Upon waking, you burrowed yourself into the soft cotton sheets. The faint murmurs across the nurse's room didn't cease, and you blinked a few times so that the light seeping through the window would stop blinding you.
Sitting up so you could catch Recovery Girl's voice, your heart dropped. She was on the phone to your father, asking him whether your quirk had always acted up on you this way.
My quirk... it's been more powerful but more erratic since right before the Sports Festival. I don't know of anyone who's quirk messes with them so much... except Midoriya's?
You rubbed the sleep from your eyes, last night's events flooding into your mind. Todoroki. You looked down at your palms and then to the side of the bed, searching for a note or indication that he was okay. But then bile rose in your throat as black dots clouded your vision.
Recovery Girl swiftly opened the curtain at the sound of your retching. "Young (y/n), here, have this," she urged you as she handed you a sick bucket.
Holding the bucket between your hands, you pressed your lips into a grim line and glanced up to Recovery Girl's concerned face, a far cry from her usual serene expression. Why should a girl like you ever have to carry so much on her shoulders?
Now that you thought about it, Recovery Girl didn't keep such a close eye on anyone's quirk but yours. Though she tried to play it off, she methodically took small blood samples from you every time you came back from home.
You swallowed the lump in your throat. "Recovery Girl," you began, unsure of how to phrase it, but still itching to know her thoughts. "How would we know if there's been any foul play with my quirk?"
Recovery Girl adjusted her purple-tinted visor. The youthful, inquiring glint in your facial features almost made her back down. She was keeping as close an eye on you as she could, but she also knew that she could only obscure the truth from you for so long. "I know you're a curious child, but there are some things you wouldn't understand yet."
Your tongue felt heavy in your mouth. "Would we know, though?"
"I can't be certain of that yet. Only time will tell."
And I haven't got enough time to be wasting. You sat up on the bed and attempted one of your best fake smiles, the ones you used to face your problems and fears, and to hide your pain.
But your dull eyes gave you away, encouraging the elderly lady to add something closer to an explanation. "Young (y/n), it appears that experiencing strong emotions limits the effectiveness of your quirk."
A wave of pins and needles prickled your skin, with the bitter taste lingering at the pit of your stomach. What did she mean by strong feelings? Hate, sadness? Fear?
Knowing that you had cried your eyes out yesterday, you pictured Todoroki in your mind, and his warmth as he held you tightly against his chest before you passed out in his arms.
The emotional rollercoaster that yesterday had been?
---
You stole a sidelong glance at the empty seat next to you. Bakugo wasn't here even though you were the last one to make it to the classroom. Not that you missed him kicking your desk's leg to elicit a reaction from you. Turning around, you scanned the crowded room, only to notice that none of your classmates seemed to mind Bakugo's and Midoriya's absence.
You jolted in your place as you met Todoroki's unfocused eyes, as he rested his chin on his hands, deep in thought. His face lit up as he had been caught like a rabbit in the headlights.
Gulping, you gave him a small wave with your hand. Dumbfounded, or rather pleasantly stunned, he mimicked you in return, not blinking once.
At the sound of Aizawa clearing his throat, you whipped your head around back to the front, leaving Todoroki to make up his own theories as to how you had convinced Recovery Girl to let you come to school.
"So for this morning's announcements..." Aizawa narrowed his worn eyes at your class as if he had just rolled out of bed. "Bakugo and Midoriya have been suspended for three days."
A chorus of confused exclamations roared from all corners of the classroom. Except for yours. Nothing could have rattled you more than what Recovery Girl had told you this morning about your quirk, and in some ways, you suspected that she had allowed you to get out of bed out of sheer pity.
Strong emotions make my quirk weaker. You repeated, a fog clouding your mind as you considered the real-life impact it would have when confronted against someone you cared for.
