Chapter Text
Light filters in differently in the dorms.
Shoto notices the quiet inconsistencies that separate his dorm room from his bedroom back home. The way the curtains fall, the quiet that’s comfortable and not tense, the warmth—hot heat—tickling at his skin. It all highlights the ways that he feels differently in the spaces. Back home it was all hot and loud and intense. Here the world is quieter, cooler. Comfortable.
Shoto’s feet found the floor and he walked quietly across his room.
The shower was easy and the cold felt good against his sleep-warmed skin. His morning routine felt so much easier than when he was at home. He didn’t feel like he was walking on eggshells anymore.
It was different walking downstairs to people talking and eating breakfast, but it wasn’t horrible. It was just something Shoto would have to get used to. That’s what he tells himself as he wanders into the kitchen.
He sees Bakugo’s back at the stove with Kirishima at his side. Kirishima’s wide-awake eyes find Shoto and he smiles.
“Good morning, man. Are you hungry?” Kirishima asks, gesturing towards the stove.
“I told you I’m not cooking for the damn extras!” Bakugo barks. Kirishima just laughs.
Shoto watches them interact with curiosity. Bakugo yells, but he isn’t actually angry most of the time. Shoto can see that more clearly than probably anyone else. Kirishima also seems to notice this.
“I’m okay.” Shoto mutters. His stomach is already turning at the sound of food for some reason.
“You sure? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!”
“No one says that, shitty hair.”
“They so do!”
Shoto walks away as Kirishima and Bakugo start arguing about what people do and don’t say. That seems private, somehow, like Shoto shouldn’t be seeing it.
Nonetheless, Kirishima was right a little bit. They do have class and training later today, so he should try to get something down. But training isn’t until the afternoon, so Shoto will probably just try to stomach something at lunch. That sounds better than forcing anything into his temperamental stomach right this moment.
He spots Iida and Midoriya and decides he could at least go sit with his classmates. Maybe that will get his mind and body acclimated to the environment of the doors easier. At least, he hopes it does that and doesn’t just make him queasy.
He takes a seat next to Mirodiya on the couch without a fuss. Midoriya sends him a smile and a cheerful “good morning” before continuing his conversation with Iida. It makes it easier as he doesn’t have the pressure to begin adding insight to the conversation right away. He can give his body time to acclimate to the couch and the voices chatting near him and everything else that he’s not used to.
The curtains in the living area are different from the curtains in Shoto’s room. These curtains are lighter; more airy. They’re obviously meant more for aesthetic purposes than keeping out light. But they make the room feel more complete.
The carpet under Shoto’s feet, since he still hasn’t put on his shoes, is soft. The texture doesn’t bother him, it’s not rough and grating like some carpets can be. He can feel his feet sink into it but it’s not an overwhelming feeling of something constantly pricking at his feet. Safer; more comfortable.
Despite his mind knowing that the entire appeal of the dorms was that he would be safe, your nervous system doesn’t just realize that and leave you alone.
Shoto still feels his eyes darting around and watching for any possible threats. No matter how much he studies the room or how long Midoriya and Iida don’t force him into the conversation he’s still tense and he still feels his muscles tightening. Waiting for something. Some kind of threat.
Waiting for the heat to snake up his spine and crawl down his throat.
“Todoroki?”
He turned his head to see Midoriya and Iida staring at him. His face gets hot and the realizes he must have missed something. He needs to pay more attention to when people are talking to him. God, Shoto, you always do this.
“Yes?”
“How are you feeling about the dorms? I’m super excited to be so close to everyone!” Midoriya says, his trademark smile on his face.
Shoto frowns down at his hands. He doesn’t really have a solid opinion yet, but Midoriya and Iida will be wanting something of the like.
“They’re… nice.” Shoto settles on with a small nod.
“I believe it will help everyone’s sportsmanship and grades to be so close. We’ll keep each other on track best this way.” Iida says.
Shoto nods along. He hadn’t thought of that.
“Are we talking about the dorms?”
Shoto turns his head to see Hanta steadily approaching the three with Ashido trailing right behind him. He takes a seat on the couch across from the one Shoto is sitting on and takes a strange rectangle looking pastry from Ashido when she holds it out.
“Yeah!” Midoriya beams. “We were just talking about how we feel about them. Uraraka was telling me she slept awesome, but I heard Kacchan complaining to Kirishima about ‘loud extras’, so there are definitely mixed opinions.” He says, laughing at the end.
“Does Bakugo ever not complain?” Ashdio asks, laughing.
Hanta flicks her forehead. “Well, I for one think that the dorms are awesome. It’s nice getting to be so close with all our friends.” He turns towards Shoto. “‘Roki and I are right next to each other.” He comments.
