There is a silence around Shouto that refuses to break. It bears down on him, and anyone who approaches him, like a physical weight on his back. Shouto blocks out the silence as best he can, forcing himself to pay attention to the lecture. He is only half successful, the burden of overthinking dividing his concentration.
Shouto sighs as soon as the class ends and packs up his belongings slowly, prolonging the trip back home as long as possible. In his cold, empty house there is only his father, waiting for him with harsh words and harsher training. Normally Shouto is indifferent but ever since the Sports Festival ended(and the Stain incident passed), his father has been twice as hard on him. It's beginning to wear him down, until he is a shell going through the motions of living, thoughts constantly circling in an endless cycle of training, academics, and heroics. There is little else in his head.
Shouto feels a headache forming behind his brow and irritably blows cold air out. His fingertips form crystals and he presses them to his forehead to soothe the ache. With a bit of extra energy, he begins to massage his skin.
This is how he is approached by Izuku in the empty classroom; the beginnings of a raging headache forming and his body an exhausted flesh prison that's begging for rest.
Izuku trembles softly, his face and hands covered in sweat and his cheeks a bright, nervous red. Shouto wants to feel even more irritated but he refrains from snapping at the poor boy. It's not Izuku's fault that Shouto is a mess, and he doesn't deserve such harsh treatment. Izuku accidentally makes eye contact with Shouto and for a fraction of a second, everything is OK.
"Um…..T-Todoroki-kun? Are you-I mean, um, is, uh, e-everything alright? With, um, you? You don't-don't really seem like yourself lately and um, I was worried-worried about you," Izuku stutters out, his eyes darting to and fro. His teeth gently gnaw on his bottom lip, running over them several times before stopping abruptly. Shouto's heart stumbles at the question, a strange, loving feeling washing over him. He offers Izuku a tight, weak smile that falls onto the floor.
"I'm…...not exactly fine," he admits, strangely. Something about Izuku and his concern must be getting to him. "Mm my father has just been more…..intense lately." Izuku fidgets at the confession.
"Would you like to stay at my house for the weekend?!" he blurts out, voice high and strained. His eyes are shut and his fists are clenched tightly by his sides. He's the very picture of nervousness, waiting for Shouto to reject his spur of the moment offer.
(Shouto's initial reaction is to reject it. But then he stops and thinks. Even one day away from his life sounds like paradise. A whole weekend sounds too good to be true.)
(He can see that Izuku is serious, too. He's never pegged Izuku as one to play pranks on others, either.)
"Alright. Sounds good. I'll meet you after school Friday," he replies coolly. Izuku peeks at him, astonishment shining in his eye. His mouth starts grinning before he's even aware of it and Shouto feels something stab his chest at the sight of it. His heart squeezes but it's not painful.
"Ah! Yes! Of course! I'll text you later about it Todoroki-kun!" Izuku says, his hands tugging his cheeks down excitedly. He's positively glowing and Shouto nearly looks away at his brilliance. His own smile feels much more natural as he looks at Izuku murmuring to himself, possibly making plans for the two of them.
(He doesn't notice his headache has vanished, not until hours later when he's lying in bed.)
Throughout the rest of the week, all Shouto can think about is Izuku. Every time he catches a flash of green his mind supplies the boy's tangled mess of hair or his deep, passionate eyes. Shouto already tends to think about Izuku with little passing thoughts but this time is different somehow. It's almost as distracting as his thoughts about the upcoming sleepover.
On Friday, he races home to change and grab his overnight bag stuffed with clothes and other necessities. He passes a servant on his way out, briefly informing them that he won't be home until Monday. They wave goodbye to him and surprisingly, he waves back.
Izuku's home is small but Shouto doesn't feel cramped or claustrophobic. The apartment gives off a homey feeling that warms him from the inside out. Izuku's mother, too, welcomes him with a warm, motherly hug that chases away the last bit of chill in his body.
