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The first time Shouto notices Kirishima is at the bar on a Friday night.
The bar hangout was a planned hangout from their big class groupchat that was leftover from their time at UA. All of his old classmates are in it, except for Mineta, because, according to Mina (and everyone else), he is “a slimy little shit” and a pervert, and he doesn't need to be a part of class hangout plans. Shouto really didn’t care either way, since he had never liked the small purple hero.
Most of Shouto’s old classmates in the groupchat had come, excluding only Koda, Jirou, Yaoyorozu, and Tokoyami, so they were a huge group, needing more than one table. Shouto was in the middle of a table of six, sitting next to Uraraka on his right and Iida on his left, with Mina across from him directly, Kaminari beside her, and Kirishima on her other side.
Mostly when he comes to these hangouts, he prefers to sip his drink in silence, listening to his friends talk, preferring to add to the conversation only when necessary or when he has a particularly interesting thought.
The later the night gets, though, the more Shouto notices Kirishima. He notices how, even in the unflattering, yellow flickering bar light, how pretty Kirishima is. The more he looks, the more he wonders how he never noticed before, and the more he notices.
He notices the way Kirishima’s eyes seem to sparkle when he’s talking about something he’s passionate about. He notices the way he laughs, all sharp teeth and roaring laughter, how he throws his head back when he cringes, and when he smiles, his sharp teeth shine and his eyes squint and his nose crinkles. Shouto can't help but think Kirishima is adorable.
Later, when he’s stumbling out of the bar, with Uraraka hanging off of his fire side, Izuku mumbling directly into his ear about the unfair stigmas that sharks face because of society’s fears, and Iida directing them all into his car to get them all home safely, all Shouto can think about is Kirishima and his pretty smile.
~✧~
After that night at the bar, Shouto can’t stop noticing Kirishima.
How has he never noticed how often he crosses paths with Kirishima? He is everywhere and it is driving Shouto absolutely mad, because he can’t stop thinking about him.
It would be different if they only crossed paths on patrols while at work, because Shouto is usually very good at pushing aside his emotions while patrolling, but the amount Shouto notices the pro hero is absolutely ridiculous.
Even while completely focused on saving civilians and fighting villains, he can’t help but notice how capable, strong, and heroic Kirishima is. He somehow manages to save every civilian and keep them calm while simultaneously subduing the villains he is fighting, never using more force than is necessary. Shouto notices and subconsciously catalogs these things, unable to keep his mind off of Kirishima, even while facing a villain in combat.
And when Shouto joins the joint hangouts Midoriya and Bakugou host and plan with the members of their separate ‘squads’, he can't stop himself from stealing glances at Kirishima whenever no one else is looking. (Shouto doesn’t think he succeeded with that though, based on the knowing looks Midoriya gave him.)
He even sees Kirishima at the gym sometimes when he works out. Shouto knows it’s wrong, but he doesn’t stop himself from watching Kirishima work out, his sweat shining on his bare chest and arms almost seductively. Shouto is honestly a little bit embarrassed at his reactions when he watches Kirishima work out, but the rhythmic flex of his shining muscles is too mesmerizing to look away from. And if Shouto is honest with himself, he doesn't want to look away from Kirishima.
Shouto also starts seeing Kirishima semi-regularly on his daily runs, and as he passes by the lush green grass of the public park, he stares at Kirishima basking in the sunshine, working on paperwork, or even just laying on his back in the sunshine. (And if Shouto readjusted his runs to purposefully run by that park at a certain time of day when Kirishima is more likely to be there, well, that is besides the point.)
~✧~
The first time Shouto talked to Kirishima outside of the old class and squad groupchats, he didn’t even initiate the conversation.
Shouto was running past the park Kirishima liked going to, as he had been doing for a while at this point, and Kirishima waved at him and called his name. When he naturally went to see what he wanted, they had a short, sweet conversation. As Shouto ran away, he noticed his face was a bit hotter than usual, but he chalked that up to the exhaustion from running and used his ice side to regulate his temperature back to normal. (He’s ignoring how much more frequently he seemed to be doing that when Kirishima was around.)
After that, every time he seemed to spot Kirishima anywhere, he’d always be greeted with a beaming smile and cheerful greeting, and Shouto eventually begrudgingly admitted to himself that he likes the feeling of Kirishima’s eyes on him.
