Work Text:
The training camp had finally settled into silence.
Most of the students had already disappeared into their cabins.
The laughter from earlier had faded.
Only the occasional crackle of the dying campfire remained.
Izuku lingered by the flames.
He'd always liked campfires.
There was something calming about watching the fire slowly settle into glowing embers.
"...Couldn't sleep?"
Izuku looked over.
Todoroki approached with two steaming mugs in his hands.
"...Not really."
Todoroki held one out.
"Hot chocolate."
Izuku accepted it with a smile.
"...Thanks."
"I made too much."
"I somehow don't believe that."
"...You're right."
A tiny smile tugged at the corner of
Todoroki's mouth.
"I made two."
They sat opposite one another.
The fire crackled gently between them.
For several minutes...
Neither of them spoke.
Neither felt the need to.
The silence wasn't awkward.
It was...
Comfortable.
Eventually...
Izuku looked into the flames.
"...It's strange."
Todoroki glanced over.
"What is?"
"I think you're one of the only people I can sit with..."
"...Without feeling like I have to fill the
silence."
Todoroki considered that.
"...I know."
Izuku blinked.
"You do?"
"You've never apologized for being quiet around me."
He looked into his mug.
"I appreciate that."
The fire popped loudly.
A shower of sparks drifted upward into the night.
Izuku watched them disappear.
"...Do you ever think about how much has changed?"
Todoroki smiled faintly.
"Every day."
"You challenged me at the Sports
Festival."
"You made me use my left side."
"You became my friend."
He looked at Izuku.
"...That's a lot for one afternoon."
Izuku laughed.
"...When you put it like that..."
A cool breeze drifted through the clearing.
Without a word...
Todoroki rested his left hand near the fire.
A gentle warmth spread outward.
Not enough to make the flames bigger.
Just enough to chase away the evening chill.
Izuku smiled.
"...You still do that."
"Hm?"
"You always use your Quirk like it's the most natural thing in the world."
"It is."
"I suppose it is."
Todoroki looked thoughtfully at the fire.
"...Can I ask you something?"
"Always."
"...Why do you always notice when people are struggling?"
Izuku frowned slightly.
"I don't know."
"I just..."
"...Can't really ignore it."
Todoroki nodded.
"I've noticed."
A small silence followed.
Then he added quietly,
"...I'm glad you didn't ignore me."
Izuku looked up.
The firelight reflected in Todoroki's mismatched eyes.
For all the dramatic battles they'd fought together...
For all the impossible odds they'd overcome...
Somehow...
Those seven simple words carried more weight than any victory.
The campfire burned a little lower.
Neither of them moved.
For once...
The warmth didn't just come from the flames.
The fire had burned lower.
The bright flames had given way to glowing orange embers.
Above them...
The sky stretched endlessly overhead.
Hundreds of stars.
Clear enough to see the Milky Way.
Izuku looked up.
"...I always forget how many stars there are away from the city."
Todoroki followed his gaze.
"...They're easier to notice when everything else is quiet."
Izuku smiled.
"...That sounds like something you'd read in a book."
Todoroki looked mildly confused.
"...Does it?"
"A little."
"...I was just thinking out loud."
"I know."
For a while...
They simply watched the night sky.
The silence settled comfortably between them once again.
Eventually...
Izuku laughed quietly.
"...Do you know what's funny?"
Todoroki looked over.
"What?"
"If anyone else walked past right now..."
"They'd probably think this was awkward."
"...Would they?"
"Mhm."
"They'd probably expect one of us to say something."
Todoroki thought about it.
"...I don't think they understand."
"Understand what?"
"...That silence can still be a conversation."
Izuku looked at him for a long moment.
Then smiled.
"...Yeah."
"I think you're right."
A log shifted in the fire.
Sparks floated lazily into the night.
Todoroki picked up a small stick from beside the fire pit.
He gently nudged one of the burning logs back into place.
"...My mother likes campfires."
Izuku looked over.
"...Really?"
"Mhm."
"When I was little..."
He smiled faintly.
