A/N: You guys *sniff* you guys are all so wonderful. It really calms me down, hearing all the feedback, which helped getting this chapter out at all, which I was again uncertain about, since it really stretches the boundaries of current development.
I read through this chapter, and realized it needed something more (again) and so that took me some time. Honestly, by the end of the chapter, the two characters had just taken over completely and were writing themselves. Also, in my head-canon, I'd like to think it's somewhere after this event that Todoroki goes to visit his mother (though it's a bit of a stretch).
This chapter is rather Todoroki-centered, and I've taken a rather daring (but necessary, if this is ever going to be a romance fic) development into their characters, so I'd really like to know how it worked out XP
Once again, thank you to FictionPadfoot for their absolutely incredible editing. And thanks to jilnachtaugen, whose proofreading never fails to reassure me that my chapter is, in fact, publish worthy. Thank you!
The Fourth Fault - Fame
Life had started to fall into place for Momo Yaoyorozu.
She had skimmed through the most concise of the books and had a general idea of how fighting with technique was supposed to play out. Earlier in the day she had gone around asking her classmates if they knew a methodical way for combat. She was surprised to discover that everyone had learned some sort of organized martial art, whether that be karate, judo or pieces of MMA, with the exception of Uraraka, just as Todoroki had predicted; she chose to wing it because 'things somehow usually work out in the end'.
Mina and Kyoka proved to be especially helpful. Kyoka had learned forms of karate, plus the wild card of street fighting, and Mina proved to have a very good grasp at the art of Wing-Chun, a dodging art-form. Sports lesson with these two had proved to be so beneficial that she asked them both to join her after school to help her train. However, they both turned her down - Kyoka had a part-time job she had to get to, and Mina apparently lived very far away, and staying behind would push her entire daily routine back a couple of hours. But they both promised to help out during the daily exercise class.
And so, as per current daily routine, Yaoyorozou made her way straight towards the virtual rooms after school, already changed into her sportswear. She dumped her bags into her self-assigned corner and switched on the computer, charging up her simulation program.
And that was how Todoroki found her come 5pm, halfway through a session. He quietly watched by the doorway, only approaching her once it was done.
"What was that, Level 1?" he asked, watching her rapidly swivel around to face him, her eyes wide, clearly unaware of his presence.
"Level 3," Momo said, trying to calm down her rapidly pounding heart, still breathless from the workout. "How much did you see?" She asked this with a slight reserve to her voice which she immediately cringed at. It was a tone her mother had referred to as 'the cheeky child'; a subtle rise in pitch, which made one think she was up to something, when in actuality she was feeling exceptionally nervous.
"Not much," he said, stepping forward, and Momo's hand flew to her left elbow. "How many levels are there?"
"5," she answered, watching as he examined the screen, very conscious of the fact that her score and technique breakdown were flashing in bright neon green.
"73%?" he asked, reading the score.
"I improved by 12," she blurted, feeling the need to defend herself. "Not bad for an amateur after a couple of weeks, right?" The ice prodigy gave a quiet hum of agreement, completely unaware of her inner turmoil. Momo watched him study everything for a while more before speaking. "Do you wanna try?"
Todoroki blinked, and turned to look at her, and she figured she'd hit the nail on the head. He looked back at the monitor and after giving the machine a final perusing, finally nodded. "Why not."
He moved over to let her enter settings for his turn. The half-n-half pre-hero watched her mostly silently, face as stoic as ever, with a few interjections here and there, like "Make it level 5" or "The trajectories should be random".
"Alright, and no quirk during this thing."
Momo smothered a giggle as Todoroki's eyebrows flattened and his lips thinned in an apparent sulk, clearly not liking that a chance for showing off had been taken away. He huffed out an unenthusiastic 'fine' and got into position. She hit the enter button and stood to the side, waiting as the machine counted down.
And then it started.
There was an immediate difference in intensity. Whereas the difference in level 1 and 3 had been pretty much only an increase in speed, level 5 was exponentially different. Holographic projectiles came at the half-n-half user from all directions, with varying speeds, irregular dimensions and non-linear paths of motion.
But more impressive than the program was Todoroki himself.
Todoroki's body snapped into action. The first set of beams shot off so fast that Yaoyorozu felt herself flinch, and she wasn't anywhere close. Heterochromic eyes tracked the flow and his entire torso flexed as he dropped to the ground, a projectile flashing mere inches over his head. His toes barely touched the tile when his fingers shoved him back into the air as the heat-and-ice-user catapulted over the second set. He was nothing short of grace and power, the forceful might this boy contained flawlessly held in perfect control. A holographic projectile bounced off a jagged trajectory and zapped his side and Todoroki cursed as he rolled in time to dodge another right on his heels
Although he stumbled once, his performance was nothing short of incredible. Beautiful, almost. He was in continuous motion, eyes flicking to all corners of the room and on high alert. It was like a surreal sort of dance, with him back flipping, corkscrew-style, and then spinning mid-air to land with a flourish of his hands, balance near-perfect. Again and again he dodged, vaulted and careened through the air, catapulting himself over and under, all the while hardly uttering a sound.
