Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The halls of Class A’s dorm were quiet at night, but Izuku couldn’t sleep.

Nothing serious was happening right now. There were no villains to fight, and U.A finally had a time to breathe after everything that happened, but Izuku couldn’t sleep.

His bed offered familiar comfort, supplied by the warmth its covers, but Izuku couldn’t sleep. Goddamit, why couldn't he sleep?

Everything’s fine. I’ll drift off any minute now. Deep breathes, nice and slowly. One...Two...Am I really counting my breaths? Shouldn’t I be counting sheep? How does that help you get to sleep anyway? What if I kept counting all night? What number would I even get to? Well, if it took me one sheep every two seconds I suppose...Argh what am I doing?! Why am I thinking about this? I gotta focus on sleeping. I gotta relax! I’ve been closing my eyes for what feels like hours...What time is it?

Izuku frustratingly sat up and grabbed the phone which sat at his side.

1:33am

Seriously?! It’s already that late?! At least it isn’t a school night this time...but come on! This is becoming a problem...What should I do?

Thinking back, Izuku hadn’t felt like this since his quirkless childhood. Back then, his mind buzzed with hero trivia (particularly of All Might), along with uncertain hopes and dreams. Back then, his thoughts were a scrambled mess of insecurity and doubt, never failing to keep him awake at night.

Things were different now, of course, but something had kept him up for the past few nights. Izuku could feel the lack of sleep, and it became evident enough for his classmates to comment on it. Iida would give him a stern lecture on sleep deprivation, while Uraraka offered relaxation advice with a concerned smile. Tsuyu had suggested sleeping pills, Jiiro gave him a playlist of relaxing tunes, Yaoyorozu made him ear plugs, and Kaachan called him a moron.

His classmates were attentive like that, and Izuku never took that for granted. But nothing worked for him, not even the thought that he had friends to care for him.

Well, if I can’t fall asleep, I might as well stay awake a little longer...

What to do, what to do, what to do...

I seriously have a problem, why am I like this?

I mean, it's not like anyone else I know stays up this late!

...

I wonder...

Izuku grabbed his phone and went into the messaging app his class liked to use. He browsed his friend list analytically.

Only one of his classmates was active. 

Tokoyami-kun? Does he stay up this late every night? He does seem like the type...

As far as Izuku could remember, they hadn't talked much since the Sports Festival-no wait, there was the summer training camp as well-but the Festival had been the first time. Izuku could still remember just how awesome Tokoyami was in the Cavalry Battle.

So much had happened since then, Izuku never even had the chance to thank the boy for his help-let alone hang out a little. Tokoyami had always looked well composed, and Izuku found that admirable.

Maybe he'll have some tips for falling asleep? He's pretty into being in darkness-wait, that doesn't make any sense...Just because he likes darkness doesn't mean he can-

Ah screw it, it's better than driving myself crazy alone! 

Not realising he was taking a deep breath, Izuku tapped on Tokoyami’s name. This would be the first time Izuku had messaged the avian classmate online.

Would it be weird if I sent a message? What should I even say? 

After much thought, Izuku bravely composed a message.

Midoriya (1:45am)

Hey, Tokoyami-kun! Can I ask you a quick question? 

Tokoyami (1:47am)

Ah, Midoriya. It is unusual to see you awake at this hour. 

Ask away.

Midoriya (1:48am)

Well, I was wondering why you're up this late...

Not that there's anything wrong with that!

I was just worried I was the only person still awake!

So I guess I'm just curious?

Tokoyami (1:49am)

I see. 

Well, to answer your question, I like the quiet. 

I find it gives an ideal atmosphere for reading.

Midoriya (1:50am)

Oh, that makes sense!

Do you do that every night?

How do you get enough sleep?!

Again, nothing wrong with that!

Tokoyami (1:50am)

Well...

It is not an ideal habit, I must confess.

But it helps me calm down sometimes.

Midoriya (1:51am)

Calm down? What do you mean?

...

Is something bothering you, Tokoyami-kun?

I'm sorry! I didn't mean to pry!

Tokoyami (1:55am )

Ah, forgive me I did not mean to worry you. I am fine. 

Just a small bit distracted.

More importantly, is something troubling you, Midoriya?

Sleep has been evading you recently, hasn't it?

Izuku stared at his classmate's reply. He sighed.

Midoriya (1:56am)

Is it that obvious? 

Tokoyami (1:56am)

Midoriya, I think it is safe to say everyone in the class has noticed.

Especially considering your usual behaviour is more...fervent.

Midoriya (1:58am)

Well, now I'm embarrassed.

 I just can't help it!

Everything I've tried hasn't worked.

It's like my head's spinning, but not in a dizzy way

Like

When a machine overheats by spinning way too fast, you know?

No, that doesn't make any sense.

I'm just babbling. Sorry.

I'll stop talking now.

Midoriya put down his phone and threw himself into his pillow, screaming internally. This wasn't helping him at all! Tokoyami didn't need to deal with his sleep-depriving rant. Who would want to deal with his muttering at two in the morning? 

Then his phone went off. 

Tokoyami (2:01am)

It is alright, Midoriya. There is no need to apologise. I understand your conundrum. 

Sleep is a cruel temptress. One with a warm, yet elusive embrace that starves the mind maddeningly. 

Midoriya (2:02am)

Well, that's one way of putting it haha.

It's driving me crazy, that's for sure.

Do you have trouble sleeping too, Tokoyami-kun?

I thought you just liked to stay up late?

Tokoyami (2:03am)

That is partially true...

But it is not the only reason I stay awake.

Not to name any names, but there's a certain demon inside of me that, at times, prefers not to slumber.

Even now, he's pestering me to send you a message for him.

Midoriya (2:05am)

Ah, you mean Dark Shadow?

Is he reading my messages now?

If he is, hi Dark Shadow!

I don't think we've ever talked before, nor that I've ever talked to a Quirk before, but it's nice to meet you, sorta!

Tokoyami (2:06am)

Please don't encourage him...

He is a leech for attention. 

Although granted, he has calmed himself down significantly now...

Strange.

Midoriya (2:07am)

I guess Dark Shadow just wanted to talk?

Maybe lack of sleep is driving him insane as well haha.

But you know, I really like your quirk, Tokoyami-kun!

Not only is Dark Shadow versatile in combat, in terms of offence/defence.

But he can talk too!

I mean, maybe that can be annoying sometimes.

I don't want to assume, because I can't possibly imagine what it's like having a quirk like that.

But at least you're never truely alone, right?

I don't know.

Ah, there I go rambling again!

I'm sorry. Please stop me talking!

Tokoyami (2:09am)

He has gotten incredibly quiet now. 

If I knew having someone compliment Dark Shadow would calm him down, I would've employed you years ago.

And again, no apologies are necessary.

You know how to see the best in people, and I appreciate that.

That is what makes you a valuable ally, after all.

Izuku could feel his face burning up, but he blamed it on the humidity.

Midoriya (2:11am)

I mean it, you know!

I know we haven't talked much, but I always thought you were pretty cool!

Like, you're one of the calmest people in our class.

But you're pretty compassionate too!

...

Oh crap, look at the time!

It's getting late, and I think i'm starting to feel tired, finally!

Talk to you later, okay?

Night!

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Izuku put his phone down and shoved himself under his bed covers before he could say anything more embarrassing.

Compassionate? Why did I choose to use that word? I mean, it's probably not wrong, but it's still weird to say that, right? I'll apologise for it tomorrow. Wait for it to blow over...God, I really am a mess...

For the first time that night, his mind only focussed on one thing: how mortified he felt. Sleep hadn't been more welcomed. 

Fumikage stared at the last string of messages Midoriya sent.

"WOW FUMIKAGE, HE REALLY LIKES YOU DOESN'T HE?"

Dark Shadow had been peering over his shoulder the entire time, much to Fumikage's chagrin. "We're classmates, and at very least good acquaintances. I am sure Midoriya likes everyone..."

"BUT NOT LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYIN'?"

Fumikage glared at his quirk. "I most certainly do not, nor do I care."

"I DON'T BLAME HIM THOUGH, WE ARE TOTALLY A CATCH! BUT HEY, HE'S NOT TOO BAD EITHER, EH?"

"Stop talking."

"OKAY SURE, WHATEVER YOU SAY! I AM AN EMBODIMENT OF YOUR DEEP PERSONAL EMOTIONS, BUT WHAT DO I KNOW?"

"Can't you let me fall asleep?" Fumikage groaned. "You and I both need the rest..."

"FINE. BUT AREN'T YOU AT LEAST GOING TO SEND IZU-KUN A REPLY? HE DESERVES IT, HE'S ACTUALLY NICE TO ME!"

He's already given Midoriya a nickname, for heaven's sake!

"I CAN READ YOUR THOUGHTS, YOU KNOW! HOW DO YOU KEEP FORGETTING THAT?" He could see Dark Shadow grinning. "I CAN TELL YOU'RE ANNOYED, BUT I'M TOTALLY RIGHT! SAY SOMETHING, DUMMY-KAGE!"

"Shut up..." 

Fumikage took his phone, looked at the messages, and took his time to compose a reply.

 Tokoyami (2:15am)

Those are kind words, Midoriya.

I too am starting to feel slumberous.

But I enjoyed this talk, so thank you. Perhaps we could continue our discussion at a later time?

Regardless, I hope sleep finds you well tonight. 

Fumikage stopped himself from typing anymore. Dark Shadow was snickering.

"NICE WORK, FUMI! PLAYING IT SMOOTH, I SEE!"

Fumikage ignored his quirk and laid down on his bed.

Midoriya...You are perplexing, yet so honestly simple...A paradox of shining light in the dark...What am I even saying? I need to rest...

He could feel an eerie lightness in his chest, but soon that feeling drifted away with sleep. 

Chapter Text

Izuku’s phone alarm blared at 8am as sunlight seeped into his eyes. The Sunday morning greeted him with a fresh temperature when he slipped out of bed.

New days, new beginnings, new memories...

Izuku had taken a liking to that saying, though he could never quite remember where he’d heard it from. There was no rhyme or gimmick, but it seemed appropriate for some reason.

As soon as he grabbed his phone to turn off the alarm, last night crept into his mind.

Oh god, that’s right….

He tentatively glanced at the screen. 

Tokoyami (2:15am)

Those are kind words, Midoriya.

I too am starting to feel slumberous.

But I enjoyed this talk, so thank you. Perhaps we could continue our discussion at a later time?

Regardless, I hope sleep finds you well tonight.

Izuku nearly dropped his phone.

Tokoyami-kun replied! And he’s not upset!? Well, of course he wouldn’t be, he’s so stoic and cool and calm and-

….

And he wants to “continue our discussion”?! So, he actually enjoyed it! Well, maybe he’s just incredibly patient and wants to humour me...but either way, that’s pretty good, right?

Izuku had changed into his clothes by this point, and began tying his shoes.

I wonder if Tokoyami-kun’s free today...What does he even do on weekends? Is it bad that I don’t know that? I guess not, that would be kinda weird if I did...Ah, whatever!

Shaking his head, he did a quick set of pushups to get his blood pumping, then headed out his room.

What to do, what to do, what to-argh, I’ve been saying that a lot too! I gotta be more decisive!

On his free days, Izuku usually kept himself busy with training, studying, and maybe a bit of shopping, if he needed something. It was rare for Izuku to spend his time leisurely, but that never bothered him. It’s a hero’s burden to remain diligent, at least that’s what Aizawa-sensei-or Iida-would say.

But this Sunday felt different to Izuku. Standing in the hallway, he found himself facing the direction of Tokoyami’s room.

I wonder if he’s...oh what am I doing? I should grab some breakfast. Yeah, that’s a good idea!

Izuku didn’t like the idea of loitering outside of his classmate’s room, so he made for the stairs leading down to the main living room.

Everything in the living room was the same as it had been the day before, and Izuku welcomed the smell of milk and cereal. It gave a home-like feel to the place.

The same early-risers were there, Iida dutifully ate toast, Mina seemed to be doing cardio stretches, Shoji calmly brewed coffee, and Yaoyorozu was enjoying a book. Izuku absentmindedly noted that Tokoyami wasn’t there.

He must be sleeping in after all. I did keep him up rather late…

“Midoriya!” Tenya Iida’s voice snapped across the room. “Don’t tell me you’re dozing off again! Did you follow my sleeping advice? More importantly, get some food into you!”

Izuku smiled at the class representative’s concern. “Ah, will do!”

A moment later, Izuku sat across from his spectacled classmate with a bowl of cornflakes and orange juice.

“I’m surprised to see you up, Midoriya.” Iida started. “Did you manage to get some sleep, after all?”

“Ah well, I guess a little…” Izuku straightened himself, hoping to look more alert. “Getting up early isn’t too hard, as long as I have an alarm…”

Iida gave a pointed stare. “Alarms are useful, yes. But having a proper sleep cycle is important too! You must not be negligent with your physical health!”

“Yeah, I know…” Izuku nodded, knowing better than to argue at this point. “I guess I just haven’t figured that part out yet…”

His classmate opened his mouth, stopped himself, then spoke up. “Forgive me, you don’t need a lecture this early in the morning…”

“No, it’s totally okay!” Izuku held up his hands. “It’s something I need to work on, so I appreciate any help I can get!”

Iida looked him up and down, then nodded. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Don’t work yourself up about it!”

That sounds a little strange coming from you, Iida-kun…

Breakfast went by nicely, and by the time Izuku finished his bowl more of his classmates filled the room with the usual banter. The green haired boy looked around, it appeared Tokoyami hadn’t come down yet.

Izuku brought up his phone, and looked at last night’s messages again.

I should send a reply to Tokoyami. It’s the least I should do!

…

But what do I say?

Well of COURSE I’ll say yes to talking with him more!

But how can I do that without coming off too...fervent? That was what he said, right?

I guess I do need to chill out more in class…

(can you blame me, though? It’s UA!)

Dammit Izuku, focus! What should I say?

With nothing much to lose, save his dignity, Izuku made a move.

Midoriya (8:49am)

Hey again, Tokoyami-kun!

Sorry I didn’t respond to those messages, but I finally fell asleep!

Thanks for dealing with me ahaha

But it was fun! We should definitely do it again!

I was actually wondering, since it’s a Sunday, maybe you’re free today?

Izuku shook his head the second he sent the last message.

Crap, that’s way too forward! I gotta backpedal...

Midoriya (8:50am)

I mean, it’s totally fine if you’re not!

It’s pretty sudden of me to ask, so I wouldn’t blame you.

I’ve got nothing serious planned, so that’s why I asked!

No big deal!

Izuku swiftly put his phone back in his pocket, before he could overload his classmate with a greater wall of text.

Well, that could’ve been said better…

Sighing at his own (imagined) social ineptitude, Izuku rolled his shoulders, looking outside.

Maybe some exercise will take my mind off of things! Yeah, the weather’s good and I’m falling behind my weekly kilometer count, so why not?

With the determination to ignore any embarrassing thoughts, Izuku tied his shoes again and took off outside, waving goodbye to his classmates.

It was perfect weather for running. A blue sky ceiling welcomed him with the warmth of a calm morning. The wind was low, but it had enough presence to cool him down slightly.

Izuku went by his regular route, taking him bayside with a straightforward pavement. The only deviation he made was at the market stalls.

As soon as the artisan scent reached him, his phoned binged. 

Tokoyami (9:35am)

Forgive me for the tardy reply, I have only just arisen from sleeping.

I would certainly like to accept your proposal, but I’m afraid I cannot be free for long…

Training and studies ail me, as they do for us all…

What time would suit you?

Izuku was tapping a reply before he even realised he was grinning.

Midoriya (9:36am)

Anytime is fine with me! But I totally understand if you’re already busy...

I’m actually doing some training right now haha

Nothing amazing though, just a bit of running.

Tokoyami (9:36am)

I see.

It pains me to admit, but I’ve been negligent with my training as of late.

Aizawa-sensei’s physical exam last week made that tragically clear.

Midoriya (9:37am)

To be fair, that was pretty tough!

U.A’s been getting harder on us since the villain attacks, after all.

...

Hey, maybe we could train together!

(We could even spar, if you want!

My quirk’s pretty relient on close combat, so it’d be good to train against an agile quirk like yours!)

Ah, but if you have plans of your own that’s fine!!!

Tokoyami (9:39am)

An interesting idea….

I don’t currently have any plans of my own, and I see no reason to reject your suggestion at all.

Would you like to meet up today?

I wouldn’t mind practicing my combat skills.

Midoriya (9:41am)

Yeah, sure! If that’s alright with you, definitely!

When do you wanna meet up?

Tokoyami (9:42am)

I can make any time you please.

Perhaps, as you’re already training, I should come sooner rather than later?

Would half an hour from now work for you?

Midoriya (9:43am)

That works for me!

You wanna meet at the upper field? I can ask Aizawa-sensei if anyone is using the space...

Tokoyami (9:44am)

Very well. I’ll make sure I’m prepared by then.

I look forward to it.

Izuku put his phone away and looked to the clear sky. An aroma of fresh fruit captured the peaceful atmosphere of the marketplace well.

...Why do I feel like apples all of a sudden?

 It was quarter past ten exactly when his raven-headed classmate arrived.

“Ah, Tokoyami-kun!” Izuku waved, perhaps a little too excitingly.

Tokoyami held up his hand calmly as a wave back. As he walked closer, Izuku noticed his calm expression. “Good to see you, Midoriya. How are things?”

Izuku smiled. “Can’t complain! How about yourself?”

“I’m in fair spirits.” Tokoyami replied, looking off towards nowhere in particular. “This is fine weather for training, I’m glad you invited me.”

Izuku shook his head. “Oh no, it’s nothing...Thank you for coming! I’m sure this will help both of us out!”

Besides, It’s my fault we haven’t done this sort of thing before…When was the last time we even hung out? Let alone just the two of us...

“AHHH! THE SUN! IT BURNS!” A shrill voice bursted, startling Izuku out of his thoughts. The shadowy entity that came out of his classmate continued moaning. “WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME, FUMIKAGE?!”

“You know well why, cut the theatrics.” Tokoyami rolled his eyes, then looked at Izuku. “Ignore him, he has a flair for the unnecessarily dramatic.”

“HEY!”

“It’s nice meeting you again, Dark Shadow.” Izuku couldn’t stop staring at the quirk. “Ah, that’s right! The sun makes him physically weaker, doesn’t it? I hope it’s not too much of a strain!”

Tokoyami nodded. “It is rather bright, but it’s good for training Dark Shadow’s stamina. At the very least, it makes him easier to control. Not that I really need to use him, if we’re just doing physical exercise...Either way, I wouldn't mind a break from him.”

“I AM RIGHT HERE!”

Tokoyami ignored him. “Regardless, shall we begin?”

Izuku gave a swift nod. “Yeah, let’s get started!”

The first few minutes involved simple workouts, but later evolved into the fighting techniques Aizawa-sensei drilled into them. After having exhausted their upper bodies, they moved onto running, then more techniques, then stretches, then back to running again.

After the fifth repetition of this pattern, both students were practically laying on the grass.

“Light, blind me…” Tokoyami huffed. “I am...more out of shape...than I thought…”

“That’s okay…” Izuku breathed deeply. “We went pretty hard that last time...Wanna take a break?”

“Gladly.”

Izuku checked the time. “Woah, its nearly eleven thirty. I didn’t realise how quickly time went by.”

Tokoyami hummed. “I suppose it is nearly time for lunch. Perhaps you’d-”

“WE SHOULD GO TO TOWN AND GET SOME GRUB. I’M STARVING!” Dark Shadow interrupted.

“I was about to get to that, you heathen.” Tokoyami dryly replied. “Not that you did any work to deserve food....”

“EXCUSE YOU, I HAD TO STAY INSIDE YOUR SWEATY BODY THE WHOLE TIME. I DESERVE IT.”

“Lunch sounds good to me.” Izuku smiled. “We could find a place in town and walk there. It’s a perfect cooldown exercise, don't you think?”

Tokoyami nodded. “Very well. As it happens, I know a good place for coffee…”

By the strike of 11:30 the two classmates were on their way into the bustling coastal city. Izuku let himself relax in the comfortable silence of their walk, and appreciated just how nice everything was in the moment.

But of course, whenever his mind wandered, his brain started working.

“Hey, do you and Dark Shadow share the same appetite?” Izuku found himself asking, almost suddenly. “I mean, does he get hungry when you get hungry? It would make sense if he was a biological entity that was a part of your body, but I’m not even sure what Dark Shadow is made of-”

“Midoriya.” Tokoyami politely stopped his rambling with that one word. “I am happy to discuss my quirk, but I can only answer one question at a time.”

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Izuku held up his hands. “Ah, sorry. Bad habit…”

“Not a problem.” Tokoyami looked up to the sky, thinking for a moment. “To answer your first question; yes, I suppose we do share the same appetite. But it has nothing to do with biology but more...emotion, I suppose.”

“Really?” Izuku tried to suppress his curiosity. “So, does that mean Dark Shadow acts based on...how you feel?”

“I...guess?” Tokoyami shook his head. “Forgive me, people have been trying to figure out Dark Shadow’s temperament for years. There’s a lot I still haven’t figured out, myself…”

“That’s okay! It’s my fault for asking so many questions…” Izuku sighed. “Quirks can sure be complicated, huh?”

Tokoyami made a quiet laugh, which resonated in a low baritone. “I’m not even sure he knows why he acts the way he does…”

Dark Shadow emerged, as if on cue. “WELL SOOORY! I CAN’T HELP BEING COMPLEX AND INTERESTING. IT'S YOUR FAULT FOR HAVING EMOTIONS, ISN’T IT?”

“Quiet, you.” Tokoyami quietly snapped. “You’re only allowed out in public during emergencies, need I remind you?”

“YEAH YEAH, I’VE HEARD IT A MILLION TIMES. SEE YA MIDORIYA!”

Before Izuku could even respond, Dark Shadow had retreated back into his classmate.

“Honestly…” Tokoyami muttered to himself, before turning to Izuku. “Most of the time I can control him during the day, but he gets incredibly...chatty, whenever I talk to people. Especially people I’m close to...”

People you’re close to…? No, don’t overthink it...

“Heh, that makes sense.” Izuku replied. “I guess Dark Shadow enjoys being let out a lot more than being kept inside. I would be too, if I was a quirk...”

There was an offbeat pause.

….

Why the HELL did I say that?!

If I was a quirk? What kind of person says that?!

AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Stupid, stupid, STUPID!!!

“I suppose…” Tokoyami nodded. By some miracle, Tokoyami hadn’t noticed how crazy Izuku sounded. Or, perhaps he chose to ignore it, to spare both of them the awkwardness. Izuku was eternally thankful either way.

By the time they reached the cafe, Izuku managed to calm himself down. 

“Wow…” Izuku exclaimed. “This is your regular cafe?” 

The interior had a vintage feel to it all, breathing a cozy vibe. Record covers hung around the rustic fireplace like framed paintings, and of course there was a breezy jazz tune to add to it all. The smell of coffee beans especially captivated Izuku, and even though he knew nothing about making coffee, he could tell they were high quality.

“Is it to your liking?” Tokoyami asked, almost tentatively. “I understand if you find it...unusual.”

“Are you kidding? This is awesome!” Izuku stepped forward to look around some more. “It’s got such an authentic Western aesthetic...I’m surprised it isn’t completely packed at this time!” 

Tokoyami nodded, with a small smile. “It’s a nice little spot. Small, quiet, and well hidden from crowds. I come here to relax, sometimes...”

Now that I think about it, I can totally see Tokoyami being into this kinda thing. It suits him!

“Shall we order?” Tokoyami motioned to the counter. “No need to worry about the price, it’s my treat.”

At that exact moment Izuku noticed the prices listed on the chalkboard menu. He almost choked on thin air, no wonder the coffee smelled so good. “N-no way! I can’t let you do that, Tokoyami-kun! I can pay for myself! It’s fine!”

Tokoyami shook his head. “That cannot be allowed. I invited you here, so I really must insist-”

“But I invited you out to train with me in the first place! It’s my fault we’re even here in the first pla-”

“Midoriya.” Tokoyami’s gaze bore a hole through Izuku. “You have won many battles, but this won’t be one of them. Your company is more than enough, and I know this place well. So please….Allow me.”

But...But...

But when Tokoyami spoke like that, his voice equally domineering as it was pleading, Izuku couldn’t say anything, except a small “okay...”

Next time I’ll pay, that’s for sure! Wait, I shouldn’t just assume there’ll be a next time! But maybe…  

A moment later, two orders of coffee and a tray of pastries stood on the table between them. They sat in a secluded corner, the furthest from the exit, and it felt cozy.

Tokoyami had a sip of his coffee, a mochaccino on the dark side. He let out a small breath. “It’s been a while, but this is exactly as I remember it.” 

