Ten Seconds Before Sunrise

Todoroki Shouto strode purposely towards the book store, ready to undertake a personal mission there.

He pushed the door open and stepped inside, inhaling the crispy scent of new books that lingered in the air.

After grabbing a shopping basket from the entrance, he weaved through aisles of books, making his way to the store's flashy manga section.

"This won't take long." Shouto reached for the first manga he saw, adding a comic with a doe-eyed girl to his basket. Heading to the next aisle, he swept random manga off the shelves, regardless of cover or genre.

After all, he was only interested in the manga's character introduction pages. Finding out what those introductions entailed would solve a burning question; Shouto wanted to know how he seemingly recited his own character introduction page at his supplementary course, failing to impress the visiting children.

Returning to his dorm room later that evening, he settled down at his desk, studying the cover of a sports comic.

"Let's see." Shouto opened the first volume of Haikyuu!

Text and pictures combined to form the first scenes of the manga, giving Shouto a peek into the life of Hinata Shouyou.

Shouto discovered that Hinata possessed a nearly impossible dream of becoming a volleyball player, a dream which the universe was intent on snuffing out due to Hinata's height.

Intrigued, Shouto turned the pages faster, silently cheering for the boy doing all he could to play his beloved sport. Nevertheless, those silent cheers would later turn to embarrassment, following the introduction of Hinata's opponent, Kageyama Tobio.

Heat flared across Shouto's face as Kageyama
stirred up shameful memories that Shouto wanted to forget.

Shouto, like Kageyama, had been unsociable, looking down on his classmates through middle school to Yuuei, never paying attention to anyone weaker than himself.

If not for Shouto's fateful match with Izuku at the Sports Festival, Shouto would have never befriended the amazing people of Class 1-A. "I'm glad I'm no longer like that."

Leaning back in the chair, Shouto exhaled a trail of steam, wondering if Hinata's encounter with Kageyama would change Kageyama somehow. He hoped so.

A curious Shouto resumed his reading, stumbling across character introduction pages at the beginning of volume two. The temperature on the fifth floor plummeted to Arctic levels.

"It's getting late, Todoroki-kun." A familiar voice drew Shouto's attention away from the manga he had been reading, bringing him back to reality.

Shouto met Izuku's eyes and closed the book. "Ah, I lost track of time."

"It happens to all of us," Izuku said before clicking the television off in the common area.

"Apparently." Shouto stood up, glanced at the clock, realising how late it actually was. Time flew by whenever Shouto read manga; he got hooked on them since starting Haikyuu.

Izuku set down the remote, his gaze drifting to the comic in Shouto's hand. "Erm...what kind of manga were you reading?"

"A shounen battle manga." Shouto held up the book for Izuku to see. "It's called Kimetsu no Yaiba."

Izuku's eyes gleamed. "I read battle manga too!"

"Is that so?" Shouto lifted a brow, having not expected Izuku's pastime to fall outside of Quirks and real life heroes."

"Yup, I really like the power of friendships in them and the fighting techniques are awesome."

"They are great," Shouto admitted, however, something more drew Shouto to the genre. "I like the main character, myself."

Izuku tilted his head, his voice hitching. "Really?"

"Yes, they're kind, strong, hard-working and they always inspire their companions to do their best."

A thoughtful expression crossed Izuku's face. "Todoroki-kun really likes them huh?"

Nodding, Shouto reckoned Shouto liked every main character he encountered so far. Something about them felt oddly familiar but he could not place the reason why.

Izuku cast another glance at the manga in Shouto's hand and fiddled with his thumbs before speaking up. "Um, well, I have some battle manga with main characters that I think you'd like."

"So you-you can borrow them if you want."

"I'd like that," Shouto said softly, appreciating his classmate's kind gesture. "Thank you."

Shouto rapped his knuckles against Izuku's door, knocking. He had enjoyed his brief chat with Izuku in the common area and decided to take the boy up on the offer now.

Izuku emerged in the doorway soon after, raising a green brow. "Todoroki-kun?"

"Hi Midoriya." Shouto met his eyes, hoping he had not caught Izuku in the middle of something important.

"Do you still have the manga you told me about?"

"Yes, I got it." Izuku stepped aside, letting his classmate in. "Come in, Todoroki-kun."

Realising his worries were probably for naught, Shouto entered Izuku's room, finding it bright and neat as usual.

