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00just-a-pancake00 · 8 days

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Even Now

Summary: Midoriya and Iida completely ignore their childhood nostalgia and continue to be mature and productive heroes-in-training.

A/N: Hope you’re having an amazing day :) This idea came a while ago when a random thought that Iida probably gives his friends zoomy piggy back rides came to mind, and then one day, I unintentionally found the picture above (I think it’s from a larger poster), and things kind of went from there lol

Word range: 8k

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“Those two… If they didn’t feel up to training with us today, they should have informed us beforehand.”

Izuku glanced up from his notebook to watch Iida pace back and forth from where he sat in the grass under the shade of a tree. They were at one of the training grounds on campus not far from the Heights Alliance dorms they’d just moved into two days ago.

“The Hero License Exam is in less than three weeks. Three weeks! Did they forget we’re meeting?” Iida checked his watch again, kept striding. “We discussed it again during breakfast. There’s no time to waste."

“Iida…”

“I’m just saying they should take into account our time as well.”

“I get it, but...”

“We are heroes-in-training, after all.” He paused, checked his watch for the thirteenth time, then began muttering to himself. “They’re better than this. Consistent punctuality is a habit all of us should strive to attain. And this isn’t the first time those two have been late-”

“Well, they aren’t late.” Izuku smiled sheepishly when Iida glanced at him. “I mean, not technically. We agreed to start at 12:30, right? Right now, it’s only 12:23.”

“Yes, but all of class 1-A is in full agreement that on time is at least ten minutes before the actual scheduled time, remember?”

Right. Izuku held back a sigh. I think you’re the only one who agreed to that, Iida. He looked up again. Huh?

Iida had abruptly stopped his pacing and sat in the grass next to Midoriya. Silence settled between them.

“Hey, it’s Saturday. We all pushed ourselves pretty hard during our solo training yesterday. I’m sure they’ll be here, but I think everyone’s just taking it a bit slower today, y'know?” Izuku said gently. Maybe you should, too is what he wanted to add, but held back when Iida’s only response was a quiet hum and nod. He slid off his glasses to clean them, and they fell back into silence while Izuku watched out of the corner of his eye.

Even his sulking wasn’t as animated today as it normally was at times like these.

Iida’s behavior had been off for almost three days now. Subtle, but still noticeable to Izuku. He’d seemed more to himself, and had been frequently pausing mid-task to stare blankly into space...like he was doing now. Unmoving with his glasses still in his hand.

Izuku hesitated. “Hey. You okay?”

Iida snapped back to attention. “Hm? Yes, I’m fine!” He put his glasses back on with a small, confused smile. “Admittedly, I’m just a little tired is all.”

“Oh. You’ve been having trouble sleeping?”

“No, don’t worry. I've been sleeping decently enough.” Iida looked at his loosened shoelace and began re-tying it.

It looked like his eyes even lacked their usual shine, which made Izuku’s stomach twist. Could this be about…?

“...the orange juice, so, I really am all right.” Izuku felt a hand on his shoulder and snapped out of his thoughts, realizing Iida had been talking the whole time, though he didn’t know for how long. “This time of year just provokes my allergies and makes me feel a little under the weather more on some days than others.”

The green-haired boy nodded. They’d known each other for a few months and had gotten pretty close. They’d helped each other, and been there for one another on bad days several times before, but sometimes his friend was still hard to read.

“I’m still always here if you ever need someone to talk to, okay? I told you before. Don’t forget you’re not alone,” Izuku said with a tiny, reassuring smile.

“Forgetting I have a friend in you would be criminal.” Iida’s own smile was faint, but looked genuine this time. “Thank you, Midoriya.”

“Yeah! Don’t mention-”

Midoriya and Iida’s phones buzzed in unison. A text from the Class 1-A group chat.

Shoto: @Deku @Ingenium We’ll be running a little late

Uravity: Yeah, turns out we’ve been assigned common room and kitchen cleanup duty today. Aizawa Sensei just finished up the dorm chore roster an hour ago, and the time slots he set up for us to get to work are pretty strict :/

Shoto: Should take us no longer than a few more minutes

Shoto: So just stay there

Shoto: More hands would slow us down at this point

Uravity: Be there soon! Sorry Iida >.<

Ingenium: That’s all right. Just come when you can. And don’t forget your water bottles.

Uravity: Right ^.^

Shoto: Also is it leg day or arm day today

Shoto: I need to change and decide which shoes I’m wearing

Ingenium: Feel free to bring both.

Shoto: OK

Shoto: Should I put on sunscreen

Shoto: I know it’s hot but how hot is it out there exactly

Shoto: I heard it’s likely to rain today

Iida gasped, thumbs flying across his touchscreen.

Ingenium: You should always put on sunscreen, rain or shine, to maintain your youthful glow for as long as possible! Don’t tell me you haven’t been doing that!!!

Shoto: It rarely crosses my mind

Shoto: Is it really necessary

Ingenium: YES!

King-Lord Explosion Murder: HEY. I told you nerdy extras 3 damn times already to make your own group chat for training purposes. no one wants to read you clogging up the chat w/ blabber about your lame-ass 2nd rate joint training and sunscreen.

“Oh, yeah, that’s right,” Midoriya muttered.

Deku: Sorry, Kacchan! I keep forgetting to create that chat 😅

King-Lord Explosion Murder: well, quit forgetting, nerd.

Shoto: Don’t bother @Deku

Shoto: There’s no need to

Shoto: Because actually it seems like you’re the one who’s been clogging up the chat with your complaints @King-Lord Explosion Murder

Shoto: You don’t have to read any of this

King-Lord Explosion Murder: aren’t you supposed to be helping pink cheeks?!? some help you are. mind your own business, icy hot. and FYI, the period’s not the send button, you idiot. send all your stupid thoughts in one message. listening to you once is bad enough. reading consecutive messages from you is annoying as hell.

