A Mess of a Life (My Hero Academia)

New Relationship

The bell rang and class started again, everyone filing and looking at Shoto in painful curiosity. But he would do as he was threatened, and not spoil them all for the exam, knowing what would come. Hopefully the teachers didn't mistrust them. It wasn't like he was told in secret or something, right?

He tapped his pencil on his other forearm in worry he'd lost trust. They already didn't trust him enough to let them go to camp. He didn't want it to be even worse. School carried on like normal but for how uncomfortable Midoriya seemed.

When class was over, he left immediately, without even saying goodbye. Shoto felt he would not want to be followed. He'd message later just to make sure he was alright. When he was leaving, he was stopped at the stairway by Uraraka. "I want you to make Deku-kun be my friend again."

"No," he said simply.

"I'll tell him about how you kissed someone against their will."

"Go ahead and try that. But I don't know why you want to be his friend if you seem to hate making him happy," Shoto replied. She froze, and looked dumbstruck. The teen walked past her with the rest of the stream of students. Shoto didn't know what she did, and didn't focus on her as he headed outside to call to be picked up by Misa.

But then he got a text from Midoriya. Wanna come to my house to study? I'll invite Iida, too.

It sounded nice to study with someone else. He'd done it before, but not in any recent year. He had no friends in middle school to study with. So he agreed, and met up with him at the gates. "Iida said he doesn't want to come. Is that okay?" Midoriya asked, showing the decline of the offer for the taller teen on his phone.

"It's fine. I... might not be that fun. If it... y'know, smells like you everywhere." Midoriya mentioned his place had a large patio they could go out on. "Okay... okay." Midoriya smiled, and they made it to Inko's car.

She smiled to see Shoto get in the back seat. "Shoto can come over to study, right?"

"Of course," she agreed happily. So they both got into the small car. The windows were all opened at least a little, and Shoto was breathing shallowly through his mouth. Hopefully their place was well ventilated. But he wanted to do this. He wanted to be able to hang out at Midoriya's house like a human. A normal person.

It was an apartment building, and they were on the sixth story. Shoto could slide down from their floor with some ice if he needed to flee. They parked in a covered parking spot, and then headed up the stairs. "Do you need to make this walk for all your grocery trips?" Shoto had to wonder as they walked up six flights of stairs.

"Now Izuku is strong, so he can handle more and we only need maybe two trips for each outing," Inko bragged. "I keep telling him not to jump from the balcony to get down, but he keeps being reckless."

"I'm testing my strength mom, have my legs broken yet?"

"Yes. Twice, Izuku," Inko said in a clipped voice. Shoto chuckled.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh about him getting hurt-"

"We know, Shoto," Midoriya said with a smile. The front door opened and Shoto didn't breathe. Inko hurried in, and Midoriya took Shoto's hand, squeezing it. He finally started to breathe, and it smelled so strongly of him, but also not as strong as he did standing there. It was dizzying, but he didn't feel like he was going to suffocate or snap and attack.

Shoto closed the front door behind him, keeping his eyes on Shoto, who was managing to not look awkward. He took his shoes off, and looked around the small place. It wasn't as small as he'd expected from outside, but it wasn't big. Just the right size for a single mother and child. There were some photos on the walls, and he smiled at seeing little Midoriya dressed up as All Might.