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The Moon's Wane | Todoroki Shouto x Reader

Summary:

A chronicle of all the things that go wrong, from the moment you find out you are meant to be betrothed to a boy with mismatched eyes.

Chapter 1: [1 - the start of something horrible]

Chapter Text

"It'll just be this way, miss." 

You nodded absentmindedly, trying to keep up with the male's lengthy strides. He was an adult; well into his twenties by the looks of it, and was clothed in a spotless black suit. His pin-black hair was neatly coiffed to the sides, and although he couldn't have been much more than an attendant or secretary, he was easily wearing a year's worth of college tuition on his body. 

Then again, you shouldn't have really been surprised—the entire house was gargantuan. It donned the appearance of a traditional, japanese home, and you could only imagine how much it could possibly sell for. The tatami mats were relatively new to you, since you'd grown up in a western-style house, but you decided that you liked them. There was something endearingly rustic about them; it was certainly better than all the artificality that you saw nowadays. So, yes—the house was nice. That much you could admit to. 

The house only

You would've liked to visit such a place and admire its architecture on your own time, but your purpose in being here was for business, not pleasure. In fact, calling it "business" was not even the true nature of your visit—it was a death sentence.

Some may have said that you were exaggerating, and making a big fuss over nothing, but truly, that was how you felt. In reality, you were here against your will; a mere puppet at the mercy of your parents. And while your death may not have been literal, it sure as hell felt like the next worst thing. 

"Stop here, if you may." 

The man glanced down at you, extending his arm out as a gesture for you to halt in place. You'd stopped just before a large, sliding door—much more ornate and decorative than any of the others. This was probably where the head honcho resided; the maestro of the house, so to speak. Either way, it was pretty clear that this was where your meeting would go down. This was where your fate would be sealed, and your life ripped from your grasp.

You bit down on your lip, hoping to keep your tears at bay. 

How the hell did this happen? 

 


 

"[Name], sweetheart. Come here—we need to talk to you." 

Ah, yes. The words that had started it all. Even now, rememering your mother's sickeningly sweet tone would make a sensation of bile rise to your throat. You regretted answering her. Maybe if you'd mustered up the courage to leave when you still had the chance, things wouldn't have turned out the way they had. Well, not that there was anything you could do about it now

"What is it?" you answered, creeping out of your room. You'd been holed up studying, and it wasn't like your mother to disturb you when you were occupied with schoolwork.

"Come sit down. Make yourself comfortable." 

She was smiling back at you; the same smile that always seemed to be laced with venom. You noticed that your father was sitting just beside her with a grave expression. This too was odd—they hardly ever willingly sat together. You'd just sort of accepted that was the point their precarious relationship had gotten to. 

A lot of things were putting you on edge, but you decided to take a seat for the time being. Your mother continued to smile, and you started to wonder if maybe her face had just been permanently frozen into that acidic grin. At least she was blinking. It made her look a bit more humane. 

"My dear," she began, "Before I tell you what's going on, I would like for you to compose yourself. I don't want to hear any rude interruptions; not until we've finished saying our piece. Right, honey?" 

She'd turned to glance at your father, who merely grunted in response and didn't dare meet her gaze. She smiled again, as if that response was satisfactory. 

"As you may be aware," she continued, "Our company has not been doing very well as of late. It's easy enough to understand that in this ever-growing society of Quirks and otherworldly powers, people have begun to turn more to the aid of those with abilities rather than simple medication. We still have exports to hospitals, of course, but there've been so many other rival companies that it's becoming hard to keep a good line of sales going. You understand what I'm trying to say, yes?" 

You furrowed your brows. Your parents ran a big pharmaceutical company, the likes of which had been in high demand a few years prior. Whenever business was concerned, they hardly ever involved you, but you weren't an idiot—you could tell that sales had been going down. The question was why now? They'd kept you in the dark for so long, practically snubbing you every time you asked about the company, so what could they possibly have to gain by telling you this now? 

"So people don't want to buy your crappy drugs anymore," you mused, noting the way your mother's jaw tightened. "Okay, then. So what? Are you trying to say that I need to start working for the business now? Because you already know that's not happening—I'm going to U.A to become a hero." 

She smiled again, gently shaking her head. "Oh, no. Don't worry, sweetie, we're not going to ask you to do anything like that. We just need a little favor from you. Ah, but it's okay—you aren't required to do much at all. It's more so a formality, and you'll be able to go to U.A just like you planned. No changes there." 

You pursed your lips. One way or another, she still hadn't revealed what the hell they wanted you to do, and the mystery of it all was making you impatient.

"Just tell me what it is, already. Tell me what it is first, and then I'll give you my answer." 

Your mother's smile faltered just slightly. She glanced over towards your father before looking back at you. 

"Oh, honey...I'm afraid there's no need for your answer. We've already decided that this is happening." 

You opened your mouth in protest, but your father was quicker on the uptake. 

"You're getting engaged," he stated flatly. His expression hadn't changed; even the look in his eyes was the exact same—utterly devoid of any emotion. He'd spoken so quickly that you weren't even sure you'd heard him properly.

"I-I beg your pardon...?" 

"You're getting engaged!" This time, it was your mother who'd chimed in, with another one of her fabricated smiles. "Aren't you excited, sweetie? The family's incredibly wealthy—after all, he's the son of the Number Two Hero! By grace, you're so lucky! This young and your future's already assured!" 

You swallowed hard. Your eyes were blinking repeatedly now, past the point of being stopped. Every fiber of your being was telling you that this was some sort of practical joke—it had to be. But the look in your mother's eyes was undeniable, and for as long as you'd known him, your father had never uttered a single joke. All at once, you felt your chest start to close up.

It wasn't a joke. It was real. 

This...was actually happening. 
"But how—I'm not—" You brought a hand against your temple, eyes trembling uncontrollably. "Just...why?" 

"The 'how' is easy enough to answer," your mother giggled. "You're only fifteen, yes, but engagement isn't legally binding—anyone can get engaged, regardless of how old they are. The real wedding won't be until you're quite a bit older, so there's no need to worry about that just yet." 

You'd passed the point of bewilderment, and were now steadily transitioning into sheer, unbridled rage. Your eyes were bloodshot and red as you glared into your mother's own.

"How dare you try to decide something like this," you spat. "I'm your fucking daughter, and you're treating me like I'm some kind of disposable object. What the hell is this? You're just gonna decide my whole future with a flick of your wrist??" 

Your mother frowned. "First of all, language. We didn't raise you to speak so crudely, young lady. And as much as we would love to give you the option of deciding for yourself, we're in the midst of a very hard time—financially. By marrying into this family, we would not only have their economic support, but we would also be able to use the Number Two Hero, Endeavor, as our celebrity model. With him advertising our brand, we're sure to increase our sales tenfold." 

You gaped at her. Surely, you were mistaken. Surely, your parents weren't just marrying you off and tossing you aside for some extra cash?

"We're lucky that you have such a good Quirk," your mother hummed. "Endeavor seemed very interested in your prospects as his son's wife. What was it he called it again...? Ah, yes—a Quirk marriage. He said that you would bear lovely, powerful children from this union." 

"Children...?" you repeated, eyes fully dilated. "He wants me to be some some sort of baby factory for him??" 

"Oh, don't call it that, honey. It's a privilege, honestly. And from what I've seen, that son of his is very handsome, so you've lucked out there, as well." She rested her chin atop the back of her hand, eyes glazing over. "A good husband from a wealthy, reputable family...what more could you ask for?" 

Your father lifted his head to nod. "She's right, you know. You need to stop being so damn ungrateful, [Name]." 

All you could do was scoff. As always, your parents only ever saw eye-to-eye whenever they were intent on tearing you down. Even to this day you wondered if you were actually related to them; these cold, heartless demons who'd just auctioned off your body and soul. 

You'd just been told that you were to become the trophy wife of a boy you'd never even met before. The marriage might not have been immediate, sure, but it was hellish all the same. Here you were, sitting before your parents as they told you that you had absolutely no choice in the matter; that you were to give yourself whole for the sake of their company's flourish. 

It was disgusting, really, that's all it was. It was twisted, manipulative, and pathetic. And even still, there was the one biggest issue in your mind. 

"What about my boyfriend?" you asked bitterly, tears prickling at the corners of your eyes. "What about him, huh? I'm just expected to tell him to piss off and move onto this random guy I've never met before? You can't be serious. You can't seriously be expecting me to end a relationship just because you told me to. Tell me you're not that fucked in the head." 

Your mother shot a glance in your father's direction, who merely shrugged and said nothing. She tucked a strand of hair behind her hair, smoothed out her skirt, and only then did she return her gaze towards your own.

"Come on, sweetie. An engaged woman can't possibly have a boyfriend on the side—it's just not proper. Please understand." 

It felt as though a steel pipe had been lodged down your throat. You tried to breathe, but there was a firm sensation of something being stuck, and the more quickly you respired, the more it hurt. You keeled over, gasping uncontrollably, while your clutched at your chest. 

Your mother looked at you with a smile that was more so amused than pitying.

"Alright, enough of that. You're a lady, aren't you? In that case, you should behave like one. Here—take this." You looked up to see her extending a phone out towards you. Her lips were still curled up into that disgusting smile."Take it, sweetheart. You know what you need to do." 

You didn't know why, but you grabbed the phone into your hand. Maybe it was because you'd come to terms with the fact that struggling was in vain; that no matter how much you refused, things would still turn out the same way. Or maybe in the back of your mind, you knew that you were nothing more than your mother's little marionette, forever at the mercy of her unforgiving strings. 

One thing was for certain—your fate had already been sealed. In that case, why not make yourself hurt even more?

You pulled up from the couch, dragging your feet listlessly into the other room, so that your parents couldn't hear your pitiful sobs. Your cheeks were stained with fresh tears, but they were already on the verge of drying out and leaving behind a familiar sting. The door to your room clicked shut; you were already dialing the number. 

A scarce few moments later, you could hear the voice on the other end. 

"Hello?" 

You swallowed hard, wiping away the new wave of tears. 

"We need to break up, Izuku-kun."

Chapter 2: [2 - "hi, i'm your future wife"]

Chapter Text

Currently, you were standing in front of the large, sliding door, which still had yet to be opened. The male attendant was waiting off to the side, his jaw taut and eyes clear. He looked to be listening in for some sort of signal that it was okay to enter. You were tempted to scoff. Sure, Endeavor was one of the most well-known heroes, but did he really have to draw out the waiting time for so long? You barely knew him, but he already seemed arrogant.

"It should only be a little longer," the man assured you, smiling gently. You returned his gesture with a dispirited nod, just wanting to get the damn thing over with. 

Finally, after what could only have been an eternity of waiting, you heard a deep, gruff voice from behind the door beckon you to enter. Your male companion gave you one final glance. He quickly raked his eyes down your frame, giving your shoulders a quick pat as if to brush aside any residual fluff. You grimaced, not exactly loving the sensation of practically being treated like some sort of showpony. Your parents had already made you wear a dreary, black dress—as opposed to the flattering, (f/c) one you'd wanted to wear. It was almost as if you were dressed for a funeral, which oddly enough, seemed sort of fitting. 

The man beckoned you forth, and you hastily ran your lips against each other one last time, in an attempt to spread your gloss evenly. The attendant stepped in front of you, promptly sliding the doors open and then moving to the side so that you could enter. 

Now, you knew next to nothing about the boy you were to be engaged to. You knew he was Endeavor's son, yes, but you'd never seen a picture of him, nor had you heard anything about him on the news. As far as Endeavor—or Todoroki Enji—was concerned, he liked to keep his home life under wraps and had never revealed his childrens' appearances to the public. So, you didn't know what to expect.

But you certainly hadn't expected this.

Of all the instances your mother had lied to you so shamelessly, this was the one time when she'd actually been telling the truth. The boy, whose name had been revealed to you as Shouto, was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful people you'd ever laid eyes upon. His jaw was sculpted and skin fair; if you didn't know any better, you would've thought he was some kind of model. His hair was by far the most interesting you'd ever seen—split down the middle into shades of crimson and ivory. He also had heterochromia; a condition which resulted in both eyes being a different color. One of them was a deep, subdued gray, and the other was an icy turquoise. "Unique" was one way to describe his appearance, but "handsome as fuck" was also accurate. The only blemish on his otherwise perfect face was a scar that resided on his left side, encircling his eye. And oddly enough, you didn't find it unsightly. More than anything, it seemed to carry a deep sadness; as if there was a story to be told there.

Or maybe it's a birthmark? He could've been born with it. 

You shook your head quickly enough, redirecting your attention to the two figures in front of you. In your awe, you'd failed to take note of the angry, fire-bearded man that was sitting beside Shouto—they were both seated on some kind of pillows for their knees. Probably more traditional Japanese stuff that you should've known more about. 

"Well?" Endeavor glared, clicking his tongue with impatience. "Aren't you going to introduce yourself? Don't you have any manners?" 

You frowned. It was your first time doing some sort of "marriage interview" or whatever bullshit—the least they could do was go easy on you. You also had no idea who the hell you were supposed to address, but you decided that it was probably better for your heart if you stared at Shouto rather than the fuming hero.

"Uh, hi," you began awkwardly. "I'm [Name], and I'm your future wife. I don't know anything about how this is supposed to work, so...let's just try to have fun with it and not stress too much." 

You'd been staring at Shouto the whole time, which is how you noticed the way his apathetic expression shifted towards confusion. He looked truly perplexed; your introduction certainly wasn't what he'd been expecting. 

Endeavor, on the other hand, was nothing short of livid.

"You little—!" He stood up abruptly from the ground, gritting his teeth at you. "What sort of introduction was that, you slovenly fool?! I won't stand around to be disgraced like this in my own home!!" 

You were tempted to yawn. Sure, your parents had forced you into this miserable arrangement, but no one said you had to be nice about it. There was a small part of you that was hoping that if you were disagreeable enough, you'd manage to get pulled out of this marriage. Plus, Endeavor didn't scare you. He was a hero, so there was no way he'd actually hurt you—that sort of thing would ruin his already-unlikeable image. 

If you were going to be put through this shit, you would be yourself and not give a royal fuck.

"I was just stating the facts," you drawled out. "Or am I not to be his wife? Sorry, but I don't really get what I said wrong. If anything, your son still has yet to introduce himself. Rude much?" 

Endeavor had to bite down on his lip to resist the urge to smack you. He sighed wearily, flashing a stern glare in Shouto's direction that seemed to say "hurry up, already". The boy barely nodded, keeping his emotionless expression as he looked up at you. 

"I'm Shouto," he breathed out. "It's nice to meet you." 

Those were his words, but you got the feeling that he was just as elated (not) as you were. You didn't mind much. This situation was already messed up to begin with. Also, his voice was really hot. He was just hot in general. At the very least, your future husband was a looker. 

"You haven't even bowed," Endeavor spat. "Here I was, thinking that you would show us even an ounce of grace. You're lucky you've got such a strong Quirk, girlie—otherwise I would never have considered extending my family name to someone like you." 

Your eyes glazed over. 

Oh, goodie. I so desperately wanted to have to break up with my boyfriend and get engaged with a random person. Yippee-fucking-hooray for my Quirk.

Endeavor spent a few more moments glaring at you—to which you smirked back—before deciding that he didn't want to be around you any more. He muttered something about you sitting down and getting better acquainted with Shouto, and then promptly exited the room.

The two of you were left alone. 

You didn't really know what to say, not that Shouto seemed much for conversation in the first place. He was staring at you with a glassy look in his eyes, and hadn't budged an inch since Endeavor left. You decided to sit down for the time being, and Shouto's brows lifted when he saw you sitting down on the pillow adjacent to his own. 

"What?" you shrugged. "My knees will hurt if I sit directly on the ground. Besides, I get the feeling that Endeavor will be super pissed if he comes back and catches me using his pillow, so that's an added bonus." 

At this, Shouto's lips twitched just slightly. It wasn't a smile; no, it was far too subtle for it to be that, but at the very least it looked like even he might be capable of feeling amused. 

"You don't like him?" he asked curiously. 

"Uhh...what's there to like? He's a dick. I've barely spent two minutes with him and I'm already dreading having him as an in-law." You spared a glance towards Shouto, then clasped a hand across your mouth. "Ah, oops. He's your dad, so I probably shouldn't say things like that, right...?" 

Shouto shook his head. "No, I don't care. You're right, anyways. He is a dick."

"Ooh, looks like we've already got something in common!" 

You chuckled stupidly, and as expected, Shouto didn't join in. He was really good at keeping his emotions hidden. Or maybe he just barely had any. That would suck.

"Well, I guess I can't really judge other peoples' families," you admitted. "Since my home situation is pretty messed up, too. But don't worry, I won't bore you with the lengthy sob-story. Just know that I used to live in the States before things got really ugly between my parents—then we moved here, and things just got even worse." 

"Oh." Shouto looked interested for a moment. "You lived in America...so I'm assuming you can speak English?" 

"Yep! I can speak it just fine! How 'bout you, cutie?"

He twisted his brows into a knot. "I won't be able to understand you if you speak so fast." 

"Awesome! It'll be that much easier to insult you without you knowing!" 

"I'm not exactly sure what you said, but I get the feeling that it wasn't something nice." 

You smiled. "Well, something along those lines. Don't worry too much. I'm a cynical person by nature." 

"I'll take your word for it." 

With a lackluster nod, Shouto tucked his chin so that he could stare down at the tatami flooring. You didn't think he was shy or anything, but he didn't seem very interested in speaking to you. Ah, such joy. You could already imagine how amazing the two of you would be as a married couple. 

He's the more quiet, introspective type. He doesn't seem hostile, or mean; more so cold. Then again, we're both being forced into this, so I don't think either of us is too happy about it. I don't expect us to fall for each other, but it'd be nice if we could at least get along.

You spared another glance towards Shouto, whose mismatched orbs were bleak and unassuming. He was like a porcelain doll—intricately crafted and pretty to look at, but empty on the inside. 

Izuku was nothing like that. He was always so bright and full of energy; even when you weren't in the best of spirits and were struggling with your family, he was always able to cheer you up. He truly was kind, in ways that you hadn't even thought were possible. He was the perfect match for you—that much you'd been convinced of. And yet, you'd been forced to cast him aside and act as though your relationship had never existed. 

Shouto was running his fingers across the ground now, with no particular goal in mind. You were tempted to strike up another conversation, but the pain in your chest told you it'd be better if you didn't. You really were a pair of pitiful souls; tied together against your will.

You pressed your lips into a line. 

I need to get out of this. No matter what it takes. 

Chapter 3: [3 - fuck the system]

Chapter Text

It had only been a few days since you'd been introduced to Shouto, and you already felt miserable. 

The engagement was one thing, but you'd long come to terms with the fact that your parents were ruthless, evil shits who couldn't care less about you. No, the most frustrating part right now was being unable to speak to Izuku.

Your parents demanded that you break up with him, but they hadn't told you that they would outright forbid you from interacting with him in any shape or form. No sooner had your breakup been solidified, your mother had already rushed into your room and forced you to block his number off your phone. She'd assured you—with that same distasteful smile—that there would be severe consequences if you tried to reach out to him and go against her wishes. Your family situation had always been more so on the precarious side; some might even call it abusive, what with the emotional neglect, verbal acidity, manipulation, and spying that went on behind your house's walls. They'd never hit you, no, but the atmosphere was toxic and sickening, and you always tried to come up with ways of getting out of the house and leaving it all behind for a few hours. 

Izuku had been your savior. 

You remembered the first time you'd ever come to his house; a sobbing, pitiful sight as you rang the doorbell and hugged your sides. The poor boy's eyes had widened almost immediately, and he'd ushered you in without so much as a second glance. You hadn't even been dating at that point—you'd just met through some of his classmates, since you didn't even go to the same middle school. Nonetheless, he'd treated you with nothing but genuine concern and respect, and had never tried to force anything out of you unless you wanted to tell him yourself. 

Those had been the good times; the small, meager scraps of happiness you were allowed so long as you lived with your parents. You didn't know exactly how it had gotten to this point. Before starting off the business in Japan, they'd mostly been entrepreneurs in the States, taking odd jobs here and there. You were pretty small so you couldn't remember much, but you were kind of strapped for cash most of the time. Still, you were happy—at least, happier than you were now. The family dynamic had undergone a complete shift over the last couple years, and every day it just seemed to get worse.

And now, your engagement. Of all the shit you already had to deal with, this was really the last straw. You wondered if that was honestly how your parents saw you; as a disposable object, no doubt. Right now, the only person you wanted to talk to was Izuku, and you couldn't even do that because you were being watched like a hawk. 

You missed him, plain and simple. You missed the way his curly locks would tickle your cheek every time you hugged, and the way he would blush the shade of a tomato if you ever made a suggestive joke. More than anything, you missed his smile; the likes of which could even beckon the sun forth. 

But that was all irrelevant now.

"Miss [Name]," your attendant greeted; the very same suited man which you'd met the first time. "It's very nice to see you again. I hope you've slept well." 

"I didn't." 

He frowned. "Sorry?" 

"I didn't sleep well," you repeated. "I had nightmares—specifically about being engaged at the age of fifteen to a complete stranger. Oh, wait..." 

You flashed him a smug look, but he quickly brushed you off. Once again, you were waiting near the large, sliding door that you'd come to accept as the general meeting point for your visits. The wait didn't take too long this time around though, and it briskly slid open to reveal none other than your fiancé. 

"Good morning," you piped up, hoping you sounded a lot more cheerful than you actually were. Shouto slowly nodded his head, mumbling back a soft "morning" in response. 

"Um, I like your shirt," you complimented. In truth, there was nothing really special about it, but you could already tell that there would be a huge gap of silence if you didn't keep the conversation going. 

Shouto simply nodded again. "Thanks." 

The conversation died off just as quickly as you'd predicted, especially once the attendant left you to your own devices. Your initial meeting had just been so that you could introduce one another, but it was clear that these visits would become more frequent; with the purpose of bringing the two of you closer together. 

Not that the odds of that happening were all that great. 

"So...what do you wanna do?" You glanced back at him hopefully, praying that there was something; anything that the two of you could do in order to break away from this awkward silence. A big-ass house like this had to have a few neat places to check out, right?

"I don't know," he shrugged off. "There's nothing much to do." 

She swings, aaaand...she misses. 

"Cool," you murmured. "I agree 100%. Let's just stand around here and do nothing, man." 

Shouto must've noticed the acidity in your tone (although you weren't bothering to hide it), and quickly narrowed his eyes. "Sarcasm?" 

"I mean, I told you I was a cynical person." 

He batted those mesmerizing, dual-colored eyes in your direction. You mentally cursed him for being so damn good-looking; it made it hard for you to check him out and be pissed off at the same time. You watched as Shouto pursed his lips just so. 

"We...have a koi pond," he said finally. "If you're interested in seeing that, we can take a look." 

"Sounds good to me, cupcake." 

Shouto sighed. "I told you I can't understand when you speak in English." 

"I know," you grinned. "That's why I do it." 

He half-rolled his eyes at you, waving his hand through the air to beckon you forth. The two of you made your way through the long halls, exiting out through the courtyard. There were actually quite a few ponds, seeing as the whole place was so damn huge, but Shouto finally stopped before the edge of a particular body of water and glanced down. You followed his line of vision and did the same. 

It didn't take long for your [e/c] orbs to lock onto bright hues of orange and crimson. The koi's bodies were a milky white, and appeared to have been stained with blotches of paint in that messy, erratic pattern. With the sun shining overhead and the clear reflection from the water's surface, there was no denying that it was a beautiful sight. And still, all you could think to say was—

"Ooh, fishies." 

Shouto glanced back at you with arched brows. "Fishies...?" 

"Yeah, fishies. As in fish. What else could I mean?" 

"No, nothing. I just...never heard anyone call them something like that. Usually people look at this pond and act as if it's the best damn thing they've ever seen in their entire life. Which is kind of exhausting," he sighed. "To see everyone put on airs just to try and impress us—my father, I mean—it's just disappointing. People can act so fickle when they're trying to get something." 

You pursed your lips, not really knowing what to say. Eventually, you found a smile gracing your features.

"Fish are fish," you said simply. "It's nothing too amazing. At least, not to me." 

"Yeah. You're right there." 

Shouto's expression was still stiff, but you thought it had eased up just a little. It seemed like the two of you had had your fill of the koi pond, and you were once again plagued by the question of "what are we gonna do?". 

Your eyes lit up. "Hey, let's go sit on that bench over there. It's nice out, so we can relax and talk a bit, alright?" 

Shouto agreed with a nod of his head instead of a verbal response. He followed behind you as you plopped your body down onto the bench and let out a contented sigh. The sun was pleasantly warm; it wasn't beating directly in your eyes, either. Now if only you had better company...

"So, Shouto-kun," you addressed, realizing that this was actually the first time you'd called him by his name. "What do you think about this whole "Quirk Marriage" business? It's bullshit, right?" 

He blinked, looking a bit surprised by how direct you were being. But even for someone as composed and put together as he was, it was impossible to remain stony-faced all the time. Everyone was bound to slip up at some point, and this was just that. 

"I fucking hate Quirk Marriages," Shouto declared. 

Now it was your turn to blink, since he actually looked angry for once. You certainly hadn't been expecting for him to feel so strongly about the issue, and you just got the feeling that there was something more to it that he wasn't telling you. He probably wouldn't ever tell you.

"I hate 'em, too," you agreed, earning his gaze once more. "It's okay, Shouto-kun, we can both hate them together. Fuck the system, right?" 

You'd lifted up your fist and were hovering it above Shouto's chest. He looked down in confusion, no doubt wondering what in the hell you were trying to get him to do. You mouthed the words "fist bump" and he still looked bewildered. 

You sighed. "Nevermind then. You can express your hatred for the system another time, another way. Let's just try to enjoy the sunshine while we still can." 

Forcing your most convincing smile, you shuffled your feet downwards and reclined your neck against the top of the bench so that you had a distinct view of the clear skies. Shouto hadn't said a single word since your last; he hadn't even so much as made a sound. 

With the silence hanging overhead, and Shouto's vacant expression, you decided that romance really was dead after all.

Chapter 4: [4 - my fiancé's kind of a dick]

Chapter Text

The following few weeks were nearly as painful as the first. 

At Endeavor's insistence, you continued meeting up with Shouto at frequent intervals. Your talks would be, as always, dull and practically nonexistent. You weren't a shy person by nature, and most would consider you pretty approachable and friendly, despite your witty, sarcastic personality. But with Shouto, it was a whole other ball game. 

Jokes? Forget it. 

Fun activities? Don't even try.

Trying to learn more about him? You'd be better off searching for a needle in a haystack. 

The point was that Shouto was not, by any means, an easy person to get along with. You didn't think he disliked you or anything, but you also didn't really think he gave a shit. It was a wasted effort to try and deepen your relationship, when neither of you wanted such a thing in the first place. So, you couldn't really blame him. Besides, you were having nerves right now for an entirely different reason.

It was to be your very first day at U.A, which was already a whole issue on its own. Yes you were starting off at a completely new school, but you'd never really been too anxious about those kind of transitions. Living with your parents had conditioned you to be resilient and headstrong, and you definitely weren't scared of your future classmates. No, the problem was completely different. 

Izuku

Ever since your parents had forced you to sever your ties with him, you hadn't spoken a single word over the phone or seen each other in person even once. He'd frequently rung your doorbell and politely requested that he speak with you, but your mother had shooed him away and also added in some unnecessary remarks—which were also completely untrue

By now the poor boy probably thought you hated him, and your stomach was already doing flips at the prospect of seeing him again for the first time, since you knew he'd also gotten into U.A (by word-of-mouth). 

I don't even know what I'm supposed to say to him. There's no way in hell I'm telling anybody about this whole...situation. And I doubt Shouto-kun wants people to know, either. 

Your infamous fiancé was currently hovering by your side, being just as silent as always. Endeavor basically urged that you go all places together; he must've thought that exposing the two of you to each other so frequently would up the chances of him getting a grandkid soon, the perverse asshole. Even now you didn't understand much about the whole "Quirk Marriage" thing. Shouto seemed to know way more than you did, but he kept mum about it, like with most things. 

All in all, things were shitty, and you just hoped that by some stroke of luck, you wouldn't end up in the same class as Izuku.

"You look a bit on edge," Shouto remarked. You were surprised to hear him speak up first—usually the process was like pulling teeth. 

"I'm not on edge," you lied. "Just didn't sleep well last night; or any other nights recently, for that matter." 

"You're probably just nervous about the new school." 

He said it as if it were a simple fact, and you had to grit down on your teeth to keep from yelling at him.

No, actually, I'm nervous because I have to see my fucking ex-boyfriend who I didn't even want to break up with in the first place, but I had to because of YOU. 

"Yeah," you deadpanned. "I guess that makes sense." 

Shouto didn't seem to notice the acidity in your tone, and you kept to his side while you made your way through U.A grounds. The hallways were long and confusing, but you supposed that was to be expected of such a huge school. Your classroom was "1-A", in the Heroics Course, and it didn't take long for you to find the bulky door. 

Except that your ex-boyfriend had found it first. 

"[N-Name]-chan...??" Izuku croaked out. He looked you over as if you were some sort of apparition; some spirit who was gliding along the astral plane. He could barely believe his eyes, that much was certain. His reaction was to be expected, though, since you had been practically MIA to him.

Izuku rushed over to your side without so much as another breath, emerald eyes wide and quivering. He didn't even spare a glance towards the boy standing beside you, since he was so immersed in his stare. 
You didn't really know what to say, so you chose what was likely the most informal greeting possible.

"Uh, yo. What's up?" 

Izuku flinched; he must've thought you were mocking him or something. You immediately regretted the words, but you hadn't seen him in so long...suddenly you couldn't even remember how to behave anymore. 

"What's up...?" he repeated. "What do you mean, 'what's up'? I've been trying to reach you for the last few weeks, and you couldn't even give me any sign that you were feeling alright; or safe, even." 

Your heart immediately did a pang. Even after he'd been broken up with so abruptly, he was still worrying about you. 

Izuku bit down on his lip. "I-I know that you're probably sick of me trying to talk to you, but I just don't get it. At least help me understand what I did wrong. [Name]-chan, I'm—do you hate me...?" 

Tears had begun to prick at the corners of his eyes, and you all but let out a gasp. Shouto was still standing there, not saying anything, and probably not knowing how to just up and leave. You had to swallow hard to keep from crying yourself. 

"I don't hate you, Izuku-kun. I would never hate you. Things just...got really complicated at home. It was getting too difficult to make my parents accept our relationship, and I guess I just couldn't take it anymore. I'm sorry. I'm a selfish person that way." 

"...Oh." 

You didn't know if he'd been convinced, but Izuku was much too kind to ever suspect you of lying. He sniffled slowly, running a finger across his misty eyes. 

"So you don't hate me," he mumbled. "But we're still...over. For real." 

You clenched your fists. "Yes. We are." 

Another long, drawn-out sniffle, and Izuku began to break down into a sob. Your heart all but shattered; you so desperately wanted to take him in your arms and tell him that you still cared for him so, so much. But you couldn't. 

All you could do was watch as he cried. 

Shouto had been standing by the whole time, as still as a statue. His eyes only then narrowed.  

"Is it really worth crying over? You're both just teenagers—the odds of you staying together in the future and having a meaningful relationship were practically nonexistent." 

Izuku's head snapped up in an instant, cheeks wet with tears. His chin had already been quivering uncontrollably, and the the other boy's words just made his expression crumple even more. He had to clamp a hand across his mouth to stifle his sobs, but it wasn't nearly enough. The only way you could think to describe the look in his eyes was utterly and completely broken

Izuku choked back a fresh sob and abruptly turned to dash down the halls. Class was about to begin, but you knew he couldn't just afford to show up for his first day looking so deflated.

Just a few moments prior, you'd felt your heart wrench for hurting him. But not anymore. Now you were just angry

"What the hell was that?" you accused, turning to glare back at Shouto. "What you said was just plain fucking rude. How can you be so cruel to someone without even batting an eyelash?" 

You'd never raised your voice at him before, but Shouto didn't look much affected. His eyes were as vacant as always as he gave you a shrug. 

"I just said what I was thinking. He was already crying before; it's not like I made him any more upset than he was. In any case, I wasn't aware that you'd been in relationship just recently." 

"Yeah, I was," you glowered. "I was forced to break up with him because of you." 

Shouto's eyes widened just a smidge, but he said nothing. You felt so bitter for what he'd said to Izuku that you hoped to god he felt guilty—you doubted it, though. That apthetic expression pretty much spoke for itself. 

He moved to slide the door open without sparing you another glance. You were left to stand alone in the hallway, only just realizing how truly shitty your situation was. 

Well, that's just great. I'm engaged to an emotionless asshole. 

Chapter 5: [5 - yay we're roommates]

Chapter Text

"We need to talk about your living arrangements." 

You looked up from your book, scrunching up your brows when you saw your mother hovering over you. 

"Oh, goodie," you drawled. "Am I finally getting my own place?" 

She fabricated a smile and slowly shook her head. Your first day at U.A had just ended a little while ago—it hadn't been uneventful, either. There'd been a whole "Quirk Apprehension Test", with which Aizawa (your homeroom teacher) had threatened to expel the weakest student. Naturally, you couldn't help but stare at Izuku from afar. You were the only person who knew the true nature of his power; he hadn't even told his mom. Granted, the two of you had only dated for under a year, but you truly cared for each other, and he'd entrusted you with the biggest secret of his whole life. 

Which was why it was that much more painful that you couldn't be by his side now to help him. You couldn't even put into words the feeling of relief you'd had when you found out that Aizawa was just kidding, otherwise Izuku would have actually been expelled for placing last. Your mother was already doing everything she could to keep you from staying contact with him; U.A was your last bastion, where you could at least see that Izuku was doing okay, even if you couldn't reach out to him. 

"So what's this about living arrangements?" you sighed, already turning over a new page. Your mother smiled again, and decided to take a seat on the edge of your bed—not that you'd invited her to do anything of the sort.

"Well, I'll get on with that in just a moment," she reassured. "But what about you? Have you making good on your promise? I surely hope you haven't been spending time with that boy. I heard he also got into U.A, you know." 

You flashed her an icy glare. She was so manipulative and sneaky; the literal human embodiment of a snake

"It's none of your business," you said flatly. 

"Oh, but I think it is my business. You'll be in heaps of trouble if you don't abide by the rules, young lady." 

To anyone else, it would've sounded like an empty threat, but you knew full well the machinations that your parents were capable of. The fact that you were in a tricky situation because of your ties to Endeavor's family was one thing, but you couldn't risk getting Izuku involved. Once your mother sunk her claws into something, she wouldn't let go—not until her prey withered into nothing. 

No, Izuku had far too much on the line for you to disobey your parents. It was best to keep to yourself and act as though everything was fine; at least until you figured out a way to get out of this mess.

"I'm not talking to him," you conceded, "In case you were worried. So please just forget about him." 

Your mother smiled. "That's my girl. Now about those living arrangements..." 

"What, are you putting me into a kennel? Since I'm pretty much a dog on a leash to you guys."

She smoothed out her skirt. The smell of her perfume was clogging up your nostrils; it was as overbearing and rank as always. 

"It's been decided that you'll be staying with the Todorokis," she announced. 

You almost did a spit-take. Sure, you were no stranger to your mother springing crazy shit on you—as evidenced by the fact that you were engaged at fifteen years old—but now this, too? What were they even hoping to accomplish? 

"Good god," you groaned. "What the hell are you trying to get us to do now? Are you putting us under the same roof in the hopes that we'll fuck and then I'll pop out a fresh batch of children?" 

The palm hit your cheek faster than you could even blink. You didn't even have time to cry out; already your skin had erupted into a searing pain, and your fingers flew up to prod the burning area out of sheer instinct. 

You looked up to see that your mother wasn't smiling like usual. 

"This is your last warning," she glared. "The next time I won't be anywhere near as lenient. Your father and I have never been keen on using violence, since quite frankly, we're above that, but I'll just say this—things can get much worse for you. You're to marry into a respected family, so for god's sake, learn some manners." 

She headed for the doorway, making sure to glance over her shoulder one last time. 

"You're moving in tonight, at Endeavor's request. He wants you and Shouto to spend as much time around each other as possible, and he would also like to oversee your training. Start packing your bags right now." 

The door shut behind her with a loud thud, and you were left sitting at your desk with a dazed expression. Your fingers were still pressed up against the side of your cheek, whose warmth had yet to die down. You chuckled bitterly. 

"Love you too, mom." 

 


 


The move was sudden, admittedly, but you'd always been a quick packer. Ever since you'd found out about your engagement to Shouto, it felt as if your whole world had been flipped upside down, but this extra space—from your parents—might've actually been for the better. Even if you were moving into a strange new house with your barely-acquaintace of a fiancé, there was a good chance that it would prove a more pleasant arragment than your previous one. 

Or maybe you were just being transferred from one hell to the next. 

"Have everything, sweetheart?" 

Your mother smiled back at you, her tone so vastly different from when she'd slapped you earlier. You'd just gotten out of the car and pulled your suitcases from the trunk; she'd also stepped out to assure you'd collected all your things. Your father hadn't come along to drop you off, but that wasn't really much a surprise. 

"Yeah," you mumbled, rubbing tiredly at your eyes. "I do. I'm good from here." 

"Great! Don't make trouble for anyone, alright? You know what'll happen if you do." She leaned in just as she dropped her voice to a whisper, making sure that you picked up on her hostility. You would've rolled your eyes, if not for the fear of getting slapped again. Instead, you nodded your head and made yourself scarce. 

"Okay. I won't get in anyone's way." 

She smiled contentedly and stepped aside so that you could make your way to the gate. A few moments after ringing the buzzer, you were let in by none other than Shouto's sister, Fuyumi. You found her to be quite agreeable; she was actually warm and friendly, contrary to your future husband's disposition. 

"It's nice to have you here, [Name]-chan." Fuyumi smiled pleasantly and continued to lead you down the halls. "I'll show you to Shouto's room—I don't think you've ever actually been there, since you just mostly hang around outside during your visits." 

"Thanks, I appreciate—" 

You stopped. Something seemed...off. Maybe you were jumping the gun, but it almost sounded like..?

"Excuse me," you coughed, making Fuyumi halt in place. "Uh, by show me to Shouto-kun's room...you don't mean for me to unload my suitcase there, do you? I have a room to sleep in all to myself, right...?" 

Her smiled faltered. "About that, well..." 

Holy fuck. Seriously?

"Our father thought it would be best if you sleep in the same room," she explained. "The guest rooms are a bit cluttered up right now, and he hasn't had time to move his training equipment out of the way and make space for you. Honestly...dad didn't think things through at all. He just up and decided that you should move in; we found out just as abruptly as you did. And he said that since the two of you would be married one day, it wasn't an improper arrangement..." 

You almost choked on your saliva. It was just like you'd suspected—Endeavor wanted you for nothing more than your potential as Shouto's mate; your ability to pump out children with strong Quirks (hopefully), as a result of your own. You'd thought it was pretty disgusting when you first found out, sure, but this was just a whole new low. You were only a teenager, for fuck's sake. 

"Don't worry," Fuyumi added hurriedly, "You'll have your own room soon enough. It'll just be a temporary arrangement, for no more than a few days. They'll be over before you know it, and uhh, Shouto's room is pretty big," she chuckled. "So you'll have some space...kinda." 

It wasn't the poor girl's fault, and you knew better than to shoot the messenger, but you also weren't an idiot. A big ass house like this...surely Endeavor could find a spare room or two. But he just didn't want to. 

You sucked in the air through your teeth and forced a smile. "Okay, then. I'll put up with it for a few days. Lead the way, please." 

Fuyumi heaved a sigh of relief and soon resumed her brisk pace. It didn't look like Endeavor was around right now, but you made a mental note to flip the bastard off the next time you saw him. 
 

 

 

 

 

"Hey, roomie. How's it hanging?" 

You'd barely chucked your suitcases to the side before catching sight of the bi-color haired boy. Fuyumi had smiled and quickly shuffled off to leave the two of you alone, but even then Shouto barely looked up from his desk. 

"Hello," was all he said—his eyes never strayed from the book in his hands. You understand the appeal of reading; hell, you went through books at the speed of light, but couldn't he at least look at you? 

You snorted. "Please, Shouto-kun. I know you're excited, but try to control yourself a bit, alright?" 

Shouto only then glanced in your direction, but he must not have realized that you were being sarcastic. Still as stony-faced as always, he tucked a bookmark into the pages and neatly placed the book off to the side before standing up. 

"Do you need help unpacking your luggage?" he asked. 

"Nah, I'm fine. By the way, what were you reading so intently there—a dirty novel, perchance?" 

Shouto frowned, unable to keep a small flush from rising to his cheeks. He shook his head wordlessly in protest, and you couldn't help but chuckle. If nothing else, the way he got flustered so easily was pretty cute. 

"The asshole's not home, is he?" you inquired. Shouto didn't need an explanation, since it was pretty well established who the "asshole" around here was. 

"No," he deadpanned. "He left a little while ago to attend to work in a neighboring city, or something. I don't know." 

"Hmm. Sucks. I was looking forward to bitching him out." 

The corners of Shouto's lips curled up into a small smile. You'd noticed that the only times he ever looked genuinely amused were when you would shit-talk his father. Well, not that you couldn't understand, since your own dad was a Grade-A douche. 

Well, Endeavor's one thing, but now that I think about it, even after visiting this place a few times, I've never seen their mom around. Is she living overseas or something? 

"Does your mother work as a hero, too?" 

The boy's eyes widened at your question. Almost immediately, you realized that you'd ventured into some incredibly sensitive territory. Shouto's expression was just as rigid as before, but his mismatched eyes were visibly darker, as if to say "back off". 

"She's busy," he cut back dryly, but you knew there was much more to the story than that. Still, you weren't an idiot; you knew when to stop pushing. Instead, you began fiddling with the zippers of your suitcase, and pulling out pajamas and other essentials for the night. 

"Is there any room for me to to put away some of my things?" you asked. Shouto nodded listlessly, gesturing to a sliding closet near the corner of the room. Upon closer inspection, you realized that there was actually quite a lot of space for you—nearly half of the closet was unoccupied, and only a sparse amount of clothing was neatly hung up.

I guess he's not really a material person, despite the fact that he's so rich. I should at least take him shopping to buy some new clothes, the poor thing. 

You made haste in hanging up your own wardrobe—not that Shouto was really rushing you to finish. He'd returned back to his book, which you'd convinced yourself was some form of erotica, despite his protests. Before long, you'd filled up a good portion of the closet, and you were now officially moved in.

"Phew," you sighed, plopping down onto the ground. "I'm pooped. I mean, the first day of school was tiring enough, but I definitely wasn't expecting this impromptu move-in. What about you, Shouto-kun? You done reading your porn?"

Shouto let out a cough before abruptly slamming his book shut. He looked back over his shoulder with a glare. 

"I told you it's not that. Give it a rest, already." 

You shrugged. "Hey, it's fine by me. You do you, boo."

For the second time that evening, Shouto chucked the book to the side and stood up with a weary expression. It was obvious that you were pissing him off, which was actually pretty funny. His lips had scrunched up so that they looked like they were wearing a little pout. 

"I see that you enjoy making fun of me," he glowered. "Or are you just determined to get on my bad side?" 

"Uhh...the first option, probably." 

Shouto rolled his eyes. "Forget it. It's late, so we need to head to bed, anyways." 

You sighed. Ah, yes—the dreaded bedtime had finally arrived. Normally, you weren't the type to get nervous or embarrassed over much, but you had to admit that sharing a room with a boy did make you feel kind of antsy. At the very least, you could take comfort in the fact that Shouto had no interest in making a move on you, since he barely even looked in your direction half the time. 

I wonder what he thinks of me. I mean, I know he doesn't really care, and this "Quirk Marriage" is more so a burden than anything else...but what does he actually  think of me? I find HIM attractive. Does he even think I'm at least a little pretty..? 

"I'm gonna go get ready in the bathroom," Shouto announced. "You can have the room to yourself to change. Knock on the door if I'm taking too long, and I'll hurry things up." 

He strode out of the room without another glance, and you found yourself pursing your lips. It was a strange feeling. Yes, you were fed up with this stupid engagement, but a small part of you secretly hoped that he did like you, at least a little. You wondered why that was the case.

"Well, no use worrying about that now," you sighed. "Pajamas, pajamas...where did I put my—ah. There they are." 

You yanked your shirt up and over your head in one fluid motion, leaving you in your bra. You were wearing one of your nicer ones today; it had a good deal of lift, and you couldn't help but stop to admire yourself in the standing mirror by the closet. It felt a bit narcissistic, but damn did your cleavage look good. Having to move in to a near-stranger's home and share a room with a guy was pretty shitty, but at least one good thing had come out of the day. You moved to slip off your pants too, and couldn't help but squeal of delight that slipped out.

"HOLY SHIT! I didn't even realize that my bra and undies were matching today!" 

It was a bit of a silly thing to get so giddy over, but the odds of that happening were pretty low. The underwear you had one was the exact same color; it even had the small lace detail in the back. You were so caught up in reveling in your small victory that you didn't even hear the bathroom door swinging open. 

"[Name]!" Shouto panted out, swiveling from around the corner. "Are you okay? I heard a scream and—" 

He stopped. The boy's timing had surely been impeccable, since he found you half-naked and in the midst of checking yourself out in the mirror. He was clearly lost for words, as were you, and it took all of his strength to overcome the sensation of being frozen in place.

"W-what the hell are you doing?" Shouto muttered out, snapping his head to the side. "If you were still changing, you could've at least closed the door..." 

Your arms had wrapped around your chest involuntarily, and it didn't take long for your body to start burning. Even though you wanted to rush for cover under the blankets, your gaze was transfixed to the ever-growing blush across Shouto's cheeks. You so rarely caught him expressing emotion, but with the way his lips were trembling and his complexion tinted red, you didn't need to be told that he was just as flustered as you were—if not more

"Uhh, sorry," you apologized, although you didn't know what for. "I was in the middle of changing, and I got excited about something, so that's why I screamed. I'm fine, though. Nothing to see here...haha." 

Shouto bit down on his lip, turning to face the hallway as quickly as he could. "It's fine. As long as you're not hurt." 

"Y-yeah." 

Was he actually worried that something might've happened to me?

He remained motionless from that point onward, too flustered to even move an inch. You'd managed to shuffle off to the corner of the room, out of sight, where you could finish changing into your pajamas. When you were finally ready, you gave Shouto the all-clear that it was okay for him to enter. He let out a soft sigh, and when he stepped into the room again, his blush still had yet to fade. 

The two of you were both too embarrassed to face one another, and you finished your preparations in total silence. A mattress had been laid out for you on the floor, but Shouto settled into it before you could even protest. You were too embarrassed to bother arguing about taking his bed, so you did so without any further comments. 

Before long, you'd each sunk into your individual beds and you flicked off the lamp on the nightstand. The darkness was wholly welcome so that it would veil your flushed expressions. You could hear Shouto's low, shallow breaths from the bed adjacent to your own, and you shivered involuntarily. Even now, it was almost as if you could feel his mismatched gaze raking down your frame, taking in every inch of your unclothed body.

You hugged the blankets tighter to your chest, trying to reassure yourself that he'd barely had time to see anything, but that couldn't have been further from the case—already, Shouto had committed that appearance of yours to memory, and every time it flitted behind his closed eyes, he blushed and shuddered to himself. 

It was safe to say that neither of you got any sleep that night.

Chapter 6: [6 - obligatory couple's shopping]

Chapter Text

Oddly enough, your sleepless night at Shouto's wasn't the most distinct event of the week. There was something much bigger; much worse that went down the following days—the attack at USJ. 

You'd be lying if you said you hadn't been even a little scared to have such a sudden run-in with villains, but you were good at using your Quirk, and from what you'd seen, Shouto was, too. 

It was actually pretty amazing to see him in action. Since you'd been thrown together in the same zone, you'd gotten to experience his strength first-hand as he froze a cluster of villains without breaking a sweat. The two of you kept close to one another, and it was safe to say that you didn't feel any real danger so long as you were with him. Once again, your thoughts had wandered to Izuku. 

Was he doing okay? 

How would he fare with that "borrowed" power of his? 

What if the villains had gotten to him before All Might could? 