Izuku gave his own cup a try, a vanilla latte that Tokoyami recommended. The blend of warmth and sweetness was almost therapeutic.

“Ah, I really needed this.” Izuku gave an appreciative smile as the taste flourished. “I’ve really been missing out!”

“I’m glad you like it.” Tokoyami replied, his stoic expression relaxed slightly.

For a small time, neither spoke a word to each other. Izuku easily leaned back into his seat, letting himself relax into the smooth vibes of the cafe.

“You know, this is the first time I’ve shown somebody this place.” Tokoyami softly spoke, looking out of a nearby window.

Izuku snapped out of his daze. “Oh, really?” 

Tokoyami nodded. “It’s not that I’ve meant to hide it, but...it’s has a rather niche theme, doesn’t it?”

Izuku gave the place another look. “I guess, but that’s not a bad thing, I think! It has...character!”

The avian shrugged, looking away again. “I suppose, but...many may call it a tad...pretentious.”

Izuku stared at his classmate, who now quickly took to drinking his coffee.

Is Tokoyami...embarrassed? Is he embarrassed about his own tastes? I would never have guessed, he’s usually so confident and cool about everything! I guess even he has insecurities about things, but that’s okay! It’s kind of...cute, actually. Why is that cute? And WHY AM I THINKING ABOUT THIS?!

Tokoyami’s eyes flicked back to Izuku, noticing his strange expression. “Ah, forgive me, it is unbecoming to worry about such things. I know-”

“I think it’s cool!” Izuku almost shouted. Thankfully the cafe had little customers as it was. “I mean, it’s pretty elegant right? Not many people can fully enjoy that sort of thing, but you do, so who cares? And I think it’s awesome, so there’s that too!”

Tokoyami blinked, before leaning back in his seat. “Well, if it’s to your liking…”

“It is!” Izuku leaned forward, determined to show interest. “How did you even find it?”

The avain student glanced towards the counter. “Well actually, I used to do part time work here, in middle school…”

Izuku’s interest peaked. “Woah, really? What kind of work did you do?”

“Ah, well…” Tokoyami paused to take a sip, then let out a deep breath. “I worked as a waiter.”

Izuku blinked. Tokoyami blinked back at him. The second offbeat pause of the day followed.

“Ah I’m sorry, I totally spaced out!” Izuku shook his head. “There’s nothing wrong with being a waiter or anything, it’s just that I was having trouble picturing you doing that kind of work. Not because it’s strange, but more like a middle-schooler getting such a refined job that involves a lot of skills, especially in this economy-”

“You’re muttering again, Midoriya.” Tokoyami sighed, his tone slightly embarrassed. “I only worked there for about a year, and it’s not like I was always a waiter either.”

Honestly, how many times have I mumbled today? This must be a new record…

Izuku pulled himself together. “Ah, right. What did you do before that?”

“Kitchen hand.” Tokoyami replied. “I had to wash and dry dishes faster than what was reasonable, and then remembering where everything went...Dreadful business.”

“I can imagine…” Izuku turned his head towards where he guessed the kitchen was. “Well, at least you became a waiter afterwards! Were you promoted?” 

“Not exactly…” Tokoyami took another sip, a much longer one. “After a few weeks I was moved to being a waiter, and kept away from the kitchen. That was certainly a good decision on their part…”

“Why’s that?” Izuku asked.

Tokoyami paused, then let out a sigh. “My feathers...when they molt, they get everywhere. Even as a waiter I had to avoid getting it on the tables...”

“Ah, I see...” Izuku felt conflicted. Part of him wanted to laugh, but the other half… “Sorry, that must be embarrassing to remember…”

“I suppose, but it is a fact of life.” Tokoyami returned to his calm nature quickly. “Looking back, working here was a good experience, but it made me realise something important.” 

“What was that?”

“The fact that I never wanted to work in hospitality ever again.” Tokoyami let out a small chuckle, as his face brightened for a second. It was an uncommon sight, but what felt even rarer was that laugh, coated in a soft baritone which might as well have been made of gold.

It didn’t last, however, and Tokoyami continued with a serious expression. “More importantly, it made me think about becoming a Pro Hero, if you could believe it.”

Izuku blinked. “Woah, seriously?”

“Quite so.” Tokoyami glanced off towards the other tables. “I wasn’t great at serving customers, but I still enjoyed...fulfilling a role. A purpose, I suppose, in feeling responsible...”

Tokoyami-kun...that’s so cool!

Tokoyami turned his head, and noticed Izuku staring like an idiot. “Ah, but I have talked about myself a fair bit, haven’t I? Forgive me, I forget myself…”

“No, it was really interesting!” Izuku spluttered, finally finding his voice. “A lot of people, even the best heroes sometimes, becomes heroes for fame, or status. I mean, it’s not wrong to want that sort of thing, but I think wanting to feel responsible...is really admirable, Tokoyami-kun.”

“...If you say so.” Tokoyami replied in a much quieter voice, looking down to his coffee. “I am just happy to be here, among our class…”

As Tokoyami trailed off, Izuku couldn’t help but feel even more impressed.

Izuku let out an excited grin. “Me too! Even now, I sometimes can’t believe I get to be here...”

Tokoyami regarded Izuku with an interested look. “I am curious, what made you want to become a Hero, Midoriya? I can guess All Might was an influence...”

“Oh yeah, absolutely!” Izuku laughed a little. “You could probably tell, but ever since I was a kid he was my favourite Hero to follow. Without him...I don’t think I’d be here, trying to become a hero.”

No, I definitely wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t even have a quirk, would I?

“He was certainly an inspiration to many, myself included.” Tokoyami nodded. “I believe it will be some time before anybody reaches the level he did again…”

“That’s for sure…” Izuku smiled. “Even now, having him as a teacher is just...surreal.”

Tokoyami nodded to that, pausing in thought. “Strangely, the more I think about it, you two are quite similar. But it makes sense, considering your quirks…”

“Yeah…” Izuku replied, perhaps too quietly. Talking about his quirk-All Might’s quirk too-had the danger of accidentally exposing a long kept secret. Izuku liked Tokoyami, and if he was forced to say anything he would trust the raven headed boy enough to stay silent, but it wasn’t worth the risk otherwise.

“Midoriya?”

Izuku reflexively snapped back into reality. “Y-Yeah?”

“...You’re not going to have that apple tart, are you?” Tokoyami had the same expression he always had, but a tinge of hope colored his voice.

Izuku smiled. “Sure, it’s all yours.”

Before either of them knew it, it was well past noon. Tokoyami gave thanks to the cashier, and after exchanging some words in private, the two students left the cafe.

They walked the rest of the way back in silence, but it wasn’t nearly as awkward as Izuku thought it would be. In fact, something about the silence felt right. Maybe it was the weather, it’s inviting warmth allowing it to be quietly appreciated. Maybe it was the rich coffee, giving him a much needed energy boost that only caffeine could create.

Or maybe it was the calming presence that surrounded his classmate.

Tokoyami, ever the silent type, never looked uncomfortable in quietness. They walked side by side a few feet apart, but nothing about that felt distant. Izuku glanced at him a few times, but he could never read into the boy’s expression. What was he thinking right now? What was he feeling right now?

Before Izuku knew it, they had made it back to the school.

Tokoyami sighed beside him. “Well, as much as I’d like to do otherwise, I’m afraid I must leave you. Studies await on a wretched path…”

I could help you study! Maybe we can hang out some more?

“Ah, that’s right. I guess I should get back to training, myself...” Izuku smiled, but it felt bittersweet. “I hope I didn’t take too much of your time, but I’m glad we could train together!”

“Likewise.” Tokoyami gave a polite nod. “In any case, I must bid you farewell.”

Izuku smiled the best he could as he watched Tokoyami turn to leave. Parting ways after having such a enjoyable time was never easy, but his classmate had things to do.

He’s done so much for me already-oh crap, I totally forgot! How could I forget? What should I do? I can’t just let it end like this! I gotta say something! SAY SOMETHING YOU IDIOT!

“Ah, Tokoyami-kun!” Izuku spoke before he even realised it himself.

Tokoyami stopped and turned around. He didn’t say a word, opting instead to let Izuku speak.

“Well, uh…” Izuku let out a breath, and fiddled with his hands. “I never thanked you...you know, for last night…”

Tokoyami raised a brow, then shook his head. “Ah, well...There is no need to thank me, Midoriya. It certainly cost no effort on my-”

“I mean it!” Izuku cut him off, stepping a little closer to his classmate. “I kept you up late with my rambling and it probably didn’t make any sense at all but that didn’t stop me from saying all that stuff anyway because I just couldn’t stop-” 

“Midoriya, it’s fine.” Now it was Tokoyami’s turn to interrupt. The boy held a mysterious expression, but kept his voice warm. “If you’d like, I’d be more than happy to talk to you about it again sometime.”

That’d be nice…Why is he being so nice?

“Uh, s-sure!” Izuku mentally tried to get himself together, but his thoughts were failing him. “If it’s not a bother, then definitely!”

Tokoyami nodded. “Very well. If you ever feel the need to talk, then please, send me a message online. I will reply post-haste.”

Izuku smiled, trying to match Tokoyami’s calm expression. “Yeah! W-will do!”

Tokoyami gave a small bow, and gave Izuku one last smile. “Until then, I’ll be seeing you.”

“Ah, see you around, then!” Izuku waved. “Good luck with your studying!”

“Thank you, Midoriya. I hope the rest of your training goes well.”

With those last words, surprisingly warm, Tokoyami left in the direction of the dormitory.

So cool...

Izuku shook his head after a minute of standing there. There was more training to do today, and it was time to get his head out of the clouds.

Nighttime curfew arrived at 10pm, as it always had, but Izuku had returned to his room long before that. These days, being out alone at night caused more trouble than it was worth, especially on a school night.

Izuku stared at the ceiling as he lay down. This was his least favourite part of the day.

I wonder long will it’ll take me to fall asleep tonight?

If I have to wake up at 7am for class tomorrow, then at the worst case scenario, I could get maybe….six hours of sleep?

God, I feel tired…

I can’t keep doing this every night.

To distract himself from his self-degrading introspection, Izuku grabbed his phone and stared at the lock screen. Somehow, it was already 11:30pm.

Why am I like this….

There was no point fussing over sleep now, so he unlocked his phone.

I shouldn’t be doing this. But I guess it’s better than doing nothing and going insane…

Yeah, that doesn’t justify it, does it?

Oh well…

Izuku flicked into social media. His profile, his classmates’ profiles, his newsfeed, pictures, pointless videos, overused memes. He scrolled through everything, until even that drove him to boredom.

His thoughts wondered again.

I’m glad I could hang out with Tokoyami-kun today. He’s a really nice guy, huh?

I don’t think I’ve heard him talk so much, either! I mean, maybe that was because I talked a lot, so he felt obligated to reply. God, I hope I didn’t make him feel uncomfortable…

But...he didn’t seem uncomfortable, right?

Either way, I had a really good time…

Izuku finger automatically tapped into his messages, until he found his conversation with Tokoyami.

Oh hey, it looks like he’s active again tonight!

Should I…?

No, I shouldn’t.

What else am I going to do, though?

...

Ah, screw it!

Izuku started typing.

Midoriya (11:37pm):

Hey Tokoyami-kun.

Sorry if this is a bit random, but I just wanted to thank you for training with me today!

And for taking me to that cafe! I’ve never had anything so amazing before!

Well anyway, I was thinking about what you said before.

About wanting to talk, I mean...

Are you free tonight?

Ah, but if you can’t that’s okay! This is pretty short notice haha.

Tokoyami’s reply couldn’t have arrived faster.

Tokoyami (11:38pm):

Of course.

Would you like to come over to my room, then? We are on the same floor, after all.

Izuku dropped his phone with a surprised yelp, immediately picking it up again in anxious excitement.

Midoriya (11:38pm):

Your room? Are you sure that’s alright???

We can just go downstairs and chat in the mess hall! That’s way less invasive, isn’t it?

Tokoyami (11:38pm):

If we did that, we’d risk being caught by Aizawa-sensei. I heard from Kaminari that he sometimes lies await, hoping to catch anyone off guard.

I don’t know about you, but that is a fate I would rather avoid.

And I do not mind at all. I trust you, Midoriya.

Izuku’s chest tightened, but his shoulders began to relax.

Midoriya (11:39pm):

Alright, I’ll come over.

The hallway was empty when Izuku walked out of his room.

Am I really doing this?

By the time Izuku knocked on his classmate’s bedroom door, he realised that this was really happening.

I mean, it’s not a big deal or anything. It’s just...he INVITED me to HIS ROOM!

AT NIGHT!!!

Before Izuku could reconsider anything, the door opened.

“Hello again, Midoriya.” Tokoyami, wearing black nightwear which suited him surprisingly well, stepped aside elegantly and held out a hand. “Please, come in.”

Tokoyami’s room was just as Izuku had last seen it. A dark theme for a dark student, but not in a bad way-Izuku added to himself. In fact, it was oddly calming stepping into such a room at night. Candlelight set a somber, yet mellow tone. It all made sense, somehow.

“Thanks.” Izuku stepped inside, taking in the room once more. “Wow, this is all so cool…”

The green haired boy had muttered that to himself, but Tokoyami had heard him. “Do you mean the room? You...like it?”

Izuku looked at his classmate. “Well yeah, of course! Why wouldn’t I?”

“It’s just...ah nevermind. I’m glad you approve.”

“I do.” Izuku smiled. “In fact...You remember the dorm presentation contest we all had a while back? I...actually voted for you as Dorm King.”

Tokoyami stared at him. “Y-You can’t be serious...why?”

“I just...really liked it.” Izuku replied, embarrassed. “Maybe it’s not my usual taste, but it suits you so well! Also, you have a sword . That’s awesome!”

“Ah, well…It’s only a replica.” Tokoyami modestly looked away. It seemed the raven-headed boy wasn’t used to receiving compliments. No, that wasn’t quite it. Tokoyami simply wasn’t the type to boast about himself, and Izuku respected that.

Either way, it’s still cool!

The raven faced boy moved to his bed and sat down, motioning for Izuku to take a seat on the nearby chair. Izuku felt the velvet leather in the cushion, and wondered if it belonged in an old gothic mansion, once.

“So, Midoriya…” Tokoyami began, sitting upright in his bed. “If you don’t mind me asking, what did you want to talk about? Is there...something on your mind?”

Oh right, I came here for a reason. Crap, I totally didn’t think this through!

“Uh well…” Izuku fidgeted. “I don’t know, nothing in particular. I just..need to take my mind away from trying to sleep, if that makes sense…”

Argh, that didn’t make sense at all!

“I see.” Tokoyami glanced to the ceiling. “Sleep can be a difficult thing, can’t it? At times, I too have trouble falling into slumber…”

Izuku looked Tokoyami over, thought for a second, then carefully spoke. “Because of Dark Shadow, right?”

Tokoyami said nothing for a bit, but then sighed. “In a sense, yes. I may have said this before, but it’s complicated. I have trouble explaining it…”

Izuku straightened himself up, suddenly feeling focussed. “Ah, I’m sorry! I don’t want to force you or anything. It must be really personal and complicated, and even though sometimes it’s important to talk about not everyone wants to open up like that so I understand-”

“I don’t mind talking about it.” Tokoyami interjected, then let out a calm smile. “But perhaps I am not one that needs concern tonight. Are you sure you don’t want to...talk about anything yourself?”

Dammit! I rambled on too much again!

Why do I keep doing that? Why can’t I have a normal conversation without doing that?

Keep it together.

“Ah, well…” Izuku looked at the floor, hoping to cover his uncertainty. “You know me, my mind and mouth runs a mile a minute. Whenever I talk about something, I can’t really stop, you know?”

That sounded weird.

Of course it did! I need to think more about what I say.

But I can’t stop thinking!

Why am I like this?

Tokoyami spoke up in a noticeably softer voice. “Midoriya, are you feeling alright?”

“I’m fine.” Izuku replied, putting a bit too much weight on the word. “Just a little tired I guess…”

His classmate didn’t say anything in reply. Izuku didn’t know what else to say, either. Not without going on a rampage of run-on sentences. He had embarrassed himself enough tonight.

A painful minute passed in silence. Izuku wanted to scream at himself, scream out every single grime of thought that plagued his brain, as his eyes began to leak.

“OH COME ON!” Dark Shadow burst, ripping himself out of Tokoyami. “THIS IS KILLING ME. SAY SOMETHING ALREADY!”

Izuku looked up to stare at Dark Shadow, Tokoyami looking equally startled by his quirk’s appearance.

“You-! What do you think you’re-”

“OH NO NO, YOU DON’T GET TO COMPLAIN NOW.” Dark Shadow pointed an accusing talon at his user. “YOU TOLD ME TO BE SILENT SO YOU COULD HAVE A LOVEY-DOVEY HEART TO HEART WITH IZUKU, BUT NOTHING HAS HAPPENED EXCEPT AWKWARD SILENCE. YOU CLEARLY NEED ME, SO LET ME DO THE TALKING!”

Did he just call me Izuku? Why? Do quirks not follow honorific naming conventions? I mean, there’s no real reason why they should, in theory, but…

Wait! Heart to heart? Lovey-dovey?! What the hell?!

The otherwise intimidating quirk turned to Izuku, eyes alit with childish excitement. “HEY IZUKU-OH WAIT, YOU PREFER LAST NAME DON’T YOU? HEY MIDORIYA, WHAT’S BOTHERING YOU? CAN I HELP?”

“You utter fool!” Tokoyami, almost beyond words at this point, spoke up in a soft growl. “It is no business of yours, no business of ours, to force Midoriya to talk-”

“YEAH YEAH, I KNOW.” Dark Shadow rolled his eyes. “BUT MAYBE HE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT HE’S WORRIED HOW YOU’LL REACT, OR YOU WON’T UNDERSTAND, OR WHATEVER! AM I WRONG???”

Tokoyami didn’t say a word, but he glanced at Izuku, looking for an answer he didn’t ask for.

Izuku shook his head, unsure whether to feel happy or ashamed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you guys so much! I...”

I don’t know what to say. What can I say to make everything better? I don’t know! 

“Midoriya.” Tokoyami spoke quietly, his eyes shifted to the floor beside Izuku. “I have no right to intrude...but as a classmate-no-as a friend …”

“WHAT HE’S TRYING TO SAY IS, WE WANT TO HELP!” Dark Shadow said, with less boisterousness than before. “I TALK A LOT TOO, YOU KNOW! AND SINCE THIS BIRD-BRAIN ISN’T MUCH CONVERSATION, IT’S NICE TO TALK TO SOMEONE...TALKATIVE!”

Izuku took turns looking at Tokoyami and Dark Shadow. “You...you don’t mind my rambling?”

Tokoyami shook his head, lifting his gaze up slightly. “You are a man of many words, Midoriya. It is simply an element of your intelligence...I would never fault you for it.”

“THAT’S HIS WAY OF SAYING HE LIKES HEARING YOU TA-”

“That’s enough out of you.” Tokoyami glared hard at his quirk, retracting him forcefully into his being. “Honestly, the things he says…”

Despite himself, Izuku laughed. Despite his laughter, Izuku cried. “I...I’m glad…I was worried...I didn’t want to be a bother, with everything I say. I mean, even I drive myself crazy, sometimes...”

“Midoriya...” Tokoyami’s eyes slowly meet Izuku’s. “If it ever seemed like it was a bother to me, that is my fault only. I...have always had trouble expressing myself. Forgive me." 

“No, no…” Izuku wiped his face with an arm. “You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just...you’re so patient and it seems like I’m taking advantage of that, in a way…”

“Absolutely not.” Tokoyami answered immediately. “Truth be told, I may have been taking advantage of you. I...don’t talk to others often enough. But you make conversation easy, especially for Dark Shadow…”

“Really?” Izuku shuffled his chair a little closer to his classmate. “You really mean that? You’re not...you’re not just saying that to be nice? Not that I think you’re the type to be dishonest, but-ah, there I go again! Are you sure it’s okay?”

“If I have to keep saying that, I will.” Tokoyami replied. “You do not need to hold yourself back, not here, not tonight…" 

The way Tokoyami trailed off softly made Izuku go crazy. In fact, every word the boy spoke in that dark, mystifyingly kind manner made Izuku lose sense of everything else. 

Izuku made himself take a deep breath, before he faced Tokoyami with a genuine smile. “Thank you, Tokoyami-kun.”

Tokoyami coughed and hurriedly looked away. “D-Don’t mention it. I was just simply...I mean to say...Ah, would you look at the time? The night has certainly escaped us, has it not?” 

Izuku blinked, checking the time on his phone. It was fair past midnight.

“Oh gosh, you’re right!” Izuku got up from his chair, suddenly yawning as tiredness made its debut. “I should get back to my room, and try to actually get some sleep, huh?”

“Mmm.” Tokoyami replied, still facing the wall beside him. “Pleasant as this was, we will have to be up early for class. I would rather not have Iida talk our ears off about tardiness…”

That made Izuku chuckle. “Yeah, same here. But anyway...thanks for letting me come over. I know it was super sudden and unexpected but-”

“Anytime, Midoriya” Tokoyami was already lying down at this point. “Until tomorrow, may peaceful rest find you.”

“LATER, MIDORIYA!” The familiar voice of the quirk added. “GET SOME REST SO WE CAN TALK MORE TOMORROW, OKAY?”

“Will do, Dark Shadow!” Izuku made a wave. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Tokoyami-kun!”

"Goodnight, Midoriya."

Izuku closed the door to Tokoyami’s room behind him quietly, not wanting to disturb anything. He hurried back to his own bedroom, rebellious excitement combatting his nightly fatigue. When he crashed onto his bed, happiness carried him into the night.

Chapter Text

HEY…

…

HEY, FUMIKAGE…

…

HEY DUMMY-KAGE WAKE UP!!!

Dark Shadow’s screech startled Fumikage into sitting up. “You infernal...what is it?”

The sentient quirk leaped out of his body and glared at him. “OH, I’M SORRY! NEXT TIME I’LL LET YOU SLEEP SOME MORE SO WE CAN BE LATE FOR CLASS!”

Fumikage blinked, turning to the digital clock on his desk. Classes were about to start in ten minutes.

“Great…” Fumikage launched out of bed, beginning his scramble to get ready posthaste. “An earlier warning would have helped, you know…”

“SURE SURE, BUT THEN I’D HAVE HAD TO INTERRUPT YOUR DREAMS ABOUT IZU-”

“Don’t start with that again.” Fumikage found his clothes and took extra care with putting his shirt on. “I’ve had more than enough of your input after yesterday…”

“OH PLEASE, YOU TOTALLY NEEDED ME. BESIDES, IZUKU SURE DIDN’T MIND!”

Fumikage ignored him, mostly out of spite but also in the fact that he had no counterpoint. Midoriya had come to him, and shared a level of insecurity that he never would have imagined was present in the young man.

I didn’t even know what to say back then. Even when it was clear that he was upset, I couldn’t say anything. If Dark Shadow hadn’t said anything…

“IF I HADN’T SAID ANYTHING, YOU WOULD’VE BEEN TOTALLY SCREWED!” Dark Shadow grinned wryly. “AND NOT IN THE FUN WAY, YOU KNOW?”

“You are unbearable.” Fumikage finally had his shoes on, so he swiftly packed his bag with the books he needed. “Please, for the sake of both of us, don’t do or say anything like that in front of my classmates, especially-”

Fumikage stopped himself, but Dark Shadow caught on. “ESPECIALLY IZUKU, GOT IT! YOU GOT A SILENT, GOTHIC ANIME SIDE CHARACTER REP TO KEEP. SURE, SURE! ANYTHING FOR IZUKU!”

Fumikage gave his quirk a firm look. “You shouldn’t call him “Izuku”. It’s disrespectful.”

“ONLY IN YOUR FEUDALISTIC SENSE OF POLITENESS!”

Feudalistic, that’s an advanced word for him.

“I HEARD THAT!”

I know you did.

Bag in hand, Fumikage went out the door into a swift walk to class. He had managed to brush his teeth and tidy up his feathers before leaving, but breakfast would have to wait until later.

Fumikage only made it halfway across the courtyard by the time the bell struck. He broke into a near sprint, knowing that it wouldn’t make much difference. Five minutes later, he burst into the homeroom of Class-A as quietly as he could.

Everyone noticed.

“Tokoyami Fumikage...” Aizawa-sensei paused in the middle of chalking something lazily on the board. “Unlike you to be late...but no matter. Take a seat.”

“I am sorry for my tardiness, Sensei.”

After a bow, Fumikage calmly found his seat, avoiding any further hassle.

Iida, ever the class representative, sent him a reprimanding glare which Fumikage pretended not to see. Fortunately nobody else appeared bothered by his tardiness, but that did nothing to aid Fumikage's mortification.

