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At first it had been all of their classmates out there, in that big empty field. When Kirishima had yelled out that he saw the fireflies coming out, they all rushed out of the dorm building, running out to the big open field on campus, they watched the bright green bugs light up the sky, and for a few minutes, everyone stared in wonder.
Todoroki especially.
He was never allowed to go and enjoy the summer nights like this, never allowed to go and catch a firefly. So when that certain messy green-haired boy came up to him, with the blinking bug in his hands, Shouto looked at him like he was crazy.
“M-Midoriya! Put that down, what if it bites?”
Izuku tried to bite back a laugh, but he couldn’t hold it in, Todoroki watched the bug fly away, blinking it’s relief, and looked back at Izuku, who had his hands on his knees and was wheezing with laughter.
“To-Todoroki, have you never held a firefly?” He asked between gasps of breath.
Todoroki shook his head, and he looked away from Izuku for a moment, looking at the rest of the class who were running around, chasing after the bright bugs and laughing.
Izuku came back to Todoroki, another firefly in his hands. “Here, put your hands out.” Todoroki looked into that smile he trusted, making sure there was no bad intent behind it.
And he reached his hands out, and Izuku moved his hands to touch Todoroki’s, watching the blinking bug crawl onto his fingers, and Todoroki gasped at the feeling of the tiny legs crawling into his hand, watching as it blinked.
Todoroki didn't even notice the green eyes staring at his blue and grey ones, Todoroki’s eyes were full of wonder.
When the bug flew off of his hand, Todoroki gasped, watching it fly over to the rest of the group, and he heard the snort come from Izuku again.
Todoroki turned to him again, “Can you get me another one?”
“I can show you how to catch one, how about that?” Izuku smiled at him.
Todoroki looked at him with a look of confusion. “Do they not just land in your hand?”
That got Izuku laughing again, hands on his knees and tears in his eyes. Izuku took a breath after a few moments of laughter, then moved back up to look Todoroki in the eyes. The laughter still in the emerald eyes as he grabbed Todoroki by the hand and they quietly moved through the field, and Izuku squatted down, Todoroki following him.
Izuku looked around the field, and saw one of the fireflies resting on the ground by them, Izuku looked over into the hesitant blue and grey eyes. “Just put your hands out next to it, they crawl right on.” Izuku gently smiled at him.
Todoroki hesitated, but placed out his shaky hands to the ground, “Slow, slowly Todoroki.” Izuku whispered.
“I’m trying. ” He mumbled.
Todoroki’s hands went down by the bug, and Todoroki’s eyes were wide as he watched the bug blink a few times, and crawl onto his fingers. “Midoriya! Look!” He whispered, excitement dripping in his voice.
Izuku snorted at the excitement, seeing the smallest of smiles on Todoroki’s face. Todoroki looked up at Izuku, the smile getting bigger when he sees Izuku’s. The firefly leaves his hands after a few seconds and Todoroki watches it fly up, joining the bright stars in the sky.
Izuku and Todoroki sat like that in silence for a few more moments, before hearing Uraraka’s bright voice calling Todoroki over. Todoroki’s head turned to where she was calling him from, seeing her running over to where he and Izuku sat, he sighed and got up from the ground, patting down his clothes, freeing them from the dirt.
Then Uraraka grabbed him by the hand, and Todoroki suddenly felt weightless, and his eyes went wide. He looked over at Uraraka, who had a giant grin on her face, as she pushed him with all the force she could muster.
Todoroki yelled as he stumbled across the field, fireflies jumping up and landing on his head, flashing in terror.
He fell back onto the ground when Uraraka finally released him, he slammed so hard into the grass that it knocked all the breath out of him. He could hear the fluttering of wings as all the fireflies jumped off of him with the rough landing.
Uraraka laughs at first, but after seeing Todoroki wasn’t getting up she rushes over to him. “Ah, crap, I’m sorry Todoroki! Are you okay?”
Todoroki waves her off, pushing himself up to sit and blink for a second, seeing Uraraka squatting to look him in the eyes. Uraraka looking at him, a silent question in her bright brown eyes.
She smiles suddenly, opening her hand to show Todoroki the hand full of fireflies, and Todoroki gasped, childishly he moved to get on his knees, watching as the fireflies all blinked and got closer to him.
The child-like smile on his face was enough to make the group surrounding him smile, and Izuku, back where he still sat was giggling at the child-like action.
Momo, on his right, cleared her throat, and Todoroki looked over at her, his bright eyes full of wonder. And that’s when everyone opened their hands to show all the fireflies they had caught.
Todoroki looked around at everyone, the blinking of the bugs reflected in his eyes, and the action from everyone made him feel warm, and not just his left side.
Everyone’s hands move closer to him, and he continues to look on as the fireflies danced around everyone’s hands, and Todoroki had the childish smile back on his face. One firefly left Kirishima’s hand, and the rest of them started to fly up, slowly, the circled up around Todoroki, as he looked up at them with the excitement and wonder in his face.
The rest of the group just watched Todoroki, as he still sat on his knees, staring up at the sky as the fireflies circled around him.
Izuku finally stood up from his sitting position, with the smallest, softest smile on his as he watched Todoroki with such love in his eyes, he didn’t even hear Jirou coming up behind him.
“You’re in love with him, aren’t you.” Jirou teased.
Izuku felt the heat rushing to his face, as his arms started flailing, turning to Jirou. “W-What! N-No, he-he’s just a friend!” Izuku stumbled over his words.
“Dude, everyone can tell.” Jirou said.
“W-What do you mean?” He asked, his palms sweating.
