Archive of Our Own

“Midoriya, what are you still doing up?” Midoriya looked away from the full moon right outside his window to look at his mother. 

“I’m just staring at the moon, Mom. What are you doing up this late at night?”

“I guess I couldn’t sleep, just like you.” Inko Midoriya sat beside her son on his bed and looked up to the lunar body. It rested in the sky, the stars scattered around it like shimmering dust. “Mind telling me what’s troubling you,” Inko asked.

“How did you know something was wrong?” Midoriya looked away from the window and away from his mother. 

“Oh my son, a mother knows when something is wrong with her child. Plus, you always turn to the night sky when you’re upset.” Inko was aware of her son’s appreciation for the night. Ever since he was a toddler, she could remember her little boy spending hours on end talking about the wonders of the nighttime. Despite most kids, Midoriya was never afraid of the dark. If anything, he found comfort in it. 

“Kacchan was being rude today. He was making fun of me about how much time I spend in the dark. He called me a cave worm because that’s where they live, in the dark. He said no one would never want to be around someone like me.” Inko hugged her son as he tried not to cry. It hurt to see her baby be bullied because of something he loved. It wasn’t fair to someone as sweet as him. It was times like this when she wished her husband was still around. The only other person to share her son’s love of night was Hisashi. He would tell him stories about the Man in the Moon and always say how the night was a time where the imagination had no limits and anything was possible. Of course, people sometimes thought that the man was crazy for spending all his time in the dark but that was one of the things that made Inko fall in love with the man. 

“Listen, Midoriya. I know it’s rough now, but remember one thing that I’ve always told you. There is someone out there for everyone. One day, you will meet the person who shares your love of night just as much as you do. It happened with me and your father and the same thing will happen to you. I promise.” 

“Thanks, Mom.” Midoriya hugged his mother as they continued to gaze at the moon before falling asleep. 

/()-()/

“Shoot, I’m late.” Midoriya was running as fast as he could to make it to class in time. Last night, there was a full moon and he had spent almost the entire night looking at it. As a result, he overslept and was going to be late. Just as the bell started to ring, Midoriya made it. He was bent over, hands on knees, panting. 

“Are you okay, Midoriya? You seem out of breath.” Uraraka asked. 

“I’m fine. I just overslept is all.” 

“Let’s hope it doesn’t become a habit.” Midoriya jumped, Aizawa standing behind him. 

“I apologize, Sensei. I promise it will never happen again.” Midoriya bowed in apology before walking to his seat, Bakugou giving him a nasty glare the entire way. 

“Okay, class, today is going to be rather straightforward. It’s a simple writing assignment. You are to write a five-paragraph essay on something that you like. It cannot be something you just feel about. It has to be something that you feel deeply connected to. It has to be something that brings you comfort and helps you when you’re troubled. You have until the end of the week to finish the paper. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a nap. If you want to go ahead and start your assignment, you can.” With that, Aizawa zipped up his sleeping bag and fell asleep. 

Midoriya was stuck. There were many subjects he could write about. He deeply cared for many things. He first thought of writing about All Might but quickly realized that that was too easy and expected. So he kept thinking until he came up with the perfect idea. Before he could finalize any plans, he was interrupted by a fist slamming on his desk. Midoriya looked up to catch the angry eyes of Bakugou. “Oi Deku, you think you’re so slick, huh?” 

“I don’t know what you mean, Kacchan.” 

“Don’t give me that pitiful excuse. I know what you were doing last night. Don’t think I didn’t see you go up to the roof. You were sitting in the dark again, huh?” 

“Th-That’s none of your business, Kacchan.” 

“You still act like a cave worm, don't you? You mope around in the dark like a freak. Should’ve known you would never change. You still act like your father, a reclusive freak who does nothing but talk to himself in the dark.” 

“YOU SHUT UP ABOUT MY FATHER!” Midoriya yelled, catching the attention of a few students and Mr. Aizawa. 

“MIDORIYA, what is your problem? First, you arrive late to class and now you're yelling, disturbing the class.” 

“S-Sensei, I-I can explain.”

