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Chapter Text

It burned; like an explosive, supernova star, expanding over his eye and forehead. It seared his skin and Shouto was certain he screamed. No sound hit his ears however, momentarily deaf as the scalding water poured over him.

For a moment right before, he locked eyes with his mother. Her gray irises trembled with fear, with true loathing for him, for her son. Deep down there was a part of him that knew why.

He didn't blame her.

She fell to her knees directly in front of him, his body trembling. "Shouto..." she whimpered. "My son, my boy..." she gasped, the spell finally broken if only for a moment.

His body heaved, sobs slipping from his lips, his hand pressed to his burned eye. He reached for her then, as any child would reach for their mother. Though she was the one who inflicted this pain, he wanted her comfort. The small boy loved his mother, more than anyone else in his life.

Todoroki Rei gasped then, her fingers gently wrapping around the boy's tiny wrist. Her fingers brushed over his smooth skin where the tiny roses lined the inside curve of his wrist. It was where everyone's soulmarks resided, but his mother trembled, looking at the small flowers.

"I won't... allow you to suffer this pain I have felt," she whispered and grabbed the kettle. Steam rose from it, the water inside boiling as she began to pour it over his skin once more.

He yelped, attempting to pull his hand back, but the liquid burned his wrist, and he stared with his one good eye, tears flowing down his cheek.

It was the last time he could make out what his soulmark was. The roses disappeared into his burned flesh; forever scarred and washed away.

~~

"Todoroki-san! What's your soulmark?!"

It was rude to ask, but it didn't stop people from doing so. Most people wore tiny bracelets, covering up the spot, but bratty teens needed to know, and oftentimes they shared with one another.

"Don't have one," he said bluntly. It was a question he heard plenty of times, one he always gave the same answer to. All the conversations were the same. They were always just like this.

"What?! But everyone has a soulmark!"

"I don't."

Todoroki Shouto did not believe in soulmates. He knew they existed, he wasn't a fool, but he didn't necessarily believe in their legitimacy.

Admittedly, the idea baffled him somewhat. One person the universe decided they were supposed to be with? How did the universe know? Ridiculous. And more often than not, it was most likely wrong.

After all, it hadn't worked for his parents.

The rest of the world however, was absolutely obsessed with the concept. The first day of elementary school kids ran around flashing their wrists. In middle school, everyone traded soulmarks, excited their potential person could exist in their class.

Shouto brushed his finger over the scar on his wrist. The skin was taut, scarred and burned forever. By now, he couldn't even remember what his soulmark looked like. It was impossible to see under the scarring of his skin. He recalled it was some sort of flower, not very unique. So he let it go, never participating in conversations.

"So are you quirkless?" There were rumors that those who were quirkless didn't have soulmarks, but there was no known truth to it.

"No."

"So you must-"

And with that, Shouto would eventually flash them his wrist to get them to shut up, but not before apologies poured from their lips.

All the conversations were the same. He just wanted people to leave him alone.

He truly hoped U.A. would be different. They were going to be pro heroes and that should be their focus. He didn't care about romance or soulmarks.

~~

Shouto took a seat at his assigned desk in the back of the room. This was perfect; unassuming. Hopefully he could avoid being called on and maybe everyone else would leave him alone too. He could actually focus on his goal of becoming a pro hero.

A girl sat down next to him, and he glanced towards the side. He recognized her from the recommendation exam; Yaoyorozu Momo.

She was tall, black hair fanning out behind the back of her head. Her skin was pale, smooth, and her dark eyes were focused as she pulled out a notebook, setting a variety of pens and pencils next to it. She was quite beautiful, and the thought alone made Shouto fight off a blush.

She nodded once and turned to the side, catching his eye. "Ah! Todoroki-san! I remember you from the recommendation exam. Ah-... I mean who couldn't!" she smiled, nervously tucking her hair behind her ear. "Your quirk is incredible! Oh goodness," she gasped softly and bowed her head. "I'm Yaoyorozu Momo."

"I know," he said flatly.

"Oh! You do? Wow! I-I apologize for implying you might forget!" she stammered, completely thrown off he remembered who she was. Her finger slipped under her soulmark bracelet, gently moving the digit back and forth under the small band. A nervous habit, most likely.

"You don't have to apologize for that," he stated. She knew nothing about him, as far as she knew, he could possibly be a very forgetful person.

"Right! Sorry! Ah... I mean... never mind..." she said.

He glanced towards her notebook and pens, impressed by how organized she was. He did recall her being incredibly talented with her quirk, something with creation?

"I'm sorry for bothering you," she said, bowing her head again to turn away from him.

He thought to stop her from apologizing, but decided it would be much better if people would leave him alone.

~~

At first, it seemed like the topic of soulmarks wasn't going to rear its ugly head, but then one day, about a month or so into their schooling, Ashido Mina, one of the louder girls in the class, couldn't keep her big mouth shut.

"WHAT!?" she gasped, cupping her cheeks. "Tooru-chan!" she said, grabbing the invisible girl's hands. "How will you know your soulmate if you're always invisible!?!"

So it was beginning.

"Oh don't worry," she giggled, "I have plenty of pictures at home from when I was a baby. Or maybe..." she paused, as if for dramatic effect, "my soulmate will have an invisible soulmark!" Both girls giggled.

"How silly, Tooru-chan! That would be pretty amazing!" Ashido immediately jumped towards Yaoyorozu beside him, reaching around to slide up her sleeve.

"Yaomomo! What about you? You've never talked about your soulmark with us!"

Shouto was honestly thankful he was never around when they talked about this before.

Jolting, Yaoyorozu immediately tugged her sleeve back down. "It's rude to ask people about their soulmarks, Mina-chan," she said softly. Her finger slipped back under the band, gently rubbing it back and forth once more. Her nail gently stroked at her own skin. Shouto saw Yaoyorozu do it a few times, so perhaps it really was a nervous habit.

"We all have them! And how are we supposed to know who our soulmates are if we don't ask! Eiji-kun and I knew ours matched at the beginning of middle school!" she said, looking rather proud. "Everyone here is so boring! I bet you won't tell me your soulmark either, Todoroki-san!" she teased, leaning over Yaoyorozu's desk.

He froze. Instead of answering, he kept his gaze forward, hoping if he ignored her long enough she would go away.

"To-do-ro-ki-san~" she hummed, calling his name once more. "Show me your soulmark!"

Was this girl simply bored? If she knew she and Kirishima were soulmates, why did she care about other people's soulmarks? Why couldn't people just mind their own damn business?

He opened his mouth to tell her off, tired of his classmates antics, when Yaoyorozu spoke up before he could.

"Mina-chan! Don't bother our classmates! School should be about school!" Yaoyorozu said, adjusting her sleeves and smoothing her hand over her notebook. "We are going to be pro heroes. There is no reason to worry about soulmarks right now."

Finally, an intelligent person. There was a reason he voted for her to be class president.

"What if he wants to show me?!" she argued.

"I don't," Shouto said, his tone blunt, his multi-colored eyes dark as he stared at her. "I don't want to show it to anyone."

"S-See Mina-chan," Yaoyorozu stammered, her dark eyes meeting Shouto's.

"Why not?!" she whined. "Did you already sleep with them and get the full mark? Maybe you’re just embarrassed!"

He froze. No one had ever accused him of that, especially not in middle school. When a person found their soulmate, if they chose to have sex, the act would create a bond. Their soulmark would appear on the other side of their wrist, conjoining the two marks to create a bracelet of sorts. It often was a way to mark who had and hadn’t found their soulmates.

"No. I don't believe in soulmates," he stated flatly, wanting to rid them of any horrible rumors they could potentially spread. Something flashed across Yaoyorozu's dark eyes, but he couldn't place the emotion. Disappointment? Understanding? ...Pity?

"What?! Who doesn't believe in soulmates?!" she exclaimed loudly. "There's evidence right here on our wrists!" she yelled, tapping at her skin directly below her bracelet.

"Mina-chan! I get the feeling Todoroki-san doesn't want to talk about this," Yaoyorozu said, gently pushing the girl back away from her desk. Her striking, dark eyes shimmered apologetically. "We really must focus on our studies."

"Ugh," Ashido groaned. "I guess this is why you're ranked so high..." she said, plodding back to her seat.

Shouto couldn't help but curve the corner of his lip up into the tiniest of smiles. As far as people in the class went, he thought Yaoyorozu was probably one of the more tolerable ones there.

Yes, Yaoyorozu Momo was alright.

Chapter Text

After the U.S.J. incident, it wouldn't stop raining, and everyone in Class 1-A was rattled.

Shouto tried not to think too much on it. It was a circumstance completely out of their control, and it was something they would all eventually have to deal with once they were pro heroes. Facing villains was to be their job, so really there was no need to fret over extra practice.

Shouto attempted to focus on those thoughts. However, in the back of his mind, there was a small burning feeling... He was by far one of the strongest students, thanks to his father's training, and yet... a small amount of panic had bubbled up inside of him, especially upon witnessing so many of his peers struggle.

Did he really know what he was doing?

He supposed that was the purpose of going to school; learning about how to handle situations like that. He could've trained with his father all he wanted, but a surprise villain attack would've thrown him off regardless.

Yaoyorozu Momo was also incredibly quiet after the incident. She wasn't a very talkative girl in the first place, especially during class. One of the things Shouto admired about her so greatly was how focused she often was on her studies. However, whenever the incident was brought up, she would immediately look down, her finger slipping under her tiny bracelet as she brushed her finger back and forth across her skin.

The entire class realized they weren't immortal. They could be destroyed like the fragile humans they were, and eventually they would have to face the truth; All Might wouldn't always be there to save him.

But something about the way Yaoyorozu looked truly bothered Shouto. He didn't like watching her disappear into her head, her small finger brushing over her soulmark.

It continued to rain days after the incident and Shouto grew tired of carrying his umbrella to school. The droplets of water trickled off the edges, the hood of it barely keeping him dry. Normally he enjoyed the walk to school, it gave him time to think, but now he was tired of it. He was used to having strange body temperatures, but he didn't enjoy being damp.

He let his shoes scuff against the concrete sidewalk, making his way to his father's house. The rain pattered against his black umbrella, though he could tell the bottom of his pants were already starting to soak through. Puddles formed in the dips of the sidewalk from the rain gathering for days.

He turned to the side, noting the empty park. Unsurprising, since no child wanted to play out in the rain.

But it was then he saw her; Yaoyorozu Momo, sitting on a swing. She wasn't holding an umbrella or wearing a rain jacket, and her dark hair was sopping wet, draped around her face. For a moment, Shouto wondered if it was actually her, but she was wearing the U.A. uniform and he would've recognized her pale, beautiful face anywhere.

