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Shouto’s first day goes about as normal as one can expect for the child of a famous Pro hero. He is introduced to his new class and they all fawn over him, attempting to be his friend. He can see right through all of their cheery smiles and light laughter though and he knows that they only want to talk to him because he is Endeavour’s son and because he has a strong quirk. He cannot blame them of course, they simply want to become popular. It is just a shame that he is the one being used to achieve it.
The only abnormal aspect is the short green haired boy- who oddly reminds him of a bunny- in the back who isn’t fawning over Shouto, instead mumbling quietly and frantically writing in his notebook, almost as if his life depends on getting the thoughts in his head onto the pages in front of him. Shouto does a double take when he sees the condition of the desk the boy is sitting at. It is tattooed with what he assumes is permanent marker. Shouto is too far away to be able to determine what the words say, but he can only guess that it isn’t motivational quotes. There is however, two very distinguishable shapes.
Hand prints.
*
Shouto is perplexed. The green haired boy- who he has learnt is named Midoriya Izuku- has not tried to speak to Shouto once whilst the rest of the school has tried at least twice, attacking him like a swarm of bees called to pollen. Midoriya is in his class and the rest of the school has spoken to him more than he has. It’s not that Shouto wants the attention of the short green haired boy, it’s just that Shouto is used to people falling over their feet in an attempt to talk to him. The boy, who some might describe as plain, is so different to any other person Shouto had met before, and it intrigues him. Shouto will not go so far as to say he is drawn to the boy, no he is merely curious.
It is lunch on the second day when Shouto really notices how lonely the boy is. Everyone avoids him like the plague, excluding a loud blonde boy and two of his lackeys. They would drag Midoriya behind the school and emerge later on without him. No matter how long Shouto waited for Midoriya to follow, Shouto did not see the boy until the next day at school.
Midoriya is sitting alone again when Shouto decides he is going to make an effort to talk to him. He grabs his lunch tray and walks to the back corner where Midoriya sits like a discarded toy. Midoriya looks like a mirage of some sort, his freckles standing out on his pale skin like stars in the night sky. Shouto wonders what it would feel like to trace constellations on the other boy’s face.
On his way he is stopped by Bakugo, the blonde boy.
“Oi Icyhot! What are you doing going towards that shitty Deku?” He yells, voice sneering when he utters the Midoriya’s insult, ‘Deku.’
Shouto raises an eyebrow in Bakugo’s direction. “Who is Deku? I am going towards Midoriya,” he says and turns back towards the boy in question’s lonely table.
“That quirkless nerd?! Why would you waste your time there, half ‘n half bastard!” Bakugo yells again.
Shouto is getting really annoyed with Bakugo and decides to politely freeze him in place. It is such a thin sheet of his mother’s ice, Bakugo probably won’t even need a jersey to stop from shivering.
“You will address me as Todoroki, Bakugo. And Midoriya has a name, use it,” he states, leaving a cursing Bakugo behind him as he walks towards Midoriya’s table.
Only now does Shouto realize that the cafeteria is silent enough to hear a pin drop. The whole school is staring as though he has just been elected as president. Including the emerald green eyes, that shine in the cafeteria lights, across from him when he sits down at the nearly empty table.
“T-todoroki-sama what are you doing here?” Midoriya hisses, quiet enough that only Shouto’s ears can pick up the frequency. Shouto cringes at the honorific attached to his name before meeting Midoriya full on.
“It looked like you could use a friend. I would know.”
*
From that day onwards they are inseparable. Shouto and Midoriya- no Izuku now- would meet at the Mustafusu park, walk to school and at the end of the day walk back. The rest of their classmates tried to convince Shouto to leave Izuku before he got ‘infected’ with Izuku’s quirklessness, as if it was a lethal disease Shouto could catch. Shouto would glare at them and they would quickly decide it was best to leave rather than getting a repeat of what was known as ‘The cafeteria incident.’ Now, all they got were glares when they walked past anyone in the hallways.