It was foolish of me to sleep in. I mustn’t let it happen again. I wonder...does it look like I’ve slept in? Most likely...

Midoriya, only one seat diagonally from him, turned to send him a smile, but that only worsened his embarrassment. “Morning, Tokoyami-kun!”

“Good morning, Midoriya.” Fumikage replied. “Did you sleep well?”

“Oh yeah, I went out like a light!” Midoriya leaned a little closer to Fumikage, lowering his voice. “Thanks for hanging out last night, by the way…”

“But of course. I didn’t mind at all.”

So he still recalls last night, but in what light? No matter, I must not distract myself needlessly today...

Homeroom went by quickly, as it always did. Aizawa’s voice, while borderline droning, held an authority that was never questioned. The roll was called, Iida was in charge of course, and after some basic announcements the first period of mathematics approached. Ectoplasm taught the subject, a fierce opponent in battle-but equally so in teaching such a difficult subject.

GOD, I HATE ALGEBRA! WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE ALGEBRA?

You say that for every subject we study. Be quiet.

Fumikage stared at the textbook full of maddening problems. Math was his worst subject, as the midterm exams proved unequivocally.

The quadratic equation goes… minus b plus minus the square root of...how does that apply here? No, I’m using the wrong equation. Troublesome indeed…

Fumikage observed his classmates.. Aoyama tried to bring attention to himself, but Fumikage didn’t look at him long enough to see how. Kaminari appeared to be struggling, granting Fumikage some relief, while Ashido was in her own world-probably doodling something in her notes.

Izuku scribbled through the problems as well as he did with any other subject. Bakugo was doing the same thing but much more aggressively, cursing under his breath. He didn’t even need to observe Yaoyorozu or Iida to know they were doing just fine. Chances were they were all solving equations much more complex than Fumikage was.

No use comparing myself to others, but...I placed 14th on the exams, after all. Not exactly impressive…

OH NO, YOU’RE NOT GETTING YOURSELF BUGGED ABOUT THAT AGAIN, ARE YOU? WHO CARES ABOUT GRADES WHEN YOU KICKED ASS AT THAT SPORT FESTIVAL?

Doing well in combat is useless if we don’t train our minds as well. Being a hero means applying everything we learn effectively, and to do that, we must train ourselves to learn difficult information. Even when we don’t want to...

OH YEAH? AND HOW DOES HIGH SCHOOL CALCULUS APPLY TO BEING A HERO?

I...don’t know.

Tapping his pencil on the desk repeatedly didn’t help his mind work, but there was nothing else for it. Once again, he would have to concede this subject for another time.

After 45 minutes of frustration in one subject, Fumikage braced himself for another; Classical Japanese. It wasn’t nearly as difficult as math, but writing essay answers was a different beast entirely. Not to mention the required reading had some monstrous kanji.

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH THIS GENJI GUY, ANYWAY? HOW MANY LOVE AFFAIRS DOES HE NEED TO HAVE IN ONE STORY?

It doesn’t matter, be quiet.

HEY, DO YOU THINK WE’D GET LAID THAT MUCH IF WE WERE BORN IN THOSE TIMES?

Is that seriously where your mind goes?

NO, IT’S SERIOUSLY WHERE OUR MIND GOES!

Unbelievable...

“Midoriya-san, read the next passage, if you please.” The teacher, whom Fumikage couldn’t recall the name of, commanded politely.

“Ah, yes sir!”

That caught Fumikage’s attention. Dark Shadow’s distractions made him lose his place in the reading, so he turned his attention to Midoriya. Yes, that was a good excuse.

The bushy green haired young man stood up, clearing his voice with a hint of nervousness.

“Genji did not have the strength to lift her in his arms, and it was Koremitsu who wrapped her in a padded mat and laid her in the carriage… ”

Midoriya spoke every word carefully clear and without mistake. His voice, while lacking some confidence in volume, carried the emotion of the tragedy, making the story come alive. When he was told to stop, Fumikage felt it had been too soon. He wanted to hear more of the story, told in that same timidly charming tone.

OH, YOU HAVE IT BAD.

What...what are you talking about?

OH I DUNNO. MAYBE THE GUY YOU CAN’T STOP STARING AT?

Fumikage quickly turned his gaze back to his desk, back to the reading.

...I spaced out.

UH HUH, THAT TENDS TO HAPPEN WHEN YOU STARE AT A CUTE GUY, HUH?

Fumikage choked on air, coughing perhaps a bit too loudly. Fortunately, upon looking around, nobody had noticed.

Degenerate demon! Why do you ramble on about such things? In class no less!

DON’T PLAY DUMB, YOU WERE THINKING IT TOO! MIDORIYA IS-

Shut up!

Kouda tapped him on the shoulder, causing Fumikage to turn to the seat next to him. A look of concern coloured the quiet boy’s face as he held his thumb up in question.

Am I okay? That is certainly a good question...

“I’m alright, Kouda.” Fumikage quietly replied. “I was simply...recalling the darkness of the kanji plaguing us all. How incorrigible...”

Kouda gave a slightly amused smile, and with a nod he returned his focus back to class.

NICE SAVE, MR EMOTIONAL.

Fumikage didn’t dignify that with a response.

The following break interval was short, but it gave Fumikage enough time to eat-and heavens did he need the energy. His favourite spot was among the trees outside the classroom building, which gave him a quiet space to think.

What on earth has possessed you today? Are you trying to make me fail in class?

OH FUMI, WHATEVER COULD YOU POSSIBLY MEAN?

Do not toy with me. You’ve been behaving differently. Less aggressive, but more...more...

HORNY?

The crass word revolted Fumikage, but he sighed.

I was about to say “hormonal” but...yes.

Dark Shadow smirked in his mind.

HEY, ONE OF US HAS TO SAY THESE THINGS! YOU CERTAINLY DON’T, THE WHITE KNIGHT YOU ARE...

…Regardless, it’s an unnecessary distraction. I need to think about my studies-

-YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT IZU-KUN, THAT'S WHAT!

Again with the...nevermind that! What in the seven circles of inferno makes you think I’d...what you’re implying...it is not so!

AHAHAHA! HOLY CRAP, YOU’RE HOPELESS! I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL WHEN HE’S AROUND, WHEN YOU HEAR HIM TALK, WHEN YOU TALK TO HIM, EVERYTHING!

You don’t know anything-

AND C’MON, DON’T YOU EVER THINK ABOUT HIM SHIRTLESS? LIKE THAT ONE TIME IN THE LOCKERS?

Fumikage desperately tried to suppress the image, but that only reinforced the subject from his memory. Dark Shadow cackled.

OH YEAH, HOW COULD YOU FORGET THAT? THEN AGAIN, THE ENTIRE CLASS IS FULL OF BEEFCA-

The depths of hell pierce your putrid tongue and all its scandalising libels! You vile, disgusting, unsacred, filthy, perverted, grimy, Mineta-like-

OKAY OKAY, CALM YOUR VOCABULARY! I’M JUST SAYING, YOU CAN’T DENY ANYTHING WITH ME!

Fumikage grunted irritably, and jumped down from his tree. “It’s about time I head back to class. Time to get going…”

OH OKAY, COOL! IGNORE ME BY TALKING TO YOURSELF! LIKE YOU HAVEN’T DONE THAT BEFORE! THAT IS SO CLASSIC YOU!

Fumikage walked back to the classroom building, making sure to control his breathing.

If I make it through the rest of the day, give me a medal.

Double period was physical training, a mandatory subject for obvious reasons, allowing Fumikage to take a mental break. Of course, fighting still required brain power in its own way, but at least it made sense to him.

Fumikage was paired with Shouji today, neither uncommon nor a surprise. While his quirk had a decent range, the larger boy had greater strength and physical versatility. Even on a good day, Fumikage had difficulty sparring against him.

And today was not a good day. Fumikage, still fazed by his frustrations in the last classes, barely managed to keep focussed. Dark Shadow’s actions reflected his owner’s mood; while he had been obnoxiously energetic in the classroom, in combat the quirk hardly responded to his commands.

Faster! We must move faster! Attack and defend, faster!

I’M DOING MY BEST HERE! IT’S SO BRIGHT OUT HERE I CAN BARELY REACH HIM.

Enough excuses, we cannot let ourselves be-

The last punch Shoji threw at him interrupted his thoughts and pierced through Dark Shadow, knocking the wind out of Fumikage and causing him to fall backwards. He could only catch his breath after hitting the ground.

You were supposed to block that. What happened?

DON’T PIN THIS ON ME! TELLING ME TO BE FASTER DOESN’T MAKE ME FASTER, YOU KNOW!

Tch.

Shoji was at his side a second later, offering a hand. “You okay?”

“I’m alright.” As punches went, Fumikage had suffered worse, but that didn’t ease his embarrassment. He took Shoji’s hand. “I was careless but...that was a good hit.”

Shoji laughed lightly. “I’m surprised. Didn’t think you’d leave yourself open there, but we all make mistakes, right?”

“Right…” Fumikage appreciated the warm compassion, but he kept a serious face. “I won’t do it again, so let’s have another round...”

“If you say so.”

Fumikage didn’t have much more success for the rest of the period, but he managed a few good hits against the larger male. Even if he wasn’t mentally sharp today, the brutal training for the Provisional License exam had strengthened his technique. Dark Shadow, while barely obedient at the best of times, followed orders well when the time required it. Unfortunately Shoji had also improved significantly, made evident by his punches knocking the wind out of Fumikage.

The lunch bell couldn’t have rang sooner.

More bruises. That’ll take some time to heal…

YOU KNOW WHAT WON’T TAKE TIME TO HEAL? MY FEELINGS!

I won’t apologise for commanding you in battle. We need to get it together…

HMPH!

When everyone changed back into their school clothes, Fumikage could tell at a glance Shoji had taken less hits than he did. He made sure to avoid staring, but that only made Dark Shadow cackle even more.

YOU CAN’T DENYYYYY IT. COME ON, YOU KNOW YOU WANNA LOOK.

Shut up shut up shut up shut up…..

After that ordeal Fumikage found himself walking around the school a bit, wondering how to spend his time. He didn’t feel like sitting in a tree for an entire hour, not today. Being alone to think wouldn’t help him in this case, but a quiet place would.

After eating a sandwich for lunch, he went to the library. If he was fortunate, nobody would be there to enable Dark Shadow’s harassment.

A book to read would be nice, just to distract myself...

OH GOD , DON’T TELL ME. BORING BUT EDGY POETRY?

Fumikage huffed, ignoring the quirk. He actually had planned to read The Raven , but Dark Shadow’s obnoxious admonition made him change his mind.

No, reading something enjoyable will only delay responsibility, won’t it? I have my textbooks,  might as well use them...

NOOOOOOOOOOOO! THAT’S EVEN WORSE!!!!!

Shut up.

He wasn’t in the mind to even look at Calculus, that had fried his brain enough for one day. Modern Japanese seemed approachable, and if Fumikage remembered correctly, that would be the period after lunch. A head-start may be nice for a change.

HEAD-START? DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT THE READING IS GONNA BE TODAY?

I...think so? Perhaps I’ll revise what we did last class...

He began reading an academic essay on the themes of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood . Fumikage had heard of the author, but this class was the first time he read anything from him. Half an hour passed as he read about the themes of love, loss, and sexual liberty within the coming of age story of a young man’s romance.

WHY DOES EVERYTHING WE READ HAVE TO BE ABOUT SEX?!

I do not know! Why must you comment on it?

HOW CAN I NOT???

Jotting down quotes in his notebook was the best Fumikage could do in his current mindset. At least the passages themselves weren’t explicit, and they were much easier to understand than Genji . The quotes themselves, spoken by a main character who had suffered immense tragedy and complicated relationships, resonated with Fumikage, though he wasn’t sure why.

With about twenty minutes before the end of lunch, Fumikage moved onto English. Another reasonably doable subject, it had been Fumikage’s highest midterm score-though that isn't saying much. Maybe one day he’d do well enough to make his mother proud. She had been fluent in the language since graduating university, but Fumikage wasn’t at the level to simply converse with her, nor did he want to take her time by asking her to tutor him.

That’s right, we had homework for this, didn’t we?

Fumikage attempted problem after problem, constantly checking his answers with a Japanese-English dictionary inside the textbook. The grammar was devilishly irregular, but the spelling to pronunciation was even more confusing. Present Mic, ever the confidently loud teacher, made it all sound so easy. It was one thing to remember any of the rules, but applying it fluently in writing was a monumental task in of itself.

To be...or not to be.

I am...he is...she is… they ARE...

“The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog”...

That all looks correct...Somewhat. At least this doesn’t go into our final grades...

Fumikage left the library just before the bell rang, feeling a little bit more satisfied with himself. At least he had gotten something productive done today, even if he was still less than ideally prepared.

That feeling was of little comfort during class, when entirely new content was introduced. As Dark Shadow wailed, Fumikage mentally crawled through the rest of his classes the best he could.

When the final bell rung, Fumikage felt his brain collapse.

Another day of class completed…

FINALLY! WHAT SHOULD WE DO NOW? SOMETHING FUN, RIGHT? RIGHT???

If it’s within your definition of fun, then no.

SPOILSPORT! WHY CAN’T YOU LIGHTEN UP FOR-

“Tokoyami-kun!”

For a second Fumikage’s mind froze, even Dark Shadow stopped himself from talking.

Fumikage made a quick recovery, looking up at his classmate. “Midoriya. How are you?”

“Oh, I’m good!” Midoriya’s face was as bright as always. “Are you heading back to the dorms?”

Fumikage stood up, lifting his bag. “Indeed, I was just heading out. How about yourself?”

“Yeah, same here! Maybe we could go together? I mean, only if you want of course!”

“OF COURSE HE WANTS TO!” Dark Shadow leaped out without warning, and an ear piercing volume. “IN FACT, HE HAD SUCH A GOOD TIME YESTERDAY HE WAS JUST DYING TO SEE-”

“I don’t mind at all.” Fumikage cut in desperately. “But of course, only if you don’t mind him pestering us on the way…”

“SCREW YOU, I’M THE BEST PART!”

Midoriya laughed, which almost made up for Dark Shadow’s behaviour all together. “Hey Dark Shadow, good to see you again.”

“LIKEWISE! NOW COME ON, LET’S GO HOOOOME!”

Fumikage kept his expression blank, but inwardly cursed.

What do you think you’re doing?

C’MON DUDE! WALKING HOME TOGETHER? YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS????

Nothing. It means nothing! Will you stop making mountains out of-

“Tokoyami-kun? Is something wrong?”

Fumikage swore internally. Midoriya’s worried face was the last thing he wanted to cause. Dark Shadow wasn’t saying anything now.

He tried to make his reply casual. “Hmm? Oh, forgive me. I was thinking of something else…”

“Ah, right…” Midoriya nodded, but his face kept curious.

Impulsively, Fumikage searched his mind for an excuse. “I was thinking...about the upcoming finals. A perilous time, to be sure.”

Fool! How can I make Midoriya relate to my academic shortcoming? He’s one of the top students in the class!

“Oh yeah, that’s not far away huh?” Midoriya replied. “There’s a lot to take in...but we’ll get through it!”

The bright optimism in his voice felt genuine, but it clashed with Fumikage’s inner cynic. “You certainly will, if the mid-terms are any indication…”

Fumikage despised the words as soon as he said them. He inadvertently coated them with a thin layer of sarcastic jealousy, forecasting his bitter insecurities. Midoriya didn’t deserve any of that, especially when he was just trying to encourage him.

The green haired boy didn’t see it that way and laughed modestly. “Ah w-well...it doesn’t mean I enjoy the studying or anything-well okay maybe I do enjoy the satisfaction of understanding something I didn’t before but…Hey Tokoyami-kun, how do you study?”

Fumikage blinked, the quick question took him by surprise.

Midoriya suddenly shook his head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so direct! I was just wondering...I mean, it’s none of my business how you spend your time but…”

I think I know what he’s trying to say…

“I understand your concern, Midoriya.” Fumikage suppressed a sigh. “My midterms were far from outstanding, and I suppose I’m not entirely on top of classwork either…”

That only agitated his classmate even more. “Oh no no no! I didn’t mean….Well okay, I guess maybe...I’m just...Sorry, I’m not explaining myself well...”  

“HE WANTS TO KNOW IF YOU WANNA STUDY TOGETHER, OBVIOUSLY!”

Fumikage could only stare at his quirk.

Midoriya blinked. “Well, yeah...If you want to we can-and I mean only if you want to-we could study together sometime? I mean, working with others for me makes it a little less boring, even if that isn’t saying much…”

How...how did you know Midoriya wanted to study with me?

INTUITION, DUH!

Tch...more like a lucky guess, you reckless-

“WE’D LOVE TO!” Dark Shadow responded. “HELL KNOWS THIS GUY NEEDS IT!”

Fumikage restrained his frustration, glancing at his quirk. “As if you understand the schoolwork any better than I do…”

HA! I AIN’T TALKING ABOUT THE SCHOOLWORK, LOVEBIRD!

Heat rushed to Fumikage's head, then straight to his stomach, stirring butterflies. It must have been the sunny weather, a coincidence surely.

Midoriya fortunately didn’t notice. “Well maybe...if you’re free later today, we could revise a bit together? I’m a little behind in a few things myself…”

“YES YES YES!”

You do not speak for me, demon.

WHAT, ARE YOU GONNA SAY NO?

...Damn it.

Fumikage gave a calm nod to Midoriya. “Today can work for me. When would you like to meet?”

“Oh! Um, hmm…” Fumikage almost expected him to launch into another mumble, but instead he keenly nodded. “Okay, how about we do it after dinner? That’ll be good for our energy levels!”

“TRUUUUE! THIS GUY GETS SO GRUMPY ON AN EMPTY STOMACH!”

Fumikage gripped his fists quietly, keeping his voice steady. “A novel idea indeed. Very well, where shall we meet after dinner? My room?”

SMOOTH!

Shut up.

Midoriya considered it. “Ah well, I wouldn’t mind but…Maybe the lighting would be a little…”

Fumikage could only nod. “Right...”

FAILURE! UTTER FAILURE!

“Well if you want, we can do it in my room?” Midoriya’s face lacked certainty. “There should be enough room, and it’s probably going to be quieter than in the hall…”

SUCCESS! UTTER SUCCESS!

I want to strangle you.

Fumikage gave another calm nod. “If it suits you, then it suits me. It’s a plan.”

“Okay sweet! Let’s do it!”

They had gotten to the dorm mess hall by this point. Other Class-A members were hanging around, but Fumikage didn’t pay much attention. The two of them continued walking up to their room floor.

“So what do you plan to do today, Tokoyami-kun?” Midoriya asked. “Before dinner, I mean.”

Fumikage took a second to stare off. That was a good question; what did he feel like doing today?

“OH! WE SHOULD DO SOME MORE TRAINING. CAN WE PLEEE-”

“I think I’ll go read some poetry for a bit. Something to relax, perhaps.”

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! NOOOOOOOOO!”

Fumikage repressed a smirk. “And you, Midoriya? What do you plan?”

“Ah well…” Midoriya scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t like to seem predictable, but I might do some more training today. I might even be onto a new technique!”

“OH MY GOD CAN THE TWO OF YOU TRADE QUIRKS, PLEASE?” Dark Shadow swooned next to Midoriya. “YOU’D BE WAY MORE FUN TO TRAIN WITH THAN THIS GUY!”

“Get back here, you fool...” Fumikage muttered, yanking his quirk back towards him. “I hope it goes well then, perhaps we could train together again sometime?”

Midoriya smiled. “I’d like that.”

He had said it so simply, yet it complicated Fumikage’s feelings incomprehensibly. So softly, yet it hit him harder than what could bruise him. The fewer words spoken, the more Fumikage wanted to hear come out in that impassioned tenor voice.

Dark Shadow laughed, barely concealing his expression with a talon.

That made Midoriya tilt his head. “Did...did I say something funny?”

You idiot !

C’MON FUMI, ARE YOU EVEN HEARING YOURSELF? “IMPASSIONED TENOR VOICE”???

I did not ask for your input!  

“I believe he is giddy with anticipation for our next battle…” Fumikage dryly replied, hoping to a higher power his embarrassment wasn’t visible.

Midoriya, thankfully, accepted the excuse. He gripped his fists with equal excitement. “Oh well in that case, I look forward to fighting you Dark Shadow! Don’t hold back, okay?”

“YOU TOO. I CAN’T WAIT!!!”

HE’S SO CUTE WHEN HE TALKS LIKE THAT!

Can you not?

YOU DON’T THINK SO?

That’s...that’s not the point!

They were outside of their dorm rooms at this point, so close to a bed to collapse onto. Fumikage desperately held onto his dark composure. “Well, if it is alright with you, I will retire for the time being."

Midoriya nodded. “Right, and I’ll get changed so I can train some more-oh, not that you needed to know that I mean that goes without saying, ahaha...But anyway, I look forward to tonight!”

HELL YEAH HE DOES!

Despite his annoyance at the inner demon, Fumikage couldn’t stop himself from smiling back. “As do I, in a sense. Thank you for offering to assist me in the first place…”

“I don’t mind at all! It’ll be good for me too, I think..” After a moment the green haired classmate gave a small wave. “Until then, I’ll see you around, Tokoyami-kun!”

“See you around, Midoriya.”

“SEE YA MIDORIYA!”

As soon as Midoriya was out of their sight, Fumikage went into his room. He staggered towards his bed and fell over, his daily energy completely spent.

How do I make it through the day with someone as exhausting as you?

HERE’S A BETTER QUESTION: HOW DO I MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY WITH SOMEONE AS RUDE AS YOU?

Yes, yes, you’re incredibly witty, but I’m being serious. Are you trying to sabotage my school life? My social life too?

I’M HELPING YOU, MORON! DO YOU THINK YOU CAN GET THROUGH LIFE BEING A SQUARE THE WHOLE TIME? LET LOOSE, BE FREE! DON’T LET THE MAN GET YOU DOWN!!!

I’m starting to think Ashido has had an influence on you…

IT’S CALLED BEING FUN, LOOK IT UP.

Whatever…

Sitting up in his bed, Fumikage closed his eyes and took slow meditative breaths. He imagined a void of darkness, and within it a moon that slowly waxed and waned continually. A childhood therapist had recommended him the technique many years ago, when night terrors had ailed him into mild panic attacks. The moon gave him something calm to focus on, and although it was cliché, it was just as beautifully poetic.

With every calm intake of oxygen, he could feel Dark Shadow relax, ever so slightly. Dark Shadow was always in the vision clearly. On good days, Dark Shadow would caress the moon carefully, but other times he swallowed it whole. This time, Dark Shadow danced around the image, laughing mischievously.

Unsurprising...

At the very least, I feel better.

Okay, I should do something else.

Fumikage turned away from his desk and stood up, taking in his surroundings. Almost absentmindedly, he grabbed the guitar held by the stand in front of his bed. It hadn’t been played since the festival, but Fumikage had been meaning to practice. After some tuning, he plucked the strings into a calm tune as time began to move melodically.

Midoriya’s room hadn’t changed at all since Fumikage last saw it, but that wasn’t surprising. Whatever gothic themes Fumikage had in his room, Midoriya’s had the equivalent in All Might memorabilia, if not to an extreme extent.

“So, what should we start with?” Midoriya had already sat down at the desk. Fumikage had no idea when or where he had gotten an extra seat, but there was enough room to seat the two comfortably.

Fumikage took a seat. “We can start with anything you like. I...have room to improve on most of the subjects, it seems.”

Midoriya gave a sympathetic look, but only briefly. “Well...how about we go over algebra first? I actually have a simple chart of equations we need to remember so you can-”

Fumikage’s expression forced a short laugh out of Midoriya. “That bad, huh? Well, I get where you’re coming from, it’s pretty hard to remember all the formulas and when they reply and the work gets super tedious and-ah sorry! What I mean to say is, if we tackle the really hard stuff, maybe the rest of it won’t seem so bad?”

It took a moment for Fumikage to process Midoriya’s rant, but he nodded reluctantly. “You have a fair point. Very well, let us begin…”

To great suprise, Midoriya had actually taken the effort to write up a series of practice problems for Fumikage to start with. They appeared to be neatly written, each question progressively harder than the last.

Such diligent genius…

WOOOOW, NOT EVEN FIVE MINUTES IN AND YOU’RE COMPLIMENTING THE GUY. SUBTLE!

Fumikage snapped his attention back to his work.

Silence! The last thing I need now is your commentary, so leave me be.

SURE SURE…

Minutes passed as he worked through the problems. When he couldn’t remember which equation or method to use he differed to Midoriya to explain. Effectively and without condescension, Midoriya provided a new example for Fumikage to apply the new information.

