Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Aizawa-Sensei starts class by saying they will be having a project. They would pick a topic from World history. He goes on with the details of it and tells them they are working in pairs, then continues with class. Everyone is discussion who they are going to be working with during the lesson. Todoroki is not sure himself. He usually tries working with Midoriya, but he'll have to beat Uraraka and Lida to him.

It turns out he didn't have to even worry about who he is going to work with. Uraraka, Lida, nor he would be working with Midoriya. Aizawa-sensei decides to pair people up with someone they don't ever work with. Midoriya is working with Ashido. Uraraka pairs up with Tokoyami. Lida is unhappily paired with Bakugou, while Todoroki gets Kirishima.

“Hey. Half n’ half switch with me!” Bakugou demands grabbing for Todoroki’s project partner.

“No switching.” Aizawa states to the class, which saved Todoroki from saying no. He doesn't particularly like working with Lida. Lida is opinionated. Strongly opinionated and Todoroki can only handle him in small doses. So Todoroki turns to his partner.

Todoroki watches as Kirishima rubs his neck looking down. He hasn't said anything after hi. Todoroki wonders if this is where he should be "diplomatic" as Lida always says he should be.

“So I know we have disagreements,” Todoroki starts. Remembering how Lida tried to get Bakugou to work with him.

“ disagreements?” Kirishima looks up at him confuses a little. Maybe he should use a different word.

“Issues.” There that's more clear.

“Issues?” Okay. Maybe not, Todoroki thinks when Kirishima mimics again.

“Problems? Beefing?” As Todoroki says beefing he holds three fingers on each hand downward mimicking Mineta from one occasion. Kirishima didn't repeat after him this time. Instead he starts laughing.

Todoroki is now the one confused. Did he get his message across? Is Kirishima laugh at him good or bad? He doesn't seem to be mocking him.

“That was great Todoroki!” Kirishima says calming down, but still with a big smile on his face.

“It was?” So he didn't fail. Todoroki is relieved he hasn't ruined this already.

“Yeah. What a great ice breaker.” Kirishima grins at him again before continuing. “I was so nervous about what to say to you. Bakugou says I talk too much and never think before speaking.”

“You do talk too much,” Kirishima smiles starts to fall and Todoroki feels a little bad. “Not as much as Midoriya. He’s talking 91% of the time and staring regrettably in silence the other 9%.” Kirishima laughs again, but not nearly as hard as earlier. Does he always laugh this much?

“You and Midoriya are such good friend. So manly.” Kirishima says.

Todoroki bites his lip. He's not sure if Midoriya and him are “good” friend. They are friends. He thinks?

“I hope we can be just as manly friends.” Todoroki looks at Kirishima in surprise.

“You want to be friends?” Maybe he missed something.

“Yeah!” Kirishima gives Todoroki that full sharp teeth grin.

“But you're friends with Bakugou?” Todoroki doesn't understand.

“Yeah. Best friends.” Kirishima says not really getting what Todoroki trying to say.

“He hates Midoriya.”

“They have history. He's working on that.” Kirishima shrugs. He can't control Bakugou.

“You follow him?” Another question.

“To the end of the world!” Kirishima thinks it's super manly to be dedicate to your friends.

“He hates me.” Ooohh Kirishima finally see where this is going.

“He doesn't hate you.” Kirishima tries to find words to explain the explosive boy. “You're just competition.” Todoroki looks like he's processing this so Kirishima continues, “Beside I'm not Bakugou and I want to be friends.”

Kirishima is not Bakugou. Todoroki thinks on that for a moment. Kirishima is right. Todoroki shouldn't assume he has the same belief as the ash blond. He knows Midoriya and him don't always see eye to eye.

“Ok. We can try being friends.” Todoroki nods mostly for himself confirming that this is something he wants.

Kirishima let's out a whoop after his declaration. Aizawa-sensei gives them a look. Kirishima apologize, but is still smiling. Is that all this boy does is smile? Todoroki wonders. The bell rings and both boys realize they didn't even choose a topic for the project. Kirishima writes down something on a piece of paper really quickly, ripping it out and shoving it into Todoroki’s hand.

“Come on Shitty hair. I'm fucking hungry.” Bakugou says grabbing Kirishima by shirt barely give him time to grab his stuff.

“Call or text me after school about the project!” Kirishima yells as he's being pulled away.

Todoroki looks down at the paper seeing Kirishima’s number. He packs up seeing Midoriya, Uraraka, and Lida waiting on him at the door.

