Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The funeral was somber, silent, and stuffy. Shoto didn’t know his grandfather on his maternal side all that well; his father kept him away from most family, and especially his mother’s side, under the pretense of ‘training’ to take over the Todoroki corporation. Shoto wondered idly if his father was going to lecture him about the importance of keeping up appearances later.

His thoughts were interrupted by a man in a suit who carried an envelope over to him. Shoto immediately recognized his demeanor as someone who was likely a lawyer. “Todoroki Shoto?” the man asked. Like he wasn’t already famous because of his parentage. Shoto nodded once in confirmation.

“I have some news about your grandfather’s inheritance, we’d better go somewhere private.” The lawyer said. Shoto nodded again.

They met in a small room where the lawyer and Shoto could sit opposite each other at a small table. “I was your grandfather’s estate lawyer when he wrote his will” The lawyer says. “Your grandfather left you this in his inheritance.” He continued, gesturing at the envelope. “Go on, open it.”

Shoto opened the envelope and stared, perplexed, at what the documents stated. It was a deed, he had seen many such documents helping his father with paperwork. But this one was odd… “It’s a deed… to a farm? In my name?” Shoto asked in confusion.

The lawyer nodded. “Your grandfather knew that you weren’t able to visit because of your… life circumstances. And the farm itself is pretty run-down, he wasn’t able to maintain it that well in his old age. But more than anything, he wanted to give you a choice. One that your father wouldn’t be able to take away unless you expressly chose to sell it. The legal paperwork on this is airtight. You are now the proud sole owner of a farm in Stardew Valley.”

Shoto stared at the paperwork. He was a rich young man, sure, but he was keenly aware that everything was his father’s property. Shoto didn’t own much of anything outright himself. Until now.

“How soon can I go there?” Shoto asked.

The lawyer looked a little startled by the question. “As soon as you’d like, of course. You’ll want to purchase a train ticket to Stardew Valley. I’ve been out there once or twice to help your grandfather set up his will, the folks there are kind and will help you get started. The farming life was never for me, farming is hard work. But I can see you’re a dedicated young man. You’ll do great out there.” The lawyer encouraged.

Shoto knew his dad would be furious. He also knew his dad would eventually figure out where he went… probably. So that night, he packed his meager belongings, wrote a note simply stating “I’m going to make my own way in the world. -Shoto” and struck out for Stardew Valley in the middle of the night.

It was morning when the train arrived at the Stardew Valley train station. He was surprised to see someone at the station… were they getting on the train and heading East? Were they waiting for him? Did his father already figure everything out?

“Yamada Hizashi, pleasure to meet you!” A tall, blonde-haired man said. Yamada gave Shoto a bone-crushing handshake. “I’m the mayor of Pelican Town. Your grandfather’s lawyer gave me a heads up that you might be joining us soon. I’m so sorry to hear about your grandfather’s passing. He was a good man, I looked up to him.” Yamada said.

“How did you know I would be on this train?” Shoto asked.

“Well there are only so many trains that come through, so I decided to wait at each one’s arrival just in case. Lucky for me you were on the first one! You must have been eager to get here.” Yamada said conversationally.

“Something like that” Shoto said.

“Right. Let me show you around town, and then I’ll show you the farm! Do you know anything about farming?” Yamada asked.

“No… I don’t really know anything.” Shoto replied, his voice monotone.

“That’s all right! With a bit of effort, that old farm will spruce right up! There are farmers and even a farm supply store, so we have everything you need.”

Yamada walked Shoto into town, pointing out buildings as they went. “That’s where the scientists, the Yaoyorozu family, have their base of operations, and over that way past their house is the trail to the mines.” “Over there is a TodoCorp store called TodoMarket, their stuff is a little cheaper so it’s up to you if you want to shop there or the local grocery store.” Shoto noticed Yamada didn’t mention that TodoCorp enterprises was run by his father. He wasn’t sure yet if that meant he didn’t know, or if he was being discreet. Either way, Shoto appreciated it.

They headed further into town. “That way is the blacksmith’s, Uraraka Ochaco runs the shop there, and over there is the Midnight Saloon, run by Kayama Nemuri.”

“That’s the clinic, Shuzenji Chiyo runs it, and here is the Asui family general store. You’ll like the Asui family, I think.” Hizashi said as they walk by the small market.

“Over there is my house. I’d invite you in but my husband is probably taking a nap right about now.” Hizashi said, glancing at the time. “Our son, too.”

“You have a son?” Shoto asked.

“Yeah, his name is Hitoshi. I hope you get along with him. Oh yeah, and my husband’s name is Aizawa Shota. I’m the day mayor and he is the night mayor.”

“Pelican town has a night mayor?” Shoto asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

“Yeah, of course we do! I help with day business, commerce and politics and such, and he deals with night business, especially if anyone has a run-in with one of the local monsters or if they need help walking home from the Midnight Saloon.”

“Pelican town has monsters???” Shoto asked, feeling even more confused.

“Yeah, they come out from the caves at night or something. I don’t know the particulars since it’s not my jurisdiction. Anyway, don’t worry, my husband has it handled.” Yamada briskly walked Shoto to the south of the town. “That way’s the beach, and over there is the path to the Midoriya Farm. They have all the farm supplies you need, they can help you purchase any livestock you want from a couple towns over, and they raise ducks and geese so you’ll get a special price for those.” Yamada said.

Instead of going down the path into the woods, Yamada led Shoto up to a path in the northwest. Going past an abandoned bus stop, the path eventually led to the family farm his grandfather owned.

It was… a disaster. Tree branches and grassy brush littered the property. An old hoe and a watering can were propped up against a house. The house at least looked serviceable, if extremely small.

“If you’re wondering, yes it does have a bed.” Yamada said. “And this is important, this is your shipping crate. Kirishima will stop by in the morning and check if you have anything to sell. He’ll take it to the trader when he comes to visit, that’s twice a week, and you’ll get your money in the mail that night.”

“Is that Kirishima’s job?” Shoto asked.

“Yeah, he does odd jobs in the morning and he assists Kayama in the saloon at night. Speaking of, you can always see a list of current jobs outside the Asui family market if you need some extra cash.”

“What about help with farming?” Shoto felt hopelessly lost with all of this new information.

“The Asui family sells seeds and know just about everything there is to know about growing crops. I suspect they won’t even sell you some of the more complicated stuff until you know your way around your farm. The Midoriyas know a lot about taking care of livestock, and if someone owns the occasional cow or chicken and it gets sick, they are the ones everyone goes to. You’ll want to get along with both of those families as soon as possible.” Yamada explained.

“One more thing. I got you these, courtesy of the townsfolk.” Yamada handed over about 150 credits and a few packets of seeds. “These are turnips, and some money to help you get started out. Turnips are easy, just stick ‘em in the ground and water them every day.”

Yamada pulled out his pocketwatch and audibly gulped. “Ok I gotta go take care of some stuff, I didn’t actually think you’d arrive on the first day so I got a bunch of work to catch up on!” He handed Shoto a crumpled list of things he should go do and people to make sure and meet. “Remember, if you need more seeds, go to the Asui market. If you need a little more cash, the errand board is just outside the Asui market. If you just need cheap meals for the first few days, TodoMarket is your best bet. Have fun!” He said with a wave and was off.

