and you say, stay
Chapter 15: Do I Have To Let You Go?
Being a surgeon-in-training, Todoroki Natsuo, 33 years old, is perpetually tired. Days off are few and far in between, and the hours he spends not sleeping in is dedicated to treating himself and his girlfriend to a nice meal not far from his apartment, and spending quality time with his family.
… that is, if you can call awkward dinners at the Todoroki Mansion and the arguments with Dear Ol' Dad 'quality time.'
Look. It's not that Natsuo goes in wanting to pick a fight. He tries to 'behave' for Fuyumi's sake, but it's hard. After all, Enji never lets him forget how disappointed he was in Natsuo for not looking and acting like a Todoroki should, for siding with mom, for choosing to help people instead of working like a dog for the rest of his life when Touya was taken away.
All that would be fine - he isn't really keen on gaining Dad's love at this point. He doesn't need it to live. But he has to watch Shouto forced into doing what he and Touya wouldn't, along with all the shit that comes with it. And after all that his baby brother has been through, to see that guy forcing his idea of a 'perfect life' on Shouto is disgusting.
Natsuo was powerless to stop it before. But now that he's independent, he promised himself that if that old man hurts Shouto again, he'll throw everything he has against him, win or lose. He already lost one brother to this man, he won't lose another one.
"That's sweet of you," the other man cackles, crossing his legs over the low coffee table in Natsuo's small apartment. "You don't have to worry about me, though. I'm fiiiiine."
Is he, though? It's ten PM of a tiring day and Natsuo goes home to find this man sitting in complete and utter darkness, watching Stain: Society's Killer on Netflix while eating the Chinese takeout he has sitting in the fridge for a week.
He's been fucking around and making a mess for a week now, but he's welcome to do it. Touya-nii can do whatever he wants in Natsuo's home as far as he's concerned, can even stay there for good if he wants to. Because he's family, and also Natsuo doesn't think that this guy is capable of taking care of himself at all.
"Hey, this dumpling smells weird," Touya says, sniffing the offending thing before popping it into his mouth and chewing noisily. "Tastes fine, though. You want some?"
Case in point. Natsuo looks at him with disgust. "Why didn't you just order a pizza or something?"
Touya scowls, stabbing his chopsticks into the box. "That's all that fuck-face Spinner orders every single rehearsal. I'm gonna hurl if I ever see one again."
"And this doesn't make you wanna throw up?!" He snatches the box from his grasp. "Don't eat garbage, man. You're gonna get sick eating this shit."
"Wouldn't have eaten them if you didn't stash 'em there." Touya points out with a bratty glare, making Natsuo wonder which one is really the older brother between them.
With a resigned sigh, Natsuo trashes this and the rest of the old takeout he can get his hands on, trying to ignore Touya's complaints along the way. He's pretty hungry though, and as much as Natsuo wants to make something healthy, it's too tiring to think of cooking and washing the dishes. Looks like they're ordering takeout for the third day in a row...
God, adulting is a pain. He's probably talking big telling Touya he can live here with him anytime he likes. At this rate they're gonna die early.
Touya chuckles derisively as Natsuo confirms their order for two jumbo beef bowls. "Y'know, that kid has his own nutritionist and personal chef? Some dude who studied in France and got awards and shit."
Natsuo snorts in disinterest.
"He's got a better place too," Touya continues, staring passively at a particularly gruesome portion of the documentary. "Maybe five times the size of your apartment. You been there?"
"Yeah, I visit him when I can."
Skinny fingers drum against his propped up knee, his burn scars peeking from his sleeves. Impatient and irritated. Natsuo stares at his motions carefully.
"Shouto worked for it, y'know. All of it is his. Enji doesn't give him a single yen that he hasn't worked for. He owes that guy jack shit."
"So he tells me," Touya says absently. "Fuyumi said the exact same thing, too. Wouldn't you know it, the kid's thriving."
"Don't," Natsuo warns. "Nii-chan, c'mon-"
"What? I wasn't saying anything."
It's that smile, though-scheming and sinister, far darker than Natsuo remembered. Sends a chill down the spine, really, how his blue eyes shine in the dark like a panther about to kill. He may not be saying anything, but he also didn't say anything before he decided to punch Shouto in the jaw.
"I dunno why you're so mad at him. Shouto's trying his best," Natsuo says, with some difficulty. "Between us he has it harder. And this is coming from the one who isn't living off of Enji's money anymore-"
Touya looks around his little apartment and raises his eyebrows skeptically.
"Yeah, it's true. That kid has everything, but he didn't have a childhood. He didn't have the choices that Fuyumi and I had. He didn't have a way out from Enji." A bitter laugh escapes him. "He did nothing but work ever since he was twenty, starting from the bottom without any help."
He clicks his tongue. "Yeah right. He has Ochako, doesn't he? Apparently he had her from the start-"
Ochako?
"The little secretary," Touya says, as if it's obvious. "What? You didn't know what her name was?"
Natsuo closes his dropped jaw and nods. "Yeah, of course I know Ochako-chan. But… you know her?'
Here Touya goes jarringly quiet. Instinctively, he thumbs through his phone, staring at a certain conversation thoughtfully. "Yeah, you could say that."
Now that was weird, because Touya left before Ochako was hired. There was no way they could have known each other in between. Why are they suddenly on first-name basis now?
Touya shrugs. "What, you think you're the only one who knows how to talk to girls or something?"
Stranger and stranger. There's a softness in his eyes that's there for like, a second. Natsuo has never ever seen Touya go soft for shit. He sort of knew that Touya was into girls as much as guys, but based on all those photos he sent from the US, hanging out with people who are far from short and sweet and pink-cheeked, he's sure that Ochako wasn't his type...
...and even if she was, wouldn't Shouto have done something about this?
"Look at you, confused and shit. It's cute!" Touya laughs wheezily. "She works for the family, right? Are only official Todorokis allowed to talk to her?"
"Nah… I guess it's fine," Natsuo says, rubbing his aching forehead. He's too tired to figure this out. "She's been with us… I mean Shouto for the past nine years. Maybe it isn't weird for you guys to meet."
