-8- Reunion

The room is small, with a bed, a little table and two chairs, and a closet tucked into the corner.

Todoroki sits in a wheelchair near the bed, straps binding him to the seatback, keeping him upright. His eyes are open—empty, lifeless.

Midoriya feels as if someone has punched him in the stomach.

"Shouto-kun..." he calls tentatively, inching closer. "Shouto-kun...?"

Todoroki remains motionless, staring into the void.

Midoriya's legs can't hold him anymore, and he collapses into a chair beside his friend.

"Shouto-kun... It's me... Izuku..."

"Shouto-kun... Please say something..." Midoriya pleads, gently grabbing one of Todoroki's limp hands.

Then, something happens. Just a twitch of a finger. A flicker of awareness deep within Todoroki's eyes.

What's happening? I feel something... but there's nothing around me. Just this white fog... Silent... Protective... Safe...

And... Yes... There's the wall. It protects me... Keeps me safe... But... there's something behind the wall... I can feel it. It won't harm me... I'm sure... What is it? I want to know...

His lips part slightly, and for a moment, just a moment, his eyes seem to move.

Todoroki's aunt covers her mouth with both hands. "Shouto..." she whispers, her voice barely above a breath.

A breathy sound escapes from Todoroki's lips. He seems to lean forward weakly, straining toward Midoriya, but the straps hold him back.

"Ma'am, may I untie Shouto-kun? I'll be careful; I'll support him." Midoriya asks.

The woman hesitates; without the straps, he could fall. But seeing the determination in Midoriya's eyes, she nods.

Midoriya awkwardly drags his chair closer, loosens the straps, and gently slides his arms behind Todoroki's back, bracing himself. As Todoroki's body slumps forward, Midoriya catches him, wrapping his arms around his friend in a clumsy hug.

I can feel something... Something good... Something safe... It's warm... It makes me feel good...

"It's okay... Shouto-kun... It's safe here... No one can hurt you anymore..." Midoriya whispers, gently rubbing Todoroki's back.

It feels so good... Someone is holding me... Someone is talking to me... Someone cares... Not just anyone—someone important...

The wall... I want to get out... There's someone there waiting for me... A voice is calling... Shouto... That's my name... The one behind the wall has a name too... I know his name...

"Midoriya-kun... Midoriya-kun..." Todoroki's aunt calls gently.

"Oh... um... yes... sorry, ma'am..."

"We need to strap Shouto upright again; he can't breathe in that position..."

"Oh... right... sure... sorry..." Midoriya apologizes, helping her straighten up Todoroki and reattach the straps to his wheelchair's backrest.

He left me... I can't feel him anymore... Don't go... Don't leave... I have to call him back...

An slurred sound escapes his mouth.

"My name! He said my name!" Midoriya exclaims, excitement shining in his eyes as he looks at Todoroki's aunt.

"I'm here, Shouto-kun. I'm here." He gently grips his friend's hands.

He is still here... I feel him... that's good... he is... Izuku... That's his name... Izuku...

He pushes against the wall...

Again, a sound escapes his mouth.

"Yes! It's me! Look at me..." Midoriya says, sniffling.

Todoroki's lips move...

He wants to break the wall... He wants to return... He has friends... He remembers... The voice is Izuku's... He's a friend... More than a friend... He has to get back... He pushes...

"I...zuuh...kuuhh..."

"I'm here, Shouto-kun..."

"Stay..."

"I'm staying, Shouto-kun; I'm not leaving you."

Rivers of tears run down the young woman's cheeks as she silently gazes at the two boys. After months of futile therapies, this frail boy is succeeding where all the doctors have failed...

"Please, Midoriya-kun, stay!" she begs. "I'll let you use my room. I'll sleep here with Shouto... Please, stay..."

"I will!" Midoriya replies resolutely. "But please, let me stay in this room with my friend. I'll sleep in a chair if needed, but let me stay here..."

"Thank you, Midoriya-kun. Thank you..." says the woman, wiping her eyes.

"I'm going to arrange everything; it won't take me long."

"In the meantime, please make yourself at home. I'll be back as soon as possible."

"Thank you, ma'am... I'll wait here."

The young woman gently grasps Midoriya's hands, grateful.

"I'll be back soon..."

As Midoriya's hands leave Todoroki's, a wash of panic runs through the boy in the wheelchair.

He left me... I can't feel him anymore... Don't go...

"Don't... leave..." Todoroki whimpers, fear creeping into his slurred voice.

