I Just Want Someone to Say to Me (I'll Always Be There When You Wake)

by Falahime

Summary:

Yoarashi felt awkwardly out of place. He liked weddings well enough—they were usually a big party, after all, and who didn’t like a big party?—but since this was Deku’s wedding, most of the guests were his fellow UA alum.
 

So here he was, looking for someone he knew well enough to talk to. If he couldn’t find anybody, well, he wasn’t above just striking up a conversation with a random stranger. But he thought, since it was Deku’s wedding and so many other UA folks were here, he should be—

 

Ah. Yoarashi smiled. That half-white, half-red hair would stand out anywhere. He opened his mouth to call out to him but paused, taken aback at the naked longing on Todoroki’s face. What was he looking at, to make a face like that? Yoarashi followed his gaze to where Deku and Uraraka slow-danced on the dance floor, blushing like teenagers but all smiles. Yoarashi felt almost uncomfortable watching Todoroki watch them, like he was accidentally spying on something immensely private.

 

Unrequited love? Did Todoroki have a thing for Uraraka? Or...Deku?!

Yoarashi felt awkwardly out of place. He liked weddings well enough—they were usually a big party, after all, and who didn’t like a big party?—but since this was Deku’s wedding, most of the guests were his fellow UA alum. If he and Deku hadn’t been working together recently, Yoarashi doubted he would have been invited at all.

So here he was, looking for someone he knew well enough to talk to. If he couldn’t find anybody, well, he wasn’t above just striking up a conversation with a random stranger. But he thought, since it was Deku’s wedding and so many other UA folks were here, he should be—

Ah. Yoarashi smiled. That half-white, half-red hair would stand out anywhere. He opened his mouth to call out to him but paused, taken aback at the naked longing on Todoroki’s face. What was he looking at, to make a face like that? Yoarashi followed his gaze to where Deku and Uraraka slow-danced on the dance floor, blushing like teenagers but all smiles. Yoarashi felt almost uncomfortable watching Todoroki watch them, like he was accidentally spying on something immensely private.

Unrequited love? Did Todoroki have a thing for Uraraka? Or...Deku?!

“Just this one,” a playfully pleading voice momentarily distracted him. Kirishima was trying to get Bakugo to dance with him. “Just one, and I won’t ask the rest of the night.”

Bakugo growled and scowled before putting his hand into Kirishima’s. “One. That’s fucking it. Just to get you to shut the fuck up.”

Kirishima beamed and pulled Bakugo to his feet, leading him to the dance floor. Yoarashi really didn’t want to watch anymore of that so he headed toward Todoroki.

“Todoroki!” he called out with a wave even though he was just a few feet away. Part of him felt bad for intruding but it beat the part that hated seeing—and not understanding—that expression on Todoroki’s face. 

“Ah. Yoarashi,” Todoroki said by way of acknowledgment.

Todoroki went back to watching the dancers. Kirishima whispered...something...into Bakugo’s ear that caused Bakugo’s eyes to widen momentarily before he headbutted his dance partner. Not forcefully enough to interrupt their dancing or even leave a red mark on either’s forehead, but enough that Kirishima laughed. 

“What the heck does he see in that guy,” Yoarashi muttered. 

He had been speaking mostly to himself so he didn’t expect Todoroki to answer. “They’ve always been like that,” he said with a shrug. “You weren’t at their wedding?”

You didn’t even notice if I was there or not? “No, I was working. Sometimes I think I was the only person I know that didn’t get to go.”

Todoroki smiled slightly. “It was...impressive.” 

What the hell is that supposed to mean? And why do I care?

“A lot bigger than this one,” Todoroki continued.  

“I’m kinda surprised. Since Deku is the number one hero, you’d think his party would be bigger,” Yoarashi mused. 

“I like this size better,” Todoroki shrugged. 

“Me too,” Yoarashi hurried to agree. “I guess it makes sense that flashy guy would have to try to outdo everybody by having a giant wedding.”

“That’s what I thought at first. But then I heard it was all Kirishima’s doing.” Todoroki shrugged again. “Midoriya told me. He thought it was super romantic or something. I guess.”

“I don’t really get it,” Yoarashi admitted, not entirely sure if he was referring to extravagant weddings, Deku’s idea of romantic, or the grossly adoring way Kirishima looked at Bakugo as they danced. 

They sat there in awkward silence as Yoarashi tried desperately to think of something to say but soon one song had ended and another started up. Yoarashi noticed that Todoroki kept watching the dancing couples. Does he want to dance or something? Should I ask him? Would that be weird? Or maybe that’s what he’s hoping for?

“Todoroki-kuuuun,” a pink-skinned girl pleaded, popping up out of nowhere. She was slightly familiar but Yoarashi couldn’t remember her name. “Will you please ask Momo-chan to dance? She wants someone to ask her so badly and I’m worried she might get so desperate she’ll dance with Mineta if he asks and...” She made an ugly face. 

“I guess if it’s that important—”

“It is!” The pink-skinned girl nodded emphatically, starting to drag him away by the wrist. 

“Excuse me,” Todoroki told Yoarashi. 

“Have fun!” Yoarashi called after him, a bit disappointed in himself that he didn’t mean it.

“I’ll be back,” Todoroki said. 

Yoarashi didn’t think that was likely. The odds of the girls letting Todoroki go now that he was in their clutches seemed pretty slim. Yaoyorozu looked simultaneously embarrassed and delighted at Todoroki’s invitation. For a moment he watched as they started to dance, but the way they looked too good together, almost like a royal couple, and the small smile on Todoroki’s lips as they talked was too much to bear. Yaoyorozu was a lovely girl, as far as he could tell, so he couldn’t blame Todoroki for looking so uncharacteristically happy. But he couldn’t repress an uncomfortable surge of jealousy.

The celebratory atmosphere had become grating and Yoarashi suddenly had no appetite for any of the hors d'oeuvres that moments before had smelled so delicious. He knew it would be bad manners to leave without saying anything to Deku and his bride but the room felt so stifling that all he could think of was how he desperately needed to leave. He felt embarrassed by his own overly dramatic reaction but knowing it was ridiculous didn’t help it dissipate any. It wasn’t like he had any sort of claim to Todoroki—hell, they’d barely even talked, despite Yoarashi’s best efforts the few times they’d been around each other. 

No one knew better than he did how quickly he became passionately obsessed with something and how, just as quickly, he moved onto the next thing. Following that logic, he’d expected his stupid little crush to fade away as the years went by, not intensify. 

So here he was, trying to figure out the least-rude way to extricate himself from a wedding he only attended on the hopes he’d run into Todoroki there. He glanced around but Deku looked busy with well-wishers so he decided he would just step out, fortify himself a bit of fresh air, and hopefully by then he’d be able to quickly give his congratulations to the happy couple and then take off. Satisfied with his plan, he headed for the exit.

“Hey.”

Yoarashi turned around, surprised. “Todoroki?”

“Where are you going? I thought you were coming home with me.” 

All Yoarashi could do was stand there and blink, pretty sure his brain had finally exploded. Then he remembered. Camie. Of course. He hadn’t noticed her in the crowd earlier but how many times since finding out about his crush had she punked him like this? But still, this was too uncharacteristically brazen. Even Camie should know that Todoroki wouldn’t just come right out and say something so—

“Ah, sorry, Yoarashi-kun!” Deku apologized as he scrambled over. “Todoroki-kun, I hadn’t had the chance to tell him yet.” Yoarashi had no clue what was going on. “Since you were so kind to come help out while I’m away on my honeymoon, I thought the least I could do was put you up. Well, I’m not actually the one putting you up, but Todoroki-kun has extra rooms and he volunteered...”

Yoarashi glanced from Deku to Todoroki, still skeptical that this was some elaborate joke. Though he didn’t think Deku would be that cruel.

“Unless you don’t want to,” Todoroki said quietly, seeming slightly offended at Yoarashi’s hesitation.

“No, uh, I do!” Yoarashi blurted. “I just— I was surprised.”

Todoroki gave a little huff but fondness tinged his voice. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell him, Midoriya.”

Deku laughed sheepishly. “I had a lot on my plate, okay! It slipped my mind, I’m sorry! Besides, the way you two were talking earlier, I thought maybe you told him.” He grinned broadly. “Thanks again, both of you. For doing this for me.”

“No problem!” Yoarashi said, a little louder than he intended. “Happy to help ya out. Have a great time with your bride and don’t spend a minute thinking about work!”

“I’ll do my best.” Deku gave another awkward laugh. “But if anything comes up—”

“We can handle it,” Todoroki said. “Even the number one hero deserves some time off.”

 

 

 

 

“So, how’s it going staying with Todoroki?” Kirishima asked with a grin.

Yoarashi glanced over to where Bakugo and Todoroki bickered—well, Bakugo looked like he was bickering, Todoroki looked pretty stoic as usual—as they completed the transfer of their captured villains to the police.

“Um...good,” Yoarashi said weakly.

“That doesn’t sound too convincing!” Kirishima laughed. “I’m sure it’ll get better. It hasn’t even been a week.”

“No, that’s not it at all!” Yoarashi blurted. He frowned, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “I mean, it’s like...it’s almost too good?” At Kirishima’s raised eyebrows he hurried to clarify. “Like, I thought it would be kinda, uh, weird at first. But we just kind of, um, settled in? Really easily? And he’s super nice and when we’re not working, we just kinda...work out in his home gym then chill out and eat snacks and read manga?” He shrugged. “The other night we watched a movie and sometimes we play video games.”

Kirishima grinned from ear to ear and clapped Yoarashi on the shoulder. “That’s awesome, dude! You’re totally bros!”

“You think?” Yoarashi couldn’t keep the hopeful excitement from his voice.

“Totally!” Kirishima nodded. “I mean, that sounds just like me and Bakugo—” Kirishima stopped as he realized the implications of what just about came out of his mouth. “I mean,” he chewed at his bottom lip as his face reddened. “Well, you know, we were, um, just friends for a long time, uh...before...”

“Right,” Yoarashi agreed, his cheeks feeling as red as Kirishima’s looked. “No, I, uh, know what you mean.” 

“Sooo...” Kirishima said, still not making eye contact. “Uh. Manga, huh?”

“Oh. Yeah.” Yoarashi perked up. “He’s got a ton of it! I had no idea! Like a freakin’ library’s worth!”

“Really?” Kirishima asked, interest piqued and the awkwardness of a moment before now forgotten. 

Yoarashi nodded enthusiastically. “There’s this one series he told me I had to read and man, I can hardly put it down. Kaze Hikaru, have you heard of it?” Kirishima shook his head. “Dude, you gotta check it out! It’s crazy good!”

“You fucking pansies done with your tea time over here?” Bakugo asked, startling Yoarashi slightly. He noticed that Kirishima just grinned.

“Don’t be jealous,” Kirishima said with a smirk.

Bakugo’s eyes went wide for a moment and he opened his mouth to no doubt say something extremely abrasive and scathing—

“Bakugo,” Todoroki called, still standing next to the policeman that had been taking notes with them moments before. “Come back over here. He still has questions.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Bakugo asked, exasperated. “What the fuck else do they need to know?”

“Language,” Todoroki and Kirishima reprimanded simultaneously. 

“If I haven’t watched my fucking language for this fucking long what makes you think I’m going to fucking start now!” Bakugo cursed up a storm as he stomped back over to the cowering policeman.

“Anyway,” Yoarashi said slowly. 

Kirishima laughed. Yoarashi noticed he laughed a lot, but he kind of liked that about the guy. “He has redeeming qualities, I swear!” He glanced over to where Bakugo was gesturing with literal explosive emphasis. “He’s just kinda stressed with some of the weird stuff going down. He’d never admit it, but I think the fact we still haven’t caught whoever’s responsible is really wearing on him.” He looked up at Yoarashi. “I’m assuming that’s why Midoriya asked you to fill in?”

“He mentioned it,” Yoarashi admitted. “Though I was thinking about maybe relocating here anyways. So when he asked if I’d be interested in filling in while he was gone, it worked out.”

“So you’ll be here for at least a month?” Kirishima sounded oddly happy about the prospect. 

“That’s the plan...”

“Great!” Kirishima grinned. “We’ll have to all get together and grab a bite to eat! Show you some of the good spots, since you’re thinking about moving here!” His eyes lit up. “See if Todoroki wants to come to our place for dinner one of these days!”

Judging by the heated conversation still taking place between Bakugo and Todoroki, Yoarashi didn’t know why the heck Todoroki would want to go anywhere near Bakugo’s place. “I’ll...ask,” he said a bit lamely. “He needs to eat something. He has a huge house with a huge kitchen but everything he eats is premade garbage. I wish I knew how to cook and I’d make something. It’d be a nice way to pay him back for his hospitality too.”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Kirishima clapped him on the shoulder again. “You free Saturday? Come over and I’ll teach you how to make some stuff.”

“Really?!”

“Sure!” Kirishima grinned broadly. “Besides, a hero needs to eat real food. Well, everybody does, but, I mean, Todoroki’s pretty skinny as it is—” Yoarashi wanted to argue that Todoroki was, in fact, always perfect but unfortunately he had to admit that he was looking a little slight lately. Kirishima continued, oblivious to Yoarashi’s internal dilemma. “—so I think it’s great you want to cook something good for him! That’s super manly!”

“You really don’t mind?” Yoarashi asked, excited at the prospect of being able to do something nice for Todoroki. 

“Not at all!” Kirishima said with that ever-present grin. His eyes flickered Todoroki and Bakugo as they approached, Bakugo still obviously fuming. 

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Bakugo grumbled, bumping Kirishima in the shoulder with his own as he walked past, striding angrily off to who-knew-where.

“Yeah, yeah. Coming.” Kirishima rolled his eyes before turning to follow. 

“See ya, Kiri— Riot,” Yoarashi called after him. 

“See ya Saturday!” Kirishima waved. “Bring that manga you were talking about!”

 

 

 

 

“You’re doing something with Kirishima on Saturday?”

Yoarashi was startled out of his manga reading by the sudden and very belated question. He’d expected Todoroki to maybe ask about it when it happened, not hours later when they’d settled in at home. He had to repress a doofy grin at the thought. Settled in at home. He was settled in at home with Todoroki. Okay, so it wasn’t actually their home, it was totally just Todoroki’s home, Deku had just talked him into letting Yoarashi stay for a month, but still. If he let himself fantasize a bit, it totally felt like they were a couple who’d been living together for years.

He didn’t know if he was imagining things or could he hear just maybe be a hint of jealousy?!

“Oh, uh...” Yoarashi didn’t want to tell him what he was actually doing; he’d hoped it would be surprise. 

“You do remember he’s married, right?”

Well that was unexpected. “Uh, yeah?” Duh? Yoarashi was confused for a moment. “We’re just hanging out to...uh...” Shit. What is something totally normal and not the least bit suspicious that they might be doing? “Compare training regimens.” Okay, yeah, that was totally stupid.

Todoroki gave a slightly skeptical hmph. “Whatever,” he said, sounding like it wasn’t the least bit whatever at all. “Just...” He paused for so long that Yoarashi thought maybe that was the end of it. “Just be careful. Bakugo gets jealous really easily.”

Yoarashi thought for a second that Bakugo wasn’t the one jealous in this situation. Just the hint of a possibility that Todoroki might be jealous about him hanging out with Kirishima almost made him give in and tell him he would stay, that he’d promise he wouldn’t go anywhere. But he was doing this for Todoroki, he reminded himself. It would be worth it in the end.

He settled for an insincere laugh. “Don’t worry! I won’t be there that long!” Though, honestly, he didn’t know how long he would be there since he didn’t have any idea how long it took to cook...anything. But, really, how hard could it be? “Besides, I figured you’d probably want some time to yourself. Gotta be hard having someone in your space all the time after living by yourself for so long.”