She looked even paler sitting in the rain, her dark, wet bangs covering her eyes.

He should've kept walking, moved away from her and made his way home so he could change out of his damp pants. But something drew him to her.

"You'll get sick, Yaoyorozu-san," he said quietly, tilting his umbrella forward to cover her head. The chains of the swing blocked him from doing so completely, and the two of them half-shared the covering. Shouto felt the cold raindrops soak the back of his jacket through to his polo shirt.

"A-Ah! To-Todoroki-san." Her voice was quiet against the loud pitter-patter of the rain drops. Already she sounded hoarse, her nose slightly stuffed. "I... I didn't realize anyone walked this way."

"What are you doing?" he asked bluntly.

"I..." She bit her lip, her teeth pulling it towards her mouth. "I shouldn't bother you, Todoroki-san."

He sighed, pulling his umbrella back. Reaching up, he snapped it shut, taking a seat on the wet swing next to her. "You're not bothering me."

He didn't enjoy getting wet, but if Yaoyorozu was sitting out in the rain, he was willing to find out why.

"It's... silly..." she whispered.

"Okay," Shouto said, wanting her to tell him. His hair began to flatten against his head, raindrops rolling down his face.

"I started thinking about... the U.S.J. incident. Actually, that's not very accurate. I should say I never stopped thinking about it since it occurred," she admitted softly.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed and Shouto couldn't tell if she was embarrassed to be telling him this, or if her body was reacting to the cold rain.

"What about it?" he asked. "It seems everyone is thinking about it."

"A-Are you also... Todoroki-san?" Her dark eyes turned to look at him, the water gently rolling down her face.

"I guess..."

"You were so incredible, so... I could see if you weren't worried or concerned at all!" she said.

He didn't want to tell her practically nothing would compare to what he endured from his own father, so instead, he focused on her.

"I thought you handled yourself well."

"O-Oh!" she gasped, and turned towards the ground, pushing the swing back and forth with her heels. "I don't know about that. I'm sure I seemed collected but on the inside I was terrified. I'm still terrified. I can't handle the thoughts running through my head and I..." she trailed off. "It doesn't... seem very professional of me."

Shouto glanced down at the wet gravel beneath his feet, his swing squeaking as he moved back and forth. By now, he wasn't even focused on how wet he was getting. "No one expects you to be a professional yet," he said, wishing he could take his own advice, though his own situation was far different from hers. "And I'm sure... real heroes are... scared of things all the time."

"Really? Has your father ever told you any stories?" she asked, always eager to learn more information.

He balked at that, his swing halting with his movements. It wasn't as if he went around publicly denouncing his father, so it made sense she would ask-

"I'm... sorry?" she whispered, cutting off his thoughts. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "That was inappropriate to ask."

"My father... I don't... we don't..." How did one explain to someone they barely knew that they hated every part of the man who brought them into the world?

"I get it," she said, reaching across to take his hand. Her small bracelet tapped against the side of his palm. "You don't have to say any more." She squeezed his hand.

"Right..." he muttered, happy she wasn't about to push. "...Anyway... I think it's fine if you're scared. Everyone is. Even the teachers seem on edge. I think it would be weirder if you... weren't."

So he was calling himself odd. Well mostly, there was still that little voice inside of his head...

He turned his gaze towards their fingers, looking at hers wrapped around his own. Even with how wet and clammy their palms were, their hands fit nicely together. He even felt a bit warmer.

"A-Ah! Sorry!" she pulled her hand back and Shouto felt the cold rain pelting his now open palm. "I'm sorry, Todoroki-san you just... you seemed-"

"It's fine, Yaoyorozu-san. Can I... walk you home?"

"Oh gosh..." she squeaked. "Yes, I'm sorry for forcing you to sit out here in the rain. I honestly don't know what I was thinking!"

"You didn't force me to do anything," he said.

She jumped up and stared at him intensely. "You're probably freezing and your clothes are completely soaked and I can't believe you didn't say anything sooner. I'm sure you want to get home to a nice hot shower and-"

"Yaoyorozu-san, I'm fine. I can regulate my body temperature fairly easily," he said, a small chuckle slipping from his lips. "I'm more concerned about you."

"R-Right. Oh... of course," she said. "Still, being out in these wet clothes can't be fun."

"Not particularly. Not for you either." He stood back up and opened his umbrella, holding it out to her. "It probably won't help much."

"Oh," she said softly, tucking her wet hair behind her ear. "Thank you."

The two began to walk in the direction of her house, which so far was in the same direction as Shouto's. They walked silently, listening to the rain tap, tap, tap against the ground.

"Todoroki-san, maybe this is... also too personal, but if I recall correctly, you said you don't believe in soulmates." Using her free hand, she slipped a finger under the small bracelet covering her soulmark. "Can I ask why that is?"

Normally, he would’ve rolled his eyes, but he wanted to tell her. "It's a stupid concept. The idea that there's only one person in the world for me?" He clicked his tongue. "And who knows if that one person is even the right one," he said, a bite in his tone. His mother had done nothing but suffer at the hands of her soulmate. It was why...

"I see... So it's not that you don't have one?" she asked. "Y-You don't have to answer if that's too forward."

"I have one." Or rather, he had one. "I just... try not to take it into account... ever."

"I see," she said, still fidgeting with her wrist.

He wondered if maybe she didn't have one. It was rare, but supposedly it was a thing that occasionally happened. It would make sense why she was always nervously touching her wrist; she most likely wouldn't want anyone to find out.

"Why?" he asked, before he could stop the words from slipping from his lips.

"I was curious. You don't... hear a lot of people say they don't believe in this 'foolproof' system," she said softly.

"You speak as if you feel the same."

"Not... necessarily. I think it's more complex than people like Ashido-san make it out to be. First off, she's very lucky she realized Kirishima-san was her soulmate early. Sometimes it doesn't last between soulmates. My parents... they weren't each other's soulmates," she admitted. "Both of them lost their soulmates in separate villain attacks. They found each other and fell in love," she said. "So... I wonder how much it really matters. Some people take it so seriously..."

She turned to face him, stopping outside what he realized was her very large house, gated and tucked far away off the main road. "I-I apologize Todoroki-san, I know you don't enjoy talking about soulmates." She bowed her head, handing his umbrella back to him. "But I appreciate you talking to me. And knowing you and so many others are feeling the same about U.S.J.... it... made me feel better." Her lips pulled into a smile and Shouto's heart skipped a beat, his cheeks heating up at how cute her face looked like that.

He was tempted to get her to smile all the time, a new goal.

"I hope you stay dry for the rest of your evening, Yaoyorozu-san," he said, nodding to her.

"You too, Todoroki-san," she said. She bowed her head once more, and stepped inside the large gate.

Even though he was soaked, Shouto didn't hate the rest of the walk home.

Chapter Text

Second place.

He didn't deserve it. He touched over the bandage on his arm, his fingers lingering over where his soulmark no longer was visible. At the very least, the ugly scar was mostly covered, a few wisps of burnt skin peeking out from under the white.

He wasn't looking forward to going home tonight. He was certain his father would be there and he was certain he would get a strict talking to.

Not that he would listen.

Over time, he had grown talented at letting his father in one ear and out the other.

He made his way to the locker room, thankful they'd taken Bakugou away separately. He didn't blame the explosive blond for being mad at him. Shouto had held back in a way he hadn't with Midoriya, and he was certain Bakugou wanted to murder him for it.

But right now, Shouto didn't care. There was a lot on his mind after his conversation with Midoriya during their fight. He wanted to listen to the other boy but he wasn't quite sure how to yet. He wanted to use his flames and detach from his father. Right now, the flames felt empty, like they held no personal substance for him and only served as a reminder of what had gotten him to this point.

He stepped out of the locker room, pulling his jacket down over the bandage on his arm. His head hurt, and he thought of how loudly Bakugou yelled at him. The silver medal, which he no longer wore around his neck, still felt heavy, like it was weighing him down. He wanted to be rid of it.

"Todoroki-san!" Yaoyorozu's voice cut through his thoughts and he turned to face her. She had a wide smile on her face, her long hair out of its ponytail, draping around her shoulders. The only other time he recalled seeing her hair down was the day they sat in the rain together. Today was different; it lightly cascaded down around her neck and shoulders, framing her pale face.

She really was beautiful.

Though she was smiling, he could sense something wasn't quite right. A nervous energy she often exuded when she felt out of control of the situation.

Shouto had witnessed it a few times. Once in class during a pop quiz she was seemingly unprepared for, as one normally was for a such a thing. She, of course, ended up with a perfect score.

Another time during training, she had been taken off guard, fighting against Ashido. She was flustered, unbalanced, and stumbled on her feet. It always seemed to happen when her confidence was shook... a confidence Shouto had come to learn she often feigned.

Didn't they all?

By now, Shouto liked to think he had... some skill at reading Yaoyorozu. They were... friends? Seatmates? He supposed that was a label he could use. He often spent time in class glancing her way, looking at her from time to time until he learned how she ticked. She always concentrated so well during class, something Shouto was occasionally incapable of doing, which was when he usually observed her. He wondered if she ever noticed him staring.

"Congratulations on second place," she said cheerily, breaking him of his thoughts of her. Right. She was right in front of him. There was no need to daydream about her when he could look at the real her. He needed to pay better attention.

"Yaoyorozu-san," he nodded. He wanted to say 'thank you' but for some reason it didn't quite feel appropriate.

"You must be feeling very proud," she said with a smile.

"I'm not," he stated bluntly.

"A-Ah..." she stumbled, clearly unsure of what to say. Currently she seemed tired, a small bandage covering the side of her cheek. Tokoyami had eliminated her from the competition very early on. Perhaps it was insensitive of him to speak about his win in front of her when she was most likely disappointed.

"I..." An apology felt cheap, and he took a deep breath. "Are you... heading home, Yaoyorozu-san? Could I walk you?"

Her cheeks flushed as red as her hero costume. "W-Why yes! I would love to walk home with you."

The two made their way away from the school, heading towards their houses. His eyes glanced down, wondering what it would be like to hold her hand and reassure her she did her best. As if noticing his gaze, she pulled her hand in, her finger once again slipping under her small bracelet.

"Does it hurt?" she asked, and immediately he raised his eyes to meet hers.

"What?"

"Your arm," she said, gesturing to the bandage.

"It's fine," he muttered. Honestly, he didn't mind the pain all that much. "Yaoyorozu-san," he began. "You should be proud of what you did today," he said, wishing to cheer her up. It seemed strange to reassure her of that when he himself didn't feel the same about his own fights.

