Chapter Text
Tuesday
Midoriya Izuku [16:09]
Hey Todoroki-kun!!! I know this is out of the blue, but do you want to go out with me on Friday?
Shouto had taken his phone reflexively out of his pocket, just to check if there were any new notifications while on his way out of his class. Upon seeing the text and who sent it, he stops in the middle of the corridor, barely believing his own eyes.
Did… Midoriya just ask him out?
He blinks twice, dumbfounded. Someone passing by checks him on the shoulder and apologizes, but Shouto pays it no mind. The words in the message are still the same. The name on top is still the same. The name of his dearest friend.
Around him, the stream of students keeps walking down the corridor and away from his sight. Almost alone on the long corridor, reality doesn’t feel the same for Shouto. There’s incredulity simmering in his bones and clinging to his skin, but he can’t attribute it to his tiredness or sleeplessness. Not when it is still so early in the week.
His phone vibrates on his hand and his eyes quickly fall back to the phone in his hands.
Midoriya Izuku [16:10]
There’s this new place I’ve been meaning to go to forever! Thought you might like it too :)
And there it is, once again, the untethering of his very being. Proof of a day that is not quite the same as the others.
Shouto is probably making a scene now, standing in the middle of the corridor alone, staring at his phone with eyebrows raised in shock. He can’t stop himself, not really. Not when his world view has slightly changed on its axis.
There’s no doubt about what his response will be. Not when it is Izuku.
But what the fu-
Sure. Let’s meet on Friday. Is 8PM good for you?
-
Wednesday
Truth be told, sometimes Shouto thinks he feels a little bit lonely.
He has friends, new ones that he shares interests with, has classes with and occasionally hangs out with. Overall he enjoys his university life as much as could be expected, considering the stress and the workload, but he finds he misses the easy connection he had with his High School friends too. It simply isn’t the same with his university friends, no matter how much he adores them, he cannot seem to open up and get as close as he did with his friends from School.
The fact that his old group is scattered to different places doesn’t help either, making get togethers more infrequent and difficult to arrange.
“Todoroki!”
Nor did it help that his life now is so different. Sometimes he wonders if he himself is different too.
“Todoroki!”
He keeps walking, brooding and ignoring Inasa’s greeting. He knows that soon enough Inasa will catch up.
“Good morning, Todoroki-kun!” To Todoroki’s happiness, Inasa has finally given up on bowing as low as possible whenever they see each other nowadays. To his infinite displeasure, this means he is now trapped in the most unnecessarily strong one armed hug known to man. “How are we this very fine morning?”
“Grumpy. Tea deprived.”
Inasa throws his head back and booms out a laugh, as he usually does. Todoroki wonders if the lack of glances their way merely states how early in the morning it is, or if it isn’t just that Shouto has become so used to Inasa’s very being he doesn’t react to his loudness anymore. Two years living and studying at the same university will do that, he guesses.
Todoroki finally turns his head to look at Inasa, eyebrows raised.
“I fail to see the mirth here.”
Inasa smiles back, all teeth. “Of course not, my friend-”
“I’m not your friend.”
“Of course not, my friend .” He pulls Shouto even closer to his side. “Lack of tea is the most dangerous illness known to academia!”
Shouto struggles to contain a small smile of his own. All that energy is the real danger for him.
“Is that so.”
“Yes, it is! And that’s why,” here he stops for emphasis, face coming down to press against Todoroki’s conspiratorially, his right finger pointed to the tea house at the end of the street, “we are just so lucky to have the two most resplendent women of all campus waiting for us right there!”
Todoroki sighs, feigning annoyance. “You are so dramatic, it feels like I’m living in a Korean drama.”
Inasa’s loud laugh, so close to Todoroki’s ear, makes him wince.
“Have you finally watched the ones I sent you?”
Todoroki ignores his curious look and instead points with his chin towards the little house. “Let’s keep walking. It’s impolite to arrive late to a gathering I invited everyone to.”
