Chapter Text
The snow glowed white on the mountain tonight, not a footprint to be seen.
Izuku stood before a single encased window. The curtain was peeled back and rested along his forearm as he watched the piles of fluffy white snow grow larger. Luckily, their class had arrived at the ski resort north of Tokyo before the storm hit, trapping them inside for the night.
It worked out for the best. They were assigned their rooms and had plenty of time to settle in and get some dinner from the cafe in the lobby. There were as many indoor recreational options as there were outdoor and the classmates divided into groups to check out their activities of interest.
Izuku remained downstairs in the lobby along with some of the others. Tenya was currently bent over a notebook with Momo and a schedule of events. Earlier he had polled the class to gauge which activities they were interested in and was likely looking for a way to organize and keep track of everyone the best he could. Ochako was sitting with Tsuyu, who was bundled in a thick sweater and a heated blanket. The brunette had an arm around her shoulders and the frog girl was nodding off with a shiver.
There was a small arcade center where Katsuki and Eijirou were, working as a team against Denki and Hanta in a two vs two zombie shooter game. Katsuki’s competitive nature came out in the form of aggressive shouting and button mashing as Denki and Sero taunted him, hoping blind rage would distract him from victory. Deeper in the dark space were Mina and Toru, who danced wildly to the beats of DDR. Their feet stomped on the arrow keys as the neon symbols flashed across the screen and both girls whooped loudly as they kept pace with ease.
Kyoka and Fumikage sat in armchairs that kitty-cornered a circular table and exchanged interests in music. Pulling back from the window, Deku let the drapery fall into place before surveying the room for a head of white and red hair. It didn’t seem like his stoic friend had joined the rest of the group tonight, though maybe he had gone off with Rikido and Koji to the kitchens for dessert or second helpings of cold soba…
It was entirely possible he could have gone up to the gym with Mashirao and Mezo, too.
“Deku-kun!"
A bubbly voice pulled Izuku from his thoughts and he turned to find Ochako waving at him as she untangled herself from Tsuyu. “I’m going to make some hot chocolate!” she called. “Do you want any?”
“O-oh!” Izuku felt an embarrassing flush warm his cheeks. Three years and he still got mildly flustered whenever a girl initiated conversation with him. After all this time, he thought he would have gotten over it by now. Ochako was one of his best friends, but her upbeat and bubbly personality often gave him a warm, glowing feeling that was hard to shake. She was a comforting person to be around; kind and considerate…
The exact opposite of her boyfriend, actually, who had somehow heard her call out to Izuku over the loud arcade blasters and looked away for two seconds too long, allowing Denki to pull ahead by several points. “ FUCKING SHIT-BAG! ” Izuku heard him yell as he returned to his game.
Izuku still wasn’t entirely positive the comment wasn’t meant for him…
He glanced back at Ochako and smiled. “Sure. Thank you!”
The brunette bound over to a refreshments station, grabbing three of the small white mugs to fill with hot water, chocolate powder, and a splash of milk. His eyes did a final sweep of the room before coming to the conclusion that he should give up on his search for now. He wasn’t lonely, or pining, or anything like that. There were plenty of people he could sit with and talk.
In fact…
Izuku crossed the room over to Ochako. “Let me help you,” he offered with a friendly smile. The three mugs were topped with a swirl of whipped cream and mini-marshmallows.
“Oh, thank you!”
He took one of the mugs from her and decided to join her and Tsuyu on the couches. Considering how sleepy the cold made Tsuyu, Ochako could probably use some company, too.
Not even half way back to the plush sofas and Katsuki felt the need to ditch the arcade and come check on his girlfriend. “Oi, Angel,” he called, coming up and wrapping an arm around her waist. He made sure that a kiss was placed on the corner of her lips and a possessive glare was directed at Izuku.
Izuku regarded his childhood friend with a flat stare, resisting the urge to blurt out, ‘ Wow, Kacchan! I totally hadn’t noticed you and my best friend were dating .’
“Hi, Kacchan.”
All in all, his relationship with Katsuki had improved substantially. They even trained together weekly to test the limits of his ever developing super-quirk and shared theories on One for All, along with concern for their retired idol. Some things were slower to change, and that was Katsuki’s impulsive need to be an ass, especially whenever Izuku was involved.
