Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Attention often followed Shoto, but he wasn’t one to willingly bring it to himself. He’s always been reserved. He isn’t sure if it is who he innately is, or if it stemmed from fear. Growing up, he had always been taught to keep his head down and continue training, not to socialize uselessly with his peers. He’s sure this mentality had a tremendous impact on his ability to function socially.

His father had always told him that he was simply a person who was so astonishing that people naturally wanted to admire him. So, he didn’t need to do anything in order to bring attention to him. He was always meant for something greater in life. His peers around him were meant to only watch helplessly as he became the greatest hero in the world. Why get so close to followers? To people who were levels beneath him?

But he was trying to undo that mindset. He didn’t want to be like how his father was. He didn’t want to be someone cold and distant, having no one by his side other than his drowning family. Going to UA, he realized that he wanted to go through the struggle of getting close to people who genuinely cared for him. Shoto wanted to help his friends, and in return, he would hope that they would help him in his times of need.

Shoto knows that they would, which is precisely why he invited Izuku and Katsuki to his room after classes. He needed to practice reaching out to others. Plus, they were his best friends; surely they would give him good advice.

Midoriya kneeled on the tatami, hands placed on his knees. He waited patiently for Todoroki to close the door and come join them on the floor. He was sure it was something serious. Shoto doesn’t often reach out about his problems. He only does unless he’s about to explode emotionally. He wanted to show Todoroki that he was attentive and he cared for his concerns.

In contrast, Bakugo sat criss-crossed, refusing to act polite in a room whose furniture demanded it. The asshole had taken away precious study time from the blond teen, why should he feign patience and understanding? He had no reason to.

(He doesn’t know why Todoroki had both him and Deku come. Bakugo knows he shouldn’t be here. This is beneath him, helping Todoroki with whatever stupid problem he has. They aren’t even friends. But..Deku is probably too useless to deal with this issue on his own. Of course Todoroki needs Bakugo as well here. But..then again, this is beneath him..)

Analyzing it too much only frustrated him more. Luckily, Shoto interrupted his anger spiral just in time. He sat down in front of them.

“Thanks for coming.” 

“I seriously don’t get-”

“Of course, Shoto! What’s going on?”

“-Why you’re forcing me to be here.”

Shoto was used to Bakugo’s harsh language. That’s just Bakugo. He doesn’t know how to control his tone, but he knows that the blond teen cares. He turned to Midoriya, focusing on answering his question. He was unsure how he should begin to explain his situation. It’s not like he’s ever been in this situation before anyways. 

He took a moment to ponder.

“I think..I’m romantically interested in someone.”

Midoriya and Bakugo tensed up, leaning ever-so-slightly towards Shoto. They had never spoken of romance. They were too focused on their hero work to do so. But they never expected Todoroki to be the one to first bring it up. Most of their classmates didn’t even believe that he was capable of handling romantic situations. 

“Oh really? Who?” Midoriya asked.

The pair was curious as to who he liked. They couldn’t help it. Was it one of the girls in their class? Perhaps someone in class B? Or was it someone outside of school? 

Who does Shoto talk to when he’s not at UA or with his family? What was the kind of girl that Shoto was interested in? 

Their minds were swirling with possibilities. They needed to know. But, nothing could’ve prepared them for Shoto's upfront answer.

“Oh, Inasa. From Shiketsu.”

The duo paused.

…Shoto’s crush is a guy?

They didn’t even care that it was Inasa. They could discuss his taste in men later. The idea that Shoto was actually gay (is he gay?) was not something that came to mind at all. It’s not like he had ever told them. They never even talked about romance. Were they supposed to assume he was gay? Did he ever give them any hints?

“Shoto,” Midoriya hesitated. “I didn’t know you were gay! Not that there’s anything wrong with it! It’s just that-“

“Oh yeah, I forgot to say.”

Midoriya sighed. He’s not really surprised that Shoto simply forgot to tell them about his romantic interests. That’s oddly..very in-character for him. 

“So what do we have to do with this?” Bakugo growled. He crossed his arms.

“How do I show that I am interested in him?”

“If you wanna win his stupid heart, just tell him! Ask him out or whatever!”

Bakugo glared at Midoriya, proud of his simple-yet-perfect answer. He knew that the only way to handle these sorts of social situations was to be bold. It’s how he did, and it’s been working out for him. Why beat around the bush and wait so long when you can find out your answer immediately? If Todoroki gets rejected, he can just move on. It’s not a big deal if that bald idiot says no.

He knew he was right, so why was that idiot looking at him so judgementally? So uncertain of his response? Like he was missing something so obvious? He definitely wasn’t. 

Midoriya’s soft eyes were looking straight through him, as if he was able to predict his future movement. His mint green eyes were illuminated by the light, something that only frustrated Bakugo even more. Deku’s bushy eyebrows were furrowed and he pouted subconsciously. His entire expression was pissing him off.

“Just say whatever is on your mind, you damn nerd.”

“Well..I just think that Shoto shouldn’t barge into something like love! We don’t even know if Inasa is gay, and if Shoto confesses before finding that out, it could ruin their friendship! There’s too many unknowns!”

Shoto stared blankly at both of them, nodding, taking mental notes. He really had no idea how to approach this situation. He’s never had a crush before. That’s why he was here confiding in them. All he could do was listen as their conversation unfolded. 

“There’s no way in hell that would work!”

“You don’t know that!”

“Of course I do!”

The duo were deeply consumed in their argument. How could they not be? Both knew that they had excellent points as to how to handle a situation like this one (not that they had ever been in a romantic dilemma before.) How could the other not see the truth of the matter?

It irritated Bakugo how confident Midoriya was in his own stupid ideas. Lacking confidence in any situation would be a fatal mistake. Deku of all people should know the importance of self-assuredness, so what is he thinking? He’s thinking like an idiot. Shoto could possibly lose Inasa if he takes too long.

Midoriya hated how inflexible Bakugo can be. Not every situation can be handled so unabashedly. If things didn’t work out in Shoto’s favor, would he not be hurt? Embarrassed? He’s just trying to make sure Shoto leaves this situation as unharmed as possible, if Inasa doesn’t reciprocate. It doesn’t help that this is probably Shoto’s first attempt at love, they need to be incredibly careful. 

They had gotten more invested than Shoto expected; not that he minded. It was a little awkward for him to sit there and watch them argue as if he wasn’t there, but he was also curious as to where the argument would go. You never really know when it comes to the wonder duo. They can turn anything into a fight.

“Why don’t..I try both of them and see what works?” Shoto offered, to no avail.

“Ok how about this nerd! Icy-Hot tries both of our ideas, and whichever gets the baldie to fall for him wins!”

Midoriya nodded, shaking Bakugo’s hand. Many tend to forget how competitive he can get when it comes to Bakugo. And this isn’t any different.

“So what does the winner get?”

“Doesn’t matter, cause I’m gonna win!”

They reached their agreement and they had completely forgotten that Todoroki was still sitting in front of them, watching silently. 

“Are you guys going to help me?”

Bakugo and Midoriya turned to the patient Todoroki. His face was plastered in an indifference to the competition. They slightly flushed when they realized the scene they had created, but it was a feeling they pushed away. Both nodded, determined to help him get with his crush. Even if they somehow turned it into a “them-thing”.

The blond teen stood up and went to leave. Midoriya went to follow him, annoyed at his abrupt exit.

“Kacchan, where are you going?!”

“I’m going to my room! You idiots already wasted enough of my time!”

