Intently reading and collecting the newspapers for the past week became his thing.
Ever since the pink haired girl with the tiny fist broke through the news. She gained fame instantaneously and it seems like her parents were also benefitting from the coverage.
'Huh good for her', sounds like a jab but he's genuinely happy for the kid.
Folding it and stacking it on the left side of his room, the door slid open with an audible thump as it hit the wooden panel.
"Oops", his brother had the decency to say when he was the one who roughly slid the door open.
"Natsuo nii-chan," he acknowledged as the visitor strolled through right in.
"Yo.", The older of the two— eyes zeroed on the stack of newspaper at the side, which was blatantly obvious to the younger brother. Shoto would roll his eyes but that would take too much effort.
Turning away and heading back out, he then roughly closed the sliding door.
Used to his brother's antics he tried to think about his schedule today.
The older sister met Natsuo downstairs, "How is he?", she asked concerned about her youngest sibling.
"He seems to be doing better, nee-chan." The boy frowned, still not getting over the incident that happened a little over 2 weeks ago.
She sighed heart still heavy over it and nodded, "did he get—"
"Aa..", he promptly, cutting her off. He already knew what she was going to ask anyway.
"What does he even read in those papers?", she was genuinely confused, "He's 7 for goodness' sake."
Natsuo thought of a bright idea he then asked, "is dad going to train him later?", his sister nodded.
He proceeded to explain to her the plan which was really simple that he didn't need to act so secretive and huddle at the side.
They're going to sneak in Shoto's room, and find out what's in those newspapers he's keeping in his room.
Their family is the very non confrontational.
Inside Shoto's room, lies all the neatly arranged newspapers for the past two weeks.
The front page adorned a little girl with pink hair in different pictures.
Some with her family, some alone and looking grumpy, most had different angles of her punching a golden gundam with anime eyes.
"I know her!" Natsuo excitedly mentioned.
"I mean— who doesn't by now?", she never expected that her youngest sibling would pine over a girl. Collecting newspaper was too adorable, she took pictures saving it to her favorites album.
Little Todoroki forgot something in his room, as he was came nearer, he heard shuffling inside and whispers.
Tension built up on his shoulders, and quietly approached the room.
His little confused voice broke through the chatter between his two older siblings.
"What are you guys doing?", two heads snapped up to where he was standing. He looked somewhat relieved, but approaching the two he noticed something peculiar.
All of the newspapers he collected for the past week are laying haphazardly on the floor.
He gaped.
'It's over', the lone sister paled.
"Isn't this invasion of privacy—" he said at the same time as his brother stood up and talked over him,
"I didn't know you have a crush!"
His eyebrows met in the middle, "No, I do not." He huffed and crossed is arms.
The oldest sibling turned into mush, she couldn't help but ask him as she started fixing all the newspapers, "Why do you have these then?", she smirked.
Their little brother pouted.
"She never returned my handkerchief."
He was so confused when he went out of his room (semi-kicked out) he wondered why his siblings were so red and looked like they were palpitating.
But right now he has a bigger fish to fry.
Passing by a mirror near the practice room— he's still not used to the bandage on his eye.
It also didn't escape his notice that ever since the pink haired girl was splattered across the media his training seemed to kicked up a notch.
Maybe it was timely coincidence.
"SHOTO!" A loud voice bellowed.
'or maybe not.', as his hand rolled into a fist that held his towel, steeling his nerve and throwing one last glance on the mirror.
He walked towards the man he hates the most.
He was under his father's mercy.
His son excruciatingly slowly (and totally on purpose) turned his head as his body was laying down horizontally from his queen sized bed.
It took seconds before his lazy eyes looked at his'.
"Dad." He greeted.
He loves his kid, really.
Just doesn't know where the attitude came from.
He sneered (in a loving way), down to his child and he scrunched his own face up to his father.
"Son."
They shared a beat of silence.
"I have to go." He said to him.
"Ok." His boy replied, without waving good bye.
That was their intimate interaction of the day.
"Ah, I forgot to tell him." The boy says after his dad left, he pushed away his purple hair by sliding the headband on his head once more. Closing his eyes, he wondered what it felt like not being the son of a Mayor.
It been weeks and Sakura couldn't get the other voice to talk again in her head.
She felt like she started missing it, but she didn't wanna admit that.
Admitting that is like she acknowledges she's crazy.
Shaking out from the reverie, she tried once more.
Breathing in deeply only a sliver of heat is felt inside, when expelling out air- the coils around her heart immediately thrummed.
Practicing meditation day by day, she knew chakra was coursing around her body parts faster and easier.
