I'll stop time for you
The second you say you'd like me to
I just wanna give you the loving that you're missing
Baby, just to wake up with you
Would be everything I need and this could be so different
Tell me what you want to do - Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes

Ocacho's Birthday, December 27th

Shoto

I found Midoriya right where I thought he would be, lifting weights in the student gym. I watched him for a moment as I thought about what to say. I almost felt like I was asking a parent permission to date their daughter. I knew Ochaco was precious to him.

"Midoriya." I startled him unintentionally, and he fumbled the weights, making me leap forward with an ice pillar to catch them.

He blew out a relieved sigh, "Todoroki." He chuffed out a laugh, "You need a bell." He scooted out, bringing both legs to my side of the bench and sitting up. "You need something? A spotter?"

"I should ask you." I looked around, there were others in the gym, even during the holiday week, "But, no. I took today off, I need to ask you a question."

He raised his brows and grabbed a rag off the bar, wiping his face, "Ask away."

"Does Uraraka like snow?"

He tilted his head, but smiled, "Sure. She was complaining all week that all we've gotten is one rainstorm. She really wanted a white Christmas, I guess. Why?"

"I want to make it snow for her birthday."

Midoriya's face lit up, "That is the nicest thing I've ever heard!"

I felt my lips twitch toward a smile, "It just started drizzling. If you'd agree to come with me and watch my progress? I was able to secure Training Ground Epsilon."

"If you want to wait, I can take a quick shower and we can walk over there together." I nodded and the other boy flashed me a smile as we both walked toward the changing area, "So tell me why you're doing this again?"

"For Uraraka's birthday." I felt my cheeks heat, the scar around my right eye tight with increased blood flow.

"Have you done this before? Made snow, I mean?" We walked into the locker room, and Midoriya stripped his shirt tossing it in a locker that had another set of clothes waiting.

He finished undressing and I sat on a bench, facing out, "No. But I've studied how nature does it. I believe I can make it work." I heard the shower start, and I rubbed my hands, thinking of how pretty Ochaco had looked when I'd given her that book. I'd do anything to see her face light up like that again. To be the one who caused it.

Midoriya splashed back, and dried himself. "Why?" He pulled the clean shirt out of his locker.

"Why?" This time I felt myself pale. I breathed out slowly, "I think I might like her."

His scarred, slightly buckled fingers gripped my shoulder, and I turned to regard him. His big green eyes were shining, limned with tears, "You think or do you know? If you hurt my friend, I'll have to bad mouth you to her, and I don't want to have to do that."

"She makes me feel heavy and light at the same time." I stood, Midoriya's hand falling from my shoulder as he watched me with those impossible eyes. "When she's near, I can't do anything but think about what it would be like to touch her. I must do this. I have to give her her fondest wish for her birthday." I closed my eyes, picturing how close Bakugo and Ochaco were just two days ago when I interrupted them. "Something only I can give."

Midoriya's head nodded slowly, "Okay. Let's go."

Later

Ochaco

"You've lost your mind if you think that's going to work!" I threw up my hands and stomped my foot in irritation, "Bakugo, you need a brain transplant!"

"Shut up! I won't even make a big enough explosion to singe your pretty little costume. Just try it! I want to fly!"

"Fly?!" I turned my back, "You'll fly alright. Strait to the ceiling!"

"Bad time?" Midoriya ducked around the door that would lead back to the student gym.

I scowled at Bakugo who was fuming in blissful silence for once. I took a deep breath, blowing it out in a measured pace, "No, of course not, Izuku. Do you need something?"

"Yes!" Bakugo jogged over, pushing my shoulder and then shoving in close to Izuku, "Leave, ya damned nerd. If she won't work with me, she'll stay until she sees reason!"

"I'm done for today, Bakugo." I whipped around to face him, brown hair spinning in an arc behind me, "You want to fly? I've seen you do it. You don't need my help. I don't mind working on the moves that will work, but you're insane if you think for one minute that without me watching you that I'd be able to move you safely. We're heroes. I refuse to act like a careless villain!"

Bakugo's eyes flared like the flames they resembled, "You can watch me now! I have it worked out, I know it'll work!"

"No!" I pushed him so hard that I actually managed to make him shift his feet. "I said I'm done."

Izuku blushed, moving back behind the door.

"You're done? Done!?" His teeth flashed as he bit off the angry words, "We're a team, Uraraka!"

"For today." I turned again, walking to the door. Arrogant jerk! Doesn't he think I know what my quirk can and can't do? Does he want to die? He stalked after me, and I felt my mouth tighten in anger. He opened his mouth, obviously ready to flay me. I pivoted hard, bringing my hand around, making sure that all my fingers were slightly cupped, "You want to fly! Fine, you got it!"

I delivered a ringing slap that sent him spinning up and out before he shot a wild explosion, sending him to the ground like a stone. I gasped in horror. This. This is why I should never use my quirk in a fit of pique. Hurriedly I steepled my fingers, dropping Bakugo in a black and orange heap. I felt acid rise in my throat as Midoriya and I dashed toward him.

He stood before we could reach him, and he held his hands out to keep us from moving closer. He moved like a beaten man, though he'd received worse. "It was going to work." He took a deep breath, following it with a long blow out, "That's why we need to work on things. We're going to be great, Uraraka. You have to give us time to get great."

