Hey, everyone. Spring is finally here and I've decided to welcome it in with a new My Hero Academia story. After "A Big Pink Ball of Sunshine", I've decided to do some more writing for the U.A. students, especially my favorite couples. Amongst them are Shouto and Momo, I'm a sucker for them as a pairing so I came up with this little story here. For some background, yes, this story somewhat connects to APBoS. Izuku and Mina are a couple so our star couple will have a pair to look to for advice…sorta. Now that we've settled that, I hope you enjoy the story!
I do not own anything.
A Figure of Beauty
Shouto Todoroki had absolutely no idea what to do. None. Zero. Zip. Absolutely nothing. At least not immediately.
Sitting in his dorm room staring at the poster in front of him, he felt…something rumbling in his stomach. His immediately thought was that it was some sort of stomach ache, but the realization it wasn't that dawned on him. As the minutes of the afternoon ticked by, he realized what this feeling was-nervousness. He was nervous. He, Shouto Todoroki, one of the strongest students in Class 1-A, son of the number one hero Endeavor, was nervous.
It wasn't the first time that he'd felt this way, yet it was hitting him so strongly than it ever had before. He was a human being prone to doubts and fears; at one point Shouto knew he'd practically been ruled by them, even if he didn't exactly show it. That had been a dark and crippling time in his life when he looked back on it. Even now, as he was living what he believed to be a healthier life, he was still prone to his moments. Though striving to be a hero, he was still only human.
Humans could be horrible people, but they could also be kind and amazing people. Some people looked too far in one way or the other, but he thought the best thing to do was to find a middle ground with perhaps some leanings toward the latter. He'd considered himself blessed to have met some of those sorts of people: his classmates…his…his friends.
Certain names came to mind, though two in particular were always at the forefront. Those two were Izuku Midoriya, who encouraged him to accept the side of him that came from his father, the side that he'd spurned with all his might until Midoriya literally beat the restraints off of him. He'd never forget the lengths Izuku was willing to go to for him, for a number of reasons. Shout would always be grateful to the green-haired boy for that. Now then, the other person…the other person caused something within him to stir.
That person was Momo Yaoyorozu, Class 1-A's vice president. Much like Midoriya, she too was an enthusiastic student with a heroic drive that Shouto couldn't help but respect.
Except he wasn't just sure "respect" was the right word to use in describing her. At least…something inside of him kept nagging at him, telling him it wasn't just that. Not anymore.
Shouto had pushed those thoughts down over the past weeks, borderline two months and kept on with his daily routine. What else was there to do? Surely these thoughts and feelings would go away in time.
Sighing, he rubbed his temples, feeling that rumbling feeling in his stomach grew more severe. It was a strange sensation; he didn't feel like he was going to vomit it or risk further sickness, he just felt…something else. Picking up the poster, he did another reread of it, the sixth one by his count. Anymore and this was going to get repetitive.
Ironically, being repetitive was what he was trying to avoid with this latest competition. He'd created sculptures before; sculpting had become a hobby of his and he didn't mind even putting his school work on hold for it from time to time. First, he'd told himself it was more practice for his powers, and it had been. After the second competition, he realized he did it because he liked doing it on top of having a talent for it. His Half-Cold Quirk was perfectly suited for sculpting; he'd read that for some "molders", that's how they'd found acceptance and even fame with their Quirks. In Shoto's case, he liked to think he was making a name for himself as Shoto Todoroki, his own person and not simply the son of Endeavor.
Using his Half-Cold Quirk for ice sculpting had probably helped that image. Some progress had undoubtedly been made in following that path. That had been when he was committed to using only the left side of himself, the side of him that he'd inherited from his mother. Oh, and when he was much more closed off to people.
Now? He was using his Half-Hot Quirk and he knew a lot of people, people that he could use as…inspiration. People he could use as his muse.
"Yaoyorozu." Shouto whispered in the blissful silence of his room. Speaking her name made the unease feeling in his stomach intensify. "Urgh, I should just ask her. If she says no then…she has every right to and I'll just ask someone else." The moment he said those words, he tried to picture asking another lady to model for him. His sister immediately came to mind as he had a feeling she'd immediately accept, especially once he explained it was for another sculpting competition. Natsumi always encouraged him, and he was always quietly thankful for that encouragement.
In the midst of that thoughtful scenario, Shouto felt a ping of pain at the thought of Yaoyorozu rejecting him.
"It's not like I'm asking her to do anything…explicit. All she has to do is just sit on a stool and let me sculpt her." It was ridiculous how he was having to put so much effort into a simple request. Said request was one that was leaving him with deeply mixed feelings-nervousness…and excitement.
A face popped into his mind and he felt his heart correspondingly beat a tick faster. Shoto bowed his head in a quiet attempt to cease it; so long as the face remained in his mind his heart refused to calm itself. Trying to push the face away made the task impossible. He quietly wondered how he'd react to seeing that face in person.
