Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Momo Yaoyorozu, Shoto Todoroki

The tip of Momo's tongue stuck out from between her glossed lips as she carefully layered the thick nail gel over the little stub of her pinky toe. Once she had covered the small surface with a sheen of the glittering, ruby red polish, she stretched her toes and wiggled them experimentally. There! All done! she thought gleefully and reclined back against the couch. She propped her feet up on the coffee table so they could dry, then looked around to see how the other girls were progressing. Likewise, most of them had finished painting their nails, various colors shining on the clear, manicured surfaces.

"This was a good idea for girls' night, Tooru!" Ochako hummed as she admired the bubblegum pink polish decorating her fingernails. The invisible girl, traipsing around the sofa with spring green nails seemingly hovering in thin air, giggled happily as she grabbed a throw pillow and hugged it to her chest.

"But of course! You feel like a new woman when you get your nails, hair, and make-up done!" Indeed, the girls had been spending the last several hours down in the common room, doing each other's make-up and hair. Momo sported a set of bouncy curls; she wasn't used to having her hair down, so she kept compulsively sweeping the corkscrewed hairs from her face. Tooru climbed over the side of the couch to sit beside Mina, who was waving her hands about to dry to pastel yellow polish that complimented her bright pink skin. "Mina, Mina, did you rent the movie?"

"Sure did!" their classmate responded and carefully plucked a DVD case from the table. "Ta-da! Halloween Slasher 3!" she grinned wildly and flipped the container around to show a masked man brandishing a chainsaw. Momo snickered disbelievingly.

"Oh, no, not another one of your slasher thriller movies!"

"Wahhh! Minaaaaa, you know I don't like those," Ochako whimpered and pushed her face into a throw pillow with a keening whine. Mina jumped up and down on the couch cushions, completely ignoring Ochako's meek protests. The girl hopped up and scampered over to the DVD player to pop the disc in, and the whirring of a chainsaw accented by creepy music blared out of the speakers. Ochako squealed at the grotesque splashing of fake blood on the screen. "Noooooo! Hold me, Kyoka!" Ochako wailed and buried herself into the dark-haired girl's lap. Kyoka scowled surprisedly as the brunette suddenly snuggled into her, but soothingly stroked her tresses of honey-brown hair.

"Jeez, Ochako, you're such a fraidy-cat." Mina whooped ecstatically as she pressed "play" and walked over the couch and coffee table to plop back down beside Tooru. As the introduction began to play, Shoto came strolling out of the kitchen, sipping at a mug of steaming black tea.

"Hello, ladies. Girls' night?"

"That's right, Todoroki! Sorry, but you can't join!" Mina grinned over the back of the couch, winking and sticking her tongue out at him. Shoto chuckled and commented that he would never dream of it, but as he whirled on his heel to return upstairs, Momo spoke up.

"Oh, but I think it's a little rude not to offer, don't you?" she fretted, laying a hand against her cheek. "I think we can make an exception, right, girls?" She grimaced a little at a poorly-timed maniacal laugh and scream of chainsaw blades. Shoto peered over his shoulder at her with heterochromatic eyes widened in curiosity. Momo flushed on reflex; Shoto's gaze was never anything less than intense, with those orbs of piercing blue and stormy gray.

"I don't care," Kyoka shrugged, staring idly at the screen with morbid fascination. Ochako just cried pitifully into her lap, causing Kyoka to stroke her back again. "There, there. It's not real blood, Ochako."

"Todoroki, do you like scary movies?" Tooru grinned as the red-and-white haired boy approached the arm of the couch on which Momo was seated. The boy glanced at the flickering screen with raised eyebrows.

"I'm indifferent to them. I don't really find them scary- but I'll keep you girls company, if you like. It's not like I have anything better to do," he responded simply. Momo scooched over a little as he eased himself down onto the couch beside her. The cushion dipped with his weight, making her slide in so that her thigh brushed against his. While Momo blushed fiercely, Shoto only glanced at her out of his peripheral vision. He calmly sipped at his tea, and, still gazing at her, said, "So, you guys did makeovers, did you?"

"That's right? Don't I look beauuuuutiful, Todoroki?" Tooru crooned. Shoto couldn't see anything but the nail polish the invisible girl was sporting, but he still politely agreed. However, when he said it, he was staring intently at Momo. He reached up to tug lightly on one of the curls framing her face.

"Very beautiful," he smiled slightly. When Momo's face flared red, he suddenly realized what he was saying and snatched his hand away. Blank-faced, he returned to his tea, but Momo could feel his body stiffen beside her.

"Todoroki, Todoroki!" Mina beamed, draping herself over the arm of the couch to smile giddily at him. "If scary movies don't scare you, what does?" Shoto blinked and put his hand on his chin thoughtfully.

"Nothing, really." Momo found it exceptionally odd, but his gaze slid to her again, and his response almost sounded lifeless.

"Aw, come on," Kyoka whined. Her eyes remained glued to the screen, watching the fake blood fly in arcs as the chainsaw maniac went to town on the innocent and ignorant protagonists. She was avidly listening to the conversation despite her rapt focus. Ochako peeked up from her lap, teary-eyed and white-faced from fright.

