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It’s raining. A heavy and sudden summer rain, coming down during the late mellow hours of a hot day. Their wet clothes stick to their wet skin, their feet splash swiftly to find shelter. Raindrops loudly clash onto the ground, filling the air with rhythmic drumming. It’s cold, the water falling from above, and warm, the remains of sun rays lingering in the asphalt.
Midoriya and Todoroki reach a lonely bus stop and hurry to hide under its slim roof. Out of breath, they sit down onto the ground and lean their exhausted bodies against the stop's wooden walls. They have been training again today. Secretly, without any quirks, just some easy going hand to hand combat training. It hones their basic fighting techniques and gives them the chance to simply enjoy each other's presence.
Midoriya sneezes, then he groans. He lets his head fall back with a thump and closes his eyes. Todoroki watches him for a while, the pitter patter of the rain the only sound between them. He wordlessly stands up and sits down on the other side of Midoriya. He worms his left arm around him and hugs him close. Midoriya doesn’t open his eyes, but he smiles knowingly. Todoroki is warm and comfy.
Todoroki observes water droplets pour down and Midoriya listens to the rain’s sound. The world is not perfect, but right now, for them—it pretty much feels like it could be. A happy and content atmosphere, a shoulder to lean onto, the feeling of another body next to the own. It’s calming and grounding, to just be. Sometimes, in some rare moments, one can just be. Only around Midoriya, Todoroki feels like it’s okay for him to just be for once—Midoriya is proud of it, that just his presence alone makes Todoroki relax a bit and breathe more evenly.
Midoriya snuggles close, seeks more of the warmth Todoroki offers, as the rain lashes the streets more viciously and the cold chases away the last remains of the day’s hotness.
“I like your left side,” he mumbles. “It’s gentle. You don’t use your fire in a fight, you don’t burn people. But you warm them when they are cold. I really like that about you.”
Midoriya leans more into Todoroki. He knows, usually that left side is criticised, for either merely existing, or for not being used more intensely. So he wants to tell him, the way it is now is good. It doesn’t have to be more, or less. Todoroki’s right side is powerful and impressive and untamed, while his left side is humble and shy and kind—Midoriya likes both of them.
Todoroki’s heart matches the rain’s melody, loud and fast and almost thundering. He tries to remain calm, he breathes in deeply—and when he slowly starts to not feel as shaken by Midoriya's words anymore, he draws little circles on the other’s arm with his thumb and places a peck on his hair.
“Thank you,” he whispers, and hopes he doesn’t wake the other. Midoriya always happens to know just when to be there for him. He chuckles. Midoriya is such a huge fan of All Might, yet here he is being almost exactly the same as his idol. Because when Midoriya is here, everything is fine.
“What for?” Midoriya asks sleepily, and looks at Todoroki with drowsy eyes, brows knitted in confusion, like he is trying to solve a riddle.
“You’re awake,” Todoroki mutters surprised, eyes gone big. He fears his affection has been caught.
But Midoriya doesn’t mention the peck, and he let’s go of his question. He smiles again and chuckles. “You’re cute.”
It might be the atmosphere of cozy easiness surrounding them despite the weather raging on, or him being already half off to dreaming once more—he doesn’t know and he doesn’t care. Todoroki’s lips feel nice and that’s what matters, doesn’t it? It’s a chaste kiss, but one that carries the promise of sincere honesty. It’s tender, yet firm. It’s gentle, yet also caging a fire.
“I like you,” Midoriya tells him. He cuddles back into Todoroki’s neck and mumbles, “No need to thank me for that.” And maybe it leaves Todoroki speechless with a racing heart again, but that is okay. What more is there to be said, anyway?
So Todoroki simply smiles, lets more warmth trickle into his left side and pulls Midoriya closer.