Thank you so much for all your support :) I'm aware that school has started back up for a lot of people (and probably for a lot of my readers as well).

Would you all prefer for me to post every two weeks instead? Let me know!

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Letters From A Fan

Chapter 3

~Time-Skip: 2 Weeks~

Todoroki had seen Midoriya at various villain attacks throughout the weeks following their lunch at the diner. He still had a big smile on his face and would stare dreamily at the heroes as they worked, but now that the dual user was really paying attention, he noticed that he'd occasionally take out a notebook and write stuff down.

It occurred to him that Izuku could be a reporter, the thought making him laugh slightly. That would explain why he was always getting in tough situations, but Shoto didn't think he'd ever seen his name in the papers.

He also noticed that Bakugo would flicker his eyes over to the quirkless man every so often, smirking when Midoriya would blush and bounce in excitement. But other than that, the blonde didn't act like he even knew him.

Todoroki made sure to keep his distance whenever Ground Zero was on the scene, not wanting to cause an issue between the blonde and Midoriya or start another near fight like they'd had at the Gala. He was certain that boys black eye had been brought on by what he'd insinuated that night.

Shoto sighed as he finally made it home, immediately going to search through his fan mail. He smiled when he finally found the one he was looking for, wishing now more than ever that there was a return address or some hint as to who the person really was. With their level of analysis and detailed focus, they'd probably know how he could help Midoriya.

To his continued frustration, the letter only included suggestions and notes from the fights he'd been in during the last week, no personal stories or their one-sided jokes. It was actually much shorter than normal and the writing was scribbled, unlike the delicate etchings he'd grown fond of.

Todoroki frowned, not liking the abrupt change in style that had started two weeks prior. Now, he was starting to wonder if this Deku was in trouble or upset. It bothered him even more that he couldn't ask the man or woman what was happening to cause the shift.

As he continued to contemplate how useless and miserable he felt, his cell started ringing and he answered it absentmindedly, not bothering to check who it was.

"T-Todoroki?"

Shoto was immediately focused on the voice, easily recognizing its soft yet stressed sound as Izuku's. His stomach fell with dread and he had to suppress the urge to let his own voice shake. "Midoriya… What's wrong?"

"C-could… I mean… You said to call if I needed-"

"DAMN IT YOU LITTLE FUCK! HANG UP THAT PHONE BEFORE I BREAK YOUR FUCKING HAND!"

"N-N-Nevermind. I'm s-sorry I bothered you!"

"Midoriya where are y-" Todoroki started, the call ending mid-sentence. Blood began pounding in his ears, making him almost dizzy with anger and worry. He clicked through his contacts and dialed Jiro, pacing impatiently as the line rang.

"Uh… hey man… What's up?" Kaminari answered, his voice unsure.

"Put your girlfriend on the phone," Todoroki ordered coldly.

"Hello?"

"I need you to trace a cell phone for me; it's urgent," Todoroki explained quickly, telling Earphone jack all the information she needed and writing down what she told him. "Keep me updated if it moves somewhere, okay?"

"Uh… Alright dude, just chill. It sounds like you're about to set off a firestorm."

Shoto hung up and nearly growled. He'd do a lot more than that if he ran into Bakugo right then.

Todoroki was about to combust into flames and a hailstorm of ice by the time the phone's signal stopped moving and he caught up to it. He ran as fast as his legs would take him across an old park, finding the boy sitting in a swing and crying.

"Midoriya! Are you alright?" he gasped out, his lungs still burning from running around.

The boy's head snapped up at his voice and he stood quickly, backing away and further into the shadowy areas.

Todoroki put his hands up and stopped moving forward, trying to show him that he wasn't a threat. "It's me…" he stated, "I said I'd come to help you and I'm here…"

He could hear Midoriya sniffling and could vaguely see him holding onto himself for comfort. He barely knew the boy and yet it made his heart break to see him so upset, especially when what he did know told him that Izuku was generally happy.

He slowly started stepping forward again, being careful not to scare Midoriya away. When he finally reached the teen, he almost sighed in relief, pulling him into a hesitant hug. "Tell me what happened…"

Izuku whimpered slightly, shaking his head against Todoroki's chest. "It was stupid… I shouldn't have called and bothered you. I'm sorry. I'm just going to walk around until he calms down and then go back home… Kacchan will be worried about me."

