#shouto is seriously here wearing an eye patch

[nerdyneko6373]

YES

Some fanboys with terrible disguises walk into a (hero merch) store and run into each other-

[craftyshipper]

Fire In The Hole

Hi guys! I've been a little quiet on the writing lately but I promise I'm still working on my current stories, I've just been a busy bee with other personal things.

But here is my piece that I did for the todomomorisingzine! We're finally able to post them and I hope you enjoy it!

Also, the zine team has a survey to potentially re-open the store to clear out the remaining stock, so if you're interested please visit @todomomorisingzine and click their survey link. :)

Anyway, enjoy!

_________

"All hands on deck!" 

An explosion sent the boat rocking, nearly forcing Momo to her knees as wood splintered around her. Cringing at the sight of broken parts of her ship, she sprung back into action, drawing her sword as three men armed with weapons of their own surrounded her. 

"Look at this lass playing pirate." The one with rotted teeth and shaggy brown hair grinned while his companions laughed. 

Momo smirked and reached up to remove the hat from her head and tossed it aside, leaving only a bandana to cover the crown of her head. She tucked a stray black braid behind her ear and faced the men, her black locks swaying in the sea breeze. 

"You know," She began, moving into a fighting stance, "mangy water rats like you shouldn't judge a pirate by her gender." Momo smiled when that seemed to strike a nerve in, who she guessed, was the leader. 

"Get her!" 

Quickly sidestepping, she put out her booted foot, easily tripping the first attacker before swiveling on her heel to catch the punch aimed at her head. Twisting her body, which forced the man to fall in her direction, she swiftly slammed her elbow into his chest, knocking the air from his lungs. 

"Ye wench!" The third assailant snarled in her direction. 

The smile that played across his lips made Momo frown. She spun on her foot as a fourth pirate slammed a knee into her stomach making her pitch forward but the man behind her snatched one of the braids in her hair and yanked hard sending pain along her scalp. 

A cry of pain escaped her as she reached up to tug at the man's wrist, attempting to release his grip on her hair. 

"Momo!" The call came from one of her crewmates, Jirou, who was trapped in a fight with two opponents of her own. She just hoped the other four females of her crew were doing alright as well. Their crew was made up of all females and there were only six of them in total while the ship was easily being attacked by a dozen or more pirates. 

"Let go!" Momo's tone, which was laced with pain, made the male smile even wider. 

"Come now little lass." The laughter in his voice didn't go unnoticed by her. "Your future husband awaits ye." 

"I'll never marry that bilge rat!" 

"Be respectful, he's paying a lot of money to get ye back." He grinned. "Ye should be grateful he cares-" 

The pirate’s words were cut off as a booted foot slammed into his head, forcing him to release Momo's hair as he hit the deck hard. 

"What the hell!?" 

A man with red and white hair soared across the ship, the rope from the mainmast gripped tightly in his fist before he skidded on his heels across the deck of the vessel. 

"S-Shouto?" Momo landed on her knees holding her stomach, one eye clenched tightly from the pain. 

"We spotted the cannon fire." Shouto moved to her side as the other two men raised their swords again, several others soon joining them, leaving Shouto and Momo outnumbered. 

He held his hand out to her and she didn't hesitate to accept his help with a smile. Using the toe of his boot, he tossed up her discarded sword, which she caught easily in her right hand before moving to stand back to back with her new partner. 

"Let's do this!" 

Momo lunged forward and parried her sword against one of the pirate's before stepping back and proceeded to attack him with the tip of her weapon, nearly slicing into her opponent before he deflected it and shoved her away. She hit Shouto's back, but he kept his balance and pressed into her, giving her the push she needed to thrust her sword forward again. The man met her attacks with his own but was taken aback when she ducked his last move and twisted on her feet instead before slamming the hilt of her sword into his stomach. 

With a smirk on his lips, Shouto marveled at the skill of her swordsmanship. Thanks to her father who had taught her everything he had known over the first eighteen years of her life before he told her to run away. She is a formidable foe, female or not, she was not one to be trifled with. 

"You're improving," he quipped and kneed his own rival in the gut, sending him to the ground, it was subtle, but he recognized her change of fighting style immediately. 

"You're not so bad yourself." She let a grin spread over her lips as she reached out her arm, allowing him to get a firm grip before he swung her around in a circle, her boots knocking into the heads of several of the men at once. 

When she landed back on her feet, she stared angrily down at the one that was still conscious. "You can tell Shigaraki that I will never marry him." Her tone final. 

"You'll pay," he laughed as an explosion rocked the ship, “and so will he." Momo's heart leaped into her throat before she was thrown against the railing. 

Once she stabilized herself, her dark eyes glanced at Shouto, fear filling the black orbs when one of the men staggered to his feet and raised his weapon above the red and white-haired male's head. 

"Shouto!” 

Momo's warning didn’t give the red- and white-haired male enough time to react as the man's blade came down on him. His eye widened, blood splattering across his clothes before he realized Momo had jumped in to save him. The sword had sliced into her shoulder forcing a cry of pain from her.  

Snapping himself out of his frozen state at her sacrifice, he swung out his arm to slam it into the man's throat, forcing the blade from his companions' body. 

“Are you alright?!” Shouto questioned her as he helped her to her feet, locking his arm firmly around her waist, while her uninjured arm came to rest around his neck. Another explosion rocked the ship, nearly sending them to their knees. 

A loud whistle sounded and Shouto knew his crew had rescued the other females from the ship. Breathing out a sigh of relief, now he just had to get the two of them out of here.  

Picking up the raven-haired beauty into his arms, he dashed towards the side of the boat, hoping the plank they had used to board her ship was still there. Fear and frustration settled over him when he realized that option was no longer an option, the side where the plank had been, was blown to pieces. 

“Dammit!” He cursed and hurriedly turned in several directions, hoping to find another way out. 

“Just go without me,” Momo whispered through gritted teeth, knowing it would be difficult for him to escape with her in tow. 

He heard her spoken words, but he refused to leave her, how could she expect him to leave her behind. It may have been something his old man would have done, but he couldn't leave a comrade behind, especially if it was her. 

“A captain goes down with their ship,” she smiled up at him with tears in her eyes, “remember?” 

“If you think I’m going to leave you here to die, then you really are crazy.” His gray eye locked gazes with hers, her heart started to beat too quickly for her chest to handle.  

“But-" 

“Shut up.” 

Momo’s eyes widened at the anger in his tone. She had never seen him get mad at her before in the last few years that she's known him. 

“I’ve already lost my family, I'm not about to let someone else I love die.” 

“Shouto…” His name left her lips on a whisper as a tear slipped down her cheek. 

“While I still live and breathe, you will not perish," he vowed. A choked sob escaped her. 

He proceeded with the task at hand, not giving her a chance to respond. 

“Captain!” 

The call had him spinning towards the source and he spotted the green-haired crewmate of his, sailing by on their ship. 

“Hurry, the ship is going down!” 

Before he could speak, another explosion nearly made him drop the female in his arms. 

“Arrgh.” 

A giggle sounded from the woman in his hold  

“Are you seriously laughing right now?” 

“I can’t help it, you sounded like a true pirate.” She smiled with a grimace as his mouth quirked up in a half-smile, at least her wound didn’t dampen her mood. 

Reaching to his side he grabbed the rope that had a grappling hook attached to the end. 

“I need you to hold onto me.” 

Nodding, she latched her arms around his neck as he stepped up on the edge of the ship. He twirled the rope with his right hand, thanking his luck that it snagged onto his ship with ease.  

He moved to take the plunge, but a soft voice gave him pause. 

“I love you too.”  

He smiled at words until she decided to speak up again with words that made him roll his eyes. 

“If we go, we go together.” 

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” 

And he jumped.

__________

Shouto watched Momo while she slept, his eyes traveled to the pale white bandage over her shoulder and couldn’t help thinking it was his fault she had been hurt. After they had successfully made it to his ship, his crewmates and hers immediately tended to her wound before she lost consciousness, she had been asleep up until now. 

