Chapter Text
“Ashido, I need your advice on something,” Shoto asked the girl quietly after class a few days after the Sports Festival.
“Sure thing Todoroki! What can I help you with.” She asked brightly, only slightly surprised that the cold boy was asking for her thoughts.
“I’m not very good with expressing emotions and I want to properly thank Midoriya, but I’m not sure how.” he blushed slightly at the admission.
“Hmm, and what are you thanking him for?” a sly smile crossed her face, she had seen how Todoroki and Midoriya looked at each other. It didn’t surprise her that Todoroki didn’t know how to express his feelings, especially budding romantic feelings.
“He helped me to accept a part of myself that I had been avoiding, he’s been there for me to remind me that I’m not alone, and he’s genuinely cared about me when I was an asshole.”
“And how do you feel when he’s around? When you talk to him? Spend time with him?” she pressed, trying to lead the boy through his feelings.
“He makes me happy, like I can relax and be myself without judgement, but I’m still nervous about making a fool of myself by saying the wrong thing, even though I know for a fact he wouldn’t care.” the blush creeping up his face was a tell if there ever was one.
Mina giggled, “Sounds like a crush to me”
“What do I do?”
Her smile widened as she began to explain.
***
A few weeks after the festival…
“Hey Midoriya,” Shoto approached the boy after class one day, “There’s something I’d like to show you tonight if you’d like.”
Midoriya tilted his head, slightly confused at the request. Shoto had been acting odd since the sports festival. He was starting to warm up to the other students, but still liked to spend most of his time alone. “Sure! When and where?”
“Meet me in the common room at 5? It’s a little bit of a walk though, but dress warm.” He smiled shyly.
Dress warm? It was spring, it wasn’t that cold out anymore. But he made sure to bring a jacket that evening as requested. Shoto was already there when Midoriya stepped off the elevator.
“What’s in the backpack?” Midoriya looked questioningly at the large bag.
“You’ll see,” Shoto smiled as he nodded toward the door, “Let’s get going.”
They made their way away from the dorms to the edge of an empty training field behind the gym, Midoriya chattering away about classes and homework.
“Here we are, now just give me a minute or two.” Shoto stopped and set down the backpack carefully, looking over at the other boy with a smile. He walked a few more feet onto the field and knelt, placing his right palm on the ground. Ice began to spread across the grass, slowly building up into an enormous structure. Stairs now led to a large door set into the icy walls of a castle.
“Y-You built Elsa’s ice castle.” His green eyes were huge with wonder and disbelief. The castle continued to grow, finer details emerging as Shoto breathed deeply and focused, a small smile gracing his lips. A few agonizing moments later he stood and turned toward Midoriya.
“It’s taken a lot of work and I know I don’t have it done perfectly, that’s a lot of fine details and I’m not very good with small, intricate details yet. But I thought it was something you might enjoy.” Was he, rambling? Shoto Todoroki did not ramble, or blush, this all needed to stop now. He cautiously looked at Midoriya, unsure. But the other boy was speechless for once, gawking with his mouth open at the structure in front of him.
“It’s amazing! I can’t believe you did this, it had to have taken so long to figure out how to make it! And your details are so good.” Tears filled his eyes as he tore his eyes away from the castle. “How? Why?”
“You said you loved it, so I studied pictures and watched the movie again and learned how to make it. W-Would you like to go inside?” Damn, he needed to pull himself together. He didn’t think Midoriya’s eyes could get any wider, but they did as he realized there was an inside as well, not just an empty shell. Shoto grabbed his backpack and led the way up the stairs and into the great room.
“I made the stairs up to the second floor with the balcony, but that’s all there is right now. This is what I’ve been working on since the Sports Festival. I wanted to do something special to thank you, for helping me to accept myself for who I am and giving me the courage to tell off my father once and for all.” Shoto watched as Midoriya spun around slowly, taking in the room. The ice was clear enough to let the fading sunlight filter through the glittering walls, making the whole room sparkle.
“This is so amazing! You didn’t have to do this for me, I wanted to help you. I wanted you to know that you didn’t have to be alone, we’re all here for you, no matter what. I take it you talked to your father after the match then?” Midoriya tore himself away from the castle and walked back over to Shoto.
Shoto chuckled quietly, “You could say that. After our match I finally told him what I had been feeling for years… he didn’t like hearing it, but I needed to say it. I couldn’t let my fear and self-doubt hold me back and control me anymore. He was a terrible father and I don’t want to be the type of man he is. I want people to respect me because they accept me, not out of fear. You were right, about everything.”