Shoto watched the tall man retreat, a little dazed. What was up with this town? Perhaps that was a better question for another time. First, he would check inside his house and maybe… plant some seeds?

Well, the inside of his house didn’t have much to check out. Just a small bed, a bedside table, some lights, and a box to put his stuff in (which he did). He then walked out onto a tiny porch and surveyed the property.

He quickly decided he wasn’t about to go exploring the property today… it would be too difficult to pick through all the heavy branches. Instead he decided to read the directions on his turnip seeds.

It did look easy enough. Till the soil, plant the seeds, water. Shoto got out the hoe, tilled the soil a little, then planted the seeds. He then took the watering can to a nearby pond and filled it up, then watered the seeds. It didn’t seem like much work at all, but he was quickly exhausted by the effort, unused to the manual labor that was farming.

Now hungry and decidedly too tired to meet the Asui family or learn more about farming, Shoto decided to head to TodoMarket and grab a quick meal. As much as he hated shopping there, he could make his cash stretch a little more if he ate there for now.

Unfortunately when he made it over there, he saw a big CLOSED sign. He guessed it had gotten rather late… it was already 8pm. He trudged back through town, unhappy about the idea of going hungry all night, when he spotted lights on in town and loud music. The Midnight saloon, was it? He supposed he could stop by and see if they sold food. Maybe the French fries or something would be cheap.

Shoto wasn’t sure what to expect when he entered, but the Midnight Saloon was bustling with activity when he entered. He saw a number of people who must be all be townsfolk as well as a couple of people behind the bar, Kayama and Kirishima he presumed.

“WELCOME, stranger!” The woman behind the bar counter shouted. Everyone turned to look at him at once. Shoto suddenly wondered if this was a good idea. “I’m Kayama Nemuri aka Lady Midnight and I run this establishment. Are you in town for business or pleasure?” She asked with a wink.

Shoto quite honestly didn’t know how to respond “My name is… Shoto” he started, omitting his famous last name “And I just inherited a farm from my grandfather?...” he trailed off, unsure.

“Oh, you’re the newbie in town! I didn’t realize you would get here so fast. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll meet everyone in town in no time.” Kayama said. “This here is Kirishima Ejiro, he works here for me.”

“Pleasure meeting ya!” Kirishima said brightly from behind the bar.

“And I’ll let the others introduce themselves.” Kayama continued.

“There is no way I’m introducing myself to some fucking extra.” A shorter blonde man at the bar said.

“Kaachan that’s not polite” A green-haired boy called out from a nearby table. “My name is Midoriya Izuku, you can just call me Izuku!”

“And my name is Asui Tsuyu. Please call me Tsu” A green-haired girl at Izuku’s table said.

Midoriya… and Asui. Those were the people Shoto was supposed to get to know first. He headed over to their table. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Izuku, Tsu.” He said. “Kaachan.” He added, nodding towards the blonde sitting by the counter.

“You fucker- I’ll-“ Kaachan’s threats were cut off by Kirishima putting a hand on Kaachan’s shoulder. “Hey there, calm down friend. Introduce yourself properly if you want Shoto to call you by your name.”

“Like I care” Kaachan huffed, but said “Bakkugo Katsuki. My friends call me Kats. You may call me King God Explosion Murder.”

“Got it, Kaachan.” Shoto said in a deadpan tone.

“You fucker-“ King God Explosion Murder rose from his seat, but was pulled back by Kirishima’s grip.

“Hey, hey, hey. Why don’t we go blow off some steam?” Kirishima interrupted again.

King God Explosion Murder didn’t respond but took Kirishima’s hand and walked out of the establishment with him in tow.

“Is that ok… wasn’t Kirishima in the middle of his shift?” Shoto asked.

Midnight sighed dramatically. “I’ll allow it. They’ll be back soon anyway. Shoto, it’s probably safest to call him Bakkugo. So, you want anything to drink? Something to eat? It’s own the house but just for tonight.”

“Do you have any cold soba?” Shoto asked.

Midnight laughed. “An odd request for an odd fella! Sure thing, coming right up.” She said, and disappeared into the back kitchen.

With half the occupants leaving suddenly, the saloon suddenly felt a lot smaller. “So, where are you from?” Izuku asked, taking a sip of his beer.

“I’m from the city.” Shoto said, a bit uncertain what to say about his upbringing.

“I just say whatever’s on my mind” Tsu said. “Do you know anything about farming if you’re from the city?”

“No, nothing.” Shoto admitted.

“We can teach you then!” Midoriya said. “My mom and I run the ranch supply store in town, and we have geese and rabbits, and Tsu here runs the seed supply market with her family!”

“We also sell our own fresh produce, as well as some crops we get from the neighboring town.” Tsu explains. “Our acreage is nothing compared to your farm, though. And there are some things that can’t be taught, you know? Some things can only come from experience.” She says seriously.

“He can learn all that too!” Midoriya said enthusiastically. “Hey, Shoto, would you prefer to raise rabbits or geese? Geese can be kinda mean but they lay eggs and give feathers, rabbits are really easy to raise and to breed, then again, you might prefer a cow or a pig, they would probably net you more money and you have plenty of land for them to graze on…” Midoriya entered a muttering storm about possibilities for Shoto raising livestock.

“I honestly haven’t given it much thought yet. My grandfather left me the farm in his will after he passed. I came here as soon as I found out I could leave the city and have somewhere to go to.” Shoto explained.

“Well if you need anything, let us know, ok? Pelican Town is small, and we look out for each other.” Izuku said. Tsu nodded next to him.

Kayama emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of cold soba. “Here ya go, Shoto! One cold soba.”

Shoto took a bite, not knowing if it would be good or not. But it was fantastic fare. He quickly polished off the meal.

“You can really eat for such a shrimp” Tsu commented.

“It’s my first day of farming. I was hungry.” Shoto said.

Kirishima and Bakkugo re-entered the bar at that point. Both of their hair looked disheveled from their walk, but nobody commented on it.

“Did I miss anything?” Kirishima asked.

“Nope, you got back just in time for the 9pm crowd.” Kayama said.

“Great!” Kirishima said as he took his spot behind the bar. Bakkugo quietly drank another beer at the bar, still looking angry but no longer looking like he wanted to beat Shoto up.

“The 9pm crowd?” Shoto asked, tilting his head.

“Yeah, our friend Ochaco, and a few more people should be arriving soonish.” Izuku said.

Shoto suddenly felt quite tired from all the farming and socializing. “I’m going to call it a night.” He said, getting up from the table.

“Great meeting you!” Izuku said.

“Good meeting you” Tsu said.

“Tch” Bakkugo said.

“Come back any time! We’re open til 2am!” Kayama said.

“Be careful on your walk back!” Kirishima called out as Shoto exited the saloon.

Shoto briskly walked away from the saloon entrance, not wanting to accidentally run into more people. Between the train ride, the attempt at farming, and the attempt at socializing, Shoto was exhausted.

As he walked past the abandoned bus stop, he saw what looked like a giant yellow caterpillar under the lamp post. Belatedly remembering the warning about monsters, Shoto eyed the being, preparing to run if needed.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when the being rolled around and revealed a scruffy human face. “You must be Todoroki Shoto.” The man said in a gravelly voice. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

“Just Shoto is fine.” Shoto replied, still unsure. How did this man know his full name?