“Don't blame yourself for this.” 

Her voice startled him and his gray eye met hers in the candlelit room of the Captain's quarters. Her hand reached out to caress his face, the pad of her fingers brushing the strap of the patch over his left eye. His hand immediately came up to take hers as she sat up on the bed to come face to face with his seated form. 

“Why do you wear the eyepatch?” 

Momo knew of the scar that was hidden beneath the patch from the stories Shouto had told her about his family. But according to him, his eye was perfectly fine. 

“The scar is unsightly.” 

“Shouto, none of your friends would see you any differently.” 

“You don’t know that.” 

“I do.” She smiled and forced his hand from hers so she could reach out again. “May I?” 

With a defeated sigh he nodded at her pleading tone and she didn’t hesitate to slip it off his face. What surprised her was the blue eye that greeted her and she couldn’t contain the blush that crept across her cheeks. 

“Oh.” She looked away and Shouto was about to remind her that he had warned her until she spoke once more. “You never said you had heterochromia.” 

“Sorry.” He smiled slightly at her as she hesitantly brought her hand back to his face, her thumb brushing the rough skin under his eye. 

“You have beautiful eyes, you should show both of them more often.” 

“I’ll do it for you,” he murmured and turned his face to kiss the palm of her hand as she sucked in a sharp breath, “but I also have a request.” 

“Oh sure.” 

“Can I kiss you?” 

His blunt question caught her off guard and she couldn’t help the giddy smile that spread across her lips. 

“Please do.” 

When his lips touched hers she couldn’t stop the fluttering in her chest as a euphoric feeling filled her with such force she felt she would float away. His lips were surprisingly soft against her own before she parted her lips slightly to deepen the kiss. Her arms wound around his neck to pull him closer while his hands rested on her hips. 

They parted if only to catch their breath and she couldn’t help but whisper a certain pirate phrase against his lips. 

“Well blow me down.” 

The embarrassed look he gave her sent her into a fit of giggles. “What? I wanted to sound like a true pirate too.” 

The joke made at his expense forced him to shove her back onto the bed and assault her sides. He was careful not to jostle her shoulder too much as he tickled her but with how much she was laughing he doubted she even noticed. 

“Shouto!” She snorted unladylike and it was a sound he would never get tired of hearing. 

[paperficwriter]

Your Wings, My Heart

This is the fic I wrote for the @inakiri-zine zine, Love Big and Loud. And now it’s here for you to enjoy! About two big goofy dragons who get to meet someone else like them.

Cut is for length, not content!

Across the whole world, no one would ever say it was normal for a kingdom to be so accustomed to dragons, and yet that is certainly the case when it comes to the Kingdom of Eversummer. In fact, the Crown Prince Todoroki Shouto’s companion, a great black Air Folk called Inasa, is so well-known that no one even blinks when his giant war form crosses the sky like a huge bird, momentarily blotting out the sun. They never show an ounce of concern as he approaches children in the market on all fours in his demidragon shape, begging for apples or belly scratches. And indeed, some find him rather beguiling in his human shape, despite the black scales covering his arms and parts of his body, immense wings arched behind him, tail swinging.

Be that as it may, though...the citizens gather to watch for the arrival of Bakugou Katsuki, Blessed Son of the Southern Tribe, and his dragon, a red Stonekin called Kirishima. Their necks crane upward as the red dragon flies through the blue sky like a rock being skipped across a shore, belly dazzling with gemstones, one of the riches of the Bakugou kingdom. The wings are not as wide as Inasa’s, but they are powerful, creating a sound like a giant rug being struck for dusting. His exterior is more pebbly, and the villagers are still trying to point out all the difference between him and their dragon, until he finally disappears behind the wall of the castle into the royal courtyard.

When Bakugou jumps off his back, Kirishima is already there to bump his head into his stomach, an unmistakable smile on his snout. “Alright, you giant dumbass,” Bakugou hums, stroking under his chin. “Shrink down already, would you?”

He does, of course, but it doesn’t help the attacks of affection. Indeed, now he jumps to his chest and licks him all over his face. “Ugh! Don’t drool on my pelt!”

Kirishima climbs off and sits like an excited hound being spoken to, getting up only because Bakugou beckons him into the castle. Bakugou sneers as they are led to the “nesting room” Prince Todoroki has prepared. “It’s even more snooty than I expected,” he mutters as Kirishima joyfully rolls around in the pile of silk pillows and sheets, sniffing in the chest of meat slices that has been placed out for him.

Meanwhile, Prince Todoroki has his own hands full as Inasa reclines on his velveteen bed, wings open and draped as the prince strokes his head and horns. He, too, is in his demidragon form, humming and rumbling. “You must stay here, Inasa,” Todoroki says for what feels like the tenth time. “While the negotiations are going on, it needs to just be myself, my council and Bakugou. If anyone tries to argue that we used you or Kirishima for intimidation, the deals could fall through. Understand?”

Inasa blinks slowly and licks at Prince Todoroki’s fingers. Satisfied enough, he gets up and leaves.

Oh, he understands well enough. He’s not welcome at the negotiations. That makes sense. Humans take that kind of thing very seriously, after all. However...he didn’t say he couldn’t at least go see the new dragon, right? No. Shouto wouldn’t do that. Not when it’s the first new dragon Inasa has smelled in years…

Kirishima has already eaten all the meat when the scent hits him, coming from the other side of the large door to the room where he’s been left to await Bakugou’s return. And even if he didn’t smell the dragon—yes, definitely a dragon, a different breed of his own, but his kind! —he can hear the snuffling of his nose at the bottom jamb.

Inasa really just means to give the door a gentle push, but when he headbutts it, it cracks. Oops. Oh well. He’s certain Shouto will forgive him later.

When they take in each other’s presence for the first time, it’s with a very slow, circular gait. Inasa’s dark eyes open wide, staring at Kirishima up and down his shimmering red scales. Once it’s clear neither of them intend to assert dominance—Kirishima because he knows this is not his territory, Inasa because he’s confident in his position at the side of royalty—they move in.

Their noses press together, and their mouths split open in toothy grins.

What follows can only be described as a dance of greeting. The roundabout they had created is now closed, their sides and necks rubbing against one another. Inasa rumbles, using his wide cheek to delight in the texture of Kirishima’s bumpy hide, while Kirishima tries as much as he can to cover himself in Inasa’s expansive wing, like it’s a blanket for him to cover himself with.

Kirishima is smelling the scent gland near the wing muscle (so good! So manly!) when his snout hits something very... jingly. Butt going in the air, he stares, entranced, at the strings of coins around Inasa’s belly. There are other gold bracers and paint across his smooth black scales, and the way they reflect in the light of the lamps is hypnotizing. Inasa has his own difficulties focusing because as he paws at Kirishima’s side, trying to knock him over so he can nose at his belly (there are soft spots too! He wants to lie in the sun with him and absorb all his heat…) he comes across a scattered patch of bright gems set in the small groupings of longer scales, of rocklike ridges along his back. When he licks one, not only does Kirishima jump with a little rusty squeak, but he can also swear that he sees himself in the emerald’s many faces.

They are both convinced that the other is the most fantastic dragon they have ever seen in all their many years of life.

When nuzzling becomes wrestling (as dragons are inclined to do with new friends) they both freeze when they hear the approach of the prince’s guards to investigate. Inasa is the first to rise, and with a flexing of his muscles, he shrinks in and grows taller, to his human form. “C’mon, you too,” he whispers. “It’s quieter this way! We can go to my room.”

With only a small amount of hesitation, Kirishima shifts as well, and immediately He can’t believe how much shorter he is than Inasa, and although his brilliant red hair does make him stand out, his horns don’t have nearly the height or sharpness to them. And Inasa’s muscles...gods… But even as he stares, dumbfounded at the muscular beauty that is Inasa, he feels the dark hands of the other dragon touch his face: his cheekbones, the corners of his red eyes, the tips of his sharp teeth.

