Hands, put your empty hands in mine

[inheritance]

[It's only been a month since he and Mei opened up their own business, a month since graduating, and yet, the orders are already starting to pile up. Izuku supposes, he shouldn't be so surprised, with the reputation Mei built up for herself while they were in UA. Even in a Support Course as rigorous as their high school's, Mei quickly proved herself to be one of the best and brightest.

And then there's him. While Izuku knows he's no slouch when it comes to analyzing a hero's weaknesses and strengths, he also knows that he'd gotten lucky when he found a business partner and friend in Mei. Shaking his head, Izuku throws himself into his work to dispel those thoughts. Things had turned out alright in the end; that's what actually matters.]

Hooooold on, I'll be right with you. [Izuku calls, distracted, when he hears the front door open. A few more strokes of his pencil and--done! Finished with another design sketch, Izuku sets his notebook aside and stands up, looking up at them for the first time. He pauses, not even managing to get a greeting out.] ...Todoroki-kun?

Comments

[glaciers]

That's... a way to put it.

[Poor Iida.]

Then would you like to meet for lunch? ... It's more like breakfast for me.

[inheritance]

[Izuku perks up, then nods all too eagerly.]

Yes! That would work perfectly with the work I'm doing in the morning--ah, are Iida-kun and Uraraka-san going to meet us there, too?

[glaciers]

Yeah. ... Knowing Iida he'll be there half an hour early.

[He ducks his head a bit, because this is going to make it sound an awful lot like a date.

Perhaps. Because Shouto would like it to be?

He's moving way too fast, what if he freaks Midoriya out--]

Do you want to meet up beforehand? I can pick you up from work.

[inheritance]

[It's like a whirlwind of emotion, with Izuku caught between delight at Todoroki's apparent shyness and his own fluster.]

That sounds like Iida-kun all right. [He manages to say without stuttering too badly.] A-are you sure that isn't out of the way for you, though, Todoroki-kun?

[glaciers]

[His face is going so pink.]

It wouldn't be. What time should I pick you up?

[inheritance]

[It's almost like a date, Izuku thinks, and immediately starts blushing in response. Of course it's not, he has to tell himself. They're meeting up with Iida and Uraraka, too, and Todoroki's just being kind. That's all.]

Um. [He ducks his head.] How about 11? That should give us plenty of time to get there.

[glaciers]

[It's a date! A small but genuine smile graces his features. Midoriya wants to spend time with him outside the office! He's meeting Shouto's friends too and maybe he'll make friends with them.]

I can be here by then. I have your number in case anything changes.

[inheritance]

[Todoroki's smiling. At him. Izuku can feel the heat from his cheeks spreading to the tips of his ears by now, and he ends up rambling nervously.] A-and I have yours! In case Mei-san goes a little overboard with her experiments and we have to spend a lot of time cleaning up again...

["Again" because it's happened way too many times to count already.]

[glaciers]

[Midoriya's blush is just too precious. Shouto just stares at him for a few seconds before catching himself.]

She does seem to enjoy her inventions. Even with how much destruction she tends to cause.

[inheritance]

[He coughs, blush slowly subsiding as he hides a laugh.]

A little too much. [A pause.] Actually, I kind of suspect she made the weirdest, most over-the-top projects to see how much Majima-sensei would let her get away with. He kept threatening to ban her from the Development Studios when we were still students, but he never did.

[glaciers]

She definitely seems like the type to push the limits. Though I don't think anybody would be willing to throw her talent away.

... I suppose I've only really talked to you. But you seem to like her.

[inheritance]

She's my best friend. [Izuku's smile is just a bit strained.] Mei-san was the only one who didn't really care that I didn't have a quirk.

I owe her a lot. [For one, he knows that the past three years would have been hell to get through without her friendship, even if she could get distracted at times.[

[glaciers]

I'm glad you met her. But Midoriya, you need to meet more people. There are plenty of people who don't care about something like that.

[Are there really so many people who would care so much about being quirkless? (Sometimes he wished he was, growing up.) There are so many quirks that aren't combat oriented, that don't serve any real purpose except making people look different.

There's not a single thing he'd want to change about Midoriya though.]

[inheritance]

There's you. [Izuku says, expression softening.]

I-I know I should meet more people, Todoroki-kun. I tried for a while, after I got into U.A.... [But there's only so many times he could get his hopes up, only to be turned away. Perhaps seeing that nothing had really changed, even after getting into his dream school, was what had finally made him give up in the end.

Izuku rubs at his neck, smiling weakly.] At least I know there's Iida-kun and Uraraka-san now, too. Maybe I should've tried to get to know you all earlier.

[glaciers]

[Two people isn't enough, he doesn't think. He slowly ended up making friends with all of 1-A.

He leans a bit forward ending up in Midoriya's space again.]

We can't change the past, but we can always make the future better.

[inheritance]

[Izuku gives him a wide-eyed look as he leans in again, and ends up holding himself cautiously, like he's afraid to move and disturb the air between them.]

Y-yeah. I mean--it's been getting better already! I didn't think I'd ever meet someone lik you, so... [Izuku trails off, resisting the urge to hide his face in his hands. Was that too cheesy? It sounded really cheesy to himself.]

[glaciers]

[Sometimes Shouto doesn't even realize he's hovering in Midoriya's space, but it just feels so comfortable to be close to him. Even if they aren't as close as they could be.]

You met me. And you'll meet my two best friends.

It's a start.

[inheritance]

A pretty good start, if you ask me.

[His smile wavers after a second, then drops completely as he exhales.] Thank you for looking out for me like this, Todoroki-kun.

[glaciers]

... You deserve good friends, Midoriya. I'll help you however I can.

[inheritance]

[To Izuku's horror, he can feel his eyes start to water.]

Oh. [He says quietly and then furiously scrubs at his eyes, turning his face away from Todoroki at the same time.]

[glaciers]

[ Midoriya is crying and suddenly he wonders if he's made a very big misstep. ]

... Are... Are you alright?

[inheritance]

I'm okay! [With the initial flood of emotions, Izuku's finding it difficult to not laugh a little or cry some more at Todoroki's sudden worry. It's Todoroki's first time seeing him cry like this, so Izuku figures that he'll need some more convincing.]

R-really! [He gives his eyes one last scrub before turning back with a wobbly smile.] People cry when they're happy, you know. Um, no one's really gone out of their way for me like this before.

[glaciers]

[Shouto still looks worried. He doesn't know that, what if Midoriya's just trying to deflect?

But he knows what that's like. He didn't have friends for so long and he had to rely on himself.]

... I'm here now. So...

[He's not really sure what he wants to say, but he is here now. He'd like Midoriya to be able to rely on him.]

[inheritance]

[Izuku huffs out a soft laugh, a little disbelieving.]

When you say that...I don't know why, but it feels like I can really trust you. Even though we haven't really known each other that long.

[glaciers]

I'd like to be somebody you're comfortable trusting, Midoriya.

[He'll do everything possible to keep whatever promises he makes with this man. There's no reason he should ever be hurt again or not have friends.]

Even if we've only really known each other for a week or so now.