Shoto closed the door as they both left. He went to lay down on his bed, pulling out his phone. He smiled softly as he began messaging his sister, excited to tell her how helpful his friends were being for him. He also wanted her to pass on the message to their mother, since he’s been more busy with school as of recently. He’s sure he’ll meet up with her at the hospital and talk, but he doesn’t want her to have to wait.

He never imagined he’d be at this point. He never thought that he would have such nice friends, so willing to go out of their way to help them with his struggles. They’re so incredibly different from him, which is frustrating at times, but it means they can provide him with ideas he never even thought to consider.

He’s been isolated most of his life. He doesn’t know how to socialize or deal with these feelings. But he is glad that he knows people who can guide him. It’s a very nice feeling, being able to rely on people who aren’t family. 

Shoto wonders how this situation with Inasa is going to turn out now.

Chapter Text

A couple days had passed since Katsuki and Izuku had turned Shoto’s love life into a competition and Katsuki had completely forgotten all about it. There’s no reason why this would become the focus of his thoughts.  It was just a stupid one-off deal and he had more important things to worry about. Midoriya tended to bring out the worst in him, making him even more angry and competitive than usual. Something like this was just a ridiculous side effect from their rivalry. It was so small and insignificant that he’d just forget about it until it would eventually come to fruition. But, until then, he’d forget about it and focus on his training and academics.

He was sitting at his desk, working on an assignment that Ectoplasm had given them. His focus remained sharp and unwavering.

When he had finished, he sat down on his bed and grabbed his phone. He didn’t often care to check his messages, but Kirishima and Mina had been getting on his ass about it, wanting a response from him as soon as possible. They were incredibly insistent and stubborn. So, despite the fact that he hated being glued to his phone, he still looked to see who had messaged him. 

He wasn’t expecting any crazy notifications. Probably a message from Iida in the Class A group chat, reminding everyone to take their trash out. Something insignificant and repetitive. Or maybe a whole bunch of messages from this group chat he’s in with Kirishima, Mina, Denki, and Sero. He really disliked their spamming, but every time he left, they’d add him back.

Instead, it was a message from Shoto. It wasn’t what he was expecting, but he also wasn’t too surprised. It was common for Todoroki to send him random messages. Bakugo often ignored them because they were just plain stupid.

It read: Bakugo, I flipped a coin and you were chosen. Could you give me ideas on courting Inasa?

Bakugo smirked. Of course he was chosen first. Shoto definitely sided with Bakugo’s ideas on romance and was more than excited to try it out. The coin thing was definitely a lie in order to make Izuku feel better about not being chosen, but Katsuki could see through him.

He got up from his bed and left his room, still holding his phone. 

Bakugo marched down the halls of the dorms. His footsteps were heavy, a habit he never planned on changing. Everyone on his floor and on the floors below him could tell that he was heading somewhere. They always complained that they could hear him walking at night or in the early morning and even made jokes that they’d be able to track where Bakugo was going based on the sound of his walking.

They weren’t really joking. They could tell that he went on the elevator to the second floor, based on the sudden silence that perfectly timed with how long it took for the elevator to go down two floors.

Those on the second floor were confused as to why Bakugo was there, but then it became abundantly clear that he was heading for Midoriya’s room. Midoriya froze when he heard those loud, pounding footsteps approach his room and stop when it was right outside his door. He wasn’t terrified, but more so confused, just like everyone else who had heard Bakugo’s journey through the dorms.

Bakugo banged his fist against the door. He really did not care for the noise he was making, it wasn’t that loud to him anyways. It was also the middle of the day. If anyone was sleeping at this time, it was really their own fault. 

“Hey nerd, let me in!”

Izuku hopped out of his desk to answer him. He swiftly let him in, wanting the loud noise to cease. Unlike Bakugo he didn’t want to bother his classmates when they were trying to relax.

Assignments were covering his entire desk, messy and unorganized. He was wearing a shirt with an All Might logo on it as well as black sweatpants. His hair was more ruffled than usual, clearly too focused on excelling in school to worry about how he looked in his own room.

Midoriya finally spoke when he closed his door. “Kacchan, what do you want?”

His eyebrows were slightly furrowed and his voice was soft and slightly whiny, trying to appear annoyed. Bakugo could tell he wasn’t actually mad, but more concerned that the teen had interrupted his classmate’s quiet time. Not that he cared. He needed to brag to Midoriya.

Bakugo proudly took out his phone and shoved it in his face. Izuku honestly wasn’t sure what his friend was trying to show, so he just began reading the top of the message exchange between Shoto and Kacchan.

At the top of their texts was Shoto sending him a video of this cat, and underneath was him asking Bakugo, “Is this real?”. Bakugo had answered “no”, and when asked why by Todoroki, he provided no answer.

What was so important that Katsuki had to go down two stories just to show him, it went over Midoriya’s head. Katsuki could read the confusion on his face as easily as he could breathe. His stupid nose scrunch and lip pouting annoyed Bakugo. How could someone as smart as Midoriya be so oblivious sometimes?

“Dumbass, look at what Icy-Hot sent me just now.”

Izuku finally read Shoto’s message. He looked up at Bakugo and lifted up a singular eyebrow. He did now understand why he had come all this way, but still found it completely unnecessary. Why did he need to show him this in person? His confused stare pissed off Katsuki. 

“Obviously he thinks my method is better than your stupid one!”

“He literally said he flipped a coin?”

“Clearly the universe agrees with my method, then.” Katsuku smirked.

The green-haired teen sighed. He went to sit on his bed so that Katsuki could sit at his desk. He’d prefer to be sitting at his desk, but he knows that the other teen would make a big deal about sitting on his “dirty sheets” (despite the fact that Izuku cleaned them weekly). 

Bakugo pulled out the chair further out and sat with his legs crossed. He held his chin with his palm, staring at Midoriya, waiting for him to admit defeat. Midoriya could only scrunch his face as he sorted through his thoughts.

“How..How do you even expect your plan to work? I can’t see Todoroki as the bold kind..”

“Are you blind? Or just stupid? Icy-Hot can’t read a room to save his life. There’s no way he can be subtle.”

Midoriya sighed, once again. Katsuki is absolutely right: Shoto struggles with being subtle, he often speaks his mind against authority figures, especially his father. But..would he be comfortable with expressing these new emotions to someone else? Would he have the confidence to be bold like he is when he tells off his father? Shoto quite literally sought out advice from the pair instead of immediately confessing to Inasa, it’s a clear sign that he isn’t comfortable with talking to Inasa directly about this.

“What are you even going to make him say, Kacchan?”

Bakugo took a moment to ponder, almost visualizing the scene as if it were a battle. “Here, you’ll be Baldie and I’ll be Half-n-Half.”

The blond teen stood up (despite barely being in that seat for longer than a minute), and approached Izuku’s bed. 

Katsuki stared down at the other teen, before slightly hunching and attempting to soften his voice. “Hello, I’m Todoroki.”

Midoriya chuckled. His impression was somewhat decent, but Katsuki could not soften his tone to save his life. He still sounded as loud as he normally would. Izuku hid his amusement and got off the bed, standing tall and puffing his chest out. 

He took a moment to recall what he knows about Inasa Yoarashi. His voice, his demeanor, even the way he stands. Every possible detail must be considered when creating this impression. It is rather ridiculous to take this so seriously, but who would he be if he didn’t?

Slamming his arms against his sides, he exclaimed, “Hello Todoroki! So good to see you!”

Both of them wanted to break out into laughter at Midoriya’s flawless impression, but they held it in. They felt like they couldn’t break characters. There were no stakes to breaking character, but they still didn’t do it. This was serious. Midoriya needed to see how perfect Bakugo’s plan would be for Todoroki.

