Boundaries Of Ice
The crowd roared with excitement as the participants of the Sports festival heated up. The standoff between Shoto's calvary team vs Bakugou's and Midoriya's sent sparks of loud screams across the stadium.
Ice spread across the ground, stopping the other calvary teams from continuing their pursuit as Shoto and his teammates raced towards Midoriya. An ice barrier formed a half circle, surrounding Shoto and Midoriya as they stood off against each other, battling for the 10 million point headband.
"Offense and defense right at the edge! Reining that in, Todoroki gets the ten million!" Present Mic screamed out, the crowds wilding out over the announcement and seeing the cavalry battle.
For a small brief moment, she saw Shoto defend as Midoriya reached over. A orange hue emanated between the two and she knew he had used his fire quirk.
Aiko sat in the stands clapping her hands with everyone else as Endeavor stood up silently and walked up the steps. She only glanced at him for a quick moment before letting her future father-in-law walk away to do his own biding.
"Time up!"
The crowd quieted to hear Present Mic speak. "That's the end of the second round, the cavalry battle!"
Cheers and screams rose up higher than before as Aiko sat silently watching. She had never seen Shoto use his fire side. When he trained it was ice, when he sparred with his tutors at home, it was always ice. She had overheard him talking to a new tutor once, saying he would never use it. That he'd reject his father.
But she was sure, so sure that she had seen him use fire. If only for a split small second, she knew it was fire.
A smile lifted onto her lips as Present Mic announced an hour break for lunch. Standing up, she stretched her legs before walking to the back entranced, eager to slip away from the crowds. As she walked the halls, she stumbled upon the sight of All Might and Endeavor.
All Might paused his words as the small girl walked by the two of them. Aiko bowed her head politely before walking past the two. She finally reached the bottom and let out a breath she had been holding in. She felt the intensity between the two top pro heroes as she walked by and it had made her feel unsettled. She knew the aura emitting from Endeavor and it wasn't something she liked to feel. Afterall, she had been living with the Pro-hero for awhile now and she didn't think she'd ever get used to it.
Walking out to the almost empty courtyard she sat down by a empty bench and stared up into the clouds. Hunger was the last thing on her mind, she only wanted a break from the crowds. Movement caught her ears as she flicked her eyes to see familiar heterochromia eyes staring at her.
"Shoto...kun?" She tilted her head cutely at the young man seating himself next to her. He didn't reply.
She pursed her lips together, used to him not replying much to her. "What…" She paused a bit, trying to gather the words into her mouth.
"What're you doing here? Are you not going to eat lunch?" She kept staring at him, her hands on her lap as she spoke quietly to him.
"No, I'm not hungry." He stated, he slouched back on the back of the bench and stared at the sky.
"Y-You'll need the strength though… For the finals." She whispered before leaning back herself and watching the people walk around on the grassy fields. She felt irritation radiating off of him and annoyance, she arched her eyebrow up as she stared at the scenery before her. Had he felt that towards her or from someone else? She probably wouldn't have ever known.
He racked his head, trying to remember if she had even joined in the festivities. Todoroki glanced at the woman, his head still faced up to the clouds. "Why aren't you participating in the festival?"
"A-Ah, that. Well, I would have liked to participate but it is unsightly to see the daughter of the wealthiest man get hurt…" Her hands tightened around each other. "Or so I've been told. I'm not allowed to participate."
Shoto turned his head to her, his face unreadable like always yet she could always feel what he felt. Aiko sweatdropped from his intense stare. She bit the inside of her cheek, he always made her feel weird when he stared at her like that. She didn't know if she liked it yet or not.
"I see." He turned his head back to the clouds and closed his eyes. Aiko only sat next to him, the two of them relishing in each other's silent company. She wanted to ask him about his fire quirk, but decided against it.
The hour passed by quickly as Aiko walked back towards the stadium seats. Shoto had gotten up silently and walked away mid break. They had given each other a silent nod as the young man walked away. Aiko didn't press for where he was going, she knew the young man cherished his alone time. But it had been nice that he sought her company first before leaving to do his own thing.
Present Mic's voice boomed as the crowd screamed in excitement.
"Hey guys! Are you ready!?"
Aiko sat once again alone as Endeavor walked away. She only continued to stare down at the students fighting. Roars of cheers and screams sounded all across the stadium as she sat in silence and watched the battles happening on the ground level.
Finally reaching Shoto's turn, she watched as Sero used his tape and wrapped it around Shoto. She bit her lips in anxiousness watching as Shoto was swung. Midway through his swung, she saw his right foot producing ice and stopping him from being swung out of the ring. Aiko watched in amazement at his sheer power of abilities. He effortlessly made a giant wall of ice and encased Sero in it. It's impressive size reached over the height of the stadium and Aiko felt a wave of shiver come across her spin as she felt the coldness of his ice. The wall filled up almost half of the stadium and she sorta felt sorry for the people who were in the direction of the ice.