“Ah, as goal oriented as ever!” Inasa pushes himself away, arm like a dead weight on Shouto’s shoulder. “What is it about, anyway? I thought Tea and Gossip was on Fridays.”
Todoroki is glad his diversion worked, but his happiness is short lived by Inasa’s terrible comedy skills.
“Please don’t call it that.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” Todoroki gives himself enough pause to hold Inasa’s focus on him, all too aware of how to elicit the response he wants and happy to show him how comedy is actually done. “Momo would hate it if we spilled the tea.”
Inasa’s laughter is the third companion of their short walk to the store. It echoes around the street, carefree and sharp as the wind against their clothes. The morning sun barely peaks around the autumn colored foliage on the trees.
Shouto allows himself the smallest, most hidden smile. Things are different in this new life he leads, but right now he doesn’t feel so alone anymore.
-
“You took your time.” Jirou stirs the straw inside her iced coffee cup that she definitely bought somewhere else, late night written all over her face. Beside her, Momo blows slowly on her small tea cup, looking impeccable and ready to rule the country if necessary.
“Inasa was too slow to catch up,” Todoroki deadpans. He takes his seat in front of the girls, Inasa by his side. They mechanically drop their school bags by their feet, hidden underneath the table in the middle of their group, and place their cups softly on top of the table.
Sometimes Todoroki wonders how could they be so lucky as to always find a good table in such a crowded tea house, but most times he doesn’t care enough to try and figure it out. Although if he would theorize about it, he would either say Momo was bribing the bartender, or Jirou had secretly bought it to pamper Momo’s tea addiction. As long as they had their spot, he is fine with either option.
“I apologize! I was drowned by mirth in the form of Todoroki’s own comedy show,” Inasa grins, large hand slapping the table twice. “He’s a man of unequal talent.”
“So it would seem,” Momo laughs lowly, china clicking with a soft sound as she puts it down on its saucer. “A true comedian, our Todoroki.”
“Don’t you believe me?”
“We do alright,” Jirou replies, attention on the straw she holds casually, “there’s a reason his contact is saved with a clown emoji on my phone.”
“I thought it was the hair?” Todoroki wonders aloud between soft blows on his warm tea.
“There are two reasons, then.” Jirou corrects herself, eyes finally looking up with glee.
Truth be told, at first glance their group can come across a bit weird and mismatched. However, once you surpass this first impression it is easy to see how balanced they are together. While Todoroki is reticent with expressions and overall physical reactions, Inasa’s passion fills any room he is in. Jirou is bashful, but her presence alone doesn’t allow anyone to ignore her, wherever she is. She’s loud in her own way, comfortable in her skin and in who she is. Meanwhile Momo’s richest asset is her own face and how open it is, despite how shy and quiet she can be. Not to mention her endless intelligence and kindness, she’s also the backbone that supports all of them whenever they need some help. In a way, they complemented each other’s flaws and highlighted their virtues. Todoroki is happy to call them his friends.
“Don’t forget last Halloween’s costume bet,” Momo laughs behind her hand, eyes shining as she watches Jirou cackle with her head thrown back.
Todoroki frowns as his friends laugh at his own misfortune. Yeah, he was happy to call them his friends, sure. Most of the time.
They only had about an hour before they had to part ways to go to class and they fill it with complaints about their classes, essays and teachers, and with inane chit chat. At that moment, for example, Jirou and Inasa are currently having a particularly heated debate on which K-Pop band is more deserving of the “Best of all times” title.
“I don’t get it,” Shouto whispers to Momo, slightly embarrassed by Inasa’s angry reaction, his hands passing furiously over his buzzed haircut as he chants “no! no! no!!” in reply to Jirou.
“You don’t need to, you already dress like an icon anyway,” she smiles cheekily at him. “You’re exempt from opinions in this matter.”
Todoroki blinks at her slowly. “Because I dress like one of them I don’t need to form opinions? Wait, what does it mean that I dress like one of them?”