Shouto also learns that the reason Bakugo and his lackeys take Izuku behind the school is to ‘put him in his place,’ according to Izuku and ‘abuse power and bully people,’ to Shouto. Izuku doesn’t leave afterwards because he is either unconscious or hurt badly enough he couldn’t walk. Shouto had slammed his hand on the bench they had been sitting at when he found out and Izuku had had to persuade him not to commit murder.
(“I’ll Kill him,” Todoroki said with easy bluntness, a fire burning in his eyes as he started to sit up.
“Todoroki-kun no! It’s ok, really. Kachaan does it all the time so I’m used to it, no need to get so worked up!” Midoriya ushered as he pulled on Todoroki’s sleeve in an attempt to stop him.
“Midoriya, that makes me want to murder him even more.”)
Shouto had settled to threaten Bakugo, promising that if he ever so much as looked at Izuku funny he would impale him with a shard of ice.
*
Later they ended up sitting under the cherry blossom trees in the Mustafasu park doing homework.
“Hey Shochan, what did you get as the answer to number three?” Izuku asks as he looks up to meet Shouto’s eyes. Shouto takes a few seconds to comprehend what Izuku is saying because he was using that damned nickname again. Shouto can feel his quirk simmering on the left side as heat rushes to his cheeks.
“Oh, er I got 46?” he manages, making it sound like more of a question then an answer. Izuku hums then checks his own work and smiles so brightly it rivals the sun.
“Well I got 46 as well, and you’re always right so I must be right,” Izuku says before going back to filling out the questions on their maths homework, unaware of his effect on poor Shouto’s heart.
Shouto takes a few calming breaths before continuing with his homework. There is only three weeks left of school, meaning exams start in a week. Endeavour, Shouto’s father, insists that he gets top of the class. Shouto will most likely be announced as top of the class even when Izuku is the one who gets top marks. Shouto tries to explain to the teachers that it is actually Izuku who does better, but they all laugh and say he doesn’t need to show ‘the school trouble maker’ any charity.
They work in comfortable silence for half an hour before Izuku starts to get restless. He starts tapping his pen on his notebook to the rhythm of an old song that Shouto knows Izuku loves. It is when Izuku starts humming that Shouto knows there would be no more work getting done. He sighs and closes his book to face Izuku.
Izuku notices this and quickly shuts his forgotten notebook and pushes it to the side before flashing Shouto a smile. Shouto has to look away in an attempt to calm his poor gay heart. Izuku is going to be the death of him and Shouto is absolutely content with that being how he goes.
“Hey Sho, is the Fire Itch”- Shouto snorts at Izuku’s attempt at describe his father without swearing-“ still making you take the recommendation exam for U.A?”
Shouto chuckles, amused at the idea of his father letting him go anywhere other than U.A. “Yeah he is, but I’m pretty sure you already know that. What about you, where do you want to go?” Shouto askes, piercing blue and storm-cloud grey locking with emerald green. Izuku squirms under Shouto’s gaze, eyes moving to gaze at the cherry blossom trees. Shouto waits patiently, knowing Izuku is deciding on his wording because he opened his mouth before shaking his head and closing it again.
“I’m- er actually,” Izuku starts,” IkindofgotascholarshiptoShiketsuHighforanalalysis-“
“Izu, it’s Monday, please slow down,” Shouto says as he rests his hand on Izuku’s shoulder. Shouto graces Izuku with one of his small, rare smiles. “You’re my best-friend-“ Shouto pointedly ignores the pang in his heart at the word friend –“you can tell me anything.”
Izuku gives him a sheepish smile and rubs the back of his neck before clearing his throat. “I, um, heard back from S-shiketsu and they said I got a s-scholarship to study analysis and can’t wait to see me n-next year,” Izuku murmurs.
