mixingbowl | Try to believe walking down the lonesome road

Try to believe walking down the lonesome road

[With the start of their internships fast approaching, it's no wonder a good portion of the students in 1-A are too excited to properly concentrate during class. Aizawa, picking up on their lack of focus, eventually ends the class a few minutes early with a tired, exasperated sigh. Izuku grins guiltily at their teacher's retreating back. He can't exactly blame his classmates for distracted like this--picking their hero names and their first internship is pretty exciting. And a big step toward being pros.

Fidgeting with the bandages on his hands, Izuku turns in his seat and just happens to catch Todoroki's eyes. There's the barest flicker of hesitation before Izuku offers up a cheerful smile.] Todoroki-kun, have you already decided where you're going for your internship?

[The classroom's already emptying out, but there's no real need to hurry out like everyone else is. Besides, Izuku hasn't really gotten a chance to talk to Todoroki since the festival. Remembering how subdued Todoroki was during the medal ceremony has made it difficult for him to shake away his concerns. So Izuku gathers up his books slowly and waits for an answer.]

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[Shouto's straightforward and if there's an easy to do something, he'll choose that.]

Like... potato chips? [People seem to be fond of those.] I should still be careful about my diet.

[Like hero work and training doesn't burn off more calories than he usually intakes.]

We don't have to go through the list immediately. Even if it's tempting. [Izuku looks more amused than anything.] I have a pretty strict diet I'm supposed to follow, too, but it's okay to treat yourself sometimes.

Besides, this just means the list will last us a while! [For the most part, Izuku seems oblivious to what he's implied--that these outings of theirs would continue for a considerable amount of time. He's invested in giving Todoroki some of the simple pleasures in life back, and Todoroki himself doesn't seem opposed to it. ]

[He looks a bit sceptical, not because he doesn't want to believe Midoriya, but it's a bit odd to hear something like that from anybody.

Midoriya might not hear the implication in his words, but Shouto does and there's the faintest trace of a smile on his features.]

I'd be fine with that.

[Even a simple confirmation like this, that Todoroki wants to spend more time together, is enough to make him brighten.] I'm glad, Todoroki-kun. [He says, softly.

Then, Izuku drops his gaze back down to his drink with an awkward little laugh.] So...heroes! [It's a completely unsubtle attempt to steer the conversation into lighter territory, brought about by the realization he's been incredibly nosy (...and still is) and meddlesome. Even if Todoroki doesn't seem to mind it.]

Is there anyone that you really look up to? [He'd bet 1,000 yen that Endeavor isn't it by a long shot.]

[Shouto simply doesn't speak that much, and if he has the option he prefers to stay quieter. But Midoriya doesn't make him feel like that's a strange thing. He's quite content being around him, and if he can have more time spent with Midoriya, he'll certainly take it. His heart does something strange when he sees that smile, but he'll chalk it up to inexperience more than anything else.

Sometimes he worries about just how nosy Midoriya is, but... it helped him. And he seems to back his words up with actions, which is the most important thing. So he really doesn't mind it at all.]

All Might.

[That's not too much of a surprise, is it? Most people were inspired by him.]

You helped me remember. During the sports festival.

[It's true. Hearing that it's All Might doesn't surprise Izuku at all. He is the number one hero for a reason, after all. What Todoroki says next, though, makes his eyes widen.]

I did? [He asks, a delighted smile spreading across his face. With Todoroki warming up to him like this, Izuku thinks it isn't too much to hope that his words have had an impact, but hearing it straight from him this way is much different than simply hoping it.]

[ Midoriya has a very nice smile. Is it a bit odd to think he wants to protect it? Considering the amount of peril he seems to get it to, he probably does need some looking after.

He'll do it whenever he can. ]

I lost my way for while. So... Thank you, Midoriya.

[This time, he's expecting the way his eyes grow watery in response. Oh... he's being thanked. He'd felt horrible after their match, thinking he'd let All Might down by not getting further in the competition, but even then he'd known that he couldn't just leave things as they were with Todoroki. As much as he'd wanted to win, Izuku had wanted just as much to make things right. He'd still make the same choice, if he given the chance to do it all over again.]

You don't have to--I-I'm just glad you think it helped. [His smile feels wobbly; it's hard not to break into tears when someone's telling him he actually made a difference.]

[He's... he's crying again. He's crying, but he's smiling and Shouto's left wondering if maybe he said something wrong? But no, Midoriya seems happy. Is he overwhelmed? He tried to make it as straightforward as it was for him, but clearly his approach doesn't work for everybody.

He puts his hand in his pocket and draws out a plain white handkerchief and gives it over to Midoriya.]

You cry easily. [It's more a statement of fact than anything else.]

I wanted to tell you. You risked... a lot, and you deserve to know.

[Izuku gives a soft, choked up sort of laugh.] I've been told that before. [Several times, actually. ~~It's something of a family trait.~~

He reaches for the handkerchief--people still carry these around??--but simply curls his fingers around it, letting it rest in his hand.]

It wouldn't have felt right to stand back and ignore what was going on.

It's good to get your emotions out. [ Shouto should probably take his own advice. But he won't judge Midoriya for being emotional.

Maybe most people don't, but Shouto grew up as very traditional. He definitely does carry these things around. ]

You're a very kind person. It didn't have anything to do with you and you still got involved.

I couldn't help it. [He fiddles with the handkerchief, turning slightly to stare out the window for a moment.] I just thought...you looked so sad when you were out there during your match with Sero-kun.

Besides...getting involved when you don't need to is what a hero does. [Izuku says quietly before swinging his gaze back to Todoroki.] That's what All Might told me before.