Momo shrugs. “You look cute enough to be part of a boy group.”
Todoroki continues to stare at her, lost.
“You don’t need to have an opinion on it, you’re on a higher level.”
He blinks once more. “That makes absolutely no sense.”
“Trust me, I’m smart,” she winks. At Shouto’s unending stare, she sighs and continues. “I’ve heard Kyou-chan rant enough times. Trust me .” She pauses with a slightly panicked face. “It’s better that you don’t know.”
“Ah. I see.”
He doesn’t particularly see it, but he also has been the end of one too many passionate rantings about other stuff to know how it goes. He remembers fondly how many times Izuku ran his ears off about subjects Shouto never even heard of, or didn’t have any particular opinion on. One of his very favorite instances, Izuku had talked about an online forum discussion for about half an hour before he realized Shouto had no idea what he was talking about. It’s been around four years since that happened, but to this day Shouto can still remember the particular shade of red Izuku had turned when he registered Shouto’s bemused face.
Todoroki is brought back to his present by Jirou’s indignant squeak. He sees they’re still deep in discussion and Momo has gone back to staring at her girlfriend with adoring eyes. It’s the moment he had been waiting for, the hidden reason he asked them all to come. He pulls his chair closer to the table and leans forward to bring Momo’s attention back to him. Once she turns to him with curious eyes, he uses the little courage he has to ask her what he needs to know.
“Say, Momo,” he begins slowly. “How did you and Jirou get together?”
Momo widens her eyes in surprise and looks away, blushing a bit. It is unusual of his friends to get shy around one another, but he supposes his question did come out of nowhere. He supposes that not only did he surprise her, but the subject itself must be very emotional to her. If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t bring such a rare reaction from her. He files the information in his mind, secretly thrilled to learn of a new side of someone he cherishes so much.
“It was quite some time ago, back when we studied together at the Conservatory.” She starts slowly, hand reaching out to hold Jirou’s -- who barely even falters in her argument as her fingers slot themselves between Momo’s own. Momo smiles down at their joined hands, fingers of her free hand slowly caressing Jirou, from the bracelet on her wrist to the rings on her fingers.
She pauses for some time, and Todoroki wonders if she’s remembering any particular memory, or thinking of how to translate everything that must have happened into words. He’s about to comfort her and say that she doesn’t need to tell him it it’s too private when she continues: “She did all the heavy work, really. I didn’t have much confidence, back then. Not to confess, not to change careers, not to come out. She helped me quite a lot. Changed me for the better.”
Todoroki nods softly, relieved. “I’m glad it worked out.”
Momo smiles back at him. “So am I. But why do you ask?”
“I-”
“You are INSANE if you think K-Pop’s international impact doesn’t come from Gangnam Style-”
“I don’t mean I don’t know it , I mean I don’t like it -”
Todoroki sighs and looks down at the table, suddenly tired of what his life has become. He focuses on Momo’s courage, despite her shyness and pushes through to finally say out loud what has been eating at him since the day before. “I think my best friend just asked me out.”
“Wait, what?” Jirou turns, mouth hanging open, argument seemingly forgotten.
“Really?” Momo grins, hands clasping Jirou’s tightly.
“NOW THAT’S SOME GOOD NEWS!” Inasa slaps him on the shoulder once, hard.
Todoroki looks up again, slowly staring at all three different set of eyes on him. He wishes his mood was as gleeful as Inasa’s, but if he’s being honest he is as shocked as Jirou.
“I said yes.” There’s more of a question in his tone than probably should be.
Momo is the first to react, her free hand coming up to squeeze his right hand briefly. “Is it Midoriya-san?”
Todoroki hums his assent. Inasa whoops beside him. Jirou claims she knew it with a dorky hand move.
“That’s wonderful!”
