#periaske

[tiang0u]

peri have you been doing well recently? i hope that your christmas break is going well! have any projects planned or stuff? or anything that you want to share with ur fannnnnns, complete, incomplete, in the works, and the like? (sorry if i sound too thirsty or anything xD i just miss your writing so muchhh)

Anon, my friend, thank you for your concern! As you may be able to tell I don’t possess my usual lowercase spastic exclamatory aesthetic; currently bedridden from a pretty debilitating cold so it’s taken quite a toll! I’m finishing up some things for the td/dk zine, so I don’t have anything recent… but exploring emotional relationships and trauma narratives have always been on my mind, and I do feel pretty guilty that I’ve left a few people hanging, so here’s a piece that I’m always thinking about! (Ahaha, sorry, I took the opportunity to vent out some WIPs, since I’m currently at an impasse with writing!)

Of course, I haven’t really fleshed out any major plot points. Haha, I have all the tags and everything ready, but beyond that, a vague outline and some scenes. Even then, it’s long as hell; the outline itself. I estimate this fic would take at least 20k-30k, because I love wasting words. I guess this will give you perspective into just how disorganized I am~

I’ll probably never write it though. Just the thought of it is depressing, and writing angst fics always bums me out really long afterwards. I like the complexity of human interaction, but it’s draining. Thanks for giving me this opportunity to bring it into the world though!

we met in a sea of dreams (and again when i woke, you were not there, and i was alone.)

rating: mature

tags: angst, implied/referenced torture, implied/referenced child abuse, emotional hurt/comfort, emotional constipation, codependency, body horror, dreamsharing, trauma, friendship, pain

no pairings.

Midoriya Izuku is taken by the League of Villains in their second year. It goes exactly as well as you’d expect. Because the truth of it is they can’t be kids anymore, and the tragedy of it is that they can’t be anything else.

Todoroki Shouto’s first kiss is a sequence of clashing tongues.

A thick, heavy, wet one, in his mouth, pulsing the way a person retches. Pushing mingling saliva down his throat. Forcing him to swallow viscous spit.

Midoriya’s eyes are wide open, lips parted widely against his own, and it’s obscene, wet, profane, and horribly off, and when he catches his breath, Midoriya looks at him, conveying remorse, gratitude, sorrow, guilt, f - e - a - r—and the warp gate closes over his beaten form and falling arm, and separates them in all dimensions.

Todoroki Shouto wakes up choking, lungs burning for air.

As you can tell, this does not bode well. Todoroki is catatonic for a few days; and then one day, he asks for water. And Todoroki doesn’t like hospitals, so he doesn’t cooperate with the nurses; he gets released, gets cleared for school, but not for training or active duty, not by the psychiatrists or Aizawa. One, psychologically. Second, his right arm is entirely shattered.

“The principal and All Might,” Aizawa says, as an afterthought, “want to check up on you.”

“Is that the only reason why,” Shouto says.

There are multiple questions. Why Aizawa has asked him to sit this one out. Why they want to meet him. “Recovery Girl’s orders,” Aizawa answers. “And no.”

Aizawa doesn’t lie to him. That’s nice.

“When.”

“Lunch time. You can take your lunch over there.”

Aizawa is halfway out the door, making his way to the training field where Shouto’s classmates wait, before he leans back in. His face is unreadable.

“If you don’t submit to a psych evaluation by next week, you will fail this course,” he promises. His tone is flat. “Take this time to think about what you’ll do.”

Shouto gives a clipped nod.

/

He didn’t have dreams in the hospital. They sedated him so hard that he had to be helped up to piss. Because he woke up yelling one day and tore all of the catheters out of his arm. He doesn’t remember why.

So, at lunch time, when he goes back to the dorms, he thinks about the reprimand he’s going to get, and then shrugs to himself. He takes the elevator to the second floor and waits outside of Midoriya’s room.

He’ll probably have nightmares without sedation. That’s a given. Thick, black, curling mist. Shoved down his throat, gagging him. Probably. Losing the gravity inside of him, organs getting tugged through a dimension of non-existence, coming out on the other side, reborn and regret. These are the kind of dreams he predicts because Midoriya was dragged through that warp gate with his teeth gritted. And when he caught Todoroki’s gaze, he smiled—

A groaning sound, whining metal. His fingers are suddenly killing him.

He looks down. The door knob is crushed in his palm, his fingers are bent, and when he pulls back, they dangle like dolls with snapped necks.

This is not a dream. The formless scrap hanging from Midoriya’s door has the shape of his fingers pressed permanently. His fingers are killing him.

This is not,

a dream.

“Todoroki, my boy,” a voice calls to him, and when Shouto turns to look, hand dropping to his side, All Might is there, without a smile, and Shouto can’t be saved.

/

“I told the principal that it may be better if I spoke to you alone,” All Might says.

His voice is different in this form. It has a layered quality. Baritone. And grief. Probably.

“Sorry,” Shouto says.”

“I would have come to you anyway,” All Might replies, waving a bony hand in reassurance. He slides a tea cup on a coaster over to Shouto.

All Might is sitting in his room. It turned out like this because he had to go to Recovery Girl for his broken fingers, and All Might walked with him, and then asked if they could speak in private. Shouto wasn’t sure how to respond. And All Might had asked so formally, like he was giving him a choice.

So he bowed his head and waited for All Might to take the lead. They ended up walking back to the dorms. They were almost to the elevator when Shouto finally asked if they were doing this in his room. All Might blinked at him, almost nervously, and then answered, if that was comfortable for him.

All Might is sitting in his room. All Might has just poured and offered him tea. All Might looks like he has attended several funerals, one of them his own, one of them his, and yet he is here, and he is trying to offer something close to salvation. Shouto does not look into his eyes. There are other, more satisfying ways to practice masochism.

“How was your day?” All Might asks.

There are other, more satisfying ways.

“I can’t participate in training,” Shouto says. “My provisional license is suspended until I get a psychiatric evaluation. I’m going to fail out of the hero track if I don’t get one within the week.” He goes silent. And then, just so he doesn’t sound overly petulant, “It was good.”

All Might folds his hands over the table. How will he respond? Shouto just described an obviously really shitty day and then topped it off with flippantry.

“It is okay to say that it was bad,” All Might says.

“I’m not upset,” Shouto returns.

“You don’t have to be.” All Might’s expression softens. “But know that your grief is just as valid as mine.”

So this is where he paves the segue.

“Are you comfortable talking about it?”

Shouto doesn’t know.

“A safe word,” All Might insists.

There. Are. More. Satisfying ways. To practice. Masochism.

“Enji,” Shouto says flatly.

“I would like to explain a few things, then,” All Might tells him, brow quirking at his choice. 

Shouto nods.

“Young Midoriya gave something to you.”

The saliva thickens in his mouth the way a foreign tongue might have filled it. “Enji.”

All Might immediately stops.

This marks the end of everything coherent, as far as what I’ve written! But the first few days back at UA go like this: he doesn’t train. But he doesn’t sleep. The first time he did, he had a nightmare; he woke up cold and sweating and someone was knocking as his door and his back must have been bleeding the skin was literally stripped off he 

was dreaming. He missed dinner; Iida delivered it. Shouto then went to the corner of his room, pressed in from both sides, and waited for the sun to rise again.

And that’s how it goes really, the first few times. The next nightmare is skin stripped from his arms. Water dripping down on his forehead, rolling down his cheeks. Or tears. Then his fingertips. The skin stripped from his fingertips, taking his identity, he wants to die

And then the skin is stripped from his bare feet. He becomes afraid to get up to walk, so he stays in bed.

He has a week to decide to get that psychiatric evalution. Thanks to Recovery Girl, his arm has healed. Aizawa still won’t let him train, and Shouto can’t even punch a wall out of frustration without obliterating a) the wall and b) his hand. With a no-holds-barred he could probably kill his classmates. He can’t control it.

Aizawa doesn’t pressure him to get the psychiatric evaluation. But Bakugou lingers during lunch time and strides up to Shouto’s desk. They are the only two people in the classroom and Bakugou says flatly that Shouto has Midoriya’s quirk. They have this really one-sided discussion that Shouto really does not want to have, and Bakugou ends up giving him a flat ultimatum–either get his head out of his ass or pass it on.

