Closer than Admiration

By the Black Rose

Momo stared at the window of the exam waiting room. Before their face-off with Mr. Aizawa, the air in the room had felt heavy. Weighted. But, now that she and Todoroki had passed….

...

"It really was a matter of timing." Her classmate gave her a small smile. "Thanks, teammate."

...

'When did he?' Her stomach twisted into lumps. 'When did he become... So kind?'

Her heart still pounded from their exercise; blood rushed in her ears.

...

White linoleum stretched for what could have been miles. The same color. The same walls. Her steps echoed in the expansive hallway. Only the few students who got in on recommendations could be there - to turn in the rest of their forms; and pick up their class schedules.

Momo grumbled to herself under her breath. 'If only I'd paid more attention to the map they sent.'

A boy rounded the corner and caught her attention. 'Oh! Someone else?' The young man exhibited such unique coloring; hair split evenly down the middle: half red, and half white-blond. He even had heterochromatic eyes - one grey, the other bright blue.

'He looks kinda sad. Seems a shame for someone so handsome. Wait, what? Don't think about that!' She stepped into the middle of the hall, just as he turned her direction.

"Oh! Um, excuse me? Do you know the way to Principal-"

"You're in my way." The boy scowled as he pushed past her.

...

'I promised I wouldn't let that exchange impact anything, even if we ended up in the same class. But, I'd already labeled him as arrogant and unrefined. Like a quiet version of Bakugou. That same anger; the same energy.'

She crossed her arms beneath her breasts and leaned against the glass. 'Still. Since the beginning of school. I can tell, he's changed. So much.' With the position of the afternoon sun, her reflection stared back at her.

Soot, wet with tears, smudged her cheeks. The reflection of her eyes glinted. Her dark hair remained more or less in its ponytail; a few pieces had escaped and frizzed around her face. She tried to smooth some of the mess back into place.

For the first time since arriving at UA, the doubt reel in her mind quieted. Instead of the near-constant questioning, she heard his voice:

...

"When we were voting for class rep, you had two votes, remember? One of those votes was mine. Because I thought you would be the best at leading our class!"

...

She covered her mouth, again; her tears pricked and burned. Something else swirled inside her: powerful. Electric. It felt wonderful and frightening at the same time. 'What is this?'

"There you are. I've been looking for you." Todoroki's quiet voice sounded in the room. The strange, churning emotion leapt into her throat.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

She swallowed and wiped at her eyes before turning around. "Oh, uh, yeah. Never better."

He stopped, a few steps into the room. A folding table sat to his right, against the wall. Another, longer table, stretched its legs in the center of the waiting room. The door clicked shut behind him. And she was alone, with him.

With him.

His eyebrows pinched together in the center of his forehead. "If you don't feel well-"

"That's not it."

"You didn't seem like yourself." He moved closer. The tang of sweat reached her nose; Momo wasn't sure whether it was hers, or his, or both.

"Maybe you should see Recovery Girl just in case you—"

"I'm not sick." She managed to shake her head. "I was. I was crying."

He paused. A frown settled over his features. "Why? We passed. Unless you got injured in the exchange with-"

"Nothing like that." She turned away; his reflection remained in the room behind her. And so did his scent; the sound of his ragged breathing.

The strange tightness around her ribcage.

"If it's none of my business, just say so. But, we've been teammates a few times, now. And I-"

"It's nothing. I was," she pressed her eyes closed. "More relieved than anything."

"I see."

"Thank you, though. For checking on me."

He nodded. His reflection shifted his stance. Todoroki's blue and grey eyes looked away. "I, uh, yeah. I'm just glad you're all right."

"Thank you. For what you did out there. For what you said. About," she laced her hands together to keep them from shaking. "Thinking I was right for the job. Of class representative, I mean." She turned to face him, but couldn't lift her eyes. That feeling lurched in her chest; her legs burned to propel her forward. Closer.

"I should have asked you about a plan going in. I guess I got carried away. It wasn't because I didn't, believe in you or anyth-"

The strange emotion he'd ignited squeezed her insides into mush; she couldn't breathe.

Her teammate's eyes widened. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No." She scrubbed at the stupid tear trickling down her cheek. "I guess I just…." Another one fell. And another. She placed a hand over her eyes, and turned away. 'How humiliating!'

Todoroki caught her arm. She gasped as he spun her to face him. He stood...so close.

"I guess I broke another promise." His mouth turned down and he brushed fresh tears from her cheek. "Who knew UA would challenge my resolve like this?"

"Another promise?" The brush of his knuckles against her skin caused her face to catch fire. 'But, he used his right hand; it should have felt cold.'

"Yeah. I swore I'd never make a woman cry."

"I think that would be difficult. Especially for a guy like you."

"A guy like me? Wait, do people think I'm mean?" His voice rose, and his words rushed together. "Have I been treating others—"

"That's not what I meant." She caught his wrist. "No one thinks you're mean. On the contrary." Momo stared at his hand. That swirling ache panged in her chest, again. Louder. Broader. It formed a shape, a need; something with a name.

