There’s an odd feeling caging him down today. He realizes that, as he arrives at his favorite cafe for breakfast. Something tells him the day will be different than any other – it’s ridiculous though, every day is different, but this one… he can’t put a name on it, but Izuku wants to try anyway. He’s a dreamer at heart, leaving reality behind when he can. His childhood was too full of realistic and pessimistic stuff.
He refuses to live his whole life, drowning in regrets and what if’s. He’s better than that. He has to be better than that. That’s why he takes his sketchbook and tries to draw it’s quiet only slight mumbling from other tables. It’s nice, makes him feel at home. He sits like that for hours, sketching lines upon lines, erasing any mistakes, wishing he could do the same with his life.
But then he hears it.
He turns his head, and the first thing he sees is red.
A flower crown made from red carnations, sitting on the top of white hair. Then man playing those tunes on the black piano is breathtaking. It’s then when Izuku knows, can feel it in his bones, his heart. He never wants to forget that sight.
And then he moves his pencil.
Eventually the beautiful melody stops, and he sighs sadly. How unfortunate, he could have listened to it for an eternity.
“Is… is that me?”
A deep voice speaks behind him, and he turns around, only to stop breathing for a moment. The beautiful man from before, red carnations still resting on his head.
“Y-yes… I’m sorry if it disturbs you, I can g-give you the sketch and my word to never d-draw you again?”
But the other man only shakes his head gently, before smiling at him (and that smile does so, so many things to Izuku’s heart).
“No, don’t worry about it. I feel honored you think me of being worthy enough to be drawn. It’s a pretty drawing.”
And that’s how numbers were exchanged, and love was found after countless months of meeting each other in that café.
When Shouto asked him to be his boyfriend, he gifted Izuku red carnations, and the whole world felt right.
-✮-
I guess I’m back with those. Let’s see how far I get this time.
If it's not too much trouble, can you write chuuatsu for the red string au?
Of course it’s no trouble, Anon!! Also I really craved some Chuuatsu, so thanks for the request!!!
Summary: All his life he saw those red strings, connecting people with other people – or that’s how it should have been, according to different kind of tales. No one he met, was connected to their lover. It was… like a punch in the face for him. It hurt. He wanted to believe in it – that there is a person that could love him, no matter what. He wanted to, but seeing all others, he realized that he might not end up with that person.
Then one day, he woke up with his string cut.Ao3
He cut his string.
How he did it was still a mystery, but he didn't dwell on it for too long. Honestly, he couldn’t care less about those damn things, they were only an annoyance. Like, who the hell needed some strings to determine who he should love? After all it didn’t matter in the end. When he walked through the streets, observing lovers, they never shared a string. In other words, fate could fuck itself. He didn’t get why he was the one to seem them, out of all those people in the world. He hated those damn strings, and his life was much easier before he woke up one day, suddenly seeing them – everything went worse after that. He spent months in frustration, because he didn’t know what to do. Especially not, with the string around his own pinkie. Eventually, after picking up a tale on them, he realized that he could just cut the string.
The characters in the book might have not succeeded with it, but he wasn’t in a book and a try wouldn’t hurt. So, he did it. And it functioned. Now, he was standing in his room, looking at the cut string. It was kind of weird to be honest. Once he cut it, the fallen off string on the ground, vanished in thin air after seconds and the only thing left remaining, was the little part tied around his pinkie, hanging in the air. He tried to take it off, but the string wouldn’t come off, so now he had to keep it. With a sigh, he sat down on his bed, after laying the scissors away. It could have been worse, couldn’t it?
In that moment his ringtone went off, and he took his phone, sighing, as he saw who dialed him – Dazai, that fucking moron. Despite his irritation, he picked up, praying, that his sanity would stay intact. Calls with Dazai were always that horrible and unpredictable.
“What do you want, bandage-wasting-device.”
“Ouch, what a harsh greeting, Chuuya!”
He wasn’t sure how to deal with that.
Granted, he wasn’t sure how to deal with everything, but that was a different kind of, I-have-no-idea-what-I-am-supposed-to-do situation.
All his life he saw those red strings, connecting people with other people – or that’s how it should have been, according to different kind of tales. No one he met, was connected to their lover. It was… like a punch in the face for him. It hurt. He wanted to believe in it – that there is a person that could love him, no matter what. He wanted to, but seeing all others, he realized that he might not end up with that person.
