Work Text:
I. In Rei’s Case
“Are you doing anything this Sunday?”
That made Midoriya pause and he looked up at Shouto with a tilt of his head. His eyes were always so wide like he was trying to take in the whole world. It was distracting. Everything about him was distracting which was why Shouto’s homework was only half finished.
“Not really, no. I was thinking of seeing if I could get permission to leave campus and go to the city but I didn’t have any real plans. Why?”
Shouto tore his eyes away from Midoriya’s and looked out of the window instead. “I was going to visit my mom. She asked to meet you so if you’re not busy…”
“Todoroki-kun’s mom?” Midoriya’s eyes grew impossibly wider at this before he was smiling wide and nodded. “I’d like that. It won’t be a bother for her or the hospital if I’m there?”
“I think as long as you don’t break anything or yourself, they won’t mind at all.” Shouto allowed himself a small smirk when Midoriya flushed and spluttered. “If mom invited you it’s fine.”
- - -
Midoriya was nervous. Shouto saw him shift from side to side as they stood on the train and grew less talkative as they approached the hospital. What could be wrong? Had he noticed something Shouto had missed? He cautiously glanced behind them as they walked but there were no suspicious figures in the area as far as he could see.
“Midoriya.”
“Y-Yes!” He looked up from where he’d been playing with the handles of the bag he’d brought and nearly dropped it. He must have realized his voice was too loud and blushed as he quietly asked, “What is it?”
Glancing around and finding they were alone in one of the upper hallways, Shouto let out a quiet sigh and put his hand on the back of his neck. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his brow furrowing as he saw Midoriya fidgeting more at being caught. “Did you not want to come?” That would be very like him for agreeing to something he might otherwise have declined. He was always doing things like this for his friends. The fact that Shouto’s heart felt warm at thinking of himself as Midoriya’s friend didn’t cancel out his concern at seeing him looking uncomfortable.
“No! No, no, that’s not it at all,” Midoriya quickly protested and was shaking his head rapidly. “I’m happy you invited me. It’s just… It feels sort of heavy with me being here. I’m worried she might not like me.”
Shouto was baffled at this and tilted his head. “How could she not like you? Everyone likes you.” He glossed over Midoriya’s mumbled disagreements and reached out to grab his hand. “I want you here. That’s what matters.”
Midoriya was looking at him with such surprise that it was starting to make him worry he’d said the wrong thing when he felt his hand get squeezed. “Yeah. You’re right.” Shouto received a smile so large it made his throat feel tight and he pulled his hand away after some reluctance. “Thank you, Todoroki-kun. I’ll try to remember that.”
Nodding once, he turned away and quickly led the way to his mother’s room. He hoped no one would see how warm his cheeks were. Opening the door, Shouto saw his mom sitting on her bed as per usual and felt the tension leave his body. He felt so relaxed being near her now, just like he had as a kid.
“Mom. We’re here.”
Rei looked around, already smiling as she stood up to greet them. “Shouto, hello,” she said before giving Midoriya a small bow. “It’s nice to meet you. Please call me Rei.”
The bottom of Midoriya’s bag brushed the ground with how low he bowed and Shouto had to resist smiling at how he immediately got nervous again. “It’s nice to meet you too! I’m Midoriya Izuku.” Fumbling with it a moment more, he straightened up and pulled out a small, cylindrical tin and offered it to Rei. “This is for you. My mom helped me pick it out.” He was finally smiling a little as she took it. “It’s a brand of tea she likes. She said it helps when she wants to relax.”
“How thoughtful, thank you,” Rei said and her smile widened as she set it on her bedside table. “I’ll have it at dinner tonight.” She moved over to the room’s lone chair and gestured for the other two to sit on the bed. “Please sit down. I want to hear all about your studies and what you’ve been doing.”
It wasn’t awkward with Midoriya there but things often weren’t. Shouto was able to speak as normally as he was with his mom and Midoriya was too after awhile. He was able to make her smile and laugh and she did the same which made his chest squeeze in a way that was somehow pleasant. The time went by too quickly as it always seemed to do and they were soon leaving with Rei waving them out.