"You mean this doesn't scare you?" she sniffed with a gesture at the television screen. As another burst of homicidal laughter came from the television screen, she screamed and jumped up in Kyoka's lap to bury her face into the crook of her neck. Kyoka, unfazed, patted Ochako's head reassuringly.

"Nope," Shoto quipped and sipped at his tea again. "I don't find things like this scary."

"What about bugs? Creeeeeepy crawly bugs?" Mina asked, wiggling her fingers to mimic the spindly legs of a centipede. Shoto shrugged indifferently.

"They're just bugs."

"Clowns?!" Tooru gasped with her invisible hands over her mouth, as indicated by her polished nails. Shoto laughed airily.

"Why would I find some goofy guys with big shoes and gaudy make-up frightening?" Mina giggled at his response and returned to the movie, squealing with laughter when a girl bungled over her feet and tripped.

"Bahaha! You moron! Why are you running in those heels?" Shoto chuckled to himself, amused by Mina's enthusiasm.

The girls continued to interrogate Shoto about his fears, listing every common phobia that they could think of, but he deflected them with cool, focused ease. At some point, he finished his tea and reclined back against the couch with his hands behind his head. As he responded to Tooru's question concerning whether or not he was frightened by spiders that wear flip-flops, Momo tucked her legs against her body as a slight chill gripped her. It seemed the dormitory's air conditioner had kicked in, spreading cold air throughout the room. As she shuddered, she unknowingly fell against Shoto's right arm, making him stop short in the middle of his sentence and glance at her. It took Momo a minute to realize why he was so startled, and when she did, she began spluttering apologies.

"F-forgive me! I trembled a little and lost my balance; I didn't mean anything by it!" Her friends were watching her with expressions of devious amusement, which made Momo blush all the harder. Shoto's frosty eyes fixed on her with an unsettling intensity.

"Yaoyorozu… Are you cold?"

"A-a little," she admitted timidly. He blinked slowly at her, then reached behind them to grab the throw blanket folded over the back of the couch. Momo sat there, electrified, as he calmly unfurled it and draped it over her shoulder, pulling it together just under his chin. When he smiled kindly at her, Momo felt her heart jump right into her throat to choke her with blossoming affection. "T-Todoroki," she smiled bashfully and looked down at his fingers where they held the blanket shut. She reached up to take the cloth from him, and their fingertips brushed for just the slightest second. Such a simple touch, but it sent electricity shooting up her arm like liquid lightning.

"Better?" Shoto asked quietly. Entranced, Momo nodded without realizing it.

"Better…" Both of them stiffened when someone cleared their throat. Both of their heads whipped to the side to see Mina staring brightly at them with a giddy smile splitting her face.

"Gettin' chummy, are we?" Shoto and Momo turned identical shades of crimson.

"No!" They exclaimed simultaneously. Mina wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and continued to grin at them as she slunk back from her position on the arm of the couch. Momo retreated into the confines of the blanket, deeply embarrassed, while Shoto grimaced and tried to push himself into the gap between the couch cushions and the frame. Silence settled between them, interrupted only by Mina's snickers and the grotesque sounds pouring from the television. Eventually, the slasher movie ended, and Mina peeled herself from the couch with a loud yawn.

"Ahh, that was fun! 3 Let's watch the fourth one next week!"

"You mean there's more?" Ochako wailed in dismay and looked at the pink girl tearily. "Please! I can't take it! Can't we watch a rom-com next week or something?" Mina tsked and waggled her finger at Ochako as she squatted out to remove the disc from the DVD player, then grinned.

"I'm kidding, 'Chako! Of course we can watch something cute next week." Ochako exhaled deeply in relief and melted over Kyoka, who was scrolling through her social media feed now that the film had ended. Mina tossed the DVD back onto the coffee table to return to the rental kiosk later and stretched her arms above her head. "Ooooo-kaaaaaay! I'm off to bed, ladies! Girls' Night Plus Todoroki was fun!" Shoto smiled at Mina.

"Oh, yes, I had a good time."

One by one, the girls filed out, leaving Momo and Shoto alone. Neither of them made any move to rise from the sofa; they stared dully at the blank black screen. Momo had begun to sweat within the confines of the thick blanket, so she shrugged her arms out of it, letting it cover her legs. The silence deafened her, ringing in her ears, so she broke the silence before she could go insane.

"Todoroki… I'm glad you decided to join us tonight," she offered lamely, looking up at him. He grunted and continued to gaze levelly at the television, so Momo studied his profile. He really is pretty, she thought absentmindedly as she drank in his sharp jawline and silky two-toned hair and gorgeous heterochromatic eyes. When the blue one flickered to her, she blushed pink, but found herself unable to look away. Slowly, Shoto turned to face her, and retook one of her curls to rub it softly between his thumb and forefinger.

"How could I refuse when such a beautiful girl asks me to join?" Momo laughed nervously, thinking that surely he was teasing, but his expression remained deadly serious. Her spine straightened like a steel rod as his fingers traveled up the crimped length of her hair to brush over her jawline, then traced a path up to her cheekbones until he cupped her cheek. Momo drew in a breath as fireworks exploded through her nerves, painting invisible crackling lines all over her face. "You all wanted to know what I was afraid of."

