Yaoyorozu Momo hadn't stayed up past midnight in her entire life. It was currently 2 am as she sped through the eerily quiet U.A. campus. She was riding in the back of an ambulance modified for on campus use. The ride back to her dorm only took a minute. The self driven car came to a stop in front of her dorm as the back doors opened for her. She was thankful for the ride back since the exhaustion of the day had fully set in.
It would have been easier to stay in the hospital and recover like Recovery girl suggested but she needed some respite from her bizarre situation. She was technically in perfect health at the time so the elderly hero couldn't stop her from leaving. She even gave a blood sample for testing to see if it had anything to do with her connection to Todoroki. The sliding glass doors of the dorm opened to reveal a dark, empty living area. It was strange seeing the space like this but unfortunately she was getting used to strange things. The elevator opened and Momo leaned on the metallic walls of the interior for support.
As she made her way up, her thoughts gravitated towards the discussion she and Todoroki had with U.A.'s Head doctor. After they had explained their story over the past few days, Recovery girl came to a few important conclusions about the "connection" that they shared.
1. The symptoms appeared around 24 hours after Todoroki's sudden overuse of his fire ability after suppressing it for several years.
2. The connection between Todoroki and Yaoyorozu was established with a direct kiss. Even though Momo had touched the boy earlier that night, she only felt the heat from his body and no connection was formed until their kiss .
3. Yaoyorozu experienced the same symptoms in the exact same time frame: 24 hours after the kiss formed their connection. A second kiss alleviated the identical symptoms. Then, Recovery girl was able to witness their third connection almost exactly 24 hours later where Todoroki was the one exhibiting symptoms.
4. In addition to the release of heat and pressure from the body, the other effects of the connection appeared to be the transference of subconscious emotional, and physical experiences between the pair. They each spoke of seeing themselves from the others perspective as well as experiencing their emotions at the same time. All of this happens in the moment the kiss occurs.
5. It isn't unusual for a certain body part to activate a quirk, her healing kiss was a prime example. But the sudden change in Todoroki suggested a mutation of his original quirk. Such a thing had never been documented but the world around them was constantly evolving with appearance of new and exotic quirks. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility but there was no way to know for sure.
Lastly, the sudden use of the fire portion of the half and half quirk seemed to start this chain of events. She told Todoroki to speak with the man from whom he had inherited the power of flames from, his father Endeavor. He might know something about his own quirk that could help them figure out Todoroki's sudden change. Todoroki explained to the hero doctor that his father had left on a two week long government related mission immediately after the sports festival and wouldn't be in contact for another ten days. He begrudgingly promised to get all the information possible from his father at that time.
After her rundown assessment of the situation, she suggested that the two of them suppress as much information as possible about their connection. Others finding out would only complicate the matter and if the press got a hold of the story it would be a field day for journalism and nightmare for U.A. She then assured the two of them that they would be alright. While a lot of what they were going through was a medical anomaly, there was a clear short term solution that would buy enough time for research to be completed. Momo vividly remembered Recovery's girls teasing words.
"As long as you two… "re-establish" your connection every 24 hours, You can continue your day to day lives as you normally would. I might of had a problem recommending such an intimate form of treatment… but seeing how close you two were today I doubt it will cause any problems."
Momo felt a sharp pain in her forehead as she recalled the old and wise medical hero blush and bat her eyelids at them like a girl in junior high. Even her doctor was hell bent on teasing her about her relationship with the ice prince. She sighed and looked down at the thin black band on her wrist. Both Her and Todoroki had each been given a matching band that would record their vitals at all times. This way they could focus on their studies and hero training while in close reach of medical aid at all times.
All of this was so much handle. She felt the weight of the situation after seeing all those doctors clueless as to how to treat Todoroki. Her exhaustion was an equal burden as she stepped from the elevator and towards her room. The thought of her bed was the only thing keeping her from passing out right there in the hallway.
