Halloween Special! Requested AND illustrated by MaryLee126 (except the second one, which I doodled)! Thanks again! Go check out her art on Instagram (ember_siege)!
Description: Midoriya never met Todoroki... until now...
This doesn't really warrant an angst warning per say... just a very strong FEELS warning. Just to give you an idea, I was fine while writing the "With My Last Breath" oneshot, but this one I teared up while writing.
"Our hearts go out to the boy's family and friends on this tragic day." Shouto glanced up at the television, hearing the grave news. "A fourteen year old quirkless boy got caught in the crossfire by a villain this afternoon after a daring attempt to save his friend and classmate. Reports say that the villain struck him before heroes could intervene. The boy was immediately rushed to the hospital, but died shortly after due to fatal injuries." Todoroki's stomach churned at the words, but continued to listen. "Thankfully, the other boy made it out alive and unharmed, but refuses to answer any questions at this time. All Might arrived on the scene and captured the villain. He has been taken into police custody where he will be tried for criminal charges. Back to you at the station."
"Villain scum..." Shouto's lips curled in disgust at the prospect that someone could commit such a horrendous act. He saw a blonde boy on the screen- obviously the one the victim had tried to save because it was written all over his face- before the camera panned back to the news hosts in the studio.
"How truly terrible." The female anchor said. "For anyone wishing to pay their respects, tonight the Hero Foundation will be hosting a citywide candlelight vigil in honor of Izuku Midoriya: a young boy with the heart of a hero."
"Get your umbrella, Shouto. We're going." His father's deep voice bellowed from around the corner.
"Why?"
"Because it's our civic duty to attend." Shouto nodded, actually agreeing with his father for once.
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"What... happened..." Izuku opened his eyes. "UUAAAHHH! WHY AM I FLYING?!" He found himself hovering overtop city buildings, looking down to see a large crowd of people with candles below. "They must be here to celebrate All Might saving us." He smiled, floating down towards the center of the crowd. "Wuuuhhh..." He flipped upside down by accident. 'This must be the after-affects of that villain's weird quirk.' He concluded.
"H-hey! Would you all help me get down please?!" But there was no answer from the immense crowd. "HEEEEYYYY!" He hollered louder but not a soul looked up. After a few more minutes of fumbling, he was able to adjust his trajectory. He flew to the epicenter, noting a small stage filled with faces he recognized. He caught the sound of his mother's voice in his ears. He felt a pang in his heart upon seeing her grief-stricken state.
"M-mom... What's wrong?! Why are you crying?" He rushed over to her, moving to immediately pull her into a hug, but wasn't able to. "AH!" His translucent form phased right through her and he stumbled forward. "Mom?" He held his hand right in front of her tearful face. "MOM!" He was panicking now. He couldn't understand why nobody could see or hear him. He looked around frantically, then something eerie and out of place caught his attention. A large framed photograph of himself sat nestled in the center of the stage, right in front of the podium.
"What... is-"
"De- I mean Izuku... was a real piece of work..."
"Kacchan?" He stepped past the picture to look at the podium, where Katsuki stood, tears streaming down his face.
"He... never stopped trying..." The microphone echoed with a choked back sob. "No matter how bad things got for him..."
"Kacchan..." He had never seen his friend so broken up before, but there he stood before him, white knuckles clutching onto the wooden podium to hide his shaking, perhaps even in an attempt to hold himself together.
"DAMMIT DEKU!" His boisterous roar made the microphone whir and screech. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO ALWAYS BE THERE TO CHEER ME ON!" He covered his face with his arm. "BUT YOU LIED AND NOW YOU'RE GONE!" A few people gathered and forced him away from the microphone, dragging him kicking and screaming his head off.
"...Gone?" Izuku repeated solemnly once Katsuki had been pinned back in his seat by All Might's heavy comforting hands on his shoulders. "But I'm right here..." He reached out to wipe away his best friend's tears and failed, hand phasing through again.
"I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU DEKU! I SWEAR IT!!!" Every eye was on the grieving blonde now. "WHY DID YOU TRY TO SAVE ME?! WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST STAY THE HELL AWAY?!"
Now it hit him, and the memories of what happened earlier that day flooded his mind. "But... that villain..." The puzzle pieces all snapped together suddenly. This was a memorial for him, honoring his memory. He took one last look at his own photograph, falling to his knees when the realization set in.
"Am I... dead..."
