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If there was one thing that Izuku was, it would be determined. Anybody who had come across him could easily vouch for him on that.
And with that determination came a healthy dose of patience. When he was determined to do something, he didn’t care if it would take years to do it right. His dream of being a hero was probably a prime example of that. And he’d gotten there in the end.
Now, Izuku didn’t know when exactly he had decided that this was his problem to fix, but all that really mattered was that it was . He had noticed the issue, connected the dots, and figured that he was going to do everything he could to help out his friend.
He was aware that this could become a long term project but that was alright.
He started small. A light brush of fingers as they walked together in the school corridors, a light nudge here, a gentle tug there. Izuku made sure to always claim a seat next to Shoto in the cafeteria, their arms and legs pressed against each other. This had the added benefit of discouraging unfamiliar students that were only interested in Shoto’s Quirk and parentage.
At first, the quiet boy shied away from the touches, which was expected and Izuku made sure never to push. He didn’t want to force Shoto after all. It made sense and Izuku could honestly relate. The difference was that at least he had had his mother over the years. Izuku doubted Shoto had had much positive touch, nevermind neutral. He had to hold back a grin when he noticed Shoto gradually began accepting his little touches, no longer shifting their hands away and even beginning to reach out himself, hesitantly tugging on Izuku’s sleeve when he wanted his attention for something.
Moving into the dorms further helped his venture. He had more access while Endeavor had far less. The look of surprise on Shoto’s face when Izuku had casually grabbed his hand to lead him to the table for dinner had made his heart both warm and ache all at once. Shoto didn’t pull away. In fact, after a moment of hesitation, he even laced their fingers together before taking his place beside Izuku. He couldn’t have stopped himself smiling wide even if he wanted to. He had expected Shoto to pull away to eat but was pleasantly surprised when the boy kept their hands intertwined. Izuku was glad he had taught himself to use his left hand because there was no way he was gonna let go first. This was as far as he’d gotten yet and it was just… really nice.
It seemed as if that was a crossover point of some sort because after that Shoto started reaching out more. It was rare for them now to not be touching at least somewhere. Their hands or fingers would be linked most of the time. If not, then their shoulders or legs would be close enough to brush against one another. On one particular night, while the class was gathered around the TV to watch a movie, Izuku had started drifting off. He didn’t even realise what he’d done until he was gently being shaken awake by Yaoyarozu. Apparently, in his sleepiness, he’d used Shoto’s shoulder as an improvised pillow. He blushed and apologised but Shoto just waved him off, saying that it was fine with an odd look on his face.
It was a week later that Izuku found himself sitting comfortably in Shoto’s room. They often did this. Just existed in each other's space, enjoying the company of another.
Izuku had brought a book with him to read this time and so startled a little when he felt Shoto shift to lay down, his head rating comfortably on Izuku’s lap. Surprise jolted through his stomach and widened his eyes as he stared down at Shoto. The boy was facing away from him but he seemed comfortable, body relaxed.
It was quiet for a moment before Shoto spoke. His voice was soft but calm, “Could you play with my hair?”
And oh. Oh his heart.
Izuku swallowed, his heart clenching even as a smile broke out on his face as he gazed down at his friend.
His voice was equally as soft, “Of course.”
Crooked fingers soon began to thread through peppermint strands, short nails sometimes coming to tenderly scratch over the boy's scalp.
There was a content sigh, borderline inaudible despite the quiet of the room, and Izuku felt a burn behind his eyes even as he grinned happily when he realised a few minutes later that Shoto had fallen asleep .
His heart was so full he could cry.