Twiddling with your panda pen, you made your best effort to tune back into Aizawa's monotonous voice. "As for (l/n) and Todoroki, your social distancing measures will be lifted at the end of the week. In addition, you should prepare for this term's training to be tougher than the last."
Not wanting to even think for a second that your feelings for Todoroki could weaken you, you tightened your grip on the pen, unaware that you had directed some life energy towards it.
Aizawa raised a judging eyebrow at the sight of your ink-stained hands. "That is all. And (l/n), yes, you may be excused to go to the toilet," he answered a question you hadn't asked but could be read in your widened (e/c) eyes.
Your stomach clenched as you stood from your seat, all eyes from your classmates set on you. In normal circumstances, the unwelcome attention wouldn't have worked against you so much, but your knees threatened to buckle as you made your reluctant exit.
---
Scrubbing your hands raw with warm water and soap, you took in a shaky breath. You placed your hands on the sink while you stared at yourself right in the eye in the mirror, examining the creases that formed the frown on your face.
Why were the teachers acting as if you and Todoroki hadn't broken the social distancing rules?
Not that you minded it from the outset, but if this another ploy to protect you, heaven knew that you would be calling yourself useless again.
Scowling at your own reflection, you balled your hands into fists. Though you wanted to punch the wall, you sensed a few presences by the door, so you dashed into a cubicle amidst your muddled thoughts.
Jiro opened the door, and strolled in with her hands in her blazer pockets, soon followed by Yaoyorozu.
Though you couldn't be sure who was there, you didn't want them to see you in this state. And the fact that you hid didn't quite play into your hands.
"Momo, hang in there. It's okay to cry, okay?" you recognised Jiro's supportive voice.
"Yeah, thank you so much. I... I don't know what came over me. Todoroki was right."
Internally scoffing and barely holding it together, you felt like coming out of the cubicle and confronting the black-haired girl. Not beating some sense into her. Just setting some boundaries, you reassured yourself.
But as you shifted the weight on your feet, your knees gave way and your skirt grazed some toilet paper, letting out the slightest noise, which made you realise you were in no condition to do so.
Yet Yaoyorozu continued, "I didn't want him to get the wrong impression, nonetheless... I haven't left my dignity intact by making such a fool of myself. Even hearing abour how he won't be allowed to take part in the Hero Work-Studies like the rest of us..." She took a sharp breath in. "It's just... that (y/n)..."
You had always let Yaoyorozu stay friends with Todoroki, aiming to maintain a healthy relationship with him. Though all the red flags pointed to her harbouring feelings for him, you hadn't expected her to make a move when you weren't watching your back.
"Momo, look, it's okay," Jiro said. "Just cry it out for a bit and make plans later, okay? Stop thinking for just now. Shall I play some music for you? It might make you feel better."
"Yeah, thank you. I'm sorry to inconvenience you, too. I shouldn't have reached out for his hand." The last tears left Yaoyorozu's dark eyes, unsuspecting of you tugging your hair at the roots behind the cubicle's door. "I don't know what (y/n)'s going through, as she's never made an effort to be my friend. She even refused to come to my mansion for the study session because she was studying with Todoroki instead. For me, that rubbed salt on the wound.
"Also, seeing the way she's leading Bakugo on... I only wanted to ask Todoroki about how he felt about her making him taint his school record as it might affect his reputation when he starts as a hero, given that she's a low--"
Yaoyorozu stopped her most inner thoughts from pouring out as she noticed Jiro crossing her arms, almost as if she was daring her to call you a low life, low class or whatever 'low' Yaoyorozu considered you.
"Hey, I understand where you're coming from, but I don't think we can be the ones to make that call?" Jiro fidgeted with her earphones to confirm if there was anyone else in the toilet.
Wanting to scream, you put your hands over your mouth. This is fine. I am fine. Momo's a lovely girl, and I really admire her. She's not talking shit behind my back because half of what she said is actually true.