“My husband talked my ear off about you. Something about how you came to Pelican Town on the first train out and that’s why he was late coming home.” The man said. “My name is Aizawa Shota. I’m the Night Mayor of Pelican Town. Please come to me if you have any concerns. That is all.” With that, the man rolled over and seemingly went back to sleep.

With that weird encounter apparently concluded, Shoto quickly walked the rest of the way home. He collapsed into his small bed and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter Text

The next day, Shoto woke up way earlier than usual. He supposed that was to be expected after falling asleep so early the night before. He headed out to check on his crops. They had grown a little overnight! Success!! Shoto glanced at the crumpled-up list that Yamada had given him, again. It was a list of names of townsfolk and various goals like “plant something other than a turnip” and “sell 10 turnips”.

While he watered his turnips, he thought about what he wanted to do next. Izuku mentioned something about rabbits? Shoto had never been allowed pets before, and the possibility seemed fun. Plus Izuku seemed really nice, maybe he could talk more with the greenette. Shoto pulled out his map. He could go to the ranch via the south of his property… as long as he was willing to risk walking through the tall grass. He glanced at the map, then his property. It would be fine… probably.

Shoto nearly stepped on a snake as he walked through the tall grass, but as he emerged from the other side, the path through the woods was clear. Shoto even saw some ok foraging that Yamada had mentioned were edible… hopefully. Maybe Shoto would just sell these or get a second opinion before trying to eat anything he foraged himself.

He saw the ranch easily enough, with a large pond outside and a smaller coop in the back. A store front listed “Midoriya Ranch” with the hours. It looked like they were open, so Shoto stepped inside.

Shoto didn’t see Izuku, but instead saw a woman at the counter. “Hi, welcome in!” She said cheerily. “Are you the newbie in town? Izuku mentioned he met someone new yesterday! My name is Midoriya Inko” She continued. “But you can just call me Inko.”

“Yes, my name is Shoto.” Shoto said. “Izuku mentioned something about raising rabbits…?”

“Oh yeah! We sell rabbits and geese here, and we also sell supplies and help you order any other livestock you need. We also have medicine if any of your livestock get sick. Now, do you have a coop for the rabbits?” Inko asked. “Last I checked the farm didn’t have one.” She continued.

“I don’t.” Shoto said.

“Well you’ll need to get one then. Here’s what you need to do.” Inko said. She got out a sheet of paper. “First, you’re going to need to gather wood and stone. This amount should be good. Then you’ll need to see the Yaoyorozu family. Momo, the daughter, is a carpenter and can help you make the coop.”

That sounded straightforward enough. “How do I gather the wood and rock.”

“You’ll need a hammer and an axe. Oh no, you don’t have those yet, do you? I don’t have spare tools unfortunately but Ochaco at the smithy should be able to give you some old tools!” She supplied. “Gathering that amount of wood and stone is going to take a while, plus you’ll need to pay Momo for her time, so I would suggest buying more seeds instead for now. I think your farm is a little better set up for that right now.” She added.

Just then Izuku walked into the store from outside. “Good morning, Mom! I just finished feeding everybody-“ He looked up and noticed Shoto. “Hi Shoto! What brings you here today?”

“I wanted some rabbits, but it turns out I can’t yet” Shoto said.

“Oh yeah, you need a coop and stuff.” Izuku said. “When you do I can tell you all about them though! We raise so many rabbits here.” He continued.

“I should have realized. Having livestock is different from just having a pet. Though I’ve always wanted a pet too.” Shoto said.

“Oh! Actually we might have a cat you could adopt!” Izuku said, then rushed outside. He re-emerged with a mangy-looking orange tabby in front of Shoto. He placed him on the ground in front of Shoto. “He’s not very friendly, but he lets me pick him up if I’m careful, and…”

Izuku’s words were cut short when the cat leaped to Shoto’s shoulder and stayed there. The cat even rubbed Shoto’s neck with his face, purring loudly.

“Well, that’s your cat!” Inko said, her eyes dancing with mirth. “I’ll make sure Izuku drops some cat food off at your house later.

“If you’re taking the cat back, I’ll just walk you home now with the cat food” Izuku said.

“Sure” Shoto said.

“Meow” the cat agreed.

They ended up taking the path through town because it was safer than trekking through the tall grass. “We can stop by the Asui family store too and get you some more seeds.” Izuku said.

As they walked to the store, Shoto commented “there sure are a lot of steps to being able to raise rabbits.”

Izuku chuckled. “Yeah, I mean if you’re super rich you could just buy the wood and stuff instead of gathering your own, but folks like you and me gotta do our own labor.”

That’s right. Shoto mused to himself as he nodded in response to Izuku’s statement. I’m not rich anymore. I have to make my own way in the world.

They quickly made their way to the Asui Family Market. Shoto was immediately struck by how much produce, as well as seeds and other farm needs, were available in the store. He hadn’t been to a farm supply store or farmer’s market, in, well… ever.

“Welcome!” The man at the register said. Shoto assumed he was Tsu’s dad. “Tsu mentioned she met you yesterday! You must be the new farmer Shoto! You’re looking sharp with a cat on your shoulder!”

“Pleasure making your acquaintance.” Shoto said.

“So formal!!” The man said, chuckling. “You can call me Ganma or you can call me Tsu’s dad, whichever is easier. What can I help you with?”

“I need to purchase more seeds for my farm.” Shoto said. “What do you recommend?”

“Well, it depends. There are seeds I can sell you now that will make you more money, but they will take all season to grow. And there are turnip seeds, those are easy and will only take a few days to grow. Maybe a mix of both of those? And once you’ve made some more money, come back here and I’ll show you some more seeds that you can grow in the middle of the season.” Ganma said, showing Shoto the different seeds.

Shoto looked at the seeds, pretending he knew anything about the various labels, and nodded. “Right. Let’s do that. I have this much money, and I need to go get dinner somewhere later. How many seeds should I buy?” He pulled out his 150 credits.

“Well the prices are listed above the seeds. That’s… honestly not going to get you a lot of seeds” Ganma said. “Ok, how about we get you as many turnip seeds as we can. You keep a little money which will help you buy some food for a few days while you wait for the seeds to grow. Then once you sell the turnips, or if you make money some other ways, come back here and we’ll get you some better seeds.”

“Got it.” Shoto said, taking the seeds and handing over most of his credits.

Shoto thanked Ganma and then exited the store, cat and Izuku in tow.

“Wow, you have to manage your own finances for the farm and everything! Mom and I work on the ranch’s finances together.” Izuku said.

Shoto looked down at his feet. “I just hope I have enough for food…” he said. He had an idea of how much things cost back in the city, but here in Pelican Town and managing a farm was like an entirely different world.

“You should be fine as long as you just get convenience store food for a couple days. The stuff at TodoMarket is pretty good for the price.” Izuku said.

“Doesn’t it bother you that a giant corporation is casting its looming shadow over this town?” Shoto said.

“I mean yeah, it’s not ideal, but it’s cheap” Izuku said, shrugging. “I take it you came to Pelican town to leave the city life and don’t like that TodoMarket is a reminder of it?”

