakes Todoroki as gently as possible, trying not to be rough. Todoroki only seems to react negatively, starting to make noises that makes Izuku’s chest feel constricted. There’s a lump in his throat beginning to form, and he tries his best to swallow it down before it gets worse. This isn’t about him. This is about Todoroki.

He refrains from touching Todoroki again, but Todoroki’s nightmare only seems to be getting worse. Izuku can see the gums of the other’s mouth showing as he clenches his teeth, a thin sheet of ice building up on his face.

“Todoroki-kun?”

Nothing but fast breathing.

“Todoroki-kun,”

Even faster breathing.

“Todoroki-kun!”

Suddenly, Todoroki gasps, eyes cracking wide open as he sits up. His hand immediately flies to his chest, grasping at his own shirt.

“It’s okay, Todoroki-kun,” Izuku says, still at Todoroki’s bedside, but not daring to touch him beyond a light hand on the other’s back. “Don’t worry, breathe, you’re okay,”

Todoroki’s eyes look at him and… god. They’re filled with terror, his face in obvious distress. His hair falls in a way that it covers his face significantly more, and he’s breathing so hard that Izuku thinks he’ll die at this rate.

The first thing Todoroki does is push him away. The other boy’s legs swing as quick as possible, hitting the floor with enough force to make it tremble. He’s making his way to the exit, and Izuku knows he’s trying to get out of the cabin.

No way in hell he’s gonna let that happen. Not when ice is forming with every step Todoroki takes.

Izuku runs towards the door, blocking it with his entire body. The other boy’s eyes widen, those bi-colored brows snapping down. It’s obvious he’s furious, but Izuku doesn’t care.

“I’m only doing this for your safety,” Izuku says, seeing how Todoroki’s chest heaves. “I’m sorry, but letting you run during a bad storm would make me a very bad friend!”

Todoroki gives him a glare, and boy, does Izuku have to physically keep himself from faltering. It’s an intense, cold air with no sense of emotion behind it. It makes Izuku feel small, like he should just move out of the way and let Todoroki do what he wants. But Todoroki’s expression suddenly changes, his hand coming up to cover the left side of his face as he backs away and paces.

Izuku immediately reacts. He’s off the door in a second. He keeps himself close enough to it so that if Todoroki tried to slip by him he wouldn’t be able to, but also far enough that if Todoroki needed Izuku, he can run toward him.

“Todoroki-kun?!” Izuku says. He can hear how his voice is slightly panicked, unlike the rest of him, which is very panicked. Todoroki makes a noise of distress, his hands coming up to grab at his hair. It’s so… violent. Todoroki is obviously struggling with something, but Izuku doesn’t know what. No one’s touched Todoroki. The only other person in this cabin is himself.

It’s then that Izuku realizes that what Todoroki’s wrestling against isn’t physical. It’s underneath the surface. Todoroki would never react this way otherwise. He’s seen the guy get some pretty gnarly injuries, with the only react being, at most, a hiss.

Todoroki’s pacing doesn’t let up. He’s walking around in circles, making these low growling noises. Obviously he’s being agitated by the fact that he can’t escape.

He feels unsafe, Izuku thinks. Like a trapped animal.

Todoroki then stops pacing all together, and Izuku doesn’t know what to expect. Is he going to run? Is he going to break out through the window? Is he going to smash through the wall?

To his surprise, neither of those things happen. Instead, Todoroki’s entire form slumps, his feet guiding him backwards till he hits the wall behind him before slowly sinking on the floor. It’s a calm, quiet gesture.

It’s not right.

The change is too sudden for it to be normal. It was like a switch had been flipped. Todoroki’s speedy and hectic movements are now replaced by slowness. Todoroki is bringing his knees up to his chest, folding his arms on them, and putting his head down. As if it’s a routine practiced regularly. Is this the other’s body’s way of trying to calm down? Or is it trying to protect itself?

“Todoroki-kun?...” Izuku calls gently. No response. Izuku decides to get closer, trying to make as little noise as possible. There’s still no reaction, and it’s worrying Izuku half to death.

Izuku slowly gets on his knees in front of Todoroki. It’s very faint, but he hears it; Todoroki’s breathing is soft, but it’s being chopped up. His body is shaking, and his fingers dig into his arms ever so slightly.

“Todoroki-kun…”

That gets somewhat of a reaction. In the form of Todoroki breathing in sharply.

Asking him what can I do would be too much of a loaded question right now… Izuku thinks. He tries to think back on similar instances he’s experienced.

“... Todoroki-kun,” Izuku says, licking his lips. He places a careful hand on Todoroki’s forearm. “I want to help you. Will you let me do that?”

The wait for a response is lengthy. But that’s alright. Izuku is patient. Not to mention Todoroki isn’t being his usual self. This is the kind of side of him that Izuku, guiltily, had always wanted to see. Because he wants to help Todoroki. But for him to do that, he’d have to understand where the other is coming from. Izuku can come up with ideas as much as he wants, but if he’s going to get anywhere, he has to hear the story from Todoroki himself.

After what seems like ages of silence, Todoroki gives only the vaguest hint at a nod.

--

Todoroki Shouto, he finds, is more touchy than he expected.

It’s definitely not the emotional kind of touchy. Izuku has no right to say that even if it was the case, judging by how much he cries everyday. But it’s the physical kind of touch. The kind that comes in the form of handholding and resting one’s head on another’s chest.

Which is exactly what they’re doing now. Todoroki explicitly banned Izuku from holding him, but instead, Todoroki is the one holding onto Izuku. The other boy’s hair tickles his neck, and their calloused fingers are loosely intertwined. Todoroki’s long sleeved shirt is covering his hands, as if he’s hiding something. They’ve been lying in silence for what seems like hours, the heavy rain still beating down on the pour cabin.

Izuku decides it’s finally time to change that.

“Todoroki-kun…” He says, his voice quiet. “I… how long has this been going on?”

Todoroki doesn’t do anything. Izuku tries again.

“Stick up a finger for days, two for weeks, three for months, four for years.”

At first, Todoroki doesn’t respond with anything besides a sniffle. Slowly, though, shaky fingers begin to leave Izuku’s grasp.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Todoroki then puts them down, quickly fixing their way into the crevices of Izuku’s own fingers.

Izuku tries his best not to let out a struggled gasp. He’s both in sorrow and enraged. He’s both in fear and sick to his stomach. But nothing he feels could compare to what Todoroki must experience on a day to day basis.

“Todoroki-kun,” Izuku says, feeling the ache in chest getting worse. “I want to help you. So badly. And I know you want it, but…. you have to let me in.”

Todoroki’s hand squeezes his.

He doesn’t want to, Izuku thinks to himself. He sees how Todoroki slowly rises off of him, now in a seated position. But no effort is being made in straightening himself up. But he knows he has to.

Izuku rises with him, moving to instead sit in front of the other rather than on his side. He wants to show Todoroki that he cares. That he’s going to listen the same way Todoroki does whenever Izuku is gushing about whatever the hell is relevant to him in that moment. Todoroki’s head is bowed, though. Izuku has a guess to why.

Todoroki, he knows, doesn’t have any intention on texting. Nor does he have any intention to speak with his mouth. Both, as Izuku would imagine, are exhausting options. Todoroki doesn’t have much stamina to begin with.

Izuku offers his other hand, seeing if it’s of better comfort that Todoroki holds both. Todoroki does take it, his hold now loosing more.

Where to start, where to start…

“Remember what happened a few days ago? When you were upset? Was… was Endeavor responsible for that?...”

Todoroki tenses up a bit, his grasp getting a bit stronger before slowly letting up. He nods very slowly.

Izuku restrains himself from squeezing Todoroki’s hands.

“What… what did he do?” Pause. “I-I’m sorry, I— I meant to ask—”

Todoroki shakes his head, squeezing Izuku’s hands before leaning back. They make their way to the hem of his shirt, lifting it up to expose his chest. There’s a purple bruise spreading right in the middle of it, the scars of a hacked surgery only making it worse. It’s nothing short of rage-inducing. And even then, Izuku resists the urge to kiss the violent created by violence.

