It is. I'll miss it. [ I'll miss you. The words don't come out, not right away, because what if that's a line that shouldn't be crossed? Todoroki Shouto is not a superstitious man, but he won't risk jinxing this mission before it even begins.
Won't risk Izuku.
But he straightens up when he asks that of him, and everything in his expression in sincere, even as his voice remains its usual even keel. Some things are worth risking. ] Every day that you're away, Midoriya.
I'll miss making it. [I'll miss you. The thoughts are mirrored all the same, even without them saying the words to each other. A buried promise in the words, Shouto is the only person he'll make tea for.
When he says those words, every day, there's a certain feeling of contentedness. Shouto cares about him- he knows, of course. But hearing the words... he ducks his head down as he takes another sip of his tea.]
[ There's no questioning that they both care about one another. Shouto is certain that if Izuku didn't, he would simply have left. It confuses him, frequently, to think that someone cares about him and his wellbeing, about helping him fight against the tyrant that calls himself his father. His sister loves him, and he knows this, but they're in this together.
Midoriya Izuku could leave at any moment, find safety with another daimyo, could go wherever he pleased with a clever mind and a caring nature, quirkless or not.
He stays by Shouto's side. He puts himself at risk to help him.
He doesn't want him to leave, but some things are necessary no matter how reluctant you are to let them happen. ]
I'll look forward to it. You'll have to tell me about everything you see, between here and the north.
[There is nothing in this world or any other that could make Izuku turn from Shouto's side. Not when he knows how lonely he is, when he's seen Shouto's caring side, the way he's locked up in a cage of a castle. He's taken it upon himself to be Shouto's friend, his partner, soldier, companion- anything Izuku could do for him, he wants to do.]
Of course. I'll be sure to keep a record, I won't forget anything.
[He'll leave for the beginning of a rebellion, but a part of him wants to stay. But... this is for Shouto, for him to be safe- leaving him for a month is a small sacrifice.]
[ A month is barely much time, in the grand scheme, and yet already Shouto feels like it's forever. His first real friend, his trusted confidant, his constant companion - gone for a month, at least. But he'll swallow it down and do what he can, on his end, despite the restrictions he has without Izuku there.
Strange, how he can't move as freely when he's alone. One would think it'd be easier, but not so in a world run by Todoroki Enji. ]
Even without a record, I'm sure you could recite everything from memory. You've never failed to impress me with just how much knowledge you've accumulated.
[He flushes pink, even all this time, he's not used to being praised like that. Of his skills as a taikomochi, sure- he's worked hard for those. There's no denying that he's great at all aspects of his job.
But to be praised for something that's just him- that's rare, that's to be treasured.]
[ It's strangely easy to smile, at least a little, when Izuku blushes like that. He can't help it - it's so endearing, so genuine and real, compared to all of the fake people that surround him in his father's fortress. Izuku, himself, is so genuine and real. Clever, brave, sweet Izuku.
Shouto shakes his head, focus directly on him, eyes keen. ]
[Warmth spreads through him at the words. Shouto really does like him, they're friends and if they can rely on each other...
Izuku will do everything he can to make sure Shouto never has to take those words back. He won't let him down in this mission or the next. He's thought so highly of for being a simple entertainer- turned more with this conversation.
[ With a small tilt of his head, Shouto sets his tea down and laces his fingers together, dropping them in his lap. The contrast between his sides is only obvious to him when he does this, because he's just so used to the way his quirk is, and it's - grounding. Which helps him think about what he wants to say, how he wants to say it. He either turns words and emotions over in his head until he has them down to the bare bones, something he can easily put into words, or he says the first thing that pops into his head.
For Izuku, for this, he wants the words to carry weight, meaning. He wants him to know just how much he means to him, as someone that he trusts and cares for. ]
I should be thanking you. For believing in me, and staying by my side through all of this. For going where I can't.
Izuku meant every word when he said anything. Whatever request, whatever mission, anything Shouto could ask of him Izuku would do to the best of his ability. He's seen the way Shouto's been used by his father, like he's nothing more than a weapon- like he isn't a person and each and every time he's had to bite his tongue or risk getting thrown out of Shouto's service.
If Shouto's going to be treated like this, at the very least he can have a friend by his side. With this request, he's turning from a friend and entertainer into a piece of the game of daimyo. Just as long as Shouto's guiding his moves he's certain he's in good hands.]
Someone should. [Believe in him. Stay at his side. Move where he can't.] If there's any way I can help you, I want to.