“Wow, you’re...gorgeous,” Inasa breathes.

“Me?” Even his voice can’t compare. “No, you are much more amazing to behold!”

Inasa is about to protest when they hear the guards speaking down the hall. “Quickly!”

Giggling like hatchlings, Inasa takes his hand and spirits him down the hall.

---

“How do you think humans stand to wear clothes all the time?” Kirishima asks as he pulls on the pants Inasa has offered him. “It feels like second skin! And it clings in all the wrong ways!”

Inasa laughs where he is reclining on his bed. “Shouto says it ain’t proper to walk around with all your bits hangin’ out.”

“Did he really say it like that?”

“It’s close enough.” Inasa grins and uses his tail to pull over some cushions so that Kirishima can sit across from him. When he does, their tails entwine, like they cannot possibly be pulled apart. “How long have ya been that barbarian guy’s familiar?”

“Bakugou? For most of his life. He’s my best friend.” He picks at the cuff of his pants. “What about you and the prince?”

Inasa considers. “Not as long but...a handful of years now. We are very close.” He drags his small fang (canine, humans call it) over his lip. “We both know it ain’t the same as being in the company of our kind.”

“And...have you been in the company of many dragons?” Kirishima asks it like it is a very casual thing to inquire about, like it wouldn’t hurt to know that other dragons were as interested in Inasa as he feels he is...

Shaking his head, Inasa reaches out to stroke the top of his hand until he turns it over. For several long moments, he just plays with his fingers. “Not in a very long time,” he whispers.

“Would you like to go out hunting with me?” Kirishima blurts, cheeks warming to red so quickly and fiercely that it’s like he still possesses his fire breath, and that now the flames are going to escape from the holes in his head.

“Kirishima, I’m surprised at ya. We just met.” By dragon standards, hunting in groups is rarely necessary, if not pointless. However, since it can be enlightening to learn from others, it’s treated as a bonding experience, or what humans consider a “date.”

“We don’t have to,” the Stonekin says, tail coiling and stroking Inasa’s. “We could just eat something your master has prepared…”

Inasa rises with a great gust of wind. Now Kirishima’s done it. It isn’t like he thought that Inasa would actually refuse to go hunting with him, but he can tell that now he’s made it a challenge. The large man pulls him to his feet. “Hunting, then. Sounds good.”

“Oh!” Kirishima yelps as he is lifted off his feet, one of Inasa’s large hands between his tail and wings, the other cradling his knees. Using a burst of air, Inasa opened his window and suddenly the blue sky welcomed them, wind rushing past their ears.

“Inasa!” Kirishima laughs. “I have my own wings!”

“I know that!” Inasa calls over the roar of their flight. “But then, I wouldn’t get t’ hold ya in my arms.”

Kirishima blushes and clings a little closer to hide his face against the side of Inasa’s neck.

As he flies them around, Inasa excitedly points out all his favorite places in the kingdom. His enthusiasm makes Kirishima’s stomach tighten, and for a second, he forgets that he’s being carried by a dragon he’s only just met, because this...it’s like he’s known him forever.

“And there’s the baker! He always gives me these muffins that he makes with bacon grease. Oh, and the blacksmith! I helped him melt down a super hard material not long ago. And—”

“Inasa?”

“Yeah?”

“Not that I don’t love the humans, but...I wanna go to the forest with you.” He blinks up at him under his tiny brows, his lashes. “Can we do that?”

Inasa’s heart goes a bit faster. When he dips his head, their horns glance off one another. “Yeah...yeah, ‘course. Let’s go.”

As Inasa clears the wall surrounding the kingdom and heads into the forest, neither of them see the eyes watching them from the cave den below, the predator taking wing and following them, a silent threat, out of sight, yet noting their every move.

---

“Inasa! Inasa, look!”

Struggling against the current and the huge fish wriggling in his arms, Kirishima holds his prize aloft in the river. His tail is wagging with glee, splashing water everywhere.

There’s no sign of Inasa.

“Inasa? Where-- ahh!”

He nearly loses his catch entirely when there is an explosion of water, a flapping of wings, a struggle, and there’s Inasa, demidragon chest puffed out proudly as he shows off the orange fish in his jaws, easily three times as big as Kirishima’s.

“No fair, Inasa!” Kirishima crows, trying not to sound anything but annoyed as they jump to the bank where Inasa shakes himself off like a dog. “If I knew we could shift I would have gone full size and gotten all the fish!”

Regardless, though, he wraps his arms around Inasa’s squarish head and squeezes. The vibrating chuffing from the dragon’s throat goes straight to his core, and Eijirou sighs softly. He looks into his dark eyes and smiles, every muscle in his body aching from running, flying and playing through the afternoon. “I haven’t had this much fun in...a long time,” he admits. “Inasa, I…”

A shriek, a flash of something dark, and Kirishima suddenly feels himself being slammed in the side and thrown to the ground. It’s the disadvantage of this guise, to be mostly human: overall dragons are just as vulnerable, most of their scales exchanged for soft flesh, their claws shortened, their fire now only breath, squeezed from Kirishima’s chest as he realizes he is being pinned to the grass by a massive paw, holding him tight where he can’t change back.

The paw of a gryphon.  

It rears back to shriek from its beak, the sound cutting the air like a knife, making Kirishima’s ears feel like they will break and bleed at any moment. When it comes down at him, its pointed pink tongue visible, he closes his eyes, preparing for the worst of it.

And then feels something something soft strike his face.

When he dares to look again from where he is still trapped under the gryphon’s paw, Inasa and the gryphon are locked at a standstill just overhead, close enough that he can see the reflection of the rushing river in their eyes. Inasa has the beast’s throat in his jaws, trying not to be thrown by it, the gryphon struggling not to give him enough headway to tear further in. Feathers are falling, and bits of fur, and...scales.

One of the creature’s talons from its back foot is buried in Inasa’s side, holding him, and when it squeezes, the scales fall like bark from a tree, blood like sap soaking the grass in thick drops.

“Inasa! Don’t!”

An eye gazes at him, and he doesn’t have to speak. Kirishima knows what it’s saying.

I’m sorry.

The sound that erupts from Inasa’s throat is like metal tearing when he uses what strength he can muster to turn his body and rip through what he has in his teeth. In doing so, the talons tear, and it’s hard to tell whose blood belongs to who, because it is running freely, staining the green, rushing down the river when it hits the bank.

The gryphon slumps to the ground, and Kirishima is free.

When Kirishima can finally change into his warform and pick Inasa up carefully in his claws, he hopes to all gods and spirits that it isn’t too late.

---

The room is quiet. Bakugou sits on the edge of the bed where Inasa lies, stroking Kirishima’s head as he watches over him. It’s been three days, and the Air Folk still hasn’t awoken, but Kirishima has refused to be moved for food or his own rest, let alone to return home.

“If he’s as stubborn as that damn prince,” Bakugou tries to joke, rubbing at the spot behind one of Kirishima’s horns, “he’ll come out of it. Just wait.”

Kirishima gazes up at him for a moment, grateful. He knows Bakugou hates this place, hates to be surrounded by these types of humans, but he’s here for him. He won’t make him leave.

It’s the middle of the night when Kirishima feels the bed move. He jumps up when he sees that Inasa is slowly moving a bit, blinking in the dark, and Kirishima can’t help licking his nose, rubbing under his chin, chirping with delight.

Inasa groans. He rolls in the sheets, and in a few seconds, he is shifted again. Kirishima joins him, if just so he can get on the bed and pull him into his arms, tail and wings surrounding him.

“Kiri…”

“I can’t believe you did that,” he almost cries. “I can’t believe you saved me and almost got yourself killed.”

Inasa’s tail moves, coiling loosely around his leg. “M’sorry.” When he nuzzles the top of his head, their horns touch again. This time it feels like electricity being conducted through them, like the energy of emotion is travelling through. “Kirishima, c’mon, don’t cry.”