IZU-KUN’S SO NICE...IT’S A GOOD THING YOU SUCK AT MATH, HUH?

Fumikage ignored the thought and pushed through. But as time went on, the problems only became harder-requiring multiple layers of thinking that challenged Fumikage’s mental capacity.

I’M STARVING, LET’S GET SOMETHING TO EAT. THIS STUFF’S GETTING HARD ANYWAY.

We already had dinner, and we’re not even close to finishing. Deal with it.  

Fumikage tried to ignore the quirk stirring inside him, frustration and boredom only increasing the irritation. It was like an itch that could only be scratched by destroying an entire room of furniture.

He attempted another problem by himself, eventually turning again to Midoriya for advice.

MIDORIYA'S SUCH A STAND UP GUY, HUH? TOLERATING MATH FOR YOU CAN’T BE EASY!

Not helping…

HEY, ISN’T HE WASTING HIS TIME, WORRYING ABOUT YOU? DOESN’T HE HAVE HIS OWN THINGS TO WORK ON?

Fumikage stopped writing. He didn’t have an answer to that, but the question struck a guilty nerve. Fumikage closed his eyes.

Of all the things to say…

HEY, JUST CALLING IT AS I SEE IT. THIS ISN’T HELPING US, IT’S NOT HELPING IZUKU EITHER.

As I see it, you’re the one that isn’t helping. Why? Why can’t you let me focus? Why do you pester me with such...distractions! Such needless thoughts!

Dark Shadow stirred irritably inside of him.

HEY, I’VE JUST BEEN SAYING WHAT YOU’RE TOO AFRAID TO THINK! BESIDES, IT’S NOT LIKE YOU UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS STUFF! EVEN WITH MIDORIYA’S HELP, YOU’RE HOPELESS!

The accusation stung, but only because Fumikage knew it was somewhat true. Still, he shook his head.

I can’t understand anything when you screech into my ear! Every time I try to think…

I’M TRYING TO HELP YOU!

You’re inconveniencing me...

OH I’M SOOOOO SORRY! AM I INCONVENIENCING YOU? SHOULD I ONLY SPEAK WHEN YOU COMMAND ME, MASTER ?

That last word dripped with venom. Fumikage felt his mood darken. His pencil grip tightened.

You have no idea what it’s like...You can say whatever you please, but I...I have to represent myself.

OH RIGHT, LIKE HOW YOU REPRESENT YOURSELF AS AN EMOTIONLESS EMO? YEAH, THAT’S A REAL WINNER! PEOPLE LOVE IT WHEN YOU DON’T SMILE AT THEM!

I didn’t ask for your-

THAT’S WHY WE NEVER HAD FRIENDS, YOU KNOW! BEFORE U.A, NOBODY TALKED TO US, BECAUSE WE SCARED THEM AWAY. WE WERE DIFFERENT!

Fumikage wanted to scream, but instead he gripped his hands into silent fists. He had this conversation before, too many times before. Why did it have to happen now, of all times?

That...doesn’t matter anymore! So much has changed... We’ve changed...We’re becoming heroes, and we have our classmates-

-WHO YOU HARDLY TALK TO! AND WHY IS THAT? ARE YOU JUST TOO COOL TO HANG OUT WITH THEM? DOES IT RUIN YOUR AESTHETIC? YOU THINK THEY’RE BENEATH YOU?

I...that doesn’t….

TELL ME, WOULD YOU HAVE EVEN THOUGHT TO TALK TO MIDORIYA IF HE HADN’T MESSAGED YOU FIRST? THE ONLY REASON HE’S HERE IS BECAUSE HE LIKES YOU, BUT DO YOU EVEN DESERVE IT? ARE YOU EVEN TRYING TO DESERVE IT?

Fumikage stared at the textbook pages in front of him, but saw nothing. His shoulders felt heavy, weighed down and tensed up by the heat in his eyes and the pounding of his head. He slumped forward in his chair, but only slightly. The fatigue, frustration and self doubt today had thrown at him took its toll.

That’s not fair…I don’t...I am trying…

“Tokoyami-kun?”

That voice pierced Fumikage’s mood, the concern in it was heartbreaking.

“Midoriya, I…” Fumikage wiped his eyes, standing up in a rush. “Forgive me, I was...it was just a migraine, but I’m fine now…”

LIAR.

Midoriya didn’t seem convinced either. “Tokoyami-kun, are you okay? We can take a break, if you want…”

At first Fumikage wanted to refuse the offer. He didn’t want to let his emotions control him to the point where he couldn’t do anything. If one could stop working everytime something bad happened, nothing would ever get done. Heroes needed to be that strong all of the time. Fumikage wanted to be that strong.

But he wasn’t .

“I think...that would be best.” Fumikage managed to speak in a level tone. “Just for a minute, I think…”

Midoriya nodded with a kind smile. “Sure. I’ll go get some us water from the hall. Or maybe you want some juice? I’m pretty sure we have some, unless Kaminari took it again-”

“Water would be nice, thank you.”

“Alright, I’ll be back in a second!”

Fumikage didn’t have the chance to respond before Midoriya darted out of the room. He sat at the desk alone, the math equations were the last thing on his mind.

Why did you...you had NO RIGHT….

Dark Shadow didn’t say anything in response, but for once that gave Fumikage little comfort. Yelling at his quirk wouldn’t make him feel better, he knew that. Emotions were always cyclical. Between the two of them everything was cyclical.

Fumikage tried to think about the moon again, but his heart beated too quickly, too loudly. His mind felt heavier-maybe he did have a migraine-but his thoughts were empty.

Why aren’t you saying anything? Why only now do you stay silent?

Nothing. Fumikage gripped the sides of his head, soft feathers dampened with sweat. He stared at the math problems again, and wondered if attempting them would take his mind off things. He wouldn’t be able to solve anything, but at this point any distraction was welcome.

Hopeless...Whatever I do...

“Tokoyami-kun!”

It took an entire second for the voice to register in Fumikage’s mind. He turned to see Midoriya holding two water bottles in one hand, and a cream doughnut in the other.

“Crap...you look awful!” Midoriya stepped closer to Fumikage. “Ah, I don’t mean that in a bad way! I mean, it is bad that you’re sick but-nevermind! Are you sure you’re okay, Tokoyami-kun?”

Even if Fumikage had the energy to lie, he knew Midoriya didn’t deserve it. He tried to keep his tone level. “I’m sorry, Midoriya...I didn’t want to cause a fuss…”

“You’re not causing a fuss.” Midoriya set the drinks and pastries on the desk, ignoring the wretched calculus sheets he had made. “I figured the water would hydrate you, obviously, but maybe a sugar boost will help too. I know it helps me, sometimes.”

The doughnuts did smell nice, and had a welcome flavour. Fumikage recognised it.

“Those are...from the cafe I showed you.” Fumikage slowly took the one with red icing. “When did you get these?”

His classmate looked almost sheepish. “Well...after school I went out running again so I figured...they were so good when we went yesterday, I couldn’t resist! I’m just glad nobody else found where I left them, especially Sato-kun...”

Fumikage slowly took a bite, then immediately another, then another. Cream and strawberries filled his taste buds pleasantly.  “A wise decision, I think. These are...scrumptious.”

BAHAHAHAHA! SCRUMPTIOUS!?

The fortissimo voice startled him. Fumikage felt a flash of anger.

You’re back.

MMM HMM. HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

Oh, you care about how I feel? Funny, I still remember being emotionally tormented not ten minutes ago…by you.

WHAT CAN I SAY? I WAS HUNGRY! THE RICE CHICKEN WE HAD AT DINNER WAS SO DULL! AND BESIDES, MIDORIYA’S BEING NICE TO US! HE’S SO COOL! HE’S REAL SWEET, LIKE THAT DOUGHNUT!

Fumikage didn’t even know how to reply to that, so he keep eating the doughnut. He didn’t want to admit it, but the sugar actually did make him feel better.

“Are you talking to Dark Shadow?”

Midoriya’s question, like many of his, took him off guard. Fumikage calmly reached for a sip of water, he needed to look casual. “You...noticed?”

Midoriya lifted a finger to his chin in contemplation, then spoke. “Well...I wasn’t really sure if it was something you could do, but I figured you had to have some way of communicating non-verbally to Dark Shadow otherwise you wouldn’t be able to command him silently. Also, sometimes, you kinda...stare off into space a little? I mean, I do that too, but it looked like you were talking to yourself, with the way you reacted and all, so I figured that’s how you did it!”

Fumikage almost fell over from how quickly Midoriya had thrown the words at him. He closed his eyes, giving the other a nod. “A good observation, and an accurate one. I’m impressed.”

Midoriya’s eyes lit up, and so Fumikage’s mood did too. “Wow, really? So you can have a conversation without even speaking? That’s so cool!”

“Sometimes. But I can’t control anything he says, even when he says the most vile things…” Fumikage closed his eyes, knowing what would come next.

“SLANDER!” Dark Shadow cried, emerging from his user dramatically. He cooed towards Midoriya. “DON’T LISTEN TO HIM MIDORIYA, HE’S NOT USED TO TALKING WITH PEOPLE.”

“You certainly seem used to it…” Fumikage muttered.

“DUH! I’M THE SOCIAL ONE.”

If you think you’re improving things, you’re not.

Suddenly Midoriya burst out laughing. It was joyously light, but he caught himself quickly. “Oh no-I’m sorry! I know you’re not feeling well and all, but...I’ve never seen someone argue with their quirk before! It’s...really interesting!”

Interesting?

INTERESTING??? HE THINKS WE’RE INTERESTING!

Fumikage shook his head slowly, his head still buzzed with pain. “Believe me, it gets old quickly…”

“SAYS YOU! I’M HAVING A GREAT TIME!”

Fumikage felt nothing but irritation for his quirk, but he couldn’t say anything to betray his anguish in front of Midoriya. Even worse, his classmate enjoyed talking to Dark Shadow, so forcing him back would only ruin the conversation. Fumikage needed to be diplomatic.

“Be that as it may, you should rest yourself for tomorrow. Shouldn’t you ?”

Internally Dark Shadow sent him a scowl.

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I HAVE HEAPS OF ENERGY!

But I’m exhausted. Could you please get inside me?

THAT’S WHAT HE SAID!

How mature…

BUT SERIOUSLY, IF YOU JUST WANT SOME ONE-ON-ONE TIME WITH MIDORIYA, YOU CAN TELL ME! I WON’T TELL ANYONE.

Debatable.

HA! SO YOU DO ADMIT IT!

Don’t make me force you back. I know you hate that...

OKAY FINE.

Dark Shadow rolled his eyes theatrically, still leaning towards Midoriya. “ALRIGHT ALRIGHT, IF YOU SAY SO! I’LL LEAVE YOU GUYS TO IT. BYE MIDORIYA!”

Midoriya made a small wave. “Okay, see you Dark Shadow.”

When Dark Shadow left, Fumikage felt the pain in his head subside a little. Not entirely, but enough to relax his shoulders, the built up tension fading little by little.

Thank you, this is exactly what I needed.

I’LL TRY NOT TO BE OFFENDED BY THAT, BUT YOU’RE WELCOME! JUST DON’T SCREW THIS UP!

Don’t screw what-? Oh nevermind…

After a deep breath and a sip of water, Fumikage spoke. “Thank you for getting these, they are certainly helping…”

Midoriya smiled, his eyes shone softly. “I’m glad. Do you want me to go grab some more food? I don’t know what we have, but...”

Fumikage immediately shook his head. “No, that is quite alright. This should be sufficient...”

In his heart Fumikage cursed at himself, knowing why he had rejected the suggestion. It had nothing to do with food or lack of hunger, it didn't even have anything to do with Dark Shadow either.

He wanted to keep talking to Midoriya.

Despite himself, despite the hellish mood he was still in, he found himself uplifted by his classmate’s unconditional kindness. Fumikage didn’t want to lose another second of Midoriya’s company anymore than need be. With such calm sanctuary, it was easy to forget the problems of life.

I am a fool. A hopeless fool….

“Hey, I was wondering…” Midoriya paused for a second to think, but then continued. “Are you...Do you ever get mad at Dark Shadow?”

Another blindsiding question. Was Fumikage that easy to read? Or was Midoriya that observant? Chances were that it was both. Regardless, it wasn’t the question itself that worried Fumikage, but the answers it entailed.

“I...I certainly find him irritable at times, yes…” Fumikage kept his eyes on the floor. “On particularly bad days...If I’m not careful, it becomes unpleasant for everyone. I’m sure you remember...the training camp…”

Fumikage would never forget that day, and it pained him to recall it. The unexpected villain attack, Shoji’s arms sacrificed for his safety, for his carelessness, the dark night all had contributed to one of the worst episodes he could remember in a long time.

“How could I forget?” Midoriya made an empty laugh. “But we made it through that. All of us fought hard, especially you, Tokoyami-kun. I mean, defeating a pro-villain by yourself...”

That...doesn’t sound right.

“No…” Tokoyami’s eyes found the ground again. “I didn’t fight back, I just lost control of myself...I almost…”

I almost hurt my classmates. I almost hurt you …

Midoriya’s hand lightly touched Fumikage’s shoulder. “That wasn’t your fault. You know that, right?”

“But...I could still feel it….I was so angry …”

“Tokoyami-kun…”

“I wanted to hurt him!” Fumikage snapped. “I wanted him to suffer for his vileness, to atone for what he had done. For a second, I enjoyed the power. I enjoyed the anger! If it lasted any longer I would have...I’m just as bad as-”

“No you’re not!” Midoriya cut him off. “Whatever you felt, you still protected us! And anyone would get mad in our situation, we had the right to be!”

A moment passed, before Fumikage uttered in a whisper “I almost killed you. If I did…”.

“But you didn’t.”

“I could have.”

“But you didn’t, and now there’s one less villain out there because of you.” The dark emerald in Midoriya’s eyes pierced Fumikage. “You’re a good guy, Tokoyami-kun. You wouldn’t have let anything bad happen. Not then, not now.”

How can you possibly know that?

“Midoriya…” Fumikage willed himself to look up at his classmate. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get..upset.”

“I told you, it’s fine.” Midoriya sighed. “It’s important to talk about this kind of stuff, I think. Good for mental health, right? That’s what they say, at least...”

“Right…” Fumikage let himself take a deep breath. “I...I don’t think I’ve talked to anyone else about it, until now...”

“Oh?” Midoriya’s surprised expression turned into a content one. “Well I’m glad you told me. It must have been so hard…”

“It was hard for all of us.” Fumikage replied. “But I’m fine now, so please don’t worry about me, Midoriya.” After a moment of pause, he added. “I...appreciate the concern, though.”

Midoriya gave a humble shrug. “Well, it’s only fair. You...what you and Dark Shadow said last night...I really needed to hear that, you know?”

Fumikage felt like an idiot for almost forgetting last night, despite its significance.

“Ah, well…” Fumikage used every fibre of his being not to stutter. “I meant every word. I’m sure Dark Shadow did, too.”

“It’s just…” Midoriya began, fidgeting with his hands slightly. “Whenever I get excited or nervous about anything, I just...can’t stop talking, you know?”

Fumikage nodded. “I understand that. And it doesn’t bother me-”

“But that’s the thing . Ever since I started doing it...it always bothered people. Hell, it even bothers me sometimes, so...If it gets annoying can you tell me? Please?”

If if does, then hell shall gather frost to chill the devil…

“As unlikely as that sounds, I shall.” Fumikage replied. “But you should not torment yourself for it. As I see it, it is a part of you. Anyone who cannot accept that is a fool.”

“Tokoyami-kun…”

Fumikage went on, shocked at how words kept falling out of his mouth. “Besides, I think it is better to talk to the point of madness than to be forever silent. As ironic as that sounds coming from me…”

“You’re not that bad.” Midoriya laughed a little. “You’re talking right now, aren’t you?”

“Perhaps not now, but before coming here…” Fumikage took another sip. “The only people I talked frequently to were Dark Shadow and my parents.”

That statement hung like a galling decoration, but Midoriya didn’t shy from it. “You...didn’t have friends back then?”

“Indeed.” Fumikage took a deep breath, then continued. “I told you I have trouble expressing myself, sometimes. As a child, the emotion I felt never matched what I showed to others. It’s only natural given my...features.”

The feathers on his head itched, but Fumikage ignored it. He went on. “After a while, I stopped trying to make myself look happy, or sad, or angry...Whenever I did, it terrified people.”

“...Terrified?”

“Have you ever seen a bird try to smile with its teeth out?”

“No…?”

“Consider yourself fortunate.” Fumikage replied, dryly. “As a result I...distanced myself from my classmates, I suppose. Of course, I didn’t actively ignore people, but I...didn’t try to befriend anyone, either. I am not proud of it, looking back now...”

“But...you’re here now, talking to me.” Midoriya smiled. “That’s pretty good progress, don’t you think?”

“Well, yes but..” I couldn’t have done it without you . “I suppose that is a matter of course, with such a school as U.E...”

Midoriya leaned back in his chair. “Yeah. I’m happy to be here. Sometimes I wonder...”

“Hmm?”

“Ah, sorry! Just mumbling to myself again…”

“About what? You were pondering something, perhaps?”

“Oh? Ah yeah, just thinking...what if I wasn’t here, you know? Training to be a Hero with all you guys…”

Fumikage took note of Midoriya’s expression, melancholy yet content. Another maddening contradiction.

After a pause Fumikage spoke in reply. “With your talents, I am sure you’d be well on your way to being a professional, regardless of where you went.”

Strangely, Midoriya didn’t perk up at the compliment. If anything, it furrowed his brow just a bit further. “Maybe…But still, I almost forget just how lucky I am...”

Fumikage wasn’t sure what to say to that. Midoriya looked almost troubled, despite the grateful words. It peaked his curiosity, but Fumikage didn’t want to risk pushing the conversation in a bad direction. After a moment, he spoke.

“I think,” Fumikage’s voice matched Izuku’s quietness. “All things considered, we are lucky to have you as a classmate.”

Another pause came, but it felt different this time. Fumikage cringed.

…Why in blazes did I say that?

Make myself a fool why don’t I?

If Dark Shadow heard that, he’d call me a “corny idiot” or something, wouldn’t he?

THAT KINDA GOES WITHOUT SAYING, THOUGH.

Silence!

Midoriya blinked, turning his gaze to Fumikage. “I...Wow, how do I respond to that?”

A treacherous flush invaded Fumikage’s face.  “F-Forget about it. I only meant…”

“No no, that was nice! Really nice! Like, one of the nicest things I’ve ever heard but...I didn’t think you’d be the type to use cliché, Tokoyami-kun!”

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Curses! Even he thought it was...Light, why did I have to say that?

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Shut up! I don’t require your input!

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Fumikage couldn’t blush externally, but his face flared in mortification. “Nevermind. Forget I said anything…”

Midoriya, kind as he normally was, couldn’t stop himself making a small laugh.  “I mean it though, that was really nice. You’re really nice, you know?”

The words were well intended and held unrelenting empathy, yet they only embarrassed Fumikage further. “I don’t know what you mean, I said nothing. Nothing at all.”

Another rich laugh, softer this time. “Okay...okay…”

Time passed in a strange silence. Parts of it filled Fumikage with belonging and content, others with longing and dissent. How long had it been since Fumikage talked that much? How long since he wanted to talk even more?

Almost desperate, he filled the silence. “If it is okay with you, shall we...continue our studies?”

“Oh? Are you feeling better? It’s okay if you wanna call it a-”

“I’m fine, but thank you Midoriya.” It was strange how hearing his classmate’s concerned voice calmed him. “I...despise the subject, but it is a necessary evil to prepare for it. Besides, we are nearly done with that section, aren’t we?”

Midoriya still had that tentative look, but he conceded a nod. “Can’t argue with that. If you’re feeling alright...Let’s move onto simultaneous equations!”

“Very well…”

What followed was more frustration, irritation, and brain bending than Fumikage could ever see himself getting used to. But it was worth it, hearing that golden voice explain it all.

Chapter Text

On an early Tuesday morning, Izuku Midoriya woke up. 

As he sat up, his mind slowly forgot a dream of the night sky. The sleep had...actually been decent, which made getting out of bed a hassle.

Izuku looked around the room as he changed. It was a mess, but it didn’t take long to realise why.

The study session...I completely forgot to tidy up. Ah! Aren’t those Tokoyami-kun’s notes? I should get those back to him...  

They were well worn, no doubt from the effort made last night. Tokoyami had been a good listener; and was certainly improving with practice. Math had been a difficult subject for him, that had been obvious, but it wasn’t anything a study session couldn’t fix.

Izuku gathered the notes and textbooks into a neat pile before putting them in his school bag. Tokoyami was going to need them for class today.

I hope he feels better...Something definitely bothered him last night, but what? 

I don’t think it was the math…Unless I didn’t teach it well? I’m still getting used to tutoring, if I can even call it that...

No, it wasn’t the study. Even after we took a break he seemed...off. No, not just off, he looked...really upset.

Izuku had never seen his classmate in such a state. Tokoyami was the kind of guy not let his composure slip, but last night was a shocking contrast. 

What happened at the training camp really got to him. I… I’m glad he opened up to me, but...why do I feel like something else was bothering him?

Izuku began tying his shoes, the cogs in his head quietly turning.

Tokoyami-kun looked fine before dinner, so I don’t think he was sick…

Oh no, was it because I said he was cliché? Why did I have to say that? He was being so nice! I didn’t mean to make fun of him or anything…God, I suck at talking. But no, that happened before I said that, right?

No, I won’t overthink this. What matters is whether he feels fine now. I think he feels fine now...

Maybe I should check if he’s okay? No, that’s too much! But it’d be nice to know…

Oh what am I thinking? I’ll see him in class anyway! Just gotta make sure I give him his books…

But...I’ll definitely ask him. I have to!

Throwing the bag over his shoulder with a bit too much determination, Izuku left the room into the start of a new day.

On an early Tuesday morning, Fumikage Tokoyami woke up. 

After a minute of his phone going off, Fumikage silenced the wretched thing and reluctantly sat up. His head assaulted him with soreness, balanced only by an unfathomable nausea.

OH COME ON, WHY DID YA HAVE TO SET AN ALARM? I WAS RELAXING!

Fumikage barely had the energy to groan. If the alarm hadn’t worsened his headache, his quirk’s screeching certainly did.

I didn’t want to oversleep this time. It’s a necessary precaution, after yesterday’s events. Leave me alone.

OH COME ON, ARE YOU STILL MAD ABOUT LAST NIGHT? SURE, I SAID SOME MEAN THINGS, BUT I COULDN’T HELP IT! HONEST, I COULDN’T!

...I don’t want to talk about it. 

Dark Shadow’s presence lessened for a second, flinching. He didn’t seriously feel bad, did he?

HEY LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, YOU AND MIDORIYA GOT TO TALK! YOU GOT TO BOND! THAT’S SOMETHING, RIGHT?

Fumikage’s heart warmed at the memory, but his mind went cold.

I’m fortunate that Midoriya is a patient man. If it weren’t for him, everything would have been-! No...best not think about it. But...

GETTING ANGSTED UP WON’T HELP, YOU KNOW! I’M JUST SAYING, TRY TO CHILL OUT. RELAX A LITTLE! 

I don’t need a lesson in relaxing from you. And 'angsted' isn't a word.

FINE! BE THAT WAY! 

With the weight of his quirk sulking, Fumikage got changed and packed his bags. It didn’t take long to notice that he was missing some things.

“My books. I must have left them last night…” Fumikage muttered. “I will have to ask Midoriya about it when we see each other.”

OH GOODY!

Fumikage sighed.

I shouldn’t bother asking after yesterday but...Could you possibly-

LEMME GUESS; KEEP QUIET? BE ‘WELL BEHAVED’? FINE! I CAN DO THAT! BUT ONLY BECAUSE OF IZU- I MEAN, YOU-KNOW-WHO . BUT THE SECOND THINGS GET BORING, I’LL RIOT!

Brilliant…

Surprisingly, Fumikage’s head wasn’t as muddled as it was yesterday. However, he knew more often how quickly his mood, his entire world, could turn for the worse.

I must be vigilant. Today will be better. It has to be...

With nothing else, Fumikage left his room at a speed. This time he’d come to class early. This time, he’d look proper. This time, he’d start the day right.

That was when he narrowly avoided a collision with ( of all people, why did it have to be-? ) Izuku Midoriya. 

In the span of a second, the two of them found themselves in an awkward dance; a flurry of panicked side steps carried by rushed momentum.Thankfully neither of them had fallen over; but Fumikage knew he needed to work on his reflexes.

“A-Ah! Good morning Tokoyami-kun!” Midoriya caught his balance with grace and laughed a little. “Sorry about that! I didn’t even look where I was going and..”