More battles came as Aiko sat alone again. Endeavor kept coming back and sitting, only to stand and leave again every once in awhile. She turned her head back to watch Endeavor, he walked to the back and stood atop leaning his back to the wall. Turning her head back to watch the next match, she figured that maybe Endeavor felt restless.
The whistle blew for the next match. Shoto was against Midoriya and as the two fought she felt a wave of anxiety hit her like a truck. She couldn't hear what the two were talking about but she felt Shoto's feelings. She watched Midoriya negate Shoto's attack. The cold wind blew across the stadium, encasing everyone in the chill.
Aiko sat still, the cold not bothering her. She watched the fight unfold before her. Feelings of intense determination flooded her body as she watched the two boys down below her. Looking to the dark green haired male, she felt his feelings too.
Determination, selflessness, and caring.
She arched her eyebrow up and then stared at Shoto.
Determination, disdain, and torn.
"Torn?" She furrowed her eyebrows. "Why does Shoto-kun feel torn?"
She sat at the edge of her seat as Shoto charged towards Midoriya. He landed a blow to Shoto's gut as Shoto froze Midoriya's left arm. Her eyes blinked away the blurred vision as she kept her vision on Shoto. He was angry. She had never seen or felt him be angry before.
As the fight continued, a new wave of emotion filtered her mind.
Sadness and Ambivalent.
She looked between the two young men and wondered to herself, from who this feeling came from. Midoriya yelled at Shoto, though she couldn't convey what he had said, she felt his intensity.
She sucked in air as she watched Shoto emit a orange and red hue from his left side. It came out slow, but the heat intensified as it spread up high. Aiko gripped the ends of her skirt. She felt the intensity of his heat and feelings. The heat spread across the stadium as Aiko sat on the edge of her seat, her eyes never leaving Shoto's form.
She ignored the outburst of Endeavor as he walked down past her and shouted to Shoto. Her focus was entirely on Shoto only. Her breathing quickened as she watched Midoriya charge forward. A few tears escaped her eyes as her gaze continued to Shoto. She couldn't help the tears, they had fallen on their own accord. These feelings she felt from the two young men, especially Shoto, it was too much to ignore.
She wiped away the tears that dripped down her cheek.
Thankfulness.
The impact of their respective attacks blasted an immense wave of air, destroying the cement barrier Cementos created between the two young men. Everyone tried to watch in curiosity yet the blast shook their eyesight. Aiko covered her face from the blast, she peeked an eye out from her elbow. The crowd stayed quiet as the dust started to clear. At the announcement of Shoto winning, she couldn't help but smile and silently cheer along with the crowd before her.
There stood Todoroki Shoto. The winner. He stood among the wreckage, half of his shirt missing due to the flames of his quirk.
Shoto started at the crowd cheering, he saw his old man standing by the sidelines. His flames exuberantly flaming around wildly. His eyes flickered over to see Aiko sitting in the distance behind his father as she silently cheered him on. He couldn't make out her face in the distance but he saw her hand wave slightly to say hi.
Aiko's face held a small light pink blush as she moved her arm to wave to Shoto. "What am I doing?"
Endeavor walked down the steps into the corridor to meet Shoto on the way back in, Aiko had debated if she should follow him or not. "W-Who am I kidding…?"
The next battle started as she continued sitting alone, Endeavor never came back to his seat. Shoto used ice against Bakugou, Aiko noticed he hesitated from using his fire. Shoto had used his ice to prevent him from being thrown out the sides.
A frown appeared on her lips as she saw Shoto using his flames as Bakugou ran to attack. Her hand gripped her skirt tightly, earning white knuckles. She felt his hesitation and when he put out his own flames to take the explosion head on. She pursed her lips in worry.
Even though the first night together she had felt indifference from him, she had learned quickly that he felt that towards his father. His face may have looked the same emotionless void to others, but his eyes and they way she felt his feelings told her a different story. Or at least, that was how she perceived it to be.
Aiko sat in her class while her homeroom sensei, Ectoplasm, gave the students a small quick praise.
"No school tomorrow or the day after! Go home and rest well! I'm proud of you guys for participating."
Aiko kept her head low, she didn't want her classmates looking at her and wondering why she didn't participate. Shinso sat to her right and watched her from the corner of his eyes. He saw her packing her bags and leaving as soon as class ended. Gathering his own items, he decided not to ask where she had gone during the festival. She was a peculiar little thing, always sitting at his table during lunch but never talking. He had liked that she was quiet.
