Hello there! This Shoutoko fic marks my first attempt at a BNHA fic, and I dedicated it to one of my OTPs 'cos I think they deserve more love 3 I do want to apologize if the way I write them or my headcanons for them clash with any of y'all's. I'm also still trying to find how I want to write these two, so even if there probably won't be OOCness here it might feel awkward at times. Dark Shadow is also a little shit and I may have given him bit too much personality and independence XD But I do have the tendency to think of him more as a built-in friend than a Quirk, which might not actually be the case, but I fell in love with that idea after reading some Shoutoko fics. Now please enjoy!

Shouji Mezou really did not look like someone who owned a bakery, much less the second most popular bakery in town (Satou's was most popular and Shouji happily admitted defeat. The man was a wizard with sweets). At first glance Shouji was an intimidating sight, towering at almost 2 meters with six rather muscular limbs and a sharp-featured face half-covered by a mask. But Shouji also knew that he would look even more intimidating with the mask off, so he kept it on for everyone's sake.

And yet, despite many people often harbouring a negative first impression of him, his bakery had no less than flourished in just few years after he founded it when he was 23. Shouji had been the one most surprised by this, since he hadn't paid much attention to the interior decorating of the place. The walls were a simple light grey, there were few small round metal tables and chairs by the wall and each table had a black vase with one single flower Shouji changed every day. Even the name of the bakery was just "Patisserie Mezou". Shouji was, at heart, a minimalist and wanted his pastries to speak for themselves. And that they certainly had done, and now Shouji's bakery had a whole bunch of regulars and many people just stopped in from the street, drawn by the delicious scent of whatever was the day's special. Once inside they would see the friendly smiling face of Uraraka Ochako, one of Shouji's few workers. There were just two, not counting Shouji himself, and both worked the counter and took care of customers. The other worker was named Asui Tsuyu, or just Tsuyu as she near demanded to be called.

Shouji was the only baker and that was just fine by him. Thanks to his Quirk Shouji was able to do the work of more than three people simultaneously and if you peeked into the kitchen in the middle of the day you would see basically a network of tentacles, each doing a different task at different paces. It was rather disconcerting to see, or so Uraraka had said. Tsuyu thought it was fascinating and handy (no pun intended, apparently).

All in all, Shouji was very satisfied with his lot in life and situation. He could do what he loved, and he did it well, he could enjoy the other things he enjoyed outside work hours and he had few close friends, so he wasn't lonely either. But…lately Shouji had found himself to be distracted by something. Or rather, someone. Shouji wasn't sure what was the reason behind why this person was distracting him, but more often than not Shouji found his eyes wandering towards them.

A few months back a new store had opened up across the street, called "Banquet of Darkness". Uraraka called it "Hot Topic but broodier" and Shouji was inclined to agree. The store, which focused on alternative apparel and knick-knacks, had a very dark front and whenever the door opened music matching the aesthetic could be heard. And the door opened surprisingly lot, considering the store had just opened. Well, maybe it wasn't that surprising. Their town didn't have many alternative clothing stores and only one Hot Topic on the other side of the river (or so Tsuyu had informed Shouji when he had wondered the store's popularity out loud).

But all of that was beside the point, or maybe not. Because the person bothering Shouji was either the owner or an employee of said store. The store's windows were blacked out and you couldn't see inside, but Shouji lived above his own bakery and every morning when he woke up around half past 5am he could see them enter the store, most probably to get ready for the day. They were most probably male, though it was hard to tell because they wore loose clothes, had a short stature and looked to be on the slim side. Shouji found their appearance endearing no matter what gender they might be; they had the head of a bird of prey with the blackest of feathers and large eyes, whose colour Shouji wasn't quite sure about. But he imagined they were either brown or red. Their Quirk was fascinating, though Shouji had only witnessed it few times. It manifested in the form of a shadow creature of some kind and it looked kind of like its user, bird head and all.

The first time Shouji saw this person was few days after Banquet of Darkness had opened. His thoughts had been along the lines of "a fascinating person" and then he had moved on with his day. But Shouji kept catching glances of the person, and due to his initial mild fascination, he noticed small things about the person that caught his interest further. Like how they rode a light blue bike to work even though it clashed with their colour scheme; how meticulously they wiped the store windows and cleaned up the smallest of graffities that sometimes appeared on the black windows; how they gently scratched the head of their Quirk and even conversed with it while smiling slightly whenever it came out; how sometimes they had a zip lock bag full of apple slices as a snack, probably because they hadn't had time to eat breakfast, and many other details. All those small things piled up into a greater fascination, one which Shouji hadn't been able to identify. In addition to the amount of thoughts Shouji dedicated to the bird man he also felt a strange sensation in his stomach whenever he thought about them, which was alarming in itself.