“No, the fault is mine.” Fumikage steadied himself and tried to keep the shock out of his voice. “I suppose we were both eager to get to class...”

Midoriya laughed a second time, and Fumikage’s chest lightened. The dry sarcasm wasn’t even a joke, let alone a funny one, but he felt a sense of accomplishment. 

“Yeah, guess so!” Midoriya smiled, before his face turned to concern. “Oh by the way, did you sleep alright? After last night, I mean...”

It had actually been the best sleep in Fumikage’s life. His head still pounded, but his thoughts had been clear. Nothing stopped him from falling asleep, not even Dark Shadow’s usual tirade of nonsense. The sleep itself was indescribable. It was the first time in a while he could remember dreaming instead of thinking.

So why did it still feel so incomplete?

Fumikage couldn’t place any reason in particular, but something about that sleep-that dream -bothered him. He had felt pure content, but little joy. Satisfaction, but no happiness. Already he had forgotten most of the dream, but that empty space felt important. Simple and small, yet incomprehensible by nature.

But this wasn’t the time for poetry. 

“I had a fair rest indeed.” Fumikage replied stoically. He paused before quietly adding “Thank you for...well…”.

Midoriya spared him the fate of explaining any further. “Hey, it’s okay! As long as you’re feeling better. I mean you look better…”

Fumikage nodded. “I feel much better, thank you.”

He wanted to kick himself; those words didn’t do his gratitude justice. Fumikage didn’t know how else to show it. He wanted to know how. He needed to.

They made their way down to the mess hall for breakfast, as usual. Fumikage didn’t enjoy large crowds, but it was difficult to dislike the ambiance of his classmates bantering. It almost felt like home, sometimes.

...I completely skipped breakfast yesterday, didn’t I? I was in a rush, so I missed a meal...That probably didn’t help my mood...I must not be so careless. I must show vigilance!

Fumikage made himself a whole grain sandwich with ham and lettuce, much to Dark Shadow’s despair, while Midoriya grabbed a bowl of porridge. 

They sat opposite one another, by themselves, and ate in silence.

This is the first time I’ve had breakfast alone with Midoriya… Heavens, why does that matter?

I MIGHT HAVE AN IDEA!

I’d rather not hear it-

-YOU’RE MAKING YOUR WAY UP THE FRIENDSHIP LADDER! 

That can’t have been what you were implying…

OH? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING THEN? WERE YOU THINKING OF SOMETHING ELSE? SOMETHING … MORE???????

...I trapped myself in that snare, didn’t I?

SOMETIMES IT’S TOO EASY!

“Oh, I almost forgot; your notes!” Midoriya hastily rummaged through his bag before producing the stack of books. “Here, I’m pretty sure that’s everything...”

“Ah, right.” Fumikage took the pile from his classmate. “Again, I must thank you for taking the time to help me...”

“Hey, no problem!” Midoriya smiled, leaning a little closer to Fumikage. “Did it help? I mean, I enjoyed it but I don’t know if my notes were good enough or if I explained it well-”

“The notes were very informative, as were your explanations.” Fumikage replied. “It is as one might expect from a student of your caliber.”

A humble laugh rose from his classmate. “Well, I’m glad. Would you..wanna do it again sometime? I don’t mean today , necessarily, but...you know…”

DUDE! HIS CHEEKS ARE RED! HE’S FLUSTERED!!

“It would be a pleasure.” Fumikage finished his last bite of bread. “Light knows I’ll need it…”

“Hey, don’t say that! You did fine yesterday…”

“You do not have to lie, Midoriya. It was calculus . Helpful as you were, it was a wonder I  had any sanity left…”

Midoriya grinned, then shook his head ever so slightly. “Still...it’ll come to you with more time. All it takes is practice. I know you can do it!”

Fumikage conceded the point with a nod. He couldn’t argue against such charming encouragement. 

Hopeless indeed…

“Ah, the time! We should get going, shouldn’t we?” Midoriya shovelled the rest of his breakfast down in seconds. “Everyone else’s already left, come on!”

Fumikage followed closely behind his classmate as they left the dorm building. 

Torrential rain greeted them before they could take another step outside.

“Oh no…” Midoriya made a quick search of his bag, then turned to Fumikage. “I must have left my umbrella in my locker! Do you have yours? We uh, might have to share...”

OH MAN! THIS IS PERFECT! A CHANCE TO BE CLOSE TO IZUKU! SO INTIMATE! A CHANCE TO BOND AND MAYBE EVEN-

“I don’t have an umbrella.” Fumikage replied. “Forgive me, I suppose I should get around to buying one…”

NOOOOOOOOOOO! ANOTHER FAILURE!

Is it too much to ask for silence? Even for a minute?

YEAH, LIKE THAT’S GONNA HAPPEN! BUT NEVERMIND THAT, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO???

“Oh? Well that’s alright, this isn’t really the season for it, huh?” Midoriya stared towards the classrooms, barely visible in the unrelenting weather. “Class is about to start, guess there’s nothing for it…”

“What are you suggesting…?”

“Come on!”

“Wait, are you going to-?”

Without a second of reconsideration, Midoriya sprinted into the rain. Fumikage gaped after him.

The complete madman!

AHAHAHAHA! YES! FLY MIDORIYA, FLY!

Heavens help me….

Before he could reconsider anything, Fumikage ran after his classmate into the storm.

Getting drenched was a less than ideal way to start the morning, but Fumikage didn’t think about that in the slightest. Not even Dark Shadow’s cackling in the back of his mind affected him. 

No, all that rang through Fumikage’s mind was how much he enjoyed the pure madness of running with reckless abandon through the storm. The madness of doing something reckless, but not alone. The madness of Izuku Midoriya.

Izuku enjoyed staring at the rainy weather outside of the classroom. 

Walking into class dripping wet had been embarrassing, but as soon as they were inside the thundering storm felt comforting, in a strange way. 

After homeroom, classes began with English. It wasn’t Izuku’s best subject, admittedly, but a new motivation drove him to focus. 

Okay, so if we’re learning about grammar here, and we covered Gatsby last week...I should make some notes around those subjects. Oh, but what about the reading comprehension? How can I make notes with that? Maybe some phonetic graphs? But that’s way too complicated…

“YO, MIDORIYA!” Present Mic startled Izuku with his loud, yet (somehow) relaxed voice. “IF YOU’RE GONNA MUMBLE MAYBE, YOU GOTTA SPEAK ENGLISH HUMBLE, BABY!”

“Ah, I’m sorry!” 

I know he was trying to rhyme, but...that didn’t sound grammatically correct…

“I CAN STILL HEAR YOU!!!!”

“Ah, I’m sorry again!”

“DON’T BE SO HIGH STRUNG, MAN! I WAS JOKING, DUDE!” 

The zealous English teacher didn’t sound offended at all, but that didn’t lessen the embarrassment. Izuku covered his mouth with one hand, and stared down at his desk.

What is wrong with me? I didn’t even realise I was muttering that time! This has to stop! Maybe I should see a therapist...or some kind of linguistic doctor, if someone like that exists...No, surely there’s someone like that...like for speech impediments, right? God, I don’t know….

He would have to shelve the issue for later. Shaking his head, Izuku persevered with his note taking. 

By lunchtime, Izuku desperately needed a break. He managed to stay on top of the schoolwork, but making the notes for Tokoyami left little time to relax.

Not that Tokoyami was inconveniencing him, of course. Izuku was more than happy to-

“Pardon me, Midoriya.”

“Wah?!”

Izuku looked up from his cafeteria table. Speak of the devil. “Ah, Tokoyami-kun! Long time no see, huh?”

“Indeed.” The raven headed boy gave a neutral nod, but his eyes held a glint of...something. “Forgive me, but could I have a moment of your time?”

So formal...

“Sure thing! What is it?”

“Well...I had some difficulty applying an equation last period, I believed you showed it to me last night…”

“Oh yeah?”

The pair found themselves at the cafeteria not a moment sooner, deep in debate and even deeper in their meals.

“Confounded arithmetic! Do they expect us to remember such an application in every scenario?”

“Well, it is math. If you know the equation you can apply it anywhere, right?”

“That is certainly easy to say , but whenever I attempt to do so it just...fails somewhere!”

Izuku took a patient breath, watching his classmate grip his pencil tighter and tighter. Tokoyami didn’t seem the type to lose his patience; to be completely honest it was kind of amusing.

I shouldn’t laugh at him for not getting it. And I’m not! It’s just that...he looks cute. No, that’s not what I mean! There has to be another word for it, like...like...Dammit, there’s no other word for it! It’s just cute! WHY AM I LIKE THIS?   

Izuku shook the thought off. “Like I said, you’ll get it with enough practice. I know it! It’s tedious, but it’ll click eventually.” 

“Eventually, indeed…” Tokoyami shook his head, returning the notes into his bag. “I haven’t even begun to approach the other topics...But that is no excuse.”

This time, Tokoyami’s frustration looked...admirable. Izuku gave the most supportive smile he could. “You’ll get there. I’ll help make sure of it! If you want, that is...”

Tokoyami took a second before looking up at Izuku. “You really mustn’t feel obliged. I’m sure you have your own commitments-”

“Like I said, it’s fine!” Izuku cut him off. “This is gonna sound weird, but...I’m kind of enjoying it? Helping you study, I mean.”

“Even with calculus?”

“Well, no-one likes calculus.” Izuku laughed. “But...at least it gives me an excuse to talk non-stop for a little while, huh?”

Tokoyami eyes flashed with concern. “As I said before, you shouldn’t worry about-”

“I know, I know. It’s just...I guess I like explaining things in detail? Is that weird?”

“I wouldn’t think so.” Tokoyami paused for a second before speaking again. “You’d make for an excellent teacher.”

Izuku found himself taken off guard from the compliment. “A t-teacher? Really? Not that it’s a bad profession, or something that doesn’t interest me; it’s a very noble and respectable job, and they are starting to get better pay I think; or at least I hope so-”

“It would suit you, I think.” Tokoyami interjected, calmly as ever. “After you become a professional Hero, of course. I don’t mean to say you wouldn’t do well in that field either..."

Izuku flushed internally. “A-Ah well…I guess we’ve still got some time to think about what kind of hero we want to be, huh? Do you have any plans, Tokoyami-kun?”

“Me?” Tokoyami blinked, turning his head away in ponderment. “What kind of hero indeed...Perhaps-? No, never mind...”

“What? What is it?”

“...It’s nothing.”

“C’mon, it can’t be that bad, can it?”

“No, but…” Tokoyami sighed after a moment. “I...have entertained the idea of becoming a night-time Hero.”

Izuku let out a smile. “Hey, that’s a great idea! You mean like a hero that specialises in night activity, patrols, covert ops, that kind of thing? That’s so cool!”

“Yes, but-”

“They don’t typically get as much attention as heroes that operate in the day, but they handle all kinds of problems; and since your quirk involves Dark Shadow, you’d be especially useful-”

“If I could control it- control him ….” Tokoyami interrupted the ramble with a softer tone. “As I am now, I cannot hope to control Dark Shadow at night...I’d be a liability.”

Izuku shook his head. “That’s what training is for, right? There’s still heaps of time before we graduate, you’ll get it!”

“I suppose, but...” Tokoyami still kept his glance to the side. “I’ve been trying for years . Somehow, it has only gotten more difficult...”

“Tokoyami-kun…”

The bell rang before Izuku could come up with anything to say. 

Tokoyami was already standing up. The uncertain expression had faded from his face. “Well then, it’s already next period. I believe it’s...P.E, isn’t it?”

He’s changing the subject. Well, it’s not something you can just talk about on the way to class, huh? I hope I didn’t make him feel uncomfortable...

“Uh...yeah.” Izuku replied. “It’s still raining, so I guess we’ll be in the gym today, huh?”

Tokoyami nodded. “Most likely. One must hope we won’t be doing any laps around the building...” 

“Yeah, let’s hope not. I’m still drying off after this morning...”

“If I may remind you, running in the rain was your idea.”

“Hey, it was either that or being late for class!”

“Iida-san, is that you?”

“Hey, that’s…” Izuku laughed internally, failing to hide a grin. “God...he would say something like that huh? It sounds just like him.”

“Indeed. A spitting image. Haunting.”

“I mean, that’s not a bad thing, right?” 

“Of course not.”

“...”

“...”

“Okay, this sounds bad, but...We are running late, so...”

“Truely a doppelganger...”

“Hey!” Izuku smiled, and despite the embarrassment he picked up his pace. “C’mon!”

As they headed for the changing rooms, Izuku ignored the smirk that briefly crossed Tokoyami’s face. He ignored how warm his face felt at that.

By the strike of the hour, everyone had finished changing. Following warm ups the class was made to form pairs. 

“Hey, Deku-kun!” A bubbly voice came up from behind him. “Wanna pair up today?”

“Uraraka-san…” Izuku turned, and after a second he met her smile. It was hard to say no to such a cheerful demeanor. “S-Sure thing!”

“Sweet!” Uraraka somehow looked even more bright. “Maybe we could do some close-range stuff when we spar? I think I’m getting rusty…”

...I keep forgetting that she’s trained in martial arts now.

“Sounds good.” Izuku nodded. “Maybe you could show me a thing or two?”

“Mmm!”

Off to the side, Izuku’s eye caught Tokoyami; the raven-headed boy was talking with Tsu-chan. 

Ah, well...they have worked together a lot before, huh?

Ignoring the lump in his chest, Izuku turned back to Uraraka. “So, where should we train?”

They found a reasonably secluded corner of the gym. It wasn’t like they needed much space; they weren’t allowed to excessively use their quirks for mere sparring.

“Alright, you gotta try and surprise me...” Uraraka gripped her fists, readying herself into a defensive position. “Come at me, Deku-kun!”

“Right!” With no further ceremony Izuku charged forward, dialing back his force but keeping his speed.

Uraraka, light on her feet, held her own despite the gap in physical strength and speed. Izuku realised that he didn’t know nearly as much about close range counters or grappling as he should have. Gunhead had taught her well.

Uraraka straightened her shoulders. “So Deku-kun, how’re things?”

“It’s been okay.” Izuku replied, casually blocking a quick blow sent by his partner. “I’m starting to sleep better, I think.”

“I can tell!”  Uraraka replied with a kick at Izuku’s side. “You’re, uh, looking better, I mean...”

Izuku felt his cheeks warm a few degrees. Shaking his head, he grabbed Uraraka’s leg and lifted in a quick motion. “You guys didn’t have to worry about me. I’m fine, really...”

Uraraka landed with a backflip as quickly as she had been launched. “Of course we had to! You looked way less...less...”  

“Fervent?”Uraraka tilted her head a little. “Not the word I was thinking of, but sure!” 

“...Wait, what were you thinking?”

“Uh...enthusiastic?”

“That’s just as embarrassing....”

“Hey! It’s a good thing!!!”

Izuku laughed, despite the sudden rush of punches that came at him. “Well, I feel a lot better now, so no worries there…”

“Good!” Uraraka smiled, but it looked terrifying with her aggressive focus.

They continued to spar; time moved slowly due to concentration, yet the movements were quick. 

After a moment, maybe it had been ten minutes, Uraraka spoke. “So...how’s Tokoyami-kun?”

Izuku faltered a step, forcing him to recover with a roll. “T-Tokoyami-kun?”

Uraraka gave him a second to get his bearings. She smiled. “Yeah. Saw you guys talking a lot at dinner last night so I wondered…” 

“Ah, right.” Izuku tried to focus on his movements more. “Yeah, I’ve been studying with him a little. You know, with exams and all...”

“Oh, that’s great!” Uraraka hopped from side to side. “...I should probably get around to doing that too, huh?”

She laughed at that, and Izuku had to smile back. “Well, I’m currently working on some notes. So if you want, I can make some copies…”

“Really?! Ahhhh, you’re a lifesaver!”

They continued sparring some more. Izuku blocked Uraraka’s attack well, but when it was his turn his hits proved difficult to land. She was fast, light and agile. 

I always imagined her as a rescue-oriented hero, but crap! Her quirk has so many applications...Well, I guess that’s the case for everyone, but-

“So...Tokoyami-kun’s a pretty cool guy, huh?” Uraraka’s voice sounded more tired now, but Izuku could hear her interrupt his thoughts. 

Misstepping again, Izuku took a moment to breathe. Formulate his thoughts. “Y-yeah?”

“Yeah.” Uraraka stopped her assault, adjusting her clothes. “I mean, you guys are getting along pretty well. I don’t think I’ve seen him talk that much since the festival!”

“Oh...really?” Izuku took a moment to adjust his collar. “I mean, he’s probably doing that to keep up with how much I talk, so…”

“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself!” Uraraka charged forward to grab Izuku. Her supportive tone strained as she grappled with him. She flicked a smile. “I think he just likes you.”

…

Huh?

That was all it took for Izuku to weaken the hold on his classmate. Within a second she had flipped him onto the ground. 

The landing had been hard, but Izuku had his attention elsewhere. He scrambled to his feet. “Wait, what? What do you mean? Y-Y-You know the word ‘like’ can mean a lot of things, so, uh, like, which one are you trying to say???”

Uraraka blinked. “Uh… the platonic one?”

Izuku blinked back. I’m an idiot . Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!   “Oh. Okay. Right. Yeah, you’re probably right about that...”

A pause came before the girl blinked again, much faster. “W-Wait, did you think I meant-?”

“No, no no no! Of course not! Why would I think that? What do you mean? What do I mean? What does anything mean?! Ahahahahahahaha!”

What am I doing? What the HELL am I saying? I look crazy don’t I? She can see how weird I’m acting. Everyone can probably see it too. I need to stop being like this-! Calm down. CALM. DOWN.

The bell rang before anything more could be said.

Izuku snapped back into reality. He needed to get the hell out of there, and the bell was the perfect window. “Well anyway, that was a good spar! I better get going; things to do, places to see, people to...ahhhh whatever! I’ll see you around-!” 

“Hey, Deku-kun?”  Uraraka grabbed Izuku softly by his arm. She was...smiling? Her eyes had a searching look. “If you wanna talk about anything...even if you think I’ll think it’s strange; you can talk to me, alright?”

“Uh...okay. Sure! I’ll...I’ll do that!” 

Will I really? Should I? What would I even say? I don’t know what’s wrong with me... Is there something wrong with me? Maybe-

“Hey, I mean it! I won’t...judge you or anything if you...you know…” The young girl’s face cherried, blushing a fierce red. “You know what I mean…”

What does she mean? Does she know? She can’t know. How could she? I don’t even know! What are we talking about again?

“Uh, yeah…I’ll...I’ll keep that in mind! Thanks!” Izuku smiled, but he couldn’t hold it steady for long. “Sorry, I...I gotta get changed…”  

Izuku practically ran out of the gym.

What the hell was that?

I...I gotta apologise to Uraraka-san later...I was totally rude back there...

But…

No. Calm down. Deep breaths…

I gotta get changed. Change my clothes, change my mind, change...everything.

The locker rooms were surprisingly clean today, though Izuku knew that wouldn’t last long. Inevitably, there was a race to the showers; though Izuku never tried to win that battle. The last time Izuku tried he had almost been trampled. 

Once he did get a turn, Izuku kept his shower quick. All he needed was a few minutes of hot water; it did wonders in erasing the tension from his muscles. 

He carefully went back to his thoughts.

Uraraka-san really did a number on me, huh? I didn’t think she could be so...ruthless!

I should’ve asked her more about Gunhead! Not that I’m completely familiar with his career; not yet, at least.

Then again, it’s not like I HAVE to know everything about every Hero...That’d be weird, right?

...Or maybe I’m weird already. God, I certainly feel weird.

I definitely weirded out Uraraka-san too. She did say “strange”...I mean she’s not exactly wrong... Does she think I’m strange? Why? I mean, I know I’m not exactly normal, but...No, she’s just looking out for me! What am I thinking?

Shoving the thoughts to the back of his mind, Izuku shut the water off.

Going straight to his locker, Izuku found his clothes and began drying off. 

“Hey Tokoyami, you paired up with Asui again, huh?”

Izuku turned his head. The voice came from Kaminari, who stood next to the raven-headed classmate. 

“I did.” Tokoyami replied in a neutral tone. “It made sense, considering our synergy from working together before…”

“‘Synergy’, huh?” Kaminari flashed a grin. “I wonder, I wonder…”

Tokoyami stopped buttoning his shirt. “Have I said something strange?”

“Nah, man…” Kaminari shrugged, maintaining a smile. “Just seems like you fit well together, know what I mean?”

“I...don’t believe I do.”

“Oh, you guys talking about Tokoyami and Asui?” Kirishima perked up, joining the conversation. “You two get along well, so I guess it makes sense...” 

“What are you-”

“I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourselves.” Ojiro diligently dried his tail as he spoke. “Not that it’s any of our business...”

“C’mon, we’re talking about Asui-san here…” Mineta piped up, appearing out of nowhere. “She may look like a frog, but her figure is still-”

Shoji immediately grabbed Mineta into a choke-hold. “I agree with Ojiro. No need to interrogate Tokoyami if he doesn’t feel like discussing it.”

“Especially without any evidence!” Iida added. “Such baseless claims create unnecessary scandal and defamation!”

“What in dark heavens are you-?” Tokoyami stopped, a look of realisation crossed his eyes. “You don’t mean…”

“Hey man, it’s cool!” Kaminari laid a hand on Tokoyami’s shoulder casually. “If you’re not into her, I totally get it. Wasn’t even sure if you had a type, to be honest...”

Izuku felt the urge to speak up, until he realised he had no idea what to say. The locker room talk was typical for his classmates, but this was the first time he saw Tokoyami under fire.

I know it’s none of our business, but... does he have a type? No wait, I don’t care. Well, I shouldn’t care, but I guess it’s interesting. Interesting?! No! What am I thinking?!

Tokoyami sighed. “I appreciate your...concern. But I doubt I’ve captured the attention of anyone, much less romantically...”

It’s not interesting. It’s not interesting. It’s not interesting. It’s not-

“Hey, don’t sell yourself short, dude!” Kirishima clapped Tokoyami on the other shoulder. “A pro hero in training, who wouldn’t wanna date ya?”

Tokoyami froze for a second at the contact, but quickly continued changing. He could be heard muttering. “Kind words….”

Kaminari wasn’t letting go of the topic that easily, however. “Still, there’s gotta be someone you like, right?”

The avian simply closed his eyes, making his trademark-mysterious expression; his face impossible to read. “In the grand scheme of the abyss, do such trivial things even matter?"

“Uh...I think so?” After a pause, Kaminari let out a light laugh. “Man, you’re a strange guy sometimes...If you do want some advice, you can talk to me, ‘kay?”

Tokoyami slowly nodded, but said nothing. His face still gave away nothing.

Izuku turned away to continue changing, and nothing else. No thoughts about anything, just changing. Changing, changing, changing. 

He couldn’t have left the changing room faster. 

The last period, science, was just what Izuku needed to distract himself. Today’s lesson discussed the passing down of quirks in genetics; more specifically, the passing down of physical genes and the difficulty of predicting a child’s quirk pattern, even while knowing the parent’s quirks.

How am I going to cue card this?

About halfway through the class, they reached the topic of quirklessness in children. Izuku ignored the lump in his stomach. Nobody in the class reacted to it, not even Kacchan, but Izuku felt himself holding a deep breath. He let it out quietly. The teacher had moved on already.

I’m not like that anymore. I know that, but...I used to be. I used to be part of that small percentage, barely mentioned…But even now I’m still...different, aren’t I?

Izuku kept taking notes, counting the last few minutes before the final bell rang.

Fumikage strained his head once more as he considered the practice problems Midoriya gave him. This time it was english grammar; while not as tedious as math, it wasn’t any less confusing. 

A glance at the clock told him it was already approaching evening. 

I’ve been at this for too long...Light, I haven’t even touched the readings for tomorrow. Is this correct? Likely not…

LOOKS FINE TO ME!

“Not much of an endorsement…” Fumikage muttered, rubbing the smudging pencil lead from the notepad. “I’ll just have to ask Midoriya next time I-”

There was a knock at the door. 

OH MY GOD! SPEAK OF THE ANGEL!

Fumikage felt his hope spike but immediately pushed it down, mortified at himself.

Calm down. It could be anyone.

“Hey, Tokoyami-kun!” The slightly nervous tenor on the other side of the door could have only belonged to Midoriya. “If you’re not busy, can I...can I come in?”

Fumikage looked at the shevelled mess of books on his desk. “Just...a second, please...” 

“Sure!”

Fumikage got to work quickly, piling up the study materials in a desperate heap. They would have to go under the bed for now.

WELL WELL WELL, LOOK AT YOU, TIDYING UP YOUR ROOM TO IMPRESS HIM! NO, WAIT...OH! YOU DON’T WANT HIM TO SEE YOU STUDY, DO YOU?