Shouto first wants to clarify that, one, his head is not in his ass. It’s in a place far worse, so if Bakugou wants to jibe, he needs to up his game. Two, didn’t think you cared–

And he wonders if Bakugou will punch him, but Bakugou just levels him with a very, very blank stare.

“You aren’t gonna save him?” he says, and fucker is that a punch.

Shouto blinks, and the sound of existence becomes white noise on the brink.

He thinks about the way Midoriya smiled at him. When they were on patrol that day, they were talking about Shouto’s mom. She was moving out of the hospital. Going to Ito. It was—

“I want to punch you,” Shouto says honestly. He knows Shouto can’t. Not without killing him. “The principal has guards stationed on me. I can’t even leave campus. I don’t know what you mean.”

“Because you’re fucked up in the head and you need a psych evaluation,” Bakugou replies and repeats, “If you’re not gonna do shit, pass it on.”

Shouto has two more days to decide and ultimately, after a few more nightmares, he decides he wants to talk to Midoriya’s mother. He should, since he was the last person to see her son, so he tells Aizawa he’s headed out and Aizawa’s like, you already know that you’re not allowed off grounds without someone posted on you.

Shouto tries to reason he won’t do anything, but Aizawa shrugs. Shouto’s a liability until he gets evaluated, but luckily, someone else is going to see her too. After school. Teacher’s lounge. It’s All Might, of course. They go to see Midoriya’s mother, and Shouto can’t go inside, so he grits his teeth and waits in the car as All Might returns, and he finally decides that he’s going to get that psychiatric evaluation. And he tells All Might that he wants to save Izuku, and so they end up with training sessions! And when Shouto returns that night, he realizes what those dreams were. Izuku’s and his consciousness are linked, the way all OfA users are; and the dreamsharing has occurred because both users are still alive. And so begins a saga.

Points that I really want to make:

And so all of this is the set-up to All Might and Shouto talking, All Might and Shouto taking on a similar mentor-student relationship to All Might and Izuku. It starts off awkward, not necessarily rocky, but their common ground is first Izuku, and then Endeavor, and Shouto doesn’t try to let slip the abuse, it lives with him and in him, but–but when All Might becomes more of a father figure to Shouto, it’s harder for him to draw the line. In turn, he has a lot of resentment and burgeoning feelings of longing for All Might to be his father instead–and even if he was taught to hate All Might by Endeavor, he could never demonize this man. It’s not that he hates All Might. It’s that he hates feeling the complexity of his abuse, and he doesn’t want to think about it, but being around All Might in close proximity like this could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

It does, in fact. Shouto is humiliated when he explains to All Might what happened throughout his childhood. All Might is furious, and then All Might promises him, and says that he is doing well, that he is strong, and he is brave.

They find out that All Might could probably do the dreamsharing too. But he takes sleep medication because sometimes, if he doesn’t, all he can dream of is the way he crushed All for One’s skull and shifted his skin and bones irreparably. 

“He was originally quirkless.”

“Yes.” And All Might’s firm gaze tells him everything he needs to know.

Shouto doesn’t ask.

“You won’t ask why…?”

Shouto shrugs. “It’s Midoriya,” he says, and All Might’s eyes widen before he turns away. The shadow is cast over his face.

“Do you want to talk about it?” All Might asks him softly after regaining his composure.

Shouto stares at him.

“Todoroki, my boy?”

Shouto realizes his face feels warm. Because above all of the shame and anger at himself for not being strong enough, he can remember the distinct sensation of Midoriya sticking a tongue in his mouth.

“…No,” Shouto says.

One of the reasons why he does not pass One for All onto Mirio is because he can’t be sure that Izuku will get One for All back, if the administration have anything to say about. All Might hears his concerns loud and clear and accepts his decision to keep One for All until Izuku is returned.

Mirio personally admits that having a quirk again would be nice. Mirio knows that if he pushes the issue, he, more qualified, would naturally be given One for All. But Mirio says Midoriya wanted to save that girl, above all, despite everything. And then Mirio says, All Might and Midoriya are really the same. He smiles wryly at Shouto and says that Shouto seems to be of the same stock.

Bakugou and Shouto are not friends. But they’re allies. However, this fic does have Bakugou redemption, or post-redemption + exploration of how Midoriya and Bakugou are. Shouto and Bakugou do not get along, but they come to understand each other more than they want to. Shouto is cruel in how he pushes away others. Bakugou is cruel in the way he pulls them in. That’s an antiparallel that I like writing, so I’ve included it, haha. But ultimately, Bakugou wants to save Midoriya, and if asked why, he would answer, Ask questions that can actually be answered. Shouto asks him once exactly what Bakugou thinks of Midoriya, because he knows that Bakugou would never directly admit that he wants to save Midoriya out loud. Bakugou responds, he’s Deku. And that could mean any sort of thing from insult to identification, but the utter disdain in his voice, like Todoroki even has to ask, like it’s obvious to all and every, really takes the cake.

Shouto has purely platonic relationships. He is purely asexual. This story really has no sexual or romantic pairings. It does deal with some aspects of asexuality that I personally wanted to address. In this fic, I headcanon that Shouto is ace while Bakugou is aromantic asexual. Anything with these two characters is either platonic or one-sided from the other party’s perspective. Of course, there is subtext. You never know.

The reason that Shouto and Midoriya can share dreams is because Midoriya is the ninth wielder and Shouto is the tenth. It was said that Midoriya could actually see the previous wielders, including All Might, so I thought it could be extended that the ability to communicate with previous wielders becomes more available as the power of One for All increases, as a consequence. YOLO. First, Todoroki just has nightmares of being tortured, unbeknownst to him that this is Midoriya’s visceral experience, and then he finally synchs up with Midoriya after five nightmares, and they appear in the same dream.

Half of this fic is interactions between the two of them in their dreamshare. The other half is interactions with All Might, Bakugou, introspection, and the like.

The relationship that they build is codependency on Midoriya’s part. Being alive in the League of Villains’ dungeon is such a living hell that he’d rather be asleep, so he’s always unconscious. Shouto, on one hand, somehow becomes addicted to sleeping. Or rather, he thinks about the way that Midoriya is floating alone on the wavelength shared between them, and he thinks about the way that he must be the only reprieve in Midoriya’s currently miserable existence, and he starts sleeping a lot as a result. All Might mistakes it as depression—which, correct diagnosis, but wrong symptom, there were other signs — but Shouto explains that it’s that he’s talking to Midoriya and doesn’t respond otherwise.

The first dream that they have together, Midoriya sees him and asks if he’s real. And then he apologizes for the kiss, and when Shouto takes it in stride by waving it off, Midoriya wonders if this isn’t really a dream? Shouto says that it really isn’t, and Midoriya insists that it is, he was sure Todoroki-kun would have been at least a little disgunrlted? And Shouto is like, this isn’t a dream and I was fine with it. And Midoriya grimaces and says, I forcefully kissed you and made you swallow my spit. Todoroki-kun, seriously.

There is one instance of tension. Midoriya wonders if he’s going to die here. Or he wonders if it would be better to die. Shouto says that they are going to save him. Midoriya says that it’s okay, the fact that he could become a hero in this life is enough for him, and Shouto orders him to stop talking like that, and Midoriya says jokingly that he guesses if he did have one regret, it would be that he didn’t really get to experience anything else. He says, “I’m really glad that I made friends in high school.” But he guesses that he really will never have a first love, or hold someone’s hand, or be held by them, or go on a date, or a kiss—

Shouto pulls Midoriya forward and kisses him, brief, angry. It’s the dream. It’s made him something different. You kissed me back there, Shouto points out, pulling back, a little sour. It was his first. Then he laces their fingers together, wrapping his other arm around Midoriya’s shoulder, and he says, even though I can’t give you those things in the way you want, here.

Midoriya relaxes against his hold. Do tears exist in a world of dreams? Todoroki-kun, are you in love with me?

I don’t think I am, Shouto admits. Not in love, at least. But I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to kill someone. Until Shigaraki.

And Midoriya replies that that’s fair.

Are you, Shouto asks.

In love? Midoriya responds. Faraway, he says into Todoroki’s shoulder, I was. Once. Someone. I don’t have the capacity for it any more.