"Y-yes…" she murmured and swallowed thickly. Her heart thumped hard in her chest, so loud that she thought surely Shoto could hear it. She shivered slightly as Shoto leaned in close, and her eyelashes fluttered as his warm breath puffed over her face.

"I think I'm in love with you, and that terrifies me." Momo swallowed again as his expression grew slightly sad. His thumb traced arcs over her cheek in gentle motions. She licked her lips nervously, and then asked, "Why would that scare you?" Shoto smiled warmly, seemingly a little relieved that she hadn't rejected him outright.

"I;ve never felt so strongly about someone as I do for you… I don't know what to do with myself. I'm afraid I'll mess it up." Momo couldn't help but snicker a little. Shoto blinked at her, confused. She smiled affectionately and leaned into his touch, raising a hand to cover the one that held her cheek so tenderly.

"You're doing pretty good so far." Shoto chuckled. He inhaled deeply, then pressed his forehead to hers, gazing deep into her eyes.

"You're so beautiful, Momo." The brazen use of her first name sent butterflies fluttering in her chest, spreading a bubbly giddy feeling finer than any champagne through her body. She smiled sweetly and pressed against him, bumping the tips of their noses slightly. Shoto's gaze dropped to her lips, shiny with lip gloss, and he worried his bottom lip with his teeth. "Momo… Can I…" He trailed off when he glanced back into her eyes, because his answer swam within the gleaming dark depths of her irises. Slowly, he angled his face, and both their eyes drifted shut as he pressed his mouth to hers in a sweet, titillating kiss. Momo hummed at the foreign but not unwelcome sensation of his lips sliding smoothly over hers in gentle ministrations. While his one hand remained on her cheek, his other trailed up her arm, leaving fireworks behind.

They both sighed in contentment when he pulled away. Momo's eyelashes fluttered as she came down from the small high, and then she smiled sweetly.

"So? Still afraid?"

"Not as much," he laughed lightly. "Guess it's true that it gets better when you face your fears." Momo giggled, and once more, they grew lost in each other's gazes. Just as Momo considered kissing him again-

"I KNEW IT!" The two sprang apart with startled yelps as Mina screamed from the entryway/ She was nearly sobbing as she filmed the two of them with her cell phone. "Momo, baby, you're doing wonderful!"

"Mina!" Momo whined. Shoto had laid himself down on the floor between the couch and the coffee table, and resigned himself to a grim and embarrassing death. "This is what you call an invasion of privacy!"

"Look, when you guys make bedroom eyes in front of us, you relinquish your right to privacy," the pink girl shrugged. Momo's face turned that much redder.

"B-b-b-b-bedroom eyes?!"

"Oi!" came Aizawa's grumpy voice as he opened his bedroom door to glower at them. "It's almost lights out. Stop screaming and go to bed!" He made to shut the door, then opened it back up and glared shiftily at Mina, who was whistling innocently. "And you- no extortion or blackmail." As he slammed the door shut, Mina wailed and stamped her foot.

"Booooo! You're no fun, Mr. Aizawa!"

"What were you going to do with that footage?!" Momo exclaimed as she slapped her hands to her cheeks. Mina stuck out her tongue and giggled deviously.

"You'll have to find out~!"

"Minaaaaaaa!" Momo howled as the girl skipped off back to her room. Momo flopped onto her belly against the cushions, groaning. "How mortifying…" She had to smile at the girl's shenanigans- at least they kept things interesting." Humming, she rolled on her side to run her fingers through Shoto's hair as he remained face-down on the floor. "You okay?"

"I just want to die. Nothing unusual." Momo snickered and played with the curling hairs at the base of his neck.

"She's only teasing. She probably won't do anything with the video."

"But she'll tell everyone and their mother," he complained as he pushed himself up on his elbows and pouted at her. Momo giggled and cupped his face as he sat up on his knees in front of her.

"Oh, yes, she'll definitely do that." There was already a chorus of stomping steps and startled "Whaaaaaaat's?" floated down from upstairs. Shoto groaned and leaned forward to press his forehead against hers, then smiled amusedly.

"Ah, well. I suppose it can't be helped." Momo hummed affirmingly. She wound her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his nose. In response, he grabbed her waist and rubbed little circles into the plush skin there. He then grimaced uncomfortably. "I don't want to go up there."

"Shoto, we can't stay down here."

"Why not?"

"Because! Come on. You've faced one fear; what's another?" Shoto whined as she rose from the couch, letting the blanket fall from around her body. He remained kneeling on the floor, clinging to the hem of her nightshirt, and she nudged him with her painted toes. "Come on, Shoto. Better get it over with."

"Fiiiiiiiine," he grumbled, obediently rising. He remained clinging to the hem of her shirt and pressed his face into her curled hair, nearly smothering himself. "You can do the talking." Momo snickered and patted his shoulder affectionately.

Who knew Shoto had such a fascinating fear? She thought amusedly as she toted him up the stairs. I would've never guessed…