You gasped as those black dots made a comeback and clouded your vision. Regretting going into school after Recovery Girl had warned you that you were still convalescent, you lurched over the opened toilet seat. Pieces of chewed toast with jam you had for breakfast rose in your throat and came out. The splattering sound the beige mass made when it landed froze both Yaoyorozu and Jiro on their spots. Great.
---
Since the 'toilet cubicle incident' that you would remember for the ages, your day had flashed before your eyes. Any time you woke up and pulled the cotton sheets over you, you caught yourself thinking about how much you were prepared to sacrifice to become a hero.
Remembering Yaoyorozu's mortified expression after she opened the door with an impromptu tool she had produced from her arm, either made you want to laugh or cry, but you still couldn't work that out which.
For starter's, you didn't believe that you were leading Bakugo on because he hated your guts, and you only had eyes for Todoroki. For the rest, a mosh pit of half truths that stung like hell.
Now sat on the sofa in the common room, only because Ochaco had convinced you to come out of your room, though she was nowhere to be found. However, you were still glad to have others surrounding you; otherwise, you would have been a victim of your overthinking on your own.
Your phone chirped, so you checked to see if Ochaco had texted you only to find a bittersweet surprise.
Todorito❤️🔥❄️:
What's poppin my pretty little lady?
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Did Shoto just have a brain fart? Your heart sped up as you reread that text. Biting your lip, you looked up from your phone and surveyed the room for said boy.
You hummed as you found him retrieving his phone from no one other than a cackling Kaminari. Instead, Mineta held up his palms at Todoroki, scared shitless under your boyfriend's icy glare.
Heading towards you, yet leaving the required distance from you, Todoroki waved at you to call your attention. The tense muscles in his neck relaxed, and he sat down on a sofa opposite you.
Todorito❤️🔥❄️:
If it wasn't clear, I didn't send the text above.
Is it some sort of pranking day or something?
(y/n):
I don't know but the ink from this morning wouldn't come off.
I washed my hands about ten times as well (༎ຶ⌑༎ຶ)
Todorito❤️🔥❄️:
That emoji reminds me of when you|
...When you dug your tear-stained cold face into his shirt after you collapsed in the woods at the U.A. grounds. Todoroki had struggled to decide how he should carry you. However, after putting you over his shoulder like a fireman would, he heard you let out a barely audible whimper, so he placed you back on the grass with care. After a few moments, he gingerly picked you up bridal style, ignoring any protest from his tired arms.
Todoroki shook his head before backspacing to write something that would grant a more positive reaction from you, especially after subjecting you through such a hard time yesterday.
Stealing a quick glance from you, as you tucked your knees closer to your chest on the sofa in such an awkward, yet cute position, he realised that it would be best if he keep things light-hearted. He would have given anything to see you smile for him once more.
Todorito❤️🔥❄️:
You're going to be blue forever
(y/n):
I look like I'm wearing gloves haha
Todorito❤️🔥❄️:
You can make it the new school fashion
(y/n):
I'll pretend it's a tattoo ;)
Todorito❤️🔥❄️:
I think that might be against school rules
You glanced up to meet Todoroki's gaze across the common room, which was so intense that it gave you goosebumps.
Smiling to yourself, you read through the most recent texts, noting that Todoroki didn't use any emojis as per usual. But what made your jaw drop was noticing that you had sent a winking face instead of a regular smiley one by accident.
(y/n):
You know what else is against the scho|
You paused. No way could you have the audacity to text that. Especially not when you sensed Ochaco's presence approaching you from your side. After deleting that message, you greeted Ochaco before she came into your line of sight.
"(y/n)! How did you know it was me?" Ochaco plopped beside you, giving you one of her signature sweet smiles.
You rubbed the back of your neck, scurring a few inches away from her to leave your brunette friend some more space on the sofa. "Oh, you know, now that you mention it, it's pretty weird, really. I used to be able to tell if there was someone close to me. Recently, I've been getting this hunches as to who those..."
