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He used to think everything about Yoarashi was annoying.
The way he said his eyes were like his father’s, how he kept repeating that he hated them both, how he made him lose his temper and screw up on the provisional license exam.
Then, after the second exam, it became bearable, but still problematic.
I really like you! Even our quirks are compatible!
He never really understood what passed through the mind of that tall, flashy guy, going from “hate” to “like”, just like that… And, at some point, he just accepted that Yoarashi wasn’t about to give up on becoming his friend. It hadn’t been easy: most of their tastes clashed, and they were as different as people could be, with Yoarashi being loud and full of energy, while Todoroki was quiet and a natural introvert. Usually, they would be the last duo people would expect to become close.
And they’d be wrong about it.
The thing is, Todoroki had never been the kind to keep checking his cell phone. Most of the messages he got were either from his siblings or his friends in U.A. Academy, and — to be honest — most of the time he forgot to check and answer them, which resulted in numerous complaints.
During the last few months, however, he would catch himself staring at that small screen more often than not, anticipating the moment a new message would appear. A single buzz was enough to make his heart seem about to leave his mouth.
Especially when he saw the name “Yoarashi” there.
Yoarashi (09:02pm): DID YOU EAT??
As usual, he was loud even in his messages. Todoroki couldn’t hold back a smile.
Todoroki (09:03pm): Yes.
Less than ten seconds later, another one came.
Yoarashi (09:03pm): PLEASE SAY IT WASN ’T COLD SOBA AGAIN
Todoroki (09:03pm): If it makes you happy: it wasn ’t cold soba.
Yoarashi (09:03pm): I DON ’T BELIEVE YOU!
Todoroki (09:04pm): Good. It wasn ’t true.
Yoarashi (09:04pm): YOU HAVE TERRIBLE TASTE IN FOOD
Todoroki was still typing his response when the next message arrived:
Yoarashi (09:04pm): I STILL LIKE YOU THOUGH!!!!
He felt his heart skip a beat, and sent the message he was already typing.
Todoroki (09:04pm): I should be the one saying that.
Only after he sent the message he realized that it could easily be misinterpreted. He started to type “your taste is worse than mine”, when, again, the next message interrupted him.
Yoarashi (09:05pm): :D:D:D:D:D
Todoroki smiled to himself, and, after a second of hesitation, erased his message, typing instead:
Todoroki (09:05pm): And you? Did you eat, already?
Yoarashi (09:06pm): OF COURSE!
If Yoarashi interpreted that line wrong — or right, in that case — then that was fine. Just the thought of it made Todoroki feel warm inside, smiling slightly as they continued to talk until both were too tired to keep typing.
He tried not to think too much about it, but maybe he was starting to fall for that guy.
In the next morning, he didn’t feel neither warm nor happy: actually, he was almost desperate.
He liked Yoarashi. Not as a friend, but in a… romantic way. The more he thought about it, the less he knew what he should do. It wasn’t like he cared too much about romances. In fact, he never thought too much about those things before.
But now… Now his head was a mess, and he needed help.
He hadn’t talked to Midoriya or the others about their growing friendship yet, and he didn’t know how to approach the subject so suddenly. Knowing his friends, especially Midoriya and Uraraka, they would bury him with questions, and… As much as he loved them both, he wasn’t willing to talk so openly about something so intimate. At least not in that moment.
No, he had a better idea of who could help him. When classes were over, he went to Iida’s dormitory, knocking on his door. It took just a few seconds for his friend to open it, looking at him with slight curiosity.
“Tenya…” he said. “Help me.”
Iida’s expression was taken by worry.
“Shouto? What’s wrong?”
“I need to talk to you.”
“Of course… Come in.”
He gestured for Todoroki to sit on his bed, and then, after closing his door, sat by his side, his red eyes examining his friend’s face, trying to imagine what could be bothering him so much.
“So, what seems to be the matter?” he asked.
Todoroki took a deep breath.
“I think I’m falling for someone.”
That statement made Iida widen his eyes, speechless for a moment.
“That’s… A good thing!” he said with a broad gesture of his arm and a warm smile. “Congratulations! And—”
He made a brief pause, fixing his glasses before proceeding in a slightly awkward tone.
“I apologize, but I don’t have the slightest idea on how to help you with this matter.”