After all there was always someone better than him, wasn’t there?
But he shook his head, and told himself he would find that person, even if just for closure.
That’s what he believed until he woke up one day, his string cut.
Why?
Just what did he wrong?
Fate hated him, he was sure of that.
“You know, I wonder if soulmates are real.”
He scoffs at the other’s question.
“You shouldn’t spend your brain cells on such useless questions,” he replies, sitting down on the couch, and sighing. Chuuya wasn’t in a good mood. Recently, the whole thing with the soulmates and strings seemed to follow him everywhere and anywhere. Irritating. Annoying. Why did it have to haunt him?
“Really? I don’t believe the question is useless,” Dazai says that, sitting down beside the other, and grinning.
“Well, you’re stupid.” Maybe not his best excuse, but by now both knew that Dazai was anything but stupid, so it didn’t really matter. Then he looks at the other, wanting to say another insult, but he stops. Because the other is smiling that sad smile he always wears, whenever he seems to know just a bit too much in everyone’s opinion.
“You know, looking at you, sometimes make me think they’re real. Those soulmates,” and then chuckles, and shakes his head softly, “but maybe that’s just my imagination.”
Dazai, Chuuya can’t help but think, knows too much.
But there’s some truth in it, and Chuuya would know that the best. He still can remember the string in his hand, and they way it felt when he cut it. There are just too many wrong things in that world.
One week later, Chuuya sits in a little café, looking at the pretty waiter, smiling at him. He can’t take gaze away from the other’s eyes. That’s a first for Chuuya.
“Uhm, sir…? H-how can I help you?”
He snaps out of it and blinks a bit. Right, he can’t space out! So, he orders a black coffee, and makes sure to smile back. No need to be grumpy, his whole staring was already weird enough. And it’s when the waiter turns around and walks, that his eyes catch one little detail. The waiter’s sting… was cut off. For a moment, he is back in that room, with those scissors and that red, red string. Where his heart keeps beating faster, and he wonders if all his decisions were that stupid, and why he can’t get a grip. But having that string feels so wrong, and he envies all those people, who can walk on in their life, unable to see those hellish strings, that just ruin everything wonderful about lo-
“Are you ok, sir?”
The waiter is back, looking at him with concern. There’s also a cup with coffee in front of Chuuya, and he sighs. It just never stops, doesn’t it?
“I’m fine,” he replies, tired and feeling all kinds of wrong. But he can’t be rude now.
“… The cup of coffee is on house.”
His eyes widen, and he looks up at the waiter, wondering if he misheard.
“Wait, wh- “
“It’s ok, I’ll pay for it.”
No, he obviously didn’t mishear.
“But…!”
He wants to protest, but the waiter has already turned around, and is walking away.
“It’s fine! You had a bad day? M-maybe this will lighten it up.”
Speechless, Chuuya looks after the other, cut, red string trailing in the air after its owner. Somehow, the sight is too pretty. Quietly, he responds, “Thank you.” He’s sure to come back to that café.
There are kind people in this world too, after all.
And, surprisingly, he does. A lot. In fact, he becomes one of the most known customers, and everyone knows his name. It’s quite… the nice feeling, he has to admit. A sense of attachment, he guesses. But he also learns interesting stuff about the café and its staff.
There’s Akutagawa, who always seems to appear from nowhere, with a book in his hands. And god, Chuuya recognizes every book, because he knows the person who wrote them, an annoying guy, who constantly crashes at his place, eats his stuff and asks stupid things.
Then there’s Kyouka and… well, she is his little sister. He’s surprised she decided to help out in that café, so he asks her for the reason.
“Money for my sweets, “is the answer he gets from her. Of course, what else?
Next comes Kenji, who works mostly morning shifts, and he’s always brightly smiling and optimistic. He’s also pretty strong, because Chuuya has seen him carry a fridge once, all alone, and he probably will never forget that sight.
Then there’s Higuchi, and honestly, Chuuya has seen her more with sunglasses than without. She’s got a crush on Akutagawa, and everyone knows that but said guy in question. But she takes it in stride and continues without showing any distress. She makes good cookies, he realizes one day, when she brings some, and the whole café turns into a battlefield.