There were tons of questions racking your brain, and it was truly the only thing that made you feel genuinely scared during the whole ordeal. Still, you tried to keep your emotions to yourself, and thankfully things worked out. The hardest part of it all was acting as if you didn't care about your former lover, in front of your current "lover". 

Luckily, you were given a day off school after the USJ incident. You were thankful to get a breather; things had been so damn hectic recently. Honestly, you were just looking forward to lounging around at home and doing nothing at all, except—

"I'll have the two of you run errands for me," Endeavor announced. He was speaking to you and Shouto, respectively. "You're to be wed someday, so it wouldn't hurt if you learned the basics of shopping together and restocking the house's supplies. Plus, this one—" he gestured to you "—could definitely use some training. She'll need to get used to to cooking and clean, after all." 

You bit down on your lip so hard you nearly drew blood. If not for the fact that he was the Number Two Hero and immensely strong, you were sure you would've ripped him a new one by now. 

"Sure, Endeavor-sama." You smiled placidly, and the man's brow creased in response. "Whatever you desire. Women are just meant to be men's servants, after all." 

"Now listen here you—!" 

"Let's go, Shouto-kun." You grabbed the boy by the arm before Endeavor could spew out another response. His fiery beard was flickering every which way, and his face had blotched an ugly shade of red. It looked like you'd royally pissed him off. 

Good.

 

 

 

 

"So what does your asshole of a dad want us to buy, anyways?" 

Currently, the two of you were at the nearest shopping district, neither looking too pleased about having been forced to do Endeavor's bidding. Shouto half-shrugged his shoulders and reached into his pocket to fish out a crumpled paper.

"He gave me a list. It's mostly just groceries and stuff—along with some other things like new lightbulbs." 

"Alright," you sighed. "I guess we'll get the food first before attending to anything else. Here, give it to me—I'm used to going grocery shopping. Honestly, I thought that it'd be a pretty big shift living with your family, but it's basically the same as with mine; nasty turds barking out orders left and right." 

Shouto's brow creased. "You mentioned before that you dislike your family, I think." 

"I don't dislike them." 

"Huh? But you said—" 

"I hate them," you clarified, chuckling humorlessly. "There's a big difference." 

"...Oh." 

Shouto actually looked lost for words—which wasn't a frequent occurrence. You knew by now that he wasn't on the best terms with his father, since Endeavor was a dick, but even now you remembered the way his expression had crumpled when you'd asked him about his mom. There was definitely something more to be found there, not that he'd ever tell you about it. 

Here I am, giving him the perfect opportunity to bitch about his family, and he still doesn't wanna tell me anything. Must be some secret. 

"Okay then," you perked up, hoping to salvage what was left of the day. "Let's head on over here and start grabbing the groceries. If we split up we can cover ground faster—you can take all the fruits and vegetables, and I'll head for the fish and poultry section, and dairy and others as well." 

Shouto frowned. "I don't know where all those things are. I've never been here before." 

"Uhh...you've never been here specifically, or you've just never been to a grocery store before?" 

"The second one." 

"Okay," you chuckled, "but there are signs and stuff everywhere. If you look up on the displays they have marking the aisles, you'll find your way around." 

The boy quickly shook his head. If you didn't know any better, you would've thought he was pouting. 

"I'm staying with you," Shouto declared. "You might think that sending me off on my own will help us save time, but I disagree. I have a feeling I'll get lost, too." 

You gaped at him. For someone who was so icy and composed, you would've thought he had the good sense to make his way through a grocery store, of all things. Guess the fact that his dad was famous and his family was so rich also had its own drawbacks. It was kind of cute to see him this oblivious though; it made him seem less ornamental and more humane

"That's fine, too," you smiled. "Don't worry—I'll grab all the stuff we need real quick, alright? Just stick with me, Shouto-kun." 

Shouto nodded quietly, keeping to your side without any resistance. The process went easily enough, save for the few moments where you took your eyes off him and he did get lost by wandering off on his own. You felt like a babysitter; one who wasn't even working for any pay. 

Still, aside from that, you couldn't say that the experience was actually unpleasant. It was nice having some company while you shopped, even if Shouto didn't say much, and it was definitely better than going with your mom. 

Before long, you'd managed to tick off all the items on Endeavor's list. 

"Well, I'd say that's a job well done." You looked down at the shopping list with a hum of satisfaction, gleefully ticking off the final item scrawled across. Shouto hadn't actually been much help with finding the items while you were inside the store, but he was certainly proving useful now—having insisted on holding all the bags. 

He cocked an eyebrow. "Time to go home?" 

"Yeah. I think so. But it kinda sucks," you sighed. 

"What does?" 

"Well, it's just—we came all the way to the mall to buy groceries and stuff for that dickhead, but we didn't actually get to have fun for ourselves. I was hoping maybe we could window-shop for a bit, buy some ice cream, browse through some clothes...I don't know. Just random stuff like that." 

Shouto glanced down at the bags he was holding, then back up at you again. "We have frozen food and milk in here. If we don't get them home and into the fridge soon enough, they'll spoil. Especially in this heat." 

"Ah...you're right. My bad. It was a stupid suggestion." 

He must've noticed the way your expression sank, and let out a lofty sigh. 

"My father sent us out here to get used to running errands together...but he never said we couldn't borrow help if we needed it." You raised your brows and he gestured to the bags. "I can call one of our attendants; they can come pick up the groceries and bring them back home for us while we stay out here a bit longer." 

"Eh? Really??" you enthused. "You're sure we can do that?" 

Shouto shrugged. "Should be fine. That shitty old man isn't home right now anyways; when he gets back, the groceries will be put away, and what matters is that we actually went to get them. So I think it's okay if we stay out here some more." 

"Yay! Thank you!" 

Without warning, you sprang up and wrapped him into a hug. Shouto faltered in place; his hands were still gripping the bags, and he was frozen stiff as your arms fell around his back. 

"W-what is it...?" he asked warily. "Why'd you do that?" 

"Hm, I don't know. Because I'm happy?" 

You smiled back at him, actually in high spirits for once. It wasn't the lazy break you'd envisioned, but having a fun day at the mall sounded good, too. You hurriedly ruffled through your purse to ensure you still had some spending money, and let out a contented hum when your fingers prodded the bills of cash. 

Shouto's cheeks were flushed red as he stared back at you. He realized he liked it when you smiled. 

 

 

 

 

"I don't need new clothes," Shouto frowned. 

"And what exactly are you basing that off of? The amount you currently have in the closet—or rather, lack thereof—is appalling, you know." 

"I have just enough." 

"Yeah, sure," you snorted. "Enough to make even a homeless person feel sorry for you." 

Shouto let out a weary sigh. "I don't understand why you feel obligated to buy me new clothes. You should worry about yourself. I'm a guy, anyways; we don't need as many outfits as you do." 

"Well," you smiled, "as your bride-to-be, I think it would be for the best if we looked around. I get that you probably don't have any interest in shopping, but it can't hurt to look, right? And who knows, maybe you'll find something you like." 

The boy grimaced at your sarcastic usage of the word "bride". You could see that he wasn't at all keen on shopping for clothes, but he also seemed like he knew better than to try and argue with you. If anything, you were just surprised he'd agreed to stay back with you so that the two of you could browse through the mall together. Even though you'd suggested it, you were almost sure he'd shoot you down. 

He might not be...as bad as he seems. 

"So, where to?" Shouto asked, raising his brow. "You'll have to lead the way again; like I said, I almost never come here." 

"Yeah, I know," you chuckled. "You avoid the grocery store like the plague." 

"I just never had any need to go there by myself." 

"Right, right—spoiled rich boy alert." 

"...No." 
You were giggling almost continuously. In all the time you'd spent with Shouto, you'd never felt as happy as you were right now. Strolling through the mall like this; it was almost as if you were free of all those ties and labels, and you could actually enjoy each other's company properly, for the first time.

"Ooh!" you grinned, looking through the display of a store with gleaming eyes. "Let's go in here, Shouto-kun!"

"[Name], wait—" 

You'd already lugged him off by the arm before he could protest any further. You tugged on the sleeve of his shirt as you led him through the store, glancing back over your shoulder ever-so-often to flash him a corny smile. Shouto looked completely disoriented and just generally lost, which was also pretty funny to see. 

"Slow down a bit," he sighed. "We're not exactly racing to get back home, are we?" 

"Yeah, that's true. I'm just curious as to what kind of things would look good on—oh! What about this one??" 

You'd reached out to grab a cream-white sweater off the racks, lifting it up so that you could hover it over Shouto's frame. It was fairly simple, with a [f/p] detail across it—nothing too outlandish or jarring. It complemented Shouto's hair well, too.

"I think you'd look good in this," you affirmed. "You'll try this on for me, won't you?"

Shouto pursed his lips, but nodded his head quickly enough. He'd probably realized long ago how incredibly stubborn you could be, and it was certainly working to your advantage now. 

"Anything else?" he asked earnestly, to which you chuckled softly. 

"Well, duh. You're not just gonna try on one thing then leave. Here, c'mon—you start looking around, too. The way this works is that you grab a shit-ton of clothes, and then you try 'em all on at once. And at the end you eliminate the ones you didn't like that much, and you're left with all the good ones!"

"Okay, but—how much is a "shit-ton", exactly...?"

You leaned in to to flash him a coy smile. "Well, that depends, sweetheart. I could stay here and browse for hours until I get bored." 

Shouto's lip trembled just slightly. He must've just realized exactly what he'd gotten himself into, but once again, he sighed and nodded his head without much protest. You grinned back at him, watching as he took to the clothing racks and began rummaging through more clothes. 

It was actually pretty fun—Shouto would pick out some super dull t-shirt that he already pretty much owned; you'd shake your head and toss it back onto the pile; he'd reach out for the next shirt and start the process all over again. It's not that he even had bad fashion sense per se, but he was very clearly completely disinterested in buying himself new clothes. It was a good thing you'd gone with him, and you could suggest more stylish and interesting designs. 

"This one looks too complicated," Shouto would protest. Or— "What's the point of all this writing? It seems rather unnecessary." 

"It's called fashion, Shouto-kun." 

He'd just frown. "Fashion is confusing." 

You had to clamp a hand down over your mouth to hold back your giggles. He was the kind of guy that was so straight-faced and oblivious to most things that he could unknowingly make people laugh. You liked it, though. The atmosphere between the two of you was just so pleasant, and it had never really been that way before, what with all the "Quirk Marriage" bullshit weighing over your head. You started to wonder if this couple's shopping would become a regular thing for the two of you, and honestly, you'd be totally okay if it did. 

Yeah, things were going great. They really were. But it seemed that just like always, the universe refused to grant you even a smidge of happiness, and you soon found yourself staring off into the distance with your eyes widened. 

Right there, strolling leisurely through the mall, was Izuku. Normally, seeing him wouldn't have bothered you, since you'd come to terms with the fact that you'd have to see him every day in class, but this was different. 

Because he wasn't alone.  

Right next to him was the bubbly brunette from your classroom; Uraraka, you recalled her name being. They were smiling and laughing together as if they'd known each other for years. Even from the distance, you could see Izuku's signature flush as it appeared on those freckled cheeks you'd come to love so dearly. He definitely looked shy—as he usually did—but even still he was able to keep to Uraraka's side while smiling so brightly. 

He used to smile like that for me.

Not anymore. 

It was ironic, really. Just as you'd been having one of the best days in ages, something like this had to happen. Maybe you were being childish; maybe you were overanalysing things. It could've easily been one or the other, but the fact of the matter was that it still fucking hurt. It was just another reminder of the happiness you'd had, and how it had been torn so mercilessly from your grasp. 

It didn't take long for your body to grow numb. 

"Let's just go home...Shouto-kun." 

Shouto's eyes widened; he clearly hadn't realized what you'd been staring at, and why your expression had sunken so quickly. Only when he followed your gaze did he see what you saw, and he didn't need to be told to know how you were feeling.

Between his side or Izuku's...it was obvious which one you'd pick.

Already, you were in the midst of looking for a place to set the items of clothing down, desperate to escape from the sight before you. You knew that if you stayed here any longer you would became a sniffling, pitiful mess—you didn't want anyone, let alone Shouto, to see you like that. 

You wanted to leave.

You needed to leave.

You were going to leave. 

"...Hold on a moment." 

You jolted at the sensation of Shouto's hand pulling you back. Your chest felt heavy, and you were just about ready to break down into tears, but it all stopped when you looked back at him. 

He was...smiling. Or at least, he was trying to.

With the edges of Shouto's lips curled up just slightly, you imagined that was probably his best attempt at a true, genuine smile. You'd only ever seen him look mildly amused when you were talking smack about Endeavor; this was the first time he was actually smiling at you

It was such a simple thing, and yet somehow, it dried your tears before they could even spill over. Suddenly, the thought of Izuku hurt less. 

"You said you could stay here for hours, remember? In that case, it'd be waste to head back now. Plus," he mumbled, "I still haven't gotten to try on all the things I wanted to, and I think I'd like your opinion on them..." 

Maybe you really were strange, because just like that, your smile returned.

Chapter 7: [7 - if you're hurting, then so am i]

Chapter Text

There were moments in which you felt like you were floating—but that may have just been due to the flux of gravity around your body. 

Oftentimes, you would find solace in a dimly lit sky, with the brilliance of the moon shining overhead. You had a lot of things going on in your life (especially now), and being clothed under the refuge of the shimmering, opaque blanket somehow made you feel at ease.

Tonight was a full moon, too—your [e/c] irises couldn't keep themselves from gazing up at the incandescent sphere. Its curves glimmered with ethereal light; ever so often, bright flecks would pass through your eyes and you could actually feel your nerves surging with energy. To others it might've seemed strange, but you felt an uncanny connection with the body of matter that was thousands of kilometers away. Even though you were here, on earth, and it was way out there, it helped tether you to reality, especially when things were shitty. 

And normally, on such occasions, you liked to be alone. 

"[Name]?" Shouto called out. He'd stepped out of the house towards the courtyard; he'd probably noticed that you were nowhere to be found. Currently, you were sitting on a bench as you partook in your lunar activities, and you couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance at being disturbed. 

"Yes?" you mumbled, not even bothering to mask your irritation. "What is it? If you're wondering when I'll be coming back inside, it'll be a while still. I want to stay out here for a bit longer." 

Shouto frowned. "It's pretty late, you know. And it's cold out, too. You'll get sick if you just sit in here—come inside, please." 

He wasn't being rude or anything, and you realized he was just looking out for you, but it didn't make much of a difference either way. When the full moon came out, once a month, not even your parents could drag you back inside. 

"Nah," you dismissed. "I'm good right here." 

"..." 

Shouto's brow twitched for a moment, but he let out a lofty sigh without saying anything else. You heard him shuffling back into the house—not that you bothered to tear your gaze away from the moon—and felt your shoulders relax at the return in solitude. 

It didn't last long, though. Scarcely two minutes later, the door slid open once again and you could hear the pitter patter of footsteps as they approached. You stifled a groan, glancing towards your side to see that Shouto had returned and was carrying a large blanket. 

"Here," he offered, gently draping it over your legs. "It probably won't do too much, but it's better than nothing. If you get cold, I can always warm you up, as well." 

"Oh. Thanks." 

He'd taken a seat on the bench before you could protest, but then again, Shouto was a quiet guy, so you figured he wouldn't disturb you much. Actually, you were tempted to ask him about something, but you were worried you might've been prying too far. 

Ah, fuck it. To hell with manners. 

"Why don't you use your left side in battle?" you blurted out. Shouto managed to suppress a sigh, but you felt him stiffen beside you nonetheless. When you looked back at him, he was staring straight down at the ground. 

"I'm not good at using it," he said simply—something which you immediately recognized as a lie. He was hiding things from you, very clearly, but you couldn't exactly force it out of him. Everyone was entitled to their own secrets. There was the whole thing about his missing mom that you wanted to probe into more as well, but you decided one personal question was enough for the night. 

I wonder if he'll ever tell me, or if I'll just have to find out from someone else, like his sister. Probably not the most polite thing to do...this whole "relationship" is built on lies and fake feelings either way, though. 

You were tempted to chuckle at how utterly bleak your situation was. Even with all the messed up shit your family had put you through, you never imagined they'd force an arranged marriage on you—during high school, no less. Your boyfriend was out of the picture now...you were stuck with a guy who didn't have feelings for you...truly, at this point, all you had left to cling onto was your Quirk. 

"I wish I could go there," you murmured sadly, extending your hand out to cup the moon between your fingers. Shouto furrowed his brows at you. 

"There? As in the moon?" 

You nodded. "Yeah. I'd like to go there—just to be free of all the people, and all the bullshit. To forget everything and everyone, and have a place just for myself. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" 

"I'm...not so sure about that," he frowned. "It would be scary, I think. Humans can't live on the moon—at least, not yet. Maybe we'll be forced to relocate to some different astral body in the future, but for now, I think this planet is the best option we've got." 

"Hmm, that's weird. For someone as antisocial as you, I was sure you'd like to have a whole place all to yourself. Maybe you're not quite the loner I pegged you for." 

Shouto's lips curled up into a pout. You let out a soft chuckle, and he could probably tell that you were just messing with him, but he muttered something under his breath in spite of that. It sounded like he said "I'm not a loner", or some other statement that was equally laughable. 

"...So why do you like the moon so much?" he asked finally. "Do you really want to go there so bad?" 

You glanced to your side; a fleck of moonlight danced through your eyes just in time. "Do you not know anything about my Quirk?" Shouto shook his head, and you sighed loudly. "I guess Endeavor really didn't tell you anything at all about me. Then again, my parents basically told me jack shit about you, so I guess it's only fair." 

Shouto parted his lips to say something, but shut them when he saw you standing up from the bench. Now towering above him, you managed a small smile. 

"Here—I can show you the gist of it." 

Your [e/c] orbs began to glow faintly as you stared Shouto down. He looked completely lost for a moment, and his expression only shifted once he felt his body literally start floating up into the air. 

"W-what are you doing?" he asked, voice laced with concern. "Is this your Quirk?" 

"Part of it," you smiled. "In essence, my Quirk allows me to manipulate almost anything that has to do with the moon, and borrow its powers, so to speak. You know that the moon is in charge of the gravitational pull that shifts the tides of the ocean, right? In that respect, I basically act as the moon when I use my Quirk, and I'm able to alter the gravity of anything and anyone that comes within a few feet of me—including myself." 

Shouto didn't say anything; rather, it seemed like he was more focused on maintaining control over his body as he maneuvered through the air. For now, you were keeping him fairly close to the ground, but if you wanted to, you could make him fly up, up and away. 

"Better not piss me off," you teased, "or I'll send you up into the stratosphere." 

He glared. "You wouldn't." 

"Hm, I might. My powers are exceptionally strong during a full moon, and it would certainly make all my current problems disappear." 

Your words had just been intended as a joke, but Shouto's expression grew completely rigid. His eyes were now crestfallen, and you realized that you'd unwillingly just confessed how utterly miserable you were with this whole situation.

"Sorry," you spluttered out. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just that this whole arranged marriage is a little messed up, and I'm—" 

"It's fine." He let out a weary sigh, still swirling aimlessly through the air. "For now, can you just...please put me down?" 

"R-right." 

With the release of your powers, your eyes returned back to their natural, [e/c] shade. You propped Shouto down to his feet, and he went wobbly behind the knees for a moment, having to adjust to the sudden shift in gravity. 

He rubbed at the back of his head. "Well, it's an interesting power, I'll admit. I'm assuming you can do a lot more with it than just alter the field of gravity, though." 

"Pretty much. It has some really general applicability, but I've figured out how to use it well, for the most part. Like I said, when it's a full moon, my powers are much stronger than usual. If you fought me now," you chuckled, "I might even win." 

Shouto dusted himself off. You thought you noticed a small smirk playing at his lips.

"Is that a challenge?" 

"Maybe." 

"I see. Well—" he stifled a yawn "—it's getting pretty late now. I'm tired. Are you gonna stay outside much longer, or are you coming in?" 

You shot another wayward glance up towards the astral body gleaming overhead. It was cold out, but the energy surrounding you really did make you feel at peace. You would've stayed out here all night if you could.

"I guess I'll come inside." You finally tore your gaze away from the moon, turning to follow Shouto back into the house. On nights like these, your senses were ten times sharper than usual. Truthfully, it felt like you had more than just the regular five; a spiritual sixth was always on high alert whenever the moon was out. People didn't believe you when you told them, but it enabled you to form a link and tune into others' emotions—to feel what they felt. 

If only Shouto hadn't been with you, the night could've ended on a much more pleasant note. 

"S-shit..!" you cursed, placing a hand across your chest. Shouto glanced back at you in confusion, but you were much too concerned with the sharp pain that seemed to be stabbing your very heart. 

"What's wrong?" he asked, eyes flickering with concern. "Are you hurt?" 

You hurriedly shook your head; if he'd known that you'd used your powers to tap into his emotions, you knew it would just upset him even more. But now you honestly wished you hadn't, because the churning feeling that was ripping you up from the inside was more than enough for you to bear. 

What the hell is this?? How the fuck can it hurt so much...?! Is he really in THIS much pain...?? 

"If you're not feeling well, please tell me so I know how to help," Shouto urged. He was standing beside you now, clutching at your arm so that you could steady yourself against his frame. You would've never realized it before, but the fact that he was able to even manage small smiles from time to time while carrying around this immense sadness...it was an amazing feat. 

I think I might've been misunderstanding him this whole time. 

"[Name]?" Shouto asked again. "Can you please tell me what's hurting so that I can—" 

"I'm fine," you brushed off, forcing a smile as you hurriedly severed the link to Shouto's emotions. "I just had a cramp or something. Don't worry about me." 

"Oh. Okay, then. If you say so..." 

Shouto didn't seem too convinced, and insisted on holding you by the arm as a precaution while the two of you made your way into the house. You then stopped abruptly, which subsequently made him stop as well. 

"You seem like a very sad person to me." 

His mismatched orbs widened for just a moment; the only evidence that he'd been even slightly disgruntled by your words. Half a second later, his expression was just as dull as before. 

"You think so?" 

"Yeah. And I would know," you chuckled. "Since I'm a sad person, too." 

Shouto didn't say anything after that. The two of you were standing utterly still and staring back at one another. You weren't using your Quirk at all anymore, but the pain in your chest still had yet to fully pass. 

Ever-so-slowly, you lifted your hand and cradled it up against Shouto's cheek. 

"Maybe one day, we'll both find a way to make this sadness pass." 

Chapter 8: [8 - both my dads suck]

Chapter Text

Mornings. 

Ever since you had moved into the Todoroki residence, you still woke up in a haze each time dawn broke. The first few days had been rather torturous—having been spent sleeping nearly side-by-side with Shouto—but you'd eventually been granted your own room. Not that it made things any better, since every morning waking up in the still-alien abode was a reminder of your loveless engagement that had been decided against your will. And it just so happened that this morning was exceptionally shitty, because—

[1 unread message]: Izuku

You swallowed thickly, having to rub at your eyes before grabbing your phone off the nightstand. It hadn't been too long since the beginning of the school year, but ever since your run-in with Izuku on the very first day, you hadn't spoken a single word to him. It was actually eating you up inside, knowing that your relationship had ended on such a bitter note, and the fact that you couldn't even come clean about what was really happening made your heart want to burst. 

It was laughable, really. [Name]—high-schooler; engaged. You'd thought about telling someone, if even just to get it off your chest, but you almost felt embarrassed about the situation you were in. What could you even say? 

"Yeah, I'm engaged to this guy, but only because my parents are a pair of fucking demons that won't allow me any free will. Funny, right?" 

You chuckled humorlessly, the sound of your dry voice filling the walls. Even now, you wanted nothing more than to run into Izuku's arms and tell him what was going on—your engagement, the fact that your parents had blackmailed you into breaking up with him; everything

But you couldn't. Because if there was one thing you knew about Izuku, it was that he wasn't the type who could sit still when someone else was hurting. He would do everything in his power to save you, no matter how hard it would be on him. No, it just wasn't right. You couldn't do this to him; you couldn't give him more to worry about when he was already burdened by the greatest secret of his lifetime. You just couldn't. 

With eyes crestfallen, you begrudgingly pulled yourself upright and out of bed. You knew it would only hurt you more to check what he had sent you, but you couldn't resist the urge. Your fingers swiped at the screen to view the unread message. 

'I miss you so much.' 

You bit down on your lip.

"I knew I shouldn't have fucking checked it."

 

 

 

 

 

Many things had happened following your admittance to U.A, but the latest obstacle hurtling your way was none other than the Sports Festival. 

Of course, you were more than familiar with the concept—as was virtually everyone. Every year, U.A would hold a massive event that was to be televised all around the country; a festival that would pit the students against one another in a series of challenges that would showcase their Quirks. For many, it was an amazing opportunity to display their strength in the hopes that a pro hero would see them and potentially recruit them later on. For you, it was just a massive headache. 

"There are less than three weeks until the festival," Endeavor declared. "In this time, I will be overseeing your training." 

You batted your lashes nonchalantly. "Um, no thanks." 

"What did you just say??" 

"I said NO THANKS," you drawled loudly. "I have no desire to take part in your personal boot-camp. I can train by myself just fine. My Quirk is pretty unique and specific, and I'm the person who knows my powers best. It'll be way more efficient if I just train on my own."

Endeavor's jaw was slack with disbelief. He glanced over towards Shouto, who was standing quietly beside you; the latter looked away almost immediately. 

"Right," Endeavor sneered, "As if I'm going to allow an ill-mannered brat like you to go off on their own and do as they please. You're in my house now, missy—you will do as I say." 

"Piss off." 

"You little—!" He balled up his fists, having to grind down on his teeth in an attempt to give from smacking you senseless. "I've had enough of your disobedience! If you're to marry into this family, I refuse to tolerate any more disrespect! I will be overseeing your training and that's that; end of story." 

The bearded "hero" made sure to flash you a bitter scowl before turning on his heel and stomping away. You barely even spared him a second glance, already looking back at Shouto with a small smile. 

"Alright so, you wanna go hit up the arcade or something? I'm bored." 

"The arcade?" he blinked, raking his mismatched eyes over your frame. "What are you saying? Were you not in class today? The Sports Festival is coming up—we need to take advantage of every moment we have in order to prepare ourselves. I don't know about you," he muttered icily, "but have no intention of wasting my time." 

Leaving you with a sullen gaze, Shouto walked away, likely in the direction of the courtyard—which he'd since established as his personal training ground. You were tempted to scoff, but you actually felt a little bit hurt. Every time it seemed as if the two of you were getting closer, he would pull some shit like this and it just made you realize how little your relationship had actually progressed. 

I guess I should stop kidding myself. We're never gonna see eye-to-eye. 

Still, you'd long come to terms with your less-than-desirable engagement. Well, not really, but you weren't going to fuss over it right now, and you definitely weren't going to train with Endeavor—even if you were currently living in his home. Frankly, you couldn't imagine anything worse than being yelled at nonstop by that bearded asshole, but there was no way in hell he was going to force you. 

What could he even do? 

You chuckled at the thought, more amused than anything else. The rest of the evening was spent very idly, and mainly consisted of you watching silly cat videos on your laptop; from time to time, you dropped by Fuyumi's room, and the two of you would pig out on snacks together while laughing at memes. It was a bit of a lazy day, admittedly, but you were confident that you would tackle your training at the right time, and you weren't going to stress over it for no reason. As you tucked in for bed, you decided that you'd wake up, feeling nice and refreshed, and figure out your training menu in the morning. 

It was a good decision, and you did wake up feeling very rested, except things didn't exactly go according to plan. And as it turned out, apparently Endeavor could force you train with him—by physically dragging you out of your bed. 

"Ow, ow, ow!" you yelped, barely managing to wipe the morning crust from under your eyes. "What the hell, dude?! You're just going to drag me somewhere against my will??" 

"Silence," he glared. "And if I ever hear you addressing me so casually, you'll have hell to pay. That's Enji-san to you, brat." 

You bared your teeth at him, eyes laced with venom. "Okay then, Enji-san. Sorry, but could you please let me go? You're honestly about to snap my wrist with how hard you're gripping down, and I haven't even had a chance to eat breakfast yet. Also," you added, "I really don't want to train with you. No hard feelings, but you just plainly suck." 

Endeavor didn't say anything; instead, you felt his fingers dig even more mercilessly into your flesh. You winced, sucking in air through your teeth. This time, you realized you'd taken it too far—by now, he would've snapped back an angry retort and yelled at you for being so disrespectful, but he merely faced ahead with eyes completely devoid of emotion. In all your encounters with Endeavor thus far, you'd never felt even the slightest bit intimidated by him. 

Unfortunately, it seemed like you couldn't say that anymore. 

"A slovenly fool like you isn't even worth my time," he spat, forcefully pushing you into the dojo. "You should be thankful for this; down on your knees, in fact. To think that the Number Two Hero is personally overseeing your training." 

You stumbled on shaky legs, still drowsy and working off your morning stupor. Your stomach let out a soft growl, and you placed a hand overtop it, biting down on your bottom lip. 

"If you're so disgusted by me, then why even bother insisting on this training?" 

Endeavor narrowed his eyes. "To prevent embarrassment, what else? I am the second most highly reputed hero of all-time—as Shouto's future bride, your association with my family is one that could bring shame to my image if you are not properly groomed. As such, I will not allow you to under-perform during the Sports Festival. If you weren't so boorish and lacking in resolve, I might've left you to your own devices, but you are as pathetic and broken as they come. To think that such a powerful Quirk was wasted on the likes of you." 

"Awe, how sweet," you mocked. "Thanks, future-dad—I love you, too." 

"Shut your mouth, trash." 

You were tempted to roll your eyes, if not for the genuine fear that he would slap you senseless. It really was just like back at your house—though your parents were more cold and less overtly aggressive, it was a shitty feeling just the same. 

This is just what I get, time and time again. I'm constantly getting tied to such horrible people, maybe I'm just a horrible person, myself. Maybe somehow, I actually deserve this. 

The thought made you feel more empty than you could've imagined. Though your stomach was grumbling, head faint, and heart squeezing, you no longer had it in you to resist. A sullen nod was the only thing you managed, Endeavor only scowling once more and going on about how much of a garbage person you were. 

"From this moment onward," he glared, "I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth. You will follow my instructions and do as you are told." 

You parted your lips to speak, but stopped yourself. With eyes glazed over, you mouthed out an "okay"

 

 

 

 

 

 

You weren't exactly sure how much time had passed—several hours, at least—but you were positive you'd never felt so much pain in your entire life. 

Ever since Endeavor had told you to shut your mouth, you hadn't uttered a single word, save for the weary rasps that occasionally fell out your lips. You almost wondered if he was intentionally fucking with you, since he'd essentially put together a training regimen that was fit for a Spartan; not a tired, fifteen year-old girl. You hadn't been allowed a meal either, or even a drink of water, for that matter. At this point you were surprised that you hadn't died from dehydration, let alone the burning in your limbs that made you feel like they were melting off. 

He was a madman, through and through. It was clear that he was some sort of sadist, more interested in beating you to death than training you to uphold his standards. He was actually trying to kill you—this was what you'd jokingly thought at the start, but as more time went by, and you still weren't granted a moment to even catch your breath, you were convinced that it was the truth. 

This must be a joke. There's no way...I can go on any longer. 

Even though you were urging your body to go on, your limbs were no longer functioning normally. You felt a dizzying wave ripple down your spine, moments before you collapsed onto the cool tatami mat. 

"What the hell are you doing?" Endeavor growled, eyeing you with nothing but disgust. "Get up, weakling. We've barely gotten anything done. Your fighting form is a complete mess, and your stamina is laughable, at best." 

You shifted slightly in place, but only to dry-heave onto the ground. Not surprising that you couldn't even vomit—you hadn't eaten anything for the past sixteen hours or so. 

The male stormed over towards your side, hunching over to glare down at you. "Get up," he repeated. "I'm warning you." 

"...c-can't move," you shuddered, and you were surprised to hear how hoarse your voice sounded. Maybe it was because you hadn't spoken a word in hours, or maybe your throat was so parched it was outright screaming for water. Endeavor couldn't seem to care less either way—he yanked you up by your arm, tugging so hard that you were convinced it would tear off. 

"...What the hell are you doing?" 

You were on the verge of passing out, but the leveled voice cutting through the air made you tilt your head. Shouto was standing by the doorway, mismatched orbs looking over the scene with a hardened glare. 

Endeavor loosened his grip on your arm, but only to stare his son down. "Ah, Shouto. I hope you're not here because you've finished your training for the day. Right now I'm in the process of disciplining this fool, so go attend to your own matters." 

Shouto narrowed his eyes, dropping his gaze towards your crumpled body. Your lips were dry and cracked, and the shallow breaths you were taking sounded more like wheezes than anything else. Everything hurt all over—a solitary tear was rolling down your cheek, and you were actually surprised you were able to muster any liquids at all, with how utterly dehydrated you were. 

You whimpered softly, and Shouto was by your side in one fell swoop. 

"It's obvious that [Name]'s not feeling well," he muttered icily. "She's pale and very clearly dehydrated. Did you even let her take a break? Or give her a glass of water?" 

"This household is not one that tolerates weakness," Endeavor glared. "I would think that you, of all people, should know that by now." 

"Shut it, you shitty old man." 

The boy brushed his father off, crouching down to pick up your shaky frame in his arms. You felt a shudder rip down your spine; Shouto secured you closer and pressed you up against his chest. 

"You never know when to quit, do you?" Letting out a scoff of disgust, he turned on his heel and began carrying your body out of the room. Your vision was blurring now, the blood pounding loudly in your ears, but you were surprised by how little resistance Endeavor put up. He muttered something about his son being a brat, but probably decided you weren't worth the effort. 

"...It's alright," Shouto murmured, bringing you out into the hallway. "He's a terrible person, I know, but I won't let him come after you anymore. Come train with me instead—he'll lay off that way." 

You managed a slow wheeze, a nod, but nothing more. His eyes flickered with concern. 

"Stay with me, [Name]. Let's get you some food and water, and then you can rest up in my room." 

Shouto furrowed his brows, squeezing you tighter. His expression looked troubled, as if he wasn't sure what to say or do to make you feel better. You were barely keeping yourself conscious, but you appreciated his effort nonetheless. Ever so slowly, you ran your shaky fingers up his chest to clutch at the fabric of his shirt. 

"I-I'm tired of being t-treated like this by people," you croaked out. Your dehydration was the only thing preventing you from breaking out into a heavy sob. 

Shouto's gaze softened. "I know. I'm sorry. I'll keep you safe from now on."

You nodded weakly, curling up closer to his chest. His words, coupled with the gentle hands holding your body, were genuine.

Chapter 9: [9 - is it too early to ask for a divorce?]

Chapter Text

— The morning of the Sports Festival: 

 

In spite of your overall reluctance towards the matter, Endeavor had never forced you to undergo his spartan training again. You supposed it had to with the fact that Shouto had stepped in and declared that you'd be training with him instead. Granted, you did spar a couple times, but it was nothing as rigorous as you'd been expecting. He'd done it to protect you; to keep you away from his father's clutches. That much you understood. 

What you couldn't understand was why, even with all you'd been through together, Shouto still insisted on icing you out during school. Take now, for instance—your entire class was clustered in the waiting room, mere minutes before the Sports Festival was to begin, and he was rather intentionally ignoring you. You'd tried to hang around him earlier on, but he'd walked away almost immediately, mumbling something about how he couldn't afford any 'distractions' right now.

You tried not to let it bother you too much, but it was hard, considering the fact that you hadn't made much of an effort to get close to the rest of your classmates. And it was even harder having to watch your former boyfriend flirt with Uraraka. 

"Man, I'm soo nervous!" the brunette exclaimed. "Deku-kun, how are you managing?"

"M-me? A-ah...I'm pretty...nervous myself." 

You narrowed your eyes. There it was again, that nickname she'd appointed to Izuku. Deku—the very same degrading insult that Katsuki had saddled him with all his life. He'd hated that name; that much you knew from everything he'd told you about the constant bullying. Yet somehow, when Uraraka used it, his face would light up as if she'd just bestowed upon him the greatest honor there was. You realized this back during the Trial of Battle. At some point, she'd changed the meaning of that name for him.

Your stomach began to churn, bitterness pooling together. Of course, you would've liked nothing more than to help him get rid of all the ugly connotations surrounding that name, but you'd known better than to ever use it. Perhaps you hadn't stopped to consider that instead of worrying about his feelings, you should've been trying to help change his perspective. 

She hardly spends a few weeks with him and he's already done a full 180. 

You were resentful, that much you realized. Was it unwarranted though? After all, not only had you been outright forced to terminate your relationship with Izuku, but on top of that, you'd also been tied together with, well—

Mismatched eyes flickered over in your direction. They went still for a moment, but only before narrowing and averting their gaze. You sighed.

—that asshole.

Deciding you'd already hurt yourself enough by staring at Izuku, you sauntered over towards the table near the corner of the room. There was a familiar face; one you'd come to know far more than you ever wished through your association to Izuku. Red irises glared back at you.

"No," Katsuki growled, before you'd even had the chance to take a seat. "I don't think so, bitch. Find somewhere else to sit." 

"Hey, dude. That's really mean, yenno?" The red-haired male sitting across from him smiled apologetically; his name was Kirishima, you recalled. "It's fine, [Name]-chan. You can sit next to me." 

You nodded listlessly, still feeling Katsuki's glare burn a hole into your forehead. His distaste for you was as clear as day. Understandable, considering all the nasty things you'd said to one another over the years. He pretty much hated everyone who had anything to do with Izuku—most of all his former girlfriend. 

"We're not dating anymore," you mumbled hollowly, earning two arched brows in response. "We broke up before U.A. I thought you'd notice, since we never so much as brush shoulders nowadays." 

Katsuki scoffed. "I have better shit to do than worry about fuckin' Deku. Why would I waste my time with you two assholes?" 

"Just thought you might hate me less now." 

"As if." He leaned forward, teeth grinding together. "Once a little shit, always a little shit. For your sake, I just hope you were the one who broke up with him. Otherwise that'd be even more pathetic."

"Yeah. I was the one who broke up with him." Katsuki made a small motion with his chin, as if saying 'thank god'. Kirishima looked concerned. You realized hardly any of your current classmates probably knew about the fact you'd been dating before. Not that it really mattered anymore. 

Since we'll never be together again.

You began drumming your fingers over the table-top, hoping to distract yourself, if only somewhat. You weren't even stressed about the upcoming festival, much like the rest of your class. You just didn't want to look back in Izuku's direction again. 

"...Midoriya." 

A stoic tone; one you'd grown more than familiar with over the last few weeks. You craned your neck to the side, eyes widening. Shouto was addressing Izuku. It was probably the very first time you'd ever seen him make any effort to speak to the other. You had a nagging sensation that it didn't bode well.

"On an objective basis, I think I'm above you in terms of practical strength," Shouto declared. Izuku's brows arched in surprise; the rest of the class had fallen silent, taking in the scene. 

"W-wha—? I-I mean, well...yeah. I think that's—" 

"You've managed to get All Might's eyes on you," Shouto continued. "Though I feel no need to pry into that, the fact of the matter still stands. I'm going to beat you." 

Izuku couldn't mask his surprise quickly enough. You saw the shadow of worry cast across his brows. It wasn't good, if even someone as distant and removed as Shouto was becoming suspicious of his relationship to All Might. He was perceptive, yes, but you didn't need others getting wary now too. Izuku had come to far to be exposed over something as petty as a 'declaration of war'. 

"Shouto-kun," you spoke, standing up in a hurry. He glanced back to see you clutching at the sleeve of his uniform. "This is unnecessary," you whispered. "Don't go trying to create bad blood before the main even begins. Leave him alone."

Shouto's eyes narrowed just a smidge, as if daring you to comment further. He brushed your hand off, reverting his attention back to the curly-haired boy before him. Izuku was staring blankly at you now. You swallowed hard. You'd been trying to be as indifferent as possible, per your parent's warning, but not getting involved was proving much more difficult than you'd expected. 

Izuku parted his lips. "[Name]—" 

"I didn't come to this school to play nice and make friends," Shouto cut in. "I'm taking this festival seriously, and I think everyone else should too." 

Whichever words Izuku had been about to say to you were quickly swallowed down. You bit your bottom lip, glaring at Shouto's back. He was fully aware of your connection to the former. It was almost as if he was trying to ensure that you have as little interaction with him as possible. 

So he's petty, too. Who would've thought? 

You would've chuckled humorlessly, if not for the fact that Izuku had begun clenching his fists. His shoulders were quivering, though it was obvious he was trying to make them stop. 

"I have no idea what you expect," he murmured, "telling me all that. I mean, you're definitely stronger than me...I think the vast majority of people are no match for you, looking at it objectively..." 

Kirishima smiled crookedly. "C'mon, Midoriya, there's no need to be so negative—" 

"But even so...!!" Izuku choked out. "All of us here—even kids from the other department are aiming for the top with all their might! That's why there's no way I can allow myself to lag behind the rest...! So I'm going to go for it...with all my might, too!!"

He'd lifted his head now, puffing out his chest and furrowing his brows at Shouto. His emerald eyes were as clear as they'd ever been. The resolution you saw in them now—it was the same back when he'd acquired his power from All Might. 

"I see," Shouto nodded, expression nearly as impassive as always. Most might've missed it, but his eyes had hardened; they glinted back at Izuku with a mixture of understanding, annoyance, and rage. You knew better than to try to discern what he was feeling. It's not like he would ever be honest with you anyways. 

He swiftly turned on his heel, bi-colored tresses swaying behind him. Izuku was still standing as still and resolute as before. You had to grit your teeth in order to look away from him. 

You remembered the kindness you'd felt from Shouto, being held in his arms. The warmth, when he'd saved you from Endeavor. It was always so fleeting with him. Now, he felt so distant and cold that you were convinced it had all been a dream. 

The signal to enter the arena chimed off, but you were hardly listening. You sighed wearily, allowing yourself to become lost within the cluster of students rushing to their feet. 

I wonder if it's too early to ask for a divorce. 

Chapter 10: [10 - he doesn't tell me anything]

Chapter Text

So far, the Sports Festival sucked. 

It had already gotten off to a rocky start, what with Shouto "challenging" Izuku out of nowhere, but you could honestly say that you weren't exactly in the mood for trying your best. The fact that Endeavor was watching your every move didn't make it any better. You hated being his fucking show pony. 

During the daytime, your powers weren't quite as strong—due to the moon's absence, of course. Nonetheless, you had sufficient control over your Quirk that you were able to make do and progress your way through the two stages. The Obstacle Race had gone over easily enough. Then there was the team event, the Cavalry Battle.

Since Shouto was hellbent on excluding you from his already planned-out team formation, and working together with Izuku or Katsuki was not going to happen, you ended up in some rando's team—his name was Shinsou, or something like that. Oddly enough, the second you agreed to be part of his group, your mind went hazy. Only halfway through the battle did you regain control over your facilities, which led you to believe that he'd used his Quirk on you in some way. Well, not that you really cared. The thing that was currently irking you right now was what you'd seen during the Cavalry Battle.

Your teams had been nearly on opposite sides of the ring, but you'd still watched everything unfold. Staying true to his earlier declaration of war, Shouto had been gunning for Izuku's head—and the one million points—as he cornered the latter's team and faced him off. The whole thing made you ill-at-ease, really. You didn't know where this sudden obsession with the freckled boy was coming for, but you wished Shouto would just give it a damn rest. It already hurt enough having to keep your distance from Izuku, but now you had to watch as your fiancé antagonized him. 

A strange thing had happened during the fight, too. Of all the time you'd spent training alongside Shouto, and observing him from close quarters, you'd never once seen him use the flames on his left side. At least, not in combat, not against others. It was rather deliberate on his part, as if he was fighting the urge to tap into that power of his. You couldn't understand why; then again, there were a lot of things you couldn't understand about him, things that were kept secret and hidden, in spite of your engagement. It frustrated you beyond words. 

There must've been a reason for it, but regardless, during that fight, it happened. Perhaps without even realizing it, Shouto had activated the flames on his left side, and the expression on his face had been nothing short of horrified. He'd turned them off almost immediately, looking both disgusted with himself and deeply conflicted. 

It was lunchtime now. You were hungry, and tired, and decided that you and Shouto needed to have a talk. Fiancé or not, you were living under the same roof, and you were sick of him casting you aside all the damn time.

"Has anyone seen Shouto-kun?" you asked upon stepping into the cafeteria. You were hovering by Kirishima's table—the friendly redhead who was one of the more approachable students in the classroom. 

He smiled back at you. "Ah, Todoroki? Yeah, I think I spotted him heading towards the underpass near the outskirts of the arena. He was with Midoriya, I'm pretty sure." 

You felt a pit settle into your stomach. Why was the universe so intent on fucking with you? It was bad enough that you were stuck with a guy who barely cared about you, but how could you just be expected to sit idle now that your former boyfriend was involved? 

"Thanks," you mumbled hollowly, forcing a smile in Kirishima's direction. "I'll go see if I can sneak a word in." 

"Yeah, but...are you okay?" the boy asked. "I mean, sorry—I know this is none of my business, but you always look really sad around those two. Did they do something to you...?" 

"Of course not. The stress of the Sports Festival is just getting to me, that's all." 

You waved Kirishima off, knowing that if you stood around there any longer, your expression would just crumple even further. He was a kind person, and you didn't want to take advantage of his good will. For some reason, things always turned sour whenever you got involved with others. You wondered why you were so rarely allowed happiness. 

Your stomach was grumbling now, but finding Shouto and Izuku was far more important. You didn't know what they were doing, or if your current "partner" had just pulled the other aside for some stupid intimidation purposes, but you digressed. Even if you couldn't be with him anymore, you weren't just about to sit around and let Izuku get caught up in your mess. 

Just like Kirishima had said, the two were in the underpass, each reclined on their respective sides of the wall. You took a tentative step forward. It sounded like they were already in the midst of a discussion, and you felt bad for interrupting, but...

"[Name]," Shouto spoke, making you stiffen at the sound of his voice. He'd caught you trying to creep in out of the corner of his eye, and looked less than pleased. 

"Hi," you said, awkwardly puckering your lips together. "What exactly's going on here...?"

Izuku's eyes were widened. It was clear he wanted to say something to you, but it was almost like the both of you no longer even knew how to communicate properly anymore. It had been too long. 

Shouto narrowed his eyes, replying flatly, "It's none of your business." 

"Wow, I wish I could say I'm surprised, but I've really come to expect such deadpan responses out of you. Isn't it about time you got creative?" 

He almost scoffed at you, but held himself back. You'd caught a snippet of their conversation just before you'd stepped in. Shouto had been accusing Izuku of being All Might's "secret love child", or some other bullshit like that. Obviously, that couldn't have been further from the truth, but the fact that he was scrutinizing their relationship was very worrisome. Exactly how much did he know? 

"You're being nosy again," Shouto muttered, "but whatever. Since you're here, I may as well take the time to ask—what exactly is the nature of Midoriya's relationship with All Might? I know the two of you dated in the past, so I'm sure you must have some sort of idea." 

Izuku's fingers clenched almost immediately. His emerald eyes were big as saucers, brows knit together. You could see that he was holding in his breath, anxiously awaiting your response, though his expression pleaded that you not give him up. You had the sudden urge to scream at him. As if you would ever give away his secret, no matter what had happened between the two of you. 

Does he really think so little of me? 

"What relationship?" you replied blandly, barely even batting a lash. "You mean 'cause Izuku-kun goes to talk to the teachers after classes?" 

Shouto cocked a brow. "I think you know that's not what I meant." 

"So then explain what you meant." 

"I'm not—ah, forget it," he sighed, "it's obvious you're not going to tell me anything, no matter what. You're still loyal to him, it seems." 

You wondered if kicking him in the balls would be too dramatic, but hey, at least that would decrease the odds of Endeavor forcing you to have babies for his sake. He really did piss you off, though. There'd been a select few moments in which you could say you actually felt something positive by his side. They'd been faint and fleeting, but positive nonetheless. They'd still been there, so why the hell did he have to act like this 99% of the fucking time? 

"You're so full of shit," you spat. "Don't act as though I'm the one keeping secrets, when you've barely told me anything about yourself, even after all this time."

Izuku swallowed hard, having finally overcome his silence. "W-what's that supposed to mean, [Name]-chan...? How close are the two of you, even...?" 