"And that is why I have been slightly distracted of late, forgive me. I will try not to burn any more pastries from now on."

Both Uraraka and Tsuyu were staring at Shouji with their eyes wide (or in Tsuyu's case wider, since the girl's eyes were a bit big to begin with). Just an hour or so ago Shouji had burned several batches of scones and triggered the fire alarm, and now the trio was having an early lunch break. Uraraka had expressed her concern and Shouji had explained the reason for his mishap. He had been thinking about the bird-headed person. Though Shouji was confused as to why the girls were staring at him like he had sprouted a fourth pair of arms, and he was even more confused and even alarmed when Uraraka broke into a wide smile and squealed.

"Oh my gosh, Shouji! That is a crush! You have a crush on that person!"

Shouji blinked with all of his eyes, the ones on his head and the extra two he had morphed from his tentacles. He brought a hand to his chin and considered Uraraka's words. Shouji knew what a crush was, he wasn't entirely clueless, but he had never had one before. Shouji was a minimalist with his lifestyle and often with his emotions as well. Yes, he laughed and smiled and could socially interact just fine, but he didn't feel many excess emotions like jealousy or greed or irritation, much less romantic attraction. But…based on the descriptions of romantic attraction Shouji had heard from his friends or media it sounded like a very possible option.

"I see, I never considered that. I think you might be right."

Shouji admitted, which made Uraraka smile even wider. She turned to Tsuyu with expectant look on her face.

"You've been to the store, did you see Shouji's crush? What were they like?"

Tsuyu put a finger on her chin, a gesture she performed a lot, and hummed in thought before answering.

"Yes, I saw him. He was the only employee, so he probably is the owner. Oh, and he is male, he had a pretty deep voice and his name tag read Tokoyami. He was polite, though he spoke in a pretty dramatic and flamboyant manner in my opinion. I bought a choker for Samidare, since he is going through an emo phase, and he called it 'a very distinguished choice, one that would certainly project the darkness within me'. He seems very interesting."

Uraraka listened to the description intently and so did Shouji. He even morphed one of his tentacles into an ear so he could hear better. So, the person's name was Tokoyami. It was probably his last name. Shouji attached all this info to the image he had in his head about the person, and it all fit quite neatly. Shouji had suspected that Tokoyami spoke formally, based on the few sentences he had vaguely heard him say to his quirk, and he had heard his deep baritone voice as well. But it all merely appeared endearing to him, strangely. Shouji found himself wanting to perhaps meet Tokoyami one day.

"So? What are you going to do, Shouji?"

Shouji snapped back from his thoughts and looked at Uraraka, whose glimmering eyes had now turned towards him. Shouji tilted his head slightly in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

Now it was Uraraka's time to blink, and even Tsuyu looked surprised and confused despite her usually inexpressive face. Uraraka then, after realizing that Shouji was genuinely asking, sighed in defeat and Shouji could almost feel that she wanted to facepalm.

"I mean, how and when are you going to approach him? Or what are you going to do about your crush?"

That was another question Shouji hadn't considered, but it didn't take long for him to come up with an answer.

"I wasn't really planning on doing anything right now. I would certainly like to meet Tokoyami at some point, but for now I was going to let it be. I don't find anything wrong with the current situation. Besides, I wouldn't even know how to approach him."

Uraraka groaned in a frustrated manner and even Tsuyu shook her head a bit, as if disappointed. Shouji looked from one girl to another, not really sure why his words evoked this kind of reaction.

"Shouji, we love you but sometimes you're just kind of boring."

And with that they returned to work, leaving Shouji still confused.

The conversation was pretty much forgotten after a few days. Uraraka took time to stop by at Tokoyami's store just to see what Shouji's type looked like and returned with some merchandise that was on the girlier side. Apparently Tokoyami could be quite the persuasive salesperson and at that thought Shouji felt an unexpected pang of pride. He had no idea where it came from.

Three weeks rolled by and Halloween was in town. In Japan it wasn't as big of a deal as abroad but Uraraka and Tsuyu talked Shouji into doing a theme week on the Halloween week. Shouji baked all kinds of pastries with a Halloween theme: candy corn cupcakes with spooky icing; pumpkin cheesecake with marzipan spiders as decorations; rocky road chocolate cakes that had "Trick or Treat!" written on them with blood red icing. Shouji enjoyed mixing it up a bit, and as the week went on, he became more creative. And on Thursday Shouji created a pastry that was inspired by Tokoyami; an opera cake that he cut in the shape of a raven and took great care to make it look as realistic as possible. Uraraka and Tsuyu both loved it and thought it was almost shame to sell it. But it was put in the display case on the window anyway. However, it didn't stay in there for long. Just few hours after it had been put on sale Uraraka rushed into the kitchen with a grin on her face.