“Shoto” got closer to “Inasa”, his piercing eyes observing all the features on “Inasa’s” face. He was quiet, meticulous, sending a message with no words. It made “Inasa” nervous. He couldn’t read the other teen, as always, but this moment felt different. What was he about to say?

“I’m interested in taking you out on a date.”

“O-OH! Are you now..?” 

Tripping on his own words, “Inasa” was finding it difficult to stay in character. He felt that “Shoto” was too close to him, and wanted to give him space, but what “Inasa” failed to realize was that moving backwards would only make him fall onto his bed.

And “Inasa” did fall backwards. His legs kicked, unable to adapt to the sudden change. With his kicks, he also brought down “Shoto” with him.

The duo both broke character.

Katsuki reacted quicker than Midoriya, and was able to put his arms on the bed so that he didn’t slam his body against the other’s. Unfortunately, it didn’t change anything about the embarrassment of the situation. 

Midoriya laid on his back, his arms by his sides. He felt trapped by Katsuki’s arms that were over him. And also by Bakugo being entirely over him. 

The pair could only awkwardly stare at each other as their faces were closer to each other than they were comfortable with. If Bakugo hadn’t caught himself with his arms, they’re sure they would’ve ended up almost kissing. 

They silently stared at each other, the blush evident on both of their faces. Midoriya is sure he can see sweat forming on Bakugo’s face.

The blond teen jumped off of the other before any sweat could drip onto Midoriya's face. Izuku could only stare blankly at the ceiling as Katsuki barged out of his room, almost stomping excessively. His door slammed. He was left in the silence of his room, the only sound he could hear was the heavy pounding of his heart. His face remained flushed and sweat began to drip all over his face. He did try to calm down his nerves, he really was, but he couldn’t.

He struggled to process what had just happened. Yes, obviously Bakugo was practicing on Midoriya, just showing him what Todoroki should do to Inasa. It was Bakugo trying to show him that his method was the indisputable champion.

But, they were a little too close. Midoriya was too okay with the closeness.

Why did it affect him so much? He’s been close to the other teen before, why was this time so different? Was it because it was so sudden?

Was it just him who felt that way, this flustered? Was Bakugo feeling as embarrassed, or did he leave because he realized what the other teen was feeling and felt disgusted?

Izuku’s stomach dropped and he covered his mouth. He is sure that Katsuki was feeling disgusted by their interaction. There’s no way that Bakugo is attracted to men. It doesn’t seem like he’s attracted to anyone, now that he’s thinking about it.

..Should he talk about this with someone? 

No, he’s sure that Bakugo would be mad if Midoriya told anyone. But..he feels like he needs to sort out his own feelings. But also, this is the first time feelings like these have shown itself, maybe it was just a fluke?

Was this the first time he’s felt this way about Katsuki?

Izuku had always admired Katsuki; there’s no denying that. Everyone around him can see how he aims to be like Bakugo, how he wants to be Bakugo’s equal. But, who wouldn’t want to chase after him?

Katsuki Bakugo is incredibly intelligent. He has a natural knack for problem-solving, which makes it incredibly easy for him to excel exams. He’s not afraid to throw himself into a problem and propel himself towards a solution. And he always finds a solution, no matter how dire it may be. He’s tested himself many times, and it's taught Bakugo to be confident in himself. His confident nature, however, makes him…rather difficult to deal with.

Not that Izuku minds dealing with him. He knows Kacchan better than anyone in the world. He knows Kacchan is the best, and that he’s more than just bite. He has no reason to doubt himself. No hero has the reason nor the time to doubt themselves. Heroes must always keep moving forward; and a hero Katsuki Bakugo is.

Katsuki Bakugo will never be too late. Katsuki Bakugo will never lose. Katsuki Bakugo will never lose his confidence. His arrogance is rather admirable. Izuku wishes he could be as confident as Katsuki. To be able to understand that his quirk is a part of his body, like a limb, and not a gift he was bestowed. He has learned this, but it’s not as engrained in him like it is for Bakugo.

Katsuki Bakugo is not just blessed with an intelligence, confident mind, and an amazing quirk, but he is also blessed physically.

Izuku sees how hard he works to maintain the body he has today. Daily workouts, a careful diet, and immense amount of discipline. It’s a strenuous schedule, alongside school, but it is one the blond teen executes perfectly.

And everyone can tell.

Both his legs and biceps are toned, as if he were sculpted from stone. Every single muscle could be easily traced out. Yet, his skin seems so soft. He doesn’t have a lot of leg or arm hair, so his silky smooth skin was evident.

Now that Izuku was thinking about it, he has heard many of his peers complimenting Bakugo’s appearance, exclaiming that it’s a shame that his beautiful face doesn’t match his harsh attitude. 

He does agree with them about his appearance. Maybe not “beautiful”, he’s not a woman, but perhaps..handsome?

Yeah, he’s definitely handsome. Bakugo has many sharp features, such as his jaw line and nose; but sometimes, his features can appear to be so incredibly soft. Like his bright vermillion eyes, his lips, his-

His lips?

What is he thinking?

He just went through this with himself: Katsuki Bakugo is straight. Izuku shouldn’t be acting so perverted, fantasizing about a classmate.

(No, no. He’s not fantasizing. He doesn’t have feelings for Kacchan. He definitely doesn’t. Yeah.)

Bakugo found himself silently standing in the elevator, going all the way up to the fifth floor. He absolutely did not want to think or acknowledge what had just gone down in Midoriya’s room, so he’s just going to frustrate himself in another way: by talking with Todoroki.

His arms were crossed and he was tapping one foot against the ground when the doors opened. He rushed down to Todoroki's dorm room, his footsteps rumbling throughout the fifth and fourth floor.

Shoto opened the door before Bakugo could slam on the door.

“Hi, Bakugo, did you get my text?”

The blond teen walked past Shoto and closed the door.

Fortunately for them, Shoto had bought a whiteboard for him and his classmates to study with for exams. He wanted to feel rather useful, and give himself an “excuse” to invite his classmates to his room. Katsuki was going to use it.

Swiping an orange dry erase marker, he drew a terrible drawing of Todoroki and Yoarashi. 

“Is this supposed to be me and Inasa..?”

Bakugo let off a tiny explosion in Shoto’s face, an explosion that the other was able to block with a small chunk of ice he created from his palm. 

“Listen here, Icy-Hot,” Bakugo huffed. “With this dating stuff, it’s not hard. Just tell him EXACTLY how you feel.”

“Are you sure? I’ve heard that being upfront is risky.”

“Yes, I’m sure! All you gotta say is-”

Memories of what had happened not even five minutes ago between him and Izuku flashed through his mind. He remembered the slight red that covered Midoriya’s freckles. How his eyes widened and his eyebrows lifted from having Katsuki be on top of him. Izuku looked like a deer caught in head lights.

Bakugo hated how the event, and in turn the memory, made him flustered. There was no reason for him to be flustered. It was a stupid accident with the stupid nerd.

Fortunately for Katsuki, the flashback didn’t stop him in his tracks. Shoto wasn’t even able to notice a difference in tone, not that it was something Shoto was super adept at.

“-YOU JUST GOTTA TELL THAT IDIOT YOU WANNA GO OUT WITH HIM!”

He drew arrows from Shoto to Inasa as emphasis.

Shoto nodded. Bakugo hadn’t noticed, but he had somehow pulled out a small notepad and pen from thin air and was taking notes from the blond teen. He was taking this lesson incredibly seriously (why wouldn’t he?).

“Should I ask him out in person or over text? I heard Mina say there’s a difference?”

Bakugo provided a straightforward answer, which Todoroki always appreciated from him. He began to ask more questions, and Bakugo was weirdly okay with answering all of them. Even if they were dumb, they would be answered (with attitude stapled on).