"Nine years?"
"Yeah. Nine long years."
Touya rubs a thumb against his chin, deep in thought. "You've never seen her before?"
Natsuo vaguely knew about her situation from chatting her up during boring events. From what he knew, she was just a temp who caught Shouto's eye, and who worked her ass off to stay by his side the entire time.
But the way Touya's staring… why does he look like he's expecting a different answer?
"No, never," Natsuo says, looking at him strangely. "Why do you ask?"
Touya stares at him, discerning. Natsuo stares right back, puzzled.
"Nothing," he finally says, leaning back. "Don't stress out, li'l bro. I'm just teasing."
Natsuo narrows his eyes. "Look, dunno what you wanna know, but I'm not hiding anything from you. Don't drag Ochako into this, please? She's a good kid."
"I know," Touya mutters, disquieted. "I wasn't going to. Didn't mean to sound insane, Natsuo."
At this, Natsuo sighs. "Nii-chan, don't… you're not insane."
He raises his eyebrows and smiles wanly. "I am, too. My therapist says so. Says it's only a matter of time before I go as insane as the rest of the band."
The shaky videos Natsuo watched from their underground shows, showing the League yelling shit, breaking shit on stage, and goading people close to a riot don't exactly disprove anything. He should probably ask Kurogiri about it later.
Speaking of the band—"I know you said yes to that art gallery thing, but are you sure about this?"
"This again?" Touya snorts. "It's too late to back out now. We got little kids to play with us to make it more family-friendly. Yaoyorozu's kid is gonna make an appearance. And Shouto's the one who asked me to do it, y'know."
He laughs, and Natsuo knows that something different happened. Does he even wanna know how it really went down? But that isn't why he's worried. "Nii-chan… I know you wanna remember what happened. I know you wanna show that bastard what you can do. But I dunno if-"
"-yeah. You don't know anything."
"-Touya-nii-"
"It's Dabi now," he snaps, with a sharp glare that takes him aback. "How many times do I have to tell you?"
Natsuo snaps his jaw shut. Touya takes a deep breath. It takes him more than a moment before he recovers and pats Natsuo on the back apologetically. This obviously isn't the first time this has happened since he got here-Touya is more volatile than he was before-but it stings all the same.
The strained silence between them breaks when the doorbell rings. Must be the food. He was starving before they talked, but now Natsuo feels like throwing up.
Without a word he makes for the door, patting down his scrubs for his wallet as he opens it. "Hey buddy, you got change for five thou-"
"-yeah… yeah. He acted as expected, took her home and everything. He should be home by now. And-"
Natsuo wonders briefly where his food is before he realizes that it's Takami Keigo standing at his doorway and not the delivery guy. "Uh…"
Keigo cuts him off by holding a finger up before getting back to his conversation. "-yuh. Tomorrow? We'll see. I'll call for an update. Gotta go, bye. Heyyyy, Nacchan, it's you~!"
"... yeah, who else? It's my apartment," Natsuo says, awkwardly accepting the shorter man's hug.
"That so? I coulda sworn there was someone else there~ Hey!"
"... fuck. "
Fuck.
Natsuo doesn't know what possessed Touya to stand up and see what's going on, but there he was, almost face-to-face with Takami Keigo-the one person in the world he never wants to see.
The reason, of course, was jealousy. But it wasn't as petty as that. It was less about status and more about how Keigo, the brilliant son that Todoroki Enji never had, proved that the bastard can raise someone without abusing them. His existence, in Touya's words, is a big fuck you to everything him and Shouto, and even Natsuo and Fuyumi, endured in their childhoods.
Natsuo can understand the resentment. Not that he ever resented Keigo. He was a decent guy, if not occasionally unnerving. Still, he understands the boiling rage that comes upon his brother's entire being the moment he lays eyes on the guy.
"-Dabi, hey," Keigo says, smiling gently.
Touya starts burning up. Natsuo unwillingly braces himself.
Keigo flinches, but pretends not to notice anything. Keeping an uncharacteristic honest smile on his mouth, he says, "I found you! It's been so long, hasn't it? Dabi, I-"
"-am going to kill you if you get any closer," Touya growls, slapping Keigo's hand when it tries to touch him on the shoulder. "The fuck do you want, you creep? You spying for that old man again?"
Keigo falters for the briefest second, a genuine pain lingering in his eyes that Natsuo doesn't miss. Still, he tries again. "No, I haven't told the Chairman a thing. And I'm not gonna, okay? I just want to talk to you."
But talking is impossible now: Touya's eyes anxiously dart left and right, his hands gripping his arms protectively. He isn't… okay, and Natsuo knows it. With a solemn shake of his head, he says, "Keigo… nah. Not tonight."
"But Nacchan..."
Touya clicks his tongue violently. "I'm getting the fuck outta here-"
"-Nii-chan-"
Try as they might, nothing stops Touya from storming out. Natsuo's hand is violently slapped away with a searing hot hand. Keigo is shoved off his path and sent careening to a wall. He almost runs over the guy bringing their beef bowls, who most definitely squeaks upon seeing the frightening sight of his rage.
An awful silence ensues in the aftermath. Keigo looks at the empty space with a sense of loss, a look he sends to Natsuo.
Natsuo sighs.
"Er… here. Two jumbo beef bowls," the delivery guy stammers, handing over the food with shaky hands.
He hands over the payment with a hefty tip to the guy who runs off, and then faces Keigo. "So. You want the other one? He isn't going to eat it until it grows mold."
The other man shakes his head. Of course not. Natsuo can't imagine that even a guy like Keigo would have an appetite after an experience like that.
"Ten years," he says after a pause, a light, fragile laugh escaping from his chest. "Ten fucking years, Nacchan. He still won't talk to me."
Natsuo looks at him apologetically. "Sorry."
Keigo shakes his head. "It's okay. I'm doing all I can for him. You know that, right?"
"Yeah… yeah, you are."
Keigo has to laugh at how vigorously he's nodding. "'Kay. You wanna hear what I've been up to lately? Your girlfriend isn't dropping by or anything, right? I know Fuu-chan isn't, so-"
Natsuo nods, gesturing for him to come inside. "This better be worth it," he adds as he closes the door behind him.
