Did Touya really think that?
Tenko’s world seemed to slow to a crawl as he took in the praise. He’d never been told that he was amazing before. Hardworking, sure. Foolhardy, yeah. But amazing..? Never. No one but his best friend had ever called him that. It had blood rushing to his face, the normally pale man almost resembling a ripe peach. The warmth that had been slowly creeping through his chest now seemed to comprise his body entirely. Tenko’s fingertips and toes were buzzing with it, his stomach frizzling like he’d swallowed a firecracker.
It took a moment more to find the courage to look up again, his heart aching at the sight of tears on Touya’s cheeks. Seeing him cry had always hurt Tenko’s heart, but even more so at this moment. Was Touya so convinced that he wouldn’t love him?
...Did he love him..?
The answer came in a rush of cherished memories, as if his heart had been compiling evidence against him his whole life.
They had both had a day off, a month or so back, and ended up on the couch watching movies together, making fun of the romantic leads and plot holes. Tenko said he wasn’t that hungry, but kept stealing pieces of popcorn from Touya. Eventually, he fell asleep against the other man. The press of a shoulder against his cheek was the part he remembered the best, the warmth of solid muscle under non-flammable material. Waking up in his own bed, wrapped up in his blankets, had felt like a bit of a disappointment... He’d quickly quashed that feeling, refusing to acknowledge it.
When they were just starting as Pro Heros, there had been a cold windy day while they were on patrol. Due to the nature of his quirk, Tenko’s gloves couldn’t save all of his fingers from the chill. He’d grit his teeth and bore the wind nipping at his dry, chapped skin… Until he ended up placing them on Touya, pressed against the other hero’s warm back with chattering teeth. He didn’t remember whatever playful insult the man had likely tossed at him, but he remembered how nice it had felt, being that close to him, and how he’d kept up using the man as his personal heater whenever he got the chance.
Buried deep down was the memory of the time he’d tried to make Touya chocolate for Valentine’s. He’d wanted to do something, and surely it wasn't too weird to give something like that to his best friend... His denial had been so strong, even back then. Sadly, there was a reason Tenko didn’t do the cooking even now. The candy had come out bitter and crumbly after working on it for hours; it was nearly inedible and looked more like a spikey blob than the flames he'd wanted it to resemble. Tenko had been so frustrated, enough to scrap the idea entirely and toss the failure into the dorm kitchen’s trash. He’d felt as bitter as his creation the next day, watching Touya receive all those well-made candies...
In retrospect... he’d been jealous.
Maybe that was why he’d never really liked Touya’s relationships, either. Each time, he had felt like the third person was a wall being built between the two of them. Not that he’d ever said so. Telling Touya he didn’t like them would have been such a shitty thing to do… Tenko had pushed away the selfish feelings as much as he could and had tried to be supportive of Touya’s partners.
Tenko had always wanted Touya to find someone he loved.
And it seemed… He’d been yearning to be that for him, deep down.
He… He loved him. He’d loved him all this time, in so many ways, but had been too sure that Touya was too far above him to ever allow himself to even think about it. Like he was an insect that loved the sun.
Only, it turned out, the sun had shared that feeling.
The world came back to him as the man he loved wiped at his own eyes, Tenko, as always, moving before thinking. A gloved hand came to rest against the man’s cheek, pinky, ring, and middle fingers curled away. One could always tell how much he cared for something by how few deadly fingers he let touch it. Gently, he urged the man to look up and meet his eyes.
“Yeah… You are an idiot.” He whispered, the barest hint of a nervous smile on his face, thumb brushing away the remains of tears Tenko never wanted to see shed ever again. “A-and I guess since I love you… That makes me one, too.”
A Different Path
-
TiredLesbian
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2021 2:45 pm
Re: A Different Path
As he pictured his entire world coming down around him, floods of memories involving the other man came to him all at once. Memories he cherished and held dear to him, ones that he never wanted to forget for as long as he lived, however long that would be in his line of work.
It had been one of the countless times Tenko had come over for dinner at the Todoroki household. Everyone was done with dinner, the two men were in the kitchen doing the dishes so Rei or Fuyumi wouldn't have to do them. They were casually talking, with both of them dressed up nicely for the occasion. Turns out Touya's shirt had been untucked and apparently it had bothered Tenko, so much that the other felt the need to tuck it back in. Some people would've found it to be just a meaningless gesture, but Touya had smiled to himself, quietly appreciating everything the other did for him, even if it was just tucking in his shirt.
Due to their kind of shitty apartment building, the heat often went out in the unit during the winter. Which was unfortunate of course, mostly for Tenko. He knew how cold the other got, which is why he never protested during the times when he'd come crawl in bed with him when the heat would be out. After all, Touya was much warmer than normal people due to the nature of his quirk, so he made for the perfect space heater of sorts. He always found himself enjoying these moments, even if they were strictly platonic at the time. It was nice, having Tenko wrap his arms around him just because he could provide warmth to him.
Even if Tenko didn't feel the same, he'd always hold those memories close to him.
Touya didn't even realize he'd leaned into Tenko's touch when the other came to put his hand on his cheek, taking a quiet moment to appreciate the other wiping his tears. Teary blue eyes met red, heart seeming to stop for a moment at his first words. So he was an idiot. Even Tenko thought so, he said it out loud. But his breath caught in his throat at the rest of the sentence, eyes widening slightly.
