A/N: Hello, welcome to my second fanfiction!
First off, I would like to thank TeaPlease1717 and tremblingtrust on Ao3 for beta reading this and making it much better than it originally was! They were a tremendous help! I would also like to thank Rockin_Robin_Wu, ManochaTaanya, monspeetswife, and isimpforkuroo3 from Twitter for reading over my original draft! Please enjoy the story! (this has been cross-posted on Ao3)
Todoroki Shouto slams his locker door, shattering the tranquil atmosphere.
He stands there rigidly, his shirt scorched and hardly hanging onto his torso. The teen lets out a frustrated groan, running his hand through his hair, disheveling his locks into a haphazard mix of red and white. He leans his head against the locker a bit too forcefully and it shakes under the impact.
Attempting to calm himself, he lets out a long sigh. He slowly feels his body cool down, and he's left back in the morning's silence to reflect.
The day started off pretty well. How did it end up like this?
He had woken up, gotten dressed in his uniform, and headed to school early. On his way, Shouto had recognized the presumably stray cat that liked to lurk outside in the early morning hours.
He was mildly surprised when the cat first approached him about two weeks ago. The cat had brushed against his leg as he ambled along the sidewalk leading to the school. He didn't find that too odd, but it caught his attention when it happened for three days in a row.
They've both developed quite an affinity for each other ever since that initial encounter. Shouto was unsure whether the cat was a girl, but 'she' reminded him of his mother with her snow-white paws and sleek gray fur.
He had never seen the cat out and about in the evenings. He often wondered where she retreated to and if she had a home; maybe she wasn't a stray after all. Still, she appeared outside of the school every morning, without fail.
Shouto wasn't much of a morning person, but he looked forward to seeing the cat. He had even begun buying things for her. Every day for the past week, Shouto had made a special effort to bring the cat a new toy or a treat before school. This morning was no exception.
He stood next to the school building as a gray tabby brushed against his leg, purring loudly. The cat looked up at him with her head tilted in curiosity. A small smile graced Shouto's features as he kneeled down. He pulled his bag in front of him and reached in for a treat.
"Here you go…" he said softly, extending his hand out towards the cat. The cat's piercing green eyes widened. Hesitantly, the cat inched forward, sniffing Shouto's fingers before reaching a white paw up to snatch the treat. The cat lowered her head until it rested under the palm of his still outstretched hand. She brushed against his hand appreciatively while she ate. Shouto's smile grew, and the cat purred while he petted her. The cat meowed in annoyance when he retracted his hand, and Shouto couldn't help but feel amused. He lowered himself further to the ground and sat criss-cross, not even minding if his school pants got a bit dirty.
"You're a needy one, aren't you?" he questioned as he reached back out towards the cat, swiping a finger over the 'M' shape on her forehead. The cat purred again as she slid over the length of his arm on her way to settle into his lap. She curled around herself, forming into a tiny ball of fur. He ran his hand over her back once she was settled.
Still leaning against his locker, the memory causes the corners of Shouto's lips to tilt up, but they abruptly fall as the thought of what had come next rears its ugly head.
He had been sitting with the cat in silence, her purrs and the distant chirp of birds being the only sounds in the morning air… until his phone rang. The cat launched herself out of his lap with a shrill yowl from being startled. Shouto sadly watched her race around the corner before dragging his phone out of his pocket to see it was his father, Todoroki Enji, the number one hero, 'Endeavor', calling. He rolled his eyes and his brow twitched in annoyance as he answered it.
"What do you wa-" Shouto couldn't even finish bringing the device up to his ear before his father's voice boomed, cutting him off. Shouto's annoyance grew.
"Shouto, it's been brought to my attention that you have been visiting your mother. Every. Single. Saturday. When did you plan on telling me?" Enji asked with an edge to his voice.
Shouto's mouth contorted into a firm line, and he responded seethingly. "I wasn't aware that I had to tell you that I was visiting my own mother. Every. Single. Saturday."
"Ah, very well. That won't be a problem anymore, then. I have asked the hospital to notify me every time you try to visit and to limit your visitation. From now on, if you want to visit your mother, you would have to be accompanied by me," Enji said, sounding smug as if it was no big deal.
Shouto felt his body temperature rise. "YOU WHAT?!" Shouto yelled incredulously.
"You can't enhance your quirk if you're running off every Saturday to see that woman. She'll fill your head with nonsense. Come see me on Saturdays and I'll help you strengthen and control your fire quirk instead," his father explained as if that was supposed to help.