“Tell me, has he hurt you this way… before?”

Todoroki grimaces, his head dropping even lower as he nods. Izuku’s hands create fists in his lap. He wants to say that he’s sorry. But the last thing he wants is for the other to take that as pity, not sympathy.

“... He’s one of the reasons you don’t speak, isn’t he?”

Todoroki goes rigid. There’s another sniffle before he gives a resigned nod. He’s being silenced.

Everything is starting to make sense. The reluctance to use his fire power. How tense and angry he gets at the mention of his father. The hollowness in his eyes for the last couple of days. How the tips of his fingers begin to suffer the cold of frost creeping into them. Izuku can see hiw Todoroki begins to tremble, and his hands reach out to take his.

“Hey,” Izuku says calmly, despite the simmer of anger and resentment itching under his skin. “Todoroki-kun. You’re here with me. You’re here.”

Todoroki sucks in a breath, looking up at Izuku. He can see how tears are welling in his eyes, threatening to fall. But Todoroki isn’t letting them.

He doesn't want to cry. Izuku understands.

“Can I hug you?” Izuku asks reluctantly. He expects rejection. Expects Todoroki to close himself again. But instead, the opposite happens. He nods, but he doesn't open up his arms.

Slowly, Izuku leans over, being mindful of Todoroki's hanging head as he wraps his arms around the other boy. He doesn't dare to tighten his hold, but it’s firm and gentle. He wants Todoroki to focus on him. On the now. Todoroki's own arms come up to hold onto Izuku almost like his life depends on it.

Izuku doesn't feel his shirt get wet. But a sob leaves the other anyway.

--

To: yaoyorozu-chan

yaoyorozu-chan

hey

hey

this is urgent

please respond

From: yaoyorozu-chan

Midoriya?

Mb. Midoriya-kun*

What's up? Why the sudden 2 am text

To: yaoyorozu-chan

it's about todoroki-kun

From: yaoyorozu-chan

What happened?? is he okay??

To: yaoyorozu-chan

for the most part

i dont want to go into much detail bc i dont want to say anything without him giving me the ok

From: yaoyorozu-chan

Of course. That's very respectful of you.

To: yaoyorozu-chan

what i can tell you, though, is that i know what happened

every suspicion we had? turns out we were right

From: yaoyorozu-chan

fuck

I knew it. I knew there was a reason i hated him.

To: yaoyorozu-chan

i idolized him for so long

i wasted so much money on posters im goin to now shred up

ive never been so upset in my life

From: yaoyorozu-chan

Preach.

Where is he now?

To: yaoyorozu-chan

he’s with me right now

in my bed, i mean

From: yaoyorozu-chan

Ah, okay. That’s a relief. I’d hate for him to be alone during these times

I’d say ‘take care of my best boy’, but…

I know he’s in good hands.

Thank you for being there for him. I knew you could do it.

To: yaoyorozu-chan

thanks for believing in me.

ah, i’m kinda tired though. i’ll talk to you in the morning!

goodnight, yaoyorozu-chan!

From: yaoyorozu-chan

Goodnight, Midoriya-kun!

--

Izuku begrudgingly wakes up a few hours later. At five in the morning. Which, with how late he slept, is not very good.

It’s definitely going to hinder his energy level today. Then again, he’s never really… slept right. Not after starting being a hero in training. There are just some things that keep him up for far too long, and that continue to haunt him in the morning.

The sun isn’t up for another hour, so that means he’ll experience a gradual exposure to light. Good. That’s one less headache.

Something prods against his head, and shifts against his side. Izuku’s face starts to redden, remembering just what-- or who, exactly,-- is the other weight in his bed.

Todoroki is sleeping soundly, his face in Izuku’s hair. His leg is linked with one of his, and his arms are holding into Izuku. Earlier this morning, Todoroki was low enough to have his head on Izuku’s chest, letting him more or less be Todoroki’s ‘protector’ in bed. Now, it’s clear that Izuku is the ‘protectee’, with Todoroki holding onto him like he’s trying to guard him from some unknown force.

Izuku didn’t have a chance to freak out over the other being so close to him last night. It seemed too inappropriate. Plus, he was too focused on trying to help Todoroki through a tough time. But now? Oh boy.

He’s so… tepid. Izuku thinks. Not cold, but not warm. Izuku almost laughs at himself for using that word rather than any other to describe Todoroki’s temperature.

Todoroki’s hold is so… firm. Safe. Izuku’s face heats up at the the thought, but they don’t deter him from taking the other in. The smell of wood inside the cabin messed with how Todoroki smells, creating this… woodfire scent. It’s crisp. Just like when they had first hugged.

We’re friends, Izuku reminds himself.

However, as much as he hates it, Izuku tries to get up. Unlike the rest of his class, Izuku has to work twice as hard to keep his body strong.

One For All isn’t going to fix its vessel for me, he thinks amusedly.

But he doesn’t even make it into his elbows. Todoroki’s arm shifts, pushing him back down with little force.  Izuku sucks in a breath-- was he awake this whole time? How come Izuku didn’t notice?

“No.” Todoroki says, his voice deep and groggy. Izuku’s heart jumps straight up in his throat, the same way a heavy hit on a high striker bursts up to knock into the bell above.

This is it. This is when Midoriya Izuku, All Might’s protégé and professional hero analyst, dies. Rest in pieces.

“Todoroki-kun…” Izuku says, his breath caught in his throat.

“I know.” Todoroki says, nuzzling his face more into Izuku’s hair, as if he wants to muffle it. “I know.”

“Why?...” Izuku dares asking. He’s afraid Todoroki would stop talking now that he has. But it’s just… baffling.

“I trust you.” Todoroki says quietly. They’re three simple words, but in Izuku’s mind, that’s a huge deal. It’s one thing for Todoroki to trust someone as a comrade. But to trust Izuku with the sound of his voice when he hasn't talked in months, maybe years?

Izuku doesn’t feel like he deserves it.

“Don’t tell anyone.” He continues. “I’m not ready… to have anyone else know.”

Izuku nods, being considerate of the other’s face.

“Good.” Todoroki says. After a bit, he speaks again. “Can you… stay with me? For a bit longer?”

Izuku thinks back to last night. How Todoroki was so… hurt. Terrified. He thinks back to days ago, when Todoroki was at his harshest. He thinks to the start of the month back, when Todoroki would smile at him as Izuku chatted about his wildest dreams. His head goes back in time, all the way to months before all this happened. The day Todoroki had walked into the nurse’s office when Izuku had been on bedrest, holding a small bouquet of peonies.

I love him. I love him so much. I love him, Izuku thinks, cheeks getting hotter. It’s so clear now. There’s no point in lying to himself anymore; Izuku doesn’t love Todoroki as a friend. He hasn’t for the longest time. If he could, Izuku would freeze time, just to stay this way forever.

Slowly, Izuku shifts his position, turning to go front to front with Todoroki. His own arms wrap around the boy, bringing him close. Their bodies mesh so… naturally together. Like they were meant to be this way.

“Okay.” Izuku says against Todoroki’s shoulder, his heart so welled up with love that he has to bury his face even further into Todoroki just to hide his smile.

Todoroki tightens his hold on him, and, for a moment, Izuku imagines this to be more than a platonic act.

Chapter Text

Shouto couldn’t have been more content with the time he’s spent on this weeklong break.

There’s something about the overall atmosphere. The sound of the river by the cabin he and Midoriya share is lovely to hear during the night. Although, it did end up playing a big role in the flash flood.

Shouto’s fingers come up to his touch his lips. He actually… talked. It feels so weird. He wouldn’t even talk to Maron, who is a cat, who wouldn’t say anything back to him. Shouto doesn’t know if Midoriya noticed he was just as surprised to hear himself as he was. But Shouto is  terrible at displaying anything, so that’s fair.

“Todoroki-kun?”

