It all started with a few little nose twitches. Out of the corner of his eye, Todoroki could see Midoriya's freckles bouncing on his cheeks as he scrunched up his nose repeatedly, looking somewhat like a rabbit when they're incessantly sniffing the air around them. The image of Midoriya in his hero costume with its pointy ears, popped to the forefront of his mind right then and there and he would never tell anyone that his first thought was to edit whiskers into a photo.

But after almost a minute of these strange movements, Midoriya started to wave his hands wildly before digging frantically into his bag for something. He dragged out a tissue just in time to sneeze loudly into it and startle Todoroki into jumping in his seat. A few people lifted their heads from their books to stare daggers at the mossy haired teen who simply smiled bashfully in return, mouthing an apology for making a ruckus in the otherwise quiet library. Todoroki simply shrugged it off, not really understanding why anyone would give Midoriya the stink eye for sneezing. It's not like he could help it.

They both went back to their respective studies, Midoriya pulling the infamous blue scarf further over his mouth to keep warm, having kept it with him since that snowy morning at Todoroki's insistence. He really didn't need it for warmth when he had his quirk to help in that particular department, plus he liked the way the other blushed when burying his face further into the soft fabric and right now was no exception. Although, his cheeks seemed to be donning a permanent pink hue in the last few hours, but pointing that out would reveal that he'd been stealing glances at those freckled cheeks whenever he wasn't looking. That and he would rub his temples from time to time, though Todoroki just assumed that all this studying was taking its toll. Hell, even he was starting to get a little tired at this point.

Noticing a shiver run through the shorter boy, Todoroki scooted his chair a little closer, not saying a word because he knew that the other would get the hint. True to his expectations, Midoriya also dragged his seat towards his left side, their knees touching as Todoroki hooked his ankle around his boyfriend's, warmth radiating up his leg. Midoriya smiled a little to himself, about to voice his thanks when he was interrupted by a sudden gasp and another sneeze that he obviously wasn't expecting. He covered his mouth with his arm, not having quick enough reflexes to get a tissue again. Sniffling slightly, Midoriya finally reached for one and blew his nose into it as quietly as he could manage.

This would've been the end of it, if not for the fact that the sneezing got increasingly more frequent and much more violent throughout their study session. At one point, Midoriya almost knocked his chair backward with the force of the sneeze and Todoroki narrowed his eyes at him, raising an eyebrow at him with equal parts confusion, concern and curiosity.

"Are you okay?" Todoroki whispered, trying not to rouse any more angry stares from the other students around them.

"'m fine…" Midoriya sniffled into yet another tissue, his green eyes taking on a glossy quality to it, half-lidded and red-rimmed.

He turned back to his books and, after staring at his flushed cheeks for a few long heartbeats, Todoroki did the same. That was until Midoriya broke into a chain of seemingly infinite sneezes that barely left gaps in between for him to breathe. Todoroki blinked at him a few times before asking again if he was alright.

"Yeah, must be coming down with something…" His words were a little bit slurred and his eyelids were slowly drooping closed. Todoroki could only watch as Midoriya's head suddenly fell forward, faceplanting the table so hard it drew a series of "Shh!" from everyone around them as he shot back up with a high pitched "I'm okay!"

Wide-eyed, Todoroki just stared with his mouth ajar, hands hovering somewhere in between them as he tried to decide what exactly he should do with them. In the end, he resolved to rub his back with his left one for a moment before bringing his right up to Midoriya's forehead. As soon as it made contact, he felt the skin scalding hot, pulling it back immediately to gather their things.

"You're burning up, Midoriya." Todoroki offered in answer to the unvoiced question in his boyfriend's eyes as he followed the books with them.

"Wait, that's not fair, you used your right hand. Anything would feel hot like that." Midoriya mumbled, holding back his notebooks before Todoroki had a chance to put them inside his bag.

With a sigh, the other shifted to face him, brushing a few strands of green hair away from his bleary eyes before pressing his left palm to his forehead. Even with the slightly warmer temperature of his hand, Midoriya still felt much too hot to be healthy and Todoroki pulled his lips to a taut line as he dropped the hand back down to his side.