Shouto felt the heat rise more and more. A storm erupted within his veins, leaving him burning with rage. Unbeknownst to him, small flames danced on his left arm, already burning the fabric of his top. He didn't even feel them; he could only think about how his father had basically told him he could no longer see his mother... All because his father wanted him to train his stupid quirk. The nonsense line particularly struck a nerve in Shouto… The only nonsense Shouto could think of is the fact that this man is his father. There is no way he could visit his mother with the man who locked her up, to begin with, tagging along. At this moment, Shouto truly despised the man. How ironic it was that his voice froze in his throat, while his body blazed.
His father must have taken the silence as a signal to continue speaking. "Son, learning to use and control your quirk is the most important thing if you want to become the numb-" the voice of his father turned into nothing more than the crackling of electricity.
Shouto jolted and soon realized his left side was engulfed in flames and his phone had melted. He quickly activated his ice quirk, struggling slightly to put out the fire. When the fire was finally out, he took a few deep, calming breaths in quick succession. He sighed while looking down at the damage. The entire left side of his shirt was in singed tatters and some flames must have even spread to his right side. After the initial wave of anger passed, Shouto mostly just felt frustrated and sad.
He pushed himself up from the ground and started heading towards the front of the school. He tossed his charred phone into the trashcan at the entrance before opening the doors, hoping that he had an extra shirt in his locker.
So, that's how his day went to hell. Shouto's body temperature rises again at the memory, but he ensures to keep himself under control. He sighs for the umpteenth time this morning, pushing off of the locker and preparing to head back to the dorm. He cannot go to school looking like this. It would prompt too many questions, and he doesn't have the will to deal with that today.
He trudges down the corridor, not minding where he's going. His eyes are zeroed in on his hands, playing with the charred edges of his shirt. Suddenly, he bumps into something, or rather someone, and his eyes dart up. Yaoyorozu Momo stands before him, papers flying everywhere around her. He must have knocked them out of her hands, but she doesn't seem to acknowledge this. She's eyeing him, concern flowing off of her in waves.
"Todoroki-san…" she says no louder than a whisper
He already senses the question in her voice and simply responds, "My father..."
Her brows knit further into confusion, and her lips part slightly. Shouto fears that she will ask him to elaborate. He would trust Yaoyorozu with his life, but this is just not something he's ready to talk about. He can't burden her with this situation with his father when he, himself, doesn't understand how to deal with it.
The notion that maybe she could help him navigate the situation crosses his mind. She might even figure out a plan that would allow him to visit his mom.
No, no, he couldn't ask that of her, not now at least.
He is not ready to open himself up and dive into that. If he were to ask anyone though, it would be her. She is the most capable and most intelligent person he knows, not to mention she would try to help anyone with anything, no matter how big or small the task may be. Fondly, Shouto thinks about how she'll make a wonderful hero who is not at all like his father. The mere thought of the man makes his expression turn bitter.
He realizes he is in his head again, and he focuses back on her deep, onyx eyes.
Momo wants to ask him what's wrong. She wishes to help Todoroki in any way that she can. Maybe it's just her needing to be a hero, or maybe it's something more personal. An unknown force within her longs to take away all of his pain and confusion.
She doesn't know what happened, but peering at him, with his charred clothes and the mix of emotions swirling in his eyes, she understands that this must be something serious.
Momo takes in the tenseness of his shoulders and the devastated look in his eyes. It almost looks like he's pleading with her not to talk about it. She runs her tongue over her dry lips before pressing them into a tight line. Momo knows now is not the time, so she pushes her desire to pry aside even though it pains her to do so. Attempting to hide her dejection, she settles on giving him an understanding smile.
Relief washes over Shouto upon seeing her mouth close, but that sad smile almost breaks his already battered heart. He doesn't want to trouble her but considering this is Yaoyorozu he knows he already has. He vows to tell her everything someday.
"So, where were you off to in such a rush? I didn't realize 'Bulldoze' was a quirk you possessed," she jokes, gesturing to the papers strewn all over the floor.
She's trying to lighten the mood, and Shouto is thankful. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Yaoyorozu..." he states with a slight smirk and a rose hue dusts her cheeks. Shouto, however, still has more to say.
"My third quirk is actually crushing hands," he deadpans; his face as neutral as ever. Yaoyorozu bursts out into a fit of giggles, surprising Shouto.
"What? I'm serious, You can ask Midoriya and Iida," he says, and she just shakes her head at him.