The last two waiters are Ranpo and Atsushi, and he comes to the understanding, that those two come in a double pack. They share the same shifts and are generally seen together all the time. At first, he thought they were in a rather intimate relationship, but one day a guy came into the store, and it didn’t take long for Chuuya to find out, that guy was Ranpo’s boyfriend (he will never forget opening the bathroom door on that fated day, and everything that was beyond it).
Eventually, he found out, that Ranpo and Atsushi grew up as brothers, and because Atsushi was rather – bless that pure and kind guy – naïve, he got into a lot of trouble. So, Ranpo decided to play his caretaker, and it was clear he wouldn’t stop anytime soon. It was an amusing sight sometimes.
But in the end, there was still one thing that bothered him greatly. And that was Atsushi’s cut string. For some reason it just wouldn’t leave his mind, and deep inside, Chuuya already knew why. He just had to acknowledge it. When though?
Then it happened one day.
He walked into the café, a bit earlier than usual, but not too much. Then he saw Atsushi, sitting at one table (the table, Chuuya normally used), and stared intently at his hand. At first, Chuuya was confused, because there was nothing to stare at. But then, although a bit slowly, realization hit him.
The string.
And because he couldn’t stop himself, he spoke up, “The strings… can you see them?”
Atsushi’s expression at those words, was answer enough for him.
He should have been happy. He wasn’t the only one. He really should have been happy.
Instead he turned around, and quickly left the café.
“Ohhh, Chuuya is in a bad mood again?”
“…Shut up.”
He’s still unsure why he didn’t already punch the other. It was silent for a while after that. But then, Dazai sat down beside him, and smiled that cursed smile of his.
“You know… I started writing on a new book.”
“Nice,” was his curt reply.
“… It’s about the red strings of fate.”
That’s when Chuuya really looked at the other.
“… What?”
Dazai just grinned.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about that one question…”
Chuuya narrows his eyes at the other, unsure what will come next.
“… what if someone actually manages to cut his string?”
And time seems to freeze for him.
Atsushi wasn’t that stupid.
He could see the strings. Chuuya could see the strings, and both of their strings are cut. Then comes Chuuya’s reaction… it was only too easy to find the solution.
He sighed, a bit unsure about the whole situation. He really wanted to speak with Chuuya, but the other ran away, and Atsushi doesn’t know where he lives. But apparently fate didn’t hate him that much, because one week later, Chuuya walked into the café and asked Atsushi, if he could speak with him. So, they did. Left the café and walked around a bit. And after some silence, Chuuya said something.
“I’m sorry for running away and for cutting that string.”
Bold. But honestly, that’s what Atsushi needed.
“Why did you do it?”
“Because I don’t be in fated love.”
And so, Chuuya told him everything. It didn’t make everything right, but it was a start. And gazing into the other’s eyes, Chuuya knew that wouldn’t be the last time he stared at them.
Kunikida kept staring at the manuscript in his hands, with a sense of wonderment.
“This is… really good.”
“Hmm, I know, right?”
“But say,” Kunikida mutters, looking up from the manuscript, to the guy who wrote it, “what’s the answer to the question? To why the string could been finally cut, after so many decades of it being impossible?”
Dazai smirks, “but Kunikida isn’t that obvious? They don’t need it anymore! They don’t need that string to keep them together, that’s how great their love is!”
Notes: I hope you like it! It took me awhile, because beach prompts are really difficult for me (I love them though). So, it kinda turned into angst with some rare moments of fluff... In the end I wrote it for Tododeku, because I’m way more used to them (I’m horrible at writing Bakugou...). I learned that writing about road trips with angst ends up in chaos, tbh.
Pairing: Tododeku
Ao3
"Will you... stay?"
Stones scrapped his feet and the sun shined too bright. He could hear some birds, even see some fly around and there were little children running around, asking their parents for ice cream.
He could use some ice cream.
He told Uraraka as much and she laughed at him.
Despite the obvious heat, everyone walked forward, ignoring it completely. It's not like they had a choice. They promised after all.
Well, if you could call that stupid dare a promise.
"Deku?... We are here."
Hearing Uraraka's voice, he looked up.
