It took me a while, but here's the last chapter. I decided to write from both characters' point of view and it was sweet and fun. I hope you like it and I'm already thinking of an extra chapter a little more dramatic. Thanks for reading!
[English isn't my first language, so please, be kind]
[Follow me on AO3 and Tumblr - it's the same username]
[MHA characters' belongs to Kōhei Horikoshi]
Chapter 3
School Festival
Shoto
Performing live in a band seemed fun, but it wasn't something I wanted to do, and I suspected it wouldn't be good enough, it would end up getting in everyone's way with my questions, but I was happy to help my friends, and all thanks to Shinso's advice.
He had a very peculiar taste in music, practically anything dark and noisy or sad and melodic was part of his playlist. I wasn't used to listening to music, so Shinso would put a headphone in my ear and make me listen to whatever he felt like at the time.
Lately I had noticed a change in his musical taste. It was still noisy, but the sad music was fading. And maybe I was being too overconfident to think I was the reason for this, but I think I was. Shinso used to say that he felt his heart heat up when he thought of me, and that when we were close to each other it felt like he couldn't breathe. I felt something similar, but I still hadn't told him out loud.
Even though the whole school already knew we were together, I still hadn't said anything actually romantic, and I think he didn't like it when I talked about having kids.
"I was really bad with words," I sighed, spreading some papers, just out of a tantrum.
- Is there a problem, Todoroki? - I heard Midoriya ask.
I was in the Class 1-A building, reviewing some stuff from our presentation for the School Festival. Midoriya was a great help in this process as he had so much practice with notes.
- No - I replied, looking down, I didn't want to talk about my problems with everyone, and I think Midoriya already knew too much.
He was the first one who came to congratulate me when I told the class about me and Shinso. Mina was the second one, but in a much more exaggerated way. I liked her.
- Oh, well, if you need to talk you can talk to me, we're friends, aren't we?
Midoriya smiled as he spoke to me. He was like a green rabbit.
- Okay - I replied - but I don't think you know much about relationships.
Midoriya gasped. I think I was pretty straight to the point. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed that Bakugou was staring at us from afar.
- Yeah, sorry - He smiled sheepishly and bowed his head - well, I have to talk to All Might now, so, see ya!
He hurried out of the building, almost tripping over his own feet. If Midoriya wasn't really All Might's secret love child I still didn't understand why they seemed to be so close, but my thoughts were interrupted when Bakugou walked across the table, with his tight black shirt and baggy pants, and kicked my chair, making me jump in my seat.
- That's a very strange way to show our friendship - I said.
- We're not friends, half-and-half bastard. - He muttered as he walked away. We had failed an exam together and now we would have another chance to prove our worth as heroes. And that's why I considered him my friend, but I still didn't understand how he could walk with such bad posture.
I organized the notes again and left it on the table so other people in the group could study them. I took my cell phone out of my pocket; Shinso still hadn't answered my messages today.
When I looked out the window I noticed that almost all the students seemed to be outside the dorms, preparing things for the school festival. The weather was nice, sunny, and the sky was blue. Maybe Shinso was among them.
So I put on my shoes and went after him.
XXX
I took the path out of the dorms to an area closer to the main buildings, where most of the students were gathered. I could hear the sound of tools being used, wood being cut, the smell of fresh paint, and groups of students talking animatedly.
I saw some Class 1-C students gathered in a corner, with pieces of black fabric and wood, they seemed to build a structure, but Shinso was not among them so I walked a little further until I reached a green area, covered with grass, Shinso was there, I could recognize his shoulders from anywhere even if he was wearing the same uniform as everyone else, not to mention that there weren't many people with purple hair around here. That girl, Lita, was with him. Shinso was seated near a bucket of water, and Lita handed him some pieces of wood, which he broke with his bare hands.
- Thank you! - I heard her say while clapping her hands - You can continue with the tests now.
- Okay - Shinso replied, nodding - maybe I need a little more blood…
- I can bring more if you want - said the girl - but I think it's good already.
Shinso answered something, and Lita finally left him alone. She almost bumped into me on her way over to the Class 1-C students, and I noticed she was blushing.
- Oh, sorry - Lita said, trying to cover her face with the pieces of wood she was carrying.
I think Shinso heard us because he turned to face me before I could surprise him. That's when my heart stopped, but not in the romantic way I wanted.
Shinso's face was covered in blood, from the top of his left eye to his chin, and from the strands of his hair to the lips on the right side of his face. There was also a scar on his right temple.
- BUT WHAT...! - I threw myself in front of him, grabbing his shoulders, but then I let go.
What if he was hurt all over his body? That girl was talking about blood, would Class 1-C be preparing to present a human sacrifice?
