Snowblind (A Mother's Love)

by 5557

Izuku Midoriya is excited for Class 1-A's winter field trip to the mountains. He may not be the best skier of the bunch, but he's no slouch. Shoto Todoroki, however, is something else. What starts out as a friendly competition on the slopes may end up as something entirely different altogether...

5. Setting Son

"Look, hey, I'm sorry. "

That was what Izuku managed to assemble into a coherent apology.

According to Kirishima's and Sero's awkward grimaces, shot over their shoulders as they snapped their boots into their snowboards, It wasn't much. And honestly, they were probably right.

Fudge.

He felt like he'd used up all his best words after they'd all gotten themselves sorted out on the landing platform, sincerely and profusely insisting to the lift staff that what happened was a freak accident that had never, ever happened before while grabbing snowboards and ski poles out of the frozen gondola.

Todoroki pretended not to hear him. He strategically kept his back to Izuku, volunteering to use his quirk to melt the ice encasing their cabin until the staff deemed it safe enough to switch the lift's power back on. Izuku stood off to the side of the landing platform, watching the steady stream of meltwater trickle down the side of the mountain, catching other bits of snow and ice in its miniature torrent down the steep incline until it all dispersed and sank into a hidden pocket in the snow. All that ice, pouring off the metal gondola's walls, produced in a fraction of a second. The whole thing struck Izuku as a symbol of Todoroki's raw power; and well, emotional fragility.

When the gondola was more or less defrosted, one attendant signaled her OK to the other in the booth, and with a mighty lurch, the Heaven's Gate lift continued to crank its way back down along the south face of mount Agamar.

That done, Kirishima and Sero waved their awkward goodbyes, hobbling towards the edge of the Peak to Creek trail and without a look back, dipped over on their way back down to the village. Izuku watched as they carved their way down, laughing and hollering and certainly free from the awkward situation he and Shoto had created. He half expected Todoroki to cancel his plans and follow them, what with how uncomfortable the air had gotten at the top of the lift...

But, oddly enough, he didn't. Instead Todoroki wandered about ten feet away from the landing platform to a cluster of the last few trees struggling to grow at this altitude and sat down. He carefully secured his skis together and with a quick heft, slung them onto his back; still frustratingly silent as he checked his watch, blew his nose, and prepared for the half-hour hike ahead of them up to the peak.

The silence was what got to him, honestly. It felt too… unfinished. Izuku was used to handling a barrage of insults from Kacchan when he'd overstepped his bounds, or a simple fist in his face to clear the air. He didn't mind it, actually. All it took was a short scuffle, and Bakugou usually cooled off not long after. Sure, he held grudges, but not about every minor thing. He was easy to rise, and easy to forget most unimportant slights. This? This was new to him. At least with Kacchan, Izuku always knew where he stood.

The emptiness of the mountain exacerbated this painfully awkward silence, as the three boys took off along the narrow path hugging the ridge of the mountain, devoid of all but the few most dedicated powder hounds. Most of his classmates, Izuku guessed, weren't in it today for an extra hike; happy to just ride the lifts that covered most runs. Todoroki lead the way up the empty trail from its starting marker, steadily melting footholds into the snow under his boots while Tokoyami followed him and Izuku trailed behind them both.

Gondola incident aside, those classmates were missing out. Izuku got back into the swing of working his body again, breathing in the fresh cold air and listening to the muffled crunch of snow under his boots. The path ahead was steep and clear, an ascent that curved up and around the powder bowl of the southern face, ending at the peak some two thousand meters above sea level.

Being so high up, they were now well past the treeline and out in open sunlight. Sparkling rays now reflected off the mountainside, stinging his eyes and leaving Izuku wishing his mom had packed him a pair of sunglasses in his overnight bag. His gaze drew up ahead of him. The other boys didn't seem so bothered.

"Hey, uh, just wanted to say again, I'm sorry!" Izuku broke the crushing silence, barely a hundred feet up the hill, rubbing his tired eyes against the glare. "I- really am!"

Todoroki stopped. He turned around just momentarily, expression impossible to read behind the scarf wrapped round his mouth and hood zipped up to his nose. -But he did turn around. That was something, right?

Then, just as soon as he glanced back at Izuku, Todoroki the Silent Wonder was back on his grind, heading up the trail with that same stoic determination Izuku both hated and respected in equal parts.

"I'm sorry..." he muttered under his breath.

