That evening Shoto waited for Yaoyorozu in the common area of their dorm. He hadn't been able to catch up with her that day to discuss their partnership. He had a few ideas of how to use their quirks to benefit eachother but had learned in his finals that exchanging ideas with Yaoyorozu was better than deciding things on his own. Classes had ended a while ago and everyone had already returned and set up study areas around the common area. A few pairs had opted to go meet up in their rooms. Lida and Eijiro were paired with bakugo and had to follow the explosive teen to his room for him to even be in earshot of their attempts at teamwork.
That team hadn't been assigned together ever before, which led Shoto to assume that the pairing was based off of the impromptu rescue mission he had conducted with his classmates to save bakugo. Minus Midoria, momo and himself.
Perhaps eraser head had assessed that Yaoyorozu and himself would be more effective alone. He'd trust his teacher's judgment.
Keeping that in mind, he walked the common area of the dorm. He hadn't seen his partner since lunch. Maybe she was still sick and had returned to her room earlier? She probably wouldn't be up to working. He would try again tomorrow.
Then again:
From his understanding the partnership was supposed to have more depth than a normal group assignment. This was a safety protocol to better care for and understand each other. This would make everyone more effective in a crisis.
If the goal was to form proper relationships with your partner, he'd go check on her. Maybe there was even a way he could help her.
…
Momo sat on her bed in her pajamas with a hot cup of tea. She'd turn in early for the night. Have a dreamless sleep and awake renewed in the morning, or at least that was the plan.
A knock at her door threw a wrench in that plan.
"Yaoyorozu, are you awake?" A calm voice called from the other side.
She spilt her scolding tea against her blouse and screamed.
Oh, the inconvenience of no longer being able to escape to her home.
"Are you alright?" The knob jiggled.
"Y-yes! Just a moment!" She quickly changed her wet shirt and rubbed her finger along the the tender spot where the hot liquid had landed against her stomach. She'd have to worry about that later.
She opened the door a crack with a sheepish smile. "Hello Todoroki! Is there something I can help you with?"
"I was actually going to ask you that." He offered. "I haven't been able to find you today. How is your stomach?"
"M-my stomach?" Had he seen her spill her tea?
He nodded. "Ashido told me recovery girl had you testing a new laxative."
What.
Momo reddened and swallowed the urge to run down the hall to Mina's room. "Ah, yes. Laxatives."
"If you still aren't feeling well we can postpone starting our partnership until tomorrow. I just wanted to check and see if you needed anything first." He offered considerately.
Momo cried in guilt internally. "No, I'm sorry...I'm fine now!" She'd been inconsiderate...it wasn't just her partnership. A hero wouldn't let people depending on her fall behind over insecurities... "We are already behind the rest of the class. I'm sure everyone is already coming up with ideas with their partners. We can begin discussions now if you'd like." She opened the door to her room fully.
He nodded in confirmation. "Alright then. Where should we set up?" He asked looking around. Her room was pleasing to the eye but her bed occupied 50% of the space. Now that he thought about it, she probably hadn't planned to have him in there. "Unless you'd be more comfortable in my room? Oh, your hair is down-"
"NO!" She rejected, almost before he could finish offering. The thought of being alone in his room sent red flags up across her skin. "Uh, I mean, this is fine. I'm fine right here." She walked in her room and knelt into her plush rug. "Do you mind sitting on the floor? They're heated." She added.
He nodded, feeling more comfortable with sitting on the floor like he usually was at home. They knelt in front of each other after he shut the door.
"You said something about my hair?" Momo questioned, embarrassed at her involuntary outburst. She'd completely cut him off. All her etiquette was flying out the window.
"Oh yes, It's down. Were you getting ready for bed?" He looked over her pajamas.
She reddened at the attention. Had he noticed she did that every night? "Yes I was, but it's fine. As I said, my stomach feels much bett-ah!" She unthinkingly placed a hand on her shirt, forgetting the burn beneath. She flinched hard.
"Ah. Maybe you're not really well yet?" Her partner questioned, concerned. "I should probably give you time to rest."
"No, this is something different." She lifted her shirt, long since past being bashful over showing skin. Her quirk required it. "I spilt tea on myself earlier and didn't get the chance to treat it."