“I don’t care. I want you to go to Hound Dog’s office. Maybe after a talk with him, you’ll behave.” Knowing there was no room for argument, Midoriya sullenly walked out of the classroom. 

*-*-*

“So, young Midoriya, why are you sitting before me today?” 

“I acted out in class.” 

“You don’t seem like the type of person to do that. How did you act out?” 

“I yelled.” Hound Dog noticed the sad look on the boy’s face and his short answers. He knew he would have to be patient if he was to get the full story. 

“Why did you yell?” 

“Kacc-Bakugou said bad things about my father.” 

“What kind of things?”

“Things like how he’s nothing but a recluse and how he’s a freak because he enjoys the night so much. There’s nothing wrong with that. Just because someone prefers the nighttime over the day doesn’t mean they’re a freak.” Hound Dog listened to Midoriya's rant and knew this wasn’t just about his father. He’s heard about the problem child known as Bakugou and his temper. When he tried offering him anger management, the kid responded by telling him to mind his own damn business and calling him a mutt. He would have to have a talk with Aizawa about the kid’s anger problem. 

“I notice that this isn’t just about your father. I assume you two share the same likeness for the night?” 

Midoriya smiled at the memories of his father telling him stories about the dark. “When I was little, he would sit me in his lap and tell me different stories about the amazing things that happen when the sun goes down. Sometimes, I would come up with my own stories and share them with him. It always amazed me how he could turn something as simple as the night into a whole world of its own. Whenever I was upset, I would turn off all the lights and light a couple of candles. I would imagine my dad sitting next to me and I would tell him a few of the stories I came up with.” Midoriya was sniffling and a few tears were escaping from his eyes. Hound Dog handed him a tissue and he graciously accepted it. 

“It’s obvious this is very emotional for you. Does your dad still share stories with you?”

“Not anymore. He works overseas and I haven’t seen him in a long time. I miss him. He was the only person who didn’t make me feel different from everyone. My mom tries, but she doesn’t understand it as Dad does.” 

“It seems like what you need is to befriend someone who shares your interest. Find someone who will listen to you tell stories about the dark and someone who would do the same for you.”

“But… where would I find someone like that? Not many people find the dark all that inviting.” 

“How about that Tokoyami kid? He seems to think like the darkness a lot.” Midoriya thought about it and realized Hound Dog was right. He didn’t talk much to Tokoyami except during the sports festival. He was a friendly person but could be a loner sometimes. He then remembered seeing his room and seeing just how dark it was. People complained that it was too dark and scary but Midoriya saw it as an absolute haven. Maybe Hound Dog was right, maybe Tokoyami was just the friend Midoriya needs. 

“Thank you, Hound Dog. I’ll see what I can do. Have a nice day.” Midoriya waved goodbye to the school’s counselor before returning to his classes. 

/()-()/

Later at the dorms, Midoriya was working on his paper. He made sure to avoid Bakugou so no more mishaps followed. To be honest, Midoriya was finding it hard to focus on his essay. His mind kept jumping back to Hound Dog’s suggestion. Would Tokoyami be open to being friends with Midoriya? Sure Midoriya was a pretty lovable person, but that didn’t mean Tokoyami had to be his friend. Would Tokoyami even believe Midoriya when he tells him about his love for darkness? When describing the greenette, people usually associated him with rays of sunlight. His happy attitude and bright smile seemed to light up any room. So many different questions raced through the young boy’s mind and he knew he wouldn’t get any work done. Deciding to put an end to it, he decided to go talk to his bird-headed classmate and see where it goes from there. 

Luckily, no one was in the hallway when Midoriya made his way to his classmate’s door. He remembered Tokoyami saying he was going to his room to relax and hoped that the avian wasn’t asleep. Raising his hand, he knocked on the door and waited for a response. Midoriya didn’t hear anything for a while before hearing a crash through the other side of the door. Thinking something happened to his friend, he called out his name. When there was no answer, he opened the door without hesitation. 

Midoriya entered the room and when his eyes adjusted to the lack of light, he saw Tokoyami on the floor with a broken lamp beside him and Dark Shadow, bigger than usual, hovering above him. “M-Midoriya, what are you doing here?” 
Tokoyami looked a little panicked that Midoriya had barged in. 