-------------------
Shouto's father had taken him down the back streets, a sly way to avoid the masses until he made an appearance. Around him lay charred rubble and debris, the aftermath of the attack today. The villain had certainly left a considerable amount of collateral damage to the city. Shouto grimaced at the ground, thinking it was terribly morbid that the ceremony was held so close to the location where the accident occurred. 'Couldn't they have held it at a nicer place like a cemetery or something?' Out of the corner of his eye he spotted something on the ground...
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Midoriya, teary-eyed and distraught, flew over the crowd, trying to find any way to get back to his loved ones. He needed to communicate with them if he could. "My notebook!" He paused before reaching for it, knowing there was no way he would be able to touch it, being a ghost and all. He frowned, feeling helpless, but bent down anyway. He gasped when he actually brushed it with his fingertips, the texture of tattered parchment a shocking relief to his previous intangibility. "Why... can I touch this of all things? Is it... because it's mine?" He knelt on the ground, flipping through the pages. "I wonder if I can write a message!" Luckily, he found a pen still on his person, since he was still wearing his school uniform from earlier that day. "Uh... is this a ghost pen now?" But he put his burning questions on the back burner, flipping the book open to a blank page. Across the two pages, he wrote in large black print: "HELP!"
Shouto's eyes went wide when the notebook on the ground opened before him, words appearing on the page as if through thin air, obviously by someone who was invisible.
"...Hello?" He spoke to the person, expecting that perhaps it was just someone with an invisibility quirk.
"Ah!" Midoriya jumped, noticing the unfamiliar figure standing behind him. "Yes! Hello! Can you hear me?!" But the split-haired boy only furrowed his brows, reaching down to pick up the notebook. "W-wait!" Todoroki looked at the front of the book and felt a pang of significance upon seeing the cover.
"This is... Izuku Midoriya's book..." He handled the delicate thing with care, making sure to not damage any of the pages as he flipped through them. "Why... does the last page say 'help'?" He wondered if he had just imagined the words being written on the page, but this whole circumstance seemed ominous.
"Ah! So he can read what I just wrote!" Midoriya felt a glimmer of hope for an instant, but it was interrupted by the handsome boy's next plan.
"This seems like important evidence. I should probably take this to the police..."
"No! I need to take that to Kacchan!" He panicked, reaching out in desperation to take it from his hands, only to see his extremity disappear before his eyes. Shouto felt a rush of frigid energy, causing a shiver to run through him. Midoriya panicked when his hand didn't return, but then realized something. 'Wait... Ghosts can possess people right?' He took a step closer to the other. "I'm sorry, stranger... but I have to do this!"
The handsome boy felt a full-on chill consume him, and he suddenly lost his composure. In this alley, Shouto's body began to stumble around awkwardly, the pull for control between the two souls making him into an awkward spectacle. There was no way to describe the feeling, but it was something akin to being cramped into a small dark space, like observing your own body's actions as a bystander watching a movie screen. He briefly wondered if this is how it would feel to be drunk, inner monologue and inhibitions cast aside to make room for spontaneity and instinct.
"Eeeh! This is really weird!" Shouto's voice came out, but it was not the tone or inflection that he usually used. He was the host for something unknown, perhaps something frightening. With all his might he fought the force that was trying to suppress him. Back and forth he ran into the walls of the alley, unable to control his movements.
'Just a... little... longer!' Midoriya strained to keep control and made a beeline for his friend. Fortunately, the embittered blonde had been removed from the stage and was storming off away from the crowd.
"Kacchan!" Katsuki heard a stranger's voice use his nickname, the name only one person is allowed to call him. He turned slowly, eyes dark.
"You think you're being funny calling me that? Go to hell..." His tone was low, threatening.
"No, Kacchan! It's me, Deku!" Shouto said, under the possession of the green-eyed boy. Something inside Katsuki snapped.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TRYING TO PULL, HUH?!" He leapt towards Todoroki, temper flaring. "I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!" He grabbed the other boy by the shoulders, ready to pin him to the brick wall. Suddenly, he froze, and Shouto suddenly regained his senses. Now Midoriya was facing the stranger from Katsuki's point of view.
"What happened?!" He asked, and Shouto took a step backward, thinking this teen was clearly insane. "Why is possessing Kacchan so much easier? Is it because he knows me better?" Shouto gawked at the mumbling person in front of him.