There was no way. He had to be dreaming, because there was no way that Tenko "Dust" Shimura just told him that he loved him back. Touya's expression turned to a somewhat shocked one, not knowing how to feel. He was elated on one hand, but at the same time, deep down he felt like Tenko was lying. Which is bad of him to say, considering he knew that Tenko didn't lie to him unless he had a damn good reason to. But slowly, he assured himself that he wasn't being fucked with, a small, soft smile coming to his face.
"You better not be fucking with me, Tenko.." He said, voice barely above a whisper since the other was so close. "If you are, so help me god I'll kill you. It's not funny. But...if you're not fucking with me...I guess you are an idiot too then. I've fucking loved you for years, I just never had the guts to tell you. Always figured you didn't feel the same way about me." He gave a small laugh, proceeding. "I tried so hard to get over you over the years, I even tried dating other people but that didn't work. It's always been you, Tenko."
It had been one of the countless times Tenko had come over for dinner at the Todoroki household. Everyone was done with dinner, the two men were in the kitchen doing the dishes so Rei or Fuyumi wouldn't have to do them. They were casually talking, with both of them dressed up nicely for the occasion. Turns out Touya's shirt had been untucked and apparently it had bothered Tenko, so much that the other felt the need to tuck it back in. Some people would've found it to be just a meaningless gesture, but Touya had smiled to himself, quietly appreciating everything the other did for him, even if it was just tucking in his shirt.
Due to their kind of shitty apartment building, the heat often went out in the unit during the winter. Which was unfortunate of course, mostly for Tenko. He knew how cold the other got, which is why he never protested during the times when he'd come crawl in bed with him when the heat would be out. After all, Touya was much warmer than normal people due to the nature of his quirk, so he made for the perfect space heater of sorts. He always found himself enjoying these moments, even if they were strictly platonic at the time. It was nice, having Tenko wrap his arms around him just because he could provide warmth to him.
Even if Tenko didn't feel the same, he'd always hold those memories close to him.
Touya didn't even realize he'd leaned into Tenko's touch when the other came to put his hand on his cheek, taking a quiet moment to appreciate the other wiping his tears. Teary blue eyes met red, heart seeming to stop for a moment at his first words. So he was an idiot. Even Tenko thought so, he said it out loud. But his breath caught in his throat at the rest of the sentence, eyes widening slightly.
There was no way. He had to be dreaming, because there was no way that Tenko "Dust" Shimura just told him that he loved him back. Touya's expression turned to a somewhat shocked one, not knowing how to feel. He was elated on one hand, but at the same time, deep down he felt like Tenko was lying. Which is bad of him to say, considering he knew that Tenko didn't lie to him unless he had a damn good reason to. But slowly, he assured himself that he wasn't being fucked with, a small, soft smile coming to his face.
"You better not be fucking with me, Tenko.." He said, voice barely above a whisper since the other was so close. "If you are, so help me god I'll kill you. It's not funny. But...if you're not fucking with me...I guess you are an idiot too then. I've fucking loved you for years, I just never had the guts to tell you. Always figured you didn't feel the same way about me." He gave a small laugh, proceeding. "I tried so hard to get over you over the years, I even tried dating other people but that didn't work. It's always been you, Tenko."
Re: A Different Path
Tenko's eyes narrowed a little.
“Since when would I fuck with you about something like this? Do I look like some prank-happy asshole? This is important, I wouldn’t lie about how I feel about you.”
Tenko looked deep into Touya’s eyes, almost daring him to accuse him of such a thing again. He made it a point not to lie to Touya, about anything. He was his oldest, best friend, his… His crush.
As if he’d only just remembered what he was in the middle of confessing to, the hero’s gaze quickly dropped to the floor. His hand strayed down from Touya’s face to his shoulder, staying there for just a moment before Tenko took it back, keeping it against his own chest.
“Years..?” Tenko worried at his lip, the taste of coffee and sweetness lingering on his tongue. “I… I think I have too. You… You remember in our third year when those guys found um. That. Candy in the trash..? And they kept taking turns seeing how much of it they could eat..?” They’d made horrible faces from the bitterness and texture, which had just bruised Tenko’s pride all over again. “I was the one that made it. I wanted to give you Valentine’s chocolates, but they came out all wrong so I... threw it away and gave up.” He confessed. “I think I must have loved you then, maybe even before that. I didn’t let myself even entertain it, I was so sure you’d never…”
Tenko trailed off, letting out a soft breath.
“... But you did, all along…” A soft chuckle rang out between them. “We really are perfect for each other. A pair of pining morons.”
That likely explained why Tenko had never felt comfortable when other people had confessed to him. Well, the years-long pining, and likely also the only dating experience he’d ever had, back in their second year of high school together.
Near the end of the semester, a girl from class had started hanging out around him and Touya. She was nice enough, so Tenko had thought nothing of it past the opportunity to make a new friend... Until the day came that she made her move. It had been right before class. Tenko’d scooted his chair over to Touya’s desk so they could talk about their weekend plans- and she’d come up suddenly, and leaned her elbows on the desk. Tenko remembered so clearly how she’d looked Touya up and down, before turning to him and loudly asking him on a date that weekend. The whole class erupted in hushed, excited whispers that Tenko could barely hear over the blood rushing to his ears. He’d felt everyone’s eyes on him, all those expectant stares… It hadn’t felt like he could say no.
The ‘relationship’ had been doomed right from the start.