"I'm not," she said, repeating his words. "But... that's okay. I feel I learned a great deal from watching others! Especially you, Todoroki-san. You're incredible!"

He wished he felt the same way.

"Watching you, especially during your fight against Midoriya-san, was fantastic!" she said. "Both of you are so strong, and watching you use your ice and fire powers was simply marvelous! You're always so impressive, whether it be here or in class or..." she trailed off, her cheeks heating up. "O-Oh! I-I'm sorry! This is probably making me sound really strange..."

"It's not. I watch you too," he said, his eyes staring at her.

"A-Ah... you do?" she asked.

Shit. That was creepy. Not Mineta level creepy, but it probably made her feel uncomfortable. "Ah, uhm," he grunted, rubbing his hand down his face. "I meant... I enjoy seeing your techniques."

"O-Oh!" she smiled wide, looking sparkly and happy when he said that.

"I should've accepted your congratulations earlier," he muttered. "I'm sorry I didn't."

"I understand," she said. "I didn't exactly accept your compliment either. It's hard to... when you feel like you didn't do your very best."

"Exactly," he murmured. Talking to Yaoyorozu always made him feel better. When he spoke more freely like this, it always felt like their thoughts were intertwined, like they understood each other on a deeper level.

Is this what it meant to have a soulmate?

He froze at the thoughts which trickled into his head. There was no way... Yaoyorozu was certainly not his soulmate. Not that he had any way to check... well there was one way... his cheeks flushed at even the thought of that, feeling slightly perverted.

No, he didn't believe in soulmates. He simply enjoyed spending time with Yaoyorozu.

Suddenly, Yaoyorozu stopped walking and she reached out to grab his hand, her lithe fingers covering his own. After his semi-ridiculous thoughts, his stomach flip-flopped at the touch. "Should we make a pact?" she asked.

He glanced from her shining eyes to their hands in a moment of confusion. "A pact?"

"Mhm. From here on out, we will always try our best," she nodded, her dark eyes filled with quiet determination.

"I like that pact," he said, cracking a small smile. He squeezed his hand over hers.

"Good!" she giggled. "I think maybe it'll help us both!"

He felt warm then, his body heating up at the look on her face. He wondered if his flames would feel less empty if he filled them with his desire to improve... to stay true to his pact with her; to always try his best. And if he couldn't find the motivation to do it from himself, he could do it for her.

"Ah! Todoroki-san! Did you get burned today?!" she gasped, her thumb brushing over the small pieces of scarring the bandages didn't hide. Immediately he yanked his hand away from her, pulling it close to his chest as if he didn't want her to see.

He swallowed, his eyes wide as he stared at her. "I..." His shoulders were tense and he stepped back from her as if she was about to discover his deepest, darkest secret. In a way, she was.

"I'm so sorry," she said and covered her mouth. "I crossed a line... I... I didn't realize..."

He took a deep breath, letting his shoulders relax as he held the underside of his wrist up to her. Yaoyorozu had never been pushy... she never said anything about soulmarks, and all he knew about hers was she had a nervous habit of running her finger along the underside of her bracelet.

They had made a pact. He could trust her with this.

Slowly he began to unravel his bandages, and he showed her the scar. His wrist was scarred the same color as his face; red skin, dry and taut. The scar burst out along the edge of his hand, small tendrils of scarring curling up towards his palm where the water had splashed on his skin. "It... was burned off."

She gasped, as if the sight was one she wasn't used to. Her gentle fingers hovered over his hand, about to touch his skin. "Does it... hurt?" she whispered.

"No..." he said, and brought his other hand to his face. "This one doesn't either. They haven't hurt for years."

"What... happened?" she asked. "Do you remember what your mark looks like?" Her fingers lightly touched him, stroking at her skin. "Ah... I'm sorry, I'm sure this is a lot, you don't have to answer anything you don't want to... just showing me... means a lot."

Could he actually tell her? The words lay on the tip of his tongue, about to fall from his lips. He supposed he was just a waterfall of confessions today after telling Midoriya his story too. Though he had excluded the part about the soulmark.

"My mother..." he whispered softly. "She... My father is her soulmate." Momo looked at him with such gentle eyes, he knew she wouldn't judge him or his mother for what she had done... perhaps she could understand Shouto even more if he was honest, despite how heavy it made his chest feel.

"She suffered years of abuse with him," he said, not wanting to go into any gruesome detail. "He would train me, working on making the perfect hero... and one day. She just... snapped," he said. "Her mind completely lost..."

"Todoroki-san," she whispered, lacing her fingers with his. The touch was gentle but comforting, something Shouto was not used to. At first he wanted to flinch away, the idea of someone else touching the place his mother had scarred so long ago scary to him, but he had to continue speaking.

"She saw me, my left side reminding her of him, and she poured the water on my face... and when we both sat down, she did it over my soulmark. My mother could never accept that fate decided she should be with such an awful man. I have to agree with her. It's why... I don't believe in soulmates. How could fate cause my mother such pain?"

"So I take it that's why... you don't care for your father much," she whispered, her nail gently tracing a line over the scarring just below his palm.

"Mm," Shouto nodded. "As far as I'm concerned... he did this."

Yaoyorozu nodded and gently pulled his hand to her chest. "Thank you for telling me. I'm sure it wasn't easy."

It never was.

"I can understand why you feel this way and why you don't care for soulmates," she said softly. "I think," she lowered his hand, brushing her thumb over the mark, "it's actually quite beautiful."

It was funny, because he really thought the same about her.

Chapter Text

Yaoyorozu cried after they completed their exam against Aizawa-sensei. Shouto wasn't really sure why since they both passed, but he didn't wish to judge her. By now he was aware she could get overwhelmed.

They made their way off the examination field, heading back towards the school. Shouto walked behind her, not wanting to bother her if she was internally processing things. Her plan had been amazing though.

"T-Thank you for being my partner, Todoroki-san," she said, turning around to bow to him. "With your help, we were able to succeed."

"Mm..." he muttered, wondering why she was passing the credit to him when it had been her plan. "I think it was more thanks to you."

"A-Ah!" she waved her hands up and down quickly. "N-No! I think it was more thanks to you. If you hadn't believed in me-"

"How about we call it a team effort?" he said, cutting her off. That was part of the point of these team exams anyway.

She smiled, her eyes glistening again. "Yes," she said. "You're right. It was a team effort. But still... thank you for having faith in me."

Shouto stared at her, confused why she was thanking him for something that came so easily to him. "I always will," he said bluntly. He loved the way her cheeks grew redder at the compliment.

Shouto found he worked well with Yaoyorozu and more often than not, if they were able to pick their teams during any training, they would end up on the same team together.

During their first year, he often paired up with her for research projects or team battles, simply because he trusted her. Even when she had deep, internal anxieties about her abilities, Shouto knew she would pull through. He would watch Yaoyorozu slip her finger under her bracelet, running her finger against her skin. He never asked her what was underneath it, he never cared, which was something he knew she appreciated. He didn't know what was holding her back in her mind, but he knew she was stronger than it. She was an extremely capable woman, even if she didn't think so herself.

Either way, Shouto chose Yaoyorozu every time.

Their rather excitement filled first year was coming to an end soon, and Shouto silently hoped their second year would be quieter.

As the bell rang, marking the start of their vacation, he glanced towards Yaoyorozu, packing up her things. It would be strange, to not see her beside him everyday, and suddenly he was hit with an empty feeling. He would miss the way her cheeks flushed when he offered her any sort of compliment, even minor ones. He would miss the way she took notes with rigorous concentration and he would definitely miss the way she said good morning to him every day.

They would only be away for a little while, but still the idea of not seeing Yaoyorozu during the entirety of their break was... oddly disheartening.

"Yaoyorozu-san." Her name left his lips faster than he meant it to and she turned to stare, her dark ponytail swinging behind her, her black locks brushing against the back of her neck.

"Yes, Todoroki-san?" she asked. Her eyes were wide, eager, and interested in what it was he could possibly say. It was times like these she left him a little speechless, her cute enthusiastic energy too much for him to handle.

"Todoroki-san?" she repeated and Shouto almost jumped, pulled from his daze.

"Ah..." he muttered, realizing he didn't really know what to ask her even. "Would... you... over the break that is..." Why was it so hard to ask her this? Asking to train together was not a strange thing, not when they had been each other's choice partners for the majority of the school year.

She tilted her head, clutching two of her textbooks to her chest. Oh gosh that only made it worse. His eyes involuntarily glanced at her chest and he immediately snapped them back up to her face. He wasn't a pervert! Nothing like some of the boys in their class, but Yaoyorozu was pretty and intelligent, and amazing and admittedly, beautiful.

"What about the break?" she asked.

Right. He was asking her something. "Would you want to train together?"

Her eyes widened, shocked by the proposal. "Train with... you, Todoroki-san?"

"If you wanted to," he offered.

"Yes! I would love to! I-I mean I want to!" she smiled, looking a little flustered. "I'll text you my schedule for the break and we can find a time that works for us!"

Of course she had her break all planned out on a schedule.

As expected, she texted him almost immediately that night. He was impressed by the strict regimen she was sticking to. Even with school being on break, she set aside time to study, (mostly chemistry, for use of her quirk) and training of course. There was a part of him that wished to join her everyday, but he didn't wish to impose.

Instead, he picked a few times and sent them back, waiting for her to choose. She was quick to respond, setting their times into her schedule.

The next morning, he woke up to a text from her.

[Text from: Yaoyorozu Momo]: Good morning, Todoroki-san! I hope the first day of your break is both relaxing and productive!

A smile was quick to pull across his cheeks. He could hear it in her voice, could see her smile as she took her seat next to him. Yaoyorozu was so genuine and friendly. He'd never encountered someone like her. He didn't feel comfortable around most people, yet he enjoyed being around her. He liked it when she babbled on about something she was excited about, or when she didn't quite understand something and she thought about it extra hard in hopes of comprehending whatever confused her.

It was like his whole life he'd been waiting to meet someone like her... like a soulmate.

For the first time in his life, Shouto wished he knew his soulmark, and he wished, above all else, that Yaoyorozu Momo was his soulmate.

No.

He didn't believe in soulmates... and even if he did, Yaoyorozu was most likely not his. Though they were similar in many ways, they were also different, came from two different lifestyles. They both wanted to be heroes but...

No.

It was useless to think about, and he would never know if she was his soulmate unless they...

His face turned bright red and he turned over in his bed, burying his face in his pillow while willing the thoughts to go away. The last thing he needed was to think about how beautiful her lips looked sometimes, especially when she wore the shimmery gloss and-

No.