"Hey..." He interrupted him. "Did you say possessing? Who exactly are you?"
"I'm Izuku Midoriya, and that's my notebook you're holding." Shouto's face went pale white at that statement.
"Midoriya..." He repeated the name solemnly, realizing how grave the situation was.
"I think I may be trapped." He said. "I can't seem to find my way."
"Are you lost? I can get you directions-"
"No. It's not like that." The angry crimson eyes from before had melted into an earnest pleading gaze. "Nobody can see or hear me... and... I think I'm... dead..." Shouto frowned, feeling terribly sorrowful for this lost soul.
"What can I do to help you?"
"I'm not sure..."
At this point, several bystanders holding candles were eyeing their encounter, and they began to feel scrutinized.
"Well either way, I think we should leave."
"Can I... come home with you?" The ferocious blonde looked at the ground and blushed, afraid to come off as desperate, but he hadn't been able to catch the attention of anyone else and felt he needed to reach out.
"In that guy's body?"
"Oh! Right..." He looked down at his friend's palms. "I'm not sure how to get out..." Shouto offered his hand reluctantly, on his guard to keep his body from being taken over again. This time, he was able to pull a phantasmal boy from the body in front of him. Katsuki just stood there in a daze, unable to comprehend the events that just befell him. "You... can touch me now..." Midoriya's green eyes filled up with grateful tears. He had been so afraid of never having physical contact with someone again. Shouto felt a swell of protective instinct within, and held steadfast to his hand. He too was worried that if he let go, the victim would disappear again and he wouldn't be able to help.
"Come with me." Swiftly the two of them ran hand in hand back to Shouto's house.
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Once they had arrived, they swept into Shouto's room quickly, which was unnecessary since nobody else was able to see Midoriya. It wasn't until now, sitting on Todoroki's bed, that the forlorn devastation struck him.
"Do you... um... eat or drink anything?" Shouto asked awkwardly, wanting to be a good host but having no idea how to cater this otherworldly being. He stared at the floor and shook his head.
"I can't believe this..." Izuku fought back tears in his eyes. "This is actually it... My life... all the things I didn't get to do..." Shouto felt his heart break for the poor teen. They were the same age, not even grown, and yet it was the end of the line for one of them. He had been cut down in the dawn of his life by the unjust actions of a criminal.
"I'm so sorry this happened to you." He sat down and put a hand on his shoulder. The freckled one's shoulders began to quake.
"All my friends... Kacchan... they all looked so sad..." His lips quivered at the memory, seeing Katsuki lose it up on stage was nearly emotionally unbearable. "And my mom..." That sharp pain cut the deepest. "I never got... to say goodbye..." Midoriya was overwhelmed, and finally collapsed into a pile of tears, holding on to the only person who could touch him right now. Todoroki was surprised at the sudden contact, but stroked his hair soothingly, hoping to bring any comfort to his loss.
"Wait a minute." Midoriya looked up from Shouto's shirt, which he had already soaked. "Since you are able to talk to me, why couldn't you find a way to communicate with your mother?"
"Well... I'm not sure why you're able to see and touch me." He wiped his tears away with his sleeve. He pondered any logical explanation. "Oh! My notebook!" He pointed to his tattered journal by the door. "You found it and held it so that must be the reason."
"Oh. So is that why you're haunting me?"
"That's not a very nice way to put it..." Midoriya frowned and pouted his lips.
"Oh! No. That isn't what I meant." Shouto cursed himself for his bluntness and inability to read social situations. "I mean... you're nice. So it's a good haunt... if that makes sense." Shouto's self-conscious correction made Izuku blink at him, bubbling up in a silly laugh.
"Haha! I thought you were super serious when I met you. I didn't know you made jokes!"
"It wasn't a joke..." He muttered, but decided not to argue. "But I don't understand. If you are d- er- gone... why are you still here? Why haven't you gone to heaven or something like that?"
"Hm..." Izuku put a thoughtful finger to his lips. "I'm not sure."
"In stories, usually if spirits haven't passed on it's because they still have unfinished business in this life." He pulled the smaller boy off him to look in his big green eyes. "Is there something you still need to do?"
"Uh... I mean I'm only fourteen. There are a lot of things I really wanted to do..."
"That's true. But I mean was there any one really big thing?"
"I'd have to think about it..."
"Why don't you try making a list, and we can try some things out. Because all this happened... I feel like I'm obligated somehow."