The next morning Aiko woke up alone, she sat up in her futon slowly and looked around. There were no Shoto around. Getting ready for the day, she walked to the kitchen slowly to find Fuyumi making tea.
"Oh, morning Aiko-san!" Fuyumi greeted politely to the young girl. Throughout the week together, Aiko had decided to get to know Fuyumi more. Afterall, she was the only friendly face in this house with a cheery feel.
"Morning Fuyumi-san." Aiko sat down on the stool overlooking the counter.
Fuyumi continued making tea and served Aiko some biscuits. "Shoto is out this morning. He's visiting… our mother at the hospital."
Aiko only nodded silently to herself. She didn't even know they had a mother. "W-Why…" She paused and thought that maybe asking why their mother wasn't home was a bad question to ask. It felt like an insensitive question to ask.
Fuyumi only laughed a little before replying back softly, "Our father sent her there… I guess that's all I should say for now…" She straightened back up when Enji walked through the kitchen.
"Good morning, Enji-sama."
"Morning, otou-san."
Enji only grunted in response and grabbed a banana before walking out the house to his hero agency.
"I have a performance in Hosu soon." Aiko stated softly, biting into a biscuit. Fuyumi looked at her in curiosity.
"O-Oh? I forget that you still have an appearance to keep as the youngest of the Sakamoto's."
Aiko lifted a small smile to the older sister of the Todoroki's. "Yes, it'll be at the Hosu General Hospital. I am to perform for the chairmen and their staff and help host along with my older brother. A fundraiser, or so I've been told."
Fuyumi handed the hot green tea to Aiko, "Good luck!"
"I also have to do a charity fund today at the hospital. Courtesy of my mother. I'll see you later tonight, Fuyumi-san." Aiko smiled sheepishly at Fuyumi.
Aiko jumped off the tall chair and bowed before leaving. She had plans made by her mother to go to the Hospital today and do charity work. Today she would be publicly seen by reporters and made sure to dress her best. Afterall, she was still a Sakamoto and had to keep up appearances, at least for the sake of her mother and father.
"Be safe!" Fuyumi waved her off from the front door.
Aiko sat with the many children at the hospital. Reporters snapped pictures from the back and recorded small clips to be shown around the media. Ignoring the lousy mongrels snapping pictures of her, she continued reading Jack and The Beanstalk to the young kids. Many of the children scooted closer to her, getting anxious from the paparazzi in the back. Aiko's eyes flickered across the faces of the young ones. Using her quirk, she calmed down the group of children and finished reading the book.
"Aiko-nee! Come back and see us again!" Cried out one of the small children. Aiko turned from where she stood and smiled at the darling child.
"Of course, I'll bring you guys some dessert that we can share together!" She tapped on his nose. The child blushed and smiled before waving and running back to his room. The nurse behind her cleared their throat causing Aiko to look back.
"Thank you, Sakamoto-sama, for spending time with the children."
Aiko bowed and replied back, "Yes, well. It's no problem at all. Goodbye now."
The nurse bowed down to Aiko as she walked down the hall. Glancing to her watch she took note of the time. "Wow, it's already 4pm?" Grabbing her phone to text Fuyumi, she entered the elevator when it beeped.
"Aiko." Shoto's voice brought her out of her texting daze as she looked up to see her betrothed.
"S-Shoto-kun? What're you doing here?" Aiko's eyes widened in surprise, she knew that Fuyumi had mentioned their mother being at a hospital but she didn't think it'd be the same one she had to do charity work at.
"I could ask you the same." His face was void of any emotion as he spoke to her. But his eyes held a different one, curiosity.
"I was here for charity work for the children at the hospital." She got in the elevator and stood by Shoto's side. Shoto only eyed her from where he stood and replied back himself.
"I… I visited my mother. There were some things I needed to know." He breathed slowly and exhaled out.
"My father was the one who admitted her into the hospital…." he spoke up right as the elevator dinged for the ground level. He turned towards her and tilted his head. "Heading home?"
Aiko blushed before stuttering out a hesitant yes. They walked side by side, opting to take the long way home together.
"H-How was your day?" Aiko spoke up, she had genuinely been curious. Shoto kept his gaze straight ahead of them as they walked side by side.
"It's been well. It was rather productive. I saw my mother whom I haven't seen in years. It was… nice." He felt her eyes on him and turned to look at her.
"That's wonderful." She put a hand in his shoulder, comforting him in her own way. Shoto stared at the contact. Aiko blushed before pulling her hand away.
"W-Well, let's go home. I'm sure Fuyumi-san is waiting for us to join her for dinner." Aiko sped ahead, eager to hide her blush. Shoto only stood in place as he watched her form walk ahead. It had felt warm from where she placed her hand. He raised his eyebrow up before catching up to the petite girl.