Shouto’s heart twangs at the implications. Shiketsu is located in the West and a good four hours away from U.A. Feeling guilty and selfish Shouto almost considers asking Izuku to find a high school closer to U.A, but Izuku has been ranting about Shiketsu for ages and he was so crushed when the Hero council announced that they would not accept any quirkless heroes. Izuku had cried for weeks but now, a year later, he finally gets a chance to help heroes by doing what he loves.
There really wasn’t a choice here.
“That’s great, Izu,” Shouto manages, hoping that it will convince Izuku that he is ok.
Izuku tilts his head to the side like a curious rabbit. “Shochan, what’s wrong. The left side of your mouth is pinched and your shoulders are tight. Clearly something is bothering you,” Izuku says as he shifts closer and Shouto feels even worse for wanting to keep him close.
“It’s fine, really Zu, I’m just going to miss you a lot,” Shouto says, wrapping his arms around Izuku when he moves to lean against Shouto. They stay like that for a while, wrapped up in each other’s warmth before Shouto hears soft snores emanating from the beautiful green haired boy before him. Shouto smiles, feeling content as he drifts off too.
(They wake up later with sore necks and limbs entangled with one another. Izuku is red in the face and sprouting apologies like flowers in Spring, whilst Shouto is smiling like an idiot and attempting to calm down the boy in front of him.)
*
Shouto is situated at the very back, second closest desk to the left wall, talking to Izuku when their teacher shuffles in, hands clutching tightly around a pile of documents. The old man walks up to his desk and sets down the papers cautiously before nervously glancing over the edge of his glasses. Shouto wants to laugh at the middle aged man who is afraid of a bunch of fourteen year olds.
Their teacher clears his throat before announcing, “Ok class, are we ready to talk about our futures? Who am I kidding, you all want to be heroes!”
Shouto is almost impressed. The man has managed to put on a bit of a brave façade. The feeling is quickly beaten down by the rest of his classmates who are all displaying their quirks and making too much noise. Honestly, it is like Shouto and Izuku go to school with children.
“Don’t lump me with these extra’s teach! I’m an ‘A’ level, none of these morons can hold a candle to me!” Bakugo yells at the class. Shouto lets out an amused huff and meets Izuku’s eye, who had an eyebrow raised. And oh, does that confidence make Shouto so happy because it means Izuku has finally been able to stand against Bakugo. Shouto had nearly kissed him out of joy the day that Izuku had referred to him as ‘Bakugo’ instead of that god forsaken nickname.
“Ah yes, Bakugo-san. You’re applying to U.A correct? Along with Todoroki-san, but he appears to be taking the recommended exam,” their teacher states. There is a collective gasp as their class spin around in their seats to gape at Shouto. He can’t care less, because the literal angel next reaches over to him is squeeze his hand encouragingly. He doesn't let go.
“Midoriya”- it irked Shouto that the teachers never use honorifics for Izuku, which isn't hypocritical in anyway-“ why have you not filled in a form?” the teacher asks, his pointed glare zeroing in on the boy in question. Izuku opens his mouth to answer, but before he can the rest of the class erupt in shouts of amusement. They are all laughing at Izuku and it is making Shouto’s blood boil.
“Erm, Sensei?” Izuku almost has to yell to be heard over the class. A hushed whisper falls over the class as they all glare at Izuku. “I, uh, I didn’t d-do it because I got a s-scholarship from S-shiketsu and was told I didn’t need to f-fill it out…” Izuku says, voice raised just above a whisper. Izuku’s eyes dart around the room before settling on their still interwind hands.
It takes the class a few seconds to catch up, but when they do the room dissipates in giggles. The shouts are mainly composed of variations of ‘the quirkless nerd is lying again’ and ‘I can’t believe he thinks we will be fooled by that.’ Shouto wants nothing more than to stand up and yell at every single person in the room excluding Izuku, but Shouto is mature and settles for squeezing Izuku’s hand whilst also dropping the temperature of the classroom. He takes pride when he sees some of his class mates shivering. He also heats up his left hand, the one Izuku is holding, to ensure the only person worth anything in this room is comfortable.
