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Izuku took Todoroki’s hand as tightly as he could. It was about the same size as his own, maybe a little bigger, warm and soft as if promising protection. But right now, the one who needed protection wasn’t Izuku.
Todoroki’s face was resting against the window of the bus, and Izuku couldn’t find the words to say what he wanted to say. He wasn’t even sure if he knew what he wanted to say. So he did the only thing that seemed right, and he waited, not once feeling like letting go of Todoroki’s hand.
“Do you regret this?” Todoroki was the once who first said something, making Izuku jolt up to see Todoroki’s face. He couldn't describe what was going through his mind.
“Of course not,” Izuku didn’t hesitate on his answer, but slowly felt his insecurities crawl up, “do you?”
Todoroki shook his head, and Izuku sighed, relieved.
“Then why do you ask?” Izuku traced patterns against Shoto’s hand, trying to make him feel better. He could feel the anxiety rise up inside of Todoroki with each sign that passed across the window, telling them they were getting farther away from the town that watched them grow up.
“Do you ever wander what would have happened…if we never met?” Todoroki asked, to what Izuku hummed. “If…we had played the part we were supposed to play? Fall in love, with who we were supposed to?’
“You mean-” Izuku said, looking at Todoroki in the eyes, “-if we had given in?”
“I mean if we had stayed, and…” Todoroki didn’t dare look at him.
“Pretend to ourselves? That we weren’t different? That we liked girls, and that we didn’t love each other?” Izuku said, frustration suddenly rising inside of him, as he remembered the look strangers would give them when they walked on the streets. “Sounds pretty awful if you ask me.”
“And this is better?” Izuku felt the hatred in Shoto’s voice, but it wasn’t directed towards him, but to himself. He felt Shoto’s hands tremble. Shoto was angry at himself. “We are running away. I’m taking you away. You could have lived a normal life. You could have fallen in love with a girl, you could have-”
“But I didn’t,” Izuku said, his face unmoving, “I fell in love with you. And I love you. And I would go to the end of the world for you-” Izuku moved so he was closer to Todoroki. “-and with you.”
“Even if you could have a better life?” Todoroki asked once again, his eyes lifting ever so slightly, in a brave attempt to look at Izuku.
“There’s no better life than the one I have with you, Shoto,” Izuku whispered, for Todorki to hear only, as he rested his head against his shoulder.
“Not even one where you can have kids? And get married?” Todoroki asked, and felt Izuku shake slightly in his shoulder. He was laughing.
“What makes you think we can’t have that?” Izuku hummed, and closed his eyes slightly. “I can already see it. A big house, three kids, and a golden ring, right /here/.” Izuku ran his finger along Todoroki’s to help him get the idea. “Sounds good, doesn’t it?”
“But you would have it back home. With your mother near, with our classmates attending the wedding…” Todoroki said, his breath coming more and more shaky with each word he said. Izuku didn’t move, opting for holding Todoroki’s hand even firmer; assuring him he wouldn’t go anywhere.
“We can still have that,” Izuku smiled against Shoto’s shoulder as he said so, “we could invite mom, and Ochako and Iida, and Kirishima-” Izuku’s cheerful voice helped Shoto relax, “- we could even invite All Might!”
“You think so?” Todoroki let out his first real laugh since they had left their home town. “Well he really liked you, I suppose. It would be nice to invite him.”
“You see? That’s how you should be thinking!” Izuku beamed, “not about the past what ifs, but the countless and incredible what ifs that wait for us once we reach our destiny!”
“So you really don’t regret it?” Todoroki asked, and despite how gloomy he had been for the entirety of the trip, Izuku still smiled at him.
“Not even a bit,” he rested his full weight on Todoroki’s side, “and you?”
“What did I have back home?” Shoto sighed. “My old man, and a last name I didn’t like. Mom is gone…but you had a life there. And you’re just leaving it…This whole thing was my idea to begin with, that’s why I’m worried I’m just…corrupting you?”
Izuku finally realized what everything was about, and gently pulled away from Todoroki to look at him in the eyes.
“Oh Shoto,” Izuku let go of Todoroki’s hand to let his hands go up to his boyfriend’s face. He gently caressed his cheeks, and in his eyes only love could be seen. “I love you. And chose to come here, because I wanted to. I want to go find a future with you. To find a nice place where we can live, and form a family. Somewhere where we can be together, where your father can’t harm you…”
“You really mean that?” Todoroki’s hand went to grab Izuku’s hand. Izuku nodded, his eyes beginning to fill with tears.
“I think we can do that and so much more,” Izuku let his forehead touch Todoroki’s. “We can do anything, Shoto. We are free. You don’t have to worry about your dad, or what anyone else thinks about us. We can be /anything/. And once this bus stops, don’t ever forget that. Everything will be okay, and you know why I am so sure?”
“Why?” Todoroki asked, his eyes fixated into Izuku’s, filled with tears and hope. It was like being in Highschool all over again. Feeling the shackles that had kept him in the same place, without moving, had been broken. He felt his heart become lighter, and his own heart beat get louder.
“Because I’m here!” Izuku’s smile was wider, bigger, than ever before. Shoto suddenly felt like things would be okay, that he was leaving behind all the pain that had nested inside of him, and now there was a bright future ahead of them.