Chapter Text

The Angel Waiting in the Wings

Chapter 1: Waiting in the Wings

“What a mad banquet of darkness,” Tokoyami muttered to himself, stepping out of the elevator, box in hand, icy glair staring at the hallway in front of him. Annoyed slightly by the long trek to the theater.

It was time for the U.A.’s annual festival, and the school decided to put on a musical this year, much to Tokoyami’s dismay. At least last year's festival was something everyone was interested in.

Not to say that musicals weren't intriguing to him, but he just couldn’t see himself standing up on stage in front of everyone and bursting into spontaneous song. That just wasn’t his particle cup of tea. At least he could play his guitar in the pit if it was required of him…

But currently, all he was required to do was move a bunch of boxes to the back of the theater. So that when the production team finally figured out which musical they were doing, the supplies were already there waiting for them to set up.

Usually, this particular chore wasn’t one anyone wanted to do, as it consisted of a bunch of back and forth, ascending and descending multiple flights of stairs. Along with the extra weight of the boxes you had to carry, it wasn’t exactly pleasant.

Luckily for him, he had Dark Shadow, his quirk that basically acted as a sentient extra pair of hands. Not that Tokoyami would ever tell them that.

Having them help him out made the task much easier, compared to doing it alone. Not to mention he had ‘borrowed’ the key to the elevator from Mr.Aizawa with the help of them so that they wouldn't have to constantly trek up and down the stairs with heavy boxes. The grumpy homeroom teacher wouldn’t die from having to walk up and down the stairs for an hour or two.

“When are we going to be done, Kage? This is so boring! Why couldn’t you pick a cooler job?!”

Dark Shadow's sudden question broke Tokoyami from his thoughts and he looked up at the quirk beside him, who was also carrying a box.

“You know as well as I do, all the ‘cool’ jobs were taken. So the two of us are stuck on moving duty…”

He then sighed to himself for what felt like the fifteenth time in just 5 minutes as he thought about his assigned job. They could have at least had Shoji come and help him. But according to Aoyama, everyone was doing their part. Sure, Everyone but Mr.Sparkles himself, who had appointed himself as head of productions, because of course he did.

Tokoyami let out yet another sigh as he opened the door to the theatre with his back, turning around to face the stage and resume his journey. However, as he took his first step into the empty theatre, a gentle, enchanting melody began to fill the air, causing him to abruptly stop.

Intrigued, Tokoyami looked up, his gaze searching for the source of the sound. the soft, baritone voice drifting down from above. Gliding gently, as if it were a breeze tickling his ears.

“Guess we all were born with parts to play.”

As the melody wafted through the air, a spark ignited within him, causing his heart to stir.

“Some of us are stars and some are just in the way.”  

The voice was filled with warmth and sweetness, and it seemed to roll over Tokoyami’s shoulders, filling him with a sense of comfort and peace.

Tokoyami took a step forward as if he were driven by an irresistible urge, the voice carrying his movements. He felt as if he were being carried by a gentle breeze. Its melody guiding him to its source.

“I know I was meant for glory, but that's never what my story brings, and yet I keep on waiting…”

Tokoyami set the box he was carrying down, eyeing the stage till he found a staircase that led to the rafters and nodded, a strange sense of determination flowing through him.

“When you have the passion and the drive, you expect your moment center stage to arrive.”

Tokoyami slowly made his way to the stairs and began to ascend them, head tilted up as the melody continued to drift down, filled with a sense of sadness that Tokoyami couldn’t quite explain.

“I show up with heart a blazing, ready to achieve amazing things, But I’m left waiting in the wings.”

As he ascended the stairs, the voice continued to sing softly. The sadness in the melody grew more pronounced with each step he took upward.

“I hear my cue, and yet I’m kept there waiting! Know what to do, and still I keep on waiting!”

Tokoyami kept climbing the stairs, his heartbeat speeding up as a sense of anticipation grew in his chest.

“It's always someone else who sings! While I’m left waiting in the wings.”

As Tokoyami rounded the corner, he was met with the source of the voice. But the sight that met his eyes brought everything to a standstill. Because there was Koda, the shy and silent boy who was his classmate, singing with his eyes closed, his voice filled with the depth of his heart and soul.

“And so I keep on keeping on, My chances come and then I blink and there gone!”

Tokoyami stood their mouth agape, watching as the gentle giant continued to sing, his voice filled with a level of loneliness and sorrow that he couldn’t even begin to fathom.

“Always overlooked unfairly, while pretending that it barely stings. But it stings, yes it stings!”

As he watched on, one part of him wondered whether or not he was allowed to see this side of the gentle giant, and the other part of him couldn’t bear to look away.

“And I’ll shed no tears, I’ll only keep on waiting! If no one cheers, well I can keep on waiting! Who cares how loud, the silence rings… I’ll keep waiting in the wings.”

