Midoriya Izuku •『DEKU』 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ex_herotaku594) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
assclass2015-06-28 10:44 pm
ex_herotaku594) wrote in assclass2015-06-28 10:44 pm
( chocolate love )
[ In a world where Todoroki is Midoriya's childhood friend instead of certain other parties, everybody is generally a more well-adjusted teenager, minus said certain other party. However, it doesn't teach Midoriya one thing that he wishes he knew more about: what it is to have a crush on somebody, and how to deal with it. No amount of reading he can do, he knows, is actually adequate preparation for what that's like In Real Life, although he really appreciated that Uraraka loaned him basically her entire collection of shoujo manga and even marked her favorites.
Still, he feels like he should say something. He consoles himself by mentally insisting that he's just waiting for the right moment, although he knows in his heart of hearts that he's just waffling, neither moving forward nor backwards. It's a place that makes him feel uneasy; he doesn't mind working hard and enduring to advance with anything, but he isn't sure how he feels about not going anywhere.
But the forces of the universe have their ways. In the middle of their practical field training, while he's busy trying to figure out how his quirk actually is supposed to be used, Todoroki unexpectedly gets more hands-on combat experience when a villain attacks nearby where his hero office was stationed. When Midoriya had heard about it, something sunk in for him: If he waits, what if there's never an opportunity to say something? He's not that worried about Todoroki, really (he finds it difficult to think that Todoroki could be killed so easily, practically unbelievable), but this and that can happen. Sometimes strength has nothing to do with it — All Might, of course, comes to mind.
Which is why he spurs himself to action, calling Todoroki out to a park that the two of them used to play at together when they were younger. (Totally indiscretely in the background: Iida and Uraraka, who are being really Good Friends and supporting/spying on him in his time of duress.) After the usual greetings, he inhales deeply, and —
Promptly launches into a very long rant, said entirely in a mumbling tone, about how dangerous the superhero occupation is, and how he's glad that Kou-chan is fine but he was really worried, and it made him think what if we never see each other again? and that isn't something he wants to consider but it makes him think that it means he should say something if there's something on his mind, because he doesn't want to regret not taking the initiative, and while it's very presumptuous of him since he has no lineage or really many redeeming points at all, it isn't unheard of for superhero couples to exist, in fact there are a few well-known cases that were documented in this really interesting article he read last year...
It goes on and on. And then finally, at the end, when he thinks his face is going to explode, he inhales sharply and blurts out: ]
AnywaywhatI'msayingisthatIlikeasinlikeyoulikeyougoodbye.
[ And then turns around and walks off a bit mechanically because oh god what is he doing even. ]
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Which is why, despite being ecstatic that Midoriya had been able to join him at school, in the same class, he slowly began to realize that "friendship" is becoming an outdated word for what he feels. The fear that had gripped him when they'd been separated during the villain attack, having to grit his teeth against every broken bone and fracture Midoriya gives himself, all of it keeps piling up. But Todoroki is good at nothing if not bottling up his feelings, and being friends is better than nothing at all.
But Midoriya had been acting a little strangely, recently, and Todoroki had hoped to get to the bottom of it when he'd been invited out to the park. He's...confused as to why Iida and Uraraka are attempting to hide behind that tree, but that's not his biggest concern.
He's gotten used to Midoriya's mumbling rambles about this and that over the years, and listens patiently to the end, brows furrowing as he hears snippets of things like "superhero couples" and talk about lineage, but the important part is the end. When he thinks he hears something that makes warmth burst in the center of his chest, something that would make his hopes realized if he actually heard right. So before Midoriya can get too far, Todoroki runs after him and grabs his arm.]
Izuku. Did you say you like me?
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Uh... maybe? I mean, yes, I did, but to be more precise I said that I like you like you, which has a lot of connotations that just saying I like you doesn't...
[ He might be getting onto a mumbling rant again. ]
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Todoroki drops Midoriya's arm, putting both hands on the other's shoulders before leaning down and pressing a kiss to Midoriya's cheek, right where his freckles are.]
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Does... that mean... you like me too?
