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The first thing Izuku does after Shouto wakes up is sob into his shoulder. The second thing he does is pass along Dabi's message about Shouto retaining ownership of the Todoroki domain.
After that, Izuku finds himself lost for words. In an awkward attempt to play host, he asks, "Are you, um, comfortable?"
"Comfortable enough. I don't think I can move from this position, anyway." Fair point. It's hard to get off a couch when one ankle is broken and the other leg is also fractured.
Izuku is about to offer Shouto some water or something when he hears his mom's car pull into the driveway. Shouto is directly in the line of sight from the front door. Shit, how is he going to explain this-
There's a sudden, short-lived chill in the air as his mom opens the door and steps into the genkan. Her ankle boots are lightly rimmed with snow- it must have come down while they were both asleep. Izuku places his body in front of the couch, obscuring Shouto as much as possible.
"Izuku, you're finally h- your arm!" She drops the bag of groceries in her arms; he can hear the sound of several eggs breaking. "What happened?! And where have you been? You told me you were taking the train back yesterday!"
"Oh, um..." It takes Izuku a second to recover from his mom completely ignoring Shouto's presence. "I had to go back to campus because I forgot something, and I stayed an extra night because of how long it took to find it. Then, on the way to the train station this morning, I... slipped on some ice?"
"You should have called me! And you should have gone to the hospital, instead of..." His mom waves at Shouto's makeshift sling.
"Right... you're right, I definitely should have done both of those things. But my phone died, and... I didn't want to miss the train and wait two hours for the next one!" He gives her a sheepish grin. "Tadaima."
Mom sighs, then smiles ruefully and combs a few pine needles out of his hair. "Welcome home, Izuku."
She goes to fling her work bag onto the couch. Shouto's eyes widen and he braces himself, but Izuku intercepts the bag with his usable hand and sets it on the floor. His mom raises an eyebrow at him but doesn't comment.
With spectacular timing, Izuku's stomach decides to grumble loudly. His mom laughs softly into her hand. "I'm going to call Dr. Saito to set up an emergency appointment, then I'll get started on dinner. Is katsudon okay?" Izuku nods enthusiastically; he hasn't had his mom's cooking in months, and he hasn't eaten since lunch yesterday.
As soon as Izuku overhears his mom on the phone in the kitchen, he asks Shouto in a hushed whisper, "She still can't see you?"
"I put on an invisibility spell when I heard the door open. It's enough to fool most humans." Shouto keeps his voice low as well. Izuku can't tell if it's because his mom could still hear him speak, or if it's easier on his ribs. "Of course, you aren't like most humans, Izuku."
Shouto cranes his neck back to look over his shoulder. "I think it's better if I move to your bedroom, before your mother comes back. But..." He stares at his uncooperative legs at the other end of the couch.
"Could you use magic to teleport there?"
Shouto shakes his head. "I'd have to use my fox-fire in order to do that. I don't want to ruin your furniture." Living beings can be spared from his flames, but apparently not upholstered sofas.
"Oh. Right." Izuku briefly considers their predicament. Then he asks, "Can you switch to your other body?"
Izuku rolls the desk chair out of his bedroom and down the hallway. When he returns to the living room, Shouto reclines in his vulpine form, still on his back. His yukata has disappeared with the transformation, but the materials that had been splinting his legs remain on the couch.
He scoops Shouto onto the chair, then wheels it back to his bedroom. He returns to grab the leftover branches and scraps of fabric, then closes the door. Izuku eases the fox onto the carpet, then Shouto changes back.
Izuku helps him get situated with his back against the wall and his legs mostly straight in front of him. Shouto pulls his white knit hat from the inner pocket of his yukata and stuffs it in his mouth.
Before Izuku can stop him, Shouto grasps at his fractured leg and pushes the bones back into alignment. He groans harshly into the woolen hat between his teeth. Shouto uses his ice to numb the area around the break, then leans back into the wall, eyes squeezed shut and upper body held tense.
"Youkai heal faster than humans," he explains, voice slightly strained, while adding another thin coat of ice. "Better to get it over with, instead of breaking it again after it's partially healed."