His rival was shrewd and while antagonizing Izuku during the last semester of their second year, he managed to correctly guess the person of Izuku’s actual affections. It was the same event that subsequently led to Katsuki asking Ochako out at the start of their third year once he knew Izuku wasn’t interested in her and vice versa.
The idea that Katsuki would have held back from anything for Izuku’s sake was simply mind-boggling , but knowing he’d never get a straight answer out of him, Izuku was forced to simply let it go.
What he also couldn’t figure out was why, nearly a year later, the blond still felt the need to make sure Izuku knew Ochako wasn’t available, despite knowing who Izuku wanted to be with. While he never said anything directly to Ochako about his crush, and she never said anything to him, he was fairly certain that she knew, too. The way she always seemed needed elsewhere whenever he, Ochako, and Shouto were alone was just a little too convenient.
The poor heterochromatic boy hadn’t caught on yet and had told Izuku that he was worried Ochako might feel awkward around them now that her boyfriend was actively competing against them in just about everything. Izuku tried to reassure Shouto that wasn’t the case, but also wasn’t sure how to tell him that she was trying to give them an opportunity to have time together. Alone. So he could, as Katsuki so eloquently put it during one of their sparring matches, ‘shit or get off the pot.’
Izuku was happy for his friends. Ochako was really helping to mellow Katsuki out and he, in turn, challenged Ochako to be her absolute best. They complimented each other well, and he was glad; he fully supported their relationship. Still, he felt a small flicker of jealousy when Katsuki leaned in to whisper something that was probably not appropriate into Ochako’s ear, judging by the way her cheeks flushed dark red and how she batted at his chest before softly whispering back, “Fine! I’ll text you later before I come over…”
Ochako shoved him off and Katsuki wandered back to the arcade, punching Eijirou’s hardened arm when the redhead attempted to tease him. Denki didn’t have as much luck and his winning streak was over as Katsuki forced him to short-circuit.
Izuku shook his head, doing his best to clear away the lingering disappointment that settled in the pit of his gut. He sat down in the chair beside the couch Ochako shared with Tsuyu. The girl took her drink with a soft ribbit and slowly sipped on it, phasing in and out as Ochako turned to him.
“You seem distracted tonight, Deku-kun,” she observed. “Something on your mind?”
Yes.
“No…not really,” Deku fibbed. He leaned forward to rest one elbow on his knee and clutched his mug in the other, taking a sip of his drink. “It’s just been a long day with all the travel. Guess I’m sort of beat.”
Ochako nodded sympathetically. “I know, me too!” Her eyes rolled over to the arcade and her lips curled behind her mug. “Katsuki wants me to sneak into his room tonight.” So that’s what he had been whispering, just like Izuku suspected. “As if he isn’t going to fall asleep five minutes after I get there. It’s already past his bedtime.”
Izuku chortled into his mug. “That sounds like Kacchan.”
They lapsed into a comfortable silence before Ochako angled herself toward him. “What about you?” she asked.
Izuku arched a brow at her. “What about me?”
She glanced around before whispering, “You know! Are you finally going to talk to Todoroki-kun?”
Hopefully his face wasn’t as warm as it felt. “O-oh…I don’t…I mean…I’m sure we’ll talk at some point. We’re both skiing the slopes tomorrow afternoon.” Izuku had never been good at winter sports in his life, but he saw that Shouto had elected to participate in it over snowboarding, so he also checked the box without a second thought.
Ochako hummed, side-eyeing him over the rim of her mug. “I’m going to try snowboarding.”
“Have you done it before?” Izuku asked, happy for the change in conversation.
“A little.” Ochako leaned forward, mimicking his position. “Back home, we never went to an actual resort like this, but we had lots of hills, so I would sometimes take my uncle’s old hand-me-down snowboard to coast down the slopes when we got enough snow.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“It was!” A fond expression crossed her face as she reminisced. “Have you been skiing before?”
Izuku tapped his cheek. “No. Well… When we were kids we had a field trip here in middle school. Ah…I didn’t really do much skiing though.”
“How come?”
‘Because Kacchan was annoyed we had to share a swing on the gondola and pushed me off too early.’
“I wasn’t very coordinated back then, so I just spent more time falling than gliding,” Izuku laughed sheepishly. “Hopefully I do better this time.”