The weather up here was strangely hot, what with the lack of wind and blazing sunshine and complete absence of snowy pines that had stopped about 300 feet below them. And yet, Izuku found it difficult to focus on the gorgeous view surrounding them. Of the nearby Twin Bells mountains and the grayest hint of Hosu city off in the distant horizon. Every time he tried to enjoy the scenery, Todoroki would just insert himself back in Izuku's line of vision, a constant reminder that, oh yeah, he was still there and he wasn't over what happened. How could he be so calm if he was so mad? Why stay with the group if he didn't want to be there? Was he still going to try to crash into Izuku when they got started on their run, or would he leave him alone like he was now?

He watched Todoroki's tall form power through the snowy hill, clearly determined to make good time on their run, long legs kicking snow carelessly behind him as they passed marker after marker towards the top.

900 meters. 700 meters.

This was, admittedly, getting hard to bear. The windless quiet, the occasional briefest glance. At this point Izuku just wished that if Todoroki were mad at him, that he'd just come out and say it. Get it all over with. Throw the first punch. Call him a shithead. God, what WAS he going to do? What about after, down in the village? What about at dinner? What if he was just mad at him forever now? It was this tense, lingering silence that filled Izuku's brain with spiraling anxiety and his gut with sinking dread.

"Hey," he choked out, stumbling up the hill to close a bit of distance, "Todoroki! I'm sorry for trying to make you eat that cookie. If you're allergic to cookies, that's ok! Hey! I'm sorry!"

Tokoyami sighed, stopped, and threw his bag and skis to the ground. He reached an arm out to his side as Izuku made to pass him on the trail. Izuku stopped, feeling the urgent pressure of Tokoyami's hand on his shoulder. "Midoriya," he said quietly, "Look. I don't think the cookie was really about the cookie..."

"So, what was it about?" Izuku leaned in, finding it difficult to keep his voice low with laboured breath. Tokoyami grabbed his water bottle from his pack. He drank deeply from it, thinking hard about his reply. Todoroki saw them stop, and slowed his pace for a few meters before giving up any pretense of courtesy and continuing on, keeping a comfortable lead ahead of them both. Izuku had to squint to see his silver jacket against the bright snow way up ahead. "Do you... think he hates me?"

Tokoyami shook his head. "Let me put it this way," he said, calmly replacing the cap on his bottle. "People don't tend to spend their entire day hanging around people they hate."

"Oh?"

Tokoyami made like he was going to say something else, but stopped himself short. "Just leave him be, ok? I still have some ski techniques to teach you both and I don't want this to turn into some huge deal."

Izuku nodded slowly. So Shoto didn't hate him? But he'd been avoiding him the whole hike! Izuku declined the offer of Tokoyami's water bottle and set off to catch up to Todoroki up the trail. What did he know, honestly? It's not like he'd spent his entire day with Todoroki hanging off his back, only to have him suddenly shift gears into bitterness over… what, exactly? Tokoyami wouldn't even tell him. He probably didn't even know.

Close, now. Only about 200 more meters to the peak.

"It was a dumb game and I should have listened!" Izuku mumbled within Todoroki's earshot as they paused near the top of the ridge, risking a look back at the tiny ski village far, far below. Everyone else were just tiny coloured dots sliding down the hills, if they were even visible at all. He'd never been this high up in his life, and he'd love to enjoy the exhilarating freedom of it all if it weren't for the bitter tension hiking silently in front of him.

"Todoroki, I said I was so- "

"Midoriya, stop. Please." Tokoyami's exasperated groan must have been heard around the valley as he dragged his hand down his exhausted beak.

Izuku bit his tongue.

"Look," Tokoyami said, pointing at the back of Shoto's head. "He hasn't said anything since we started, and you're not going to just wear him down like this. If he wants to stew, let him stew." Tokoyami then flicked a finger in Izuku's direction to drive the point home. "You're just being annoying."

"Sorry…" Izuku said, brushing away that hand. But what he really meant was, Sorry, Tokoyami. I've got to make this right.

---

The peak of the mountain wasn't exactly like a sharp needle reaching into the sky. It was more of a long ridge that stretched from northwest to the southeast, the boundaries of the trail outlined by fluorescent plastic markers and snow netting along the out of bounds areas. The far side of the mountain was a steep cliff, dropping hundreds of meters into rocks and forest, unlike the gently sloping bowl that held fresh piles of snow on the southern face. Signs around the area warned of loose snow and avalanches, cautioning skiers to be careful in their descent, lest they cause permanent damage to themselves or the delicate environment.

A tall bronze pole with a matching placard stating the altitude and founding of the resort stood out in the centre of the summit, reaching up towards the sun as lifeless prayer flags hung from loose strings in the beating sunlight and complete lack of any wind.