Todoroki watches as Jirou looks up and close at his face, complaining that she’s heard so much about him but never actually met him. Momo just laughs and teases her, talking about Midoriya as if she’s seen him for more than the half an hour they coincidentally met while Midoriya had visited him the year before. Beside him, Inasa shakes Todoroki’s whole body with his arm once again around Todoroki’s shoulders, powerful voice babbling about date places around the town. In the middle of the chaos, Todoroki stays, just as confused as he was when he said yes to Izuku.
“The only issue,” Todoroki starts slowly, voice loud enough to gather his friend’s attention back to him, “is that I don’t know where this is coming from. Do I even like him?”
Jirou shares a look with Momo before she asks him simply. “Well, do you? You must do, if you said yes.”
Todoroki stares back at her, unconvinced by her simple logic. He said yes because it was Izuku. How could he have possibly said no?
“I think,” Momo starts, scrutinizing Shouto thoughtfully, “this is something only you can say, Todoroki-kun.”
Todoroki frowns, mildly uncomfortable. He wants to pretend it is Inasa’s weight on his shoulders, but he isn’t that pitiful of a liar.
“I’m not very good at emotions.”
Inasa snorts at his side. “Todoroki-kun, we have been friends for two years now, but you still deny it. It isn’t that you aren’t good at emotions, you’re just stubborn at them.”
Todoroki side-eyes him. “I don’t follow.”
“Sometimes you’re pretty oblivious to what’s screaming right at your face.” He approaches his face to Todoroki’s, warm breath tickling his scarred skin. There’s something dangerous in his sharp smile that immediately puts Todoroki on high alert. “Like how once he becomes your boyfriend, I can finally claim the title of your actual best friend!” Inasa hugs him closer, both hands pulling Shouto’s head against his chest, his laugh loud and echoing from his chest directly to Shouto’s ear pressed against it.
Encased in between the laughter and the perfume that wafted from Inasa’s jacket, Todoroki finally understands why Katsuki thinks “die” is such an appropriate answer in conversations. He refrains from saying it, though. It isn’t as much fun when he’s the one saying it. Besides, much as he’s reluctant to admit, he would miss Inasa if anything were to happen to him.
Their laughter eventually dies down and they move on from the subject, despite Jirou’s attempts to get more information from Todoroki. He’s grateful for his friends' enthusiasm and their support, but he’s still feeling too confused to properly be able to talk about or process it.
Soon enough it is time for them to go to class. Todoroki and Momo gather everyone’s bags while the other two return their cups to the counter. Momo has an appraising look as she watches him, and he knows she’s making up her mind to say something, so he waits patiently. He may not be fluent in the silent language she shares with Jirou, but he’s been around enough to know when they signal to each other to go because they want to stay behind for any particular reason.
“It isn’t easy, finding out where the transition is between platonic and romantic feelings. It took me some time to figure it out with Kyou-chan.” She smiles, a bit of pain showing at the corner of her eyes. “Sometimes I think it took me too long, but I got there. It doesn’t mean it will happen the same with you, but,” she reaches out with a soft hand and holds the sleeve of his turtleneck, “I wish you all the luck.”
Todoroki looks down at her hand and holds it carefully. “Would you spare me a bit of advice, then?”
She huffs, amused. “It’s not as easy as that, but I guess you can always try looking at things under a new light? If there’s anything at all to be seen there, then there’s probably a memory or two that makes you wonder.”
Todoroki looks back up at her and squeezes her hand. “You’re too smart for your own good.”
She laughs softly. “I know.”
“Oy, lover boy! This one already has someone!” Jirou calls back at them, smiling and waving for them to go.
Todoroki turns, pulling Momo away from the table as he walks them toward their friends. “Don’t worry, this is just so Inasa-san knows I already chose someone else to fill in the best friend spot.”
“NO!” Inasa cries out, heartbreak written all over his face.
Memories under a new light. As advice, that is easier said than done. How could he even know what to pick? Or what exactly did it even mean? It sounded too vague, but unfortunately that was the only option he had at the moment.
