Todomomo/Kamijirou Double Date??
Note: This is a ~8000 word one-shot for Kamijirou and Todomomo, has a tiny mention of Izuocha (because my friend @c-jay321 loves them) as well. I hope you enjoy! The formatting also prob looks way better on comp.
This is entirely comedic and lots of fluff; Also a crap load of Kaminari and Todoroki bonding LOL
In which Todoroki gets help from Kaminari
“Thanksagain, Todoroki,” Kaminari rubbed his eyes with the heel of his right palmbefore collapsing onto the textbook in front of him. Marvelling at the summersky, layers of coral pink and delicious lemony yellow covering the horizon,Kaminari heaved a sigh.
What a great day to go out and enjoy apopsicle or two. Well, at least if he wasn’t stuck indoors, begrudginglymemorizing chemistry formulas.
Because of that dreaded unittest, which apparently was “as easy as punching Deku in the face” as quoted fromBakugou, Kaminari had to listen to Aizawa lecture him about his currentstanding in Class A. The electric hero would have also been out and about withhis girlfriend by now.
Not in the deserted UA library having aprivate lesson with Mr.Expressionless over here.
Todoroki pulled the book fromunder his friend’s sleepy form to the latter’s chagrin.
“We aren’t done with SN1 and SN2substitutions yet. I think we still have pages 53 and 54,” Todoroki thumbed theedge of the worn-out textbook, voice monotonous.
Kaminari made another obviousexhale, clearly expressing his boredom and hesitation, fingers making soft butincessant taps on the wooden desk.
“Hey, I don’t like this more thanyou do,” the fire and ice hero side-eyed the boy beside him, “I only volunteeredto help you because Yaoyorozu said she was busy. And also because you’reactually failing.” He nudged Kaminari who did a stretch and leaned away fromthe cursed text before Todoroki slammed it down. Teaching was definitely not one of Todoroki’smany talents.
“K, start reading from the secondparagraph.”
Kaminari made a ‘tsk’ with thetip of his tongue. Ugh. More atomic structures. Skimming the passages and the practicequestions on the bottom of the second page made him feel worse than drinking 12shots of vodka before going on a merry-go-around. Why must he suffer throughthis? Not like he needed to know how to make a monounsaturated fatty acid orwhatever while shooting lightning bolts at his enemy anyway.
“So, number 1,” The blondstarted, desperately trying to ignore the diagrams on his left, “is asking forwhat? I don’t get it.”
Expecting an answer, Kaminariwaited, resting his chin on the edge of the table, eyes appearing like smallgaps by now. He rustled his over-gelled hair.
“Todoroki, yo, so number 1,what’s it talking about.”
The boy pulled his shoulders backand turned to his tutor, who looked as though he was caught in a trance. Dartinghis golden eyes at the doorway in the direction that Todoroki was facing,Kaminari noticed their Vice President laughing and smiling with some boy fromClass B.
The taller boy standing next toYaoyorozu had a red hairband on and appeared to have just ran a marathon, skinglinting from the sweat. He had a gentle smile beaming across his face, eyesgiving the girl the ‘up-down’ every once in a while. Obviously trying to look‘cool’ by leaving his elbow on the windowsill, he let his back leg cross behindthe other, hand clutching onto a water bottle. Kaminari dug deep into the cavernsof his memory.
Oh yes, now he recalled, it’sAwase. The boy who saved Yaoyorozu from certain death.
Todoroki’s hawking gaze stayedsteady on the two, eyelashes unbatting as Yaoyorozu shifted weight from leg toleg.
Kaminari had an ‘oh shit’ momentfor a second, practically hearing his own gears turning in his head and smirkedslyly. So his tutor was attracted to her, eh?
“Todoroki I swear, if you don’thelp me, Imma have to call Yaoyorozu.”
The mention of her name baitedhim to respond. The fire and ice hero quickly tried to act as if he was neverdistracted in the first place, fingers pointing at random on the page.
Well, that got his attention.
Kaminarihad the urge to text Jirou right away. His girlfriend told him several timesabout her suspicions. Sometimes, she would see Todoroki staring at her bestfriend for no apparent reason and whenever Yaoyorozu helped Aizawa with smalltasks like cleaning the desks, Todoroki would always volunteer along. Who knewhe was falling for their resident Yaomomo this hard?
“Todoroki,”The blond crossed his arms, his gaze emitting all sorts of mischief, “I shouldrepay you for all your hard work, teaching me, you know?”
Histutor didn’t look interested but gave a response, albeit half-assed, “To behonest, it’d be a gift already if you could stop posting weird crap on myFacebook wall. And that goes for snapchat too. Stop sending me snaps of you andJirou kissing ‘cause it seriously annoys me to no end.”
“What,you’re just jealous! And, dude, I thought you said it was fine!”
“No, Ididn’t actually. In fact, I’ve never said anything about it. Until now.”
Kaminaricrossed his arms looking peeved, “Fine. Anyway, back on topic. So how about Iset you up with your crush.”
Todoroki’sbrows scrunched together almost forming a unibrow, the muscles on the rest ofhis face unmoved. All his life, thiswas probably the second time anyone asked him about the topic of romance (otherthan being confessed to), which, to Ashido’s skeptism, was definitelyimpossible because of his ‘pretty boy’ face. Whatever that meant.