Mount Agamar Regional Park

2112m Elevation

Established - 1974

Let all who stand here know the beauty of nature

Todoroki stopped in front of it, reading the inscription about the park's founders while his fingers played with the little sun-bleached prayer flag strings. The summit was completely empty except for them. Maybe it wasn't so bad this way. Nobody here to trip Shoto up or make fun of them or report them to the park staff for improper quirk usage. Just a wide sweep of absolutely pristine powder snow ready to be worked by three sets of skis.

As he and Tokoyami climbed the last few steps, Izuku had a sudden breakthrough. He managed to get within five feet of Todoroki without the boy deciding to keep him at a constant distance of twenty paces. He still didn't say anything, but Izuku couldn't help but feel it was something of an improvement.

Tokoyami dropped his gear a few feet away from the elevation marker, unwrapping his scarf and tying it around his waist. Izuku too was feeling overheated from the effort of their hike; he tossed his head, shaking droplets of sweat from his bangs, and unzipped his coat as they stood atop the empty peak.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw. Again. Todoroki looking at him. Watching him stand there like a dolt, all hot and tired and more than ready to just strap in and ski down from Mount Awkward away from his stupid mistakes and social embarrassment. Izuku's eyes met Shoto's, and he didn't turn away like last time. Was he- did he actually want to talk? Tokoyami was busy getting his skis ready, so Izuku took the risk.

Like a child approaching a stray cat with food, he slowly, carefully, bridged the gap between the two of them. Shoto remained in place. Eyes still on him.

Izuku felt so far away, closing those last few feet to him, feeling the temperature around him drop, even as his palms sweat in his mitts and his mouth felt very, very dry. Shoto's gaze was still so unreadable even as he pulled back his hood and removed his scarf- soft alpaca wool dangling from a coat that probably cost more than all of Izuku's clothes in his closet.

And then he was there, standing in front of that handsome boy. Shoto said nothing.

"Hey," he tried one more time, waiting, gauging for Shoto's reaction. "Do you want me to just, um, ski down and leave you alone?"

" Yes, " Todoroki spat. Maybe a little too quickly, judging by his unsure expression. He winced, shaking his head. "No!" And then, "...Maybe. Ugh. No." Now he was waving his hands around his face in abstract gestures, trying to grasp at thoughts they both knew weren't quite there. "I- I want you to just-"

Izuku waited as Todoroki opened and clenched his fists several times, still unable to form a complete sentence. Waited for something, anything definitive. Todoroki's lips parted several more times until finally, Izuku couldn't wait any longer. "Well, then what do you want?"

Todoroki sighed. "God, you're annoying," he grumbled, backing up another couple feet up the trail.

Izuku's gut plummeted. He was fucking things up again. He didn't want to fuck things up again. He made another half step towards Shoto until-

He stopped short. He couldn't move. His boot was completely frozen to the ground, layers of ice quickling forming themselves up and around his ankle. Not enough to keep him there, but clearly a warning. Izuku sighed. He wrenched his footing out of the ice but kept his distance.

Shoto's gaze remained at Izuku's feet. "Can you just stop invading someone else's business for half a second?" He relaxed his right hand slightly, slipping it back in his pocket. "I get it. You care. You want to be a good person."

Of course he did. Izuku hated the idea of someone staying mad at him. At this pint he'd do pretty much anything for Todoroki to stop being mad at him. "So just... throw a punch and get it over with!"

"What?" Shoto's blue-grey eyes shot up to meet his own, wide with surprise and mixed disgust. "Are you- No!"

"Why not?" Izuku shrugged, "If you're so mad why won't you just… hit me?"

"Midoriya that's the dumbest-" Torodoki sputtered, looking desperately over at Tokoyami for backup. "Because I try not to hit the people I- l care about! Because nobody should-"

Izuku glanced over his shoulder at Tokoyami who was pulling out his phone, seemingly determined not to get involved. Shoto bristled, now very alone in his accusation. He forced his voice down into something calmer, slower. "...Who taught you that, anyway?"

Izuku shrugged again. "That's what Kacchan would do, ever since we were kids. Just throw a punch and be done with it!"

"And I'm not Bakugou. " Shoto reeled in disgust. "Jesus, your relationships are about as fucked up as mine..." His stance shifted now, no longer threatening retreat. He took a calculated step towards Izuku, all four inches of extra height used to their fullest advantage. "You know, earlier, Midoriya. On the slopes; you talk a lot of shit about toxic masculinity for someone who thinks hitting can just solve his problems."

Intimidation, huh? So now Shoto was going to turn it on him for being a bad ski partner? Fuck that.

"You're one to talk!" Izuku shot back. "At least it's better than ignoring someone without even telling them what they did wrong or why you're mad! And anyway, I didn't wanna play the stupid game in the first place! You made me!"