Shouto's brows rose and he averted his gaze, glancing around the room. Reflexively he tried not to see her in a state of undress. He did catch a glimpse at the angry red patch above her navel however. He lifted an empty hand to her. "Here. This might help."
She watched as small lumps of ice clattered into his hand. She smiled shyly and accepted them. "Thankyou".
He frowned as she maneuvered to fit all of the ice into one slender hand. "You probably want a cloth or something to hold that in. Sorry, I wasn't thinking." He said, looking as if he were ready to go get one.
"No no it's fine really" momo reassured, unbuttoning her shirt a bit. Shoto flinched, turning his head once more. He'd learned at finals that his partner was comfortable enough with her quirk to utilize it without warning. He respected it; she wasn't the first person who needed exposure to use their quirk. It did however, seem to always catch him off guard.
Making a small aluminum pouch with her quirk, Momo felt relieved to be able to focus on something familiar for a moment. She put her ice inside and held it against her skin.
Todoroki nodded as if he'd missed an obvious resolution. She could just make what she needed. "Your quirk must be really useful pretty often."
She smiled. "Yes, more than you could imagine. I remind myself not to over do it however. Working for what you want is a sort of training in its own right...but I can say that with my quirk, on top of my family's success, I've never really wanted for any physical thing."
Until now.
She reddened at her own thought. She looked away from the boy in her room and frowned. Focus. The voice in her head sounded an awful lot like Mina.
She inhaled deep.
Oh. He smells like soap.
"Where should we begin?" She said aloud, abruptly pushing away from her thoughts.
"I was thinking we could develop a way to help the entire school, since this is all due to safety concerns...but so much emphasis was put on actually bonding with our team, so I'm assuming the teachers don't want us treating this like an assignment." He answered thoughtfully.
"I came to the same conclusion. Especially considering the different amounts of people in each team. I think they want us to focus on boosting our own effectiveness." Momo agreed. It was easier to talk when focusing on the task at hand.
"We should get to know more about each other in that case, to try to become more in sync. Like a pro and sidekick." He pitched.
Momo arched a brow "That's actually a pretty good analogy for what the partnerships are probably supposed to be. That's probably what the teachers had in mind when making the pairs. Leads and support."
"You'd be the lead." They spoke in unison.
"A-ah" momo blinked "no, no you're the top student in our class. You'd make a much better lead."
Todoroki's expression didn't change but he shook his head in disagreement. "I'm well rounded and that makes it easier to secure a higher ranking, but a lead has to be able to accurately read and respond to a situation with a strategic approach. You and Midoriya seem to excel when it comes to quick thinking and making plans. Between the two of us, you'd do much better calling the shots. I have no qualms with following orders so it should go as smoothly as finals."
Momo looked down at her hands and felt hot despite the ice on her stomach. Her face flushed. She was used to getting compliments and praised for her efforts. It was nothing new. But coming from the usually outspoken Shoto, it felt like validation. It confirmed she was doing well, pulling her weight as a hero. The most words she'd ever heard him say at once were compliments directed at her.
"Thankyou." She spoke softly. "I've been wanting to tell you that since our final."
"To thank me?" He questioned. "Your idea was the one that helped us pass."
"Yes, but I didn't think it would. You let me know how you viewed me and renewed confidence that I hadn't even realized was wavering. You let me know you didn't doubt me and that helped just as much as my plan."
There was no answer, and she looked up to see him watching her thoughtfully.
"Wha-ah, I know I probably should've said all of that a long time ago." She smiled nervously.
"What do you think of me?" He asked suddenly.
"Hmm?" She squeaked. Uh oh, bad question. Her tiny Mina voice had plenty of answers. She'd have to wrack her brain for an answer that wouldn't embarrass her. Her mind would find double meaning in any response she'd say.
"What do you think of me? What are things you've noticed about me, or how you perceive me?" He maneuvered from sitting on his knees to sitting squarely and crossing his legs. He was curious as to why his words had held so much weight with her. Was it because of his power? Maybe because of his father? "You know my opinion of you and how I view you. It seemed to help. Maybe that knowledge gives us more of a grasp on each other. I should start to consider your analysis of me too."
