˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖ shoto todoroki x reader word count: 1773
pretty boy shoto todoroki is viewed as unattainable - not just to you, to everyone who ever sees him. his eyes pierce, his skin almost glows, and his demeanour is arguably cold. that's why your admiration of him is purely that. you wouldn't be stupid enough to develop a crush on him, surely.
wrong, actually. he's agile, lithe, and terrifying, but the current obsession of your brain. always hanging around izuku, or studying, or training. you never really had the time to have made any progress on your friendship aside from being picked for group tasks, and even then you had struggled. social situations are never easy, but they're another realm of difficult when it's todoroki you're socialising with. that's why your hands shake as you cut mushrooms, his voice in your ears as he discusses the latest assignment.
"how are you finding it?" shoto asks, voice void of any emotion as he converses with izuku. izuku laughs lightly and shrugs, admitting he's also struggling, his green hair tied back in what could almost be called a manbun, though it's more of a hopeless ponytail.
"mm, i could be doing better!" he laughs, turning to you. "how are you coping?"
you pause for a second to face him, avoiding shoto's gaze at all costs despite the way he's looking at you like you could qualify for the most interesting thing in the world. "i'm almost done, i just have a few things to finish up, and then i've gotta get it under the word count," you grimace. "i have about 2000 words but it's supposed to be 1500,"
shoto quirks an eyebrow at that. "already? have you been working on it since the second it was assigned?" he asks, leaning back in the chair to look at you. you laugh nervously, suddenly finding the meal you're preparing very interesting.
"i mean, yeah? i don't like being.. behind on things i suppose," you mumble, embarrassed at how little sense you're making. but shoto, the beautiful devil, nods like you made the most sense in the world. his face softens and he stands up, making his way over to you and gently taking the knife from your hand.
"go get it, i'll help you cut down on words," he offers, resuming your chopping of vegetables like it was his job in the first place. you shake your head, but you don't dare to take the knife back off him.
"oh it's no worries! the deadline is like, a week away!" you fret, reaching over him to grab the garlic and mincer. "i need to read over it anyway before i even try to reduce words!" you laugh, and izuku grins at you, noticing the pink of your ears.
shoto frowns and gently crowds your space, all to aware of the way you'd move if he got too close - and you do, moving out of his way and letting him have free reign of the kitchen. "i'll read it, and i'll help you cut down on the word count." he argues, looking you dead in the eyes.
any argument you had dies on your tongue, you just nod and head to your dorm to grab your laptop, baffled about the turn of events today is taking. before presenting shoto your laptop, you quickly make sure everything other than the document is closed, not wanting anything that could incriminate you there - such as the messages between you and ochako about how terrifyingly attractive the boy is. with a huff, you make your way back to the kitchen and place the laptop on the desk. "now let me cook," you say, holding out your hand for the knife.
shoto looks at you and smiles, like he's somehow humoured by your boldness, and he is. he didn't expect you, the girl who stares so intensely at him that he learned to tell your gaze from others, to be so bold with him. he hands you the knife, but also takes your hand in his and guides it to the green onion he was chopping for you.
"here, let me show you how to dice it," he hums, starting to manoeuvre you through the motions, before lifting his hand. "your go," he steps back, crossing his arms over his chest. you make the mistake of turning to look back at him, heat dusted over your cheeks and eyes wide, and your mouth goes dry at the way he's watching you
your hands shake a little as you copy his motions, but it must have been good enough for todoroki because he lets out a little pleased hum and heads over to your laptop, sitting in front of it and starting to read. izuku just grins, wandering over to help with the cooking.
you end up engrossed in a conversation about cooking with izuku, both of you working seamlessly along each other to prep your meal. somewhere along the line, you triple the portion size, intending to give both shoto and izuku a bowl in payment for helping you, and izuku notices this when you go back to chop more mushrooms.
"aw, are we having a triple date?" he teases, and you laugh at him, loud and clear, and it draws shoto's attention back to you for a second.