"No, I didn't!" Shoto's voice was raising above his own level of comfort again, that evident spike of anger he'd been fighting so hard to conceal cracking his deep tenor. "I asked if you wanted to play," he closed the final gap between them, jabbing his finger in Izuku's in chest. "-And then you went ahead and said dare ."

That- felt unfair. Here he was trying to make amends and Shoto was standing there playing revisionist history instead of just accepting an offered apology. It stung. "I just wanted us all to have fun," Izuku said, not even pretending to hide the defensive tone in his voice. "Instead of just sitting and staring out the window for twenty goddamn minutes! You know, fun? Ever heard of it?"

Shoto's finger retreated away from Izuku's vicinity. "Fuck off, Midoriya."

And yet, somehow, Izuku just wasn't done. "Shoto, what is your fucking problem?"

Yaomomo / Creation - received 3:15

[Tokoyami-kun, how goes it? ^^]

Todoroki's face contorted into an ugly scowl. "Problem?" He spat, tiny sparks flickering around his left ear. "My problem is you! I told you I wasn't going to do your stupid dare, and you didn't listen! You! You can't just force someone to do whatever you want," he sneered, "or did you also learn that from the 'School of Bakugou'?"

Izuku wasn't going to take a low blow. "Leave Kacchan out of this!" His cheeks felt hot now, and not because of the glaring sunlight overhead.

Todoroki stood his ground. "Stop defending him! He's a dick to you, and you're a dick to other people because of it."

"I am not!" Izuku pushed back, very aware that Shoto had the easy ability to stop him in his tracks. "And what's the big fucking matter? It's a cookie! My mom made it! I wasn't like I was asking you to strip naked and dance in front of me or whatever!"

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:15

[Pls I want to die.]

Shoto's face flushed and his eyes widened like saucers for a fraction of a second; utterly bewildered, before he quickly recomposed himself. He made an awkward fake cough, an excuse to cover his face momentarily and wipe away his flustered colour.

Yaomomo / Creation - received 3:15

[Ohnoes D: why?]

[You seemed fine at lunch?]

"That's- not the point!" he stuttered, caught off guard but not yet ready to back down. "Maybe don't shove it in someone's face that they don't have a nice fucking mom who does that kind of nice shit and sends her love, ok?" Shoto kicked violently at the snow around him, and a puff of white powder exploded under his boot, gently falling down the south face of the mountainside.

"That was Kirishima!"

"I don't care!" Todoroki shouted. "You were both doing it!"

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:16

[I think they might be having

their first fight...]

"I wasn't trying to upset you, dude!"

"No! You don't get it!" Todoroki slammed another soft drift of snow with his boot. "This is exactly what I didn't want to have happen! Everything is all... fucked up now, because of your stupid cookies! "

Yaomomo / Creation - received 3:16

[WHAT?]

"It's not that big of a big deal!"

" Oh! " Shoto snorted. "Not a big deal? Oh no! Not to you , maybe!" He waved his arms dramatically overhead, every word dripping with venomous sarcasm. "Hey! Hey Tokoyami! Hey, everybody else on this fucking mountain! My name is Izuku Midoriya and my mom fucking loves me and hugs me every goddamn day and we cook dinner every night together and she doesn't fucking throw boiling water on me and we're the fucking best! "

Well, Tokoyami was right about one thing. The cookie really wasn't about the cookie.

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:17

[They were fine and now

they're yelling at each other

on top of a mountain]

"And you know what?" Shoto continued on his rant, now pacing around Izuku in a tight, angry circle; all gritted teeth and clenched fists as his soft alpaca scarf dangled and threatened to fall from his neck, "I, Izuku Midoriya, get to do whatever I want after school! I have absolute fucking freedom! I can go to movies and play video games and buy All Might toys and I don't have to count calories or eat keto or burn my own fucking quirk out night and day just to maintain my dad's insane fucking standards!" Wow!" he screamed, the spittle from his words landing on Izuku's cheek with each angry syllable, " life must be awesome! "

It was official now. Shoto Todoroki had lost his goddamn mind. Izuku held his ground, refusing to be intimidated by this melodramatic outburst from the most reserved boy at school. It was as if Shoto were vomiting out fifteen years of bottled emotions all at once, all at Izuku, all over a fucking cookie. It wasn't pleasant, and it certainly wasn't fair.

Yaomomo / Creation - received 3:17

[WHY?]

[What happened?

What's it about?]

Fortunately, Shoto seemed to have winded himself with that last effort and had to pause for breath; and maybe come up with a few more reasons Izuku was at the heart of all his personal problems. He wiped the spit off the side of his mouth, shaking his head.