Finally, the siren blared, signaling the end. He got up from his final, kneeling position, breathing quite heavily, sweat making its way down his face. He looked over at her, and the intensity of his bright eyes almost floored her. A hypnotizing pool of excitement, a beacon of energy depicting a high, as if a previous alcoholic now a year clear was just offered a glass of sparkling champagne. Beads of sweat made their way down his skin which was flushed in a way it got only after a satisfactory workout.
Momo offered him a reserved, gentle smile, indicating the scoreboard.
"91%," He huffed, still slightly breathless, leaning in to study the finer details. "Barely an A."
Yaoyorozu studied his face, searching for any indication as to what he was thinking, but as always, his expression gave away nothing. Todoroki absently raised his towel to wipe off some of the perspiration that was starting to gather at his hairline, the action pushing his fringe to the side in that haphazard way she'd seen before, back when she'd broken her nose. That unlikely motion jogged her memory and she left his side to make her way over to her bag.
"Probably because I wasn't using my quirk," he was still mumbling to himself as she came back. "Still room for improvement. Should've gotten an S…"
"You do realize how patronizing that sounds?" Momo cut across his monologuing dryly, handing him over a small, folded piece of cloth.
Todoroki looked at it. "What's this?"
She gave him a bland look. "The towel you gave me before. Remember? For my nose?"
"Ah," he said as it dawned on him. "You cleaned it?"
Momo put her free hand on her hip, still holding it up. "Well, yes, since it was covered in my blood. Sorry it took so long, I kept forgetting to put it in my bag." Todoroki didn't answer, instead turning back to the monitor, switching it off, and grabbed the jacket he'd discarded next to the console. "Go on, take it," she insisted, waving her thrusted arm out.
The ice hero straightened up, crinkling one eye, mouth turning into a lopsided grimace. "I have this one," he indicated the towel around his neck. "You keep it."
She gaped at him as he walked passed.
"What? I cleaned it and everything!"
"I'd rather not have something previously soaked in someone else's blood," he said over his shoulder, now at the doorway picking up his bags, which he'd thrown next to hers. "Let's go Yaoyorozu. Time to lock up."
The girl huffed out a sigh. "Could've mentioned that sooner," she muttered under her breath, following him out the door.
The two of them had somehow fallen into the norm of leaving together. They both always stayed until 6pm, which was when U.A. forcefully kicked them out, and it had become an unspoken rule that they would leave with the other. It didn't usually happen that they'd interact before then, completely immersed as they were in their respective workouts.
It was on this particular walk, while Momo was discussing the use and necessity of accessory equipment for a hero, that she was interrupted by Todoroki's stomach growling. Loudly.
There was a moment of silence where everything just froze.
Todoroki stiffened as his pupils shrunk to horrified points, giving his eyes an ethereal, translucent look. Momo stared at him, mouth still open from her one-sided debate. Then she gave a sharp inhale and time restarted. The ice user gave a strange, awkward movement where he half-coughed, half-palmed his face, like he didn't quite know what to do with his hands. He dragged his palm down slowly in utter mortification, all the while muttering profanities she could barely hear to unknown entities. Momo's eyes slowly gathered light, excitement building as if just hearing their pop quiz results were out early.
"Is it possible...?" she breathed.
"Don't start, Yaoyorozu," he huffed.
"Is Shouto Todoroki…."
"Seriously, just let it go."
"Actually…"
"Yaoyo-"
"Hungry?"
Todoroki let out a growl of frustration, rolling his eyes skyward, cursing his God-forsaken classmates to the depths of the abyss.
Somehow, word had gotten around that Yaoyorozu was staying after school for training (although he didn't recall this being breaking news when he'd started staying back). This resulted in every guy, knowing he stayed after school as well (again, no one had blinked when they found out he stayed behind), pestering him for details. The details pertaining to everything ranging from what clothes she wore to whether or not they got any physical spar action on to what kind of sounds she made when training, and if it was possible for him to get a recording of it (needless to say Mineta got his mouth frozen shut for that).
They were relentless.
Apparently one of the most popular girls in their year training (like every blasted pre-hero in this school should be doing) instigated this kind of insanity.
And they were everywhere, from the hallways to the cafeteria to the vending machines. Forget eating, just having a moment's peace had been a luxury stripped away.
His chance finally came when a typical Class 1A scuffle broke loose. Iida being himself tried intervening but was almost immediately accidentally hit by Uraraka's anti-gravity (which she had activated in an attempt to stop Bakugo from pulverizing a quaking Mineta). As he slowly drifted to the ceiling, his flailing hands had accidentally flipped the gravity hero's skirt ever so slightly, which only doubled the already immense chaos. That was when Todoroki had finally been able to slip away to the roof in some much needed respite.
Of course, almost as soon as he reached the roof, the bell sounded for the next class and that was how he had been left foodless for the entire day, all stemming from a ludicrous reason he'd never divulge to Yaoyorozu, ever. This, however, still left him facing the current humiliating and degrading situation he'd currently been thrown in.
"This is a special occasion; it's not every day an average being such as myself can witness the almighty Todoroki eating-"
"I eat everyday, Yaoyorozu."
Momo however, was far past listening. She had begun a rant, sounding objective, like a mother listing off a checklist before her son left home for college. "But don't you worry, I have you covered. I know all the best places to eat. Most of them are cafés though and aren't nearly filling enough, although I'll have to show you Café Grafé's Strawberry Swirl Shake one day; it's heavenly.