When Kirishima texts him one afternoon, Shouto is surprised. The text itself isn’t much, just a picture of a cat with all white fur, except for a red patch around its left eye, with a caption on the photo stating: “He looks like you!” Shouto responds with a single cat emoji, and if he has a soft smile while staring at Kirishima’s text message, no one is around to see it.
This, of course, leads to them sending random pictures of things that remind them of each other, which leads to long conversations at all hours of the day and night over text, which then leads to phone calls, and eventually, Shouto can’t remember what he used to fill his days with when he wasn’t always talking to Eijirou.
Shouto doesn’t ever want to return to a time when he doesn’t get to hear Eijirou crowing about how “manly” whatever he is talking about is ever again.
~✧~
The first time Shouto hung out alone with Eijirou was after work, at a cat café.
Eijirou had been talking Shouto’s ear off about a new cat café that had opened in the area, so when he had suggested they go together after work since they both got off work at the same time that day, Eijirou had excitedly agreed. After changing into street clothes they met up at the café, and while they did order separately, they also sat together, shoulder to shoulder, quietly talking to each other the entire time they visited. And while Shouto did think the cats were cute, he thought Eijirou was even cuter, his eyes sparkling and pretty smile widening as he cooed at every cat that came over to rub on their legs and sit with or on them.
When Shouto suggests over the phone that they should work out together when they can, since they already go to the same gym, Eijirou replies with enthusiasm about how great of an idea that is. So, they become, in Eijirou’s words, “the best gym bros ever!” While Shouto is a bit skeptical about them being the best gym bros ever, he can’t deny he doesn’t love Eijirou’s enthusiasm.
Since they started working out together, it was only natural for Shouto to invite Eijirou on his daily runs as well, and invite him inside when they finished his usual run route. Eijirou doesn’t join him on his runs every day, but when he does they always collapse on his apartment couch after, with Eijirou always laughing and rambling about how great the run was and Shouto quietly agreeing, both heroes sweaty and out of breath from running.
It doesn’t take long for Eijirou to invite Shouto over for a hangout at his apartment, and Shouto happily accepts the invitation, going over there to binge watch cringy rom coms that Eijirou seems very fond of laughing at. Shouto denies liking them every time Eijirou teases him about it, but he knows that Eiji has pictures of him staring at the TV with eyes wide and mouth open, enraptured by the story.
Shouto and Eijirou are closer friends than they have ever been, and that is what scares Shouto the most.
~✧~
The first time he told anyone about his feelings for Eijirou was after a hangout at Eijirou’s place.
Shouto was walking home after a particularly fun hangout at Eijirou’s apartment, and the soft, warm feeling in his chest lingered as he strolled back to his apartment, when he was struck with the realization. Shouto is in love with Eijirou.
Shouto stops dead in his tracks right in front of his apartment building, dread icing over the warm feeling in his chest. He’s in love with Eijirou.
Through his panic, Shouto can think of only one person who might be able to help him.
Shouto quickly enters his apartment building and makes it successfully inside, before quickly dialing a number on his phone.
The phone rings three times before someone picks up. “Who the fuck is calling,” a deep, gruff voice demands rudely.
Shouto blinks in slight surprise. Bakugou is not the person who he expected to answer the phone. He looks down, and yes, he definitely dialed the right number, since “All Might’s Love Child” is displayed on his phone as the contact he dialed.
“I need to talk to Midoriya. Can you give him the phone?” Shouto asks, voice monotone as usual.
“The shitty nerd is busy, call again later. Ya got that?” Shouto listens as Bakugou goes to hang up, but then another voice, too faint to hear exactly what is said, stops him. Then Shouto hears a loud groan, and a soft “Hello?” as the phone transfers hands.
Shouto sighs lightly in relief, and responds to his friend, “Midoriya.”
“Oh! Hi, Todoroki-kun, it's good to hear from you! I’m so sorry about Kacchan, he’s just a little grumpy, don’t worry.” Shouto can hear the faint pop-pop-pop of explosions in the background from Bakugou in protest, but Midoriya ignores them. “How can I help you?” Midoriya asks happily.
“Midoriya. I’m in love with Kirishima,” Shouto states, his profession of love loud in the silence of the room he is in. Shouto marvels at how the statement rolls off his lips easily, even though it is the first time he has ever spoken them aloud. He pauses for a second, then continues. “I’m in love with him, what do I do about it?”