“I knocked and there was no answer. Then I heard a crash and when I called your name, you didn’t reply. Thinking something happened to you, I came in.” 

“Thank you for your concern, Midoriya, but I’m currently occupied at the moment. If you could come back later, that would be appreciated.” Midoriya understood, but before he could go anywhere, Dark Shadow rushed forward and grabbed onto him, pulling him into the dimly lit room. Midoriya was now stuck in the vice grip of Tokoyami’s shadow with nowhere to go. Tokoyami now looked extremely panicked and didn’t know what to do. 

“Dark Shadow, let Midoriya go.” When he made no move to let the boy go, Tokoyami tried being more forceful. “Dark Shadow, I demand that you let Midoriya go this instant.” Dark Shadow replied by tightening his grip on the greenette. Realizing this wasn’t working, Midoriya decided to step in. 

“Hey, Dark Shadow, can you please let me go? I promise to stay if you do.” Midoriya gave the sentient shadow a gentle look and after a few seconds, he let the boy go. When he did, he thanked the shadow by rubbing the top of his head which earned him a happy coo. Midoriya laughed at the reaction and continued rubbing the top of his head, but now also scratching the underside of his chin. Tokoyami watched in bewilderment as he witnessed the playful interaction between his classmate and his shadowy companion. 

“Um, Midoriya, what are you doing?” 

“Hmm, oh, I’m just thanking Dark Shadow for being such a good boy.” Midoriya continued petting Dark Shadow and complimenting him until eventually, he shrunk down to his original size. At some point, he settled on snuggling against Midoriya as he sat on Tokoyami’s bed. “I’m sorry for budging in here so unexpectedly. I didn’t know what was going on and I was worried.”

“I understand. As you know, Dark Shadow becomes harder to control in the dark. He was simply acting like an impotent child and broke a lamp.” Dark Shadow paused his snuggling to hiss at Tokoyami before returning to Midoriya’s side. “I apologize for his behavior and any inconvenience he has brought upon you. I don’t know why he insists on latching on to you.”

“No, no, it’s fine. I’m glad I was able to calm him down. I think he’s pretty cute like this.” Midoriya scratched behind the shadow’s ear and Dark Shadow snuggled closer to the greenette. “I was hoping to talk to you about something.”

“What is it you wish to discuss, Midoriya?” 

“Do you consider us as friends?” Midoriya knew the question was pretty straight forward but there was no point in beating around the bush. Tokoyami had a look of surprise on his face, clearly unexpecting the question. 

“I don’t know how to answer that. Our relationship as classmates is obvious, but concerning friendship… I would have to say I’m not quite sure.” 

“Well, I would like to change that. Do you think you would be okay if we became friends?” Tokoyami was at a loss. He never had someone ask him to be his friend before. Growing up, people made it clear that they were afraid to approach the avian. With having a bird head and a talking shadow, people were less than willing to hang out with him. Not only that, but his taste in darker themes made him out to be creepy as some have said. He chose to ignore it, however, but it sometimes bothered him. After some thought, Tokoyami figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea to befriend his green-haired classmate.

“If you wish to be my friend, then so be it. I will appeal to your wishes and try to be not just a classmate, but a friend.” Tokoyami was taken by surprise when he was suddenly hugged by Midoriya. He had his arms wrapped tightly around the avian’s waist and was shedding tears of joy. 

“Thank you, Tokoyami. It means a lot that you’re willing to be my friend. I promise to be the best friend ever.” Tokoyami blushed at the statement and was lucky Midoriya couldn’t see it. He began to wonder if he was in over his head.

*-*-*

The next day, the class went on as normal. They began with training exercises and towards the end, they worked on their writing assignments. When the time did come, Midoriya moved to where Tokoyami was sitting. The moment Midoriya sat down, Dark Shadow came out and hugged him. “I missed you too,” Midoriya said, scratching behind Dark Shadow’s ear. 

“I see you two have become far more acquainted than I thought,” Tokoyami remarked. 

