Izuku was cute. Strange but adorable. Or so Shoto thinks as he listens to his best friend chatter happily to him about a new hero he found to day, the way he can't keep a smile off his face as he prattled on, how he keeps moving his hands despite his efforts to stop since he's trying to eat, how his bright emerald green eyes keep sparkling as he gets to the good part of what he's talking about, the soft cherry tint to his cheeks since he knows he's being embarrassing, talking so much about a hero when he's soon to be one. It's just so cute.

Shoto can't focus at all at what Izuku was saying but at the same time, he understands and memorises what he's saying, captivated by lips he wants nothing more but to lean into. Katsuki was on the other side of the table, picking on his food and their senpai, Eijirou was intently listening, seemingly happy to hear his Kouhai speak, Shoto couldn't blame him, his day would be made as long as Izuku speaks to him atleast once.

He's not sure if he truly loves Izuku, if this is just some weird, quick crush he has but Shoto decides, that for now, as he's completely captivated by his best friend's every move and every breathe and every word. For now, he's inlove with him, and he'll probably continue being inlove with him. It's just hard not to, Shoto doesn't know how his other classmates manage to keep neutral around this ball of sunshine and cuteness.

"U-Um sorry for talking for way too long but she's just so cool!" Izuku says, excited and embarrassed.

"It's-"

"It's fine Midoriya, we don't mind. It's good to know about heroes as they appear, maybe you'll be able to work with her one day." Shoto says, cutting of what Kirishima is about to say, his attention completely focused on Izuku. He fails to notice the sharp glint to his senpai's eyes as he stole Izuku's attention back.

"A-Ah is it really...?" Izuku asks, Shoto nods, a slight red to his cheek.

"I don't mind what you say, as long as you're the one saying it."

"Hm, really Todoroki-kun?"

"...Yeah. You can speak gibberish for an hour and I'll still listen. Your voice is pretty enough." There he says it, he can slowly feel his left side getting out of control as heat rises to his face, Izuku stills, red also staining his face before he giggles softly, a picture of innocence as he does.

"You're so silly! B-But um, t-thank you I guess." Izuku says, a bit shy before he stuffs rice into his mouth, looking away from him, only glancing back every now and then. Shoto does the same, continuing to eat but he just can't keep his eyes off Izuku.

Lunch soon sends, Izuku cleans up, saying good bye to his senpais before he left with Shoto.

"I feel like a third wheel." Kirishima pouts,

"Shut up, you're the one that wanted to sit with them despite knowing the kid's crush. The fuck were you expecting?"

"I don't know, teasing?"

"Go tease some other fucker Kouhai you have, god knows you have a shit ton of them."

"No way! Izuku's my cutest Kouhai, why would I want to tease anyone else?"

"Ugh can you not talk about Deku like that? You think you're the only one suffering? Deku's like my little brother, you think I like seeing some sentient candy cane try to get in his pants?"

"Do you?"

"Fuck no! The shit?!"

"Sorry, just asking!" Kirishima groans, "As much as I like seeing love bloom with our Kouhai's, it's just weird seeing little Izuku with someone else! I just... I feel overprotective, like I have to protect him, you know? He's too cute to be defiled!"

"Don't think about Deku being defiled then! What kind of weirdo are you- even if he does it's not your fucking business, you falling inlove or some shit too?!"

"I'm not! Can I not appreciate my Kouhai's cuteness without falling inlove?"

"You sound like a fucking creep."

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do- you just imagined Deku getting fucked!"

"I did not!" Kirishima whines, "believe me!"

"Fuck off, I'm leaving, asshole." Katsuki mutters, standing up and leaving, Kirishima groans before he walks after him.

Shinso stares, wondering if they forgot that he was sitting with them too.

The heck did he just hear?

____________________________

"Oi Deku, how's shit going with Icyhot?" Katsuki asks, genuinely curious.

"H-Huh?! W-Why are you asking me that?!" Izuku jolts, genuinely looking surprised. They were hanging out in Katsuki's room right now, Izuku always visits on Saturdays just to hang out or do nothing because his mom wants him to keep a stable relationship with his senpai and childhood friend.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed with how that piece of shit looks at you like how a dog looks at a piece of meat." Izuku turns a bit red, looking down.