"And that's none of your business," the cold-eyed boy cut back. "I swear—I can see how the two of you used to date. You're like peas in a pod; always meddling in other people's lives. But sure, why not. I was going to bring this up to Midoriya at some point, so you may as well tune in to listen, [Name].

He said your name as if it were a disease, the letters dripping off his lips with acrimony and spite. If not for how hard you were clenching your knuckles, you knew you would've slapped him, right then and there. 

"You've heard of Quirk Marriages, right?" Shouto looked first at Izuku, then turned to glance back at you. His bi-colored eyes were muddled and cold. "Well, I know you have, at least."

He went on. Of course, you were already more than aware of who his father was, as well as Endeavor's standing as the Number Two Hero. Izuku looked surprised to learn of the connection, but then again, you figured most people probably hadn't put two-and-two together, with how distant Shouto was. 

At first, you were a little worried that he would start going into the details of your future Quirk marriage, but your eyes widened. He wasn't referring to the two of you, and you know understood his words from back then. 

"I fucking hate Quirk Marriages." 

Back then, you'd just assumed he was cursing his fate for having been engaged at such a young age, but you were wrong. It made sense now. The reason he never spoke about his mother, why she was never around, and why he resented his father to the extent that he did. It wasn't just because Endeavor was a piece of human garbage. He was the absolute biggest piece of human garbage that ever lived. 

You blinked slowly, feeling bile rise to your thought at the mention of his mother's abuse—at Endeavor's hand, no less. He'd been ostracized from the rest of his siblings, as well. Since his power and Quirk far surpassed the rest of theirs, he'd been labelled as Endeavor's greatest "project"; his toy. Unknowingly, your heart began to ache. Perhaps it was because of how closely you resembled him, being tossed around to your parents' will.

The scar on Shouto's left side had been caused by his mother dumping boiling water on him. She'd grown so disgusted by seeing the left side that so closely resembled Endeavor, that the last string tethering her to reality had snapped. Her mental instability had resulted in her being labelled as a threat to her child, and she'd been admitted into a hospital.

Shouto hadn't seen her since.

"I think you can understand," Shouto muttered, "why I would want to reject that disgusting bastard with all my power. During the Cavalry Battle, I acted on impulse, and accidentally used my flames. It's something that will never happen again. I refuse to be that fucker's damn puppet, his shitty pawn...! Even if he wants me to rise to the top to fulfill his own, greedy desire of defeating All Might, I'll toss him aside and do it without using the power he gave me. This is my total disavowal of him." 

Izuku's shoulders were trembling now. He glanced back at you, as if searching for the right words, or reaction. You could only stare blankly ahead. You didn't know whether to be relieved that he'd finally shared some part of his life with you, or filled with anger because he'd been determined to hide it from you for so long. 

"I basically just picked a fight with you to show that bastard what I'm capable of." He was speaking to Izuku now. "Because of your connection to All Might, whatever it may be, I feel almost obligated to win against you. To win using mom's power, and nothing else."

Izuku's eyes fell to the ground. You knew, from the cold look Shouto spared you, that wasn't the full truth. The fact that he was going out of his way to antagonize your former lover...it was hard to think of it as anything other than spite. You saw it in his eyes. Every time you looked in Izuku's direction, it was as if you were committing some terrible, heinous crime. It was ironic, considering how much he "hated" Quirk Marriages, for him to feel as if he owned you. 

Izuku quivered. "I-I don't know what to—" 

"I wasn't expecting an answer," Shouto deadpanned, "just felt as though this needed to be said. [Name] would never let me hear the end of it if I didn't do this. Considering we're living together, it would be a little difficult to get her off my back." 

—this fucking dick. 

Izuku paled almost immediately. You shot a vicious glare in Shouto's direction, but said nothing. Certainly, you hadn't expected for him to fall so low. Just because he'd endured a hard life didn't mean he was free to trample on others' feelings without giving a shit. 

"You're a cold person," you glowered, "I just hope you know that." 

Izuku's lips were moving wordlessly now, as if he couldn't possibly comprehend what he'd just heard. You turned on your heel, wanting to get as far away from the scene before your heart imploded. Shouto stood there, dully, watching as you walked away. 

Inside, he already knew what he'd been saying was cruel, but he'd gone forth with it anyways. He supposed that did make him a cold person after all.

Chapter 11: [11 - our lives suck]

Chapter Text

1 v 1 battles. You'd be facing Shouto in the second round. 

To some level, you were nervous, because you knew full well the extent of his strength, but mostly, you were just pissed. You'd learned a lot about him during his little "discussion" with Izuku. There was a lot of pain in his past, that much you could admit to, but it didn't excuse his current behavior. Izuku had been stunned in place, but you'd scampered away before he could ask you what in the hell was going on between you and Shouto. Apparently, he'd been looking for you during the rec activities.

Your first fight would be against some random classmate of yours—Ashido, or something. The loud, pink-haired one. You weren't too worried, but...

"Oh, yuck. It's you." 

Scrunching up your nose as you turned the corner in the halls, your eyes fell onto a tall, muscled frame that you'd since come to loathe. The asshole himself was reclining against the wall, flames darting across his sour expression as he basked in all his evil glory. 

Endeavor glared. "It seems as though you still have yet to learn any manners, brat. Since you're facing Shouto in the second round, I expect you to hold your own and not disgrace me." 

"Mhm. Yeah, whatever. Say, why'd you even show up in the first place?" You tapped your foot on the ground, eyes lidded. "Haven't you already hurt Shouto-kun enough? Give him a break, at least for once." 

His bright, turquoise orbs narrowed. "What the hell did you just say to me?" 

"I said give him a break." 

"From what, prey tell?" 

"I dunno. Your general douche-baggery, what else?" 

"So you know nothing," he snorted, "yet you have the audacity to try and tell me how to behave." 

You almost laughed. It would've been a dry, lilted laugh, but a laugh all the same. Your foot dragged along the coarse, uneven tiling on the ground. A shadow swept across your expression.

"I know that you abused both your son and your wife." 

You realized all at once that you'd gone too far, but you couldn't really be bothered to care. Endeavor's jaw went rigid and eyes stilled; for once, he genuinely looked at a loss for words. 

His throat sounded parched. "How do you know—?" 

"Just something I overheard," you dismissed, already in the process of walking off with your hands in your pockets. "I already knew you were a piece of shit, but..." You stopped in place, [e/c] orbs darkening, "this far surpasses my expectations." 

He wasn't bothering to call after you. Perhaps he felt the tiniest bit of remorse after having to reflect on what he'd done... nah, that couldn't be it. It didn't matter, either way. Assholes like him never changed—that much you knew from dealing with your own family.

For now, you were just happy to have had the last word.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"[Name]-chan, you did great in the first round!" Kirishima appraised. "I kinda already knew you were strong before, but this just confirmed it even more!" 

The friendly, red-headed boy was talking to you again. You didn't really know why. You were sarcastic and cynical at best, and he was practically a walking sunshine. You liked him quite a bit, actually—he reminded you of Izuku in the sense that his kindness and positive energy were contagious. Surely, he had better people to hang around than you...

"You talk to me a lot," you stated flatly, earning two arched brows in response. "I dunno if you've noticed, but I'm kinda rude, and a little bit of a bitch. Are you sure you wanna go down this road?" 

Kirishima's eyes widened. "A bitc—? Y-you're not like that at all!" he spluttered. "Why would you say such a thing about yourself?!" 

"Uh, 'cause it's true. I'm always gloomy and depressed and stuff. I'm not even all that close with the rest of the class, in case you haven't noticed." 

"Well, that's..." He frowned a bit. "I know our classmates want to be friends with you, but I think they're just a bit intimidated. When you think about, you're kind of amazing, [Name]-chan... since everyone sees how strong you are, and no matter who it is, you're never afraid to say what's on your mind. It's like almost like you're not scared of anything. I think the rest of the class just can't relate to that, and they see you as out of their reach."

"No, you're reading into that too much. They just don't like me, dude." 

Kirishima chuckled. "You're really funny, too. I'm sure if they got to spend a bit more time with you, they'd see that you're not as distant as they think." 

Distant...huh? 

It was ironic, considering that was the exact same way you saw Shouto. You weren't necessarily trying to come across as cold or cynical, but you supposed you spent so much of your time racking your brain over your so-called "engagement" that you must've seemed like such. It didn't help that you weren't a particularly happy person by nature. 

Kirishima was nice, though. He was probably the only real friend you'd made thus far—if calling him a 'friend' wasn't already a stretch. You could make more of an effort to be less rude and standoffish, that much you realized. Most people didn't really get your sense of humor to begin with.

"Thanks, Kirishima-kun." For the first time in what felt like forever, you managed a genuine smile. "You're a nice guy. I like you." 

"E-eh...?" The boy flushed in a matter of seconds, trying to distract from his splotched cheeks with a hearty laugh. "Y-you're gonna make me embarrassed, saying things like that all of a sudden." 

"I was just being honest. I like you a lot." 

"Your brutal honesty is so refreshing! B-but I'm still a little embarrassed when you say it like that...!" 

You'd been so caught up in your feel-good discussion that you hadn't even taken note of the figure skulking over in your direction. A cool, breathy voice beckoned you. Before you'd even lifted your head to look up, you already knew who it was.

"[Name]," Shouto spoke, looking you and Kirishima over with a frown, "can I please talk to you for a moment?" 

You blinked. "Yeah, I'd rather not." Beside you, Kirishima stiffened, and you felt a little guilty for having got him wrapped up in your little soap-opera. Shouto didn't look amused.

"We need to talk," he muttered, already in the process of reaching over to grab you by the wrist. "Our battle's coming up, and I don't want to leave things the way they ended." 

You debated slapping his hand away, but you would've probably had to speak to him one way or another. You lived together, for crying out loud.

He pulled you from the stands into one of the nearby hallways. It was close to the area where you'd passed by Endeavor, though it didn't look like he was loitering around anymore. Seriously, the last thing you needed right now was to see his damn mug again.

"You can let go of my arm now." 

Shouto frowned, mismatched orbs glassy. He looked down and blinked when he realized he was still holding onto you. He pulled away hurriedly, letting out a hoarse cough.

Neither of you said anything for a while.

Ah, yes, I've so missed our awkward conversations where nobody says a damn word.

"...you looked like you were having fun," he murmured.

"Huh?" 

"Back there," Shouto said, his chin creasing slightly, "you looked like you were having fun talking to him. The red-haired guy." 

"His name is Kirishima." 

Shouto narrowed his eyes. "Right. Kirishima." He ran a hand through his hair, sighing wearily. "You're always like this. It's almost like... you enjoy being around everyone else more than me. I'm the only person you ever look so sad around." 

You hummed. "I could say the same for you, but your expression never changes, so yenno." 

"You're always telling me I'm cold." There was a hint of bitterness in his tone. You wondered if he was upset, or just plain hostile. You pursed your lips. 

"Your Quirk lets you create ice." 

"This isn't the time for jokes." 

"I don't really know what you want from me," you sighed. "Clearly, this whole arrangement has placed a lot of stress on the both of us. At some point... I don't know. I felt like we were getting closer, and we were starting to get to know each other better, but every time I feel that way you go and pull some shit to prove me wrong." 

Shouto eyed you sullenly. "Are you referring to what I told Midoriya earlier? You really do still have feelings for him."

Ah. There it was. You'd been wondering when he would address this, if ever. Would you be wrong in assuming that he would jealous, then? Or maybe he just hated the thought of you having obtained some sort of happiness in the past. Certainly, that was a foreign concept to him.

"My previous relationships shouldn't be any of your concern," you answered calmly. "You don't see me asking you about whether or not you were dating someone in the past." 

"I wasn't," he answered in a heartbeat. 

"Okay, but I didn't ask. That's my point."

Shouto's brows twisted together. "You're confusing me. You say that you hope that we can get closer, but now it seems like you don't want me to ask you any questions about your past. Hell, you already know everything about mine, at least now. Regardless of how you found out, it's your life that's still a mystery here." 

"How is it a mystery?" you snapped. You were growing increasingly more impatient. "You're already well aware of the fact that Izuku-kun and I used to date, and you know that I had to break up with him because of you, but you still go around to try and antagonize him. I'm not even allowed to speak to him anymore, for fuck's sake! My parents are controlling assholes—which you should be more than familiar with—and they're making me distance myself from him out of respect to the commitment I've made to you and your family. There's nothing left for me to tell you, but you still won't stop harassing him and trying to make him feel like shit." 

His expression was darkening still, but it now looked more remorseful than anything else. You supposed even he was capable of feeling bad.

"I just want to know if you still care for him," he said quietly. "[Name], just... at least tell me this. I need to know." 

You wondered why he all of a sudden had so much interest in your life, but it wasn't worth giving yourself the headache. You sighed loudly, staring at him with a stiff jaw. 

"Yes," you cut back, Shouto's expression sinking all at once, "I do still care for him. How could I not? We had such an abrupt ending... it's not as if I ever stopped liking him. It just had to be done, and it quite frankly sucks. It sucks to not be with the person that means the most to you." 

"I...see." 

Shouto stared down at the ground. Your chest was hurting again, and it wasn't even fair. Why should you feel guilty when your life was the one that had gone to shit? Sure, Shouto was in this, too, but... at least he'd never cared for someone this way. You can't miss what you never had.

"I guess being with me is bringing you a lot of pain, huh?" he muttered. "Well, I already knew that much from the start." 

Fucking great. Now you felt bad.

"It's not you, Shouto-kun." You took a step forward, eyes softening. "It's this—this shitty engagement that was forced onto the both of us. I'm sure if we met under normal circumstances, we could've been friends. We have a lot in common, and it wouldn't have all been so damn complicated. But we're here now, and we have to make the best of it. Asking me about Izuku-kun all the time and heckling him isn't going to help. What's going to help is us trying for each other." 

His eyes flickered with something akin to longing, or disappointment—you couldn't really tell. He really was beautiful. In a way, his sadness added to his beauty, but you hurt for him all the same. He'd been broken down by the ones that were supposed to be closest to him time and time again... you didn't want to become part of the trend. 

"Let's just try," you smiled, grabbing his hand into your own. "Alright? It'll be okay. Maybe it'll take some time, but things will start feeling more natural soon." 

Shouto didn't say anything. He tried to squeeze your fingers back, but it felt like he didn't have the strength. The thought of you caring so much for someone else was unbearably painful, and this was coming from someone who'd endured pain all his life. 

What was happening to him? 

Chapter 12: [12 - i'm tired of suffering]

Chapter Text

"[Name]-chan, you nervous?" 

"Not really." 

"Eh? But your opponent is Todoroki, of all people..." 

"So? I just have to win, right?" 

Your new friend, Kirishima, was staring back at you open-mouthed. It was the transitory period right now, just before your battle against Shouto was supposed to begin. Apparently, you were supposed to feel "on edge", or something like that, but you didn't really get it. Obviously, you were going to try your best to win, but you doubted a loss would faze you all that much. 

Especially considering that shithead Endeavor was going to be watching the whole fight.

"Shouto-kun's pretty strong," you mumbled, slowly blinking your [e/c] eyes, "but I'm definitely not weak. I mean, he's got me beat in terms of pure physical power, but my technique isn't anything to scoff at. I've always been good with my Quirk." You dropped your voice to a mutter. "It's the whole reason I've gotten myself wrapped into this shitty mess." 

Kirishima frowned. "Sorry, what was that?" 

"Nah, don't worry about it." It was time for you to head off towards your respective side of the arena. You tapped the redhead on the shoulder, smiling. "Cheer for me, alright? I'll make you proud, Kiri-chan." 

"K-Kiri-chan??!"

He fumbled with his words, dumbfounded by the sudden nickname. You thought it was pretty cute, and fitting for a sweet guy like him. You really did like him. It'd be nice if more people were like this little ray of sunshine. 

"You're a real cutie, you know that?" 

"Eh, wha—?! [N-Name]-chan, you can speak English, too??" 

"Yeah, I used to live in America. Okay, bye." 

Kirishima flushed and spluttered out a few more protests, but you were already walking away. You kind of just wanted to get this over with. Things had been heavy between you and Shouto ever since earlier. He seemed rather fixated on knowing all the finer details of your past relationship with Izuku. To be honest, you didn't really want to be reminded—not when you were trying so desperately to forget.

In any case, it was time for your battle now. You didn't want to dwell on things any longer. You would fight Shouto and face forward, win or lose. 

"...now, is everyone readyyyy?!!" 

Overhead, Present Mic's obnoxiously loud voice was blaring at full-throttle. You'd made your way into the ring from your side of the stadium. Shouto was already standing by, looking as stiff and stony-faced as always. It felt like there'd been some kind of emotion in his eyes when you'd spoken earlier, but... yeah. There didn't seem to be any trace of that left.

"Right!" Present Mic exclaimed. "Let's get acquainted with this round's challengers! On one side... well, you already know him full well by now, huh? The boy who wowed us with that huuuge pillar of ice in the first roundTodoroki Shouto!!" 

You licked your lips, eyes glazing over from disinterest. Shouto's brow creased.

"...and on the other end, she seems pretty damn tough, too! Her first match was over in a flash, and I get the feeling that there's a lot she's yet to reveal about her powers! It's....[Last Name] [Name]!!!" 

The mob was cheering wildly now. You didn't really get where all the excitement was coming from. Was it really that fun to watch a pair of high school students go at each others' throats? This really was a modern-day gladiator show. 

"I hope you know I have no intention of going easy on you," Shouto spoke. You'd barely heard him with the all the crazed shouting overhead, but he seemed to be staring at you much more sternly than before. "Don't hold back," he muttered, "and I won't either." 

Was it just you, or did he seem border-line... resentful? Jeez. You didn't think your talk from earlier had really bothered him that much. 

"It's fine," you shrugged, "I'd be offended if you did hold back, actually. But let's try to keep this classy, yeah? Since 'you-know-who' is watching us like a hawk." 

Shouto clenched his fists, staring down at the ground with a quivering jaw. 

"Shut up, [Name]." 

Did he just tell me to?

"3...2...1.....and staaaart!!" 

Ah, shit. You'd been so focused on your to-be-husband's sweltering expression that you hadn't even realized the signal to start had gone off. Shouto was quick, quicker than you—in a second, he'd stomped his right foot down onto the ground and released a wall of ice that came surging towards your body unhindered. You steadied yourself and extended your palms outwards. Your irises began to glow, shifting from their normal, [e/c] hue to a pale silver. 

The attack connected, but not before you'd managed to construct a pale, faintly glowing barrier that absorbed most of the damage. Your feet skidded backwards just slightly from the force alone. Shouto blew out softly, cold breath condensing in the air. 

There really was something off about him right now, something that you couldn't quite place. Perhaps he'd also run into his shitty dad in the hallways. That always seemed to bring out the worst in him. Then there was that massive pillar of ice he'd used against Sero in the first round...

You sighed, keeping your attention on preserving the barrier around your body. "What's up with you right now? You seem even moodier than usual. Stop glaring at me like you wanna rip my limbs off." 

Shouto said nothing, lurching forward to slam his right fist into the ground. Another fast-spreading line of ice erupted across the ring. You clasped your palms together, narrowing your eyes slightly. The glow around your body spread to the pale crystals, making them pulse in place for a moment before repelling them right back towards their source. Shouto grimaced and constructed a wall of ice just in time. They shattered against the others. 

"Don't just defend," he muttered. "Attack me, already. Don't you want to win?" 

"I don't know. Not really." 

"You're so..." He bit down on his bottom lip, eyes teeming with rage. "This is how you always are. Nothing matters to you, does it? Other than Midoriya, of course." 

You might've given in to his provocations any other time, but he was just so out of it—and it showed. His normally calm and aloof expression was falling apart at the seams. A thin layer of frost was in the process of slowly collecting upon his left side. Even from this distance, you noticed him shivering. 

"You're cold, Shouto-kun. Why don't you drop the tough-guy act and at least warm yourself up a little? If you used your left side, this would be far less uncomfortable for you." 

He glared. "You know why I can't—" 

"Actually, no, I don't." 

In an instant, you were rushing forward, body glowing anew. Shouto gritted his teeth and sent forth another surge of ice, but it was noticeably smaller than before. The cold lapping up his side—it was slowing him down, weakening him. All because he refused to use his power to its fullest extent. All because of him.

You gritted your teeth, letting your barrier fall so that you could alter the flux of gravity around your body. Now, you were more than close enough for Shouto to fall victim to your gravitational pull. Chunks of ice began breaking apart and floating upwards where they stood. The boy grimaced as he lost his footing and was pulled straight towards your body. At the very last second, you de-activated your Quirk and tumbled out of the way, letting him fall down admist shattered chunks of ice.

"Shit," Shouto groaned, rising to his feet as quickly as possible. His pale irises flickered towards you. "[Name], you're just—" 

"Cut this crap out, already!" You slammed your fist into your thigh and let out a cry of exasperation. "Can't you see?! You'd be so much stronger if you just used everything you have to work with. At this rate, I might actually end up winning—during daytime, no less! Would you seriously rather lose than bring forth a few flames??!" 

He shivered again, breathing hoarsely. "I told you all that, earlier... and you still don't understand? How could I use that shitty power, given to me by that shitty bastard....?! I thought that you of all people would get it. You hate your family, too... not to mention that you know full well how much of a bastard he is. So how in the hell do you expect me to use it when all it does is remind of him?!" 

"You're an idiot." 

"Shut up," he winced. "You don't know anything." 

"I know way more than you think. I've spent all this time by your side, observing you, watching all the subtle, pained expressions you make... I know it hasn't been easy, but this is just self-sabotage. I might spend a good deal of my time sulking and being depressed like you, but there's still a fundamental difference between the two of us." You outstretched your palms and narrowed your eyes. "At the very least, don't allow my parents to define who I am." 

A flash of pale, silvery light detonated from between your palms, knocking Shouto back by the chest and forcing him to the ground. You groaned, feeling fatigued from using so much of your power during the day. Seeing him like this, right now... it was almost pitiful. He looked helpless. The so-called "strongest" member of your class, yet he was still so weak and vulnerable. 

"Your dad's a shithead," you breathed out, towering over his silent, crumpled frame. "Guess what? My parents are also shitheads, but even so, I like to think that doesn't automatically make me a shithead. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not—at the end of the day, it's for me to decide, not them. It's the same thing with your Quirk, your powers, and even the type of hero you're striving to be. At the end of the day, only you can decide who you want to become." 

"What...?" 

Shouto stared up at you, unmoving. Your head felt a little fuzzy; drawbacks from having over-exerted yourself without the moon's loving presence. Really, you could've probably gone ahead at full force, using up the last of your strength to wrap up the match and win, but the look in his eyes was telling you not to. The small tears prickling at the corners of his eyes... he looked like he was remembering something. A memory that was both painful and incredibly precious. 

"...you don't have to be bound by blood, Shouto. You want to be a hero, don't you? Then it's fine... to decide the person you want to become." 

He quivered, lips moving inaudibly. "At some point, I must've forgotten. How...?" 

"Shouto-kun—" 

You were cut off by a rippling wave of heat. Eyes squeezing shut, you stumbled to the ground. A ring of flames had erupted from where the boy had fallen. You could see a figure rising through the cardinal plumes. Relief flooded your chest, even though you knew this meant you'd just lost the match. 

Shouto emerged from red-hot embers, a willful smile tugging at his lips. 

"Thank you... [Name]. Everything you just said... was right. Even someone like me wants to become a hero, after all." 

"It's about high time you thanked me," you chuckled, dropping to your knees. "I give. I'm too tired to go on, and now I'm definitely beat. I'm happy with this much." 

He frowned, flames skirting around his shoulders. "You're giving up...? But I'm—" 

"Seriously. I just wanna take a nap. It's been a long day." 

Midnight looked to you for affirmation, to which you slowly nodded your head in reply. She brandished her whip and swung in downwards. 

"[Name] forfeits! The winner of this match is Todoroki...!" 

You could hear mixed reactions coming from the overlooking crowd, who surely had hoped for a bloodier show rather than a lazy forfeit. There were many whom were excitedly babbling on about having seen Shouto use a totally different component to his powers; it sounded like others were praising even you for the versatility of your Quirk. Out of the corner of your eye, you glanced up and saw Endeavor watching from the middle of the stands, arms crossed and a manic grin sprawled across his lips. It was laughable, really. This scumbag actually thought that Shouto gave a flying fuck about him.

The flames flitting about Shouto's side slowly died down. He exhaled softly as the glint returned back to his eyes. Unlike the cold, venomous glare he'd been shooting you earlier, he seemed more... at peace. He looked whole again.

"I'm sorry, [Name]." He pressed his lips together and leaned forward, offering you a hand. "I know I've been saying a lot of hurtful things, to you especially. This is all a mess, but... I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive my behavior." 

You smiled and took his fingers in your own, rising to your feet. "It's fine. Take me out for a date sometime and we'll call it even." 

Shouto's cheeks flushed. He cast his head to the side, mumbling something under his breath.

"...I'd like that." 

Chapter 13: [13 - unexpected kindness]

Chapter Text

With the Sports Festival having come to an end, you thought you'd be able get some sort of reprieve, not have to deal with cheesy fanboys swarming you on the train.

"You're [Last Name] [Name] from U.A, right?? I saw you face off against Todoroki in the 2nd round! I think you could've won against him! You shouldn't have forfeited!" 

A pudgy-faced, bright-eyed middle-schooler was looking up at you in awe. You pressed your lips together and shuffled further away, though the train was far too packed for you to actually get anywhere. The boy's friend lightly patted his shoulder.

"Dude, you're wrong," he argued. "She let him win. It's clear she hadn't even taken any damage—she probably didn't want to reveal her full-strength in front of that huge crowd. My parents said there are a lot of heroes who do covert missions and keep some of their skills hidden from villains." 

"Ohh, that makes sense! So she went easy on him so that she wouldn't have to reveal her ace-in-the-hole, right?" 

"Yeah. Obviously." 

At this point they'd seemingly forgotten about your very existence, going on to debate your powers and how you'd allowed Shouto to win like you weren't even there. A few other people on the train were staring at you, too. You caught one trying to sneak their phone out all stealthy-like to snatch a picture, but you made sure to glare them down before they could even attempt it. 

So much unnecessary attention. What a pain...

You were just looking forward to getting away from the rush-hour crowds and curling up in bed at home. Shouto had unexpectedly left class early, saying that he had some business to attend to, otherwise you would've been commuting together like usual. 

Even though this was currently your own residence, you could never quite get over how daunting the Todoroki abode was. Your house in the States had been pretty big at some point, before your family ran into financial problems with the company, but it still couldn't really compare. 

"Hey, [Name]-chan!" Fuyumi greeted you with a bright smile as you stepped through the front door. She was hunched over a coffee table, scribbling away at a notebook. Studying for exams, most likely.

"Yo," you waved, slinging off your bag and throwing your jacket over the coat-rack. "I got swarmed by annoying people on the train today. They recognized me from the Sports Festival." 

"Ooh, that's cool!" 

"Not really," you shrugged. "No hot guys came up to compliment me. Just snot-nosed little boys. If there was a hottie, then this would be a different story." 

Fuyumi feigned a gasp. "[Name]-chan, how improper! You already have Shouto, don't go around looking at other guys!" 

"I know," you laughed, "how truly indecent of me." 

"I suppose it is a little indecent." 

You blinked nervously, turning to find Shouto standing in the middle of the hallway. Fuyumi glanced from you to him, then from him to you. She covered her mouth with her palms and stifled a laugh.

"Oh. Hi, Shouto-kun." You scratched at the back of your neck. "What brings you by?" 

"What brings me by to my own house?" 

"Yes, that." 

Fuyumi was giggling uncontrollably now, and you rolled your eyes, watching as she buried her warm cheeks in mounds of notebooks. Shouto stared back at you, brows slightly furrowed.

He tightened his jaw. "Were you really hoping for a guy like that to come up to you?" 

"I mean... it would've been better than dealing with some stinky little kids." 

Shouto's eyes slumped just so. He placed a palm across his heart, letting out a gentle sigh. "You wound me, [Name]." 

Fuyumi guffawed. You rolled your eyes again.

"Shouto-kun, please leave the jokes to me." 

"You're right. That was a little out of my comfort zone." 

As stony-faced as he was, he seemed to be in better spirits than he had been in quite some time. Maybe it was since the Sports Festival was over, and all the stress had melted away. You still didn't know why he'd left class early, though. He probably wouldn't tell you even if you asked. 

You turned to head towards your room, and Fuyumi began to loudly clear her throat. She grinned cheekily in Shouto's direction.

"Don't you have something you want to say to [Name]-chan...?"

"Huh?" 

You blinked in confusion, watching as the two siblings exchanged a silent but meaningful gaze. Shouto muttered something under his breath, a small flush rising to his temples.

"...you said you'd let me take care of this." 

"Uhh, can someone tell me what's—" 

"Date," Shouto blurted out. "Our date. You said you wanted me to take you out on one sometime soon, so..." 

I said that? 

You vaguely remembered uttering something along those lines after your battle, but it was almost certainly just meant as a joke. He'd actually taken that to heart? 

"I thought today would be as good a day as any," he mumbled on. "Unless you have other plans, of course."

"You're asking me on a date?" 

"I mean... yes." 

This couldn't have been the reason he left class early, right? But from the way Fuyumi was grinning back at you...

"Shouto messaged me to meet up with him early and help him plan out a date for the two of you!" she giggled. "Isn't that cute? And totally unlike him, too. He said he had no clue where to take you, so we needed to brainstorm together and make sure that—" 

"That's enough, Fuyumi." Shouto pressed his lips together, blush only deepening the more his sister went on. "[Name] and I will discuss it now. If you could please give us some space..." 

His somber eyes flashed her a hardened glare. The girl chuckled and shuffled to quickly leave the room, but not before pointing finger-guns in your direction. You laughed. Shouto looked so timid and uncomfortable—it was nice to see him look a little less self-assured for a change. 

"Sorry," he coughed, eyes flitting towards the ground. "I didn't exactly want to get her involved, but I don't have any experience with this kind of stuff, so I asked her about places girls like to be taken on dates. "

You smiled. "How surprisingly earnest of you. "

"Please don't make fun of me." 

"Sorry, sorry." 

He shifted in place, hopeful eyes gazing into your own. "So, then... about today..." 

"Of course I'll go," you laughed, watching the boy's expression light up. "I don't think you should worry too much about planning out our activities, though. I'm not picky. I'm sure it'll be fun no matter what we end up doing." 

Shouto nodded wordlessly, a small smile pulling at his lips. It was strange. He didn't smile often—almost never, in fact—but whenever he did, it was like some sort of contagious phenomenon. You found it impossible not to smile right back.

"Thank you, [Name]. I'll make sure that you have a nice time." 

He quickly shuffled over towards your side, arms falling over your back in a hesitant, somewhat awkward embrace. You were so taken by surprise that you didn't even manage to hug him back in time—already, he'd pulled away, mumbling something about how he needed to change for your date. 

You stood there, dumbfounded, trying to ignore the steady blush creeping up your cheeks. Had he always been this adorable? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Yay, aquarium! I can't wait to see all the cute sea otters!" 

Though you truly didn't have much of a preference about where you'd be going, the two of you had decided on visiting the aquarium in the neighboring ward. Looking at cute marine animals pretty much never failed, at least as far as you were concerned. 

Shouto scanned his wristband and passed through the gates along with you. "So you like these kind of places?" 

"Yep! I love animals," you smiled, "and I've always found learning about different organisms and habitats interesting. Sometimes we get so caught up in ourselves that we forget we only make up a small part of this earth, right?" 

"That's true. You can say say some pretty insightful things ever now and then, huh?" 

"Yeah, I'm insightful as fuck. We been knew." 

"I don't understand all your strange expressions, [Name]." 

You shrugged your shoulders. "Whatever, let's just—oh! I found the sea otters!" 

Before Shouto could protest, you were already grasping him by the hand and leading him over towards the sea otter habitat. Part of the enclosures were outside, while others had been sub-divided by ecosystems indoors. You were eager to see all the rest, too, but you had to have your fill of the otters first. 

"They're soo cute!" you whined, clasping your palms up against your cheeks. "Shouto-kun, look! Oh my goodness—look at that little one over there floofing up his whiskers...!" 

He might've said something, but truth be told, you were too busy dying of cuteness to pay attention. Only when you felt a hand squeeze your own did you break away and look back. Shouto flushed, looking somewhat guilty as you glanced down to find his fingers interlaced with your own.

"M-my bad," he stammered, hurriedly pulling his hand away. "You just looked so focused, I didn't want to say something to disturb you, so instead I—" 

"You're so silly, Shouto-kun. You can hold my hand if you want." 

"Oh..." 

You smiled, reaching back down to grab his hand. Shouto stiffened for a moment, but eventually relaxed his fingers around your own. Your eyes shifted back towards the sea otter habitat. One of them was swimming on his back, a few aquarium toys plopped down on its belly. You giggled as he lifted a little bouncy ball and began quickly tapping its surface.

"...so cute." 

"They really are," you agreed. "I wish I could give them a big hug." 

"I meant you, [Name]." 

Wait, what'd I just hear? 

You locked eyes with Shouto, who was apparently staring right at you instead of the fluffy animals. He smiled again—it had happened at least five times today. Seriously, what was going on?

"The otters are cuter," you countered, growing increasingly flustered by his watchful gaze. Shouto glanced to the habitat, then turned back to you, smiling still.

"No, I think my view's better." 

Oh, okay. All of a sudden he was acting smooth as hell, and you were feeling more embarrassed than ever. You were almost never so timid and blushy, but now you couldn't even think of the words. Just earlier you'd offered to hold his hand, and now it was beginning to feel hot and clammy. 

"Let's go... look at the exhibits inside," you managed, turning swiftly on your heel to avert your gaze. Shouto didn't make any attempts to pull his hand away, following silently beside you. All of a sudden, you felt flustered, and nervous, and way too warm. Why did he even ask you out on this date anyways? Was it just because you'd jokingly mentioned it the other day? But he was acting so kind and gentle with you...

"Look, [Name]." Shouto gave your hand a light squeeze, rousing you from your stupor. He was pointing at a luminescent display. "Jellyfish," he smiled. "There's lots of them." 

You hurried to compose yourself. "I like the jellies."

"I figured you would." 

"I want to grab them and bounce my hand up and down over their squishy heads." 

"As much as I'd like to turn your dream into reality, I get the feeling you won't be allowed to do that." 

"Shame," you chuckled. "I always wanted to have one of those home jellyfish tanks. They glow in the dark, too." 

Shouto looked you over, nodding silently. "That can probably be arranged." 

"Uh, what?"

"We can get one," he said, "for the house. For your room, more specifically. If you really want to, I'm sure I could make it work. Ah, but—please don't try to touch them with your hands. It won't end well." 

You blinked repeatedly. It was happening again. You were making some silly, unreasonable request, and he was taking your words literally. 

"Shouto-kun... you know I was kidding, right?" 

"Oh. So you don't want one of those tanks in your room?" 

"I mean, I do, but I don't expect you to—" 

"Then I'll get it for you." Shouto leaned forward, tucking a stray lock of hair behind your ear. You flushed just from his finger ghosting across your cheek. "If it makes you happy," he said, "I'll get it for you. It's nice when you smile. I like it a lot." 

A second later and he'd kissed you on the cheek. It was faint and fleeting, but it made your skin burn all the same. Shouto's expression was nearly as composed as always, save for the redness in his cheeks, and a subtle glimmer in his beautifully mismatched eyes. And this was the same guy who'd met up with his older sister to brainstorm ideas for your date. How.

"Let's go look at the rest of the exhibits," he said coolly, almost as though his lips hadn't just been pressed up against your cheek a moment prior. You didn't really know what to say anymore. He was making your chest feel awfully tight, and some... feelings were bubbling to the surface. You didn't want feelings. Feelings were the worst. 

"[Name]?" 

"Uh, sorry," you shook off. "I'm coming." 

Shouto nodded and continued to hold your hand as he led you along. A few days later, you would find that a brand-new, luminescent tank had been installed in your room.

Chapter 14: [14 - something's changed]

Chapter Text

"Good morning, [Name]." 

You blinked. "Uhh... morning, Shouto-kun. Sorry. What are you doing in my room...?"

Fuyumi had greeted you by your bedside before—hell, even Endeavor once dragged you off to train first thing in the morning. But you'd never been awoken by Shouto before, not even during that transitional move-in period when you'd been sharing a room together. So... yeah. This was something new. 

"You tend to oversleep," he said, casually breezing over the fact that he'd just barged into your room uninvited. "I have to make sure you get out of bed, or we'll end up being late for school." 

A weary yawn fell out your lips. "So? If I'm ever running late you can just leave without me. You've done it before a bunch of times." 

Shouto stiffened for a moment. You pulled the blankets off your legs and cocked your head to the side in confusion. 

"That's... uhm. Yes. I was negligent," he said hurriedly. "I won't leave without you from now on. If I help you get ready for school on time, it'll save you the embarrassment of stumbling into Aizawa's lesson mid-way." 

"I don't really mind. It's funny the way he glares at me." 

"[Name], just..." He sighed. "Just let me do this. That way we can always walk to school together." 

"Together?" 

You batted your lashes at him, but Shouto was already turning towards the door with a sweltering blush. He coughed loudly.

"I'll meet you in the kitchen. Breakfast is ready."

It wasn't really worth the effort to protest, but you were so not a morning person. Why couldn't school just start at noon and run for two hours? Ah, the possibilities. 

Groggily rising to your feet, you (somehow) managed to find your uniform thrown haphazardly over your desk chair. You threw it on, ignoring all the creases and pleats in the fabric. You'd been meaning to iron it out but as always, you'd procrastinated horribly. At least you weren't too finicky about your morning routine. It made getting ready a lot more quick.

"Where's Fuyumi?" you asked, mussing your hair to set it in place. Shouto was bringing two bowls over to the dining table. 

"She left for campus already. Seems like she had a lab she couldn't miss. Here," he mumbled, awkwardly setting down a bowl in front of you. "I tried making us some food." 

"You cooked?" 

"Yes, I believe I just said that." 

"My ears heard it but my brain is having a time registering your words." 

Shouto rolled his eyes but took a seat beside you. Sleepy, [e/c] orbs stared down at your bowl of food—a sunny-side up egg stacked clumsily over-top a mountain of rice. Well, it was cute that he'd at least tried, in any case.

"You're making fun of it," Shouto frowned, peering over your shoulder. 

"W-what? No, I'm not." 

"Yes, you are," he huffed. "I know that look. It's the same one you have whenever you're silently judging people." 

You feigned a gasp. "Shouto-kun! What kind of person do you take me for?!" 

"The kind of person that makes fun of others whenever the opportunity presents itself." 

"Oof." You keeled over the table, clicking your tongue. "It appears you've seen past my delicate exterior. Well done, young grasshopper. I commend you." 

Shouto muttered something in confusion, but you'd already begun eating. It was a simple dish, probably since he had little to no experience using the kitchen, but it was oddly satisfying. Especially when you glanced next to you and saw the way his brows furrowed worriedly with every bite you took.

"It's yummy," you smiled, watching the boy's eyes widen. "Thanks for making me breakfast, Shouto-kun." 

"Oh, it's... fine. Not a big deal," he mumbled. "I had to find something to eat for myself, in any case..." 

He began picking at his food, seemingly lost in thought. You finished your dish so fast it was actually a little disturbing, even for you. A contented sigh and then you checked the clock. Looks like you were gonna be early. 

 

 

 

 

 

"Let's eat lunch together, [Name]." 

"Uhh..." 

First the morning, now this? Shouto never asked to eat with you. Sometimes he did, but most often he wandered around alone, nibbling at his food. Lately you'd been sitting with Kirishima, and that was sort of what you'd been planning on doing today...

Is it just me, or has he been a bit more clingy recently? 

Not that you really minded. It was undoubtedly better than him ignoring you and treating you coldly. Maybe all the time you spent together at home was starting to pay off. It felt like you were finally on friendlier terms. 

"Sure," you smiled, "but do you mind if Kiri-chan eats with us, too?" 

Shouto frowned. "Kiri-chan...?" 

"You know, Kirishima. Loud redhead? Nice guy, talks about manliness a lot?" 

"Oh." At this, his expression seemed to sink a little. "Him. Yeah... I remember now. I was... sort of hoping it'd just be us, though." 

"Just us? Why does it matter if—" 

"Hey, dudes!" 

Right on cue. The redhead himself had wrapped an arm over your shoulder and was grinning happily. Where he'd popped up from, you really had no idea. He was always scaring you shitless with his impromptu apparitions. 

"Man, I'm starved!" he breathed out. "Kaminari's eating with us again, but that's fine... oh." He paused to smile in Shouto's direction. "Todoroki's coming, too? Well, the more the merrier, after all!" 

You smiled in tandem, but quickly froze. Shouto had stepped forward to roughly pull you away from Kirishima, his arm slumping off your shoulder. You felt another hand settle on your hip in its place. 

"I don't like it when you touch her," he glared. "Please, don't." 

"O-oh." Kirishima stiffened and hastily nodded his head. "Sorry, man, wasn't trying to upset you or anything... [Name] and I are just friends, so it was only meant as a friendly gesture." 

"Whatever it was, I didn't like it." 

"G-got it."

These last few days, there had been a notable absence of that cold, venomous glare you'd gotten so used to. Looked like it was back. Except now, it wasn't directed towards you. Thoughts of your arranged marriage bubbled up. He was behaving the way he did around Izuku—jealous, possessive. The way a future husband might if someone tried to put their hands on his woman. Well, if this was a normal relationship, at least. 

Jealousy, huh...? 

You weren't so dense as to not see the signs, but it wasn't necessarily a good thing, nor did it mean your relationship was evolving. He'd been spiteful and petty right from the beginning. Wasn't he supposed to be against this Quirk marriage, especially considering what had happened to his mother? 

"It's fine, Shouto-kun." You gently pulled away and tapped him on his shoulder. "Kiri-chan doesn't do those kind of things with any ill-intent. He's a good guy, and one of the only friends I've been able to make at U.A since coming here. Be nice to him, okay?" 

His eyes seemed to soften somewhat, and he gave you a quiet nod. Kirishima chuckled awkwardly, playing the good sport and putting the whole thing behind him. Before long, Kaminari had joined you at your lunch table, and the lightning-user/self-proclaimed "King of Memes" stared rambling on about his favorite pick-up lines. Of course, they were all utter crap, but you didn't quite have the heart to tell him.

"Kaminari-kun, those are all utter crap." 

Okay, so maybe you did have the heart to tell him.

"Huh?!" he whined. "You're so mean, [Name]-chan! What's wrong with them??"

"They're too corny," you shrugged, stealing a bite of your food. "Some originality would be refreshing. Also, have you actually had any success picking up girls? Because I've only ever seen you try and fail horribly." 

"[N-Name]-chan!" Kirishima spluttered, red eyes darting frantically to his now-downtrodden friend. "Come on, now... we're just joking around here, right?" 

"No, I was being serious." 

"So cruel!" Kaminari sobbed. "You're the worst!" 

"Yep. And that's why I get paid the big bucks." You snapped your fingers and flashed the blonde a toothy grin. The boy merely groaned and let his head fall onto the table. Kirishima was attempting to pat his shoulders and console him, and Shouto had apparently been staring at you for god-knows how long. 

"So you don't like those kind of things?" he asked.

"I dun relly mindsh dem." 

"[Name], please finish chewing your food before you talk." 

You swallowed. "I don't really mind them. Kaminari-kun just sucks at the execution, and his are all lame." 

"Hey! I'm still here, you know!" 

"I've at least got some better ones in my repertoire. Here, I'll show you." 

You downed your glass of water, hurriedly clearing your throat and allowing your poker-face to settle over. Shouto watched as you rested your chin on the back of your hand and adopted a low, sultry voice.

"Hey, babe," you whispered. "Did it hurt when you fell from the vending machine? 'Cause you be lookin' like a snack." 

"Ah—!" Kaminari slammed his palms on the table, jolting upright. "That's no fair! I was totally saving that for later! You stole it from—" 

"Shut up, drooly. I'm trying to gauge Shouto-kun's reaction." 

Ignoring Kamnari's teary-eyed laments, you turned back to the heterochromatic gaze before you. Shouto's expression was nearly as impassive as always, but you noticed the small crinkle in his chin. He blinked slowly. 

"What do you mean by snack? Are you trying to eat me?" 

"Pfft—" 

Kirishima and Kaminari both burst out into a fit of laughter. You would've been tempted to do the same, but then you remembered how utterly clueless he was when it came to almost any kind of humor. Poor boy, looking so lost, staring back at you expectantly. 

You brushed it off, unwilling to be deterred.

"If you were a flower, you'd be a damnn-delion." 

"I've never heard of that kind of flower before." 

"My doctor says I'm lacking Vitamin U." 

"That's not good. You should look into taking supplements." 

"Are you Luke? 'Cause I'm your daddy." 

"You're obviously not my—" A shadow swept across his brow. You wheezed, realizing what you'd just said.

Right; daddy issues. Abort, abort, abort...!

"Sorry, [Name]." Shouto let out a wistful sigh, bowing his head just so. "I suck at these. None of them make any sense to me." 

Why in the hell was he apologizing? It was just a stupid, nonsense conversation. Hell, it only came up because you were making fun of Kaminari. He was so silly, looking all serious and regretful like this... as if he'd erred you, in some way. As if he'd taken all the fun out of it. 

"You're cute," you chuckled, lightly flicking the tip of his nose. Shouto flushed and retreated backwards. "Don't worry," you grinned, "it's kind of adorable how you don't get most references." 

"Adorable..."

Shouto stared down at the table with a dazed look in his eyes. Kaminari was chastising you now, spouting some bullshit about how his pick-up lines were better than your own. You angled your spoon backwards and flung some sticky rice his way to shut him up. A hand placed itself atop your shoulder as you went in for another spoonful.

"I like you. I think we should try dating." 

"Huh...?" 

You snapped your head back to find Shouto staring pointedly into your eyes. They were just words. You said silly, nonsensical words all the damn time, so why were ones as simple as these making your heart pound like crazy? 

"Nice, dude!" Kirishima clapped his hands, grinning widely. "I guess even you can try saying a smooth pick-up line if you want, huh?" 

"O-oh." The pick-up lines, of course. What else? "That's a good one," you laughed, trying to assuage your racing heartbeat. "As expected, the stoic approach suits you the best, Shouto-kun. No humor or punch-line —just straight to the point." 

"You're so cool, Todoroki! Teach me how to say that kinda stuff all dreamy-like!" 

Shouto's cheeks flushed a deep crimson. He slowly pried his hand off your shoulder, inhaling shakily. He'd gotten careless just then. 

"Sure..."

Chapter 15: [15 - the less you know]

Chapter Text

"Aizawa-sensei," you spoke, "I don't wanna take part in the internships." 

"Excuse me?" 

Your teacher was staring back at you in disbelief, dark eyes narrowed as they raked over your frame. You shrugged your shoulders. 

"It seems like a pain. I'd rather not have to do it." 

"You're not funny, [Name]." 

"But I wasn't kidding." 

"Get back to your seat before I whack you with a ruler." 

Sighing loudly, you shuffled back from the front of the class and plopped down in your chair. The rest of the students were eyeing you, completely baffled. Some were chuckling at your brevity and applauding you for having approached Aizawa with such nonchalance; others were mumbling under their breaths and wondering why you didn't want to go forward with the internships—they were an amazing opportunity, after all.

Well, amazing opportunity or not, I get the feeling that I'm gonna be stuck interning for that bearded douchebag, and I'd really rather not. 

You lived under his roof, so it couldn't exactly be avoided. From the stack of papers you'd been presented with that documented all your offers, Endeavor's agency had been near the very top. Would he even allow you to work along someone else, or was he just going to end up forcing your hand? Either way, it was a pain in the ass.

The school bell went off, signaling that the day had finally come to an end. You didn't miss the way Aizawa glared you down as you collected your belongings and headed for the doorway. You stopped before Shouto's seat and smiled. 

"Time to go home, Shouto-kun." 

He peered up at you from the corner of his eye. "You really love getting on Aizawa's bad side, don't you?" 

"I suppose. Come on," you prodded, grabbing him by the arm, "let's leave, please. Before he throws a book at my head." 