"She used to say they reminded her that warmth doesn't have to burn."
Izuku listened quietly.
"I didn't understand what she meant."
"...Do you now?"
Todoroki watched the glowing embers.
"...I think so."
Izuku wrapped both hands around his mug.
"...Can I tell you something?"
"Always."
"There was a time..."
"I worried you didn't like me very much."
Todoroki blinked.
"...Really?"
"You didn't say much."
"You always looked serious."
"I couldn't tell what you were thinking."
A tiny smile appeared on Todoroki's face.
"...I liked you."
"I just..."
He searched for the right words.
"...Wasn't very good at showing it."
Izuku laughed.
"...I've figured that out since."
Todoroki looked thoughtfully into the fire.
"...Can I tell you something too?"
"Of course."
"I used to think friendship meant..."
He paused.
"...Always knowing the right thing to say."
Izuku waited.
"But..."
He looked across the fire.
"You've never expected that from me."
"You've always..."
He smiled softly.
"...Just stayed."
Those words settled gently between
them.
Simple.
Honest.
Izuku's expression softened.
"...I never really thought of it that way."
"I know."
"But..."
Todoroki looked at him with quiet sincerity.
"I did."
A cool breeze swept through the campsite.
Without thinking...
Izuku pulled his jacket a little tighter.
A moment later...
The warmth from the fire increased ever
so slightly.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
Izuku looked over.
"...Thanks."
Todoroki shrugged.
"You looked cold."
"You always notice that."
"You notice when people are hurting."
He smiled faintly.
"...I notice when they're cold."
Izuku laughed.
"...I guess that fits."
Somewhere in the distance...
An owl called into the night.
The camp had fallen completely silent now.
Most of the embers were beginning to fade.
Izuku looked at the fire one last time.
"...We should probably head back."
Todoroki nodded.
"...Probably."
Neither of them stood.
Not yet.
Because somehow...
Sitting beside a dying campfire with someone who understood the value of quiet...
Felt like exactly where they were supposed to be.
Eventually...
They did stand.
Slowly.
Almost reluctantly.
Izuku picked up the empty mugs.
Todoroki carefully spread the remaining embers with a stick, making sure the fire would burn out safely.
Even that...
He did quietly.
Deliberately.
They had only taken a few steps toward the cabins when...
"...Midoriya?"
Izuku looked over.
"Hm?"
"...Stay a little longer."
He blinked.
"...The campfire?"
Todoroki nodded.
"...No."
A small pause.
"...Just..."
He searched for the words.
"...Don't go inside yet."
So...
They didn't.
Instead...
They wandered slowly along the forest path surrounding the cabins.
The moonlight filtered through the trees.
The gravel crunched softly beneath their shoes.
The world felt wonderfully still.
After a few minutes...
Izuku smiled.
"...You know..."
"I don't think anyone's ever asked me to stay before."
Todoroki looked over.
"...Really?"
"Mhm."
"Usually it's..."
"'Don't keep everyone waiting.'"
"'Go get some sleep.'"
"'See you tomorrow.'"
He laughed quietly.
"But..."
"...Not stay."
Todoroki thought about that.
Then quietly said,
"...I like spending time with you."
Izuku looked at him.
"...You know..."
"...You're getting much better at saying things like that."
A faint blush crept onto Todoroki's face.
"...I've been practicing."
Izuku couldn't help smiling.
"...It's working."
They reached a small wooden bridge crossing a narrow stream.
Without discussing it...
They leaned against the railing.
Listening to the gentle sound of running water.
"...Can I ask something?"
Izuku nodded.
"Always."
"...Why did you chase after me during the Sports Festival?"
Izuku looked down at the stream.
"I've wondered that myself sometimes."
"You had your own match."
"You had your own dreams."
"So..."
"...Why me?"
Izuku smiled softly.
"...Because..."
"I saw someone who looked like they were carrying something alone."
He looked back at Todoroki.
"And..."
"...I know what that feels like."
The stream continued flowing beneath them.
Todoroki stared at the water.
"...I don't think I've ever thanked you properly."
"You don't have to."