“I had only known you for a day, and it felt like I would have never healed again, if you’d died,” he says against his shoulder. When he pulls away, he’s pouting, trying not to seem like his heart aches as much as it truly does, the only balm being the relief that Inasa is alive. “I never would have gotten to ask you to be my mate.”

“Your mate?” Inasa grins, all the pain forgotten, his whole body wiggling against Kirishima’s. “Me? Really?”

“Yes, you!” Kirishima laughs when Inasa licks his cheek, pressing a palm to his heart and guiding Kirishima to do the same. Tentatively, he presses his neck to Inasa’s, their throats just softly touching, feeling one another’s breath, their pulses syncing. A true dragon’s kiss. Kirishima’s body vibrates with joy, and when they pull away, he gives his jaw a scrape with his teeth. “I take it you agree?”

Inasa smiles and removes one of his strings of coins, placing it around Kirishima’s neck. The tiny pieces of metal carry the warmth of his skin, which sinks into Kirishima’s flesh. “Of course.”

And that is how they find them in the morning: curled up together, gold and jewels, smiling blissfully, unaware of the humans and any other dragon living or dead, completely content with only one another’s company.

[fandom-monium]

In Your Eyes - Episode 2

Soulmates - Heterochromatic Eyes AU: In which the soulmate system isn’t everything it seems and Shouto could be the only one who sees it.

Previously in Episode 1

Something about you pulls at Shouto’s heartstrings almost painfully and his eyes widen, pupils dilating.

Walking up to Inasa, your voice is calm as you begin to scold him. “Inasa, you should be more careful. I get you’re hot-blooded and all, but you need to chill. You get hurt over the littlest things.” You sigh, pulling out bandages and antiseptic from your bag. You begin to tend to his wounds before reaching the stadium.

“Sorry, (Last Name)-chan. I’ll try to be more careful,” Inasa promises. He pats your head, grinning wider.

You swat his hand away and frown. “Don’t try. You will be more careful and stop being so extra all the time. Seriously, I can’t keep patching you up for dumb things like bowing.”

Your eyes don’t meet. Hell, you didn’t even look at him, but the way his heart pounds like a drum says it all.  Heat creeps up his neck slowly. His heartstrings feel like they’re being pulled and he almost groans as his chest aches, but it’s unlike any time he’s been injured. It’s more urgent.

Shouto decides he doesn’t like you.

During the exam introduction, Shouto keeps an eye out for a familiar head of (hair color) hair but finds nothing. He's not interested in you or anything. More like curious about your quirk is all. How can it effect him at long range? Is it some type of heartbeat amplifier like Jirou's? That would explain why he heard his heart pound in his ears at your presence. It must be powerful if it can affect him with such distance. At that, Shouto deems you a dangerous opponent, prompting him to avoid any Shiketsu students.

He dismisses the disappointment when he doesn't see you during the first trial.

But it isn't till over half way through the second trial he sees you again.

Shouto grimaces. Gang Orca is right in front of him. Yet he can't land a decent attack because Inasa keeps distracting him with words. Stupid, unnecessary words. Every time he attacks, Inasa does too and they cancel each other out, missing their targets. It only fuels his irritation and serves to further distract him. Shouto grits his teeth, trying to concentrate on Gang Orca.

Inasa spouts some bullshit about his relations with Endeavor or something. Shouto doesn't care. All he wants right now is to pass this trial, but he can't with Inasa yapping in his ear. Shouto and Inasa exchange a few unkind words before they attack at the same time again.

As expected, the heat makes the wind rise, but this time the wind carries the fire towards Shindou. Still paralyzed, he struggles to avoid from the nearing flames.

Midoriya and you choose to jump in at that moment.

Midoriya grabs Shindou by his vest and vaults away from the flames ."What the hell-"

"-are you doing!?" You finish for him, landing in front of Shouto and Inasa. In a single motion, you raise your arms in a defensive block. Walls instantly rise from the earth. One by one, thick slabs of rock surround Gang Orca in towers. You've caged them in a stone enclosure, preventing Gang Orca and his henchmen from nearing the casualties for now.

"(Last Name)-chan, you're here!" Inasa notes.

(Last Name). Shouto stares at you in shock, his gaze switching between Midoriya and you. Your tense back faces him as you scan the walls you've built. There's a loud banging coming from the other side, and the walls rumble. They're trying to break through.

Shouto openly gawks, his heart jump starting again. God, there’s your damn quirk again. He shakes his himself out of his stupor, not wanting to show your effect on him. What the hell is this?

He glances at Midoriya, who is dragging Shindou away. His self-destructive friend seemed unaffected by your quirk, despite being in close proximity with you. Maybe you were purposely targeting him?

But you pay no attention to Shouto, turning to glare at Inasa. "I just told you to stop being extra, and what do you do? You get extra, you idiot. You have a bone to pick with someone, do it after the exam. This isn't the time for dramatic dialogue. What's more important here, saving lives or fighting with fellow heroes?"

You're right, Shouto thinks, ignoring the pain in his chest. As his heartstrings pull towards you, he looks at the battlefield. Debris and broken earth lay at his feet, and the sounds of screams and battle cries echo through the stadium. Other examinees carry casualties out of broken buildings and piles of rubble.

Shouto's here with one purpose. To pass the Hero License Exam. He has to set aside his differences with Inasa for now, so he can do his part. Protect the citizens and divert the villains away from them. He accepts that he can't simply get passed his issues with his father. He can't forget about them just like that. Inasa is right. He became what he hated. It's his fault that this happened, and he wants to make things right.

Then Inasa and him are paralyzed by Gang Orca's Sonic Wave attack, his body limp in his large hand.

A distance away from you, part of the wall crumbles into a doorway and like a broken dam it floods with Gang Orca's henchmen. You yell back to Midoriya while he drags Shindou closer to the casualty site. "They're coming!"

Have to think fast. You turn back, slamming your palms into the ground at the same moment Shindou does. The ground under Gang Orca's henchmen breaks, catching them in the violent torrent of rock as Shindou sends a shock wave into the floor. Then the earth quakes and rumbles at your command. It splits apart into a dark chasm. Gang Orca's henchmen fall in.

"Now then," Gang Orca drops Shouto's body. He begins walking away. "Guess I'll finish the wind-user off and give my boys a hand over there."

Hitting the ground, Shouto knows he's competed with Inasa with no purpose. He's shown no cooperation. He can't become a hero like this. He hopes Inasa's thinking the same thing. Their eyes meet. No words spoken.

Shouto's fire and Inasa's wind roar to life.

The wind lifts the flames as they planned. It swirls and traps Gang Orca in a raging inferno.

"A prison made of fire and wind, a nice idea. If I was the average villain, I might give up, or cry. Or maybe beg for forgiveness," Gang Orca comments, pouring a large water bottle over his head. "However, the moment you attacked me, I had already worked out my next move. What if that wasn't the case?" A shock wave disperses the wind and fire. He bellows, "Well? What do you have planned next?"

Nothing, damn it. Shouto grits his teeth, his face pressing into the hard earth. The jagged stones dig into his cheek. He tries to regain control of his paralyzed body.

Using the smoke screen above to hide, Midoriya comes to the rescue and drops an axe kick on Gang Orca. Gang Orca blocks with his arm as you follow up. You step in front of Shouto in a defensive stance before you stomp your front foot. A chunk of rock 20 times bigger than you shoots up from the earth and floats in front of you at the ready. In a swift motion, you hurdle it at Gang Orca, forcing him to push Midoriya off and dive away. You don't stop there. You outstretch your arms, palms facing the ground. The earth quakes and like the waves of the ocean, the ground begins to move. You hands tremble before clenching into fists.

Like the Red Sea, the ground under Gang Orca's feet part, and he's swallowed into the earth.

.......

The Hero License exam is over, and changed in their school uniforms, Class 1-A returns to the center of the stadium for their scores.