"Shouji! You'll never guess who bought the raven cake!"

Shouji looked up from his task and looked at Uraraka, other brow elevated as if asking "Well? Who?".

"It was your little crush! He said he felt like it was calling for him and just had to buy it~"

That made Shouji pause. He had made the cake with Tokoyami in mind during every step of the process. That cake, in a way, was his very feelings brought into shape. And the person who that cake had been dedicated to felt like it had been calling to him…

"Wow, Shouji! I've never seen you blush like that, are you okay?!"

Needless to say, Shouji didn't get much sleep that night.

The actual day of Halloween was on Saturday and that was also the day when the entire staff of Patisserie Mezou put all of their effort into celebrating said occasion. They put up extra decorations, Uraraka and Tsuyu dressed up in costumes and even Shouji came out of the kitchen. He was dressed as, you guessed it, octopus, while Uraraka was a witch and Tsuyu was her frog familiar. Shouji had made enough pastries to last the whole day and thus he spent his time outside of the shop with Uraraka. They had set up a table and sold Halloween themed cake pops for a very cheap price. Children under 13 got one for free. Shouji enjoyed it, rather than avoid him people complimented his costume and didn't hesitate to smile or look him in the eye. Halloween really was a strange day.

"Excuse me, may I have one, please?"

Shouji, who had just finished handing a group of kids cake pops, turned to the one who spoke. Although when he saw who it was Shouji froze and stared for so long it became awkward.

Before him stood Tokoyami, the same Tokoyami who had bought the raven cake and who apparently Shouji had feelings for. The feelings weren't strong, after all Shouji had never even met the bird man, but it was his first crush and now that Shouji was suddenly put in this situation he wasn't sure what to do. Tokoyami was looking up at him with slight confusion and Shouji noticed that he was dressed up too. Tokoyami was dressed up as a Victorian era vampire, fake fangs and everything. Shouji found it charming, almost cute, even though it probably wasn't supposed to have that effect.

"Excuse me? Did you hear me?"

Shouji blinked and finally broke out of the daze he had apparently been in. How embarrassing.

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry. Which one did you want?"

Shouji firmly ignored the grinning Uraraka to his right.

"The one decorated as a night sky, please. It's quite beautiful, wonderful work. It makes me feel the same melancholy as when gazing at a real night sky."

Tsuyu had been right about the way Tokoyami spoke. Shouji could listen to it all day. Shouji pushed the thought out of his mind though. Crushes really did strange things to you…

"I'm glad to hear it, I enjoyed decorating it. That will be 300 yen, please."

Tokoyami handed Shouji few coins and kept talking as Shouji put the money away.

"This is your handiwork? You are very talented."

Receiving compliments from Tokoyami made Shouji blush slightly, but it was hidden under his bangs which covered the front part of his face. Shouji said a quite thanks and handed Tokoyami the cake pop. Their hands touched briefly during the exchange and Shouji's heart did a little skip.

A thought crossed Shouji's mind, and with a small smile under the mask he spoke up before Tokoyami turned away.

"May I ask something, Mr. vampire?"

Tokoyami paused and blinked up at Shouji, but then smiled a little himself at the humorous name Shouji had called him with.

"You may, Mr. Octopus."

Shouji stifled a chuckle at the amused and slightly playful tone in Tokoyami's voice.

"Isn't it challenging to suck blood? Judging from the shape of your beak I'd imagine you'd have to get…creative."

Tokoyami blinked before he chuckled and did a small sweeping motion with his cape, probably for dramatic effect.

"The undead enjoy keeping their secrets, mortal. But if you must know, the process involves the assistance provided by straws."

Shouji chuckled in turn at Tokoyami's answer, which sounded half-joke half-serious.

"I see. That's quite resourceful, I'm impressed."

Tokoyami opened his beak to answer, but that was when his Quirk appeared from his chest and eyed the cake pops on the table with a grin on its beak.

"Fumikage! I want one of these too!"

"What would you do with it, Dark Shadow? You don't even eat."

"But they're so cute! I want the one that has a black cat, it has the same eyes as me."

The Quirk was right, the black cat on one of the cake pops had bright yellow eyes just like the shadow creature. Shouji was surprised by the sudden appearance and words of the creature, but Tokoyami merely sighed and shook his head in defeat.

"Very well, but just this once."

Tokoyami began to dig out more coins, but Shouji raised a hand to stop him. Instead he just picked up the cake pop and held it out to the creature, Dark Shadow apparently. Dark Shadow gasped and took the cake pop in its beak, looking at Shouji with wide eyes.

"Thank you! He's a lot nicer than you, Fumikage."

"Are you sure about this? I can pay- "

Shouji stopped Tokoyami again and shook his head, looking down at the bird man with a gentle expression.

