The little amount of light that illuminated the backyard was coming from the moon. Todoroki was leaning against one of the walls of the stairs at the first floor. He first came there looking for Midoriya and stayed completely silent, not moving, watching him train. He ran upstairs when Midoriya finished stretching and pushed open the glass door to enter the building; he seemed to have one of those smiles that said: It feels so good to practice at this hour!
Midoriya could see the glow of the light from under the door of his room:
"I left it off... Who could be in there?" Todoroki heard his friend say and watched as the knob turned rapidly, opening the door widely.
Todoroki saw him there, static in front of him… Midoriya was now standing under the doorframe of his room with him as an intruder. Todoroki knew that his hair was tousled from running his hands over it as he ran there; it was revealed by the nervous way in which he was trying to blindly arrange the strands. Midoriya's confused and surprised expression before closing the door screamed: When could he have entered to my room?
Todoroki walked approaching the door, and passed very close to his friend as he tried to look away from his semi-naked body. "Why do these things always happen to me?" He decided it would be best to leave him alone to get dressed and kept walking until he had one hand on the doorknob. "I can't stay here while he's like this."
"Boom!" The slam of the door echoed in Todoroki's ears as he was crushed against the wood. "What happened?" He thought surprised, his face essentially glued to the door; yes, he had hurt him a little.
"Todoroki, just don't go now." Midoriya had his friend cornered. "Please!"
"But don't yell, Midoriya." It was a bit difficult for him to speak normally.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, pulling a few millimeters apart.
"Midoriya." It was hard for him to turn around.
"Todoroki…" His voice sounded very strange. "You shouldn't go out now."
"All the guys must have heard the door slam," he whispered as if it were a good excuse.
"They'll see you if you go outside now." Midoriya looked up at the eyes of the boy in front of him, he could only see the blue one. "Better stay and hide if someone wants to enter."
"You're right about that but…" Todoroki turned his face away, unable to meet him gaze. "I don't think it's a good idea," he murmured, putting a hand over his chest.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you," Midoriya said, removing his hands from the door.
"Do not worry." Todoroki turned fully and leaned the back of his head against the wood.
"I promise I won't do it again." Midoriya wasn't completely backing away from him.
"I was looking for you and since I couldn't find you, I stayed here to wait for you," Todoroki lied, lowering his face a little.
"I was training." Midoriya tried to return his gaze to his friend's eyes. "Sorry, I didn't tell you anything."
"Don't worry about it." Todoroki wanted to collect his thoughts before saying something else. "Besides, I am the one who has to apologize. I'm stupid... Sometimes fear can get the best of me and I just do nothing. Sometimes I act without thinking it through and end up saying or doing the wrong things. Sometimes…"
"Todoroki…" Midoriya interrupted, bringing his hands close to his friend's. "We are both fools. We both act bad and find out when it's already too late."
"But I was terribly mean to you when we were in the kitchen, I made fun of you and that was very disrespectful." Todoroki squeezed Midoriya's hands tightly between his own. "I thought that my joke would lighten the mood but it separated us more."
"I thought the same thing last night when I said to stay away and I hurt you." Midoriya didn't take his hands away from his friend's. "You have nothing to apologize for because we both did things that are wrong."
They both looked down at their hands, one on top of the other, static, leaving them loosely gasping for air. Todoroki wasn't going to get tired of stroking his scarred and slightly scratchy skin, it didn't matter; in fact, it didn't bother him at all because it reminded him how much Midoriya has helped him. "It all started that afternoon during the festival… I really appreciate it".
Todoroki knew that they were just a couple of centimeters apart and was aware of the fact that either of them could lean close towards the other… but he was also sure that, although the idea sounded tempting, no one was thinking of doing so, at least not yet; not at that time. It would not be a good idea to end the apology by being carried away like that.
"I can't believe that even the light switch is from All Might." Todoroki tried to change the subject, laughing softly as he said it.
"I brought the things I used to use in my room." Midoriya was already starting to turn red, he opened his eyes more than necessary and bit his lip nervously.
"I wish I could have decorated my room like this when I was little," Todoroki said with a shrug.
"And Endeavor?" Midoriya knew he was touching a sensible topic. "I'm sorry, but…," he still asked him, "he was the one who wouldn't let you, right?"
