Friends? (tododeku)

Chapter 21

Third-person POV

Todoroki stood at Midoriya's door. He had a backpack that was full of clothes. The backpack was heavy and Todoroki had probably packed too much. He didn't know how much clothes were needed for a sleep over, so he had packed a bit of everything. A plastic bag hung in his left hand. He had gone to a store on the way, but was anxious about the large selection. There were so much of everything: chocolate, candy, salty and sweet stuff. Todoroki wasn't sure what Midoriya liked. However, he had noticed that Inko packed a small bar of chocolate in his lunch box every Friday. So he decided to buy chocolate. "Todoroki!" Midoriya's green head peeked through the door after Todoroki rang the doorbell. "You came!" His hair was tangled and his cheeks were red. Had he run?

"Yeah. I brought something to eat for the night," Todoroki lifted the red plastic bag. Midoriya's eyes sparkled.

"Thank you, Todoroki! Now we can eat while we watch the movie," Midoriya took the bag and admired the candy wrappers.

"What movie did you get?" Todoroki asked as he placed his shoes on the black shoe rack next to Midoriya's red shoes.

"It's a horror movie! It was really popular when it was released," Midoriya helped Todoroki find a hanger for his jacket, "I really want to see it."

"A horror movie? Again?" Todoroki lifted his eyebrows.

"Ahh, Todoroki!" Inko exclaimed when he saw him step in. She had that same apron around her waist that she usually wore when cleaning and cooking. Her hair had been pulled back with a loose ponytail and two small black pins kept her bangs out of the way. "Welcome!"

Todoroki bowed slightly, perhaps a little embarrassed. He tried to bring a polite smile to his lips. "Thanks for letting me come."

"You're always welcome," Inko reassured, "you're important to my son, so you're important to me, too."

"Mum!" Midoriya exclaimed in shame and covered his red face. Todoroki just laughed. He was glad to hear that he was important and welcome in this family. "Let's go to my room," Midoriya said. He turned his back and marched towards his room.

"I'll tell you when the dinner is ready," Inko said gently a hand on Todoroki's shoulder. The boy nodded and followed Midoriya with the bag in his arms.

"You've cleaned up," Todoroki remarked as he entered the room. There was room to walk and things could be dropped on the desk. Even his bed was made. "Is this where I sleep?" he continued and touched the mattress lying on the floor with his foot.

"Yeah, do you like the sheets I chose?" The cover had a big picture of All Might - not much of a surprise.

"It's awesome," Todoroki praised. He lowered his bag on All Might's chest, causing his face to crumble.

"Are we playing video games?" Midoriya sat on the floor in front of the TV.

"Sure." Todoroki was already pretty good at video games. As a child, he had been pretty miserable. After all, he had little experience at the time. Now, however, he had developed with the help of Midoriya. They often played together and today Midoriya had to play seriously to win. That's how good Todoroki had become. Over the years, Midoriya had gotten new video games: a variety of story and action games, as well as a couple of online games. Regardless of all the new games, Todoroki's favorite game was still the same platform game. It was the first game they played together and Todoroki would never get bored of it.

"The same game as always?" Midoriya dropped the second game controller into the boy's lap.

"You read my mind," Todoroki smiled. He wouldn't give any mercy. After a few very intimate matches, it was time to have dinner. Inko had prepared a delicious meal for them with a little bit of everything. There was fish and pizza and everyone had their own cup of noodles. The boys thanked for the food and dove in. The food was heavenly, as always. Inko looked satisfied with her performance. Midoriya seemed to be happy and his cheeks shone red with satisfaction. He ate fast. Todoroki was at ease. He was calm and enjoyed every mouthful. He ate more slowly so he could taste all those flavors and spices. 

"Don't stay up too late," Inko finally said, wiping her mouth after everyone had eaten.

"But we want to watch that movie," Midoriya dropped his chopsticks on an empty plate. Inko nodded.

"Mmh. But also remember to sleep," Inko got up and fixed the plates from the table.

"I know," Midoriya said as he got up. "We're going to my room." Inko smiled from the kitchen in response. "Can we watch the movie?" Midoriya asked when they had reached the boy's room.

"Alright," Todoroki replied and sat down on his mattress with his back to Midoriya's bed. Midoriya took the CD from the case. It had a picture of the protagonist holding a flashlight in a dark forest. "Looks pretty wild," Todoroki turned the film case over and read its plot. The age limit also looked pretty high - especially for Midoriya.

"Don't worry! If you're scared, you can always hug me," Midoriya said. Todoroki laughed. He really was Todoroki's saving hero.

——

Todoroki sat with his back straight. He looked ahead, but he still felt like he saw nothing. This had been going on for a while. No matter how good Midoriya's chosen film was, Todoroki couldn't focus on it. The reason for this was simple: Midoriya. He sat on the floor next to him. Their shoulders touched each other, which made it difficult for Todoroki to breathe. Midoriya had lowered his head to Todoroki's sturdy shoulder and tried to keep his eyes open. He didn't even notice it himself. How his green hair stroked Todoroki's neck and how Todoroki could feel the boy's every breath. It was only half past ten and Midoriya was already ready for a night's sleep. He had been so excited a moment ago. But now, Midoriya was tired. "Midoriya," Todoroki whispered, trying to sound stable.

"Hmm?" he muttered.

"You're pretty close. Would you- would you rather go to bed? To sleep, I mean," Todoroki specified.

"Why? You're so warm," Midoriya smiled wearily and raised his head. He locked his gaze with him. The room was dark, but Todoroki could still see his emerald green eyes.

"Mmh, but this is dangerous," Todoroki muttered.

"What are you talking about? We're just sitting still. And you're not in danger."

"I'm not worried about my own safety."

Midoriya raised his other eyebrow. "What do you mean?" Todoroki looked at him for a moment and then turned his gaze to the floor. "Tell me," Midoriya asked. Todoroki looked back at the boy. Should he? The door was closed and he couldn't hear Inko. Maybe she had already gone to sleep.

"You asked for it," Todoroki said quietly and gently but firmly grabbed the boy's wrists. He felt his heart beat faster. Midoriya's wrists were so small compared to Todoroki's. And his puzzled face looked at Todoroki so beautifully. Todoroki swallowed and drew closer. Their noses almost touched and Todoroki pushed the boy to his back on the mattress. He hung over the boy, looking down. He tried to study Midoriya's face. It was surprised, but he didn't seem to hate this. He put his feet on either side of Midoriya's body and lowered his head. Their lips were gently brushing together. And the door opened: "Boys, I-!"