I...I don’t have to explain myself to you.

BUT WHY?? HE WANTS TO HELP YOU! HE’D BE PROUD!

We’re not discussing this.

In truth, Fumikage didn’t know why the mess embarrassed him. Perhaps it was his own foolish pride. Perhaps he didn’t want Midoriya to see him struggle. Perhaps he didn’t want him to see his weakness. Dwelling on that thought didn’t do any good, so Fumikage shoved it down. 

Sighing, he put the mess of books back on the desk. He called to the door. “Come in!”

As Midoriya came in, Fumikage adopted a relaxed pose on his bed, hopefully looking casual. “Midoriya, for what do I owe the pleasure?”

OOOOOH NICELY SAID! SUAVE!

“Ah, well…” Midoriya shuffled a little. “I was gonna head out for something to eat. I was wondering if maybe...you wanted to tag along?”

Fumikage blinked, ignoring Dark Shadow’s excited crowing. “I...I would like that. Did you have somewhere in mind?”

Midoriya nodded with a smile. “I know this great rice bowl place in town. It’s not anything special but I like to go there a lot, and since you showed me that cafe I thought I'd-...Well, you get the point.”

Fumikage checked the clock again. 

It is getting a bit late...Some food would be nice.

He nodded. “Very well, let me just find my jacket and we can be off, posthaste...”

Midoriya chuckled a little. When Fumikage regarded that, his classmate shook his head. “Sorry, I just don’t hear that word too often; posthaste’. But I like it. Sounds formal…”

Fumikage wasn’t sure whether to feel ridiculous or glad. The former prevailed only slightly. “I...didn’t mean to make it so. It’s a bad habit, forgive me.”

Darkness take me, even that sounded too formal. 

“It’s alright, that’s how you talk. Nothing wrong with it!” For some reason, Midoriya sounded embarrassed. “I think it’s cool, honestly.”

That’s...has anyone said that before? 

Fumikage gave a grateful smile, but words failed him. They started to do so more often.

I...I don’t think so.

It had gotten cold outside by the time they left the dormitory, but the weather was clear, at least.

HEY FUMI, DON’T COCK THIS ONE UP, OKAY? NO PRESSURE! BUT THIS DATE HAS TO GO WELL!

This is not a-! No, I’m done playing this game with you. Think whatever you like, it doesn’t concern me.

OH BOOOO! YOU’RE AS LOVESICK AS A...AS A CHOCOLATE OVERDOSE ON VALENTINES!

As if I’d take stock in your poorly made similes. This is serious.

I AM SERIOUS! MIDORIYA MATTERS TO ME! HE MATTERS TO YOU TOO, RIGHT?

I...

“Hey, Tokoyami-kun?”

Fumikage snapped out of the argument to eye his classmate. Calm down. “Hmm?”

“It’s nothing, but...well…” Midoriya hesitated, just briefly. “Do you think I’m too intense with my obsession with heroes?”

Fumikage looked at him, properly. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just…Ah, how do I say it?” Midoriya fidgeted slightly. “Before coming here, I was really into quirks and heroes. Like seriously obsessed …”

“I...may have guessed.” Fumikage kept his tone neutral. “But that isn’t what I’d call ‘intense’. It’s hardly unusual…”

“No, but…” Midoriya shook his head. His smile was distant. “I guess I’m still obsessed with them, you know? So I’m worried that...I might cross personal boundaries with people sometimes…"

“You should know by now that those questions don’t bother me, Midoriya. I-”

“I know, and I’m really glad for it. But...I just hope it doesn’t make anyone uncomfortable, you know?”

Fumikage took a moment to consider what to say. “I think, of all places, U.A would be the most appropriate place to take an interest in quirks, would it not?”

“Ah I guess that’s true…” Midoriya didn’t seem convinced, but he smiled anyway. “Well, either way, sorry if it’s a bit much…”

“It isn’t.” Fumikage said firmly. “I’m...glad you like Dark Shadow. I know he’s glad too.”

OOOH! CAN I COME OUT NOW??? C’MON, I’VE BEEN GOOD!

Save it for when we get back. Do I need to remind you of the law-

THE LAW THAT RESTRICTS MY FREEDOM TO REIGN FREE WITHOUT A LICENSE? THAT’S DISCRIMINATION!

Only against reckless amateurs like ourselves...

“If you say so…” Midoriya suddenly perked up again. “Okay, we’re here!”

When they entered the diner, Fumikage was greeted with the unfamiliar, but homely smell: grease, steam, meat, and a hint of beer from some of the patrons. 

They sat down. Midoriya, already with the menu in hand, smiled as he looked around. “I come here a lot, mainly when I want some comfort food. Though...it’s not exactly fancy, huh?"

“It’s...modest.” Fumikage replied, cringing at himself. Why did he have to be so blunt? “But certainly not gaudy, by any means..”

SMOOOOOOOTH!

Quiet!

“That’s true, ” Midoriya nodded. “Have you had much of this food before?”

Fumikage peered at the menu. “In all honesty, I haven’t. What would you recommend?”

Five minutes later, rice bowls topped with meat arrived at their table. Midoriya had chosen a pork cutlet bowl -his favourite- so Fumikage assigned himself the same fate. 

“That smells great…” Midoriya beamed. “I know I should try the other bowls, but they just do the pork so well here!”

Fumikage smiled at that, taking a bite. The crunch was satisfying, and gave way to a succulent juice of salt and oil. 

“So, what do you think?”

Fumikage nodded. “A pleasant surprise. Thank you for choosing it.”

YOU DON’T LIKE IT. I CAN TELL.

It’s...not exciting, but I could get used to it….maybe. I’d rather not admit that out loud…

YOU BETTER NOT!

Fumikage continued the meal. It really wasn’t bad, he kept telling himself, but the flavour left something to be desired. Guilt creeped up on him.

How arrogant am I, acting like a food critic. I could stand to be less...picky.

MEH, DIFFERENT STROKES, DIFFERENT FOLKS, RIGHT?

Perhaps…

It didn’t take long for their bowls to be emptied-through Fumikage took longer to finish. Midoriya either didn’t notice, or didn’t mind. 

“That hit the spot.” Midoriya sighed pleasantly. “I kinda needed that, after the day we had...”

Fumikage raised a brow. “Are you referring to the classes, or the fact that we spent half of it soaked in rainwater?”

“Hey! You didn’t have to run in the rain with me!” Midoriya grinned. “I didn’t force you, did I?”

“That’s...true.” Fumikage admitted. “To be perfectly candid, I didn’t want to be late again, for the second day in a row…I suppose there’s a bit of Iida in all of us.”

This time Midoriya genuinely laughed. A wonderful sound. “Probably, huh? Well don’t worry about it, I don’t think anyone will judge you for it, even Aizawa-sensei...”

“Hmm…” Fumikage could feel the conversation dying down, so he fished for something to say.  “How are you...finding classes?” 

“Ah well, you know…” Midoriya shrugged. “It’s a lot of content, but I think I’m getting the hang of it. Oh! I managed to take some notes for today as well! Maybe you wanna go over them tonight?”

Tonight?

HELL YEAH! CAN’T SAY NO TO THAT!

“I...I would like that. I can’t say I followed English that well...”

Or anything, for that matter...  

“Great!” Midoriya nodded. His determined look quickly relaxed. “But we don’t have to jump straight into it now or anything...We can just...hang out, or something?”

Fumikage nodded without thinking. “A grand idea. Did you have something in mind?”

“Ah….not really?” Midoriya let out a nervous laugh. “We could go back to the dorms or...just walk around?”

A stroll would be nice. The moon is bright tonight, the stars…

HEY ROMEO! SAY SOMETHING FOR THE LOVE OF ALL MIGHT!

“I...wouldn’t mind a bit of walking.” Fumikage answered, snapping his focus. “I’m ready to go when you are.”

There were no clouds outside tonight, a reprieve from the daytime storm. A slight chill breezed the air, but it was pleasantly occasional. The two classmates walked down well lit streets, a cover of blackness hanging above. 

“I’m glad I can stretch my legs a bit more.” Midoriya had his hands in his pockets. “I’m still recovering from the drills Uraraka-san put me through…”

Fumikage looked aside to his classmate. “I take it the sparring went well, then?”

“Yeah, it went alright! Uraraka-san’s gotten pretty good at her hand to hand, so it wasn’t easy…” Midoriya let out a laugh. “She’s surprisingly brutal, though….”

“I see...” Fumikage kept his face neutral, but nodded. “The two of you pair well together, from what I’ve seen...”

Surprisingly, Midoriya cracked an uncharacteristically wry grin. “I guess so. But I hear we’re not the only ones that get along well, huh? How was your sparring with Tsu?”

“I-I...For your information, we’re not...I’m not…” Fumikage sighed. “Where in heavens did Kaminari get that idea?”

“Ah, well…” Midoriya’s grin quickly lost its vigour. “Sorry, that must have been awkward, huh?”

Very.

“Not...particularly.” Fumikage shrugged. “Strange certainly, but I suppose that’s par for the course, with such classmates...”

“Tell me about it.” Izuku smirked a little. “I still haven’t gotten used to Kaminari pestering me about-uh...”

OH?

What’s this?

AN OPPORTUNITY TO GRILL IZU-KUN? YES PLEASE!

“Ah, yes.” Fumikage adopted an amused smile of his own. “Another good team indeed...Tell me, how is Uraraka?”

Midoriya flushed, embarrassment clear on his face. “She’s...doing well, I guess. I mean, I don’t know! How should I know!”

“Well...you two are close, are you not?” 

“It’s...it’s…it’s just like you and Tsu, okay? Nothing is happening between us! She’s just a nice person to be friends with, okay?”

“If you say so.” Fumikage held the smile for a little longer, before dropping it slowly. “Forgive me. Only now do I realise how mortifying it is to be the subject of gossip. Not to mention I’m...not used to the subject matter.”

“To be honest...neither am I.” Midoriya let out a breath. “But I guess...We’re at that age where everyone's obsessed with...you know…”

Romance? Attraction?

SEX?!

“I..suppose so.” Fumikage absently admired the stonework of the pavement. “I am...certainly not an expert on the subject.”

“Is anyone?” Midoriya huffed a laugh. 

They continued their walk in silence for a while. The quiet was almost nice, but something in the air weighed on Fumikage. 

“Hey…” Midoriya gradually slowed his pace and came to a stop. “Tokoyami-kun?”

Fumikage turned his head. The air felt heavier now; instead of words Fumikage raised a brow in question, waiting.

“I was wondering…” Midoriya finally started. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but...Have you ever liked anyone before?”

A beat of nothing followed.

WHAAAAAAAT??????

I...what….should I say….

OOOOOH WAIT A SECOND! THIS IS MY TIME TO SHINE! FINALLY!

Don’t you dare!

“Hmm?” Fumikage slowly blinked. It was a miracle that he hadn’t given any image of surprise away. “Have I...liked anyone before?”

NICE STALLING, LOVEBIRD!

What else am I supposed to do?

ANSWER THE QUESTION, MAYBE???

And I suppose you think that such a thing is easy?

IT’S A SIMPLE ANSWER, ISN’T IT?

...That is not the issue here!

I SWEAR TO GOD, I’LL TELL HIM IF YOU WON’T...

Don’t . 

“Uh, yeah...” Midoriya immediately shook his head after a second. “No wait, nevermind! What am I saying? It’s none of my business and I shouldn’t pry! I was just curious even though you never seemed to be interested in that sort of thing before I just thought it’d be an interesting conversation because of what happened earlier-”

“Midoriya, calm down.” Fumikage intervened, trying to keep his voice steady. “I understand your curiosity...Truth be told, nobody’s really asked me that kind of thing before.”

“That’s okay! You really don’t have to tell me if you’re not comfortable!”

“No, it’s fine…” Fumikage closed his eyes. “I don’t mind the subject, it’s just…”

How much should I say?

WELL, YOU GOTTA SAY SOMETHING.

Does he realise...No, he can’t have. 

WHO CARES ABOUT THAT? THIS ISN’T THE TWENTIETH CENTURY!

...I must be careful, regardless.

WHY?

I don’t know. Shut up.

Fumikage sighed, and took a leap. “The short answer is; yes, I have had feelings for another before, long ago. They… didn’t reciprocate.”

A close friend, or at least someone who had been kind to him. Distant memories of laughter, but also longing. They were young, but something changed in him then. Then, everything had changed.

“O-Oh…” Midoriya glanced to the side before looking at him. “I’m sorry...that’s rough.”

“It was a while ago, in junior high.” Fumikage shrugged. “I don’t dwell on it...much.” 

Another silence followed, but Fumikage was compelled, by his madness, to break it. “If I may ask...Have you experienced something similar?”

“Ah, well...Yeah, I guess you could say it’s happened to me.” Midoriya bashfully nodded. “But it was a long time ago, in elementary school for sure. I remember liking this girl- god, I’ve forgotten her name- but she was nice to me. She hung out with me even though I was...uh, different . B-B-But, anyway...It wasn’t anything serious, we were too young for any of that. It wasn’t like... love , you know?” 

“I see…”

“Yeah…” Midoriya stared ahead. “But I guess we’re different people to who we were then...More mature, I guess? The girl you had feelings for...she’s missing out, for sure.”

Fumikage’s heart dropped.

She…

I....

Fumikage closed his eyes. He didn’t want to look at anything, he didn’t want to hear the deafening silence around him. 

What should I say? What should I tell him?

Dark Shadow had nothing, and said nothing.

Do I lie? No, that’s the last thing he deserves.

But the truth…How do I…? What do I say?

Hopeless…

Cowardly…

Pathetic…

...

No. Stop.

Just.

Say.

Something.

“I wouldn’t know…” Fumikage dragged the words out before he could take them back. “I haven’t talked to him since.”

For a painful second, no-one said anything.

“Him…” Midoriya repeated quietly. Immediately his eyes opened like spotlights. “OH!”

At that moment, Fumikage decided to pursue a new hobby; staring at the pavement and counting the cracks. While unexciting, it provided a convenient escapism from a hellishly awkward situation.

“Oh my god, I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to assume anything!” Midoriya was probably looking at him with earnest eyes, but Fumikage wouldn’t know; he counted nine cracks so far. “I mean...I guess I did assume, but I’ve never talked to anyone who said they liked...ah I’m really sorry!”

“It’s fine… ” Fumikage felt a croak in his throat. “Nobody...needed to ask and I...never needed to tell anyone...”

“That’s fair enough! Totally fair!” Midoriya’s words sped up. “It’s...I don’t mind at all! It’s fine, really! You’re my friend, and something like that...who you like doesn’t change anything, you know?”

After the twentieth crack in the ground, Fumikage finally looked up at his classmate. Midoriya wore embarrassment clearly on his face, but his eyes felt... real .

“I...I’m glad.” Fumikage looked to the side this time. He couldn’t say anything else, every word made him want to curl up and die.

But the returning silence was worse. 

Why…

WHY?????? WHY DID YOU SAY THAT?????

I...Curse you, you wanted me to be honest about my feelings! Now you caution me?

I DIDN’T THINK YOU’D OPEN UP WITH THE “I’M GAY” LINE! NOW HE KNOWS TOO MUCH! WE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE!! SEVER ALL TIES, START A NEW LIFE! MOVE TO CUBA, OR SOMETHING!

Don’t tempt me…

Fumikage suddenly felt something inside of him. Was that...a smirk, conveyed by a feeling of smugness? 

...You’re making fun of me. You’re...seriously making light of this?

OH COME ON! YOU TOLD HIM, ALBEIT INDIRECTLY, THAT YOU LIKED DUDES, AND HE DIDN’T HATE YOU! THAT’S LIKE, AWESOME, RIGHT?

That...I don’t know what to think…

I’D SAY I’M PROUD, BUT THIS IS LIKE, SOME REALLY BASIC SHIT, YOU KNOW?

One day, I might get brain surgery, I swear.

Fumikage shook himself. Deep breaths...think of the void, the moon, the soothing dark. Oxygen fueled his calm, and everything stopped spinning. 

I’m...relieved, but…What was I thinking? 

WELL IT’S OUTTA THE BAG NOW, SO...WHAT DO WE DO NOW?

How in Satan’s hell should I know?

“So…” Midoriya started suddenly. “When we get back, what subject did you wanna go over?”

Fumikage blinked, turned to stare at his classmate, and blinked again.

“We could go over the calculus problems again,” Midoriya continued. “Or review something we covered today?”

“I…” Fumikage then realised what Midoriya was doing. 

He wants me to know that...that nothing has changed. 

For the smallest of moments, Fumikage wanted to cry.

Instead, he shook his head. “I will..but on one condition.”

“Oh yeah?”

“For the love of light, let it not be calculus . Heaven help me if I see another number…”

“Okay okay!” Midoriya laughed, genuinely. “I think I’m getting sick of it too, so fair enough!”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, nothing at all.”

“Oh come on…”

Fumikage smiled, relief dominated his emotions. He kept walking, and relished the sounds of insects accompanying the background. The silence was no longer a weight, but a blanket.

The night had gotten darker, but the moon, Fumikage found, was all the brighter.

Chapter Text

Taking a sip of black coffee, Izuku set himself to work again. 

Today’s victim was physics. Another worksheet assigned to the class for homework. Caffeine coursed through his veins; the idea of that alone gave him placebic energy. 

A sense of urgency trailed Izuku’s writing, despite the handaching. There wasn’t any need to rush; the weekend had just started, and the work wasn’t due until next week. 

Best get it out of the way. Then I won’t have to think about it.

Izuku’s phone buzzed, halting his momentum. With a brief glance, he smiled.

Tokoyami-kun (7:53am)

Good morning, Midoriya. I hope this doesn’t wake you.

I found the name of the poem I told you about. In the Final Mists by Yoshihara Kazuo . 

Perhaps you’ll find it interesting.  

Midoriya (7:54am)

Oh hey! You’re up early haha.

That’s cool! I’ll give it a read for sure!

What brings you to the land of early risers anyway? I thought you’d sleep in lol.

Tokoyami-kun (7:54am)

Despite what other shadow entities may tell you. I can wake early when I desire to.

...That being said, I did require setting an alarm. 

But nevermind that.

Izuku laughed, and leaned forward with a smile. 

Midoriya 7:55am)

Oh, okay then hahaha.

I appreciate the effort regardless :)

Tokoyami didn’t respond after that, but Izuku didn’t mind. They had started talking more online in the past few days, and lulls in the conversation were frequent. That wasn’t a bad thing, it was just how the conversation flowed at times.

Izuku continued his work, but at a tedious question he stopped again. 

He grabbed his phone.  

Midoriya (7:57am)

So, got any exciting plans for the weekend?

Tokoyami (7:59am)

Nothing in particular. I’ve yet to decide.

Or should I perhaps say that I plan to work/study hard? 

Midoriya (8:00am)

Hey, do what you want!

I’m not the boss of you haha

Tokoyami (8:00am)

Even so, there is some coursework due next week, isn’t there?

I suppose I’ll be occupied with that as well.

Midoriya (8:00am)

Oh yeah, the physics and math worksheets!

I’m actually working on the physics one now hahaha.

You wanna compare notes?

Tokoyami (8:01am)

I believe the real question is if I’ll require your help.

To which, as has often been the case, I will.

Izuku felt himself flush, then frowned. It felt nice to be relied on, to be helpful, but Tokoyami deserved more than self-deprecation.

Midoriya (8:01am)

Don’t be so hard on yourself!

At the rate we’ve been covering material, you probably won’t need my help soon haha

Tokoyami (8:02am)

As historic a moment as that would be, I don’t see it as so forthcoming. 

...What I mean to say is that your help is always appreciated. I would like to continue our studies together.

Izuku shook his head, trying to get rid of the warmth in his cheeks. Tokoyami’s words had a way of taking him off guard; whether they were a blunt joke or a heartfelt compliment. Everything he said came through elegantly. That had taken some getting used to, but it grew on him. 

Midoriya (8:02am)

Don’t worry about it, I’m always glad to help!

If you want, I’m free all day.

Of course, we don’t have to just study. We could do other stuff too!

Up to you, though!

Maybe you’re busy, and that’s totally fine!

Izuku put his phone down, closing his eyes. It wasn’t his worst tirade of words, but that was easier to avoid online compared to real social interaction.

Put down the phone. Don't obsess over it. 

I’m nearly done with the worksheet. I’ll check my phone once I’m done. It’ll be like a reward!

God, that sounds desperate, doesn’t it?

Izuku continued with his work anyway. Even when the phone finally binged, he willed himself to finish the sheet. 

After the last desperate stroke, the final solution solved, he checked the response.

Tokoyami (8:05am):

I don’t have any plans today. I’d be happy to do whatever you have in mind.

I haven’t had breakfast yet. Perhaps we can discuss it downstairs?

Midoriya (8:09am):

Sure! I’m basically done with one of the worksheets so I’m ready to head out :)

Tokoyami (8:10am):

Excellent. I’ll be in the hallway shortly.

Smiling, Izuku left his desk to change. 

A simple black t-shirt seems like a safe choice. Yes, the weather’s warm enough for that. Don’t think it’ll rain...I hope it won’t, at least.

Satisfied with his attire, Izuku resolutely walked out into the corridor. 

Tokoyami was already outside his room, leaning on the door frame to his room and looking down on his phone. 

“Good morning, Tokoyami---” Izuku stopped. “Woah.”

Tokoyami looked up, noticing Izuku’s expression. “Is...something the matter?”

“You’re...wearing a t-shirt ?” Indeed he was; a dark purple one with a miniature grey skull patterned in the left breast. Izuku didn’t recognise the brand.

Tokoyami glanced downwards for an instant then slowly crossed his arms, frowning. “It seems you are as well. I don’t see any scandal in that...”

“Yeah, but...I’ve never seen you with a t-shirt. Let alone a purple one!”

“I have t-shirts!” Tokoyami looked down at himself again. “...Is it really that surprising?”

“Yeah! Not that it looks bad on you, though! I just...didn’t expect it. In a good way!”

“I’m sure.” Tokoyami said dryly, then looked away. “I suppose it’s true that I regularly wear collared shirts, particularly white. Perhaps I needed to broaden my horizons, to truly experience the pedestrian fashion of my contemporaries.”

It was sometimes hard to tell when Tokoyami’s grandiose language was ironic, poetic, or mere formality. This time, there was an incredibly subtle tinge of humour to his tone with that last sentence; easy to miss to an untrained ear. 

Izuku smiled. “Well, it’s working. I mean it, it looks good!”

“I..uh, thank you.” Tokoyami, slightly abashed, motioned to the stairs. “Shall we head down?”

“Sure.”

The mess hall was as loud as expected; Izuku decided that a coffee and bagel was in order, while his classmate opted for porridge and apple juice.

“By the way,” Tokoyami sat down. “I saw an episode of that documentary you recommended; the one about the Night Heroes in Osaka.” 

“Oh yeah?” Midoriya took the opposite seat. “What did you think?”

“It’s...fascinating. The narrative was a tad... overdramatized in some parts, but it was informative. I’ll certainly watch more of it, when time allows.”

“I’m glad.” Izuku took a tentative sip of his coffee, still boiling hot. “It’s not often I have a good excuse to recommend a hero documentary. I mean, I get that they’re boring sometimes, but when it gets to talking about their feats, how they risk life-especially in that Night Hero one where Nyx the Nightshadow takes on that gang who-” Izuku stopped. “You know what I mean…”

“Indeed,” Tokoyami nodded, seemingly unfazed by the rant. “I only wonder if I’ll have any skill such as hers, or any Night Hero, for that matter.”

Izuku smiled. “Hey, I believe in you! Oh, and Dark Shadow, of course!”

Tokoyami gave a pause, but let out a faintly relaxed smile. “And that belief is always appreciated…About that, I have something to...”

His classmate stopped, seeming to reconsider what to say. 

Izuku leaned in. “What’s up?”

“Ah, it’s nothing of concern. I was just pondering…”

“Oh really? Just pondering?”

“Indeed...”

“Are you sure?”

Tokoyami paused before resigning to a sigh. “I was thinking to ask you...a favor, of sorts. It isn’t study-related so you’re under no obligation to-”

“What is it???” Izuku realized in his excitement that most of his body was leaning over the table at this point. That didn’t stop his resolve. “Whatever it is I won’t mind!”

 “Very well….” Tokoyami straightened up in his chair.  “You...recall our discussion about future career plans? 

“Ah yeah, I remember! You were thinking about becoming a Night Hero, right?” 

“Just so. But I also mentioned that I needed more training; in particular, there was the matter of... him .”

“HEY! TAKING POT SHOTS AT ME ARE YA?” Dark Shadow yanked himself out of his host, glaring with sharp yellow lights. “SAY ANYMORE AND I’LL SUE FOR DEFAMATION!”