Assuming that Todoroki must be immersed in his manga again since he didn’t answer, Yoarashi resumed his own reading. 

“I really don’t mind,” Todoroki said minutes later, so quietly that Yoarashi thought he might’ve hallucinated it. “It’s kind of nice.”

That’s it, I’m texting Kirishima and telling him I can’t make it, I have to stay here and keep Todoroki company, like, forever— Yoarashi closed his eyes and sighed. No. You can do this, Inasa! 

 

 

 

 

“Sweet, you made it!” Kirishima opened the door, grinning of course, and shirtless. Yoarashi certainly hoped he didn’t plan on cooking like that.

“Thanks for doing this,” Yoarashi said, taking off his shoes as he stepped inside. He handed Kirishima a small bag. “First three volumes.”

Kirishima laughed. “Awesome! Can’t wait to check it out. Let’s head to the kitchen and get started—”

Yoarashi opened his mouth to ask where’s Bakugo? but his question was answered by an ominously calm voice preceding the man himself as he came into the living room. “Kirishima.” Yoarashi had heard Todoroki use that tone before and it always dropped the temperature a few degrees. “What exactly are you planning on getting started in my kitchen?”

Apparently Kirishima was immune to the bone-chilling tone. “Uh, cooking?”

“Who?”

Kirishima gave a wobbly smile. “Uh, me and Yoarashi? He doesn’t know how to cook but wanted to make some real food for Todoroki so I, uh, offered to teach him.”

“Oh, you did?” Bakugo asked, stopping inches from Kirishima and ignoring Yoarashi entirely. “And how the fuck exactly did you plan on fucking doing that when you can’t cook for shit either?”

To his credit, Kirishima just laughed. “Well, I knew you wouldn’t do it!”

“Damn right, I’m not gonna do it!” Bakugo fired back. “Why the fuck should I?”

“See! So...” Kirishima shrugged. “I figured I could. We’re all kinda working together right now and Todoroki’s not a bad guy—” Bakugo snorted and crossed his arms in a huff but Kirishima pressed on. “—and I think it’s cool that Yoarashi wants to show his appreciation for letting him room at his place.” Bakugo raised an eyebrow. “So since you definitely won’t do it, even if I asked really nicely, my only remaining option was to do it myself.” 

“Yeah, fucking right. We’re all working together and you think it’s cool so you’re gonna fucking teach Baldy here how to poison Half-and-Half? That’s what you do when you like people?”

“I don’t have a choice!” Kirishima said, exasperated. He let out a heavy sigh, and chewed his lip, frowning. “I mean, yeah, it would be way better if you did it, because you’re, like, so good at it and everything you make is so delicious and—”

“Kirishima. I know what you’re doing.”

“But it’s true!” Kirishima insisted, cranking up his puppy dog eyes. “Like, you make it look so easy and you just always look so cool...and everything you make is so delicious...” he repeated.

Bakugo clenched his jaw and sighed heavily through flared nostrils. “Fine.” Kirishima’s eyes lit up and Yoarashi still wasn’t sure what exactly just happened, but he thought he might have witnessed the work of a master beast tamer. Then Bakugo punched Kirishima in the shoulder with a pretty solid thump.

“Ow!” 

“That didn’t hurt,” Bakugo said, rolling his eyes. “Gotta get more groceries, then. I’ll be back.” He slipped on his shoes. “Don’t fuck up anything while I’m gone. I know that’s a tall order for you two morons.”

“You’re going out like that?” Kirishima asked, voice slightly strained. 

“Obviously,” Bakugo replied. 

“But it’s just a tank top.” 

“Yeah? And?”

“But...you look really...” Kirishima frowned. “Sun’s out guns out.”

Yoarashi had to wonder if they’d both forgotten he was even there.

“It’s not that different from my fucking hero costume that I wear almost every fucking day, Kirishima!” Bakugo bitched. “Besides, I’m not going to take fucking bullshit about what I’m wearing from a guy who’s too dumb to put on a shirt!”

Kirishima looked down and seemed genuinely surprised that he was, in fact, shirtless. “Huh. You’re right.”

The vein in Bakugo’s forehead was visibly throbbing. He grabbed the doorknob.

“You want me to go? Help carry stuff or something?” Yoarashi volunteered. It didn’t really seem fair that Bakugo had to go out for extra shopping to do him a favor. 

Bakugo just glared at him. “No. No I fucking do not. The last thing I need is being seen grocery shopping with fucking Half-and-Half’s new boyfriend.”

Kirishima ignored Yoarashi’s surprised yelp. “Especially when you look so hot,” he teased.

Now Bakugo’s glare was directed at Kirishima. “I fucking hate you.” But faint pink dusted his cheeks all the same. He was halfway out the door when Kirishima called after him.

“Love you!”

Bakugo replied by flipping him off and slamming the door behind him. Kirishima burst out laughing.

Yoarashi didn’t know what to think. “Hey, uh, if this was a big deal we could’ve just canceled—”

“Hmm?” Kirishima looked at him, slightly confused. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” Yoarashi said uncomfortably. “It’s not worth causing a fight over...”

“Oh!” Kirishima laughed again, louder this time. “That wasn’t a fight. At all.” He grinned mischievously. “That was one hundred percent pure love right there.”

Yoarashi knew he wasn’t the smartest guy but at the moment he found himself seriously questioning Kirishima’s intelligence. Or sanity. “Um. Are you...sure?”

“Absolutely. It might’ve taken a little bit of getting used to but now that I see it for what it is, I actually think it’s kinda cute!”

Okay, Kirishima was definitely certifiably insane. Yoarashi was wondering why Todoroki warned him about Bakugo being jealous but not about Kirishima being a total whackjob. It was probably too late to bail now that Bakugo was already out shopping...

“I’m serious,” Kirishima insisted. “How do I explain this...”

“You really don’t have to.”

Kirishima hmm’ed as he walked into the kitchen, gesturing for Yoarashi to have a seat at the table. “Tea?”

“Oh. Uh. Sure.”

After handing over a bottle of tea, Kirishima took the seat across from him. Still shirtless, Yoarashi noticed, because how could you not. Though he had a habit himself of walking around his apartment in nothing but shorts pretty regularly, so he supposed it wasn’t fair to judge Kirishima for it. Although he didn’t do it in front of company. Mostly because he never had company but that was beside the point. He idly wondered what would happen if he tried that while staying with Todoroki, what face Todoroki would make. Would he be disgusted at his lack of manners, adorably crinkling up his nose? What if—what if he liked it and his eyes widened just a little bit in pleasant surprise, a cute little blush across his cheeks? Yoarashi might not be All Might in his prime but he knew he was objectively pretty impressive shirtless. His lips started twitching into a smile. How would it feel to have Todoroki staring just a little too long, checking him out? Was it worth the gamble? Maybe he could—

“So,” Kirishima’s voice startled Yoarashi from his daydreaming. He hoped he hadn’t looked too goofy. “The first time I went over to Bakugo’s, I thought his mom was so mean. I mean, she was nice to me, but those two are always yelling at each other and going back and forth and his mom is always smacking him and stuff. But I knew that despite what Bakugo said, he loves his family. He’d never admit it because he’s too shy—”

Yoarashi couldn’t help his incredulous snort.

“—about that stuff, anyway.” Kirishima laughed. “He’s tried to be cool and perfect for so long that he gets embarrassed about things like that really easily. Still. Anyway,” Kirishima took a swig of his tea. “It was actually Bakugo’s dad who helped me figure it out.”

“I can only imagine what his dad’s like.”

“Actually his dad is super mellow!” Kirishima said. “You’d never think it. His mom though...they’re so alike. It’s kinda crazy. Anyway, Bakugo and his mom were going at it and I must’ve looked a little freaked out because his dad said, ‘They really love each other a lot. But Katsuki gets easily embarrassed by affection. So she touches him any way she can.’”

Yoarashi let that swirl around in his mind. “That’s kinda fucked up,” he said finally.

“It is,” Kirishima agreed. “But it made sense, once I started watching. All the little smacks upside the head, the noogies, the swats on the shoulder, the thumps on the back.” Kirishima grinned. “And I guess it made enough sense at the time that I didn’t think too much about it after that. It wasn’t until years later that I realized that Bakugo was doing the same thing with me.” He guffawed. 

“What do you mean, you didn’t notice? How do you not notice someone smacking you all the time?”

“It doesn’t hurt,” Kirishima said defensively. “I wouldn’t have put up with it if it did. But I guess I figured, ‘oh, that’s just how he communicates.’ Anyway, I think it was one of the times he fell asleep with his head on my shoulder or something and I thought, ‘what, it takes him being asleep to actually touch me nicely.’ And that’s what I thought back to all the little things—well, you saw him hit my shoulder earlier.”

“And you said ‘ow.’”

Kirishima laughed. “I didn’t mean it. Just like he said. But I realized that for freakin’ years, he’d been touching me the only way he knew how. Isn’t that stupid?” Kirishima sounded absolutely delighted. 

Yoarashi didn’t know if he was referring to Bakugo’s behavior or the fact it took Kirishima so long to realize what Bakugo was doing. But either way, he agreed. “Yep. Pretty stupid.” He let out a pained sigh. “But, uh, this all seems pretty...personal. Why are you telling me all this?”

“Oh, dude. You’re getting cooking lessons from Bakugo today. We’re practically family after this.” Yoarashi choked on his tea and Kirishima grinned. “Maybe like second-cousins or my brother-in-law’s nephew or something, but still family.”

“Is it really that big of a deal?”

“It is!” Kirishima nodded. “Couldn’t you tell by how reluctant he pretended to be?”

Yoarashi snorted at that. “Still. He wouldn’t have done it, right? If he really, really didn’t want to?”

“He wouldn’t,” Kirishima assured him. “For all that those two bitch about each other, I know Bakugo respects the hell out of Todoroki. He, uh, knows what Todoroki’s been through.” Kirishima frowned. Yoarashi thought it looked odd, considering how the guy seemed to be constantly smiling. “You, um, know his story?”

“I’ve heard rumors,” Yoarashi admitted. “He hasn’t ever told me himself, though.”

“It’s not really my place, but...” Kirishima quickly filled him on the basic details. Yoarashi was incredulous. For once, the rumors had been pretty tame compared to reality. “So I get that maybe Bakugo’s sense of affection seems a little twisted to most people,” Kirishima said. “But sometimes I think about Todoroki, who didn’t get affection at all. I mean, I dunno how much his siblings were involved or how much they were allowed to be around...but I kinda wonder if that hug he got from All Might at the sports festival our first year was...maybe the first hug he’d had in about ten years?”

Yoarashi thought his heart dropped to the floor. He remembered that angry, cold Todoroki. That hateful stare locked on something far ahead that no one else could see. 

“I wonder how many he’s had since then,” Yoarashi whispered.

“Probably not enough,” Kirishima said. “So hopefully these meals made with love are a good start.”

“Wha— That’s not—” Yoarashi sputtered.

Predictably, Kirishima just laughed. “It’s cool, dude. The way the girls have always gushed over him, he must be a pretty good-looking guy.”

“You act like you haven’t seen him!” Yoarashi said, shocked. “How can you not tell?”

“He’s not my type!” Kirishima shrugged.

Yoarashi rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure. Because he’s not abusive enough for you.”

“I told you—”

“Right. It’s love. Or something.”

Kirishima’s smile was all confidence and contentment. “Between my personality and my Quirk, I might be the one person who can take what Bakugo dishes out. And that makes me happy. It’s like we were made for each other.”

“Kirishima.” Yoarashi groaned. “I think you said something really manly but really super embarrassing just now.”

They were interrupted by the door being kicked open and Bakugo setting armloads of bags on the table in front of them with an emphatic, “Fuck.”

“Exhausting trip to the store?” Kirishima asked.

“Yeah.” Bakugo snapped and glared at him. “Yeah, it was. Fucking gawking motherfuckers everywhere. Can’t a guy buy some fucking groceries without everyone in the fucking way—”

“I told you,” Kirishima said, eyes wide with feigned innocence. “You look way too good today.”

“And you,” Bakugo growled, trying unsuccessfully to hide his embarrassment, “look stupid as always! Go put a fucking shirt on!”

 

 

 

 

 

“I’m home!” Yoarashi called out as he shut the front door behind him. I’m home. Just saying it made him a little giddy. He’d been unable to keep a straight face all the way home, arms laden with bags of containers of the food he’d made. The food he’d made! Bakugo had been a rigid taskmaster, peppering his instruction with a plethora of expletives the entire time, but he had also been remarkably thorough and thoughtful. Yoarashi had just wanted to learn to cook something but in true Bakugo fashion, he supposed, he had gone much further. Now his head was full of what was good frozen, what leftovers to turn into soup, what could be transformed just by switching the protein—he was secretly glad that Bakugo had barked at him to “take fucking notes” because there was no way he could remember it all.

“Welcome back,” Todoroki greeted him, carrying a white-haired, blue-eyed baby in his arms.

For a moment, Yoarashi just stared and the baby stared back at him, wide-eyed and serious. The resemblance was undeniable. 

What the..? Who is this? How did I not know about this? Is he married? No, the baby hasn’t been here. He must be divorced. But I never heard about him getting married in the first place. Love child?! Is the mother still in the picture? She can’t be, right? There’s no sign of anyone else in this house. Why didn’t Todoroki say anything? Did he assume I knew? Who is the mother? Does Todoroki still have a thing for her? Is that why he looked so wistful at Deku’s wedding? Could it be that Yaoyorozu woman? Is that why he looked so happy dancing with her? Why they looked so comfortable? Wh—

“What’s that?” Todoroki interrupted Yoarashi’s thoughts and gestured with a nod toward the bags hanging from Yoarashi’s wrists.

“That’s what I want to know!” Yoarashi blurted. 

Todoroki cocked his head to the side slightly in confusion. “He’s a baby.”

“I can see that!” Yoarashi panicked. “Why didn’t you tell me you had—”

“My nephew. Fubuki.”

“Your—” Relief flooded Yoarashi’s body. “Your nephew. Of course. That’s why he looks so much like you. Your nephew.”

“Yes.” Todoroki still looked slightly perplexed at Yoarashi’s reaction. So he repeated, “My nephew, Fubuki.”

“Nice to meet you, Fubuki-kun!” Yoarashi grinned and extended a hand. Fubuki wrapped his chubby baby fingers not-quite-around one of Yoarashi’s much larger ones. “Let’s be friends!”

Fubuki stared for a moment before breaking out into a big smile, complete with adorable giggle. 

“He’s so cute!” Yoarashi tried not to squeal. “He looks just like you!” 

Todoroki just stared at Fubuki’s little hand still holding Yoarashi’s finger in amazement. “He...he usually doesn’t like other people.”

“Ooh, so I’m special!”

Todoroki looked up, openly scrutinizing him. “I guess so,” he said finally. He looked back down at the bags still dangling from Yoarashi’s arms. “So. What’s that?”

“Oh!” With the shock of thinking Todoroki had a kid Yoarashi had forgotten all about the food. “I, uh...Food.” 

“Food?”

“Yeah, uh...I wanted to do something, y’know, to show my appreciation—pay you back, kinda, for letting me stay. And I notice you don’t cook, so...”

“You do?” Todoroki’s eyes widened slightly with sudden interest.

“I...didn’t. But I mentioned something to Kirishima and he offered to teach me—” 

Todoroki’s brow furrowed and his nose crinkled. It wasn’t too obvious, but for someone like Yoarashi who paid way too much attention to Todoroki’s expressions (or usual lack thereof) it was both adorable and quite telling. “Kirishima taught you?”

Yoarashi couldn’t help but laugh. “No. He manipulated Bakugo into teaching me.”

“Bakugo?” Todoroki didn’t bother to hide his surprise, though it was gone in a second. “Well. I guess it’s safe to eat after all.”