[Shouto's eyes are wide when Midoriya looks back at him. He didn't think he looked that sad when he was unfreezing Sero from his ice. But Midoriya always seems to pay more attention than others. Is he really that easy to read? Or is it just because Midoriya has good instincts? It's hard to tell one way or another.

He does his best to school his features back to their usual expression, but he still seems mildly bewildered.]

... I'm still grateful for it.

You really will make a great hero.

[Ah, maybe he shouldn't have said that? Izuku can't be sure--he's still committing his new friend's expressions to memory--but Todoroki seems confused about something.

He would have gone on worrying about this more, if it weren't for Todoroki's next words. The compliment, of course, makes him look away bashfully.] You really think so?

[Most of Shouto's expressions are very small, or difficult to notice. But there's something about Midoriya that makes him emote more. Or at least, that's what it's starting to feel like.]

Yes.

[It's soft, simple, and direct. He'd never say anything he didn't mean, especially when it's with somebody he's just starting to get to know.]

[His cheeks start to pink up before he even realizes it. Hearing it said so simply by Todoroki, who's undoubtedly somewhere at the top of their class, hits Izuku in a way he wouldn't have expected. After being told that his dream is impossible over and over again by his previous classmates, getting this kind of affirmation from the other students in the hero course is.. special, in a way.]

Thanks, Todoroki-kun. [It's said so softly, and completely heartfelt.]

[He watches Midoriya start to blush. While he wasn't paying very much attention to his classmates during the beginning of the year he feels like this is a pretty normal look for Midoriya. Maybe he's shy? He said he didn't really have friends, but at the same time, Midoriya seems pretty good at talking to people.]

I'm just saying what I think.

[It seems a strange thing to thank somebody for, but he'll tuck it away just in case.]

[Izuku’s quiet for a moment, struggling with whether he should tell Todoroki anything or not. As it is, he knows that some of his odd behaviour’s been noted.]

I’m just not used to hearing those words. [He says, finally.] Even if you don’t think it’s a big deal, it is to me.

[Shouto's not great at being open about his feelings. Or sometimes he's too direct about something. But nobody's ever opened up to him like this before. He wishes he had a little more experience, that he knew what he should say to make Midoriya feel better.

He doesn't.

It doesn't mean he won't try.

Somebody like Midoriya, who's kind and thoughtful and well-meaning- how is it possible nobody's ever said something like that before to him? Even if Midoriya's control over his quirk still needs a lot of work.]

... You deserved to hear it more.

[The blush slowly spreads to the tips of his ears. It’s a little surreal, the way Todoroki’s essentially soothing some of his oldest worries without even really realizing it.]

I-it’s just...quirks. [Izuku stammers, caught off guard by the turn this conversation has taken to think about what he’s saying.] Mine came in really late, so...

[A helpless sort of shrug as he trails off, not really succeeding at the casual tone he was going for. It’s a sad truth in their world—no matter what a person is like, they’re always judged by their quirk first.]

[There's a pause as he thinks back to Midoriya breaking bones over and over and over again. He takes a small sip from his tea before answering.]

... Maybe it's better that way.

[The thought of a tiny child Midoriya breaking his arms makes him want to panic. He doesn't even know what kids are usually supposed to be like, so he's not entirely sure how to take that last statement. But it doesn't sound positive. He knows that.]

I... don't know if we would have met if everything didn't happen the way it did.

[He just lets that hang for a minute, not sure what else to say. It's probably fate... no that's far too embarrassing for him to actually say.]

[It’s nerve wracking, waiting for Todoroki’s reaction after blurting those words out. He’d been so flustered by the compliments that all Izuku could think of at the time was as close to the truth as he could get without giving certain secrets away. He doesn’t know what he was expecting from Todoroki, but what he gets draws a smile from him, bright and pleased.]

Maybe you’re right. [There’s no telling how things would have turned out, but growing up quirkless had led to meeting All Might and meeting people like Todoroki...things have definitely turned out for the better.] No matter how things were before, I’m glad I got to meet you at least, Todoroki-kun.

[Shouto looks at him like he's seeing him for the first time and he has no idea what to make of him. And slowly a blush starts to creep up his features before he remembers he's in public and he has at least a little bit of an image to uphold. (Or maybe he's trying to cover for his pride, he doesn't know.)

He covers his face and glances away like that does anything to hid the red that's tinging his ears.]

... So am I.

[The words come out slowly, even though he means them. He's not used to being that open about anything, but Midoriya makes him want to be. Even if it's only with him.]

[Oh...wow. It's still a bit of a treat seeing Todoroki so visibly flustered, Izuku can't help but watch with fascination the way the color slowly spreads across his skin. And this is the Todoroki that had said he wasn't here to make friends... maybe it's cliche, but Izuku wonders just how much of himself Todoroki had allowed to freeze over metaphorically by rejecting the fire side of his quirk. Well, whatever had made Todoroki change his mind about making friends, Izuku's just glad for it.

He grins at Todoroki over his drink.]

Things can only get better from here. Let's all work hard and become stronger together!

[He's not used to feelings like this. Anything positive was locked behind a wall years and years ago. But Izuku broke those walls down with every finger he broke in the arena, with the words he screamed from the stands. This is the sort of thing Shouto has no idea how to deal with it- and the person who'd probably be easiest to talk to is the one who's flustering him right now.

Later he'll ask. Maybe.

At some point, he'll figure something out.

But working hard is something he can easily latch back onto.]

... Yeah. Do you want to schedule training sessions too?

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