He pushed himself out of bed. He couldn't keep thinking about her like this. Eventually she would find her actual soulmate and then all of this wouldn't matter. It would honestly be easier for him if he was alone. He could focus on being a better hero and eventually passing his father.

For now, he was going to go for a run.

Yaoyorozu set the day for the them to train together a few days into the break, and Todoroki was silently dying. Even with their good morning texts, which she sent everyday, he missed seeing her cute smile and her cheerful eyes.

When had he started thinking about Yaoyorozu so much? Maybe after he saw her in the rain after the U.S.J. incident. Or maybe after the festival, when he showed her his burned soulmark... he had trusted her enough to do that... or maybe it was when they worked so well together it felt like he never wanted to partner with anyone else.

Is this what people called a crush? It was such a foreign, unfamiliar feeling.

Shouto hated himself for wondering what was underneath her small bracelet. With his burn and his inability to remember what his soulmark looked like, they wouldn't be able to tell if they were soulmates anyway, so he didn't know where these small tugs of caring came from. He would never ask her about it anyway; he wasn't rude like the rest of society.

When the day finally came to meet her, Shouto arrived at her house a little early. Knowing Yaoyorozu, she would be expecting him to be punctual. Her house was very large, as many of their classmates discussed before when she held study sessions at her place and Shouto had to buzz an intercom to get in.

"Todoroki-san! Good morning!" she said, meeting him at the front gate. "It's good to see you." She bowed politely and he did the same, though they were friends, with her everything was always on the formal side.

"It's good to see you too, Yaoyorozu-san," he said, unable to stop the small smile which pulled across his cheeks.

"Come!" she said. "Let me take you to our training room!" Unsurprising she would have one of those. His house had one too, though the memories in there were anything less than pleasant.

Her fingers wrapped around his hand as she led him to the room. It was a large square room, mostly white and completely empty. "It's proofed for quirk use, so please don't feel like you have to hold back your ice or fire. In fact, I would prefer you don't!" she said.

She slipped off her jacket and Shouto glanced away for a moment. The clothes weren't revealing, but the black tank top dipped far down her back, leaving space for her to produce whatever object she might needed.

"I wouldn't hold back," he said, leaving his bag outside the door as he followed her inside. He would never offend her like that.

"Good," she said and bowed to him again. "Should we begin?"

"Alright," he nodded, and took a stance.

He knew she would mostly likely wait for him to charge for her first, and knowing her she was probably calculating out his various moves in her head. She would assume he would use his ice first, as he often favored that side, but things were different now... he knew he could handle the fire... his fire.

He leaned towards his right side but was quick to ignite his left, sending a row of flames barrelling towards her.

Yaoyorozu was faster than that though. She dodged, pulling a shield from her back and a spear from her arm. She clutched the items tightly, panting from the heat, and he stomped his foot down, sliding across the floor on a path of ice he sent across the room. He shot more fire her way and she continued to dodge.

The problem was, she had a difficult time getting close to him as he moved around the room with ease. Even using a long range weapon, he was able to freeze a variety of objects she tossed his way.

Eventually she fell to her knee, panting heavily... the lipids in her body most likely running low. "Yaoyorozu-san, are you okay?" he asked.

"Mhm..." she nodded, though she looked slightly ashamed.

"You did excellent-"

"Todoroki-san! Can we train more tomorrow?!" she asked and Shouto blinked, surprised by her outburst.

"I'll train whenever you are free, Yaoyorozu-san."

Maybe it was pathetic, but any excuse he had to spend more time with her the better.

So he spent his break training with her. Every morning he got to hear her gentle voice and see her smiling face wish him a good morning. They would train together, until she grew too tired, having used her body too much. However, each day she improved more and more.

The sessions would last longer, tiring Shouto out and towards the end of summer break, they would spend hours going back and forth, her trying to get hits on him. She often did, even when he tried to deflect, she occasionally would make a break and knock Shouto to the floor. Yaoyorozu grew more and more impressive with everyday.

School was close to starting up again soon, and Shouto found as much as he thought he would miss seeing her everyday in school, he knew he would miss training privately with her even more.

He stood across from her on the penultimate day of their break, ready to challenge her. They usually waited to see who would make the first move, but this time, Yaoyorozu was quick to rush him. She pulled a spear from her arm, dashing towards him. Shouto aimed ice at her feet, but she jumped up to avoid it, and she spun the spear down, hitting against his arm as he collapsed to the floor, her spear and hand pinning him to the ground.

"Amazing..." he whispered, staring up at her, not bothering to move. He always knew she was incredible. He expected her to kick his ass one of these days, so it was unsurprising to find himself laying on his back, staring up into her dark eyes.

"A-Ah! Todoroki-san!" she breathed out, looking down. "Are you hurt?!" She held out her hand to him, her small bracelet sliding down her wrist.

"No..." he muttered and took her hand, sitting up, his eyes fixated on her wrist. They both sat on the floor, attempting to catch their breath.

He remembered what she said about her parents not being soulmates... how they lost their actual soulmates and found each other later. He knew it didn't matter to her. He knew she wouldn't care if they were soulmates or not, right? They could choose to be with each other... like her parents.

"Tomorrow," he said softly.

"Ah yes! Tomorrow is our last day to train like this. Though I'd be happy to train at school if you want to-"

"Go out with me."

"Eh?" she squeaked, pausing to look at him. "T-Todoroki-san?"

"Tomorrow... instead of training... I... I want to take you to lunch, or dinner... whatever. I, uh, I don't know..." he stammered, suddenly unsure why he blurted those words out so suddenly.

"L-Like... a date?" she asked. It was rare for someone to ask someone on a date if they didn't know their soulmark. It was practically unheard of. Of course she would be thrown off by the prospect of going with someone like him, destined to never know just from looking.

"...if you're... interested. I know I don't know your soulmark and you know I don't know mine-"

"Yes..." she said, and she slid her fingers to lace between his. "I would love to go on a date with you, Todoroki-san." She turned her face towards the floor, her cheeks flushed the brightest red he'd ever seen.

He squeezed her hand back. "Okay..." he breathed, still not quite sure what to say as they sat there with their hands laced together, but his chest felt warm. She was smiling, and that was enough for him.

Tomorrow, he would go on a date with Yaoyorozu Momo, and it didn't matter if they were soulmates or not.

Chapter Text

Shouto took things slow with Momo and it was the way they both enjoyed things. Their first date was casual, enjoying tea together in a small cafe by U.A.

Their first kiss was a few months later, when Shouto finally worked up the courage to ask if it was okay.

For a long while, this was fine. After their dramatic first year, it was nice to relatively normal second year. Shouto spent most of his time training, both alone and with Momo. They often had study dates in the library too.

Occasionally he would sneak into her dorm bedroom after hours to share her bed. Just for sleeping purposes of course. They never took things beyond kissing and a little extra touching, but Shouto found he slept better with his arms wrapped gently around her, his nose buried against her flowing dark hair.

Admittedly, he did want to be her first in that way, and as their third year crept closer and closer, the desire grew stronger. Yet he always hesitated, not wanting to find out the inevitable truth. Sex was the only way they would know if they were actually soulmates, and if their soulmarks didn't conjoin, Shouto wouldn't be surprised.

He shouldn't be allowed someone as beautiful and as perfect as Yaoyorozu Momo.

He still hadn't seen her soulmark, and he didn't care to ask. It wouldn't matter to him, since he had no recollection of what his was, and to her, she always claimed soulmates didn't matter.

But the longer time went on, the more Shouto started to wonder.

She still nervously played with her wristband all the time, her finger slipping underneath the band as she rubbed against her skin. Eventually she would find them, wouldn't she? The person she was actually meant to be with...

"Are you okay, Shouto-kun?" Momo asked as they sat in the library studying for their first third year exams.

"Eh?" he said, his gaze jolting from her wrist to her face. Concern flickered across her dark, beautiful eyes. "What?"

"Are you okay? You were staring at... nothing... pretty intensely," she murmured, her finger curling around the bracelet.

This wasn't the first time she caught him staring at her wrist, though neither of them ever said anything. Over the course of the year and a half they had been together, Shouto never once discussed the idea of soulmates again, not after the time he showed her his burn scar. "Sorry... I was thinking about how we're almost third years," he said, casually diverting the subject.

Immediately, Momo perked up; she clapped her hands together, her dark eyes sparkling. "I know! Can you believe school has gone by so fast? Soon we'll be pro heroes!" she giggled, her excitement radiating from her aura.

Shouto blushed, as he normally did when Momo looked so happy. "Yeah..." he said, nodding with her.

She slowly lowered her hands, her brow furrowing. "Shouto-kun," she whispered, reaching forward to take his hands in hers. He always felt safe when she was around, her hands clutching his. Even when they faced some of the most intense villains, he never once doubted her or her abilities. They were a team and in many ways...

...he loved her.

He wanted to be the first to say that to her. However... he knew he didn't deserve to. Even now, after all this time with her, he couldn't help but wonder what would happen when she found her soulmate. Her parents weren't soulmates, yes, but wouldn't it be different when she actually found hers?

"Hm?" he mumbled, blinking when she turned away from him.

"You seem... sad?" she blinked, her eyes so gentle. Why was she so incredibly perfect? She always read him like a damn book.

"No." He shook his head. "I'm fine. Just thinking about these tests."

Her thumbs brushed over his fingers. "You know, it's okay to feel sad about us graduating. We've made so many wonderful memories here. I know we still have time, but... I am already feeling a little nostalgic."

"Yeah..." he muttered. He was feeling sad, but not for the reason she thought.

"It is exciting to be heading into the world of the pros, but... also a little terrifying!" she giggled. She was far more nervous than she was letting on, Shouto knew her well enough to know that. He could imagine her mind was probably moving at rapid speed.

He tried to stop his hand from trembling as he raised her fingers to his lips. "You're going to be amazing."

"A-Ah... S-Shouto-kun!" she blushed, and he loved that he could still get her so flustered even after all this time.

His love for her weighed heavy on his heart. Regret coursed through his veins... he could never tell her... It would hurt too much when the inevitable happened.

Once they were done with school, he would have to let her go. He couldn't keep up this facade and the longer he waited the harder it would be.

It had only been a little over a year and he never wanted to let her go. The selfish part of him wanted to keep her anyway. Maybe he could have her until she found her soulmate, or maybe she would find that person and not care because she loved him too and-

No... he had to stop.

It was then he made his decision. After graduation, he would set her free.

~~

Their third year seemed to fly by faster than their second. Between classes, training, and work studies, many of their classmates were incredibly busy, and Shouto felt as if he would never slow down.

