Don't Give Up On Me: TodoDeku (Book 2 of You're Like Me)

EXTRA 3 (FINAL)

TEN YEARS LATER

Todoroki holds his fiancés hand as they walk through the cemetery.

Every year, Izuku would visit Hisashi Midoriyas grave on the anniversary of his death. He always went alone, so when the boy he loved so dearly asked him to come, he had no choice but to oblige.

Izuku clings onto him, dispelling any idea of Todoroki hanging back to give him privacy. He lights some incense, settling down in front of the small headstone.

All Todoroki has to do is listen.

"Every year, I come here and tell you just how happy and successful I am in spite of you. Every victory, every milestone you tried to prevent, I brag about," he half explains for the man behind him, "For the first few years, it felt really good.

"I was able to beat the odds and shove it in your face. Despite any hardships or defeats, I'm still here. But you're not," Izuku leans back against his hands.

Somewhere along the way, he'd found solace in this yearly routine. It was a chance to reflect and appreciate all the good in his life.

But it was done in anger, "You're dead. I won, and I'm still here trying to prove that I'm a good son, I'm a good kid, a good man," he chuckles lightly, "The truth is, my life isn't all sunshine and rainbows. I still have nightmares about you, still have panic attacks, and I still lash out when I'm afraid. And it's all because of you."

Todoroki stares blankly ahead. He doesn't know what he feels as Izuku continues, "I brought my fiancé with me today. Because this is my last time, I won't come back. And he deserves to hear everything I say to you."

Izuku looks up as the man sits by his side, crossing his legs and giving him a soft look, "This is Todoroki Shoto. And I am deeply in love with him."

He'd always come alone. Confess to the ghost of a man he killed. But this was for the man by his side, "When he asked me to marry him, do you want to know what I thought?" He answers anyway, "I can't wait until we're married, so I can prove to you that I'm a better husband than you could ever be."

The words should hurt. And yes, a part of them stung, Todoroki wasn't here to judge. He wasn't here to be hurt by his words. He was here for Izuku, and he was here to listen.

"It's stupid. Keeping score against an enemy already defeated," the green haired man shakes his head, smiling to himself, "Because you're dead, and I am here."

Despite repeating this phrase after every nightmare over the years, this is the very first time he feels true peace with those words, "I was scared that I held onto this for so long because deep down- I thought I might have missed you," he chuckles, resting his head on his fiances shoulder. By now, he was nearly six inches taller, and yet Izuku had no idea when that had happened, "But I know now that I don't.

"I miss my real dads, a lot," he doesn't think he'd smiled this genuinely in this place every before, "And they're alive and well. I see them twice a week at a minimum, and yet I miss them. I miss my brother, and he only lives four blocks away from me. I miss my sister and my classmates and my teachers and my mentors. And I miss Todoroki, when he goes on a mission or even on patrol, I miss him."

Izuku grabs his hand, squeezing it tightly as the incense burns further, "When I realized how lucky I was to have so many amazing people in my life to miss- things started to become clear. I don't miss you. But I wonder, did you ever miss anyone? Because nobody misses you now."

A small smile fills Todoroki's lips. He shouldn't find it funny, if anything it was terribly sad. But it was exactly what the monster buried beneath the earth deserved, "That's what it was, Hisashi. That was the feeling I couldn't figure out, the feeling that brought me to this spot year after year. You died before I could get any answers from you.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't regret letting you die. You don't deserve my regret. I feel safer knowing that you don't breathe a single molecule of the same air that I do. I may not have answers, but that's a small price to pay."

With a bright genuine grin, he leans forward, "So I'm done. Sadly, I'll always have to remember you, but once I'm gone- so are you. When we have kids, I'll tell them stories of their grandpas, my dad and my papa. No one will remember your existence.

"But," he takes a deep breath while his fiancé just tilts his head, "This isn't done out of vengeance. I can't forget you, and I've accepted that. There will always be a part of me that hates you, and I've accepted that too. All you'll ever be is a man hated and dead. I'm going to be more."

Tears fill the mans eyes as he quickly tries to blink them away.

Things weren't perfect between the two. They've had plenty of arguments, and they'll have plenty more. But Todoroki wouldn't trade it for anything, because the pride he felt was unbridled and true. They've grown as individuals together, and he would have it no other way.

"I'm going to keep living, Hisashi. Because that's what actually matters. I don't care if you're suffering anymore, I don't care if you get to feel peace now that you're gone. I'm going to take care of myself, and my family, because that's what living is."

Izuku brushes off his palms on his pants before he stands. He places one hand on the headstone as he closes his eyes, "This is goodbye, Hisashi. I don't have anything to prove to you. I'm already a good man, a good son, and I know I'll be a good husband. And I'm so excited," he sighs with a smile.

He doesn't have all the answers, and he won't get them. But he doesn't need them.

He has a future.

"So, goodbye, Hisashi."

Todoroki watches from the ground as his husband-to-be walks off. All the man can think about is how cool he is. But he had something to say too.

Once he's back on his feet with Izuku out of hearing range, he leans forward and whispers, "Now me? I hope you are fucking rotting."

*************

Later that week, the two men find themselves chasing a villain down an alley Izuku had long forgotten about.

Something stops the hero from walking away once Todoroki's frozen the villain to the dark pavement.

His eyes are drawn to a jagged window near the ground.

It's just chance that he catches a glimpse of the wide purple eyes watching him carefully before they're gone and creating quite the ruckus in the long abandoned building as they ran.

And thus, TodoDekus next journey began.

THE END