Work Text:
This night Shouto’s mind was filled with seemingly endless thoughts. Another sleepless night thanks to the stuffy heat in Izuku's room this time. It has been a long week for him, exams were written and graduation neared. It seemed like time was closing in on him. Izuku and him decided for this weekend in celebration of being out of exam hell to do a sleepover at Izuku's house. But releasing tension was anything his mind wanted to brace itself for right now.
He sighed.
“Izuku!”, he said in a low voice.
“...”
“Are you... ?”, he paused.
He must be sound asleep. It was too hot for Shouto to sleep, so he sat up for a beginning letting the cover slide downwards to his lower half of the body. Although a gentle evening breeze started to waft through the opened window it wasn't enough.
Slowly he stood up and got out of the room. He decided to go and get some fresh air at the balcony at the Midoriya's. Slid through the balcony door he could finally at least breath again for a moment. It was still rather warm outside but the hot degrees from the hours where the sun was still up cooled down a lot compared to the afternoon heat. The evening breeze kept him at ease before the thoughts clouded up his mind again.
“It's okay for you to be a hero.”
As beautiful as the sight of a the clear night sky spread above him was, all he could think about was the unsettled future. It was a horrifying thought if somebody were to ask him. Though the moonlight and the dulled light of the stars spent a bit of comfort after all.
The lighted street lamps attracted a dozen of moths circling around the light just to either fly away again or stay a few seconds to realize the light is too bright or burning them but instead of going they try again and again to stay close to the light. Somewhere in the distance a group of young adults, maybe even his age or going to university laughed while they passed the streets.
He wasn't sure about what was going to happen after they all graduated from U.A. High. Of course his wish and goal to become a hero hasn't changed. But since his father's rank rose to the Number 1 hero under the professional heroes he didn't really want to be overshadowed by his father but even by surpassing him he would be still compared to him. Not going into the business of professional heroes in starting accepting hero agency's requests and maybe internships was no option either. But was that really what he wanted?
He heard a shifting of the door and a dozy yawning Izuku appeared in the doorframe.
“Hey bud, why're you up”, the boy with the awful looking bed head greeted the sitting person on the floor.
“Sorry, did I wake you?”, Shouto replied looking up to him.
“No, it's fine. Isn't it a bit chilly out here? You'll catch a cold. And I tell you catching a cold in summer is one of the worst times to have one.”, Izuku commented with worry.
Shouto didn't even notice he got goose bumps and a smile made its presence felt.
“Would you mind to bring me a coat then?”, said the one facing upwards from his left to the boy standing.
“You know, you don't need to speak as formal as that with me. Of course I don't mind”, said the shorter fellow of them.
He left into the darkness of the flat for his room grabbing a hoodie jacket out of his shelf and a coverlet to return to his mate and sat down next to him. Shouto thankfully accepted Izuku's jacket immediately slipping into the warming up clothing. Although it seemed to be washed it already had a faint scent of the curly head. A very soothing scent.
He was surprised when Izuku huddled together with him under the blanket he also took with him. But since the bedhead just woken up himself the lingering warmth of sleep was still with him. Shouto leaned on his shoulder admitting to his warmth.
“I couldn't sleep, so I came here to get some fresh air. Why aren't you sleeping?”, Shouto began hesitantly after a while.
“I was thirsty and wanted to go to the kitchen for a glass of water when I realized you weren't in your futon. I guessed right that you were here. What's on your mind?”
Shouto didn't really know how to begin. He took a deep breath cooling down, sorting out his thoughts before he tried to explain what it was that got his mind so scattered.
“You know, somehow you should think I can finally breath again since the last exams are done and written. There is nothing to worry about anymore. But actually it's the future that's coming that frightens me. Do you know what I mean?”
Izuku just listened attentively and nodded.
“Yeah, I also thought a lot about it. We've come so far that we can consider ourselves official heroes in a few months. Some will directly start at hero agencies, some will maybe start out as sidekicks next to a professional hero. It has always been my dream to become a wicked hero saving people with a smile like All Might did. And finally it's just an arm's length away.”
“I agree. But recently I think a lot about my family and my father again. I've been told all my life that my only purpose to live was to surpass All Might. Also I am really afraid to become like my father. I...” Shouto didn't continue. He didn't want to continue this thought.
“But isn't it fine? Remember what All Might once said: 'Children inherit Quirks from their parents. But the really important thing is not that connection, but recognizing your own flesh and blood, recognizing yourself.' You aren't neither your father or All Might, but you are yourself and nobody else. You should be proud of yourself!”
This reminded Shouto of the words his mother once said. A tear running down his cheek. Izuku's look seemed concerned as he added whispering: “It's okay.”
“It's okay for you to be one. As long as you have a future you feel strongly about. You don't have to be a prisoner of your blood. It's okay for you to become who you want to be.”
“You do great. Really, I mean it.”, Izuku almost whispered with a lulling voice.
“Don't worry, everything will be fine.”, he murmured reassuring while patting the bicoloured hair. It only resulted in Shouto snuggling into Izuku a little more. Slowly breathing in and out the two of them got tired again. Izuku was the first to suggest to go back to their room.
“Shouto. We should-”, he broke up in the middle of the sentence the moment he perceived Shouto really fell asleep this time.
At least he found rest, so Izuku didn't bother to wake him. He covered the sleeping boy into the blanket pulling him back to his room laying him down onto his bed delicately. He ran his fingers through the soft silver shimmering hair of Shouto in the little moon light that shone into the room, softly placing a kiss on the reddish corner of his eye before he huddled up to him on the sheets and dropped off to sleep once more.