"Well, speaking of hands, do you mind giving me one? These papers are kind of important to the Student Council," she says it as more of a suggestion than a question, looking hopeful.
He simply nods and she bows in thanks. They both bend down and start picking up the papers, their hands occasionally touching when he passes them to her. A tiny jolt seems to rush between them every time their fingers skim against one another's. They both ignore the foreign sensation, thinking they're imagining it.
The two stand up, and he passes her the last few pages he was holding.
"Thank you, Todoroki-san! If you don't mind me asking, I didn't want to mention it," she fidgets, "but what did you plan on doing about your shirt?" she questions a bit sheepishly.
His body warms at the question in slight embarrassment. Of course, she'd address the elephant in the room.
"Well, I came in here hoping I had an extra in my locker, but I didn't, so my plan was to head back to the dorm to change before homeroom," he explains, raising his right hand and scratching at the back of his neck.
She doesn't seem too pleased with his response, and it leaves him confused. She purses her lips together then starts scolding him, "Todoroki, you always need to have an extra uniform in your locker for emergencies! Not doing so is irresponsible!" His eyes widen as she continues, "However, there's no reason for you to go through the trouble of walking back to the dorm when you have a friend with a creation quirk right here," she finishes with a smile. Her sudden change makes him wonder if she is teasing him.
He soon realizes that she's suggesting that she can make him a fresh shirt.
"Yaoyorozu, that's not necessary. I don't mind walking back and I have plenty of time before class. There's no need for you to go through the trouble and use up your quirk," he protests. He wouldn't mind her making him a new one, but he is worried that they may have an assignment today that will require her to use a lot of lipids. He would never forgive himself if this was the reason she didn't perform well and lost confidence in herself again.
She looks at him more softly this time, but he can tell that she is still determined to help him. As expected of Yaoyorozu.
"I'll be fine, Todoroki-san. I have snacks," she reassures him. "Now, let me go put these papers away in the office."
Shouto watches her leave and leans against the wall, closing his eyes, and trying not to lose himself in his thoughts again. He hopes she'll be back soon. Her presence is comforting to him; distracting him from his inner turmoil. Resting his eyes and indulging in a few moments of mental silence, he doesn't even realize she has returned until he hears the brushing sound of fabric.
He cracks open his eyes and the sight before him causes them to widen as he moves from the wall, his posture going stick-straight as he tenses up.
Yaoyorozu stands a foot away. Her tie is loosened, pulled above her collar, and tossed around the back of her slender neck in preparation to use Creation.
She's unbuttoning her top right in front of him in the middle of the hallway. He doesn't understand what's happening, and his heart picks up pace. He tries to catch her eye questioningly, but she's too preoccupied to notice.
As her fingers move to the third button, his eyes widen. "Yaoyorozu..." he starts, his voice wavering.
"Just one moment, Todoroki-san." She cuts him off as she fiddles with the fourth button.
He instinctively glances down and whips his head to the side after catching a glimpse of her bare chest. He can tell she isn't wearing a bra and a lump forms in his throat.
"This should be enough skin for me to pull the shirt from," she elaborates as the glow of her quirk emanates from her chest and into his peripheral vision.
Gulping and clearing his throat, he keeps his gaze anywhere but on her, taking particular interest in a speck on the ceiling. "Ah, thank you, Yaoyorozu," he says in a strained voice.
The glow of something orange soon catches his eye, contrasting with the mix of pink and blue light coming from her quirk. He watches as a tiny flame dances from his left shoulder, atop his already charred sleeve. Helplessly, he cannot extinguish the fire as he thinks about Yaoyorozu being so close to him in both of their current states.
He's basically shirtless, and her shirt is halfway undone... and she's not wearing a bra. This would look utterly scandalous if anyone were to walk by. He feels a somewhat foreign heat rise to his cheeks at the thought. The tiny flame grows as if it's mocking him and sweat trails down the side of his neck.
He knows he needs to get control of himself. If not, Yaoyorozu will think he's no better than Mineta. It's not like he hadn't noticed she was attractive before. Shouto's dense, not blind, but she has never affected him in this way. He activates his right side to cool himself down, extinguishing the flames, but the heat in his cheeks remains. He's probably steaming now.
"All done!" she exclaims, pulling him from his hormone-induced spiral.
Shouto blindly reaches forward to take the shirt from her grasp, her fingers brushing his as he does so. Her brief touch feels like electricity. He considers that maybe Kaminari's quirk rubbed off on them... That's virtually impossible, but he doesn't know what else can explain it.
"Thanks again..." he mumbles, staring firmly at the wall across from him.
