Note: (y/n) is with Bakugou at the beginning of this oneshot. It was surprisingly hard for me to write, only because I have come to love Bakugou almost as much as I love Todoroki.
Requested by: softyeclipse
Quirk: Hair Manipulation
Yellow = happiness, bright, panic (difference is made obvious depending on the situation)
Grey = gloom, sadness
Blue = fear, tranquility (difference is made obvious depending on the situation)
Red = love, passion
Pink = compassion, playful
- Todoroki's POV -
(y/n) (l/n) was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She was caring, kind, selfless and passionate. Her light yellow hair indicating her usual happiness shone even when the sun wasn't out, and her sparkling (e/c) eyes hypnotised me every time we talked. Her smile always made me smile too, and when talking to her I couldn't help but feel happy. Recently however, that all began to change and it was because of one particular person. Bakugou.
One Friday we had spent almost the entirety of the day together, hanging out and laughing. She had helped me make friends easier, and I felt as though I actually managed to fit in with the class thanks to her. Spending the day with her made me nothing short of happy, and by the end of it I was left thinking that I might actually have a chance with her. All weekend I tried to think of ways in which I could confess my feelings to her, even going so far as to looking up advice on the internet.
I came into school on the Monday, a rose in plastic covering tucked in my bag as well as cards I had my confession speech written on incase I needed prompting. Sat in my seat at the back of the classroom I waited, wondering when the best time to do it was. Something I didn't expect to see however, was (y/n) walk through the classroom door with Bakugou's arm wrapped around her shoulder.
I froze in my seat, staring in both horror and shock as she wrapped her arms around his waist. A few people in the class approached the two of them in surprise whilst I just watched from the background, as Bakugou shouted at the others that it was none of their business how he and (y/n) had gotten together. I could only watch as I saw her smile brightly up at him, her hair turning red with love. I never realised that the heart could actually hurt, but here I was, feeling mine break.
Later that day I found myself stood next to a bin on the campus grounds, staring at the rose and the confession cards in my hand. I bit my lip, not wanting to throw them away but knowing that I had missed the chance to make her mine. With one final mental push, I threw them in and walked away, my head down and my hair covering my saddened face.
- Timeksip -
(y/n) and Bakugou had been together for three months now, and my feelings for her hadn't faltered in the slightest. I watched the couple from afar, my heart aching as I watched her smile brightly whenever he was around, and they'd always be standing next to each other. Her hair shone bright red when she was with him, and the kisses I had to witness them share hurt even more. I could practically feel the pitiful stares of Midoriya as he was the only one who knew of my crush on (y/n).
"Todoroki, are you alright?" Yaoyorozu asked one break time as I had my head down on my desk so I didn't have to see (y/n) and Bakugou's pda.
"Mm," I growled, not in the mood to talk to anyone. She didn't press further and I heard her walk away, thankfully leaving me alone. I needed to grow up at some point and actually talk to her again, as I had barely held a conversation with her since she and Bakugou became a couple - it was just too hard. I could tell however that she was getting suspicious, and the last thing I wanted her to do was to find out that I had feelings for her.
When it reached lunch break I packed up my bag, trying to snap myself from my glum state. I turned to head out of the classroom door but almost jumped out of my skin when I saw someone was standing directly behind me; not only that, but it was (y/n) of all people. "H-hey," I muttered, refusing to make eye contact.
"Todoroki... can I talk to you for a second?" She asked in a somewhat sad tone. I looked around the room and noticed that Bakugou was no where to be seen which confused me a little. "O-oh, Bakugou's gone to tutor Kirishima," she added quickly.
"Then sure," I agreed, albeit nervously. We left the classroom together and I followed her to someplace quieter. "So... what's wrong?"
"You've seemed very distant with me recently Todoroki... you're one of my closest friends, have I done something wrong? Have I done something to hurt you? If I have then I'm so sorry, please tell me what it is and I'll make it up to you-,"
"What? No! You haven't done anything wrong," I interrupted her and she sighed a little in relief.
"Then why have you been avoiding me? I- I really miss you, y'know," she mumbled, the tips of her hair turning grey which I knew meant that she felt a little sad. I didn't realise I was making her feel this way, and this made me a little guilty.