"But if we have to eat, it's definitely going to have to be at Du Coin. They're relatively new, but their food is absolutely incredible."
Or more like a mother with a large pile of coupons.
"I'll have to pass."
This was a mistake, he realized too late, as she turned her sparkling eyes to him.
"No, Todoroki, you don't understand, their food is on a different level. I swear to you, it's enlightening. I've been so many times, and I try something new each sitting, and I've yet to find a dish I don't like. Their ravioli, their shrimp, their lasagna, their-" She let out a gasp of pure excitement. "You can try their calzone! You haven't lived until you've tried their calzone!"
Someone give this girl a sedative. Please. "Really, Yaoyorozu, going into town will just take too long, and we have homework today-"
"Oh, today you remember homework?" Shouto had never seen the black-haired girl so passionate before. It was quite scary. "How can someone choose studying over a chance to eat?"
Was this the same girl who had been close to tears just days ago when he had said he barely touched his school books? Honestly, he just wanted to avoid going downtown. Buying a cold cheese and ham sandwich from a nearby convenience store was something he'd much rather do. At this point, even stale bread seemed heavenly.
"Todoroki," his eyes snapped back to the girl currently pumped on adrenaline, for some strange reason. Her eyebrows were drawn together, creating the smallest crease between them. Her cheeks were flushed from unconstrained excitement and the contrast made her skin seem to glow. Her dark eyes were large and bright and unblinking. He felt his mouth go dry. "A calzone. Picture it. The perfect crust, the melted cheese, the smell of garlic and oregano-"
"I….I really don't think-"
His stomach gave another, loud rumble. Momo's face had split open into a brilliant smile, the essence of happiness. Betrayed by his own body. Todoroki let out a long, hard sigh.
He needed more training.
And that was how they found themselves currently on the public bus, making their way to the central shopping and food center. Todoroki had made his way to the far end of the vehicle and slumped down as low as the seat allowed him, pulling the collar of his jacket as far up as it would go. Momo sat next to him, as prim and proper as he was rag-hazard. If Momo didn't know any better, she'd have thought he was trying to hide himself. She watched people get onto the bus, and shoot him looks, before beginning to mutter amongst themselves.
Todoroki sighed through his nose and turned to look out the window.
"So how come you're hungry today? Lunch lady out of food by the time you made it downstairs?"
Ah, the dreaded question. But he was prepared. "Were you not in class today? I don't think anyone could have eaten there."
Momo gave an exasperated sigh. "Why is our class absolutely insane? Class 1B seems so contained and civil in comparison."
Crisis successfully averted. "It's that grape. He's the culmination of all things evil," Todoroki said, glowering darkly.
"Grape? Do you mean Mineta?" Yaoyorozu smothered giggles. He remained silent, not wanting to waste his precious energy talking about Mineta of all things. He rested his chin on his palm, elbow propped up on the bus's window sill. The window was open, the wind rushing through his hair. He closed his eyes, absorbing the feel of cool air hitting his skin. The sunlight wasn't a scorching one, half hidden behind large, white clouds, making for a bright, yet gentle sky.
Maybe this outing wasn't such a bad idea.
"Excuse me?" Both teens looked up. A middle aged woman was standing next to their seat, holding onto one of the support rings. "Are you Shouto Todoroki?"
The boy in question sat up straighter, slowly, like he wasn't sure he wanted to, and lowered his arm slowly from the window onto his lap. "Yes...?"
"My sons watched your match at the U.A. sports tournament. One of them was hit with a piece of concrete your explosion sent flying."
Yaoyorozu seemed absolutely taken aback by the casual way she had admitted Todoroki being the cause of a rather serious accident. But the boy in question didn't miss a beat and immediately lowered his head in her direction. Almost like he was used to it. "I am very sorry to hear that. I do hope U.A. gave you the fullest care as reimbursement for your support."
"Oh no, sweetheart, that's not what I meant," she waved his formal apology away. "Some hero had made it so anything that came flying towards us felt like feathers. I was just wondering though; could you perhaps sign it for him? The concrete piece, I mean. He's such a fan."
Him? Sign concrete? Well that was something you didn't hear every day.
Someone a few seats away had pulled out a camera. Todoroki took the piece of rock the woman was holding out and, for only a moment, he just stared at it, processing the fact that this meant she'd been carrying the stone around for the last three weeks or so. Then she handed over a marker as well, smiling expectantly.
"You want my signature?" he asked.
"If you'd please," she confirmed.
He looked down at the rock, then back up at her again. "Not Endeavor's? Mine?"
The woman gave him a happy nod.
With all the uncertainty of the world, he wrote his name on the piece of rock, feeling completely out of his depth and very much a pompous imbecile. If his father could see him now… With almost imperceptible hesitation, he gave it back to the woman, who began thanking him endlessly.
And then it started.
"Wait, Todoroki-kun, can you sign this too?"
"Yeah, mine as well!"
"Can I please get a picture?"
"My sister's on the phone right now, can you just say hi?"
Almost instantly, an assortment of items was thrust into his immediate vision and the noise level skyrocketed. People began shoving and tripping over as those further back tried elbowing others to make way, and the bus shook slightly. He exchanged a glance with Yaoyorozu, who still seemed at a loss for words. Hesitantly, he took the first object, a handkerchief, signed it, and then proceeded to the next. He winced as a flash went off from somewhere in the crowd.
