Unlikely and Unusual
Day 12 - Winter - TsuShouji
AN: Also features background AoChako vs IiDeku;; Vive la revolution!
Tsuyu stares at the trees and hills outside the window of the ski lodge privately owned by the Yaoyorozu family. The students are finally allowed one weekend of their winter break to step out of school, provided that they're supervised by a pro-hero member of the faculty. Everyone voted to go to the ski lodge, and now everyone is having fun out in the snow.
Well… everyone except Tsuyu-chan. Being cold-blooded doesn't always have a lot of perks. Days like these she spent at home with her family under the kotatsu. Unless they're wearing multiple layers of very expensive thermal wear, they wouldn't even make it out to their front yard without slipping into a peaceful coma.
Nevertheless, she doesn't want to keep anybody else from having fun. She'd told everyone else to go play and to not worry about her. So there she sits, in front of the blazing fire of the hearth, with a cup of hot chocolate and no-one to talk to.
She watches as Ochako-chan and Aoyama-chan throw snowballs above Iida's head as he makes a perfectly square snowman. She thinks that it'd be good to take a video of it and begins grope at the side of the couch when she feels the cushions give at the space next to her.
"Ribbit? Oh, it's Shouji-chan."
Their tallest classmate, Shouji Mezo, regards her curiously. "Asui-san? You aren't joining everyone else outside?"
"No… I might not keep awake if I go out, ribbit." Tsuyu croaks and looks at him just as questioningly. He's clad head-to-toe in winter wear, but the sleeves from all layers have been cut, leaving his multi-arms bare. She supposed that his quirk required clothing that left room for his arms to grow as he needs them to, but all in all it's an odd look. She isn't sure if he's ready to go outside or not.
"Oh… that's unfortunate." Shouji says this with genuine concern. "I was just on my way out to join the rest of them… it seems that they're having a race of some sorts outside."
"That sounds like fun." She couldn't help the wistful little croak that escapes her throat. "You should go and join them, Shouji-chan. Don't worry about me, ribbit."
"I feel bad about leaving you here, Asui-san…"
"No, I promise I'm fine," the frog-girl insists with the best smile she can muster. "And please, call me Tsuyu-chan, ribbit."
The tall boy doesn't move though. One of his hands is rubbing his chin thoughtfully, while another one is rubbing the back of his neck. Two arms are crossed in front of him pensively. It's the very picture of thoughtfulness, Tsuyu thinks.
"Well… I truly don't want to leave you alone here," Shouji repeats. He stands up to his full height, though, his profile casting a shadow that looms over Tsuyu. There's suddenly a bright look in his eyes, something that she's never seen before in his usually serious gaze.
"So I was wondering… if you'd indulge me in an idea I had just now."
Ochako and Aoyama are in the middle of hiding from an affronted and snow-covered Iida when Tsuyu comes out to meet them. "Oh, it's Tsuyu-chan and Shouji-kun! Finalement!" Aoyama greets with a flamboyant wave. "Join us in a long-overdue coup d'etat to bring our tyrannical president down! Vive la révolution!"
"End the Square-o-cracy! Vive la résistance!" Ochako cries, until she takes a good look at her classmates. Snowballs and the revolution momentarily forgotten, she gapes at them and shifts to a particularly mischievous grin as she takes note of their proximity. "Oh my gosh! You two are soooo cute!"
"Ribbit," Tsuyu croaks in mild embarrassment, as she looks up at Shouji. "Are you sure this is okay, Shouji-chan? You won't be able to race with everyone…"
She's enclosed in an improvised sling made of the tall boy's arms, so that she's hanging like a cocoon in front of his chest with just her bonnet-clad head exposed to the cold air. While this isn't the first time that he'd carried her like this-the Sports Festival and the Provisional License Exam come embarrassingly in mind-this time, it's much snugger and she's much closer to the boy. She only hopes that he hasn't noticed how red her face is.
"I'm okay. It's enough for me to see you having fun in the snow, Asui… I mean, Tsuyu-chan."
She knows that she's the one who insisted on being called by her first name, but now she's blushing so hard she's sure that anyone would notice. Ochako, in particular, is grinning at her so wide it's bordering on shit-eating, but before she's able to get a teasing word out, a snowball hits her right in the head.
"Take that, rapscallions! Capture the rebels!" cries a method-acting Iida, one stiff hand swooshing towards Aoyama and Ochako. Midoriya is behind him with his own pack of snowballs. "Attack them, my general! Leave the civilians unharmed!"
"Okay! Shouji-kun, Asu… um, Tsuyu-chan, watch out!" Midoriya yells, as he throws five snowballs in succession.
Snowballs start to fire from both sides, accentuated by shrieks of laughter. She isn't playing with them, but finally seeing the beautiful snow up close is more than what she ever wished for.
Moments later, when Shouji walks them away from the increasingly violent, snowy coup d'etat, Tsuyu is greeted by another marvelous sight.
Gentle snowflakes begin to drift from the sky. She gasps a little as one of them floats close to her eyes, and she's able to see the fractals in striking clarity. "This is amazing, Shouji-chan! I've never seen snow fall so up close, ribbit!"
He pats her head fondly and says, "I'm glad, Tsuyu-chan. It's nice to see you smiling again."
Tsuyu knows that it's cold, but she feels like melting. She croaks contentedly and curls herself closer to Shouji.
AN: I'm getting so much practice writing fluff;;
Shouji - one of my fav lorge bfs, gives best hugs! needed to write this!