"Oh... No. I don't want you to feel like this is your responsibility." Izuku waved his hands. "None of this is your fault..."
"Forgive me. Obligated was also the wrong word. I just... want to help. You see, I'm trying to become a hero. So it would be my duty to help you. That is- I want to."
"Oh! Maybe that's it! I want to be a hero too!" He stopped himself, trying to adjust to the new way of saying things. "I mean I uh... wanted to." 'I guess that dream is in the past now, huh...'
"My father, as much as I hate him, secured me a spot in UA High next year."
"Wow! That's where I wanted to go!" His eyes lit up with excitement. "Maybe this was fate. Maybe I was supposed to meet you because you can help me."
Shouto felt a warm smile creep up the corner of his lips. What an extraordinary boy, to be able to be so optimistic in the face of such tragic circumstances. Shouto definitely admired him for that reason.
"Oh... I feel rude. I forgot to ask your name..."
"Shouto Todoroki."
"Izuku Midoriya!" He held out his arm for a handshake.
"I know that already."
"Oh..." Izuku withdrew his hand, blushing at the floor. "Right..."
"Well... Anyway. It's getting late. Do you need to sleep?"
"I'm not sure if ghosts need to sleep, but I'm pretty tired so I assume, yeah."
"Well you are welcome to my bed. I can get comfortable in the guest room-" He felt a restraining, yet gentle hand on his arm.
"Wait... please don't go." Izuku felt guilty for asking, but this was really not a time that he wanted to be alone. Shouto understood and pondered getting a sleeping bag. "Your bed is uh... really big. C-can't we both fit?" He spluttered, red as a tomato as the handsome boy tilted his head at him.
"I suppose..." It was a king sized bed after all, and this poor spirit needed companionship and comfort, so he had no real problem with it.
"It's too much to ask! I'm sorry!" He immediately became flustered.
"No, it's fine. Pick a side." Shouto shrugged, unable to comprehend why the round-faced boy became unhinged. He told himself it was just erratic behavior from the stress of today. He couldn't imagine what Midoriya was going through, but was on a mission to secure peace for his troubled soul.
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Izuku gazed upon the kind face of his host upon waking, ever so grateful for his generosity. He quietly slipped out of the warm covers, deciding it would be a good time to make a list of things he wanted to do. He certainly hoped it wasn't his dream of becoming a hero, because who knows how long that would take before he would be able to pass on. He shook his head, deciding now was not the time to fret about it. He wrote some generic goals, things like traveling the world, having his first kiss, saying goodbye to his friends and family. 'Well... at least I can do the last one right away.'
"Midoriya?" Shouto awoke, noticing the absence of one body in his bed.
"Over here." He replied. "I was just making the list like you said."
"Good." He sat up and yawned. Izuku couldn't help but smile at the almost-stranger's bedhead. "Anything I can help you with?"
"Not at the moment..." He decided it would be a good time to visit his loved ones. "I have some unfinished business to work on today."
"Alright then." And with that, he watched Izuku phase through the wall. He was getting used to it now, being able to become intangible at will. After last night, he felt a need to explain everything to Kacchan, then he wanted to see his mother. Shouto entered the kitchen, only having a quick snack for breakfast.
"Shouto." His father stopped him before he walked to the door. "Sign this sympathy card for the Midoriya family before you go."
"I'm actually going to make a personal visit there myself right now." Enji smiled at him a shit-eating grin.
"Finally, you are starting to be proactive and behave like a hero. It's about time you made a name for yourself. When you come home, maybe we can work on your fire quirk and get some practice in-"
"Bite me, dad." And the front door shut behind him. He found the address in a local phone book and slowly walked up the steps of the complex. He wasn't sure how to handle this delicate situation. 'What do I say? Hey, Mrs. Midoriya. I just met your dead son... Yeah. That would go well...' He chewed his bottom lip in thought, but decided to knock anyway.
A short plump lady opened the door, and the relation to Izuku was glaringly obvious the instant he laid eyes on her. "Um, hello?"
"Hello... I'm uh-" He drew a complete blank, wondering if he should lie and say he was from the Hero Foundation or something.
"Oh. Are you one of Izuku's classmates?"
"I- yes..." Universally, they were in the same year, so if you stretch your imagination it wasn't technically a lie.
"I see... would you like to come in?" Shouto raised his eyebrows at how easy that was. "I was making breakfast and I made a little... extra..." He winced, knowing that meant she made Izuku a plate out of habit. 'How sad...'