“Thank you for coming today. Midoriya-kun, please feel free to come again whenever you’re next free. And please thank your mother for the gift.”
“Thank you! I promise I’ll come back,” Midoriya said, his usual blinding smile on his face as he gave her a bow before leaving with Shouto.
He expected more chatter on the way out of the hospital and towards the station but Midoriya stayed quiet, his expression thoughtful as he looked ahead. Occasionally, Shouto thought he saw him glance his way and opened his mouth to question this when he was beaten to it.
“Todoroki-kun, you look a lot like your mom,” Midoriya said, smiling again as he met his eyes. He saw Shouto’s hand go to his scarred half and he was quick to shake his head. “It’s not just your hair or eye. You both smile the same way. It’s very kind.”
Shouto’s left side prickled at this comment and his face felt hot. Glancing down, he saw his hand starting to smoke a little and quickly clenched it into a fist, hoping Midoriya hadn’t noticed. “Thanks,” he mumbled and looked back ahead. Kind, huh?
II. In Natsuo’s Case
It wasn’t exactly hard to get a pass to leave campus if a student had a good enough reason or asked the right teacher. Aizawa and Vlad were on the stricter end while Midnight and Mic were easier to persuade. The easiest of all was All Might who didn’t really seem to know how the pass system worked. Teachers usually asked the “whys” and “wheres” but All Might just waved it all aside.
Shouto didn’t think his reason of “I want to stretch my legs” was very good but he wouldn’t question the good fortune he’d been given. He’d been planning on asking Midoriya to come with him but All Might informed him that he’d already gone out a half hour before he did.
“He mentioned something about how a friend’s birthday was coming up and he wanted to look for a present,” All Might had said, his smile gaunt but still as sincere as when he’d been in his more muscled form. “You might still be able to catch him if you hurry.”
Somehow Shouto doubted it but he dutifully kept an eye out for Midoriya as he left campus and took the train towards the shopping district. He wasn’t very familiar with the layout of Musutafu but he could guess that Midoriya would probably head to a sporting goods shop. Iida’s birthday was the only one coming up soon so he’d likely go there first. That didn’t mean that Shouto had any idea where any of the sporting goods stores were, a fact he realized too late as he was already off of the train and walking along the sidewalk.
Slowing down his pace, he frowned at his reflection in the window of a bridal boutique. He could always send him a message but he thought that might come off as weird. Midoriya might just want to be alone while he did his shopping and he shouldn’t interrupt him even if he wanted to spend more time together.
He took a deep breath and looked down the street as he tried to decide what to do with his time. It was only luck that he saw a familiar head of curls through the crowd and started to walk again. There was someone next to him keeping pace that looked rather familiar too and who he had his face turned up to. Midoriya disappeared into a store with that person almost too quickly for him to see but Shouto was determined. Gone were his thoughts of being a bother as he moved quickly through the crowd. He just wanted to make sure Midoriya was really alright!
Jogging the last bit of the street, he slowed down when he realized he was in front of an ice cream parlor. He’s on a date, his brain traitorously supplied as he stood in front of the window. Midoriya had used Iida’s birthday as an excuse to go on a date with some older guy that looked very much like…wait.
He pushed open the door and went over to the table Midoriya was seated at and who looked up at him with surprise that quickly turned to joy. “Todoroki-kun! What are you doing here?”
“Natsu,” Shouto said and looked down at his older brother, his previous self-doubt being replaced by confusion. “What’s going on?”
Natsuo looked up from where he was sipping on his milkshake and gave him a big grin. “Shouto, hey! Come sit down. Do you want something? They have a sweet plum flavor for their summer menu.” He gestured towards the bench across from him where Midoirya was sitting and Shouto took a seat without thinking about it.
“Why are you and Midoriya…?”