“Yeah.” Shoto said. “I just really hate corporations.” He said with a sigh.

“Well you and I won’t have to shop at TodoMarket forever, I’m sure.” Izuku said.

Shoto didn’t have a response to that, so they continued on the path towards Shoto’s home. Soon they reached the farm, and Izuku helped bring the cat food in while Shoto gently put the cat on the ground, who promptly leaped up onto Shoto’s bed and made itself comfortable on Shoto’s pillow.

“Thank you for walking me back, and with all that cat food too.” Shoto said.

“No problem! Hey, if you want to hang out sometime, I’m always at the saloon on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, or you can drop by the ranch while I’m at work and we can figure out plans for after work there.”

With that, Izuku departed, and Shoto considered his next options. He could continue farming… but he needed to make sure to make it to TodoMarket before it closed this time. He headed straight for that direction and decided to do some night farming later instead.

TodoMarket was surprisingly exactly how Shoto remembered it when he had entered various branches of it on business. It was bigger than it needed to be. It was brightly lit, but somehow also dingy. It was making his father a fortune. No matter where he went, TodoMarket was exactly the same everywhere.

What made this TodoMarket different was Bakkugo, whom he saw leaning up against a wall in the store. “What are you looking at, farm boy?” Bakkugo asked when Shoto glanced in his direction.

“Are you at work? What are you doing?” Shoto asked. Bakkugo was in a uniform, but didn’t seem to be working.

“I’m supposed to be stocking the shelves. But I get paid whether I do stuff or not. So right now I’m not stocking the shelves.” Bakkugo said, still leaning against the wall.

 “Got it.” Shoto said. Shoto didn’t get it. “I’m just here to get some food for the next few days.” He explained.

As he looked at the various meals, Shoto quickly realized that he didn’t have a refrigerator in his house that barely had electricity, so he should probably just get food for today and come back tomorrow.

As he looked at various prices and quantity of fish, Bakkugo surprisingly initiated another conversation. “You know,” Bakkugo said “If you catch your own fish it’s even better. And you can make a good deal of money shipping fish you’ve caught, too.” He continued.

“I don’t know how to fish.” Shoto explained. “I’ve only just learned the basics of farming.”

“Well, here.” Bakkugo said, giving Shoto the world’s worst fishing rod. “That end goes in the water. The fish here are stupid, you’re bound to catch something” Bakkugo said.

“Thank you” Shoto said.

“Tch” Bakkugo said.

“That reminds me” Shoto said. “Izuku was calling you Kaachan, right? Are you two childhood friends? Has he always been so kind? He helped me run errands and walked me home from his ranch.” He said.

“Tch.” Bakkugo said. “Nerd probably has a crush on you or something.”

That was… an unexpected response. Shoto blushed lightly while he heard the sound of someone running to their part of the store in a hurry. “Did someone say crush?” a girl with pink hair and horns asked, skidding to a stop in front of Shoto and Bakkugo. “Hi! You must be Shoto. I’m Mina, I’m the resident gossip. Does someone have a crush? Shoto?” She asked, talking a mile a minute and bouncing on her heels in excitement.

“I… should get going.” Shoto said. “Thank you for helping me purchase this!” He said, shoving a few credits in Mina’s direction and swiftly leaving the store.

He sighed in relief when neither Bakkugo nor Mina followed him outside, which he wouldn’t put past either of them even given his limited exposure to them. The idea of a crush seemed foreign to him, even as a joke. Falling in love was something other people did, people who didn’t have to inherit a giant megacorporation.

But he supposed he wasn’t the heir to a large fortune anymore. He was just… Shoto. He was a farmer. And maybe a fisherman? Both honestly seemed a little doubtful at the moment, but Shoto was grateful for all the new friendships he seemed to be making.

Shoto walked back home, ate his bento, and then realized his mistake farming after nightfall. He had to farm by lantern light, which was rather inefficient. Next time he would at least get a cheap flashlight from TodoMarket to see by.

He planted and watered turnips until he was nearly dead on his feet from exhaustion, but he didn’t truly give up and go to bed until he saw movement from the woods out of the corner of his eye. He fell asleep in his small bed instantly, his cat curled up on the top of his head.

Chapter Text

The next day Shoto decided it was time to pay a visit to Ochaco. He headed over to the blacksmith shop across town, bright and early.

When he arrived, he realized he was way too early. The shop opened at 10am and it was still… 7am. So he decided to try his hand at fishing for a bit since the river was right by the shop.

He did as Bakkugo instructed and stuck the line into the river. He waited for a while, then felt a tug on the line. He quickly reeled it in, only to find that it was… an old soda can. It was still only 7:30am, so he decided he might as well give it another go.

A few attempts later, Shoto finally caught a tiny smelt. By that point he was also the proud owner of 3 empty cans, 1 old tire, and 1 old boot. There was a trash can outside the saloon, right? Maybe cleaning river trash wasn’t a total waste of his time, but Shoto felt that maybe next time he would just try running some errands from the bulletin board instead.

As he stuck his line in the water, he heard someone calling out to him! “Hi there! Are you Shoto? I’m just about to open shop.” He saw a short brunette lugging a cart full of rocks and ore to the blacksmith shop.

Shoto removed the fishing line from the water and turned to face the brunette. “Yes, I am Shoto. Are you the blacksmith Ochaco? Izuku told me about you.” He stated.

Ochaco fished out her shop keys from her pockets and started unlocking the sturdy door. “Yeah, Izuku and Mina both won’t stop talking about you, and I’m pretty sure Mina’s only actually seen you for like two seconds” she said.

“I gave her money for my bento and ran away” Shoto admitted.

“Sounds about right” Ochaco said, chuckling. “Come on in, welcome to the smithy.” She said, propping open the door and wheeling the cart in.

The smithy was tiny and homey. A large furnace with an anvil took up most of the shop space, though there was a counter in front and various tools along the walls. A door in the back of the space likely led to Ochaco’s personal quarters.

“What can I help you with?” Ochaco asked. She wasted no time unloading the cart into various buckets and containers as she talked to Shoto.

“Inko said you might have some old tools I can use? Specifically a hammer and an axe” Shoto said uncertainly. He didn’t have a lot of money, especially right now, and would have to return later if Ochaco wanted him to pay for the tools.

“Sure, sure” Ochaco said, continuing to unload the cart. “They’re right there in the front, they’re actually behind the counter. Take a look.”

Shoto did as instructed and saw a giant hammer that had clearly seen better days, and an axe that was nearly rusted through. Ochaco continued “The hammer’s only good for rock, it won’t work for gathering ore and gemstone, and the axe can only cut softwood, but if you want them, they’re yours, free of charge.” She said, not missing a beat with her work.

“Can I fix them up?” Shoto asked, looking doubtfully at the tools.

“Sure, I can help fix ‘em some more with the right materials and some payment for labor” Ochaco said. “You’ll need to go into the mines to get more materials though.”

“Can I use the hammer in the mines?” Shoto asked.

“You’ll need a pickaxe, there should be an old one you can use at the mine entrance” Uraraka said. “And you’ll probably need a sword. I could sell you one later, but excuse me saying, you don’t look like you can afford a new sword right now.”