“I hope so,” Yoarashi said, smiling wryly. “I, uh, am still a novice. So it’s not gonna be as good as Bakugo’s. But—”

“He wouldn’t have let you leave with something bad,” Todoroki said simply. “He’s not the type. It would reflect poorly on him.”

“You know him pretty well,” Yoarashi ventured as they made their way to Todoroki’s kitchen to put everything away. 

“I’ve known him a long time. Not as long as Midoriya has, but...” Todoroki shrugged. “His bark’s always been worse than his bite.” 

Yoarashi just about choked at that, Todoroki’s phrasing causing the memory of the very distinct bite mark on the back of Kirishima’s shoulder to come to mind. When he’d spotted that, he realized why Bakugo had been so adamant about Kirishima putting a shirt on; he still couldn’t decide if Kirishima had deliberately spent half the morning shirtless knowing it was there or if he was just that oblivious. He supposed it didn’t really matter. But his sudden discomfort was lost on Todoroki who just watched with thinly-veiled interest as Yoarashi put container after container in the fridge. 

“You really made all that?”

Heat flooded Yoarashi’s cheeks, a mixture of pride and embarrassment. “I didn’t know what I was getting into, I guess. Apparently those two were concerned you weren’t eating right.”

Todoroki rolled his eyes and Yoarashi laughed. 

“So.” Todoroki adjusted a squirming Fubuki in his arms. “When...when do we...” He stared at the container in Yoarashi’s hand. “I’m hungry. Can we eat now?”

“Huh?” Yoarashi startled. “Oh. Um. Sure. If you want.”

“I do.” Todoroki nodded firmly. 

 

 

 

You: Dude! THANKS! And tell Bakuhubs I said thanks too! They LOVED it!

 

Kirishima: They???

 

Yoarashi sent the picture he’d taken of Fubuki sitting on Todoroki’s lap, gnawing happily on some chicken in his little hand.

 

Kirishima: OMG CUTE

Kirishima: Ur a little family  😁😍😁

 

You: Shoto’s nephew

 

Kirishima: “Shoto”???  😏

 

You: He said use Shoto. 

 

Kirishima: First name basis! Sweet!💪

Kirishima: So does he call you...

Kirishima: ...I don’t know your first name?

 

You: Inasa. Yes.

 

Kirishima: Dude! Look at you go!

Kirishima: I called Bakugo 💕Katsuki💕 the other day

Kirishima: Just to see

Kirishima: He about decked me🤣

Kirishima: We were sparring at the time, tho. So’s fair

 

You: You guys are...something

 

Kirishima: By something you mean super cute?😘

 

You: I was thinking more like crazy

You: But thank you both

You: I owe you guys big time

 

Kirishima: No prob bro 😉

 

You: Gotta go. Shoto & Fubuki’ll be getting out of the bath soon

 

Kirishima: Why didn’t you get in with them???🛁🛁🛁

 

Yoarashi rolled his eyes and shoved his phone back in his pocket just as Todoroki padded into the room, a happily babbling Fubuki in his arms. In the short week since rooming with Todoroki, Yoarashi had had the very distinct pleasure of seeing freshly clean, slightly-pink-from-the-bath, barely-damp Todoroki a few times. But now that he completed the look with a matching baby, the whole thing was so obscenely domestic and endearing that Yoarashi could hardly stand it.

“It’s his bedtime so— What are you doing?” Todoroki frowned at Fubuki. The baby was hugging Todoroki around the neck, pressing his left cheek to Todoroki’s. Then with a giggle, he’d pull back and do the same on the other side, rubbing their right cheeks together. He kept repeating the motion, giggling hilariously each time. Todoroki looked at Yoarashi. “What is he doing?”

“Let me see.” Yoarashi didn’t know if he was talking to Todoroki or Fubuki or both. He bent down slightly, copying what Fubuki had been doing. It was only after he was already cheek-to-cheek with Todoroki that he realized he was cheek-to-cheek with Todoroki. But it was a little late to be embarrassed and oddly enough, Todoroki didn’t seem to mind.

After testing both sides, Fubuki and Todoroki looked at him, wearing identical expectant expressions. 

“One more.” He went back to the first cheek, realizing he probably could have just used his hand but he didn’t know if that would actually be any less embarrassing at this point. He repeated the process, fighting back a grin, pretty sure he knew what Fubuki found so funny. 

“What?” Todoroki asked, exasperated.

Yoarashi and Fubuki started laughing together. 

“Traitor,” Todoroki mumbled. Fubuki just kept giggling.

“I thought that had to be a myth.” Yoarashi grinned lopsidedly. “But you really are a different temperature depending on which side we touched.”

“Oh.” Todoroki frowned slightly, almost pouting. “I guess. Is it really so funny?”

“No, it’s…it’s neat,” Yoarashi said, unable to quit smiling. Todoroki still looked skeptical.

Fubuki reached out little arms toward Yoarashi. Surprised but happy, Yoarashi tentatively reached for him, not sure if Fubuki really wanted to be held by him or...what. Immediately, Fubuki pressed his chubby baby cheek against Yoarashi’s.

“Sorry, little dude,” Yoarashi said. “Both sides of my face are just boring.”

Fubuki tested the other side, then pulled back with a little frown. 

“Don’t make that face!” Yoarashi pleaded dramatically. “Here, let me try.” He rubbed his cheek against Fubuki’s, repeating on the other side. He pulled back, eyes comically wide. “Yep, feels like a baby!”

For a moment, Fubuki just looked at him, then burst out giggling. 

“Alright, enough being cute,” Todoroki failed miserably at sounding stern. “Come on, it’s bedtime.” He turned and headed to his room, leaving Yoarashi—still holding Fubuki—to follow.

When they got in the bedroom, Todoroki turned out the light, leaving just a little lamp for enough illumination for the bedtime story. He scooted into his futon and held his arms out. But Fubuki tightened his grip on Yoarashi’s shirt and made a wordless noise of protest. 

“You really are a little traitor,” Todoroki grumbled. He let out a resigned sigh and looked up at Yoarashi. “Well.” He patted the spot next to him.

“Are—are you serious?”

“I’ve learned you’ve got to pick your battles,” Todoroki said, sounding defeated. “Especially when it comes to babies and bedtime.”

Every now and then Todoroki did something that left Yoarashi reeling, wondering if Todoroki was really that oblivious or if he was secretly incredibly devious and enjoying messing with him. This was definitely one of those situations but tired from a day of cooking lessons and with an armful of sleepy baby, he didn’t care enough to try to figure it out anymore. Without thinking too much about it, he slid under the covers, as next to Todoroki as he could be with a baby between them.

The bedtime story was short but there was something so relaxing about Todoroki’s monotonous voice that Yoarashi found himself drifting off along with Fubuki. He woke, momentarily confused at the sound of Todoroki clicking off the lamp.

“Oh, shit, sorry—” Yoarashi said before he remembered to whisper. “I’ll get out of here—”

“Shh,” Todoroki said. “It’s okay. Just go back to sleep.”

“But—”

“What if he wakes up and cries because you’re not here?” Todoroki said, his words sounding perfectly logical in Yoarashi’s sleepy brain. “Or what if you wake him up when you leave?”

Yoarashi thought he should have some sort of rebuttal but the futon was warm and full of Todoroki, which definitely had appeal. “Okay. But can you move Fubuki to your other side?” He could almost make out Todoroki’s puzzled expression in the dark. “I’m afraid of rolling over and crushing him,” he admitted.

Todoroki snorted slightly. “You’re not afraid of rolling over and crushing me?” he asked, amusement in his voice even as he very gently relocated the sleeping baby to his other side. “If he wakes up, feel free to get up and change him.”

“Now I see why you wanted me to stay,” Yoarashi said drily, carefully keeping his voice whisper-quiet. Still, he could hear Todoroki’s barely-there snicker in response. “So...do you have him often?”

“Usually every other weekend. Unless I have work or something.”

“Oh cool! So we’ll get him again while I’m here?” 

“Y-yeah. That’s okay?” Todoroki asked, voice a mixture of surprise and hesitation.

“Heck yeah. He’s so fun!” Yoarashi grinned to himself. 

“I’m glad,” Todoroki said quietly. “I was—” he stopped, collecting this thoughts. “I really wanted you to meet him. But you had plans.”

“Ahh, I wondered why you seemed mad.”

“I wasn’t mad,” Todoroki said too quickly.

“Okay,” Yoarashi whispered back, clearly unconvinced. “If you say so.”

“Go back to sleep,” Todoroki grumbled.

“I can’t.” Yoarashi yawned.

“Sounds to me like you can.”

“Maybe if you talk to me. Your voice put me to sleep the first time.”

“Are you saying I’m boring?”

Yoarashi chuckled quietly at the feigned irritation in Todoroki’s voice. “No. Your voice is just...relaxing.”

Todoroki huffed and for a minute Yoarashi didn’t think he would say anything. “Well. What am I supposed to talk about?”

“Anything.”

“That’s not helpful.”

“How about...” Yoarashi almost said “your family” but even his drowsy brain realized that was a bad idea. He yawned again. He really wanted to roll over on his side but then his face would be way too close to Todoroki’s and that would wake him right up; there’s no way he’d be able to sleep with that face within such easy kissing distance. “Why do you get Fubuki so much? Was that your idea or his parents’?”

“Why are all your questions about Fubuki?” Todoroki sounded slightly peeved.

“I don’t know what I’m allowed to ask about you,” Yoarashi replied quietly but honestly.

Todoroki made a noncommittal sound. “Natsuo found out parenthood isn’t as easy as he thought it was,” Todoroki began. “That’s my older brother.”

“Ah.”

“So I try to help out and watch Fubuki.” There was momentary silence as Todoroki pondered his next words. “Though, looking back, I’m pretty sure my mom was the one to bring it up. So now that I think about it...” Todoroki sighed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she told me that Natsuo needed help while she then told Natsuo I was lonely and to ask me to watch him sometimes.” Another sigh, this one sounded a little irritated.

“Sneaky.”

“Yeah,” Todoroki agreed. “I’m not a hundred percent sure that’s what happened but...at the time, she and Fuyumi were acting pretty weird. And Fuyumi is a busybody anyway. It’s totally something they’d think of.”

“Hmm,” Yoarashi hummed. “Were you?”

“Was I what?”

“Lonely.”

“No,” Todoroki said slowly. Then, after a lengthy pause, “Maybe?”

Yoarashi chuckled as quietly as possible. “You don’t know?”

“Well, I didn’t think I was,” Todoroki whispered defensively. “But now that I’m lying here sandwiched between two other people—” Yoarashi just about choked on his own spit at the word ‘sandwiched’ and he could feel Todoroki laugh under his breath next to him. “—I was just thinking, this is kinda...”

Yoarashi waited for the next word. Nice? Fun? Cozy? Sweet? Something you want to do all the time?

“Inasa?” Todoroki’s whisper was barely audible.

“Yeah?” 

“I ran out of things to talk about,” Todoroki lied. “Good night.”

“Night, Shoto.”

 

 

 

Yoarashi’s eyes shot open and he took a moment, trying to remember where he was. This wasn’t his apartment. This wasn’t even his bed in Todoroki’s spare room. This was—

Todoroki’s futon.

And wrapped around him was...Todoroki.

Yoarashi stayed as still as possible, trying to control his breathing. This couldn’t be real, could it? Why the hell would Todoroki be pressed against his back, his arm wrapped around his chest, his breath against the back of his neck—

Why was Todoroki spooning him?

And was it okay for him to be so happy about it?

“Inasa?” Todoroki ventured quietly. For a second Yoarashi couldn’t understand why Todoroki was whispering, then he remembered Fubuki, presumably still asleep on Todoroki’s other side. “Are you okay?”

“Huh?”

“You were twitching and whining in your sleep,” Todoroki said. “Were you having a nightmare?”

“Uh, yeah,” Yoarashi fibbed. He couldn’t even remember what he’d been dreaming about right before he woke up, but it was embarrassing enough to hear that he’d been twitching and whining. A nightmare would at least give him an acceptable excuse. “Is that why..?” He couldn’t bring himself to put it into words and opted to just pat Todoroki’s arm that was currently draped across him.

“Oh. Yeah. I thought this would help. Isn’t this what you do for nightmares? Um. In school...at UA...Bakugo’s and Kirishima’s rooms were right next to each other.”

Yoarashi didn’t understand what that had to do with anything but he wasn’t going to interrupt. Especially not since Todoroki hadn’t made any move to pull away.

“It’s no secret that Bakugo had a lot of nightmares. I’m assuming...well, anyway, they could have been from a variety of things. I guess. I’m a pretty heavy sleeper but some of the others complained they could hear the explosions in the night. But then they stopped.” How the hell close was Todoroki’s face for Yoarashi to feel him smile? “Everyone was talking about how Kirishima had started sleeping over in Bakugo’s room and that’s what finally stopped his nightmares.”

“Really?” Yoarashi asked incredulously. He was too sleepy—and too distracted by Todoroki’s proximity—to determine if Todoroki was messing with him.

“That’s what everyone was saying.”

“And you think that’s what they were doing in the middle of the night? Kirishima was sneaking into his room to snuggle his nightmares away?”

“What else would they be doing?” Todoroki’s tone was too deadpan and heat flooded Yoarashi’s face, even though he had been the one to imply there had been some funny business going on. He felt Todoroki’s chuckle against his neck. “I know it seems...well, considering how they are now. But at the time, I think that was exactly what they were doing. They both looked too well-rested for them to be up to something...inappropriate.”

“If you say so.”

“Mmm.” Todoroki shifted slightly but still didn’t unwrap himself from around Yoarashi. “Besides, they wouldn’t have been doing that stuff then. It took them years to figure out they liked each other.”

Yoarashi thought that was pretty rich coming from a guy who was currently nonchalantly spooning the person who was hopelessly in love with him. “Kinda hard to believe, looking at them now. That it took them so long. Though I still don’t really get what Kirishima sees in that guy.”

“Yeah,” Todoroki sighed sleepily. “No point trying to figure it out. They’re pretty much made for each other.”

Yoarashi snorted quietly, doing his best not to wake up Fubuki. “Kirishima said the same thing.” 

“I think that’s...nice...” Todoroki yawned. “I wasn’t made for someone to love. I was made because my dad wanted to surpass All Might.”

Yoarashi felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on him. Before he realized what he was doing, he turned over and wrapped Todoroki in a tight hug. 

“Inasa?” Todoroki asked, voice muffled against Yoarashi’s chest.

“Sorry,” Yoarashi whispered into his hair. He loosened his arms slightly. 

“Are you...okay?”

“Yeah. Just...what you said just made me really sad.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” Yoarashi scowled in the dark. He didn’t want to let go but he knew he probably should. “Can I...can I just stay like this for a minute? I’m sorry.”

“Does it make you feel better?”

“Yeah,” Yoarashi replied, barely above a whisper.

“Do...do I need to hug you back?”

The uncertainty in Todoroki’s voice made Yoarashi huff a laugh. “You can if you want,” he ventured. “But you don’t have to.” He hesitated. “Do you want me to let you go?”

Todoroki shook his head slightly. He snaked an arm around Yoarashi and patted his back softly. Yoarashi waited as the patting slowed to nothing and Todoroki’s breathing evened out. It briefly occurred to Yoarashi that this situation would probably feel totally different in the morning and could end up being extremely awkward but for now he was a chaotic mix of both happy and sad and didn’t know how he could ever fall back asleep.

 

 

 

It turned out he not only could fall back asleep but that he did, only to be woken up by Fubuki’s fussing. To Yoarashi’s surprise, Todoroki was still completely sound asleep wrapped in his arms. He regretted letting go of Todoroki but he couldn’t leave Fubuki. Carefully he extricated himself and reached across to lift the unhappy baby.

