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It was just one dance that caused Izuku Midoriya to fall in love.
Izuku was a green-haired boy who got attached to things easily. From fictional heroes to music to gardening, nobody expected Izuku's new obsession to be ice-skating, something he admired from afar rather than try out himself. Every day, he looked up videos on YouTube and TV of professional ice-skaters, and he watched intensely at the smooth performances the men and women alike showed, doing impossible-looking tricks that Izuku adored and admired. If he wasn't so afraid of hurting himself or embarrassing himself, he would love to visit the local ice-rink every weekend and learn how to do the beautiful dances he saw on TV. Even if it took him years and years.
But he chose not to.
"Pfft, you'll never be as good as them," his 'friend' Katsuki Bakugo teased, raising his eyebrows in disgust that Izuku even liked such a sport. "Why do you like it anyway? It's just the same boring garbage every time. Stupid Deku."
And every time Katsuki teased, Izuku would defend.
One day, however, his admiration for ice-skating shot up after he was introduced to one of Japan's best figure skaters. Simply scrolling through Youtube, looking for new content to watch, he ended up coming across a male he surprisingly hadn't looked up before. His miss-matched red and white hair was striking enough to allow Izuku to remember that he'd seen him in competitions before, but he was much more interested in the male who'd come in first place at the time to notice. But now, the heterochromatic's face flashed across his screen, and Izuku's eyes widened.
This was Shoto Todoroki.
Shoto Todoroki was an incredibly popular male figure skater amongst the female fans of the sport, mainly due to his stunningly handsome yet peculiar appearance. He was beautiful, with an almost symmetrical and sculptured face, but what made him unique was the large scar around his left eye and the severe heterochromatin he had. Not only was his hair split into two colours, but so were his eyes. One was a cloudy grey, whereas the other was an ocean blue. He was approximately 5'8 with a strong, muscular build, but he appeared to be flexible too, able to perform the difficult tricks and spins figure-skaters were taught to do.
As soon as the music began to play and Shoto stepped onto the ice, Izuku was entranced. Each loop, axel, salchow and lutz... Izuku couldn't stop watching. The way Shoto's body melted into the music and how delicate yet fierce he looked caused the green-haired boy's mind to crumble. His heart pounded with each step, and even if Shoto stumbled even slightly (which was rare), Izuku held his breath. Even though this man wasn't in the world's top three, he was still Izuku's favourite. In interviews, he didn't seem to be the sociable type who could express his feelings into words, which Izuku adored about him. Just like the emerald-eyed boy, Shoto preferred to express how he felt through physicality.
That was the day Izuku was determined to meet this man, even from afar. He wanted to watch one of Shoto's competitions up close in one of the stadiums, so he began to desperately research when the Japanese nationals were and how much a ticket was to go. Nobody would go with him; Izuku had barely any friends apart from the bubbly Ochaco Uraraka and strict Tenya Iida, but neither of them shared his passion for the sport. The only person he knew that liked anything close to figure-skating was Mina Ashido, a girl he used to go to school with, but she was a street dancer and, as far as Izuku knew, she wasn't into figure-skating like he was.
Sighing to himself when he found out the date for the championships, he scanned for which stadium Shoto would be skating in and how much it'd be. From then on, he'd need to save up and make sure he could go. He was desperate to watch and cheer on his new favourite skater, so when he finally found the information online, he froze. The Japanese Nationals were in two weeks, on the 20th December at an ice-rink only 40 minutes away from his house on a bus. That meant Shoto would probably be training at the same ice-rink or one nearby in preparation, just like the others did.
A couple of days passed, and Izuku only kept a countdown beside his bed. He'd booked one of the few seats left for the competition and was excited to go since it was his first time watching anything of the sort up close and in person. His blessed mother, who he still lived with, loved to see her son excited again, knowing that only a couple of months ago he'd been in a pit of low self-esteem and depression he'd managed to climb out of. She loved to see her only son happy again, if only for a little while. If it was up to her, she'd remove Izuku from the high-school he went to, away from the ruthless bullying he received from Katsuki, but the green-haired boy insisted he stay, loving his time at the school.