Yaoyorozu panicked. She understood what he was asking and it shouldn't have been a headknocker. It was a logical question. Under any other circumstances she'd have no qualms just answering.
But today was a problem. Her answers consisted of things like 'your eyes'. And 'you ironically love Luke warm food.'
"Our names are the same" she blurted out.
He looked confused and she mentally berated herself. Of course he looked confused; what kind of answer was that. She reddened. The answer was just as shallow as the ones she'd opted against.
Well she'd already said it so she might as well elaborate.
"I mean, We have the same amount of syllables in our first and last names. It's just something I noticed in class one day." Her answer lacked the depth of his observation, but any other disclosure of her thoughts would be dripping with admiration. It would feel just like a confession. She felt overly exposed to him and just couldn't fanthom sitting in front of him with more self-inflicted embarrassment. She knew she was overthinking but at that moment, everything sounded like an admission of how much she watched him. "It's just something interesting I noticed."
He, on the other hand, hadn't noticed their names had the same number of syllables. To him, she continued to show how observant she generally was. Her attention to detail was something they definitely utilized during their finals against EraserHead. He pulled a thoughtful expression and considered that he'd notice such things if he paid more attention to his peers. "I see. That is interesting... And trivial."
Momo felt her stomach drop.
Shoto smiled. "That's how we should start: small and detail oriented." Shoto wrapped his head around the friendships his classmates had formed with eachother. Normal relationships started from things like similar interests or small things you noticed in someone. "We can just observe each other and find more common ground. Trivial things that can form bonds." If he could pinpoint areas where he felt he could relate to her, they'd probably be more accustomed to being around eachother. "We can prioritize a plan once we know eachother better." He thought aloud, watching the ground as he spoke. His eyes flashed to her. "If you think that sounds agreeable."
Relief swirled in her abdomen and she began to nod absentmindedly. She didn't know how he was managing to help her stumble through their conversation, but she was thankful for his thought process. He even proposed something she could do easily. He would just watch her and learn about his partner...wait
"You want us to observe each other living out our normal day?" Was he proposing he study her every move?
She'd die.
"Not necessarily." He rested his hands on his knees. "We should be together naturally."
What a nice sentence.
She cursed the small immature voice in her mind
"I could start walking you to class and attend your tutoring sessions." He offered.
She blushed; that seemed more manageable. They would be spending a lot more time in each other's company. Maybe it would desensitize her. Hopefully.
"But wait, isn't that cutting too much into your free time?" She hesitated. "What does your schedule usually consist of?"
"I like to sleep." He answered honestly.
Momo coughed a chuckle.
He was cute.
"Well, alright. I'm not opposed to it if you're sure it isn't an inconvenience. If we do this, I should probably incorporate some of your day into mine as well." She offered.
Right? A good even trade.
She felt unsure of herself, but pushed past the restraint her shyness was putting on her words. Her entire demeanour was unlike her. Shoto's very presence was unnerving her but she wouldn't let him down. She wouldn't be a bad partner. If she could just get through this conversation, she was sure a good night's rest would put her back in focus.
"You want to sleep with me?" He asked quizzically, his boyish head tilting to the side.
Yaoyorozu in haled quietly.
He didn't mean it like that. He liked to sleep; it must really be all he did during his free time. Incorporating his habits into her life probably meant incorporating his excessive naps. It seemed like a poor way to learn about each other, hence why he'd asked.
This is what he meant. This was his innocent and poorly worded concern.
She knew that all this, but it didn't matter.
Moms smacked into a metaphorical wall; her functionality coming to a screeching halt. It was almost comical.
Derailed, she stared wide eyed at her carpet, her skin feeling warm. She swore she could hear her train falling off the tracks.
You want to sleep with me?
She wouldn't dare try to speak. She wouldn't dare.
Her inner Mina was hysterical.
"Yaoyorozu?" He blinked at her frigid posture.
She felt a nose bleed coming.
"Ah-" There was a knock at the door.
Her eyes flew to the sweet sound and she blessed whoever was on the other side.
