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The first thing Shoji noticed when he heard the door to the dorms open was the fact that his boyfriend was hanging onto Todoroki half unconscious. His clothes were singed and his hair more messed up than usual. He walked with a limp and he had a noticeable bruise or two. “What happened now?” Shoji asked, placing down the book he was reading.
“We were training and you know Midoriya. He pushed himself until I had to step in and force him to go to the nurse.” Shoji let out a long sigh. If there was one thing he knew about his boyfriend, it was that he was determined. If unsupervised, Midoriya would train until he collapsed from exhaustion. It was one of the reasons that the two trained together.
“That’s my boyfriend for ya. Let me help you get him on the couch.” Shoji moved to Todoroki’s side and helped him move Midoriya carefully to the couch. They laid him on his stomach, his head resting on a pillow. “What’s with the singed clothing?”
“Midoriya was sparring with Bakugou and it got a little heated. That’s how he earned those bruises. Believe it or not, it was a lot worse. Recovery Girl thankfully was able to heal most of his wounds.”
“I don’t know what I’m ever going to do with him.” I stroked Midoriya’s green hair out of his eyes and stared as he rested on the couch.
“I’ll leave him to you. I have to go and make sure Bakugou doesn’t hurt anyone else.” Shoji watched as Todoroki left, making him and the unconscious boy on the couch the only people left in the room. Sitting on the end of the couch, Shoji placed his boyfriend’s feet on his lap and continued reading his book.
It wasn’t until about half an hour later that the greenette woke up wondering what happened. “You're resting after pushing yourself too far during training. Again.” Midoriya recognized that tone of voice to be the one belonging to his caring boyfriend Shoji.
“I told Todoroki I was fine, but he insisted I go see the nurse. He wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“I wouldn’t have either. Izuku, we’ve been over this. You can’t push yourself past your limits. It’s not healthy and it does nothing but land you in trouble. I worry that you’ll go too far and you’ll hurt yourself. I don’t want that to happen.”
Midoriya listened to Shoji as he spoke. He knew he was right and the last thing he wanted was to worry his boyfriend. But if Midoriya didn’t push himself, how was he to improve. He needed to do whatever it took to make himself better. Of course, he would never voice this to Shoji in fear of worrying him further. So, he kept quiet.
“Izuku, are you listening to me?”
“Huh? I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you. What did you say?”
“I asked how are you feeling?”
“My muscles are sore, that’s all. Recovery Girl said I should get some rest and I’ll be okay.”
“How about a massage? Those always loosened you up and helped you relax. If anything, that’s what you need right now.”
Midoriya thought about it and figured that a massage from his multi-armed boyfriend would be the best option. “Okay, I’ll take the massage.” Midoriya stayed where he was, laying face down on the couch, as he felt Shoji move to where he was straddling his legs. He shivered as he felt his shirt be pushed up, exposing his back to the cold air of the dorms. He got goosebumps when the warm hands of his boyfriend first made contact with his skin. The first pair of hands focused on Midoriya’s shoulders and neck while the second pair took the middle of his back. The last pair of hands massaged the small of his back. It wasn’t long before Midoriya was melting into his boyfriend’s touch.
“I almost forgot how good you are at this. I don’t know why we don’t do this more often.”
“If you want a massage, all you have to do is ask.” Shoji gazed at Midoriya as he worked the tension out of his muscles. He felt as his hands loosened the tight muscles in the teen’s back. Shoji knew he was doing a good job. Since an early age, he knew he wanted to learn everything about massaging and how to help people by using his hands. He studied every book and even mentored under a licensed masseuse. Shortly after entering Yuuei, Shoji earned his license and now was a certified masseuse. He put his knowledge to good use whenever Midoriya came back from an intense training session and was in need of a good rub down. Not only was it helpful in relaxing the poor boy, but also getting him to spill whatever was troubling him.
If Shoji could tell something was bothering the teen, a simple neck massage was all it took before the young boy was telling him about his troubles. This time was no different. “So, Izuku, care to tell me why you’ve been training extra hard lately?” It was a simple question that would provide Shoji with the answer he needed.