“Idon’t have a crush on anyone,” the boy finally spoke, eyes fixed on the book.
Is this a replay of Midoriya before he started dating Uraraka?
Kaminari wanted to laugh.
“Don’tlie, Todoroki! I know you like Yaomomo!” The blond boasted as if he solved theworld’s biggest puzzle and the latter shot him a chilly glare that failed toshut Kaminari’s pride down. Good thing the tables within 15 metres of theirradius were empty. “I might not remember how many bonds carbon can make but I’mnot that clueless!”
“Well,great,” Todoroki was having none of this, “Let’s get back to the importantstuff. Like getting you back on track with your damn grades.”
Itreally isn’t that Todoroki didn’t like her. In fact, he questioned his opinionon her many times, most of the time during class. One of the prettiest girls inthe whole school, at least according to 90% of the people he had met, sat rightnext to him. Every day when he looked out the window, she’s in his view. When ateacher asks a question, she’s the first, if not the second to answer. Not abad answer too, it’s always one verbalized with thorough analysis. How cansomeone be so capable, intelligent, and utterly impressive? That was beyondTodoroki’s breadth of understanding.
So heguessed one could say that he was falling for her. Hard.
“If youdon’t hurry, Yaomomo’s gonna be snatched away, my dude! Do you know how manyguys want her? Maybe that guy over there too,” Kaminari flicked his indexfinger over at the two who were still chatting. Todoroki seriously wanted tothrow a pen at them.
Well, not Yaoyorozu. He’d neverthrow anything at Yaoyorozu.
The blond draped his arm over hisfriend’s shoulder. Carefully, of course, arm hovering in midair before making alanding. Todoroki was still somewhat of an unfamiliar, stoic creature to him.
Thefire and ice hero looked up again at the scene playing horrifyingly outside thedoor.
I can’t play into Kaminari’s trap, Todoroki thought, handsclenched, but watching his seatmate cheerfully hanging around Awase boiled hisinnards and scraped his throat.
The fire and ice hero wasactually starting to be convinced.
Todorokicleared his voice, relaxed into the plastic Ikea chair before considering.Playing out all the possible dreaded outcome that this could come to, the boyfinally let his arms fall onto the steady platform of his lap and lookeddirectly into Kaminari’s eyes, making him shift back a little.
WasTodoroki’s eyes always that…enticing?
If it weren’t for his unfortunateheterosexuality, the electric hero swore he would’ve drowned into the beautythat is Todoroki’s duo-coloured orbs.
“Sowhat’s your suggestion, Kaminari?” Todoroki asked, dragging his friend back toreality, “should I go up there right now and say something?”
“Well,that’s a little bit too straightforward. And sudden.” The spiky-haired boytapped his chin in thought before giving a short pause, happy that his friendwas finally opening up, “Kyouka and I are planning to watch a baseball game thisweekend so we could work with that.”
Kaminarileaned closer and went on.
“I’mthinking, I’ll tell Kyouka to invite Yaomomo, and I’ll say I invited you,‘cause Kyouka’s dad has connections with the stadium owner so we can get freetickets, and then we can let you guys have alone time. You know where I’m goingwith this?”
Todorokididn’t know where he was going with this.
Kaminari gave a sigh at theperplexed look on his friend’s face, “Like a double date kinda thing,” theblond continued, “but of course, without Yaomomo knowing.”
Alightbulb bursted into life in Todoroki’s head and his eyes widened for amillisecond, but his face stayed impassive.
What exactly was he ‘seeing’?
“Holyshit, I swear to all that is holy, I need you to friggin’ give me a smile orsomething ‘cause I have no idea what you’re thinking man! Yes or no?!”
Todorokiwasn’t used to this assertive side of Kaminari and quickly gave a brief nodbefore replying .
A moment too late and theelectric hero would have shaken it out of him.
“That’swhat I like to hear!” Kaminari exclaimed and pounded the table with his fist,earning him a harsh glare from the librarian. He covered his mouth and mumbledan apology to her before whispering to Todoroki, “I’ll text you tonight aboutthe details. Date and time and what not.”
Mental note: Teach Todoroki other gestures other than nodding.
Though it may not seem like it,Kaminari was actually very glad, somehow feeling as though he was able to tearapart the transparent armor that Todoroki always wore around. The two hardlyspoke to each other in class and never would there be an opportunity for themto truly bond, so this could be a start of something interesting?
“Thanks,”Todoroki said, noticing the grin growing on his friend’s silly face, “Now getback to studying before I leave for dinner.” He picked his head up, taking noteof Yaoyorozu’s missing figure and continued, “And make sure what we discussedhere is between you, me and Jirou.”
“5bucks and you can buy my silence.”
Todorokishot him a ‘are you fucking with me’ glare and the boy placed his hands up indefence.
“I’mkidding! ‘Course I’ll keep it a secret!” Kaminari gave him a thumbs up,pinching his fingers together to heave an invisible zipper along his lipsbefore drowning himself in the textbook.
Seeingas his friend was again, back to doing his work, Todoroki rested his head inhis palm, mind wandering off, unsure whether or not he should feel hopeful.
Afterexplaining the situation and hacking out the plan with Jirou, whose scream ofjoy staggered throughout the hour-long conversation, Kaminari finally felt likeOperation ‘Todomomo’ was going somewhere.