“I guess he likes me.” Midoriya continued to pet the shadowy companion as he pondered what to write down first. He knew he wanted to write about his fondness for the dark, but didn’t know what to put in the first paragraph. He eventually settled on starting with when he was first introduced to the dark at a young age. While organizing his thoughts, Midoriya noticed Tokoyami staring at him. “Is there something wrong, Tokoyami?” 

“Wha-oh, no. My apologies for staring. It’s just that… I noticed the topic you plan on writing about and, my sincerest apologies if I offend you, it doesn’t seem like the topic you would discuss.” Midoriya understood the confusion. Heck, he expected it at some point. He figured it was best to clear things up now rather than later. 

“I know my topic may seem out of character for me but as Mr. Aizawa said, we have to write about something that we feel deeply connected to. It’s a long story, but the dark has always been a sort of comfort for me.” 

Tokoyami heard Midoriya’s explanation and quite frankly, it puzzled him. Since the beginning of the school year, Tokoyami has noticed that Midoriya could be quite… bright. It seemed that whenever he was around, the sun shone brighter and everyone was happy. He possessed a contagious smile that could infect anyone. On numerous occasions, Tokoyami even found himself wanting to smile whenever Midoriya had that bright twinkle in his eyes. Whether it be him talking about heroes or someone’s quirk, he did it with such passion that made the greenette seem like a ray of sunshine. To know he wanted to write about how the darkness brought some form of comfort to him was mystifying. It must have shown because Midoriya let out a little chuckle. 

“Your reaction was expected. How about this, what do you say about having a sleepover with me this weekend? That way I can explain myself and it’ll give us a chance to become closer as friends. You may be able to help me considering the darkness is kind of your forté.” 

Now Tokoyami was quite baffled. At first, when Midoriya wanted to be his friend, it surprised him, but he agreed nonetheless. Now, Midoriya was offering Tokoyami the chance to have his first-ever sleepover with someone who he had no idea would become his friend in the first place. He figured it would give the two a chance to become better friends and he could help the other with his essay and maybe vice versa. However, Dark Shadow does become quite uncontrollable during the nighttime and Tokoyami didn’t want to subject Midoriya to his companion’s childish antics. On the other hand, Dark Shadow seems to think of Midoriya quite fondly so he probably would behave. 

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to sleep over at your place of living. I would have to ask my parents if it’s okay, but I am sure they wouldn’t mind. Of course, you may have to deal with Dark Shadow.” 

“Don’t worry, something tells me he won’t be too much trouble.” To prove his point, Dark Shadow increased his purring as Midoriya went to scratch under his chin. Tokoyami was sure he was in over his head. 

/()-()/

In Tokoyami’s opinion, the weekend arrived too soon. His parents were more than happy to let their son spend the night with another student. Just like Midoriya, they saw it as a way to make a friend. Tokoyami, on the other hand, was nervous to death. He was worried that being in a new environment would only upset Dark Shadow and cause him to act out. What if Midoriya realized that Tokoyami was too creepy to be his friend? That was unlikely since Midoriya got along with anyone, but the “what if” was still there. He had his overnight bag and was ready to go to Midoriya’s. He was just waiting on him and his mother.

Shortly after, Tokoyami saw Midoriya come down the stairs with his bag in his hands. “Are you ready to go, Tokoyami? Mom should be here any minute.”

“Are you sure this is a wise choice, Midoriya?” 

“Are you rethinking your decision to come over?” Tokoyami couldn’t ignore it. The sad look in Midoriya’s eyes was making him feel guilty about even second-guessing the idea of a sleepover. 

“No, I’m just worried about Dark Shadow. He’s never slept anywhere else other than at home and the dorms. I would hate it if he caused your mother any unrest.” 

“You shouldn’t worry like that, Tokoyami. I explained to my mother about our house guest and she understands. She took the necessary precautions. Speaking of her, here she comes.” Tokoyami looked ahead and saw a woman with the same green hair as Midoriya pull up. She stepped out of the car and knew immediately this was Midoriya’s mother. 

“Mom, you made it.” Midoriya ran forward and hugged his mother. She returned with just as much affection. 

“Of course, Izuku. When I heard you were bringing a friend over that wasn’t Katsuki, I couldn’t contain my excitement. You must be the friend my son has talked so much about?” Tokoyami stood there as Midoriya’s mom turned to him.