"You're still burning up."

"Okay, maybe you're right… Gimme back the other hand." Without waiting for a response, Midoriya grabbed Todoroki's cooler hand and pressed his face into it, humming contentedly as he nuzzled his palm. "So cool…"

Words completely failed the ice and fire hero in training then, baffled at Midoriya's behaviour when usually he was careful not to do anything even remotely outwardly affectionate without asking for permission first. But here he was, rubbing his face into Todoroki's hand with no restraint whatsoever and letting out little noises of elation as if it was the best thing in the world. He was like a small cat, happily using him for his own selfish needs until he deemed enough. Of course, that probably wasn't his thought process at all, but the image itself was much too similar for him not to draw the parallel. It kind of made him want to scratch behind his ears to see if Midoriya would purr.

Todoroki felt his own cheeks heat up the tiniest bit, clearing his throat and shifting in his seat when Midoriya looked up at him while holding his hand over his mouth. Some clarity seemed to shine back into his eyes then and he let go of Todoroki, backing away just enough to give him space as blood crawled up to his cheeks and made them even more flushed. It was a lovely shade on him, despite the reason behind it.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking straight."

"That's okay, but you should probably get some rest" Todoroki reassured him, continuing to put their things away while he tried to regain some semblance of composure.

He slung his bag over his shoulder and did the same with Midoriya's own backpack before he could even begin to protest. He bowed his head to the few people who were still staring angrily at them with an apology for their ruckus and they went back to whatever they were doing. Todoroki turned back to Midoriya, finding him still sitting with his head propped up on one of his hands, one eye closed and the other open just a slit. That could only indicate that if he wasn't already asleep he was failing miserably at attempting to keep himself awake. Todoroki shook his shoulder lightly and Midoriya let out a low groan.

"Midoriya, let's go."

"Toki-kun… head hurts." The mumbled words were barely perceptible, but Todoroki could definitely tell that at least half of his name was missing from that sentence.

It was nearly impossible to stop the little twitch at the corner of his mouth, trying to pull his lips into a fond smile. Somewhat glazed over green eyes barely opened to look up and Todoroki, the struggle to keep them from closing evident with the way his lids fluttered every other second. With a heavy sigh, Midoriya finally found the energy to lift himself up from his seat, dragging his feet by Todoroki's side as they made their way from the library back to the dorms.

Todoroki couldn't help but notice the way Midoriya swayed with each step, and he gritted his teeth, unsure of whether it was appropriate to find it cute when he was clearly not feeling well. When his boyfriend tripped on thin air and stumbled, Todoroki was quick to react, holding onto his arm before he actually had a chance to even tip forward. With a gasp, Midoriya steadied himself, holding on to Todoroki's forearm and mumbling a word of gratitude that the other almost missed from how quiet it was.

The muted and subdued behaviour was so unlike Midoriya that it made Todoroki's chest tighten in sympathy, especially when he noticed the subtle tremor of his limbs. Without uttering a word, Todoroki approached Midoriya from the right, shifting the bags he was carrying to the other side so that he could comfortably wrap his left arm around Midoriya's waist. His boyfriend jumped the tiniest bit, not expecting the contact, eyes widened in mild surprise as he looked to Todoroki with a question in his gaze. Todoroki felt heat rising to his cheeks and simply stared the other way, pulling Midoriya closer so that he could hold on for warmth or support. Whichever he felt like he needed most, Todoroki would give.

Finally giving in, Midoriya leaned his head on Todoroki's shoulder, letting his eyes close every once in a while, trusting that he'd lead him safely to the dorms. Todoroki's heart beat hard and fast from behind his ribcage, the proximity not unwelcome but strangely new. He stole glances at Midoriya's head, not seeing much beyond the unruly curls that tickled the tip of his nose if he got too close and he took in deep breaths to calm himself. The sudden, loud sneeze that made both of them shake when Todoroki was tentatively leaning closer frightened him back into stiffness.