"We have plenty of these, don't worry. Besides…"

Shouji brought the tentacle he had been speaking with closer and stage whispered at Tokoyami.

"Children get one for free."

"Hey! I'm not a kid!"

Those words made Tokoyami let out a short laugh and Shouji found that he really enjoyed the sound.

"Well, thank you very much. Now come, Dark Shadow. We still have work to do."

Dark Shadow groaned but followed as Tokoyami turned away, and both of them gave Shouji a wave before they disappeared into their store across the street. After they were gone Uraraka elbowed Shouji's side lightly and gave him a big thumbs up.

"Nice, Shouji! You were very smooth, probably gave a good first impression."

Shouji certainly hoped so, and for the rest of the day he kept replaying the conversation in his mind with a small smile under his mask.

Now that Shouji had more or less met Tokoyami he realized he wanted to see the bird man again. Talk to him and even Dark Shadow more, get to know him. The urge wasn't overwhelming and Shouji didn't burn any pastries, but now when he watched Tokoyami come to work in the morning Shouji wanted to go down and talk to the man. Usually Shouji wouldn't hesitate to do just that. They were business neighbours and had a previous interaction, Shouji could pretend it was a coincidence and do as he wished. But he felt strangely shy due to his feelings towards the man. So, Shouji remained as an observer. That is, until Tsuyu confronted him about something as they were closing the shop week or so after Halloween.

"You know, Tokoyami has come to the bakery almost every day this week. During his lunch break, I think. You probably didn't know since you can't see from the kitchen."

Shouji paused and turned to look at Tsuyu, who was mopping the floor. Shouji was currently in the middle of counting the day's cash earnings from the cash register.

"No, I didn't know. What does he purchase?"

Tsuyu contemplated for a moment, probably trying to remember.

"He either buys anything with dark chocolate, or apple pie. More often he buys apple pie. It's probably his favourite."

Apples. Shouji could see a pattern here, since Tokoyami had apple slices as snacks now and then. Shouji smiled under his mask, pleased that Tokoyami liked his apple pie. It was one of Shouji's favourite things to make.

"Has he…?"

Shouji started to ask, but then shook his head and said a quiet "never mind". Shouji had thought of asking if the bird man had mentioned or asked about Shouji, but that was improbable. Why would he do that? They had only talked once, after all.

"He has, the first time he came. He asked, 'Does a large man with six arms work here?'. I told him you usually work in the back and he hasn't asked after that."

Shouji's head whipped up and saw that Tsuyu was directing a small smile his way. She was always perceptive, much like Shouji himself, but in a different way. Shouji gave her a nod as thanks and she returned it. In companionable silence they closed the shop and as Shouji climbed upstairs to his apartment he made a decision.

Shouji usually jogged in the later afternoon or evening, because he had to wake up early to bake. But the morning after his talk with Tsuyu that changed. Shouji put on his running gear at 5am in the morning, stretched and went on his daily jog. Shouji wasn't muscular out of nowhere, he trained on the weekends and jogged daily. "Healthy body, healthy mind" was his motto. But this jog had another purpose besides upholding his fitness. It was a way for Shouji to talk to Tokoyami.

Shouji timed his jog perfectly, so that when he arrived back at the bakery Tokoyami was in the middle of entering his shop. Tokoyami was punctual, similarly to Shouji, and so the plan worked. At exactly half past 5am Shouji jogged down the street and saw Tokoyami bike over from the opposite direction. And the two met each other halfway in front of their shops.

"Good morning."

Shouji greeted with a morphed mouth, slightly out of breath, to a surprised-looking Tokoyami. But the surprised expression was soon replaced by a small smile.

"Good morning."

The threat of an awkward silence hung in the air as both men went quiet for a short moment. But they were saved by Dark Shadow, who suddenly sprung from behind Tokoyami's back and waved at Shouji.

"Hey! You're the nice guy who gave me that weird lollipop."

Shouji blinked and then laughed lightly at the mischievous Quirk. Tokoyami's feathers fluffed up a bit, Shouji wasn't sure what that meant but Tokoyami put a hand on top of Dark Shadow's head and bowed his own head a bit.

"Forgive him, Dark Shadow lacks manners, and apparently vocabulary as well, since he doesn't know what a cake pop is."

"I know what it is, it just sounds kind of stupid…"

Dark Shadow muttered in a sullen manner and retreated back to Tokoyami, laying his head on the bird man's shoulder. Tokoyami set his hand on the Quirk's head again, this time gently, and Dark Shadow seemed to enjoy it. The sight was quite endearing in Shouji's opinion and he realized he was staring almost too late. Shouji cleared his throat a bit and attempted to revitalize the conversation, not willing to let the awkward air settle.