"I'm sorry, but could you take a picture of us together?" Shouto paused the signing as he looked up at a girl addressing Yaoyorozu. A sudden, illogical panic welled within him as he watched the girl replace Momo as the latter stood up. The girl sat her bum down and shuffled it back until she was pressed up against him (his left eyebrow twitched), and then struck a pose. Todoroki stiffened up completely, never being exposed to so much physical contact with anyone in his life, a pen and a stranger's phone case held tightly in his hands. Momo took the picture, and then shot him an amused, self-satisfied look.
"Sorry about his face," she said, giving the phone back to the girl. "It's always like that. Please don't take it personally."
The panicked expression disappeared, only to be replaced with one of irritation. Darned Yaoyorozu.
The picture appeared to make things worse, and the crowd seemed to double, in both size and intensity. Had there even been this many people on the bus in the first place?
"Todoroki, our stop is almost here!" He heard Yaoyorozu call out over the hoard and he truly didn't think he'd heard more stress-relieving words. He started sidling along the seat towards her, signing off one last book and being cornered with a few more pictures as he did.
"Todoroki-kun, you haven't signed my case yet!"
"Is that your girlfriend? She's so pretty!"
"Todoroki-kun, my sister's still on the phone, if you could only just say something back-"
"Todoroki, if you're such an incredible hero, why didn't you hold back against Midoriya?"
Shouto felt his spine go rigid. He looked up, eyes instantly locking with a young boy, not much younger than him probably, who was the only one not pushing and shoving trying to get Shouto-memorabilia, and met his gaze dead on.
"'Hold back'?" he echoed, croaking out words for the first time since the onslaught started.
"This is it, Todoroki!" he heard Momo call over. She was already by the doors. "We're getting off here."
He distractedly resumed pushing through the crowd. But the boy continued, talking loudly. "Clearly your quirk was much stronger. You just drew out the fight when you could have easily ended it much sooner. He was burnt to a crisp by the end of it; you could see how blackened his arm and leg were. That's probably permanent damage. That's not very heroic. You've destroyed someone's future."
Shouto stopped and stared at him. The entire crowd had fallen silent at this point, and almost every phone held out was recording.
That wasn't what happened. He knew that. And yet, just then, he couldn't think of anything to say. He just looked at the judgement and hate in the boy's eyes and something inside him clammed up.
It reminded him of the way his mother used to look at him, in those dark moments near the end. Like he was the reason for darkness in the world, as if everything damaged and chaotic was a result of him. He'd tried fixing that look, fixing the reason anyone would ever look at him that way. He'd abandoned use of his left side, he'd thrown away his father completely. It hadn't been the best plan, but at least he'd done something. He'd dedicated his life to becoming the hero his mother had always wanted him to be. He tried so hard to never have anyone ever, ever look at him that way again.
Perhaps the boy was right though. That side he'd sworn off, the side that bred hatred and pain, he'd used again. He'd broken a promise he'd placed by himself for himself. He was weak. And yet, here-
Shouto's inner thoughts were halted as a gentle pressure landed on his shoulder. His head snapped up to see Yaoyorozu looking at him, motioning for him to leave the bus.
"Let's go, Todoroki." Her voice was firm. The doors had opened. Wordlessly, he got off. "Oh, and kid," Momo stayed back, singling out the boy, voice firm. "If you think holding back against an opponent is the honorable thing to do, you have serious thinking to be done. Go watch the match again. Get your facts straight. Then come back, find Todoroki and give him an apology."
And with a swish of her ponytail, she left the bus as well.
A few people got off with them, but luckily, they didn't approach the pair, instead just waving as they passed. Momo reciprocated. Todoroki, however, was deaf to the world, his eyes slightly glazed over not paying them any attention at all. Momo glanced over at him, hand still raised, fingers curling absently. His gaze was rooted to the pavement, and she could see pulsations over the side of his cheek as he grit his teeth continuously. Even his hands, stuffed in his blazer's pockets, were bulging with the telltale mass of a clenched fist.
Yaoyorozu mentally cursed that frivolous boy on the bus once more. Talk about worldly disconnect. Although it obviously wasn't a way he'd have imagined spending his afternoon, the slight upward curl of his lips had been indication enough that Todoroki had actually been enjoying the situation, somewhat. Until, of course, someone with the tact and respect of a neanderthal decided to butt it.
Regardless, she was going to fix this.
"What in the world was that?" she asked, in slight wonderment, her tone as light and carefree as she could make it. He didn't say anything, and she felt her gaze drift to his form again. When he didn't respond, Momo sighed inaudibly. "Would you like to just go home?"
"No," Todoroki's response was immediate, but his voice cracked and came out slightly higher than he'd have liked. He cleared his throat. "No. We've come this far."
She gave his shoulder a light thump. "That's the spirit! Now let's get you some food."
As if in response, his stomach gave a light growl. His mouth gave a weak upward twitch and she let out a quiet giggle. Yaoyorozu began leading the way, and without a word, he followed. Todoroki let her stay just a step ahead of him, mind still reeling from the recent encounter. Having a plethora of emotions swirling within him never did good things for anyone. He wasn't good with emotions. For most of the walk, he was quiet. The young hero could see his companion shooting him worried glances out of the corner of her eye, but never once did she breech the silence. She was letting him have his space, and he felt a surge of gratitude for that.