"Sorry- I just-," I had to think of a convincing lie as quickly as I could. "It's just stuff with my old man. Don't worry about it, he's just being a prick like always, taking his anger out on the three of us," I told a convincing lie.
"P-physically?" She panicked, a streak of yellow running through her hair.
"What? No, no not physically, just verbally, but it's still frustrating me," I said quickly, trying to calm her down. It worked as her hair went back to the pinky-red colour it usually was nowadays.
"Do you want to maybe have lunch together today?" She suggested carefully.
"Won't Bakugou blow my brains out?" I scoffed and she laughed.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure he won't," she smiled and I felt my heart beat a little faster.
"Then yeah, okay."
- Timeskip -
Another few months had passed and I would've thought that by now my feelings for (y/n) would have disappeared but they were growing stronger than ever. Recently however I had noticed that there seemed to be something off with her. She didn't smile nearly as much as she used to, and her usual pinky-red hair seemed to now be turning into more of a dull grey. The sparkle in her (e/c) eyes had gone and the gorgeous smile she used to wear all the time was now a rare treasure.
From afar I carefully watched, which may be considered stalker-ish but it helped me realise that there was something up between her and Bakugou. 'It was only a matter of time,' I thought to myself. He seemed to be controlling her, yet at the same time taking advantage of her. As we all lived in Heights Alliance now I was able to get a little more insight into their relationship.
From overhearing conversations I learnt that it always had to be Bakugou who made the decisions in their relationship. It was a rare occasion when (y/n) would get to do something that she wanted to do, this factor making me grit my teeth in annoyance. I realised as well that he was borderline controlling who she could have interactions with, and multiple times I had tried to stop him from pulling her away and shouting at her whilst she and I were simply having a conversation. It seemed as though she was only ever allowed to have conversation with his group of friends.
"As it's the weekend tomorrow, he's taking me to the local ice cream parlour tomorrow, I'm so excited," I overheard (y/n) say as half of the class were sat in the common room of Heights Alliance, supposedly studying but mainly just talking.
"Aw that place does the best ice creams! I'm so jealous!" Uraraka said with a slight laugh.
"I know, I really can't wait, especially as he's blown off the last six dates I've tried to arrange..." she muttered sadly. This made me grip my book angrily, as I knew that if I was her boyfriend I'd be spoiling her rotten with dates and attention. I would definitely make sure that her hair never changed to grey, which was the colour it was at the moment.
"He's probably just been busy with training, you of all people know how he is," Uraraka said and (y/n) laughed, but it didn't sound all that enthusiastic.
"Yeah... you're right. But tomorrow should be fun!" She smiled. Before I could hear anymore of their conversation I left the common room, heading straight back up to my own and wishing more than anything that it could be me taking her on that date.
- The Next Day -
With my hands in my pockets and my head down, I decided to head out on a walk in an attempt to clear my head of the thoughts clouding it, those thoughts primarily being about (y/n). I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, I had my eyes trained to the floor and my ears didn't seem to be picking up sound as I walked. I tried desperately hard to bury my feelings, but it was easier said then done. I never thought I'd get this hung up over a girl.
Subconsciously I found myself approaching the road that had the ice cream parlour on it where (y/n) claimed she was having her date with Bakugou. I looked up at the sign, the logo being a cartoon outline of a couple sat at a table sharing an ice cream sundae. I rolled my eyes, but just as I was about to carry on walking I spotted (y/n) stood by the outside chalkboard menu, dressed in a light blue summers dress, her hair now being completely grey. She was looking around, repeatedly checking her watch and for a second I thought I saw her brush away something on her cheek.
Without thinking, I approached her. "(y/n)?" My voice made her jump as she looked up to me quickly. "Sorry... are you alright?"
"O-oh, Todoroki... I-I'm okay," she said but it was an obvious lie.
"(y/n) you're my friend, I can tell when you're lying," I said, attempting a comforting smile. It hurt having to call her my friend, as I wished more than anything that she could be more.
"I-I guess... it's silly really," she laughed a little, sniffing. "I-it's just Katsuki... he's stood me up again. Or at least I assume so... I've been waiting for thirty-five minutes."
I sighed, pulling out a handkerchief from my pocket and handing it to her politely. She smiled and took it, dabbing her eyes gently. "(y/n)... he's an idiot for standing you up, even once," I said and she looked at me, slightly shocked.