Shoto: Again you don’t have to read them

Shoto: You’re just complaining for no reason again

King-Lord Explosion Murder: I’M NOT COMPLAINING I’M JUST VOICING MY OPINION AND NOBODY ASKED FOR YOURS DAMN YOUUUU

Shoto: Nobody asked for yours either

*King-Lord Explosion Murder is typing...

Chargebolt: Whaa?? Nothing to say? Ohooo todoroki got you good AGAIN kacchaaan~ ha! You totally had to see that coming 😏 buuuuurn.

Chargebolt: Or… because it’s todoroki... should I also say...

*Chargebolt is typing...

King-Lord Explosion Murder: dunce face, I’ve had it. if you crack that shitty joke one more time, I swear.

Chargebolt: ...freeze. *mic drop*

Izuku thought he heard Iida snort, but when he glanced over, Iida coughed and eventually removed his hand from his mouth, shaking his head with a slightly disapproving look. “Terrible joke.”

Izuku blinked. Oh. Just imagining things.

Red Riot: LMAOO OK butcha gotta admit that one never gets old, man 😂 But yo Bakugou I’m ready to roll soon. Gimme five and we‘ll meet at the south training field, cool?

Chargebolt: OFICK OH FYCKK MAYDAY MSYDAY BAKUGOSBOUT TO MYRDER ME HOWD HE GET HRE SO FWST KIRI ITS LOCKED BUT HELPHES HAMMERING AND POUNDEINGMY DOOOR I HACE TU TSKE THE WINDIW OHSHIGAJNJKFHSHS

“Wait, don’t worry about it!” Midoriya held onto Iida’s arm to stop him from fully standing.

“But, the expense of a detonated dorm door will probably be through the roof! And Kaminari-!”

“Yeah, but you know Kirishima’s got it! He’ll handle Kacchan. Trust him!”

“Well…” Iida was reluctant but knew Kirishima was always more than dependable. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Soo, anyway.” Izuku clicked his screen off with an awkward smile. “I guess while we wait, may as well start getting warmed up.”

“Right!” Iida sprang to his feet so suddenly, Izuku ‘eep’ed. “What a proactive suggestion, Midoriya!”

Izuku watched warily for a second, and eventually joined Iida in his enthusiastic stretching. See? He’s fine. I was, again, just imagining things. It’s been a crazy week.

But they proceeded to stretch in silence. Iida usually counted out loud for everyone whenever they’d stretch as a class, and when they’d train together, but now, nothing. Izuku shook his head. Just because someone’s not at their usual energy level 24/7 doesn’t mean something’s wrong. Chill out. He’s fine. Totally fine. It’s all in your head. Yup! In your head.

They’d been in many comfortable silences before, but for some reason, this silence was killing him.

Izuku fell back in the grass for some sitting stretches. “S-So, uh, I was thinking. I never got to ask you…” Yeah, good idea, ask him a question! But what? Um…who’s your favorite hero? Wait, no, Izuku! Besides, you can be more creative than that! Something fun. Spontaneous… Oh, perfect! He perked up. “What’s your favorite color?”

More silence.

...Colors. Really? Izuku winced. He couldn’t even bring himself to look at Iida, so he kept his blushing face behind his knees. “Right. Boring question. Sorry.” C’mon, Izuku! C’mon! He racked his brain, feeling panicked. “I-I, w- uh, w-what I meant was- um...y-you like...waffles, right?”

When there was again no response, the freckled teen peeked over his knees to see Iida doing a leg swing stretch with a distant look. It was a stretch meant for both legs, but he continued swinging only one for several seconds...for fifteen seconds. Twenty seconds, same leg. Thirty seconds, same leg, fifty seconds, same leg...

“Leg.” That’s it! Izuku shot up. If there was anything that seemed to bring his friend to the present, it was focusing on this. “Iida! Can you do one of your kicks for me?”

“Ah, what was that?” Iida looked over, eyes alert. “My apologies. You said something about a kick?”

Izuku reached for his notebook. “Yeah! Your flexibility and the agility of your kicks are incredible, especially with that one you did yesterday that you used alongside the power of your Recipro Burst! You know, the one with the whirlwind-like motion. The Turbo Flying Kick, right?”

“I think you’re talking about the Turbo Airborne Helicopter Kick. I named it myself, although I am considering changing it.”

Izuku jotted the name down in his notebook. “Got it! Well, I’ve been working on developing a new kick move of my own since I use my arms most of the time, and I think it'd be a nice change of pace.”

Iida nodded. “That’s a good point.”

“So, even though my kicks'll be different from yours, can I use some of yours as a basis for good kicking technique?”

“Oh. Well, of course I won’t show you all of my cards just yet,” Iida said with a smirk. “But since you’ve already seen this one, I’d be honored to help you where I can!”

Izuku beamed with sparkling eyes at the way Iida seemed to happily come back to the present. He’d been meaning to get tips from him for a while now, anyway, so it was beneficial for them both. “Thanks!” He twirled his pencil with a nod. “Ready when you are!”

“All right! Now! Watch closely. I can do it over, but a keen eye will save time!” Iida said with a chop of his arm as he aligned himself. “You may need to do additional stretching to do it as effectively as I can, but with practice, the precision for your own move will come.” He lifted his leg about a foot off the ground. “So, for this one, before I swing, I turn my leg slightly inward, lean forward, then back a bit, point my toe-"

"Oh, actually, wait! H-Hold on, right there! That stance is… How do you do it?” Izuku beheld Iida’s pose with awe. He’d seen him in action more than once, but seeing the way he transitioned in slower motion as he prepared to kick, and how he stood with seemingly effortless balance brought out his inner fanboy.

“I think that's what I'm missing. I’ve tried before, but I can't seem to get my pre-kick positioning right - probably one of the reasons I can’t nail my kicks yet.” Izuku added a few things to his page before glancing up again, big eyes shining and eager with excitement. “C-Could you...stay like that for a second so I can take note in closer detail?"