“A couple of my friends from college live here so they were showing me around,” Natsuo said, still smiling and seeming to stay at ease despite Shouto’s awkwardness. “I ran into Midoriya going back to the station and recognized him from when they showed UA’s sports festival on TV. I wanted a milkshake anyway and asked him to join me.”
Midoriya was looking a bit concerned now but slid over his shake and Shouto instinctively took it and sipped. Chocolate and green tea. It was good. “So it was a coincidence?”
“Complete coincidence,” Natsuo said and chuckled. “But it’s been nice to hear about your school life. Midoriya’s been telling me everything.”
“Th-That’s not true,” Midoriya protested when he saw Shouto’s betrayed expression. “He just wanted to know how you’ve been! We’ve talked about some other things too, right, Natsuo-san?”
Hearing his brother’s name said so casually filled Shouto up with a feeling he wasn’t sure he knew how to express. His gut tightened a bit and he felt his skin prickle unpleasantly. He leaned a bit on Midoriya and let out a quiet breath when he was leaned back against in return. He was the one sharing a milkshake with him, right? There was no reason to feel however he was feeling. Especially of his older brother.
“Todoroki-kun?” Midoriya’s voice was quiet now, expression worried. “Are you feeling okay?”
Nodding once, Shouto realized he was gripping the cup a bit too tightly and denting the sides so he let it go. He met Natsuo’s gaze and felt himself flush at the knowing smile he saw there. “Your classes. How are they?” He knew it was a clumsy attempt at changing the topic but it was all he could do. Thankfully, Natsuo was able to read the atmosphere and started to talk about his college life. With the air cleared, Shouto was able to start enjoying himself around his brother and ended up sharing the milkshake with Midoriya without a second thought.
- - -
After they’d gotten back, they were met with Kaminari wolf whistling when he saw them enter the dorms. “Where have you two been all day? Out on a date?”
“It wasn’t like that!” Midoriya protested quickly, his cheeks red. “We were just… And I… We just ended up running into each other.” He looked up at Shouto for confirmation of this, his eyes pleading for aid. “Right?”
Shouto could still taste Midoriya’s milkshake on his lips and remembered the way their sides had pressed together in the parlor booth. “We just ran into each other, like Midoriya said.” He pointed at the bag Midoriya held and tilted his head. “He needed to get a gift.”
“Aw man! You two are no fun!”
Watching Kaminari pout and drift away, Shouto glanced down at Midoriya’s relieved face and felt that same prickling sensation. He ended up going to bed earlier than usual that night but couldn’t sleep. Why?
- - -
[To: Fuyumi ☼] mom was so right. you need to meet him!!
III. In Fuyumi’s Case
Shouto tried to go home as little as possible and the dorms gave him a refuge he would otherwise be without. Holidays where students were expected to go home were a different matter entirely and no matter how hard he thought about trying to convince Aizawa or one of the other teachers into letting him stay at school, he never acted on it. It just wouldn’t be practical to leave an underage student by themselves even if he had known how to cook or otherwise take care of himself.
There were a couple bright spots to look forward to at least. He’d get to see Fuyumi again and she’d assured him that their father would be gone for most if not all of his vacation. The more powerful Noumu that had appeared and the implications of what that meant were keeping the new Number One very busy which worked in his favor.
The second reason was that Midoriya had asked to come visit him. Shouto had been to the apartment he’d shared with his mother several times now and had found it comfortable in a way that his home wasn’t. He wasn’t sure why Midoriya would bother coming to his house but he was quietly excited regardless. He’d offered to meet him at the station closest but had been gently declined though he wasn’t sure why.
“Shouto! I’m home!”
“Please pardon my intrusion!”
The second call had Shouto’s heart nearly leaping out of his chest and he was quick to get to his feet and go to the front. He was just in time to see Fuyumi offering Midoriya some house slippers before he was greeted with a familiar grin. “Todoroki-kun! It’s been awhile. How are you?”
“It’s only been three days,” Shouto said automatically though he was a bit happy. Had they both been feeling the time apart in the same way? “Why were you and Fuyumi together?”