Shoto nodded. “You would be correct. What do I need a sword for?”

“Cave monsters” Ochaco said. “I gathered all this stuff in there. I don’t bother with the deeper levels of the mines unless I need something rare though. Those monsters are a pain in the ass."

“Got it. I should be able to take them on ok, once I have a sword.” Shoto said calmly.

Ochaco laughed. “You have spunk! I can see why Izuku likes you” she said.

“I-Izuku likes me??” Shoto said, blushing slightly.

“Hahaha, yep! And here I thought you were cool-as-a-cucumber talking about fighting monsters!” Ochaco said merrily. “What’s it to ya?”

“N-nothing!” Shoto said, hating that he couldn’t talk about this topic in his normal unaffected manner.

“It doesn’t sound like nothing. Anyway if you really want to impress Izuku, you should treat him to katsudon. It’s his absolute favorite. He also likes quartz, surprisingly. I’m not a fan because it’s not very valuable, but I guess he thinks it looks cool or something.” Ochaco continued.

Shoto nodded, mentally taking notes. Katsudon. Quartz. Maybe Inko could teach him the katsudon recipe, and he could probably find lots of quartz once he reached the mines. This would be great. It would be a perfect way to show… to show…

To show what?

As if guessing at his question, Ochaco chuckled again as she started lighting the furnace coals. “Pelican town is really big on gifts as a display of our friendship. Don’t be surprised if Izuku or the other townsfolk start giving you stuff, especially if you start giving them stuff from your farm.” She said.

Shoto thought about it. “The townsfolk have already given me a lot of stuff. You gave me tools. Kayama gave me soba which is my favorite meal. Izuku gave me a cat.”

“Yeah, it’s just kind of like that here!” Ochaco said. “We really try to look out for each other. And over time you’ll learn better what everyone likes. By the way, for the record, I only like stuff that’s expensive. I send every extra credit I get back home to my parents to help support them” she said with a grin.

“Got it” Shoto said seriously. He absolutely intended to return the hospitality everyone had shown him in Pelican Town. “Thank you again” he said.

“No problem! Tell Izuku I said hi when you see him later!” Ochaco teased as she turned to her work bench.

Shoto blushed a little more. “I-I guess I will” He said.

He left the smithy to the sound of Ochaco’s cackling laughter.

Now that he had done his errand at the smithy, Shoto felt like he was immediately in a quandary. On one hand, he really wanted to see Izuku for reasons he couldn’t exactly place. On the other, he should probably do some other chores, this time while it was still daylight out. He glanced at the list that Yamada had gave him. He hadn’t met any of the Yaoyorozus yet, and he wanted to check out the mine. He could probably do those things and be back at the Midoriya ranch around the time Izuku got off work. That sounded like a good plan.

He headed off in the direction of the Yaoyorozu house. When he arrived, he saw all sorts of science equipment scattered around, mixed with woodworking tools. A thin layer of sawdust covered everything in the yard.

He noted the hours of operation and then stepped inside. The young woman at the counter, reading a book, practically leaped to her feet when she saw Shoto. “Welcome!! I was just on a short break but I’m happy to help you! You’re Shoto, right? Everyone’s been talking about you.” She said.

“So it would seem, I’ve been getting that a lot.” Shoto said.

The woman smiled. “Word gets around fast here, especially when we have a new neighbor. My name is Yaoyorozu Momo, you can call me Momo, and I am the town carpenter and builder, although I do a lot of science experiments in my spare time.” She said.

“What kind of experiments?” Shoto asked.

“Oh, I play a lot with materials. See how to improve them and such. I don’t do anything nearly as fancy as what Mei does, though. Have you met her yet?” Momo asked.

“Not yet.” Shoto admitted.

“Ah, that makes sense. She kind of does her own thing. She has a cottage by the beach if you want to see what she’s up to.” Momo said. “And she often takes walks along the beach or in the woods for inspiration.” She added.

“Do you know anything about the mines? I heard there are monsters but I wanted to check out the entrance at least” Shoto said.

“I don’t know much” Momo admitted, “Though I do live close to them. Sometimes I buy rare materials from Ochaco so I can run experiments on them. My house is on the way to her smithy, so it’s a really good deal between the two of us. But other than that, I stick to the lake area by my house when I go on walks, and I don’t venture into the mines. To be honest I don’t even like to walk alone at night. Too many crawly and flighty critters by the mines at night, you know?”

Shoto nodded along, although he didn’t really know. “Got it. I just wanted to make your acquaintance, so I’ll be going now” he said.

“Sure thing, stop by anytime. If I’m not outside in front of the house, I’m in here or by the lake usually” Momo said with a smile.

Shoto left the Yaoyorozu house and checked the time. It was 1pm, which gave him plenty of time to check out the entrance of the mines before Izuku got off work.

He walked by a nice lake and to the entrance of the mines. Just like Ochaco had mentioned, there was an old pickaxe at the entrance. There was also a hard hat with a headlamp, which was useful for Shoto’s night farming activities. He donned the hard hat and started looking around. As he was debating if it was safe to go down the ladder leading into the mines (he could always climb back up if he saw a lot of monsters, he reasoned), Shoto nearly fell over backwards when he saw several figures climbing up the ladder he was checking out.

The first figure did a little backflip off the ladder, then landed in a three-point pose. The second figure leaped off the ladder and did a little pirouette when they landed. The third figure summersaulted into place. The fourth figure leaped the highest of all of them, almost straight into the air, landing in position in the back. Then a fifth, smaller figure who appeared to be sulking got up and walked over to the side of the mine entrance, arms crossed.

“Coming out of nowhere… Strikingly cute and catlike! We’re the Wild, Wild Pussycats!” They shouted.

“What.” Shoto stated in his signature deadpan.

Just as suddenly as they gotten into their poses, they stopped posing, all of them laughing heartily. Shoto hesitantly got a little closer and found in the dim light that the figures were people wearing identical cat costumes, while off to the side was a kid. The kid remained to the side, arms crossed and very unimpressed with the whole situation.

“That’s the first thing Aizawa said to us too!” One of the people said, starting to laugh from crying. “Good thing he told us you might come our way.”

“You’re friends with the Night Mayor?” Shoto asked. He supposed it made sense, Aizawa being the person who helped with… whatever the cave monsters were and the Wild, Wild Pussycats apparently hanging out around the caves.

“Yeah, sometimes we call him over if something particularly nasty escapes the mines” one of the members said. “My name is Ragdoll.” She continued. “This is Pixiebob, Tiger, Mandalay, and over there is Kota.”

“You must be Shoto!” Mandalay said excitedly. “Have you met Aizawa’s son Hitoshi yet? He’s Aizawa’s son, he’s cool, he’s your age, and he’s a bachelor!” She said with a wink.

Shoto didn’t react to that, like usual. What he did register, in the back of his mind, was he felt a reaction to teasing about Izuku, but not Hitoshi. Maybe because he hadn’t even met Hitoshi yet? Odd.

Shoto asked, “Can you please tell me more about these cave monsters? I believe I can help upgrade my tools if I use the mines, better than if I use the quarry.” He stated.