Once Shoto felt he was prepared enough to ask out Inasa on a date, Bakugo was quick to leave Shoto’s room. Shoto waved him goodbye, glad that he was able to bond with one of his friends.

Bakugo stomped down the hall once again and entered the elevator. Everyone in the surrounding floors could hear him yet again, and were hoping that he was finally going back to his room so they wouldn't be bothered by the noise.

Bakugo had "remembered" that there was more studying that could be done, and he wanted to do that instead of thinking about that idiot Deku. 

The silence in his room did not help him, it pissed him off. His mind couldn't stop wandering to how Midoriya had looked up at him. Why couldn’t he get it out of his head? What was so special about this tiny moment in their relationship that it was looping in his head.

It was frustrating, maddening. He gave up on studying rather quickly, which he knew wasn't like him at all.

Chapter Text

Following the coin flip, Todoroki had taken Bakugo’s incredibly useful advice and chose to be upfront about his advances. 

Sorry, Midoriya, he thought, he’ll attempt subtly next time (if there is a next time). He had opted to call Inasa. It made more sense, to ease into the idea of the date and have them agree to it before the date happens. It was better than the entire “date” occurring, Shoto asking if he could consider it a date, and then Inasa rejecting him. 

He also didn’t want to text Yoarashi. He thought it would be impressive, being able to face possible rejection instead of going through the cowards’ route of hiding behind a screen.

It did take him a while to make the call. He sat on his bed, staring at his phone, hesitant to begin the conversation. Would it go well? Would he get rejected? Would Inasa even pick up?

He even messaged Bakugo and Midoriya, expressing his worries the best that he could. Midoriya encouraged him to go for it, that things would be okay no matter what. Bakugo, however, told him to get over himself.

And Shoto did get over himself. He pressed the call button next to Inasa’s name. As the ringing taunted him, he contemplated hanging up and pretending like it was an accident. That would be a lot easier than risking rejection. Before he was able to do it, Yoarashi picked up.

“Hey, Todoroki!”

“Yoarashi.”

Inasa had asked him (with impeccable enthusiasm) how UA was treating him, to which it was treating him well. His classes were manageable, and he was doing more endurance training. He enjoyed that he was getting closer to his school friends, especially Katsuki, Izuku, and Tenya. They were all incredibly kind to him, something that had always shocked him.

Shoto, in return, asked him if he was free that coming weekend. Inasa had replied in an upbeat fashion, open to going out with Shoto.

“What are we gonna do?” 

“We could go eat? There’s also this amusement park I want to go to.”

“That works! Is that all?”

Shoto hesitated. Not that Yoarashi would be able to tell.

This was his moment to act bold, to show the other teen his true intentions, and to see his response. It was terrifying.

“It’s a date.” Shoto admitted plainly.

Silence from the other end. 

He was anxious, despite his tone giving nothing away. Shoto was tempted by the red button at the bottom of his screen, begging him to end the call and receive a rejection text five minutes later.

“Of course! See you then!” 

Shoto could hear Yoarashi’s happiness beaming from the other side of the phone. Surprisingly, he could even imagine Inasa’s face. His characteristically wide smile with his eyes being slightly widened, unable to comprehend what Shoto had just proposed for them.

“See you then,” he then hung up the phone. 

Staring at his bed, he realized he’s not sure what restaurant they should go to. Perhaps a Japanese restaurant? They do both like noodles, he remembered that much. He shouldn’t go too crazy on their first date.

Once he had decided on a place that was in between the two schools, he messaged it to Inasa, who gave the restaurant a thumbs up. Fortunately for Shoto, it was a restaurant that Camie recommended he go to, but he never had the time to do so. Shoto felt pleased with himself and his decision, something that made him feel more relaxed about their future date.

Shoto was on the train, on his way to the restaurant. He had been texting back his friends, wanting to keep them updated about his date. Mina and Izuku were especially chatty to him (which did relieve him). In the middle of messaging back Midoriya, he had received a message from Inasa. 

It read: I’M GOING TO BE LATE I GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT

He chuckled to himself and responded to the text with a thumbs up. 

Shoto sat at the restaurant’s table patiently.

He’s not sure if the date being “postponed” was helping with his nerves or not. He’s left at their table by himself, awkwardly waiting for him to show up. He doesn’t even know when he’ll show up. Till then, he’s just stuck in his own head.

Will he act correctly on this date? 

Does he know how to act towards potential romantic partners?

…Is he even capable of being a part of a healthy relationship?

At one point, he’s sure, his parents had a healthy relationship; as healthy as a forced marriage could be. He wasn’t alive for it, but as Fuyumi and him began to get closer once he started going to UA, she would tell him occasionally about how their parents used to be when she was a toddler. She described it as a softness in both of their faces, a sense of relaxation that they could only feel in the once-safety of their home. Their father would even smile at their mother, asking about how her day had been while she held Fuyumi. 

But, these were only tiny moments she could remember. Those times were long gone, for all of them.

Shoto’s only memories of his parents was him yelling at her and hitting her, while Shoto could only try to protect her. He only knows about love from the perspective of others, he doesn’t have any personal experience that he can learn from and use on others.

He absolutely knows he wouldn’t hurt Inasa. But would he do it accidentally? Would his struggles in intimate situations cause him to say the wrong thing to Inasa? Would he fail Inasa when he needs it the most?

Does he know how to compliment someone he has feelings for?

He genuinely doesn’t know. And he won’t know until his date arrives and they begin talking. The uncertainty is killing him.

Before he realized it, Inasa sat abruptly in front of them, almost slamming himself into the booth. His sudden force had him almost hit the wall, but he was able to pull himself back.

“Hey!! Sorry I’m late! I got hit by a car!”

“How?”

“Funny story! I was helping an old lady cross the street and I guess she didn’t like that so she pushe-”

Shoto wasn’t really paying attention to the plot of the story. He could only focus on the eccentric cadence of Inasa’s voice. It was booming, yet incredibly calming. It was not a tone he was accustomed to; it was as if Inasa was the protagonist of a play and wanted to make it abundantly clear to the audience what he was feeling at every single moment. He loved being in the spotlight and making others smile.

Even Shoto, who wasn’t the best at reading people, had a decent understanding of Inasa's emotions. He was the most open book he had ever met. Shoto liked that about him.

“Anyways, enough about me! Sorry I made ya wait so long!”

“Oh, don’t worry. I didn’t wait long.” Shoto reassured.

Silence. Both teens made eye contact with each other, truly taking in the other’s features.

Inasa admired Shoto’s eyes. His lidded eyes gave him a natural intimidating look, one that he tried to mask. In his right eye, a silently brewing hurricane, clouding everyone’s hope and determined to ruin the lives of all that stood in his path. In his life, an aggressive whirlpool that drags its victims under the water, not hesitant to cause suffering. Yet, despite the natural defensiveness in his stare, there seems to be a sense of anxiety and softness. He doesn’t want to scare others, or be scared of the world around him. Shoto has always wanted to connect with others.

Shoto couldn’t focus on only the color of Inasa’s eyes. Instead, he chose to observe the features that make up his eyes. Inasa’s eyelashes were longer than most girls he knew, yet it didn’t look unnatural. They were beautifully soft. He wondered if they ticked him. His eyebrows were remarkably tamed. Despite the fact that his eyebrows were thick and luscious, he lacked excess hair around it. Inasa was also clean-shaven. Were all of these a result of attending Shiketsu, or from his own personal preference? Regardless, his attention to detail was rather attractive to the other teen.