Today is the mandatory team-building activity for the Office of the Director. Even though they have the Art Center opening to worry about in two days, everyone is insistent about holding it as scheduled.
"To deviate from the schedule is unacceptable, Uraraka-kun!" Iida declares with a flash of his glasses. "What would be the purpose of our yearly strategic planning if we do not commit to our plans? It's irresponsible to even think about-"
"Tenya, chiiill," Camie comments. She's in a tank top, denim shorts, and a pair of huge sunglasses that kinda make her look like a celebrity hiding from paparazzi. "No need to be salty~ We're all here, ready to party~"
"Ready to party?!" Iida sputters. "I'll have you know that we have numerous important things in store for today! We have to revise our mission-vision statements, perform group dynamics activities, improve efficiency-"
" Blablablabla geez, Iida, you're more Iida than usual!" Mina screeches above the guy's monologue, making everyone flinch. She's also in a cute summer outfit that shows off a body for days-all muscle and curve everywhere Ochako looks. "Like Camie says, we're gonna party today or so help me I'm gonna throw a tantrum the entire time! Right, Ei?"
"I know you're not kidding about that tantrum! So let's have the manliest party ever!" Kirishima cheers, raising muscly arms that carry an inner tube, a paddle board, and about seven of his and Mina's bags. "Come on, Iida! You're excited about this too, right?"
"Yeah, even if you're dressed like… that," Monoma quips with a wrinkle of his nose, looking derisively at Iida's freshly ironed suit and tie. "You do know that we're going to the beach, right?"
"Of course I do! I rented the cabin!" Iida protests loudly. "However, this is work, and we must be dressed appropriately! I should be reprimanding all of you for dressing so casually!"
"Hopeless," Monoma sighs, and then twirls to sniff at Kirishima and Ochako, "But not as hopeless as you two. Honestly, I'd say Iida dressed better for this."
Kirishima, proudly garbed in a loud Hawaiian shirt, patterned board shorts, and bright red Crocs gasps loudly in offense.
"It's not about the outfits, Monoma-kun!" Ochako, who's in an old tank, shorts, and bright pink Crocs, quips with a sharp smile. "It's about who can kick your ass harder in the games we're playing today!"
"Yeah, what she said!" Kirishima says, flexing angrily. "And I got you a matching outfit as me, since we're teammates!"
Monoma's face twists in disgust, much to Ochako's satisfaction. "Please, spare me," he mutters. "Let's just concentrate on moving, please? Where's Shinsou-kun? The new guy thinks he can get away with being late just 'cause he's a little hotter than-"
"Uh."
An ugly noise comes out of Monoma's nose and mouth, while an uglier guffaw comes out of Mina's.
"Ah! Shinsou-kun!"
"Present," Shinsou Hitoshi says, holding one hand up lazily. Ignoring the way Monoma looks like he wants to curl up and die, he tells him, "Sorry I'm late. I had to drop Eri-chan over at my uncles' place. It took longer than I thought trying to convince her not to come with me."
"So cute," Mina squeals, no doubt imagining Shinsou comforting a crying Eri, who won't let go of him. Ochako's thinking of the same thing, funnily enough.
"You are such a fuckin' DILF, Shinsou," Camie agrees easily, ignoring the immediate blush on Shinsou's cheeks. "'So all that's missing is Tsu-Tsu and Tooru-babes, and we're good to go!"
Ochako blinks. "Tsuyu-chan and Tooru-chan are coming too?"
"Yes we are!" Someone from behind her calls.
Whipping around, Ochako sees the two girls in question, clad in summer dresses and big hats, ready to vacation. "Oh wow! But you aren't even from the same office! Is this okay?"
Tsuyu nods happily. "Camie-chan asked Midoriya-chan if we could go, and he said yes. Todoroki-chan thought it was okay too, so here we are, ribbit ."
Camie winks at her slyly when she gives her a questioning look. Suddenly, she remembers how timid the Director was when he described how Camie kicked him out of the office. Ochako's sure that Camie didn't just ask.
Wow. The power.
"Besides, it'll be awesome right! Aren't we going to a resort owned by the Director?!" Tooru squeals excitedly. "And there's games! And food! Barbecuuue!"
Mina and Kirishima start screaming "Barbecuuue! Barbecuue!" with Tooru, ignorant of Iida's orders for them to be quiet. "For heaven's sake, cease this audacious dancing! We are running late as it is! To the appropriately rented van with all of you!"
And so they load all their things and themselves in the van, with Iida behind the wheel and Tsuyu in charge of navigation. Ochako guessed that this was why Camie asked them to come in the first place-last year, the team infamously got lost when Mina tagged the wrong resort. Monoma, Iida, and Kirishima subsequently learned the hard way that none of them knew how to read maps. It was hopeless until the Director sent a helicopter to pick them up after finding out that Ochako was ten minutes late for their scheduled meeting afterward.
This time, the trip was much faster. After just one pitstop, they're at the resort in no time. Iida almost cried in relief after confirming that no helicopters were needed this year.
After unloading their things, they go into their respective rooms, one for the girls and one for the guys. The girls sigh in unison once they settle in, stretching their legs and melting into a relaxed puddle on the floor next to each other.
"This is soooo nice," Mina sighs. "Gosh, I wish we were vacationing for a week instead of just one day..."
"It is pretty nice." Tsuyu sighs happily under sunlight, leaning her head gratefully on Ochako's shoulder. "I'm so glad we're allowed to go, ribbit."
Tooru agrees vigorously, melting into her other side. "Yeah, Marketing had to cancel this year since it was so busy! I wish we didn't have to do that mission-vision thing, though…"
Ochako laughs. "We really don't have to do that! We don't have a strict schedule today, y'know?"
"Yeah. All of it is made-up," Monoma scoffs, lazily tapping his phone as he stretches out further on the floor next to them. "Hagakure, the only guy taking today seriously is Iida-kun. The rest of us are here to have fun. But by all means, keep him company if you want to."
