Work Text:
(Author’s Note: Christmas Eve in Japan is celebrated similarly to how Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the west!)
The whole class was completely silent, aside from a few students who were nervously clicking their pens or tapping their foot on the floor.
Please, keep us here. Let us stay here.
Shouto realized he was probably the only one thinking that; everyone wanted to go home for the holidays.
He couldn’t relate.
“Aizawa-sensei?” Tsuyu was the one who decided to be the brave soldier, raising her hand to get their teacher’s attention. He nodded in acknowledgement. “Will we be training during the holidays - ribbit?” she asked.
A sigh left Aizawa’s lips, making the class go even more tense. “No,” he answered simply. “You are all free to go home for Christmas Eve, Christmas day, and then the following two days.”
A loud cheer of happiness and relief erupted among the students of 1-A.
Shouto’s grip on his pencil had tightened so much, it snapped in half.
The class continued normally before they were all dismissed. They had been instructed to start packing and to be out of the dorms no later than tomorrow morning. Shouto dragged his feet to his dorm room and created some not-so-pleasant scenarios in his mind, the idea of going home for the holidays eating away at him.
Growing up, Shouto never really had the whole ‘Christmas experience’ where he was able to drink hot chocolate by a fire, build a snowman, have a snowball fight with friends, bake cookies, enjoy Christmas music and Christmas movies, or even open presents on Christmas morning. His father didn’t believe in rewarding him just because of a holiday. He remembered his mother and sister sneaking him a present for the first few years, but when his father found out, the secret tradition came to a stop.
Home was the last place he wanted to go.
“Todoroki-kun!” Shouto turned on his heel, already knowing the voice’s owner. “Wait up!” he breathed out, jogging over to him.
“Midoriya,” Shouto acknowledged. “Is something wrong?”
A blush immediately erupted onto Izuku’s cheeks, spreading all the way down his neck. Cute. Shouto thought.
“N-no,” he muttered. He twiddled his fingers, keeping his attention on them instead of looking into the taller boy’s eyes. “I just… I noticed you weren’t that happy with the fact that we all get to go home for Christmas…” his voice trailed off.
Shouto gulped. Of course Izuku noticed; he’s so observant it’s almost irking. “I’m fine,” he countered. “I’m obviously not thrilled about going home to my old man, but it isn’t anything that I can’t deal with. I’ll be fine.”
He wasn’t sure if he was more so trying to convince Izuku or convince himself.
“I expected that,” Izuku said. He was still staring at his twiddling fingers. “I was um… I was wondering if you wanted to maybe, um…” his voice kept getting quieter, until the end of his sentence was so mumbled under his breath that even with them standing barely an inch apart, Shouto didn’t hear it.
“Midoriya, you are going to have to speak clearly or else I won’t be able to understand,” he said.
Izuku inhaled a deep breath and boldly looked into Shouto’s eyes. “Please spend Christmas break at my house!” he blurted, his voice a little louder than he intended it to be.
Shouto felt his eyes widen, not being able to look away from Izuku’s determined expression. “Huh?”
It seemed that small reply was a punch to Izuku’s confidence, his eyes immediately going back to the floor. “I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to…”
“Do you want me to?” Shouto bravely asked.
Izuku, not trusting his voice, simply nodded before looking up at Shouto through his long eyelashes. He fluttered them prettily, almost as if he was silently begging.
Shouto nearly choked on his own saliva.
“I just… I don’t want you to be alone for Christmas.” Shouto’s face screwed up slightly; pity was the last thing he wanted. Izuku caught onto this (obviously) and started to frantically wave his hands in front of him. “W-wait! I didn’t mean for it to sound like that!” he exclaimed, sputtering like a nervous wreck. “I just meant… I just meant that…I wanted you to spend it with m- with someone! Anyone, really!” His hands had stop waving around, instead going up to his face to cover his intense blush. Shouto could hear him nervously laugh into his palms. “Ahhhh, sorry. That probably sounds really weird, huh? I just, I meant I don’t want you to spend it with… that man.” his tone hardened on the last two words.
Shouto bit the inside of his cheek. “No; it’s not weird,” he muttered. “It’s… I appreciate it. Thank you… but, I don’t think my old man would give consent.” By the look on Izuku’s face, it was clear he had forgotten students needed the school’s permission to stay somewhere that was not their own home, which also meant the school needed permission from said student’s guardian.
