Shouto Todoroki didnât usually stay up late for movie nights.
He didnât dislike them, not exactly. But sitting shoulder to shoulder with a dozen of his classmates while some chaotic action film blasted in the background never quite felt like his thing.
Still, tonight he was here. Quietly curled into the corner of the common room couch, surrounded by the soft murmur of laughter and the smell of microwave popcorn. Movie night in the dorms had quickly become a Class 1-A tradition. Equal parts chaos, comedy, and camaraderie. Blankets were scattered across the common room floor, snacks were passed around in oversized bowls, and people jostled for prime spots on the couches like their lives depended on it. You had found a spot on the far end of the biggest couch, tucked in beside Todoroki, who had wandered in late after patrol.
Tonightâs pick was some action-heavy film with a romantic subplot, something to appeal to everyone, even if it meant no one was completely satisfied. The film droned on, but the real entertainment came from your classmates making snarky commentary, whispering side conversations, and cracking jokes that made the entire room laugh.
Todoroki found it hard to focus on either.
Not because the movie was bad. Or too loud. Or too long.
But because he was exhausted.
The last few days had been rough on him. Training was getting harder and harder, your coursework was picking up and it was getting harder and harder for him to get a full nights sleep.
He sat beside you on the couch, eyes heavy and body aching. He hadnât even realized he was falling asleep until he heard someone snort.
âYo, Todorokiâs doing the head bob.â
There was a ripple of muffled giggles across the room.
You glanced to your side, and sure enough, there he was, blinking slowly, head tipping back for a moment before jerking upright again. Trying so hard to stay awake even as his eyes betrayed him.
âPoor guy,â Mina whispered. âHeâs really fighting for his life right now.â
You giggled quietly and bent down to tap one of your classmates on the shoulder, asking if you could borrow a throw pillow and a blanket. Once handed off, you turned back to Todoroki and gently touched his arm.
âHey,â you whispered, careful not to startle him. âCome here.â
His eyes blinked open fully. You gave him a soft smile and patted the pillow youâd placed in your lap. He opened his mouth to protest but the words never made it out. He was too tired. And you were looking at him so kindly.
He shifted closer, slowly curling up on the couch and lowering his head into your lap. You laid the blanket over his body, tucking it around his shoulders, and once he settled, you couldnât help but study him for a second.
His eyelashes were unfairly long. His lips slightly parted in exhaustion. His scar softened in sleep, like the tension it carried had been momentarily lifted.
You didnât mean to, but your hand drifted into his hair. Just a gentle graze at first. Then a full stroke. Fingertips dragging lightly along his scalp, tracing around his ear, then behind it and down to his nape before coming back up and threading through the mix of red and white strands.
Not quite a sigh. But not quite a hum either.
You played in his hair, lightly traced his face and slowly rubbed his back. And within minutes, he was asleep. Breathing steady, arms tucked beneath the blanket, head heavy in your lap. You didnât move. You couldnât. You were afraid if you did the spell would break.
As the movie wound to a close and the class began to stir, stretching, cleaning up, heading to their rooms, neither of you budged. A few of your classmates whispered and laughed.
âHow did she pull that off?â
âNot fair. He got out of cleanup duty.â
âYou think sheâll let me sleep in her lap next movie night?â
You playfully rolled your eyes but didnât engage.
As the common room emptied, you stayed right where you were, hand still carding softly through his hair. You waited until it was just the two of you, the credits still rolling silently across the screen.
Then, you leaned down and whispered, âTodoroki.â
His brow furrowed. He shifted slightly.
âTodoroki,â you repeated, a little softer this time, rubbing his back. âMovieâs over. You should head up to bed.â
He blinked slowly, coming back to himself. His voice was scratchy and low when he said, âSorry. I didnât mean to fall asleep.â
âItâs okay,â you smiled. âYou looked peaceful. I didnât want to wake you.â
He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. âThat was⊠really nice. Thank you.â
You nodded, watching him gather himself before heading up to his room.
He turned back before disappearing upstairs, his expression unreadable. But he didnât say anything. Just gave you a soft look and disappeared around the corner.
Over the next few days, Todoroki found himself lingering around you more than usual.
Sitting closer at meals. Hovering near your desk during breaks. Always conveniently near when you were walking to class. He didnât really speak much. But he was there. More than he ever had been.
Youâd known him for a few months now. You understood he wasnât the most talkative or outgoing person, so it wasnât hard to spot when something was different. When something was⊠off. You didnât want to worry too much. Maybe he was just trying to get into a new social circle. But regardless of his intentions you could tell something was off about him.
So you decided to bite first.
You were in the kitchen, stirring a pot of curry when he walked in fresh from a training session, gym bag slung over his shoulder.
He paused mid-step, glancing at you. âHey.â
âYou look like youâve been working hard,â you smiled. âHow was training today?â
He shrugged. âIt was fine.â
You laughed and turned back to your food. âGlad to hear it.â
He hovered near the counter for a minute, clearly not ready to leave yet. You let the silence hang for a bit before speaking again.
âCan I ask you something really quick?â
âHave you been feeling okay lately? Youâve been hovering a bit. I donât mind at all but I just wasnât sure if something was wrong or if⊠I donât know. You just wanted to talk or something.â
His eyes widened slightly. âHovering?â
You tilted your head. âYeah! Like youâve been around more than usual. Again I donât have a problem with it. In fact I think itâs great! But if you do ever want to talk about anything just know that Iâm here for you if you ever need anything.â
He went quiet. For a moment, you worried youâd overstepped. But then he said, âIâve been sleeping better lately.â
âI think it started the night you let me sleep in your lap.â
You smiled, amused. âThatâs sweet. Had you not been sleeping well before that?â
He shook his head ânoâ, before pausing again for a moment, as if he were trying to find his next few words.