Iida blinked but remained perfectly still. "Um. This stance isn’t all that special, in my opinion. But, if it helps you out."

“Cool!” Izuku circled him. “So, I think it’s all in your posture - whoa, your spine is-” He scrutinized his back. “It’s slightly bent, but still straight for the most part, which I’m guessing helps keep your position controlled, yet relaxed enough for fluid movement at the same time. It’d help if I knew how many degrees the curve of your back is right now...” Izuku paused, pencil to his chin. Maybe if I… I really need to learn how to properly measure body angles. Hah. I have no idea what I’m doing, he thought as he moved one hand in an L shape to Iida’s back and ran his other pointer finger lightly up his spine to meet his thumb. Iida moved just slightly at that, barely noticeable, but enough that it tugged the boy from his thoughts. He moved his finger again and got the same reaction. His eyes widened. Oh. Maybe…. He smiled faintly. …a better question.

“Okay, and it feels like here, you’re pretty relaxed, too.” Izuku reached up to squeeze Iida’s shoulders near the base of his neck. All of them had been taught the basics of dealing with muscle tension, pressure points, and massage techniques since starting at U.A., but Midoriya made sure not to use the proper technique, though not so much that it was obvious. His mother had playfully done it to him in a way that would send funny tingles up his neck and down his back countless times growing up, and he’d then do it back to her. “It makes sense that you need to have fairly relaxed arms and shoulders while directing more tension to your core-” Izuku forced away his growing smile at the sound of a small squeak before dropping his hands and peeking his head around to face Iida. “Are you...something wrong?”

“Huh? N-Nothing!” The faintest color was on the blue-haired boy's cheeks, and their eyes met briefly before his gaze flew to the side, the ground, the sky. “I just… You almost finished?”

He moved to Iida’s left. “Well, I kinda just started, but I’ll speed it up! Next, I need to check more of the way your torso’s angled. I don’t know how you keep such a good balance. I don’t think anything could tip you over, even though you’re slightly bent backward and tilted to the side,” Izuku said while gently poking up Iida’s side and rib to outline the way he was curved with way more contact than was necessary, then stopped to jot down absolutely nothing important in his notebook while keeping it out of view before repeating the actions and pretending not to notice Iida’s mild trembling.

That was until the taller boy let out a choked noise and brought his arm up like one would about to cough into the crook of their elbow.

“What are you…?” Oh, the amount of acting skill it took for Izuku to pause with a straight face and look at Iida’s arm that was shielding his mouth. “You okay?”

“I - yes. Just in case I do something...like sneeze, for examp-aha!” Iida burst out laughing and clapped a hand over his mouth as he stumbled away from the hand that had dug into his side with more obvious purpose. “M-Midoriya - wh-what are yoo-!”

“Wait, I need to finish evaluating you!” Izuku grinned as an old, playful boldness surged through him and he followed Iida with his well-aimed poke attack, delighting in the choked giggles he made as he skillfully dodged, or in other words, clumsily staggered back.

Izuku was pulled into a frenzy of poking fingers jumping for tickle spots almost just like when he was little with-

Izuku gasped as he continued. “Hey! For our warm-up, we could have a-”

He almost fell forward at the sudden void and gush of wind, and when he caught his footing and blinked, Iida was way on the other side of the field.

….Oh, shoot. Izuku’s stomach dropped. What was that? What was that?! What am I doing?! What was I thinking? Oh, no, I’m-

Iida was slowly lowering his arms back to his sides with a look that Midoriya could only register as shock on his face. -I’m such an idiot!

Words from the past flooded his mind.

‘I said no. They’re not fun anymore. They’re stupid and lame. They’re for babies, Deku. I’ve grown out of them, and It’s about time you do, too.’

“I-I’m so sorry! I got ahead of myself - I shouldn’t have attacked you like that! I-It’s just that, I didn’t know you were - a-and I wanted to test it out, but I a-also really did wanna look at your- your - I swear - f-for the longest time! Because - so - oh, man - but I just sorta went with it, and-!” Izuku’s arms flew around his head as he rambled frantically, heart pounding. This was Tenya Iida. Iida, who hadn’t moved a muscle on his side of the field, staring back at him, who was silent, furious. Yes, they were friends, but Izuku had crossed an invisible line, and now, he was going to die. He forced himself to stop and looked away as shame blanketed him. “Stupid idea. Things were just kind of...tense. I just thought...”

“Midoriya. You were going to suggest a tickle fight, right?" Izuku snapped his head up to look again at Iida, still on the other side of the field, whose look of shock had been replaced with a straight face. Not angry, just...firm, but neutral. “For training purposes,” Iida added, “is what I assume you meant?”

Yes-! “NO! A -pfft- a what?! Why would I...I-I mean...kind of?” Izuku paused, trying to collect his thoughts. “What I meant to say is… Well…like...f-for a warm-up, we could make it, like...a warm-up fight. Y’know, like the ones we usually have. Except this time, instead of violence...there’s just...tickling…yeah,” he mumbled, hating how shy he felt. “Only if you want to.” You’ve just described a tickle fight, Izuku! Stop embarrassing yourself!

Iida tilted his head with a slight frown. “A warm-up fight like usual. Meaning it’s to be taken just as seriously as any normal warm-up fight, correct?”

“Oh. Uhm.” Izuku was speechless. How was he supposed to answer that? He was currently trying to digest the fact that he was still alive, having this conversation-

“So, what are the rules in this case?”

Izuku’s mind went blank because Iida was still talking to him, now asking about the- “Uh...nothing aside from...whoever says ‘I surrender’ first loses, I guess.” His mouth was moving, on autopilot, while his mind was processing at a snail’s pace.

“All right, then. You ready?”