"Have you... done this before?" Izuku asks nervously. Shouto doesn't answer. Izuku offers to resplint his injuries, but Shouto says it’s not worth the hassle.
Izuku eats dinner with his mother, then asks if he can take a second serving to his room while he finishes his online course evaluations. He brings Shouto the leftover katsudon.
Shouto eats with a blank expression, remarkably slowly. Izuku asks, "Is it okay? Are you nauseous?"
"It's really good. I'm just... savoring. It's been a long time since someone's cooked for me."
After finishing the katsudon, Shouto tells him, "I'm going to sleep in my other body for a while. My injuries will heal faster that way. I don't know how long I'll be asleep, so don't be alarmed." He looks at the empty bowl in his lap. "Thank you for dinner. It was wonderful."
Shouto sets the bowl on the floor, then shifts into his fox form. Izuku pets the soft fur along his back, and Shouto briefly purrs before ducking his face into his tail.
The next morning, Izuku has an appointment with their family doctor, who confirms that his arm is broken in three places. As his mother frets over the diagnosis, Dr. Saito sets his fractured radius back into place (it's all Izuku can do to keep from screaming), then applies a cast to his forearm.
By the time he gets back, Shouto is still asleep in the same spot, half of his body warmed by a stream of sunlight from the window. He doesn't wake that day, or the day after that.
The following night, Izuku jolts upright in his futon, panting heavily. He squeezes his eyes shut and fists his uncasted hand into his hair, trying to drive off the nightmares of Shigaraki and the noumu.
He turns to the window, then scrambles to his feet. Shouto isn't there.
Izuku's first instinct is to run out the back door in his pajamas. He hobbles off the deck and crosses the back yard in his socks. Both the cold air and his anxiety make it hard to breathe. He can't see more than a few meters into the forest, even with the full moon, and a visceral fear stops his body from going any further.
Did Shouto just up and disappear? Was the whole ordeal in the forest some kind of crazy dream? His broken arm would say otherwise, but the line between reality and fantasy has gotten pretty blurry, as of late. Izuku falls to his knees, but he's too numb to feel the frost soak through his flannel pants.
Then, he hears the crunching of footsteps on frozen grass. Shouto emerges, walks out of the forest, now in his human form. He's wearing a pristine copy of the light blue yukata Izuku has only ever seen him in. He doesn't appear to be in any pain.
"Izuku?" Shouto jogs lightly to meet him, then pulls him out of the snow. "What are you doing out here?"
"What are you doing out here?"
"I woke up around an hour ago. I went into the forest to check on everyone." Shouto gestures at the trees behind him. "What's wrong? Does your arm hurt?"
Izuku still can't catch his breath; Shouto shepherds them both inside. Izuku mindlessly throws his snow-soaked socks into the hamper, changes into dry pajama pants, then eases himself back onto his futon. Shouto sits nearby on the carpet, close enough to touch.
Izuku whispers, "I had a nightmare- about the night of the solstice. And when I woke up, and you weren't there, I- I panicked." Izuku pulls at Shouto's hand until he takes the hint and crawls into the empty half of the futon. "I thought that you had left, or that you..."
"I went back into the forest to extinguish any remaining fires. But there weren't any. I think Touya must have come back to put them out."
Izuku starts to hyperventilate again at the idea of Dabi’s sudden return, but Shouto puts a reassuring hand on his chest. They breathe together.
Shouto continues, "You and I are safe now. Shigaraki won't be able to reenter this domain. There are ancient wards to keep out any youkai who intend to harm the domain keeper. Shigaraki and his noumu were only let inside because they were challenging for the domain, which can only happen on the night of the solstice."
Izuku buries his face into Shouto's neck, then turns his head slightly to listen to his steady, soothing pulse. After a while, he whispers, "Were you planning on leaving, once you woke up?"
"That was my intention. I came back here when I caught your scent outside. Did you... want me to stay?"
"I'm only home for one more week. Then I have to go back to university, in Shizuoka. I know this is selfish of me, but... I don't want you to leave yet."