“He really wasn’t joking about me changing you in the middle of the night,” Yoarashi murmured as he changed Fubuki’s soiled diaper. “All fresh and clean!” He cradled the baby against his chest, hoping the diaper change was enough and Fubuki wasn’t hungry too. Todoroki hadn’t said anything about feeding him in the night and he didn’t want to mess it up. 

As quietly as possible, Yoarashi slid back in the futon. He tried to return Fubuki to his spot on the other side of Todoroki but he whined and gripped Yoarashi’s nightshirt insistently.

“Alright, alright!” Yoarashi whispered. “I guess you can sleep with me. Just don’t wake Uncle Shoto, okay? Good baby.” As Fubuki settled, cradled against him, Yoarashi felt Todoroki stir against his other side. 

“Fubuki?” Todoroki asked sleepily, frowning with his eyes still closed.

“I’ve got him,” Yoarashi reassured him. “We’re good. Go back to sleep.”

“Mm.” With that, Todoroki burrowed into Yoarashi’s unoccupied shoulder, sighing contentedly as Yoarashi wrapped his arm around him.

 

 

 

 

“He’s looking way good, dude!” Kirishima beamed at him a couple weeks later.

The days were going by a little too quickly for Yoarashi’s liking. It seemed like just yesterday Natsuo had stopped by Todoroki’s place to pick up Fubuki yet tomorrow was already their weekend to have him again. Not that Yoarashi had complaints about that—he enjoyed playing house with Todoroki and Fubuki was too adorable for words. Plus, Fubuki was a natural wingman. Yoarashi expected a certain level of awkwardness the morning after their little slumber party the last time, but instead there was...nothing. Todoroki acted as if nothing had happened at all—no spooning, no cuddling, nothing. After racking his brain trying to figure out some way to bring it up, hoping to encourage a repeat, Yoarashi had ultimately given up and pinned all his hopes on Fubuki.

Which, Yoarashi had to admit, sounded a little messed up. But it’s not like he was going to do anything with all three of them packed in one futon. Just being that close to Todoroki, especially when he was so domestic and soft like that, his defensive walls down, was too addicting. For all that it seemed like Todoroki didn’t give it any thought at all, conversely it was all Yoarashi could think about.

As much as he loved every minute and was determined to enjoy the month to the fullest, he couldn’t help the creeping awareness that this was by no means a permanent arrangement and the end would be here before he knew it. Even if he decided to relocate, well, he’d be moving up here—there would no longer be a need for him to continue living with Todoroki. He wouldn’t have an excuse anymore. He couldn’t very well beg Deku to ask Todoroki to let him be his roommate indefinitely. The only reason Deku even asked (and the only reason Todoroki agreed, Yoarashi was sure) was because it was only a month. 

From the time he’d found out what heroes were, he knew he wanted to be one. He loved being a hero! But there was something about working with Todoroki that took everything Yoarashi loved about his job to the next level. He was having as much fun now—more, even!—than when he first went pro. 

Everything was new yet so effortlessly comfortable all at the same time and Yoarashi couldn’t remember the last time, if ever, that had happened in his life. Sure, he’d been passionate about a lot of things (and very good at a lot of things too) but he still had to work for them. And found out the hard way that just because you work hard for something you want doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to get it. Some things couldn’t be forced, no matter how strong you were or how hard you worked.

But all of this? It fit. 

And Yoarashi had a suspicion it was because one person was central to everything that was so good in his life right now.

He loved his job, the city, where he lived, Fubuki, even his friendship with Kirishima (and, okay, Bakugo too). It was all too good.

Kirishima had asked them to meet up for lunch, hoping to compare notes on the still-elusive villains they were after. They hadn’t teamed up much lately and though the last thing Bakugo wanted to do was ask for help, it made sense that they should have a quick discussion about some of the other busts they’d had recently in case they tied into something bigger.

“What?” Yoarashi sputtered. “What is that supposed to mean? He always looks good.”

Kirishima flashed a shark-toothed grin in response. “Biased, much?”

Yoarashi felt his cheeks heat. 

“I just mean—” Kirishima gestured generically, even though Todoroki wasn’t even immediately present; he’d excused himself to take a phone call while Bakugo waited at the counter for their food (he hadn’t trusted them to place the order correctly). “He looks healthy now. A little more solid. He was looking kind of wraithly and ethereal there for a while. More so than usual.” 

Yoarashi tried not to snort; he didn’t picture Kirishima as the type to casually throw out the word “ethereal.” Though he had to admit, it kind of fit. Not that he’d ever tell Todoroki that.

“Just saying, your meals made with love look like they’re doing the trick.”

“Thanks. I guess.”

“Dude, it’s totally a compliment!” Kirishima laughed. “So, you guys get custody of your kid this weekend, right?” Kirishima teased with a wink. “You excited?”

“I am. Fubuki’s a lot of fun. Even though seeing Shoto in dad-mode is, like...” Yoarashi made an explosive gesture with his hands. “Seriously. It’s almost too much. Almost.”

“I bet.” Kirishima grinned. “But with baby in bed with you guys, no sexy times for you.”

“There are no sexy times anyway!” Yoarashi hissed, glancing around to see if anyone overheard. He even glanced over his shoulder, looking out the window where Todoroki stood in front of the restaurant, talking on his cell, just in case.

Predictably, Kirishima just laughed. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

Yoarashi looked at him incredulously. “Oh, I don’t know—maybe, like some actual sign he likes me back.”

“Pshaw,” Kirishima said with a wave of his hand. “He totally does.”

“He does?” Yoarashi asked, partly skeptical and partly hopeful.

“Sure!” Kirishima chirped. “Probably.”

“You’re not inspiring a lot of confidence right now,” Yoarashi said flatly.

Kirishima just shrugged. “Todoroki is...” He looked slightly up and to the right, as if all the Todoroki mysteries of the universe were hidden in the ceiling of the cafe. “Complicated? Hard to read? Kind of oblivious?” He shrugged again, resuming looking straight at Yoarashi. “But I think he likes you. He’s probably just waiting because he doesn’t know if you like him. He still doesn’t really know how friendships work so he really probably doesn’t know how to do relationship stuff. So...you might as well go for it.” His face suddenly lit up as if he had the best idea. “I mean, he wouldn’t share his baby with just anybody, right? Isn’t that him kind of feeling you out? Like, ‘hey, you wanna have a baby with me?’” Kirishima waggled his eyebrows for good measure.

Yoarashi snorted but smiled all the same. “Fubuki’s not actually his kid. Just for the record. You haven’t forgotten that, right?”

“Of course not!” Kirishima said too easily, then laughed. “Well, okay, the way you talk about it all sometimes I do kinda forget. But then I re-remember!” He opened his mouth to add something but bit his lip instead, grin falling away.

“You seem like you’d be a good dad,” Yoarashi said, the words spilling out before he gave them too much thought. “You guys ever thought about it..?”

Kirishima’s lopsided smile told Yoarashi everything he needed to know. “It’s kind of a taboo subject,” Kirishima said quietly. 

“What is a taboo subject?” Bakugo asked, sliding into the booth next to Kirishima, setting their trays of food on the table with a little more force than necessary.

Startled, Kirishima just blinked at him for a second. “Todoroki and Yoarashi’s sex life.” 

Bakugo’s face contorted in disgust as he flicked Kirishima’s forehead. “It’s taboo for a good fucking reason, then. Don’t tell me about it. Fuck.” He glared at Yoarashi for good measure.

“We don’t—” Yoarashi began, then gave up and rolled his eyes with a sigh. “We aren’t even, like, together.”

“Yet!” Kirishima amended cheerfully.

“Why the fuck not?” Bakugo asked, taking a bite of cheeseburger. Yoarashi just stared; hadn’t he acted disgusted by the whole prospect just a moment ago? “Listen,” Bakugo gestured emphatically with his burger, “if that’s what you fucking want, you’re going to have to just jump him. He’s the fucking dumbest smart guy I know. He’s not going to fucking get it otherwise.”

“I thought this was taboo,” Kirishima said around a mouthful of cheeseburger.

Bakugo shot him with a glare. “You said their sex life—” Bakugo’s lip twitched in an involuntary snarl for just a second, “—which they don’t have was taboo. We’re talking about his lack of a sex life—” again, disgust flashed across his face before he resumed, “—which is taboo starting now.”

“So I don’t get to contribute anything?” Kirishima complained.

“What the fuck do you have to contribute?” Bakugo asked, cheeseburger seemingly forgotten in his hand. Kirishima opened his mouth to answer and Bakugo stopped him, “No, nevermind, don’t say anything. I don’t want to fucking know.” Dejected, Kirishima leaned over and took a bite of Bakugo’s burger, which in all fairness had been left too close to his face.

Apparently completely unfazed by returning to Bakugo trying to angrily smash half a cheeseburger into Kirishima’s laughing face, Todoroki slid into the booth next to Yoarashi and delicately undid the wrapper on his chicken sandwich.

“Everything okay?” Yoarashi asked.

Todoroki nodded, waiting until he was finished chewing to speak. “Yeah. Just working out stuff for tomorrow with Fubuki. Pickup, drop off, stuff like that. Some things came up so we’re doing a little differently.”

“But you’ll still get him for the weekend, right?” Kirishima blurted.

Todoroki looked at Kirishima, slightly startled and very obviously wondering why he was so invested. “Yeah? Is that...okay?”

“I just know Yoarashi’s been really looking forward to it,” Kirishima said enthusiastically, causing Bakugo to half-choke on his drink. 

Yoarashi inwardly groaned. After hearing the story of how Kirishima and Bakugo (finally) got together, he didn’t know why he ever thought slightly obtuse, overly earnest Kirishima would be a smooth wingman. At this point he could only silently pray that Kirishima didn’t blurt out something even more embarrassing.

“Oh,” Todoroki said simply. “W-was there something in particular you were looking forward to?” He canted his head slightly to the side. “Something you wanted to do?”

Yoarashi opened his mouth to say something—anything—but nothing came out. Hell, he was perfectly happy just staying home and staring at Todoroki all day and playing with Fubuki. Was there something he wanted to do? Like what?! What did couples people with small children actually...do?

Against his better judgment, he panicked and looked to Kirishima for help.

“How about a picnic?” Kirishima suggested. The whole table stared at him in varying degrees of surprise. “I know it’s not cherry blossom season, but it might still be nice? Get outside a little bit. Oh!” Yoarashi saw the way Bakugo’s eyes widened and his nostrils flared slightly at Kirishima’s “sudden” inspiration. “How about you come over tomorrow morning and Bakugo can teach you how to make a really manly picnic lunch?”

“I fucking knew it,” Bakugo growled ominously. 

“I think it’s a nice idea,” Todoroki offered.

Yoarashi had to revise his opinion of Kirishima; maybe he was better at this than he originally gave him credit for.

“That’s just what you want to do!” Bakugo exploded, albeit in an angry whisper so as not to draw attention from the other customers. “You think I can’t fucking see where you’re going with this?”

“Welllll,” Kirishima drawled, “I suppose it’s just as easy for you to make us a picnic lunch too, while you’re teaching him, right?” He tried for a hopeful smile.

“I hate you so bad right now.”

“I don’t want to cause trouble,” Yoarashi said. “And I know I’m still a beginner so if it’s too hard to teach me—”

“What?” Bakugo snapped, red eyes shooting daggers.

Yoarashi felt pinned in place by the laser focus of Bakugo’s pissed off gaze. Throat suddenly dry, he tried again. “If it’s too hard—”

“The fuck it’s too hard.” Bakugo stood up, slamming his palms on the table. “You better be there tomorrow at eight fucking a.m. ready to work your ass off. And you, Shitty Hair—” he whirled, pointing at Kirishima, “you want a fucking picnic, you are hiking your ass off for it.”

“Yes, sir!” Kirishima grinned.

“Fuck you.” Bakugo stomped out of the restaurant.

“Weren’t we supposed to talk about work?” Todoroki asked after a moment.

 

 

 

After giving Kirishima a quick rundown of the villains they’d nabbed recently and reluctantly agreeing none of them seemed linked to anything more worthwhile, Yoarashi and Todoroki left the restaurant and resumed patrol. They walked along and Yoarashi chatted about nothing, like he usually did, but eventually fell into silence once he realized that Todoroki was obviously preoccupied with his thoughts. He fully intended to leave him to it but as Todoroki’s brow continued to furrow and his frown deepened, Yoarashi couldn’t help his concern. 

Especially since Todoroki seemed so immersed in his thoughts that he wasn’t paying much attention to his surroundings. Like the person in a hurry running up behind them, showing no sign of slowing down.

“Behind!”

Todoroki’s head snapped up but Yoarashi could see he wouldn’t react in time so without thinking he simply…grabbed Todoroki around the waist with one arm, lifted, and half-spun.

“Sorry!” the runner called behind him as he passed. 

“What the hell…” Yoarashi mumbled to himself, still holding Todoroki propped against his hip.

“I think that’s my line,” Todoroki said flatly, looking down at him, his unimpressed stare completely at odds with the light blush tinging his cheekbones.

“Huh?” Yoarashi just now looked up at him, then down at his arm, then back up. “Oh.” He chewed his lip and felt his face heating. “Um. Sorry. It was…just automatic.”

“Well if you’re sorry you could put me down.”

“Oh. Oh!” Yoarashi did just that, trying to focus on anything but how Todoroki’s fingertips had grabbed him in surprise, how light Todoroki was, how stupidly easy it had been to just pick him up like he weighed nothing and he’d thought that he was cooking enough food and the meals were much healthier but was Shoto getting enough to eat because, damn, he weighed nothing and that just kind of made Yoarashi want to pick him up again and— 

“I am a hero too,” Todoroki said, derailing Yoarashi’s runaway train of thought. 

“I…know?” Yoarashi said uncertainly. “I mean, I know! You’re awesome!” Todoroki frowned at that. “I told you, it was just automatic! Instinctive! It’s not like I think you need saving or protecting or can’t take care of yourself.” At that, Todoroki glanced away but finally looked slightly appeased. “Just…you were kinda distracted and I didn’t have time to think and that was the quickest—”

“It’s okay,” Todoroki cut him off with a sigh and a dismissive wave. They started walking again but soon Todoroki drifted back into that quiet, introspective state. 

“Is, um...” Yoarashi scratched at his ear. “Is something bothering you? Did I do something?”

Todoroki blinked up at him, still frowning slightly. “Do you like Kirishima?”

“Huh? Of course. What’s not to like? Sure, he’s kinda goofy, but he’s really cool and super nice. And happy all the time. He’s really fun and easy to be around.”

“Hmm.” Todoroki scowled. He gave a little sigh, looking worried and slightly hurt. Yoarashi didn’t know what to make of the expression; he’d never seen it on Todoroki before and it looked so out of place.  “Inasa, I think—” He clenched his jaw, clearly upset he couldn’t find the right words. Finally he looked Yoarashi straight in the eye. “I’m sorry but he’s like that with everyone. You don’t stand a chance. He loves Bakugo. A lot. And, honestly, Bakugo would kill you.” Todoroki flinched. “Um. Not that I’m saying you’re weak or anything like that. I think you’re really strong, actually. Stupidly strong. But...” Todoroki fizzled out with a shrug before he could get distracted further.

“What?!” Yoarashi yelped, wishing he could focus more on Todoroki complimenting his strength than this giant misunderstanding at the moment. “No no no! Not like that!”

“Huh?”

Yoarashi shook his head emphatically. “I didn’t know that’s what you meant! Why would you even think that?”

“Well, you always look really happy when you talk to him,” Todoroki mumbled defensively. 

“Well, yeah, okay. That’s probably true. But that’s because we’re friends. I like him because he’s likable; I don’t like him, uh, romantically.”

“Why not?” Todoroki asked point-blank. “What if he was single?”

“Still no,” Yoarashi replied immediately. 