Tenko wasn’t sure if it was because she was shy, or didn’t feel safe alone with him, but she always insisted that Touya come along if they went somewhere- not that Tenko minded, he was always happy to be around his friend. There was also how she’d always wanted to cling to him and hold hands, which he wasn’t really comfortable with. Physical contact was very touch and go with him, even now. She’d often complained loudly that he wouldn’t hold her hand to whoever was around, unsatisfied when he tried to apologize and explain. Eventually, since he wouldn’t offer, she’d taken to grabbing his hands when he wasn’t paying attention. That had led to more than one panic attack on Tenko’s end. His hands were dangerous, his touch killed, he didn’t want to hurt anyone else-
As far as he could tell, that was what ended it. All because he couldn’t hold her how she wanted... Unwittingly, Tenko had internalized that hard. No one would ever be happy in a relationship with him, because of his hands and their inherently dangerous nature. Who would want a boyfriend that was afraid to hold hands, or cuddle..? Who couldn’t touch without gloves covering half his fingers? Who could slip up and end a life in seconds?
The man standing in front of him, apparently.
Touya... had never shirked from his touch. He’d trusted him enough to let Tenko fix his clothes, climb in bed with him, and support him when he was hurt. He’d even leaned into it, just moments ago.
Tenko finally managed to meet the gaze of his oldest friend, heart pounding so loudly he was sure Touya could hear it.
He summoned up all of his courage, leaning just that little bit closer, just enough that he could press his lips to Touya's... Or to almost do so, before chickening out and kissing the corner of his mouth instead.
Sure, he could run into a crumbling building with no problem, but kissing tripped him up...
The hero pulled back slowly, eyes darting back and forth between the other man's.
“It’s always been you for me too. I... love you Touya.”
“Since when would I fuck with you about something like this? Do I look like some prank-happy asshole? This is important, I wouldn’t lie about how I feel about you.”
Tenko looked deep into Touya’s eyes, almost daring him to accuse him of such a thing again. He made it a point not to lie to Touya, about anything. He was his oldest, best friend, his… His crush.
As if he’d only just remembered what he was in the middle of confessing to, the hero’s gaze quickly dropped to the floor. His hand strayed down from Touya’s face to his shoulder, staying there for just a moment before Tenko took it back, keeping it against his own chest.
“Years..?” Tenko worried at his lip, the taste of coffee and sweetness lingering on his tongue. “I… I think I have too. You… You remember in our third year when those guys found um. That. Candy in the trash..? And they kept taking turns seeing how much of it they could eat..?” They’d made horrible faces from the bitterness and texture, which had just bruised Tenko’s pride all over again. “I was the one that made it. I wanted to give you Valentine’s chocolates, but they came out all wrong so I... threw it away and gave up.” He confessed. “I think I must have loved you then, maybe even before that. I didn’t let myself even entertain it, I was so sure you’d never…”
Tenko trailed off, letting out a soft breath.
“... But you did, all along…” A soft chuckle rang out between them. “We really are perfect for each other. A pair of pining morons.”
That likely explained why Tenko had never felt comfortable when other people had confessed to him. Well, the years-long pining, and likely also the only dating experience he’d ever had, back in their second year of high school together.
Near the end of the semester, a girl from class had started hanging out around him and Touya. She was nice enough, so Tenko had thought nothing of it past the opportunity to make a new friend... Until the day came that she made her move. It had been right before class. Tenko’d scooted his chair over to Touya’s desk so they could talk about their weekend plans- and she’d come up suddenly, and leaned her elbows on the desk. Tenko remembered so clearly how she’d looked Touya up and down, before turning to him and loudly asking him on a date that weekend. The whole class erupted in hushed, excited whispers that Tenko could barely hear over the blood rushing to his ears. He’d felt everyone’s eyes on him, all those expectant stares… It hadn’t felt like he could say no.
The ‘relationship’ had been doomed right from the start.
Tenko wasn’t sure if it was because she was shy, or didn’t feel safe alone with him, but she always insisted that Touya come along if they went somewhere- not that Tenko minded, he was always happy to be around his friend. There was also how she’d always wanted to cling to him and hold hands, which he wasn’t really comfortable with. Physical contact was very touch and go with him, even now. She’d often complained loudly that he wouldn’t hold her hand to whoever was around, unsatisfied when he tried to apologize and explain. Eventually, since he wouldn’t offer, she’d taken to grabbing his hands when he wasn’t paying attention. That had led to more than one panic attack on Tenko’s end. His hands were dangerous, his touch killed, he didn’t want to hurt anyone else-
As far as he could tell, that was what ended it. All because he couldn’t hold her how she wanted... Unwittingly, Tenko had internalized that hard. No one would ever be happy in a relationship with him, because of his hands and their inherently dangerous nature. Who would want a boyfriend that was afraid to hold hands, or cuddle..? Who couldn’t touch without gloves covering half his fingers? Who could slip up and end a life in seconds?
The man standing in front of him, apparently.
Touya... had never shirked from his touch. He’d trusted him enough to let Tenko fix his clothes, climb in bed with him, and support him when he was hurt. He’d even leaned into it, just moments ago.
Tenko finally managed to meet the gaze of his oldest friend, heart pounding so loudly he was sure Touya could hear it.
He summoned up all of his courage, leaning just that little bit closer, just enough that he could press his lips to Touya's... Or to almost do so, before chickening out and kissing the corner of his mouth instead.
Sure, he could run into a crumbling building with no problem, but kissing tripped him up...
The hero pulled back slowly, eyes darting back and forth between the other man's.
“It’s always been you for me too. I... love you Touya.”