Shouto is pulled out of his head. The familiar of the chatter in the ‘mess hall’ is back, and Tsuyu is blinking at him, her eyes the size of saucers.

“Did you get burned?” She asks. Todoroki shakes his head.

I do feel very warm on the inside.

“You’ve been zoning out a lot.”

Todoroki has noticed. He keeps his face neutral, though, as he continues to eat his lunch.

“Todoroki-kun is capable of daydreaming too, Tsuyu-chan.” Iida says, a calm smile on his face when Tsuyu sticks her tongue out.

“You know what we should do today? Go kayaking!” Uraraka says excitedly. “I mean, this is supposed to be a vacation, right? Oooo, maybe we can go swimming too!”

“I mean…” Midoriya says, smiling a bit. “I think it’s a little too cold for swimming, but it wouldn’t hurt to kayak. Right, Todoroki-kun?” He says, now facing him.

Shouto can’t help but nod.

Just then, one of their classmates stands. It’s Bakugo, who looks.. shocked.

“What the fuck?!”

“Hey man,” Kirishima says through a chuckle. “C’mon, I didn’t mean what I said,”

Bakugo still stands, stiff as a board. His eyes are darting left and right, changing from red to white in a matter of seconds, gums showing as he grits his teeth.

“Is this some kind of joke?!” Bakugo shouts. “It’s not fucking funny!! What the fuck is going on?!”

Kaminari looks up at the other, obviously worried as he reaches for Bakugo. “Hey, man, calm down--”

Suddenly, Bakugo’s arm moves, the palm of his hand in line with Kaminari’s face.

It all seems to happen in a flash. Shouto hears a shout he can’t make out from Bakugo, and then there’s an explosion, heat blowing out from all sides.

He activated his quirk?! Shouto thinks hastily. Indoors? Why?!

“Kaminari?!” Bakugo says, for a moment sounding so… vulnerable. The smoke clears, and it reveals that nothing had taken Bakugo’s sudden blast, with Sero holding Kaminari in cellophane.

“What is wrong with you?!” Sero shouts, backing away from Bakugo. “You could’ve killed him!”

“I didn’t fucking mean to! I-- my body is--” Bakugo’s form then whips around, both his arms coming up in front of Kirishima. The glow of heat lights up in Bakugo’s palm, and another blast is just about to come--

And then nothing happens.

“Bakugo.” Aizawa-sensei says, his bandages and hair flying all over the place. “What are you doing? I thought you knew better than to blow things up during lunch time.”

“I’m not-- fucking doing anything! I’m-- ngh!” Bakugo then collapses, a yelp coming from him. Another student then gets up, and it’s Tokoyami, whose eyes change color rapidly as Dark Shadow begins to emerge from his body.

“What-- is-- this?!” He says, his body beginning to shake. As if the other is trying to hold himself back. But it’s no use; Dark Shadow darts out, aimlessly trying to hit whatever is in its sight.

“Is this the doing of someone outside the building?!” Iida asks, bewildered as he narrowly dodges a flying plate.

“Looks like it.” Aizawa-sensei says. “Everyone, out of the building!”

Shouto gets up along with everyone else at his table, darting out of the cafeteria.

It doesn’t seem to be complete mind control like when Shinso fought with Midoriya, Shouto thinks, creating a wall of ice when Shouji suddenly goes to attack him. That’s definitely going to hurt. What is this?

“Could they be hiding?!” Yaoyorozu says, looking back at the other students. It looks like a battle royale had just broke out; all the students seem to be fighting off those who have been seemingly possessed. Hagakure’s light is blinding, Aoyama is aiming without a target. It’s… something more than just a feud.

“This is getting bad!” Kaminari yells. “Where are we supposed to--”

The boy then seizes up for a moment, his eyes blanking out. Sparks begin to fly off of him. He’s close-- too close. Shouto isn’t fast enough, they’ll get totally fried--

Uraraka then jumps out from behind Kaminari, her fingers touching him as he sent into the air. An blast of electricity crackles like lightning, crashing against the ground in beams.

“Yaoyorozu-chan!” Shouto hears Midoriya shout, pushing her out of the way of a strike before backing out, narrowly missing the blast. Kaminari floats in the air before Uraraka presses her fingertips together.

“Release!” She says, and Kaminari falls, right into Iida’s arms.

“Kaminari-kun? Kaminari-kun!” Iida says in desperation. It’s no use; unlike when Kaminari’s brain short-circuits, he’s knocked out cold. “Don’t worry, Kaminari-kun! You’re safe!”

Whoever this is, they’re trying to pit us against each other, Shouto thinks. He attempts to create another wall of ice against Jiro, not having the time to make it stronger. Her earlobes plug into her boots, sending a wave of sound strong enough to break through and sends both Tsuyu and Shouto flying back, only for Shouto to get just a spike of ice in as acid is thrown at him.

“Midoriya-kun!” He hears Sero cry out. His cellophane tape is darting out towards the other, who is trying to find off a teary eyed and hardened Kirishima.

Not on my watch, Shouto thinks, his foot slamming onto the ground, blocks rising off the ground and hitting Sero. Sero gets frozen up to his neck, and his teeth chatter.

“N-not again!”

There’s so much going on. There’s a distant yelp, followed by a loud slam. Shouto is baffled by the amount of fighting that’s going on between his classmates. His classmates, who all love each other to some degree, and would never hurt each other unless they had to. Shouto tries his best to not be overwhelmed, though, as he flips backward, coming back to back with his teacher.

“This must be a long range quirk,” Shouto hears the man breathe out, his cloth coming out to both grab students who are being controlled and pushing those who aren’t out of the way. “Judging by the fact we can’t see them. Four students are being controlled at once, too.”

Shouto can hear how he speaks through gritted teeth. It’s clear; in fights conducted by UA, the teachers would hold out on the students. But this is not a field test. This is an actual battle, where the safety of others is in grave danger. Shouto knows Aizawa-sensei knows this, but his feelings of not wanting to hurt his class is getting in the way.

An explosion head straight for them, and Shouto swings his leg out, a sweep of ice being formed before Bakugo’s attack can hit Aizawa-sensei.

“Thanks,” His teacher says, once again tying Tokoyami up. “Todoroki, I need you and the unaffected to hold down the fort. I have to go find who’s responsible for this. I’ve contacted reinforcements, but the distance between here and the city is going to be an issue.”

Shouto nods, running off. He feels a burst of air coming behind him, stray twigs and rocks hitting him like projectiles.

Midoriya-- is he being controlled?! Shouto thinks, looking back. Sato and Midoriya are throwing punches, each fist meeting the other and causing massive blows. It looks like Midoriya is trying to block him more than anything, so he must not be the one who’s under the influence under this quirk. Shouto is ready to run for him, but he hears Koda shriek behind him.

Dammit , Shouto says. Midoriya can handle himself. Shouto quickly turns around, running towards the gentle soul at risk of getting beat down by Oijiro’s tough tail. He throws his arm up, letting Oijiro hit a block of ice instead as he skids to a stop next to Koda. The other boy is obviously shaken, but he looks up at Shouto, eyes filled with tears.

“T-Thank you,” Koda says. Shouto is about to offer his head, but his body suddenly stop functioning. His sight flashing from color to white, feeling his body shaking as he tries to move.

Is this what Bakugo experienced?! Shouto thinks. I can’t-- control--

His vision goes completely white, his mind wiped.

--

Izuku puts Sato seated against a tree where Iida had left Kaminari as well as the classmates that had collapsed, fixing the blanket Yaoyorozu had made around them again.

“You should be safe here,” He says, standing up. Izuku then starts running back into the action, looking over his shoulder one more time before looking ahead.

“Who’s left?” Izuku asks Uraraka, who is wiping a bit of saliva off her chin as she pants.

“Very few,” She breathes. “A little less than half the class. Will we have to knock each other out to stop ourselves from attacking too?”