This was supposed to be an apology. They were supposed to make up and be friends. Izuku wasn't quite sure when or where it turned sour, but now he was so beyond even wanting to get back into this asshole's good graces. Who did he think he was?

"Hey, you know what?" Izuku stepped into Shoto's path, blocking his frenzied pacing. "You wanna talk about flaunting, Mr Brand New fucking Olympic Gear? Take a look in the mirror!" He grabbed Shoto by the wrist, knowing full well the boy would immediately wrench it back, and back up a few more paces just to put more distance between them.

"Hey everyone," he said, imitating Shoto's mocking tone of voice, " I'm Shoto Todoroki! My family's famous! I'll never have to worry about making a name for myself as a hero! I've got my entire future paved in gold ahead of me! And on top of that? I'm super rich! What? Bills? Tuition fees? Never heard of those ! Look at my fucking smartwatch, everybody! Look at my skis I've never used before and will probably never use again! I'll never sit outside my mom's bedroom at night listening to her stress about paying rent!"

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:17

[First off I LITERALLY told

Midoriya to fuck off and leave

him alone like not ten minutes

ago]

Shoto bent down, digging his hand into a pile of fresh snow. "That's because I don't have a mom to do that. "

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:17

[But ok nvm...]

"Seriously, dude?" Izuku spat, chest heaving with indignation. "Seriously? Fuck you! No! You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

Yaomomo / Creation - received 3:18

[u know he can't]

Izuku could feel his throat tightening, and his eyes blurred and stung. Great. Now he was getting choked up. Standing at the top of a mountain arguing, and now he was gonna cry. He needed space. He needed to breathe. He turned away from Shoto, towards the edge of the mountainside, staring down into the valley far below.

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:18

[I mean I KNOW but]

Shoto, Mr Top Tier, clearly didn't understand, much less care about the lesser students at UA like himself. Even with All Might's help, Izuku was still crushingly average in so many ways. Average in looks, unable to get the attention of the girl he liked. Average in his classes, unable to get full control of his quirk and far from his goal of becoming the top hero like his mentor and idol.

And, yeah, in his social standing, too. They weren't broke, but him and his mom certainly didn't have money to throw around like the Todoroki family. What would she think, of this guy, standing here in his brand new coat, insulting her cooking? She worked so damn hard to support her son and his dreams. He'd be absolutely nowhere without her. Wouldn't even have a coat on his back.

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:19

[*le sigh*]

"You're rich, dude," he said, more to the wide valley in front of him than anyone else. "Even without your mom. Not everybody can afford a bunch of new stuff every time they go on a school trip, y'know." His fingers played with the tab on the bottom of his zipper andthe ski pass dangling from it. "Some of us can barely afford to go! Like, I'm literally wearing my mom's old pink coat that everyone fucking hates for some reason-"

"I said it looked FINE! "

Izuku spun around. "That everyone ELSE hates for some reason!"

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:19

[It started out with Midoriya

invading Todoroki's personal

space on the lift and triggering

his eating disorder]

Yaomomo / Creation - received 3:20

[Uh oh]

[And now Todoroki is stuck

being emotionally constipated

And pushing Deku away when

he tries to get close?]

"Look, you-" Shoto tore off his gloves, fumbling in his agitation. "You want my fucking watch? Here-" he finally slipped it off, holding it up in front of him, a shining symbol of Todoroki wealth. "Midoriya, I would trade a billion fucking watches to have homemade cookies stuffed into my coat! Here you go, Deku! You can HAVE it!"

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:20

[Bingo.]

Todoroki threw his watch full-force at Izuku's head. And he probably would have hit him if he were not so blindingly upset. And if the wind had not suddenly gusted up in that moment, blowing the watch clear past Izuku's left ear, to plummet down the cliff, bouncing off of jagged rocks until it completely disappeared into the snow far below.

Izuku stared at the tiny spot where the watch might have been.

Shoto stared at Izuku.

"Well I guess nobody is getting a watch, now..." Tokoyami muttered, shaking his head.

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:21

[I thought taking them

to the peak would be more

Peaceful. Somehow.]

"Stupid," Izuku said. "Proves my point anyway. Nobody poor would just throw something like that away." What a nightmare to deal with. Quiet and bottled up or completely unhinged. Shoto Todoroki had two options and Izuku found himself liking neither of them, right now. If this was what being friends with him was like, no wonder he was such a loner at school. "You know, Shoto, I feel bad for the person you like. Because they're in for a real winner with your passive-aggressive ass..."