"How could something of the symbol of peace and his unbeatable competition enter the house of the number two hero?" Todoroki looked down further, staring at the ground until his eyes were almost closed. "Impossible…"
"I understand…" Midoriya waited a few seconds before adding the next phrase with a small smile. "If you want I can give you a couple of things, I have many."
"No, no," Todoroki whispered, shaking his head. "No need."
"Come on, that could be fun." Midoriya was about to turn to see what he could give to his friend.
"Midoriya, not now." His voice got sadder as he stopped him; the smile he tried to put on his face didn't quite illuminate his eyes.
"Were you here for something specific?" Midoriya asked, glancing at Todoroki's pale fingers curled around his left wrist.
"I wanted to apologize," Todoroki said, separating his body off the wood. "I can go now so you can change."
"Someone could see you outside," Midoriya murmured, moving closer to his friend to make sure he heard. "It's too risky."
Todoroki heard what he said but couldn't process it. He had his friend, again, almost a foot away and what he wanted the most was to place a hand on his chin to bring him closer and kiss him. "You had just discarded the idea so as to not complicate things further." He couldn't ignore what he was feeling. He tried not focusing on how dark it was outside and that they were too close. "I could run a hand over his chest without major problems."
He locked the door with his free hand and looked up into the green eyes of the boy in front of him, who was staring at him in surprise. He was so close that he could see a few drops of sweat falling down Midoriya's forehead, he followed one with his gaze until it was lost in his eyebrow, then wiped the few that were left with the sleeve of his jacket.
He kept going down to his slightly dilated pupils. "Will he refuse if I do it now?" Todoroki hoped he hadn't misunderstood the intensity of his gaze and risked wrapping his left arm around his waist, pulling him until the fabric of his jacket and clinging to him near his chest.
He brought the hand on his wrist up to his neck, gently brushing his arm, slowly outlining his muscles; just enjoying the moment. He stroked his jawbone with his thumb and, before he regretted it, he brought his lips close to Midoriya's.
He hadn't noticed the color of Midoriya's eyes before. Well, he did know they were green because they caught his attention at some point, but now it seemed like they were of a lighter shade, more aquamarine. Maybe it was because of the moment or the lighting, or a mixture of both, and he was enthralled looking into his big eyes.
"It's really hard to not shorten the distance and kiss him once more, it is becoming very difficult for me to maintain the space and not get close to his thin lips again. I want them!" Todoroki was aware of how extreme he could sound but he also thought a little about the calming sensation that his friend transmitted to him and about how complicated their relationship would become if they ended up crossing that fine line between friends and something else. "With how many kisses do we start to stop being just friends?"
Todoroki thought it would be a good idea to use his quirk but, before he could activate it, Midoriya moved away from him as if he had burned him very hard. "Did I just accidentally use it?" Todoroki thought he could have gone too far because of the way he reacted and his heart skipped a beat when he felt Midoriya's hand pressing against his chest, pushing to lean him against the door, and kiss him unexpectedly. He had to admit that he was struck by the softness of Midoriya's lips. "They didn't feel that way last night." With that he finally confirmed that he never wanted to stop trying them.
He felt Midoriya's hand move from his chest to the nape of his neck, pressing his shoulder in the way, and he began to play with the short strands of hair that swirled over his skin. "What are you doing, Midoriya?" He raised his fingers to the crown of his head and relaxed him with the delicacy with which he entangled the strands between his them; pushing him further into the need he felt.
He didn't move away from him, aware of how slowly his own lips were moving, of the almost zero experience he had and how hard their hearts were beating; he could hear it. He kept his back against the door, breathing erratically. He didn't think about it before caressing his lips with the tip of his tongue, moistening them and unconsciously hinting to Midoriya to increase the intensity of the kiss.
That sour taste he'd felt the night before was starting to get lighter and, like a switch, he knew what the smell was. "Tangerine." He thought, sighing, still kissing him; he wanted to get drunk with his essence. Todoroki got closer to Midoriya in an attempt to deepen the kiss; he bit his lips, placing his hand over his chin to raise him and thus shorten the space that he had to lower his head.