“I don’t know,” Izuku says, mimicking the girl beside him as he wipes away the crimson liquid running out of his nose. He hears the whirring of engines, gasping as a force hits him hard enough to send him far. Someone calls out for him, but he slams into a tree, his sense being thrown out of whack.

Izuku’s head is throbbing. His body is beginning to pulsate with pain, but his hands find the ground, and he forces himself to rise onto his feet again. He can hear someone run over to him, and he puts up his forearm, ready to protect himself from impact.

“Midoriya-kun!” Yaoyorozu says in distress. She catches his body before he could fall over, putting his arm around his shoulders. “Midoriya-kun, can you hear me?!”

“Y-yeah…” Izuku says. His hearing is a bit muddled, making her sound like she’s underwater, but it’s clear enough to understand. “How… is everyone?”

“Bakugo-kun’s on the verge of breaking his arms,” She says quickly. “Uraraka-chan keeps coughing up bile, Ashido-chan’s skin is beginning to burn-- it’s looking pretty bad for everyone who is still fighting. We have to find--”

All of a sudden, the ground shakes, cold air whipping around. So cold, in fast, snow is thrown. Izuku nearly drops, but Yaoyorozu’s hold on him is strong.

“Todoroki-kun…” She whispers quietly, barely enough for Izuku to hear. He looks ahead, and the sight of the other boy immediately shakes him to the core.

Todoroki’s eyes are blank. His warm brown and icy blue eyes are now void of color. Harsh, brisk air spreads with every breath. Crystals build underneath the other’s feet, and snow circles around him. Todoroki then lifts his foot.

Izuku’s eyes widen. “Everyone! Get out of the way!” He screams, his voice breaking. Those who still retain control of themselves grab those who aren’t, jumping to the sides. Yaoyorozu picks Izuku up, barely making it as she runs out of the sudden path of ice blocks. When the attack is done, they all regroup, huddling close together.

It is then that those who were entranced gasp, color flourishing into their eyes and faces. Bakugo nearly yells. Do they grow numb to pain when they’re controlled?!

“Fuck--!” Bakugo strains to say, his arms limp. They’re bruised along the lines of his veins, and he’s breathing hard enough that one can physically see how his chest rises and falls too quickly for Izuku’s liking. Bakugo is being held by Iida, whose own engines are nearly busted to nothing. The explosive boy tries to move, but to no avail. His body is shaking so violently. He’s never seen Bakugo like this before, and he hates it. As much pain as Bakugo has caused him, their relationship is coming to mend itself, and Izuku still cares about him too much.

“Bakugo-kun, don’t!” Iida says. “You are in no condition to continue fighting!”

“Sh- Shut up, Sonic-- I-- know what I’m--!” Bakugo tries to get up again, making it only a few centimeters before his head drops onto Iida’s lap again.

“No, you do not!” Iida snaps, shocking Uraraka, who is currently trying to keep her mouth closed for the sake of not vomiting. “As your class rep, I will not allow you to move a single finger! Besides, how useful will you be when your arms are ready to break at any moment.”

The words seem to strike Bakugo hard.

Another blast of cool air blows through, the chill aggressive. Ice is thrown like bullets, and everyone moves out of the way, despite their exhaustion.

Uraraka spits out whatever she tries to keep in, gasping roughly. “Deku, what do should we do?”

Izuku bites his lip, looking at Todoroki. He’s beginning to slow down, but that doesn’t mean his ice isn’t becoming any weaker. The other boy is sulking, arms hanging as if he were a zombie.

He might as well be, Izuku thinks, a beat of sweat running down his forehead. Being controlled… it leaves seems to leave its victims brain dead.

“We have to try to attack him from all sides,” Izuku says, Yaoyorozu putting him down. “Maybe whoever is controlling him will focus on at least two of us, but if we drastically outnumber him when he’s this slow… how many of us are left?”

“I-- hh… I can go for another round,” Ashido says. The skin on her hands has corroded, as well as several other places on her arms and face. Slowly, she gives a shaky smile. “It-- takes more than a couple of burns to keep me down.”

“I’m in not out of the game yet either,” Yaoyorozu says, panting as she begins to pull out a massive war hammer. She’s most likely trying to pour as much energy as possible into making the weapon as fast as possible.

Uraraka, Oijiro, and Tokoyami all rise to their feet, all equally as tired and hurt as Izuku is. The fire in their eyes mimics his own, and he smiles widely through the pain.

“Okay,” Izuku says, now activating his own quirk. There’s less spark, less strength, but it’ll be enough to keep him going.  “Iida-kun, take care of Bakugo-kun! We’ll be back!”

Before Bakugo can even open his mouth, Iida puts his hand on it. “You can count on me!”

Izuku smiles, nodding his head. I know I can.

“Okay, everyone!” He then begins to run forward, everyone else follows behind him. “Uraraka-chan, Ashido-chan! Take his left side! Yaoyorozu-chan, Oijiro-kun, take the right! Tokoyami-kun, aim above him! I’ll take the front!”

“You’re planning to take him head on?!” Oijiro says, shocked.

“There’s no other choice,” Izuku says. “I have a one in five chance to be targeted, and that’s a chance I’m willing to take!”

“We trust you,” Yaoyorozu says, already beginning to split up with Oijiro close behind her. “Good luck!”

“Right!” Izuku says, the rest of the team getting into formation.

--

Shouto is in a dark room. It’s too cold. Too hot. He’s standing on something-- a mat?

“Shouto.” A voice booms, like rolling thunder. He freezes up, seeing his father illuminate the space with his volatile, threatening fire.

“Endeavor…” Shouto growls, his hands coming into fists.

“Oh, please. What happened to the days you called me ‘papa’?”

“Time’s have changed, old man. I’m not your little oblivious toy anymore.”

“Is that what you think?”

Shouto freezes, his head immediately turning so fast he gets whiplash. In front of him is Endeavor again, who has appeared in a flash.

“You--” Shouto turns his head to his father, but nothing is there anymore.

“You still dance on my palms. Still follow my orders.” Endeavor says tauntingly, now behind Shouto.

“Shut up!” Shouto says, jumping back and shooting out an icicle, hoping it would spear the man. But nothing happens, and the ice deteriorates like old wood.

He can hear his father laughing. But it’s happening multiple times, each laugh echoing the other, shaking Shouto’s brain. He looks around frantically, runs in one direction. There’s no end to this room-- if it even is a room.

“I wonder. Would your rebellion be able to be prevented if your mother was around? You were always so weak around her.”

Shouto grits his teeth hard enough to hurt, his hand coming out to send shards upon shards of ice. “Don’t you dare speak about her, you piece of shit!” He spits, his throat beginning to feel hoarse.

“What will you do about it?” Endeavor says, his hands behind his back.

“What will you do about it?” Says another.

“What will you do about it?”

Shouto’s head keeps turning. He can feel the darkness begin to spin, the air blowing through his clothes and hair as he looks left and right, behind him and in front of him. Multiple copies of his father corner him from all sides, their fire beginning to creep towards Shouto before they create a ring of fire. The ground rumbles as magma shoots up from the flames, trapping Shouto in this burning prison.

“Stop it…” Shouto whispers. “Stop it…” He says, even louder amongst the chanting. “Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it,”

The chanting gets even louder. The laughter acts like a backtrack, making Shouto grab at his head. But before he falls, before he submits to his father, he stands up straight again, thrusting his arm to the side.

“Shouto!” He hears a female voice hear. Could it be…?

“Mama?...” Shouto says.

“Shouto! Resist! Come back to me!”

Mama is here, he thinks. Mama is here, mama is here, I have to get to her,

Shouto’s leg swings, his own ring of cold, hard ice cutting through the molten rock. He sees his mother, who arms are wide open.

“Mama…” Shouto says, walking at first. But his feet pick up the pace before he then breaks into a run. She’s here. She’s here. In the dark, she gives off a white light, her presence calm and angelic.

Just as he almost reaches her, her arms coming tightly around him.

“You can do it, Shouto.”

--

Todoroki isn’t aiming at anyone. Izuku’s theory is proven wrong.