Izuku looked like a kicked puppy and it made Shouto’s heart fall to his stomach. Don’t make a face like that. He thought to himself, resisting the sudden urge to reach out to the other boy.
“I guess I hadn’t thought this through-”
“Todoroki. Midoriya.” Both boys snapped their heads to see Aizawa, leaning against the wall of the empty hallway. “Is there some sort of problem.” His tone made it sound like more of a demand as oppose to a question.
“Nothing-“
“Can Todoroki-kun come to my house for Christmas break?” Izuku’s nervous voice cut Shouto off. Mismatched eyes widened in shock. Izuku immediately realized he had just raised his voice to his superior and began to sputter a mess of apologies.
Aizawa’s sigh made him snap his mouth shut. “I don’t have the authority to make that decision,” he replied, bloodshot eyes sliding over to Shouto. “Is there any reason you do not want to go home,” again, said more of as a demand.
“Not really,” Shouto mumbled after a beat of silence, his gaze averting to the floor.
The adult held back from letting out a frustrated sound. He had a pet-peeve regarding his students keeping secrets from him. It made him feel as if they did not trust him, which in turn made him feel like a shitty teacher (and hero).
Contrary to how he may outwardly act or to what others think he’s like, he cares for his students. A lot. If there was something he could do for any of them, he wanted to be able to do it; but, he can’t do anything if he doesn’t know the problem first.
“If you want to stay somewhere that isn’t your own home, you do not necessarily need your father’s permission.” Shouto’s head snapped up at that. “Your sister, Fuyumi… she’s listed as a guardian on your file.”
“She… she is?” Shouto had no knowledge of this.
Aizawa nodded lazily. “If she gives permission, then that is enough for us to allow you to stay somewhere that is not your own home — if that is what you want.”
Shouto paused, not sure how to react. Of course he didn’t want to go to his own home; he would rather go literally anywhere… but, how would his father react towards Fuyumi? He would be angry, for sure. Would he take it out on her? Would she get hurt because of him?
He felt a small tug at the bottom of his shirt and turned his head to see Izuku gripping the fabric lightly with a few of his fingers. He was looking up at him with those damn eyes that made Shouto’s heart do somersaults in his chest.
“I’ll… call her,” Shouto managed to get out, tearing his eyes away from Izuku’s. “I’ll make sure to have an answer by later today, Aizawa-sensei.”
The teacher nodded while he pushed his weight off of the wall. “It’s okay to be selfish sometimes,” he said, turning around and beginning to walk down the hallway. “It’s okay to do what you want to do, sometimes.”
His words froze Shouto in his spot. Was it really okay?
Izuku tugged at his shirt’s fabric again, forcing Shouto to bring his attention back to him. “He’s… right, you know?” Izuku spoke quietly. “Being selfish doesn’t always have to be a bad thing, especially when it comes to you.”
“Why especially me?”
“That’s because you deserve to be happy, as much as you don’t believe it.” His green eyes glassed over as he looked up at Shouto with admiration and awe. Izuku’s stare was almost too much, and Shouto found himself having to resist the urge to grab his own chest. His heart was pounding way too fast for it to be considered healthy. “You’re allowed to do things you want to do. You’re allowed to be happy.”
When Shouto got back to his dorm room, he called his sister and told her the whole situation.
“You obviously don’t have to-“
“Shouto, be quiet,” Fuyumi cut him off, smiling on the other line. “I would much rather have you somewhere else than for you to come back home. Of course I’ll give permission.”
“But he’ll-“
“He won’t do anything,” she cut him off again. She already knew what her younger brother was going to say and wasn’t in the mood to hear him try to use her as an excuse. “I’m an adult, Shouto. As much as he doesn’t want to believe it, he doesn’t have authority over me anymore. I doubt he will even be home during Christmas — the holidays seem to be a hot time for villain attacks.” She sighed, twirling a piece of her heterochromatic hair. “Look, Shouto. Don’t worry about me and don’t worry about how father will react. I’ll be okay. Just do me a favor?”
“Anything,” Shouto breathed out.
“Have a good time… and give the Midoriya family my thanks,” Fuyumi sniffled, feeling her heart swell at the idea of Shouto finally having a nice holiday experience for a change. “You deserve to be happy, Shouto,” she added, her voice shaking.
Shouto clenched the phone in his hand tighter. “So do you, nee-san,” he said.