"It's been like this ever since the tournament," he said finally, feeling like he owed her some sort of explanation. "Although never quite like that…"
"Being in the tournament ourselves, we kinda forgot just how big the U.A. sports festival truly is," she said delicately. "The exposure we got is more than we could have ever imagined…" She turned her head to give him an apologetic look. "And that's why you were so reluctant on coming today. Sorry for forcing you. I wasn't thinking." Todoroki gave a one-sided shrug. "But no! It'll be worth it, I swear this to you!"
"It better be." That came out sounding more desolate and ungrateful than he'd wanted, but she took it in stride.
"If it isn't, I'll have the chef's head served to us next," she said. "Plus, it's a weekday, so hopefully, the center won't be too crowded-"
They rounded the corner, and Todoroki had to apply every reflex to avoid running into Yaoyorozu as she suddenly ground to a halt. He followed her gaze to watch the large, bustling swarm of people mulling around, extending as far as the center ran.
"It's like a bad joke," she mumbled awkwardly. "It seems… even more packed than usual." A few people close by noticed them and started whispering. Todoroki looked at the ground.
He wasn't a social animal by nature. He tended to stay to himself, and preferred it that way, not having to worry about images or what people thought or pretending to be someone he wasn't. He'd known on some level that after U.A., he'd have somewhat of a name - hopefully his own and not his father's - and that people would know him for his achievements. But that was much later, after graduation, and perhaps a year of hero work as well. This was too soon, and unwanted, and unexpected. And undeserved. He hadn't won, after all.
Being Edeavor's son, standing out in the world of heroes was something Shouto had underestimated. Would he have to live this life of scrutiny from now on? Were the peaceful days he was used to gone for good? Could he no longer take his time going from place to place, just watching the world thrive? Was it over just like that? He didn't like this central life, with the masses orbiting around him. He didn't want to be in the spotlight if it meant feeling this alone. He didn't -
Suddenly, a warm, soft touch cleared his mind; like a single drop bringing ripples on the surface of a still lake. Shouto's gaze shifted over to look down at the fist he hadn't even known he'd made, now encircled by another, smaller hand. Yaoyorozu's touch was gentle, but firm, and he watched, transfixed, as slowly, his fist uncurled and her hand slid comfortably into his.
And it was the strangest sight he'd ever seen.
"I have an idea," he heard her say softly, and he felt her tug loosely for him to follow, which he did.
She'd given him tunnel vision.
All around him, people were looking at him and muttering as they always did, but he didn't notice. Instead his attention was focused fully on her, and her hand (was it even possible for hands to be this soft?) holding his.
And almost as soon as she'd touched him, Yaoyorozu let go.
"Wait here for a second."
Shouto watched numbly as she opened the door to a shop and disappeared inside. And just as his vision of her was cut, so did the sounds of the world come flooding back in. Chest tightening uncomfortably, he turned around, slowly, to face the world. Most people hadn't really noticed him, just the odd few who were closest to him; although they had begun pointing. And as always, pointing attracted the attention of other people.
He couldn't stand this.
The ice user began pacing in front of the door Yaoyorozu had disappeared behind. What was taking her so long? What was she even doing? Weren't they supposed to be eating something right now? His stomach gave a distant growl. He growled right back. This was all those idiots' fault. If only he'd had something to eat, he'd have never been here in the first place. What humiliation. What mortification. What disgrace-
A drop rippled the water's surface.
The touch was back. This time, he whirled around to face her, his eyes wide, but she silently dragged him a few steps forward, before pulling him into a narrow alley between two buildings and dropped her hold. Her hands then glowed with the telltale activation of her quirk, and she proceeded to seal their entrance with a large plank, cutting them off from view. He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, his expression a rare, vulnerable one of relief.
Yaoyorozu grinned, clearly proud of herself. "Wear this," she said, brandishing her latest buy; a black beanie. He took it meekly from her hands. He stared at it for a few moments, then looked at her.
"I don't wear ski caps," he said rather matter-of-factly.
"What? Why not?" she asked, upset. "Is it too hot?"
"No," He ran his thumb over its fabric. "Ski caps flatten my hair."
A heartbeat.
Then Yaoyorozu burst into laughter. Shouto tried holding in a frown. He failed to see what was so funny, watching imperviously as she clutched her abdomen. Clearly him being the butt of some internal joke was causing her physical pain, yet she didn't stop, and despite this, he couldn't find it within himself to feel angry.
"What?" he asked once she had calmed down, a little frown winning over and planting itself firmly on his face. She wiped away tears.
"No, it's just," she spluttered, laughter fading into smaller giggles. "To hear someone like you have an issue that's so…shallow," The knot between his eyebrows was back. "So mundane," he felt a vein pop. "So normal," he blinked. "I don't know, it was just unexpected is all. Kind of a relief, to be honest," Momo's smile was so genuine and kind, and he found himself looking back down at the hat.
How irksome.
The hat itself was a plain black one, which he assumed she'd chosen because she didn't want to risk buying something he wouldn't like. That was logical enough; one couldn't go wrong with black. She was being thoughtful.
How tedious.
"The secret to avoiding flat hat hair," Her eyes twinkled up at him. "Is to just muss your hair up a bit, or flip it in the opposite direction to how you'd normally part it. Then you wear it. And don't pull down too hard, either."