Shouto nodded and pulled himself upright, slinging his bag over his shoulder. You hurriedly waved goodbye to Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero. Katsuki, too, but he replied by flipping you off instead of with a smile. In the corner of the room, you saw Izuku huddled with the rosy-cheeked brunette and his tall, bespectacled friend. He looked at you, but you glanced away. 

"So why don't you want to take part in the internships?" Shouto asked as soon as you'd begun to walk off. You adjusted your bag's strap, fingers fiddling to set it in place. 

"I don't know, I'm just—can this thing not slide off for just a second? Jeez. And, uh, I figure I'll end up getting roped into working for Endeavor, and that sounds like a pretty hellish experience so I was hoping to avoid it." 

"But that way we'd be interning together." 

"I guess, but—wait, what?" You stopped in place, giving him a blank stare. "So... you're—" 

"I chose to," he said. "Regardless of what you may think, he can't exactly force us to work for him. But, you know... ever since the Sports Festival, I've been starting to think about things differently. I'm trying to accept that it's my power, and my choice. I have no intention of becoming that asshole, but even still, there must be a reason why he's the Number Two Hero. I thought I'd see for my own eyes, and try to learn something from it all." 

"Oh." 

You didn't really know what else to say, but this was... good, right? It seemed like he had a newfound clarity; he was no longer being held back by hatred and remorse. Yeah, this was good. You were happy. Happy that what you'd said to him had made some difference.

"That's great, Shouto-kun." You patted him on the shoulder, smiling brightly. "You're really cool, you know that? I know I was the one who told you not to compare yourself to that douchebag, but seeing that you're willing to go this far is awesome." 

Shouto flushed. "I wouldn't call it awesome, but... it feels a bit better, at least. There was another thing," he murmured, eyes creasing slightly. "Right after the Sports Festival... I went to see my mom. For the first time in years." 

"What?!

"Funny enough, my sister had that exact same reaction," he chuckled. "Ah—" He shook his head hurriedly. "We weren't trying to hide it from you or anything, but I asked her not to tell you, since I wanted to bring it up myself. I wouldn't have mustered up the courage to do it if it wasn't for you, so..." 

He stepped forward, awkwardly setting his hand down on top of your head. You felt his fingers lightly tousle your hair. 

"Thank you, [Name]. I owe you, for so many things." 

You blinked in surprise. He'd already thanked you after your fight, and taken you out on that date to the aquarium. Surely he was overreacting. You hadn't done that much. You couldn't take the credit for him meeting up with his mother; he'd done that all on his own. And how nerve-wrecking that must've been...

"Was it—?" 

"It was nice," Shouto smiled, his fingers smoothing down a lock of your hair. "To think that I was so scared, all these years. She welcomed me with a smile, of all things. I was... so happy. Seriously, so happy." 

Even he was capable of making such gentle expressions. You felt a swell of warmth surging through your chest. Look at that. Someone was actually grateful for you. Perhaps you didn't just leave misery in your wake. 

"I'd like for you to come visit her with me one day." His eyes softened. "She knows about the engagement and everything, and she said she'd really like to meet you." 

"Well, I hope I don't end up disappointing her." 

"You won't," he smiled. "I know she'll love you." 

"And what are you basing that off of?" 

"Because I..." Shouto turned abruptly, ears tinged red. "Nevermind, just... it'll be nice. I'm sure she'll appreciate your sense of humor, even if I can't fully understand it myself." 

It would be nice, finally getting the chance to meet his mother. Come to think of it, not having had a single interaction with her was, by all account's, strange. You lived in her house, for pete's sake. 

From the way he's described her, she must be a very kind person. Sucks that she had to end up with him, of all people.

You were making your way towards the entrance now, wading past the lockers and shoe cubbies. You asked Shouto to wait while you opened up your locker, and were surprised to find that it was empty.

"Huh?" you frowned. "I'm pretty sure I left it in—ah. Crap. I tucked it under my desk..." 

Shouto peered over your shoulder. "What? Did you forget something?" 

"Yeah, the rain-boots I was wearing in the morning. It's all wet and gross outside today. I accidentally ended up carrying the bag with me to class instead of locking it up." 

"Alright," he shrugged, "so let's go back and get them." 

"Nah, it's fine. Just wait here. I'll run there and back quick." 

"Are you sure? I don't mind—" 

But you were already gone, having thrown your bag into his arms and sped down the halls. Shouto let out a weary sigh, slumping back against the lockers. 

You managed to surf through the clumps of students quickly enough, gripping the edge of the "1-A" door and hastily sliding it open. You weren't really looking forward to Aizawa's death glare, but...

Ah, shit. 

This was way worse. You would've taken the death glare any day over this. Curly hair, freckled cheeks, and bright emerald eyes that were staring right back into your own. Everyone else had left. You assumed he would've walked home with Iida and Uraraka, like he always did.

"[N-Name]-chan..." Izuku stammered out. This was really awkward, in more ways than one. Ever since Shouto had (intentionally) let it slip to him that the two of you were living together, you'd been gritting your teeth and ignoring him as best you could. You rarely passed each other by, and you certainly hadn't been left in a room together, all alone. It was one thing to breeze past when there were others around, but now...

"Forgot something," you blurted out, walking to your table in a robotic manner. The plastic bag was still under the desk, thank god. You weren't down to scramble around the classroom for it, given who was with you. 

Now, I can just leave and—

"Please stop running away!" 

A hand had clamped itself down across your wrist. You had to fight the urge to look back over your shoulder, else you'd be met with Izuku's bright, imploring gaze. 

"I'm in a hurry," you mumbled. "Sorry, could you just—" 

"No," he gritted out, and you were surprised to hear him speak so sternly. In an instant, he'd swiveled you around and was staring deep into your eyes. "You can't keep avoiding me forever," he grimaced. "I know... I know that things are over between the two of us, but it doesn't feel right to not even acknowledge the fact that I exist anymore. Why do things have to end so poorly? And what did Todoroki mean back then? About the two of you... l-living together...?" 

He was probably right. It had been stupid of you to act as though you could gloss over the issue forever, regardless of what your parents had ordered you to do. Sooner or later, the truth would come out. At the very least, you'd rather Izuku heard it from you

Your bottom lip trembled. "Would you believe me if I told you I was engaged?"

"W-what...?" 

"Well, not in the standard sense. There was no proposal, or anything like that. I guess it's sort of unofficial, really, but both of our families are involved, so... it is binding. With neither of us really having any choice in the matter, I mean." 

Izuku's fingers fell off your wrist. He stumbled backwards, face turning pale.

"So, what does that... m-mean?" he croaked. "You, and... T-Todoroki? But how—why would you—what??!" 

You slumped your brows. "A Quirk Marriage. Shouto-kun told you back at the Sports Festival, what happened between his mom and dad. It's the same thing, in essence. His Royal Dickheadedness—Endeavor—wants his most powerful child to undergo a Quirk Marriage with another person who has a strong Quirk. In this case, it's me. My family's company has been running under lately, and... I guess this arrangement was one of mutual benefit. So that's why—" 

"That's unacceptable." 

"Izuku—" 

"Unacceptable!" he cried out. "How can your family control you like this?! Forcing you to marry someone without you even having a say in it?! A-and you're still just a teenager!" 

"Izuku-kun," you tried, reaching your arms out towards him, "we're obviously not going to get married for a while. It's not happening now. But because of everything, I've had to move in to his home, and—" 

"Is this why you broke up with me?" 

You stiffened. Small tears were prickling at the corners of his wide, trembling eyes. A hot flush was creeping up your neck. You nodded soberly. 

"I didn't... have a choice in the matter. It's not as if I ended things with you because I wanted to." 

Izuku inhaled sharply. "So... we could've still been together? You don't... h-hate me?"

The more you stared at him, the more your chest would ache. Of course you didn't hate him. You could never hate him; not after all the time he'd spent by your side, instilling your days with warmth and sunshine. If it were up to you, his hand would be grasping your own right about now, and you'd be walking home together the way you used to.

You smiled sadly. 

"I never stopped caring for you, Izuku-kun."

"That's... so unfair..." His head crumpled against your shoulder. You heard him whimper by your ear. "Telling me that now... that's too unfair. How am I supposed to just go on, knowing that...?" 

"I'm sorry," you breathed, running your fingers through his tousled locks. "I didn't want you to know, all this time. I knew you'd try to get involved; try to fix things for me. But I don't think it can be fixed. There's too much you're already dealing with... getting in the middle of this will just cause my parents to hurt you. They'll find a way to do so, that much I'm sure of. They'll make sure the both of us are hurting." 

A wave of deafening silence, and then he'd begun to cry. You felt hot tears spill out over your own cheeks. It'd been a while since you'd last cried. You hadn't cried on Izuku's behalf, not since you'd been forced to end things with him. All of the emotion you'd been suppressing came bursting out of you, like a faucet that had been blocked up for too long.

"I-I still love you... [Name]-chan..." 

You wrapped your arms around his back, crying silently. It was ironic, really. Shouto was thanking you for helping him build his own path, and you were just as powerless as you'd always been. Unable to live for yourself.

The quiet sobs echoed through the empty classroom. Out in the hallway, a boy hung his head, mismatched eyes staring dully at the ground. 

He quivered.

Chapter 16: [16 - absence of a smile]

Chapter Text

Normally, on weekends, you liked to sleep in until about noon or so. Normally, this wasn't an issue, because normally, Shouto didn't rouse you from your sleep by ripping the blankets straight off your shivering body.

"...the fuck?" you gruffed out, [e/c] orbs threatening to bore a hole through the boy's chest. He took a step back, looking slightly apologetic. 

"Time to get up, [Name]. You can't sleep forever." 

"Says who?" 

"Says me." 

"You're not the boss of me, popsicle-dick." 

"Popsicle—?!" Shouto swallowed in an attempt to fend off the blush rising to his cheeks. "Just... there's no time for jokes, okay? I would've let you sleep in as late as you wanted, but... I was planning to take you out today. There's someone I want you to meet." 

You wiped away the morning crust in the corner of your eyes. Yawning loudly, you propped yourself upright. From what he'd told you just recently, you had a pretty good idea who he was referring to. If that was really the case, there was no way you were going to refuse.

"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?" you chuckled, hopping off the bed in one fluid motion. "C'mon—get out of my room so I can change. We gotta visit your momma, don't we?" 

Shouto faltered for a moment, eventually nodding his head, the faintest of smiles pulling at his lips. You were ready and out the front door within no more than twenty minutes. Thankfully, Shouto had prepared a bouquet of flowers as a gift, since you really had no idea what you could possibly offer her, other than the half-eaten pack of gum in your pocket. 

The two of you walked side-by-side, a comfortable silence settling over. Shouto wasn't much of a talker, but you didn't really mind. Whenever you tried to strike up a conversation, you could see him actively making an effort to keep it going. This at least was progress.

"I'm a little nervous," you admitted, having passed the reception and now in the process of heading for the room. Shouto cocked his head to the side. 

"Really, you? You're never nervous." 

"That's not true." 

"Even after our engagement was announced, and we met for the first time, you didn't seem nervous at all to me. Actually, I remember you being pretty rude to my dad." 

"Yeah, 'cause he was a shithead." 

"That may be so, but still." 

You huffed loudly. Shouto had allowed you to carry the flowers, so that you could present them to her yourself when you arrived. He was right, though. Well, mostly. There were few things that made you nervous; the obvious exception being your family. It was strange, since you'd never really cared what other people thought of you to start, but...

"I guess I just want to make a good first impression," you admitted. "I don't want to rub her the wrong way, and I just really want her to like me. Or approve of me, I don't know." 

Shouto's eyes softened. "Don't worry, [Name]." He gently tapped you on the shoulder. "She'll like you, I promise. Don't ask me how I know, but... I just do. There's no need to be nervous around her. She's a very kind person."

You chose to believe him, and managed a smile. Just now meeting your to-be-husband's mother for the very first time made you realize just how truly backwards this whole arrangement was. Oh, well.

Be prepared to fall for my charms, future mother-in-law. 

Shouto opened the door, your chest tightened to the point that it threatened to implode, and you finally locked eyes with a lone woman who was seated just by the open window and allowing the breeze caress her face. Her hair was pin straight and silvery-white, just like the locks on Shouto's right side. He'd gotten her eyes, too—one of them, at least. That deep, soulful gray that pulled you in and made you lose track of time. 

It took you a moment before you realized you were just standing still, mouth agape.

"U-Uh, hello," you mumbled hastily. "I'm [Name], and it's a pleasure to finally be meeting you, Todoroki-san. T-These are for you..." 

You stepped forward and timidly outstretched your hands, offering up the bouquet of flowers. The soft creases around the woman's eyes crinkled the way laugh-lines did. She smiled gently and took the flowers from you, placing them in a vase on the windowsill.

"Thank you, [Name]. I'm very happy to be meeting you, as well. Please, just call me Rei." 

"Ah, then... Rei-san." 

"Take a seat," she ushered, gesturing to the two empty chairs set up right in front of her. Expecting company, she must've laid them out herself. You wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Hardly two minutes in her presence, and you were already smitten.

Why can't she be my real mom...?

Lost in your own fantasies and frustrations, the mother and son were already conversing. 

"How are you feeling?" Shouto asked. "How's your sleep been these past few days?" 

"I'm fine, Shouto." Rei chuckled softly. "You don't need to ask every time." 

"I know, but..." 

"I'm just glad to have the chance to meet [Name], after how much you've told me about her." 

Rei giggled softly, and Shouto was quick to sport another rosy blush. You felt your heart squeeze. You didn't know he talked about you. Hopefully he'd portrayed you in a flattering light.

"She's very pretty," Rei went on. "Even prettier than you made her out to be."

"Um—" 

"We're starting our internships soon," Shouto blurted, breathless and splotchy-faced, desperate to change the subject. "I've already decided I'm gonna try working at dad's place. I figured I should see for myself how he's earned that Number Two ranking."

"Oh? Is that so..." 

Rei's warm, gray eyes fell to her lap. The corners of her eyes crinkled again, the way they always did when she settled into a smile. 

"Well, I'm glad you're willing to give that a try. I'm proud of you, Shouto." 

The boy nodded hastily, and you could tell he was suppressing the urge to sport a smile of his own. It was strange. You were surely no expert when it came to healthy family relationships, since your own was so convoluted, but it still made a warmth surge through your core, watching this long-estranged pair come together once more. It was even better knowing that to some extent, you'd helped it happen. 

"Thank you for spending time with Shouto," Rei spoke, warm eyes now pointed in your direction. "I know that... he can be a bit closed off at times, but he's truly a kind, gentle boy, and doesn't wish unwell unto anyone." 

Shouto flushed. "Mom, that's enough..." 

"Mm. I know that, don't worry." You leaned over in your chair, just close enough that you bumped shoulders with the boy seated beside you. "Shouto-kun's a little awkward, but he's actually a sweetheart." 

"I-I'm not awkward," he huffed. "That's rude."

"It's true, and you know it, but I like you all the same." 

You grinned cheekily. Shouto sighed but didn't bother to retort. Rei sat as still as ever, hands still resting across her lap, just taking the scene in with warm gray eyes. You thought you'd be a little more nervous, but she had a comforting presence about her. She felt more like family than your real one did.

"I know that the two of you are being put up to an eventual Quirk Marriage," Rei started, her expression falling somewhat. "It's difficult, especially at such a young age. Normally, both legal guardians have to sign off when the children are underage, but seeing as I'm in here, and my mental health wasn't viewed as reliable... no amount of opposition from my part could've stopped Enji from proceeding forward with it. For that, I truly apologize."

She must've been remembering the way her own Quirk Marriage had started off. Granted, Shouto wasn't anywhere near as menacing as Endeavor, but there must've been a fair share of painful memories rising to the surface. Even if you didn't actively resent the person you were tied to, nobody wanted to be trapped in a loveless marriage. You thought back to your parents with a shudder. 

"The two of you are far too young to have to worry about something like this," Rei went on. "But..." 

"But?" 

She smiled. "Seeing you together has made me feel a bit relieved. You seem to enjoy each others' company. That's the most important thing, being happy around one another. Money, power... all those are secondary. As long as the feelings are there, everything will settle in place."

You looked to Shouto, whose temples were a hot, burning mess. Yet, his expression had shifted somewhat. He didn't look as content as before. More so... uneasy. 

A weight pulled on your heart.

Does she think we're a couple? I mean, officially we are, but...

Even now, you were opposed to the Quirk Marriage. At the most, you and Shouto were friends. It was better than not caring for each other, like at the start, but the feelings she was describing... you didn't think you had those. At least, not for him

Izuku-kun's... my...

"We're good, mom. Everything's fine." Shouto pressed his lips together, forcing out a smile. "[Name]'s been living with us, and we get to spend a lot of time together. There was the Sports Festival, and she may end up joining me at dad's for the internship." 

"Good. That's good," she smiled, "I'm happy for you." Her warm eyes locked with your own. "Thank you, [Name], for everything. Shouto told me that... you were the main reason he worked up the courage to visit me in the first place. For that, I can't thank you enough." Rei bowed her head, and you spluttered out in protest, hands flailing every which way. You were sure of it now. She thought you and Shouto were embracing the engagement, and happy together. You didn't have the heart to tell her the full reality of your situation.

"It's nothing," you smiled back, giving Shouto's hand a quick squeeze. "I'm glad Shouto-kun brought me over to meet you. I promise I'll do my best to look after him." 

"Ha-ha. You've got quite the doting girlfriend, Shouto." 

"R-Right..."

The visit went by much quicker than you'd expected, even though that tight knot never moved from your chest. Rei was kind, just like Shouto had told you. She seemed happy to have met you, and even happier that you were by Shouto's side. 

Still, something felt amiss. 

It wasn't as if you'd been lying—you did want to look after Shouto, and be there for him, but not in the way she imagined. It was too much, too soon. Try all you wanted, you didn't think you could ever readily marry into this family; to tie your future with him. 

Not like this, not when everything had been decided for you. It just didn't feel right.

A few steps out the room, and the atmosphere shifted. Shouto's mismatched eyes fell to the floor, his feet dragging behind him.

"...sorry," he mumbled. "I thought that if I told her—"

"You have nothing to apologize for. I get it. You wanted your mom to have some good news. There's nothing wrong with that." 

Shouto's gaze turned glassy. "But you don't want to have to marry me, do you?" 

"That's..." 

Of course not. How could I? We're just teenagers... 

"It was forced onto us," you said. "It's such a serious decision, and we don't even get to make it for ourselves because of our family's selfishness. It's just wrong, isn't it?" 

"That's true." Shouto clenched a fist. "But you wouldn't want to be with someone like me anyways, would you?" 

"What?" 

"Nothing." 

"No, wait." You caught him by the sleeve as he turned down the hallway. Your eyes narrowed. "Hold on a moment. What did you mean by that?" 

"It's not important—" 

"Shouto-kun," you glared, "tell me."

He stared at you, eyes half-lidded, long lashes draping over mismatched orbs. He wasn't using his Quirk, but you swore you could feel a chill in the air. 

"I mean that you already like someone—Midoriya. You like Midoriya." Your eyes widened, and you parted your lips to reply, but he'd already shushed you with his hand. "I overheard the other day," he muttered grimly. "I know it's not nice to eavesdrop, but it just sort of happened. So, seeing as you still have feelings for him, and you've basically been forced into being with me instead, I can understand why you wouldn't be happy about it. It's not just that the situation was decided for you by your parents and it's frustrating, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't pretend that was the only reason."

His tone was almost accusing, but his eyes were dim and forlorn. You wanted to ask why he seemed to resent the mere notion of you having feelings for Izuku—maybe a bruised ego, or something—but by then his lips had already met your own. 

You unknowingly stepped back, but Shouto cradled your neck and deepened the kiss. It was clumsy and hurried. You could tell he'd never done it before, but it still made your chest tighten and warmed the air around your cheeks. 

He pulled away just as quickly as he'd embraced you, expression blank but eyes blazing. 

"Let's go home," Shouto mumbled under his breath, averting your gaze almost immediately. He didn't wait for you to start walking away. You stood still, vision white, the smell of hospital antiseptic burning at your nostrils.

Chapter 17: [17 - i like being with you]

Chapter Text

Your emotions were in complete disarray. 

Ever since the kiss, it was as though you hadn't been able to think properly. After you'd left the hospital the other day, Shouto hadn't uttered a word to you, not even back home in the evening. You were too choked up to even manage starting a conversation. You'd noticed a while back that he had some frustrations about your past relationship with Izuku, but for him to actually kiss you...

He wasn't the type of person who would do something like that on a whim, was he? Even though he'd been so cold and distant at the start—hell, there were moments where he still was—at some point, he must've developed some sort of feelings for you. It was the only explanation that made any sense.

Why me, though? 

It wasn't as if you were unattractive or anything, nor were you slow in the head or otherwise in possession of many noticeable flaws, but you also didn't think your treatment of him was particularly inspiring. You were cynical and rudely straightforward, teased him at pretty much every opportune moment, and cracked jokes every now and then—jokes that he didn't even understand. You liked being with him, and you could admit to that, but was there really a romantic connection there? Maybe he felt indebted to you for having helped him see his mother again. You didn't know. 

You didn't know, but there was a dark cloud hovering over the Todoroki abode, and you didn't like it one bit.

"Is everything alright with Shouto?" Fuyumi asked you, watching as her little brother slammed the fridge door after pulling out his breakfast. His expression was as deadpan as always, but it bore traces of hostility and irritation. Fuyumi must've been able to pick up on that. 

"I think we had a fight or something. I'm not sure." 

"You think you had a fight?" 

"Like I said, it's pretty unclear to me exactly what went down," you sighed. "We went to visit Rei-san, and we were having a pretty good day overall, then bam—his mood did a full one-eighty. He's mad at me now, but I'm not sure why." 

You did know why, but you were sure Shouto would be less than appreciative of you telling his sister that he'd kissed you. It was clear the two of you had some emotions to sort through. You didn't want to get other people involved.

"Hm," she frowned, hardly looking convinced. "Well, Natsuo's coming back today, so maybe that'll cheer him up a bit." 

You blinked. "Oh, yeah. His older brother, right? This is the first time I'll be meeting him." 

"He lives on campus," Fuyumi explained, "but he visits us from time to time, when he's in between exams or has a reading break." 

You nodded and glanced over your shoulder, stiffening immediately. Shouto was slurping away at some cold leftover soba noodles, mismatched orbs affixed to your frame. You pressed your lips together and forced a smile. He turned away and grabbed a seat by the television.

Asshole.

Perhaps Natsuo visiting would be the change of pace you'd been needing. Hopefully he could shift the dynamic around a little, because at this rate, you honestly had no idea when you and Shouto would be speaking again. 

 

 

 

 

"I'm baaack!" 

You weren't quite sure what you'd been expecting, but given Shouto's glacial demeanor, you'd just assumed that Natsuo would be a little less, well...

Loud. 

"How's it been, sis?" The tall, silver-haired male didn't spare a second before wrapping his sister into a big hug. She squealed as he playfully ribbed her sides. He let go and then turned to you. "Oh," he smiled, "so this is [Name]-chan, huh? I've heard a lot about you, it's nice to finally be meeting." 

"It's nice to meet you, too," you smiled, giving his hand a quick shake. "Shouto-kun's just in his room right now. I can grab him for you." 

"Oh, thanks. Yeah, call him over for a bit. It's been a while since we saw each other."

You felt a little guilty, using his brother as an excuse to go and talk to him, but you didn't want this stalemate to endure. If he... liked you, then couldn't he have just told you that to begin with? Did he seriously think giving you a kiss and then acting as if you didn't exist was the right way to go about things? 

"Knock-knock," you mumbled gently, racking your knuckles against the door-frame. Shouto stiffened at his desk, but didn't bother to turn around. "Your brother just got home," you tried. "I think he wants to see you, so if you could, maybe... come to the front for a bit?" 

Ugh. You were feeling all kinds of nervous, and you hated it. It took a lot to waive your self-assurance. What were you even so nervous about to begin with? Sitting down and having a chat with him about things shouldn't be all that difficult...

"Yeah, I'm coming." 

His voice was sharp, and he didn't look back in your direction. You inhaled and hesitantly took a step into the room. Then another, and another. Soon you were standing just by his desk, and he still didn't look over at you. 

"Shouto-kun," you tried, "don't you think we should talk?" 

"About what?" 

You were surprised he'd even responded to that, but the tone was so icy that it didn't give you much hope. 

"About..." You swallowed. "I think you know what I mean." 

"I don't." 

"We have to talk. And yes, you do know what I mean." 

"I don't remember." 

You felt your cheeks grow hot. It was understandable that he'd have some frustrations in regards to you still liking Izuku, and you realized now that this had been eating away at him for a while, but those words just felt like a slap in the face. If he wasn't going to own up to his feelings for you, then he probably didn't give half a shit to begin with.

"Cut the crap," you glared. "Have some maturity and take responsibility for your actions. I'm willing to hear everything out, but if you're not going to give me the time of day, then this is just a waste of my time." 

Shouto dropped his pencil and looked up at you through glazed irises. "I'm the one who's wasting my time. With you. This entire arrangement's made you extremely unhappy, so what use is there in continuing with it?" 

"When the fuck did I say that?" 

"Many times," he sighed. "You've said it's been forced upon us and it's a shitty situation." 

"Yes," you countered, "I said it's been forced upon us and that it's unfair that we can't make our own choices, but I never said I didn't enjoy being with you. It's not even about you personally. I would've been just as pissed if I had been put up for this with anyone else. It's the fact that I seem to have no free will of my own that frustrates me beyond belief." 

"Okay." Shouto pried his gaze away from you, opting to instead stare blankly at his desk. "Sorry I'm not Midoriya."

"You are so—!" 

"So what?" he pressed, keeping you in the corner of his periphery. "Come on, tell me." 

"You're so fucking stupid!" 

The words burst from your chest like molten lava, and you were left breathless and splotchy-faced. Shouto narrowed his eyes coldly, but you didn't back down.

"You say some really stupid shit every now and then," you hissed. "I wouldn't get engaged to Izuku-kun either, moron. I'm a fucking teenager! That's the whole point! I hate that huge life decisions like these are being made for me! I have no idea when, and with who, but don't you think that should be able to decide who I spend the rest of my life with? It's the principle of it all. It's not about you, it was never fucking about you. You're a great person, and I really like being with you, and if I ever hear you comparing yourself to Izuku-kun again I swear I'm gonna lose my shit because you're completely different, and you're both amazing in your own way. So fuck off." 

You punctuated your words with the clench of your fist, and Shouto actually rocked back a little in his chair. His expression had shifted from passive-aggression to mild bewilderment. Maybe even relief. 

Shouto lowered his gaze. "Do you actually enjoy being around me?" he asked quietly. You huffed loudly and stepped forward, placing a hand upon his shoulder and gripping down tight. 

"Of course I do. I always say what I mean. I just wish you'd stop referencing our engagement, or future marriage, or whatever the fuck and just be here with me, right now. I was finally starting to think that we'd been getting along better. I don't want it to all go down the drain just because we're too stubborn to talk it out."

Shouto's eyes trailed to the fingers gripping his shoulder. He leaned his head to the side and let his cheek rest against the back of your hand. 

"Okay," he said. "Okay. If you mean it, then I'm okay with that. I just... want you to be happy when you're around me. I want to know that people can be happy around me." 

You kneeled to a crouch in front of him. "Shouto-kun," you nudged, cupping his cheek and forcing him to look you in the eyes. "I do like being with you. We're just so young. I don't want to have to think about all that important stuff, because honestly, it really freaks me out. It's too much responsibility all at once. I just want to be a kid while I still can. But I do like being with you, so please don't question that anymore, okay?" 

He slowly nodded his head. You trailed your fingers up his jawline to run them through his hair. You grazed by the scar under his left eye as you worked your way over and noted the small shudder that left his lips. You knew it wasn't fair. He'd already endured so much, from such a young age. And now this...

"I like you, [Name]." The words came out weak and strained, but you heard him all the same. "I like you, but in a different way than you like me. I didn't think it would be so frustrating, but it is. I hate it. I hate feeling like I'm not enough for you."

Your heart lurched into your stomach. You felt vile, deplorable, disgusted by yourself. He was baring so much to you, more than he'd ever done to likely anyone else before, and you couldn't even accept. You wanted to, truly you did, but your heart was still in shambles. Perhaps it was the absurdity of your situation, or just the fact that you were so helpless and unable to decide your own fate, but the feelings he was asking you to reciprocate just weren't there. Or maybe they were, but buried under so many layers of frustration and regret that you couldn't dig them out, no matter how hard you tried. 

"Just... give me some time," you tried, stroking at his hair. "We have plenty of time together, right? I mean, it's not like I'm going anywhere. There's a lot of frustrations I still have, with this arrangement and my family, but if you'll give me the time to sort through them, then maybe we can actually be together. Like, together together."

Shouto closed his eyes and eased into your touch. It probably wasn't much, but it was the only thing he had to go off of. 

"Okay. Thank you, [Name]. I appreciate you hearing me out. And... I'm sorry for blocking you out yesterday. I just didn't know how to act after that." 

You smiled, though he didn't see it. "I'm glad we could talk. It feels good that we're able to be this honest with one another."

"Yeah. It does." 

Your fingers had stopped combing through his hair, and you moved instead to grab him by the hand. Shouto's eyelids lifted. You lightly shook him by the wrist. 

"Come on," you beckoned. "Let's go say hi to your brother."

Chapter 18: [18 - treasure trove]

Chapter Text

Three siblings, and one outsider. At the very least, you felt like an outsider, which was strange considering that this was your home now.

“It’s been a while since we’ve got the family together, huh?” Fuyumi scanned over the table, offering each of you a bright smile. “Natsuo almost never comes home, so it’s really great we’re all able to sit together like this…”

The older brother loaded another helping of salad onto his plate, lips pressed into a grim line. “I would come home more often,” he scoffed. “If not for him.”

“Oh, Endeavor-san,” you chimed in with a nod. “Yeah, he’s a real piece of shit, isn’t he?”

Natsuo stared at you with wide eyes. They’d been catching up for the last half-hour or so, talking about distant memories from their childhood, and all things considered, you felt pretty left out. Luckily, trashing Endeavor was a topic you were well-versed in.

“Fuyumi was right,” Natsuo chuckled. “You really don’t mince your words.”

You took that as a compliment. “Not usually, no.”

“Has that shitty old man been rough on you, too?”

“Well, he hates my guts, so yeah.” You shot a quick glance across the table. “It’s fine, though. I can handle it. Living with my asshole parents has made me more resistant to that sort of thing. Anyways, has Shouto-kun told you about it? We’ll both be doing our internships at his office. They start this week.”

“Fuyumi told me about that as well,” he murmured, brows furrowing. “At first I thought maybe you’d both been blackmailed into doing it. I never would’ve guessed Shouto would willingly put himself up to something like that.”

Three pairs of eyes turned to the boy in question. Shouto popped several spoons of rice into his mouth, not even realizing he was being stared at until after a third of his portion was gone.

“Oh,” he said. “You’re asking me?”

Natsuo laughed. “Yeah, man. And you even visited mom out of the blue not too long ago. It just seems like things have changed so quickly while I’ve been gone.”

“That was just…” His eyes flitted towards yours, “…something I had to do.”

You felt your chest swell.

“Regardless of what it was,” Natsuo smiled, “I’m really glad to hear that things are going better around here. Maybe [Name]-chan was just what we needed to shift the dynamic around.”

“Yeah. That could be it.”

From across the table, you could vaguely make out a small smile playing upon Shouto’s lips. Your cheeks flushed with a vigor, and you hurriedly looked back down at your plate, forking a piece of sausage.

“Well, this was great,” Natsuo sighed, quickly finishing his last bite and letting his cutlery drop to the plate with a resounding clink. “Awesome food as always, sis.”

Fuyumi smiled. “My pleasure. Do you know for sure how long you’ll be staying?”

“I don’t know. Just a few days, but… it all depends on how much he’ll be around here.”

“Hey…” She leaned over in her chair, grabbing her brother’s wrist. “Don’t say that. Just being here with all of you is more than enough for me. Let’s be thankful for that much, okay?”

Natsuo grunted back in return. It seemed as though the only time his smile would waver was whenever the father was involved.

Shouto was still munching away at his food, having ladled another serving of rice onto his plate.

You cracked a grin.

“So, do you guys have any embarrassing baby photos of Shouto-kun, or what?”

 

 

 

 

Shortly after dinner, Natsuo went to drop off his things in his old room. You shuffled over to your own with the intent of getting some studying done, but you would be at your internship all of this week, and that coupled with your laziness ultimately led to you discarding the thought altogether. Instead, you zoned out and stared at the small, fluorescent jellyfish tank resting against one of the walls.

I’ll be interning with Shouto-kun the whole time this week.

You already saw plenty of him during classes and hero training, not to mention all of the time you spent at home, but now you’d be working directly alongside one another for an entire week. Some of the awkwardness had died down at least, but still… you couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss.

And the fact that he had feelings for you.

“Natsuo said he really likes you, by the way.”

You almost jolted in place, mumbling a soft curse under your breath once you spied Shouto standing by the doorway.

“You’ve gotta stop creeping up on me,” you sighed.

“Sorry. I wasn’t trying to startle you.” He stepped into the room, mismatched orbs settling on the tank. “You like it, right?”

“Of course. I still think buying it was a little over the top, but I appreciate the gesture nonetheless.”  

Shouto smiled. “You said you wanted one, so I got you one.”

“Yes, it was very sweet of you.”

“One of the only upsides to being related to that shitty old man, I guess.”

You pursed your lips. The jellyfish pulsed behind the glass, bending and gliding through the water. You remembered one of the first times you’d ever come here, back when you’d walked through the garden and looked down at the koi pond. It was just shy of a few months since you’d met Shouto. You’d hated the very idea of your engagement so much back then. Now, standing together with him like this… it was almost peaceful.

“I told him I really like you, too.”

“Huh?”

Shouto stared ahead. “Natsuo. He said that you’re really funny, and he likes how honest you are about things. When he told me that he liked you, I told him I did, too.”

“That’s—”

“He might’ve just thought I meant it as a friend, but I don’t know how much Fuyumi’s told him. It doesn’t matter either way, though.” His hand drifted towards yours. “He said I looked happy. He hadn’t seen me in so long, but he told me I looked so much happier than before.”

You felt his fingers glide along your knuckles.

“And… do you?”

“Yeah.” He finally looked towards you, just as your hands connected. “I really do.”

You let the silence slowly take over, and you stood there, hand-in-hand. The only thing that could be heard was the faint hum of the fluorescent tank, and quieter still, your heavy-beating heart.

Chapter 19: [19 - bad things keep happening]

Chapter Text

“So, you’ve finally decided to stop being a brat and accept your powers, Shouto.”

Endeavor’s lips pulled into a smirk. You had the sudden urge to rip his stupid mustache off, and you probably would’ve, if not for the fact that it was on fire and you would most certainly end up with some second-degree burns.

Interning for this asshole had never really been part of the plan but seeing Shouto’s conviction had inspired you as well. While it was true that he was a big, lumbering pile of horseshit, he was also the Number Two hero, and you knew it was that way for a reason. His Quirk was strong, and he was strong. There was certainly no aspect of his personality that you wanted to emulate, but you supposed even you could buckle down every now and then, and learn something from a pro.

“I had some things I wanted to figure out for myself,” Shouto said coolly. “I want to become a hero, and you already are a hero. It would be a waste if I didn’t use all of the resources in my arsenal.”

“Ooh, burn!” you cackled. “You hear that, Shit-deavor? He just called you a resource! Ha!”

The flame hero lightly massaged at his temples, groaning all the while. “I see you are as uncouth as ever, brat. You don’t seem to realize just how fortunate you are to be interning with someone of my caliber.”

“My apologies, Your Dickheadedness.” You bowed deeply for effect. Endeavor’s brow began to twitch, and you could hear Shouto struggling to hold in his chuckles. The man sighed, making the wise decision not to humor you.

“First and foremost, I will have you familiarize yourself with our offices.” He began walking, not bothering to stop or look back that either of you were following him. Shouto shrugged at you and followed at his heels. “There are many involved in hero’s work,” Endeavor went on, “from desk duty, to those tasked with the responsibility of maintaining our images in the media.”

“That would be PR,” you yawned. “And I pity the poor soul who’s in charge of fixing you up.”

“Shut it, you imbecile. When you become a hero, there will be all sorts of people in all types of different fields with whom you’ll be required to work. That nasty mouth of yours won’t get you anywhere.”

“Some find it charming.”

“I highly doubt that is the case.”

“Nuh uh, Shouto-kun does!” You wrapped your arm around his and pulled him in so close your cheeks were pressed together. Endeavor swiveled back around on his heel to find you and his flushed son locked in a cheesy embrace. His chin trembled. For a moment, he almost looked as though he was on the verge of a smile.

“There will be no flirting in my office,” Endeavor muttered. He briskly strode away, to the rest of the offices, but you’d stopped following him at this point. Shouto was stiff against your hold. He craned his neck to the side, mismatched eyes flickering uncertainly between the area where your chest was pushing up against his arm.

“[Name], um…”

“Oh, sorry.” You blushed without realizing it. Professional, you had to act professional, if only for a week. “Come on,” you smiled, waving the boy forward, “I don’t think your shitty old man’s finished giving us the tour.”

Shouto’s lips fell into a smile. “Yeah. Right.”

 

 

 

 

“…and then, he yelled at me for breaking the coffee machine! In front of everyone! How was I supposed to know the thing was from the prehistoric ages?”

Natsuo gave you a hearty laugh. “Man, you’re hilarious, [Name]-chan. I’ve never seen anyone give that guy a run for his money quite like you.”

“It isn’t funny,” Shouto countered, his expression rather sulky. “[Name] nicknamed me ‘Lollipop’ in front of the people there and now that’s what everyone calls me.”

“Awe, but it’s cute!”

“I fear they no longer respect me now that I’ve been compared to a piece of candy.”

Shouto shook his head in dismay but by this point Natsuo was already hugging his sides from the laughter. Fuyumi poked her head out from around the kitchen and chuckled.

“Dinner’s almost ready, you guys. Save the stories for while we eat, okay?”

“You got it, mom.” Fuyumi huffed at your comment but you merely grinned. You leaned in to whisper in Natsuo’s ear. “Hey, wanna hear about how Shouto-kun messed up the copy machine today…?”

NO,” Shouto blustered, raising his voice. Then, more quietly, “No, [Name], I’m really sure he doesn’t.”

“Instead of making 100 copies…”

“[Name], please—”

“He made 10 000 copies! Can you believe it?!”

“Alright, alright, that’s enough of that. Stop bullying him, [Name].” To Shouto’s great relief, Fuyumi came into the room with a tray of food in hand and quickly deposited the plates to the table. Natsuo was still grinning from the last remark; you could feel him elbowing your ribs as if to say, “tell me more”.

“Look, Shouto-kun.” You used your chopsticks to lift a line of food and dangle it in front of his eyes. “Soba noodles,” you grinned. “Your favorite.”

He let out an indignant huff but accepted your little attempt at a truce by leaning his head forward and slurping all the noodles up in one go. You smiled and lightly tousled his hair, having completely forgotten that you weren’t the only ones at the table.

“You two sure get along, huh?” Natsuo grinned. You and Shouto both flushed in unison.

“Uh, yes…”

“I would say so, yeah…”

You awkwardly cleared your throat. Fuyumi was leering at you from the seat across yours, a mischievous twinkle in her gray eyes. You scoffed, [e/c] orbs falling back to your food. Your temples felt hot. Maybe it was because Fuyumi was actively shipping the two of you and now Natsuo had apparently decided to join in, too. Shouto had feelings for you, yes, but you didn’t like him… that way. Yet. Or, not yet. Wait. What were you even saying?

“[Name],” Shouto’s silky voice breathed against your ear. You jolted in your seat, eyes as wide as saucers.

“Y-Y-Yes?”

“Uh… nothing.” He cocked his head in confusion. “I was just going to ask if you were planning on eating that croquette.”

“You can have it,” you sighed, picking it off your plate and depositing it onto his. You were blushing all the way up to your ears now. It wasn’t like you to be so jumpy. You felt kind of… strange.

 

 

 

 

The next few days at Endeavor’s went quite smoothly. You went out on patrol a lot, got to see the inner workings of a hero’s office and all the people putting in grueling hours behind the faceted cover of a well-known corporation, and best of all, spent some time with Shouto. Going into this, your expectations had been remarkably low—seeing as you were interning for Sergeant Asswipe himself—but you didn’t have any complaints. You were nearing the end of your work week, and you could honestly say that you would come to miss some of the people you’d met through Endeavor’s agency.

“It’s getting closer and closer to your last day, [Name]-chan!” One of the secretaries (you’d forgotten her name, but she was nice) was squeezing you up against her chest with tears forming in her eyes. “I’m going to miss you around here, little troublemaker!” She pulled away from you and wiped underneath her eyes before turning to Shouto. “You too, Lollipop.”

“My name is Todoroki Shouto,” he answered robotically—it was probably the millionth time he’d had to regurgitate that statement, but it still made you laugh every time.

“You’re Lollipop to us!”

“Haha, Lollipop’s back at it again with those straight-man comebacks!”

Shouto turned towards you with eyes cold as ice. “[Name],” he pointed, “look at what you’ve done. Are you proud of yourself?”

You grinned. “Yes, very!”

“I figured you’d say that…”

Shouto let out a deep sigh but didn’t bother saying anything else. He acted as if his soul had been crushed during this internship, but the reality was that he too was having fun. You could see it in his expression, in the gentle, fleeting smiles he only showed you. You were really happy you’d joined him after all. This had been a great opportunity, and nothing could possibly ruin—

“WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!”

Cutting across the office came Endeavor’s fiery roar. You were used to hearing it by now; it was no secret, not even to his employees and coworkers, that he was extremely temperamental and had the patience of a newborn. He would often blow up over little things—i.e. the coffee machine incident—and hearing him scream was nothing but commonplace within these walls.

That being said, you’d never quite heard a scream like the one he was letting out now. No, not like this. This was different.

He almost sounded… panicked.

“What happened, Fire Butt?” You poked your head around the corner of a cubicle, only to find Endeavor towering over one of his colleagues, the latter pointing worriedly at the screen and gripping a phone in his hand.

Endeavor pressed his lips together. He was being silent for once. That was never a good sign.

“We need to leave,” he stated curtly, already heading for the doors. “Shouto, [Name], come with me. You’re needed on the streets.”

You exchanged a curious glance with Shouto. “Why?” you asked. “What happened?”

“There’s been an outbreak of Nomus in Hosu District. More than we’ve ever seen in one place before.”

“Nomu—” You thought back to USJ, back to when you’d first laid eyes on that horrifying part-bird, part-Frankenstein-looking thing with the exposed brain. An outbreak of them? There was more than one of that monstrosity?

Still, no matter how your veins coursed with fear, Endeavor’s tone left no room for arguing. “We need to leave. Now. If the two of you truly consider yourselves heroes, then this is your chance to save your people.”

You swallowed hard. Admittedly, you were nervous, but it was okay. Shouto was going to be by your side the whole time, and you would have the Number Two hero with you, for pete’s sake. What was the worst that could possibly happen?

“We’ll go. Of course, we’ll go.” You turned towards Shouto. “Right, Shouto-kun?”

He nodded immediately. “Of course.”

“Good,” Endeavor affirmed. “Follow me.”

You stepped out the doors, mentally preparing yourself for what lay ahead. At some point, your fingers drifted down to catch Shouto’s hand in your own. His touch was warm and gentle, the way it had always been. Yet still, a nagging suspicion was building in the back of your mind. It crawled up your throat like hot bile and set your nerves aflame.

You were together with Shouto. You would protect one another. Everything was going to be fine.

The feeling in your gut said the exact opposite.

Chapter 20: [20 - these feelings of mine]

Chapter Text

A hellscape lay before you.

Truth be told, when you’d first heard the words ‘outbreak of Nomus’, you’d been prepared for some form of chaos, but surely nothing on this scale. Every where you looked, the streets were swarming with throngs of people running and screaming, desperate to escape the clutches of those inhumane creations. There were several variations of the one you’d encountered back at USJ; some were bulkier, some had wings.

All were hideous and frightening.

“Stay with me, brats.” Endeavor exhaled deeply; the flames of his mustache and beard flared wildly. “You’re only here for backup. Something like this should be taken care of by the pros.”

You wondered how even he, the Number Two hero, would fare against these creatures. All Might had gone head-to-head with one of them and nearly lost. Now the streets were littered with them. Was it the work of them? The same villains who’d infiltered campus and attacked you back then?

The Nomus had regenerative properties. You knew this very well. All Might had only defeated that one by churning out a string of blistering, consecutive punches that were faster than the naked eye could even see. What could Endeavor do? Even with him and Shouto by your side, you still felt… scared.

“It’s fine, [Name].” Shouto squeezed your hand in reassurance. “We’ll be alright. I know the pros can take care of this.”

As if on cue, Endeavor lurched forward and let out an array of flames in the direction of one of them. The creature shrieked and howled, but its flesh pieced itself back together as if the attack had been nothing. You swallowed thickly, your mouth screaming for water.

Just then, your phone vibrated in your pocket.

You blinked hurriedly. Endeavor had now taken to manhandling the Nomu by its exposed brain and was steadily encasing its body in flames. Most likely, he was attempting to char the flesh completely faster than it could regenerate. You were probably stupid to check your phone in the middle of a battlefield, but you had a bad feeling.

“Izuku-kun…?”

The message was from the boy you’d been actively avoiding since the start of the school year. Except it wasn’t really a message at all. It was just a ping of his location; no words attached, no explanation, just… nothing.

“What is it?” Shouto peered over your shoulder, Izuku’s name having caught his ears. You were staring down blankly at the screen of your phone.

“Izuku-kun’s location,” you breathed hoarsely. “He’s nearby… in Hosu.”

Shouto stared. “What does that mean? Why would he send you that?”

“I don’t know. I don’t see the point either.” At first glance, it seemed like it may have been an error on his part. But you knew the boy far too well to be more than familiar with his style of messaging. Timid, cautious, often long-winded in its approach. Why would he send you his location with no words attached? It wasn’t like him at all. It was almost as if he’d been hurrying to construct the message…

Your face went pale.

“What?” Shouto nudged. “What’s wrong?”

“Izuku-kun’s in trouble,” you swallowed. “I think he’s calling for help.”

Shouto’s eyes widened. On any other occasion, you were sure your concern for Izuku would only add to his heartache. But now, here, with the streets swarming with Nomus and people running around in a panic… he must’ve realized the situation was no joke. Izuku was in danger. Right this very moment, he could be trapped in a battle with one of those creatures with nowhere to go.

“We need to help him,” you choked out, already running in the direction your phone displayed. You heard Endeavor cry out for the two of you to stay with him, but you paid it no heed. Shouto was trying to say something; your ears were pounding with blood.

Please, Izuku-kun… please be safe.

 

 

 

 

“You’ve heard about that Hero Killer, right?”

“Yeah. Apparently, he’s cut down another one this last week.”

“That poor boy, Ingenium… he was still so young. To have his career ended just like that…”

Ingenium.

You knew that name sounded familiar. Izuku hung out with him all the time. The glasses boy in your class, Iida. His brother, a recent victim of the Hero Killer’s agenda.

And now, this.

You shouldn’t have rushed in so blindly, you knew that. There was no way you stood a chance against one of those Nomus, even if that was what it turned out to be. But you weren’t thinking clearly anymore. Not with your first love fallen to the ground, frozen in a pool of his own blood.

“[Name]-chan, no…”

He looked horrified just to see you. Didn’t he want to see you? He’d messaged you for help. No… he’d probably sent a mass text out to everyone, to grasp at any salvation he could possibly find. Iida was frozen on the ground just the same; another, unfamiliar man was bleeding out against a wall of the building.

You shouldn’t have come here, Izuku’s eyes screamed. You shouldn’t be here.

“I came to help,” you croaked. “I wasn’t just going to abandon you…!”

The Hero Killer, Stain, grimaced from behind his ragged mask. Shouto had just barely managed to unleash a swell of flames in time to hold the villain at bay. He was using his left side now. Before, even in an emergency, you were sure he would’ve forced himself to hold back.

But that was hardly important now.