As they trudged along side by side, Midoriya growing increasingly lax against him, Todoroki's mind started racing with the weight of the situation. Midoriya seemed to be incredibly sick, with a fever high enough to burn even his left hand, and Todoroki had absolutely no clue what to do. He rarely ever got sick, and when he did, it was something mild that he could just sleep off with minor effort. Something about dehydration had a ring of familiarity in the back of his mind, and it sort of made sense given that when he got overheated, Todoroki would more often than not feel parched

The cold air outside hit his face as soon as they were out of the building and he felt Midoriya shiver against his arm. It was as he turned to make sure that he was alright that he started noticing the way Midoriya's breaths were a little too shallow for comfort. His feet were dragging almost painfully and it seemed like he was having more and more trouble keeping his eyes open and himself upright. Even with Todoroki to hold him up.

Taking a deep breath, Todoroki stopped moving, Midoriya stopping immediately without him actually pulling him along. After one quick glance around to make sure they were mostly alone, Todoroki raised the arm around the other's waist a little closer to his shoulders, bending down to sweep his legs off the floor and heave him up close to his chest. Midoriya let out a little yelp and he almost thought he'd hear a complaint to put him down. Yet, the shorter teen was so far gone, that all he managed to do was let his forehead fall into the crook of Todoroki's neck and cough weakly.

"How long have you been like this?" Todoroki asked with concern dripping from his words, getting a questioning hum in response that he actually didn't expect. "Tired, aching, feverish?"

"Yesterday? I thought it would just…" Midoriya trailed off, unfinished, his words slightly slurred and barely above a whisper.

Todoroki sighed with a small shake of his head, continuing on their way to the dorms with Midoriya curled up in his arms, most likely dozing off. When he finally stepped through the doors and was met with the curious glances of some of his classmates, Todoroki lowered his head, avoiding each and every single one. A trembling breath against his neck made him visibly shudder and he wasn't about to stick around to hear the snide comments that were sure to follow.

As fast as he could manage to carry a barely conscious Midoriya and two school bags full of notebooks, Todoroki kept walking towards the elevators. He made a point of ignoring the snickers aimed at the back of his head. It wasn't like he was embarrassed of being seen with Midoriya, he just wasn't keen on people using their budding relationship for their personal entertainment. Besides, he still had a sick boyfriend he had no idea how to properly take care of and those distractions wouldn't help. This was one of the many times he wished he could ask his mother for advice, she'd know what to do. Maybe he could text Fuyumi…?

"Shouto…" Todoroki's head snapped up at the use of his given name, eyes widening a fraction in shock as he stopped dead in his tracks.

He stared at Midoriya silently, blinking slowly at the boy who seemed to be completely still but for an occasional twitch or cold shiver. He was asleep. Midoriya was sleep talking. And he was saying his given name in his sleep. Todoroki swallowed thickly, feeling as if his face was suddenly on fire and fearing for his own personal health as he forced himself to tread the rest of the way to Midoriya's room.

After having a bit of an intense fight with the doorknob to get inside, he laid Midoriya down on his bed, ready to let him go. As it seemed, however, his sleepy boyfriend had other plans and clung desperately to his neck, pulling Todoroki down to the point that their noses were almost touching. A breath got stuck halfway down his throat, and he stared unblinkingly at the freckled cheeks mere inches from his face.

"Shouto… Don't go…"

A strangled noise died in Todoroki's mouth as soon as it tried to crawl out of it, his left side rising a few degrees in temperature. He could feel Midoriya's breath brushing lightly against his lips and the heat radiating from his reddened cheeks. His own heart was beating wildly against the hand he was gripping his chest with, making it hard to even think. Closing his eyes, Todoroki took a deep breath that came out in a cloud of frozen mist, willing his temperature to go back down as he counted backwards from ten. He reached around for Midoriya's arms and gingerly untangled them from him, albeit with a bit of effort. Small or not, he had a very strong grip.