And that’s how Shouto ended up at the front door of Izuku’s house later that evening. Izuku had beamed as bright as the sun when Shouto showed up at his dorm room with a stuffed duffle bag weighing down on his shoulder.
Shouto tentatively walked inside the small home behind Izuku and immediately felt warmer. Not in the sense of temperature but… the home’s aura just screamed Midoriya. It just made Shouto feel… safe; made him feel welcome.
A small woman came jumping out of the kitchen and practically attacked Izuku when she saw him. Shouto studied her features and could definitely see the resemblance between the two.
“Izuku,” Inko breathed out, giving him a tight squeeze before letting go. “How are you? How has school been? Have the dorms been okay? Are they feeding you decent food?” she shot out questions like bullets, motherly instincts overcoming her.
“Everything is great, mom,” Izuku answered all of her questions with one statement, smiling. “Th-this is Todoroki-kun. He’s-“
“Oh!” Inko’s eyes sparkled. “So you’re the famous Todoroki Shouto.” A smiled began to grow on her lips and Shouto couldn’t figure out how to react. He bowed at the waist, introducing himself formally and thanking her for allowing him to stay. “There’s no need to be so formal, but thank you,” she said sweetly. “My son has told me a lot about you. He speaks very highly of you.”
“Mom.” Izuku’s voice had a threatening undertone, making Shouto look at him bewilderedly. How could he talk to his mother like that?
“Sh, Izuku.” Inko waved her hand in his face, only furthering Shouto’s culture shock. Their exchange was just too different compared to what he was used to. “He praises you quite a bit, Todoroki-kun. In fact, he speaks of you so much I almost feel as if I already know you!”
“MOM!” Izuku buried his face in his hands and Shouto could see the blush traveling all the way down his neck. “I bring someone over for the first time in years and this is how you repay me?”
Inko simply giggled and placed a hand in her son’s unruly hair. “I’m sorry, Izuku,” she said, not sounding sorry at all. She turned her attention back to Shouto, making him stiffen immediately. “Thank you for being such a good friend to my son and for taking care of him. I appreciate it very much,” she smiled.
Inko retreated into the kitchen to go start dinner while the two boys went to Izuku’s room. Inko had apparently already gotten a futon out, Izuku noticing it when they walked in. There were two extra blankets folded neatly on top as well as a pillow.
“Thank you,” Shouto suddenly said. Izuku turned on his heel and stared at the boy who stood still in his doorway. “This is… I really appreciate all of this.”
Izuku grinned and padded his way over to Shouto and pulled him further into his bedroom. “You don’t have to thank me, you know.”
“I do, though.”
Green curls flopped around as he shook his head. “No, you don’t. We’re friends. Friends do things for each other to make the other one happy. It’s to be expected, so there’s nothing to thank me for,” he clarified, giving Shouto one of his million-dollar-smiles. It was so bright it could give the sun a run for its money.
Shouto gave a small smile back against his own will because, well, who couldn’t smile back at that face?
Dinner was quiet, aside from the banter between Izuku and his mother every now and then. Shouto was still unsure on how to act, so he just listened to the two and held back a smile. To see a parent and son interacting like this was refreshing.
Shouto and Izuku both helped with the dishes before going back to his bedroom. It wasn’t that late, but the two boys were exhausted. They had had a tough day, their training exercises extra intense today due to the fact that they were being allowed to take a few days off completely.
Mismatched eyes scanned all of the All Might posters that decorated the smaller boy’s bedroom and he held back a chuckle. The room was so Izuku. His eyes stopped on a picture that was taped in an amateur fashion underneath one of the many superhero posters.
There was a picture of him and Izuku. In the photo, Shouto’s eyes were enlarged in surprise, his mouth filled with soba noodles, and chopsticks in hand with Izuku next to him, laughing at the fact he had caught him off guard. His eyes were closed, his mouth open and smiling.
“Midoriya.” He heard Izuku shuffle on his bed, scooting to the edge of it so he was peeking down at Shouto who laid on the futon. “Thank you,”
“I told you-“
“For being my friend,” he added. He turned his head slightly so he was looking at Izuku more properly and offered a small, delicate smile. “Thank you for being my friend.”
Shouto could see the blush begin to form and found his own cheeks get slightly warmer as well. “Th-thank you… for being mine,” Izuku muttered, his words muffled by the mattress.
