The boys quickly became good friends. Todoroki easily became a regular part of Izuku's life. In the morning, he'd train with All Might. Then, if he and Todoroki didn't have too much work to do, they would hang out. They spent a lot of time sparring, and Izuku was impressed with how well Todoroki fought. Every movement he made was graceful and purposeful. The boy was as comfortable sparring as he was walking down the street.

Then again, Izuku wasn't much of an opponent.

They practiced hand-to-hand combat and with Todoroki's quirk. The boy had asked Izuku once what his quirk was, but Izuku quickly changed the topic by babbling. Todoroki didn't ask a second time. He respected him.

After they finished their current sparring session, Izuku fell back onto the grassy field. Everything hurt. Neither Todoroki nor All Might ever took it easy on him, and his body was in constant pain. Izuku considered himself lucky to be achieving so much and working so hard that his body cried out for him to stop. Todoroki was barely out of breath, and he was stretching. Todoroki was wearing short sleeves. Not for the fist time, Izuku's gaze lingered over the other boy's soulmark.

Todoroki made Izuku's heart fluttered. His rare smiles made the quirkless boy feel warm and fuzzy, and when they said goodbye at the end of the day, it made his chest hurt. Seeing Todoroki's soulmark hurt even more because it wasn't his name, and Shoto Todoroki wasn't written on his back. Izuku often tried to make himself not feel the way he did. What point was there in loving someone who wasn't your soulmate?

He had asked some of the adults he knew about the topic. All Might had met his soulmate, but he was so shocked he didn't get the chance to tell her his name before she walked away. Midoriya's parents were soulmates, but Katsuki's weren't. His mother's soulmate was from Taiwan. They had met in school, and while his mother was smitten with him, she knew her parents would disown her if he married someone who wasn't Japanese, so they parted ways.

Katsuki's father had a soulmate who couldn't be with him. His soulmate was the son of the CEO of a large business, and he did not have the luxury of marrying for love, though he made sure Katsuki's family was never poor.

Izuku wanted to meet Ochaco. He wanted to see what she looked like and make her laugh, but the way Todoroki looked after he exercised, sweaty and out of breath, it got his blood racing and made Izuku feel like nothing else mattered.

Todoroki caught him staring. He raised his eyebrow, and Izuku panicked. He said the first think that came to his mind.

"When do you think you'll meet your soulmate?" Izuku blurted out.

Todoroki grew cold, like he did sometimes. Izuku found it fitting for someone with ice powers. He sat down with his feet out in front of him and touched his toes.

"I already met him."

Izuku instantly regretted asking. Those words hurt, caused a pang in his chest.

"What's it like?" Izuku asked quietly.

There was a flash of amusement in Todoroki's eyes.

"I don't love him. I feel like I should, but I... don't. We're friends, but that's it."

Izuku couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"How? People always love their soulmates."

"A lot of life isn't what it's supposed to be."

A few weeks later, Izuku asked Todoroki if he could meet Tokoyami. His friend was surprised by the request, but he set up a movie night for them.

It was awkward, and it was entirely Izuku's fault. First he had freaked out when he knocked and Endeavor opened the door because holy shit, the No. 2 hero! Then when he met Tokoyami, he bowed and talked about how it was an honor to meet Todoroki's soulmate. Tokoyami looked embarrassed, but he returned the bow. Todoroki grimaced.

Now they sat on the couch with Todoroki between the two of them. Izuku's chest was tight with anxiety. The television was playing a show about a high school baseball player who overcame impossible odds to lead his team to the championship. It was the type of show Izuku usually enjoyed. When a commercial came on, Todoroki stood.

"I'm going to get some snacks. You want something in particular?"

"Did your sister make sweet rice last night?" Tokoyami asked.

"Yeah, you want some?"

"Please."

"Midoriya, do you want anything?"

"Um, I-I-I'm good!" Izuku internally cringed at himself.

Todoroki smiled, and Izuku's heart thudded in his chest.

"I'll be right back."

He left, leaving Izuku alone with his crush's soulmate. In the past few months, Izuku had gone from being scrawny and quirkless to being trained by his favorite hero, but what he was about to do felt harder than all of that. Tokoyami was watching the commercials, staring straight ahead. Izuku took a deep breath.

"So you're Todoroki's soulmate." Izuku had to force the words out.

"In a manner of speaking."

"Do you love him?"

Now Tokoyami looked at him. With his quirk mutating his face, Izuku couldn't read him.

"I do. He's my soulmate."

Izuku wanted to run and hide. The words felt like physical blows.

"Todoroki said you were more like friends," he said quietly. His voice was just barely above a whisper.

"It's complicated."

"I like him too, Tokoyami."

Tokoyami closed his eyes, and Midoriya heard him chuckle.

"You should tell him. He'd appreciate it."

"But you- You're his soulmate. You two should... You two should be together."

"What I want more than anything is for Shoto to be happy," Tokoyami explained. "I can't do that, and if you can, I would like to in my place."

"Tokoyami, I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll treat him right."

"I promise I would."

In that moment, Todoroki walked in holding a tray full of snacks. Izuku's heart was racing so fast he was afraid it would jump out of his chest. His face was light pink.

"Did I interrupt something?" Todoroki asked.

Tokoyami chuckled. "Not at all."

Todoroki raised an eyebrow but silently sat back down between the two. Tokoyami took the bowl full of rice off the tray. Izuku wanted to say something to Todoroki, but knowing he had his soulmate's blessing to start a relationship made him dizzy and stopped him from thinking straight.

