Making a mixtape is harder than Izuku imagined it would be. His first task is choosing the music he wants to put on the tape. Every song he has in the folder labeled 'For My Favorite Person' suddenly just doesn't seem like enough to him. What songs are strong enough to express how he thinks and feels about Todoroki? Maybe he should've followed Ochako's advice and just drew a damn comic. No, he could do this. It is possible.
The process is slow, and he has a lot of music to go through. After four hours of deliberation, Izuku has thirty songs, fifteen for each side of the tape. That is what the internet said is normal for cassette tapes.
Finding a cassette tape is a whole new ballgame. On Friday morning Izuku goes to Toshinori after his morning shift at Quirffee and asks if he knows where to get one.
"Let me educate you, Young Midoriya," Toshi says as they leave One for All and start the walk to a nearby record store.
"I've never noticed this shop before," Izuku says as he looks up at the sign that reads 'Windswept Records'.
"A good friend of mine owns the place." He opens the door and leads the way into the shop. It smells something akin to a library of old books and there are rows upon rows of vinyl records in cardboard sleeves lining every wall and shelf.
"Toshi, where have you been? Waiting for me to die of old age?" An older man with white hair asks as he steps from between a couple of dusty shelves.
"No, of course not, Sir," he replies. "I've just been busy with work and teaching Deku here a thing or two about life. Which is why we are here. Do you still sell cassette tapes?"
"Of course, I do. There is an entire wall over there," the man says, gesturing to a far corner. "Deku, eh? Aren't you that DJ at the nightclub across the way?"
"Yes, I am, Sir," Izuku replies politely.
"Tell me, DJ Deku, do you pre-mix all of your music like the other young kids these days?"
"Um yes, I do," he answers nervously.
"A waste of good talent if you ask me. Back in my day we mixed everything live as we played and used actual vinyl discs. That's why we were called disc jockeys. In the good old days, being a DJ was actual work," he grumbles.
Izuku can't help but light up with excitement. "You used to be a DJ? What was your DJ name?"
"I was a DJ, yes. I was DJ Gran Torino. I worked hard and played every club and bar that would have me. I made a name for myself. Now I just go by Gran Torino."
"It is nice to meet you, Gran Torino. I'm Midoriya Izuku, but you can call me Deku."
"Out of curiosity," Gran Torino says, eyeing Izuku suspiciously. "If you are a fancy DJ, why are you looking for cassette tapes?"
"I'm making a mixtape for my crush," he admits awkwardly.
"Do you even know how to make one?" The older man asks, gesturing for the pair to follow him.
"I was just going to look it up on the internet," Izuku answers, feeling even smaller than before.
"Let me teach you a thing or two, not just about making a mixtape to win a heart, but also how to be the best DJ you can be," Gran Torino says firmly.
Much to his irritation, but relief, Izuku is grateful that Gran Torino had offered him help. It irritates him because he now realizes how comfortable he is just being where he is in his skill level, and not just with DJing. Also, he is able to easily make the cassette tape with no more anxiety. He can now gift Todoroki a portable cassette player thanks to the owner of that dusty vinyl shop.
Izuku doodles a latte with a phoenix in the foam, making him smile a little. It's representative of the first latte he made at Quirffee.
"Midoriya, follow my lead and you will make an outstanding latte," Toshinori says, showing Izuku each step carefully. He watches like a hawk and commits everything to memory. When Toshinori draws a picture in the foam, it looks like a maple leaf and Izuku instantly falls in love. The latte is served with the lid off, so the patron can view it and choose to take a picture like so many of them do.
The next customer in line is one Todoroki Shouto, looking tired and yet surprised when he sees his best friend making his beverage. He smiles internally as he watches Izuku stick his tongue between his teeth in concentration as he pours the drink.
"Here is your latte, Sir," Izuku says, sliding it across the counter. It isn't until Shouto's fingers wrap around his own that he looks up, locking his emerald gaze to Shouto's heterochromatic one.
He couldn't tell how long they stood like that or either of them ever took a breath. The blood rushed through his ears and he could only just hear the music in the background of the café as everything else fell away. Izuku's stomach did a strange swoop and he had to work to swallow around the lump in his throat.
The heat seeping through the cup has Izuku coming back to the present and pulling his hand away. "Shouto," he manages to rasp out, pushing aside his feelings when he realizes he is still at a job interview.
Shouto gives him a genuine smile. "Thank you, Izuku."
In careful calligraphy, Izuku writes out the songs on the "Side A, Side B" card. Starting with the song that was playing on the day he realized his feelings at Quirffee.
Side A: I Like You a Latte
1.Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop- Landon Pigg
2.Ho Hey- The Lumineers
3.Happy- NeverShoutNever
4.Love of My Life- Queen
5.Bright- Echosmith
6. Calling You- Blue October
7.Moments Like This- The Afters
8.You and Me- Lifehouse
9.Happily Ever After- He Is We
10.Kiss Me Slowly- Parachute
11.Next to Me- Imagine Dragons
12.Love Story- Taylor Swift
13.Still into You- Paramore
14.Do I Wanna Know?- Arctic Monkeys
15.Say You Won't Let Go- James Arthur
Side B: See You on the Flip Side
16.I'm Sticking with You- The Velvet Underground
17.Fall for You- Secondhand Serenade
18.Thinking Out Loud- Ed Sheeran
19.Love Somebody- Maroon 5
20.Things I'll Never Say- Avril Lavigne
21.Crush- David Archuleta
22.First Day of My Life- Bright Eyes
23.Teenage Dream- Katy Perry
24.Something Just Like This- Coldplay
25.Take My Breath Away- Berlin
26.One Call Away- Charlie Puth
27.Sway- Blue October
28.Sleep on the Floor- The Lumineers
29.Sweater Weather- The Neighbourhood
30.Can't Help Falling in Love- Kina Grannis
In the very same calligraphy he used to write out all of the songs on the little cardboard insert, he writes a note to Todoroki. Nothing terribly important, just a little something to really push home the personal factor.