"no! i just thought i'd make you guys some too, since you're both helping me. it's just soba, it won't be anything too spectacular, but I just, i mean, you don't have to have it!" you laugh, gently nudging izuku, and shoto feels his chest tighten at the combination of you cooking his favourite meal, and cooking him a portion too. you look wonderful to him, hair tied back for cooking, sleeves rolled up, and a defensive look on your face as you bicker with izuku. he swallows, forcing himself to get a grip, and turns back to your paper, trying to drown out one of the prettiest sounds he's sure he'll ever hear - your laugh.
by the time you've finished cooking, shoto has finished reading through your paper and he's cutting the words down for you, so he jumps a little when you place down a bowl of soba in front of him with a soft smile. "there you are, i hope you enjoy it," you murmur, sitting down beside him with your own bowl. izuku has took off to his dorm with his, excusing himself to also work on the assignment.
shoto's mouth waters at the smell, and he smiles graciously at you. "it looks wonderful, thank you," he hums, setting your laptop down to eat. you just beam, a sight that makes shoto's stomach flutter, and tuck into your own food. at the first taste, shoto swears he's fallen in love, and his little groan at the taste makes your stomach do somersaults and your brain go fuzzy for a second.
it's at this moment, you both realise you're utterly fucked. something changes in the air, shoulders pressed against each others as you eat in silence, occasionally exchanging comments about the assignment, or the food, or izuku. before long, you're leaning into his side and he's subconsciously raising the temperature of his left side, and your eyelids are drooping as you relax further and further into his embrace. shoto's hand rests politely on your hip, and he's murmuring to you quietly about your paper, but you're honestly not listening.
he notices, because of course he does, and he just laughs. "something on your mind?" he asks, not really expecting a committed response from you, so it shocks him when you nod.
"why are you, someone so.. unattainable, helping me? you're miles smarter than me, stronger, everything. what do you get out of this?" you ask, a hint of insecurity creeping into your voice. shoto is taken aback, looking at you like you've grown a second head.
"i don't help you because i expect something in return. i helped you and you cooked for me. that was more than i ever expected." he murmurs, gently squeezing your side where his hand lies, and you squirm a little, but you laugh. that's good enough for shoto. "and the food was incredible," he admits.
your stomach flips again, and as you look up at him, you find him looking back at you with a sincere expression. it's enough to give your silly heart hope that he could just maybe like you back, if you were to admit you liked him. luckily, it doesn't come to that, because shoto huffs lightly and squeezes your side again, much lighter
"if you want me to ask for something in return, i can," he murmurs, and you nod lightly, not quite trusting your voice at this point. he just nods back, a subtle and gentle movement so as not to ruin the spell you're both under.
"let me kiss you," shoto asks, his brows pinched together a little, like he's terrified you'll say no, which he absolutely is. you inhale, holding the breath while you process what he's just asked. unattainable, untouchable shoto todoroki has just asked your permission for him to kiss you. as though you'd say no, as though this isn't exactly your dream scenario, as though your daydreams haven't been plagued with thoughts of what it would be like to be the one person who has attained shoto todoroki.
you don't quite give him an answer, but you do lean up and press your lips against his. it's tentative to begin with, but shoto kisses you back, and it doesn't take long before he's pulling you closer and kissing you deeper. the spices from the soba dance across your tongues, and you're pushing him lightly against the couch in an attempt to get impossibly closer to him. he's panting into your mouth, the kisses increasing in intensity before you both pull away for air, staring at each other and seeing him in a way you never have before.
he groans lightly, and this time he notices how your ears turn pink and your breathing quickens, and it takes less than a second for him to tug you back in, kissing you like a starved man. you're both lost in your own worlds, hands roaming slightly, his up your shirt and on the small of your back, and yours gripping his bicep. you only pull away when you need to, and shoto just laughs breathlessly.
"if this is what cooking for you gets me, i'll be your live-in chef," you whisper, huffing out a laugh, and shoto just grins, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead.
"you could always just be my partner instead,"