“We met on the way back from the store,” Fuyumi explained and she picked up a bag of groceries. Midoriya was quick to pick up the second and third and they formed a party as they went towards the kitchen. “Midoriya-kun looked lost and I recognized him. You should have told me a friend was coming to visit.” The look she gave Shouto was eerily similar to Natsuo’s and made him look away. “Luckily I bought enough so we should be fine for dinner.”
Shouto wasn’t sure what to say in response and so helped unload the groceries. It wasn’t like he’d forgotten – far from it. He’d been checking the time on his phone ever since he’d woken up that morning and had to resist asking Midoriya where he was as it had gotten closer to his arrival.
Thankfully he was saved from answering by Midoriya opening up his backpack and presenting Fuyumi with a box of cookies. “It’s not much but I hope it will do,” he said with an embarrassed smile that only grew brighter when they were taken. “They go really well with tea.”
“You’re very thoughtful. Thank you!” Fuyumi was all smiles as she shooed the two of them out of the kitchen. “We’ll have them after dinner. Shouto, why don’t you show Midoriya-kun to your room?”
He couldn’t remember a time in his life when the house had held so much chatter and good spirit. Midoriya was interested in so many things that had always felt trivial to Shouto but were somehow new and fascinating under Midoriya’s observation. The courtyard had him gasping and commenting that it must be wonderful to watch the stars or even make believe camping. The size of the house too had given him a look of awe that Shouto hadn’t really understood either but that didn’t stop him from being swept up in the feeling of the ordinary becoming extraordinary.
“Your room is huge!” Midoriya commented with wide eyes as he stepped inside. “It really does look a lot like your room in the dorms. Wow, there’s tatami everywhere!” He was smiling as he looked around then paused and immediately returned to Shouto’s side with a sheepish expression. “Sorry. I should ask first before just sticking my nose in.”
“It’s fine,” Shouto said, a small smile forming on his face. “I started poking around as soon as I saw your bedroom. Mine isn’t as interesting.”
“That’s not true! It’s very Todoroki-kun-like.”
Shouto wasn’t sure what that meant but it was amusing to see Midoriya’s stubborn look before he started looking everything over again. He’d never had a friend over to his house before, much less inside his room and making himself comfortable. It hadn’t felt like a home since his mom had left but with him there…he felt more at ease than he thought he ever had before.
- - -
Talking during dinner was practically unheard of unless Natsuo was there but Fuyumi and Midoriya were filling up the space with sound. It was sort of amazing to see how well he seemed to fit in with his family. It made him comfortable enough to add to the conversation every now and then though he was a bit embarrassed at the looks of delighted surprise Fuyumi kept shooting him whenever he made a comment.
Dinner was quickly followed by tea and the cookies which turned out to be delicious. They were simple but Shouto couldn’t help eating a couple more than he normally would. He’d have to find out what shop Midoriya got them at and maybe bring a box to the dorms for them to have during their study sessions. Yaoyorozu would probably know the perfect tea to pair them with too.
“Todoroki-kun, you’ve got crumbs on your face,” Midoriya pointed out with a smile and laughed when Shouto pointed to his cheek. “The other side. No, a bit lower. Here, let me just…” He leaned over and wiped his thumb against Shouto’s cheek before hurriedly pulling back, his face a deep pink. “Er…got it?”
Shouto’s cheeks felt warm and he had to look away. His eyes landed on Fuyumi who had her hand covering her mouth but was clearly smiling behind it. Childishly, he wanted to tell her to stop looking at him like that but instead cleared his throat loudly. “It’s fine. Thanks Midoriya.”
Conversation slowed after that but picked back up after Fuyumi left to wash dishes, a fact that Midoriya had protested to but had reluctantly agreed to let her take care of it. “I’m a guest, I should help clean,” he said with a thoughtful frown which Shouto shrugged at. “Fuyumi-san made dinner so we should help somehow, right?”
“I suppose so,” Shouto agreed though he’d never thought about it that way. It was just how things always were at home. Thinking of a way to chase the frown away, he said, “You were telling me about the incident where Fourth Kind and Best Jeanist had to team up. How did it end?”