"Is that so?" Tooru says flatly, shoving the protesting Monoma with her foot. "Meanie! Why the heck are you here, anyway!"
Monoma clicks his tongue in offense. "I can be anywhere I like! You guys have a nicer room, plus you don't have an Iida or a Kirishima doing Insanity-style warm-ups while I'm just trying to breathe!"
Mina sneers at him. "Yeah, we don't have a Shinsou here to cause you gay panic, either~"
Monoma scowls darkly. "Hypocrite! You saw how his biceps looked in that shirt, Ashido, you can't just expect me to-"
Honestly, these two are either aggressively gossiping or aggressively bullying each other. It's really loud, but it's also a lot of fun watching.
This is the last time I'm doing this with everyone, huh, Ochako thinks wistfully. She could cry, but she didn't want to ruin the fun. She absently picks out her phone to distract herself from her sentimental feelings, tapping her most recent conversation:
Uraraka Ochako (0809H): We're here! (⌒▽⌒)
Uraraka Ochako (0810H): Thanks for letting us use this property, Director.＼(＾▽＾)／
Director Todoroki (0810H): You're welcome.
Director Todoroki (0811H): Please refrain from messaging me in Secretary Utsushimi's style.
Ochako bites her lip, stifling a giggle as she replies.
Uraraka Ochako (0811H): Geez, Director! They're just kaomojis, they won't hurt you!
Director Todoroki (0812H): I'm sure they won't.
Director Todoroki (0812H): Still, I can't help the sense of foreboding I feel when I see them.
Uraraka Ochako (0813H): Chiiiiiiill (◕‿◕)
Uraraka Ochako (0813H): Just try it once, Director! ٩(｡•́‿•̀｡)۶
Director Todoroki (0814H): …
Director Todoroki (0814H): I should separate your workspaces. Utsushimi is influencing you in a negative way.
"Ocha-babes? You with us, hun?" Camie asks when she puffs her cheeks in a valiant effort not to laugh. "You've been super into your phone for a while now."
God, she forgot how snoopy everyone in the room is, when they immediately crane their necks to look at her screen. She shuts it off in a hurry and pockets her phone. "Sorry! Just… work stuff."
"Eh? But we're work stuff," Mina says, narrowing her eyes, and then smiling slyly. "Say, you're blushing pretty hard there, Ochako-chan~ it's Bakugou, isn't it?!"
Ochako shakes her head vigorously, just as Tooru screams next to her ear. "Hot Cafe Guy?! You guys are still in touch?! Ochako, you sneak!"
"No-no, I swear it's work," Ochako says weakly. "It's kinda hard talking to Bakugou-kun right now, since we're so busy…"
"I guess it's Todoroki-chan, then," Tsuyu says bluntly. "He's the person you text the most, ribbit. "
Ochako freezes. She sees Camie do the same thing from a distance.
Mina, Tooru, and Monoma whine in unison. "Are you kidding? Ochako-chan won't be so blushy-blushy if it's Directoroki!" Mina says.
"I'm not blushy-blushy," Ochako mutters in protest. Tooru and Mina, the bullies, proceed to poke her cheeks. They do feel a little warm now, but it's because they're so mean!
"Asui has a point though. The Director's so clingy he'd bug Uraraka even on a day like today," Monoma says with a mocking smirk. "So, is it our beloved leader making your heart aflutter? I've always suspected you've got awful tastes~"
Ochako had to keep herself from kicking Monoma. There's nothing wrong with her tastes in men, thank you very much!
(Although, her past self would beg to disagree. But things are different now!)
A beat passes though, where Ochako doesn't know how to respond to the questioning gazes on her. As she curses her brain for failing to come up with a lie, Camie jumps to her rescue. "Fam, come on, invasion of privacy's not cool~ Plus I'm sure it ain't Directoroki, mans is fully booked today."
"On a Sunday?! Directoroki's crazy!" Tooru squeaks.
Almost immediately, everyone backs off from Ochako like nothing happened. She suppresses a sigh of relief, looking gratefully at Camie, who gives her a knowing little smirk.
"IKR?" she says coolly, taking control so subtly that Ochako can't help but be impressed. "Anyways, babes, it's about time we got our SPF game on, see what I'm saying?"
Izuku takes a nice, long swig of the chilled sports drink that Satou hands him. "Wow, that's great! Thanks, Satou-kun!"
It's a nice sunny Sunday for a couple of reasons: One, Izuku has a day off for once, and after this he has grand plans on catching up to the new season of Demon Player for the rest of the day. Two, it's the perfect weather for their regular 10 km run. This week they upped the ante by asking Shouji and Satou to run with them. Of course Shouji leaves them in the dust, but Izuku thinks he and Todoroki run a close second, with Satou not far behind.
"No prob. It's on me, since I lost," Satou says with a booming laugh. "It's thanks to the mochi I've been taste-testing all week! Director, you're gonna have to pay for my gym membership after the week is over, eh?"
Todoroki hums absently as he rapidly texts through his phone, obviously not paying attention to anything else. Izuku looks up at Satou apologetically, who shrugs and looks at Shouji meaningfully. Shouji nods, and looks at Izuku.
Ah, Izuku thinks. So I wasn't the only one imagining Todoroki-kun's mood.
"Todoroki-kun," he says, after a few minutes of the three of them awkwardly waiting for him to finish. "Wanna cool down?"
"Hm."
"Like, right now? Cramps are a real thing, y'know."
"Hm."
Izuku feigns a gasp and points at the sky. "Look! A blimp! In the shape of a cat! It's Victoria!"
"Right. As expected, Midoriya."
Izuku falters, while Satou tries his best not to laugh.
"Hm. Looks like they're busy again," Todoroki mutters under his breath and clicks his phone off. Staring at them blankly, he says, "Aren't we cooling down? Midoriya, aren't you worried about cramps?"
"Wh- Director! " Izuku stares at him bug-eyed. This time, Satou can't control his laughter, while Shouji allows a look of amusement in his eyes.
Todoroki stares at them, puzzled. "Did anything amusing happen while I was on the phone?"