Everyone passes except Bakugou and Todoroki.

"Hurry up, dumbass." Shouto hears a familiar voice command. Then a deep, exasperated groan.

"Todoroki!"

Shouto turns to see Inasa and you walking over him. His heart jumps to his throat and suddenly, he can’t breath. He hopes it’s not because of Inasa because he’s had enough of his shit. 

Inasa pauses a couple feet in front of him, but you shoot Inasa a glare. You shove him closer towards Shouto.

"I'll wait for you," you tell Inasa walking off to join the rest of Shiketsu Academy. With your fading presence, his heart calms and Shouto breaths a sigh of relief.

Inasa towers over him and stares for a moment, face showing no hostility. Then he slams his head into the ground in the lowest, most odd bow Shouto's ever seen. Inasa apologizes for making him fail the exam.

Shouto's taken aback by his change in demeanor towards him, but he doesn't accept it. He reasons with Inasa that it was him who basically made them fail without even realizing it and thanks him for helping him. He’s realized some important things about himself.

When his friends find out he didn't pass and comfort him (except Mineta, that bastard), Shouto and Inasa share a brief silence. It's not uncomfortable, although Inasa is still bowing awkwardly.

By sun down, everyone leaves the stadium. Class 1-A of Yuuei Academy wait for their bus to arrive, and even the Shiketsu Academy class lingers with them, waiting for their own. There's no hostility anymore, more of an acknowledgement, of each other's presence or strength? Who knows. Shiketsu's bus arrives first and they board.

As Shouto watches your back disappear through the bus' double doors, he realizes he forgot to thank you for earlier.

He wonders why his chest aches as he watches you leave.

.......

It's the middle of summer vacation when Shouto sees you again. It's the hottest day of the season. The sun beats down on the earth, yet the sky is clear blue as if everyone’s not suffering. If you tried you can see the heat waves in the distance. The summer weather prompts him to wear shorts and a cotton button up shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He leaves the top buttons unbuttoned. He knows he could just use his quirk to save himself from the heat, and he does, but his hair still sticks to the back of his neck.

Shouto waits for his friends to arrive in the mall plaza. Friends. Such a new term to him. It feels like forever since he last had—oh wait. He didn't have friends till now. Thanks, Dad of the Year, for the amazing childhood.

"Ah, Todoroki-san!"

Oh no.

Shouto turns to see you making your way through the crowd towards him. And yet again, his heart leaps into his throat and he almost chokes. Your goddamn quirk again. You adjust the dark sunglasses over your eyes, smiling and waving at him like you've known each other forever. Ugh, too bright. He rubs his eyes before facing you again. "(Last Name)-san, it's been a while." He cringes at his hoarse voice.

If you noticed, you don’t mention it. "Yeah, haven't seen each other since the Hero License Exams," You respond, halting in front of him. You gaze at him attentively. "Oh, how'd you do? Inasa told me that you didn't pass because of him. I'm sorry for the way he treated you."

Shouto sees his reflection in your tinted lenses. You're close. Too close. He shoves his hands into his pockets and takes a small step back, making it look like he's just relaxing. He's far from relaxed. His heart pounds just like when he first saw you. But he refuses to give you the satisfaction of letting you know of your Quirk's affect on him right now.

"You have nothing to apologize for. I passed the retake anyway," Shouto answers, his voice casual. He internally congratulates himself.

Your smile widens. "Thank goodness."

"And you, what are you doing here?" Shouto asks, swallowing. He hopes you don’t notice his chest heaving.

"I'm just grocery shopping." You lift up two large, reusable bags. Shouto blinks. They look heavy as they strain from its contents weight, but you carry them like feathers. You put them on the floor.

He raises an eyebrow at you. "Right, so, aren't you a bit far from Shiketsu Academy?"

"I'm just visiting family here. What about you?" You grin, crossing your arms over your chest. You lean in. Shouto leans back. “Are you on a date?"

"No," He answers too fast. He ignores the warmth that spreads across his face. His heartbeat roars in his ears and he groans inwardly. The summer weather was getting to him, wasn't it?

You giggle, "I'm just kidding. No need to get all defensive."

"For your information," Shouto sighs. "I'm waiting for my friends. We're supposed to hang out today."

"Ah, I see," You bend down to pick up your bags, "I'll leave you to it then."

Shouto isn't sure what made him say it. He could have just let you leave, but no. He had to open his mouth. He usually thinks more rationally. This is a new low. "Here, let me help." Shouto's fingers brush against yours, and he nearly drops the bag.

You chuckle and thank him.

Well, no turning back now. He fumbles with the (heavy, shit, how strong are you?) bag and clears his throat, "So, where do you want me to carry these?"

"Right! Um, I'm actually not done with shopping yet—"

"I'll walk with you then," Shouto suggests before he realizes it. He wants to slap himself. Better yet, ice his mouth shut before he spouts more ideas.

You gaze at him with uncertainty. "Todoroki-san, you don't have to."

Curse summer. The weather was making him act out of character. It has to be. Shouto shakes his head as his head rushes to find an answer. "My friends aren't here yet anyway, and it's... it’s the least I can do to repay you."

You raise an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For protecting Inasa and I during the License Exam."

You stare at him, taken aback. "I didn't think you'd remember that," You admit, scratching the back of your neck. 

"How can I forget? You were amazing going up against Gang Orca," Shouto states as-a-matter-of factly. What else can he say? It was the truth. He shrugs. "I didn't get the chance to thank you at the time. Might as well make up for it now."

"I appreciate it, Todoroki-san." You flush, facing turning pink. From the heat? Maybe, but Shouto feels something bloom in his chest. Why and what? He doesn’t know, and he doesn’t like it. 

He can tell your eyes crinkle behind your sunglasses as you smile. He wishes he brought his own. You're going to blind him at this rate. He opts to look ahead.

"Shouto."

"Huh?" Your eyes widen in surprise.

He isn't sure what made him say it. He has no idea where the stupid, foolish idea came from, but Shouto gathers the courage to glance at you. "Just call me Shouto," he repeats.

"O-okay! Then you can call me (First Name)." You flush deeper and smile, wider than before and—damnit. Shouto turns away again. He feels his face warm up. Before it shows in his face, he uses his Quirk to cool his body temperature.

You shiver. "Brr. Why's it so cold all of a sudden?"

"No idea," Shouto replies nonchalantly. "So, where to next, (First Name)?" His lips twitch upwards. He likes the way your name rolls off his tongue—wait—no he doesn't. He presses his lips into a thin line.

You blink, as if you forgot what you were doing. "Oh, yeah, I need to get—"

.......

Subconsciously, you both lean into each other as you began chatting. Neither of you notice the small group of teens hiding behind a corner nearby, watching the whole interaction between you two.

"As expected of our strongest," Yaoyorozu gawks, a hand over her mouth as she blushes.

Next to her, Kaminari stares, eyes wide. "Todoroki, you sly dog."

"Shut up, Idiot," Jirou snaps, kneeling on the ground. Her Earphone Jack is plugged into the floor. "I'm trying to listen."

"Todoroki, you're truly manly, helping someone in need," Kirishima praises, tearing up. He sniffs and wipes the tear away.

Mina cheers as she jumps up and down, "You go, Todoroki!"

"It's so nice to see him take an interest in someone," Uraraka comments. She claps her hands together. "Maybe he'll open up more."

"Half n' Half actually has balls. Didn't think he had it in him," Bakugou sneers, crossing his arms over his chest.

Uraraka smacks his shoulder. "Bakugou, don't say that!"

The blond puts up his fists in an offensive stance. "Hah? You wanna fight, Uraraka?"

The teens shush Bakugou in unison before turning back to spy on Todoroki and you. Bakugou shuts his mouth. He huffs, grudgingly joining them.

Iida shakes his head. "Shameful. Just shameful. You should be be more respectful to Todoroki's privacy," He says as he peeks around the corner like the rest of them.