He looked at her skeptically, before raising a hand, hesitating for just a moment before ruffling his hair completely. She doubled back in laughter again. Todoroki shot her an annoyed look through haywire bangs and instantly ran a hand back through, trying to fix the damage. How utterly vexing. She was definitely playing him for a fool. His stomach growled again and he felt his mood deteriorate by the second.
"Alright here, lemme fix it," Yaoyorozu stepped forward and began the undoubtedly troublesome poofing up of his limp, straight hair at the crown of his head.
For a while, Todoroki had the small dilemma of where he was supposed to direct his gaze. All he could see were far-too-close bits of her; her ear, her eyes, her cheek, her hair; eventually, he resolved to closing his eyes completely. Of course, that left him with the chore of trying to ignore the feeling of having her fingers run through his hair, and the sound of her breath coming out in little whiffs as she focused. Not to mention the smell...
Finally, the woe of his present existence pulled away, having gently set the hat for him and was now studying him like he was her finest piece of art.
"There!" Yaoyorozu chirped. "It's definitely the hair; it's too iconic. No one will spare your averageness a second glance now." He wished he shared her optimistic outlook. "Now come on, let's go out this way," she said, walking deeper into the alley. He frowned, watching as she began stepping over rotting crates and crushed cans, and it struck him how improper that looked. A person as dignified as Yaoyorozu should never have to take a back alleyway to anywhere.
But before he could call her back, she rounded the corner and motioned for him to follow.
They finally made it back into daylight. While people weren't staring blatantly or muttering to each other or pointing anymore, some were still glancing his way. And those who did quickly averted their eyes, like they'd been caught doing something improper. Shouto frowned for a moment before his heart sank with realization.
His scar. How could he have forgotten?
He turned to look at himself in the neighboring store's glass window. Now, without his hair covering, it was all the more apparent; a mark permanently branded into his skin. Something dark and coarse and ugly. Something he hated; a reminder that his memories of a mother were just a figment of hope he himself had created.
"What's wrong?" Yaoyorozu had noticed he wasn't following her and came up to stand next to him. Her faultless reflection next to his was too much for him. Reflexively, he pulled down on the hat, trying to cover the left side of his face. This was why he grew bangs.
"Nothing," he muttered. She watched him a bit, in a way that made him feel uncomfortable; like she could see everything, through all the walls he'd put up, deep into his soul.
"Todoroki," she said, ever so softly. "It's just a scar."
He grit his teeth, shoulders hunching. He didn't think anyone had ever voiced it out loud, outside his family. Everyone he met just chose to ignore it, and rightly so; he'd made sure there were other things to focus on. No one had ever gotten close enough to him to notice his personality. And a good thing too. Closeness meant feeling… exposed. Vulnerable.
"Hey, come on, don't do that," Yaoyorozu said, and he inhaled sharply as he felt her oh so softly grip his arm and lower it from his face. She gazed up at him, and reflexively, he tilted his left side away from her. He could see out of the corner of his eye that she was upset. Understandable. 'Well, that makes two of us.' He thought wryly.
Momo then tilted her head, studying him closely and unabashedly, and he still stubbornly refused to meet her eyes. Seconds passed and she continued staring, for so long that the young hero finally exhaled, long and deep, before begrudginly turning his head back, shooting her a withering, questioning, uncertain glare, his eyes speaking all the words he didn't want to. She didn't look away. His lips pressed together.
This girl had no shame.
"I really don't know what you're worried about," she said, straightening, expression back to being clear and happy, which relieved him more than he'd care to admit. "I think it looks cool."
He stared at her.
The creation heroine twisted on her heel, hands clamped behind her back. "Pun not intended," she added over her shoulder. He blinked.
All his life, his scar had been an anchoring point to negativity. The only thing it had ever meant to him was violence and anger, a reminder of a grudge to never forget. It symbolized a psychological trauma that spread across a whole generation. To have something so intrinsic to his past be put so lightly; it was like she had never seen any darkness in him. It was like he was normal, and always had been.
With a start, he thought that this was probably what Midoriya had meant when he said his nickname 'Deku' had been turned from something scarring to something uplifting.
Todoroki watched her with a newfound fascination, studying the harmonious way she walked. The way her hair swayed with each step, a poof of soft, messy perfection; the swell of her hips, the slenderness of her shoulders; an elegance she presented even when in gym clothes. He didn't know how she'd done it. But suddenly, all his worries shrunk into something trivial. Like he didn't even know why he had been so frustrated in the first place.
"Let's go get a place to sit, Todoroki."
The creation heroine's words snapped him out of his trance and he gave a slight jerk, the world coming back into focus, and with it, a lightness to his soul. He turned his head to face the floor, hands stuffed deep, deep into his pockets, and tried hiding the large, inexplicably happy smile suddenly donning his lips. Todoroki let out a breath of uncertain joy, and then several more; a quiet laugh with himself.
Finally, he looked up again, smile still on his face, to see her turned around and staring at him. Noticing he had looked up, she quickly turned away, her cheeks staining a rosy pink. He smiled crookedly, his muscles still not used to the expression, and he stepped over to join her, something stirring within, somewhere deep down, and previously untouched.
Something he wasn't ready to acknowledge anytime soon.