“Are weseriously calling this Operation Todomomo?” Jirou didn’t sound very pleased, “Istill think Operation Momoroki sounds better.”
Kaminarichortled, “Well whatever it’s called, it’s gonna be successful.”
“Yeah,I’ll make sure my dad gets us four tickets, and of course, they’re going to be sittingtogether. And… guess what.”
“Don’ttell me you’re pregnant.”
“DENKI,STOP FUCKING AROUND!!! I’M TALKING ABOUT TODOROKI AND YAOMOMO.”
Jirouheard a snicker from the other side of the phone. He is so getting it when shelays his hands on him tomorrow.
“I’m gonna tell my dad to tellthe guys to put the kiss cam on them!”
“OH MYGOD THAT’S PERFECT. Should I let Todoroki know?”
“No wayin hell! It’s gonna be a huge surprise!”
SometimesKaminari felt like Jirou could be Satan’s spawn (and it makes sense too becauseher dad was pretty devilish at times) but that was why he loved her.
“Okay,I’m putting you on speaker so I can text Yaomomo,” Jirou said, voice raising inpitch, “Make sure you don’t start singing like last time ‘cause you totallyfreaked my parents out.”
“Ahhyeah, good ol’ times,” the blond man chuckled and followed suit, “I’m gonna dothe same for Todoroki. But you can sing if you want, ‘cause I like your voice.”
A blushcreeped on Jirou’s cheeks, phone almost slipping out of her grasp, “Ugh, Denki!!!My dad can hear you!”
Todorokicreaked open the door to his bedroom, feet heavily shuffling his body towardshis haven. He laid face first,smothering into his pillow, wallowing in its cottony softness.
He was beyond exhausted. TutoringKaminari felt like climbing Mount Everest with All Might on his back whileBakugou’s screaming bloody murder in his ears. How does Yaoyorozu do this onthe daily?
Finally, he was able to take abreak from the day’s tasks, every muscle feeling as though it went on a deepsleep. From Sero’s crazy antics to Hagakure’s constant squealing, all the noiseformed a subconscious pressure on him. Like a stress bubble ready to pop.
It was a bonus that only hissister was at home too, leaving the house serene and Endeavor-free.
But inretrospect, he did feel plagued.
Admitting his admiration for a certainraven-haired girl felt like ten pounds off his shoulders, but at the same time,he wasn’t ready for the potential rumour mill. Todoroki wasn’t worried abouthimself actually; he was more concerned how it’d affect Yaoyorozu emotionallyif people were to constantly question her like mosquitoes around a honeycomb.
Hegrunted into his pillow, playing mental tetris with his thoughts, but suddenlyfelt a light vibration.
Yo, so u free onSunday right?
We gon meet outside Kiyomizu stadium at 1315
Then we gon take awalk at the park after.
U know wat u shud do then.
That’s a lot of exclamationmarks. Ok. Maybe.
Todoroki flipped over on his back, arms still extended andstared at the screen, hoping magically that Sunday was already over.
This whole thing could either end up like a trainwreck or heand Yaoyorozu would actually….
The boy tossed the phone to the sides of his feet, hittinghis ankles in the process.
If, let’s say, he does confess, and she says yes, then dothey date? Like Kaminari and Jirou? And Midoriya and Uraraka? Or Ojiro andHagakure?
Todoroki Shouto had no idea what dating even was.
Sure, he was confessed to a few times. Heck who was hekidding, he was confessed to exactly fifteen times in his short 17 years oflife (Fuyumi kept count), and every time he would brush the other party offlike the dust on his desk lamp, perhaps a little too harshly, leaving themchoking in tears and snot.
Now, it was his turn on the other side of the fence.
That came to be beneficial now though, since he had enoughexperience to understand how a confession was supposed to work. Chocolates,cards, handmade crafts. You name it. Todoroki had received it all.
The boy covered his eyes and forehead with the palm of hishand for a brief two minutes before releasing yet another loud grunt. He hearda succession of light knocks on his door then.
“Shouto, is everything all right?”
“You don’t sound like it! Can you open the door? We couldtalk about it if it’ll make you feel better.”
Todoroki pursed his lips together, slightly glad that hissister was so doting but at the same time frustrated at the extra company.
Ever since Fuyumi hit the age of 16, she started gettingmore and more protective of him, always mumbling how she wasn’t a good oldersister, and how she should’ve shielded him from their dad. Becoming a primaryschool teacher was also a way for her to cope, and truly get past her demons.
Todoroki swung his legs over to one side and stepped ontothe tatami mat, creaky noises left in its wake.
He opened the door, “Sure, maybe you can help.”
Fuyumi was almost jumping in joy, content that her littlebrother was letting her into his life. Todoroki scratched his head, internallygroaning again, before he spoke.
“So, I’m going to a baseball game on Sunday.”
Fuyumi listened intently.
“And actually, this girl is coming along and I want her tobe…my friend?”
Todoroki could feel his lips turning dry and puckering; hejust couldn’t get himself to say thatword.
“I see, so you two are not friends already,” Fuyumi left hiseyes in thought, “So you’re concerned about how to get her to be your friend?Who is this girl if I may ask?”
The boy seriously wanted to hit himself by now, “Okay,actually, it’s Yaoyorozu, and-“
“Wait, she’s your classmate isn’t she? She’s the other recommendedstudent. Don’t you two always walk home from school?”