Shouto doesn’t remember falling asleep, but suddenly he is woken up by the sound of cheerful Christmas music. He rubbed his eyes with his fists to clear his vision and sat up on the futon. He checked the digital clock in Izuku’s room to see it was already ten-thirty in the morning. He had never slept in this late.
He followed the music, stopping when he realized it was coming from the bathroom. He began to turn around to go back to the bedroom, but stopped when he heard someone else’s voice singing along to the lyrics.
“We’re happy tonight, walking in a winter wonderland~” the voice sang. Shouto pressed his back against the closed bathroom door and smiled fondly as he listened to Izuku’s voice happily sing along.
Shouto listened to Izuku sing along to two more songs, catching himself humming along to the tunes as well.
“You have a nice voice!” he boldly called through the door, loud enough for Izuku to hear him. He heard the other boy yelp in surprise before the sound of something (a shampoo bottle?) smacked against the shower floor.
“T-Todoroki-kun!” Izuku stuttered, his embarrassment evident. Shouto could hear the water shut off and the sound of Izuku fussing around before he cracked the door open. Shouto, before he fell right through, took his weight off the door just in time and turned to look down at the smaller boy. “How- how long were you listening?” Izuku questioned embarrassedly, his eyes avoiding Shouto.
Shouto felt his heart doing that weird flip thing again. Izuku was still soaking wet, droplets of water decorating his freckled body and little patches of soap on his shoulder, chest, and cheek that he had missed. He had a fluffy, light blue towel wrapped around right above his bellybutton.
He could feel his cheeks heating up, his left side a little warmer than usual.
Do not set yourself on fire do not set yourself on fire do not set yourself on fire
“Todoroki-kun?” Izuku’s voice snapped Shouto out of his daze. “Are you okay?”
He ran his fingers through his messy, dual-colored hair. “Yeah; I’m fine,” he responded, using all of his effort to not notice how the water seemed to enhance Izuku’s chiseled muscles.
Izuku smiled, his eyes squinting. “Merry Christmas Eve, Todoroki-kun!” he exclaimed.
Shouto’s eyes widened. “Merry… Christmas Eve,” he said back. His face still was way too warm for comfort and Izuku was not helping.
“I have to go pick up a cake today. Do you want to join me?” Izuku tilted his head to the side in question.
It was either that or he had to spend the day alone in the house with Izuku’s mother and Shouto knew he was definitely not socially educated enough to be able to handle that. “Of course,” he answered. “Dry off properly. I don’t need you getting a cold,” he said, swiping a patch of bubbly soap off of Izuku’s cheek.
Izuku’s freckles stood out due to his blushing cheeks. “Y-yes! I will!” he nodded, shying back into the bathroom. “I-I’ll be out in a minute and then- ah! I should have let you get ready first! I’m so sorry!”
Shouto had to stop himself from laughing, happy to know the flustered part of Izuku hadn’t changed since they met. “It’s nothing to worry about, Midoriya. Thank you.”
Izuku pouted and began to shut the door so he could finish drying off. “I told you not to say that anymore,” he teased before shutting it completely.
About two hours later, the two teenage boys were walking around town. Izuku had said he wanted to see all of the Christmas decorations and get the cake last so they wouldn’t have to hold it all day.
This is kind of… like… a date, isn’t it?
Shouto shook his head, ridding his mind of the thought. He watched Izuku’s eyes light up when he stopped to stare inside one of the windows of the various shops on the street. He was staring at an All Might plushie that was wearing a Santa suit. He was grinning like a true fanboy, and Shouto found it the most adorable thing. Shouto found himself admiring a mannequin that was wearing a white-and-blue scarf around its neck and a pair of black gloves on its hands.
Shouto never bothered with winter accessories, considering he didn’t technically need them (thanks to his quirk); but, he always thought that they still looked nice.
Izuku tore his eyes away from the All Might plushie and looked up at Shouto. He told him he had to use the restroom, so they both shuffled into the shop and Shouto watched as Izuku asked an employee to direct him before hurrying to the back.
Shouto’s mismatched eyes glanced over to the window display to stare at the All Might/Santa plushie. It was almost taunting him, daring him to buy it.
He reached out a hesitant hand, stopping a few inches away. Was buying a Christmas Eve gift too much? Would Izuku be weirded out? Would he-
“Would you like to purchase that, sir?” A voice next to him startled him out of his thoughts as he whipped his head around. A small girl blushed and immediately started spitting out apologies. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to surprise you!” she squeaked.