Shouto,
I'm not even sure where to begin. Since that first day in the café with you, I knew how I felt about you. I was afraid to admit it to myself though. I was afraid it would push you away from me and I couldn't bear the thought of losing you. I tried dating other people, but I always felt like something was missing. You make me feel whole. Listen to the music on this tape and know that it is how I feel about you. I'll let the music talk where my words seem to fail me.
Sincerely, Izuku
Satisfied with how everything has turned out, Izuku slips the letter into the cassette case and wraps a bow around the entire gift before laying it on Shouto's pillow. With a small smile, Izuku hoists his DJ duffle bags up on his shoulders and with one last look, turns out the light in the bedroom, leaving to Fire and Ice.
Friday and Saturday are both uneventful and Izuku welcomes Sunday gladly. He wakes up to the sound of a vacuum running in the living room of the basement, but he hears something else with it. Barely discernable above the whirring is Todoroki's voice. "And I see colors in a different way. You make what doesn't matter fade to grey. Life is good and that's the way it should be. You make me sing oh, la, la, la. You make a girl go oh oh. I'm in love, love."
Izuku almost can't believe what he is hearing. He can hardly fathom that Shouto sings, nonetheless that he sounds angelic while doing it. When the vacuum comes to a stop, so does the singing, much to Izuku's disappointment. He stretches and gets out of bed, set on getting a shower. When he walks out of the bedroom, Shouto is at the stove.
"Good morning, Midoriya," he greets. "I'm making soba for brunch. Would you like some?"
Izuku stares at him for a long minute before answering. "Yes, please. That would be great." As he locks the bathroom door, he hears it.
"Stay with me, baby stay with me. Tonight, don't leave me alone. Walk with me, come and walk with me. To the edge of all we've ever known." Shouto sings in such a heartfelt way that Izuku cracks the door open to make sure it is Shouto. It is definitely Shouto.
"Todoroki," Ochako says, sitting her plate of food down beside his on the dining room table as everyone takes a break from playing Magic. "Is your tattoo finished yet? Can I see it?"
Shouto looks taken aback at first but lifts his shirt to show her the outline on his chest. "I haven't set up a time with Midoriya to get it finished yet."
Everyone in the general vicinity leans in to take a look. They all mumble similar sentiments about how great it looks. Uraraka pipes up over all of them though. "Deku, you need to finish this tattoo."
Izuku walks in from the kitchen, pizza in his hand as he squints at the outlines on Shouto's chest. "That definitely looks like one of mine. Are you free tomorrow by chance? I don't have any appointments booked from noon to eight tomorrow, so I'll be twiddling my thumbs."
"Yes, that would work for me actually." Todoroki nods and Izuku mirrors the nod, taking a bite out of his pizza.
"Midoriya, is every piece of your art that beautiful?" Sero asks, turning his attention to Deku when they sit beside each other.
"I don't know about every piece, but tattoos get the best I can offer. Those are on someone's body forever, so they have to be as close to perfect as I can get them."
Deku is more nervous to work on Shouto than he should be, but he is tattooing his crush, in a tiny room, alone. It makes him jittery.
"Deku, this one is for you," Toshi says, showing Todoroki into the room.
"Thank you," he answers, breaking into a smile. Toshi leaves and Shouto holds out a disposable coffee cup to Izuku. "Thanks, I appreciate it." He takes a drink before putting on his professional façade. "You know the drill, I need you shirtless and on my table."
Shouto follows the directions and puts in earbuds before pushing play on the Walkman in his hand and closing his eyes. Deku doesn't miss the exaggerated actions or the small smirk on Todoroki's lips. He takes his time on the shading of Shouto's tattoo. Each movement is sure and confident and measured. If he thought the original art looked great on paper, it looks magnificent on Todoroki's skin. The dragon could almost fly off of his pec and the koi fish could swim around each other right there, no water needed.
Halfway through the three-hour appointment, Shouto's mixtape is completely played so he pulls the earbuds out of his ears. The silence is almost tense.
"How do you like the music?" Deku asks as he gathers red ink.
"I really enjoy it," Shouto admits quietly. "Thank you."
"You are very welcome." Izuku pauses and looks up at his crush. "Are you ready to go on a date with me yet or are you going to reject me again?" He doesn't intend for it to come out as bitter as it does, but the words have already left his mouth. No turning back.
"Are you asking me on a date right now?" Shouto asks evenly.
"Yes, I am," Izuku says, looking up at him again.
"Then yes, I'll go on a date with you."
Izuku smiles as he goes back to working on the tattoo under his fingers. His heart is beating rapidly, and his stomach is doing that weird swooping feeling again but he can't bring himself to care. Its Izuku's turn to sing, "I should be over all the butterflies, but I'm into you. And baby even on our worst nights, I'm into you. Let 'em wonder how we got this far, 'cause I don't really need to wonder at all. Yeah, after all this time I'm still into you."