Izuku padded over to a bookshelf, retrieving the manga in question. "I-I think you'll like the main hero in Black Clover, Todoroki-kun."

"Thank you." Shouto gazed at the friendly looking boy on the cover before remembering that Shouto did not come to Izuku's room empty-handed.

" I think you will like the techniques in Kimetsu no Yaiba." Shouto exchanged his own manga for Izuku's.

Izuku's eyes shone with excitement as he scanned the cover. "Thank you!"

"The story's great too," Shouto said, figuring it was his favourite manga. The main character, Tanjirou, was particularly likeable, possessing all the qualities that Shouto admired in main characters.

"I can't wait to read it." Izuku piped up.

"I'll leave you to it." Shouto nodded before turning on his heels. He had taken up enough of Izuku's time; however, Izuku did not share this opinion and tried to stop him.

"Wait, don't go."

"Hn?" Shouto paused, giving him a questioning look.

Izuku rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks tingeing. "I mean you can read it here, in-in case you don't like Black Clover and want to borrow something else."

Doubting that he would dislike this manga, Shouto still obliged him. "Then I will."

"Great." A contented sigh escaped Izuku's lips as Izuku settled down on the carpet, opening the graphics novel with care.

Joining Izuku on the floor, Shouto did likewise, beginning Shouto's literary journey into the magic kingdom of Black Clover.

The sound of page turning punctuated the silence of the room as both boys read the respective volumes from cover to end.

"Wh-what do you think of Asta?" Izuku bit his lip, shifting on the carpet to face Shouto.

Tilting his head, Shouto considered the question. "I like his spirit, it's admirable that he tries so hard to become the Magic Emperor despite not having any magic."

Izuku pressed a hand to his own stomach."Y-yeah, he could have given up any time but he didn't."

Shouto thought that Asta was a lot like Haikyuu's Hinata. Neither boy allowed their shortcomings to get in the way of pursuing their dreams, fierce willpower and determination kept them moving forward. "That's what makes him strong."

Emotions played out on Izuku's face, he nodded slowly. "Y-you're right."

"What about Tanjirou?" A curious Shouto asked.

Izuku's words were soft. "He's great, his sword techniques are interesting and I like the bond that he shares with his sister."

Shouto blinked at Izuku's tone, wondering if Izuku was drawn to the sibling dynamic, due to not having siblings of his own.

On second thoughts, Shouto had three siblings who he was now forming bonds with, thanks to Izuku. Shouto would be forever grateful to him. "There are several nice moments between Nezuko and Tanjirou in the manga...I can lend you my copies if you want."

Izuku's eyes sparkled at that. "Re-really?

Shouto nodded.

"Then I'll do the same if you want to read more of Black Clover." Izuku gave Shouto a hopeful look.

"It's a deal." Shouto accepted the offer.

It was a natural progression for Shouto and Izuku to bond over their love for shounen manga. They read it together, discussing the plots whenever they could, be it at meal times, before class or after school.

The pair lounged at Shouto's desk now, having finished their Math homework.

Izuku slid his phone towards Shouto, asking, "have you seen Tanjirou's initial character design?"

"Not yet." Shouto furrowed his brows, focusing on the image of a taller Tanjirou who sported straighter hair and a checkered purple haori. "His current look is better."

Nodding fervently, Izuku agreed. "Yup, the green haori suits him better."

"Someone with the name Midoriya prefers green," Shouto said flatly, resisting the urge to smile at the coincidence.

"Huh...wh-what?" Izuku stammered, waving his hands around. "It's just a coincidence, the haori even matches his hair, he-he just looks better, o-okay."

"Right." Shouto could not help but find Izuku's flustered expression cute, so he teased him a little more.

Opening his mouth, Izuku was ready to protest until he noticed the amused twitch of Shouto's lips. "You're messing with me." Izuku huffed out a laugh.

A contented Shouto reached for Izuku's copy of Black Clover, picking up where he left off last.

Asta beamed at his squad mates in the current panel, his smile was warm and bright just like Izuku's.

Just like Izuku's? Shouto's lips parted at the thought and he shot a side long glance at the boy whose laughter had warmed Shouto's own heart moments earlier.

They are same. Shouto grew breathless as his mind rendered a chain of similarities between Asta and Izuku.

Not only did Izuku smile like Asta, Izuku was strong and determined like Asta. It was not enough for Izuku to save one person, like Asta, Izuku needed to save everyone. Their ideals were the same.