Your chest tightened in second-hand embarrassment at yourself. You only knew that the latter was possible because you spotted Yaoyorozu heading to the kitchen, carrying a tray with some dainty cups and refined tea leaves on it. Worst of all was that she would probably still offer you one out of the kindness of her heart, regardless of the show you had managed to pull earlier today. You swallowed, trying to bring yourself back to the present. "Who those... um... shadows belong to."
"Is that because you've been training so hard? I know I tell you off when you overwork yourself, but, (y/n), that's honestly so inspiring!"
Relaxing your shoulders, you nodded. "Thanks. It only happens with people I spend lots of time with, though. And everyone feels different."
Intrigued by your conversation, Todoroki leaned forward in his seat.
As took a peek at Todoroki, you noticed that his lips twisted into something that you couldn't put your finger on naming, except for a reserved smirk.
"Woah, what do I feel like?" Ochaco said.
"So..." You placed your hands on your lap as you tried to gather the words to describe it. "Like, bubbly... and bright?"
"Ah, that's amazing!" Ochaco put her hand over your shoulder and rubbed your arm, as her eyes stared into the sweet oblivion of nothing, far too happy to even notice Todoroki shifting in his seat.
"How about me, (y/n)?" The interest laced in his voice took you by surprise.
You pressed your lips into a line to stop a smirk of your own from seeping through. Todoroki's presence was the king of opposites: comforting but dominant, warm but cool. Overall, just the best combination ever, which you couldn't get enough of, even if he had almost shattered your heart into a million pieces yesterday.
But it wasn't like you could say that in front of Ochaco, right?
You crossed your legs and smoothed out your dark leggings, pondering how to approach this situation to avoid it sounding risqué and making this day even more embarrassing.
Suddenly aware of the mystifying tension between you and Todoroki, Ochaco's cheeks flushed red. Did she just interrupt your moment with Todoroki when all she wanted was to chat with you?
She had been thinking about you the whole day, still somewhat hurt that you didn't sit with her at lunch, but then the realisation sunk in that you couldn't have joined her because you had spent most of the day napping in the nurse's room, for heaven's sakes.
"I-It's okay, (y/n)!" Ochaco slapped her chubby cheeks, standing up from the sofa. "I don't need to know." Then, covering her mouth and addressing you in a hushed tone, she voiced, "I'm major third-wheeling right now, yeah?"
You shook your head sideways and signalled her to sit back down. If she wasn't here, then you couldn't share this time with Todoroki because you weren't allowed to be left in a room on your own until the end of the week anyway.
"His presence feels nice," you found yourself saying. "I think it's the one I know best, but it's riddled with contradictions so I'm not sure I can give a straight answer."
You looked up from your lap to Ochaco and then to Todoroki, who was staring at you again. You could have sworn that his cheeks turned a soft pink for a moment, but you weren't entirely sure.
He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it and settled for one of his classic silent responses. He raised his eyebrows and gave you a half-shrug, but his thoughts began to go south as he thought about what you would get up to if the two of you were truly alone.
Todoroki let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. First of all, you two would have to endure the wait. "(y/n), you're going home this weekend, isn't that right?"
Nodding, you offered him a weak smile. "Yeah, and you, too? It's a bit fuzzy but I think that when I made it to the dorms Mr Aizawa told me he'd let us keep Aki. I think the only condition is that either you or I have to take her to the vets this weekend. Perfectly understandable, right?"
For the first time in what seemed like forever, Todoroki's lips curled into a guarded grin. "How about we make that 'either you or I' a 'we'?"
You let out a small laugh at his convoluted wording. "So, you mean: we go together?"
Ochaco's heart could have exploded by witnessing this level of wholesomeness there and then, even though you hadn't let her know all of your story with the half-and-half boy.
"Yes, but of course, (y/n)." Todoroki deadpanned, making your stomach do a backflip as it reminded you of when you first fell for him. "Together."