Chapter Text
Colorful.
Fall was your favourite season. You loved to sit by the window and witness how the orange and brownish leaves would disconnect from the tree’s branches and slowly dive to the ground. Unlike other people, you didn’t think about how annoying would be to clean them later. It wasn’t raining yet, but you could see heavy clouds gathering.
It’s so quiet when he isn’t here. The day takes so long to go by.
You tried drinking a cup of milk, your favorite drink. It was sweet and you identified a bit of honey in it, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy you. There was nothing that could replace the feeling of contentment you had when he was with you.
Nothing like the feeling you had when he sited in the bed, so close to your body. You always tried to discover if he was using his quirk to make you feel warmer or if the slight proximity was enough to make you flustered.
You wish he was here.
You don’t have much time, but you know it’s selfish to ask him to stay by your side.
You close your eyes and pray for another season with him.
“Shouto, don’t you have homework?”
“I can do it later.” He sits by your bed. “What do you want to do today?”
“I want to hear about your day! Did something interesting happened in UA today? Was Bakugou bothering you again? And Midoriya? Is he able to control his quirk now? Tell me everything, please!”
“Don’t you get tired of hearing about my day?”
“Never. I love hearing your voice, Shouto!”
If you could only… Hear it one more time.
“You have a leaf on your hair.”
“What? Really?” You touch your hair, but he already has it in his hands. You give him a warm smile. “Thank you! You live next door, right? I just moved in, and it’s the first time seeing so much beautiful trees like this! So I was kind of collecting the different leaves I find around. Want to help me?”
His heterochromatic eyes stared at you for a few seconds. You two were really young, but he already had an inexpressive face.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have time for this. I have to train my quirk with my father.”
“Okay then! Maybe other time?” You try to hide your disappointment with a smile. “What’s your name?”
“Todoroki Shouto.”
“See you later, Todoroki-san!”
“Wait!” It was too late; you were too far away for him to reach you. “You forgot to tell me your name.”
“I’m sure she would be glad.” He remembered how your mother touched his shoulder, tears all over her young and beautiful face, so similar to yours. “It was her favourite season.”
He looked at the grave stone with your name in it, still trying to wake up from this dream. Orange and brownish leaves covered the ground, and a few feet under, your body in a casket. Heavy clouds were gathering and Shouto remembered how you told him to smile once you were dead, or you would haunt him at night.
“All will be alright in time, Shouto. Once the fall and winter ends, the leaves will all grow again, right?”
You coughed.
“Even though, can I make a selfish request, just this once?”
You looked outside, and he saw how your lips contorted to create a neutral expression. A little tear escaped from your eye and all he wanted to do at that minute was to embrace you and tell that everything would be okay. He couldn’t, because that would be a lie.
“Even when I’m gone, can you keep loving the autumn? After all, it is the season when we met each other.”
And it was the season you lost each other.
He turned his back to your grave. He stopped for a second, and called your name as if you could hear him and come running to his direction, as you used to do. He spared one last look to the trees, completely bare, indicating the beginning of the winter and observed for a long time the orange carpet of leaves on the ground. He smiled.
Colorful.
Like you.