That kept them talking until Fuyumi next peeked into the room and smiled. “It’s getting rather late. Midoriya-kun, do you have someone picking you up or were you going to take the train back home?”
“I’ll take the train back,” Midoriya said and smiled as he got up. “Thank you for having me for so long. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything by being here!”
“No, it was wonderful to have you,” Fuyumi assured him. “Shouto, can you walk him to the station?”
“Oh no, I’m sure I can find it alright!”
“It’s hard to find at night,” Fuyumi said insistently and gave Shouto a pointed look until he stood up too. “I wouldn’t want your mom to worry about you being out so late.”
Goodbyes and promises to come back to visit were quickly said after that before the two set off towards the station. Fuyumi had been right about the streets looking different at night but it was a path Shouto had walked so often that he barely noticed. What he did notice was Midoriya shivering and something clicked. “Midoriya, you left your sweater back at my place.”
“I did?” Midoriya stopped and dug around in his bag before letting out a noise of worry. “I did! I’m sorry; I can run back at get it.”
“The trains might stop running soon,” Shouto guessed. “I can give it to you when we’re back at school. It’s no trouble,” he added when he saw the protest coming. “Really.”
Midoriya pouted at this but didn’t argue. Instead, he rubbed his arms thoughtlessly and nodded. “I guess that’s okay. Thank you.”
“Are you cold?”
“Huh? A little I guess. It’s finally autumn.”
Shouto had his sweater off before he could even think about it and offered it over. “Here,” he said and snorted as all he got was spluttering. “Take it.”
“You’ll get cold!” Midoriya argued and the set in his stance showed that Shouto might be finally overstepping some. “I can’t just take your clothes off your back, Todoroki-kun.”
“I have a temperature regulating quick,” Shouto reminded him and saw some of the fight drain out of him. “You have a quick that makes you punch and kick really well. I’ll be fine getting home.” He also squared his shoulders as he waited for Midoriya to decide. They stared at each other for so long that he was starting to think it might have been better to go back to the house after all when his sweater was taken and slipped on.
“Thanks,” Midoriya mumbled into the collar and picked up his backpack again. It was hard to see his face but when they passed under the next streetlight, Shouto could see him blushing. He couldn’t look away. He wondered if it would be possible to make the space around them even colder so he could bring Midoriya closer but decided that would really be pushing it. It was enough to see him like this, right?
- - -
[To: T] [Image: Midoriya and Shouto are sitting at the dining room table. Midoriya has his hands in front of himself and they’re blurred with movement as he speaks. Shouto has his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand as he looks at Midoriya. There’s a small smile on his face.] Natsu was right!
IV. In Touya’s Case
He hadn’t meant to be running this late. Midnight had caught their group right as they were heading for the gate and had chosen Shouto at random to deliver some files to the principal. Normally that wouldn’t be so bad but Nedzu had been in a chatty mood that day and had fondly but continuously recalled stories of past students until he thought he’d vibrate out of his skin with the need to escape.
By the time he managed to get out of the office, he had accumulated quite a few messages from his friends and frowned as he scrolled through them and power walked outside.
fantastic friend five
uravitygarden: todoroki-kun? are you still stuck with midnight?
uravitygarden: todoroki-kun answer if you’re still alive!! (⊙△⊙✿)
uravitygarden: oh no hes dead
smallestallmighty: uraraka-san!! i’m sure he’s not dead!!
Iida.Tenya: I agree! Todoroki-kun must be doing his best to make sure his task is completely done. We should stop messaging so we don’t distract him.
froppy: Iida-chan is right. We should go to the station like normal but one of us can stay behind and wait for Todoroki-chan to join us.
smallestallmighty: great idea!! but who should wait behind??
uravitygarden: person above this should go~ ^
froppy: person above this should go ^
Iida.Tenya: Person above this should go. ^
smallestallmighty: even you iida-kun??? D:
froppy: We’ll be going on ahead then. We’ll see you both downtown.