He wonder what being Kirishima’s friend going to be like.

Chapter Text

Endeavor, Shouto's father, chose U.A for his son because that's where all the best heroes go. After the time of the Hero was over he didn't know where else to send him. The man didn't really know what else to do do with him. He had home-schooled the boy so he could have control over every single thing the boy learned. Endeavor train him to be Hero that Endeavor always wanted to be and nothing else. Now being Number one hero was a pipe dream for both of them. So Endeavor still send him to U.A. because for the first time in Shouto's life Endeavor didn't have a plan for him. He didn't know what to do.

Shouto, on the other hand, enjoy the choice of school. U.A. is huge famous boarding school. Which means he didn't have to stay at home. Despite the shift from Hero school to a prestigious general orientated school it's the life and center of the city. The dorms are open during every major holiday and he's only a bus ride away from his mother. He is even making friends, something he never thought about before high school. He never had the time or freedom to do so. The only downside is the unsavory interaction living on campus entails.

“What did I say four-eyes? I don't need you fucking dragging me down!” Bakugou's voice almost blows through last patience that Todoroki has. Kirishima, his project partner, was only gone for moment and Todoroki regret every second of that moment.

“Bakugou-san! This is a two person project and we will do equal work. As class president…” Todoroki tunes out the rest of Lida’s speech. That was easy to do. Another loud shout from Bakugou and even some explosions from his quirk. Todoroki doesn't know how Kirishima can concentrate while Bakugou is screaming. Todoroki visually relieved when he see the read-headed boy heading back with bottles of juices and sodas for the table.

‘I can't work out here.' Todoroki thinks to himself as he rises from his seat as Kirishima reaches the table. He couldn't concentrate.

“Kirishima, let's go to my room. Their inability to work together is hindering my ability to concentrate. I can't work here.” He's sick of hearing them and the simple solution is relocate from the common room to his bedroom. Despite the fact they were there to help ease the tense between Lida and Bakugou, but right now Todoroki could careless.

“What the fuck did you say, half n’ half?” Bakugou engages with Todoroki before Kirishima could even react.

Todoroki turns so he's fully facing the explosive boy. “I said you two are incapable of working together. That's annoying. So I'm leaving with Kirishima.” He says his words slow and clear so that Bakugou could clearly hear him saying that Bakugou is the problem. Lida being here doesn't help either.

“What he meant…” Kirishima jumps up next to Todoroki. “... is that he bets you two can't work together and get a better grade than us.” Todoroki is amaze how Kirishima always seems to have a big grin ready to go for his best friend. It distracts him long enough to not even correct Kirishima on what he meant. “Come on. Let's go!” Kirishima says into his ear. He could hear Bakuogo shouting in the background that he never loses a challenge and how he's grade going kill theirs or something like that. Honestly Todoroki is lost in the warm on his ear.

Once they are in Todoroki’s room Kirishima grins at him. Once again distracting the dual-haired boy.

“... Really Manly.” Todoroki just notice Kirishima was talking. “...Not many can stand Bakugou's heat. Very man.” Are they talking about quirks?

“I have my own fire and some ice to handle any situation.” Even though fighting between quirk users is illegal. He wouldn't mind fighting the other boy if it meant some peace and quiet.

“Haha. That's true. Anyway back to work.” Kirishima laugh is … Todoroki would say warm. It's what he imagine having a cup of hot chocolate during Christmas’ dinner with friends would feel like.

“ I've got an idea-” Todoroki watches as Kirishima animatedly explain his idea for their World History project. Todoroki knows he should be listening better, but Kirishima is so… distracting. Damn, he can't concentrate here either.

Chapter Text

Saturday afternoons are grocery days. He buys extra snacks and food to have during the week. He also buys a treat for his mother. Todoroki is running on autopilot while his mind to Kirishima and the past few weeks.

Nothing. Nothing dramatic happened. Todoroki and Kirishima finished up their projects. Then rest of the semester goes by uneventful. There only small changes after becoming friends with Kirishima. Kirishima smiles directly at him, waves when he sees him, and even naps on the couch while Todoroki reads. Is this what a friendship with Kirishima entails? He wants more, is normal to want more of your friend?

Todoroki paused in front of shelf of soba thinking to himself. Are they even friends? Or are they still becoming friends? Is that why he feels like this? What is the milestone that determines who are friends and who are associates.

