Chapter Text
It’s embarrassing. He’s blushing and stuttering and he feels his eyes prick with intense embarrassment. But Ochako grins , pulling Izuku close to her and saying, “You’re in love with Todoroki and Iida, I knew it!”
“Not so loud! The doors open, Uraraka!”
“Oh, oops, sorry Deku.” She leans over his lap, using her index finger to push the corner so the door swung shut. “There. Now, I called it! Deku, I win my bet, hell yeah!”
“Bet?”
“With Tsuyu and Ashido. You three are so obvious yet oblivious. I win! I was betting on you confessing first.”
Izuku’s head spins and his face grows even hotter. He really doesn’t know what to do. He’s had crushes on people before but he has certainly never admitted he loved them. Bakugou made sure he was lonely after middle school started. Everybody was scared of him and less than empathetic towards Izuku to care. Soon it had become common place he was alone and that he would stay that way. Izuku was fine with it because he had his mom and he had a couple friends from online forums. That was all he needed!
But, really, he can’t handle the intense rhythm that makes his heart start when Iida scolds him, treating him like a true and worried friend, when he’s gone farther than he should have. And when Todoroki would casually touch his shoulder, his arm, his back when he talked. He truly felt he could burst when the three would hang out with Ochako and Tsuyu in the common room and they would all laugh together. Todoroki and Iida letting themselves go and being silly kids and letting Izuku into their lives so casually.
It had taken him months of deliberation to finally admit to himself this wasn’t something friends had for each other. The intense dreams of the three going on dates, kissing each other, spending time together, that was more than what he had with Bakugou and his gang when they were kids.
“Do you think you could ever tell them?” Ochako asks, prodding Izuku’s side.
“I-I really don’t know...it could end badly and they would end up acting awkward around me because I’m the friend that likes both of them and tried to ask them the same.”
“Oh, Deku, you have no idea what they would say.”
“Iida once got a box of chocolate on Valentine’s Day and was so flustered he locked himself in his room for two hours just staring off of his balcony.”
Ochako screeches with laughter, remembering it vividly. “Iida just had no idea what else to do because of how he grew up being in that preppy school! He told me later on that he had to give her something back on White Day but with a polite thank you note and a gentle turn down because of how little they know each other.”
“Did he really?”
“Oh yeah, he asked Tsuyu to help since she’s so blunt. They both had a similar problem.”
Izuku furrows his brow, starting to chew on his finger as he thinks. It wouldn’t be viable to use Valentine’s Day then because he would be using the same tactic if he ever wants to tell both of them. Todoroki has always been given things from other girls in the class so he thought it was just friendly and he wouldn’t pick up on it without a note. He’d much rather spare himself that embarrassment. It wasn’t plausible that both like him and each other back either and he doesn’t want any animosity towards each other. He knows polyamorous relationships are very hard because of the jealousy that crops up with most, if not all, relationships. He doesn’t take the two for the jealous type but it comes with the territory as far as Izuku is aware.
“You’re mumbling”, Tsuyu croaks from the door, having knocked without Izuku even noticing.
“Oh! I’m sorry, I’ll leave now if you two want to be alone. Thank you for having me, Uraraka.”
“Oh boo, don’t thank me. I’m the one that won the bet.” Ochako smiles, pushing Izuku out of her room. “Don’t forget that we have a New Year’s Eve party tonight for all of class 1-A!”
Izuku isn’t keen to forget, if he’s honest. He knows that somebody might bring alcohol and he’d rather avoid that if he’s going to end up saying something stupid. Iida will most likely be in his best dress shirt for the party and it always looks so nice on him.
“Get that dumb fucking look off your face”, Bakugou says harshly.
Izuku flinches, not realizing he’d been walking aimlessly down the hall.
“S-Sorry…” He’s able to say before he’s shoved into the wall, out of the way.
He winces at the force, knowing he’ll have a bruise there. It isn’t a big deal though, Izuku thinks. He was the one distracted and Bakugou has places to be.
