Wicked Witch of the West Side Cliffs

- E L E V E N -

Todoroki came running out of the palace toward Izuku. He threw Shinso to the side and hugged him. "I knew I'd find you again." Izuku started sobbing. 

"You're here too?" his hands clutched Todoroki's shirt and he sobbed into his chest. "I'm so glad..." 

Shinso couldn't look at them. A lot of old feelings came back to him but he knew Izuku wouldn't ever feel the same. There was no point in staying. He looked around, expecting to see Denki somewhere close by but he wasn't. 

"Denki?" Shinso panicked, running as fast as he could to the cliffs. Was he going to be there? He didn't do anything stupid, did he? Surely he knew--

Denki stood on the edge of the cliff. He looked over the edge but he had no intention of jumping knowing Shinso wasn't there to catch him. Shinso's mind rushed through possible reasons why Denki would be standing so close to the edge and he ran faster than ever. 

"Denki!" he shouted, which startled the blonde enough to make him lose balance. Shinso was close enough to grab his arm before he fell completely. "What were you doing?!" Shinso asked, a voice mixed with rage and concern. He pulled Denki close to him and held him there, still caught in a panicked frenzy, having jumped to the worst conclusion. 

"Shinso?" Denki sobbed, holding him close. "Why are you here? Izuku is finally back, don't you want to see him?" 

"What are you doing at the edge of the cliffs? I told you about the safer way! Why would you come here regardless?!" Shinso pulled away from Denki and stared at him. Denki, not used to him speaking so loudly, flinched. 

"I just...I-" 

Shinso fell on his knees, resting his hands on the ground in front of him for support. "What if you fell? I would really lose it if you fell too..." 

"I wasn't going to jump! I just- the air here..." Denki scrambled for words but he just knelt down in front of Shinso and held him. "I wasn't going to jump..." he reassured. 

"Denki..." Shinso removed Denki's arms and pushed him up against the grass. He hovered over him as the wind current from the cliffs went straight through their hair. The sweet smell of the sea. "You're a human. You need to be more aware of your surroundings. Why did you run away in the first place?" Shinso grabbed Denki's wrists and held his hands above his head on the grass. "I'm not letting you go until you tell me." 

"I thought...you and Izuku might want to be alone...or...I don't know...you love him don't you? So I didn't want to interrupt..." 

"Denki," Shinso's gaze softened slightly. "Izuku doesn't care about me, even if I care about him. He will always have a soft spot in my heart but I cannot love him anymore..." 

"So you say..." Denki glanced to the side. 

"It's true, because I love you," Shinso stated. The wind rushed by again, allowing Denki to process the words. He moved his head sharply to stare up at Shinso. 

"W-what?" 

Shinso moved his head to Denki's ear, thinking the wind had stolen his words, he muttered them so he would hear better. "I love you, Denki," he repeated. Denki placed his hand on Shinso's cheek and forced his face to move toward his. He wasn't going to let him back out of another kiss. Denki took the initiative and kissed him instead. Passionately and sweetly, quickly turning to another sort of passion. Denki's face flushed as he shivered in the wind. Shinso's hand moving down Denki's arm and wandering his torso. 

"W-wait..." Denki said. Shinso stopped immediately. "It takes a lot of energy to stay as a human...doesn't it?" 

"Oh," Shinso chuckled. "It does take a considerable amount of focus but..." 

"But?" 

"I was lying when I said kissing only gave me a speck of magical energy," Shinso admitted. 

"W-why...we could've..." Denki huffed. 

"Exactly. We could've but..." Shinso glanced to the side for a moment. "Maybe we should stop after all..." Shinso removed his hand and sat up. "Izuku may be alive but my disgust and guilt still remains. I'm not even a human so...maybe it's better if-" 

"No," Denki shook his head and wrapped his arms around Shinso. "If you hate yourself then I'll just love you double. I'll forgive you until you forgive yourself. I don't want to be with a human or anyone else. I want to be with you." 

"Even if I'm a weird slimy tentacle monster?" 

"Especially because you're a weird slimy tentacle individual," Denki wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, which just confused Shinso. "I'm kidding...but now that I realize my mind is a lot more perverted than yours..." Denki blushed a bit, feeling awkward to have admitted that. 

"What are you- oh," Shinso laughed. "Haha!" he nearly cackled. "Right...it was so long ago I forgot about Izuku mentioning that sort of thing." 

"I will admit that I've had a few dreams but," Denki's face only grew redder. "I do like you for you, you know, not just because...although I am interested..." 

Shinso stood up and held out his hand for Denki to grab. When Denki did, Shinso pulled him to his feet and then carried him in his arms. He took a few steps back and lept off of the cliffside. Denki screamed, holding onto Shinso's neck, as they crashed into the water, Shinso's body morphing back into his half-octopus self. Denki's body saved from the impact by the tentacles shielding him. 

"They're so squishy and soft," Denki blushed, poking one of them. His shield of arms moved and he was placed on the cave's beachside ledge. 

"Now," Shinso chuckled. "Would you like to tell me a bit more about your naughty dreams and maybe we can make them a bit more realistic?" he smirked.