All For Some

Chapter 73: Too Slow

Apologies for one day delay. I was at a convention up to midnight. This time you get something I haven't done in a while, a new pov and with someone you should like.

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Alarm ringing cut the blissful darkness of sleep and Eijiro's eyes sprung open. He rose up bit groggier than usual having taken longer to get to sleep, but at least it was another morning and soon he'd be in car with friends going to the top hero school. How could he not have smiled, even if the smile felt heavier. His life was objectively amazing, but it felt like the world around him was cracking, and what he knew of himself even more so.

Glancing at Shoto helped. At least Eijiro could make him feel safe without breaking any bones. They'd brought one of the sofa beds to Eijiro's room to not have to sleep in the living room.

"Good morning," Eijiro said more cheerfully than he felt as he sat up and stood up from his bed with a bounce. He stretched his arms as he went to pull open the curtains. As he turned around Shoto was doing his wake-up trick with frosted hand on his face.

"Hey, do me too."

Shoto waved his hand and soon a cold front hit Eijiro making him shiver, and usually he wasn't one to mind cold easily.

"Th.. thanks," he stuttered now totally fully awake hands crossed instinctually trying to keep himself warm. Shoto responding with a smile helped with that. After everything that had happened to him it was hard for him to maintain a smile.

"Did you sleep well?" Shoto asked in his monotone voice."

"Oh yeah," Eijiro said perhaps exaggerating a little, "I may have taken some time to cool down after all the training last evening, but I got sleep pretty quick."

"I could have helped with that."

"Heh, sure could have, but you can't just use cold to make your body recover from training. It takes time and good stretching."

He crouched down and started stretching his legs as he spoke.

"How did you sleep?" Eijiro asked back.

"Decent," Shoto said, the earlier smile already weaker.

"Good," Eijiro said carefully. Ready for breakfast and some training.

"Yes, I..." Shoto paused.

"What?"

"Nothing, I just..." Shoto hesitated "used to hate training. I did it because either he forced me or because I wanted to overcome him. Now I can barely imagine a day without training, and liking it."

Eijiro changed to a different stretch.

"Yeah, because you are training for something you actually care about and training with friends is even better. I can tell you, when I have trained at home alone that is nothing like weekends at Midobro's place."

Shoto stared at the ceiling.

"I never thought training could be like that. I was always so confused why you were so excited to get to training, any training."

"Well, what if I stop training? What if I could help someone but was too weak, because I chose to train less. People might think it is just training, but it could be someone's life. We can't ever forget that, and that means we are going to make so much progress," Eijiro stood up and squeezed Shoto's arm, toned but thinner than his own. "You know even with your quirk you should build up the strength of your body more."

"I know. I don't want to fail anyone by being weak. I promised to help Izuku, and he seems to want us all stronger."

"Oh, help with what?"