"Mom?" Izuku said one day, a backpack over his shoulder as he zipped up his coat. There was only one week left until the competition, but Izuku planned to go to the local stadium anyway just to experience the emptiness and maybe watch some of the competitors practise. He'd been told in an online forum that if you got there at the right time, you could see Daiki Hirano or Hirotaka Fujimura doing their warm-up routines or if you were lucky, their actual routines they'd perform on the night. Although Izuku didn't want to ruin it for himself, he'd love to watch them get ready and prepare.
"What's up?" his mother called from the lounge, poking her head around the door as she watched her son zip up his coat. "Off out?"
"Yeah, I'll be back at around 4," he smiled, and his mother nodded before he left the house.
Outside was cold. It was beginning to snow again and cause a build-up of the cold substance on the ground, causing Izuku to leave his footprints wherever he went. He was thankful he'd bought his gloves, hat and scarf, especially since he wasn't very resilient to the cold and would probably freeze to death if he went out in just a pair of blue jeans and long-sleeved black shirt. As he clenched tightly onto the handles of his backpack, he made himself chuckle by breathing out and causing little puffs of white clouds to leave his lips.
Izuku Midoriya was easily amused, after all.
Glancing around, he noticed that there weren't many people around, and if they were, they were carrying bags filled with what Izuku could assume were either groceries or last-minute gifts; Christmas was only around the corner. He smiled to himself as he watched items in shops run out as people tumbled out the doors, holding expensive-looking gifts close to them as they tried to get away from those who'd lost out. He then watched as couples everywhere bit into tasty Christmas-themed treats and looked for gifts that'd suit friends and family. Izuku wondered what it'd be like to be in a relationship. He'd never been in one, after all.
The closest ice-rink to him was only a ten-minute walk, so once he arrived, he wasn't that wet. He made sure to kick off the excess snow from his boots before he entered and ruffled it off of his hat and coat. The receptionist was known to be a lovely woman, and she understood Izuku when he nervously said he was there to watch. She didn't ask anything, noticing how anxious the poor boy was, and allowed him to enter.
The rink was only a little bit warmer than it was outside, but it was much more soothing than the treacherous walk Izuku had just experienced. It was worth it though.
There weren't many people in the stadium - only him and a few friends and family of the five people on the ice. Izuku didn't recognise any of them, which was completely fine! He'd been expecting this, knowing the skaters had lives outside of figure skating and probably went to a more professional-looking and bigger skating rink than this one. Not that there was anything wrong with this one in particular, it just wasn't very big or well-known.
Sighing to himself, he took off his hat, scarf and gloves before pulling off his coat. He replaced them with the large hoodie he'd folded up nicely in his bag and tucked his knees up to his chest, already becoming mesmerised by the skaters. There were three women and two men, all around his age bar one, who looked to be twelve or thirteen. All of them were at an expert level, and although there was a hint of jealousy laced in Izuku's mind, it was mainly blocked out by awe and wonder.
He was so stunned that he hadn't noticed another walk into the stadium.
"Hey, are you sat here?" a voice asked, pulling Izuku from out of his trance and surprising the curly-haired boy so much he nearly fell out of his chair.
"N-no, sorry, did I steal your spot?" Izuku said quickly, glancing up only to meet the eyes of none other than Shoto Todoroki. Izuku's idol.
"No I wasn't, I left my phone somewhere around here yesterday, that's all," Shoto said casually, completely oblivious to Izuku's wide eyes and stunned expression. It was like time had stopped completely for the shorter, and it was almost like a dream.
He'd never expected to see one of the competitors, never mind Shoto Todoroki. Izuku gulped and tried to stop his mind from going overdrive and stopping him from being able to say anything, but it already had. If Shoto asked him anything else, there was no way Izuku would be able to respond properly without embarrassing himself.