Todoroki reaches for this favorite brand noodles and put it in his basket before turning towards the tea isle.

Midoriya and him are friends. Lida and him are associates. Midoriya and Todoroki make plans to hang out with each other and are content to see one another around places. Lida and him just end up in the same place. Kirishima and him have never plan anything together, but Kirishima is always happy to see him somewhere. Midoriya and him eat together often.

Todoroki stops in front of a brand of tea, not sure which one he should use the recipe. Todoroki spots an older lady dress in a store uniform sweeping the floor nearby.

“Aunty.” He says approaches her. “Can you help me? I’m trying the make tea soaked zaru soba. What tea would you use?” She looks like she has a few kids or at least husband so she probably cooks a lot.

“Oh. A young man cooking? Are you trying to surprise a girl?” She gives him a big smile cup by thick smile lines.

“Yes Aunty. I’m making dinner for my mother today.” He promise to bring her a treat and she insist it be zaru soba because it’s both his and her favorite food. “I want to try something new as a treat.” He could hear her mumble something about nice young man and why isn’t her son that good to her. She grabs a brand of tea and turns to him.

“This is my favorite for soba. I think it compliments the noodles well. You can use any brand that has a really strong flavor. You want it soak up into the noodles.” He takes the box. It’s dark chai which is quite good.

“Thank you, Aunty.” He gives a head bow before going back to the rest of his shopping and his analysing his social life.

Does he eat with Lida? Logically he would, if Lida is friends with Midoriya he would eat with him, but he doesn’t remember doing so. He mentally shrugs and decides no he doesn’t eat with Lida just near him. He doesn’t eat any of the large meals with Kirishima. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Kirishima usually eats with “Bakusquad” as they are known. He does eat snacks with him sometimes. Apparently Kirishima helps Satou make cakes during the night, but never eats a whole slice himself. Since Todoroki is up late he always brings by a piece ever since he found out. Todoroki tries to think about what special things he does with Midoriya but not with Lida, which is surprising a short list. He watching two middleschool girls greet other in front of the frozen meat, wrapping their arms around each other. His eyes widen a little. That’s it! They don’t hug. Midoriya has hug him a couple of times and Lida has never has. That’s it that the milestone.

Todoroki has never hug Kirishima. Todoroki grabs a flavored sparkling water for his mother and a milk soda for himself.

Does Kirishima hugs his other friends? He thinks to himself before recounting what he’s seen. Kirishima alway gives hugs to Mina, Kaminari, and even Bakugou (tho sometimes Kirishima gets blasted for the last one.) Mina would even call Kirishima from a whole another room just to get a hug, not that Kirishima seems to mind at all. Kirishima would also loudly claim his buddies need a hug than hug them.

So is that it? Does he need Kirishima to hug him for them to be friends? Uraraka hugs Asui all the time. They also hold hands and even cuddle on the couch in the common room. he's even seen Lida and Midoriya hug once, after the Lida’s brother’s accident. Midoriya and Uraraka hug fairly often. Actually all the girls seems to hug each other a lot.

Todoroki stands in line for checkout wondering how does on initiate a hug. Does he just go for it? That's how his siblings do it him. Specially his older brother, he just scoop Todoroki up into his arms. Imagining scoop up Kirishima in a hug makes Todoroki warm inside. He'll do it! The next time he sees Kirishima.

Todoroki pays for his grocery and heads to the train with a new resolve. He will be friends with Kirishima. He just wants to be closer to him

Chapter Text

School is … easy. Shouto doesn’t know what else he expected, but school isn’t as intense as he thought it would be. That might be because he learn most of this stuff in homeschool or it might be that he’s not training to be a hero anymore. Either way school doesn’t require the amount of work he always thought it would. So Shouto spends a lot of time reading. At first he would just read in his room, than he starts craving change of scenery so he reads outside till it gets cold. Snow makes his pages wet and it never dries right (he’s tried a lot). So he reads in his common area. That turnout to be the best plan ever. Sato and Asui don’t usually use the common room, instead spending most of their time in friends’ dorm halls. And when they do come through Asui usually brings Shouto a drink and Sato always (and he mean always) has bake goods to share.

Now sometime he does have to share. Whenever the Bakugou squad, Usually without Bakugou (to Shouto pleasure), get kick off 4F (by Bakugou) they chill here. That’s not often, nor is it bad. They always ask is he wants to join and leave him alone if he doesn’t (cause Kirishima won’t let them bug him). And he gets to watch Kirishima. The bright boy has a way of changing how Shouto feels, like Midoriya, but also not like Midoriya.