“But he’s a lot like you. Like you said. Fun and easy to be around.” Todoroki looked away. “Y’know. Stuff like that.” 

“Oh?”

“Loud. Always laughing. Eats a lot. Loves lifting weights.”

Yoarashi laughed. “Um, Shoto, those don’t really sound like compliments.”

“I’m just saying!” Todoroki frowned at his intentional obtuseness. “You have a lot in common.”

“Which is why we’re friends,” Yoarashi explained.

“So you can’t like a friend romantically?” Todoroki looked up at him.

“Oh.” Yoarashi swallowed. “Um. Well, sure. I mean, that’s how a lot of people start out, I suppose. Heck, that’s how Bakugo and Kirishima started out, right? I think?” Todoroki gave a little nod. “But as far as me and Kirishima specifically,” Yoarashi clarified, “no. Um. He’s not my type.”

“I see,” Todoroki said, not sounding like he really understood at all. 

They walked for several more minutes, the city buzzing around them, civilians giving them the occasional smile and wave.  The amount of young—and not-so-young—women (and a fair share of men, Yoarashi amended) taking pictures of Todoroki as he walked past were distracting to Yoarashi but he figured Todoroki must be immune as he paid them no mind. 

“So. What is your type then?”

It took Yoarashi a moment to realize they were continuing the conversation and that apparently Todoroki had been mulling it over this entire time. 

“Um...” Yoarashi chewed his bottom lip. How the hell was he supposed to answer that without being appallingly obvious? Oh, you know nothing unusual: dramatic facial scars, two-tone hair, heterochromatic irises. 

“What about that girl you went to school with?” Todoroki asked softly. “You know...” He made an hourglass gesture with his hands.

“Camie?” Yoarashi asked incredulously. At Todoroki’s nod, he continued. “No. She’s nice enough, but I want someone smart.” Todoroki snorted in surprise. “Besides, she’s just— I’m— Boobs aren’t my thing, okay!” Yoarashi finished in a rush.

Todoroki stared back at him with raised eyebrows. “Ok-ayyy.”

“Smart. Thoughtful. Toned. No boobs,” Yoarashi rattled off quickly. He hesitated for a second, then plunged ahead, pushing just a little. “Outwardly cool, inwardly passionate.” Heart pounding, he couldn’t bring himself to look straight at Todoroki for his reaction. “And, um, preferably shorter than me.”

“Why shorter than you?” Todoroki asked, looking slightly irked.

Yoarashi didn’t know what to make of the fact that of all the things he’d listed, that was the one he’d zeroed in on. “I like to feel big. And strong.” He glanced down. “Don’t laugh.”

“But you are big and strong,” Todoroki said, so matter-of-factly that it didn’t even feel like a compliment, much to Yoarashi’s dismay. “Anyway.” Todoroki’s eyes flickered up and then away, once again looking in front of him. “Looking up at you all the time kind of irritates me for some reason.”

“Sorry?” Yoarashi squeaked uncertainly.

“I don’t know if I’m more or less irritated now that I know you like it,” Todoroki mumbled with a slight pout.

“So, uh,” Yoarashi licked his lips nervously, afraid to ask but still dying to know. “What’s, um, your type then?”

Todoroki’s mismatched eyes glanced at him oh-so-briefly. “I don’t know,” he lied after a moment.

“You are such a liar!” Yoarashi laughed. Todoroki smiled in response. “C’mon, that’s not fair!”

Still wearing a tiny smile, Todoroki pretended to think. “Nice, maybe?”

“Shoto, nice is not a type,” Yoarashi pressed. 

“Why not?”

“It’s too generic! ‘Nice’ doesn’t really describe anything.”

“But I think it’s important,” Todoroki said defensively.

“It’s important to everyone!” Yoarashi argued playfully. Immediately Todoroki looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, his expression skeptical. “Okay,” Yoarashi conceded. “Everyone but Kirishima.”

“See.”

“Alright,” Yoarashi sighed. “So...nice. Like…like that girl in your class?” Yoarashi ventured, chest tightening. 

Todoroki frowned. “There were a lot of girls in my class.”

“The one you danced with at Deku’s wedding,” Yoarashi elaborated. “She looked…nice.”

“Yaoyorozu? She is nice.” Todoroki looked at him for a long second, eyebrow slightly raised. His lips twitched in a brief smirk. “But boobs aren’t my thing.”

Yoarashi tripped on nothing. “O-oh,” he said, trying not to sound too happy. Or spontaneously start dancing in the street. “Okay. Well…what else?”

“I have to keep going?” Todoroki didn’t-quite-whine. “But it doesn’t matter—”

“It does too!” Yoarashi blurted, praying that Todoroki wouldn’t question why it mattered so much to him. “Just a little bit more. Y’know, until we have an actual type.” They walked in silence for a minute until Yoarashi finally said, “If you really don’t want to...” 

“How about funny? Does funny count?”

“Still a little generic, but it counts,” Yoarashi  said quickly, perking up. “I mean, not everyone’s funny. So it counts. Nice and funny, huh?” He risked a glance at Todoroki, who still looked to be giving the subject serious consideration. Adorably serious consideration. “Anything...else?” he ventured. “Like, maybe...I dunno...tall? Buff?” Todoroki looked up at him, brow furrowed just slightly. “He-ro-ic..?” he slowly teased out the word. “Maybe? Any of those?”

Todoroki rolled his eyes before looking away with a little shake of his head. 

“No, huh?” Yoarashi chuckled, trying not to sound too dejected.

“Good with kids,” Todoroki mumbled. “And likes to cook.” Todoroki looked up at him for the briefest moment before his gaze flickered away again. Yoarashi could swear the tips of his ears had turned a shade pinker. “Maybe.”

“Maybe,” Yoarashi repeated, unable to hide his grin. “Okay.”

 

 

 

 

“We are never going to finish all this,” Todoroki said, not sounding at all upset. His eyes lit up as he continued to unstack the layers of the bento while Yoarashi played peek-a-boo with Fubuki next to him on the blanket. “You really made all this?”

“Sure did!” Yoarashi replied cheerfully. “Though if you think this is impressive, you should have seen the one Bakugo made.”

“I’m happy with this one,” Todoroki said immediately. “The one you made.” He handed a baby-safe piece from Fubuki’s designated tier of the box to Fubuki who latched onto it eagerly. “See? Fubuki likes yours best too.”

“Thanks.” Yoarashi waited, wondering if he was going to die first from blushing to death or from his heart exploding with happiness. “I’m really glad you like it.”

 

 

“What have you got there, buddy?” Yoarashi asked, reaching for whatever it was Fubuki was gripping so enthusiastically. “Let me see!” As he peeled a few reluctant fingers away, he frowned. At first he thought it was a leaf, but it was too early in the season for them to be red. Where the heck did he get a feather?

“Shit,” Todoroki cursed under his breath.

Yoarashi looked at him, startled. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong—

“Heyyy~! Shoto-kuuuun!” A voice sing-songed as Yoarashi turned around in time to see the approach of a famous face and vibrant, red wings. Ah. That explains where the red feather came from. Next to him, impressive and looming even in his retirement, stood Endeavor. And that explains the cursing. “Family picnic?” Hawks chirped.

Todoroki just glared back, not saying anything. With a chuckle, Hawks turned to look at Yoarashi. “Ooh, ~who~ do we have here?” he asked, voice dripping with curiosity as he cocked his head to the side, a little too birdlike.

“Yoarashi Inasa,” Yoarashi answered hesitantly. He glanced at Endeavor, wondering if maybe the man remembered him at all. But Endeavor wasn’t looking at him, he was looking at—

“Fubuki?” Endeavor breathed, voice full of awe and disbelief as if he was staring at a unicorn instead of a very cute but relatively normal baby. He reached out a hand toward the happily babbling baby on the picnic blanket. At the mention of his name, Fubuki looked at up at him and Endeavor stopped, letting his hand fall to his side.

Todoroki’s eyes shot up. “How do you know him?” he asked, voice sharp. “Natsuo wouldn’t have told you. Or let you see him, I’m sure.”

“No,” Endeavor said sadly. “No, I—” Fubuki grinned up at him and babbled happy nonsense. “I understand why. That’s...fair.” He crouched down, still careful not to reach for him, and looked at the baby almost reverently. “He’s so...I don’t even have the words.”

“Freakin’ Todoroki-ly adorable?” Hawks supplied. Yoarashi laughed, even if Todoroki rolled his eyes at him for it.

“So how do you know him?” Todoroki pressed, making a show of ignoring Hawks. 

Endeavor glanced up at Hawks, who clicked his tongue smugly. He waggled his phone at Todoroki. “It’s coming from inside the house, Shoto-kun.”

“They were texting buddies for a good six months before I ever found out,” Endeavor begrudgingly admitted. 

While Natsuo apparently hated Yoarashi on sight when he picked up Fubuki from Todoroki’s place a couple weeks ago (Yoarashi still had absolutely no idea what he had ever done to be so despised but Natsuo didn’t bother to hide his obvious dislike) he had yet to meet Fuyumi. But at the time Todoroki had loosely explained that while his older brother was the angry one, his older sister was the peacemaker and had been trying to mend the family for years. 

Even if that meant sending pics of the grandkids to her dad’s...friend? former coworker? boyfriend?...to pass along to him. Apparently.

Yoarashi didn’t want to give himself a headache trying to figure it out.

Oblivious to decades of family drama, Fubuki resolutely crawled closer to Endeavor, who started backing away.

“Oh just hold him already!” Yoarashi snapped, whisking up Fubuki and placing him firmly in Endeavor’s hands. Everyone but Fubuki stared at him in surprise. “If Natsuo finds out, just blame me. He already hates me anyway.”

Hawks burst out laughing and a moment later, Fubuki started giggling with him. Todoroki actually fought a smile while Endeavor just looked slightly shocked. Once recovered, he pulled Fubuki a little more snugly against his chest, lips curling into a small smile of wonder as he touched the baby-fine white hair.

“Too cute!” Hawks snapped a couple pictures of Endeavor holding Fubuki before joining them and snapping a few more of the three of them together. “She will totally want to see these. I know I would. This might be my new lock screen.”

Endeavor just rolled his eyes as Hawks prattled. Fubuki gently patted the large scar on the left side of Endeavor’s face, frowning and making sounds of concern. 

“It’s fine,” Endeavor told the baby in response to the gibberish. “It doesn’t hurt.”

Apparently not believing him (or not understanding his words, more likely) Fubuki kissed Endeavor’s cheek, the kiss itself more sound than actual substance. Fubuki grinned, looking quite pleased with himself, before giving Endeavor’s face a last reassuring pat. Endeavor froze, wide-eyed with shock.

“Don’t cry, old man,” Hawks and Shoto said simultaneously.

“Well,” Hawks continued, unsuccessfully repressing a smirk, “that was a bit awkward.” But it had at least startled Endeavor back to normalcy. Yoarashi didn’t know if Endeavor actually would’ve started crying or not but that was definitely not something he had any desire to find out.

“Well, kids,” Hawks said, even though he wasn’t that much older, “I suppose we ought to get going. It was fun and completely coincidental running into you like this but we’ll leave you to it.” He reached down and snagged a bite from the box in front of Todoroki. “Wow, Shoto-kun, you make this?”

Wordlessly, Todoroki just pointed at Yoarashi.

Hawks raised his eyebrows, openly appraising. “Realllly.” He looked back at Torodoki and stage-whispered behind a hand, “Hang onto that one, Shoto-kun. He’s a keeper.”

Todoroki sighed. “I’d ask if you ever shut up but I already know the answer.”

Hawks just grinned at him before turning to Endeavor and clapping him on the shoulder. “Let’s go, big guy. Apparently we’ve overstayed our welcome.”

“You were never welcome in the first place,” Todoroki muttered.

 

 

 

 

After a light, late dinner, Yoarashi sat kicked back in the recliner, Fubuki snoozing on his chest. He was having trouble keeping his eyes open himself, losing track of the documentary they were watching. Well, they were supposed to be watching. Todoroki seemed to spend more time looking over at him and alternating nearly-imperceptible frowns with equally nearly-imperceptible smiles.

“What?” Yoarashi finally asked.

“Nothing,” Todoroki said, initially startled at being called out. “Well. I just. You’re really good at this.” At Yoarashi’s questioning raised eyebrow, he elaborated. “I think maybe you look like a dad.”

Both of Yoarashi’s eyebrows shot up at that. He looked down at the snuggly baby and idly rubbed his back with a thumb. “I…guess?” Looking back at Todoroki, he asked, “I maybe look like a dad?”

“Well,” Todoroki said defensively. “I wouldn’t know. I can’t imagine my dad doing that.”

“I can,” Yoarashi said slowly. “After seeing him today, I can.”

Judging by the cloud that came across Todoroki’s face, that was the wrong thing to say. “I guess. But it wasn’t like that growing up. Trust me.”

“Ah.” Yoarashi winced. “Right.”

“How about you?” Todoroki ventured quietly. “What is your family like?”

“I have a great family. You should—” Yoarashi stopped himself before he completely finished the thought. You should meet them. I’d love for them to meet you. “Yeah. I don’t see them as much anymore, obviously. But growing up…it was great.”

Fortunately Todoroki didn’t seem to take offense. “Maybe that’s why you’re so good at this?” He gestured with a hand at the baby currently drooling on Yoarashi’s chest. 

Yoarashi laughed, albeit quietly so as not to wake the baby. “Don’t sell yourself short. You were taking care of him long before I showed up. You’re a pro.”

Todoroki rolled his eyes at the compliment but did smile slightly. “I just…sometimes I worry I’m not doing things right. My family was such a mess…I don’t know what a family is actually supposed to be like.”

“Shoto,” Yoarashi said patiently, “family is what you make of it.”

“Make of it? Isn’t it what you’re given?”

“Nah!” Yoarashi beamed. “I mean, okay, it can be. But if you don’t like what you’re given, make your own. They say you can’t choose your family but that’s not entirely true. When you make your own, you do get to choose.”

Todoroki looked skeptical. “Are you sure?”

Yoarashi laughed. “Totally sure.”

“How do you make a family then?” Todoroki asked quietly. He blushed at Yoarashi’s awkward look of surprise. “Not like that,” he hurried. “Aren’t...aren’t you talking about something else?”

“Yeah,” Yoarashi said with another laugh and steady grin. “You just...the people you love become your family. The people you want.”

“Hmm,” Todoroki hummed noncommittally. “Really?”

“Really!” Yoarashi assured him. 

“It’s that easy?”

“It is.” Yoarashi nodded. “Hell, even Kirishima said I’m family now. ‘Maybe like second-cousins or my brother-in-law’s nephew or something, but still family,’ he told me.” He grinned at Todoroki’s eyeroll and poorly-disguised smile. “So see? It’s a real thing. I’m not making it up.”

“Kirishima does seem like the type to adopt everyone,” Todoroki mumbled begrudgingly.

“He does,” Yoarashi agreed. “Anyway. I’m just saying. No matter what your life was like growing up...there’s nothing keeping you from making the family you want now.”

“I guess.” Todoroki’s sidelong glance lingered for a beat too long. “Even if I don’t adopt everyone like Kirishima?”

Yoarashi shook his head. “We’ve already determined that Kirishima is…”

“A masochist?” Shoto supplied.

“Something,” Yoarashi agreed with a nod. “So yeah. No. No need to adopt everyone.”

“I wonder why he’s never tried to kiss my cheek better,” Shoto grumbled a short while later, startling Yoarashi.

It took Yoarashi a moment to figure out what the hell Todoroki was talking about. He had a habit of continuing conversations hours after the fact, which Yoarashi found simultaneously ridiculously cute yet incredibly confusing.

“No idea,” Yoarashi said, not knowing if Todoroki actually expected an answer or if he’d been talking mostly to himself. “Why, are you jealous?”