The door slammed open, stunned by the sudden interruption, out came her two best friends.
"AAAAAAAA!—", they all chorused in different tones but all of them shrieking.
They began playing tag, Bakugo screams at her when she sticks herself unto a wall.
In which they know she can't breathe when her foot is stuck.
It became a challenge for the two boys to make her laugh the fastest, rather than pitting themselves against each other.
Sakura calls it cheating.
Then both shut her down because she already was cheating.
She got so tilted that she jumped from the wall to attempt a tackle in the air.
The two already used to her surprising maneuvers, jumped away and ran away from the pink haired gremlin.
"YOU SHIT HEADS COME HERE—"
Before they knew it March has already arrived.
Their first week in March they found out that Miko-sensei was leaving.
For good.
'That's like.. forever.' Wide green eyes clearly astonished, wondering where she'll go.
It was Izuku who started crying between them three.
Then it was Sakura who followed.
Bakugo looked at them both, and started sniffing his dripping snot.
They all don't know why they're crying, and they're supposed to be the smartest of the bunch. Maybe they become dumb when they're together.
Now the whole class was wailing.
Miko should feel honored that the kids cares for her.
And when the day ended Sakura approached her.
"Please know that you are my first heartbreak.", and pouted.
It was Midoriya who next,
"I'm always here for you sensei." And did a gambatte pose.
Lastly it was Bakugo,
He only gave her a stink eye and left the room.
Their teacher smiled fondly, as the door closed.
Giving one last look out the view from the window, behind her the door slid open again. Glancing back she saw the troublesome trio lined up backs straight as a rod, and feet together.
"Thank you for taking care of us, Miko-sensei!" They screamed and bowed in unison, which was the best team work they have ever shown.
"Bye bye Miko-sensei!" Sakura gave her a teasing smile, a little tear escaped. It was obviously fake.
"Have a nice life sensei!" Bakugo grinned.
Izuku's was her favorite, "See you around sensei!"
Then they broke their formation and ran away.
She remember that story and often shares it around for the rest of her life.
The second week of March Bakugo caught a fever.
Sakura and Izuku decided to visit him wearing a full body suit, with a face mask to protect themselves from the spitfire germs.
Bakugo Mizuki, Kacchan's mom greeted them. Before they could enter, she took a picture of the two children using her phone.
She's forever thankful to these two- if it wasn't for them, her son would probably be so much like her.
But worse.
The two kids waddled through and removed their shoes.
Heading straight to the room, the blond was hunched over his sofa watching tv.
Eating a tub of strawberry ice cream.
"Pft." He spluttered some ice cream accidentally, when they approached.
"Kacchan you should be resting!" Izuku scolded.
"Resting is for losers." He grumbled on his spot, the blanket around him was draped around his head cascading down to his small body, his face is the only visible part.
Midoriya looked at Sakura for help, but saw that her eyes were fixated on the tub of ice cream.
"No Sakura no!", he tried reaching her but she body flickered beside Kacchan and was also staring at the tv unyieldingly.
In a split second she was able to remove her face mask and body suit, which prompted Izuku to also remove his.
Midoriya turned to the door, "I'm going down to get spoons for us.", the girl replied to him with vague noise.
When the door closed blondie spoke, "You want some ice cream?"
Sakura nodded absentmindedly.
He scooped some as Sakura tried to bite the spoon without real aim— her eyes reflecting the red explosions on the big tv that Bakugo owns.
Her mouth bit the air many times, Izuku came back and said, "I got the spoons!", and sat beside Kacchan.
Bakugo gave up— and thrusted his spoon on Sakura's hands. Still in trance with the action packed movie.
Midoriya just handed the remaining spoon to the boy beside him, and dug his own spoon in the tub of strawberry ice cream.
They accidentally slept within the 15 minutes of the movie that they picked. (after the action packed one)
Sakura's hair was being tangled and pulled by something, she woke up because of that something yanking her hair out of her scalp.
'That huuuuurts', she thought, wanting to punch the cause of her waking up from a very nice dream.
Bakugo was sweating profusely.
She could see him huffing out hot air from his mouth.
Instinct took over her body and she hovered her hand on his forehead, she held her breath— but nothing happened.
Utterly confused, she tried again.
No results.
She took her hand back intently observing it with her eyes, and held her breath—
A light blue color coated her hand.
'exhale—' , a barely there whisper came through, but Sakura heard it.
Exhaling the held breath, she felt a different kind of thrum coarse through her arms.
This one felt light, like warm spring air caressing your skin.
A light green color broke through, in contrast to the blue.
