TodoDeku/ You know I'll do anything for you/ Fake Dating/ Roommates
Why would you make me write this, Anon?
By all accounts, Midoriya Izuku was considered to be a reliable, helpful kind of guy. He would always get flustered when people called attention to it. None of it, he felt, was something he should be praised or congratulated for, if he was honest. He had been raised by his mother to help those in need if he could. Midoriya Inko had been the kind of woman to have a myriad of goodies tucked in her abg to offer to other parents or fussy children while they were out and about. He loved and admired that about her, so he began emulating that as well. He started carrying a small first aid kit in his school bag. As far as he was considered, it was simply the right thing to do.
Sometimes, however, it had gotten him labelled as a nosy busy body.
There had been times where he’d gone meddling in other people’s personal business, seeing them struggling and hurting and feeling a need to help. He couldn’t ignore someone who needed a helping hand, though. It would be wrong to ignore them, to pretend that he couldn’t see they needed someone to reach out to them! Sometimes it was simply a matter of needing someone to talk to, to vent out their feelings where they knew it would never get around. He was always more than happy to offer the sympathetic ear, and seeing the weight lift from their shoulders afterwards was the greatest reward he could be given.
Other times, his worrying was not taken well and ended up with him getting pretty thoroughly throttled. His bleeding heart tendencies had made him an easy target for bullies up until high school. Sometimes they were people who had other things going on and lashed out at him for offering the olive branch. Sometimes they were people who recognized they could use him for some ends. Other times it was just people that thought his actions and beliefs were just an act, people who wanted to get him on the defensive and see how quickly he’d jump from his pedestal. When they couldn’t get a rise out of him, they normally just moved on to pummelling him into the ground. Which then led to Bakugo Katsuki, his childhood friend more commonly called Kacchan, and the rest of their small social circle stepping in to defend him.
Their friends said Izuku was a good person for not fighting back. Kacchan said he was just a weak-willed wimp. Regardless of which was the truth, Izuku didn’t change his view of the world. If someone was in trouble near him, he was going to find a way to help him. Even in circumstances where it didn’t end well, he didn’t regret stepping in to try to help someone.
Which was how he ended up in the situation he was in that night.
Todoroki Shoto had become one of Izuku’s best friends early on in their first year of high school. Todoroki had made a show of not needing or wanting friends, but there had been a forlorn sadness in his eyes as he proclaimed this. Izuku knew immediately that it was a lie and decided to take time to try and open up. The two of them were both in the newspaper club at school so he had started there, volunteering to be his partner on assignments. Todoroki was one of the best with the cameras while Izuku was better at typing up the articles to go along.
At first, things were hostile and tense and difficult. Every attempt to reach out by Izuku was met with a harsh, quick retort or a chilly silence. Izuku was an analytical guy by habit, so he noticed habits about people pretty quickly. When he noticed Todoroki had a fondness for yakult, he would make sure to pick up a bottle to offer him on days where they were sent out on an assignment together. This offering had ultimately what pushed Todoroki over the edge and caused him to lash out, breaking down the troubles he faced at home with his abusive Father, unwell Mother and rocky relationship with his three older siblings. Izuku himself wasn’t exactly sure why Todoroki had thought that he’d be chased off by that, but it hadn’t worked. Instead, Izuku had offered to listen to him about his troubles any time he needed and promised not to breathe a word of it to a soul. He’d seen a brief flash of panic in the others face, as if he hadn’t considered that Izuku could very easily leak his personal family woes to the whole school, but when he heard nothing about it over the next three weeks - or any time after that either - he seemed to realize Izuku was genuine.
And that had changed things between them.
At their next assignment, Todoroki put in the effort to actually work with him. It turned into one of their best stories as they worked together, giving each other suggestions and bouncing ideas off of one another. Working together became a staple for them throughout the rest of their high school experience and, as they got to know each other, Izuku became aware of a crush beginning to blossom. Todoroki was one of few people who didn’t mind Izuku’s habit of rambling on his love of Western superhero comics. He could be himself around Todoroki, completely unbridled, and he had seen Todoroki do the same. He developed a soft spot for Todoroki’s dry wit and the subtleties of his expressions. He was seemingly monotonous but it was honestly more just that it was all little things, specifically if you honed in on his eyes. He was always terrible at keeping his emotions from his eyes.