-
TiredLesbian
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2021 2:45 pm
Re: A Different Path
Touya looked a bit surprised upon learning that the bitter chocolate from their third year had been made by none other than Tenko. He remembered it so clearly, having watched the whole thing go down with half of their class in the dorm kitchen. The boys poked fun at the chocolate and made nasty faces while they tried to eat it. Touya had never been much of a bully in highschool, so he'd only rolled his eyes at their childishness. He never had any idea who it was made by. Until now, that is. He thought the gesture was sweet though, that Tenko had tried his best to make him something.
It made him remember his own Valentine's day efforts, but instead of trying to make chocolate for the other, he'd always decided to share his spoils from the day with Tenko. They'd sit in one of their dorm rooms either studying or just hanging out while eating the chocolate, and Touya always viewed it as his own way of giving Tenko something without saying anything.
He couldn't help but give his own quiet chuckle and nod at Tenko's observation. "Yeah, we are. I feel so fucking dumb for not telling you before this. Guess I just needed to reach a breaking point to finally confessed."
Touya clearly remembered the girl that Tenko had dated briefly. He thought about her often, actually, always wondering how someone could be so hateful as to date someone to get close to someone else. Of course he was jealous of her from the start, just because she was dating Tenko, but eventually he found himself not liking her for different reasons. He'd noticed it over time, really. She'd ask for Touya to go places with them, she was always extra grabby with Tenko, something he knew the other male didn't like, hell- she gave him panic attacks over it. It made Touya not like her even more.
He also remembered the day she'd approached him after class. By then, he'd already known she didn't care about Tenko, and figured she was being manipulative and only dated his friend to get close to Touya. Which was just about the shittiest thing you could do in Touya's book. She'd asked him if he could come with Tenko and her somewhere, to which he'd replied: "Look. I know what you're doing. You're not really interested in him, it's obvious. You're not my type. So unless you actually do care about Tenko, you better get lost."
And next thing he knew, the relationship was over.
Part of him was happy it was over, but the other part of him felt bad for ending his best friends relationship. He remembered that Tenko had taken it hard, and he felt bad about it for a while, but Touya knew it was for the best.
The hero couldn't help but lean forward once he noticed Tenko was doing so, expecting a kiss, but instead simply got a small kiss on the corner of his mouth. Not that he was complaining at all. He smiled, not wanting to make Tenko feel as if he had to do anything he didn't want to, choosing not to comment on the kiss. Instead, he pressed a kiss to the other's forehead, before pulling back to look the other in the eyes.
"I love you too. So much. I always have. But does this mean we're... together?" He asked, uncertain, not knowing how you went from confessing to your best friend to whatever came next.
It made him remember his own Valentine's day efforts, but instead of trying to make chocolate for the other, he'd always decided to share his spoils from the day with Tenko. They'd sit in one of their dorm rooms either studying or just hanging out while eating the chocolate, and Touya always viewed it as his own way of giving Tenko something without saying anything.
He couldn't help but give his own quiet chuckle and nod at Tenko's observation. "Yeah, we are. I feel so fucking dumb for not telling you before this. Guess I just needed to reach a breaking point to finally confessed."
Touya clearly remembered the girl that Tenko had dated briefly. He thought about her often, actually, always wondering how someone could be so hateful as to date someone to get close to someone else. Of course he was jealous of her from the start, just because she was dating Tenko, but eventually he found himself not liking her for different reasons. He'd noticed it over time, really. She'd ask for Touya to go places with them, she was always extra grabby with Tenko, something he knew the other male didn't like, hell- she gave him panic attacks over it. It made Touya not like her even more.
He also remembered the day she'd approached him after class. By then, he'd already known she didn't care about Tenko, and figured she was being manipulative and only dated his friend to get close to Touya. Which was just about the shittiest thing you could do in Touya's book. She'd asked him if he could come with Tenko and her somewhere, to which he'd replied: "Look. I know what you're doing. You're not really interested in him, it's obvious. You're not my type. So unless you actually do care about Tenko, you better get lost."
And next thing he knew, the relationship was over.
Part of him was happy it was over, but the other part of him felt bad for ending his best friends relationship. He remembered that Tenko had taken it hard, and he felt bad about it for a while, but Touya knew it was for the best.
The hero couldn't help but lean forward once he noticed Tenko was doing so, expecting a kiss, but instead simply got a small kiss on the corner of his mouth. Not that he was complaining at all. He smiled, not wanting to make Tenko feel as if he had to do anything he didn't want to, choosing not to comment on the kiss. Instead, he pressed a kiss to the other's forehead, before pulling back to look the other in the eyes.
"I love you too. So much. I always have. But does this mean we're... together?" He asked, uncertain, not knowing how you went from confessing to your best friend to whatever came next.
Re: A Different Path
The press of warm lips against Tenko’s forehead had red eyes slipping closed, his good hand reaching out to tangle in the bottom of Touya’s shirt unthinkingly. Once he realized, there was a quick moment of panic before Tenko managed to calm himself. He had his gloves on, and Touya trusted him.
Touya wasn’t afraid of his hands.
His fingers, two bared and two gloved, gripped the material tight as if to keep the other man close to him. It was quite reminiscent of those cold nights he’d spent in Touya’s bed, arms- and sometimes legs- wrapped around him like a clingy leech. Now that he knew his own feelings, remembering how often he’d done that made his stomach flutter… Especially when he remembered those lazy mornings where he’d wake up with his face pressed up against his roommate’s back, breathing in a scent wholly Touya.
It reminded him of days hanging out in his friend’s dorm room, relaxing or studying together, and usually slowly making their way through Touya’s sugary horde...