Realizing how long they had spent looking at one another, they both looked away nervously. Shoto simply looked down at the table, but Inasa turned his head in a completely new direction and scratched the back of his head bashfully. Very theatric of him.

“Sorry! You just look very good!” Yoarashi had said rather shamelessly, a strong departure from his shyness the moment before.

“Thank you. How have you been?”

“Oh y’know, the same! Shishikura always gives good advice! He really reminds me to act the best I can for my school!”

“Shishikura?” Shoto tilted his head. 

He’s always been bad with faces and names, and it’s been a while since he’s talked to a Shiketsu student who wasn’t Inasa. He..remembers Camie, because she occasionally will message him memes that he doesn’t understand. But, aside from those two, he’s drawing a blank.

“He was there in our remedial classes! Y’know, he was making comments about us the whole time with Present Mic!”

Todoroki brought his hand to his chin, thinking hard. He really was trying to remember what this Shishikura-guy looked like but he was drawing a blank.

“Oh, the meat quirk guy?”

“Yeah!! Shishikura! He’s a very intense guy, but I know he just wants the best for us!”

Yoarashi’s voice didn’t fail to boom around the restaurant. Not that it bothered him, he’s used to loud people bringing unnecessary attention.

“Intense, huh?”

Inasa nodded rapidly. Before he could say anything more, their waiter came up to them. She handed them the menus and their waters that Shoto had previously ordered.

“Hi, welcome to Sasaki! Have you decided what you want to order?”

As both Yoarashi and Todoroki looked at the menus, they both quickly realized what they wanted. This restaurant was truly perfect for their tastes.

“Order anything you want, it’s not my card I’m paying with.” Todoroki slightly smirked.

Shoto’s soba and Inasa’s udon arrived, and it looked absolutely delicious.

Inasa’s udon was incredibly piping hot, cooking the beef to a perfect temperature. There was a perfect balance between the meats, the vegetables, and the noodles. He had to take a bite of his food immediately, which burnt his mouth. He tried to play it off. But Shoto could tell. Inasa is incredibly bad at hiding his initial emotions.

Shoto’s soba contrasted his, where the chilled noodles allowed him to eat it immediately. These noodles had always cooled him down after he had been training with his fire quirk, so they were a personal favorite of his. He began dipping his noodles into the paired sauce. 

This tempted Inasa to try to eat his food faster. He didn’t want to feel like he was behind Shoto or that he wasn’t grateful for the food that the other teen was paying for.

“This is really good, Todoroki! You should try some of mine!”

“Can I cool down the noodles..?”

“No! The appeal is the heat!” Inasa huffed as the boiling hot soup fought against his mouth.

“Oh, is that why you’re letting it burn your mouth?”

Shoto didn’t mean it as a jab. He genuinely thought that Inasa just enjoyed the sensation of incredibly hot soup. He himself enjoys the feeling of brain freeze, so he thought the opposite was true.

Yoarashi broke out in a hefty laugh, one that all the restaurant’s patrons could hear. Shoto’s genuine confusion amused him so much. That’s why he likes Shoto. He’s such an upfront guy and will see things at face value. His issues with subtleties allows him to give people the benefit of a doubt, seeing them in the best possible lighting rather than one that could embarrass him.

(Inasa doesn’t want Shoto to know how hard he’s trying to impress him, but he’s sure that that piece of information will slip out soon. He does have a tendency to talk as he speaks. But he also knows that Shoto wouldn’t mind knowing.)

“Okay just have some after I’ve had more of it, so it can cool down!”

Shoto nods, and continues eating his food. He’s absolutely okay with eating in silence. A lot of his family meals begin in silence, have an argument in the middle, and end with silence again. He doesn’t see anything wrong with peacefully eating his meal with his date.

However, the teen on the other side of the table could not handle the quietness. Not that it was awkward or that silence with Todoroki was bad, but it was their first date. He wanted to make a good first impression as he was courting him.

“I was super nervous on the way here! Camie and Shishikura really had to calm me down and then I got hit!” Yoarashi began rambling. “It made me stop thinking about how nervous I was! But then I started thinking about it again! Why wouldn’t I be? You’re so cool! And attractive! Y’know what I mean?”

Todoroki slightly flushed, a hint of fire coming out of his hair. He’s been complimented before and called attractive, but with Inasa it’s..different. It feels so much more genuine. It makes him feel like he is truly attractive, and could be the most attractive person in the world. His tone was so endearing, Inasa definitely sees Shoto as the most attractive person alive.

“Thank you..I was really nervous about our date too.”

“Really? You don’t seem like the nervous type!”

Shoto took another large bite of his soba.

“I’ve never been on a date before.”

“Me neither!”

“Not even with a girl?”

“Nope! I was never interested in girls like that!”

“Are you gay?” Shoto asked curiously.

Inasa took a moment to think about it. He’s..never actually thought about it up until now. He didn’t really care about stuff like that. Romance was never in the forefront of his mind, much less who he was attracted to.

Was he gay? Did it even matter what he called himself? Life should just be about doing what you like, he saw no reason to explain or justify himself to the world.

“I guess I am! But who cares?”

“You’re right. Are you gonna finish your udon?”

“Sorry!” Inasa went back to digging into his noodles. They weren’t as hot, and thus a lot easier for him to down. The taste wasn’t lost due to its cooling. No, it was still as mouthwatering as it had been when it was first served to him.

“You know, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to finish it. My old man’s paying for it.”

Inasa shook his head as he slurped on some noodles. “You’re still paying for our meal! I can’t waste it! Plus this is delicious!”

They stayed there for another hour, chatting. Both of them thought that at some point the conversation would come to a natural end, and their date would end. That wasn’t the case at all. Even as they were leaving the restaurant, their conversation was still going on strong.

“There’s an outdoor mall nearby, do you want to go?” Inasa asked, pointing towards a group of stores.

Subconsciously, Yoarashi held out his hand to lead the other teen and Shoto had taken it. Both teens blushed at the perceived boldness of the other, but didn’t let go of one another.

Shoto’s hand was a lot colder than Inasa expected. He’s not surprised, he is holding the ice side, but it was freezing. Had he just used his ice powers and Inasa hadn’t realized? Other than that, his fingers were slightly thin and soft, practically being overwhelmed by Inasa’s hands.

Inasa’s hand was large, rough, and thick. He seemed to have callouses all over his hands from his hard work both as a hero and as a student. His fingers were warm, luckily, which balanced out the temperatures between them.

Holding hands for the first time was a lot better of an experience than both had been expecting. Neither of them wanted to let go of the other, despite their anxieties.

They had crossed the street and continued chatting, talking about the differences between Shiketsu and UA. Despite both of the schools being the number one hero school in their respective regions, their educational methods differed drastically. Shiketsu teachers were a lot less focused on developing relationships between teachers and students, opting for a strict, military-like schedule. Inasa appreciated it, as it helped him develop discipline.

UA teachers were more focused on their relationships with students and wanted to encourage independent thinking and hard work. This student-driven approach really allowed Shoto to get closer to his classmates and learn about different mindsets.

As Shoto was explaining his daily training with his classmates, he was looking inside the different stores. He had never been in this city before and really wanted to soak in all the sights.

But, then, he stopped in the middle of the street.

Inasa looked at him confused, turning his head to see where Shoto was looking. 

It was a simple flower shop. The outside was decorated in plants, all labelled with their names and prices. It didn’t have anything overtly special or pricy, a stark contrast from all the stores surrounding it. Why it caught Todoroki’s eye, Yoarashi couldn’t tell. 

Shoto wasn’t looking at the plants outside, he seemed to be looking in. He walked into the store, bringing Inasa with him.