Todoroki's scream echoed through the valley. " WELL I CERTAINLY DON'T FUCKING LIKE YOU ANYMORE! "

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:23

[You know, part of me

thinks this is my fault]

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:23

[Do you think I should have

just told Midoriya about

Todoroki when he asked?]

"What...?"

"...What?"

Yaomomo / Creation - received 3:24

[I mean, that's a tough situation.

Because it's important to respect

Todoroki's privacy]

That cold wind that had so suddenly sprung up died away, carrying Shoto's response with it. The two boys paused under the afternoon sun and the only sound for several moments was Tokoyami's fingers tapping at his phone.

What did he say? ... Like? You? Todoroki meant… friends, right? Because someone like him- someone rich and handsome and smart and stupidly better than him would never… Izuku lost his train of thought. What was Shoto doing? His right hand unclenched and something small and white and round was forming inside of it.

Yaomomo / Creation - received 3:24

[He told you about his

feelings in confidence]

Unlike the watch, Todoroki's snowball hit its mark with deadly accuracy, cold snow exploding on the side of Izuku's head, knocking him silly as icy water dripped down his neck and Shoto Todoroki had the absolute gaul to start forming a second.

"You wanted a fight, Midoriya?" He smoothed the perfect tennis-ball sized sphere in his hands with his forefinger and thumb. "Congratulations, now you get one!"

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:24

[Hmm...]

[True]

That was it. Apologies were over. Diplomacy was dead and buried. This was an act of war! Spurred into action, Izuku drew on as much strength as he could without activating his quirk to scoop handfuls of snow into whatever hasty projectile weapons he could. He packed them tight, thankful that the heat of the day had made the snow prime for sticking. Ice chunks? No, never. That was against the rules.

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:25

[Oh boy]

[Now they're both being

dumb pissbabies]

[Therapy time]

He flung his snowballs full-force, more quantity than quality as his opponent easily sent up a barricade of ice in front of him. With Todoroki, Izuku was at a tactical disadvantage when it came to fighting with ice. He didn't care. He'd already proven he was strong enough to go head to head. Shoto started this whole mess, and now, well, just like the sports festival, he wasn't going to back down.

"ASS!" he screamed, chucking a ball as hard as he could at Todoroki's barricade. It hit the ice with a mighty wallop, taking a good few inches off the top, and running a deep crack to its base.

"BITCH!" erupted from behind the wall.

So. Shoto's defenses weren't completely unassailable.

Izuku didn't have too much time to celebrate, as a sudden round of return fire pelted him, and Izuku realised he had no fortification of his own. Chunks of snow and ice flew at him and Izuku dove behind the bronze altitude marker, taking shelter while Todoroki switched to an offensive assault.

"DOUBLE-ASS!"

Izuku kept himself low to the ground, heart pounding, while Tokoyami casually wandered a few feet away from the area of combat, lest a civilian get caught up in the crossfire.

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:27

[They both certainly

have a way with words]

"DUMB!"

"FLAMING SHITQUIRK!"

What would All Might do in this situation? Probably not this, Izuku thought, as he hucked another volley of snow in Todoroki's direction. He'd probably take the high road and laugh away all the insults, acting as a paragon of peace and hope. Yeah. All that.

Good thing All Might wasn't here right now.

Yaomomo / Creation - received 3:27

[They're still yelling at each other?]

"LOSERFACE!"

"DICKFUCK!"

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:28

[It's like poetry...]

His tactics were scorched-earth. Making snowballs using his quirk proved too inefficient for Warmachine Todoroki. He'd sculpt great swathes of drift into round of ammunition, turning what was once a well-trodden pathway into a no-man's land of icy pockmarks. Every so often Shoto paused to dredge up a new area of snow to throw at Izuku, and that was when he launch his counterattack.

Izuku did his best to keep up, having only two hands and far too much determination for any one person. He backed further and further behind his bronze trail marker, looking for anything within reach.

It was when Izuku suddenly realised that he was out of usable snow that he began to panic. Shoto must have noticed, because his torrent of self-made snowballs had ended as well. The air became tense and quiet. He couldn't possibly hope for a truce? Not when Shoto had such an easy, never ending supply of snow.

No. That wasn't it. Shoto had stopped firing at him to form what Izuku could only describe as a snow-based weapon of mass destruction. The snow boulder was twice the size of his head and Shoto carried it like it was a real bomb, slowly closing the distance between them.

Tokoyami rolled his eyes, standing up from the drift he'd been leaning against and moving about ten feet further away.

He was out of ammo. And now, Izuku realised, he was trapped. Shoto had accounted for all contingencies, refreezing Izuku to the ground. His boots, his knees, the ice slowly creeping up his legs to his waist, now. He couldn't move. He could use his quirk, but he didn't want to risk breaking his leg on top of the mountain with no way to get down.