“Yes ma’am, I am. It is nice to make your acquaintance, Ms. Midoriya.” 

“Please, call me Inko. I insist.” Tokoyami was slightly uncomfortable with already being on a first-name basis but went along with it to make Ms. Midoriya happy. 

“Did you take care of everything thing at home, Mom?” Midoriya asked. 

“I did. In the case of a mishap, I put away all my fragile things.”

“I apologize in regards to you having to go through this much trouble for me. I do not mean to place any unnecessary work-“

“Don’t be silly. It was only a couple of vases. I didn’t mind at all. I’m just glad Midoriya is making more friends other than Katsuki. But enough about that, how about we head home and get you two settled. I’m in the process of making a wonderful dinner.” Tokoyami followed Midoriya as he followed his mother into the car. Pretty soon, they were leaving UA and making their way to Midoriya’s home. 

*-*-*

“Now, Tokoyami, you just set your stuff down and get comfortable. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.” The avian set down his overnight bags and sat down on the couch. He politely declined a glass of water and waited as dinner was being made. “I hope everything’s going okay,” Midoriya asked, breaking Tokoyami’s train of thought. 

“What do you mean?”

“I know you were hesitant to come over and I practically pushed you to come, but I was just excited to have a friend over. I used to have Kacchan over all the time until we got older and he didn’t want to hang out anymore. I’m sorry if I didn’t give you much choice.” 

“Don’t think such things. I came here upon my own will. You and your mother have welcomed me with open arms and I could not be more grateful. Growing up, I found not many children wishing to converse with someone like me. You could say I was surprised to find you wishing to become closer as friends and even going as far as to invite me into your home. I thank you for your act of kindness.” 

Midoriya was blushing at Tokoyami’s words and let out a stuttering thank you. Midoriya’s mother was watching the entire thing and let out a fond smile at her son expressing kindness to someone who needed it. He was always like that. He was right there to offer a friendly smile to anyone feeling lonely and the first one to be their friend. She knew it stemmed from growing up quirkless and being mistreated by other kids. He didn’t want any other person to experience what he went through and she admired it. She called the boys to dinner and they sat down to a warm meal of Katsudon and apple salad. Afterward, after Inko declined Tokoyami’s offer to wash the dishes, she sent them off to get ready for bed.

“I decided to give you the bed and I’ll sleep on the floor. I hope that’s okay?”

“You don’t have to give up your bed for me, Midoriya. I am perfectly content with sleeping on the floor.”

“I’m not having any of that. You are my guest and I insist you take my bed.” Knowing there was no changing his mind, Tokoyami gave in and settled for the bed. Now, came the part Tokoyami was dreading. Ever since he arrived, he could feel Dark Shadow stir inside of him from being in an unknown place. He was able to keep him contained through dinner but now that the two of them were in a dark room, he was desperate to come out. As if hearing his thoughts, Dark Shadow decided he had enough and burst from Tokoyami. 

Midoriya watched as Dark Shadow appeared, bigger than usual, and began panicking. Dark Shadow jumped around the room, trying to figure out where he was. Along the way, he knocked over things and left scratch marks on the walls. “Dark Shadow, I need you to listen to me. Can you hear me?” Dark Shadow stopped moving and looked at Midoriya. He calmed down a little but was still breathing heavily. “I know it’s scary right now. It’s frightening to be in an unknown place. But I’m here. I’ll protect you. Nothing will happen to you.” 

“M-Midori?” Both Tokoyami and Midoriya stared at Dark Shadow in shock. Tokoyami knew Dark Shadow was capable of speech, but he preferred to talk to Tokoyami through their mental connection. Other than that, he never spoke to anyone else. Midoriya was surprised that Dark Shadow was able to speak. He figured it was likely considering the shadow was sentient but never knew anything concrete. 

“That’s right, Dark Shadow, It’s me Midoriya. Can you calm down for me? I need you to calm down.” 

“Promise to protect?”