Shouto is relieved to hear this. 

Anyway Midoriya doesn’t let on when he’s getting tortured far worse. When Shouto asks him if All for One knows he doesn’t have One for All anymore, he doesn’t know if it’s better or worse when Midoriya rasps, he knows.

At some point, Shouto tells Midoriya to stop wearing his projection. Midoriya falters and says that it looks pretty bad. Shouto says that he needs to know how bad.

Midoriya asks if Shouto can share dreams with All Might. When Shouto asks if he wants for him to bring All Might into the dream, Midoriya seems to think better of it and says no. When Shouto asks why, Midoriya finalls says:

“He’ll ask me if I’m doing okay, and then he’ll—” and then, face crumpling, he shakes his head.

Bakugou and Midoriya are hard to quantify. I guess I’d say that I heavily implied some one-sided love on Izuku’s behalf, but of course they both realize it’s an unhealthy relationship. It’s complex in a way that I can’t describe in a sick state. But Bakugou figures it out, he’s smart. It’s one of the many more things he avoided thinking about as a result, but Midoriya not being there anymore is scary.

Bakugou didn’t return these feelings at any point.

The reason he was so cruel to Midoriya wasn’t because he was disgusted by the idea of love. It’s his superiority-inferiority complex.

He in no way ever used that love against Midoriya in an abusive way. Just repeatedly pushed him away and the like; got cruel when Midoriya was persistent–but he never used the fact that Midoriya felt this way against him.

That’s really all I can say on the matter. It’s closed. Of course, Midoriya doesn’t feel that way anymore either. They’re kids with the capacity to move on. It was highly toxic, and it won’t be happening in the fic at all.

When they do rescue Izuku, Shouto shatters his index finger striking a blow against Shigaraki in a way that ensures he’ll never be able to touch all five fingers down on any surface, ever. Bakugou even says, what the fuck, Todoroki.

Shouto gives One for All back to Izuku. He says, full circle, that it’s Midoriya’s power.

It ends with the three of them. Unspoken is the sheer amount of trauma recovery that will be required, the fallout and aftermath of this serious failure on behalf of the hero industry. Haha, I was going to take the easy way out and time-skip.

It ends like this:

“Todoroki, my boy,” All Might says kindly. “You are doing well.”

Thank you!

[auradot-blog]

Peridot, where are you right now?

[tiang0u]

izuku taking care of shouto please!!!!

LUCKY FOR YOU ANON right before i depart officially for college, here will be the last prompt i can actively answer!!

we were made for thoughts (tododeku)

“Todoroki-kun, when it melts completely,” he explains softly to the glass, “you let your thoughts lift.”

“You,” Todoroki begins, but stops.

Only a few feet away, Midoriya looks up from his homework and repeats carefully, “Me…?”

“You asked what was wrong earlier,” Todoroki says. “And I brushed you off. My brusqueness was uncalled for. I’m sorry.”

Midoriya’s face softens.

“Todoroki-kun, people have bad days,” Midoriya tells him blithely. “It’s fine.”

Or, it would be fine, but Todoroki’s never looked like that before. He’s not frowning, but he looks thoughtful. It’s not as simple as a bad day.

When Todoroki doesn’t respond, Midoriya pushes aside his textbook, breaking his planking position and sinking to the carpet. His brow furrows.

“Endeavor?” he asks hesitantly, peering at Todoroki, lips pulling into a frown.

“No,” Todoroki murmurs. Then: “Yes.” Then: “No.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Todoroki sighs. “No.”

Midoriya nods and gets up. Todoroki watches him pad out of the common room and closes his eyes.

Minutes later, he cracks open an eye at the sound of footsteps. Midoriya, returning from the kitchen, sidles over and sits down on the floor next to him, handing him an empty glass. Their knees knock together. Todoroki doesn’t shift away, and neither does he.

“Can you make some ice?” Midoriya asks.

Todoroki wordlessly places his palm against the rim and lines the cup with crystal, and when he’s finished, Midoriya sets the glass on the coffee table before them. It stays as still on the table as they are on the carpet.

It is quiet for an infinity before Midoriya clears his throat.

“Todoroki-kun, when it melts completely,” he explains softly to the glass, “you let your thoughts lift.”

A snort escapes Todoroki before he can reign it in.

Midoriya’s head whips in his direction. “It works if you let it,” he says, embarrassed.

“It works,” Todoroki repeats.

“It does!” Midoriya promises.

“No,” Todoroki says, eyes fluttering shut, tilting his head back to rest against the sofa cushions, exposing the long column of his throat. “I mean that it does.”

“Oh,” Midoriya whispers, strangely abashed, looking down, and he smiles at his own hands. “I’ll wake you when it melts.”

/

The ice doesn’t finish melting by the time the common room fills up. Kaminari comes in first, followed by Sero, Jirou, and Ashido. Todoroki stirs at the sound of them settling on the other couches.

“Sorry, Todoroki,” Sero greets, cheery and contrite. “Didn’t see you guys sleeping.”

Todoroki blinks at the plural, shakes his head to clear the haze, and glances over beside him.

Midoriya is out like a light, head lolled back, mouth softly parted, arms curled around his knees, barely propped against the couch. A thin string of saliva trails from the corner of his mouth. He looks like a kid who’s stayed up past his bedtime.

“You guys missed dinner,” Jirou interjects helpfully. “There’s probably still leftovers.”

Todoroki nods in acknowledgment, taking off his jacket. His eyes don’t leave Midoriya’s sleeping figure.

“You guys were studying? I’d nap too, honestly,” Kaminari says, peering down at the cover of Midoriya’s forgotten textbook.

Jirou mutters you always nap under her breath, but Kaminari yawns over it as Todoroki gets to his feet and lays the jacket carefully over Midoriya.

“Wake him when the ice melts,” Todoroki says and leaves.

The four of them blink after his departing form. Ashido tugs his jacket up to cover Midoriya’s shoulder properly.

“Todoroki is such a gentleman,” she signs dreamily, lacing her fingers beneath her chin. “You guys could take some notes!”

“Hey,” Kaminari and Sero protest in unison.

[tiang0u]

periapse, give us your take on izuku's hand in shouto's hair!

THANK YOU FOR THE PROMPT! it was sitting in this box for a while, and i thought long about it, and i finally figured this was too good a chance to pass up!!! i make no promises on characterization, but here is my small answer! please enjoy!

for a moment i could breathe again.

ft all-the-right-words-izuku

As expected, from childhood, Izuku still isn’t used to being in other people’s rooms. And Todoroki’s room, so traditionally Japanese, gives an atmosphere so formal that after he helps Todoroki to the futon, he subconsciously settles into seiza.

It’s so quiet.

“You should rest if you’re feeling unwell,” Izuku says, awkwardly.

“It’s my mother,” Todoroki answers. To a different question. His voice cracks.

Izuku is up in an instant, and though he wavers, he quickly steels himself and shuffles closer. Todoroki sits only a few feet away, and his entire body is locked so stiffly, so unnaturally still that, if given time, he could turn to stone.

“There’s—there’s a burn on the inside of her hand,” Todoroki breathes, in pain and wonder, fingers curling into his track pants. Incredulity lives somewhere in counterpoint with the notes of hysteria in his wrecked tones. He holds his tattered composure by the fraying seams. He’s five full-body tremors away from a controlled breakdown.

There would only be one reason after all.

“From ten years ago,” he grounds out, jerking his head away. “When the—the kettle—the steam—she didn’t say—I didn’t even know.”

Some comforts cannot be conveyed by words, only imparted by touch, but when Izuku reaches for him, to ground him, Todoroki flinches away, and his heart seizes in his chest.

“I ruined this hand too,” Todoroki rasps, gazing wild and wide-eyed at him, and Izuku remembers hand crusher. The only thing crushed is Todoroki’s voice.

“No,” Izuku says vehemently. “Todoroki-kun.”

He raises himself up to his knees and closes his hand around Todoroki’s wrist, pulling him forward.

“This is something my mom would do when I was a kid,” he says as Todoroki comes into his arms. And, as if it needed explanation, he adds awkwardly, “For comfort.”

Izuku tries to remember the exact way his mom cradled him. It was with her fingers tangled in his unruly curls, but Todoroki’s hair is all silken strands when he molds his left hand to the curve under the crown of Todoroki’s head.

