Responsibilities
The rain fell softly as if it knew of the hardships both behind and ahead. Each droplet alighted on her skin with just enough coolness too command her mind to the present, to pull her away from the pain of the past and the uncertainty of what was to come. The beads over her face, more numerous than even the freckles in her skin, joined to wash over her in a delicate cascade of trickles. She raised her eyes to the grey layer that touched every mountaintop, there was more to come before the skies cleared, of that she could be sure. Momo sat on a rustic wooden chair while hugging her knees to her chest as she ruminated on the conversation that Todoroki and she had back at the entrance of UA High.
Three hours earlier…..
She felt foolish for thinking about something so trivial in a time like this. Todoroki just experienced something that probably will be etched into his memory forever. Beyond the rising smoke from the pile of debris was the outline of city and its frightened inhabitants- as well as her quixotic notion of running away with him. Momo wasn't usually interested in men as she was too focused on her studies and honing her creation skills from her quirk but she had been thrust into an unfamiliar role with her growing feelings for Todoroki. Throughout this ordeal, her feelings for him intensified as she found that they complemented each other on the battlefield as well as easy communication due to their matching personalities. However, she was left catatonically shocked as she witnessed Todoroki break down into tears after impaling the villain on a large mound of ice. Salty tears dripped and rippled across the growing pool of crimson blood that was pooling around the ice fragment.
She knew for a fact that he was shaken and in anguish as he had broken possibly the most important code of a hero- killing someone is never the option. Momo clenched her fists and closed her eyes as she tried to block out thoughts of regret and anger that were ready to wreak havoc in her mind.
Why did he choose to save her instead of the civilian?
" I'm a worthless hero! If only I was stronger, this wouldn't have happened and Todoroki wouldn't have to suffer the consequences," hot tears began streaming down her face as she punched the brick wall in frustration. " I hate myself!" she screamed as she hurled another punch at the wall that resulted in the slightest of cracks.
" Yaoyorozu, with the injuries that you sustained during the fight, I would advise you to refrain from adding another injury to your already long list," Todoroki nodded and walked up to her. She lowered her head and massaged her knuckles gingerly as he caught her arm and inspected them himself.
"Todoroki, you shouldn't have let the civilian die! It's your job as a hero to protect them and self-sacrifice comes with what we do. I was willing to put my life on the line fighting that villain so why did you save me instead of him?" Momo finally broke the silence that hung in the air as the young hero met her gaze before heaving a sigh.
" For someone who is rather academically gifted, you can be rather stupid at times," he folded his arms as she narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists. The black haired girl was about to throttle her classmate and beat him senseless but refrained from doing so due to her overwhelming guilt-ridden conscience. Momo tried her best not to fuss over his slumped figure while he assured her that he was okay. Her fingertips would trace over his heavily bandaged left arm and make its way to his smudged cheek conveying a paroxysm of emotions that she felt into every stroke she made. Murmurs of the the phrase "I'm sorry" could be heard every now and then and that made Momo just want to fling her arms around the boy and comfort him. He was just a friend and a classmate but there were times when he was giving off vibes that indicated something else. She batted him away and went to sit on the closest bench by the entrance of the school.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder was an adage that was displayed time and time again during their escape. She threw her arms around him and held him close for a warm hug as she buried her face into the crook of his neck and heaved a sigh of relief. She relaxed as he whispered words of assurance into her ear, his hot breath tickling her but soothing her nerves simultaneously. She was worried stiff when the villain cornered him and managed to perforate his arm with his sword. Her shouts filled the desolate streets as she created a variety of weapons and engaged in melee combat, trying to avenge her partner and finally take him down.
She was no match for the villain as he dispatched her without breaking a sweat. Her grunts of pain could be heard as he roughly disarmed her and sent her crumbling to the ground with a swift kick to the gut. Todoroki bit his lip till it bled as he used the flames from his left side to sear the wound close before he passed out to due excessive blood loss. He didn't know how to react as the villain held both Momo and the civilian hostage before shooting him a smug look.
" You can't save the both of them, ice-maker, so choose carefully. Will it be your friend or an individual that belongs to a society that you've sworn to protect? Either way, someone is going to die on your watch, and it won't be the last," the villain whistled before collecting his hostages and dangling each of them on the opposite sides of the building. "Having a quirk that enables me to stretch my limbs comes in handy in situations like this!" the villain roared with laughter before releasing the both of them simultaneously.
Todoroki shook in terror as the look of sheer right on Momo's face made him snap as he dived to the left to save his classmate. As he wrapped his arms around her and created a layer of ice to cushion their fall, the faint thud could be heard as Todoroki closed his eyes and said a silent prayer for the deceased civilian.