The soft memories were terribly precious to him.
Speaking of soft, it was kind of amazing how soft all of Touya’s shirts felt, even being made of special non-flammable material. It was kind of important that they didn’t catch fire when the man wearing them had a tendency to combust… Tenko could remember more than one occasion where less prepared clothing had ended up as burnt scraps when something set Touya off, often his uniform at UA. Not that Tenko could exactly blame him- he’d had his share of shirts and pants ending up decayed when he wasn’t careful enough. Not to mention parts of mattresses and pillows. Glove training had been the proposed solution, and these days the man always had a pair on.
Most of Tenko’s shirts these days were other Pro Hero's merchandise. There were All-Might shirts, of course, a couple of well-worn Eraserhead shirts, just about every Pheonix shirt that had been made, and any others that he'd worked with or knew of. He even had one with Shoto’s name on it- Fuyumi had made the whole family shirts to cheer Shoto on during the Sports Festival. Tenko still wore it around casually, embarrassing the youngest Todoroki whenever he saw it.
The only hero that he pointedly did not own a shirt for… Was the number two hero, and Touya’s own father.
Endeavor.
Just as Tenko had shared what family secrets he could remember with Touya… Touya had told him the secret of the Todoroki household. How Touya’s father had discouraged him. How he’d secluded Shoto away from the rest of the family and so _ruthlessly_ trained him, even when he was just a small child… Tenko had been so shocked, so angry and so _hurt_ that anyone would have told Touya that he couldn’t be a hero when it was all he’d desired. Learning about it brought a wave of deep, dark anger out of him that only seemed to sharpen each time he saw the pro hero.
Tenko loved the Todorokis, but he did not love Endeavor. There was no redemption for the man, in his eyes, no matter what he did to ‘fix' things. The rest of the family might forgive him, eventually… But as far as Tenko was concerned, the man had dug his own grave and he would be happy to throw in the first shovelful of dirt.
Sometimes it seemed too familiar, too close to something he couldn’t grasp like a half-remembered nightmare. He could almost hear someone telling him he couldn’t be a hero and a sharp pain against his cheek... It always went as fast as it came, and left him reeling...
Touya’s question had Tenko’s mind blanking, a hopeful sort of weightlessness spreading through him, banishing away the dark shadows of his thoughts. He was just as unsure as Touya, floundering a little bit… But he _did_ want this. He wanted to be together, whatever that entailed. Tenko swallowed, trying to make his mouth and brain work together.
“I think so. If you want to be?” The hero's voice was soft, edged with uncertainty and longing. “I don’t really know how this works, but. I guess we. Are... we boyfriends now?”
Tenko cringed inwardly at how… Middle school that sounded, as if he was passing Touya a note with the question and little boxes next to the answers ‘yes’ and ‘no.’
“I’d like to be. I’d really like to be.” He furthered, pushing through his own embarrassment to get it out there.
Touya wasn’t afraid of his hands.
His fingers, two bared and two gloved, gripped the material tight as if to keep the other man close to him. It was quite reminiscent of those cold nights he’d spent in Touya’s bed, arms- and sometimes legs- wrapped around him like a clingy leech. Now that he knew his own feelings, remembering how often he’d done that made his stomach flutter… Especially when he remembered those lazy mornings where he’d wake up with his face pressed up against his roommate’s back, breathing in a scent wholly Touya.
It reminded him of days hanging out in his friend’s dorm room, relaxing or studying together, and usually slowly making their way through Touya’s sugary horde...
The soft memories were terribly precious to him.
Speaking of soft, it was kind of amazing how soft all of Touya’s shirts felt, even being made of special non-flammable material. It was kind of important that they didn’t catch fire when the man wearing them had a tendency to combust… Tenko could remember more than one occasion where less prepared clothing had ended up as burnt scraps when something set Touya off, often his uniform at UA. Not that Tenko could exactly blame him- he’d had his share of shirts and pants ending up decayed when he wasn’t careful enough. Not to mention parts of mattresses and pillows. Glove training had been the proposed solution, and these days the man always had a pair on.
Most of Tenko’s shirts these days were other Pro Hero's merchandise. There were All-Might shirts, of course, a couple of well-worn Eraserhead shirts, just about every Pheonix shirt that had been made, and any others that he'd worked with or knew of. He even had one with Shoto’s name on it- Fuyumi had made the whole family shirts to cheer Shoto on during the Sports Festival. Tenko still wore it around casually, embarrassing the youngest Todoroki whenever he saw it.
The only hero that he pointedly did not own a shirt for… Was the number two hero, and Touya’s own father.
Endeavor.
Just as Tenko had shared what family secrets he could remember with Touya… Touya had told him the secret of the Todoroki household. How Touya’s father had discouraged him. How he’d secluded Shoto away from the rest of the family and so _ruthlessly_ trained him, even when he was just a small child… Tenko had been so shocked, so angry and so _hurt_ that anyone would have told Touya that he couldn’t be a hero when it was all he’d desired. Learning about it brought a wave of deep, dark anger out of him that only seemed to sharpen each time he saw the pro hero.
Tenko loved the Todorokis, but he did not love Endeavor. There was no redemption for the man, in his eyes, no matter what he did to ‘fix' things. The rest of the family might forgive him, eventually… But as far as Tenko was concerned, the man had dug his own grave and he would be happy to throw in the first shovelful of dirt.
Sometimes it seemed too familiar, too close to something he couldn’t grasp like a half-remembered nightmare. He could almost hear someone telling him he couldn’t be a hero and a sharp pain against his cheek... It always went as fast as it came, and left him reeling...