"Is there-is there anything you want to do now Todoroki-kun?" Izuku asks as they settle into his bedroom. Izuku's room is one of the bigger rooms in the apartment. There's enough space for Shouto to sleep on the floor, but just barely.
"Mmmm not particularly, no. I usually train or read at home," he replies, fingers awkwardly slipping in and out of his bag. He brought a book with him to read but he's never been to a sleepover before. Is it rude to ignore your host in such a fashion?
"Oh. Oh! I've been playing this game on and off for the past few days and it's not really a two player game but if you wanted to we could play it! I don't know though, it might get boring for you to just watch me play," he says all at once. Shouto blinks and processes the statement.
"No, that sounds good. I've never really played games to be honest with you," he says, gingerly sitting down next to Izuku on his bed. Izuku slides closer as he turns on his blue 3DS, his fingers curling and uncurling around the system.
"You haven't? It's a lot of fun and in some ways it can be considered training! Playing video games improves your hand-eye co-ordination and there's probably something about strengthening your fingers too. Although playing for hours can result in muscle cramps and poor posture. I guess it's a bit of a trade off really," Izuku rambles as the game starts. Shouto leans toward him to get a better look, intrigued by the events happening on screen.
"What game are you playing?" Izuku perks up excitedly at the question, practically bouncing in his seat. Shouto purses his lips, his hands gripping the blanket underneath him tightly. He fights his own body in an effort to hide how adorable he thinks Izuku looks.
"It's called Virtue's Last Reward! It's a sequel to the game 999. It's about a group of people who wake up in this facility and they have to play this deadly game. You have to play through it a lot because most of the time the characters end up dead. In which case, you have to visit another timeline in an effort to save them all. The main character can remember things from other timelines and you need to go through everyone's ending to get the true ending. Urakara-san recommended the series to me," he explains, stylus tapping away at the screen. Shouto blinks, watching raptly as Izuku plays.
"This is certainly interesting. How far are you?" Izuku puffs his cheeks and blows the air out, and Shouto feels like melting a little.
"Um I've apparently being playing for fifteen hours but I only have a few endings done. I'm working on Alice's ending right now. She's um….the-the woman who is um only-only wearing a necklace?" he squeaks awkwardly, face burning red. Shouto glances at the screen, unimpressed with the game designers' choice. He tuts at it, earning a muffled laugh from Izuku.
"It's a really poor design choice. Why wouldn't you give someone a shirt?" Shouto leans in, apparently invested, "Who is that person? Why are they in a suit of armor?" Izuku bites the end of his stylus in his distraction, his body automatically leaning towards Shouto.
"That's K! He has amnesia and doesn't know what he looks like. I'm not sure why he's wearing a suit of armor. Urakara-san said it'd be a spoiler to look it up so I've stayed away from the wiki." Shouto hums then takes out his phone.
"I'm not restrained by the same aversion that you are. I'm going to sate my curiosity." Izuku shrugs at his declaration. His attention is brought back to the game as one of the puzzles flash across the screen. Shouto glances at him out of the corner of his eye, noting how close the two are physically. They're practically sitting on top of each other and neither of them seemed to notice. There's an urge to scratch his thigh but Shouto pushes it down. There's no real need to alert Izuku to their current positions.
(Izuku bites down harder on his stylus as Shouto shifts. There's a pleasant tingle where their bare skin touches and his heart beat is far too loud in his ears. He isn't really sure if this is heaven or hell and he doesn't really care.)
That night Shouto dreams of warm grass and warm skin brushing up against his own. Nothing and no one is controlling him and he's free to watch the clouds, entangled around the boy he thinks he might be falling for.
The next morning they wake up too late for school, but too early for sleeping in. Izuku's mother shakes her head at the two and ushers them into the kitchen for breakfast. Shouto is almost completely relaxed, talking casually with Inko in a matter of minutes. Izuku sits close, not quite awake but not really asleep either. Shouto, unexpectedly bold, offers his shoulder to Izuku. His hand gently guides the teen's unruly nest to his shoulder blade, fingers stroking his scalp soothingly. Izuku's face is too hot against Shouto's right side but he doesn't say anything.
