Inspired by:
The fanart by lewisees here: /lewisees_h/status/1510615354128535554?t=121s2SGWRDSu4nyL9CKGyAs=19
And Lanne's translation here: /yaoyorolanne/status/1510962638460977162?t=dWY_NLBJIrmTOXEOIWscHAs=19
(both found on twitter)
Yaoyorozu sighs. The gap to the top feels as big as it's ever been after experiencing firsthand how Togata single-handedly defeated the class. But now, she can at least somewhat measure how capable the top heroes are. When she lost to Tokoyami, she could barely compare herself to even her classmates. If it weren't for Todoroki, she may still be in the same rut that she was in back then. Speaking of, she sees the very same Todoroki she was just thinking about, who didn't participate in the valuable practice, mulling over something.
"Todoroki-san, are you alright?"
"Yaoyorozu," She'll never get tired of hearing her name come out of his mouth. She will also never confess that even if she were being grilled. "Yes, I'm fine. Is there something that would indicate that I'm not?"
"It's just… you didn't participate in fighting Togata-senpai at all. I thought you may have been still shaken by what Hadou-senpai asked before."
He looks taken aback when she asks, a rare display of emotion. "...About what?" He slowly asks.
She points to the left side of her face to show that she is talking about when their senpai asked where his scar came from. She knows how sensitive a topic his past can be. "I've heard from some of the senpais that she's like that with everyone, she doesn't mean anything by it."
His facial expression remains the same, but his breathing stabilizes after understanding what she's talking about. This signals that he's calmed back down to his normal state. Subtleties like this are the only way that she can read him. "Oh, that. Yes, I also realized that she's probably always like that. I don't hold it against her or anything. In class, I was about to answer that that's a little personal but she immediately moved on to another question. I'm thankful for that; it would have been hard to handle if she pressed. I didn't participate in fighting Togata-senpai because I didn't deserve to after failing to receive my provisional license."
"A high sense of responsibility as always, Todoroki Shouto." She replies, mimicking how he sometimes says her full name. "We couldn't put up any fight against him, we needed all the help we could get… Not that numbers would have made any difference. He brutally pounded that fact into us." She covers her stomach. The pain from his punch still lingers there. 'He obviously went easy on us. If someone like that were an enemy…' She shudders at the thought.
"Are you alright?" He asks, raising his left arm to signal that he's ready to use his heat quirk in case she's cold.
"Uh, yes. I'm alright, Todoroki-san. Although I may need some ice for my stomach…" She says, wondering if he'll take the hint. She's been getting more aggressive lately trying to get him to take the initiative, but it seemingly has been having no effect.
"That sounds quite serious. Do you want me to take you to Recovery Girl?"
"...It's a joke, Todoroki-san." She shakes her head. "I'm just pointing out how Togata-senpai would be incredibly difficult to fight if he were a real enemy."
He nods. "You're right. I think it's obvious that I wouldn't have made any difference against him. I can't imagine touching him when he has such mastery over his quirk. To think he managed to make it such a formidable power in just two years… I need to reassess the way I train."
"As do I. All my strategies and tools prove to be useless when I literally cannot touch the enemy." Yaoyorozu sighs. "Would you like to practice some things with me?"
"Sure- actually, sorry. Not right now. I have some things to think about."
"Hm? Is something wrong, Todoroki-san?" He's never declined her invitation to train before so she wonders if it's something serious.
"Nothing is exactly wrong… but Hadou-senpai did ask me something else afterwards."
"Really? What was it?" She wonders if Hadou asked something just as, or even more insensitive than before.
"...It's nothing to worry about." He replies, though it has the opposite effect and she worries more.
"Do you want me to talk to her about you?" She asks, knowing that many people find it difficult to confront her about something. Including her, but she'll go through with it for Todoroki's sake.
"That won't be necessary." He quickly answers. He thinks back to the conversation with Hadou that he can't outright tell her because she was the topic.
After the beating that Todoroki just witnessed Togata deliver to his classmates sans Bakugou, Todoroki wonders if he got lucky that he managed to avoid it. If he were there, he'd be a part of the long-range attackers that ended up being destroyed first. The close-combat squad tried to impede him and the long-range attackers split up to get away from him, yet all of the long-range users in the class got taken down in under six minutes with the rest following shortly thereafter. And the long-range attackers also include Yaoyorozu. He wonders if she is alright after that; he finds it quite similar to Tokoyami eliminating her almost as soon as the match began at the U.A. Sports Festival. Perhaps the feeling is a little stronger than wonder as the rate of his heartbeat goes up when he locks eyes with her. She gives a small smile back before turning away.
"Hello~" He hears a female voice from a distance. It sounds like Hadou, so he ignores her. He reasons that it's probably not him she's calling for. Yaoyorozu is now farther away, so he looks to close the distance to ask her how she is.
"I was just calling you and you didn't even notice at all!" Hadou shouts as she energetically runs in front of Todoroki to block him.
He looks around and sees no one. The obvious conclusion is that she's only talking to him. He had hoped that that wouldn't be the case; he's not good with her type. "Ah- no, I just-"
"You were-" She then puts on a knowing and slightly mischievous smile. "Looking at Yaoyorozu-san just now, right? Why, why?"