Shouto couldn’t help a snort as he imagined Midoriya’s betrayed expression. Still, that message had been from over twenty minutes ago so he decided to jog the rest of the way towards the station. He doubted Midoriya was bored but things tended to happen to him when he was left alone for too long. The incident with Stain came to mind and his heart constricted painfully before he let out a tight breath. There was no need to think about that right now. None of them were in any danger.
Navigating his way through the station when he arrived wasn’t too challenging and he was soon on the platform craning his neck around to try and locate Midoriya. There were more people there than he’d thought for the middle of the day but he supposed he shouldn’t be surprised considering it was a Sunday. He thought he recognized some other students in the crowd but he didn’t pay them enough attention to be sure. They weren’t who he was looking for.
private chat with smallestallmighty
Todoroki.Shouto: I’m here. Where are you?
Todoroki.Shouto: Midoriya?
Todoroki.Shouto: Midoriaya are you okay?
smallestallmighty: i’m alright!! i’m on the bench by the mt. lady advertisement
smallestallmighty: i see you now! i’m waving!!! :D
Keeping his phone in his hand just incase, Shouto set off in the direction of the advertisement board and was relieved to see Midoriya and see that he was waving and smiling. Thinking of Stain had been a bad idea. He’d gotten paranoid over nothing.
Or so he thought until a tall figure unfolded itself from the bench next to Midoriya. It wasn’t so unusual for someone to wear a mask this time of year when it was easiest to catch a cold. It also wasn’t unusual to wear a hoodie with the hood pulled low over a person’s face so it was harder to see them. What was unusual was that every alarm bell was going off in Shouto’s head and his mind was screaming at him to pull Midoriya away and behind him.
“This is your friend?” the man asked, his head tilting a little but his eyes still not showing where Shouto could see them. “I thought you were stood up on a date for how long you were waiting around.”
Seeing Midoriya’s blush was usually enough to make Shouto forget about most everything but not today. “Sorry I got held up,” he apologized even as he stepped closer so he could take Midoriya’s hand and tug him a bit closer. There was no reason to feel this on edge. Even if he felt like the voice from behind the mask was familiar. “We should go now. The others are probably wondering where we are.”
“That’s true.” Turning away from the confused look he’d given Shouto, Midoriya gave the stranger a short bow before standing upright and smiling. “Thank you for keeping me company, Touya-san! I hope you can meet up with your friends soon too.”
Touya let out something like a snort and reached over to ruffle Midoriya’s hair. “Take care of each other,” he said and turned towards Shouto. He lifted his head enough for his bright blue eyes to peek out. “See ya around.”
“Tou-!” Shouto stepped forward but he was already melting into the crowd and away. Even if he was taller than some there was plenty of movement to make him disappear in an instant. Breathing out slowly, his eyes kept darting around at every person who passed but Touya didn’t appear again. “Damn.”
“Todoroki-kun?” Midoriya’s eyes were wide before his expression grew serious as he squeezed his hand. He seemed to have forgotten his embarrassment in the face of Shouto’s aggravation. “What’s wrong? Did you recognize him?”
He could lie. He was bad at it but Midoriya was usually kind enough to forgive him for it. With how he was being looked at, Shouto didn’t think that was very likely this time around. “He reminded me of my brother,” he said, the words pulling out of him slowly. Not that he really remembered his brother too well. He was still only a kid when Touya had disappeared. “Sorry. I’ve made the mood weird again.”
“No, no, it’s fine.” Midoriya was relaxing some now but he still hadn’t taken his hand away. It was a bit rough but that didn’t take away from its warmth. “Do you still feel like going out? I can message the others to tell them we’re going back to the dorms?”
Shouto thought about it but shook his head to decline. “I’d rather go out,” he decided and started walking towards the train when it pulled up. He’d just feel pent up if they went back now and going shopping and to the movies was probably better than sitting still doing nothing. “Come on. We’ve kept everyone waiting long enough. Though I guess that’s mostly my fault.”
