Archive of Our Own ^beta

Shoto first noticed the boy in the Sorting ceremony. 

“Izuku Midoirya, Gryffindor.” the voice had boomed throughout the dining hall. Shoto wasn’t sure why this boy had drawn his attention more than the rest. Perhaps it was the way his emerald eyes and unruly green hair seemed to directly contradict the maroon colors of his chosen house. Maybe it was the fact that the boy had gotten oddly emotional and teared up while still standing at the front of the line. Or perhaps the scene was memorable because a boisterous blonde had begun screeching menacingly at him for “bringing his worthless ass into his house” and the boy had simply responded to the insults with a gentle smile. 

Whatever the case was, Shoto now recognized the boy who was approaching him from across the Quidditch field and he could only hope it was a coincidence. He wasn’t in the mood for a conversation with some preppy Gryffindor. He never was. 

“H-hey there! You’re… Shoto Todoroki, right?”

Shoto sighed and dismounted his broom. Just my luck. 

“Yes.” he deadpanned. Midoriya waited in silence as if he were about to continue. He did not. 

“O-oh. Cool! S-so, I suppose I don’t know you that well. Or really… at all. B-but I was hoping I could ask for a favor? I-it’s fine if you say no, I’m sure it’s kind of weird for me to approach you like this but I couldn’t think of anything else and-” 

For a boy supposedly blessed with the heart of a lion, this freckled kid didn’t sound very confident. How annoying.

“Get to the point. What’s the favor?” He fixed the coldest gaze he could muster and met the wide eyes of the other boy, hoping he might back out. Instead, his demeanor switched from nervous to determined. The greenette held eye contact. Well, there you have it. Definitely a Gryffindor. 

“Teach me how to fly.” Shoto’s eyebrows shot up. 

“Sorry… what?” 

“I want to play Quidditch... no, I need to. But Madam Hooch’s classes are delayed for a month while she’s away from campus and I simply can’t wait that long.”

“Why in the world would I do that?” Shoto wasn’t sure what he had been expecting from the freckled boy but this was certainly not it. 

“You’re the best first year here… well other than Kacchan, but he’s a beater and I could never ask him. I can’t ask my seniors because they have different break times, plus none of them are particularly good seekers. So you’re my only option. Please?”  The courage was evidently fading away the more Midoriya rambled. 

“Why in the world would I train an opponent? If you become a formidable seeker, I would have trained the seeker who would best me. I’d be a fool.”

“Well… you’re right about that. So how about this? You don’t train me past the basics. Just teach me how to mount a broom and control it, I’ll learn everything else from there.”

“If that’s all you need then why not ask any other first year who can use a broom?”

“Because you’ve clearly got the best control here! I don’t need to learn faulty basics. I need to learn from the best to be the best.” God, was this kid determined. Shoto’s temples were beginning to hurt. It’s time to end this conversation. 

“Ignoring everything else, you’re a Gryffindor. I’m a Slytherin. It’s in our nature not to cooperate. My answer is still no.” He turned and leaped back onto the broomstick. 

“That’s a stupid excuse.”

What?

“Houses don’t matter. I honestly think it’a bit stupid we have these rivalries and labels. Your house doesn’t define your choices. So train me.”

Your house doesn’t define you.

“No, houses are important. I am loyal to Slytherin. I hardly know you. We shouldn’t even be talking.”

“I’m loyal to Gryffindor too! Obviously I want us to win house points. That doesn’t mean I can’t interact with you.”

“But you’re not just talking. You’re asking me to train you, which could potentially be detrimental to the success of my house. Just wait for Madame Hooch to come back and don’t bother me again.” With that, he jerked his broom and lifted up and away. 

Three days later, Shoto was surrounded by old wooden shelves that groaned under the slightest touch. He sat in a corner of the library, breathing in the ancient smell of A History of Magic. If anything could calm rigid existence, it was the presence of a fascinating book. 

Tap. Tap.

Red and white hair swished as Shoto jerked in place, surprised by the tapping at his shoulder. He turned around to face the perpetrator. Bicolored eyes met vibrant green. Him again. 

“D-do you mind if I sit here?” Shoto narrowed his eyes. 

“Are there no other spots?” The greenette flinched. 

“W-well… there are. But I-uh.. I wanted to ask you something?” 

“I already told you no. My answer isn’t going to change.”