The other boy is bursting ice everywhere, moving on from just blocks. Great spikes of frozen matter force their way out from where a grand sheet of frost is below his feet. The skies are grey from the snowstorm he’s caused, making it so hard to see.

“He’s not giving us an opening!” Izuku hears Yaoyorozu yell over the howl of the strong wind.

This is bad, Izuku says in his head. His team is losing stamina too fast, and he still hasn’t surged through the front. It all seems so futile; Todoroki just isn’t quitting. No matter how much he begins to jerk and freeze, he’s being pushed to do more and more, creating even bigger blasts. Blood is splattered everywhere from the injuries the others have sustained so far, with Ashido even being knocked into a tree, rendering her unconscious.

“Ashido-chan!” Uraraka cries, almost muted by the storm. Izuku knew Todoroki was powerful. He knew Todoroki was capable of many things. He knows that Todoroki is on the right path. But with how catastrophic this all is, creating a barren tundra with just himself alone, it would be disastrous if he were to fall into the wrong hands.

The frost on Todoroki’s skin only expands. His right arm is barely able to move, his leg taking more of the labor as it shudder excessively.

He’s going to die.

“No,” Izuku says, his feet already moving forward. “No, no he won’t, he won’t, he can’t, I won’t let him--”

“Midoriya-kun!” Oiijro screams. “What are you doing?! He’s going to--!”

An icicle bursts out of the snow, but it stops just short of Izuku’s face as he gasps. His eyes travel from the sharp point to Todoroki, whose head is hanging, and yet…

Izuku continues forward. Unlike before, where Todoroki would just attack everyone at once, he’s only attacking Izuku. The strange thing here? Rough diamonds shoot out, but none of them hit Izuku, no matter how close he gets. The snow is cleared for Izuku’s path and has become less violent all around as Izuku keeps running towards the other, lungs full of cold air, but his body has never felt more hotter.

You know I’m coming... Izuku thinks. You know I’m coming for you, Todoroki... you’re fighting against the hold on you... keep fighting!

The ice is closing in on him, but the way to Todoroki is still clear. The ice isn’t hindering him completely. Izuku feels tired, he feels worn, like his muscles are going to tear up and cause him to fall. But he can’t. He can’t for the lodge. For his friends.

For Todoroki.

Forget about running the rest of the way. Izuku finally enters the eye of the storm where Todoroki stands.

“Todoroki-kun!” Izuku yells in anguish. His feet jump off of the ground, propelling him forward.

It all feels so slow, yet so fast. Izuku’s arms open, and Todoroki’s head turns, his eyes blank. But at the very last moment, just as Izuku is about to make contact with him, wide eyes fade into color once more. Izuku’s body hits Todoroki’s, the impact causing him to give a pained noise, but that doesn’t stop him from wrapping his arms tightly around the other.

In a sudden moment, one last tendril of freezing air erupts, a rumble coming up from all sides.

They’ve been trapped.

--

Yaoyorozu looks on in horror. The amount of ice that comes up in less that a second…

The last thing she saw of Midoriya and Izuku was when Midoriya had jumped at the other boy. The next, a huge ring of ice formed before it evolves into a dome, the two of them inside. The snowstorm stops. The icicles stop. Everything just… stops, with just a weak puff of frost coming from the bottom of the dome.

Tokoyami skids over the ice to her, looking up at it. An unconscious Uraraka lays in his arms.

“This is… how… are they going to be okay?”

Yaoyorozu can feel her knees shake as she walks over to the dome.

“I don’t know…” She says, not even masking the heartache she’s going through. Yaoyorozu has never seen anything like this. She never thought it would be possible.   Todoroki had started to freeze when he was just using reckless techniques. Something this large…

“Todoroki-kun?” Yaoyorozu says quietly. Her best friend. Her best friend is in there, and she’s not. Her best friend is suffering, and she can’t help. And as much as she appreciates Midoriya helping him all this time, nothing can compare how useless you can feel when someone you care about is out of your reach.

Yaoyorozu grabs her hammer hard, ignoring her bleeding hands as she beats it against the ice, over and over and over again. She doesn’t stop. No one stops her. It’s only until her arms are too tired to do more, her breathing heavy as the broad part slams onto the ice below.

“Not even a scratch…” Oijiro says, hushed. “The ice must be too thick…”

Yaoyorozu eyes drop, her eyes beginning to water. She can cry and yell all she wants. But nothing will change a fact set in stone: they can’t do anything. She doesn’t even think Bakugo can blast through, even at full health.

“It’s up to Midoriya-kun now.” Yaoyorozu says, looking up at the dome. She can’t see anything inside. But there’s only the slightest hint at her reflection. “Let’s just pray he’ll be able to break the barrier.”

--

It’s cold.

Izuku is cold. Freezing. The wintry chill cuts deep into his bones, making his body tremble. It’s like breaking a home thermometer on the lowest setting possible. He swallows thickly, lifting his shaking body from off of Todoroki.

The other’s has frost all over. In his hair, on his skin, on his clothes. Izuku gasps, coughing from the cold air intruding his lungs. The ice has spread so… far. Izuku has been so used to seeing just Todoroki’s cheek and shoulder being frostbitten, and even that scared him. But now it streaks over his eye, his nose. His lips are blue, his clothes stiff from the ice. Izuku moves quickly to listen to Todoroki’s chest, looking for something, anything.

A faint heartbeat.

Izuku can’t feel relieved. It’s only a matter of time. He has no idea how long it will take for everything to freeze over. To make Todoroki look like he’s taken a dip in a tank of liquid nitrogen.

“T-Todoroki-kun?...” Izuku stutters. He can see his own breath in here. His hand comes to put itself gently on the other’s face; even his left side, which is always warm, suffers from the bitter cold. Izuku’s own fingers are already beginning to change color as they quake. He probably has about thirty minutes before they’re beyond repair. But that doesn’t matter now. Todoroki’s frost is progressing quickly.

“Todoroki-kun…” Izuku breathes, his eyes already spilling tears as his hand gently brushes against Todoroki’s cheek. The other has been unresponsive so far, eyes shut. He has to warm him up somehow.

Carefully, Izuku begins to remove shirt, his body becoming even more exposed to the raw ice. It takes a long of effort, but he manages to put the shirt over Todoroki’s long sleeve, sniffling as he cradles Todoroki. Izuku’s time of surviving is being eaten away more. But he doesn’t care.

“Todoroki-kun,” He says, throat feeling like it’s being crystallized. “Todoroki-kun, please, please wake up, I--” Izuku’s chest hurts as he begins to sob. “Please, wake up! Todoroki-kun!”

Izuku can’t count the amount of times he’s been calling the other’s name by hand. Over and over again, he keeps on, already starting to scream as his tears start to fall. They only end up freezing on his face. He chokes up, his bawls loud as his heart twists. Izuku just wants him to… wake up. He wants Todoroki to show signs that he’s alive. That he’s not just this shell with a heartbeat. He’s desperate to see those warm eyes again, desperate to see Todoroki’s smile.

His left side, Izuku thinks. His left side can save him. His left side is the only source of heat. But…

Izuku tries to shake the thought out of his head. The thought of Todoroki being unconscious… permanently. But his mind is fixated on it, making him start to cry again as he hold the other close.

“Please…”

--

Shouto’s eyes open.

The world around him is blurry at the edges. All he sees is… blue. Just a whole lot of it. Everything is blue. He’s… cold. Is he dead?

There’s a voice. He tries to focus on it, hearing it become more and more clear.

“Todoroki-kun!” The figure says, wide eyes coming into view.

Shouto’s eyes drift from nothing to someone. Midoriya is holding him. Why is he holding him? Something wet falls on his face before it freezes. Midoriya’s face is teary and snotty. Shouto doesn’t want him to cry. He hates it when Midoriya cries. Unfortunately, it happens so often.

Shouto parts his lips, feeling how they crack and bleed. Just like Midoriya’s. He exhales, his body being so cold that he can’t barely see his own breath.