He begins to try and form an explanation before his senpai's imagination runs wild. "Hadou-senpai-"
"Oh, I know." Her smile grows wider. "It's because of love, right?! Did you confess already? What did you say?"
His mind goes blank. He's not sure what to say since she actually got the first part exactly right. For a while now, he's been thinking of how best to confess to her. Her question from earlier about his scar might be easier to answer than this topic. "Um-"
"What exactly do you do when dating someone? Is it exciting? Fun? Do you guys have an internship together?"
"Well, no-" He starts, grateful for at least one question that he can honestly answer.
"Yaoyorozu-san is so pretty, right?!" He's not sure whether to agree with or ignore that statement, but she immediately moves on to her next sentence before he can decide. "She even has fans among the third years, do you know?"
A fire burns in his heart after hearing that, and it's not from his quirk. "Who are they?" It's the first time in this conversation that he managed to finish his sentence.
"Aha! Your face looks so scary right now!" She laughs and he tries to normalize his expression. "So it is love after all! I'm right!"
"I'm not sure if-"
"But that means that you probably didn't confess yet, right? What are you waiting for?! You should hurry before someone else takes your chance!"
"-it's actually love." He says, still finishing his previous sentence.
"As I said, what are you waiting for? Isn't the point of confessing and going out to find if that's the case? She looks at you the same way!"
"She does?"
He's not sure if she actually heard him or not as she talks many times faster than what he is used to. "She's probably getting tired of waiting! If it were me, I know I would be! I know! Do you want me to confess for you?"
She stops and waits for his answer, the first time that she's done anything of the sort. He finds it completely exhausting just talking to her. He wonders how she gets enough oxygen to fuel her brain when it seems to switch topics every second. "...That won't be necessary."
"Is that so? Good luck, then!" She says before running off to find her next victim to barrage with questions.
Todoroki breathes a sigh of relief. It's as though a hurricane just stopped by, coming and going as it pleases but not before leaving plenty of collateral damage in its wake. He thinks about her offering to confess for him and her wishing him good luck before she left. Though it's only his first day meeting her, he already knows he will likely never, even remotely, understand Hadou. Still, her asking to assist him at least lets him know that she doesn't have ill intentions. He thinks back to her mentioning that Yaoyorozu has many admirers even amongst the senpais. 'Perhaps it is time that I went through with it.'
"…Maybe I don't need to think about it after all."
"Does that mean you do want to practice?"
"Yeah. Let's go, Yaoyorozu. Or do you need to replenish your lipids?"
"I'm okay, I just ate something. I believe you if you say that Hadou-senpai didn't say anything wrong. Though, now I'm simply curious as to what you talked about with her."
"...I'll tell you if you win."
"It's a deal, then!" She smiles, not knowing what the sight does to his heart.
She's out of breath when she finally manages to take him down and sits on top of his stomach. "Hah-hah, see? Don't underestimate me!" She stands and extends an arm for him.
He grabs it and gets back on his feet. "I would never do such a disrespectful thing. I'd also have to be pretty stupid to do that, knowing how capable you are."
"I won, so could you please tell me what you talked to Hadou-senpai about, now?"
"...A promise is a promise. We talked about someone that I may have feelings for."
She rolls her eyes. "This isn't a romantic-comedy drama, Todoroki-san. Stop being vague for no reason and tell me who it is. And I can't believe you told someone that you've only known for a day." Though she put up her best Jirou impression, it is merely a facade of strength as she is going through quite the turmoil internally. 'He has feelings for someone? It can't be me… who could it be?'' She harbors some hopes that it could be her, but if it were her, she reasons that he would at least reciprocate some of her latest attempts at flirting that she researched online. As of now, she gives herself a eight percent chance based on what she's seen.
"There's not much I can do when she figured it out herself. But that's not the important thing. I'll be straightforward since you asked." He stares straight into her eyes. "It's you, Yaoyorozu."
She sighs. "As I thought, I hope it works out well for you, Todor- wait, what?" She is still in denial over what he said even though her own ears are only second to Jirou in processing auditory information.
"I said," His ears turn slightly pink. "I want you, Yaoyorozu. Can I hear what you have to say in response?"
"I say…" She wonders how best to respond. She decides that imitating Jirou for a little longer isn't the worst idea. "It's about time. Do you know how long I've been waiting to hear that?"
"Hadou-senpai was right after all… I'll have to thank her later." He says as he wipes the dust off of his clothes.
"I'll go with you, I have to do the same."
"You really want to go right now? Yao-"
"Call me Momo from now on, please."
"Momo," He starts. This also rolls off the tongue nicely. "You want to go see her now? Ah, please call me Shouto from now on."
"Of course. And the earlier the better when it comes to gratitude." She looks at the clock in the training room. "Well, I suppose it could wait until tomorrow. Do you want to grab dinner now, S-shouto?"
He raises an eyebrow. "All that bravado just to stutter at my name on the last step." He smirks. "And yes, I'd love to."
"Oh, be quiet." She puffs and delivers a quick peck on the cheek that makes him flustered enough to chill the floor with his feet. "Now, we're even."
Fastest fic I've ever written- Wrote 1 hour when I first saw the art and translation earlier today, then another four hours to finish it off. Hadou is pretty fun to write :D (but also exhausting)