"Well?" Momo pressed. "Best calzone you've ever had, right?"
Todoroki chewed, thinking it over. He swallowed. "It's alright."
She dropped her hands on her table, making the cutlery clatter noisily, and people from neighboring tables shot them looks. Shoto just mentally rolled his eyes, focusing entirely on his piece, by now well used to her over-reactions when it came to food.
"'Alright'?!" She repeated indignantly. He nodded.
"I've had better," he added. Honestly, now he was just baiting her to try and see how many colors she could turn within the span of a minute. Todoroki took another bite. Momo's mouth flapped open and closed noiselessly, her eyes practically bulging; a very good impression of a pufferfish. A solid 9/10.
"'Better'?!" Yaoyorozu wheezed out. He nodded sagely. "Where? Where is this place so I can go myself and completely disagree with you?"
"It's on the other side of town," Todoroki said, after swallowing. She frowned. "I suppose I can bring one for you at some point."
She liked that idea.
"So… was it worth the trip?" the black-haired girl asked, looking slightly nervous, looking down at her plate as she said this.
Todoroki didn't answer immediately, taking another bite, glancing around. The restaurant was chic, and screamed of a non-flamboyant, subtle wealth. He hadn't ever been down here before, tucked away as it was, a tiny door between two other shops, invisible unless directed to. Once inside, the place was actually quite big, with a back door that led to some sort of outside eating space as well.
They had found themselves a seat in the back corner, and away from any direct line of sight, which he considered a huge blessing. No one looked their way at all. Which was for the better, considering her gaze was the only one he'd accept; non-judgmental and open. He swallowed.
"Well," He said, finally answering her question. "I'm not hungry anymore."
"Is that a yes?" she asked.
"What do you think?" he asked back, taking another bite. She straightened, her food still lying half touched in front of her.
"There's no straight answer with you is there?" Momo watched him intently as he finished off the last of his meal, and then lean back in his chair, thoroughly satisfied. He was so content then that he almost forgave their class for the disruption today. (Almost.)
"You really were hungry," she said amusedly, finally taking another bite from her plate.
"Famished," he agreed.
"Is this going to be an everyday thing? Should I bring in extra cash for your lunch as well now?"
"Shouldn't be necessary."
"Wait a minute," she said after a moment of comfortable silence, a thought occurring to her. "Does this mean you did that well on that simulation program while having an empty stomach?"
Todoroki huffed. "I didn't do that well. I should have gotten an S rank, and definitely past 95% at the very least."
"There you go again with your total disregard for other people's feelings." He raised an eyebrow at her in question. "I scored 73, remember?" Momo said, looking miffed.
"That makes sense," he said, ignoring the angry look she shot him. "You've only just learned how to dodge. Considering that, 73 is better than expected. I've been fine-tuning my skills for years now. I should be perfect, especially when gauged on some two-bit machine."
"Well, when you put it like that…" Momo finished off the last of her food. "Yeah, you need practice." He shot her a look, which she didn't notice as she stood up. "Well, I think that's it for today."
He blinked. "What about the bill?"
She pulled her bag over her head and grinned. "I told them to put it on my tab." And before he could get a word in, she was out the door. Clicking his tongue irritably, he grabbed his bag and followed her.
"How much was my share?"
Yaoyorozu gave an indignant laugh. "Hah! Like I'm letting you pay. This was my treat."
"Don't be ridiculous," he snapped, reaching for his wallet. "Now tell me how much-" But as his hands tapped at his pockets, they came up empty. She gave him a knowing smirk.
"See? It was meant to be. Just let it go."
"Yaoyorozu, stop with the formalities, this is-"
"Todoroki," she stopped, looking him dead in the eyes. "It was my idea to drag you out here. You had to go through some rather…unfortunate confrontations you wouldn't have had to if it wasn't for me. It was my fault, my idea. So just, let me make up for it, alright?" he opened his mouth to argue. "Please?"
With those final words, Yaoyorozu turned, continuing walking, leaving him staring blankly at the cobblestone pathway. She had noticed. Even though he was sure he had been hiding it, and had been sure that no one really noticed, she had. And she had blamed herself for whatever demons he was dealing with. So much so that she had to pay for his meal like some child in need.
He was pathetic.
"You can't still be upset about the whole money thing," she said with a sigh, walking the streets of the shopping center, shooting him a sullen look. Todoroki looked away. "This was a one-time thing. You'll pay me back one day. That other calzone's on you."
"My sister owns that place; I'd be getting it for free."
She blinked. Well, that was an unexpected dynamic. "Well, you'll find another way I'm sure."
"If I'm going to pay you back eventually, might as well be now."
"You don't have your wallet," Yaoyorozu answered cheekily. He was about to say something before she walked through a pair of sliding doors.
"Where are you going?" he asked, following her inside without thinking.
"What, you didn't think I came downtown just to feed you, right?" she shot him a playful smile over her shoulder. "You were just a detour on a trip I was already taking."
"This is ridiculous," he muttered, glowering angrily.
They had entered a drug store and he felt exceptionally out of his element as she picked up a basket, leading the way amicably to the self-care section. He hunched his shoulders as they passed by an aisle full of tampons and pregnancy tests, keeping his eyes firmly plastered to the linoleum floor. Other customers had begun to shoot looks, although he was sure this time it was less because of him, and more that two teenagers had entered a certain isle together.