"Ridiculous." He said to himself with a shake of the head. It was unbelievable to think he'd even be in a situation like this, but looking around his room, then back at the poster, he was reminded of the fact he indeed was. This situation wasn't going to get resolved by him sitting around and bemoaning how he ended up here. He had to act, and the path of action was clear as day. It was just a question of if he had the courage to take the steps down it.
Rising to his feet, he inhaled through his nose and exhaled through his mouth. It was like he was about to attempt a foolhardy charge against some towering villain who far outmatched him in ability. In his mind, what he was about to charge toward was far greater than any villain out there. He heard that what he was feeling was actually normal though, that sheer magnitude of the task ahead of him was right to surpass that of any villain he'd ever face.
About a year ago, Shoto would have questioned how talking to a girl could ever be such a thing, but a lot had changed in his freshmen year at U.A.
"Oooooh? You're looking for Yaoyorozu might be at the library. That's usually a place you can go to find her. Oh, and don't worry, she won't mid you disturbing her. In fact, if it's you, Todoroki, she definitely won't mind!"
Socially inadept as he was, Shoto knew there was absolutely nothing good in the way Ashido smiled at him. Even if she had pointed him in the right direction, he still felt like she'd just sent him into some supervillain den. The thing was, it was actually something that he'd do; he'd likely even do it for real one day when he was a pro hero. The still logical side of him tried to think of this as practice for that day.
The school library was normally a quiet place, as libraries were supposed to be. Shoto always liked that as he liked his peace and quiet. Sometimes though, he didn't always have that since some people preferred to bring a little noise to the place. As he pushed through the doors, Shoto silently sighed in relief finding that this evening, he'd have exactly that. At least for the moment. If some of the louder students came through, all that was going to be shot. Not that it was going to stop him. With every step he took in search of his black-haired classmate, he felt the resolve within him, like a harden block of ice that wouldn't be shattered by anything or anyone.
Then a crack formed in it when he finally spotted Yaoyorozu sitting at a table…with Iida. Smiling and laughing.
…Why is that some…troubling to me? Me? He thought with increasing frustration, though he wasn't quite sure who it was directed at. Surely not his classmates. They hadn't done anything to him, they would never do anything to hurt him. Watching the two dark-haired individuals continue to talk and smile at each other, Shoto wondered if it was just him. Was he angry at himself for being too slow? Slow for what? If I'd found her earlier, would this be happening? Gah! Stop it! This isn't like you!
"Hmm? Todoroki? What is it? Is there something we can help you with?" Called out the future heroine. Shoto's focus immediately went to her and stayed on her. Just looking at her made his mind go dangerously blank, all the turmoil within him suddenly vanishing like dust in the wind. "Todoroki?" She called again.
He was quietly embarrassed that he needed her to call out to him. "R-R-Right. I-I'm sorry to interrupt you two, it's just…I…" Not even the usage of his left side Quirk had ever left his mouth feeling this dry. Shoto tried to force the words out, even while keeping his eyes on his female classmate. That quiet stirring in his heart was there, and it was now proving a bigger obstacle than he could have ever imagined. Temporarily tightening his hands, he finally managed to force the words out. "There's something that I need to talk to Yaoroyozu for a minute. I-I promise that's all it'll take. I didn't mean to interrupt either of you." He quietly hoped that his words didn't sound too rushed.
"Oh, no, it's fine. Actually, we were just finishing up." Yaoroyozu said with a kind smile.
"Yes, I merely came to her with some help for some schematics." Iida affirmed. "The truth is I'm running a bit of an errand for the Support Club and needed her help, and she's been wonderful in giving it. Thank you, Yaoroyozu."
As he left, Shoto felt a sudden surge of relief, though he had absolutely no idea why, and frankly it troubled him. He pushed that feeling down as he took a seat at the table beside her. Shoto took a deep breath, remembering the anxiety that had wrecked him before coming here. It was threatening to come back to him now that he was so close to the source of it. He refused to allow himself to be frightened into doing nothing. "Yaoroyozu," he began.
"Yes? What is it?"
"What I'm about to ask you is…I…could you…I…have a request for you. A favor if you'd be so kind. You don't have to do it."
"Todoroki, whatever it is, I'll do it. You're classmate, a friend, one of my most treasured friends. Anything I can do to help you that is within my power, I'll do." She said with smile.
Something in that smile made his heart beat faster. Sudden warmth manifested in his cheeks; he realized that if his cheeks got any warmer than he'd start blushing. That was the last thing he wanted. "The favor is…I…need-could you…model for me?"
The minute that passed turned into two, during which Yaoroyozu stared at him in wide-eyed yet closed mouth shock. He knew that this was going to be her reaction. If he had asked any of his more excitable female classmates like Ashido or Hagakure, he'd have his ears ringing with excited screaming that amounted to a big yes. Now, with Yaoroyozu? Stunned silence was exactly what he was expecting, but he hadn't expected her cheeks to turn a light shade of pink. Shoto focused in on that and felt it his heart again race.
Fighting that racing heartbeat, he stood up and looked away. "I'm sorry."
