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Shouto shouldn’t have been surprised when he heard the loud thumping of the punching bag from the room down the hall. This had been happening all week long.
He wasn’t usually here this late at night but he knows that the gym is normally empty by now. He had lost track of time while practicing in the dance studio, too wrapped up in his routine. It wasn’t until he left to fill up his water bottle that he saw the light on in the boxing ring down the hallway. He crept over to the entrance quietly trying not to draw any attention to himself. When he peeked in the room, he saw Midoriya Izuku there in the ring alone, going at it with the punching bag. He was wearing a black tank top and some muted green boxing shorts. His hair was stuck to his sweaty forehead, coving his face.
Shouto had always loved watching Izuku fight. Izuku was a brilliant in the ring. His movements were quick and the way he swayed around the ring made it seem like he was dancing. There was beauty in his violence and every punch thrown was full of power. He didn’t seem like a fighter at first glance. His soft smile, and his bright, kind eyes gave off the impression that he wouldn’t even hurt a fly.
Or at least, that’s was Shouto thought at first. Oh, how wrong he turned out to be.
Izuku wasn’t just good at fighting, he was fantastic. Of course, Izuku always says he used to be terrible. He says he was beat all the time as a kid but Shouto has a hard time believing that whenever he watches him in a fight. The boxer claimed that it wasn’t until he started training under his coach Yagi Toshinori that he started getting good. He practiced almost everyday at the gym with some of his buddies, Kirishima, Jirou, Kaminari and Iida. They were all almost equally matched. Every fight Shouto had watched he wasn’t sure who was gonna win, especially when it came to Izuku and Kirishima. These last few months Izuku has been doing really good. He was working hard and it was clearly paying off. He seemed to be pulling ahead of everyone and sometimes he would even come out a match with only a few bruises.
Recently though, he began falling behind. He was taking more hits than usual, he was getting knocked down a lot easier and he didn’t seem as quick. Each fight he came out a little more beat up than he should be. Everyone could tell too. Kirishima tried talking to him about it, but Izuku just brushed it off and said he was “just a little tired today.” or he assured them, “It’s okay! I’ll be back on my A game before you know it!” followed by his bright smile.
That bright smile didn’t seem to bright lately.
He’d been staying pretty late these past two weeks, and Shouto was starting to get really worried.
Looking at him now, in the boxing ring alone with a punching bag, Shouto could tell his movements were unusually sluggish. The thumping of Izuku’s fist hitting the bag filled the room.
Shouto felt like he should step in, but he wasn’t sure if it was even his place. He had never seen Izuku like this before. It was like he was seeing something no one was supposed to, something private. He was angrily throwing hard punches. They were wild and they weren’t good either. They were all force and no precision. Izuku must have known this too, because after throwing a particularly harsh punch he yelled out loud in frustration. It came out more like a strangled sob and his hands slowly slid down from the bag and to his sides.
Then he just stood there in silence and the only sound in the room was the creaking of the punching bag still swinging back and forth, and the short uneven sound of Izuku’s breathing. He slowly took off his gloves and sunk to his knees on the ring floor.
It wasn’t until he brushed his sweaty hair out of his face that Shouto got a better look at him and he could tell he looked absolutely terrible. He was obviously exhausted, the bags under his eyes were dark and his breathing seemed uneven.
And, oh. Izuku was bleeding and he was bleeding pretty badly.
“Midoriya...?”
Izuku jumped at the sound of his voice and frantically looked up while trying to wipe the tears from his eyes.
“H-hey, how long have you been here...?” Izuku asked, voice hoarse.
“Long enough.” Shouto said as he slowly approached. “You’re bleeding.”
“Haha yeah.” Almost as if on cue he spit out some blood that got in his mouth from the cut on his upper lip. He looked back up and tried to give Shouto a small smile but it looked... wrong. “It was an accident. I wasn’t paying attention when Kirishima and I were at it earlier. He offered to help me but I told him I’d be fine. Just a little cut, nothing I can’t handle.”
It can’t have been too long ago, Shouto thinks, since he’s still bleeding.
“Come with me.” Shouto says as he extends his hand to Izuku, “let’s get you cleaned up.”
Izuku hesitates, but then he half heartedly smiles and takes Shouto’s hand. After standing up, Izuku suddenly raises a hand to his forehead wincing and Shouto can tell the boxer must have gotten light headed from standing up so quickly. He gently places his own hand on Izuku’s shoulder to steady him before he can even think twice about it.