His mother did, when he was a child. She tried to shelter him from Endeavor as best she could, when she suffered through a great deal of the abuses that he did, too. She was a tool in her husband's plans as much as her son still is, and she was cast aside when she'd broken. Shouto wants to protect her, now, though he has no idea where to start considering he can't seek her out while he has Endeavor's eyes following him everywhere.
But Izuku can come and go. He doesn't want him to, doesn't want to feel his absence like that, but he'll do it, he'll weather through it. Because it'll mean that they're one step closer to a life without the tyrant that rules over them from every shadow.
It's going to be a dangerous game. He'll have to think over his moves more than he does his words, to ensure that every piece can return safely - but Izuku, most of all. His most treasured piece, his partner in all of this. ]
I know. [ He squeezes his fingers where they're laced together. ] You do every day, Midoriya.
[Nobody keeps eyes on a lowly entertainer. He's a piece that's free to move as he wishes. There are very few people in the kingdom, let alone in Japan that would suspect much from his class. It's better this way, it's easier to come and go as he needs.
What Izuku wants and what Shouto needs are two separate things, and he's been willing to accept that ever since they became friends. Shouto's needs are always going to be put above his own desires, a decision he's never shared with anyone, but he hopes it's obvious enough in his willingness to serve.
He hears his name and he thinks, it's fine to call me Izuku, we're close, aren't we? A full year of Izuku standing at Shouto's side during all the times Endeavor's burnt a peace treaty. Izuku slowly learning just the way Shouto liked his tea and their companionable late night talks. But perhaps he's being too presumptuous. Maybe it's a closeness Shouto can't afford to acknowledge just yet.]
I'll continue to help you, whatever you ask.
[Another promise. Whatever happens, he'll be back to Shouto's side.]
[ Closeness means having something he can lose. And he's realized, in recent days weeks months, that Izuku is someone that he doesn't want to lose. This is why he struggles with sending him away to forge the alliances that he himself can't, to spread word that there's someone inside of Todoroki Enji's forces that wants to usurp him and free the people that he's supposed to be protecting, aiding, helping to grow.
Izuku might be an entertainer, but he's also more than that. He's the one person that can do this and it's because of who he is. The things he can do. And what he means to Shouto, himself.
He looks up at him from under his bangs, before lifting his head up properly. If you could stay, I'd ask that. If we could run away, I'd ask that.
[There are some things in life that no matter of wishing can change. Izuku is a kindhearted commoner, with no quirk and no status to fall back upon, just the skills he's trained. Shouto is the future daimyo of the Todoroki clan with a powerful quirk, and of high ranking status. But between them both they make an effective team. They have what the other doesn't, freedom to cages, power to skill.
There's no scenario where they could successfully run away. If they want this, they fight for it, a slow but steady rebellion by gathering up allies. And hopefully when all of this is done, Izuku gets to once again stand at Shouto's side as an ever steady presence.]
I will.
[It's a promise he fully intends to keep. Whatever happens, by the end of this month he'll be at Shouto's side once again.]
[ Running... running isn't an option, despite the illusion the mere concept grants. Just leaving all of his problems behind. The problem is that Shouto was bred to forget the concept of running away, to disregard it. Battle was all that mattered. Is, all that matters. But it's more than that now. In the past year, he's been reminded of what he wanted to be.
And that's a hero to the people, the way the daimyo is meant to be beneath he shogun's power. They fight for those that can't. They provide for those that need it.
So that's where they stand, now. And for as appealing the idea is, Shouto won't run. He'll send Izuku out into the world, and he'll build his side of the board up piece by piece. There will be no more burnt treaties. ]
[Izuku doesn't have his upbringing weighing him down the way Shouto does. He doesn't have a responsibility to people under his care- his one and only loyalty rests in the hands of Todoroki Shouto and he trusts him entirely. The man who is kind and heroic and just- that is man Izuku's pledged his life and loyalty to.
He gazes at Shouto for a long moment. This man who he's come to love after a year of working at his side, and quietly pledges that he'll never become someone Shouto loses. Slowly, silently, he'll become something more valuable, an unassuming pawn into a queen- a piece that can move where his king cannot.]
You'll be the first person I see when I return, Shouto-sama.
[ If this could be easier, Shouto isn't sure if he'd want it to be. Would things be the same, if they were? Would he be the same person he is now? Would he have become like his father, known Izuku, come to this decision, become the weapon he was bred to be? He doesn't know. Has no way of knowing. This is his life, this is his path. He'd gotten lost, before, but here he is, now. Out of the darkness and at the edge of the light.