His voice seemingly snapped her out of whatever shocked stupor his words had knocked her into. "N-N-No, wait!" The next thing he knew, he felt her arm on his wrist. Wide-eyed, he turned to look at her; the light blush was still on her cheeks. "I-I'm assuming that this is for your sculpting?"
"Yes." It was utterly amazing how easily it was to speak now. Then again, he'd only said one word.
"And you're…coming to me? Y-You want me to model for you?" She asked. Slowly, he nodded his head, almost as if he didn't trust his own voice anymore. It was either that or he was quietly drinking in the sight of her blushing cheeks. Shoto wondered if he'd ever seen Yaoroyozu blush. In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but note how…cute she looked. Cuter really. "I-I see. In that case, when and where?"
"You'll do it?" He suddenly asked with wide eyes.
"Sure, I mean, it's just modeling, not to mention I…" He patiently waited for her to finish, but it seemed something was weighing on her mind. Shoto quietly wondered what that something was, but politely stayed silent. "It wasn't exactly by choice, but I am becoming a bit more of a…public hero than I would have liked. I understand that public personas can aid in hero work, and to do so that can at times mean letting the public see you and-"
"Are you interested in people seeing you?" Shoto immediately asked.
"In a sense, yes. I want people to see me, I want people to see that I can protect them as a hero should. Midnight though, told me that I should also be a hero who inspires, and that sometimes means…showing myself in different lights. She specifically said I could show that heroes can be both strong…and…beautiful." Light pink turned bright red, and Shoto couldn't blame her. "At some point, she told me I might end up being asked to model and give interviews and…and…there's more to being a hero than just saving people in this day and age. I'm going to be a hero of the modern age, and that means I'm going to excel at those others things."
Shoto took in her explanation, finding himself fighting back a smile for whatever reason. "You can do it."
Her smile was like a shot of pure adrenaline to his heart, sending it into overtime. "Thank you for the encouragement, Todoroki."
"I'm…your…classmate, and a future fellow hero. It's…" His attempted reasoning sudden fell off as he realized if he kept talking, he was going to say something else. Something that wasn't quite so professional. His words of encouragement weren't coming as a future fellow pro hero; Shoto had a sinking feeling that he was saying this as something more.
"Todoroki?"
"Hmm?"
"You…consider me a friend, right?" There was a hint of longing in her voice that took him completely by surprise.
"Of course, I do." Shoto said without a hint of hesitation. Watching her smile, he found himself smiling as well. The fast-paced beating of his heart returned, except this time he didn't try to fight it off, not immediately. "I-I mean, when that time comes, I'll be there for you as your friend. That is if you'll still want me."
There was a short pause from her as she absorbed his words. "Todoroki, I'd…I'd like that very much. I'd also like it if you…still thought of me in the same way."
Even now, when Shoto pictured the future, he was still picturing a great unknow. What had changed was it was no longer picture black, Shoto liked to think that it was myriad of colors, namely shades of blue…and maybe a couple shades of red. It was an artistic and even romantic way to look at the future, but he couldn't help himself. "Yaoroyozu, I'd…appreciate that. I'd like for something like that to be a reality." That tiny voice in the back of his head reminded him of something-to make that wish a reality meant staying in contact with her after U.A. It wasn't abnormal as people kept in contact with their classmates after they went their separate ways, especially when they were students of U.A.
It was just a guess, but by the look on her face, he theorized that Yaoroyozu was thinking the same thing.
"Um, Todoroki, exactly where we will be doing this?" She quietly asked him again. They'd gotten so caught up in their conversation that Shoto let the location slip past him.
"Art Studio-C, it's one of my…it's one that I use a lot and is almost always open to me. Could you meet me there tomorrow at three-thirty if you're not busy?"
"Of course! I'll definitely be there!"
The smile that grew along his face was uncontrollable. Shoto could actually feel the warmth emitting from it, like a bonfire burning just for him. He hadn't been the one to create it though, Yaoroyozu had and her continued beaming at him kept it burning. "T-T-Thank you. I promise, I'll try to make it as quick and as comfortable as possible." Internally relieved, he turned to leave his classmate to her continued studies. He'd done what he came here to do.
Yaoroyozu, on the other hand seemed to have other ideas. "Todoroki?" He immediately turned around to face her. "Um, since you're here…would you be…willing to take the time to study for me? You know, just to help us both?"
"I can do that." Came his immediate response. Shoto could practically feel his heart slamming against his chest. It was momentary, which he was thankful for, but the beats afterward continued on with a certain…something to them. A peculiar warmth was spreading through his body.
He believed that feeling was called joy.
Afternoon of the Next Day…
While U.A. may have been built primarily for the education of future heroes, it was still a school, a school for growing kids who could develop hobbies and interests. Said hobbies and interests could be used to help one further their skills and abilities so there undoubtedly was a practical argument to be made in including such things. Even a handful of famous artists had came out of U.A.'s art studios, another point of pride for the school.
