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Todoroki picked up his phone for what was probably at least the eighteenth time that night and considered texting Midoriya. What would he even say? The words “Hi. good evening. I can't stop thinking about you.” flitted through his head, and he sighed. Why was this so difficult? He'd talked to Momo just fine when he'd had a crush on her. Why was he so different about Midoriya?
He put his phone back down and resigned himself to never speaking with Midoriya ever. He would just pine from afar. That was fine.
He could just stare from his seat and- oh.
Midoriya: hi Todoroki. This is Midoriya :)
Oh, god. What did he do now?
Midoriya: do you want to see the new book I bought
Todoroki breathed a sigh of relief. Obviously, Midoriya would've had a conversation ready.
Todoroki: Sure
Midoriya: [Midoriya sent a picture]
Midoriya: it's about the history of minor heroes and how they affect our society
Todoroki chuckled softly to himself. Only Midoriya would get excited over a history book.
Todoroki: When'd you get it?
Midoriya: I pre ordered it two weeks ago and it came today
Todoroki: I see
Todoroki’s mind drew a blank. What was he supposed to say now?
Midoriya: what type of books do you like to read?
Todoroki: I don't really read that much. Comics I guess
Midoriya: really?!? What kind?
Todoroki: Horikoshi Kouhei
Midoriya: you like him?! Me too!!!!
----------
Now that Midoriya thought about it, it was only inevitable that he'd end up falling for Todoroki. It had started as a small crush, but then they began texting every night. The conversations slowly slipped in during the day, and then they were talking constantly. Even in person. They sat together at meals, during breaks, and they'd even hung out after classes a few times.
How had Midoriya expected to resist loving someone like Todoroki?
The more they talked the harder Midoriya fell. Todoroki was kind and a maybe little awkward, but he was still easy to talk to. Besides, Midoriya himself was awkward. Two negatives multiply to become a positive, right?
Over the course of a few months Midoriya had learned that Todoroki was easily moved- he'd even cried over a cheesy vintage movie about a blue alien.
It was also surprisingly easy to make him laugh. You just had to understand his sense of humor. What was worrying, though, was how quick he was to chuckle at depression memes. It was almost too much for Midoriya who, in his own mind, was referred to as the king of self deprecation. Perhaps, it was just different when other people laughed at them.
Midoriya groaned and rolled over onto his back, scrubbing a hand over his face. When would thoughts of Todoroki stop plaguing his nights. This crush was going to take over his life, when all he wanted was to go to sleep and stop pining.
His phone buzzed with a text, and he smiled involuntary. There was only one person that could texting him this late at night.
Todoroki: Are you awake?
He always texted so formally. Impeccable grammar and always punctuated.
Midoriya: yeah. You can't sleep either?
For a second, Midoriya was tempted to send a second text telling Todoroki he couldn't stop thinking about him, but the chance of it being received poorly was too much of a risk to take.
Todoroki: I found a cat video. Would you like to see it?
Midoriya: of course??? cats are great???
Midoriya grinned. Todoroki’s obsession with cat videos had come as a surprise as first, but now it was just another endearing facet of his personality.
Todoroki: [todoroki sent a link]
Midoriya: amazing. thrilling. absolutely breathtaking. I've never seen anything so beautiful
Midoriya sighed. Except for Todoroki himself of course. That hair and those eyes and- was it weird to think that Todoroki had beautiful hands?
Todoroki: What about that dog video you sent me yesterday?
Midoriya: close second then
----------
Todoroki: Midoriya
Midoriya: we're in the middle of class omg why are you texting me
Todoroki: I have something to tell you. Can we meet after class?
Midoriya: don't we always?
Midoriya: are you okay?
Todoroki: Yeah. I'm fine. Can we
Todoroki: I'll meet you at the big tree, okay?
Midoriya: okay
----------
Midoriya pulled his phone out of his pocket and clicked the call button beneath Todoroki’s name. What if Todoroki had blocked him? Would he do that?
The call rang once, twice, three times before Todoroki finally answered with a hesitant, “hello?”
“Hi. Todoroki?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I give you my response now?”
“Now? Right now?”
“Look out your window?”
Midoriya could almost hear Todoroki rubbing his temples.
“Are you outside my window right now?”
“Yes.”
“At three in the morning.”
“Yes.”
“Do you- do you want to come in?”
“Please.”
The window opened and Midoriya ducked in, rolling onto the floor, already blushing.
“Hi, Todoroki,” he said, smiling sheepishly.
“You know I wasn't expecting an answer, right? Especially not at three in the morning.”