" Todoroki, we should retreat and call for backup," Momo yelled frantically but the words were lost in her throat as he ran to the other side to check on the civilian. He hung his head in shame and clenched his fists as he knelt down next to the lifeless body of the civilian and squeezed his hand. A murderous look flashed across his face as he propelled himself to the top of the building before cornering the villain. There was nobody who could reach him as rage and vengeance took control of his soul. Todoroki relentlessly attacked the perpetrator before unleashing a final attack that left a gaping hole in his chest and a dying wish. The howling winds masked his anguished cry as he came to his senses and realised what he had done. He disappeared as the other pro heroes emerged at the crime scene and shot Momo one last look before disappearing into the alleyway.
Flashback ends…..
She was jolted from her reverie as a familiar face greeted her and the smallest of smiles tugged at the corner of her lips. "Yaoyorozu, you're in a rather pensive mood this morning", Todoroki nudged her gently. She looked up at him and gives a wry smile before pointing to the orange hues painting the sky.
" It has just been a long time since I've had a chance to watch the sunset. Plus, I'm just amazed that we survived that nightmare."
He slipped his hand into hers and gave it a small squeeze as she rested her head on his shoulder. " Todoroki, I just want to thank you for saving my life but you shouldn't have chosen me," she said quietly as Todoroki remained silent.
The tension that filled the air was palpable and an uncomfortable silence blanketed the duo before he finally broke it. " Please drop the subject, Yaoyorozu. The hardest choice to make is always choosing between the woman you love and the citizens that you love. It sounds cliché but you never really understand the pain that a hero goes through when faced with that dilemma and everyone thinks that it's so easy to just sacrifice your entire world for the sake of your duty. I made my decision and although I'm probably going to be haunted by this incident for the rest of my life, I'm glad that I was able to save you," he muttered absently as she felt her heart palpitating.
He informed her that once the other heroes and the police found out that he had killed the villain and violated the rules, he would no longer be branded a hero and the possibility of a trial was high. She didn't want to let him go just yet and parting ways barely twenty-four hours after that ordeal wasn't something that was desired. Time was of the essence but she wanted to spend a little more time with Todoroki before they went their separate ways. There was a possibility that she would never see him again if he intended to go into hiding or become a hero in another country .
"Todoroki, we'll go our separate ways tomorrow. Right now, let's find somewhere to spend the night and recuperate because we're probably too tired to deal with ballistic parent, inquisitive media, prowling heroes and other villains," she gripped his arm.
Todoroki frowned and was adamant as he insisted that he couldn't afford to waste any time but he soon relented as Momo shot him a pleading look. He knew better than to go against the wishes of the stubborn girl who had just been through a lot, plus a good night's rest didn't seem like a bad idea to him.
Momo slowly crawled into bed next to him and curled up on her side of the bed. She stared at the wooden ceiling while trying to fall asleep as her wandering mind got lost in a world darker than the night sky. Todoroki turned to face her as he could tell that she was facing difficulties drifting to sleep. He took a moment to admire her soft features and gentle expression before draping his arm over her chest.
" Can't sleep? You'll bore a hole through the ceiling if you keep up with that intense staring of yours," he yawned as she elbowed him gently, eliciting a wheeze from the young hero. She swiveled her head and locked eyes with him as she took a deep breath. His face was dangerously close to hers as she could feel the warmth of his breath against her nose.
" Screw this. If our time as heroes is coming to an end, might as well start living with no regrets," she muttered before closing the distance between them with a chaste kiss. Todoroki's tongue wrestled for control as he slowly wrapped his arms around her. "And I thought that we were just partners," he replied as Momo shushed him and continued her battle for dominance over him. Few words were exchanged between the two as a wave of passion engulfed the two young heroes before they succumbed to their dreams.
He woke up the next day and slipped out early in the morning after leaving a note on the table that was a mixture of an apology and a letter of gratitude. The room felt emptier than before and he decided that it was best to leave without making things awkward. Momo eventually got up and realised that he had left without saying goodbye. His faint scent of cinnamon still lingered on the side of the bed that he slept on- reminding Momo that last night was nothing more than generous goodbye by his standards. She quietly got out of bed and picked up the piece of paper that was meant for her.
She folded it and kept in in his pocket after briefly skimming through the lines scrawled on it.
They never did utter the words nor did they suggest to progress further but he heard her tell him that she loved him just before she drifted off to sleep and this put a rare smile on his face as his feelings were returned. He wished that he could take her out to the movies or a walk in the park but he had to settle for one night of passion that served to sever any emotional attachment that he had with her. However, the both of them knew that if they ever crossed paths with each other in the future, they wouldn't let each other go ever again.
A/N This is my first ever BnHA fic and I'm really excited to be joining the fandom! Huge Todoroki x Momo fan and this story was inspired by true events. Don't forget to leave a review and please let me know your thoughts as feedback is appreciated!