“Have you not noticed the way he looks at you too? It’s been months, we have been waiting for you guys to notice for so long.”
Izuku looked back over his shoulder at Todoroki, the childish smile as his arms were raised up towards the fireflies, who were slowly disappearing as it got later.
He felt the warm fuzzies in his stomach, and his heart beating faster. The smile on his face widened as he watched Todoroki.
“Dude, this is starting to hurt, watching you guys pine after each other.” Jirou muttered, and walked over to Uraraka, tapping her shoulder and tilting her head to the side.
And then the group all started walking back to the dorms, the fireflies by now had disappeared, and Todoroki was now standing, staring up at the night sky.
Todoroki finally looked back down, his eyes catching Izuku’s. Todoroki walked up to him, that soft smile still on his face. “Y’know, Izuku.” Todoroki started, staring at Izuku’s face. “Your freckles always remind me of the night sky. The stars.”
Izuku’s breath caught in his throat, looking up at Todoroki, who now stood in front of him.
Todoroki grabbed Izuku’s hand, and sat down, pulling Izuku down with him, Todoroki’s eyes left Izuku’s face for a second, to look up at the bright moon, and Izuku’s eyes followed them, his head went to fall on Todoroki’s shoulder, and green hair tickled at Todoroki’s cheek.
They both seemed to look up at the sky for hours, watching the stars flicker, and the moon move farther up.
Todoroki heard a soft snoring coming from Izuku, and looked down, seeing that the green-haired boys eyes were shut, and Todoroki felt the smile pull at his lips again, his head tilted to rest on the soft green curls.
Todoroki’s hand went to fall on top of Izuku’s and he looked back up at the stars and smiled, letting his own eyes fall shut.
-~-
Kirishima and Bakugou hid behind the bush, watching Todoroki and Izuku in the field. Noticing the soft raising of Todoroki’s shoulders confirmed they had fallen asleep. Bakugou looked over at Kirishima, who couldn’t help but smile wide.
Bakugou grabbed Kirishima’s shoulders. “Dude, shut up, you are going to wake them up if you are any louder.”
“But dude, look at them! It’s so cute!” Kirishima whispered back.
Kirishima grabbed his phone from his back pocket, pulling open the camera. “Make sure your sound is off.”
“It is!”
When the camera clicked, the noise his phone made was loud enough to echo through the field, and Kirishima looked at Bakugou, who looked like he was going to explode, Kirishima getting up from behind the bush and rushing out.
Kirishima looked behind him, seeing Bakugou running after him, and he yelped.
-~-
Todoroki’s eyes shot open at the clicking of a camera, turning his head after picking it up off of Izuku’s.
All he saw was the flurry of red, and then Bakugou running after it, shouting profanities after him.
Izuku shifted, and Todoroki looked back down at him, then realizing that more of the class could be hiding, he put one arm around Izuku’s back, and the other under his legs, standing up and holding the surprisingly heavy boy in his arms.
He’s just muscle, isn’t he.
Todoroki looked around, and looked at the line of trees, and he started towards it, the somehow still sleeping boy in his arms.
Todoroki finally stopped after he thought he was far enough out, he sat Izuku down on the ground next to the tree, and sat next to him again. Todoroki sat in front of Izuku, looking at how small the boy looked when he was asleep, Todoroki put his hand on his shoulder and politely shook it. “Hey, Midoriya, you gotta wake up. It’s almost police hour, we shouldn’t be out right now.” Todoroki said to him.
Izuku stirred, but still didn’t open his eyes. “Midoriya, c’mon.” He shook his shoulder a few more times.
Izuku groaned and his eyes fluttered open, and Todoroki felt his heart jolt at the sleepy green eyes. “We gotta get back to the dorms, Izuku.”
That woke him up. “I-Izuku?”
Todoroki hesitated, and just stood up. “Midoriya.” He whispered.
Izuku stood up and brushed his pajamas off, looking back up at Todoroki, smiling just a little bit. “Let’s go, Shouto.”
Todoroki felt the frost on his fingertips as Izuku said his given name, and turned to look at the smiling green haired boy, who moved to step in front of him.
Todoroki shook his head and started walking after him again, moving to walk next to him, they both avoided the trees, and the sticks that were poking up at their legs.
Once they made it back into the field, and were close to the entrance of the dorm rooms, Todoroki looked back at the field and smiled, seeing one singular firefly, blinking up to join the stars.
Todoroki turned back to see Izuku smiling at him as well, and he walked in after him. Todoroki walked with Izuku back to his dorm room, saying a quick goodnight to him, seeing that everyone was in their dorms, as nobody was in the commons, or the kitchen, he made his way back to his own dorm, seeing his phone, which he had left, was blinking with a notification.
He picked it up, sitting down on his bed. Swiping the message from Kirishima and looking down at the contents.
Kirishima: It’s about time you guys. -one photo attached-
Todoroki opened the photo, seeing the silhouette of himself and Izuku sitting in the empty field, Izuku’s head on Todoroki’s shoulder, and Todoroki’s head was lightly resting on Izuku’s head.
Todoroki smiled at the picture, clicking to set it as his background.
He put his phone back down, and pulled the blanket over himself, laying his head down on the pillow.
He heard his phone ding, and looked back at it, seeing a text from Momo, another photo.
It was the picture of him, on his knees, looking up at the circling fireflies, with the big, childish smile on his face.
Momo: It was nice to see you smile, Shouto.
Todoroki smiled at the text, and he felt his eyes becoming more and more heavy. Putting his phone back down on the nightstand. And he fell asleep, smiling.
He made sure to see the fireflies every night since then.