Closer now, he lurched, hoisting the giant boulder above his head; Shoto's steely gaze puncturing a terrifying black silhouette against the sunlight. Icy water pooling at the bottom of the snow boulder dripped. Once. Twice. Splashing down into Izuku's open jacket as Shoto Todoroki towered over him, ready to forgo all the rules.

"Hey! N-No!" Izuku squirmed as the ice around his legs and waist tightened like a python. "Th-that's illegal!" He flailed helplessly. "Nobody said slushballs, Shoto!"

This was a war crime!

"Get dunked on, Midoriya..."

Yaomomo / Creation - received 3:30

[Wow]

"You- You can't do this! That's- That's cheating, Shoto! Remember what Momo said about hypothermia! Wet is dead! Wet is d-" Nothing in Izuku's words made an impression on Shoto. And the boy brought down his arms, for one swift, final blow.

"Then PERISH! "

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:31

[pls send help]

[or a swift death]

[either one is fine]

[pls]

The chunk of soaked snow crashed down upon Izuku, cold water drenching his already sweat-soaked body. The shock of cold ice slamming his face and chest winded him, causing him to sputter and cough as he desperately brushed the loose slushy snow away and wiped at the crystal flakes stinging his eyes.

Yaomomo / Creation - received 3:32

[I'd ask Kyoka to go, but

I don't know where she went]

There he was, staring up at the boy who'd spent his whole day with him, riding the bus with him, eating with him, laughing and joking with him. They'd even clowned around in the snow halfway down the mountain before lunch, but… not like this. This was cold. No, well, it was snow. This was… mean.

And Shoto gazed back down at him, blue-gray eyes nothing more than cruel narrow slits as his right hand bristled with frosty power, ready to do serious damage. Shoto held his palm out, facing him down, and waited.

And he waited.

And his nose wrinkled, and his eyes grew red, and screwed up and he just couldn't keep his lips together between tiny heaving gasps.

That first hot tear rolled down his chin, splashing on Izuku's cheek, melding with the leftover water from the slushbomb, melding with his own.

Rvlry+Dark - sent 3:35

[fck]

[omg brb]

[i think hes crying now]

This was... stupid. And they both realised it. Shoto lowered his hand, sinking to his knees beside Izuku, head hanging in shame and exhaustion. And he cried. Not very loud, not nearly as dramatic as he'd been acting before. No. He just sat there and cried while Izuku sat beside him and shivered and watched.

Yaomomo / Creation - received 3:36

[Who, Deku?]

[He always cries]

"I'm not the kind of person who cries a lot…" he said finally, vocal chords fluttering with choked up emotion. "I knew I was going to after we started, but I didn't want you to see."

Yaomomo / Creation - received 3:36

[Who?]

Yaomomo / Creation - received 3:36

[Toko?]

Yaomomo / Creation - received 3:36

[?]

Shoto reached over for his abandoned glove, the one laying half-buried under one of Izuku's stray snowballs. He picked it up with his left hand, and steam began to curl off of it, moisture evaporating from the gentle heat radiating from his palm. He then placed his hand on the ground, and Izuku felt the pressure crushing him release. Water streamed out and around him as Izuku wrenched his legs free from their trap and sat up. He was soaked through, now, but it didn't matter. He was warm enough, and, well, that just wasn't the point right now.

Shoto's eyeline hovered somewhere along Izuku's boots when he wasn't gazing out at the huge mostly pristine mountainside they hadn't yet explored. He touched his cheek, red and evidently sore from one good shot Izuku had made earlier.

"I didn't want to eat the cookies because I knew I'd be stuck back there crying about it," He began, quietly at first. More tears flowed, and he made little attempt to stem them. "And... you'd all be asking me what's wrong and what the fuck am I supposed to say?"

Izuku tried to think of an answer before Shoto continued.

"That I'm not allowed to fucking eat food that isn't listed in some weird book in my dad's office? And it's become so normal to me that I just don't think about it? That my family is wealthier than most students at UA combined and I've never been on a fucking vacation before?"

He shook his head, burying his face in his hands. Izuku wanted so badly to… touch him in some way. Put a hand on him, just to show he cared. His fingers felt numb, and maybe it was the cold and maybe it wasn't. He settled for his knee. It felt less condescending than the shoulder.

"I just... can't." he groaned into his palms. "Not here, not today. God damn. Today was supposed to be a nice fucking day where you and I got to hang out. I was looking forward to it, Midoriya. I considered myself lucky to be with you! I guess not…"

That last note, it wasn't as bitter as Izuku had expected. Shoto sniffled his runny nose, and Izuku fished in his pockets only to dredge up a soaked and tattered tissue. Useless, like he was at comforting people, apparently. Shoto brushed him aside.