“Well, yeah. I figured that much. B-but… could you at least give me pointers? Because I’ve looked through plenty of books...” he held up his arms to show a stack of books. Shoto regarded the pile. Quidditch Through the Ages. Broomsticks for Dummies. How to Take a Flying Start. The Secret Behind the Seeker. “... but between reading and actually getting a broom to obey, there seems to be a huge gap. I just keep failing and I don’t get why. So I figured I could ask for someone with practical experience?”

Now that he looked more carefully, he could see bandaids adorning the other boy’s freckled cheeks and poking out from his robes. He must’ve taken quite a nasty fall. Not my problem. 

“Once again, you could’ve chosen anyone else. Why are you really here?”

“U-uh, w-well.” he wrung his hands urgently, pointedly avoiding the heterochromic gaze before him. “Y-you just… looked kinda lonely too? Not that I’m assuming anything! But I never see you talk to anyone… not that I was watching you specifically. I watch everyone. W-wait, that sounds creepy too-”

“Midoriya, I… get it. You don’t seem like you’re lying. Well actually, I don’t entirely get it because me ‘looking lonely’ doesn’t explain why you felt the need to intervene. What if I enjoy solitude?”

“W-well forgive me for assuming again but you don’t… look particularly happy? So I figured I might try. I can leave you alone now if you want. Or keep you company. ”

Shoto waved a hand dismissively. The boy was right. In the first week of school, nearly every Slytherin had learned about Shoto’s father and had attempted to approach him, presumably to gain favors through his connections. He had turned them all down with a cold glare and minced words. Now, they avoided him like the plague. The solitude had been fine at first but now it was exhausting. Back at home, at least he could talk to Fuyumi. Here, he was truly alone. Until now. 

“You can sit here. Ask a couple questions, but don’t expect real lessons.” 

The smile that Midoriya returned at his response was nothing short of brilliant. 

“Todoroki-kun! Wait up!”

Shoto was startled from his soba daydreaming by a bright voice. 

“Midoriya. Couldn’t you wait for another time to interrogate me about Quidditch?” the freckled boy ignored his harsh tone. 

“Nope! I actually wanted to thank you. The way you described the broom, like an extension of yourself rather than some sort of item, was actually super helpful. I can fly now! Without falling!”

“I suppose I should accept your thanks but I may have created a future opponent.”

“Nah, no need to worry yet. I still have plenty of work to do. But it’s okay, I’ll keep training and I swear that by next month, I’ll be Gryffindor’s seeker.”

“That’s quite a bold statement. Why not wait to tryout next year when you’re more experienced?”

“Ah, that’s… let’s just say it took a lot for me to be able to come to Hogwarts, and I want to try my best while I’m here. My… guardian was a seeker once, starting his first year, so I’ve got to live up to his legacy!” 

“Legacy… huh.”

“Shoto! It is your duty to follow my footsteps during your time at Hogwarts. You will become the head of Slytherin, the best seeker, and use my connections to rise to the top of the Ministry. You will receive O.W.L’s in every subject. Become a Prefect and Headboy. Do not disappoint me.”

Leave it to Endeavor to sour my mood, even in absence.

“I quite honestly couldn’t care less about your intentions. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be heading to lunch now.” He brushed past the shorter boy, who appeared startled, but still persisted and caught up.

“Sorry, did I say something to offend you? If so, that certainly wasn’t my intention. Did it have something to do with the legacy thing?”

“Stop prying. My personal life is no concern of yours.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.”

“What the hell do you mean? Can’t you just leave me alone?”

“No, because I want to be your friend, and we were just starting to get along. I’ve said something to offend you and I promise that I won’t do it again, as long as you tell me what it was!”

Your friend. 

“A proper Slytherin needs no friends. Use your cunning to get ahead.”

Shoto hesitated. He certainly wasn’t in the mood to open up to his latest acquaintance, but he was always in the mood to defy his father. Pretty much every word Enji spouted was a load of bullshit. Perhaps he would give Midoriya a chance. Befriending a Gryffindor was the opposite of what he was expected to do. He led their walk into an empty corridor.

“Do you know who my father is?”

“No? Should I?”

“He’s Endeavor.” 