Midoriya walked away and Todoroki didn't want to open his eyes yet; he thought that with that he could more clearly keep what happened in his memory. He regretted that decision when, after a few seconds, he saw Midoriya's dilated pupils and the pinkish blush that covered his face. "It gives him an even more angel-like look." He could see them more clearly now, the freckles that adorned his cheeks and drown him in the need to kiss them again, count them and caress them too. He tried to get closer but Midoriya stopped him, placing both hands over his chest.
Todoroki wanted to ask him what had happened but he was sure that he couldn't pronounce his name no matter how much he wanted to, so he only returned his gaze to Midoriya's eyes. "Now they look darker than before... I love this!" He remained in the same position, facing his friend and with his back against the door, waiting for him to say something or explain why he stopped and got away like that. He knew the expression on his face could scream at Midoriya that he didn't understand what was happening.
Suddenly he remembered why many times he wanted to be like the boy in front of him. "Always be brave; never let anything scare you so much that it makes you stay paralyzed." Although this time, neither Midoriya seemed to follow his own advice. That phrase had been repeated to him on a few occasions, many during those nights when they spoke until dawn, and now he realized that it took an intimate moment between them to not comply with it.
The pressure of Midoriya's hands on the fabric of his jacket eased as he pushed his fingers away and slipped one of his hands to his right wrist, pulling him to follow. They stopped in front of the desk and his gaze fell on the only picture that didn't have an All Might frame. "That's us." It was a photo of the two of them in the common room although he didn't understand where that image had come from. Midoriya was sitting on one of the armrests of the sofas and he was just peering at the floor next to him.
"Taneo Tokuda took it when he came to interview us," Midoriya whispered, grabbing the frame.
"You were ignoring us more than usual that day." Todoroki didn't mean for it to sound like a claim.
"It was a strange day." Midoriya handed him the photograph. "Do you remember what we were talking about that afternoon?"
Todoroki denied taking the silver metallic frame and dedicated himself to detailing each part of the image. He first noticed what seemed most common to him: the green sofa, their school uniforms, Midoriya's badly tied tie, the cups of tea that were on the table, the red strands of his hair that had mixed with the whites...
"You were telling me about how you used to play to be All Might with your mom." Todoroki turned his face away from him when he remembered what he had said to him.
"I still don't know what led me to talk to you about that…" Midoriya was staring at the desk, "but I'm glad I did."
"You had a very beautiful childhood, Midoriya," he whispered as his gaze grew sad.
"Not everything was," he muttered just as Todoroki fell silent.
"But you had a close family." His tone was laced with pain and anger. "I wish I could say the same."
"Hey, Todoroki. Do not think about that." Midoriya turned to see him. "You can have the same experiences now."
"I don't know, Midoriya." Todoroki didn't like to talk about those subjects because it meant giving more details than he was willing to at the moment.
It seemed that Midoriya was about to start muttering, Todoroki could almost see an idea forming in his mind, but he couldn't know his plan until he saw him walk away from him in the direction of the bed. He sat on it and pulled the blanket up to his head. Todoroki only saw a small blue, red and yellow mountain, because of the colors of All Might's blanket, and he smiled at the image in front of him.
"Help, I'm in danger!" Midoriya said acting out the fact that he had to be yelling, pretending he was in a predicament.
"What are you doing, Midoriya?" He asked with a short laugh.
"Poor me, isn't there any hero around?" He questioned, still hidden under the covers.
Todoroki didn't know what to do. It seemed funny to him what Midoriya was doing and knowing that he wasn't really in danger, he remained standing next to the desk; waiting to see if something actually happened to him.
"I can't breathe…" Midoriya whispered, it really sounded like someone was choking him.
"Let's play along."
Todoroki raised his right hand and pretended to throw ice at his imaginary opponent, immobilizing him in his cold prison. He climbed onto the bed and pulled the blanket off Midoriya before extending a hand to help him escape. He lowered him off the bed first, like a good hero, lifting him up a little so as not to drag him over the mattress, and set him down on the floor, pulling his hands away from his hips when he saw his feet touch the floor.
"Thank you very much, you are my hero," he said just before he released him.
"Get away from here, I'll take care of the villain," Todoroki muttered at the same time, motioning for him to leave.
Midoriya staggered when he hit the ground and would have fallen if it weren't for Todoroki still being next to him; he wrapped an arm around his waist again, pulling him near to prevent him from falling. But he himself seemed to have little strength because they fell to the ground together, one on top of the other; Todoroki on top of Midoriya.