And he looks at the source right across from him. The piece that earns him ground every day, and is willing to do so much more for his sake. ]
Then we'd best send you on your way, so that you'll return sooner. [ With an alliance, ideally, but to have him back at all is enough for a selfish part of his heart. He has to remind it of their mission, their plan, the one they must ensure will come to fruition. ]
[He's only willing to do so much because he's seen Shouto. More than weapon, more than a tool, more than just a Todoroki. He's gotten to know the man and Izuku's trust in him is complete and total. Anything Shouto asks Izuku will carry out.]
I believe the tea is finished.
[So he should prepare, is what he leaves unsaid. He's going to have a very busy month ahead of him. An alliance with Shouto's mother's clan... it's certainly doable, but it'll take time and effort on his part.]
Unfortunately. [ He'll miss more than the tea, and at least he could admit to that. After saying it, and after asking him twice to come back, Shouto doesn't think he could be more obvious in that, at least. It's strange to be vulnerable like that.
It was strange to be anything, frankly, but apathetic and angry in turns. But now he knows there's more than that, as he looks at Midoriya Izuku and takes him in. His loyal friend and companion, so much more than a simple pawn. But no one else needs to know that, until it's too late. ]
[There's a small wistful smile. He'll miss these nights, but they'll both do what they must to ensure a better future for the kingdom. With any luck, things might take less than a full month.
He bows to Shouto before starting to gather up the tea set, and getting up.]
I'll see you again.
[Maybe not as soon, but he certainly will. The queen protects his king after all. Not always directly, but he always will.]
[ What strikes him most about this, beyond the fact Izuku will be gone, is the fact that he has to act like everything is normal. Not only in that the two of them aren't up to anything, but that he doesn't miss him. That he's not going to be lonely like he was after his mother was sent away. He has Fuyumi, of course, but it's... different.
He watches Izuku prepare to leave his room - prepare to leave, head to the north where the winters are colder and his mother's family rules over everything with ice quirks, helping their people like Endeavor was meant to but hasn't, truly, in years. Izuku will be able to travel easily, he thinks, with the promise of winter still a ways off, but he still worries. Still thinks more of when a month will come and pass, and Izuku will return, more than anything else.
So he looks up at him before he leaves the room, keen edges softened. ]
[He doesn't trip, he doesn't stumble, but he stops right before opening the door, grip tightening on the tray in his hand. Ducks his head. Smiles. Izuku, the first time Shouto's used his first name- a clear sign of just how close they've become. The first time is right before he leaves for at least a month. Shouto wants him to know before, he's gone.
They're partners. Perhaps not equal yet, but certainly partners in this rebellion, the future leader of the clan and the piece that moves in his stead. He'll never leave his king, even as he travels across the field. He knows what all of this is for, and it's why he's so willing.
He raises his gaze and his smile up to Shouto. The last time in a long time that he'll be able to say this.]
I will. [He'll come back.] Be safe. [Be careful, Shouto. He's strong but the castle is dangerous- they both know it.
With that he's out the door, and preparing for tomorrow.]
A month is a long time for him to do that, to keep his head down without appearing like he's up to something. Luckily, beligerence is something that many under Endeavor's allegiance have come to expect from him, so his general refusal to speak with them and the cold shoulder that he gives (both literally and figuratively) isn't something too out of the norm. The lip that he gives his father, too, although he does well to keep it within the usual register rather than pushing his luck or dulling those fangs of his.
But it's what Izuku wanted of him, wished of him. And if he remains safe, then he'll be there for Izuku to come back to.
But every day is longer than the next, in his opinion. Fuyumi can see the way it weighs on him when it's just the two of them settling in together in the afternoons, and knows that he misses the taikomochi terribly. Of course he does, though - he couldn't see him off, could only say goodbye the night before. And him sending letters, even unsigned, would ask for far more danger than either of them need when this is already so dangerous.
So to say that he counts down the days until a month has come would probably be an understatement, no matter how well he keeps it under wraps. ]
[It's a long way north- about a week or so, considering how much territory Enji has managed to conquer. It's lucky that Izuku doesn't look like much- he blends into crowds so easily. Nobody would ever suspect him of being tied to the Todoroki's unless he said something. It's for the best.
It's another two weeks as he winds Todoroki's mother's clan around his fingers. The new head of the clan willing to listen to him when he means a plea on behalf of Shouto. And he notices when a few of their sons and daughters spare him a glance or two. He's plain, but he's skilled. When it comes to talking, people tend to listen. He's been in a great deal of courts, even before settling in Shouto's. He knows how this game is played.