"That would be lovely. Thank you so much." She fixed him up the food in silence, putting tea on the stove for later.
"So... how do you know Izuku?" She asked, but suddenly she turned, noticing someone fiddling with the front door. "Who's there?!" She grabbed the nearest wooden ladle as a weapon and peered around the corner. The door flew open but nobody stood behind it. She blinked, perplexed, but Shouto saw the truth. Izuku, out of habit, had used his key to open the front door, forgetting that he could phase through things. There he stood, surprised to see Shouto sitting on the couch of his home.
"What are you doing here?" Izuku asked. Shouto's mouth dropped open but he said nothing. It's not as if he could answer him; he'd look crazy talking to thin air in front of his mother.
"Well that was strange." Inko said, closing the door.
"Mom..." How bittersweet it was to see her, unable to welcome him home, unable to perceive him. "Can you still not see me?" He looked utterly heartbroken and Shouto had no idea what to do. He put a hand on the cushion next to him, a subtle message to come sit next to him. He obeyed, appearing as if he was about to cry.
"Like I was saying, are you a friend of Izuku's?" Inko broke the excruciating silence.
"Well, honestly... I don't know him that well..." He brushed the top of Izuku's hand with his fingertip without looking at him, the only gesture of comfort he could give at this moment. "...but in the short time I spent with him, he seemed like one of the most admirable people I've ever met." Izuku looked at him, unable to hold back his tears.
"It makes me happy to hear that." She said, also tearing up. "It makes it easier... knowing that... when I miss him... I'm not alone..."
"But you're not alone, mom! I'm right here!" Izuku sobbed, tears streaming down his face. Then an idea came to Shouto.
"Izuku... wouldn't want you to feel alone." They both looked at him, and Izuku realized that he was the solution to their barrier.
"Will you tell her... not to be sad anymore..."
"He wouldn't want you to be sad either. He'd want you to know he's always here with you." Her expression tugged at Shouto's heartstrings, and somehow he needed to convey her son's presence was here. She must have sensed it, for she looked around the room as if the energy had shifted. "Wait!" He reached into his satchel and pulled out Izuku's notebook.
"Is that-"
"Here!" He shoved it into her hands and suddenly, she glanced at the spot on the couch beside Shouto. She thought she was dreaming, as the vision of her little boy appeared before her eyes.
"Izuku!" She stood up.
"Mom!" He cried. "You can see me?!"
"Of course I can, baby!" He stood and she pulled him into her arms, sobbing violently.
"Mom, I love you!"
"I love you too, sweetheart!" She clutched him tighter, so terrified that this was all another dream and she would wake up any second, causing her beloved son to disappear again. "How are you here though?" She asked, not understanding how he was present in death.
"I couldn't leave you without saying goodbye." He cried, choosing not to burden her with his afterlife troubles. The two of them embraced and wept again. Shouto couldn't help but shed a tear at the sight of this touching display. Inko shortly turned to face the split-haired boy.
"Did you help bring my son back to me?" She asked.
"He did." Izuku gave his new companion the credit he felt was deserved. Inko immediately pulled him into the pile of hugs too.
"Thank you!"
"I'm just glad to help." He replied in earnest.
"Mom... I think it's time for me to go..." His lip quivered at the thought of finally saying goodbye, but that was the reason he came in the first place and knew it needed to be done.
"Don't go, baby! Stay with me!" He pulled her into one last hug.
"I'll miss you, mom." His voice broke, wishing that none of this ever happened.
"I'll miss you too..." She took his hands, looking at her son's face once more, knowing it would be the last time she would see it. "Promise me you'll be happy..."
"I promise." After one last embrace, the two of them departed. Izuku couldn't make it all the way down the stairwell before he collapsed in mournful sobs. He looked at Shouto desperately, speaking only between sniffs. "Once I'm... gone... for good... will you-"
"I'll make sure your mother is taken care of." This sentiment seemed to calm him.
"That means a lot to me. Thank you."
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Shouto had become fully emotionally invested in this, deciding that it was now up to him to secure Midoriya's spirit and make sure he found peace.
"If saying goodbye to your mother didn't help you pass on, I'm not sure what will. That would have definitely worked for me..."
"What do you mean?"