“Yeah.” Wait, what?!? Deku shook his head, searched for words of question, because was this seriously happening, he’d actually, just like-

“Ahh!” Izuku screeched because he was suddenly off the ground with an arm securing him by the middle while fingers wiggled into his ribs and sides, gentle, but enough to make his screech morph into giggles as he squirmed with his back against the chest of- “I-Iida?! Wahaha! I w-wasn’t reheady!”

“You’ve let your guard down already? How seriously are you taking this?” Iida said, not sounding all that serious as his fingers scribbled and poked over his tummy, which caused Izuku to yelp and jolt so much that Iida lost his grip and the boy crumpled to the ground, rolled away at lightning speed, popped up, and bolted across the field, squealing.

“Trying to outrun me is futile!”

“Wait- wait, you’re not supposed to- ahheee!” Izuku sped up. He didn’t even realize that he’d channeled a bit of One For All in his legs as he dashed, but had done so since Iida was dangerously close on his heels with his engine blazing. A finger grazed his back-

He dove for his destination, a tree trunk, and flew up it, panting between subsiding giggles as Iida looked up at him.

“Midoriya! What are you doing? This is a warm-up fight, not a retreat. Come down!”

“Right! A warm-up fight! Y-You just used your quirk to surprise attack me, and then you used it again just now! No quirks allowed! You’re cheating!” He held tight to the tree’s branches, giddy with adrenaline.

“Oh, really? To be fair, you didn’t mention that in the rules just now.”

Izuku shook his head. “Well…because I thought that went without saying! We never use our quirks during warm-up fights!”

“Hm. That’s true.” Iida put a hand to his chin. “Very well. No quirks, then.”

“Right.”

“So, you coming down?”

“Yeeeah,” Izuku said with a wry smile. “Once you move back!”

“Move back? I wouldn’t dream of it!” Iida was smirking as he circled the tree with lifted arms. “Here, I’ll catch you!”

“No! Just move out of the way!”

“I’m trying to help you out! If I stand back and let you fall to your doom, how heroic would that be?”

“The tree is less than twenty feet high; I’ll be fine!”

“I beg to differ. What if you break your ankle?”

“I’ll take the risk.” When Iida continued to circle the tree, Izuku went silent, still recovering from the sudden change of pace as he tried to better hide in the tree’s leaves, making it harder for the class rep to see him, waiting for the perfect time-

“Ha!” He landed behind Iida, sprang, latched onto his back, and went all out this time on his tickle massage. “I’ll help you out instead! I’ll help you relax!”

“Gah! T-Thihis isn’t rehehelaxing!” Iida’s laughter was partially suppressed as he stumbled around and squeezed Midoriya’s knees that were wrapped around his torso.

“HeheHEY! I’m trying to hehelp yohohou!” Izuku’s legs spasmed in the tickly grip, but his fingers moved to dance around Iida's neck, making his opponent’s snickers escalate, and soon Iida reached up to try catching his fingers.

“Stahhahap trying to stop me! If this isn’t hehelping then-'' Izuku's appendages shot under Iida's exposed arm that was busy reaching for him. “This better?”

“AhahAHAHAHA!” His laughter skyrocketed and he clamped his arm down, but Midoriya kept wiggling. “Pahahah-! NohoHO, NOHOT HEHEHEHELPING!”

“I got you now!” Izuku teased, pleased with the reaction, but also fearing for his life as they zoomed and jolted in dangerously uncoordinated circles. Still, he kept up the attack. “Surrender!”

“Nohoho!” Iida tripped over a small rock and tried to catch his footing, but failed, and they tumbled to the ground, Iida landing on his side and Izuku landing on top of him with a hand still under his arm.

The world swayed and spun around Izuku for a second, but he kept up his assault. “So, yohohou were trying to kill me just then?”

“I-I wahasn’t! Wasn’t trying to ehehend you! I- hahaha!” Izuku had been so caught off guard by his friend’s laughter that he’d unconsciously lessened the pressure of his tickling, but was still pulling out a steady current of pitchy giggles from Iida, and he giggled along with him before Iida’s writhing caused Izuku to topple off him. Iida barely managed to teeter to his back before Izuku shot both hands under his arms again as he kneeled over him.

"Hey, your arms are kind of crushing my hands- now they’re stuck!” he said, tugging at his hands and cheesing mischievously. “Lift them up a little?”

“N-No!” Iida’s words were barely coherent as he squirmed around. “I c-chahan't! Noho, I can’t lihift thehEHEHEM MAHAHAHAHAHA!”

“Told you they’re stuck! I’m trying to free them!” Izuku said as he dug and wiggled with more vigor under his arms, making Iida’s snickers shoot up to cackling, and Izuku couldn’t grin wider at his boisterous laughter. “Hey, stop laughing! My hands being stuck isn’t funny! It’s a real issue! Guess I have to get them out myself.” He pried his hands out and smirked as the giggling Iida instantly started rolling away, but Izuku didn’t let him get far before he pounced after him with random attacks at different spots that were exposed as he rolled - pokes and wiggly fingers into his back, digs, and prods into his sides, all while making funny little noises and comments with each moment of contact.

“Pew, in coming - Kprrsh, vroop, woop, boop! Hey, why do you keep rolling? Stay still! Come back!”

“H-Hehehey - nohoho noises - e-embahaharrassing - Mihidoriyahaha, stahahaha - pffft! Ahahaha! C-Cuhut it ohohohout!” Iida cried, his cheeks turning pink from the silly attack that seemed to have effectively overwhelmed him with laughter, and he was soon giggling so much that he stopped rolling to curl instinctively in on himself and weakly bat at Izuku’s hands.

“Finally! It’s a little mean to just roll away from friends like that, y’know! Here comes the landing - wooOOm krrrr!” Izuku laughed while clawing and vibrating all five of his fingers into Iida’s tummy with one hand, and grabbing one of his wrists to try wrestling his arm up with the other, not having too much trouble since most of his strength seemed to be taken captive by his hysterics. Izuku delighted in the frantic laughter and widening eyes Iida gave him as he fought back with the strength of a noodle.