Ochako’s grin reached her eyes. “I’m sure Todoroki-kun will be there to help you this time, Deku-kun!” He didn’t miss the wink she threw at him. “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” she said with a knowing nod that was way too obvious. “You’ll get to spend so much time together!” The thumbs up at the end was overkill, but Izuku appreciated her support.
“Thanks, Uraraka-chan.”
They spent the rest of the hour talking about what else they planned to do for the weekend before it was time for everyone to turn in for bed. Izuku took their empty mugs to return them to the dish receptacle while Ochako guided Tsuyu back to her room.
Izuku changed into his night clothes and just finished brushing his teeth when his phone dinged twice. Ochako had sent him a Snapchat. He opened the picture she sent, featuring her rounded cheeks and unimpressed stare. Behind her, there was a big red circle and arrows pointing toward Katsuki, who was already sprawled out on his bed, dead to the world. Her caption read: Called it.
The second image she sent was of just her, winking into the camera and holding up two fingers for victory. His face warmed at the caption: Good luck tomorrow! You can do it, Deku!
He quickly typed back a thanks and a good night before locking his phone and falling into bed with an arm draped over his eyes. He exhaled a long breath. She wasn’t talking about skiing.
Turns out, Izuku didn’t need any luck when it came to skiing. Without Katsuki shoving him onto slopes he was too unskilled for, ripping his ski poles away, or throwing snowballs at the back of his head to mess him up, it was a lot more enjoyable.
Around mid afternoon, Izuku returned to the summit for a quick water break. Despite the frigid temperatures, his snow gear kept him warm and the movement was starting to make him sweat a little beneath his layers. He downed half a water bottle. Goggles pushing back his bangs, Izuku smiled out at the snow covered peaks and relished in their beauty.
In the distance, he noticed Mina and Toru building a stubby, lopsided snowman with an overly large carrot for a nose.
“Do you want to build a snowman?”
Izuku jumped. “Huh?” His head whipped around to find Shouto standing beside him. His cheeks warmed, wondering just how long he had been standing there for. “T-Todoroki-kun!”
“I told you, you can just call me Shouto.”
Izuku felt his flush deepen. “Right. Shouto…” He didn’t understand why it came out so breathless when he called his first name all the time when referring to his hero name.
Shouto inclined his head toward the two girls who were now pretending to battle with the snowman’s stick arms. “I saw you watching them. Do you want to build a snowman?”
Building a snowman. With Shouto. He was going to have a heart attack. “Oh. No, it’s okay! I was just looking while I watered my drink— I mean, drank my water!” Izuku cleared his throat and looked away.
Why was he such a blubbering idiot ?
“Oh, okay.”
Crap. Was he disappointed? Izuku tried to decipher his monotonous response without meeting his eyes. Maybe it wasn’t too late to take it back. Who knew, building a snowman could be fun!
Just as he opened his mouth Shouto switched topics. “How are you doing skiing?”
Izuku closed his mouth and pressed his lips into a smile. “I’m getting the hang of it. What about you? I bet you're a natural.”
“Not really.”
“Huh?”
Shouto lifted his right hand. “I’ve adapted to gliding on ice thanks to my quirk, but I still had to practice.” He lowered his hand and shrugged. “I’m decent.”
Izuku adjusted his grip on his ski poles. His stomach twisted itself into every kind of knot imaginable. “Would you like to ride me-WITH me up to the mountain top?”
If Shouto noticed his slip up, he didn’t comment on it. He just nodded his head and motioned for Izuku to follow him. “Sure. Let’s go.” His lips curved into something resembling a smile and it took all of Izuku’s self-control not to clutch his chest.
Shouto’s smiles were a rare gift from the gods.
The two boys made their way to the chair lift and sat side by side as they rose up and over the snowy peaks to the top of the mountain.
Izuku tried not to let the fact that their gloved pinkies touched send him into a frenzy.
Thankfully, the thrill of rapidly gliding down a steep slope helped to distract Izuku from his spiraling thoughts. He weaved through the snow, lifting his knees as he went off a jump and soared through the air. For a moment, Izuku felt weightless and free from all his worries. When he reached the end of the mountain and Shouto came skidding to a stop beside him, he couldn’t help but grin brightly.
“Want to go again?”
They raced down the slopes several more times before deciding on their final run.
“After this one, let’s go grab some dinner.” Izuku adjusted his goggles and sent Shouto a glance out of the corner of his eye.