Immediately there was a laugh interrupted by Todoroki's hand covering Midoriya's mouth, preventing him from attracting attention and making his friend's eyes widen in surprise. Todoroki could see his friend's cheeks turn red and feel them start to heat up. "What am I even doing?"
Todoroki had one hand resting on the ground, bearing his own weight, and one leg on either side of Midoriya's hips, giving him a bit of stability. "I think it's better of I get up." The hands of his friend took him by surprise, removing the hand that was still trying to cover his mouth and reaching for the collar of his shirt.
His heart stopped beating. Todoroki felt like he was floating momentarily. "What's going on?" He pushed both arms trying to get away from Midoriya but he kept his hand firmly grasping the part of the shirt that was visible above his jacket, and he began to feel the heat invade his face.
"Midoriya…" he muttered in an almost unintelligible tone; not knowing what to do.
"Todoroki..." he imitated him, without moving a single muscle and keeping his gaze fixed on his heterochromatic eyes.
"What are we doing?" He questioned, swallowing hard, waiting for him to illuminate his mind.
"I thought this is what you wanted…" he whispered, biting his lower lip, "isn't it, Todoroki?"
"I, uh, no... I mean... I don't know," he replied without blinking, not wanting to miss a second of the glow irradiating from his friend's gaze.
Midoriya's grip decreased in intensity, now he only had two of his fingers brushing very lightly against the fabric, almost as if he didn't want to get away from him but also wasn't trying to pull him again. In a matter of seconds, Midoriya moved his fingers to the clasp of his jacket and began unzipping it, following the movement with his gaze.
He was halfway with it when Todoroki stopped him, trapping his fingers with his left hand and making him lift his face to see him, trying to decipher what he was thinking. "He can't be comfortable on the floor like this." Todoroki didn't want to interrupt what Midoriya was doing but he cared about him. "It's pretty hard" He thought wrapping his friend's wrist with his fingers.
He rose to his feet, lifting Midoriya with him, and they froze near the bed. Both with their arms stretched out beside their bodies. Todoroki didn't dare to do what his body was crying out for; he was afraid of succumbing to the sensations he could experience. He could feel the slight trembling of Midoriya's lower lip indicating that at any moment he would break. "What did I do? Please, don't cry now."
He looked away from his eyes, he didn't want to see his tears from so close. Every time he knew that Midoriya was crying, he couldn't bear the feeling that came over him, he could not bear that he saw him with glassy eyes. "How are you able to make me feel like this?" Todoroki was on the edge of his own nerves, motionless and without saying a word; just staring at the end of the bed; waiting for something to happen.
Midoriya sniffed before raising a hand and bringing it close to Todoroki's face, startling him from the contact, causing him to take a couple of steps back as he placed his own hand where he had touched. He didn't risk looking up as he was aware of the tears that were beginning to fall down his own cheeks, forcing him to turn around; turning his back to his friend.
The silence remained until Midoriya approached him and hugged him from behind, resisting when Todoroki tried to push him away. "I am ashamed, he shouldn't see me like this." Todoroki watched his friend's hands entwine over his chest and curled his lips in a sad smile, stopping breathing for a moment. "I know that with him I can't stop smiling."
Todoroki, although he was still afraid, surrendered to the feeling. He broke Midoriya's embrace by separating his hands and turning completely to face him. He drew him by his shoulders and wrapped his friend's arms under his, pressing him against his body as tightly as he had ever done. Without qualms or regrets, he only wanted to tell him with that hug all that he needed, what he had longed for so long but that he wouldn't have realized if it hadn't been for what he had done with him the night before.
"Why does it have to be him?" It wasn't the first time that Todoroki thought that and it wouldn't be the last. He didn't know if it was the right thing to do or not, nor did he wanted to think about it at the time. He preferred to ignore the feeling that was beginning to form in his chest. "What did he do to lead me to be like this?" He tried with all his might not to swallow the tears and get out the sobs that had been choking his throat.
He could hear him do the same. He felt it in the cold that stalked his right shoulder, where Midoriya was hiding his face, wetting the fabric of his jacket with his tears. "I'll be soaking his green hair." He hugged him even tighter; just about to lift him in the air.