A/N: This is a prompt from my blog based on the prompt "there's enough room for both of us." Bonus: look up the traditional meaning of the word "bundling."
Momo pushed the laundry room door open with her back, gripping the basket as she maneuvered into the washroom in reverse.
"There's a line," Kinoko Komori said, her own laundry basket at her feet.
"Are you serious?" Momo asked.
"Yep. You'll have to wait." The mushroom girl folded her arms and looked back at the timer on the nearest washer. Ten minutes.
Momo sighed. This wasn't even the busiest day of the week, but with each dorm building only having two washers, it wasn't uncommon. The school promised they would install more, but there were more pressing matters at the monthly meetings, apparently.
Remembering a conversation she'd had earlier about what the school found more pressing, she had an idea.
She backed back out of the laundry room and pulled out her phone, scrolling to Todoroki's contact. She didn't have to scroll very far.
The laundry room here is at capacity. Can you let me in to use the 3-B building?
The reply came in less than a minute.
Gladly.
Momo pulled her coat off of the rack and put it on, not bothering to tie her shoes. The walk from the A to B buildings wasn't far.
In their second year, Momo and Todoroki had been moved to the B class. In their senior year, she'd been moved back to the A class, and now they were in separate dormitories. The school said it was random, and that it didn't matter, since the two groups shared most classes anyway. Which was true, but it made seeing Todoroki while not in public…. inconvenient.
When Todoroki opened the door, he grabbed one handle of the basket so it fit through the frame more easily. It was late enough that they didn't encounter anyone on the way through the common area.
The laundry room was rather small. It had a heavy door on it with a window, a short hallway with another door beyond it, and a small closet at the side of the laundry room itself. A single chair sat in the corner.
"How do you intend to get back to the 3-A building in… twenty-three minutes?" Todoroki asked, an eyebrow raised, as she loaded her clothes into the nearest washer and punched in the settings.
"I happened to visit Support today," she said. "Apparently, the robot that patrols this area until 12:30 is down for the next few days. Maintenance."
Todoroki blinked at her, amused. "I'm surprised. Pleasantly."
"What can I say?" she asked, shutting the washer and walking towards him. "It's very important that I get my laundry done."
Thirty minutes later, out of breath and disheveled, Todoroki froze and put a finger to his lips. "I hear something," he said, low.
Momo backed off of her spot straddling his lap and stood. There were definitely footsteps. Two soft ones, and the small pat of a cane against the floor.
"Recovery Girl," she breathed.
"Shit," he said. Recovery Girl was notorious for catching PDA, and after bedtime it had to be worse. If she asked what they were doing out of bed six minutes past lights and the answer was 'making out', they'd be in worse trouble than they would have been for either offense individually.
"I've seen the plans for this building," Momo said. "That closet- there's enough room for both of us!"
She followed Todoroki into the closet and closed the door just as Recovery Girl got through the second door. Momo exhaled, pressed against him, and tried to breathe in again. She almost couldn't.
"Momo," Todoroki breathed into her ear, almost inaudible. "Did the plans say this is where the A/C unit is housed?"
She was sandwiched more than snugly between Todoroki and a huge metal air cooling unit. It was off for now, as it was wintertime, but the fact remained that it was there. Taking up space.
Momo tried to turn and get a better look at whether there was somewhere they could move so they would be more comfortable, but there wasn't even enough room to do that.
"Your elbow, can you-"
"Sorry, I didn't- don't move, you're against my boob."
"I'm well aware."
They resolved to just stand there until Recovery Girl left. They could sort of see between the door slats, and they watched her painstakingly place each piece of old lady underwear in the washer one by one.
"Is she leaving?" Momo whispered when Recovery Girl moved out of her line of sight. They were facing each other and couldn't turn, so they each had about ninety degrees of view out the door slats.
"I think so… nope. She's sitting down on the chair."
Momo tried to be optimistic. "Maybe she's resting and she'll leave in a minute."
"She just pulled out a book."
"No," She moaned, dropping her head onto Todoroki's shoulder and putting her nose into his neck. "What book is it?"
"Can't see yet. It's red with yellow letters." He paused and considered. "What kind of books do you think she reads?" His hands were down by his sides and resting on her waist.
"Red cover? Sounds like… hmm, my grandmother reads those trashy romance novels." She laughed softly. "Do you think Recovery Girl is into those?"
"I would've guessed a medical drama. Those are about as common." He'd stopped craning his neck and put his head beside hers. It was convenient, so they were whispering in each other's ears.
"Yeah, but would she really read about what she does all day?" Momo considered.
"Are we betting on this?"
"What are we betting?"
"Loser buys ice cream?" He suggested, and she nodded into his shoulder. He craned his neck again and tried to look at the title, but couldn't quite see it. "She's facing the wrong way."
"We'll either see it later or we won't."
A few minutes passed. They were utterly still. Momo's feet began to ache from being unable to move.
"So," she whispered when she got too bored to stand in silence any longer. "Now that it looks like we may be stuck together in this closet for another hour and forty-five minutes, what is on your mind?" She was expecting an answer like 'I'm wondering if we would have problems like this if we were ducks.'