He spent as much time as he could with Momo, oftentimes the two of them spending their nights snuggling in bed. Shouto no longer worried about getting caught in there, since it was the little down time he had with her and he was desperate to cling to every moment as graduation loomed on the horizon.

The closer it drew, the more and more heavy Shouto's heart grew. How could he possibly let the best thing that happened to him go? And yet... he didn't wish to hold her back.

"I'm nervous," she whispered, the night before the ceremony. Her face was buried in his chest, her long hair cascading down her back.

"Why?" he asked, his fingers brushing over her lower back.

"Because... so many people will be watching tomorrow!" she squeaked softly. "Iida-san is much better at this than me."

"Mm... I don't know about that," Shouto chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "You've already written your speech and it sounds amazing."

"Written... and rewritten and rewritten again," she mumbled.

"I told you it was perfect."

"I-I know!" she said. "I just... our class means so much to more than just us... everyone is looking to us to be the new generation and I... I want to do a good job." Her dark eyes shimmered with nerves and excitement... and Shouto had never seen anything so damn pure.

"You're going to do amazing," he said, guilt washing over his body.

Even on barely any sleep, she did deliver the speech incredibly. She was such a strong speaker, though she often thought she wasn't. In fact, Momo was amazing at a lot of things she thought she wasn't, though he was proud of how confident she had grown. She was the strongest person he knew, she worked harder than anyone else, and if anyone deserved to be up on that stage, it was certainly Momo.

He took every word she said in... how she talked about the hardships they endured together as a class. She spoke so openly about her own struggles and how with the help of her friends and teachers she had learned a lot and felt many of them were the same.

"Forever, we will share this bond as classmates and carry it with us wherever we may end up. I hope everyone in this class knows they will always find support among their peers, no matter where we go!" Her gaze turned towards Shouto, her dark eyes twinkling with hope for the future.

A pang of guilt stabbed Shouto right in the chest.

As she spoke of bonds Shouto felt his wrist ache, as if he wanted to scrape the skin off of his hand and search for the mark that should've been embedded in his skin. He always felt so close to her and soon...

He shook his head, now was not the time to think about it.

After the ceremony, he knew he would have to find his father. Endeavor most likely had plenty to say, but he wanted to see Momo one final time. He wanted to revel in her smile and these happy emotions.

Why was he so selfish when it came to her?

She stood outside on the U.A. grounds, laughing with Jirou and Uraraka. The petals from the cherry blossoms flowed down around her, the pink petals glistening as a backdrop against her dark hair. She was beautiful... and he still loved her. If anything his feelings were only stronger.

"Oh! Todoroki-kun!" Uraraka smiled, waving at him as he approached.

"Hello," he bowed. "Congratulations."

"Hey you too!" Jirou laughed, gently nudging his side. "But lemme guess, you want Yaomomo."

"Ah... uhm..." he stammered, unsure of how to answer such a strong statement.

"K-Kyouka-chan!" Momo blushed.

"It's cool," she grinned, "come on Ochako-chan." She dragged the other girl away, the two of them giggling softly to themselves. They were supposed to be adults now, but some things never changed.

There he stood, alone with Momo, surrounded by the pink blossoms floating over them. "I thought you would be with your father," she said quietly, taking a step towards him. She tentatively reached her hand out, lacing her fingers between Shouto's. Her hands were warm, a little clammy, possibly from her nerves at giving the speech.

"I'm sure he's looking for me," he sighed. "I just... wanted to see you for a moment."

I love you.

The words hung on the tip of his tongue, and he wanted to blurt them out, but it wasn't fair... not when he knew what would happen in a few days...

"I'm... I'm sorry if I kept staring at you during the speech, it... helped me calm down."

He chuckled. "Your speech was excellent."

"Was it?" she asked. "I thought my voice sounded all... shaky."

"No, no... it was fantastic," he whispered, bringing his hand to her cheek, softly caressing her skin. "I'm proud of you."

"I'm proud of you too, Shouto-kun," she said, wrapping her hand around his wrist, her cheeks raising with her sparkling smile.

I love you.

The words danced on the tip of his tongue, desperate to blurt them out.

"I..." he muttered, about to speak, his other hand squeezing hers.

"Y-You...?" she said, leaning towards him, her eyes eager.

"I... should probably find my father but... I'll see you later?"

"O-Oh! Of course!"

He tried to hide his sadness as he took his last kiss from her, under the shade of the cherry blossom trees.

~~

A mere two days later it was raining, as if the sky knew what was in Shouto's heart and opened up to cry for him when he couldn't find the tears himself.

He knew he was doing the right thing, but his hand felt hot against the handle of his umbrella.

Shouto sat in a cafe they often frequented on their dates. Water trickled down the window, droplets pooling at the bottom outside, and he recalled how sad Momo looked in the rain. He prayed today she would understand... he couldn't bear to watch her like that... not now... not after how far they had come together.

By now, they had all moved out of the dorms. Some of their classmates moved into apartments together, and some of them already were working, none of them willing to take a break. Shouto would be starting at his father's agency on Monday, and before things got caught in the whirlwind of his adult life... he needed to do this.

He heard her gentle footsteps before he saw her. Her tiny heels clacking against the wooden floor of the cafe. Her hair was pulled back into her signature ponytail, fanning out behind the back of her head and she slowly moved towards him.

Despite the rain, there was a smile on her face, especially when he came into view, and already his heart felt heavy. She folded her umbrella up, taking a seat across from him.

"Morning," she smiled, but quickly froze. "What's wrong?"

Was it that obvious? Perhaps he wasn't as subtle as he thought…

"Momo... I..."

"Shouto-kun," she whispered, her hand trembling as she wrapped her fingers around his. "You can tell me... you know you can always tell me."

How could he tell her this though?

"I just..."

Shouto lifted his gaze to look at her beautiful dark eyes. They were staring at him with such concern. He didn't deserve her... she could do so much better. She would be so much happier with her soulmate; the person who eventually would be everything she needed and more.

He told himself so many times he didn’t want to believe in soulmates, and yet here he was assuming she needed hers.

But keeping her felt so selfish.

"What?" she said, her soft thumb brushing over his skin. "What's wrong?"

There was so much wrong... saying goodbye, breaking things off... it felt so wrong. No matter what she claimed about soulmates... how she felt about her own parents or how he felt about his... he couldn't keep clinging to her for his own needs.

Besides, once they started getting any spotlight, the press would be all over them, asking who their soulmates were... and if Shouto and Momo were together and unbonded... well... he knew how that would look.

He couldn't put her through that pain.

"We should... end this."

His voice didn't sound like his own and his wrist burned, as painful as the day his mother scarred him.

He heard her breathing grow heavy, his eyes unable to meet hers. Her hand squeezed his hard. "W-What?" she gasped. "I-I don't... understand-"

He continued to speak, the words sounding rehearsed. "You're going to be busy and I'm going to be busy and we both need to focus on our career as heroes and the media-"

"That's... but we can do that together!" she said.

"We shouldn't..."

"Shouto, I-I don't... understand..." she continued, her voice trembling. She was crying, he could practically hear the tears rolling down her cheek.

"It's for the best-"

"Is it?" she whispered and pulled her hand away from his. "You... can't even look at me."

He bit his lip and slowly raised his gaze. She was crying, but her eyes were filled with confusion.

"I'm sorry..."

"Is this your father? Did he do something?" she asked, shaking her head back and forth. He wanted to laugh. It wasn't a horrible guess...

"No. I decided this..."

"For you. For us?" she said. The lump in his own throat grew larger.

"Yes... I know how much this means to you, to both of us-"

"But you obviously don't know how much you mean to me," she said, cutting him off.

It made him stumble. He hadn't expected her to say something like that...

I love you...

"Momo... please..."

I love you, I love you, I love you! The words echoed in his heart, desperate to come out.

"Please what?" she said, her finger slipping under her tiny wrist band. She knew. Of course she knew... but it was something they never spoke about. "You're not telling me why you're doing this. A few days ago you kissed me after graduation and now..."

"We need to focus on what's really important," he snapped, and he could tell the words cut deep. Her eyes widened first, then began to tremble, tears pooling in them.

"...Right..." She stood up quickly, her hand shaking as she grabbed her umbrella. She tugged on her wristband one final time. "You know I... I never cared... about..." she trailed off, and shook her head, as if it was a silly thing for her to bring up. "I'm sorry for... for wasting your time."

"No... Momo, I-" he began but she was already walking out of the cafe. She didn't put her umbrella up, her dark hair trailing behind her as she ran out into the rain.

He probably should've chased her after her... explained himself more... or held her close and begged for her forgiveness. How stupid was he for giving into his deep, internal fears? He would regret not going after her, he could already feel it in his bones. His wrist still ached, the pain dull compared to the pain in his heart.

He would regret a lot of things, he thought. In fact, he already did.

Chapter Text

"I'm home," Momo called out to her very empty apartment. It was a large living space for one person, but Momo was used to living in a larger environment. The one bedroom flat gave her enough space for her large, comfortable bed, as well as a living area with a classy table. Currently, it was decorated with her tea set.

She supposed it was a little sad to say hello to a home with no one else in it, but it made her feel more cozy. Originally her parents offered to have her stay at home, but Momo wanted to be closer to her agency, living in the city where her job would actually matter.

The rain pattered against the window as she slowly began to remove her jacket and slip off her rain boots.

It had been a little over a year since they graduated from U.A, and Momo was growing used to her adult life, even if it was completely different. She would wake up early, train at the gym and head to her agency. As an up and coming hero, there was a great deal she needed to work on, especially public appearances, though she wasn't the worst public speaker.

In fact, one person in particular had told her she was quite good at it. But... those were memories she chose not to focus on.

Momo's phone buzzed in her jacket pocket and she pulled it out, almost forgetting she left it there.

[Text from: Kyouka-chan]: Yaomomo! It's Friday, which means we're going out drinking! I won't take no for an answer!

She hovered her finger over the text, unsure of how to answer. For the past few times, she had chosen not to go, too scared of seeing him. Going out with Kyouka meant Kaminari would be there, who probably dragged along Kirishima, who dragged along Mina and... well the list would grow and grow until it eventually landed on his name.

Todoroki Shouto.

She probably should've been over him, after all this time...

[Text to: Kyouka-chan]: I don't know. It's been a long week.

[Text from: Kyouka-chan]: Fine. I'm coming over. Girls night just you and me.

She couldn't really argue with that. They rarely got to see each other, now they were both pros, and Momo did miss seeing her best girl friend.

[Text to: Kyouka-chan]: I'll put on the tea.

[Text from: Kyouka-chan]: I'm bringing wine.

~~

Momo set the two wine glasses down, forgoing making any tea, since Kyouka didn't seem to be in the mood. She uncorked the bottle and began to pour into their glasses, far more than she normally should.