Shouto read her name tag. Shimizu. “No, it’s fine,” he reassured. “I um… yeah, I wanted to purchase one of these.” He gestured to the All Might/Santa plushie.
She nodded nervously and lead him to an aisle in the shop. “You aren’t allowed to take the window displays, but here’s one that is for sale.” She smiled and handed him one. “I’ll ring you up.”
Shouto followed her to the cash register, paid, and just as he was taking the small paper bag that contained the plushie off of the counter, he saw Izuku coming over out of the corner of his eye.
“Sorry I took so long!” he apologized, holding up a paper bag that was similar to Shouto’s. “I saw something that made me think of my mom and decided to buy it.” He looked at Shouto’s bag and tilted his head. “Did you buy something too?”
Shouto gulped, hesitantly nodding. “Y-yeah. I wanted to get my mom something to do in the hospital,” he lied, coughing to hide the fact his voice had gone slightly higher pitched. Well, it wasn’t a complete lie; he had gotten his mother something that he planned on bringing to her… it just… wasn’t an All Might/Santa plushie.
The two of them left the shop together and continued to browse the Christmas decorations around the town.
Shouto looked over at Izuku when he felt him poke his side. “Todoroki-kun, look!” The freckled teen let out a huffed breath, the cold contrasting with Izuku’s hot breath and causing a small cloud of fog to form. “I’m you!” he giggled.
Shouto felt his cheeks blush and looked away before he could get caught. “Dork.”
Izuku giggled again and Shouto swore he could listen to that sound for the rest of his life.
They proceeded to peruse the ornamented vicinity before Izuku paused in his tracks. “Hey, Todoroki-kun.” Shouto turned at the sound of Izuku’s voice and rose his eyebrows as he waited for him to continue. “Have you ever had peppermint mocha hot chocolate?”
Shouto’s lips quirked up slightly. “No; but it sounds like something that would take ten years off of my life.”
Izuku laughed as if Shouto was the funniest person in the world. “Once you taste it, you’ll realize it’s worth it,” he winked. Winked. Shouto thought he was going to die right then and there. “Let’s get some!” Izuku was practically beaming and before Shouto had even realized it, the smaller boy had grabbed his hand and was jogging down the road. He stared at their intertwined fingers and felt his mouth go dry.
Shouto had it so bad.
Izuku had dragged him to a small café, a small bell dinging when they entered. He told Shouto to find them a table and Izuku would go place their order.
Shouto found a small, round table in the corner, away from everyone else. The café wasn’t as crowded as he had expected, but it still wasn’t completely empty. Loving couples surrounded him and Shouto tried not to stare, feeling as if he was intruding.
Izuku skipped over to him happily. “The lady at the front told me to tell you her son adores you,” he grinned while sliding into the seat across from him. “She said you’re his favorite up-and-coming hero.” His smile widened (if that was even possible), stretching his freckles.
Shouto felt a blush rise to his cheeks and looked away to attempt to hide it.
A few minutes passed before a skinny, tall male walked over while he carefully balanced a tray in his hand. He placed two large, stout mugs onto the table, one mug in front of each of them, and then a third plate that had two fresh, glazed cinnamon rolls on it.
“Oh! I didn’t-“
“It’s on the house.” The man winked, cutting Izuku off. “Merry Christmas Eve, you two~” he sang and Shouto could have sworn he had a teasing smirk on his face, almost like he knew.
Was he that obvious?
He noticed Izuku nudging the red mug of hot chocolate closer to him. The liquid was basically completely covered by a mount of whipped cream, decorated with candy cane bits and chocolate shavings.
“Try it,” he grinned.
Shouto couldn’t say no, even if he wanted to.
He gently picked the mug up and took a small sip, being as careful as he could to not completely burn his tongue off. Bursts of peppermint and cocoa danced on his tastebuds, the liquid cascading down his throat. He let out a sigh, emitting a small cloud of steam.
“It’s sweet,” he said.
“In a good way?”
His lips turned up slightly. “In a good way,” he confirmed and looked up into those green eyes he adored so much. “It’s delicious.”
Izuku’s whole entire face lit up and Shouto swore he saw a ring of light around the boy, as if he were glowing.
Izuku’s eyes seemed to focus intently on Shouto’s face, making him somewhat squirm under the smaller boy’s stare. Izuku reached forward and swiped his pointer finger on the tip of Shouto’s nose. Shouto’s eyes widened and he suddenly felt like his heart was stuck in his throat, suffocating him.