"Honestly?"
"Of course."
"My mind's about six feet in the gutter and dropping quickly."
She almost laughed, but exhaled frustratedly. "Shouto, if I move a single muscle, this huge block of metal creaks really loudly."
"I know. Which is why I didn't bring it up."
"Here," she said. "Pass me my phone."
He reached carefully into her pocket and bent his arm backwardsish so she could reach the device, awkwardly as her arms were around his neck. There was a moment where they almost dropped it, but didn't.
She spent a moment looking for what she wanted.
"Time. Again," he said, twenty minutes later. "That's like the fourth one that the answer was time."
"Yeah, there are a few that clearly follow the same line of logic. Do you want another one?"
"Let's trade. I'll read the riddles." They did the same awkward pass-around so he could grab the phone and hold it behind her head. "Uh, I cut through evil like a double-edged sword, chaos flees at my approach. Balance I upraise, through battles fought with heart and mind, not with my gaze. What am I?"
"Um…" Momo considered. "Justice?" She asked uncertainly.
"Yeah, that's it. I think we've got the hang of these. Maybe-" Todoroki was cut off by Momo's hand covering his mouth. He listened closely.
Snoring.
"She's asleep," Momo said, removing her hand from his mouth. "What are our chances?"
"I dunno, she's been a superhero for longer than our combined lifespan. How much trouble is it worth?"
"We got off pretty easy before, but remember what Hounddog said about three strikes? We're on the third."
Todoroki growled frustratedly. "How long do we have?"
"About an hour and fifteen."
His hands tensed on her sides. "Momo, this sucks. I think we should leave. I'll go first, if she wakes up, I'm not in too much trouble because I live here. If she doesn't, wait five minutes and go. At least your clothes are actually in the dryer. You have an excuse."
Momo nodded. "I'll have to open the door and stay behind it to step out. You step around me and I'll shut myself back in."
"Ready?"
"Ready. Opening in three, two-"
BRRRRRINNNG!
They froze. Recovery Girl's cell phone timer went off, signalling the end of the wash cycle.
"You have got to be kidding me," Todoroki deadpanned.
"At least we didn't try to leave?" Momo said hopefully.
"Yeah, I guess." He didn't sound convinced.
Recovery Girl made her way slowly over to the washing machine and began picking her clothes out and placing them in the basket. When she was finally finished, she dragged the basket over to the dryer and inspected each garment before deciding whether to dry it or hang it.
"I have nothing but respect for this woman," Todoroki began, but didn't finish the thought.
"Most of the time," Momo completed.
"Yep." Todoroki sighed. "Do you think she'll take her clothes back to her quarters to hang them?"
"Maybe."
No such luck.
"Must be a great book," Todoroki said dejectedly.
.
.
"I'm wondering if we would have problems like this if we were ducks," Todoroki said at one point.
.
.
"We don't have homework, do we?"
"No."
.
.
"Do you think Aizawa will go back to expelling students left and right after we leave?"
"I dunno. Depends. If he really cares about us, he can care about students again. If we're just that competent… Probably."
.
.
"Are you afraid of what comes after graduation? The teachers are always watching out for us. If we mess up or do something wrong, it's fine."
Todoroki sighed, considering. "The teachers watching out for us is good for a while, but if we're not accomplishing anything, what's the point of all this? Like now. We're here, in this closet, because of how much the teachers watch us." He paused. "I think we can watch out for each other just fine."
It was simple, but it made something in Momo's stomach clench. She wrapped her arms around him a little tighter.
.
.
When the dryer with Momo's clothes stopped, she tried to turn and see if Recovery Girl was still awake. At the motion, Todoroki's arms snaked behind her back and into a full embrace, pulling her back towards him.
"I can't-" she started, but stopped.
He was asleep.
"I love you," she whispered instead.
She heard the turn of another page.
.
.
Momo woke to the sound of the second alarm. An embarrassingly sizeable patch of drool marked Todoroki's collar. Her back ached.
"Is she leaving?" Todoroki groaned. She felt him blink several times against her ear.
"Not yet, but soon."
When Recovery Girl finally ambled out, Momo pushed the door open and she and Todoroki stepped out into the light.
"It's so bright," Todoroki mumbled sleepily as Momo pulled her clothes out of the dryer and into her basket. He checked his watch. "Momo, you have four minutes before the next cycle of sentry bots."
"I'll make it," she said.
"You know, you could-" Todoroki began. "Never mind."
"What?"
"Don't forget your jacket," he said, handing it to her.
Stay here. That's what he'd been thinking.
At this point it might even be the smart thing to do.
She set down the basket and pushed him back against the closet they'd been stuck in, kissing him deeply. It took him off guard, and for a few moments he was frozen before kissing her back. So much for those lightning reflexes, she thought. As quickly as she'd started it, though, she pulled away, picking up her laundry basket and heading to the door.
"I'll see you in the morning," she said, as she pushed the door of the laundry room open with her back.