Todoroki’s cheek rests in the juncture between his neck and shoulder, Todoroki’s nose brushing against the line of his throat, Todoroki’s bated breath warming the underside of his jaw. From here, Todoroki could probably see the spattering of freckles across his nape.

Todoroki trembles once when Izuku presses the tips of his warped fingers to his hairline, beneath his fringe. The sensation is probably muted against the scarred skin, but he trembles a second time when Izuku brushes forward against his scalp and combs his hair back in repeated motions.

“Breathe, Todoroki-kun,” Izuku mumbles. “It’s awkward if you d-don’t.”

With a stuttered pause, Todoroki unclenches his fists.

The curve of his broad shoulders sinks from siphoned tension, the long line of his stiffened spine gives in, and then, slowly, he becomes limp in Izuku’s hold.

Izuku should say something to Todoroki. His mother would have kissed the words into his forehead, things like Izuku, don’t cry! or Your hero will come with a smile! But these are words that he can’t offer to someone who doesn’t cry. Or someone who was told since birth that he was made only to surpass All Might.

But he has to say something.

“My hand isn’t ruined,” Izuku says instead, confident, and his lips are so close to flesh that the air from his words puffs against Todoroki’s exposed forehead. Todoroki inhales sharply. “If I want to help people, I have to get stronger and move forward. And when I look at this hand, it becomes a symbol of the things I want to do and the things I have to do before that. So it’s important to me. And…I learned something.”

Todoroki’s what? is the ghost of a whisper.

Izuku, in a moment of faltering inhibition, leans down to mouth these words into skin. “Sometimes, heroes bear scars because they want to save others.”

Todoroki’s calloused fingers circle around his wrist, pressing along the flesh of his palm, and Izuku shifts away, stilling his ministrations with a heavy swallow, wondering if he’s gone too far. Todoroki pulls back and pulls Izuku’s hand down, letting his knuckles brush against scar tissue.

They stare at each other.

Heroes bear scars because they want to save others. By that reasoning, the scars on his hand—

Izuku realizes too late and chokes, flushing red, releasing Todoroki swiftly and completely. It’s not untrue. It’s also not what he intended to come out with in the middle of a serious conversation about something else.

“U-Um,” Izuku begins as he scrambles to his feet. “So, to c-conclude, I—I think Todoroki-kun’s mother is moving forward. So T-Todoroki-kun should too, unburdened. And like how you h-held my hand just now, then with y-your mother, when you visit tomorrow…”

Todoroki’s lips part to speak.

“Goodnight!” he blurts and runs out.

/

A very good, solid move. Nicely done, Izuku thinks to himself. Couldn’t have even handled it remotely better.

[tiang0u]

i loved that one shot!!! and now i would for it to have a small continuation with todoroki taking slight advantage of Izuku's accidental confession to bask in his kindness and company and them slowly acknowledging the realm meaning of what izuku said along with what shouto's response meant!!

i informally dub you as warm anon! apologies for such a late response; i thought about how to respond and i really just was going to go small and write snippets of izuku caring and shouto smiling but i think this is my first time ever writing tddk purely for romance without ulterior motives like character study so i think it got out of hand and…characterization .really got away from me

i hope you don’t mind that i made this a prompt fill! this is written especially 4 you my friend so i hope it is satisfying to you on some level!

untitled, 2017“Sorry…but to make sure, Todoroki-kun,” Izuku says, “…likes me, right?”

Todoroki’s mouth opens. And then closes. And then opens again, before he leans back further and crosses his arms over his chest and sighs heavily and says, “Yes. I like you. Midoriya.”

tododeku, bnha, continuation to this! 

Maybe Todoroki didn’t think it was a confession, Izuku reasons the next day. After all, he has been conditioned to understand rejection in all aspects, and even if he never gave up on being a hero and it worked out, love is a different matter for someone who used to and still does lack in many areas. Like him.

So Todoroki probably was just advising Izuku to be careful about how lax he was with his words. He accepted that Izuku, strangely, wants to be kind to him. That’s all.

Except that’s not all–good god, now that he’s become aware that he likes Todoroki, this wasn’t even a reality he was prepared to face, or that he knew even existed, and certainly not when a free day followed. Today is going to be great.

Play it cool is his only option. He can do that. Probably. He’s never been cool a day in his life but he has played all sorts of things so that’s fine. He will be kind to Todoroki like Todoroki deserves (a lot), maybe Todoroki will smile at him again like that, and then he will hole himself up in his room and curse himself for getting all worked up, by himself, with himself.

/

“Todoroki-kun, I thought about it,” Izuku reports faithfully when he passes Todoroki in the hallway, near the lounge area.

“As long as you know,” Todoroki replies. Strangely, it is equal parts comforting and disheartening.

Izuku clears his throat. “Of course!”

Todoroki must see him floundering in his mind, awkwardly, because he offers, “You’re overthinking it.”

“Overthinking what?”

“Being kind. And what you said,” Todoroki replies. “Just act like you usually do.”

That confirms it once and for all–Todoroki really didn’t see it as a confession. Izuku sighs.

“Okay,” he says. He shouldnt even be feeling this put-out; it wasn’t even a proper confession after all–completely accidental and he basically rambled about kindness and something about peace and he didn’t even say…the L-word.

“–lunch?” Todoroki says to him.

Something about lunch. Before Todoroki heads to the hospital probably. He wants to have lunch. Izuku mentally claps himself on the back for his deduction.

“Y-Yes,” Izuku stumbles and when Todoroki looks at him knowingly, knowing he got lost in his thoughts again, he flushes and looks away but not before he sees that smile again.

Maybe it won’t be so hard after all.

/

Actually it’s really hard.

It must be him or that Todoroki sits closer to him at lunch. And Todoroki sits closer to him during their free time, out back behind the dorms on the grass. Todoroki sits closer to him (on his bed, on his bed)when they’re consulting each other briefly on Japanese history. Todoroki leans into his space more. Todoroki helps him pet a cat (suspiciously resembling the previous stray) by guiding his hand with warm, capable fingers, their arms pressed together limb to limb in one long contact point. No one even says anything when they pair up for sparring. No one looks like they’re surprised. Izuku must be imagining things.

And Izuku will probably implode, explode, or both. He was the one who essentially gallantly boasted he would be the kind one here and now Todoroki’s the one pampering him and now Izuku is completely at a loss because wow, one-sided like is kind of painful especially with the recipient doing his own version of doting. But it’s also pretty nice.

He isn’t sure how Todoroki thought he was kind in the first place, really.

Sure, he speaks formally, and he bows really low, and his voice can go pretty quiet. But sometimes he forgets to make his bed, and whenever Kacchan really makes him angry he could probably say a few things, and he runs Recovery Girl thin on patience, and he’s disobeyed Eraserhead multiple times, and All Might coughs up a lot of blood around him, and he always makes his mom worry and–well, Todoroki’s told him a few times too, how reckless he is. Todoroki’s face kind of changed this one time, recently, after he broke one of his fingers again.

/

A week after the not-confession:

“I’m not really living up to your expectations, I think,” Izuku mentions, off-handed, laughing nonchalantly. Inwardly, he’s seriously marveling at his personal failures. “I think I’m not as kind as you think I am after all.” What makes a person kind, even?

Todoroki looks up from his English homework and over at him. There are literally three inches separating them on the lounge’s couch. Izuku can feel the warmth radiating from him. Izuku can also feel the heat from the burning unrequited passion of youth. Good thing he’s all set for the coming winter.

“It’s not about being overtly kind,” Todoroki replies. “You’re always quite considerate.” He pauses. “And I didn’t particularly have any expectations.”

Well. That–okay.

“Those things you told me to expect last week,” Todoroki continues, “I assumed they were for granted. Since it’s your disposition.”

That’s…different but probably not better.

“You aren’t disappointed,” Izuku clarifies.

“No,” Todoroki answers. “This is comfortable.” And then, hesitantly, “Are you?”

Disappointed in himself? Or comfortable right now? To the former, sometimes, but Izuku gets the feeling it’s not really about himself–“Am I what?”

“Disappointed,” Todoroki says. “Right now.”