Izuku tries his best not to face-palm. "Nothing, but… you have been glued to your phone for a while now, Director. Anything urgent going on?"
"Nothing, really," Todoroki answers thoughtfully. "Secretary Uraraka has been updating me about the status of their team-building exercise."
We been knew. Outwardly, he laughs shakily. "That so? How are they doing?"
"They have not started yet, so I wouldn't know." Todoroki fishes out his phone and puts it back in his pocket for the third time in a minute. Izuku concludes that Uraraka hasn't replied yet, if the subtle antsiness in his best friend's flat affect tells him anything.
As if just realizing that they're already cooling down, Todoroki mimics the exercises Shouji is doing, slightly out of sync and in the opposite direction. Geez louise, to think he was the first to tell Izuku off for the slightest mistake in their exercises! It's so weird seeing the Director so…
Smitten? The Demon Director? Izuku considers gifting another gift basket to the temple; miracles really do happen.
"Don't look so worried, Director!" Satou guffaws. "They're gonna be busy all day, which is why Uraraka-chan won't be able to reply. She'll be okay though!"
"Of course," Todoroki answers flatly. "It will be hard to confirm without updates, though."
Just say that you just miss her, you big goof, Izuku thinks with a wince.
Carelessly, Satou says, "I guess you could drop by there if you really wanna know how they're doing."
He knows Satou didn't mean anything serious by it, but all the same Izuku can't stop the anxious spike in his aura when he says it.
"Oh," Todoroki says. His eyes suddenly go bright. "We could. "
Izuku whips his head so fast that he gets double vision. "... we could?"
Todoroki looks at his watch, and then Shouji. "Could we?"
Shouji nods quietly beside him. "We could."
His plans... his blessed day off dedicated to anime! No, this can't be!
"T-Todoroki-kun," Izuku sputters, just as the Director instructs Shouji to start planning the route. "Are you serious? We're just gonna drop by there uninvited?!"
Todoroki considers this briefly, and nods. "We are their superior officers. It's our responsibility to make sure that our staff are always working as efficiently as they can."
"Yeah, but-" Did he know that Team Building day is an excuse to spend the day away from their bosses, and that their teams are probably sunbathing on the beach by now? God, if he didn't though, it'll look bad for everyone!
"Surprise visits are important to do sometimes. Takami-san does them frequently, doesn't he?"
"You're not a fan of how Hawks does things, though…" he mutters.
It's too late though; the way Todoroki's eyes are glimmering, nothing will change his mind now. "It's settled then. Midoriya, get dressed. We are going to the beach."
Todoroki leads the way out of the running track with a subtle spring to his step. Izuku rubs his face in frustration and looks at Satou pleadingly. "Satou-kun…"
Satou laughs and pats him painfully at the back. "Sorry, Chief! Looks like we're looking at a lot of barbecue tonight, huh?"
"Among other things," Izuku says, hoping that nothing crazy happens this day.
Predictably, they start arguing about what to do first. Half of them wanted to go in the water, half of them wanted to chill in the sun, while Iida wanted to start with a goal and expectations management exercise. To diffuse the situation, Ochako suggested going out to buy a watermelon first, telling Iida that they need all the potassium they can get to get on with today's activities. At least she got him to calm down and agree.
Their trip to the fruit stand probably took longer than it should because Camie took so many selfies and group pictures along the way, and also because Monoma argued with the fruit stand granny for the best apples when Shinsou casually mentioned wanting to take some home for Eri. In any case, it takes them about an hour before they go back to the resort with three watermelons and a bag of apples…
… just in time to meet four familiar figures waiting for them in front of the beach house.
Kirishima almost dramatically drops all the fruit, while everyone comes to a complete stop.
An awkward stand-off ensues, with both groups staring at each other in complete silence.
"Ashido," Monoma whispers to Mina urgently, "I think I might be hallucinating. But that person? With the Gucci shades, Prada jacket, YSL trousers?"
"Yeah. I see him too," Mina whispers, stepping backwards with the rest following suit. "Not sure though. I mean, they're probably not real, right?"
"-but I see them too," Tooru squeaks. "We're totally tripping, right?"
"I, too, am having the most complex and distressing hallucination right now," Iida mutters tremulously. "I suppose it was a bad idea to wear such a stifling suit in this weather. I must be having a heat stroke!"
From afar, Todoroki stares at them in interest, Shouji and Satou look vastly entertained, and Midoriya looks like he wants to bury himself in the sand. Ochako resists the urge to face-palm.
Shinsou blinks at them. "Dunno what you guys are talking about, but it looks like Director Todoroki and Chief Midoriya dropped by for a surprise visit-Hey, Director, Chief. How are you doing?"
"Shinsou," Todoroki greets flatly, snapping the rest back to their senses.
They immediately break out into a chorus of Directooooooor!, with Iida and Monoma going into grovelling mode (to which Shouto reacts blankly), and with Tooru and Tsuyu hopping to Midoriya's side to make sure that he isn't too harassed by the Director. Meanwhile, a sharp-eyed Camie subtly goes behind them to casually greet Shouji and Satou, who immediately bow to her in apology.
The power, Ochako repeats in her head. "Director," she says, once everyone regains their bearings. "We didn't expect to see you today!"
Todoroki hums affirmatively. "It is a surprise visit. I looked over the proposed program today, and wanted to see everyone's progress."
Ochako can almost hear the collective drops of sweat dripping at the back of everyone's necks. Iida, as usual, is the first to explain. "A-as you can see, we are progressing! We have established camaraderie by deciding on the fruits to buy, based on potassium content and taste!"
Todoroki blinks, while Ochako hears a synchronized set of face-palms behind her head. "I see. I thought you were doing a mission-vision review."
They laugh awkwardly. "We were about to, ribbit ," Tsuyu says, looking at Midoriya for help. Obviously this does nothing, as he only continues to look defeated and sorry.
"... unless of course, you're doing something else," Todoroki says, looking at the distressed look on Ochako's face carefully. "It's all right, I'm not here to meddle. I'm here to observe."