If he has their attention, he makes a small suggestion. Plants it in their head and has them slowly agreeing to side with Shouto over his tyrant of a father.
It all goes well. That is, until he comes home. It's darker than he'd like, but it was a little safer to get home this way. Hopefully slipping quietly back into the Todoroki household with little fuss.
But a guard sees him- maybe doesn't recognize him, maybe he does. It's dark enough that he could claim either- and there's an arrow pierced through Izuku's right upper arm.
Adrenaline spikes. He doesn't feel the pain. He somehow manages he way to Shouto's room.
Shouto is there. Shouto is safe.
He manages a shaky smile.]
I'm home.
[The adrenaline high wears off. Izuku is left gritting his teeth in pain before sinking to his knees and passing out from the blood loss. The last thing he sees are Shouto's beautiful mismatched eyes.]
[ Time feels like it goes on forever, while Shouto waits.
His father doesn't even notice that Izuku is gone, and he can't say that he's even remotely shocked by this, given how little he pays him any attention. Some of the people who act as his eyes and ears notice, and they harass his son a little. But Shouto stares at them mutely until they leave him be, and then goes to Fuyumi for some kind of council. He appreciates her presence more than anything, and while the kindest thing Todoroki Enji could do for her is ignore her, it makes it easier for his supposed masterpiece to find some peace and quiet while his closest companion is gone.
A month can't pass faster. He misses Izuku, misses his tea and his company and his smile. Misses when he laughs at some stupid, dry thing that Shouto says offhandedly. Misses his clever mind and soft eyes.
But when he made him promise that he would come home - come back to him - this was not what he wanted.
Shouto looks up when the door opens, expecting it to be a servant or his sister, maybe one of his brothers, but his eyes widen and his entire body goes cold when he sees blood - when he sees Izuku's blood, the shaft of the arrow stark where it's struck him. ]
Wh - [ I'm home.
He lunges up as Izuku's legs give out, scrambling along on his feet so that he can catch him before he hits the ground, his heart hammering where it's lodged in his throat. ] Izuku? Izuku!
[ All he can do is call for his sister, desperate in a way he hasn't been in years. They need to move him, they need to find out what's happened, they have to take care of him - Shouto can't lose him, he just can't -
And then he sees the familiar colors of the fletching, and the panic is joined by pure, furious rage. ]
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no subject
Won't risk Izuku.
But he straightens up when he asks that of him, and everything in his expression in sincere, even as his voice remains its usual even keel. Some things are worth risking. ] Every day that you're away, Midoriya.
no subject
When he says those words, every day, there's a certain feeling of contentedness. Shouto cares about him- he knows, of course. But hearing the words... he ducks his head down as he takes another sip of his tea.]
I'll make tea as soon as I get back.
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Midoriya Izuku could leave at any moment, find safety with another daimyo, could go wherever he pleased with a clever mind and a caring nature, quirkless or not.
He stays by Shouto's side. He puts himself at risk to help him.
He doesn't want him to leave, but some things are necessary no matter how reluctant you are to let them happen. ]
I'll look forward to it. You'll have to tell me about everything you see, between here and the north.
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Of course. I'll be sure to keep a record, I won't forget anything.
[He'll leave for the beginning of a rebellion, but a part of him wants to stay. But... this is for Shouto, for him to be safe- leaving him for a month is a small sacrifice.]
no subject
Strange, how he can't move as freely when he's alone. One would think it'd be easier, but not so in a world run by Todoroki Enji. ]
Even without a record, I'm sure you could recite everything from memory. You've never failed to impress me with just how much knowledge you've accumulated.
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But to be praised for something that's just him- that's rare, that's to be treasured.]
Then I won't start letting you down.
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Shouto shakes his head, focus directly on him, eyes keen. ]
I know you won't. [ Ever. ]
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Izuku will do everything he can to make sure Shouto never has to take those words back. He won't let him down in this mission or the next. He's thought so highly of for being a simple entertainer- turned more with this conversation.
He bows his head down, smiling softly.]
Thank you for believing in me, Shouto-sama.
no subject
For Izuku, for this, he wants the words to carry weight, meaning. He wants him to know just how much he means to him, as someone that he trusts and cares for. ]
I should be thanking you. For believing in me, and staying by my side through all of this. For going where I can't.
no subject
Izuku meant every word when he said anything. Whatever request, whatever mission, anything Shouto could ask of him Izuku would do to the best of his ability. He's seen the way Shouto's been used by his father, like he's nothing more than a weapon- like he isn't a person and each and every time he's had to bite his tongue or risk getting thrown out of Shouto's service.