“Nohahaho - wait, y-your hahands are out- t-thehehere’s no neheed t-to - they're ohohohOHOHUT! EEHEHAHAHAHAHA! AAHHA-! NOHOHOHOHO, M-MIDORIYAHAHAHA!”

“Oops, one’s back in now! You know what to say!” Izuku kept his wrist while drilling and poking into his exposed armpit and rib. He recalled how he used to use the same tactic in tickle fights when he was a kid, and he let out a few giggles at Iida’s attempted counterattack with his free arm, but it was weak, and Izuku was undeterred. Wow, he hasn’t said-

“MIHIHIDORIYAHA, ST-STAHAHAP! OKAHAHAY, I GIHIHIVE UP!”

“Oh…” Izuku stopped and pulled his hands back. “Are you okay? You said you give up?” Iida nodded, panting with grass in his hair and his glasses slightly crooked as he finally managed to hold onto Midoriya’s wrists. Maybe it was because his friend’s laughter was music to his ears, or maybe it was because it felt to him like they’d just started, but Izuku felt a pang of sadness. He smiled, nonetheless. “Well, that was a - wo-ah!” He was flipped over on his back and was a pile of flailing limbs and alarmed squeaks as his ribs were attacked.

“I said ‘I give up,’ not ‘I surrender’! It was a risky move, but I didn’t think you’d actually-” Iida snickered. “Midoriya, you actually-? Wa-wahait, you really did forget about your own rules again!”

“Hehehey, nohoho fahahair!” Izuku was too overcome by the vibrating tickles and too shocked by Iida’s lighthearted behavior to respond with anything more. So much for taking this seriously.

He tried scrambling to his feet, but it didn’t work, and they continued attacking each other. They were so invested in their rolling tussle, that the grey clouds and drizzle of rain snuck up on them until faint exploding thunder sounded somewhere in the distance, causing both boys to look up just in time to see a small spurt of lightning coming from the same area.

“Dang it. Todoroki said there was a chance of rain, didn’t he? Why didn’t I check my weather app?” the class rep muttered, letting go of his friend as he stood. Izuku remained in the grass even as the rain steadily picked up. “I think I may have packed a raincoat-”

“Iida? Forget about the rain!” Izuku said, holding Iida’s ankle with both hands, still lying in the grass.

“I can’t, we have to- what are you dohooing - h-hold on, thahahat-”

“It does?” Izuku perked up curiously. He hadn’t really been trying before, but now scribbled his fingers lightly on Iida’s retreating calf with more focus.

Iida jerked his leg with a yelp. “Hehey- no, we should take shelter if we don’t have-!”

“But, Aizawa sensei has us training in the rain all the time! Forget about the rain!”

“But, if we’re in it all the time, w-we’re going to catch a cohold-dahaha!” Iida’s laughter flew out in surprised, giggly waves as Izuku started scratching again with slightly more pressure this time against his calf. He sank back to the ground, tugging at his leg with little success of freeing it since Izuku had moved to hug one of them like a koala bear, weighing it down while some of his fingers weaved gently along the skin between the steel mufflers, causing Iida’s laughter to ring even louder through the atmosphere. The green-haired boy was intrigued.

“Whoa, I didn’t realize this area would be so sensitive! I mean, I’m barely even doing anything, though I guess it makes sense, since so much power comes from here, and there is an incredible amount of heat that generates when your quirk is in use, which probably means the skin here is more vulnerable already, but on second thought, with the adaptation of your quirk, I bet the skin here is probably more fire and overall heat-resistant than the average person’s skin, so, wait, does that mean you have more nerve endings here or less? But, wait, what am I saying? Fewer nerve endings wouldn’t make sense because it’s clear that it tickles a ton now, especially when I move my fingers like this, okay, so would it tickle less or more rightafteryou’veusedyourquirkIwondersohey, maybelaterwecoulddoanexperimenttotestitoutjustforfunbutofcoursethatwouldbecompletelyupto....”

“Gahahahaha! Stahahahap!” Iida tried to sit up and push Midoriya away, but was in stitches and was unable to get him off. He fell back again, twisting his upper body and hugging his stomach while trying not to kick Midoriya with his free leg. “Plehehease, MihiHIDOHORIYA! Stohohohop mumbling - ahagh! StohoHOHOhop muhuhumbling!”

Oops… Izuku snapped out of his musings to realize his nails were still just barely scratching against his leg. He smirked. “Oh. Why?’

“B-Because inhihit i-it t-tihhihi-!”

“I don’t think that reason really makes sense, but…” Midoriya trailed off and experimentally kneaded his calf. “What about this?”

“NoHAHOHAHAHA! W-Wahait M-Mi - DAHAHAHAHAHA!” Iida roared with laughter with each squeeze, twisting around and digging his nails into the grass, trying to drag himself away from Izuku’s devastating tickle hug with little progress.

Izuku grinned. “Cool, I’m guessing that’s a y-eee!” he yelped as he and Iida’s legs were suddenly being swung around in the rainy air. He clung on and squeezed tighter, fingers digging into his calf as he kept slipping and struggled to keep a grip for dear life more than for anything else. “Wait, Iid-aahhh!”

“YAHAHAHEHES, IT-! L-LEHET GAHHAHAHAHAHO - PLHEHEHEHEASE, I-IT TIHIHICKLES MIhihidoHOHOHORI - AHHAHAHAS-STAHAHAHAHAP!” Iida sputtered, mind foggy as he kicked and chopped his arms into the grass and air. He was on an up and down roller coaster that varied in ticklish intensity as Izuku fought to maintain his grip.

“I’m trying- Iida- j-just stop kick-woaah!”

“OKAHAHAY, I - GIIHAHAHAHA! Mihihi, I-I reheheally - sahaha - s-surre- NAHAHAHAHH!!”