The door cracked open and Jiro peered in. "Momo are you awa- oh! Todoroki! Sorry I didn't know you guys had met up! Didn't mean to interrupt."
He nodded in greeting.
The short haired girl stepped into the room and eyed her quiet friend. Momo knelt in the carpet clenching an ice pack to her stomach so tightly, she looked like she was trying to crush it into slush. "I was just coming to check and make sure you were alright...yknow, because of the laxatives."
Momo wanted to cry with relief. Never in her life had she ever felt such hysteria in such a risk-free situation. "K-k-kyoka" Momo pushed out looking feverish.
"Ah, is your stomach bothering you? Or the burn?" Shoto asked, an actually noticeable furrow making its way into his brow. He reached a concerned hand out toward his partner.
Momo didn't know what he planned on doing, but she was on her feet before it could happen. "Bathroom."
She was out the door.
Jiro blinked after her, staggering at her obvious crumbling composure. The poor girl had it bad.
"It seems shes worse than we thought. I should take her to recovery girl." Shoto decided aloud, climbing to his feet.
"Ah, no, don't do that." Jiro felt herself reflexively protect her classmate from further imploding. "She's a girl y'know. Gross stuff can feel kind of embarrassing around guys. I'll take care of her."
"Ah. I hadn't considered that." He nodded. "Thanks."
"She'll probably be out of commission for the night. I'm sure she feels really bad about it, so try to cut her some slack when you see her again." Jiro offered.
"I'll keep that in consideration." He nodded again, heading off to bed.
He was such an accepting boy. Naive. It almost made her feel guilty.
…...
"Freaking out?" Jiro asked putting a hand on her thin hip as she eyed the girl leaning over a bathroom sink.
Momo nodded and laughed at herself. The entire situation was ridiculous."What do I do? He's waiting in my room."
"No don't worry. I sent him off. Told him I'm taking you to the nurse."
Momo sighed with relief. "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to move past this."
"Well this is a first. Usually you're the one with all the answers." Jiro chuckled, placing a hand on the shaken girl's back. "You seem really out of your element."
"I've never admired someone this way before." She divulged, leaning her head onto the sink. It felt cool on her hot skin.
"Yikes. First crush? You're a little late in the game, aren't you?" Jiro winced, surprised.
"Am I?" Momo whined into the sink. She looked like she was shrinking.
"Uh, It's fine though! It's no big deal! Everyone goes through this rough awkward patch." Jiro reassured sheepishly, hoping to say the right things. "What happened to shake you up so much? Was it because he was in your room?"
"He asked if I wanted to sleep with him."
Jiro blinked, and then blazed a bright red color. She had just been thinking how calm and unaware Todoroki always seemed. Who knew he was so brazen! Jiro shook her head past the initial shock and frowned. It didn't matter that it was her first crush. Anyone would respond like this with a sudden abrupt question like that! "I never would have pegged him as the type to dump such an inappropriate question on a girl."
"No no, it's not his fault." Momo spoke, face still against the sink. "I asked him what he liked to do in his free time." She spoke, apparently too frazzled to consider clarifying further.
And THAT was his answer!? He was on par with Mineta! Jiro thought to herself.
The earphoned girl rubbed at her face. No wonder Yaoyorozu was out of her element. Any girl her age would be! She had thought she'd just offer background support while Momo awkwardly maneuvered through her feelings. This was an entirely new playing field. "Alright. Ok...alright. Uh...did you answer him?"
"Of course not!" She popped up from the sink, losing whatever calm she had accumulated. "He's just...he's just so innocent that he doesn't know how jarring a question like that can be."
Innocent?! That's hardly the word Jiro would've used. She could believe that the question probably wasn't malicious coming from the iceyhot boy, but DENSE would've been the term she picked.
"Ok, look. Let's just try this again tomorrow, ok? Get some rest and don't worry about it. You're a strong girl momo. You can handle a boy!"
Yao looked at her friend for a moment before smiling. She hugged her, splitting a blush between the two of them. "Thank you for being so encouraging for something so silly."
The two girls walked to the lush pink room Momo owned before parting ways. Jiro walked toward the elevator. Unbeknownst to her friend however, she wasn't heading to her room.