That gets everyone to freeze. "Really?" Kirishima says, flabbergasted. "Is it really cool with you if we do our own thing, Directoroki?"
Ochako stares, more surprised than ever. This earns her a subtle upturn of Todoroki's lips, that only she notices. Probably. "Yes. It's your call."
After an initial stunned silence, everybody almost melts in relief. "Ahhh! This is great! Who cares about the mission-vision thing, right?!" Mina screeches happily.
"I suppose," Todoroki relents, cutting off Iida's impending protest. "So what are you going to do instead?"
The group proceeds to yell over each other, the loudest of them being beach volleyball! And barbecuuueee! Ochako stares at Todoroki meaningfully, giving him an are you sure this is okay? sort of look.
He returns it with an I'm sure. Don't worry sort of look.
But it'll be weird for you.
It's okay. He blinks quietly. I just wanted to see you.
His mouth hardly moves, but she knows he's smiling at her.
"Ochako-chan? You're red!" Tooru cries from beside her. "Are you okay? Is it heatstroke?"
She clears her throat. "No! It's just hot, that's all," she says with a shake of her head. "Ah, you know, Camie and I came up with something on the way here, maybe we can play that game instead?"
Camie smiles at her mischievously. "Find the flags. Gotcha. If it's cool though, I'mma go ahead and improvise?"
Ochako blinks. "Improvise?"
"Yuh." She smirks at everyone with her hands on her hips. With the mischievous glint in her eyes, the rest of the office starts to tremble in fear.
To Ochako's amusement, Todoroki is the one who looks most apprehensive about this.
So the day at the beach didn't go as planned. Directoroki's unpredictable, as usual, and as far as she's concerned Riki-chan, Shouji-kun, and the Chief didn't do their jobs to keep him contained. She guessed that it's cool that Directoroki's all soft around Ocha-babes and that he isn't harassing anyone today, but for serious? This is s'posed to be a stress-free day with the fam, minus the bosses, and they ruined it!
But it's okay. Camie's here to make sure that things is lit.
First of all, there has to be some accountability, right? It's only fair to make Riki and Shouji and the Chief do as she says. She isn't gonna be mean about it, but they needed to feel just a li'l sorry.
"You want me and Shouji-kun to hide the flags, Utsushimi-san?" Midoriya whimpers, on the verge of tears.
"Ya. Not hard, right?" Camie says, smiling sweetly. "After that, you're gonna ref the games, serve us snacks, keep us cool, clean up after us, that sorta thing~ sound good?"
Other people might call it slavery, but c'mon, Camie won't be mean against a superior officer and her boss's bodyguard. She's just asking them for lil favors, that's all!
Midoriya nods, tearfully gathering the flags and going off into the hill nearby, while Shouji silently accepts his tasks like a samurai about to go to war. Meanwhile, Satou has to make everyone watermelon margaritas and barbecue, making sure that he's done before they come back so that Ocha-babes doesn't have to see the fire.
As for Directoroki, well. She has grand plans, but first of all, he has to provide prizes for the games, since she and Ochako didn't have time to get some.
Directoroki sighs, reading over Camie's proposed list of prizes. "Fine. An iPad, a Galaxy Note 10+, airpods, the limited edition All Might Nintendo Switch, and a Roomba are acceptable prizes for your games."
From a distance, Midoriya actually sobs. Everyone else snaps their jaws shut after hearing all the things that Camie swindled… that Directoroki donated for them. Strangely enough, she saw more eyes sparkling at the Roomba than at anything else.
"That's lit, fam!" Camie grins, while Todoroki huffs. "Hold the phone tho, Directoroki, ain't done witchu yet-"
"Camie, I'm sure that's enough prizes," Ochako says. That cute li'l muscle under her eye twitches suggestively, telling Camie subtly to stop torturing her beau already.
"Chill, babes. No more prizes," Camie says with a laugh. "He gotta play with us, though~"
A chill surrounds the group, no doubt at the prospect of suddenly having to compete against Directoroki. Camie can't blame them, but also, she ain't changing her mind, even though Mina looks about ready to do a vibe check on her.
"Oh another thing, we ain't playing in teams anymore," she says above the silence. "We're workin' in pairs, 'kay? I think it'll be 100-emoji if we make it a li'l harder!"
Camie wished she had a camera for the look of horror on everyone's faces. A number of them look about ready to complain, but the slow realization that only one of them has to be teamed up with Directoroki makes them shut up pretty quickly.
"Fine," Todoroki says, schooling his features into nonchalance. "I accept your conditions, Utsushimi."
Camie smiles, and rapidly pairs the fam according to her very lit judgment: first of all, Tenya's gotta be hers, no question. Monoma's pretty cute when he goes all gay-panicky, so she puts him next to Shinsou-mans seems cool with it, anyway. Kiri's the only one who won't go deaf next to Mina, so they're together. Tsu and Tooru-babes are, like, an early 2000's musical duo, so they gotta be together too.
And-wouldn't you know it-there's no-one left for Ocha-babes than Directoroki.
"Camie," Ochako mumbles to her tensely. "What are you doing."
Camie winks. "I know you're gonna take care of the boss-man- wink-wonk-see-what-I'm-sayin'- so just do it. I gotcha covered."
Ochako looks about ready to vibe check her too, but Directoroki does that "Secretary Uraraka" thing with his really hot voice, and of course homegirl's falling into his side all heart eyes and stuff. It's cute.
Midoriya and Shouji come back a few minutes later, gathers everyone at a makeshift starting line, and screams "Go!" That's all it takes for Tooru and Tsu to bolt like hell, leaving everyone behind; Mina screeches, practically lifting Kirishima in her arms so that they can catch up to the girls. Monoma and Shinsou do a half-assed kinda jog, with Monoma already sweating like he's in a spa.
As for TodoChako… (ya, she totes made up a ship name for them already)-well, they're doing that cute blushy-blushy thing while they awkwardly make their way into the woods, like it's a date. Camie instantly knew that she did the right thing.
"Utsushimi-kun! Make haste!" Tenya declares, swinging his arms like an oddly charming robot. "Whilst I care very little about the prizes, we must show our best efforts in participating in this invigorating exercise you designed!"