"Are you sure you're okay with spending your Friday in like this? Won't Kaminari-kun miss you?" Momo asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She didn't wish to keep Kyouka away from her soulmate and her other friends.

"Denki gets me for the rest of our lives, I think he can spare an evening," she giggled. "Besides, this was the only way I knew I would get to see you." Kyouka held up her wine glass, gently clinking it against Momo's. "We're all worried about you, Yaomomo."

"Worried?" Momo asked, her heart skipping a beat. Apparently she wasn't as good at hiding her emotions as she thought she was.

"Yeah," Kyouka snorted. "You never come out with us, you're always avoiding things... I mean... I know you're avoiding him, but you can't let this ruin your whole life. I see you smiling all the time both when we hang out and in pictures and it kills me cause I know it's not real," Kyouka said.

Just like her, to get straight to the heart of things.

Momo gently lowered her glass to the table and let out a soft sigh. "I wish... I knew what to say."

"The truth is always a good place to start," Kyouka snorted, tilting the glass against her lips.

Momo looked down. How could she come out and say the truth? How could she admit that after all this time she still loved Shouto? Her heart couldn't let it go.

"I think you know the truth," she whispered. "It's too difficult to be around him..." she said. The memories were too fresh.

"I think he feels guilty about it," Kyouka whispered.

Momo bit her lip. She wanted to ask Kyouka what she knew, but she didn't want to dive deeper into something causing her so much hurt. It was always with her, like a dull ache throbbing in her chest.

And it wasn't like she could ignore him. No, Shouto was everywhere. Having joined his father's agency, many people tagged him as an upcoming hero, right along with Midoriya and Bakugou. It wasn't a surprise, he always was incredibly strong. Working with his father helped his popularity as well, which Momo was certain he hated.

She'd seen a few of his interviews when she had the T.V. on. She would catch one and be unable to look away. He didn't ever look happy. Shouto often kept his expressions subdued, but so many times had Momo seen his looks of true happiness. What she saw on the T.V. was a far stretch from it.

It made her worried, and as much as she knew it hurt, she always kept tabs on him privately, wondering how his career was going and what he was potentially up to.

"Did he tell you that?" she asked finally, unable to stop the question from pouring from her lips.

"No... well, he told Denki... or... well, he told Midoriya and Iida and Denki overheard it," Kyouka sighed.

"I see," Momo whispered. "It... never really made much sense to me."

"Yeah, no kidding, it didn't to anyone. Not trying to be rude, but Todoroki is an ass," Kyouka scoffed, tossing back another sip of her wine.

"...No, he's not, I'm sure he... had his reasons..."

"Oh really? You're just making excuses because you're still in love with him," Kyouka snorted, dumping more wine into her glass.

Momo gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "I-I... I am not!" she said, but it was a poor excuse for an argument.

"It's okay if you are, no one judges you. I mean I think he's a total ass, but I get it... you two were good for each other," Kyouka said.

Momo nodded, doing her best to hold back her tears, her eyes blinking rapidly. "I-I guess I still don't get it at all..."

"Oh, Yaomomo... I'm sorry..." Kyouka said, her hand squeezing around Momo's.

"I loved him... I love him... and I never cared about being soulmates but... I think it really bothered him," she explained. She slipped her finger under her wrist band... a horrible nervous habit.

"I don't get why it would," Kyouka scoffed. "Todoroki is always so vocal about disliking soulmates."

"I know..."

From the first time she met Todoroki Shouto, she understood his frustration with soulmates. Soulmates were something she never truly understood either. Her parents were happily in love, even though both had lost their actual soulmates when they were much younger.

She didn't normally like to show people her own soulmark. Where most people had the mark on the underside of their wrist, hers was on the top, curving just above her hand. When Todoroki showed her his burned mark, she actually felt quite honored, and between it and his parents, she understood why he didn't believe in soulmates.

She always meant to show him her own, but thought he would prefer not to see it. Momo wanted him to believe she truly didn't care

"I should've... showed him my mark," she said. "Or explained it better."

"Have you thought about talking to him? I mean... if you really think that's it, you could remedy the problem easily," Kyouka shrugged. "Not that I think you should give him a second chance."

"I don't want to bother him..." she said, looking down.

"I guess," Kyouka muttered.

"He said he needed to focus on his career... that we both should... so I'm trying to do just that."

Kyouka let out a long sigh. "I know this is something you have to figure out on your own, or with Todoroki, but next Friday me and Kaminari are celebrating moving in together, so you can at least come to that, right? We'll make sure he doesn't come. I just... I wanna see you out with us and living happier, Yaomomo."

"I know," Momo said, pulling her lips into a tight smile. "I'll try."

~~

Momo desperately wanted to keep her promise to her friends, but a week later, on Friday, she dreaded the idea of going to meet them at the bar. It wasn't really her scene anyway, and the idea of running into Shouto made her nervous, even if Kyouka had promised her he wouldn't be there.

She thought to ask who was going, but didn't want to upset Kyouka, or make her feel like she was going to back out, so Momo made her way to the bar, not worrying too much.

It was raining, and leaving her apartment didn’t appeal to her, but she really couldn’t keep backing out of seeing her friends.

When she finally arrived, she was greeted by the smiling faces of most of her friends. Kyouka and Kaminari were of course there, Kyouka immediately pulling her inside. Mina was already drunk enough to be draping herself all over Kirishima. She kissed him, and under the moonlight, the tiny gem pattern which made up their soulmark glistened, making the full complete circle around their wrists.

Sero was there, had his arm slung around Kaminari, and Ochako had somehow managed to drag Bakugou there. Apparently Iida and Deku were on the way as well, and Momo truly prayed that would be all.

"YAOMOMO!" Mina cheered and dashed to her, jumping into her arms. "Girl, I have missed you so much! You gotta come out more!"

"I know, I'm sorry, Mina-chan!" she giggled.

Ochako was quick to greet her too, handing her a drink. "Please ignore Katsuki, he's in a mood cause I forced him to come."

"Isn't he... always in a mood?" Momo asked, softly giggling.

"Yeah, who am I kidding?" Ochako shrugged, covering her mouth as she laughed. Under her sleeve, Momo could see the orange flames surrounded in tiny stars which made up her and Bakugou's soulmark.

She hadn't seen Kyouka's in awhile, but she was certain her and Kaminari's were conjoined by now too.

Was she slowly the only one getting left behind?

No. Soulmarks didn't actually matter. They were a thing people took far too seriously. Anytime she thought about actively looking for hers, she felt her heart sink and her anxiety spike. It wasn't worth it.

Ignoring her intrusive thoughts, Momo took a seat with Kyouka and Mina, sipping casually on her drink. Being out, surrounded by her old classmates did make her feel good, even with the nostalgia looming in the air. She enjoyed being with them. Maybe Kyouka was right about going out more.

"Hello!" Midoriya's cheery voice echoed through the bar as he stepped inside.

"Deku-kun!" Ochako called out. "Took you long enough!"

"You're never going to guess who we ran into on the way here!" he laughed, walking in more and Momo froze.

She knew. She could feel it in her veins and she immediately downed her drink, standing up. She had to leave... she couldn't see him. She knew she wouldn't be able to handle looking into his eyes in person, there would be no glass between them to separate her heart.

"Momo-"

"I'm sorry I-"

"Hello, I hope you don't mind me crashing." Shouto's smooth tone echoed in her ear and her heart leapt into her throat. He was here. He was actually here. She swallowed, her breath loud in her ears.

He stepped into the room and their eyes met. She loved the mismatched color... she always thought it was so beautiful, and of course seeing him in person brought back a whole slew of memories Momo didn't think she could handle.

She remembered him touching her cheek, his hand soft. She remembered their first kiss, how his lips caressed hers. She remembered how often he spoke of believing in her, and how much she believed in him. Images of them lying in bed together, snuggled close, whispers exchanged before they fell asleep, blew through her mind. She remembered how his fingers fit perfectly with hers, how she wished they would never have to let go.

The thoughts and images were so overwhelming. Now, she was convinced she might throw up, her emotions kept bubbling in her chest. Rising, rising, rising...

She needed to get away.

"Ah..." he stammered, glancing towards the door as if wondering if he should leave. Everyone was silent, and Momo felt her body tense even more. Should she say something? Should she stay with Kyouka and try and avoid him? The options were confusing and she couldn't focus.

No. She had to leave.

She pulled her lips into her broken smile, the one Kyouka always saw through, the one she was certain Shouto saw through too. "I was just leaving."

"O-Oh..." he stammered awkwardly, his eyes uncertain of where to look.

"I-I'm sorry..." she whispered, glancing to Kyouka as she grabbed her purse and pushed past Shouto, keeping her eyes turned to the ground.

If she looked at him again, she was certain she would break.

Chapter Text

When she walked by him, she smelled of roses with a hint dampness, most likely from how hard it was raining outside. It was a scent Shouto was familiar with, one that brought a rush of memories over his body, reminding him how empty this past year had been without her.

"I-I'm sorry..." Her words echoed in his ear as she ran past him. He didn't know why she apologized when she had absolutely nothing to be sorry for.

He swallowed, frozen in place.

"She hates me," he said out loud before he could stop himself from speaking.

"W-What?!" Midoriya replied, turning around to look at Shouto.

Honestly, it was what he deserved.

"...it's nothing," he said, taking a seat at the table. Every part of his being wanted to run after her, chase her out the door. He would catch her and pull her into his arms and apologize for leaving her alone for all this time...

A whole goddamn year.

She would never take him back after this.

"I'm sorry... Todoroki-kun," Midoriya said, taking a seat beside him. "I didn't know... She usually says no."

"It's my fault," Kyouka said, speaking up. "I should've told you I actually got her to leave her apartment."

Shouto didn't like hearing that. Actually got her to leave? Was she not spending time with even Kyouka and her friends?

Not that Shouto was one to talk. He barely left his own apartment unless he was working or Midoriya stopped by and forced him to go out.

The past year had been hell and it felt like Momo was everywhere except with him. He would see her on the television, on billboards, hear about her from Kaminari when he would spend time with them.

It made the scarring on his wrist burn, his heart ache.

For awhile, he kept thinking he made a mistake. Her last words would haunt him whenever he saw her face. Before bed he shut his eyes, the words echoing off of his bare walls.

"You know I... I never cared... about..."

"I'm sorry for... for wasting your time."

She never cared about soulmates, just as he never had. And yet the idea of keeping her from someone who would potentially be perfect for her ate away at his heart.

Shouto would never be perfect; never good enough for her. He could've been the number one hero and it still wouldn't be enough to be with her and protect her heart.