Izuku makes it to his dorm and pulls his clothes off to change into pyjamas. There’s a knock on his door, both Iida and Todoroki walking in, looking at Izuku's dressed-down state.
“Midoriya! We have a class party to go to, you have to get ready!” Iida exclaims, his hand frantically gesturing at Izuku’s pyjamas.
“I don’t think I’m going.” Izuku admits, rubbing his head sheepishly. “I’m really tired and it’s going to be too noisy for me, most likely.”
“If I’m going, you’re going.” Todoroki replies flatly.
“No, it’s fine; you guys go have fun with everybody! I’ll just do some research I’ve been meaning to do.”
“Research? Whatever for! We have no homework to do over our short winter break.” Iida chirps.
“Ah, it’s my own. It’s for my….it’s for my notebooks.”
Izuku looks at the floor, aware of the accusing stares he’s getting. He deftly pulls his new notebook out of his bag and opens the page he started about a debut hero, Black Knight. They have a quirk similar to an old knight, they can do everything a knight is trained to also manipulate the shadows, bringing out shadow knights to help them. Izuku wants to see what villains they’d fought and where they went to school and to learn about how other people think their quirk works. He’s so caught up in his personal life he hasn’t any time.
“Still going with us”, Todoroki says. He starts to dig through Izuku’s closet, Iida now looking over Izuku’s shoes and picking out the nicest ones possible.
“Guys”, Izuku whines. “I just changed and I’m tired. Not like people will miss me if I don’t go it’s fine-” He stutters to a stop at the cold looks Iida and Todoroki both shoot him.
“I most certainly will miss you at this party as I’m not a fan of them.”
“I’ve never gone to one, personally. They sound like they’re just loud.” Todoroki says.
“Uraraka wants all of the class to be there, though so I don’t know if I can....” Izuku trails off and shuffles over to his desk. He opens his notebook and starts to pull things open on his laptop.
He doesn’t get very far though because Iida and Todoroki are determined to get Izuku to this party. They pull him up to his feet, pushing a dress shirt and socks into his arms. He sputters and tries his hardest to protest but they aren’t hearing it.
“You are going for an hour at the very least, Midoriya!” Iida says loudly. “The entire class is going to be there. It will build class moirail. So get changed and ready!”
Izuku groans but won’t fight it anymore. He’s going to the party if it’ll kill Iida and Todoroki, it seems. He doesn’t mind though because nobody has ever cared like that about Izuku holing up inside his room. He’s always ignored when he did it in younger grades, with his mom checking in occasionally. But it is different at UA. It’s always different here.
So Izuku is pulling on his shirt and better pants. He washes his face to help himself keep calm as his nerves dance inside of him. But it’s an excited nervous. His friends absolutely want him there at this party.
The party bustles and moved with the crowd, having already started half an hour ago. Music is at a high enough volume to be heard but it isn’t loud. People talk and laugh in all corners of the common room and a lot start to mingle within twenty minutes.
Izuku walks into this with his heart a stutter. Iida and Todoroki both stand on either side of him, a silent nod to keep him in the party. Ochako and Tsuyu both rush over, excited Izuku is there. It had been a challenge even for Ochako to try to convince Izuku because he just doesn’t like parties. He’s not used to ever being invited.
It’s apparent though, something is amiss. Ashido has managed to find mistletoe still around and has hung it in precarious places. He hears Bakugou’s angry embarrassment as he’s kissed by Kaminari and Kirishima. Ashido gives a triumphant cheer and soon Izuku looks up wherever he steps.
He starts having fun, in the end. Izuku finds he hasn’t had this much fun in a while. He gets to talk and laugh with his friends outside of a dorm room. It’s better than he remembers UA before this.
He gets distracted and involved in talking to all of his classmates. Momo and Jirou join their group and he’s soon listening to some of Jirou’s original songs. Momo and Iida talk intently about the best way to make tea. Todoroki is making Ochako laugh as he uses his ice to make small, funny looking ice dolls. They’re supposed to be of 1-A but he isn’t a very good artist, he confesses later.