Touya’s question had Tenko’s mind blanking, a hopeful sort of weightlessness spreading through him, banishing away the dark shadows of his thoughts. He was just as unsure as Touya, floundering a little bit… But he _did_ want this. He wanted to be together, whatever that entailed. Tenko swallowed, trying to make his mouth and brain work together.
“I think so. If you want to be?” The hero's voice was soft, edged with uncertainty and longing. “I don’t really know how this works, but. I guess we. Are... we boyfriends now?”
Tenko cringed inwardly at how… Middle school that sounded, as if he was passing Touya a note with the question and little boxes next to the answers ‘yes’ and ‘no.’
“I’d like to be. I’d really like to be.” He furthered, pushing through his own embarrassment to get it out there.
-
TiredLesbian
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2021 2:45 pm
Re: A Different Path
All Touya had wanted when he was growing up was to be a hero like his dad. It was all he'd wanted, the only thing that had mattered to him at that age was becoming a hero. His dad was an amazing hero, Endeavor. He saved people, helped people, did great things. But that dream shattered the day his father told him he couldn't do it.
His body was weak from the start. His father knew that. His flames were too hot for his skin, the naturally blue flames burning hotter than even his father's fire. Touya always had small burns when he used his quirk as a kid, and it hurt. But he wanted to be a hero, and heroes knew how to deal with a little bit of hurt to save people. He was determined. However, his father said otherwise. He said his quirk was too dangerous, that it would hurt him, and that he couldn't be a hero.
It made him resent his father for a long, long time. From that day on, he distanced himself from him, but kept training to be a hero. He worked through the pain, worked to be the best he could be, got his hero license and became exactly what his father had told him he couldn't become.
Over the years, his family slowly worked on forgiving him for what he'd done to all of them. Pushing his three eldest children aside for Shoto, discouraging Touya, being a shitty father. It took them all a long time, and Touya sure as hell still hadn't fully forgiven him, but he was working on it. After all, something like that didn't just blow over in one night.
Touya couldn't help but smile at the response he got, giving a small nod to the question asked in return. "Of course I wanna be with you. I guess that does make us boyfriends now then." He gave a small shrug, smiling nonetheless. It was a little cringey as to how they were approaching it, but he supposed there was no formal way to go about it.
"I've wanted to be with you for so long, I'm gonna jump at any chance you give me to be with you. So yeah, I wanna be your boyfriend. I'd love to, actually. As cheesy as that sounds. I don't want things to change much though, I really like how we are. Maybe not the argument we just had, but I like how things are, if that makes sense."
His body was weak from the start. His father knew that. His flames were too hot for his skin, the naturally blue flames burning hotter than even his father's fire. Touya always had small burns when he used his quirk as a kid, and it hurt. But he wanted to be a hero, and heroes knew how to deal with a little bit of hurt to save people. He was determined. However, his father said otherwise. He said his quirk was too dangerous, that it would hurt him, and that he couldn't be a hero.
It made him resent his father for a long, long time. From that day on, he distanced himself from him, but kept training to be a hero. He worked through the pain, worked to be the best he could be, got his hero license and became exactly what his father had told him he couldn't become.
Over the years, his family slowly worked on forgiving him for what he'd done to all of them. Pushing his three eldest children aside for Shoto, discouraging Touya, being a shitty father. It took them all a long time, and Touya sure as hell still hadn't fully forgiven him, but he was working on it. After all, something like that didn't just blow over in one night.
Touya couldn't help but smile at the response he got, giving a small nod to the question asked in return. "Of course I wanna be with you. I guess that does make us boyfriends now then." He gave a small shrug, smiling nonetheless. It was a little cringey as to how they were approaching it, but he supposed there was no formal way to go about it.
"I've wanted to be with you for so long, I'm gonna jump at any chance you give me to be with you. So yeah, I wanna be your boyfriend. I'd love to, actually. As cheesy as that sounds. I don't want things to change much though, I really like how we are. Maybe not the argument we just had, but I like how things are, if that makes sense."
Re: A Different Path
Tenko found an almost shy smile tugging at his lips.
He was so comfortable with Touya, even while their continued closeness had his heart racing. They’d yet to even move out of the tiny entryway into the apartment proper. If he took two steps backward, he’d hit the wall. But the small space somehow made the whole exchange feel more… private. Tenko was acutely aware of his gloved fingers still tangled in Touya’s shirt, able to feel the warmth radiating from him through both cloth barriers. They were still standing close enough that he could feel the air stir with Touya’s every breath, and ruby eyes had to quickly dart away after watching a little too long at how his chest moved as he breathed.
Touya felt like home.
It was an embarrassing revelation to have, but also terribly pleasant.
“I like how we are, too.” Came his soft reply. Red eyes flicked back up, looking at his newly-appointed boyfriend with sudden conviction. Once more, Tenko steeled himself then leaned in, wanting this, wanting to do it right this time. Just before their lips met, he found himself hoping the chapstick would help his own not feel too rough.
That, and all other thoughts shorted out the moment contact was made.
The kiss was rather chaste and suffered from a lack of experience, but all the same, it set Tenko’s face aflame. The injured hero pulled back after a few seconds with a hesitance that betrayed how much he’d craved that little snippet of intimacy. The fireworks in his stomach seemed to be going off with greater frequency, all of a sudden.
“And… And I know you only get like that because you’re worried, so… so it’s fine.” The words were soft, almost like the kiss had stolen his volume.