"I'm sorry," Shoto sighed. "I'm just… I'm really tired. I didn't get any sleep last night because I was so nervous about today and skiing and... Everything about this place just constantly reminds me of…" his gaze wandered away from where they were sitting, not to the mountainside, but to some distant vision deep in his own mind. "Things I can't really deal with."

"I'm sorry…"

Todoroki elbowed him gently. "Stop apologizing. You've said sorry so much already it's lost its meaning."

"Then what do you-?"

He shrugged. "Just tell me why you did it. Why you wouldn't back down what with the cookie thing."

Shit. Well. Izuku cleared his throat. Finally, a chance to make things right. He wasn't going to fuck things up this time!

"Ok," he began slowly, "if it doesn't work, I won't keep saying sorry." Shoto nodded. "I just… It was dumb, ok? I'll admit it straight up. Back in the lift I got really excited. And I was stupid. I just wanted to fit in with the other guys and what they were doing. And maybe even impress you. -All of you! I mean!"

Shoto quirked a curious brow at him.

"I dunno. I thought you might actually enjoy breaking away from your routines for once…"

Shoto relaxed his shoulders and Izuku saw, really saw for the first time, the tiredness in in his eyes he'd been trying to hide. Guilt washed over him. He'd hurt Shoto somewhere far deeper than some schoolyard slight. Without even knowing it. Their parents, their lives. They really were opposites in some ways.

"I'm sorry about your dad and everything-" He quickly bit his tongue. "Ugh. No! Not sorry. I mean-"

"It's fine."

"I didn't know food was this big deal for you."

"...Yeah…" Shoto ran a hand through his hair. "I'm- trying to get over it. It's hard. He's ground it in pretty solid." He waited a moment, looking like he was about to bounce on his heels and stand up. But then-

"Give me the cookie." He held out his extended palm.

Izuku blinked at him. "You sure?"

Shoto looked him dead in the eye. "Do you want me to eat it or not?"

"I don't-" Izuku choked. He paused, thinking about what his rushed, selfish behaviour had done today. "...I actually don't want you to do anything you're uncomfortable with."

He sighed. Shoto nodded.

"I'm, uh, I'm sorry about what I said about you and Bakugou." his hand slipped back into his pocket. "I don't know your history, and, maybe it's not my business…" He sounded like he wasn't sure he should be saying what he was.

"Yeah?"

"Sometimes it just seems like he's... not really your friend."

"I mean," Izuku shrugged, trying to muster up a laugh. "He may be rough around the edges, but we go way back."

"Yeah," Shoto replied, unconvinced. "I hear you. I just think," he wiped his nose on his sleeve, "maybe… you deserve- I dunno. Nevermind."

Maybe Shoto might have finished his sentence if Tokoyami hadn't put his phone away, deciding that it was safe enough to approach the two of them now that they'd called a ceasefire on their petty bickering. He stood over them, elbows crossed like a disappointed babysitter.

"Are you both done being stupid pissbabies yet?"

"Uh." "Mostly, yeah…"

"Good. Get your skis on. We need to get back before Midoriya gets chills. The sun may be out now, but it'll be gone in a of couple hours and I don't want to be stuck out here, late for dinner, with a classmate suffering from hypothermia."

Izuku laughed and slapped Shoto on the back. "I guess Todoroki here will have to huddle me for warmth!"

Tokoyami muttered something inaudible while Todoroki looked like he'd swallowed broken glass.

Izuku only realized how badly he was shivering when he stood up and made his way towards his skis. His toes and fingertips were numb, and the rest of his body was vibrating powerfully with every breath. Not too big of a deal, he just needed to get some blood flowing. He'd be fine. He clumsily secured himself into his skis, taking twice as long as other two boys, and refusing any help.

"The sunlight sure is bright," he said, windmilling his arms and trying to get some warmth going. This was undercut by the fact he could barely pronounce his words while his teeth chattered away involuntarily. Tokoyami

"My dark shadow doesn't appreciate the glare, but at least this are in uncrowded, and there's less noise. Be careful, though. There's been a lot of snowfall recently, and the temperature has spiked today. It makes the snow pack unstable, especially above the treeline. However, as long as you're careful-"

Tokoyami stopped short. They weren't alone- Not any longer. One lone figure had just peaked his way over the ridge. Completely shirtless and carrying his snowboard on his shoulder, Katsuki Bakugou strode into view.

"Finally! Found you losers! Who's ready to race- Dude, are you crying? "