Towards the blue waves surrounding the ground they stood on. Never did he fear them as much as at that moment. It was an uncontrollable fear that tore apart his soul and made him feel uncomfortable. Everyone knew that.
But that's why they gave him this dare.
Izuku was careless; He thought it was a silly game of Truth or Dare and nothing more. Of course, they would strike at the moment, he didn’t expect anything. He should have, but he didn't.
Currently, they were sitting around a fire, preparing something to eat, and giving him time before his dare. They thought he needed it.
Izuku thought otherwise.
Honestly, it made him feel sick. With every second that passed, his breathing fastened and he could his heartbeat, mixed with the sound of the rushing waves, covering sand and stones. There was still the chipping of the birds and some hushed talking from his classmates, as they tried to do anything than to look at him, but failed to some part.
They meant well, Izuku knew that. But just because he knew that, didn't mean that his mind understood that.
They just made it worse.
Slowly, he closed his eyes and tried to think about anything. Anything other than this.
He thought about the books of the school's library that had a particular smell, which reminded him of home, his mother and her romance novels and cookbooks.
Then he remembered the plants that used to stand in the corridors. He didn't know what they were called, but he always found them pretty.
That's when he heard them. Footsteps, not quiet but also not too loud. With a slow pace, they came into his direction, until they stopped in front of him.
He could feel the wooden texture of the bar he sat on, and the cool breeze of the wind. He wanted to stand up and run away, he wanted to throw up.
Instead he opened his eyes.
It was a last-minute decision.
It shouldn't have happened, but it was Izuku's turn and Shouto was the one sealing his fate.
Because Izuku chose dare, and all the silly thoughts about making him carry someone, were replaced with memories of Izuku sitting in the hospital room, not touching his glass of water... and Shouto knew it had to change.
"I dare you to come on a beach road trip with us."
He remembered his best friend's green eyes filled with fear, as he glanced at Shouto. It felt like looking into a mirror, because often he would carry that look, when he knew no one was around. Izuku was more open with such things, and that's why Shouto was sure it was for the better.
But now...
"Maybe, this was a bad idea," he mumbled, sitting down on the ground.
"No, it wasn't."
Someone sat down beside him. "Midoriya needs this, and everyone knows it."
Finally, Shouto glanced to his side. Kirishima grinned at him, before he pointed at a direction with his hand.
"Look."
Izuku was talking to Bakugou.
"Help! M-Mommy... help!"
It was quiet.
Amongst the loud, crashing sound of the attacks hitting the ground, the waves covering almost everything in sight, and thunder approaching, it was quiet.
"Mommy.... he... lp"
The other two heroes were too focused on the villain, trying to protect the civilians, who still couldn't flee. They threw different kind of attacks around, punched and kicked, just to make sure the villain was too occupied to harm the civilians. And then amid of such an attack Izuku heard it.
"He... lp..."
(So, so quiet.)
His eyes widened, as realization hit him, and then he didn't waste one second. He turned, and sprang into the unforgiving water. The coldness of it cut his skin like blades of a knife and tried to drag him down like chains.
But his eyes were wide open, and his ears on alert, no matter how loud the waves' tune was.
Because there was a difference between him and the two other heroes.
He heard her, and now he stretched his arms out, every intention to safe her with those hands attached to them.
How unfortunate that the villain saw him, and found her faster. How unfortunate that the two heroes who previously held him off, laid on the ground, not moving. How unfortunate that the villain's quirk was related to water.
Never would Izuku forget that drowning body of a little girl, and how the water around them turned red. Or the sand colored in a dark red, and how the backup arrived too late.
It was the first time he truly couldn't save someone.
(He was so close and yet so far.)
His green orbs settled on the back of his childhood friend, who was currently talking with - more like yelling at - Iida.
For Katsuki to willing start a conversation with Izuku, instead of the opposite, must have meant that he really looked more than messed up, miserable.
Of course, more than half of the words spoken to him were insults, but Izuku could tell that Katsuki held back. He had to chuckle at that. Katsuki holding back at insulting someone, especially Izuku? Impossible.
Except that he really held back, and Izuku was lost.
"Move your ass, we're only here because you're a fucking wimp."
The words hurt and he wished Katsuki wouldn't have spoken them. But deep down, he knew they made more than sense. He had to face it, and so he stood up.