“No reason really. I’m trying to improve my abilities so I don’t get left behind.” Shoji didn’t expect Midoriya to be so straightforward with his answer. He must be doing a better job than he thought.
“What do you mean? You’re one of the best fighters out there. I’ve seen you fight. You’re an absolute powerhouse. Why would you need to improve when you’re already amazing?”
“You’re just saying that because I’m your boyfriend. But to answer your question, everyone else has found a way to utilize their quirks more efficiently and I’m left trying to figure out how to use my quirk 100%. In order to get better, I need to train. If that requires me pushing beyond my limits, so be it.” Shoji listened and frowned. He was aware that his boyfriend set high standards for himself, but he didn’t think it would affect him this badly. He had to find a way to tell his boyfriend to slow down and realize that these types of things can only be reached through patience.
“Listen, love, I know you want to be the best you can be, but you gotta remember that you’re not gonna get better from pushing yourself to the point where you end up having to recuperate in a hospital bed.”
“But I have to improve in order to be better. I can’t stay in the same place all the time. I’ll never make it if I don’t try.”
“I’m not saying give up. I’m saying that there are better, healthier ways to solve the problem. Try pacing yourself and set smaller goals for you to reach. If anything, try meditation. If you want to unlock your body’s potential, you first need to unlock your mind’s potential.” Shoji stopped massaging the greenette’s back and turned him around to where he was sitting in his lap facing him. “You are stronger than you think. Do you believe me?”
Midoriya gazed at his boyfriend, soaking up his words. Maybe he was right? Maybe it was time Midoriya slowed down and took this one step at a time. “I believe you. I promise I’ll do better next time.”
“That’s all I ask.” Shoji smiled and kissed his boyfriend on the forehead. “Now, do you feel better after that massage?”
“I do, thank you. How about I repay it by making us some tea? I made sure to buy your favorite.”
“You’re too good to me, you know that?”
“The thought crossed my mind.”
/()-()/
For the rest of the week, Midoriya stayed in the dorms catching up on needed sleep and rest. Shoji brought his work to him and helped him if he needed anything. They spent their time watching movies and cuddling in their rooms. A couple times, Shoji caught his boyfriend trying to sneak out to go train. After a few serious talks and a silent treatment, Midoriya promised to never do it again.
That following week, Shoji and Midoriya trained together whenever they had the chance. They made sure to take breaks and not push themselves. Midoriya had followed his boyfriend’s advice and taken up meditation. Every morning before school, he would practice the different techniques Shoji taught him. Midoriya felt at peace within his mind and his body never felt more relaxed. Of course, the endless supply of massages also helped. As the days passed, Midoriya found himself being able to use One for All at nearly 45%. He kinda wished he listened to Shoji sooner. With everything he had done for him, Midoriya decided to do something for his multi-armed lover.
*-*-*
When Shoji arrived back to the dorms after another day of class, the last thing he expected was a note addressed to him saying to meet his boyfriend in his room. He obeyed the note and walked himself up to his bedroom door. He opened it and blushed at what he saw. His little green haired boyfriend was lighting candles while surrounded by hundreds of rose petals. His furniture was pushed to the edge of the room to make space for a round loveseat. “What is all this?”
“You're here. I wanted to do something sweet for you because you’ve been so helpful to me for the last two weeks. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t repay you for all your kindness?”
“You didn’t have to do all this. I mean, where did you even get a loveseat?”
“I asked Yaoyorozu to help me make it. She also provided me with the candles and flowers. Do you like it?”
“Are you kidding me? I love it.” Shoji picked his boyfriend up and spun him around before giving him a slow kiss on the lips. That following night was spent sitting on the loveseat talking and holding each other close. They shared chocolate and kisses. They told each other stories and whispered sweet nothings into the other’s ears. They were at peace in each other’s arms and nothing could ruin it.
“I love you, Izuku Midoriya.”
“I love you too, Mezo Shoji.”