"Okay." Izuku hadn't expected Shouto to agree so quickly. "I'll stay with you, until then."
Deciding to stay an extra week with Izuku had been an easy decision to make. Spending the next few days with Izuku is just as easy.
Izuku gives Shouto a tour of his hometown- where he and his friend "Kacchan" went to school, the village's single grocery store, the corner where the stray cats like to lounge around.
For the most part, Shouto listens to Izuku wax poetic about his childhood days, chiming in with questions about whatever detail of human life catches his interest. Izuku is a verbose, but captivating storyteller. Shouto can almost picture what his life could have been like, if he had been a normal kid growing up in this small village.
Shouto doesn't have many of his own anecdotes to offer, but he relays some of the stories from the plants growing around the village. Whenever they walk past an interesting-looking tree, Shouto places his hand on the bark and shares memories of storms and droughts from decades and centuries ago.
When the weather is too grim to justify outdoor sightseeing, they stay in Izuku's bedroom. Izuku shows him a metallic, foldable device called a "laptop," which must be the closest thing humans have to magic. They watch episodes of an animated show featuring the superhero All Might; Shouto finally puts a name to the cheery cartoon face littered throughout Izuku's bedroom. Izuku shows him pictures of his university, along with the city of Shizuoka, but also images of Tokyo, Paris, Mt. Everest- even a satellite image of the entire Earth. The contents of a 40-centimeter computer screen feel unfathomably large.
In the evenings, Izuku eats dinner with his mother while Shouto does a cursory survey of the forest. When he returns, there’s a plate of leftovers waiting for him. Shouto feels guilty for eating Midoriya-san’s cooking without her knowing, but Izuku says that his mother always prepares too much food for two people. Apparently, she’s been pleased that Izuku’s appetite has significantly increased.
Shouto alternates between sleeping in his fox form next to Izuku’s futon and sleeping in his human form next to Izuku. Izuku gets the impression that he’s more used to sleeping in his fox form, but his human form does have its advantages. Certainly, the ability to hold a conversation between them.
“Is this okay?” Izuku asks.
“Is what okay?”
“This.” Izuku nestles closer into Shouto’s side to indicate what he’s referring to. Then, in the dark, he finds Shouto’s mouth with his own. “Or that.”
“Both are fine.”
“But, I mean, do you like-”
Shouto’s lips return to his. “Yes. I really like you, Izuku.”
Izuku blushes- that’s not what he had meant. Still, he replies, “I like you too, Shouto.”
He doesn’t know what to call this thing between them, or if it really needs a name at all. Perhaps it’s enough to take things day by day, while they still can.
The next morning, Izuku caves to his curiosity. It’s kind of a silly question, but he has been dying to ask it.
"How many yukata do you own in that exact color?" Izuku asks. He’s never seen Shouto wear anything else. He can’t help but imagine a closet full of identical pale-blue yukata, somewhere in the forest.
Shouto blinks and looks down at his sleeve. "It's always been the same one. My mother made it for me when I was old enough to walk. She enchanted the fabric so that it would grow with me and transform with my fox form. Plus a few other spells for practical purposes- so that the fabric can clean and repair itself."
The fondness in Shouto’s voice - perhaps this is the only remaining memento he has from his mother - makes Izuku’s breath catch. He asks, "Does your hat work the same way?"
"Ah, no- I found it in my brother's closet a while ago. It's just a normal hat."
Izuku hums, then has an impulsive idea come to mind. "I’m gonna take the train one town over, to buy a new coat. Wanna go together?"
Shouto casts a spell to hide his ears and tail, borrows some footwear from Izuku’s closet, then they head to the train platform on the other side of the village. The next town over isn’t that much larger than Izuku’s, but it’s large enough to host a small department store.
Izuku purchases another red puffer jacket to replace what the noumu had ripped to shreds. Despite Shouto’s protests, Izuku insists that he pick out some clothing of his own, just for the fun of it. Shouto seems slightly overwhelmed at the prospect of choosing what to wear for himself. He ends up trying on some simple pieces, mostly in blues and grays. Izuku thinks he looks good in everything.