Once he finally managed to straighten back up, not missing the way Midoriya's face scrunched up to a distressed scowl as soon as he let go, Todoroki ran a cool hand over the skin of his neck. Lowering the bags down to the floor by Midoriya's desk, he watched the other curl into a tiny ball and start shivering violently. Todoroki wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, sitting down at the edge of the bed and laying his right hand over Midoriya's burning forehead. He could only hope that the chill would help bring the fever down slightly, but he was at a loss for what to do about the trembling. Ironically, being a wielder of both ice and fire, he didn't know how to make Midoriya stop from simultaneously burning and freezing. It made him feel incredibly inadequate and incompetent, especially when he was certain that, were the roles switched, Midoriya would've had no trouble.

There was a knock at the door and Todoroki looked up from his boyfriend's huddled form to quietly tell whoever it was to come in. Uraraka's face poked inside and her expression softened as soon as she laid eyes on Midoriya.

"I noticed you come in." Todoroki only hummed in acknowledgment as she stepped inside with a jar of water and some pills. "I think this is kind of my fault," she smiled apologetically, leaving the things at the desk "dropping snow down his clothes and all…"

Todoroki was almost certain he must've been sick already, just not showing symptoms, and he assured her of that, mumbling a small 'thank you' for what she brought. Uraraka dismissed it with a wave, telling him to make sure Midoriya took one pill every six hours if his fever didn't go down and drink plenty of water.

"And make sure you keep him warm too." She added with a grin before sneaking back out and closing the door behind her.

He could only stare after her, mouth slightly agape and no words coming out. How was he supposed to do that? He could… He guessed he could wake him up and tell him to get under the covers… Yeah, that… that seemed like the best course of action, having to give him the medicine for the fever anyway.

Midoriya had an empty glass on his desk that Todoroki took to fill with some water, taking it towards him with one of the tablets. He shook his shoulder to nudge him awake for the second time that day and Midoriya slowly cracked his eyes open. They looked wet, as if he was on the verge of tears, and Todoroki felt his heart clench all over again.

"Here, take this." Almost robotically, Midoriya did as he was told, reaching for the glass of water to swallow it down as he rubbed his teary eyes and sat up. "You should get under the covers and get some sleep."

"Are you leaving?" Todoroki was a bit taken aback by the question, watching Midoriya's face intently for any hints of why he might want to know. He didn't have to search for long because the answer was given to him moments later. "I wish you'd stay…" His glistening green eyes turned towards the ground and his face grew redder.

Todoroki refilled Midoriya's glass and left it on the back of the bed, sitting next to him and fiddling with his thumbs on his lap. "If you want me to stay, I'll stay. But I wasn't planning on leaving anyway." He murmured quietly, resolving to tell the truth because he had no reason to lie.

With another shudder tearing through him, Midoriya began to lean against his left side, but Todoroki stopped him halfway through. Before he had a chance to even ask if something was wrong, Todoroki removed his shoes and slid further onto the bed, leaning his back against the wall. Then, he motioned for Midoriya to join him, feeling the blood slowly crawling up his neck but doing his best to ignore it. His boyfriend slowly took off his red trainers as well and moved to curl himself up by Todoroki's left, his head resting on his crossed legs. With the warmth steadily emanating off of Todoroki and a cool hand shifting some green locks from his forehead to lay there, Midoriya quickly let himself be swallowed by the darkness of sleep once more.

Todoroki's heart skipped several beats when he heard the whispered "Thank you, Shouto…" and he did his best not to actually let his quirk set him on fire. He may not know what he was supposed to do to help with his sickness, but warmth and comfort, that Todoroki felt like he could give. And so, he leaned his head back and let his eyes fall shut too, hoping that Midoriya would feel better soon, and trying not to dwell on how butterflies blossomed in his gut whenever he called his name. Secretly, he wished that this new development wouldn't end with his sickness.

NOTE: Just a cute little continuation to the Snow Day secret santa because I wanted a cute, cuddly Midoriya being sick and Todoroki trying his best to take care of him but being sort of at a loss... Hopefully you enjoyed this little fluffy short!

Feel free to leave any feedback you may have! ^-^