Momo believed if Todoroki wanted to, he could become one of those artists. She'd seen his work and knew he had talent, great talent. It wasn't a secret around the school either, those who kept up with such things knew he was an artistic person when he put his mind to it; his sculptures had some school-wide recognition that had drawn even more attention to him. She remembered once passing by the art studios and seeing a small line of people, mostly women.
Though a practical woman, Momo was no fool when it came to pride, especially pride in one's appearance. Looks didn't last forever, unless a person possessed some unique Quirk, but they could be immortalized for eternity. That was perhaps one of the positive aspects of sculpting. It was also one hell of a boost to one's ego. She didn't believe she needed such a thing, not like those ladies that giggled ad whispered to each other as they waited in line to have themselves memorialized in ice, or stone, or whatever else sculptors were using as material. She knew the material that her classmate would be using-ice, his specialty.
As she stood before the door to the designated art studio, Momo felt her heart continuously pounding in her chest. She'd woken up to it and felt it periodically throughout the day; it certainly flared up when she caught sight of Todoroki. Even more shocking was that this wasn't even the first time she'd felt this sensation, but this day it'd grown more intense.
It's just going to be the two of us alone in there. I mean, we've studied together before and had lunch together. We've done all that, but…what makes this time different? It's not like Todoroki's going to do anything explicit, he's not that kind of person. The fact that Todoroki…wasn't perverse in any way was one of the reasons she'd said readily said yes to his request. There were probably a couple of other reasons, but Momo preferred not to think about.
"Hello? Todoroki? Are you there?" She called as she popped her head through the door.
His trademark dual-sided hair immediately popped out at her. "Here. Thank you for coming." She wondered if he knew how good he looked when he smiled. Momo was glad that ever since the Sports Festival, he was able to smile a lot more often, even if he did so sparingly.
Indeed, it was just the two of them in this spacious art studio. For whatever reason, Momo felt happy that they were alone; the logical side of her questioned why she was feeling this way. It wasn't in Todoroki's nature to lie, especially to her-a person he considered a friend. He'd have told her if there was going to be someone else. Looking around the studio, she noted how comfy it felt, especially with the blinds open letting the spring sunlight in. A whimsical part of her thought about asking him if she could open them up and let the warm spring air in.
In looking around, she noticed something that was out of place, or at least as far as she was concerned.
"Todoroki, what is that?" Momo questioned pointing to the four-foot slap of polished metal that sat on the table in front of him.
He nervously shuffled his feet as prepared to answer her.
Momo's eyes widened in seconds and her voice overtook his. "Is that what you're…going to use as sculpting material? But to do that means that you'll have to use your…" Concern overtook her as she stepped forward, cutting down a great deal of the distance between them. "Are you okay with this?"
He held up his left hand, the hand that contained the power of fire. "This'll be my first time using Half-Hot to sculpt. Not for battle or rescue work, but just…for me." Something occurred to him causing him to look up right at her. "S-S-Sorry that I'm basically asking you to be my trial case. Since this is my first time I can't guarantee the results will be absolutely amazing."
"With all due respect, Todoroki, I disagree. I've seen your work, and it's always first rate. I'm confident that goes for ice sculpting and metal sculpting." She spontaneously confessed. Her cheeks turned pink while his eyes briefly widened in surprise at her encouragement. Momo impulsively looked away, suddenly unable to look him directly in the eye. "Y-You've been practicing for months with your Half-Hot Quirk so I'm certain using it, you can match the work you do with your ice sculptures."
"T-Thanks for the vote of confidence, it…means a lot." He somewhat sheepishly admitted. It could have been her imagination, but she could have sworn that he was blushing just like her. "O-Over here. Just sit down and try to stand still. If you feel like you want to take a break though, let me know. I brought some food just in case you get hungry."
"Thank you, Todoroki." Momo said as she walked toward the stull that she'd be sitting on for what she was guess might be close to half an hour, maybe longer depending o how well her classmate's control over fire extended. Truth be told, she was extremely curious to find out. "Um, do I…look directly at you are…anywhere?" Already, she could feel herself getting nervous. Momo took several deep breaths in an attempt t ease the blood pumping through her. She didn't want Todoroki sculpting a tensed-up future heroine.
"Yes, just…sit there and try not to move too much. If you feel the urge to move then let me know, let me know when you want to take a break."
"Alright." She sucked in a deep breath, literally and metaphorically steeling herself. "I'm ready."
Modeling was…a mixed endeavor for Momo. A common point of her childhood and current life was being told that she was a cute and beautiful woman. Her parents were certainly proud of that constant praise, and on some level, she was too. It's just Momo rarely if ever let her looks become something of immense importance to her. Now, she was thinking a lot more about it than she ever had before. She was also thinking a lot more about Todoroki's appearance as well.