Sure, Touya occasionally snapped at him, but that was sole because he cared. Even his occasional assholish teasing was usually fairly harmless- even if it had taken Tenko a while to understand it was teasing. Nothing Touya had ever said to Tenko had been meant to actually hurt him.
Well. Nothing he’d said in a long time, anyway, though the one time he had still lingered in his chest, heavy and dull. Tenko didn’t hold it against Touya, not anymore, but there was a sort of pain to the memory... and not the pain one might have expected.
During their first year at UA, the teachers arranged a training exercise to teach them how to effectively strategize in hostile situations. The situation had been easy enough, one team protecting a fake bomb, playing ‘villains’, while the other team tried to stop them, playing ‘heroes.’ The exercise had been simple enough, and a chance for them all to really show what they could do. Each match was more intense than the last, but that was to be expected from this class of hero course students. Everyone had drive, everyone wanted to be their best.
Tenko had that same drive, needing to push himself, to show someone could still be a hero with a quirk like his. That destructive power could still be used for good. That he wasn’t destined to end up a villain, no matter what he’d been told his whole life. Even now, even though he was enrolled in the hero course, he couldn’t help but think that his placement on the ‘villain’ team had been a little deliberate. That suspicion only grew when he found out the opposing team contained one Touya Todoroki.
The exercise started, and Tenko quickly formulated a plan, using his quick to create barriers wherever he could and slow the other team down. A close-quarters match wasn't in their favor, so they needed to run out the clock for as long as they could...
Eventually, even with all the decayed furniture Tenko had used to make the way treacherous, the two teams came face to face. The red of his eyes locked with the blue of his friend’s- his friend with the amazing quirk that he couldn’t help but be jealous of. Tenko had found himself smiling seeing Touya in all his glory, here to stop the villains. He was so cool… But still. Tenko had his own role to play, and he wasn’t about to forfeit just because he was up against Touya.
Tenko never used his quirk against the other students out of instinctive fear, usually having to rely on hand-to-hand combat while wearing gloves or making use of the terrain around him. With Touya's fire, any sort of melee combat was out of the question, so Tenko’s only option was dodging and leading his opponent in circles until his backup was available. They’d zipped through hallways, in and out of rooms, utterly wrecking the fabricated office building. Tenko never stopped, knocking debris into Touya’s path or obscuring his vision with clouds of the fine dust he’d left around.
His heart had been beating out of his chest, the hero-in-training listening hard for the tell-tale sound of Touya’s footsteps after him. He jumped over tables and chairs, slammed doors, shattered windows...
It had been exhilarating.
Eventually, he funneled Touya right down a hallway towards his waiting teammate. A surge of impending victory flooded Tenko’s senses. Everything was going perfectly. All they had to do was follow the plan and they’d win for sure!
He was counting his chickens before they hatched, it turned out.
Looking back, he couldn’t blame his teammate. In the spur of the moment, plans would sometimes get muddled. They’d reacted to seeing Touya, flinging out their quirk-projectiles at the both of them. Tenko hadn’t cleared the hallway yet, all he could do was turn to try and evade them, subsequently leaving an opening for a flare of blue to clear them. Mere seconds and Touya was on him, hand moving toward his face-
DID YOU SEE IT?!!!
Tenko’s whole body seized up for just a moment, something heavy and dark lodging in his throat. Fear swamped his senses, static took his mind… Until something clawed through it.
He’d hesitated just long enough for Touya to grab his arm, and white-hot pain seared through the remnants of memory that plagued him. It hurt. It hurt more than any pain he’d felt before, Tenko falling to his knees when he was let go, breaths coming in pained gasps. Wide, teary eyes couldn’t look away from the hand-shaped mark, watching the skin blister and his own hands shake. He remembered throwing up on that dirty concrete floor, and everything fading out.
Even with the healing quirks the school had at its disposal, the burn had scarred; a patch of dark skin on his forearm in the shape of a hand. It had taken a while to get used to the bit of lost flexibility and change in texture, but ultimately Tenko found the mark didn’t bother him all that much.
What bothered him was how Touya had started withdrawing from him. He knew his best friend felt guilty, and he did everything he could to assure him there was no bad blood between them. After all, if anyone understood quirk accidents, it was the student who woke up in a pile of dust, missing most of his mattress more times than he wanted to admit.
Still, nothing he said seemed to help.
He grew so frustrated, watching his friend hold back, fight his potential because he was afraid of hurting him… And much like it always tended to, that frustration boiled up over into a full-on shouting match outside the dorm.
“You can’t keep doing this! You can’t keep holding yourself back because of what happened, Touya, you’re just proving that bastard right! Don’t you want to be a hero??!! How are you supposed to save anyone if you’re too fucking scared to use your own quirk!?” The words had risen like bile out of his own throat, Tenko not realizing his hypocrisy until it was too late.
He was so comfortable with Touya, even while their continued closeness had his heart racing. They’d yet to even move out of the tiny entryway into the apartment proper. If he took two steps backward, he’d hit the wall. But the small space somehow made the whole exchange feel more… private. Tenko was acutely aware of his gloved fingers still tangled in Touya’s shirt, able to feel the warmth radiating from him through both cloth barriers. They were still standing close enough that he could feel the air stir with Touya’s every breath, and ruby eyes had to quickly dart away after watching a little too long at how his chest moved as he breathed.
Touya felt like home.
It was an embarrassing revelation to have, but also terribly pleasant.