With shaking legs, he walked towards the waves, ignorant of the mismatched eyes staring at him.
You're too near, his mind whispered, but he ignored it and slowly he held his foot out, ready to touch the water and he did. For a short moment.
It was so cold, and memories filled him. All he could think about was red.
Her blood mixing with the the water.
As fast as possible he stepped away from the water, turned around and walked away. His hands were balled into fists and it hurt.
He couldn't do it.
He just couldn't.
(How pathetic.)
For the rest of the day no one talked to him. Instead pitying glances in his direction were common.
"I'll go back to the van to get the some more stuff. Does someone need something?"
Kirishima's loud voice brought him back to reality. Shouto blinked, unsure why almost everyone was shouting different things.
"Todoroki? Do you need something?"
He glanced to his side, where Kaminari grinned at him.
"What?"
Noticing his classmate's confusion, Kaminari told him why everyone was talking - more like shouting at - to Kirishima.
"Ah... no, thank you. I don't need anything."
With a nod, Kaminari went off to ask someone else, whilst Shouto finally decided to do the one thing he wanted to do the whole day: to talk with Izuku.
Observing his surroundings, Shouto found his classmate staring at the waves. With slow steps he walked to him, only to stop abruptly, once he got closer.
"You can do it... stop being so... pathetic... the... water.... blue not red... can..."
Balling his hands into fists, Shouto took a breath. It wasn't fair. Izuku shouldn't have to think like that whenever he saw water. Not him. Never him.
He stepped even nearer, before he quietly spoke up, "Izuku?"
As his friend didn't hear him the first time, Shouto spoke a bit louder the second time.
"Izuku?"
Said boy jumped in shock and turned quickly to look at him.
"... Shouto? Is something? Are you okay?"
He really wanted to scoff. For God's sake, literally everyone knew that the trip was for Izuku, because he didn't feel well. And here he was, asking Shouto if he was okay.
He must have showed what he thought about the other's question, because Izuku was smiling sheepishly at him.
"Sorry... I just thought you might need help... for something more important."
Shouto sighed, before shaking his head softly.
"Izuku, stop being a moron."
Then he put his hands on his friend's shoulders, and looked him directly into his eyes.
Those green orbs stared at him, filled with surprise.
"Wha-"
"It's important."
And then he smiled warmly at the other, pretty sure his eyes were filled with affection for the other.
"Your feelings are important, Izuku."
"... Shouto..."
Suddenly, he realized how close they faces were, and Shouto stepped back, looking to the side to hide his blush from the other.
"... Thank you."
Shouto closed his eyes, content standing beside the other.
On the third day, and their last day at the beach, Izuku finally walked into the water.
Everyone was playing around and talking.
With the exception of Izuku and Shouto, who were standing at the same spot as the day before. Izuku was gripping his friend's hand tighter, still uncomfortable. In fact, it was clear he would always feel a bit uneasy when he came in contact with water. That probably wouldn't change, not after not being able to save someone for the first time.
It was a wake-up call, one that he really needed (but wished he didn't have).
But everyone knew, that no matter how uncomfortable he felt, he needed to be able to face water and interact with it, if he wanted to continue as hero. He himself knew that as well, and he tried, but it was easier said than done.
There was just something disturbing about imaging water turning into blood with severed body parts swimming in it.
How many times did he throw up after that? He couldn't even remember. After that, there was just so much stress building up, and he spent days closed in his house, refusing to come out. After that they send him to therapy, once he finally came outside. No matter how many villains he already fought in his time at the academy, there was just a difference in both experience and situation.
They told him to get a hobby, a distraction. He tried, and ended up with art lessons and many sketchbooks. It helped for a while, until they realized that he couldn't handle water on a job. It was thanks to Shouto's arrival, that everything went well.
Everyone tried to tell him, that he should deal with it, get better, but he outright refused. And clearly, Shouto had enough, so he used the chance in the form of a game. One week of vacation. One week of traveling around to places with beaches.
On week to get used to water once again.
"Izuku?"
He looked up into Shouto's concern filled eyes, and tried to smile slightly. Then he slowly took a breath and looked at the water. He could do this. He wasn't that pathetic. He was a hero, damnit.