She approached her door but saw something dark lay at the foot of it. Laying on her side wrapped in a fuzzy black blanket was a peacefully sleeping Jiro. Momo almost cried at the sight of her friends adorable sleeping face. She must have figured out that Momo hadn't returned to the dorm that night and went so far as to camp outside her room to know that she got back safe. She had no idea what she had done to deserve such a good friend. With all the unexplained events in the past few days, Jiro had been the rock she needed to keep herself sane.
Momo slowly opened her door and carefully picked up the sleeping bundle of cuteness that was Jiro. She placed her friend in the oversized bed that took up over half of her room. Jiro murmured and opened her eyes still half asleep.
"Momo? You're ok?"
"Yes Jiro, thanks for waiting for me" she replied with a smile and a hug.
Her friend fell back to sleep and Momo climbed into the other side of her bed. The moment her body relaxed onto the pillow, sleep overtook her.
She was walking on a path between snow-covered trees. Everything around her was gleaming white as she felt the chill air blow around her. The path in front of her seemed to stretch forever into the gray horizon. She felt the layer of snow beneath her feet as she wandered further on the path. The cold chill and the white color of snow on trees was all there was.
Then a movement in the forest caught her attention. Momo saw the profile of a woman between the trees. Her waist long hair was an even brighter white than the snow surrounding her. Her skin made her white dress look gray in comparison, almost ethereal in appearance. The scene before Momo's eyes was like a renaissance portrait brought to life.
The mysterious woman ever so slowly turned towards the path Momo was on. Her head angled up as strands of her angelic hair fell to frame her face. Momo was spellbound as the woman came into full view. The face of a porcelain doll was overshadowed by her eyes. The only thing in the entire landscape with a color other than brown or white came from them. Flame incarnate resided in the iris of her eyes. The color moved as flames would, rising in her eyes as they met Momo's gaze.
"Momo, Momo.."
The woman hadn't moved but she still heard her name.
"Momo! Get up pretty lady we have class!"
Yaoyorozu was staring up at Jiro's urgent expression as she remembered where she was again. Momo had never felt a dream so real before. Thankfully she had a human alarm clock to shake her from deep sleep. She made a mental note to talk to Todoroki about it later since it might be a new symptom. She rose up from her bed and groaned about the newfound source of confusion and mystery.
"Hey I know class can be rough but you're a genius. I need you to show up for class and absorb knowledge like the genius sponge you are. Our study group will fall to pieces without you and Mina would definitely flunk out."
Jiro smiled at Momo as if she already knew of the confusion and worry that was in her mind. She said exactly what Momo needed to her to forget the worry in her mind. The creation girl leapt up and pulled Jiro close with a tight squeeze. Jiro blushed and giggled as she found her face buried in her friends ample cleavage.
"Thank you Jiro, for everything you've done for me lately. When we have time to talk, I'll tell you everything that's been going with me."
Jiro peeked up at her from her bosom.
"I really want to hear your side of things Momo, but apparently some gossip has already gotten around about your little adventure last night. Deku texted Uraraka saying that he thought he had heard you arguing loudly in Todoroka's room… and then Toru confirmed that you never came back to the dorm since she was in the lobby watching a movie while we were gone. So I'll just let you imagine what the girls are saying."
Momo let out another deep sigh, it really did sound suggestive from anyone else's point of view. Jiro gave her a reproachful look but then rubbed the top of her head.
"I'm sure when I hear what you have to say I'll understand. Don't worry about it for now, I'll get the other girls off your back… I'll try at least."
Momo nodded in appreciation and hurried to get ready in time for class. Her classmates' teasing was the least of her concerns. Her impulsivity had ended up saving Todoroki in the end so she didn't regret it all. Besides, how bad could the girls' teasing be? They should at least give her the chance to explain herself before jumping to conclusions.