"Well..." He laid back on his bed where they were both sitting to pass the time. "I have a lot of unresolved issues with her. I haven't seen her since I was really young.... I guess after all these years I feel bad to face her. But if... I died tomorrow, I would regret it."
"...Where is she?"
"When my lowlife of a father didn't get his way, he locked her up in a facility not that far from here. I'll always hate him for that... That's why I decided to become the number one hero without using his half of my quirk."
"You should go see her!" Shouto's mouth fell open when Izuku said this.
"It's... not that simple. She probably hates me now for putting it off for so long-"
"No way!" The shy boy's expression had transformed into fierce passion. "She's your mother, which means she will always love you!" Shouto grimaced, thinking he was terribly naive.
"I'll... consider it." Shouto decided it was time to put the topic to rest. Izuku finally sighed, hoping he got through to him. "So anyway... let's have a look at that list again. What else do you have written?"
"Well..." Izuku smiled mischievously.
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"Aren't you the least bit afraid of heights?" Shouto peered out the window of the plane tensely.
"I'm already dead though." He shrugged casually as Shouto buckled up his parachute. To his misfortune, his father owned this plane and he was able to make these arrangements for Midoriya within an hour, long before he was mentally prepared to do this.
"Easy for you to say..." He mumbled, a breaking out in a cold sweat from nerves. It's not that he was afraid of heights, he wasn't even afraid of falling from heights. But the feeling of his body breaking on ground should his parachute fail... 'Yeah...' He gulped. 'That's definitely the reason I'm afraid...'
"Todoroki..." He took his hands in his.
"Call me Shouto."
"Shouto." He smiled, gazing into his eyes. "You don't have to do this for me." He said, sensing the other's hesitation. "You've already done enough." But Shouto's response to this was to open the airplane door, silencing the conversation with ferocious whirring air currents.
"READY?!" But his voice was drowned out by the screaming wind. Izuku nodded, taking Shouto's hand. They both felt a rush of excitement and then they were falling. Trees and houses appeared smaller than ants from that height. Shouto closed his eyes to keep himself from shrieking like an idiot, but then a delightful sound tickled his ears. Izuku was laughing, arms wide and free as he soared through the air. Shouto smiled, feeling a high from the adrenaline. They danced in the air together, twirling each other around hundreds of feet above the earth. He grabbed the other boy close, pulling the rip cord. Izuku held on tight as the parachute landed them in a nearby field.
"That was amazing!" Izuku gushed quickly, catching his breath from the thrill of it all. He was clinging to Shouto, arms wrapped tightly around his neck. They both laughed together, laying on the ground as the parachute covered and entangled them. "Let's do it again!"
"You're joking, right?" Todoroki was exhausted and couldn't imagine risking death a second time.
"Heheh. Yeah. I'm joking."
"Thank god..." His head flopped backwards onto the grass, closing his eyes. "Any other crazy things on that list I should know about?" Before he could look up, he felt soft lips collide with his. In this moment, with his heart pounding from the adrenaline and tender warmth of the teen beneath him, Midoriya couldn't recall a time he'd ever felt more alive. Shouto opened his eyes in surprise to a blushing Midoriya, who pulled away when he felt him tense. "Was that... your first kiss?" Izuku nodded.
"I'd usually be more shy, you know..." His instincts told him he was being too forward and his ears burned red. "But I figured... at this point, what do I have to lose, right?"
"It was my first kiss too..." Shouto smiled a tiny bit, feeling a swell of affection rise in his chest. Izuku turned pale.
"Oh! I'm er- I'm sorry! I didn't mean to take your first kiss without permission! But I'm a ghost right? It doesn't have to count!" Shouto was chuckling now. "W-why are you laughing?" He was feeling self-conscious now.
"I was just wondering if this makes me a necrophiliac..."
"YOU'RE SO EMBARRASSING!" Midoriya hid himself in his hands, face all up in flames.
"Midoriya."
"Huh?" He peered through his fingers.
"You could have waited. You didn't have to choose me."
"But I... wouldn't have wanted to choose anybody else..." For an instant, he was glad he was dead because he would have surely died of embarrassment right now. Shouto took his hands away from his crimson face, brushing his cheek with gentle fingertips.
"I'm glad you chose me..."
He knew this was a bad idea, that getting so attached to Midoriya would ultimately end in a deeper mourning of his loss, but something about Izuku made him worth any heartache in the future. In only a day or two of knowing him, this special boy had taught him so much: what a healthy relationship with a parent should look like, how to live his once-dull life to the fullest, even how to love better. This quirkless boy had led an extraordinary life, despite being so young, and Shouto was envious. He had a new purpose driving him, and that purpose spurred him to seize control of his own life.