If anyone asked Shouto what had been discussed in his classes that day, he wouldn’t be able to tell them anything at all. His mind was filled with questions; why did Izuku choose that particular moment to ask him out? Why now? Why not earlier? Had there been signs? Or is this something new? And why him? Was that something that had been going on that he had been too blind to see? Or did he stubbornly choose not to see? Was it somehow a reaction to the distance of studying so far away from each other and not being as in touch as they used to be back then?
Shouto doesn’t know. He chooses not to ask through text, not when he couldn’t put to words what he felt about them -- about him and Izuku, that is. Izuku, his best friend who just asked him out on a date.
Outside, the day passes by in a burst of color, the lukewarm sun bathing the walls of his university and inviting him out to enjoy the day outside the suffocating four walls around him. Inside, his mind is running around in circles, fleeting through memories at the speed of light. Normally, he would get lost in his thoughts whenever the subject was too boring or too difficult for him to keep up with; but that day, his memories are fixated on a single subject - or rather, the same person.
In his mind’s eye, he can see Izuku as he’s always been: surrounded by their friends, smiling, mumbling, perfectly reliable. He and Katsuki on their never ending, insane competition; he and Iida and Uraraka cleaning up their class, chatting away in between the chairs; he and Kirishima showing off their new Judo moves; he and Tsuyu playing with a borrowed beach ball on their group trip to the beach before they all went away to university.
He can see the details: the green, the freckles, the messy hair. Red pair of sneakers. Scribbles on his notebooks, pages and pages of fantasy material and stories. All Might collectables of all kinds and sizes. “Plus Ultra!” banner hanging on top of his bed. “Plus Ultra!” headband on his forehead, tears of joy as he lifted the 1st place trophy at the local championship.
His hand cradled on Shouto’s, forever scarred. The unapologetic face staring back defiantly at Shouto, his lips opening up to say that-
Not that one. That memory has no place among the other ones.
Shouto looks back at his professor, noting the blackboard is filled with information he hadn’t paid attention to.
After a few hours of consideration, Shouto finds his first memory that he can submit to Momo's test, and reevaluate from a new light. It's a relatively old and very precious memory: the first time they had a sleepover at Midoirya's house.
It was their first year together at School, about 6 months of tentative friendship in. Looking back, it is easy to see it was tentative only on his side. Izuku had always been so open, so accessible for others -- Shouto included. That’s why that first sleepover mattered so much to him. Izuku hadn’t only been there for him, as he was for everyone else: he had invited Shouto in.
Back then, they were fifteen and somewhat uncertain about reaching out for bonding time outside of group activities or school time. They didn’t have much experience on it - or any at all, in Shouto’s case. Midoriya had mentioned sleepovers at Bakugou’s house when they were kids, but none since growing up past the height of his own bed. It felt a little intimidating, if Shouto was being honest.
So the first time Izuku took him back to his place, it felt overwhelming, but also special. Tender. Not only because it was Izuku, his dear friend, but also because it was a whole new experience they were sharing together.
Shouto remembers quite well the disorientation he felt, entering the Midoriya house, so very different to his own. Not traditional Japanese style. Not a compound. Obviously full of love and comfort. No dark corners.
(A lot of All Might merchandise all over the house, as if Izuku didn’t need to hide or tone himself down. A home and not just a house.)
It took all his restraint to stop himself from staring. From Izuku’s mother, to the low volume TV in the background, to the pictures and posters on the wall,. Everything spoke of a world, a home Shouto was not used to but desperately wished to be a part of now that he’d seen it. He couldn’t stop himself from thinking about it, how alien he felt in a loved home and how much he yearned for it, for himself and for his siblings; of what could have been if they all had the comfort of being themselves unapologetically and unafraid of what would happen if they angered their father.