"What business could you possibly have here?" he practically hissed, feeling rather out of his element.
"My mother needed a few things," she said. Yaoyorozu looked over at him, watching his wary glances down the aisles. "You can leave, you know?"
He hmph-ed. "And walk away as if my only motive was getting a free meal? My chivalry has already taken enough of a beating today."
Momo glanced at him as he determinedly looked anywhere but at her. So that was the root of it all. He felt that, as the male in the duo, he should be taking care of things for her. She tried containing her smile. She was suddenly glad he had forgotten his wallet. His pride needed to learn that a woman could lead every once in a while. Although what he said had left her quite flattered.
"You're rich, right? Shouldn't you be able to afford people to do this for you?" Todoroki asked suddenly.
"I don't think that's something one generally says to a person, Todoroki," she said absently, picking up a face lotion of some sort, and comparing it with another tube which looked practically identical.
"My family is rich too, so I can say what I want on the subject."
"Well, if you must know," she put both tubes back, and picked up another one he swore was exactly the same, but red, and threw that in instead. "We don't trust them getting us the right product. Plus, the prices are really good here."
"Again, is that something you need to worry about?"
"Having lots of money just makes us want to save it all the more." Yaoyorozu, top student that she was, would have sounded infinitely more wise if she'd backed up her words with actions. Instead she had gone around the entire day spending like-
His eyes suddenly widened and he pulled off the hat from his head, crackles of static sounding with the motion.
"This!" he exclaimed. "How much was this?"
She waved him off. "Hardly cost anything."
He sighed in frustration. She was such a classic 'rich parents' only child'. However, before he could say anything else, Yaoyorozu turned to look at him and broke out into giggles, muffling them behind her hand, pointing at his hair. A wave of foreboding washed over him. Todoroki strode over to the nearest mirror and sure enough, his fears were confirmed.
"I told you this would happen," he grumbled. His hair had indeed flattened, un-flatteringly defining the top of his head, while the ends stood up, charged with electrons. He proceeded to viciously ruffle his hair, creating a soft flurry of white and red, crackling with electricity. Yaoyorozu dug through her basket before pulling out a bottle.
"It's hair tonic. It should help," she said. Todoroki took it, studying it for a moment, before lightly squeezing some into his palm. He then proceeded to sniff it. "Just use it Todoroki," she sighed, rolling her eyes slightly.
Momo watched as he started running his fingers through his hair, scooping the awry strands from his forehead and slicking them back, leaving his face fully open for the first time. Standing to his right, without the scar obstructing his face, Momo was able to study the half-ice-half-fire hero's features properly.
He was actually quite pretty, not at all like Endeavor, what with his sharp, slender jawline, small nose, and the elegant arch of his eyebrows... Too pretty. Maybe the scar was a good thing.
"This is why I hate hats," he said irritably, looking at her, hair now slicked back, and she felt herself flush at being caught staring, immediately looking away. She knit her fingers together, feeling suddenly awkward.
"B-But," Darn the high pitched frequency her voice had reached. "You needed it today. Right?" she asked.
Todoroki noticed the edge to her voice. Not the embarrassed edge (he ignored that, because her being awkward made him feel awkward); the edge that showed she wasn't always so self-assured, and that she was in need of consolation sometimes as well. He pulled the hat back on.
Tapping her on the top of her head with the bottle of gel, just as she had so similarly weeks ago, he then handed it back. Yaoyorozu looked up and he gave her a small, calm, reassuring smile.
"I did."
"Where have you been?"
Momo gave a large jump at the sudden breach of her thoughts. She had been closing the front door to the house when her mother's voice came from the living room. She turned to look at the older woman's reflection in the large wall mirror; she was sitting on her favorite spot on the wide, leather couch. Her mother loved that spot, and, since she wanted also to able to see whoever entered their home, had placed a mirror on the opposite wall.
"Mother! You scared me. I'm not used to you being home before me."
"Don't change the subject."
Momo sighed. "I went to buy your lotion," she said, dismissively, walking passed the living room to the kitchen.
"The full truth, Momo."
'Oh for Pete's sake.' The young heroine, dumping the shopping bag onto the table in exchange for grabbing an apple from the basket of fruit on the kitchen island. She made her way back to the living room. "I went out to get some food with a friend before that. I'm sorry it took so long. It won't happen again."
Her mother stared at her, gaze stone cold, sizing her up as she placed the bag of drug store products, glasses glinting in the sharp lights. Momo stared lightly back, well used to the behavior. Finally, her mother tilted her chin up. "Make sure it doesn't. There will be consequences."
Momo sighed at her mother's clipped, formal tone. "Yes mother," she said, biting into the apple, half expecting the lecture to continue, probably to elaborate on those consequences. But instead, her mother remained silent, engaging the opposite wall in a staring contest. Strange.
"Is something wrong?"
Her mother gave a blink of surprise, as if she had already forgotten her daughter was there. She studied her, as if determining whether or not Momo was worth sharing information with. Her mother must have been truly burdened, because finally, Mrs Yaoyorozu spoke up.
"Your father is having an affair."
Momo gaped. The apple fell from her hand.
"…Huh?"
A/N: Quite a long chapter, sorry about that. Or maybe it was a good thing? I dunno :P