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"Izuku... I have some place I need to go today." After yesterday's wild ordeal, he felt the need to reconcile with his mother. He was riven with anxiety, but didn't allow that to hinder him this time.
"Don't forget your umbrella." Midoriya replied with a friendly wave. It was some of the heaviest rain Shouto had seen in a while, flash flood warnings all over the city. He walked alongside the now much-deeper creek on his way to the outside of town. His mother's home was not far from his own, yet somehow he had never been, and the guilt was eating at him as he ascended the white stone staircase glistening with rain puddles.
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Back at home, Izuku noticed that Shouto had been absent for several hours and he realized where he had gone. He smiled to himself and had a restless need to congratulate him on his bravery. Not to mention he was a bit bored. It's not as if he could just go hang out with people, they couldn't see nor talk to him. It was also much too wet to enjoy the weather outside, so he thought he would just meet Shouto on his way back and surprise him. He didn't need an umbrella, as he could allow the rain to phase right through him.
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Shouto had a new spring in his step as he left the building. He had been able to reconcile things with his mother, and it was as though there had never been a rift between them to begin with. He couldn't wait to tell Midoriya the good news.
The rain had certainly taken it's toll on the city, even where he walked. The creek adjacent to the sidewalk had become a full-blown river now, murky and gushing fast. He heard the shriek of someone in danger. A little girl up ahead was trapped on the little bridge over the creek. It was nearly submerged, cracking under the weight of a detached tree that had come crashing down. The branches blocked her from going forward, and the path back was too dangerous, water rising closer to her by the minute. Shouto knew he had to act, and he dropped his umbrella, inching up near the fallen tree.
"Little girl, can you tell me your name?" He asked, trying to keep her calm as he walked the razor's edge of the slippery bridge.
"I'm M- Maria..." She trembled, petrified with fear.
"Well, Maria. I'm here to help you." He navigated the sideways tree, clambering through the leaves and branches. His added weight seemed to make the wood angry. It groaned and creaked, and he knew soon that the river would rise to claim the bridge, and them along with it. Gripping a steady branch of the tree, Shouto was able to reach out to the small child. He froze his hand to the tree, just in case, making sure he wouldn't lose his grip. But her hands were small and slippery, and the young child fumbled. She was able to grasp his satchel in time to catch herself. It slipped off his shoulder before he could stop her.
Luckily, he was able catch her just in time. The satchel on the other hand... 'Wait!' His eyes widened. 'Midoriya's notebook!' He had no idea what kind of repercussions would occur should that precious object be destroyed.
The heavy strong wind blew through his hair and the little girl yelped when he tossed her into the air, creating a perfect little slide out of ice to guarantee her safety. He couldn't let the book go. He was fortunate enough to encase the whole satchel in a protective layer of ice, causing it to float on the surface. Todoroki was so preoccupied, he hadn't paid attention to his surroundings. The little girl's voice called out from the bank to warn him, but before she could the tree branch he was frozen to snapped, and Shouto plunged face first into the dirty water.
There was floating debris everywhere, a rip current pulling him under. He used his quirk to get a foot hold, utilizing his ice to glide himself towards the surface. He made a beeline for the ice-secured satchel, not noticing the impending object. The precious notebook was within arms reach, he just needed to extend his arms and take it.
"LOOK OUT!" A bystander had pointed at another stray pile of floating debris. Shouto swung around, only to instantly see black. The object had knocked him unconscious, and he was now trapped beneath the raging waters.
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Midoriya had heard a little girl screaming from far away only moments ago. He ran toward it out of instinct. "What is-" He found it odd that a block of ice was floating down the river. "S-Shouto!" He ran faster, knowing that was a trademark of his quirk.
"Somebody help him!" Midoriya overheard one of the bystanders telling the police. "He just went under and hasn't come back up!"
Izuku could have been wrong about the whole situation, but he knew he wasn't. He had a horrible feeling in his gut, one that he couldn't fight. All he could do was pray he wasn't too late. Without hesitation he dove straight into the murky waves. He made sure to stay permeable, so the water's current couldn't sweep him away. Izuku found the other boy trapped between a log and a cluster of ice and debris. The instant he made contact with Shouto, he became tangible, launching the two of them up and onto the bank. The policeman yanked him onto the muddy grass, bending down to assess him.