Todoroki and her sister exchanged glances; his, entirelyblank but telling, while hers went from concerned to astonishment. Fuyumi’smouth rounded into a small ‘o’ when the realization finally dawned on herbefore she sucked a breath in, straightening her back completely. She lookedalmost too ecstatic for Todoroki’s liking.
“Oh my goodness, my little brother has a crush! Oh my-“ Shecovered her mouth, face scrunching up in pure joy, “Shouto, you want her to beyour girlfriend!”
Todoroki held his hand by the door, wanting to slide it to aclose to bury in cruel embarrassment. He actually had goosebumps from this, butstill managed to look indifferent in front of his sister, who was gasping andshaking her arms above her like this was the biggest news of the century for asolid minute.
“Oh, Shouto, I’m so happy for you! You shouldn’t be worried,I have faith in my little brother’s charms. Remember, uhh, those fifteen timesyou got confessed to? I swear, if Ms.Yaoyorozu doesn’t like you, she is missingout. Oh my gosh, Sh-“
“Sister, you need to calm down.”
Fuyumi was still smiling, but did as told and watched asTodoroki lowered his head, taking his thumb and index fingers to his temple andrubbing it in circular motions.
“I’m just thinking, maybe I’ve made a mistake with all this.I’m supposed to be a hero, at least working towards being one. I can’t sparetime for this. It’s not helping me, it’s useless and childish. I should befocused on school and my career.”
The woman dropped her arms to the side, lips twitchingalmost as if she wanted to smile, but wasn’t sure if she should. Her hand foundits way to his shoulder and she gave him a light squeeze, motioning forTodoroki to come closer.
“You know what Shouto, I think you’re too hard on yourself.You’re still a teenager. You’re allowed to have fun, even if….even if daddoesn’t agree. That’s what I would want for you. To make meaningfulrelationships. And I think that’s what mom would want too.”
Her voice was so gentle, always lulling Todoroki to a quietmindfulness. The boy read her hard expression and his lips tugged into a raresmile.
“Thanks, sister,” he said, “I’m glad you’re always there forme.”
Fuyumi released her hand, “I wasn’t always, but I will befrom now on.”
When his sister left, footsteps light across the halls,Todoroki slumped back onto his bed. He felt an urge to message Yaoyorozu beforehe let himself drift off to a deep slumber which begs the question: should he?This felt completely new to him, a territory unchartered and unexplored.
Taking his phone, he gulped and scrolled to her name on hisFacebook messenger app, tingling from anticipation but also feeling as thoughhis heart would jump out of his ribcage.
Todoroki sat there, waiting for a few minutes. No response.
Well it did say shewas on 30 minutes ago, he thought, but his attention was still on thedevice.
He almost shot up like a corpse rising from the dead when hefelt the vibration of hope awhile later.
Yes I am! Jir justasked me
He saw the small words at the bottom say ‘typing…’ but it flickered to a stop. So he replied:
Grasping how awkward his response was considering all rulesof normal social cues, he quickly added:
A smiley face emoji popped on the left side of the screenand Todoroki smiled along with it as Yaoyorozu typed after:
See you, I lookforward to it!
The boy’s hands were sweating; whoever invented instantmessaging was a genius and deserved his many thanks.
Laying his hands down, a small victory envisioned in hismind and soon, his eyelids fluttered to a close without warning.
Kaminari got there early that afternoon, exactly at 12:55pm,Todoroki saw on his watch, and wondered why both the boys ended at the stadiumearly.
“Yo!” The blond waved, his hair looking extra pointy andflashy, “You’re here early too!”
Todoroki grimaced, shutting down ‘plants versuszombies’ on his phone and shoved it intohis pocket. He didn’t want to be early either but he left home planning to walkYaoyorozu to the stadium. When he got to her house, her maid told him that shewent to offer the Mayor some help with the newest revamp of the City hall earlyin the morning. Todoroki caught a few mumbled words after about how‘Ms.Yaoyorozu has a driver so don’t worry’, but he felt so utterly bummed, he hadalready left without listening to the rest.
Her willingness to help people was great, but at the moment,it felt like someone just rained on his parade.
“Kyouka said she’s getting lunch with her parents before soshe told me to come here by myself,” Kaminari went on. Todoroki squinted athim, was it him or did Kaminari look extra bright today? Must be the endorphinswracking his brain.
“Come bro,” The electric hero said in an uplifting tone,dragging Todoroki’s sleeve like some 3 year-old, “I wanna get something forKyouka.”
Todoroki frowned, knowing that his friend wouldn’t notice, andreplied, “why do I have to come with.”
“Because it’s better than you standing there all byyourself?”
Turning the corner and straight towards the hot dog stand, asmall, hidden florist had their doors opened, ready for business. On the waythere, Todoroki casually questioned whether it was common for him to give giftsand small items of affection to his girlfriend in which Kaminari nodded withouta second thought.
“I like Kyouka so I want her to be happy,” the boy wasbeaming, “You know that feeling when the person you love smiles and you just,totally melt into a puddle? That’s how I feel when I see Kyouka smile. She’slike the light at the end of my tunnel.”
