Hi guys sorry for not updating for 5 months I was sad.
Charlie lay in bed that night, wide awake.
She had gotten home nearly two hours prior and vaguely remembered putting in a load of laundry and taking a shower before finding herself staring at her ceiling from her bed. Her room was dark and silent, leaving her thoughts to run wild with question after question.
Did Shoto like her? If he did, what would she do?
When Todoroki had kissed her, she had neither reciprocated nor rejected it. Instead, after it had ended she wordlessly stared at him before leaving to catch her train. He hadn't texted her that night nor had she texted him. There seemed to be some sort of wall of awkwardness and shock keeping them from communicating.
Managing to get a couple hours of sleep, Charlie woke up the next morning wondering if the previous night had been some sort of strange dream. The bright blush that Todoroki's face flushed with when he stepped into the classroom told her it wasn't.
"The vibe is off." Mina announced as they walked to the cafeteria later that day. "What's up with you today?" she gave Charlie a playful jab with her elbow.
Charlie pulled her friend into a diverging hallway and away from the rest of the crowd heading towards lunch. She leaned in a whispered, "Shoto kissed me yesterday."
Mina's lips parted in surprise and she stared at her for a few moments before reacting, "girl what? When he walked you to the subway station?"
"Yep."
"Didn't you say you like Ojiro?"
"Yep."
"...was that your first kiss?"
"Yep."
"Was it consensual?"
Charlie paused. "Maybe not...?"
Mina pressed her lips together. "Okay wait, how do you want me to react to this? 'cause I'm down to dissolve a bitch but I'm getting the feeling you don't want me to get confrontational with him. I'm kind of pissed that he stole your first kiss without asking."
Charlie sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm a bit upset too, but I'll talk to him myself, don't worry. Just wanted to update you on this development in my life. Did you know he liked me?"
Mina stared at her blankly. "Did you not?"
Charlie dropped her face into her hands with a strangled noise of frustration.
Todoroki sat a couple tables away from her with Midoriya, Uraraka, and Iida, while Charlie and Mina sat with Momo and Tsu. Mina, upon Charlie adamant request, managed not to blurt out that Charlie had received her first kiss the night before and kept her secret under wraps.
The study group from the night before had agreed to go straight to Momo's house right after school, so when the final bell rung they left UA in a pack.
Charlie stuck to the front of the group with Mina and Momo, quietly listening in on the two gossip and trying not to third-wheel too hard.
Todoroki, seemingly understanding that he was in the doghouse, kept to the back.
The study session went similarly to the night before, with the only difference being that Charlie went to Momo with her math questions. Momo seemed to be the only one to notice this difference. Her gaze sifted to Todoroki nervously each time Charlie approached.
Charlie was the first to pack up. She said goodbye to her classmates and hurried to the front door.
She had an excuse for leaving early; she wanted to go for a run before it got dark outside. She definitely was not avoiding anyone. And even if she was, she failed as Todoroki caught up to her on the driveway.
"Can we talk?" he asked, their eyes meeting for only a brief moment before they both shifted their gazes away nervously.
"Uh, sure." She didn't want to suggest he walk her to the subway station again; that would be far too awkward. "Let's go to the park?"
Todoroki nodded enthusiastically.
The pair walked silently, Charlie walking perhaps a bit too briskly and Shoto trailing close behind her.
Her heart felt like it would beat out of her chest.
She was scared. Not of him, but of the consequences of the conversation to come. She had been hoping to delay talking to him for a while until she got her feelings sorted out, but she supposed getting it over with wasn't a terrible idea. She would be honest with him; she did not like him the way he liked her.
Her phone buzzed a couple times in her pocket and she pulled it out to give the notifications a quick glance. Mina was spam texting her asking for live updates of the situation.
Charlie turned off her phone and slipped it into her backpack.
She made a quick turn into the sparsely populated park, Todoroki still on her heels. Slowing, she retracted slightly when their shoulders brushed as they fell into stride with each other––something that didn't do unnoticed by her companion.
Even with the chirping birds and the other occupants of the area, the silence between them was deafening.
"So..." Todoroki began but didn't finish.
"So?" she prompted him.
"I, uh, I," he stuttered, falling silent again for a moment before letting out a puff of air. Words tumbled from his lips, jumbled and nerve soaked. "I like you."
Charlie gawked at him. "Yeah, I sorta guessed."
A group of middle schoolers walked by, chattering loudly.
"Sorry for kissing you yesterday. I should've asked first."
"Yeah, you should have." Charlie absentmindedly watched a squirrel climb a tree to her right. "Did you know that American squirrels look a lot different than Japanese squirrels? The ones we have here are cuter in my opinion."
"Do you like me?"
Charlie's gaze turned downwards to her feet and then flicked back up to a bench. She dropped herself onto it and let her head fall backwards. "I don't know. I don't think so."
Shoto stood in front of her awkwardly before carefully taking a seat beside her. "Do you think you could like me?"
For the first time since they left Momo's house, Charlie looked at him. Her eyebrows briefly pulled together as she levelled him with a contemplative stare.
"Yeah. Maybe."