Well, if he could actually gather himself to confess for real, he’d probably have a better time. But right now, just being here with Todoroki is fine too. Todoroki is around him so often now that his heart can’t take it, but he will. Take it, that is. Whatever he can get. And Todoroki reclines against the couch; all of the hard lines have softened in his form, and he breathes so calmly that the air shifts peacefully. So, “No. I could never be disappointed,” Izuku answers, heartfelt.

“…Okay,” Todoroki says.

“Okay.”

Okay.

“I apologize,” Todoroki suddenly says.

Izuku blinks. and then momentarily panics because did he accidentally let something on? It was going so well? Todoroki did say this was comfortable but maybe Izuku has just made it uncomfortable and okay, he’s pretty good at that but he’s also good at apologizing too so–

“I also–apologize,” Izuku says quickly, but Todoroki holds up a hand.

“It has been a week,” Todoroki says, like he’s admitting something. “But on my end, I am new to this, so the protocol for…this sort of thing is not familiar to me. I was assuming you would take initiative like you did before.”

Izuku is so hilariously lost that his textbook slides off his lap and hits the hardwood with a resolute clunk.

“Take…initiative,” he repeats slowly.

“You’re new to this as well,” Todoroki notes.

Certainly, since he has no idea what’s going on.

What’s happening, Izuku thinks. “Todoroki-kun, what’s happening?” he repeats out loud.

“I’m embarrassing you again,” Todoroki sighs.

“No, I’m just…lost,” Izuku says. “I don’t really understand.” And the way Todoroki is frowning is painful; it’s a different kind of frown that is even more vulnerable, a frown specific to Izuku this time, he put that there, so he definitely has to fix it now. “I…think that you don’t have to be so troubled, Todoroki-kun.”

When the frown deepens, Izuku’s distance to panic mode decrements.

He mutters, “I’m really…bad at this.”

Todoroki grimaces. “I’m worse.”

“You’re not!” Izuku protests, immediately, and surprise flickers across Todoroki’s face. “Todoroki-kun, don’t look so troubled, really.”

He reaches out instinctively. Todoroki just said ‘I’m worse’ and if being kind was Izuku’s intention then he’s completely screwed up, and being as lost as he is currently is probably even more upsetting, so he clasps Todoroki’s shoulder, and he says, up close, confident, but also bullshitting, “I think being comfortable is more important. Whether it was last week or two weeks ago, you should…find your footing first.” Whatever it is. Izuku can also back off– “I can also–”

“Midoriya,” a soft sigh interrupts. “There you go again. Being kind.”

Wow, was Todoroki this close before? His right eye is grey like a maelstrom on the sea. And his left eye is startlingly blue like the sky and Izuku could probably count the flecks of light like clouds in them. And the lines of his scar have a story that only Izuku knows, and Todoroki isn’t angling that side of him away, and–

“Th-This isn’t even being–” Izuku splutters, but doesn’t finish.

Because Todoroki leans forward. and. kisses. him.

His brain does not short-circuit. In fact, it goes into overdrive. The brain controls blood flow, right? Well, thanks to his medulla, his face has enough blood to rival a blood bank. Todoroki is kissing him. Todoroki’s mouth is also very soft. And it is not half cold and half hot like he expected. It is warm. A very good temperature. And their noses are brushing and also as expected, Todoroki’s nose is not only shaped nicely up close and far away, but the feel of it against his own is also very nice. And Izuku should start kissing back around now. So he does. He presses forward experimentally because wow, maybe he misread this past week after all. So it was a confession that Todoroki accepted. So…they’re an item? So that means Todoroki really was sitting closer to him all those times and intentionally partnering up with him for sparring more often? But no one was surprised? That is an outlier and wow, okay, this change in angle is also an outlier, Todoroki said he was new to this but he just expertly deepened the kiss so what is really the truth–?

“Midoriya,” Todoroki says, ending the kiss, catching his breath, wiping his mouth. A mouth housing a tongue that was previously in Izuku’s own mouth, Izuku belatedly realizes.

Lewdly, a string of saliva breaks between them. His first kiss was not closed-mouth and chaste with his first love like he expected. (It was actually with his first All Might figurine anyway.)

“Yes,” Izuku answers breathlessly.

“You were…” Todoroki furrows his brow–and then he laughs. “You mumble.”

His laugh is like music. Maybe it could play at Izuku’s funeral.

“Sorry…but to make sure, Todoroki-kun,” Izuku says, “…likes me, right?”

Todoroki’s mouth opens. And then closes. And then opens again, before he leans back further and crosses his arms over his chest and sighs heavily and says, “Yes. I like you. Midoriya.”

Hero analysis for the future. Izuku needs to work on that. Seriously.

“I like you too,” Izuku returns quickly, and Todoroki shifts in pose, almost like he’s embarrassed, even if his face doesn’t show it.

“A lot,” Izuku adds, and Todoroki grimaces. Or that’s a smile. Izuku will treasure it either way.

“Glad that we’re on the same page then,” Todoroki finally says, even though Izuku only finally flipped to it ten seconds ago.

“Me too,” Izuku says. Todoroki probably doesn’t understand just how glad he is. He almost lived his entire life thinking his first successful love was actually unrequited.

Crisis averted.

“…Dinner then?” Izuku asks.

Todoroki smiles again. “Okay.”

This one is new.

This one is for Izuku only.

“Usually, most of them are,” Todoroki says.

Oh, he said that out loud.

[tiang0u]

I have a prompt to request! Izuku observing Shouto because I like the way you write how he perceives Shouto! It's like there's always the potential for love in his voice that you write

in utter abandon i will probably never write this WIP but i suppose the first part of it fits Izuku observing Shouto!! please enjoy

a sunday evening where i thought you were lost

They reach the front steps of the dorm, and Todoroki doesn’t even slow to a stop, adjusting his bag and leaving him with a quiet, “See you then.”

Izuku pauses at the door and grimaces.

Todorokihas this particular frown that he makes when he slips up in a sparring matchand loses, specifically, to Bakugō.

His eyes narrow dangerously into anintensely focused stare, and his lips curl back to reveal gritted teeth in amagnificent grimace, like he’s swallowed something very, very bitter with aside of training ground dirt.

Tobe very precise, he adopts this frown when Bakugō grins at him and drawls,‘Good match, Todoroki.’

Today,Izuku passes by the sparring grounds on his last mile. He blinks when he seesBakugō stalk out of the gate angrily with his bag, muttering you gotta be kidding me under hisbreath. Izuku must have barely grazed the end of a heated conversation, so hewarily slows his pace, waiting for Bakugō to pass.

Nosuch luck; Bakugō sees him and jabs a finger in his direction.

Usually,if he’s lost the match, he isn’t even in the mood to acknowledge Izuku’s there.

Actually,Izuku isn’t even sure how to interpret this situation. Even when Bakugō winsthe match, he usually doesn’t point so forcefully, mouth contorted in animpressive scowl-to-End-All-Scowls, eyes blazing with wild fury.

Maybehe lost Really Badly this time.

“Deku,”Bakugō snarls, waiting for Izuku to jog up to him. Izuku marvels at how civilthe greeting is. “Fix him.”

“Kacchan,”Izuku says, prepared to pacify as he approaches. “Losing one match isn’t—wait, what?”

“Evenyou couldn’t lose against that moron right now. Fix him,” Bakugō repliesbitingly, and that’s how he leaves Izuku, standing in the dust of hisdeparture, smiling wryly at his specialty—the dual jibe—and once again tryingto understand what kind of bomb Bakugō’s dropped on him.

WhenIzuku carefully enters the grounds, Todoroki is placing the last of his thingsback into his bag. The corner of his mouth is a little bruised, and as theright side of his profile comes into view, Izuku comes to the conclusion thatBakugō must have landed an uppercut and set off a blast at the same time. Potentially,it wouldn’t have been the ending blow, because both favor their right—andTodoroki, unfazed, would have caught Bakugō’s wrist while weathering the hit,and then with fire, forced him back.

Todoroki’sexpressions are hard to read but always honest, so without context, Izukudoesn’t know what it means when his face is perfectly blank. Especially afterlosing just now.

“Midoriya,”Todoroki greets him, blinking, and his features relax in familiarity. “Weren’tyou on your run?”