“Whipped cream,” he giggled and licked it off of his finger. “I got it, though.”
Shouto was definitely not going to make it to the end of the day in one piece.
They finished their hot chocolate and their cinnamon rolls (which were fucking glorious) and had continued to admire the decorated town. It was starting to get darker, causing Izuku to say that they should probably pick the cake up soon.
Shouto agreed and the two began to walk to the bakery before a voice called out to the both of them.
“Oi! Midoriya! Todoroki!” the voice shouted. Both boys spun around to be met with spiky red hair and a shark-toothed grin.
“Kirishima-kun!” Izuku smiled and waved him over. “What are you-“ he stopped talking when Bakugou’s figure came into view behind the redhead. “Ahhhh… hey, Kacchan.”
“Deku,” he acknowledged.
Well, at least he’s gotten better. Shouto thought and looked over to Kirishima who was ruffling Izuku’s hair lovingly. Wonder why… Shouto bit back a smile.
He would have to thank Kirishima one day.
Shouto saw Kirishima shove something in Izuku’s hands. Izuku looked at the item, squealed (yeah, squealed), and then shoved it in his pocket. His furious blush made his freckles seem to stand out more, making Kirishima laugh loudly and ruffle his green curls. He whispered something in his ear, which only seemed to make the shade on Izuku’s cheeks intensify.
“Oi.” Shouto’s mismatched eyes shifted over to Bakugou’s. “Deku didn’t just invite you over to get you away from your shitty old man.”
A beat of silence. “Wha-“
“You both are so fucking stupid,” Bakugou grumbled and kicked a stone mindlessly. “For being two of the smartest kids in class, you both can be pretty fucking dense.”
Shouto looked over at Izuku, who was currently waving his hands around like a madman at Kirishima who just seemed to laugh harder, and then back at Bakugou. “I have no idea what you’re trying to say.”
“Of course you don’t. Because you’re stupid,” he growled, his red eyes snapping over to Izuku. “You really think Deku…” he trailed off, gritting his teeth. “Never mind. Eijirou!” The redhead turned his head to his boyfriend. “Come on. We’re going.”
Kirishima nodded and obeyed like a puppy, back at Bakugou’s side in seconds. “It was great to see you two!” he smiled, showing off his sharp teeth. He looked over at Izuku and smirked. “Remember what I told you, dude! Be a man!” he called before getting dragged off by Bakugou.
Shouto knitted his eyebrows together. What in the world had they talked about?
Izuku and Shouto got the strawberry shortcake and made their way back to the Midoriya household. Once they walked in, Shouto breathed in the heavenly scent of hotpot.
“Ah, you two are finally home!” Inko called, peeking her head out from the kitchen. “You were gone all day. I hope you had a good time,” she smiled knowingly over at Izuku, causing the green-haired boy to turn his head away. She clapped her hands together, getting both of their attention back on her. “I’m almost done getting all the ingredients ready for hotpot; give me ten more minutes!”
Shouto nodded as Izuku went over to the coffee table and placed the boxed strawberry shortcake on top of it. He began to walk to his bedroom and looked over his shoulder at Shouto, silently beckoning him to follow him.
They walked inside the All Might-poster-covered room and sat on the floor with their backs against the side of Izuku’s bed. Shouto stared at the paper bag next to him and bit the inside of his cheek.
Was getting a present too much?
“I lied,” Izuku said, breaking Shouto out of his thoughts. He looked over at Izuku to see he was already looking back at him. “Before… in the store… I lied to you.”
Shouto was beyond confused. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.”
He sighed and picked up the paper bag that was sitting next to him. “When I said… when I told you I took a long time because I was getting my mom a present…” he gnawed at his lower lip. Shouto found it endearing. “… I was… I was actually getting something for you,” he admitted, finally.
Shouto blinked once. Twice.
“Huh?”
Izuku slid the paper bag over to him shyly. “M-merry Christmas Eve, Todoroki-kun.” He looked up and gave him a soft smile.
Shouto took the paper bag, staring at Izuku with widened eyes. “You… thank you.”
Izuku’s nervous smile turned into a teasing one as he nudged Shouto’s arm lightly with his own. “I told you not to say that anymore.”