Shoto almost shuddered in anger, glaring off into the distance as he held Midoriya more tightly. "Come home with me tonight… It's not safe for you to be running around in the dark and I wanted to talk to you about something anyway."

Izuku pushed back roughly, shaking his head once more. "I can't! Kacchan would get really mad at me if he knew I was with you all night. I s-shouldn't even be talking to you right now!"

"Midoriya…" Todoroki started gently, taking the boys hands in his own. "Turn off your phone and come with me. I'll protect you from him."

Izuku was shaking he was so upset, but he managed a hollow laugh. "I'm not afraid of him, Todoroki. I just don't want him to think I'm being unfaithful to him! You went to school with Kacchan so you know once he gets something in his head he won't let it go."

"Bakugo doesn't have to know that you're with me… I promise not to say anything about this to anyone. The only other person that even knows I was looking for you is Earphone Jack and maybe Chargebolt and I trust their discretion." Todoroki assured, gently pulling him back towards the park's exit.

Midoriya hiccupped and let Shoto lead him away, shivering slightly in the cold night air. He gave the dual user a guilty, embarrassed smile when he pulled him into his left side, using his quirk to keep him warm. "Thanks…" he muttered quietly.

Todoroki hummed in acknowledgment, giving him a gentle squeeze.

Midoriya looked around in awe and curiosity when he stepped into Todoroki's large home. It was so much different than the place he shared with Bakugo; the blonde preferred a very modern style while Shoto clearly liked traditional Japanese.

He was so caught up in taking everything in that he didn't notice how his host was observing him. But Shoto's eyes were filled with worry rather than amusement.

"You have blood on your shirt," Todoroki stated, gaining the boy's attention.

Midoriya touched it quietly, his face holding a bit of shame. "It's not mine… I busted Kacchan's lip on accident and it got on me… Would… Would you mind if I took a shower?"

Todoroki narrowed his eyes in suspicion but nodded, showing him to the spare bathroom and offering him clean clothes. He waited semi-patiently for the boy to come back out, still fighting the urge to track down Bakugo's house and knock him into next year.

"Are you sure you don't mind me staying here?" Midoriya asked, startling Shoto some. He hadn't even heard the young man walk into the living room.

"Why would I mind?"

Izuku shrugged some, his cheeks dusted pink. Seeing the messy-haired boy flushed, still slightly wet, and in his too large clothes reminded Shoto of how attractive he found him. He soon noticed the scars that trailed up his toned arms though.

It occurred to Todoroki that this was the first time he'd seen him in anything that wasn't long sleeved and he wondered if his legs and torso were covered too. How had he received such damage to his body? Was Bakugo the culprit? He also saw fresh bruises and burn marks as well as his cast missing. "Did he do that to you? Do I need to take you to the hospital to get a new wrap on your arm?

"No! Of course not! I mean… not all of them… They were mostly my fault when I ran into villains without Kacchan around to protect me. If he wasn't such a well-known hero I probably would have been left hurt a lot worse actually. He always calls one of his associates who has a healing quirk if I'm injured really badly." Midoriya stated, looking at his crooked fingers sadly. "And the break is pretty much healed at this point, so no need to worry."

Todoroki clicked his tongue, gesturing for Izuku to come closer. Once he did, the dual user reached out and brushed his fingers down a particularly large scar that ran down the length of his upper arm. He could feel Izuku shiver slightly and turned his attention to his eyes.

"I… I can cover them if they bother you… Kacchan doesn't like looking at them either so I don't mind…"

Shoto furrowed his brows slightly. With the scald mark on his own face, he knew how hard it was to have people insinuate that he should be ashamed of scars and didn't want Izuku to feel that way around him.

He sighed slightly, turning his attention to the more recent injuries that could probably use some of the burn cream and bandages he'd gotten out just in case. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, Midoriya. I don't mind your scars at all and they don't detract from your considerable beauty… I'm sure these burns sting, let me treat them before you get some rest."