“Roki..?” Ashido questions, giving Hanta a look Shoto can’t decipher.
Hanta’s face turns red. Is he coming down with something? “Well, yeah. I just thought, you know. Todoroki is kinda long. Plus, everyone gives their friends nicknames!”
Shoto just nodded when everyone looked at him. He had no idea that friends did stuff like that. Or that Hanta considered the two of them friends. The thought made his face flush before he had to push down a wave of nausea.
Don’t start now, Shoto.
Shoto decided to excuse himself. He stood and walked back up to his dorm to get ready for classes. The last thing he needed was this warm feeling and the beating of his heart in the shape of something wrong. He had to focus on becoming a hero and making his family proud. It’s what he was meant to do and what he will do, whether he likes it or not.
And he needed to like it. For his own good, he needed to love it.
He started pulling his uniform on in robotic motions that he was used to by now. First his shirt, then his tie and jacket, the pants, his socks, shoes. His bag was the last thing he grabbed.
By the time he made it back downstairs everyone was basically ready to head out for class, some people having already left. Like Iida and Bakugo.
Midoriya and Uraraka were still talking with Hanta and Ashido, so Shoto decided to just head out on his own instead of debating if he should wait. He’s not good at this friend stuff. He hadn’t even known Hanta had considered them friends.
Now wasn’t the time to think about it.
When Shoto got to class Yaoyorozu was already in her seat next to Shoto’s. He walked over and took his seat and she smiled at him, giving a small, polite wave. Shoto nodded back.
The cold of the seat and his desk were a welcome distraction to all the thoughts running through Shoto’s head. He’d barely been awake for two hours but it already felt like he had been awake for more like two days.
At least class could distract him.
-
Lunch came much earlier than Shoto was expecting. He knew right after lunch he was going to have physical training, so he needed to get something down. But the longer he stared at the cold soba in front of him, the more nauseous he felt.
Good thing he had some distraction.
“All I’m saying is I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.” Uraraka said. “I mean, I get it Iida, I do, but If Bakugo doesn’t want to wear his uniform correctly I wouldn’t waste your energy trying to get him to do it. Bakugo is stubborn.”
“I agree. Kacchan is going to do what he wants.” Midoriya pipes in.
“We’re hero students. We’re supposed to be setting a good example, and Bakugo refusing to wear his uniform correctly is not doing that!” Iida says, his arm moving in patterns Shoto recognizes to be self-soothing.
Tsu is also sitting quietly across from Shoto. She catches Shoto’s eyes and gives him a small shrug before going back to eating and enjoying the show in front of her.
“Yes, but Bakugo of all people doesn’t care about being a good influence.” Uraraka points out, putting another piece of mochi in her mouth.
Shoto sees both sides. Rules are important to Iida, but Uraraka and Midoriya are also right. Bakugo doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to do. He’s made that very clear from the first day that they met. But Shoto also can’t help but notice it doesn’t seem to just be a blatant disregard for rules that makes Bakugo deface his uniform.
“It’s wrong!” Iida exclaims. “The rulebook states that all students are to wear their school issued uniforms properly and Bakugo is not doing this.” he sighs. “He doesn’t ever listen to the rules.”
Shoto understands that much.
“I don’t think it’s that Kacchan goes out of his way to break rules.” Midoriya says. ‘I think he just doesn’t like the uniform. Since the first day of school he’s been that way.”
Shoto sees that perspective too, but…
“Wasn’t Bakugo attacked by that sludge monster in middle school?”
The table all looks at him. Midoriya seems tense.
“Yeah he was.” He confirms. “It’s a sensitive subject for him, even now.”
Shoto continues. “And then he was chained up at the sports festival?” He says.
They all nod.
“It would make sense he doesn’t wear it.” Shoto mutters. “I’m sure the tie and buttoning it up all the way can be constricting. That feeling can’t bring up good memories for Bakugo.” He finishes.
When he looks up from his soba the table is still staring. Iida’s jaw is wide open and both Uraraka and Midoriya have wide eyes. Tsu frog blinks.
“Todoroki is right.” Iida says. “I can’t believe I didn’t consider the way that uniform must be making our fellow classmate feel.” He says.
Shoto continues to eat his cold soba as the conversation topic moves away from Bakugo and his uniform. The thought that nobody else would have noticed that stays for a moment before leaving when his stomach protests against the food. Shoto inwardly sighs and continues to eat it, slowly bite by bite.
Something has got to stay down.
Training is the usual. Something that’s easy for Shoto but that he sees many of his classmates struggle with. Moving around with his ice and throwing out bursts of fire are nothing that Shoto hadn’t become accustomed to.
From the other side of the gym Hanta watches Shoto maneuver.