If Shouto's going to be treated like this, at the very least he can have a friend by his side. With this request, he's turning from a friend and entertainer into a piece of the game of daimyo. Just as long as Shouto's guiding his moves he's certain he's in good hands.]
Someone should. [Believe in him. Stay at his side. Move where he can't.] If there's any way I can help you, I want to.
no subject
His mother did, when he was a child. She tried to shelter him from Endeavor as best she could, when she suffered through a great deal of the abuses that he did, too. She was a tool in her husband's plans as much as her son still is, and she was cast aside when she'd broken. Shouto wants to protect her, now, though he has no idea where to start considering he can't seek her out while he has Endeavor's eyes following him everywhere.
But Izuku can come and go. He doesn't want him to, doesn't want to feel his absence like that, but he'll do it, he'll weather through it. Because it'll mean that they're one step closer to a life without the tyrant that rules over them from every shadow.
It's going to be a dangerous game. He'll have to think over his moves more than he does his words, to ensure that every piece can return safely - but Izuku, most of all. His most treasured piece, his partner in all of this. ]
I know. [ He squeezes his fingers where they're laced together. ] You do every day, Midoriya.
no subject
What Izuku wants and what Shouto needs are two separate things, and he's been willing to accept that ever since they became friends. Shouto's needs are always going to be put above his own desires, a decision he's never shared with anyone, but he hopes it's obvious enough in his willingness to serve.
He hears his name and he thinks, it's fine to call me Izuku, we're close, aren't we? A full year of Izuku standing at Shouto's side during all the times Endeavor's burnt a peace treaty. Izuku slowly learning just the way Shouto liked his tea and their companionable late night talks. But perhaps he's being too presumptuous. Maybe it's a closeness Shouto can't afford to acknowledge just yet.]
I'll continue to help you, whatever you ask.
[Another promise. Whatever happens, he'll be back to Shouto's side.]
no subject
Izuku might be an entertainer, but he's also more than that. He's the one person that can do this and it's because of who he is. The things he can do. And what he means to Shouto, himself.
He looks up at him from under his bangs, before lifting his head up properly. If you could stay, I'd ask that. If we could run away, I'd ask that.
There's much he can't ask of him. ]
Come back. [ But this, he'll let himself have. ]
no subject
There's no scenario where they could successfully run away. If they want this, they fight for it, a slow but steady rebellion by gathering up allies. And hopefully when all of this is done, Izuku gets to once again stand at Shouto's side as an ever steady presence.]
I will.
[It's a promise he fully intends to keep. Whatever happens, by the end of this month he'll be at Shouto's side once again.]
no subject
And that's a hero to the people, the way the daimyo is meant to be beneath he shogun's power. They fight for those that can't. They provide for those that need it.
So that's where they stand, now. And for as appealing the idea is, Shouto won't run. He'll send Izuku out into the world, and he'll build his side of the board up piece by piece. There will be no more burnt treaties. ]
That's all I want, then.
no subject
He gazes at Shouto for a long moment. This man who he's come to love after a year of working at his side, and quietly pledges that he'll never become someone Shouto loses. Slowly, silently, he'll become something more valuable, an unassuming pawn into a queen- a piece that can move where his king cannot.]
You'll be the first person I see when I return, Shouto-sama.
no subject
And he looks at the source right across from him. The piece that earns him ground every day, and is willing to do so much more for his sake. ]
Then we'd best send you on your way, so that you'll return sooner. [ With an alliance, ideally, but to have him back at all is enough for a selfish part of his heart. He has to remind it of their mission, their plan, the one they must ensure will come to fruition. ]
no subject
I believe the tea is finished.
[So he should prepare, is what he leaves unsaid. He's going to have a very busy month ahead of him. An alliance with Shouto's mother's clan... it's certainly doable, but it'll take time and effort on his part.]
no subject
It was strange to be anything, frankly, but apathetic and angry in turns. But now he knows there's more than that, as he looks at Midoriya Izuku and takes him in. His loyal friend and companion, so much more than a simple pawn. But no one else needs to know that, until it's too late. ]
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He bows to Shouto before starting to gather up the tea set, and getting up.]
I'll see you again.