Midoriya sweat drops, watching his friends (and Bakugou) huddle at the corner. Fidgeting, he suggests, "Guys, this is wrong. We should just give them privacy."

"Who the fuck asked you, Deku?" Bakugou bellows, making the boy flinch.

His yell echos through the plaza, attracting people's attention. The group of teens curse.

.......

Like most of the people in the plaza, Shouto and you look up in the direction where the scream came from. He spots several heads of familiar hair peeking behind a corner not far from you. They shift and move as if they were being shoved. Shouto sighs and his brow furrows.

You laugh, "I suppose those are your 'friends'?"

Shouto nods, his face solemn. "Unfortunately, yes," he glares at the heads bobbing behind the corner.

"Well, wouldn't want to keep them waiting," You advise, taking the bag from his hand.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine," You wave him off. "Thanks for trying to help. I'll talk to you later. Bye, Shouto."

"Yeah, bye," Shouto says. He doesn't notice the hint of disappointment in his tone.

You walk off, waving goodbye. Shouto returns the gesture as he watches you till your back disappears in the crowd. Then he grimaces, turning to walk to where his friends are hiding.

As he nears them, Shouto hears someone instruct, "Quick, act natural!"

He turns the corner and finds his friends in the most awkward positions he's ever seen them in. Yaoyorozu is posing a like a model. Whistling a tune, Uraraka and Mina lean against the wall looking anything but casual. Kaminari and Jirou are pretending to try on women's clothes in the open shop next to them while Kirishima struggles to restrain Bakugou from leaping away. Iida and Midoriya stand in the clear, ashamed.

"Hey, Todoroki-san," Midoriya greets him, shifting his weight foot to foot.

Steam rolls off Shouto in clouds as he tries to remain calm.

He's far from it.

"Eh? Is it getting hot in here?"

"Wait, wait, we can explain!"

"Todoroki-san, using Quirks in public is illegal!"

"So, did you get their number?"

Something in Shouto snaps.

"Ahhhhh! Too cold! Too cold!"

"Hot! Hot!"

"The hell, Half n' Half!?"

Shouto's friends spend the rest of the day trying to gain his forgiveness. Then he realizes.

He didn't get your number.

Damn it.

.......

Episode 3 NOW AVAILABLE!!

Hope you enjoyed! Finally, some interaction between Shouto and the reader. 

I honestly don’t fully understand how school schedules work in Japan. They have school during summer?? Can someone explain it to me?

If you have any suggestions, ask box open or pm me?

Check out my one shots

[fatecamiswhil]

Title: “Raison D'être” Anime: Boku No Hero Academia Pairings: TodoDeku [Todoroki Shouto x Midoriya Izuku] Rating: Teens and Up Words: 4,286 Status: Ongoing Chapters: 1/? [multi-chapter] Summary: It was a month after Todoroki started refusing to use his fire side and Endeavor was getting desperate, that he was presented a small freckled green-haired child. "A pet, a toy, a friend. Call him whatever. He's yours." TodoDeku!

Mirrors: FFN | Ao3

My first BNHA fic~! ;3

"Raison D'être"

Chapter 01: Heaven Sent

Todoroki Shouto hates his father.

And that's a healthy understatement, but he can't quite come up with anything better right now as he desperately struggles to breathe after all the blows he took from the flame hero. Training has been especially harsher since he started refusing to use his fire side, he would even think his father was aiming to kill him if it weren't for the fact that he remains alive to this day. He crawls out of the dojo and limps back to his room to fix his wounds. He patches himself up as he usually does after every one-sided brawl before going to bed, curling into himself as he succumbed to exhaustion.

The next day he wakes up to the heavy stomps of feet seemingly approaching his room. He had only guessed it was his father when the door slammed open to reveal the accuracy of his suspicions, but there seems to be a catch. Behind the assuming bulky figure of his father was a small freckled green-haired child, with big and glassy bright green eyes boring into his own in wonder.

Todoroki will later realize this to be, the one and only time he'd ever be grateful to his father for.

"A pet, a toy, a friend. Call him whatever. He's yours." Endeavor said pulling a tad rough on the tiny hands of said child before pushing him unceremoniously inside Todoroki's room.

Todoroki didn't know what to make of it, what was his father saying? What does this all mean? He stared openly at the child, face a blank slate. Besides the physical attributes you would first notice upon being presented another person, the child in question was also covered in bandages. From his shoulders down to his wrists, the entirety of his legs, his neck, his head, and bits of patches on his face. Todoroki's covered wounds from last night seemed superficial compared to the damage sustained by said child. Who looked completely harmless, defenseless even. It felt as if he was going to cry from all the staring he was doing alone, so he shifted bi-colored eyes back to his father.

"Where did he come from?"

The flaming man shrugged, turning to his back. "The agency entrusted him to me, it was supposed to be some kind of publicity stunt."

"What of his parents?"

"Just his mother, came too late to save her," Endeavor didn't even do as much as look back when he slammed the door closed.

"And he calls himself a hero," Todoroki couldn't help muttering under his breath as he glared at the door. He closed his eyes and sighed softly before opening them again to turn to the other boy. "What's your name?"

Wobbly lips whimpered, "Mi-Midoriya Izuku."

"How old are you?"

"Se-seven." The other boy seemed to shrink further into himself.

"Hn," Todoroki nodded. Midoriya was his age, but he looked a lot smaller and especially weaker. "What's your quirk?"

The freckled child lowered his head and looked away, lips curving down with a frown. "I-I don't have any..."

If that made his interest grow Todoroki didn't show it. "My name is Todoroki Shouto."

Midoriya looked up to him with big hopeful eyes. "Ni-nice to m-meet you then, Bocchan."

Bi-colored eyes blinked. Bocchan?

"You think I'm a Bocchan?" Todoroki had to ask.

"We-well, aren't you?" Midoriya tilted his head in a way that made him feel self-conscious.

While they certainly lived in an estate and lived a fairly prosperous life, Todoroki's never considered it before. They also have household help that come to clean up sometimes, but they still do things mostly by themselves. He's known for a long time his family fairs better than most, he's just never put much thought to it. Then again, maybe that's because of his father who prefers to keep to himself. It would do him great disservice if anyone outside the family were to find out what he does when he's not wearing his hero costume.

"I-I mean, Endeavor-sama is your father and all." The green-haired child broke him out of his thoughts, his silence must've gone for too long.

But seriously, Endeavor-sama? He's heard a couple of his father's subordinates call the flame hero such, but that doesn't mean he likes it. Anyway, it wasn't really important what the child called him, so he dismisses the topic. "Okay, I suppose so. But it doesn't really matter to me either way."

Seeming to have gotten over the initial awkwardness, Midoriya laughed sheepishly, scratching on his cheek before beaming up at him.

Todoroki would later remember this as the first he's ever received a smile from the sun itself.

But regardless of whatever kind of first impression Midoriya has left on him, Todoroki didn't know what to do with him. So he decides to take him to his sister. He led the way out and for a reason he didn't understand, the child held onto his hand. Like he was supposed to, like it was done on instinct. Standing side by side, Midoriya was at least a head smaller than him, despite being his age. So he didn't let go. And even if Todoroki felt a bit of discomfort at the contact, it wasn't like the child could harm him anyway.

They walked the length of the corridor in eerie silence, Midoriya leaning closer to him until he could feel the other's nerves in waves. He didn't understand what the child was scared of, but it's not like he knew how to be a source of comfort so he kept his mouth shut. Logically, there was no reason to be afraid, they were in a hero's abode after all. Logically.

They reached his sister's room and Todoroki knocked on the door twice. He heard a soft 'come in', before turning the doorknob to do so.

"Who's that?" His sister asked the moment she turned to them.

"Midoriya Izuku," Todoroki answered for the child. "Father gave him to me."

"Father what?"

"He gave him to me, to be my friend." Todoroki decides to go with that, leaving out the options of a 'toy' or a 'pet'. He wasn't like his father.