It’s this distraction that makes him airheaded and not look up as he moves to get some water. He’s under the mistletoe with Bakugou. He can feel the glare in the side of his head and the people looking at his back. Izuku gives a tense smile to Bakugou.
“Sorry, I don’t think I could ever kiss you, Kac-chan.” He says. It’s meant to be a joke and it slips before he can stop it but he dodges a punch because this is Bakugou.
His hour is up. He doesn’t have to stay anymore. So he doesn’t. He can feel the disappointment but the looks and glares he’s thrown by Bakugou that melt his composure are much more persuasive.
People are coming after him and he knows who it is already. Iida rushes over but not to scold.
“You didn’t get hurt, did you?” He asks. He’s….fearful.
It takes Izuku a second to process the look before he quickly shakes his head. “No, of course. He didn’t get me you don’t have to worry.”
Iida wants to say more, Izuku can see it. But he gives a smile and a nod. “Are you alright mentally, I meant. Bakugou has taken quite a toll on you before.”
Izuku can feel his face burn at the memory. He had gotten hurt by a stray blast and it had crumpled his composure later when he, Iida, and Todoroki were alone that night to study. It embarrasses him how undone he came, still.
“Yeah….I’m fine.” Izuku says softly. “Thanks. And...thank you for making me come to the party. I was having fun. I just don’t wanna ruin it for Bakugou and his friends, man.”
“It is quite his problem if his time is ruined by something as minor as that.”
Izuku snorts. Iida never criticizes people but Bakugou was always an exception when the two were alone.
He feels a hand in his hair and Izuku looks up. He’s smiling because it’s a nice feeling and Iida is so close and it’s so nice. But he backs off quickly, stuttering something about getting back to the party and he’s gone.
Izuku sighs and walks through his door. His chest aches and he still feels the hand in his hair. He touches where Iida had, longing welling up in him.
He brushes it off quickly enough though. He changes back into his pyjamas and he’s working at his desk before he thinks too much. He’s searching and pulling up any article possible on Black Knight. He didn’t need to think about how close Iida was or how nice Todoroki looked tonight or how he wishes they would both have gone after him and stayed in his room for the night.
No, researching Black Knight was what he needed to do.
He hears people filing past more and more as the party winds down. His door is cracked and people poke their head in with a quick knock to say good night to him.
He can’t remember falling asleep though. All he knows is that he’s being shaken by a cold hand and it feels nice. He unsticks his face from his notebook and makes a small sound of annoyance. He drooled on his paper.
“Your door was open and-“ Todoroki starts but he breaks off as Izuku stumbles into his chest.
“Sorry...real tired”, Izuku mumbles as he moves away from Todoroki and falls into bed. “Good night, Shouto.”
“...Night.” Shouto is saying as he pulls Izuku's blanket over him. “I had fun tonight.”
“So’d I...wish I could’ve kissed you an’ Tenya.”
Shouto felt it really was time he left before Izuku said anything else he wouldn’t remember. Shouto turned all the lights off hurriedly and closed the door softly. He speed walks to his own dorm. He needs to lay down. And he needs to forget what Izuku has told him because he was so tired that he was just muttering nonsense. There’s no way Izuku could want to kiss him. Tenya, he can see. He’s handsome and always brilliant. Not him though.
It’s disappointing but he knows by now not to expect anything. He fights through the well of his emotions of disappointment and fear and makes it into bed. He collapses after putting a mindless video on for noise. It’s fine.
And it really is! The next week goes by like nothing ever happened. Shouto and Izuku are the same close friends and Tenya is always joining in on their dumb conversations about heros and school and life in general.
Stuff changes though.
It’s a long weekend and so Kirishima, Tsuyu, Ochako invite the three out to a small shopping trip. It was something out of boredom they did. There was a movie theatre inside showing something Izuku wanted to see so he agreed. Tenya must’ve exhausted all of his reading material as he also agrees. Shouto just doesn’t want to be alone all day. So they all go and have a fun trip at the mall.