Todoroki almost smiled when the boys face lit up like a red sun, his blush reaching all the way down his neck. He listened patiently as Midoriya stumbled over his words, attempting to thank him and failing to get it out fully. "Are you surprised that I'm gay?"

Izuku just about dropped into the chair Todoroki had pulled out for him, his legs like jelly as they tried to hold him up. "Uhm… I mean kind of? You always hang around Creati so I just figured…"

Shoto let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head as he started tending to the scattered burns that he could see. "Purely platonic…"

Midoriya smiled bashfully again, quietly letting Todoroki's skilled fingers speckle his arms with Band-Aids. Soon though, he started chewing on his lip nervously, eyeing the dual user apprehensively. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something earlier?"

Todoroki paused some, his jaw tensing slightly. "That's right… I've noticed that you take notes at all the attacks you're at and I assume that you must be some sort of writer. I'm aware that it is a long shot, but have you heard of the Analysis Hero, Deku?"

Shoto saw Midoriya pale considerably and realized he hadn't just heard of Deku, but probably knew who he or she was. His heart leapt in his chest, making him happier than he'd been in a long time. "You know him or her?"

Izuku nodded hesitantly, obviously uncomfortable with the conversation. "Deku is uh… it's a nickname… You know… to protect their identity."

"Who are they? Are they alright? How do you know them and why do they need their identity protected from other heroes?" Todoroki spewed, ignoring the way Izuku squirmed from his line of questions.

"Ummm… I mean… I can't answer most of that, but why are you worried something is wrong with them?"

Shoto reached across the kitchen counter and pulled the still open letter back towards them, showing it to Izuku. It made him feel slightly embarrassed to be showing them to someone else, but he couldn't help but feel at ease around this quirkless boy… like he'd known him for years.

"Deku has written me a letter a week for years now… I keep them all. Anyway, they eventually became more personal and friendly but, over the last couple of weeks that changed as you can see from this one. They also aren't written in his or her usual handwriting. I know it's premature for me to worry since they are still coming, but… I'm worried about them."

Midoriya took the paper slowly, his eyes trained on it with almost disbelief. "You kept all of them?" he whispered.

Todoroki furrowed his brows and nodded, not really understanding why it was relevant.

Izuku seemed to snap out of his stupor and coughed, clearing his throat. "Deku is alright… You don't have to worry about him."

"Him?" Todoroki breathed, watching Izuku blush and nod. He felt his own cheeks heat up with nervousness, but he forced himself to ask the question that was burning in his chest. "Will you give him a message for me?"

Midoriya nodded slowly, handing the letter back to Shoto. He hoped he'd be able to listen to what the dual user wanted to say without passing out from fear of being caught. He couldn't imagine how pissed Todoroki would be if he found out that he was actually Deku.

But he couldn't deny that it made him incredibly happy to know that Todoroki had been keeping his letters all this time, cherishing them instead of just throwing them away. In truth, Duality was the only hero he wrote to every week and one of a small few that he actually wrote personalized notes to.

"Could you tell Deku that I'd like some way to contact him? It doesn't have to include any face to face meeting or anything too invasive… I just… I feel like he's been my best friend for years now and I've never even spoken to him." Todoroki explained, not realizing that he was currently speaking to his elusive friend.

Midoriya nodded again let out a breathy sigh, still not believing that he'd been such an important part of the young hero's life. If he was honest, he actually considered Shoto to be his best friend too and they'd never had actual contact until that distressing night at the hospital.

The reason his handwriting had changed was that he was using his nondominant arm to write, and he'd kept his letters more analytical after the night of the Heroes Gala. Bakugo had come home pissed that Todoroki had confronted him and snooped through Midoriya's stuff, reading one of the letters he was getting ready to send to Shoto.

He'd become even more enraged and gave Izuku a black eye when he'd initially refused to rewrite it with only necessary information. Midoriya didn't want to risk making his blonde angry again and he didn't want to lose Todoroki once he realized it was his quirkless self that had been writing to him.

"I will let you know as soon as I do" he responded carefully. Shoto seemed to accept that answer though and he relaxed slightly, the two going back to finishing his doctoring so that they could get some sleep.

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