“Sure. I could go for some soba after this,” he responded.
Izuku’s stomach gave a little rumble. “Sounds good, but I think I’ll take mine hot.”
Shouto responded with a small smile and nodded as he said, “Let's get going then.”
The two boys faced the mountain side and Izuku counted their mark. At the same time, they pushed off, using their poles to propel themselves down the mountain and steer their skis. Weaving between a few scattered trees, Izuku angled himself to go off a jump. He landed, catching sight of Shouto only slightly ahead of him.
He could catch him!
Or…so he thought.
A rumble threw him off balance, making him stumble as his legs wobbled on his skis. Izuku dug his poles into the snow, shifting his weight, and angling himself to skid to a stop.
“What was that?!” It felt like an earthquake…
Up ahead, Shouto had stopped as well, assuming a similar stance as he surveyed the area. “That felt unnatural. Something might be wrong…”
The twisting in his gut told him that Shouto might just be right. Izuku eased his way toward the other boy, fumbling as another tremor shook the ground. “What do you think it is?” A frown tugged on his lips as his brow creased down the center. “You don’t think villains would attack a ski resort, do you?”
Anything was possible.
Shouto seemed to consider it for a moment. “I’m not sure. It could be a villain, or perhaps a quirk that got out of control…?” he mused. “Perhaps someone played a trick on Bakugou again.”
“Kacchan wouldn’t…,” he trailed off with a dismal groan as a grimace tugged at his mouth. Then again, maybe Katsuki would, if provoked. Denki and Mina were incredibly adept at getting under Katsuki’s skin... “Come on, we should make our way back just in case.”
Another rumble, stronger than the last hit, displacing the snow around them and carrying them faster down the mountain. “Gah-!” Izuku gasped as uneven snow took his ski out from beneath him. He landed and rolled with an ‘oof’.
“Midoriya!” Shouto attempted to turn, using his quirk to send a jagged ice wall curling up the side of the mountain to block the quick moving snow. It worked long enough for Izuku to get to his feet, and then it didn’t. The ice had nowhere to adhere to and was carried along with the snow as heavy waves of fresh powder crashed down on it.
“Go!” Izuku snapped, but it was already too late. The avalanche was upon them. Another rumble threw them off balance and sent them tumbling down the mountainside. Izuku’s head spun and he was unable to make any sense of his surroundings as he was tossed around viciously by the snow.
The next thing he knew, another weight crashed into him and then he was falling. Pain exploded up his back as he hit something hard. His head ached for several moments before it finally faded and he was able to slowly come to his senses.
“Midoriya!”
Shouto was breathless above him. Snow caked inside the crevices of his winter clothes and a fine powder covered the rest of him. “Are you okay?” a hand touched his cheek and Shouto angled his head so that he could inspect something. “You’re bleeding.”
He was?
“I am?” He reached up to touch the spot Shouto was looking at. His hands trembled, halted in their advance by Shouto’s warm clasp.
“You are. Don’t touch it. How does everything else feel?”
“Sore,” Izuku decided not to lie, “but I’ve had worse.”
He moved to get up and gently brushed Shouto’s hand aside when he tried to stop him. “You shouldn’t…,” Shouto trailed off with a soft sigh as Izuku took in his surroundings.
“Where are we…?”
It looked like a dimly-lit cavern. They were surrounded by cold, hard stone and a pile of snow packed tightly into what he assumed must have been the entrance they fell through. The light source, Izuku realized once he had his bearings, was actually Shouto, with a small flame lit in his left palm. His hands were bare, the tips of his gloves now peeking out of his pocket.
“I see…those tremors earlier must have triggered an avalanche. Being near the peak still, we hadn’t been able to outrun it. This cave must have been buried beneath the snow and we were lucky enough to fall into it. However, how are we supposed to get out now?” Raising his left hand, Izuku tightly pinched his bottom lip. “It’ll be dangerous to use our quirks to break out, though I’m sure we could . Doing so could trigger another avalanche, though, putting others at risk. Not to mention, if the snow hasn’t stopped moving yet, we won’t be able to melt the snow blocking what appears to be our only exit without running into a similar problem…”
“…oriya…Midoriya…”
It took a moment for Izuku to realize that Shouto had been calling him. “Huh? Oh—sorry! Did I start rambling out loud again…?” he asked sheepishly. Caressing his fingers through his hair, Izuku sighed and sat down with his knees curled to his chest. His hands reached down to unstrap the broken skis from his feet, ski poles long lost to the snow.