(There's fluttering in his chest, his stomach, his head and he's not sure how to breathe properly. Does Izuku feel like this, too? A tiny part of Shouto hopes even though the rest of him drowns in doubt.)
After breakfast, Inko leaves with a wink and a kiss on the head for both boys. Shouto accepts it passively but inside he is warm. Izuku shuffles nervously after she leaves, gnawing his bottom lip.
"What's wrong Midoriya?" Shouto asks, worry coloring his tone. Izuku stops his pacing and glances at the other boy.
"Ok, um, well, my uh, my mom's birthday is tomorrow and I want to uh, bake a cake for her. I just don't know….how? I mean it probably won't be too hard if I follow a recipe but I wasn't sure if you um wanted to help?" Izuku says, fidgeting in place. He wipes his palms on his shorts in an effort to get rid of the sweat gathering.
"Oh. Yeah, I can help. It's not a big deal. You want to do something special for your mom, right?" Izuku nods, the relief plain on his face.
"Thank you so much Todoroki-kun," he croons happily, color making its way into his cheeks. Shouto averts his gaze at the sight in fear of his heart exploding. Izuku doesn't seem to notice. "We just need to go to the store and get a few ingredients. Would you mind coming along?"
"No I'd be happy to."
Shouto stares in awe of the keychain rack at the convenience store, his eyes raking over the different heroes for sale. There are pro heroes of all types, especially the most popular ones. There's Kamui Woods, Mount Lady, Midnight. Present Mic, a group of heroes known as the Pussycats, Best Jeanist, and other teachers he's seen at Yuuei. Even obscure heroes that Shouto has never heard of are hanging on the rack, like Wonderful Queen, Blasting Empress(who looks so familiar to him despite never hearing the woman's name), Gran Torino, and Star Bat.
And then there is his father, Endeavor, with three entire hooks dedicated to him. Shouto recoils at the sight, moving away from the small figurines. His lips curls in disgusting and he shakes his head a few times to dispel the awful swirling in his gut. His fingers lightly push the rack so that the keychains are facing away from him.
All Might's keychains take up nearly half of the rack, far more impressive than Endeavor's three hooks. Shouto gingerly picks one up, marveling at the amount of detail in the small figure. The urge to buy it takes over and his fists close around it, mind made up.
A thought strikes him then, and very reluctantly, he puts it back. He wants the keychain so much but knows that he can't. His father might find it and take it, burn it to the ground like he's burned everything else.
(Izuku quietly slips the keychain into his shopping basket as soon as Shouto wanders away, his heart aching for his friend.)
Baking a simple cake is not as hard as it first appears. The recipe is easy to follow with clear instructions, so it isn't that which makes the task daunting. The ingredients are also simple; eggs, flour, three different types of sugar, and many more things that Izuku has never used in a recipe before.
(It's the actual mixing of ingredients that inevitably gets to them.)
Shouto recoils in surprise as a handful of flour is thrown into his face, the mixer screeching at him for his misuse. Frantically, he yanks the plug from its socket to turn it off, his body temperature rising in his embarrassment. Izuku stares at the mess in the kitchen with unseeing eyes, disbelief painted on his face.
(Shouto wants to hide for a thousand years, and maybe then his crime will be forgotten.)
It starts out muffled and choked, then Izuku is laughing so loud and hard that his stomach and lungs are protesting and he can't stop crying. Shouto glances at him, feeling as if he's on the surface of the Sun.
"Oh my-my-my g-g-god! I can't-can't-can't stop! To-todoro-oki-kun that was-was so f-f-funny!"
Shouto doesn't really think about it when he grabs a fistful of flour and flings it onto Izuku. Izuku's mouth opens wide in shock and mock-offense and Shouto thinks the look is adorable.