Shouto favorite thing is when the rest of Bakugou squad has gone to bed and left Kirishima with the cleaning. They would talk, or more like Kirishima would talk to him. Shouto always has a hard time keeping conversation. He just doesn’t know what to say, so he prefers listening. So after a few encounter that could be described as awkward. Kirishima also understood this. Shouto likes Kirishima’s voice. It’s like stomping around in a padded room. When he told Kirishima that the red-head boy just laugh and told him he’s funny. Kirishima’s laugh, that different than his normal voice. It’s like the feeling you get after a long hard run and your heart trying to jump out of your chest. It always make Shouto short of breath just thinking about it.

Shouto is having one of those moments now as he watches Kirishima clean.

“Did you lose a bet?” Todoroki couldn't help, but ask the other red-headed boy. Kirishima looks up he confused. “When Midoriya lost a bet to Ururkaka she made him clean after she cooked for a week.” He explain his line of thought.

“Oh.” Kirishima pauses for a moment and start sweeping the floor with his back turned toward Todoroki as he continues, “It’s not like that. I… um volunteer to do it.”

“Every time?” Todoroki raises an eyebrow at him, not that Kirishima could see him still sweeping the same stop for an awfully long time
.
“No. Just when we hang out here.” Kirishima peeps over his shoulder at the duel colored boy. Todoroki notes that Kirishima is much more sheepish normal. “We're not bothering are we? We can always hang out on Kaminari's floor if we are. I know we get loud. I'm…” Kirishima starts to ramble, “... Sorry. I'm annoying you.”

“You don't annoy me.” Kirishima finally turn to looked at him.

“You sure?” He's never seen Kirishima so meek. It makes him feel a little weird. He subtly uses his quirk to cools his face trying to prevent himself from blushing. It's intense.

The “Yeah” in response came out a little breathless, but Kirishima doesn't seem to notice. Instead he just perks up and drops down next to Todoroki on the couch.

“I feel we never get a chance to hang out. It would be nice if we can hang out more. I want to get know you better. Bro.” Kirishima looks him in the eye and gives Todoroki a big smile.

The younger boy feels like he lost the fight with his blush and his whole body feels warm, not quite overheating but close enough. He struggles to focus on answering Kirishima. This is what he wanted.

The next thing that happens is like an out of body experience for Todoroki. He can feel himself lean over and wrap his arms around Kirishima. He meant for say me too, but instead Todoroki whispers “You’re so soft.” He could feel Kirishima laughing and return the hug.

“And you're really cool. Which is nice cause I usually run hot.” Kirishima laughings again. They stay like that for a minute. Todoroki feels so relax in his arms.

Kirishima is sure they pass the normal time a hug last between bros, but he's not about to mess with Todoroki's chill vibe.He could stay here forever. That thought made Kirishima blush again. He feels like a teenager in a movies (he knows he's a teenager, but like he's never blush so much for such simple thing as a hug).

“Crimson Gauntlet!” Kirishima's message tone yells. Todoroki feels like he's snapped back into his body. He let goes of Kirishima and that tension comes back. It's like when his dad use to wake him in the middle of the night to with louds explosions to train.

“Sorry.” Kirishima check the message and looks around the lobby before he spots the corner of a blanket under the couch. “Ashido left this her. She ask me to bring it to her. We can hang out some more when I get back?” Kirishima folds the blanket and looks at Todoroki meekly again that pools heat in his guts.

“No.” He says quickly. He's feels like he's going through a marathon of emotions. Honestly, it exhausted Todoroki. He stands rubbing his eyes a little. “We've got class tomorrow and it's late.Todoroki watches as the older boy bites his lips, probably thinking about what to say to Todoroki. “Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Kirishima parrots and does that cute head tilt he does. Todoroki nods at him and turns to leave.

“What do you want to do tomorrow?” Kirishima gets a little bolder. He taking a wild guess at what Todoroki means. He's not easy to read, not like Bakugou.

“Talk.” Todoroki offers blandly. He doesn't know to make it sound more appealing. He's not very interesting and very boring outside his father (and training to be hero).

“Yeah!” Kirishima smiles at him with that “hot chocolate on a cold winter night” smile again. Oh, now Todoroki feels a little light headed. He needs to bed.

“Night.”

“Sweet dreams Bro!”