His appearance was in may ways a living embodiment of his Quirk, half icy-white on one side and half fiery-red on the other. Momo had heard the story of how the scar on the left side of his face came to be, a violent rejection of his father that had shattered his family. She never dug too deeply into the affairs of the Todoroki Family, the very idea always felt wrong to her. Momo didn't like prying into the personal lives of others, especially her classmates. That didn't mean she wasn't curious…or that she couldn't be concerned for them. It'd always been the latter for Todoroki. She'd always felt like there was an invisible wall between her that she could only look through, but never break.
As she watched him begin to shape the metal into her visage, a question found its way to her mind. Was it that she could never break down the wall, or that she wasn't willing to try?
Her hands suddenly tightened in her lap. "Todoroki?"
He didn't look up from his sculpting, but his voice made it clear he was listening to her. "What is it? Do you want-"
"I don't want to stop. Keep going." She said putting any building worries he had to doubt. "You've always used ice for your sculptures, but…this is the first time you're using your Half-Hot Quirk, right?"
"Yes. This is the first time, the first competition that I'm entering using it." There was a short pause during which his makeshift sculpting flame was the only sound in the studio. "I'm nervous about…a lot of things."
Momo quietly debated rather or not she should have kept silent. The invisible wall between them seemingly grew bigger than ever before. Oddly enough, that was the incentive for her to throw the first punch at it to break it down. "Not just about the sculpting contest, are you?"
"…Yes."
His voice wasn't completely blank, there was a small fraction of emotion there. He was letting his feelings show and that made Momo feel something deep within her. "For what it's worth, I…think that's okay. You've spent a long time denying that part of you, right?"
"It's been a while since Midoriya forced my eyes open at the Sports Festival. I think about it when I wonder if I've…changed. If I'm charting out my own path like I always wanted to."
"I think you are, and so far, you're on the path to becoming a hero, not like Endeavor or anyone else, but the sort that you want to be."
For the first time, he looked up from his sculpting to stare at her. Momo's cheeks suddenly burst into red as their eyes locked. Her silent examination of his features came to a halt as he looked straight at her. While she felt her cheeks heating up for some reason, Momo couldn't bring herself to look away. The moment that she met him, she thought he was one of the most…striking people she'd ever met. That was quite something considering that there were mutation students like Ashido in their class, and she'd met others before him. When it came to Todoroki though, there was just something…different about him. Something that drew her to him. Seeing his full face, the slight opening of his mouth and even twinkling of his eyes as he stared at her.
He was the first to look away, his cheeks undoubtedly sporting a pink tint, even on his scarred left side.
"I-I-I'm sorry." She suddenly said.
"For what?" He questioned in blinking confusion.
"F-F-For…for…I…" At a complete loss for words, she hung her head I seeming defeat. This was not going how she expected. She could either start over or just back out entirely; the latter wasn't an option and she wasn't even sure how to approach the former option. Momo felt her heart beat quietly accelerating in her chest. Taking another deep breath she looked back at Todoroki's scarred face. "What I'm trying to say is…embracing both sides of yourself, I…think it's for the best. I think that's the best path for you to become a great hero."
His eyes again widened. It could have been her imagination, but she could have sworn his cheeks grew pinker, or redder.
"Yaoroyozu," he spoke in a whisper-like voice. "Thank you. That…that means a lot to me."
Her heart fluttered in her chest again. It sharply contrasted to the rest of her body, which tried to remain still. Momo realized that little of this was normal. What was happening between them wasn't the typical sort of interaction that they had. That was furthered when she felt her heart damn near implode within seeing Todoroki smile at her. Momo could have sworn he'd lit a flame in her cheeks.
"I-I, um…we should get back to sculpting. I mean, if you don't mind." He said, his voice having a slightly nervous tone to it.
Momo simply nodded and got back into position. In doing so, she went back to quietly observing him. The small flame that he was using as his "sculpting knife" was compacted and well-controlled, which was what she expected from Todoroki. Slaps of metal dropped as he used the flame knife to both melt and even cut out her basic shape. Behind her seemingly stoic façade, Momo felt amazement growing within her.
His eyes occasionally moved from the in-progress sculpture to her, Todoroki's eyes swiftly examining every inch of her in seconds. Not once did Momo feel uncomfortable, she in fact felt the opposite.
She wanted him to keep looking back at her. Was this some latent vanity within her that this modelling gig had awakened? Or was it something else?
Minutes quickly yet quietly ticked by, potentially turning into an hour before long. Momo was prepared for that as she knew that modelling could go on for hours. She didn't mind spending the rest of the afternoon, and potentially even the night, sitting on a stool and being Todoroki's muse.
Muse. She mentally repeated in her head as he continued to work. I suppose that's what I am. It's…not that bad of a feeling.
"Momo, darling, you inherited all of my body, but you have a mind that will undoubtedly have men kicking and clawing to get to you. Hehehe, don't make it too easy for them. The easiest ones certainly aren't worth it."
It was a strange piece of advice from her mother, but over time she'd begun to see the wisdom of it. Momo genuinely wondered though what her other would think of her. Instead of men tripping over themselves for her…she realized maybe she was tripping over herself for a boy. She remained perfectly still as she accepted the realization…and quietly wondered where it would go.