Shouto moved closer, sitting down beside him, his own skis already removed.
“It’s okay. I agree. We have to do the next right thing, which is to lay low for the time being, and then slowly melt the snow so that we can get out without endangering anyone or causing more problems.”
Right.
“So, we wait.” Izuku lowered his head into his hands and sighed. This wasn’t so bad. It could definitely be worse.
Silence settled between them. It was only slightly awkward, sitting alone in the cold, empty cave. The tips of his fingers and toes were beginning to feel a bit numb from the chill, despite his winter gear. A huff of fog escaped him as he breathed.
“Are you cold?” Shouto asked, breaking the silence.
Izuku jumped slightly, grasping his bicep. His fingers rubbed the outer layer of his jacket in hopes the small bit of friction might stave off the creeping cold. “It’s not too bad,” he replied. Yet . There was no need to worry about him...
Shouto shifted closer and the next thing Izuku knew, his warm fingers were covering his nose.
His face erupted with color. The cold drained from his cheeks and was instead replaced with a rush of warmth. “Wha-?”
“You’re flushed from the cold…”
No, he was flushed from something else entirely.
“We should be cautious. If you catch hypothermia you could die.”
Izuku gulped.
“I would hate for that to happen.” Shouto pulled his hand back and stood up. He shifted so that rather than sitting beside Izuku, he was now seated behind him.
Izuku stiffened, eyes blown wide and throat feeling particularly parched as he tried to keep his thoughts from running rampant. Shouto’s arms encircled him so that the flame in his left hand now rested in his palm, centered with Izuku’s chest. The warmth radiating from it and the broad torso pressed into his back helped to thaw his bones.
He was hugging him. This was a hug, right? By definition, it couldn’t be called anything else. Shouto inhaled deeply and then exhaled a warmed breath against the nape of Izuku’s neck. It made the little hairs raise on end and a fuzzy tingle erupt in the pit of his stomach. He repeated the action and before long, Izuku didn’t feel like he was stuck in a frozen tomb anymore.
“S-Shouto…?” his voice came out small and timid.
“Is it working?” Shouto asked. His words burned their imprint into his skin. “I can adjust my body to various temperatures. Let me know if it’s too much, or if you’d like more.”
More . The word tittered on the tip of Izuku’s tongue and he forced himself to swallow it down.
“Yeah. No, this is fine. It’s working!” he fumbled over his words, trying to slow the erratic beat of his own heart. Gradually he relaxed, the tension in his back easing to fit him more comfortably against the taller boy’s chest.
Izuku struggled to beat his nerves and come up with something to say to break the silence, but all he managed to get out was a cracked, “Thank you, To—S-Shouto.”
“There’s no need to thank me, Midoriya.” Izuku felt his eyes droop heavily at the sound of Shouto’s deep voice sweeping through his ears like velvet.
“Izuku…,” he corrected. Shouto hummed in confusion and it made him wonder what kind of face the stoic boy was making. “You can call me Izuku , too…if you want.”
There was a long pause before Izuku swore that Shouto’s arms briefly tightened around his frame. He exhaled against Izuku’s hairline, “Okay, Izuku, ” and he couldn’t help but wonder (or perhaps hope) that he was doing this on purpose.
“Just fucking tell the half n’ half bastard already or quit wastin’ your time. It ain’t hard, ya damn nerd.”
Katsuki’s ‘pep talk’ from earlier that week, when he caught Izuku staring at Shouto from across the common area, rang in his ears. Sure, maybe it wasn’t hard for Katsuki, but no one quite had ‘Kacchan’ levels of self-confidence. What if he said something and Shouto didn’t like him that way and it became awkward between them? Was Shouto even into men? They never really talked about it. What if he didn’t want to worry about a relationship with graduation right around the corner? It was just three simple words. Was he really going to let himself be haunted by them forever ?
Say it.
Don’t be a coward!
Spit it out, just like Kacchan would!
“—do I make you uncomfortable…?”
“I like you!”
“Huh…?”
“Wha…?”
Izuku blinked, mouth hanging open as he processed what just happened. Shouto slowly drew back, shifting to the side, but still remaining close to share the heat between their bodies.
Shit.
Did he just…?