"I will." I lifted my eyes, "Bakugo, I will, I promise. But now..." I sighed, "I can't right now. I need to cool off. I'm sorry. Give me time, it'll be worth it."

"Fine." Bakugo pulled angrily on his gauntlets, releasing the clip that held them in place, "You're done, so go. Take tomorrow off, too."

"I'm very sorry. I .." Midoriya touched my arm. He understood. Arguing with Bakugo was like yelling at a brick wall. Especially now that he was thoroughly pissed off. "I'll see you Sunday. We can try your idea then."

"Che." He spat, brushing by us now, his boots slapping against the floor with force.

"That was bad."

"Yeah. Happy Birthday to me, eh?"

"He got you a fat pile of angry!" Midoriya smiled, and I snorted at the terrible joke. "Anyway, Todoroki has a nice surprise just for you. Do you have any gloves stashed away in the locker room?"

"Gloves?" I followed him to the locker room hallway, "No. Why, did it start snowing? It wasn't in the forecast."

He plopped down on one of the benches lining the corridor, "No, just get dressed." I swung the door, "But don't shower, it's cold. You can take a bath in the dorms, you're fine."

I chuffed out a confused snort, "Sure..." I shook my head, "What is this surprise?"

"It's outside, so I don't want you to get cold, okay? Sue me."

I closed the door on him, and stripped out of my costume, replacing it with the soft, ribbed hand-knit sweater my mom had sent me as one of my gifts this year. Since there were 13 of us who had to stay for Winter Break for work study, we'd decided that no one would leave for any reason, and we'd be eachother's family this year.

I plucked the scarf that Izuku'd given me for Christmas, and tied it around my neck as I headed back out to see what the green haired man had in store for me. He stood when I emerged, and smiled, "That's a fine scarf! Where'd you get such a great scarf?"

"Shut up." I bumped his shoulder, really noticing for the first time how much he'd grown since the first time I'd ever seen him. He was going to be even taller, and I smiled. He'd be a great hero someday. Number one for sure. Unless Katsuki could actually manage to pull his head out of his butt and act like a human more often.

He stopped me as we were half-way to the battle grounds. He put his hand in a pocket, and pulled forth a small box, "Happy Birthday, Ochaco. Many more and best wishes."

I bit my lip, it was a jewelry box, but I popped it open all the same. Nestled against black velvet was a set of turquoise studs. "Oh, Izuku, thanks. They're gorgeous!" I pulled one out, and put it in my ear and then the other, "How do they look?"

"You look great, as always," he smiled, and I stuffed down the wistful emotion that had wanted him to say such things to me months ago. "You're going to love what Todoroki got for you! Come on, we're almost there."

I felt the difference in temperature before I registered what was happening. There was a smattering of snow at my feet. I looked up, and saw Todoroki standing halfway down the road Izuku was walking on, and he was up to his ankles in snow. I glanced up in wonderment, to see a delicately wrought ice lattice, turning what had been drizzle into tiny snowflakes. My heart began to pound in my chest.

"Happy Birthday," His red hair stood out sharply in the snow, and I smiled at him before breaking down into tears. This was perhaps the best gift I'd ever gotten, or could ever get.

"T-Todoroki," I forgot that Izuku had brought me here, and ran for the other man. "This is the best gift. I mean it," I sobbed, bending over to run my fingers though the snowfall, "Thank you."

He came closer, and dropped to kneel, his hand hovering over mine before he clasped it. I met his bi-colored eyes. They were clear and beautiful, thoughts that I'd had before. He kept my gaze, "Please, call me Shoto?"

"Shoto..."

"I.." He gulped, his cheeks pinking with more than cold, "I want to confess that I like you, Ochaco. Could you..." His hand squeezed, "Could you learn to like me too?"

My head buzzed, my heart beat strangely. Is this what I was supposed to feel? If I waited, would Bakugo ever make me feel this way? Shoto's gaze was direct and earnest, I could see that he truly felt this way, he wasn't sorry for me, or just curious. He actually... He liked, maybe even loved me.

"I'd be the dumbest girl in Japan if not the world if I said that I couldn't learn to like you, Shoto. You're nice, and smart, and really very good-looking." His blush deepened, as mine raced up my neck to color my own cheeks.

"Will you go out with me?" He stumbled on the next words, "On a d-date? I only want to make you happy. Please, Ochaco. Please give me a chance."

My feelings for Bakugo weren't going to hold me back. With a soft sigh, I looked at Shoto, "Okay. But can we play in the snow first? I've been dying for snow."

His other hand scooped up a ball that he threw right at my face! Within seconds, things had escalated up to a full fledged fight to the death. A fight I could not hope to win, especially with his ability to actually keep his snowballs from falling apart with his quirk.

From behind a jutting street sign, Midoriya took out his phone and snapped a few pictures. He wiped his eyes, and went back toward the dorms. If Bakugo was too stupid to let her slip though his fingers, at least one of his friends could find happiness. After all this time, Ochaco deserved it.

AN/ The greatest gift is a portion of yourself. - Ralph Waldo Emerson I hope you all enjoyed my gift! Thanks to Mosevic who read it all and Tasia who made it possible.