At least, they were supposed to have fun.
The fighting is dirty. Toga comes disguised as a civilian, in order to get on Izuku’s good side and before he knows it, Dabi lands a hit, burning Izuku’s entire chest. He gasps in pain but Toga is on top of him before he knows it and his arms are pinned by her legs and she’s saying something. Something about how trusting he is and how good he looks dirty and bleeding like this.
Izuku is so dazed and in pain, he can’t bring himself back to try and throw her off as she’s also heavier than he expects. Toga is on his blistering chest, sitting over the worst of his pain and making it so hard to concentrate on anything but how much pain he’s in.
“Oh, gosh, I need more! I need your blood, ‘Zu.” Toga was saying.
And a knife is over his eye, trailing down almost lovingly along his cheek and throat, making a sharp line of blood. He strains away from her but the knife is on his eye and he’s screaming louder than he thought he was. It hurts so much he claws at her knees that hold his wrists down and weakly bucks, trying to just get her off .
Then it was gone and Toga is screaming gleefully over to Dabi at how handsome Izuku looks and how angry those two are.
He has to keep going. The fight isn’t over. They ambushed Izuku, Shouto, and Tenya when they were all walking to the store and had been separated from Tsuyu, Ochako, and Kirishima. It was like at the mall before summer camp. They came out of nowhere in what was supposed to be a fun day only it’s worse because Izuku is hurt. It’s always Izuku. He’s always pushed himself and he’s too gentle, too trusting.
Izuku feels hands on him and he claws at whoever it is, trying desperately to get away. He can’t see who it is and what if Shigaraki was there too-
“Midoriya!” It’s Aizawa and Midnight. Midnight is crouched beside him and pulling at her jumpsuit.
“No, I-I have to-“ Izuku tries to protest because Midnight is going to put him to sleep and he isn’t done, he still has to protect the civilians.
“You can’t do anything else. The pros are here.” She says.
“T-Then my friends! Are they-“
“Iida and Todoroki are fine. They’re being examined for injuries but we need you to be safe as well .”
He can’t say much more as she tears her jumpsuit at the wrist and Izuku breathes in the sickly sweet scent, almost immediately collapsing.
Tenya and Shouto are restrained by paramedics, helpless to watch Izuku feebly stirring next to Midnight. She signals, the medics hurrying over, and doesn’t hesitate to rip Izuku's shirt off while yelling at their assistant to get an IV in and check his airways.
“We’re fine”, Tenya is almost yelling. “We escaped with only scratches. We'll be fine, we have to see our-“
“You have a cracked wrist and a concussion!” The medic is stressing to Tenya.
“I’m fine too, let us see our-“ Shouto is also saying but his neck is bleeding from Toga’s stray knives hitting him.
“Both of you need to be treated! We can’t let you go before that!” The medic by Shouto is saying just as helplessly.
“Both of you!” Aizawa yells. “Get treated or Midnight will knock you out too and lock you in your dorms! I’m going to the hospital with Midoriya as his teacher. And as your teacher, I’m telling you two to calm down!”
Aizawa’s eyes flash with concern and anger as he watches Tenya finally sit down while Shouto looks like he’s about to argue more. He’s placated enough to let the medic start checking his vitals and for any additional injuries, though.
It doesn’t take long for Izuku to leave the scene, Aizawa is allowed to ride in the front of the ambulance as a teacher and pro hero. Tsuyu, Kirishima, and Ochako sprint towards Tenya and Shouto as Aizawa leaves the small shop alley. They’re throwing questions at the two of them, all overlapping but circulating back to the same worry of, “What happened and where’s Izuku?”
“They ambushed us”, Shouto says flatly. “They might have been working on their own or it could be orders to mess with us. We don’t know they were taken back in a warp gate almost as soon as Midnight and Aizawa got here.”