Amazed by the newly found gift, Sakura tried to do it again— the difference between the two chakras the blue one was easier to control, it's edges sharp as if ready to inflict pain.
The green one coating her hand right now had wavy lines, as if anything it touches it molds into the shape of its container.
A lot harder to control.
Still manageable though.
She expended all the air she had in her lungs.
'I need to work on my lung capacity', her life seems to get harder and harder each day.
The blonde woke up and was staring up at her.
"Sakura?" He said with a groggy voice.
Izuku snorted.
"Gimme a minute Bakugo.", she said— concentrating once more
'Inhale'
'Exhale'
Slowly letting air flow out from her mouth and nose— in an attempt to focus on the control and maneuvering she slowly placed her palm on the waiting forehead of Bakugo.
"It feels like spring." He murmurs.
"Mhm." She grunted, can't risk on making a mistake.
"Mhm." He mimicked and closed his eyes further relaxing.
But soon enough he was looking better, "I know you have multiple quirks," he said, "But this is already cheating Sakura— you have healing." His red eyes met green and a teasing smile broke through.
She ran out of air, she was getting ready to dive in for another round— but she had to reply first to him, "I mean just think about the fact that we're a team and we can all share my quirk!"
Inhale
"Sakura why haven't you called me by my first name yet?"
She choked, "wh—what?", her eyes glanced down to see him staring up at her.
He kept quiet waiting for an answer.
The girl kept her reasons— as she knew her reasons are considered shallow and petty but he asked earnestly and she isn't one to lie.
"Because you never said that I'm your friend."
"That's stupid, and you know that— I never also said out loud that Izuku is my friend." His eyebrows furrowed in suspicion.
Inhale
Ex— "becauseyounevermadeanicknameformeistherealreasonandicouldn'thelpm—"
"what." He cut her off, "can you repeat that but slowly? A person with fever here thank you very much."
She made a face, "Because you never made a nickname."
He gaped and sat up, "I FREAKING CALLED YOU VOMIT EYES—"
"That's not a nickname!"
"PINKY—!"
She eye rolled, " that's stating the obvious.
"BUT THEY'RE STILL NICKNAMES—"
"FINE— Fine, I'll call you Katsuki from now on." She waved the white flag, "can you lie back down so I can finish healing you?"
He obliged.
"Can I call you Tsuki?" She asked before inhaling.
As she exhaled, in the middle of her oxygen depletion he finally nodded his head in admission. 'That took awhile.' She finished her 2nd session, now Katsuki looks better.
"Thanks Sakura." And gave her a grin.
She stared into his eyes.
"Can I call you sore eyes?"
"Do you want me to beat you up?" He scoffed.
It was her turn to scoff, "I'd like to see you try!" And looked at him incredulously.
They're visiting the zoo
Sakura has a chauffeur/bodyguard/nanny, on tow (his off-duty are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, debatable really especially when money is involved)
She didn't mind him following around though, he kept people away.
'Yes.' She fist pumped inwardly, as they went in their merry way and walked around the smelly (trying not to judge) zoo.
"Izuku hold me back", he was beside her— as Sakura forced her arm towards him as if giving a turkey leg away.
Oh what she would give for the ostrich's leg be given away.
"Imma beat the shit out of that ostrich if you don't hold me back!", once again thrust her arm to Izuku.
Her multi-talented personnel sweat-dropped at the behavior of the two. (blondie went to the washroom)
"You're going to do it anywa—" the cute freckled boy replied was cut off be her shriek.
"Hold me back!—" as she attempted to mount the iron bars separating her and the ostrich, the big bird swayed its long neck side to side taunting her with a challenging glint on its eye. Sakura wished that the two red bows adorned on its neck would accidentally strangle the bird.
Izuku held on to her sleeves.
"NOT LIKE THAT—", she screamed, now Izuku is confused on what to do.
Katsuki came back from the washroom, and saw the two arguing.
"HOLD ME BACK PROPERLY—"
"But you're going to fight the bird—"
"I DON'T WANNA FIGHT THE BIRD—"
"you just said you're going to beat it up."
"Who's fighting who?" He looked at his crazy friends, 'and they tell me I'm the crazy one', he thought, also it was rare to see Sakura getting this worked up.
He looked at the cage where she was trying to desperately not mount over, when the ostrich snapped its beady gaze on him.
And did the sway, the red bows swayed with it.
"HOLD ME THE FUCK BACK A FUCKING BIRD JUST ASKED FOR IT—!" his feet now on the second railing about to jump in.
It took two people to hold back Katsuki, the multi-talented personnel acted like he didn't know the kids.