Oh. Right. Ocha-babes ain't the only one going blushy-blushy here. Camie laughs. "Sure thing, Tenya. Lead the way!"
It's breezy in the little patch of woods near the resort where the flags were supposedly hidden. In the midst of the calming sea air and the sway of the palm trees above them Ochako tries to wrap her mind around the fact that she is, once again, all alone with the Director.
"Are you uncomfortable?" Todoroki asks from beside her. He's walking at an arm's length away from her, neither of them really interested in flags now. "I understand that you didn't expect to spend time with me again today."
She shakes her head. It's not… bad, just surprising. She had prepared herself not to see him. It's unexpected, but more unexpected is how happy she was to see him again, like she hasn't seen him for ages.
"I'm good," she says. "I'm sorry about Camie, though! I swear the prizes thing was all her idea."
"No… I understand," Todoroki says. His face darkens; with amusement, Ochako figures he'll be doing that more now that Camie's about to fully take over her duties. "But all things considered, this is fine."
Ochako smiles at him teasingly. "Really? Even though she basically swindled you for prizes and made you walk into the woods?"
Todoroki shrugs. "Yes. Anything's fine, as long as I can spend time with you."
Ochako feels her face heating up in an instant. There he goes again! Why was he so deceptively romantic? "B-but… we spent all that time together last night," she stammers.
He nods. "I know. It doesn't feel like it's enough, though."
And then, that smile. Small, but definitely there, lighting up even the dark eye on his right. It strikes her then that she spent nine years with this man, yet seeing him smile so genuinely still leaves her a little awestruck.
As Ochako stares, a breeze dramatically blows from the west, making his hair flow with it. It feels like a shoujo manga sequence. Ochako tells herself that's the only reason why she suddenly feels as soft and gooey as a strawberry sundae.
She subtly pinches herself in the arm and looks the other way. "Are we really going to look for flags, Director? Come on, I really want that Roomba..."
Todoroki hums behind her, amused. "I can give you that and more. As my secretary, you have the special privilege of earning one without having to win any of the games."
Ochako scoffs. "All due respect to Camie, I'd rather win one than-"
She cuts herself off when her foot catches on a hardy root that definitely has it for the pink crocs that Monoma so loathes. Her ankle twists painfully, and she sees the ground zooming before she can do anything about it.
"Ah-" she squeaks on the way down. But a strong hand catches her by the arm before her face inevitably smacks against a tree, pulling her away just in time. Stunned, she falls back against a solid chest.
"Are you alright?" Todoroki asks, just as she regains her senses
"Yes. Fine," she breathes. With some effort to keep her composure, she takes a step away from him.
He sighs in relief. "Okay. Be careful next time."
"Of course," she says with a swallow. Her arm burns, like the rest of her body. "Director… my arm?"
He blinks. "What about it?"
She laughs awkwardly. She raises her forearm, showing him the point where his right hand encircles it completely.
"You can let go now," she murmurs bashfully.
Todoroki stares at the hand holding on to her arm, as if he wasn't aware of the strangeness of it before. Careful and gentle, he presses his fingers around her in a questioning way.
"Do I have to let you go, Uraraka?" he asks, voice low.
Ochako looks up at him with wide eyes. He stares back, gentle, genuinely curious. Under his gaze her heart beats ever faster, a tremor under her skin builds up in excitement. It's stupid to try to stop it from coming now, it's simply impossible to hide how happy his touch makes her feel, despite how awkward it is.
With a bite of her lip, she takes his hand and slides it down-slowly, down her forearm, letting herself marvel at the feel of his fingertips drawing lines over her suddenly sensitive skin-until it reaches her other hand, where their fingers entwine.
"It's probably easier like this."
Todoroki looks at their hands, and then at her. "This is more logical. Good thinking, Uraraka."
The rosy haze surrounding her dissipates in an instant.
She stares at him incredulously, and he explains: "Less awkward, more mobile. Easier to support you in case of another accident."
Stupid Director, you're ruining it! "Of course, Director. Only you would say that holding hands is logical," she mutters darkly.
"Because it's logical… we should do it more often," he says vaguely, with a gentle squeeze of her hand.
At the corner of her eye, she sees the corner of his mouth move upwards, and she's lost again. While all this blushing is good for her circulation, her heart's feeling a little tired from how he makes it shift from fast to slow. Ochako wants to strangle him.
Still, she can't disagree with him. His hand is larger than hers, warm, almost protective in the way he tugs gently when he leads the way through the woods. She wonders if it's a bad idea since they can run into the others. Every now and then they hear Mina screeching, Iida yelling eureka! and Monoma laughing like a maniac about flags. It's probably going to be weird for anyone to see them standing so close and holding hands, like… like they're a couple , or something.
Thunder rumbles, breaking her embarrassing train of thought. Just as Todoroki goes "Ah," fat drops of rain fall from the skies. It only takes a second before the rest of it falls heavy on their heads, leaving them no time to seek shelter.
Her head is suddenly covered from the rain by something that feels expensive. Shocked, she looks up at the Director, who ducks under the other end of his jacket.
"Come on," he says, too close to her ear. "There should be a gazebo nearby."
She nods dumbly and tries her best not to trip.
They make it to a gazebo at a secluded area, only slightly damp but flushed with exertion. The rain doesn't let up after they get to shelter, falling ever harder and crashing down with the noise of the waves making everything seem dramatic.
It won't be so bad, but the sea breeze makes the temperature drop down a few degrees. Ochako doesn't feel it for long though-Todoroki shrugs off his half of the jacket, shakes the water off, and then hangs it over her shoulder.
She sighs gratefully at the warmth around her. "Well. This feels familiar," she teases.
Director Todoroki huffs. "Ordinary men offer their jackets to their dates when it's cold. Yes, I remember."
She laughs. "I'm glad you do. But… aren't you cold?"
She's asking out of actual concern. The wind blows stronger, carrying sharp droplets of rain with it. But amazingly, even with just the plain cotton shirt he wore underneath, Director Todoroki doesn't seem affected by the chill.