"I'm not leaving, Shouto-kun, and your aunt will be back soon. Everything is going to be fine, I promise." Midoriya reassures, gripping Todoroki's hand again.

I feel him again... He will stay... Here, with me... I want to get to the other side, with him...

A single tear runs down from Todoroki's turquoise eye, dispersing over the burned skin of his cheek.

Midoriya reaches his hand close to Todoroki's cheek and hesitantly sweeps his thumb over his friend's scarred skin.

He's touching me... He's healing me... His hand is so warm and gentle... It doesn't hurt anymore... It will never hurt again...

He pushes against the wall. It's hard... but he feels he can do it now—he's not alone anymore.

He can see better now. His mismatched eyes lock on Midoriya's bright green ones, gazing back at him. They are sincere, caring, gentle...

He's smiling at me... But I can feel something... I want to talk to him... It's so hard...

"Izuku..." he manages to gasp.

"Yes, Shouto-kun?..."

"Are you... good?" His voice is barely a whisper, each word a struggle to force out—ragged, and almost incomprehensible.

"Yes, Shouto-kun, I'm fine now."

Forcing himself, Todoroki can see more clearly around him, beyond the wall... He can move... It's hard...

He lifts his hands to reach the straps binding him to the wheelchair.

The wall... I want to go to the other side... Something's wrong with Izuku...

He struggles to free himself.

I'm almost there...

His hands barely move, but gradually, they start to steady. With a final, awkward pull, he manages to loosen the straps that had been holding him.

Midoriya watches as his friend moves, clumsy but increasingly coordinated.

"Izuku... Why?..." Todoroki asks.

"Why what, Shouto-kun?"

"Why?" he repeats, leaning forward.

Midoriya quickly leans towards him, fearing he's going to fall.

But Todoroki steadies himself, reaching for the steel rod of Midoriya's leg braces.

"Why?" he repeats, gazing at the crutches on the floor.

"Why?" Todoroki's voice is weak and slurred, but Midoriya can sense the concern in it.

"Oh... My legs... um..."

"Why..." Todoroki keeps asking.

"Oh... um... When those men took you so brutally, I... I was so worried and scared... I felt so helpless... Useless..."

"I tried everything to find out about you. I called your phone countless times, sent messages that went unanswered. I even tried to reach out to your father, but every attempt was met with silence or cold dismissal.

"You know... my legs became harder to control when I am anxious, and I were so desperate... I felt I lost you for good... Soon I couldn't walk without my braces anymore, and then I had to use crutches too..."

He pauses, staring at his feet.

"But I don't care. Now I'm just happy to be here, with you," he rushes to add, raising his head, smiling.

"Sorry..." Todoroki breathes.

"It's not your fault, Shouto-kun... When you'll get better, I'll get better too. I promise."

Todoroki leans forward again, and Midoriya braces himself to catch him.

Once more, Todoroki doesn't fall. He reaches for the velcro straps of one of Midoriya's leg braces.

"What are you doing, Shouto-kun? Need something?" Midoriya asks, not understanding what his friend is trying to do.

Todoroki manages to grab the strap and pulls it, unlacing the brace.

Midoriya realizes what he's trying to do. "Shouto-kun, I'm fine. Really."

"I... can... help..." slurs Todoroki

I can help... Izuku's legs... I can help...

Another wave of determination surges through Todoroki. The wall is shattering... "Let me... help... you..."

Todoroki grabs the steel rod of Midoriya's leg brace, weakly pulling it as if trying to remove it from his leg.

"Are you sure, Shouto-kun? I don't know..." Midoriya says, uncertain about what to do.

Todoroki nods.

Midoriya hesitantly releases the remaining straps on his braced shoe, then stops to gaze at his friend.

Todoroki nods again. I can move... I can help... "Izuku... I... can help..." he manages to say.

Midoriya laboriously takes off his braced shoe, letting his white-socked foot flop to the floor.

Todoroki points at Midoriya's foot, then gestures to his lap. Midoriya hesitates...

Shouto-kun always said he liked handling his feet, and despite his embarrassment, Midoriya really enjoys the feeling of Shouto-kun's hands on them. But now... Shouto-kun can barely move... He's not fully himself yet... Maybe he didn't really mean it... What should he do?

"I... Can... Help..." Todoroki whispers again.

"I... I don't know, Shouto-kun..." Midoriya replies uneasily.

"Izuku... Let me... please..."