“Mi… doriya…” Shouto says weakly. His throat hurts so bad. He doesn’t want to talk.

“T-Todoroki-kun,” Midoriya says, his teeth chattering. The tip of the other’s nose is as blue as his lips. “I-- you… y-you need… to use your fire… I… you… can’t die here,”

Shouto can’t think. His brain is probably too frozen. All he can think of is ‘no.’

“I… can’t…” Shouto says, feeling his voice go high on the last syllable. “I… he… he cursed… me…”

Midoriya shakes his head. It looks the same way a broken machine would move. It stammers.

“T-this… this has nothing to do with him….”

“It… has everything…. to do with him….” Shouto says, feeling the knot in his throat only getting thicker. “He…”

“You… m-may have been born with it,” Midoriya continues. Persistent. Like if he let Shouto talk, he’s lose his chance to speak. “B-but… it’s no curse. Y-you’ve been… making it out to be one. B-but…”

Midoriya’s hand touches his face. It’s not warm. From the corner of his eye, he sees how his fingers are a deep blue. It shakes against his skin, but it’s still so… gentle. Shouto would sit up and blow hot air onto them, warm them up with his own hands... if he could.

“I-it’s a gift,” Midoriya says, his lips barely turning up into a smile. “It’s… a gift… because you… h-have it. I-it’s a gift… because it’s yours. Y-your quirk. Your power, not… Endeavor’s. Y-you’re related t-to him; nothing can… c-change that. B-but… you’re not him.” Midoriya’s voice gets softer, despite the rasp behind it. “Y-you… you never have been. N-never… never will be.”

Shouto’s eyes begin to widen, frost being cracked through.

’But you want to be a hero, right? That's fine. You're not... bound by his blood.’ said his mother, stroking his hair.   ‘Decide who you want to become. And be all you can be.’

How could I forget?

Midoriya’s head bows. Lips meet Shouto’s forehead, chilled but yet so… loving. Like it’s going to be the last time he’ll ever do this. It makes Shouto’s chest feel warm against his icy cold skin.

“I-it’s your ability…” Midoriya’s voice strains out. “It’s… up to you. W-what… will you… do with it?”

He remembers when All Might told him in person that he’d be a great hero.

I’ll save people.

He remembers his classmates-- no, his friends laughing at the lunch table, snorting drinks out their noses and just being kids, despite everything that they’ve been through.

I’ll save my friends.

He remembers the first sleepover they had. When the room was dark, but not cold at it. It was warm, being in that futon. A soft glow came from the glitter jar on the nightstand. It was the first time they held hands, finding comfort in one another.

I’ll save us.

He remembers that same day. Midoriya’s watery but confident eyes, gazing into Shouto’s soul, going straight to his core. How she held his hands tightly, making sure he’d feel every bit of love she has for her child. ‘Take care of Izuku for me, okay?’

I'll save you.

The ice all over him begin to thaw. Steam rises from his body, making him feel… born again. Blood begins to surge through his veins. Midoriya releases his hold on him, as if he knew Shouto would be standing again. Slowly, he rises to his feet. His heart beats hard in his chest, letting him know he’s here.

Letting him know he’s alive.

Blue flames begin to crackle as they emerge, Shouto’s hair wisping around as vigor returns to his lungs. Bright embers fly off of him, heat building up within this freezing hell. This is fire… it’s beyond just ‘hot’. It’s scorching, just like the passion that grows inside him. The ambition he feels.

Midoriya’s love for him is in his mind. And his love for Midoriya burns in his heart.

“Midoriya.”

Shouto’s hand comes to a fist as he watches the fire engulf his arm, then turning his back to see the other, who’s on his knees, watching Shouto in awe. Shouto smiles at him, genuine and true.

“Thank you.”

Shouto then turns his head, raising his arm high. He’s not proud of his quirk. He’s proud of how far he and Midoriya have come. How far he as an individual has come. That’s all that matters to him.

With a swing of his limb, Shouto creates a ring of fire, like the one his father had created in his head. But this isn’t Todoroki Enji’s fire. No, this is Todoroki Shouto’s fire. 

The entire dome explodes, the fight between hot and cold rupturing something so thick that chunks fly in all directions. The wind that comes from it fans out, with both him and Midoriya at the center of it all. Trees fall over, roofs get blown off, ice shatters ahead of him. Everything dials down gradually, with Shouto turning to Midoriya, getting onto his knees.

“Are you okay?” Shouto asks, his voice soft. Midoriya’s hair is wild, his skin just a bit blue, his body shaking… but he smiles. After everything that’s happened to him, he smiles brightly.

“B-better than ever,” Midoriya says. Shouto’s hand comes to put itself on Midoriya’s cheek, seeing the color return to it as Shouto makes an effort to not exactly set it on fire, but to warm it instead.

“Good.”

He then leans in, kissing the other’s forehead before gently picking him up in his arms. He can’t really do it, but if he could, Izuku would definitely have been blushing.

“Let’s get you somewhere warm and safe.”

Chapter Text

They’ve been bedridden for days.

The pro heroes, as Izuku expected, took a bit too late. Izuku has no idea why they don’t just have heroes outside the city, but maybe it’s hard to establish contact with the world when coming to a forest such as the one the lodge was in is meant to do the exact opposite. He’s just glad they worked on thawing ice that had frozen the entire place. Aizawa-sensei had come in, explaining how a duo that dubbed themselves ‘The Marionettes’ were the ones in charge behind the attack.

After the events from that day, every single person had been injured so some degree-- ‘Degree,’ Ashido-chan said, doing finger guns from her bed. ‘Get it? ‘Cause I’m burned? Comedy gold’ --, some of the effects being irreversible.

The burns Ashido made fun of couldn’t be healed, so they’ll just scar over. Bakugo’s arms almost broke off, but he’s had surgery for the muscle tears Recovery Girl couldn’t fix. Now he has to wait for weeks to recover enough to use some new gauntlets that don’t require much power as part of the rehabilitation progress. Uraraka has to get rounds of treatment for stomach ulcers. Shouji’s tentacles are all broken. The list going on and on. Izuku? Well. He can’t lie. This body is pretty beaten up.

Right now, Izuku’s more bandage than he is human. Like a mummy, almost. Thankfully, he was treated immediately for his frostbite, so no tips of anything were lost. There’s a lot more damage than what he expected, and he’ll have scars after, but thankfully the doctors said he should have a full recover in two weeks or so.

Todoroki is lying down beside him. Apparently the surface of his skin wasn’t even half of it. Turns out, most of the damage for the other boy was internal, and he’s going to be knocked out of the hero game for a while. Then again, everyone is.

“Look on the brightside,” Aoyama says, one of the few people who were able to walk home. There are chairs tucked into most of the openings between beds, where the rest of the abled bodied class is sitting. “At least you all don’t have school. Plus, only some of you have enough energy in your hands to do homework. It’s like… vacances numéro deux. Plus, at least Midoriya-kun finally isn’t the only one staying in here.”

“Oh, yeah. Because playing truth or dare while on bedrest is exhilarating.” Jiro says cynically, rolling her eyes. That gets a laugh out of Hagakure, who is sitting between Ashido and Oijiro.

“You guys had played seventeen rounds, right?” She says. Yaoyorozu laughs from the other side, sitting in between Jiro and Shouji.

“I’m a witness. I was here when that happened.”

“Still can’t believe you flicked me in the nose when my skills are the weakest. Very unmanly of you.” Kirishima says, pouting.

“Shut the fuck up.” Bakugo says groggily. “You’re too fucking noisy.”

A chorus of complaints, yelling, and laughter sweep across the room, and Izuku smiles, watching his friends interact with one another like usual. These are the most precious times for him. When after a rough battle, his friends are able to keep up their spirits, showing that they’re just kids. Izuku never preferred joining in; after all, there’s far too many hyper people in a concentrated area, but he enjoys listening to them.