"I know."
"But I want to."
He took a slow breath.
"If you hadn't..."
"I might still believe my left side wasn't mine."
He looked at his left hand.
Opened it.
Closed it again.
"...You gave me my future back."
Izuku felt his chest tighten.
"...Shoto..."
It was the first time he'd used his first name all evening.
Todoroki noticed immediately.
He smiled.
"...You don't say that very often."
Izuku laughed.
"...No."
"I don't."
"...I like it."
They stood there for another minute.
The conversation had become quieter.
Softer.
Almost whispered.
Finally...
Todoroki spoke again.
"...There's something else I've been practicing."
Izuku tilted his head.
"...What's that?"
"...Being honest before it's too late."
He looked directly at Izuku.
His mismatched eyes reflected the moonlight.
"...I don't think I stayed by the campfire because I couldn't sleep."
Izuku's heartbeat quickened.
"...No?"
Todoroki gently shook his head.
"...I stayed..."
A small smile appeared.
"...because I hoped you would."
Silence settled over the bridge.
Not uncertain.
Not uncomfortable.
Just… Full.
The stream flowed quietly beneath them.
The camp slept peacefully behind them.
And somewhere between a dying fire...
A moonlit walk...
And a single honest sentence...
Both of them realized they had stopped talking about the past.
Without either of them noticing...
They had started talking about a future they hoped would include the other.
Neither of them moved.
The stream continued its gentle journey beneath the bridge.
The night air carried the scent of pine and cooling earth.
Todoroki's words lingered between them.
"I stayed... because I hoped you would."
Izuku smiled.
Small.
Warm.
"...I'm glad you did."
They resumed walking.
Not because the moment had ended.
Because somehow...
Walking side by side made it easier to carry it.
The cabins remained dark.
Most of U.A. was fast asleep.
Only a few porch lights glowed softly in the distance.
"...Can I admit something?"
Todoroki glanced at him.
"Always."
Izuku laughed quietly.
"I couldn't sleep tonight either."
"I know."
"...You do?"
"You kept turning the light in your room on and off."
Izuku covered his face with one hand.
"...You noticed that?"
"Mhm."
"I thought you were studying."
"I was trying to."
"...Didn't go well?"
He smiled sheepishly.
"...Not really."
Todoroki looked ahead.
"I almost came to knock on your door."
Izuku blinked.
"...Really?"
"I wasn't sure if I'd be bothering you."
"You wouldn't have."
"I know that now."
The path opened into a grassy clearing overlooking the mountains.
Far beyond the trees...
The faintest hint of pale blue had begun to appear on the horizon.
Izuku stopped.
"...Is that..."
Todoroki looked east.
"...Sunrise."
Neither of them had realized how long they'd been talking.
They sat down on the cool grass.
The world remained wonderfully quiet.
Birdsong slowly began replacing the silence.
The sky shifted...
From navy...
To violet...
To brilliant shades of orange.
Izuku watched the first rays of sunlight climb over the mountains.
"...Worth staying awake for."
Todoroki nodded.
"...Definitely."
For a long while...
They simply watched the sunrise.
Then Izuku smiled to himself.
"...You know..."
"What?"
"I spent so long thinking I was the one who changed your life."
Todoroki looked over.
"You did."
"I know."
"But..."
Izuku laughed softly.
"I don't think I ever noticed..."
"...how much you changed mine."
Todoroki's expression softened.
"...How?"
"You've taught me..."
He looked toward the brightening sky.
"...that I don't always have to solve every silence."
"I don't always have to fill every quiet moment."
"Sometimes..."
He smiled at Todoroki.
"...It's enough just to share it with
someone."
Todoroki looked down at his hands.
Then quietly reached across the small space between them.
Not dramatically.
Not uncertainly.
Simply...
Honestly.
He offered his hand.
Izuku looked at it for a moment.
Then slipped his own into it.
Their fingers intertwined naturally.
As though they'd always belonged that way.
The sun finally cleared the horizon.
Warm light washed across the clearing.
Across the mountains.