I tried to speak, but I was too scared for that, so all that came out of my throat was a startled gasp as Shinso laughed.
"He went mad", I thought, "as a result of the loss of blood, his senses were affected… We didn't have the same blood type, but I still could donate to him... ".
- Please stop! - Shinso said, he was laughing louder and louder.
- I'm trying to think of a way to help you - I replied - stay still!
- It is not necessary! - Shinso said, he hugged his stomach, still laughing, then took a deep breath and straightened his posture - Seriously, I'm fine, this is fake blood.
I stared at Shinso for two seconds. It was in this kind of situations that I understood why he thought I was a little slow.
- You're not dying - I said.
- Yet - Shinso replied in an ironic way I didn't like at all. He smiled and his teeth looked normal, so he wasn't beaten up - I'm testing horror makeup for the school festival.
I sat down on the grass beside him, taking a deep breath of immense relief.
While Shinso was still trying to stop laughing I tried not to stare at him anymore. So he tried to smear my face with some of the blood, but I backed off.
- I can help you take it off if you like - I said - but I don't want to see you that way anymore.
That was all I could say, but in my mind I couldn't stop thinking about the secret training he was having with Professor Aizawa, and if he became a hero then seeing him covered in blood would become common, because Shinso wasn't as powerful as me. But I wouldn't tell him that.
I heard Shinso sigh.
- All right, I forgot you didn't like fun things.
- Of course I like fun things, but this is...
Shinso knelt down and stuck his head into the bucket all at once, almost giving me a heart attack again. When he returned to the "surface", splashing water everywhere, he laughed again when he saw my horrified expression. The water in the bucket was now red, and his face was finally clean.
He then grabbed my face and pulled me closer before I could think of anything. Shinso's lips were cold from the water, mine were warm, but together I think they had the perfect temperature. I never took the initiative to kiss him, I always waited for him in any situation, the only time I took the initiative for something was to leave him behind, and that consumed me.
When Shinso released me, still rubbing his fingers along the back of my neck and following to my chin, he gave me one last kiss on the tip of my nose.
- I'm normal again - Shinso said; then he pointed to the dark circles under his eyes - but don't expect me to get rid of them either.
- No - I said, still a little startled by his kiss and to be so close to his purple eyes - it's perfect like that.
Shinso bit his lip, refusing to smile, which made him even more attractive, at least in my eyes. Especially now that he had no fake blood on his face.
- There's still a little left in the hair - I said. I bent down to pick up a towel that was neatly folded beside Shinso, then started to wipe away the remnants of makeup that were still left on his hairline.
- You saw me covered in blood and didn't even pay me a compliment - Shinso complained - what do I need to do for you to pay attention to me?
- You always look beautiful - I said - but you scared me, that's all.
- But that's the idea.
- I don't like that idea. I start to imagine things about... You know what.
Shinso made me stop trying to clean it. His hair was still dripping red water, but he went to his backpack and grabbed a candy bar.
- Take it - He said after he placed it in my hands.
- That is...
- Chocolate - Shinso sat back down beside me, shaking his hair like a dog after his bath - half dark chocolate, half white chocolate.
- Half and half. - I smiled, I didn't think I would use that term in anything positive someday.
- Yes - Shinso nodded - they don't sell in red and with the festival underway and training I didn't have time to go to the culinary lessons anymore, so buying a chocolate bar was the most I could do today.
I opened the candy bar packaging, it was even divided into two flavors. So I broke a piece and ate it.
- And also - Shinso took a deep breath - for having acted that way, in the culinary lesson, I was rude.
- You had the right to be rude to me - I said - so I promise I won't give you that right again.
The chocolate was bittersweet because of my feelings, melting in my mouth easily. Shinso also broke a piece and put it in his mouth.
- I'm afraid of your promises, Todoroki - Shinso said, for the first time not looking me in the eye that day - but I'll believe you this time.
He rubbed his eyes, and for a moment I couldn't tell if it was because of the fake blood or if he was about to cry.
- So - Shinso changed the subject - what are you going to do at the festival?
- I'm part of the stage team, helping to organize everything.
- Lame - Shinso broke another piece of chocolate, but this time he sucked the candy before eating it - that's not funny. My class will do a haunted house, that's why I was testing horror makeup. I hope you come to see me.
- Of course I will - I said.
- I heard that Class 1-B is going to make an awesome play, we could go see, Monoma invited me.
- Mo... Monoma?
That name was familiar to me, it belonged to an annoying and arrogant guy, and I didn't know why Shinso knew him.
- Why are you talking about him?
- We met by chance - Shinso said, he was eating more than me - he's nice.
- He's not nice.
I stopped him from taking another piece of the chocolate.
- I identify with him - Shinso explained - that's it.
- But you're not annoying.
- It's not about that, Shoto, it's because...