There was a muffled thud, a groan, and the tickling feeling in Iida was replaced with dread at the silence.

They both shot into sitting positions at the same time.

“Iida! Are you okay? I’m so-”

“What? No! I was going to ask-”

“-sorry! Did I hurt you?”

“-you the same question! I kicked you off, I’m—”

“No, I’m okay! You didn’t kick me off, actually. I sorta…just freaked out and let go when you screeched like that just then. So, you’re all right?” Izuku asked eagerly, rubbing his head a bit where it hit the grass. “I mean, it sounded like I hurt you. D-Did I scratch you too hard or something?”

“No, Midoriya…you’re fine. It just…” Iida panted with a slightly flushed face, readjusted his glasses, then shivered at the ghost tingles. “…really tickled.” He was incredulous. “A lot. I just never knew.”

Izuku’s shoulders eased. “Oh. Okay. I don’t have to tickle you there if it’s too much.”

“Thank you for checking in,” Iida said after a pause. “But I can handle it. Not that I’d let you get that chance again, anyway, of course.”

A few seconds of silence passed before a bright smirk returned to Izuku's face. “Oh, really-”

“Hey!” Iida shouted, giggling between ‘no’s and making fancy leg dodges while still in the grass like his life depended on it as Izuku made grabs for his leg. And when he did finally manage to catch one again and hug it tight, before he could do anything, Iida shrieked in such an uncharacteristically high pitch that Izuku flew back, rolled around in the grass, and lost it.

“Ohohohoho, man!”

“Midoriya!”

“W-Wait, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I-I just, I mean-” Izuku cried. “Iida, but you just said - you just said - but it was so easy to catch again, a-and your calf - near your mufflers - so ticklish that yo- ahahaha!”

“Midoriya!” His cheeks were glowing bright red, but the traitorous grin that snuck onto Iida’s face wouldn’t leave. He tried to force it down, but nah. It was stuck. "Come on. It wasn't...that funny. I didn’t know you were so cruel!" he said in a playfully dramatic tone.

Izuku gasped in a lungful of air. “Iida, I’m sorry, I thihink I-I’m, I gotta-!” He eventually got himself into a wobbly upright position and began making his way across the field.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“I...!” Izuku wheezed, his words drowned out by the rain and thunder as he kept going.

Then it dawned on Iida that the boy was heading for the tree where their belongings were, and he gasped. “Y-You wouldn't!” he squeaked, but his grin widened as he watched Izuku’s sloppy attempts to keep standing as he dragged himself forward, but he was still laughing so much, he apparently couldn’t do it, and was soon crawling across the field with quaking arms, occasionally tipping over onto an elbow into the muddy grass, pushing himself up as the rain gently pushed him down, and repeating the cycle at a pitiful pace.

Izuku’s determination despite his struggle was apparently such an amusing and endearing sight, that he was more than halfway across the field before Iida finally shot up and slowly started after him.

“Not so slow! Halt! I said halt, villain!" he bellowed.

“No, stay back! I-I hahave to!”

“You do not!”

“I do!”

“Absolutely not!”

“Iidaha!”

“Nope, not up for discussion!”

“O-Okahahay, time out!”

“I don’t think so!”

Izuku finally reached their tree, still on his hands and knees, and grabbed his notebook. "No, stay away! Writing down this valuable info is something I have to— AHH, noo!” he shrieked when wiggling fingernails caught him under the arms, then sides with nimble, highly effective impact. Izuku tried to fight back with his own pokes and prods as he went down, giggling hysterically, but Iida only lightly chuckled. “Iida, plehehease! Lehehet mehehe write it dohohown!”

“If you‘d stop laughing at me, I’m sure you could!” he said, reaching for the notebook with his free hand.

“I cahahan’t behehecause you’re tickling mehee!”

“Hmm, a terrible excuse.”

To Izuku, Iida’s higher-pitched, melodramatic tone of voice made him sound more like the villain, and that paired with the tickling made him even weaker to the point he lost his grip.

“Ah-ha!” Iida held the book in the air, but his victory was short-lived as Izuku tackled him, and their tickle wrestling continued as the rain pelted them, both of them grappling for the upper hand, flailing, grassy, muddy limbs, disheveled hair, both of their shouts clashing.

The notebook had been strewn several feet away from them during their scuffle, and soon, both teens were sluggish and weakened significantly by their endless stream of giggles, but Izuku was affected the most and didn’t put up enough of a fight to evade Iida’s leg that swung over his waist, pinning him and his arms under the leg and to the grass. Iida kept up his attack unhindered.

“Muahahaha-hah! Looks like your dastardly plans have been thwarted, criminal!”

“Nohohoho, Iida!”

“So, was it in your evil agenda to write it down, then create some grand scheme to exploit my weakness and share the details with select villain markets around the world for profit? Hm?” he questioned while the fingers of one of his hands crawled and danced on Izuku’s tummy like he was playing the piano, keeping him a steady ball of laughter as he squirmed around.

“N-Noho, but thahat’s a good ideee-AHHaha! Kidding, kihhidding - noho, I prohohomise!” Izuku cried. “It’ll stahahay between you and meehee! I-I’m sohohorry!”

“Though I question the sincerity of that apology, I’ll accept it for now. Because hearing a declaration of surrender is more what I’m looking for!”

“Nohoho wahahahay!” Izuku would be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying this playful side of his friend. He twisted and squirmed under Iida’s leg and pulled at his arms. “Ahahaha!”

“I see. I'll have to resort to more drastic measures of persuasion, then. So, if you just tell me where you’re most ticklish, it would make your job of surrendering much easier,” Iida said with a smirk. “What do you say?”

“Whahat?!" Izuku squeaked. "I can’t say it! It’s too bad!”

“So, I really haven’t found it yet?”