His sister looked to have even more questions than she did initially, but she must've decided to keep those for later. She approached them slowly before lowering herself down, and offering a hand. "Hey there, little guy. My name is Fuyumi, but you can call me 'Nee-chan', okay?"

"O-Okay, Nee-chan," Midoriya smiled shyly.

"Okay, Izu-kun. Can I call you that?" Fuyumi tilted her head in question before receiving a shy nod, and continued. "Where are you from? Where are your parents?"

Before Midoriya could try to come up with answers himself, Todoroki spoke for him. "Father said he came from the agency, they couldn't save his mother."

"Oh, my God..." Fuyumi held a hand in front of her mouth, before slowly turning to the child with a kind smile and a determined look on her face. "Don't worry, Izu-kun. We'll be your family from now on."

Todoroki wasn't sure how to feel about that.

Fuyumi then led the two boys back to Todoroki's room, where she searched for her little brother's old clothes that don't fit anymore. She asked Midoriya to take a shower and change clothes, before taking out a spare futon from the closet and hanging it out on the balcony for air so it would be ready for Midoriya to use later in the night.

"I'm going to prepare breakfast, when Izu-kun's done take him downstairs." Fuyumi turned, and started making her way down to the kitchen.

"Is he really going to stay here?" Todoroki had to ask.

Fuyumi looked back at him from the middle of the doorway, blinking once. "As long as Father says so."

They stared at each other for a while.

"Do you not want him here?" Fuyumi asked, quietly as if in a whisper.

Todoroki pressed his lips together, looking down on his toes. "I don't know... but I do want a friend."

"Then there shouldn't be a problem," Fuyumi smiled gently at him. "Besides, it was Father who brought him here in the first place. He shouldn't complain if something happens."

Todoroki peeked up at her then. He didn't know what that something could be but he nodded his head regardless, before looking away towards the bathroom door.

"Shouto," Fuyumi called back his attention. "You know you have to look after him, right?"

Todoroki nodded again, but more firmly this time. "Yeah... because he's mine."

If Fuyumi wasn't sure how to react to that, she didn't show it. They were good at playing poker faces in this family.

When Midoriya came back out from the bathroom, Todoroki gave him one look before he knelt down in front of him to fold the ends of the pants' legs. They were too long for him, so he was sure the child would step on them and stumble if left alone. Stopping just below the knees, he stood up and checked on his work. The t-shirt was big too, falling off lanky shoulders, but he can leave them be. The bi-haired kid offered his hand, he knew the child would hold onto him anyway so he might as well.

He led the way downstairs and into the kitchen. Fuyumi grinned too brightly for his liking when she saw them holding hands, Shouto doesn't know what to make of it.

"Here you go, you two." She placed two plates on the table, and waited for them to get seated before serving them bread, eggs, and bacon. "Is this okay with you, Izu-kun? What do you usually have at home?"

"Uhm, this is g-great! Th-thank you very much," he pulled the plate towards himself. "I u-usually have cereal, b-but I like this too!"

Fuyumi beamed. Midoriya's voice was meek, but he was trying to be enthusiastic. Being grateful, and at the same time, making sure not to concern her. Plus, the blush on those freckles was adorable. She wanted to make sure he was comfortable so she didn't ask any more questions, eating in silence. The child would tell them the things they needed to know when he was ready. If not, their father will.

Once they were done, she gathered the plates and made her way to the sink. Midoriya offered to help clean up, which was a pleasant surprise, but she merely waved him off.

"I'm okay, I can handle this myself." She patted soft green curls before looking towards her brother. "You two should just go play outside, it's a wonderful day out there."

Todoroki nodded, he understood. She meant that their father has left and that they should make the best of this time, while he was away.

It didn't take long for Todoroki to realize Midoriya was everything he didn’t know he wanted.

The child was an open book, slowly turning the pages of himself to show Todoroki all that he feels and thinks. It was a refreshing experience, compared to what he was used to in this family. Midoriya smiled brightly, cried easily, laughed cheerfully, pouted childishly. He was kind and gentle, meek and shy, smart and understanding, fun and clumsy. He was quiet when Todoroki wasn't talking to him, he was attentive when he was being referred to. He always asks for permission, he was respectful, grateful, and apologetic.

He made Todoroki feel at ease, comfortable, like he just knew if it was Midoriya then he didn't have to worry about a thing.

And it's only been a day.

Of course he didn't know that for sure, Midoriya just struck him as being completely harmless. But even if the child wasn't as innocent as he seemed, Todoroki was perfectly capable of defending himself. He's not scared, of a quirkless boy who's smaller than him of all things. Not to mention his father having brought the child.

They played the entire morning and the rest of the afternoon that day, sharing all of his toys and running around the house. It was always a happy day when Endeavor wasn't there, but what made it all even better was his father having left him with a child and an explicit permission to be friends with. He didn't even get that with his siblings, so then, Midoriya must be really special. And Todoroki wouldn't argue.

That's when it all ended though.

They were coloring pictures books in his bedroom after eating dinner, when Fuyumi knocked and peeked inside. She wore a sorry smile and glanced at Midoriya before regarding Shouto.

"Father's here." She almost whispered and winced, as if uttering the word pains her physically. Then again, it probably does.

But Todoroki didn't even flinch. "Okay."

Fuyumi nodded and stepped out of view, leaving the door open. Todoroki turned to Midoriya. "Izuku."

Midoriya was hunched over, slowly looking at him. He looked apprehensive, he could probably feel the sudden tension in the air.

"I want you to get ready for bed and go to sleep. I have to go to Father and you can't come with me." Torodoki instructed as clearly as possible. "I don't want you to wait up for me either so when I get back, you better not be awake. Lastly, while I'm not with you, you are not allowed to step outside this room."

By the time Todoroki finished his last sentence, he knew he was sending Midoriya the coldest glare he could make. He had to make sure the child got the message, he couldn't risk anything after all. He still didn't know much of the would-be arrangements for the child, so it should be fine if he didn't tell him anything for now. But if Midoriya was really staying with them for good (or bad), then all the more need to be careful. Todoroki wasn't stupid. There is no reason his father should bring home a child, and a quirkless one at that, if he didn't have any plans. He just didn't know why, or how, or what Midoriya's purpose would be. But the freckled green-haired child was his responsibility. Midoriya was given to him, which meant Midoriya belonged to him and that he should take care of him. He knew that, even Fuyumi said so.

"I-I understand," Midoriya's whimpering voice broke him out of his thoughts. The child's eyes went glassy again, shivering slightly. Todoroki was scary when he glares.

Todoroki sighed, and tried again, more gently this time. "I'm not mad at you. I just don't want you to get in trouble, okay?"

The smaller one nodded meekly, looking up at him through eyelashes. "Th-thank you, Bocchan. And so-sorry, for the trouble."

The older shook his head. "It's nothing. You're my responsibility, because you're mine. You know that, right?"

Midoriya couldn't help huffing a small laugh at that, "I-I'll be in your hands, then."

Todoroki couldn't point it out, but a switch was flipped in between them and they were back to normal. A small smile tugged on his lips, Midoriya made him feel too light.

When Todoroki got back, Midoriya was fast asleep. He could see the consistent rise and fall of his chest, and he was glad the child actually listened to him, he wouldn't know how to placate the child when he sees him all beaten up and broken. He didn't want Midoriya to see him like this, and whether that was for his own sake or the child's, it didn't matter. The thought just gave him a sense of unease, like a slight churn in the depths of his gut. He sighed, he's far too young to be feeling so jaded like this. But his father was insufferable. The man didn't say anything about Midoriya though, not even a passing comment. Maybe, he really didn't care to bother about him? Hopefully.

Todoroki headed to the bathroom to take a bath and patch himself up, he's got school tomorrow so he wouldn't be able to play with Midoriya until arriving home in the afternoon. He'll be able to see him for breakfast though, so it should be fine. He'll give him further instructions then. He vaguely wondered how Midoriya will be educated in this family, was he going to be transferred to his school? He hopes so, he better ask Fuyumi tomorrow to make sure.

