My Hero Academia Imagines/One-Shot Compilation

What it Means to Be the Best [Shoto] (Fluff)

Ichijiku (Tigress)

"I don't want to go home." I whine, leaning my head on Shoto's shoulder. "Can we find something else to do?"

He's quiet for a few moments, looking around the school campus. Sweat makes our uniforms cling to us and personally, my muscles could use an epsom salt bath. Training with Shoto is no easy affair.

"We could go back to the library and study, if you'd like?"

I chew on my lip, giving the grounds another look over. I'm not feeling like schoolwork, but I don't want to go back home. Not when I have to face my dad about today's training. I made a dumb mistake because I was tired. I don't want him to get mad at me. When my eyes land on the trees down the path lit up under a waning sun, I grin.

"How about we go into the forest instead? Mr. Hound Dog should still be out there so we'll be safe, and it's not too late yet that he'll run us off." I take his hand and hug his arm. I look up at him with my best pair of kitten eyes. "Do you mind, Shoto-kun?"

"That's fine. Do you have a specific place in mind?" He squeezes my hand as we change direction.

"Not really. I like the ginkgo trees, though. Maybe we could climb one?"

"Climb one? Are we doing some extra training?"

"Hehe, not really, no. Haven't you ever climbed trees for fun?" I tilt my head. "Dad has a ton of trees that he would let me climb at home."

"We only had one tree in our backyard, and most of the climbing done on it was included for training purposes."

"Oh. Well, you get to learn the joys of climbing trees today!" I laugh, detaching from him and darting through the foliage.

The second my eyes meet a tall tree with yellow leaves, I scale it like a pro. One moment I'm on the ground, the next moment I'm halfway up the tree and giggling at Shoto's awed expression below me.

"Come on, Icyhot!" I tease.

"You've been hanging out with Bakugo today." He uses his ice to gain some ground on me.

"Hey, no fair! You have to climb without your quirk, you cheater!" I leap up to grab another branch as we both push and pull and grab.

"Can't I use my quirk this one time since I'm a beginner?" He looks at me with such soft eyes in the way he's learned I like best, making me flush.

"Nope! Puppy dog eyes aren't going to work this time! You said you've climbed for training purposes so you're just a beginner at the 'having fun' part, not the climbing!" I laugh.

It's a close one, but I beat Shoto to the highest point we'll be able to reach. When he gets there, I'm leaning against the trunk with relaxed, closed eyes. Wind tickles my hair, tickles my ears, and I let the rough texture of the bark caress my fingertips.

"Took you long enough." I open my eyes and stick out my tongue.

He smiles at me and carefully shuffles over with wobbly limbs to cuddle on the thick branch. His arms pull me against him, sheltering me with his warmth.

Birds serenade us and tell us their stories through song. Leaves rustle and whisper their secrets. A large hawk glides through a cloudless sky to screech at us about his woes. For a long time, that's all we listen to.

"Ichijiku?"

"Hm?"

"Why don't you want to go home?"

"I screwed up in training today." I frown, taking his hand and playing with his uniform sleeve. "It was such a stupid mistake...I'm sure Dad is going to be disappointed. I don't want him to be mad at me."

"I don't think I've ever seen All Might angry with you. Not even when you've lost your temper with him or shouted at him. Why would he be mad at you now?" Shoto furrows his brows.

"Logically, I know he won't be." I reach my hands back around his neck and into his hair. The soft strands calm my emotions. "But I keep worrying that he's going to be mad. I don't know where it comes from...maybe I'm just being dumb."

"No." Shoto says firmly. "You're not dumb. I think you're just afraid of letting him down."

I grow quiet. Shoto's more insightful than he admits.

"He's the Symbol of Peace," I whisper. "How am I supposed to compete with that?"

Shoto tenses under me for a moment as a fly buzzes in my ear. Then, his arms squeeze me against him until tears prickle at my eyes.

"You can't." He says, before adding. "And you're not supposed to. There's only one All Might...but there's also only one you. You may not be able to become the best version of All Might, but you can become the best version of yourself."

A smile breaks across my face before I can stop it, and I hide it in Shoto's uniform jacket.

"You know, the same goes for you, Shoto." I remind him.

Again, silence stretches between us before he whispers his answer.

"With your help, I'm starting to learn that."  

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Dialogue Prompt: 64. "Nope. Puppy dog eyes aren't going to work this time!"

Action Prompt: [TREE] - Shoto and Ichijiku both walk in the forest and climb up a tree to find a little solitude and serendipity away from the world with each other.