These were the thoughts which plagued him for the past year. As hard as he tried, he couldn't let her go and yet he had. His biggest regret.

But he couldn't bring himself to speak to her. Why would she ever forgive him for completely destroying the relationship they both enjoyed so much? It was so rare he ever felt so close to someone, or he ever felt such a strong connection.

He threw all of it away. For a system he hated now more than ever.

"She doesn't hate you," Jirou's voice cut through his thoughts, and Shouto's eyes snapped to meet hers.

"What?" he said.

"Momo doesn't hate you, contrary to what you may think. I kinda hate you though," she said flatly.

Shouto's eyes widened. "I-I'm sorry?"

"I don't know why you're apologizing to me," Jirou snorted. "She's the one who's been suffering for the past year. I don't wanna say it's all your fault, but you sure are a large part of it."

Shouto's heart grew heavier in his chest. Momo was suffering. Here he pushed her away to make her happy, and she was miserable. He made her miserable.

Over the past year, there were times he imagined Momo off with someone else, her true soulmate, looking content and full of the happiness she deserved. A happiness he felt he would never be able to give to her.

But instead, they'd both spent their year apart, avoiding each other and in pain.

"Todoroki-kun?"

"Huh?" He turned towards Midoriya, his green eyes wide and filled with concern.

"I asked if you were okay."

"I..."

It was a weighted question. Really, all this time, he hadn't been okay. Deep down he knew it, and looking at the concern on Midoriya and Iida's faces, it seemed they knew it too.

"Todoroki-kun... I..." Midoriya bit his lip. "I'm sorry if this is overstepping a boundary but I don't really understand why you broke up with Yaoyorozu."

"Because they needed to focus on what was important," Jirou scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Or at least, that's the shitty excuse he gave her."

He glanced down. Jirou had every right to be mad at him. Actually, he was surprised she never called him out sooner. He supposed they didn't talk much, he saw Kaminari far more than he saw her.

"Is that really why?" Midoriya asked.

"We..." he began, his gaze turning towards his wrist.

"If you say something about not being her soulmate, I'm gonna call bullshit."

"A-Ah Kyouka!" Kaminari gasped and covered his hand over hers, not wanting her to cause a scene in the public bar.

"No. Yaomomo has said repeatedly how she feels about soulmates, and we all know about Todoroki 'I don't believe in soulmates' Shouto, so if that's why... then I don't know what the hell he was thinking," Jirou snapped.

"Ah..." Shouto whispered. Jirou wasn't wrong. He didn't know what the hell he had been thinking when he did it... especially hearing about how miserable she'd been.

Perhaps this is why he's spent most of the year avoiding hearing anything about her. He didn't want to know if she was happy and he didn't want to know if he had made her so incredibly miserable.

How awful of him. How selfish.

"Todoroki-kun," Midoriya began to speak again. "Since we're... on this subject. I do think... you've been really miserable without Yaoyorozu. You two were so happy together and this past year you've seemed... quieter than normal."

"That's saying something for him!" Kaminari laughed, waving his hand up and down.

"I don't know why you did what you did but-"

Shouto stood up, yanking his coat off the back of the chair. "I'm leaving."

"Ah! Todo-"

"No," he said, cutting his friend off. Somehow it was always Midoriya who got him to realize how stupid he was being about things. "I'm going after her."

"Finally," Jirou sighed. "I wondered how long they were going to keep avoiding each other."

"Oh! Good! Go!" Midoriya said, a smile pulling across his cheeks, and with that Shouto dashed out into the rain.

It felt oddly appropriate that it was raining. All these years later and Shouto would never forget the time he saw Momo sitting by herself, the rain soaking her clothes and hair as she gently moved back and forth on the swing.

Maybe that was the moment he realized he wanted to know her... really know her.

He glanced down at his wrist. How could he let something so stupid dictate his own feelings? He recalled her brushing her fingers over the scar, saying it was beautiful. The truth was, she was beautiful, kind, loving and he had thrown her away.

Quite frankly, he would be lucky if she even talked to him.

His feet splashed against the puddles pooling on the sidewalk as he dashed towards her apartment, he prayed she would let him inside.

How could he be so incredibly foolish?

His heart stopped however, when he ran by the park and saw her there, sitting on the swing. Her long hair was down, covering her face and her umbrella lay on the ground. She was probably freezing, her sweater soaked and her shoes sopping wet. In fact, he could see her hands clutching the chains of the swings shivering, her body shaking. Was she crying?

The rain rushed down from overhead, the roar of the water, loud enough to echo through the small park.

Did he really deserve to approach her?

He couldn't stop his feet from moving forward, his body walking slowly towards hers, his umbrella tilted forward to cover her head. "You'll get sick, Yaoyorozu-san," he whispered, repeating the words he said to her all those years ago.

Immediately her dark eyes shot up to see him. Tears rolled down her cheeks, mixed with the droplets of water raining from the sky. "Sho... To-Todoroki-kun," she breathed out, catching herself from saying his first name.

He swallowed, looking at her. "I..."

"Why... are you..."

He stared into her dark eyes, they twinkled with such confusion. Her cheeks were flushed, her dark hair completely soaked, stuck against her cheeks and her forehead. She was so stunning, even now after all this time, it took his breath away.

"I love you," he whispered. A year hadn't changed that. Not at all. The words which echoed in his heart, which had been so desperate to come out, finally slipped from his lips.

"...What?" she breathed, the word almost swallowed by the strength of the rain.

"I... love you," he repeated, letting the umbrella slip from his hands. He brought his fingers to her cheeks, looking down at her as he spoke them. Her skin was freezing, but smooth against his palms. "I should've said it a year ago... but I..." he trailed off.

Tears pooled in her eyes and she stood up, wrapping her fingers around his hands, squeezing them against her cheeks.

"Then why... why didn't you believe me when I said I didn't care if..." she whispered.

"I don't know. I'm an idiot?" he chuckled, softly, letting his rain soaked hair drip against his forehead. "I don't deserve to hold you like this..." he breathed. "I don't deserve to say those words to you... not after making you suffer for a year."

"Please don't say that," she sighed. "This is all I've wanted for the past year, don't take it away from me again." She shivered against him and he gently heated up his left palm. Momo hummed softly, letting her eyes flutter shut, her head tilting towards his touch.

"I've missed you... so much," he said.

"I've missed you more," she whispered. "I just never understood. You always said you didn't believe in soulmates and I told you I didn't care and yet-"

"I couldn't... shake the feeling that you might have a chance at being even happier with someone who wasn't me," he admitted finally.

She gasped, her eyes widening. "Shouto..." she said softly, his name sounding so sweet on her lips. He had missed it so much more than he wanted to admit. He wanted to hear her speak his name like that everyday, every morning when he woke up, every night before he went to sleep. "I was always happy with you. I never thought about what ifs."

"I... I know... I was such...a fool," he said, and let the water rush over his head.

"I love you," she breathed out. "I've loved you all year and I've hated that I couldn't tell you." She leaned towards him and brushed their lips together, the rain washing over their faces. He cupped her cheeks hard, pulling her soaked body against his own, not caring about the weather.

He could've stood in the rain forever if it meant getting to kiss Momo.

"I'm sorry," he breathed, leaning his forehead against hers. "I don't think I'll ever be able to say sorry enough."

"It's okay..." she said. "You have a whole lifetime to make it up to me."

"I suppose that's true," he muttered.

"I just... please understand that I will never care about... this," she whispered. Holding her wrist up, she gestured to the small bracelet still covering her mark.

Shouto reached out and gently wrapped his fingers around her wrist, pulling her hand to his lips. "I know that now... I'll never care again either. But why do you... always touch it?" he said, brushing his thumb over the jewelry.

Momo flinched, her fingers curling into her palms. She gently tugged her hand away and slipped her finger under her bracelet. "My soulmark is... odd."

"Odd how?" he asked. "If you don't want to show me you don't have to."

"I-I know that... but after all this time maybe I should explain," she said as she pressed her finger against the clasp and unhooked the bracelet, lifting her head up towards his eyes. On the top of her wrist lay a tiny row of roses, they glimmered against the rain, droplets of water rolling off of her mark.

He furrowed his brow, staring at the mark in front of him.

"It's lovely but-"

"It's on top," she breathed and slowly turned her hand over to reveal her bare wrist. Normally, people carried their soulmarks on the bottom of their wrist. The mark only appeared on top once a person had bonded with their soulmates, so why was hers located on top instead of on the bottom?

She bit her lip. "It's always been like this. My parents and I tried to figure out why but there's no explanation. It's very rare... At first we thought it was because I was a product of two people who were not soulmates but there are other children like that and all of them had normal soulmarks," she whispered. "In middle school... my bracelet slipped off and a girl called me a whore, saying I must've already slept with my soulmate. Even when I showed them the underside of my wrist, completely bare, they still kept making fun of me. That's why I get nervous and why... why I," she swallowed, lowering her head. "I should've told you sooner, maybe then we wouldn't..."

Shouto was quick to shake his head. "No... all that... was my fault. I never should've left you," he said, lifting her wrist to his lips, he kissed at the red flowers. "And this is beautiful... but... I think we've both decided it doesn't matter. This," he said, brushing his thumb over her mark, "will never matter to me. I love you, no matter where or what your mark is."

She smiled, the rain trickling down her cheek, mixing with small tears from her dark eyes. "I don't know if I'll find out what it means, and I don't... really care," she said. "I love you too and... Shouto, I want to be with you... more than anything." She reached down and picked up his own hand, unclasping his bracelet.

He didn't flinch this time. He knew she had seen it. He knew she knew what it looked like.

He knew she didn't care.

"No matter what your mark was... no matter what it means for us, I will always love you," she said and pulled his wrist to her lips, kissing his scarred skin.

He held her there, still standing in the rain, and he knew this time, he would never let her go.

Chapter Text

Shouto brushed his thumb over Momo's trembling hand. Her gaze was fixated on her bed sheets, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Yes!" she blurted out quickly, raising her eyes to look at him. They glimmered with excitement, and nervousness.

He didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

"I... I haven't done anything like this before..."

"Me neither," he whispered.

Before when they were together, they kissed... and touched a bit. Shouto loved running his fingers over her smooth body and getting a reaction from her. Her noises were beautiful, her body absolutely stunning.

But they never chose to have sex, not wanting to push things too far.

Now after being back together for a little over two weeks, Momo blurted it out one morning while they were lying together in bed.

"I want to try... with you...!"

And now they sat across from each other on her bed. There were of course, other implications of what doing this would mean. Potentially their soul marks could change, but even if they didn't, Shouto knew he wouldn't care. Still it was impossible not to be a little curious what the outcome would be. Based on the way Momo was playing with her bracelet, he could assume she was also feeling nervous.