“Leave it to Class 1-A to liven up the room after a hard time, huh?” Izuku says, turning his head to a smiling Todoroki. Of course, the other doesn’t want to speak everyone in the room, but Izuku knows Todoroki’s gestures like the back of his hand. “Everyone’s so strong. I’m lucky to be in a class with such strong people.”

Todoroki’s eyes soften as he looks at Izuku, making his cheeks feel warm. Todoroki slowly turns over to the side to face Izuku, being mindful of the IV attached to him. He gives him a prolonged gaze. As if to say ‘You’re strong, too.’

Izuku smiles at the other. The road has been hard for Todoroki. He’s had to trek on cutting stones, hot coal, ice. He’s been through a lot. But Izuku couldn’t be more happier with how they both managed to come to an understanding. Todoroki has barely talked-- after all, a few days of speaking won’t add up to the full on years Todoroki has been silenced--, but after all these months of not hearing a word, Izuku feels so, so proud of him.

The chatter of the class begins to fade as his sense focus on Todoroki, and only Todoroki.

--

That night, Shouto is waken up by a soft sound, eyes squinting. The light from the moon isn’t nearly as intense as the sun would be, but it still blinds his poor eyes for a second.

Shouto rubs at them, hoping to take away the bleariness. A couple of more blinks, and it does. The sound can’t be heard anymore… could it be that he was just imagining it?

A quiet whine is heard from next to him, and he turns his head. Midoriya’s eyebrows are furrowed, his body enveloped in a too thin bed sheet. He almost looks he’s been crying, with how blotchy his face is.

A nightmare… Shouto thinks. He’s been there before. A good ninety percent of Shouto’s dreams are nightmares. And he can’t lie saying that he didn’t expect Midoriya to have any; the other boy has seen things. Has experienced first hand the trauma that cannot be erased from his mind. Even the strongest of heroes must toss and turn at night, whether it be from hypothetical scenarios or situations that unfortunately got too out of hand.

Midoriya’s a quiet nightmare dreamer. He solemnly utters a sound, and although he trembles, nothing else happens. It’s almost as if he’s learned to contain himself, even in his dreams. Shouto wants to help him.

Slowly, Shouto crawls out of bed, debating whether or not to leave his IV behind. Should he just tie the thin tube so that nothing drops out? No. He needs it too much to leave it behind. So Shouto takes the stand, carefully strolling it over and into the gap between him and Midoriya.

Shouto’s seen this a couple of times in movies. And while he always wondered if it actually worked, he recalls the time they had slept together at the wrong cabin. How Midoriya eased into his hold, and that they had spent the night just like that. Shouto has never wanted to touch anyone before-- he prefers to keep his hands to himself--, but when Midoriya came a big part in his life, he’s never wanted to feel someone as hard as he does with him. With his lean figure and the slot on the bed, Shouto finds it relatively easy to slip right in.

Izuku’s forehead is against his chest, One of Shouto’s arms coming to wrap itself around the boy while his other arm remained free.. It feels good knowing that Izuku at a decent temperature and not on the verge of hypothermia. In their little cabin, they were just like this. History repeats itself sometimes. He’s grateful that this is what the universe chose to happen again. His free hand comes up. Lithe, bandaged fingers find their way into the mess of green, greasy curls; Shouto could care less right now.

As the shuddering begins to die down, Shouto can hear a gasp. Midoriya’s body starts to shift, large eyes looking up at him, puffy and bloodshot. It’s nothing new, so he’s grown accustomed to it, but that doesn’t mean he enjoys seeing Midoriya like this.

“... Todoroki-kun?”

Shouto smiles a bit, his hand brushing a tuft of hair out of the other’s face. “Hi.”

“What… why are you…?”

“You were having a nightmare.” Shouto says quietly. It seems to be physically impossible to stop himself from saying anything when it comes to Midoriya. “I wanted to help.”

Midoriya is silent for a moment, his eyes averting.

“When we were in that dome…” Midoriya murmurs, as if he doesn’t want to talk about it. But if he is, that means he feels like he has to. “I… I really started to think that… we were goners. When you were unconscious, I kept crying out for you.”

Crying… for me? Shouto thinks, feeling… guilty. No wonder Midoriya’s voice is so raspy. He must’ve screamed till his throat was raw…

“In that dream… I… you wouldn’t wake up,” Midoriya says. The pain in his tone is obvious, and the other boy shrinks in Shouto’s arms. “No matter how many times I called out to you. Your body had already been half frozen. I couldn’t… hear your heartbeat anymore. And yet, I still kept trying to wake you up,”

Shouto’s heart feels heavy in his chest. Because that’s not completely hypothetical. He’s sure that if anyone in Midoriya’s care would die on his watch, he’d try to scream at them, as if it’d bring them back to life. There will be a day when that happens; whether it’d be a stranger or one of the closest people in his life. Shouto just hopes it’s not sometime soon.

“You ended up… completely frozen. I… I knew it was too late, but I kept screaming and screaming until everything faded to black, and…”

Midoriya gets choked up again, tears welling in his eyes. Shouto can see how hard the other is pressing his lips together, and he brings him in, petting his hair.

“Sh…” Shouto says quietly, trying to soothe Midoriya to the best of his ability. There’s another starking difference between them; while Shouto has nightmares about himself and his own experiences, Midoriya has nightmares about everyone else. Why does Shouto feel like his own night terrors are about to change?

“I-I just… if you had…”

“Don’t talk ‘ifs’.” Shouto whispers into Midoriya’s hair. Shouto has thought of so many what ifs that it’s grown too much for his heart and brain to bear. What ifs are useless when used for the past. He’s come to realize that such speculative thoughts only make things more confusing. “I’m here. We’re here. We’re alive. It’s okay.”

The moonlight seems to cast on Midoriya’s face purposefully. Just like back at the cabin. Shouto will never, ever get over how stunning Midoriya is. How the light just dances with the color of the other’s unique curls. The best parts of him are lit up, despite the patches and wraps of bandages, his features becoming accented. Shouto’s heart beats furiously in his chest, his hand coming from Midoriya’s hair to his cheek, stroking the skin gently with his thumb.

“I love you.” Shouto says, his voice almost too quiet in his own ears.

Midoriya’s expression changes, his lips parted as his green eyes stare at Shouto. They’re glossy, but there’s a certain shimmer to them that lets Shouto know that his words hit him. Tears begin build up in the other’s eyes again.

“You…. no… you can’t possibly….” Midoriya says, his voice hushed. “I’m… I’m just me, and you’re--”

“I would never lie to you, Midoriya.” Shouto tries to reassure. “That’d be an insult to who I am.”

Midoriya swallows, his eyes looking anywhere but at Shouto. He… doesn’t believe him. He doesn’t think he’s being serious. Midoriya, who Shouto knows trusts him, who hasn’t once not confided in him, is now doubting him for his honesty. Shouto feels like pain hammering against his heart. Not because Midoriya seems to not believe him, but rather the implications of why that is. The memory of Midoriya’s mother telling him about Midoriya’s rough school days. How he ended up shutting people out entirely. How he sewed his own mouth shut until he suddenly developed his quirk. Someone must’ve played around with Midoriya, and Shouto has to prove otherwise.

Actions speak louder than words, Shouto. You know what to do.

Shouto takes in a small breath, tilting the other’s head up gently. Teary eyes gape at him as he licks his chapped lips. His heart is stammering. His blood is pumping. Shouto can feel how heat begins to flush down his system, making it so hard to concentrate but so easy to melt. He’s never done this before. He’s never thought of doing this before. Midoriya has truly changed everything Shouto has ever done, has ever known, more than he realizes.

Shouto presses his lips against Midoriya’s, the other’s body taut. It’s like winter meeting spring. It feels like the sparks one would see in the sky from bright fireworks. Both their lips are chapped to hell, and Shouto has no idea if he’s going this right or not, but he doesn’t care. Midoriya’s form then begins to dissolve slowly, becoming like a puddle in Shouto’s hold. He can feel how the other leans forward, pushing gently against Shouto’s brims.