[ He kinda wants to dunk his face into a basin of water... ]
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[It's mostly a rhetorical question because to Todoroki, that's really not a thing friends do. Or rather, it's not something he'd do to someone he thought of as just a friend.
Midoriya has always been easy to bring to tears, so Todoroki isn't unsettled by the sight of them, but he still reaches up to brush the wetness off Midoriya's cheeks.]
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[ But now that he says it, Midoriya realizes that thought is rather silly; it would have been more cruel than anything to lead him on, and cruel's definitely not a word that he would use to describe Todoroki. ]
Besides! It could be kind of, you know, weird... But I didn't want to let the chance pass me by, so...
[ In the background, Iida and Uraraka are doing an excellent impression of very proud parents on the verge of crying. ]
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[Todoroki's nice, but he's also pretty straightforward. He's definitely more likely to try to let Midoriya down as gently as possible than pretend to like him to spare his feelings.
Once he's dried Midoriya's cheeks as best he can without a tissue, he lets his hands drop back onto the other's shoulders.]
I'm glad you told me. You're a lot braver than I am.
[Which is something he admires about Midoriya, one of the myriad of things that makes up how he feels.]
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[ He thinks that probably(?), he has his tear glands back under control again; he brings the back of his hand up to wipe away the last of his tears, looking up and smiling, still a bit shakily, but he looks certain of himself. ]
Since you've always been there for me when I needed it.
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[Todoroki's expression softens, into something that's almost a smile, before he seems to realize something. There's a sudden sense of "now what?" because getting through the confession is the most nervwracking part. But it's still relatively early in the day so...]
Listen, did you. Um. Want to go out somewhere?
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Ah, right!! I'd love to, I just. Didn't think that far ahead.
[ But they hang out all the time. No need for this to be anything that radically different from what they usually do.
... Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Uraraka doing some sort of... interpretive dance, which he supposes is supposed to be indicating some sort of idea as to what a good place would be to go. He just doesn't understand what her interpretive dance means. ]
— Oh, right! There's a street festival near where I live, if you want to go to that?
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[Todoroki's not picky, mostly because he's still stuck on the DATE WITH IZUKU part. It might not show on his face, but he's still a little disbelieving this is actually happening to him.
There's just one teeny tiny problem.]
...do your friends over there plan on coming along? It's not as though I dislike them, but, unless you want to go on a group date...
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[ And Midoriya did appreciate the moral support (very much so), he wasn't even really embarrassed by them, although it was a bit... obvious.
Obvious is the word that he would choose to use there. ]
I'll ask them what they're doing, hang on a sec.
[ Five minutes, an extremely animated conversation, and Midoriya's face turning red and emanating enough heat to rival the sun, he returns. ]
They said they're gonna go do... something. [ The details are kinda lost on him. ] So, let's go on by ourselves, then.
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[He had meant it when he said he didn't dislike Iida and Uraraka, but, he's relieved that they've decided to let him and Midoriya have time to themselves.
Quickly, before he can second-guess himself, Todoroki reaches over and takes Midoriya's hand.]
Let's go. You can lead the way.
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Right... it's not that far away. I don't think it's that big, either, but it should be nice.
[ ... There's a lot of things he kind of wants to say or do as they walk there, but half of him is really paranoid he's going to get so elated that he accidentally triggers One for All and break Todoroki's fingers to bits or something really unfortunate. Tentatively, he squeezes Todoroki's hand, and then immediately looks both surprised and incredibly pleased with himself. This is real. ]
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[He's going with Midoriya after all, there's no way it'll turn out to be an unpleasant day.
Todoroki gently squeezes Midoriya's hand in return. He's not unhappy with the silence--they've spent enough time in each other's presence it's something comfortable by now--but he can sense, at least a little, that there's something on Midoriya's mind.]
The most difficult part is over, you know.
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It's sort of weird... I was nervous, but at the same time, I wasn't. Because Koucchan is Koucchan.
[ Even if he got rejected, he knew Todoroki would still care about him as a friend, and that's really all he can ask for. ]