Izuku buys a few of the sweaters and pants for Shouto, rationalizing the purchase as a last-minute Christmas present. Once they return to his room, Shouto changes out of his yukata and neatly folds it, placing it on the floor under Izuku’s desk. He wears the gifted clothes for the rest of the week.
Kacchan is still in Tokyo, since his university's winter break doesn't start until after Christmas. On a whim, Izuku decides to write him a letter. Then he remembers that his dominant hand is stuck in a cast.
He asks Shouto to write the letter for him, to which he obliges. However, Shouto's handwriting is surprisingly childish, and Izuku has to show him most of the kanji on his laptop. When Izuku expresses his bemusement at this, Shouto simply responds, "Most youkai don't write in Japanese. And I stopped getting homeschooled pretty early."
Izuku is struck with a split second of guilt, but Shouto seems unperturbed by his comment.
Izuku drops off the letter in one of the municipal mailboxes later that day, addressed to Kacchan's school dormitory. Two days later, Izuku gets back-to-back message notifications on his phone:
stop writing me shitty letters Deku, just fucking text like a fucking normal person
also what the fuck's up with your handwriting, did you break your arm or what
Kacchan is perceptive, as always.
Shouto reads the messages from over his shoulder. "Are you sure this 'Kacchan' is... really your friend?" Izuku laughs, which confuses Shouto even more.
Kacchan's response arrives in the mail the following afternoon.
After a few days, Shouto agrees to introduce himself to Midoriya Inko as a human house guest. With the New Year's holiday approaching, Izuku won't be able to stay out of his mother’s way all day for that much longer. Shouto is nervous, but he must admit that it’s impolite to continue staying with the Midoriyas uninvited.
Izuku fabricates a loose cover story about a university friend who needs a place to stay for the rest of the winter break. They exit into the back yard, walk around to the front of the house, and Izuku rings the doorbell.
Midoriya-san immediately opens the door; the warmth of her welcome is almost tangible. “You must be Todoroki-kun! It’s so nice to meet you. And what a coincidence- those trees right over there are part of the Todoroki forest! It’s funny how things line up like that sometimes, right?”
What a coincidence, indeed.
Izuku makes a show of taking Shouto’s bag to his room (it’s really Izuku’s old backpack from high school; he’s betting that his mother won’t notice). Midoriya-san tells them to make themselves comfortable until dinner.
Over warm bowls of soba, Izuku asks his mother about work and tries to divert most of her questions about Shouto’s life at university. However, she does manage to ask, "What are you studying, Todoroki-kun?"
The best answer he can come up with is, "Plants."
"Do you have a favorite type of plant?"
Shouto mulls the question over. "I like Japanese maples. It’s nice how their leaves change color with the seasons. Also, they give very good advice."
Izuku gives him a mortified look, but Midoriya-san laughs softly at his comment for some reason. "Your friend has quite the sense of humor, Izuku!" Shouto doesn't recall telling a joke, but he nods along anyway.
After dinner, Midoriya-san pulls out a spare futon from the back closet and sets it up in Izuku's bedroom. The second futon takes up most of the remaining floor space, and the room feels much smaller.
“I suppose... friends usually don’t sleep in the same futon, right?”
“Right.”
Shouto starts sleeping exclusively in his human form, in the separate futon. In the morning, Izuku always ends up nestled against Shouto's left side.
Shouto helps the Midoriyas with their New Year’s preparations. Since Izuku’s arm is still broken, he does a considerable amount of the yearly cleaning and setting up decorations around the house, as Midoriya-san prepares osechi and makes calls to distant relatives. Shouto doesn’t mind the housework; having people to celebrate the New Year with is quite nice.
There are certain moments Shouto has with Midoriya-san, like when she adds more food to his plate or loops a spare scarf around his neck, that remind him of what having a mother used to be like. The moments don’t exactly line up with the memories of his own mother, but the gestures still feel comforting and familiar.
They had made plans to watch the first sunrise of the year together, but Izuku sleeps through the alarm on his phone. Shouto eventually figures out how to turn it off and walks into the living room.