The meek boy launches into action almost immediately with mischievous eyes and a bag full of powdered sugar. Shouto jerks backward, fingers searching for the flour bag. He grasps it tightly and reaches in, whipping out lumps of flour at Izuku. The other teen takes the hit with a loose giggle, his own fists clenched awkwardly around the sugar. Shouto finally cracks a grin as more white powder covers his head. He abandons the sack of flour and dives for Izuku, gently pinning him to the ground.
"Cheater! You're supposed to use flour!" Izuku accuses, wiggling in place. Shouto snorts, his fingers lightly running over Izuku's stomach.
"Who said this was a fair fight?" Shouto replies deviously as Izuku begins to sputter and gasp, trying to hold back more giggles.
"A-Ah! Cheating cheater! Oh my god I'm dying!" he says through his laughter, hands trying and failing to pull Shouto away.
Shouto stares at the beautiful, blushing boy beneath him and his heart is about to burst. His movements slow and Izuku takes the chance to gulp in air. His eyes catch sight of Shouto's face and all that air rushes out of him in a breathy sigh. His eyes feel heavy and they slide downward, a relaxed, dopey grin carving its way onto his face.
(Izuku's head and heart is full of so much affection, so much love for this awkward, broken boy in front of him that it almost hurts him.)
As if in slow motion, Shouto lowers his head towards him and Izuku's chest is about to explode. The rush of adrenaline in his blood perks him up, his mouth and lips suddenly dry. His tongue peeks out to lick them, drawing Shouto's eyes towards them. Anticipation makes him feel charged, like he's just put a fork into an electrical socket.
The kiss is shy and chaste and awkward all in one. Neither boy really knows what to do and awkwardly stiffen and react to the other. Izuku sighs into Shouto regardless, his hands reaching up to tangle in his mismatched locks. His fingers simply massage the other's scalp to relax him further. The whole experience is slow and sweet and Izuku thinks he might explode.
The ding of the oven signaling that it's preheated jerk the two back into awareness. Shouto pulls back with a wide blush across his cheeks, his face much too hot. Izuku stares up at him like he's everything and offers him a shy smile, his entire face completely red and covered in nervous sweat.
"Um maybe we should clean up and uh, figure out the dark secrets to baking? I don't know though, this looks like something I might need to sell my soul to a demon for," Izuku babbles, his fingers clenching and unclenching in Shouto's hair. Shouto snorts and gently detangles himself, pulling Izuku to a stand. His hands linger over the warped, rough skin and Izuku can't stop his erratic heartbeat.
"Do you even know how to contact a demon? It's kind of a waste honestly, your soul is worth much more than baking," he says, guiding Izuku around the kitchen. Izuku scrunches his nose like a rabbit but doesn't comment, his mind hyper-focused on Shouto's hand clasped in his.
(Shouto wonders absently if his attempt at humor was too dry and honest. He likes to think that he's funny but he's been isolated from social interactions for some time.)
(It's a good thing Izuku is just as socially unaware as he is.)
When Izuku dreams that night, he dreams of feather light kisses from clouds. He dreams of too warm to be comfortable skin and ice cold fingers brushing against his side, sending pulses of love to his stomach.
(He doesn't realize that he's fallen off his bed and into Shouto's arms. He's happy and safe and warm there, floating in his sleep.)
(Shouto dreams of tanned stomachs and hot beaches, of green as grass water and electricity running through his veins.)
Sunday morning brings cheers of congratulations to Inko and warm feelings in the air. Izuku surprises her with the perfect cake and small gifts. Shouto puts on a performance demonstrating his mastery of his ice powers, creating a beautiful ice sculpture of the birthday woman.
Inko sobs and hugs her boys with all of the affection she can muster, squeezing them into one of the warmest hugs they've ever experienced. Shouto's heart thumps painfully as memories flood his brain. Izuku glances at him with worry in his eyes, likely understanding what's wrong before Shouto can voice it.
"Ah hey mom? Is it alright for Todoroki-kun to leave now?" Izuku says, voice muffled by his mother's hair. She pulls back and blinks at them.
"Of course! Is everything alright Shouto-kun?" Inko abruptly lets go of Izuku to inspect Shouto, her fingers gentle as they avoid his scar. Shouto shakes his head and musters a smile for the woman.
