Todoroki felt the crisp air caress his pale hair, tousling it lightly against his neck. The light blue sky was full of wispy clouds, especially some that scarily resembled Deku's hair. The sun, bright and warm, embraces him, a comforting heat. This was a safe haven of his, and oasis to his uncomfortable existence.
It was a place where Endeavour's harsh criticism simply couldn't reach his ears. And the stress of being a hero dissipated before his eyes. Every time he felt such an intense ecstasy, a feeling he never knew could come without being inebriated.
And this place was a particular shopping cart, located at the Walmart parking lot. After years of spinning and dodging irascible drivers, he had almost imprinted onto one of the were hand prints ingrained into the metal from his fiery hot palms, and indents where he usually rested his arms.
Todoroki tried go later in the night. The stigma around such an act - he saw the dirty looks from the elderly women - often made him suppress his need to go during the day. However, on days like these, that feeling could not be easily suppressed.
It started when he was just a young boy. He snuck out late one night, filled to the brim with emotion. After hours of wandering around the streets, he found himself at the fringe of a parking lot. Todoroki was almost drawn to the small section with shopping carts.
Without thinking, he hopped inside. He took a second to admire the illuminating stars, and another second to admire the large moon. It seemed to almost loom over him, both intimidating and beautiful.
With a flash of his Quirk, a thin sheet of slippery ice appeared on the ground. The cart zoomed down, and for the first time in a while, Todoroki felt a giddy sense of joy. It was a feeling compared to the excitement of riding a roller coaster, minus the fear.
He felt waves of adrenaline crash into him after each turn and each spin. It was addicting, better than any ecstasy he could find.
It became a routine of sorts. Late Saturday night, he would go out to the nearest Walmart and spend hours circling around. Once dawn broke, he would hesitantly run back to his house. Todoroki felt tempted some Mondays, some Tuesdays, and definitely some Thursdays to go back to the parking lot to feel the same euphoria deeply ingrained in his head.
When he got into U.A, he gained confidence along with enhanced skills in combat. If he wasn't at school, Todoroki was cooped up in the dorms, fantasizing about being in a cart. In the latter half of his first year, after long months without going to the parking lot, he went. It was hard denying such a strong desire - he rarely talked to anyone due to it.
His 'habit' prevailed. Todoroki went any night we felt the need. It was awkward at first, Uraraka and Iida constantly asked where he went to 'disappear' at night, and if he was safe. Todoroki knew that they would despise him if they knew. So he only shrugged the worries off.
After weeks of persistence, they gave up, trusting Todoroki not to get himself into trouble.
"Um… Todoroki? What are you doing here?" Todoroki was thrust violently out of his thoughts by a familiar voice. Midoriya. He threw himself out of the cart as fast as humanly possible. Todoroki's foot grazed the ice, causing him to slip and fall onto his face. This cement is getting harder and harder everyday. Like Kirishima.
"N-nothing!" Todoroki squeaked out, feeling his cheeks turn red. Izuki stunned still for a moment, lend Todoroki an arm and pulled him up.
"Are you okay?" Midoriya asked. His green eyes flickering to the small scrape on his nose. '
"Y-yeah. Don't worry about it!" Todoroki wanted to bury his head into his arms. Getting judged by strangers was a whole different thing than getting judged by your friends - your teammates.
"But really, Todoroki what were you doing?"
Todoroki merely sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair. There was no point in lying now. Midoriya is sure to tell everyone at school…But he should hear my story first. He nibbled on his chapped lips as he made his decision. Eyes downcast he told him. His voice was hushed, almost sounding like he would cry at any second.
Once Todoroki stopped talking, there was a thick silence. It engulfed him, as did an intense shame. You're such an idiot Shouto! Why did you tell him? Why?
Todoroki opened his mouth to apologize, but was interrupted by Midoriya's quiet and controlled voice.
"Todoroki, I hope you don't feel ashamed. Because…" Midoriya exhaled quietly, a tuft of dark green hair falling on his eyes. "I do the same thing…"
Todoroki gasped.
"Really!?"
Midoriya nodded, a small, embarrassed smile contorted his face. Todoroki looked at him for a moment before throwing his arms around Midoriya and pulling him close to his chest. Todoroki felt tears well up in his eyes and stain Midoriya's pale yellow shirt.
"I just… felt so alone some nights. Knowing that they would judge me for what I loved…"
Midoriya nodded solemnly, his mass of hair moving only a centimeter.
"I understand that - Hell, I felt that too." Midoriya paused for a moment before smiling brightly.
"How about this, Todoroki. Tomorrow night, around eleven, we'll go together!" Midoriya's grin almost gleamed, joy exuding out his every pore.
Todoroki replicated that smile, albeit smaller and more tentative. Nodding slightly, he slipped his pale hand into Midoriya's. Their hands intertwined, almost as if they were made for eachother. And their hands didn't move as they walked back to the dorms, leaving the shopping cart, and the pool of melted ice behind.