Todoroki was actually impressed with his friend’s way withwords; language had always been Todoroki’s weakest point, but Kaminari hadexplained the storm simmering deep within him whenever he peeked over to ajoyful Yaoyorozu in syllabic perfection.
Yes. A cheery Yaoyorozu, or that look she gets when she getsperfect on a test (which was often), was truly a blessing to the eyes.
As they stepped foot into the air-conditioned store, Kaminariturned on his phone and proceeded to type something on it, tongue stickingslightly out of his mouth like he was concocting a scrumptious brew. Todorokigloved his hands into his front pockets again (his signature, ‘I don’t give acrap’ pose) and gave the inside of the store a quick scan. By the looks of it,the store was probably new and looked very well maintained, assortment ofbouquets and plants adorning every crack and cranny of the facility.
“Excuse me,” Kaminari waved an employee over, “I’m lookingfor this specific one.”
The girl, wearing a green apron that had the words ‘YamanakaFlowers’ on it, scurried over, bleached blonde hair tied up into a highponytail. She didn’t even need to probe the picture on Kaminari’s phone formore than second before she knew what he wanted, going over to a fridge behindthe cashier stand like she had the entire inventory memorized.
“Sir, great choice! We only have eleven of these left!”
The flowers that the girl took out and was holding ontodelicately were the most beautiful navy roses that Todoroki had ever seen. Thetips and edges had a bit of a powder blue tinge to them, granting them a sortof breathtaking magic that the boy couldn’t get his eyes off of.
Kaminari’s eyes pointed heavenward, thinking.
“Okay, I’ll take nine,” The electric hero took out hiswallet, “Make sure you wrap it nicely, miss!”
The employee gave a reassuring smile.
“Why nine?” Todoroki asked, curiosity on the tip of histongue. Nine was such an odd number.
Kaminari strolled closer to the cashier, the boy behind himwalking in tandem.
“Nine roses means ‘eternal love’!”
The pride in Kaminari’s voice had never been so obvious;when it came to dating and that sort, Kaminari was not that giving of a person.It was one of his stronger points within the scope of socializing and Todorokihad much to gain from him.
Todoroki crossed his arms as he watched the girl do the lastbit of taping, handing two different ribbons for Kaminari to choose. The boychose the white silky looking one and Todoroki was actually quite fascinated bythe skill of the florist as the final piece came together with cellophane andtissue paper all around.
“Could you not get these anywhere else?” Todoroki asked, andthe girl’s eyebrows rose up, head tilting.
“No, you can’t! Our florist has a special technique whencultivating these. Our store is famous because of it!”
The way she answered sounded like it came straight out ofthe employee handbook.
The fire and ice hero watched her eyes sparkle as if to say‘buy from us!’ and he surrendered, fishing his wallet out after Kaminari paidhis. His friend smirked, chest puffed out.
“Ahh, now you’re learning!”
Kaminari gave his friend a big pat on the back, mood stillelevated as it was fifteen minutes ago.
Todoroki shuffled over, peering through the glass behind thegirl and immediately pointed at the ones on the left, though there were onlytwo left standing in the pristine vase.
“I’ll take them both,” he handed her a five thousand yenbill, “I want them wrapped as well. Thanks. And keep the change.”
The last part gave the girl the extra motivation; after all,a two thousand yen tip would have taken her a few clients to accumulate, and sowithin a minute, her careful touch and precise craftsmanship made the smallerbouquet look just as grand as Kaminari’s.
Great, now they get to be two idiots holding flowers in astadium.
Kaminari stifled a giggle at the image in front of him,following Todoroki with a carefree strut, and with a lowered voice, he said,“Todoroki, did you know that two roses mean ‘Will you marry me’?”
The fire and ice hero instinctively gave the floralarrangement an anxious squeeze.
“What?” He gawked at the floral arrangement. His was like acoral counterpart of Kaminari’s. “Am I going to give her the wrong idea?”
Kaminari waved his hand in encouragement, “Don’t worry, I’msure Yaomomo won’t see it like that.”
Jirou, wearing fishnet stockings, a denim skirt and a greyhoodie, tapped annoyingly with the front of her Nikes. People were alwaysshocked when they find out that she was a UA student, in Class A nonetheless,because of her edgy, rock style appearance. Her best friend, though, was thecomplete opposite of her.
Yaoyorozu stood between Jirou and the popcorn stand, handsintertwined at her rear, wearing skinny jeans and a tank top which accentuatedher already more-than-perfect body. She was the epitome of grace, beauty andintelligence. If UA needed a model or a representative, Yaoyorozu wouldprobably be chosen first.
Jirou twisted her earphones playfully with a slim finger,“Where are the guys? They should be here by now. Denki said they got hereearly.”
“Patience, Jirou, I’m sure they just went to the washroom orsomething.”
Bright yellow hair, sticking out like a sore thumb, caughtthe earjack heroine’s attention like ice against skin on a summer day.
Kaminari strolled over, apple-cheeked. Even the grin on hisface was wider than usual. As if his flushed complexion was contagious, Jiroubecame red all over, shakily extending her arms to receive the bundle of blueroses that was no longer being hugged by him, the irritation that was etched onher face completely dissolved.
Perhaps the meaning of young love should be Kaminari andJirou.
“Denki, you big goof,” Jirou was so flustered, she couldn’teven look at him, grabbing onto theroses like her life depended on it. She kept pressing her lips together, hidingherself from her boyfriend’s view.