“Oh goodie, more fake heroes have arrived,” Stain sneered. “Guess I’ll have to—”

“No, you don’t.”

Shouto stomped down on his right foot, a thick canopy of ice unfurling across the terrain. It swept under Izuku’s stiff body, as well as Iida’s and the other, fallen hero. In a matter of seconds, the three were back over on your side.

“I texted my dad,” Shouto said, his eyes flickering knowingly towards yours. He stared back at Stain. “I’m sure he was wondering where we ran off to in such a hurry anyways. You hear that, Hero Killer? In just a few minutes, the pros will be here.”

Stain clicked his tongue but said nothing. Izuku was fallen behind you, his emerald eyes laced with fear. Fear, and… hurt. Even in a time like this, your mere presence was causing him so much grief.

“[Name]-chan, Todoroki, don’t show that guy any blood! In all likelihood, his Quirk allows him to paralyze his opponents by ingesting their blood! That’s how we all got taken down!”

“His blades…” So that’s how he was able to hack down so many heroes in such a short time. He’d immobilized Iida, that other hero, and even Izuku—who now wielded One For All. You could tell by the hollow, murderous look in his eyes. This villain was strong.

You prepared yourself for him to lunge, but instead, a knife came hurling over in your direction. Shouto hurried to push you out of the way, the blade grazing his cheek and drawing a fresh line of blood. In an instant, the Hero Killer was before you.

He’s fast…!

You bit down on your lip, [e/c] orbs beginning to glow. The flux of gravity rippled and pulsed around your body. Stain’s expression stiffened as he felt himself sway in midair.

“What did you just—?”

A pillar of ice came bursting through the concrete. It knocked him back just before he could get close enough to ingest the boy’s blood. Shouto exhaled shakily, wiping at his wet cheek with the back of his hand.

“Little brat,” Stain seethed. His empty eyes stared deep into yours. “An interesting power you’ve got there, missy. It’s wasted on a fake like you.”

“I’m not a fake anything,” you gritted out. “I’m one hundred percent a real bitch.”

He almost laughed. Izuku was still frozen in place, crimson hues swirling around him. How long did the effects of this paralysis last? Your powers weren’t at their strongest without the moon overhead. If the pros didn’t get here soon…

Goddammit! Hurry your ass up, you infernal bastard!

Stain lunged forward yet again. At the same time, he threw up another one of his blades into the air. Your gaze shifted off his body for just long enough to see the katana swirling overhead. You blinked, eyes dropping back down. Shouto was roaring beside you.

The Hero Killer was gone.

No, he wasn’t gone. He couldn’t be gone. He was…

“…getting distracted, girl?”

You let out a scream as a blade tore unapologetically through the skin of your forearm. Shouto raised a wall of ice in your direction, but the villain had already jerked backwards, zipping in between the buildings of the alleyway. He smiled cruelly before licking across the blade and lapping up the remnants of your blood. A shock coursed down your spine, and then you’d fallen to the ground.

“[Name]!” Shouto gritted his teeth but couldn’t get over to you without taking his eyes off the enemy. You huffed weakly. He was too fast. You’d underestimated his speed, and his skill. Even if your powers weren’t at their peak, you should’ve been able to offer up more. Izuku was still suffering from the effects of Stain’s Quirk. You’d rushed in here, without thinking, and you hadn’t even been able to help him…

Shouto now had to fend off against the Hero Killer all on his own, with four fallen comrades to defend, no less. You looked over towards Izuku, [e/c] orbs laden with guilt. You were always disappointing him. He’d tried so hard for your sake, for so long, but you were just… weak.

“I didn’t think you’d come,” you heard him whisper. He sniffled weakly, tears spilling out onto the concrete. “You still came. For me. You still care enough to come.”

Of course I care.

Your words didn’t make it out. Your limbs were stiff, frozen, and your heart was heavy. Shouto had rushed along here with you for your sake. He must’ve seen how overcome you were with grief and anxiety. He didn’t even like Izuku. Not really. Not with the way he felt about you, and the way you felt about him.

The way you felt about… him.

How?

Stain lurched out of the way of Shouto’s flames. Another knife came hurling his way, this time sticking and becoming lodged in the boy’s shoulder. He winced from the pain, hurrying to compose himself and summon another protective layer of ice. How much longer could he keep this up, all on his own? You tried to swallow down your guilt, but it refused to budge. You could hear him panting, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead and pearls of blood pooling from underneath his costume.

“I’ll protect you… [Name].”

You felt your chest tighten. It was soft, hushed even, but you’d made out the words all the same. Right now, he wasn’t just fighting as a hero. He was fighting for you. No one had ever done that before. Not even your own family.

You realized that you were utterly captivated by the sight before you. Captivated by him, the boy shouldering the heat of his own flames, flames which he’d refused for nearly all his life. Beautiful crimson flames which you’d helped spur to life.

In that moment, you weren’t looking at Izuku anymore.

Chapter 21: [21 - heart's full]

Chapter Text

“I’m sorry, everyone… I ended up dragging you all into this mess because of my foolishness. I hope you can forgive me.”

You were inside a hospital now. It was a stroke of luck that Endeavor had managed to shake off those Nomus so quickly and meet you guys in time. Against that Hero Killer, even Shouto couldn’t have held him off for much longer. A difference of a few minutes had stood between life and death.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Iida-kun.” Despite his injuries, Izuku managed a weak smile. Then again, he was always acting recklessly and getting his bones broken, so perhaps he’d just become desensitized to the whole thing. “If you hadn’t acted when you did, Native would have been killed. I should have been of more use… all I could do was reach out to everyone else for help. It’s a little disheartening, to be honest.”

Both of Iida’s arms were heavily injured, Izuku’s arm and leg were out of commission for the time being, Shouto’s shoulder and temple had suffered some damage, and your left forearm had been sliced clean open by the villain’s blade. All things considered, you and Shouto were on the luckier end of the spectrum. With the treatment you’d received, it wouldn’t take all that long to recover, but…

Frankly speaking, you were more concerned about the psychological damage you’d weathered. You considered yourself to be, on most accounts, strong and good at wielding your Quirk. Hell, you’d gone head-to-head against Shouto during the sports festival and you might’ve even pulled away with a win if he hadn’t tuned in to his second half. But going up against the Hero Killer, you felt none of that. You hadn’t had your usual self-assurance about you. You actually felt… weak. Like, really weak.

“[Name]-chan…?” Izuku called to you from his hospital bed. He swallowed uncertainly. With everything that had happened, things were too tense between the two of you. It was like he couldn’t remember to speak normally to you anymore. “Are you okay?” he finally managed. “Still in pain?”

You shook your head.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” you deadpanned, slinking back down onto the bed. You paused for a moment. “Actually, no, I lied. Everything’s wrong. Better?”

“E-Everything?” he faltered. “What do you mean by—”

“She must be tired,” Shouto cut in, your eyes widening at the sound of his voice. He looked over at you knowingly. “I think it’s normal, after what we just experienced. She needs to get some rest.”

Izuku’s expression sank. “Right… sorry.”

You wished he’d stop looking at you like that. Sympathetic, melancholic, accusing. As if this situation was in any way your fault. It wasn’t your fault. You hadn’t chosen to get engaged at the age of fifteen, you hadn’t chosen to tie your future to a boy you’d never even met a few months prior, and you certainly hadn’t chosen to end your relationship with Izuku, so why did he keep looking at you like that? This whole thing was a mess. You just wanted to fly up to the moon and get away from everybody once and for all.

The room went silent after that. You seemed to have that effect on people most of the time. Some nasty trait you’d inherited from your parents, no doubt.

You closed your eyes, thankful for the silence. Unfortunately, it was short-lived, and the door opened to reveal a part-man, part-dog dressed in a suit. There were two heroes alongside him; Izuku seemed to recognize the one who went by Gran Torino.

“This is Kenji Tsuragamae, Hosu’s chief of police.”

The dog officer stopped just before your beds, straightening out his tie. “So, you’re the U.A students who helped put a stop to the Hero Killer, woof.”

He actually said woof.

“The Hero Killer is currently undergoing treatment for his many injuries,” Tsuragamae went on. “At the dawn of this extraordinary era, the police moved to prioritize leadership and to maintain the status quo, so they decided not to use Quirks as weapons. The profession of ‘hero’ rose as one that would fill that void, woof. Authorizing the use of such powers that could easily kill was a heavily criticized decision at first, but it would soon garner public support.” His hooded eyes flickered in your direction. “That being said, without permission… those who inflict harm without explicit authorization and instruction from the police, even if faced with someone such as the Hero Killer, are actively breaching the law, woof.”

You took a few moments to process his words. Then—

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“[Name]-chan,” Izuku hastened, “don’t—”

“No, this is bullshit,” you glared. “So, what? What are you saying? That what we did was wrong? I wasn’t supposed to go and help my friends when they were in danger of dying?”

You rushed out the bed, eyes gleaming, but Shouto was quick to step in front of you. He had an arm spread out to keep you from getting any closer to the officer. So, he too was trying to get you to stand down. Fuck that. You’d nearly all been killed, and now you had to listen to this asshole dog tell you what you’d done was against the law?

“Hold on just a moment.” Shouto’s voice was nowhere near as seamless and composed as you’d expected. “If Iida hadn’t acted, the other hero would have been killed. And if Midoriya hadn’t showed up when he did, they both would have died. And [Name] and I… when we realized that others were in danger, were we supposed to sit idle and let them get hurt? Should we have let people die, in the name of your law?”

Shouto-kun…

“Everything turned out just fine, so forget about the law this time!” he snapped. “Isn’t it a hero’s job to save people?”

Tsuragamae heaved a sigh. “I question the education you’re receiving, woof. Both from U.A and Endeavor…”

“You mutt—”

Shouto lunged forward, but you grabbed him by the hand just in time. He looked back at you to see you shaking your head. It’s fine, you signaled with your eyes. Don’t go after him. It’s not worth it.

The officer cleared his throat. “Well, all of that… is what I’m obligated to tell you, as the police. If we let the story out, you’ll all be applauded by the public, but you won’t be able to avoid punishment for acting unauthorized. But if we keep this nasty business to ourselves… we can simply publish the story that Endeavor alone was responsible for the Hero Killer’s capture. He’ll receive the accolades, and we can deal with this matter quietly, woof.”

You narrowed your eyes. Normally, you’d be against any situation where the flame asshole would receive praise unwarranted, but you supposed keeping hush was better than suffering whatever the punishment was. Even so, the mere notion that you would have to apologize for going to save a life was, by all accounts, ridiculous.

A hero’s society, my ass.

It was hard to keep the nasty remarks to yourself, but you didn’t want your friends getting in trouble because of you either. Tsugaramae left a few more parting words before bowing and exiting the room. You made sure to flip him off while no one was watching.

“That… had me scared for a moment,” Izuku gasped, crumpling weakly to the ground. “I thought we’d really screwed up just then.”

Iida sat back down on his bed. “Yes. Though I suppose he had a point. Without the proper instruction, we did, technically—”

“—fight off against a villain to save people’s lives, how terrible,” you scoffed. “That guy pissed me off. I’m adding him to my list.”

“List?” Iida blinked. “What?”

Izuku laughed. “[Name]-chan makes a note of all the people who get on her bad side. She’s been doing it since middle school.”

“Grade school,” you corrected. “My kindergarten teacher was an S-Class bitch.”

Your bespectacled classmate watched, dumbfounded, as you and Izuku continued rambling on about stupid things you’d nearly forgotten about. You almost failed to take note of the other boy in the room, sitting quietly and tight-lipped as you laughed with your former boyfriend.

 

 

 

 

Once evening fell, you were officially disclosed from the hospital. Your arm still throbbed from time to time and was tender to the touch, but it would be good as new within a few days. A little bit of pain was nothing, considering you’d nearly all died today.

“My dad’s sending someone to drive us home,” Shouto told you. “They’ll be here soon, so we can wait just wait out front here.”

“Why doesn’t Dicklord himself just come pick us up?”

“He’s probably still tied up with all the Hero Killer business. I assume it’ll be a long night for him.”

“Hm.” Stupid Endeavor being stupid. He should’ve just chased after the two of you as soon as you ran off. That way the whole thing could’ve been wrapped up without all this mess. And now he was going to get all sorts of praise for a job he’d only barely done. Oh, how funny the universe could be sometimes.

“[Name], can I… no, nevermind.”

You glanced over at Shouto. His lips were pressed together, and his brows were all twisted up into a knot. “What?” you asked. “What is it?”

“It’s not really… important.”

“Please not this shit again,” you sighed. “Can’t you just tell me what’s on your mind? Whatever it is, you know I’ll hear you out and will never judge.”

Shouto stared down at his feet. “I think it’ll just end up annoying you. It’s sort of about Midoriya.”

“I don’t care. Ask.”

He seemed surprised by your answer. Normally, you hated him trying to poke and prod into your personal life, but you were over that now. If he really liked you, then you supposed he couldn’t help himself from wondering about the two of you. Wanting to know more about the person you had feelings for was normal… or something.

“Okay, then.” He straightened up and turned towards you, gaze solemn. “How long were you together for?”

“Just under two years.”

“How did you meet?”

“My friends were friends with some of the people in his school. We met in groups every now and then, and then we just started hanging out on our own.”

“How far did you guys—” He stopped himself, cheeks erupting into a million shades of red. “Sorry,” he muttered shamefully. “I guess that’s none of my business.”

You almost laughed. “All we ever did was kiss and stuff. I think I’m still a bit young to be doing anything overtly physical.”

“Right…” You might’ve been imagining it, but he looked somewhat… relieved? Maybe he was hoping to be your first.

Now it was your turn to blush.

What am I even thinking? Jeez…

“Is this twenty questions, or what?” you smirked, hoping to fend off some of your fluster. “If you ask me all these things, I can ask you stuff too, right?”

“Oh. Yeah,” he nodded. “If you want to, I guess…”

“What do you like about me?”

Shouto’s eyes widened. You were tickled pink by having been able to catch him completely off-guard. Well, it’s not like he would ever give you a straightforward answer anyways…

“A lot of things,” he flushed. “There’s a lot of things about you that I like.”

“O-Oh?” Dammit, [Name], don’t get psyched out! “Like what?”

His lips fell into a smile. “You just seem comfortable with the person that you are. Even if I don’t always understand your humor, you’re good at interacting with others, despite claiming you’re not all that friendly. You have problems with your family just like I do, but you haven’t ever let it hold you back from anything or skew your beliefs. I don’t know how to really explain it. I just like being around you. It’s fun. And…” he blushed awkwardly, “you have a really… nice smile.”

Your entire face felt hot, even though the cool night breeze was whipping your hair around. You wanted to break away from his mismatched eyes, embarrassed, but you willed yourself to hold his gaze. Shouto inhaled sharply, almost as red as you were.

“Sorry,” he huffed. “I wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable or anything. You asked, so…”

You shook your head. “It didn’t make me uncomfortable. I’m happy. I’m actually really happy right now.”

“Oh… good.”

The two of you both stared at each other in silence. Your heart was beating so fast it threatened to leap out your ribcage. You took a tentative step forward, letting your hands fall atop the boy’s shoulders. You pressed up on the balls of your feet.

His lips were warm. Warmer than that first time he’d kissed you and quivering ever-so-slightly as you pressed into his frame. You pulled away to stare back into his blazing, mismatched eyes. Shouto swallowed.

“That wasn’t… out of pity, was it?”

You shook your head.

“So, then…”

You didn’t wait for him to finish before taking his lips anew. Maybe you were selfish. No, you were selfish. You still hadn’t pushed Izuku out of your mind, but here you were, kissing some other guy. It was unfair to Shouto. He seemed so earnest and sure of his feelings for you, but you kept looking back on the past. It was hard to forget some things. Some things were just complicated.

But even so, you realized that things were changing. Slowly but surely, they were changing.

Chapter 22: [22 - unwelcome]

Chapter Text

With the arrest of the Hero Killer, your week of internships came to an abrupt ending. Naturally, you were still recovering from your injuries, and the police had advised you to stay out of the public eye for a little while. Even at Endeavor’s office, you were only to drop in for short periods of time and shadow workers inside the offices. They all swarmed around you like bees over honey, concern lacing each of their expressions.

Natsuo had still been around to check in on the two of you, but he was due to return back at the university and he left once he was sure you and Shouto were feeling alright. Now, it was only you, Shouto, Fuyumi, and Endeavor—and another pair which had just shown up at your doorstep.

“Oh, gag.”

You were staring back at your parents, jaw clenched in a weak attempt to mask your disgust. Then again, they’d probably heard what you just said. All the better, really.

“Hello, [Name].” Your mother smiled brightly; that same, sickeningly fabricated smile that always had you tasting bile. It had been a while since you last looked into her cold eyes. You hadn’t realized just how favorable this little move of yours had been.

“Why are you here?” you asked spitefully. “You didn’t even let me know you were planning on stopping by.”

“We spoke with Enji beforehand. After seeing you on the news with all that Hero Killer madness, it’s only natural we would come check in on our daughter, no?”

She stepped into the house in one fluid motion, your father walking wordlessly behind her. She’d spoken the words as if they were common knowledge, but the notion of them actually caring about your well-being was so ludicrous that you knew better to believe her lies. Most likely, she was here to make sure you weren’t stirring up trouble. You had no doubt they’d find a way to blame you for the Hero Killer incident.

“[Name], where did you… oh.”

Shouto materialized from around the hallway, his brows slumping once he caught a glimpse of your expression. He made his way over towards you, tugging gently at your arm and pulling you aside.

“Is everything okay?” he whispered. “Why are they here?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know. To ruin my life, probably.”

“That’s parents for you. But why all of a sudden?”

“They said they heard about what happened with the Hero Killer and wanted to ‘check in on me’, or some bullshit like that.”

“Huh.” Shouto glanced warily towards your parents. He’d probably only met them once or twice before, back when your families were still in the midst of sorting out the engagement, but you wouldn’t be surprised if he’d never even spoken a word to them. His eyes hastily skimmed over their expressions. “They look kind of—”

“Like the spawn of Satan? Yes, I’m aware.”

He held back a smile. “I was going to say, normal. But almost too normal. Like the kind of normal that’s so normal it’s suspicious.”

Your parents weren’t paying attention to you anymore; Endeavor had greeted them at some point or another, and they were being led in the direction of the living room. Fuyumi was probably going to be forced to cook for the bastards, poor thing. Maybe, with a bit of convincing, she’d be willing to let you sneak some poison in…

“What’s with that face?”

You blinked. “Huh?”

“That face,” Shouto sighed. “You look like you’re scheming something.”

“No, it’s nothing. I was just thinking of poisoning my parents tonight.” You turned towards the kitchen, glancing back over your shoulder with pursed lips. “Hey, does bleach show up in an autopsy?”

“[Name]… please no.”

 

 

 

 

Your parents had been here for all of thirty minutes, and you already felt like shoving a screwdriver through your skull.

The dialogue between your mother and Endeavor went something like this:

“Oh, I sure hope my daughter hasn’t been too much of a bitch lately!”

“Ma’am, all due respect, your daughter is a huge bitch.”

“Good golly, that hoe never learns!”

Well, okay. Maybe it wasn’t exactly word-for-word what they were saying, but the implication was there nonetheless, with your father staring dully at you from across the room and occasionally nodding his head in agreement.

“She’s had a few training sessions with me so far,” Endeavor rambled on. “She was rather unruly during the Sports Festival, but I think the internships have been a good opportunity for her to gather some discipline and learn to respect authority.”

“Well, that’s good to hear,” your mother smiled. Her eyes glazed over as they shifted towards you. “Don’t be giving these people a hard time, dear. You’ve got a great deal to learn from Enji. There are few who could be so fortunate as you are, in a position where you can train directly underneath the Number Two hero.”

“Yes, yes,” you nodded listlessly. “So fortunate. The most fortunate. That, I am.”

“Take this seriously, young lady.”

“Aren’t I always serious?”

“[Name]…” Her jaw tightened as if daring you to irk her any further. You hurried to glance away. God, you wanted to leave. How much longer of this torture? And it had only been… thirty-three minutes? Fucking seriously?

Endeavor shifted uncomfortably. It was a rare treat to see someone like him so put-off. You would think, that put in the same room together, the assholes would coalesce, but in actuality, it seemed that your parents’ assholery surpassed even that of the flaming Cheeto himself. It was impressive, really. Sad, but impressive.

“Ahem,” Endeavor coughed, “as I was saying… all is going well. [Name] and Shouto seem to be far more compatible than I anticipated—” A flush from Shouto at this, “and I don’t see any cause for concern regarding their future arrangements. So… yes. Everything is being taken care of.” He waved his palm through the air, probably in a hurried attempt to wrap up the discussion and rid his home of the two demons.

“Compatible?” You were surprised to hear your father’s voice, for the first time that entire evening. He looked to you, then Shouto. “Compatible how?”

Endeavor stared. “How? I don’t… what exactly is your question?”

“How do you know that they are compatible?” your father asked.

The hero blinked rapidly. You were actually sort of curious yourself. How exactly did this walking mass of burning garbage perceive you to be around his son? This was coming from a guy who’d driven his own wife to harm her child. You doubt he’d recognize a healthy relationship even if it slapped him right in the face.

“Shouto seems… more assured around her,” he finally managed. “Your daughter, frankly speaking, has a foul mouth and is always spouting nonsense at any point in the day, but all of my children seem to enjoy being around her for whatever reason. And I’ve gotten used to ignoring her juvenile insults, so she isn’t all that difficult to manage.”

Now it was your turn to blink. This was probably the nicest thing Endeavor had ever said about you—which honestly didn’t seem like much, but for a dickhead like him, it was huge. Honestly, you didn’t even want his approval. He was a slimy, self-centered bastard greedy for power, so why would you?

But still. He’d essentially just given you his blessing, indirect as it had been. He was saying that he recognized the bond between you and Shouto, and welcomed it, even.

“Aw, thanks, dad.” You cracked a grin watching as Endeavor’s features twisted into a scowl, your smile only deepening when you saw your actual father clench his jaw. It appeared that there was some benefit to having this asshole as your in-law after all.

The flame hero rolled his eyes. “Annoyances like these are commonplace around here, I’m afraid. Regardless, I hope I’ve put whatever worries you had to rest. I can handle [Name]. Everything is proceeding accordingly.”

His expression seemed to signal ‘hurry up and leave’, which you seconded wholeheartedly. Your father had fallen silent, though you’d gotten used to him being mute half the time. Your mother stared at you for a few more moments, lips pursed, before moving to stand up.

“Well,” she smiled, “that’s all we wanted to confirm. Just to check in and make sure she isn’t causing too much trouble. It doesn’t seem as though her injuries this time around were awfully severe, either.”

You scoffed.

Yeah, I just almost got killed, but no biggie.

“Let’s be on our way, dear.” She motioned for your father to follow her. “We’ll be dropping in every now and then, just to make sure that no issues have arisen. She’s quite the problem child, this daughter of ours.” You stood utterly still as she passed you by, but you didn’t miss her voice drop to a gravelly, hushed tone. “Don’t embarrass us, [Name].”

They were just about to step outside when another chimed in.

“Your daughter was just faced with one of the most dangerous villains around, and that’s all you have to say?”

“Shouto-kun—”

“I beg your pardon?” Your mother swiveled around on her heel, eyes gleaming.

“I’m saying,” he glowered, “that during the entirety of your visit, you never once stopped to ask [Name] if she was doing okay, if she was still in pain, or if she was scared. It’s clear that you’re more preoccupied with the engagement, and that takes precedence over your daughter’s well-being.”

The room fell silent. Even Endeavor was at a loss for words. You swallowed hard; the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Your mother’s smile faltered, but she hurried to piece it back together. “Well now, I wouldn’t say that—”

“I do hope you’re not trying to tell us how to parent our child,” your father hissed. He lurched towards Shouto, beady eyes glaring into cool, mismatched tones. “I don’t care that you’re to be wed with [Name] or anything. It would be in your best interest not to speak out of turn.”

He stormed out in a second, your mother mustering up one more fabricated smile before following in turn. The blood in your veins felt like liquid ice. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d seen your father look so angry or express nearly any emotion at all.

“That was…. awesome,” you breathed, grinning crookedly towards Shouto.

“Oh,” he blinked. “Was it really? To me it seemed like it had the opposite effect.”

“No, it was. You royally pissed him off, and that’s already the best I could’ve hoped for.”

“Right…”

The boy bowed his head slightly, but it didn’t keep a small smile from tugging at his lips. Endeavor was staring at the two of you with furrowed brows.

“Normally, I would reprimand you from making such rude remarks,” he frowned. “But…”

“But?”

“But I don’t like those two,” he finished. “They’re hard to deal with. Clearly, something you inherited from them.”

You flipped him off. “Lick my ass, why don’t you?”

He sighed loudly, stomping out of the room while muttering “typical” under his breath. You couldn’t help but laugh. Oddly enough, this meeting had gone… better than you’d been expecting.

"Thanks for standing up for me, Shouto-kun." 

"I won't let them treat you that way, at the very least not while I'm around. Besides," he mused, "you're always mouthing off to my shitty old man, so it's only fair." 

"Oh, I just do that because it's fun." 

"Well, I appreciate it all the same." 

You smiled, reaching over to grab his hand in your own. He blushed for a moment but eased into your touch readily. You'd gotten so used to holding his hand that it hardly even fazed you anymore. It felt stable, comforting. Warm. 

"Come on. Let's go look at memes online." 

Shouto's brows scrunched together. "What are memes?"

Chapter 23: [23 - clandestine]

Chapter Text

“Studying blows. School blows. Everything blows.”

“This isn’t quite what I had in mind when you asked me to help you prepare for the exam.”

You let out a sigh. Final exams were rapidly approaching, and thanks to your extraordinary talents in procrastination, you’d been forced to take out the big guns—AKA Shouto. Unfortunately for you, he was the kind of natural genius that rarely had to put any effort into maintaining his grades, and by extension a crappy tutor, and unfortunately for him, you had a terribly short attention span.

Shouto pressed his lips together, his expression sinking. “We’re not really getting anywhere, [Name]. Sorry. I’ve never been all that good at teaching other people. I don’t explain myself that well, as you probably know.”

“Nah, that’s not true,” you brushed off. It actually was true, but you figured a little white lie never hurt. “I’m just extremely unmotivated. I feel like even though I don’t invest much time into my studies, I can still end up passing the written exam. I should probably be striving for a better grade, but to be honest I just don’t care all that much.”

Shouto chuckled. “That’s very like you.”

“The lazy part or the not caring part?”

“Both,” he mused, flashing you a crooked smile. “Well, it’s fine. We still have a few more days until the written exam. We don’t need to keep studying right now if you don’t want to. It’s pretty late already anyways.”

“Okay, cool.” You leaned into him with a devilish smile. “Do you want to prank call Kaminari-kun again?”

“Maybe not. He was nearly about to cry last time.”

You rocked back in your chair, lips pursed. If you weren’t going to keep studying, then it’d be nice if you could find something else to do together. Spending time with Shouto lately had felt so natural, and he was surprisingly a lot funnier than most people gave him credit for. Most of the time it was unintentional, but still. You’d grown to really enjoy being around him.

Suddenly, you had a thought. A stupid thought, admittedly, but it was too tempting not to act on.

“Let’s shave off your dad’s mustache while he sleeps.”

Shouto gave you the single most dumbfounded look you’d ever witnessed. “[Name], all due respect, I think you might be ill.”

You grinned. “C’mon, it’ll be fun! Imagine him waking up in the morning to find himself all baby-faced. He’ll totally lose it.”

“Yeah, and he’ll know right away that you’re to blame.”

“I will deny it until my last breath.”

“Who else would have an idea like this?”

“We can convince him that he started spewing flames in his sleep and singed all his facial hair off.”

“Is that even possible?”

You’d already stood up from your desk, eagerly gripping Shouto by the hand. He flushed a bit as your fingers squeezed his own, and with the soft, weary sigh he let out, you knew you’d won.

“Fine,” he muttered. “But just know that if it comes down to it, I’m kicking you under the bus and telling him it was all your idea.”

“I expected as much.”

You were feeling giddy like a child, and you held Shouto by the hand as you led him to the bathroom and rummaged through the drawers. Eventually, you found a nice big bottle of shaving cream. Armed with a razor in one hand and clutching the bottle in the other, you crept over towards Endeavor’s room. He was sound asleep, just as he always was after a long day of work, and low rumbling snores filled the room.

“[Name],” Shouto whispered as you tiptoed over towards the man’s bedside, “I have to admit, I’m having second thoughts.”

“Throw those thoughts away,” you said, uncapping the bottle of shaving cream and greasing your palms with a generous amount. “We have no need for thoughts. Thinking is for suckers.”

“What if he wakes up during?”

“Then it’ll be ten times funnier, but we'll probably have to run.”

You were quite pleased with your ability to corrupt someone of Shouto’s stony demeanor. If you’d proposed this childish prank sometime back around your first meeting, you were sure he would’ve given you the most condescending, icy glare known to man. But now he would even go so far as to be your partner in crime. Maybe it was silly, but it made you smile.

“Okay… easy does it.”

Making sure to be as quiet as possible, you gently applied the shaving cream over Endeavor’s jaw and just above his upper lip. He didn’t have all that much facial hair, which was a shame, because you would’ve really liked to annihilate a full beard in one night, but oh well.

“You do his chin and stuff, and I’ll go in on the stache.”

Shouto just shook his head. “This isn’t what I ever imagined myself doing on a Thursday night…”

You could’ve sworn you were holding your breath all throughout, which was crazy because the whole process had to be executed as gently as possible at snail-speed so as to not wake him. Luckily, the flame hero was a deep sleeper, and before you knew it, you were staring at a clean-shaven face.

“He still has some shaving cream left over,” Shouto said. “We didn’t bring a towel to wipe it off.”

“Just leave it. I don’t want to risk waking him up. It’ll probably just dry up and get shaken off while he sleeps.”

With that, your little covert operation was finished. You stealthily crept out of the room, slid the door to a close behind you, and turned to see Shouto puffing out his cheeks like a chipmunk to hold in his laughter.

“I-I can’t believe we just did that,” he chortled. “Seriously… how do you even come up with these ideas?”

“It’s a gift, truly.”

His chuckles were starting to slip out uncontrollably now, and he had to clamp a hand over his mouth to keep from waking the victim. You grabbed him by the hand and quickly led him back to your room, whereupon you closed the door, and both began snorting with laughter like a bunch of deranged children.

“He’s so gonna lose his shit when he wakes up!”

Shouto wiped at his eyes. “Haha… you’re dead, [Name]. You’re seriously done for.”

You could feel yourself grinning so hard that your cheeks were hurting. It was late, and you should’ve been tired, but you didn’t want to go to sleep. Honestly, you just wanted to keep hanging out with Shouto for as long as possible. You saw each other all the time, yet somehow, it almost wasn’t enough.

“Hey,” you said, blushing a little bit, “do you want to sleep in my room tonight? We can stay up chatting and stuff. I can show you more memes.”

He blinked a few times. “Oh. You mean… sleep together?”

“Well… yeah. We did it before when I first moved in here and I didn’t have my own room yet, right? It’s not like it’s that big of a deal or anything.”

“Do you really mean that?” For some reason, he sounded a bit sad now.

“Yeah, why not?”

“Don’t you think things are a little bit different now, considering how I feel about you?” He was starting to grow red in the face. “I mean,” he coughed, “I just don’t know if it’d be appropriate for us to share the same room…”

“Oh.”

Truth be told, you hadn’t even been thinking of that. Technically, yes, the two of you had kissed twice already, so maybe it wasn’t exactly the most innocent suggestion, but you honestly just wanted to spend more time with him. Even if you were still struggling to figure out whether the two of you were more than just friends.

“I want to,” Shouto breathed, reaching over to grab your hand. “If you’re saying that it won’t make you uncomfortable, then I’d really like to spend the night here.”

You smiled. “Okay. I’m glad.”

And just like you’d said, you spent the better portion of the night chatting about silly things and surfing the web together. Shouto had brought his own mattress over, but you spent pretty much the whole time just hanging out in your bed. You lost track of time together. Before you knew it, the sky had begun to grow lighter, and you realized that it was probably around four in the morning and that you’d be lucky to get even three hours of sleep before school. You didn’t regret it, though. You had so much fun that you wished morning would never come.

Except morning did come. And along with it, the cry of an enraged father.

[NAME]!”

Chapter 24: [24 - three's a party]

Chapter Text

Somehow, you’d managed to pull through with the written component of the final exam. Even if you’d been pretty distracted most of the time, your little studying sessions with Shouto seemed to have paid off. You felt comfortable with how you’d done overall. Now, all that was left was the practical component of the exam.

“It’ll be just like fighting those robots from the entrance exam!” Kaminari enthused, practically jumping with glee as he headed towards the meeting spot.

You hummed. “Yeah, for someone like you, it’s probably easiest that you don’t have to hold back and try to manage the output of your power.”

“Right! And thanks to Yaomomo’s tutoring, I’m pretty sure I managed to pass the written part as well!”

Kendou from Class-B had been the one to spread the news about what the practical exam consisted of. Apparently, she’d heard from an upperclassman that was how the exam had always been carried out. You weren’t much worried if that was the case, but as you and the class made your way over and you noticed the multitude of teachers gathered outside, somehow, you had a feeling it wasn’t going to go as planned.

“Sorry, all!” Without warning, Nezu popped out from underneath Aizawa’s cloths. You wondered just how long he’d been hiding there. “For various reasons, we’ve decided to change the structure of the practical exam, effective immediately!”

Ah. I figured.

“But why?!” Kaminari screeched.

Nezu kept his smile and hopped down to the ground. “This is, of course, because we’re concerned that villains may become more active and try confronting the students once more. Having already been invaded by them once, we thought it would be best that we focus on battles against real flesh-and-blood opponents. It is critical that our teaching simulates practical experience and helps prepare you for the future.”

Kaminari and Mina were practically on the verge of tears. Poor things. You knew they were worried about not passing, and consequently, not being allowed to attend the summer training camp. You really weren’t one to get panicked easily, but the robots had been sounding like a pretty sweet deal, and you’d honestly be a little bummed out if you didn’t get to go to the training camp with Shouto.

“We will be splitting all of you up and having you face one of the teachers you see before you here today.”

“First off,” Aizawa stepped forward, “Todoroki and Yaoyorozu. You’re both up against me.”

Huh?

For some reason, your chest tightened at that. You caught Shouto glancing over in your direction, looking just as surprised as you were. You weren’t sure how the teachers had gone about choosing who to group together, and you didn’t know why, but the second they’d announced the changes you just figured you and Shouto would be paired together. You were always around one another, and it was pretty much public consensus by this point that you got along well. Maybe the pairing was just random? You didn’t know. You didn’t know at all but seeing someone else get to partner with him was… kind of frustrating.

 “Next up,” Aizawa continued, “will be Midoriya, Bakugou, and [Name].”

You blinked. “Um, what the fuck?”

“Hey, watch your language while you’re around your teachers.”

“What the fuck?!” Katsuki echoed, his eyes having nearly popped out of his skull. Aizawa merely sighed, and before you had a chance to start freaking out because you were not only paired up with a guy who pretty much hated your guts but Izuku, too, another voice had chimed in.

“As for your opponent… I will more than happy to oblige!”

You shuddered, almost too afraid to even look back. All Might was staring down at the three of you, somehow even more colossal and intimidating than usual, and with a big smile plastered across his face. Katsuki’s face was stuck in a permanent scowl, Izuku was trembling all over, and you… well.

“Sorry,” you declared, “I’ve just decided I don’t really want to be a hero anymore so I’m gonna head out.”

 

 

 

 

 

How the hell did this happen?

As if the whole Stain incident hadn’t been bad enough, you once more found yourself being stuck with your ex-boyfriend. You could tell he was still struggling to act normally around you, what with all the times you caught him staring at you and he hurried to avert his gaze, but the biggest issue was definitely that Katsuki was in the mix. You knew better than anyone the extent of their former-friendship-turned-rivalry, and it was just one big awkward mess. Seriously, were the teachers just fucking with you? They didn’t let you pair up with Shouto and stuck you with Thing 1 and Thing 2 instead?

“[Name],” Katsuki growled, “tell your shithead of a boyfriend to stop fucking following me.”

You rolled your eyes. Leave it to Sweaty Palms McGee to make things ten times worse. “For the last time,” you answered evenly, making sure to avoid Izuku’s gaze, “we aren’t dating anymore. It’s actually very irritating that you keep bringing that up when the two of us are trying to get over it.”

Izuku didn’t say anything. You caught his eyes for just a moment, and there was a hint of sadness, the way there always was whenever he looked at you. It sucked, and you knew that whole situation with the Hero Killer had helped you be more friendly, but things still just weren’t normal between the two of you.

“Whatever,” he snapped. “Just tell him to fuck off.”

“You could always tell him yourself.”

“This dumbass refuses to listen to me!” Katsuki turned and raised his fist as a warning. “Deku, I’m not fucking around. Keep following me and I swear I’ll bash your nose in.”

Izuku glanced back at you and swallowed. “I-I can’t do that, Kacchan. Now, more than ever, we need to be trying to come up with a plan. This is All Might we’re talking about! No matter what, the idea that you’d actually be able to beat him is just—”

Staying true to his word, Katsuki revved up his arm and swung it back against Izuku’s face. The freckled boy cried out and fell to the ground. You made sure to glare at Katsuki before stooping to a crouch and offering the boy a hand.

“Are you okay?” you asked.

“Y-Yes,” he flushed. “Thank you… [Name]-chan.”

“Don’t mention it.”

For some reason, even though you were gripping his fingers in your own, your heart wasn’t thumping from nerves or even excitement. It almost did feel normal. It almost felt like you were friends again. Well, maybe that statement wasn’t quite accurate. You might not have been dating anymore, but you’d never stopped being friends.

“Look at you assholes, making googly eyes at each other,” Katsuki spat. “Ugh. It’s honestly enough to make me sick.”

“You never stop talking, do you?”

“What was that, you little bitch?!” He gritted his teeth and scoffed. “Whatever. You two can just hold hands and stay out of my way. I’m gonna find All Might and kick his ass.”

“Yeah, why don’t you go ahead and do that?” you mused. “It’ll be fun to watch him throw you around like a ragdoll. I’m in the mood for a good laugh anyways.”

Within seconds, Katsuki’s hands were gripping you by the collar of your shirt. He pulled you in, crimson eyes burning pure hatred into your own. “Don’t you fucking dare,” he rasped. “Say shit like that again and you’re dead, you hear me? Dead.”

You’d known him long enough that his threats hardly fazed you anymore, but you were still surprised to feel yourself torn out of his grasp. Izuku had pulled you away and stepped in front of you, emerald eyes glaring the ash blonde down.

“Stop it,” Izuku warned. “This isn’t the time to be fighting amongst ourselves, and I don’t care if it’s you, Kacchan. I won’t forgive you if you hurt [Name]-chan.”

Katsuki stifled a laugh. “Not dating, my ass. You two are just as whipped for each other as you’ve always been.”

You wondered if it’d just be easier to knock this asshole out and focus on the exam with Izuku alone. According to the rules, you would still pass even if only one of the group members made it past the finish line, and with how emotional and worked up he was right now, Katsuki was proving to be a serious liability. More than anything, you wanted to pass. You wanted to go to the training camp with Shouto.

Your cheeks began to flush. It was weird that you were thinking of him when you should’ve been focusing on yourself. You wondered how his own trial was going. You wished you were partnered with him instead. Ugh. You couldn’t even deny how jealous you were right now.

“[Name]-chan, look out!”

The blast came out of nowhere. You barely had time to react, but Izuku managed to jump and push you out of the way. You panted, dust and debris swirling through the air all around. The sheer pressure from the blow had cracked the pavement in front of you. If Izuku hadn’t helped, you would’ve been sent hurtling back for sure.

“Can’t a girl just have a moment?” you groaned. “I was working through some shit in my head.”

Katsuki rose to his feet and snorted. “Stupid girls like you don’t need time to think.”

“You try so hard to put other people down, it really makes me feel like you’re compensating for something. You must have a small dick.”

“WHAT IN THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?!”

“Guys, stop!” Izuku urged. “He’s just going to attack again!”

“Not if I don’t give him the chance!” Katsuki sneered, positioning both palms behind himself and soaring forward with an explosive burst. You watched, horrified, fascinated, and amused all at once, as All Might manhandled his face and Katsuki retaliated by unleashing a series of explosions at point-blank range.

“This idiot must seriously have a death wish,” you sighed. “Guess I have no choice…”

Your eyes began to glow, bits of debris floating around you. You raised your palm and made a pulling motion towards the blonde. He faltered, trying to adjust his position mid-air with his explosions, but ultimately veering back towards you.

“Ow—what the fuck?!”

He’d fallen to the ground. It had been intentional on your part, of course. Oh, how nice it would be if only he just sat there on his ass and shut up.

“Shitty [Name]!” he growled. “You pulled me back with your Quirk, you bitch!”

You sighed. “Do you seriously think you stand a chance against him alone? Izuku-kun is right. We need to leave, at least place some distance in between us before we figure out a way to retaliate. And from there, get to the gate.”

“If you think I’m going to run away like a little bitch, then you’ve got another thing coming.”

Just like that, he propelled himself forward and went straight back into the fight. And just like that, All Might landed a punch square to his stomach and sent him flying several yards away.

You stared off into the distance, utterly unimpressed. “Man, what a fucking idiot.”

Chapter 25: [25 - woes of a teenage girl]

Chapter Text

“Katsuki-kun’s getting his ass beat. Now’s our chance to run.”

“R-Right,” Izuku swallowed. “Run… we should definitely run.” He bent his knees, ready to activate Full Cowl and rush out of the way, but you could see how he was trembling all over. For someone like Izuku, who practically viewed All Might as a god, trying to face him was unthinkable. The fact that he was responsible with inheriting his power and knew full well what All Might was capable of just made it that much more difficult for him to ever see himself beating the Symbol of Peace.

Unfortunately, in this situation, that was a major handicap.

“Trying to run, are we?”

Faster than your eyes could even keep up with, All Might materialized by your side. You clicked your tongue. He was way too fast. You had a fair amount of technique, but out of your entire team, you were the most lacking in speed.

Perhaps out of sheer panic, Izuku propelled himself backwards without sparing a glance to his surroundings. At the same time, Katsuki was veering straight ahead with his explosions and the two collided headfirst, falling weakly to the ground.

“What an unfortunate formation,” All Might shook his head. He was staring you down now. “Young [Name], you appear to be the most composed out of everyone, as we expected. There was, after all, some thought on our part when we decided on these groups. Those two have a terrible history together and are practically polar opposites. We decided thus to see how they would fare if they were working towards a common goal, but you… well. You’ve shown to have little interest in winning or surmounting goals. Tell me, why did you forfeit during the Sports Festival?”

“I forfeited because—ah, shit!”

The Hero’s fist came crashing towards you, and you barely had time to construct a barrier. It did little when faced with his overwhelming pressure, and you were blown back mercilessly, but at the very least, your injuries were minimized.

You coughed up a line of dust. “If you’re going to ask a question, at least have the decency to wait for my answer, jeez…”

“Your powers are nowhere near as strong during the day,” he stated confidently. “Of course, almost any Quirk has its drawbacks. You shouldn’t have forfeited your match during the Sports Festival. You have so much potential, but you don’t seem to believe yourself capable of getting there.”

Look at this guy, running his mouth…

“You don’t really know anything about me,” you deadpanned, rising to your feet. “You think you do, because of Izuku-kun, but not really. There was more than just winning going through my mind during that battle.” You thought of Shouto, the way he’d managed a wobbly smile as flames flickered upon his left side for the first time. You remembered how your words had spurred him on. “I’m still just a teenager, All Might. I’m not quite a pro just yet—!”

Pale, glowing light fell over your irises, and All Might began to grow unsteady on his feet. You knew the shift in gravity would only affect him for a brief moment, but that moment was all you needed to channel your energy and knock him back. You panted, rushing over towards your teammates and trying to place as much distance between you and the hero as possible.

“Guys, we need to—”

“Like I said, you’ll never win facing him head-on!” Izuku cried out.

Katsuki grimaced, rising to his feet. “Shut up. I will win. Because… that’s what a hero does.”

As expected, getting the blonde to cooperate was a near-impossible feat. Did you even stand a chance at this point? No, forget that—you were losing time. Any moment now and All Might would recover and come hurtling towards you…

“I’ve got a little present for the boy who wants to run!”

…just like that.

“Ugh!”

All Might came diving down, pinning Izuku to the ground underneath a guard-rail. You were close enough that you knew you were dead meat, but his focus wasn’t on you anymore. He turned towards Katsuki, revving up his fist and clenching his muscles so tight that you knew it wasn’t going to be pretty. The fist collided with Katsuki’s stomach, and he went flying back, hacking up a line of vomit. By the looks of it, this hit was ten times more brutal than the one he’d suffered earlier.

Katsuki wheezed and groaned, barely managing to get back on his feet. All Might was slowly approaching him. “Young Bakugou,” he said, “I can understand that you’re frustrated with Young Midoriya’s growth. But naturally, when he starts at level one at you’re at level fifty, you’re bound to grow at different rates. Don’t throw all your hard work away! You still have room to grow!”

“Shut up, All Might…” Katsuki clutched at his stomach, struggling just to remain conscious. For the first time, you saw a look in his eyes that you’d never witnessed before. Defeat. “If you’re saying I gotta rely on that shithead’s help… then I’d rather… just lose.”

Wow. There’s a sentence I never thought I’d hear.

If Katsuki was saying things like that, then your loss was all but assured. Maybe you’d been naive in thinking you had a chance to begin with. Goddammit. And you’d really wanted to go to the camp with Shouto…

“Don’t say you’d rather lose! You, of all people!”

In the split second you’d looked away, Izuku had apparently slipped out from underneath the guard-rail. His big emerald eyes were gleaming, and his brows were furrowed tight. He’d landed a punch to Katsuki’s face before All Might had the chance to do so himself.

“[Name]-chan!” Izuku called out. “Quick, follow us!”

“R-Right.”

All Might was visibly surprised, and you’d be damned if you weren’t going to take advantage of his hesitation. Izuku was carrying Katsuki along as he ran. You weren’t quite able to match his speed, but for whatever reason, it didn’t look like All Might was following you right now. You managed to lose sight of him and ducked into one of the alleyways in between the old buildings.

“Let go of me, Deku, you piece of shit!”

Katsuki shoved the boy out of the way, eyes laced with pure hatred. You were sure this was probably humiliating for him, having to rely on his long-time rival, but after seeing that little display back there, you were sure of it now.

You didn’t want to lose.

“Katsuki-kun, stop being an asshole for one second and just listen to us.” He gritted his teeth at you, but you continued. “You’ve given up without even trying to use mine or Izuku-kun’s powers to your benefit. You don’t need to think of it as cooperation if you don’t want to. A hero should use every available resource in their arsenal to secure the win, right?

Izuku nodded. “She’s right. The one who never gives up until they’ve won… that’s you, isn’t it? That’s why I don’t want to hear you say it’s fine if we lose.”

“You idiots just keep running your damn mouths,” Katsuki grimaced.

“Think of it however you like,” you waved off. “To be honest, I could care less about you. This is just a selfish desire of mine at this point. I normally don’t find myself particularly driven to do anything… but this time, I do care about winning. I refuse to give up. I… I want to go to the training camp with Shouto-kun, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get there.”

You could feel your cheeks burning after what you’d just declared. Izuku stared at you, his eyes wide. He bowed his head forward, in what could only have been silent acceptance.

“It’s not too late, Kacchan. You can still win.”

Oddly enough, once the words had left your mouth, you felt invincible. Your motivation gave you strength. Maybe it was a silly reason to want to win after all, but you didn’t care. You didn’t need to have some grand, noble cause. So what if you just wanted to spend time with someone you cared about? As far as you were concerned, that was good enough.

DEKU! SHOOT!”

 

 

 

 

You stared down at an unconscious Katsuki and pursed your lips. You poked your finger against his cheek, humming in satisfaction when he didn’t wake up. If you tried to pull a stunt like this any other time, you were sure he’d try to bite your hand off. Feeling increasingly bold, you began tickling his chin, and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“[N-Name]-chan, you probably shouldn’t…”

“Hey!” Recovery Girl chastised. “What do you think you’re doing to my patient?!” She snapped your hand out of the way, and you could only sigh.