"W-well, I- I know he's busy with training, wanting to be the number one pro hero and all-,"
"That doesn't give him the excuse to plan a date, then knowing he can't make it but not telling you that he can't," I said firmly.
"I-I guess you're right," she mumbled, fiddling with the handkerchief. For a moment it was silent between us. I was desperately trying to think of anything to say that'd console her, but nothing was coming to mind. That was until... "Is there something wrong with me?" She sniffed.
"What? No! Of course not! He's an idiot (y/n), and idiot for bailing on you like this, you deserve to be treated with so much respect and he seems incapable of giving it. Any guy would be lucky to have you (y/n), he's just a complete idiot for not realising how great you are! Honestly I sometimes wonder why you're even with him-," suddenly I realised what I was saying and my eyes widened, my cheeks heated up and I froze on the spot, staring at her shocked reaction. There was an awkward silence as my rant sinked in, and I was scared as to what she would say. "S-sorry (y/n)-,"
It's fair to say I was surprised when she suddenly bursted out laughing. A bright smile came to her face and her hair was slowly changing colour from grey to the familiar yellow. "Thank you Todoroki," she smiled sweetly. "That's sort of kind of you to say."
"I-I didn't mean to go on a rant like that," I rubbed the back of my head, standing up straight.
"Don't worry about it, it was oddly entertaining," she said, making me blush a little more.
"So... how about... how about we do something? You and me?" I asked nervously. "Seeing as we're both already out..."
"Yeah, sure thing! Sounds like fun," she said, her hair getting brighter. 'She still has a boyfriend,' I had to repeatedly tell myself as we decided to go to the park gardens. I paid for her entry, and together we walked around the beautiful paths surrounded by green foliage and exotic plants. There were beautiful wooden structures in place and fountains spouting out crystal clear water. I found my eyes wandering over to her occasionally, smiling when I saw her wide eyes taking in the scenery. "Todoroki this place is amazing!" She said brightly, running ahead through the bamboo trees.
"I'm glad you like it, I come here quite a lot whenever I need to clear my head," I said as I ran to catch up with her.
"I don't blame you, I'm definitely going to come here again," she said, sniffing a flower from one of the beds.
"Maybe... maybe we could come again together?" 'What am I asking?' I screamed internally.
"Yeah that sounds like fun," she beamed innocently. I sighed a little in relief at her upbeat answer, and as we continued to walk around the park her emotion clearly changed from that of gloom to that of happiness, this being obvious by the change of her hair colour, it now being yellow/pink as opposed to grey. A part of me liked to think that it was because of me that she started to become a little more upbeat, but I didn't want try and trick myself into thinking that I still had a chance given the fact that she was still with Bakugou.
We came across one of the many big fountains, it having a large shallow pool surrounding it, looking incredibly inviting. We sent each other a knowing look, us both then slipping off our shoes and socks before stepping into the icy-cold water. "C-cold!" She squeaked which made me chuckle a little. It wasn't long before the two of us were laughing around, splashing each other with water without caring about the fact our clothes were getting quite wet.
Our water fight was getting quite intense and intimate, to the point where I was stood behind her and actually had my arms around her waist, picking her up to restrain her arms. We were both laughing loudly, falling over into the water with a loud splash, our entire bodies now soaking wet.
"Ah crap," she laughed, gesturing the fact we were now soaked through.
"My house isn't too far from here, we can go and get dried up there," I suggested surprisingly calmly.
"Sounds good to me," she smiled. I had noticed that she had smiled more today than she had done in the past month, and it radiated happiness onto me. We walked quite quickly towards my house, our wet clothing being a little uncomfortable. "T-Todoroki... your father won't be home, will he?" She asked nervously.
"No, he'll be at the agency, don't worry," I assured her comfortingly. She nodded and followed me up the path, seemingly amazed by the house. As soon as we were inside I directed her to my ensuite and left her a pair of my tracksuit bottoms and an old top of mine. I blushed a little as I ran the water for her, knowing that in a few minutes I would see her wearing my clothes. I tried to shake my head of this fact, and went to the family shared bathroom to shower myself.
When I came back into my room I saw her sat on my futon in the clothes I'd laid out for her, smiling brightly when she saw me enter. I tried to fight the blush but couldn't. Instead I distracted myself by going to make us some tea that'd hopefully warm us up a little. "(y/n), can I ask you something?" I decided to put on a brave face to ask her what I had wanted to for a while now.