Shinso hesitated with a worried expression, and there was only one subject that made him that way.
- It's about quirks?
His gaze lit up.
- He knows how to reproduce quirks, did you know that? If you think about it, we're not that different... If I could reproduce people's voices, maybe...
- Maybe you'd become as annoying as Monoma - I said, putting a big chunk of chocolate in Shinso's mouth, who finally went quiet.
While Shinso chewed I started to analyze the skin of his arms under the uniform sleeves. Even getting stronger every day didn't stopped him to get new bruises.
When Shinso realized what I was doing he took some of the water that was left in the bucket and threw it on me, making me regret having put on an ordinary shirt and not the usual uniform.
The chocolate was gone, we had eaten everything.
When I returned to the Class 1-A building, with my shirt wet and my lips numb from Shinso's nibbling, I saw Midoriya training with the dance team in the garden.
He was decidedly the worst of them all, not that I was any better.
I could see that behind the curtains in one of the windows Bakugou was facing the team from afar. With his gaze fixed on Midoriya and there was no anger in his eyes, but admiration, affection and many doubts, doubts that I also had once.
Perhaps, one day, he would have the courage to reveal his hidden feelings too.
Shinso
One, two, three... I just had to wait for the right moment to show up and take everyone by surprise.
This time a large group came to see our haunted house, everyone was in their positions and I could hear the screams from the trapdoor where it was hidden in the ceiling. During the discussion we had doubts between dressing up as zombies, zombie mummies, or zombie vampires, but the last one was very contradictory and the mummies needed a lot of toilet paper and I was tired of being wrapped in cloths all day, so the zombies won.
Because of Shoto's fear I had put more blood and pieces of fake intestines on my clothes, leaving only a trickle of blood on my face. The intestines would fall on visitors' heads and it would be really funny, it was my idea and Lita's, the only true horror movie fans in our class. I still didn't understand how these chicken-hearted voted for the haunted house, I think we performed too well while voting on the theme. But the screams coming from the audience indicated that everyone was doing well.
Soon it would be my turn; I just needed to pay attention to people's steps.
Four, five, six... Now!
I checked one last time to make sure my feet were really stuck before opening the trapdoor and making a scary face in front of our visitors.
Half of them ran out before they even saw me, just the sound of the trapdoor opening, which I made sure to leave with the sound of an old door full of fake cobwebs, made some people panic and, when they saw me the rest followed running to the next scare point.
I held back the smile until they were all out of sight, then tucked the intestines back into my shirt and went back to my hiding place. The trapdoor was really a great idea, first because no one expected anything to come out of the roof, and second because it gave me some privacy.
I had placed a shelf with a water bottle, a towel, a shirt in case the one I wore got ripped, another bottle of fake blood, and, of course, my phone.
I was surprised to look at the time, it had been hours since the festival started and I didn't even have time to go out and see Class 1-A's performance. It should have ended by now.
I quickly texted Shoto, asking him to come see me, but as a normal visitor first; I really wanted to scare him!
"I'm on my way," he replied quickly, much to my surprise. So his presentation was really over. Was it good? He told me that he had shown a video with a song I liked and that his friends were interested.
Would I also get along with them someday if I entered the heroes course?
Professor Aizawa said I had a chance, but did I? Really? I wasn't used to so many good things happening to me at once... A chance on the heroes course, Shoto coming back to me...
Why did I have the feeling this was all going to fall apart soon?
I got the fake intestine out of my shirt, I wanted to scare Shoto, not make him pass out.
"I'm coming in," Shoto sent me another message.
I tried to contain my excitement and got into position. Usually I knew that people were getting closer by the screams of fear or the frightening moans of my friends. Lita was the first zombie to appear and chased visitors until they were separated. She had gone to great lengths with her makeup, her legs actually seemed to be chewed to the bone.
As much as I waited, there was no scream of fright.
"How strange", I thought, "he must be around by now".
Until the silence helped me hear footsteps below me.
That was my signal to attack.
I stuck my feet in a piece of wood again and opened the trapdoor, falling partially on top of the person below me. I was right; the person was really Shoto, with his crimson hair on the left side and stark white on the right side.
I did my best to scare him, grimaced, moaning in pain, even trying to let only the whitish part of my pupils show.
But none of that shook him.
- Oh - was all his reaction.
Shoto stared at me, completely still, with an blank expression.
- It looks better that way - He said, with a little smile - it doesn't look much dead now.
"That's great," I thought, "nothing can shake the great Shoto Todoroki".
- Can you come down from there? – Shoto asked. But I did not have time to answer, because I heard screams and footsteps coming toward us.
So I grabbed Shoto around the waist and used everything I learned in my training to pull him into the trapdoor with me.