“No,” Todoroki said immediately.

Yoarashi laughed. “Well, if you want, I can—” He barely stopped himself in time. I can kiss it better. As many times as you want. As many times as you’ll let me.

Todoroki frowned at him in genuine confusion. “You can what?”

“Nothing,” Yoarashi said hurriedly. He cleared his throat then immediately regretted it, afraid the sound would startle Fubuki awake. Fortunately, the baby kept dozing against him. “Um. It’s getting kind of late, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Todoroki said slowly, still staring at Yoarashi’s face.

“Probably...” Yoarashi licked his bottom lip nervously. Why the hell was Todoroki staring at him like that? So...intently. “Probably should get to bed.” He shuffled slightly, preparing to hand the baby over, secretly hoping Todoroki would tell him to just bring the baby to bed and they’d all sleep in the same futon like last time.

Mismatched eyes continued to stare for a moment longer before looking away. “Yeah,” Todoroki said. “You’re right. It’s bedtime.” Carefully, he scooped Fubuki from his place on Yoarashi’s chest and started for his bedroom. 

A few steps into the hallway, Todoroki paused and half-turned. “Um, Inasa—”

“Yeah?” Yoarashi stood. 

The silence stretched as Todoroki opened his mouth to continue, then closed it. Glanced quickly at Yoarashi then looked away. Frowned to himself slightly. Yoarashi followed every tiny change in expression but had no clue what any of it meant.

“Good night,” Todoroki said finally.

Yoarashi would have bet money that wasn’t what Todoroki had originally planned to say. “Good night, Shoto,” he replied.

 

 

 

 

Todoroki stared up at the ceiling through the darkness, Fubuki tucked in next to him. 

He’d really been about to ask Inasa to sleep with them. 

Todoroki cringed at himself. He couldn’t believe that Inasa had done it so willingly last time. Then again, he really seemed to like Fubuki. Which, just at the thought of how cute those two were together, how Fubuki giggled at Inasa’s antics and Inasa answered with his booming laugh, Todoroki could feel his lips quirk up into a smile. 

Things were...good. So good. Too good.

When Midoriya had brought up in passing that Inasa would be coming to town to fill in for him, Todoroki had too-quickly offered to let him stay at his place. Judging by Midoriya’s startled reaction, Todoroki had been transparently over eager. Fortunately, even though Midoriya had looked at him with that knowing little smile of his, he hadn’t dug any deeper. Though Todoroki did notice Midoriya had an extra-mischievous glint in his eye and from then on glanced at Todoroki whenever he brought up Inasa’s extended visit.

Midoriya was his best friend and knew him better than anyone. Probably. Which was kind of scary, when he thought about it. He didn’t know if many people kept piles of notebooks analyzing their friends, but Todoroki didn’t have any other best friends to compare Midoriya to so maybe that behavior was normal. He had a hunch that it wasn’t.

Anyway, he was slightly annoyed with himself at how excited he felt at the prospect of Inasa staying with him. He’d experienced a fleeting moment of panic when he actually saw him at the wedding: what if they didn’t get along? What if Inasa had changed? What if—

Oh well. He’d grown up with people that were essentially just roommates. First in his own family home and then at the dorms in UA. Todoroki was used to living with people that he didn’t necessarily get along with or even like. So, worst case, he supposed, he and Inasa would just be...roommates...for a month. That was...doable. And probably more realistic, Todoroki had to admit. He thought he wanted to be friends with Inasa but he realized that was probably out of his reach. He had no clue how to be friends with anyone. The only way he ended up with a friend at all is because Midoriya did all the work. 

So yeah. He would be civil and it would be fine and they’d be roommates and, hey, that might be enough. Maybe if Inasa was barely tolerable that would actually help, because then Todoroki could quit thinking about him and move on—

But that’s not what happened at all. Instead Inasa had blown into his life, big and loud and unabashedly passionate about and in love with everything. And—Todoroki nearly groaned at the pun—it was like a breath of fresh air.

A week and a half into it, he’d received a call from Midoriya, checking in.

“You don’t have to take time out of your honeymoon to check on me,” Todoroki said dryly.

Midoriya laughed sheepishly. “I know, Todoroki-kun. But I was so distracted wondering how things were going that finally O-ochako yelled at me to just call already.” Todoroki snickered, both at Uraraka’s frustration and the fact Midoriya still stuttered over her name. “So,” Midoriya continued, a sly tinge to his voice, “how is Yoarashi-kun doing?”

“Good,” Todoroki replied without thinking.

“Oh?” Midoriya asked. “You make friends?”

“Yeah,” Todoroki said, belatedly surprised it was true and had happened without any real effort on his part and without him actually noticing.

“That’s great!” Midoriya exclaimed, all teasing gone. 

“Yeah,” Todoroki said again, suddenly feeling a bit warm. “It is.”

So that’s how Todoroki ended up in his futon, staring at his ceiling through the darkness, simultaneously mortified that he’d almost asked Inasa if he wanted to come to bed with them yet still kind of wishing that he had.

He let his thoughts wander, thinking about the last few weeks. The different sides of Inasa he’d seen, the range of expressions he made, the funny things he said. 

Those certain moments when he was just so…warm.

What would it be like, to have that. To have someone look at you that way all the time, to feel that way and make someone else feel that way too. To feel so loved and safe and see that in their eyes and then one day something changes and they look at you, crazed and disgusted, and pour boiling water on your face and—

 

Todoroki jolted awake, instinctively slamming his icy right hand on the searing pain of his left cheek, trying to cool it down, make it stop burning, until his brain caught up and he realized it didn’t hurt, it wasn’t boiling, then wasn’t now. Heaving breaths, he looked around, getting his bearings. Amazingly, Fubuki still slept soundly next to him. He looked to his other side, looking for Inasa who obviously had no reason to be there. Wishing he was there. Wanting so badly for him to be, wanting to be hugged and told that it was just a dream, that it was okay, that he was here—

No. 

A chill ran through Todoroki’s body at the thought.

No. This is dangerous.

His heart thudded heavily against his chest. All of the warm, fuzzy, delusional thoughts of earlier were shredded by shards of painful clarity. Loving someone only meant they could hurt you that much worse. Their love could be taken away. They’d hurt you then leave you. 

He couldn’t go through that again.

With slow breaths, he slid back down into the futon, keeping his eyes on the ceiling. If he closed his eyes, he knew he would see...

Inasa.

His broad grin first thing when he said good morning. His victorious smile when they busted villains. Looking shyly proud when Todoroki complimented his cooking. Happy crinkles around his eyes when he looked at sleeping Fubuki. The way his tongue stuck out a little in concentration when they played video games. That concerned pinch of his eyebrows reading manga. Muscles flexing as they sparred, a distracting droplet of sweat rolling down his neck. Laughing uproariously at his own dumb jokes. The look of sheer joy when he learned something new, his eyes sparkling when he found something interesting. 

That soft, guileless expression as he looked at Todoroki when he thought Todoroki didn’t notice.

No.

This is dangerous.

 

 

 

 

For some reason Yoarashi couldn’t quite suss out—he thought it might have something to do with Natsuo not wanting to pick up Fubuki from Todoroki’s house if Yoarashi was going to be there, but he couldn’t be quite sure—they were dropping off Fubuki at Todoroki’s mom’s place. He didn’t know if that’s why Todoroki had been kind of standoffish since this morning or if he’d accidentally done something to make him angry. 

Yoarashi hadn’t even known what to say when it looked like Todoroki planned on taking Fubuki back alone. He didn’t want to seem pushy, especially with Todoroki’s complicated family history, but secretly he did really want to meet Todoroki’s mom. Even if it was kind of terrifying. Fortunately, Fubuki had made such a fuss that Todoroki gave in and asked Yoarashi to go ahead and accompany them.

“I was hoping you’d bring him along!” Fuyumi said after opening the door. She introduced herself politely and Yoarashi did the same, stammering only slightly.

“Is that the only reason you’re here?” Todoroki asked dryly. 

“Nooo...” Fuyumi said in a tone that directly contradicted her words. “I had some stuff to do here. And I never pass up the chance to see my adorable nephew!” Arms outstretched, she made grabby hands at Fubuki, who cooperated not at all and just gripped Yoarashi’s shirt even tighter and made an angry whimper of protest. 

“Well,” Fuyumi pouted. “I see how I rate.” She looked Yoarashi up and down before glancing at Todoroki. “Ah, I think I get it now.” A mischievous grin broke out across her face. “Tall, dark, and handsome.”

“And loud,” Todoroki added flatly. 

“Mmm,” she hummed in consideration. “No wonder Natsuo got so bristly about you.” Her happily sparkling eyes flickered from him back to Todoroki. “I’m a little surprised, but I guess I shouldn’t be.”

“Fuyumi.” Todoroki said her name as a warning.

“Okay, okay.” She rolled her eyes, the smile never quite dropping. “Shoto, I’ve been waiting  all day for you to come help me with this—”

“I can help,” Yoarashi volunteered, feeling extremely awkward and uncomfortable. 

“No, no, you stay here,” Fuyumi assured him with too much emphasis. “I’m sure mom would love to talk to Shoto’s new...friend.”

“I would,” Todoroki’s mom chimed in, stepping into the room. “Tea, Yoarashi-kun?”

 

 

 

 

Yoarashi was pretty sure he’d had enough surreal Todoroki-induced experiences in the last three weeks to last him a lifetime.

Especially now that he was sitting in the Todoroki family home, Fubuki on his lap chewing on a cookie, while he sat across from Shoto’s mom—“call me Rei,” she had said—sipping tea.

At first he’d found it hard to concentrate. She was petite. Delicate. Fragile. Yoarashi was pretty sure he’d never met anyone like her—and probably never would again. It was easier to believe she was a fictional creature, like a snow fairy or ice elf rather than human. Just sitting across the table from her made Yoarashi feel giant and hulking and unwieldy. He knew it was absurd but he worried that if he breathed too hard or spoke too loud she’d shatter into a million crystalline pieces.

So the conversation went in fits and starts with Rei asking questions and Yoarashi uncomfortably stammering out answers. However, Rei began steering her questions to the one topic Yoarashi enjoyed talking about most of all: Shoto.

It got easier from there, Yoarashi asking some questions of his own. 

“He really likes you,” Rei said and Yoarashi’s heart stopped for a moment. Then he realized that she was looking at Fubuki, humming to himself and bobbing in a little dance while on Yoarashi’s lap. 

“Oh. Uh.” Yoarashi mentally kicked himself for his utter lack of eloquence or even passable human speech. “He’s cool.” Fubuki must’ve realized they were talking about him since he paused his song and looked up at Yoarashi and gave him a big smile. Yoarashi grinned back. “We have fun, don’t we?”

Rei sipped her tea. “I think it’s wonderful that you and Shoto are such great parents,” she said lightly and Yoarashi choked on his own spit, which just made Fubuki laugh. “I’m...glad. Relieved,” she said quietly. “He didn’t have the best...I mean, we tried but...” Her gaze met his. “Well. I’m sure you know.”

“Um. Kind of,” Yoarashi said quietly, not knowing what else to say. 

“Being an adult...being a parent...is hard. That’s not an excuse, of course. But no matter what a person does, I think, there are...regrets.” She took another dignified sip of tea. “And while we’ve all come a long way...I can’t help but feel there’s still a five-year-old living inside of him that believes it’s somehow his fault.”

Yoarashi’s heart clenched painfully. He wanted to know everything about Shoto. But he also felt like this was somehow intrusive, crossing a line of things Shoto wanted kept secret. Like it wasn’t his to know until Shoto himself told him.

“Even now, I think he views it as some sort of betrayal if he’s happy. Instead that’s what would heal us as a family, set us free. It’s what we’re all waiting for from each other, I think. But neither of us can do it until the other does it first.”

“That’s uh, quite the comun— condrum— sounds complicated,” Yoarashi fumbled.

Her lips quirked into a small smile, so reminiscent of the one he occasionally glimpsed on Shoto. “Indeed.” Her smile fell and she let out a dainty sigh. “All I ever wanted was for him to be happy.”

Something unbearably wistful in her voice made Yoarashi unsure of which “him” she meant. He didn’t ask.

“Enji sacrificed everything for what he thought he wanted. When he finally got it, it made him miserable because he realized he lost so much for something so empty. I don’t want Shoto to make that same mistake. I know it’s irresponsible of me to ask you to save him from himself—he’s a stubborn boy, underneath it all—” her lips flickered into a brief smile, “but I’m really grateful that he’s found someone like you.” Now she smiled outright. “Someone who can be the family he deserves.”

Yoarashi was increasingly suspicious that Shoto’s mom had misunderstood the nature of their relationship but was too flattered and too confused to correct her. Still, he had to say something. “I’m, uh, more than happy to, uh, try— but...uh, I dunno that I’m the one—”

“I do.” Still wearing a slight, mysterious smile she slid her phone across the table to where Yoarashi could see. Confused, he took the phone before Fubuki could grab it.

“I just adore my new wallpaper,” Rei supplied, but Yoarashi’s eyes were already on it. The picture was from their picnic yesterday, totally candid, with Shoto, Yoarashi, and Fubuki on their blanket leisurely tucking into the bento. Yoarashi and Fubuki were apparently laughing at each other (which was pretty typical) and Shoto observed the whole thing with a very rare naked smile. 

His first thought was to ask where she’d gotten it, but he had the answer before he could verbalize the question. “Wait, when Endeavor said Hawks had a texting buddy, we thought he meant Fuyumi but it was you?” Obviously that’s what had happened but Yoarashi still couldn’t wrap his mind around it. This proper, serene, delicate snowflake of a woman was texting her ex-husband’s (was it her ex-husband? Yoarashi realized in that moment he didn’t even know if they were actually divorced) boyfriend? 

“Oh, Enji’s boy and Fuyumi get along like a house on fire,” Rei assured him, and Yoarashi almost snorted but didn’t think she was intentionally being punny. “But the pictures of the grandkids originated from me.”

Yoarashi didn’t know what to say to that. Except for, “Um, do you think you could send me that pic?”

“Gladly.” She smiled as they exchanged contact info and in a few seconds his phone buzzed with her message.

“Inasa, are you ready?” Shoto stepped into the room, Fuyumi following behind him. 

“Oh, you’re done?” Yoarashi stood.

“Yeah. And I’d rather leave before Natsuo shows up to get Fubuki.” Shoto took the baby in question and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead before handing him off to an excited Fuyumi.

“Right,” Yoarashi tried not to sound hurt. “Probably best if he doesn’t see me.”

“It’s not even that,” Shoto said with a dismissive wave and shake of his head. “I don’t feel like seeing him right now either.” He looked over at his mother, still sitting at the table. “Do you...need anything before I go?” His tone was softer than a moment before, uncharacteristically uncertain. 

She shook her head slightly. “It was good to see you,” she said. “Both of you.” 

Yoarashi bent slightly to offer a finger to Fubuki. “Bye, little dude!” Fubuki’s fingers predictably wrapped around Yoarashi’s and he gave him a little baby handshake. “See you—” he stopped awkwardly, realizing he didn’t know when he’d see Fubuki again. In a couple weeks seemed too presumptuous, especially in present company, even if that’s what Yoarashi secretly hoped. “Later!” Yoarashi finished lamely.

After carefully peeling away Fubuki’s tiny fingers, Yoarashi turned to give his polite good-byes to Shoto’s mom and sister but didn’t quite get them out before Fubuki angrily scrunched up his face and stretched his arms out, demanding in grunts and whines that Yoarashi hold him.

“No, baby, Inasa-kun and Shoto-kun have to go,” Fuyumi cooed. “Your daddy will be here soon—”

Fubuki was having none of it and started wailing. “Asa!” he cried, still reaching out desperately toward Yoarashi, despite Fuyumi’s hold on him. “Asa! Soto!”