The way his feet summon and skate around his own ice like it’s second nature to him is amazing. Watching the gleam of it under the lights of the training gym and seeing the reflection of his fire in the reflective gleam. He watches Shoto move around his own attacks and doge his opponents with practiced ease.
The way Shoto handles everything is so impressive.
His feet move in an almost ballet type movement and his hands crackle with fire but can also diminish it at the last second. His body twists and turns and he never once lets the billowing of his gym uniform get in the way.
It’s like watching an acrobat at the circus.
They way they move their bodies, self-assured and cool. The gymnastics-like moves that Hanta would have trouble with but Shoto makes look like child's play amaze him. He finds himself unable to look away as he makes himself a beacon for attention.
He knows that everyone admires Shoto.
But does everyone feel this way watching him?
Hanta sees the sheen of sweat on the forehead covered by Shoto's bangs every time they lift off his forehead. He watches the way Shoto tracks his opponent, Ashido, with his eyes and adapts to follow her and find his openings. He sees with his own eyes the way that Shoto, without even thinking, knows how to move his body to block attacks and get rid of any openings that Ashdio might have been able to find.
Everything he does is amazing, and he does it with the grace of someone who has been at this for a long time. Everything Shoto does is graceful.
He moves with purpose.
His eyes sparkle from being under the lights and his skin looks soft and shiny. Strands of red hair mix with strands of white as he fights and avoids the acid thrown his way. The few physical blows Ashdio manages to get in are always met with a block and Hanta watches when his uniform moves and twists around him and his body.
He’s everything Hanta wants—wants to be, he means.
By the end of training Hanta has drooled more than he’s trained.
Great, just great.
-
Shoto hears a knock on his door at almost curfew and he opens it to Midoriya and Uraraka’s grinning faces. He blinks.
“Hello.” He says.
“Hey.” Uraraka says. “Wanna get out of here?”
“What?”
“Uraraka! Todoroki takes things literally.” Midoriya stage whispers.
“Oh yeah.” Uraraka says. She straightens up. “Shoto, we want you to sleep with us.”
“Not that direct!” Midoriya squeaks.
Shoto’s head tilts to one side and he looks at the two practically arguing in front of his door. “What are you guys talking about?” He asks.
“Wanna have a sleepover?” Midoriya asks.
“First dorm sleepover!” Uraraka cheers.
Shoto continues to stare. He watches the way Uraraka is very excited and Midoriya is smiling waiting for an indication of an answer. He realizes this must be something good.
“What’s a sleepover?” He asks.
They both stop smiling and Uraraka stares at him as if he’s just committed a cardinal sin.
“Are you kidding me?” She asks. “Todoroki, have you never had a sleepover?”
Shoto shakes his head.
“I think I’m gonna faint.” Uraraka says.
“It’s when you all sleep in the same room together. Usually you would play board games, watch movies, bake, eat snacks—you’ve seriously never had one?” Midoriya asks, losing enthusiasm at Shoto’s continued confusion.
“No.” He says simply.
“You poor thing.” Uraraka says, “How about you try it out for the first time with us? We promise that it’ll be fun!” She says, smiling brightly.
Shoto thinks about how he has nothing better to do.
And then he nods.
On the way over to Midoriya’s room they bump into Iida, who must have been on his way to bed. The four of them all stare at each other and Shoto silently vows to run if things start getting ugly. Maybe bring Uraraka with.
“What are you all doing? There is only five minutes until curfew.” Iida says.
“I have a better question,” Uraraka says. “What do you think you’re wearing?”
Iida looks down. “It’s my sleeping clothes.”
“You look like a Victorian child.”
“What Uraraka means,” Midoriya jumps in, “is that the three of us are just headed to my room! Don’t worry, we won’t be going anywhere.”
“To your room—-wait. Are you having a sleepover?” Iida asks.
“Yes we are.” Shoto says.
Iida blunders. “That’s against the rules. You can’t be sleeping in each other’s rooms! That’s not allowed, Midoriya, what are you all thinking?”
“Well, we’ve discovered how awesome Bakugo is and we’re taking after him.” Uraraka deadpans.
“Kacchan is awesome!” Midoriya says, eyes sparkling.
“I don’t share this sentiment.” Shoto says, hand raised slightly.
Iida stares at the three of them and sighs. He rubs between his brows.
“Are you seriously not going to listen to the rules?” He asks, exasperated.
“Iida.” Uraraka says. “You can join us.”
There’s quiet in the hallway. Uraraka and Iida stare at each other. Shoto imagines that somewhere in the world a tumbleweed rolls past.
“Fine.” Iida caves.
Uraraka and Midoriya high five.
Shoto imagines his first sleepover experience might not be too bad.