"No everything is fine. I….usually visit my mother in the hospital on Sundays," he confesses shyly. Inko's mouth opens in understanding.
"Oh dear of course of course!" Inko clicks her tongue then, an idea popping into her mind. "Would it be alright for Izuku and I to tag along? I'm sure it gets lonely in the hospital." Shouto bites his lip and nods slowly. She has a point; it does get lonely for his mother, who only gets visits from Shouto once a week. Izuku mouths an apology but he shakes his head at it and smiles.
The train ride is filled with nervous energy and fidgeting. Despite pitching the idea, Izuku's mother is hesitant and nervous, wondering how good of an idea it really is. While she murmurs to herself, Izuku turns to Shouto.
"I um completely forgot about this but um I got you something too. I noticed you were uh looking at it," he mumbles, dropping the familiar keychain in Shouto's surprised hand. Shouto turns it over in his fingers, too stunned to do much else. Affection wells up in his chest and he wants to kiss Izuku again.
"Thank you," he says instead, refraining from acting on his impulses. Izuku flushes and murmurs a response that Shouto fails to hear. The train ride passes by in a daze as his hands play with the keychain.
His head is still soaring in the sky when he introduces Izuku and Inko to his mother. The two older women hit it off at once, immediately bonding over the perils of raising their sons in modern, hero-centric society. Shouto simply basks in the bliss of the day, slow and sleepy in its passing.
Izuku abruptly stands after some time has passed, mumbling something about a bathroom. He escapes the room, leaving Shouto with the two older women. The moment the door closes his mother's eyes are on his face, a certain amount of mischievousness in them that has his heart stopping in its cage.
"My dear little Shouto," she starts, voice soft as a feather, "do you….like that boy?" Inko covers her mouth as giggles erupt, and Shouto is once again reminded of how alike the two Midoriya's are. His own mother is smiling in a knowing way as his face heats up in a soft blush.
"I….do," he admits slowly, cautiously. He looks between the two of them almost miserably.
"What is it about Izuku that you like Shouto-kun?" Izuku's mother asks kindly. Shouto takes a deep breath as he thinks. After a moment, he answers.
"Midoriya is….very brave. He's also very stupid and butts into other people's business whether they want him to or not. He's intelligent despite his stupidity and can hold his own in a fight. He's kind and tries to help everyone he comes in contact with to the best of his abilities. He's cute, too. I want to kiss him every time he blushes and trace the freckles on his face. I think I might be in love with him, actually," he admits, face flushing even hotter. Inko's eyes widen as she clutches her chest, a wobbling smile on her lips. Shouto's mother softens, somehow, on the bed and she reaches forward to stroke his hair.
The strangled choking behind him fills Shouto with more ice in his veins than ever. Slowly he turns wide eyes onto the object of his affections, standing frozen in the doorway. Shouto's chest beats with despair and he wants to run and hide and never return.
"Um can we-we talk out-outside?!" Izuku screeches, his face so red that Shouto can't see his freckles. Stiffly, he stands and drags his feet to the door, his throat lodged in his stomach. The door shuts with an ominous bang behind them and the hallway is eerily empty.
"I would like to apolo-" Before Izuku can break his heart, Shouto is cut off by a pair of warm lips and a warmer face pressed against his. He shudders and leans in, back angled uncomfortably.
"I um! Think I love you too!" Izuku says after they part, breathing stunted. Shouto leans into him because it's the only thing he can do.
(Shouto doesn't know how to process this and Izuku doesn't either but that's ok. They're together in this relationship now.)
(When he returns home, keychain swinging from his bag and a smile on his face, the servants whisper and gossip but he doesn't care.)
(And when he sleeps that night his dreams are filled with the tanned boy that has his heart. They're filled with freckles and bare stomachs and sweet kisses that leave his heart floating.)
(Inko and his mother begin the wedding plans, excited about their sons' futures.)
i actually sort of like this lol. take the gay that i give