The three adult Todorokis in the room looked at each other, eyes wide. 

“Oh my,” Rei said breathily, hand coming up to cover her mouth to hide her smile.

“Wait,” Yoarashi said, looking from one to the other. “Were those his..?”

“First words,” Fuyumi finished, nodding rapidly. She looked entirely too pleased as she said, “Natsuo’s going to be sooo mad.”

 

 

 

 

Since that morning, Todoroki had tried to create some distance. Tried to reset. He knew it was bad, this was dangerous, but—

Fuck. Inasa had met his whole dysfunctional family. Todoroki hated introducing people to his family. Okay, everyone knew Endeavor, that couldn’t be helped. And Bakugo and Midoriya had met his siblings. But he’d barely let Midoriya meet his mom, and that had been for like two seconds. Inasa had a chat over tea with his mom. 

His name had been been Fubuki’s first word. Like, holy shit. 

Maybe that was a sign or something? Right? 

That this would be okay? Maybe, just maybe, he could have...this?

So when Midoriya called that evening, Todoroki was in high spirits. And though he did his best to hide it, someone who spent as much time observing Todoroki as Midoriya had definitely picked up on it. Answering Midoriya’s questions, he didn’t bother to hide the small smile or the warmth in his voice. 

 

 

 

Todoroki excused himself to the veranda to take the call; Yoarashi knew who was on the line just by Todoroki’s expression. Seeing that soft look that he doesn’t make for anyone else made his heart hurt. Cold realization hit him like a ton of bricks: he had never stood a chance against a now-married man. 

It made sense, Yoarashi supposed. Deku is the one who dragged him out of darkness, who gave him purpose and permission to be himself. How could Todoroki—anybody—not love a guy like that? As snippets of teasing conversation floated to his ears, Yoarashi realized he was just a flimsy fill in until Deku returned. It was utterly stupid to think he had any kind of place in Todoroki’s heart; it was so full of Deku that there was no room for him to carve one out. This whole thing had been over before it even started.

“Inasa?” Todoroki said softly as he came back inside, holding out his phone. “It’s Midoriya. He wanted to speak with you for a moment.”

“Oh. Uh. Sure.” Yoarashi stood and took the phone. He didn’t bother stepping outside or going to his room. “Yo, Deku! What’s up!” he said with false enthusiasm. “Hurry up and get back here, wouldya? I need to get home and Todoroki’s tired of me freeloading over here.”

 

 

 

That night, Todoroki couldn’t sleep. Just when he’d decided to quit fighting it, to give in and embrace what it seemed Inasa was offering, to go ahead and be selfish and let him have this one thing—

Everything changed in a second and it all slipped through his fingers, just as he’d feared. Just as he’d known it would the whole time.

So many times he’d just about stormed into Inasa’s room and demanded to know what was going on. But he’d already misread the situation so abominably that he couldn’t stand the thought of it getting any worse. 

He supposed he should have known better when Inasa didn’t say anything after their first weekend with Fubuki. Having him sleep in the futon with them might have been a bit forward, but at the time Inasa didn’t seem to mind. Was it the cuddling that scared him away? Fuck. But he thought Inasa liked him. Isn’t that what you did with people you liked? Besides, when he was little he would have given anything for someone to hug him after his nightmares, or even just to know there was someone in the other room, or— enough of that. That was going in severely the wrong direction.

But he cooked for him. They laughed and Inasa told stupid jokes and they sparred and...well, isn’t that what Bakugo and Kirishima did? Isn’t that what couples did? Todoroki realized he didn’t really know. It’s not like he had any good reference: his parents had been almost a literal disaster; Bakugo and Kirishima could hardly be considered normal and it’s not like he was particularly close to them anyway; he didn’t really know how Midoriya and Uraraka had gotten together but he was 99% sure Uraraka was the one who took the reins on that one; and none of his manga covered romance between two guys in their mid-twenties.

Inasa had always seemed really happy and excited to be around him; he thought they were having fun. But maybe...was that...was that just Inasa being Inasa? Maybe he was that way with everyone, not just Todoroki. After all, there had been that confusion watching him with Kirishima, so maybe...Todoroki wasn’t special at all. 

He felt so stupid.

What was that conversation earlier tonight? Yoarashi’s whole aura changed when Todoroki had handed him the phone. They’d had a great day—he’d thought—and then when he told him Midoriya wanted to speak to him, Yoarashi was like a different person. Completely shut off and fake, which Todoroki didn’t think was even possible for him. He didn’t know Inasa had a phony bone in his body. And then, what he said...

“Hurry up and get back here, wouldya? I need to get home and Todoroki’s tired of me freeloading over here."

Todoroki wasn’t the one who was tired. He’d not once mentioned Inasa leaving or needing to leave. The way they were going, he’d hoped that they’d both just continue on as they had been, even after Midoriya returned. Had it secretly been grating on him the whole time? Was he really that tired and annoyed by Todoroki’s company? 

And while Todoroki didn’t usually pay much attention to such things, it didn’t go unnoticed when, after nearly a month of hearing Yoarashi call him Shoto, when he’d spoken to Midoriya he’d gone back to calling him Todoroki.

 

 

 

 

For all that he’d resolved to shut his feelings away, to view Todoroki only as a colleague, Yoarashi kept glancing over at his not-a-crush-only-a-colleague way more than necessary. Even if it made it easier for him when Todoroki was distant, he still found himself worrying. Todoroki had been mostly silent all morning and very obviously distracted. The way Todoroki seemed to have shut down, folded in on himself reminded Yoarashi somewhat of the morning they went to return Fubuki. 

Though today was...way worse. He’d already caught Todoroki stumbling over uneven sidewalk a couple times and had to resist grabbing him. It was a small miracle that he hadn’t fallen into a hole or tripped on a curb or crashed into a civilian or a pole like the one right in front of them—

“Watch out,” Yoarashi said, instinctively lifting Todoroki against him with one arm and stepping out of harm’s way before the words were even out of his mouth. 

“Put me down,” Todoroki demanded, putting as much ice into his tone as possible. Yoarashi looked almost shocked for a moment before complying, setting him too-gently back on the sidewalk. 

“Hey, I’m sorry, alright? It was like a reflex—”

“I think we should split up today,” Todoroki interrupted.

Yoarashi looked like a kicked puppy before a steely expression took over. “I knew it,” he muttered. “You just can’t wait to get rid of me, can you.” It wasn’t a question.

“Well, you’re the one who can’t wait to be done and get home,” Todoroki fired back. “Whatever. Let’s just get to work. We’re wasting time.”

“Well sorry for being a waste of time!”

“I didn’t say—” Todoroki scowled, then looked away. “Fine.” He took a step forward but Yoarashi blocked the sidewalk and didn’t budge. Todoroki glared up at him. “You’re in the way.”

Yoarashi’s eyes blew wide and his lips parted in shock. 

It took Todoroki a moment to realize what he’d said, why it would elicit such a strong reaction. “That’s not—”

Yoarashi’s rough, barked laugh cut him off. “Of course. I always am, aren’t I?” His smirk was cruel but his eyes were...pained. “How fucking stupid am I. All I wanted was to be friends with you. That’s all I ever wanted. But you haven’t changed at all. You’re just like you were back then.” He saw the hurt and confusion in Todoroki’s eyes but kept going, his voice slow and sharp, “You’re just like your dad.”

“How dare you,” Todoroki growled, frost forming on his right shoulder. Then it vanished as he regulated himself, instead channeling all that icy fury into his voice. “Who do you think you are to say that to me?”

“Who do I think I am? Why, nobody. Nobody that’s good enough for you, apparently.” Because it’s true. Deku is the one you want. No one can compare to him in your eyes.

“You finally got something right. I guess you’re not a total idiot.”

“Hey, Prince Todoroki,” Yoarashi’s attempt at anger fell flat, surrendering to exasperation and regret. “Did I ever have a chance?” he asked quietly. And because he now felt the need to hurt himself as much as he knew he’d hurt Todoroki, “Was there ever anything I could have done to make you see me?”

Todoroki scoffed. “How pathetic do you have to be to ask that of someone you hate?” I don’t mean that. I don’t think you’re pathetic. I think you’re amazing. But I can’t get any more attached to you. Any more hurt by you.

“I—” don’t hate you. Don’t mean anything I’ve said. Don’t want to lose you. 

“Enough,” Todoroki cut him off. “Move.” He took a step forward, his shoulder bumping heavily against Yoarashi as he walked past. It would have been comical in any other context, considering their size difference. He knew what he was saying this time, he knew the weight of the words to Yoarashi specifically. “You’re in the way.”

 

 

 

 

Yoarashi was confused, embarrassed, and heartbroken.

It had been three days. He’d continued to patrol, since he was technically still working, often with Bakugo and Kirishima. Kirishima had offered their spare room since Yoarashi hadn’t gone back to Todoroki’s place since their argument but Yoarashi declined, finding a cheap hotel instead. Bakugo had offered, in his twisted outwardly-rude/inwardly-thoughtful way, to let him go back home, saying they had it handled. He didn’t really know why, but Yoarashi had declined that too. 

He’d sent a text, just hours after they’d argued and went their separate ways. A simple “I’m sorry” at first, that he followed up a couple hours later with, “i hope we can still be friends.” Both remained unanswered. 

After the first day he’d quit checking his phone every few minutes, waiting for a text that never came. So he didn’t know what he kept sticking around for but he couldn’t quite bring himself to leave yet. 

The second day after their fight he’d kept pulling out his phone, composing texts and deleting them.

But how many times could he say he was sorry? And what was he sorry for? Sorry for getting his hopes up? For thinking he had a chance? Sorry for getting jealous and bitter when the truth was flung in his face? Sorry for lashing out, saying things he didn’t mean? Things he said because he wanted them to hurt? Sorry for asking that last question that he knew the answer to and didn’t really want to hear Todoroki’s answer but was going to make him say it anyway?

Todoroki hadn’t batted an eye. Just looked at him with that frigid stare and said in that awful, wretchedly familiar, bone-chilling tone: You’re in the way.

So what was there really to say after that? 

That pretty much said it all. 

 

 

 

Memories of carefully preparing meals rose unbidden as Yoarashi bought some convenience store food and he walked slowly back to his hotel, wearing the cheap clothes he’d bought for when he was off duty. He felt like a coward, not even going back to Todoroki’s to retrieve his clothes and toiletries. But cost of replacing those things was worth not having to see Todoroki right now, not see that old hate in his eyes once again directed at him. Deep down he accused himself of leaving his crap there as an excuse, in case he needed a reason to start a conversation, a reason to see him. He wondered how long he could leave it there before Todoroki just threw it all out. 

Maybe he already had.

The vibration of his phone alerting to him a text startled him out of his moody thoughts.

Shoto: I don’t want to be friends anymore.

All Yoarashi could do was stare. He’d been waiting days for a text, something to give him hope, something that he could use to try to patch things up—fuck, even something asking if he was ever going to come get his shit from Todoroki’s spare room—but instead...

Shock took over Yoarashi’s brain. How should he respond? 

 

“K”?

“I’m sorry I wasn’t good enough”?

“But I love you”?

 

Did Todoroki even want a response at all?

 

Still staring at his phone, he was preoccupied as he felt something brush against the back of his neck. He went to swat at it but his arm wouldn’t respond, feeling sluggish and numb. Then the world started spinning, his vision clouding.

“Target acquired,” someone said as intense dizziness and blackness overwhelmed him.

“That was too easy,” another person said right before he fell to the ground.

 

 

 

 

“I’m telling you, all I saw were memories of hero Shoto.” 

Yoarashi still couldn’t move, even to open his eyes or stir his Quirk. His head hurt like hell and thinking was hard; everything felt fuzzy and voices sounded distorted and far away. It was tempting to just fall back asleep—or whatever that was, it had felt deeper than sleep—but he did his best to focus, to concentrate on what his captors were saying, get some clue of where he was or who they were. Though he couldn’t be totally sure, he thought the voice that had just spoke was one of those he’d heard during his ambush.

“Shoto? Is this guy some kind of hero stalker or something?” A woman’s voice. Just like the second voice he’d heard as he was falling.

“I don’t think so. But regardless, I didn’t see anything resembling a laboratory or anything science-y. The way this guy’s brain feels, I don’t think he’s smart enough to be a scientist. Let alone on the level of the guy we’re after,” the first voice answered.

“You’re really saying you got the wrong fucking guy?” This voice was heavy with authority, not to mention angry.

“My intel said that was the hotel! This sounded like the guy! Big guy, buzzed hair, you can’t blame me!” This latest voice made a fourth person in the room at least.

“Wait. You said his memories are full of Shoto?” Authority-Voice asked.

“Uh, yeah. Pretty love-lovey ones too.” First Guy coughed uncomfortably. “Kinda embarrassing. I think they might even have a kid together?”

“Ooh, you thinkin’ maybe we can blackmail him or somethin’?” Previously-defensive Intel-Dude sounded excited. Probably just wanted to save this botched job.

“No,” Authority-Voice said.

“Oh shit,” Woman Voice spoke up. “What if— what if Shoto comes after him?”

Not gonna happen, Yoarashi thought through the stuffed cotton in his brain. It was a struggle to get even just his eyelids to obey but he managed to barely crack them open. No one would be coming for him, especially not Shoto, he had to find a way out on his own—

Just then, ice ripped through the building. Lots and lots of ice. Screams of surprise from the villains were punctuated by explosions and the roar of flames. 

“You fucked up big this time, you fuckin’ extras!”

“Bakugo, hold on! Todoroki, not you too! I can’t handle both of you being crazy! Shit, Midoriya, stop them!” Kirishima sounded genuinely worried.

“Kacchan! Todoroki-kun! Wait!”

“They’re all here?!” was the last thing Yoarashi heard from the villains before feeling a brush on the back of his neck and blacking out again.

 

 

 

A familiar ceiling that he never thought he’d see again was the first thing Yoarashi registered when he opened his eyes. The second thing was Todoroki, hugged around Yoarashi’s left arm, sleeping soundly. 

Not giving too much thought as to why he was suddenly back in Todoroki’s spare room with Todoroki himself curled up next to him in the bed, Yoarashi carefully ran the fingers of his free hand through Todoroki’s half-white, half-red hair. It felt even silkier than it looked. 

The door squeaked open, startling Yoarashi in his compromising position.

“Oh!” Midoriya smiled. “You finally woke up just when he finally fell asleep.”

“Finally?” Yoarashi asked, or tried to. His voice croaked from disuse. 

“Mm hmm.” Midoriya nodded, sitting in a chair by the bed that hadn’t been there before Yoarashi left. He offered Yoarashi one of the glasses of water he’d brought with him back into the room. “One of the villains had some sort of tranquilizer Quirk. You’ve been out for a couple days.” 

“Oh, right,” Yoarashi said, feeling foolish that the villains hadn’t been the first thing he’d asked about. “The villains.” He took a sip of water. “Did you get them?”

“We did. A pile of them too: the ringleader, twins with memory-viewing powers and tranq powers, respectively; a few dozen low-level thugs and then the various middlemen involved in some really, really nasty underground experiments.” 

That sounded like it matched with what little Yoarashi had heard while he was cognizant, but he was only half-listening to Midoriya’s account, his attention instead constantly drifting to Todoroki. 

“Don’t worry about waking him,” Midoriya assured him. “Once he conks out, he’s a pretty heavy sleeper. And he’s refused to sleep so he didn’t miss when you woke up.”

“Really?” Yoarashi couldn’t hide his surprise. 

“Really,” Midoriya confirmed. “How do you feel?”

Yoarashi took a moment to shift himself slightly, testing for aches and pains without moving too much and waking up Todoroki. “My head kinda hurts. But that’s it.”