“Todoroki-kun,”Izuku answers, dipping his head. “I just finished. Want to go back together?”

Todorokislings his bag over his shoulder, breath halting with a wince before hestraightens up and walks up to Izuku. “Sure,” he says. “I was going to showerbefore dinner.”

Izukuhums.

Nothingseems out of the ordinary, except how he took the outcome of the match very gamely.Arguably, it could be a sign of maturity, and yet still, fix him, Bakugō ordered. Then again, Bakugō’s always been better atreading people—or at least, reading people that aren’t Izuku.

Thefive-minute walk back to the dorms is only past a few buildings, and on theoccasions that they do walk together, they walk in companionable silence.But the distance feels ridiculously long when Izuku realizes he has no idea howto begin to break the ice. Todoroki’s eyes never stray from the forward path,and they are so unnervingly unseeing that any sort of small-talk seems like itwould just distract him from some kind of private reverie.

“Todoroki-kun,”Izuku says at last, when their building comes into view.

Todorokiturns to look at him.

“Um,”he says, smartly, and scrambles for purchase. “I was going to shower as well! Iwas wondering if—if you wanted to study together after dinner…for the quiz?”

“Soundsgood,” Todoroki replies. “With the others?”

“Justus,” Izuku answers. “I think Iida-kun is helping Uraraka-san with older topics,so we can just review what we covered in class this week.”

Theyreach the front steps of the dorm, and Todoroki doesn’t even slow to a stop,adjusting his bag and leaving him with a quiet, “See you then.”

Izukupauses at the door and grimaces.

/

Todorokicould just be tired. That could be a very valid reason—and the reason why Izukufinishes showering first, for once—but typically, Todoroki takes very, veryquick showers after afternoon spars no matter how beat up his body is, becausebeing dirty and/or late for dinner are transgressions that he will never commit.

Andyet, here Izuku is, waiting anxiously for Todoroki to walk in, finally spottinghim by his damp hair. Todoroki wades through the tables to join them at last,setting his tray down.

“Notcold soba today!” Iida exclaims in approval. “You should have more diversity inyour diet, Todoroki-kun!”

“Idon’t know what you mean,” Todoroki deadpans, and Uraraka fills in the lull ofconversation.

“Howwere your Sundays?” she hums around a mouthful of tempura.

Notcold soba today, Izuku repeats mentally with worry, but then shakes himself outof it. He wouldn’t be able to eat katsudon everyday—well, actually, yeah, he could—butTodoroki is a free sentient being who is allowed to eat other foods as hedesires.

But Todoroki had astreak going. He’s been eating cold soba every Sunday night since he startedvisiting his mom. Izuku got the impression it was because he came back fromvisits in peace, and having his favorite food for dinner was the only logical wayto conclude a satisfying day. The katsu curry on his plate now is nothing toscoff at, certainly, but it’s Sunday—

“—doriya,did you want to try some?”

“Huh?”Izuku asks, blinking back into focus. Todoroki has slid his tray halfway acrossthe table, and Izuku, at a loss, looks at him in confusion.

“Deku-kun,”Uraraka scolds him. “You zoned out onto Todoroki-kun’s food while Iida-kun wastelling us about his day.”

“Oh!”he splutters and quickly waves his hands. “Sorry! I was distracted. Thank—it’sfine, Todoroki-kun. Sorry, Iida-kun.”

Todorokinods and pulls his tray back.

“Areyou concerned about the upcoming quiz?” Iida asks.

“No,”Izuku says quickly. ”I’m fine.”

“Gettinglost in your own head then,” Uraraka sighs at him.

Heshoots a sheepish smile at her, and asks Iida, wobbly, “How was your day?”

Iidasmiles at him. “I visited my brother, and then we had lunch near hisrehabilitation center. It was very relaxing.”

“Ihope he’s recovering well,” he says sincerely, and Iida’s smile widens beforehe throws a stern hand in his direction.

“Andyou,” Iida says firmly, “should takecare of your health as well. Take care not to strain your arms, and even if youare training your legs now, be mindful of warming up and cooling down!”

“Iwill,” Izuku promises, and Iida gets up from his seat. Uraraka follows.

“Havea good evening, both of you,” Iida says. “Don’t forget take breaks whilestudying.”

Todorokihums, Izuku salutes him, and now the two of them are sitting at the table,alone. The dining hall is loud enough that he could make conversation withoutbeing heard, right? But what would he even say? Did something happen? Are you okay? What happened to eating soba? Butwhat if he’s overthinking it?

“Areyou sure,” Todoroki says suddenly.

“Sure?”he echoes.

“Thatyou don’t want to try it?”

“I—I’msure,” Izuku says, bowing his head. “I’m sorry—I just—Todoroki-kun usually eatscold soba on Sunday?”

Thatcame out as subtly as he did not intend.

Todorokiblinks at him, spoon paused mid-way-to-mouth. “Yes,” he says. “They ran out bythe time I came, so I took the next option.”

Thatmakes sense. The temperature has been rising steadily in the afternoon, andcold soba is refreshing on nights like these—but that begs the question, whattook him so long in the shower? But that’s definitely not something Izuku canask. He can already imagine it going down in flames. Todoroki-kun, you usuallyshower really quickly too, but today…?

“DoI really eat cold soba that much?” Todoroki asks, brow furrowed.

“No,”Izuku blurts in reassurance—and then amends with realism, “Yes.”

Todorokisighs. “I’ll work diligently on my diet then,” he says dryly, gathering histray, and maneuvers himself off the bench. “Let’s go.”

[tiang0u]

1. that bakugou/todoroki dynamics but you posted was awesome, i rly like the way you depict those two 2. sasunaru??? 💓💓 i love them so much omg i'm surprised you'd bring them up as prompts possibilities, their relationship is so complex and beautiful 3. that hand-in-hair/hand-crusher mini fic you writes was Everything!!! i feel i must be super annoying but truly i always end up wanting a continuation ajdjakdj ~🔥😎

1. !!!! thank you warm anon truly the dynamic of two strong ppl who are not friends but also not enemies is one of the most fun to explore

2. SASUNARU my friend tbh i only recently watched boruto bc i was kinda salty about how shippuden ended but i gotta say that it’s good!! lmao naruto’s and sasuke’s parenting is well done in how well they don’t do LOL

3. I HOPE YOU KNOW HOW SCARY IT IS THAT YOU HAVE SO MUCH SWAY OVER ME, because here it is!! and NOT AT ALL it’s always an honor to leave others wanting more lmao in fact i was once again honored and lol i totally chickened out on real resolutions but i hope this ending can be satisfactory to you!! with access to only mobile.... OTL i couldnt do anything big

and now i hold my breathcontinuation to….breathing

There are three reasons why they haven’t talked since last night. First, Todoroki’s room is on the fifth floor and his is on the second so even with a subtlety that he has never possessed, he’d have no plausible deniability. Second, facing Todoroki after actually touching his face needs a fortitude that he also does not have. Third, Todoroki usually comes back by two but it’s now an hour past and even though talking things out with his mother would probably take some time, could it also be because–

“Deku-kun, slow down!” Uraraka huffs from behind him.

Izuku immediately slows, making a surprised noise. “Sorry, Uraraka-san!” he says quickly as Uraraka catches up.

She shakes her head and grins. “Do you always mumble when you run?”

He’s run with Todoroki once, Kirishima twice. The two of them never said anything. Come to think of it, Izuku once thought about what Kacchan must be like with Kirishima and the crew, and then Kirishima suddenly started a conversation about colorful carrot-and-stick study sessions. It would also explain the next day why a scowling Kacchan sat down diagonally from him in a vacant library full of other very vacant tables.

“I do,” Izuku says in despair. He wracks his brains for any instance of talking about All Might or One for All, and, confident in his recollection, curses his equally confident brain-to-mouth motor neurons.

“Oh, there’s Todoroki-kun!” Uraraka says cheerily and waves to Todoroki, who’s obviously coming back from the main gates, casual wear and messenger bag and a placid expression–

Izuku coughs. “Let’s race to the dorms,” he says, totally suave, and Uraraka eyes him thoughtfully before placing her hands on his back and shoving him in Todoroki’s direction.