“Um…,” Izuku swallowed, unable to meet his gaze. “Sorry…Shouto, I…”
“…You like me?”
Yes.
Izuku’s stomach cramped. He hadn’t felt this nervous since he waited for the entrance exam results for U.A. three years ago. Somehow, fighting Shigaraki and the League of Villains was easier than facing Shouto’s feelings for him. Jump into a burning building? No problem. Save some kids from an egomaniac super villain? Sure thing. Break every bone in his body? Without second thought.
Tell one of your best friends you love him? That shit was terrifying. He would rather take a Howitzer Impact to the face again…
“I—“ he took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of fresh powdered snow with a hint of smokiness, “yes.”
“Oh.”
Oh.
Izuku supposed that wasn’t the worst reaction he could have received, though it didn’t stop his heart from plummeting. His lips curved into a tense, strained smile as he bowed his head, arms wrapped around his chilled knees. “I’ve liked you for a while now,” he confessed. “I like you a lot, but It’s okay if you don’t have an answer for me now, or even if you don’t feel the same way!” Izuku lifted his head, casting the bravest face he could muster. “It’s okay, really. I truly value your friendship most of all and I never want to do anything to jeopardize that—“
His rambling confession came to a halt at the look on Shouto’s face. His eyes were blown wide, lips parted and cheeks dusted with the brightest pink he had ever seen on the man. Come to think of it, had Shouto ever blushed before? The shock and revelation was etched into every crevice of his expression before suddenly his features softened and his eyes drifted closed.
A smile ghosted over his pale lips.
“Thank goodness,” he sighed a breath of relief. “I thought perhaps I had messed up.”
“…Messed up? How?” Izuku slowly wound his jaw shut.
Shouto nodded. “Yes. I’ve never tried flirting before, so I was afraid I wasn’t very good at it.”
…Flirting?
Shouto had been flirting with him?
Izuku blinked rapidly, searching his memory for any little speck of evidence Shouto had tried flirting with him. He wasn’t that dense, was he?
“R-really…?” Could it be that all those little gestures he had been trying so hard not to read into were actually Shouto trying to give him signs this whole time!? …He really was an idiot; causing himself all that grief for nothing. “I…I can’t believe it…,” Izuku let out a breathless laugh. He was both relieved and amazed at the same time.
“Is it really so unbelievable…?” Shouto asked, brow furrowing slightly.
“I just…,” Izuku rose a hand to the back of his head. “I didn’t think I could be so lucky…”
A calloused hand cupped beneath his chin. Izuku’s hand fell from his green curls as his head was lifted to meet Shouto’s intense stare. “I like you, too, Izuku.” His expression fell into something hard and serious. “I honestly think that it was some time ago, but it took me until more recently to realize exactly what I was feeling for you. Since our first year, despite me marking you as my enemy, you stood by my side and tore down my walls. You showed me that this power was mine, and gave me the courage to face it…to continue facing so many things…”
“Shouto…,” Izuku didn’t know what to say.
“I don’t think I’d be where I am today without you.”
“That’s not true!” Izuku gaped at him. “Y-you’re incredible. Amazing. You’ve been through so much and yet—“
“It’s thanks to you that I am where I am today.” His statement held finality and left little room for argument. “You opened my eyes to so much…,” Shouto shifted his hand to brush his knuckles along the side of Izuku’s cheek, catching gently against the thin patch of stubble that he missed that morning. “Thank you, Izuku.”
He was not going to cry.
Even though his chest felt tight and his throat was swollen shut and his eyes stung with unshed tears…
He was not going to cry, dammit!
Izuku sniffled, lip wobbling with so much he wanted to say all at once. He decided to summarize it in one action instead. They were already so close, all Izuku had to do was lean in and Shouto’s lips were right there.
Scarred hands came up to grasp the sides of Shouto’s jaw. His fingers curled behind his ears, brushing red and white hair out of the way while his thumbs caressed the gentle slope of his cheeks.
All the emotions he failed to put into words he presented in his kiss. It didn’t matter that their lips were dry and chapped, that their teeth might have clinked once, or that neither one of them had any experience kissing whatsoever. Shouto’s lips were warm and responsive, gently brushing against Izuku’s own as his hand shifted to tangle in the curls at the base of his neck.