“I like how we are, too.” Came his soft reply. Red eyes flicked back up, looking at his newly-appointed boyfriend with sudden conviction. Once more, Tenko steeled himself then leaned in, wanting this, wanting to do it right this time. Just before their lips met, he found himself hoping the chapstick would help his own not feel too rough.
That, and all other thoughts shorted out the moment contact was made.
The kiss was rather chaste and suffered from a lack of experience, but all the same, it set Tenko’s face aflame. The injured hero pulled back after a few seconds with a hesitance that betrayed how much he’d craved that little snippet of intimacy. The fireworks in his stomach seemed to be going off with greater frequency, all of a sudden.
“And… And I know you only get like that because you’re worried, so… so it’s fine.” The words were soft, almost like the kiss had stolen his volume.
Sure, Touya occasionally snapped at him, but that was sole because he cared. Even his occasional assholish teasing was usually fairly harmless- even if it had taken Tenko a while to understand it was teasing. Nothing Touya had ever said to Tenko had been meant to actually hurt him.
Well. Nothing he’d said in a long time, anyway, though the one time he had still lingered in his chest, heavy and dull. Tenko didn’t hold it against Touya, not anymore, but there was a sort of pain to the memory... and not the pain one might have expected.
During their first year at UA, the teachers arranged a training exercise to teach them how to effectively strategize in hostile situations. The situation had been easy enough, one team protecting a fake bomb, playing ‘villains’, while the other team tried to stop them, playing ‘heroes.’ The exercise had been simple enough, and a chance for them all to really show what they could do. Each match was more intense than the last, but that was to be expected from this class of hero course students. Everyone had drive, everyone wanted to be their best.
Tenko had that same drive, needing to push himself, to show someone could still be a hero with a quirk like his. That destructive power could still be used for good. That he wasn’t destined to end up a villain, no matter what he’d been told his whole life. Even now, even though he was enrolled in the hero course, he couldn’t help but think that his placement on the ‘villain’ team had been a little deliberate. That suspicion only grew when he found out the opposing team contained one Touya Todoroki.
The exercise started, and Tenko quickly formulated a plan, using his quick to create barriers wherever he could and slow the other team down. A close-quarters match wasn't in their favor, so they needed to run out the clock for as long as they could...
Eventually, even with all the decayed furniture Tenko had used to make the way treacherous, the two teams came face to face. The red of his eyes locked with the blue of his friend’s- his friend with the amazing quirk that he couldn’t help but be jealous of. Tenko had found himself smiling seeing Touya in all his glory, here to stop the villains. He was so cool… But still. Tenko had his own role to play, and he wasn’t about to forfeit just because he was up against Touya.
Tenko never used his quirk against the other students out of instinctive fear, usually having to rely on hand-to-hand combat while wearing gloves or making use of the terrain around him. With Touya's fire, any sort of melee combat was out of the question, so Tenko’s only option was dodging and leading his opponent in circles until his backup was available. They’d zipped through hallways, in and out of rooms, utterly wrecking the fabricated office building. Tenko never stopped, knocking debris into Touya’s path or obscuring his vision with clouds of the fine dust he’d left around.
His heart had been beating out of his chest, the hero-in-training listening hard for the tell-tale sound of Touya’s footsteps after him. He jumped over tables and chairs, slammed doors, shattered windows...
It had been exhilarating.
Eventually, he funneled Touya right down a hallway towards his waiting teammate. A surge of impending victory flooded Tenko’s senses. Everything was going perfectly. All they had to do was follow the plan and they’d win for sure!
He was counting his chickens before they hatched, it turned out.
Looking back, he couldn’t blame his teammate. In the spur of the moment, plans would sometimes get muddled. They’d reacted to seeing Touya, flinging out their quirk-projectiles at the both of them. Tenko hadn’t cleared the hallway yet, all he could do was turn to try and evade them, subsequently leaving an opening for a flare of blue to clear them. Mere seconds and Touya was on him, hand moving toward his face-
DID YOU SEE IT?!!!
Tenko’s whole body seized up for just a moment, something heavy and dark lodging in his throat. Fear swamped his senses, static took his mind… Until something clawed through it.
He’d hesitated just long enough for Touya to grab his arm, and white-hot pain seared through the remnants of memory that plagued him. It hurt. It hurt more than any pain he’d felt before, Tenko falling to his knees when he was let go, breaths coming in pained gasps. Wide, teary eyes couldn’t look away from the hand-shaped mark, watching the skin blister and his own hands shake. He remembered throwing up on that dirty concrete floor, and everything fading out.
Even with the healing quirks the school had at its disposal, the burn had scarred; a patch of dark skin on his forearm in the shape of a hand. It had taken a while to get used to the bit of lost flexibility and change in texture, but ultimately Tenko found the mark didn’t bother him all that much.
What bothered him was how Touya had started withdrawing from him. He knew his best friend felt guilty, and he did everything he could to assure him there was no bad blood between them. After all, if anyone understood quirk accidents, it was the student who woke up in a pile of dust, missing most of his mattress more times than he wanted to admit.
Still, nothing he said seemed to help.
He grew so frustrated, watching his friend hold back, fight his potential because he was afraid of hurting him… And much like it always tended to, that frustration boiled up over into a full-on shouting match outside the dorm.
“You can’t keep doing this! You can’t keep holding yourself back because of what happened, Touya, you’re just proving that bastard right! Don’t you want to be a hero??!! How are you supposed to save anyone if you’re too fucking scared to use your own quirk!?” The words had risen like bile out of his own throat, Tenko not realizing his hypocrisy until it was too late.