Five Days later…
Presentations could be fun, but they could also be immensely nerve-wrecking. As he stood backstage, waiting for his turn to come, Shoto had seen some artists work themselves into a nervous fit. He never blamed them as presenting your art to the world could be like being asked to scale a mountain. It was doubting and if you made a mistake, it was all over. Looking back, he could recall the first time he entered one of his ice sculptures into a contest, he'd been quite nervous himself behind his blank expression.
He'd stepped forward with his avian-based sculpture and presented it to the small audience. Shoto remembered the way the crowd's eye slit up with awe at the ice-sculpted bird spreading its wings to take flight. In many ways, presenting yourself and your work was like taking flight. You'd either soar high or fall hard to the ground.
Shoto had bee luckily enough to know what the former felt like more so than the latter. Others would just say he was talented enough that whenever he presented, he soared high. He didn't always take first place, but his sculptures were usually enough to rank within the top three or four of any contest. While he felt a great deal of pride in that record, he always remembered that he shouldn't take it for granted; sometimes ranking third and fourth helped keep a massive ego from developing.
Now, he felt the familiar rush of nervousness, perhaps a tad stronger than ever before. Shoto knew exactly why he was feeling this way. It wasn't the judges that he was nervous about, not the official ones. The person who's opinion mattered most was in the stands, and the one who'd served as his muse.
"Todoroki, this is…it's…it's absolutely incredible!"
Thinking about her reaction made his lips briefly curve upward and sent a warm feeling fluttering through his chest. The infectious nervousness that had once plagued him completely vanished. Alongside it came a sudden rush of confidence. Putting a hand to his chest, he felt his fast-moving heart and remembered how Yaoroyozu's words had inspired a similar reaction within him.
He wondered if he'd be able to spot her in the crowd. Searching for her in a crowd of hundreds and having no idea where to look would be tedious, but he couldn't help but entertain the idea. She was the true reason why he was here, and why he was now feeling a sudden and very much appreciated surge of confidence in himself. He'd never felt anything like this before in any of his previous presentations.
"And our next presenter is a longtime favorite, as well as rising star in the hero community! He's dazzled audiences with his ice sculptures, and he will undoubtedly do so again! That's right, give a big, warm round of applause for Shoto Todoroki!"
It was hard to count how many times he'd heard grandiose introductions. They used to make him feel nervous, scared even. Time and experience had taught him how to simply take them in and move on. That's exactly what he did as he grabbed his cart and moved beyond the curtain to the stage. Blinding lights shined over his white-red hair. Shoulders rolled as he stood before an audience of hundreds, all eagerly awaiting to see his latest sculpture. Shoto could practically feel the anticipation from the audience, like a silent sea waiting to be stirred up by mother nature.
Everyone was expecting ice, but he had a surprise for them. Only one in the audience knew what that surprise would be.
"Hello," he began as he normally did with a raised hand. "Thank you all for coming. I know many of you have probably seen me before, thus you probably have an idea of what's lying beneath this hood. Well…this may come as a surprise to you." His hold on the white-colored blanket tightened. The speech had been practiced dozens of times, yet giving it now…he was nervous.
"Yaoroyozu,"
"Do you remember what I told you before at the library? When you first asked me to be your muse? I…consider this part of my hero training, but the truth is I'm doing this because I trust you. I trust a lot of my classmates, but with you, I…trust you a lot. I trust you to present my likeness to the world."
"The inspiration for this piece, the person that this sculpture is based on is one of my closest friends, and one of the greatest people that I know." He began. "She was kind enough to serve as my muse…and for the last year, she's been kind enough to let me call her a friend, and be someone that I can rely on. Going forward…I want to be someone she can rely on." A tense silence had fell over the audience as they waited for the hood to come off; everyone wanted to see who the person was. "That person…is future hero, Creati!"
With both hands, he swiftly pulled the red hood off, revealing the metallic sculpture to the audience. Shoto still couldn't see Yaoroyozu in the crowd, but he hoped that she happy with the short introduction he'd given her.
For the general audience, their breath was taken away by the reveal, just as he'd hoped. Numerous flashes went off from cameras and phones. He knew that in addition to Yaoroyozu, there were dozens of other students in the stands; this was going to be in the school's gossip mill before midnight. Both he and Yaoroyozu had made peace with that before setting doing this. There was also a possibility this would land in some local papers. For Yaoroyozu's sake, he hoped it did; she deserved the public exposure more so than him.
Standing off to the side, Shoto quietly let himself be shook by the roar of applause and shouts from the audience. There weren't a lot of things that made Shoto happy, but that quiet rumbling always did. It was something that he always felt belonged solely to him, a part of this little crafting shows. This time, Shoto felt something a little more to the applause. He was still searching, but amongst the crowd he had a feeling that there was one person in particular clapping for him. Or at least he dearly hoped she was clapping and that she was happy with the small tribute he did in her honor.
