Confessions and a Revelation

Confessions: Part 1

(I do not own or claim any characters as my own, they are the property of the original author. I am merely using them as creative expression)

Todoroki Shouto confesses his feelings for Midoryia Izuku

"Shouto, I have found you a wife."

"I can't marry her."

"You can, and you will. Don't argue with me, Shouto, you are my heir and you accept the best possible chance to grow this family for future generations."

"Yes, father."

***

Midoryia Izuku has never been good at giving up on people. Todoroki Shouto knew and adored this about him. He had leaned on Midoryia's graciousness and hope-filled sentiments. It brought him great equanimity to be in the other man's presence. At first he thought this was merely a deep kinship with a classmate who could see and understand his struggle, a weight he never thought another person would be able to hold, let alone help him carry. The two of them continued to grow their bond each year through UA, and by their third year, as he, Midoryia, and Bakugou became the new Big Three, he found himself dreading the idea of being apart from the other man.

"Izuku," Shouto said, interrupting him and Midoryia's late night study session. Midoryia had been writing fiendishly, trying to get down to the last of his essay for Yamada-senpai. "Izuku, look at me."

"Sho, are you okay?"

The boys had been using their first names for each other since Year 1, once you'd been through enough life-and-death scenarios politeness seemed to go out the window. Even with the familiarity amongst most of the class, Shouto's heart still fluttered every time Midoryia called him the nickname.

"Have you figured out what you are doing after school?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, I think I'm going to join the International Hero's Commission and work with the Heroes Without Borders, Usagiyama-senpai is running it this time."

Shouto remained quiet even after Midoryia was done speaking, staring off into space, not sure he could trust his own voice.

"Are you going to officially join your father's agency?"

"It's what he would want."

"But, is that what you want?"

"I..." His eyes caught Midoryia's brilliant green ones.

"Because, there is still time to apply for the Heroes Program and...I was...well, I was kind of hoping you'd come too." Midoryia looked flushed in the low light and Shouto's hand itched to caress the color splashed across his freckle covered face.

"I would love that." Shouto said in a husky reply, dropping his gaze so that he could catch his breath.

When he looked back up, Midoryia had inched closer until they were nearly nose to nose. He could feel the other man's breath rush across his face. The two stayed like that for several tense moments, and Shouto considered what it would be like to capture Midoryia's mouth in his.

A spark of realization seems to shine through Midoryia's eyes, and Shouto is certain the other man has read his thoughts. He panicked when Midoryia leaned ever closer.

"Hey, Sho," Midoryia said with a breathy laugh and dropped his head onto Shouto's shoulder. Something deep inside of Shouto shouted for joy at their closeness. "I think I need to go to bed, I'm starting to get a little loopy I think."

"Okay, Izuku, let's go then."

***

Shouto would always remember those moments with Midoryia Izuku. Late night study sessions, evening walks, cleaning up the classroom after everyone else had gone back to the dorm. Those quiet, peaceful moments where it was just the two of them. Shouto could imagine the two of them decades later doing the same thing in an apartment or home they built together - walking to the market for groceries or cleaning up after dinner. Shouto wanted nothing more than to walk hand in hand with Midoryia Izuku through the rest of their lives.

But that was not his reality.

His father's words cut through Shouto's daydreams like the Hero Killer's sword through flesh. Shouto held his heart like a bloody wound, pressing as hard as he could, but knowing there was nothing for him to do. He would bleed out and have only the memories of Izuku to keep him company.

"Shouto," a voice came, crystal clear and beautiful. It made the wound pulse, sprewing blood.

"Midoryia, I'm glad I found you. I need to talk to you."

"Oh, Sho, I was worried you'd miss the flight. You got here so late." Midoryia said, holding his All Might themed backpack slung across his shoulder. No doubt having already surrendered an entire luggage set with the same Hero decorating them. The idea made Shouto smile.

"What's wrong?" Midoryia asked. "You
... you haven't called me Midoryia since our first year."

"Mido - Izuku, I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm engaged, Izuku. My father, he arranged a Quirk Marriage, and now, I have to marry someone he picked out...but I don't want to marry her. I want to leave, for good. I want to be with you."

"Shouto, what are you..."

"It's the only way we can be together, Izuku. We have to leave and never come back."

"Never come... Shouto, this isn't right. Your father can't make you marry someone. You are your own person. You have the right to choose." It was so similar to the speech Midoryia had given at their Year 1 Sports Festival, Shouto shivered remembering the near frost bite as his quirk threatened to overtake him. If he didn't concentrate on keeping it balanced now, he might lose control again.

"That's not how it works in my family, you know that."

"I know you are scared, I get that, but it's your life! You can't let him keep getting away with this. I don't want to lose you, Sho." Midoryia grabbed his hand, but Shouto shook his head, allowing Midoryia's grip to steady him.

"We can't fight him, Izuku, we will lose. Let's just run away and be together, somewhere, anywhere but here."

"Heroes fight for one another, we don't back down. Let me fight for us."

Shouto saw the determination in Midoryia's eyes and for a moment he considered letting Midoryia do it. He wanted nothing more than to stand, hand in hand with this man and tell his father the truth. Tell him how he felt about the man. The man who saved his life countless times. The man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

"We can't fight this, Izuku." Shouto said, thinking of his mother. Thinking of Toya. His father was ruthless and determined. He would destroy anything that got in the way of what he wanted. Shouto couldn't allow Izuku to be destroyed. It would kill him. "I can't fight him."

"Then go back to your fiance." Midoryia dropped his hand and turned away.

It wasn't the reaction Shouto was expecting.

Midoryia Izuku didn't give up on people.

Shouto nearly stumbled to catch up with the other man. He couldn't let him leave without him. This couldn't be the last time he would see Midoryia Izuku, a sad, hopeless look on his face as he walked away, taking everything Shouto held dear with him.

Someone grabbed Shouto's shoulder firmly and squeezed in warning. He could feel his hand shoot up immediately to grab the intruder, ice streaming across their connected grip. He didn't even look back at who it was, but they didn't budge. They kept him from running after Izuku.

"Izuku, I love you." He shouted, causing quite a few people to look up from where they were sitting in the near empty boarding room. Midoryia Izuku looked back at him for a moment before heading up the jetbridge to his plane, away from Todoroki Shouto for the next ten years.

"Goodbye, Sho."