“You showed me them over instagram last time,” Kaminaripressed a hand against his neck, fully facing her and his girlfriend playfullypunched him on the arm.
Even though Jirou was usually acting like a tomboy, Kaminarifound these simple displays of shyness super cute.
“Wow, how unexpectedly thoughtful of Kaminari-san!”Yaoyorozu complimented, hands making lifted fists against her cheeks, eyesbright. She donned a similar expression as when asked to be a tutor.
From the corner of Yaoyorozu’s vision she saw a very awkwardTodoroki (even more awkward than usual, Jirou must say) step forward, his handsclearly behind his back.
“Hey,” his voice came out less bland but Jirou knew forcertain he was trying not to be deadpan.
“Yo, Todoroki, are you hiding something?” Jirou cocked an eyebrow.
The boy suddenly felt very self-conscious, especially whenJirou was observing him with eyes like a hawk. He opened his mouth to speak,but closed it again, swallowing his pride along with it.
Yaoyorozu gave a wave, “Todoroki-san-“
She didn’t even get to finish as the boy released hisrestrained arms to the front and shoved the gift into her face, as if he wantedto wipe her nose in it.
“Red roses, I thought, since Kaminari got one for Jirou.It’d look very bad if you didn’t have some too.”
Jirou gasped, and her boyfriend winked at her.
Yaoyorozu would be lying if she said she wasn’t petrified.Her black bangs were wiggled in between the two roses and with a soft reel ofher fingers, she moved her hair away, understanding completely why YamanakaFloristry was so well-known.
“They are…beautiful. Thank you,” Her gaze dug deep into hisafter lingering too long at the flowers in his hand, as if challenging him tonot look away. Her plush lips tugged into a mesmerizing smile making his mouthtaste like the velvet sweetness of white chocolate.
And so Todoroki was wonderstruck.
He took a deep breath to keep himself present, “Well, I’mglad you like it.”
He let go, and sheheld it tight.
Yaoyorozu mumbled a ‘thanks’ under her breath again, hopinghe wouldn’t hear. Todoroki glanced back over his shoulders as the four headedinside.
Her pink cheeks made his heart race.
Jirou made sure she gave everyone the right seat numberswhen they entered. The air smelled of delicious franks and popcorn. Thesoda-sipping crowd was bustling with excitement, though most were clearlyShiratori’s fans.
“I actually kinda wish that the kiss cam would be on us,”Kaminari cupped his hands around his mouth as he murmured into Jirou’s ear andshe leaned closer, turning to send him a message of her own.
“I think the flowers earned you more than that.”
Hearing that, her boyfriend coughed in a frenzy, steamcoming out of his ears and his girlfriend laughed at his reaction, noticing hishand covering his face in embarrassment.
“Two can play in this game, Denki,” Jirou stuck a tongue outat him.
Leaning forward to her left, she relished at theinteractions that Todoroki and Yaoyorozu were exchanging. The former wasrelaxed, already ensconced into the chair, while the latter poised with handsheld together in the centre of her lap. Yaoyorozu was demonstrating the depthof her etiquette; even when she drank from her bottle, her pinky would raisehigh like a lady in an afternoon tea party.
“Todoroki-san,” the black haired girl started, her beveragenow lowered, “Can I ask you a question?”
The boy shifted his gaze at her and nodded, “Sure.”
“Is this your first time…” Yaoyorozu kept twiddling herthumbs, feeling the bouquet underneath, tickling her ankles, “Your first timebuying flowers? For a girl, I…mean…”
Todoroki shook his head, “I buy it all the time.”
The girl’s eyes became rounded with surprise. So she wasn’tthe first time?
“I buy them for my mother, all the time,” he clarified,expression unreadable and the girl felt the adrenaline pulsing through herveins plummet. Yaoyorozu placed a hand against her chest as if to reassure herpounding heart that it was alright to slow down.
“That’s a relief,” she answered and he looked at her oddly.
“Oh! Nothing!” Yaoyorozu gave a chuckle, mentally chidingherself. She was an idiot.
It was safe to say that her phone call two nights ago withJirou was plenty Todoroki-centric. Yaoyorozu never once suspected that her bestfriend would ask her to join her as a fifth wheel; it only made sense that theyasked Todoroki too, in case it got uncomfortable.
But, it was Todoroki,and she was ambivalent in her feelings for him. The only person at her age thatshe had even considered admiring and perhaps it was juvenile of her to thinkso, but he was the most charming guy she had ever met.
And she had met a lotof guys; half of them being suitors from her absurdly flamboyant familyparties.
Todoroki cleared his throat and flipped over the collar ofhis blue overpiece, liking where this conversation was going, and she promptlysnapped out of her reverie.
“And yourself? Is this your first time receiving flowers?”
Yaoyorozu looked sheepish, eyes wandering around, searchingfor the best words to put together, “Well, no. But that doesn’t devalue whatyou gave me, Todoroki-san.”
The boy grinned, satisfied, “Of course. You’re right.”
With a blare of the speakers, the announcer commenced thegame. The Karasu and Shiratori team were already in positions; given the hypethat the ‘wonder duo’ in Karasu was causing in the community lately, the fourUA students had no doubt that they would put up a superb fight against theundefeated champions, Shiratori.