"No need to apologize. I've never seen any Quirk quite like yours. It's- He's delightful."

Shouji said and smiled with a morphed mouth. Dark Shadow smiled in a smug manner, pleased to be praised, and Tokoyami rolled his eyes a bit.

"Please do refrain from singing his praises too much, if Dark Shadow's ego inflates any more, I'm afraid he might be able to dwell inside me no more."

"Drama queen…"

Tokoyami and Dark Shadow started lightly bickering in a casual manner, it seemed to be a normal occurrence for them and Shouji found himself smiling a bit wider. The bond between these two was heart-warming and a joy to witness. It was no wonder the two were close, Tokoyami had lived with his Quirk nearly his whole life, after all.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I realized I haven't introduced myself. I'm Shouji, Shouji Mezou."

Shouji introduced himself, bowing slightly, and Tokoyami seized the argument between himself and his Quirk and answered Shouji's bow.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Shouji. My name is Tokoyami Fumikage, and as you may have already observed, this is Dark Shadow. I must confess, I was already aware of your name beforehand. Your employee shared it with me when I visited your establishment."

Admitting this seemingly embarrassed Tokoyami, since his feathers fluffed up again and he averted his eyes down to his feet. So, the feathers fluffing up must've been Tokoyami's equivalent of a blush. That was quite cute…

Yet again Shouji realized he had been staring and now he blushed slightly, ashamed that he was so easily distracted by his emotions.

"In that case I also confess the same thing. I also learned your name from my employees, they were impressed by your store. You own it, correct?"

Tokoyami's feathers remained in their fluffed state, since he was probably embarrassed by the praise. But he lifted his eyes and gave Shouji a small smile.

"Do say thank you to your employees from me then. And yes, I own it. I worked as a manager at the Hot Topic across the river for several years before I collected enough courage to open my own establishment. I yearned to be able to bring forth my own vision."

Shouji could understand that, he had also worked in other bakeries before opening his own and he had always wanted to bake and run a business his own way. In that sense Shouji was in part a leader soul. Tokoyami must've been the same. But what the other man said made Shouji curious and before he could reconsider words poured out of Shouji's mouth.

"This must be a strange thing to ask, but since I haven't seen your store's interior and I rarely find opportunities for visiting during the day, would you mind showing me? Your store. I would like to see your vision."

Tokoyami, unsurprisingly, looked surprised but soon that small smile of his returned to the man's face and he nodded. Shouji was pleasantly surprised and returned the smile with his actual mouth. It wasn't visible, but Shouji's eyes crinkled in a way that made the smile evident. Tokoyami gestured for Shouji to follow as the bird man parked his bike in the alley next to his store and then proceeded to open the front door. Shouji waited patiently and listened to Dark Shadow, who had started chatting about random little things. Occasionally said things were things that had to do with Tokoyami and Shouji listened to those things extra carefully. Shouji wanted to know everything he could about the smaller man.

Tokoyami got the door open and Shouji had to bow down his head a bit so he didn't bump it as he entered. The store wasn't that big, but the way the shelves were positioned made the space seem larger than it was. The walls were, as expected, black, and there were dim led lights lining the ceiling. It created a nice, calm ambience. Each shelf with merchandise further had their own led lights so the customers would be able to see what they bought. There were a lot of dark colours with splashes of purple, red, forest green and even some yellow. All in all, the space was very…Tokoyami.

Shouji observed and slowly walked around the store, taking everything in. Tokoyami had gone behind the desk that worked as the cash register, and though Shouji saw he tried to act nonchalantly the smaller man couldn't hide the subtle fidgeting while he waited for Shouji's verdict. Shouji halted in front of the desk and looked down at Tokoyami, smiling at him with a morphed mouth.

"I'm not an expert in aesthetic, as you have seen from the bakery's interior, but this place looks so…you. I like it."

Whereas Dark Shadow made a small fist pump Tokoyami looked down, feathers fluffed up again, and said a quiet thanks. Dark Shadow smirked at his user and nudged Tokoyami teasingly. Shouji was confused, why was Tokoyami so flustered?

But then Shouji realized the way he had phrased what he had said. This space looked like Tokoyami, he liked it, thus he liked Tokoyami. Now Shouji was also flustered and he was glad the dim lighting probably hid his blush.