It hadn’t been very long, half a minute at most, but when they drew back Izuku found his lungs felt heavy and his heart pounded as if he had just finished sprinting a marathon. Blood pumped through his ears, a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins. Breaths mingled between their parted lips, the tips of their noses brushing ever so slightly.
Shouto drew him in by the back of his neck. “We should practice that more…” He placed a kiss upon Izuku’s lips, which the verdant man happily reciprocated with a tilt of his head to puzzle their mouths together.
Izuku felt his heart soar. He half thought that maybe he was dreaming. Perhaps he had succumbed to the cold and this was all a delusion in his head. Shouto reciprocated his feelings. He was kissing him now. There was nothing that could ruin this moment, as their lips meshed together, soft and slow, testing the waters and savoring their unique taste…
“ Oi, you Fuck Nugget? Where the hell did you and that goddamn Ice-cube go!?”
“Katsuki!!”
“Ow!”
Izuku jumped, quickly kissing the spot on Shouto’s lip that he bit in surprise. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, drawing back into his own space. His eyes turned toward the snow covered hole they had fallen through.
“That asshole is around here somewhere. It’s fucking cold and if he doesn’t want to die he’ll show his ass now so we can go the hell back!”
That was definitely Katsuki. His angry fuss cut through the snow clearly while the other voices outside were nothing more than a soft muffle.
“They came looking for us…,” Izuku murmured.
Shouto’s hand curled around his arm, helping Izuku to his feet. The two men inched closer to their snow covered exit. “It must be safe to come out now,” Shouto deduced. If they were stomping around up there, then the avalanche must have settled. “Hm…”
His eyes narrowed in thought. “If I melt it, odds are more snow will just pile in and I could hit someone from up above.”
“True…,” Izuku walked closer to the spot. He cupped his hands over his mouth and called. “Kacchan!? Kacchan, is that you?”
Shouto watched him curiously, but said nothing to question his decision.
The snow crunched overhead. “Ah?! Shitty Deku…So this is where you've been hiding, hah?”
Hiding? That was one way to put it…
“There was an avalanche. S-Shouto,” he flushed at the use of his first name, “is down here with me.” Katsuki’s voice could be heard grumbling something unintelligible through the snow. No doubt he was complaining. “Can you make sure everyone is a safe distance away? We’re going to try busting out without causing too much of a disturbance.”
“Yeah, whatever! If you’re finally done sucking dick down there!”
That — “That is not what — We did not — Kacchan!! Just move everyone away!” Izuku wailed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
A few seconds passed before they heard, “Get your asses out!”
“Okay.” Izuku turned to Shouto who returned his look with a silent nod of his head, fire burning in the palm of his hand.
“Deku-kun, you’re bleeding!” Ochako exclaimed, fussing over the dried blood flaking along his hairline moments after he emerged from the snow covered cavern they were trapped in.
Izuku grimaced, catching her hands. He lowered them gently. “I’m fine, Uraraka. It’s just a scratch, really!”
“Are you sure?” Her eyes flickered between both boys, checking them for further injuries. Once she was sure they were in decent condition, she flung her arms around their necks, pulling them into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re both safe! We were worried when the avalanche hit and you two hadn’t returned.”
Izuku blushed, gently patting Ochako on the back while Shouto curled his arm around her shoulders. “We’re both okay, Uraraka,” he said easily now that they were above ground and a safe distance away from the cave they had been trapped in. “It really wasn’t so bad. We were just waiting for enough time to pass to make sure the snow had settled and anyone nearby wouldn’t be in danger.”
She loosened her hold, dropping back to her heels in the snow. “But still, it must have been so cold and dark down there…” she gave a little shudder.
Izuku’s eyes flashed toward Shoto and he returned his gaze with a knowing look. “It wasn’t so bad.”
Her own gaze drifted between the two, curious at first before a sly grin pulled at her lips. “No, I’m sure it wasn’t…”
“Blah, blah, blah…,” Katsuki grumbled, stomping past them with his hands tucked deep into his pockets and his chin ducked so deep into his collar that his nose and ears were covered. “You two ain’t fuckin dead. Great. Now let’s go the fuck back already.”
Ochako giggled softly behind her mittens. “Don’t let him fool you. He was actually pretty worried…”
“I wasn’t worried about shit!” Katsuki called back, kicking up snow as he stomped down the hill.