Across the two boys sitting shoulder to
shoulder.
Todoroki smiled faintly.
"...Can I be honest one more time?"
Izuku chuckled.
"I think you've earned it."
"I don't really know how people usually do this."
"Neither do I."
"...Good."
A tiny laugh escaped him.
"Then I don't have to worry about getting it wrong."
He turned to Izuku.
"I don't want to wait until another campfire."
"I don't want to wait until another
training camp."
"I don't want to keep hoping you'll stay."
His voice remained calm.
Steady.
But every word carried quiet certainty.
"...I'd like you to stay."
"With me."
"Not just tonight."
Izuku felt tears prick at the corners of
his eyes.
Not from sadness.
From relief.
He squeezed Todoroki's hand gently.
"...I was hoping you'd ask."
For the first time that night...
Neither of them looked toward the fading campfire.
The warmth they were searching for...
Had been sitting beside them all along.
Six months later...
Another training camp.
Another evening.
Another campfire.
The flames danced brightly as Class 1-A laughed, roasted marshmallows, and traded stories long into the night.
Eventually...
One by one...
Everyone drifted back toward the cabins.
Kirishima stretched.
"...I'm exhausted."
Mina yawned.
"I don't think I've ever eaten this many marshmallows."
Denki laughed.
"You say that every year."
As the group started walking away...
Kirishima glanced back toward the fire.
Izuku and Todoroki were still sitting there.
Exactly where they'd been all evening.
He smiled to himself.
"...They'll be a while."
Iida adjusted his glasses.
"It has become something of a tradition."
Tsuyu nodded.
"Kero."
"They like the quiet."
Even Bakugo looked over his shoulder.
"Tch."
"They're weird."
No one disagreed.
Soon… The campsite fell silent once more.
Only the crackling fire remained.
The flames were lower now. Gentler.
The same warm glow that had welcomed them months before.
Izuku sat with his hands wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate.
Todoroki rested beside him.
Close enough that their shoulders occasionally brushed whenever one of them shifted.
Neither commented on it.
It had long since become normal.
"...Couldn't sleep?"
Izuku asked with a smile.
Todoroki looked into the fire.
"...Actually..."
"I slept for a while."
"...Then why are you here?"
A tiny smile appeared.
"...Because I knew you would be."
Izuku laughed quietly.
"...That's probably fair."
Silence settled between them.
Not empty.
Not awkward.
Just… Peaceful.
The kind of silence that only existed between people who no longer felt the need to prove they belonged together.
After several minutes...
Izuku spoke again.
"...Do you remember the first night?"
Todoroki nodded.
"...Every part of it."
"You said..."
Izuku smiled softly.
"...that you stayed because you hoped I would."
"...I did."
"I've been thinking about that."
Todoroki turned slightly toward him.
"...Have you?"
"Mhm."
"I realized..."
Izuku looked into the glowing embers.
"...I never actually told you why I stayed."
Todoroki waited.
Patiently.
The way he always did.
Izuku smiled.
"...I stayed..."
"...Because I hoped you would too."
For a moment...
Neither of them spoke.
The fire crackled gently.
Somewhere in the trees...
A night bird called softly into the darkness.
Todoroki reached across without a word.
He found Izuku's hand.
Their fingers intertwined as naturally as they always seemed to.
No hesitation.
No uncertainty.
Just quiet familiarity.
Izuku rested his head lightly against
Todoroki's shoulder.
"...You know..."
"What?"
"I think this might be my favourite place."
Todoroki looked up at the stars.
Then toward the dying fire.
Then back at the person leaning comfortably beside him.
He smiled.
"...Mine too."
The fire slowly settled into glowing embers.
The stars wheeled quietly overhead.
Before long...Morning would come.
The camp would wake.
Training would begin again.
The laughter and noise would return.
But for now… The world felt wonderfully still.
Some fires burned brightly for only a moment.
Others… Never really went out at all.
The warmth they had found beside that first campfire had never belonged to the flames.
It had always belonged to the person sitting beside them.
And somehow...
That quiet warmth only seemed to grow stronger with time.