He got a noise of disagreement as a response but soon they were on the train and standing side by side as it moved off. Shouto couldn’t help but glance at the faces surrounding them one more time before he looked down at Midoriya. His face was troubled and he let out a quiet sigh. It still felt weird between them. “What were you two talking about?”
“Eh? Ah, he saw the pins on my bag and asked about them.” Midoriya turned a little to show off his backpack. There were only a few but they all showed All Might in a different outfit. “He said he was a fan of All Might but had a hard time telling what age his costumes were from. Then we started talking about heroes and who I thought had the most talent in our class when you arrived.”
Scanning Midoriya over, he couldn’t see any sign of distress or injury so Shouto forced himself to relax. He wasn’t hurt and neither of them were in danger. Thinking back on it now, he didn’t think they were to begin with. Dabi was destructive but from all the reports he’d read, he hadn’t actually harmed a civilian as far as he was aware of. Even if he and Midoriya weren’t technically civilians anymore, something told him they wouldn’t actually be hurt by him either.
All the same, when the train swayed unexpectedly, he let his arm wrap around Midoriya’s shoulders to keep him from tipping over and didn’t let go. He didn’t care if an awkward question followed it later on. They were safer and stronger when they were together.
V. In Rei’s Case (Another)
“The flowers are new,” Shouto mentioned as he looked at the vase in his mother’s room. He’d seen it before and actually several like it when he’d passed by one of the hospital supply closets someone had left open. He’d never seen it so full before. “Did Fuyumi bring them?”
Rei’s smile grew at this and she turned to look at the flowers too. Reaching out, she adjusted one from where it had slipped a bit away from the others and tightened the green ribbon holding them together. “Midoriya-kun brought them the other day. I think he must have come straight after school but he said he had to bring them.”
Blinking once, Shouto frowned in confusion. Had Midoriya mentioned that he was planning on visiting the hospital and he’d just forgotten? No, he was sure he’d remember that. “Did he say why?”
“I want to apologize,” Midoriya said and bowed low to Rei after handing her the flowers. “I feel like I’m always in the center of something and I end up pulling Todoroki-kun with me. I know he also wants to be a hero but I don’t want him to get into trouble because of me.”
Rei looked down at him with some surprise before she was reaching out and pet Midoriya’s hair gently. “Shouto doesn’t see it that way,” she said, voice quiet as her expression grew fond. “I’m sure the past ten years have been hard on him but he seems happier now then I was worried he might be. I think you’re helping him rather than hurting him like you think.”
She pulled her hand back and watched Midoriya stand back, unable to help a soft laugh at the look of surprise on his face. “Rather than having you apologize, I wanted to thank you.” She bowed from where she was sitting on the bed and heard him splutter in protest. “You’ve opened up his world so much more. He’s having more fun and seems to enjoy life. As a mother, I couldn’t be happier too.”
Straightening up, Rei gave him a wider smile and reached out to take Midoriya’s hand, squeezing it gently. “Thank you, Midoriya-kun. You saved my son and I wouldn’t be able to trust him more with anyone else.”
“He felt like he had to apologize for things that I don’t think were his fault,” Rei mused, her fingers leaving the carnations as she turned to consider Shouto instead. “He considers you a very good friend and had somehow come to the conclusion that I thought he was a bad influence on you.”
Shouto’s brows pulled together further at this. He couldn’t think of anything further from the truth. Midoriya was definitely more impulsive with how he treated himself sometimes but he also couldn’t think of anyone who cared more about others and their happiness. “What did you say?”
“I told him that I would be satisfied as a mother for him to stay by your side for as long as possible,” Rei said, her hand covering her mouth as she laughed when Shouto blushed. “I hope it’s alright with you that I said that?”
Putting his hand on the back of his neck, he tried to keep himself collected as he finally said what had been hidden deep in his heart this whole time. “I’d like it if he stayed too.”
Rei’s gaze suddenly became understanding and she held out her arms, letting Shouto carefully fold himself against her side. “You’ve gotten so big, Shouto,” she murmured, smiling as she pet his hair gently. “But you can still come to me when you’re troubled. I won’t turn you away.”