Shouto couldn’t stop the small smile at his lips as he looked back down at the paper bag. He reached inside and pulled out a white-and-blue scarf along with a pair of black gloves.
“These-“
“I saw you looking at them through the window display,” Izuku said. He was twiddling his fingers in his lap, a nervous habit Shouto noticed he had. “I know you don’t technically need them, but… I thought they’d look nice on you,” he mumbled.
He smiled. A soft chuckle escaped. Then, he was full on laughing.
Izuku looked at him, his eyes tripling in size.
Shouto allowed himself to laugh freely before finally catching his breath and placing his hand over his eyes. “You… are something else,” he sighed and looked over at Izuku. He had his lips slightly parted, his eyes twinkling as if they had actual stars in them. “What is it?”
Izuku blushed immediately, realizing he had been caught practically gaping at him. “I-I just… you have a nice laugh,” he muttered, looking away. “I like it when you laugh.”
Shouto felt his own face heat up and controlled himself enough to not set the whole room on fire. He glanced over at his own paper bag and handed it over to Izuku. “I lied, too,” he stated.
“You… wait, what?”
“I’m saying I got you something.” He attempted to regulate his body temperature while he watched Izuku cautiously open the paper bag. “It’s nothing special, but it made me think of you when I saw it, and… you seemed to want it.”
He pulled out the small plushie and Shouto swore Cupid had just shot at least fifty arrows into his heart at that moment.
Izuku’s whole face lit up and his eyes glossed over with joy. He was smiling with his mouth hanging open as he admired the plushie. He really did look like a small child on Christmas morning who had just received the greatest gift in the world.
“I love it; thank you so much!” He looked over at Shouto with that blindingly bright smile.
Shouto gulped, composing himself. “Midoriya,” he started. “Why… why did you invite me over for Christmas break?”
Izuku smile faltered, nerves kicking him in the stomach. “B-because you uh, you didn’t want to um, stay with your father and-“
“That’s not the only reason though; am I correct?” Shouto questioned and unconsciously moved closer to the other boy.
Green eyes found his gray and teal ones, causing Shouto’s breath to get stuck in his throat. “You are… correct.” Izuku confirmed, determined to hold eye contact with Shouto.
“Then why?”
Shouto and Izuku were barely an inch away from each other at that point, their breath mixing together. Shouto could smell the hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls from earlier on Izuku’s breath. His heart was pounding against his chest and ringing in his ears; he swore Izuku was able to hear it.
“You’re going to make me say it?”
Shouto nodded, definitely not trusting his voice. He couldn’t even breathe properly, let alone talk.
Izuku sighed and pressed his forehead against Shouto’s. He noticed Izuku reaching into his pocket before pulling out a decorative mistletoe, holding it between them.
“Why do you-“
Izuku’s lips pressed against Shouto’s, silencing him. Shouto stiffened, eyes wide with surprise as he stared back at Izuku’s closed ones. The kiss was short — too short — and Izuku pulled away, his eyes fluttering open prettily.
“You’re technically supposed to kiss under the mistletoe, but I think this is still okay,” he whispered. He looked at Shouto, who was breathing extremely heavily. “S-sorry!” Izuku exclaimed and backed away hastily. “That was probably- oh God that was weird! I’m sorry! It just felt like it was the right moment, but maybe I read that wrong?! You know, just forget-“
Shouto practically lunged forward, capturing Izuku’s lips with his own and swallowed the rest of Izuku’s statement. He kissed him once. Twice. Thrice.
“I guess Bakugou was right,” he chucked against Izuku’s lips. “I really am stupid.”
Bonus:
Izuku watched Shouto take a bite out of the strawberry shortcake and grinned with delight when he saw those beautiful mismatched eyes light up.
“It’s good,” he confirmed, looking over at Izuku.
Izuku nodded. “I knew you’d like it,” he laughed lightly and took a bite of his own slice. He saw Shouto reaching over and quirked an eyebrow. “What are you-“
Shouto cradled the side of Izuku’s jaw, his fingers resting on his cheek. The pad of his thumb swiped the skin right next to Izuku’s lip. “Whipped cream,” he whispered, leaning close to lick the sweet substance off of his thumb, his nose pressing against Izuku’s cheek. “I got it, though.”
Shouto could feel the heat radiating off of Izuku’s face, the warmth transferring to his nose that was still pressed to Izuku’s cheek.
“I-it’s… not fair when you do it,” he mumbled, making Shouto laugh.