“Noho!” Izuku’s eyes widened, realizing his mistake. “I m-mehean-”

“Hm.” Iida’s brow furrowed. “So, let’s see, I’ve already tried here. And here, too, right? And here?” Iida gave a flurry of pokes all over his tummy, and a few fingers tried to worm under Izuku’s arms. Fingers jumped and skated along his ears and neck, which made Izuku squeal, and they squeezed up and down his sides, earning yelps and higher-pitched laughter. Iida lightly scratched and pressed along and between Izuku’s ribs as he pretended to count them, massaged and skittered above and under his knees, randomly alternating between places, searching, and somehow Izuku felt even more ticklish than usual as his peals of laughter jumped up and down in volume.

“Looks like this spot’s worse than that one, but not as bad as this one, so not here, either? Oh, sorry, I already checked there multiple times, didn’t I? Okay, so then maybe here, or…?”

“Ii- n-nahaHAHAHAhat! Nahahee n-not ahanywhere! YahAHAha! G-Gonnahaha kill meheehehee - pffft - nahAHAHAHAHHA - T-THEHEHERE!” Izuku burst into shrill hysterics, and he would have smacked a hand over his mouth to stop himself if he could. “THERE! NohohOHOT THEHEHERE!” Iida glanced down to see both his hands had traveled back down to squeeze at his hips.

“Oh! Here?”

“YEHEHEHEHEHES, THEHERE!”

“Yes, here? You’re sure?”

“NAHAAHAHA! YEHEHES, THEHERE! I-IIDAHAHAHAHA!!” Midoriya laughed harder when Iida teasingly spidered against the area, the light feeling like a hundred tickly bugs that he couldn’t escape even as he tried arching his back. "IIDAHAHAA! P-PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE!”

“I wasn’t expecting such enthusiasm, but since you asked so politely!” Iida broke into a mischievous grin as he scribbled and pinched over his hip bones with more purpose.

“N-NOHOT WHAT I MEHEHEHEAN!” Izuku writhed and kicked more under the maddening, focused attack that sent tingly shocks through his whole body. The floodgates broke, and more explosive bubbly laughter and shrieks spilled out. His head fell back into the grass. “NAha - CahahAHAHAHA-! NOHAHAHAHA! WAIT, PLEEHEASE WAHAHAHAHAHAIT!”

Iida pulled his hands back. “You all right?” he asked with concern replacing the playfulness in his eyes.

“Y-Yeah…” It took a moment for Izuku to stop giggling wildly as he blinked down the rain and mirthful tears in his eyes, and looked at Iida. “Wha...what is it?”

“It’s…just that you told me to wait,” Iida reminded him. “Oh, is it my leg? Is it hurting you?” he asked, getting ready to lift it.

“N-No, your leg’s okay. Well, right. I told you to wait... because...because…hey-'' He burst into uncontrollable snickers again when he noticed that his friend’s fingers, still in the air, were slowly curling into claws. “Iida, y-you’re so mehehean - seriously d-dohohon’t! Wahaha - wait!”

“If you’re all right, then why am I waiting, Midoriya…?” Iida asked, now unable to restrain the renewed smirk on his face. “You had me worried there for a second. You weren’t trying to...stall, were you?”

“I don’t... I don’t know!” Izuku held back his laughter, face reddening more as Iida’s hands started to slowly descend, making the giddy terror build in his chest and his squirming intensify, though much weaker since he’d been laughing so much. “Wait! I-I mehehenan, I said wait be-because…!” He fell into a frantic giggle fit again.

“I could wait ‘til you calm down,” Iida suggested with a grin that looked positively evil to Izuku and implied he was enjoying this way too much. Izuku tried a few times, but it was like he’d been bitten by a funny bug, and Iida’s barely wiggling fingers, and the way he was still grinning like crazy with messy hair, gleaming eyes, and mud smeared on his cheek wasn’t helping. “...but it looks like that's unlikely to happen.”

Izuku tried again. “Okahay, okayokay, heehear me out! S-Shouldn’t we be getting out of this rain? I mean - okay - I-I really said wait...‘cuz… it’ll reeheeheally tickle- and I-I mihight - wait - hehear me- Imightactually diiiEEE! IID- AHANOHOHO- NOOHOHOHO! PL- WAIIIAHHHAHAHAHAHA!” Izuku lost it as his hip bones were clawed, and scratched, and kneaded into.

“I couldn’t bear seeing you so tortured anymore!” Iida said, his laughter being drowned out by his friend's hysterics.

Izuku got one of his hands free and tried to reach down and tickle Iida’s leg positioned right below his waist, resulting in Iida jolting it slightly and fighting back with more merciless tickles. But Izuku could see his friend’s joyful expression through partially shut eyes, and for the moment, he was content for it not to end.

...Until he eventually remembered that he needed to breathe. “AHAHAHA!” Through his haze, he’d gotten his other arm free and used both hands to push at Iida’s wrists. “O-OKAHAHAHAHAY, IIDAHAHAHA! I SURRENDER, I SUHUHURREHENDER!”

The tickles stopped, and Iida went still. He was so still, even after several seconds ticked by with nothing but the sound of the rain and very faint thunder, that Izuku glanced up at him again to see his fading smile.

“Hold on. I don’t think I heard you right. Please, come again?”

“I sahaid...I surrender.” Izuku’s giggling and heavy breathing were slowly dying down. There was silence. More silence. He tilted his head.

“Wait, you said, i-if I’m not mistaken, you just said that you surrender. As in, you tap out? You give up? As in, you’re through. A-As in, you...you can’t take it anymore?”

“Well, yeah. Pretty much.” Izuku laughed awkwardly at the odd, intense stare Iida was giving him. “No need to rub it in,” he teased.

“My apologies, I just, it’s just that...that means I?” Iida’s eyes widened, mouth slightly open as he rose to his feet. “That means I won…” he said softly and with a trembling voice. Then his voice grew in volume and higher pitch as he repeated the words. “I won. I actually...I won…!”