"Have you seen it?"
Oh no.
"I d-don't think so!" Izuku replied, his words almost colliding with each other and barely making any audible sense. Shoto looked down at him, rather confused as to why this boy was acting so strangely.
"Are you cold?" he asked, glancing towards Izuku's soaking, snow-covered coat. "You're stuttering."
"I-I'm fine!" he stammered, smiling widely at the taller who couldn't help but grin back.
Shoto wasn't known for his smiles. In fact, he rarely smiled at all in interviews or photos, not even when he was caught by paparazzi. The only time fans had seen him smile was when he'd won his first national and when he'd won bronze in the ISU Championships. Why he was grinning back at this stranger was a mystery to him, but he knew right then and there he liked this man. He seemed friendly and kind, despite being rather awkward and unable to talk properly.
"I can give you my coat if you like," Shoto offered, pulling it off to reveal his skating attire (which was just a black v-neck with black jeans). He left it beside Izuku, whose eyes widened at the kind gesture, and he watched as Shoto knelt on the floor, presumably to look for his missing phone. "Christ's sake... where is it?"
"Do you know your phone number?" Izuku asked quietly, and Shoto cocked his head with a hum, not hearing what the other had said. "I can call your phone if you know your number."
"That's a good idea," Shoto said, forgetting that this meant Izuku would have his number in his phone. Not that he minded though, he seemed nice enough. "Here, lemme type it in."
Anxiously, Izuku passed the red-and-white-haired male his phone, and Shoto typed in his number. He noticed the homescreen of Izuku's phone to be a collage of different ice-skaters he was fond of, with Shoto even in one of them, and his curiosity peeked. He wondered if Izuku could ice-skate too, but... he didn't even know his name. Why was he thinking all this after only meeting him for five minutes? It wasn't that he was particularly interested- okay, that's a lie. Shoto was very interested after just looking at him. He liked the way his green hair sat in messy yet somewhat neat, natural curls in his head, and he liked the natural shimmer in the boy's green eyes. His freckles were scattered delicately across his nose and cheeks, giving him an innocent and cute expression constantly. He also found comfort in the boy being unable to express how he felt vocally, just like Shoto couldn't. It was... nice to know someone experienced the same as he did.
"So, what's your name?" Shoto asked, cocking his head and hoping to make some sort of conversation so there wasn't an uncomfortable aura in the air. Izuku called Shoto's phone, and as they searched for where the ringing was coming from, he answered. "You ice-skate too?"
"Izuku Midoriya," he said, scratching the side of his arm nervously. "A-and no... unfortunately not."
"You just like watching people do it," Shoto added, and he nodded in response. Although it sounded creepy to Izuku, the taller didn't seem to mind. "That's cool. And I assume you already know my name."
"Yeah, I'm a big fan," Izuku chuckled nervously, trying to regain his breathing. Shoto's phone's ringtone was quiet, but it was enough for them to hear clearly. Surprisingly enough, it was nowhere near where he was originally sat, but instead, it was five rows behind and about ten seats to the left. Shoto picked it up from underneath the seat, examining it for dirt or cracks, and thankfully, there were none. "I got into figure skating in July and I've loved it ever since."
"That's fair enough," Shoto shrugged, ending the call and sitting it in his back pocket. Goodness, even up-close he was attractive, and Izuku felt rather insecure standing next to such a stunning man. "I have the same issue. I love art, but I'm useless at it."
"I-I go to an art school!" Izuku jumped in, excitement rising in his voice. Shoto was slightly surprised by his burst of energy, but he didn't mind at all. He found it rather cute. "And I'm sure you're great!"
"Well, Midoriya, I'd love to see some of your work someday," Shoto said with a nod, glancing towards the ice rink. He loved skating, despite his harsh childhood. He'd been raised by his father, who'd forced him into sports like taekwondo and kick-boxing, but Shoto had never enjoyed it. Instead, he ran away with his older sister to the ice-rink, teaching himself how to skate and eventually getting a coach that his mother paid for. He never saw his mother, but she still managed to pay from wherever she was. Knowing people like Izuku admired his skating abilities made his heart swell, and he wished to spread the sport far and wide and help others get on their skates too.