"He's not breathing!"
"No..." Izuku felt as if time had stopped, as well as his heart. Everything was a blur, and he watched helplessly as the officer began to perform CPR. "You can't..." He pleaded, knowing nobody else could hear him. "You can't leave me!" He cried. The thought of being all alone in this world was unbearable. "PLEASE!" He was kneeling at his side, observing the cold pale face of the one he truly loved. "SHOUTO!"
A sudden jolt and he rolled himself over, coughing and spewing up water. Izuku gasped in relief, thanking every possible deity for bringing him back. After a few minutes of coughing and retching, Shouto caught Midoriya's eye.
"Izuku..." He looked him up and down, seeing his soaked body and desperate expression. "You saved me, didn't you..." He left a feather-soft touch upon Midoriya's cheek. To the random bystanders it probably looked like he had lost his mind. He was only a block away from that type of facility after all. But he didn't care. All that mattered was the here and now, and that was something the extraordinary boy in front of him had taught him. "You're my hero."
Midoriya was speechless, and this new elation filled him up to the very brim. He was finally a hero to someone, and that someone had no idea how special he was to him. Shouto tilted his head when something drew Izuku's attention away.
"Shouto... I... see a light..."
Todoroki felt a pang of realization; their time together had come to an end.
"You.. did it..." Shouto tried to smile. He was truly happy that the boy had found his way to the other side. This was what they had wanted all along, he thought. But then why did it hurt so much...
"We did it." He corrected, bittersweet tears welling in his eyes. The light was so warm, welcoming and peaceful, but Todoroki's embrace nearly matched it, making the choice a difficult one, the hardest he'd ever faced. But the choice had already been made for him. Before Shouto's eyes, Deku's hand on his cheek became lighter, his tangibility lessening. He rested his forehead against Izuku's relishing in his sweet emerald eyes for the last time.
Shouto closed his eyes to savor the last sensation of his presence. But when he opened them, there was nothing, just the real life scene in front of him: rainy and grey- a reflection of how the world would be now that Izuku was no longer in it.
"Goodbye..." The tears on his face melded with the raindrops from the sky.
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After an arduous hunt for his iced notebook, which no longer held Midoriya's spirit, he returned home. It had only been minutes since they'd last spoken, but Shouto already missed the one so dear to him. It was excruciating, this devastating loss; his heart ached just trying to breathe.
"What happened to you?" His father asked him when he walked through the door looking utterly downtrodden. So many emotions swirled within him, and he needed to let it out somehow, so he decided to briefly confide in his father.
"Do you remember Izuku Midoriya? The one we went to the vigil for?"
"Yeah."
"I just... find it very sad. He was so young and I... think his death affected a lot of people our age... myself included." He definitely couldn't tell him about the whole ghost talking to him thing. He already put one family member in an institution...
"Shouto." He stood to face his saddened son. "It's foolish to miss him." He expected this answer.
"I know... It's not like I knew him-"
"People who are quirkless are weak and are a drag on society. It's better this way."
"What?!" His lips curled in disgust at his father's indecency. Maybe he continued, but Shouto didn't hear another word. "How can you be so INSENSITIVE?!" He couldn't bear to look at him for another moment and he stormed off to his room, taking the odd-looking block of ice with him.
With all the force of his rage, Shouto cracked the ice, and the satchel came out clean and unharmed, save for a little dampness from the river. He held Midoriya's notebook close to his heart, not allowing his wet tears to fall upon it.
"I'll show that bastard!" He growled, unable to comprehend his father's despicable behavior in his time of mourning. "I'll become the greatest hero and fulfill your dream... I'll do this for you, Izuku!" He clutched his fists on the desk. "And I'll do it without his power!"
In an instant, Shouto felt stunned and a darkness clouded his vision, but it wasn't frightening. In fact, the familiar presence filled his heart with an indescribable warmth. He knew what was happening, and surrendered his body willingly, but the return to his senses was much swifter than the first time he endured this in the alley.
"Wait..." He hoped his heart would convey the message of longing for Midoriya to return. He snapped his eyes open, gaze darting around the room. But there was nothing new, outstanding, or supernatural, until he noticed the pen in his hand.
His gaze traveled downward to his notebook, seeing familiar writing scrawled across the page:
"It's your power, Shouto..."