Midoriya was immediately silenced. Of course he knew who his father was. Everyone knew Enji Todoroki, the man dubbed Endeavor after he had ruthlessly risen the ranks of the ministry, constantly fighting to become Minister, and pursuing politics once considered taboo. The man never shied away from spewing bigoted remarks about half-bloods and Muggles, advocating for a “freer” wizarding world for those deemed pure. His policy proposals were essentially facism under a different name.

Midoriya seemed apprehensive. It dawned on Shoto that the other boy might think he shared the same views as his father, and he quickly proceeded to explain himself.

“Endeavor is a bastard.” The green-haired boy jumped.

“I don’t agree with a single word of what you hear him say on TV, in case you’re wondering. My existence is the product of a loveless marriage between a powerful witch and a power hungry man looking for a child to carry out his hopeless legacy. To claim the spot in the ministry that he never could. So when you speak of living up to a guardian’s ideals, I can’t help but feel disgusted. Does that explanation suffice?”

The talkative boy across from him was now gaping like a goldfish. As though he had words tumbling on the tip of his tongue that wouldn’t come out. Nice job, Shoto. You’ve pushed yet another person away. 

“I’m going to eat now. Goodbye.” he turned but felt himself pulled back by a firm grip on his wrist. 

“I… won’t say I’m sorry because that won’t solve anything and it’s clearly not what you want to hear. I just want to make it clear that knowing that doesn’t change my view of you. I still want to be your friend. And I still need help with Quidditch. If that’s okay with you.”

Shoto locked eyes with him and could’ve sworn he saw a blaze beneath his verdant irises. Slytherin are supposedly known for their ability to plan ahead, ready to respond with witty one-liners. Shoto was too stunned to live up to their reputation. 

“I… well. Okay. That’s fine.”

“Great!” 

Together, the pair walked to the dining hall. 

“Midoriya?” 

Shoto had emerged from the Slytherin common room around 6:30 in the morning to sneak in a bit of training before the big match next weekend. As he arrived on the practice field, he witnessed his Gryffindor friend zipping around in the foggy air. Midoriya had given him constant updates on his practice during their study sessions in the library and chats between class, but none of that could’ve prepared him for the sight before him. 

The boy positioned himself high in the air, level with the heads of gargoyles on the side of the building. He then appeared to procure a small object from his pocket, possibly a marble, and chucked it out. Surely he can’t catch that. It’s a ridiculous way to train. But as usual, the greenette was full of surprises. The seeker-in-training waited for a second, then proceeded to go straight into a nosedive. Shoto nearly felt his heart stop because no newbie should be attempting a stunt like that and oh my god he’s reaching the ground, when he watched his hands grip the broom harshly and jerk up, cutting off his previous momentum and hovering an arm width away from the marble. He caught it comfortably. 

“You’re a natural.” Midoriya's eyes shot up. It seemed they’d developed a habit of surprising each other. 

“T-Todoroki-kun! What are you doing here this morning? I guess that’s a stupid question, you’re here for the same reason as I am… wait did you say I’m a natural?”

It was always like this with Midoriya, each sentence a jumbled mess of thoughts. Shoto didn’t mind it at all. He found his voice pleasant, his thoughts refreshing. The greenette had grown on him quickly. 

“I certainly did. You’ve barely been flying for three weeks and you can already pull off a stunt like that? It’s impressive.” 

Midoriya ducked his head and smiled shyly at the broom below him. 

“Oh.. well thank you, Todoroki-kun! I was wondering… if you’d like to train together this morning? I know you said you wouldn’t help me in practice but… that was a while ago. Are you willing to reconsider?” 

Now Midoriya was staring straight at him with his ridiculously large eyes. It was like a bunny asking for a treat. You could never deny something so adorable. Wait what? Adorable? Shoto wasn’t sure when he started associating that word with Midoriya but he supposed it was a bit odd to think of a friend that way. Oh well. 

“Well now that I’m fairly certain you’re not just using me to learn how to play Quidditch I suppose I could help you. Find my rival’s weaknesses and all that.”

“Hey! Don’t call me that! We’re not in a match right now so none of that rival stuff. We’re just training as friends, right?”

Friends will do you no good in the ministry. People are to be used to call in favors. Otherwise, they are to be ignored. Don’t distract yourself with trivial matters, Shoto. 

“Yes, let’s train together. As friends.”