"It's no problem, I'm here to help," Yaoyorozu replies. Her voice sounds a bit muffled, so he chances a glance over.
Shouto sighs in relief that she isn't showing herself anymore, but he can't help staring as her nimble fingers work on finishing the top button.
Momo finishes straightening her tie and looks up. Todoroki's heterochromatic eyes drag up to meet her onyx ones. She gasps at the intensity in his gaze. It's now her turn to feel the heat rise to her cheeks.
Todoroki blinks, breaking away from her stare. His eyes dart up and then down to the floor, avoiding her.
"Ahh, Todoroki, you should go change and make sure it fits okay," she suggests as her voice jitters and she wrings her hands together. He has noticed this is something she only does when she's nervous. The knowledge that he isn't the only one feeling odd comforts him.
They stand there for a moment longer, being too scared to move. The surrounding air is heavier than usual, but not necessarily in a bad way. This feels like foreign territory, and neither understands why.
With his body temperature almost returning to normal, Todoroki tries to muster up the courage to speak. He clears his throat and pushes the words out, "yeah, that's a good idea." He nods and turns around, walking away.
Momo lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding as his back turns to her. She suddenly feels tired as the tension seeps away. She leans her forehead against the wall next to her for support; its coldness feels nice against her hot skin.
A squeak of a shoe against the floor comes from the direction that Todoroki walked in, catching her off guard. She lifts her head up in surprise and straightens her posture, leaving the comfort and support of the wall.
Todoroki twists on his heel, fully turning around, and her heart races as he gets closer. He sheepishly comes to a halt about a foot in front of her.
"Oh, Todoroki, did you forget something?" she asks as levelly as she can.
He shifts his weight from one foot to the other and Momo can't help but let her eyes wander up and down his frame as she waits for a response. She can definitely see why he is one of the best in their class.
"Um, I was wondering..." he begins hesitantly.
She searches out his eyes in confusion, but he doesn't immediately meet her gaze. He slowly looks her in the eyes, cerulean and ash peer back at her, full of uncertainty before he quickly steels his expression. He tries to make himself unreadable, but Momo can still see something flicker in his eyes.
She studies him until she recognizes that look. His eyes hold a subdued version of that strange intensity from earlier. It glints clearly now, and she wonders if it's reflected in her own.
"Yaoyorozu, wouldn't it have been easier for you to lift your shirt and just create this from your stomach?" he questions steadily, still not giving away any sign of emotion.
She freezes in place, gaping at him as her lips part in shock. She hadn't even thought of that!
How could I have been so dumb?
The realization hits her: she practically flashed Todoroki in the middle of the hallway! In reality, she hadn't unbuttoned her shirt that far; he could have only seen some excessive cleavage. Still, she, Yaoyorozu Momo, had unbuttoned her shirt all the way down to the fourth button in front of a barely clothed Todoroki Shouto -while at school, no less!
Her anxiety climbs as she remembers she isn't wearing a bra, regretting her decision. She seldom wears them these days, having gotten used to the lack of it from wearing her hero costume. Sure, he had seen her in a sports bra and her hero costume, but this was different. She now realizes that what she just did has much more intimate implications. What does he think of her now? He probably thinks of her as no better than a female Mineta!
An intense blush rises from her chest up to her cheeks, covering all of her exposed skin in a vibrant red. She feels like she's on fire and she briefly wishes she had an ice quirk before dismissing the thought. It only made matters worse, because it reminds her of him! She can't even be envious of him in this state, how frustrating.
She speaks in a rush, with her arms flailing everywhere. "Oh my! Todoroki, I am so sorry! I'm so dumb! I hadn't even thought about that! I'm just so used to pulling things from my chest due to my hero costume! That's no excuse, I can't believe I did that! How indecent of me, and on school grounds of all places! I don't even deserve to be Vice President after this! I'm horrible! I am so sorry for any discom-"
Todoroki reaches out to catch her wrists, stopping both her erratic movements and her rapid speech. He looks down at her softly, and her eyes flutter up to his. The crimson on her cheeks deepens further if that's even possible. She's sure her face must match the color of her hero costume by now.
She is so ashamed. He's still holding onto her wrists, and she's hyper-aware of his touch. The electricity they felt while touching earlier is replaced by a warmth buzzing over their skin. She feels his hands let go of her, but she still refuses to look up from her shoes.
Sighing, Todoroki lifts his hand, curling his index finger under her chin. He directs her face up towards his, but she still keeps her eyes averted.