Despite himself, Izuku smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, Iida. You really did w-”

“I WON! I! WON! I-I HAVE TRIUMPHED!!” the class rep shouted, dancing around and briefly breaking into the robot, which had Izuku shake his head with an amused smirk. But he let him have the moment. Besides, seeing his friend like this made his own spirits soar even higher. And when Iida abruptly finished his victory moves with an extravagant pose of one arm in the air, and one arm to his chest with a solemn look, Izuku laughed again and leaned back into the grass with the dopiest smile ever.

“Uh-huh. You won.”

That seemed to snap Iida out of his moment. He blinked, then quickly grabbed their water bottles, and handed Izuku his, who gratefully took it. After they drank, they both lay back in the grass and stared up at the roaring sky as the rain further cooled them down.

“I’m sorry,” Iida said. “I didn’t mean to gloat. I suppose I got a bit excited because I’ve just...never won a tickle fight before.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Izuku shook his head and turned it with wide eyes at Iida’s other comment. “But you’ve never won a tickle fight? Really?”

“Yes. Really.” Iida paused. “Well, for the most part, at least. There was less than a handful of times I would win against Tensei, but looking back now, it’s obvious that he let me win those times.” Iida looked over at Midoriya with a furrowed brow. “I was actually ready to surrender, but you stopped. You had the upper hand most of the time. So...you didn’t let me win, did you?”

“Huh? No! Of course not! I had no idea you were going to surrender, but that doesn’t matter. You didn’t, so it was a fair win!” The way Iida’s eyes lit up as a barely contained childlike excitement crossed his features again made Izuku beam. He shook his head. “Well, fair enough, at least. Trust me. I thought I was gonna die. You won fair and square, Iida.”

Iida gave a small nod. “Okay, then. If you’re being truthful.”

They looked to the sky again.

“I know. I was acting like a fool, wasn’t I?”

Izuku looked over again, but Iida’s slightly troubled expression kept him silent.

“When you first suggested the warm-up, I decided to go along with it, with little thought. Though I was a bit caught off guard at first, agreeing felt almost like second nature. I suppose it was because...as I mentioned, I had tickle fights with my brother quite often, a long time ago. We obviously can’t really have them anymore. But they were...this was…”

Oh, him too?

“Fun,” Izuku said, quieting the voice that had shamed him into abandoning that truth for so long. Reuniting with it, and saying it out loud now pulled an unexpected weight off his chest. “It was fun.” Even now, after all this time. “Yeah, we were dumb. We were both acting like total idiots,” he said with a growing smile up at the sky. “And that’s okay.”

“Fun. It’s less of an option, and more of a necessity.” Iida’s voice was barely heard over the steady rain. “That’s what Tensei used to say so often through the years that it should have been a catchphrase of his, and it’s something I’ve agreed with. It’s just that ever since his retirement, hard work and improvement for his sake and others has been all I’ve really been able to think about, especially with the exam coming up. Along with that, my middle school, Soumei, has always been an institution where serious behavior at all times was highly valued, and anything less than that, humor, or even a little playfulness, was considered disgraceful. So, to avoid being looked down on, I’ve developed a habit of suppressing my more fun-loving side. To the point that sometimes, even now, I fail to realize when I need it. So, thank you."

A wave of pain washed over Izuku at his friend’s words. “No. There’s no need to thank me for-”

“Nonsense! As I said, this time, I hadn’t even realized something was wrong, let alone what exactly was bothering me. But considering I now feel immeasurably rejuvenated, it’s clear that weariness had been clinging to me all this time. That’s why your perception, persistence, and incredible insight never fail to amaze me,” the class rep exclaimed while gesturing with his arms. “Brilliant!”

Izuku felt his face warm up. “I don’t know about that… All I really did was...”

“And as humble as always, to top it off…” Iida trailed off. “But I’d expect nothing less from you. Such noble qualities. All of which describe only the greatest of rising heroes.”

Izuku realized the familiar shine in his friend’s eyes was back when the smiling Iida glanced over at him through the sheet of rain, and Izuku suddenly had a lump in his throat and a huge flood of thoughts and emotion that he couldn’t contain.

“W-Well, I could say the same about you!” he blurted. “I-I should be thanking you! I mean, you’re so cool, and you have no idea what y-you... - you helped me -and- yeah, U.A. is kinda strict, too - but you don’t have to hide or suppress any sides of yourself here! What you had to do while at Soumei sounds like it sucked, b-but here, you can be your total self - seriousness and goofiness, and just everything! And - well, at least around me and the rest of our friends - you know how silly we can all be - they’ll accept every part of you just like I do because you’re amazing! Oh, and Kacchan isn’t always super friendly, b-but he’ll come around, too, and even he’ll realize how awesome you are-”

“Thank you, Midoriya. I think you’re right. Heh. Well, perhaps not entirely about Bakugou, but the rest of it.”

“-and, y-you know I really was just kidding about the notebook thing, right? Rip it up if you want! I- well, wait, actually, that one was pretty expensive since I made sure to order it fire and water-resistant this time, ‘cuz of Kacchan - b-but, I won't write anything for real, or tell a soul, I promise! A-And-”

Iida chuckled. “I know.”

Midoriya’s nose was suddenly tingling enough that it caused his vision to blur. …Seriously, Izuku! Don’t cry! What did he do to deserve such a friend? “And...I know not everyone our age still likes them, but if you ever just want to for the heck of it, we can goof off together and have these warm-up...I mean, tickle fights...as many times as you want, okay? I-If you’re ever up for it again.” He twitched with a small smile at the sudden gentle poke to his side.

Iida laughed quietly. “If, I see. You must not be looking forward to me taking you down again, and much quicker next time around. If I don’t die of a cold first. And if you’re ever up for it again, that is.”

Izuku huffed out a tiny laugh of his own. He nudged Iida’s shoulder and rubbed his eye. “Quicker, huh? Don’t count on it.”

——

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