He laid down in his own futon, feeling more exhausted than he usually does. Probably because he played out so much today, but he couldn't possibly regret that. He's never had so much fun, despite the training, he can always put that behind him and focus more on the good things. He turns to his side, glancing towards Midoriya and bites his lower lip. He's felt too many urges to smile this day, he hopes they don't go away. And he falls to sleep just like that.

Morning came too soon, his alarm ringing on his bedside table. He opened his eyes to see Midoriya already awake and reaching over to shut it off.

"Go-good morning, Bocchan." The clock made a soft click as the freckled child pressed a button down.

"Good morning," Todoroki sat up, staring blankly at the child. "You're up early."

Midoriya played with his fingers, head bowed. "I-I always w-wake up around this time for school..."

"Right, are you going?"

"I-I... don't know," the child peeks up at him and quickly looked away. "I d-don't even have my things..."

"We'll talk to Nee-san about it then," Todoroki got up and walked over to his closet to get dressed. He also took a spare out for Midoriya, handing it over. He picked a shorter pants this time so he wouldn't have to bend down and fold it up again like last time. They brushed their teeth before the older one grabbed his bag and they headed downstairs. If he was lucky, his father wouldn't be there.

And he was, for today.

Fuyumi was the only one in the kitchen. "Good morning, you two."

"Nee-san, is Izuku going to school?" Todoroki cut to the chase.

Fuyumi blinked twice, glancing at Midoriya and then back at him. "Well, he should. But I can see how that could be a problem."

Todoroki didn't say anything but there was a glint of a plea in his eyes, Fuyumi tried to resist a knowing smile.

"Tell you what, I'll go call Father's agency and see how to arrange things." She said to her little brother before turning to Midoriya, "Izuku, do you mind coming with me later to your school? We'll see if we can get you transferred into Shouto's."

"R-really?! That would be great! Thank you so much, Nee-chan!" With Midoriya's usually bright smile, it was hard to quantify how much happier he was. But the slight reddening of his cheeks and the watering of his eyes gave away a meaning they have yet to understand.

"Are you sure? Don't you have friends you don't want to part with in your school?" Todoroki asked, trying not to get his hopes too high.

Midoriya deflated and shook his head with a sad smile, somehow they seem to have found meaning to pin on the earlier expression. "I don't have friends."

Todoroki couldn't believe that. Midoriya was blinding sunshine personified, how could he not have friends?

"It's settled then! We'll go through everything later and by tomorrow, hopefully you can start attending Shouto's class!" Fuyumi broke the dampening mood, ushering the two of them to the table for breakfast.

They eat in comfortable silence and soon enough, Fuyumi was gathering the dishes to clean up. Todoroki bids her goodbye and walks with Midoriya to the entryway. He crouches down and puts his shoes on before straightening back up to turn to the smaller boy.

"Izuku, listen to whatever Nee-san says while I'm not here, okay?" Todoroki was giving him a stern look again, unblinking.

"I u-understand," Midoriya tried smiling reassuringly but it only came up as sheepish.

Todoroki finally blinks, just once and slowly. "If Father comes home, just stay inside my room. No matter what happens, stay away from him."

Midoriya's eyes shifted from each of his as if looking for something, so he prepared himself to answer for anything but the questions never came. The smaller child only smiles, softly but not any less bright. "You don't have to keep wo-worrying about me so much a-all the time, Bocchan. I'll be okay."

"I'm not worried about you, I'm worried about Father." The words left his mouth before he could think even about them.

"O-oh! We-well then, I-I'm sure he'll be fi-fine too because he's a hero." Midoriya looked flustered and confused, saying the first things that come to mind.

"That's not it either."

The smaller child opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say to he closed them again and settled with biting his lower lip, head lowering and shoulders hunching.

The older boy sighed at the sight. "Just stay out of trouble, I'll be back soon."

Midoriya nodded eagerly before slowly gaining back the courage to speak. "Ta-take care, Bocchan."

Todoroki nodded once before turning on his heel and walking out. The door closed and the green-haired child felt his shoulders sagging.

True enough to her word, Fuyumi had taken care of everything. Just as she said she would and as much to Todoroki's liking. So the next day, he was walking out the door with Midoriya in tow. They bid their farewells to Fuyumi at the door before walking out together hand-in-hand, with the older leading the way to school. It was a rough five to ten minutes worth, Midoriya gaping all around him the entire way. This was the nicer and more quiet part of the city, with many beautiful houses and flowering trees. The green-haired child stared openly in wonder, straining his neck to take in all the view. Todoroki had to steer him clear from walking into a lamp post a couple of times, but the older kid didn't mind. It was amusing.

They get to the school and Midoriya was introduced as a transfer student, the fact that he lives with Todoroki left unsaid. He is placed in a seat besides the bi-haired kid, who sits in the corner of the room by the window as per their request. The class started as normal as it should without much fuss, and the two didn't talk to each other the whole time. It wasn't until lunch break that Todoroki motioned for Midoriya to follow him. They climbed two sets of stairs to get to the rooftop, which was locked and technically a prohibited area, but Todoroki could most likely get away with anything anyway. Todoroki used his ice to form a key at the tip of his forefinger, before opening the door for Midoriya. And the child was just gaping at him. He vaguely remembers this was the first time he's ever shown him his quirk.

"That's... amazing," Midoriya's voice sounded breathless, and Todoroki was mildly concerned. "Your quirk is ice? I thought it would be fire like Endeavor-sama's."

"Actually, that too." The older of the two clarified, watching closely for any more reaction. The fact that he has two quirks when the other has none was unfair, Todoroki knew that. But there's nothing he could do about it, nor was it his fault. Still, he would do his best to try feeling for the smaller boy. Heck, if he could give away his fire quirk he would.

Midoriya held his shaking hands together, vibrating with excitement. "That's so cool, Bocchan! You have two quirks?! I can't believe this! You are so lucky! So you have both ice and fire? That's so convenient! I mean, you can freeze and melt things at the same time! All the cons of one is the pros of the other! Which should be such an incredible balance in power! And both are so useful! I'm so envious! But also very happy for you, Bocchan! You will become a great hero for sure!"

Todoroki was sure that was the longest he's ever heard Midoriya talking without stuttering.

"Uhhh, thanks." He stepped out on the rooftop first since the smaller kid didn't seem like he was taking his invitation to go first. He sat towards the side, leaning onto the railings before opening the bentos Fuyumi made for them.

The green-haired child must've noticed his demeanor because he quietly followed after him, stopping three steps away with all the previous signs of excitement gone. "Is there something wrong?"

The bi-haired kid didn't dare look at him. He knew his existence was unfair, Midoriya's case was too except he's the only one who deserves feeling like a cheat. They were at the opposite poles of extremes, and he didn't want to be insensitive. He could just imagine growing up without a quirk, and the younger child looking like that's all he's ever wanted. Even though, Todoroki couldn't care less about his fire side. Even though, he doesn't mind losing both if he could just get rid of his father's proof in him. Then maybe he wouldn't be put through so much suffering, and his mother would probably still be here. He knew she would still love him even if he lost his quirk, and the thought that his father would not even spare him a glance makes him want to smile. He would be normal then, like Midoriya. But he can't tell the other that, of course not.

"It's nothing, let's eat."

Thankfully, Midoriya didn't bring it up again.

Until one fateful night two days later when Shouto unwittingly stumbles into the bathroom following another harsh training session with his sorry-excuse-of-a-father, and Midoriya was in there.

AN:

Okay so, the original idea for this fic was smut... hence the summary, but now I'm not so sure if I'll push forth for that and I just wanted to get that out there. No warnings yet, but they will come once needed. I'm still torn about keeping this safe, everything is just a set-up for now. No lemon until the timeskip of course.

Please review. Thank you so much!

— Lynx

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