"I'm always temperature regulated."
[so it's okay, Ochako. You can wear my cardigan as long as you like.]
Out of nowhere, Ochako's breath stops.
He blinks, stares at her with growing alarm. "Secretary Uraraka?"
[But it's so cold! Why is it always cold in your house?]
Ochako's mouth quivers as she struggles for a reply. "Uh-"
[Sorry. Mom needs it. She doesn't like it when it's hot.]
"Are you alright?"
[My brother is the same too.]
Suddenly, her head feels too heavy. She's vaguely aware of the Director's voice urgently calling out to her in the haze, of her hands gripping the cold steel of the railings around the gazebo. She squeezes her eyes shut, chasing after the memory in desperation.
There's nothing-she was close to something, but...
"Uraraka." Next to her, Director Todoroki shakes her arm. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"N-no, it's fine. It's. Um." She stares at him, struggling to match the voice in her head with the concerned face staring down at her. "I just thought… you said that to me before…"
The concerned look doesn't go away. "Yes," he says, slowly. "On our first date. Do you not remember?"
"Ah… was that it?"
Todoroki nods. "I've never needed to tell you that before."
No… the memory's slipping through her fingers again before she can make sense of it. She digs her fingernails into her palms in frustration. "Oh. Of course not," she says, choking through a smile. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."
The rain falls, filling the silence between them. Ochako gazes at the scenery in an effort to calm down. It's hard, though, the longer she stays in silence, the longer Todoroki Shouto stands beside her feeling helpless to help her.
"Uraraka-"
"... I'm okay." She smiles. Grasps the jacket around her a little tighter. Looks at the waves crashing nearby. "It's… personal. I shouldn't have acted this way, though. I'm sorry for the trouble."
He's quiet for a beat. "I see," he says. She can't imagine how his face must look now. "Is it about your past?"
She flinches a little. "I… I honestly don't know."
"I see."
A wave crashes nearby, shattering the heavy silence between them. As the water recedes, Ochako hears him sigh.
"It must be difficult for you, Uraraka." Something warm encloses upon her right hand, squeezing it gently. "It's frustrating that I can't fill in the blanks for you. I wish I could, though. I wish I can understand more of what you're going through."
The sincerity of his voice cuts through the anxious swell of her heart, along with the warmth spreading from where their hands are linked. It's easier to look up at his face again and see that sincerity etched in all of his features. Something new, after all these years.
She smiles at him gratefully, squeezes his hand back and falls back to the present. The past can wait.
The rain stops falling.
They get back to the cabin, where they find everyone else soaked to the bone from running in the rain and eating all of the food that Satou has prepared, as if they were left starving in the woods for days. Once they see the Director, everyone stands in attention, waving their flags around and demanding Roombas. The debate gets so heated that the Director takes Ochako's suggestion of giving everyone a Roomba, except for Camie who wanted the All Might Switch. Everyone comes out of it happy, except for the sullen Midoriya, who eyes Camie with palpable jealousy.
After that, they settle down with the rest of the team to have dinner and drinks. Thanks to Satou everything isn't as burnt as they would have been, and because there were so many of them this year everything's livelier. Kirishima and Camie got Chief Midoriya dead drunk and everyone else tipsy from their drinking games, Mina made everyone dance, and Shinsou surprisingly had a lot of entertaining stories to tell that got everyone hooked. It's better than Ochako had expected for her last outing with her co-workers, a night that she'll remember for years to come.
And, well… it also helps that Director Todoroki would sneak his hand over hers for just a second, while everyone else is busy. If anyone saw how red her face was, at least she had alcohol to blame.
Soon the night comes to a close, with everyone ready to stumble into bed. However, instead of staying over, Todoroki instructs Shouji to carry Midoriya into the car and to prepare for the ride back.
"Directoroki, you aren't staying?!" Kirishima says in disbelief. "But, we've got a lot of manly bonding to do in the bedroom!"
Todoroki shakes his head, neutral despite Kirishima's poor choice of words that definitely got Monoma to gag behind them. "I've overstayed my welcome. We will leave so that you can enjoy the rest of your time more fully."
Amidst the disappointed awwws in the background, Todoroki shifts his gaze on Ochako and tilts his head.
Ochako smiles as subtly as she can.
With that, the Director leaves, and they stumble into their respective rooms. After some struggle with brushing their teeth and doing their facial care regimens while drunk, the girls curl up into their futons and drunkenly murmur good night~ to each other. Ochako waits carefully under her futon, watching for the steady rise and fall of the bundles containing Tsuyu-chan and Tooru-chan, who chose to sleep beside her.
When she's sure they're asleep, she hides underneath the blankets, takes out her phone, and opens up a text.
Uraraka Ochako (0213H): I'm happy you came here, after all. ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶
Uraraka Ochako (0214H): Have a safe trip back! (≧◡≦)
Director Todoroki (0216H): Thank you. I will.
It's silly how her eyelids suddenly feel heavy reading his text. As if seeing his response makes her heart calmer. She's about to let herself sleep when the phone vibrates one last time:
Director Todoroki (0216H): Sweet dreams, Uraraka. (─‿‿─)
The giggle that she accidentally lets out causes the girls around her to stir. Biting her lower lip, she puts down her phone and closes her eyes even if her mouth won't stop smiling.
AN: So this story finally surpassed 100k words? This is the first time I've done that for any story ever and I think,,, I'm just halfway through the story whuuut;;; at least they're finally able to hold hands? it was hard for me to relive the intimacy of holding hands for the first time with someone since it's been a while, so i wonder how that scene felt for you guys! T_T
Additional note for FFN readers: those were supposed to be emojis but since FFN limits a lot, I turned them into kaomojis ^_^' im not sure how differently the text reads without the original emojis, but i tried hehe I'm happy to read the feedback on the last chapter despite my anxious ramblings on the last author note. I'm sorry about that, I am just a generally anxious person;;; I am making an effort to be happier with the things I write, even though they're not perfect! That said, I appreciate all the kind words and all the excited messages you guys send me T_T believe me, they keep me going, so thank you so much!