“You...you’re worried about keeping control of him in the dark, right?” Izuku asked. Then he understood. “So does that mean you want to…?”

“Yes.” Tokoyami nodded bashfully. “I need to train in the dark, practice my endurance and control, so...I’d like to ask for your help, once more. If I could...” 

“Tokoyami-kun…” Izuku felt his hands grip with determination. “Of course I’ll help! We’ll have to figure out precautions, probably, but I know how much this means to you so I’ll do whatever I can.”

“...You’re certain?”

“Yes! Only if you are, of course...”

“As much as I dread the idea, it is my greatest weakness. Grades aside, of course.” The dry humour did little to take the edge off his classmate’s tone. “It must be done, for myself and…”

...for everyone else. That’s what you were going to say, huh?

He cares so much…

Of course he does, he’s a hero! But…

What am I thinking? But what?

“We’ll figure something out.” Izuku shoved his thoughts away so he could think. “We’ll need a dark place, but one we can access quickly. Maybe a flashlight? Or is that too weak? And it should be big enough to account for Dark Shadow’s increased size…Oh crap, and there’s the curfew to consider too...What do you think?”

“I’ve thought about it a little…” Tokoyami looked down, a pause in his voice. “My room wouldn’t be well equipped for it, and removing every glowing object from the room would be tedious. But…”

“You think we should use my room?” Izuku finished. “I don’t mind, but...isn’t it a bit small? If Dark Shadow got big-”

“I won’t let that happen.” Tokoyami stated firmly. “I’ve given it some thought; so long as the environment is peaceful, my emotions should be easy to keep in check. There’ll be some agitation, but...If things go poorly, you can turn the lights on.”

Izuku gave it some thought, then nodded. “Okay. If you’re sure, then let’s do it! I trust both of you, and I’ll do my best on my end. Don’t worry!”

“I won’t.” Tokoyami said seriously. “Having you there...will certainly help as well. I have my fullest faith in you.”

Izuku’s heart pounded, just once. 

He trusts me...Of course he does, we’ve been through a lot together. But....why does that feel so special now? 

What...what’s going on?

“I’m glad.” Izuku could feel the room getting warmer. “Well, now that we’ve decided that, did you want to do something today? I’ve got nothing planned, though I guess I should do some training. Do you jog a lot, Tokoyami-kun? I know some routes-ah, but I wouldn’t want to force you. I don’t mind doing something easier going if that’s-”

“I...don’t mind the idea of some exercise.” Tokoyami cut in. “I’ve never tried jogging, but a new experience couldn’t hurt...”

“WAIT, WHAT!?” Dark Shadow, who had been somewhat distracted, interrupted. “YOU’RE ASKING SOMEONE TO MAKE YOU EXERCISE? IN BROAD DAYLIGHT? THAT’S RARE!”

“I don’t see any problem with it.” Tokoyami seemed unfazed by the comment, but his tone lacked security. “I’m no athlete, but physical exertion is no stranger to a hero in training.”

“YEAH, BUT DO YOU EVEN HAVE SPORTS CLOTHES?

“I do.”

“ OTHER THAN SCHOOL UNIFORM?

Tokoyami glanced away from his quirk. “I don’t see the point of arguing with you. It’s a fruitless endeavor.”

“ONLY BECAUSE YOU NEVER WIN!”

“Guys!” Izuku jumped in. It was an amusing spectacle, but he wanted to avoid a diplomatic crisis. “If you want, maybe we can leave right after breakfast? I find runs are easier when it’s earlier in the day...Up to you, though!” 

“Very well. I welcome the challenge.”

“YEAH, I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE THIS!”

But...I never said it was a challenge!

Regardless, they finished breakfast quickly and, after returning to their rooms to get changed, headed outside the dorm building.

The morning dew still lingered in the scent of the air, mingling with the faint smog of the distant metropolis. The sun peaked out of grey clouds to provide occasional warmth, but a slight chill lingered. It was fantastic weather for a run. 

Izuku decided to take his usual route; a footpath that would send them several blocks away from the school campus, including a scenic walk with views of the beach on one side, skyscrapers on the other. The sea breeze would be perfect for it. 

Tokoyami ran alongside him as they departed school grounds. “As loathe as I am to admit it, I must warn you that my stamina...leaves something to be desired.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it.” Izuku replied. “This is mainly for fun, so we can go any pace we want.”

“Very well, then…” There was a touch of relief in Tokoyami’s response. “Lead the way.”

Izuku did so, and while his legs carried him he let his mind wander. Running was one of the few times he could do that. 

After the first 15 minutes of the jog, Izuku noticed his classmate starting to slow, with a quiet fastening of breath. Despite his warning, Tokoyami certainly wasn’t unfit, but nor was he in the habit of going for long runs. After more time had passed, the fatigue became visible. 

“You want to stop for a bit?” Izuku asked, slowing his pace.  

Tokoyami shook his head. “I can carry on for longer. Don’t mind me…”

“YEAH….” Dark Shadow audibly panted as he emerged from his host (which sparked Izuku’s curiosity in how the quirk could pant and why). “WE CAN…..DO THIS….ALL DAY!”

“Really, it’s alright!” Izuku rolled his shoulder, it felt tense. “No harm stopping for a bit. And look! We’re just about at the beach!” 

They came to a broad patch of grass in front of the sand, with a tree that offered shade. 

As they sat down, Izuku heard his classmate let out a quiet sigh. “A pleasant view. I’ve never taken the time to appreciate it.  “Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve been here in broad daylight.”

“Oh really?” Izuku smiled at that. “Well, it’s definitely one of my favorite places to relax. The smell...I’ll never get sick of it.”

“I can see the appeal.” Tokoyami gazed out to the ocean in front of them. “Perhaps I should...hmm.”

“What?” 

Tokoyami didn’t respond immediately but continued with another sigh. “It’s nothing. I was thinking about how little I go out like this. Perhaps I should make an effort to do this more often.”

Oh?

“Glad I could take you out then!” Izuku felt himself relax in the mild sun. “There’s something about jogging with someone else that’s really motivating, we should do this more often!”

“Uh, ah…” Tokoyami made a brief grimace. “Perhaps a little less than often, considering your definition of a jog is much...broader than mine.”

“Hey, you were doing fine! It gets easier with practice!”

“So you’ve said with everything else.” Tokoyami replied with a light dryness. “If I were a prodigal child with matters such as study and exercise, I would, perhaps, share your mentality.”

“Oh come on…” Izuku smiled, seeing that Tokoyami was doing the same. “I’ve seen your progress, so you can’t downplay yourself like that! Besides, there’s probably a lot of things you can do better than me, I bet!”

“Compliments notwithstanding, I’m inclined to disagree.”

“See? I could never talk as fancy as you do!” 

“And you are, probably, the only person to envy me for it.”

“It’s cool! I mean it!”

“Honestly…” Tokoyami let out an exasperated breath. “In all seriousness, do you believe I’m truly improving?  I suppose it’s not very obvious from my position…”

“I mean it.” Izuku nodded resolutely. “By the time exams come around, you’ll see it too.”

“Your confidence is remarkable, but...thank you.”

At that moment, Tokoyami turned to Izuku. When they matched eyes he let out one of his rare smiles. It wasn’t cool or calculated, nor did it contain any pride or ego. It was a smile that leaked kind satisfaction.

“Tokoyami-kun…”

His friend’s face reverted to the same stoic expression. “About tonight-or well, about training my control with Dark Shadow, I had a thought.” 

“Oh yeah?” 

“It’s...well, I doubt it would make much difference, but for safety’s sake it couldn’t hurt to try it…”

“IF YOU’RE NOT GONNA SAY IT, I WILL!” Dark Shadow’s head emerged, slightly, out of Tokoyami’s stomach. The quirk was clearly excited. 

“No! I-” Tokoyami shook his head. “I was thinking...perhaps we could do some sparring?”

Sparring?!

“It doesn’t have to be strictly intense,” Tokoyami went on. “But it would have to be enough to genuinely tire myself and Dark Shadow out.” 

“That’s...that could work, I think.” Izuku let the idea stir in his mind. “Yeah, there’s no reason why stamina wouldn’t affect both you and Dark Shadow. I find exercise tends to calm me down, so it makes sense. We should try it!”

“You agree?” Relief echoed in Tokoyami’s tone. “I don’t wish to take any time out of your day…”

“Hey it’s a weekend, and it’d be good training anyway. We haven’t sparred a lot together, have we?” 

“I suppose not. We’d have to set rules, not to mention the logistics of setting up a time and place…”

“Well, if we do it early, we can probably find space on the school grounds, near the gym. We shouldn’t have to worry too much about the curfew then…”

“Very well. Then let’s arrange something for this late afternoon.”

“Okay!” Izuku smiled, feeling excited. “Guess we have some time to kill before then. Anything you want to do today?”

“You’re asking me to choose?”

“Well, why not?”

“No reason, I just...I don’t have any ideas.”

“Oh, well neither did I.” Izuku laughed. “Guess that’s why I asked you.”

“Fair enough.” A smirk flashed in Tokoyami’s face, which slowly turned into an epiphany. “Ah, perhaps I do have an idea...”

The morning market stalls had a greater variety of cuisines this week, not that Fumikage went to them often enough to be sure of that fact. Breakfast hadn’t been too substantial, and the exercise left him with an eager hunger.

“Smells good today..” Midoriya says. “Good thing I brought my wallet!”

Fumikage patted his pockets. Good, he didn’t forget his wallet either; he couldn’t stand the idea of asking his classmate to borrow any money. 

“You know, it’s been a while since I’ve had market food.” Midoriya then laughs. “I keep forgetting they do weekly stalls here, and when I finally remember it’s normally too late…”

That’s...not what I would have guessed. Midoriya being forgetful?

“I’ve been to this one once or twice before.” Fumikage comments. “I can’t speak for all the stands, but I could recommend a yakisoba stand, or if you’re so inclined, there should be a crepe shop nearby…”

“Tough decision…” Midoriya mulls. “I guess it’s nearly lunchtime, so maybe we should start savoury…”

They entered the main alley of stalls with no particular plan in mind. It didn’t take long before Midoriya pointed out one selling yakitori skewers. 

YESSSS CLASSIC OPENING SNACK!

Midoriya asked for two skewers, and before Fumikage could stop his classmate he paid for both. 

Drat!

“You didn’t have to pay for mine.” Fumikage said simply. 

Midoriya shrugged lightly. “Nah, don’t worry about it! It didn’t cost much anyway...”

HE HAS A POINT, YOU KNOW!

But it’s the principle! 

OH COME ON, CAN’T YOU LET PEOPLE TREAT US FOR ONCE?

Whatever. I’ll be sure to pay for the next thing we find….

And so, when they passed by a vendor peddling cold drinks, Fumikage asked for two bottles of Ramune. When he passed the bottle to Midoriya, he could swear he saw a glint of something in his eyes. 

If Fumikage didn’t know any better, he would’ve sworn it was a competitive glint. 

Then they came to one of the many yakisoba stands. 

Midoriya made the first move. “You want something? My treat.”

“Oh, but I must insist on getting this,” Fumikage replied, making his tone smooth. “Think of it as a small payment for helping my studies…”

“I couldn’t let you do that!” Midoriya’s voice was earnest but firm. “I told you before, I enjoy our study sessions, so maybe I should be paying you!”

“Well if you wish to be circular about it then-”

“And all that aside, I want to treat you because you’re my friend and I’m enjoying spending this time with you! It’s as simple as that!”

I…

WOW, EVEN I’M SPEECHLESS! NOT THAT YOU’D LET ME SPEAK, BUT STILL!

“I could turn that argument right back to you, you know…” Fumikage let himself mumble. “But very well. I’ll have a beef yakisoba.”

I definitely saw a crepe shop around here. I’ll make sure to get some for both of us, and then we’ll be even.

It was ridiculous, the back and forth paying for one another’s food; Fumikage knew that. Such a trade produced little net value, and it was, essentially, posturing. 

And yet, something about the ritual felt meaningful. Whatever Fumikage felt about his friend paying for food, it was a nice thing to do. A kindness for a kindness, a pattern with messy, but ultimately noble intentions. 

What a game we play, for the sake of appearances…Or perhaps, for honour?

They found a short table, seated with even shorter plastic boxes, off at the end of the market row. It blended in with the urban scene, plain and efficient. 

“Seems busier than usual this week…” Midoriya commented. “Wonder if there’s an event going on…”

“Hmm.” Fumikage murmured non-committedly as he eyed the crowds around them. “Good fortune that we found some seats...”

My feet are killing me…

IT’S YOUR FAULT FOR RUNNING SO MUCH! THIS IS WHY WE BARELY EXERCISE!! YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER!

They dove into their food. Fumikage didn’t regret his choice of meal, and from the way Midoriya’s face relaxed into contented ease, neither did he. 

Reminds me of the rice bowl place Midoriya took us…

YOU’RE NOT STILL FEELING BAD ABOUT THAT, ARE YOU?

No, of course not. But...it’s true that I need to broaden my horizons. Heavens, when was the last time I had food from a street market?

I KEEP TELLING YOU, YOU NEED TO GO OUT MORE! TRY NEW THINGS!

You also seem prone to telling me not to exercise. Do you see the contradiction? The hypocrisy?

UH…NOPE!

Figures…

When the plastic containers of yakisoba were picked clean and thrown away, they continued their conquest. As each cheap snack was devoured, Fumikage became more and more conscious of his wallet lightening. 

WORTH IT!

I...suppose so.

Fumikage wouldn’t call himself a frugal person: medieval memorabilia wasn’t exactly cheap after all, but he avoided overindulgence where he could. The snacks, however, didn’t feel like a wasteful expense.

THE MORE MONEY YOU SPEND, THE MORE TIME WITH IZU-KUN RIGHT?

I don’t know what you’re talking about.  

UH HUH. YEAH, SURE...

Except by now, even Fumikage knew that he was in denial. Time with Midoriya felt valuable; and if there was a chance to maximize it, he would take it.  

And that need for time, Fumikage realized with horror, came from a place of desire. He didn’t want to admit it, but he knew ignoring it was an even greater cowardice. 

OH MY GOD, FINALLY! ARE YOU GONNA ADMIT IT?

I…admit what?

DO I EVEN HAVE TO SAY IT?

Tokoyami took a moment to look at Izuku, then at the azure sky. He took a deep breath. 

….No. No, you don’t.

Fumikage dared a look at the classmate eating a takoyaki skewer by his side. The sudden heave in his chest confirmed everything. 

I...I can’t let him know. 

AND WHY NOT?

It would…it would risk everything...  

AREN’T THE BEST RISKS LIKE THAT?

That would be profound if it wasn’t completely insane. 

I MEAN, SURE, IT DIDN’T WORK THAT ONE TIME, BUT-

Stop. Bringing that up….is that really supposed to motivate me?

ALRIGHT, MY BAD! BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!

Fumikage shook himself, playing it off as a cold shudder. He focussed his expression; keeping it still had never been so difficult. 

Midoriya noticed, because of course he did. “You alright?”

“Yes. Just a tad cold...” Fumikage replied, ignoring the slight tremor in his tone. Then his salvation appeared in front of him, in bright white and pink colors. “Ah, there’s the crepe stall.”

“Oooh! Yeah, let’s go!” Midoriya, curse him, was charming in his excitement.

There was a dreadfully long line, but that allowed time for Fumikage to calm down.

Whatever happens, we’ll remain friends. I know that. Midoriya...is not the type to let such things go easily. 

EXACTLY! SO NOTHING TO LOSE, RIGHT?

Only my pride…

AND WHEN HAS THAT EVER BEEN IMPORTANT?

How long had it been since Fumikage had to deal with such a dilemma? It had been years since his last unrequited affections, and that still stung even after years. 

When they finally reached the front, Fumikage upheld his self-made promise, paying for both of their crepes after another fierce battle of niceties. They walked on, approach the end of the market street. 

“Man, it’s been ages since I had one of these…” Midoriya raised his crepe with a smile. “Bon appetit! Haha…”  

Fumikage could only nod, as he suppressed the warmth in his face.

Damn him! Does he realise how...

HOW DAMN CUTE HE IS? NO, I DON’T THINK HE DOES!

And strangely, it felt good to admit that to himself. Perhaps it was the chocolate sugar improving his mood-Fumikage hadn’t realized he had such a sweet tooth before-but there was more to it than that.

I suppose there’s no use in denial, at this point. 

YESSS EMBRACE THE DARKNESS! IT FEELS GOOD, DOESN’T IT? BEING HONEST WITH YOURSELF?

Perhaps, but don’t expect me to share in your vulgarity.

SURE SURE! ONE OF US HAS TO BE THE BORING ONE, I GET IT!

Fumikage, only slightly irked, suppressed a faint smirk at himself.

Indeed.  

They found a bench outside of the market, with a decent view of the beach, yet again. The two of them sat down; Fumikage noted their closeness.

“Okay, I think that’s my food limit for the day. Or maybe even the week!” Midoriya laughed with a contented smile. “But seriously, that was a good idea!” 

“I’m glad it worked out.” Fumikage let himself smile back. “As guilty as I feel for the indulgence, I’m sure we can forgive ourselves, no?”

“Yeah, exactly!” Midoriya leaned back. Fumikage had never seen his classmate look so...relaxed. “Thanks for coming out with me, Tokoyami-kun. I...I really enjoyed that.”

“Likewise.” Fumikage stared at the sea, trying to come up with something more engaging to say. His emotions boiled inside of him, and none of the right words found him. For all the fancy words he liked to use, Fumikage could never come up with the right thing to say. 

So they sat there, in contemplative quiet. Fumikage closed his eyes. He heard the breeze, smelled the sea, and felt the warmth of the sun and the company. 

I...I haven’t been honest with myself at all, have I?

Dark Shadow, despite the opportunity, didn’t comment. 

No, I haven’t. But why? Why was I so ashamed of myself? Ashamed of my feelings?

It’s a terrifying sensation, but...how could I be ashamed of my feelings?

How could I ever be ashamed for liking someone like Izuku Midoriya?

The classmate in question let out a contented sigh. It seemed he was happy to relax next to him. Such a little thing meant the world to Fumikage. 

No matter my feelings. No matter how he feels about me...I hope we can continue being friends. 

No, more than that; I hope he can rely on me, as I know I can rely on him. 

Yes, that would be enough, I think. This, right now...is enough. 

The moment of pure bliss passed as smoothly as it came when Midoriya sat up. “So...you ready to head back?”

Fumikage opened his eyes, awoken from the dream. “Yes, perhaps we should.”

Midoriya nodded, standing up.  “Looks like it’s gonna be late soon. You still wanna do some sparring?”

“...Yes.” Fumikage looked at the sun, which was steadily close to the horizon. “There should be enough time, I think...”

“Cool, then let’s go!”

“Wait are you going to-”

Midoriya took off in another jog. He didn’t even glance behind to see if Fumikage was following. The audacity.

THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE, EH?

Quiet, you. 

Fumikage, not for the first time, ran after his friend.

The sky became a shade more orange by the time they reached the field to spar, and a moment later they were changed and ready. 

For a second, Izuku felt nervous. For all his training, he could never shake the performance anxiety just before a fight, sparring or otherwise. 

“Alright!” Izuku called. “You ready?”

Tokoyami finished stretching and let out a calm breath. “I suppose so. Do you want to attack first, or shall I?”

Izuku considered. “You go first. That’s probably the best way to work out energy, right?”

Tokoyami nodded at this. “Very well.”

In an instant, Tokoyami became his opponent; his stance and expression shifted, his demeanor becoming one of focused hostility. 

Alright. Izuku made a defence stance accordingly. Whatever happens, I have to be careful not to go overboard. At the same time, I gotta make sure I don’t get-

Dark Shadow’s claws rushed Izuku with tremendous speed. Instinct barely saved him from being scratched, as he leaped back. 

Right. Tokoyami-kun has a decent range. And that speed….he’s improved.

Izuku dodged another volley of swipes, this time more deftly, but the attacks continued.  

Soon enough, Tokoyami landed a hit, but it wasn’t as rough as Izuku anticipated. From that, Izuku sensed that Tokoyami was holding back; even with the sunlight present he was usually faster. 

“Hey,” Izuku called out once there was a pause in the fight. “How’re you feeling? Do you want to attack harder?”

Tokoyami relaxed his pose only slightly. “I...can do it. Only if you want to.”

Despite the situation, that hesitation warmed Izuku. “Don’t worry I can take it.”

Can I?

Tokoyami appeared to believe his exaggerated confidence, so he nodded. “Alright. Let us continue…”

They both nodded, and so the sparring resumed. 

Tokoyami’s assault had much more speed now, the intensity of Dark Shadow’s silhouette grew larger, sharper, more menacing. Izuku barely had time to dodge each claw, but he kept his distance well. 

If I really wanted to defend myself, I’d get up close. Attack his weaknesses. But that’s not really the point of this exercise. No, I’m supposed to tire him out...

Instead, Izuku focussed on his positioning, ignoring any openings that Tokoyami offered and maintaining distance. 

Seeing Tokoyami in a fight was always a marvel, but being on the business end of his quirk was a whole new experience to Izuku. His classmate fought not merely with passion, but a certain...finesse. While Dark Shadow made most of the attacks, Tokoyami still moved quickly, allowing for his Quirk to reach each point of attack. 

When Izuku caught a glance of Tokoyami’s eyes, he saw a stern ferocity-a level of emotion he never saw in their everyday interactions. 

At that moment, Izuku knew that wanted to see that raw emotion more. Not just the reserved elegance Tokoyami always gave away, but the real heart of his emotions, thoughts, and ambitions.

Is this...how Tokoyami-kun really feels? Is this the real him? 

I mean, there's a lot I didn't know about him until recently. Maybe I never noticed until now...

Izuku’s train of thought then steered in a new direction. The conversation he overheard with Tokoyami and the others in the locker room was stuck in his mind. Then, even more prominently, was their heart to heart the other night. 

Tokoyami-kun...he likes guys, right? He didn’t say that outright, but it was heavily implied…

I mean, he definitely said “he”, so...yeah, he likes guys. 

So I guess he does have a type after all? That’s fine, but I wonder…

...

What am I wondering?

….

Would I be his type?

…

Do I... want to be his type?

I…

I mean, he’s a great guy! One of the coolest people I’ve ever met, and he’s definitely sincere...Kirishima-kun’s right, anyone- any guy would be lucky to have him.

I definitely enjoy spending time with him…

And I feel like I could tell him anything…

Well, almost anything…

I know I can trust him, but….

Well, maybe one day I could…I don’t know...

Regardless, he’s my friend. I wanna get to know him more. 

I think...I want to get closer to him.

But is that as a friend, or something more?

Could I imagine being...his boyfriend?

Crap, that in itself is crazy! I’ve never dated anyone before, so a label like that would need some getting used to…Boyfriend….that sounds weird, doesn’t it?

Is that what I want?

What do I want?

More importantly, am I really having a romantic crisis in the middle of a goddamn spar? With the guy that’s causing it?

I guess so. 

But that’s normal for teenagers, isn’t it?

Well, hero-trainee teenagers, at least.

Okay, I should set this out logically. 

I like girls, that’s for sure, but...I guess guys have always looked nice to me too, huh? In a different way, but definitely not bad…

I guess...it doesn’t really make a difference to me if they’re a guy or a girl. I mean, if we’re talking about love, it doesn’t change things, does it?

And Tokoyami-kun...there’s definitely something about him. He’s...really cool, but it’s not just that.

What is it? 

His eyes, I think. I feel like they can see through me, but I don’t mind that at all.

His voice...it’s so deep, and he speaks so neatly...

And I don’t think I’d mind his feathers, no matter what he thinks. He seems insecure about them, but...they suit him. 

That being said..with his beak, how would we even-?

AHHHH WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING!!!!

I can’t just assume any of this will happen! Am I really that full of myself?

Not to mention how creepy I sound!

Well, I only said it in my head, so it’s fine!

I’ll keep it to myself...No one has to know.

Just another secret to keep, right?

But...that settles it, then. 

Yeah...I think I’ve caught feelings….

I like Tokoyami-kun. 

Maybe a lot.

...Crap.

Izuku let his arms drop to his side. 

Unfortunately, he had forgotten to call for a pause in the fight, and Dark Shadow tackled him with swift brutality. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground several meters away from where he had been standing. It was a rough landing. 

“Wait, stop!” Tokoyami called, panic in his voice. Dark Shadow retreated immediately. “Midoriya, are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine...” Izuku stared at the sky, then sat up. “Sorry, I was a little out of it…I forgot to block.”

Tokoyami was over at his side quickly. He offered a hand. “I...didn’t expect the opening, but I suppose it’s an easy enough mistake. I hope I didn’t hit you too hard.”