“Yeah,” Eijirou drawled, hands tucked behind his head as Denki and he came closer. “That’s why he led the party to find you guys as soon as the snow settled.”
“I’m gonna send a communication back to the others to let them know we found you guys and are on our way back,” Denki announced, fiddling with his transmitter.
Izuku cast a thankful smile around to their friends. “Thanks for coming to find us, you guys.” Shouto echoed his sentiment, shoulder brushing against Izuku’s as they turned to walk back down the mountain.
“Later, losers!”
Ochako jumped, puffing her cheeks as she realized Katsuki was already yards ahead of them all. “Katsuki! Wait up, we’re all coming!”
“Yeah, man, let us enjoy the moment!” Eijirou gave Izuku a soft bump on the shoulder with his fist before chasing after Katsuki to get him to calm down.
Katsuki made an irritated sound. “Enjoy it back inside!”
“You’re gonna cause another avalanche if you don’t quiet down, Katsuki…,” Ochako skipped ahead, turning to look at Izuku and Shouto. “I trust you two will give me the details later!” she winked before taking large leaps down the mountain to catch up.
“Hm.”
Izuku glanced over at Shouto, cocking his head curiously as they started to walk. “What’s on your mind?”
“I think I’d like to enjoy more moments,” he stated.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
His left hand caught Izuku’s dangling between their bodies. Warmth immediately rose up Izuku’s arm fending off the icy chill and surging across his cheeks. “Shouto…”
“Is this okay?” the look in his eyes was uncertain until Izuku nodded and shifted his hand to lace their fingers together.
“Yeah. This is perfect.”
Izuku gave a reassuring squeeze to Shouto’s hand, stomach fluttering with excitement to get back to the resort and really get to talk to Shouto about the new development in their… relationship . That’s what this was now, right?
Gosh, it was such a big step! He was nervous and anxious all at once.
“Wow! About time, huh, guys?!”
“Gah!!” Izuku jumped, head whipping around to see Denki waking behind them. The electric blond widened his steps to catch up, a big grin on his face as he turned off his communication device. “K-Kaminari?!”
He had totally forgotten that he was still there.
“I knew you two would get together sooner or later!”
“Y-you knew…?” Izuku floundered, wondering if his crush had really been that obvious the whole time.
Shouto blinked, reacting much more calmly to the news. “That’s quite perceptive of you, Kaminari. I’m impressed.”
Denki puffed his chest, looking quite smug with himself. “Well, I am a love guru after all. I know all sorts of things, my good man.”
A love guru?
Izuku wired his mouth shut and sighed, steeling himself for whatever nonsense was about to come out of his mouth. Considering Kyoka had broken up with him three times in the course of a year before starting to date Momo at the end of their second year, he wasn’t really sure where Denki came up with that idea. Maybe it was his newfound escapades with Shinsou that gave him such confidence to brag again…
Shouto’s interest was piqued though. “Oh? Like what?”
“Well,” Denki put on a wise face, “it is known that only true love can thaw a frozen heart. When Midoriya here thawed your icy cold persona I simply knew it was meant to be. It was only a matter of time!”
“I…see…,” Shouto’s head cocked to the side and furrowed his brow in consideration.
Denki clapped both their shoulders. “Yep! If you have any questions or need advice, you know where to find me!” He gave them a final wave before pushing ahead.
The two trailed behind their friends, in no hurry to catch up right away.
“Izuku…”
“Yes?” he asked, giving Shouto his attention.
“I was thinking about what Kaminari said. Is it true?”
True? Oh. Izuku tensed his jaw, biting back a groan. He didn’t think Shouto would read so much into what Denki said. “Listen, Shouto, sometimes Denki says things that are, well, kind of eccentric. I’m sure he didn’t mean it that way. You have one of the biggest, kindest, most tender hearts of all!” Izuku declared.
“Thank you,” Shouto smiled, “but I meant the part about you loving me.”
Oh. Izuku put his foot in his mouth.
“Is it true…?”
Huh. Despite the cool wind it was getting awfully warm on top of this mountain, wasn’t it?
“Yeah,” Izuku choked the word out over the heart beating wildly in his throat, “it is.”
Shouto’s grasp on his hand tightened. He stopped walking and turned his head, kissing the corner of Izuku’s lips. “Me too.” he declared before swallowing Izuku’s relieved gasp behind another warm kiss that thawed him to the core.