“All due respect, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. At least let me draw a dick on his forehead.”

“If you’re just going to stir up trouble, then get out!”

You winced as she pushed you out of the room, and the freckled boy stammered out apologies as he followed behind you. Your own injuries weren’t as serious as Izuku’s or Katsuki’s, but you were damn tired. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d exerted yourself so much. Still, you kind of got where All Might was coming from. Most people probably did think you weren’t all that motivated or serious about becoming a hero, but you actually did care. Maybe because your own family was so good at making you feel down, but you admired people like Izuku, and you did want to become someone who could help those in need. You just weren’t as driven as Izuku or Katsuki; you didn’t have any lofty goals of becoming Number One, or anything like that. If you could make people feel happy and safe, that was enough for you. And honestly, the driving factor behind that fight was really the fact that you wanted to have fun on the training camp with Shouto. When you thought about what you’d declared back there… it made you a little embarrassed.

“You and Todoroki really are close.”

“Huh?”

Izuku was looking at you with a smile. It was a sad smile, but his eyes were still warm and gentle. “I guess it’s normal, considering you see so much of each other. It just seems like you really like being around him. I mean, you even said all that during our fight…”

“Oh. Yeah.” You could only nod. “We’re on pretty good terms, I would say. Sorry. Thinking back on it now, maybe it wasn’t the most appropriate thing to say with you right by my side…”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t want you to have to fake the way you feel around me.”

“I see. Thank you, Izuku-kun.”

It seemed like it would still take a bit of getting used to, but slowly, things were going back to the way they had been. When you thought about it, the two of you were the same you’d always been. Izuku was his kind, usual self, and you were still the only other person who knew the full gravity of his situation. A lot had changed between you two, but he would still be important to you for a very long time, if not forever. You were still the same people, just…

With different feelings.

“I should probably be heading home to get some rest now,” he said, bobbing his head forward and giving you another smile. “I hope you feel better soon, [Name]-chan. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

You smiled back. “I’ll be fine. Take care getting home.”

He nodded again and turned down the hallway, and a sense of clarity dawned on you. Izuku was very important to you. He was a strong, selfless person, and you still loved him. But at some point, those feelings of love had changed. It was love, but in a different way than it had been before. You loved him as a friend, as a companion. Now, when you thought of how his cheeks would flush around Uraraka, your chest didn’t hurt anymore.

“[Name]?”

Shouto was standing beside you, his brows furrowed. You blinked a few times and shook yourself out of your reverie.

“Hi, Shouto-kun. How did your test go? I heard you passed.”

“It was fine, but are you doing okay?” he frowned. “I found you just staring off into space all by yourself.”

“Just thinking about some things,” you smiled. “I passed my test, too.”

He scanned you up and down, worry filling his expression. “Yeah… by the looks of it, you had a much harder time than I did. I guess that’s to be expected, with All Might as your opponent.”

“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that we’re going to the training camp together, right?”

“Huh?” With a quick stride, you’d closed the distance between the two of you. Shouto cleared his throat, awkwardly glancing to the side. “Oh… yeah. It’s nice that we get to go together.”

You could feel your cheeks flooding with warmth. You wondered at what point exactly his subtle mannerisms had become so endearing to you. It really was strange. You’d never imagined getting along with him the way you did now back at the start.

“Hey, Shouto-kun?”

“Yes?”

“I’m really happy we’ve gotten so close.”

His face began to redden, and you couldn’t quite hold yourself back from jumping into his arms. He was always so warm. It felt like you were curled up by a fire, or being swaddled with a soft, plush blanket. His body went stiff for a moment, but then he inhaled, allowing himself to relax against your embrace.

“I’m happy, too.” He wrapped his arms around you and hugged you back. “Thank you for everything. You don’t even realize how grateful I am for you.”

You were smiling so hard that your cheeks hurt. In this moment, you actually thought, for the first time, that you were thankful for the Quirk Marriage.

Chapter 26: [26 - gentle flame]

Chapter Text

Looking back on it now, you probably should’ve known that Aizawa was lying about students not being allowed to attend the training camp if they failed the exam. He’d pulled a stunt like this on your very first day with the Quirk Apprehension Test. Now you felt a little silly for having so boisterously declared that you needed to pass in order to go to the camp with Shouto, but it was probably for the best. The ones who had failed would be attending remedial classes all throughout, and you were sure that with Aizawa teaching them, it wouldn’t be pretty.

“Shouto-kun, which clothes should I pack with me?”

“Hm?” The boy looked up from his book and glanced back at you. It had taken him at most ten minutes to decide which of his belongings to bring, so he’d just been lounging about in your room while you tried to figure your own inventory out. “I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t bring any clothes you’re too fond of. It’s probably best to stick to something lightweight and comfortable, and that you won’t mind getting dirty.”

“I know that, but… it’s still so hard to decide.” You furrowed your brows. Sure, the purpose of this trip was training, but you didn’t want to be walking around there looking like a total slob, especially after all the effort you’d put in to making sure you’d get to go. “Do you think I should bring a swimsuit?”

Shouto chuckled. “[Name], you do know we’re going to be on a mountain, right?”

“Yes, I’m aware of that. But maybe there’ll be a lake somewhere.”

“I know it seems like we’re going on a retreat, but I don’t think it’s going to be anything like a vacation. It’s going to be a lot of training. I doubt they’d even give us any free time.”

“Leave it to UA to turn everything into a giant pain. Oh well,” you shrugged. “If there’s a lake I can always go skinny-dipping.”

Shouto let out a sigh and shook his head, but you didn’t miss the small blush forming on his cheeks. You smiled inwardly. Training camp or not, you were sure you’d still manage to have a good time as long as he was there.

“Recovery Girl isn’t going to be there to heal our injuries, is she?”

“Not from what I heard, no. I think it’s only supposed to be Aizawa and Class-B’s teacher, Vlad King. They wanted to bring the fewest amount of people possible for safety precautions, and so that the school isn’t left defenseless.”

“Yeah, thought so.” You folded another shirt into your luggage and stood up. “Where’s the athletic tape again?”

Shouto turned his attention back to his book. “There should be some in the old man’s office, but I don’t know where he is right now, and he doesn’t like it when people go in there without… ah. She’s already gone,” he sighed. “Of course.”

“Athletic tape,” you hummed. “Athletic tape is a hero’s best friend… hmm, hmm, hmm.”

You’d kind of caught the beginnings of what Shouto had been saying as you left the room, but you could care less if Fire Crotch got mad at you. Actually, it’d be weird if he wasn’t mad at you. That was pretty much his default setting.

Endeavor’s office was a total mess, and this was coming from you, whose room existed in a perpetual state of chaos. Paperwork was strewn everywhere, and there were various weights and other training instruments cluttered on the ground that he’d brought in from the dojo. In a way, his office was a fitting parallel to his tumultuous personality.

“How does he even find anything in here?” you muttered. “Goddamn you, flame-for-brains…”

You started off with the drawers of his desk, since it seemed like the most logical choice, assuming there was any sort of organization to begin with. You found some hand grips, various protein supplements and multivitamins scattered within, but no athletic tape. Your next order of business would be to tackle the contents atop the desk itself, which was far more daunting a task. A lot of these papers seemed like pretty important stuff, and they were still thrown so haphazardly. Many of them were PR-related and transcripts for things like interviews, which probably explained his lack of interest.

You let out a groan. “Ugh, come on! I’m never gonna find—”

Your fingers stopped moving. Unfortunately, not because you’d found what you’d been searching for, but something else had caught your interest. You drew your hand back, clutching the frame of a picture. The photo was of a young boy with spiked vermillion hair and piercing blue eyes. He had a passive, languid expression, and there was something both endearing and unsettling about his gaze.

“I don’t recall giving you permission to come in here.”

You almost let out a squeal, hurrying to hide the evidence of your snooping, but it was too late. Endeavor was standing by the doorway, looking less than pleased. You set the picture down on the desk, chuckling weakly.

“Why hello, Endeavor-san. You’re looking menacing as always today.”

He scowled and stomped over to you. “I thought I’d come to terms with just how shameless of a person you are, yet here you are, rummaging through someone else’s belongings.”  

“I was just looking for athletic tape to pack with me,” you pouted. “It’s not my fault your room is so unorganized. I would’ve found it earlier if it wasn’t such a mess in here. So, hey—why do you have a picture of yourself from back when you were a kid? Isn’t it kind of narcissistic to just keep that on your desk? I mean, I’m not surprised, but still…”

Endeavor’s gaze shifted towards the framed picture. Almost immediately, the anger left his expression. When he looked back at you, his eyes bore no sign of their usual sweltering fire. They were clear, but sad.

“That isn’t a picture of me,” he said somberly. “That’s Touya, my eldest son.”

“Touya?”

You couldn’t recall having ever heard that name before. Granted, you hadn’t even met Rei until well after you’d begun living here, but all things considered, it was strange that Shouto, Fuyumi, and even Natsuo had never mentioned another sibling before.

Endeavor grabbed the picture and set it upright. “He went missing many years ago. If you’re wondering why nobody’s ever mentioned him before, it’s because it’s not an easy subject for Shouto or the others.”

You swallowed. This was a first. You never thought you’d feel guilty for anything you’d done to this man, but your chest was practically closing in on itself. Of course no one would want to bring something like this up. If he’d gone missing years ago, then he was probably already…

“D-Do you miss him?” you tried, regretting the question the second it left your lips. Regardless of what had happened between Shouto and his father in the past, it wasn’t your place to dredge up painful memories. You were sure Endeavor was about to hit you with the nastiest, most scornful look you’d ever seen.

He didn’t.

“Is there a parent out there who wouldn’t miss their own child?”

He spoke the words so assuredly. You wanted to challenge him, to bring up what he’d done to Shouto in the past, but the look in his eyes was so solemn and bright that you couldn’t bring yourself to do so. You believed him. This man had experienced loss, and to some degree, you wouldn’t be surprised if it had shaped his actions to this day.

“Sorry.” You hung your head. “I guess that was a pretty stupid thing to ask.”

“It’s fine.” It was possibly the first time he’d ever spoken to you without anger etched in his expression. You saw pain and acceptance in its stead. “You couldn’t have known. Here,” he said, moving stacks of paper out of the way and procuring a roll of black athletic tape. “In the future, if there’s anything you need, I would much rather you ask me for it instead of digging around yourself.”

You took it into your hands and pressed your lips together. Would Shouto have ever told you about Touya? It was a heart wrenching subject, that much you understood, but would your relationship have ever progressed to the point that he would trust you enough to share such a thing with you? It was difficult to say. You realized you were being unfair, to some degree—after all, everyone had things they wanted to keep to themselves. The only thing that was certain to you was that this family had endured more suffering than anyone deserved.

“Was that all?” Endeavor asked. “If you don’t mind, I need to get to work now.”

“That was all. Thank you.” You turned to walk away, but your heart still felt heavy. You inhaled sharply. “Endeavor-san?”

“Yes?”

Without thinking twice, you turned back and wrapped your arms around him. He was incredibly tall; you scarcely made it up to his chest, and he was so broad that you couldn’t link your arms across his back. At first he didn’t quite know how to react, and you wouldn’t have been surprised if he swatted you right on the head, but he just let out an impatient sigh.

“I can’t ever understand what’s going through your mind,” he huffed.

“Sorry, Shit-deavor. It just looked like you could use a hug. When’s the last time you got a hug?”

“You do that and then immediately insult me?” The hero’s patience seemed to have run thin, and he pushed you away so easily you may as well have been made of feathers. Maybe you’d eaten something that had gone bad earlier in the day. Yep. That had to have been the only explanation. Otherwise you’d never have been smiling at Endeavor, of all people.

“Thank you for the tape,” you said, striding out the door. “As compensation, I promise to stop making memes about you and posting them online.”

“You—what?”

“Okay, bye!”

You ran away before he had a chance to drag you back in and make you explain yourself. When you got back to your room, you were panting, cheeks aflush, and still smiling for some reason.

Shouto cocked his head. “[Name]? Is everything alright?”

“Yep, I got the tape,” you grinned, plopping down on the floor beside him. “Hey, Shouto-kun. Guess what?”

“What?”

“Surprise hug!” you giggled, and you proceeded to throw yourself over him. He grew red in the face and tried to adjust you in his hold, but you were squirming all over, so it was near impossible. He eventually sighed and gave up, as was usually the case in situations like these.

“That was out of nowhere,” he breathed, cheeks still flushed. “Did something happen?”

“Not really. Shouto-kun, you know you can tell me anything, right? You can trust me no matter what.”

Your arms were still around him, but he slowly sat up. “Oh… yes. I knew that. I trust you more than anyone, [Name].”

“Okay,” you smiled. “I just wanted to make sure you knew.”

Chapter 27: [27 - not a happy camper]

Chapter Text

“The bus will be stopping in one hour intervals,” Aizawa announced. “After that—”

“Let’s start blasting some summery tunes!”

“You are not supposed to be standing on the seats! NO standing on the seats!”

“Hey, can I have some pocky, too?”

You saw your teacher let out a groan and shake his head from the front of the bus. Well, there was no chance that anyone would be settling down anytime soon, not with how excited and rowdy they all were. The fact that you were even still allowed to be going on this trip, considering what had just happened at the shopping district the other day… it was nothing short of a blessing.

Or maybe we’re just not being cautious enough. They’re saying they changed the location of the trip and everything, but I don’t know.

Izuku sure had a knack for getting himself roped into all kinds of trouble. You were just thankful he’d made it out of his meeting with Shigaraki alive. His safety was all that mattered as far as you were concerned.

“Are you feeling okay, [Name]?” Shouto was seated next to you on the bus, and he made sure to check in on you every now and then. He knew you’d been worried about Izuku after finding out about his run-in with the villain.

You flashed him a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. We all knew what we were signing up for when we decided to become heroes. Right now I just want to focus on enjoying the trip with everyone.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “It’ll be okay. We’ll have a good time.” His lips curled into that subtle smile he only ever showed you, and he brushed your hair back behind your ear. It was hard to keep your cheeks from reddening. He’d gotten really good at this whole flirting thing. Who would’ve thought?

“Katsuki-kun,” you called out, glancing back towards the back of the bus, “I want my pack of gum back, please.”

He narrowed his eyes and flipped you off. “Shut it, stupid [Name]. You shouldn’t have given it to me in the first place then.”

“Don’t make me go over there and stomp on your ass.”

“Huh?! I’d like to see you try!”

Shouto placed a hand on your shoulder. “Just leave him be. Once we get there you can unpack and get another one.”

“Yeah, but it’s faster if I go over there now, and that pack's the best one.”

“Not worth the trouble. Plus,” he gestured, nodding his head towards the front of the bus, “it looks like Aizawa-sensei’s already ready to give you a lecture.”

Sure enough, the dark-haired hero was glaring over at you, practically challenging you to pull some stupid shit under his watch. You were kind of tempted to call his bluff, but hey—might as well try to get this trip started on a happy note. So, you smiled at Shouto again, leaned back in your seat, and decided to take a breather.

An hour later, it was time for your first rest stop.

“Huh? What’s this?”

You’d been expecting to stop for gas, or at least someplace with a functional bathroom, but the bus had parked at the edge of a cliff, and save for another car, there was nothing else in sight other than the forested canopy underneath and the mountain range surrounding it.

“My spidey senses are tingling,” you muttered under your breath.

Shouto cocked a brow. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing really. I just have a feeling we’re about to get royally screwed.”

The rest of your classmates were just as confused as you were, looking around to see if they could spot Class B. A cheery, female voice called out to Aizawa, and you whipped your head around to find two female heroes dressed up like cats.

“With sparking eyes, we rock on!”

“Cute, cat, and stinger!”

“The Wild & Wild… Pussycats!” they exclaimed in unison, even striking a little pose.

You clamped a palm over your mouth and snickered. “Ha-ha! That was so cringe!”

“Who just said that?!”

Aizawa cleared his throat. “I’d like to introduce the professional heroes, the Pussycats. We’ve asked for their help during this training camp.”

“One of the four hero teams that founded the Union Affairs Office!” Izuku squealed. As expected, he was geeking out. This group specialized in rescue operations, from what you’d heard (mostly from Izuku himself), and they’d apparently maintained their popularity for quite some time.

“This area is more or less our domain,” the dark-haired one explained. “The place you’ll be staying at is over on the base of that mountain.” She pointed with her kitty paw gloves and you immediately face-palmed.

Yep. I knew it…

“Then why’d we stop if we’re only halfway there?” Uraraka frowned.

“Uh oh… I’ve got a bad feeling about this…”

“Back to the bus! Quickly!”

Except the terrain had already shifted beneath your feet, rippling and expanding and sending you flying all the way off the cliff’s edge. You could hear your classmates screaming and crying all around. Your body hurtled towards the forest below, and you could only let out a weary sigh.

“This school fucking sucks ass.”

 

 

 

 

A solid eight hours had passed, and you had only just now made it to the camp. Your limbs were aching, you were covered in dust and grime, and you already felt like going home.

“Here, [Name].” Shouto extended his arm out to you, gesturing for you to grab onto it. He wasn’t much better off with the frost that had collected on his right side. “You must be tired. I can carry you the rest of the way if you want.”

You smiled appreciatively. “Thanks, but I’m fine. I know you’re really tired, too. Plus, I’m all dirty and gross right now.”

“You’re never gross,” he said simply.

“Stop it!” you laughed, playfully swatting his arm. “You’re way too smooth sometimes.”

The other students had collected in the clearing as well, where Aizawa and the Pussycats were standing by. Right. You had a bone to pick with those two.

“I feel like I remember you saying that it would take us around three hours,” you muttered accusingly.

The blonde one—Pixiebob—chuckled impishly. “Well, that was by our standards. But I honestly thought you’d take longer. You guys are good. Especially you four—” she gestured towards Izuku, Iida, Katsuki, and Shouto. “It seems like you’ve got some experience after all. Oh—you were really good too, girly.” She was looking at you now. “If only you were a bit more assertive with your powers, I’m sure you’d have had a much easier time.”

“Yeah, whatever,” you waved off. “Where are the chicken nuggets? I’m starved.”

“Chicken—? What?”

“Ignore her,” Aizawa sighed. “[Name] enjoys giving people a hard time. I think that’s enough chitchat for now anyways. Everyone grab your luggage from the bus and get unpacked. We’ll have dinner ready after that, and then you can take a bath and relax until tomorrow.”

You threw your head back and groaned. “A whole day wasted fighting weird ass earth beasts. I’m ecstatic.”

You finished the unpacking process quickly enough, which meant you were finally free to get some food. They had a whole feast laid out for you, probably to make up for the fact that you were all exhausted and starved. You sat in between Shouto and Kirishima while you ate, and Shouto would cast you little sideways smiles the whole time, even though you were stuffing your face at the speed of light and probably didn’t look all that flattering.

“Katsuki-kun,” you called out just before you were about to leave the hall. “I want my pack of gum back, bitch.”

“Eat shit, [Name].”

You shook your head in dismay, walked right over to him, and proceeded to dump a bowl of miso soup on his head. To say that he exploded would have been an understatement.

“YOU’RE FUCKING DEAD, YOU LITTLE ASSHOLE!”

Katsuki had to be restrained by Aizawa, of course, and you hummed cheerfully as you made your way over to the baths. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d been to hot springs. Your family didn’t take trips often, for obvious reasons. If the three of you ever went anywhere together, it was less of a vacation and more of a prison sentence.

You let out a content sigh as you slipped into the hot water. The rest of the girls were all there, too. You’d made some pretty good friends in this class, to your surprise—like Kirishima, Kaminari, and obviously Shouto. You’d always been friends with Izuku, and that would never change, and even though he was a prick, you kind of considered Katsuki your friend as well, but you weren’t all that close with any of the girls. This was probably the first time you’d been alone with them before.

Which was why it was a little strange that Mina had her face practically plastered against your own.

“Um,” you frowned, “can I help you?”

She grinned widely. “I’ve been waiting for this opportunity, and I’ve finally got you where you can’t run away from me!”

“Maybe not the best thing to say while we’re both naked.”

“You’ve got to spill, girl!” She grabbed you by the arm and began shaking it up and down. “What’s going on with you and Todoroki? You guys are totally dating, right?!”

You looked around, and sure enough, the rest of the girls were staring at you with intrigue. Well, it’s not like they were that far off. You two were technically engaged, but you definitely didn’t want to go to the trouble of explaining that.

“We’re not dating,” you said, watching the way Mina’s expression drooped. “But we’re close. We get along very well, I’d say.”

“Ugh! Watching you two is so frustrating!” she cried out. “It’s way too obvious he’s got a thing for you. Why doesn’t he hurry up and confess already? Or—you should hurry up and confess to him!”

“Mina-chan,” Uraraka tried, “[Name]-chan might not like being put on the spot like this. Besides, just because they get along doesn’t mean they like each other like that. We shouldn’t keep asking her. She’ll get embarrassed…”

“[Name] doesn’t get embarrassed,” Mina declared.

“Damn,” you laughed. “You’re so right.”

“See?!”

Uraraka slunk down until the water was at her chin. “I don’t know anything about this kind of stuff. [Name]-chan probably has way more experience than we do.” Her cheeks began to glow red. “Um… if you really don’t mind, then is it okay if I ask you a question, too?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

She inhaled sharply. “Is it true that you and Deku-kun used to date?”

WHAT?!

You let out a sigh, having to plug your ears while Mina began bouncing up and down and letting out squeals of excitement. The other girls looked surprised, which was expected. Izuku hung out with Uraraka a lot, so she’d been bound to find out at some point. It didn’t seem like he’d told anyone else, though.

Mina was finally done shrieking, so you took your fingers out of your ears and nodded. “Yeah. Izuku-kun and I used to date. We broke up a little while before we started up at U.A.”

“I see.” Uraraka hugged her hides. “I’m sorry to bring something like that up. I was just a little curious—”

“—because you like him, right?”

Her brown eyes widened. You’d leaned in to whisper in her ear so that nobody else could hear what you said. The poor girl began to flail her hands in protest, but you merely chuckled. At some point, it had bothered you, thinking about how some other girl was interested in your ex, but you didn’t have those bitter feelings anymore. You loved him as a friend now, nothing more, and you were okay with that.

“We’ll always be good friends,” you told her. “But I don’t see him that way anymore, and I’m pretty sure it’s the same for him. I’m rooting for you two. If there’s anything you want to know about him, you can always ask me.”

Uraraka bit her lip, cheeks redder than ever. She shamefully nodded her head. “T-Thank you. You’re really nice, [Name]-chan. I always thought you were cool, the way you aren't afraid of anything or anyone, but you’re very kind, too. Honestly, I don’t think I really stand a chance against someone like you…”

“It’s not a competition,” you smiled, and she smiled right back.  

Just then, some yelling started coming from the boys’ side of the baths. That little shit, Mineta, was actually about to scale the divider and peep on the girls.

I’ll get close enough to adjust the gravity and send him flying back before he gets the chance.

Except there was no need for you to do that after all. You heard a glassy, thudding type of sound, and then a pillar of ice was sticking out from the other side of the divider.

“Look at that!” Mina squealed. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Todoroki just saved his girl! Ahh! It’s so romantic, I just can’t! When’s the wedding?!”

You laughed at that. “Sooner than you’d think.”

Chapter 28: [28 - his warmth]

Chapter Text

“I am so not a morning person.”

It was 5:30 fucking AM, easily the earliest you’d gotten up in years. Sure, you’d known that this camp was for training, not relaxation, but this was seriously overkill. Who okayed this? U.A was definitely garnering a reputation as one of the most sadistic establishments around, at least as far as you were concerned.

“Good morning, everyone.” Aizawa was standing by in the field as the students came together. “Today we begin a rigorous round of reinforcement training. The purpose of this whole trip is to strengthen everyone’s Quirks, not only so that you can obtain your provisional licenses, but also so that you are ready to stand up against your enemies. Prepare your hearts and minds.”

I’m so not prepared. Let me go back to sleep.

“With that being said, Bakugou—try throwing this.” Aizawa tossed him the same softball he’d used back during the Quirk Apprehension Test. “Your records indicate that you obtained a score of 705.2 meters at the start of the school year. Let’s see how much you’ve improved.”

“Whoa, a skill growth test!”

“These last few months have been pretty intense—he’ll probably get over a whole kilometer!”

Katsuki began revving up his arm, all the while sporting a shit-eating grin. You kind of hoped he fucked up and ending up falling on his face. That would definitely be a sight to see.

“DROP DEAD!”

He let out his signature battle-cry and sent the ball hurtling forwards, but when Aizawa’s measuring device finally beeped, its display showed a record of 709.6 meters. Hardly much of a difference at all.

“Ha!” you chortled. “Katsuki-kun, I knew you were shit!”

“[Name], I swear to fuck—”

“Stop bickering,” Aizawa sighed. “You’re probably surprised by the results, and while it’s true that you’ve all definitely gained a bunch of experience, we’ve actually focused very little on improving your Quirks directly. Starting today, we plan to change that. I’ll be pushing you all beyond your limits,” he chuckled, “so try not to kick the bucket on me.”

Everyone else was letting out cheers of excitement, but you could only groan. This was definitely not going to end well.

 

 

 

 

Yeah, I totally called it.

U.A really was full of sadists. All of the students were working themselves to the bone, in a way that was literally disturbing. It was an honest-to-god hellscape. People were practically crying tears of blood.

“Are you okay, Shouto-kun…?”

The poor boy was submerged in a bath that was at times boiling-hot, and at times ice-cold. He would alternate the temperature himself every few moments, maintaining it up until his body could no longer handle the extremes.

“I’m fine,” he panted, slamming his right hand against the metallic tub and generating more crystals of ice. “I can handle this much. How about… you?”

You were definitely one of the lucky ones. Since your powers were more potent at night, there were limits to what you could achieve during the day. Also, you were kind of slacking off. Aizawa had already caught you a few times, and you feared to find out what would happen on the next occasion. 

“I’m good,” you smiled. “I should probably start getting my act together, though. Make use of the time we have now.” You glanced over to your ash blonde classmate, who was being forced to repeatedly dunk his hands in boiling water to stimulate his sweat glands and release explosion after explosion. Literal torture. “Katsuki-kun,” you addressed, “how about you send some of your explosions my way? I’ll try deflecting them with my barriers.”

“Ugh, shut up!” he winced, his brows contorting from the pain. “I don’t have time to deal with your shit right now!”

“Stop being a little bitch and use it on me. It’ll be practice for the both of us, and you can get a break from… well… that,” you gestured. “Unless you’re some sort of masochist who’s only doing it for fun.”

Katsuki inhaled sharply, but finally pulled his hands out of the boiling bath. His forearms were seizing up from overuse of his Quirk. He turned towards you and extended out his flushed red palms. “Fine,” he rasped. “Make sure to grit your teeth if you don’t want to end up crying about it later.”

You nodded, silver hues dancing across your irises. A pale, shimmering barrier formed around your body, and you straightened out your arms, bracing yourself for the impact. Katsuki cried out some crude words as he set off the explosion, and you felt the ground rock and sway beneath your feet. You let out a sigh, having unknowingly squeezed your eyes shut. When you opened them, the barrier was still intact.

“Nice,” you breathed. “Try hitting me with another one, please.”

“The hell? I’m not your goddamn training doll.”

“I said please, you little shit.”

From that point onward, he was irked enough that he unfurled explosion after explosion unhinged. Your first barrier collapsed after a few more hits, and the ones you formed afterwards were actively sapping at your strength. You weren’t able to deflect them all, so you ended up being blown onto your back a few times. Shouto was watching you from his ice-slash-boiling bath, his brows creased with worry.

“Enough, Bakugou,” he glared. “She’s getting tired.”

I’m getting tired, for fuck’s sake!”

You pulled up from the ground, dusted yourself off, and sighed. “I’m okay, Shouto-kun. It definitely stings, but I’ve managed to avoid taking most of them head-on.” You looked over to the blonde. “Thanks for the help, Katsuki-kun. I’ll find some other way to train now.”

Katsuki clicked his tongue, reluctantly dunking his hands back into the boiling water. You wondered what else would be a good way to train right now. Maybe you could spar with Izuku? Oh… he was going through a personal boot-camp with that Tiger guy, so never mind. Maybe just a little break wouldn’t hurt…?

“[Name].”

“Eek!” you squealed, immediately swerving around. “I wasn’t about to slack off, I swear!”

Aizawa was staring down at you, looking incredibly unimpressed. “Sure. I wanted to talk you about something, actually.”

“Is it about the pillows in the girls’ room?” you sweat-dropped. “Because listen, I was trying to rip them, and I definitely didn’t plan to have a pillow fight. It just sort of happened—”

He narrowed his eyes. “What’s this about the pillows?”

“N-Nothing!”

“I see. Anyways, Pixiebob and Mandalay seem to have taken an interest in you. I explained the gist of your powers, and since you’re somewhat limited during the daytime, I figured you may as well go talk to them for a bit right now.”

Your eyes began to sparkle. “I get to take a break?!”

“Just go see them,” he sighed, lightly pushing you by the shoulder. “You little slacker.”

“You’ve got it, boss!”

With a newfound spring in your step, you left the training area, Shouto watching you inquisitively all the while. Pixiebob and Mandalay were waiting to speak with you by the outside eating area, and the little kid from before was there, too. His name was Kouta, or something?

You saluted them with a grin. “I’ve come here on important business, and not to slack off at all!”

“She’s a funny one,” Mandalay laughed. She tapped the head of the little boy beside her. “Kouta, go say hi. This is [Name].”

“Hello,” you greeted, watching as Kouta’s lips twisted into a grimace. “I remember how you punched Izuku-kun in the balls yesterday. I don’t have balls, so good luck doing that to me!”

He clicked his tongue at you. This little snot-nosed brat actually clicked his tongue at you.

“Bunch of losers playing heroes,” he muttered under his breath.

“Listen up, you little brat.” You crouched down beside him, his eyes jolting in surprise. “The truth is, I think U.A can be pretty lame at times too, but heroes aren’t losers, got it? My friends and classmates are over there working their butts off, so how about you try showing a little respect? Yes?”

Kouta puffed out his cheeks. “Nobody asked you, stupid girl!”

“Don’t care. I insert myself wherever I please.” You stuck out your tongue and began pinching him by his cheeks. He started squirming and cursing out a bunch of crude things that a kid his age shouldn’t have even known. “What are you teaching this asshole?” You smothered the boy in your arms and looked up at Mandalay, horrified.

She smiled sadly. “Ah, well… he’s my nephew, you see.”

“Where are his parents?”

“Shut up,” Kouta glared, pushing away from you. “Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

He stormed away from you, muttering under his breath all the while. You looked back at Mandalay, confused.

“Kouta lost his parents at a young age,” she explained. “They were both heroes who got caught up in a horrible villain attack. Since then, as you can see, he’s never really recovered. He blames the hero position for taking his parents away from him.”

You felt your shoulders slump. Poor kid. Him being a little shit made sense now. For some reason, you always seemed to be drawn to people with complicated family backgrounds.

“Well, that’s not really what we wanted to talk about,” Pixiebob said, trying to change the topic. “We wanted to ask you more about your Quirk. It’s very unique, and because of the way it works, we haven’t been able to see everything you’re capable of, but it’s clear that you’re a talented girl with a lot of potential.”

“Thanks,” you said simply.

“Ugh… maybe show a little bit of enthusiasm?”

“I’m not all that crazy about my Quirk,” you admitted. “Because of it, I’ve gotten tangled up in some rather unpleasant business. I don’t like when people are judged because of how strong or how weak they Quirk appears. There’s more to a person than just their powers anyways.”

Mandalay nodded in agreement. “Yes, that much is true. There’s certainly more than that to what defines someone. But if you don’t mind, would explain to us exactly how it works? It’d really help us figure out the best training regimen for while you’re here.”

“Sure, I don’t mind.” You took a seat at the picnic table and outstretched your arms. “You’ve got snacks, right?”

 

 

 

 

Thanks to the Pussycats’ invitation, you managed to take a breather for much longer than you’d expected. They were actually really nice, too. You felt kind of bad for calling them cringe earlier.

Apparently, yesterday was the only time they’d prepared food for you, and if you wanted to eat, you would have to make it yourself. You didn’t mind all that much. There were plenty of ingredients to work with, and some of your more pro-active classmates were quick on the uptake anyways. You spotted Shouto helping light a fire a little way off, a small smile pulling at his lips. It warmed your heart to see. He’d been so against using his left side for the longest time.

“It’s mediocre at best,” you remarked, spooning some curry into your mouth once it was finished, “but given the situation, I think it’s pretty damn good.”

Kirishima blinked, his cheeks loaded up like a chipmunk’s. “Hm? Where’s Midoriya headed off to?”

“Oh… I’m not sure.” The boy had a bowl full of a curry, but he was walking away from the picnic tables. You frowned and got up, hurrying over towards him. “Izuku-kun,” you called. “Where are you going?”

“[Name]-chan,” he turned. “Oh… it’s nothing, really. I saw that boy, Kouta-kun, walking away alone again. It didn’t seem like he’d gotten a chance to eat yet, so I was planning on bringing him this.”

“Yeah, he’s a little hard to deal with.” You fidgeted awkwardly. “Mandalay actually told me earlier that he lost his parents in a villain battle. They were both heroes, and that’s why he’s so against all of us.”

His big, green eyes began to tremble. “Really? That’s terrible… I can’t imagine what he’s going through.”

“I’m sure that he’s a lot lonelier than he’d like to admit. But if it’s you, Izuku-kun, I have no doubt you’ll be able to cheer him up.” You tapped him on the shoulder and smiled. “Go on. Good luck.”

 “T-Thank you!”

He flashed you a sheepish smile and scurried off after the boy. You pressed a palm against your chest and inhaled deeply. Your heart wasn’t racing at all. Just like you’d thought.

You went back to the picnic tables to finish off your food. Shouto was staring at you in silence, looking as though he wanted to ask you a million questions, but holding himself back from doing so. You smiled at him and made quick work of the rest of your dish, setting your utensils down against the plate.

“Shouto-kun, do you have a moment?”

“Huh? Oh, sure.”

You were both done eating now, and you led him away from the eating area by the hand. You walked into one of the forest’s trails, just close by the entrance. There wasn’t really anywhere to sit down, but you settled on a decently sized boulder. Shouto had been following behind you without protest, but he was visibly confused.

“What’s happening?” he finally asked once you’d sat down. “Is something wrong?”

“Hm? No, why would anything be wrong?”

“I mean, you brought me all the way out here.”

“I just wanted to talk for a bit.” You smiled and shuffled closer to him, noting the way he stiffened as your shoulders bumped together. “We don’t ever really get any free time, so I thought it’d be nice just to have some space to ourselves for a change.”

Shouto nodded. “Well, yes… you’re right about that.”

“How’s the trip been for you so far?”

“Normal, I guess,” he shrugged. “Pretty much what I expected. Why did Aizawa pull you aside during our training earlier? Did you get in trouble again?”

You gasped, pretending like you were hurt. “Excuse me! I’m not always in trouble, thank you very much.”

“Not always, but I wouldn’t bet against it.”

“Ha-ha,” you mock-laughed, poking the boy on the cheek. “You’re so funny, Shouto-kun.”

He smiled again, and you felt your entire chest tighten up. “Thanks. I’ve been working on my humor. I’m probably still no match for you, though.”

Your cheeks felt warm. Incredibly warm. You felt short of breath, and suddenly, you were wary about how you looked. Your hair was a mess from all the training you’d done earlier, and you hoped to god you didn’t smell. You hadn’t had these thoughts around anyone else in your class, and you definitely weren’t stupid. The confusion had lifted, ever since you’d established where you and Izuku stood. You weren’t sure exactly at what point it had started, but to you, Shouto was…

Fuck. I like this guy a lot.

“[Name]?” Shouto had moved closer to you during your silence, his face mere inches from your own. “You’re not saying anything. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Y-Yes. I’m fine.”

“Your face looks red. You must be tired from the training.” He placed his palm against your forehead, and butterflies seemed to fill your stomach.

“Not really,” you brushed off, awkwardly averting your gaze. “I was slacking off most of the day anyways.”

“Are you sure I haven’t done anything to upset you? It feels like you’re avoiding me right now.”

“I’m not,” you lied.

“Is it because of Midoriya? Ah—” He caught himself mid-sentence and stumbled, “I mean—sorry. I just saw the two of you talking earlier, and I thought something might have happened. I know it isn’t my place to pry.”

You were staring down at the ground. Leaves were fallen around your feet, and you urged yourself to look at them instead of the boy at your side. Your face was unusually hot. You couldn’t recall the last time it had felt this hot.

“I don’t like Izuku-kun anymore,” you blurted out.

“Huh?”

You finally lifted your head to look back at him, to see the way his beautiful bi-colored eyes had widened. Before you could think it through long enough to reconsider, you grabbed him by the shoulders and pressed your lips against his own. You were mortified, wondering what on earth must be running through his mind right now, and you pulled away almost immediately.

“Sorry,” you said, red-faced and guilty. “You probably think I’m really fickle, getting over my former boyfriend and moving onto another guy… but I promise it’s not like that. I’m sure I’ve liked you for longer than I’ve realized, but I was still bitter about the whole situation and just couldn’t let go of my past.”

Shouto didn’t look angry. You couldn’t remember the last time he’d looked angry with you, and even if kissing him out of nowhere was selfish, deep down, you’d known he wouldn’t get angry with you right now, either. You couldn’t see what you looked like, but you imagined the blush on your cheeks was just as vibrant as his own. He slowly lifted his hands, letting his fingers hover where the touch of your lips still lingered.

“You kissed me,” he said, blushing even deeper.

“I-I did.”

“You kissed me,” he said again, almost as if he didn’t believe it himself. It wasn’t the first time you’d kissed him, but you’d still been confused back then. Right now, everything was more than clear, and you knew exactly what you wanted.

“I like you a lot, Shouto-kun.” You swallowed the lump that had formed in your throat. “I realized I didn’t care for Izuku-kun the way I used to because I’d started seeing you that way instead. Right now, he’s just a friend to me. A good friend, and I’m sure we’ll be friends for a very long time, but still just a friend.”

Shouto was still wide-eyed and incredulous. “What? You’re saying… you like me?”

“Yes, you. I like you so much,” you breathed, squeezing his hand. “You’re kinder than most people realize, and even at the beginning, you made sure to take care of me. Um… it’s actually pretty embarrassing to talk about this kind of stuff. Maybe I’m not explaining myself all that well, but I definitely like you. That much I’m sure of.”

“You like me,” Shouto said, repeating your words yet again. He blinked a few times, still in disbelief. “[Name] likes me,” he mumbled to himself. “Wow. How did I get so lucky…?”

“Please don’t say stuff like that!” you squealed, covering your face with your palms. “I’ll seriously die of embarrassment.”

Shouto smiled, more brightly than you’d ever seen. “It’s not often I get to see you embarrassed. It’s really cute. Show me more.”

“I think that’s enough for one day!” You pouted and tried to look away, but he caught your face in his hands and cradled your cheeks. He held you close, nothing but adoration in those mesmerizing eyes of his.

“I’m so happy,” he sighed, wrapping you in a hug. “So, so happy…”

You didn’t make any attempts to leave his grasp. He was warmer than anyone else, made you feel safer than anyone else. You were happy, too; happier than you could ever remember being. This whole arrangement had caused nothing but heartache from the start, but now you could honestly say you didn’t regret a single minute of it. Everything had been worth it. You’d found the person who understood you better than anyone in the world.

“[Name],” Shouto mumbled against your cheek. “Does this mean we’re dating now?”

You giggled and hugged him tighter. “Is this you asking me out? I was thinking you’d come up with something a little more creative.”

“I’m not good at being creative. Be my girlfriend, please?”

“Of course,” you laughed.

“Good.” He smiled down at you and leaned in for another kiss.

Chapter 29: [29 - by coveted night]

Chapter Text

Todoroki Shouto. Formerly known as your fiancé. Currently known as your boyfriend. You’d gotten the right order mixed up a little bit, but what did it matter? You were officially dating an S-Tier hottie, and you couldn’t remember the last time you’d ever been this happy.

“Let’s make this curry, bitches!”

Another grueling day of training had gone by, but your head had been in the clouds so you barely even felt your exhaustion. Your classmates were all looking at you like you were deranged. Certainly, for you to exhibit this much energy or excitement for anything was strange. Even Aizawa was shook.

"[Name], I’ll have to remind you once again to watch your language,” your teacher glared. “But at least you’re showing some initiative for a change.”

“You got it, boss!”

He rolled his eyes at you and skulked off somewhere. Everyone was helping out in some way—whether it was Katsuki who was angrily chopping up vegetables, Kirishima who was cleaning off the stations, or Shouto, who was helping light the firewood. He was using his left side and smiling as he did so. Before, such a thing would’ve been impossible. You were seriously so happy it felt like you were about to explode.

You all enjoyed a well-earned dinner, and now that your bellies were full, it was time to move onto the main event of the evening.

“The test of courage!” Mina cried out. “I’m so pumped! All of my hard work has finally paid off!”

Aizawa cleared his throat. “Yes, well… before that, and though it pains me to say it, the remedial bunch are about to have a review lesson starting right now.”

“NO WAY!”

Mina practically jumped on you, holding onto your right hand for dear life. Kirishima grabbed onto your other hand and did the same, squeezing his eyes shut in a determined protest. You’d been friends with Kirishima for a little while now, but even though you’d only just recently gotten closer to Mina, you still felt for her.

“Sorry, Kiri-chan, Mina-chan.” You squeezed their hands back and shook your head in dismay. “Aizawa-sensei is a demon. If it was up to me, nobody would have to work at all. We’d be goofing around all day…”

“Oh, is that so?” You felt the pull on your hands intensify, and you looked up to see that a glaring Aizawa had wrapped his cloths around the students. He stared into your soul with those pitch-black eyes of his. “Well, that’s such a shame. If only this camp were run by [Name]. We’ll take your considerations into suggestion for next year’s trip.”

He tugged harder, and your two classmates were torn out of your grip. Mina in particular was devastated, crying out at you with tear-filled eyes as she was ruthlessly dragged away.

“Nooo!” she wailed. “Forgive me! Just let me play at least this once!

It was unfortunate, but as you’d already concluded a while ago, U.A was run by sadists who got off on tormenting their students. Mina and Kirishima’s sacrifices would not be forgotten. You would always remember how much effort they’d channeled into the hopes of liberating the students.

“Rest in peace,” you breathed out.

“Uh, they’re not dead.”

You were brought over to the forest. This test of courage was between both classes, and each class would have their turn at scaring the other. The winner would apparently be the class with the most creativity and who also made the most people piss their pants with fright, according to Tiger.

Whatever. I already know I’m not going to get scared over something like this.

You were less concerned about the test of courage itself but rather the fact that you’d be going inside the forest in pairs. Instinctively, you turned towards Shouto, and found that he was staring right back at you.

“Shouto-kun, let’s go inside together!” you beamed.

He smiled. “Yeah. I was thinking the same thing.” He reached out to grab your hand before you’d even realized what was happening, and he pulled you up against his side. He turned towards the rest of your classmates, who were already leering at the two of you. “[Name] and I are dating,” he announced. “I just thought everyone should know.”

You felt your cheeks burst into flames. Already, everyone was going crazy, cheering and clapping or pestering you with a handful of questions. You hadn’t expected him to outright announce it. Not that you’d been planning on keeping it a secret or anything, but you just thought someone like him would try to keep it more low-key. You blinked slowly, trailing your gaze towards the one person whose reaction you were concerned with.

“That’s nice, [Name]-chan.” Izuku gave you a gentle smile. “I’m happy for the both of you.”

“T-Thank you.”

You weren’t sure what else to say, but you made sure to smile back at him. Shouto hadn’t told the rest of the class in order to spite him, that much you were sure of. It was a little embarrassing to think, but maybe this was him being a little possessive of you, or perhaps this was his way of showing you off.

Either way, it made you happier than you could put into words.

“Sorry, sorry,” Pixiebob chuckled. “We’re drawing lots to decide the pairs, in the interest of fairness. Plus, it makes things more interesting this way, right?”

Uh, wrong.

What if you got stuck with some loser like Mineta? You would literally fight someone if that happened. Or—what if you ended up with Katsuki? As much as the idea of teasing him until he cried was certainly appealing, you got the feeling that being alone with him in a darkened forest might end up with both of you trying to beat the shit out of each other. Well, there was always a chance you’d end up with Shouto.

“Ah, fuck this!”

Never mind. Katsuki had ended up with Shouto, and the ungrateful bastard was actually trying to switch pairs. The heroes were of course not allowing him to do so, and you couldn’t help but curse his good luck. You’d ended up with Uraraka, which was actually pretty cool. You were a lot closer to her after having that talk in the hot springs the other day.

Shouto would be part of the second pair to enter, and you squeezed his hand in reassurance. “Be strong, Shouto-kun. I know you may be stuck with the devil himself, but I know you can get through it. Just think of me the whole time and you’ll be alright.”

Katsuki balled his hands into fists. “You little fucker, [Name]… I just know you aren’t talking about me. Otherwise you’re in for a serious beating.”

“That’s my girlfriend,” Shouto said coolly. “Lay a hand on her and I’ll be forced to freeze you solid.”

“Oh, is that right?” Katsuki spat. “First Deku, now this fucker… you sure like dating intolerable bastards, don’t ya?”

You leaned over to whisper in Shouto’s ear. “I think Katsuki-kun has had a crush on me for a long time.”

“What was that, you dumb girl?!”

Shouto nodded. “To be honest, I thought the same. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he doesn’t try anything.”

“I’m standing right here, you shitheads!”

The second pair was up so you sent Shouto off with a timid kiss on the cheek, which most of the class was there to bear witness to and responded with all sorts of squeals. Katsuki was still grumbling under his breath even as they entered the forest. Shouto would be alright. When it came to people like the angry porcupine, he had the patience of a saint.

Finally, it was your turn.

“I-I’m pretty scared,” Uraraka admitted. “I can hear people screaming up ahead… [Name]-chan, aren’t you even a little spooked?”

You shrugged. “Not really. This kind of stuff doesn’t usually faze me. I’ve always been good at watching horror movies and things like that.”

“M-Must be nice.” You could hear how loudly her teeth were chattering. She looked over at you with twisted brows and a sheepish expression. “Um… I know we still haven’t talked all that much, but would it be okay if I h-held your hand? I think it might help calm me down a bit…”

“Sure,” you smiled, reaching your hand out to her. “Grab on.”

Uraraka squeezed your fingers and let out a contented sigh. “As I thought, you really are nice. I hope the conversation we had the other day didn’t make you uncomfortable. You’re the only person I’ve actually talked to that stuff about.”

“I’ve known Izuku-kun for a while, so it wasn’t that hard to pick up on the fact that there was something going on between you guys. In a good way,” you reassured. “I’m sure things will work out.”

Her rosy cheeks flushed even more. “Well… I’m trying not to let these feelings distract me too much. Deku-kun’s so focused on becoming a hero, I feel like it’d be insulting if I didn’t take it at seriously as him.”

“Everyone works towards their goals in different ways. Don’t stress yourself out too much by trying to make comparisons.”

“Oh… you’re right. Thank you,” she smiled. “I’m not really sure what I’d be able to do, but if there’s ever anything you need help with, know that you can talk to me about it, okay?”

You beamed. “Of course!”

Well, it wasn’t the moonlit stroll with your boyfriend you’d been hoping for, but this was nice in its own way. At this pace, you’d make it to the turning point in no time. You could probably see through whatever amateur scare-tactics they had planned so that Uraraka wouldn’t have to—

Huh?

“[Name]-chan?”

“Uh, sorry,” you frowned, glancing behind you. “I thought I heard something just now.”

“P-Please don’t say that!” Uraraka quivered. “Even if you’re joking around, I seriously won’t be able to handle it…!”

You mustered up a smile. “Right. It was probably just my imagination. The group behind us shouldn’t be this close. Let’s keep going.”

Something felt off. It was a test of courage, so it was only natural that you’d hear some sounds every now and then, but you were still on edge. You looked up at the sky. It was a clear night, with the moon shining brightly overhead. Normally, seeing it like this would’ve comforted you, but right now… there was almost something sinister about its glowing rays.