Kaminari wrapped his arm around Jirou, taking in the thrillof the atmosphere, and then the first inning started.
“AWW, WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?” Jirou slapped her thigh in amixture of anger and disappointment as batter 5 was escorted onto the bench,standing up in the process.
Kaminari pulled her down gently, “Kyouka, I think he hurthis finger. But it’ll be fine, they’ve got someone replacing him.”
The girl huffed, “Fine, but if Karasu loses, you’re gettingme ice cream.”
“Ladies and Gentleman, we will have a short intermission.”
Jirou and Kaminari’s eyes directed at each other nervouslyat the booming announcement, knowing well what was happening next. Jirou couldonly cross her fingers, silently praying that her dad did not screw up.
Todoroki and Yaoyorozu looked amused, staring intently atthe large screens hovering over the stadium, clearly clueless on what was aboutto happen.
The image above them gave the four a heart attack. Jirou wasborderline dying on the edge of her seat.
On the giant TV were a stupefied Kaminari and a stunnedTodoroki who seemed to be considering the option of jumping off a cliff.
Jirou cursed under her breath. It was supposed to be C and D,not B and C!
The surrounding people and the rest of the crowd, as Jirouexamined, was appalled. Some of those behind them started to whisper amongstthemselves.
“Yeah, hey that’s Endeavor’s son! Can they hurry up,everyone’s waiting.”
“Dude, I remember they were super cool in the sportsfestival! Oh my god and they’re dating?!”
Yaoyorozu began nudging Todoroki, lips curving shamelesslyat the hearsays above her.
“Hurry, Todoroki-san! Everyone’s staring!”
Kaminari slapped himself on the face, “No! What, we…wearen’t a couple! They’ve mistaken!”
“Just do it, Denki,” Jirou muttered through gritted teeth,elbow gouging into his side, “My dad got us these tickets AND they know we’refrom UA!”
Todoroki’s chest rose and fell bit by bit, and flipped overto get Kaminari’s attention. The two began to feel the pressure from thestadium and so without prior warning, the electric hero wrapped his fingersaround Todoroki’s head, white and red filling the gaps, and pushed his lipsonto his.
Would it be ridiculousto say that Kaminari smelled like citrusy goodness?
The fire and ice hero snapped out of it and literally frozehis fake lover’s left palm at the contact, while Jirou and Yaoyorozu envelopedtheir faces in their arms, bowled over, flabbergasted that the guys actuallydid it.
Peer pressure was a force to be reckoned with.
“Ow, fuck!” Kaminari said, scrutinizing Todoroki’shandiwork, “yo, hurry and melt it or Imma get frostbite!”
Todoroki wanted to object, looking menacing and chafed fromthe unneeded streams of cheering. He slammed his left hand against Kaminari’s,breath unsteady, internally wishing that he could hold his anger in before hisfriend doubles over his unfurled knee.
The two boys again gave the screens a quick glance.
In the name of the devil,why the hell are we still being broadcasted?
The announcer could not come in at a worst time, “Aww, sosweet, now they’re holding hands!”
Todoroki swore he could see tears in Jirou’s eyes; both thegirls still giggling non-stop.
“If…If I keep laughing, I’m going to get abs,” words managedto escape Jirou’s mouth between heaves of air and spit, “Ah…that was …toofunny!”
Yaoyorozu didn’t look any different, trying to uphold herlady-like demeanor but rapidly failing.
“We never speak of this again, you hear me?” Todoroki shovedKaminari’s now melted hand back as if touching him for another second morewould give him disease. Todoroki had dark clouds looming over him. The lattermade a disgruntled face, nodding hastily to signify his conspicuous compliance.
The rest of the game was a hodgepodge of mortifying emotionsfor the two boys, but the girls had their fun.
This was easily the craziest Sunday that Todoroki ever hadto endure. Now that they were at the park, as suggested by Jirou and Kaminaribecause apparently the hot dog stand here was ‘amazeballs’, he felt likefinally it would come to an end.
Which really is unfair to say because the girl walkingbeside him was euphoric, seeming to have made the most out of the day comparedto everyone else.
Suddenly, someone’s dainty fingers tapped on Kaminari’sshoulder.
“Hey everyone!” It was Uraraka, bubbly like always, armlaced with Midoriya’s as expected. The green haired boy waved after sheepishlychecking his phone.
“Sorry, we’re late, but thanks for the invite Kaminari!”
Todoroki cocked an eyebrow.
What was Kaminariplanning now?
The electric hero acted as though he was expecting them,though the anxious sweat dripping down his forehead betrayed him.
As Uraraka and Midoriya began to chat away with Yaoyorozuand Jirou, the fire and ice hero almost hauled Kaminari over in haste.
“Why is Midoriya and Uraraka here too?”
Kaminari gulped, “uhh…I might’ve told them to come…to giveyou moral support…”
Was Kaminari asking for death?
“I thought I told you keep it between you, me, and Jirou?!”
Todoroki swivelled on his heel to look behind him. He would notbe surprised if Hagakure and Ojiro jumped out of nowhere by now.
This was the first time Kaminari had heard Todoroki, whowithout a doubt was exasperated to the point where even being his usualbrooding self was not helping, raise his voice.