âI tried doing it myself,â he added, rubbing the back of his neck. âRunning my fingers through my hair. But it wasnât the same.â
You turned to face him fully now.
âI hope itâs not inappropriate of me to ask,â he said, âbut⊠could you do it again sometime?â
You covered your mouth to stifle a laugh. âTodorokiâare you saying youâve been moping around because you missed my head scratches?â
He looked away, but nodded. âYes.â
You nearly melted on the spot.
You set your spoon down and crossed the kitchen in two steps. âWell,â you said, stepping closer and reaching up to stroke your fingers through his hair, nails lightly grazing his scalp. âYou shouldâve said something sooner.â
His breath hitched slightly. He leaned into your touch like a cat, eyes fluttering half-shut. He let out a soft, involuntary hum, making you smile up at him.
âI could do this for you whenever you want,â you said, smiling still. âAll you ever had to do was ask.â
His eyes fluttered shut, his whole body relaxing into your touch.
âI like the way you touch me,â he murmured. âIt makes me feel⊠warm.â
You chuckled at his blunt honesty, brushing a strand of hair out of his face. âDo you like all physical affection? Or just this kind?â
He blinked open, thoughtful. âI donât know. I donât usually get much physical touch from people.â
Your heart cracked a little at that.
You stepped forward and wrapped your arms around him, pulling him into a full embrace and resting your chin in his chest as you looked up at him. At first, he stiffened. Then slowly, cautiously, his arms came around you too.
You rubbed his back gently, just like you had the other night.
âYouâre so sweet, Todoroki,â you whispered. âIf youâd let me, Iâd give you all the loving and petting youâve been missing out on.â
You leaned back and cupped his cheek.
âWould that be okay with you?â
âYeah,â he said quietly. âThatâd be more than okay.â
And that night, when he finally went to bed, heart light, head warm, he slept better than he had in months.
Your arrangement started off innocently enough.
You would lazily scratch his scalp to play in his hair anytime you both were on the couch. You would let your knees touch when you sat next to him at the table or in class. You would even hold his hand or wrap yourself around his arm to guide him places. And surprisingly he was fine with all of this. Loving the way that just the simplest touch from you lit up his day and made his skin burn for more.
Heâd become comfortable with you. Really comfortable. And it showed.
You loved that your usually quiet and reserved classmate let you be his personal destresser. You had been worried earlier in the school year that you and Todoroki would never connect or be anything other than acquaintances. But now? You were spending almost every afternoon with him. And Shoto was loving every second of it. Maybe even a little too much.
âI think I might be⊠a little clingy,â he murmured one afternoon, his head resting in your lap as you gently scratched at his scalp, your other hand scrolling through your phone.
You laugh, surprised at his sudden announcement. âYou say that like itâs a bad thing.â
His eyes flicked up to meet yours. âIsnât it?â
You smiled, carding your fingers through his dual-toned locks. âOf course not. Not when youâre this cute about it. I like that you're a little clingy. Iâm pretty clingy too. â
That earned you a very faint blush across his cheeks.
âI justâŠâ he paused, turning slightly so his cheek pressed into your thigh, voice quieter now, âI like this. I like when weâre together. It makes everything feel so calm.â
You softened, setting your phone down completely and shifting your hand to trace the curve of his jaw. âYou deserve calm, Shoto.â
He hummed at that, eyelids fluttering. âDo you⊠think I could try it too?â
âTouching you. Like this. The way you touch me.â
Your heart gave a little stutter. You nodded. âOf course. Iâd love that.â
And just like that, a new Todoroki emerged. A changed Todoroki.
At first, he was hesitant, not knowing what was allowed and what wasnât. You didnât mind. In fact, you welcomed it, so you decided on meeting him halfway to break the ice a bit. For every new first he showed you, you gave him another in return. The first time he asked to sit next to you at the table tilted that same evening on the couch you asked him if you could lean your head on his shoulder. The first time he hugged you good morning that same day you gave him a goodnight kiss on the head. The first time he offered his hand to you to walk you down the front steps you made sure to hold his hand on your walk back from class. It was sweet and almost competitive.
As if both of you were engaged in an intense battle of emotional ping pong, and neither of you planned on giving in.
And once he caught onto your formula he got bolder. One night, he slid his hand over yours and laced your fingers together without a word. The next day, he tucked a strand of hair behind your ear before complimenting your focus in training. And a few days later, he pulled you into a hug just because, burying his face in your shoulder before pulling back and giving you a soft peck on the cheek like heâd been waiting to do it all day.
Every touch was gentle. Intentional. And achingly sincere.
âYouâre really soft,â he murmured one day, curled beside you with his fingers drawing invisible patterns along your arm.
You laughed. âThatâs a weird compliment, but thank you.â
âItâs true,â he said, completely serious. âAnd warm. You always feel so warm.â
You poked his cheek playfully. âThatâs rich coming from you, Mr. Half-Hot.â
He leaned in a little closer, eyes tracing your features like he wanted to memorize every piece of you. âYour warmth feels different than mine.â
He rested his head on your shoulder, his arms circling your waist like you were something precious, something he needed to keep close. You let your cheek rest against the top of his head and exhaled slowly.
He didnât say anything else. He didnât need to.
Because in the soft hush of the moment, his arms wrapped around you, your fingers absentmindedly stroking his back and his hair, you both knew something had changed.
And neither of you wanted to let go.
ââââââââââââââââââââââââ