“Loser takes the winner’s dinner tray!” she chirps and dashes off.

Meanwhile, Izuku tries to right his balance and in fact does not vault headfirst into flower bushes. He does, however, stumble right into Todoroki’s path, and Todoroki catches him by the arm even after he’s found his footing.

It looks like he’s striking a weird pose, so he quickly clears his throat and straightens up. Todoroki lets his hand fall.

A cricket awkwardly chirps in the silence between them.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable last night,” Izuku says, equally awkward.

“You didn’t.”

Todoroki inclines his head toward the path, and they start walking back together.

“She said that the scar is a symbol and reminder,” Todoroki says without preamble. He closes his eyes with a sigh and admits, reluctantly, “I didn’t think a scar could mean something good when it comes from something bad.”

Izuku smiles a little sadly. “My hero name,” he offers, and Todoroki opens his eyes. “Before, it meant something bad, but then Uraraka-san changed it to something good.” He brightens up. “People can find strength in the things they’ve lived through, Todoroki-kun!”

“That’s because you’re optimistic and idealistic,” Todoroki replies, coming to a stop before the dorm’s double doors. Izuku also abruptly stops short of his nose colliding with Todoroki’s back.

Todoroki is standing before him, and he blinks, mouth suddenly dry.

“But that’s not a bad thing. Thanks, Midoriya,” Todoroki says, turning around.

This is a total mistake. Izuku didn’t think to back away earlier and now is currently reaping what he’s sowed: Todoroki’s face, above his own, looming, completely in his field of view; a different angle from last night but also, from this perspective, Todoroki has quite literally become the entire world.

Todoroki blinks at their proximity, and when the breath leaves Izuku’s lungs, inviting rushing white noise and a crashing brink, the earth quakes in his chest cavity, a heart with faults and colliding beats.

He will wonder, to this day, why he didn’t step back, and he will never have the answer, because the wind answers, breezing past them; Todoroki, in his own way, answers, eyes open and clear, brow smoothing, mouth softening, head bowing, and you know what else answers? The doors that were definitely not knocked on, because the sound of wood banging against brick makes them spring apart. Izuku chokes, coughs, and cringes away.

Jirou gives them a knowing look, adjusting her arm strap, gearing up for a run. Out of Todoroki’s sight, Kirishima pumps up an encouraging fist at a stricken, wheezing Izuku.

“Midoriya. Breathe,” Todoroki tells him, and smiles.

[tiang0u]

Prompt anon again// ahh okay! Do you think you can write something with ochako todoroki friendship? It would be nice to see more of them interacting in canon tbh ; v ; (Also i sent an ask the other day so i'm not sure if tumblr ate it but I love all your writing so much, and your recent todoroki and izuku drabble was absolutely lovely)

HENCEFORTH PROMPT ANON, you had my full attention at ochako todoroki friendship!!! im sorry i couldnt respond to this ask sooner aksjdjsks and im sorry that i missed your previous ask ahh!! im glad that you enjoyed those previous works and i hope you enjoy this as well~ thank you for the prompt and those kind words!!

midoriya’s bg presence i thought would be important to include in some parts, but the two of them being friends bc she’s Quite Literally A Fantastic Girl was also smtg i couldnt pass up!!

todoroki + uraraka in six ways

i. formally friendsOne of the things that UA loves to emulate – normal high schools. And things that UA loves to upkeep – lots of trees, flowers, bushes, greenery.

“It’s really hot,” Uraraka groans. She stares intently at the watering can in hand like she’s debating dousing herself in it. She then turns her intense gaze to the plant. Worryingly, there is faint envy in her eyes.

Out of familiarity, Todoroki, examining the flower roots next to her, lifts his right hand without a word, palm hovering above a respectable distance between her shoulder blades. He doesn’t think much of the involuntary action, but her neck visibly stiffens from the sudden breeze. (Oh no.) He also freezes (in more ways than one) but unlike the frown he was expecting, she turns around with a huge grin on her face and chirps, “Thanks, Todoroki-kun!”

“I’m hot too,” Kaminari complains on his left, and Todoroki wordlessly blasts ice in his direction.

ii. shopping for the person who gives you the confidence to be who you are

“This will be a siege on two fronts,” she declares, hands on her hips. “Iida-kun, you’re with Tsuyu-chan. Todoroki-kun, with me.”

They split up at the mall entrance. Uraraka pauses outside of a toy store. The All Might life-size cutout greets them at the storefront and Todoroki stops to stare. Considering that All Might is now their teacher, and considering that it’s All Might in general, Todoroki figures Midoriya could probably point out the minute inaccuracies in the smile and fringe. It’s really a testament to how much he hangs out around Midoriya that he can also tell.

“You like All Might too, huh,” a voice says behind him.

He looks over his shoulder at Uraraka, who looks thoughtful. (What does she see? Is it Endeavor’s son?)

“Everyone does,” he replies.

“Because he’s nice and humble,” she says. She shrugs. “That’s why I like him. Kids can tell.”

Todoroki nods.

Uraraka shakes her head and waves a hand. “Anyway! I think with Deku-kun, we can never go wrong with All Might merchandise!” She heads into the store like she’s about to fight a war with every kid.

He squares his shoulders and follows suit. Some kids are really tenacious when it comes to toys.

/

“Todoroki-kun, it’s perfect,” she whispers in awe and also slight horror at the object in Todoroki’s hand.

An All Might spiral bound notebook. It is fantastic in the way that minimalism does not and will never exist on the cover. All Might’s face in every way, shape, and form has found a way to fit in this mangled collage, and Uraraka looks like she’s choking back actual tears. There’s a white strip for writing. They’re both thinking the same thing. Midoriya can label it as his next volume of hero analyses for the future.

“All Might pens to match,” she says next, breathing so hard that Todoroki is actually considering the possibility of her passing out. “They have erasers too!”

By the time they leave the store, the shopping bag that Todoroki carries is filled with notebooks, pens, erasers, and bookmarks. Todoroki eyes the cutout once again, but Uraraka jokes and tells him that they can’t possibly buy the cutout–except the manager is standing right there and excitedly tells them, yes they can.

“Oh!” Uraraka says.

Todoroki’s wallet is out in an instant.

/

“Those notebooks were really thoughtful,” Uraraka says to him as they wait for Iida and Asui.

People walk by and give them and the All Might cutout weird looks.

“The printer put a lot of thought into it,” he remarks dryly. He’s willing to bet Midoriya can identify the date of each and every one of these shots.

She laughs and shakes her head. “Todoroki-kun, I mean you were really thinking about Deku-kun.”

He chokes on his drink, coincidentally, as Iida and Asui appear.

iii. socking him one in the gut during practice

Todoroki doubles over in surprise and also pain; the air whooshes out of his lungs as he catches himself with his palms against the dirt. Their classmates cheer and gasp and chorus various exclamations of shock.

“That was a good hit,” he says as he looks up, faintly wheezing, faintly impressed, and faintly aware that what he just said wasn’t supposed to come out, and when she blinks, caught off-guard, he sweeps her legs out from under her and wins the match.

He has trained since cruel childhood, not only in his quirk. As far as pure hand-to-hand combat goes, he doubted anyone could seriously challenge him, until today.

“Thanks,” she says afterwards, fire blazing in her eyes. She flexes her arm, and he can see why the punch almost could’ve killed him.

iv. bringing bentōs

“Todoroki-kun,” she says, apologetic.

Todoroki presses his palm over the cover of her bentō with a shrug.

v. a confession

“Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like if I hadn’t met Deku-kun,” she admits. “But now I feel like I have so many things to work toward. I think the reason why he wants to be a hero and the way that he is already…really makes you want to follow him. And sometimes it’s frustrating, but I want to catch up to him and stand by his side. That sort of thing. He just really makes you want to live up to your own expectations and his ideals, you know?”

“Yes,” Todoroki answers, eloquent.

vi. and the second

“I would have continued spiting my shitty old man,” he says. “And I would have strived to be number one without this fire. And yet, he breaks his fingers twice over and throws a match just to talk me down from across a ring and say the words I needed to hear.”

“He broke an arm and both legs during the entrance exam for me,” she sighs, and they share a wry look of understanding. “He breaks a lot of bones to save people.”