His focus was on this lone display of flowers. It was untouched, other patrons seemingly not interested in its violet petals. Each flower had about five petals, and was held together by a group of buds in the middle. Under the petal stuck out some droopy leaves. It wasn’t a fancy flower, not one that spoke of romance like other, more popular flowers.

“These are my mom’s favorite flowers.” Shoto spoke fondly, bending over slightly to get a closer look at them.

Inasa was quick to call the attention of a worker.

“Hello there! I’d like to have all these flowers made into a bouquet!”

Shoto was flattered as he silently watched the worker ask him more questions in order to create the perfect bouquet. The couple followed the employee to the back of the store, where there was a desk to curate the bouquet. Inasa opted for some leaves to be added to give it volume, and had it get wrapped in white crafted paper. Altogether, it was a large arrangement, with the flowers arranged to make a heart-shape and with the extra leaves used to break up the violet.

The teen didn’t listen to the price, nor did he care for it, as he continued to talk to Shoto as he paid. Once it was paid for, he handed it to Todoroki and they walked out of the floral shop together.

“You know, you didn’t have to do that for me..”

“Of course I did! I like you!”

Shoto flustered and looked away. 

They continued to walk through the stores, window-shopping and fantasizing about making purchases they couldn’t afford at the moment. They’re sure they could buy those things for the other teen one day, they cannot wait for that day.

“Inasa..?”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to be my boyfriend?”

Inasa froze, and blushed. Grabbing the bouquet out of Shoto’s hands, he took Shoto in for a hug and picked him off the ground. He spun him around for all to see, not caring for the judgement of others.

“LOOK AT MY BOYFRIEND EVERYONE!!”

Shoto broke out in laughter, struggling to breathe and even having tears form in the corner of his eyes. He was both embarrassed and shocked at Inasa’s reactions. Not that he hated it. His enthusiasm made his heart pound, and he knew that he had made the right decision. 

Knowing that someone like Inasa was so proud to be with someone like Shoto? It meant everything to him.

Chapter Text

Sunday afternoons were often when he took the time to write letters to his mother. UA frequented his time, and because of it, found it difficult to visit her in person. On the weeks he couldn't see her, he’d replace his absence with a letter. In these letters, he would detail about how his week had been going, mainly discussing his friends. He spoke plenty of Katsuki Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya. They were classmates who he spent much of his time with, both studying and training. He would emphasize their skills and how he aspired to be like them. He also found friendships within many of his other classmates as well, making sure to always address them by their full names so his mother would remember who they were.

These letters took hours of his time. He often struggled to articulate himself, and so many rough drafts were thrown away, never to be seen by anyone but himself. He also wanted to make sure his letters were as neat as possible for his mother, which only caused more rough drafts to be thrown away. He enjoyed the labor it took in order to talk to his mother, although it did take up a lot of time.

Luckily, this particular Sunday, he was able to visit her and didn’t need to painstakingly write a letter to her. Eraserhead had offered to take him since his schedule was available. He had accompanied him to the hospital, waiting out in the hall while they spoke in her room.

The halls were an easy place for him to navigate, but it didn’t erase the anxiety he always felt in the moments leading up to see her. Shoto often worried that her condition had deteriorated since he had last seen her. That she’d be forced to go back to her more restrictive schedule and that this visitation would be the last time he’d see her for a long time.

When he finally saw his mother, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders gently. Shoto noted her frail body, easily able to feel her bones, and was worried he would crush her. He wasn’t as close to her as he wanted to.

They pulled apart and Rei took a moment to admire her son once again. He was growing up to be someone she was so incredibly proud of. Someone who always put in the consistent, constant effort of caring for others. She pushed his hair away from his forehead, planting a kiss. 

“I missed you, honey.”

“I missed you too, mom.”

He always let her sit on her bed. She insisted he sat on the bed instead, while she took the desk chair. He denied her request, as always, and took out the seat to sit on it.

Sitting across from her, he began by asking her how she has been recovering. She always hesitated to answer. When they would see each other in person, it was a ritual, a dance between the two of them, as he attempted to have her open up about her well-being. He’d ask her about how her week had been, and she’d say:

“Don’t worry about me. I just want to hear about how you’re doing. I haven’t seen you in a while.”

Rei found it selfish to talk about herself when she seldom sees him in person. She’s sure he has a lot more interesting things to tell her about being a student at UA, compared to her monotonous life in the hospital. 

In response, Shoto shook his head and insisted that she tell him. He rarely gets to see his mom, he obviously was worried about her. It took him telling her that it would soothe him to know for her to finally open up about herself. 

Being able to see her children more had been giving her the courage to continue moving forward with her life, and she’s been seeing progress from it. She’s been smiling more and making more conversation with the nurses. She’s even willing to explore the hospital (with supervision).

Admittedly, she’s still fragile, both emotionally and physically. 

Since she got admitted to the hospital, it was incredibly difficult for her to gain and retain weight. She had been able to recover some of her appetite since then, but her doctor was vehemently against her leaving the hospital. Her body was definitely not back to the state it was before her marriage with Enji Todoroki began to spiral. Her bones slightly protruded throughout her body, especially on her collarbone and arms. Her fingernails were almost always purple, despite her resistance to the cold.

Emotionally, it had been slightly easier to hear mentions of her husband, but it was still recommended by her doctor for him to not be discussed around her in length. 

She used to have panic attacks every day, and at its worst, it would occur multiple times a day. During her episodes, she was inconsolable. She would cry and beg for her mother, terrified of Enji’s wrath. Now, it was something that would only happen once a week, and most often happened in the middle of the night. She often needed to have a nurse by her side as she slept for this reason. Because it would suddenly wake her, these attacks would overwhelm her excessively and she wasn’t able to regulate herself. 

Rei didn’t share all these vulnerable details with her youngest son, rather opting to share the highlights of her recovery.

“I’m glad to hear, mom…” Shoto paused, unsure if this moment was the most appropriate.

“Is something on your mind?”

He looked down towards his clasped hands. It was difficult to look his mother in the eyes and admit something so unspoken of. Love was never an easy subject to navigate within the Todoroki family. They didn’t have declarations of love like others did.  

Rei got up from the bed and onto one knee. She placed her hands over Shoto’s and looked up at him softly. Her silver eyes stared deeply into his own heterochromatic ones. Shoto could see the calmness within her soul, and how little judgement she carried for him. Slight eyebags were visible, but to him, it was a reminder of how much she had improved. Her eyebags used to be dark and harsh, a grim reminder of the sleepless nights his father used to cause for her.

She didn’t offer him a grand beaming expression. Instead, her lips pursed into a soft smile. Her teeth weren’t visible, but her dimples were. They were lightly pressed into her skin. Shoto had always wondered if he had gotten his dimples from his mother, and today was the first time in his life where he was able to get a good look into her genuine smile. He realized that this sign of happiness came from her instead of his father.

“I have a boyfriend.”

“..What’s his name?”

“Inasa.”

“What is he like?”

Shoto placed his hand on his chin, fingers curling around it. He attempted to recall his many memories with Inasa, trying to figure out the best way to describe this very..expressive man.

Inasa is incredibly considerate of those around him. He’s always the first one to extend a helping hand to others and would never hesitate to express his heroic ideology. He’s an open book that wants other people to feel at ease around him just through his own actions. He can be incredibly stubborn at times, especially when he and Todoroki first knew each other, but he has the humility to admit when he’s wrong and even apologize for it. Inasa’s strength is admirable. Many parts of Inasa are admirable.

He’s tempted to mention how they met. How they clashed so terribly that it was the reason he failed the exam. That they argued on the battlefield over a misunderstanding. How they ended up bonding over their shared distrust of Shoto’s father. He’s not sure if that’s an appropriate first impression for his mother.