He doesn’t know who pulled away first, but the two of them lie there, eyes on focused on each other. Shouto can almost feel it; how their hearts begin to line up. As if Shouto’s were only one half, the other half belonging to Midoriya. How the string of fate that has been loosened and strained on the rocky path leading to this moment is now joining them together. Shouto feels as though the universe had made Shouto take those flowers into the nurse’s office for a reason. And he’s so, so glad he did.

Midoriya is speechless. He can see literal stars in those pools of emerald, how they shine from the tears. Shouto starts to think that the kiss was probably a bit too much, especially since they just started becoming comfortable with hugging, but he couldn’t have imagined any other way to convince the other--

“I love you too, Todoroki-kun…” Midoriya says quietly. A shockwave makes its way in and out of Shouto, his eyes going wide. His heart feels like it’s exploding into roses, filling his chest with soft petals. Shouto’s fingers and toes tingle from the sudden warmth that flushes into them.

“I love you,” Midoriya says again, smiling widely as tears begin to stream down his face again. He pushes his head into Shouto’s shoulder, and Shouto squeezes the other, his face in Midoriya’s hair. A series of ‘I love you’s is spoken into the cheap fabric of his hospital gown, and he’s never been happier to wear something so thin.

Shouto doesn’t know how long they stay like this, either, glued together. All he knows is that he never made it back to his own bed, succumbing to sleep.

--

As someone taps Bakugo’s head, he cracks open an eye, looking over to the source. Kirishima is smiling at him, sleepy and lopsided. Just as Bakugo begins to open his mouth, Kirishima’s cheek presses hard against his face, tilting it to look straight ahead.

Deku and Icyhot. Together. In a bed. Sleeping like little angels.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Bakugo says. He smirks, tilting his head towards Kirishima. “I fucking called it.”

The other gives a quiet laugh. “I’m not even sorry. I’m just glad all the painful pining’s over and that they’re happy.”

“You’re such a fucking sap.”

“You’re one to talk.”

Bakugo’s eyes widen, taken aback, and now Kirishima’s the one with a smug face. However, the moment of shock fades as he keeps looking into those stupidly pretty eyes only Kirishima seems to have.

“... Fuck off. You still owe me 564 yen.”

“Aw man.”

--

It’s been months since then. Months since Izuku first heard Todoroki speak.

It feels like nothing’s changed, yet it feels like everything’s changed. Class 1-A kept getting involved with danger. That didn’t change. He and Todoroki’s incessant texting as been replaced with talking, albeit Todoroki still doesn’t have much to say about anything. That did change.

So far, Todoroki has only become comfortable talking to Izuku, his mother, Yaoyorozu, and Todoroki’s own mother. It could be months until Todoroki is ready to talk to other people. It could be years. But time is all the other needs, and he has plenty of it. Todoroki tells Izuku he visits her regularly now, and that his mother is curious about Izuku. She sounds like a lovely person.

Plus, their relationship is… label-free. Ever since that kiss ages ago, they’ve established their feelings for one another. They don’t call either by nicknames, nor have they ever said that they were dating. But behind closed doors, Todoroki hangs over like a sheet drying on a string. They’re always touching each other, whether it’d by by just linking their fingers or just full on snuggling while watching TV together. Izuku’s mother is like a talisman that protects them from the rage Endeavor displayed when he found out. Todoroki assured him that, quote, he could less of a fuck about what some meathead thinks. End quote.

One day, while they were walking home from school, Izuku noticed that Todoroki has been a bit more… fidgety. Seems more nervous. As they arrived to Izuku’s apartment, he knew he had to say something.

“Todoroki-kun,” Izuku says. Todoroki, usually, isn’t one to be a jumper when startled. But tonight he is, being visibly more anxious. “What’s wrong? You’ve been so shaky today.”

“Ah, no, I… I just…”

Okay. Now I know he’s hiding something. Izuku thinks, crossing his arms. If Todoroki had felt bad about something, he definitely wouldn’t be showing it as much as he is now. Izuku knows that much.

Todoroki seems to get it. He knows Izuku won’t let up. The other bites his lip, bringing his bag up to dig through it. Izuku can’t help but to curiously look on.

“I… I was waiting for the right time to give this, but…” Todoroki mumbles. “I guess sooner is better than later.”

Izuku can feel the itch to dig through the bag himself because of the excitement that bubbles within him. But he, instead, waits patiently, only trying to sneak a peek.

“Midoriya… we’ve been with each other for quite some time. I think…” Todoroki pauses, licking his lips. “I think I’m ready to move on.”

“Wh--” Before Izuku can even ask about the various situations a phrase like that could call for, Todoroki takes out a small bottle necklace. The liquid inside fades from green to blue, with glitter floating around. Around the neck of the bottle is a charm of half of a heart.

It’s the best fucking thing he’s ever seen.

“Midoriya…” Todoroki says, presenting the necklace to him. “Will you… will you be my boyfriend?”

Izuku’s heart implodes.

“... Yes,” Izuku breathes, his eyes threatening to tear up. But he won’t cry. Not this time. “Yes! Yes, I-- yes! I will be your boyfriend!”

Todoroki’s cheeks flush a lovely red. He signals for Izuku to turn around, and he does, not being able to stop the shaking of his legs. He can feel Todoroki put the necklace on him, and it suddenly feels like it’s filled another missing piece in Izuku’s life.

“Please tell me there’s another half to this.”

Todoroki chuckles, reaching into the neck of his shirt before taking it out. He also has a bottle of his own, mellow orange fading into fiery red. A symbol of self acceptance. The charm clinks against the bottle’s glass.

Izuku can feel his face starting to hurt from smiling as he looks down at his new piece of jewelry. Who would’ve thought having matching stim objects would be so romantic? Izuku then looks back up at Todoroki, feeling his heart well up as he then wraps his arms around the other’ neck, pulling him in.

“I love you, Todoroki Shouto.”

Todoroki doesn’t even look surprised. Izuku can see how he’s melting on the inside, those unique eyes of his staring at Izuku in total adoration. He can’t believe he didn’t realize Todoroki had loved him sooner. Everything was so… obvious. But none of that matters anymore.

“And I love you, Midoriya Izuku.”

--

Inko peeks through the sheer curtains at her window, curious to see when her son would be coming him. To her surprise, he’s right at their door… but… is he just standing there alone? She double checks, and…

Oh my…

Izuku. Her son. Her beautiful, charming, adorable boy, is kissing Todoroki-kun. They look so… into it. So in love. It reminds her of her younger years, back when she and Izuku’s father had no worries about paying bills or working abroad. She’s not even sorry to admit it; from the moment she saw that special glint in her little boy’s eye when he started talking about Todoroki-kun, she knew something special would blossom between them.

Way to go, Izuku. Way to go.

Chapter Text

hey everyone! so, uh, i hope you enjoyed the last chapter.

listen. i have some things to confess. i became very.. unhappy with the direction the fic had taken. i think i did too much for my own liking, and in the process, ended up forcing myself against a wall. i tried to rewrite the ending over and over, but in the end posted the ending i was least upset about. unfortunately, because of how unsatisfied i was, i let it get the better of me and decided to end the fic prematurely. i think there's so much i could've done right. so much i could've done to not make anything seem rushed. but i think that's the thing with first times; this is my first chapter fic that i've actually completed, so i'm not very happy about it, but that just means i'll do better next time. 

good news, though; i'm not done with this concept just yet! i feel like there's so much more i can do with it! so i've decided; soon enough, i'll create a series following the events of 'my voice is yours'! there might even be a sequel ;) but this is me just spouting up ideas, and i'd love to hear what you guys think! 

but i have you guys to thank for me considering a series. you guys have been so supportive, and seeing your comments has always brightened my day. to see that people actually enjoyed my newbie writing is such a joy to me! i can't thank you guys enough. you all literally gave me the spirit i needed to go on. thank you so, so much, and i hope to see you all support me in the future.

goodbye for now, friends!