"Most of us look up to you."

"Look up to me?"

"You're strong, and smart, and kind. A natural born leader. Plenty of our classmates admire you, Todoroki." She released his arm and took a step back. 'Admiration. That's all it is. Right? I admire him like the rest of our class does.'

"How does that tie in to making women cry?"

"Well. When a woman admires a man. And he doesn't return her-"

"Wait, I'm confused, again." Shouto held up his hand. "Is this a specific woman or just someone in general?" His eyebrows peaked.

'What am I saying?' Momo glanced up. He stared back. She could swear she felt heat emanate from his body. Hot enough, it flared through her skin, and melted her heart. She swallowed. "You've heard the term: heartbreaker?"

"Uh, yeah. I think so."

"You'll break a lot of women's hearts, Todoroki. That's what I meant." She wrapped her arms around herself. 'Including mine.'

...

"I'm saying you're better at this kind of stuff than I am."

"I've been looking for you, are you all right?"

...

"Oh. I, uh. Don't know what to say to that, I guess. 'Thank you', doesn't seem right, but most of what you said before sounded like compliments."

"Yes, I was complimenting you." Her melted heart tried to harden and reform; instead, it lay there, pulsing, bleeding strange emotions. The aching whirlwind inside her pulled at the mess.

"You've been kind to me, especially today. When I needed it."

"I think we all have days when we need a bit of kindness. But, I didn't mean to make you cry."

"It's really ok. It's a good kind of crying, I promise."

"There's a good kind of crying? I can't say I've ever witnessed something like that." He crossed his arms and leaned against the window.

"When my Dad used to make my mom cry," his eyes lowered. "It just sounded like: so much sadness. An emptiness. Like she was all alone."

The swirling feelings stopped.

"But, she was surrounded by family. Her children." His face crumpled. "And yet that monster—"

Momo caught her gasp with her hand.

"Oh, uh, sorry." Todoroki's shoulders rounded and he turned away. "Didn't mean to dredge up my family's garbage."

"It's ok." She reached for him; her fingers grazed his sleeve. "Really. I'd like to know. Someday. When you feel comfortable enough to tell me."

Todoroki nodded.

"If it's, not too, uh, audacious, I'd-"

He glanced up and their eyes locked.

"I'd like to know more about you."

His eyebrows lifted. "Uh, like right now, or just sometime?" He stared at her. Dark lashes framed such beautiful eyes. She caught the hint of freckles on the right side of his nose.

'What if it's something he needs? To know, to feel,' she sucked in a breath. 'The way he made me feel during our exam. How do I get that through to him?'

His lips moved. "...know you're first in our class, but do you have to speak like you write thesauruses in your spare time?"

"Audacious means bold." Her heart thumped against her ribcage. "Daring." Her skin tingled all over - like she was about to create something.

"What's bold or daring about—"

She cut him off with a kiss. Momo pressed her lips against his - for a heartbeat.

Two. Three.

Shouto stood, rooted in place as she gently coaxed at his mouth.

Four. Five.

Nothing. That tight feeling returned and tried to suffocate her.

Momo started to pull away. Shouto's hand slid behind her neck, holding her in place. His lips warmed against hers.

Her eyes slipped shut. Soft, heated lips almost burned where they touched. She wanted to press closer to him, to be closer. 'But, that would be too much.'

Ice bit into her spine; she lurched backwards.

"Todoroki!"

"What? What'd I do?"

"Ice! Down my back." The frost stung her skin. "Oh, so cold! So cold!"

"Oh, uh, sorry. Here." Shouto held up his left hand. "Let me know if it's too hot." He placed his palm between her shoulder blades. Heat flowed through her - tingling and alive, like it could charge every cell. She leaned forward, settling into his opposite shoulder.

And just felt the waves of his power flow through her.

"Is that better?" His lips touched her ear. She shivered.

"Uh, still cold? I can!"

"No, I'm not. I'm—" She looked up at him. "Perfectly ok, now. Thank you." She placed a hand on his cheek.

"I guess I don't have control over my powers in every situation, after all."

His warmth filled her. It bubbled into a laugh. "Lucky for you, I know someone who's a good tutor."

"Is that so?" His mouth curved up on one side.

"Only if you, you know, wanted," she felt heat flash through her cheeks. "That kind of help."

"Depends on who it is."

She stared. 'Did he really miss the-'

"It'd have to be someone courageous, has a lot of patience, and should be top of the class. I did get in on recommendations."

Momo grinned.

"But most of all. She'd have to like me enough to want to kiss me, pretty often."

"Oh?" She caught her breath. "How often?"

"Hm, if there's one thing I border on fanatical about," he met her gaze. "It's my quirk training."

"Fanatical, huh?"

"Or maybe I just want an excuse to kiss the most audacious woman I know." He leaned down and touched his lips to hers.

Momo wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.