He felt Shouto squeezing his hand, and closed his eyes. Justdon'tlookatitJustdon'tlookatitJust- he stepped into the water.
Breath, Izuku.
He felt like his feet were burning, and someone was peeling the skin from them. He knew that was only his mind and his fear, working together to scare him, but it hurt-
And he opened his eyes, let go of Shouto's hand and stepped hastily out of the water on the warm, almost burning sand.
He couldn't look at the water, and he was sure Shouto was disappointed in him. So, he looked at the ground unable to face his friend. How pathetic.
"Izuku."
Why did he sound so excited?
"Izuku."
And suddenly there were two hands grasping his shoulder and turning him around. Finally, he lifted his head and-
And he stopped breathing for a moment.
Shouto was smiling at him, and oh God, he looked breathtaking.
"I... I'm... uh..."
"You did well, Izuku."
His feet were burning on the sand, but he couldn't feel the pain.
God, what did he do to deserve a friend like Shouto?
The stars were oddly comforting, and he loved looking at them, but he couldn't help but catch himself glancing at the glittering surface of the sea occasionally.
It still made him sick, but now there was something else. He just didn't know what. But it was... relieving.
Still, in the end he didn't get better. A part of him - the logical one - knew that it wouldn't be that easy, that it would take time and that's the specific reason why his friends insisted on a road trip. Because it simply would give them the time.
Though, that didn't stop the other part of him to feel disappointed, especially since he somehow, against his own wishes, dragged everyone else into his problem.
They shouldn't have to deal with it all, it's his responsibility, after all.
"Izuku?"
He looked up and tried to smile. He's gotten used to Shouto saying his given name. He still felt warm whenever he heard it. So, he responded in kind.
"Shouto."
It's silly, but here they were sitting beside each other, and he just didn't know what to say. He wanted to thank Shouto, but he also wanted to apologize for being a failure. Then there was that hopeless part of him, that just never wanted to look at anything but Shouto, because Shouto was precious.
"I meant it."
Izuku blinked, torn out of his thoughts.
"You did well."
And he wanted to protest, to scream and cry, because it was the opposite. He didn't do well, and he should have down better, and why was he thinking about that little girl and her blond curls, floa-
But he did well, argued another part of him. Because Shouto spoke those words with so much genuineness and how did Izuku have the right to doubt him?
It hurt to think, to decide, but he already knew something. One thing.
And that's why he grasped the other's hand.
He didn't want to let go.
"It's okay to take little steps. You know that the best, Izuku."
So, he decided to speak up, even though it didn't have anything to do with the water (but in a twisted way, it had everything to do with the water).
It were words he was long overdue on saying.
"You have to turn left, Sero-kun."
"I know!"
Laughter and singing filled the van, and Ochako couldn't be happier. Such a vacation was a good idea, and she loved the atmosphere surrounding them. Even Bakugou seemed happier, and that had to mean something (considering he had a frown on his face).
Her eyes wandered to the back, were Izuku and Shouto were sitting beside each other, their fingers entwined and a peaceful expression on both their face.
With a smile she moved a bit closer, and took her phone out.
She had seen the way, both used the remaining time of the third day's and the morning of the fourth to play around with the sand, or talk someone into a game of volleyball, even though they should have been packing (everyone ignored it, because they couldn't remember the last time Izuku seemed genuinely happy).
But she also has seen the way they never stopped holding hands, and definitely the little kiss behind the van.
Slowly, Shouto opened his eyes and looked up into her brown eyes.
"You really lucked out, Shouto-kun?"
He smiled gently, before looking at the head resting on his left shoulder.
"Yes... more than I deserve."
And even if it wasn't fully a confession of love, they had time, and devotion (so, so much of it, that she was stunned whenever she saw it).
Looking at that expression for a moment, she glanced away. It would take time for him to get over that experience.
But at least he finally took a step into something else.
Something that would do him good.
"I never left."
Notes: What I probably should mention, is that the two sentences at beginning and ending are the words, Izuku says to Shouto and Shouto’s respone, in the part where Izuku admitted that he was overdue on saying them.
BEAUTIFUL PERSON AWARD! Once you are given this award you're supposed to paste it in the asks of 8 (or more) people who deserve it. If you break the chain nothing happens, but it's sweet to know someone thinks you're beautiful inside and out <3