Putting things under that light, that first sleepover was the day Shouto truly understood Izuku and where he comes from, why he is the way he is. Reliable as a warm meal. Soft and enduring like the love of a mother. Enticing as the smell of coming home. Shouto was disposed to stay by Izuku’s side as long as he could from that day onwards, like a moth staying close to a light, seeking out its warmth.
the moment Izuku opened his bedroom door, red and shyly explaining Shouto would have to sleep in Izuku’s bedroom because “they didn’t really have a spare bedroom, really, but he did have a spare futon!”, all Shouto could think was that in between the colors of All Might’s posters and Izuku’s stuttered apologies, he had never felt more settled or like he was in a place he was meant to be.
He turned to Izuku to make sure he understood how Shouto felt. “This is fine, Midoriya.”
“And I promised I cleaned all the- oh. Is it, I mean, is it really?” Izuku lowered his moving hands, eyes big and focused on Shouto. He’d noticed Izuku’s freckles almost disappeared when he blushed so much. His stomach clenched a bit and he frowned, sure it was the weirdness of seeing Midoriya without his freckles.
“Of course. It is your home, I do not wish to impose.”
“You’re not imposing! Of course not! You are a guest and very welcome here.”
Shouto looked around the room slowly, taking in all the decoration and the boyness of it all, before he replied. “I hope that’s All Might’s opinion as well. He will be watching me sleep, after all.”
The anguished cry and shamed laughter that followed came to confirm Shouto’s feeling. Indeed he was at the right time and the right place.
He doesn’t quite remember what they watched that night, or what they talked about, but he remembers staying up late, later than he’s ever stayed up before. He also remembers the happiness of waking up and seeing Izuku’s face first thing in the morning, close to the border of the bed as he had stayed for hours just to look at Shouto while they talked. Shouto knew then how special it was to have a precious friend.
Looking back now, he tries to see under the new light Momo mentioned. Was Izuku’s earnestness a clue into how he feels? Was his wish to include Shouto into his life and to make him feel welcomed in his home a way of showing true affection? Perhaps even non-platonic? That was probably the reason Shouto many times felt his stomach clench or his chest tighten whenever Midoriya stuttered or blushed and rambled at him, not just at that first sleepover but also at the subsequent ones -- as well as many moments they were together. Past Shouto was probably reading into the clues, but his stubborn stoic reaction to feelings must have blocked him from understanding what was going on.
Todoroki frowns at himself when he reaches that conclusion. His past self could have been clueless, but now he is attentive. He can read the hints and backtrack the steps to reach the only obvious conclusion possible. He would try his best at it and show Momo her advice wasn’t for nothing.
Choice made, he forces himself to focus on his homework. He has some readings due next week that he needs to finish and, considering how scattered his thoughts were in his head lately, it is best to use his free time to make up for lost time.
He's able to focus for a couple of hours, despite all the memories flooding his senses fleetingly, and despite the confusion and sweating palms. He makes enough progress that he doesn’t feel so guilty to close his notebook when a text notification comes from his phone.
Midoriya Izuku [22:33]
Heyy :) did you see what’s going on channel 3? There’s an All Might marathon on right now!!!!!!!!!! TT_TT i have never been so happy in my life ever!!!!!!
Shouto permits himself a small smile at Midoriya’s antics.
Wouldn’t you be marathoning it anyway? I vividly remember something about “Wednesdays begin with W of Wall Might”.
Midoriya Izuku [22:33]
aND THEY DO!!!!!!! but this time it isn’t MY marathon, it’s on TV!! It’s like the universe is telling me to watch it! Me and everyone else, a big Wall Might day!
The Great Wall of Might
Midoriya Izuku [22:34]
WWWWWWWWW
Midoriya Izuku [22:34]
EXACTLY!
Midoriya Izuku [22:37]
Are you watching it?
Shouto has just finished putting his school work away, so he leaves Midoriya on read for a bit while he moves to the living room and turns on the TV, glad once more that he doesn’t share his living space with anyone else. Lo and behold, when he reaches the channel station, there is All Might’s booming smile as he saves someone from imminent danger. Shouto gets himself more comfortable on the sofa, legs pulled up and under himself, phone in hand to reply to Izuku.
We have already watched that one.
