AN: Set one year before A Cup of Magic starts. This is the reason Todoroki was a regular:)
I decided to make this special chapter a TodoMomo one, since TodoMomo Christmas month starts today! (check out the event on tumblr~)
10.5. A Trip Back in Time
It started snowing all of a sudden - at first softly, like the opening to a waltz, and much like a Strauss melody, it quickly picked up, snowflakes sticking together to form thick feathers that covered the ground, stubbornly resisting under the crunch of Shouto's boots. He shrugs the hood of his coat over his head, shuddering when the snow that sneaked in there teases his hair and melts against his warmth.
Even with his hood pulled so low it obstructs most of his view and his scarf raised over his mouth, burying even the tip of his nose in a bundle of wool Fuyumi knitted into what she calls a scarf - but is mostly a clumsily strung together pattern Shouto loves nonetheless - he feels the cold seeping into his every bone.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Shouto sees the blinking lights of the bus lazily departing from the station, and he grits out a quiet curse. With the last bus of the night gone, he'll have to take a cab - what a joke. As if nature resonates with Shouto, the wind picks up and a wave of snow slams into his coat, a couple of flakes attaching themselves to his buttons. With this blizzard, there's no way he'll get a cab in due time, and the clock is ticking to his freezing to death.
Shielding himself from the wind, Shouto turns his head to the right, avoiding another merciless gust of wind, and that's when he sees it. Despite the late hour and terrible weather, a soft light twinkles in the local coffee shop, and Shouto finds himself blessing the inventor of the graveyard shift for saving his quite literally frozen ass.
Just as he makes it to the door, however, he notices the "Closed" sign and realizes how big of a fool he was - when did Lady Luck ever take his side? Still, he attempts to open the door, only to find it locked and come to grips with his predicament. He can't feel his numbening fingers when he reaches into the pocket of his coat for his phone and tries calling for a cab.
Before the line goes through, there's the rattle of a door and a girl dressed only in a sweater and with her hair pulled into a high ponytail talks over the roaring wind, "Hey! Come inside!"
He doesn't question her or whatever Gods saw his struggle - the line is busy, of course - and thankfully shuffles in after her, into the warm coffee shop smelling like… well, coffee, Shouto supposes. His nose is frozen and starting to water now that warmth tickles his skin again, so he can't really pick up any distinct fragrances in the air, aside from the distinct scent of boiling hot heaters.
"It's frigid!" the girl says, rubbing her arms with her hands. "You must be freezing! Ah, I had a blanket around here somewhere - just sit down and take off your jacket, I'll be right back!"
And so Shouto does, slumping on a plush chair in the corner, abandoning his coat on the closest heating unit. A few moments later, the girl emerges with a fluffy blanket in her arms and drapes it over Shouto, bundling him up. "This is all I have, but I hope it warms you up a little. I'll get you something hot to drink, so stay here."
Just like that, she's back on her feet and slides behind the bar, taking out two huge mugs - they almost look like soup bowls - and several ingredients. From his spot, Shouto can see her ponytail bouncing as she brings the water to a simmer in a saucepan and proceeds to whisk in what appears to be cocoa powder.
He takes a moment to look around, and notices there are fairy lights lining the counter and the jars his barista is expertly skirting around. The light they're emitting is soft, adding to the whimsical atmosphere of the winter season - save for nature's attempt at killing him, of course.
His eyes are glued to the window, pondering ways to get to his apartment, when the girl places the steaming mug in front of him and sits down on the other side of the table, holding a cup of her own. "It's beautiful when you look at it from inside, isn't it?" she says, cupping the mug in between her porcelain white hands - they're almost as white as Shouto's hair.
He only nods in response, not particularly fond of small talk or engaging in a conversation with this stranger. Still, she was kind enough not to let him freeze to death, so he says, "Thanks."
The smile she gives him is so genuine it sets Shouto off. "You're welcome! This is no time to catch a cold, with the incoming exams."
"It's also no time to be working late night shifts," he strikes back.
She only gives him a feeble laugh and sips her beverage quietly, watching the erratic dance of snowflakes beyond the pocket of warmth they're in. Shouto raises the cup to his mouth, chocolate scented steam tickling his lips and thawing nose. The taste is beyond his expectations: creamy and smooth as velvet, it's not so thick you'd choke on it but not as thin as the instant one you can pick up off any supermarket shelf, either. Hints of cinnamon and whipped cream make Shouto crave more, and before he knows it, he's emptied half of the ridiculously large mug.
The barista is smiling to herself at something only she can see in the blizzard outside, like she found a core of beauty in the chaos, and Shouto doesn't want to break her out of the daze. For whatever reason, it doesn't feel like she's invading his personal space - despite the physical proximity, she feels far away, in a world Shouto can't even begin to comprehend, one with cloudless skies and beauty in the dirt.
"It feels magical, doesn't it? For there to be a tumult so close to the calm," she whispers into the rim of her mug.
The line hits Shouto, perhaps too close to home - it's not just the weather, but also his stormy past and the thoughts he can't untangle that coexist with the calm of this quaint coffee shop and the ebony-haired barista. Maybe he wouldn't call such a cohabitation magical as much as eerie, but her words still reverberate in the air, and Shouto finds himself staring at the fine lines that define her face, trying to pick her apart.
When she snaps out of her trance and meets his gaze, a coy smile is etched on her face, and Shouto feels surprisingly comfortable about saying, "They balance each other out."
She taps her finger on her cup rhythmically. "I think they actually coin each other until they become the same."
Maybe it's that particular line, or the knowing look in her obsidian eyes, or her smile as she waves at him when he gets into a cab, but Shouto finds himself coming to the cafe every day from there on out, waiting for the nameless ponytailed barista to explain her words. It isn't until one year later that he sees her again, and not until a few weeks later, when she plays the piano for him, that he discovers he's falling in love with her.
AN: Hello!
I really didn't think I'd reveal this so soon, but it fit with the ending of the last chapter and December upon us! The next chapter returns with the current timeline and it's titled "A Dash of Fun to Season the Party" so look forward to that~