Todoroki stared at him in disbelief.
“Tenya, you have a boyfriend,” he reminded. “You have way more experience in this than I do.
“That might be true, but I still have no idea of how I managed to do it.”
“You must have some idea…”
“I’m sorry, but I really don’t.”
Todoroki let out a frustrated groan. He grabbed Iida’s pillow, hugging and burying his face in it.
“I’m doomed…” he muttered.
Iida found that reaction a little funny, but instead of pointing it out, he tried to think of a way to help his friend.
“Don’t say that,” he placed his hand on Todoroki’s back, in a comforting gesture. “Maybe you should try asking them out? It worked when I asked Izuku, at least.”
“That’s because he was already in love with you.”
“Well, that’s true…”
Iida thought a little more about the matter, but before he could come up with any other suggestion, curiosity took his mind.
“But who are you talking about, Shouto?” he asked.
Todoroki hesitated for a single second, then raised his head again, looking at him.
“Inasa Yoarashi,” he said.
It took Iida a moment to associate that name to the person, and when he did, he raised his brow in surprise.
“The one with the wind quirk?”
“The one with the wind quirk.”
He was speechless. Of course, he didn’t have a better guess of who it could be, but he was still expecting someone from their class, or at least from U.A.. For Todoroki to have feelings for Yoarashi was…
“That’s… unexpected,” he admitted. “I thought you two were in bad terms after the provisional license exam.”
“Well, not really,” explained Todoroki. “I mean, we made up after all that, and I thought that was it. I didn’t expect that he would be so willing to become my friend after the second exam.”
Iida didn’t say anything, just looking at Todoroki, waiting for him to continue. It took him a second to find the words.
“We became closer since then. We exchanged numbers, and we’ve been messaging each other every day.”
“Now your current obsession with your phone makes more sense,” observed Iida with an amused tone.
“Please, don’t laugh at me…”
“I’m not! It’s completely understandable!”
“I see.”
Todoroki looked away, bitting the inside of his lip. It was unusual to see him so bothered by something, and that thought made Iida want to help him in some way, despite not knowing where to begin.
“Maybe you should go out with him?” he suggested. “As friends, I mean. This way, you might become closer to each other.”
“Probably…”
Iida noticed his friend’s arms closing around his pillow with more strength. He was still nervous.
“Cheer up,” he said. “Liking someone isn’t a bad thing.”
“I guess not…”
Todoroki sighed, wondering if he was making too much of a big deal out of that. He just didn’t know how to react to his own feelings, and much less what to do with them.
“I know I’m worrying too much,” he said in a low tone. “I just don’t want him to stop talking to me because of this. Or to be uncomfortable around me. I don’t know, maybe I should just ignore all this.”
“Shouto,” Iida interrupted him with a gentle voice, gesticulating as he spoke. “I don’t think ignoring your feelings is the right thing to do in this situation. If you two are close, I believe Yoarashi will understand, even if he doesn’t reciprocate,” he made a brief pause. “And there’s always the chance that he feels the same way.”
Todoroki didn’t answer, considering that last phrase. It was hard to believe in it, but part of him didn’t want to let go of the possibility. He stayed silent for a while, until Iida’s voice called his attention again.
“I say all this, but I know how difficult it is,” he admitted. “I was so scared to talk to Izuku when I started liking him. If it wasn’t for you, I believe I would never have gathered the courage to do so.”
That made Todoroki show a light smile.
“That’s a little ironic,” he said.
“It certainly is,” a brief, low laugh left Iida’s lips. He looked at Todoroki, an encouraging smile on his face. “That’s why, no matter what happens, I want you to count on me. You’re my friend, so I’ll support you in any situation.”
Those words made Todoroki feel calmer. That was the main reason he chose to talk to Iida, after all: from all of his friends, he was the one who usually knew what he needed to hear.
“Thanks, Tenya.”
“No problem!” he answered with his usual loud voice and loud gestures. “You can talk to me whenever you need.”
Todoroki agreed with a nod: he knew Iida meant every single word he had said.
It wasn’t easy to find a good day for both of them to meet, considering U.A.’s strict rules and the distance. However, they managed to make plans for a few days later, on the weekend. During that time, Todoroki tried not to think too much about it, telling himself that things would be fine. But a pessimistic voice in his brain kept saying that he would do something dumb and make things awkward in some way. It became especially loud when the day came. He was already on the train, close to the station where they would meet… At that point, he couldn’t simply give in to despair and go back.
