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Padding down the stairs quietly, Izuku looks into the common room to check if anyone is there. A messy mop of bright red and white hair catches his gaze. The green-haired boy walks over and places his hand on the other man's shoulder. “Todoroki?” He jumps, startled by the sudden contact from Izuku. Shouto looks up at the teen standing behind him. His face is red and streaked with tears from crying.
Heterochromatic eyes meet with Izuku’s emerald green eyes, tears still falling from the corners of his eyes. Izuku frowns, knitting his brows together as he looks over Shouto’s face. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen him cry, but something was different this time. Something was different in his eyes when he looks at Izuku. He looked lost.
Chewing at the inside of his lip, Izuku moves to sit next to Shouto, taking the other boy's hands in his own. “What’s going on?” He asks, hoping to get an answer but knows he probably won’t. Shouto shakes his head. “It’s nothing.” He replies quietly, just barely audible.
“You’re down here alone, crying, Todoroki. Something is wrong, otherwise, you wouldn’t be here alone. You know you can always talk to me about anything. It doesn’t matter what it is. You’re my friend.” He looks at him, a warm smile crossing his face. Izuku reaches a hand up tentatively and holds it away from his cheek, asking for permission to touch him. The dual quirk user leans his cheek into the other's palm, gaze dropping to the couch cushion between them.
“I know.” Shouto croaks out, sniffling as he does. Izuku moves his thumb to wipe away stray tears on the others’ cheek. Another sob racks through the taller man’s body and Izuku frowns. “You don’t have to talk about it, but I’m not leaving until I know you’ll be okay. I care too much to see you like this.”
He nods, keeping his eyes trained on the fabric of the couch between them. Shouto brings his hands into his lap, wringing them together. Izuku thought that he wanted to say something, he wasn’t going to push it though. He’d learned not to push him into these situations and that he would tell him in his own time when he was ready. The bi-colored boy looks down at his hands and runs his fingers over the lines in his palms, still quietly crying.
The silence between them trails on, the only sounds being a clock on the wall ticking loudly and Shouto’s quiet sniffles. Izuku knew the other would talk when he was ready. Shouto takes in a sharp ragged breath and looks up to meet Izuku’s green eyes. “My father.” He starts, tears beginning to well in his eyes again. The green-haired teen's expression drops further. Of course, it was Endeavor. All he ever did was hurt Shouto. “He.” Another sharp breath from the other, trying to focus on what he was saying and to stave off the sob. “He found messages I’d sent to Fuyumi.”
Izuku tilts his head, look at Shouto. Messages? Why was Endeavor looking at messages between him and his sister? His eyebrows knit together and he worries his lip between his teeth as he listens to the other teen's story. “The, uh, the messages were me coming out to her.” Shouto sighs quietly and continues. “I told her that I had a crush on someone and that I wanted to confess my feelings.” He swallows thickly, looking away from Izuku. “My father didn’t like the fact that I have feelings for another boy. He,” He inhales sharply, tensing his jaw as he remembers what his father told him. “He, well, he had a few choice words to say to me.” Izuku notices he winces at the thought of what he might have said to him. “He told me there wasn’t any way he would let his masterpiece be some faggot. An abomination . His words exactly.” His heart breaks hearing the words Shouto’s father had told him. “It’s funny you know,” He looks up, meeting Izuku’s gaze again. “He could care less that Fuyumi has a girlfriend, yet the fact that I’m gay, his masterpiece , is what pushes him over the edge.” He lets out a half-hearted chuckle. Izuku could tell it’s pained. He could see the pain in Shouto’s eyes as he looked at him. He wanted to hug him and hold him. Tell him everything was going to be okay, even if it did break his heart that he had feelings for someone. Someone who probably wasn’t Izuku.
Izuku sighs quietly. “Shouto, none of that is okay. You’re your own person.” He moves his hands to the other teen's shoulders, holding him steady. “You’re so much stronger than he is. In every way. You.” Izuku takes a deep breath before speaking again. “You, Todoroki Shouto, are one of the strongest people I know. You shouldn’t care what he thinks. He’s nothing but a sperm donor. A pile of flaming garbage, quite literally.” He lets out a small chuckle at that. “You’re perfect just the way you are.” The tears that had begun to collect in the green-haired teen's eyes started to spill over. “You’re perfect Shouto. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, because I think you’re perfect. You should too. You have such a kind heart, you care for people. You might not show it all the time, but we know you care. You’re always there when someone needs you, like in Hosu. You’re always by my side, that’s something your asshole of a father can’t say. You.” Izuku begins to choke on his words, not wanting to let it slip that he cares for Shouto more than a friend.
The dual quirk user pulls the other into a tight hug, sobbing into his shoulder. “Thank you.” He mumbles quietly into his shoulder. “I’m glad it was you who came down, and not someone else.” Shouto fists at the back of Izuku’s shirt, trying to calm himself. A scarred hand moves to rub at the other’s back, slow and comforting.
A comfortable silence draws between the two as Izuku calms Shouto down. The clock ticks quietly on the wall, it's the only thing breaking the silence between them. The two stay like that until Shouto calms down and leans away from Izuku. Shouto wipes his face onto his sleeve before looking at Izuku, smiling softly. “Thank you, Izuku. I really appreciate you being here for me.” He nods, returning a smile. Izuku blushes darkly when he hears Shouto use his given name. The low light in the room mostly hides the flush on his cheeks well, the only real give away was the heat he felt as the blood rose to darken his cheeks. A cool hand makes its way to Izuku’s cheek and he leans into it, his own hand moving to rest on Shouto’s.
Shouto takes a deep breath and looks Izuku in the eye. “You know, part of the reason he was so mad wasn’t just because I’m gay, but because of who I have a crush on.” A green eyebrow quirks up as he listens. “Of all the people to earn my affection.” He takes another breath, leaning closer to Izuku. “It’s you. It’s always been you.” Izuku’s breath hitches as he hears the words leave Shouto’s mouth. He blinks, eyes starting to water as what he’s heard starts to sink in. Shouto reciprocated his feelings. He liked him back. Todoroki Shouto liked him back.
Izuku opens his mouth to say something but shuts it immediately since he doesn’t trust his own voice. He swallows thickly looking back at the other man sitting in front of him. For once in his life, Izuku was at a loss for words. There was a lot floating around in his head, but nothing wanted to come out of his mouth. “S-Shouto.” Is the only thing he manages to say coherently. Shouto leans closer, his own face flushing darkly as well. Izuku’s breath hitches again when he realized how close the other is to him.
“I hope I’m reading things right, but can I kiss you Izuku?” Shouto asks quietly. Green curls bounce emphatically as Izuku nods, squeaking out a small “Yes,” followed by an almost inaudible “Please.” The hand Shouto has placed on Izuku’s cheek moved to rest on the back of his head as he leans forward, pressing a soft kiss to his lips for a moment before pulling away. Izuku’s arms move to wrap around the other man's neck, pulling him into another kiss. This one is more awkward and desperate; teeth and noses clash as they try to settle into a rhythm with each other.
Izuku pulls away and presses his heated face into the left side of Shouto’s neck, smiling softly. Shouto smiles and runs a hand through the other’s hair. He hums quietly as he leans back into the couch, pulling Izuku close. They both settle into one another, a comfortable silence falling between them. Shouto presses a kiss to the top of Izuku’s head and closes his eyes, sighing contently. He notices the smaller boys breathing setting into a rhythm and he smiles, closing his own eyes to try to sleep. “Night ‘Zuku.” he says with a quiet hum.