"I-I mean... n-no one... no one has ever liked me in that way before so I'm... I'm really just confused about how to feel about all of this." Izuku said, his voice growing soft.

"Does the fucker have a chance or not?"

"I-I'm not sure if I'm ready for that sort of stuff yet, you know?" Izuku huffs, hugging his knees close to his chest, "I mean... there's someone else I like right now but now, I... I'm not sure if I want to give up on him yet." Katsuki blinks.

"Everyone knows you have a crush on Kirishima Deku, no need to fucking hide-"

"D-Don't say it too loud!" Izuku whines, "I mean... you're not wrong but-"

"Red head has been looking at Pinky for awhile now, just give it up." Izuku frowns, the one person he can't kill because he knows his senpai would be heartbroken for her.

"You know, it's better to go for someone who'll care for you instead of chasing someone who won't even look at you, I mean, not trying to be an asshole here but he has plenty of other Kouhai's but then again, we're not even sure if he likes people younger than him, even if by a year. Do you really want to keep chasing after your senpai just because he saved your sorry ass from a bully one time?"

Izuku pouts, remembering that memory so clear and well. He was in Junior high that time, Eijirou was in his 1st year in UA. The red head saved him from some rowdy kids in his class, thinking that they can beat him up and use him just because he's never used his quirk or showed that he has one, he woke up in his bed, the person apparently followed the address on his bag and carried him all the way home.

Izuku felt touched, it's the first time someone genuinely cared for him to help him ( well aside from Katsuki though the blond would never admit it ), and a stranger too. Izuku chattered all about it to Katsuki who recognized that story from a certain redhead and quickly got them to meet up. Izuku got to properly say his thanks though he was stuttering, flustered mess from it. Kirishima only laughed and told him that it's fine and that's what a hero would've done.

Izuku had no plans to be a hero, but he sure damn did after that. Eijirou senpai is the entire reason why he trained so hard to get into UA and why he keeps trying to stay, to be a good hero. To impress his senpai, is it really okay to throw that all away just because he started feeling funny because someone likes him in that way? For a friend that he broke bones over and all he got was a thank you back?

I mean don't get him wrong, Izuku doesn't regret doing that one bit, breaking Shoto out of his shell and getting him to use his fire was for his own sake as well, seeing someone give themselves a handicap like that is just pathetic, physically hurting him by how poor his reasoning for it as well. Ejirou senpai would never do something as stupid as that because he's strong and amazing and a good hero.

His plan was to convert Shoto into one of their cult members but getting to know Shoto more and spending some time with him, Izuku doesn't think there's a way to convert Shoto at all, well right now he does have one. Since Shoto likes him he can use that to convince him to get into the cult but he's not sure if he can have Shoto like his senpai the same way everyone else likes him since he already likes Izuku.

The quickest solution would be murder but not only is he the son of the number two hero, Izuku sort of got attached to him and doesn't want to let him go soon.

"I guess... um I can try? I don't see him more as a best friend right now but that might change." Izuku mumbles, "I feel like I'm betraying Eijirou-senpai though, the whole reason I'm there at UA was because of him after all..."

"Nah you think that piece of shit wants to see you whine over that? Go get what will make you happy, Kirishima sure as hell ain't gonna do that when he has pinky. And it's for the best anyways, you'll just be guilt tripping him into dating you, do you really want that?" Izuku immediately shakes his head. Biting his lip in guilt.

He prevented so many people from confessing to his senpai in any way possible, he never once stopped to think whether or not he was happy with what he was doing, he's done so much wrong for him and yet he hasn't stopped to think whether or not this is what his senpai would've wanted. Izuku felt his stomach drop, feeling uneasy and uncomfortable. We're all those things he done really worth it?

He would be happy to get into a relationship with his senpai but after that, what? Can he actually keep him happy when he had to kill people just to steal his attention away from them? Would he ever be good enough for someone like him? He'd have to force everything on him at the end of the day and there will be no real happiness in that kind of relationship, would there?

Even if it's with Eijirou, in the end, being in relationship would just be some random tag if the redhead didn't actually like him. He'll give him to Shinso or something but for now.

"Never mind, I think I'll try but... I'll wait for him to confess first." Katsuki seemed pleased.

"Good for you Deku."

"T-Thanks, Kacchan."