“That’s true” Tiger stated. “Here, the upper levels don’t usually have as dangerous of monsters.” He said, handing Shoto a sword that had clearly seen better days. “They might hit you especially when you start out, which hurts like hell, but if you keep your wits about you, you can learn how to fight them on your own.”

“If you start to feel woozy, run.” Ragdoll stated. “If you faint it might take us a while to find you and bring you back to the medical clinic.”

“Not to mention it’s probably a bad idea to faint in the caves. The monsters will leave you alone if you do, though” Pixiebob explained.

“After taking all your stuff” Mandalay added.

Shoto nodded. The monster situation sounded annoying, but manageable. No wonder Pelican Town had a Night Mayor to help deal with this issue.

“Thank you for the sword” Shoto said, carefully sheathing the sword and then affixing the sheath securely on his back. “Do you live in the mines?” He asked.

“Oh, no, that would be silly! We live in a little cabin by the lake, right next to the entrance of the mines” Ragdoll said. "We were just in there exploring."

With a startle, Shoto realized he had better head out soon if he wanted to trek across town and meet Izuku as he was getting off work. “I better head out. Thank you again!”

“No problem! Oh, and we will give you rewards for hunting some of these monsters. Meet us at the cabin and we can talk it over later!” Ragdoll said as Shoto quickly exited the cave.

Shoto hurried down the path by the lake, down the river bank, across town, and to Midoriya ranch. He entered the ranch, only slightly out of breath, to see Izuku look up at him in surprise.

“Oh hi Shoto! We’re closing soon but is there anything I can help you with before then?” Izuku said with a smile.

“I was wondering if we could hang out after you get off work?” Shoto panted, still slightly out of breath.

“Yeah sure!” Izuku said. He had a wide grin on his face. “Why don’t you sit down and catch your breath while I wrap up here. Where did you get here from that has you out of breath?”

“The mines” Shoto said simply.

Izuku paled just a little. “Were you running away from monsters?”

“No, I just lost track of time and wanted to hurry here before you left work. I don’t always know where to find you after work.”

“Oh! Well I’ll show you my secret hiding spot then” Izuku said with a mischievous smile.

A short time later, Izuku said “Ok I’m all wrapped up here. I’ll lock up the shop and then we can head out.” Shoto nodded in agreement.

They exited the shop and Izuku flipped the sign to say “CLOSED” and locked the front door. “So first I’ll show you my favorite thinking spot” Izuku said. He led Shoto to a spot in the woods just by the river, to the south of the ranch. There was a log by the river that made for a good makeshift bench. Izuku sat on one side and then patted the other side, motioning for Shoto to sit down.

“It’s quiet here” Shoto remarked. The only sounds were of the river and the birds in the forest.

 “Sometimes I go here after work and just space out for a bit. I have notebooks I like to write in too.” He said, bringing a notebook out of a backpack he was carrying. It was loaded with notes about the local flora and fauna.

“It’s the opposite of the city. I could go fishing here too. It’s perfect.” Shoto said with a soft, if very tiny, smile.

“I thought you might like this spot.” Izuku said. “Do you like to fish?” He asked.

“I do now. Bakkugo handed me this fishing pole.” Shoto said, pulling the beat-up fishing rod out of his backpack. “I’ve only caught one thing, but I want to catch more.” He said seriously.

Izuku smiled. “Well the river and the lake in town have different kinds of fish. And then the pier at the beach has totally different fish too.”

“I haven’t been to the beach here yet.” Shoto said.

“I’ll take you there then! Come on, there’s still daylight left, let’s go!” Izuku said, jumping up from his makeshift log bench.

Izuku and Shoto quickly walked over to the beach. Shoto could hear the roar of the waves, the call of the seagulls, and…

“Do I hear explosions?” Shoto asked Izuku.

“Oh yeah that’s just Mei.” Izuku said matter-of-factly. “You should meet her while we’re here.”

Izuku knocked on the door, and Shoto heard a shouted “Come in!” from inside. Izuku opened the door and Shoto quickly followed.

The workshop was covered in soot and ash, as was the figure standing in the center of the room. She removed her goggles, and Shoto could see her eyes at least.

“Hatsume Mei, just call me Mei.” She said cheerfully. “Ooh you must be the cute farmer that Izuku has a crush on!” She said.

Shoto felt his face start to grow hot. He glanced at Izuku, who unexpectedly was also turning a bright shade of red. Cute.

Not wanting to make the situation even more awkward, Shoto said “are you close with Izuku?”

“Yeah, he is my guinea pig when I need help testing out a new baby.” Mei said offhandedly.

Now Shoto was confused. What do babies have to do with anything?

“Babies are what Mei calls her inventions” Izuku rushed to explain when he saw Shoto’s look of confusion. Shoto nodded.

“Farmer-kun!” Mei said, looking like a lightbulb went off in her mind. “I have baby recipes I want you to try out! See if they help you on your farm!” She flipped through what looked like a drawer full of little cards. “Let’s see… farmer-kun probably doesn’t have that much stuff yet… maybe straw? Definitely wood… some stone… ah! Here it is!” She said, pulling out several small cards. “From me to you, a little starter pack of babies you can make on your own!” She said proudly.

Shoto looked out the cards. They contained simple instructions on how to make a scarecrow, as well as a few other useful things, using common materials he would have on the farm. “Thank you, Mei. These look really useful.” He said.

“If you start acquiring fancier materials, or you want to be a guinea pig, come find me here and I can help you make more babies!” Mei said enthusiastically. “I gotta get back to making babies, you two have fun on your date!” She said.

“I-it’s not- that’s not-“ Izuku started stammering, but Mei simply led both of them to the door with a wide smile on her face.

“Bye now!” She said as she shut the door behind them.

“Sorry about her,” Izuku said, once again blushing to the tips of his ears.

“Sorry about what? Mei was great, she gave me these cards” Shoto said, showing the cards with the crafting instructions.

“For the teasing.” Midoriya clarified. “She doesn’t know you that well and it’s kind of rude of her to imply that we’re in a relationship-“

“Oh.” Shoto interrupted. “I see. I didn’t consider that because almost everyone I met has been teasing me about you.” He said.

“R-really?” Izuku said. He was now a strawberry red.

“Yeah.” Shoto said. “They must like watching my reactions when they tease me. I know I like watching yours.”

Izuku’s eyes went wide. “S-shoto, are you flirting with me?” He squeaked.

Shoto blinked slowly, his own words catching up to him. “I was just talking out loud to try and figure out why everyone likes teasing so much. Though I do see how that sounded like flirting now.” He said neutrally. “Sorry about that.”

Izuku make a sort of frustrated whine. “Be careful with that!” He said, looking a little angry but still the good-natured man Shoto was rapidly getting to know. “For a second there I thought maybe you had a crush on me!” Izuku said with a smile, his blush slowly fading.

Shoto frowned a little, suddenly feeling a little… nervous? Sick to his stomach? Something like that. “I do have a crush on you. Or at least, I think I do.” He confessed, feeling the heat rise to his face again. “The Wild, Wild Pussycats tried to tease me about Hitoshi, but I didn’t feel anything when they did that. Whenever someone teases me about you, though, I feel… warm.” Shoto said, illustrating his own point as his own blush deepened.