“Midoriya was pulled into the alley by a scream. Toga was disguised as a hurt civilian and Dabi was able to hurt Midoriya because of it. We only got to Midoriya after he was i-injured by both though.” Shouto’s voice wavers and stops. They don’t say anything more. The police are coming over now. They want both to make statements at the station.
It was a long process to even get away though. The group tries to find out anything they could about Izuku’s condition but they were placated by the police so they could get details on what had happened.
Finally, they’re told where Izuku has been taken. The entire group doesn’t stop running until they arrive at the hospital.
Midoriya Inko is in the nearest chair crying in the waiting room. She looks up at all of them rushing towards her, stricken and ashen faced.
“He’s begun treatment,” Inko says, sniffling and choking on her sobs. “His burns are bad and he needs a sterile room while it happens.”
Tsuyu steps forward and offers Inko tissues, smiling down at her.
“Thank you, Asui. They say he’ll be fine but he needs to-to rest for now.”
They all collapse into chairs, waiting with her. Ochako, Kirishima, and Tsuyu talk to Inko about what happened and comfort her. Tenya and Shouto can’t bring themselves to join in as they sit in silence. Both thinking the same thing: ‘We didn’t do enough.’ The thought hasn’t and won’t stop the entire day.
They weren’t fast enough to realize something was wrong when Izuku went to the alley. They didn’t think to stop him or go with. They’d stood at the front of the alley, shocked until Izuku had screamed so loudly and in such agony, both of them can feel their bodies convulse just thinking about it.
When the doctor comes out, calling for Inko, the entire group stands with her. She walks unsteadily towards the doctor, Tsuyu supporting her, clutching the tissues in her fist like a lifeline.
“How is he?” She asks breathlessly.
“He’s resting nowl. We gave him painkillers and anesthetic so he wouldn’t feel pain. We kept him asleep as we treated him because of the severity. He will be fine within a few days to move around but he can’t do anything more than walk for at least a week. I’ve been told that somebody from UA will be over with a healing quirk so I will update you on his condition afterwards.”
“May we see him?” Inko asks.
“Only a few at a time. If he wakes up, he’ll be in a lot of pain and might get overwhelmed if too many people are there.”
“I’ll go back to the dorms and tell everybody he’ll be fine.” Kirishima announces.
“Me and Tsu will go with.” Ochako says . “We’ll see you back there, yeah?”
Shouto and Tenya blink but nod. Inko sweeping down the hall, hurriedly weaving through the crowd to get to her son. They trail behind her at a slower pace, not keen on following and seeing Izuku hurt.
He’s hooked up to two IV drips and mumbling about something. Inko almost immediately bursts into sobs again and hurriedly wipes at her eyes to hide it in case Izuku is awake. He groans slightly and his head keels towards the other side of the room.
There is only one chair and Inko sinks into it. Tenya and Shouto stand off to the side listlessly. Shouto is shaking slightly, overwhelmed at the site of Izuku hurt again. It had been so long since he had been hurt so brutally. The last time he can remember is during the summer camp when his arms had been completely shredded. He hates it with his entire being, watching helplessly as Izuku continues time and time again to be admitted into the hospital. Shouto can’t help his nails clawing at his arms, doing it almost unconsciously as a way to anchor himself.
But hands gently remove them from his arms and Tenya looking sternly down at Shouto, knowingly shaking his head. They both know the habit Shouto has developed at a young age when he’s overwhelmed. Tenya had caught him doing it in the middle of the night in the common room, trying desperately to forget a nightmare he’d had. It didn’t take much prodding for Shouto to spill his heart out to Tenya, who was a quiet yet comforting presence.
They all stay in Izuku’s room until they’re told visiting hours are over. It was time for them to leave and go back to the dorms, to face everybody, and try to hide how scared and sad they are. It’s ten at night by now but it isn’t too late to think that everybody in the dorms are waiting for Izuku to walk through with a smile, saying he’s alright.
But he has to stay overnight, sleeping restlessly, a constant stream of painkillers to numb everything.