"Um…do you need any help? I-I don't need to start baking in another half an hour or so, if there's anything I can do…"

And that was how Shouji spent almost an hour helping Tokoyami get his store ready for the day. There was surprisingly lot to do: Tokoyami had a special playlist that played in the store and that had to be set up, the merchandise that was showcased in glass cases had to be changed, shelves had to be dusted (dust showed easily on black surfaces) and many other small things. While they worked Shouji and Tokoyami (and Dark Shadow) chatted and Shouji learned a lot more about Tokoyami. He had moved to this city after graduating high school, he had been raised by his grandfather, Dark Shadow was stronger in the dark and weaker in the light and Tokoyami loved apples (though that Shouji already knew). And Tokoyami learned about Shouji as well. Shouji told Tokoyami about being an only child to a single mother, about being a minimalist, about his Quirk and how it worked and about having worked in several bakeries before realizing he wanted to run his own business. And they both learned they shared a common childhood dream of wanting to be a hero. In fact, they both still harboured said dream. Shouji admitted that he still wished to some day take the hero license exam and become a part-time hero, and Tokoyami admitted the same thing. They had both gone to high schools with hero programs but hadn't found the time or incentive to try and acquire licenses after graduating. Both men shared a sympathetic smile and chuckle at that, and Shouji silently hoped they could perhaps push each other to reach for their common dream together in the future.

When Shouji returned to his bakery he was dazed the whole day. He hadn't felt this happy and light in a long time.

It became a routine for Shouji and Tokoyami to meet outside their stores almost every morning and chat for a bit. In fact, Tokoyami even stopped by Shouji's bakery now and then after both of them had closed their businesses and helped him clean up. "To repay his debt", as Tokoyami put it, and Shouji found it very thoughtful and lovable (because Tokoyami said it like a knight from middle ages and it was cute). Shouji, whose feelings had only been superficial before, quickly found himself falling for Tokoyami more and more as each day passed. Realizing this caused him to yet again burn few batches of pastries, but as soon as Shouji saw and spoke to Tokoyami again the next morning he was able to accept his feelings with ease. Tokoyami was one of a kind and Shouji found it very easy to love him. Perhaps calling his feelings love was bit too soon, but Shouji couldn't find any other words that were more suitable.

Three weeks flew by after Shouji first visited Tokoyami's store and Shouji yet again had a realization. He and Tokoyami were friends, but Shouji was craving for them to be something more now. But there was a problem with this, because Shouji wasn't sure how Tokoyami felt about him. Sure, they made each other flustered now and then with compliments or words that could be read into deeper, but that was hardly something to base romantic feelings on. Tokoyami could be, or more like was, shy and humble to an extent and got flustered relatively easily. It was one of the things Shouji found attractive in the smaller man.

Shouji wasn't a coward or afraid of his feelings, but he treasured his relationship with Tokoyami. And thoughtlessly asking about his feelings would most likely cause a rift between them if Tokoyami didn't harbour the same emotions as Shouji. That scared Shouji, Tokoyami was important to him unlike anyone had been before. So, he would have to approach this carefully. Because Shouji was certainly going to approach this, and he knew just who to start with.

It was a chilly morning and Tokoyami looked adorable snuggling into the thick, poofy jacket he was wearing. Shouji felt the urge to wrap his own arms around the bird man and help him get warm, but that would be beyond inappropriate.

Dark Shadow, as always, was the one who spoke the most and Shouji listened dutifully and chuckled now and then at the Quirk's quips. Dark Shadow had become much more physical with him and even now the Quirk had his head on Shouji's shoulder, nuzzling into his neck. Shouji hoped at the back of his mind that the Quirk's actions were a reflection of what his user wanted, because that would make his quest that much easier.

Tokoyami got the store door open and Shouji entered after the smaller man. This was another thing they had a habit of doing; Shouji often helped Tokoyami set up since it was much faster to do with Shouji's quirk.

Tokoyami shed his jacket and entered the store's backroom to hang it up and grab some supplies. Dark Shadow, who could remain quite far away from his user, stayed in the store with Shouji. Shouji saw his chance and patted the Quirk's head gently to get his attention.

"Dark Shadow, I have a question for you."

Dark Shadow peered at Shouji curiously and tilted his head.

"What is it? Is it about Fumikage trying out that new playlist? Because I agree, it sounds a lot more boring than the previous one!"

Shouji chuckled and shook his head, it was surprising how Dark Shadow and Fumikage could disagree in so many things despite their relation. Or perhaps Dark Shadow only disagreed to be difficult. That was very possible.

"No, not that. I wanted to ask you about Tokoyami's…perception of me."

Shouji didn't say anything more than that and didn't mention feelings. Dark Shadow and Tokoyami shared a telepathic connection, and although Dark Shadow could keep things a secret he often didn't bother.

"Perception? Like, how he sees you? That's easy! He thinks you have really nice arms; your smile is warm and makes him blush, sometimes he wants to mess up your hair and feel if it's soft, he likes listening to your voice…"

Dark Shadow kept going, but Shouji zoned out after hearing the first few points. Tokoyami liked his arms and smile? Liked listening to his voice? All those things pointed at Tokoyami sharing his feelings, or at least Shouji strongly suspected it. And realizing that made Shouji blush more than he had probably ever blushed.