"Something wrong?" Todoroki asked.

Izuku shook his head furiously. Todoroki didn't ask again.

The quirkless boy promised himself that he would confess to Todoroki before he left. Keeping his crush secret suddenly seemed unbearable. Unfortunately, when it was time for him to leave, Tokoyami was still there, and v couldn't bring himself to confess with Todoroki's soulmate in the room, regardless of what Tokoyami had said.

Shoto received a text later that night. Tokoyami had left half an hour after he did, and his dad left after they finished their regime, leaving Shoto alone. He was waiting for the over the preheat when he heard the familiar ding of Midoriya's ringtone. He fished his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it.

Midoriya had quickly become a dear friend of Shoto's, and he would be lying if he said he didn't want a bit more. Midoriya made him feel how Tokoyami made him feel. He liked him. He liked the way he would mumble to himself and how witty and intelligent he was.

Hey Todoroki, you busy?

Not really, just making dinner. What's up?

I don't know how to phrase this, so I'm just going to come out and say it. I have a crush on you.

Shoto stared at his phone, not believing what he was seeing.

He went to his contacts and pulled up Midoriya, then hit dial. After one ring, he heard Midoriya pick up. He sounded nervous, which Shoto understood because he was nervous too.

"I'm sorry, Todoroki! It's just, I wanted to say it because I hated keeping it a secret and if you don't like me back that's totally fine! We can pretend this never happened if you want-"

"I like you too, Midoriya."

"What?"

"I like you too."

Midoriya made a little squick on the other side of the phone, and Shoto loved it, even though he was dreading what he knew had to come next.

"Really? That's wonderful." Midoriya laughed to himself. "I've never been with anyone before. I didn't think of what to do if you said you liked me back."

"Well..." Shoto took a moment to prepare himself. This would be the second person he had ever told this to. He had never planned to bring it up, but he also had never imagined Midoriya liking him back. "If you want to... go on dates and stuff..." he sighed. "We'd have to keep it a secret."

"Huh?" The excitement had faded for his voice. "What are you talking about? I don't understand."

"My father's an abusive, manipulative asshole." The oven beeped, signaling it was ready. "If he found out, there would be Hell to pay. I'm sorry. I understand if... that changes your mind."

Shoto hated how his seeped into every aspect of his life. Poor Tokoyami had already been roped into it, and now he was going to get Midoriya wrapped up in it as well.

"On second thought, forget I said anything," Shoto said.

"Shoto, I- What do you mean?"

Shoto stared at his phone and wanted to run away, hang up, and pretend he never brought up the topic with Midoriya.

"What I said. My father controls everything from my diet to my work out regime who I hang out with. I can't go against his wishes, and if he finds out I'm seeing someone besides Fumikage he'll be pissed. I can't do it."

There was a long silence.

"...So we couldn't tell anyone."

"No. We'd have to pretend we were still just friends."

"Not even my parents?"

"We shouldn't. I'm sorry I called you, Midoriya."

"Todoroki... If you like me too, I want to be with you."

"I'm sorry, Midoriya."

There was a long stretch of silence.

"Hey, I've got to finish dinner, so I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, talk to you later," Midoriya said.

The next day, after they sparred with each other and laid in the grass catching their breath, Midoriya couldn't stop looking at Todoroki. The atmosphere was heavy, and after a bug crawled up Midoriya's arm and made him jump, they laughed and shared their first kiss with each other.

Midoriya was already keeping All Might's identity and quirk a secret. He could keep one more.

Shoto, the letter came today. Will you come read it with me?

UA's decision?

Yeah. I'm so nervous.

On my way. Want me pick up some soda to celebrate?

No. I don't think I'm getting in.

Then they're fools.

The two boys sat next to each other on Izuku's bed. Shoto's closest arm was wrapped around the his boyfriend, and Izuku had the letter from UA in his shaking hand.

The boys had been secretly dating for five months. Izuku thought he was in love, but he hadn't told Shoto yet. His mom was so happy he had a new close friend. He didn't like lying to his parent about their relationship, but he would do it if it kept Shoto safe and let him be with him.

"Open it," Shoto gently encouraged.

Izuku ripped open the letter, and a holograph with All Might appeared on it. Shoto squeezed his hip.

The video played, and All Might explained how he was going to be a teacher at UA, and how even though he didn't score any points for destroying robots, he had no reason to worry.

The girl he met on the day of the entrance exam appeared on screen, and Izuku swallowed. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he hoped Shoto couldn't tell.

"...It's the other basic ability we at UA look at! Izuku Midoriya, sixty points! And Ochaco Uraraka, forty-five points!" The video played.

He felt Shoto tense. Izuku was too focused on the sixty point to process the rest of what All Might had said.

"You both pass. Come, Midoriya. This is your hero academia!"

Izuku couldn't help but cry. He was so overwhelmed and so blessed.

"Shoto, I got in! We're going to UA together! I get to go to start my career as a hero!" He sniffled. "I can't believe it!"

From his expression, Shoto couldn't either.

"I'm happy for you, but didn't you hear that girl's name?"

"Huh?" Izuku wiped his eyes, drying his tears. "The one I met during the entrance exam? What about her?"

"Her name is Ochaco Uraraka. She's your soulmate, Izuku."

"Oh."

Finding the identity of your soulmate with your boyfriend was a definite mood killer.