“Hah? Deku you quirkless fuck, no ways someone as shitty as you could get into Shiketsu of all places. Come up with a fucking better lie next time, idiot,” Bakugo yells.
“M-my form is right h-here, Bakugo,” Izuku says and reaches into his bag with his free hand. Shouto glows when he hears the lack of a honorific. Shouto is such a bad influence and he has no regrets.
Izuku then proceeds to show their teacher his form, who for lack of better words loses control of his jaw based on the way it hung open. The man rereads it three times, once with glasses and twice without.
He seems to be at a loss for words before just simply nodding and starting the lesson. Shouto is feeling so smug right now he can’t even pay attention.
*
It is times like these when Shouto knows that he would be in prison for murder if it wasn’t for Izuku. His eyes start to hurt from glaring at the flaming trash bitch in front of him.
Endeavors cold voice rings out across the hallway of their traditional home. “Shouto. You will be first in the exam, understood? There is absolutely no room for failure for someone with your level of potential."
Shouto tries to suppress the spike of fear that shoots through his body at Endeavour’s tone, but his body has learned that nothing good can ever come from this man and Shouto cannot fight the urge.
“Yes, Sir.”
Endeavour nods his head and stalks out the front door and towards the limo waiting for them outside. Shouto is only human, so he flips the man off from behind before following suite. The limo seats are black leather and hot from the sun, but Shouto doesn’t care because Izuku promised to meet up with him and watch him during his exam. Apparently, U.A is doing a bit of an open day for people to walk around campus so luckily Izuku will not have to sneak into U.A.
Izuku had threatened he would. Shouto didn’t doubt it.
*
The drive to U.A is uneventful and quiet. They arrive in the parking space for recommendation examinees and Endeavour stalks off when he sees All Might in the distance. Shouto makes his way to the entrance of the school building where he and Izuku had planned to meet. Shouto is only standing there for about five minutes before approximately 163cm of pure joy slam into his side, excitedly yelling-
“Shochan!”
Shouto grins at the mop of green hair that has attached itself to his side. He wraps his arms around Izuku and chuckles a little. “Hey Izu. How are you?”
Izuku huffs and retracts himself a little bit, his arms now around Shouto’s neck while Shouto’s arms sit conformably around Izuku’s waist. “I’m fineee~ How are you though, the flaming itch”- Shouto snorts every time-“hasn’t done anything, has he?” Izuku asks, eyes turning concerned as he checks Shouto’s face for any injuries.
Shouto’s stupid little gay heart does somersaults every time Izuku gets all mother hen because it is so cute and endearing that he just can’t take it.
“I’m fine, don’t worry Zu. Endeavour wouldn’t hurt me before an exam,” Shouto says. Izuku does not look relieved at all, probably because Shouto mentioned the abuse again. Izuku’s eyes dull a bit and Shouto curses himself.
Then suddenly, Izuku is pressing his cheek to Shouto’s chest and tightening his arms around Shouto’s neck. Shouto looks down and realizes Izuku is standing on his tippy toes.
It feels very good. Shouto takes back the curse.
Izuku mumbles something inaudible and before Shouto has the chance to ask what it was, Present Mic is announcing that all recommended students are to come to the field where the practical exam will take place.
They separate a little, Izuku opting to hold his hand as they walk down the long hallways in comfortable silence.
“Hey Shochan? Just remember you’re going to be amazing,” Izuku says as they arrive at the entrance hall. He opens his mouth and it appears as though he is about to add something, but decides against it. Shouto is pushed into the hall with the rest of the recommendation applicants.
Izuku stands outside alone, with a half-smile on his face. “Good luck Shochan, I love you,” he says, before turning around and making his way to an observation desk.