Nodding a little, Shouto rested his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes as he enjoyed the feeling of holding and being held. He was still a bit stiff after so long but he was learning again. It seemed like Midoriya was helping with that too. “If it’s okay, I have some questions.”
“Of course. Whenever you’re ready.”
I. In Shouto’s Case
Midoriya’s face was hidden in his hands but Shouto could still see how pink his ears were turning. Even if he had to crane his head around, he didn’t mind. Now if only he hadn’t left his phone out of reach he’d be able to take a picture.
“Todoroki-kun, you don’t have to do this.”
“I want answers and you’ll bolt if I let you,” he said, keeping his head right were it was on his friend’s thigh. They were studying in Shouto’s room this time when he’d decided just to ask him why he’d gone to visit his mother. While he trusted her take on things, he wanted to hear Midoriya’s side too.
Midoriya peeked out from between his fingers at him and let out a muted huff. “I could push you off if I wanted to. I’m probably stronger than you.”
“You probably are,” Shouto agreed and stared back in challenge. “But you won’t do it.”
They held each others gaze for several beats more before Midoriya was groaning quietly and dropped his hands in favor of pressing his forehead to the table. Shouto’s head ended up getting pressed against his stomach in the meantime but he was far from complaining. Rolling onto his side, he pressed his nose against Midoriya’s stomach properly and smiled a little when he felt a hand go to his hair. His friend was the more tactile of the two but Shouto was learning to enjoy it and initiate more and more.
“I always feel like I’m getting you into some bad situation,” Midoriya finally mumbled, his eyes falling closed. “There was Stain when you and Iida-kun got hurt so badly. Then there was All For-the big villain All Might fought. I know I wasn’t the one who came up with the idea to go rescue Kacchan but I did make the plan of how to rescue him. Any one of those villains could have hopped over the wall and got to you.”
Shouto frowned some at this and nudged his nose lightly against Midoriya’s stomach in retaliation. “None of those things were really your fault,” he pointed out. “You didn’t mean to find Stain but if you hadn’t, Iida wouldn’t be here now. You also didn’t ask any of us to come rescue Bakugou, like you said. We all asked you. I asked you. So you don’t have to apologize for anything.”
Midoriya scrunched up his nose at this in silent disagreement. “That’s what your mom and siblings said too. Fuyumi-san said she was really happy we could be friends and Natsuo-san said he thought me being around you was for the best.”
He considered this and shifted until he was on his back again. Midoriya’s hand moved like he was going to pull it away but Shouto took it instead to look at. It was scarred like him but he’d never considered them terrible to look at. Certainly he’d felt guilt over them but even that was passing now. They were a part of Midoriya just like his smile and his heart overflowing with the need to save everyone.
“I think it’s for the best too,” he agreed quietly and smiled a little as Midoriya peeked down at him again. He laced their fingers together and watched the skin around his freckles turn pink. “Stay by my side?” Emboldened by the fact that their hands were still together, Shouto pressed his lips to their joined fingers.
“Todoroki-kun.” Midoriya was beyond flustered now and he didn’t seem to know what to do with himself. Eventually, he seemed to come to a decision and bonked their foreheads lightly together. “Of course I’ll stay. For as long as you want me.”
Shouto couldn’t help the large smile that spread across his face and it was matched times one hundred on the face close to his. “How does forever sound?”
Maybe he’d teased too much but Shouto decided he’d have to do it more often if it ended up with Midoriya kissing him. It was barely a brush of their lips together but it had him pushing himself up onto his forearms when Midoriya pulled away and his apology was caught in-between their next kiss.
Even if his family was a bit nosy in trying to ensure his happiness, he supposed he couldn’t be too upset with them. He squeezed Midoriya’s hand and felt the motion get returned. Oh yeah, he definitely couldn’t complain if they wanted him near too. But they’d have to form a line after Shouto and wait their turn. Even if he didn’t plan on ending his turn for a long time yet.