“I- I just- I'm-”
Todoroki raised an eyebrow.
“I really like you too,Todoroki. I couldn't stop thinking about you or your confession, so I figured no time like the present, right? And I'm sorry if it's creepy that I was outside your window, but I had no idea what else to do and-” Midoriya was talking in such rapid fire speech that Todoroki nearly couldn't keep up, but once all the words registered…
“You like me?”
Midoriya stopped talking and looked down at the floor, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.
“I- yeah. Th- that's what I said isn't it?”
“I, Todoroki Shouto, somehow got you, Midoriya Izuku, to like me back?”
“What do you mean somehow? You're amazing.”
“I-”
Midoriya suddenly deflated, looking like he'd lost all his nerve. “I'm just going to go now. I like you. That's all I wanted to say. I think I'm going to take the stairs this time.”
He slid past Todoroki, making for the door and desperately willing for the red in his cheeks to die down a little.
Todoroki's hand caught his sleeve. “Midoriya, wait.”
“Y- yeah?”
“Are we still going to talk to each other?”
“Of course. Why wouldn't we be?”
----------
“Midoriya?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you want to be my boyfriend?”
“Did you just ask me out over the phone?”
“Do you have a problem with that? I can ask you again tomorrow if you want.”
“No. I mean- yes. I mean- no, I don't have a problem with it. Yes, I want to be your boyfriend.”
“Oh, good. I would look like an idiot if you didn't.”
“What?”
“Open your door?”
Midoriya crossed over to his door, hesitantly unlocking it. “H- hi?”
“Do you like them?”
Midoriya peeked out and breathed out a soft, “holy shit.”
Todoroki was standing there, chewing on his bottom lip, with a bouquet of sunflowers in his hands. Even nervous and flushed, Midoriya couldn't help but think that he looked like a prince, and that he deserved someone so much better than him. Someone more attractive, more intelligent. Not that he thought he wasn't those things. Todoroki just deserved more.
“Stop that.”
Midoriya looked up at him. “Stop what?”
“Stop thinking whatever you're thinking right now.”
“I wasn't thinking any- are those for me?”
“No, I bought them because they'd make a nice salad.”
“What?”
Todoroki turned from a mild pink to a red dark enough to rival his hair. “Nothing. They're for you.”
Midoriya took the bundle of flowers, grinning so brightly Todoroki wondered how he hadn't gone blind from looking yet, and glanced into his room, trying to decide whether it was presentable or not. Probably not. That was okay.
“Do you want to come in?”
“Sure.”
Midoriya stepped back and looked for a place to put the flowers. Every available surface was covered with books and pens and odd objects he'd found while running.
“Hey, Midoriya.” Todoroki tugged him by the sleeve. “Come here a second.”
----------
“Izuku.” Todoroki placed a kiss on the tip of Midoriya’s nose. “Izuku.” His cheek. “Izuku.” His mouth.
They'd finally decided to call each other by their first names and Todoroki didn't know how he'd survived until now not saying it.
He leaned down and kissed Midoriya again. “Izuku.”
“Stop saying it.” Midoriya said, his nose scrunching up with laughter.
Todoroki found the action oddly reminiscent of a bunny rabbit.
“Saying what? Izuku?”
“It's just my name.”
“Exactly. It's your name. I like saying it.”
Midoriya pushed his palm against Todoroki’s face. “That's so cheesy. Have you been reading romance novels lately?”
Todoroki turned his head and kissed Midoriya’s hand. He looked like he was glowing, his skin flushed pink and his curly hair spread out like a crown against the pillow.
“No, just thinking about you.”
Todoroki couldn't help but feel a little smug and also a little amused at the sight of Midoriya’s face burning tomato red. Eight months ago, he wouldn't have believed he could be the one to cause that expression, and now that he knew that he could, he didn't think he ever wanted to stop.
Midoriya whined. “Stop trying to one-up me in the romance department. I was supposed to be the smooth talker.”
Todoroki smirked. “Since when?”
“That's cold.”
“And you're one of the coolest people I know.”
----------
Todoroki watched Midoriya put his hair up into a ponytail and mentally cursed himself. Why did he have to fall in love with someone so cute? He was even getting distracted by a ponytail, for goodness sake.
“Shouto, are you okay?” Midoriya mouth split into a grin. “You're staring.”
Todoroki blinked out of his thoughts and nearly choked on his own breath. “Uh. Yeah. You're um… hi.”
Midoriya laughed. “Hi back.”