Shouto's heart pulsed in his chest with the knowledge that Izuku, his classmate, was the living embodiment of the shounen main hero in manga, possessing their qualities.

And over time, more of Izuku's shared qualities with main characters became apparent to Shouto, Izuku's selflessness reigned paramount. After all, that selflessness drove Izuku to sacrifice his own chance for victory at the Sports Festival, opting to save Shouto instead.

The Todoroki thanked his lucky stars for allowing he and Izuku to meet, he thanked them for the beautiful gift of Izuku's friendship.

Shouto walked calmly through the crowds in the mall, heading to the bookshop on his last errand.

When he spotted a familiar mop of green hair among the sea of mall go-ers, Shouto sped up, taking long strides towards the boy who was strolling past the water fountain. "Midoriya."

Said boy spun around, two perfect dimples forming in his cheeks. "Todoroki-kun, you came here too."

"I need to buy the new manga releases from last week." Shouto held his gaze.

"What about you?"

Izuku pointed to his own backpack. "I bought more notebooks."

"Oh." Shouto wondered just how many notebooks Izuku owned in total? The number would probably be impressive.

Shifting his weight to the other foot, Izuku scratched his head, asking Shouto an unexpected question. "Can I tag along with you to the book store, if you do-don't mind hanging out with me, that is?"

"It's fine." There was no refusing the chance to spend time to with Izuku outside of Yuuei and Heroics.

The boys entered the bookshop, the rich scent of brewing coffee wafted to their noses. Izuku fetched Shouto a shopping basket. "Here you go, Todoroki-kun. "

"Thank you," Shouto said softly.

They bypassed teenagers and adults browsing the shelves, on the way to the manga department. And just like the first time, a doe-eyed character caught Shouto's eyes again.

"Doesn't she look like Uraraka?" Shouto pointed at the smiling girl on the cover.

Izuku's face broke out into a grin. "Yup, she does."

A few shelves down, Izuku paused, gesturing to Shouto. "This guy can pass for Iida-kun, right?"

Shouto lifted a brow, thinking the guy was a dead ringer of their friend. "Yes, even the glasses are the same."

That warranted a giggle from Izuku. "I wonder if their personalities are the same?"

"Good question," Shouto replied in kind.

Soon both boys were scanning the shelves for manga with Class 1-A lookalikes. They spotted a Momo, Yuuga and Katsuki counterpart among the covers.

Never once did Shouto point out that Izuku resembled in spirit, all the main heroes in the shounen manga.

"Oh my god, it's The Rise of the Smash Hero!" Izuku rushed over to a worn comic featuring a young All Might on the cover.

"It's out of print, I've been looking for a copy forever!" Izuku explained, picked up the copy.

There was an amused glint in Shouto's eyes as Shouto watched the excited Izuku turn the pages, almost seeing the stars in Izuku's eyes.

However that expression changed to sadness when Izuku peered into his own wallet, shoulders slumping at what lay inside.

"I don't have enough." Izuku's voice leaked with regret as he placed the manga back on the shelf.

This won't do. Shouto's chest grew heavy at the sad look on Izuku's face, it did not belong there. Shouto picked up the manga, placing the volume into his basket without a second thought. "I will buy it for you."

"You can't, Todoroki-kun," Izuku protested.

"Why not?" Shouto creased a brow. "My credit card has no limit."

"I-I mean, you shouldn't feel obligated to spend your money on me."

Shouto did not understand the issue, money was irrelevant if it meant making Izuku smile again."I want to."

Realising that Shouto would not change his mind, Izuku thanked Shouto instead, flashing Shouto a luminous smile. "Thank you, Todoroki-kun, you're the best!"

Answering heat flared across Shouto's cheeks at the dazzling smile and the unexpected praise that he was given. "It is nothing."

The moon had already risen to fullness when the boys left the mall. They walked shoulder to shoulder on the street, breathing in the fresh night air.

Shouto shot side long glances at Izuku, watching Izuku hug the bag with the manga to Izuku's chest. Shouto's heart squeezed at the adorable sight, he liked being the one responsible for it.

"I had a lot of fun today." Izuku broke the silence that stretched between them.

"So did I." Shouto enjoyed every moment spent with Izuku, yet there was something special about that evening. They let loose in a way that was impossible in the dorms, drawing Shouto closer to Izuku somehow.