“It was a solid hit, but I’m alright!” Izuku definitely felt the bruises, but he shrugged, taking his friend’s hand. It felt rough, firm, secure. “D-Did you wanna keep going?”

Tokoyami seemed to consider, but then let out a sigh. “While this has been thrilling, I must confess my exhaustion. I really must work on my stamina more...” 

“Hey, no! That’s fair enough! I’m feeling a bit tired too actually...”  

I...I don’t think I’d be able to focus on sparring anyway…

“PHEWWWW!” Dark Shadow crowed, becoming much smaller in size now. “THANK GOD, I’M POOPED! GOOD FIGHTING, IZU-KUN!”

“You too, Dark Shad- wait what??” Izuku shook his head. “Did you just call me-”

“For heaven's sake!” Tokoyami pushed his quirk before it could say anymore. “Please ignore him... ”

Izu-kun. Huh...It’s kinda cutesy but...I don’t mind it. 

It’s actually kinda sweet.

Izuku laughed. “It’s alright! Definitely not the worst nickname I’ve heard…If he wants to call me that, I don’t mind!”

Tokoyami stared. “You...Do you realize what you’ve done?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“IZUUUUUUUU-KUN!” Dark Shadow cackled as he lurched out of his host once again. “AHAHAHA! I TOLD YOU HE’D LIKE IT! JUST BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T THINK OF IT!”

“For heavens-” Tokoyami shook his head, turning to Izuku. “Nevermind. Shall we call it a day then?”

Izuku couldn’t stop smiling, but he let the matter drop anyway. “Yeah, sure!”

By the time they changed out of their gear, the sunlight had dimmed into a faded orange. It was beautiful outside, perfect for walking. 

Izuku sighed. “That was really fun, actually. I’ve seen you fight before, but…Properly fighting with you is something else…” 

Tokoyami shook his head. “Please. If you had been the aggressor, I’d be the one on the ground. And far sooner too.”

Modesty always looked good on him. “Nah, you always had a solid defence. That is, when you don’t focus entirely on attacking. I guess it’s hard to do both if you can only control one entity and-” Izuku cringed. “Sorry, that was rude, wasn’t it? I didn’t mean-”

“No, you make a good point.” Tokoyami nodded. “It’s certainly easier to do one thing at a time. When I try to multi-task with Dark Shadow I...I feel...stretched out, I suppose.”

“IT FRICKIN’ HURTSSSS!” Dark Shadow added. “I CAN ONLY GET SO BIG! I’M NOT MADE OUT OF GUM, YOU KNOW!

“Makes sense.” It was fascinating. “Still, even with limitations there’s still a lot of versatility, and you really utilize it.”

“From you, that’s very high praise.” Tokoyami let out a smile. “I...thank you, Izu- ah, Midoriya, I mean. Thank you, Midoriya.”

Izuku’s face spiked in temperature, and he knew it wasn’t the heat. That excuse was worthless now. Hearing his name, even partially, from his classmate’s voice, was…

God, I’m hopeless. 

“My apologies,” Tokoyami cleared his throat. “I don’t know why I-”

“T-That’s okay! I really don’t mind!”

“You...don’t mind?”

“Uh, well, yeah!”

“Meaning...Do you want me to-?”

“Ah, well you don’t have to. Like you shouldn’t feel pressured to-”

“No.” Tokoyami’s voice took on a firm resolve. “I want to. But...do you want me to?”

Izuku felt a crushing excitement, but he forced out the words.  “Yeah, I do.”

“V-very well, then.” Tokoyami took a breath in. “I shall call you ‘Izuku’, then. Of course, you’re welcome to call me by my given name as well, if you like.”

This is so awkward….but I’m also really happy? Is this really happening?

“FUMI-CHAN, DUMMYKAGE, AND FUFU ARE ALSO ACCEPTABLE!” Dark Shadow cut in.

Tokoyami gave his quirk a fierce glare. “They most certainly are not. Least of all from you.”

“AH WHATEVER, YOU JUST DON’T APPRECIATE ARTISTIC LICENSE!”

“Fumikage-kun…” Izuku let himself say. That would take some getting used to. “I guess we should be getting back? It’s getting close to dinner…”

“Ah, of course.” Fumikage replied. “After dinner, do you want to…”

“Yeah, we can head up to my room.” Izuku said it almost immediately. “So you’re feeling up to it?”

“I...I don’t know if I am.” Fumikage shook his head. “But that’s why it needs to be done. Whatever happens, I trust that I can control things, at least.”

“Right, of course.” Izuku nodded. “And if anything goes wrong-”

“I’ll let you know. I understand.”

Izuku sensed a nervous tinge in his friend’s voice but didn’t mention it. 

The dormitory dinner was mediocre by its own standards, but perfectly fine. Stir fry on rice didn’t excite Izuku, and he hardly had room for much after all the stall food he ate. Neither of them ate much, so they got through their meals quickly. 

As they ate, however, Izuku couldn’t help but sneak glances as his friend. Each look confirmed his feelings more. 

This is already awkward….I need to get my head straight. 

Within the hour, they were already heading back upstairs. Soon enough, Izuku unlocked his door and motioned his classmate in. 

In my room….God, he probably thinks it’s too corny-with all the All-Might posters, but he’s too nice to say anything, huh? But for some reason he wants to be here, with me. Just the two of us. There’s nothing weird about that! Stop thinking about things like that!

Keep it together!!!!

“Sorry for the mess…” Izuku mumbled as he moved to his desk, notes and textbooks scattered everywhere. “I should make a habit to tidy up after studying…”

“You could hardly do worse than mine…” Fumikage replied.  

Izuku noted the nervous tinge to his friend’s voice. “You alright? We can always-”

“No.” Fumikage said firmly, almost desperate. He softened his stance. “No...I’ll be alright. But I appreciate the concern…”

“Of course.” Izuku smiled, feeling a tense eagerness to begin. If Fumikage-kun needed help, he would be there.  “So...where do you wanna sit?”

Fumikage elected to sit on the floor. He rested on a cushion; something Midoriya thought to bring for one of their study sessions. 

“You ready?” Midoriya asked. He stood by the door next to the light switch.

“Alright,” Midoriya looked resolute, much more so than Fumikage felt. “I’ll count down from three, then turn off the light…”

“You don’t need to countdown.” Fumikage didn’t want to prolong it any longer than need be. He was anxious enough. “Just...do it.”

“Oh! Uh, okay.” Midoriya turned to the switch but hesitated. “Okay, but should we have...I don’t know, a safe word?”

SAFE WORD? PAHAHAHAHA!

Not now.

“Is...wouldn’t ‘stop’ suffice?” Fumikage asked.

“Well, sure, but….I won’t know if you’re talking to me, or yourself, or...you know…”

He’s thought this through.

“I...suppose that’s a good point.” Fumikage let out a breath. “Very well...how about-”

“HOT YUMMY CREPES!” Dark Shadow cried out.

Fumikage blinked, turning to his Quirk. “You’re not serious…”

“COME ON! IT’S NOT LIKE YOU EVER USE THE WORD ‘YUMMY’, AND THOSE FESTIVAL CREPES REALLY MADE ME HAPPY SO….MAYBE THAT’LL CALM ME DOWN? I DUNNO!”

Izuku laughed lightly. “Not exactly a word, and more a phrase, but...I guess that works! It definitely stands out!”

Why is he so inclined to your ludicrosity? 

BECAUSE HE’S COOL, REMEMBER?

“For heaven’s sake…” Fumikage sighed. “I suppose...we’ll use that. Light hope I won’t need to...”

Even though I certainly will.

“Okay, I guess that’s all I was worried about.” Izuku looked at Fumikage with a fiercely loyal gaze. “If anything goes wrong, even if you think you can handle it…”

“Hot yummy crepes, I understand.” Fumikage nodded, his will steeled somehow by that gaze.  

“Alright, here goes…” Fumikage watched his friend’s hand move to the light switch. Time almost slowed down at that moment.

Then it went black.

Fumikage wasn’t a stranger to training his endurance in the dark, but that didn’t lessen the dread he felt when he entered it. That stab of panic, unease, and most worryingly, excitement always made him gasp. 

OOOOOH HA HA! GOD, IT’S BEEN A WHILE.

That didn’t sound like Dark Shadow’s voice, it never did, but Fumikage knew it was him. Nothing was more obvious than the fact that it was him. 

I FEEL SO….FREE! I DON’T GET IT, WHY DON’T WE DO THIS MORE OFTEN? 

Shut up-

NO, REALLY. WHY? LIKE I GET IT, WE GOTTA LIVE A DAY LIFE, BE A GOOD STUUUUUDENT. BUT WHY DO WE DO THAT? WHAT’S THE POINT?

Fumikage shook his head, keeping his breathing steady. 

I’m not answering that. You never listen.

OH, BUT I DOOOOOOO LISTEN! I LISTEN TO YOU ALL THE TIME! IN FACT, I HAVE TO LISTEN TO EVERY GOD DAMN WORD YOU SAY. EVERYDAY! TWENTY-FOUR FUCCCCCCKIN’ SEVEN!

Fumikage hated it when he swore, but he tried to push down his temper.

I’m afraid the burden’s mutual. Complaining about it changes nothing.

THEN WHY DO YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT ME, HUH? IS THAT FAIR? TELL ME!

Fumikage had no answer. He never did when Dark Shadow was like this. How do you argue against something that knows everything about you?

YOU HATE IT, YOU HATE ME! THAT’S NOTHING NEW. 

I…

OH COME ONNNNNNNNN. YOU CAN’T LIE TO ME, REMEMBER? 

I don’t...I…

I don’t...hate you. I just...you never want to help me! 

OH?????? AND WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK I’VE BEEN DOING? 

YOU LOOOOOOOOVE TO ACT LIKE I’M SOME HUGE BURDEN; A PAIN IN THE ASS, BUT GUESS WHAT? WITHOUT ME, YOU AIN’T SHIT!  I GIVE YOU SO MUCH POWER AND YOU LIKE IT! 

Not this...not this again….

YOU CRAVE IT AND THAT’S BECAUSE IT MAKES YOU STRONG, BUT EVEN MORE THAN THAT: IT MAKES YOU WORTH SOMETHING.

WITHOUT ME, WHAT ARE YOU?

Fumikage had had this debate countless times, during sleepless nights and anxious episodes. He never had the right answer, there was no solution to be found. It was hopeless. It was always hopeless.

YOU KNOW WHAT I CAN DO. IF I WANTED, I COULD FLIP THIS ROOM, THIS ENTIRE BUILDING! WE COULD BEAT ANYTHING IN OUR WAY!

You wouldn’t.

BUT I COULD! AND IT’D BE SOOOOOO EASY!

Not with our classmates here, not with Mid-not with Izuku. You’d hurt them. Hurt him..

For a second, the oppressive grasp his quirk had on his spirit lessened, its hostility faded. The hesitation was there. 

At that moment Fumikage realized, even at his worst, that it was a line that Dark Shadow wouldn’t cross. It was a small revelation and a comfort to him.

But then the choking atmosphere returned. 

LET’S TALK ABOUT IZUKU, THEN. SHALL WE?

No….

OOOH YESSSS. HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOU REALISED YA LIKED HIM? WHEN DID IT START?

I don't need to justify myself to you-

HMMMMMM MAYBE AT THE SPORTS FESTIVAL? IT WAS NICE TO BE NOTICED, HUH? TO BE CHOSEN! NOT TO MENTION THAT YOU COULD RIDE ON HIS COATTAILS TO THE FINALS! MUST’VE BEEN NICE!

That’s...we all worked for that! Of course, Izuku especially, but….

PERHAPS! I SUPPOSE THE TASTE OF VICTORY WASN’T THE MAIN REASON YOU ACCEPTED HIS OFFER THOUGH, RIIIIIIIIGHT?

I…. Fumikage remembered the tap on his shoulder. The determined, hopeful face that wanted his help. He felt heroic when he said yes. He felt wanted, appreciated.

He needed me...he asked me to be his teammate. I wanted to help him, so I helped him. It felt...fantastic.

MMMM YEP, IT DEFINITELY FELT GOOD ALRIGHT! BUT HEY, WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH MORE YOU COULD HELP HIM IF YOU JUST-  

I’m not letting go. We’re not ready for that. Besides, Izuku-san hardly needs our help anyway.

GUESS NOT, BUT HE LIKES STRONG HEROES, DOESN’T HE?

Whatever…

AND YOU LIKE HIM, RIGHT? RIGHT????

We’ve been over this. We don’t need to-

NO, I THINK WE DO! YOU LIKE HIM, AND FOR SOME REASON YOU DON’T WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT! YOU DON’T HATE LIKING HIM, DO YOU?

I….no, I don’t.

THEN WHY?  

I…I…

YOU WHAT? WHAT THE HELL IS IT?

I don’t want to be hurt again!

I don’t want to be any more different to him than I am now!

You know how I look. I know how I look. Even if he liked men, what difference would it make?

OOOOH, I SEE. YOU THINK HE’S SUPERFICIAL, THEN?

I...god damn it! No, I don’t….But….He…

He’s so much more than me. He could do so much better.

MAYBE.

And yet...I’ve taken so much from him, but he never seems bothered. Why?

WHY, INDEED? 

Fumikage felt the tears coming out. He groaned at the emotional weight.

He doesn’t need me. I’m the one that’s using him….

HMM.

The overwhelming presence continued, and Fumikage knew he was spiraling at this point. Yet he couldn’t stop thinking.

I’m a useless fool….I don’t want to be useless…

CALLING YOURSELF USELESS DOESN’T MAKE YOU BETTER, YOU KNOW….

I know. God damn it, I know!

JUST LET GO. I CAN MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER. YOU KNOW I CAN.

No…

DO IT. DON’T YOU WANT TO BE WORTH SOMETHING? 

DON’T YOU WANT TO BE LOVED?

YOU COULD NEVER DO ANYTHING ON YOUR OWN.

SO LET ME OUT!

LET ME OUT!

LET 

ME

LET

ME

LET

ME

Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!

I can't do this anymore...I can't...

I need….this to stop…

What were….what were the words? The words. I need to...

“Hot….Yummy…” Fumikage shouted each word slowly, carefully. He hoped to all gods that it sounded clear. He couldn’t hear anything anymore. Everything was too loud. 

Before he could start saying the last word, light returned to the world.

“Fumikage-kun!”

It was like leaping into a freezing pond, the shock of being brought back into the brightness made Fumikage gasp once again. Dark Shadow’s shriek was painful, but it faded as quickly as it appeared.

“Fumikage-kun!” Izuku repeated, worry bled into his words. “Are you alright-oh…”

He had seen everything, Fumikage knew that. 

“I’m sorry…” Fumikage couldn’t stop weeping, but he didn’t care. He was so tired of hiding. “I’m sorry….I can’t-”

Kind hands firmly gripped his shoulders. “Hey, hey...It’s alright. Everything’s okay. I’m here.”

Izuku. Izuku was here. 

“You...you are.” Fumikage looked up to meet those eyes. Evergreen. “Izuku, I…”

I’m sorry. 

“God, I’m sorry I didn’t do anything sooner!” Izuku’s worry bled through his words. “I saw you struggling, but I didn’t think-I should’ve turned on the lights early. I was so stupid! I shouldn't have-”

Fumikage embraced his classmate, his friend. He held on tight, securely. He needed to stay close to him. Appearances be damned. 

Don’t leave...Please don’t leave.

I need you. No, I…

“I love you.” Fumikage whispered into his shoulder, but he’d said it too quietly to be heard. Louder, he said. “Shut up. You did everything right…”

 “But…” Izuku stopped. He returned the embrace and they held each other. “Are you okay ?”

I...can’t lie to you anymore. I don’t want to.

“I...no, I’m not. But...you’re here now. I’ll be okay.”

He heard Izuku choke back a breath. He was crying as well. “Heh, all I did was turn on the light...”

You’re my light, Izuku.

UUUGHHHHH CORNY, MUCH?

Yeah, I suppose so. I don’t care anymore. Say whatever you like.

That surprised the Quirk. 

HUH, GUESS YOU REALLY DON’T CARE. THAT’S NEW! 

Not now. Please.

RIGHT, OKAY….SEE YA THEN. 

Fumikage felt the peace. His Quirk, now exhausted, no longer tried to reign his saddle. It was freeing. 

“You’ve done so much more than that…” Fumikage replied, taking deliberate slow breaths to calm himself. “You...you’re special .”

“I…” Izuku let out a small laugh. “I-I mean, aren’t we all, technically?”

He...he doesn’t believe it. How can he be so dense now, of all times?

“Izuku… ” Pulling back, Fumikage wiped his face so he could get a better look at his friend. “You’re special...to me. I...”

Izuku stared back, blinking back his own tears. A look of confusion, uncertainty, and finally joy crossed his eyes. His hand moved, slowly, to caress the side of Fumikage’s face; fingers stroking his feathers.

“I-I’m not exactly sure what you’re trying to say, but…” Izuku smiled tentatively. “If it’s what I’m thinking-and please correct me if I’m wrong, then yeah, you’re special to me too.”

This...this isn’t real, could it be?

But...he’s right here, and so am I...

Without thinking, Fumikage moved a hand to touch Izuku’s face, copying his motion. Soft skin trailed beneath his fingers. “I...I want to be there for you, like you’ve been there for me. But it’s not just that….I want...I want to know you better. Understand you better…”

I’m explaining it poorly, aren’t I?

“I want you to mean even more to me than you do now.” Fumikage finished. “If...if that makes sense.”

Izuku let out a heavy breath, tears brimmed his eyes. “Fumikage-kun…”

Now it was Fumikage’s turn to feel the surprise of a crushing embrace. He didn’t mind the strength of it; it made his spirit soar, his heart gliding over the horizon. 

He returned the hug, and slowly nuzzled his face into Izuku’s neck. He needed to be closer.

“I’ve...I’ve never done this before….” Izuku whispered. 

“Could have fooled me…”

“No, trust me, I haven’t. And I, uh, don’t really know what I’m doing…” Izuku hugged him tighter. “But I wanna try this. I want to see where this goes...”

“Me as well.” Fumikage laughed a little. “I suppose...we’ll take time to figure it out...together?” 

He felt Izuku nod into his neck. “Yeah...together.” 

Slowly, Izuku pulled away. He stared at Fumikage and considered. “Wait, I wanna try something.”

“Hmm?” Fumikage raised a brow, but excitement spiked inside him. 

Holding Fumikage’s hand, Izuku moved them to sit on his bed. It took a few seconds of further contemplation for Izuku to continue. He let out a nervous breath. “I...can I...uh, kiss you?”

Oh...

This is...happening.

“Uh...well…I...” Fumikage started, fumbling his words and thoughts together.

“Oh no, sorry! We don’t have to do that yet, or at all if you don’t want to! Or...if you wanna go slow-”

“No!” Fumikage almost shouted. “I mean...I’d like that. But...you know…”

Fumikage gestured to himself, emphasising his face. As if by reflex, Izuku moved his hand towards his beak. 

“I...I guess the mechanics might be different.” Izuku tilted his head a little. “But I could...no, maybe...ah….screw it!”

In a second, Izuku kissed him. On the top of his beak, a sudden bullet of warmth hit him. It was rushed, poorly thought out, and clumsily executed.Fumikage loved it.

“Wow…” Fumikage breathed out. The shock of that moment would linger with him all night. “That was...a good attempt, I think.”

If only I could kiss you the same way...

“Yeah?” Izuku chuckled, less nervous now. “Guess that’s another thing we can practice together, huh?”

Fumikage blinked. “Good god, are you really referencing our studies? Now?”

“Wha-NO! I mean...I was joking!” Izuku spluttered. “I’m not that obsessed with studying! Why do you think that?”

Fumikage just shook his head, and smiled. “Because you’re brilliant, of course.”

“I...I can hear the sarcasm, you know…” Izuku didn’t sound offended at all but embarrassment leaked through.

“Sarcasm or not, it’s true either way.” Fumikage replied softly. “You’re...I can’t even begin to explain how spectacular you are…”

“H-hey...you don’t have to-”

“I mean it.”

“Well...well you’re awesome too!” Izuku replied. “You’re...sincere, kind, handsome-”

“Handsome?”

“Yes-shut up, handsome, and I feel...I feel like I can trust you. Not just because I like you, but because I know you’ll be there. You know?”

“I…” Fumikage stopped to wipe his eyes. “I’m not strong enough...not yet. But I will-”

“You are strong, and you’ll get even stronger.” Izuku stated. “But...you don’t have to be, you know? Not all the time, I mean...What I mean to say is; I like you, Fumikage-kun, not your strength.”

Heavens above, what did I do to deserve Izuku Midoriya?

Slowly, they lay down on the bed side by side. They held each other, their hands tentatively caressing.

“I...must confess something.” Fumikage started. “I’ve...felt this way about you for a while. Since...the sports festival, I think. After our victory, and seeing how you led us. I...saw you in a new light.”

“Oh..” Izuku breathed out. “Wow, I...had no idea, sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, you fool…” Fumikage muttered, which to his joy caused Izuku to laugh. “You had no way of knowing, how could you? I was hardly forthcoming with my emotions…We hardly talked much until recently..”

“I guess…” Izuku laughed a little. “But...I kinda liked the cool and mysterious thing you had going. You really made it work!”

“Really? I’ve heard many call it pretentious…”

“Well they’re wrong. But...I like this side of you too.”

“The side where I’m balling my eyes out like a child?”

“Yeah.”

“Great…”

“Hey, it’s not like you haven’t seen me cry, right?”

“Perhaps so, but…” Fumikage thought about it. “I suppose you’re right. It’s hardly a bad thing. It shouldn’t be, at least.”

“Not at all.” Izuku sighed. “But...I have a confession too. I...don’t really know when I started liking you, I only really thought about it earlier today.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I know. I’m...totally oblivious with that sort of thing. But I always thought you were cool, and I definitely wanted to talk with you. It’s not that I didn’t like you at all it’s just I didn’t know what that meant, so-”

“You don’t need to justify how you feel, or why…” Fumikage moved his hand onto his partner’s shoulder and made a soothing motion. “I...certainly don’t have the words to explain my mood right now. I understand.”

“Alright, yeah...” Izuku looked up at him. “I’m glad we’re doing this, though.”

“Agreed.” 

They laid on the bed for what might as well have been forever. It passed by like a blur to Fumikage, but each movement, touch, feel of skin and breath was ingrained onto his memory. 

“It’s getting late…” Izuku murmured, slowly sitting up. 

Fumikage did the same. “Indeed…I should get going. Heaven forbid Aizawa-sensei finds us past curfue...”

“Heh, yeah. Wouldn’t want to explain that, huh?” Izuku grabbed Fumikage’s arm. ”But if we were allowed to, I’d let you stay the night, you know? But only if you wanted to...”

“That’s...great to hear.” Fumikage cupped Izuku’s cheek in his hand, lamenting that it’d be the last one of the night. “I’d have gladly accepted the offer.”

“Cool, cool…” Izuku’s face colored crimson. “So, should I ask...In terms of...labels, are we…?”

“Dating?” Fumikage prompted, with the same uncertain tone. “Boyfriends?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Do you...want us to be?”

A pause. “Yeah. I’d like that. You?”

Fumikage let out a weighted breath. “I...would find that agreeable.”

Why am I being so formal now, of all times? 

SERIOUSLY, IT’S SUCH A BAD HABIT!

“Awesome.” Izuku laughed. “Just wanted to clear that up, not that it was super ambiguous at this point…”

“Of course. Of course.” Fumikage’s smile matched his boyfriend’s mirth. As they embraced in a full hug for the last time, he whispered. “I’ll see you in the morning. Sleep well, Izuku.”

“I’ll try.” Izuku whispered back. “But...I might be too excited about seeing you again, sorry.”

Fumikage let himself smirk. “I understand. Myself also…” 

They parted. With a hesitant wave, Fumikage turned to the door and left. Fortunately, nobody was patrolling this level, so he quickly found his room across the hall and entered.

He fell on his bed and stared at the ceiling. 

...Holy hell.

HOLY SHIT, DUDE!

That...that really happened.

I KNOW! I WAS THERE!!!

I...have to process this.

WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO PROCESS? YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND NOW! FINALLY!!!!

Yeah, but...I don’t know what I’m doing. 

HA, NEITHER DOES HE!

I suppose, but...

What’s going to happen, with this? 

I DUNNO. BUT IT’LL BE FUN, I BET!

Fumikage smiled at himself.

Maybe. 

As Fumikage laid down on his bed-he never noticed how soft the mattress was-he let himself breathe. The moon in his mind shone clear. Shoulders relaxed, sinking into the bed. Thoughts became less complicated, reaching a calm singularity.

Then, he fell asleep.