"Sure Todoroki," she smiled, blowing at the hot drink in her hand.
"Why are you with Bakugou?"
She paused, looking down at her feet with a sense of sadness in her eyes. "I... I thought I loved him," she whispered ever so quietly. Her answer made my heart thump wildly in my chest, and my eyes widened.
"You... 'thought'?" I questioned and she nodded.
"I feel bad for even saying this but recently he just... doesn't seem to care about me, at all. I used to like him, a lot, but now I just kind of feel like a puppet..." she said sadly.
"He doesn't treat you right at all," I blurted out before I could stop myself. She looked at me, surprised. "S-sorry..."
"It's okay Todoroki. I've been feeling so gloomy lately, so confined and restricted but today's been so much fun, thank you," she smiled brightly, making my heart go a little wild.
"No problem... I'm here for you," I mumbled, looking down at my tea timidly. "When you said you 'thought' you loved him... does that mean you don't anymore?" I asked in an almost hopeful tone.
"I- I think so, yeah," she whispered.
"You know today was the first time I had seen you properly smile in what felt like so long," I told her and she blushed a little. "You deserve someone so much better than him. He's a jerk for treating you the way he does."
She laughed a little at this, and I adored hearing her laugh. "Todoroki, can I ask you three questions?"
"Er- yeah, sure," I said with a slight hint of uncertainty.
"What do you think I should do about Bakugou and me?" She asked. "I have complete confidence in you," she added.
"If- if you've fallen out of love with him then maybe- maybe it's best to-," I tried to subtly suggest it. To my surprise, she smiled.
"Hm... okay, question two: do you have romantic feelings for me?" She asked and my eyes widened dramatically. I could feel my face heat up and my heart rate excel as I froze on the spot. Already she could see the truth by the awkward way I was reacting to the question, so there was no point in me lying.
"Y-yes," I mumbled under my breath, avoiding eye contact with her.
"Is that why you want me to break it off with Bakugou?"
"W-wait, that's not fair! I mean, I want to be with you, I want to be the one to make you smile, yes, but I don't want to cause you any unhappiness! If you were truly in love with Bakugou then- then I wouldn't want to intervene, that's why I had been avoiding you for ages, but even if you were just my friend and we were in this situation then I'd want you to do the best thing for you which, if you don't love him anymore, would be to break it off with him! I-I'm not trying to do this for personal gain and I don't expect anything, I promise, I just want to see you smile because I love your smile, and I never want to see your hair grey caused by sadness ever again, I-," I stopped when I realised exactly what I was saying. I was now blushing brighter than I ever had done before.
"Wow... thank you, Todoroki," she surprised me by saying.
"I promise I'm not telling you to break up with him - if you think there's any chance that you might still be in love with him then- then- try and make it work," I mumbled, it hurting as I said those words. There was silence in the room for what felt like hours but was only a mere minute.
"I'm going to take your advice, Todoroki," she nodded confidently and my eyes widened in surprise.
"Are you sure?" I asked nervously.
"Yes, I'm positive. Today has opened my eyes to the fact that there are people out there who can treat me so much better... Shoto," she said and I blushed a little more. Together we made our way back to Heights Alliance, her readying herself to do it that evening. I was on edge, concerned about what Bakugou would do but (y/n) seemed surprisingly calm, mentally rehearsing what she was going to say. She told me to wait in my room and she'd come and let me know when it was done, so that's exactly what I did. It had gotten pretty late in the evening so I busied myself by rolling out my futon, but my thoughts were still on (y/n).
A knock at the door made me jump and as quickly as I could I ran to answer it, seeing (y/n) stood there calmly. She stepped into my room silently, me shutting the door behind her. "Everything okay...?" I asked stupidly.
"It's done," she was smiling which relieved me.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, I am surprisingly," she said, admiring her yellow hair. "So I was thinking now... you could maybe..." she hinted and my eyes widened.
"Y-you mean ask you to be my girlfriend?" I said slightly panicked.
"I was thinking just a date to start with? If you'd like to," she said.
"Yes-," I coughed when my voice came out a little bit higher-pitched than I would've liked. "Yes, I'd like that a lot."