"Dark Shadow? Please do avoid talking Shouji's ears off whenever I'm absent. With your talkative strike he could never regrow enough of them."

"I'm not bothering him! We were just talking about how much you like him~"

Shouji had completely missed Tokoyami returning from the back room, but he certainly did not miss Tokoyami's eyes widening and feathers fluffing up when Dark Shadow voiced his thoughts. Shouji's eyes widened a bit too and he used a morphed eye to look from Dark Shadow to Tokoyami, not certain if he had heard that right.

"D-Dark Shadow! Return!"

Dark Shadow whined but was promptly pulled back into Tokoyami's body. That left the two very flustered men alone, neither of them sure what to say next. Eventually, after few moments of very heavy silence, Tokoyami opened his beak.

"P-Please pay no heed to his words, he speaks with no thought. I would never wish for you to become uncomfortable."

Shouji deflated slightly, was Tokoyami trying to deny what Dark Shadow had said? He didn't want that. And in a sudden bout of bravery, or brashness, Shouji looked Tokoyami straight in the eyes and spoke with his actual mouth.

"Then…do you not like me?"

To say such words felt strange, since Shouji had never said them with this particular meaning. But it also felt right to express his feelings. Shouji observed Tokoyami's reaction, which included his eyes widening significantly and although his fluffed feathers did not get any worse, they didn't return to normal either. Tokoyami brought his hands up and tried to smooth his feathers over, but it was in vain. He was trying to avoid making eye contact with Shouji, and every time his eyes did connect with Shouji's his feathers became as fluffy as they could. Shouji found it very endearing, and he truly hoped that this reaction meant Tokoyami's answer would be favourable.

It took few more quiet moments before Tokoyami, after opening and closing his beak few times, got some words out.

"That is…I do not deny that I hold a certain amount of…affection towards you. I am nothing but honest. I understand if you would rather not associate with me as of this moment…"

Tokoyami's voice, usually kept steady and void of too much emotion, became so sorrowful in the end that it made Shouji's chest constrict painfully. With little to no hesitation Shouji, in few slow strides, stood before Tokoyami. Now there was only the cash register between them.

"Perish the thought. I want to associate with you, as a friend and perhaps…as someone who shares said affection. Because I feel the same way about you. Quite strongly, actually. I…hope that's okay."

Tokoyami looked dazed, like he was collecting his thoughts, and Shouji waited patiently. If Tokoyami was nothing but honest then he was nothing but patient. And being patient paid out. Eventually Tokoyami lowered his eyes and Shouji steeled himself for rejection, but instead the smaller man reached across the counter between them and took Shouji's hand in his. The gesture and the size difference of their hands made Shouji's heart soar and he gladly took a hold of Tokoyami's hand. Tokoyami slowly brushed his thumb across Shouji's knuckles and then looked up again, not with a small smile on his face.

"This may be a strange request at a time like this, but…may I call you Mezou?"

Shouji thought that hearing his name said by Tokoyami felt so right. Shouji squeezed Tokoyami's hand and the corners of his eyes crinkled with the wide smile he had under his mask.

"Of course you may, Fumikage."

That chilly winter morning marked the beginning of the happiest period in Shouji's life thus far. Neither he nor Tokoyami were the type to put a label on their relationship, but if Shouji had to call it something he would say they were boyfriends. They still met every morning, but this time Shouji could with no hesitation wrap his arms around Tokoyami to try and bring some warmth to the man. And whenever Tokoyami showed up at the bakery Shouji gave him free apple pie and after they were done with clean-up the two retreated into Shouji's apartment upstairs and spent the evening in each other's company. With the gleeful addition of Dark Shadow, of course, who had now crowned himself "The best wingman ever". Both Shouji and Tokoyami were amused as well as grateful.

It was a nice and comfortable routine, that allowed Shouji and Tokoyami to get to know each other more and explore this new development in their relationship. Because, naturally, having feelings wasn't enough to guarantee a stable and good relationship. But both of them were willing to work for it, and although the two very rarely fought they were both emotionally reserved and needed time to properly open up to each other.

As the two in this manner grew closer Christmas rolled around and that meant both men were busier with their businesses. Shouji was swamped with Christmas cake orders and all his Christmas themed pastries were flying off the shelves. And Tokoyami told him that people were buying lots of both sincere and joke gifts from his store and what little Christmas merchandise he had sold like hotcakes. It was a good thing, but they were both exhausted.

And finally, it was Christmas eve and both men were happy to close their businesses early. Shouji had even given Uraraka and Asui a vacation that lasted until 3rd of January. They were both eternally grateful, and Asui shared that they were actually going to go on a date on the 25th. Shouji was very happy for them. And he even had a date of his own.