He reached for her other hand and leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. "I love you."

"I love you too... and no matter what happens... you promise-"

"Momo," he whispered, gently running his fingers down her arm. "I absolutely promise. I wiill never leave you again. Especially... since you’re sharing this with me."

"I know... I know, I just... I don't want it to matter," she said, her pupils darting between his multi-colored eyes. She was nervous, far more nervous than she would come out and say. She had every right to be. He was certain she was wondering if their soulmarks didn't change would he leave her? He wouldn't though. He wouldn't ever leave her again.

"It won't," he said, leaning forward to brush their lips together.

He honestly felt blessed to be given a second chance with this absolutely perfect woman. She was so kind and forgiving of him, even when he had been so horrible to her and abandoned her.

"I know I've said it before, but... an entire year without this was terrible." His hands wrapped around her cheeks, and he pulled their lips together again.

"An entire year without what? Kissing me?" she giggled softly against his lips.

"Well, without you in general, but... I did miss kissing you," he said.

"That's okay... I missed kissing you too," she said. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him with her as he leaned back.

Momo's lips were soft, and he settled himself between her legs, still cupping her cheek with his hand. He wanted to make her feel good, and kiss any worries she had away. He was, of course, terrified of doing a horrible job. It wasn't like he hadn't heard Kaminari blabbering on about how much he messed up the first time he and Jirou...

Shouto didn't even want to think about it. If he thought too much about it he was certain he would do something stupid.

He really did miss kissing Momo, and he was so easily reminded every time their lips brushed together over the past few weeks. His heart would flutter in his chest, his left side would feel a little hotter, like the flames wanted to rise out of him. Even now, he was barely able to contain himself, wishing to ravage her completely.

"Mmm," she hummed against his lips, her palms gently sliding down his back. The noise made his pants feel tight, his body feeling hotter with every growing second. Her touch was warm, her fingers gently curling around the bottom of his shirt. She pulled it over his head and moved her hands to gently touch the muscles on his back.

"Ah... Momo," he sighed, his breath tickling her lips.

"What?" she whispered, her eyes staring at his intently. "Was that too fast?"

He chuckled. "No... It's not like you've never taken my shirt off before."

"True," she sighed. "Sorry... I know I shouldn't be because it's just you... but I'm nervous!"

He looked at her trembling eyes and gently brushed his thumb over her cheek. "We really don't have to. I'm in no rush. We have forever."

Momo shook her head, her long dark hair brushing against her cheeks. "No it's okay... I trust you."

He could tell she did, and he couldn't blame her for feeling nervous. He glanced down at her bracelet for a moment, knowing they both wanted to know, deep down inside. As much as it didn't matter, curiosity was a natural human emotion, one they couldn't exactly avoid.

He pecked her lips and slowly pulled her shirt over her head. Her round breasts were covered by her lacy red bra, obviously picked out for the evening. With her laying so close to him, he could hear her breath grow a little shallow, watching him look at her cleavage. He had seen her upper half naked before. In fact, playing with her chest always elicited the cutest noises from her, so it was something he often enjoyed.

"Is... is it okay?" He glanced down at her, her teeth pressing into her lower lip as she glanced away from him. Her cheeks glistened with her red blush and Shouto felt like someone pierced him through the heart, she looked so damn cute.

"W-What do you mean?" he breathed, his cock jumping in his pants once again.

"I just... you were staring?" she said. "So maybe you thought this bra was... a weird choice-"

"No!" he said, louder than he meant to. "You look... beautiful Momo," he said and kissed down her chest. With her bra still on, he cupped under her round mounds, a soft shiver rolling down his spine. She was so soft, all over her body, and he wanted to touch her and kiss her, taste every part of her he could. "I promise I was staring because... I couldn't stop looking at you."

"O-Oh!" she gasped, a squeak leaving her lips when he cupped under her breasts, his fingers slipping underneath the bra.

Her head fell back against her pillow. "A-Ah... Shouto..." she breathed.

Ah, that was exactly what he wanted. He pushed her breasts up, unhooking the bra to let her spill free. He leaned down to wrap his lips around her nipple, suckling on her, his teeth scraping over her hardening bud. He was pleased when her hips would raise slightly, brushing against his. He made his breath hot, pulling a moan from her lips. He felt her fingers stroke through his hair while he switched to her other nipple, making his breath colder. "Oh gosh," she moaned, her hand tightening around his two-toned locks. "S-Shouto are you-"

"Too much?"

"No..." she breathed.

"Good," he said, trailing kisses down her stomach. He stopped at her skirt, knowing he had never gone this far with her before. Her chest was heaving up and down, her body plenty heated. She nodded, however, when he looked up at her, giving him permission to remove the rest of her clothes.

Shouto gently pulled down on her skirt and panties, slipping them down her smooth, muscular legs. Momo was strong and beautiful, and see her lying naked before him made his heart tremble. "I love you... so much," he said, kissing at her lower belly.

"S-Shouto..." she said, biting down on her lip. "I love you too..."

He stroked over her wet folds, pleased to see she was turned on by his touch and their actions together. It only worked to spur him on more, especially knowing what was to come. His own cheeks were heated as he pressed a finger inside, slipping in with ease.

Placing his hand on her small stomach, he stroked over her skin. "Tell me... if it doesn't feel good," he whispered.

"Ah... no... no, it's... it's okay..." she panted, rolling her hips forward to adjust herself.

He slid a second inside of her, brushing over her clit with his thumb. "Ngh!" she gasped, her walls clenching around his fingers. Just imagining that happening to his cock was enough to make him want to move faster... to be connected with her.

"You're... so warm, Momo..." he muttered, slowly adding a third finger. While he pressed them into her, she winced, sucking in a sharp breath of air, and Shouto moved up, brushing their lips together. "I'm sorry..." he said quietly, stilling his fingers inside of her.

"No it's okay... I want to... I want to feel you," she said, her fingers gently brushing over the bulge in his pants. "Please... Shouto."

She certainly didn't have to say anything else but that. He pulled back, still gently thrusting into her while he fiddled with the button on his pants, pushing them down to kick them off the bed. He breathed, pausing for a moment to process them both being naked on her bed. They were really going to do this...

Momo smiled up at him. "Are you ready?"

"Are you?" he gently pulled his fingers from inside of her. "Was that... enough?"

She nodded, her breasts rising and falling with her deep breaths. "I think I'll be okay," she said.

"I'll go slow." He reached over, rolling the condom onto his cock and squirted the cold lube over his length.

"I know," she said, her fingers brushing gently up his arm. She cupped his cheek with her other hand, her lithe digits caressing the locks of hair brushing over his forehead. "I trust you."

He lined himself up with her entrance, his cock pushing into her at a slow pace, not wanting to overwhelm her. He was met with some minor resistance and Momo tensed. "I-I'm sorry..." she breathed. "I-I'm trying to stay relaxed... I know that helps."

Looking at her with such concern, Shouto rubbed his finger over her hip. "Does it hurt?"

"No... it's just... it feels like a lot of pressure," she said softly, her cheeks flushing even more red as she spoke. "Don't stop," she continued, quietly.

He laced his fingers with hers, the small pieces of his scar pressed against her palm. He loved her, and in that moment he would've done anything she said. "I won't..." he breathed, his cock twitching as he continued to push inside of her. She squeezed his hand, taking breaths as she relaxed herself.

"There," he breathed, leaning towards her ear to kiss her. He peppered small kisses on her ear and down her cheek to her jaw.

"You can... move if you want Shouto," she breathed, when he stayed in one spot, completely still.

"Well... I just..." he panted against her ear, his hair tickling her cheek. "You're very warm and squeezing me... tightly... " he grunted.

"O-oh!" she gasped, realizing he did indeed need a moment.

He chuckled. "I told you you always affect me," he purred in her ear.

Her fingers curled over his shoulder, the tips pressing into his back muscles. "I-I know..." she breathed. "I just didn't expect it."

"It's okay.. I just... needed to pause for a moment," he sighed, slowly pulling his hips back only to gently push them into her.

"Ah... Sh-Shouto..." she whimpered, clinging to his back, her legs wrapping around his waist.

She so easily spurred him on, the pace of his hips practically moving on their own accord. He rolled himself towards her, their bodies connecting. He squeezed her fingers and pressed their lips together, swiping his tongue across hers, taking all of her in. Her walls were slippery and warm, keeping him deep inside, wrapped up completely in her.

He could've stayed this way forever, pushing into her. Underneath him, he watched her move. Her breasts gently bounced with each thrust, her mouth wide and open, breaths and soft little moans slipping from her lips. Her pale face was heated, her cheeks red with desire. Momo was stunning, a beautiful goddess he didn't deserve.

"I love you..." he whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek, then her jaw and the side of her lips.

"I love you more, Shouto..." she said, his name sounding heavenly on her lips. It made his hips twitch, thrusting faster. "Should I... say your name again?" she panted. "My Shouto..."

Oh. Oh.

"Momo," he growled, his hips moving faster against her. He slipped his hand down, gently brushing his hand against her clit, rubbing her.

"A-Ah!" she gasped, her hips bucking towards his hand, driving him in deeper as she clenched around him. "S-Shouto!" His name sounded like a breath of sweet air, sung from the lips of an angel. Her body trembled beneath him, her orgasm rolling down her spine. He paused, his body unable to stop himself when she clenched so hard and spoke his name. His own orgasm hit his spine and he gasped, choking out a few breaths while he came right after her, pouring into the condom.

He rest against her, squeezing her hand, the two of them laying in place, both of them breathing heavily. "I love you," he said, and kissed her lips, looking into her gorgeous dark eyes.

"I love you too..." she whispered, brushing her fingers over his cheeks. "That... felt pretty incredible..." she sighed, nuzzling her nose against his shoulder.

"It really did..." he mumbled, pecking her cheek. He pulled out of her, tying the condom off to throw away as he lay back in the bed, lacing their fingers together.

"Thank you for being with me," she said.

"No..." he muttered, kissing at her shoulder. "Thank you for being with me, after everything-"

"It doesn't matter... we're here together now," she said, squeezing his hand.

"Together," he sighed.

He felt at home with her, his nose buried in her shoulder, the rose scent of her hair enveloping his senses. He loved being wrapped up in her, so close like this.

As the two of them drifted off to sleep, neither of them checked or noticed when roses slowly curled around the underside of Momo's wrist, the flowers connecting together with her mark on top. And the red petals danced around Shouto's upper wrist, the flowers seeming to disappear under his scar.

They didn't need to see to know.