He knelt and pulled a blanket out of the large backpack and lay it on the icy floor. He sat down and patted the blanket next to him, indicating Midoriya should sit as well. The green haired boy blushed as he sat, now focusing his attention on Shoto instead of the magnificent room.
“You were my first friend, even when I was trying to push everyone away, you still kept believing in the best in me and trying to get me to see it. You were the one who made me feel included when we all moved into the dorms, you inspired me to push passed my own anger and fear. I wanted to thank you for everything. If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be trapped in my own head, spiraling in bitterness and getting nowhere.” Arms suddenly wrapped around him as Midoriya hugged him tightly. Shoto could feel him shaking as the other cried into his shoulder.
“Why are you crying? Have I upset you?” Was this too much? Should I have done something smaller? Does he think I’m crazy? The worried thoughts bombarded his mind. Did I ruin our friendship already? The color drained from his face as his heart raced from the contact. Holy shit did it feel nice, even if Midoriya was upset.
The arms around him loosened as the tear-stained face looked up at him, smiling a little crookedly. “No I’m not upset, I’m so happy that I was able to help you. You just seemed– HOLY SHIT I’M SO SORRY I DIDN’T MEAN TO GRAB ONTO YOU LIKE THAT”
Midoriya jumped back as he realized what he had done and how close they sat, his eyes wide as embarrassment colored his cheeks.
Shoto smiled down at him, a flush creeping up his neck.
“I’m not good with expressing emotions. Was this inappropriate? Did I overstep?” he ran his fingers through the back of his hair nervously as he peered through his bangs.
“No, no this is wonderful and I really appreciate the effort you put into creating this for me. You really didn’t have to, I can only imagine how many hours you spent practicing when you could have been doing something else that you enjoyed.” Midoriya looked down, toying with the blanket to avoid the mismatched eyes.
“I did enjoy working on this for you.” Shoto raised a hand to Midoriya’s face, lifting his chin to meet his eyes, “Midoriya, I want to make you smile, more than anything. Even if it means I spend a significant amount of time learning a new skill.”
Nerves boiled in his stomach at how incredibly forward he was bei ng. Truthfully, working on this surprise had nearly caused him to get behind on his schoolwork and had definitely caused him to stay up well passed curfew on more than a few occasions. Aizawa had caught him one night, but when he heard why Shoto was out there he just walked away shaking his head, telling him to get to bed soon. The fear of being caught that night was nothing compared to what he was feeling now, sitting inside the castle with Midoriya.
Confessing his feelings for the other boy.
Praying Mina had been correct in her insistence that Midoriya returned his feelings.
“What are you trying to say Todoroki?” Midoriya sniffed, fresh tears in his eyes, “Because it’s sounding an awful lot like you’re confessing to me. And I know that can’t be the case, because you could never be interested in somebody like me and I can’t get my hopes up. I couldn’t ba–”
Shoto had no idea what possessed him to lean in and kiss Midoriya. He stiffened at the sudden contact, but quickly relaxed into the soft, warm lips. Shoto pulled back enough to look into the dazed green eyes, “Yes, I am confessing my feelings, or at least trying to. You are thoughtful, considerate, and kind to a fault. You may have lost that match to help me start dealing with my issues, but you’ve been showing that consideration for weeks before the Sports Festival.”
He ran a thumb across the freckles to wipe away the first tears spilling over.
“Just being around you makes me so happy, I feel like I can finally be myself, free from judgement or the weight of expectation. I want to be with you, all the time.” he smiled, still nervous that he was wrong and Midoriya was about to start laughing at him.
“I’ve had a crush on you since about the beginning of school, but once I started to get to know you when we moved into the dorms, I was a gonner. I never expected you to feel the same, I know I’m not special, so I never held out hope.” The tears were coming faster now as he confessed his hopelessness, but Shoto pulled him in close and held him tightly as he cried.
“You are wonderful, and amazing, and incredibly special. I don’t care what someone else has told you in the past, this is what I’m saying now and I need you to believe me. I don’t want you to feel that you aren’t special or important ever again.” He kissed the top of the green head, “You’re mine now. If you’ll have me.”
I'm never going back, the past is in the past
Let it go, let it go
And I'll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone
Here I stand in the light of day
Let the storm rage on
The cold never bothered me anyway