Tokoyami stood there, watching as his classmate sang on the rafters. His heart pounding in his chest, and his mind was racing a million miles an hour. But yet everything around him froze… time itself coming to a standstill as he looked at the gentle giant.

“Time Stops, when suddenly you see him.”

Tokoyami took a step towards the soft-spoken boy, who stood frozen in time, his arm reaching out to the skylights.

“Time stops, and what you thought you knew, changes, and life beyond this moment, is better, bigger.”

Tokoyami felt his feathers puff out, and his palms were beginning to sweat as he inched closer to the gentle boy, who Tokoyami hadn’t truly gotten to know. Koda had always been the quiet, reserved type. But once Tokoyami had heard his song, something from within him had shifted and he began to look at the boy in a new light.

“Time stops, but still your heart is beating. Time stops, though you don't take a breath.”

There was a vulnerability in the way Koda had sung, his voice barred with raw emotion that resonated deep within his soul. Tokoyami had never seen this side of his classmate, and now that he had, he was captivated and wanted to see it once more.

“He’s there and all you’ve ever wanted is nearer, clearer.”

As he looked at the boy, he remembered the time spent with him. How he had seen him sketching in the library on occasion, and how the two of them had once faced villains together during the USJ attack. Yet, a pang of guilt washed over him as he realized that, on most occasions, he had simply glanced past the boy, failing to make a genuine effort to truly understand him.

“I used to see what lies ahead, now I just see this guy instead.”

Tokoyami drew closer to the silent boy, his heart aching to know more about the boy he had never really taken the time to know, His entire vision of the future vanished in an instant as he took another step closer.

“Time stops and troubles are abandoned. Time stops the minute he arrives!”

Tokoyami kept moving forward, his hand outstretched, reaching towards the boy as if wanting to be a part of his world.

“I see the future in this instance, Subversis, Sublime!”

His hand inched closer, nearing the boy's shoulder, moving closer with every heartbeat.

“I’d live forever in this moment if I could stop…”

Then his hand made contact, and suddenly time began to move once more as Tokoyami continued to speak.

“Stop time.” 

“T-tokoyami?” Koda said abruptly, too shocked to realize that he was even speaking in the first place. His soft voice seemed to break the avian-headed boy out of his thoughts, and he looked at his bird-headed classmate a bit confused, and extremely embarrassed. Wondering just how much the other had heard.

"O-oh… Uh… Koda… I was… well…” Tokoyami began to sputter, feeling just as embarrassed for being caught like this…

“I… well, I was moving boxes down here, then I heard you sing and I…”

Koda’s eyes widened at this, as a panicked expression crossed his face. He hadn’t thought anyone else would be coming down here. He was supposed to be cleaning up a bit, but he had seen the audition slip on the wall… and well, part of him wanted to try out for the musical. 

But when he approached the slip Monama and some other kids from class 1-B had spotted him… and he couldn’t get what they had said out of his head, so he simply wanted to sing out his frustrations.

Yet as he looked at Tokoyami, all he could manage to say was,  “Y-you... Y-you… h-heard that?” 

The latter nodded softly, his deep red eyes seeming to shine as he looked at Koda from the stairwell. 

“Yes, and I must say, you have one of the most wonderful sounding voices that I've ever had the pleasure of listening to… Despite you most likely not wanting an audience.”

Koda felt his face grow warm at the comment, a pleasant yet unfamiliar feeling washing over him as he looked at the other, unable to bring himself to speak once more.

However, Tokoyami soon broke the silence, his awkward words filling the air, yet he pushed on all the same. “I do apologize for the interruption…. And for eavesdropping. I didn’t mean to embarrass you…”

Koda shook his head at this, waving his hand dismissively, raising his hands to sign slowly, knowing most of the class at least knew the basics of sign language. [It's okay, you didn’t know I was even in here…]

 Tokoyami nodded,  “Well… I suppose I should continue my task… Before Mr.Aizawa notices the key to the elevator is missing…”

With that, Tokoyami turned around and went to leave, but soon he felt a warm hand on his shoulder and he turned around to face Koda. 

“I… Um.. L-let… let me help… I… well… I was s-supposed to clean… but, there's not much that's… u-unorganized… so I… I'm not doing a-anything…”

Tokoyami gave the timid boy a soft smile, thankful for the offer. “Alright then, the extra help would be greatly appreciated.”

Then he turned around and began to head down the stairs, before stopping promptly and turning around to face the silent boy once more. “You know, It may not be my place to say, but… I think you should sign up for the school musical. With a voice like yours, I'm sure the judges will be moved, and who knows, perhaps you can get the lead.”

Koda looked down at Tokoyami as he turned around once more and continued his journey downstairs, Koda following behind him nervously.

As the two continued to walk through the theatre, Koda felt a warmth rising inside of him, Tokoyami’s words echoing in his mind.  Could he really get a part in the musical if he auditioned?

As Koda walked behind Tokoyami, he could only hope. His heart felt light and he was excited for all that could could come.