The two girls finished getting into their uniforms and they headed towards Jiro's room to grab her school bag (Momo had a fresh set of Jiro's uniform clothes from a Friday movie watching night in Momo's room when Mina had slimed all over Jiro after the main heroine's cat got ran over… its a long story). Ready for class the pair headed down the elevator and into the lobby. They found every girl in their class waiting for them and were met with a collective wave of squealing as they saw Momo. Mina was the first to run towards her.
"MOMO CHAAAN! You better love him like no other! I will not let some boy use my precious Momo for her perfect body! And!-"
Jiro's roundhouse finishing kick to the face sent the pink alien flying out of the dorm's glass doors. Jiro stood in front of Momo like a bodyguard.
"Yaoyorozu Momo is our class vice president. Spreading false rumors about her makes us all look bad. Now give her some privacy everyone, or my foot's gonna find someone else's face…"
Jiro was not the type to kid around so the girls began to disperse but Momo stopped them.
"Everyone please listen to me, Last night I was out past curfew and made all you worry. I'm truly sorry for that. What I can tell you about yesterday evening is that I noticed Todorki's off behavior and went to check on him since we're good friends. I convinced him to go to the hospital to seek treatment where he is currently and feeling much better. He should return to class today around lunch time. As vice president of our class I assure that my feelings for Todoroki will not affect my behav- I-I mean my connection with Todor-...um..."
Everyone in the room was in disbelief as Momo's calm speech collapsed into stuttering. Jiro prepared to hold back the girls from saying anything else that would embarrass her now vulnerable friend. She was looking at the group of girls as their faces lit up for a moment and then suddenly paused. Their excited expressions turned into those of worry and remorse. Jiro didn't understand their reactions until she turned back around to face her good friend; her heart dropped in her chest. Momo was looking down at the ground with a loss for words as tears streamed down her face.
"I… I need to go to class… I need…"
The tears didn't stop and Momo suddenly bolted towards the back exit of the dorm. She disappeared from sight, leaving the lobby painfully silent. Her classmates stayed glued to the spot. Jirou turned towards the group with her fists clenched.
"Oi… No one says a word of this to anyone, and tonight we will make it up to her and then some. Understood?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. They didn't need Jiro's anger to convince them that they had clearly overstepped. The girls agreed to act normally in class and respect Momo's privacy.
Momo ended up in the school restroom to wash her face and calm down. she was embarrassed that she had run away but she was even more embarrassed by the truths that had almost escaped her lips. She had almost revealed her mysterious connection to Todoroki and almost admitted to herself that she had feelings for the cold and mysterious ice prince. She smiled slightly at her reflection in the mirror at the thought of his infamous nickname.
The boy who was so idolized by his classmates was indeed stoic and reticent, but that was just the surface. She had felt first hand how deep Todoroki's emotions actually were. From the first time they kissed, his icy exterior melted away whenever he was with her. Anyone else couldn't have seen him any differently, but she could.
She saw the pain he had gone through because of their connection as well the guilt of letting her become involved. She saw that he was worried about her constantly over the last couple of days. She saw his smiling face after they kissed, and his appreciation of Momo for being there for him. She saw the consideration he tried to give her the night they talked in his room. She saw his kind, understanding expression after she had cried her heart out on his chest. She saw the ice prince laugh… She saw so many things in him.
She didn't need their connection to tell her the kind of person he was. She laughed as she realized that this was the same restroom where she had been with hatred towards the boy just the other day. Amazing how things can change so quickly.
Momo felt the same warmth in her heart that had been unknown to her before. Rather than making her feel confused, it made her feel safe. She finally knew what this feeling meant. She had been scared to admit it but knowing something for sure after having so many mysteries surrounding her and Todoroki felt good. While the connection was an anomaly, her feelings of affection for Todoroki were crystal clear.
She headed for class with a sense of clarity. She knew she had feelings for Todoroki but that wouldn't affect her. She was in training to become the best hero possible and that was her focus. It wasn't like she loved the boy, it was… just a crush. She admired him for his qualities and she wanted to help him as much as she could; simple as that. She nodded to herself with a smile and hustled to Class 1-A.