Izuku’s face was one of complete shock, that slowly melted into a kind expression. “You haven’t had a crush before, have you Shoto? Is that why you’re not sure if you have a crush on me?” He asked softly.

Shoto nodded shyly. “Yeah.” He said, his face still feeling hot with embarrassment.

“We could… try dating a little? We can take it slow until you’re sure how you feel.” Izuku said, his face very red.

Shoto nodded. “That… sounds nice. What do you think about kissing?” He asked, tilting his head in interest.

Izuku broke into a full-on stammer. “Th-that is… if you want to… y-yeah! Maybe somewhere a little more p-private? Like one of our p-places, or there’s that spot by the river, or-or there's an abandoned building north of town…” Izuku stammered, getting redder and redder as he kept talking.

“Cute.” Shoto said out loud, wondering what the greenette’s reaction would be, testing the waters. Izuku squeaked and his face behind his hands. Shoto felt something stir in his own chest. “Does that mean you have a crush on me?” Shoto asked.

“Y-yeah… y-yes, I definitely do.” Izuku said.

Shoto smiled a genuine, but very tiny smile.

“W-we don’t need to rush or anything though! Especially if you’re not sure.” Izuku said, looking directly into Shoto’s eyes.

“Yeah” Shoto agreed. Though now he found himself very curious what kissing his maybe-crush would be like.

“We should head back, it’s going to get dark out.” Izuku said, looking at the sky. They both walked back to town, until their paths naturally had to diverge so they could get back to their respective houses.

“I had a great time hanging out with you!” Izuku said cheerfully.

“I did too.” Shoto said. He was suddenly a little sad that Izuku had to leave. Was something wrong with Shoto? He hadn’t felt like this before about anyone.

Before he could be pulled further into his thoughts, Shoto felt warm arms surrounding him in a hug. He awkwardly returned the hug, not sure where his arms should go, but Izuku looked content as he pulled out of the brief hug. “See you later!” Izuku said, giving Shoto a smile and a wave.

“See you,” Shoto said, smiling just a little bit.

Shoto went home and resumed his night farming adventures, this time aided by the hard hat with the headlamp. When he went to bed, he drifted off thinking of a kind man and his radiant smiles and warm hugs.

Chapter Text

Shoto slowly but steadily got better at… well, everything. He frequented the mines the most so he could get Izuku presents collect valuable resources and upgrade his tools, but he was also becoming a skilled crop farmer and fisherman.

Shoto and Izuku saw each other nearly every day. All of the townsfolk started teasing them both mercilessly about when they were going to get married. In fact, when Shoto finally met Hitoshi at the Stardrop Saloon one night, Hitoshi took one look at Shoto and Izuku holding hands and said “so when’s the wedding planned?” with a smirk.

After a long day of working one day, Shoto and Izuku found themselves on the pier by the beach, sitting in the dark watching the night sky. They had started sitting there in order to watch the sun set, but they lost track of time as they kept talking. Both had learned to ignore the muffled explosions happening in the background of the otherwise romantic scene.

Shoto turned to Izuku. “Remember when we were talking about crushes a while ago?” He asked.

“Y-yeah” Izuku said. Whenever the conversation turned to romance, Izuku seemed to get flustered.

“I’m sure now. I really like you, Izuku. You’re beautiful, and even when we’re not together, I’m always wondering how you would react to something one of the other townspeople said, or if you’d like something as a gift.” Shoto turned to Izuku. “I found this in the mines today and it made me think of you” he said, handing him a tiny emerald.

“Y-you can’t give me that! That’s way too valuable!” Izuku squeaked, blushing furiously even in the dim starlight.

“I want to” Shoto insisted. “I’ll find more. It’s not that the mine is low on resources. It’s just that hardly anyone mines it because of the monsters” he said matter-of-factly.

“I-it’s just- I just-“ Izuku seemed to be struggling with his words. Then unexpectedly, Shoto watched as Izuku started to cry. “I’ve always been told that I’m useless, that no one would like me. Kaachan and I have been friends since we were little, and his name for me at the time was Deku. Useless.” He said. Izuku raised his arm to cover his eyes as big tears fell down his cheeks.

“That’s not true” Shoto said. “You’re incredibly kind, often going out of your way to help others. You have so many friends in town because they can see how much you care, genuinely. Izuku, you have such a big heart. And that’s what I find beautiful about you.” Shoto concluded.

Izuku looked up, their faces close to one another. Slowly, Shoto leaned forward. He didn’t really know how to kiss yet, but damned if he wasn’t going to learn that too.

Izuku stammered, “I-I don’t want to rush you, Shoto. If you prefer we take things slow we can hold off, a first k-kiss seems like a big deal-“

“Do you want to kiss me” Shoto asked plainly.

“Y-yes.” Izuku said. “Definitely.”

“Then you’re not rushing me.” Shoto said and surged forward for a kiss.

It was awkward, as first kisses generally are. Shoto could taste Izuku’s tears as he kissed them away. Izuku was still crying, but his tears eventually slowed. Shoto felt Izuku’s fingers hesitantly brush through Shoto’s hair. Shoto decided he quite liked that and decided to return the gesture.

A brilliant star burst through the sky, which even deep in their kissing both men saw. They paused to watch it. Then Shoto gulped as he heard the unmistakable sound of the star getting closer to the ground. It sounded like an incoming missile.

Izuku squinted at the star. “It’s headed for the farm!” He gasped. Both Izuku and Shoto quickly sprung to their feet and sprinted back towards Shoto’s farm.

When they reached the farm, out of breath, they watched the object fall from the sky. It oddly looked like a five-pointed star even as it fell, illuminating itself like a nightlight. It then landed with an almost comical “splat” in an abandoned area of the farm.

Izuku and Shoto ran towards the object, hesistating just a few feet away. It looked just like it had as it fell; a five-pointed, softly glowing star.

“You think someone chucked it from an airplane?” Izuku asked.

“I wonder if it’s hot to the touch.” Shoto said. He reached out towards the object, which only turned brighter.

“Wait!” Izuku said. “If it’s going to do something weird, I’d rather be the one to touch it. Maybe you can go and get help if it’s dangerous?”

“No way.” Shoto argued. “If it’s some kind of new monster, or if it’s toxic, I have way more experience handling it. You can go get help.” Not waiting for further arguments, Shoto reached forward, brushing Izuku out of the way.

Izuku lost balance at the sudden movement and instinctively reached out to correct himself. The end result was both men reached out for the star at about the same time.

At first, nothing seemed to have changed, and Izuku chuckled nervously. “Guess it’s just someone’s nightlight-“

But then Izuku gasped as Shoto and Izuku both started seeing glowing figures all around the farm.

Whatever the figures were, they were everywhere. They played among the crops, climbed the forest trees, there was even one right on top of Izuku’s head, which made Shoto smile.

Izuku looked around in wonder. “My father used to tell me stories about the spirits of Stardew Valley. But I never once imagined that they might be real.” He said in awe.

“I’ve noticed you don’t talk much about your dad” Shoto said neutrally.

“Yeah, he ditched me and my mom for his fancy job at TodoCorp. He’s the COO or something. Not that it matters to me. My mom and I decided a long time ago we don’t need his money.” He said.