He ended up falling on top of me, too close to my thighs, but I didn't have time to be embarrassed as I went back to the entrance and closed the trapdoor before the new visitors saw us.
- This place doesn't smell good - Shoto said. He was rubbing his head, had I accidentally hurt him?
- Let me see - I said, moving closer to him.
I took Shoto's hands out of his hair, and then touched the back of his head, there was no blood.
- I'm fine - he said, wearing a yellow shirt that was oddly flashy by his standards.
- Good - I breathed with relief - I'm sorry if I pulled you here, but I still can't leave and I didn't want to let you go either.
- So you kidnapped me.
- It's not a real kidnapping - I replied - I'm not calling your father for ransom or anything.
Good thing we weren't claustrophobic, because the place was already cramped with me alone, and now we could barely move without bumping into each other.
- Please let's do this; let's make him lose his mind! - Shoto smiled.
I stopped him when I heard people passing right below us, covering his mouth with one hand. Shoto's breathing was heaving from the small adventure of climbing up here, but he finally calmed down.
- I had forgotten that you take scary things seriously - Shoto whispered, I felt his lips move in the palm of my hand - I should have screamed in fright, forgive me.
- It's alright - I replied - you'll be terrified all the time after I get into the heroes course anyway, so we'll be fine.
Shoto took my hand away from his mouth, looking slightly annoyed.
The only light came from the floor below us, red beams coming through the cracks in the wood that made his dark gray eye glow.
Since his expression didn't change, for a moment I thought he would actually fight me, but Shoto did the opposite. He grabbed my face, making his nails dig into my skin unkindly, pulling me close until his mouth was locked with mine. He ignored the smell of the trapdoor, the fake blood on my face and the rubber intestine that was hanging on the shelf behind me, and kept kissing me like we couldn't do it another time, ever again.
When I realized, Shoto pulled me until I was on top of him, lying awkwardly on that tight structure, with our heads hitting the wooden walls all the time that we moved.
"Why are you doing this?" I wanted to ask him, "Why are you acting like this now? What did I do wrong?"
- I want you to come to my house - Shoto broke our hug to say, his hands inside my jeans pockets
I was sure I swallowed some saliva in fright.
- Your home? - I asked. I think I had only been there once, and he didn't even let me pass the main courtyard, even though his father wasn't there.
Shoto was afraid he'd see us together back then, so what was he up to now?
He tried to lift his torso to sit down again, but I couldn't even move.
- I want you to meet my sister - He said - and maybe my brother, if he's around.
I nodded slowly, and then sat back down, leaving Shoto free to move again. I saw her sister once, and she had kind eyes, kinder than his. I couldn't be afraid of a simple invitation.
- I don't want to keep our relationship a secret from anyone anymore - Shoto said - and that includes my family. Fuyumi is nice, she will like you.
I remained silent; I think there was a tennis ball in my throat.
- I can't believe you like scary things so much, but you can't face my family.
It was impossible not to smile after hearing that sentence. Shit. He was right.
- There's some blood on your face - I said, wiping his smooth skin with my fingertips. As powerful as Shoto was, he looked fragile to me.
- It was my fault - He said, still smiling.
Shoto didn't wait for me to finish before kissing me again, this time throwing me to the ground and nearly making the trapdoor open with our weight.
- That's enough - I said, against my will - or we're going to fall.
He helped me sit down again, right next to him since we had nowhere else to go, so I avoided looking at his tempting lips.
- You know I'll get another chance at the provisional hero license exam - Shoto said - and this time I'll make it, and then I'll become a hero.
- Everyone knows that - I replied, leaning my head on his shoulder as I put more fake blood on my shirt even though I hadn't intended to perform again for a while.
- I'll become a real hero, and then, when you get your license you won't have to struggle or get hurt, because I'll take care of everything.
- You're very encouraging, Shoto.
- I am, aren't I? - He smiled.
I rolled my eyes. If he didn't understand a simple irony like that how could he wipe out all the villains in the world?
We heard a signal coming from downstairs. It was time for our break; we could finally go out and enjoy the festival a little.
- Come on - I said - let's watch the Class 1-B play now, Monoma said he'd save a seat for me.
- Do you still talk to this guy? - Shoto said, with clenched teeth.
- Let's go - I repeated.
I opened the trapdoor and jumped downstairs. It wasn't very far and I had already tested it a few times, I wouldn't suffer any injuries. Shoto hesitated a little, so I reached out and caught him as he jumped.
- Want to buy something before the play? - Shoto asked. I held his hand as I led him to the exit.
- Something sweet - I said. "Something that reminded me of his kiss and kept me in control for a while".
As we approached the exit, more fake zombies appeared, happy to have some time to breathe, and I felt Shoto grip my hand more tightly.
So he was, yes, a little scared.