Even as the applause died down and the presenter came forward, Shoto felt his eyes still scanning the crowd for her. It was like an urge that he couldn't deny, even a she tried to focus his mind on answering the questions that came his way. Definitely not the best thing to do, but Shoto just couldn't help himself.
It took her name being dropped for him to get his focus on where it needed to be. "Momo Yaoroyozu, correct?"
"Y-Y-Y-Yes, t-t-that's her." He said absent-mindedly.
The presenter cracked a grin that made him feel like he'd just ate wet seaweed. "Ahh, and you're looking for her in the audience, huh? Two U.A. students right here in the audience, one having served as the inspiration for this lovely piece of artwork here!"
Laugher rolled across the room like a wave. Shoto made a mental note to apologize to his classmate as soon as this was over with. This was the kind of embarrassing scenario that he wanted to avoid. Well, that hope was just burnt to cinders.
"Todoroki-san, many here have seen your sculptures before, many of them quite beautiful. They're beautiful works, but they've always been ice. Here though, you've crafted a sculpture out of metal, no doubt using your fire-based Quirk" he said pointing to the metallic sculpture made in the likeness of Creati. She wasn't striking any bombastic pose, merely sitting down with her hand held up as if she were about to use her Quirk to spontaneously create something. "If you'd be so kind, what inspired you to make such a change?"
Shoto had been prepared for the question from the moment he set out to do this. Once he showed his latest sculpture to the world, the question was going to be amongst the first ones asked.
"For a long time, I've…denied one half of myself for personal reasons. No doubt those of you who watched the U.A. Sports Festival saw me finally break that self-imposed restriction. It was thanks to my classmate, Izuku Midoriya. He is both a classmate…and friend of mine. Thanks to him, I was able to open myself up a little more to the people around me, and that included one classmate who's just as driven as he is. She's someone that I greatly admire, someone that I fully believe will become a great hero one day. When I think about her, I feel a certain spark within me, a spark that helps move me forward. She makes me think of Midoriya moved me forward, coming at me with a powerful, raging spirit. Just like fire, I'd say."
"Aaahh, so it was the passion of your classmates that moved you." He deduced, still sounding respectful. "That passion moved you to finally use your flames for the purpose of art, correct?"
"Yes, exactly." Shoto said.
"Does that passion continue to drive you? Will it drive you going forward?"
"It most certainly will." Came his immediate and passionate answer. "Pushing you to be your very best, I believe that's what classmates, rivals, and…friends are for. This sculpture…I chose Yaoroyozu because she's someone whose very presence does that for me. I'm grateful for it, and I'm proud that she's willing to allow me to call her a friend."
"And would you say that she considers you a friend?" He asked.
Shoto felt his chest tighten at the question. Usually, he gave immediate, well-thought-out answers. Not this time though. His answers weren't coming from the brain, not as much as he would have liked to admit, they were coming from his answer.
That made every word he spoke feel like a cinderblock coming out of his mouth.
"I…would like to think she does." Shoto said, more than a little unsure of myself.
"And does she perhaps think of you as more than a friend? Or do you think of yourself as more than a friend to her?"
The grin that split his face was familiar to Shoto. In the past, he never let them get to him; this wasn't the past though, it was the present. He'd just been handed a question that would also weigh on his future.
"Well? Todoroki-san?"
"I-I-I-I…I-I…" Now he knew how Midoriya felt. In that moment, Shoto would have given anything to be able to mentally communicate with his friend. Unfortunately, none of that was on the table. "I…I…"
"You said she lights a fire in you. I'm willing to guess that fire's a little hotter than you're letting on." He pressed, clearly seeing the rising nervousness in the young hero. "Well, I suppose that's between you two, at least as far as the world knows now! For now, we have a shot of encouragement from one future hero to another! The art world has been graced with yet another masterpiece, this time at the fiery hands of Shoto Todoroki! Let's give him a big round of applause!"
That applause came, seemingly more ground-shaking then before. Shoto knew that his words had probably played a part in that. A part of him hoped it hadn't because he didn't want accolades based on some heartfelt speech. That said, he felt comfortable in letting people know what had driven him to make his decisions.
The most miraculous thing happened as he basked in the second round of applauses. Shoto wasn't trying to look anywhere, but he ended up finding Yaoroyozu by complete accident.
Toward the middle of the audience, about four or five seats from the right, clapping like so many others. The moment his eyes fell on her, everything else just fell away. He didn't have superhuman sight, just particularly well-honed eyesight, and that was enough for him to see her. Her face, her eyes, her smile…Shoto felt those things were all that he needed. They could announce him as having taken either dead last or first place and it wouldn't have mattered.
Momo…thank you.
He was jittery at the prospect of seeing her again. Over the past week, he'd had a whirlpool of emotions swirling inside of him whenever he thought of Yaoroyozu. The reasons were numerous, but Shoto had a feeling that there was one reason, one that stood out amongst all the others. Shoto was terrified of it, yet he felt a strong desire to walk toward it, to say it.