He tried to ignore his own anxiety, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths. A buzz on his pocket called his attention. He looked at his phone, fearing for a moment that it was from Yoarashi, saying he had changed his mind and didn’t want to see him, after all. But, instead, it was from Iida.
Tenya (10:21am): Keep me informed on how it goes!
That single line made him feel a little better. Of course, he was still nervous, but his friend’s support was a big help. He answered with an “alright”, putting his phone back in his pocket, arriving at his destination a little after.
Yoarashi wasn’t there yet. He waited, resting his back against the wall, eyes on his cell phone, opening and closing the menu, changing between screens, trying to keep his mind occupied with something, but unable to focus on anything.
“HEY, TODOROKI!”
That loud voice made his heart jump, and he almost dropped his phone. He raised his eyes, seeing Yoarashi approaching him with hasty steps, a wide smile on his face, waving like an excited child. The sight made Todoroki smile, and he waved back.
Yoarashi stopped in front of him. Todoroki had almost forgotten how big he was in comparison to himself, and that he had to look up to talk to him. Yoarashi was beaming, and the realization that he also wanted to see him made his stomach turn — but not in a bad way.
“I’m so happy that we can finally see each other again!” said Yoarashi. “It’s been such a long time!”
“Yeah, me too.”
Todoroki wanted to say something else, but his brain was still concentrated on Yoarashi’s height. Yoarashi, however, didn’t seem to mind his simple answer.
“Let’s go!” he said. “I don’t want to waste any time today!”
Ah, he sounded so happy … That wasn’t good for Todoroki’s health.
“Sure,” somehow, he managed to keep a straight face.
They left the train station together. For a few minutes, Yoarashi talked about some things that happened to him since the exam. Then, he started bombarding Todoroki with questions. That was something that hadn’t changed in the months they knew each other: Yoarashi was always willing to know more about him, something he almost couldn’t believe he once considering annoying. In fact, now he felt like he wanted to know as much about Yoarashi as his friend did about him.
They walked together for a while, sometimes stopping to sit on a bench or look at something in a store. They didn’t do much more than talk to each other, but still, their day was far from being boring. Despite their differences, it was easy for Todoroki to talk to him, and Yoarashi always listened to whatever he said as if it was the most interesting thing he’d ever heard. Being with him made time seem to go faster than usual, and all Todoroki wanted was for it to stop, at least for a little while.
“I really like to be with you, you know?”
He was brought back from his thoughts by Yoarashi’s voice. Todoroki looked at him, but before he could answer, Yoarashi proceeded.
“It makes me sad to think that it’ll take a while for us to meet again.”
Maybe, in other situation, Todoroki would be surprised that Yoarashi was thinking the same thing as him, but at that moment he couldn’t think of anything other than how Yoarashi’s face seemed less cheerful than usual as he said those words. He was being sincere, everything about his tone and expression made it clear. Todoroki couldn’t say if that made him happy or sad, but he felt something strong grow inside of him, to the point of almost feeling unbearable.
“But we can still talk to each other until then,” he said, in a surprisingly calm tone. “To tell the truth, I got used to receiving your messages by now.”
Hearing that, Yoarashi’s face brightened again.
“Me too!” he said. “I never get tired of talking to you!”
A loud laugh left his throat, and he flashed a wide smile at Todoroki.
“I told you we’d become best buds, didn’t I?”
That feeling again, but stronger this time.
“I guess you did,” said Todoroki.
“Well, we have no choice but to stick close to each other, then!” another laugh. “We’d make good partners, don’t you think? No one would ever be able to stop us!”
Yoarashi looked at him with that excited expression, and it was clear he meant every word he said. Todoroki opened his mouth but didn’t answer. What should he even say after hearing that? After a few seconds of silence, Yoarashi’s face was taken by a slight hesitation.
“So…” he said, but now without looking directly at Todoroki. “What do you say?”
That feeling seemed about to overflow, and Todoroki realized what it was about: hope, fear, fondness, expectation… Everything tangled in a knot inside of his chest. Suddenly, he knew that if he didn’t let those feelings out right then, he would never gather the courage to say it again.
“I like you.”