Two hands stretched out into the open air, reaching for a speck of gold. The smaller hand closed firmly around the wings of the Snitch and for a moment, the lack of buzzing left the world silenced. Shoto gawked helplessly at the sight before him. Midoriya seemed to glow beneath the sun, sparkles dancing his wet eyes. Shoto couldn’t find the energy within him to be upset about loosing. He was enamored. 

In the single moment of lovesick hesitation, Shoto had forgotten to jerk back. The two collided fiercely, loosening both of their grips on their respective broomsticks and sending them straight towards the ground.

“Midoriya captures the Snitch! Gryffindor wins the match!” Professor Mic’s voice screeched throughout the speakers.

“Him and the Slytherin seeker are taking quite the tumble, though. Someone help!”

The wind whistled past Shoto’s ears while he frantically grasped the handle to push the broom beneath his weight.

“Shit! I didn’t pull back. Sorry!” Shoto spoke frantically while swinging his feet into place. 

“You can apologize when we’re not fifty feet in the air! Help!” Midoriya yelled back. The collision had shifted him completely off his broom, save for one leg still hooked around the wooden handle. His green hair was outstretched toward the ground while he fell upside down. In summary, he looked ridiculous. 40 feet from the ground. 

Shoto suppressed the urge to laugh and zipped beneath him to catch a shoulder and pull his body above the broom. Clearly, he underestimated the muscle weight of the other boy, because the added weight left his own broom wrestling his grip in protest. 30 feet.

Midoriya wound his right arm tightly around his side for support and used the other to stabilize upon his own handle. 20 feet.

The pair attempted to untangle but the robes kept Midoriya’s arm in place.10 feet.

Both of them realized untangling was hopeless and instead opted to pull up to break the fall. Landing.

They crashed harshly tumbling off their brooms in an awkward heap of robes and broom bristles. Midoriya’s arm was still caught underneath his waist. 

Shoto rolled to the side, sliding off his robe to give the frazzled greenette and opportunity to unravel. Midoriya swayed as he sat up. He looked down at Shoto and began to snicker, then burst into a full blown laugh. The supposedly untouchable Todoroki Shoto, was now a mess of dirt and tangled red and white hair. Shoto’s vision was swimming, but he could still make out Midoriya’s iconic broccoli hair, which now sported a topping of dead grass. He burst out laughing as well. 

“I never should have said a word about Quidditch to you. You’ve made a fool of both of us.” Shoto wheezed out. 

Midoriya responded between giggles. 

“Don’t... pretend like that wasn’t at least a little thrilling. Sure.... we took a fall, but you also pulled off a masterful.... rescue. I was totally upside down, I could’ve died.” 

“Maybe I should’ve let you. I feel like I got hit by a truck.”

“Don’t be like that, I know you appreciate me. Just a little. Deep down.” Shoto was too woozy to think before he spoke. 

“No, not just a little. I like you a lot. And not just as a friend. You’re my favorite person here, Izuku.”

Izuku's dirt-stained cheeks flushed. Shoto shot up to a seated position, belatedly realizing the implications of what he said. 

“T-thanks T-Todoroki-kun. Shouto-kun? I- uh. I- feel the s-same way, I… l-ike you a lot t-”

Wind rustled past the two of them and black boots landed harshly on the ground. 

“Shut the fuck up, lovebirds. Save your confessions for later. Hand over the snitch, Deku.”

Spectacularly, Midoriya managed to flush even brighter than before, his face now reminiscent of a strawberry. Cute. 

“Oh my god! Right! Sorry, Kacchan!” He proceeded to hold out his right arm and unravel the green robes wrapped around it, revealing the small golden ball. Both teams had now landed in a circle around the pair.

“Fuck yeah!” exclaimed the spiky haired blond, snatching the object and holding it high in the air. 

The rest of the red and gold team behind him cheered, and several smacked encouragement on the dazed boy’s shoulder. The rest proceeded to pick him up off the ground, chanting praises. Midoriya glanced back with a shy wave, and Todoroki returned it. The roar of the stadium was deafening, but all Shoto could hear was Midoriya’s words in his head. I feel the same way. 

He turned to face his own team, unsure of what to say. 

“Sorry?”

There was no way his apology looked genuine. His lips weren’t cooperating, and a soft smile remained on his face.

Some glared at him, others looked sympathetic. Shoto couldn’t care less about what they thought. After all, he would lose a Snitch any day if it meant catching Midoriya’s heart.