Inko bids the two goodbye, pulling them into a hug and thanking them for protecting Izuku. It’s a bitter goodbye to them as they didn’t do enough. It prompts the two to offer to help Inko around the house when Izuku is released.
“Boys, you really don’t-” Inko starts to say but they won’t hear no and soon enough she smiles, relenting with a soft nod before waving goodbye.
And then they’re alone, walking in silence back to UA. It isn’t a long walk but the silence weighs on them. There is nothing the other can do to comfort each other as they’re both wrapped in worry and fear and guilt. It’s only when they get to the dorms and find it empty with a note from Ochako saying everybody was forced to bed by Momo, did they both feel slight relief.
“Would you like tea before you retire?” Tenya asks stiffly. “I need to make some for myself, if I’m honest.”
Shouto almost says no. But the idea of being alone in his room is too hard right now so he nods. He sits, waiting for the water to boil for both their tea in the same weighted silence. It’s because of how stressed he has been that the whistle of the kettle going off makes Shouto flinch enough he hit his hand against the table.
Tenya takes the kettle off, pouring hot water into their cups.
“Are you alright?” Tenya asks after a beat.
Shouto shivers in his seat, shaking his head. He finds himself saying, “I got this scar on my face from my mother.”
“What-!”
“She poured boiling water onto my face. ‘Your left side is unsightly’, she said.”
He’s raking at his arm again and Tenya hurriedly grabs for them, holding his hand steady. They lock eyes and Shouto realizes what he’s just said, his face heating up as he looks away.
He opens his mouth to apologize for saying something so heavy so suddenly when Tenya says, “Your mother was wrong.”
It’s left at that with Tenya pushing Shouto’s tea towards him.
“Are you alright?” Shouto asks after another lengthy silence.
They’re still holding hands.
Tenya sighs, staring into his mug. He’s thinking about what to say. Shouto lets him think, rocking slightly in his chair.
“I can’t say I’m alright, no.” Tenay says finally. “I’m…..scared for Midoriya. I didn’t move until he screamed and-and I’ve...never heard-” He breaks off and leans into his other hand, rubbing at his chin.
“I didn’t move either. I couldn’t see what happened and then I smelled it.”
Remembering how it smelt and then suddenly hearing the scream, he couldn’t go fast enough. Both him and Tenya had slammed into Toga, sending her flying and Shouto had gone after Dabi while Tenya took Toga until Aizawa sprinted into the alley and flung Toga against the wall. They had been gone almost immediately after that, leaving Tenya and Shouto panting and on the ground. They had no idea why Aizawa was suddenly there but paramedics swarmed and they were pulled away from rushing to Izuku’s side.
“We should get better rested tonight.” Tenya speaks softly, tugging at Shouto’s hand still in his, and pulling Shouto to his feet.
“Can I….” Shouto starts to ask. But he doesn’t want to keep going because Tenya will most likely not want Shouto sleeping over during such a hard time.
“Please.” Tenya answers, knowing what Shouto wouldn’t say, and his voice racked with sadness.
They make quick work of meeting back at Tenya’s room with their pyjamas on. Shouto had brought his own blanket and Tenya set him up on the floor. They don’t sleep yet because they’re too overwhelmed and need to unwind.
So they start watching a movie on Tenya’s laptop. They sit against the wall on Tenya’s bed, so close to each other. Shouto falls asleep twenty minutes into the movie. He droops over Tenya’s shoulder, clinging to his arm. Tenya falls asleep later on and they end up completely tangled together, leaning onto each other heavily.
They wake up in the middle of the night, Shouto sleepily moving to the pillows and collapsing down as Tenya puts his laptop away and turns off the lights. He hesitates as he goes to crawl back into bed, not wanting to make Shouto uncomfortable. He’s tugged towards the bed though, Shouto having a firm grip on his shirt that doesn’t relax until they’re both settled, facing each other.
“Are you okay with this?” Tenya asks into the still air.
“Mm, yeah. Like being near you.” Shouto mumbles. He’s on his stomach so it was muffled but Tenya understands.