The sound of a bush rustling. You whipped your head around, eyes widening just in time.

“Uraraka-chan!”

A narrow escape for the girl, but you couldn’t say the same for yourself. Your shirt had been torn near the shoulder, where a fresh line of blood was welling through. It stung, but it wasn’t that deep of a cut. You’d just barely reacted in the nick of time.

“So?” you glared, eyes on the blonde girl who’d just attacked you. “Who the fuck are you supposed to be?”

She had a mask veiling the most of her expression, but her amber eyes were manic and bright. “I’m Toga!” she chirped. “You two are soo cute!”

“Toga, huh?” You wiped away at the blood, taking a protective stance in front of Uraraka. Your irises began to glow. “Well, it was nice meeting you. I hope you don’t mind if I beat the shit out of you now.”

Chapter 30: [30 - glow of the moon]

Chapter Text

Honestly, you couldn’t even say you were all that surprised. Though U.A had assured everyone they’d taken the preventative measures to ensure that something like this wouldn’t happen, these were villains, after all. It went without saying that they’d find some way to sink their dirty claws into your business. You hadn’t been all too crazy about the idea of a training camp to begin with, but all of your friends were here, and this was officially where your relationship with Shouto had gotten a proper start.

Like hell you were going to let these assholes ruin that.

“Eat shit, Toga,” you decisively gritted out, mere seconds before you outstretched your palms and channeled a beam of lunar energy towards the villainess. Her eyes widened for a moment, but she was quick to react, managing to jump out of your attack’s trajectory just in time. She hastily regained her balance and giggled.

“[Name]-chan, you’re so strong!” Toga praised. “You’re seriously trying to kill me!”

“I mean, I wasn’t exactly being subtle about it.”

Based on the knives she was holding and her overall highly-mobile fighting style, you presumed that she was a close-range fighter. Still, she was keeping her distance. These villains must have done their research before coming here. They probably knew all of the students’ Quirks, but you had no idea what any of theirs were. She wasn’t getting too close to you because she knew you’d be able to alter the gravitational field around your body and pull her in.

You scratched irritably at the cut by your left shoulder. “So lame. It’s not really a fight if you’re just gonna run away the whole time.”

Before she could respond with another fang-toothed grin, you rushed ahead, trying to get as close as possible. Uraraka yelled out a warning from behind you, but you couldn’t afford to look back. You knew that Uraraka wasn’t weak either, but right now, in the darkness with the sky and the moon above you, you were in your element. Nobody else needed to undertake the danger themselves. You would finish this up quickly and go save the others.

“So cute! Let me see more of your blood, [Name]-chan!”

Toga threw out one of her blades as you ran ahead, but you’d put up a barrier at the last second for this very second. Her eyebrows slumped and she looked visibly confused to see her blade bounce off in mid-air and fall harmlessly to the ground. You’d managed to cover enough distance. Letting your barrier fall, you slammed your palms together and used your energy to pull Toga’s body towards your own.

“Oh, what’s going on?! This is so weird!” she squealed, flailing with the last little knife she had in hand. She came crashing towards you, as you’d expected, but she was lithe and agile. Even as you struggled to squeeze her in your arms and pin her down, she was able to squirm and contort her body. The dagger eventually fell from her hand, but you caught her reaching for one of those pointy siphon-like instruments that were attached to the tubes on her back.

You gritted your teeth, irises glowing even brighter. “Just… stay down, you psycho!” You managed to push back onto your heels and slam your palms right onto her body, sending a wave of energy that connected with her back and brutally forced her stomach onto the ground.

Toga spluttered, gasping for breath, but you hunched over her and gripped her with one hand on the back of the neck, and the other secured tightly around her wrists. You took a moment to breathe in deeply. Uraraka had come running towards you, and was poised above the girl’s body, ready to attack.

“You’re weak,” you told the villain. “Are the rest as weak as you? If that’s the case, then you guys stand no chance, especially when you take the pros into consideration. I’d appreciate it if you could tell me what exactly your plan is, otherwise I’ll have to break your limbs for good measure.”

“[N-Name]-chan,” Uraraka chuckled wearily, “that sounds like something a villain would say…”

“Hey, at least call me an anti-hero.”

Toga didn’t say anything. She was being strangely quiet, for someone as seemingly crazy as her, but perhaps it was because she recognized the gravity of her situation and was trying to play it smart. In any case, you’d secured one of the villains. This was already a good start.

You glanced around. “Is there anything we can use to tie her up with?”

“I don’t think so.” Uraraka furrowed her brows together. “More importantly… did you hear? Mandalay’s telepathy. There’s apparently several other villains already engaging the pros, and it seems like… one of their goals is Bakugou-kun. I think they’ve come here to capture him or something.”

That annoying asshole?” you gaped. “Man, these villains sure have bad taste.”

Toga had been immobilized, but you didn’t feel comfortable letting go of her until you found a way to make sure she couldn’t escape. It would be nice if someone like Aizawa happened to come your way and was able to restrain her with his cloths… actually, just meeting up with anyone else from your class would have been a godsend. There was strength in numbers, and there was someone in particular that you just couldn’t stop worrying about right now.

“Uraraka-chan! [Name]-chan!”

As if echoing your thoughts, a familiar voice cut through the air. You and Uraraka both glanced off the side, where a group of your classmates had come out from the forest. You were surprised, and relieved, but that single moment that you let your guard down was enough for Toga to kick your legs out from under you and run off at a blistering speed.

“That bitch!” you gritted out, ready to run after her. You lunged forward, but Uraraka caught you by the arm and shook her head.

“It’s too dangerous. We still don’t know what her power is. You’ve already done great, [Name]-chan. We know for a fact that you can beat her, but it would be risky if she was leading us in the direction of the other villains.”

“Shit…”

You were frustrated by having allowed yourself to relax for even a moment in the heat of battle, but more than anything, you were just happy to see that some of your other classmates were safe. When you locked eyes with a mismatched pair, you felt just about ready to break down in tears.

Shouto-kun… he’s alright.

Izuku’s body was in tatters, and it made your heart ache to see him so beaten up. He’d definitely pushed himself too much again, to the point of breaking, but you knew that was his way. His spirit of self-sacrifice was just that strong.

“[Name],” Shouto breathed, running over to you. He was carrying an injured Class-B student on his back. Apparently he’d inhaled too much of that gas that was spreading all around. Shouto looked you over, his eyes quickly falling onto the gash by your shoulder. “You’re hurt,” he said worriedly.

You smiled. “It’s just a small cut. Nothing worth worrying over. What about you guys? Other than Izuku-kun, you appear to be mostly uninjured, but… where’d you come from? And what actually happened to you, Izuku-kun?”

“It’s a long story,” he sighed.

“I bet. Did you fight one of the villains?”

“Yeah… I did. I had to, otherwise Kouta-kun would have been in grave danger.”

“I see.” You figured it was something along those lines. As expected, the flame of heroics burned brighter in him than anyone else. “That villain, was he strong? The girl from earlier managed to escape, but she didn’t seem too strong.”

He chuckled weakly. “Well, [Name]-chan, you’ve always been strong. Especially now… it might be a good thing they attacked at night. Your Quirk could be what ends up saving all of us. Ah… but we don’t have time to stand around and chat. We’re in the middle of escorting Kacchan back to camp, so that the teachers can protect him. You two should come with us.”

You and Uraraka glanced back at each other in confusion. Right now, the group in front of you consisted of Shouto, Izuku, Shouji, and the unconscious student on Shouto’s back.

“As much as I enjoy not seeing Katsuki-kun’s face,” you frowned, “doesn’t he actually have to be here in order for us to escort him back?”

“Wait, what?”

“What?”

Izuku shifted on Shouji’s back and cast a hasty glance behind him. It didn’t take long for his big, emerald eyes to widen.

“K-Kacchan, he’s… gone! And Tokoyami, too!”

“Ah, yes,” a new voice cut in, a masked male dressed in a long trench coat that was standing atop a tree branch. “I apologize for the interruption, but if you’re talking about that Bakugou fellow, I just used my magic to take him. Someone like him has no business being on the side of heroes. Not when we have a stage where he can shine even brighter.”

“Give him back!” Izuku screamed.

“Yeah, give him back,” you snapped. “No matter where you put him, he’s incredibly uncharismatic so he’ll be unpopular regardless. He’ll just end up making you guys look bad. You should really give him back to us. It’ll spare you the embarrassment.”

The masked villain chuckled. “Oh, how amusing. But I think we’ll take our chances. Bakugou doesn’t belong to anyone. I’m sure he’ll have a much better time on our side.”

“[Name], step aside,” Shouto muttered, brushing by you to stomp his right foot down on the ground and unleash a flurry of ice that ran all the way up the tree. At the last moment, the villain jumped out of the way onto a different tree.

“You took Tokyami-kun too. Is he also a part of your stupidly uncalculated plan?”

“Oh, no, that was just an improvisation on my part. I was originally an entertainer, so that’s a bad habit of mine.” The villain pulled out two pale blue marbles and twirled them between his fingers. “My apologies. All I’m good for is deceiving others and running away. I’m not quite so eager to go head-to-head with some heroes-in-training—”

He was silenced at the last moment, a beam of energy having shot out in his direction. Dammit, he was too far away for you to get a proper hit in.

You frowned. “Sorry, I missed.”

“It’s okay. We’ll get them back.” Shouto shrugged off the student on his back. “Uraraka, take care of him for me.”

“What—oh, okay!”

A massive structure of ice ripped through the trees, on the scale of what he’d used against Sero during the Sports Festival. It brought a chill through the air, and you couldn’t stop your teeth from chattering, but even that didn’t appear to be enough to strike the villain down. Apparently he really was good at running away. He kept jumping around like a bunny, twisting his body in mid-air so that none of your attacks could connect.

“Well, I suppose this was fun while it lasted,” he laughed, pressing a hand to his ear. “Vanguard team! The target has been successfully collected! As planned, meet at the collection point in five minutes!”

Izuku’s entire body began to shake. “No way… they can’t… already be done…”

“Like hell I’d let them get away!” Shouto cried out. More ice came surging through, but to no avail. That asshole villain was just getting further and further away. Nobody in this group had high mobility, not like Iida, or Sero, besides Izuku, but both his arms were broken and his body was already in an irreparable state. Fuck… what were you supposed to do?

“No!” Izuku winced, looking as though every breath he took was excruciatingly painful. “We can’t give up… I’ve got to catch up to him… and take them back!”

What can I do? Maybe…

“I can try something,” you spoke up, everyone’s eyes turning towards you. “I don’t know how well it’ll work, but it’s worth a shot. There’s no point in giving up before we’ve done everything we possibly can. Since I’m able to alter the field of gravity around my body, I can pull people in, but it’s also possible to do the opposite and repel them. If I designate a point of contact close to my body and generate enough force, the repulsion might be enough to send us flying. But I can’t guarantee I’ll have any control over it once we’re in the air.”

“Please, [Name]-chan…” Izuku swallowed hard, tears pricking at his eyes. “Anything, it doesn’t matter what… I need to save them.”

“Right,” you smiled. “I feel the same way. Uraraka-chan, I’m sorry, but you’ll have to stay behind. I need you to make us all weightless so that the force is strong enough to push us al the way there. Since we’ll be so light, the force shouldn’t hurt you too much, even as I repel against your body. I’m sorry if it does, though.”

She shook her head. “No. I need to do at least this much.”

It didn’t take long for Uraraka to make the rest of you weightless, and you kept yourself from drifting off by holding onto her hand. All the others were clinging to you in some shape or form. You’d instructed her not to cancel her Quirk until she could see clearly that you’d caught up to the masked villain. There was a lot of room for error, but you couldn’t think like that right now.

“Okay, here goes.” You took a deep breath, conscious of the moon above you, the darkness surrounding you, and the energy flowing through your body in spades. You focused your strength into the tips of your fingers, the fingers that were gripping Uraraka’s. At the very last second, right before you channeled your power, you let go.

And you went flying.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!”

You had even less control than you’d expected. Everyone was curled together in one big ball, desperate not to separate and go flying off on their own. You were racing forward fast, like, way too fast, but it appeared to be working. That masked villain was getting closer and closer, in a matter of seconds. He was right in front of you.

“Uraraka-chan!” you screamed. “Cancel it!”

You weren’t sure if she heard you, or if she’d made the decision herself, but one way or another, you collided against the villain and all of you went crashing down to the ground. You fell right over his body, with Shouto securing you in his arms so that you wouldn’t keel over.

“T-Thanks,” you grinned awkwardly. It hurt like a bitch. Your knees felt like jelly and you were shaking all over, but you’d made it. You’d caught up to the asshole. That was the good news.

The bad news was that you were surrounded by villains.

“Mister, dodge,” a voice said, and it was followed by an eruption of ghost-blue flames. You were still a bit dizzy from the fall. Luckily, Shouto had once again saved your ass and jumped to the side with you in his arms.

“Are you okay?” he asked frantically.

You gave him a thumbs up. “Yep… better than ever.”

“You know, this might be one of the few times I’ve actually been able to decipher your sarcasm.”

Ah, what a proud moment. You’d have to remember to praise him for that later. You know, after you were done fending off villains and narrowly escaping death.

“Your faces were on Shigaraki’s kill list!” Another villain, dressed in a black and gray bodysuit had jumped out towards Shouto. “Both you and the beat up kid over there! You both weren’t on the list!”

“Shit,” Shouto cursed, pivoting on his heel to send forth his ice. The villain jumped back just as one of the spikes nicked his ankle.

“Hot! That’s hot!”

“Ice isn’t hot, crazy.” You unleashed a beam of moonlight which shattered the top half of the ice and managed to hit the villain square in the chest. He groaned weakly but recovered fast and was back on his feet in no time.

The villains were doing a good job of keeping your group occupied. You and Shouto were dealing with the weird Deadpool-looking guy, meanwhile Shouji and Izuku were being targeted by Toga. You knew you should have broken her limbs while you’d had the chance.

Still, things weren’t going too bad. The villain in the bodysuit wasn’t faring too well, having to fight you and Shouto at the same time. If you kept this up, you could definitely win, and then you’d go save Izuku from Toga.

“Everybody, run away!”

You blinked twice. It was Shouji’s voice who’d cried out. He was telling you to run away… but why? You were here now, with all the villains, and you were doing a good job of fighting them off. If you held out a bit longer, they’d all be too injured to keep going and you could get Katsuki and Tokoyami back. What point was there in running away now?

“Your actions just now have made it very clear,” Shouji muttered. “I don’t know exactly what your Quirk was, but those things you were flaunting in front of us earlier…” He dug into his pocket and produced two marbles. “In your right pocket… these are Bakugou and Tokoyami, aren’t they?”

You grinned widely. “Attaboy, Shouji! You’re awesome!”

“Let’s run away!” Shouto breathed, grabbing you by the hand and pulling you away from the battle. Now that you’d gotten what you’d come for, you could feel the adrenaline wearing off. Sure, you felt confident in your strength right now, but you knew you weren’t all-powerful. You were still just a kid. You were scared. You couldn’t wait for all of this to be over.

You ran by Shouto’s side, but a big, misty gate suddenly materialized before you. Of course, you recognized what it was, from back at USJ. That warp-gate bastard.

“It’s been five minutes since the signal,” Kurogiri’s voice boomed. “It’s time to go, Dabi.”

One by one, the villains each jumped into their respective warp gates and ran away. Ideally, you would have liked to kick all of their asses, but safety was far more important. All that mattered was that you’d saved your friends. The pros could take care of these assholes another day.

The dark-haired villain with the purple scars all over, presumably Dabi, was the only one who appeared flustered.

“But our objective still hasn’t been completed,” he protested.

“Oh, you mean that? Well… the thing is, they just seemed so happy chasing after me that I couldn’t help but want to give them a present. It’s another bad habit of mine. See, one of the fundamentals of magic is that when you flaunt things—” The villain withdrew his mask to reveal two marbles resting on his tongue, “—it often means you have something else to hide.”

Your eyes widened, and the two marbles in Shouji’s hand suddenly expanded and shattered into pieces of ice.

“During your freezing attack, I prepared some dummies and put them in my right pocket. You happily ran after me after seeing me put them there. It really gave me quite a laugh. Well, then… until next time—”

A beam of light burst through the air and hit the villain right in the jaw. It wasn’t yours, it was way too gaudy and sparkly for that. Aoyama had been cowering behind the bushes, waiting for a chance to strike, and he’d just given you the perfect opportunity.

The marbles fell from the villain’s mouth, and all of you ran as fast as you could. With his long, ample limbs, Shouji was able to catch one of them. You were close to the second marble, close enough that you were able to alter the flux of gravity around your body and pull it towards you. It fell into your palm, and you squeezed it tight, determined not to let it fall. You pivoted on your heel to turn and run away, but a hand came clamping down around your throat.

“Don’t move,” Dabi hissed, and you could already feel the sear of his fingertips as smoke started to rise by your neck. “Move, and I burn you alive. Stay perfectly still, don’t use your Quirk, and back away along with me.”

Shouto was staring at you in horror. He was frozen in place, not knowing what to do. It was okay. No need to panic. If you used your powers, you could repel this asshole, couldn’t you? Well, not without your hands, which were clamped tightly around the marble. But… it was still okay. He couldn’t just burn you to ash in a matter of seconds. Even if it hurt, you could still fight it out. It was okay. You could do it.

So then why was it so hard to breathe?

I’m actually… scared.  

It had been a while since you’d felt such a sickening sensation. It reminded you of your parents. The way you felt around them, as if one misstep was all it took for things to go to shit. The feeling of being caged in and suffocated, and now… the feeling of impending death.

The villain pulled you harshly, just as Shouto snapped out of his fear and sent a ripple of ice your way, as a final, desperate effort. You just heard Dabi chuckle, his voice holding an amused, teasing lilt to it.

“Aw, what a shame, Todoroki Shouto.”  

You were pulled back into the warp gate, and your vision melted into spots of black. The last thought you remembered having was the bitter, slightly annoyed realization that you’d gone ahead and risked your life for that asshole Katsuki, of all people.

Chapter 31: [31 - waiting for him]

Chapter Text

“I still don’t get why you’re here.”

“Shut up, it’s not like I’m happy about it either.”

You’d woken up from whatever weird state of unconscious the villains had placed you in, only to find yourself strapped to a chair with your wrists and legs bound in place. As expected, that shithead Katsuki wasn’t even mildly appreciative of your noble sacrifice. Granted, you hadn’t managed to achieve anything other than getting yourself captured as well, but you’d come pretty damn close.

The leader of the League, Shigaraki, was sitting on a bar stool with a TV playing behind him. He had on one of those creepy artificial hands, and though you couldn’t see his expression, based on the hum in his voice, you had a feeling he was grinning.

“Good time to wake up,” he mused. “Sorry to be so rough with you, but I’m sure you understand. One way or another, things have to get done. Ah, [Name], taking you wasn’t exactly part of the plan, but it actually worked out in the end.”

“How’s that?” you scoffed.

He leaned forward. “Well, you know. You forfeited your match during the Sports Festival, didn’t you? Against that Todoroki kid. Which is strange, considering that you seemed to be doing quite well, but from all the intel we’ve gathered on the class, you really don’t seem to be too interested in becoming a hero. Wouldn’t you say you’re less driven than the other members of your class?”

“My motivation fluctuates depending on my mood,” you said evenly.

“Ha! I bet!” Shigaraki drummed his fingers against the bar-top and kept on staring at you. “It’s a shame, though. You’ve got a powerful Quirk, and you’re not making the most of it. If you’re not hellbent on becoming a hero, what do you have to lose by playing for the other side?”

“Hmm.”

You puffed out your cheeks and blew a strand of hair out of your face. Was this really his big proposition? They’d dragged you off to this run-down bar—by mistake, no less—and now he seriously believed you’d just say, fuck it, why not give it a shot? Did you really look that fickle?

“All due respect,” you smiled sweetly, “lick my ass.”

A few snickers echoed throughout the room—the guy dressed in the dark bodysuit, plus Toga. Shigaraki didn’t say anything, though he didn’t really seem like the patient type, so you’d have to be careful not to piss him off too much. They’d only wanted Katsuki in the first place, after all. There was really nothing keeping them from killing you off.

While you mulled over your current situation, your eyes couldn’t help but skim the room. They first fell onto Katsuki, who was bound up in a different chair beside you and appeared to be signaling you to shut up with his eyes, and a good deal of other villains were spread out all around, some hunched over the floor or leaning against the walls. You eventually locked eyes with the asshole that had captured you in the first place, the ragdoll-looking bastard.

Dabi wasn’t making any effort to hide the fact that he was staring directly at you, and probably had been for longer than you were aware. Obviously, he was a villain, so it was normal to feel unsettled around him, but there was another strange feeling you weren’t quite able to make sense of. An important piece of information that you felt you were gravely overlooking.

Have I seen this guy before somewhere…?

You told yourself that couldn’t possibly be the case, since you were sure you’d remember someone with an appearance as distinct as his. You were probably just having a weird kind of déjà vu. Being knocked out and disoriented sure wasn’t helping, either.

“Take a look at the TV,” Shigaraki said, and sure enough, you did. It was a press conference, with some of the U.A officials, like the principal and Aizawa. You noted, with a subdued smile, that Aizawa was actually rather good at dealing with the media, in spite of how much he supposedly hated them. He’d even shaved and styled his unkempt mop of hair. He didn’t look like a hobo anymore. Way to go, homeroom teacher.

“Aizawa-sensei’s looking hot,” you laughed. Katsuki just flashed you a glare that was equal parts irritation and disgust.

Still, as much as you tried to make light of the situation, it was clear that U.A was in a lot of shit. They were being vigorously reprimanded for the losses they’d incurred during the training camp—two captured students, several others still unconscious from the gas. Normally, you felt kind of annoyed with the school’s unpredictable methods, but it was obvious they didn’t deserve this. It was the villains’ fault, nobody else’s.

Shigaraki chuckled and outstretched his hands. “It’s strange, isn’t it? Why are the heroes the ones getting criticized? Sure, their response was a little too slow, but everybody makes a mistake or two. Is society saying that heroes aren’t allowed to make any mistakes? Heroes are under some pretty strict standards nowadays, huh?”

“We’re all just human,” you eye-rolled. “Obviously everybody makes mistakes, but in times like this, in order to alleviate their fears and grief, people look for someone to blame. It’s an outlet for their emotions.”

“You’re a lot more talkative than I took you for. Fine, let’s turn to Bakugou then. By all accounts, it’s a funny thing. The mere idea of converting human life into money and selfish pursuits, and a society that encourages this line of thinking… our battle is one of questions. What is a hero, and what is justice? Is this society truly just? We want each and every individual to think about these things, and this is a battle we fully intend on winning. You like winning too, don’t you, Bakugou?”

In all the time you’d known Katsuki, you’d never seen him be as quiet as he was right now. He was probably itching to burst out of his restraints and explode all of these assholes' faces. Honestly, he could probably get away with it too. They were trying to get him on their side, so you doubted they’d kill him. Ah, but maybe he was keeping his calm so that they didn’t lose their temper and take it out on you.

You furrowed your brows together, dropping your voice to a whisper. “Um… Katsuki-kun? Correct me if I’m wrong, but… you’re not trying to look out for me, are you?”

“What are you, brain-dead? Don’t say such disgusting things.”

“Oh, good,” you sighed. “You’re right, that would be pretty disgusting. Besides, I have a boyfriend now, so I’m kind of off-limits…”

“Who the hell would be interested in you, shitty girl?!”

Shigaraki scratched his neck. “These goddamn brats are actually ignoring me.”

“I can shut them up,” Dabi said suddenly, walking straight towards you. He really did seem to have a strange fixation on you. Was he mad because you’d nearly messed up their entire plan? “Hey,” he muttered, tugging you by the hair and making your neck go flat against the back of the chair. “Learn some fucking respect. You’re pretty carefree for someone who might die here. Shigaraki, I don’t think we need her after all. Bakugou’s strength is at least consistent, and we’ve seen firsthand just how he deals with society and authority, but this girl is cocky and annoying. I say we kill her now and get it over with.”

You pressed your lips together. “You’re going to kill me? But look how cute I am.”

“You’re cute, but I’m too old for you. Sorry, hun.”

A blue flame materialized in his palm, close enough that you could feel it warming your cheeks. Dabi wasn’t hurting you, at least not yet. He appeared to be waiting for the go-ahead from Shigaraki, who seemed as if he still hadn’t decided whether or not to kill you. Katsuki had gone completely rigid beside you, and he was gritting his teeth, searching for the right words. How cute. He acted like he hated you, but that clearly wasn’t true, at least not to the point that he’d want you dead.

As you sat there, strapped to a chair with your hands fastened in a big, metal cuff that prevented you from using your powers, you were overcome with a strange sensation. You were scared, and the possibility of dying was admittedly quite high, but oddly enough, that wasn’t what scared you the most. Dying, death… all living beings met their end, at some point or another. Though some deaths could certainly be considered more tragic than others, taking into account age and circumstance, at the end of the day, it was the circle of life. If you were to die here, it would simply be considered normal. It was still sad, and dying at a villain’s hands would likely be incredibly painful, but rather than overwhelming fear, you were laced with regret and longing.

Shouto. Right now, you really, really wanted to see Shouto. You realized that if it was the last thing you could ever do, that’s what you’d choose. You felt angry with yourself for not realizing it the second you’d come to, but poor Shouto was probably worried sick about you right now. You’d seen how he dealt with loss, the way he blamed himself when the people he cared for were in pain. He took everything upon himself and locked up his emotions in a deep, unmoving loneliness. At the time, you’d actually acted like a hero, because you knew just much it would break Izuku to have Katsuki taken away from him, but you were selfishly starting to regret your decision.

He would have been fine without me. They want to recruit him, not kill him.

You knew you were selfish, but it didn’t matter. You just wanted to see Shouto, more than anything. The thought of never being able to hug him or kiss him again was suddenly more terrifying than anything else you’d ever experienced. You wanted to be able to look into his beautiful mismatched eyes again, the like of which you’d never seen before. The deep gray on his right side, and the pale blue on his left. Pale blue…

Pale blue? Right, pale blue. Just like the pair you were staring up into right now.

“Uh, Touya?”

The name left your lips before you’d even given it a proper thought. You knew it was a stretch, it had to be a stretch, but that nagging sensation from earlier… the moment you’d said that name, it had completely disappeared. A flame Quirk, pale blue eyes, the picture you’d found on Endeavor’s desk, and the way Dabi had smiled ruefully as he snatched you out of Shouto’s grasp.

If you were wrong, then it was just a name, and there was no reason for him to react. But he did react. Even if it was slight, you noticed the way his eyes widened and how his shoulders tensed up.

Dabi clenched his jaw. “The hell was that? You delusional now too?”

“Whoa, am I seriously right—”

“Shigaraki, I’m killing her.”

“Dabi, cool your jets,” Shigaraki snapped. “I think sensei would want someone strong like her on our side. Don’t get so worked up over a damn kid…”

He trailed off near the end of his sentence on account of a loud knock that could be heard from the other side of the walls.

“Hello! Pizza delivery!”

You blinked, shrinking away from the flame burning awfully close to your face. “Wait, there’s pizza? What toppings did you guys pick out—”

The entire wall shattered open. This was probably the most violent pizza delivery you’d ever been privy to. It became apparent soon enough there was no pizza, which was a bit disappointing, but there was something even better waiting for you.

“You can’t run away, League of Villains,” All Might boomed. “Why, you ask? Because… we are here!”

Ah yes, sweet escape.

 

 

 

 

 

In manga and anime, something always went wrong during training camps. Now you could officially say that you’d experienced it for yourself.

To summarize your situation—

You’d been captured by the League of Villains after attempting (stupidly) to rescue that ungrateful piece of shit Katsuki, you’d been strapped to a chair and threatened with a flame to your face all the while having possibly just met another in-law (who already hated you), been graced with the momentary relief of the heroes’ appearance only to be quickly transported outside through some smelly black goo, and were currently outside trying to fend for yourself while All Might fought off against the League’s boss, All For One (AKA creepy-looking motherfucker).

Goddammit all, manga and anime couldn’t have possibly prepared you for this.

“[Name], quit dawdling around like a dipshit!” Katsuki yelled.

“Uh, excuse you? I’m the one who’s been covering your ass this whole time!”

You felt much better outside, with the still-darkened sky overhead. It was nearly dawn, and there was no more moon, but fighting out in the open was more innate, more natural. Right now, all you and Katsuki could do while All Might faced off against that super powerful villain was to hold your own against the other League members that were attacking you all at once. Two of them had been knocked out, Kurogiri and Dabi, so there weren’t any long-range attacks you had to worry about, but it was difficult to keep track of everything while a brutal battle waged right next to you. It was really scary to think of, but… this villain boss was ridiculous. There was a chance that All Might could actually lose.

Fuck, no time to think about that right now.

“Katsuki-kun, dodge!” you cried out, channeling a beam of energy that only barely missed the blonde’s shoulder.

“You bitch!” he spat. “You were aiming for me just then!”

“I told you to dodge, shit-for-brains!”

Personality-wise, the two of you were a terrible match. Even now, in the middle of a do-or-die battle, you were still at each others’ throats. But that was on the surface only. As much as you were bitching at each other, you were good at covering each other's blind spots and your Quirks were both versatile in terms of range. You had to stay alert, but you were doing alright. Still, every now and then All Might would let this guard down and the villain would manage to get in a brutal hit. You were in the hero’s way, and you knew it.

“Katsuki-kun, we need to get the hell out of here!”

“Wow, genius idea! Can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself!”

You tumbled out of the way, evading Toga’s knives, and slid towards him. “Fly me out of here on your back, asshole!”

“If I could’ve, I would’ve done it by now!”

“Fuck, you’re useless!”

He muttered something under his breath, probably about how much of a bitch you were, and then he was tugging you by the wrist so that he could jerk you out of the way. You stumbled backwards, struggling to regain your balance, and it was then that your head unintentionally tilted up to the sky.

You saw it, a massive pillar of ice that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, and three figures that had just come off it and were soaring overhead. Even through all the sound of destruction, Kirishima’s voice echoed out.

Come!”

You didn’t even wait another second before leaping onto Katsuki’s back. “Blasty boy, go zoom!”

“Fucking bitch,” he grimaced, but you caught the edges of his lips curled up into a small smile. You settled onto his back, held on tight, and each of his palms sparked off into a massive explosion that sent you veering through the sky and right towards your group of friends. Katsuki threw out one of his hands at the last second and locked grip with Kirishima. “Man,” he chuckled, “are you guys stupid, or what?”

“Holy shit, we escaped!” you breathed, holding onto the blonde’s body for dear life.

“You’re just lucky I didn’t leave you behind,” Katsuki snapped.

“The hell did you just say?!”

“Guys, this is no time to be arguing!”

You couldn’t help but disagree; there was always time for arguing, but you’d be lying if you said that relief wasn’t flooding your chest. The five of you soared through the air, the arc of your trajectory sloping off and eventually leading you back towards the ground. You’d successfully made it out in one piece, and All Might was now free to fight without any distractions. This was a win.

You’d emerged in front of the train station, where crowds of civilians were rushing out every which way, chaos spreading all around. The police and pros were doing their best to keep the situation under control, but panic was inevitable. There was a massive TV screen where you were, and people were clustered all around it, watching All Might’s fight in real time.

“[Name]-chan, Kacchan, thank god you guys are okay,” Izuku sighed, rubbing away the small tears that had formed in his eyes.

“That was a successful rescue!” Kirishima beamed, giving you a thumbs up.

“Rescue, my ass!” Katsuki gritted out. “Listen up, I wasn’t rescued by anybody! The two of us were in All Might’s way, and I figured escaping with you idiots was my best chance!”

You rolled your eyes. “Quit being such a tsundere.”

“The hell’s that supposed to mean?!”

Izuku squeezed your arm and flashed you a wobbly smile, and then he was dialing away at his phone and pressing it up against his ear. “Todoroki, how are you guys doing over there? Everything’s fine over on our end.”

So I wasn’t imagining it, Shouto-kun really did come…

Though it was admittedly pretty surprising to see your ex-boyfriend and your current boyfriend cooperating together, you didn’t really have the time to dwell on it too long.

“Can I please talk to Shouto-kun?” you asked.

Izuku smiled and handed you the phone. “Yeah. He was just asking the same thing.”

You squeezed his hand, gripped the phone in your fingers, and pressed it up against your ear.

“Shouto-kun—”

“[Name]!” his voice puffed out frantically. “You’re safe, right? Not hurt or anything? Yaoyorozu and I had to go around to the other side, but I’m going to run over to you right now. Stay put with the rest of them, okay?”

“Okay,” you smiled, warmth spreading across your cheeks. “I’ll stay here and wait for you.”

You did as you promised and stayed put. Through the massive TV screen, you could see that All Might’s fight was taking a turn for the worst. That villain, All For One, was just so much more powerful than you could possibly imagine. Civilians were pressed up against each other in the crowd, unable to hide the worry on their expressions. You could hear the mumbles of uncertainty all around—the thought that All Might could actually lose.

You should’ve been afraid, like everyone else, but in reality, you weren’t even able to focus your full attention on the fight. You just kept on shooting glances in the opposite direction, searching for that bi-colored hair that you knew would stand out against the rest.

“[Name]!”

It was so loud, but somehow you heard Shouto’s voice all the same. He elbowed his way through masses of people, calling out to you over and over again, uncaring as to who heard him and all the strange looks people were shooting his way. You didn’t even think to look back at your friends. You just ran off towards him, your body falling comfortably into his arms.

You beamed up at him. “I saw your ice earlier, and I knew you came.”

“Of course I did. Not coming to save you was never an option.”

He cradled the back of your head and led your lips to his own. The kiss was warm, gentle, and everything you needed right now.

Chapter 32: [32 - the bond called "family"]

Chapter Text

(seven years ago, America)

 

“[Name], can you help your father with the shopping bags?”

“Okay!”

Your feet padded across the carpet as you raced to the front door and helped take a few bags into your small arms. They were a lot heavier than you’d expected, and your brows furrowed under the strain. You eventually made it to the kitchen and set them down by the cupboards.

“Good girl,” your mother praised, patting your head lightly. She gave you a smile; a small, subtle one that most might’ve missed, but it didn’t slip past you. It was enough to make you smile back in return. She was nowhere near as affectionate as most of your friends’ moms, but it didn’t bother you. You liked her mild temperament. Whenever you did something good, she would praise or encourage you in that soft manner of hers, and if you did something wrong, she was patient enough to help you understand the problem rather than get worked up and punish you outright.

You helped your father take out the groceries and start putting them where they belonged, but you could hear him let out a long sigh behind you.

“So expensive,” he grumbled. “The prices here are way too steep… we can’t afford to keep buying so much.”

“But honey, we’re hardly making it through the month as is,” your mother sighed. “Any less than this and we’ll go hungry. [Name] rarely even has enough to take with her at school for lunch…”

“We’ll need to tough it out for a while, then. Just until I can find a proper investor. We’re in the middle of the worst of it right now. I’ve got some more interviews lined up this week that’ll completely turn our situation around.”

Your mother shook her head. “You keep saying that.”

“Because I know I’m close.” He looked down at you with weary eyes, heavy from many sleepless nights, and gave you a strained smile. “Don’t you think so too, [Name]? It’ll be so cool once your dad manages to start his company, right?”

“It’ll be cool!” you boisterously agreed. “Once we have the company, we’ll be able to help a lot of people, right? That’s super cool!”

“Yes, we’ll be helping a lot of people, and we won’t have to worry about affording our bills anymore. We can have a nice, big meal for dinner every night.”

You grinned happily, ignoring the soft gurgle that was building up in your stomach. It was true that you were often hungry, and your clothes were nowhere near as nice as the ones the kids at your school wore, but it was okay. You knew your parents were in the middle of something big, and once they figured it out, everything would be alright. Even if you didn’t have much, you were happy just being with them. When the three of you were together, you felt warm.

 

---

 

“Dude, look! What is she wearing?” a boy nudged his friend, making no effort to hide the way he was laughing straight in your face.

“Her shoes are all ripped up. Ha-ha, lame! Go back to the streets, hobo!”

You slumped your shoulders, glancing down at your worn, tattered sneakers. They had definitely seen better days, that was for sure. The soles were almost completely peeling off, which made you step a little funny when you walked. It wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary, though. A lot of the kids at school were just terrible bullies, making fun of your “dumb” clothes and “ugly” shoes whenever they had the chance. Lately they seemed rather fond of calling you a hobo, though the teachers had chastised them immediately the second they’d heard that nickname start going around.

It was annoying to deal with, and there were times when you did admittedly feel just a smidge embarrassed, but you normally handled such situations with absolute grace.

You turned towards the two boys, smiled warmly, then proceeded to knee them in the balls. They keeled over onto the ground, crying like a bunch of babies and whining about how they were about to throw up. You stared down at them and chuckled in amusement.

“That’s what you get,” you snickered. “Stop saying mean things about me, or next time I’ll shove my foot up your butt. Also, no offense, but you’re not really in a position to comment on other peoples’ appearances. Both of you are both pretty ugly.”

You ended up in the principal’s office for the fourth time that semester.

“Um, Mr. and Mrs. [Last Name],” the principal began with a sigh, “while I understand that some of the students are rather cruel to [Name] and say some very disrespectful things, I think she really needs to learn that responding with violence is not the solution.”

Your mother smiled sweetly. “All due respect, those children are the ones instigating these situations. She never provokes anyone. She’s a good, smart girl who knows how to keep to herself and even helps others when they’re in need. You’re more than welcome to speak to the parents of the children [Name] has made friends with. She helps them with material they struggle to understand, and even mediates fights between friends. Our daughter is most certainly not the source of the problem.”

“Sometimes words are not enough to deter bullies,” your father glared. “Actually, I’m rather appalled by how long you’ve allowed this situation to persist. Why haven’t the parents of those kids made any attempts to rectify their behavior? [Name] is being persecuted every time she steps foot on these school grounds purely because of our financial situation. Right now, there’s only so much we can do. Isn’t it the duty of the teachers to ensure that this is a safe environment for all children?”

“We have spoken to their parents,” the principal sweat-dropped. He was a small, wiry little thing and clearly not fit to have a confrontation with your parents. “I have explained to them the consequences time and time again, and the teachers have spoken directly with the students on this matter, but they just don’t seem to be understanding.”

“So, punish them. Suspend them, or expel them. To allow this to go on for so long is absolutely ridiculous. Or, what?” your father challenged, his jaw clenching. “Are we not important enough to this school? Because we don’t have money and are incapable of contributing to activity fees and volunteer funds, does that mean our child isn’t worthy of the school’s protection?”

“N-No, of course not—”

“Then fix it,” your father gritted out. “Do you have any idea how painful it is for us to see our child suffer day after day, through no fault of her own? Because of our own inadequacy, her life is already more difficult than it should be. At the very least, I want her to be able to look forward to going to school.”

Your parents stormed out the room, and your eyes lit up as you saw them coming back to the waiting lobby, where you’d been told to sit until they were done with their meeting.

“How did it go?” you asked meekly. “Um… did I mess up really bad this time? I’m sorry… I just couldn’t—”

“You have absolutely nothing to apologize for, sweet girl.” Your mother mussed your hair and leaned down to give you a peck on the cheek. “You’re so strong, honey. Those children see how smart, kind, and funny you are, and they can’t help but take out their jealousy on you. Hopefully getting roughed up a bit will be enough for them to learn their lesson.”

You felt your chest swell. There it was. Even if your parents weren’t as gushy and sentimental as others, you knew you could always count on them to see things from your perspective. They understood what kind of person you were, and what you needed. No matter what, you could count on them.

“Mom, dad?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“I really love you guys.”

 

---

 

For most people, the worst part about moving away was the friends they left behind, but you didn’t feel that way.

When your parents had first announced that they wanted to leave Japan and go to the States looking for better job opportunities, you weren’t struck with that panic and fear that most people described. For you, it was a chance to meet different people, and make new friends. You didn’t see it as loss but as an opportunity for growth.

You’d been living here almost a year now, and though admittedly some of the kids at school were a lot meaner than back in Japan, other than that, you could say that you were happy. Your family had never really had money to begin with; that was why they’d moved here in the hopes of fast-tracking their careers with their impressive education, discipline, and strong work ethic.

Unfortunately, it hadn’t gone as planned, but one day, it seemed like things were about to change for good.

“Honey, we got it,” your father breathed, practically shaking as he gripped your mother’s hands in his own. “I’ve found the right people to fund my start-up. It’s happening. It’s finally happening.”

“Oh, darling, that’s amazing!” she cried out, burying her flushed cheeks against his neck.

“Yes, it looks like we’ll be heading home even sooner than expected.”

“Heading home…?”

“The opportunity is too good to pass up,” he said, pulling away from her. “We’re going to move back to Japan. The truth is, I was starting to lose hope, but during one of my interviews, the man handed me a business card and said that an old colleague of his, based in Japan, might be interested in something like this. I didn’t want to get too ahead of myself and make another big decision like this on a whim, but after we had a few phone calls and video conferences, he gave me the go-ahead.”

You cocked your head to the side. “We’re moving back to Japan?”

“That’s right, sweetheart.” Your father smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry. We keep zipping you around all over the place. I’m sure you must be tired of all these changes happening so fast, and even after you’d managed to make some good friends over here…”  

“Hm, it’s okay,” you smiled, surprising both your parents with your earnest acceptance. “I don’t mind as long as we’re together. Plus, this means that good things are going to start happening for the company, right? It’s all working out! Of course I’m happy about that.”

“My, what did we do to deserve such a good girl?”

“Just you wait, [Name]. Soon daddy’s going to have enough money to treat you to all the new clothes and desserts you want.”

You giggled, letting their arms wrap around your small frame. It was another change for the future, and you couldn’t wait to see what it held in store.

 

 

 

 

(present day, Japan)

 

Every now and then, you still thought of those days. There had been several years that you could recall, back when you were younger, when your family had actually been happy. It was just so strange because you couldn’t for the life of your remember exactly at what point the love between you had blurred and melted away, and things had taken a turn for the worst.

“[Name], you’re safe,” your mother breathed.

Of course you were safe. The fight between All Might and All for One had been broadcasted all around, and the police had confirmed the safety of the two U.A students which had been captured. You and Katsuki had both been taken in for police questioning, but shortly thereafter you’d been released. A part of you was almost positive Shouto and Fuyumi would be the ones to pick you up, but you realized—with great dissatisfaction—that although you were living in the Todoroki house, your parents were still your legal guardians. Which made for a very unpleasant encounter after an already pretty shitty day.

“I’m alive,” you droned robotically. “I guess I should apologize for that.”

Your mother bit her lip. “Please don’t say those things. We watched that fight unfold… you really could have died. We’re more thankful to see you than you could ever realize.”

You batted your lashes. The fight with that villain had undoubtedly been devastating. Because of that, All Might had completely lost his powers. You still remembered seeing his true form on that TV screen, that thin figure which was practically a skeleton. A man so weakened had laid his life on the line in order to protect those around him. It made you realize just how amazing the hero profession was, and though you were aware of the fact that you could be lazy at times and goof off, you really wanted to put your best effort forward from now on.

“Anyways, I’m fine,” you brushed off. “You guys can head back. I’ll send Shouto-kun a message and he’ll come with his sister to pick me up.”

“You don’t… want to sleep at home for a change?”

The suggestion was soft; timid, almost. Your mother looked ashamed to be saying the words. It was weird, because if they really wanted to, all they had to do was say the word. It wasn’t like you were allowed to have a will of your own.

“I’d rather not,” you replied coldly.

“Ah… I see.” She cast her head down, squeezing her hands together and shuffling her shoulders forward. It was really unsettling to look that. What the hell was her problem? Why was she acting all fidgety and gross? She’d never had a problem saying what was on her mind before.

“[Name],” your father spoke up, and he too seemed to have a strange expression. “We understand.”

They… understand.

“The fuck?” you couldn’t help but snap. “You understand what?”

“We understand why you don’t want to be with us, even after such a frightening experience,” he explained. “And… we know that we haven’t exactly been the kind of parents you would want to turn to in a situation like this.”

“Oh.”

You didn’t really know how else to respond. This had all caught you incredibly off-guard. After the Stain incident, they’d barely batted an eye, and Shouto had cursed them out for being so cold and disinterested in their daughter’s well-being. Honestly, you’d expected the exact same treatment this time around, but either they were telling the truth, or they were just really good actors, because the look on their faces was far too convincing.

You almost wanted to kick yourself for asking, but…

“Are you trying to say you were actually worried about me?”

“Of course we were. You could’ve been killed—”

“How is this any different from the incident with the Hero Killer?”

“That was…” Your mother hung your head. “No, you’re right. You were in just as much danger back then, too. We took it for granted because you made it out without any serious injuries, and we didn’t realize just how terrifying it was to be in the middle of such a situation. That incident wasn’t televised like All Might’s fight against this villain was. Now that we were able to see firsthand just how fearsome these villains were, we came to understand the danger you constantly expose yourself to.”

Your eyes were like ice. “Most parents would have been worried from the very start. Becoming a hero means throwing yourself headfirst into danger. This is the life I chose, and it never seemed to faze you before.”

“We knew that you were strong, and we took comfort in that fact. I’m sorry. I don’t know why we weren’t there for you more. We… it’s just…” She drew in a sharp breath. “Me and your father… we haven’t been happy for a very long time. We’re not ourselves anymore. Sometimes I stop to think of all the things I’ve said to you and I can hardly believe those words actually left my mouth.”

“I know. We aren’t happy together.”

She shrunk back from your words, as if you’d spewed venom her way. You hadn’t intended for it to be a bitter, hurtful remark. It was just the truth. The three of you were never happy anymore, at least not around each other. One day something had just happened—be it the stress of managing a company, all the people your parents had cut ties with, or just the simple fact that they no longer enjoyed each other’s company. You couldn’t pin it down to a single event, but whatever it was, it had been going on for long enough.

“Your mother and I are going to get a divorce,” your father told you. It wasn’t all that surprising; honestly, you’d been wondering why it hadn’t happened earlier, but your brow still twitched in spite of the acceptance in your mind. Your body reacted on its own. Perhaps deep down, a part of you had been hoping to one day salvage what was left of this family.

“We’ve been miserable,” your mother said. “For far too long. We still intend to maintain a professional relationship and manage the business together, but that’s as far as it will go. It was a mistake to mix work and love in the first place. It ruined what we had, but ironically enough, it’s now all we have left. Other than you.”

“Me?”

“Yes,” she smiled, possibly the most genuinely you could remember in a long time. “We’ve been unfair, [Name]. The truth is that we knew it for a long time, but we just kept allowing it to happen. Your father and I took out our frustrations on you. The bitterness of having our relationship fall apart, the stress of the company… you were always such a strong, upfront girl, not afraid to try new things and speak your mind, but I noticed the way you seemed to crumble in front of us. We took advantage of that. Even if we tried not to, you become an outlet for all of our negativity. We even forced your engagement onto you…”

You listened attentively. It was the first time in years that they were speaking to you so openly, so unguarded. You understood where they were coming from. More often than not, when parents would find themselves falling out of love, the child would be the one to suffer for it, whether it was intentional or not. It wasn’t as if you could lie and say that they were completely to blame; after all, you’d been rejecting them just as strongly as they’d been pushing you away. Still. Even if you could, to some degree, understand why things had gotten to this point, you weren’t ready to forgive everything they’d done.

“I appreciate you telling me this,” you mumbled. “And I’m sorry that the two of you aren’t happy together anymore. I could see it happening, but… I know it’s not the same as experiencing it for yourself, so I won’t pretend like I can understand. That being said, I don’t think we’ll all of a sudden be able to get along. I’ve practically been conditioned by this point to associate every interaction I have with either of you to something negative. It puts me on edge, makes me anxious, makes me react in ways that I’m not proud of. I just don’t think we’re in a good place right now.”

Your father lowered his eyes to the ground. “[Name]… do you hate us?”

Ah.

There it was. You could never have imagined that your cold, manipulative parents would ever care to seek out the answer to that question themselves. For the longest time, it really did feel like they could give less of a shit about you. The engagement with Shouto was proof of that. Your voice, your desires… none of that mattered to them. They had made that abundantly clear time and time again.