Midoriya-san is seated on the couch, nursing a cup of tea. "Good morning, Todoroki-kun. Shall we head out together, once you’re ready?"
"Should I go wake up Izuku?"
She shakes her head. "He could use the extra sleep." Once they’re both dressed for the weather and ready for the day, Shouto follows Izuku’s mother outside. They take a left and walk to the end of the road, where a slight hill provides an unobstructed view of the pale pre-dawn sky.
Midoriya-san breaks the silence between them. “I wanted to thank you for getting to know Izuku.”
Shouto turns his gaze from the horizon to her, then back. “I’m the one who should be thanking him.”
Midoriya-san smiles at him. "I really mean it. I’m grateful that he has someone at school that he can rely on.” She fiddles with a loose string hanging from one of her gloves. “Izuku's the first in the family to go to college, so it’s been hard for him, adjusting to university life. Not to mention moving from a quiet place like this to such a big city... I didn't want to be overbearing, but I was worried about him."
The first light of dawn rises to greet them. “But seeing how close you are to him has really eased some of my nerves. I know Izuku sometimes has trouble opening up to people, so I’m glad you two are such good friends.”
"Izuku is a very kind person. I'm lucky to have met him."
"And he's lucky to have met you, Todoroki-kun."
Once Izuku wakes up, the three of them visit the local shrine and pray with some of the other townspeople to ring in the new year. Shouto had been expecting to meet the infamous "Kacchan" in person, but it wasn’t meant to be. His parents had traveled to Tokyo to visit him, instead of the other way around, either out of stubbornness or impatience.
Midoriya-san lingers near the shrine to chat with a few of the neighbors; she tells Izuku and Shouto not to wait for her.
Shouto brings Izuku back to the Todoroki forest. In broad daylight, with their hands intertwined, Izuku feels safe enough to venture past the periphery of the woods. They walk a few kilometers before stopping at a small wooden shrine, about the size of a birdhouse. The base of the shrine is flanked by two stone foxes.
“Inari-sama.” Shouto presents his offerings: a handful of dry rice grains, then a lotus flower he crafts on the spot from his ice. He bows twice, claps his hands together, then lowers his head. He hears Izuku follow suit.
Thank you for watching over this domain and those who inhabit it, and for lending me your strength. I humbly ask for your protection and guidance for the coming year.
A gentle wind blows past, and the trees whisper back. Shouto lifts his head and opens his eyes. He offers his hand, and Izuku takes it.
Shouto’s flames bring them back to the Midoriya residence.
And with that, the week is over.
Midoriya-san returns to work on the morning of January 2nd. Izuku is awake, but frantically doing some last-minute packing.
Before she leaves to drive off, she gives Shouto a hug. "Feel free to visit whenever you and Izuku have the time. You'll always be welcome here, Todoroki-kun."
Shouto feels a pang of longing for a mother he once had. He bows deeply to Midoriya-san to hide his moment of vulnerability.
A few hours later, Shouto walks with Izuku to the train station, back in his familiar yukata. He wheels Izuku's suitcase behind him while Izuku has his backpack slung over one shoulder.
The Todoroki domain ends about halfway between Izuku's village and the city of Shizuoka. As much as he would like to, and despite what Izuku's mother may think, Shouto won’t be accompanying him to the university.
As the train slowly approaches, Izuku embraces him tightly, probably tighter than someone with a broken arm ought to. "This isn't goodbye. This is just a... 'see you again soon.'"
"I'm looking forward to it." Shouto brushes away a few tears peeking at the corners of Izuku’s eyes. "Until next time."
He stays on the platform until the train is fully out of view. He briefly visits the Midoriya residence once more, to thank the tree that alerted Izuku to his presence after the battle with his father. Then he returns to the forest- the heart of his domain, his namesake, his home.
Shouto can already feel himself start to miss Izuku’s company, but it's bittersweet more than anything else. And he's more than willing to wait for Izuku's return.
As the trees have told him before, the scarcity of winter makes spring that much sweeter.