After much consideration, he realized the best way to explain his new boyfriend to his mom.

“He’s bald.” 

Rei paused. 

She chuckled. 

She then broke out into laughter. She used one hand to hold her stomach together as she bent over even further in her crouched position. She was heaving, completely unrestrained and unable to compose herself. Rei was completely thrown off by her son’s response. Shoto had always been one to answer questions directly. She was expecting an explanation about Inasa as a hero, so why was his response so silly?

It didn’t matter, because her giggles warmed up her entire body, overwhelming her. Every moment she thought that she had been able to calm herself down, she would prove herself wrong. Just looking at her son again would only make her have another fit of giggles.

The sound was music to Shoto’s ears. 

Hearing her uncontrolled laugh, especially caused by him, filled him with pride. He was glad his mother was able to laugh again. That she felt comfortable to do so. He doesn’t think he’s ever heard his mother laugh like this before. When was the last time she was able to express herself like this so freely?

The hospital room had been so quiet beforehand, both of them hesitant to take up too much space. But now, her giggles echoed throughout the room, even escaping to reach Eraserhead’s ears.

When she had finally gotten up, finally calming down, she went back to sit on her bed and motioned for her son to sit next to her. He obliged.

“Can you tell me more about him?”

Shoto nodded.

“He doesn’t like the same foods as me. We’re very different..but I think I like that. I like meeting people different from me.”

“I do too, I can see how much you’re growing.”

Shoto’s hands were laid over his lap politely. He didn’t want to intimidate his mother in her own space. She placed her hand over his. Her fingers were thin, and didn’t completely cover her son’s hands like other people’s hands would. They were also incredibly cold, even more so when Shoto would use his quirk. 

Rei was so frail. She was alive, but she was so frail. Regardless, he enjoyed the feeling of her hands on him, and how comforting she was. 

A light knock turned their attention to the door.

“Todoroki, it’s time to go.” Eraserhead said.

The son turned to face his mom, his expression softening. He didn’t want to go, but it’s not like he had a choice. He didn’t want to let go of her comfort.

Rei nodded at her son’s teacher before turning to look at her son. She squeezed his hand one more time, and stood up. Shoto followed. 

They slowly walked to the door together. When they approached the hall, she embraced her son. His chin rested on her shoulder and Rei placed her hands in his hair, playing with it softly. Goosebumps grew on his neck and he relaxed her arms. 

“I love you, Shoto. I hope I can meet Inasa soon.”

“I do too.”

They stayed in their hug for a little longer before Rei stepped back. She looked at Eraserhead, her gaze trusting. In return, he nodded. Todoroki walked out with Eraserhead and Rei admired her son’s well-defined back. He always kept moving forward with a strength that she was in awe of. 

They escaped her field of vision and she went to sit down on her bed and relax. 

This conversation with her son was exactly what she needed. A reminder that her son, no matter where he goes in life, will be surrounded by people who love him. Who will consistently be by his side and guide him. And that her son, Shoto Todoroki, will always be incredibly kind and strong.

Her baby will be okay, and that is enough to keep her going.

Chapter Text

As Shoto walked back into the UA dorms, he was looking out at the trees that outlined the entrance sidewalk. His mind was wandering, thinking about his sister’s cooking, when he realized that he hadn’t asked Midoriya for dating advice yet. That was rather unfair of him. Midoriya deserved for his “method” to be used. Or whatever he had to offer.

It was..being subtle, right? To not scare off his romantic interest, but to be kind and engaging enough that they gain interest in him? It seemed like it required a lot of analyzing Inasa, which he’s sure Izuku was good at.

Not that his method would be useful now. Him and Inasa already got together. How could he subtly romance him if they’re already dating? Is that even possible? Is that just flirting? 

He entered his dorm building and sat on the couches in the commons. No matter how hard he had thought it, it didn’t make any sense. 

But he wanted things to be fair for this “competition” that Midoriya and Bakugo had entered. He knows how competitive they can get against each other. He’s sure that Bakugo would wager that he isn’t the winner if Midoriya didn’t have the chance to demonstrate that his logic is idiotic. His anger would remain untamed unless Shoto indulged them.

Todoroki isn’t even sure if they’re upholding that bet still anyways. They haven’t spoken about it to him since he asked Bakugo for advice. But maybe they had been talking about it only with each other. Midoriya deserved a chance to prove himself (even if it's in vain).

Lucky for him, Midoriya’s room was on the second floor. That’s convenient. He got up from the couch and went up to the second floor. Why not ask him now? He’s sure that his friend is free.

Shoto didn’t even think to text as he knocked lightly on Izuku’s door. Why would he? Midoriya has said multiple times that he can just show up to his door if he needs him. He’s sure that his friend would answer as soon as he heard the knock.

…

Izuku didn’t open the door immediately. Regardless, he waited patiently, knowing that the door would be answered.

…

The door was still not opened for him, even after two minutes. Shoto knocked on the door again, slightly louder than before, hoping to get Midoriya’s attention. Perhaps he was asleep? Maybe he should return at another time.

He was going to leave and come back later when he heard the door knob begin to turn. Midoriya opened the door slowly, almost hesitantly, before relaxing when he realized who was trying to come inside.

“Oh, Todoroki! What’s-”

“I need help.”

“Why..?”

“Inasa.”

Another voice could be heard from the other side of Midoriya’s room. “Perfect, Icyhot get inside!”

Sighing, Izuku opened the door to reveal that Bakugo had been sitting at his desk. He was facing the door and sat with one leg hiked up on the chair he was in. Katsuki had gestured for him to come inside. Shoto walked inside his room to notice the piles of papers that laid there at the desk alongside his computer. Shoto also happened to notice that there were notebooks laid out on Midoriya’s bed as well. 

“Oh, what are you two doing?”

“We were just studying!” Midoriya explained.

Shoto nodded and walked up to Midoriya’s bed. He sat down next to the open notebooks and noted that they weren’t as filled as he had expected. He had expected pages and pages of notes, a testament to his work ethic and determination to pass their exam. Instead, the pages the book was open to were mostly blank, with some scribbles and doodles spread out on it. As if it was an attempt to study, but was unsuccessful for some unknown reason.

But he didn't think to question it. He had no reason to. Shoto was sure that his friend had been studying, he always studied hard. He was also sure that he was just taking a brain break of some sort on the page.

He grabbed the notebook and wanted to flip through the pages, curious to see what they were studying. Before he could even get to another page, Izuku quickly snatched it out of his hands. He held it close to his chest, almost protective. Izuku’s eyebrows were raised and his eyes were wide, but Shoto could not figure out what emotion he was portraying. 

“So!! What did you need help with?”

“It’s your turn to help me with Inasa.”

“Oh, yeah!”

Midoriya sat down next to his friend, still holding onto the notebook tightly. He took a moment in order to think about the conversations they had had prior.

“Well, you asked him on a date right? Did anything happen?”

“No,” he lied. “I don’t think he realized it wasn’t just us hanging out.”

“I’m sure you could just, like, ask him out again? Maybe not something like dinner? Oh! There’s that, uh, amusement park that just opened! Why not there? It’s the perfect place for couples and friends!”

“Shut up,” Bakugo turned around to interject. “You’re getting all annoying again.”

Midoriya rolled his eyes and turned to give a look to Shoto. He was amused, chuckling. Shoto again could not read the expression at all, and was rather confused as to why his friend was looking at him like that. (Izuku often had these complex, unreadable faces, especially when he’s around Katsuki).

“..What do I do there?” 

“You’ve never been to an amusement park before, Icyhot?”