The answer should have been easy. It was easy, but the way they looked at you, with tears filling their eyes, made you wish it wasn’t.

“If someone were to ask me that question right now, I would probably say yes,” you admitted, watching the way their expressions sank even further. “I’ve said yes a lot of times actually, even whenever I asked myself. But it’s true that we never once took the time to talk any of this out. We all completely closed ourselves off. I didn’t realize that you guys were even having these kind of thoughts. Honestly… I really thought you didn’t love me at all anymore.”

“That isn’t true,” your mother whimpered, catching a stray tear with her index finger. “Honey, please tell her that isn’t true…”

“It’s fine. Just let [Name] talk.”

“I’m aware that there are all kind of families out there,” you said. “Cruel, abusive ones, who torment their children for all sorts of twisted reasons. I know I shouldn’t be feeling so sorry for myself when there are so many others that have it way worse. Still, I really can’t remember the last time I truly felt at home back when I was with you guys. It just didn’t feel natural anymore. The only times I was actually happy was when I was out of that house, away from you. I’d come to associate too many sad things with being around the two of you.”

Your mother swallowed, trying to hold in her sobs. Your father held her by the hand as he listened.

“I don’t think family is something that is decided simply by blood. The bond of family is probably a lot stronger than that, which is why even those who were formally strangers can come to regard each other as family.” You paused for a moment, then remembered Shouto, and a small smile rose to your lips. “I know that families can grow apart. Horrible things can happen between them, but it’s also possible that they can learn to forgive and be forgiven. Even now, even when I remember all the times I felt so insignificant and afraid in front of you two, I still can’t bring myself to completely hate you. I know I’m not ready to forgive yet, but someday, I would really like to be able to.”

The sobs broke free, your mother shuddering and wailing into her palms. It made your chest feel tight, and if you didn’t hold strong, you knew you’d be at risk of breaking down too.

Your father rubbed her back and looked over at you, his eyes puffy and red.

“We understand, [Name]. You can take your time.”

“Thank you,” you trembled.

“That Todoroki family… have you managed to become a bit more comfortable around them? Or is this yet another form of suffering we’ve inflected onto you? Looking back on it now, it really does seem ludicrous… to put a teenage girl up to be engaged. I know it won’t erase all that’s happened so far, but we will speak to Enji-san and try to get the engagement annulled—”

“No.”

He blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“No, don’t do that,” you said sternly, and you could feel your cheeks getting warm. “I’m happy there. It was difficult at first, and I couldn’t even wrap my head around it, but things are different now. I’ve come to like it a lot. I have no desire to annul my engagement.”

“Oh… I see.” He nodded at you and smiled. Actually smiled. How long had it been since you’d seen your father with a smile?  

“Yeah, so it’s fine. I’m not mad about it anymore. I guess, in a way, it worked out for the better.”

“If you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”

It was strange. Part of you felt unsettled, not used to seeing your parents behave in this way, but another, smaller part of you was almost relieved. It felt as if the child in you, from many years back, was finally happy again.

“I’ll have Shouto-kun pick me up now,” you said, turning your head away from them. “He shouldn’t be too long.”

“Okay. And [Name]?”

“Yes?”

They smiled at you. “Just remember you can come home whenever you want.”

Chapter 33: [33 - stay together]

Chapter Text

After your parents had confirmed your safety both with their own eyes and made assurances to the police, you were free to leave with Shouto.

Fuyumi had been the one to come and pick you up. Though you assumed it must have been because Endeavor was busy dealing with all the responsibility that came with All Might losing his position, it became apparent as soon as you stepped into the house that wasn’t the case. He was a bundle of nerves, having taken it upon himself to throw and break equipment inside the dojo, small flames kindling along the floor.

“He’s been like that ever since he got back,” Fuyumi remarked grimly. “He’s taking this news pretty bad…”

You couldn’t help but feel a touch of sympathy for him. Though he was by no means someone you could relate to, you understood what this all meant for him. He’d devoted all his life to surpassing All Might—even going so far as to raise Shouto as his successor through cruel means, and now the Number One spot had just been handed to him by forfeit. Not through success or accomplishment, but simply because he was the next in line to take up that position.

I’m sure he didn’t want to become Number One like this.

Still, calling out to him now would do little other than anger him even more. He needed time to cool off and get his head straight. Even if he was an asshole father, he was still a hero, and he had a duty to the public. He needed to step up now that the Symbol of Peace had been retired.

Shouto squeezed your wrist and sighed. “Sorry. I’m sure after everything you’ve been through, this is the last thing you wanted to come home to. It’s not exactly a pleasant situation.”

“I don’t mind. I just wanted to be with you.”

The words rolled off your tongue as if they were only natural, and Shouto blushed a bit in response. In any case, it was the truth. Even though your family seemed to be trying to turn over a new leaf, you weren’t quite ready to be with them. Shouto was the person you wanted next to you right now.

“You two should head back to your rooms,” Fuyumi suggested. “It’s probably best to avoid him for the time being.”

“Probably,” Shouto agreed.

You heeded Fuyumi’s words, though you certainly didn’t each go off to your separate rooms. Even if you’d tried, you were sure Shouto would have refused to let go of your hand. He laid out a futon on the ground, and you were expecting that he pull out another one, but he merely sat down and patted the blanket expectantly.

“You must be tired,” he said. “Lay down for a bit.”

“Um, okay.” You glanced around, cheeks slowly getting warm. “Where are you going to stay?”

“I can’t be next to you?”

He said it so innocently, eyebrows drooping over his mismatched eyes. He looked like a sad little puppy, and you didn’t have the heart to tell him no.

“Of course you can,” you chuckled, settling into the futon. “Come on. Get over here.”

His lips curled into a smile. He gingerly lifted the other edge of the blanket and shuffled in next to you. It was already warm under the covers, but feeling his body curl up against yours was making it even toastier. You knew that if he wanted to, he could adjust the temperature as he pleased. Lucky guy. He never had to worry about being too hot or too cold.

“Your Quirk is really convenient,” you remarked.

“Huh?” Shouto blinked. “You think so?”

“Mhm.” You squirmed a bit to adjust your position. The futon wasn’t small, but it wasn’t all that big either. When he’d laid down next to you, you were close, but there was still a respectable amount of space between the two of you. Normally, you could appreciate having space to yourself, but when it came to Shouto, you couldn’t help but yearn to have him smother you. With a wry grin, and albeit a bit shamelessly, you moved until your chest was pressing against his and you even dangled one of your legs over his own.

As expected, his cheeks darkened. “[Name],” he mumbled shyly. “Uh… are you okay being so close together? I’m not making you uncomfortable or anything, am I?”

“Nope,” you replied with a smile. “I’m the one who moved, after all.”

“I see. Well, as long as you’re fine with it…”

You could feel how quickly his heart was beating in his chest, not that your own was any less excited. You searched for his hand under the futon, warmth spreading through your chest when you found it and intertwined your fingers with his. Shouto seemed to only get redder as the seconds passed. His expression wasn’t passive or aloof like usual. It was actually pretty funny, especially considering how good he was at not showing his emotions, but he really was terrible at hiding his embarrassment. His brows were adorably furrowed and he was actively avoiding eye contact.

You giggled. “Shouto-kun, you’re so cute.”

“Eh? I am?” He looked surprised by the compliment, and maybe even a little happy, at least at first, but he soon gave you a little pout. “You’re not really complimenting me, are you? I feel like you’re just teasing me like always.”

“No, no, I really mean it,” you insisted.

“I fail to see what part of me is cute. I feel like that word describes you much better.”

“Such a romantic,” you fake-swooned, fanning your cheeks while chuckling. Shouto didn’t seem to share in your amusement. He let out an annoyed huff, and as if deciding that he would get back at you, wrapped his arms around your waist and squeezed you tight.

“No more making fun of me,” he frowned, though he was hardly intimidating with how red his face was.

You chuckled one more time but decided to give the teasing a break for now. It was really strange. It had only been a few hours since you’d been held hostage by villains and nearly killed in the process, but you felt safer right now than ever. Just being with him like this made the day’s events feel like distant, fading memories.

Oh, yeah… that villain, Dabi…

You remembered how shocked he’d looked when you’d referred to him as Touya, though he’d quickly regained his composure. It was probably quite a stretch to jump to conclusions the way you had. You barely knew anything about Shouto’s other brother; he’d never even brought him up to you. If you went to Endeavor with this small bit of information, what would he do with it? This family had already been through enough. You feared what would happen if you made a mockery of their grief and your assumption turned out to be wrong, or even worse—if it turned out to be right.

You decided you would try to figure out a solution to his problem eventually, just not right now. Right now, everything was too perfect. You didn’t want to ruin the moment. You just wanted to be here.

Feeling emboldened by how safe you felt in Shouto’s arms, you tilted your head up and pressed your lips against his own. Shouto’s eyes widened, but rather than stiffen up in surprise he leaned back into your frame and deepened the kiss. You could feel pinpricks dancing down your spine as he knotted his fingers in your hair and held you as close as he possibly could.

“Kiss me more,” you breathed.

Shouto didn’t say anything, but the shuddering breath that left his lips was enough for you to know how he was feeling. He squeezed his eyes shut and kissed you again, this time with a forcefulness that you didn’t even know he possessed. Your limbs were tangled under the covers, so you had nowhere to move. You barely even had space to breathe, but oddly enough, you preferred it that way. The hot, suffocating feeling that was building up in your lungs was something you found yourself welcoming wholeheartedly.

You moved your lips at a feverish pace, pleasantly surprised when you felt his tongue roll under yours. He didn’t seem like the type, but it was amazing just how passionate he could be. You held onto him by the back of his shirt and your eyes went wide when you heard yourself let out a soft moan.

“S-Sorry,” you hastily apologized, though Shouto didn’t look upset in the slightest. His face was so red you were actually starting to get a bit worried. You opened your mouth to ask him if he was feeling alright, but he rolled you over onto your back and kissed you so hard you felt your heart jump.

His tongue flicked over your bottom lip, and he pulled away for a moment, sweat glazing his brow.

“Is this… okay?” he asked shakily.

“Is what okay?”

“W-What we’re doing right now,” he stammered. “I just… I don’t want to go too far or end up doing something you’re not comfortable with. If I ever scared you or hurt you in any way, I would hate myself forever.”

Your shoulders slumped. This poor boy. He was handling you as if you were so delicate, still afraid that he might do something you wouldn’t like. It must’ve had to do with his father. Seeing the bitter relationship his parents had must have made him afraid to end up doing the same to someone else.

“I would never be scared of you, and I know you would never hurt me.” You grabbed his hand and smiled. “I really like you, Shouto-kun. It’s obvious I enjoy being with you and doing these kinds of things. Don’t worry. Nobody trusts you more than I do.”

Shouto stared down at you, unmoving. Then his lip started to quiver, and you could see small tears brimming in his eyes. You nearly shot up from your spot to try and comfort him, but he quickly wiped away at his eyes with his free hand and smiled back.

“Thank you, [Name]. You make me feel so happy I sometimes wonder how it’s even possible. I really like you too. Actually, I think I might… l-love you…”

His confession came with him squeezing his eyes shut, trembling and too afraid to look at your expression. You were almost in disbelief at what you’d just heard. Yes, Izuku had also told you he’d loved you before, but somehow this felt… different.

You felt different.

“Shouto-kun.” You patted his cheek so that he would open his eyes again. When he did, you smiled encouragingly. “Thank you for telling me that. I’m sure you’d want nothing else than to hear it back right this second, but I don’t want to say those words half-heartedly. In my previous relationship, I realize I didn’t fully mean them. I get it now because I care for you so much more than I ever have for anyone else. But I’m sure before long I’ll be able to say them without even thinking twice, so just… wait for me a bit, okay?”

His entire body seemed to relax, and he gazed down at you with nothing but adoration.

“Yes… I’ll be patient. I don’t care however long it takes.”

“I have a feeling it won’t take very long,” you blushed.

“[Name]?”

“Yes?”

Shouto swallowed, once again averting his gaze. “This will probably sound really bad after what I just said, but… could I touch you? W-Would that be okay?”

You blushed again. “Of course.”

“You’re sure?”

“I am sure.”

He exhaled slowly, looking very uncertain of what he should do next. He leaned forward and pressed another chaste kiss to your lips, and then began trailing his fingers up your leg. They passed by your hips, stopping briefly to squeeze your waist. When his hand lined up above your chest, he paused.

“Don’t be scared,” you laughed. “They don't bite."

His cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk’s, and you couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty on account of how you’d promised earlier to stop teasing him. Shouto seemed intent on holding you to those words. You yelped a bit when he bit the skin by your collarbone, and one hand began palming the back of your thigh.

Shouto did his best to hold a steady glare. “I told you not to make fun of me. I have no choice but to punish you now.”  

 

 

 

 

 The following days came with a disappointing announcement.

“No!” you refused, squeezing Shouto’s arm against your chest. “We’re staying right here! Shouto-kun and I aren’t moving into the dorms!”

The boy flushed violently, no doubt a bit embarrassed about having his homeroom teacher see you be so affectionate with each other.

Aizawa looked tired of your shit like always. “This dorm system is being implemented for your own good. In light of everything that’s happened recently, we need to ensure that our students are safe. Besides, your parents already agreed. The school was made aware of your living arrangements with the Todoroki family, but it isn’t for them to decide. Your mother and father said they wanted what was best for you, but ultimately, they said you still had permission to refuse.”

“Oh, good,” you huffed. “I’m glad they’re finally doing something decent for a change.”

“That being said, if Todoroki is given permission to stay at the dorms, then you would have to go back with living with your parents. They are still your legal guardians.”

You looked over to Endeavor with an uncharacteristically bright smile. “Endeavor-sama, please refuse on my behalf!”

Unfortunately, this man was also tired of your shit.

“Yes, yes, they can both stay at the dorms,” he waved off.

“You traitorous pile of horse crap!”  

“Watch your mouth, brat!”

You buried your face in your palms and pretended to sob. Shouto watched you with a confused expression and stroked your back, occasionally mumbling a “there, there”. Aizawa couldn’t understand for the life of him what was so bad about moving into the dorms with the rest of your classmates, even as All Might chuckled good-naturedly and tried to get him to calm down.

Truth be told, it would probably be pretty fun, getting to stay under the same roof as everyone else, but you’d really come to think of this place as your home. Even though it was an arrangement that had originally been forced upon you, it had brought you so much solace and peace; refuge from your family, when you needed it most. Because of all the time you’d spent together here, you’d gotten to know Shouto better and as a result, you now had your current relationship. Not to mention…

“It’s not fair!” you wailed out. “I wanted to be the only one to know Shouto-kun’s living habits! What happens if all the girls in my class start falling for him?! You’ll be to blame for that, sensei!”

Shouto shook his head and gave you a solemn look. “That would never happen. You’re the only one I’ll ever look at that way, [Name].”

Endeavor groaned and massaged his temples, looking all kinds of humiliated. Aizawa looked equally put-off by your shameless flirting. Whatever. Stupid adults always forcing things on you. Stupid U.A and their stupid new policies.

“Perhaps U.A should consider getting their shit together,” you stated rudely.

“Hm? I see. So that’s your opinion, [Name]. Admittedly, U.A’s current state isn’t one to be proud of, considering how we allowed our students to come to harm, but…” Aizawa rolled up his sleeves and gave you a murderous look. “Step outside for a moment, I just want to talk.”

“A-Aizawa-sensei, please calm down!” All Might urged. The poor man, having carried the hopes of so many on his shoulders for such a long time. You could only imagine just how tirelessly he’d worked himself all these years. Even now, he was still the center of attention on account of his secret had been revealed. It was sad that he’d tried to protect that secret all this time, only to have it divulged in such a way. He really was a hero, through and through. And he even had to deal with Aizawa all the time. What a sad fate.

“In any case, I’ve already given my permission, so hurry up and leave,” Endeavor gritted out, already standing up. Though this meeting had only taken a few minutes, you noticed how he’d avoided eye contact with All Might the entire time. It was only slightly less awkward because there were other people in the room besides them.

He’ll need to come around to this change eventually, but I’m sure it can’t be easy.

You turned around and gave the flame hero a cheeky thumbs up. “Cheer up, Shit-deavor.”

“[Name], step into the dojo,” he growled. “I just want to talk.”

“Wow, I’m popular today, huh?”

Chapter 34: [34 - gentle moonlight]

Chapter Text

It was officially time to move into the dorms.

“Wow, it’s huge!”

“We’re lucky kids, that’s for sure.”

Even though you definitely weren’t U.A’s biggest fan, you had to hand it to them this time. They’d done a great job with setting up the dorms, and so quickly, at that. It was certainly spacious, at least that’s how it seemed from the outside. Normally, you wouldn’t have had any complaints about moving into such a cool place, but the fact that you were bidding farewell to your domestic home life with Shouto still made you a little sad.

You bit down on your lip. “I will curse Aizawa-sensei until the day I die…”

“Eh, [Name], you good?”

“Don’t mind me, Kiri-chan. I’m just being an overdramatic brat.”

“Ah, o-okay then?”

It wasn’t actually that bad. This way, you’d get to spend more time with your classmates and get even closer to the rest of them. You were honestly surprised to see how many friends you’d been able to make here in such a short time. In middle school, most people had kept their distance from you because they were too sensitive and couldn’t handle your snarky jokes, though you supposed you were also to blame for that because you could be pretty rude and unapproachable at times. Being close to Izuku had been your salvation; for him too, because he’d never had many friends either. You’d expected a similar treatment at U.A, but the closer you’d gotten to Shouto and opened up more to one another, you’d apparently also done the same with the rest of your classmates. You felt so much happier right now. Really, you’d never been this happy before in your entire life.

Of course, Aizawa just had to shit all over that.

“Before I give you the tour of the dorms, I need to address something,” he muttered gruffly. “There were five of you—Todoroki, Midoriya, Kirishima, Yaoyorozu, and Iida. All of you took it upon yourselves to proceed to the site of Bakugou and [Name]’s rescue on that day.”

From what you’d heard, everyone in the class had been aware of their plans, but they either hadn’t truly believed that they would go through with it, or they’d known but chosen not to acknowledge it. Either way, Aizawa wasn’t happy. He said that it was obvious that the five who’d carried out the act should have been punished, but if it were up to him, he would’ve had everyone else expelled as well, with the exception of Jirou and Hagakure, who’d been unconscious in the hospital from the gas.

You shook your head in dismay. “So, it’s not enough that you have to separate me and my boyfriend from our cute traditional-style home, now you have to try and get him expelled too?”

“I was only saying this is what I would have done, if not for All Might’s retirement. It’s not actually happening. And watch your manners when you speak to me, you problem child.”

Because of your homeroom teacher’s bitching, the atmosphere had gotten rather tense, but it appeared that your careless words were enough to change the mood. Suddenly, people seemed fixated on a whole other thing entirely.

Uraraka blinked in confusion. “[Name]-chan, what did you mean by you and Todoroki being separated from your home?”

“Hm? Oh, we lived together up until now,” you said simply.

Everyone went silent, but it was only for a few moments.

WHAAAAT?!”

Students began pulling at you from every direction and tugging on your uniform. The girls were blushing in excitement and couldn’t stop heckling you with nonstop questions. Mineta was crying tears of blood in a jealous rage, Katsuki was shaking his head in disgust and repeatedly muttering “pervert” under his breath, and Izuku was stammering awkwardly and trying to get everyone to calm down, all the while regarding you with mildly pitying eyes. After all, none of this information was news to him anymore.

You were aware that what you’d disclosed was rather personal, but to be honest, you kind of wanted people to know. Now that you and Shouto were dating, you had the urge to brag and show him off. Your words had resulted in the effect you’d been hoping for, in any case. Everyone was looking at you in awe and bewilderment, regarding you as if you were some incredibly mature, enlightened being. Which couldn’t have been further from the truth, but it was still fun to see.

Shouto elbowed a few people out of the way and squeezed you against him, brows furrowed in annoyance. “Could you all please stop grabbing her? I’m going to get upset.”

“Whoa, so even Todoroki can get jealous…”

“Of course I can get jealous.” He glanced over at you, cheeks slowly reddening. “She isn’t just my girlfriend, she’s also my future wife. So please don’t test my patience.”

You nearly choked on your spit, but it was too late—the entire class had turned to uproar, some squealing at the top of their lungs, others too embarrassed by the boy’s bold statement to do much else other than gape at the two of you with flushed faces.

A few months prior, you would’ve lost your mind over something like this. The last thing you ever wanted your fellow classmates to know was how twisted your parents were when they’d forced a teenager like you into an engagement, but now, once again, you felt happy. Maybe it was stupid. Knowing you, it probably was, but you interpreted this as being yet more proof to the world that you were the most treasured person in Shouto’s life.

It almost felt like a crime to be smiling so hard. Was it a crime? You were trying to become a hero, so that would end up being a little awkward.

“Did Todoroki seriously just propose?!” Mina practically exploded, tugging at her horns in a frantic, overly-excited manner.

You chuckled. “No, it’s not like that. It was kind of something that was arranged by our families a while back. I can’t really get into the details, but… well, anyways. That’s the reason why I was staying at his house.”

“Eh? So you were engaged first, and then you started dating?!”

“You guys got the order all mixed up!”

It didn’t look like people would be calming down any time soon, but it was nice to see so many bright, supportive faces. Shouto was still blushing, even looking somewhat apologetic about his sudden confession.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I don’t know what came over me. I guess I really did get jealous seeing everyone grab you like that…”

“It’s okay. The way things are between us now, I don’t mind people knowing at all.” You grinned widely and grabbed him by the hand. He smiled and gave your fingers a light squeeze.

Poor Aizawa looked just about ready to shoot himself in the face.

Ahem. If you don’t mind, I’d like to actually get on with the tour…”

 

 

 

 

It had been a pretty eventful day, if you did say so yourself.

First and foremost, everyone was still buzzing over the revelation that you and Shouto were engaged, not to mention that you’d been living together up until this point. You were the hot commodity around the dorms, and honestly? You couldn’t blame them. Shouto was drop-dead gorgeous, adorably awkward, kind, and from a hero’s perspective—incredibly strong. He had so many good qualities that you’d overlooked at first because of how cold he’d been at the start, but after coming to terms with so many different things involving his family and you, he’d really become the best version of himself. You knew it sounded cheesy to say that, but he was practically perfect, it was hard not to simp for him.

“My boyfriend is such a hunk,” you sighed happily. You’d just finished up with showcasing everyone’s dorms and picking a favorite. Satou had ended up winning; not because of the dorm itself, but thanks to the deliciously fluffy sponge cake he’d baked.

“You mean your fiancé,” Mina corrected.

“Right. My boyfriend-slash-fiancé is such a hunk,” you sighed again.

The girl flashed you a cheeky grin. “As long as you’re happy! You two really are a good match, though. Ah, man! I want to hurry up and get a boyfriend too!”

“I’m sure you will soon enough. Our high school life’s still got a ways to go.”

Now that you’d finished going around and showing off everyone’s rooms, with the exception of a select few, it had gotten pretty late. You were tired, mainly from unpacking and setting everything in place, though you’d done a pretty lazy job of it. While everyone was checking out your room, you’d failed to take note of some thin, lacy panties that were fallen next to the corner of your drawers and Kaminari had almost had a heart attack. Thankfully, Shouto had quickly clamped a hand over his mouth and kept the situation from exacerbating. You thought you heard him threatening to freeze the boy if he didn’t keep his mouth shut, which was pretty funny.

“[Name], you are way too careless,” he’d huffed at you. Just remembering his lightly furrowed brows and cute little pout was enough to make you turn to mush on the spot. He really was perfect. You were so, so lucky.

It was late, and you were definitely tired, but you kind of felt like going outside for some fresh air. You grabbed a thin hoodie and threw it on over your t-shirt, then made your way downstairs to the communal area. Aizawa was sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee in hand, scrolling through his phone. His dark, weary eyes lifted and he glared at you with the intensity of a thousand blades. As expected, it wasn’t going to be that easy.

“Just who I wanted to see,” he groaned loudly. “[Name], care to explain why you aren’t in your room or getting ready for bed?”

You beamed at him. “I would like to go and get some fresh air, sensei!”

“And I would like for you to stop giving me such a hard time, but clearly, not all of our wishes can be answered.”

“Sensei, all due respect, I feel that you treat me differently from the other students.”

“That’s a good joke. I know you’re not familiar with the concept of respect.”

“I respectfully disagree.” You pressed your lips together and let out a sigh. “Hey, can I really not go outside for some air? Just for a little bit? I understand you’re only worried about students’ safety and that’s why you have these rules in place, but… oh!” Your face lit up all of a sudden. “What if Shouto-kun goes with me? To supervise me and make sure I don’t try anything funny.”

Aizawa gaped at you. “Your solution to my refusal is to suggest that two students leave the dorms past curfew?”

“Um… yes?”

“You really are an idiot.” He rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath. You were prepared to just hang your head and call it a day, but to your surprise, Aizawa wasn’t done talking. “Fine,” he grimaced. “But only because it’s the first day and I can tell by the look in your eyes that you’re being genuine. Just for a few minutes, just to get some air. You two can hang out in the courtyard if you’d like. Don’t try anything inappropriate. If I take a few steps off this couch, I’ll be able to see everything.”

“Yay! Sensei, you’re the best!” you giggled, excitedly bouncing up and down. “Oh, um,” you frowned, “would kissing be considered inappropriate?”

“Get out of here before I change my mind.”

“Yes, sensei!”

You hurried upstairs to drag a very sleepy Shouto out of his room. He’d been itching to go bed during the whole room competition so you felt a bit bad, but he just smiled at you and nodded when you invited him to come outside.  

The night air was cold and crisp; when you inhaled, you could feel your lungs burning pleasantly.

“It’s so pretty out here,” you remarked, looking around the courtyard. “I really do have to give U.A credit where credit is due. They made the dorms look so nice for us.”

“It’s pretty, but you’re prettier,” Shouto smiled.

You chuckled softly. “Wow, when did you get so smooth?”

“Uh… I’ve always been like this?”

“Let’s just agree to disagree.”

You lifted your head up to the sky. It was a clear night, no clouds overhead, so you had a perfect view of the moon. It wasn’t a full moon, though, not anymore. It was in that transitory period where patches of black covered its surface, and it had begun to approach the shape of a crescent.

“I didn’t used to like this, you know.”

Shouto flashed you a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”

“When the moon was waning like this.” You raised your hand and extended your pointer finger. “It’s different when the moon’s completely out of sight and it starts to become visible again. I always liked watching it grow, but it made me sad to watch it disappear. I’m sure a good deal of that has to do with the way my powers work. The more connected I feel to the moon, the stronger I am. But it had a weird hold on my emotions, too, not just my Quirk. This might sound like a bit of a stretch, but whenever I watched the moon fade away, it kind of reminded me of myself.”

“Oh,” Shouto frowned. “How so?”

“I guess it was just a feeling of uselessness. Things were always bad with my family, at least up until recently. I’m glad that they’re making the effort to improve now and try to be happy, but… I don’t know. It always kind of just felt like I was the one disappearing,” you admitted. “I felt invisible to my parents, I was never really passionate about things the way others were, and I felt like I had no control over my life, especially when all this stuff with the engagement first started up.”

“I’m really sorry that it made you—”

“No, no,” you laughed, shaking your head. “There’s no need for that. I’m happy now, I was just explaining how I felt before. That’s how I know things are different than they used to be. When I look at the moon waning the way it is, I no longer have that tight, uncomfortable feeling in my chest. I no longer feel like all the good things in my life are temporary and bound for failure. I can think more positively now.”

Shouto didn’t say anything for a few moments, but he eventually smiled and looped an arm around your waist. “The moon slowly gets smaller and smaller, but it’ll eventually come back even brighter than you remembered it being, right? In life there are going to be moments where things are hard, but you eventually get past them and get back up. I was unhappy for a long time before I met you, but things have changed so much I still can’t believe it.”

You turned towards him with a smile of your own. “Yeah. I feel the same way.”

The moonlight cascaded over the both of you, illuminating all the glints and subtle changes in your expressions. Shouto traced the back of his hand along your jaw, then cupped your cheek and slowly guided your lips to his.

As always, he was warm and gentle. You leaned forward and let your arms dangle over his shoulders. Either Aizawa was too lazy to get off the couch and check, or he was being considerate for once and giving you two some space. You weren’t sure which it was, but you appreciated it regardless.

“Hey, [Name]?” Shouto mumbled. His voice was so faint; it was hardly a whisper.

“Yes?”

“Will you stay with me from now on?”

“Of course,” you smiled, already going in for another kiss.  

Chapter 35: [epilogue]

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Dude, look! It’s the pro hero, Lune!”

“Seriously?! Lemme get her autograph!”

You whipped your head around, taiyaki stuffed in between your lips. Goddammit. More fanboys. You’d let your guard down since you were off-duty and in your casual clothes, but they always seemed to spot you somehow. You weren’t sure what it was exactly, but you were obscenely popular with high school boys. Of course, you had your fair share of female supporters as well, but a good chunk of your fanbase was comprised of this particular demographic. Probably because of your dirty humor and the way you didn’t mince words.

“I’m eating,” you huffed loudly. “Didn’t your parents ever teach you it’s rude to interrupt someone in the middle of their meal?”

The two boys grinned at you in delight. “Sorry, we just got so excited! Is it okay if we get your autograph?”

“Sure, sure. Just a sec.”

You rifled through the inner pocket of your coat and pulled out a black pen. The boys were one step ahead of you, having already whipped out papers and other memorabilia for you to sign. One of them was insistent that you autograph the bottom of his school blazer, then proudly declared he would never be washing it again.

“Here,” the other boy said shyly, blushing as he held out one of the second button of his jacket. “I-I want you to have this. Please?”

He was looking over at you so expectantly that you found it difficult to refuse. Normally, boys were supposed to give away their second button on the day they graduated. It was meant to be reserved for the person they held romantic feelings towards. Naturally, it was neither graduation day nor did these two appear to be in their senior year, but you interpreted it to be a symbolic gesture. The odds of them running into you again were rather slim, after all.

“Thanks,” you smiled. “I appreciate it.”

“She actually accepted it!”

“Way to go, man!”

“This means we’re going to get married in the future, right?”

The boy’s friend elbowed him in the ribs. “What are you, crazy? She’s already dating that other pro hero. I actually heard that they were engaged, too…”

“Shut up!” he protested. “I still have a chance!”

Yep, you were a young adult who was seemingly winning the hearts of underage boys all around. It was actually pretty funny. Why couldn’t you have been this popular back when you were still in high school? Well, not that you could really complain. Your love life was hardly lacking.

“I’ve got some things to do now,” you told your fans. “Thanks for the support. I’ll do my best to continue being a hero you can be proud of.”

“Y-Yes!”

You waved them off with a smile, slipping the button you’d just received into one of your pockets. You made a mental note to stow it away somewhere safe when you got back home. It was an important gift; a reminder of how there were countless people out there who were putting their hopes in you.

Still smiling, you glanced down at your phone and noted the time. Immediately, you frowned.

“Fuck, I’m late.”

 

 

 

 

“You said you would be back by six o’clock,” Shouto huffed.

“Sorry,” you chuckled sheepishly. “I was really hungry, so I stopped for taiyaki, and then I got held up by some fans for a bit.”

Your boyfriend of five years was standing in front of you with his arms crossed together. He was wearing an apron—your apron, to be precise, and somehow he managed to pull it off better than you did. His brows were uncharacteristically pinched together, a rare sign that he was mildly annoyed.

“Why did you stop for food when you knew I was already making dinner?” He shook his head, trying to come across as stern and disappointed, but he was simply too cute to do a good job.

“Aw, I said I’m sorry.” You threw your coat off and grinned before jumping into his arms. It didn’t take long for him to let out a weary sigh and hug you back. It was always hard for him to stay mad at you.

“You’re lucky you’re so cute,” he pouted.

“I know, and I use it to my advantage.”

You tilted your head up and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. At least, it was intended to only be a quick kiss, but Shouto’s arms were squeezing you tight, unwilling to let you go.

“I think you should make it up to me for breaking our promise,” he said coolly.

You cracked a smile. “Oh? Should we go back to the bedroom right now?”

“Uh, that’s…” He blushed for a moment, then quickly shook his head. “No, dinner will get cold. But now that you’ve teased me, there’s no going back on your word. I won’t go easy on you later.”

“I look forward to it.”

Shouto gripped you by the waist with one hand, the other tracing along the back of your neck. He smiled before capturing your lips in another kiss. Despite claiming that he wanted you to make it up to him, his kisses were as gentle as always. In fact, you were the one practically itching to rip off his clothes right now, but it wasn’t often that he cooked and you didn’t want to waste the dinner he’d gone through the trouble of preparing.

After a few moments, your lips broke away from his. You chuckled inwardly when you felt a familiar sensation digging up against you, and you playfully nudged your knee in between his legs.

“I thought you said you wanted to eat dinner first?” you mused.

Shouto’s cheeks darkened. “That’s… just a normal reaction. I can’t control it, not when I’m touching and kissing you.”

“I guess we should finish up with dinner quickly then.”

He let out a sigh. By now he knew better than to try and protest when you were in one of your teasing moods.

The food smelled nice. Ever since you’d stepped into the apartment, there had been a pleasant scent wafting about. Dinner had already been set up, a fancy tablecloth spread out underneath the nice plates Shouto had pulled out. There was a bottle of wine for the two of you to share, and he’d even prepared a cute little flower centerpiece for decoration. He didn’t cook often, but whenever he did, he made sure to do a good job.

“Everything looks so good,” you praised. Aside from the elegant spread, there was a wide selection of food as well, and it certainly all looked delicious. Shouto didn’t have very much experience in the kitchen. When you’d first gotten an apartment together, all he knew to cook were simple dishes, but he’d gradually started learning new recipes. It wasn’t that he was bad in the kitchen, but being one of the higher-ranked heroes, he usually lacked the time. Actually, that was true of the both of you, except you’d had much more experience cooking to start with.

It was a busy life, but it was the one you’d chosen for yourself, and you didn’t have any regrets. You were really proud of how far you’d come. The idea of becoming a hero and protecting others sounded nice, but you hadn’t been as driven or passionate as the rest of your peers back when you’d first started off at U.A. Over time, you noticed how that had changed, and you knew a good deal of that had to do with Shouto’s influence. You both pushed each other to be better. Now, you could honestly say that you were fighting for the sake of the people, for those like the two boys who’d been so thrilled to meet you. It wasn’t easy, but you wouldn’t trade it for any other job in the world.

Shouto watched you take a tentative first bite, his lips pursed worriedly. “How is it?”

“Delicious!” you beamed, and the way his face lit up from your praise was so sweet it almost made your heart burst.

“I’m glad to hear it,” he smiled.

“Shouto-kun, you seriously have too many talents. You’re good at way too many things! It makes me jealous sometimes, you know?”

He leaned forward and chuckled. “I think you’ve got plenty more talents than me. You’ve always been better at interacting with others. Every time I end up having to do another interview, I can’t help but get the feeling that I’m not doing a very good job.”

“Nah, you’re doing great. The fact that you’re so serious and clueless makes it that much more funny to watch!”

“I’m supposed to be a hero, not a comedian,” he sighed.

“Why not be both?”

“I guess, if I work hard enough…”

You started laughing, and as expected, he stared back at you in confusion. Some things, like his inability to understand jokes or sarcasm, would forever remain unchanged, and truthfully, you preferred it that way. It was part of what was so endearing about him. Though it had been over three years since you’d both graduated, you enjoyed seeing little glimpses of the past. The adorable, stoic boy you’d fallen in love with.

You helped wash up the plates, much to Shouto’s surprise. You could be rather lazy and forget to clean up after yourself every now and then. Shouto was good at staying on your case and reminding you, but really, the only reason you were in such a hurry to put everything away was because you hadn’t forgotten your promise from earlier.

Based on the way Shouto’s hands were running up and down your body, it looked like he hadn’t forgotten earlier.

He kissed along your neck and whispered by your ear. “Just remember that I said I wouldn’t go easy on you.”

 

 

 

 

The following morning, you woke up tangled in Shouto’s embrace, and very, very naked.

“Ugh,” you groaned, rolling over onto your other side. “What time is it…?”

Shouto shifted next to you, heavy lids fluttering to reveal beautiful mismatched eyes. “Not late enough. Not yet. We can still sleep in.”

“What day is today?”

“Sunday, why?”

“And what time is it?”

“Just a bit past eleven.”

“Fuck me!” you squealed, practically jumping upright. Shouto rubbed at his eyes and watched as your bare frame leaped off the bed and frantically began looking for clothes to put on.

His cheeks reddened. “Again? After we did it so many times last night?”

You gaped at him, momentarily dumbstruck by his dirty joke, but you didn’t really have time to dwell on it. If you didn’t get ready in—you glanced at the clock again—negative thirty minutes, you were going to be late.

Shouto sat up, scratching idly at his creamy, rippling abs. Normally those abs were enough to distract you and make you completely lose track of what you had to do, but you were already running late. Being late was kind of your thing, other than when you were called to take care of villains or help with civilian evacuations. When it came to hero duties, you were on time. For the most part, anyways.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“I have plans with the girls,” you gritted out, one leg crammed into your jeans, the other hopping atop the carpet in some sad attempt at a balancing act.

Shouto smiled. “I can drive you there.”

Please.”

You didn’t eat breakfast, but you didn’t have to, because you were all getting together for brunch. With Shouto’s help, you managed to make it there not super, super late. You were still late, but fashionably late? Kind of? They would probably give you shit for it regardless.

“Well, well, well, look who finally decided to grace us with her presence,” Mina snickered.

Called it.

“I am terribly sorry,” you chuckled. “Please, allow me to prostrate myself before you so that you may accept my apology.”

“On your knees, girl.”

“Wait, sorry—I was actually kidding. Please don’t make me beg.”

Everyone at the table began to laugh. You tried to arrange for these meetups as often as your schedules allowed for. All the girls from your original class of 1-A were here. Jirou, Yaoyorozu, Tsuyu, Hagakure, Mina, and Uraraka. So far you held the record for most consecutive late arrivals.

Mina shook her head. “Remember, if you’re late again next time, you cover everyone’s meals.”

“Ugh… I’ll try my best.”

Thankfully, the one good thing about being late was that you didn’t have to wait around for the food. This restaurant was one your group frequented quite often. They were good at catering to heroes, and the staff as well as the guests respected your privacy so there weren’t going to be any fans cluttering your table and asking for autographs. You had a few dishes that you’d grown to really like, and the girls had gone ahead and ordered for you.

“So,” you smiled, taking a seat with the rest of them, “what were we talking about?”

Uraraka waved you off. “Oh, you know, nothing really important…” For some reason, her already rosy cheeks were even more flushed than usual.

“We were talking about how Uraraka and Midoriya still haven’t made any progress,” Mina groaned.

“Mina-chan, stop that!”

“But it’s true!” Hagakure chimed in. “Like, make up your minds already! Are you dating, or are you not dating?! It’s so frustrating for everyone else involved.”

“Uh, Hagakure-chan, you’re not exactly involved,” you laughed.

“I am! I’ve been invested in this relationship for years!”

Uraraka buried her face in her palms. “Ugh, I just don’t know… is it something I’m doing wrong? I feel like it isn’t going anywhere, no matter how hard I try.” She lifted her face and looked over at you with big doe brown eyes. “[Name]-chan, how did you ever end up dating Deku-kun? Maybe he really can’t help but compare the two of us. I’m not as pretty as you, or anywhere near as smart or funny…”

You pursed your lips. “None of that is true, so please don’t say those things. It’s true that Izuku-kun is shy to a fault, so I’m a little surprised by how we managed to date in the first place, but it’s probably because I was so forward. Not to mention, back in middle school, he was dealing with a lot of different things like bullying and his fear of not being able to become a hero. Things were really bad with my family at the time. Now that I think about it, we probably only ended up dating because we were trying to comfort one another.”

“Well… I guess it’s true that I might not trying hard enough,” she acknowledged. “I get really nervous. Plus, he’s already so busy as one of the top heroes that I feel like he might not even have time for a relationship.”

“You’re both heroes, though. Plus, there’ll never be enough time. You can’t make more time, you just have to set it aside to be with the people you care about.”

“That’s true as well.” Uraraka flashed you a gentle smile. “Thank you, [Name]-chan. Talking to you always has a way of calming me down. You’re right, I need to stop overthinking this and just go for it!”

“Exactly,” you nodded.

Mina smirked. “Confident talk from the lady who can’t even make it to her meetups on time. Are we not people you care about?”

“Hey, I’m always late whenever I have plans with Shouto-kun too, and I’m sleeping with the guy.”

With the exception of Mina, all of the girls’ faces turned bright red. You couldn’t help but laugh. They were all so innocent, just like you remembered them being back in high school. Even though you were technically all adults now, it was nostalgic moments like these that made you feel like you hadn’t grown up that much at all.

As was generally the case with these little brunch dates, you spent most of your time catching up on what everyone had been busy with, and you even reminisced on the past a bit. Other things you talked about were plans for the future; things that hadn’t yet been announced to the public, but projects and various other events that everyone planned on being in—such as Yaoyorozu’s upcoming photoshoot.

“It’s a bit embarrassing,” she blushed. “I couldn’t help but accept the offer…”

You grinned. “That commercial you did back in high school with Uwabami really left its mark on you, huh?”

“I-I don’t know if I’d put it that way.”

Though she was masking it with her embarrassment, it seemed like she was actually looking forward to it quite a bit. You decided to stay keep quiet over the photoshoot you were supposed to be having with Shouto not too long from now. People went crazy over pro hero couples. You were actually a bit surprised he’d even agreed to do it, but he said he was fine with anything as long as it made you happy.

You leaned back in your chair and let out a sigh. “Ah, I do so love meeting up and flexing my relationship on all of you.”

“[Name], sometimes I forget this, but you kind of have a rotten personality, don’t you?”

“Thank you, I’m quite proud of it.”

Some of the girls had taken to flinging little bits of their food your way, and you laughed it off, feeling somewhat bad for the poor waiters who’d have to clean up your mess later. You felt your phone buzz in your pocket and pulled it out, taking a quick glance.

 

[My Love]

Let me know when you’re done and I will pick you up.

Could we go for a walk in the park afterwards?

[Moon Baby]

yes, that would be fun!

of course we can

[My Love]

Sounds good :)

 

“Look at her,” Mina grimaced, “making googly eyes at her phone.”

“I have a ride,” you stated proudly.

“Okay, you’re paying for everyone’s meal.”

“What, why?!”

“Because I’m petty and jealous of you.”

In the end, you didn’t actually pay for everyone’s meal—just Mina’s, because she really was petty, and you’d been late enough times that you kind of felt bad over it.

True to his word, Shouto was there to pick you up. He’d actually arrived a good deal earlier but had been patiently waiting in the parking lot like the dutiful boyfriend he was. You made sure to wrap your arms around him and give him a big kiss while all the girls were making their way out of the restaurant. Mina flipped you off.

“Which park are we going to?” you asked.

“It’s not too far from here. Maybe a twenty minute drive.”

You got into the car and decided not to ask why you were driving all the way to that one when there was a park in this neighborhood, just a few blocks away. Shouto seemed to note your confusion and gave you a light smile.

“I like the park we’re going to a lot more,” he explained.

“Ah, I got it now.”

The park he’d brought you to was certainly bigger and more impressive. It was the weekend, so it was a bit busier than normal, but you didn’t mind. Shouto grabbed your hand in his and began leading you along one of the paths. The feel of his warm skin against yours coupled with the crisp, fresh air was something incredible. It wasn’t anything extravagant, but it was more than enough to make you happy.

“There’s a nice, more secluded spot if we keep on walking this way,” Shouto said.

You looked up at him with a wry smile. “Secluded, huh? What are you planning on doing to me?”

“Nothing like that,” he sighed, though he couldn’t seem to fend off a blush. “Just… you’ll see.”

“We’ve never come here before, though. Do you come here on your own?”

“Dad brought the family to this park a while back. Mom really liked it here.”

“It is beautiful,” you agreed.

“Yeah,” he smiled. “We’ll probably come back here again sometime. Dad went down to visit Touya again today. I’m surprised he’s allowed to have so many visits. Maybe it’s as a special favor, since he’s the Number One Hero, but…”

Shouto was still smiling, though it was a bit pained. It certainly wasn’t an easy topic, having your older brother turn out to be a villain. Touya was serving time for all the crimes he’d committed. There was no other way around it, and it was the only way that made sense. Still, after all these years, his family had never given up on him, going to visit him in prison as often as they all could manage. It was difficult at the start, with all the bitterness of the past, but now that he’d been confined for several years and spent all of them reflecting upon his actions, you could see the love between them.

You’d gone to visit Touya a few times yourself, along with Shouto. The first time hadn’t gone so well.

“You little bitch,” Touya had sneered. “I should’ve killed you when I had the chance.”

At the time, you’d simply turned towards Shouto with a shrug. “I told you he didn’t like me.”

But that was in the past now. There were certain crimes for which you had to pay the price, a fact that was rightly symbolized by the large scar that ran down the left side of Endeavor’s face. He would forever have to bear the weight of his sins—a reminder of how he’d treated his family in the past. Just so, Touya would forever have to live knowing that had taken the lives of many.

It was hard, it was heavy, but as time had gone on, things had gotten better.

Touya actually liked you now. To some degree. You still bickered during your visits, but really, those visits with you and his family were all he had to look forward to anymore, so you knew that he really treasured them.

Some wounds could never fully heal. Your own parents were one example. Though after all these years you’d finally reached a point where you could openly love one another as a family, they would never be together again. And that was okay. Everyone’s life was different, and it wasn’t for you to decide their happiness for them.

You let out a sigh, basking in the fresh air and the warm, early afternoon sun. Shouto was still firmly gripping your hand, but he suddenly came to a stop. You looked around and realized that you’d reached the spot he’d been talking about earlier. It was a small gazebo, standing amidst a wide stretch of grass and encircled by shrubs and flowers all around.

“Let’s head up,” Shouto offered.

He led you up the steps, and for the first time, his hand left yours. You excitedly skipped around, leaning over the railing so that you had a better look at all the flowers and greenery.

“It’s so pretty here!” you beamed. “Right, Shouto—?”

When you turned back, Shouto was on one knee. It took you a moment to fully understand what was happening. He was holding out a small, square box. It was open, a sparkling ring peaking up at you. His cheeks were violently red, and you noted that his shoulders were trembling, almost as if he were afraid. You suddenly remembered him fiddling with something in his pocket during the walk.

“[Name],” he began, swallowing hard, “I love you more than anything else in the world. I can’t even begin to express how happy I’ve become since you came into my life. I… I just want to be with you forever. Will you… marry me?”

You didn’t say anything. You just stared at him, blinking slowly. Then, you felt your lips curl into a grin.

“Aren’t we technically already engaged?”

“T-That’s not—!” Shouto let out a hurried stammer, then quickly shook his head. “I mean… technically, yes, our engagement was never called off, but it didn’t feel right. It was something that was decided for us, back when we were still young. It felt wrong never being able to have that special moment with you…”

“You’re such a romantic,” you giggled. “So? What do you think my answer is?”

His blushed deepened. “That’s not fair. I need to hear it directly from you.”

“Someone’s needy, huh?”

“[Name], please—”

“Of course it’s yes,” you smiled, outstretching your left hand. “I’m sorry, I know it’s a serious moment but I can’t help but give you a hard time. But it’s always been yes. There was never a doubt in my mind that I would spend the rest of my life with you.”

Shouto let out a thin, shaky breath, tears welling up into his eyes. He awkwardly fumbled with the ring, too nervous to hold it properly, but eventually managed to get it onto your finger. You helped pull him to his feet, and he all but collapsed against your shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” he cried, hugging you with trembling arms. “I’m just so… h-happy…”

You’d convinced yourself that you wouldn’t get emotional. After all, you’d already tied your future to him long ago, but you still couldn’t quite seem to be able to hold back your tears.

You wiped away at your eyes and stared down at the beautiful ring wrapped around your finger. Then you nudged Shouto, who was still slumped against your neck.

“Shouto-kun,” you smiled. “I love you.”

He started laughing through his tears, and leaned in to kiss you.

“I love you more.”

Notes:

that marks the end of this story! thanks to everyone who's read up until this point and i hope you enjoyed :)