His voice sounded lower, more hesitant than he hoped. Yoarashi looked at him, a little surprised, then that familiar, broad smile took his face again.
“Thank you!” he said in his loud tone. “I really like you too, Todoroki!”
Todoroki’s heart sank a little.
“No, that’s… not what I meant.”
He took a deep breath, and when he started talking again, the words came out of his mouth one after the other, flowing easily, without him having to think about them.
“I can’t stop thinking about you. I wait the whole day for your messages, and then I keep reading them again and again. I’m always wondering what you’re doing, or if everything is alright with you… It never happened with me before, and I don’t know how to deal with all this.”
He couldn ’t go back now, but how to even proceed?
“I think I want to kiss you… For us to be more than friends.”
Was he going too far?
“What I mean, is that I want a future with you in it.”
Shit … What was he even saying now?
Todoroki took a deep, frustrated breath, covering his eyes with his hand. He just couldn’t look at Yoarashi after… After that.
“I’m sorry…” he said. “This is getting worse every time I…”
“YES!”
That loud answer made him look up again.
“What?”
Yoarashi had an expression he had never seen before, a mix of surprise and excitement, and something else he was unable to name.
“You’re asking me out, aren’t you?” he asked.
Todoroki struggled to make his brain work again.
“I… think so.”
Yoarashi reached for his hands, grabbing both with his own, looking into his eyes.
“I share the same feelings for you!”
Those words left no room for misinterpretation. Todoroki’s heart seemed about to jump out of his chest.
“You do?” he asked.
“Of course I do!” Yoarashi’s hands squeezed Todoroki’s a bit, and he was able to notice his face had a slight reddish tone. “I just couldn’t think of a way to tell you that!”
“I… had no idea.”
There was a brief moment of silence between them, in which things still seemed way too surreal. Even in his most hopeful thoughts, Todoroki never expected it to be that… simple.
“Todoroki,” Yoarashi called him, his voice unusually low, “I really want to kiss you too.”
Knowing he wouldn’t be able to mutter any word, Todoroki simply nodded. Yoarashi looked around briefly, making sure no one was around, then approached Todoroki, placing his hand on his cheek, closing his eyes. Todoroki did the same, and their lips met. Such a simple gesture, and yet, it managed to make all the worries Todoroki felt the last few days melt away, turning into something comfortable, even sweet. They parted their lips, and Todoroki opened his eyes again. To his surprise, unlike him, Yoarashi’s face seemed tense, with brows furrowed and lips firmly pressed together.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“I suddenly feel like screaming and jumping around…” answered Yoarashi.
A small laugh left Todoroki’s lips: why did he expect anything other than that?
“Please, don’t do that…” he said. “It would be embarrassing.”
“I’m trying, but it’s not being easy!”
Todoroki briefly shook his head, then cupped Yoarashi’s face with both hands, kissing him again. Yoarashi’s body relaxed a little, and he placed his arms around Todoroki’s waist, pulling him closer. Todoroki couldn’t help but smile against his lips.
Damn … he was so happy.
Todoroki spent his ride home still unable to believe how things had happened. Even after he got back to his dormitory in U.A., his brain refused to stop. He took a brief shower, and when he went back to his room, noticed a new message on his phone.
Yoarashi (08:34pm): I MISS YOU HOT GUY!!!
Todoroki frowned a little. What kind of nickname was that?
Todoroki (08:42pm): Never call me that again …
Yoarashi (08:42pm): YOU CAN ’T STOP ME ;)
He couldn’t hold back a smile. Yoarashi was just like that, after all… He would just do whatever he wanted, like insisting on being his friend, and making Todoroki fall for him. Not that he was complaining: in the end, that was part of what made Todoroki like him so much.
Todoroki (08:43pm): Idiot.
He hesitated a little, then sent a single heart to Inasa. Less than a minute later, he answered with a whole block of hearts and smiles, and even some crying faces. Todoroki laughed to himself, amazed by how a guy that size could be so cute.
It was then that a thought crossed his mind. Quickly, he started typing a message to Iida.
Todoroki (08:45pm): Are you awake?
The answer came shortly after.
Tenya (08:46pm): Yes. How was it?
Todoroki thought for a second. In the end, there was only one way to say it, and he smiled as he typed:
Todoroki (08:46pm): He said yes!