"I have some photos on my phone," Izuku said quietly, but Shoto shook his head. Slightly offended and put down by his response, he then added a "Huh?"
"I'd rather see your projects in person," he responded, and Izuku's eyes widened, understanding now that Shoto didn't mean any harm by what he'd done. "Midoriya, we could make a deal."
"Wh-what do you mean?" the older questioned, cocking his head as he wondered what the younger would come up with. "What deal?"
"If I teach you how to skate, would you teach me art?" Shoto asked, and the green-haired boy's heart began to race even faster. THE Shoto Todoroki was offering to teach him how to skate? That was... that was... insane! And Shoto could tell the offer was a big deal to him just by looking at his face. His mouth and eyes were forming a huge 'O', and he was visibly fumbling with his thumbs and words, searching in his mind for any answer he could muster. "Midoriya?"
"I would love that!" Izuku beamed, clapping his hands together. "I-I never expected for someone of your experience and talent to offer such a thing. I mean, I never thought I'd skate in my life and be shut away in my room envying you guys, but this is an offer I can't refuse! THE Shoto Todoroki, ISU Championships bronze medalist AND the second-best figure skater in Japan is asking ME, a failure, to skate with him? That's... crazy, you know? And to think I wasn't even going to come today, I..."
Shoto watched as Izuku continued to mutter incoherent nonsense in amusement, raising his eyebrows as he tried to figure out what answer he would get once Izuku was in a better state of mind. Clearly, neither of them were very good at socialising. Shoto was very blunt and didn't understand social cues, whereas Izuku was incredibly anxious and nervous and rarely knew what to say in fear of messing up or coming across the wrong way. Both were very different but already got along perfectly, something Shoto had always wanted. Someone who understood that he wasn't good verbally, but also someone who understood what he wanted to say.
"Sorry, Todoroki, I got a bit carried away," Izuku then said, causing Shoto to come back to earth and notice the pink in the boy's cheeks. "I always get nervous talking to people, I hope you don't think I'm weird or anything."
"That's fine," he replied, stuffing his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. "Anyway, I need to get on the ice. The championships are in a week, and I don't want to look like an idiot. Are you gonna be there?"
"Yeah, I bought a ticket last week," Izuku smiled, and Shoto nodded in satisfaction. "Good luck, by the way! I'll be rooting for you."
"Thanks, Midoriya," he answered, giving a very small smile in return to recognise the fact they were friends. "Once the championships are over, I'll try and get you on the ice."
"Sounds fun!" Izuku beamed, and with that, Shoto walked away, leaving his bag and phone on the seat beside him. The big-eyed boy watched as he went to the front row of seats to put on his skates before walking onto the ice, and instantly, all the tensions in Shoto's body seemed to vanish. He gradually warmed up before practising jumps, something Izuku had noticed was his weaker points, but every time, he did them perfectly. It was as if he was putting on a show just for him.
And Shoto was.
For the first time in years, Shoto had someone to perform in front of. As a child, he'd always wanted to impress his sister Fuyumi and make his mother proud, but he eventually grew up and lost that sense of wanting to make people proud. This made some of his jumps sloppy and, although he was still one of the best in Japan and Asia, he wasn't quite... on top of everything. Now he wanted to show off in front of Izuku. Why? He had no idea, he'd only met him fifteen minutes ago.
Either way, he liked him a lot and wanted to prove he was worth Izuku's time.
Watching in amazement and surprise, Izuku examined every single movement. There wasn't any music to add to the experience (Shoto was wearing earphones), but it still portrayed a mood. A mood Izuku had never really felt before, but watching it now, in person, after talking to Shoto Todoroki for only a few minutes...
Maybe he'd understand that mood eventually. And hopefully, Shoto would be there with him. Every step of the way.