Shoto shook his head. “I wasn’t allowed to.”

Midoriya first looked at Todoroki and placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder. He made sure to portray the most empathetic expression he could, so that Shoto could easily recognise it. 

(Not that Shoto was looking for pity, he never did. He simply was just explaining that his father never let him do fun things. They already knew this. It’s not like he was venting or anything.)

Izuku turned to look at Bakugo. Katsuki was pouting and averting his eyes. Bakugo had also crossed his arms, almost defensive. It was clear: Katsuki had cringed internally for not thinking before talking. Not that he would apologize for it. He just ignored his blond friend and went to focus on Shoto once more.

“Well, there’s a lot of roller coasters there! They’re super fun and all the waiting you’re gonna do in line is perfect to get to know each other more! The food is so good there too!! Yoarashi seems like he would love it!”

“But how do I flirt with him there?”

Izuku took a moment to think about it. His friend did have a good point. 

Shoto was not one to engage in romantic acts. He definitely could do it if he tried, but anyone who knew him doubted that it would come off as romantic. He was too monotonous, and if he wasn’t careful, his tone would be too brash. 

But, of course, Izuku Midoriya would always have an answer, regardless of its difficulty. He’s a problem solver.

“Why don’t you just compliment him? You don’t have to be actually romantic, why not just express how you feel about him?”

“That’s lame.” Bakugo said. At some point, he had turned his back to face the desk to continue studying. He didn’t even grant his friends some decency, choosing to not even look at them when he spoke.

“I didn’t interrupt you when you gave advice to Shoto!”

“You weren’t even there, dumbass!”

“Yeah, well, if I was!”

This happens often when Shoto hangs out with Izuku and Katsuki. His calmer-in-comparison demeanor would have him pushed away from the spotlight, left to just just watch these childhood friends lightheartedly banter with one another. They have loud personalities, in very different ways. It seems like they just love to argue with each other. It happens so often. In these arguments, Shoto finds no reason to be involved in them, unless it’s to interject with some “silly” comment, or when he’s forced to be their mediator.

(He also can’t actually tell if their arguments are serious or not. They’re too passionate at times for it to not be serious, at least in Shoto’s opinion. A lot of yelling on Bakugo’s side and a lot of passive-aggressive comments coming from Midoriya. Sometimes, he’s sure it’s their own version of banter, but sometimes he isn’t sure.)

Izuku ignored Katsuki’s comments and continued to give advice to his friend.

“So, he’s very straightforward and gives compliments easily, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I don't think he’d find it very weird if you were to start complimenting him! You could express your feelings without being rejected immediately.”

“I see.”

“Yeah! It’s like testing the waters before you dive in! Plus, if he doesn’t have feelings for you now, I’m sure he’d develop feelings for you later!”

“That makes sense.”

“Yeah, confessing to him now may make it that he doesn’t talk to you at all! Waiting and taking your time will help you guys get closer!”

Katsuki turned around to look at Izuku. He had had enough of his stupidity and was determined to make him see the truth.

“Stop being stupid! My ideas are so much better than yours!”

“You’re not considering Todoroki’s personality..”

“Oh yeah? Show me how you think Half-’N-Half would act!”

Izuku stood up slowly. Katsuki was quick to push his chair out of the way to stand up, the legs screeching loudly against the floor. He wanted to intimidate Midoriya, in this ridiculous competition, but his childhood friend didn’t back down like he used to. They walked towards each other and stood chest-to-chest, staring each other down.

“Are you going to be Shoto or Yoarashi?” Midoriya asked.

“Obviously I’m Yoarashi, dumbass.”

“Okay.” 

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, preparing for his impression of his friend in the same way that he would impersonate All Might. Recalling all of his memories of Shoto, what Shoto has told him about his life, and how he thinks he would react in this specific situation.

Shoto. In an amusement park with his crush. He doesn’t want to outwardly confess to his crush, despite how dense Inasa is, but still wants to make some kind of move. Shoto is so awkward with these kinds of things. Think Izuku, think. How would Shoto start a conversation with his crush?

He got it.

Izuku opened his eyes to look up at Katsuki, finally in the Shoto Todoroki mindset. Determined to prove him wrong.

“Inasa, do you want to get food?”

“OF COURSE I DO!”

Shoto was impressed with their impressions. Midoriya’s was good, but Bakugo’s sounded almost exactly like Inasa. The cadence was similar. Bakugo clearly paid a lot of attention to Inasa when they were close, a lot more attention than Midoriya gave Shoto apparently. He was tempted to laugh at this entire situation. It was sort of like looking into a distorted mirror.

“I have noodles, do you want to share?”

“Of course!”

“Okay, let me give it to you.”

They feigned sitting down at a table, decorated with a bowl for them to share. 

Midoriya twirled the noodles with his “chop sticks” in one hand. With his other hand, he made sure the “noodles” wouldn’t fall off as his hand guided itself to Katsuki’s mouth. Midoriya found himself needing to lean closer in order to “feed” Katsuki properly. And in return, Bakugo closed his eyes and opened his mouth. 

Neither teen felt embarrassment at this moment. This was a serious performance. Izuku was determined to prove himself right to Katsuki, and Katsuki wanted to respect Izuku’s attempt so it was even more obvious that his rival was wrong.

They were so deep into their performance that they didn’t even notice Shoto had gotten up and walked to Midoriya’s door.

“This was helpful, thank you.”

Before Katsuki could even snap his eyes open, the door was already shut, leaving them realizing they were a lot closer than they thought.

His eyes opened to see Izuku’s doe-like eyes staring down at his lips. Katsuki could see the details in his friend’s eyelashes. They were dark green and long, a lot longer than a boy his age should have. They were very full as well. They reminded him of a woman’s eyelashes. Almost beautiful. Not that Izuku was beautiful. 

Midoriya’s eyes were also dilated, almost giddy to see Katsuki indulging him in this ridiculous roleplay they were doing. Was he genuinely happy about this?

No. It couldn’t be.

Why on earth would he be excited to see Katsuki like this? Is he suffering from a brain injury or something? Why would his feigned eating make Izuku so happy? It didn’t make sense.

The obvious conclusion Katsuki Bakugo came to was that Izuku Midoriya was relishing in the embarrassing actions of his childhood friend. That he was storing it in his head in order to use it against him later. That is obviously what is happening. What else could it be?

“Get the fuck out of my room.”

“Kacchan, this is my room.” 

Izuku spoke calmly, as if he was a therapist attempting to deescalate his mentally deranged patient. There was no judgement, he wasn’t trying to put Bakugo in his place or anything. He was more confused and worried.

Realizing his idiotic mistake, Katsuki immediately flushed bright, sweat dripping down from his forehead. Izuku swore he could see steam coming from his ears, but he’s sure it just came from his quirk. His entire body had tensed up from pure embarrassment before he decided to rush out of Midoriya’s room.

He couldn’t even be mad at that idiot Deku. He was absolutely right. It literally was his room. What the fuck is he doing? Was he not thinking straight when he was trying to insult Deku?

It pissed him off. How giddy Midoriya seemed and how ineffectively he had reacted. He took a moment to huff out some air he just realized he had been holding in; before stomping through the dorm hallways. He wanted to get away from that nerd as soon as possible.

Like seriously, who does he think he is? (Bakugo pushed the elevator button angrily). Why was that so amusing to him? Did he just look stupid and Midoriya was finally glad to know that his childhood friend wasn’t this perfect person who always looked cool? He was tempted to slam his head against the wall.

Why did he look so giddy?? He couldn’t stop thinking about it. What is wrong with that idiot??

He entered the elevator, still fuming, still ruminating on his anger.