Midoriya is still uncertain, but Todoroki seems resolute. He grabs his spastic leg with both hands and awkwardly manages to lay his foot on Todoroki's lap.

Todoroki stares at the white-socked foot clumsily resting on his lap, then tries to grab it.

It's hard... Why won't my hands move?

Todoroki's hands flop around, bumping on Midoriya's foot.

"Shouto-kun, it's okay... I'm fine... You don't have to do this..." Midoriya says, sensing the frustration of his friend.

I can do it...

"I... wanna... do... it!" Todoroki struggles for a while but finally succeeds, grabbing Midoriya's foot with both hands.

The warmth of Todoroki's touch sends a shiver through Midoriya's whole body.

He immediately feels the familiar sensation of Shouto-kun's hands touching him: a stream of energy running up his leg from the bottom of his foot to his whole body.

Todoroki's touch become firmer and more deliberate as he kneads Midoriya's flat sole with his thumb, releasing the tight muscles.

Midoriya sighs.

it feels so good...

He always felt uneasy about his feet. Besides his awkward gait, he viewed his flat feet as an another trademark of his disability.

Everyone could tell he had completely flat feet, just by looking at the way his shoes were warped, molded, and squished to the ground by his flat soles.

Did you notice? The crippled kid also has the flattest feet in the world... he overheard someone say one day. Why does he keep wearing those warped shoes? It's even more noticeable... And the way he walks? Yesterday he tripped on his own feet and fell into his lunch—it was hilarious!

As muffled chuckles echoed around him, he dropped his gaze to his twisted feet and misshapen shoes, wishing he could vanish. He hurried to leave, praying that the loud thuds and scraping of his spastic feet dragging and slapping against the floor wouldn't draw any more attention.

But Shouto-kun is different. That weird looking kid made him feel at ease from the first moment they met.

The day Shouto-kun said he wanted to touch his feet, Midoriya was embarrassed. His feet and legs had been handled countless times—by doctors, physiotherapists, orthopedists. All those people coldly rated his disability.

"Raise your feet, don't drag them!... Climb those steps!... Walk faster!... Stand on your weaker leg!... Try to kick that ball!"

It made him feel like a specimen, not a person; he always felt so embarrassed, humiliated... Paw!... Roll!... Bark!... He hated it...

But that day was different. After an initial wave of unease, Midoriya found himself genuinely enjoying Shouto-kun's touch. As Todoroki's hands glided over the flat soles of his feet, Midoriya couldn't help but relax. The gentle pressure of his thumbs, the careful, light massage—it was soothing in a way he hadn't expected.

"Your feet are cute," Todoroki said, " and they are so cute because they're so flat."

"They're unique, like the way you walk." he added, his voice warm and sincere. "It's something that makes you, well... you... I like them..."

"...and I like them because I like you." simply said Todoroki. A simple statement that struck Midoriya deeply.

Now, those words lingers in Midoriya's mind, wrapping around him like a warm blanket, filling him with a comforting glow.

Even now, with Todoroki barely conscious, Midoriya feels the energy flowing from his friend's hands. Soothing... Relaxing... Caring...

He sighs again.

He likes it... I'm doing it right... I'm happy...

Todoroki's hands leave the foot and move up, gently massaging Midoriya's thin leg.

His movements become more fluid, stronger, and intentional.

He wants his friend to feel good. He really wants it...

I have to go... He is waiting for me... I'm here, Izuku...

Gently but firmly, Todoroki digs his fingers into Midoriya's tight muscles until they finally release...

"Oh..." Midoriya gasps when, unexpectedly, his leg relaxes, causing him to lose his balance for a moment.

Todoroki falls back into his wheelchair, panting heavily.

Midoriya stares at him, his friend smiling, mismatched eyes intensely focused on him.

"Shouto-kun..." Midoriya says tentatively, grabbing his leg and dropping his foot back to the floor. "Please... say something..."

"Izuku..." Todoroki's voice is now clear—weak, tired but unmistakably clear.

Midoriya startles. Shouto-kun's voice... Is he...

"Yes... Shouto-kun..." He says softly, as to not break some magic.

"Did I ever...?" Todoroki's voice cracks, and he coughs.

"Did... did I ever tell you that you have really cute flat feet?" he teases, panting slightly, a playful smirk curling on his lips

Midoriya bursts into tears, throwing himself onto Todoroki's lap.

"Yes... Yes, Shouto-kun. You did..." he whimpers, sobbing.

Todoroki smiles and sinks a hand into Midoriya's fluffy hair, gently ruffling it.