“I promise to protect you. Nothing will ever happen to you. You have my word.” Dark Shadow continued to shrink until he was back to his original size. As soon as he was back to normal, he moved forward to hug Midoriya. Midoriya tightly hung onto Dark Shadow as the shadow shivered in his arms. Tokoyami watched the display from the bed. He was unsure if he should step in or let Midoriya handle it. He did seem to be able to calm down Dark Shadow in ways the avian could never. 

“Tokoyami?” 

“Wha- Oh, sorry Midoriya. I didn't mean to space out like that. What were you saying?”

“I said now that Dark Shadow is calmed down, I guess we can get the sleepover started.” 

“Oh, of course. What do you suggest we do first?”

“Well, one of the reasons I wanted this sleepover was because I wanted the both of us to learn more about each other. How about we start by asking each other some questions?”

“I see no harm in asking a few questions. I let you ask the first question.”

“Okay, let me think of one. I got it, what inspired your hero name?” 

“Fair enough question. My hero name, "Tsukuyomi," comes from Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, a lunar deity of Shinto culture.” 

“That’s so cool. I never would have guessed. Now it’s your turn to ask a question.” 

Thinking it over, Tokoyami came up with a question that’s been on the edge of his mind, “Why does a bright beam of light such as yourself favor the darkness?” 

“I figured this was going to come up sooner or later. I guess I’ll tell you.”

“If it’s a personal matter, you do not have to divulge anything.”

“No no, I told you you could ask a question and I plan on answering it. It began when I was little. My father always liked the dark and the possibilities that came with it. He shared that love with me and I grew to love it just as much as him. Aizawa asked us to write about something that we felt a deep connection with. Something that brought us comfort. The darkness always reminds me of my father and with him gone, it’s all I have of him.” 

Tokoyami listened and felt bad. He always likened the greenette to a shining light to those around him. But after hearing that story, he realized that Midoriya had personal problems just like everyone else. That would explain why yelled at Bakugou the way he did. 

“I am deeply sorry for your loss. I did not mean to tread on personal waters.”

“No no, it’s fine. I told you I would tell you and I did.” Midoriya occupied himself by continuing to keep Dark Shadow calm. The two of them talked some more, before deciding it was about time to go to bed. Tokoyami laid in the bed with Midoriya on the floor. Dark Shadow laid beside the greenette as he slept, leaving the avian alone. If the rest of the weekend was going to be this eventful, Tokoyami didn’t know if he would make it out of there the same. 

*-*-*

Just as expected, the weekend went by full of mishaps. At least, to Tokoyami it was. That morning, Dark Shadow insisted on staying by Midoriya’s side the entire time. He was even able to get Midoriya’s mom to dote on him. Tokoyami was embarrassed as he watched as both mother and son gave Dark Shadow all the attention he wanted. The avian was sure the sentient creature would become spoiled before the weekend was over. The following day, Midoriya and Tokoyami worked with each other trying to help each other with their essays. Since they both were discussing the same topic, it only seemed natural. 

Tokoyami witnessed as Midoriya continued to talk about his father and he was to thank for showing Midoriya how wonderful the night could be. It was still surprising to Tokoyami to find someone who shared his interest for the dark. It was comforting to know there was someone out there who he could connect with. What started as a simple thought, soon became something more. 

Within time, Tokoyami noticed the new way he was looking at Midoriya. At first, he saw the greenette as a classmate who he would conversate with now and then. But since learning more about him, the avian now saw Midoriya as a like-minded individual with who he connected on a deep basis. The way he dealt with Dark Shadow was admirable and how he could express his love for something in so many unique ways was special. Tokoyami didn’t know what to classify his new feelings. All he knew was that he felt something about Midoriya that breached the limits of friendship. 

He was afraid to let Midoriya know about his new feelings because he was afraid it would make the boy uncomfortable. Tokoyami wasn’t ready to lose the friendship he was hesitant to begin in the first place. It didn’t help that Dark Shadow was aware of these feelings and constantly telling his host to just tell Midoriya about them. Tokoyami knew he never should have let Dark Shadow get attached. He would have continued keeping these feelings hidden if it didn’t start to affect his friendship with the greenette. 

“Tokoyami, are you sure you’re listening?” That was the third time Midoriya had to catch Tokoyami’s attention because he zoned out looking at the way the sun framed his face. Midoriya sure did have a good side profile. 