The two of them walk, or rather limp, out of the empty ring and down the hall over to the bathroom near the dance studio. They walk in a comfortable silence, Shouto’s hand still on Izuku’s shoulder. He turns on the sink, soaks a rag and begins to clean up Izuku’s bloody nose and the deep cut on his lip. He does what he can for the black eye but unfortunately he can’t do much until they get some ice.
“Why are you pushing yourself so hard?” Shouto says bluntly but there’s still a hint of worry in his voice.
Izuku seems taken aback by this, but he doesn’t look up to meet Shouto’s eyes.
“I have to. I’m falling behind.”
Shouto has a feeling that isn’t the whole truth.
“Midoriya, you aren’t falling behind you’re just-“
“But I am.” Izuku cuts him off sharply but suddenly his expression softens, “Sorry, I didn’t mean-“
“It’s alright. I get it. But you have to take care of yourself. It’s alright to push yourself but pushing yourself this hard is what’s causing you to fall behind.” Shouto frowns, “You’re hurt, and you’re tired and I hate seeing you like this.”
Izuku closes his eyes and leans forward to rest his head on Shouto’s shoulder, “You’re right. You’re always right.”
“Not always,” Shouto says, leaning into the touch.
Izuku opens his eyes and looks down at his hands which are bruised and wrapped in medical tape. “I’m just scared.” He says suddenly very very quiet.
Shouto frowns even more, “Of what?”
“Toshinori. He’s getting really sick again and I’m just so afraid I’m gonna loose him.” Izuku whispers. His hands are shaking now, Shouto can feel it.
“Oh Midoriya.” Shouto sighs. It suddenly all adds up. His sudden slump, his sudden need to throw himself into work. It’s so like him. Izuku has always been a hard worker. It just makes sense that that’s exactly what he’d do in a stressful situation. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” he sniffs, “not mine either. I just, don’t know what to do you know? I feel so helpless all the time when it comes to this. Sometimes it feels like the only way to unleash all these feelings is that stupid punching bag.”
Shouto only hums in response. He knows how much Izuku’s coach means to him. He wonders how long the green haired boy had been bottling up all these feeling.
“You’re so strong, you know that?” Shouto says to him. “I really don’t know how you do it.”
That earns a laugh from Izuku and it makes Shouto feel a little bit better. Izuku slowly lifts up his head and smiles back at him.
“You’re always looking out for me, aren’t you.” Izuku says and it’s not a question, it’s a statement.
“Always.”
“I really like you Todoroki.” Izuku says sheepishly looking down at his hands again.
“I really like you too Midoriya.”
“No I mean, I really like you.”
Oh.
Shouto’s heart stops in it’s tracks and he feels his face heat up. “I’m glad to hear that. Because I really like you too.”
Izuku let’s out a breath he must have been holding and he nervously laughs running his bandages hand through his sweaty hair.
“Can I kiss you?” Todoroki asks gently.
“Please.” Izuku wheezes and just like that their lips meet.
It’s slow and delicate and Shouto can taste Izuku’s blood from the cut on his lip. His hand gently cups Izuku’s face and Izuku’s calloused, bandaged hands meet them there.
They break apart and touch foreheads and Izuku starts to chuckle.
“What?” Shouto asks smiling.
“Nothing I just,” he looks up and his eyes are bright but still filled with tears, “I’m just really really happy I met you Todoroki Shouto.”
Shouto smiles and asks, “Can I finish fixing your face?” while raising the bloody rag that was abandoned on the counter.
Izuku laughs, “Yes do what you must.”
—
Shouto walks him home that night. Partly because he wants to make sure he makes it there alright and partly because he doesn’t want to leave him yet. It’s lightly snowing in the city and Izuku stays close to him, their hands linked for warmth. When they get to Izuku’s apartment the two of them stop at the front door.
“Why don’t you stay tonight? I wouldn’t want you to walk alone all the way home in the cold.” Izuku says softly.
“Sure.” Shouto squeezes Izuku’s hand tightly. “You’ll probably need help getting up the stairs anyway.”
Izuku laughs at that and the two of them enter the building, stomping off the snow from their shoes on the rug on the floor.
Shouto wishes that things could stay like this. He wishes that he could take away all of Izuku’s troubles and keep that kind, bright smile on his face, but he knows it won’t last. However, Shouto makes a vow in that moment, to stay by Izuku’s side no matter what.