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Midoriya Izuku had always wanted to save someone.
Saving lots of people would be even better, of course, but if he could just save one person then he would have somehow made the world a better place.
Even though he was quirkless.
That shouldn’t matter, right?
You should still be able to make the world better, even if you didn’t have a quirk.
People had done it for centuries.
Yet somehow, every time Izuku tried, he failed.
Over.
And over.
And over.
He couldn’t save anyone.
He always made the situation worse.
It wasn’t a surprise, really, that no one ever wanted to spend time with him or be his friend.
So when All Might of all people told him he could be a hero, of course he’d jumped at the chance!
And in the exam he’d done his best to help Uraraka, but she’d had to save him, too, so… did it really count?
It had to, right?
But it was an exam, and surely UA wouldn’t have actually let anything happen to her. So it didn’t really feel like it counted. But she wanted to be his friend! It was really weird that someone actually wanted to talk to him now!
And then Todoroki had told him about his family.
His eyes….
Izuku knew what he needed to do.
There was someone in front of him who needed help. And maybe it wasn’t exactly his place, but Izuku was going to do whatever he could to give him that help.
Even if it was going to hurt.
And it did.
It really really did.
But when Todoroki’s left side burst into flames, it looked so beautiful.
All the ice had just melted away, and Izuku had just stood there, entranced.
He could watch Todoroki’s flames forever.
The way they curved around him, tracing his outline as they danced in the air, free and exulting. Not to mention strong. So incredibly strong. Their warmth seeped into his bones even though he was all the way across the arena.
But they were in the middle of a fight, so Izuku grit his teeth and lunged forward, ready to deliver what would probably be his last blow—
His hand hurt.
It was throbbing, a dull ache deep in his bones between each pulse. What…?
Izuku opened his eyes.
Oh.
Recovery Girl’s office.
“I had to do surgery on your hand, you idiot boy!” The hero shuffled toward him, waving her cane. “You have to be more careful than that! I’m not healing any injuries like that again, do you hear me?” She glared at him. “As it is, your fingers are going to be slightly crooked from now on in your right hand—I couldn’t heal everything completely, the bone was in too many fragments.”
Too many—
Izuku looked down at his hand.
There was scarring all along his wrist and fingers and his two right fingers were slightly bent, no matter how hard he tried to straighten them.
Izuku swallowed.
Oh.
He pulled his hand into a fist, wincing at the stretch of each muscle. He could still do it, though. “Thank you, Recovery Girl. I’ll be more careful.”
“Hmph.” The hero shook her head. “You’re too like Toshinori sometimes, you know that?”
Izuku’s head shot up, what? He was similar to All Might?
She sighed, “I didn’t mean that in a good way. And I’m serious about not doing this to yourself again! Another injury like this and you won’t be able to move that hand!”
Izuku’s eyes widened and he nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll try not to do it again.”
“I don’t want to hear that! Just don’t do it!”
“Right.” Izuku winced.
Recovery Girl glared at him for a few more seconds, then sighed and moved toward the door, “For right now there’s someone who’s been waiting to see you, so I’ll give you two some privacy.”
Someone wanted to see him?
But who would—
The door slid open.
Oh.
“Todoroki-kun. You umm…” Izuku wasn’t sure what to say. “I’m glad you used your fire.” Even if he’d apparently almost sacrificed his hand to make him do it.
But he’d helped someone! He’d actually made a good difference in someone’s life! He probably should try to find a different way next time, but he’d learn how to use One for All and then he’d be able to help even more people!
Grey and blue eyes were evaluating him, and then his classmate was coming closer, stopping at the foot of Izuku’s bed. “You’re crazy, you know that?”
Izuku laughed, not sure how to respond to that. “You uh, you said that during the match, too. But I’m still glad that I got to fight against you going all out, Todoroki-kun.” Izuku grinned, “Your fire was really beautiful!”
“Beautiful?” Todoroki stared at him. “I don’t understand.” He shook his head, “That doesn’t matter, though. I…” his voice trailed off and he swallowed.
Silence.
Izuku was confused. “What is it? Oh! Were you able to win the sports festival?!”
“Huh?” Todoroki looked back at him, then shook his head. “That’s not important. I wasn’t feeling well when I fought Bakugou.”
“You weren’t feeling well?” Izuku frowned. Had he punched him using too much of One for All? “I didn’t hurt you, did I?!” He’d been trying to be careful but he could have slipped up, there was so much going on in the fight—
“It wasn’t that.”
Izuku’s shoulders slumped in relief. “Thank goodness.”