“I apologize, Midoriya. I did not mean to ignore you.” 

“It’s fine, Tokoyami. I’m just worried about you. Ever since the sleepover, your head seems to be in the clouds all the time. It wasn’t something I did, was it?”

“Of course not. You could never do something to upset me. It’s just Dark Shadow being a little more unruly than usual.”

“Do you need some help with him? I’m more than happy to lend a hand.” 

“No, thank you. I’m thinking of following your advice and trying to strengthen my bond with Dark Shadow on a more personal level.”

“Good for you, Tokoyami. Remember I’m always here if you need me.” Midoriya gave Tokoyami one of his signature smiles and in that instance, Tokoyami knew he was screwed. 

*-*-*

That night, Tokoyami laid in bed, mentally disturbed by the constant presence of his shadowy companion. Tokoyami tried to appease the sentient being, but Dark Shadow remained restless. If the constant movement wasn’t enough, Dark Shadow insisted on calling out to Midoriya in hopes that the green-haired boy would come to him. Knowing there was no other way to shut Dark Shadow up, Tokoyami made his way to Midoriya’s room. Tokoyami knocked on the door and after hearing a “come in”, he entered the room to find Midoriya sitting on the floor of his room looking up at the moon. The silvery light from the lunar body gave the boy an ethereal glow that made the avian’s heart skip a beat. 

“Tokoyami, what brings you here?”

“I regret to inform you that Dark Shadow insists on being in your presence. I cannot find rest until he is satisfied. With that being said, I was wondering if I could stay here for the night?”

“Of course, Tokoyami. I told you I was always here if you needed me.” Midoriya moved over so Tokoyami could join him. The avian placed himself next to the greenette, and as soon as he sat down, Dark Shadow latched onto Midoriya. 

“I missed you, Midori.” 

“I missed you too, Dark Shadow.” 

So there Tokoyami was, sitting on Midoriya’s floor, gazing up at the moon alongside him. Being this close to him made Tokoyami’s face fluster. He could smell the calming scent of lavender that must have been his shampoo. He was wearing a plain white shirt with a pair of shorts. The light from the moonlit up the emerald eyes that Tokoyami has come to cherish. Deep down, Tokoyami knew that the only way he was going to continue with his life, was to confess to the person that had become something more than his friend. 

“Midoriya, if I may, I have something I wish to say.”

“What is it, Tokoyami?” 

“When you first said you wanted to be my friend, I was surprised. No person has ever come to me wanting to start a relationship of a platonic nature. At first, I agreed because I figured there was no harm in letting you befriend me. I was, unfortunately, blindsided by my actions. The problem didn’t start until the sleepover at your home. It was there I found myself starting to develop these feelings, unlike anything I have ever experienced. I figured if I ignored it, they would pass. Once again, I was mistaken when I noticed said feelings growing and evolving into something more. I realized I want to be more than just a classmate to you. I realized I want to be more than friends.”

“Midoriya,” Tokoyami said as he took the greenette’s hand, “I’m sitting here right now confessing my feelings to you. At first, I was scared to speak because of the thought of rejection. But now, I know that I feel better getting this off my chest.” 

Tokoyami stared straight into Midoriya’s eyes, waiting for a response. The young boy started to tear up and begin to cry. This worried Tokoyami because he did not know what was making him cry. 

“Oh, Tokoyami, you dumb bird, why didn’t you say anything before. I have a confession myself. Ever since we started hanging out, I also started developing feelings for you. I was scared to say anything because I was afraid I would make you uncomfortable and push you away. I’ve been so worried about it, but I’m glad we were able to tell each other the truth.” 

“Does this mean you accept my feelings and wish to be more than friends?”

“Of course. I would love to be more than friends.” 

Tokoyami decided to take a chance and kiss Midoriya. Midoriya gladly accepted and returned the kiss. The two of them broke apart and gazed into each other’s eyes. For the rest of the night, they stayed in each other’s arms while looking up to the moon. Before they finally fell asleep, Midoriya thought about what his mother always said to him ever since he was little and smiled knowing there really was someone out there for everyone.