“He really doesn’t compromise,” Todoroki deadpans. “And I think he’s insane sometimes.”

“Wouldn’t be Deku-kun if he weren’t,” she hums.

[tiang0u]

*slides in* hey! youre great...! please try taking breaks and dont stress yourself too much if you can ;; good luck and love your way ;w; ♡

MAPLE MY FRIEND I TRULY SHOULD HAVE RESPONDED TO THIS WAY EARLIER THANK YOU MY FRIENDDD

i will try my best!! some days it feels like all we do is work OTL but i think i enjoy being kept busy! ;;u;;; you stay well rested too and i hope your classes are going very well and that your school year will be as painless as possible~

*sends good vibes over~~~*

[tiang0u]

peri, i hope you’ve been doing good lately!!! best wishes always, take care ~🔥😎

WARM ANON take college away from me my friend

i’ve been doing well! we recently had midterms and i have been doing terribly on all my physics quizzes but at least all of us are!! hahaha

you take care too my friend stay warm in these winter months,,

[tiang0u]

You said to feel free asking about any of your projects, so I piiiiickk "People in progress"! What is that one about?

OHO my friend i am not sure i can explain it in a few sentences without making it seem a little uncool so i will give you the summary and a few snippets~

an au about izuku (receiving ofa) starting work as a pro hero at an agency and getting close to aloof coworker todoroki shoutooo that he coincidentally bumped into on the train his first day

lmao the length would probably be around 15-20k if i explore interpersonal relationships and chara-development and 6k if i decided to horse around and write snippet scenes

Summary: MeetingTodoroki Shouto on the train on your first day of work and trying not tofanboy. Check.

“Drop thehonorific, Midoriya,” Todoroki says, catching his breath. He draws himself upto full height and suavely walks away to check on the civilians, leaving himwith a, “You and I should spar some time.”

It’s onlyafter Todoroki is barely out of earshot that Izuku splutters, “S-Sure!”

and

“You’vealready proven yourself, Midoriya,”Todoroki yells, and Izuku cuts off with a choke.

“That’s—”

Todorokuholds up a hand swiftly to cut him off, and Izuku, habitual, obeys with a flinch.

The actionhorrifies Todoroki. Eyes wide, he grits his teeth as he lowers his handagain, and the pain is back in his gaze, and Izuku just can’t seem to stopmaking him look like that.

He didn’tmean to flinch either. But one month won’t make him unlearn an entire decade ofmisery.

“I’msorry,” Todoroki breathes slowly. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

“It’s notbecause of you,” Izuku replies quickly. “I-I know you wouldn’t.”

“I wouldn’t,” Todoroki says, confident andcontrite, and then cuts right to the bone, pulling absolutely no punches.“Sometimes, I think you have a death wish.”

since you were curious and now i have revealed some things i hope it wasn’t too lame lmao

[tiang0u]

there is no need to rush, my friend. i Judy wanted to check up on you and send you great vibes!!! i miss you pers, i hope you pull through and do well ~xoxo 🔥😎

I’m getting very great vibes!!! I will try my best and I miss you too~ 

the differential equations class is turning out to be okay but lmao our physics class is hilariously ridiculous

[tiang0u]

peri i’m sure you must be super busy with school and all but know that 🔥😎 is out here, always rooting for you, wishing you the best!

WARM ANOOONNNN sfhdskfhjdsk i will answer your prompt (and the other ones in my inbox) one day and that is why I have not yet responded to the rest of your kind words ;;;u;;; but I hope you are also doing VERY WELL

it’s been pretty busyyyy so I haven’t been able to write and I’m sorry~ I’m p sure I failed my waves/quantum mech quiz, it was like turning in a blank sheet, and the funny thing is our uni doesn’t require cs majors to take waves/quantum but I ???? my roommate and I both made a mistake

I hope you’re doing awesome as well!! I wish you the best of the best of the best!! 

[tiang0u]

what does periapse look like? (if youre not comfortable with selfie, draw yourself please! :) )

i am truly not an artist, but:

as you can see i mastered using as little strokes as possible

[tiang0u]

Hey peri! Out of curiosity, I was wondering how you felt about character death fics? Because so far 3/4 of my favorite bnha fic writers have written one and I'm wondering if I have to be on guard if you ever decided to write one

hey my friend!!!

i don’t read them often, but like any other fic, as long as the story draws me in, i’ll accept the pain! 

Generally, for fics with sudden character deaths (rather than you knowing the character is slated to die from the beginning) i think if fics are more scene-driven than plot-driven, major character deaths that occur within the narrative’s present timeline are hard to pull off regarding emotional delivery, a skill i lack. i think i can’t do it justice in a way that i wouldn’t mind publishing to the InterWeb

anyways, you should still be on guard! There Are Plenty Of Ways To Explore Angst

[tiang0u]

You left a handprint on my art 2-4 and end of an eternal winter 1,9, 13?

i took so..,,,long to answer and rambled,,, thank you for always giving me the opportunity to babble!!!!!! and thank you for the question ;u;

lmao this is a really long post

ylahomh -2: What scene did you first put down?

LOL the very first scene i put down was ‘shouto *printing to midoriya’s printer* : dinner?’

jk it was not. i outlined a lot of things, all the way to the Major Villain confrontation but the first scene i officially penned was this!

“That was strong,” Dabi says under his breath.

Shōto doesn’t catch it. “What?”

He glances up, lips curling up in contempt. “I said your flame control fucking sucks.”

lmao why do i like dabi

3: What’s your favorite line of narration?

YOU INDEED ASK QUESTIONS THAT ALWAYS TICKLE MY FANCY off the top of my head i cant remember from previous chapters so ahh chapter 4 it is

recently i quite liked the scene in ch4! where tododeku stand between the couch and coffee table and shouto realizes he wants to know more about midoriya~ purple prose at its finest lmao

actually i also quite liked “answering uppercut from bakugou…probably could’ve killed him” LMAO

4: What’s your favorite line of dialogue?

lmao i remember you liked “this is intimate/that was the needle”, a cheeky izuku is cute to me

truthfully, the one i liked most is tokoyami’s line from ch2! “I think it’s worth earning a person’s trust. And it’s worth having friends who worked hard to be with you.” ahh tokoyami 少年!

eternal winter -1: What inspired you to write the fic this way?

this fic probably looks like it was penned in 10 minutes. frankly speaking, it was lmao. i was feeling very uninspired even though i said i’d write tddkweek fic so i took a scene from a very dusty WIP and then i typed ‘1. he was born’ and it just went from there!! my flimsy countermeasure to writer’s block! i thought the bulleted list could convey something, so i wanted to publish it even though it looks like how it does haha

9: Were there any alternate versions of this fic?

YOU GOT ME. A VERY PRECISE HIT. LOOL thank you for asking it’s truly a guilty pleasure being able to respond with fic stuff!!!!! thank you for feeding me this chance aksjdhfks.

indeed, the first paragraph was from my very first bnha au. an alternating pov, and another mysterious midoriya. technically this fic can still be in that universe since that au’s shouto isn’t much different from canon shouto! the title is repeat after me (i reach for you in every world), and midoriya is a very, very disillusioned boy who actually does have a latent quirk that he couldn’t have realized within one lifetime. if you’ve seen re:zero, it’s loosely based but his save point is always, always post-kamino in an au twist where all for one escapes a revealed small might, and iida and izuku get injured. izuku is a very cool cucumber in this one!! lmao it borders on psychological trauma + horror in a way that’s like “rip he has to keep going like this?” lol since handprint is still going on i imagine i can’t work on it until i get to a finishing point for ylahomh

13: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?lol the hilarious thing is that i wrote 4 fics to a single song on repeat. in fact that song was whisper by vixx lr LMAO. i don’t know what i look like revealing this tbh and i don’t know what to say about the song itself bc honestly the lyrics are ??? but i really like the part around 2:55!! the beat is a very insistent carry, so my mind hitchhiked on the sound waves!

rather than listen to whisper, i think end of an eternal winter could probably work well with olafur arnalds’ 'tomorrow’s song’, 'poland’, or verses from the chopin project! but verses doesn’t finish with a very upbeat tone so if you think they drowned it could work ;) otherwise tomorrow’s song it is! (lmao im pretty bad with identifying moods so it might clash)