Kaminari clasped his hands together at his forehead as if tobeg for forgiveness, “Sorry, Todoroki! Slip of the tongue, and I figured you’regood friends with Midoriya anyway, so just see it as extra company, okay?”
There was no point in arguing anyway, and Todoroki did haveto be grateful for the ‘opportunities’ that Kaminari and Jirou carefullystrategized for him, so he let out a sigh, shoulders pulling down, relaxed.
“Hey, you two! Come back!” Uraraka was directing them backto the circle now,“let’s go around the park!”
Yaoyorozu, Jirou, and Uraraka were gleefully singing toDisney songs in front of them, hands interlocked like the three best friendsthey were as the group meandered through the stone-covered path.
Todoroki watched as Yaoyorozu batted her thick eyelashes,streetlights rendering her like a Greek Goddess, hair blowing enchantingly inthe slight breeze. She was like a prized gem, and he for once was quiteapprehensive to find out how this walk in the park will end.
“We are going over there to check out the lily pond,” Jirousaid, fingers making an imaginary loop around her boyfriend, Uraraka andMidoriya, obviously creating space for the other two, and began dragging herboyfriend along. Yaoyorozu stifled a giggle, waving to send them off to theirown devices.
“Todoroki-san, I’m sorry for today,” the class VicePresident slumped down onto the nearby bench, and gestured for him to followsuit, “I’m sure Jirou planned this so she could …you know…set us up.”
Todoroki was actually taken aback by how direct she was, andcontinued to listen intently. She started gently chewing on her bottom lip,something she often did, and pressed on.
“I’m not stupid, I’ve thought it through and I’m certainthat Jirou wanted to put the Kiss Cam on us,” she noticed how engrossed he wasin the conversation, heart hammering incessantly in her ears, “But it ended upbeing you and Kaminari-san.”
Todoroki didn’t want to be reminded of that dauntingexperience and chose to wipe it out of his memory permanently.
Maybe he should tell her the truth now. After all, therewere only minutes left until they all had to head home. He considered her everymove, feet pressed harder together, and little by little, he took her hand inhis.
Yaoyorozu stiffened at the touch, but did not make a sound.
Todoroki wasn’t sure how to start, unable to even make amonosyllabic response, before taking note of her assuming gaze, so full ofalacrity.
It was then he got to see her clearly. Having her touch wasfreeing. Looking at her was like staring into a kaleidoscope, all the coloursas lively as the first breath of life.
Wasn’t he usually very straightforward and confident? Whatwas happening to him now?
“Actually,” He began to make tiny circles on her knuckles ina semi-playful manner while giving her his interrupted attention, “I was theone who wanted this. The double date thing.”
“Wh-what?!” Yaoyorozu screamed out loud, instinctively pullingher hand free and covering her mouth, incredulously abashed at her reaction, “Whatdoes that-”
“It means that I like you.”
The words were strung with passion, so highly charged thathe surprised himself. But he was serious.
“Do you like me, Yaoyorozu.”
The girl, so painstakingly bewildered, closed her eyes,wanting to hide herself from reality.
“Am I dreaming, Todoroki-san?”
The boy bore a confused expression, eyebrows knittedtogether.
“No, you’re fully awake,” he answered humourlessly and hercheeks puffed up, lips gradually lifting into a grin.
She finally opened her glassy eyes, “Yes, Todoroki-san, I…Ido!”
Her smile really was a godsend.
Todoroki reciprocated the gesture and found himselfinstinctively angling his body towards her, earning him a slight push againsthis hard chest.
“To-Todoroki-san, what are you doing so close?!”
“Well, I need to be if I’m going to kiss you.”
Yaoyorozu was fuming, bashful thoughts inhibiting her,clearly unready for his sudden proclamation, “Please… don’t. I need time to getready!”
He was too outspoken, guilelessly saying what he was in hismind like it was the simplest form of communication. Yaoyorozu needed to getused to it and fast.
Todoroki nodded and mused, learning from Kaminari that teasingwas actually kind of fun.
“Deku-kun! I want to go into the pond and get a lily!”
Kaminari sauntered over to his girlfriend, who was sittingunder a tree with a sketchbook and a pencil in hand, the arboreal awning creatinga dimmer ambience that Kaminari was actually fond of. Jirou began leaving lightstreaks of skilful lines on the barren page, showing how well-versed she was inthe discipline of the arts.
“Midoriya and Uraraka, of course.”
Kaminari leaned closer, subsequently bequeathing a line ofsmall kisses along Jirou’s jawline and felt the heat rising up her face againstthe edges of his lips.
“Hey, Denki,” she said, putting her equipment down onto thesoft grass, “you think Todoroki and Yaomomo are doing fine right now?”
Kaminari frowned, “Can we just have some alone time, withoutneeding to care about the others for once?”
“Fine, you’re right,” Jirou answered and laid her head ontohis shoulder before suddenly bursting into a stream of laughter.
“Well, Denki, make sure you wash your mouth when you gethome. You better not kiss me before that, or else it’d be like…..indirectlykissing Todoroki.”
Kaminari snorted, voice cracking, giving his girlfriend alight poke on her forehead, “Stop talking about it or I’ll have to go againstyour wishes!”
The girl keeled over as her boyfriend pushed her under himinto a tickle fight.
Whatever they weredoing right now, Jirou thought, OperationTodomomo to her was an indisputable success.