"We should do this more often...if-if it's okay with you."

"I'd like that."

Izuku gave Shouto another charming smile, sending butterflies aflutter in Shouto's chest, his fingers tingled with an emotion he did not recognise.

Neither did he understand why the sweet sound of Izuku's voice would go on to make Shouto's heart thrum faster.

Shouto eventually recognised it as a symptom of being in love. Shouto had fallen in love with Izuku.

There was no telling when Izuku captured his heart,
Shouto reckoned the gratitude he felt towards Izuku since the Sports Festival, had morphed into something more , as Shouto grew to know Izuku better.

Be that as it may, Shouto intended to keep his feelings a secret from Izuku, not wanting to complicate things between them with a love confession. Staying by Izuku's side was enough for Shouto. Nevertheless, fate would challenge his decision.

Villains launched a surprise attack down town, sending civilians scrambling for the cover of safety.

Luckily, rookie heroes were patrolling the area and fended them off. The ever capable Izuku smashed the culprits responsible for upsetting the peace in the town, hooking fleeing villains with his tendrils.

Other villains tasted Shouto's frost as the hero played his part in protecting his city.

Reckoning they all ready won the battle, Shouto shot a glance in Izuku's direction, only for his nerves to rub raw at what he saw.

A scimitar wielding villain flickered in and out of visibility, creeping towards an unsuspecting Izuku who was restraining another criminal.

The toxin of fear coursed through Shouto's veins but he charged towards the villain, unleashing fiery Endeavour flames that he prayed would be fast enough to save Izuku in time. "Midoriya!"

Fortunately, it was enough for the villain writhed in agony, falling to the ground alongside his melted scimitar.

Spinning around, Izuku flicked his gaze to the passed out villain before settling on Shouto. "You saved me."

Barely, Shouto panted, locking his eyes on the hero who could have been gravely hurt, had Shouto been any slower. The thought wrenched Shouto's gut, reminding him of the painful truth.

Hero Deku, despite his exhaustive similarities with main heroes in shounen manga, was not invincible, he was human and susceptible to mortal injuries from battle; Shouto could lose Izuku in the line of duty some day.

# # #

After wrestling with what nearly happened that day, Shouto left for Izuku's room, resolving to do the inevitable.

He dragged out a breath before knocking on his classmate's door.

Izuku answered the door, looking up at him with those warm green eyes. "Todoroki-kun."

"Can I talk to you for a bit?" Shouto asked.

"Of course." No words were spoken as they walked over to the bed. Izuku sank down on the mattress, waiting for Shouto to join him.

Settling beside Izuku on the bed, Shouto curled and and uncurled his fingers, still grasping with the fact that he almost lost Izuku.

He set mismatched eyes on Izuku, giving voice to his feelings at last. "You might hate me for saying this but I love you, Midoriya."

"These last weeks with you were the happiest in my life," Shouto confessed.

"I got to spend more time with you, learn more about you, discover how wonderful you really are."

There was no taking these words back. If perpetual
awkwardness between them was the price Shouto had to pay for this admission, so be it. It was better than any reality in which Izuku was not alive to hear them.

Izuku's eyes brimmed with tears, his mouth quivered in the aftermath of the confession.

"Todoroki-kun, I love you too, I feel the same way about you, " Izuku rasped.

Shouto's heart skittered at the confession. He never once thought Izuku reciprocated his feelings. "Really?"

Izuku's tone was soft. "I have for a while but I was sure you didn't feel the same way, so I didn't say anything."

"I was scared it'd ruin things between us..."

Shouto's lips curled at the coincidence. "We were the same then, I was scared too."

"We were hopeless." Izuku smiled at him.

Reaching down on the bed, Shouto took Izuku's calloused hand into his own, interlacing their fingers.

A sigh escaped Izuku's lips at the contact, his cheeks reddening.

They stared at each other for a full minute,awareness sizzling between them.

"Can I kiss you?" Shouto breathed.

Izuku nodded, murmuring, "please."

Slowly, never breaking eye contact, Shouto lowered his mouth, his breath mingling with Izuku's as they kissed.

The End

A/N: I took liberties with the initial design of Tanjirou from Kimetsu no Yaiba. Shouto is growing so much, it's lovely knowing he's reads manqa now, meaning I just had to write this, weaving some of my other favourite Shounen heroes into the story. Thank you for reading!