Suddenly Shoto remembered something. “Is your father Midoriya Hisashi?” he asked. He remembered seeing the man in board meetings.

“Yeah.” Izuku said. “Wait, how do you know that?” he asked.

Shoto inwardly cursed. “I suppose I would need to tell you sooner or later” Shoto said. “My dad is Todoroki Enji, the CEO and founder of TodoCorp. He is not a kind man. My grandfather gave me this farm against my father’s wishes and I ran away here.”

“I see. Are you safe? Does he know you’re here?” Izuku asked, his eyes full of softness.

“No, he doesn’t know I’m here.” Shoto asked. “Y-you’re not going to think differently of me since I’m a stuck-up rich city person?” he asked, suddenly feeling shy.

“The Shoto I know isn’t stuck-up” Izuku said, gazing softly at Shoto. “The Shoto I know works harder than anyone I’ve met, just to find presents and make friends. You’ve had a hard life in the city from what I can tell. And you’ve never complained about working or missing luxuries or anything, only having to deal with your father’s corporation all the way out here.” Izuku said.

Shoto found that there was moisture at the edges of his eyes. Was Shoto… crying?? Impossible. He couldn’t remember the last time he cried.

Izuku opened his arms and Shoto embraced the greenette, allowing a few tears to fall. The glowing forest spirits seemed to watch the affectionate display with interest.

Time marched on. Shoto slowly got bolder with his romantic affections when it became clear Izuku was worried about initiating anything. And although he didn’t have a kitchen of his own, Shoto was determined to stop shopping at TodoMarket as soon as possible, so he started shopping at the Asui Market and learned from Inko how to cook in the Midoriya kitchen.

Soon it was the day of the harvest festival, which everyone in town and especially Izuku was excited about. Everyone showed off their best wares from the year. Izuku was going to show some rabbits he had bred specially for the occasion. Shoto wasn’t sure what was special about them, Izuku refused to tell even him.

The town square was decorated from top to bottom in colorful pennants. A giant table was set out for the community potluck. Shoto had a small display of some of the crops he had farmed that year. But he kept glancing over to where Izuku was setting up, excited for what his boyfriend was going to show off.

He was still watching Izuku when Aizawa walked up to Shoto. “Shoto. Can I speak with you for a moment in private?” He asked. Shoto nodded and Aizawa led him a short distance away.

“Your father is here.” Aizawa said, cutting to the chase. “I told him this festival is for townsfolk only, but he is insisting to see you. Of course, it’s up to you if you want to talk to him or wait until later.”

Shoto clenched his fist. “My father can wait.” He said.

Aizawa nodded. “Since I’m running security, I can deal with him for now. Come find me after the festival, ok?”

Shoto nodded, then wandered back to his small farm booth.

He was just in time for Izuku’s big reveal, which was a pair of green floppy-eared rabbits. Shoto smiled at his boyfriend and wandered over as the townsfolk oohed and aahed over the cute rabbits.

“They look like you” Shoto teased, walking right up to Izuku. “They even have curly hair.”

Izuku blushed. “This is what I’ve been working on.” He said.

Shoto smiled. “They’re cute. Just like you.”

Izuku blushed harder, then searched Shoto’s face. “Is something wrong, Shoto? You look kind of worried?” he asked.

Shoto sighed. “My father is here.” He said quietly, not wanting the other townsfolk to overhear. “Aizawa is running security and won’t let him in to the festival for now. But I have to talk to him after all of this is over.” He explained.

Izuku clenched a fist. “We can talk to him together.” He said. “You don’t have to face him on your own.”

“Thank you. I’m guessing Aizawa will be there too.” Shoto said.

When the festivities wrapped up and the prizes were awarded, Shoto and Izuku went to go find Aizawa. “We’re ready.” Shoto said. Aizawa nodded, then led them to an area not far from the town square.

“SHOTO.” Todoroki Enji wasted no time, immediately raising his voice. “Stop this foolish farming endeavor at once and return to your rightful place as my heir.”

“I no longer want to inherit TodoCorp. I doubt I ever did.” Shoto said calmly. “I have chosen my own life instead.”

“Is this because you didn’t have your own finances?” Enji was still raising his voice, and Shoto could see some of the forest spirits watching cautiously from the edges of the clearing. To his dawning horror, he could also see Yamada wandering over along with Hitoshi, likely to see what the commotion was about. “Come back to the city, and I will make sure you have your own finances that you solely control. Only sell me your farm, and I’ll make it happen” he bargained.

“I will not do that. I like my life here.” Shoto said.

“I will give you up to 49% of the company’s shares, right now, if you come back to the city.” Enji said. It wasn’t lost on Shoto that his dad would still have 51%; the last thing his dad would ever give up was control.

A few more townspeople were gathered at this point. Shoto was starting to be afraid of what would happen if the situation turned violent, as it so often did when his father was involved.

“I will not go back to the city. I made my decision some time ago.” Shoto stated again.

His father looked completely enraged, but did not try to even take a step towards Shoto. Shoto wasn’t sure what he would do if he did.

“I can see that you’re an adult now, and can make your own decisions.” Enji said. “But don’t forget what it means to cross a powerful man. TodoCorp has reach beyond your wildest imaginings. You just own a single farm. What if I were to buy up all the unincorporated land and turn it into the first ever Todo Mega Mall? What if I had already purchased the land, and told you construction would begin next week?” Enji held up a piece of paper triumphantly, the deed to all of the land surrounding Pelican Town and the approved plans for the mall. “Life as you know it in your little town would cease to exist.”

Shoto’s shoulders drooped. His father, like always, had won. The townspeople began to boo. Izuku squeezed Shoto’s shoulders.

Shoto took a deep breath, and spoke. “You have already ruined my life countless times. Once more won’t hurt me. But I think you will find Pelican Town a difficult place to build.” Just then, out of the clear blue sky, a shooting star could be seen tearing through the atmosphere.

Straight for the Todo Market shop.

Everyone ran towards the shop, only to watch the star fall with a CRUNCH sound and collapse the roof.

“Was anyone in there?” Aizawa immediately asked.

“Everyone had the day off for the festival” Yamada reassured. “Bakkugo and Mina are right there” he said, gesturing towards the two of them.

“You’ll pay for this!” Enji screamed, taking a step towards Shoto.

“I can’t be held liable for natural disasters” Shoto said, stepping away.

Shoto braced for impact as Enji closed the gap between the two of them, but the blow never came. Instead, Aizawa stood between the two of them, catching the powerful punch that Enji was about to deliver.

“Now, now, that’s no way to treat your son!” Yamada spoke up from the sidelines. “Here’s the deal. You leave town and never come back, and we won’t tell the media about what went down.” He gestured to a camera Hitoshi was holding, where he had recorded the entire interaction. “Deal?” he asked, his gaze hardening.

Enji backed away, his hands raised. He was a dangerous man, but knew when he had been beaten. “Fine. For the record, you should all go to hell. Especially you, Shoto” he spat venomously.

“I’ll escort you to the train” Aizawa said calmly. He and Enji left the area.

All of the townspeople looked around in stunned silence.

Then, all at once, everyone cheered. Izuku and Shoto, realizing that Shoto was finally free, kissed triumphantly.

--THE END--