Midoriya nodded as if that was the answer he expected. “Good. That’s pretty much what the hospital said but I wanted to be sure. Though I doubt they would’ve have released you if it was anything more dangerous that just sleeping off a Quirk. Anyway, our best guess is that you hit your head when they used the tranq Quirk on you. It’s likely you were heavier than they expected, so you probably hit the ground pretty hard.” He scratched at the back of his neck. “I know this sounds like a lot of speculation, but it’s the best we could come up with for now. When Todoroki-kun had the twins cornered, they just kept insisting they didn’t hurt you. Then he scared the crap out of them, um, literally and they were pretty much useless after that.”

“Did you ask them? Why me? Because I thought I heard them saying something...”

“Completely random case of mistaken identity,” Midoriya said with a shrug. “Your description just happened to loosely match their target. But,” Midoriya grinned widely, “their target actually saw them take you and came to get us. That’s how we found you so quickly.”

“Was their target a scientist or something?” Yoarashi asked. “They were looking in my brain for a laboratory? I think? They were pretty disappointed there wasn’t one in there.”

Midoriya’s eyes glimmered mischievously. “Exactly. Because these are the villains we’ve been after for months. Thanks to you getting accidentally kidnapped by them, we finally caught them.”

“What?!” Yoarashi whisper-hissed, still trying to keep from waking Todoroki. Though at this point he was pretty sure the guy could sleep through anything. Then an uncomfortable thought niggled at him. “Did you plan this? Why are you even here? I thought you weren’t supposed to be back for a few more days.” He swallowed heavily. “Did you use me as bait?”

“No no no!” Midoriya said hastily, eyes wide and waving his hands. “I mean, I did come back a little early because I thought maybe once rumor got out that I was gone, they’d try to make a move...but no one knew I was back. This was not a plan. And I would never use someone as bait—without telling them, anyway.” At Yoarashi’s critical look he continued. “I promise. This was honestly coincidence. Besides, I was surprised as anyone that you weren’t staying with Todoroki anymore.”

The events of the few days prior to Yoarashi’s kidnapping and rescue came rushing back in painful clarity. “Yeah,” he said, voice gravelly. “We, uh, got in an argument. The last thing I heard from him, he told me he didn’t want to be friends anymore.”

“Oh really?” Midoriya said, raising a skeptical eyebrow and very pointedly looking at Yoarashi’s occupied left arm.

Yoarashi shrugged with his free shoulder. “I don’t know what this is about,” he admitted. 

“You know,” Midoriya began, “when it comes to joint operations and out-of-control teammates, usually Kacchan’s the only one I have to worry about reining in. I never thought I’d have to worry about Todoroki-kun too.” He feigned an exasperated sigh. “I don’t know what poor Kirishima-kun would’ve done if I hadn’t been there to help.”

Yoarashi vaguely remembered a lot of yelling and familiar Quirks on full display right before blacking out. “It was that bad?”

Midoriya nodded a little too enthusiastically. “So please don’t ever get kidnapped again, Yoarashi-kun. When he found out you’d been taken, Todoroki-kun...well.” He gestured with a nod at the sleeping man hugged tightly around Yoarashi’s arm. “For him saying he doesn’t want to be friends with you, he sure was furious. And Kacchan had the time of his life egging him on.” Midoriya chewed on his bottom lip, hesitating a moment. “I’ve never seen Todoroki-kun lose it like that,” he said quietly. 

“I wonder why,” Yoarashi mused aloud.

It sounded like Midoriya choked on his water mid-sip. “You have to ask?” he coughed. Heaving an exasperated sigh at Yoarashi’s blank expression, Midoriya stood up. “Anyway, I was just here to check on you. Both of you. But since you seem to be fine and he seems to be—” his lips twisted into a smirk, “fine, I’ll be on my way. Unless you need anything before I go?”

“Oh. Uh, no. I don’t think so. Did you have a nice honeymoon?”

Red flooded Midoriya’s face but he smiled bashfully all the same. “I did. Thanks.” He was halfway out the door before he turned around. “Oh, and please text Kirishima-kun. He’s been pretty worried about you.”

 

 

 

Being knocked out for days meant that now that Yoarashi was awake, he had to pee. Bad. So he carefully recovered his arm from Todoroki and made his way to the bathroom. Once his business was finished in there he started walking back to the bed, then changed course for the kitchen instead. After all, what right did he have to crawl back in bed and snuggle with Todoroki? Nothing had actually changed, had it? For that matter...

He headed toward the entryway. He had no reason to be in this house. Well, he could grab his stuff since he was here anyway, but he didn’t really feel like it. He needed to get out of here. Maybe he’d a text later, a quick “thank you” or something. It probably wouldn’t take long to just jot out a note but the need to leave overwhelmed him. He reached for the doorknob—

“Wait!” Todoroki slammed his palm against the door above Yoarashi’s shoulder as he turned, superficially trapping him.

It had never occurred to Yoarashi how hot it would be (no pun intended) to get kabedon-ed by Todoroki Shoto and it was a little inconvenient to have this realization happening now.

“Why are you leaving?” Todoroki asked, looking up at him, brows pinched in frustration.

“Well.” Yoarashi swallowed. The longer he kept looking down at those freakin’ eyes, staring up at him, and Todoroki’s lips were slightly parted and they were really freakin’ close and oh god how did he smell so good right after just waking up and why am I leaving, again? “You— we— I said some awful things to you,” Yoarashi finally managed. “And you said some stuff back and…” He licked his lips nervously, at least he thought it was nervously and not because Shoto’s own mouth was still dangerously close to his. “Y-you made it clear you didn’t want to see me anymore.”

“That’s not what I…I mean, it doesn’t matter— I just want…” Todoroki made a frustrated little growl that Yoarashi was struggling not to find adorable. With a last, unreadable glance, he rose up on his tiptoes and used his free hand to yank Yoarashi down by the collar of his shirt.

And kissed him.

It was over by the time Yoarashi actually registered what was happening. Despite plenty of fantasizing about kissing Todoroki, he never anticipated the shojo-manga-esque, preciously innocent pressing of soft lips against his. It was the absolutely cutest kiss Yoarashi could ever have imagined and he would remember it for the rest of his life.

Arm still awkwardly angled above Yoarashi’s shoulder, Todoroki cocked his head slightly and asked, “Do you get it now?”

“Nooo..?” Yoarashi replied honestly.

Todoroki grunted to himself in dissatisfaction. “Did I not do it right?” he mumbled under his breath.

“Um,” Yoarashi said eloquently before dipping his head down and returning the kiss, doing his best to keep it just as soft and sweet. He pulled back, lightly running his thumb across Todoroki’s scarred cheek (when the hell had his hand cupped his face?!). The vision of Todoroki’s eyelids fluttering open was his undoing. “Or maybe...” Yoarashi said half to himself before reaching under Todoroki’s thighs and hefting him up. Automatically, Todoroki’s legs wrapped around Yoarashi’s waist and his hands gripped into his shoulders for support. Pretty satisfied with himself, he now looked up at Todoroki’s startled expression, then flinched. “Oh. Right, you don’t like me picking you up—”

“No!” Todoroki cut him off, fingernails digging into Yoarashi’s shoulders. “No,” he said again, quieter this time. “It’s...” Silky red and white hair tickled Yoarashi’s face as Todoroki lowered his head, closing the gap between their mouths. “It’s okay,” he whispered before kissing him again.

“It is?” Yoarashi asked between kisses, which were straying from “sweet and innocent” into something...the direct opposite of that...with alarming speed.

“Yeah,” Todoroki breathed. “It’s...good.”

Yoarashi grinned, and felt Todoroki’s lips smile against his in response. “Yeah,” he agreed. “It is.”

 

 

 

 

If not for persistent rumbling stomachs, they might have spent the day like that, making out propped against Todoroki’s door. Yoarashi supposed he probably should be thankful; as much as he enjoyed armfuls of Shoto, that position hadn’t really been sustainable. 

Though Yoarashi was more than willing, in the future, to pack him around all day just to see how long he could. 

Oh. Right. The future.

He glanced over at Todoroki, who was acting perfectly content and perfectly normal, finishing his noodles as Yoarashi did the dishes from their we-missed-breakfast-so-let’s-just-head-straight-into-lunch meal.

Yoarashi frowned to himself as he scrubbed. That had happened, right? Or had he completely imagined the last several days? Was this actually Sunday evening, they’d just gotten home from dropping off Fubuki at Rei’s, and any minute Deku would be calling and Todoroki would take the call on the veranda and—

Without warning, Todoroki hugged him from behind, thunked his forehead on Yoarashi’s back, and sighed heavily. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“What?!” Yoarashi yelped in surprise before drying his hands and turning in Todoroki’s arms so he could actually see him. “You’re the one that kissed me!”

“That’s not what I mean!” Todoroki stood back slightly to glare, brow furrowed. “ Don’t ever let villains take you again. I was already starting to worry because I hadn’t heard from you, but then when I found out they’d taken you...” Closing his eyes, he rested his forehead lightly against Yoarashi’s chest and tightened his arms around him. “If anything worse had happened to you...”

“I won’t let it happen again,” Yoarashi promised. It probably wasn’t the time to bring this up, but he had to. “The only reason it did was because I was so distracted by a text a certain someone sent me.” 

“Huh?”

Yoarashi felt as confused as Todoroki sounded. “Uh, remember? You texted me and flat-out told me you didn’t want to be friends with me anymore.”

“I don’t want to be friends anymore,” Todoroki said simply. Fingers trailed uncertainly down Yoarashi’s arm. “I want you to be my family.” Head canted slightly to the side, Todoroki looked up at him. “You’re the one that told me I could do that. Make my own family.” Glancing away, he bit his bottom lip nervously. “When you said that, I thought you meant you wanted to...”

All Yoarashi could do was stare incredulously for a moment. “That’s what you meant?” he blurted finally, breaking into a giant grin of relief. He ducked in for a quick peck on Todoroki’s lips, which was a mistake because then he immediately wanted more. Another quick kiss or three couldn’t hurt, he reasoned. Then, once he’d regained some semblance of willpower, “I thought you were mad at me.”

“I was mad at you. For a while.”

“I’m sorry,” Yoarashi said immediately.

“Me too,” Todoroki mumbled.

“I didn’t mean it. Even the stuff about your dad. Heck, I actually kinda like your dad.”

Todoroki scrunched up his nose in distaste. “Oh?” he said in that careful monotone of his.

“Not like that!” Yoarashi laughed. “Like, a normal amount of like. Not like a Hawks-amount of like.”

Todoroki snorted.

“I like your whole family,” Yoarashi continued. “Even Natsuo, who hates me for some reason I still haven’t figured out—”

“You remind him of Endeavor.”

“What?” Yoarashi nearly screeched. 

“Don’t you remember what Fuyumi said when she first met you? Tall, dark, and handsome. Just like someone else we know.”

“And you added ‘loud’ if I recall,” Yoarashi pointed out dryly.

“A valid addition. And yet another characteristic both of you share.”

“So.” The silence stretched as Yoarashi hesitated with his words, too easily distracted by running his fingers through Todoroki’s red and white hair. “I remind you of your dad?”

Todoroki scowled up at him, brows pinched. “No,” he said emphatically. “You remind Natsuo of our dad. You just remind me of...you.”

“Ah.” Yoarashi grinned, unable to resist kissing that petulant mouth. 

“So why did you say it?” Todoroki asked once they eased apart. Seeing that Yoarashi was racking his brain for whatever the hell random part of the conversation Shoto had picked up at, he clarified. “Those things. If you didn’t mean them.”

“I was jealous,” Yoarashi said without hesitation.

Todoroki was genuinely startled and confused. “Why?”

“Because I’m in love with you but you’re in love with Deku.” After it left Yoarashi’s mouth he realized he might be headed for another miscommunication trainwreck. Sure, Todoroki had kissed him, but he hadn’t said anything about loving him. And for his part, Yoarashi hadn’t said anything...until now, anyway. Shouldn’t he have brought it up before, y’know, just sliding it into conversation like that?

“Midoriya?” Todoroki said incredulously. Yoarashi was slightly hurt but mostly grateful that Todoroki had focused on the Deku part and glossed over the “I’m in love with you” part. “He’s married.”

“I’m aware,” Yoarashi said dryly. “I said that you were in love with him, not that it’s requited.”

“But I’m not,” Todoroki said, still obviously puzzled. “Why would you ever think that?”

“Well,” Yoarashi glanced away, suddenly feeling incredibly foolish. “He called you all the time on his freakin’ honeymoon—”

“We are friends and coworkers,” Todoroki pointed out. “And he is a busybody.”

“—and you always look so happy and excited when you’d take his calls. And I just...” Yoarashi finally made eye contact with Todoroki, or tried to, anyway. It was proving difficult because he had buried his face in Yoarashi’s chest. “Uh, Shoto?”

“We were talking about you,” came the reply, muffled against Yoarashi’s shirt. “Don’t make me spell everything out, it’s embarrassing.”

“Now now,” Yoarashi teased. “I’m an idiot, remember? You’re going to have to spell it out.”

Todoroki didn’t step away, but looked up at him, chin digging almost painfully into Yoarashi’s sternum but he wasn’t about to complain. “You are an idiot for thinking I had a thing for Midoriya. But I don’t. So.” He glanced away for a second, mustering his words. “It’s okay if you’re in love with me.”

“Are you sure?” Yoarashi asked, trying to sound teasing but instead his tone was low with desire. “It’s okay?”

“Yeah,” Todoroki replied, already tilting his head up to meet Yoarashi’s kiss. “It’s good.”

 

 

 

 

“Uh, just so we’re clear,” Yoarashi said sometime later. “You don’t want me to move out, right?”

“Of course not,” Todoroki said with a roll of his eyes. “We’re a family now. You love me.”

“Um, I’d like for you to love me too, y’know.”

“You’re asking a lot.”

“Hey!”

Todoroki just grinned, a rare enough sight that it still tripped Yoarashi up a bit and made his heart stutter. 

“Well, I mean, I did say you make a family with people you love but there’s like, different levels, y’know?” Yoarashi’s expression became strained with sudden realization. “You’re not going to just adopt everyone like Kirishima does, right? I’m special?”

Todoroki laughed outright at that. “No,” he said wryly, “I’m not going to just adopt everyone. Though I was thinking about asking my brother if we can have Fubuki.”

“I don’t think that’s gonna fly.”

“Natsuo always said he’d have like seven kids. He’s not going to notice if one’s missing. And Fubuki likes us better anyway.”

“Don’t tell your brother that or we’ll never see Fubuki again.” Yoarashi grimaced.

“You know,” Todoroki said slowly. “You were jealous of Midoriya but...sometimes I think you’re only using me for my adorable nephew.”

“He is adorable,” Yoarashi agreed. “Takes after his uncle.”

“You are so not smooth.” Todoroki smiled at Yoarashi’s indignant yelp. “But I love you anyway.”

 

 

You: Deku said you were worried
You: But I’m ok. Thanks you guys

Kirishima: oh dude what a relief
Kirishima: you at Todoroki’s?
Kirishima: or???

You: yeah

Kirishima: you kiss and make up?

You: yeah. literally

Kirishima: REALLY?!?!?!?!!

Yoarashi snapped a quick pic of his current situation: sprawled out on the couch with Todoroki completely conked out lying on top of him. Even though it probably wouldn’t show up in the pic, he snugged his arm protectively around Todoroki’s waist. He briefly debated including him kissing the top of Todoroki’s head but he opted to do that after he sent the pic.

Kirishima: fuckin disgusting. Thx Baldy gonna go vomit then bleach my eyeballs
Kirishima: lol that was Bakugo. that's Baku-speak for: we were really worried about you. welcome home

Notes:

Yeah, I kinda just glossed over the whole Touya thing. With all the stuff going on in the manga right now I didn't know how to make it fit so... *shrugs* Nothing to see here.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 5 of It's Not That You Should Care, I Just Wanted You To Know