Now, all these years later, they were as close as two friends could be, and Izuku was happy with that. He kept his silly little crush to himself, knowing that it would go away with time. The two of them had even moved into an apartment not too far from their respective universities at the start of the summer after graduation. For Izuku, it was nice to be living with someone who was reliable and trustworthy, while also getting to have some independence. For Todoroki, it was out of a feeling of necessity. He could have continued living in the family home with his Father and Mother, but it strained him emotionally. Things were complicated between he and his Father, and while he still went by frequently to visit with his Mother, having his own apartment had been better for his mental health. The arrangement was good and ultimately an easy one to adapt to. They wouldn’t see so much of each other that they got sick of one another due to their respective schedules, but they also made time to share meals together when they could.
Tonight, however, Todoroki had asked to meet at a restaurant to have a conversation about something. Which had been a huge red flag to Izuku that something was going on.
“Ah, Todoroki-Kun!” he called as he jogged the rest of the way through the crosswalk. The other glanced up from his phone, hovering by the entrance to the restaurant. It was a nice little tonkatsu place three blocks from their apartment. It wasn’t particularly large or well-known, but it was nice the few times they’d gone before. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“No, it’s fine. I only just got here myself,” he said, opening the door for him. They greeted the elderly woman at the front who happily took their drink orders once they were settled at their table. Once that was done, Todoroki looked over at him. “How is your research paper coming along?”
“Pretty good, I think. I feel like I need a little bit more research into the actual history of prosthetics to be able to really nail home just how advanced prosthetics technology has become,” he said excitedly. He then paused and cupped his chin as his mind trickled back to what he’d been pondering on his way over. “I also really want to outline how it could improve further if the research and technology was given more funding but maybe that would be loading too much into one paper. And I mean, that second one would be a better argument for once I’m actually working in the field and looking to get my own research efforts off the ground. Then again, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get some main points and drafts ready to have a few presentations to run through once I do reach that point and-! Ah! I’m so sorry, Todoroki-Kun, I was rambling again, wasn’t I?”
“It’s fine, Midoriya. I like listening to you talk about your studies,”
A small smile turned up on his lips at that. Their server returned with their drinks and took their orders before scampering off again. “What about you? You’re doing some part time work as a law clerk for Fuyumi-San’s boyfriend, right?” he prompted. He had remembered that the job had been taken more so he could get experience in his field rather than out of an actual need to work.
Shoto’s eyes flickered with irritation at that question. “Takami, yeah,” he groused. He took the time to stir some lemon juice into his water with the straw, using more force than necessary. “He’s absolutely insufferable.”
“Is he a stickler for things being done a specific way?” he asked, tilting his head curiously. He’d heard that attorneys could be very particular about how this or that got filed or submitted. Though, if he was honest, he suspected it had more to do with Takami-Sama himself, but this seemed more than the dislike Todoroki had expressed up until this point.
Takami and Fuyumi, Todoroki’s older sister, had started dating in the second half of their first year. Even back then, it had been clear to Izuku and the rest of their friends that there was no love forged between he and his sister’s suitor. Part of it was that Todoroki was rather protective of his siblings, but his sister in specific. Fuyumi had stepped up after their mother was institutionalized to try and fill in that role as best as she could, to try and keep the peace and allow her brothers to still have a childhood. Pairing that with the fact she’d had a handful of terrible exes, and Todoroki was typically protective and leary of anyone she brought home.
With Takami, however, Todoroki didn’t seem to like how arrogant he came off. Even now, three years later, he was still suspicious of the guy.