It was especially strong when he saw her waving at him, smiling at him.
"Todoroki," she called as he came up to her. "You were amazing up there, congratulations!"
He held up the chrome silver trophy that marked him as the second-place winner. "It was thanks to you. I…I believe part of this is because I had such a great muse." He'd noticed from time to time when he used the word muse, her cheeks turned rosy pink. The word could carry some…romantic undercurrents; he was aware of that yet he said it anyway. Even more startling, Shoto didn't feel like trying to take it back.
"You had the…right muse, and the talent for it." She responded, still blushing. "So, um, did they talk to you about putting the sculpture into a local exhibit? I heard that's what happens to some of these contest entrees."
"They did, and I'd like to do that. It's just I…wanted to get your permission first."
"Todoroki, that's something you don't need to ask. Of course, you can donate it for more public showings. I'm actually happy that it's good enough to be shown."
The two quietly stared at each other while the rest of the contestants and spectators mulled about. They felt like two rocks in the middle of a stream, feeling the currents of the present rush past them. If they wanted to though, they could move, but neither of them knew how to move or where to. Shoto's eyes and Yaoroyozu's continuously locked and broke contact. For the latter, her cheeks never lost that pink hue, something that Shoto couldn't help but feel happy about.
At the same time, he remembered the speech that he'd give earlier. Remembering the promise he made, he opened his mouth to speak, but his black-haired classmate beat him to the punch.
"I consider you one of my closest friends, and you're an inspiration to me too! You always have been!" Yaoroyozu confessed.
"Y-Y-You have? I-I am?" Shoto blinked.
She took a minute to seemingly calm her own emotions. "I've never been entirely direct in telling you this, probably because…we've never spent time together like this. You're always been one of the people I admired most in class, and one of the people that I liked spending time with the most. When you came to me to be the inspiration for your latest sculpture, I felt pretty…I was pretty excited."
"Y-Y-You were?" He again blinked. "Y-Y-Yaoroyozu,"
"Momo,"
If he didn't know any better, he'd have sworn his Half-Hot Quirk was acting up. Warmth was fast spreading through his body, even on his right side which was normally a few degrees cooler than average. "M-M-Momo?"
She nodded, her cheeks having perhaps turned a couple shades darker. It took her a long, drawn-out breath for her to look straight at him. "I consider you a close friend, close enough that I'd…like it if you could use my first name. In turn, could I…use your first name?"
"My…first name?" It dawned on him that there was no one in class who addressed him by his first name. Even after he'd begun opening up to everyone, there was still no one close enough to him to do such a thing. Amongst his classmates though, those strong bonds existed. One bond in particular jumped out at him-the unexpected romantic relationship between Midoriya and Ashido. They freely called each other by their first names, and now here he was being asked to do the same with…Momo.
The realization that had struck him on stage struck him again.
"I would like that a lot, Momo." He felt his lips curving into a naked smile. It made his muse's cheeks blush even more.
It went incredibly well with her smile. "Thank you, Shoto."
Those words were like a fuse that lit a bomb inside of him. Said bomb forced out his next words, seemingly out of nowhere. "D-Do you wanna get lunch together? I mean, I…I'd like to treat you to lunch as thanks for everything you've done for me."
"Lu-Lunch, you mean l-like a date?" She gasped.
Shoto blinked once, then twice. "A date?"
Momo slowly nodded, her face now looking like a tomato. "It doesn't have to be if you don't want it to be. I'm sorry, I let my mind wonder off. I didn't mean to-"
"I'd like to take you out on a date then, Momo." The dual-haired teenager said. Moving his trophy to his right hand, he reached out with his left, the same hand he'd used to sculpt the metallic sculpture.
Without any hesitation, Momo reached forward and took his hand. Their interjoined hands immediately tightened around each other.
"Do you…have any places in mind?" She asked. Not once had her cheeks ever lost that rosy hue. Shoto was happy for it as he quite liked it.
"A few, I'm hoping they'll be to your liking." Shoto offered. There was no way to know for certain if the place he had in mind would be to her liking, but he felt strangely optimistic.
Hand-in-hand with the girl who'd became his muse, he walked out into the daylight. The breeze that hit his face and hers felt immensely warmer for whatever reason. Neither of them knew what awaited beyond it, but Shoto and Momo had a feeling they'd have fun exploring it, together.
My second MHA fic. This was my first time writing for Todoroki ad Yaoroyozu, more so for the former since most of this story was from his point of view. He's…not the most emotional person around, or social, albeit nowhere near on Izuku's level. On the flipside. Momo's isn't the outgoing social butterfly that Mina is, who would in some ways pull her other out of their shell. For this story, I like to think Shoto and Momo coaxed each other out of their respective shells and out into the open, as shown in that final scene.
This was fun to write and there's a chance I might do a sequel piece, primarily from Momo's point of view. She's now officially Shoto's muse and I'd love to explore how that leads further into a romantic relationship between them…as well as them handling canon events.
Let me know what you thought of this story and if you've got any questions! Take care!