It was 1pm and Uraraka and Asui had just left. Shouji was mopping the floor of his bakery when the front door opened. Shouji already knew who it was and smiled at Tokoyami. The bird man didn't approach, since he saw that Shouji was in the middle of mopping and didn't want to dirty the floor all over again.

"Will you be ready soon?"

Tokoyami asked, brushing some snowflakes off his sleeves and scarf. Huh, Shouji hadn't even noticed it had started snowing outside. The snowflakes looked enchanting, drifting down slowly in big bundles. But Shouji was more enchanted by Tokoyami, who had few snowflakes clinging to his plumage. Shouji smiled and instead of answering he leaned the mop against a chair and made his way to Tokoyami. He morphed one of his tentacles into a mouth and pressed a small kiss on the side of Tokoyami's beak. Gently Shouji brushed the snowflakes off and wrapped his arms around the smaller man, because he had seen him shiver slightly. Tokoyami got cold so easily, it was a blessing in disguise since it meant Shouji could hug him as much as he wanted.

"Very soon. I just have to finish mopping, change and then we can go."

"Then should you not get to it, my love?"

"Hmm, not quite yet. I would like to stay here just a moment longer."

Tokoyami's chuckle was muffled against Shouji's chest. Shouji could feel that Tokoyami had also wrapped his arms around Shouji, though they were much too short to even remotely touch behind Shouji's back. The fact that Tokoyami was so small was another thing that Shouji adored.

Suddenly Dark Shadow erupted from Tokoyami's back and nuzzled his head against Shouji's cheek. Shouji smiled and gave the Quirk some well-deserved head scratches.

"Did you behave today, Dark Shadow?"

"I sure did! I even helped around the store today!"

"If you can call knocking over two clothes racks helping. 'Tis was the darkest of moments for me."

Tokoyami sighed against Shouji's chest and the taller man couldn't help but chuckle. Tokoyami was so dramatic but even that was something he had grown to love.

"Oh, shush, drama queen! It wasn't that bad…"

"Truly? Then how about the time when…?"

Tokoyami stepped out of Shouji's embrace so he could properly bicker with Dark Shadow, and Shouji let him. This was part of how the pair showed they cared about each other. Shouji just smiled and swiftly finished mopping the floor. It really didn't take more than few minutes, and by then Tokoyami and Dark Shadow had reached an impasse.

"Would you like to come upstairs or wait here? It won't take me long to change."

Shouji asked, and Tokoyami's attention shifted from Dark Shadow to Shouji.

"I shall wait here and make sure Dark Shadow does not create havoc in your establishment as well."

"I wouldn't!"

Shouji chuckled, nodded and made his way upstairs. It took him about 5 minutes to take off his slightly sweaty and stained work clothes and put on one of his usual tank tops, black cargo pants and a moss green winter poncho. Normal jackets could never cut it for Shouji since he had webbing between his six arms.

Shouji returned downstairs and found Tokoyami peering out the window. Dark Shadow had returned inside him and the man was on his own in silence. For a moment Shouji just enjoyed the visage of his most precious person, but he couldn't stay back for long. Shouji walked behind Tokoyami and carefully put on pair of arms around him, setting his chin on top of Tokoyami's head.

"Thank you for waiting and keeping my bakery safe from a vicious shadow creature."

They both chuckled at that, because it was funny just thinking that Dark Shadow was vicious. Well, he could be, but most of the time Tokoyami had a good grip on his Quirk and Dark Shadow could act according to his persona without the fear of going berserk.

"I did not have to wait for long, and Dark Shadow wanted to give us privacy."

Tokoyami touched a hand to one of the arms Shouji had around him and both men smiled while gazing out on the street. There weren't that many people out and about, tomorrow would be busier.

"Shall we go then?"

Shouji suggested and Tokoyami nodded. Shouji stepped away but reached out and took Tokoyami's hand in his. They rarely practised PDA, but there weren't a lot of people around right now and Shouji felt like this was a special occasion. He wanted to express his affection in any way Tokoyami allowed, and Shouji had a feeling that Tokoyami wanted to do the same. Surely enough, Tokoyami didn't let go as Shouji opened the door for them and they stepped out on the street. Tokoyami squeezed Shouji's hand and Shouji answered by sneakily morphing a tentacle into a mouth and pressing a quick peck on Tokoyami's temple. Tokoyami sputtered a bit from embarrassment, but rather than pull away he took a small step closer to Shouji. Shouji could see his feathers were all fluffed and resisted the urge to yet again hug the smaller man.

"…You will never tire of doing that, will you?"

Shouji chuckled and put on arm loosely around Tokoyami, holding him close for a moment.

"I won't. Ever."

And that's it, folks! I hope you liked it! Please leave comments and constructive criticism if you'd like 3