“Not necessarily. He’s just… So casual. There’s been nearly no difference between him at work and him when he's with Fuyumi-Nee. This is a serious business and he’s just all aloof. And what little I’ve seen of him actually engaging in negotiations with other attorneys about cases where he is focusing, he plays a lot of the same games that my old man does. I don’t like it. I don’t like him,” He took a long drink of his water, scowling as he did. “And it’s not like quitting or finding a new job will change things. I’m still gonna have to deal with him.”
“Because he’s your sister’s boyfriend,” he nodded.
“Actually, as of last night… Fuyumi-Nee and Takami are engage,”
Izuku blinked in surprise before studying Todoroki’s face. His brows were pinched together, scowl still in place, gaze fixated on a drop of condensation sliding down the side of the glass. This, he realized, must have been why he’d wanted to meet up and have a small night out. To confide in him about the turmoil that he was in. “You don’t sound thrilled about that,”
“Because I’m not,” he sighed, leaning back a bit. He drummed his fingers along the table for a moment, clearly thinking through his next words carefully. “I don’t like him as a person or for Fuyumi. He’s just… He feels so damn fake. From what I know, he admires our Father. Hell, he went into the legal field because he admires that bastard so much!” He paused to run a hand through his hair, ruffling the red and white split locks. He then dragged his hands down across his face and took another sip of his drink. “I think he only wants to get with my sister so he can be in the family, if I’m honest. But being with him makes Fuyumi so happy and I don’t… I don’t want to take that from her. But I can’t shake this feeling. And going to these family events going forward is going to be unbearable.”
“Isn’t there something you could do to help alleviate it? Make it more tolerable?”
“Well, there is one thing that could help,” he trailed. He looked away from Izuku for a second before looking up and holding his gaze. “If you could come with me to most of these family events going on through the engagement and wedding, it would be a huge help.”
“But… Wouldn’t that be weird? Bringing a friend to such significant gatherings?”He lifted his own glass to take a sip.
“If I say you’re just a friend, yes. But if I tell them you’re my boyfriend,” he said, casually taking a sip of his own drink, “then it’ll be just fine.”
He choked on his drink, sputtering and nearly toppling his drink over as he pounded at his chest frantically. “W-What?!?” he managed to wheeze out after a moment. He could feel his heart beating erratically and his palms sweating. He made sure to be careful as he set his drink back down on the table.
Todoroki tilted his head, face as composed as ever, unfazed by Izuku’s reaction. “What? It would be a good cover,” he retorted. He held his hand up and began ticking off points. “We’ve been friends for years, so we know a lot about one another. Plus, we live together, so that helps, too. From what I understand, friends living together can easily shift from just being friends living together to lo-!”
“Ah! D-Don’t s-say it!” He was certain he looked like a strawberry. His face was absolutely flushed, he had to be! He shook his head a bit before hesitantly meeting Todoroki’s gaze. “Is… Is this the only way? That you’ll be able to cope with everything going on with your sister and Takami-Sama?”
“Yes, I believe so,” he perked up and fell silent as their server returned to give them refills. Once she was gone, he turned his attention back to Izuku. “Besides, you’re a better judge of character than I am. If this man truly is a degenerate risk to Fuyumi… You’ll be able to tell. And then we can break things up before she’s stuck with him.”
“I think you give me too much credit,” Izuku mumbled shyly before taking another sip of his drink. He knew that Todoroki took his opinions to heart, but he didn't think he held it in that high of a regard. He tried to shove down how that realization made his stomach twist giddily. This, he decided, would ultimately be a bad idea. Considering his own feelings for Todoroki, the idea of spending more time with him in a circumstance like that would be detrimental. He couldn’t see it ending in any kind of positive way for either of them, so it would be a bad move.
He felt a bit of guilt, but… He would have to say no.
“So?” Todoroki asked, face as passive as ever, but there was a waver in his mismatched eyes. A brief flash of fear and pleading, a vulnerability that he trusted very few with.
What little resolve Izuku had managed to muster crumbled at the sight. “You know I’ll do anything for you,” he said with a forced puff of laughter, swallowing down the uneasiness trying to crawl it’s way from his stomach up his throat.
Kacchan was right about him being a weak-willed wimp. And he was going to break his own heart while proving it.