The line is silent for a minute, then two.
“Midoriya?”
There is a squeak on the other end, then: “Y-yes! Sorry, Todoroki-kun, you surprised me.” Midoriya chuckles; a gentle, anxious sound. “I knew you liked Kirishima-kun, but I didn’t realize you had fallen for him already but I was sure that you weren’t aware of your own feelings for him yet…. A-anyways!” Shouto can imagine very vividly the flapping motion Midoriya is probably making with his hands.
“There are a few things you could do about your feelings towards Kirishima-kun,” Midoriya continues, “but I think the actual question you should be asking yourself is: what do you want to do about your feelings?”
Shouto hums in thought. “I… I want to date him.”
“Well, there you go!” Midoriya says, sounding relieved. “You should ask him out!”
Shouto frowns. “But what if he says no?”
Shouto hears silence, then the sound of a choke and a snort from the other end of the connection. “Something tells me that he won't.” Midoriya chokes out, sounding a bit strangled, “but even if he does, there's no rule that says you can’t still be friends, you know?”
Shouto hums in thought. “I will consider it. Thank you, Midoriya.” Shouto hangs up the phone.
He sits down on his couch, weighing his options in his head. Should he go through with it? Will it cost him to? Or will he gain something he really, really wants from making that first move?
Shouto sits on his couch, thinking. He thinks back to every moment leading up to this point. He thinks about how much Eijirou means to him and how devastated he will be if he gets rejected.
Should he stop hanging out with Eijirou to save his feelings from eventual heartbreak? Or should he ask Eijirou out and have the chance to gain the relationship he wants?
Steeling himself, he makes a decision.
He pulls out his phone and dials a number.
It rings twice, then someone picks up.
“Hello?”
Shouto takes a deep breath, then lets it out. “Eijirou.”
“Oh, hey man! What’s up? Did you forget something when you left?” Eijirou is as happy as ever to hear from Shouto, and that makes him a little more relaxed. It’s just Eijirou, his best friend.
“No, I got everything. I just need to ask a question.” Shouto intones. He is almost completely still, his left side frosting from anxiety.
“Oh, okay! What’s your question, Shou?” Eijirou asks.
Shouto takes another deep breath, then expels it, his breath visibly frosty from how cold he has unconsciously made the room. “Do you want to go out with me?”
“Yeah bro, we can totally go somewhere to hang out! It’ll be so fun, like friendship and bonding time!” Shouto’s heart sinks when he realizes that Eijirou has misunderstood his request, but he steels himself to give one last attempt.
“No, as a date. Do you want to go on a date with me?” Todoroki sits straighter and more still than he thinks he ever has in his life, waiting for Eijirou to give his response.
A few seconds go by, and it feels like an eternity passes in each one. The only sound Shouto can hear is his breathing, which is a little heavier than normal, and his heartbeat, which is currently in his throat. He takes a deep breath and holds it, his hands shaking as he holds his phone next to his ear.
Then, Shouto hears a squeak. “A- a date??” He hears Eijirou ask, in a high pitched, strained voice.
His heart drops, fearing a rejection.
“Yes.”
“I- uh.” Eijirou clears his throat loudly, “Uh, yeah. Yeah we can do that.”
Shouto lets out the breath he was holding. He smiles, wide, and his left side heats up like it's about to catch fire. He quickly stands up before he burns the couch.
“Maybe we could go to a restaurant on Friday?” Shouto asks, his smile wide and his cheeks burning.
Eijirou clears his throat again. “Uh, yeah, that works for me. We could go to that cat café again?”
Shouto thinks back to how pretty and happy Eijirou looked surrounded by all those cats, and quickly agrees. He hangs up, then sinks to the floor. He feels warm from the inside out, and very, very happy.
Shouto has not stopped smiling. He doesn’t think he could if he tried.
He picks up his phone from where he dropped it on the floor next to him. Opening it up, scrolling through his list of contacts, he opens one that reads “Red Rocky Road”, and changes it to “Boyfriend ❤️🪨”.
He smiles, locks the screen, and walks to his bedroom, flopping on the bed. He closes his eyes, feeling warm and happy and relieved and excited.
Shouto falls asleep thinking about Eijirou and their upcoming date, and his dreams are, for once, nightmare free.