Midoriya Izuku [22:46]
We’ve watched ALL of them, Shouto!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Midoriya Izuku [22:46]
TWICE!
Shouto frowns, mumbling All Might’s catchphrase as he types.
It’s fine now! Why? Because I’m here!
Yes, we have watched all of the show twice, but I remember when we watched this one
It was after you and Katsuki finally made your peace and we came over for a “boy’s night”
I was a little intimidated to go over to Katsuki’s house, but to be honest meeting his mom made me understand him a bit better
Doesn’t change the fact I still don’t know how you didn’t write him as a villain, even when he was still a bully
Midoriya Izuku [22:50]
Kacchan isn’t evil! He’s just complicated
You mean explosive
Midoriya Izuku [22:50]
Well
Midoriya Izuku [22:50]
Yeah
Midoriya Izuku [22:51]
But it’s quite incredible you can remember that! I have watched this one so many times I can barely remember how many times and where did I watch it!!!
I know, it’s one of your favorites, even if you say you don’t play favorites
Speaking of, how’s Katsuki? Tenya and Ochako as well? It’s been some time since I spoke to them
On the screen, an explosion goes off. Shouto raises his eyes quickly to follow All Might’s steps as he comes out of the rubble, thumbs up towards the camera to show he is fine. He looks down again to see the reply.
Midoriya Izuku [22:52]
I see what you did there!!! I can’t believe you still continue with that conspiracy theory that Kacchan’s my favorite! I’ll never understand this competition you have with him
Midoriya Izuku [22:52]
You would know if you interacted more on the groupchat, you know. They’re fine but we all miss you
Shouto raises an eyebrow.
You are one to talk. Whose competition with Katsuki is the whole basis for their friendship?
Midoriya Izuku [22:53]
Yes, well, but me and Kacchan were actually rivals in the Judo club!!
Midoriya Izuku [22:53]
Your competitiveness with him is probably fueled by hormones or smth
That… isn’t entirely off, if Todoroki is honest. He doesn’t quite know where it comes from, but that is how their friendship works and he somehow likes it. And so does Katsuki, if his sporadic and menacing updates were anything to go by.
He sent me a message some time ago saying he got the best results for one of his classes and asked if I had made a fool of myself yet trying to catch up to him.
Midoriya Izuku [22:59]
Did you hear that line? “I will protect your son, even if it'll cost me my life.” I love it so much, did you know it was ad libbed? Toshinori-san included it in one of the cuts and the director loved it so much they kept it
Midoriya Izuku [22:59]
Oh, did he now? That's so Kacchan! XD
He knows it, of course he does. Not only is he a fan, but he is also Izuku’s friend and has listened to that very same tidbit of information so many times it is impossible not to know.
Is that so?
Midoriya Izuku [22:59]
Yep! :)))
Midoriya Izuku [22:59]
I remember the first time I heard it I was so emotional I cried TT_TT
Now that is something Shouto didn’t know. Of course he knows Izuku cries easily, so he doesn’t find it surprising at all. Nevertheless, that is news to him.
You never told me that.
Midoriya Izuku [23:00]
Really???
Midoriya Izuku [23:00]
I’m telling you now then, please don’t judge me :(
I’d never.
Midoriya Izuku [23:00]
And that’s why YOU’RE my favorite!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D
Shouto pauses, suddenly remembering they have a date on Friday. Is that Izuku’s way of reminding him of his feelings? Or maybe being more clear on them? It isn’t the first time he said it, not when this is a recurrent joke between them, but it is the first time Shouto stops to consider what it could actually mean. Of course he’s always been happy enough to smile at Izuku, a light feeling on his bones whenever he hears Izuku say Shouto is one of his favorite people, and now it isn’t any different. He smiles down at his phone, even through the weird clutching his stomach does when he rereads the text under this new light. Is that it, then? Does Izuku really have a crush on him? Should he ask him directly to clear his doubt, or should he wait for Izuku to confess?
I would hope so.
He chooses right then that the best option is to wait and see.