"Yaoyorozu, look at me," he whispers. The gentle tone of his voice and the tender use of her name seem to be enough as she pulls her eyes up to his.
The look in his eyes is endearing, and it almost causes hers to cloud with tears. How could he look at her like this after she all but harassed him?
"Yaoyorozu, it is fine," he assures her, "I didn't mean to worry you when I asked that, I was worried about you. I wanted to know if there was some quirk or injury-related reason that caused you to use your chest instead. You would never be so forward and I know you only had good intentions," he says with sincerity.
He reaches out with his left hand to grab her right hand that was dangling by her side, cradling it between them. His other hand remains under her chin, so her eyes stay on his. There are so many emotions pooling in his eyes, and she wants to decipher the meaning of each one of them. Momo doesn't even want to look away anymore, she thinks it's beautiful.
"You saw a friend in need and acted on instinct to help them. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that; it's why you'll make a great hero someday. You're right about one thing, you don't deserve to be the VP... You deserve to be the Class President. I still think you should have won," he finishes, ending with one of his rare smiles.
He had kept his hand under her chin, and his eyes locked with hers throughout his entire speech. The tears finally do crash through the floodgates and well up in her eyes. His sincerity had been her breaking point. She tears away from his hands and launches herself to him, catching him off guard.
Her arms encircle him, clinging to him in a tight embrace. She buries her face in his shoulder, and he stiffens under her, before relaxing and bringing his arms around her waist to pull her closer.
"Thank you, Todoroki," she whispers gratefully, her voice muffled against his right shoulder. Her soft voice puts him at ease, and he brings his head against hers, enjoying the feel of someone holding him like this.
He has never received many hugs, and he isn't a fan of the few he had. The vision of Rei's face and a tea kettle invades his mind, but he instantly squashes it down back into the depths. He pulls Yaoyorozu even closer, seeking comfort. If all hugs could be like this, he doesn't think he'd mind them.
"Yaoyorozu..." he mumbles into her raven hair.
"Hmm," she responds from his shoulder, her breath faintly tickling his neck.
The corners of his lips quirk up into a small, playful smile. "Maybe you should keep the flashing to your matryoshka dolls," he jokes.
This catches Momo off guard. She isn't sure which is better: the joke itself or the fact that he said it in such a monotonous tone. She dramatically gasps in mock offense, shoving him away before bursting into laughter. This earns her a chuckle from Todoroki, and the sound is like music to her ears.
Regaining her breath, she bends down to pick up the shirt that he must have dropped at some point. She shoves it into his arms and yells, "Go change!" followed by a huff.
"Okay, okay," he says, holding his hands out defensively. He turns to walk away, leaving Momo to her thoughts.
She had forgotten at that moment, but she just embraced a scantily clad Todoroki Shouto. The all too familiar heat spreads to her cheeks, making her want to be pressed against Todoroki's cold side again. Unfortunately, that train of thought causes her to blush more and her heart to beat even faster.
She's not sure what these feelings are, but she knows that he's the only one who can invoke them. It's like this boy lit a fire within her that only he can keep under control. She supposes it's fitting; he is half-cold and half-hot, after all.
She smiles longingly at his back as she watches him turn the corner.
Turning the corner, Shouto looks down at the shirt in his hands as he walks to the restroom. He inspects the garment and realizes that it seems of even higher quality than his original one.
"Yaoyorozu truly is amazing," he accidentally thinks aloud, but no one is around to hear.
Suddenly, a small inconspicuous white tag attached to a seam catches his eye. His dual-colored brows rise as he reads what's written in small black print: Made with love. -Creati
His heartbeat quickens and his body temperature skyrockets. He instantly activates his cold quirk, successfully regulating his temperature. The corners of his lips tug into one of those small smiles that seem to become significantly less rare when Yaoyorozu is involved.
If today was any indication, he's sure that if he spends enough time around her, he'd be forced to learn how to control his quirk. His father would have no excuse to keep him from his mother then. He knows this is overly optimistic thinking, but he wants to spend time with her anyway. He remembers his vow to himself from earlier. That 'someday' he mentioned may be a lot closer than he first thought.
"Thank you, Yaoyorozu Momo," he whispers into the deserted corridor before entering the bathroom.
A/N: I hope you found it amusing and cute. Todoroki and Momo are such innocent dorks... Please favorite if you enjoyed reading this, and feel free to review regardless of whether you liked it or not. Praise, as well as criticism, are both welcome! Follow me on Twitter, WillaWillow, for constant Tdmm posts.