“I was- ah… I was just-”
“What were you thinking about?” Midoriya was still smiling, his eyes crinkled at the corners.
“I was just- you're really cute.”
“We've been dating for over a year now.”
“Yes? And you're just as cute as before.”
“I just thought maybe you'd be tired of me by now. Or at least used to me.”
Todoroki frowned. “Why would you think that?”
Midoriya shrugged. “No reason.” He turned back to his paper, biting at the end of his pencil. “You're going to get wrinkles on your forehead if you keep doing that with your eyebrows.”
Todoroki brought a hand up to his forehead, rubbing at the furrow between his brows. “Why did you say you think I'd get tired of you?”
Another shrug. “Nothing.”
Todoroki scooted to the end of the bed, reaching his hand out to take Midoriya’s. “Hey. Look at me?”
Midoriya turned, flicking his gaze to Todoroki's. “Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“You- I- what?”
“I love you don't ever doubt that, okay?”
“I- this isn't how I imagined we'd tell each other we loved each other.”
Todoroki snorted. “How did you expect it to go?”
“Well, I thought I'd say it first. While we're watching a movie or something.”
“You were going to tell me you loved me in a movie theatre?”
“Not a movie theatre. We would be on the couch cuddling, and I'd just say it.”
“That's gay.”
“I'm gay.”
“Good point.”
They sit like that, in silence, staring at their hands, for a few minutes before Midoriya speaks again.
“Shouto.”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“I know.”
----------
Todoroki rolled over onto his face, trying to figure out how he felt about his life’s most recent development. His father had finally kicked him out of the house. He'd been prepared for it, of course. He'd been prepared to leave since middle school, but expecting it and it actually happening were two very different things.
What did he do now?
He felt his phone buzz in his back pocket and considered not checking it. He really didn't want to talk to anyone right now, but he didn't want to inconvenience anyone with a late reply.
Izuku: I saw the news. Are you okay?
Shouto: I'm fine. I'm back in the dorms now
Izuku: do you want me to come over?
Todoroki thought for a minute. He wasn't sure if he could handle any more interaction, but Midoriya was okay, right?
Shouto: okay. My doors unlocked
A few minutes later, he heard his door click open and a bag being dropped on the floor. Suddenly, the idea of anyone, even Midoriya, seeing him in this state was too much. He rolled over ready to tell him leave, but then he saw Midoriya standing there looking like he was trying terribly hard not to cry and decided that he couldn't do it.
“H-” his voice was raspy, and he mentally cursed himself. “Hey, Izuku.”
“Scoot over a little?”
He nodded and moved closer to the wall, allowing space for Midoriya to crawl in with him.
Midoriya curled up against Todoroki’s back, and wrapped an arm around his middle. “I'm right here if you need me.”
“I-” Todoroki’s voice broke, the tears coming faster than he expected. “Thank you.”
----------
“Shouto!” Midoriya ran over to him, a bouquet of flowers in hand.
Todoroki turned, a smile already tugging at the corner of his lips at the sound of Midoriya’s voice.
“Izuku.”
“Why didn't you tell me you were valedictorian? I mean, it was only to be expected, but a little heads up would've been nice. I could've gone around telling people. ‘Hey did you know my boyfriend’s the valedictorian? Pretty cool, huh?’ These are for you by the way” Midoriya put the bundle of flowers in his arms, talking at a hundred miles per hour.
Todoroki blushed. Nearly three years of dating and flowers still made him flustered. “Thank you.”
Midoriya shrugged, still somehow reluctant to receive thanks from anyone. “It was nothing.”
“It’s not nothing to me.”
“Sh- shut up, oh my god.” Midoriya punched Todoroki on the arm, laughing.
“Where’s your mom?”
Todoroki peered over the mass of people scanning for the familiar head of Midoriya Inko.
“She's talking with All Might. Just because we graduated doesn't mean she's stopped worrying, you know?”
He did know. Midoriya Inko was the kindest woman he’d met in his entire life, and he still thanked her in his mind everyday for forgiving him.
“Are you going to Kirishima’s graduation party?” Todoroki said, absent mindedly tucking a stray hair back behind Midoriya’s ear.
“I- I am. Yeah. Are you?”
“I’ll meet you at your house at six?”
“We can just leave together right now?”
“Yeah?”
“Race you to the car?”
Todoroki smirked. “What does the winner get?”
“I guess we’ll have to see.” Midoriya was already running off, graduation cap held in his hand.
Todoroki laughed, chasing after him. Three years ago he had come to UA looking to make a name for himself, and now he was leaving happier than he’d ever been.