[Maybe not as soon, but he certainly will. The queen protects his king after all. Not always directly, but he always will.]
no subject
He watches Izuku prepare to leave his room - prepare to leave, head to the north where the winters are colder and his mother's family rules over everything with ice quirks, helping their people like Endeavor was meant to but hasn't, truly, in years. Izuku will be able to travel easily, he thinks, with the promise of winter still a ways off, but he still worries. Still thinks more of when a month will come and pass, and Izuku will return, more than anything else.
So he looks up at him before he leaves the room, keen edges softened. ]
Travel safely, Izuku.
no subject
They're partners. Perhaps not equal yet, but certainly partners in this rebellion, the future leader of the clan and the piece that moves in his stead. He'll never leave his king, even as he travels across the field. He knows what all of this is for, and it's why he's so willing.
He raises his gaze and his smile up to Shouto. The last time in a long time that he'll be able to say this.]
I will. [He'll come back.] Be safe. [Be careful, Shouto. He's strong but the castle is dangerous- they both know it.
With that he's out the door, and preparing for tomorrow.]
you!!!
A month is a long time for him to do that, to keep his head down without appearing like he's up to something. Luckily, beligerence is something that many under Endeavor's allegiance have come to expect from him, so his general refusal to speak with them and the cold shoulder that he gives (both literally and figuratively) isn't something too out of the norm. The lip that he gives his father, too, although he does well to keep it within the usual register rather than pushing his luck or dulling those fangs of his.
But it's what Izuku wanted of him, wished of him. And if he remains safe, then he'll be there for Izuku to come back to.
But every day is longer than the next, in his opinion. Fuyumi can see the way it weighs on him when it's just the two of them settling in together in the afternoons, and knows that he misses the taikomochi terribly. Of course he does, though - he couldn't see him off, could only say goodbye the night before. And him sending letters, even unsigned, would ask for far more danger than either of them need when this is already so dangerous.
So to say that he counts down the days until a month has come would probably be an understatement, no matter how well he keeps it under wraps. ]
THIS IS THE HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY
It's another two weeks as he winds Todoroki's mother's clan around his fingers. The new head of the clan willing to listen to him when he means a plea on behalf of Shouto. And he notices when a few of their sons and daughters spare him a glance or two. He's plain, but he's skilled. When it comes to talking, people tend to listen. He's been in a great deal of courts, even before settling in Shouto's. He knows how this game is played.
If he has their attention, he makes a small suggestion. Plants it in their head and has them slowly agreeing to side with Shouto over his tyrant of a father.
It all goes well. That is, until he comes home. It's darker than he'd like, but it was a little safer to get home this way. Hopefully slipping quietly back into the Todoroki household with little fuss.
But a guard sees him- maybe doesn't recognize him, maybe he does. It's dark enough that he could claim either- and there's an arrow pierced through Izuku's right upper arm.
Adrenaline spikes. He doesn't feel the pain. He somehow manages he way to Shouto's room.
Shouto is there. Shouto is safe.
He manages a shaky smile.]
I'm home.
[The adrenaline high wears off. Izuku is left gritting his teeth in pain before sinking to his knees and passing out from the blood loss. The last thing he sees are Shouto's beautiful mismatched eyes.]
no subject
His father doesn't even notice that Izuku is gone, and he can't say that he's even remotely shocked by this, given how little he pays him any attention. Some of the people who act as his eyes and ears notice, and they harass his son a little. But Shouto stares at them mutely until they leave him be, and then goes to Fuyumi for some kind of council. He appreciates her presence more than anything, and while the kindest thing Todoroki Enji could do for her is ignore her, it makes it easier for his supposed masterpiece to find some peace and quiet while his closest companion is gone.
A month can't pass faster. He misses Izuku, misses his tea and his company and his smile. Misses when he laughs at some stupid, dry thing that Shouto says offhandedly. Misses his clever mind and soft eyes.
But when he made him promise that he would come home - come back to him - this was not what he wanted.
Shouto looks up when the door opens, expecting it to be a servant or his sister, maybe one of his brothers, but his eyes widen and his entire body goes cold when he sees blood - when he sees Izuku's blood, the shaft of the arrow stark where it's struck him. ]
Wh - [ I'm home.
He lunges up as Izuku's legs give out, scrambling along on his feet so that he can catch him before he hits the ground, his heart hammering where it's lodged in his throat. ] Izuku? Izuku!
[ All he can do is call for his sister, desperate in a way he hasn't been in years. They need to move him, they need to find out what's happened, they have to take care of him - Shouto can't lose him, he just can't -
And then he sees the familiar colors of the fletching, and the panic is joined by pure, furious rage. ]
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