“I felt better when I came back to see Recovery Girl.”
“That’s good! She’s awesome, right?” At least Todoroki was feeling better now!
“You don’t understand.” Todoroki’s brow was furrowing now. “You were why I felt better. Recovery Girl didn’t do anything.”
“I’m glad I could help you, Todoroki-kun!”
Finally.
He really had helped someone! He wasn’t just imagining it!
Izuku was so glad he’d been able to achieve something during the match. That meant the pain was worth it. These scars would be good mementos.
Izuku’s hand circled into a tight fist. He wasn’t good enough right now to save a person without hurting himself, but one day he’d get there!
But why did Todoroki-kun still looked frustrated?
“Midoriya. You were the first person to touch me during any of my matches today. We both came to the nurse’s office. I felt bad when I left. Then I felt better when I came back. Do you get it now?”
What?
That…
Todoroki started feeling bad after he left Recovery Girl’s office? After he left Izuku’s side? Right when they’d just touched for the first time?
Todoroki couldn’t mean—
“You’re my soulmate.”
…
Izuku squeaked.
“But… but that would mean our first touch was me punching you! That’s a terrible first touch! Oh gosh, I’m so sorry, we should have shaken hands at some point, anything other than a punch, why doesn’t UA think about this? This is such a bad omen—”
“You’re not mad?”
“Mad?” Izuku didn’t understand. “Why would I be mad? You’re amazing, Todoroki-kun. I couldn’t ask for anyone better! I mean, I guess I’m mad that we discovered it by me punching you, because that’s totally not cool and I’m really sorry about that, but—”
“I’m broken. I hate my quirk and I have a hideous scar covering my face.”
“That’s not true, Todoroki-kun! None of it!”
Todoroki’s head tilted to the side, “But it is?” He reached up, poking the scarred skin around his eye. “It’s hideous.”
“No it’s not!” Izuku crawled forward, blushing a little, but still reaching up and covering Todoroki’s hand with his own, his own scarred thumb tracing over the scar’s lower edge. “It’s part of what makes you strong. I see it and I know you can overcome anything, because you’ve already overcome so much.”
Todoroki’s eyes were wide, his pupils dilating as a soft blush spread across his face.
Izuku scrambled backwards. “Sorry! That was um, probably too much, huh?”
“No.” Todoroki’s fingers ran over the edge of his scar, right where Izuku had touched. “I liked it.”
Izuku’s face was burning. “You did?”
Todoroki nodded, but then his eyes fell onto Izuku’s hands. “You have scars now, too.”
“Yup!” Izuku laughed nervously. “I guess we match?”
Todoroki frowned. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be!” Izuku waved his hands around, frantic. “I didn’t mean it that way! I’m fine with it, really! I’m just happy I could help you!”
Todoroki studied him, and Izuku didn’t know what to do, or say. Did Todoroki think he didn’t mean it? Did Todoroki not like the scars? But they weren’t that noticeable, Izuku thought, so—
“I’m still not sure what I should do with my fire.”
Oh.
“That’s ok!” Izuku grinned at him. “Everyone takes a while to figure out what to do with their quirks, right? The important thing is that you realize that it’s yours!”
“Mine.” Todoroki frowned, still studying Izuku like he was some sort of puzzle. “Like you’re mine?”
Izuku squeaked again, sure that his head was about to combust, it was burning so much. “I mean, yeah, I guess, but in a different way at least and—”
“I want to court you.”
“Eh?!?!” Huh? What? What did that even mean????? Court him?! But—
“My father never found his soulmate. And he never courted my mother. I want to court you. I want to do it right.”
“Oh!” Ok, so Todoroki-kun just wanted to date, then? That was… that would be fine. Nice, even. Oh gosh, Izuku was so not ready for this. “I think… I think that would be nice? But I always want to put our training as heroes first!”
“Alright.” Todoroki nodded, but then he paused, looking down at both his hands. “I do want to be a hero.”
“Of course!” Izuku grinned at him, “Otherwise you wouldn’t have come to UA, no matter what Endeavor wanted, right?”
“Yes. My mother said it was ok if I became one.”
His mother? Todoroki must really love her.
Izuku held out his scarred hand. He might not be able to save anyone without hurting himself right now, but he would improve, and so would Todoroki. “Then let’s be heroes, Todoroki-kun. We’ll figure out how to use our quirks together, and then we’ll save everyone.”
“Together.”
Todoroki’s smooth, cold hand slid into his, and Izuku’s grin couldn’t help but widen.
He wasn’t alone anymore.